Hope

Happy Tuesday, y'all.  I know we usually keep it pretty light-hearted around these parts with posts about clothes, juice cleanses, and instagram photos of weekend adventures, but things are going to be a bit more serious today. 

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm an animal lover.  Dogs, especially.  Remember when Rose hogs the float and the love her life drowns in the frigid Atlantic waters after the sinking of the Titanic?  Whatever.  My cold heart feels nothing. The end of Marley & Me? BIG FAT CROCODILE TEARS AND HEAVING SOBS.  I also cry during every episode of Pitbulls & Parolees.  I'm a sucker for the pups.  Plus, we all know how obsessed I am with my own sweet rescue, Georgia (she's the light of my life).



Sweet, sweet Georgia



Needless to say, when I see or hear about an animal being abused, starved, or neglected I get sick to my stomach.  And angry. And a million other emotions that I don't know how to process.  All I do know is that there are few things that I feel more passionately about than helping the helpless. 

About a year ago, a sweet little pup with huge bat ears showed up in my backyard.  After searching for Batman's (the name seemed appropriate) owners, we came to the conclusion that this guy had been on his own for a while.  Before my neighbor could call animal control, I scooped this guy up and decided that he was going to stay at our house until we could find him a home.  I called what feels like a thousand rescue organizations, and the only response I got was from Carmen from Carmen's Rescue.  I fostered Batman, but Carmen helped me with food, vet cost, the marketing to find him a new home.  Thankfully, Batman (now named Charlie!)  found a new home with my sweet friend Abby and her husband Chris in Charleston (he is very, very spoiled now).  Since then, I have kept in touch with Carmen via Facebook and have kept up with the dogs she works so hard to save.



Charlie (aka Batman).  Look at those ears!



A few weeks ago, Carmen posted about the most recent addition to her rescue -- a female appropriately named Hope.  She posted this video, and I could hardly believe my eyes.  It took about 5 seconds of watching before tears started rolling down my face.  No one knows how Hope got into her condition, but the even bigger mystery is how she was still alive.  She was starved, dehydrated, had open wounds with infections, and was heartworm-positive.  She had no fresh water and the chain around her neck with three times her body weight.  She couldn't even lift her head.  Carmen and her group immediately took Hope from that hell hole (without the consent of her "owner" -- go girl) and took her straight to the vet.  Fast forward to around a minute twenty in the video and watch as Hope falls into the arms of her rescuerer in gratitude.  She knows she's been saved.

Hope's abuser's court date is May 31st.  We need to sure that he receives the maximum penalty allowed for animal abuse.  Not just for Hope, but for the thousands of others who are lost, forgotten, and hurt.  Maybe, if we ensure that this criminal suffers the consequences of his actions, we can deter others from committing animal cruelty.  Just maybe.  Even if it stops one person, isn't that enough?  Below, I have included the link to the petition to present to the judge to request the maximum penalty.  We need 5,000 signatures and we are far, far from that.  Every last one helps.

Petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/liberty-justice-for-hope-and-for-all/

If you're interested in the work of Carmen's Rescue (or maybe even want to adopt one of her pups?!), you can learn more about them here. 

If you made it all the way through this post and signed the petition, thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  From the bottom of my heart.

Hug your babies extra tight tonight, y'all.



All the Juicy Details: Day Three

No, I haven't changed my iPhone background since February. Hush.

6:45AM- Waking up feeling very rested.  I have a leeeeeeetle headache, but nothing major. It's the last day!!  Step on the scale -- down another .6 pounds. I'm not feeling "skinny" though -- which is really strange, because I usually feel "skinny" if I'm two hours late for lunch one day.  I think I know a reason for this, but it's kind of TMI (the next paragraph covers the TMI details, so skip it if you'd rather not know)

7:35AM- You kept reading after I warned you that it was TMI? Of course you did.  Sicko*.  Truth be told, I haven't, umm... expelled of any #2 waste since the cleanse started.  Well, that all changed around 7:35AM.  Man, I feel light as a feather.  Bee tee dubs, your waste tends to be the same color as your food.  So no, you're not dying from internal bleeding, you're just drinking beet juice.

8:00AM - Take the first sip of the Start Your Engine (Carrot, Grapefruit, Orange, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Beet, Ginger & Cayenne).  It... it tastes good. I've grown to really like starting my morning with this juice.  I know, I know... I can hardly believe it myself.

9:15AM - That headache from this morning?  Yeah, still hasn't gone away.  It's not terrible, just lingering.  Plus, remember how I mentioned that my office was having breakfast this morning? Everyone around me is chowing down on grits, bacon, scrambled eggs and chocolate chip french toast.  They all assure me that it's really not that good.  I think they're big fat liars, but I appreciate the effort.

