Friday, February 17, 2012
So many changes...
Life has been quite full in the few months 10 months since I last wrote! I've started a new adventure and can't wait to tell you about it. Look for more updates what's happening! :) Can't wait to share!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
I've been MIA...
If you keep in touch with me regularly, you know that I've been feeling pretty terrible for the last several months. Well, I've finally got a diagnosis, am on medication and I'm on my way to feeling normal again! This means things can go back to normal again:
1. I have the mental capacities to think about and plan meals! Yay! For the last several months I've been thinking through this incredible fog. It's really difficult to describe except that I had a hard time concentrating and even had a hard time coming up with the right words at the right time. It was incredibly frustrating! The goodnews...I can THINK again!
2. I have more energy! This means I can clean the house, go for walks with Mike and Bella, do some regular organizing (checking things off my to-do list) and dare I say...even exercise!!
So...be looking for more of me on here again! :)
1. I have the mental capacities to think about and plan meals! Yay! For the last several months I've been thinking through this incredible fog. It's really difficult to describe except that I had a hard time concentrating and even had a hard time coming up with the right words at the right time. It was incredibly frustrating! The goodnews...I can THINK again!
2. I have more energy! This means I can clean the house, go for walks with Mike and Bella, do some regular organizing (checking things off my to-do list) and dare I say...even exercise!!
So...be looking for more of me on here again! :)
Friday, February 11, 2011
Week 5
Super Bowl Sunday...you are a ruiner of all diets! :)
Just kidding! I did pretty well during our party...but the soda got the best of me. I simply cannot have soda (particularly Coca Cola) in my house and not drink it.
It calls to me...
I am delicious...
Drink me...
And so I did! Which might be the reason for my limited weight loss this week!
I lost .4 lbs for a total of 6.6lbs...gone forever!
...hooray...in the right direction...blah blah blah...it's not enough! This week will be better. There will be no soda!
Coca Cola, though you are one of my favorites, you must go away, now! Never to return!
On to a new week...soda free!!!
***a disclaimer for my northern friends***
I am deeply sorry for my use of the word 'soda'. I know it is offensive, but I now live in the south, where they say 'soda'. Please know that in my heart, I am still a 'pop' girl, through and through! :)
Just kidding! I did pretty well during our party...but the soda got the best of me. I simply cannot have soda (particularly Coca Cola) in my house and not drink it.
It calls to me...
I am delicious...
Drink me...
And so I did! Which might be the reason for my limited weight loss this week!
I lost .4 lbs for a total of 6.6lbs...gone forever!
...hooray...in the right direction...blah blah blah...it's not enough! This week will be better. There will be no soda!
Coca Cola, though you are one of my favorites, you must go away, now! Never to return!
On to a new week...soda free!!!
***a disclaimer for my northern friends***
I am deeply sorry for my use of the word 'soda'. I know it is offensive, but I now live in the south, where they say 'soda'. Please know that in my heart, I am still a 'pop' girl, through and through! :)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Bella at 6 months old
I have neglected to share pictures of Bella in a while...here are a few cute ones:
This is a cute one at Christmas. She loooooves paper!
Another at Christmas time. Outside playing in the snow. So fun!
Bella on her 6 month birthday! She got a little face trim!
This is my absolute favorite! She loves to stick her butt up in the air while she's chewing!
So cute!
A weekend of organization!
I spent this past Friday evening and Saturday cleaning and organizing. There were a few things that never got fully unpacked in our laundry 'closet' and so it just kept getting piled higher and higher with...well...junk.
Because Bella is driving me bananas...I'll simply post the before and after pics and let them speak for themselves!
I'm feeling so much better about doing laundry! :)
Because Bella is driving me bananas...I'll simply post the before and after pics and let them speak for themselves!
I'm feeling so much better about doing laundry! :)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Week 4
It's been an interesting week. There have been some really great days and some really...not so great days!
But over all, I think it was a pretty successful week because...
