Highlights of Fort Collins

July 10, 2016angelakemp25 Leave a comment

As you all know I am a huge foodie and most of the times a “drinkie” as well. The main reason I love to travel is to find new palate pleasures and fun adventure. I traveled to Fort Collins and its surrounding areas with my family and stayed with my aunt so unfortunately this blog won’t suggest any hotels, but it will be full of experience.

Hike Lory State Park

We had a 10 month old with us so we could not handle the long trails. We decided on the Well Gulch self guided trail. The hike was pretty easy, gave you a great glute burn and filled with gorgeous sights. You could see the Horsetooth Reservoir filled with boats at each cove. We also “hiked” the .1 miles to Waterfall Trail, well worth it. The water was crisp and clean. We drove the rest of the path through the park. Lory welcomes dogs, horses and bikes. Cost:$7/car

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

So gorgeous and I have now added “seeing a concert at Red Rocks” on my bucket list. Your legs, glutes and calves will thank you after climbing the 380+ stairs it takes to get to the top. Trust me the view is worth it. The amphitheatre was bursting with people working out and tourists taking selfies. There is plenty of parking (there is a lot up at the top if you want to skip your cardio) and a restaurant at the top. Cost: FREE

Breweries: Fort Collins Brewery/Odell/New Belgium

I am not a beer drinker at all but these breweries were a great place for me to taste. My favorite out of the 3 was New Belgium. I tried the La Folie Sour and the Blackberry Barley Wine. I actually semi enjoyed them (I’m a wine snob).They had a very open space with plenty of seating, games and food trucks. We ate at The Waffle Lab. We ordered the Voo Doo Monkey; waffle, peanut butter, bananas and raspberries and The Spicy Professor; waffle, jalapeños, cheese and bacon.

We went to the Fort Collins Brewery for lunch. The locally source a lot of their ingredients. I dined on the Asian duck salad. Ryan and I “shared” a flight of beer. I only enjoyed the first beer; Hefeweizen. They included their Mexican chocolate cake stout and being that I live for chocolate, I would love it…negative.

Our last stop was Odell. (Fort Collins brewery and Odell are about 2 blocks away) The patio was a perfect place to catch some UV rays and cool off with their many flights of beer; the Classic Tray, Pilot Tray and the Locals Tray. Each tray allowed you to try 5 different beers with a card explaining each one. We split these trays between 4 people! This non-beer chick was 3 for 15!!! My favorites were Food for Thought, Mishawaka and Bobby Kolsch.

Estes Park Aerial Tramway

The tram was so fun but so scary. The views you get during the ride and once you are at the top are well worth it. You can see the snow capped mountains, the adorable town below and trees, rocks and more trees. Fun facts about the tram; it was built in 1955, the upper terminal is 8708 ft and the highest point off the ground in the tram is 200 ft! The top has a cute gift shop,coffee shop, rocks to climb and places to explore. Pack a jacket and/or scarf, it is cold and windy at the top.Cost: $12/adult

Nuance Chocolate

This small batch bean to chocolate bar shop was one of the better chocolates I have ever had. When we traveled to the Caribbean, we learned about the cocoa bean process, but this shop explained it even further. Different cocoa-growing areas of the world have diverse soil types, temperatures, and humidity levels, further influencing taste and texture.
Chocolate made from cocoa beans of different origins can taste deliciously unique, just like red wine! No wonder I love both of those things.

They offered different taster flights ($7 each). We enjoyed the Single Origin taster; favorites were Ghana and Madagascar and the Flavored Taster flight; favorites were chili pepper and sea salt. It is a must to purchase some of their truffles as well.

Dancing Pines Distillery

I was bummed that we discovered this right before we had to get to the airport, so I was the only one that tasted. Dancing Pines uses natural and local ingredients to create small batch liquors. They offer 3 different trays to taste along with a really fun cocktail menu. I ordered the sweet tooth. I sipped on Cherry tart liquor (and purchased it), Chai liquor, Zoranj (orange and super strong) and Brûlée. Brûlée was my favorite with really sweet caramel notes but I would use Cherry more! When you purchase a bottle you are offered a free cocktail or a token for the next time you visit.

