I Can't Wait...

To see this:

To wear these:

New Citizens of Humanity dark green skinny jeans!

To be reunited with these two people:

My mom, my sis & me from my mom's birthday dinner last month at Dante's Down the Hatch

For my fridge to look like this:

Well not EXACTLY like this but you know what I mean - i'm still looking to attempt  pseduo-paleo in February!

 To have a whole lotta this:

YES - things are slowly calming down at work!

Not much has been up with me - just work. Monday the office was closed but I worked from home preparing to be out for 2 days for a company event. I did P90X arms. Tuesday I was in meetings from 9 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. I got home exhausted and cranky! Wednesday was said event. I did get up early and go to the gym first, but only had time for a 2-mile run + 5 minutes on the stair climber + P90 ab ripper. We had an AMAZING company event (that my team was responsible for putting on), and afterwards I went out with some of my co-workers for dinner at Cinco  Mexican Cantina. The portions were HUGE (i.e. I split guacamole and fajitas with 2 other people!). Thursday I was a freaking zombie. Just totally spent. Foggy. Exhausted. And behind at work, life, etc. Totally cranky. So I rested. I worked. I went to bed EARLY. Friday I was determined to feel better! I slept 8 hours, got up early, ran 2 miles and worked! Then I hit up Zara to return a few things and had SO much luck (must take pics!), then I went by the grocery store and got ready to host book club. My sister, Monica, her sister Steph, Stacy, Danielle and Shana all came over and we discussed A Soft Place to Land. Mostly we just had a few glasses of wine, caught up, and talked everything from diets and skincare to babies and TV. SUCH a fun evening. Although it got late quick!

Q: How is your weekend going? 

Q: Fill in the blank: I can't wait... ________________________!

Book Club, Spa Day, Grilling Out

Happy Sunday! Hope you're having a good weekend - so glad to have one more day of relaxation! Friday I worked, worked through lunch, then headed over to my sister's for Book Club! Great group - Monica, Stacy, Emily, Danielle, Stephanie, Jackie, Kate -and of course Dev. Devon's outdoor area was set up so cute with little lights, cozy chairs and a big umbrella - we ended up spending the evening out there! Great, nonstop conversation, general consensus that Chevy Stevens' Still Missing was a great page-turner (although some weren't huge fans of the ending) and just so much fun. Before we knew it, it was midnight - time flies! So I headed home to the family (Austin had gone to a Braves game!) and got some rest!

Saturday I woke up early and headed down to the Salon 11 Studios for a massage and facial. The massage was amazing - relaxing, falling in and out of sleep, fluid, just the right amount of pressure, etc. Will definitely be going back to Desy. The facial was great too - very efficient i'd say. Some treat it more like a 'face massage'- while she did massage and even did a parraffin dip for my hands during it, she wasn't scared to do what needed to be done - unclog my pores. Mariam was great - I even added on an eyebrow wax and she did an excellent job. So yes, I'd LOVE to go back to both, probably wouldn't do same day though (kind of took away from each one you know? Didn't enjoy the facial as much as i'd just come from a massage) but definitely had a great, relaxing experience. Now they just need to update their website with these new services they're offering! Best/cost-saving part: I used a groupon - $50 for 2 services. SO, each was only $25 where normally they're $90 and $80. It's worth the $170 but WOW for $50, they've definitely made a new client out of me which, I'm sure, was the goal of the groupon!

Afterwards, I came home, took a long nap, showered, and then made a pasta salad side for grilling out at Mel & Jon's! We headed over there around 6 and had so much fun catching up with them and their buds, and eating yummy food (grilled skirt steak, roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus, scallops and brownies - awesome!). We also got to see their little Madison - SUCH a cutie. Can't believe she turns 2 this year! Great, chill evening - love hanging out with them.

Today is probably just going to be a little cooking and reading, a little laundry, an errand or two and the gym - yay! Before heading out, I have a new recipe to share - Creamy Taco Mac!

One serving

Creamy Taco Mac
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes 4 Servings

Nutritional Information: 457 calories, 58 carbs, 7 fat grams and 34 protein grams.

