How is your weekend unfolding?  Did you shovel snow?  Or did you have a bed day? Kimberly Wilson talks about that in her books- it’s a day where you stay in bed; read, email, talk on the phone, eat, sleep, snuggle- all of that from bed.  Sounds good to me.

Here’s some pictures to show you what my day looked like.

A little of this:

Yes I have flannel sheets on my bed and that spray water bottle is for when he’s not being so cute and cuddly.  If you have a cat- you know what I’m talking about. 

All those veggies into juice.  Yes I drank it.

Lets see- organic spinach, 1 hardboiled egg, garbanzo beans, tuna, onion, avocado-maybe I’m forgetting something.  A little Greek dressing.  It was good

Things for goodwill!

All in all a good day I think. 

I stayed in last night and I had a few moments of feeling like I was boring and lame because I wasn’t going out, but that quickly passed as I realized that we all need down time.  Time to organize, reflect, and relax.

So we are almost at February and 2012 is in full force.  I’ve read a few blogs recently that talked about how we can choose to live our lives.  One talked about your influence on other people-basically that smiling and being kind to a complete stranger can open up so many possibilities.  Possibilities for you to find joy, kindness, happiness in your own life- you know what I’m talking about. We can choose to find happiness in our own lives.  We can make decisions to move us forwards to the life that we really want.  

All of that started to make me think about my work and my life and what it exactly is that I strive to do and who I am striving to be.  I want to be kinder and more loving.  I want to be authentic.   

(source)

The answers to questions about who we are, what we want to become, how can we live a vibrant and creative life don’t just necessarily show up when we want them to.  So here are some questions you can ask yourself if you’re thinking the same things (because now that you’re reading this you probably are).

• If time, money, education, experience, we no issue and you have zero constraints in the world, what would you do?
• What are you really grateful for?
• What’s one thing you’d choose to do or purse if you knew you couldn’t fail?
• Name 8 of the most valuable things in your life
• What do you really want to have?
• Who do you really want to be?

There is no one answer to these questions.  There’s no right answer.  These are just some tools to get you thinking.  I’m thinking about them too and writing it all down.  And maybe next month they’ll be a little different and that’s ok.

Everyday, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.  I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.  I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others.  I am going to benefit others as much as I can.  ~Dalia Lama

Take the time to stop.  Breathe.  Smile.  Laugh.  Let go of a grudge.  Let go of anger.  Turn off the tv.  Plant something.  Bake something.  Hug someone.  Be grateful.  Live in the moment.

Happy Saturday <3

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Here’s a guest post from my girl Thais!

Sometimes I wonder why I love yoga so much. It’s anything but easy, the progress is slow, some poses are borderline crazy, and everyday my body’s needs are different. The catch is, despite all of that, yoga isn’t really about the asanas but about connecting with the breath. Who would’ve thought. But fact of the matter is, yoga saved my life.

I am one of those people who lived the majority of my life completely disconnected from my body. Only after I started therapy did I realize how much I believed that the body was simply a slave of the mind rather than a tool for happiness. So I went to yoga to seek reconnection. After each class I left the studio with such a state of happiness, which I dubbed as a “yoga high”, that I just had to go back time and time again. Initially I only practiced yoga on my mat. I learned to enjoy the breath. I learned patience and persistence. I learned the joys of a good sweaty detox class. I learned that just because I can touch my toes does not mean I am in any way shape or form “better”. Eventually I noticed these lessons started following me around off the mat. I became more observant of how inflexible my mind was to change. I realized I carried tension with me for no reason. I started to become more compassionate with myself.

Above all, the most important thing I’ve learned with my yoga practice is the power of the intention. If we do not set an intention before our practice, we tend to bring the same neurosis we have off the mat, on the matt. We must make it a point to let go, to breathe, to be ok with where we are, etc, when we practice. It’s my sincerest belief that without mindful intention, yoga is no different than gymnastics. This component of the practice is what creates change in the way we lead our lives. It’s what helped me express myself in a different way. Slowly but surely I am more positive, more open to life. All because I chose to approach yoga consciously and with great care. So of course, with such a love for the practice I had to go through teacher training. I wanted to learn everything I could about this world that I was just dipping my toes in. 200 hours later, I still feel like I am just skimming the surface of a beautiful ancient practice. There is so much more to yoga than just postures!!

