I know this blog is typically a carefree and fun place to check in but, in light of what happened Friday in Colorado, it just seems appropriate to take a giant step back for a minute. After the actions of one selfish coward, there are twelve people who won’t get to see the end of the summer. Twelve families trying to cope with immeasurable loss. Dozens of injured people trying to comprehend how close they came and how lucky they are. A nation that’s realizing that what happened in Colorado could have happened anywhere. The world is a crazy place – and we should be thankful for each moment we’re in it and the people we’re fortunate enough to go through it with. Above all else, though, we should be good to each other. We should <em>at least</em> be able to do that.

I don’t know about you but most days I need an afternoon pick-me-up! It could be something sweet or salty, I prefer sweet. I shouldn’t have one every day for obvious reasons but once in a while. My afternoon pick-me-ups usually are chocolate, ice cream (with jimmies of course) and sometimes a piece of cake. I came across this recipe for a Lemon-Blackberry Cheesecake. As I am sitting at my desk my mouth is watering and I am trying to figure out how I can get a piece of this cake delivered right to my desk! I would love this afternoon pick-me-up today!
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
softened 1 cup sour cream
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds cream cheese
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 pints blackberries
3/4 cup milk
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium bowl. Press onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan.
In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to combine the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth. Blend in the milk, then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in the sour cream, flour, and vanilla until smooth. Divide the mixture between two bowls.
In a food processor or blender, purée 1 pint of the blackberries with the lemon zest and juice. Pour the purée into one bowl of the cheese mixture along with the remaining 1⁄2 pint of whole blackberries and mix well.
Pour the blackberry filling on top of the prepared crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the remaining filling over the top. Return to the oven to bake for 1 hour, until the topping is set. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
I can’t wait to try this recipe out, and mix it up a little with different fruits.

Looking for a new summer dessert? Try this scrumptious and easy to make dessert! Click the link below and follow the simple step by step instructions. Perfect for a hot day!

http://theinspiredcollection.blogspot.com/2011/10/dessert-kabobs.html

I was a 90’s teen. You remember us… We were awesome. Ok, we were kinda lame cause we couldn’t figure out our place in the world after the big hair of the 80’s had just trampled everything, leaving us in a haze of Aqua Net and bobbie pins. We went the opposite… Some who wanted to embrace all cultures went over to wearing cross colors and flip up glasses, others went the moody, grungy, Kurt Cobain loving, “I only shop in second hand stores” look. I was the later.

Ok, so calm down, it’s not like I had thread wraps in my hair, or hemp necklaces, or book bags with patches and song lyrics written all over them… Never mind the corderoy pants I didn’t have that were held together on the seam with a million bead decorated safty pins. Wait…OK, so I had all those things, but I thought I was cool! Where are those pants they were amazing…

Anyway, so what’s the point of this blog? Oh yeah. One of my FAVORITE things from being a 90’s teenager, was mixtapes. OH did I love my mixtapes!!! Do you remember making them? You would sit by the radio for HOURS waiting for that one song to come on, the one you have been dying to hear, that you MUST record, because buying the entire cassette tape was WAY to expensive and you didn’t like the other songs on there anyway. Sometimes me and my brother would request the songs on the radio, so we knew when they were coming on, so we would actually record a little of the LAST song, and not miss a second of our precious gem!

I was always highly disappointed when you were recording the beautiful lyrics from Smashing Pumpkins or Toad the Wet Sprocket and the tape would end in the middle of the song, leaving you crushed… with eye liner (any REM fans?)

But my absolute favorite thing about mixtapes was the gift of a mixtape. Oh nothing made my heart pitter patter louder than when a boy at school would make me a mixtape! You made sure to look for meaning in every single song. And I loved when you were given a mixtape as a gift, and the person wrote out ever song on the little sleeve that tenderly held that little box with all those beautiful songs on it. I even had a pen pal who used to send them to me all the time and really school me in music! I think his mixtapes were the best ever.

As yes… I miss the good old days of working to save your passion! Technology has made us pretty lazy with that. Here are some of the songs that bring me right back to my mixtape days: Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins, Tell Her by Delamitri, Ironic by Alanis Morrisette, and You Say by Lisa Lobe. How about you? Do you remember?

If you’re like me, you are a worrier – someone who can relate to just about any stressful situation. I am not proud of this, nor am I bragging about it. It’s just a fact. It’s who I am. I take pride in my work and in my personal accomplishments, as well. It is important for me, not just to get the job done, but to be the best at it!

This is the time of year, in our business, where we are so busy that we sometimes forget about what’s good for us. Yes, the job must get done and yes, expectations are high. But the bottom line is this…if you can’t control your level of stress, you can’t control anything. And for me, as a control freak, that is the worst! 🙂 If you are not doing what is good for you, you are good for no one….not even yourself.

