weekend

i'm a little late to the game today

but i'm much peppier knowing that there's just shy of 2 hours left to my work day

and i still have one snack left in my lunchbox

it's the little things, right?

i also had a healthy dose of essential fatty acids this morning to keep me from lashing out on a monday moring.

but let's back it up to the wonderful weekend - which actually felt long and relaxing.

friday night bill and i had reservations for shakepeare in the park

the event is actually free, but living social was running a deal for reserved seats for 2, boxed lunch, bottle of wine, a backpack, and 2 t shirts.

all for $60

we try to go to a couple of plays a year - so $60 for 2 tickets was nothing compared to what we usually spend

and the fact that we were getting dinner and extras made it a done deal

we made our way to old louisville and took our seats for taming of the shrew

lunch was catered by city cafe - i had the veggie sandwich and bill had the lamb (this was our first non at home/take out meal in like 6 weeks)

and a bottle of chardonnay as promised

both wine and food tasted great

and the book bag and t-shirts were icing on the cake.

the performance was actually by their high school camp group - and they did such a wonderful job - i can't even imagine memorizing a page worth of shakespearean iambic pentameter -  let alone a whole play written as such

i logged about 4 glasses of wine (whoops :)  )

and tried my best to log the veggie sandwich - i may have went over my daily caloric allowance by a couple hundred

i deemed it date night

and made up for it on saturday morning

where i completed the last day of level 2 and knocked out 30 minutes of hills on the elliptical.

and there just wasn't enough time in the day to eat!  i came in way below my caloric allowance, but decided it all evened out from date night.

sunday was laid back

we watched the avengers, adventureland, and the blindside (cue the waterworks)

and only left the house to pick up some much needed dog food

i tried my hand at day 1 of level 3 of the shred

and whoo boy.

jumping lunges?  jumping squats?  moving pushups? rockstar kicks?

jillian tried her best to break me

i was soaking wet with sweat

and i'm not going to lie

it was hard

but i also think it's my favorite level so far

ask me again tonight after i complete day 2 :)

my inner thighs are still aching a bit - and sitting up this morning to tie my shoes for my run was a bit of a challenge - but girl got it done!

anyone else up to level 3?

 

weekend roundup

anyone else rocking some tan lines today?

i've got a nice one around my wrist (from having to wear a band canoeing)

and i've got a nice sports bra/tank top action going on my chest and shoulders

very farmer-ish

but it feels like it's been MONTHS since we've had a nice weekend that we were able to spend it outdoors

summer 2013 is probably the palest summer on record

anyways

i thought i would stop by and do a photo dump from the weekend

i managed to take zero food pictures

even though i'm still on the healthy eating bandwagon

i've also kept up with my couch to 5k runs, squeezed in a few elliptical jaunts

and even though i'm exhausted at bed time, i have more energy in the evenings - evidenced by the 1-2 miles i've been logging with woodford

and, of course, have managed to do the 30 day shred 20 minute workout every day now for 15 days!

the healthy changes are more visible now as more than 2 people have made comments on my weight loss over the weekend

yay!  it's not all in my head!  as i'm still not stepping on the scale.  i know it would probably be a boost of confidence to see the number go down, but i prefer judging my progress on how a i feel and how my pants fit.

oh right - pictures :)

 my little patio garden is doing well!

i can't wait to eat this guy! - and i also need a serious haircut - i hate my hair long - it just gets so easy to put it up in a pony tail in the summer.  making an appointment asap!

 this not so little guy was hanging out on the street while we were on an evening walk.

i was so scared to go up and take his picture.  it doesn't help that we've seen one that's been ran over before - i would not be heading into the woods behind our place in fear of one catching me off guard!

popcorn is my favorite snack!  especially when i have like 1,000 extra calories to consume - i eat like 500 of those in about 8 cups of popcorn.  the night bill proposed to me i was late getting home because i stopped to pick up a popcorn maker.  diamond ring and popcorn.  all in one night. 

i think my post-workout hair looks better than my post-shower hair.  the curls always seem better.  am i alone on this?

because i may have taken a whore-bath before going out saturday night just so my curls would look good.  sorry, bill, if i smelled a little natural.

saturday night we thought we were going to a baseball game, but with the forecastle music festival going on downtown, parking was crazy - and you had to pay to park everywhere!  major bummer.

so we headed down to the tin roof.  at 6:30.  where we had some beers - i enjoyed 3!!! (stella artois) i haven't drank that  much in so so long.  and let me tell you - i was feeling it! 

memaw and papaw played a few games of connect four, drank our beers (and logged them!)

and we were out of the bar by 9 pm.

before the band even got set up

we're still going strong on not eating out (5 or 6 weeks now)

but we needed a night out to enjoy some well earned beers.

and this memaw and papaw just don't hang like we used to

in bed before 11 on a saturday night.

