felt like sharing

i promise to post beach pictures later - by the time i got home last night from picking-up zoe (my sister's cat), it was late and i was tired... max doesn't seem to like her being there but i'm hoping they'll become the bestest of friends soon (they are cousins after all)... i DID get to pick blueberries though so i was happy to have them on my cereal this morning... yummy! :o)

since i had some downtime yesterday - i found some new/interesting things while surfing and thought i would share... :o)

—taco bell is giving out FREE samples of their new 'frutista freeze' from july 8–15
—lean cuisine has introduced seafood selections which includes tortilla crusted fish - yum!
—roni has launched her new blog --> http://ronisweigh.com
—welcome back, anne --> http://lapetiteviedeanne.blogspot.com
—since many of you have asked, here's a basic recipe for pesto - enjoy!

my department is having some sort of luncheon today, i have no idea why or what's being served but it will be here in the office and not at a restaurant... there will be some awkward conversation about "what are you doing this summer?" or "have any vacation plans?" and my guess is we'll be having the standard samich, chips, and fruit (unless they get all fancy on us but i doubt it)... i'm sure there will be a plate (or two) of cookies/brownies as well since this office just LOVES sugar... wish me luck!

happy tuesday...

update: and i was right - our lunch consisted of sammies, two kinds of salads, fruit, and a huge basket of sugar-like things... i had a nice portion of salad with raisins, apples, and walnuts, a tiny chicken samich on pumpernickel, a few slices of fruit, and yes - a small cheesecake thing (i know, i know!)... at least i didn't go back for seconds, so yay me! :o)

this week's been a big blur

holy moly, what a week it's been... today is the first day that i feel like i can relax and not be so stressed out because of work... the website i'm working on is supposed to go live next friday but several of us don't think that's going to happen - should be interesting to say the least... what i do have so far is coming along nicely, as it should be, considering i've been here early every day this week (and sometimes stayed late too)... :o)

on wednesday, eric and i went to see 'no country for old men' - it was a late movie and i was pretty tired but the violence/gore kept me awake, that's for sure... it was good but i think if i had read the book, some of it would make more sense... i'm excited about seeing 'i am legend' next month, with wil smith - i think he's a good fit for sci-fi movies... :o)

my weekend plans are full, at least for tomorrow anyway... i'm going with my mom to a christmas joy/craft day at her church - we're going to make all sorts of stuff like fresh wreaths, jewelry, etc. and it's cheap! they're providing breakfast and lunch so once again i'm going to be tempted with yummy things - just have to see how it goes (maybe i'll eat beforehand)... after that, i'm going to stop by and visit w/some friends that i haven't seen in a while and then it's back to eric's for the weekend... sunday, i'm really looking forward to sleeping-in and watching the redskins game - should be an emotional one due to the death of sean taylor #21 this week... GO SKINS!!!

it's been a while since i've done a top 5, so i'm going to list some holiday things i found to be fun (thanks to rachael ray's holiday issue)... enjoy!

—do the earth some good this holiday and buy 100% post consumer recycled paper christmas cards
—these beautiful jewel bud vases would make great gifts for your girlfriends
—we could all use a little more hope this time of year
—know someone that's always cold? buy them a goose down vest for only $25
—use these adorable coasters at your next holiday party

i hope you all have a great weekend, stay warm! :o)

happy friday...

nothing better than warm chips

i love cold and rainy fridays... not... i hope it's not going to be like this the whole weekend - eric and i are heading to my sister's tomorrow.. she told me this week that they've already had snow... S N O W people, and it's maryland! that's just wrong! guess i'll be packing my down coat for the trip... :o(

man his week flown-by - guess being busy at work has helped... i made progress w/my conference design, now i just have to go thru the chain of command (all the way to the pres) and get final approval... once that is done, i can start designing the website for launch in early december... i've been researching javascript stuff since i'm not a fan of using flash for menus - so far, so good... :o)

food/exercise have been good this week, minus last night - eric and i had dinner w/some friends and we had mexican (my downfall, as we all know!)... i had one light beer, some chips & salsa, a wondeful salad that i split w/eric, and the crab & shrimp enchiladas... i will have to be extra careful w/my points this weekend since i'm sure i used most of my flexies on that meal but such is life - i have no regrets because it was really good... :o)

i haven't done my top 5 in a while so here's some frozen food items that you may find interesting (and make for a quick meal)...

