The Cost of Eating Healthy

We all know the potential costs of being unhealthy; visits to the doctor, obesity, high cholesterol etc so choosing healthy foods seems like a no brainer. However, let me paint a picture for you of my night at the grocery store. A woman who was sporting a cart overflowing with pop tarts, hot dogs, white bread, chips, pasta, etc literally paid half of what I paid for an equally ample cart full of produce, organic yogurt, brown rice, lean meats, etc. This never seems quite fair to me. It feels almost like being punished for making healthy choices. I try not to think that way, because it is extremely negative and counterproductive.  However, after shelling out quite a bit of cash for our grocery run I started thinking What is a reasonable grocery budget for a healthy diet?

The hubs and I are not excessive wine drinkers nor do we pick up random non-food items such as Tupperware, cosmetics, etc while at the store.  For example our cart tonight consisted of….

Lots of fruits and veggies

juice, milk, hummus, yogurt, applesauce

Plenty of salad staples and extras (craisins, nuts, dressing, etc)

cran bran muffin tops, frozen veggies/fruits, organic meals on the go

lean turkey, steak (for spinach salads), and lean chicken breasts

Reduced fat feta, cheddar, and plenty of breakfast items

A couple of "extras" like organic arugula, fresh baked bread, and apple jacks (dont judge)

Overall, we purchased whole foods and meal making options.  I would estimate 60% of the items were organic.  Two week’s worth of groceries for two people cost approximately 160.00. At first this caused me to panic a little. I wondered if we were being too indulgent or excessive. However when the hubs broke it down we are coming in under 100.00 per week for food and approximately 40.00 per person per week. You can easily drop 40.00 on a (just semi-nice) meal out so I am choosing to look at this as a positive thing we are doing for our bodies.

Ultimately, you cannot put a price on being good to yourself and your body. However, those grocery bills do hurt the wallet a bit.  Did you notice an increase in your grocery bill when you began eating healthier?

 

And what did I end up making with all of these fab ingredients? A small (ie less caloric) version of my favorite sandwich. Perfection!!

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A Fruit and Veggie Kind of Day

Do you ever have one of those mornings where your body is literally
begging for something healthy? After a weekend of Anniversary
celebrations, indulging on this great lunch, (and dessert!!) and not
drinking enough water my body was crazing some normalcy today. I don’t
really “detox” per se. It makes people cranky and can cause a
dangerous calorie deficit. However, after a day or two of indulgent
eating I do think getting back to basics is a good plan.

For breakfast I had a smoothie containing
-1 banana
-1 cup strawberries (fresh)
-1 cup frozen pineapple and mango chunks
-1/4 cup pineapple juice
-1/2 cup organic low fat vanilla yogurt

Since I did not cook last night (shame on me!) I was stuck going out
to lunch today. I did not have a lot of time so I popped in subway for
a 6 inch veggie sub on wheat which included
-Spinach
-Lettuce
-Tomato
-Bell Peppers
-Banana Peppers
-Onions
-Pickles
-Salt and Pepper
-American Cheese
-Sweet Onion Sauce (my little guilty pleasure thought Id probably
shudder at the ingredient list)

I was craving a snack post work/grocery shopping so I indulged in a
Cliff Bar. I love these bars, and just wished there was a half size or
mini version. Yum!

The cooling weather is making me crave soups and chillis so I made my
modified Rachael Ray’s Chicken Mug Pie tonight. You can find my recipe
HERE. The blend of potatoes, carrots, and celery is so incredibly
comforting. Plus, I got some needed protein from the lean
boneless/skinless chicken. YUM!

All of the wholesomeness (plus the 2+ liters of water I consumed
today) were just what  I needed to get my body back on track! It’s
been my experience that eating well leads to eating well. What is your
“go to” meal to get yourself back on track?

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Dinner ala Green

I was reading some tips on how to “sneak” veggies into children’s (and in some cases husband’s) food and I started thinking, why don’t we train ourselves to look at vegetables differently? Instead of sneaking them into food, why not celebrate their wholesome goodness by adding them to already popular dishes? I was not really  a vegetable eater before starting this journey so this has truly been an eye opening experience for me. Now I can’t imagine life without baby spinach. But for those of you reading this who are like the “old” me I decided to do a mini challenge this week. I am making each dinner during this workweek feature something green in a leading or supporting role! Tonight I have two recipes to share: Spinach and Brown Rice Casserole (with broccoli, mushrooms, and onions) from Monday night and Veggie-Sketti (a baked spaghetti recipe loaded with peppers,  mushrooms, onions, and tons of broccoli) from tonight.

