tell me what you want, what you really really want...

as i figure out how to live this new self employed life and get ready to launch my company (can't wait to tell you all about it very soon!) i know that some things on this little blog are going to need to change. but i'm not exactly sure what. so that has led me to some blog ennui which has lead to inconsistent posting, even though i certainly have time to be posting these days!

so, i figured i should take action. this blog has taught me a ton and brought me joy over last ten months, and i'm so thankful for those of you who read, comment, and who i have been lucky enough to become friends with. i honestly don't know that i would have taken this leap and quit my job were it not for what i learned from blogging, so i know i'm not ready to give it up. but, i know i have more readers than commenters (again, thank you all) so i'm just curious as to what makes you come back and read...

so.. may i ask a favor? would you please complete this survey so i can tailor content accordingly?

please tell me what you think! (surveymonkey survey!)

thank you!!! xR

proud.

yesterday, minnesota's governor signed same-sex marriage into law. this is the most amazing thing, for so many reasons. 

i have to admit, i didn't always understand why marriage equality was so important. i was always in favor of it, because in general i'm all for equality all of the time. but i saw marriage as this piece of paper and thought a civil union and companies that granted the same benefits to same-sex partners could be enough if that was what it really came down to. i hoped for more, but didn't do anything about it.

and then i got married. and realized that by bringing together our families and friends to celebrate our marriage, matt and i were not only creating a new family, but benefiting from the civil rights movement - because as recently as 45 years ago, our marriage would have been illegal (i often forget that we are an interracial couple - doesn't that sound so obscure?!). the thought was so absurd to me that i realized that a civil union would never, ever be enough. so we included our thoughts on same-sex marriage into our ceremony, became evangelists for marriage equality (sorry for talking your ear off, friends and family!:), and made a donation to the HRC and to MN United in honor of our marriage and went on with our busy lives. 

and then i went into a bit of a dark period. i was lost in my career, desperately bored in grad school, and generally unfulfilled. i was happily married, but not happy. living in liberal minneapolis, i assumed that the upcoming marriage amendment would be a non-issue, but then i learned that there was a high likelihood that it would pass, and our constitution would be amended to state that marriage is and will always be between a man and a woman. 

and i woke up. i distinctly remember working out in our second bedroom and having this feeling that i needed to do something. tears sprung to my eyes in between HIIT intervals. i finished the workout, stormed into our living room and told matt that evangelizing wasn't enough, i was going to do whatever i could to help beat the amendment.

so i started volunteering, talking to voters and volunteers. i wore my orange equality ring everywhere. we threw a last minute fundraiser and raised enough for a TV commercial. i would have liked to do more, but between school and work, i did what i could. and somewhere along the way, i realized that i was happy again. focusing on something bigger than myself helped me to put everything else into perspective. 

and then we waited. i think i finally went to sleep around midnight the night of the election, and woke up every few hours to check twitter and see if there was an update. and i take no credit for the outcome - i did very, very little compared to most people - but we did it. minnesota was the first state to beat the marriage amendment. and 6 short months later, we have now signed same-sex marriage into law. 

words can't describe how happy i am to live in a state that has embraced equality. how proud i am of my fellow minnesotans (and honestly - i've always told people that i'm from ohio but live in minnesota - working on changing that now!) and how hopeful i am that more will follow.

my biggest takeaway? amazing things can happen when you do just a little to fight for what you believe in. 

we all have dreams and goals and things we believe in. what can we do today to live a life that reflects those beliefs? 

as thankful as i am for marriage equality, i'm just as thankful for the lesson this fight taught me. the littlest thing can make a huge difference. 

planning my days...

(image via notetoself)

today is the third monday since i left my job. i planned to spend the first week relaxing, reading, getting settled in our new place, and basically enjoying a staycation. week two, i'd get started - i've started my own business and can't wait to tell you all about it, soon!

but, i'm finding that it is a constant struggle to get used to this new life. i keep feeling like i'll have to report back for corporate drone duty any day, which makes me indulge in my laziness (and watch a lot of gossip girl) and i'm not used to this total lack of structure. i start each day with the best of intentions, and then end up rushing to get just the most important tasks accomplished right before matt gets home.

but the only way i can guarantee that i head back to the corporate world is if i don't get going, so this week i'm determined to create a schedule and stick to it. wish me luck!

how do you stay motivated when you don't have a set plan? how do you schedule your day? i would love any tips and advice you may have!

