Oh wow. This is a great topic. What exactly makes me happy. First of all, I have to say FOOD! Food makes me very happy. Gotta give shout-outs to Gardein, Spork Foods, Cafe Gratitude, and so many other cruelty-free products and restaurants. It's funny because before I went vegan, I think that I took food for granted. I didn't really taste anything or understand my relationship with food. However, now I am practically orgasmic for certain foods. It's fabulous, made all the more better by being compassionate as well!
Animal Acres makes me extremely happy. My good friend Kelly planned my bridal shower there and it was more than I could ask for. Not only did it get many people that otherwise would not step foot on a farm there, but I think some of my friends finally made the connection between the animals out there to the ones on their plate. Yes, there were a few jokesters who made bacon comments in front of the pigs (which enraged me but I kept my cool) but for the the most part everyone was on their best behavior. Animal Acres is just so lovely. It's apparent that the staff truly loves and cares for the animals. They couldn't ask for better homes than Acton.
My girlfriend/fiancee/wife-to-be makes me happy. She's my best friend and the only person I've ever been able to spend so much time with without being driven crazy. Sure we fight sometimes and I get mad at her, but she's helped me become a better person. She's unlocked a loving part of myself that I had hidden away. Becca really is the best.
Brand new babies (including but not limited to human) make me happy. Our friends just had their first son two days ago and I'm very excited to meet the little guy! I will also be attending my first bris which makes me nervous I'm not going to lie. However, I love how newborns look, smell and feel. I love anything that just sleeps and looks cute all the time!
Traveling to new places makes me happy as well. Perhaps not the travel part since I dislike airports and get bored in cars but nevertheless, I love being somewhere new.
And finally yoga makes me happy! I am a new convert and still don't get to practice as often as I'd like due to my hours but I love every second that I do attend. I am getting back into the habit of going at 6:15 am just to round out my 6 am bootcamps haha. I am getting more into the idea of liking exercise so yoga is my transition.
Showing posts with label Animal Acres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animal Acres. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Day 6
Day 6! I can't believe it. So rather than continuing my detox and drinking the protein drink, I decided to start to break the detox. Five days was a good amount of time for me, though I look forward to trying this again in the near future, most likely before my wedding.
What I ate: I started my day with the berry drink and then my vanilla protein drink. I went to yoga class at the Heartbeat House, which I loved soooo much. I haven't tried Kundalni Yoga before. It was fantastic. I love the chanting and singing. Though the moves seem relatively simple (stuff like rock pose, frog pose, etc), it really did get my heart rate up and had some muscles trembling with exertion. I look forward to attending this class on a regular basis. I literally felt my head and hands tingling during the exercises. It was great.
In the afternoon, Becca and I went to The Gentle Barn. I must say that I prefer Animal Acres because it feels much more like a sanctuary than a business. The Gentle Barn seemed to have some lackadaisical animals that were motivated more by food than love and attention, although the cows were fantastic.
I stayed mostly on schedule with my Green Drink and VegeSplash. Becca and I went to Real Raw Live for lunch. I was ready to try my hand at solid food and figured a raw food restaurant would be perfect. I got a tofu pesto wrap and Becca got the chicken parm wrap. First of all, the service was horrific. Becca and I waited about 20 minutes in line just to pay. The women behind the counter were rude and unfriendly, especially when we said that we didn't want a smoothie as well. Also, their credit card machine was down so we had to do it old school where they took an impression of our cards. When Becca asked for a receipt, the girl said, "Abso-fucking-lutely." Just not proper way to talk to paying customers. When we got home, I realized that the wrap was not raw at all as I previously thought it would be. I thought the "bread" was dehydrated zucchini or something along those lines but nope, regular tortilla. They also don't make the food in house it turns out. Instead they ship it in from San Diego. So much for that place. I will never return.
The food almost instantly made me sick, I think because of the tortilla so I put it in the fridge for some other day. Instead I just drank my VegeSplash instead.
For dinner I made a quick steamed stirfry made of collards, celery, carrots, green beans and garlic. I didn't use any oil because I was afraid it would hurt my tummy. I ate about a cup and felt even hungrier than I did when I started eating. It's the first time in about 48 hours that I've felt hunger pangs so obviously I restarted my digestion.
Tomorrow I plan to eat a salad for lunch. I will probably go to Native Foods and get the dressing on the side in order to make sure I don't eat much of it. I don't know what my stomach can or can't take at this point. I also plan to make some hummus (I roasted garlic on a whim last night!) tomorrow night and possible start cooking some beans. I have been craving them for days now.
All in all, I think my stomach is a little sensitive so I want to be kind to it. I don't want to immediately put the wrong food into my body. I have lost 5 pounds and intend to keep it off while continuing to lose for my wedding. I am going to be one hot ass bride!
What I ate: I started my day with the berry drink and then my vanilla protein drink. I went to yoga class at the Heartbeat House, which I loved soooo much. I haven't tried Kundalni Yoga before. It was fantastic. I love the chanting and singing. Though the moves seem relatively simple (stuff like rock pose, frog pose, etc), it really did get my heart rate up and had some muscles trembling with exertion. I look forward to attending this class on a regular basis. I literally felt my head and hands tingling during the exercises. It was great.
