Muffins or Muffin Top?

Happy... Tuesday? ok, not so exciting, but I got some exciting news over the weekend. Me and the husband are going to Denver in December! Yay! We have some dar friends that live there and we will be skiing, shopping, going to an NFL game.. you know, all the good stuff. Couldn't be more excited.

Sorry I have slacked on the food journal portion. I don't have pictures unfortuneately, but I do have a list of what is in store for me today:

Breakfast - Peach greek yogurt, homemade banana chocolate chip muffin
Snack - nectarine
Lunch -  Healthy Choice chicken and sweet potatoes, fresh garden tomato with tuscan salt mix
Snack -  Banana
Dinner -  1/2 serving dream fields angel hair pasta, 1 cup steamed spinach, homemade turkey meatballs, arribiata sauce

Not sure if I should give you the banana muffin recipe or the meatballs??? Meatballs, they were too good!

1 lb of lean ground turkey

1 lg egg

¼ cup bread crumbs

About ¼ cup parmesean ( I eyeballed it)

About ¼ cup grated red onion

3 gloves minced garlic

Salt/pepper/basil/oregano/parsley

Mix and make meat balls

Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in skillet and brown on all sides until cooked through..

So... I don't really have any exciting, fun workouts to share since I couldnt walk until Sunday. Then I focused primarily on cardio and basic moves like squats, lunges, crunches, etc... it is always nice to go back to the basics somewhat.

I have been seeing so many great outfit ideas on Pinterest lately... it makes me want to shop!!!! I came across this one, and I absolutely LOVE this necklace... I have been searching, and I just don't know where to look. Any ideas?

These are a Few of my Favorite Things...

I thought I would share a few of my favorite things... some are beauty related, some are home related, and some are just things I love but don't have.. get ready!

1.  Mr. Clean - Gain Scented Apple Berry Twist

This stuff is amazing, no lie...it smells yummy and you can use it on counters, bathrooms, floors, stoves, and it is even suitable for treated woods like cabinets.  I love the Gain dish soap in this scent too ( I was always a Dawn girl, but Gain is gaining my loyalty in all proctus.. get it.. gaining?)

2. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

I don't typically use this, but if you are cleaning your stove top, this is a time and elbow grease saver! Those spots, and burnt on things come off with minimal effort.

3. Bath & Body Works - Ice Cream Shop - 3 Wick Candle

AMAZING.. its all I can say. This thing when burning is potent enough to smelly good up my whole house! It smells warm and sweet like caramel almost.. definitely something to pick up before the summer is over.

4. Suave Keratin Infused line

I cannot say enough nice things about this line.. I am not a huge fan of Suave products in general. They make my hair dry and frankly, you get what you pay for. I typically buy expensive salon brands - my hair is picky and I'm a product snob. This line is a different story. I was skeptical, but loved the shampoo/conditioner and adore the dry shampoo. It smells soooooo good and clean and leaves my unruly hair soft/smooth, and at the low price tag of $2.96 a bottle I say its at least worth a shot!!!

5. LaVanila - Pure Vanila Perfume

MMMM - I'm a vanilla lover, but this has subtle hints of musk/sandalwood.. I love the sweet vanilla, long lasting fragrance... yummy for summer, and warm for winter.. I cant get enough!

6. J.Crew - Tippi Polka Dot Sweater - $89.50

This beauty is perfect for work, dinner, and casual wear.. super cute comes in 3 fun colors, but being a minimalist like I am, I prefer the tan/black.

7. J.Crew Jacquard Dot Popover - $88

This needs to find its way into my work wardrobe STAT.. apparently I am loving polka dots this time around.

8. Well I will just be honest here... basically the entire J.Crew website can be included in my list of favorite things this week. I can not copy and paste them all.. =)

WORKOUT:

Try this one if you dare.. I did this workout along with a 45 minute mixed HIIT run on the treadmill. It is difficult to move today.. Good Luck!

Happy Weekending!

xoxo

Bathroom Junk and Workouts...

As you can assume from the subject, this post is ten kinds of random!.. so I was just stalking the Pottery Barn website (umm surprise, surprise!), and I cam accross tons of ideas that I want to recreate without the steep pricetag. There is something so chic, but cozy and lived in about these and I fell in love:
 
 

Workouts!

So I am proud to say that I have lost 12 lbs.. since I started changing things.. and 7 since I stopped the pill.. I am so excited to keep going and to see what I can accomplish with some work and dedication! To be my ideal, perfect weight, I only have 23 more to go! That isnt too terribly much.  Last night I was browsing through my Women's Heath - Big Book of Exercises last night.  If you don't have it already, I highly recommend it. Everything is broken down step by step with pictures (even the grips of weights), and they tell you optimal reps/sets... give you circuits and running workouts. Also, I decided that I am going to run the full Illinois Marathon this year. I figured if i can tackle a half, I can tackle a full 26.2 miles!

