Checking In

Hi friends! I just wanted to do a quick check-in with you today. Blake and I are trying to figure out when we’ll be heading back to Oregon. We’re thinking Wednesday or Thursday? It all depends on how many more jobs he has up here and Alaska Airlines flight schedule. The flights with the lowest airline miles have ridiculous times. The one’s that we are looking at include overnight layovers in Seattle. We’d either have to sleep at the airport (hard to do with Layla) or rent a hotel room for a few hours. We’ll see how it all works out. I’ve learned not to worry or stress about these things because they’ll work out eventually.

I have been freezing my buns off up here! The other night on our way home from dinner, a thermostat read 5 degrees. I haven’t seen it above 20 degrees for the past week or so. Layla and I have been going for walks whenever it’s not snowing. I don’t think that I’ll take her for longer than 20 minutes anymore because her little paws were so cold after our long walk around the lake today. I bundled her up in a blankie afterwards and she’s sleeping peacefully now.

Sorry that I don’t have more exciting news or any health advice today. I’m just focusing on getting us ready to go: doing laundry, packing, cleaning the cabin, getting tickets booked, etc.

I’ll be back in a few days with a post about what I’ve learned during my stay up in Alaska.

Love,

Kilee

Fitness Friday: Body Weight Strength Exercises

Hi! Happy Friday! I’m itching to hit the gym and lift some weights when I get home. It’s been over a month since I’ve lifted weights and I miss that feeling of pumping iron. I enlisted the help of my friend, Gina “The Working Girl Trainer”, for advice on body weight exercises that I can do while on the road. Here are some of her suggestions for exercises to incorporate into your routine when you’re away from the gym. *Remember to always check with you doctor before starting a new exercise routine and if it hurts, don’t do it*

Body Weight Exercises to Try

• Mountain climbers
• Jump Squats
• Burpees
• Plyo Lunges
• Push Ups
• Jumping Jacks
• Speed skater jumps

Do you have any favorite exercises that you do when you’re away from the gym? I like to tack on a “5 minute Ab” routine at the end of my workouts. My friend and group exercise class instructor, McKenzie, introduced me to this concept back in college. I position myself next to a clock and do a different ab exercise each minute for five minutes total. Example: 1 minute crunches, 1 minute bicycles, 1 minute extended leg lifts, 1 minute V-sit crunch & 1 minute plank.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather is nice enough for Blake’s helicopter flight back to Fairbanks today. He’s been in King Salmon and Cold Bay for the past week. It’s been snowing a lot here lately. The lake is completely frozen over and covered with snow. Here are some pics of Layla from our walk yesterday.

Lake is covered with snow

Those are only paw prints on the lake. I haven't seen any foot prints, so I'm not going to be the first to test it out!

Look at that cute little face dusted with snow!

She NEVER wants to come inside after our walks or playing in the snow. I practically have to drag her inside!

I’m off to do a HIT workout and take Layla for her walk.

Have a great day!

Kilee

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What I’m Looking Forward To…

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time up here in Alaska. I’m very thankful for this opportunity to spend time with Blake, explore this beautiful state and relax in such a peaceful setting.

I got to visit Chena Hot Springs

Fly to Lake Iliamna

Fly back to Fairbanks

and spend a lot of time here at Chena Marina.

We have about a week left up here and even though I’ll miss Alaska, I’m excited for Blake’s and my new adventure. We’re moving from the Portland, Oregon area over to central Oregon. We rented a cozy house in a very peaceful setting. I’m envisioning many nights at home by the fire curled up on the couch with Blake and Layla.

I tent to get excited about things pretty easily. I didn’t realize this trait until Blake told me that it was one of the things that he liked best about me. Here are some of the things that I’m excited about when we get back to Oregon:

Gluten-free baking. I have been experiencing gluten-free baking withdrawals up here! I made a few regular baked goods for Blake and his co-workers, but haven’t spent the extra money to buy the healthy, gluten-free baking ingredients that I use back at home. I can’t wait to bake some pumpkin muffins and ginger molasses cookies when we move into our new place!

Smoothies!!! There haven’t been blenders in any of the places that we’ve stayed. I didn’t realize how much I was addicted to my blender until I didn’t have access to one. I even tried mashing up a banana to add to my protein shake. Didn’t really cut it!

Free weights and working out in a gym. My workouts have been kinda fun lately: running around the lake, rubber bands for stregnth and indoor body-weight circuits. But, I’m itching to get in the gym and lift some real weights.

Friends and family coming to visit. I was extremely apprehensive about moving to central Oregon because I know what it’s like to live far away from family and friends. One of the main reasons why we moved back from Maui was because I missed everyone so much. My hope is that our friends and family will come stay with us often. I can cook some new dinner recipes for them and we can go explore all of the fun things that there are to do around Bend.

Meet new friends. I love making new friends and recognize how important is is to have quality “girl-time” in my weekly schedule. My goal is to find some active girlfriends who can share with me their favorite things to do and places to go. Hopefully they’ll be willing to be taste-testers for my gluten-free recipes because I won’t have my sister around for that anymore :(

Exploring the outdoors. Blake and I love to be outdoors and going new places. I especially like hiking, trail running and stand-up paddleboarding. There are tons of trails over in Central Oregon and plenty of beautiful scenery to enjoy. We might even try rock climbing once the weather gets nicer this Spring.

