93.5 miles in December (1,000!!!!) 84 miles in November (906.5) 71 miles in October (822.5) 84 miles in September (751.5) 84.5 miles in August (667.5) 100 miles in July (583) 100 miles in June (483) 75.5 miles in May (383) 52 miles in April (307.5) 83.5 miles in March (255.5) 84 miles in February (172) 88 miles in January
Walking FAQs
Q: What counts as a mile? I didn't count steps or anything like that - only walking done for physical activity, in workout clothes, etc. I believe all of this mileage was done on a treadmill. (i'm severely allergic to grass and trees so most if not all cardio is done indoors.)
Q: How fast do you walk? I never walk slower than 4 mph. I typically walk between 4 mph and 4.3 mph, and at an incline between 0 and 4. This is about a 15-minute mile.
Q: How do you know how many calories you burn? I typically wear a Polar HRM. I used to have the F7 from REI, but I lost it, so I replaced it with an FT7 from Amazon - pretty much the same watch. It tracks time, heart rate (max and average), calories burned, fitness vs. fat-burning minutes and more. It is used with a chest strap.
Q: Don't you get bored? No, not really. I mix it up though. Some days I read a book, some days I listen to a book on my iPhone, sometimes I watch an SATC episode or movie (again, iPhone), or I'll flip through magazines. Some days I also have a buddy to talk with, or if there is something good on TV I'll pop the headphones into the treadmill and listen. Between a buddy, reading materials (mags or books), my favorite TV shows or movies, cable TV and even music (or just listening to my own thoughts!) time goes by. I actually look forward to it sometimes - it's MY 'me time.' I'll be like ooh, I wonder what happens next in this book - gotta go to the gym to find out! I think technology makes it so easy, even for those who can't read while they're on a treadmill.
Sounds like many of you know how roadtrips can just take it out of you! Mom on the Run – it sounds like you have a story to tell there! Haha Also, thank you for your ideas at restaurants. Sounds like chicken dishes and salads are where it’s at! This is why I would prefer to cook at home – I can have pizza and pasta and burritos, etc. prepared and portioned by ME, and feel so much fuller and more satisfied. And spend MUCH less $. That being said, sometimes it’s unavoidable so thanks for your ideas and for sharing what works for you!
So yesterday I was kind of a zombie. Mom was here from staying with Reuben in our absence, so we got to hang out! Then my sister came over from Decatur and we all chilled and blogged and hung out with our pups! (Devon brought Sadie girl!) Devon also redid my blog look - like it?! It began sleeting. Blah. I went to the gym and got in 4 miles (so 5.5 to go for 1,000!), then I sent Austin to the store for dinner items – we were cooking for 8 – me/Austin/my mom/my sis/his mom/his dad/ bro Tyler and his bro Elliot.
Pic of me in my new apron that Austin shot! :) Reuben in tow of course! haha
I made this pasta, garlic bread and a salad with 1 bag of romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced green onion, almond slivers and salt/Italian seasoning and fresh mozzarella grated on top (dressings on the side!). Devon and mom helped! :) It was so nice to have everyone over and everyone seemed to enjoy the food. Seconds from the boys – high praise! :) After dinner, Elliot headed out with his cousin, Austin/Tyler went up to play games and me and the girls hung out downstairs and chatted. His dad ended up not making it as they did move his grandmother to hospice. She’s really not doing well…
I went upstairs around 11:30 exhausted and ready for bed! I read a little then passed out! But my friend Stacy called at midnight – she is engaged!!! WOO! Congrats to Stacy and Shane – they’re going to Athens with us tonight so I’m looking forward to celebrating! Here’s a refresher – pic from earlier this fall in Athens!! (Stacy, if you’re reading this let’s not get as tanked as we did that day tonight… or maybe we should… hmmm).
So blog update!! Last night my sister was talking about wanting to make some of my recipes, make some meal plans, etc., and she had lots of really good questions about which ones reheated well, how I prepared them ahead of time, etc. So this morning I went to my recipes page and made several notes about which ones reheat well, how I prepare, etc. I hope this helps any who may have had questions!
K – I’m off to work, walk 5.5 miles to hit my 1,000-mile goal (can you tell I’m super happy about this?!), and hit up Athenswith some of my besties: Teresa/Forrest, Devon/Zach and the newly engaged Stacy/Shane! We’re also going to meet up with Austin’s brother/his GF,Austin’s cousin/her BF and some of Austin’s work friends and their friends – should be a fun night!!
Happy New Year's Bloggie Friends! I'm so excited to start a new year with new goals and a year of learnings behind me. Yay! I'm not excited about crowded gyms and TRIPLE the talk about health and exercise at work, but what are you going to do? :) It will subside by February, right?
What are you most looking forward to in 2010? I'm looking forward to my anniversary with Austin, getting more done at the house, taking/creating more videos and taking my running/fitness to a new level. (among many other things of course!!!)
What is one of your goals for 2010? I'm interested in taking up another hobby. Maybe tennis? Maybe sewing? Maybe getting back into scrapbooking? Maybe all 3? The sky's the limit, right?!
Hi, friends! My sister sent Christmas pics – yay! I thought I would post some of these before getting into yesterday!!
my sister's house! Her husband and pupper Sadie - the scene of my fam's Christmas get together.
Devie (sister) got a beautiful Tiffany's necklace!
Here's her and the fam! Your truly took this shot - aren't they adorable subjects? haha
I mean really - be cuter! :)
Me and Reuben - I'm not sure who caught this pic but I heart my furry baby!
