Tips For Making 2014's Resolutions Stick

It's New Year's Eve!

Have any big plans for the night?

Thought of any New Year's resolutions yet?
I'm always so gung-ho about my resolution(s) at first. But like a lot of people, I always find myself cheating or breaking them rather quickly. Which is frustrating. I like to think of myself as someone who sets goals, works hard, and achieves them in due course. But for some reason, I'm never 100% successful at following through with my New Year's resolutions.

I read a TIME article this morning that sheds some light on the subject of failed resolutions and the reasons behind them.

If you're looking to follow through with your 2014 goal(s), give it a look. Maybe it'll help!

Sayonara 2013!
Happy (almost) New Year!

xo Belle

Que Sera Sera

A recipe for a great Sunday includes: catching up with great friends (especially if it's been a while since last seeing one another), brunch, walking around Boston, and psychic readings.

Alright, maybe that last 'ingredient' is a slightly uncommon one for a Sunday afternoon... but that's how Adrienne, Katherine, and I wrapped up our Sunday get-together. And it was quite entertaining!

We started our day by brunching at Stephi's on Tremont, a cute little spot in Boston's South End.

We chatted and laughed over our plates (smoked salmon & avocado eggs benedict for me, buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes for Adrienne, and the specialty tuna melt in lavash for Katherine) and wondered what the psychics would tell us. 

We specifically chose to eat at Stephi's because we knew the pshyics' place, The Original Tremont Tearoom, was also located on Tremont Street. What we didn't realize was how long of a street Tremont is. Needless to say, with Stephi's being at 571 Tremont St., and the Tremont Tearoom being at 101, we were able to walk off our brunch.

A mile and a half later and thanks to Katherine's good sense of direction, we finally arrived at The Original Tremont Tearoom. 

We were greeted my a young man who led us up a few floors to the Tearoom. We had booked appointments prior to coming and had separated them by about 15 minutes, hoping to sit in on each other's readings.

Once we checked-in though, it seemed like our reservations and time slots didn't matter so much. They were ready to take two of us at the same time. So Adrienne and Katherine went into their back room with two different psychics. Katherine's psychic was all for me sitting in on her reading and so I followed them.

The room was a decent size, and had tables and chairs scattered about. Rather than each psychic having their own separate room, everyone sat out in this one open space.  I sat at Katherine's table but Adrienne's was only five feet away, making it easy to hear her reading as well.

Katherine's psychic was a very animated older woman with long silvery hair. Using her tarot cards, she expressed what came to her. Apparently Katherine is going to be traveling quite a lot, she is going to help others (possibly through non-profit work), and she is going to be quite wealthy. The woman also said that I am going to be introducing Katherine to her husband (who I believe she said is a lawyer), they are going to have a son (who will be a little wild, and star in a rock band) and possibly a daughter. Very interesting. Guess I'm a matchmaker!
These are just some of the things I remember her saying. Some of her comments seemed a little wacky and rehearsed, while others seemed more specific and in-line with Katherine's life at the present moment.

Intermittently I was looking over to Adrienne's table. Her expression said it all. Her psychic was... not too psychic it seems. Later on, I found out that he thinks of himself more as a "warlock" than a "psychic." Hmm... okay then! From what Adrienne told us afterwards, he just kept trying to ask her questions and based on her answers, would then tell her things. Definitely not good.

Once both their readings were through, it was then my turn. Unlike Adrienne and Katherine though, my psychic led me into a closed room and said that he did not let others sit in on the session. So the two of them hung out in the lobby while I went at it alone.

Sitting at a large, rectangular wooden table, he started with tarot cards and catapulted into my reading from there.

Now, I will say that I have had two readings done in my life prior to this one. And although I do think some truth may come out of them, I remain quite skeptical about the whole 'psychic' thing and find the readings more entertaining than anything else. The two that I previously had were pretty spot-on in terms of the psychic picking up on things about me and my life at present. But who knows if the readings about the future are accurate or not? And if the future does come true as they said it would, who knows if that whole idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy plays any role in it?

The reason I mention my previous 'psychic' experiences is because I wanted to see if all three readings would match-up. I wanted to see if there was anything that all three said would happen.

