I admit it. I watch reality TV. I enjoy Project Runway, American Idol, and the recent addition Cake Boss: Next Best Baker.
Today, I went home on my lunch hour and found the aforementioned Next Best Baker on the TLC Network. I think this show is so much fun! These contestants aren't just bakers, they are artists. It's absolutely incredible to watch them mold fondant into faces.
The episode I watched today, the contestants were split into groups of three and were challenged to make an entire body cake that looked like Carlo's (the Cake Boss) sisters. At the end of the show, they were all so horrible that Carlo decided to use a roller to destroy the cakes. This got me thinking...what a waste of food! All of that could have been given to homeless shelters or other people in need. Then my thoughts took me a bit further. What else is going to complete waste in all of these reality shows, besides our intelligence? I immediately thought of all the food competition shows, Cupcake Wars, Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef, etc (view a full list here). I can't get over the fact that all of this food may be slightly sampled and then thrown away.
Is there something we can do to make sure these shows don't use this food for nothing but the entertainment value of the network?
Monday, January 30, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Career Change
I am desperately seeking a career change. I love sports and I love working in the sports industry, but I can't take sitting at a desk and staring at a computer for 40 hours a week any longer. I need something more hands on. Something more exciting and adventurous! Something that pays well enough that I don't have to live in my high school bedroom!!
Is it time to go back to school? I've looked into the Sports Nutrition Masters program at the University of Utah and I've also considered a personal trainer certification. But first thing's first. I need to get out of Utah!!
Does anyone want to hire me? I am a hard-working, punctual, reliable professional (with references) willing to relocate!
Is it time to go back to school? I've looked into the Sports Nutrition Masters program at the University of Utah and I've also considered a personal trainer certification. But first thing's first. I need to get out of Utah!!
Does anyone want to hire me? I am a hard-working, punctual, reliable professional (with references) willing to relocate!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Oh Sundance...
2012 Sundance Film Festival.
I always look forward to this time of year, but ever since I tried to get my movie tickets in early January, I've been regretting it.
Surprisingly, things have been going very well.
I'll start with Sunday, January 22.
My mom, a few of her friends, and I all went up to Main Street to walk around and see what was going on. We started off in this random room where there were a lot of things being given away, including Burt's Bees products. There was also a bar in the back with a bartender that was mixing free alcoholic beverages made with Patron Tequila...my favorite kind of tequila!
We then ventured over to the Fender Music Lounge where we found another bar with free alcohol, this time serving drinks made with Chopin Vodka. Since I had the tequila a few minutes earlier, I decided to start drinking brewskis, Stella Artois.
After hanging out for about 20 minutes and listening to this incredible band play, we finally figured out what the name of the band was. 100 Monkeys. This group of guys is really great. I've never seen a group change instruments for every song. Almost everyone in the band can play the guitar, the bass, keyboard, drums, and harmonica. Pretty impressive! After even more time, we found out that this band features Jackson Rathbone, Jasper Hale (Cullen) from the Twilight movies. I knew that guy looked familiar...
We ended the evening at Butcher's, where we enjoyed some food, some beer, and some football.
Now, let's go onto my favorite day, Monday, January 23.
Monday morning started with a 9am movie called Liberal Arts. I usually go into Sundance movies with a very open mind because you really don't know what to expect. I've fallen asleep and walked out of movies. I was lucky to get tickets to this one. It was my first choice out of the Premiers because it was written, directed, and starred Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother). A week earlier I had watched his film from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival called Happythankyoumoreplease. He also wrote, directed and starred in it. The first showing of this movie were sold out, so I thankfully had the option to buy tickets to the second showing. Usually the cast and crew doesn't go to those, which is unfortunate since the Q&A section is one of the reasons why I even attend Sundance.
I am happy to announce that Liberal Arts is by far the best movie I've ever seen in my 14 years of attending the Sundance Film Festival. I was so impressed with the script. The story flowed so well. Josh Radnor really is an incredible person (and very attractive)! He was the only one from the cast at that screening, but he was really the only one I was excited to see. I had been wondering what kind of personality he had. Is it like Ted Mosby's character, or is he more reserved and only plays the part? My question was answered. I was laughing hysterically during the entire Q&A. He is a very talented, intelligent, hilarious (attractive) person.
Tuesday, January 24
I went to see the film 2 Days in New York. I knew that after seeing Liberal Arts, any movie would have a hard time living up to my expectations. It was true. 2 Days in New York was mostly funny, but there were a lot of slow parts that I didn't get into. Overall, it turned out to be a regular ol' Sundance movie.
I have one more film on Thursday evening, For Ellen.
I always look forward to this time of year, but ever since I tried to get my movie tickets in early January, I've been regretting it.
Surprisingly, things have been going very well.
I'll start with Sunday, January 22.