Keeping life balance is important. While most of us put all things before ourselves, we must remind ourselves to keep things in check. Managing stress is a critical part to being able to perform optimally, personally and professionally. So while it seems like there is no time for lunch or no time to take a quick break, you must find small ways of doing it! It doesn’t have to be anything more than just taking a quick walk away from your desk or the office. Sometimes what I like to do is offer to go pick up coffee or ice cream for everyone in the office, just to mentally take a quick break.

You need it. Do it.

It is so important to maintain focus and balance to be able to function day to day. Our world moves at the speed of lightning now and most days I feel like I simply can’t keep up! Emails have become equivalent to snail mail. Facebook and texts have replaced face to face conversations and have given us the illusion that we are in touch without actually being “in touch”. It’s crazy! But it works. It’s all I have time for these days, it seems. Our attention spans keep getting shorter and shorter….

Faster and faster. Technology is moving us to a level of frenzy that is almost unbelievable.

I think back on the days of my childhood. Riding bikes – miles – across town. No means of communication except to ring someone’s door bell or call from your house phone or maybe a payphone, in an emergency. Playing – actually playing outside until the streetlights came on – then it was time to go home. My parents didn’t drive me places – I got to where I wanted to go on my bike, by bus or by foot! No checking in/ No tracking devices. We just figured stuff out on our own. Wow.

I think I just proved my point about maintaining focus. I was interrupted 3 times while typing this and look where my train of thought ended up! I started out talking about stress and ended up in one of those “back in my day..” rants. Hmmmm. It says a lot.

Keep it simple. Keep lists so you don’t forget. Smile. Laugh. Work Hard. Have fun. Be kind. Be good to yourself. Practice random acts of kindness. These small things all make a difference.

In the meantime, here are some ideas to help reduce stress:

http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/reducing-stress-tips

And I’m sure you all know that “stressed” is “desserts” spelled backwards. So on that note, I’m going to go grab some lunch!

Have a great day and keep smiling!!

I was unsure of what to write about for my blog, food or working out? One of my favorite things and the other one of my least favorite but also one of the most needed aspects of a healthy person’s life. I decided to conquer working out, one of my least favorite, most dreaded things…until I found the FitBit.
I started using my FitBit in February and it really helped me get started and stay motivated. You may have heard of them or seen them on someone’s belt buckle a FitBit counts all the calories you burn. It counts how far you’ve walked or run and it counts how many stairs you have taken and it calculates all the calories you burned that day.
The upside of it is that it really motivates you, or did motivate me. Every day, if you continue to stay active a little flower grows on the screen. It also sends you email updates on your daily or weekly progress. Believe it or not making that little flower grow to a big mature one motivated me. If I had only done 8 sets of stairs that day I will literally make myself do 2 more to reach the daily minimum. The numbers the FitBit gives you is based on your current weight verses your goal weight. You create an account on www.fitbit .com and put your information in and it downloads to your FitBit. You can also log your food on the same website. It is very easy and fun to see your progress.
The down side of the little FitBit, is that it calculates burned calories even when you are sleeping and I have never counted sleeping as an activity, now I can…cool huh? It then gives you your total calories burned which in turn can actually make you feel like you can eat more. Not the desired effect that FitBit is looking for. The other down fall is that the FitBit is technology and as we all know technology doesn’t always work. In March my FitBit stopped communicating with my Mac, I gained 5 pounds. 
I started boot camp the beginning of June and wow my FitBit is going crazy. I burned 700 calories my first day! Talk about keeping you motiviated. I am hoping to be down 10lbs by August 26th, wish me luck.

I recently took an amazing vacation in Hawaii. Amidst kayaking through waterfalls, hiking volcanoes and lying on the beach, my husband and I toured a Hawaiian coffee company called the <a href=”http://hilocoffeemill.com/”>Hilo Coffee Mill</a> on the Big Island. There were lots of different flavors to sample including my personal favorite, pineapple iced coffee! As we tasted a variety of freshly brewed coffees, the tour guide gave us a piece of information that shocked me…..

<strong>”the bolder the coffee the less caffeine” </strong>he said.

I had no idea! Maybe I’m the only one who thought that extra bold and dark roast coffees were giving me an extra jolt of caffeine! It turns out that Light roasts have the most caffeine. Similar to regular cooking the longer coffee is roasted, the more caffeine (and other elements, CO2) are cooked out of it.

So next time you are in need of a boost….opt for the light roast coffee. From now on I will! What roast do you typically choose when having your morning cup?

