Things I'm obsessed with these days

1. Whole wheat. I am obsessed with eating all things whole wheat and eliminating "enriched wheat flour" as much as possible. The first person I heard talk about the benefits of whole wheat was Oprah (I guess that's how she lost all that weight), and then lately there seems to be a surge of products advertising their whole wheat content. I guess Oprah and the powers of advertising finally got to me, because now my kitchen is stocked with whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and whole wheat cereal. I know I'm more susceptible to good advertising than most, but there really are allot of health benefits to eating whole wheat! Did you know that eating whole wheat can reduce a woman's risk of breast cancer? That fact alone sold me, but here's a few more: whole wheat helps women maintain a healthy weight, it reduces the risk of diabetes, and it promotes gastrointestinal health. Pretty amazing, right? Whole Foods has a great article here if you'd like to know more.

2. Making tiny paintings. My mom turned 63 on Sunday, and she loves birds, so I thought it was a great opportunity to make another tiny painting for her.

I don't know what it is about this size of canvas, but I love it. I feel so comfortable working in this size, and there's no fear in starting a new painting. And, most importantly in this case, my sweet Mom loved it. Happy birthday, Mom!!!

3. Replacing my fake Birkenstocks with the real thing. I've had these Birkenstock knock-offs for 2 years now, and I've worn them out.

Okay, so maybe I'm not the only one who hangs on to shoes too long ;) Anyway, in the summer I wear these shoes almost every day, so I think its time to replace them with the real thing so they'll last me 8+ years like my other Birkenstocks. Problem is, I can't find any that are less than $100. This is the style I want. I guess it'd be a good investment since I'd wear them so much, but I just feel like there's some place out there that's secretly selling these shoes for half price. I've looked at every shoe website I can think of, and haven't had any luck. Any suggestions, or am I just being cheap?

4. $32 steak. Speaking of being cheap, I accidentally ordered a $32 steak when I was in Nashville and I still can't let it go :) There's nothing I can do about it now, but it still keeps popping into my head...I've never spent that much on 1 plate of food for myself before. I guess the best thing to do is focus on what a good time I had instead of the money, right? Because I did have a great time. I got to hang out with Al and Chi-Chi, and $32 is a small price to pay for some quality 3 Musketeer time for sure. Yeah, I'm definitely letting that one go and moving on.

Cheers! :)