My mom, a few of her friends, and I all went up to Main Street to walk around and see what was going on. We started off in this random room where there were a lot of things being given away, including Burt's Bees products. There was also a bar in the back with a bartender that was mixing free alcoholic beverages made with Patron Tequila...my favorite kind of tequila!
We then ventured over to the Fender Music Lounge where we found another bar with free alcohol, this time serving drinks made with Chopin Vodka. Since I had the tequila a few minutes earlier, I decided to start drinking brewskis, Stella Artois.
After hanging out for about 20 minutes and listening to this incredible band play, we finally figured out what the name of the band was. 100 Monkeys. This group of guys is really great. I've never seen a group change instruments for every song. Almost everyone in the band can play the guitar, the bass, keyboard, drums, and harmonica. Pretty impressive! After even more time, we found out that this band features Jackson Rathbone, Jasper Hale (Cullen) from the Twilight movies. I knew that guy looked familiar...
We ended the evening at Butcher's, where we enjoyed some food, some beer, and some football.
Now, let's go onto my favorite day, Monday, January 23.
Monday morning started with a 9am movie called Liberal Arts. I usually go into Sundance movies with a very open mind because you really don't know what to expect. I've fallen asleep and walked out of movies. I was lucky to get tickets to this one. It was my first choice out of the Premiers because it was written, directed, and starred Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother). A week earlier I had watched his film from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival called Happythankyoumoreplease. He also wrote, directed and starred in it. The first showing of this movie were sold out, so I thankfully had the option to buy tickets to the second showing. Usually the cast and crew doesn't go to those, which is unfortunate since the Q&A section is one of the reasons why I even attend Sundance.
I am happy to announce that Liberal Arts is by far the best movie I've ever seen in my 14 years of attending the Sundance Film Festival. I was so impressed with the script. The story flowed so well. Josh Radnor really is an incredible person (and very attractive)! He was the only one from the cast at that screening, but he was really the only one I was excited to see. I had been wondering what kind of personality he had. Is it like Ted Mosby's character, or is he more reserved and only plays the part? My question was answered. I was laughing hysterically during the entire Q&A. He is a very talented, intelligent, hilarious (attractive) person.
Tuesday, January 24
I went to see the film 2 Days in New York. I knew that after seeing Liberal Arts, any movie would have a hard time living up to my expectations. It was true. 2 Days in New York was mostly funny, but there were a lot of slow parts that I didn't get into. Overall, it turned out to be a regular ol' Sundance movie.
I have one more film on Thursday evening, For Ellen.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Damn you Megan and your sparkles!!
I'm am heartbroken for the Green Bay Packers. They had such an amazing season and it all went down the drain with their loss on Sunday in the NFC Playoffs. I had my sights and party planning set on Super Bowl Sunday, but now it's not even worth watching. February 5 was supposed to be filled with green and gold! But let's go ahead and blame the loss on Megan and her sparkly nail polish.
The Packer players have a joke going that this video and Megan's superstitions are cause for their loss on Sunday. Clay Matthews, defensive linebacker for the Packers, wrote on his Twitter, "D_mn you Megan and your sparkles!!" This gave me a laugh, so I thought I'd share with all the other broken Packer souls of the world.
This also makes me happy.
The Packer players have a joke going that this video and Megan's superstitions are cause for their loss on Sunday. Clay Matthews, defensive linebacker for the Packers, wrote on his Twitter, "D_mn you Megan and your sparkles!!" This gave me a laugh, so I thought I'd share with all the other broken Packer souls of the world.
This also makes me happy.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Trip to D.C.
My mom and I are planning a little vacation to Washington D.C. Neither of us has been so we are excited to make this work! We are hoping to go for just a few days, March 1-6, but think it will be plenty of time to get everything in. A friend of mine goes to school at Georgetown and his mom will be visiting him on those dates. We thought it would be a fun trip for us to all get together and explore the Capital.
One of my favorite blogs is Vegan Backpacker. It's the first blog I look at when I go on a trip someplace new...or even if I'm headed back to NYC and want to try something delicious! I just looked at the website to see if she had been to D.C. Turns out she has! She lists at least five restaurants and bakeries to try. I can't wait! All of the pictures of the food made me very hungry. So now I'm going to go to lunch.
Hopefully there will be pictures and stories of D.C. coming soon!
One of my favorite blogs is Vegan Backpacker. It's the first blog I look at when I go on a trip someplace new...or even if I'm headed back to NYC and want to try something delicious! I just looked at the website to see if she had been to D.C. Turns out she has! She lists at least five restaurants and bakeries to try. I can't wait! All of the pictures of the food made me very hungry. So now I'm going to go to lunch.
Hopefully there will be pictures and stories of D.C. coming soon!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Couch to 5k
For my running resolution, I have decided to do the Couch to 5k app on my iPhone. So far, so good! I'm running 5 days a week and am already into week 2. I feel really good about doing this training. By the end of the month I will be able to run 3.1 miles (I've only been able to run 2 miles in one run), so this will be quite an accomplishment!