Have you been over near Bend, Oregon? Do you have any specific things you think I should try out once we move over there? Are there any new, fun things that you’d like to try out where you live?

I’m off to take Layla for her walk and finish some emails. Have a great day today!

Much love,

Kilee

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Tasty Tuesday: Single Serving Pumpkin Pudding

Hi! How are you doing this morning? I’m happy and healthy up here in Fairbanks. I managed to run around the lake without falling on the ice yesterday. Layla ran with me the whole way. She loves going on runs, but only if I stop a million times for her to sniff random leaves.

I ventured out to Freddies last night because the roads were safe enough for me to drive on and I had a craving for something sweet. I purposefully did not buy any candy corn or sweets when I stocked up on groceries last time. My justification for indulging last night’s craving was that you needed a new low-calorie dessert recipe here on the blog. I stuck with the pumpkin theme that pops up everywhere this time of the year. Here is your single-serving (so you don’t over-indulge) pumpkin pudding.

Single Serving Pumpkin Pudding

serves 1 sweet tooth

1/4 cup vanilla goat yogurt (or whatever type of yogurt you prefer)

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 Tablespoon instant vanilla pudding mix (you can use the FF/SF, but it won’t taste as good)

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 Tablespoons Truwhip + more for garnish

Mix the yogurt, pumpkin and instant pudding together with a fork in a small dish or mug. Stir in the pumpkin pie spice. Gently fold in the Truwhip and add a drop on top for garnish. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon and you have a 130 calorie treat for the night!

I couldn’t help but share this pic of Layla in her jammies. It’s too cold to leave her in the car for long, so I put these on before we left for the store.

Have a great day!

Kilee

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Tips for Combatting Sugar Addiction

Hi! Happy Saturday! Are you doing anything fun this weekend? I am laying low and planning what to bring to our new rental and what to leave in storage. I’m excited to get moved in and check everything out.

We were up by 6:15 this morning because Blake had to catch a flight to Anchorage and then fly with some co-workers over to King Salmon. He’ll be gone for a few days, so that means Layla and I have to keep ourselves entertained. After eating breakfast and pinning on my new Pinterest account, we went for our mid-morning walk. It was especially beautiful out today. I’ll share some photos from our walk around the lake:

The lake is totally frozen over now

Layla can walk on it, but I didn't want to fall through the ice!

"Mom, seriously. Enough with the photos!"

I love this cute cabin on the lake!

One of the signs that we pass on our walks.

Last pic of Layla. I can't help it - she's so darn cute!!!

Today I wanted to offer some tips on overcoming sugar addiction. As I continually transition to a healthier diet, there is one craving that sets in day after day: sugar! I love my sugar. Luckily, I have found that maple syrup and agave nectar settle much better with my system than refined sugar. However, I still would like to consume less sugar on a day to day basis. Last night, I was grocery shopping and had a major craving for candy corn. Even though I really, really wanted to some, I knew that I have absolutely no portion control when it comes to those corn syrup-sweetened candies. I had a flashback to Halloween 2008, when accidentally ate a whole bag in one sitting and then felt completely nauseous the rest of the night. So, I didn’t buy any candy corn last night. Accidental over-indulgence avoided!

Later on, I was flipping through some of my IIN (Institute of Integrative Nutrition) handouts and saw this one on sugar cravings. With Halloween and the holiday season right around the corner, I thought that we could all use a refresher course on how to work through our cravings for sugar.

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10 Steps for Dealing with Sugar Addiction

1. Reduce or eliminate caffeine. The ups and downs of caffeine include dehydration and blood sugar swings, causing sugar cravings to be more frequent.
2. Drink water. Sometimes sweet cravings are a sign of dehydration. Before you go for the sugar, have a glass of water and then wait a few minutes to see what happens. Caution: soft drinks are now America’s number one source of added sugar.
3. Eat sweet vegetables and fruit. They are sweet, healthy and delicious. The more you eat, the less you’ll crave sugar.
4. Use gentle sweets. Avoid chemicalized, artificial sweeteners and foods with added sugar. Use gentle sweeteners like maple syrup, brown rice syrup, dried fruit, stevia, barley malt and agave nectar.
5. Get physically active. Start with simple activities, like walking or yoga. Start with 10 minutes a day and gradually increase. It will help balance your blood sugar levels, boost your energy, and reduce tension without medicating yourself with sugar!
6. Get more sleep, rest and relaxation. When you are tired or stressed, your body will crave energy—in the form of sugar. These cravings are often a result of being sleep-deprived, going to bed late or waking up early, sometimes for months and years on end.
7. Evaluate the amount of animal food you eat. Eating too much can lead to cravings for sweets. So can eating too little! A good health coach will help you sort this out. Experiment. Respect your body’s individuality.
8. Eliminate fat-free or low-fat packaged snack-foods. These foods contain high quantities of sugar to compensate for lack of flavor and fat, which will send you on the roller-coaster ride of sugar highs and lows.
9. Experiment with spices. Coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom will naturally sweeten your foods and reduce cravings.
10. Slow down and find sweetness in non-food ways! You body does not biologically need sugar, but it does long for hugs, time with friends, outside time, workouts, massages, etc. When life becomes sweet enough itself, no additives are needed!From Get the Sugar Out: 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar Out of Any Diet by Ann Louise Gittleman.

Do you have any tips that work for you on avoiding sugar? Just writing this post made me want something sweet. I put tip #3 into action and snacked on an organic green apple instead. It was delicious and satisfied my sugar craving. Mission accomplished!

