So, I’ve had a rough couple of weeks. I know that everybody is going through something (and nobody comes here to read about a Debbie Downer), so I’m just going to share some pictures that make me happy. 🙂 I hope they make you smile too!
Feb 22, 2015
Workouts, eats, and sweets.
By · 2 Comments
And another weekend has come and gone… I wish I could say that I did something really fun or exciting this weekend, but I only really left the house to go to the gym and I didn’t wear anything but sweats and pjs. Anyway…here’s a recap of my workouts, eats, and sweets.
Workouts!
Friday
10 mile treadmill run – Miles 1-4 at an 8:35 pace, miles 5-10 alternating between 7:35 and 8:35.
Saturday
I didn’t have a lot of time, so I did a 27 minute Fitness Blender cardio workout (I can’t remember which one it was now).
Sunday
6 mile treadmill run at an 8:35 pace
15 minutes stair climber on fat burner level 14 (this was not fun)
15 minutes elliptical on random setting level 13 (hard effort using more arms than legs)
Eats!
Friday morning pancakes…blueberries inside and strawberries outside.
Fun fact: Annabelle LOVES blueberries and she will eat an entire container in one sitting if you let her.
Working from home = pjs and Starbucks (Chris is nice enough to always go get me one :))
Chicken salad with almonds on a pretzel roll…bbq chips on the side.
Annabelle’s dinner: chicken, strawberries, and cucumbers
Sweets!
Well, after lunch on Friday lots of candy happened. I probably ate about 8-10 Hershey’s Hugs and one Resse’s Peanut Butter Heart. I think this may have attibuted to my tummy troubles during and after my 10 mile run that evening.
And it wouldn’t be a weekend in my life without some of the good stuff…this bowl was filled with two kinds of Ben and Jerry’s (Milk and Cookies and Half Baked).
Random Weekend Pics
We finally got a decent sized snow storm. It started around 10 am on Saturday and didn’t stop until sometime during the night.
The weather was beautiful on Sunday…sunny and close to 40 degrees. 40 degrees compared to sub zero temperatures = summer time. Everyone was out and about without coats on. I even got my chai latte iced to celebrate the day. Don’t worry, we are back to winter tomorrow with a low of 1 degree. Awesome.
My love 🙂
What was the best thing you ate this weekend?
Best workout?
Are you watching the Oscars tonight?
Feb 19, 2015
Thursday Thoughts!
By · 4 Comments
TGI almost F. Anybody else really happy it’s almost the weekend?
How about some random, thought provoking, incredibly insightful thoughts/things for this Thursday?
1. My Uncle Gren took this picture when we visited a few weeks ago. He said she is going to break some hearts one day…and he is right. ❤
2. This lovely gem was taken during my junior or senior year of high school. My friend Jessica and I beat the boys playing basketball, so we got our pictures taken with these homemade (wrestling) belts. I hope Dave D., John, and Dave H. aren’t still mad about it. 🙂
3. So, this is a picture of my hand from this morning. My hands are so dry that they are cracking and bleeding everywhere. I put lotion on all day long and this still happens. They are much worse tonight…so bad that I cannot bend them to make fists. C’mon Summer time…
4. The windows in our house aren’t the greatest. The wind is so strong that I can hear it whistling through the baby monitor in Annabelle’s room. Don’t worry Mom and Dad, the heater is keeping her warm. 🙂
5. Panera Bread just sounded like the right thing to do for dinner tonight. Classic salad with chicken and broccoli cheddar soup for the win. I had big plans for me and Annabelle to go get fro yo in our PJs, but she was ready to sleep before we had the chance.
6. I’ve been really busy at work for the past few months. While I am more stressed than I have been in a while, I actually feel like I have a real purpose now…and I like that.
7. I LOVE that Annabelle’s hair is long enough for this cute high ponytail. Hydrating like a champ.
8. I’m about to eat some chocolate and watch some trashy TV (read: Dance Moms). If you put all the drama aside, I really just like to watch the dancing. Fun Fact: I was a baton twirler back in the day and I love watching all types of choreography.