I mean REALLY - he's the cutest thing ever (all mom's say that about their pups, right?!)
My mom and Mike and their puppers - Momo and Buster - sweet babies!
Mike, the golfer, got a caddyshack gopher. hehe
Austin ruined our family pic by making me a "pirate" sigh. Reuben is displeased.
He stopped. :) Yay family pic!
THE END! :)
So yesterday was a busy one! We got up early, got ready and hit up the continental breakfast. I passed the sausages, “cheesey omelets” and waffle station for an English muffin with light cream cheese, yogurt and cereal (frosted flakes… but better than the sausage right!) We got on the road for the funeral home where it was SUCH a nice service. The family did a great job and so many beautiful flowers were sent. Among others, Austin and his brother Tyler spoke and did such a nice job sharing their “Pepa” stories. After the service we headed out to the cemetery about 30 minutes away – they did a military send off – it was so neat to see and so nice for Ed. We left and planned to go to Austin’s aunt’s, but his grandmother was really not doing well – talk of moving her to hospice…. So we got on the road back to Georgia. We stopped at a TGI Fridays. It was 4 p.m. I was STARVING. I had some spinach dip…. But not too much! Then I got salmon, rice and broccoli. We headed out again, starting the Star Wars series. These cars with DVD players and wireless headphones are wonderful… We stopped again at 10 p.m. at Brixx Pizza in SC where I got a margarita pizza. Then we traveled on, got dropped off and passed OUT. Overall, it was a wonderful trip and a great sendoff to celebrate Ed’s 90 years. I’m so glad I was able to go with Austin and his family – they are great people and it was nice to spend the time with them. I ended up at 2,020 calories, 262 carbs, 66 fat grams and 89 protein grams. Here’s what I ate. Yes, the snack food in the car got me again!
So today I’m exhausted. I’m going to work some, walk 5 or 5.5 miles (almost to 1,000!) and read some more of The Lovely Bones. I’m also going to try to cook some more meals and get us back on track here at the casa. I’m not sure what Austin is up to… but I hope he relaxes! I know he’s tired from the trip like me.
What’s the longest you’ve ever “road-tripped”?
When you must go out to eat at chains like TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, Oh Charley’s, etc. – what do you order?
Thank you guys for your sweet comments! I responded to each of you in the last post comments section. :) I really appreciate your support!! I’m here in VA now blogging it up from a Hampton Inn and Suites! Gotta heart free wifi.
Quick back up – last night pretty much ended with packing, finishing up work and being EXHAUSTED from the 8-mile walk. I know it may not seem like much, but for me – it was a lot and wore me out! haha I ended up at 1,788 calories, 259 carbs, 55 fat grams and 71 protein grams. I was done eating… but my calories were low and I was starving. So I had some good old campbell’s soup – double noodle! Haha Who knows when I bought that can? Kinda scary now that I say that…. Anywho, here’s what I ate.
Today I got up, walked 4 miles, finished packing, worked and hopped in the car with Austin’s parents and two brothers for the drive to Charlottesville, VA. I think I did okay as far as eats… I got a 6” sub for lunch at Subway and had grilled salmon with a plain baked potato and a small salad with light dressing for dinner. I did have too many snackie foods in the car though. But in all honesty I was hungry! Maybe from the 8 miles yesterday and 4 today and not sleeping well? I dunno – but I wanted lots of food. And sour patch kids. Haha We were in the car ALL day. I got lots of work done (thank you, aircard!), finished a book, started a new book and watched a Sex and the City episode.
Book review time! Janice Kaplan’s A Job to Kill For. This is the second Lacy Peterson mystery novel and it was SO cute. As good as the first, but in a different way. The first was good because I loved the mystery and the newness of it. This mystery wasn’t as good, although it did stump me, but I enjoyed her personal life more in this one if that makes sense. It was a cute, quick simple read and I’d recommend it. I give it a 4 out of 5. It would have been a 5 if only the mystery had been a bit more compelling. And it felt a little short? Still - great book! We checked in to the hotel at 10 p.m. and I got in bed to read The Lovely Bones. I ended up at 1,992 calories, 221 carbs, 72 fat grams and 112 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.
So I'm starting the Lovely Bones.... do you plan to see the movie? I don't know if I can... the book is making me SO sad!! I mean it's good but DANG!
P.S. Austin's grandmother is hanging in there. She was moved out of ICU today. We're not sure if they're going to continue the radiation or not.... we hope to know more tomorrow.
Before I back up I want to thank you all so much for your support! Me and Austin really are doing well – we’re just trying to be there for his parents and family. His grandfather’s funeral is on Tuesday in Virginia, so we’ll be heading out Monday and returning Wednesday. His grandmother is stable, but is still in ICU and wasn’t able to come home for Christmas. We’re “roadtripping” to VA with his parents and two brothers so that if something happens back here in GA his dad and bros can drive down and be here, and we can attend the funeral and fly back later. Such a hard situation when you can’t be in two places at once, but they are really making the best of it and trying to keep the family together! Thank you all again for your sweet, thoughtful comments. I really appreciate you! :)
Backing up as per usual. :) Thursday’s stats (aka Christmas at my sister’s!) I ended up at 1,693 calories, 154 carbs, 56 fat grams and 82 protein grams. Considering that I had a small piece of snickers pie and rotel dip and chips I’m pretty pumped at the total. :) Here’s what I ate.
