2010 FIFA World Cup

WOO HOO WORLD CUP!!! Most people do not know that I was pretty excited about soccer when I was in high school. I was one of the captains of the LHS Lady Cat Soccer Team back in my day and even helped start that team my freshman year. Yeah...I was pretty cool. Too bad I stunk it up on the field! Despite my lack of talent, I still loved the game and that fuels my excitement for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that kicks off tomorrow!

The good ol' USA team starts their play this Saturday against England. Being a citizen of both of those countries, I have to say I'm pretty excited about this match...but obviously my heart belongs to the USA! Don't miss this match 2:30pm ET on Saturday! I'll be watching with some close friends in Florida this weekend as we gather for a wedding! We lucked out on the timings of both so we will be able to enjoy both!

Throughout the World Cup two of my friends, Jay with Bite and Booze and Boo with The BR Beer Scene will be featuring dishes and beers from all of the participating counties, respectively. Those are both really exciting and well-written blogs, so I encourage you to check both of them out. I know I will be following closely! Thanks guys for being so spirited and awesome!

Are you excited about the World Cup? If so, how are you celebrating and who are you cheering on?

Please share your thoughts!

I'm addicted to to-do lists!

So my beautiful friend Colleen recently posted her "Summer To-Do List" on her blog Mommy Amour and it got me thinking! Her blog is so cute and fun! I love reading about her adventures with her husband and kiddos and about her fabulous and creative parties! Anyway, I've decided to "borrow" her idea of the summer checklist and I'm posting my own! Thanks friend!

1. Finally make our house a home! The day we bought the house was the day we got engaged and being me...you know what my priority was...plan a fab wedding! Now that I have checked that off my list, it is time to focus on our home! We bought a little bit of a fixer-upper in the Hundred Oaks area of Baton Rouge. I have tons of ideas but haven't had the time to start and (here's the key) finish those projects! So this summer, I hope to finish painting the rooms, especially the nasty, tedious task of the trim! I also want to tackle the task of organizing our office and guest room...right now they are both a collection of junk with no consistency of theme...that needs to change big time! We also have to discover the purpose of our front room. Right now it is just an awkward space but I'm hoping to turn it into a lovely and comfortable sitting and entertaining room. So basically, we have a lot to do with even more fun DIY projects! I'm so excited! I'll be sure to post our progress with tons of photos!

2. Discover a love for cooking! When I first started this blog, my intentions were to report my progress on becoming a vegan. Those intentions blossomed into a blog about all things Rachel! (Sorry for the tangent!)This summer I hope to try tons of new recipes and create more of a foundation of our new and exciting diets! Again, I'll make sure to report everything!

3. Purchase a Cricut! This machine looks amazing and the project results are even more stunning! I spend a fortune on little gifts and cutesy items when, with just a little time and effort, I could make my own!

4. Create more of a foundation for Bliss Events by Rachel! I adore weddings and events and started planning them a couple of years ago. Recently, I started my own business but it is such a new thing that I really need to do some business research and have a better understanding of what owning a small business entails. Planning the weddings is the fun part and I've got that covered...but first I need to cover my business bases! I think my business plan is relatively solid...but it never hurts to delve deeper into research! The four brides I have for their upcoming weddings are all gorgeous and amazing and I want to offer them nothing but my absolute best!

5. Go to yoga at least twice a week. Ok, this might be a lofty goal but a girls gotta try! I pay for classes every month and never go! This ends NOW! This week is out of the question because I've had fun plans every night but next week, I'm going to step it up!

6. Start a "girls only" book and wine club! I love, love, love to read and so does Chris...the problem is that he doesn't want to read and discuss the "girly" books I love to dive into. So,  I want to get a bunch of girlfriends together to take this journey with me! Plus...wine makes everything mo'better so adding that aspect into the "club" just makes sense! Now I just have to convince some girls to join me...

7. Have a garage sale! As Chris and I detox our home, we are creating a pretty huge pile of clutter! So, save the date, because this July or August everything must go!