Here are some fun/different exercises I found: ( you may have to Google How to do them, as I can't get the pictures for them)

Shoulders - Weight Plate front raise, Bent Arim Lateral Raise and External Rotation, Barbell Shrug
Arms - Swiss - Ball Preacher curl, EZ Bar Lying Triceps Extension
Quads/Calves- Swiss Ball Body Weigh Wall Squat, Iso Explosive body weight Jump squat, Valslide Hip Adduction (wow, I have to do this)
Glutes/Hams - Swiss Ball Hip Raise, reverse hip raise, Single Leg Barbell Good morning, Barbell step ups
Core - Swiss ball pike, Medicine Ball Leg Drop
Total Body - Dumbbell hang pull (one I have never done)

There is also several pages of warm up exercises I am dying to try!

xoxo!

The Wednesday Hump...

Sorry it has been a few days..  and for the most part this is going to be me venting a little bit. After all that is what blogging is about right... to share your life? ...

Do you every feel like you are just in a slump and completely burnt out? Well that is exactly how I have been feeling the past few days. I feel that I want to do more, but I just don't know how to go about doing it. What I mean is, I went to school for Business... everyone does that and the economy sucks.. so that really isn't anything special. What I really want to do is interior design and/or own my own shop, actually use my nice camera and do some photography on the side, crafting. What I am saying is I just want to stay home! I don't have children yet, so that seems silly, and financially it isn't even a feasible option at this point! My best friend in the whole world wants the same thing I feel (except she has more talent in her little toe than I do in my whole entire body!)... I think she is burnt out too. I want to make a change, start a business, do something...there's just one question... HOW?

Tasty Dinner:

Last night I decided to try one of my many pinned Pinterest recipes.. and I did make a few tweeks but it was amazing! Hamburger soup - doesn't sound special, I know, but I promise it is super tasty and easy which is always a bonus!

Hamburger Soup(All measurements are approximate)
1 Tbls Olive Oil
1/2 a med sized onion, chopped ( I use pre-chopped frozen - EASY)
2 Tbls minced garlic
1 lb ground beef (85% or better)
1 large can condensed tomato soup
2-3 14 oz. cans beef broth, plus one can of water

2 Tbls of Worcesterchire Sause (several generous splashes)

1.5 Tbls of chili powder

1 Tbls of Garlic Powder

1/2 Tbls of salt
1 small can of corn
1-1.5 cup cooked macaroni, wagon wheel, or small shell pasta (We like wheels!)

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion and garlic until the onions are just soft. Add ground beef, season with salt and cook until meat is longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a 5 quart soup pot, pour in beef broth, tomato soup,Worcesterchire, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and  water. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer. In another pot, cook pasta to package directions, or cook directly in tomato/beef broth(Highly recommend cooking seperately!).

When meat is cooked through, add to beef soup mixture. Add corn and pasta and simmer for 5-15 minutes.

I bought a take and break whole grain baguette at the store for $2 to serve with, and is good topped with a little shredded cheddar.. it got 2 thumbs up from the hubs and we are loving leftovers today! :)

So I got some Armour Etch - etching cream last night so I can do this to my canisters instead of paying the steep Pottery Barn price. Only problem is I am having a difficult time of finding sticker stencils that look like an apporopriate size and typeface. Any suggestions?!

xoxo!

Oh I just cant wait...

So this is going to be one of those super random posts.. Sorry I skipped fitness/workout Wednesday. I think I should be honest in saying it was because of the simple fact I was being lazy. So we'll move on to other things... like the fact that I can not wait to own my own home! Yes, I know large amount of responsibility accompanied by a large price tag! I don't even care... I just know what I want in a home... well pretty much everything on the Pottery Barn/Williams- Sanoma/West Elm websites would pretty much sum that up for me... but I will show you pictures instead of what I would love for my home to look like


Honestly, it is kind of sad... I don't know what my real style is..I just know what I like (everything), and that is the problem. I have a feeling that our house is going to encorporate a myriad of different styles..

But before I go, I can not wait for fall.. you know why??? Oh that's easy! Pumpkins, crisp days, apple cider, rainy lazy days reading while snuggled up, warm soups, football, and HALLOWEEN ya'll! My favorite.

I found some of the cutest Halloween decorations on Pottery Barn's website.. OBSESSED with them!

 mercury glass pumpkins - I saw where you can take regular old pumpkins and spray them with the Krylon "looking glass" spray paint to get the same effect. Pretty on a table.

 Shocker... more pumpkins.. perfect for the porch!

 these are just kind of cool anyways!
Spooky Candleabras! perfect for a Halloween Table!

 These cute little bat lights! They remind me of Harry Potter

and way too much more... it is really kind of sick how obsessed I am with Halloween. It is the most wonderful time of the year.. I mean Christmas is up there too, but Halloween and autumn are where its at! Who is with me on that?!

xoxo

Tasty Tuesday!

I have to share with you one of my favorite (and Andrew's favorite) easy healthy recipes. It is Turkey Taco Chili and I believe it is only around 200 calories for a cup!