Creamy is right - the sour cream/cream cheese mixture made the red sauce a lighter color -  it was so creamy! I loved it with the pasta shells - it was really like Mexican Mac and Cheese! Big fan.This is a great recipe and makes HUGE servings - I couldn't even eat the whole thing! We'll definitely put this one in the rotation. The recipe is over at Healthified Kitchen!

Whole pan!

Q: Do you like any Mac & Cheese variations? Lately I've been seeing a lot of different ones - Bacon Mac & Cheese, Buffalo Mac & Cheese, etc. I love the ideas!


Q: Are you a massage or facial person? If so, do you get them regularly?


Q: Are you a Groupon person? I rarely use them, but have been known to get them for stores I shop at a lot (i.e. Fabrik boutique) and think it's a great way to try out new places. I mean, it would suck to pay $100 for a bad massage. But for $25, I now know that Desy is DEFINITELY worth the money.

Swimsuit Shopping, Girl Night

Hola! Happy Wednesday indeed! I hope you all had great days - mine wasn't too shabby. Highlights:

• Austin came back from Tennessee - woo! (was there on an overnight work trip)
• I started my day out with less traffic than normal and a Starbucks grande skinny vanilla latte - yessssss.
• I used my lunch break to walk 3 miles and do biceps and triceps.
• After work I headed straight to the gym for 35 minutes of spin, a 1/4 mile walk and a 1.25-mile run.
• GREAT to get home and see Austin and the puppers - lovely day indeed.

Looking back at yesterday: So after my a.m. work-out (2-mile run; 1/2 mile walk) I just worked, then went back to the gym at lunch for a 2.5-mile walk and back/chest - not bad! Then after work I headed straight to Nordstrom (my favorite department store; well second only to Macy's, the mothership). Devon (my sis!) met me there and we looked at clothes for Dane then I went to try on swimsuits. Ah, nothing like a platform, 360-degree mirror and fluorescent lighting to make you want to chuck it all and eat a stack of pizzas. I tried on about 10 and while I absolutely confirmed my weight gain/problem areas, I did walk away with four new suits. Yes, 4. In my defense, I hadn't bought a "nice" swimsuit since my two Tommy Bahama's in 2008. (note: I find that designer swimsuits, much like designer jeans, fit me SO much better so i'm willing to spend the extra money, especially since I have 3 back-to-back beach/lake trips in May to kick off the season). Anywho, here are the new suits:

Ralph Lauren ruffle suit. I loved the coverage this suit offered and the ruffles were pretty to me! It even has a tiny horsie under the ruffle - cuteness. Only bad thing - it doesn't tie in the back. This is good for laying out (and it does adjust) but I worry it was snug - even though I went up a size. Must get Austin's opinion!

Lucky Brand tie-died suit. I LOVED the tie-died nature of this suit and all of the ruffles/rujing was very flattering. I think I liked this one better in person. Also, I did not get these bottoms - I got the ones below but in this purple/white color!

bottoms I got! I LOVE the rujing on the side. These felt great and fit great. I didn't even know Lucky made swimsuits - SCORE!

Betsey Johnson "not a suit" suit. I mean really - could this suit be any less functional cuter? I LOVE the detail with the ribbon flower and jewels on the top and little flirt skirt. Also, it came with an adjustable strap that hooks on each side and goes around the neck - CUTE. Devon found this one while I was checking out and I had. to. have. it.

Tommy Bahama classic suit. Forgive the scary mash up I did below. Basically, I bought the black skirt (love it!) and the Tommy top in a different print to mix and match. I will say that while I LOVE the skirt i'm debating on the top. It was just a little pricey and I feel I could mix any top with a black skirt - or multiple tops - so the top may be going back to the store (well, once it arrives at home - that's the other problem - I didn't get to try on my size).

Make and Model cover up. Devon found this one too - so classic and it fit great. Had a built in bra too. There is a good chance this "cover up" will be a dress I wear EVERYWHERE. I loved it - so comfortable and if they had had it in more colors it could have been dangerous.

So yes, I bit the bullet and did all of my shopping in 30 minutes, had my sister's advice on hand, and bought 4 suits. I SO hope Austin doesn't think the blue/ruffle one is too tight - it's so pretty and the cheapest - GRRRR. Also, I'll have to decide on that Tommy top. Either way - Betsey and Lucky are good to go - WOO! And the cover up will be so nice!

