The older I get the less I realize I know.
Here are a few things that do I know:
1. For as Practical as I am, some rules are meant to be broken.
Certain food rules, dietary rules, life rules, exercise rules, rules about your job, relationship, family, where you live, or whatever else, are not always set in stone. Cut loose, live your life, and break some rules every now and then.
Sometimes rules help us and are there for a reason. Rules like stopping at red traffic signals are not meant to be broken. I get that.
However, many times we impose rules on ourselves that are silly, meaningless, a burden, and serve only to box us in and prevent us from living life more fully, or more in a manner in which we’d prefer. Everything from how much time we spend exercising to living where you choose to live. Re-evaulate what you want out of life and if any of your own “rules” are standing in your way.
Life is a series of choices. Think about what you want out of it. Think about what’s important to you, what’s practical for your situation and circumstances, and then act accordingly.
So go ahead, break some rules. Especially the ones you have placed on yourself that may be limiting you in some capacity.
Gina’s Manifesto was a nice example of her “rules” and spin on living a happy life.
2. This mascara never lets me down
And I have quite a stash of MAC Makeup. And always go back to the Maybelline.
3. Eat foods as close to their natural state, as much as possible.
However, don’t stress out if you can’t because that would be a waste of precious energy and internal resources.
Just choose more wisely next time, which is your next meal. Which is probably in a few hours, or less. That’s the beauty of eating. We have a new opportunity to make better choices that are more in line with our personal or health goals, every few hours. Gotta love that.
I like what Heather said here, “Eat the foods we’ve eaten for thousands of years in their natural form.” I have called this Caveman eating. They didn’t have processed foods or fake foods.
They also didn’t have Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls. Life is a balancing act. Enjoy it.
4. I would rather be laying on the beach than working
5. I wish someone would make me some No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Dough balls. Let them do the dishes, not me. Then again, you can make these in a bowl with just a spoon and no fancy appliances. I have been making these for a year and loving every cookie doughy bite.
6. I know that I love WordPress and am so happy I made the move and encourage all bloggers who are on Blogger, to move! As an aside, is there any interest in a post about migrating to WP from Blogger and the work and the benefits involved?
7. I know I love Skylar more than I ever thought was possible.
And I’ll stop at Lucky Number 7.
From my earlier post with the Southwestern Salsa & Cheezy Baked Beans and Vegetables, thanks for letting me know you liked that recipe.
And for telling me you are huge salsa fans and how you like to get your salsa on! With your food, that is.
One last thing I know…
I would like to have a GF Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bar with Vegan Chocolate Frosting
And they’re no-bake. And they have butterscotch chips. I know Heather and Tina are fans of butterscotch chips from their recent posts.
Questions:
1. Best Thing You’ve Ate or Done over the weekend?
I spent time with Skylar, and I made a great 20 minute dinner recipe. I will post about it later in the week.
2. Are you going to watch the Superbowl? Or the commercials?
Nope.
3. What things do you know?
I can’t wait to read these comments!
P.S. If you’re just catching up on weekend posts, here were mine since Friday night:
- Salsa & Cheezey Baked Beans & Vegetables
- Being Practical
- Challenge: Favorite Shows
- Maca Benefits
- Cookies in the Mail, Winter Workouts
- Superbowl Foods and Plans
- Vanilla, Let Me Count the Ways
That is also my favourite mascara! Everytime I stray I wonder what the heck I wasted my money for and go right back to Maybeline.
I would love a post in moving from blogger to wordpress! One thing I KNOW for certain is that I am not good with all things computer related so I think a post like that would be super benefical….mind you, I’m so behind on the blogs I like to read that you may have already put a post like this up! LOL
Hi Averie! I’m officially de-lurking :) I love your blog and your recipes! But this post really hit home with me. Breaking the rules- especially ones we impose on ourselves and keep us from being happy- can be so important! I’m going through some life changes and when I read this I was just like, “yes!” I also resonated with the cookie dough balls as well :) yum! Thanks for the words and delicious treats!
thanks for delurking, Alyce, and for the kind words. Glad this post resonated with you :)
This post just spoke straight to my heart :)
Thanks for the early-week spirit boost, lady!!!
