Food Facts & Fiction - Nutrition w/ Julia

Julia's sharing the truth about veggies, sodas and artificial sweeteners.  Who knew frozen spinach is better than fresh?  Or that diet soda is worse than regular soda? We are not doctors - only speaking from our own experience and research.

If You Can't Beat 'em...Join 'em!

Never thought such a small investment could improve one's quality of life in such a major way...Bye-bye terrible traffic and pesky parking tickets!  Hello sunkissed skin and luscious, lean legs!! 

Vision Board - Myth or Must-Have???

I'm sharing my first vision board experience! What is a vision board? Do they work? Should you spend time creating one? I give you the inside scoop.

How to Get Long, Glamorous Hair - Just Like the Celebrities!

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use clip-in (yes, clip-in!!) hair extensions to achieve the dramatic length and fullness you desire.  Not sure where to purchase hair?  Check out Beauty Supply Wearhouse - 2901 University Ave. http://www.yelp.com/biz/beauty-supply-warehouse-san-diego-3 You do NOT have to be a licensed professional to shop at this store.  Don't expect exceptional customer service, DO expect a great assortment of choices in hair and other beauty products.  Also, to expedite natural hair growth - I recommend Biotin supplements (gel) daily.  I noticed a difference after taking them for a couple of months. *I am not a doctor, and am merely speaking from personal experience :)

On Our Way to See Bodies Being Burned...OMG!

My magical friend, Jim, and I are headed to the Ganges River in Varanasi, India.  This is truly a spiritual experience of a lifetime, and definitely one of the highlights of our trip!  Hindus believe that of your dead body is burned at the River, it will expedite the transition into your next life.  It's also considered the "ultimate blessing" to swim in the body of water.  You better believe we jumped in - utterly invigorating.  I also believe that this particular part of my trip changed my life.
"The Ganges is the most sacred river to Hindus and is also a lifeline to millions of Indians who live along its course and depend on it for their daily needs. It is worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism.The Ganges was ranked among the five most polluted rivers of the world in 2007, with fecal coliform levels in the river near Varanasi more than one hundred times the official Indian government limits" - per Wikipedia...WHOA!! More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganges_River

Hide Your Children!! Taj Majal, here we come...

This had to be one of my all-time favorite moments from the trip.  We were in a little rickshaw, on our way to see "The Monument of LOVE"! We were being total goofballs and having the absolute time of our lives. I never knew how incredibly romantic the backstory is on the Taj. A prince built the breathtaking monument to pay homage to his favorite wife who died during childbirth.  The result? What is now known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  If that's not romantic, I don't know what is! For more history on the Taj, check out:  http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/history.html

Dancing with Elephants

Oh, yes we did!!!! Hey, the music was so good, we couldn't resist!! At this point, it was our 3rd or 4th day into the trip...the other people on our tour (I'm convinced) probably thought we were on drugs.  But we definately kept things lively, and eventually they affectionately nicknamed us "The Kids" - which we gladly accepted. :) For centuries, Indian royalty has embellished elephants - historically used as a regal mode of transportation.  It was so cool to see the gorgeous, bright colors on such big, beautiful creatures. And they seemed to be pretty content, no weird animal cruelty stuff going on that we could see. 

Amber Palace - Jaipur, India

Ok, so here if I look tired...I WAS! Long night the night before...grocery bags were in full effect.  But I love this video because it shows My Groys (Ernesto & Ramon) in all their glory.  Dancing while riding an elephant. Only in India, Baby!

Gettin Down n Dirty...

Holi Festival - The Calm Before the Storm

This was the morning of the Holi Festival, still in New Delhi. The common salutation on this day is "Happy Holi", just like "Merry Christmas".  The offering that we left on the bed, from what we were told, is common practice.  It is believed that the more you give, the more good karma you will receive for the year.  Business owners offer generous discounts on this day, and most people (whether wealthy or extremely poor)  make an offering in some form.  We had been there for a couple nights...it was time to hit the road and move on to our next city.  Little did I know, I was about to get ambushed..!

Searching for Ammunition on the mean streets of india

Moving right along with adventures in Incredible India...this was (I think!) Day 2 in New Delhi, situated in Northern India. We had planned this trip around The Holi Festival of Colors.  Similar to India's Christmas, it is a nationally recognized holiday - the most auspicious and important day in the Hindu culture.  In India, the word "auspicious" is used frequently.  I'd like to think that I have a pretty robust vocab, but I honestly hadn't heard the word used too much, and was curious.  So much so, that I had to ask our guide exactly what it meant in the context of their daily life.  He response:  "of great importance, special meaning, good luck, good karma".  So the sheer fact that we were in India to experience the holiday was "good karma".  He was cool enough to take us after-hours (separate from our tour) to search for colors, or colored powders. Which, as all Indian peeps know, is a MUST on Holi.  Not having colors on Holi is like going to battle without ammo!  Only in this battle, it's all LOVE.  To find out more about this awesome holiday, check out this link:  http://www.holifestival.org/festival-of-colours.html

Just Do It...Take a Trip!!!

Ok, so some of you may have seen pictures from my recent trip to India/Nepal.  That trip actually came about when I finally decided to grow some balls and join my friends, Ernesto & Ramon (my Groys) on their next adventure! Well...it was definately a life-changer, perspective-changer...way beyond any expectations I had. Any pictures you've seen hardly scratch the surface, and really don't do justice to how much fun we had. I was soo blessed to have experienced such breath-taking beauty (what stands out most in my mind is the warmth and selflessness of the Indian people), and witness with my own eyes the countries' rich history (Kama Sutra temples, Ganghis River, Taj Majal, Himalayas).  I'll be sharing videos from my trip, hoping to inspire you to go on your OWN adventure.  Check out www.smartours.com.  That's the travel company we went through - rockstar, knowledgable guides, reasonable prices (yup! You can make monthly payments!), 5-star hotels, a good balance of site-seeing and exploring the authentic native culture.
Do YOU have any interesting stories to share about your own life-changing trip?  Ohh, Daaawwlliiing.....do tell!!!
       

Get Your Fitness On!

Welcome, Friends! :)

 

You: Enhanced Version

Well, once upon a time I embarked on a blogging journey...here we are, almost 3 yrs later, and I still like to talk! A lot.  I recently made some changes in my life that have broadened my horizons and opened my eyes and heart to a world of opportunities. I've decided to dedicate this blog to everyone and anyone who is looking to become an enhanced, "new & improved" version of his or herself. 

We already know we're amazing - what are some things that we can do to enhance our lives, fulfill our dreams and become a more beautiful INSIDE and out? 

I'll be sharing everything from workouts, make-up tips, cool events, delicious recipes or basically anything going on in my life that I feel will contribute to you being the BEST YOU ever!! I'm especially eager to hear your ideas, suggestions, thoughts and experiences.

Thanks for sharing in this personal journey...Welcome to Valentinaland!