Put your blogging pants on!

Wah. Waaaahhhh.

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:23:38 -0400

I was hoping that my next blog entry would be on my fabulous new website. As you can see...it’s not.

(Cliff notes on why I decided to re-design: Under Construction.)

Life has thrown us a few curve balls recently and required me to put some not-so-critical items lower on my constantly growing to do list.

Real talk: Things suck.

I’ll spare you the details now and keep them for future blog entries.

What? My entertaining and constantly ironic life does serve a purpose? Score! Future blogging, here I come!

As usual, I will survive. I will smile when you tell me that I’m given a full plate because I’m so strong. I will nod when you tell me to keep my head up. I’ll bite my tongue when you tell me that good things come to those who wait. Just know that while you tell me those things, I’m envisioning myself stomping my feet and yelling, “Just agree with me that this is crap and we’ll be cool!”

Sometimes I don’t necessarily need the pep-talk. I watch enough Oprah to have a lifetime of go-to pep-talk nuggets...

So what does that mean for you, my wonderful bloggity blog readers? I will not jinx myself and put a date on when the site will be re-launched. D’oh. Just pretend I’m that contractor who says it will only take 30 days to re-do your kitchen...

But fear not! I’m attending a Girls in Tech Detroit - WordPress Meetup this upcoming Wednesday! I’m quite excited about it. A small part of me fears that I’ll be the only girl there that the kids won’t play with at recess. But that small insecurity aside, I’m quite geeked (get it?) to meet other women who run their own websites and/or blogs. PLUS, I’ll hopefully get some ideas on how to best utilize the WordPress template I’ve been using for the new site.

So. That’s it. I took some time to crawl into my hermit shell when the bad news arrived. But, alas, there aren’t many options left other than to pull myself up by my bootstraps.

...which is harder than it may seem, friends! None of my cute, fashionable boots have straps.

Oh and a quick thanks to the Bax-man for giving me the stink eye in the above picture. Quite fitting for my feelings lately. You da man, Baxter!

Website Construction and Re-launch Update

Wed, 9 Mar 2011 12:32:18 -0500

Quick update here!

I’ve made some final really techie, geeky, Bill Gates-type decisions on the newly re-vamped website. It’s mind boggling how many choices there are out there -- I was often found making this face in the above picture.

You can read why I decided to update my website here: Why can’t I comment, Caroline?!

I wanted to make sure I had all of my ducks in a row before I re-launched. And they sure are quacking in unison!

Well, you’ve been asking soooooo...

I expect the re-vamped site to be up and *fingers crossed* running by next week!

You tap dancing on your desk?

No?

Just me?

Cool.

Until then! Cheers.

Under Construction.

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:36:35 -0500

I realize this will cause chaos among the masses.

But it’s something I need to do and I promise it will only hurt temporarily!

You may want to sit down... (Well if you’re at a computer then you probably already are sitting. Unless you’re at one of those fun Apple kiosks testing out a new iMac. In which case, Hey-yo! Thanks for visiting my site!)

Moving onto the big news:

I’m putting my blog under construction while I do a bit of a site overhaul. This ultimately will benefit my readers and make my blog even better.

I know, I know. You’re probably saying, “But your blog already is great, beautiful Caroline.”

Yes. You are correct, Captain Obvious.

But unfortunately the programs I use to design and publish my website are quite limiting and as you can see by the little pre-face above each blog recently, they have been less than reliable. This was something I recently discovered was a common complaint among other users who use the same programs.

I want to be able to blog and update more often, but I usually spend more of my time trying to find a patch to fix problems than actual updating. In fact, I had a lovely blog posted yesterday (that I eventually took down) updating you on my Bucket List, but alas the comments section was NOT working again and people emailed me to let me know they wanted to leave messages. That isn’t the first time I’ve taken down a blog because readers are unable to post.

That will not work for my wonderful readers. Oh no!

So in the interest of a better, more interactive website I will be putting my blog on hold just for a little bit while explore other options.