 

weekend update

good monday  morning!

can you believe thanksgiving is this week?

3 days at work for me and then a nice long weekend.

i honestly don't mind being here for these 3 days - most people have taken off work the whole week - so traffic is light and the office is pretty empty which = total goof off time.

well maybe not total - i have year end to prepare for.

this weekend i was feeling festive.

and i was craving a fruit salad

nothing screams holidays to me more than a fruit salad - my grandma always whipped one up and i think i single handedly ate most of it.

clementines, grapes, apples, bananas and a healthy scoop of sugar.

and since i was feeling festive, bill and i decided to put up our "fun" tree - our tree with all of our childhood ornaments on it.

it was fun going down memory lane while going through the ornaments

this little nest - i've had since kindergarten.

and this cookie plate i've had since i was little - from louisville stonewear - it's just begging for cookies to be made.

so while the christmas music was blasting and the lights were being untangled

i was mixing up a new to me concoction.  i've never bought prosecco - and when i read somewhere to pair it with juice - to tone down the sweetness of the juice and add sweetness to the otherwise dry sparkling wine - it sounded like the perfect holiday - lower cal - drink option.

trop50 has a ton of flavors out - and this pear and lychee tea was so good!  and i can feel less guilty about drinking juice with just 45 calories per serving.  mixing it with the prosecco is pretty much a different flavor variation on a mimosa - this mix would make a wonderful brunch punch.  i mixed in a glass 1-1, but you could play around with it depending on how sweet or sparkling you prefer.

i even busted out the christmas glasses

we have a nice couch under there - we just keep it perpetually covered due to cute animals who run the house

and woodford would not leave the couch.  when i popped the cork on the sparkling wine he tucked his little nub of a tail and ran for cover.  bless his heart.

there are several more decorations i cannot wait to pull out - but i'm holding out until this weekend.  i am also planning to get my first real tree.  i'm fairly scared that woodford will eat the branches and the cat will climb to the top of it - but for years i've wanted a real tree and so i'm just going to do it.  i have no idea how far in advance i can put one up though - any ideas?

sunday morning was typical

lots of coffee

and a walk with my guys.

i hadn't seen bill's family in a while and we decided to have everyone over - and homemade pizzas sounded fun

i whipped up the dough

(and got ready for some football)

chopped up several veggies and when everyone came over we started creating!  i wish i had time to take a picture of all the lovely veggies and the actual finished product

but everything was ate and gone so fast

i'm going to take that as a compliment

i also discovered how easy homemade pizza is -  i think this will be a weekly menu edition.  it has to be a lot healthier than take out and frozen-  all fresh veggies and no butter or sugar!

bill and i had the evening to ourselves...

to watch santa baby, arthur christmas...and or course...

the walking dead

those are spiderman argyle socks...he couldn't wait for santa to bring them...

i can't get enough of the walking dead - i'm also starting to panic about how many episodes are left in the season and where they will leave us hanging! 

i'm curious as to why michone can walk freely among the biters, and i'm anxious to see how the merle and darryl  relationship will play out when/if they get reunited - i think darryl is a big softie and is totally going to hookup with carol. i'm also suspicious of andrea - i feel like she's going to give her allegiance to the governor, along with her lady goods, and betray her old group somehow.

thoughts?

and after an hour of zombie guts

 i fell asleep watching the grinch.  i remember thinking as a kid that this cartoon was so long - and now it seems so short.

i guess that's how i feel about the holidays too - as a kid it seemed like christmas was so far away after thanksgving - but now the weeks are flying by too fast.  which is why i said the heck with enjoying christmas before thanksgiving - it'll be gone before i know it so i might as well just take in the spirit!

here's to a short work week!!

weekend update

the only thing that's making this monday feel merrier :




i thought the pumpkin flavor was heaven and there was nothing greater.  i was wrong.  this tastes like a warm hug.  and it's made this cold rainy morning more manageable.