Downtown Estes Park

Anyone from Minnesota will understand this analogy. Estes Park shops are adorable and very similar to Stillwater, MN but with better surrounding views. You will find antique shops, candy shops, ice cream parlors, places to purchase blown glass, jewelry and other souvenirs. I was on the hunt for the best taffy and old school bubble gum ice cream (the pink stuff with colored square gum pieces). My favorite Taffy was the Estes Park Taffy Company. I purchase one of every flavor that sounded good, you have around 60 flavors to choose from. As far as the ice cream, all the shops had the new “kid” friendly blue bubble gum ice cream and of course I don’t remember which parlor had the good kind. I was in ice cream heaven and completely lost to remember such an important detail.

Stanley Hotel

I have seen 3 mins of The Shining, so this stop was a little lost on me. The hotel was stunningly beautiful but according to Ryan, very different from the movie (which keep in mind was filmed YEARS AGO). You are surrounded by beautiful views of the mountains, the gorgeous building and great landscaping. Cost:$10/car

Blue Skies Winery

Go figure I find a winery in downtown Fort Collins and even more shocking, I brought home 2 bottles. Blue Skies had delicious reds and really yummy ports. I tasted their Sangiovese, Barbera, Malbec, Cab/Merlot blend (amazing), Raspberry Pinot Noir (great for sweet lovers) and their Under Canopy (Blackberry Port). The tasting shop was quaint and full of local artists work. They also offer chocolate from Nuance and local cheese. Cost: $5 for a 3 wine tasting.

Fort Collins is a wonderful part of Colorado to visit. Very different from exploring Denver and Colorado Springs, but this area is not to be missed. I am excited to go back in the winter and explore the ski slops and more restaurants.

Dirty Little Secret

December 29, 2015March 1, 2016angelakemp25 4 Comments

I’m not good enough…

I’m not writing this for sympathy or for you to pity me. I’m not looking for positive reinforcement or judgement. I am simply writing this for myself and for others who might be going through the same thing.

I am depressed and have constant anxiety. I hate my body. I binge eat super naughty foods. And most days I judge and shame myself.

I am in constant fight mode. My defenses are up because of my need to be’s and not enough’s;

I need to be happy.

I need to be healthy.

I’m not enough at my job.

I need to be the perfect wife.

I need to be a motivator.

I need to be a success.

I don’t fit in with my friends lifestyles.

I need to be more…

Holy $hit! I’m exhausted. I care so much about how other people perceive me, that my ego is constantly on and it’s struggling to keep up. I put up a very good disguise. It’s an act that I’m a part of 24/7.

I have a great life. I am married to an amazing man who loves me for who I am. I have a loving family, awesome friends and a very successful career, so I am supposed to be happy, right? My career is based on me being happy and making my clients look their best and feel their best. How I am supposed to help them feel better when internally I’m a hot mess and am a fraud? A majority of my co-workers are fun to be around but it’s a deadly combo. You mix a bunch of insecure, judge mental women together and it’s toxic. I’m not attacking all of them but there are a select few I’m distancing myself from. How can I be real when a facade surrounds me?

I always tracked my weight and over the years it goes up and up and up. Currently I am sitting at 170 lbs. Yes I have some muscle but my addiction to sugar to make am feel happy has put a padding around it. My weight goes up and down because my mood goes up and down. I let my weight define who I am and what I deserve. I am always looking for that “miracle” to fix me. I crash diet, workout like crazy, change my birth control, try blaming it hormones and try any cream or wrap to lose the inches. None of it worked.

I currently talk to a therapist and at the beginning of the year I was feeling great. I had a new plan to fix my metabolism, the witch at work was out of my life, I was turning 30, had an year filled with fun ahead and finally felt balanced. My therapist taught me that my worth wasn’t based on the number on the scale or what others thought about me. Self-care was very important (see Self Care blog). I had confidence. I was traveling with my husband. I was smiling. I felt genuine. I felt like myself and was comfortable being me.

Summer came along and I started to fall off track with my eating, self care, therapist appointments and changed my birth control. I had no idea how sensitive I was with my hormones. I slowly started slipping away from my mantras and beliefs and fell into the “social” norm. I started judging others to lift myself up and hopped on the Shame Train. I started comparing and felt like I was falling short. I was questioning every single thought and move I made and tortured my self with negative thoughts.