—healthy choice has come out w/a new line of cafe steamers
—jimmy dean is offering d-lights breakfast samiches (1/3 calories and 1/2 fat)
—looking for something organic? maybe amy's has something you can try
—if you love eggnog, then you'll love edy's slow churned ice cream (3 pts serving)
—looking for something quick? maybe lean pockets can be an option (ww points are listed too!)

GO REDSKINS! GO STEELERS!

hope you all have a great weekend... happy friday...

i need a raincoat

it's been raining for two days now and even though we desperately need the rain - it's a bit depressing... it's been colder in the mornings too, so that's just yet another sign that fall is here and winter's right around the corner... eric made fun of me last night at dinner (we went to baja fresh) because i had on jeans, a hooded-sweatshirt, AND a fleece jacket... me too warm? never in a million years... ;o)

this week has been hard and i'm glad it's over - i spoke w/another coworker this morning and she's going thru the same thing as me but much worse... she actually asked for more money (because of her workload) and they turned her down, so her job-hunt is beginning too... it's amazing how much we (the employees) are praised in staff meetings and thanked for all our hard work, and yet when it comes to compensation - they suck... anyway, i'm tired of complaining about this so i'm moving on...

this weekend i will be solo (eric's heading to pittsburgh) so my list of 'things to do' is growing by the second... after my hair appt. tomorrow (messed-up the date last week!), my mom and i are going to go shopping for a bit - more her and than me - then i'm going back to her place to help her organize some things around the house... i'm not sure what i'm doing tomorrow night but having a quiet night home, w/the kitties, sounds good to me... on sunday - i'm going to the gym, meeting a girlfriend for lunch, doing some cleaning, grocery shopping, website stuff, AND watching the redskins game... *whew* i'm tired already...

i'm sure most of you have seen 'bladerunner' so have you heard they're rereleasing the director's final cut? it's playing at an old theater in DC beginning this weekend (the kind w/a balcony and huge screen) so eric and i will be catching that for sure... i've seen some great movies there, including the director's cut of 'alien'... hmm, i'm seeing a trend here... ;o)

haven't had time to do much top 5 research so i'm just going to list some of my favorite movies - feel free to share yours as well...

—alien
—bladerunner
—true romance
—willy wonka and the chocolate factory
—gladiator

have a great weekend everyone, stay dry! :o)

ride like the wind

can i get a WOOT WOOT... so glad it's friday, people - what a crazy week it's been (at least for me anyway)... work has slowed down a bit but that only means, it will pick-up again soon and i'll be back to complaining about something... ;o)

the gym was finally open today so i put my sneakers on and ran a 4-mile interval - felt light as air, for some reason... i always tend to have great runs when it has been a while - does anyone else experience the same thing? i also made it to kickboxing last night and had a good workout - i'm on the fence about the next session so i'll think long and hard about it over the weekend...

speaking of the weekend - eric and i are going for a nice, long, motorcycle ride tomorrow, after i get my haircut - the weather is supposed to be nice but much cooler... time to break out the leather jacket i guess, whoo hooo... we might grab some lunch (bbq or mexican?) and then my other goal is to finish HP - i'm tired of talking about it so i'm just going to do it! eric's been away for the last few days (he was part of a panel-discussion in VA) and will be home tonight... norman's been staying w/max and i since monday so it's been a joy having 2 kitties running around - they are always so funny when they're together... as for sunday, i'm going to watch redskins/cardinals game and pray they win - GO SKINS... what are YOUR plans for the weekend?

check out my top 5 for things you can do with pumpkin - enjoy! :o)

—bake some pumpkin cream cheese muffins
—enjoy some spiced pumpkin soup
—how 'bout a pumpkin pie martini?
—don't throw the seeds away, try roasting them instead
—why not try pumpkin ravioli with gorgonzola sauce for dinner

have a great weekend, everyone... :o)

sun but no sand

i'm not sure what possessed me to step on the scale this morning but i did and it said 156.6, not bad for a pre-vacation weight, in my opinion... maybe it was because of my class last night but either way - seeing that will help me stay focused and in control while in florida... :o)

