Miss Representation

Ladies and gentlemen listen up, we have a big problem on our hands. The women of our country have been misrepresented. We have been told to be thinner, sexier, more beautiful and to take the back seat in our society. The media is constantly streaming images into our minds of who we should be and how they expect us to look. They have diminished women’s ability to be leaders and in positions of power by sending demeaning messages of women into our culture.  When an advertisement only shows the value of a women in her youth, sex appeal, body and beauty it focuses on her outward body and not on her inward intelligence and worth. I see it daily when working with my teen moms at Hope House. The young women I work with often think that they will never be successful with a toddler in tow or without the perfect body. Last week, one of my girls started a diet- at age 17! This should shock us and spur us to do something to empower and instill confidence in the women of our country. 

So what do we do about it? 

I have a good idea of a place to start. Watch the film MissRepresention. A friend of mine showed me the trailer and immediately I knew this documentary alined perfectly with my passion of encouraging and empowering adolescent girls. The film MissRepresentation will shed light onto how the media effects the view society has of women and it will bring awareness to the issue at hand. The director of the documentary also challenges it’s audience to do something about it. You can watch the trailer here and see it for yourself. I promise you it will ignite a fire in your soul to push back against the pressure this culture has placed on the women, especially the youth, of our country and hopefully stir an excitement for women to pursue leadership roles in the future. 

This Thursday, December 5th at 6:30pm there will be a showing of Miss Representation at the AMC Cherry Creek 8 in Denver. I encourage all to attend. Below is the link to the facebook event page. I hope you all can make it and if not at least watch the trailer and become even a little more aware :)

https://www.facebook.com/events/1413613528870150/

XO,

Erin

Dusting off the blog- so much to tell you!

Sorry for the long blog hiatus, friends. I guess I’ve just been enjoying life too much to pencil in the time to write. But finally, a free evening; a bowl of the most delicious kale turkey sausage butternut squash soup in my hands and I’m ready to tell you what I’ve been up to this past month. 

Where to start...

Kenz and I rocked the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon in mid- October. We had a blast training together and even more fun the weekend of the race. Going to the fitness expo the day before got us amped to run our 13.1 miles the next morning. We both PR’d which was our ultimate goal. Our annual half marathon was a huge success. We even made the Denver Post! Who knows which city we will choose for our 2014 half. 

Runner's Health Expo

Right before we ran 13.1

The glorious finish

My nephew, Theo (short for Theodor) was born! He is the perfect addition to our family. I am dying to get my hands on him and give him some smothering Auntie love. Lucy has been a great big sister to him, Erik is excited to have a “soon to be Giants fan” in the house and my sister Lisa is loving being a stay at home mommy!

Halle turned ONE! Can you even believe it? Emily threw the biggest birthday for her at The Farm, in Fort Collins. It was a blast to walk the little ones around to see all the animals. Halle calls anything on four legs a dog, which is hysterical. All of our family was there and I couldn’t imagine celebrating my sweet niece any other way. If only time could slow down a little, my Halle girl is growing up too fast. 

I got a tattoo......Kidding! But I did get a promotion at work!!!! This is truly the reason why things have been so busy lately. I was blessed to get a call from the non-profit I work at, Hope House, asking me to interview for the Residential Case Manager position. I was blown away when an hour after the interview they offered me the position and asked if I could start on Monday! With this new big girl job in place, it allowed me to quit my job at Earls waitressing and put all my energy towards my passion of counseling. I love these teen moms more now than ever before. My position requires me to manage the teen mom’s case, in order to foster growth and empower them to become self sufficient. More than just helping them find the right job, or get accepted into their dream school or budget their money, my heart beat is to love on these girls- be their support and encourager; I’m their #1 fan. I believe in them. I believe they are some of the most inspiring, hard working, intelligent, beautiful young ladies I’ve ever met and they do it while holding a 2 year old on their hip. 

