The Blonde Side on Bloglovin
The Blonde Side finally joined Bloglovin – a fun community of bloggers from a ton of different niches.
I know, I know, welcome to 2016 blondie. Better late than never!
The Blonde Side at Pearland Golf Club at Country Place | Outfit: Lizzie Driver
Living in the burbs (just temporarily), I realized one of the perks are all all the great golf courses I know have access to, which is amazing!
Last week I played a round at the newly renovated Pearland Golf Club at Country Place, and I’m hooked. Certainly not because I played well on the course, because I did not, but it’s just an amazing spot right in the heart of my new ‘hood. And they say practice makes perfect, so you’ll probably see me there quite frequently!
Aside from the beautiful and newly renovated 18-hole course, I loved the overall vibe there. But you’ll probably laugh at me. It’s a semi-private course (memberships available, but it’s still open to the public) and in the midst of a 55+ retirement community. Those are my people. They are so friendly, not in a rush, and always eager to talk with you and be present (I didn’t see a single cell phone amongst any of the regulars!). The members are proud of their course, as they should be, and they are a treat to greet on the course, at the driving range, or grabbing a beer or burger at the clubhouse. Quite a few of them talked about their favorite new features of the course, what to watch out for, etc.
If you played the course before, you have to come check out the upgrades – it’s definitely more challenging and the ponds and other things they’ve added is downright stunning. Those beautiful ponds also happen to be the new owner of about ten of my lost golf balls, too.
The club also offers some pretty unique events that I hope to partake in very soon – things like couples golf (that could be torture for some of us though, right?), tournaments and much more. The club is definitely appealing to female golfers – whether you’re new to the game (PS – come take lessons with me and Izzy, the GM!), or a seasoned pro. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a course with more females throughout, it was definitely refreshing. And a reminder that I’m nowhere near as good as 99% of them.
The course is open to the public and just 15 minutes from downtown Houston (off 288), so even if you don’t live in the burbs like I do, it’s an easy place to visit.
Pro tip: come hungry and get a fat, juicy burger at the Tee Box Grill. It’s super cheap, has won some incredible awards, and lives up to all the hype. (Read: well worth the calories.)
PS: if you’re a female golfer (or know one), check out Lizzie Driver (what I’m wearing in the photo above) for the absolute most amazing golf clothes, ever. Check out the blog post I did on their line a while ago.
KEEP Collective: J + Texas
As a writer, it’s fitting to say I have a story to tell. It’s my job. I share my feelings (the icky ones, the embarrassing ones, the “did she really just admit to that” ones on social media, the heartbreaking ones, etc.) – sometimes too much.
One of the things I love about KEEP Collective is that each of the keys mean something.
Everyone has a story to tell- happy, sad, good, bad.
#PayItFourward with AT&T
I’ve always been a big fan of handwritten thank you notes and March Madness, so this contest that AT&T is running for the Final Four is at the top of my list.
Tell a friend, family member or co-worker “thank you” for something special they did for you and you could win Final Four – Houston tickets for you and that friend.
Simply go here to enter and good luck! (To you for winning the tickets and your favorite NCAA team!)
Plus, I have to admit, an intense basketball game is a great way to step up your friendship with someone.
Since I said this contest is at the top of my list, it only seems logical I enter as a way of saying thank you to someone in my life (trust me, I owe a lot of thank you’s).
I would say thanks to my friend Jo Neiter for her genuine excitement to collaborate on things as a team of female entrepreneurs and just always looking out, whether it be sharing ideas or contacts, collaborating on sports-related graphics, or just being an encouraging friend. Plus she’s blonde. And since this column is called The Blonde Side, that certainly helps.
Jo’s kind of the jane-of-all-trades in the friendship world – the one who’s up for pretty much anything – a run around the park to burn some calories, a brainstorming session, networking events, and most definitely a fun gal pal to attend any sporting event with!
Follow along on social media with their hashtag: #PayItFourward
*This was a sponsored post. The Blonde Side is in no way part of this contest or selecting the winners.
(this is an old bracket, 2016 teams haven’t been decided yet)
March: 5 Things to Try This Month
Each month, I’m going to blog about five things I am going to try throughout the month – and I encourage you to try them too. (Obviously some of these may only be geared towards girls, like pain your nails, etc. but you get my drift.)