So after swimsuit shopping, me and Devon headed over to The Grape at Phipps to meet Stacy and Monica for book club! I had SUCH a great evening talking with three of my besties about everything from babies to jobs. Love those girls. Thanks for the pic, Stacy!

Yes, we talked about the book and that's always nice, but really it's just great to get together with friends. Everyone is so busy so a Tuesday night suited us great, and I was still home by 10 so not too shabby!

Q: Assuming you're a girl, do you have 'girl nights' regularly? What do you like best about them?

Q: Where's your favorite place to shop for swimsuits? What is your favorite brand? My favorite is probably Tommy Bahama - classic, great-cut suits. I tried on Michael Kors and they fit well, but weren't my favorite patterns. Betsey is INSANELY fabulous but too expensive - eek (this one was found on sale - which was still $160). I also like Target suits (but the bottoms never fit right) and Banana Republic (I have two great suits from their outlets that fit nice - very classic).

I'm actually loving the Lucky suits too - if I had to get another (which clearly I don't and won't) I'd go check theirs out. Reasonably priced too (Lucky was $130; Ralph was $105; Tommy skirt was $71... if I keep the top that suit rockets up to $170... I think I just made my decision - the top is going back!) And the cover up was on sale - only $30, and again - this is likely going to be a new dress. I mean really! haha

Coffee Thoughts, Book Club, New Protein-Packed Recipe

LOVED your coffee thoughts. I agree - it's pricey fo SHO at $4.50 a drink. And, I should def wait on a machine. I will say that I enjoyed the coffee and could see it being more of a once-a-week-treat, pick-me-up kind of thing for the Latte - but if I enjoy something daily or more frequently, I need to find a cheaper alternative to my espresso fix. :) I'm just glad i'm no longer drinking monsters or red bulls. Not that I drank them a lot or anything but they're really not good during the week if you know what I mean!

So Wednesday was pretty busy. The day was gross and rainy. I got a ton of work done. I used my lunch to hit up sports authority for another pair of capris for spin, Trader Joe's for party food, Kroger for normal food and the post office to mail some stuff out. Then it was just more work. I got home, had dinner, then headed over to book club at Karly's! I was a bad book club member this month - hadn't read the book! BUT it was great to see Karly, Crystal, Emily, Devon, Danielle, Jackie, Monica and Stephenie - great group of girls and Karly made an amazing spread - can't wait for her to share her recipes! Wish we'd taken a group pic though - oops!

Speaking of recipes... I have another one to share!

Three-Cheese Chicken Florentine
Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 6 servings

Nutritional Information: 426 calories, 44 carbs, 8 fat grams and 44 protein grams.

Check out the recipe on Healthified Kitchen!

Q: Have you ever cooked with cottage cheese? This recipe uses it and it was my first time cooking with it. I was VERY impressed - will definitely use it again!

Q: Do you read Better Homes & Gardens? I just got my first copy of it... WOW... I rip out pages that I want to read again and there isn't much left of the magazine I pulled out so much! I can't wait to try some of the recipes and home organization ideas.

Gym Help! Must Make a Decision, Book Club Fun

Thanks, friends! I really appreciate your feedback on the exercise plan and LOVED your Inidan food feedback. I know, the curry smell isn't for everyone, but it seems like most of us are fans - yay! I googled some of the dishes you listed as favorites - I hope to try cooking them! Although I can't cook with eggplant. I don't know why. It freaks me out. I tried twice and had to toss the eggplant both times!

So one theme that rang through in your feedback was mixing up the cardio. I'd really like to mix it up with classes. This is where I need your help!

• I love LA Fitness, used to go there, it's not as convenient now but I REALLY miss the busy atmosphere and the classes. I can rejoin for $30/month - but it's just not very close to my house (20 minutes round trip).
• I go to a gym by my house, it's very convenient (8 minutes round trip). No classes though and the atmosphere is not motivating. It's also kind of hot. $15/month.
• I can go to my office gyms - but I want a gym that I can go to on Thursdays (when I work from home) and on the weekends. And the office gyms don't offer a lot of classes (like two after hours).
• The Kicker: The gym in my new building opens in June. They will offer classes (don't know which ones yet, if they'll be good, etc.)

