It’s Friday Im in Love.

In love with my new hair! I spent the morning (post V8 Fusion and English muffin) heading to Anthony and Company to see my friend/hair stylist Caleb. I think he might actually be magic because the man can do anything with hair. Hes quite fabulous! I went in with my photos of Katherine Heigel from “Killers” and asked “Can we do this but in a dark mocha color?” And Caleb of course says “Yes I can do that.” YAY! Nothing feels quite as pampering as a few hours at the salon with a color/cut/shampoo/style. I was in desperate need for a change! Here is a little tour of my salon below. I borrowed these photos from their Facebook tour which is why no one is in them. 😉

The Front Desk

Waiting Area

Color Room

Styling Stations

They have other services as well but these are the rooms I visit regularly. 🙂 So now my favorite part- The before and after shots of yours truly!

Me pre-appointment. My hair REALLY needed some TLC!

And after Caleb worked his magic….

I havent had bangs in years. Im kind of stoked.

I was feeling energetic after my appointment and decided to walk a few blocks to the bank and then a few more blocks to City Hall to visit the DMV. The weather was gorgeous today and I actually had a good time walking around down town (minus the questionable guy who hit on me and the creepy guy who had some stuffed dolls of some kind dressed up and was having “them” yell at passing cars but whatever. )The day was beautiful and I felt happy to just be walking around in it.

On my walk around town

After my errand running I was ready for a late lunch so I headed to the other side of town for some black bean soup and a turkey/spinach artichoke panini with onions and tomato. YUM!

Since I had a few hours to kill and I did not want to spend them at home I went bargain hunting (my favorite Friday activity). Today I chose the discount retailers like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross etc. We all know those places can be hit or miss but I do love the thrill of the chase. Sometimes you luck out. I tried on oodles of dresses and finally found one near the end of the day that I could not go on without. I have been wanting a white dress for summer and isn’t the embroidery precious without being childish? I just love it. I want to pair it with a green shrug cardigan, some funky cool flip flops of some kind an some simple jewelry.

After this I went home to play with the pups for a bit before Fraggle made it home from work. Once he got here we made Spinach Salads for dinner ( I know I am obsessed this week) and watched “The Marriage Ref”.

After dinner we went back to look at the furniture from a couple of weeks ago. It was on sale and we decided to take the plunge and get it. This officially means we have all “couple” furniture with our individual pieces gone. I have to admit when we first started this process it was hard for me. I had a purple couch in my Memphis apartment that I loved but it had to go.  Here is a picture of Carrie super sad to see it go. 😉

But that was a long time ago and we now have grown up furniture and that is pretty great too. I am SO excited for the new bedroom to be delivered.

We finished our night with a trip to Kohls. My work pal Vicki brought me a 10.00 coupon that I had to spend tonight. I had been stalking these really cute Elle tees. They were 1/2 off of 30.00 minus my 10.00 off so I got this super cute flowy tee for 5.00! I vision it with dark denim and a loose cardigan of some kind in another earthy shade. Love it!

Turning in a little early tonight since I am driving to Richmond tomorrow to visit with one of my best girlfriends Liz. What are your plans this weekend?

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Dinner Swap

So tonight officially wraps up “Meals ala Bryan” also known as a week of guy friendly foods to celebrate Fraggle turning 34. So far most of the picks were diet friendly but tonight I had the task of taking on…… BBQ Bacon Cheese Burger and Fries.

“Their” version has 1757 calories and 97 grams of fat.

Now, I just cant have that. Ever. For me, that will never be okay.I could smell that and gain weight. 😉 Sooo I decide to create my own swap to give Bryan a huge burger for a reasonable calorie price-tag. For my BBQ Bacon Swap I used the following:

-Natures Own Sandwich Thins

-97% Lean Ground Beef

-2 slices of Center (lean cut) bacon

-raw onions

-lecctuce

-tomato

-1/2 teaspoon of FF mayo

-teaspoon FF BBQ Sauce

-1 slice 2% cheddar

-Sweet Potato Fries

Sara’s Swap contained 610 calories and 14 grams of fat with a savings of…… 1,147 calories and 83 grams of fat!

