Mondo Beyondo Dreams Revisited

Sunday mornings are the perfect time for dreaming and scheming. This morning I sat down with my favorite coffee mug and spent a few minutes reflecting on the Mondo Beyondo list (essentially a "bucket list") I created in early 2010. It was amazing to see how many of my dreams I'd accomplished since the time I first wrote my list. I adopted a rescue dog. Traveled Italy. Grew an herb and vegetable garden. Went white-water rafting. Began a journey toward my healthiest self that revealed a passion for holistic health and wellness.

It was also interesting to see how my list has changed and evolved. Certain dreams remain the same. (Be a mom. Buy a bungalow. Play piano daily. Get certified to teach yoga. Begin a non-profit yoga & wellness center.) Certain others have been edited or taken on different forms, and some have been deleted altogether.

As 2011 winds down, it feels like the right time to update my list. To start fresh with a set of goals & dreams that ring true for me right now, at this moment in time. I'm sure the list will continue to evolve, as I grow and learn more about myself.

Updated Mondo Beyondo Dreams

Travel & Adventure

• Surf Goddess (surf, yoga, & spa) retreat in Bali
• Explore Spain's Costa Brava, Pyrenees, and Barcelona by bike
• Complete Baron Baptiste power yoga Level 1 training in Hawaii
• Spend a month backpacking Thailand, Nepal, and India with no specific plans or itinerary
• Go wine-tasting in Chile & Argentina
• Visit the elephant sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN
• Kayak the San Juan Islands
• Attend a Squam Art Workshop

Personal & Health

• Get a tattoo
• Earn my 200-hr yoga teacher certification
• Eat dinner on on organic farm
• Eat at The French Laundry
• Celebrate my 30th birthday at a quiet and romantic restaurant with my husband, sipping wine and dining on oysters and Caesar salad
• Have a family
• Cook an entire menu from Chez Panisse, from scratch
• Take hip-hop dance classes (<--took my first one last week!)
• Spend a week at a wellness spa
• Buy a bungalow in a metropolitan city in the Pacific Northwest
• Set aside money for monthly deep tissue massage and acupuncture treatments
• Learn to speak Italian
• Ride my bike to work
• Purchase a piano and play daily

Career & Community

• Start a non-profit wellness center that provides complimentary yoga classes, health counseling, and other holistic health services, housed in renovated townhouse with an adjoining tea room and café
• Give a TED talk on the power of possibility and goal-setting
• Donate 10% of my income to charitable causes
• Host a community-wide charitable event with proceeds benefiting local farmers and access to local foods
• Write a column for Whole Living
• Become lululemon's Head of People Development and/or Director of Possibility
• Serve on the board of The Awesome Food Foundation

It feels a little scary to put all this out there, but really good and exciting at the same time. 

Have you updated your bucket list lately? I'd love to read yours, if you'd like to share. Have a lovely rest of your weekend, and happy dreaming.

An Update

Why, hello there. It's been quite a while since I've posted here on Tulips & Tea. Perhaps you've been following my adventures in health and wellness at Green Plate Studios, or perhaps not (which is okay too).

To be really honest, I've found myself missing this space. When I launched Green Plate Studios, I did so with a craving for a fresh start. A clean slate on which to sketch my new life's path. It was a transitional moment in my life in many ways, and I felt the urge to renew my online presence alongside my evolving vision and goals.

Right now in my life, I feel myself drawn back toward the things I grew to love about Tulips & Tea, which began as a way to express myself, and grew into a channel for reflecting upon life's simple pleasures and the quest to infuse joy, creativity, and mindfulness into my everyday experience. In many ways, I think the self-discovery prompted by Tulips & Tea enabled me to create a new possibility for myself within the world of health and wellness. And while I remain firm in my commitment to the holistic lifestyle that inspired Green Plate Studios, I feel myself coming full circle in my journey toward balance. A balance that includes a love of life's colorful details, and a willingness to be in a state of wonder about the whole self.