NSV: i was going to wear those grey, banana republic pants this morning (the ones i got at the consignment shop for $5) and they were falling off me... i know they weren't that lose when i bought them, so back they go - now i have to add pants to my outlet shopping list... i know, i know - stop complaining... i guess i'm just not used to seeing all this progress - on myself - it's been a long time so i'm still trying to get used to it... :o)

kickboxing was good last night - he really had us working the bag w/punches and kicks (not so many squats and pushups, thank god!)... it takes a LOT to get me sweating so i had to grin when i felt it trickle down my back at one point... i will be missing tuesday's class and then i'll only have 3 more to go before the session is done - i'm kinda sad... :o(

time for my weekly top 5, thought i would do something jean-related, since it seems to be everyone's wardrobe staple and a weightloss guide... enjoy! :o)

—find YOUR perfect pair of jeans at zafu.com
—grungy denim seems to be the new trend for spring 2008
—trendymamma.com says you CAN wear jeans and be pregnant (at the same time)
—looking for something new? try these organic, free-trade jeans
—tired of wearing your jeans the same way? here's how you can update your look

it's time to head to the gym so i'll catch-up w/you guys later... :o)

happy friday...

i can't move my arms

i have decided that i'm officially done working for the day and the week so it's time to take a breather... i've been working on this logo project for what seems like weeks, and i'm still not 'there' yet - if you're in the design field, i'm sure you can relate to what i'm talking about... you can't force something to work - it either does or it doesn't - and sometimes, people just don't get it... anyway, i need to think about it some more over the weekend and come back fresh-eyed on monday - hopefully something will hit me soon... :o)

speaking of hitting, kickboxing was great last night though i am double-sore from both that AND doing weights yesterday afternoon... we had mr. gimme 100 squats and push-ups again but at least he switched things up from last week (i also realized this morning that he reminds me of peyton manning)... two weeks down and three weeks to go... :o)

i stopped by target last night to pick-up a few things and am always amazed when i get out of there spending LESS than $30... besides getting the things that were actually ON my list (ahem), i also grabbed one of their cute $5 halloween tshirts... it's a dark celery green and says, "witchy" across the front in script lettering - can't wait to wear it tomorrow at the craft show w/my mom and sister... happy birthday, sis! :o)

weekend plans include the above (craft show), getting-in some exercise, helping eric w/some much needed yard work, catching-up on several season premiers, maybe getting-in a motorcycle ride, and watching the steeler's game on sunday (skins are off this week)... what do you guys have planned? isn't it weird how next monday is october? how in the hell did that happen? september just FLEW by, right? and what's even scarier - christmas is less than 3 months away... ...

time for my weekly top 5 so enjoy... :o)

—hungrygirl.com shares some great 100-calorie snack ideas
—oatmeal is getting healthier, check-out quaker's new multigrain hot cereal
—according to calorieking.com, several new products hit the shelves in september
—even snyder's has come out w/their own line of multigrain snacks (might be a local brand)
—see what's new at the trader joe's near you

have a great weekend everyone and enjoy this awesome fall weather... get outside and take advantage of it... :o)

f-f-friday

i'm enjoying today because both my boss and coworker are out AND i finished all my work before leaving yesterday... so, i've had time to enjoy my bagel & coffee and catch-up on everyone's blogs... this afternoon, i plan on going to the gym and then (discreetly) leave at 3:30 so i can make a hair appt... after that, eric and i are heading to pittsburgh for the weekend so it should be a good few days... doesn't hurt that the weather looks to be spectacular so i'm sure we'll be spending a lot of time, sitting on the porch, looking out into the countryside... :o)

i had several people ask for my enchilada recipe - i don't really one that i follow, i just use what i have on hand... i grilled-up some chicken breasts but you could also use ground beef, ground turkey, black beans, or refried beans - it all depends on your taste... i combined the chopped-up chicken with some green peppers, onions, and corn (microwave for 2-3 minutes first), about 1 cup of lowfat shredded cheese, and about 1/2 cup of salsa... spoon this mixture onto a flour tortilla, roll-up, and then place seam-side down in a 13x9 casserole dish... cover with a large can of enchilada sauce (and maybe some more cheese), cover with foil, and bake at 375 for 45 minutes... i served mine with some chopped up lettuce and tomatoes - it gives it an extra crunch! :o)

class #2 of kickboxing was hard but i'm not sure as hard as tuesday since there was a different instructor... i think he made us do at least 100 squat/kick combos, 100 pushups, 100 arm lifts, and god knows what else... then we punched and kicked the bag for a while so it was a definitely a workout - just not as 'sweaty' as tuesday's class... when i got to eric's, i warned him that i would be stinky - he didn't really care because it was just another excuse to take a shower (yes, together people!)... ;o)

i haven't had much time to prep for my weekly top 5 so i'm just going to list some things that i am thankful for - you should too! :o)