I gained a good 5 lbs over the holidays. I'm still maintaining a gluten-free diet, and with that have lost 5 pounds since the holidays have been over. Basically, I have lost 5 pounds in 1 week. I'm back to my normal 154, but would really like to keep this going and be at 145 by summer. If I keep losing the way that I have in the last week then I should be good!
I gained a good 5 lbs over the holidays. I'm still maintaining a gluten-free diet, and with that have lost 5 pounds since the holidays have been over. Basically, I have lost 5 pounds in 1 week. I'm back to my normal 154, but would really like to keep this going and be at 145 by summer. If I keep losing the way that I have in the last week then I should be good!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Resolution Update
Yesterday I started my running regimen. I used the Couch to 5k app on my iPhone, which is a 3-day a week program that helps you run a full 5k in 8 weeks. I decided that in order for me to actually get into a running habit, I will need to up that amount to 5 days per week. I will be running on the days I don't have to work my second job in the weekday evenings, as well as both days on the weekend. So my plan is to run Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. I'll have Monday and Thursday off. That seems doable. I hope to start the Couch to 10k workout on Feb. 7, cutting out a full
two weeks of the program. Time to get in shape and running 5 miles
three days each week!
Gluten-Free update: I have decided that I will not go entirely gluten free. I did some research and found out that barley is gluten, which means I wouldn't be able to drink beer. That's not an option. Instead, I will stay away from wheat products and cut out white sugar (which I don't really eat anyway). Basically, I will be gluten free with the exception of beer. I just can't give up beer.
Gluten-Free update: I have decided that I will not go entirely gluten free. I did some research and found out that barley is gluten, which means I wouldn't be able to drink beer. That's not an option. Instead, I will stay away from wheat products and cut out white sugar (which I don't really eat anyway). Basically, I will be gluten free with the exception of beer. I just can't give up beer.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Resolution Decided
For the past two years, I have picked a difficult yet doable New Year's Resolution to challenge myself throughout the year and succeeded both times. In 2010 I decided that I would read a book a week for the entire year. Check! In 2011 I decided that by the end of the year I would be fully vegan. I checked that off on March 1, 2011, way before the deadline.
This year, I have decided to add several things to the list.
1. Try a gluten-free diet. Yes, that means I will be a gluten-free vegan. I've already been asked what I will eat. I'm honestly not sure. It's time to research. Today is the first day that I have so far been completely gluten free. I would love it if it worked out for the rest of the year!
2. Drink more water! I have always been bad at this. I'll always drink water when I work out, in the morning when I take my vitamins, or after a long night of drinking, but I never committed to the 8 glasses of water ever day recommendation.
3. Run 5 miles 3-4 days per week. I'd love to run 5 miles every day, but let's be realistic here. I'm only a runner when I'm chasing my dog on mountain trails in the summer. It's winter now and cold outside. There's snow and ice on the ground, so running outside isn't going to happen. Time to hop on the treadmill. I've been wanting to do the Couch to 5K app on my phone, so why not start now?
And finally...
4. Stop biting my fingernails and picking at my cuticles. I've noticed that when I get manicures, the cuticles are nice and moisturized and don't crack as easily. They are also polished so I won't bite them. I think that's the key. Keep my cuticles moisturized and my nailed painted. I wouldn't mind a manicure once a week, but I can't afford that. Once a month will do!
I think those four items are a good start!
What are your resolutions? Have you broken them yet?
This year, I have decided to add several things to the list.
1. Try a gluten-free diet. Yes, that means I will be a gluten-free vegan. I've already been asked what I will eat. I'm honestly not sure. It's time to research. Today is the first day that I have so far been completely gluten free. I would love it if it worked out for the rest of the year!
2. Drink more water! I have always been bad at this. I'll always drink water when I work out, in the morning when I take my vitamins, or after a long night of drinking, but I never committed to the 8 glasses of water ever day recommendation.
3. Run 5 miles 3-4 days per week. I'd love to run 5 miles every day, but let's be realistic here. I'm only a runner when I'm chasing my dog on mountain trails in the summer. It's winter now and cold outside. There's snow and ice on the ground, so running outside isn't going to happen. Time to hop on the treadmill. I've been wanting to do the Couch to 5K app on my phone, so why not start now?
And finally...
4. Stop biting my fingernails and picking at my cuticles. I've noticed that when I get manicures, the cuticles are nice and moisturized and don't crack as easily. They are also polished so I won't bite them. I think that's the key. Keep my cuticles moisturized and my nailed painted. I wouldn't mind a manicure once a week, but I can't afford that. Once a month will do!
I think those four items are a good start!
What are your resolutions? Have you broken them yet?
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