I invited my friend Kristin to be a guest on Freckled Italian today and share a bit of her story. Paleo really works for me and I love it, but I appreciate how everyone is different and how our paths to wellness can really vary. I hope you find some inspiration in her words!

Hello there! I'm Kristin, and I blog at Tales From the Nook.

Tales From the Nook is a lifestyle blog, but recently it's been focused mostly on my weight loss journey. Finding my "why" really smacked me in the face about two years ago. Although I wanted to lose weight for many reasons, I had an eye opening experience that really kicked my efforts into gear. I was sitting in the office of my Fertility Specialist, after 3 failed treatments, and he spoke the words, "you need to lose weight."

And I knew that. But when it comes down to the fact that having a baby is being affected by your weight, it really opens your eyes to the reality of what extra weight does to your body. I was on a mission to find the perfect "thing" to help me lose the weight. And let's be honest, the options are endless. And it's really important to find what works for you. If someone else does Beach Body shakes and loses 30 pounds, and you lose 3, that's okay! Everybody is different!

For me, I tried a lot of different programs. I went all organic for 6 months. I was eating really awesome organic food, and I didn't lose any weight at all. What is wrong with me? I went GMO free. Nothing. What is wrong with me? I did the Whole30 challenge and then went Paleo. I lost 2 pounds on Whole30. Ok, seriously, what in the world is wrong with me?? I was trying all of these things that went SO WELL for others, so why weren't they working for me? I was doing the right things (so I thought). I got great advice from Paleo pros like Megan! And slowly but surely I learned... nothing is wrong with me!! I just had to find what was RIGHT for me!

So I got a nutritionist.

And it was the best decision I've ever made.

The beginnings of my time with my nutritionist were tough. They were frustrating. I was at the same point that I usually get to around week 3 of my "diets." This isn't working. I'm going to quit. But this time was different. Because I had someone to tell me, once a week, to just give it time. Try doing this. Try taking away that. Add some fiber. Eat more vegetables. Tone down the protein. And guess what? IT WORKS. Slowly, but surely, I was able to find out what worked for ME. Not what worked for other people. What worked for MY BODY. And it's so amazing. In 3 months, I've lost 16 pounds, and I feel so good. I am finally doing it! I didn't quit because my nutritionist didn't let me. I love the way my body is changing, and I really love the way my attitude is changing.

I have a guest post for you today from sweet Kate of Thoroughly Modern. She's put together a Christmas playlist for you to enjoy this week, so I hope you love it!

Hello, Freckled Italian readers! My name is Kate and I blog over at Thoroughly Modern. I refer to it as a "lifestyle" blog because it really doesn't fit neatly into any other category. I write about pop culture, our sweet goldendoodle, how to act like a Power Couple, and the occasional  recipe vlog, just to name a few!

Sometimes, I even pretend to be fashionable.

 While it is pretty straight-forward why some of these songs remind me of home, others remind me of special times and experiences I had at home in California. What songs do you listen to when you're missing home? Thanks for having me, Megan!

You see, my love story with my husband is a bit different than a traditional love story, which is wonderful and challenging all in the same moment. Neal and I met in a New York bar in September 2010, completely by chance. {Just between you and I, the evening was fueled mostly whisky and cheap beer. Magic, right?} From that moment, we were in a long distance relationship, spanning 5,000 miles and 8 time zones for the course of 18 months. We were married in May 2012, and a short 10 day later we were on a flight bound for my new home the United Kingdom.
 

Sounds like a whirlwind? Oh, it was. My move to the UK meant that we were living together, newly married, in a new country for myself all while being in the same time zone for the first time. Essentially, the learning curve was huge. And funny enough, I quickly realized I had to learn how to date my husband. The adjustment from a 5,000 mile long distance relationship (LDR) to normal everdays, has been interesting to say the least, but I have learned a few lessons I thought I would share.

 

Today I have a guest post for you from the darling Ksenija of With An Open Mind. She's made some delicious seasonal treats for you--and they're Paleo, too! I hope you enjoy. Here's Ksenija:

Happy Tuesday, Freckled Italian readers. I am Ksenija from With An Open Mind and delighted to be guest posting on Megan's lovely blog today. Blogging is an outlet for me to share my various passions from healthy living and recipe developing to travelling the world and online marketing.
I am a foodie at heart and thus I was more than happy to work on a seasonal Paleo scone recipe to share with you. Do you remember the delicious PPSL (Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte) Megan wrote about last October? I wanted my scones to be something to eat alongside a steaming cup of PPSL, using similar ingredients, and be easy to prepare. For those of you not following a Paleo diet, don't worry: I shared my scones with friends and family and they were a big hit. Nutty, soft and satisfying, while also healthy, dairy-free and gluten-free.
1. Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 F).
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients first: almond and coconut flour, spices, salt and soda. In a second bowl mix pumpkin puree, vanilla, coconut oil, egg and maple syrup. Add wet ingredients to the dry. Incorporate until you get a dough. It won't be quite kneadable and remains a bit sticky.
3. Sprinkle some almond flour on a lined baking tray, place the dough in the middle of the tray and start forming a circular shape with wet hands. It should be a bit less than 1 inch thick. Cut into 12 triangles without separating.

4. Whisk the leftover 0.5 egg with maple syrup and cinnamon. Spread the mixture on top of the dough (there might be some left over) and place the tray in the preheated oven.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Take out when slightly golden.
6. While you wait for the scones place all of your glaze ingredients in a mug, microwave them for up to 30 seconds (to melt the coconut cream) and whisk until they are evenly incorporated. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
7. Let the scones cool for a few minutes when they come out of the oven. Fill the glaze in a zip lock bag, cut an edge off and drizzle it over your scones. Wait until it firms up (patience!) before separating the individual scones and enjoy the first one while still warm.

Hello, dear readers!  I'm Betsy, and I blog over at Betsy Transatlantically - the "Betsy" part is obvious, I hope, and the "Transatlantically" part is a clue as to my topic here today!

See, I moved to London from Washington, DC in June 2010 because that's where my English boyfriend, Jon, was a student.  I'd lived there before, from September 2008 through August 2009 while I pursued my MA, and loved it and wanted to go back regardless, but I became an expat because Jon and I realized that our relationship had real places to go and we'd only get there if we were together.  We celebrated our wedding a month ago, so I guess you could say it was the right decision!  But I actually repatriated back to DC in the summer of 2012, which means that - although we've been lucky enough to visit each other a handful of times since then - we've been long distance for 16 months and counting.


We hope to be reunited in early 2014, assuming all things go well with our visa - Jon will be the expat this time around!  Since Megan recently moved to Minneapolis to join her handsome fiancé after being long distance for a year, I thought Jon and I could team up to share some tips for moving to another city to be with your significant other.  We Skyped about it on Sunday, and here's how the conversation started:

Betsy: Okay, so I'm writing this guest post for Megan about ending a long distance relationship by moving to a new place to join your significant other.  What would you say are good ways to make her city your city, too?
Jon: Gang signs. Find a gang, throw up some signs.
Betsy, warily: Have you been playing the new Grand Theft Auto?
Jon, proudly: Yes, yes I have.
Betsy: (sigh)

But if that's not your thing, you might want to try these...

Plan dates!  Check out a local website or magazine that has an event calendar for the area - try to find one that includes listings aimed at locals as well as tourists.  Get into the cultural current of the city and visit theaters, comedy clubs, cinemas, or whatever tickles your fancy.  You've been long distance for a while, so it's really important to make dating a priority.  You might as well learn more about your new city and its offerings  - together - while you're at it!

Explore spontaneously!  Start making shared memories in your new city by wandering around without a real agenda and saying yes to whatever adventure you stumble on, be it a local brew at a dive bar or a pickup singalong in a park.  Bonus points if it's a not-too-familiar neighborhood for both of you!  Be smart, of course, and stay safe; I wouldn't recommend giving yourself a "The Wire" tour of Baltimore, though Jon actually wanted to do this once when he came to visit me in DC.  But branch out from the familiar and find fresh stomping grounds.

Find your niche.  Yes, it's a city that you'll be living in together and, especially after having been long distance for a while, you will want to do everything and be everywhere together.  But it's important to carve out your own identity and make your own friends in your new town, too.  Look up clubs or groups that align with your interests and sign up!  You like painting?  Check out local classes.  How about running?  A sports store in town probably host weekly group fun runs.  Your new city has a groove for you - you just have to find it.

If you've got other ideas, we'd love to hear them!  Jon and I have already decided to borrow Megan and Rob's idea of trying a different place for Happy Hour every week.  Plus, we want to make a mini DC bucket list - we're going to come up with adventures in the area (and a bit beyond) that require some planning, like visiting Gettysburg and hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains - so that we have big outings to look forward to once he arrives.

I'm sure some of you have been through similar situations and have more suggestions, so head over to Betsy Transatlantically and let me know your thoughts!  I've got some autumn Pimms waiting there for us, so come say hello!