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the power of a post-it.

January 30, 2011 by Hillary 26 Comments

This weekend I:

cycled a total of 80 minutes,

ran more than 10 miles,

practiced yoga for 75-minutes 

… and after all that hard work, I still manage to say undeserving words to my body. It’s time for an Operation Beautiful intervention. I haven’t posted any pink Post-Its in a while, but that’s all changing tomorrow! Whether or not they last on the locker room wall for a mere 5 minutes [ugh, anal janitors], sticking a simple note on the wall has contagious positivity.

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If you’ve said something hurtful to your body lately, apologize by posting an OB note. Not only will a stranger thank you, but your heart will too.

Have a beautiful week!

Hillary

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Operation Beautiful

Ode to October

October 31, 2010 by Hillary 12 Comments

In a few short hours, the month of October will be no more. Instead of catching-up on my school work like the good student I am not, I am going to spend the next little while reflecting on the past month…

October 2010 was all I could have hoped for and more. No exaggerating here! I can remember the first day of the month as if it were just yesterday. It was then my crush on October was kindled, and it continued to bloom throughout the month ;) My mom and I spent the first weekend of October welcoming Fall with autumn activities and good eats; the good days started on a roll right away… and they kept rolling.

Just as I said so long to September by highlighting my favorites, I’d like to continue the tradition by doing the same for October.

A few of my favorite things…

Food: granny smiths.

I’ve always been a dedicated Fuji fan, but ever since I bought a few old grannies to make [my flop] of a baked food, that was Autumn Apple Flax Bread, I haven’t wanted to eat any other variety of apple. They’re delicious with sharp white cheddar!

Fact: I always slice my apples, always.

Beverage: hot chai lattes.

[source]

Unfortunately, my chai lattes haven’t resembled anything else close to this. Though, I have indulged in a couple Tazo chai lattes topped with cinnamon on rainy days, and enjoyed every sugary sip. I used to make chai lattes after school all.the.time, but seeing as most chai concentrates are loaded with sugar, they are not something I consume on a regular basis anymore. I’d much rather eat an entire bar of sea salt + almond dark chocolate ;)

Exercise Move: push-ups.

As an adolescent gymnast, push-ups were second nature to me. I could pump out 40+ no problem. Well, that changed when I traded gymnastics and swimming for running. I’m now working on getting my upper body as toned as my lower body, and regaining my inner push-up strength.

What are the benefits of push-ups anyway?

Music: speak now.

I’ve been listening – on my computer, on my iPod, in my car – to the Speak Now CD on repeat since its release Monday. I’ll admit it, T.Swizzle rocks my socks!

Activities:

I ran my third half-marathon and crossed off Goal #3!

Nike

PR, baby! 1:43:21

Fast forward 48 hours… I ate sh*t on a running treadmill and was “scared for life”.

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My accident inspired me to spread body positivity, and a few days later I finally posted my first Operation Beautiful note. I immediately caught the “beautiful bug”, and haven’t been able to stop posting pink Post-Its since. There is always a positive with a negative.

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* * *

During the month of October I have accomplished goals, and made others; I have made new friends and embraced the old; I have run [many miles], and I have fallen [in front of a gym full of cute guys], but most importantly, I jumped up and keep moving along mile after mile. I have stepped out of my box and been more spontaneous. Basically, I have learned to live and, as a result, there have been many more smiles.

PICT3812

Happy Halloween!

Cowgirl Hillary

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Nike Women's Marathon, Operation Beautiful, Taylor Swift Speak Now

Scars are Sexy

October 26, 2010 by Hillary 16 Comments

… so I have been told ;)

After one week with an extra accessory of 6 blue stitches on my chinny chin chin, my “stress fracture”, as the doc called it, was all healed and ready to be thread-free! I will admit that the first thing I thought about following the accident was having permanent proof on my face forever and ever. The black and blue bruises decorating my legs will eventually go away, but I’ll always have a 3/4-inch scar on my chin to remind me of the day I ate sh*t on a treadmill the day after running a killer race.

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What scar?

Rather than bumming myself out all week about having a new “imperfection” on my body, I’ve been thinking about how thankful I am my crash didn’t cause worse injuries… as well as all the positive things my body’s got going on ;)

I’ve been inspired by Caitlin & the Operation Beautiful movement for quite some time, but it wasn’t until today – when I had to embrace the new mark on my face – that I got around to posting my first two Operation Beautiful notes of my own.

While at the gym earlier today, I secretly stuck one in a bathroom stall of the women’s locker room and another in a locker. I started with simple messages, but now that I have a couple cute Post-It pads, I am anxious to spread the “beautiful bug”.

