Q & A a Day: Five-Year Journal

"This beautifully embellished journal lets you record thoughts, feelings, and events in your life over five years. Filled with prompts that are at turn provocative (How happy are you?), quirky (What can you smell right now?), and always interesting, it serves as a great way to look back in time and remember."

(Anthropologie.com)

Q & A a day: Five-Year Journal (Image: Amazon.com)

Not long ago I came across the Q & A a Day: Five-Year Journal at the White Plains Barnes & Noble. Each day of the year has a question or prompt, and below is space for 5 years of considerations. I was intrigued, but didn't buy it; then ended up ordering it from Amazon.com within a couple of weeks.

My first journal entry was on Tuesday, March 20: the first day of spring, the first day of journal. So far I've only written in it 3 times but I already look forward to writing more. I can't help skipping ahead to future dates to see what the headings will be, and I know I will actually want to keep this for the future. How different will my life be 1, 2, 3, or 4 years from today? And looking back, what was I thinking exactly 1, 2, 3, or 4 years ago?

I have never been a dedicated journal-writer, and have not kept any kind of journal or diary in years. I didn’t see the point of holding on to one, since I rarely recorded anything truly interesting, memorable, or juicy, and I lacked the desire to re-read anything I had written. Journals just have not been my thing.

But I love this one! You would enjoy it as well, if: 1) you're in the same boat as me, 2) you'd like to journal but just don't have the time or motivation, or 3) you keep a regular journal but want a fun supplement. I highly recommend it, and it makes a great gift, too.

I'm excited to have lingering thoughts!

Guest Post: BluePrintCleanse

I'm happy to present the first guest post on Red Poppy | Pink Peony! If you have ever considered doing one of today's popular juice cleanses, I hope the diary below is helpful in providing a glimpse into an individual experience. I have personally tried BluePrintCleanse and Cooler Cleanse in the past and can recommend both, although I don't think cleanses are necessary. This is my friend's first juice cleanse, and she is currently on BPC Day 1 of 3. If you have any questions for either of us, please ask in the comments, or let us know of your own experiences.

Image: BluePrintCleanse

Pre-BPC

Pardon in advance, my rambling. I suspect there will be a lot of angst or abnormal emotions/descriptions flying around this interweb, so apologies in advance for that also. I personally love juices and the concept of anything "fresh" (from having taken wheatgrass shots at the Westerly organic market while living in NYC), so I'm excited to do this. Plus, mid-March is the perfect timing for a post-hibernation detox. The first thing that everyone at my office asks me is, "But why? And why do you need to lose weight?" I tell them, it's more for detox, especially since I've been drinking sodas and eating "butter" popcorn at least 3 days out of the work week, for the past 4 months. Not good, and I definitely have noticed it in the changing texture of my skin (i.e. cellulite -- and don't even try to tell me, "What cellulite!").

Friday AM -- BPC Day 1

Where the eff is my delivery? I blocked off 3 hours that morning so I could welcome my numbered goodies and be off to work. But apparently there was a delivery delay and the bottles didn't arrive until 11 AM. Secretly, I was feeling a slight level of excitement and anxiety in having to deal with my 3-day "monster" so I immediately justified that it was OK to start on Saturday. :-)

During Friday, I tried to be good about eating vegetables, and minimizing my heavy carb and fried food intakes (these 2 frienemies being the bane of my existence).

Friday food diary:

• Korean breakfast (my usual): Bean rice, geem roasted seaweed/laver, and dwenjang jjigae, an umami-potent, piping hot and stinky tofu-based casserole. Yes, I brush my teeth after eating this and before stepping foot outside of my home. This breakfast in itself is actually relatively healthy compared to the typical American breakfast of eggs, bacon/sausage, and toast or bagel. It's also sodium-laden in comparison, so I imagine the next 3 mornings will be fairly challenging in this regard.
• Lunch: My NYC colleague was in town and asked me to go to the Korean "salad bar by the pound" -- aka bacteria bar -- deli across the street. So we went and I got a full lunch, made up of greens + feta, 2 sushi pieces, Brussels sprouts, Chinese fried pork cutlet (OK, shoot me), broccoli doused with Chinese Szechuan-y sauce. Hey, it's real food and not McD's, right?
• Snacks: I have a box of Kind nut/fruit bars in my office, so I had 2. If you buy them by the box at Whole Foods, they give you a 10% discount, and it's convenient to keep them around behind my desk.
• Evening: OK, I gave in here. Around 5 PM, the head of my department basically went berserk (he has an anger management problem) and threw a bunch of papers at me. Apparently he does this to others, so it's obviously not directed solely at me but again, he has an anger management problem. I think some of this got to me and I needed to "de-stress" by doing 2 important this: 1) shopping, and 2) having something yum yum in my tum. I was on a time crunch to make it to the Leesburg Outlet (which is the sister outlet to Woodbury), and it's 60 minutes away from downtown, so I decided to pick up something en route. Saw a new "green-looking" food shop on the way and decided to pick up a turkey & melted Swiss sandwich + frozen yogurt with pecans and strawberry for some sweet ooomph. In all facetiousness, I credit my friend SK {Sharon here: That's me!} for instilling this life value since the mid-2000s: "I like to finish off my meals with something sweet." Well, I CAN'T SEEM TO LOSE THAT RELIGION. The turkey was coldcut turkey (i.e. not fresh meat) and I felt guilty eating the Swiss before the cleanse, also because my NYC colleague was saying I should not be consuming any cheese beforehand.
• Throughout the day, I would estimate having had 4-5 cups of tea (combination of my Asian/green tea, lemon zinger tea from the office, and no pure water which I will admit is a shoddy habit). Also had a cup of chai tea latte (can you see me doing a Mexican jumping bean from the sugar overload?).

Saturday -- The Real BPC Day 1

It's 2:30 PM and I'm currently going through juice #3. The juices themselves don't taste bad. My biggest challenges thus far are: a) having to constantly drink a lot of liquid (if you recall my Friday liquid intake, it's not much) -- the drinking feels forced and not natural, precisely due to my daily habit of not drinking much; and b) there's always the lingering aromas of fantastically-seasoned and well-executed Korean food in my house. In the morning, the Korean breakfast dependably greets me at the kitchen table. Same thing with the evening time, should I decide not to eat out. This morning, I snuck a peek at a Korean casserole pot (conceptually-speaking, I don't think it's far from the Moroccan Tagine idea). Wonderfully-prepared mackerel fish, braised alongside Korean turnip/radish, was literally calling my name. I admit I almost went for it, but slapped myself back in line.

It's also a weird feeling, as a few years ago, when this type of food wasn't as "in my face" so it was never an issue -- in other words, I actually don't get hungry or think about food if I'm not usually surrounded by it.

3.5 more juices to finish -- this is a true job! I'm already looking forward to the reward of juice #6, the cashew/vanilla bean/cinnamon/coconut juice.

To be continued...

Leap Month 2012 Highlights

"Today is an ephemeral ghost...

A strange amazing day that comes only once every four years.
For the rest of the time it does not 'exist.'"

(Vera Nazarian)

More from The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration:

In mundane terms, it marks a 'leap' in time, when the calendar is adjusted to make up for extra seconds accumulated over the preceding three years due to the rotation of the earth. A day of temporal tune up!
But this day holds another secret -- it contains one of those truly rare moments of delightful transience and light uncertainty that only exist on the razor edge of things, along a buzzing plane of quantum probability...
A day of unlocked potential.
Will you or won't you? Should you or shouldn't you?
Use this day to do something daring, extraordinary and unlike yourself. Take a chance and shape a different pattern in your personal cloud of probability!

Gioachino Rossini's 220th Birthday/Leap Year (Image: Google)

Below are some February photos and recipe links.

Cranberry Orange Loaf and Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Cauliflower & Corn

Since my nephew Peter first started eating solid foods, he's enjoyed my baked goods, from the carrot cake whoopie pies and chocolate chip pumpkin bread featured in my first blog post, to the banana walnut bread and key lime pie we shared over Labor Day weekend, and more. He loves pretend-cooking and being a little helper in the kitchen.

I made the following dishes for him over the first weekend of February, which I spent with him while both my sister and brother-in-law were on call. He ate some of the Allrecipes.com Cranberry Orange Loaf for breakfast on Saturday, but he devoured the Alton Brown Baked Macaroni and Cheese all weekend! It was kid-friendly, auntie-approved, since I surreptitiously mixed in some similar-colored veggies to make it a little more nutritious.