Would love a post on how to move to wordpress, and the benefits of doing so!
Take care!
xoxo
i am going to do a move to WP post soon.
glad you liked this post, straight to your heart :)
Skylar is absolutely beautiful! And I love the idea of rules being made to be broken… aka not limiting yourself in general. :)
Yes, some rules are made to be broken. And the critical ones are around for a reason.
I would also prefer to be on the beach … and in just over a month that is where I will be :)
I’m not a blogger myself, so I say as a blogger use whatever technology works for you. Whatever makes your life and blogging easier. As a reader I don’t really notice a difference between Blogger and WordPress.
No SuperBowl for me.
What I know:
– Technology will constantly change and new software / apps / appliances will constantly change the way we do things in our lives.
– Constantly learning and reading keeps my brain active and healthy.
– The kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity people show for each other constantly astounds me.
– Living and experiencing the 4 seasons as I do, helps me to appreciate each one for what they bring, and what they leave behind.
– Knowing to do drive stick (aka Standard transmission) has saved my butt more times than I can count.
– I don’t know everything (the opposite of what I believed at 21). Asking for help is a great way to learn.
i didnt see the superbowl but go packers!! i really didnt mind who won.. but hey i like green so thats all cool with me…
haha.. the best thing i ate this weekend.. a black bean brownie! and MY AMAZING squash concoction..
I know that being happy is the NUMBER one priority in my ilfe
I know reading your blog makes me happy, and inspires me in so many ways! :D
I know I am going to LOVE my holiday that starts on Wednesday. I live in Australia, and if you ever come over, I highly recc you visit Byron Bay! One of the most beautiful places in Oz! :D
I know that life is meant to be fun, and rule breaking is a must sometimes. :D
I know that I am also not watching the Superbowl! But then, I don’t even know what it is!! Lol :D
I know I need to try Maybelline Mascara! :D
I am about to cook my dinner, and I am making PLANNED LEFTOVERS! Woooo! :D
Aww, thanks Kim! I am glad to make you happy and inspire you! :)
Byron Bay..my mom and sister have been and they have raved about it. All of Oz, actaully :) I have never been…yet!
We watched a few of the commercials, they weren’t that impressive.
1. I know that those balls and bars look absolutely delicious!
2. I know that it’s all about the balance, not perfection.
3. I know that “good luck” is a byproduct of busting your butt! :)
omg #3…I hate it when people say, “You’re so lucky….”
LUCK has NOTHING to do with 95% (or more) in life. It’s about hard work, busting your butt, making choices that set things up properly (or making choices sadly to set things up to fail). And luck doesnt factor in most times.
Most people with financial success, or who have a nice body, or who have a nice life..it wasnt b/c of blind luck. It was b/c of choices. I’ll step off my soapbox now :)
I know I do not like football and don’t ever watch the Super Bowl.
I do know I love “junk” food and didn’t let my not watching the game to stand in the way of making some delicious vegan versions of Super Bowl food.
I also know I have major lust for that make up collection! I love make up but I’m pretty clueless about how to use it, haha!
Well trial and error! I love that you love makeup! And made great vegan superbowl food!
i haven’t stopped by your blog in a while and i do know this:
1. love the new layout
2. your pic in the upper right HOT HOT HOT
3. great lash mascara is the BEST without a doubt
4. thanks for reminding me i wanted to buy nutritional yeast
5. YOU ROCK!
thank you for the major nice words!! :)
Best thing I ate: sushi buffet!!! Best thing I did: My husband. (oooh did I say that out loud?) Gotta say though that Great Lash has never worked for me! Maybe I have weird lashes ’cause I know Oprah loves it! And now you. Man, I’ve thrown away SO many tubes of that stuff.
if after 5 kids and years of marriage you are still getting your world rocked, my god, it’s comment worthy! :)
And that sucks that your lashes dont like the pink and green maybelline. My body is the same with Lululemon work out clothes, crazy, but true. They just dont work for me.