Have a great weekend and I’ll talk to you later,

Kilee

Found this print on Etsy: here.

Fit Friday

Happy Friday! I hope your last day of the work week is going smoothly. I just finished my mug of hot cocoa. I like to heat up 8 ounces of unsweetened almond milk with 2 teaspoons of powdered cocoa and a packet of stevia. It is super cold up here right now. Last night, when we passed on of the thermostats in town, it read 20 degrees!

Yesterday, I mentioned that I wouldn’t have internet access for a few days. Well, I was very clever, and figured out the password for the internet access here in the cabin. Can you imagine being without internet access for an extended period of time? Neither can I – haha!

The water on the lake is starting to freeze over. Yesterday, Layla saw the ducks walking on the icy lake and she tried to walk out onto the lake, but the ice along the edge was so thin that she went right through it and into the water. Don’t worry, her front paws were the only part of her to get wet. It was funny to watch her reaction!

My “winter weather workouts” have dwindled since I slipped and fell on my hip a few days back. I now have a bruise the size of a cantaloupe on my hip and it hurts to do much besides walking. I did a rubber bands arm circuit today and am going to take Layla on a long walk around the lake. When it comes to exercising, I definitely go through phases.  During the summer months, I enjoy a more intense routine of 5-6 workouts a week. During the fall and spring, I usually follow a 4-5 day schedule. And, during the middle of the winter, it dwindles down to 3-4 days a week. My goal this winter is to do 5 workouts a week with a mix of weights, cardio and yoga. I’ll need a little extra motivation when the days get shorter and colder, but I feel so much better when I stick to a more consistent workout schedule.

I’m pretty excited because the new rental that Blake and I will be living in has it’s own gym and free yoga classes. We’re moving over to the Central Oregon area and there are no 24-Hour Fitnesses over there. (We buy the 2-year memberships though Costco and still have a year’s worth left to use.)

Preview photo of where we'll be moving too

My favorite types of workouts are strength training circuits, running outside and taking group classes. I’m also looking forward to trying new outdoor winter activities like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. We’ll also be closer to the mountian for skiing and snowboarding.

What are some of your favorite ways to get a workout? Would you rather be inside or outdoors?

I’m off to see if it’s warm enough for our daily walk around the lake. Have a fabulous Friday!!!

*Video Bonus* Here’s a 5-Minute Ab workout that I did after my arm circuit today:

INSANE Abs in 5 Minutes by Davey Wavey (source)

Ab Workout

Photos from Fairbanks

Hi! How is your day going so far? Everything is good up here in Alaska. Blake has a job based out of Fairbanks today and then he’s heading back to Dillingham for a few days. It’s been snowing and the roads have been really icy lately. I’m way too scared to drive when the roads are like this, so when he gets done flying tonight, we’re going to go to Fred Meyers and stock up on food and magazines so I don’t have to leave the cabin over the next few days.

Layla’s and my morning walks have gotten shorter and shorter. We are both too cold to go out in the below-freezing temperatures. She refused to even get out of bed for the first hour this morning. I hope that it’s warmer and not too rainy when we get back to Oregon.

Because of the snow and ice, Blake had to prepare his helicopter for this morning’s job last night. This meant that he had to melt the ice off of the blades and body of the helicopter. We heated up tap water and poured it over the blades. Then he took towels to dry the blades off and remove as much ice as possible from the rest of the helicopter.

Layla took this time as an opportunity to play in the snow with her pilot jacket on. We got the jacket for her when she was a lot smaller and now it has a bit of a “sausage” effect on her. She absolutely loves it up here!

When Blake leaves tonight or tomorrow, I won’t have any internet access and doubt that I’ll be driving to the internet cafe because of the icy roads. I’ll try to do a post as soon as I can, but if you don’t hear from me, don’t worry! I’m off to do a rubber band workout and work on some paperwork. I hope that you have a great day today!

Much love,

Kilee

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Wealth Wednesday: What Does Wealth Mean To You?

One of Blake's Photos from earlier this year

Hi! I hope that your week is going smoothly. Sorry that I missed you yesterday. I was without internet and didn’t have a chance to go to the coffee shop. The wi-fi was so slow at the coffee shop on Monday that I actually had to go to McDonald’s to be able to upload photos for Monday’s post. I was impressed with my grilled southwest chicken salad that I ate while I was there. McDonald’s has stepped up their game in the healthier fast-food department.

Today I wanted to talk a little bit about what it means to be wealthy. Wikipedia defines wealth as:

“Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions … The concept of wealth is of significance in all areas of economics, especially development economics, yet the meaning of wealth is context-dependent and there is no universally agreed upon definition.” - source.

My view of wealth is beginning to shift meanings. I understand that there is still a need to generate money in order to create a comfortable lifestyle, but what does true wealth mean to you? My first inclination was that being wealthy meant that you felt secure and happy with your life.

I spent some time thinking about what makes me feel secure and happy. I listed off things like spending quality time with Blake and Layla, cooking healthy dinners for my family and friends, going for long walks and having a warm and cozy place to live. As I reviewed my list, I recognized the fact that none of these items regarded material goods or required an extra high level of income. My list was centered around relationships, healthy activities and having a comfortable place to call home. It was in that moment that I was reminded of how full of wealth my life already is.