And it tasted pretty good too!

While the burger was good I was only able to eat about 1/2 of it. I think red meat and I might be about to break up. Sure we can see each other maybe on special occasions but that might be it. It was right on in terms of taste but it still grossed me out.

Bry and I shared a piece of organic chocolate for desert.

Do you have a favorite “meal swap”?

Thanks for bearing with me through my stressful work week. Normal healthy living blogging resumes tomorrow. Also, stop by tomorrow to check out my new hair cut/color. I am still undecided on what I am going to choose. 🙂 I do love a day at the salon!

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Summer Hair

Happy Wednesday bloggers and blog readers!  Since today has been more than a touch stressful I am going to keep tonight’s post short and sweet (and layered? with bangs? )  😉

I need a change; not a major switch jobs or pack up and move to another state kind of change, but a change. With losing 30 lbs I am no longer self-conscious about showing my face so I am in the market for a new haircut. Luckily I have the best stylist on the planet – Caleb who can do ANYTHING with hair. I also happen to have an appointment at 11:00am this Friday. Now all I need is the style. I have pictures below of styles I am considering. Do you have a favorite?

Here  I am now with my current style 20lbs ago 🙂 :

Possible Styles:

1. I like this style from Katherine Heigels new movie Killers. It has some bangs that are mostly side swept. It also looks cute curly and straight.

2. Kelly Clarkson’s cut. This would have me pretty much one length. I like that its so sleek and pretty but I am not sure if I can get the “big hair” look that I like to rock from time to time. 🙂

3. Rachael Ray. I did this before and liked it. Bascially this would just take some length off with a little more off the bangs.

Bonus Question: Should I go super dark?

Or rock some multi-tone highlights for summer?

Let me know what you think!!

xo

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Blog Love

It has been exactly one month since I created my little blog and I have to say I’m glad I did. It has been a great way to keep up with my weight loss, eating plan, and workouts. It has also been a cool way to get recipes and ideas from other people. My little blog came to be when I started reading Andrea’s blog soon followed by Melissa’s soon followed by Leslie’s. I added another and another and another etc to my daily/weekly reading until I decided I needed a blog of my very own. So The Running In Pink Project was born. Hopefully this creative outlet will continue to grow while I continue to shrink! 😉

I was in a huge rush to get to the office today. Tuesdays are already no fun and I had back-to-back appointments all morning. I grabbed a Cranbran Vita-top and V8 fusion on the way out. I also made sure I had my giant to-go cup of Hazelnut coffee with splenda and fat free ½ and ½.

Recognize that travel coffee cup? It was one of my purchases at the Princess ½ marathon. Truthfully this cup just reminds me that I am bitter about what happened in March and spurs me on with this Disney Wine and Dine ½. No sprained ankle this go around!!

Can I also just say I love my K-cup coffee maker? I HATE cleaning a coffee pot so problem solved with this little gem! Making coffee has never been my best skill so luckily my house has been crappy coffee free since Christmas!

Work was busy and I was actually very very productive all morning and afternoon. I was starved by lunch and really excited to try this new Spinach salad kit I picked up yesterday. It contained Spinach, feta, dried cranberry and pears and spicy pecans. YUM! I added some left over grilled chicken and a balsamic vinaigrette. Maybe I was just hungry but I swear this was the best spinach salad ever (well this week anyway).

After work I was all geared up to hit the trail but sorry I am not hardcore enough to run in the rain. (Never mind that it NEVER ACTUALLY RAINED. It was supposed to!)  Sooo me and my trusty Alice in Wonderland water bottle went over to the gym.

I did a warm up on the track runner elliptical on “cardio train” and some running on the treadmill.

Mile 1 – 13.46 minutes
Mile 2 – 14.14 minutes
Mile 3 – 14.33 minutes

This might look meager and sad to some but it’s not bad for me especially since I hate running indoors. My goal for now is running consistent 12 minute miles. 10 is my long term goal but one step at a time. I am still a beginner. 🙂

After the gym the pups and I were excited that I got to partake in some of my fabulous cupcake from Friday.