Spinach and Brown Rice Casserole

1.      In a bowl combine 2 beaten eggs, ½ cup FF sour cream, 1 ¼ cup FF Cottage Cheese (set aside)
2.      Prepare 1 box of brown rice. I choose to toast my rice in onions and olive oil before boiling it in veggie stock for flavor but plain water works fine too!
3.      In a skillet combine 1 lb of ground turkey (or omit for a vegetarian option), grill seasoning, 1 large chopped onion, 1 lb finely diced mushrooms, 1 bag frozen spinach, 1 bag frozen broccoli. (Drain water and fat).

4.      Combine in a large bowl the cooked rice, veggies, and liquids
5.      Place in a large casserole dish and grate cheddar cheese on top.
6.      Bake with foil on for 30 minutes
7.      Remove foil and bake for additional 20 minutes

This is really low calorie and full of good stuff. Its also incredibly filling!

Veggie-Sketti

1.      Prepare 1 pack of whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti noodles, set aside
2.      In a skillet combine 1 lb of ground turkey (or omit), 1 large diced onion, diced mushrooms (if desired), 1 diced bell pepper (any color), and 1 large bag of broccoli. One the veggies warm up drain the excess at and water.
3.      Mix in 1 large jar of organic spaghetti sauce
4.      Combine the noodles and veggie mixture along with 1 beaten egg
5.      Pour into a casserole dish
6.      Add Cheese (2% cheddar) and bake at 400 until the cheddar is melted and the veggies are heated through.

I have to offer credit here to my friend Lori  M who was nice enough to give me this recipe yesterday! Veggie-Sketti might be a new favorite dish at my house!

What is your favorite “Green” dish?

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My New Addiction

I am sure given the title you are expecting to see shoes, a television show, or maybe even make-up of some sort. Luckily though, this new addiction in my life is healthy one. Ever since that fantastic breakfast at HLS I have been addicted to oatmeal.

I can see all of the blogger girls shaking their heads yes and being right there with me. I can see the rest of you looking at me like I am crazy. I will explain the power of the oatmeal.  Quick cooking oats or even instant oatmeal (I like high fiber/low sugar varieties) basically serve as your canvas. This is especially true if you opt for “regular” or “brown sugar” or “maple” type flavors.  Quaker has some awesome options.

Basically you now have the perfect staple for creating your own breakfast masterpieces. You could try combos like:

• Fresh peaches with a dash of cream
• Fresh sliced strawberries and bananas
• Fresh strawberries and mango slices (Yum!)
• Raspberries and a touch of milk
• Peanut butter and banana slices

You get the idea. The combos are endless. My feelings are the more fruit and wholesome goodness you can pack in, the better. Since I have been home from the Healthy Living Summit I have created the following combinations…

Raspberries and Raisins (with a touch of brown sugar)

Oatmeal “Cookie” (brown sugar and raisins with milk)

and my favorite……

Barney Butter (almond butter), Bananas, and Rasins

Now I see what all of the fuss is about this stuff. Yum!

So there you have it- My new addiction. I promise with some healthful and yummy add-ins you really can put the meal in oatmeal (heh, bad pun, I know). Seriously though, it is one of those simple meals that can start your day off on the right note!

Have a Happy and Healthy Breakfast!

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The “Weigh” It Goes

So going to my Weight Watchers meeting I had already mentally prepared for the train wreck on the scale I was sure was coming.  I had been flittering around on my own (off plan) for a month, I had forgotten to eat Saturday, and then had a large meal and cupcakes on Sunday. I was certainly expecting the worst. I am up 0.5 lbs from my last weigh in.
Being prepared for this did not make it suck any less though. On one hand I was excited to learn that when the maintenance phase comes it seems like I will be pretty good at that. On the other hand I feel like I have wasted a month. But, what is done is done. It is now time to move forward with some things.

First, today marked my return to weekly weigh-ins. Every Monday I will be weighing, attending Weight Watchers meetings, and tracking my progress here. I am currently working toward a 35 pound summer loss.Right now that future goal is not looking so bright but I am going to give it my best shot.