I was falling apart. I dreaded going to work. My marriage was passive and I secluded myself from friends and family. November and December were the worst. I was in a dark place…all by myself. I didn’t want to be around anyone. My estrogen levels were so high that every morning I would get up, binge on Caribou donuts, sugar coffee drinks and Starbucks breakfast sandwiches. I would eat, fall back to sleep for 2-3 hrs and get up and force myself to make it through the day. I hated getting ready. I starred at my body every morning, shaming it and punishing myself by eating more crappy food. I was eating fast food (which I had not consumed in 16 months), drinking wine every night, and was a lazy, lifeless body. Joy and self love a a thing in the past.

I would cry over anything and everything. I hysterically bawled when Dumbledore died in Harry Potter, when ever I heard certain songs and every morning when I woke up and saw my reflection. I couldn’t stop. I also had anger issues and my anxiety was through the roof. I was frustrated with myself and fighting. Over Christmas all I did was cry. I was at the bottom and couldn’t see the light.

The Tuesday after Christmas, I met with my “team” of professionals to get me on the right path. I started a cleanse to get all the inflammation out of my stomach and to re-train my taste buds and brain to not rave sugar. My therapist finally pushed me to cry. She helped me come to the realization that I don’t love myself and don’t think I’m deserving of just being me and that being enough.

As of today, as I’m sitting on the plane heading to Miami, I am feeling OK. The past 10 days has been baby steps to a healthier me. I took the time to prep food, enjoy yoga, clean my house when I felt like it, and told myself that Miami won’t be anymore or less fun with the way my body looks. If someone wants to judge me, I applaud them and hope it brings them happiness. My therapist gave me a great mantra from Brene Brown; ” In my defenselessness, my safety lies”. This is from her book Daring Greatly, which I just started reading. Once I put my fists down and was gentle with myself, I knew I could get out of this dark hole.

I AM ENOUGH…

PRESENTS!!!!

November 13, 2015February 1, 2016angelakemp25 Leave a comment

With the holiday season approaching, we are all bombarded with the expectation of gifts, lists and shopping. It’s GET, GET, GET! At work, I started to ask kids what they are wishing to get from Santa. And with the answers I am getting, Santa is loaded. They want Ipads, laptops, Iphones, UGG boots and thats just the beginning.

I’m not shocked at what kids ask for because 90% of the time they get it and not just at Christmas. Parents and grandparents spend hundreds of dollars on Christmas presents. What kid needs a laptop? I didn’t get mine until I went to college and I had to use my grad party money to purchase it. I almost think that parents spoiled their kids to please themselves.

It’s BPES (BEST PARENT EVER SYNDROME). “I’m the better parent because look what I bought MY kids.” Bravo you are raising a spoiled little a$$holes who get everything they want and will never learn to support themselves. And guess what…if I had kids I would probably be the same way. (reason #437 why I’m not having them). I know both of my parents didn’t grow up with much, so naturally you want to do more your your own children.

I have a cure for BPES and how our future generations can be well rounded! I think for Christmas EVERYONE should take a different approach. Kids and adults should ask for a NEED, a WANT, an EXPEREIENCE and a GIVE. We all make lists, so this year make a revamped list.

NEED: We all have necessities that are purchased throughout the year just because. But what if you could tie that NEED in with a holiday gift. I am so shocked at the high end items kids own and yes I understand they need new winter boots, jeans etc. Well they expect these items because every other kid own it. They need to realize you don’t just get stuff. I know kids who own multiple UGG boots, high end jeans, have the latest phone and wear LuluLemon…Shoot me. I don’t have half that stuff and I’m an adult with money and a job.

I’m not saying they can’t get that stuff but then buy the ONE need for the holiday, not all. My mom used to put a pair of sunglasses and a swimsuit in our Easter baskets to prepare for summer.

WANT: This can be the fun spoiling item. They ask, they receive and then they trash it and forget about it a year later (if that). But we all want things and it makes us happy so once a year its fine. I’m guilty of getting myself what I want when I want it, the difference is I was raised to be independent and work for what I want. You can also mix their need of new jeans with their want of whatever designer crap kids wear.

EXPERIENCE: Spring Break is 8-10 weeks after Christmas, why is that not a gift? My parents didn’t have the money to bring us on spring break or very many vacations at all, yet half of the kids I know expect it. Most children are in some kind of sport, why isn’t that part of a gift? The experience doesn’t have to be expensive either, go to a water park hotel for the night, go iceskating, learn to ski, and even just take the time to play a board game or bake cookies. Life is so crazy that just taking time to be around each other is memorable. The ideas are endless and will last forever in your kids memory.

