101 Sprinkles

This was the most delicious (dessert) breakfast I have had in days :) Breakfast cookie~I got the idea from the Fitnessista! Very filling and tasted just like a no bake cookie! Before my delicious breakfast I ran a miserable 2 miles on my treadmill at home. This thing has been horrible to me lately. It's so hard, it feels like I am running up an enormous hill. I don't know what it's issue is, but I am going to the gym in the morning. This thing is not my friend anymore!
I found out that I have 2 readers (besides my mom and husband) Thank you Brandy and Lori~I'm glad someone is interested in my day/runs/food/baking/etc!!!
I worked til 2pm today, then came home and took a small nap. I had a headache so I dozed off while watching Everyday Italian and Fried Food Paradise! I woke up with some energy so I decided to give the treadmill one last go. I ran another mile and did some sit ups and pushups. I am almost to my goal of 35!!! Only 9 more days to meet all my goals!!
For dinner we had chicken stir fry with broccoli, carrots, green peppers, and water chestnuts. It was delicious!

After dinner this thing came around, singing it's merry old ice cream jingle. But I went to Dairy Queen instead with my cousin Gina and her kids Helena & Tiya. They shared their chocolate and vanilla cones with me!! While we were at DQ, my cousin's husband helped Abram level off the yard. It's a work in progress but it's starting to look like an actual yard (we just need some grass....) Abram has torn down 23 trees and he rented a stump grinder last weekend and ripped up 14 stumps! So, we're making some progress I think! Have a good night. P.S. I got asked to bake cupcakes for my neighbor's daughter's baptism AND do a cake for another little girl's birthday-luau themed!! Look at me go :) Watch out Betty Crocker!!

Question: What home projects are you doing now? Want to do?

Hello? 05/15/2011

I really have nothing to say about today. We woke up and I made baked oatmeal-with mashed banana and walnuts this time, it tasted just like banana bread! It was extremely filling! After breakfast we went to the gym, I busted my butt and ran 4.5 miles in 42 minutes and lifted weights in the "girl room" with the machines (I figured out that these are easier on my joints) and then did some squats and went home exhausted! I did a lot of laundry, cleaned a little, took a nap and then went to my parents house and ate dinner. We had flank steak, mashed potatoes/gravy, peas, salad and stuffing. In the first picture, the salad my dad made himself and Abram were bigger than their dinners I think. Second picture is my portion of everything. I don't normally like mashed potatoes, but the gravy looked good so I changed it up a bit. GOOD GRAVY MOM :)

I also had a second helping of stuffing and some ice cream and cookies for dessert. Ok, so here is my question for today. I am becoming discouraged with writing this blog. Does anyone even read this? I read several of the same blogs everyday and I wonder if anyone even knows mine exists. I am questioning if I should even do this anymore..........

Question: Is anyone out there? Are you reading this? (besides my mom and husband)

Shopping=excitement!! 05/14/2011

I woke up at the crack of dawn and mom & dad picked me up. We stopped at Sheetz for some coffee and a granola bar and hit the road! We got to the Philadelphia Premium Outlets at 9:56am and mom and I waited outside the stores mapping our route for the day. While waiting outside for the stores to open, we took a few "excited to shop" pics....I think I know where I get my weirdness from :) and I like it!

We shopped, and we shopped and WE SHOPPED. I got so much! I had such a great day, these outlets really are the best around! Around 12:45 we got hungry so we went to the food court. We had 3 choices: chinese food, hot dogs, or cheese steaks. Horrible. For some reason we picked the hot dog place. We split a #2: two hot dogs, french fries and a drink. Mom and I were not feelin the hot dogs. We ate about 3/4 of it and decided we were over it. We didn't even finish the fries. We realized too late that if we would have waited, we could have ate at the Cheesecake Factory when we were all done. Kicking ourselves for that one! After we got home, I laid out all my purchases. I got 10 shirts, 3 pair of shorts, a skirt, pair of jeans, running shorts & socks, 2 belts, 2 pair of earrings, gel insoles, a wallet and a pair of shoes!!!! (and soaps for like $1.50)

Such a wonderful shopping day spent with my mommy <3 I will end with a picture of the softball cake I made for Megan yesterday. Now I am off to relax and dream about how/where I am going to wear my new outfits :)

Question: Does shopping make you as excited as me (and my mom)?