Friday we woke up early and headed to his grandparents for dinner. We all thought his grandmother would get to come home so the “kids” (AKA 17 – 28 year-old cousins) set up a bed downstairs. Then the hospital said they would bring a bed…. Then she couldn’t come home so we all went to the hospital. Then we went back to his grandparents and visited, had a few drinks and decided to postpone Christmas/presents until later in the week. Long, sad day – I just feel so bad for them! I ended up at 2,379 calories, 228 carbs, 93 fat grams and 91 protein grams. I didn’t eat well – lots of cookies, wine, lasagna and pizza – eek! Here’s what I ate.
Saturday we were woken up around 5:30 a.m. – Austin’s grandmother was having seizures and it was time to go to the hospital. We arrived with the family and she slowly stabilized. We stayed until almost lunchtime, then headed home, showered, took naps and went our separate ways – me to spend my mom’s birthday with her and my family and Austin to his grandparents house to be with his family. I met my mom and sis in Decatur to see It’s Complicated. What an amazing movie. I laughed, I cried – SUCH a good movie with wonderful actors. I loved the story, the scenery – just such a feel good film. I recommend you all see it to brighten your days! After the movie we went to my sister’s house and picked up my brother-in-law and stepdad, then we were off to The Flying Biscuit for a yummy celebratory dinner. Here's some pics!
I had such a great time with them laughing and visiting. They have been so supportive of us during the holidays and we appreciate them so much! After dinner I headed home, met Austin here around 11, and passed out. I ended up at 1,621 calories, 243 carbs, 32 fat grams and 68 protein grams. I also discovered a new wrap: The 3B Chicken Wrap. Basically – you use grilled chicken/lettuce/tomato/mayo in a wrap, but stuff in 3 B’s – Bacon (turkey bacon), basil and bleu cheese crumbles. Amazing! Here’s what I ate.
Today we slept in, did laundry and I headed to the gym for 5 miles. Then it was time to work since I’ll be out of the office until Thursday for the funeral in Virginia. I worked, got lots done and then headed back to the gym for 3 miles. I normally wouldn’t do 8 miles a day but the year is running up short so I don’t want to miss my 1,000-mile goal! After the gym I worked a bit more, and am now planning to pack, cook dinner, and spend some time with Austin and Reuben. I'll post today's stats later this week. I'll also post Christmas pictures - I still haven't downloaded and want to get some from my sis!!
I hope you all had safe and happy holidays! Can you believe it's almost 2010? What are you doing for new year's eve??!
Hi friends! I’m sorry I’ve been a bit out of it! It’s been crazy over here… I’ll back up!
Tuesday was my first day of vacay. Nice. I slept in, watched TV, went to the grocery store, walked 4 miles and just chilled. Lovely. Around 7 p.m. my friend/manager Melissa and her husband Jon and new baby Madison came over! So good to see her and to meet her little baby. We had some wine and beer and caught up – she had never seen the house so that was fun, too. Her baby was super sweet and very cute – I can’t believe how much she’s grown in only a month – crazy! I ended up at 1,755 calories, 155 carbs, 36 fat grams and 83 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.
We did get some bad news Tuesday, Austin’s grandfather (mom’s dad) has passed away. He was 93 years old – the one who we went to visit this summer in VA for his birthday. Such a wonderful person; he always had the wisest things to say and was seriously sharp as a tack up until his last day. Could talk politics one second, then ask you about a family member by first and last name whom he'd only met once. Amazing. He was a special person and will be missed. The funeral is Tuesday so we’re making arrangements now…Austin is doing really well though; we’re just happy that he’s lived this long, but of course are sad to see him go.
Wednesday we woke up to other news – Austin’s grandmother (dad’s mom) who has recently suffered from breast cancer has had her cancer spread to her brain. She was admitted to the hospital for radiation to help the swelling go down. The day was a little weird with Austin at work so I just piddled around the house waiting to see about his grandfather’s funeral and about his grandmother’s situation. I walked 4 miles, cooked a bit, made a pie, wrapped a few presents, and then it was time to go visit his grandmother. It was so sad to see her so uncomfortable and in so much pain, and to see her husband who has been with her since they were teenagers so scared. I hated it for the family… we left there after an hour or so, headed home, wrapped the rest of the presents and called it a night. I ended up at 1,750 calories, 237 carbs, 55 fat grams and 68 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.
Today we continued to struggle with arrangements. Are we flying or driving? Are we leaving Sunday or Monday? Can we get off of work? Where will Reuben go? I know it will all work out but am ready to know what we’ll do. It’s just very hard with both of his parents suffering right now and needing to be in two places at once. I again tried to stay busy at home, this time cleaning up a bit, cooking some more and watching Lost Season 5. I went to the gym and walked 2.5 miles and ran 1.5 miles. Then I headed home, showered and went to my sister’s house for our Christmas. It was so good to see her and my mom, stepdad and her husband Zach. We had yummy lasagna dinner, great conversations and just a good, easy time. It was so good to see them and chill out. And of course Reuben had a blast with my mom’s Momo and Buster and with Devon’s Sadie girl! (he loves the pupper packs!) We also had some yummy desserts and got to see Devon's in-laws, the Porters- SUCH nice people. It was so fun to give out gifts this year - I love surprising people! And it was great to get such nice, thoughtful gifts from everyone - i'll have to take pictures! Speaking of... I know this post is sadly devoid of pics – I took lots at my sister’s but haven’t downloaded! I also need to post today’s stats – I’m too tired to do it now! I did want to post though and to tell you guys Merry Christmas and happy Holidays! Take care – looking forward to reading your bloggies soon. :) Talk to you soon!!