I know a family whose parents are very well off and she gets worried that her kids are having high expectations since the grandparents bring them on a Disney Cruise every year. It’s their Christmas gift and yes its big, but at the same time wouldn’t you rather your kids spend time with their grandparents making lasting memories for both parties versus the kids just getting the cash later in life.

I’m stressing over what to get my niece and nephews for the holidays. They are just babies and clothes are short lived. I’m thinking of starting a savings account to be able to bring them to Disney World when they are older, making memories with Auntie La La and Uncle Poo Poo.

GIFT: I have definitely spoiled myself over the years and feel guilty about it when I know I have way more than I could ever ask for. Children need to learn at a young age how fortunate they are. There are so may ways your child can give a gift of need to someone less fortunate. I found a website for my family this year where we are buying them a goat and chickens to provide a food source. I know plenty of churches that have giving trees and all these families ask for is cleaning supplies, coats and other necessities.

One of my girlfriends has her daughter donate the gifts she gets from either her friend or family birthday party. What an amazing idea? What kid needs 10 different presents from their friends and then even more from family? The memory that she has helped put smiles on sick kids faces will shape her to be an amazing woman.

It’s a weird society that we live in. Everyone wants the best, to be the best and we are all insecure. We buy things to make us happy but its very short lived. This holiday season try and focus on balance and teaching others around you to give, trust me the feeling lasts forever. One tip I love for myself as a reminder is EVERYTIME I walk past a Salvation Army Red Kettle, I put something in it. You are walking into a store to spend $$, I almost feel selfish when I don’t donate and honestly I judge people that don’t contribute or even say hello or happy holidays to the volunteer.

Cheers to a SAFE, HAPPY, BLESSED holiday season. Be thankful for the life you have!❤️

Friday Favorites!!!

September 11, 2015October 2, 2015angelakemp25 2 Comments

Every Friday I am going to post and talk about some of my favorite things, places, food and subjects! These are all things I’m obsessed with! I guess just like Oprah and Ellen, I want to let all of you know about the things I love!

My first Favorite Friday is…

I know its so cliche, but there is something about holding that cup and sipping on its goodness that pure bliss. I do admit I need to be better about not going almost everyday…put that CA$H in my 401k, but at the same time life is short, I work hard, so gimme that $3 cup of joy!

My favorites there are a grande americano with 2 pumps white mocha and now they offer coconut milk so add a grande coconut milk latte with 1 pump caramel to the roster! Yup, Im that picky B**ch with the crazy selective order.

I know Starbucks is a giant corporation and we should support the small coffee business and sometimes i do, but being as picky as I am, I like consistency and Starbucks offers it.

FUN FACTS:

22,551 stores in 65 countries
First Starbucks opened in Seattle, Washington, on March 30, 1971
Starbucks has agreed to a partnership with Apple to collaborate on selling music as part of the “coffeehouse experience”.
In 1999, Starbucks started “Grounds for your Garden” to make their business environmentally friendlier.
In 2008, Starbucks was ranked No.15 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s list of Top 25 Green Power Partners for purchases of renewable energy.
Offer a college achievement plan with ASU

*source: WIKIEPEDIA

“Starbucks Company Profile” (PDF) (PDF). Starbucks Coffee Company. July 2014.

Time Out (2011). Time Out Guide San Francisco. Time Out Guides. ISBN 978-1-84670-220-4. Retrieved 9 April 2013.

BIG SIS

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015angelakemp25 Leave a comment

Recently both of my younger sisters have had major events happen in their life and its just fun to reflect on your relationship with them. My sister Monica, just had her first baby 3 weeks ago and Vanessa just married the love of her life. I couldn’t be happier and more excited for them.

As the oldest of 3 girls, you tend to take on a lot of responsibilities. You are in charge of being the leader, role model, rule breaker, protector, trend setter, ring leader and voice of reason. Your sisters are your best friends by choice and like most friendships you have your ups and downs, but you will always love and support each other.