My Girls at the Hope House Gala

Kenz came with me to the Gala as my date

The Hope House Halloween Party

Genesis and I wore matching outfits. She has great taste in fashion :)

Aiyden is all boy and always full of smiles

Even though, my job consumes a lot of my time and energy, I have still made space in my busy life to explore this beautiful city. There’s always room for another happy hour in the Highlands or an Americano in Wash Park. Adventuring through Denver wouldn’t be nearly as exciting if I didn’t have my amazing girls to do it with me. Life is exhilarating and new and I promise to let you in on this journey more often!

Going out with the girls

A little fall fun!

XO, 

-Er

A day in the life of Erin

Time is a silly thing to me. It either passes too fast, like in the summer when you just want the weather to stay 85 and sunny forever; or too slow like when you’re running intervals on a treadmill- there is never a longer minute in my life. But here I am again, thinking time could slow down a little bit. I have already been in Denver 3 months! Although, some days are more exciting than others, I’m falling in love with this city and the people that inhabit it’s streets. 

After months of living here, I think I finally have my life in a bit of a routine. And for all of you who care to know what I’ve been up to over the weeks- here is a glimpse! 

A Day in the Life of Erin!

Monday morning Bible study with the girls at Wash Perk

Blue animal print running tights! What could be better!

Training for the half marathon coming up on October 20th

Sloan's Lake is absolutely beautiful. It's my favorite place to run and I love having the city skyline as my
back drop.

Breakfast perfection. Oh and my second coffee of the day! 

Just a little Ben Rector to help motivate me to clean! 

A clean room is a happy room! 

The fall weather got me in the mood to bake. So I made healthy banana oat meal cookies. They made my house smell like heaven!

A few cookies and a protein shake, made for a perfect lunch

Driving through the Highlands on my way to work at Earls. I love the city. 

I'm not sure if Denver could get any more gorgeous. 

 Earls Girls! Some of my favorite ladies! They make work so much fun and my life a lot better!

This is my happy place. Cooking for my roommates and friends!

Our happy little patio. Great food,  delicious drinks, wonderful people and meaningful conversations around this table.

That pretty much sums it up. It’s not a fancy life- but it’s a really good one! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, friends!

I am also working as a Residential Counselor at Hope House of Colorado, but I did not work on the day I decided to post this. But don’t you worry, though, I will tell you all about my amazing job working there very soon! 

XO,

Erin 

Coffee and Conversations

My blog challenge today was to find a coffee shop and write about what makes me happy and what makes me sad. Part of the challenge was actually picking a coffee shop in Denver. There are just so many and because I can be indecisive sometimes- it was difficult for me to choose just one. However, with the girls’ help and recommendations I ended up at Two Rivers- Craft Coffee Company! It fit my mood perfectly. The coffee might be the best that I’ve ever tasted, probably because the owner roasts his own beans. He was the ultimate coffee courser and it was fun to pick his brain about the different roasts. This atmosphere was the perfect environment to write about these topics. 

Two Rivers 

So, what makes me sad? And Happy?

It makes me sad when I feel like I have to live my life through a mold. When I feel the pressure of our culture pushing me through a door I wasn’t meant to walk through. It’s like when we were kids and we would squeeze a round ball of play-dough through the square mold with all our force just get a small cube out of it! I feel the pressure of my age and the fact that everyone around me is getting married, I am miles away from having kids and I’m starting over in my career. At 25, the world is telling me to have my S*%$ together, check things off my to-do list, and to get married already! I don’t want to feel tied down to the boundaries around age and of our culture to achieve more and be better. I want to just be me. Free spirited, full of life, pursuing my passions while loving the Lord and people along the way. I’m vowing to move forward with my dreams, however big or small. I will not be bound the age, career or marriage mold that our culture has created.