10:56AM- Okay, I can force myself through the Stamina (Carrot, Pineapple, Kiwi, Kale, Spinach, Parsely Cucumber & Celery) on my last day, right?  Wrong.  Trash time.  Notice that I didn't even attempt the Purple Powerhouse (Apple, Cabbage, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber & Celery).

1:00PM- Okay, this is when things go a little crazy.  All of the sudden, this happened:

Yep.  You heard right.  I ate solid food.  I went to Whole Foods and got a Vietnamese spring roll (cucmber, carrot, and red pepper rolled into a rice paper wrap).  Want to know how much guilt I felt?  NONE. ZERO. I mean, it was all raw veggies.  The day I feel guilty for eating raw vegetables will be the same day that hell freezes over, Lilo is sober, and puppies stop being adorable.  IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. And guess what?  My headache is gone. Imagine that.

3:07PM- Despite my brief indecretion, I don't plan on completely diving back into pizza and burgers.  I want to stick with the plan the rest of the day.  I open my last Filler Up (Apple, Pineapple, Kiwi, Orange, Lemon, Celery & Chia Seeds).  Man, I've grown to love this stuff.  I want to keep drinking it after the cleanse is over.  Really, who am I??

5:00PM- I haven't drank a single Salad Sipper (Carrot, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery & Broccoli) during the cleanse so far, so why break tradition now?  I have a ton of energy right now, so I throw it into the trash with superhuman strength.  A slam dunk, if you will.

7:30PM- Home from work! Sweatpants, ponytail, chillin' with no makeup on.  Levi comes home with Pizza Hut (have you noticed a trend in Levi's eating habits?). Pizza Hut is my FAVORITE (I know, I'm a disgusting person).  When Levi orders pizza, he always gets Dominos or Papa Johns.  He swears the Hut had a sale, but I think he's being an evil person and proceed to yell at him for every little thing for the rest of the night.  Honestly, I probably am overreacting since the pizza isn't tempting me at all (victory!).  Don't tell him that, though. Let that be our little secret, k?

7:49PM- Savor every drop of my last Night Cap (Raw Almond Milk, Dates, Vanilla, Cinnamon, & Sea Salt).  I has a sad.  I don't want this to be my last Night Cap.  It's just so good!

10:43PM - Goodnight, world.  Tomorrow, we eat (again).

*It's okay, I don't blame you.  In my world, TMI stands for "Tell Me Immediately", not "Too Much Information". 

SUMMARY OF DAY THREE:

Today was definitely the best day.  My energy was high, and I felt good (especially after my spring roll).  I'm craving healthy food, and I cannot WAIT until tomrrow!  SOLIDS!!

Want to read more about my cleanse experience?  Read Day One and Day Two.  I plan on exploring my post-cleanse thoughts next week, so be sure to tune in.

Also, be sure to read my BFF Katie's experience with cleansing.  She was the maid of honor in my wedding, and she's just kind of awesome.  She's also new to the blog world, so go give her a big blogland welcome!!

All the Juicy Details: Day Two

7:00AM - Wake up after sleeping in a bit today.  I feel fantastic! I slept like a rock and feel very rested. Step on the scale -- down 1.6 pounds.  Whoo hoo! I know losing weight isn't the point of the cleanse but  hey, I don't hate it.

8:37AM - Time for my grapefruit Bloody Mary again (vodka free, boo).  I still love the kick that the Cayenne provides, and this one goes down pretty easily.  Still missing coffee.

10:00 AM - Decide I'm not hungry and don't even bother with the Purple Powerhouse, aka cabbage in a bottle.  Blech.  I panic thinking about throwing money away, but only until I remember the taste of liquid cabbage.  Adios, amigo.

1:23PM - The biggest surprise of the day is how NOT hungry I am, especially because I've only had one juice and lots of water.  My energy level is also very high (I am shocked, I swear).

2:17PM - Get an email from my boss.  We've been so busy recently, that he's decided to have breakfast catered at our office tomorrow.  This hurts.  It hurts badly. I'm very concerned about tomorrow morning and kind of want to cry.  You know what would make me feel better? A cup of coffee.

2:50PM - Open the Stamina juice. Drink about half and put the top back on.  I want my Filler Up!

3:00PM - Open my Filler Up.  The Chia Seeds make me oh, so happy.  I probably have them in my teeth, but whatevs. 