Next, today marks day one of my Disney Wine and Dine half marathon training. I am so incredibly excited to be training again. The Disney Princess ½ marathon was a life-changing event for me so I am so excited for this new challenge. I have had a couple of readers ask for my training schedule so they can do some similar workouts. I will be using Monday’s to post the week’s schedule for anyone who would like to join in. I love getting emails/messages from readers so let me know if you are doing the workouts and how they are going for you!

• Week 1: Monday Rest

• Tuesday: Run 2 Miles

• Wednesday: Cross Train (I will be doing a 5 mile bike this week)

• Thursday: Run 2.5 Miles

• Friday: Rest

• Saturday: 3 miles (this is the “long run” day where mileage will get progressively longer as we move forward.

• Sunday: Rest OR Gentle Run/Walk OR Gentle Cross Train (I suggest doing something on this day to stretch out your muscles from Saturday’s run)

Also, I have some long overdue product reviews that will be going up soon (and some fun giveaways). I also hope to try some cool new products during the training process. During my first half marathon I had no idea what I was doing or what I needed to help the running experience along. Now that I have an idea I am excited to share some products with you. My first experiment is going to be a high-density foam roller. I have read they work wonders. We shall see! 🙂

Lastly, the fun changes to the blog are finally in the works and will be up and running by late August! I am so excited for the changes and I can’t wait to share them with you.

So with all of that said here is a super quick rundown of my Monday “Eats”:

Cereal and V8 Fusion

a banana

Left Over Chicken Salad Sammie w lots of tomato

Apple Slices

Broccoli, Spinach, and Mushroom Casserole w/ fresh Corn

This recipe is very simple. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet add olive oil and cook 1 lb of ground beef (lean) or ground turkey, 10 o of frozen spinach (thawed), 10 oz of frozen broccoli (thawed), 1 onion finely diced, 1/2 lb of sliced or diced mushrooms, garlic (to taste), oregano (to taste), salt and pepper. Once this is cooked drain all excess water. Combine this mixture with 1 cup fat free sour cream, 1 can of fat free cream of celery soup and 1/2 cup of DRY uncooked instant brown rice. Add the mixture to a casserole dish, top with 2% motzerella and bake for 20 minutes uncovered. It makes a TON of food and its jam packed with veggies.

Have a Happy And Healthy Monday!

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So Much Talking

After my kick in the face that was Monday I was slightly apprehensive
about what might be in store for me today. It would turn out I had
nothing to be afraid of. Today was run of the mill ordinary and that
was just fine with me!

I was re-reading some old blogs of mine last night and was annoyed at
how much “talking” and not doing that I have been doing lately. I talk
about how I am going to change things up and I talk about why I feel
the way I feel. I talk about making plans for change and it seems I
just talk talk talk without doing much of anything lately. I think the
reason behind it is that I had plateau-ed and I wanted to do anything
but deal with how I was feeling. Stuck at 35 pounds with so much to
lose feels frustrating. It also feels like an excuse to get agitated
and slip (just enough) into some bad habits. BUT with that identified
it is time to put on my grown up pants and do something. So I did
(am).

I am back to strictly counting Weight Watchers points and following
the good health guidelines. A rundown of my food today looked like
this:

Breakfast was a whole grain slice of toast with one egg, some sugar free juice, and fresh berries. Yum!

Lunch was left over whole grain pasta with veggies, ground turkey and white cheese sauce.

My mid-afternoon snack was yogurt and Bare Naked granola. I HEART this granola. It might just be my fave.

Tonight’s dinner is on the stove: White Bean Chicken Chilli.

I am back on a regular workout schedule. Today was 60 minutes at the gym and tomorrow will be the same plus 30 minutes of cleaning my car.If you don’t think car cleaning is a workout then you aren’t doing it right. 😉 The wonder-bug will be most pleased to be cleaned!

Yesterday marked the 2-week countdown until I start training for the
Disney Wine and Dine ½ Marathon. (July 12) I cannot wait to have that
drive and purpose spurring me forward again.

In other, more depressing news, I am still working on getting those
last couple of re-gained pounds off that showed up during my brilliant
“don’t be a slave to the scale challenge”. Ahem. Live and Learn.

Since Monday is technically a holiday I cannot resume official
weigh-ins until July 12 but rest assured I am monitoring twice weekly
at home and will be back to weekly weigh in reports on July 12.

Also, the hubs and I are on a mission for a more active summer.
Instead of movies and ice cream we are going for swimming and
grilling. I am thinking of taking up tennis .I WILL bike that 5 miles
before the summer is over. I am just doing whatever I can to change
our lifestyle not just our bodies.  What is your favorite summer fun
activity?