I know that food is always better when it is eaten with friends, and every occasion calls for a glass of wine :-)
Just finished watching the super bowl…love me some football! I love this post, I do believe that I will have to hyperlink to you tomorrow so that some people I know can read this…..
well thanks in advance for the link love :)
I would really, really appreciate an tutorial on the blogger–>wordpress move. I’d also like to hear more about why you prefer it. I’m a brand new blogger, and chose blogspot out of sheer lack of knowledge of any other platforms. At this point, I definitely don’t even know yet what blogger is lacking. Teach me!
No superbowl for me. CA was too bloody nice out today to be sitting on a couch
ok there’s lots of interest it sounds like in a post like that, i will put it on my to-be-blogged list!
Ohhh wouldn’t we all like to be laying on a beach rather than working? That’d be the life!
This was a great post!
I just love your outlook on life :D
Best thing I ate? Probably the delicious salad I had for dinner w/ lettuce, carrots, broc, turkey, chickpeas, and hummus/salsa!!
Cute post, for sure lots of rules were meant to be broken! I would like a GF Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bar with Vegan Chocolate Frosting too! :-)
1. Went out with my sisters.
2. Maybe some of the commercials.
3. Exercising is the best form of therapy.
I know that life is too damn short to be stuck doing something you hate. If you hate your job, CHANGE IT. Hence why I’m in massage therapy school!
I know that I am glad I don’t hate my body like I used to, and I know that I enjoy decorating myself with tattoos in celebration of loving who and what I am!
I know that I will always have dogs in my life. They make me smile every day.
Amen to your 1st sentence!!
That’s also what I say about where you live, relationships, etc…amen sista!
And i enjoy decorating too. Big time :)
I know that I must make that cheezy baked bean dish. Yum Averie – you and your cheezy bowls of yum. You know I love it!
So funny that you put in the quote eating foods in their natural form that we’ve eaten for 1000’s of years and then referenced my love of butterscotch chips. Haha – there’s some “rule breaking” for ya! ;)
I have tried so many mascaras, and I ALWAYS go back to the green and pink Maybelline tube. :)
You use the pink and green too? Awesome.
And glad you saw this post and yes, from natural eating to butterscotch chips…it’s all a continuum and spectrum, this crazy thing called life :)
hands down…best mascara ever! no ifs ands or buts!
I know that becoming friends with you has been wonderful and how you are such a great mom, wife, and you have the most awesome recipes !
I do know that everyday I wake up I am thankful I am granted another day in this beautiful life with my loves and all the people and things that surround me : )
i heart you xoxo
Hi Averie! First time commenter, found your blog a while back through the Fitnessista. I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into your posts and all of the interesting info you share with us. I started out with Blogger and I really wish I hadn’t. I am going to slowly but surely make the switch to WordPress and any info you have on the switch would be super appreciated. I also just bought that mascara and was wondering how good it was, have yet to break into the pack yet. I was a tad gun-shy, thanks for the info! Alana ;p
ok there’s lots of interest it sounds like in a post on moving to WP, will put it on my to-be-blogged list!
And thanks for saying hi and de-lurking!! :)
I love that pic of you on the beach… you look so, completely, happy.
I used to wear mascara in high school, but somewhere along my patience died. I have really dark hair and lashes anyway, so I don’t want to take the extra time and always worry it’s bleeding under my eyes! I did love Maybelline’s, though.
Best thing I did this weekend was have a spontaneous day with my boy yesterday. Rare and lovely.
I’m not on blogger but I’d love to hear more about your move — only because I am curious!
And are you SURE that there weren’t oreo balls in caveman days?!?!??!