5:13PM - Finish the Filler Up.  I savored that sucker for as long as I could.  I start fantasizing and planning my first day worth of meals post-cleanse.  Currently planning on eggs and fresh berries for breakfast, Trader Joe's Butternut Squash and Wheatberry Salad for lunch, and salmon with veggies for dinner.  Avocado will make an appearance somewhere in that mix. NOM NOM NOM.  I'm currently craving all food, but I will say that healthy/clean foods sound the most appetizing right now.  That's a nice side effect!

6:15PM - Get home from work and make the executive decision that I am not even going to attempt the Salad Sipper today.  Blech.  Thankfully, I still have a lot of energy and I'm not terribly hungry.  I am already fantasizing about the Night Cap, though...

7:00PM - Finally.  The Night Cap.  I savor every last drop, and feel completely fat and happy by the time it's done.  It really is a genius move to make the last juice of the day so delicious that you forget how awful the rest of your day was. 

7:45PM - Levi comes home with a McDonald's double cheeseburger, fries, and Diet Coke.  I contimplate suffocating him in his sleep.  I kid, I kid (sorta).  Honestly, his meal doesn't tempt me that much.  Do I want to eat it? Hell yes.  Is the desire to eat McD's so overwhelming that I can't see stright? Nah. Not at all, actually.

8:17PM - HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.  My energy level has flatlined and I can feel a headache coming on.  Lights from the TV and computer screen are making my headache worse.  I contimplate giving up.  I've felt so great all day long, so why is this happening now?!  Decide to suck it up.  I do have a very small handful of raw cashews (unsalted) to help suppliment my calories for the day.

10:00PM - G'night.  Once again, I fall asleep on 1.25 seconds and slept like a rock.

DAY TWO SUMMARY:

Not so bad. In fact, the day was pretty darn good. I had plenty of energy and wasn't terribly hungry.  If I hadn't been at work all day, I would have had enough energy to work out.  The evening wasn't great -- I blame the headache and low-energy on the low calorie intake for the day.  Considering that I only drank 3.5 of the 6 juices, I'm definitely below 1200 calories for the day.  No bueno. 

ONE MORE DAY!!!

Want more?

Check out Day One.

All the Juicy Details: Day One

Well, folks.  I started my juice cleanse.  I'm only on Day Two right now, but I wanted to share a recap of Day One with you guys.  It's long, so if you just want a quick summary, scroll to the bottom. 

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6:00AM - Woke up.  Pretty tired from a busy weekend.  First thought: I would kill for a cup of coffee right now.  Stepped on the scale to that I can track my progress.  Step off the scale and decide that I am definitely on board for this cleanse.  Throw on some yoga pants and out the door I go.

6:30AM - Pick up my juices from Good to Go Raw Juice Bar.  Chit chat with the girl working.  She's on Day 7 of a 10 Day Cleanse.  She appears to be in a good mood.  If she can go seven days without turning into the Wicked Witch of the West, I can survive three days, right?

7:25AM - Fix myself a cup of hot water and lemon. It's fine, but OMG I WANT COFFEE.

8:00AM - Get to my office and crack open my first juice of the day (Start Your Engine: Carrot, Grapefruit, Orange, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Beet, Ginger & Cayenne).  Hm.  Not bad.  Kind of tastes like a citrus-infused Bloody Mary.  The cayenne gives it a nice kick.  Vodka would give it a better kick (Happy Monday?).  So far, so good!

8: 53AM - Receive a text from my cleanse partner (aka my NOLA friend Katie). She's half way through her first drink and has decided to quit.  She's already called her local juice bar to cancel her cleanse.  I should mention that it's only 7:53AM her time (love you).  And then there was one.

10:48AM - After finishing 24oz of water, I crack open my second juice of the day (Purple Powerhouse: Apple, Cabbage, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber & Celery).  Meh.  I can taste the cabbage, which I really don't like.  This one is going to be harder to get through, but is still relatively drink-able.  I'm also not hungry at all, but I want to stay on the recommended consumption schedule.  I am, however, very tired.  I'm sure that's from my lack of coffee.

12:01PM - Honestly?  I kind of feel like crap.  I'm a little nauseous, can feel a headache coming on, and I am SO, SO, SO, SO TIRED.  I could fall asleep at my desk this very second.  I am also craving a sleeve of Ritz Crackers.  Weird.  I'm also still trying to finish the Purple Powerhouse.  I've decided that it is definitely not my favorite.

12:36PM - My coworkers are eating lunch and I want to die.  I definitely didn't expect to feel this way the first day.

