All You Need Is Less

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want!

I found a quote on Pinterest the other day that says, "All you need is less." Wow, just repeat that. Last year, when my commission checks started coming in I vowed to save each and every one of them for my future. My hands itched at first. I wanted to buy things... a new car, new furniture, fancy stuff, sweet clothes, junk. And for what? I'm not exactly sure. Maybe to fulfill something that I thought was missing in my life? A 'keeping up with the Jones' effect? I have a loving husband, great pets (that shed all over our faded furniture), a cozy home.... I have a good life. I think our society is so fixated on more, more, more that we start to lose sight on what is really important. Family, friends, memories. Spending meaningful time with people you love.... and not checking Facebook while you're doing it. Really being present in life and stopping to realize how blessed you really are. I'm not going to lie... I enjoy the occasional fancy dinner or new outfit. I would be lying if I said I didn't 'pin' big houses, and fancy decor on Pinterest. But having money and things will not consume my life or my happiness. So today, I'm decluttering our house and taking a trunkful of items to Goodwill. All I need is LESS. 

Focus On YOU

My happiness is not selfish. It is important and necessary. 

Thankful

It is amazing how fast our niece and nephews are growing up. Watching them play sports, sing and grow up into little adults has been so much fun this year since they have really started to grow up. It's hard to believe that the year is winding down.... Here are some of our favorite memories from this year. 

I'm Baaaaaack

Wow. Nearly 4 months and not a peep out of this girl. I'm not feeling guilty and I'm not going to apologize. Life is busy and blogging hasn't been exactly a priority. With cooler weather coming I'm definitely game for curling up in my office and whipping out some great stories, recipes, and tips. Life is good, guys! Let's talk soon!

 

 

Lake Rathbun

 ~Families are like fudge - mostly sweet, with a few nuts!~ 

~Family Love~

 ~This is the best!~

~Rachel and Michelle~  

~Baby Zane~ 

~How sweet is this face?!~

~Happy Birthday Jake! Eat this frosting filled cookie!~

 ~Sister love~

~Happy Birthday Trae!!~ 

 ~Grandpa & Zane!~

Music: Love & Affection

I first heard this song on The Bachelorette. Matt White performed during one of the dates and I really liked it. Then Des gives the same guy her final rose and the song played while clips of their love were shown during the finale. Super cheesy but I still love it! Dedicated to my hubby. 

Balloon Glow 2013

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.  ~George Eliot

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

My Dad loves blueberries. My Dad also loves anything with cheese (I think that must run in our family). So what better way to treat my Dad for Father's Day than a Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake! I love the combination of tart lemons and juicy blueberries.There isn't a Trader Joes store around where we live (the nearest one if about 2 hours away) but I found this recipe and gathered the ingredients while I was travelling to Des Moines for business. I think any lemon curd or cookie would probably do! Although it does take a little bit of TLC I think it was definitely worth it.  This cake was a huge hit with my family too!

Here is the recipe...

1 cup crushed meyer lemon cookies thins from Trader Joes
6 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) packages of organic cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
2 heaping tablespoons of Trader Joes lemon curd
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 package of blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300 degrees F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan).
2. Mix crumbs, 3 Tsp. of the sugar and butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan.
3. Bake 10 minutes

4. Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon curd, lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. of the vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on a low speed after each addition just until blended. 

5.  Pour over crust and bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until center is almost set.

              6. Mix sour cream, remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar and remaining 1 Tsp. vanilla in bowl until well blended;                                                                 CAREFULLY spread over cheesecake. This takes some patience. Believe me. 

7. Bake an additional 10 minutes and run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of your springform pan.

9. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before serving. Place the blueberries on top before serving.

Baby Zane: 6 Months

Dear Little Zane,

You are growing so big, so fast. You love to giggle, especially when your Uncle Bill lifts you high above his head. You are a little daredevil already! When Dutch gave you a big, sloppy kiss you weren't sure if you liked it or not. You were so relaxed when I played you some spa music. You are a little spa baby. I can't wait to see what the next 6 months brings for you!

Love, Aunt Ashley

My Zumba Site

A work in progress.... 

http://ashleygrabe.zumba.com/

I've been using the room at the Gym to practice my dancing, choreography, and rhythms. I actually clocked in 4+ hours of dance time at the gym over the holiday weekend. I've started taking video of my choreography and I'm planning on starting a private YouTube page so I can post little teaser videos. The first song I choreographed was Marc Anthony's Vivir Mi Vida. Enjoy the music for now.... my dance video is coming soon!