Take some time today to think about what “feeling wealthy” means to you. It could be feeling free, grateful or loved. Then write down things in your life that already make you feel this way. For example, “not having to depend on anyone, taking time to say grace before your meals or receiving lots of kisses from your dog when you come home each night.”

By focusing on and being thankful for what already brings us wealth in our lives, we will in turn attract more wealth to us.

What makes you feel wealthy?

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Motivational Monday

Hi! I hope that you had a fun weekend! Blake had both Saturday and Sunday off, so we slept in, took Layla for lots of walks and practiced our shotgun skills. Well, Blake practiced and I tried it out for the first time.

Today I wanted to talk a little bit about what motivates us to lead a healthy lifestyle. We all know that we should try to be healthy, but it’s much easier to ignore the advice and indulge in more of our guilty pleasures than we’re willing to admit. There are some healthy activities that I love to do and naturally fit into my daily routine, while there are other practices that require constant reminders and motivation to accomplish.

Healthy traits that come naturally to me:

1. Working out about five times a week. I enjoy going for runs, lifting weights, taking group exercise classes and going on long walks with Layla.
2. Cooking healthy meals. It’s no secret that I love to cook and I feel so much better when I use healthy, gluten-free foods in my recipes.
3. Getting enough sleep. I was the girl who always fell asleep first at slumber parties. My body cannot function properly without 7-8 hours of sleep a night, so I’m pretty consistent with going to bed to get enough zzz’s.

Healthy traits that require more motivation:

1. Not reaching for dark chocolate, gluten-free cookies or coconut milk ice-cream after dinner. I have a major sweet tooth. Over the past year, I have calmed it down, but I still have to resist the nightly urge to eat a sweet treat after dinner.
2. Keeping my negative self-talk and anxiety under control. I have worked through 90% of my negative self-talk and anxious thought patterns by practicing positive thinking and focusing on the present moment.
3. Letting go of an “All or Nothing” approach. I get pretty fired up about ideas that I have, but sometimes when something isn’t going as planned, I give up on it entirely instead of accepting the set back and continuing in the positive direction.

None of us is perfect and has 100% control over every aspect of his or her life. I accept my positive and negative attributes because they are all part of what makes me, me. I continually strive to be the most positive, healthy version of myself and on some days, this takes a little more motivation than others.

What Helps Motivate Me to Live a Healthy Lifestyle:

Writing post-it notes to myself to workout first thing in the morning and sticking them on the bathroom mirror.

Rewarding myself with small treats when I achieve a mini goal. For example: a new fitness or cooking magazine when I stick to eating healthy meals all week or a relaxing epson salt bath after a grueling workout.

Creating fitness-goals for particular events. For example, I wanted to look my best in Laura’s wedding this summer, so about eights weeks before the wedding, I stepped up my workouts and was a little more strict with my healthy eating.

Lots of workouts and healthy meals

went into getting ready for this!

Writing down why I want to be healthy. It’s great to have a page in your journal or a piece of paper on your inspiration board stating the reasons why you want to be healthy. This way, if you’re feeling down or unmotivated, you can reference your list. Some of my reasons include: feeling my best, being a positive example to others, keeping my body healthy incase we choose to have children in the future and staying active to be able to do activities that I enjoy – like hiking and SUP.

Readers, what methods do you use to motivate yourself to lead a healthy lifestyle?

I’ll leave you with some photos of the snow that we woke up with this morning. I went for a beautiful run around the lake, but ended up slipping on some ice and falling on my hip. I also managed to drop my ipod in the snow and couldn’t find it for a few minutes. Maybe I’m not meant to run outdoors when it’s this snowy?

Fitness Friday

Good morning! How are you doing on this beautiful Friday? It’s been very cold up here in Fairbanks. It actually started snowing yesterday. Poor Blake had forgotten his gloves and hat back in the other helicopter and said that his fingers started showing signs of frostbite! Luckily, we found some gloves and hats back in the cabin last night.

Today I wanted to share a do-anywhere workout that I did the other day. I clipped it out of one of my Women’s Health magazines. It works all different parts of your body and had my heart rate up after completing one cycle.

Tone Up Anytime, Anywhere Workout from Women’s Health Magazine

Start with move 1 and do as many reps as you can in 60 seconds. Then do move 2 (the second part of the superset)—again, as many reps as you can do in 60 seconds. Move on to move 3 and continue this pattern until you’ve finished all eight moves. That’s one circuit. Rest for a minute or two (or challenge yourself by taking a shorter break), then repeat for a total of two or three circuits.

Move 1: Forward Lunge

Move 2: Squat Jump

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes forward; lightly touch your fingers behind your ears and extend your elbows to the sides. Bend your knees, then explosively jump as high as you can. Land softly on the balls of your feet and immediately lower into your next squat.

I’m off to take Layla for a walk, work on some business building materials, work out and go grocery shopping for dinner ingredients. What should I make tonight? I’m leaning towards salmon. If you’re going to buy salmon anywhere, Alaska is the place for it!

Have a great day,

Kilee

Positive Thinking Thursday

Hi! What did you think about yesterday’s post about generating more wealth in your life? I have been letting go of the fear that I’ve been holding onto regarding money and learning view my life and wealth from a place of love and abundance.

Today’s post will be short and sweet. I wanted to talk a little bit about the power of positive thinking. Your thoughts and beliefs create your life experiences. You hold far more power in creating the life of your dreams, than you probably realize.