Hey girls! I'm home today AKA doing nothing and slept in until 10 a.m. Nice! Thank you all for watching my Christmas video! (and some the wedding video from Saturday - I got it posted, too!). I think i'm really going to love the new toy - woo! K - i'm going to back up a bit with stats fist since I sucked at getting the stats into Spark People on time!
Stats
Friday: 2,016 calories, 181 cabs, 46 fat grams and 106 protein grams. Great meals, but too much candy at work and to many drinks after work! Here’s what I ate.
Saturday:2,453 calories, 197 carbs, 77 fat grams and 107 protein grams. This one involved a lot of guess work since it was wedding food… but oh well. And then it was a lot of drinking. Eek! Here’s what I ate. I’ll say this is + or – 200 calories. It’s so hard to know when you don’t prepare it yourself!
Sunday: 1,483 calories, 165 carbs, 60 fat grams and 79 protein grams. Here's what I ate. This one was a little low, probably because I had SO many calories on Saturday! Good meals but too much candy again.
New Recipe
Oh – on Sunday I made a new recipe! This one is adapted from For the Love of Cooking’s Spaghetti with Meat Sauce – but we call it Sausage and Pasta Soup. Here’s the recipe for FOUR servings. Note: with it being 4 servings it makes it very soupy like – we like that and add noodles (baby wheels!) and eat it with a spoon.
Sorry this pic is taken with my iPhone – my camera was charging! 1 tsp olive oil 3 links of chicken Italian sausage, diced 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp of dried basil 1 tsp of fennel seeds 1/2 tsp of dried oregano Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes and juices 1 14 oz can of tomato sauce 1/2 tsp splenda 3-4 fresh basil leaves 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped spaghetti noodles, cooked per instructions Reduced Fat Parmesan cheese 8 oz. pasta (we used wheels!)
Add olive oil to slowcooker over high heat. Add sausage, onion, red bell pepper and mushrooms. Add garlic, and stir for 60 seconds. Add basil, fennel, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix to combine well then add the sugar, tomato sauce and whole tomatoes and their juice; crush tomatoes with your hands. Cover sauce and cook on high for 3 hours. When you’re ready to eat, prepare the spaghetti per instructions. Taste meat sauce and re-season if needed. Add the fresh basil and parsley, stir and serve over your favorite pasta. Nutrtional Information: 380 calories, 63 carbs, 7 fat grams and 20 protein grams.
So yes, a little high on the carbs but so filling! You could easily take the pasta down to 1 oz. per serving (instead of 2) and just add more sausage! (maybe one more link!)
Video from Wedding
I made a few tweaks to this video and now it's ready to go! I hope this one works for you guys. :) And I know some of you already saw this one!! :)
Yesterday: Basically I just did the usual: worked, walked 4 miles, worked, walked 1.75 miles/ran .5 miles. Headed home and went to see 2012. Meh. I was kinda underwhelmed. I LOVE John and Amanda and no one really bugged me (except maybe the stepdad) but it was just like DUDE, how many times can you escape this thing? I mean really?! I did love some scenes though and am glad I saw it, I just don't know if I would watch it again. And if I did, I would need to be doing something else as it required very little attention if you know what I mean! After the movie I pretty much crashed OUT! I ended up at 1,784 calories, 228 carbs, 51 fat grams and 102 protein grams. Here's what I ate. Too many snacks. I credit that to being exhausted! I just didn't get enough sleep this weekend combined with TOM - eek!
Today I plan to work out, clean up a bit, hit the grocery store, cook a bit and wrap some gifts. Good times!
Have you seen 2012?
How about Avatar? I've been hearing it's a must see!
Hola! Happy Sunday… I’m SO tired. We had a great weekend but I didn’t get much sleep. Boo. Before backing up I want to reveal my new item – from Urban Outfitters that is about to start a new hobby…
It’s my new Harinezumi digital camera!
Basically, it’s this teeny tiny digital camera that takes video that looks all dreamy/vintage/old school 8mm. I’m kind of obsessed. My friend at work Chris AKA Lolo told me about it on Tuesday and showed me a video. I was SO inspired I bought one that night, had it delivered Friday and took video, edited and posted my first video Friday night!! Here’s the video – hope you like!!! (and since some of you had problems I added a link below - also links to my new video from the wedding!)
So, as you can see, we didn’t take off on Friday for Alabama. The weather was nasty and we were tired. I had worked, walked 4 miles, worked, then walked 2 miles and did legs with Stacy. OMG – great workout!! I got home, opened the camera and started filming. SO much fun. Then me and Austin had a few drinks, played pool, packed and got ready for Saturday. I still need to do stats - eek!
Saturday we got up and headed to Birmingham to meet Teresa and Forrest over at Mary and Jimmy’s – two of my FAVORITE couples ever. We got there and met Mary and Jimmy’s baby girl Emma. O. M. G. she was just adorable and so sweet! I loved her. Loved her! We spent (not enough!) time with her, then she was off to her grandma’s and it was time for us to get going! We hung out, got ready, then went to the wedding. SO much fun. Kelly and Ryan looked great and seemed SO happy. The band was awesome and we all had a really great time being absolutely ridiculous. Haha We headed out at 11, went to Mary and Jimmy’s and had a few more drinks and stayed up too late. Ugh. I haven’t tracked yet – it’s going to take FOREVA to get it all in so I’ll post it Monday or Tuesday!
Today we got up and felt like poo. Not enough sleep at all. Then we all watched the Hangover (how appropriate), said our goodbyes, and drove back to Atlanta. Now we’re off to watching 2010 – I hope I love it! I’ll do today’s stats tomorrow too – why not?!