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I love that sticking a random note in a public place can make you feel so good. I hope they brightened someone else’s day, too :)

Have you participated in the Operation Beautiful movement?

* * *

Running Tuesday

  • 1 mi. ITR
  • 35-minutes treadmill [first time since my spill – ahhh!]

10 min. @ 4.6mph

10 min. @ 6.8mph – 1.0 incline

10 min. @ 6.8mph – 2.0 incline

5 min. @ 4.8mph

  • 25-minutes strength training – abs, arms & legs

 

Well, I’m off to scope out a new, organic fro yo shop… seeing as a huge Chipotle salad just isn’t enough food. Haha!

See ya later…

Hillary

What do you love about your body? Come on… I wanna hear it!

 

You ARE beautiful!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Chipotle, Operation Beautiful, Treadmill Accidents

Living a Dream

August 19, 2010 by Hillary 7 Comments

More from:

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Did you miss the 1st epic HLS recap post?

* * *

Part IV: Beautiful People. Beautiful Food.

I went to bed Friday night hoping my sore left tonsil [just being specific] was the result of too much laughing with new friends; though, when I woke up with a scratchy voice Saturday morning, I knew the reality was that I had caught a cold from a lack of sleep in conjunction with a week of travelling. Terribly disappointed – as the summit hadn’t even officially begun – I slipped into comfy attire [by ‘dress code’] and joined the rest of the attendees for a delicious breakfast buffet. After oatmeal with fresh berries + nut butter [we’re food bloggers, after all], HLS 2010 was under way!

After listening to the keynote speaker, I attended the following tracks:

  • Fueling for Fitness: Perform Well and Recover Quickly from Your Workouts

  • Stepping Up Your Blog Photography

  • The Ups and Downs of Pressing Publish: Getting Real about the Blogging Community

  • The Five W’s of Strength Training

  • Stop Staring Over Your Shoulder: How to Avoid the Self-Comparison Trap

I’m not going to review or summarize each talk I attended because, frankly, I didn’t learn a whole lot of new information, and I wasn’t all that impressed. Unfortunately, my darn cold caused a lack of enthusiasm, but that’s not to say I did not enjoy every moment of the summit. I didn’t travel to Chicago to listen to lectures about the lifestyle and habits I already live; I traveled thousands of miles to meet people like Caitlin.

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This girl inspires me beyond belief!

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She truly makes me feel beautiful… despite my awful humidity glow.

Though, I didn’t walk away from the summit enlightened with innovative health or blogging knowledge, I did walk away inspired, proud, and ever so thankful to have found this community… my niche. Ten months ago, I thought I was one of the only 20-year-old girls that put their health and wellbeing at the forefront of their schedule, that didn’t guzzle sugary alcoholic beverages every weekend, enjoyed discovering new nutritious foods, and exercising for pleasure. Stumbling upon this virtual world of the healthy living community was a candle in my dim life. It made me excited about something. It made me hopeful. To have the opportunity to turn these so-called ‘virtual friends’ into real friends this past weekend, was an absolute dream come true.

After the last summit session, I rested in my room for a bit before getting ready for dinner at Brasserie Jo. Allie had kindly invited me to join her and her roomies for a more ‘intimate’ dinner. A quieter dinner was just what was in order after much socializing, while not feeling my best.

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Raw, carrot sticks with a divine vinaigrette were brought to our table upon arrival.

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I sampled a beer cheese beignet.

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And ogled over this crispy pizza

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… but stuck with my own choice, the special of the night.

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Herbed Chevre, Cherry Tomatoes & Roquette [a.k.a arugula]

As we walked back to Michigan Avenue after a dinner rich with laughter and five star food, we got a taste of the Saturday night life in the city. Though tempting, the only room left on my plate was a good night’s rest.

* *  *

Part V: Pinch Me

All summer, I had been looking forward to the ‘fun run’ at the Healthy Living Summit. When I came down with a cold, I was terribly disappointed that it might not end up happening for me. If I were at home, I would have given my body another day of rest; though, since I was in Chicago with my biggest idols and inspirations, I wasn’t going to let a silly cold ruin my once [hopefully twice!] in a lifetime opportunity to run with some of them.

Anyone interested some Sunday exercise was to meet in the lobby at 8:00am. There were walkers, joggers, and hard core marathon runners running a 16-mile training run – more power to ya! I joined the 10K group of about 10 people, including Angela, Anne, Kath, and Tina. We ran south on the breathtaking lake path, stopping frequently for water.