I lost 2.2 lbs!!!
For a grand total of 6.2lbs! Woo hoo!!!
Not quite where I wanted to be for the month of January, but not too bad either!
But over all, I think it was a pretty successful week because...
I lost 2.2 lbs!!!
For a grand total of 6.2lbs! Woo hoo!!!
Not quite where I wanted to be for the month of January, but not too bad either!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Week 3
This week has been a challenging one for many reasons. So...here's the scoop...
I'm up .4 lbs this week, for a total loss of 4lbs.
I'm ok with this, but I'm resolved to make a change for this week. More fruits and veggies here I come! :)
I'm up .4 lbs this week, for a total loss of 4lbs.
I'm ok with this, but I'm resolved to make a change for this week. More fruits and veggies here I come! :)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili
I brought leftovers to work today and I've been getting a lot of requests for the recipe. I don't have any pictures (sorry!), but you get the idea. Thanks mom for the recipe! :)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
28oz can of diced tomatoes with chilies
14oz can of black beans
14oz can of kidney beans (I used great northern because that's what I had)
10oz bag of frozen corn (you could probably cut down on the amount if you're watching carbs)
8oz can of tomato sauce
1 large Onion, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
1 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
chili peppers, chopped (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro
Combine diced tomatoes, beans, onion, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. (Basically, put everything except the cilantro in the crock pot) Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points).
Makes 10, 1 1/4 c servings
We used fat free shredded cheddar cheese and a little sour cream and it was delish! If you like cilantro...don't skip this ingredient. It adds so much flavor!
** A side note on slow cookers. Not all slow cookers cook at the same rate. I recently learned that I'd been cooking all of my stuff WAY too long. Larger slow cookers cook hotter, and therefore faster. So...start off with the lowest amount of time if you're using a larger cooker. Trust me, your tummy will love you for not giving it overcooked/slightly burnt/off tasting crock pot food! :)
Enjoy!
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
28oz can of diced tomatoes with chilies
14oz can of black beans
14oz can of kidney beans (I used great northern because that's what I had)
10oz bag of frozen corn (you could probably cut down on the amount if you're watching carbs)
8oz can of tomato sauce
1 large Onion, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
1 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
chili peppers, chopped (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro
Combine diced tomatoes, beans, onion, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. (Basically, put everything except the cilantro in the crock pot) Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points).
Makes 10, 1 1/4 c servings
We used fat free shredded cheddar cheese and a little sour cream and it was delish! If you like cilantro...don't skip this ingredient. It adds so much flavor!
** A side note on slow cookers. Not all slow cookers cook at the same rate. I recently learned that I'd been cooking all of my stuff WAY too long. Larger slow cookers cook hotter, and therefore faster. So...start off with the lowest amount of time if you're using a larger cooker. Trust me, your tummy will love you for not giving it overcooked/slightly burnt/off tasting crock pot food! :)
Enjoy!
Week 2
Yesterday was my weigh in day, but I either forgot to weigh in...or I'd eaten poorly so I conveniently 'forgot' to weigh in. Either way, after some encouragement/guilt from my friend Wendi at our small group last night, I held my breath and hopped on the scale this morning.
And the result is....down another 2lbs, for a total loss of 4.4lbs! Hooray!
Now, I have to say, I don't think this loss is entirely due to my changed eating habits. While I did, in general, eat well, I had a number of days where I just lost it. So, I suspect that the loss is still due to the fact that I'm not eating 15 Christmas cookies and drinking a can of regular soda a day...which I did while I was home for Christmas! That's probably a bit of an exaggeration...and I did eat some great, healthy, meals while I was home, but the cookies and pie were amazing! Thankfully the holidays are over.
I'm making a new commitment to myself today. I can DO it!
And the result is....down another 2lbs, for a total loss of 4.4lbs! Hooray!