Ingredients:

1 can of corn - drained

1 can kidney beans - drained

1 can fat free refried beans

1 lb of lean ground turkey

1 medium onion - ( I use about of pre-chopped frozen)

1 jalapeno

1 sm. can green chiles

1 packet taco seasoning

2.5 cups low sodium fat free chicken broth

1 can rotel tomatoes with green chiles

1 can tomato sauce

extra cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot brown your turkey.

add in chiles, jalapeno and onions... cook for about 5 min

add in all other ingredients and bring to a boil

simmer for about 30 minutes

serve with avocado, fresh cilantro, cheese, or your other favorite toppings and enjoy!

I made this last night for dinner, and as always left overs were requested for lunch! I consider that a success in my book!

xoxo

Case of the Mondays...

honestly .... this Monday is one I don't really want to relive and the weekend wasn't worth talking about. haha I was a grouch all day and the most fun I had all weekend was grocery shopping. That's pretty sad. I am going to just call it a day and hope for a better Tuesday.

xoxo

Friday the... Thirteenth!

Hello lovelies! Its Friday, and I think that is something we can all be thankful for. Guess what?! For once my weekend is completely event free which means that I have plenty of time to relax and do absolutely nothing! wooo! As you know I cleaned out my closet this week and I must say it is still full, but I have about 5 giant tubs full to the brim of non loved clothing and accessories just waiting to be sold to a worthy home!  Anyways.. that hole in my closet has left a hole in my heart, and I need to fill it with more stuff!

So here are the things I want today!

1. F21 Tank Top - $9.80.. this is so bright and fun, and how great would this one be for the gym!? There are an assortment of fun neon colors that this comes in.

2. Zara Blouse - $39.99 .. this is just a good neutral piece for underneath a blazer.

3. Zara Blouse - $39.99  - I feel like this is getting repetitive?! Yet again, just another nice, neutral piece I need.

4. Ivanka Trump "Indico" Pump - $130 - I really want these for fall/winter!  I have a pair of grey/black patent cheetah pumps, but let's be honest here... These would be killer with the right outfit, or all outfits.

5. Camelbak 20 oz water bottle - $20 - not sure what it is about this magical bottle, but I can actually get all of my water in a day with this one.. bonus: it actually fits in the cup holder on the treadmill! woo!


That is all for now.. have a fun and safe weekend!

xoxo

Office Blues...

It is no secret that I work in a corporate environment, and I am stuck in one of those boring gray fabric/metal cubicles... oh but I have a flipper.. it is so exciting. To say the least, it is very.. well... blah. I know that it is kind of a far stretch to decorate your cubicle without catching too much negative attention from bosses and supervisors.. but dang it... OFFICE WORKERS UNITE! We shouldn't have to come to work and look at dismal gray walls when we are already not so cool with the idea of having to work in the first place. My dream is to be able to work from home and have a glorious home office, but until that dream is a reality, I suppose I will just have to deal and draw inspiration from these lovely pictures found via the decorista's site.






I just love how there is just a slight sense of clutter that makes it feel comfortable and cozy, not sterile. I am not one for dramatic paint colors, but I am obsessed with the idea of black walls. It could be so chic and girly in the right space... the possibilities!...

xoxo

Lean Mean, No More Jelly Beans...

Hi ya'll, it's Workout Wednesday again! So last night I did a killer workout that I think you might enjoy.. it's a tough one! I am definitely feeling it today:

Cardio:  33 minutes
 Minutes 0-9 warm up (I did 5.6 mph)
9-9:30 (increase speed by 2 mph - 7.6)
then cool down again for 2:30 at 5.6
repeat the 30 second sprint and cool down until 30:30
then jog the remainder

Strength:

30 seconds each - repeat 4 times

skull crushers
plie squats with weight (I used 25 lbs.)
squat press with weight (I used 30 lbs.)
Split jumps

then...

50 kb swings
50 kb or medicine ball full sit ups
1 min plan on medicine ball - 2x
100 medicine ball russian twists
1 min bridge on medicine ball - 2x
20 medicine ball alternating push ups

Healthy Eating Tip!
Ok, so we all love eating pasta I am sure, but we know it doesn't love our figures. So I heard about this tip, and I think its kind of genius. You can cut back on your serving size of that noodle dream by steaming a couple cups of spinach ( I am sure you can use any other green or any veggie really) and put that at the bottom of your bowl then top with 1/2 serving of pasta.. then your sauce, toppings, etc. .. It is really an illusion. We are getting a heaping portion, but instead of carbs and starches we are getting lean green vitamins and protein! Who doesn't love that right!?

I fully intend on posting some of those hideous "before" pictures.. but I have to get the guts first! I just want to track progress in a visual way to keep myself motivated.

and how stinkin cute is this Peplum top:

http://psilovefashion.indiedays.com/

This one will be on my shopping list soon!

and I am just saying... how much I would love to be lounging here:
 Dream Mediterranean vacation anyone? Yes Please!

Until tomorrow,

xoxo