Do you have a video camera/take videos? If so, what software do you edit with and where do you upload? I used windows movie maker and uploaded to Vimeo.
Hope you guys had a great weekend! I'm off to get some sleep - talk to you tomorrow!
Happy Saturday, friends! So i'm about to get in a car to go to Birmingham for a wedding - not too much time to write! But i wanted to thank you SO much for your sweet congratulations on my award. I wrote each of you back in my last post.:) Sounds like we're all doing pretty good on the shopping front and for those who are out shopping this weekend - good luck! Backing up a bit....
Thursday was a great day! Just worked, took lunch to clean around the house and make a new recipe, worked more, took a nice, long shower and CHILLED. No workouts, no cooking (or not too much anyway!) and no chores (again… not too many!). :) I do have a few things to fill ya in on:
Guacamole update!!! and yes, I got a pic woo!
Upon further inspection, the nutritional accounts must be revised!! I weighed the avocados… 7 oz. for 2! (after peeled and pitted). Therefore, this changes nutritional information. So here is the REVISED guacamole recipe which really just makes it 4 servings and changes avocados to 7 oz.
7 oz. avocados, peeled and pitted (2 medium) 1 ½ tbsp lime juice ½ tsp sea salt 1/8 tsp pepper Dash cayenne pepper ¼ cup chopped red onion ¼ cup tomato, diced 1 tsp jarred minced garlic
In medium bowl, mash avocados. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the garlic, the lime juice, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir in onion and tomatoes. Serve with baked tortilla chips or vegetables for dipping. Nutritional Information: (entire recipe) 359 calories, 23 carbs, 31 fat grams and 5 protein grams. Per serving: 90 calories, 6 carbs, 8 fat grams and 1 protein gram. Total grams: 356; per serving: 89 grams!
New Wrap
Ah – much better! So… I used it to make Guacamole Chicken Wraps from Cooking Light. Love it! Here’s the recipe for FOUR servings:
4 green leaf lettuce leaves 4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas 16 oz. Chicken, defrosted ½ tsp dried Parsley ½ tsp thyme ¼ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp pepper 1 tbsp lemon juice
Cut chicken into 1” pieces. Cook in pan sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat, sprinkled with parsley, thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each tortilla; spread about 1/4 cup avocado mixture (above!) on each lettuce leaf. Top each serving chicken. Wrap and serve. Nutritional Information: 329 calories, 25 carbs, 11 fat grams and 33 protein grams.
Mileage Plan
I have 45.75 miles left to get my 1,000 miles this year… and 14 days to do it. I started getting nervous. What if I don't get it? What if i'm a few miles short of something i've been striving for all year! LAME! So here’s the plan:
Yes, this is 48 miles so a few more than needed, but this ensures I get there, then I could always take off on New Year’s Eve if I wanted to. :)
K... i'm off to work out and pack and go to Birmingham to see friends get married, to meet friends' new baby and to have a great time with friends traveling in. I think it's going to be an awesome weekend and I can't wait. I'll post Friday's update in my weekend update most where i'll also reveal my new toy/hobby/exciting new purchase!!! WOOOOOOOOO!
Did you have any yearlong goals that you're striving to fulfill?
Weddings: Love 'em or hate 'em? I'm slightly obsessed with them. I enjoy everything - the attire, the mood, the celebration, the traditions - just seeing a couple so happy and so stunning surrounded by the people they love the most - makes me SO happy. As does the open bar of course.
Yay! We are so all feeling the gucacamole, although I am SO with a few of you – cheese dip does rock my face in a big way, and of course salsa/pico de gallo is pretty badass. Not gonna lie!! Here is the recipe we used by combining two recipes from Eat Better America:
2 medium avocados, peeled and pitted 1 ½ tbsp lime juice ½ tsp sea salt 1/8 tsp pepper Dash cayenne pepper ¼ cup red onion, finely diced ¼ cup tomato, finely diced 1 tsp jarred minced garlic
In medium bowl, mash avocados. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the garlic, the lime juice, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir in onion and tomatoes. Serve with baked tortilla chips or vegetables for dipping. Nutritional Information (entire recipe): 610 calories, 36 carbs, 56 fat grams and 8 protein grams.
It looks like we all used VERY similar ingredients, although some of you really sparked my interest with jalapeno, cumin, garlic salt/powder and cilantro – yum!! I’m looking forward to making it again later this week for another recipe. :)
Tuesday I had lunch with my team to celebrate the year at Hudson Grill. I had the salmon Caesar salad along with a boatload a couple of chips/spinach artichoke dip. After work I came home and ate more. TOM is here for sure – bottomless pit…. No workouts. I ended up at 1,778 calories, 159 carbs, 82 fat grams and 99 protein grams. Here’s what I ate. It's official: I much prefer eating 3 400-calorie meals and a few snacks instead of HEAVY meals and no snacks. Ew. I truly HATE feeling full from eating too much at one time.
Yesterday I had lunch at Eclipse de Luna with my department – an awards ceremony – the Marketing Choice Awards (we all vote on people/projects/etc.). I’ll post some pics tomorrow when I’m back in the office! The ceremony was fun, and my awesome team nominated me as MVP so I won – very sweet speech and nice prize! ($250) It was very nice to be recognized, especially by the people who work closest to me. :) Here's some pics:
Me and Stace
Me, Amanda and Em - they won MVP on their teams!!
Me opening my award - i'm a dork - i thought there may be a letter or certificate but it was a gift card only, I probably looked like a greedy girl!