Consider it a way to break your normal mold, to try new things, be adventurous, better yourself and just overall expand your horizons.
Image via thenovicechefblog.com
you’re Irish or not (just don’t pretend you are on the day of). Here are a few Lucky Charm recipes from Huffington Post, and of course you can search Pinterest for more ideas as well. And please show me what you made – I love little projects like this, plus I’m a sucker for a sweet treat! I think this is the one I’ll try to make – it looks easy enough, right? Just want to brag – I’ll actually be in Dublin over St. Patrick’s Day, so there’s that.
spend 30 uninterrupted minutes (as in, turn your phone off or leave it inside and go read outside), and it can be anything you want. Try to keep from reading on your laptop or on your iPad because you’ll be tempted to log into FB or leave a comment on a blog or something. Grab a magazine, an old book you used to love, or even print out a few articles on the web and read those.Even though I don’t read a lot of “girly” blogs, shout out to Lauren Conrad for giving me this idea.
So what are the five things on your list this month or what did you check off that I listed above?
Salmon Slow Cooker Recipe – it’s as easy as it looks
I got this dinner recipe from my friend Jen on Instagram and I seriously felt like she left out about 10 steps and 12 ingredients when telling me how to make this. One of those – sounds too easy to taste good kind of recipes…
It is beyond one of the easiest meals EVER and so delicious. Since it’s made in the crockpot (or slow cooker), it’s simple by definition.
As always, I did a few modifications:
1 small bag baby spinach
1-2lbs salmon filets
1 lemon sliced
1/4 cup chicken broth
Salt & Pepper to taste
Seriously – those are the only ingredients. Originally it said to use “dill to taste,” but I don’t bother with that.
Directions: Simply fill the slow cooker with spinach leaves. Top with salmon filets and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Top with lemon slices and pour chicken broth over the top. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Salmon should flake and be fully cooked.
Boom, dinner is served. I will say one thing about this recipe – a lot of the spinach leaves (at the bottom) sort of melted or disintegrated, which left a great taste to add to the salmon, but felt that I didn’t have much of a side.
NutriBullet: Making The Blonde Side look like housewifey material
Mark this the first time I’ve ever been photographed and looked like a housewife. Perhaps it’s because I am starting to live a more mature and responsible lifestyle (most of the time anyways), especially when it comes to health and wellness.
The year 2016 marked a “must learn to cook” effort for me and overall desire to lead a healthier lifestyle – simply being more aware of what I’m eating, ways to cut down on calories or just staying healthy. With all that, I’ve become obsessed with my NutriBullet, and for many good reasons.
For starters, just like you, I lead a busy life. I don’t always have time to sit down with a fork and chomp on a fresh green salad – most of the time I don’t have time to even sit down at all. So the convenience of the NutriBullet and being able to whip up a delicious smoothie has been crucial to keeping me fueled and staying on track.
Secondly, I’m not trying to be negative or pessimistic, but I don’t think I’ll ever be much of a genius in the kitchen. There’s something exciting about throwing a bunch of random ingredients into my NutriBullet and seeing what I end up with. I won’t lie – it’s not always successful – something about an orange juice + peanut butter combination that did not please my palette.
Whether or not you actually own a NutriBullet, I’m just as obsessed with NutriLiving – the affiliated
Health & Wellness calls for intense concentration (and reading skills?)
website filled with recipes, tips on health and wellness and other goodness. It’s such a huge and well-laid out resource (and free!).
For instance, the other day I noticed I had a huge bag of chia seeds leftover – from what, I have no idea. But aside from actually purchasing them, I didn’t know why chia seeds were so good for you or recipes I could add them to so they didn’t go to waste, so I simply typed in “chia seeds” in the search bar and came back with a ton of useful information and amazing recipes. The site is even so detailed, there is an easy to find tab titled “Infographics,” which had four unique infographics on chia seeds.
Needless to say, I probably know more about chia seeds than anyone you know (like the tip of soaking them in water to create a gel that can replace eggs in some recipes).
Probably my favorite food/flavor combo ever in life has been banana + peanut butter, so I’m always playing around with new recipes including both of those.
What about you? What are your favorite flavor combos or smoothie recipes?
Photo courtesy Sunshine Winters
Recipe & Photo: Oxygen Magazine: Southwest Turkey Meatballs + Corn + Black Bean Salsa
Relax. This is an easy one. Have I ever lied to you before, especially when it comes to acts in the kitchen?