Shouldn’t take too long, my pretties! Hang tight!

For your entertainment, I’ve provided the following quality video while the site is under construction.

Get it? Men at Work? Site construction...?

Oh don’t lie, you’re sooooo going to miss me while I’m gone.

The Season of Giving

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 18:09:44 -0500

It happened again the other day.

While sitting in traffic, I gladly waved another car to go ahead of me. You’re probably thinking to yourself, “But beautiful Caroline, how did you know the car wanted to go ahead of you?”

Glad you asked.

I knew because this ditz....errrrrr....lady had pulled up next to me and angled the front end of her car so closely next to mine, that if our two cars had the ability to mate, they would have created quite the automotive baby. She was close enough that I could hear the conversation she was having on the phone.

Yup. She was on a cell phone.

Wearing gigantic sunglasses.

Twirling her hair.

And smacking her gum.

Okay the last part may not be true, but you can picture it in your head because you know exactly what I’m talking about!

Anyway, after I gladly waved her in, do you know what she did?

Nothing.

Absolutely, nothing.

I’m sure the conversation she was having about the new belt she bought at Forever 21 was truly captivating, but throw a good samaritan a bone here and wave!

Waving = thank you!

I did you a favor. In return, one moves their lips and utilizes those things called vocal chords to say, “Thank you.” Sometimes you “verbalize” this with a wave. Can you tell this is a pet peeve? People who are so completely oblivious to the world around them, that they don’t even notice when someone does something nice for them?

So in the spirit of this chick’s...errrr...lady’s lack of gratitude and since it is the season of giving, I thought I would give the world back some of that gratitude that dumb...errr...lady sucked up that day and tell you a few things that I recognize and truly am appreciative of in my life.

The following is a picture montage, in no particular order, of the things that I am thankful for.

(Oh man the grammar tyrant in me really wants to put “of things for which I’m thankful”. Never finish a sentence with a preposition. But that sounds too funny and took away the overall feeling of thankfulness. Much like this little rant...)

So we begin again...the things in my life for which I give thanks.

That sounds even nerdier, Caroline.

Forget it.

I’m thankful for these things:

Bax-man

Awesome siblings and significant others

My Main Squeeze’s Family Funny baby faces

First Red Wings Game Awesome baking abilities

Friends trying new foods...and the faces they make.

My Main Squeeze and his unlimited love for Bax-man. Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone.

Learning to smile while bowling...

Amazing friends.

Golfing in December.

Calm, beautiful evenings.

Happy Holidays everyone! And remember to wave when someone let’s you ahead of them! :)

Mission Accomplished!

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:05:28 -0500

Many of you have asked how my month long adventure as a (crazy) vegetarian went. I was actually quite encouraged to hear how many of you were interested in my diet. Oh and it’s awesome to know you read my blog.

Shout out to my blog-peeps!

I kept many of your questions in mind, and as promised, after my month was finished...I’m answering your questions here. You see that? If you build it, they will come.

1. Are you nuts? I love meat. I couldn’t go a day without it. In fact, I love bacon. Why would you want to cut that out? It’s BACON. Are you nuts? Don’t tell me you’re doing that veeeeeegan thing too. Are you nuts?

Well...thanks? No. I like meat too. I like bacon sometimes, but apparently not as much as you. No. I guess I am sort of vegan since I eat very little dairy. No. Ummmm...can we still be friends?

1. Have you noticed anything different in not eating meat for a month?

Yes. I have more money in my wallet! I especially noticed this while eating out. Take a look the next time you go out to a national chain restaurant. Find one entree without meat in it. I dare you. It’s tough! Sometimes I asked for items without meat or I simply tried out fun appetizers or new salads. In the end, we spent less and I left feeling good...not tired and gorged. Double bonus!