Lots of fresh OJ and cranberries

4 mini loaves

Hidden veggies for mac and cheese

Bubbling in oven

Rich and comforting, whether you're 2 or... older

Queso Blanco Dip

Super Bowl XLVI was on Sunday, February 5 (New York Giants 21-New England Patriots 17). I had planned to make a warm cheese dip and buffalo chicken for a party, but because I had gotten very little sleep all weekend -- not so much due to watching Peter, but to staying out all night on Friday celebrating friends' birthdays -- I ended up watching the game alone at home, which was perfect. I still made the Queso Dip from Two Peas & Their Pod, a cooking blog my future sister-in-law introduced me to, but gave it to my sister and brother-in-law to bring to their friend's house.

Peppers, onion, cheeses, tomato, cilantro, milk

Hot, cheesy, kicky

 Valentine's Day and Boo the Dog

I received a beautiful flower delivery from my fiancé on Valentine's Day: red, pink, and white tulips in a red glass vase. The next week, a mysterious shipment came to my office. Guess who?

Valentine's Day tulips

Boo the Dog!



I also celebrated more birthdays of friends and family, attended Esther's lovely bridal shower, began the Lenten season, and have been very busy at work. March comes tomorrow and I'm looking forward to a smooth transition to spring, and managing an unprecedentedly eventful next few months!

In case you would like to learn more about leap year, the Tiny Prints Blog posted some fun facts.

First Dance

"Now you're here like you've been before

And you know just what I need

It took some time for me to see

That you give good love to me baby"

(Whitney Houston)

The lyrics above are from "You Give Good Love" on Whitney Houston's first album, released in 1985. Before she unexpectedly passed away last weekend, I had put together a song list to be played at our wedding and this was on it. I know that after "I Will Always Love You" came out, many people used that as their wedding song, which is an odd choice since it's about losing your love; but I love it and The Bodyguard, and if anyone has not seen that movie, go watch it. Another Whitney song on my list is "My Love Is Your Love." Love Whitney.

Music is very important to us -- both for the ceremony and the reception -- but on the topic of wedding music, we have had differing opinions on which song to go with for our first dance. In alphabetical order by artist's last name, the options are: 1) "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones, 2) "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson, and 3) "Lucky" by Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillat. Below are YouTube videos of each song.

Come Away With Me

This is a really lovely, romantic, classy song and my favorite from Norah Jones. I saw her in concert in March 2010 and posted a video this past October of her performing this song.

The Way I Am

I first heard this song on an Old Navy commercial a few years ago. It's sweet and quirky, like the adorable video below ("ohs no!").

Lucky

This song grew in popularity from Glee, but I liked it before and the lyrics are fitting for a long distance relationship. (Press play and then click on link to view.)

It's meaningful to me to add personal touches wherever possible to reflect our styles and personalities, and music is one easy way to do so. Check out the songs and let me know what you think!

Healthier Choices

"He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything."

(Arabic Proverb)

Some people ask if I'll go on a wedding diet... As far as I'm concerned, d--t is a four-letter word. I don't really want to lose weight, although I'm sure I gained some over the holidays! Like women everywhere, my actual weight is likely to be in constant flux, so I wouldn't be surprised if I go up and down a few pounds within any given month. I don't have a scale, and weight doesn't mean much to me since every body is different, so why focus on a number?

Could I eat more healthfully? Yes. But I'm for moderation, not deprivation.

Should I start to exercise? Definitely. I want to incorporate more physical activity as a way of life, not for a one-day event. Health means a lot to my fiancé Sam, who says that from the time he met me over 8 years ago, he hasn't heard of me working out. He has a hard time believing that I used to be able to do real pull-ups and chin-ups, and that I'm naturally gifted at video games; both true.

As a kid I was athletic and tomboyish, rode my bike and played kickball with the boys in the neighborhood, played tennis and soccer, swam and skied; in fact, it wasn't until I got older that I realized my skin is actually on the pale side, because growing up I was always tan from running around outdoors! In high school, there was volleyball and a little lacrosse and track (alright, I confess: I only managed the winter track team one year to get out of gym class). In college and graduate school I was active here and there.

But as a working adult I don't do these things, and I don't belong to a gym, so where does that leave me? I'm not a fan of gyms; I'd rather do some sporty activity, but it seems most grown-ups -- aside from paid professionals -- don't do much of that. Some day when my bank account feels a little more flush, I'll probably join a health club or take a fitness class. Until then, maybe I can just play Dance Central with my friend Leslie, or use the Shake Weight she gave me a while back!