1:24PM - After another 24 oz of water, I open my third juice for the day (Stamina: Carrot, Pineapple, Kiwi, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber, Broccoli & Mint).  This one is just okay.  With Pineapple, Kiwi, and Mint as ingredients, I expected more.  Truth be told, I am forcing myself to stay on schedule.  I am not hungry at ALL, and I would definitely not be drinking this juice if I wasn't supposed to finish between 1-2PM.  It might take a while for this one to go down.  My energy level is up, just barely.  Think "I'm really tired and would kill for a nap" from "they could cast me as a zombie in The Walking Dead".

3:26PM - Only made my way about half way through the Stamina before I called it quits and threw the rest in the trash.  My head is pounding (caffeine withdrawls, I'm sure).  Every time my work phone rings, I contimplate throwing it out the window. I just want to drink my last drink (raw almond milk with dates and sea salt), curl up in bed, and sleep until tomorrow.

4:10PM - I am way behind on my schedule, so I try to make my way onto my fourth juice (Filler Up: Apple, Pineapple, Kiwi, Orange, Lemon, Celery & Chia Seeds).  Not bad. In fact, probably the best one yet.  Would be REALLY good without the celery :).  Still too full to stomach much now.  I also have the hiccups.  Everytime I hiccup, my headache gets worse. Awesome. 

4:35PM - Okay, the Filler Up is growing on me.  It's pretty yummy and I'm starting to feel much, much better. The Chia Seeds are an awesome addition, as they are solid-ish.

5:00PM - ONLY 30 MORE MINUTES OF WORK. YAY YAY YAY.  HAPPINESS!

5:45PM - Finally, a burst of energy.  My headache is gone and the fog that's been over me all day has lifted. The Filler Up must have really turned my day around. I decide to head over to Pottery Barn to do some shopping and keep my mind off of the cleanse (plus, I have a gift card to spend. Yippee!).

6:00PM - Try my fifth juice of the day (Salad Sipper: Carrot, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery & Broccoli).  Take two sips.  Throw the rest in the trash.  Eff that, man.

6:30PM - Exhausted.  Shopping really took it out of me.  I want sweats and my DVR, stat.

7:20PM - Levi gets home and told me that he ate his Chick-fil-A in the car so that I wouldn't have to smell it.  Love him.  He then proceeds to offer me a sip of his Diet Coke.  Hate him.

7:30PM - Curl up on the couch with sweet Georgia and my final juice (Night Cap: Raw Almond Milk, Dates, Vanilla, Cinnamon & Sea Salt).  The skies opened up and angels sang.  The Night Cap is DELICIOUS.  At this point, it tastes like the most amazing vanilla milkshake that you've ever had.  I tried to savor the flavor and make it last, but I finish the entire bottle in 20 minutes (all the other juices took way over an hour to finish).  My tummy was full and felt very satisfied.  No cravings for the rest of the night!

10:00PM: Crawl into bed, with a happy, Night Cap-filled tummy.  Fall asleep in 1.25 seconds.

Summary of Day One:

THIS. SUCKS.

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Happy Cinco de Mayo!



Style Crush: The Slouchy Trouser

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Can we stop and talk about these paints for a minute? I need this pair like I've never needed  a pair of pants before.

The slouchy pant trend wasn't one  I thought twice about until I saw a girl wearing them in person.

OH EM GEE, OH EM GEE. SHE LOOKED SO CUTE.

And now, thanks to that obnoxiously adorable girl, I have a new favorite trend.

The right slouchy trouser can look chic cropped, rolled, long, wide and even....(wait for it)... TAPERED.  They can be cute at the office, or cozy for a Sunday stroll.

I will say that not all slouchy trousers are created equally.  I've put together a couple of guidelines on how to buy a non-fugly pair of silky trousers:

- Stick to neutral matte fabrics, unless your legs are a mile long and perfectly toned.  If you're one of the lucky ones (side note: I hate you), then you can rock brightly colored or patterned pairs.  Everyone should say no to shiny satin material, though.  It doesn't belong on butts, ever.

- Please, please, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY make sure that the crotch isn't too  low.   This seems to be a prominent problem within the slouchy pant universe.  I've seen a lot of offenders on Pinterest, especially.  Looking like you've messed your pants is never cool, guys.*

So with that said, what do you think?  Are you going to hope on this baggy bandwagon?  I'm still on the hunt for the perfect pair!  If you've found an awesome pair, do share!

 I feel like I should mention that as I was drafting this post, Levi glanced over my shoulder and said "so are you doing a blog post about ugly pants?".

Men.  Le sigh.

*Although "if peeing in your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis!" #omgnamethatmovie #couldnthelpmyself #whyamiusinghashtagsonblogger

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