Growing up with my sisters was a blast. I was 2 when Monica came into my life and the thumb-sucking chubby cheeked monkey wanted nothing to do with me. She was content by herself, so naturally I would pick on her just to get attention. She was so laid back and I needed to be in the spotlight, so it was the perfect balance. Then came along Vanessa. She was my human doll and did everything I told her to. Monica and I would pick of her but to Vanessa, that meant acceptance, so she just put up with it. She was a mini me! We have so many great memories and whenever we talk about it, we laugh so hard we cry. We weren’t always nice to each other. Between the 3 of us it was always 2 against 1 and just rotated. Now as adults, we always get along.

I was and still am very protective of both of them. If anyone every tried to mess with them or talk about them, the claws came out. As a sister, you are allowed to make fun and tease your sisters but for anyone else, its off limits. Monica was always the shy, quiet sister, so it was harder to tell if something was bothering her. Yet, she is so strong and resilient that if something was on her mind, you never knew. Vanessa was a pocket size little sister and had her drama with boys, so insert crazy big sister. Vanessa had struggled with Chrones when she was younger and that was a hard on Monica and I. My parents had to focus on her health, which as kids, you feel left out. Now I see how crazy it was to think Vanessa was faking it. As a child your parents shield you from the seriousness of most things. Im glad they did and I am so happy she is in remission.

The last few years have been crazy for all of us. We all got married with in 5 years, our parents got divorced, Monica had a miscarriage and then a new baby joined our lives! Through all of it, I felt that it was my responsibility to make sure they were ok through it all.

Monica and Vanessa’s wedding were both so fun. Watching your little sisters exchange vows with a guy you totally trust, takes a little weight off you. They were both so happy and the day was filled with smiles. These guys were in a way, taking them away from me but it was ok! My sisters have never looked more beautiful or happy. The annoying little girls that followed you around, stole your clothes and tattled on your for years are now a Mrs.

Our parents divorce was hard, even though we were adults. Each of us went about the healing and dealing process in completely different ways. We each decided that no matter what our stance was, if we picked a side, or needed time to figure it out, we wouldn’t judge each other and be openminded. That day we found out was gut-wrenching and being the person that I am, I set aside my feelings to make sure my sisters didn’t feel lost, sad or alone. Since they were told separately I was able to squeeze them tight and try to take away the pain. I was a care-taker through it all. I didn’t want anyone to feel pain, so I spent all my time making sure both my parents and my sisters were ok. 4 yrs later, I am happy how I handled everything and focus on the relationships I have had with my parents. My mom is a caring, kind, fun, loving mother and my dad is a goofy, supportive, hardworking father and that is how my relationship will still be with them. Their marriage was not mine, therefore I found a way to keep the drama separate. I think this event in our lives, have shown us how to focus on ourselves and each other and that marriage is hard work for both parties. This could turn into a whole separate blog, so on to the exciting story.

3 weeks ago JELLO (nickname) entered our lives. This was such a blessing because Monica has always wanted to be a mom. when we ere little, we watched my mom breast feed Vanessa, so naturally Monica and I copied. I fed my doll and Monica breast fed her panda bear. Watching her with her baby is heart warming. I am so proud of her and excited to watch him grow. Jello has brought Monica and I closer. We never really had much in common, but now the love for this little pooping, drooling, sleeping human is what we have in common.

Sisters. See-stars! I hope they both know that I am so proud of them, so happy for them, and cant wait to see what else awaits our futures! Love you both!

Self Sabotage

August 31, 2015September 7, 2015angelakemp25 Leave a comment

Sabotage: the act of deliberately damaging, destroying or obstructing something.
This is a hard one to write, because I’m openly admitting a fault, and it’s harder to post because now you all know my secret.

It’s funny, I don’t sabatoge myself on everything, it’s just a few things. When I was younger, I was a competitive swimmer and always did stupid things so that if I didn’t place well, I had excuses. I acted like I didn’t care or said I didn’t care. The more I said it, the more I convinced myself. This was all to protect myself from disappointment. I had excuses to suck, so then I didn’t have to feel so bad. I look back on this and want to kick my 15 yr old self, I could have had more accomplishments and had more confidence in my swimming abilities. But there is nothing I can do about it now, but learn for my future and pass this advice to others.