All about the food! 05/13/2011

Happy Friday! This is my breakfast. 2 hard boiled egg whites and an apple. I boiled these eggs last night and caught the stove on FIRE. Yep, a real fire. Smoke alarm went off and everything! I have no idea how it happened but the whole pan/burner was in flames! It was scary, Misha was soooo scared. Poor thing. Guess a fire extinguisher would be a good thing to own, eh?
Today didn't seem like Friday, but I sure am glad that it is! Tomorrow my mom and I are going to Philadelphia to shop at the Philly Premium Outlets~our favorite! We are leaving bright and early, 6:30am. Dad is our driver tomorrow and poor Abram is stuck home with the dogs. But he is also going to grind all the stumps down in our back yard tomorrow and level it out! Hopefully it will look nice at some point this summer.
I decided to make today all about my food. Here is my lunch bag that I take to work with me everyday, and my lunch:

I packed a Greek yogurt, honey sunshine cereal, a banana with almond butter, watermelon and a pack of brown sugar & cinnamon almonds. The watermelon and almonds were an afternoon snack. After work Mandi and I went to the gym. I ran 3 miles, I ran my first 2 miles in 18 minutes! GO ME. Then we lifted weights in the "girls room" for 25 minutes. Good workout tonight! When I got home I made some homemade pizza dough and popped that in the oven while I started making a softball shaped cake for Megan's cousin :) I think I got the perfect icing color made for the softball, but we'll see. I had to wing it, I had nothing to compare it too except pictures online. I will post pics tomorrow when it's complete. Have a great Friday night! I need my beauty rest, lots of shopping will be happening tomorrow! I hope I can find some good deals!

Question: Have you ever caught your stove/kitchen on fire??

I am WEIRD... 05/12/2011

This is what I did this afternoon at work. I danced with a barbie doll! Sarah captured this lovely pic right in the middle of my dance. Let me explain. One of Billie's clients crochet's things, she has given Billie two of the crocheted dolls she makes. We sit in the back room and laugh and make fun of the doll. We take off it's arms and head, and just do mean things to her. Today, I danced with her. Yes, the title of this post is: I AM WEIRD. Do you still want to read my blog? :)
Other than my weirdness, I had a pretty normal day. Woke up, made some breakfast (2 van's waffles with sugar free syrup and a morning star sausage) went to work, went to Michael's for some baking stuff, came home, walked on the treadmill & made dinner. Dinner was flounder~baked in the oven with garlic, salt, pepper and some parsley flakes. On the side we had broccoli rice and lima beans. Tonight is my "no run" night, but while Abram was mowing the lawn and dinner cooked I walked a mile and a half.

I took my cake that I made in last night's class to work with me. It was a big hit :) Everyone seemed to enjoy it and Megan even asked me to make her a softball shaped cake for her cousin's 100th hit!! I am honored and can't wait to get baking! These are some of the goods I bought today while at Michael's:

There I am. Being weird again. Go figure. Abram says I should just smile in pictures, but where is the fun in that? I got a turn table for my cake, a cake leveler, some disposable icing bags, a 16in icing bag with a large icing tip (to make icing cakes easier) some flavoring for my icings (butter & almond) and some parchment paper. The only thing I wanted that they didn't have was a ball shaped cake pan. Oh well, looks like I might have to wing it!! WISH ME LUCK! Talk to ya tomorrow~TGIF.
Question: Do you consider yourself a "weird" person? Do you like making funny faces in pictures or are you strictly a smiler?

CAKKKKKEEE 05/11/2011

Check out the new kicks. They are Rock & Candy from PacSun! I love them. Slip on sneakers are so comfortable to wear at work!
Sorry this blog is REALLY late. I have been a busy bee! This morning I woke up and made chocolate chip baked oatmeal again. Mmmm, I love it. It's my new favorite breakfast. (or maybe it will be BessbeFit's protein pancakes?) Next time I make it, I am going to try "banana bread" oatmeal with walnuts!
I went to work til 2, then I came home and ran outside. It was 77 degrees out this afternoon, so this run was a quick one. Literally, I ran a better speed outside today, I don't know why. There were a lot of hills involved too! Guess I just wanted to get home and drink lots of water :) I also had to make a cake and some icing for my cake decorating class tonight. So the rest of the afternoon was spent in the kitchen. Abram and I grilled some burgers and I made baked beans and broccoli on the side. I already started eating by the time I realized I hadn't taken any pictures so, here is my dinner (half eaten)

And here it is! The cake I made in tonight's class. We traced a pattern on to a piece of parchment paper with gel icing. Then transferred it onto the cake and iced around it. Not bad for a first timer, don't ya think? I free handed the dots (whoa, impressive huh?) I am exhausted, I am going to cuddle with my puppy, catch up on some blogs and watch a DVR'd episode of the "Voice" from last night. See ya tomorrow :)

Question: What is your favorite (food) decorating technique?

Too much alcohol & cake! 05/10/2011

Last night's bachelorette party was a lot of fun. We started the party at Sarah's with some champagne (and some shots) food & fun girl time! After Sarah's we went over to the Ale House for some more drinks and dinner. Mandi and I split a 3 cheese and asparagus sandwich with sweet potato fries. It was really good. After we ate dinner though, we got a little crazy with the cake. At one point, I think I even heard Sarah call me a "hot mess" sorry Sarah. Sorry Ale House.
From left to right: Christine, Sarah, ME, Mandi, Michele, Anne, and Zhanna.

