him & her XXV: distance makes the heart grow fonder

H E R :

This past week I got to go to California for the weekend with my best friend to visit my sister for our birthdays! It was such a great time!

I felt like we crammed a month's worth of stuff into 3 1/2 days: We visited the Venice canals and boardwalk, Hollywood Walk of Fame (where we met DJ Khaled), the Abandoned LA Zoo, the Griffith Observatory, The Grove, Santa Barbara beach and state street, and so many fun things! Not mention we ate the best food and desserts of our lives.

It was the perfect weekend getaway that made coming back to Idaho that much harder.

The only bummer was that Curtis wasn't there! It was hard to be separated from him for 5 days, but we have done it before. And I honestly think that distance really does make the heart grow fonder. Your relationship grows when you are able to miss each other from time to time.

Curtis & I usually don't text each other a ton when he's at work and I'm at school, but when were in different states I am glued to my phone.

Not in a bad way. I just want to know what he's doing...And who's he with...And where he is...

Okay that's bad! I get very attached when we are in different states. I think I am getting better, but hopefully we don't have to spend that many more days apart!

H I M :

Hannah had the chance to go to California this past weekend to have a birthday celebration with her two best friends. It looked like they were having a blast. But I was a little sad to not be able to celebrate it with her.

When Hannah left town, I didn’t really know what I would do. I ended up hanging out a lot with some of my buddies. I am so used to going everywhere with Hannah, so at times it felt pretty weird but I couldn’t waste away my weekend, we had to do something fun!

We ended up planning a day trip up to Jackson Hole on Saturday. We hiked up to one of our favorite lakes, Phelps Lake. It is a good 2 to 3 mile hike with a pretty amazing view and an awesome rock to cliff jump off of. 

After our hike, we headed back into Jackson Square and went to the best pizza place of all time, Pinky G’s Pizzeria. I suggest that you get either the Abe Froman or Godzilla pizza.

It was a fun weekend, but I was ready for Hannah to get home and I am glad she finally is. I told her no more vacations without me. Hopefully she takes me seriously. 

him & her XXIV: summer style

The birds are singing and the sun is out. It's officially summer. 

And with this new season upon us, brings new styles and trends. Some are good and some are definitely really bad. Once again, Curtis and I discussed our opinions of men and women's trends for the summer.

Huge Sunglasses

HIM: If looking like a bug is the cool thing in 2016, then most girls have it down. 

HER: I know that these kind of sunglasses look ridiculous, but they cover up most of your face which is so convenient.

White Sunglasses

HIM: I remember when I was like 15 years old I would rock white sunglasses. I don't have many regrets from my youth, but that is one of them. Not all of us can be Soulja Boy.

HER: I am so picky when it comes to men's sunglasses. They can't be too big or small and they definitely can't be white.

High Waisted Bikinis

HIM: An adult diaper. That is all.

HER: I'm not really a fan of bikinis, but I like anything high waisted.

Short Swim Trunks

HIM: This I can get behind. I think it's pretty fun and reminds me of the 90s.

HER: Okay I don't know when this trend started, but it makes me way uncomfortable.

Rompers

HIM: Some rompers are okay. They are like fancy overalls. 

HER: I love a cute romper over a swimsuit.

Man Tanks

HIM: I own a couple, but they hardly see the light of day. I should probably just take them to Salvation Army.

HER: No, no, no, no tank top should ever be worn by a boy.

Floppy Hats

HIM: I think these hats are actually cute on girls. I wouldn’t be opposed to Hannah rocking one.

HER: It depends on how floppy the hat and what kind of outfit you wear with it.

Fadoras

HIM: If you are wearing a fedora then I question your ability to understand what is acceptable or not. But to each his own. I wear bucket hats.

HER: Fact. No one looks fadorable in a fadora. 

Bright Lipstick

HIM: Although it may look fun, it's messy and I'm scared it's going to get all over my face.

HER: I love bright lipstick. Especially in the summer I love coral.




Macklemore Haircut

HIM: When I cut my hair, I do a very mild hairstyle like this. Few people can rock it with a very defined edge. 

HER: I like this haircut to a certain extent. The more dramatic it is the more I don't like it.

him & her XXIII: whole 30

HER:

This past January Curtis and I tried something that was completely out of our comfort zones. We did Whole 30. We had heard a little bit about this program from our sister-in-law, Danna, but other than that we didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into.



So What is Whole 30?

We went 30 days without:

• Sugar of any kind, real or artificial.
• Grains
• Legumes
• Dairy
• MSG, Carrageenan, or Sulfites (I had no idea what these were either)

Your only job during the Whole30 is to focus on making good food choices. You don’t need to weigh or measure, you don’t need to count calories, you don’t need to stress about organic, grass-fed, pastured or free range. Just figure out how to stick to the Whole30 in any setting, around every circumstance, under any amount of stress… for 30 straight days.

Certain food groups can have a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. It takes 30 days to push the reset button on your health and change your relationship with food. By eating non-processed whole foods and ditching grains, dairy, and sugar, you will reduce inflammation in your system. 

How it Went

So as you can imagine giving up all these (wonderful) things was very difficult. We did not eat out for the entire month, because we didn't want to accidentally eat something we weren't supposed to. The first week was pretty hard to get used to, but I feel like after that it was smooth sailing.

I had so much more energy, I slept better, and had less digestive issues.

When I read about Whole 30 before we started I thought it would help me feel a little better, but I had no idea the impact it would really have on me!