I also sabotaged my health/goals for my fitness. Its almost a sickness. When I did my bikini competition in 2013, I followed my lifting and cardio plan, followed my macros to perfection EXCEPT I would sneak chocolate covered acai berries. I stashed those things like a squirrel and would straight binge. Now I had an excuse if I didn’t place well. I was still very proud of how I placed (5th out of 7 ), because honestly I just wanted the experience, but reflecting back I want to smack myself for not giving it my all.

Unfortunately I still sabotage my “body” goals and its purely emotionally based. I think eating naughty food will make me happy, but it only makes me happy for a moment. When I stick to my plan, stay driven and don’t fall to my old habits, my happiness lasts so much longer and there isn’t any regret! I highly recommend ready the book Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth. I keep re-reading this book because she also struggled with self-sabotage and emotional eating. I need to re-set my thinking and re-train my mind into knowing whats good for me and what gives me balance.

What’s so funny is that in other parts of my life I totally kick butt and accomplish and crush goals. Why is it that I can be a rockstar in my business, but not in certain personal goals? In my yoga practice last week, my teacher spoke of one’s own possibilities and not getting in your own way. I know that I set goals or there is something I want so badly, but I can’t picture it so I paralyze myself. Self doubt can be one of the scariest things. We all have enough haters, obstacles and negativity surrounding us, the last thing we need is to get into our own heads and find excuses. I think sometimes we set goals with low expectations to escape failure and defeat. But what if we knew for certain that we would get there? Would we set the bar higher?

What is in your way of reaching your goals, finding your full potential and creating your amazing life? I find that it’s easier to reach my goals by taking baby steps. Its crazy how much we can celebrate the little accomplishments. Who said everything needs to be big, great and huge? My take away is to think small and have faith. Know that I can accomplish ANYTHING!!!!

Odd Girl Out

August 17, 2015October 3, 2015angelakemp25 4 Comments

I’m at my sister’s baby shower watching her open gifts, but being ambushed by little kids opening them for her. I texted my husband “I’m broken. I don’t find any of this baby stuff cute and the kids are opening her gifts for her. I’m so annoyed” He was kind enough to respond saying “you’re not broken, you just don’t like that stuff”

I’m writing this not to offend anyone or be insensitive but to just share my feelings on this very touchy subject…babies.

As a young girl, I loved playing house and being a mommy or playing teacher. Up until I was 21, my goal was to have 4 kids and stay at home with them. I wanted 2 boys, Joshua and Lucas and 2 girls Madison and Kayla. As I grew older, built my career and found my passions, wanting to have a family went away.
Before Ryan and I got engaged I told him I was 85% sure I didn’t want kids. And we were both open to adopting as well. This was a conversation that needed to be had. I felt horrible because Ryan was open to the idea and he loved me so much that he was willing to sacrifice being a father to be with me. How horrible was I not to return that selflessness? I couldn’t put making him a father in front of my own choice not to be a mother, but that didn’t mean I loved him less. He is my world. I once sat next to a woman tell another woman, who was single and unsure about having kids,(they both knew I was married) say “you will want kids when you meet the right man” OH SNAP!!! I wanted to punch that judgmental b$*ch in the face. How dare you say that? But then I calmed myself down realizing that her statement was her own insecurity.

In my mid 20’s everyone was always telling me;

“you’re young, you’ll change your mind”

“It will change your life, you have to”

“Don’t you want to leave a piece of you when you leave this world”

Then as I got closer to 30;

“You would be such a great mom”

“You have no idea what you will be missing”

“Who will take care of you when you are older”

“Who will you celebrate the holidays with”

“It’s different when they are your own children”

Gah! Leave me alone. Now to address some of these statements, just because I was young doesn’t mean I’m going to change my mind. It’s actually the opposite, I’m more sure of my decision that ever.

I know a child would change my life and I would be a great mom, but I’m already a great cat mom and LOVE my life the way it is, I don’t want to change it. It’s also true that I don’t know what I am missing, but you have children and have no idea what experiences you are missing that I have the opportunity to enjoy. You can’t compare the two. They are so different and are customized to our own lifestyles. Everyone has their own ideal life and I am living mine.

I’m not going to lie, I have questioned my decision only because I want certain experiences you can have with kids, like the first time you take them to Disney, all of the funny things they say and matching mommy daughter bikinis but you can’t chose what parts you want. When it comes to a baby, it’s all or nothing.