Congratulations to Anne (and Chris) who get married in May and to Christine (and Mike) who get married in July. Hope you had a good time last night!!!
This morning I woke up (no hangover!!) and was ready to run. All that cake and alcohol need to be flushed outta my system. So I ran for 2.3 miles (21 minutes) outside. It was a nice chilly morning so the breeze felt good once I got started. When I got home I made 2 egg whites, a morning star sausage and cut up an apple. Now I need to catch up on last night's episode of 90210 and clean up the house. My friend Cat is coming over to look at a piece of furniture I am going to give her for her new apartment and eat some lunch with me. Wonder what I should make....? Have a good Tuesday!!

Question: Do you ever get a little "too rowdy" when your out with friends? Do they get embarrassed of you? :)

X-Rated 05/09/2011

Such a beautiful sunny day here in PA! Misha sure is soaking up the sun :) She thinks she is a cat and she lays in our window sill all the time. I don't blame her, it's super warm and cozy up there!
This morning I made baked oatmeal again and enjoyed it after my 2 mile run. I did a quick one on my treadmill while watching Khloe and Lamar on E! I wanted to run outside, but I had to be at work in an hour, so it just wouldn't have worked out. I don't really like my treadmill anymore to be honest with you, it seems like it's harder to run on it than outside. The treadmill at the gym is so much easier to run on too. I don't know, maybe I am burnt out on mine....glad it's summer so I can start running outside in the fresh air instead!
So the reason today's post is X-Rated is because I made a special cake (and cupcakes) for Anne and Christine's Bachlorette party tonight. Took me about an hour to ice it, but I think it looks pretty good for my first time attempting something like this, let me know what you think :)

Aren't they pretty? I told Sarah I would keep the cupcakes "clean" but I couldn't resist. The sprinkles just make it perfect. At least they are pink!!!! Well, I am gonna relax a while before I head over to Sarah's~where the party begins. Here's to a fun night!!

Question: Do you find certain runs easier than others? The same equipment in different places?

Happy Mother's Day! xoxo 05/08/2011

Happy Mother's Day to the best, most beautiful mommy in the world :) I always say "I am my mother's daughter" I basically do and say everything JUST like her. I wouldn't wish to be like anyone else! Love you mom!
This morning Abram woke me up bright and early. We ate our breakfast and hit the gym! I made an english muffin with a morning star sausage and an egg white. It was good and filling. I also tried a Phenom that Abram brought home for me from GNC. It was N-A-S-T-Y. I was not a fan. Yuuucckkk. Although I did notice when I was at the gym, my legs didn't get tired while running. Perhaps because it has more potassium than a whole banana! (I'd rather eat a banana, and I am not a HUGE fan of those either...) I also decided today that I know what I want as my birthday/Christmas present......
I WANNA RUN THE DISNEY PRINCESS HALF MARATHON IN FEBRUARY 2012!!!!!

I will need lots of practice for it, but I definitely think I am capable. We'll seeeeee.....

After the gym we went over to my grandparents house for lunch. We had ribs, asparagus, corn, baked beans and coleslaw. I didn't eat the ribs...I am not much of a rib fan. But the asparagus was awesome, and I really liked that :) After we ate, my cousin Gina and I went to the Bon-Ton (the ONLY store in this small town that my gram & pap live in) This Bon-Ton is awesome. We can always find cute stuff there and it's like a secret. We love our Bon-Ton visits. Today I got these:

Don't mind those nasty cuts on my ankle. I get a little wild when I shave my legs....ha! After our shopping trip I was SOOO ready for dessert. My aunt Mary made lemon cake with cream cheese frosting. I helped myself to TWO pieces :)
After Abram and I got home I had to make a cake and some cupcakes for tomorrow's bachlorette party. We ate lunch around 1pm so at 7pm we both got pretty hungry. We didn't want to make a full meal because we ate a late lunch. I HATE nights where I don't know what to eat for dinner. I just roam the kitchen and snack on stuff that never really fills me up. Now I have to do laundry and hopefully I will be able to SIT DOWN for more than 5 minutes tonight. I am exhausted. Have a good Sunday night, see ya'll tomorrow.

Question: What are your emergency go-to last minute dinners?

More shopping fun!! 05/07/2011

Woke up this Saturday morning and decided to bake some of Chocolate Covered Katie's Cookie Dough Oatmeal! It was really good. Abram and I sat and decided what toppings we would put in next time. After our breakfast I headed off to work for the day. After work Mandi and I headed out to do some shopping. Our friends at work are getting married. One in May and the other in June-so we are having a joint Bachlorette Party for them on Monday! We went downtown and couldn't find any of the stuff we needed so we ended up eating frozen yogurt for dinner.....who says you can't? After our "dinner" we went to the End Zone (a strip club and sex shop) we finally found all of the things we needed :) This party should be exciting. While shopping at a party store, we took these fun pictures (I think I have WAY too much fun shopping!)