A lot of people, including myself, assumed that going vegetarian (especially keeping in mind I try to eat organically) would be quite expensive. I’ll admit, it took a bit more preparation going to the grocery store. Meaning, I had to actually put together one of those budget saving things called a list. Sheesh! The items we were buying were...perishable. I know that comes as a shock to some who have a stockpile of tuna cans and soups that won’t expire until 2014. Think I’m lying...go check. So in buying more perishable items, they inherently can be more expensive if you forget to eat them in time! Do’h! I tried to avoid that and in fact, did quite well.

I also think some things can’t be measured by dollars and cents. There have been studies dedicated to the toxins you ingest in cheaper food and the more you pay in health care bills in the end... My Main Squeeze even noticed that while I was picking up a jar of Veganaise. (Yes. It is what is sounds like. Vegan Mayonnaise. After you’re done vomitting in your mouth, move onto the next sentence.) I pay about $.50 more for a jar of Veganaise than he does for his brand name mayonnaise that rhymes with spherical lip (Thiiiiink about it...there! Got it?) and it was then that he noticed that mine was kept in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

“Should I be turned off that my mayonnaise doesn’t need to be refrigerated until it’s opened because they have enough preservatives in it to keep it from expiring until 2012?”

Yes. Yes, you should. That $.50 is worth it to me.

1. Have you noticed anything different from a health standpoint?

Yes. I lost 4-5 pounds. I put that little hyphen in there because as any woman knows, total weight loss can depend on the time of the month and/or the amount of chocolate ingested that day. I believe a vast majority of that weight was due to my diet change. In many cases, the meals I was eating without meat were radically more nutritious for me, as I couldn’t just put together a turkey sandwich for lunch. I had to make sure the salad or soup or pasta I was eating had protein and essential nutrients in it as well. That’s something I didn’t pay attention to before with my plain ol’ turkey sandwich. (I just knew the turkey sandwich was better for me than a grilled cheese and ham sandwich...)

I also can attribute it to finishing my first 5K in over 4 years! Yes, kids. Back in the day Caroline joined her crazy roommate and finished an Olympic distance triathlon. I say Olympic distance triathlon because the Olympic part deserves to be noted. That’s: a little under a 1 mile swim, 25 mile bike ride and 10K (6.2 miles) run! At once. I still shake my head at the insanity. I did a 10K race sometime after the triathlon and sadly that was the last of my racing days. I can’t help typing “racing days” without thinking of some old, bald dude at the bar talking about his high school “football days”. Anyway, I decided to torture My Main Squeeze and make him run the Detroit Turkey Trot with me this year. Look at our sweaty picture below.

Awwww.

I was working out more each week to make sure I was prepared for the Detroit Turkey Trot. I realize it’s for fun, but I really wanted to get a decent time. Working out more wasn’t a sweeping change in my exercise routine, which is why I feel my weight loss can be attributed more to my diet change. Running (okay...jogging) more helped me lose weight in areas that my normal routine didn’t see the results in. I feel good jogging again. I really want to keep it up.

1. Did you miss meat?

Yes. And no. Honestly? I really only missed chicken tenders and boneless chicken wings. BOTH of which aren’t great for me, regardless. So, the departure from them wasn’t entirely bad for me and I knew that when the cravings kicked in. Plus, it didn’t help that My Main Squeeze would wave his boneless wings at me and have them do a little synchronized dance on the table...

Just kidding! If you know him though, it does totally sound like something he’d do. He was actually quite encouraging about the whole month long adventure.

“As long as you don’t expect me to turn into a tree hugging vegetarian, I’ll support you no matter what.” :)

1. Did you use your free pass and eat meat on Thanksgiving?

Yes. With a huge, BIG, GIGANTIC, sigh...yes. The sighing is because I’m not sure it was worth it. I went for so long without meat that I didn’t truly need to have it.

Don’t alcoholics say that while in rehab when they slip up and drink?

I had two (count ‘em!) two bites of my slice of turkey. And two (count ‘em!) two slices of holiday sausage. Man, even typing ‘holiday sausage’ makes me feel perverted.

Anyway, I guess I feel like it wasn’t worth it because ultimately, those aren’t my favorite things about Thanksgiving! Obviously, being around family and friends is a favorite.