Zumba Love

If I had a theme song it would definitely be something upbeat, fun, and dance-worthy. Since January, I've been taking Zumba classes at the gym. I've been listening to a lot of Daddy Yankee, Wisin & Yandel, DLG, and Romeo Santos. I have no idea what Daddy Yankee is saying in the video above but I listen AND dance to this song at least once a day. It should be a requirement that I understand the words of my theme song but as of this time in my life Latin music is my theme! After leaving one of the Zumba classes in the Winter the instructor approached myself, my sister-in-law, and cousin-in-law and mentioned how much fun we were! She said we should look into instructing. What a huge boost of self confidence! I had actually been having so much fun with the classes that I had already been thinking about it as a little side venture to do after work. Having someone who already had the training recommend that I do it was the push in the right direction. 

Every week, I would be antsy for Friday to arrive. And not because it was the weekend (well, maybe a little bit) but Friday evening was the Zumba class. Zumba makes me feel good, sweaty, and ready to take on the world. The more classes I went to, the more I understood the moves and started memorizing songs. The more I started memorizing the songs, the more confident and sexy I felt. I was listening to Latin music in my car. I was dancing at home. I was feeeeeeeling amazing. I was ready to take this to the next level. 

With all of that being said. I decided to take a leap and I became Zumba certified a couple weeks ago. I've never felt such a connection with a hobby before.... it's beyond my yoga connection. It's that intense. I love dancing and I love the intensity. I love feeling the music. I'm still in the process of putting my songs and choreography together. It's been really hard work to make it perfect. I am making a ton of progress and I'm feeling fantastic. I love Zumba. 

Music: John De Sohn

I am loving this song. No matter what's happening at the time this song makes me want to get up and dance my heart out! It is so upbeat and positive. This song feels so fitting after yesterday's post. 

Spring Cleaning

Today, I am cleaning. Cleaning out some messy issues that need to be swept up and taken out. I have a hard time not being friendly towards people... even the ones that have treated me like a pile of poo. I think I am so sensitive to feelings and it makes me uncomfortable when a relationship has gone sour. I still want to be friendly even though my insides are boiling with resentment. It's hard to let go of the pain that someone else has caused and clean the slate. I just haven't matured enough to be 'real' in some situations. I've been wanting to wash my hands of some past grudg-iness and what better way than to write in my blog. What happens in my life when I stop being polite and start being real?! Let's begin here....

I've come to terms that there are people in my life that don't deserve to be around. I don't want to create any waves in the pond of my life so they are there simply because I can't be real enough to tell them they aren't welcome around here anymore. That needs to change. People grow and change.... and that's okay. In fact, it's great. What's not okay is faking it because that's easier. Holding onto resentment because someone has hurt me in the past is very, very unhealthy. There's a better way for me to live. I've heard it's the best feeling to let go.... But I'm not even sure I know the feeling. I can forgive and I've done that a million times but how can I move forward and forget? I'm putting my best foot forward, taking a deep breath, and living one day at a time. 

I'm still a work in progress. I know the first step is admitting that I need to let go of negative and resentful feelings. That I pretend to be at peace with people or a situation. I am slowly learning that clinging to a negative situation only robs me of the present moment. Moments I could enjoy and bless instead of curse. In order for me to live a happy and authentic life, I  need to come to terms with this flaw. No matter what happens... life will go on. And it's finally time for me to take the garbage out. 

Have I ever mentioned that I think my blog is better (and much less expensive) than therapy? Well, it is.

"What a gift of grace to be able to take the chaos from within and from it create a semblance of order." 

~ Katherine Paterson

Happy Anniversary 2013

There are times in your life when you just know.... you feel in your heart that you are making the best decision, the right decision. There is an internal awareness that something special and magical is unfolding. They day I married Bill was perfect (a little chilly but all I wanted was an outdoor wedding!) and one of the most transforming days of my life. I made a commitment that day to love and to honor, to nurture, serve and support him in times of joy and in times of difficulty. I promised with all of my heart and soul to honor this vow until death do us part. And I never plan on forgetting the promise and commitment I made. The past 3 years have been a whirlwind.... I can't believe it's been 3 years already! There's been amazing moments, frustration, laughter, anxiety, joy, and struggle. But every year that goes by I fall more and more in love. It's not easy... but when it's right... you just know. It's all worth it. We've got that magic.

Magic ~ Robin Thicke

Thirty-One.

Me circa 1986

I've read that women are happiest and most comfortable in their own skin when they are in their 30's. I definitely agree. Marriage suits me and my workouts combined with Zumba have made me stronger than ever. It's hard to believe I'm 31, I think I feel like I'm 24. I remember when I was younger and someone would say they were 30 and thinking that they were old. Yikes! I don't want to get older! 

