Five Things Friday.

1. I was lulled to sleep several mornings this week by birds chirping outside my window. Does this mean spring is just around the corner?? Winter, I'm ready to say goodbye and see you next year!

2. The bottom of the barrel is fast approaching on my whey so I'm waffling on what flavor to get now. I tried Peanut Butter Marshmallow this past time and want to try a new flavor. toooo many decisions. Do you vote for Cookies and Cream or Chocolate Mint? 

3. I cannot remember how long I've been reading her blog, but if there is one blog I check every single day, it's the vibrant piece of the web written by the amazing Janae at Hungry Runner Girl. This week she wrote a fantastic post with a list of ways that she is not just enduring, but flourishing despite being in the midst of really difficult time in her life. Sometimes we over think the healing/grieving/being mad at the world process and I love her perspective. Check it out! 

4. You only have one life to live. Don't waste it doing something you're not crazy about. Love it or leave it. 

5. The only thing worse than realizing you're wildly overdue for a haircut is realizing it on the day AFTER your hair stylist leaves on vacation for 2 weeks. If I'm wearing hats every time you see me for the next two weeks- now you know. 

Casein or Whey Protein? 

What is one thing you do everyday that you LOVE to do?

Chocolate-Chip-Cookies.

how many times do we look at the same things in life- over and over and over and over - again,

and never really SEE them. 

hey humble piece of chocolatey goodness.

I like to bake you.

I love to eat you.

now I'm gonna talk about you. 

you're just a cookie.

but you're so much more. 

when your Grandma makes it, it's not just a cookie; it's a labor of love, a token that connects you to her.

when it's a cookie on the plate of someone who struggles with and eating disorder, who ate it without guilt or anxiety, perhaps for the first time- it's a non-scale victory, a smack in the face of the terror an ED can create in our lives. 

when you've goofed and make a batch for an estranged friend, it becomes a peace offering to begin your attempt to bridge the gap.

when the cookie is made from a recipe that was the first recipe created and published by a budding chef.....it's a piece of triumph, a trophy- something to celebrate and remember. 

when they're hot and fresh from the oven and filling your house with the most delicious aroma, it's a reminder that the 'aroma' of my life and actions reach further than I imagine.....good or bad.

if you've spaced and made the entire batch with cake flour, it becomes a hockey puck that is suitable for an Olympic gold medal match. 

if you've settled for the store-bought pre-packaged type, it's a reminder that the best things in life can't be bought.

when it's crumbly and a bit dry- just absolutely perfect topping for your ice cream, it's a reminder that imperfections are to be embraced, not fought.

open your eyes.

 what will you see differently today?