Speaking of cupcakes the confectionary I talked about earlier in the week emailed me back and they are a go in and buy a cupcake type place. Twelve flavors daily. I will of course stay away from said cupcake haven but at least I know its here.

Continuing on the week of Bryan’s faves for dinner I made cashew chicken with whole grain rice. This is another modified Rachel Ray masterpiece. Did I mention this week how I LOVE her? Basically my version of the recipe goes like this..

Rice: finely chop ½ small onion, place onion in a drizzle of olive oil, add the desired amount of whole grain 10 minute rice, toast rice slightly, add chicken or veggie stock and bring to a boil. This TOTALLY changed the taste of the rice. Its really good. What is your favorite way to make rice?

Cashew Chicken: Heat a large skillet, add olive oil, add chopped boneless skinless chicken breast (salt and pepper liberally), slightly brown, add in veggies (large sliced onion, sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, grated carrot and whatever else you like), cook up for 5-6 minutes, add soy sauce to taste and let cook out slightly, add chipolte chilli powder and red pepper flake, drizzle in some honey and sugar free pancake syrup, after this has a few minutes to cook
together, reduce heat and allow the sauce to thicken, toss in some frozen organic peas and nonsalted cashews. Once the peas are heated serve over brown rice. YUM!

Tonight I am catching up on blogs and TIVO, doing 20 minutes of organization in the bedroom and trying to find a decent hotel in DC near the Kennedy Center that I don’t have to sell a kidney to stay at. The hubs is taking me to the Broadway touring production of Mary Poppins in July if we can work out our work schedules. LOVE a little Disney magic in DC!

Have a Healthy and Happy Tuesday!

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Great Expectations (and exciting news!)

I had my weekly weigh in today and I expected it to go well. I have come in on target with my calories and I worked REALLY hard at the gym(really really hard this week) so I was all psyched for a 2 pound loss this week. The scale had other plans for me. For the second week in a row I have lost a big ZERO pounds. Zero. I wonder how is it I have hit my first plateau when I still have so much to lose? This was not nearly as hard to handle last week when I had no high expectations for the weigh-in. It kind of makes me wonder Do great expectations help or hurt the weight loss process?

I decided the second I got in my car to think of three positive things to concentrate on. I know this sounds cheesy but it truly helps that deflated defeated “Why do I even bother” feeling that tries to worm its way in after a bad morning. I came up with these-

1. I have dropped 2 (almost 3 sizes in 10 weeks)
2. I am working out like I haven’t been able to do in AGES
3. I am not tired at the end of the day. I might be emotionally drained when I leave work by my feet don’t ache and I am not physically tired anymore when leaving the office.

All good things.  Of course I called the hubs for some emotional support and he offered the idea that he feels very strongly that I lose more efficiently when I am running and the last two weeks have been almost running free. He also noted that I have been on the low side with my calorie intake this week and I may not be eating enough. So, I am as you already know working the running back in this week. If that does not help I will slightly bump up the calories next week and if that STILL does not help I will need to sit down with my Weight Watchers leader (IE: My cousin-in-law) Steph and figure out what is wrong. That is the plan.

With that said I am proud that my moment of defeat was just a moment and I went on with my day as usual. I figured that unless I am some sort of freak of nature (which I am not) the scale will start to reflect the eating/working out that I have been doing.  I just need a little patience.

I had a huge cup of coffee with some splenda and fat free 1/2 and 1/2 to start my day followed by an Ezekiel English muffin and a V8 fusion.

Lunch was a basic salad with chicken and some whole grain rice.

Work was so busy I was done and out before I knew it (even though I was working a longer day). I had grocery shopping to do so I headed over to Kroger to stock up for the week. I bought some POM juice for the first time (the cherry blend) so I am looking forward to making one of those cherry bomb smoothies I keep seeing on other people’s blogs. I also stocked up on organic veggies, salad making supplies, and yogurt. Lastly I bought the items to make Bryan’s favorite dishes all week. He does not like a big deal to be made for his Birthday (which is TODAY btw) but I made sure to stock up on his favorite snacks and meal ingredients. Tonight he requested my famous Skinny Pigs for dinner which I made.