The more I learn, the more I want to share my knowledge. Eventually I want to teach yoga full time, just like our dear Camille does. We shall see what life has in store for me. After all that, what I am trying to say is – DO MORE YOGA! Whether it’s off the mat, or on the mat, I cannot encourage you enough to honor your practice. Maybe you practice to perfect your natarajasana (one of my favorite poses), or maybe you practice to get away from the craziness of life. Regardless of the reason, regardless of the actual practice, regardless of how successful you are, the point is just do it. Set an intention and go after your dreams. You’d be surprised at how nurturing the world is for those who find happiness in being.

Thais is a 20s something yogadork with a passion for living life to the fullest. You can catch her taking naps in the park with her black lab, Caviar, reading ten books at a time, or tweeting away about some quote or another. Check out her corner of the blogging world here.

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Happy Friday!  Don’t forget next Saturday January 28th is my HIP HOP YOGA class at Charm City Yoga Midtown.  Click here for more info!

Life can be found only in the present moment.  The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

We all know that it was Dr. Martin Luther King Junior birthday on Monday- so this post is a little over due. 

Dr. King stood for social justice, social change, racial equality, and pushed us to fight for love.  Loving all people despite  what may seem like differences.  Finding forgiveness no matter what.  And told us we needed to let go.  Holding on to anger doesn’t push us any closer to our dreams and goals or to the life we want to lead.

(photo source)

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.  ~MLJ Jr

My sister and I have always been a little cheesy on this holiday as we are children of an interracial marriage.  Our parents have been together for over 40 years.  In previous years, we’ve gone out to lunch or dinner with our significant others who tend to be of a different race and well- we celebrate! (Insert pictures of me and old boyfriend here.  Just kidding).

M and I also joke about our array of friends.

Pretty much the rainbow I’d say. 

But Dr. King’s message isn’t about just being friends with people who merely look different than you do. It’s about being a kind and loving human being and acting on it. 

Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.  You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.” ~MLK Jr.

I met someone recently who I found really inspiring because despite their busy life- they essentially live a life of service.  I’m not going to go into all of the details about them (so I can protect their identity!) but they are someone who every day goes out of their way to help other people.  It’s not their career or any kind of paying job- but it is part of who they are 100%.  And they have a life, career, family, and friends.  To me, that’s exactly part of Dr. King’s message that we need to remember every day, not just on his birthday.

We should strive to have faith, be truthful, caring, non judgmental, and loving every single day. 

Hatred paralyzed life; love releases it.  Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.  Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.  ~MLK Jr

What are you going to do today to be forgiving, generous, let go of fear, and lead with your heart?

Xoxo, C

So this morning when I was getting ready to start my day- I started to think about a relationship with a friend that’s ended.  Or at least it’s on a break.  After 16 years- we basically don’t talk and while at first I felt angry, I realized that it’s not anger I feel.  I want to point fingers, place blame, all of those things because I’m sad and disappointed.  But then I realized that- sometimes one door closes and another one opens.  And a line from one of my favorite movies came to mind.  “Let go, Let flow.”

(source)

In the movie, a group of women are picking on their friend and basically telling her that she doesn’t live in the present moment.  She has too many lists, rules, expectations, and clearly can’t go with the opportunities life throws to her.  And well what I guess I’m trying to say is that I guess that’s all you can do sometimes- let it go and let life flow because time doesn’t stop.  Life doesn’t stop.  Things happen, good and bad, and sometimes you just have to move on.  Holding a grudge and harboring bad feelings doesn’t do anything but make you feel bad inside.  

Life can really be magical and exhilarating when you can go along where with it takes you.  Be with people you love and do the things that make your heart feel happy.  Make every experience like it’s something you have never ever experienced before. One of my friends and I were talking about taking some day/weekends trips and something so small (that doesn’t have to cost a lot of money) just makes me feel good.  It’s exciting and different from my normal routine. 

Stay in the present moment.  That’s where you find life’s magic.

How overwhelmed we feel when we anticipate the future, all that needs doing, all the tasks, the work, the potential problems, the responsibilities.  How tired we become when we dwell on what we’ve already done, the energy we’ve expended, and the imperfect results. 

Yes, sometimes, to stay in the present we need to visit the past, to clear out an old feeling, to heal an old, limiting belief.  But that visit can be brief.  And sometimes we need to think about the future-to make commitments, to plan, to envision where we want to go.  But to linger there can cause unrest.  It can spoil the moment we’re in now.  Stay in the present moment, and the past and the future will fall naturally and easily into place.

