When Will These Sicknesses LEAVE?

Oh my goodness! It seems as though I cannot fight off these sicknesses going around! Yikes!

Over the last two months I’ve had the flu, two upper respiratory infection and the leftover is a dry cough that I can’t seem to get away from. Herbal tea at night, grapefruit extract in the morning, peppermint herbal supplements during the day. I’ve even stooped to taking OTC meds, putting chemicals in my body... {Can’t be healthy for you}.

What is this teaching me? LIFE GOES ON! We just have to press forward, because the world doesn’t stop for us to get better. Work, school, house duties.. The list goes on and on.These past few weeks definitely make me wonder how moms deal with this! It gives me a respect for them like none other. If I had kids in this mix, it would not be good. I’d survive though-- Because all moms seem to! “kudos to moms everywhere”

Anywho! Today was full of tests, homework and now I’m off to bible study. It ALWAYS makes me feel better when I meet up with other ladies. We are all in this together!

XO everyone -- Feel better!

-H

42 Days Left! Just “Stick With It”

Surviving the holiday festivities during my Challenge...

Well, it’s a Challenge!!

 

 

My goals when I started this (My 2nd) Challenge was to build muscle by adding about 5 lbs of lean muscle mass. I wanted to continue eating every 2-3 hours feeding my body with lean proteins, complex carbs, fresh veggies and delicious fruits. The foods have stayed the same, my diet is strict for the most part {Although, I don’t say no to splurges every now and then}. But my gym time has definitely gone down AND with all the hustle and bustle of the last month I’ve been eating only 3-4 times a day. I haven’t noticed my weight go up, but I’ve lost some of my “tone”. NOT GOOD! I don’t want to go backwards. I’ve already lost 30 lbs and 20 inches. I’m not willing to mess up my progress over a few lazy excuses.
So, I’ve revamped my Challenge, I’m not letting my non-progress get me down! The new name of my Challenge is Stick With It! Basically I know I’m not going to see amazing definition or weight loss through the holidays, but I can maintain ALL of my success so far and I can CHOOSE to not go backwards.
Holiday parties, traveling across the Pacific to visit family and of course tasty festive foods will not bring me down. I will accept them in moderation, keeping my eye on the goal!
When I step on the scale January 1, 2013. I will be PROUD of myself!

How great is that? Most people will not feel this way unfortunately, but if you’d like to join me--- I’d love to have some support! We need each other. Cheers to the New Year!

XO
Hannah

Loving the Sunshine with A Good Friend

I received a phone call the other day from a friend whom I've known and who has been a great friend of mine for 18 years. He recently graduated Nursing school and wanted to take a quick trip to Hawaii before he starts his new job. Basically, I received a phone call and 30 hours later was picking him up at the airport. {Great to have friends who live in Maui}

It's ALWAYS fun to have visitors! Our schedule is all messed up, we fall a little behind on our to-do list and spend more money than budgeted, but LOVE every minute of showing our guests this BEAUTIFUL island!

Dave, Matthew & I 



We hit up the beach, trailed through the jungle, tasted tropical fruits & enjoyed everything in the Aloha spirit :)

AMAZING! Sad that he leaves tomorrow, but it's back to the grind for us!

Aloha

xoxo -Hannah

Live Abundantly in Ephesians

I am a Christian. Christ is my first and foremost passion. As Christians or anyone really, it's so hard to get caught up in the things of this world! What we want others to see us as, our worth, our bank account, our looks, our stuff... All of these perishable earthly things. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against ANY of these things. I want to be worth something, I enjoy swiping my plastic knowing there is money in there, I love feeling healthy and having a body that shows it. What I often forget it is Who gave it to me. Who gave me these earthly blessings, my looks, my heart, my passions, my physical/spiritual wealth. Jesus did.

The world is constantly trying to trap us into thinking we are in charge of our own "beings" and the universe is what centers us, while yoga balances us and herbal tea restores us. PLEASE don't get me wrong, I enjoy yoga and drink tea like crazy!! But those things are not what fills me. The ONLY reason I am here right now is because of my relationship with my Lord and the ONLY reason I have the things I do is because of my relationship with my Lord. He is where I find peace, love, harmony, balance, restoration and my center.

This past week was a re-focus week for me. Getting right and remembering WHO I serve! Saying, "My Will for Your Will". There is nothing better. Period.