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Of course, we stopped to take a few photos as well [it’s what we do!].

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Skyscrapers & sunshine.

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I pulled a Skinny Runner, and snapped a few blurry shots in action.

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Chicago seems like an active area – the lake path is a popular place for Sunday runners and cyclists.

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As soon as we reached 6 miles [~56 minutes], we were free to walk the last couple blocks to our hotel.

hls run

Will Run for Bacon Tofu Photo courtesy of Anne.

I imagined running with Kath and Tina on either side of me, but never knew I’d see the day… pinch me. It is, without question, one of my most memorable runs to this day. I don’t regret one, hot, sweaty minute of it.

Without delay, we all scurried inside to the lobby for air conditioning and cold water. I showered, packed up, and recharged with an AllieBar. Then I said my goodbyes to new friends before we parted our separate ways [sad face].

Hold up! My Chicago adventures don’t end here…

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: AllieBars, Brasserie Jo, HLS, Operation Beautiful

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“Anxiety is a symptom, not a diagnosis.” - Dr. “Anxiety is a symptom, not a diagnosis.” - Dr. George Papanicolaou

It’s no secret that I suffer from chronic anxiety and panic attacks. Or at least I don’t intend it to be. Because while there can be a lot of shame and embarrassment around both of these, I know I’m not alone in my experiences. While I’ve leaned toward the more anxious side most of life, my bothersome anxiety has steadily increased since my mid-twenties - some periods being worse than others. 

It’s not a complete surprise that my mental health has taken a dip during my first full gloomy Seattle winter — in the height of a pandemic. 

Here are some ways I have been nurturing my body & mind as I work with a team of practitioners to work on understanding the **root causes** of my panic, and to live with more ease. 

» no coffee (not even decaf)

» meditating regularly - I’m using @insighttimer 

» gentle movement

» weekly therapy sessions

» attempting cold showers (this is hard for me!): if you’re interested, you can research how this impacts the nervous system

» working with a naturopathic doctor to focus on gut + hormone health

» trying a new Rx - a decision that took years of consideration

» lastly, opening myself up to vulnerable conversations/sharing my story and my experiences in efforts to reduce any shame and connect with others 

I am not my anxiety. 

[image: a photo I snapped to send to my mom of my naturally red palm holding my Rx on the first day I took it]
This rare blue sky day in February is having me da This rare blue sky day in February is having me day dreaming about long, light-filled summer days... they’ll be here soon. 

#pikeplacemarket #seattlewashington
Leavenworth, WA • Where To Eat🍴 I was expect Leavenworth, WA • Where To Eat🍴

I was expecting all things beer, brats and pretzels in Leavenworth (not really my jam) 🍺🥨🧀, and while there’s plenty of it, I was delighted to find plenty of delicious eats for my “foodie” taste. 

We went to all of these 3 places more than once during our quick stay - highly recommend! 

☕️ @argonautespressobar: Located at one end of Front Street, this adorable coffee bar has delicious espresso drinks, breakfast items, and the best view! 

🥐 @tumwaterbakery: Incredible pastries, avocado toast on artisanal bread that’s a feast for your eyes... and I’m eager to go back and try their wood-fired pizza! 

🍜 @yodelinbroth: Literally some of the best food I’ve had (ever!), and that’s saying a lot. I had the Yodelin soup with housemade wild PNW halibut bone coconut curry broth, udon noodles, heaps of veggies and wild salmon - it was nourishing to my core as we ate it outside in 30 degree weather. I even bought some of the broth to recreate this meal at home, yum! 

#nutritionnuteats #leavenworthwa
winter wonderland getaway ✔️ We had snow much winter wonderland getaway ✔️

We had snow much fun exploring the picturesque Bavarian town of Leavenworth, WA for a much-needed mid-week getaway to the mountains. 🏔

We stayed in a cozy little cabin @logecamps right on the Wenatchee River (one day I’ll be back to stay at the stunning @phleavenworth), played in Enchantment Park, took a drive to Lake Wenatchee, and discovered some of the best food downtown (I’m saving my food recs for another post).

Nestled between the snow-capped Cascade Mountains with the river running through town, it’s quite magical in the middle of winter. ❄️ I’m already dreaming of heading back for some summer adventures!
I’m sure Koba is wondering why we ever lived in I’m sure Koba is wondering why we ever lived in Florida for two years.

#takemetothemountains #snowday
dog [noun] companion, loyal comforter, playmate, f dog [noun] companion, loyal comforter, playmate, forgiving, loving, energetic, protective, best friend.
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