Me hugging my boss's boss's boss who gave me the award- she had the nicest things to say. :)
I had a great time at the event chatting it up with some peeps I rarely see as we all stay so closed off in our cubes, and had fun with Stacy of course. We kept each other “good” and had salad, mozzarella/tomato caprese, a few shrimps, a spinach empanada and one small dessert. Heaven. Then we had a glass of wine. But never fear – we still hit up the gym post-wine! We walked 3.5 miles and ran 1 mile, then followed it up with back and biceps – burning 349 calories. Woo! When I got home I made a yummy dinner/new recipe – Spicy Shrimp Linguine from Cooking Light. It was pretty fabulous!! Here’s the recipe for FOUR servings:
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 tsp garlic cloves, minced 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 cups chopped tomato (about 2 medium slicers) 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup freshly reduced-fat Parmesan cheese
Post the yummy Sausage Spaghetti recipe we had on Tuesday night! I didn’t take a picture, but I’m going to have it tonight so I’ll take a picture and post it!
Post the recipe for Eat Better America’s Chicken Tortilla Casserole.Austin loved it; I haven’t gotten to try it! Maybe I’ll have it for lunch and post tomorrow!
Post a picture of the guacamole we made. We’re going to make it again this week!!
Tell you guys about this AMAZING thing I bought on Tuesday… I’m so very excited and think it’s definitely going to come into play on the blog. I can’t wait for it to arrive. A few hints: I ordered it from Urban Outfitters. It’s going to involve me taking up a new hobby and learning some new skills.
I'm off to read blogs now - WOO!
1. Where are you with the holiday shopping?! We're d. o. n. e. Yessss.
2. How do you prefer to eat? 3 large meals a day? 6 mini meals? I strongly prefer 3 300-450 calorie meals and 2-3 100 - 250 calorie snacks!
Friday ended up being a wonderful day!! I got up and chilled for a couple of hours, then showered and headed over to the gym for a great 4.5-mile walk (burned 217 calories). I’d planned to do more but had to get home and get ready – off to shop with Shana at the outlets! I had some great luck!! Two cute tops/dresses at White House Black Market, 1 shirt and two dresses at Banana Republic, and an apron, oven mit and towels at Williams Sonoma. Yay! Here's pics of a few things - more to come!
My workout...
Potholder - hehe only $1 since it's a bit off season
New Towels - love! I got two sets of 6!
And my favorite - an apron, my first one! Only $6!! We also got fro-yo – fabulous! Shana had lots of luck with new work clothes – she starts a new job Monday, I’m so happy for her! I got home around 5:30, had dinner, showered and headed over to Scott and Mary’s! We hadn’t seen them in too long so it was great to catch up, have some drinks and chill. We went to Neighbor’s with them, Jay, Mark and Ruje and had a few more drinks and apps, then it was back home where we stayed up way too late chatting! What a fun day! I ended up at 2,222 calories, 249 carbs, 34 fat grams and 85 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.
Saturday Reuben woke us up at Scott and Mary’s ready to go HOME! So we got up, changed, brushed our teeth and headed out! We hit up Trader Joe’s on the way home. Love it. Then picked up Austin’s car and dropped it at the oil change place. I then made a meal plan and watched Gran Torino with Austin – SO good. I was so impressed with Clint Eastwood and the story and how I was constantly on the edge of my seat to see how it was all going to play out. Great movie, very reminiscent of Finding Forrester for us. We love that mentor/mentee relationship!
After that we watched Notorious… apparently we were feeling the gangsta/thug life films. It was okay – I’d honestly almost forgotten about all of that west coast/east coast stuff – such a huge deal. Crazy. I also didn’t realize he died at 24 OR that he was married to Faith Hill. Interesting. We then went to Kroger to finish up the grocery shopping, then back home to watch Jaws. Love it. I've always been obsessed with sharks!! What I loved more was going to Wikipedia to see the trivia – lots of great stuff!
I fell asleep watching the last part of Jaws – lovely! I must say, it was SO nice to stay home and chill with Austin and not go out. The weather was awful (very cold + very rainy = ew) which gave us a nice reason to stay in. We also made guacamole and I preceded to eat it for dinner – way too much of it (I forget how it adds up). It was awesome!! I need to post the recipe we used. I closed out Saturday at 1,828 calories, 206 carbs, 84 fat grams and 77 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.
Today I slept in, finished up some Christmas presents, bummed around and then headed to the gym and walked 2 miles, ran 1 mile, walked 1 mile, hopped off and did chest/triceps and shoulders, then hopped back on to run 1 mile and walk 1 mile – great workout! It took me 1 hour and 42 minutes, and I burned 428 calories! Then it was time to make meals: 4 servings of English muffin breakfast pizzas, 4 servings of a new sausage spaghetti, 4 servings of a new tortilla casserole, and 4 servings of lemon pepper chicken with artichokes and mushrooms. I also did laundry, dishes, and more – GREAT productive day. I ended up at 1,584 calories, 204 carbs, 57 fat grams and 75 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.
Do you like guacamole? What ingredients do you use?
Any movies from your childhood you're still obsessed with? A few of mine are Jaws, Troop Beverly Hills, Tremors, The Little Mermaid, Three Men and a Little Lady, Cutting Edge, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Adventures in Babysitting, Rockin' with Judy Jetson, Home Alone, Mighty Ducks, 3 Ninjas, Sister Act, Big, City Slickers, Father of the Bride, Kindergarten Cop, Look Who's Talking and Beaches.
Tomorrow is blog reading catch-up day - yay! And i'll also post a couple of recipes, probably Tuesday! I hope you all had great weekends and that you have wonderful Mondays!!