Stay in the present moment, and the magic will return.  ~Melody Beattie

Do you hold onto to grudges? Or do you let it roll off your shoulders?

~Camille

Here’s a few links to check out:

1000 awesome things

Cat Yoga (this video is hilarious)

Yoga community responds to NY Times yoga and injuries article

The holidays are over and winters here.  Even though it sometimes feels like a relief to put the chaos behind us, we can also wonder what to do next.  It’s colder and darker.  So how can we still strive be energized and fulfilled in the midst of the drear mundane cold?  The other day I had been reading Gretchen Ruben’s website- The Happiness Project.  Ruben is the author of the book with the same name which basically outlines a year of her life and how she spent it trying to be happier. She has an amazing toolkit to help you get thinking about a lot of things and what small steps you can take to make your life easier.  Now I haven’t read her book but it’s next on my list! 

A Happiness Manifesto

• To be happy, you need to consider feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth.
• One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.
• The days are long, but the years are short.
• You’re not happy unless you think you’re happy.
• Your body matters.
• Happiness is other people.
• Think about yourself so you can forget yourself.
• "It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light."—G. K. Chesterton
• What’s fun for other people may not be fun for you, and vice versa.
• Best is good, better is best.
• Outer order contributes to inner calm.
• Happiness comes not from having more, not from having less, but from wanting what you have.
• You can choose what you do, but you can’t choose what you like to do.
• "There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy." —Robert Louis Stevenson
• You manage what you measure.

Print this out and tape it up somewhere you can see it.

When you’re having one of those days- just make sure you take time for you.

Get a tea/coffee/cocktail with a friend.  Take a nap.  Watch a movie that you love.  Go on a walk.  Meditate.  Write one thing down that makes you happy or that you’re thankful for.  Try a new recipe.  Call a friend. Play with a furry friend.  Go on a hike.  Take a yoga class.  Learn how to knit.  Go to the library.  Write in your journal.  Plan a weekend trip.  Go to a museum.  Try a new restaurant.  The list can go on and on. (photo source)

For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin-real life.  But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to still be served, a debt to be paid.  At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.  This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.  Happiness is the way.  So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for now one…Happiness is a journey, not a destination.  ~Souza

Here are some other links I think you’d like:

Practical Tips for Productive Living

Handbook for Life 2012

Your Problem Isn’t Motivation

Start Your Day With Water and Lemon

I hope you’re having a great start to the week!!

xoxo- well maybe just the virtual hug so you don’t get my germs!

~C

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I wanted to address briefly the NY times article about yoga wrecking your body. 

As always as a disclaimer I am not a doctor or healthcare professional.  These are solely my own opinions and beliefs as an experienced yoga teacher.

There are several things to take away from this article.  Like all physical activity, there are chances that you can become injured.  The more yoga becomes popular (meaning the more students there are) means that there are higher percentages of injuries.  It’s simple really.  But just like with all athletic activity- if you push yourself past your edge you risk injury.

I have written about yoga etiquette before and discussed that all parties must take responsibility- meaning that the student should research the class that’s appropriate for them and the teacher should be instructing and teacher the poses at a level that’s appropriate for the students attending the class.You have to be aware of your own body and your own limitations (whatever they may be). 

In yoga we talk about Yamas and the Niyamas which are basically like the do’s and don’ts of how to’s of living an ethical and skillful life.  Number one on the list is ahimsa which means non-harming- non causing harm to ourselves or others.

If your hamstring is hurting you- you’re going too far.  If you have a previous injury- i.e. your shoulder has come out of the socket- it’s not safe for you to do a headstand or shoulderstand if you have no strength in that arm and shoulder.  So if you are keeping ahimsa in mind, you would hopefully be less likely to stress or strain the muscles in your body.  However, your teacher should also have the knowledge and experience of the appropriate assists and be capable of  guiding you into the pose at multiple levels, starting at the most basic level.  Modifications should always be offered for those that cannot reach the furthest expression of the pose.