—my health and making better choices w/my diet
—the courage to try new things like jogging and kickboxing
—all the friends i have made thru blogging
—my friends, my family, and esp. eric who is my biggest supporter
—the season of pumpkin spice lattes

have a great weekend, everyone... see you on monday... :o)

mun-chi-chi, mun-chi-chi... oh so soft and cuddly...

happy friday, y'all... i'm so glad the weekend is here, i feel like i've been robbed a few days because of my ongoing headache and backache issues (except for today, go figure)... i should make an appt. with a chiropractor and have thought about trying acupuncture - has anyone tried it? i could give them a laundry list of things to 'fix' so maybe i need to decide what my main complaints are first... ;o)

work has been quiet today and i'm hoping my boss leaves early, so i can leave early too - my mom and i are heading to western maryland to spend the weekend w/my sister... the weather yesterday said cloudy and in the mid-50s - WTF man, it's only september people... it's like a different world out there, i swear - it starts getting cold in september and they get snow up until april... anyway, we're going to run around tomorrow and probably stop by to see my dad - it's been a while and i feel i should go see him... my goal is to go for a walk/jog at least once and make healthy choices with my food (unless she makes homemade ice cream and then all bets are off!)... :o)

speaking of food, eric and i went for thai last night - neither one of us ordered the usual curry dish and though what we had was good, it just wasn't the same... i hate when that happens... plus, we were the only customers in the joint which was weird because it's usually crowded - perhaps not a good sign... :o(

on behalf of september being National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, my weekly top 5 will be related to that... :o)

—loreal's 'color of hope' jewelry collection will donate $5, from every purchase, to the ovarian cancer research fund
—do you know what the 4 early symptoms are?
—show your support by wearing a LIVESTRONG item
—or wear a teal ribbon
— a great tshirt for those that have battled and won their fight w/cancer

enjoy your weekend, everyone... go steelers but i'd rather say, go REDSKINS (yes, i know the game is monday night)... :o)

happy friday...

poo poo headache

i wish my headache would go away, nothing seems to dull this achy pain for some reason... and because i'm not feeling well, i have decided to skip the gym today and not feel guilty about it... even if i DID go, it would not be a good workout because i would doing everything half-assed and what's the point... and besides - i'm going to spin-class tomorrow and i can always do weights afterwards so there's nothing to worry about... and if for some reason i wake up w/a headache - i'll just pop a double-dose of pills and suffer thru it... :-p

eric came over last night and took me to staples, so i could buy a new desk chair... i've been having major backaches - both at work and home - and contribute it to my crappy chairs... i found one for $25, on clearance, and its perfect - good color, good height, so i'm good to go... as for work, i've readjusted the back to see if that helps and if not - i will be buying one of those pillow-things to lean against... getting old sucks, that's all i have to say...

weekend plans are pretty low-key... eric has some guy-thing going on saturday night so i'm going to hang-out w/my mom and do the community fair thing (she likes to enter canned food and actually won a few ribbons last year)... its nothing huge or exciting but its my hometown and i like to support my local-peeps... sunday plans consist of finalizing my sister's website and watching the game - GO REDSKINS... :o)

time for my weekly top 5, you know the drill - enjoy! :o)

—drink a lot of coffee? maybe you should get a designer cup sleeve
—fun things to do with your old coffee grounds
—ever wonder what type of coffee you are? (i'm a cafe latte)
—make your own flavored coffees at home
—spread the love and wear a coffee cup on your belt buckle

and that's all she wrote, have a great weekend everyone... :o)

happy friday...