Wednesday was a standard day for sure – just worked and then went to a holiday luncheon at Goldfish and ate WAY too much (4 shrimp, hummus/pita, a ravioli, salmon salad, and dessert – uh)…. I practically rolled back to work. Then worked more. Then shock of all shocks had a stomach ache. So I headed home after work, got in PJs and did very, very little. I DID sit down with Austin to make a list of EVERYTHING we wanted to do at the house, then we started prioritizing together which was great! Mostly I just chilled with the family and watched shows: SYTYCD (OMG I’m SO MAD at America and the Fox execs – total and complete crap – I cried!); Glee (OMG so good; I thought it was the perfect story anda gain – cried!); Modern family (hehe so cute and funny); Cougar Town (ditto); 90210 (totally growing on me; glad stuff is coming out); Melrose (it’s SO bad… it really is… but I keep watching). I ended the day at 1,844 calories, 169 carbs, 66 fat grams and 93 protein grams. Here’s what I ate. Why did I order dessert at lunch? Why did I manage to make it through a bake off that afternoon without eating… and being judged, to later eat one of the prize-winning cupcakes??? I suck! Haha I blame the holidays. Yes, that’s it. hehe
Yesterday was a great day! I got lots of work done, got in a 4.25 mile walk (burned 202 calories), had my sister over to visit and give her her birthday present and had lots of yummy eats: turkey/avocado wrap for breakfast; beef enchilada casserole for lunch; greek feta chicken for dinner; and yummy snacks: crackers/cheese and a kashi cookie. Then came book club – woo! I had lots more snacks there and a bit of wine… but I also had a really great time! Good to see some of Stacy’s newest stuff (Christmas decorations, new paint, new bathroom art, etc.), good to visit with the girls and catch up, good to meet two new girls – Danielle and Gretchen!, and good to talk about the book. Which brings me to my review of Jill Smolinski’s The Next Thing on My List. I gave it a 4.5 out of 5. The book is about a girl who gives a ride to a girl she just met at a WW class… there’s a car accident and the passenger dies. The driver finds a list of 25 things this girl wanted to do before she turned 25. She decides to take them on as her own and it leads to the cutest, sweetest story. It is such a feel-good story and I really enjoyed it – I even cried! I don’t want to give too much away but DEFINITELY advise it for a quick, fun read. It would have gotten a 5 out of 5 if it had been a bit longer and if the ending had been even happier! Good stuff though – woo! Now I’m going to start Stephenie Meyer’s The Host – I hope I like it!! So I ended up closing out the day at 2,097 calories, 217 carbs, 59 fat grams and 112 protein grams. Here’s what I ate. So definitely higher than I wanted to be, but it was book club, right?! :)
I’m not sure what today will bring! Yes, I’m on a random vacation day again. I know I want to workout a lot (cardio and ST), I know I’m going out in the highlands. I know me and Shana are going to try and get together and shop, too. I think it’s going to be a good one!
Do you have a list of things to do before a certain age? If so, what are two of them?
I’m interested in developing a list but need inspiration. A few on this girl’s list were: Run a 5k, ride in a helicopter and try boogie boarding.
Hola Amigas! Happy Tuesday! Thanks so much for your kind words about our new pillows, our tree, my new wrap obsession and our fridge!! I’m loving ALL four. As far as the headboard- Austin’s mom knows a guy in Birmingham who makes headboards out of old doors, gates, fireplace mantels and even ceiling tiles. This was made from him out of old French doors. It weighs a ton. Believe me, I got attacked by it right before our move, finding myself pinned between it and the box springs. NOT a pretty sight!
So before I start here is a pic of poodle sleeping taken last night. Kind of. The flash woke him up. hehe.
So... for me today was a Monday. Very much a Monday – blah! Rain again. Lots of meetings/work. Me and Stacy went down to the gym during lunch for 4 miles (burned 200 calories). We got annoyed with this trainer guy for, I kid you not, getting building facilities to TURN THE HEAT ON. Um, seriously? I’m mad at him. He’s over there on his cell phone NOT working out wearing pants, a shirt and a thick pullover. It was 65 degrees dude – calm down. When he turned the heat on it went from 65 to 70 degrees in 12 minutes. Later when we were leaving (after sweating our asses off) he tried to apologize and explain how when people strength train their muscles are competing with the heat blah blah it’s bad for them. I told him I didn’t think a 5-degree increase in 10 minutes was good for people either. He didn’t seem to appreciate my response. Whateva. Afterwards I worked, broke down and stress ate a cookie, then headed straight home after work to…. do more work. Blah! It’s almost not worth taking off on Monday. Almost. Later I made a pie, watched some TV and finished my book: Jill Smolinski’s The Next Thing on My List. I’ll post the review tomorrow! I’m done eating for sure, ending up at 1,812 calories, 200 carbs, 52 fat grams and 102 protein grams. Here’s what I ate. WAY too many sweets today. :( Tomorrow is another day though!