Yoga is about mind body awareness.  Being aware of how your body  moves and feels and linking/synching it with your breath.  If you are fighting to get into a pose because you want to impress someone (including yourself) you’re letting your own ego  get in the way.  As someone who has been blessed with flexibility their entire life, I have learned the hard way to not always push myself just because I can.  I am still now currently recovering from a foot injury from the summer as well as a knee injury.  And even though I want to physically practice something intense every day, I simply can’t.  And that took a lot of time for me to be OK with that.  That’s just the way it is.  And if you want to impress yourself, your friends, the teacher, whoever; you have the wrong idea about what yoga is really about.  It’s not about being competitive.  It’s about how you can get into the pose and what the steps you need to take to get there.

Yoga is about opening to mind to how things feel.  Living and breathing and being aware of every single moment. Not about bending backwards with your leg behind your head.  It’s also not about conforming to the stereotypical ideal of what we think someone who does yoga looks like (if you’ve seen the youtube video of the girl in her underwear doing handstands when she first wakes up!) but I’m not going there right now.  It’s not about what your practice looks like compared to someone else’s. 

A really fantastic response can be found here by Michael Taylor, wife of Tara Stiles.  Taylor says:

So if we’d like to trade struggle and injury for ease and calm capability, a good place to begin is moving away from the idea of advanced. Yoga isn’t competitive posing. The "how" is far more important here than the "what." If a guru tells you to push harder to match what someone else looks like or does, find another guru.  Better yet, find your self. A copy can never be so good as the original.

I’m not trying to open up a can of worms- but I want everyone to love yoga as much as I do while being smart about it.  So I encourage you to find your own balance in your yoga practice feeling please and pain and doing it safely- they way that’s right for you.  Make it expressive, creative, strong, powerful, and soft all at the same time. 

So the next time you go to a class- be safe and listen to what your body’s telling you.  Listen to the instructor and follow the directions.  Modify if you need to.  And don’t let your ego get in the way ok?

Happy yogaing <3

Since it is the start of the new year and we all need motivation to help achieve what we want out of life- watch this video.  Immediately.

I know it’s a little long but you will thank me.  I saw this on a friends Facebook page so I decided to see what it was. 

This video is one of many from TED.  TED is a non profit developed in 1984 which originally started as a conference bringing technology, entertainment, and design together. 

From their website:

Our mission: Spreading ideas.
We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.

Clearly this video fits that exact description.  What I got from this video is that basically- we all have dreams, goals, and aspirations in life.  But by nature, we are lazy and stubborn and set in our ways.  Don’t say you’re never like that- because we all have our moments.  We have to dig deep down inside and find our activation energy.  The energy that prevents you from sleeping all day long so you can get up and go to work so you can pay your bills.  You have to make yourself do it- every damn day.

We like our routines and it’s so easy to get set in them.  In order to- for example- be able to hold a handstand- you have to make yourself do the work to make it happen.  So doing it every day, doing your chaturanga push ups, holding your plank pose, and strengthening your stomach every day.  Or else there’s no way you will be able make it up there. 

So take these words of advice from the video:

• Force yourself to get out of your head
• Get past your feelings (because you’re never going to feel like going the extra mile to get what you want)
• Get out of your comfort zone

And take advantage of the 5 second rule- act on your impulses because after 5 second your brain is going to take over and tell you otherwise!

What a way to start the weekend right???

Here are some other pictures that the lovely Sarah took of me for the Lululemon product notification.

This photo- bottom in the white- made it onto a very popular blog called LuluAddict.  The comments made me laugh because I don’t think the one in white is the best one of me.  If you  don’t happen to read them- there were just a lot of positive comments about seeing real bodies (I was known as the busty lady! lol) in the photos and that the average woman has curves.  Real girls have curves I tell you. 

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If there are any articles, blogs, or videos you would like to see me write about feel free to email them to me at camiekarma@gmail.com

And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and twitter!  And subscribe to the blog of course. And if you are in Baltimore- I would LOVE for you to come to my HIP HOP YOGA class at Charm City Yoga.  Click here for the details. 

Goals.  There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them.  ~Jim Rohn

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Xo, C

Thank you for all the responses, emails, and facebook messages I got about my last post.  I just want to remind every single one of you who take the time to read my blog is that the things that I write about are solely my opinion.  I don’t know the right or wrong way for you to eat and work out.  I am merely offering my own suggestions to things that have worked and appeal to me (like green juice). 