Too much fun!!! Now I am at home waiting patiently for Abram to get home from his Poker night at work. I hope he wins me some $$.
Oh, and I got this awesome idea from Sarah~she buys these really pretty cards at Target and then frames them. Mandi and I both got the Elephant and I got another that says: Forever In Love....now I need to figure out where I should hang them!! Have a great Saturday night!

Question: Have you ever eaten Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream for dinner??

Sam's Club = FUN 05/06/2011

HAPPY FRIDAY everyone! And this one is for you hungry runner girl, Janae!! In your honor, while shopping @ Sam's Club tonight with my parents and Abram, I snapped this photo. It was funny because on the way over to Sam's I said to Abram, "I haven't taken one picture today, what am I going to blog about?!" Apparently, these gummi bears were calling me over and asked me to take a picture for Janae :) Wish I could send both bags to ya girl!
On a healthier note, this morning I mixed up a strawberry and banana smoothie with vanilla protein. I also had a bag of Honey Sunshine cereal while at work. Today was so beautiful and sunny, Mandi and I decided to skip the gym and run OUTSIDE. We ran in a lot of traffic, but it was actually really refreshing. I love looking around and seeing new things when I run. A change of location makes my run so much easier. After our run I went over to my parents and we obviously had a little too much fun at Sam's Club. Even my dad & mom joined in :)

Dad loves his sweedish fish. I remember when we were kids he would keep a box of them in his truck and my sister Toni and I would always sneak out and eat some!! Mom knows her way into my heart, marshmallow-y delicious Lucky Charms. I also found these ENORMOUS pickles, they are for you Snooki! BTW, have you seen the size of my arm muscle? Looks like I'm showing some progress from all the weight training!! After our fun at Sam's, we realized we were hungry so we went to a local Pizza Shop and ate some dinner. I had a giant grilled chicken salad. It was YUUUMMMY~I even have leftovers for tomorrow! Well, I'm off to hang out with Mandi & Sarah while Abram mows the lawn and watches manly tv shows. TGIF!!

Don't worry, none of this food was harmed (or bought) in the process of these pictures being taken. I am sure Sam's was thrilled with our company!!

Question: Do you take random pictures with food in stores/restaurants? Do people look at you funny?

Have my dreams come true?? 05/05/2011

Last night's cake decorating class was a lot of fun!! We learned a bunch of basic stuff, but there were tips & tricks I never knew!! After our lesson, she had us practice our icing "stars" on cookies. How do mine look? I already have big ideas on how I am going to decorate the next cake I bake!! Next class I am excited for! We will be learning a really cool transferring technique I never knew existed. Stay tuned and I will share the secret with you next week after class!!
This morning I woke up at 5am, staaarrvvinngg. I have no idea why. I told myself if I can't fall back asleep then I am waking Abram up and making him take me to the Waffle Shop for a big ol stack of pancakes!! I eventually drifted back to sleep and woke up to my alarm at 7am. For breakfast today I made 2 egg whites with mushrooms and red pepper. On the side I had a morning star sausage patty.

Work today was painful. We didn't have internet which meant no Pandora Radio for us. We had to listen to CD's....not very good ones either. It also took about 2 minutes for each credit card transaction to go thru. I was happy to go home to the sunshine and Misha's loving face when the clock hit 4:30. Today is my "no run" day, so while we were waiting to meet my parents for dinner, I jump roped outside for a couple minutes. I wanted to see what kind of workout it gave me. A 26 year old jump roper = HEADACHE. Guess I will need to find a new way to jump rope. Maybe a soft mat or something to jump on? Any ideas?
We met my parents at Red Lobster for dinner. I had Tilapia, wild rice, broccoli, salad and a biscuit. It was very good! My mom and I originally were going to attempt to challenge each other to a shrimp eating contest (I said I could eat more than her) but after thinking about it, I decided to forfeit and let her win! Maybe I could challenge here to a jelly bean eating contest?

After dinner we went tanning & grocery shopping. We hit up Weis and Wegman's. I am starting to hate Weis, their produce and other stuff is no good and the prices are SKY ROCKETING! But I did find these sweet babies, and I think all of my dreams might have came true......They were ENORMOUS. Look at em! They are as big as my head. I can't wait to host a bon-fire!! Well, Abram and I are off to watch some tv before bed. Have a great night!

Question: What is your favorite size marshmallow? Mini, large or JUMBO?