Backing up real quick to the “real” Monday – not much happened. I was off work so I slept in – glorious. Then I hung out with poodle and caught up on TV. Then Austin came home for lunch – then I was off to finish Christmas shopping which meant: Bed, Bath & Beyond; TJ Maxx, Homegoods, Macy’s, DSW, Crate & Barrel, William Sonoma, Target, Pottery Barn, Pier 1, all wrapped up with a 30-minute visit with Lauren at Region’s Bank (her work!) and then a 3.5 mile walk at the gym (burned 172 calories). Nice! I got home, we hung the stockings, put on the tree topper, upwrapped the gifts and had chili! Here’s the simple Chili recipe we’ve been following for years, but with a few tweaks:
1 McCormick Mild Chli Packet 16 oz. 96/4 ground beef 2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce 1 14.5-oz can kidney beans 2 habaneros, finely diced 1 cup onions, finely diced
Spray slowcooker with nonstick spray. Add in all ingredients and cook on high for four hours. Remove from cooker, divide into four servings and serve each with fat free sour cream, fat free cheese and corn chips. We love it – but note that we like our chili a little spicy and a little thick… it’s both. It’s also kind of smoky if that makes sense. I’m a fan! After dinner we called it a night! I ended up at 1,739 calories, 212 carbs, 49 fat grams and 105 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.
So what’s your favorite chili recipe?
What’s your favorite chili topping?
Here our a few of our new Christmas pics... here's the stockings. Please note, I couldn't find ANY stocking holders I liked. I look everywhere. Really. (refer to list above) So these are very plain. I plan to put votives on them or pinecones are something small and festive. Baby Reuben's stocking!!
Our new tree topper!
K - off to work. BLAAAAAHHHH. I hate having all of my deliverables in the a.m. I hope you're all having great nights!!
Friday was such an awesome night – I’m SO GLAD I took the time and relaxed, read and just vegged out. A girl needs a night in sometimes and I’m glad I did it! I ended up at 1,576 calories, 198 carbs, 43 fat grams and 101 protein grams. With a calorie burn of 502 I knew I’d wake up hungry! Here’s what I ate.
Saturday I woke up feeling fabulous – but HUNGRY! I was also CRAVING a wrap. I don’t make wraps often. I wanted avocado. I don’t eat it often either. It was ALL I could think about. So I threw some stuff on the counter and got to work. LOVED IT. So awesome, will be making it again!
My new obsession... Turkey Avocado wrap (tortilla, fat free mayo, turkey, swiss cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado and salt). Nutritional Information: 329 calories, 28 carbs, 15 fat grams and 22 protein grams.
Spread on mayo, and then swiss and turkey. Then top with avocado, tomato and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt. Roll to the best of our ability and use toothpicks to help it stay together!
Then UPS showed up – new West Elm Euros for our bed have arrived! Thanks, Devie, for making me VERY happy – wonderful recommendation that we’re SO happy with!
New Euros! They're like linen burlap with buttons (the other side is like Chenille corduroy!)
Still deciding if this pillow looks cute or too big here....
After lunch I ran to the grocery store for next week’s meal plan, then unpacked it in the fridge- still loving it!
Ah.... behold the holder of all of my pre-prepared meals...
Hola, frozen stuff! Love the drawer at the top - that's where i'm going to keep frozen soups and sauces!
love, love love....
Then it was off to the gym for 4.25 miles (burned 252 calories). Yay! I also got to catch up with my mom – nice! I got back home and was about to start getting ready, when our plans for the SEC Championship with Mon/Andy got mixed up and fell through. So I hopped in the shower and we ended up going to Matt/Nina’s to watch the game – so good to see his new condo – 21st floor, it’s official, I don’t think I could live that high up. It’s cold! Anywho, we headed to Meehan’s for a few drinks, War Damn Tebo didn't work out, then we went to a comedy club, Punchline, to see Pablo Francisco – it was HILARIOUS! Good times! We got home and guess what? I wanted ANOTHER wrap. It was like all I could think about! Haha I ended up at 2,154 calories, 209 carbs, 61 fat grams and 111 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.
Sunday I slept in. It felt glorious. I woke up around 10:30 and felt like I’d had the perfect amount of sleep. I headed downstairs and got to work in the kitchen making:
4 servings of chili
4 servings of beef enchilada casserole
6 servings of bacon/egg/cheese muffins
4 servings of Greek feta chicken
4 servings of Southwest Chicken & White Bean Soup
4 servings of Chicken in Tomato Sauce
I was on fire – love having stuff in the oven, stuff on the slow cooker and then prepping another recipe – it went SO smooth! Before I knew it it was time to get ready to go visit Jason and Crystal and their new baby Grady! We got ready, got Reuben ready and headed out. So good to see them! Their baby is a doll – beautiful eyes, adorable smile and very chill/happy personality. The nursery looked awesome and they just seemed so happy! We also got to see their bestie Chris and catch up with him, had yummy taco soup, a couple of glasses of wine and lots of great conversation. It was such a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon! We headed home around 6, picking up Christmas lights on the way and new batteries for my food scale! Then it was time for fun – Christmas music while decorating the tree – yay! Pictures never do tree's justice in my humble opinion, but here’s ours. I love it. :)
Please note: tomorrow i'm getting a topper! And Austin is digging out an extension cord so the lights don't string over like that! Tomorrow i'm also getting stocking holders for the mantle - eeee! So exciting!
Love how 'no flash' makes it all old-timey
Reuben wasn't enthused....
A closer shot!
For dinner I had yet another wrap (OMG - it's like nothing else matters!), then it was time for FlashForward – love. I’m in bed now about to hit the hay! Today I ended up at 1,501 calories, 159 carbs, 49 fat grams and 65 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.So ready for tomorrow – I’m off work again – WOO!! Hope you all had great weekends!!
What’s your favorite thing about Christmas time? Mine is definitely putting up the tree!! And seeing family of course!!
Do you ever go to comedy clubs? We used to go a couple of times a year in Birmingham but haven’t been in a while. I forgothow much I enjoyed them!!
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