Finally, all of the fun changes I have been teasing for the blog will
be up and running by late August. Sometimes Fabulousness takes time
friends. Hmmm maybe I should keep that in mind for myself too. 🙂

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Blogs, Body Pump, and Ravioli in a Rush

I woke up this morning ridiculously sore from yesterday’s Body Pump class. I will say it was good healthy sore and not you hurt yourself sore so that was a plus. My arms, back, chest, booty, abs and legs were all killing me so I am thinking this Body Pump class might be the best idea ever. Do you take Body Pump? What do you think of it?

Work was long as I was our team’s on call clinician and I had to be in the office ALL DAY. All day on a Friday in our office is torture since most of the staff is finished up by lunch. I can say the quiet workplace made for a productive afternoon.  I even squeezed in a couple of minutes of fun talking with my office mate about last night’s episode of Private Practice. I wont spoil it for all of you fellow TIVO-ers and DVR-ers out there but you might want to bust out
the tissues!

Breakfast and Lunch were some regulars. I will spare you the English muffin and Banana photo as well as the spinach salad. I really need to mix things up next week! For my sake as much as yours!

I have been thinking for a while about expanding the blog with recipes, a “faves” list, and a couple of other fun things. Is there anything you would really like to see on the blog?

I am also hoping to steal borrow the idea of other fab bloggers and get some fun mismatched plates so you don’t have to look at my breakfast on foil every morning. I want to keep the pictures as exciting and fun as possible. Finally, I purchased the domain www.runninginpinkproject.com . If you go there now you will just be redirected to my blog but look for some fun changes over the next few weeks!

Tonight’s dinner was a little last minute decision. I had some organic mushroom ravioli in a spinach and cheese sauce.  I am normally a make it from scratch kind of girl but I needed a quick wholesome meal that did not involve a lot of effort. This is exactly why I keep options like this on hand. 🙂

I wanted to workout this evening but I am terribly sore so I am listening to my body and resting tonight. Regular workouts pick up on Sunday with a short run and disc golf with the hubs (weather permitting). I suck at disc golf so you won’t want to miss that recap! 😉

Tomorrow morning I am headed to fabulous Richmond, VA for some much needed BFF bonding time. I love a good celebration and a good Birthday celebration is even better. Stop by and see how the weekend turns out!

Have a Happy and Healthy Weekend.

Be Thankful Each Day in The Month of May: Today I am thankful for GPS. (Hey they cant ALL be deep. May is a long month!). GPS allows people like me to actually leave their homes and go actual real places. I have the worst sense of direction maybe ever but GPS tells me just where to go. She can even find nearby shopping and food. GPS – you
rock my socks

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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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Weigh-Ins and Revolutions

First things first- I dreaded my weigh in after the little incident I had yesterday with the happy meal and my lax calorie counting over the weekend. I am usually much more diligent but today I was prepared to pay the price for my mistake. I am somewhat relieved to say my weight stayed the same. No more, no less than last week. That means that other than a lesson learned I do not have to head into this week with any of last week’s baggage. That is a good thing. I started to have a moment of self doubt where I said “I wonder what I could have lost had I done what I was supposed to..” but I cut that line of thinking off (no negative self talk this week) and decided that onward and upward was where to put my focus.

I started today with a Green Monster. My body was practically begging for fruits and veggies after that little calorie fest last night.

I also made my smoothie with these cute Mickey ice cubes making this my “Mickey’s Not So Scary Green Monster”. Yes I just dropped a Disney joke on you. Smile! 🙂

Work was busy and I snacked on my favorite CLIFF bar mid morning. I love these. Sometimes peanut butter and jelly flavored snacks just taste weird but these are great!

No picture of lunch today simply because I forgot. Bry had made some whole grain spaghetti with lots of veggies and he packed a container for me to take to work. It was really great. Its always great to eat food I didnt have too cook. 😉

After work I headed to the grocery store and I found a new product to try. I am so excited to try this meatless BBQ.  I always have really high hopes for meatless products but they truly are hit or miss. I will make sure to review this brand in the next couple of weeks.  What is your favorite meatless substitute?

Monday is normally my rest day but I had to ask myself “Rest from what?” I was a total slacker last week. Even though it was getting late I decided to pop in a DVD- Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred so I could get a little activity in before dinner. I would love nothing more than to have her scream at me in real life (at the gym not at like Macys or something). Who is your favorite Biggest Loser trainer- Bob or Jillian?

