I recently went to the San Diego Food Bloggers’ Annual Bake Sale in search of one thing: samoa bundt cakes. Yes, you heard me, bundt cakes with a Girl Scout cookie twist. San Diego food stylist and lifestyle blogger Betsy Haley made mini versions of this brilliant dessert at the Sale, and after I introduced myself, I went home with the melt-in-your-mouth cake, a second one for a birthday party later that night and a new interviewee for this series. We chatted about food styling, living in the Midwest (she’s from the Chicago suburbs) and how to get a dog to stop biting (she has two black labs). Betsy’s down-to-earth, funny and talented. You should get to know her:
Name: Betsy Haley
Age: 32
Hometown: Downers Grove, IL
Current City: San Diego, CA
Professional Title: Food Stylist/Lifestyle Blogger at betsylife
Daily exercise
At the very least it’s a quick 2.5 mile jog around 6:30am. I generally do this 5 days a week. Working out in the morning helps to snap me out of my sleep fog, and get my mind ready for the day’s activities. Plus, if the rest of the day goes to hell in a handbasket, at least I know I accomplished something! Some days I’ll have more time so I’ll do a workout video or a longer run, but I always try to squeeze in something active each day. I find it not only controls my waistline, but my stress as well, and truly improves my mental focus. A wise friend once told me that you never regret working out, you only regret NOT working out. As much as I often curse the damp weather or the early hour, I’ve yet to regret one workout I’ve ever completed.
Watching My Dogs Play
I’m the parent of 2 very sweet black labaradors, Tally and Olive. When everything seems to be going wrong, I love to take them to the beach and watch them run and swim without a care in the world. They remind me that life is short, and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Their loyalty, affection and carefree spirit is so infectious I sometimes wonder how people get through life without owning a dog.
TV Timeout
I’m one of those people who says yes to everything. I’m a classic over-extender. Some days my to-do list is so long it paralyzes me. My mind jumps from task to task so quickly I never end up accomplishing anything. On these days I like to do a TV timeout. I give myself one hour to put away my computer and camera, and sit and watch a junky, mindless TV show like The Real Housewives of [insert city here]. I find that taking a step back and shutting everything off for an hour really helps me to refocus my energy in a far more productive way.
My Vegetable Garden
Gardening is my favorite summertime ritual. Each April I plant a vegetable garden in my backyard, and spend the rest of the summer tirelessly tending to it. I’ve always loved to work with my hands and gardening is the perfect way to tune out the world and get lost in a little bit of nature. This year I’m growing three kinds of tomatoes, three kinds of hot peppers, zucchini, spaghetti squash, crookneck squash, green beans, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce and a variety of herbs. I wake up each morning and go out to check on the garden to make sure no bugs have moved in overnight, and rush home each afternoon to see if anything’s wilting from the days hot sun. The bounty of fresh produce is the best reward for all my hours spent picking inchworms, weeding and watering. Extra bonus: The garden wraps around the perimeter of our backyard pool, so I just wear a bikini while gardening so I can soak up some rays at the same time!
You can also find Betsy on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest
That Betsy is one cool chick. And that bundt cake…even better than it sounds (if that is possible!)
That bundt cake WAS even better than it sounds! Thanks for reading!