‘Family’ Category

  1. J’adore la vie: Holiday Edition!

    December 27, 2012 by Heather

    Grab your Kleenex, beautiful people. It’s J’adore la vie: Holiday Edition!

    My favorite thing about the holiday season is the spirit that surrounds it. Most of us embody this precious energy that is reminiscent of childhood innocence. We become giddy to give, excited to receive, and grateful to simply be present in the moment. This is how we should live every day: with the intention that the day will be filled with abundance from all avenues. The magic that the holiday season ignites in all of us can be present every day of our lives. We just have to bring our presence to the party that is life!

    After the magic of the holidays fades away, it can be difficult for some of us to seamlessly transition back to our routines. The smells, the Christmas movies, and the fun get-togethers are gone. Once you allow the “post-holiday blues” to set it in, thank them for coming and then send them on their way! Just because the holidays are gone doesn’t mean we can’t re-live the moments that made them extra-special this year. What do you say we get right to it?

    J’adore la vie Quote of the Week:
    “Forgiveness is the best medicine.” ~ Elena Brower

    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Kristen received a beautiful card from her boyfriend for Christmas that touched her in an extra-special way. 

    I received this beautiful card from my boyfriend for Christmas and not only was it perfect for j’adore la vie, but it really made me tear up… every Christmas spent with him, I think of how much  more I love him!

    Danielle’s father caught this moment…and it really needs no introduction.

    My puppy and my aunt’s puppy were waiting for me to come inside at the door and my dad captured it from the back! Totally a j’adore la vie moment for sure!

    Katharina and her daughter left a healthy, compassionate, and energizing snack for Santa!

    Leaving plant-strong, gluten-free cookies and Almond Breeze for Santa!

    Alex experience a Christmas miracle that totally rocked her spirit.

    Shannon had a simple, beautiful Christmas moment snuggling up with a warm drink and a good movie.

    Lucie spent Christmas Eve with her honey at a beautiful hotel and witnesses beautiful views!

    Lori, her hubby, Gary, and their dog, Jax, spent the morning of Christmas Eve outdoors in the beautiful sun, just enjoying each other’s company.

    Molly baked (rad!) Christmas cookies and decorated the tree with her family.

    Mary Kate got exactly what she wanted for Christmas and is so excited to nourish her bod!

    Brooke and her family lit candles in honor of the Holiness of season.

    Lisa felt strong and confident in her spirited, banded  Christmas dress!

    Brittany and her mom went for a gorgeous Christmas day bike ride!

    My over-arching J’adore la vie moment was when Matty gave me the “J’adore la vie” engraved iPhone. It wasn’t the iPhone that brought me to tears (although it was a fantastic surprise!) but the support and meaning behind the gift. It’s empowering to believe in myself but to have someone I love, respect, and admire support me in this way literally brought me to tears. I just feel so blessed.

    Every Thursday, I find so much comfort and peace knowing that people can visit this blog and be lifted up by all of our J’adore la vie moments. Thank you all so much for sharing your precious and miraculous moments. You help make J’adore la vie what it is for others. Together, we create an ultra-rad force of positive energy that we can give to others. This is the greatest gift we can ever give.

    Stay lovely,
    Heather

    Is there a special J’adore la vie miracle moment you’re dying to share? GO FOR IT! Email it to me at heather[at]fortheloveofkale[dot]com or Tweet and Instagram it for everyone to see with the “#jadorelavie” hash tag and my Twitter handle @theloveofkale. Let’s keep the love train going, peeps!

    Category Blogger Love, Family, Friends, Holidays, J'adore la vie, Love, Self-Love, Spirituality | Tags: | 12 Comments

  2. Thanksgiving 2012

    November 23, 2012 by Heather

    Yesterday was filled with love, laughter, joy, and good food. My heart was bursting at the seams with gratitude. My focus, this year more than ever, was solely on the company that surrounded me. Every half-hour or so, I would just gaze around the table, breathe, and smile at the sights I saw – my aunt’s ancient coo-coo clock, my uncle ticking my 8-year-old cousin until she squirmed with delight, the way my aunt talks with her gentle hands as she tells a story.

    All the while, my heart had a slight pang and yearning at its core. This is the first Thanksgiving – the first holiday, really – that I was not with both of my parents. My dad and I spent the day at my great aunt’s house and it was wonderful but I couldn’t help missing my mom. This was, without a doubt, the hardest year of my personal life. But I also know that in our greatest hardships lie our greatest opportunities. It’s true – I see so much opportunity ahead…now more than ever!

    I’ve experienced tremendous inner spiritual growth and have had the most amazing support system through it all. Without these trying times, I would never have realized and come to truly honor my passion for spreading the message of self-love and spirituality to others. I feel this calling to spirit – and I’m answering! So many exciting things are coming!

    Okay, now back to Thanksgiving.

    Matty and I donned our best outfits: I in my smock and he is his best sweater, paisley tie, and fantastic shoes. Handsome boy alert!

    My family began our early feast by going around the table and saying what we were thankful for. Naturally, I cried while reciting my gratitude speech. I’m such a sap! It’s such a simple, powerful exercise. Definitely a tradition that Matty and I will continue with our family! After some (joyful) tears, it was time for some bubbly!