bye-bye summer

it's the end of yet another week but it's also the last one of august, and technically the last one of summer... it's so hard to believe labor day is monday - seems like yesterday eric and i were sitting on the beach and watching the porpoises play in the water... we've contemplated going to the beach this weekend because of the gorgeous weather they're forcasting but it would be hard to find a place to stay at this point... it would be fun to take the motorcycle though... ;o)

monday is my 5th anniversary - another thing that's hard to believe... i had been unemployed for 14-months prior to working here (my previous company closed and it was hard to find anything after 9/11 besides temp work) and was thrilled when i got called-in for an interview... so in honor of the big day, my boss is taking me and two of my coworkers (my choice) to lunch today - i chose this italian place around the corner... yea, it's not the healthiest choice but i'm okay with that... :o)

i've been thinking a lot about setting new goals for september and since i've talked about taking a kick-boxing class - that's exactly what i'm going to do... the same program that offers my pilates class also offers an aerobic kick-boxing classes twice a week, for 5 weeks... i've been in a workout-slump since doing the 5K and not having anything to look forward too has really hindered my progress so i feel this will help... plus with the cooler weather, maybe i'll feel like taking a jog outside more often and MAYBE i can get eric to go with me... :o)

as far as the long weekend - i'm going to spin class tomorrow morning and then eric & i are heading to philly saturday night to catch the king tut exhibit at the franklin institute... we've been talking about it all summer and since it closes at the end of the sept, we figured we'd better go soon... we may also stop by the harbor and see the gazella (a tall ship he's worked on) and grab a late dinner somewhere - anyone have a favorite spot they'd like to recommend? and as for sun/mon - we have no plans besides taking the bike out for a ride and getting some much needed R&R... :o)

this week's top 5 comes from judith beck (author of the beck diet solution weight loss workbook) and this month's health magazine... if you're having a hard time getting back on track OR just starting a new weight loss plan - maybe some of these suggestions can help...

1. make a "why i want to do this" list
   write down all the reasons you have for wanting to lose weight and place copies of it around the house and office so you can be reminded of them daily.
   
   
2. enlist a diet coach
   share your progress w/a friend, family member, or online buddy once a week so you
   can be accountable for how well you're doing (or not doing).
   
   
3. set a goal to lose 5 pounds
   even if you want to lose more - start with 5 pounds and when you hit that goal, celebrate, give yourself credit, and set another goal to lose 5 more pounds.
   
   
4. make an exercise appointment
   treat your workout(s) like any other appt and put it down your calendar each day - make it so its not an option.
   
   
5. plan what you're going to eat
   write down everything you're going to eat the night before so you're less tempted to go off-plan - tell yourself that it's not okay to eat something you didn't plan for.
   

sorry for the long post today - i just had a lot to say! i hope you all have a great, long weekend! :o)

happy friday...

bagel friday

ah, the weekend begins in less than 7 hours (for me anyway) and i'm looking forward to hanging out w/eric and going to see my brother & his girlfriend for a cook-out tomorrow night... i haven't seen him in ages so it will be nice to catch-up on things and see what's new (plus he's dog-sitting for his daughter and that's always a good thing)... other things on my to-do list include: spinning class, oil change for the car, and baby shower shopping - fun times! it's supposed to be very hot this weekend (95+) so i'm sure we'll spend a lot of time indoors too... :o)

i went to see my mom last night - she had some extra produce she wanted to give me from her trip back from the beach... so i got some watermelon, cantaloupe, yellow squash, and cabbage... i also got a small container of fisher's caramel popcorn - if you know anything about ocean citty - you KNOW about how awesome it is (yea, it's not very healthy but once a year isn't going to kill me)... i also painted her toenails since she's going to maine w/her travel club next week and then she's off to iceland in two weeks - talk about busy - she's one, active 71-year old... i hope i can be as active as her, when i'm that age... :o)

sorry i skipped last week so here's my fall trends top 5—enjoy! :o)

—check out these fashion trends for this fall
—if you're updating your fall wardrobe, maybe you should update your shoes too
—complex and exotic are words to describe colors for this upcoming season
—looking for a new hairdo? maybe you should try the asymmemtrical bob
—bobbi brown says stonewashed nudes are the way to go with makeup this fall

have a great weekend, everyone... :o)

slow down

happy friday, everyone... and congrats to my team, the skinnie minnies, on losing a whopping 15.6 pounds this week! awesome job, ladies! keep up the great work (i promise to be in the losers column next week!)... i'm challenging them to lose 16 pounds in week #2 so let's see if we can can do it! :o)