Now onto my exciting news. I just made the reservations for my very first trip to Dallas for this fall! I have loved the Dallas Cowboys since as long as I can remember. If you ask my dad he will say it’s *just* because I had a crush on Troy Aikman in middle school but truthfully this has been going on LONG before then. When I was really little I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader when I grew up (I thought it was a job hehehe) and my love for the team kind of just stuck through the years. Anyway, I am a HUGE fan and have always wanted to go to Texas and see them play. This October I’ll be there along with my less enthusiastic husband who happens to hate them, but whatever. 😉 I can’t wait. Do you like to watch sports? What is your sport/team of choice?

Have a happy and healthy Monday!

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Rain and Shine

For all those wondering the cookout Saturday was a lot of fun. My normal picture taking, always thinking of new blogs self kind of spaced and took not one picture of the food. I had the burger I was so badly craving but I took my own All Natural 96% fat free version. On the grill it was fabulous. I also had some fat free chips, a deviled egg that my aunt-in-law (yes I know that isn’t a real word) made and a couple baby sized scoops of side dishes other people brought.  I sampled a bit here and a bite there of desserts including a fabulous little white chocolate raspberry cheesecake square for under 75 calories. YUM! I felt a little sick afterward and I think it is just because my body has gone through a change of sorts with the new eating plan. I can have little indulgences but I think the red meat + the scoop of potato salad + fat free chips + baby cheesecake plus the oodles of water I downed was just a recipe for disaster.  I stayed within my points but it was just a lot of food. The games were fun and I think everyone had a great time. There was a little downpour there at the end but it is definitely something we want to do with friends and family again later in the summer.

Sunday we woke up to rain. Rain= no hiking (AGAIN) to the Peaks of Otter. Maybe it is just not meant to be. I told the hubs we could do anything he wanted today since his Birthday is tomorrow so he decided on breakfast (more like brunch by the time we made it out) and a movie (his choice-no “girl” movies. Ahem). Bry pulled around so my feet wouldn’t have to get wet in the little patch of grass before our driveway. Sweet huh?

That is my umbrella from Wicked and the inside says "Careful My Dear. You Musn't Get Wet".

We headed downtown only to discover tons of the streets blocked off. This usually means race. Since I keep track of the running schedule I assume this was a cycling event. Since the rain had stopped we decided to park a few blocks away from the restaurant and walk. Sometimes I entertain thoughts of living in a “walking city” so I kind of like walking around town.  We walked a block or so and I grabbed my camera to take a picture. The rain had left everything green and willowy and beautiful. No one was out so the streets were pretty deserted. It was nice.

The hubs and the beautiful greenery on our walk.

We walked a little further and decided we needed  to pick a street to get us downtown. Since neither of us had ever walked down monument terrace we thought today should be the day. It is a LOT of stairs but I do love the view heading into downtown.

Lots of stairs and eventually we had to walk back UP them of course!

We made it down and walked another block to a relatively new restaurant Market At Main. It is a “counter” restaurant with a little store attached. On the upside they had some healthful and vegetarian options. On the downside, it’s a little slow and the food is just average. However, for what it is, a spot to grab a simple meal, its fine and we will definitely go back.

The inside had a cool vibe. I like places that are simple but have something unique going on.

Since all I had was a v8 fusion for breakfast I opted for a slice of quiche, some fresh fruit, and one slice of whole grain toast. It was a perfect brunch combo. The quiche was a touch salty but otherwise it was great!

After brunch we took our stroll back to the car. It turns out this was a great day to walk because we discovered a new sushi spot that just opened as well as a new cupcake shop! Yipee!

I heart fancy cupcakes!

I actually can’t tell from the website if its a go in and buy a cupcake or cookie type of confectionery or if its special orders only but I have sent an email to find out.

We also stopped for a mid walk hug and self portrait photo!

Rainy day = Hair up

On the way back up Bryan decided to take a photo of me. This is the same spring shirt that I love in yellow but in white with some gray pants, flip-flops, and a pink cardigan.

I am also continuing with my “Spring Bling Rings” with this pink shiny number I picked up a couple summers ago.