My Glow Bio cleanse review

hi friends! please excuse this slightly random post - after i posted my initial glow bio review, life got a little crazy and i never posted the follow up... but i've had lots of questions about the cleanse and then today the my glow bio founder, kimberly snyder, tweeted my link so i realized i should post the follow up in case anyone was curious! 

life took a turn for the crazy after i finished the glow bio cleanse (basically, i realized that THIS was really happening) and i never got around to posting my recap. but - it was amazing.

as i said, i've tried various cleanses over the years... and i can now say that my glow bio was my favorite, followed by pressed juicery. although blue print (and suja) is now available at my whole foods, i don't love the taste and don't really think their cleanses or juices are worth the price. 

the most important point of distinction in the my glow bio cleanse apart is the addition of smoothies... unlike with the other cleanses, i never felt hungry, had little to no cravings, and never felt the head in the clouds sugar high i'd come to expect while cleansing. i was able to live my life normally while cleansing (with the exception of working out - i only did yoga) instead of feeling like the wack job on a cleanse - i think matt really appreciated that, as well! i'm sure the supplements and boosters and bee pollen also helped with this (i definitely noticed an energy boost after the bee pollen!), but i can't really say what they did... 

most importantly, after every other cleanse i've basically jumped headfirst into a bowl of ice cream/chipotle burrito/pizza/wine/something delicious. so i lost weight and felt better but then didn't really change my habits. this time around, things got insane in my work and personal life in the days following this cleanse but i continued eating healthily and sleeping well - i think that the cleanse helped me to get myself in a better head space and manage my life more appropriately - which is really the point of a cleanse. also - i kept the weight off far longer with this cleanse than any other! 

of course, nothing is perfect... the my glow bio juices arrived labeled as to what the juice was, but not in terms of the order to drink - so i had to go through, match everything up to the list, and number them myself. not the biggest issue, but one reason to pay for a cleanse is that they are easy/a time saver, so ideally they would start numbering the juices pre-shipping. also, next time i would only order 2 days - i couldn't finish all of the juices and smoothies each day and they were not really drinkable on the 4th day (this is less of an issue with the other cleanse programs b/c they ship in 2 day increments, not all at once). but, if and when i decide to cleanse again, it will definitely by my glow bio! (unless something new comes along! ;)

have any of you tried a cleanse recently? any other questions you want me to answer? let me know! xx

one.

it's been a big, big week. not only is today my last day in corporate america, but tonight matt and i are off to LA to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. i cannot fathom how an entire year has passed since our big day (and two since getting engaged!), but somehow, it has.



everyone says marriage isn't or shouldn't be that different. but in my experience, it is. it's the best type of awesome and amazingly different - in all the good ways.

i always thought i'd spend my twenties building my big corporate career and then get married sometime in my thirties. instead, i'm 28, just quit my job, and have been married for a year. and i love it. the best laid plans, right?

exactly one year ago, we spent the night with our families and friends, celebrating with a traditional mendhi party. friday we introduced our midwestern crew to the wonders of the los angeles food truck, and saturday was, quite honestly, the best day ever.

if i've learned anything in this year, it's that choosing to spend your life with someone should mean choosing someone who will encourage you to live your life in the best possible way each and every day. someone who will support you no matter what you do. someone you can laugh with, someone you can travel with, learn with, and just be yourself with.

because i'm adamant that eyelash extensions and rockstar heels are a must on your wedding day (seriously - my eyelashes had SHADOWS you guys!), but that all stuff comes off. and the raw, real stuff is what is really amazing and beautiful. <3



excuse the indulgence - i'm a whirlwind of emotions today! if you happen to want to see more, i was so excited to have our big day featured on style me pretty a while back - particularly since we basically planned the whole wedding through blogs!  (sidenote -it's very weird to see your wedding through someone else's eyes - what they choose to feature, how they organize, etc.!)

and while i'm at it, my very favorite part!


Matt & Rita - She Keeps Calling from Son of Shark Pig on Vimeo.

have an amazing weekend and thank you for all your support! xxoo

(all photos by the incredible max wanger)