happy hour was okay last night - i had one glass of wine (that sucked AND cost me $9) and by the time i got home, i was tired, and had a headache... my boss was showing off her new iPhone that she got for her birthday - she's so into the newest gadgets and gizmos... i have to admit - it looked pretty amazing but i doubt i'll ever get one - i hardly use the phone i have... i also spoke w/another coworker, whom i see at the gym pretty much every day, and found out her husband needs a heart transplant... he's 6th on the list for O-type and 1st on the list for B-type - i'm hoping he gets lucky soon... and speaking of organs - are YOU an organ donor? i am and it says so on my driver's license... :o)

i'm going to do something different with the weekly top 5 - sometimes, i'm all over the place so i think i may start grouping things together instead... so, i've found a few new blogs this week and i thought i would share them with you - enjoy! :o)

—finding flabuless
—cranky fitness
—becky & heather's 30 day challenge
—trials and tribulations
—elastic waist

i hope you all have a great weekend - do something fun, get your exercise, drink your water, and relax... monday will be here before you know it...

happy friday...

when will my bug bites go away

i'm so glad today is my friday and i'm also looking forward to spending the weekend w/my girlfriend and the other girls from the bridal party... and yea, getting a massage and relaxing by the pool doesn't sound too shabby either... anyway, did i tell you that i never got her wedding invitation? she sent them a month ago and mine was nowhere to be found - until yesterday... she sent me a note saying it came back in the mail, finally, so i'm curious to see what went wrong... as for the shower - i have to finish the favors tonight which requires putting the jordan almonds in the organza bags and then attaching them to the card i designed (see below)... on the back, i put the candy history which is what you see in yellow... not bad for a homemade favor, huh... :o)



you will see that i added another section on my blog (top right) for the team challenge i'm doing... my team name is the skinnie minnies and each week, they will report their weigh-ins and then i'll post the team's results... there's also a sparkpeople page, if you're interested, and it can be found here... if you didn't participate this time and would like to try it, perhaps we can do another one in the fall... :o)

and i finally loaded all my pictures from our camping trip, you can view them here... :o)

since i'll probably be super busy tomorrow morning, i'm going to post my top 5 today - enjoy!

—how to stop negative self-talk
—what is the best weight loss diet?
—check out these surprising expiration dates (borrowed from cranky fitness)
—the august fitness magazine is full of special features & articles
—try some of these tasty, frozen treats for under 200 calories

well, that's all i have for today... i hope you have a great rest of the week and i'll catch-up w/you guys on monday...

happy thursday...

2 days and counting

i don't know why i do this to myself - i was checking the forecast for next week and it doesn't look pretty... i know, i know - its still vacation but when you're going to the beach AND camping, rain sort of puts a damper on everything... plus, it makes packing even more difficult and i'm bad enough as it is - i tend to pack too much but maybe that's because i'm a girl and i like having options (tank top or tshirt?)... anyway, i started making piles of all my stuff last night like clothes, beach towels, sunscreen, and toiletries and if i forget something, i'll be fine... sometimes roughing it can be fun (like no hairdryer!) but if i really needed something, the local grocery store is only a few miles away... :o)

i'm going to pick more blueberries after work with my mom, so i have them for next week... i'm not sure how much longer they'll be in season around here so i'm going to take advantage as best i can... we also may grab dinner at 5 guys, which is a local hamburger chain that pride themselves on serving homemade burgers, hotdogs, and french fries... yea, not the most healthy of choices but i figured as of 5:00 - i'm officially on vacation and i've only heard good things about this place... :o)

today will be another busy one so it should go by fast... and it will also be my last treadmill workout til i get back so i'll have to make it a good one... on wednesday, i did 40 minutes of flats/hills - talk about challenging! i may try and do 4 miles today so we'll see how that goes - anything above 3.5 is an improvement for me and if i can crank out 5 miles by the end of the summer, maybe i'll try doing an 8K race... either way, i can telling the running is helping my weightloss because these capris i have on today are huge... :o)

time for my weekly top 5 so enjoy... :o)

—do you know how to store salad greens?
—learn how to run less for more results
—read about a woman who lost weight too fast for weight watchers (WTF?!?!)
—feeling a bit down? here are some body image boosters you can try
—don't know what to make on the 4th? check out this list of favorites

i'll try and post something over the weekend but if for some reason i don't - i hope you all have a happy and safe fourth of july... i'll talk to you when i get back...