8. Weekend trip to New Orleans! When Chris and I got back from our honeymoon, we were baffled about how little traveling and exploring we do...especially in our own beautiful state! New Orleans is only an hour away and we go so rarely! So sometime this summer, we hope to make a trip to New Orleans for a fun time exploring, shopping and (OF COURSE) eating!

9. Volunteer more! This is something I have such a inner drive to do and I do it so little. When I was in college volunteer opportunities were everywhere but now they are really difficult to find due to my limited availability. I've contacted the Friends of the Animals in Baton Rouge about opportunities and I'm anxiously awaiting information to get involved! Plus, with my new membership in the Baton Rouge Junior League, I'm looking at getting really involved with local projects like Habitat for Humanity!

10.  Be a better friend! One thing I learned from our wedding was how truly blessed we are with our with great family and friends! I have gotten in such the bad habit of turning down lunch dates, happy hours and other fun invitations blaming it on "not having the time". Who is so fulfilled that they don't have time for friends?? Not this girl! So watch out friends, bonding time is coming your way!

11. Improve on written correspondence! We live in a world of simple and easy technology that, in my opinion, is robing us and a younger generation of important etiquette lessons...like written correspondence! I love stationery and I love getting nice notes from friends...so this summer, I plan to start sending it a lot more! Who doesn't like that warm and fuzzy feeling of opening a well-crafted thank you note???

12.  Create an oasis of zen and beauty in the back yard! One thing we left St. Lucia with was a deeper appreciation for landscape! Our back yard is a huge blank canvas and I'm ready to take it to that next level so we can relax and enjoy the outdoors a lot more! I'm not extremely handy in the yard, but thankfully Chris is so I'm thinking this can be a fun project for the two of us!

13. Ace the GRE! Working at LSU I'm given the amazing opportunity of taking graduate classes. I started a few semesters ago but had to take a break because my non-matriculating ride was over! It is time to take the GRE and get accepted into a real graduate degree program!

14. Take my LSU office up a notch! Right now my office is a chaos of productivity and that isn't working for me anymore! Since this summer is (slightly) less crazy than most of the year, I want to take this opportunity to create a warm and welcoming, yet spirited environment!

15. Update the wardrobe! As I look down right now, I'm not even impressed with my appearance! Granted, I don't look like a homeless child but I definitely am not stopping the work place traffic! I want to get some great pieces that can really tell the world that I am a young professional on the move! What better time than this summer to make that transition permanent!

Hopefully, I won't get too distracted over the summer and I will be able to check all of this right off! I'll keep you all updated!

FINALLY!

The new TOMS wedges are available for purchase!!! Look how stinkin' adorable they are! I'm so excited...but which color to purchase! Ahhh decisions!

Love that fresh lemon scent!

In my opinion, nothing cleans a house better than vinegar! It is amazing stuff because it can literally clean everything! With vinegar, baking soda and fresh lemons on your side, dirt better watch out! =)

With spring cleaning in full gear, check out some of these vinegar tricks that I love:

Microwave:

Mix 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water with a squirt of fresh lemon juice in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean. SO EASY!

Garbage Disposal:

Pour 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hot white distilled vinegar with a squirt of fresh lemon juice into the disposal and  let sit for 5 minutes. Then run hot water down the disposal. Again, so easy!

Toilet:

Pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush, flush, and appreciate your shiny toilet!

All-Purpose Spray:

Make a half and half solution of white distilled vinegar and water with a squirt of fresh lemon juice or your favorite essential oil in a spray bottle. Perfect for counter tops!

Cleaning Floors:

Pour a cup or more of white distilled vinegar into a mop bucket and dilute with hot water and the juice of 1-2 fresh lemons. Your tile floors will thank you!

Freshen the Air

by spraying into the air a solution of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar, and 1 cup water with a splash of fresh lemon or your favorite essential oil.

To see other great uses of vinegar, check out this site.

Detoxing the House!

As Chris and I get ready for the big wedding next weekend (YAY!)...we have started to accumulate TONS of stuff. Our house is sprinkled with wedding favors, gifts, centerpieces, and other craziness! A cluttered house stresses me out so we have decided to "detox" as much as we can now, so when we return from the Honeymoon it is a little easier to get back in the swing of things.

