Letting go toxic relationships-are they worth keeping?

We all have had them at one point in our lives-toxic relationships. As you already know,I am obsessed with the reality series The Real Housewives of New Jersey. One of the girls on the show,Dina(left),decides to confront a long time drama queen named Danielle(right) to let her know that she is too toxic to be in her life,and does not want to have anything to do with her anymore(you will have to see how that all pans out by catching up with the episodes on Bravo).

Of course, we cannot all be brave like Dina,but there are times when letting go certain people in our lives that cause drama has to be done in order to live a happier life. People who bring you down and keep you in the negative is in no shape or form good for your self-esteem or emotional well-being.

Do you have someone like this in your life you want to get rid of but not sure what to do about it? Just think about this for a minute. Does this person(or persons),whether it's a relationship with a friend,significant other,or even a family member make you feel awful when they are around you? Or do they make you feel good and are a joy to be around? Does this person display a caring attitude and likes you for being you or does this person try to dominate your every move and doesn't really care to be there for you? Even worse,does this person use you and contacts you only when she/he needs something? These are just some things to think about whether or not it's worth keeping someone like this in your life.

Then of course you got the ones that don't care to pick up the phone and bother calling you or take the time to even drop an email to say hello-just drop them all together,they can be just as toxic as someone who is involved in your life on a day to day basis. We are all busy,and being "busy" is not an excuse. It takes five minutes to say hello,or drop a note. Social Media especially has made it easier now to keep in touch with everyone,so there is no excuse.

So next time you are pondering whether or not you should hold on to a toxic relationship,ask yourselves these questions mentioned above and find out if these people are really worth keeping. We must fuel our bodies with nourishment,water,and sleep,but we must also fuel our mind and spirit and keep it free of negative energy. Instead,surround yourself with positive and drama free friends and family instead,your soul will thank you.

Congrats Blackhawks!

Blackhawks Skyline...

The Skinny Italian: A recipe for looking good and eating great-who knew?

As most of us,we have one guilty pleasure(or two) that we may be embarrassed to say what it is or just laugh it off and admit it. One of mine is the Reality TV show "The Real Housewives of New Jersey". There are several shows that have this theme(such as New York,Orange County,etc) but the New Jersey series seems to be the one that interests me. I don't know why,maybe it's because my father used to live in New Jersey. Maybe it's also where my husband spent the majority of his time in the US as well. I have been to New Jersey myself since my family has friends still living there. Maybe because this Italian-American cast just reminds me so much of the big hair, big houses and drama that my ethnicity possesses as well.

 One of the girls on the show,Teresa,has made a cookbook recently called "The Skinny Italian". Teresa Giudice,is an Italian-American woman who is married to an Italian also and has four kids. She one day decided to make a cookbook out of all the recipes that she learned from her parents who are from Italy themselves. Her cookbook is not just any cookbook,but also an autobiography on how her parents immigrated to the US and kept their traditions alive,tidbits from her husband,and how to dress fabulous on a budget(Teresa was not always a housewife,she graduated from Berkley College and was a buyer for Macy's in NYC). The best part of the book is her step by step instructions on how to can and preserve tomato sauce(totally reminds me of us Macedonians and our canning of peppers for the winter months). There is also descriptions on how to choose the best olive oil,the different types of herbs,and more.

Here is the best part: The Real Housewives cast member did not know how to cook when she got married. All her recipes were learned through the phone! This is the perfect book then for you newlyweds(such as myself) who may never lifted a finger in the kitchen but has that inner housewife in them.

 The thing with this cookbook is that it is a very "busy" book with lots of pictures of not only her great slimming recipes but of her four gorgeous daughters and her fellow housewife friends. Teresa insisted that she was not going to write a cookbook that was "boring" but a cookbook that was fun to read and get a chuckle or two from it. It's an autobiography,self help book,and cookbook all in one.

"The Skinny Italian" can be purchased at Borders,Barnes and Nobles,and where I got mine at,Target. Target has the best price for this book ($15.99). Grab one today and start impressing your husband. Yes you too can be a housewife and fabulous!

Lake Michigan Waves

The Girl's Guide to Homelessness

I read an article today on Yahoo that totally inspired me. It was an article that was titled "10 Things Americans Cannot Live Without." As I continued to read the article,one of the things it mentioned was that the "laptop" and "high speed internet" was a necessity to most Americans. It gave a great example of a girl named Brianna,who lost her job in 2008 and ended up on the edge of homelessness. She sold all of her personal belongings and ended up living in a trailer. The one thing she did not give up was her laptop and the internet,which she used to surf the web to look for jobs. Her friend inspired her to write a blog about her experiences. Publishers were so inspired by her blog that she was offered a deal to write a book. Things picked up from there and she is now an advocate for homelessness around the world.

They say things happen for a reason. With the great recession continuing to affect millions of people,Americans are learning ways to cut out spending and hold on to what is most important to them. Whether this will last once the economy improves who knows. This is also a time where people have a chance to pursue what they love,or a career change. They say opportunity knocks,especially with some hard work,a positive attitude,and dedication.

Read her blog here: the Girl's Guide to Homelessness

My first photo of the view outside my 7th floor window.

I managed to capture this rainbow after a gloomy rainy day in Chicago from the window. I couldn't open the window because so many birds were circling around trying to get in. Still breathtaking though.

Falling into a funk,"Don't try this at home."

As I settled into my newlywed bliss,I noticed something that I am er, not exactly proud of.  

I can only speak for myself,but I have gotten too "dependent" on my husband. Now that I have a constant man in my life,I have sort of slipped on things that I was so used to doing on my own. There are certain things of course that I will always seek help for,like parallel parking the car for instance,a challenge here in Chicago although I do know how to definitely do it,my husband can just do it better.  

There was a stereotype that men from the Balkans don't really allow their women to have a separate identity and let them really to have friends and spend time with girlfriends. However,the post-communist generation has definitely become more open-minded, when it comes to these things,it really comes down to trusting your partner and we have that. In fact I encourage my husband to do the same and he also has a separate set of friends that he hangs out with. It's healthy for couples to have a healthy relationship with the outside world.

I fell into this funk where I really lost touch with the outside world,it just seemed easier to just plop on the couch after a 40-hour work week and have a glass of wine.  The thought of using public transportation sounded like such a hassle and it was just so much easier to just talk my husband into dropping me off wherever I wanted to go. I felt that calling up old friends seemed like a hassle too and in fact wondered why they were not calling me to go out instead.

So I had made some adjustments. I started attending yoga classes downtown on the weekends at Lululemon Athletics,which is great because they offer complimentary classes on the weekends. It is refreshing to wake up early with the rest of Chicago and do good for your body at the same time. Since I live on the North Side and parking is a pain downtown,I take the bus which is literally two feet away from my place and a straight shot 20 minutes to downtown. I find it so much easier and less of a hassle to use then the El. Not as bad as I thought. I have also reconnected with friends at the same time.

I will be attending a few events this month both during work hours and outside of work which I am excited for. And I am psyched to learn that my favorite house dj Collette will be here for a concert at Metro this month so I will be aiming to go to that as well.  In June,look for my blog that talks about my recent joining of the  Kidney Walk.

Chicago,I am back in full force.