After my little mini workout I decided to make dinner. This is a favorite dish in our house Spinach and Feta turkey burgers with baked potato wedges. The burger is a Rachel Ray creation subbing 99% Fat Free Turkey Breast and Reduced Fat Feta. I also use Natures Own Sandwich thins instead of buns. I only use 1lb of meat and make 4 burgers rather than the over sized version called for. Finally I eliminate all unnecessary butter and oil. The less fat the better and the final taste doesnt miss the extra oil at all!   The potatoes are oven baked with olive oil and sea salt. Good stuff! I am attempting to make sweet potato fries later this week. I might need to channel my inner Rachael Ray for that!

I am spending my evening once again researching ½ marathon training programs. I am starting to get super excited for the Disney Wine and Dine ½ this fall!

The hubs and I are settling in to watch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Click Here to support Jamie’s quest to get healthy, fresh, unprocessed food into the school system.

Tomorrow is a super long day for me with a work day starting at 5:00am!! Normally on these days that involve 6+ hours of travel time a quick fast food stop for a wrap or grilled chicken sandwich is on the agenda. However as part of my fast food challenge that is not an option this trip. I am going to spend 15 minutes researching healthful food options in Winchester, VA so that I go in prepared!

Have a Happy and Healthy Monday!

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Grocery Store Wish List

There comes a time every few weeks when I have to get creative with my meals. Sadly I don’t mean creative in the “hey lets try something new and fabulous” way but rather the “Sara Renee put off going to the  grocery store for too long and what can we mix together to make a meal” way. Today was one of those days. 🙂 Luckily this means that a major food shopping trip is coming up which I love. I am dying to try a few new items and these are on my list:
* Oikos Greek Yogurt
* Silk Almond Milk
* Bear Naked Granola
* Ezekiel Bread English Muffins
*Newman’s Own Organic Hermits Cookies
Do any of you other healthy eaters have a “must buy” product I should try? I am excited for some suggestions! Im especially looking for an almond butter suggestion for smoothies/oatmeal.

I had the same breakfast as yesterday but did snack on one of my favorite flavor CLIFF bars mid afternoon.  I pretty much love all things CLIFF bar (even the kid ones) but this one is my stand by.

My day at work was so incredibly busy that I was all packed up in the Wonder~Bug (yes even my car has a nickname. I was so not kidding about the nickname thing) and ready to head home before I knew it.

Today was a cross training day at the gym. I did 40 minutes (40 HARD minutes) but I felt fantastic after. There is something so great about that intense cardio. It is a different kind of good than I get from running. Its like running is my boyfriend and cardio at the gym is the hot guy that works at Starbucks (fabulous but not something to flirt with daily). Im finding that I always want to go back to the running.(Im sure Bryan loves this example but you get what I mean).  Since Im not training for a 1/2 marathon right now I am going to be changing up my routine a little soon. More on that to come.

Speaking of running I have a 5K coming up this weekend. It is the “Point of Honor” 5K. Both the words “point” and “honor” are leading me to believe that this might be an up-hill scary run. We shall see. As I mentioned yesterday I am running this race with a “real” runner so I will get to ask all sorts of questions about the things I’m still not sure about.  I will hang with her  as long as I can but I  am ok with going it alone once I reach that point where I cant keep her pace. I am kind of excited since this is my first race since the Disney Princess 1/2.  Its going to be fun.

I use the phrase “real runner” a lot. I don’t know at what point I will start to think of myself as a runner versus just someone who runs. I actually had a cool experience on the trail yesterday. One of my biggest issues has been I am spazzy when I run. My pace is all over the place, my breathing all crazy. However, yesterday I was running off road and it was just so peaceful. I hit a comfortable stride, had controlled and deep breaths, and I went way further without a walk break than I have ever been before. It felt great and just really really fueled my desire to get even better/stronger/faster. I will have 1 (possibly 2) more runs before the race on Saturday.

Since someone (ahem) let the food shopping slide and Bryan is out to dinner with his brother I picked up an organic extra thin crust pizza for dinner topped with chicken/red onion/peppers/cheese and a garlic sauce. I only ate 1/2 of it as I was not crazy about the taste but I definitely finished my serving of pineapple. YUM!

I have a full TIVO and blogs to catch up on tonight. I never knew just how many people there were out there blogging about healthy living.  Sometimes the best feeling is just knowing that I am not doing this alone. Harlow likes that too. 🙂

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