And what's scary is they did.

My psychic today was really good. He was very detailed and told me things about myself, my personality, my relationships, my job, etc. that were all completely true. He didn't ask any questions to get information and I never prompted him with any facts about me. And when he moved on from reading about the present and focused on the future, I swear his statements were exactly what I've been told twice before by another psychic.

I guess we'll have to wait and see if the future holds true.

Having had our fill of predictions - wacky, incorrect, true, and up-in-the-air - we left the Tearoom. As we set out on our long, rainy walk back to our cars, we recapped on what we were told, laughed about what may come to be, and figured that even if the whole "psychic" thing is a total scam, at least it was fun.

Que sera sera, right?

xo Belle

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

I hope Santa was good to you. But even more importantly, I hope that you were able to spend and celebrate the holiday with your loved ones. If there is a time of year that amplifies how much I love and appreciate my family, it's definitely Christmas.

Here's a glimpse into my December 25th...
We always Christmas (if it's not a verb already, it is now!) in New York, where my extended family lives. We spent Christmas Eve with my Dad's side of the family, and Christmas Day with my Mom's.

I may or may not get yelled at for putting some of these up (nothing like morning pictures!)
Better switch over to the P.M. ones before I get myself on next year's 'Naughty List.'

Cait and Chris waiting to head over to our Aunt's house.

My cousin, Jack, and Grandpa

 Chris and Grant

 Grant and Cait

 Mom and my cousin, Ally

Grant, Cait, Mom, Me and Chris

I didn't take any pictures after these few - we all got too wrapped up in conversation, games, food, the warm fire, and presents.

But I did manage to whip out the camera to capture the ever important dessert photo.

Amidst the brownies, cookies, and pies - my Mom always makes her AMAZING cheesecake.

Isn't she a beaut?

It's sinfully delicious. Topped with fresh berries, I tell myself it's good for my health and dig in.

Merry Christmas once again!

xo Belle

Belle's Italian Angeletti Cookies

I feel like I've been baking since the sun rose this morning.
My floured clothes and the delicious, warm cookie smell throughout the house is evidence enough. Never mind the trays and trays of baked goods that are currently occupying almost every square inch of the kitchen table and the island.

Have you done any holiday baking yet? Been to any cookie swaps?

Here are a few shots from today's work so far:

Double chocolate and peppermint cookies.

Angeletti. An Italian favorite of mine with a hint of lemon. 

Chocolate chip, walnut, raisin in the background. And classic chocolate chip in the foreground.


Sugar cookies and rainbow cookies are next on my list to make.

Before I head back into the kitchen land of sugar, butter, and flour, I thought I'd share my recipe for the Angeletti.  It is cookie-swapping season after all. And if I can't swap my favorite cookies with you, the least I can do is give you the recipe. It'll be a virtual cookie-swap of sorts.

Belle's Italian Angeletti Cookies:

What you'll need:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. sugar (granulated)
1/2 t. salt
4 T. unsalted butter, cold
4 T. shortening
2 eggs
1 t. grated lemon zet
4 T. lemon juice - 2 T. for the batter, 2 T. for the icing
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/4 t. almond OR anise extract (I use almond) 1t. for batter, 1/4 t. for the icing
1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
multicolored nonparell sprinkles

How to Make:

• Preheat your oven(s) to 375 degrees
• Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper
• Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl
• Cut your butter and your shortening into small bits and scatter over dry mixture
• Mix in the butter and shortening well - mixture should look sandy when done
• Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
• Add the lemon zest, 2 T. of the lemon juice, and both extracts
• Beat until combined
• Take about 1 tablespoon's worth of dough, roll it into a ball, and place on your lined baking sheet
• Repeat the above step until your sheet(s) are filled - *make sure each ball of dough is at least 2 inches apart
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are cracking and the bottoms are a light brown
• Once fully cooked, put them on a wire rack to cool
• While they cool, make the icing
• Whisk the confectioner's sugar, 2 T. lemon juice, and 1/4 almond (or anise) extract in a bowl until smooth
• Dunk the tops of each cookie in the glaze and sprinkle with the nonpareils 
• NOTE: ice and sprinkle only a few cookies at a time- if you wait too long between icing and sprinkling, the icing will be too dry for the sprinkles to stick
• Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving / wrapping-up
• NOTE: taste-testing is totally allowed seconds after icing and sprinkling!