I suppose all of this is a long way of saying that I'm itching for a return to the coziness of the community we created here on Tulips & Tea. You can continue to follow along with my health and wellness pursuits at Green Plate Studios if you'd like, but you can also expect more frequent snippets of life's loveliness here on Tulips & Tea. I will welcome your voice into the dialogue wherever you choose to join in.

Thank you for being you.
xox

Introducing Green Plate Studios!

What a whirlwind of a week! A few days ago, I launched the website for my new health coaching business, Green Plate Studios. I'll be blogging there about eating for wellness, mindful living, and lots more. If you haven't already, I hope you'll stop by and check it out!

What does this mean for the future of Tulips & Tea? I'll be honest...I don't know for sure. I'm going to be focusing my time and energy on Green Plate Studios for the time being, but I'm sure I will re-visit this space from time to time.

Thank you again for all of the support and encouragement you've given me throughout this career transition. I honestly feel like it was the momentum from the community I found here that helped spark my passion for living my juiciest, most vibrant life - and helping others do the same!

Things that are good for the soul

Yin yoga.

Doggie kisses.

Orchids in bloom.

Talks with kindred spirits.

Homemade vegan apple ginger crisp.

Freshly squeezed organic orange juice.

Hummus made with caramelized onions and red wine.

A piping hot bowl of butternut squash and collards soup.

Driving with the windows down and good music on the radio.

A rosewood and cedar-scented candle burning slowly on the table.

Little and big synchronicities that make me feel like the universe is reading my mind.

A Non-Cheesy Valentine's Day Playlist

For Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share some of my favorite love songs. 

Arms of a Woman - Amos Lee

Maybe You Can Owe Me - Architecture in Helsinki

If You Find Yourself Caught in Love - Belle and Sebastian

For Emma - Bon Iver

Sea of Love - Cat Power

I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie

The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson

Love and Some Verses - Iron & Wine

Both Hands - Jay Brannan

Helium Hearts - Jason Reeves

I'd Rather Dance With You - Kings of Convenience

Use Somebody - Kings of Leon

Always Love - Nada Surf

Slow Show - The National

Such Great Heights - The Postal Service

Loving You - Paolo Nutini

Samson - Regina Spektor

To Be Alone With You - Sufjan Stevens


Enjoy!

All links lead to iTunes.

This weekend

A challenging hot yoga class. 

Day trip to Patapsco State Park for a hike along the river.

Side trip to Conscious Corner (so-named for its cluster of green and socially conscious businesses ), where we collected organic produce from Roots Market, browsed eco-friendly home goods at Nest, and savored a divine meal at the vegan bistro, Great Sage. (Jason, a devout omnivore, raved about his green chili enchiladas and chocolate lava cake.)

Freshly pressed green juice from my new juicer: kale, romaine, cucumber, celery, apple, carrot, and ginger.

A bath infused with Epsom salts and lavender essential oil where I enjoyed the latest issue of a favorite publication.

A single perfect mini phalaenopsis orchid plant, my Valentine's Day gift from Jason. 

Speaking of which...Happy Valentine's Day! I'll be back soon to share a playlist of my favorite non-cheesy love songs.

This week

This week has been about: 

Slowly easing back into yoga (I took a week off while sick with the flu) and enjoying the sensation of re-inhabiting a strong and healthy body

Apple cinnamon oatmeal with blueberries and almond milk 

Writing content for my new website, to be launched next month (more on this soon!)

Pondering an incredible IIN class on the tenets of Ayurveda by Dr. John Douillard

Enjoying chewy sesame cookies and peppermint green tea via a sweet care package from my mom

Anticipating the changing of seasons, as days grow longer and the teeniest, tiniest suggestion of spring seems to hover in the air (I can't stop looking at pictures of flowers, like the one above)

Conversations with Jason about our goals and dreams, exploring the possibilities of the various directions life might take us in the coming years

Swooning over a sample of raw vegan triple-layer coconut cake from Whole Foods (oh.my.god.so.good.)

Reading and re-reading Mark Bittman's A Food Manifesto for the Future 

Catching up on my blog reading

What's new in your world this week?