What do you think? Should I:

A. Stay where I am. Wait and see how my new work gym is. If it sucks join back at L.A. Fitness.

B. Stay where I am. It's not worth the extra travel and extra money just for classes and a better atmosphere. Just do workout videos at home.

C. Go ahead and leave the $15/month gym for the $30/month LA Fitness. Deal with the longer distance to get classes and a better atmosphere. If the gym at my office is nice, quit L.A. Fitness (it will take up to 3 months to quit - assuming I don't get stuck in a year contract).

D. Other - perhaps i'm missing some fabulous solution all of you see!

Any advice you provide would be sweet! I need to figure something out! Moving on!! Yesterday was a pretty busy day at work. I worked through lunch too - mucho unfortunate. After work I headed straight home to prepare for book club! I had 8 great girls over and tonight 8/9 had read the book - nice!! Everyone overall seemed to like the book, Emma Donohue's Room. I LOVED IT. Here's my review. We had a great time, I tried out an Asian-inspired menu and it seemed to go over well! I love our monthly meetings and am excited our group is growing! Here's some pics of the friends and the eats!

Group shot with timer!

So the camera fires off 6 pictures at a time - we had fun with this!

goobers

The eats

Yummy

Spicy sesame chicken

Eggrolls & edamame

Q: How do you break up your cardio? With classes, workout videos or what?

Q: Do you like edamame? I think it's super fun to eat!

My December 2010 Cardio Plan (sigh!), New Burrito Recipe, Book Club

Thanks you guys! I really like that bake - it heats up well, too - I've been bringing it to work all week! Wow. Our commutes are all over the place from work-from-homers zero commutes to 2+ hours round trip. I definitely see Biz's point about it getting to a point when you're in the car to much to really have a life! Drive + work + gym + work + gym + drive + sleep = not enough fun in there! I normally don't feel that way with my 1-hour-round-trip commute, but this week i've felt overwhelmed and exhausted!! On another, somewhat similar note, I worry I've walked myself into a corner. Basically, my goal is 1,000 miles this year. I slacked a few months. Didn't do anything over T-giving break. Now, here I am with 131.5 miles to do in December. Not too bad - BUT I'm in Chicago for 3 days next week... and I'm in Colorado for 6 days later this month. What's a girl to do? PLAN PLAN PLAN. Here's what I've come up with...

click on calendar to make it larger...

I've confirmed that the Chicago hotel HAS a great gym!! It looks like the one in Colorado does too but i'd prefer to not work out on top of skiing, and really want to enjoy this trip with Austin and his family. (not that working out is unenjoyable - you know what I mean!) What do you think? Can I do it?! So far I did the first 4 miles yesterday per the plan.

Yes, 4 down and only 127.5 to go in the next 30 days - WOO! Awesomeness, so other than figuring out how my cardio schedule and walking 4 miles, yesterday just involved another LONG commute in, work and BOOK CLUB! Yay! It was at my sister Devon's house and the book to discuss was Sharp Objects. I personally LOVED this book - SO much. It seems that was the general consensus - nice! I really enjoyed seeing Dev, Shana, Karly, Danielle and Stacy - so fun to have a girl's night - and Devon made amazing food! Chicken Tetrazzini, cream cheese brownies, the best salad and garlic bread - WOW!

After book club I just headed home to the family so happy that Thursday is a work from home day. Yesssss. And, as has become customary, I have a recipe to share! (I know, shock)

Rotel Slowcooker Chicken Burritos
Recipe adapted from Fabulessly Frugal
Makes 6 Servings
Nutritional Information: 462 calories, 58 carbs, 10 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: Yum! The guacamole added so much mixed with those beans. It was almost like a bean burrito then no – there’s some spicy chicken! I liked the sour cream and that little bit of cheese went a long way. This was a great burrito/wrap that we’ll definitely be having again. Although, next time I’ll double the chicken and use the other half in salads or in a taco or enchilada bake!

Check out the Recipe Here!