Sea Foam Green Toes 05/04/2011

First off, this is my new friend. His name is Fillip. Sarah brought him back for me from Florida. Isn't he sweet? Misha instantly wanted to rip his face off, that is obviously not allowed. She learned quickly that it was mommy's toy, not hers!
Today I worked a short day, and after my shift ended I got pampered. Megan gave me highlights and Christine painted my toes~sea foam green!!! It's from the new Pirates of the Caribbean OPI line! We also just got this new product in called GROH. It's a supplement that helps your hair and nails grow faster/longer/thicker. We were all pretty excited to start this and see how quickly it makes a difference! I will be sure to keep you updated on the progress!

Don't get too distracted by the extremely attractive picture to your left. It takes a lot of talent to look this hot :) After I washed this hot mess outta my hair, I went for a run outside. It was sooo windy and sooo cold. I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to run out there today. I think the wind slowed down my time a bit. Is that possible? It was blowing really hard. It took me 19 minutes today. Maybe it was the jelly beans that slowed me down? Who knows.

So anyways, tonight I start my cake decorating class at Michael's. Hopefully I will be able to take some pictures without the other people thinking I'm some kind of freak!! Abram has requested pasta with meat sauce tonight, so I am off to make an early dinner and get ready for my class.

Before I sign off, I just got a very important piece of information....KIWI Frozen Yogurt now offers Angel Food Cake flavored yogurt. I'm gonna try and drag Abram there at some point this weekend :) This sounds like it could be my new FAV!

Question: What is your favorite frozen yogurt flavor? Do you think wind can slow down your running speed?

Sweet, Delicious Fruit!!! 05/03/2011

This was last nights dinner. Honey teriyaki chicken, red peppers and steamed rice. It was really good. I didn't follow the instructions on the packet, I kind of made it my own. After dinner we went for a walk with Misha, and since the leaves started blooming again, those stinky white trees fill up our street. If you know what smell and what tree I am talking about.....you know how horrible the smell actually is. The sad part is, the tree itself is so pretty, what a waste making it smell so horrible. Every five seconds I kept saying "PHHEEWW!" and turning my nose up. I think Abram had enough of me by the time we got home!!

This morning I woke up and couldn't decide what to eat for breakfast. Lately, I haven't been hungry for anything in particular, just hungry. So I decided on an english muffin with one side covered in peanut butter, the other in apple butter. On the side I had a banana and I smeared that with some peanut butter too!

It hit the spot. After my breakfast I went for a run outside. The weather was perfect for it, and I wasn't feelin the treadmill today. I ran a sort of new route, and I was hoping it would be a little longer than normal but it ended up only being 2 miles. I did it in 18 minutes, so still did pretty well I'd say. I came home and decided I wanted a huge fruit salad, so I ran some errands and ended up at Wegman's. I had planned on getting fruit off of their salad bar, but it would have cost me an arm and a leg (I need my legs for running) so instead, I decided to buy the fruit myself and just cut it up! I got a small watermelon for $2.99, TWO POUNDS of strawberries for $2.49 (with a $1 off coupon) grapes and apples. I am addicted to watermelon in the summer. I can go thru like 3 a week myself. I can't wait to dig in!!!

I also bought some of this delicious goodness. It was my first time having it, but I've had the cinnamon raisin swirl, so I know the brand is good stuff :) Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Question: What is your FAVORITE summer fruit?

GOALS* 05/02/2011

Hello Everyone! I don't have a lot to blog about today. This particular Monday was very uneventful. I woke up, and watched the news while I ran 2 miles. I also saw this on Facebook: Sarah says: Fun fact for the day: On May 1, 1945 it was announced that Hilter was dead. 66 years later to the day, Osama Bin Laden is dead. Ironic how history repeats itself. Isn't that an interesting piece of history? I think so! After my run I got ready for work, I only worked til 2pm. Since it was still sort of nice out, I took a quick run around the neighborhood, 1 mile in 8 minutes. Not too shabby! Last night Abram watched his "man" shows while I worked on my pushups & planks, then I read a little and went to bed.

I've decided I need to buy at least 2 more BIC BANDS, I feel like I am alllwwaayyys wearing this zebra one. And though I love it, I've noticed a lot of my blog pics are of me wearing it. I swear people, I do shower and wear normals clothes most days!
So, last week I mentioned that I was going to challenge myself to pushups and a few other things. Here is what my challenges look like....
By May 24th I want to be able to:
*Do 35 pushups
*Bench 65lbs
*Do 5 sets of 10-Squats
*Do a plank straight thru for 2 minutes
*Run 4.5 miles straight thru once a week
*Do 1 pull-up
Right now I am able to do 20 pushups straight thru, bench 50lbs, do 3 sets of 10-squats, my longest plank has been 1 minute 30 seconds, longest run straight thru I think was 3.2 miles, and ZERO pull ups. Those are the killer. For me to be able to do ONE would be amazing! I am confident I will be able to accomplish these goals and more!
At work, I got a sample of this stuff to rub on my sore hamstring. It seems to be working!