Now, I have to say, I don't think this loss is entirely due to my changed eating habits. While I did, in general, eat well, I had a number of days where I just lost it. So, I suspect that the loss is still due to the fact that I'm not eating 15 Christmas cookies and drinking a can of regular soda a day...which I did while I was home for Christmas! That's probably a bit of an exaggeration...and I did eat some great, healthy, meals while I was home, but the cookies and pie were amazing! Thankfully the holidays are over.
I'm making a new commitment to myself today. I can DO it!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
A strange sight...
Ok, I know this isn't really newsworthy, but I just had to share.
I was walking in to work this morning when I passed an old, beat-up, gold Honda sitting in the parking lot, with The Club on the steering wheel. If you can't remember what The Club is, click here for a refresher.
...
Remember, I'm at Regent - super safe campus with security everywhere. I'm not in the middle of some huge, crime ridden city.
...quite a surprise on my way in this morning!
I was walking in to work this morning when I passed an old, beat-up, gold Honda sitting in the parking lot, with The Club on the steering wheel. If you can't remember what The Club is, click here for a refresher.
...
Remember, I'm at Regent - super safe campus with security everywhere. I'm not in the middle of some huge, crime ridden city.
...quite a surprise on my way in this morning!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
It's confession time...
I need to lose weight. I decided just before the new year that I wasn't going to turn 30 this May at the weight that I currently am. So...I'm off on the weight loss journey.
Because of some hormonal issues that I have preventing me from losing weight, I've decided to go with the South Beach Diet. Over all, it's a good, healthy diet for anyone, but I chose it specifically because I need to be careful with the number of sugars and carbs that I eat. If it were up to me...I'd eat pasta all day, every day! :) The concept of the diet is easy to understand, but once you start getting into it, you realize just how much sugar and carbs are in everything. It's crazy! So, I'm mostly just eating low fat cheese, eggs, lean protein, LOTS of veggies and a little bit of fruit (no banana's sadly...).
After a mostly successful week (including an anniversary dinner and dessert) last week, I lost 2.4lbs! Hooray!!!
I'm always searching for new, easy dinners, snack and 'sweet' options. If you have suggestions, feel free to share!
Because of some hormonal issues that I have preventing me from losing weight, I've decided to go with the South Beach Diet. Over all, it's a good, healthy diet for anyone, but I chose it specifically because I need to be careful with the number of sugars and carbs that I eat. If it were up to me...I'd eat pasta all day, every day! :) The concept of the diet is easy to understand, but once you start getting into it, you realize just how much sugar and carbs are in everything. It's crazy! So, I'm mostly just eating low fat cheese, eggs, lean protein, LOTS of veggies and a little bit of fruit (no banana's sadly...).
After a mostly successful week (including an anniversary dinner and dessert) last week, I lost 2.4lbs! Hooray!!!
I'm always searching for new, easy dinners, snack and 'sweet' options. If you have suggestions, feel free to share!
Staying warm this winter
This Christmas, my mom got me Cuddl Duds. At first, I thought...I can layer, why would these interestingly silky long sleeved shirts and pants make any kind of difference in how warm I am?
Well, after one 'try on' I was SOLD! These things are amazing! Not only do they keep me nice and warm and toasty through out the day, they also seem to wick away moisture...again, keeping me warmer!
Today, I'm wearing my long sleeve v-neck (in black) under my sweater today and I'm so warm and comfortable. They're a tad on the expensive side, but if you watch the sales and have coupons, you can get some good deals.
Now, I'm off to see if I can suggest that they make socks...
Stay warm!
Well, after one 'try on' I was SOLD! These things are amazing! Not only do they keep me nice and warm and toasty through out the day, they also seem to wick away moisture...again, keeping me warmer!
Today, I'm wearing my long sleeve v-neck (in black) under my sweater today and I'm so warm and comfortable. They're a tad on the expensive side, but if you watch the sales and have coupons, you can get some good deals.
Now, I'm off to see if I can suggest that they make socks...