A good cup of coffee makes me happy. A drink shared at happy hour makes me happy. Sitting on the couch with my roommate makes me happy. Talking on the phone to my mom makes me happy. What is central to all these things though is good conversations- deep and meaningful talks. Lots of laughter and if chatting with my mom maybe some tears too (she’s the one I cry to!) I crave community and I could talk 90 miles a minute if you would let me. I love the long talks with my girls over a strong brew of coffee early in the morning. It’s when I can really connect with them and share my heart. Coming home from a long night shift at work and talking to Nina on the couch, makes me happy. She cares so much about how I’m doing and we walk each other through every detail of the day. I want to have conversations that make me grow and challenge me. I am happiest when I’m laughing with Lauren on the roof top sipping delicious cocktails. My heart is pieced back together after an uplifting conversation with my sister; she is always is full of wisdom and encouragement. I am filled with joy when I get to talk to my girls before the sun rises on Monday mornings for bible study. So, what makes me happy…relationships with friends and family- deep, meaningful, life-giving, strength building, encouraging conversations. 

Thanks for letting me share! Happy Thursday, friends.

XO,
Erin

P.S. > I also wrote this post using Ommwriter. It changed the way I will blog forever. Try it out! http://www.ommwriter.com/

Quarter of a Century Birthday

Today is a special day. Today marks 25 years that this world has been graced with the life of our sweet Gabrielle. Today is her birthday. In leu of doing the “Blogtember” prompt, I think it is appropriate to do a tribute to a women that will change your life, if you ever get the blessing to meet her. She is beautiful. She cares deeply about making people feel celebrated and special. Today is a day dedicated to loving the heck out of this girl and making her quarter of a century birthday one for the record books. 

This girl shines Jesus and pours love through her words and actions. She’s an amazing best friend, a stellar wife, a caring aunt, a faithful daughter and a women who we all admire. She is bold in beliefs and gentle in her words. Gabrielle possesses a zeal for celebration that can’t be matched. I cannot wait to see what this next year holds for our sweet best friend. I know that God is going to use her talents to knock the socks off of everyone she encounters. Cheers, to 25 years, Gaby!

You light up our lives, Gabrielle. Thank you for being born! We are so thankful that God brought you into our lives. Enjoy this day- we pray you feel celebrated and special. Love you!

XOXO,

Your Bests.

Connect through social media

Social media is a network of connecting people. I want individuals to reach our blog, of course, but more than that I want people to feel connected to others personally. Social media is a connection of people looking to find another person who is in the same season of life. One girl looking for a recipe for a dinner party stumbles upon Mekenzie’s famous Thai turkey burgers and immediately feels like she has found her perfect meal. The girl who is struggling with a work out regimen seeking transformation finds encouragement through Lauren's latest work out routine. I love that social media provides an avenue for us to connect with real people experiencing real life situations from miles away. It connects my roommate down the hall to my family in California. It allowed all of girls to stay connected when one of us was in Kansas, one stayed in Fort Collins, another moved home to Colorado Springs and the last moved her newlywed self to Denver. The blog was a key player in keeping our friendships strong and our lives intertwined. 

This was the night we created the Serendipitous Girls Blog,  January 2012

Throw back to celebrating Mekenzie's Graduation, May 2012.

Social Media has connected friends to family, strangers to loved ones- and it has connected me to the journey of my life. As I was writing this post I decided to flip through some of my first articles and I couldn’t stop reading about the wild life I’m living. Serendipitous Girls blog has been a journal of my life over the last 2 years. It’s kept record of my highest highs and lowest lows. I loved reading back on times that I was on cloud 9 after the birth of my sweet niece; my heart could hardly take in how blessed I was feeling at that time. On the flip side, I enjoyed reading back on the rocky roads I’ve been down, the trials I experienced and the amount of growth I have experienced because of the them. I’m not the same person that I was back in January of 2012 when I wrote my very first blog post. I am thankful for the connection the blog created for me so that I reflect on where I have been and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. Looking introspectively into where I’ve been and where I am going is encouraging and enlightening for me.

Connect. Connect with people you love through social media and reconnect with the amazing life you've lived. It’s fun, encouraging and if used properly- social media can change who you are.

Denver Girls. 

Sweet Halle babe! She changed my life. 

My Right hand woman!

XO,

Er

Three months off...