I wanted to preserve my face and body with an anniversary gift to my husband in May. Something he could keep and enjoy forever. So my friend (and wedding photographer) came up with a super incredible idea. Two words: Boudoir session. Of course, we printed the pictures in a leather bound book because your 3rd anniversary is the year of leather! I won't be able to share all of the pictures but let me assure you that it's sizzlin'! 31 is definitely looking good on me. 

House Of Cards

I pride myself on not watching a lot of television and not getting sucked into shows very easily. Walking Dead? Meh. Downton Abbey? Never seen it. Dare I admit though that I am obsessed with The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise? Sorry. Don't judge me and don't quit reading because I've got an amazing show to tell you about. I had seen a couple Facebook posts about 'House of Cards' and wondered what the heck it even was. So I did what any normal person would do: I Googled it. Bill and I have Netflix so one chilly night I convinced him that we should watch a 45 minutes TV show instead of a long movie. Of course, I was thinking that we'd just watch the one show and wouldn't be stuck in front of the TV for the rest of the night. W-R-O-N-G. After 1 episode we looked at each other and said "Another?" So for the last couple weeks we've been enjoying all of the episodes of House of Cards. We never watched an episode without each other and it became a nice little reprieve from our days. I ended up recommending the shows to a couple friends and 2 of them watched the ENTIRE SEASON in a weekend. The acting is fantastic, the story line is intelligent, and the drama is completely gripping. Two thumbs up from this lady! 

Happy Birthday, Husband!

Wishing the happiest of all Happy Birthday's to my wonderful husband today. You are my best friend, my lover, my encourager, and my man. You truly make me a better person. You've accomplished so much in this past year and I'm excited to see what 2013 brings! I feel so lucky to be sharing another birthday with you and helping you blow out 33 candles this year! I love you so, so, so much. 

Devil's In The Jukebox ~ Ray LaMontagne

Buffalo Balls

I have a slight obsession with Frank's Red Hot sauce. I put it on nearly everything! Salads, eggs, and most importantly chicken. I love me some good buffalo wings especially with a cold draft beer. Since going gluten free I can no longer partake in the beer. Ugh. And I've been very careful with fried food. So I came across this great recipe that is pretty healthy and truly provides the satisfaction for a good buffalo wing craving. I have never made a meatball in my life so they took me a little longer but we had tons of leftovers after going to town on these little guys. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Also, as a disclaimer, they don't photograph very well. They taste much better than they look!

 

Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

 

1 pound Ground Turkey (or Chicken)

2 ounces Cream Cheese, seriously softened

2 Eggs

3 T. Crumbled Blue Cheese

2 T. Celery, chopped

1/2 t. Black Pepper

 

For the Sauce:

1/2 stick of Butter (4 ounces)

1/2 C. Frank's Red Hot

 

Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. I mentioned the cream cheese needs to be seriously softened to get a good, gooey mixture going. Form the balls into 1-inch balls (don't go too big or they'll have problems cooking all the way through). Place them on a greased cookie sheet (with sides) and bake at 350 for about 12 minutes. While they are cooking, combine the butter and Frank's in a saucepan over medium heat. After 12 minutes, you can dunk or drizzle some of the sauce over the balls. I drizzled since it seemed much easier. Bake for another 12 minutes or until they are cooked through. I let mine cool in a ceramic bowl and added more sauce. Serve with celery sticks and dressing. Enjoy! No bones and no messy fingers!

 

Music: The Head and The Heart

I'm loving the folk band, The Head and The Heart. The cd is great all the way through! It's a little Of Monsters and Men, Ray LaMontagne, and Drive By Truckers wrapped into one. The chords and melodies are perfect for starting a fire and making a tall cup of tea during this frigid Winter.

Florida: This is the Life!

If you want to know what I did during the day during our Florida vacations I guess I'll bore you with it. I laid out and read books (and I might have been checking work e-mail too) all day, every day. My mission was clear: I wanted to thaw out from the Iowa Winter and get some damn sun. Bill was my partner in crime most of the time... occasionally he left to go golfing at the club. Like I mentioned before, I read 2 books while lazing in the sun. Both books were recommended to me by my sister-in-law of all people and they were both erotica. Great choices for my tropical vacation!

 

 

 

I really feel like I am my own worst enemy. I had to debate on whether or not to post a swimsuit picture. I feel like I look plus-size. Note to self: do not pose in swimsuit without high heel wedges on. Luckily, I have such a nice, encouraging husband who says "Damn, you're hot." When he sees the bikini pictures. I guess his opinion is all that matters.