I got this delicious Southwest Turkey Meatballs with Warm Corn and Black Bean Salsa recipe from Oxygen and it’s one of my favorites now.
The whole thing took 20 minutes to make and I could easily pronounce each of the ingredients, not to mention, knew where to find them in the grocery store. I didn’t use cumin (I have never tasted this, and don’t feel the need to) and I can’t stand cilantro – everything other than that was super easy and the recipe was simple to follow.
I will say it felt touch-and-go briefly because I didn’t use a large enough skillet and I probably didn’t drain the tomatoes and beans well, like they specified, but it turned out tasty and it is pretty healthy!
Here is the recipe straight from Oxygen Mag’s website:
Hands-on time: 15 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes
To optimize the meatballs’ flavor, create a caramelized crust by first searing them in the skillet until golden brown on all sides.
1. In a large bowl, combine turkey, egg whites, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and mix well.
2. Shape into 16 meatballs, each about the size of a golf ball.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and sear 3–5 minutes, turning frequently, until browned on all sides.
4. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, broth, lime juice and cumin and mix well. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover and cook 3–5 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
5. Stir in cilantro and serve.
Nutrients per serving (4 meatballs and 1 cup bean-corn mixture): Calories: 320, Total Fat: 4.5 g, Saturated Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 55 mg, Sodium: 340 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 32 g, Dietary Fiber: 7 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 37 g
Here is a link to some of their other “healthy recipes” on the site.
Throwing it back to 2011: Run for the Rose
Mark your calendars for the 14th annual Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation 5k hitting Houston (NRG Stadium) on April 10th. It’s early – just warning you – but it’s worth it.
The Blonde Side (and formerly Charity Chicks Houston) has participated in this fun and worthy 5k for at least five years (last year was our first year to miss it!) and we want to come back to 2016’s run stronger than ever.
Click here to join The Blonde Side’s team (or make a small donation). The cost to sign-up and join our team is $35 for a timed 5k or $30 for the un-timed 5k. Like all events The Blonde Side participates in, all levels are welcome. In the past we’ve had one of our runners place in the Top 5 (oh hey Jennifer Jones Stroud!), we’ve had some walkers and we’ve just had some chatters waiting for brunch afterwards. Strollers are welcome, so don’t let that deter you from joining our fun run.
Last year Run for the Rose raised $610,000 supporting brain cancer research and pediatric health initiatives right here in Houston, Texas. This year (2016) – the foundation is looking to raise even more!
How can you help?
We have set pretty reasonable goals for our team, but we hope to exceed it. As a team, we are hoping
Join The Blonde Side’s Run for the Rose team
to raise $1,500 and have 35 team members!
Questions/interest in sponsoring The Blonde Side’s team? Email: jayme @ theblondeside .com
Every contribution makes a difference. Every $1 that is donated generates an estimated $5-10 of federal funding and grant support. Thus, not only does philanthropic funding help address unmet needs, but given the type of creative research activity it supports, it also can help catalyze new ideas. It is too late for Marnie, but we can work together and make sure the next patient’s story has a happier ending.
Check out this women’s only wellness and yoga retreat in Belize
This time last year, I was experiencing a life-changing experience in Belize, with Reset Retreat.
Since I had such an amazing time, they have extended an offer to me that I had to pass along to my readers to experience this incredible women’s personal growth and yoga retreat. It’s in a beautiful beachside villa and is all-inclusive with daily life coaching and yoga, a private chef, Belize explorations and more.
The next trip is November 1 – 6, and I may just sign up again, fingers crossed!
For early bird pricing, you can sign up and use code JAYME300 for $500 off your trip! Plus, if you’re coming from Texas, Southwest has amazing deals on flights to Belize.
*And guys, just a tip: if you have a lovely lady in your life (wife, girlfriend, sister, mother, daughter, etc.) that deserves or needs a trip like this, I highly recommend this. You will received bonus points for the rest of eternity for this idea and thoughtfulness.*
To sum up my trip to Belize and experience with all that Reset Retreat offers:
Also, here’s my article after my experience, posted on GirlsGetaway.
FREELANCE + SPORTS + TRAVEL + FITNESS
COPYRIGHT 2019, THE BLONDE SIDE
CREATED BY JAYME LAMM