My favorite foods at Thanksgiving don’t contain meat. I could eat mashed potatoes and stuffing all day. You think I’m joking. You’re waiting for the “Jokes!” portion of the sentence to show up. It won’t. I could eat mashed potatoes and stuffing all day. For real. And if the stuffing wasn’t made with chicken stock or shoved in the turkey...I could seriously be a true vegetarian on Thanksgiving and not miss a thing about the bird!

I. Stuffing.

Here’s a picture from Thanksgiving to show you I survived without eating much meat.

1. What was your favorite vegetarian meal during the month?

I had FABULOUS veggie fajitas from here. Aside from eating out, some favorite things that I made were:
• Southwestern Salad (black beans, fake cheese, tomatoes, onions, etc),
• Ramen Noodle Salad, (cabbage, ramen noodles, almonds, rice vinegar)
• Edamame Chowder (recipe here. Obviously, minus the chicken.)
• Penne with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Mozzarella (recipe here. I used whole wheat penne and very little cheese as I try to limit my cheese consumption)
• Mango, Orange, Grapefruit, Avocado and Pistachio Salad (recipe here. My Main Squeeze makes this and it’s amazing.)
• Artichoke Dip (I made this for Thanksgiving and no one knew it was vegan until I told them. Just substitute Veganaise for Mayo and soy cheese for parmesan cheese.)

7. Is this something you’ll keep up?

Actually, yes. I’m willing to give it a go again like that full throttle and because of the last month, I’m really eating very little meat now. I’ve incorporated more vegetables, whole grains and fruits into my lifestyle. I realize that perhaps I like sushi too much to fully give it up. Would that make me a pescatarian? I’ve also heard more people describe themselves as a flexatarian. Which, in reading more about...is pretty much what I am!

I don’t see any of what I just described as bad. It’s an improvement in my health and I’m proud of myself for making these big changes. Wanna hear something even crazier? These big changes...weren’t a big deal to make. Honestly.

So what to you think? Did I miss any questions? Think you may try some of the recipes? Think I’m still crazy? Wait. Don’t answer that last question.

-------

One last thing. A quick CONGRATULATIONS goes out to my Little Big Brother and his Fabulous Fiance who got engaged last weekend! I tried to find an embarrassing picture of them together to truly welcome his Fabulous Fiance to our family. But, man, those two take ridiculously cute pictures together, so I had to settle on this stupidly adorable one.

Wanna make my life easier and stop taking nice pictures, guys? mmmmkthanks.

Oh yeah. And thanks for taking the pressure off me and My Main Squeeze for the next couple of years! Boo-yah!

Princess Caroline

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:04:41 -0500

Okay. I get it!

With the official announcement of Prince William’s engagement, I realize that I’m not going to fulfill my fantasy of moving to London and be referred to as “Her Royal Highness.”

Actually My Main Squeeze refers to me as that already. But for some reason I don’t think it’s meant in the same type of way...

I get it! Caroline’s fantasy days are o-ver.

So.

You can stop calling.

Texting.

Emailing.

Leaving Facebook messages.

And please, stop with the “Hahahahahahaha!” airplane ariel banners.

Man, I must have really left an impression with people because it seems that when Will (that’s what his close friends and I call him...) popped the question to Kate Middleton, everyone thought of me and wondered how I was doing.

All tongue and cheek of course. At least I hope. I mean, I guess in some ways I always joked about it.

And perhaps when I was a very, very, VERY single girl in high school perhaps, maybe, sometimes, just a little, from time to time I hoped that the times I was in England I would just run into Will in the street and he would fall madly in love with a commoner from America (me) that would cause an uproar in the royal family but, of course, who would eventually touch the lives of the British people and because of that would live in the history books as the beautiful, intelligent, friendly American that won the hearts of a British monarchy, changing the course of history and aristocracy...

I mean, perhaps I thought of that.

I mean, maybe.

A lot.