Having my father-in-law visit last week was great, he is a pastor and has a passion for Christ I have never seen in anyone else! Even though he is my father-in-law and has, over the years, done those "father-in-law" kind of things {I will leave it at that, LOL}... He remains my pastor and someone I respect very highly in my Christian walk. It was because of him 10 years ago, sharing his passion for Christ with his youth group that I began my {serious} walk with the Lord. So spending time with him this week was so nice and refreshing.

I'm currently doing a study through the book of Ephesians.

Do you do a daily Devotional? Tell me about it! Let's connect!

XO ~ Hannah

Sustainable Beginnings...

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!

I started a garden.

This news is HUGE! If you know me AT ALL, you know I am not the “gardener” type.

I grew up shadowing two beautiful women, my mother and grandmother. I shadowed them and embraced everything they stood for, except gardening. They both had/have flourishing gardens, have flown to other countries to visit flourishing gardens and know every singe name of every single flower/plant out there. A great afternoon to them is getting their hands in the dirt. This has never been me. I actually swore off gardening when I was a testy pre-teen. “I will NEVER EVER have a garden or buy a flower of ANY kind!” Now, I’m 25 and I’m going to humbly take back those words, re-open my memory bank and try to recall everything they spoke of when chatting about their gardens. They always said, “One day, Hannah. One day!” The day has come and I am so excited to get my hands in the dirt and make a garden, Vegetable Garden to be exact.

One of my New Years Resolutions is to be more “sustainable” in the year 2013. It’s so vogue right now! Everyone, everywhere is trying to be environmentally conscious and sustainable. I'm going to join in with the crowd on this one. When we moved into our little bungalo-style home. Our garden was full of grass/weeds/vegetables I will never use. So I decided to start fresh and pull everything out, except for the beautiful papaya tree. I LOVE papayas and I'm going to baby that tree until it makes me some tasty ones. And I left an amazing rosemary bush that I've been getting rosemary off of almost every night to cook.

Here's what my garden looks like now--- It's tiny & barren :(

My tiny garden plot...

This will SOON change! I have starts of different flowers and veggies (see pic below) and I've planted butter lettuce, Tomato plants, Basil, Cilantro, Cucumber, Peppers AND lavender. I'm really excited to see my little buds pop up and even more excited to have a garden I can eat out of!

Starts of something yummy :)

I'll keep you posted on my adventures with this garden and my all around excitement going green this upcoming year!

Do you have a garden? Tell me about it! Let's connect!

XO ~ Hannah

80 degrees in October??

Oh October, how you have flown by, you bring warmth and sunshine to us!
It’s my second year here in Maui, experiencing the tropical heat and perfect weather all the way into October! Growing up in Oregon, the LAST thing you experience in October is 80 degree weather & the possibility to sport a bikini this close to Halloween!
I am embracing it though. It’s an environment that is always comfortable, always beautiful and always flourishing with color. When we first moved here I thought I’d be sad to not have the seasons... Honestly, haven’t been sad about it yet!

My in-laws came and visited us for a little over a week. They got away from the dreary Oregon drizzle and joined us in the tropics for a little sunshine pick-me-up.
It was FABULOUS! So many women out there have in-laws they’d rather spend time apart from, not with. I have been blessed. We laughed, snorkeled, relaxed, played cards, drove around and chatted from the moment they landed to the time we said “see you later” at the airport. Such fun once-in-a-lifetime memories! Here's some pics of our wonderful vacation.

Dave, Tom(Dad), Me, Sherry(Mom)

Father + Son

So it’s late here! I have to get some shut-eye! I’ll chat with you tomorrow about an amazing new thing I’m trying... Stay tuned!

Lazy Saturdays... Ya right!

As much as I sometimes want and dream of those lazy Saturdays spent at home, enjoying my family and doing fun things. I realize with the goals I have and the entrepreneurial lifestyle I've chosen to live, it's not something I can really expect in these next few months/years. But I also know, that all of my hard work in these early years will totally pay off later. That's a very exciting thought to me!

This morning I was awaken by my alarm clock at 6am!!!! ON A SATURDAY!!?? Yes. I popped out of bed, got ready and headed into town to meet up with a study group from my Hawaiian Studies class. It was a take-home exam... My favorite kind of test! We found a cute little coffee place, Wailuku Coffee Company - Their motto : Where the Hip come to Sip. LOVE IT :) So laptop and coffee in hand I spent half my day studying.

 

[caption id="attachment_141" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Doesn't coffee art make a coffee taste better??[/caption]

On the way home I stopped by Whole Foods to get a couple essentials...