I am leaving a lot behind when I leave this life and honestly the world can be such a cruel and ugly place that sometimes I’m glad I’m not introducing something so innocent. As far as holidays and getting older, well family isn’t defined biologically, so I could be with family friends or just Ryan and I somewhere tropical. As of now I have 3 nieces and nephews who can suck up to me until the day I die to get Auntie Angie’s $$$$, your kids just think they are entitled to it.

I know I have my reasons for not wanting them and I respect your reasons to have them. I have many friends that are struggling to have a family and it hurts my heart. I feel like a b*$ch saying I don’t want them but if I could I would give them all my fertile energy. Life isn’t fair when the couple that would be amazing parents aren’t given the chance to shine!

I’m now in a not so fun position in my life. My friends that already have children, don’t think to include me in their activities. Do I want to be invited all the time, no, but it’s nice to be invited. My friends that are starting their families don’t realize that our friendships are going to change. I am so happy for all of my friends and family that are stepping into the next phase. I know they will and respect that but honestly it sucks being the odd girl out. I’m not trying to be selfish, but when you are the girl that isn’t following social norms, you feel rejected.

I’m not saying that I don’t like kids, I can tolerate the well parented offspring, but there are quite a few little a$$holes being raised and those children will get the death stare from me all day.

I think as women we need to support each other’s decisions about children. Some chose to work, some chose to have 3-4 kids and some of chose not to have them at all. We are all making the RIGHT choice for our own lives.

Protein Pancake PaRtY!

August 10, 2015October 2, 2015angelakemp25 Leave a comment

I have a crazy September ahead and sometimes I need a quick on the go breakfast or snack. INSERT: Protein Pancakes! I host a huge pancake making party, by myself, and just flipped away! These are also a great option for if you are traveling. I keep them frozen and heat them up in my hotel in my travel size crock pot. I also eat them when I am craving a donut or a pastry or when I need nutrition but am on the run!

Here’s what you will need for equipment:

Nutri-bullet or Magic-bullet
Mixer
Griddle (goes much faster)

Ingredients:

Eggs
Gluten free oats
Vanilla
Low fat cottage cheese
Quest Multi Purpose Protein Powder
Flavors: Dark Banana, White chocolate Raspberry or Blueberry White

Remember this is a BULK recipe but you can take the base and separate it into different flavors. I also use the Nutri-Bullet to make my oats into flour!

16 egg whites, 2 cups oats (blended), 2 scoops protein powder, 2/3 cup cottage cheese and 1 TBSP vanilla.

For the different flavors:

White Chocolate Raspberry: fold in 2 cups of raspberries. Once you pour your pancake on the griddle, add 3-5 white chocolate chips on top. (my batch size made 20 pancakes. Calorie: 101 Fat: 2 Carb: 11 Protein:13)

Dark Banana: use blender to mix in 3 bananas. This will make the batter a little runny. Again, add 3-5 dark chocolate chips per pancake once poured. (my batch made 23 pancakes. Calorie: 86 Fat: 1 Carb: 10 Protein: 9)

Blueberry White: fold in 2 cups of blueberries and again add 3-5 white chocolate chips per pancake. (my batch made 16 pancakes. Calorie: 101 Fat:1.5 Carb: 12 Protein:10)

Once you have them all cooked, I put 3-4 in plastic baggies and store them in the freezer. I usually keep a bag in the fridge so they are defrosted. When you are ready to enjoy these AMAZING P-cakes, just pop them in the toaster! If you are watching your sugar, feel free to skip the chips, but they are my favorite part. That melty goodness in a random bite!!

PaRtY oN!!!

Temecula

July 31, 2015July 31, 2015angelakemp25 Leave a comment

April 2015:

I stumbled upon this gem while trolling Groupon for things to do near San Diego. A wine tasting in Temecula popped up, so I jumped on TripAdvisor and started to research. I was able to book us a wine tasting tour on the Grapeline Wine Tours, (www.gogrape.com) and found a really nice hotel at the Hampton Inn and Suites.

I had Ryan take the “scenic” route from San Diego to Temecula. As we came into wine country, the views were fabulous. We checked into our hotel around 2:30 pm and decided, with 41 wineries in Temecula and the fact that we were only going to 4 on our tour tomorrow, we probably should go try one! We freshened up and started our on adventure to Europa.

