Greetings! For those new to this cozy corner of the interweb, I wave a very awkward helllllloooo! This is/was my weekly edition of random thoughts, deep dives, online finds, and things I’m currently loving all jumbled into one non-linear post. Welcome!

1. This quote comes to you directly from Jillian Michael’s lips via the BlogHer Health Conference I attended in NYC with co-pilot Sarah. This particular quote of hers struck me, for obvious reasons. Jillian is bold but not so brash anymore. She explained that as she’s gotten older and maybe a little wiser — she has realized that it’s no longer really acceptable to be the ” hashtag zero fucks” given kinda gal. For those of you above a certain age, the aforementioned sentiment is kind of a movement about being bold and doing your own thing without concern of those who nay-say or judge you for it, like “I don’t give a f#%@ what others think… zero f#%@s given.” All well and good to stay in your own lane and carry-on, however as Jillian explained there comes a time when important things in your life do deserve your “_______’s”…in fact, there’s always a place for them. Which I thought was a great way to put it. Sometimes (most times) it’s ok not to care what others think about the way you choose to live your life. BUT if you truly live in a way that doesn’t consider or respect anyone else’s opinions, thoughts or feelings…you’re going to be the one f*cked. 🙂

2. MEAL PREP fuels my body and feeds my soul in so many ways. As a busy teacher who’s also in graduate school having food prepped and ready to grab is SO ESSENTIAL. Sunday afternoons are when I usually spend an hour or two in the kitchen prepping lunches like these, sometimes breakfast options like overnight oats or breakfast casseroles, and perhaps maybe even chopping veggies or picking apart a rotisserie chicken. It helps keep my fridge clean, my body nourished with foods it loves, and my mind at ease with one less thing to worry about. Every week isn’t perfect and not every lunch of mine looks like this. BUT — all we can do is the best we can, right?

3. Oh Aunt Whitney — I have enjoyed hanging out with you lately! Audiobooks are my jam…as I mentioned — life=very full. SO, listening to books allows me to multitask. Either listening while driving, getting ready for bed, doing the dishes, folding laundry…you get it. This one is read by the author (score) and is a great listen for anyone else who has struggled with being their best self. Oh, that’s all ya’ll? Cool cool. Well listen up — Aunt Whitney’s done some WERK and has some gems to share. All chapters are insightful, witty and riddled with advice. However, her chapter on co-dependence is what really stuck out to me. I’ve never really used the label “co-dependent” for myself before. In fact, I’ve always thought of myself as very in-dependent. However, after listening to this chapter I found myself thinking “ummm yep. uhhh huh. gahhh yesss.” Co-dependency forces us to put other people’s needs/wants/desires above our own. I have lived the MAJORITY of my 31 years (gulp) in this category. Hello, my name is Sando, and I am a recovering people pleaser. Only within the past 2 years have I found my voice to speak up about my needs/wants/desires. Sounds like such a novel idea, but WOW  has it been life-changing. People pleasers are notoriously anxious — unfocused — and let’s face it, kinda annoying! They are riddled with self-doubt and often suffer from perfectionism syndrome. Aka no freaking fun to be around. Or actually, maybe they’re a ton of fun to be around but on the inside, they are twisted into knots and having a horrible time. Truth is, some of us just got really good at that whole “pretending game” when we were kids and never dropped the act. Anywho…Whitney bravely takes the high dive right on into the deep end of co-dependency and I’m just grateful she didn’t belly flop. 🙂

4. THIS sandwich. Lex, from Restoring Radiance, gets the credit for this genius idea. I would have never thought to put cream cheese and scrambled egg in the same sentence, let alone sandwich?! So glad I did, or rather she did. It’s heavenly!! 

5. Tuck in yo-shirt GIRL! Lately, I’ve been trying to focus on my current wardrobe. I’ve really pared down over the past two years (living with a boy and ONE closet will do it to ya) and have focused on quality over quantity. In doing so I’ve tried to focus on simple pieces and really wearing them well. You should wear the clothes, the clothes shouldn’t wear you…I think the Devil Wears Prada lady said that or something like it. Basically, that just means taking time to make sure the clothes you’re wearing are body conscious and flattering. Clothes look best a little tucked here and ruffled there. At least, in my opinion, looking a little undone makes it look like you aren’t trying too hard, i.e. effortless & comfortable. Take note of those JCrew mannequins next time you see one. This little “tuck” trick has really made a big difference in how my clothes not only fit but how they look on my body. Us short gals with curves gotta accentuate the goods! By doing a little shirt/sweater tucking you redefine your waist area and elongate your legs. It’s a win-win. Tucking tips + tricks linked in images above ^

6. Shock. Grief. Devastation. Surreal. Colleen. I cannot believe it’s been over a month since she was so unfairly taken from this world. It feels like a year ago and yesterday all at the same time. She was this shining ray of sunshine that effortlessly lit up our tight-knit community. She was the kind of person who made you feel lucky for knowing her. I’m convinced her smile generated its own electricity. She was an enthusiastic cheerleader for all the people in her life and the community’s overwhelming response of love and generosity after her passing is a true testament to that. Colleen loved her tribe fiercely and will never know the tremendous impact shes had. She was warm, effervescent, genuine, authentic, and spoke her truth. It still feels like she is so present in our lives…until the thought of her being gone knocks the wind out of your lungs. Grief is a strange and sneaky beast. There’s a deep hole in our hearts but we will do our best to honor her light and kindness as we carry on without her.