We sorted through our closets as we exchanged summer and winter clothes.  I have been motivated by a friend of mine who is having a "swap party" in June. Basically, a bunch of girls are going to get together with clothes we no longer need, swap if wanted and donate the rest to Goodwill. Fun idea, right! And sooo green! Anyway, it provided me with the great excuse of going through my clothes and getting rid of those "just in case" items. I've been keeping so many things "just in case" in comes back in style or "just in case" I get back down to that size...not anymore!

Next, we headed to the kitchen where we have so many things we don't need! Especially now that we don't eat meat. There isn't a ton of storage in our kitchen, so this was WAY overdue. Bye Bye plastic cups from various restaurants we haven't been to in years...see you later nasty plastic plates that Chris obtained in college! It was such a great feeling to box all that up and ship to Goodwill! None of it is horrible...we just had WAY too much...and I'm trying to have a grown-up kitchen now with things that match, so it was necessary!

We are hoping to get to the rest of the house soon. Hope ya'll had successful spring cleaning sessions as well!

Opprotunity to Help Another...

I was asked to pass along the following information and thought this was the perfect place to do it! One of our students at LSU was severely injured while cycling early this past Saturday morning. Several of his friends are rallying around him and providing events and opportunities for others to assist him. If you are moved to do so, please check out the following:

Give Blood:

Mike Bitton's friends and family are asking for blood donations to LifeShare Blood Centers in Mike’s name. The main location in Baton Rouge is in the North Blvd Medical Plaza, 3849 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806. Be sure to mention you want the blood donated in the name of Michael Bitton. It doesn’t matter what blood type you are, all blood will be credited to his account.

Benefit Event:

Enjoy the music of Fugitive Poets and Ben Ball and the Stardust Boys for only a $10 cover, this Wednesday, May 19th beginning at 8:00pm at Chelsea's Cafe (2857 Perkins Road). 100% of cover, in addition to bar tender tips, will assist in defraying Mike’s medical costs. The blood bank will have a mobile unit on site from 6-10 pm.

International Ride of Silence:

A rolling memorial service for those injured and killed while cycling.

LSU Vet School
Wednesday May 19th, 2010

7:00 to 8:00 PM

Riders must wear helmets, ride no faster than 12 mph and ride in silence.

Meet at the parking lot on the corner of Skip Bertman and River Road across from the Vet School. Ride will follow Nicholson Dr downtown to Government and then continue to Acadian and back to the Vet School. If you have been involved in a collision with a motorist wear a red armband, otherwise wear a black armband.

The benefit for Mike at Chelsea's will follow the ride. The Ride will have lead and follow vehicles.

For more info on the movement, http://www.rideofsilence.org/

Sweet as Suga!

one lump or two?

None for me, thanks!

In preparations for the big wedding, I've tried to eat a little better to help my skin, hair, stress level and, of course,  fatty-patty-ness. It started off going really well...and then the stress really kicked in and it went south a bit. But with two weeks out, I'm going to power through!

The first thing to cut back on is white processed sugar. The stuff is just gross anyway. Aside from having absolutely NO nutritional value, it is quite addictive and consuming loads of it can eventually lead to depression and unwanted jiggly parts! You would think moving to sugar substitutes, like Splenda, would be a good combat because they are low to no calories, better for your teeth and blood sugar levels but I urge you to STEP AWAY FROM THE NASTY CHEMICALS! Without getting into too many nagging details, just remember artificial is artificial is artificial....would you eat a fake piece of fruit? Then why would you eat fake sugar? The good news is...there is another, natural, healthier way...

Stevia is a naturally sweet herb native to Paraguay that is, literally, hundreds of times sweeter than sugar...so you use and consume less! It has no calories and has no effect on blood sugar levels. Used in moderation, it can be a great aid to diets and the health-conscious. Most use it to lighten coffees and teas but it can also be used for cooking and baking. I actually found a bunch of Stevia options at Wal-Mart, of all places! Trust me when I say...a little goes a long way! I only use 1/2 a packet at a time because it is so deliciously sweet!

I'm enjoying a nice cup of hot green tea with a pinch of stevia now and yum! Be jealous!