Aw, what a great post! And I really love what you say about rules…especially recognizing the ones we place on ourselves and how silly they usually are.
i thought you would appreciate the silly/self-imposed rule commentary :)
I love MAC lipglosses, lipsticks and shadows. The face make up is much too heavy for me though. I love some random Revlon and Maybeline things. My fav is Clinique though ;)
Best thing this weekend is celebrating our two year anniversary at the place we met and going to see Black Swan <— crazy intense movie!
congrats on TWO YEARS!!!! :)
xxooo
Love this post!! I was never on blogger but I love wordpress!! I wont be watching the game but I will be watching GLEE after!!
rules are definitely meant to be broken in my book. I love a post on the move from blogger to wordpress. I’m on blogger right now and have been thinking about making the change myself.
thanks
ok there’s lots of interest it sounds like in a post like that, will put it on my to-be-blogged list!
One thing I know for sure is that life is too short to blend in! So take chances, make mistakes, be bold and stand out :)
hey, if super bowl is not your thing, i say roll with it!
luckily, i’ve been with wordpress since day one; i was thingclose to going blogger, then my SIL suggested i do wordpress as it had more options, in her opinion…so glad i did, although i have much to figure out, still!
thanks for the aruba pic! four weeks from now, my plane will be landing….!!!
Wow, you weren’t joking about the MAC makeup stash!! I love MAC and recently switched after a long love affair with Bare Minerals. I still love their eyeshadow but needed another option for foundation. I love MAC’s Studio Fix, LOVE it!!
I know that the mind, body, and spirit are connected and when you feed and nurture one, in turn you nurture the other. I know that we are meant to eat a predominantly vegetable based diet. I know I feel and look my best when I eat this way. I know that I am here to inspire others to know these facts and to experience the benefits for themselves!!
xo
i love studio fix too! big time!
I am so with you on lying on the beach vs working ;-) You made me smile with #7. Hugs and Happy Sunday!
i could definitely be more flexible in terms of rule breaking!
These pictures are really great.. Thanks for shareing..
Hahaha “Are you going to watch the SuperBowl? Or the commercials? NOPE.” I love it. Me neither. I’ll be watching Laguna Beach reruns, doing homework and eating a peanut butter sandwich. I was actually born on Super Bowl Sunday…thus begun a lifetime of me distracting the males in my life from watching sports.
Best thing I ate was probably my huge plate of roasted veggies for dinner last night. Kabocha, bok choy, fennel, the whole nine yards….so good it beat the vegan crumble I had for dessert!
Enjoy NOT watching the game tonight :)
I love this post. I also feel like with your switch to WP your blog has suddenly become so much more YOU. Awesome, sassy, blunt Averie. And I LOVE it. Things I know- it’s okay to ask for things you want and sometimes you have to make tough decisions in order to get to make some really wonderful ones.
Thank you my friend!
Yes, in switching and now that I am a committed 2x/day posts for the past 2+ months, I have realized streamlined is best. This post was wordier than many have been (lately) but a far cry from my Phx posts! lol
“Awesome, sassy, blunt Averie. And I LOVE it”–thank you.
Yes, somehow i feel my new blog is so much more representative of who i am and it’s making me more authentic…i am glad that it actually shows! :)
I love this post! I have questioned the whole blogger vs. wordpress thing. I still have not made a move since I don’t know if it will solve all my issues. The crazy thing too is that I have owned my URL since I started blogging and have jut not changed anything over. I was planning on doing some blog housekeeping this weekend, but that stomach bug I have got the best of me yesterday. I will definitely consider the move now that you seem to love it so much. Enjoy your evening Averie!
it will likely solve tons of your issues. do it.
the migration process itself sucks but once that’s done, it’s smooth sailing!
So with you on #4. And #3. And #5. :) And I am a total TOTAL rule breaker. But, I do know when the rules aren’t meant to be broken. Sad, but true. Does that make me mature? Ick.
not immature. just REAL. :) me toooooo!!!!
have fun watching the game and i loved those green/yellow balls!
I know that I will be making that cheezy bean and veggie dish very soon because it looks absolutely delicious! I also know that I would just about anything to be laying on that beach right about now. I am so ready for Summer!
lmk if you make it :)
Just wanted to let you know I just found your blog last night and love it! I spent all night reading past posts, and made your Oatmeal Banana Cake in the microwave this morning with a smear of PB, so good! Your blog is def being added to the list of blogs I read everyday!