happy friday...

while the cat's away, the mice will play

well, i accomplished all i set out to do last night and forgot to mention my RZR phone has been broken for about a week - the front screen stopped working and its not even 6 months old... anyway, verizon had to order me a new one so i guess i'll get my new one next week, at least i can still use mine til then... shopping w/mom at kohl's was okay - it wasn't one of my best night's but i did find a pair of nice capris and some new shirts... they had some shoes but nothing very foot-friendly so i'll have to look elsewhere - i hate to admit this but payless had some cute styles online, maybe i'll see what they have... my mom brought me some freshly picked strawberries (and some homemade coconut cake!) so i had them today w/some vanilla yogurt - mmm mmm... :o)

i also got the clothes i had ordered online, unfortunately the pants didn't fit - they were way to low and just not the right style for my body... plus, they didn't have spandex and that's just not a good thing - i can't stand fabric that doesn't move with you... but the good news is the other skirts, sweaters, and sundress fit so i'm happy - i just need some cute shoes to go along w/my new outfits and i'll be set... :o)

i'm so glad its friday - i've been running every night this week so i'm looking forward to a relaxing evening... as for tomorrow - the only plans i have are running at 8am, going to eric's nephew's soccer game in the afternoon, and then having dinner at my mom's... we need to put her a/c unit in and even though i've managed before, it's much easier w/two people... and as for sunday, the slate is pretty clean... :o)

now it's time for my weekly top 5, enjoy... :o)

—angry fat girlz had a great post yesterday about dieting - the good and the bad
—overcome your excuses for not working out
—did you know june 1 is national doughnut day? read some interesting facts here
—starbucks will be switching to 2% milk in all espresso-based drinks by the end of 2007
—are you a binge eater? if so, read more about it here

have a great weekend, everyone... :o)

friday's top 5

i'm so glad today its friday and that i have the next four days off (in a row, mind you) and couldn't be happier about getting some much needed R&R... visiting eric's parents is always a good time - his dad is making great progress at home so i'm anxious to see how he's improving... and i'm excited to meet the calf that was born a few weeks ago, as well as eating some fresh asparagus from their garden - its the coolest thing to see growing out of the ground... on monday, we'll be heading to my sister's for the night and then on tuesday we'll be spending some time w/my dad before heading back... i hate to admit this but i will miss my run on saturday, go figure... this is the first run i've missed so it will be weird not going, but i plan on taking my sneaks w/me and i have every intention of wearing them at least once (maybe twice)... :o)

so what do YOU have planned for this holiday weekend?

i had a relaxing evening - haven't had a night to myself in a few days so it was nice... i made a quick dinner of roasted asparagus and whole wheat pasta and then did some laundry, vacuumed, and packed for the weekend... i stumbled across VH1's music honors on tv and watched performances by heart (which was excellent), genesis, and some of ozzy - he's just not my style though i liked his MTV series... for some reason he reminds me of my dad - must be the blank-stare thing... i've been staying awake longer for the past few nights so i watched some of paul newman's interview on nightline - it was very interesting... for an old man, he still has beautiful eyes...

anyway, here my weekly top 5, enjoy... :o)

—an actor from heros (and felicity) has joined WW
—check out who was highlighted on MSN this week
—rachael ray can now send recipes to your cellphone
—making time to exercise (25 mins/3x week) can boost your fitness level
—here's a list of new food products on calorieking.com

i doubt i'll be posting over the weekend so i hope you all have a safe and happy memorial day... get outside and so something fun! :o)

happy friday...

T G I F

i'm glad its friday even though this week has been quiet - that usually means that something big is right around the corner... i WAS given a new project to work on yesterday so maybe that's it for a while but we'll see... i also learned some news from an ex-coworker/friend - she told me that one of my current coworkers is leaving to go back to school (she heard this from a vendor we both work with)... this will be the 4th person to have this position since i've been here (4.5 years) so that's pretty strange, i wonder when she's going to tell my boss... and i wonder how my boss is going to take it... :-o

stopped at trader joe's last night and picked up a few things: herbed goat cheese, field greens, spicy black bean dip, light coconut milk, artichoke ravioli and marinara sauce (for dinner tonight), whole wheat pizza dough, and some multi-grain flat bread... when i got home, i made a salad with goat cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and had that along with my stuffed pepper - mmm mmm... i really can't believe i got out of there w/out spending a fortune AND i was hungry which is never a good thing... ;o)

onto my weekly top 5 - i found some new blogs that i'd like to share as well so enjoy... :o)