So you can eat things like this:

Peppermint and ginger herbal tea with agave nectar

Oatmeal with blueberries, about 1/3 of a banana, dash of maple syrup

I also  made this delicious concoction- sautéed (in olive oil) broccoli, mushrooms, onion, and then added quinoa and tofu.  You don’t have to eat all raw all the time to still eat clean.  This was dinner and actually that picture is the leftover because I wasn’t that hungry.  I added a dash of spicy mustard that my friend Lauren made plus a dash of soy sauce.  You must make this!

And as for other tidbits about the new year as I see all the yoga classes and the gym being completely packed is that you can’t be too hard on yourself.  It’s all about balance.  You have to figure out your own equilibrium.  If you want to have a glass of wine- ok, have it, and don’t go overboard.  And then move on.  You need a day off from working out.  Then plan out what classes or when you will go to the gym or yoga next.  I promise that makes it easier. 

"Balance is the perfect state of still water. Let that be our model. It remains quiet within and is not disturbed on the surface." Confucius

You should also check out my friend Sara’s blog.  She had some really nice reflections about 2011 and what’s to come in 2012. 

Here are some other interesting things to read:

Harvard’s Guide to Healthy Eating

Healing Power of Food

How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body (we can discuss this at a later time but I’d love to know your thoughts)

(source)

These pics were taken by my friend Sarah as part of the weekly Lululemon product notification. 

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.  ~Steve Jobs

I hope you’re having a  great week and an amazing start to 2012!

I know that I am not the only one feeling the push to get back to the grind, as laundry, taking down of holiday décor, and work is on everyone’s shoulders.  I have a huge to do list before I teach tonight.

We all know that with the ringing in of a new year means setting goals and resolutions.  I can tell you that my number one advice is to not make it too big or you’re setting yourself up for failure.  I used to be a pro at those kinds of things.  For example; if you want to work out 5 days a week but you’ve only been going 2 times, aim for 3 or 4 and start slow.  You can’t push too hard in the beginning or else you will bail out in the end. 

Here are some questions to help you figure out what you want to accomplish in 2012:

• What lessons did I learn in 2011?
• What was I grateful for in 2011?
• What dreams came true in 2011?
• What would I like to learn in 2012?
• Who do I want to spend time with this year?
• How do I currently spend my time?
• How do I want to spend my time in 2011?

Those are just a few things to kind of get your mind turning.  Some people say to pick a word or a theme of what you’d like to experience for this new year.

I guess for me I’d like to love more, judge less, spend more time with my family and friends I rarely see, and meditate/reflect/have quiet at least 5 minutes a day. 

I am grateful for the work that I do and having the ability to share my love of yoga with so many other people.  I’d also like to be injury free!  But we’re not going into that right now.

Moving on.

At this time of year everyone talks about DETOXING.

Before I go any further I just have to remind you as a disclaimer that I am not a doctor or health care professional.  What is posted here is based on solely my opinion personal experience.

When people hear the word detox, they think fasting, juice dieting, and whatever that one is with the maple syrup cayenne pepper water.  No no no no no.  You can detox in a healthy way without starving yourself and depriving yourself of food.

If like me- you ate too much and had to much wine over the holidays, there are many easy ways to get rid of the bad and put the new inside of your body.

You have to eat clean.

(source)

Fill your fridge with the fruits and veggies that you like and try to get rid of processed foods.  I have talked many times about green juice and green smoothies that are such an easy way for you to get extra veggies in.  I’m not going to give you a meal plan- however I can tell you that I have been filling up with fresh juice (drank it before I could take a picture), smoothies in between when I have to teach classes, quinoa, brown rice, sprouts, homemade hummus, beans, kale, spinach, avocado, etc.  You get the idea.  Making things like your own soups, salads, oatmeal, and the like are a much healthier option that just getting what’s already made.  My sister always gets the smoothies at the gym and I’m screaming on the inside because you don’t even know what kind of fake ingredients are in that thing. 

Also- cut out alcohol and caffeine.  Now- I know this is hard because I’ve been drinking both of those for the last month.  When I have tried to cut out alcohol before- I would basically try not to drink wine or anything during the week and then allow myself to have some on the weekends.  Once you do this for a while, it’s easier to decide- do I need this? Or don’t I? The caffeine is much harder.  My only advice is to those of you who are having multiple coffees and diet cokes a day- it to ease up slowly.  And stay HYDRATED!