Q: What are your goals for December? Aside from walking/running131.5 miles, i'm still focused on doing more videos, doing more abs, and doing more mealplans!

Q: What's your favorite burrito mix-in? I think mine is beans - they're just so filling! I really liked how these mixed with the avocado. nom nom nom.

10K Training, Book Club, Tough Week, Slowcooker Round Up

I'm sorry I've been MIA , friends! This week has been a hard one. Nothing bad, just more difficult than others. Mostly because Austin's been gone all week. Yes, boo. He's coming back tonight but he left Monday a.m. and guess what? It's SO much harder when i'm alone. Reuben's feedings/clean up are both on me, all of the chores are on me, and you know what? It's NOT as much fun cooking for one. Or eating alone. It's weird! And I don't sleep as well. At all. So I've been crabby too. Other than that, I've been dealing with this AWFUL car dealership on the car I bought. More on that later... i'm still shocked by their behavior...

SO, not to be a big downer, but it's just been a tough week. SO excited for Austin to come back. Here are a few highlights from the past few days!

Tuesday was just work, walked 3 miles during lunch, more work, and then another run after work! I did the 3.5-mile run again at 6.3 mph - it's really feeling more natural. Other than that, me and Reuben just watched some TV!

Wednesday was a 5-hour meeting that went all the way through lunch. Sigh. Then back to work for a crazy busy afternoon playing catch up, to a rough commute home to get Reuben from the groomer, then another 40-minute ride to book club. oy. However, book club was SO fun - great to see Crystal, Devon, Stacy, Mon, Danielle and Karly! Loved seeing what was up with the girls - definitely the highlight of my evening, although we missed Shana! :( Other than catching up, girl time and a couple of glasses of wine, we also chose new books!! Sharp Objects for October's meeting and Hissyfit for November's - yay!

Lastly - THANK YOU for the slowcooker links/ideas. I plan to try! And Danielle - SO GLAD you got a slowcooker - I love mine. :) And no, I never leave it on when i'm not home. I know people who do and it's all good, but when i'm not here Reuben is and I just can't chance it! (such a personal choice!) Anywho, I thought you guys may want to see THREE of my favorite slow-cooker recipes - all from fellow bloggers - ENJOY!!

1. Bacon Ranch Slowcooker Chicken

2. Slowcooker Spaghetti

please forgive the poor picture - iPhone AND taken in a plastic tub - double whammy!

3. Buffalo Chicken Chili

Q: What makes you feel better after a tough week? I think i'm going to hang with the fam and maybe do some cooking! This weekend, i'm thinking about getting a pedicure... :)

Q: How do you handle businesses who treat you wrong? I've honestly been upset about it all day. I just want to handle it and they're putting me off and REALLY frustrating me. I plan to file a complaint with the better business Bureau, and post reviews everywhere - I don't want anyone to have to deal with their bs!

K - off to relax and read blogs - "see" you soon!!

Two Book Reviews, 7.5 Miles, SATC 2, Book Club

Hey! Sorry I’ve been so MIA this weekend – have been doing lots of running around and reading! Hope you’re all having good weekends, and thank you for your comments on my ‘pre-cooking.’ It really works for me and Austin… I actually need to go get that going soon! :) Here’s what I’ve been up to.

Thursday I worked, walked/ran 4.5 miles during lunch, worked more, and then headed down to watch SATC2 with my sister and Tara! I LOVED the movie. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone but I definitely enjoyed it and will definitely buy it! After the movie we had some fro yo, then I headed home for a couple of glasses of wine with Austin. I called it a night around 11:30, at 2,119 calories, 299 carbs, 30 fat grams and 87 protein grams. Way too high… shouldn’t have gotten the fruit snacks AND the yogurt – eek… Here’s what I ate.

Friday I was SO ready for the weekend! I worked, walked 3 miles during lunch and did upper body ST, worked more and then me and Stacy headed to my house – it was book club night! Devon got there early and the three of us hung out while I finished prepping for dinner. I made a southwest salad, texas tortilla twisters, beef enchilada bake, homemade guacamole and chocolate covered strawberries. Yum!
Strawberries!

Casserole

Salad! Loved the avocado!

Texas Tortilla Twisters!