The sun came out in full force so it was nice and muggy/gross just in time for us to get to the movies. Bry picked “Death at a Funeral” and I did not complain even though the new J-Lo movie was playing next door. 🙂 Tonight I am settling in for a relaxing night with the TIVO and the pups. A green monster in a beautiful glass is on the agenda for dinner and I am hoping to book our Disney trip. This week’s hill goals:

1. 20 minutes each night on organizing the bedroom. I have let way too many projects go for too long in there plus the new furniture will be here soon.

2. Intervals while running. I will keep them no matter what (I must repeat that over and over). I need to train myself to keep a pace properly.

3. Increase my veggie intake. I have been doing well but I can always do better. I will be looking up some new veggie recipes this week. (Yup Ill be trolling YOUR blogs for ideas!!!)

What is your favorite veggie main or side dish?

Have a Happy and Healthy Sunday!

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Frilly Friday

So as I mentioned in yesterday’s blog I had banked enough hours at work this week to not have to go in today. Normally on these days I will clean, run errands, etc (all things I could have been doing today). However, today I decided to have some “Me Time”. I love my friends and family as fiercely as anyone can and I love being with them but every now and again every girl needs a little time alone. I know I am busting out yet another old school Sex and The City Quote but, “The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the-you-you love, well, that’s just fabulous.” Sometimes you have to take a little time for you! We all need to do that.

I started my morning pretty early since Bryan was up and getting ready for work. I had some organic whole grain waffles with organic peanut butter, a touch of honey and a V8 Fusion (not pictured).

About a 1/2 hour after breakfast I headed to the gym. My trip to the gym was weird but my workout was great. We can start with the weird. I go in and see a sign that says: Members The Ellipticals have not been stolen. They are being repaired and will be returned. Thank you. Random yes? I figured they were trying to make a joke but it was just odd. I hop on one of the machines and a super muscle guy comes over and asks one of the trainer “Where are the rest of the Elliptical’s?” (Umm read the sign helloooo. ) The trainer explains they are being repaired and this guy kind of loses his mind because none are open (never mind there were 10+ treadmills and tons of bikes or stair steppers he could do instead). Anywho he starts ranting about how “f-ing ridiculous it is” and how “this is bull-s*^t”. I so badly wanted to giggle at his temper tantrum but I was scared he was going to knock me in the floor and take my Elliptical! 😉 So I kept on keeping on. I did 60 minutes of the most intense cardio I have done in ages. I felt so great when it was done.  I am so glad I took this little hiatus from running this week. I am ready to go full force back to the trails next week.

After having a handful of All-Bran crackers I showered and got ready to go out. I opted for my new flip flops today. I LOVE plaid and I love flip flops so this was a no brainer when the hubs picked them out for me a couple weekends ago.

I was feeling very Springy so I decided to pull my hair away from my face which is something I never did last summer (in the fear that my face was too chubby). Its funny how things have changed. 🙂

Too bad the weather didn’t match my happy mood. Normally my drives to Roanoke are sunny and fun but everything today was gray.

I cranked the U2 and made the best of the weather situation. At least it didn’t rain. My first stop was Bubblecake to get my fix for the week. 😉 They make the best cupcakes on the planet. I am not kidding. I of course will cut mine into halves or thirds to enjoy in calorie controlled portions BUT I did get one to enjoy in its entirety and the BBQ tomorrow. Mmmm! I will have the calories for it and I am jazzed!

My Berry Shortcake Cupcake. YUM!

Tomorrow this cupcake is MINE!

French Toast Cupcake for Bryan

Cut into thirds to be eaten during the week. Mmmmm

After my quick stop at Bubblecake I headed over to do some shopping. I did not want to spend a ton so I was bargain hunting today. I ended up buying out of season which I do a lot. Since they were fall pieces I did not want to buy the size I am now. I am losing steadily so I bought the size I will be if I keep losing at relatively the same pace. It is not my goal size per say but rather a realistic fall goal size.

I picked up a couple of Spring shirts but then I found this cutness. I love this dress. I think it could work with a blazer at work, a colorful punch of color with a cardigan on the weekend or a shrug for a night out. The “skirt” part has pockets with casual it up a bit and I just think it’s a very cute look. Also, it must be last season because it was tagged $118.00 and I got it for under $20! Shopping Ninja I tell you!

