Whole Heart 30: Day 1

Well folks, I made it through day one alive & well! This is definitely going to be a challenge, because today was by no means easy. There were several moments when I was so tempted to reach into my pantry and grab that piece of dark chocolate, or that mediterranean hummus that I love so much, or that half and half in my coffee. Sigh. But I made it without eating any of that!

Biggest thing learned today: drink more water than every humanly thought possible! Because this is such a big adjustment to your body, the detox period can be ugly. I've been flushing out my system with as much water as possible to expedite the ugly phase and move on to the better stages. I took some pictures of my start to Whole Heart 30, so enjoy! And best of luck to all of you who have joined me on the endeavor. It's going to be such a fruitful one!

Spinach, shallot & egg skillet

Breakfast

Spinach, shallot & egg skillet paired with a coconut milk latte. 

Heaping of Spinach

1 Diced Shallot

1 egg

Splash of Olive Oil

I simply sauteed spinach & shallots in olive oil before creating little craters for my eggs. Then over medium heat, I cracked an egg, sprinkled fresh sea salt & cracked pepper on top. I covered the skillet for approximately 5 minutes before removing from heat. It was so simple & so yummy! 

Lunch

Two hard boiled eggs, sliced sweet peppers, and sliced apples with almond butter. 

I admit, I hadn't grocery shopped yet and FULLY prepared for this challenge with our upcoming Easter travel, so my options were limited. But the great thing about this lunch was how simple, affordable & high energy it left me feeling to make it through the remaining work day!

Half homemade guacamole burger & citrus side salad

Dinner

Half a ground beef patty topped with homemade guacamole. Side salad with grilled chicken, sweet peppers, and a homemade fresh cilantro lime dressing (no sugar, no preservatives)

Bunless Burger/Guacomole

1 lb grass fed ground beef

1 egg

seasoning of choice (for burger & chicken)

1 avocado

Dash of crushed red pepper

1 freshly squeezed lime 

Side Salad

2 chicken tenderloins 

4-5 mini sweet peppers (found in bulk at TJs & Kroger!)

Dressing:

A bundle of cilantro

1 shallot

1 large lime

Splash of apple cider vinegar

Spoonful of dijon mustard

Splash of olive oil 

Dash of salt & pepper

I could probably eat this dinner every single night of the week it was so fresh & tasty! It let me feeling so incredibly satisfied & ready to enjoy my night without the full, heavy feeling a regular (delicious) burger can do with a side salad tossed in a sugary, store bought dressing.

All in all, a GREAT start to my Whole Heart 30 Challenge. I hope that you are feeling inspired to join me. It's really not as hard or daunting as it may seem - promise! Let's just hope Day 2 can be done as effortlessly!

Whole Heart 30 Challenge

Hey folks, I'm sure you've all been seeing "Whole 30" posts, pins and recipes galore lately because I've been bombarded! I've been so bombarded that I finally caved. I'm giving the latest & greatest fitness challenge "Whole 30" a try, but with my own twist. 

My reason for wanting to do this may not be for the same reason as others, but rather with more of a spiritual purpose at the core. Since I started this Lent, I've been realizing more and more how I focus so much on self. What is comfortable? What do I want? What do I need? Me, me, me. I've realized this Lent that I need to deny myself of little pleasures on a regular basis, not just during liturgical periods that encourage self denial, sacrifice, etc. Every single day I want to be reminded of the ultimate sacrifice in order to more fully appreciate the gifts in this world. 

I personally am going to deny myself of dairy, grains, sugar, alcohol, and soy these next 30 days. Along with each day of focusing on improving my bodily health, I plan on focusing on improving my spiritual health by reflecting on a scripture passage. I will be calling this challenge "Whole Heart 30." The passage above is what really helped inspire me in beginning this challenge. Psalm 119 "Blessed are those who seek Him with the whole heart." Crazy thing is that this passage was on my heart all week when thinking about beginning this challenge. And tonight I opened up Jake's Bible that was gifted to him years back, and look what passage is quoted in his parents' inscription to him!!! Looks like there was some serious intervention in the formation of this challenge!

So here's to the next 30 days of denying myself of some of my absolute favorite things: cheese, wine, fresh bread, and dark chocolate. This is not going to be an easy one for me, but with the support of my husband and those around me who have linked in, it's going to be a fruitful one! Contact me if you care to join us and we'll begin improving our whole self one day at a time. Whole heart 30 here we come! 

