My new home : Kansas City!

So, this post is going to get a little personal...

Kansas City. It's hard to believe this is where I call home, now.

I must admit - before I mention anything else - is that moving away from your hometown (in my case) has been super healthy & rewarding. (However, I do miss you, Chester!!!)

So, this past Christmas - Tyler & I were given the option to move to Kansas City for a WAY better job opportunity (on his part) - but, we had to decide in THREE DAYS.

We had nothing to lose (& being a Pilates Instructor {as much as it hurt to let my current clients go} I could find work anywhere) - so we made the huge leap and moved to Kansas City.

And, wow - it is more beautiful than we ever could imagine. I literally thought Kansas City would be like the Wizard of Oz (farms, dust & nothing sparkly). Holy hell... I was so wrong.

For ALL my friends who are from South Florida - Kansas City is a hidden gem (kinda how Nashville, TN used to be...) - it's like a Palm Beach of the MidWest. Seriously - all my stores are a ONE MILE radius from my house : Lululemon, Trader Joe's, Anthropologie, The Fresh Market, Whole Foods & so much more. Plus, the food here is WAY BETTER. (That will be a whole different post.) And, the homes are right out of magazines & Pinterest. SO BEAUTIFUL.

Kansas City is known as the City of Fountains. Did you know that Kansas City is #2 IN THE WORLD for the most fountains? Do you know who is #1? ROME! Pretty amazing.

So far - all of Spring - Tyler & I have been like 6 year olds on Christmas morning. Every day, there are new flowers blooming & something new that we are finding out about our house.

Another thing that I found really surprising here - EVERYONE IS MORE FIT! I took a barre class the first week I was here and thought I was going to die. And for those of you who know me - I'm a pretty fit person - with my Pilates & long runs. We are dealing with a whole new kind of fitness animal here. And, did I mention everyone here is BEAUTIFUL!? Everyone really takes care of themselves here!

Here are some fun pictures I have captured around my runs:

KC Dogwood!

Beautiful KC Tulips!

One of our parks has an Oriental Theme! Lots of running trails here :)

I will post more soon.

..xox...

Liz

Lunch Time: Veggie Quinoa

I wanted to share with you a healthy, nutritious lunch that I made the other day. It's super easy & doesn't take too much time to make, either.

Everyday, I strive to make healthy choices for my body. For me, I notice that my body does not do well with carbs... at all. So, I try to make meals that are carb-free (for the most part).

Well... here it is: Veggie Quinoa.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup of Quinoa (This is something I always have in my cupboard... and you should, too!)

* Spinach (about a handful)

* 1/2 a Tomato

* Onion (Take a whole onion & slice once - which should give you 5-6 rings)

* Roasted Cauliflower, Pinenuts & Garlic (This was leftover from a previous dinner.)

Directions:

1. Fill a pot with 1 1/4 cup of water. When the water gets to a boil - add 1 cup of quinoa. Cook for 10 minutes.

2. While the quinoa is cooking - grab a pan, add olive oil and bring it to a medium heat. Grab a handful of spinach & toss it in the pan until it is wilted.

3. Chop up half a tomato & dice.

4. Take an onion & slice once. This will give you 5-6 rings. I love whole onion rings - but if you would rather chop it up... go for it.

5. For the roasted cauliflower (pine nuts & garlic) - this was from the night before & I wanted to use it up. So - if you don't have roasted cauliflower laying around in your fridge (haha) use some leftover veggies from the night before.

6. Once the quinoa is ready (the water will be gone & it will be light and fluffy) - just add all the veggies in with the quinoa.

7. EAT!!

This may not sound like a lot of food - but trust me, it filled me up! I find that when you put the right foods in your body - you stay full longer.

Thanks for reading & Happy Tuesday!!

Elisabeth's Veggie Quinoa

...xox...

Liz

Healthy AM

Wow.

Has it really been a year since I've written on my blog?

Life lesson: Year 25 is the fastest one, yet. Seriously.

Ok, So nothing super interesting - but, I wanted to share what I have been eating for breakfast. Lots of yummy ingredients to make an incredible smoothie:

1. Strawberries
2. 1 Banana
3. Chia Seeds
4. 2 Gallops of Peanut Butter
5. Almond Milk (1/2 a cup)
6. 10 Spinach Leaves
7. A few ice cubes (if you choose - to make it more smoothy-like)

I love my Magic Bullet - I squish all of this into my Bullet and out comes yumminess - and it does keep me full (hence the peanut butter).

EAT CLEAN!

((I swear it tastes better than it looks!!!))

...xox...

Liz

Run

"Run with your heart instead of your mind."

I found an awesome quote the other day!

I wanted to share it with ya'll!

::::

Happy Friday!

..xox..

Liz

Gluten Free :: Healthy Or Not?

This post is inspired by a conversation I had with a friend the other day...

So, what's the truth about something that has "gluten-free" on the box or label? It must be healthy, right? Well - of course it is, you can find "gluten-free" items in the healthy or organic section of the grocery store.

Well - the truth is... eating gluten-free is healthy... but buying something with gluten-free on the box... is NOT.

If you see cereal, pasta or anything else with "gluten-free" written on the box.. it most likely is not good for you.

Why?

Because the gluten is replaced with other "ingredients" that you cannot pronounce - and usually this means it's some sort of chemical that is processed. Additionally - these boxed "gluten-free" food products end up having even more calories.

Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of people out there who are allergic to gluten... and instead of never having cereal again... they can have cereal that is gluten-free ((replaced with these unknown "ingredients")).

So, if you are someone like me - who loves to eat clean and healthy... how do you truly eat gluten-free?

::

Stay away from processed foods, breads & pasta. 

Don't let the grocery stores fool you with the way they display their products!

Be informed.

...xox...

Liz

Schedule for Pilates of West Palm Beach

I can't believe it :: this studio is officially open & the schedule is out! I'm teaching quite a few classes and cannot be more excited.

Starting January 21st - the Pilates of West Palm Beach schedule is as follows:

I will be teaching :: Tuesday - Thursday at 6pm, Friday at 7am & Sunday at 10am!

You can sign-up online at pilateswpb.com!

I look forward to seeing you at the studio. ;)

"Strong is the new skinny."

...xox...

Liz

Twenty-Something's

What is it about our twenty-something's? By far, my twenties has been the hardest, craziest & most incredible decade (so far).

Some may have experienced:

Engagements. Weddings. More "Education". "Big Girl" Jobs. Living on your own (not attached to your parents' gas card). And so much more!

I think I can say that most twenty-something's are still looking for that purpose... what you really want to be when you grow up (not the office assistant job you got directly out of college). Or maybe you are doing some soul-searching... why did God put you on this earth?

The best advice I can give you - is do what you love. And more importantly - do what you're good at (you'll probably make more money :: if that's important to you). 

I've learned pretty early that you limit your own self - and the choices you make, prove that. 

I'm scared to make that leap of faith from a corporate job into being "my own business" - but, it's going to be totally worth it. And, I'm almost at the finish line.

I'll leave you with this last thought for tonight ::: don't ever wait - because a year from now, you will wish you have started then. There's never going to be a perfect time. 

Happy Tuesday!

..xox..

Liz