The detail sold me!

After wandering around, trying on some clothes and shoes, and not finding a ton that I was crazy about I headed back through Macys to get to my car. On the way out I spotted a rack of these super cool kimono style shirts. They were 85% off. It was crazy. I tried one on in my current size to get a feel for the shape and they were cute. At $7.00 I could not help but pick one up for the fall. I could wear it with black pants to work or a skirt. My weekend plans would pair it with some dark denim jeans and fun shoes. Maybe my favorite find from the CASA shoe event last week.

The sleeves make me happy

Just a disclaimer: I am not a person who buys something just because it is a good deal. Im also not a cheapskate. 🙂 With that being said I LOVE bargain hunting. Its fun and its practical on those days when I want to get out and shop but my budget is a little tight. I had a great time trying on clothes and finding a couple cool pieces to buy.

After shopping I was really hungry so I looked around the shopping area for food.My options…

1. Pizza??? No
2. Chinese Food??? No
3. Soft Pretzels??? No
4. Fast Food??? No
5. Ben and Jerrys??? Hmmmm 😉 No

Since I did not have time to sit down in a proper restaurant I thought “I will stop at the grocery store since there is lots of food there”. 🙂 I grabbed a huge bottle of water and some sushi.  Salmon and Avocado. This is maybe the best avocado I have ever tasted. This was a big serving so I saved 1/2 for tomorrow.

I headed back home and waited for Bryan to get home from work. We headed out to pick up some food and supplies for a family BBQ tomorrow night. I am really wanting a burger (badly) so I got some 93% lean ground beef for myself, whole grain bun, fat free chips, etc. I will at least look like I am eating what everyone else is eating!

After the hunting and gathering we had a quick dinner out. I had some veggie soup with a touch of pesto and my 1/2 of a turkey and spinach artichoke panini with tomatos and onions.

And that was my Frilly Friday! Fingers crossed there is no rain in Virginia tomorrow or Bryan will have to eat dozens of burgers and a tie-dyed color sheet cake all on his own!

Have a Happy and Healthy Weekend!!

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Friends Don’t Let Friends Eat Crappy Food

Today was just filled with unhealthy temptations. I was in a huge hurry this morning and had to resist the temptation to stop and pick up a little microwave meal since fast food is a huge no-no on the challenge. Luckily I took the few extra minutes to toast up an Ezekiel English muffin and try out my new peanut butter. The peanut butter is super sweet and might work better in oatmeal or a smoothie but I LOVED the taste.

I also grabbed a banana and a V8 fusion (which are ½ off at our Kroger this week. Score!)

My workday got off to a hectic start and I was out the door for appointments before I could even check my messages. This happens sometimes and unfortunately I forgot to pack a snack (usually fruit, nuts, or a bar of some kind) just incase I got hungry. I did of course. Luckily my water and general business got me back to the office where I was about an hour and ½ late of my “normal” lunchtime. I was so glad to put my little salad together.

I warmed the chicken a little and mixed everything up so all of the veggies were coated. Yum!

In the midst of this I notice our break room table is covered in doughnuts, bread, cookies, and homemade candy. It looked like a temptation on “The Biggest Loser”. I am not kidding.  I didn’t touch it and I am proud to say a work pal who just started Weight Watchers didn’t touch it either. I told her that people leave goodies in there all the time and you kind of just have to ignore it. Don’t get me wrong- I won’t ignore all treats. If it were baklava, a cupcake, or monkey bread I would probably partake. The key is planning I think. You can plan to work a treat in here and there. The whole reason they are “treats” is because they are not supposed to be eaten everyday.  I also think that when you are actively trying to lose weight you have to prioritize. A plain-jane doughnut really is not worth the calories while a piece of fresh chocolate mousse might be. I saw this truck driving home and it made me think. If you were going to consume the extra calories would you rather it be a candy bar you grabbed at the gas station on whim or some yummy desert that you planned for calorie wise and can eat from a pretty dish while watching reruns of Sex and The City?