Friendly Advice

Preparation is key. You cannot survive the 30 days unless you prepare. Every Sunday Curtis and I would make our dinners for the whole week so we didn't have to worry about cooking every night. This saved our butts. Especially if you are not used to preparing well balanced meals every day this is a great tool.

Follow the rules. Do not think that you can do Whole 30 while also drinking soda or eating a handful of chocolate chips every now and then. You have to commit or it's not going to work.

Try not to go too crazy the day after you're done. I made this mistake the first time I did Whole 30. I had been without sugar for so long that I was pumped to eat it again. Probably too pumped. The morning after I was done with the 30 days I had two donuts. 10 minutes later my teeth hurt and my heart was beating so fast I felt I was having a heart attack! I had never experienced anything like it. So try to reintroduce sugar, grains, dairy, and legumes back into your life. (Easier said than done)

A Day on Whole 30

Breakfast: 1 fried egg and an organic sausage patty

Lunch: Chicken and broccoli
Dinner: Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili
Snack: Apple and almond butter 

Check my Pinterest to see all the recipes I made on Whole 30!

I would recommend trying Whole 30 to anyone. It completely changes your relationship with food and restarts your system!

HIM:

Why Did We Do It? 

Just like any other human, the thought crossed our minds about what we could do to be healthier. There are millions of diets, eating plans, exercise routines out there, but which one could we actually stick to? I knew I wanted to try something that wouldn't feel constricting, but also would help restart my system.

The few months before we started Whole 30 Hannah and I had been having a lot of issues sleeping. We would be really restless and always wake up at least 3 or 4 times during the night. This caused us to have absolutely no energy during the day. Between some weight problems, trouble sleeping and a yearning to do something good for our bodies,  we decided to try Whole 30.

A Day on Whole 30 

Breakfast: Two fried eggs with pico de gallo and organic sausage.

Lunch: Lettuce wrap with nitrite free turkey

Dinner: Sweet and Sour Stir-fry

Snack: Turkey roll up with a pickle and mustard

What Did We Learn?

Hannah and I continue to eat whole 30 approved foods with the occasional treat or eating out. I really did miss going out to eat from a social perspective. 

Getting processed food out of our diets also helped me in my ability to keep high energy at work and to be positive. We have all had those lunches where we eat too much, get back to work and the next two hours are just groggy. This didn't happen on Whole 30. It was great. 

Another thing I learned is that trying new things can be good and bad. Some meals it totally worked out, others they did not. We made ground turkey meatloaf that is indescribable and just wrong. If I talk anymore about it, I will make myself sick. We tried making tortillas out of cauliflower. That was a no go. So we had some fails, but we also had some successes. 

Whole 30 was by no means easy at first but training your mind and body to say no was totally worth it. 

Would We do it Again?

I saw real results from Whole 30. I lost weight, I started sleeping a lot better, I felt motivated and I didn't feel hungry. There were still days that I wanted to quit, because sometimes you just want a freaking cookie! But we held our ground and it paid off.

Whole 30 isn't a quick fix diet, but a way to help you rethink what you eat and how to eat. I would tell everyone to give it a try, because it will help you find the foods that might be causing any problems for you physically or mentally. 

That being said I do not think I would do it to a T again. Right now we are pretty happy eating mostly Whole 30 meals with the occassional treat. 


Here is one of our favorite meals we ate on Whole 30!

Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
• 2 cups cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
• 1 lb of cooked chicken breast (optional)

Cut a spaghetti squash in half length wise and scoop out seeds. Lay skin side up in a 13 x 9 pyrex and pour 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until flesh is very tender. Once done, scoop out flesh with a fork so it breaks apart into strings, set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together coconut aminos, ginger, and white pepper; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and celery, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cabbage until heated through, about 1 minute.

Stir in spaghetti squash, chicken, and soy sauce mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately.

him & her XXII: 5 Things You & Your Husband Can do Rather Than Watch Netflix

A lot of people joke that once a couple gets married they turn boring. They become anti social and live unstimulated lives on their couch. Well I’m here to tell you that this doesn't have to be the case. You can be married and still go out and do fun things.


1. Classic Dinner and Drive IN 

Going to the Drive Ins is a classic dinner and movie date, but way more fun. Order a pizza, grab some blankets, then head out! See if you can stay for both movies!

Here's a recipe for a Drive IN essential: Sweet & Salty Popcorn 

2. Picnic at the Park 

Everyone loves a good picnic! Pack a lunch or dinner and ride your bikes to the closest park. This is a great alternative to just eating out at a restaurant or hanging out inside.

Mix things up with this fun dessert: Fruit Tart Sugar Cookies

3. Camp Out

Camp out in the woods or even in your living room. Set up your tent, go for a hike, and pig out on s’mores! Enjoy the great outdoors with your spouse.

Everyone loves S'mores, but they can be a bit messy. Here is a recipe for: S’mores bars

4. Float Down the River 

Play in a lake or lay out at your local pool. Just hang out all day in the sun! Pack some sun screen and a watermelon to snack on.

Cool down with this Raspberry Lemonade recipe!

5. Make Homemade Pizza & Have a Game Night 

Invite another couple over to make pizzas and play some games. Make sure your pizza is delicious by using a ton of different toppings! Card games can always get a little competitive so make sure you keep score. Loser has to do the dishes!

I finally found the perfect pizza dough recipe!