Voskos Greek Yogurt is amazing!! I used to buy the sweetened stuff, but now I buy the nonfat plain & save 1/2 the calories and with a whopping 24 grams of protein per serving, it satisfies my sweet tooth and keeps me full and satisfied! The KEY to enjoying this amazing stuff is a drizzle of honey and sliced strawberries. SO YUM!

This Organic 365 Coffee Creamer is delish! I'm always trying different kinds of NATURAL creamers... The artificial ones are SO bad for you and leave a gross aftertaste...  This one tastes good, a little goes a long way and it comes in Vanilla (as shown), Hazelnut and Plain.

Also today, I started my {Live Abundantly} Bible study. LOVE it! Life may be busy, crazy and full of STUFF, but I feel centered and at peace when I spend time in the Word. I get refreshed and remember my roots, where I come from and who I am.            I. Am. Blessed.

 

 

Sunday Afternoons & Bye to Family

Hi you!!

SUNDAY was amazing {as usual}. We had a great beach day, full of laughs, volleyball, BBQ'ing, waves and FUN! Seriously, you should have TOTALLY been there ;)

The view from my chair!

So, of course the sun was bright, but beautiful clouds were surrounding us making the sunset AMAZING (pics below). This is at Po'olenalena beach in South Maui. Unfortunately, Sunday was also the last night my brother and his GF were on the island with us. It was bittersweet. We LOVE being on this island, just the two of us. But there is NOTHING as amazing as family! My family is my center. They are what I always think about, who I love above anything and their company is the BEST! Luckily I have my BEST friend here with me, can't beat those sunset kisses!

Sunset Smooooooches <3

BREATH deep this week, people! It's going to be a Beautiful one!

xoxo

-Hannah

Waves of Time

Such an uneventful Sunday morning spent in bed, with my coffee cup in hand, my hubby and the pups fast asleep beside me. These morning are the BEST! When you can just sit and soak in the good vibes. Sun shining into the pasture is what I can see from my big bedroom windows. I can also look out and see the Ocean, which is BY FAR my favorite view. The ocean is where I belong. Ever since I was a little girl, being at the ocean was such a healing place. Peaceful yet so majestic and mysterious, there really is no place I've ever been that gives me the amazing feeling I get when I feel like time stands still and my feet are placed on the edge where the water meets the sand. It really is MY place! I feel the Lord in the power of the waves and the gentleness of the tide.

This could be THE reason I love living where I do. I can get to the ocean in 5 minutes flat! Whether I just want to stare at the waves, climb in and let the salt water soak into my skin or close my eyes and sit on the edge and breath in the fresh air, and let it revive me. To me, being by the ocean is best place to BE.

The last few weeks I've been struggling with finding TIME! Sitting in the Dr's office and waiting for your name to be called can be the slowest movement of time, while dinner with friends seems so fast! You sit, you chat and all of the sudden you're walking back to your car checking your watch wondering how it flew by so fast?!

As an adult it just seems like there aren't enough hours in the day to get the to-do list completed AND do the "fun" things. So, with all of this being said, I am really learning how to manage my time. I want to Enjoy this amazing life I have, but I also need to be faithful with all of the responsibilities in my life. I'm learning to just breath in and out and let life take it's course. There are SO many things to do and so many things I've already done. My life is Blessed and I just want to soak in the Goodness of each day, not stressing myself out because I HAVE TO GET STUFF DONE!!

As I stared at the ocean this morning, it reminded me of this time thing and the constant battle I have with it. It was just a reminder to take Time, live Life and make sure to keep the Balance between the hours rolling by and the moments of amazing-ness when time stands still and my feet are placed on the edge where the water meets the sand.







How do you manage time? Do you have a special place you FEEL is YOUR place?



xoxo

-Hannah

Blogging hiatus... September 1/2 way gone??

 Good Evening ALL!

So as you can see... :/ I've been on a little "dry spell" with my blogging. I'm definitely a work in progress!! Blogging doesn't take that much time, it's super easy and I love doing it, so why is it on the back burner?

Again, I'll try not to bore you with the excuses, "I've been too busy!" Because I haven't, "My life is boring!" Because it isn't, "I just got back from vacation!" Nope.  There are NO excuses, just haven't made time for this amazing blog. But, I'm BACK!