Stay warm!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
I'd like to make an announcement...
...there is more to New York than NYC.
Take a look at a map...
Thank you,
Western NYer
Take a look at a map...
Thank you,
Western NYer
Merry Almost Christmas!
Mike and I had our family Christmas together last night. It was nice, but was a huge reminder that we won't be able to spend the actual day together. I am thankful that until now we haven't had to miss to many things together because of his program. In the end, when he passes his exam, we'll be glad he stayed here for Christmas, but for now, it kind of stinks! He gave me money toward my new piano! Yay! I think I have enough now. So, I'll probably be spending January 1 and 2 at music stores playing their pianos so I can decide which I want!
In 22 1/2 hours I will be on the road. Car packed. Puppy strapped in. Snacks and books on CD at the ready! There's still lots to do to get ready to go though...
1. Trip to the mall for 2 things (both of which I can't say because they're gifts!)
2. Stop at Target (or somewhere) to get travel hairspray (I just ran out during our last concert last Sunday)
3. Fill up the gas tank
4. Clean out the car
5. Pack myself and finish packing Bella
6. Pack the car
7. Make sandwiches and easy-to-eat snacks
Lunch time will be utilized well today! :)
Merry 'almost' Christmas all!
In 22 1/2 hours I will be on the road. Car packed. Puppy strapped in. Snacks and books on CD at the ready! There's still lots to do to get ready to go though...
1. Trip to the mall for 2 things (both of which I can't say because they're gifts!)
2. Stop at Target (or somewhere) to get travel hairspray (I just ran out during our last concert last Sunday)
3. Fill up the gas tank
4. Clean out the car
5. Pack myself and finish packing Bella
6. Pack the car
7. Make sandwiches and easy-to-eat snacks
Lunch time will be utilized well today! :)
Merry 'almost' Christmas all!
Monday, December 20, 2010
The mad dash to Christmas...
This year I haven't had nearly enough time to feel prepared for Christmas. I've been squeezing in shopping/wrapping/gift making in every spare second that I have. I have 3 evenings, and 3 lunch breaks left to finish getting my last minute things, wrap them, make 10 more 'sand art brownie' gifts, do several loads of laundry, pack myself, pack Bella's stuff (not quite as daunting as traveling with a baby, but requires lots of extra stuff!), get books on CD from the library, clean out the car (and clean at least the windshield...it's bad!), pack the car, make sandwiches for travel and have a date night and mini gift exchange with Mike.
This week is going to fly by.
I'm hoping that on my drive to NY I'll be able to focus more on the 'reason for the season'!
Happy Monday before Christmas!
This week is going to fly by.
I'm hoping that on my drive to NY I'll be able to focus more on the 'reason for the season'!
Happy Monday before Christmas!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Christmas and guests
Christmas is almost here! Despite my hectic weekends playing with the Virginia Handbell Consort, I decided it was a good idea to make gifts for everyone at work and church! I'm not sure what I was thinking, because my time is very limited, but it's been fun anyway!
This year, I made Sand Art Brownies. They're the dry ingredients for brownies, layered to look like sand art. They're really pretty (I'll have to post a picture later) but quite labor intensive! It's taken me several days to assemble them, and I was starting to worry that I wouldn't be able to finish them all, but lo and behold, we had an unexpected snow storm and guest!
My brother-in-law had to come into town for work, so he stayed with us Thursday night. We were supposed to go to our small group Thursday night, but because of a pretty big snow storm, that got canceled...AND we left work 2 hours early! Yay for more time to get gifts made!
So, Mike made dinner (Thai Red Curry Chicken...so yummy!) while Jon helped me cut out circles from fabric to go on top of the quart size mason jars. My hand has been giving me some trouble as the bell season has gone on, so I was SUPER thankful for an extra set of hands. In just 30 minutes or so, we cut out 20 circles! After dinner, Mike helped me cut and tie the baking instructions on, and I was ready to bring my gifts to work today!