-It says: Slow Down Decadence Cant Be Rushed-

My day stayed just as busy at it started and mid-afternoon I had a rolo (I know random) and the Luna Bar that I bought during my workday travels this week. This flavor was so sweet I almost felt like I was eating a cookie. I cannot sing the praises of the CLIFF bar people enough. I have yet to try a flavor that I didn’t like. I am also a LARA bar fan. What is your favorite protein/snack type bar?

Since I am flexing out of work tomorrow (meaning I have already worked a full work week) I have big plans for a long and challenging workout so I used tonight as my “rest” night. I settled in to watch the NFL draft and I had a crazy craving for chicken wings and fries. I am going to fight that urge until at least football season so instead I made a honey mustard sauce with 1/4 cup mustard, 1/4 cup honey, and some lemon juice. I salt and peppered some boneless skinless chicken breasts and poured 1/2 the sauce down over them, baked them at 350 degrees for 20 min, flipped them, poured on the rest of the sauce and baked for another ten minutes. Add to that a side of sweet potato fries (the chipolte spicy version) and I was in heaven. Maybe not the most balanced meal but it killed the craving while being low calorie.

I am getting geared up for my early weekend. Besides tomorrow’s “go big” workout I have a day of light shopping planned while I wait for Bryan to get home.  After that Bry and I have plans to catch a movie and buy all of the supplies and goodies for our BBQ Saturday night with Bryan’s family.  I am looking forward to making some modified BBQ foods for myself while everyone else has some cook-out favorites.  What is your favorite cookout food?

Have a Happy and Healthy Thursday!

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Wine and Dine

My husband I are officially registered for the Disney Wine and Dine ½ marathon.  Being the planner I am I have already started pricing flights and hotels for our visit. I am hoping to book it this week. Roughly 6 months and 2 weeks until Disney! I am much more of a Disney person than the hubs but I think its growing on him. Plus our good friends Mark and Mandi live in Orlando so its always nice to see them. I am also excited to see if there are any new Alice in Wonderland items when we go in the fall. She is my fave! Here is a pic of Alice and I during our trip for my 30th Birthday in January. I would like to get a pic of Alice and thinner me this go around. Who is your favorite Disney character?

Today I decided on an Ezekiel English Muffin with organic peanut butter, a banana, and a V8 fusion for breakfast. It was very filling. I missed the morning veggies but this was a nice break from my good pal The  Not So Scary Green Monster.

I am officially no longer complaining about yesterday’s drive. The weather in Virginia today is rainy and dreary and not at all a good driving day. It is however a good day for working out in-doors. It looks like I picked a good week for my back to basics cross training week! The dogs are less than pleased with the rainy potty conditions outside!

Lunch was a form of leftovers. I had a little make-shift salad with a tiny bit of the taco turkey, cheese, and my new (and very fantastic) corn and black bean salsa. I also grabbed a little container of rice to get in some whole grains. This looks icky but it was great. I think that Bry might make the best tacos ever. I always say that guys are genetically predispositioned to make great breakfast food and one killer dinner dish. I guess this is his dish!!

Later in the day I was needing a snack so I had some strawberry banana yogurt with bare naked granola. Yum!

I had another tough workout at the gym. 90 minutes of crazy hard cardio. I listened to Muse and Britney Spears and Bobby Brown (blast from the past). It was weird but it worked for me! What is your favorite music to workout to? I sometimes workout to the Glee or Wicked soundtrack. Is that weird?

After my workout I thought maybe I deserved a prize of some kind for my diligent effort (ahem) so I hit a couple of stores. I told myself “You can spend 20.00” fully expecting to come away with a summer scarf or some fossil earrings but I found this little gem on clearance. I tried it on and felt really girly and pretty in it so I decided it needed to come home with me! The best part is getting the “you saved” circled at the bottom of the receipt.  This dress was initially tagged $108.00 and I got it for under $20.00.  I have cat-like precision to bargain hunting and ninja shopping skills. Come with me sometime and I will show you! 🙂

Tonights post  workout dinner was a warm spinach salad with warm steak and onions, dried cranberries, feta, and a fat free honey dijon dressing. It was good stuff. A warm spinach salad is just the perfect easy dinner I think. What is your favorite “go to” dinner recipe?