So what if people picking me up from the airport make signs that say, “Princess Caroline”? So what if my original screen name back in the day was QueenCaroline? So what if my current screen name is still a bit...royal-ish. So what if during the senior all night party in high school, I introduced myself on camera as, “Caroline Peterson, the future Queen of England”? So what if my guy friends still mockingly call me Princess. So what if I owned a t-shirt that said, “Because I’m the Princess and I said so.”? So what if I’m still holding out hope for Prince Harry?

What?

Who just took over my computer and typed that?! Sorry, honey!

I’m doing fiiiiiine, folks! I’m only a littler perturbed about...the ring. Of course, Prince William goes and hunts down some things called “the royal jewels” and proposes to Kate with none other than Princess Di’s ring...when I’ve always said I thought engagement rings that weren’t diamonds were cool. The AUDACITY! Copycat Kate.

So looking back, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that there was such an outpouring of concern (laughter) when Prince William got engaged.

I guess what I didn’t expect was:

6 text messages

5 emails

3 phone calls, one of which was my friend sounding genuinely concerned about my well-being and then he couldn’t keep character and broke out laughing...and hung up.

2 Facebook messages

1 Facebook wall posting asking if I was in the corner of my room rocking while doing my Princess wave... Which quickly gained 4 “thumbs up”.

So, to all of you, I have THIS to say!

.

.

.

I love you.

Thanks for being my friends and making me giggle at myself.

Oh and you’re totally not invited to the wedding when I marry Prince Harry.

This may or may not be Princess Caroline circa 1998 at a high school dance...wearing a tiara.
(the names of others in the picture have been withheld to protect the innocent.)

Thanks, Santa.

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:32:17 -0500

Dear Mr. Neighbor-man,

We’ve chatted casually on a few occasions while getting the mail or walking to our cars. You’re always very friendly and willing to say hello. You seem like a swell fella. You never seem to have a problem when our apartment may push the legal limits of the capacity of people allowed. (This typically occurs during football season and is a rarity. I swear my life is not that entertaining, people.) You even once knocked on our door to congratulate MSU on their football win.

Again, what a swell fella!

So I was really quite surprised when I walked out of my apartment and found this gem right next to my door:

Dun.

Dun.

Duuuuuuuuun.

My thoughts sort of went like this:

What the eff is that?

Is that Santa?

That can’t be a Santa.

Santa looks pretty creepy.

Is he giving me the stink eye?

Why does Santa scare me?

Why is this next to MY door?

Now I know you may be wondering how I knew it was you that placed this Santa well within the confines of what I deem my outdoor space. (Pretty much the space that is needed to get to my door...you know, to get into my own apartment... ANYway...)

Well to be quite frank, I knew it was you because...it was just tacky enough.

I know, I know. It could seem like I’m being a bit harsh. But I truly do say that in the most endearing way! I really get a kick out of the fake bush sculpture that you’ve cutely placed next to your door entrance.

Picture this:

(Except yours is up year round and you know, INSIDE a hallway.)

I didn’t even bat an eye when you placed an outdoor patio set next to your apartment door. Your apartment door that is...in a hallway...inside an apartment building...an apartment building that doesn’t have balconies or patios... You know, the balconies and patios that people typically place outdoor patios sets on? Odd. I know.

I’ve giggled and moved past these decorating quirks because I find it’s really none of my business what you do with your “outdoor”-apartment-hallway-doorway-space-thingy. (I may feel a bit differently if your decorating style was bringing down my property value. But alas, there are some benefits to renting.) To each his own, I say!

Plus, remember: you seem like a pretty swell fella’.

Until now.

Scary Santa is too much. Not only is he scary looking. BUT HE’S SCARY LOOKING!

Every time I made my way up the stairway to get to my humble abode after a long day...I thought a little person was waiting at my door ready to ... give me gifts?