In the afternoon, Becca and I went to The Gentle Barn. I must say that I prefer Animal Acres because it feels much more like a sanctuary than a business. The Gentle Barn seemed to have some lackadaisical animals that were motivated more by food than love and attention, although the cows were fantastic.
I stayed mostly on schedule with my Green Drink and VegeSplash. Becca and I went to Real Raw Live for lunch. I was ready to try my hand at solid food and figured a raw food restaurant would be perfect. I got a tofu pesto wrap and Becca got the chicken parm wrap. First of all, the service was horrific. Becca and I waited about 20 minutes in line just to pay. The women behind the counter were rude and unfriendly, especially when we said that we didn't want a smoothie as well. Also, their credit card machine was down so we had to do it old school where they took an impression of our cards. When Becca asked for a receipt, the girl said, "Abso-fucking-lutely." Just not proper way to talk to paying customers. When we got home, I realized that the wrap was not raw at all as I previously thought it would be. I thought the "bread" was dehydrated zucchini or something along those lines but nope, regular tortilla. They also don't make the food in house it turns out. Instead they ship it in from San Diego. So much for that place. I will never return.
The food almost instantly made me sick, I think because of the tortilla so I put it in the fridge for some other day. Instead I just drank my VegeSplash instead.
For dinner I made a quick steamed stirfry made of collards, celery, carrots, green beans and garlic. I didn't use any oil because I was afraid it would hurt my tummy. I ate about a cup and felt even hungrier than I did when I started eating. It's the first time in about 48 hours that I've felt hunger pangs so obviously I restarted my digestion.
Tomorrow I plan to eat a salad for lunch. I will probably go to Native Foods and get the dressing on the side in order to make sure I don't eat much of it. I don't know what my stomach can or can't take at this point. I also plan to make some hummus (I roasted garlic on a whim last night!) tomorrow night and possible start cooking some beans. I have been craving them for days now.
All in all, I think my stomach is a little sensitive so I want to be kind to it. I don't want to immediately put the wrong food into my body. I have lost 5 pounds and intend to keep it off while continuing to lose for my wedding. I am going to be one hot ass bride!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Veggie Grill Animal Acres Benefit
Ok so what is better than Veggie Grill + Animal Acres = NOTHING. So Veggie Grill threw a benefit for Animal Acres in which 50% of all proceeds would be donated in order to build a new barn for their animal sanctuary. Now as you all may know, I LOVE Animal Acres. It is truly a magical place in which you see what the relationship between man and animal could be. While there are fences separating animals, they have large areas to play and prance. The birds are able to go just about anywhere. They show no fear of humans; in fact, most will walk right up to you and knock your hand around for a nuzzle. Chickens, pigs, cows, donkeys, goats -- it doesn't matter. They all want affection, companionship and a friendly nudge. It really is amazing to see.
So I obviously went to Veggie Grill to help support Animal Acres (and because their food is pretty amazing). The second I walked in the door, I was struck by how busy the restaurant was and I realized that THIS is one of the many reasons I went vegan. A small call-to-arms brought people out in droves. I stood in line with a woman and her omnivorous husband who trekked all the way from Calabasas just to support Animal Acres. That is love. That is community. That is what honestly made me pause and rub goosebumps from my arms. In this city, it's easy to be caught up in bullshit, to forget there is a world outside of our insulated Hollywood dramas. But there is a giant world, one of compassion that inspires me every day. I know that my choice to be vegan may not save the world, but it's one step closer! And I've never felt so at peace in my own skin before. I believe this is because I know that I am living in line with my ideals. It's easy to be cynical. Hell, I spent years that way, but now I feel a certain lightness. I won't call it religion or spirituality, but rather knowledge that I am doing something that I believe in.
I haven't heard the official numbers in for monies raised but I hope it's high. I want places like Animal Acres to thrive. I can't wait until next weekend when I will go volunteer :)
So I obviously went to Veggie Grill to help support Animal Acres (and because their food is pretty amazing). The second I walked in the door, I was struck by how busy the restaurant was and I realized that THIS is one of the many reasons I went vegan. A small call-to-arms brought people out in droves. I stood in line with a woman and her omnivorous husband who trekked all the way from Calabasas just to support Animal Acres. That is love. That is community. That is what honestly made me pause and rub goosebumps from my arms. In this city, it's easy to be caught up in bullshit, to forget there is a world outside of our insulated Hollywood dramas. But there is a giant world, one of compassion that inspires me every day. I know that my choice to be vegan may not save the world, but it's one step closer! And I've never felt so at peace in my own skin before. I believe this is because I know that I am living in line with my ideals. It's easy to be cynical. Hell, I spent years that way, but now I feel a certain lightness. I won't call it religion or spirituality, but rather knowledge that I am doing something that I believe in.
I haven't heard the official numbers in for monies raised but I hope it's high. I want places like Animal Acres to thrive. I can't wait until next weekend when I will go volunteer :)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Animal Acres!
This weekend I went to Animal Acres, which is a sanctuary for farmed animals. Suffice to say, it was INCREDIBLE! I've added some pics of the most darling animals you've ever seen with horrific stories. The rooster we called Bellbottoms because he looked like he was wearing bellbottom jeans. Pinto is the big cow. I fell in love with a white donkey named Tonk and there were the sweetest goats, Jenko and Kirby. It was incredible see see how these people care for all these animals and how much love there was at the farm. I'm sooo happy that a place like Animal Acres exists and plead for EVERYONE to donate today.
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