9. I’m in a running slump of sorts. It’s been REALLY cold lately and running outside has been a challenge. Along with the ice and snow, it’s just been hard to get in quality runs. I don’t mind the treadmill if I’m doing speed work, but man is it hard to do long runs on that thing. CONFESSION: The closer it gets to Boston and the more I read about others training for it, the more jealous/bitter/sad I get. Ok, it’s not that bad. But I am definitely bummed that I won’t be there this year even though I made the cut.
10. I can’t wait to finish up work for the week and spend Friday night with Chris, Annabelle, and Molly. 🙂
Tell me one of your happy thoughts for today!
Favorite trashy TV show?
Who is running Boston? Never mind, don’t answer this one. 😉
Feb 18, 2015
Chipotle Night!
By · 4 Comments
Today was a normal Wednesday in the life of a working mama. I got up at 6:00 (after snoozing a few too many times), showered, and headed to my happy place before heading to work. My happy place = Starbucks. I tried the new Tiramasu Latte with nonfat milk and whipped cream. It was good, but I will probably stick to my normal choices.
After my lovely 1 1/2 hour commute, I checked my email and dug into my overnight oats. I haven’t made this in a long time and it was well overdue.
I worked for a few more hours, answered a dozen of phone calls, and got hung up on once. It was nice little morning. Around noon, Jeanette and I headed outside for a glorious 6.83 mile run. While we had to dodge some snow and ice covered roads and sidewalks, the sun was shining and the temps were balmy (30 degrees!).
Lunch was leftovers from last night’s dinner. I think it actually tasted better today than it did last night. Spoiler alert: This will be my lunch tomorrow too. I also had a Yoplait Greek Whipped Yogurt and it was a nice change from the traditional kind.
While I was slaving away at work, my mom sent me this beauty. How rude! 🙂
My afternoon snack was a banana with a side of almond butter on plates leftover from my baby shower over 2 years ago. I should really quit my day job to be a food photographer.
Dinner was you guessed, Chipotle! Ever since Chris has been off work on Wednesday nights, I’ve been picking up Chipotle for dinner. I’m always excited to eat it, but man does it feel like a rock in my stomach now.
We usually end Chipotle night with fro yo, but it’s going on 9 pm now and they close in a few minutes. Looks like I will have to settle for something from my stash while Chris and I watch some Law and Order: SUV (you Sopranos fans out there will know why we call it SUV instead of SVU). What to choose?? Red velvet oreos, white fudge oreos, Reese’s Hearts, peanut M&Ms, Hershey’s Hugs. I do have ice cream in the fridge, but that is the last thing I ate before I got sick on Saturday night and I may never eat that ice cream again.
What time did you wake up this morning?
What kind of job do you have? Customer Service, cube life, service industry?
Almond butter or peanut butter?
Feb 17, 2015
Snow day and the early bird special.
By · 4 Comments
Today was a happy snow day! For once, the storm was worse to the south and we enjoyed a pretty couple of inches up in southern PA. It was great to have an extra day off to relax, fix our water heater, and get the house slightly put back together.
We had a leak from our water heater yesterday and today we noticed that our water was not actually heating. With the help of some YouTube videos, Chris was able to relight the pilot light and we now have hot water!
I haven’t had almond milk for a really long time and I was craving a bowl of cereal with almond milk in a bad way. This beautiful bowl of goodness was multi grain cheerios and cinnamon granola with strawberries and banana. I really like the taste of vanilla milk so I get that…but I buy the light version.
Since I had some extra time on my hands, I decided to actually make a nice home cooked meal for dinner. I started the main course in the morning…bbq chicken in the crockpot. I used a McCormick Seasoning packet which called for the packet mix, ketchup, brown sugar, and water. All you have to do is stir it up and pour it over the chicken and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Shred and enjoy!