Well, I am off to read some more of my book before Abram gets home from the gym. I think a Kindle would be a good investment, don't you think? Abram told me he wants tools for his car for our ONE YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY on June 5th! Think I should ask for a Kindle or an iPad touch?

Question: Do you have a list of goals that you set for yourself? What would you consider a "perfect" anniversary gift?

Lazy Sunday 05/01/2011

Here's dinner last night. We picked up some fish and fresh produce from Wegman's for dinner. There are 2 kinds of fish, one is Panko & Macadamia nut crusted, the other is herb seasoned. I liked the Panko fish better. On the side are roasted green beans with garlic and sweet potato fries. It was alright, nothing special. Last night after dinner we watched the movie 127 Hours. It was a an okay movie, again, nothing special. I slept good last night, I was tired from my race & I even got a little sun burnt!
This morning I woke up refreshed and ready to go! We dropped off some cupcakes that I baked for my friend's daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday Saiyuri-she turns 4 today!! The cupcakes were just plain, no icing. The kids wanted to decorate them on their own! I got Saiyuri a pinata making kit, a Toy Story book, some sidewalk chalk and animal crackers (I also got a box of them for myself, Abram said I was such a child!!)
At the gym I ran 3.2 miles on the treadmill and lifted weights for 30 minutes. My hamstring feels a little tight today, I hope that goes away quick. I grabbed a couple of forms (for Mandi and I) while leaving the gym to sign up for another race on Memorial Day~4 miles this time! Instant addiction! After the gym I was exhausted. We ate some lunch and then we agreed to go in the bedroom so Abram could watch TV and I would read. Let's just say I read my book for about 10 minutes before falling into a deep sleep. 2 hours later I woke up and ate jelly beans in bed!! Nothing gets better than that!
We went to my parent's house for dinner and had Steak, baked potatoes, broccoli & cauliflower! My mom also randomly bought some cheese and apple butter from a local shop here in town and she had me dipping my cheese in apple butter. It was actually quick yummy~she even sent me home with a jar!

It was my first time eating apple butter! What other things can I put this delicious spread on? Suggestions? Nothing else happened today, it was uneventful. I got sucked into Lifetime movies with my mom, they are so good to watch on Sundays when nothing else is on TV. Abram and I are home now, I feel like finishing my book and just continuing the lazy theme for the night. Maybe tomorrow will be an eventful day! I'm sad the weekend is over though.....

Question: What day is typically your "lazy day" Do you nap?

Instant addiction to races! 04/30/2011

Today was the 5k Dog Jog! Mandi was running with Juno and Misha was watching from the sidelines, cheering me on the whole time! I was a little nervous before the race, but it was amazing. I finished at 29 minutes and 25 seconds! I was so extremely proud of myself, I set a goal to finish under 30 minutes and I did!!! After I it was all done, Mandi and I could not stop smiling. Talk about runners high! We were instantly hooked. We are already talking about doing another and more miles this time! Our next goal is a 10k!!

Those names you see on my arm are the doggies that supported me in my race. Honey & Heather, Ziva & Lisa, Red & Megan, Mom & Ruby, Princess/Fiskerton & Beth, and of course, Misha! Thank you all for donating!! It was cold this morning so I had to run with my Northface on. But at the end, I ripped that sucker off!

Here I am :) Running all the way to the finish line. All those weeks I worried about not being able to make it the whole way....I never once wanted to stop. I could have kept going to be honest with you, as I kept passing people, my motivation got higher and higher. I had THE BIGGEST smile the last mile of the race. What a fun morning! After we were done, Mandi and I headed out to celebrate. We grabbed a couple beers and sat ourselves down to lunch. Huge plate of veggies, an egg roll & perogies! We even sat outside to eat, by the time the race was over it was at least 70 degrees! After lunch we went shopping (I got a dress & pair of jeans) then got Kiwi Frozen Yogurt. It was Mandi's first time! I had the normal concoction of birthday cake & peanut butter with raspberries, pretzels, strawberries, yogurt chips, cake bites, cookie dough and reeses pieces!! I deserved the extra toppings today, don't ya think?! I'm off to enjoy the rest of my Saturday :)

Question: After your first race, did you instantly become addicted and want to run another?