Now...I still have 13 more to do for church people. Looks like that's going to have to happen on Saturday morning.
Playing bells tonight from 5-8 at a local mall. Pray for my hands...and my feet! ;-)
This year, I made Sand Art Brownies. They're the dry ingredients for brownies, layered to look like sand art. They're really pretty (I'll have to post a picture later) but quite labor intensive! It's taken me several days to assemble them, and I was starting to worry that I wouldn't be able to finish them all, but lo and behold, we had an unexpected snow storm and guest!
My brother-in-law had to come into town for work, so he stayed with us Thursday night. We were supposed to go to our small group Thursday night, but because of a pretty big snow storm, that got canceled...AND we left work 2 hours early! Yay for more time to get gifts made!
So, Mike made dinner (Thai Red Curry Chicken...so yummy!) while Jon helped me cut out circles from fabric to go on top of the quart size mason jars. My hand has been giving me some trouble as the bell season has gone on, so I was SUPER thankful for an extra set of hands. In just 30 minutes or so, we cut out 20 circles! After dinner, Mike helped me cut and tie the baking instructions on, and I was ready to bring my gifts to work today!
Now...I still have 13 more to do for church people. Looks like that's going to have to happen on Saturday morning.
Playing bells tonight from 5-8 at a local mall. Pray for my hands...and my feet! ;-)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Living in the future
I was driving to work this morning and in front of me was a car with a license plate holder that said, "Recycle Life, be an Organ Donor".
For some reason this struck me. I started thinking about all of the things around me that I never imagined would be reality. Here's a short list:
1. Giving of ourselves, even in death, through organ donation.
2. Children playing on landfills because there's not enough green grass anywhere else to play. (click here)
3. The internet
4. Skype - now you can keep in touch with anyone, anywhere...and even see them!
5. Segways
6. Flying - I know this isn't new, but every time I get on a plane, I marvel at the ability for that huge piece of metal, filled with people and all their stuff, to get up off the ground and fly!
7. Facebook - I have reconnected with some really old friends. Amazing!
Sometimes I feel like I'm watching myself in one of those 'futuristic' movies...only, it's reality!
What's 'futuristic' to you?
For some reason this struck me. I started thinking about all of the things around me that I never imagined would be reality. Here's a short list:
1. Giving of ourselves, even in death, through organ donation.
2. Children playing on landfills because there's not enough green grass anywhere else to play. (click here)
3. The internet
4. Skype - now you can keep in touch with anyone, anywhere...and even see them!
5. Segways
6. Flying - I know this isn't new, but every time I get on a plane, I marvel at the ability for that huge piece of metal, filled with people and all their stuff, to get up off the ground and fly!
7. Facebook - I have reconnected with some really old friends. Amazing!
Sometimes I feel like I'm watching myself in one of those 'futuristic' movies...only, it's reality!
What's 'futuristic' to you?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
We were home...for about 3 seconds
We arrived home from San Francisco at 8:30am on Sunday, November 21st. (You'll get more complete updates on our trip after Thanksgiving) Since my luggage was lost, I couldn't do any laundry on Sunday. So, I just forced myself to stay awake (after getting about 2 hours of sleep on the red-eye flight) by doing a little bit of cleaning. My luggage arrived Monday, so that evening was spent sorting the clothes and doing laundry. Tuesday evening was spent packing. And today...we drive!
The trip to NY the day before Thanksgiving is always a treacherous one. We hit traffic at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT), then it clears up for a bit until we pick up 95 after Richmond. Then, it's insanity until we pass DC. Many times we choose to go a different route that actually takes about 30 minutes longer, but it's MUCH less stressful.
We shall see what the traffic holds for us today. It should be interesting traveling with Bella this time! :)
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
The trip to NY the day before Thanksgiving is always a treacherous one. We hit traffic at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT), then it clears up for a bit until we pick up 95 after Richmond. Then, it's insanity until we pass DC. Many times we choose to go a different route that actually takes about 30 minutes longer, but it's MUCH less stressful.