Chips, Salsa and my Guac!

My plate... YUM

Stacy and Crystal! I took more pics but the flash was being weird so only this one turned out - oopsie!


Shana and Crystal arrived later and the 5 of us had a great time discussing the book, catching up and just having girl time! It got late. Quick… but it was worth it for a fun sleepover! I estimated that I ended up at 1,802 calories, 154 carbs, 49 fat grams and 92 protein grams. Here’s what I ate. And here is my review of Dean Koontz’s Intensity, our book club book for July. Let me start by saying I hate horror movies. I just HATE them, don’t watch them, etc. I like mysteries, suspense, but not horror movies/thrillers. This book, it turned out, was a thriller so I was just so frustrated with it! It was definitely intense and I HAD to keep reading to figure out what was going on – so a really good page turner! However, it was like the script to a horror movie and I was constantly ANNOYED with the main character (like in a ‘NO, don’t go in that dark basement AGAIN!’ kind of way.) Stacy loved it – and gave it a 4.5/5… I gave it a 2.5/5 for ME, but for a Thriller I feel certain it was a good one, especially since even though it gave me nightmares I still read it to see how it unfolded!

Saturday I woke up at 9… not enough sleep – eek! Me and Reuben went downstairs and I started reading Emily Giffin’s The Heart of the Matter (thanks for the loan, Shana!). Then I visited with the last of my sleepover guests, Austin came home, and me and Reuben took a nap! We ordered a pizza, I read, and then we headed to Katie and Chris’s friend Huff’s house for swimming & grilling. We had a great time hanging out, had a few drinkies, then called it a night. I ended up at 1,968 calories, 228 carbs, 42 fat grams and 79 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.

Sunday I woke up around 8 and finished up Emily Giffin’s The Heart of the Matter. Here's my review. Basically, I loved it. I just love her books. I read every word, no skimming, and just immediately relate to all of her characters. I may not like all of them, but I relate and respect their choices and decisions. I loved the book. It focused on two main characters: Tessa and Valerie. One, the wife of a surgeon worried her husband may be cheating, and one, the mother of the surgeon’s patient… who may or may not be cheating with the husband. This is just something that carries throughout the book as the story is told from the perspective of both women. I thought it was a great book. I cried. I just really felt for these people! I give it a 5/5. It’s actually our book club book for August – can’t wait to see what the girls think!

That’s been my day so far, just reading, lounging around with Austin and Reuben, and getting ready to cook!

What are you doing today?

Do you think you could read a book focused on infidelity?

6 Miles, Upper Body Circuit, Costco Hiccup and C25K 4 Miles

Next time I do squats i'm doing weights! Some of you amaze me with the amount of weight you do!! Wowza!! I love mysteries too, and chick lit, not so much for the biographies or romance novels though. I think that's why we're all liking our book club so much - it really gives us the chance to read books we wouldn't have read otherwise - fun!!

Backtracking to Tuesday! The usual: Work, 4 miles during lunch, work more, 2 miles after work and an upper body circuit – love it! Plan to do it twice a week then mix it up later! After work I raced home and threw together this pizza – my half is 3-pepper pizza with stoplight bell peppers! Austin’s is the same – but with added pepperonis.

Aerial view. hehe


Close up on my half!

My serving

Fabulous! I will say I had a girl scout binge at work… evil cookies. Here’s my stats: 1,829 calories, 236 carbs, 61 fat grams and 77 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.

Wednesday I worked, then used my lunch break to get gas, and hit up Costco and Home Depot for Austin’s upcoming b-day party! Long story short: I’m in Costco checked out at a little over $100 and because it’s not my costco card (Austin’s mom’s)I have to pay in cash (don’t have any) or debit card (only have credit cards). So… they’re like oh a manager will override this. The manager, a total jerk, comes over and is giving me shiz. You would have thought I was underage using a fake ID and he was a cop. Um, this is reality, you’re a costco manager and I’m trying to spend $ here. It ended with him saying my only option was to become a costco member and pay $50. I reminded him that no, there was another option, I could walk away. And then I did while thanking him for wasting my time. I mean REALLY – I’d JUST gotten gas with that card. The funny thing is we used to be members and never used it, now I tried to use it twice in one day, and the best part is he” confiscated” the card – I kid you not! (his words) LOL Get over yourself, dude! So that was useless, but I had a much better experience at Home Depot and even used a saw!