Every tIme I opened my door to go anywhere I was greeted with a short little man that had an obnoxiously long, Gandolf-looking beard and scary beady eyes. Have you ever even heard any Christmas carols? This is not a jolly looking St. Nick.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been startled enough to drop whatever was in my hands (usually keys. Okay. And a Diet Coke.) and then shake my head at being startled...because it’s a freakin’ Santa doll...THAT’S SCARY LOOKING!

I gave it approximately 48 hours before I began Operation: Remove Scary Santa. I think that was more than enough time to appropriately assess the situation.

So, after much time and deliberation, I decided to move Scary Santa to your side of the hallway.

Read “I decided to move” as “I made My Main Squeeze move.”

The operation was a success! No longer did I need to be worried that a scary looking girl scout that sort of resembled Santa was trying to sell me cookies and waiting outside my door!

...

That is until My Main Squeeze and I came home from a perfectly lovely evening and found out that Scary Santa had been moved BACK to my doorway.

My Main Squeeze should have been using another singular finger...

Our door is less than one foot to the right of Scary Santa! I believe I mumbled out loud, “This is war,” in a creepy enough voice that My Main Squeeze turned around to see if anyone else was in the hallway or I was reenacting a scene from The Exorcist.

I spent most of yesterday strategically planning my next move. Picture playing the game of Risk, but instead of a map of the world, it was a blueprint of our apartment complex. Perhaps I would round up the troops and steal Scary Santa and hide him in the basement. Maybe I could take Scary Santa and put him right behind someone’s car in the parking lot, so when they baaaaaacked uuuuuup... Hey! He’s a short enough little man that no one would see him! My Main Squeeze even suggested sending a real message to keep Scary Santa on your side of the turf: hang Scary Santa with a rope from the railing to the floor below.

I know. Harsh. But we were willing to test all options to make sure I didn’t pee my pants every time I walked out of my own door.

But then, just as I was about to make my move (or make My Main Squeeze make my move...), I left for work this morning and stepped out my door to see this:

Albeit incredibly tacky and again, on a table that is meant for the outdoors...

HE’S ON YOUR SIDE OF THE HALLWAY!

Thank you Mister Neighbor-man.

You’re back to being a swell fella.

And...ummm...

Merry Christmas?

Sincerely,
The gorgeous gal across the hallway.

Is this your “no meat” day?

Mon, 1 Nov 2010 18:56:52 -0400

Most people who hang around me know that in the last year I’ve changed my diet a bit.

I can feel My Main Squeeze rolling his eyes. Okay. Okay. It’s changed...well...a lot.

My doctor recommended to me well over a year and a half ago to pay attention to particular foods that didn’t “sit well” with me. This doesn’t mean foods that you regret eating after you’re running to the bathroom. What? I KNOW I’m not the only one who has experienced that. He meant to increase my fiber intake (duh) and keep watch on foods that felt heavy in my stomach, that didn’t make me feel energized afterwards, food that were just...there....sitting in the acidic trenches of my tummy. Mmmmmmm. Sounds delicious.

I took my doctor seriously, but c’mon chinese food is sooooo tasty! So after a while (along with several books and documentaries) I began paying closer attention to the foods I was eating and how they made me feel.

I wasn’t a huge high processed food buyer to begin with, probably because I know how horrible they are and didn’t like how I felt after eating them. So aside from going out to eat, which is still to this day a fine, fine balance, I don’t have too many highly processed foods in my pantry. I knew processed foods didn’t make me feeeeeeel good. And dairy...well dairy just sort of sat in my stomach and if anything, in my humble opinion, didn’t add much to my meal.

So as 2010 started, I began slowly cutting dairy out of my diet and I felt AWESOME.

I mean.

AWESOME.

I switched to almond, rice and soy milk. I use almond butter. I buy Tofutti (dairy free) cream cheese and ice cream. I buy soy shredded cheese. And you know what? You would absolutely be surprised how much MORE taste your food has without dairy. I don’t miss dairy that much. Really! Aside from the cheese. I’m still a sucker for cheese. Oooooooh cheese. I have dreams of feta cheese on Greek salads. That’s normal, right?

