Ryan's New Love Interest

Months of KSL bargain hunting resulted in Ryan scoring a sweet road bike this week. Little did I know how excited he would be about his full-carbon Felt F3C. After proudly showing off to the neighbors and texting fellow bike enthusiasts, Ryan sat, staring at the sleek lines with happy sighs. Our good friend and hilarious blogger, Rob texted back, "Is your wife okay with having another woman around?"

Ryan started saying crazy, blissful things. Lucky you, I wrote them down to share:

"It was meant to be."

"It's beautiful, it's like artwork."

"We're gonna spend hours and hours together."

 Here's the kicker, people:

"Just look at it. I've got such a sexy bike!"

Um...should I be concerned?

P.S. Ryan's prepping for a triathlon this summer - this picture captures the bike, goggles, and running medal from the Salt Lake Half Marathon last weekend. Yeah, he's a stud.

Calm after the Whirlwind

The past month or so, Ryan and I have been pushing ourselves hard. Between to-do lists that seemed to multiply overnight, brain-squishing finals, deadlines at work, job interviews (Ryan), scholarship applications, it's been a season of stretching. We've not had much time for slowing down. Heck, Ryan even jumped in last minute to run the Salt Lake Half Marathon this past weekend.

Many of you have likely experienced the same push-push-push zone lately, with figuring out how to balance life, facing the end of semester crunch and college graduations arriving. (Congrats again to my sis, Master Erika and bro-in-law Matt!) Also, we know quite a few couples who've recently celebrated the arrival of their new baby, like our cute Burnett neighbors. Isn't it nice when the long-awaited arrives? When you can breathe easy again?

I found this quote and made this design as a nice reminder.  Life's short. Soak it up, enjoy each day. The tough parts make the rest that much sweeter. Despite the crazy rush, we've enjoyed Spring strolls, noticing new growth and blasts of colorful flowers in the neighborhood.

With a vacation on the horizon, we're ready to soak in the sunshine ...

P.S. Today I added a new section, We Believe, because we really do.Happy Sunday.

Sweet victory: 7 tips to give up sugar

Birthday cake. Sugary cereals. Easter candy. Sugar is popular, playing a prominent cultural and social role as a form of celebration, a reward system and as an everyday sweetness fix. With recent research showing the toxic and addicting effects, some are declaring independence from sugar.

Once known for her cakes and pies, Bountiful resident Rhiannon Lawrence learned in 2009 she was gluten intolerant and pre-diabetic. Out of necessity, she embraced a new way of thinking about baking and cooking.

After experimenting with recipes for years, she shared what she found by writing the book "Eat free: No Gluten. No Sugar. No Guilt." Lawrence works with several non-profit organizations and is an advocate for health and nutrition.

Another advocate for avoiding sugar — Paul Stout of Kaysville, Utah — used to get headaches every day. A decade ago when he won a week's worth of milkshakes, he noticed the direct correlation between sugar and his pain. It's been 10 years since Stout gave up sugar, and he hasn't looked back.

"I tell everyone, and it's true: I feel better today at 53 than I did at 43, when I was still eating sugar," Stout said.

Lawrence and Stout offer tips for those who want to cut sugar from their diet:

Read the 7 tips in my KSL.com article by clicking here

No pity needed for gluten-free eaters

I'm a gluten-free gal. Anything with wheat flour is on my no-no list, unless I want serious intestinal retaliation. Yes, that means I avoid breads, pastas, pizza, cookies and even sneaky gluten-hiding foods like licorice and barbecue sauce.

Read my full story on Deseret News online by clicking here, or continue below.

According to Celiac.com, at least 3 million Americans, or about one in 133 people, have celiac disease, so I’m not alone in the food-navigation process.

In my workplace, often co-workers bring in platters of baked goods to share. They make their way through the cubicles, generously offering treats, and pass by me with a slightly ashamed whisper: "Sorry!"

No pity needed, folks. I've said it many times, though perhaps it's hard for gluten-eaters to accept: I am glad to be free of gluten.

Not only am I protected from stomach aches, I also don't eat most junk foods — simply because I can't.

Also, since I learned of my gluten-intolerance four years ago, I’ve enjoyed palate experimenting and discovering “safe” new tastes like Thai food.

With so many new companies now recognizing the food allergy market, it’s only getting easier to be gluten-free. For example, ordering a gluten-free topper on my wedding cake a couple years ago was no big deal.

Many others like me have found the gluten-free lifestyle to be a healthy, happy way to live.

“It’s not as hard as it seems. Now it’s easy with all the gluten-free products out there,” said Bethany Hilton, who created the blog Gluten Free in Utah after she became gluten-intolerant in 2006 to “help others who are living (or should be living) a gluten-free lifestyle.”

“It’s worth it because I feel so much better,” Hilton said.

For those who recently learned they are gluten-intolerant or have celiac disease, Hilton gives words of assurance.

“Figure out what works for you — everyone has their own gluten-free style. Know that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to be gluten-free, and yes, food can still be good.”

Gluten-free eaters like Hilton and I are finding an increasing number of local specialty restaurants and customized options on menus. Websites like The Urban Spoon share handy lists of Salt Lake restaurants that are gluten-free-friendly.

Eleanor’s Bake Shop, located at 9495 S. 560 West, Building D, in Sandy, offers an exclusively gluten-free menu with options ranging from specialty cakes to sweet rolls to brownies.

A family-owned bakery, it’s named after Grandma Eleanor, who “lovingly passed (celiac disease) on through the gene pool” to the family who “opened up shop to share (their) love of gluten-free food.”

“There are a lot of options for those who are gluten-free,” said Treasa Stewart, Eleanor’s granddaughter and part-owner of the bake shop. “I eat better than I used to eat, with more fruits and vegetables. I feel better mentally and physically, just all-around better health.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Yep, gluten-free works for me.

His & Hers: Car Genius v. Oblivious

Recently Ryan teased if I had a blown-out tire, I'd call everyone in my cell phone before I tried to fix it myself. Eh... he's right. In a "Car Knowledge Competition," my husband would rock me any day. Ryan gets his hands greasy with the hood up, fixing tubes and wiring - he prints instructions on  how to remove the cylinder head and reinstall dashboard components. He whips out his super powers when our cars decide to misbehave. In terms of driving skill, we both agree he's better behind the wheel.

I, in my state of car oblivion, describe automobiles in terms of color, and whether they are a "car, truck, or van."   I feel proud to keep the gas tank above the quarter-tank mark, and my greatest claim to car fixing is checking the oil (to Ryan's amazement!) Although Ryan's explained a few times how the engine works, for some reason, my brain is engine-defunct.

These pictures represent the gaping disparity in our car knowledge. Those itty bitty words on the small picture? Yeah, they say "what Crystalee knows about cars." Pitiful, I know. Guess I need to practice changing the tires ...