Your assignment for today is to stop any negative thought that may cross your mind and replace it with a positive one.
Examples:

Replace, “I don’t have any time to make a healthy dinner” with, “I have a lot of time to make a healthy dinner.”

Replace, “My stomach looks too fat in this outfit” with, “My stomach looks tiny in this outfit.”

Replace, “I will never have enough money to travel to Europe” with, “I will soon have enough money to travel to Europe.”

It’s important to rephrase each negative thought into a positive one because the way you think about your life shapes how your life plays out. Continue this exercise all day today and work to make it a habit.

Here of some photos from Layla’s and my walk last night. The days are getting shorter and the air is much cooler up here in Alaska.

Wealth Wednesday

Hi! Sorry I’m a little late posting today. The wi-fi that I had been using in the pilot cabin suddenly stopped working, so I’m joining you from Alaska Coffee Roasters. They roast their own coffee beans and provide free wi-fi here at their popular coffee house in Fairbanks.

Last night, I listened to one of my favorite podcasts, “Everything is Energy” hosted by Kristin and David Morelli. They are married, millionaire intuitives who promote the idea that everything in our life is made up of energy and that we have the power to change our life experiences by changing our energy. Their weekly show (that is currently off-air, but you can download the episodes on iTunes) features inspiring guests ranging from medical intuitives to spiritual leaders to best-selling authors.

The podcast that I listened to last night talked about money and fundraising. Their guest, “The Soul of Money” author, Lynne Twist, shared advice regarding money and fundraising for charitable organizations. She has been raising money to give to charities since she was five years old and has a great deal of knowledge about how we can create more wealth in our own life and generate more wealth to give to others. I want to share three of her valuable tips on creating an abundance of wealth.

Releasing fear

We as a culture need to reallocate the wealth of the world away from fear and towards love. Most money is spent on materialistic goods, depletion of  our natural resources and violence. We spend our money on material goods because we fear that we don’t look good enough to others or we don’t feel good enough about ourselves. We spend money on consuming an enormous amount of oil and do not consider the consequences of how this affects our planet for the years to come. We fear our safety and therefore spend money on personal weapons and wars. All of these purchases are made out of fear.

What we need to do is release this fear, trust that the Universe will support us and reallocate our wealth in the spirit of love. By shifting our energy towards supporting love, the health and wellbeing of the human race, animals and the earth, we are creating a positive flow of energy and abundance.

Clearing unconscious beliefs of lack

A current pandemic in our modern psyche is that of scarcity. The idea that there is not enough wealth to be shared with everyone exists in our mind, and is not a reality. It is the product of our consumer culture. If you believe that there will never be enough wealth for yourself and you fear living below the poverty line, that belief will become a reality. If you change your mindset and focus on the abundance of wealth and resources that the world provides and focus on sufficiency, this idea will come into existence.

Lynne shared that, “if you let go of trying to get more of what you don’t really need, it frees up oceans of energy to make a difference with what you already have.” This mindset will help stabilize your thought pattern and bring you a peace of mind. Recognize what you already have and be grateful for it. Let go of any unconscious belief of lack that you may be holding onto.

Live a life of passion, fulfillment and financial freedom

You only have one life to live on this planet. You should spend your precious time doing what you love. By discovering your passion in life and doing it, the amount of love and fulfillment will override any feelings of lack or doubt that you may be holding on to. By stepping into a place of love and living your dream life, financial wealth will come to you. The important lesson is to not worry about the money, but focus on doing what you love.

I’m not saying that you should quit your job, move to Spain to study Spanish dancing and assume that you will become a millionaire. However, if you continue to make enough money to cover your basic living expenses and dedicate your free time to pursuing your passion, you will eventually generate wealth doing what you love.

These tips provide the perfect starting point for creating more abundance in your life. How can you shift your financial mindset out of fear and into love? How can you let go of unconscious beliefs surrounding lack and scarcity? What can you do to start adding more personal fulfillment into your everyday life?

I encourage you to visit Lynne’s website, soulofmoney.org as well as Kristin and Davids’s everythingisenergy.com. Have a wonderful day today and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Much love,

Kilee

I doubt Layla ever worries about money. All she cares about is food, getting plenty of attention and sleeping!

“Tasty” Tuesday

Good morning! How is your week going so far? Mine has been nice and relaxing. Layla and I went for our walk, I worked on my lap top most of the day, did my workout and cooked dinner. My time spent up here in Alaska has been the perfect opportunity to work on my personal growth and focus on how I can create my best life. Helping others learn to feel good about themselves and inspiring them to live their best life are two aspects of my consulting business that I make me proud of the work that I do.

From now on, Tuesday’s posts will feature all sorts of info related to healthy foods, recipes and nutrition. Since I’ve been having a serious baking withdrawal l want to share my super-healthy, gluten-free, no-sugar-added cookies that I made a few weeks back.

Quinoa Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

1/2 cup Ancient Harvest quinoa flakes

1 scoop Sun Warrior vanilla brown rice protein powder

1 Tablespoon ground flax seed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 packets of stevia (I use Trader Joe’s brand)

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup cage-free egg whites

1 Tablespoon almond butter (I used raw, unsalted creamy)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 square of Baker’s chocolate ( I used the semi-sweet, but use whatever kind you prefer)

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries

Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites, almond butter and vanilla. Set aside. In a medium bowl, stir the quinoa flakes, protein powder, ground flax seed, cinnamon, stevia and sea salt until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the liquid is absorbed. The dough will be slightly crumbly. Chop the chocolate square and dried cranberries. Add them to the cookie dough. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before eating.