I honestly CANNOT believe it's already mid-September. Only three more months and our classes will be over and we'll be headed to Oregon to visit for the holiday season. Where does this time go? If you have a trick to slowing life down, please share :)

My brother and his gf have been here visiting for the last 10 days. We had a blast the first week they arrived. We got to do all of those tourist-y things we miss out on since we LIVE here on Maui. So we showed my family around the island. Drove them to some of our favorite beaches and restaurants. It has been fab. Working from home is the BEST thing ever!! There is NO way we could have just taken a week off, with no notice and spent days with my family if we worked at a "typical" 8-5 job! Feeling very blessed :) This second week, they've been on their own doing the "romantic island getaway" thing. Dave and I went back to real life... School, work, taking care of the property and enjoying each other. Tomorrow (Sunday) we are all meeting up again for their last night on this oh-so-Fabulous island. BBQ'ing, beach activities, volleyball, skim boarding, boogie boarding, laughing and enjoying their last hoo-rah here!

I'll post pic's next time!! See ya'll later!

xoxo

-Hannah

Roadtrippin' with my mom :)

Amazing week and a half! My mom and 13 year old brother were visiting us here in Maui. My mom stayed for a week and my brother will continue his trip here for a MONTH! Lucky teen ;) My mom and I talked, hiked, shopped, ate, enjoying each others company the WHOLE time. When you live 2,560 miles across the Pacific ocean from your momma, vacations are definitely necessary! Luckily we’ve set up our trips for the whole year, so we always have something to look forward to.

This trip to Maui, my mom wanted to explore more of the outdoors, so we did. We visited beaches, we went on lots of hikes and roadtrips... Here are a few pics of our trip to Hana.
(in the new formatting of this blog, you will need to click on the blank picture to see the beautiful image.)



Banyon Tree in the middle of our hike on the Pipiwai trail.



Seven Sacred Pools
Beautiful Waterfall!



A famous “roadtrip” visited by thousands of Maui tourists each day. It’s breathtaking views of waterfalls, cliffs, tropical plants and trees and of course the BEAUTIFUL Pacific. The views, food and beaches we visited while she was here were wonderful, but the BEST part of the whole trip is when we are just sitting and talking. There is nothing better than having a good conversation with my mom that goes on for hours! It doesn’t matter where we are, we can ALWAYS chat. I absolutely love that about our relationship. She’s not only my mom, but my best friend. She is so wise, encouraging and caring. I have always adored my mom, but it’s not until I have become an adult and a wife that I see the amazing woman she really is. I am VERY blessed to have such a wonderful role model and mentor in my life. Thanks MOM!

::Turning A Bummer into Spaghetti::

It's Monday, my FAVORITE day of the week! This one was going to be especially fantastic, because my family was scheduled to arrive here in Maui, yesterday. After long delays and flights being moved around and cancelled, they aren't arriving until tonight! I was totally bummed, driving home from the airport yesterday without them, but it gave me the opportunity to spend today doing homework, finishing laundry and making a delicious spaghetti dinner for my husband and I.

I've been making this marinara sauce for about a year now. I was tired of buying jarred sauces, they're expensive and not really that tasty or good for you! I had some extra zucchini left over that I needed to use up so I added it in, making it even healthier.

 

Recipe as follows:

• 32oz can of Organic Crushed Tomatoes


• 1 Yellow Onion


• 3 cloves of Garlic


• 3 T Italian Seasonings


• Handful of fresh Basil


• 1 Zucchini sliced


• Organic Spinach Spaghetti Noodles


• 2 T Olive Oil


• Shredded Parmesan to top finished meal

Dice Onion and slice zucchini, and add to medium heat skillet with 1 1/2 T Olive Oil and 2 T Italian Seasonings. Let cook until onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes, then add 2 cloves of garlic, chopped, and let cook for another minute, making sure to not burn garlic. Add Tomatoes and the rest of the italian seasoning, let simmer for 10 minutes. Add fresh chopped basil, and let simmer for 5 more minutes.

For the noodles, just cook as package suggests, but I add 1/2 T of Olive oil and 1 clove of garlic to my water to add more flavor.

SIMPLE & DELICIOUS! Enjoy!

 

3 Ways to Lose Belly Fat

THREE tips to say GOODBYE to belly fat!

Isn’t this THE question of ALL questions??

People are always asking me, how did you get a flat stomach? What abdominal workout do you do?

Well, I can tell you this, I didn’t put one of those abdominal belts on to electrify the fat away, nor did I do 700 crunches a day, and I don’t even have a fancy ab machine...

The honest truth! Abs are made in the kitchen, by eating fiber rich veggies, lean proteins and drinking lots of water. YES, abdominal exercises definitely help, but if you’re not eating right, your belly fat WILL NOT go away!