New Kicks & BOOKS!! 04/29/2011

Abram and I got some new flips flops! (please ignore that I need a pedicure extremely bad, I promise to get one after the 5k this Saturday) Summer here we come! They were buy one, get one half off so we got his and hers. And yes, he did also get a pair of sneakers. Finally!! TGIF everyone! Today has been extremely busy for us. I had a strawberry banana vanilla protein powder smoothie for breakfast and a pumpkin Kashi bar for snack around 10am. I got done with work early today, and from there we had a million things to do before tonight....
Gym first. I ran 2 miles in 19 1/2 minutes on the treadmill, then lifted weights for 30 minutes with Abram. We ran home and grabbed a quick lunch! 2 egg whites with mushrooms, morning star sausage patty, and 2 pieces of pesto bread (I was eating one while taking this picture, haha) Sorry folks, it can't wait, it needs to go into my mouth instantly.

I also received this package on lunch!! MY BOOKS :) I read like a teenager! I got 2 more of my Pretty Little Liars series, Sex & The City book #2 and Carrots 'n' Cake!! I have lots of reading to do this summer, I wonder how long it will take me to read all of these.....
After a quick lunch we met my dad at the high school. Tonight Abram and I are helping him with an oldies concert that his police group throws every spring. We have to set up and take down equipment, run the spot light on the show, etc. And when I say "we" I meant mostly Abram. Because obviously I'm not there helping now, I ran home to "let out the dog" and here I am blogging. Whoops. They won't need me back for a while...I hope.
Tomorrow is my 5k run for Pets Come First. Please all wish me (and Mandi) luck and send me any tips or motivators for tomorrow's run!! I would appreciate it! I know I promised you my exercise challenges in today's post, but I need to go back and help~my husband just sent me a text wondering where I was at. Time goes fast when your blogging :) Have a great night! I will update tomorrow on how my 5k went~I will have plenty of pictures!! Oh, and P.S. Adopt a Pet!

Question: What are your favorite books to read? Series? Authors?

A Few of my Favorite Things! 04/28/2011

First a big thank you to my good friend Colin for bringing me one of my most favorite things in the whole entire world. Pesto bread. This bread is so delicious people. The insides are swirled with ooey gooey pesto, and the top is covered in asiago cheese. Mmmm mmmm! I only get this a few times a year (and usually it's only a 1/2 loaf) but today I was lucky and Colin brought me my own loaf. LOVE YOU COL!!!! Thanks!
This morning was a quick breakfast of Honey Sunshine Kashi cereal again. But I was HUNGRY by the time lunch rolled around. Today I had a large green apple, cinnamon raisin bagel thin, and carrots. Work was suuuuper slow today. I guess people were out enjoying the sunshine and flowers!!

These flowers are growing in my front yard! If I remember correctly, they won't last too long, so enjoy em now!!! Abram and I planned on making nachos tonight, but I needed a red pepper. So when Mandi went to Wegman's on lunch, she picked me up this beauty:

She almost weighed a good solid pound. I think it might also be as big as my head!! After work I got home and read my book in the sun a little before Abram got here. We made our dinner and I was NOT shy about stacking my nachos high to the sky. These were a good version of nachos you can get at a restaurant, but waaaayyy healthier!

Abram is currently laying on the couch opposite of me in a food coma. Lucky him though, I'm gonna make him get up and go to the mall with me!! He desperately needs a new pair of sneakers. I am sick of looking at his ratty old Adidas! I'm a good wife, I make my husband pretty!! Thursday is our skip day on working out (although I do lift my tiny 8lb weight here at home, with some planks and pushups) Speaking of pushups, I was motivated by Janae at Hungry Runner Girl to challenge myself to do an extreme amount of pushups. My next post will consist of my challenges for myself on working out!! See ya tomorrow!! Happy T.G.I.F!! Oh, and thanks for the note Sarah, we love you too (My friend and co-worker, Sarah, is visiting my sister in Florida right now, lucky girl!!)

Question: Do you set goals/challenges for yourself and your workouts? In life?

Big Balls :) 04/27/2011

You've got sick minds people! These big balls that I'm referring too are the strawberry cake ball truffles I made yesterday for Megan. I was running out of white chocolate, so I decided to make one BIG ball especially for Megan. Isn't it beautiful? It made her tummy hurt (in a good way) I even put hearts on it to show my love for her :) Isn't she cute?

After the cake balls were made and put away, I decided to spend some QT in the sun with my book....(don't make fun of my book choice, I happen to be obsessed with Pretty Little Liars on ABC and they make a book series! I am on book number 5) I think I even got some sun while I was sitting out there~PA sun doesn't tan my skin too easily! I'm more of a Florida girl!!

Oh and also, I am very ghetto. I pulled my kitchen table chairs outside to sit on because we have no patio furniture. Well, we do but it's a high top table and 2 high chairs, I desperately need a lounge chair. I will be on the hunt for one before this summer!!