I finally fit in a workout while dinner was finishing up and it was not the greatest. This was my first workout since getting sick on Saturday night, so I guess my body is still recovering. I headed to my favorite at home workout resource (YouTube) and I did a Fitness Blender Workout and Jillian MIchael’s 30 Day Shred Level 3. It definitely felt great to be active again.
Dinner was served at the early bird special time of 4:15 pm. No, we do not usually eat this early. Chris had to work at 5, so this was our only option for a sit down meal together. Along with the BBQ shredded chicken, we enjoyed green beans and baked potatoes. FYI, the key to a good baked potato is to coat the skin in olive oil and salt and pepper. 🙂
While Annabelle was sick, she slept on and off most of the day. Today was the first day that she was awake from morning to night and she just couldn’t hang past 6:30 pm. I really have no idea what to do with all of this free time!
PSA for the day. Always buy previous season candy that is on sale and if you see these Oreos, please buy them. You can thank me later.
What did you have to dinner tonight?
Favorite Oreo flavor? This is a tough call, but I really love the chocolate creme ones.
If you have kiddos, what time do they go to bed? Normally around 8 pm.
Feb 16, 2015
I really wish we could open our windows…
By · 6 Comments
It’s VERY COLD in PA right now (like -25 degree wind chills this past weekend) and it seems like everybody is passing around sickness. The day after Annabelle and I returned from Florida, she came down with the stomach bug…in her crib. She is finally feeling better, but it was a rough couple of days and I feel like our house might smell until Spring. TMI? Oh well.
Poor thing 😔
On Saturday evening, I started getting that feeling. I knew the bug was coming for me next. Saturday night and Sunday were pretty rough, but I’m feeling pretty good now. Now we just wait to see if Chris gets it…fingers crossed his couple beers a day keep the stomach bug away. LOL, I made that up myself.
To add to our fun weekend of sickness, we came home to a laundry room full of water today. Luckily, a quick fix to our water heater was all that was needed and we are enjoying hot water this evening.
They already closed my work tomorrow. Snow day!!!!
Have you been sick yet this winter?
Do you have snow where you live? How much?
Feb 12, 2015
Florida in February
By · Leave a Comment
Florida in February is awesome. 😄
I woke up early last Friday morning and ran 7 easy miles on the treadmill followed by the 8 minute abs video….followed by a stop for the good stuff.
After a quick workday, Annabelle and I headed to the airport. A few hours later, we were in the Sunshine State!
Saturday morning, I went to a boot camp class with my mom, brother, and sister in law. I always go when I’m in town and I LOVE it. We enjoyed breakfast outside afterwards and it was great to soak up some sunshine.
The rest of the day was spent getting manis and pedis and driving with the top down. 😉
Sunday was a gorgeous day, so we headed to Cocoa Beach. Sunny and 75 in February…yes please.
Annabelle absolutely loves the water and insisted on staying by the water and collecting sea shells. 😍
I LOVE this picture of Annabelle, Poppy, and Uncle Disney.
We left the beach, had dinner (Annabelle loves to take chips from the basket and take a bite and put it back), and headed home to shower and eat dessert. My mom tested out her new blow dryer…
Dessert was Blue Bell ice cream. We don’t have this in PA and I must eat large quantities when I visit Florida.
Monday was a relaxing day…first breakfast at First Watch and then we spent some time at the playground. My dad has tons of pictures from the playground but I don’t have them yet. 😒
The weather turned rainy in the afternoon, so my mom and I headed to the gym. She ellipticalled and I treadmilled. Yup, neither of those are words but I’m using them anyway. I think my treadmill may have been broken because I did the following workout and it felt really good.
2 miles at 8:35 pace
5 miles at 7:30 pace
1/2 mile at 8:35 pace
We finished our workouts with the 8 minute abs video.
John and Emmy were nice enough to make us dinner that night (taco salads) and it was great to just hang out and talk.