If you’re like me, you spend all winter craving the summer heat and then all summer trying to find ways to cool off! So now that the heat and humidity are officially upon us, I’m definitely feeling the need to escape some of the swelter. Here are some tried-and-true ways I’ve found to get through the dog days:

<strong>Make it shady indoors:</strong> If you know it’s going to be record-setting day for heat, start it off by pulling your shades. Your home will start out cooler and won’t get as hot by the end of the day. This will also help your AC to not work as hard. On super-hot days, remember that sunlight is not your friend.

<strong>Slow down: </strong>Put off those strenuous tasks for another day. Laundry, unless it’s in your cool basement, can wait. And forget about cooking. Make a salad or eat something cold. Ice cream always works!

<strong>Stay out of the sun: </strong>Pretty obvious, right? But you’d be surprised how many people don’t follow this rule. If your deck or patio gets full sun, move your favorite chair on the grass under your shadiest tree. Enjoy! And if you’re lucky enough to have a hammock, you know that’s where you should be, right?!

<strong>Stay wet: </strong>After showering, forget about drying your hair. Now is the time to go au naturel and let your hair curl or put it up. A wet head can work wonders in cooling you down. Drink lots of water throughout the day. And spritz yourself with water occasionally–it’ll feel great and provide some relief for a while as it evaporates off your skin. If you can, hang out by the pool or lake, or escape to the beach. And if you can’t get away, a sprinkler or kiddie pool can do the trick too.

I know I’ll be following my own rules this summer. In fact, I think, with a high of 92 degrees in the weather forecast today, it’s time to hit the pool!

Here’s another easy summer recipe to bring along to a holiday celebration or birthday party. If you are going to a 4th of July celebration this weekend, take this light, easy, cool summer cake along. It is sure to be a hit and everyone will ask you how you made it!

So easy. You’ll need a box of white cake mix, a box of Jell-O, and a tub of whipped topping. I usually use a raspberry flavored Jell-O, it seems to have the best flavor with the white cake mix. I also get the light whipped topping to cut back on the calories.

Bake the cake according to the directions on the package. A 9 x 13 pan is most commonly used for this cake but you can get creative and make layer cakes or a Bundt. After baking, cool the cake completely. Once cooled & while still in pan, poke holes all over the top of the entire cake with a fork. Mix up the Jell-O according to the directions on the package then pour the Jell-O liquid evenly over the top of the entire cake. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night. When ready to serve, frost cake with whipped topping. You can add fresh strawberries as a garnish, if you like, but this cake is delicious all on its own.

Enjoy!

Another year flying by and another summer suddenly upon us. Every year, we tend to assume the same thing: we’re going to have an enjoyable summer and we’re not going to let it slip by having spent most of our days in the office & our nights in front of the TV; by the time Labor Day rolls around, though, most of us end up scratching our heads, wondering where it went. I think it’s time we made a to-do list for the summer – a bucket list, of sorts – that we can check off as we go. Here are a few things I’m hoping to do within the next two months (sure, some of them seem pretty obvious… but I just want to make sure I really <em>do</em> them!):

– <strong>Hit the Beach</strong> Whether you’re a North Shore, Cape, or South Shore kind of person, there’s a beach within reasonable driving distance to pretty much everyone in this area – so pack up a cooler full of treats and get going!
– <strong>See the Fireworks</strong> I understand that we only have a small window of time in which to do this, but don’t miss it. If Boston’s Esplanade seems too overwhelming, check out <a href=”http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/metro/Independence-Day-fireworks-displays/-/11971628/15130174/-/qfup6p/-/index.html”>this</a> link to find the city/town closest to you that’s putting on their own show.
– <strong>Stop the Ice Cream Truck</strong> Even if there’s not a kid in sight, run after the truck and get a little something for yourself – it’ll be worth it for the nostalgia <em>and</em> the deliciousness.
– <strong>See an Outdoor Concert</strong> Check out the lineup at the <a href=”http://www.ticketmaster.com/Comcast-Center-tickets-Mansfield/venue/8213″>Comcast Center</a> or – my personal favorite – the <a href=”http://www.ticketmaster.com/Bank-of-America-Pavilion-tickets-Boston/venue/8310″>Bank of America Pavilion</a>. There’s just something awesome about live music outside on a warm night.
– <strong>Explore New England</strong> This area is crazy-rich in both history and beauty; it’s a shame to take that for granted and always think you have to travel far & wide to see great stuff. Go check out the gorgeous art galleries & quirky shops in Provincetown or head up the coast of Maine to see the more than 50 lighthouses that decorate the shoreline. Whichever direction you head in, you can usually accomplish a lot in a little day-trip.
– <strong>Dine al Fresco</strong> Sitting outside on the patio of a great restaurant is one of those things that will always make you wish the nights were just a little bit longer. If you’ve never done it, plan on it; if you know what I’m talking about, do it more. You’ll regret it come September if you don’t.