One of my own personal debates is eating a pure vegan diet.  I have been an off and on vegetarian for years and I’d say I probably am meat free 85% of the time.  It’s a struggle for me because sometimes with my job being physical and I don’t take the time to plan ahead, I feel like I need it and well- I love cheese and feel like I can’t live without it!!! But, with all the news that’s coming out about dairy being bad for you and meat being linked to cancer- it clearly makes me want to change.

Here’s an idea for a meal plan from the 21-day Vegan Kickstart

Breakfast: Cereal, plant milk (your choice), and banana and berries

Lunch: Vegan veggie burger (use whole grain bread topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and your favorite mustard) and cup of Carrot and Red Pepper Soup (leftover from yesterday’s lunch)                                                                                               

Snack: Air-popped popcorn topped with curry powder or nutritional yeast        

Dinner: Southern Beans and Greens (toss in your leftover black-eyed peas here) with side of Couscous Confetti Salad (leftover from yesterday’s lunch)

Seems pretty easy to me.  Anyone want to sign up with me?  I’m nervous and probably couldn’t do it alone!

Here are some things you can read that may spark your interest

Dairy no longer part of a healthy diet

Crazy Sexy Diet

Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen

Natalia Rose and The Raw Food Detox Diet

Healthy Eating tactics for the new year by Peas and Thank you

**All in all don’t be too hard on yourself.**

Whether you are tackling career, health, or fitness goals, make your list, start out small, and then cross things off.  Plan things out week by week.  What are you going to eat for lunch, when are you going to yoga, who do you have to email…that’s what I do.

I plan to keep it coming with the recipes, videos, and hopefully a new ab burner sequence this week!

Happy New Year!!!!

Here’s a short little recap of my Christmas  and holiday festivities this year. 

First- I caught up with friends.

This is my friend Heather.  She actually went to college with my sister but over the last few years she and I have become close friends.   She’s amazing and we always try to make plans to hang out, but our schedules have never really merged.  So when she found out that there was an extra Raven’s ticket available for the Christmas eve game- she invited me to join.  Best decision ever.  Check out my wind blown do.

It was a gorgeous day but it was definitely cold.  And- it was my first pro football game ever!!!

The Raven’s won!!  Yay!  I’m definitely not a huge sports fan but it was an amazing day and a ton of fun.

Next- as soon as the game ended M came to get me and we went to my parents house.  It’s a tradition that we decorate the family tree on Christmas eve.  I don’t exactly remember that growing up and now that M and I don’t live at home we have our own trees and decorations- but needless to say- I felt kind of bad that we weren’t there earlier to help.

We managed to put a few decorations on.  I think the tree looked really nice- much better than my sad fake one.  lol Also- my dad has been putting the SAME tinsel on the tree for my entire life.  The tinsel is over 30 years old!!!

Moving on. 

Christmas breakfast! Mimosas, scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, ham, whole wheat blueberry pancakes- so good.

I didn’t take pics of us unwrapping gifts because we were in out pjs- but I got a Kindle!  After begging my mom for one for months.  Yay!  After eating, watching Elf, and wrapping gifts for the rest of the family, we went to my uncle’s house for Christmas dinner.   

(My Granny)

And my cousin Jessica got engaged!  Her man proposed in front of the ENTIRE family.  Everyone was crying- including all the men.  Yes that means my dad was tearing up too. 

After eating too much- we all played the just dance game on the xbox 360.  I was too stuffed to really shake it.  But  my sister was prepared and brought her dance clothes!

All in all it was a very fun day and I still kind of feel like things are super busy.  But I’m ready for the new year!

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So before we start talking about the new year- I wanted to talk about something that stuck with me on Christmas eve.  I did the traditional go to church service that night and most of you know I’m not exactly religious.  I grew up going to the Unitarian Universalist church in Baltimore pretty much my whole life.  My parents actually got married there.

The minster talked about holiday traditions and seeing family and friends and basically that we do the same things year after year.  However, to live a mindfully awake, vibrant, and exciting life, you should open your eyes and treat every experience as a new one.  Even though we may do the same things year after year, when we live a life that’s full of love, we can become even more dynamic and passionate than we’ve been before. 

Because even though we may look and feel like we’re the same- we’re really not.  Our relationships, connections, experiences, mold us into who we are and we’re different down to our cells. So what are you going to do with the new you in 2012?  I’d love to know.

I just though that was something to think about when you’re going over your goals and resolutions for the new year.

I hope you’re staying warm, enjoying time off if you have it, and that you’re ready to ring in the new year right!

Xoxox, C