Tuesday was another relaxing day, but it carried a dark cloud since we were heading home that evening. 😔 After breakfast, my mom and I walked to her condo gym and completed this workout from Julie.
It was a great workout and I was sore the next day.
After showering and packing up, we went to a local BBQ joint by my parent’s house. The food is amazing and everything comes with huge pieces of garlic bread. I wish I had taken pictures but I was busy keeping a toddler in her seat. 😜 We arrived at the airport early enough for my parents to come in and for Annabelle to run around a bit. We said goodbye and it keeps getting harder and harder. I always get sympathetic looks from the TSA agents who check my boarding pass and ID while I’m sucking back tears.
It was a great trip and I can’t wait to plan my next visit. The plane trip was pretty uneventful except for having to change AB’s diaper in the bathroom. Those things are not made for 2 year olds.
Do you live near your family?
What’s the last vacation you took?
Feb 5, 2015
Throwback Thursday
By · 4 Comments
Since I was MIA for a little while, this post is throwing all the way back to last week. 😉
Here’s what I’ve been up to! PS I have to look back at my pictures to remember what I’ve been up to.
Healthy Eats
Treats!
Running (of course)!
This was a Yasso 800s workout. In simple terms, I did 8 x 1/2 mile at the paces listed. 😊
A visit with Aunt Janice (my mom’s sis) and Uncle Gren!
A Superbowl Workout! I did the exercise that corresponded to what was happening in the game and then I did the workout all the way through at half time…then I had pizza and ice cream.
New Capris. These are from Fabletics and they are amazing.
What have you been up to?!?!?
Jan 22, 2015
Sentence per picture.
By · 4 Comments
This is been a very busy work week and I’m so ready for the weekend! Since I’m exhausted, here’s a lazy (but thrilling) post. 🙂
Yesterday’s yummy breakfast.
Last night (and tonight’s) dinner. I really love BBQ chicken pizza.
Last night (and tonight’s and every other night) dessert. I just can’t stop dessert…I need an intervention.
My favorite little girl. ❤
Face mask…I just realized this is still on and it’s been on for way too long.
Snow day for Annabelle and Molly!
Enjoy your Friday!
Jan 21, 2015
Winter Wellness!
By · Leave a Comment
It seems like EVERYBODY is sick right now! This is the time of year when germs are easily spread and our immune systems fight hard to keep us healthy. The “winter blues” usually hit around now too and it’s hard to get motivated when it’s cold and dark outside…and Winter is far from over.
Tips for staying well this winter! (Mind and Body)
1. Get plenty of rest! This is a hard one for me…and probably a lot of you guys too. I try to shutdown and get in bed by 10 each night. This allows for about 7 hours of sleep. I know that my body functions better with proper rest, so I am trying to make this a priority during these long cold months.
2. Exercise! It’s no surprise that I LOVE to run and workout. No matter what time of year it is, my day goes better when I get in a sweaty workout. During the winter months, running outside is such a treat as the weather forces me inside way too often. All you need is the proper attire (I am loving my new Oiselle pants and Under Armour shirt) and some good friends!
When I can’t get outside, I love to take Body Pump classes and do at home workouts in my basement. I get most of my at home workouts from Julie and from YouTube. I love this one, this one, and this one!
3. Eat Healthy Meals! I love to eat healthy meals. I would much rather eat a salad or a big sweet potato topped with black beans, veggies, and avocado over a burger and fries anyday. Dessert is a different story…I eat it and I love it.
I really want to try some new healthy recipes this winter, like this one! I just found this great website, Aloha, that has a ton of delicious and fun recipes and I hope to try a few of them. 🙂
4. Laugh! Laughter is the best medicine, right?!?! Find the time each day to just sit back, relax, and have fun. It can be quality time with your family, an hour with a good book, or a visit to the spa, but find time each day to have some fun.
How do you (try) stay healthy during the winter months?
Favorite healthy meal?
running4two 