Hey friends! How has your day been so far? It’s another picture-perfect day here in Massachusetts. I’m so, so grateful that Fall hasn’t fully hit us yet. I’m loving the sunny 75 degree days and crisp 50 degree evenings. Le sigh.
Workout
This morning, I worked out with my girls Karena and Katrina! I did my favorite Beach Babe DVD workout, the Surfer Girl workout, and followed it up with the Sleek & Slender ab routine the ladies posted on Livestrong Woman last week. It’s a great 5-minute ab burner!
Lunch
I worked at the clinic for a few hours, calling a bunch of my patients and checking in on their progress, and then had a late lunch with Matty. There are very slim pickings in my pantry and refrigerator so I made do with what I had on-hand.
I realize this looks so appetizing. 
I had broccoli and spinach lingering in the fridge so I tossed them together with curry hum-nooch dressing (2 Tbsp. hummus, 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, 3 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk, 1 tsp. curry, 1/2 tsp garam masala). Alongside a Trader Joe’s Organic Tofu Veggie Pattie, I was munched with a big smile on my face.
Daily Musings
Now, I’m blogging to you from Wildflour with a midday snack: split pea & sweet potato soup and cucumber-infused water. Ohh, yes.
Matty bit into his pumpkin whoope pie with reckless abandon. Exhibit A:
Charming, huh?
#plantPOWER Challenge
Are you guys ready to eat your beautiful bodies off?! Have you been wanting to incorporate more veggies into your lifestyle? Have you found yourself saying something to the effect of, “Damn, I’d totally eat more plant-based if I could find the mojo to do it.” Well, look no further, my fine friends! Kasey, my amazing, genuine, hysterical soul sista, and I are teaming up to bring all of you a #plantPOWER challenge for the month of October! It’s going to be amazing. There will be a ton of plant-based prizes involved too! We’ll be launching it soon and the challenge, similar to Kasey’s Powermeal a Day challenge, will be launching on Monday. The more you participate, the more you fuel your gorgeous body with energizing plants and the more likely you are to win some bomb prizes.
Kasey and I talked each other’s ears off for an hour and a half yesterday and we’re so, so excited to bring this to all of you! It’s going to ROCK and we can’t wait to see all of your tweets and Instagram pictures!
Advice from a Tree
I stumbled across this graphic and posted it on my Facebook page but couldn’t resist chatting about it here!
When I was suffering from my eating disorder, I always looked up to trees – not just literally but figuratively speaking as well. I remember walking in nature and thumbing my hand across random tree trunks. I would sigh and actually wish I could be a tree for a day. Cough hippie cough. It’s nice to stop and think about though – we don’t judge trees. We simply accept them.
Stay lovely,
Heather
P.S. – Thursday is our second day of j’adore la vie! Don’t forget – this TOTALLY relies on all of us participating together. Keep tweeting, Instagramming, and emailing! Use the hashtage #jadorelavie with @theloveofkale. Love you all!
Oh my goodness!! HEATHER! I am so excited for this challenge and what you are Kasey are doing with the idea to get people interested and excited about #plantPOWER meals! I am so in, and would LOVE to participate through October! I will spread the word about this amazing opportunity, thank you for all you do, all you write, and how you inspire us every day! Love YOU!
Aww, Ashley, you’re amazing. Thank YOU for being so enthusiastic and supportive. Kasey and I TOTALLY appreciate all that you do, spreading the love every day!
Awesome challenge! You and Kasey are going to make such a power team!
And this is actually perfect timing because I’ve been seriously slacking with coming up with creative plant-based meals lately. I don’t even think I’ve touched a can of beans in a few weeks, which is weird for me. I can’t wait to get some #plantPOWER inspiration!
Chelsea! Are you the sweetest ever? Yes, you are. Thank you! I can’t wait for you to participate and try some recipes! We’re going to change that bean issue.
very smart tree
xoxo great challenge girls
A very smart tree indeed! Haha, thanks babe!
The challenge will definitely be a hit
and I’m moving up north, that’s it! Enough with this heat haha
Bahahaha I can totally picture you saying that, Brittany. Aww, girl, move to Boston now please. Then we can have a lot of dates.
i love your hippy-ness
That makes me hippy – er, I mean happy!