After work it was time to do C25K Week 7, Workout 1 – another 25 minute run! I did it! And kept on walking for 4 miles. This time it was harder because I was at my parent company’s gym and there was a mirror in front of me and I felt like I was watching myself the whole time. LOL It made me tired to see myself run. Is that weird? Haha I did the 3 miles burning 189 calories, then totaled out at 256 calories. Then it was shower time and BOOK CLUB!

Me and Crystal followed each other over, to meet Monica, Stacy and Shana at Devon’s house in Decatur! We had a great club, had yummy salsa/dips and all agreed – Kate Morgenroth’s They Did It With Love was AWESOME! We also had lots of great convos about everything from healthcare to 101 things to do in 1,001 days! So fun to get together with the girls. At the end we picked our next book club books: The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe for April-ish, and Intensity by Dean Koontz for May-ish. I’m so excited about both!! Thanks again for the Koontz rec, Tina! It got late quick and I found myself not getting home until 11 p.m. – eek! I went straight to sleep! Stats: 1,621 calories, 199 carbs, 55 fat grams and 59 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.

Ever been turned away from a store? LOL

Been to any fun 30^th birthday parties? We’re definitely doing a party at the house with a taco bar and I’ve locked down colors, ordered linens and done a few more things!! But I would love game ideas or cute decorating ideas!

Book Club, Dining Room Project, Cooking & Cleaning!

Ah! This weekend got beside me! Where did the time go??! Let me back up.

Friday: The usual – work, walk 4 miles during lunch, work, then home, leg ST, and hanging out with Austin! We had a little happy hour at the hizzy, then cooked a yummy new dinner – Farfalle Bolognese with Ricotta. I didn’t take a picture – I’ll have to do that and post it – we loved it! Friday was a great day and I was at home in bed by 10 p.m. – woo! I ended up at 1,843 calories, 203 carbs, 46 fat grams and 87 protein grams. Not bad! Here’s what I ate.

Saturday: Slept in until 10, had ramen for breakfast, and completed the dining room project before lunch! Here’s some pics!!

BEFORE

After - the final "Dining Room Project" was the 10 frame gallery on the back wall.

Another shot

The frames include black and white pictures of some of our favorite artists (Jimmy Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Aerosmith, Ramones) and lyrics from some of our favorite songs (You're My Best Friend, So Happy Together, Banana Pancakes and Here Comes the Sun).

Some Close ups

So glad to have it up - we feel done with this room now - woo! After that we did a few more things around the house, organized drawers/closets and then I dropped Austin off at the Marta station for Motocross with the boys! I headed to the gym, walked 3 miles (burning 152 calories) and then me and Reuben got ready and headed to Shanas’ for book club sleepover! I had some triscuits for a snack while she finished up her stuff, then we had a yummy casserole and brownie bites – great food!! I need to get her recipe. Me, Shana, Dev, Mon, Stacy and Crystal had SUCH a great time catching up and of course reviewing the book. Unfortunately I hadn’t finished reading it (have 170 pages left) – so I’ll review on the blog when I finish it up!

Crystal and Devie!

Me, Shana, Stacy and Mon


Great night! Although we've got to set up a timer to get a group shot all together! hehe I was definitely high though, ending up at 2,232 calories, 229 carbs, 53 fat grams and 80 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.

Today: I did the usual! Meal planning, recipe finding, family time, light cleaning and some cooking. I also took a glorious 2-hour nap – sweet! I made the following today:

8 sausage/egg/cheese muffins

4 servings of sausage pasta soup

4 servings of tomato pesto pizza

4 servings of beef enchilada casserole

12 servings of no pudge brownies

I also paid bills, made a grocery list, and reorganized my pantry – fun!

Now I’m hanging with Austin and Reuben and reading some more of the book club book, Beach Trip. It’s so good so far! And yes, I kind of know a good bit about it now, but it’s still fun to see it all play out. Today I ended up at 1,689 calories, 214 carbs, 46 fat grams and 85 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.