Three months off from life, responsibilities, work, obligations. It’s almost hard to wrap my mind around what that would be like. Lately, my life runs 90 miles a minute. Working 2 jobs, training for my half marathon, exploring Denver, meeting with friends, finding career opportunities, going to church... The list is a bit never ending. I love being busy- it’s my thing and I enjoy feeling like I have a lot going on- however, the thought of escaping it all is a fantasy that I will gladly entertain  (at least for this post!)

So here it is- my itinerary for my 3 months off from my normal life! It includes lots of traveling, a little hard work, and an immense amount of time spent with the people I love. 

Week 1-4- My European Vacation

-Greece has been calling my name for years now. The beaches look out of this world and I’m dying to dig my toes into their white sand. I love the flavors of Greek food and the bright colors that paint the cities. Life seems simple there. Peaceful and quiet. 

From Greece, I would travel to Italy. I want to experience true Italian food and walk the streets lined trinkets to buy and coffee shops to explore. I want to see with my own eyes the Colosseum and the paintings by DiVinci. I want to make a wish in the Trevi Fountain and float down the river in a Gondola in Venice. 

It wouldn’t be a European Vacation with a stop in Paris. I’ve been dying to explore this city and it would fill my heart to stand at the top of the Eiffel tower, peering down at the city streets. I want to sit outside of a French bakery for hours, sipping their dark roast coffee and eating every pastry in the shop.

Week 5

Go home and recover :)

Weeks 6-8 Haiti Orphan Care

-Two summers ago I made a trip to Haiti that changed my life. Although cliche, I know I will never look at poverty or orphans the same again. Ever since that trip I have been dying to go back. Spending two weeks with those precious children again would fill my soul. I want to cook with the house mamas and play soccer with the boys. I want to cuddle sleeping babies and learn to double dutch with the girls. Those sweet faces had my heart from the moment my feet walked through the orphanage gates. 

Weeks 9-12 Family time

My family is a bit spread out across the state and the country. For the last month off from life I would spend it traveling to see family. I would make my rounds in Colorado; first, stopping at my parents house in Southern Colorado where I grew up and then making my way up to the mountains to see my nephews, brother and sister-in-law. Finally, I would finish my Colorado trip by spending time with Halle babe and my sister in Fort Collins. 

Next stop- Asheville,North Carolina where my oldest sister, brother-in-law and sweet niece Lucy would be waiting for me. Hopefully by the time my trip happens there would also be a precious baby boy needing some Auntie lovin’. This would be my longest stop because I only get to see them once a year so I would definitely like to make the most of my time spent there. While in NC we would do lots of walks through the lush, green parks and make a breakfast stop at my favorite spot in the heart of the city.

I would finish my trip with a little California vacation to see my cousins and their sweet kiddos. The beach is my home away from home and as a kid, I went to California every summer. It would be incredible to end the trip with a little R and R and lots of quality family time. I know this trip would consist of laying by my aunt and uncle’s pool, incredible Indian food and a trip to Huntington Beach. My California cousins are top notch, super fun, very intelligent people and I can’t imagine a better way to end my three month vacation than in their company. 

I think the very last night of my three month vacation would be spent with my girls on the roof top of Linger in the Lower Highlands of Denver. They would flip through pictures and I would relive every moment of the things I experienced and the memories I made. 

It’s fun to let my mind wonder about the “what if’s” of life...What if I could do whatever I want for three months? Life would be good. But heck, life is good here in this moment too. I am excited for the day that all these adventures get checked off my bucket list- but until then, I’ll live life abundantly here in a city I love, around people I adore. 

XO,
Erin

Super Food Salad

I am a copy cat. A self proclaimed, copy cat. And I hate cats, so that is saying a lot. But I copied Whole Foods and made their Super food Salad. Turns out, it was a huge success. This salad gave me tons of energy/ I was full and satisfied for hours afterward. I added grilled lemon chicken to mine for some protein. It is completely clean, low fat/calories/carbs, and high in many essential vitamins and minerals.