* I calculated the calorie count for these cookies and it came to roughly 50 cal/cookie!*

I’m warning you though; if you are craving a Nestle Tollhouse cookie, these are not going to satisfy your craving. However, if you are following a reduced calorie diet and need a sweet, healthy treat, these should fill the void.

My mom’s friend shared an innovative recipe blog with me that has me drooling at my computer screen. Check out http://gojee.com. They have a cool feature where you type an ingredient that you have on hand and they’ll show you multiple recipes that call for that ingredient. I haven’t tried any of their recipes yet, but they all look amazing!

Let me know if you try out these low-calorie cookies or visit the gojee.com website. Have a great day!

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“Goal Setting” Monday

Good morning! I hope that you are having a great day so far. It has been absolutely beautiful up here in Alaska the past few days. I want to create a more structured approach to how I post here on the blog and this morning’s post is my first “Goal Setting” Monday post.

As you may have already noticed, I’m a big supporter of setting goals for yourself. There is a strong link between following through with your intentions and being confident in yourself. Think about how you felt when you gave up on something you were working on. Negative self-talk probably started to play in your head and you might have felt like a failure. Now consider how you felt when you kept a promise that you made to yourself and achieved a goal that you set. Did you feel happy and proud of your dedication and hard work?

Goals need to be meaningful and authentic to your true self or else you won’t be as motivated to achieve them. Does your true self really want to own a Corvette, or do you simply think that other people will like you better if you drive one? In order for you to really get excited about and dedicate yourself to your goals, they need to come from your heart – your authentic self.

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Today’s exercise is about focusing on what you really want in life. Take out your journal or notebook and write down 5-10 things that you want to accomplish within your lifetime. They can be as simple as owning a dog to as extravagant as sailing around the world in a sailboat. Whatever you heart desires, write it down. The trick is to let your authentic self tell you what it wants to accomplish, not what you think “sounds good” to others.

I took some time last night after dinner to write out ten things that I wanted to do in my lifetime. Here are three examples from my list:

1. Travel to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean and Asia.

2. Help other women improve their self-confidence and live their best life.

3. Stand-up paddleboard on a regular basis.

These are all things that excite and inspire me. The next step is to write out a mini-action plan for each of your goals. Some goals can be accomplished within a few months, while others might not be doable until years from now. The key is to write down how and when you will start working towards your goals.

My example:

1. Travel to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean and Asia.

Blake and I have already decided that our first international trip together will be to Australia and New Zealand. We have watched many documentaries featuring these countries and researched attractions that we’d like to visit.

My first step is to research how much a trip to Australia and New Zealand will cost. I’ll look at different airfare providers, find out if a cruise ship or rental car would be the best way to see all of the sights that we want to see, ask my cousin and his girl friend (who will be living near Perth for the next year) when is the best time to visit them, create an estimated vacation budget for a 2-week stay with airfare for Blake and I and finally, figure out where Layla would stay while we’re gone.

Next, Blake and I need to sit down and go over the financial aspect. Do we already have enough saved up for the trip? If not, how much money will we need to put aside each month to cover our expenses for the trip?

Finally, when we have made all of our decisions and saved up enough money for the trip, it will be time to book our flight and make travel arrangements.

Whew! That was a lot of planning, but it will all be worth it when we’re in the Outback on an Australian safari.

2. Help other women improve their self-confidence and live their best life.

This is something that I can do here on the blog by sharing ways that I’ve improved my self-confidence and created my best life. I can encourage others to find what makes them happy and feel good about them self.

I can also volunteer with adolescents and encourage them to discover their passion at a young age and commit to doing it. I can volunteer my time to help women who have experienced abuse and help them rebuild their self-confidence and start living their best life.

I can work with women who feel hopeless about where their life is headed and show them that they have the power to create their own destiny.

What I now see, is that there are numerous ways that I can help other women improve their self-confidence and live their best life.

3. Stand-Up Paddleboard on a regular basis.

I started stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) about a month or two before we moved from Maui. Since then, I’ve been dying to go more often. We live in Portland, OR and I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t gone SUP anywhere around here.

My options are to:

Wait until next summer and go somewhere around Portland or drive to Hood River for an afternoon.

I could move to Bend, where SUP is very popular, and go all summer long.

I could move back to Maui and go SUP year-round.

I could move to Southern California or Mexico and go SUP year-round.

I should point out that I’m a sun & bikini type of SUP-boarder. Sorry, but if I have to put on a wetsuit, it’s not as much fun!

I hope that you found my examples helpful and inspiring. It’s important not to get so focused on completing your goals that you miss out on all the other fun things in life. We need to strive to keep a balance between what we want to accomplish and being open to the other amazing adventures that the Universe has in store for us.

Now it’s your turn! Take out your journal or notebook and ask yourself what you really want to do during your precious time here on earth.

Happy Monday everyone!

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Be sure to tune into Oprah’s Life Class on OWN tonight and check out the live webcast with Mastin Kipp (founder of onedailylove.com) afterwards on oprah.com at 6pm Pacific, 8pm Central & 9pm Eastern.

Weekend Re-Cap

Hi! How has your weekend been? Mine has been great. Since you last saw me, Blake and I flew the helicopter to Dillingham.

We were treated to salmon, salad, wild rice and asparagus the night that we flew in.