—$3 will be donated to the susan b. komen for the cure if you buy this iPod sport armband
—looking for a cute purse? bubbly blend sells fair trade, handcrafted bags
—here are some fun blogs that i found: taste and tell, ramblog, mad about martha, and yumsugar
—how much do you like coffee?
—suburb of boston goes on a diet

because its friday and we could all use a good, heart-warming story - read about a dog that has adopted tiger triplets that were abandoned by their mother... :o)

i'm not sure what my weekend plans are besides going for a run tomorrow - i was supposed to go to a wine festival but between the chance of rain and not many girls wanting to go, i may just bag the idea altogether... eric and i haven't really talked about doing anything, other than working in the little garden he prepared last weekend (planting tomatoes and green peppers)... i'm in the mood for a lazy weekend anyway, i was away last weekend and we'll be away next weekend so can anyone say TiVO?

have a great weekend everyone... :o)

this has no calories, right?

so much for good intentions - i stayed with bloody mary's last night (so i got some extra veggie juice at least) and had a few sips of wine w/dinner... we had this mushroom pasta salad, then baked halibut, filet mignon, grilled veggies, and some small mini-deserts (think i had 1/2 bite of 2 kinds)... i have no idea what the count would be so i just entered 30 which is pretty much all my flexies until next week... can i do it? yes, i can and even w/dinner tomorrow night w/my sister and mom - i will find something healthy in my range... its all about choices and learning to make better decisions, there's not much more i can do... :o)

my sister said one of her other cats, hairy, is now missing - he was my favorite out of the 4... he was a maine coon, had legs the size of giant sequoias, and also very old - i hope he's just mourning the loss of scamper and plans on coming back but if not, i hope he died peacefully in the woods somewhere...

this weekend will be busy... i'm heading to my sister's with my mom for mother's day, and we also plan on stopping by to see my dad which is on the way - its been quite some time since i've seen him... i'm going to do my run in the AM and then hit the road - at least i'll have one good workout under my belt for the weekend... i'm not sure what we have planned besides going to dinner, hopefully i can wash my car because its looking rather filthy and pollen-covered...

there's been a lot of interesting stuff going on so here's your weekly top 5... enjoy... :o)

—even thin people can still be fat on the inside
—a new website where writers can speak their minds
—progresso is coming out with WW-endorsed soups
—read about the author of secrets of a (former) fat girl
—check out some great yoga inspired athletic wear by lululemon

and to all you mom's out there - i wish you a very happy mother's day... :o)

have a great weekend, everyone... :o)

friday's top 5

funny how i thought yesterday's workout was easy - i should've remembered that the soreness comes a day later... holy canoli - my quads and sides are seriously aching today and though it hurts, its worth it because i know my body is being challenged again (no pain, no gain!)... i may not be able to run today but we'll see - i can definitely put some walking in though and be ready for tomorrow morning's run... :o)

i had a NSV last night while trying on some capris i bought from chadwicks.com a few weeks ago... they were tight when i got them but instead of returning them, i knew they'd fit eventually (they were a great bargain!)... well, they fit perfectly now and i'm thrilled - its funny but it really helped me 'see' the results of all the hard work i've been doing lately (3¾ inches gone since the beginning of april)... so for those of you that are discouraged that the scale isn't moving, find a piece of clothing that you like and maybe can't fit into anymore and use it as your gauge... you'll be amazed at just how much your body can change after one month of eating right and exercising... :o)

my weekend plans are quite busy: running tomorrow morning, helping eric mulch his flower beds (front and back yard), attend my friend's cinco de mayo party tomorrow night, more yard work on sunday, and then grill-out w/some of his friends sunday night... busy busy... what do you guys have planned?

and as promised, here's my weekly top 5...

—a list of the top 20 (common) foods that are rich in antioxidants
—sarah jessica parker will launch her own clothing line "bitten" in june
—amanda celebrates her 6-month WW anniversary and has lost 36 pounds
—several ways to feel fabulous after your workout
—missed your favorite show/movie, watch them here

have a great weekend everyone... happy friday... :o)