    Hard sparkling cider, baby!

    My aunt made a fantastic turnip soup – so comforting and a great start to an amazing Thanksgiving meal.

    My family was so accomodating and, besides the turkey, almost everything was vegan! I enjoyed Gena’s stuffing, butternut squash, green bean casserole with mushroom gravy, and a baked sweet potato. It was carb-tastic and #plantPOWERed! 

    Side note: I didn’t end up making the Red Quinoa Mediterranean Salad. This worked out well because there was plenty of food that my aunt made to go around. Maybe next time! 

    We chatted for awhile and, about an hour after digesting our dinners, decided it was time for dessert. As planned, I brought a platter of goodies from Wildflour, and enjoyed a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, along with some of my aunt’s homemade apple crisp (times three!). Oh my gosh, her apple crisp is unreal. I never wanted it to end! My aunt also served some warm, French press coffee. Le sigh.

    After dessert and more chats, Matty and I headed back to his house and watched The Blind Side. I also may or may not have heated up and went to town on some leftover stuffing. ;-) Hey, #jadorelavie!  If you celebrated, I hope your holiday was filled to the brim with love, laughter, and gratitude. I’m off to job number two now. Have a beautiful day!

    Stay lovely,
    Heather

    P.S. – The Fashion page was updated!

    Category #plantPOWER, Daily Musings, Family, Holidays, Love, Veganism | Tags: | 18 Comments

  3. Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps Extravaganza!

    July 24, 2012 by Heather

    Today has been all sorts of wonderful. It started bright and early with the same biceps/triceps superset workout from last week. I’ll be continuing this routine for six weeks before changing it up. So far, I’m loving it! After my workout, I spent the morning at the clinic calling patients and taking care of administrative-related stuff. Before I knew it, lunch time had rolled around!

    Lunch at Garden Grille

    As fate would have it, Jenny had to make the lengthy trip from Connecticut to Logan Airport today, where she dropped off her friend. She suggested meeting up for lunch when I got out of work and I was obviously down for that! When I told Matty of our plans, he felt a bit left out and wanted in. I think he just wanted an excuse to eat at Garden Grille. ;-)

    We ordered unpictured sweet potato wedges as our appetizer, and both Jenny and I ordered the same entree: the edamame-white bean burger, which came with kim-chi slaw and a side of homemade vegan chipotle mayo. 

    It was amazing and so comforting. I ordered my burger sans bun – I love to savor the unique, delicious flavors of Garden Grille’s dishes and the bread overshadows them for me! I was perfectly satisfied.

    For his entree, Matty ordered the local pizza special: mozzarella, plum tomatoes, purple peppers (yep!), and onion. He approved!

    After our meal, we walked next door to Wildflour. Jenny and I got our respective iced coffees with vegan creamer and stevia.

    We’re so silly.

    The three of us had a blast and bid adieu a short while later, as Jenny had to make the trek back to Connecticut and Matty had to go to work.

    Snack Factory Pretzel Crisp Extravaganza!

    Last week, the most cooincidental thing happened while Matty and I were relaxing in his room, watching Titanic (minor but necessary detail). He was munching on Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps and I was munching on hummus and crudite when I received a tweet from the kind folks at Snack Factory, asking me if I liked to munch on their goodies.

    I know, right?! I immediately tweeted them back with a photo of Matty’s bag of original Pretzel Crisps he was munching on. They were psyched to see my response and vowed to send me a package of goodies. Just a few days later, I was greeted by a gigantic eco-friendly bag of delicious snacks.

    I was positively blown away by Snack Factory’s generosity. Check out the loot!

    I received seven bags of Pretzel Crisps, two koozies, and two t-shirts! The minute I opened the package, I called my dad into the room. He’s the one that introduced me to the wonders of everything-flavored Pretzel Crisps, and he snacks on them all the time! My dad also gets really excited by free t-shirts. So, not only did he rub off his adoration for Pretzels Crisps onto me but also his adoration for free t-shirts.

    Exhibit A:

    I love when my dad laughs!

    These tees are super comfy! “Rethink.” is shown on the front of the tee (“Rethink your pretzel” is the company’s slogan) and “Pretzel Crisps” is written of the bottom of the right-hand sleeve.

    When I showed the loot to Matty, he commented on the witty phrase on the koozies, which is a popular one coined by the classic sitcom, Seinfeld. Click here for details. ;-)

    I really do enjoy Pretzel Crisps. They’re one of my favorite snacks to bring to parties because they’re always a crowd-pleaser. I especially love to pair them with roasted garlic hummus when my occasional salty tooth strikes. I can also attest to their pairing well with my curry guacamole! Thanks again to Snack Factory for being so generous; my loved ones and I will be enjoying them!

    Stay lovely,
    Heather

    Question of the Day: How do YOU enjoy your Pretzel Crisps?

    Feel free to spread the love and like Pretzel Crisps on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Pinterest!

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    Category Blogger Love, Daily Musings, Family, Foodie Finds, Workouts | Tags: , | 24 Comments

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