Let me know how they turn out.
Hopefully they'll become one of your favorites too!


xo Belle

The TrueRunner Tests

Today was another day of Christmas shopping and errand running. From the busy mall, to crowded shops around town, we browsed and bought and repeated.

I'm not a fan of knowing what I'll be receiving come Christmas morning. I like the little bit of  mystery each wrapped gift holds, the excitement of opening it, and the surprise of what's inside.
However, there are always exceptions. And my new running shoes are an exception this year.

There's a new store in the area called 'True Runner.' It's right in Chestnut Hill and is the perfect place if you're looking for any kind of running gear. From apparel to sneakers to water bottles and socks and watches, the place is stocked full of running goodies.

 

But that's not all. What makes this place really great (and is also the reason for my knowing about this particular present), is their "Arch and Gait Analysis." 

Basically, they have two "tests" they do in order to assess your foot's arch, the mechanics of how you run, your pronation (the degree to which your foot rolls), and what part of your foot strikes the ground first. Based on the results of these tests, they then are able to narrow down which type of shoe is best fit for your feet and running style. 

So, being that my Mom wanted to have me "tested" and "fitted" for the perfect pair of shoes, I had to learn about this gift prematurely. But I'm glad I did. Getting tested and fitted was really helpful. 

The first test was simply to measure the degree of my arch. They have a machine you step onto that essentially highlights the different areas of your feet, calculates how your weight is distributed in those areas, and determines how arched or flat your feet are. My feet are 'neutral' - the 'Goldilocks' of arches - not too arched, not too flat... juuuust right. 

Test number two was a little more involved. I had to run on the treadmill in my socks (very slippery!) while my feet were being filmed. The film that was captured, was then analyzed to find out how my feet moved throughout each stride. Apparently I strike hard with my heel and pronate slightly. 

Based on both tests' results, I was then shown which sneakers would be most beneficial for me. I must have tried on about 15 pairs. And each time I tried a pair on, I ran on the treadmill with them to test them out for a minute or two. Needless to say, I got an extra workout in today!

Eventually, I narrowed it down to two.

 I was leaning more towards one of them but I kept getting hung-up on one thing...

I felt like a smurf.

 

Just before I was about to pick via eenie-meenie-miney-mo, the sales guy that was helping me said he had one more pair that he wanted me to try.

And of course, they were perfection. 

The Nike Lunarflash+. They're so comfortable. They fit and support my feet in all the right places and have a nice cushion-y feeling to them. Oh and they're PINK... Bonus!

I can't wait to unwrap them come Christmas morning -even if they aren't a surprise.

How are you faring with your holiday preparations? All set or scrambling?

xo Belle

Ideas For "A Little Something"

Christmas is only 12 days away! I don't know about you, but I still have some shopping to do. 

On my list to get are mostly small things - stocking stuffers and gifts for friends. You know, just those "little somethings" that show you care and wish them a happy holiday season.

These presents are sometimes the hardest to buy- you want to get something small, but nice and something you know they'll actually use or enjoy. 

My Mom always tells the story about how in college, her dorm did Secret Santa. Every night for one week each Secret Santa was supposed to gift you a little something. Want to know what one of her night's gifts was? A can of baked beans. Dead serious. Her Secret Santa literally ran by her room's open door and rolled the can of beans in with a note.

So, if you're in the same boat as me and need some gift ideas/don't want to resort to bowling canned food through your friend's/family's doors, here are a few to consider:

1. eos lip balm: perfect for when winter's chill and dryness does damage to your lips.
2. "Rules of Civility": A fun read about  25 year-old protagonist, Katey Kontent, whose life changes one New Year's Eve night in NYC.
3. Tory Burch change purse: great for the "only the necessities"-type days.
4. Madewell's tartan cosmetic bag: cause your make-up deserves a pretty home too!
5. Kiel James Patrick knot bracelet: accessories are always appreciated. Check out http://kieljamespatrick.com/ for even more styles.
6. Jack Wills knit leggings: seriously the warmest leggings ever. Perfect for a lazy Sunday curled up with a good book and a cuppa.
7. Starbucks gift card: there is no such thing as too much caffeine.
8. 'Winter' candle by The White Company: every delicious, winter-y smell lives in this candle.
9. Kate Spade's 2014 agenda book(s): If you're going to plan, plan in style!
10. Kate Spade's bow ring: how cute is this?
11. Stationary from The Paper Source: I'm a sucker for stationary and handwritten notes. The Paper Source never fails to deliver fun cards and notes.
12. Essie nail polish: Dress up those nails for your upcoming holiday party. Sparkles are always a good idea.
13. Peppermint Bark: no words needed.
14. Jack Rogers sandals: I know, I know ... it's winter. But hey, summer or that warm weather vacation isn't too far off, right?
15. Socks: printed socks are all the rage. Especially when they're warm and fuzzy socks like these from J.Crew.

Hope that's helpful.
Now, off I go to face the crowds... wish me luck!

xo Belle

Green Goodness

The holiday season has only just begun and I already feel like my comfort-food and cookie consumption has gotten out of hand. I sometimes wonder if we should take pointers from the bears, and just eat a ton at the holidays and then sleep/hibernate the rest of the winter away. At least then we would have an excuse for all the food, right?

Well, in an effort to put something somewhat healthy in my belly, I decided to make a yummy, scrummy green smoothie.

What you'll need:

•  A sliced, frozen banana (slice before freezing!)

• A tablespoon of sunbutter (or any other type of nut/seed butter)
  
  
  



• A cup or so of almond milk (regular, coconut, or soy works too!)
  
  
  
• A big heaping handful of baby spinach
  
  
  
• 3 ice cubes

To make: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well. If you find yourself needing more liquid, add a little more milk. Be sure that the bananas and ice cubes are no longer chunks before you pour.

Once finished, you'll have yourself a nice big glass of green, creamy, sweet, goodness.

 
It may not be a warm cookie, but it is pretty darn tasty!

xo Belle 

The "Be Happy" Book

I'm one of those people who, if given a good book, could sit for hours on end, buried in it. A-book-a-day is entirely possible for me... if time would allow for that. Or if the book is short enough!

Though I'm typically drawn to fictional novels and "chic-lit," I decided to change things up last time I went to Barnes.  Several people had mentioned and recommended a particular book to me and I decided to find out what all the hoopla was about. And somewhere in the three or so hours it took for me to read it front to back, I found out.

The book, Zen and the Art of Happiness, written by Chris Prentiss is a little (seriously super short!) treasure of advice and wisdom on how to achieve true happiness. Now, I'm often pretty skeptical of these types of books and will usually eye-roll over them, but this one seemed different.

The author recognized that the reader would be suspicious to some of the material.  He even said in the beginning that the book's key advice* would seem so simple and obvious that the reader would feel ripped-off.

*There is only one way to achieve lasting happiness.  That way is simple: Be happy.*

But you'll see as you read along that there is more to it than that. Prentiss makes you think about your life and makes you realize that its not so much the circumstances that happen, but rather how you look at things and react to things that creates your happiness/unhappiness. He tells you to treat every happenstance as if it were "the best thing that could happen to you" and that if you look at life's events (good, bad, controllable, uncontrollable) in this way, your whole frame of mind changes. And you are happy.

I won't go into it any more for a) fear of spoiling it for you OR b) fear of explaining it poorly so that you're turned off by it. So I will end here with saying that if you are human, I guarantee you will get something out of this book.

xo Belle

That Sneaky December

Hellooooo December!

"Time to drink champagne and dance on tables."

December really snuck up on me this year.  I think since Thanksgiving fell so late on the calender, December just slid right into the long weekend...unnoticed. But as I looked at my planner, the 12th month was right there, staring me in the face.

...And reminding me that I have much to do!
There is Christmas shopping to be done, decorations to be put up, a tree to decorate, cookies to be swapped, presents to be wrapped, family and friends to visit .... so, so, so much to do.

But that's what makes this month so fun, exciting and magical.

Here's to a wonderful holiday season!... and the last few weeks of 2013!!

xo Belle