My Main Squeeze lovingly says all of my dairy-free food is fake. Don’t tell him, but sometimes I put almond butter on his toast and he never notices. Muuuuahahahahaha.

Side note: Did you know that humans are the only species that drink other species milk? True story. Weird, right?

Anyway, the point here is: By cutting out nearly all dairy and paying closer attention and limiting the processed foods I put in my mouth...I feel so much better. I lost some weight, my skin seems to be better than it has ever been and I feel more energetic. On days when I’m more careless about eating out or grabbing those chips, I can feel it. Whether it means sitting lethargically on the couch afterwards or sitting uncomfortably in my chair at work....I can feel that my body doesn’t like it.

Even if it tastes so good! *shakes my foodie fist in the air!*

After feeling so good and reading books that were mainly geared towards vegetarians and vegans, I thought I would incorporate more vegetables into my diet. So many of the books had great and fantastically tasty recipes. So I tried some of said recipes and bought funny things called: kale, bok choy, leeks and squash.

I started noticing I was feeling really good. My body likey! During the summer, I tried switching to veggie burgers when we grilled with friends because I liked how I felt eating more vegetables. When asked why I was having a veggie burger instead of meat, I explained that I was trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet and some days that didn’t include meat. This is where the above title to this blog comes from. The next time we grilled, one of my girlfriends cheekily asked, “Is this your no meat day?” It probably wasn’t. Hey, a good burger is a good burger. I won’t deny that.

But, I began to notice that when I ate out and my meal was filled with mainly meat or the main portions of my meal were highly processed...I regretted it. Obviously for the lack of nutrition, but because my body hated it. After eating so many more interesting vegetables and vegetarian based recipes, I began to realize how much better I could feel. So, when food didn’t make me feel anything but great...I really noticed it.

What is my point in all of this?

Is there a point?

Good Lord, Caroline, get to the flippin’ point!

Seeing how great I’ve felt, I wanted to try something radical. Well, radical for a chicken tender lover like me...

For the month of November, Caroline Peterson is going vegetarian.

I know what you’re thinking:

I won’t lie. Guilty! Those images came to my mind too.

I thought by giving myself a limited amount of time I wouldn’t feel like I’m “giving up” something:

FOR-EV-ER.
I have trouble with thinking I’ll never have sushi or turkey tacos again... Plus, it will give me a really good idea for how my body can feel with several weeks worth of a vegetarian diet, not just days. So why not give it a go for one month?

I’m calling it a vegetarian diet, as opposed to vegan, because while I have cut out nearly all dairy as well, I still have times when cheese makes its way into my food. Along with butter, especially when I’m out. That’s why I wouldn’t want to offend anyone who is technically vegan by saying I’m going vegan for the month. You guys are the real deal!

Not a particularly great month to choose, I realize. And I’m saying the following now to prevent all the haters from pointing out that I cheated. Wait. Do I have haters? Name yourselves! Anyway, I may have some turkey on Thanksgiving. Maybe. We’ll see. I’m giving myself a free pass for that day. Is that cool? Are we cool with that? Good.

Obviously, it goes without saying that a majority of the food that I will be eating from our fridge and pantry is natural and/or organic. It’s not always possible, I realize that. But keeping additional chemicals, antibiotics and preservatives out of my body is important to me...and most likely another blog post. I don’t believe organic is a “hippie trend”.

Are hippies offended by that? Do hippies still exist?

You really need to pay attention to what else you’re ingesting along with that non-organic apple. I’ve learned so much about it in the last few years it would blow your mind.

blow. your. mind.

So...wish me luck? This next month could be a total disaster for My Main Squeeze. I hear one can be pretty gassy in the first couple weeks... Sooooo, wish him luck too. :) I’m nervous, but also pretty excited. Okay, pretty nervous still. I’ll be a good soldier and report back to the team next month.