We shall see what the traffic holds for us today. It should be interesting traveling with Bella this time! :)
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Quick update
Life has been full lately! We're headed to San Francisco next week so we've been busy preparing for that. Mike flies out on Friday morning to present a paper at the Religious Communication Association. I'm so proud of him! I couldn't afford to take Friday off, plus I have bell choir rehearsal on Saturday morning, so I'll be flying out at 5pm on Saturday afternoon. We fly back on Saturday, Nov 20 at 10 something pm, arriving in Norfolk at 7am...or something crazy like that!
While we're there, we'll be attending both the RCA as well as the National Communication Association. Some friends of ours will be attending as well, so I'm hoping to be able to hang out with Rachel and 'the girls' some while Mike and Andrew are at the conference. I may find myself alone though, in which case, I'll need to do some exploring on my own! I wonder if there's any good shopping... :)
NCA ends on Wednesday afternoon and I have LOTS for us to do. Top on the list is Yosemite National Park.
That's all for now. I'll try to keep up to date while we're gone!
While we're there, we'll be attending both the RCA as well as the National Communication Association. Some friends of ours will be attending as well, so I'm hoping to be able to hang out with Rachel and 'the girls' some while Mike and Andrew are at the conference. I may find myself alone though, in which case, I'll need to do some exploring on my own! I wonder if there's any good shopping... :)
NCA ends on Wednesday afternoon and I have LOTS for us to do. Top on the list is Yosemite National Park.
That's all for now. I'll try to keep up to date while we're gone!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Normalcy...
Our house is finally starting to get back to normal. Today is the first day that hubby will go back to studying, preparing for his quals and working on other PhD 'stuff'. Tomorrow will be the first day back at church.
He got his Tysabri infusion on Thursday morning and could almost instantly tell that it was working on the MS symptoms. He still felt lousy on Thursday and Friday (normal Tysabri infusion reactions) but by Saturday he was well enough to go to the grocery store with me! This is the first extended trip out of the house that he's had since the relapse hit on Wednesday, September 22nd. Yay! We stayed home all day yesterday and spent time relaxing and getting housework done. I cooked some chicken in the crockpot and now have two 2-cup baggies full of chicken ready for quick weeknight meals (I used the 3rd bag for dinner last night!).
In other news...
He got his Tysabri infusion on Thursday morning and could almost instantly tell that it was working on the MS symptoms. He still felt lousy on Thursday and Friday (normal Tysabri infusion reactions) but by Saturday he was well enough to go to the grocery store with me! This is the first extended trip out of the house that he's had since the relapse hit on Wednesday, September 22nd. Yay! We stayed home all day yesterday and spent time relaxing and getting housework done. I cooked some chicken in the crockpot and now have two 2-cup baggies full of chicken ready for quick weeknight meals (I used the 3rd bag for dinner last night!).
In other news...
- Bella has gone 3 nights in a row without having an accident all night long! Yay! Maybe we're done with the middle of the night potty trips?!?! :) She continues to be a LOT of work, but such a joy! I'm constantly looking at her doing silly things and smiling. I got some video last night of her running like mad up and down the hallway with her 'baby'. I'm hoping I can figure out how to edit it so I can post it. It's too cute!
- I have a follow up appointment with my endocrinologist tomorrow. All of my test results are in...so we'll see what the scoop is. Part of me is hoping that there is absolutely nothing wrong, while the other half hopes there is some easy fix solution to explain all of these sudden weird symptoms. Either way, I'll know soon enough...
- It rained from Monday through Friday of last week. It was beautiful and sunny on Saturday, and then started raining again on Sunday...and it's still raining/cloudy now. I'm looking forward to a stretch of sun! During all of the raining, our street flooded and I couldn't get out of my driveway Friday morning! It was really crazy!
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