Oh that is soooo sweet that you found me, read old posts, and make something already! Glad you’re going to be sticking around :)
and yes, I agree with the maybeline mascara! it’s my fav too!
I didn’t know you’re using WordPress now. How did I miss that point?
I loved this entire post. And, I have to tell you, I’ve always rebelled against the Maybelline Great Lash mascara because I don’t like it (no matter how many #1 mascara awards it wins), BUT I’ve never tried the Maybelline Great Lash BIG mascara. I’m adding it to my shopping list for next week!
omg girl that entire fiasco of my links not working, the major hair tear that i was going thru with my blog about 10-14 days ago…yes that was b/c of my migration!!
The only way my blog looks the way it does now is b/c i am a self hosted WP site. This is not blogger anymore..haha!
Worth it but migrating from Blogger to WP is not without some glitches. I just had way more than most :)
And yes get the mascara!
I used to LOVE Great Lash! For some reason it stopped working as well for me:(
Awe, Skylah is just adorable! And agreed, everything as close to its natural state as possible. That’s the way Mother Nature intended, right?
Slash I am most DEFINITELY not watching the super bowl, but I am watching the commercials on hulu:)
Most delicious things I’ve eaten this weekend = Raw Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Cookie Dough Protein Pancakes. Hands down!
your best things youve eaten, you can cook for me any day!! :)
Hi Averie! Just wanted to “officially” introduce myself. I’ve been “lurking” :D around on your blog for awhile now, but I always see your comments on other blogs I read! I just want to say that your blog is great and I look foward to new posts everyday! You give so many great ideas (…even if it kills me sometimes! I have a terrific sweet tooth, ha!) and I love your positive outlook on life! Keep at it!
And the rules thing….thanks. I needed to hear (read) that today. I try to eat really healthy and natural as possible but my sweet tooth is sometimes like a thorn in my side and I fall to it just about everyday. I need to give myself a little break and take baby steps.
thanks for de-lurking, Leslie! And for saying hi and the nice praise for my blog and me :)
Love your makeup stash! Yes watching the superbowl- but only for the social, hang out with friends reason. Happy Sunday
I’d rather be on the beach too!!! i’m such a beach bum!! :) (i grew up next to the beach in the Philippines!) it’s 70 degrees here in the bay today and just makes me wanna be at the beach…
Yes, i’ll be doing the whole superbowl thang with the fam. Obvs i’m more excited to have my whole family together than watch the game.
Best thing I ate so far: pancake with cinnamony mashed bananas and organic maple syrup!
Happy Sunday!!
I love calling it Caveman eating! And Maybelline is a really great brand.
really like this post! You are totally right about rules…as always :)
I’m “watching” the SuperBowl aka socializing and eating yummy food while others watch. And, I’m watching the Puppy Bowl which is way better.
That picture of Skylar is priceless!!!
I love that mascara too! I’ve never find a better kind, and it’s so cheap :)
1.best thing was moving all of our large stuff out of storage into the new townhome yesterday!
2. i have to watch the superbowl with nate and my bro. i’m in the steel city, hope the win so people won’t be depressed lol. i could care less about football!
3. i know that life is too short to live paralyzed by our own fears/anxieties!
congrats on your move!!!!!!
I know that, everything I think I know today, may be proved wrong tomorrow. And that’s okay. I know that if I take my life too seriously my brain will explode. I know that no matter how many times I lint roller my clothes, I will never get all the cat hair off – and yet I still insist on wearing black clothes.
Highlight of my weekend was my grocery delivery last night. Ding dong! Here’s two boxes packed full of kale and collards and cukes and avocados and citrus and apples and all your other favorite foods! Best thing. Ever.
And so, apparently, now I know, I can do just about ANYTHING on the internet. Including grocery shopping.
glad the grocery shopping panned out! and the cat hair. it never ever goes away! :)
I love this list of things! I totally love that mascara too! My favourite one!!
I know that this week I WILL make your peanut butter cookie dough balls, and I KNOW that I will love them! :D