my father has an age old saying that i’ve honestly heard more times than i care to count. “it can’t always be them, xan. sometimes, it has to be you.” every time he’s ever said it to me in the past, i’ve wished for the courage to sock him in the nose. largely, because he […]
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when i was in college, i saw the audrey hepburn / humphrey bogart classic movie “sabrina.” in the movie, sabrina, the poor yet beautiful daughter of a magnificently wealthy family’s chauffeur, is sent to a paris culinary school, where she is supposed to learn to be a domestic like her father. the problem is, she’s in […]
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as soon as spring has sprung, i want nothing more than a three-tiered piece of coconut cake or a giant slab of coconut custard pie – basically, all day, every day. there’s something about the rich sweetness, the airy lightness and the white fluffiness that just sets my heart a flutter. it also sends my […]
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this past post-thanksgiving, my sister and i were out doing some christmas shopping when we saw a starbucks. she said, “come on, let’s get a soy chai tea latte.” now back before i cleaned up my diet, those were my jam! i had come down hard from quitting daily venti frappacinos and transitioning from 800 […]
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i love easy peasy food that is rich and delicious, that looks impressive, but really anyone could make blind folded, and most of all, that is self-contained. salmon en papillote, a fancy french way of saying salmon wrapped in paper, is a staple in our house. it’s delicious, can be prepared in a myriad of […]
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it has only just occurred to me that i’m dressed like an extra in the “girls just want to have fun” music video. why i never kept my rubber bracelets is beyond me.
0not quite a mile today, 1500 meters at 40:06, 590 calories burned. i blame it on the slow jams on my headphones and the 20 1st graders that hopped into my lane for a swim lesson. they sure were cute, but there was just no swimming around them.
any chance i get make a pan sauce, i take it. my merman says not everything needs a sauce, i beg to differ. a sauce elevates everything and generally all you need is what you have already in the pan to make it stunning. this one is easy, especially if you’ve already done all the […]
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italian spinach prep time: 5 minutes cook time: 5-8 minutes serves two i’m absolutely unsure of why i call this spinach side dish italian spinach, probably because of the crushed red pepper flakes, but whatever the reason, who cares?! it’s delicious, easy and is the perfect side dish in every way. ingredients: 4 cups raw […]
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how nice to walk into the gym and see this hanging on the wall! #swimming #truth
1my mile came in at 48:12, 780 calories burned for the total swim. not bad for a monday.
the official “back on track” lunch: spinach salad with cubed turkey breast, and a lemony vinaigrette and arugula quinoa tabouli. so fresh and vibrant and filling
0so my nifty difty stop watch told me that even though i only kicked half a mile in 30 min, i burned 479 calories. generally an hour with a mile and some extra laps comes in at about 700ish calories. a) swimming is awesome crazy calorie burning madness and b) just kicking is way harder than swimming.
my mile came in at 56:42 but i fat fingered the watch and deleted my time before i could take a picture of it. next time. until then, i am grateful i swam and grateful the pool has reopened. spring can't get here fast enough, but at least there's an indoor lane waiting for me until then.
i have been trapped in one of those horror movies where there’s only one character: me – and i’m doing all the terrorizing. it’s been rough to say the least. eight days ago, the merman went away on business leaving me and lil’ flipper on our own. we had a fun week planned swimming, science […]
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i was somewhere around the bouncy castle, on the edge of the blowers, when the hunger began to take hold. i remember saying something like “that smells like popcorn and revolting pizza.” then my stomach betrayed me. it growled with lust. sometimes, i’m great and i stick to it and everything is perfect and space […]
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the most beautiful japanese woman showed me how hurried mermoms rock wet hair in february.
0mile came in at 43:01. much better. plus i did another 1/3 of a mile in remaining 16:59. #youtakethatwednesday
today’s mantra: everything i do is for me, not them
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i was getting all kids of crazy eyeballs from random strangers and then i decided to see what i looked like. #swimming #gogglesaresototallyfashionapparel
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between fighting off the flu and getting the website up, it’s been a crazy weekend / few days. more times starting tomorrow.
0your energy is finite. only use it for the betterment of you and others.
today’s mantra: always be yourself. unless you can be a mermaid. then, be a mermaid.
0today’s mantra: i’m so totally worth the effort.
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these are our go-to on-the-go snack. 10 minutes total to make and so delicious. i always keep my fridge, gym bag, and my belly (post workout) stocked with these and a piece of fruit and a green smoothie / juice. rich and velvety, they taste like mounds fudge. and ain’t nothing wrong with that. be […]
0it's only when everything goes wrong that we're free to see how truly good we have it.
1 cup regular oats, 2 cups water, 1 knob of butter, coconut oil, whatever you want, click on. it’ll be done in 15-20. makes enough for two adults and one tyrant toddler – so adjust for however many people you’re feeding. set the cooker to go as soon as you wake up at the same […]
5today’s mantra: my pain doesn’t define me
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something weird keeps happening to me. every time i walk into my closet, i have a fear attack. not a panic attack. a fear attack. i am suddenly paralyzed by fear. in an effort to invest in myself and this new “me,” i removed all the plus-size stuff out of my closet and got rid […]
0my mile came in at 58:49. so i did another 100 just because. and to think i was going to stay home.
today’s mantra: anything a bully says is white noise.
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i’m super grateful for the bully that called me “disabled” at the y. i know what you’re thinking, “what? really? thankful for a hateful bully?” yes. you better believe i am grateful for her, because her hate speak taught me an invaluable lesson. i am a bit of a spoiled princess. i admit it. i […]
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i have received dozens of special notes from friends new and old, family and total strangers thanking me for sharing my story, and letting me know i was inspiring them on their own journeys to heath and wellness. i just wanted to say how deeply flattered i am because i’m just doing my thing, you […]
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i’ve only ever done things the s&m way. it’s such a barbaric approach to life, but i would swim all-day, seven days, sleep four minutes, do a 1000 craft projects, clean the house, cook enough food to feed brazil, write a novel and probably a movie, go take some photos, and play a 15-hour game […]
0my mile came in at 42:58. that's awesome. plus i had to circle swim for 1/3 of that mile. really pushed me hard, but that time rocks!
i woke up in real agony this morning. there were bedroom tears (the worst kind) as the merman had to lift the covers off of me because i was too weak to get up without help. it was depressing and humiliating to say the least. even though the merman had a similar surgery to mine […]
0real warriors know when to wait and when to pounce.
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i’m going to make these this weekend. i love beets. they’re so sweet and delicious and totally rich in flavor and nutrients. thankfully, i have the slicer blade for my cuisinart or else my fingers would be tired!
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