Here are my FAVORITE tips --->  {that work!}

 

1)  Eat foods rich in FIBER and PROTEIN.

Start your day off with a protein shake or fiber cereal. Eat foods like carrotsticks & hummus, an apple, almonds, cheese and whole grain crackers for snacks. For dinner, make a huge salad with lean protein. Dark, leafy greens are best! Don’t ever completely cut carbs {supposable belly fatteners} out of your daily meals. If you’re going to limit carbs, try to limit them in the evenings when you body will most likely not burn them as fast. Personally I lower my carb intake after 3, I don’t completely cut them out, I just don’t make them the main focus of snacks or dinner.

2)  Don’t “spot train”.

What I mean is don’t just do abdominal workouts! To burn fat you have to get your heart rate UP... CARDIO! Doing a million sit ups, isn’t going to work. You have to do an all-over body routine. There are some AMAZING fitness routines to scorch calories and burn fat, if you need help finding one for you, E-mail me! Getting your heart rate up means, jogging, running, brisk walking, jumping jacks, jumping rope, kickboxing, swimming, sprints, ashtanga yoga, etc. When you can feel your heartbeat in your chest, you are doing cardio!

3)  Hydrate. WATER!

It’s essential for life, it’s also essential for belly fat loss. Water has a TON of nutritional benefits, too many to list, but here are a few: Helps your muscles and organs to work properly, clears your skin, fills you up, gives you energy, promotes a higher metabolism. I know, I know, water is so boring. Well, glam it up, add fruit slices, mint or cucumber. It may be boring, but it’s benefits are amazing, so drink up!

 

 

Protein Zucchini Bread

CARBS = They are my weakness, so whenever I can make a bread/cake like food that’s NUTRITIOUS for me, I’m all in! This is a recipe for a healthy, filling and protein rich zucchini bread.

Here's what you'll need to make it:

• 3 Egg Whites


• 1/2 C Oatmeal


• 1/2 C Zucchini (shredded)


• 1 scoop Vi-Shape or protein powder of your choice


• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract


• 1 tsp Baking Powder


• Touch of Cinnamon


• 1 tsp Honey


• Coconut oil spray (for pan coating)

So simple, mix everything together and pour into (greased) mini loaf pan.

Everything mixed together!









Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes!






















Amazing! When it came out of the oven, we spread some raspberry jam on it and enjoyed.

SO easy, SO delicious AND healthy!

[Omelets + Beach Friends]

I had a GREAT Sunday! How about you?




My husband made me a DELICIOUS breakfast, egg omelet with sour cream and fresh salsa on top! Lately we’ve been on a egg kick. Eggs every morning! At least they are good for you, satisfying protein & healthy fats {we mainly use egg whites}

He made this with:

• 1 whole egg


• 1/3 C egg whites


• Diced yellow, red peppers


• Green onion


• Sour Cream & Salsa as toppings

Sauté peppers/onions in small skillet, Whip eggs together until evenly mixed, Pour into pan with veggies {once the veggies have softened}, Let sit until bottom of eggs are cooked, Fold. Once it’s cooked, add your toppings and enjoy!

After breakfast, we drove to church, listened to a great teaching on not following the crowd as a christian, but leading the crowd. Just because the world says it’s ok and everyones doing it, doesn’t mean it’s right. Great message.

We went to the beach with friends after church. We try to do a big beach party at least 2 Sunday’s out of the month. It’s a great time to spend with our Maui friends/family, laugh, boogie board and BBQ. Living in Maui is SO low-key, you just go with the flow and enjoy each others company! We are very blessed to have friends who accept us for who we are, laugh with us, encourage and support us.

Dave & I boogie boarding, SO MUCH FUN! South swell was happening today!

Some of our FAVORITE people!

 The view from my chair.

Getting Started :)

One of my HUGE goals this year was to create a fabulous blog/website! It's FINALLY come to pass and I am very excited to be sharing a little bit of ME with YOU. My savvy, computer guru friend helped me with everything <-- THANKS Will, and I can now start sharing!

What will Hannah share, you ask? Anything and everything!

• Daily blog posts


• Fitness Tips


• My Fav Products


• Daily Ponderings


• Recipes


• Pictures


• My obsession with Grizzly & Wednesday (my fur-babies)


• Diet plans


• Health Tips


• Wellness

Who knows what other topics will be covered, all I know is I'm excited to start!

Thanks for reading & stay in touch!

XO

-H