I stayed there for two nights and hung out with Blake and three biologists when they weren’t out in the field working.
During the day I cleaned the cabin, did laundry, went for a run, grocery shopped at the two grocery stores (you know you’ve been in rural Alaska too long when you’re impressed that a town has TWO grocery stores!) made dinner and cupcakes.

The Scottish biologist called them “fairy cakes.” Isn’t that a cute name for them?
To give you an idea of how expensive groceries are here, let me list the some of the items that we picked up in Dillingham:

Silk Almond Milk: $9.99
16 oz. tub of salsa: $4.99
Honey Chex Mix: $7.99
Box of Funfetti Cake Mix: $4.49
Fuji Apples: $2.99/lbs

Coming from Oregon, these prices were outrageous!
I flew out of Dillingham and into Anchorage Friday morning on Pen Air. The plane was so loud that they gave out complimentary ear plugs! I have never experienced such a loud commercial plane before. Once I landed in Anchorage, I enjoyed having cell phone and wi-fi service until my next flight to Fairbanks.
When I flew into Fairbanks, I picked up Layla from the kennel, bought some groceries and had a nice, relaxing Friday night. Layla has been catching up on some much-needed sleep!

Saturday morning, I took Layla for a walk around the lake, enjoyed my extra-strong cup of coffee and did an outdoor workout.

Since I don’t have access to a gym or free weights (and Blake has his rubber bands with him) I had to get creative with my workout. I found these old rubber tires next to the lake and incorporated them into my workout. Here’s what I did:

30 minute run with Layla – This wasn’t too strenuous since she stops to sniff something every minute or two!

Body weight circuit (3 sets x 12 reps per exercise)

• Squat with alternating leg lifts
• Push-ups while gripping tire
• Standing alternating leg lift oblique crunches
• Triceps dips while holding onto tire
• Standing glute kick-backs
• TIU tummy tucks while gripping tire

Working out is a little more fun when you have such beautiful scenery to look at!

I have been having tons of relax time with while Blake finished up his job in Dillingham. This has been the perfect time to read some inspiring books on my Kindle, write in my journal (this is a new practice for me,) spend time with Layla and plan some new blog posts. It’s going to be a great week here on the blog!

I’ll be back tomorrow with some tips that I’ve learned about goal-setting. Have a great Sunday!!!

Something To Do: Sign-up for Oprah’s Lifeclass on OWN’s website. On of my favorites, Mastin Kipp of thedailylove.com will be online Monday 10/10 at 6pm Pacific for a webcast discussion on Ego.

Today’s Assignment: Do What You Love

Hi! I’m excited to debut my new video post. I’ve never recorded myself for the blog before, so please excuse any lack of video quality. I promise that I’ll work to improve future videos.

Your assignment today is to take some time to think about what you love doing. It could be as simple as walking down to the coffee shop on Sunday mornings and enjoying your americano while reading the newspaper or as elaborate as planning a five course dinner party for a dozen of your closest friends. Write down a list of activities that bring you joy and happiness in your journal or notebook. The next part of your assignment is to schedule some time to do one of these activities within the next seven days. Open up your planner and write down when you are going to devote some time to doing what you love.

Here is my list that I wrote out today:

For my assignment, I plan to read magazines by buying two new magazines when I go to the grocery store in Fairbanks. If I can find a Barnes and Noble, I’ll sit and read tons of magazines and maybe choose just one to purchase.

It’s that simple! You deserve to take some time devoted to doing whatever makes you happy. Please let me know what you plan on doing and when you’re going to do it.

Take care,

Kilee

Cilantro Lime Chicken Wrap

Hi! I’m sharing a recipe that I frequently make for lunch or a filling afternoon snack. It’s naturally gluten-free and tastes refreshing thanks to the lime juice.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Wrap

2 whole collard green leaves with the tough part of the stems removed

3 1/2 ounces grilled chicken breast (I like to season mine with Caribbean Mrs. Dash seasoning)

1/4 cup shredded carrots

6 grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 fresh lime wedges

pinch of sea salt, optional

Divide all of your wrap fillings between the two collard green leaves. Squeeze the limes over the fillings. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Wrap up like a burrito and dig in!

This is a quick and simple recipe once you have prepped all of your ingredients. You can even double the recipe when prepping your ingredients and leave them in the refrigerator for a super-quick lunch the following day.

What are some of your favorite lunchtime wrap combinations? I love turkey breast with chevre & cranberry sauce as well as hummus with shredded carrots and Sriracha sauce.

Have a great day!

Lake Iliamna: Lesson on Judgement

Hello friends!

I have been reluctant to post anything lately because all of the photos that I took on our four-hour helicopter flight from Fairbanks to Lake Iliamna are on Blake’s super-fancy camera and I can’t get them to upload to my laptop. As soon as I do, I’ll post some of the breathtaking photos from our flight.

We have been staying at a lodge on Lake Iliamna for the past five nights. Because we didn’t know what our accommodations would be like or how Layla would do for that long of a helicopter flight, we booked her a stay at a kennel in Fairbanks.

Our little trouble-maker is right where she belongs - behind bars!

They even have a “Muttesorie” school for her to go to during the day. We called and checked on her and they said that she was having a blast playing with the other dogs and behaving like a good girl. I’m not sure if I believe them about her good behavior, but feel relieved about her excellent report.

Today I wanted to talk about a lesson that I learned during our first few days here.