Finally, here is a tour of my dining room. As you know I love a theme so we have an Italy/Wine theme going on in here. I decorated the entire house, top to bottom, so I feel like everything we have is very “us” and I like that. Some of my favorite things in the dining area are the wine/bakers rack, which I randomly found while shopping for sofa’s, our framed print of Lady and the Tramp that we found on our first trip to Disney as a couple, the painting  Bry and I picked up at a starving artist show when we were dating, and my Nanna’s antiques. Even though she is gone it makes me feel closer to her just to have part of her home in my home. Enjoy!!

The Dining Room

The Starving Artist Painting and shelves with my Nannas antiques and photo frames

The orange birds were always in my Nannas dining room and they will always be in mine.

The wine racks, window, and candelabra

This was my Nannas also. I am trying to find a better way to display her. Its one of my most favorite pieces in my home.

The wine/bakers rack and more photos. We have TONS of framed photos in our house.

I LOVE pretty wine glasses.

And more photos!

The dining room table with my Nanna's bowl and the gorgeous table liner my friend Liz got me during her trip to India last summer

Lady and the Tramp (we have little tiny bits of Disney all through the house. It makes me smile)

Our table. I just love this table. We got all benches and no chairs. I really dig that. Makes it different!

There are 3 exits from the dining room. This hangs above the exit into the living room

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Have a Happy and Healthy Wednesday!

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Table for One

I was up bright and early (well not so much bright as it was still dark) for work today. I had to do a lot of driving today but its only something I have to do every quarter so I cannot complain (too much). The weather was beautiful and I listened to U2 for the entire drive so all was not lost! Although even my poor pup Carrie looked exhausted when I woke her up this morning.

I started my morning with a Green Monster to go. I also grabbed a cranbran vita top to have later in the morning. I have to say these not so scary green monsters are growing on me. I want to get a little more adventurous with the flavor. Do any of you Green Monster drinkers out there have a favorite blend/recipe?

I decided to wear one of my new pairs of shoes that I found at last week’s charity event. Since I did not have to do a ton of walking I thought it would be a great way to break them in. Turns out it did not matter. They were almost as comfy as my running shoes. Had I known this I would have picked them up in black and red!

While my day was mostly driving I did get my work mission completed and then I started thinking about lunch. Every single time I have taken this trip (literally for over 3 years) my lunch as been fast-food of some kind since I was traveling alone. Today I decided to do something I have never done before- sit ALONE in a proper restaurant and have lunch on my own.  Is it really weird that I have never done this before?

I decided to stop at one of the towns I had to pass through to get home. There is a little cafe that I went to with my good friend Liz a couple of months ago and I remembered how fresh and yummy everything was there.  They were about to close up from lunch when I got there but they were really nice and let me come in anyway. YAY!

I had the place to myself.

I decided on an egg white omelet with spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and cheese. It came with a side of seasoned baked potato pieces and some dry whole grain toast. It was dry in a good way not a bad way. 🙂

After lunch I ran into Whole Foods for a bottle of water and a Luna Bar for the trip home. I was stuffed from lunch so I didn’t eat it but I was excited to find a flavor I haven’t had before. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut. YUM!

I was literally in and out of Whole Foods in five minutes but I also grabbed a jar of black-bean corn salsa and a small piece of organic chocolate. (They were all in the Luna Bar isle so I figured it was meant to be). After my mini stop at Whole Foods I headed home.

My workout tonight was great. I did a hard 60 minutes. When I felt myself getting weak or wanting to stop I bumped up the speed or intensity level. When it was over I felt accomplished and it felt awesome. Getting back to basics with the week of cross training was for sure the right choice.

Dinner was joint effort at our house tonight. Bry made his super secret recipe for turkey tacos. He even remembered the whole grain shells and 2% cheese.  And what goes great with tacos?? My new salsa! YUM!

Messy and Yummy

What is your most favorite “messy” dinner?

Stop by tomorrow and tour my dining room. Have a Happy and Healthy Tuesday!!

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