*Fun Fact! Kale is a Nutritional Powerhouse! One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of your daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. 

Whole Foods Super Food Salad

-Serves 4 (I kept mine in the fridge for 2 days and it saved really well)

Salad

1 bunch kale

1/2 cup uncooked quiona

one carton blueberries

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup goji berries

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds 

Dressing

3 Table spoons Evoo

2 Table spoons Apple cider vinegar

1 Table spoon Agave (or sweetener of your choice)

Juice of one lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring one cup of water and 1/2 cup quiona to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and cover until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let cool. 

Cut Kale leave into very small pieces, like you would do for shredded lettuce. 

Chop red onion into chunks. Add blue berries, goji berries, dried cranberries and quinoa. 

Toss mixture with the entire contents of the dressing. Add sunflower seeds only right before eating the salad, otherwise they will get soggy. 

I actually preferred the salad the second day because the kale had soaked up some of the dressing making the leaves more tender. I also added grilled chicken to my salad which incorporated protein and made it into more of a meal - or you can leave the meat off to make it the perfect side dish to any summer meal. 

After this successful recipe remake, I might try to copy some of my other Whole Foods favorites. I am thinking curry next time…

Happy Thursday! 

-Er

Flavors of Denver

My absolute favorite way to explore a new area, vacation or have an adventure is through food. I like to experience life by tasting and sipping my way down the city streets of San Diego. Savoring the flavors of a chi latte on the California shores with my best friend by my side was memorable - because of the flavors and the company.  Naturally, when moving to Denver, I was most excited to try new restaurants and coffee shops. There are so many amazing places in this incredible city that my mind gets overwhelmed and my tastes buds quiver just thinking about it. For those of you that live close to the Denver area- here’s the 4-1-1 on the places I have tried so far. And for those reading from a distance, be jealous, move here and be prepared to be hungry after reading this post. 

Steam: Coffee shop

This super trendy, urban coffee shop on South Pearl St is the perfect balance of simplicity and uniqueness. I loved the airy feel because of all the windows and the garage door that was raised to allow a floor to ceiling opening for the Colorado breezes to come through. My pour over coffee was dark, bold and flavorful. 

Sassafras: Breakfast and Lunch

Located in the Highlands of Denver, this beautiful home turned restaurant serves up the most delicious, decadent Southern Creole breakfasts. It is extremely popular so my sister and I sipped on the complementary coffee outside, bouncing Halle on our laps until we were seated. The staff was friendly, helpful and made the experience memorable. I had Truffle Mushroom grits with peas, goat cheese, and a fried egg sunny side up. It was savory, rich and I finished every last bite. My sister had the fried green tomato Benedict and she raved about the uniqueness of the dish. The coffee was above average, which is huge for this coffee loving girl.

The Populist: Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

 If you’re looking for a cool energy spot The Populist is it. This hipster restaurant located in LoDo has an amazing atmosphere and funky family style seating on their patio. Our server recommended sharing everything you order and getting about 5-6 items between the two of us. This seemed excessive so we stuck with 3 but were not totally satisfied afterwards. The menu was difficult to understand because there were no descriptions of the food, so it’s a great place for the foodie adventurer. The portions were small but the flavor was big. I would recommend the Populist as an appetizer and drink stop on your way to your dinner destination. 

True Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 At the moment, this might be my favorite eatery in Denver. It’s healthy, fresh dishes are appealing to me and I have yet to try something that I don’t love! It has clean, retro vibe that goes along with their clean eating menu. This is the Core Four’s favorite restaurant so it made sense that we choose to eat here as one of first meals together all in the same city again. If you’re in the Cherry Creek area looking for the perfect lunch spot, True Food will be sure to deliver a meal that will not disappoint any healthy eating pallet. 

  *(Did you know, it’s been over 2 years since the Core has all lived in the same city?) 

This only scratches the surface of amazing places in Denver. I am excited to keep exploring the city through flavors, food and of coffee. If any of you have recommendations I would love some new suggestions. 

-Er