We were picked up at the airport by one of Blake’s co-workers and driven to the “lodge” where we’d be staying. I was expecting a resort-like place with a lobby, restaurant and lounge and hot tub because that is the only type of “lodge” that I have been to. However, we pulled up to a large, house-looking building that had antlers hanging from the front. As we walked through the narrow hallway and to our room, I quickly decided that I was not going to like it here because A) it had not been remodeled for at least 25 years, B) it lacked a fancy restaurant and spa and C) it felt like the set of a horror film.

Me, being a brat because I was freezing cold and judgmental.

I whispered my disappointment in our accommodations to Blake who told me to relax and appreciate this new experience. As we headed upstairs and sat down for our late dinner of salad, sauteed vegetables, sausage and pasta, I became anxious because I assumed there would be little to no gluten-free food choices. I explained to the lodge owner that I wasn’t trying to be impolite by not eating the pasta, but that I was gluten-intolerant. He asked me to explain what that meant and would try to accommodate my dietary restriction.

The "game room"

He then proudly showed us the “game room” that displayed at least 20 different types of mounted animals from a famous hunter’s personal collection. By that time, I was grossed out by the dead animals, old decor and amount of sausage that I had just consumed. I decided that I was going to have to suffer through a week with slow Internet, being by myself in a creepy place and being isolated from any modern-day town. (The village is about a mile away and consists of a trading post.)

Blake’s food and lodging is covered by the company he works for, but he is paying $150/day to cover my food and lodging. I told him that he was being “ripped-off” for paying that much given the condition of this place and the few gluten-free food choices that I had. His response was that he “wasn’t paying for some grand hotel for me, he was paying for me to be with him.” Hmm… I hadn’t thought about it that way. I was too busy complaining about everything that wasn’t “perfect” that I forgot to be grateful for the fact that we were together and Blake was willing to shell out some serious cash for me to be able to stay with him. Right then, I started to become embarrassed of my childish behavior.

The next day, I went for a long walk around the lake and spent some time reading books and magazines. I started to feel relaxed and comfortable.  The lodge owner was kind enough to make me a chicken and vegetable soup from scratch along with a salad as my lunchtime meal. He asked what kinds of gluten-free foods that he could prepare for me. He then built me a fire in the “game room” and encouraged me to watch the T.V. and relax by the fire.

While on my run that evening, I was blown away by how judgemental I had been. Within 30 seconds of arriving at the lodge, I decided that I didn’t like it and thought that it was creepy. I’m embarrassed by my snap judgements. The lesson that I learned that day is, You don’t have to actually like something, but do not be so quick to place judgement on it. I don’t particularly enjoy where we are staying, but I should not have judged it the way that I did on our first night here.

Posing along the river in my new pink Carhartt jacket

Me falling down the super-steep trail that led to the river below.

I have so much to be grateful for at this moment; Blake and I get to spend time together while he’s not working, I have all day to do what I want to do, I’m healthy and able to go for runs and do outdoor workouts, I have plenty of clothes to keep me warm, Layla is being well taken care of, etc.

Readers, please learn from my mistake. Do not be so quick to judge someone, something, someplace. It’s alright if you eventually decide that you don’t care for it, but give it a chance.

I forgot to mention that there was a mouse in our room too! Of course, Blake was not phased by this, but I was horrified. The lodge owner offered for us to move rooms and that he would catch the mouse. Blake refused and eventually him and the lodge owner chased the mouse into another room and set out a trap for him.

It turns out that the left-over food that we had thrown in our trash was too appealing to the little mouse. So basically, Blake and I created our own problem, then freaked out over it and then it was solved. So many life lessons being learned on this trip!

Have a great day and I hope that you enjoy some of the photos that I’m sharing with you from our adventures up here!

Chena Hot Springs

Hello from Alaska! After a whirlwind experience of packing up our townhouse, moving our belongings into storage with the help of family, running last minute errands and flying from PDX to Fairbanks, Alaska with Layla in tow, I am finally with Blake!

If anyone has gone months without seeing their significant other, you know how at peace you feel when the two of you are reunited. Blake was so excited to have both of “his girls” with him again and I was relieved that we actually survived the drive from Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs. Apparently, there are plenty of moose encounters on the highways up here.

The night that I flew into town, Blake was finishing up a job near Chena Hot Springs was staying at Chena Hot Springs Resort. We were lucky enough to stay an extra night at the resort and have a whole day of rest and relaxation before heading back to Fairbanks. Layla loved running up and down the runway:

My favorite part of our stay was wading around in the natural hot springs. The last night that we were there, Blake and I shared a delicious steamed clam and crab dinner and then took a dip in the hot springs. They were the perfect temperature and it was neat how you could feel the hotter parts of the mineral water where they emerged from the ground.

This photograph was taken during the day. It's really pretty and lit up with colored lights in the evening.

We didn’t get a chance to tour their world-famous ice museum. We had to depart before their first tour was taking place.

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Blake had his heart set on enjoying one of their appletinis that are served in martini glasses carved out of ice!

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So far I haven’t had too hard of a time finding gluten-free dining options. As long as I’m able to explain to waiters that I have a gluten-intolerance and need my food to be free from flour and soy sauce, I’m good to go. I also packed a ton of gluten-free protein bars, apples and bananas, so I can always eat those if we’re somewhere without gluten-free options.

I’m going to be traveling around for the next month. Some areas have Internet while others do not. I’ll be posting whenever I have service. So long for now,

Kilee