Image: Shake Weight Women

To improve my overall body wellness, I will make a conscious effort to regularly do the following:

• Drink more water
• Sleep 8 hours a night
• Take a daily women's multivitamin
• Do simple exercises

Do you have any health or fitness tips, taking into account that I don't have access to a gym? Push-ups and lunges are basic moves that target multiple muscles and don't require equipment, space, or a TV/DVD.

Casual Cooking

"I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate."

(Julia Child)

Although I still primarily not-cook-just-eat, I've found that when I do cook, what I enjoy making most is what I enjoy eating most -- comforting homestyle meals over haute cuisine. This is not surprising because I am, after all, cooking to eat. And eating's my favorite. The famous chef, author, and TV personality also said, "You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces -- just good food from fresh ingredients." That reminds me, I'd like to watch Julie & Julia.

Below is a snapshot of my recently cooked foodstuffs, with some recipe links. The soup and butternut squash spaghetti are from the October 2011 issue of Everyday Food, and the pie is from the November 2010 issue of Everyday Food.

Savories

3-cheese baked ziti with extra cheese

Chicken barley soup with spinach

Brown butter spaghetti with butternut squash and escarole

Spaghetti alla puttanesca

Sweets

Poached pears in red wine sauce from Easy French Food and About.com

Salted maple caramels

Emeril's pecan-chocolate chip pie

Chocolate-dipped pretzel twists with holiday sprinkles

Chocolate cookies with chocolate and icing drizzle

Although I'll always love my go-to basics like pizza, Korean bap and banchan, and chocolate chip cookies, I do want to try making fancier fare one of these days, like French macarons... Look how pretty and colorful they are!

Recent visit to Ladurée New York

Happy Friday! Tonight I become a city-dweller again for 9 nights while my friends are in Europe. I haven't watched TV in over 5 1/2 months so I am super excited.

Cherishing Friendships and My 1st Blogiversary

"I don't care what dress we choose, I just need to get off this white carpet."
(Rita, Bridesmaids)

Image: IMDb

I've seen the movie Bridesmaids a few times, most recently on New Year's Eve. I think it's fun and silly, but one of my own bridesmaids feels that it's actually very sad in some ways. Albeit through crude jokes and shenanigans, it depicts the ups and downs of friendships, how they and people change over time, how a woman's place in life shifts over time, and how that affects relationships.

Part of our premarital counseling has involved reading and discussing A Good Beginning by Peter L. Velander. In the chapter called "Crossing the Bridge to Married Life," he states the following:

As you prepare to cross that bridge you should know that significant life changes -- like marriage -- do not take place without accompanying losses of some kind... As you make the transition to marriage, many changes will involve some form of loss. You feel positive and excited about what you are moving toward, and that is good. But it is okay to grieve the things you are leaving behind... You want to enter your new marriage with both feet, not leaving one foot behind in your single life. Recognizing the losses and changes that happen with your marriage and grieving them in a healthy way will help you bring your whole self into your new marriage.

No doubt friendships are affected by marriage. You have a spouse to consider and cannot spend all your time with friends anymore. If or when children come into the picture, you have more people to consider and even less time to spend with friends. As Velander says, it's good to "cherish the relationship you have had and look forward to your relationship in the future, knowing that it will be different in some ways" -- I hope perhaps in better and even deeper ways.

On a less serious note -- and inspired by the movie Bridesmaids -- I want to give a shout-out to the best bridesmaids ever, who:

1. Took the initiative to coordinate all schedules months ago (for 7 ladies, including me), even though there are still months to go before the wedding.
2. Are planning a bachelorette party weekend in Miami, and 6 weeks ago went ahead and booked my airfare and hotel stay (I might have to do the awkward hide-money-somewhere-so-they-find-it-later trick).
3. Asked me what type of massage I prefer so they could book me a Miami spa service.
4. Made the bridesmaid dress selection process not only a breeze for me (I basically had to do nothing), but also fun.
5. Agreed on a bridal shower date months in advance and apparently have some very interesting ideas but won't tell me a thing.

• Bottom line: They are totally awesome!

I feel really blessed to have such wonderful and supportive women in my corner, and honored to be able to stand next to them on my wedding day. The 6 bridesmaids are in varying stages: 2 are not married, 2 are married, and 2 are married with one child each. I'm excited to see where our paths will take us and hopeful that our friendships will continue to grow over time. I'm looking forward to grieving the loss of my single life in Miami.

Also, it's my 1st blogiversary (almost)! My initial post was on January 27, 2011. So if you are reading now, or have ever read or commented, thank you!