Europa

This winery was AMAZING! They have three wineries featuring wines made in the styles of French wine, C’est la Vie Wine Chateau, their Spanish wine, Bolero and Vienza, which has a Tuscany southern French influence. Our sommeliers’ name was Dr. Doug. He was so interesting. He is a retired professor, who was working on his third level Sommelier certification. This guy knew his wine and I looked like a fool.

He taught us to look for the “legs” after you swirl your wine, how to check out the color and I added my own “trill” that my sister taught me. We had such a great time and since they had such an extensive selection we joined the club, 3 bottles every 2 months! Now we were part of Société Europa and Dr. Doug gifted me a coveted autographed cork! We selected a glass of wine and went out to the vineyard!

Grapeline Wine Tour

Quick little review on them! They pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. They had an amazing day planned for us, warned us of how much we would be consuming and Melissa was our tour guide. Please request her, or come with me the next time I go! We booked the Picnic Tour for only $109 a person, yes please!

Leoness Cellars

Leoness means “village of dreams” and WOW this place was like a dream. We started down by the process plant and received our first taste. Our tour was perfect because as you are touring the grounds, you were given tastes along the way. The barrel room was beautiful, the vineyards lovely and the views were breathe taking. My favorite part of the tasting was the dessert wine at the end, 2007 Cinsaut Dessert Wine paired with a dark chocolate truffle. We really enjoyed their wine and loved that they had different tiers. We joined the club! 3 bottles every 3 months. I am most excited about this winery due to their Signature Collection Club. These wines must mature for 7-10yrs, which means we could enjoy them in our 40’s! FUN!

Danza Del Sol

Now that we have a nice buzz going, lets cover stop #2. Danza Del Sol was the first winery to grow the Gewürztraminer grape, which is the wine they are known for. One of their most popular wines is the Orange Muscat with of flavors of vanilla and apricot and smelled like oranges. The reason I love to taste, is sometimes you find a gem and tis worth it. Luckily we didn’t join the club, but did grab a few bottles to take back to MN.

Cougar Winery

Can we talk about the views at this place? They are located on top of a hill and have 360 views of the vineyards. Thank God this was our lunch stop, my buzz needed some carbs. The winery had lunch set up for up in their barrel room. The food was great and we were served a half glass of wine. Their wines here weren’t my favorite. They have a lot of sweet wines and table wines, so I brought a few of those. 3 down, 1 to go…and I’m just a little wine wasted!

South Coast Winery

This winery is huge and we are wine wasted for sure. Honestly I don’t remember much from this winery, except that it was beautiful and has an amazing spa and hotel. They also had 80+ different wines. Due to the fact that they have so many, we joined the club. Yeah, no that was a lie, were were just drunk and made a bad decision. Our tour dropped us of at our hotel and since were couldn’t drive anywhere, we ordered pizza and passed out. I am so happy I stumbled upon this gem. I am obsessed and can’t wait to go back.

Persistence not perfection

July 6, 2015angelakemp25 6 Comments

When it comes to making our goals and achieving them, it takes hard work. You must create an action plan and be ready to excute all steps to make it happen. Most of us, including myself think you need to be perfect to meet your goal. The art of perfection is conforming to the definition of the ideal type and being beyond improvement. Ugh…that doesn’t exist and I would crumble trying to meet those standards. Insert PERSISTENCE!

We all can be persistent. We can endure obstacles that get in our way and still find the path we are traveling. I have gotten lost multiple times in my journeys to achieving various goals. Unfortunately I wandered quite far the last few days. I have been running, running, running and when I get too overwhelmed, I fall and I fall hard. Every day pressures for perfection get to everyone. Eat perfect, workout every day, clean house, being on your game at work and being the best spouse, partner or mom is just an illusion. I’ve never met anyone who is perfect, but I am surrounded by some persistent people.

So today marks my 60 day challenge to myself. Each day my goal is to do 20 mins of house keeping, 1 hour of yoga or exercise, read my weekly mantra and to follow my meal plan. That being said, I also need to listen to my mind and body and if I need a break, I can take it.

What will your 60 day PERSISTENCE challenge be? Maybe it’s to pay a compliment to someone everyday, including yourself!! How about getting your daily H2O in? What about starting to have a date night or family night and go phone FREE?

Can’t wait to hear what you will all be doing and how you will better your best by being consistent!

Passiontite

Appetite for Passion

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