South Congress Avenue

Does this wall look at all familiar? It's simple love note was written on the wall of popular Jo's Coffee shop on South Congress in Austin, TX back in 2010. The message was a love note from a local musician to girlfriend, and owner of Jo's coffee shop. The message has become an iconic landmark in the colorful neighborhood of SoCo. 

Last fall I ventured on a girls weekend in Austin, so I naturally had to bring the girls to this spot. It just makes for the best photo-ops! The wall was actually vandalized a few years ago, but since been repainted in a public way when the couple proclaimed their love for one another. Such a beautiful reminder to all passing by. What other way should one live?

Take Heart

Lately I've been turning more and more to a favorite by Hillsong United, "Take Heart." Just as the title conveys, shouldn't we all take heart and let His love lead us through life? In times I need Him most, I find myself straying away and becoming distant from the one who knows me most. Sharing these lyrics with you to help remind each of you the need to take heart.

"Take Heart" 

There is a light 

It burns brighter than the sun 

He steals the night

And casts no shadow

There is hope

Should oceans rise and mountains fall

He never fails.

So take heart

Let His love lead us through the night

Hold on to hope 

And take courage again

In death by love

The fallen world was overcome

He wearas the scars of our freedom 

In His Name 

All our fears are sweaoy away

He never fails 

All our troubles 

And all our tears 

God our hope 

He has overcome

All our failure 

And all our fear 

God our love 

He has overcome 

All our heartache 

And all our pain 

God our healer 

He has overcome 

All our burdens 

And all our shame

God our freedom 

He has overcome

God our justice 

God our grace

God our freedom

He has overcome 

God our refuge 

God our strength 

God is with us 

He has overcome 

The Beer's Knees

One of Jake's favorite things to do is search the internet for new culinary ideas. He's naturally an incredibly gifted chef, with exquisite taste, but also a yearning to try new things. Recently, he came across an article consisting of 10 Great Beer Cocktails. What a find! Last night we experimented with our first just based on ingredients found in our fridge. Think a new & improved version of Summer Beer! See below for more details! 

Ingredients Needed to Create Perfection:

-1 1/2 ounces Gin 

-1 ounce Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice 

-1 ounce Honey Simple Syrup 

-3 ounces Hefeweizen

-1 Lemon wedge to garnish 

 

Mix honey & water in saucepan & bring to a boil. Squeeze lemons into shaker along with honey simply syrup (once cool), gin, and ice. 

Shake vigorously & strain into glass of choice. Top with a lemon wedge to garnish. 

Enjoy!!!!! 

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday time, friends! To that one summer (not too long ago) where my family was spontaneously feeling adventurous and we swapped homes with a British family! That's right. We lived in two houses for a few weeks: flat in London and country cottage in Henley. More to come on this trip and economical idea for family travel!

The Hines clan soaking in England while touring the Tower of London

On Life, Womanhood, and Love

One of my Lenten resolutions this year has been to focus on building a community around Jake and I. I've been hoping to really focus on the loved ones around us and building further relationships with neighbors, fellow church parishioners, coworkers, etc. As part of this Lenten resolution, I've started a book club we have named The Dallas Literary Socialites. Last week was our first meeting. We dived straight into Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "A Gift from the Sea" discussing her reflections on life, womanhood, and love. What a rich evening it was as my apartment filled with conversation about women and our place in the mid twentieth century compared with today. Each of our backgrounds, philosophies, and places in life brought such depth to the evening, leaving my palate so satisfied! 

One of the biggest reflections we as a group appreciated of Anne's was her statement that women are commonly torn to pieces - broken. We find ourselves so often wanting to give and give of our entire self to those around us. Daily we find new ways to serve our husband, our children, our parents, etc. And we feel gratified, fulfilled, purposeful thru this act of service - unconditional love. But at the expense of oneself? 

I know I have hit rock bottom, feeling absolutely worthless from exhaustion, over extension, and an array of wild emotion. And this is simply because I was lacking the balance needed to love others while loving and filling my own tank. As women, let us always remember to keep that tank full of His love for us, knowing that we can do all things in Him. You have a very special role on this earth, ladies, so be sure to cultivate your gifts, not deplete them. Take yourself back to the ocean, and old conch shell, the smell of the saltwater, to reflect on how changing the waves and tides may be, but you are rooted in the depths of the sea of life.