The Real Reasons I Work Out

Have you known me for more than 15 years? If so, you will have known me as a size 12, size 2, and everything in between. I think of myself as open and secure about it, but still don't want to post pictures of me at my heaviest. Hm.

In the most recent four years I've vacillated between a size 4 and 6 and have learned to maintain a healthier weight for my body. For my athletic-shaped frame, the main key to weight stability is regular exercise.

I'd love to claim that I am motivated by supporting my mental health, preserving my reproductive organs, seeing my great-great-grandchildren, and looking awesome at reunions, but when I can choose between an hour of my favorite show or an Insanity session, it's not enough to get me off the couch and into sneakers. Perhaps I am just not long-sighted enough.

But I am imaginative and challenge oriented, so I've found reasons and thought patterns that do motivate me.

1. Fight the bad guys.
We are Americans and live by assuming nothing bad will happen, but bad stuff does happen. Whether is a street mugging or an answer-the-wrong-phone-call-and-get-wrapped-into-an-international-spy situation, I want to be able to out-muscle or out-run 90% of the world's population (I'm excluding professional athletes, green berets, and 007s here, naturally). It's simple survival and preparedness. Let's go, crazy world, I'll be ready for you.

2. Survive an isolation scenario or natural disaster.
Does every individual think that they would be in the small percentage that survives a zombie attack or first pilgrim winter in the new world? That's ridiculous. The smartest and fittest are far more likely to survive in these or other more realistic frights. I want to be in that small group of survivors and to help people be there with me.

3. Be ready for discovery.
Is that right person watching? Will I catch someone's eye across the road? Will they come up to me and say, "I'm making a movie, and I want you to be in it"? Probably not, but if it does happen, I want to be ready. I want to be able to say, "Of course, I can even do my own stunts!" The most interesting things happen to me on accident, and I never want my body to be a reason it doesn't happen or can't participate when it does.

Fundamentally all of these are about having a knowledgeable confidence in my physical abilities and setting myself apart from helplessness. THAT is what motivates me enough to stay active.

I hope every one can find those things that keep them going. Be healthy...maybe use your imagination!

Holiday Cards - For the Orphans!

Orphans totally melt me. (You can read about why here and here.)


If something pulls at your mind and emotions, I think it's a sign that you should do something about it. Here is my holiday equation, therefore :

These green or red cards, each in sets of 4, can be purchased on my Pepper&Glow Paper Etsy store. Every single penny of profit from the sale of these cards will go to support four international orphanages.

The front of this card says "hope" in five different languages, each represented the language of the children at the following orphanages. 

Lighthouse Orphanage in Haiti
Bible Fellowship Orphanage in Papua New Guinea
Rainbow Town Orphanage in Liberia
India Gospel League in India


Check em out!

Team Finnick and Team Katniss Shirts Go Live!

November means many things. Thanksgiving celebrations. The final installment of Breaking Dawn. Black Friday. Christmas music (I have a strict no-Christmas music until after Thanksgiving policy). Ribs at the in-laws.

It also marks the 1-year countdown to the next Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire (in which we will finally meet Finnick). It seems a long wait, but anticipation will only add to the experience later. I debated openning up these shirts closer to opening night, but the business woman in me would not hear of it. It's a holiday shopping season NOW, and I don't want to carry hundreds of shirts in inventory over an entire fiscal year...

BUT ALSO I'M JUST SO EXCITED TO SHARE THEM!

Especially with this new photography by Chelsea Taylor. She's at the early stages of a photography business, so when she has a linkable site, I'll put the link here.

 A big shout out to my friends and models Jen and Jill!

Without further ado, new Team Finnick and Team Katniss shirts, now purchasable on L-Hop Designs.

NEW Team Hunger Games Shirts coming soon!

Well they finally cast Finnick! He's handsome...but is he handsome enough? I am not convinced. Make me believe it Sam Claflin!

In celebration of the casting coming to light, I'll give a sneak peak of (one of two) new shirts coming soon to my etsy store.

Team Finnick!

Nut-Encrusted Salmon Fillets

If you need protein, eat this dish!

Husband and I have been working on eliminating dairy, meat (not including fish), and grain on a semi-regular basis. Normally when we succeed in acomplishing this for a whole day, we are STARVING by dinner time and have huge stomach voids to fill. This dish, while still meeting our restrictions, was so filling I could barely finish it. (Though not to worry, I did).

INGREDIENTS
Two salmon fillets
Handful of unsalted, raw almonds
Handful of unsalted, raw cashews
Handful of unsalted, raw walnuts
Peanut Oil
Cumin to taste
Fresh rosemary, chopped, to taste
Fresh Basil, chopped, to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Finely chop all nuts. Combine in small mixing bowl.
3. Mix Cumin,  Rosemary, Basil, Garlic Powder, Salt, and Pepper into nut mixture.
4. Stir about 1 Tablespoon of peanut oil into the nut mixture, until it packs loosely.
5. Place salmon fillets into baking pan. Pack nut mixture on top of the entire fillet, about 1/4" thick.
6. Bake fish for about 12 minutes, or until just before the dark pink disappears throughout.
7. Turn your oven to broil, and broil for no more than two minutes. This will finish cooking the fish and will give a nice crispiness to the nuts.
8. Serve immediately.

This meal was a nice distraction from a crazy week. My normally healthy and medicine-hating husband had back spasm AND wisdom teeth removal this week. This about sums it all up :