and i'm going to officially stop pretending to be all "no christmas until after thanksgiving!"

i pretty much haven't stopped listening to the station that's playing christmas music.  and i may have tried to watch a a christmas movie on the hallmark channel.  i was overruled by football though.

our little house is even in the midst of transition.  i mean, i figured we only have another week and a half until thanksgiving anyways...

i changed out our table runner - a snowflake one i found at target.

but we still have the fall season clearly represented

and these cute garland turkeys i found in the dollar bin at target - marked down 70%!!! 

besides getting in the christmas spirit.

we drank some spirits.

saturday we went to our second annual bourbon party.

what started out as a birthday celebration for our good friend nick has now turned in to a yearly tradition

and the weather was absolutely perfect

i played dd saturday night and let bill have fun, but i'm pretty sure we're getting old when we decide to go home at 11:30.  which is really late in my book.  but back in the day....

sunday we had planned a bit of a photo shoot - we i wanted to do christmas cards this year since we're official and all - and vistaprint is running a really great deal!

our friends drew and laura came by sunday morning and we got woodford all dolled up

once i get the pictures back i'll give you a sneak peak of our cards this year!

and apparently posing for pictures all morning takes a lot out of our guy

the rest of our sunday was pretty normal - football for bill and i read a new book.  i did however set in stone the gifts i planned on making - more on that later.  i need to make a trip to michaels and test out some yarn.

9 pm meant walking dead - and omg....what is going on on the walking dead?  is rick losing it?  why is the phone ringing?  who is calling???

we totally pregamed walking dead

with cookies

and a shot...since i didn't get to partake saturday. 

and is this not the most pitiful dog?

yes.  i have on an old lady christmas nightgown.  don't judge.

he was practically begging to go to his crate to sleep.  and who am i to deny sleep?

weekend update

it's monday

i thought this day would never come!

time to start wrapping up loose ends and packing.

i had to make a list first thing this morning or else i was going to go crazy thinking about everything that had to get done between work and leaving.

i've been rushing all morning to get important things out of the way and to leave easy items like filing, cleaning my desk, and delegating my tasks for last minute.

this weekend was pretty much a blur.

we did our usual - mexican, mall, target on friday night.

and saturday i hustled to get down to glendale early in the morning

for the crossing festival!

it was pretty overcast, but bill and i enjoyed perusing the crafts

and...whatever this is...


bill had never been to glendale days so i was glad he got to tag along and i could show him where i went to middle school

we walked around, enjoyed some of the parade, i didn't purchase any crafts, but i did get the one thing i was craving

fresh kettle corn

hot from the kettle

enjoyed with a big red.

bill munched on some of it, but i'm pretty sure i ate half the bag.

and if i had known i wouldn't get home until around midnight without dinner i probably would have finished the whole bag

i spent the rest of my saturday, sadly, helping out with the physical inventory at the plant connected to our corporate office.

i tried my best to sleep in, but i woke up early sunday.  so of course bill and i went to cracker barrel.

we'll definitely be trying out something exotic next sunday morning for breakfast while we're away.

the rest of my sunday was devoted to trying to find a necklace (fail) and then football.

oh, and does anyone else only read the sunday paper for the ads and coupons?

just me?

i love checking out the target ad.

they get me every time

i had been eyeing a keurig,

and from the wedding shower work threw for me last week i had a nice chunk of change burning a hole in my pocket...

and well...this week's special just happened to feature the exact keurig model i had wanted

<@ target

and after purchase i would get a $30 gift card to target (available all week)

sold!

apple cider enjoyed last night

and this morning i sampled the donut shop k-cup.

i'm really impressed.  the coffee was perfect!  i do think i'll invest in a reusable k-cup so i can enjoy some of my favorite ground coffees.  and yes, there's my other coffee maker - which i intend to keep for when company comes over.

i was wondering though, can i use loose leaf teas in the reusable k-cup? 

besides the sample pack that came with the machine we invested in



seasonal favorite - pumpkin spice



dark chocolate....mmm...cannot wait to try with marshmallows












 and the apple cider i had last night

so happy to have a new kitchen gadget - he should feel right at home with the other coffee maker, stand mixer, bread maker, rice cooker, soda stream, crock pot, toaster over, and griddle.

ok...back to list making...