Super cool post about the tree! I agree with Linz – totally hippy of you, but I’m a fan:)
Haha, thanks girl!
Hi Heather!! I’ve been a reader for a while but somehow think I’ve never commented! Thanks for always blogging in such an uplifting way – I love the “Advice From a Tree.”
I’m also envious of the fall spirit that’s showing up on your blog! I lived in Massachusetts for 4 years (went to college there) and this is my first fall away since then – no apple picking or leaf changes in Arizona. :/ I guess I’ll enjoy the season vicariously through your blog!
Also, I’d absolutely love it if you have a chance to stop by my new blog (3 days old!). People like you, who also went through an ED but came out stronger, inspired me to start writing my own blog.
Thank you in advance!
I’m so glad that you loved the Advice from a Tree, Iris! It is a lovely little reminder, huh? Oh wow – Arizona is a huge change! Hope you’re handling the heat well.
I’ll check out your blog soon! xoxo
love you hunnie! great post! I admire the way you think
can’t wait for tomorrow!!!!!!
Ahh! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. Thank you for spreading the word about j’adore la vie and getting people excited. I admire YOU for your incredible attitude and outlook on like. You’re always inspiring me.
So excited for the plant power challenge! I am not so good about getting in my veggies and plants so I think this will be incredibly helpful for me! Can’t wait to hear more about it!
LOL Matty and the pumpkin whoopie pie. And the cardi! Real men wear Urban and eat pumpkin things. That soup looks AMAZINGGG I can’t wait to go to Wildflour and spend upwards of $50 on things to take home. #sorrynotsorry
We have had someone post the Advice from a Tree image using their own art and signed their name when it is in fact a copyright of Your True Nature, Inc and Ilan Shamir. We realize you have not done this intentionally, but in order to protect our copyright/trademark products, we must send the following request as we have done to all the people that have copied Joanne’s work as her own. Thank you for your immediate attention to this request.
We are so happy to see how our work is inspiring people at this site and so appreciative that they are being so well received. We all can appreciate the natural flow of inspiration, as well as the human need to protect the integrity of our creations. This is the Spirit with which I created the Advice from a Tree poem. So, onto the human, legal, business side of our creative gifts we share…The Advice from a Tree material posted is an infringement of our registered copyrights put on the web by Joann Raptis (in whom we have been in contact with). What you have posted is signed by a unauthorized party which mistakenly communicates a different author than Ilan Shamir and creates confusion in the marketplace. We need you to take immediate action in clearly communicating rightful ownership so that this unauthorized version does not continue to spread around the internet. Go to http://www.yourtruenature.com/infringement for specific action required. We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Ilan Shamir
Hello Ilan,
I am so sorry and completely understand your stance on respecting the beautiful piece of artwork. I will immediately read the provided link and follow the directions outlined.
Sending love and blessings!
[...] 28, 2012 by Heather With Kasey and I’s #plantPOWER challenge coming up on MONDAY, we thought we’d provide you with everything you need to go grocery [...]
I love the artwork! It reminds me of something I have read about flowers and trees how they never think they don’t deserve the sun, they bask in it and they only take as much nutrients and water from the soil that they need to grow. Nothing more, nothing less. We could all learn from them
That is so beautiful, Sonya! Thanks for sharing.
So excited for this challenge! Now I have the details! I will definitely be instagramming my veggie-packed meals on Monday, and linking back if I post them on my blog. LOVE this, Heather! <3
The "Advice From a Tree" is just what I needed tonight. "Stand tall and proud," "Be content with your natural beauty" and the other mantras are ones that I firmly believe in. Sometimes I get wrapped up in the materialism of life, and reminders like this are blessings that help keep me grounded. <3 xoxo
Oh yay! I’m SO excited that you’re going to join #plantPOWER, Sara! I can’t wait to see all of your photos. I know they’ll be amazing.
YAY!! Two of my fav bloggers doing a challenge together! LOVE IT!
YAY!! One of our favorite bloggers joining us!! THIS IS GOING TO RULE.