Interested in knowing more reasons why I’ve taken the vegetarian plunge for the month? Below are many other reasons why I wanted to try this out:

✓ 70% of the antibiotics sold in the United States go to live-stock.
✓ Cattle grazing is the number one factor in the destruction of the rain forest.
✓ The average American eats 97 pounds of beef a year (for real?!). That means 29 billion gallons of gas are required for the factory farms, transportation and the distribution of beef to get to your tummy.
✓ Low-fat plant based diets lower an individual’s risk of heart attack by 85%
✓ Diets with red-meat as the main source of protein have been linked to many cancers.
✓ The meat industry is more often than not, very cruel. From maternal separation to forced feeding of antibiotic and pesticide-laden grains to being locked in small quarters and being pumped so full of growth hormones that they can no longer support their weight, it’s ruthless. Don’t believe me? Watch Food, Inc. and educate yourself.
✓ A 2006 United Nations report found that the live-stock industry is responsible for more damage to the environment than all of the transportation industry put together.

* All of these facts can be found in the book, “The Kind Diet” or on it’s website.

Hey, if Bill ‘Big Mac’ Clinton can do it...I know I can. Didn’t know he recently went vegan? Watch here:

So that’s it! Let me know what you think of my month long plan! If you’re a vegetarian with great recipes or you’re a lovely omnivore who wants to wish me luck, leave your comments below to help a sista’ out!

Happy Halloween.

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 12:29:19 -0400

...from your local garden gnomes.

See the pictures below for all of the costume glory.

Caroline Gnome & My Main Squeeze Gnome

You’re welcome.

Shuttervideo!

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 18:09:48 -0400

Shutterwho? Jiggawhat?

SHUTTERVIDEO!

I was lucky enough recently to put together a few videos for a fabulous company called, ShutterBooth. You remember those fun photo booths that are often in arcades or theaters? You know, the ones where you’d sit down and spend 3 out of the 4 pictures trying to figure out when the picture would be taken and end up looking like a deer in headlights? No? Just me? *sigh* Typical.

Anyway, ShutterBooth will bring these fun photo booths to your personal events! That means all of your guests get to take some of the same fun photos. But this time thanks to modern technology, the booth lets you know when the photos are being taken. Plus, they get to walk away with a copy of the photos and you get one too! It’s quite a neat concept and really fun!

I know what you’re thinking.

Who is that sexy lady wearing the blue dress in the picture above?

No?

Oh.

Okay. So you’re probably really thinking:

What events have you gone to that ShutterBooth set up a photo booth? When have you done this, Caroline? How would you know?

Oh the silly things people ask...

My Main Squeeze and I have attended 21 weddings in the last 3 years. That’s how.

BOOM.

May I present to you... *pause for effect* ...some of the evidence:

Dare to doubt me again, my sweets.

So clearly, ShutterBooth provides quite a fun time for everyone involved! And clearly I have some pretty funny friends. I said FUNNY friends. Not funny LOOKING friends. Geez, you guys are tough.

To make your event even more fun and memorable, ShutterBooth has recently incorporated videos in their photo booths and called it ShutterVideo. It’s quite a brilliant idea really. Now your guests at any of your events can record a heartfelt message, do a jig or even belt out a special tune.

No, I will not provide any evidence of this example. thankyouverymuch.

In order to introduce the feature to their clients, ShutterBooth wanted to have a video put together of videos shot in their photo booths. So after a couple meetings and lots of funny footage to go through I edited some quick features that you can view on my Vimeo page. In addition, I put together a manual for ShutterBooth offices across the country to explain and show how they can edit videos together with software on their computers. Basically, it was one giant video geek novel. Sooooooooo basically it was right up my ally.

ShutterBooth is an awesome company and I would highly recommend them for any event you may have in the future! Yeah, yeah, yeah. You could say that I’m just saying that. But I’m not and I believe the proof is in the pudding (pictures above). Look how much fun we’re having!

You can take a look at ShutterBooth by heading to their webpage: www.shutterbooth.com

Below is one of the features I produced. Enjoy!