Wednesday morning I woke up, and instantly knew I was not feeling like running today. But, as all other days, I know I just need to get a quick run out of the way and I will feel better. So, I procrastinated by making breakfast first: 2 egg whites with sauteed mushrooms, morning star sausage patty, and an english muffin. Then ran my 2 miles on the treadmill. Now I am off to tan and babysit my cousins for a couple hours while my cousin Gina drops off some balloons to her sister in law Sarah who just had a baby girl. Congratulations Sarah, baby Alyssa is beautiful!!!
P.S. Everyone wish Miss Julie at PB Fingers a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Question: Do you ever wake up & not want to work out? Do you do it anyways, or skip?

Honey Sunshine 04/26/2011

Woke up to this.....and this.....

Abram always puts her in bed with me before he gets in the shower. We snuggle for about 10 minutes, then I get up and make coffee. She sleeps til 8am, then Abram takes her to work. She's got a tough life :) After Abram & Misha took off, I went to the park to practice running outside~the 5k is in 4 days and I need to master my outdoor running skills. I ran around twice (2 miles) then came home and did a loop around the neighborhood. Not too bad, but still think I need more practice. As soon as I got home I jumped in a cold shower, it felt good. I was HOT. For breakfast I ate Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal. It was my first time having it, and I must say it was very good! I haven't had cereal in a few weeks. Now I am watching my DVR'd episode of 90210 (I'm obsessed, I love this show) After this I gotta finish up my Strawberry Cake Ball Truffles for Megan. Have a great Tuesday!

Question: What is your favorite cereal? Favorite breakfast food?

Random Monday... 04/25/2011

I don't have a lot of pictures for you today, so I decided to start today with some randomness. Abram and I noticed the other day that Misha knows a select few words. Any time she hears them, her ears perk up and she gets excited *she also gets excited when she hears a yogurt cup being scraped on the bottom, she knows that she can lick it soon* Here are the words Misha knows:
Rides
Treats
Bones
Walks
"Poods" aka Food
"Na-Nights" aka Bedtime
"Sides" aka Outside
We also noticed that all of the words have S's on the end~say any of these words and she is instantly your best friend. Hope you enjoyed my randomness today, there will be more in the future.

This morning I woke up to sunshine :) We even turned the heat off. I hope it's for good! I ran 2 miles on the treadmill (18 minutes) while watching Audrina. I made a strawberry/banana smoothie for breakfast and snacked on a Fruit & Nut Kind Bar. My smoothie was really small today. After work I came home and took Misha to the park to run. We ran the loop one time, which was 1 mile (I'm pretty sure we did it in 9 minutes, even with her potty breaks) She is tough to run with, but she did exceptionally well today. She was exhausted afterwards, poor puppy. No wonder, it was 81 degrees! No complaints here.

After our run, I prepped dinner and I started on Megan's strawberry cake ball truffles. I also decided to make Abram and I a sweet treat for dessert. Healthified Strawberry Shortcake! I promise to post the recipe. Dinner was delicious, grilled chicken, zucchini & green beans. I covered the veggies in garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and red pepper flakes and baked them at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. Soooo good!

Don't mind my hunched back, I have wonderful posture. My dad says so! I am crumbling up the strawberry cake and tossing it in the bowl to mix up with cream cheese frosting for the cake balls. Gonna be YUMMY. Hope Megan eats em all and falls over into a food coma and can't cut hair tomorrow. JUST KIDDING MEGAN, LOVE YA! After dinner & some playing in the kitchen, we went downtown to tan. I couldn't wait to get home and eat my strawberry shortcake. Everyone have a good night :)

Question: Do you ever run with your dog? Do you find it difficult or easy?

Happy Easter! 04/24/2011

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you all had a great day with your family! We sure did! Abram and I woke up bright and early, ate breakfast and then went to the gym. I had a great workout today. I ran 3.6 miles (intervals again-with the highest speed being 8.0) and then lifted weights. I think I am getting stronger, I am able to do more/heavier weights!! We left the gym and Abram said "I think I'm drunk off fitness!" That quote totally made my day. We both agreed that we had an awesome workout, we love our Sunday gym days.
We got home and had our protein shakes. Then I made carrot casserole to bring to Easter dinner which was held at my cousin Gina's house. Today was warm~a little rain came down but it wasn't horrible.

At Gina's we drank mimosas while the girls opened up their Easter baskets. Candy, bubbles & more candy!! The girls of course had to sample one of everything, their favorite being the M&M's.

For dinner we had smoked salmon, ham, green beans, carrot casserole, pickled eggs, brussel sprouts, potato salad, sweet potatoes, and scalloped potatoes. We have 2 vegetarians in my family so we go heavy on the veggies/side dishes.

That's Abram's plate. His was sooo much prettier than mine, and well balanced. After dinner we had Italian pound cake that my Aunt Mary made and some fruit salad. Everyone enjoyed the cake ball pops and were amazed at my baking skillz :) Even Koko!

Yummm yum! I didn't even eat any candy til after we got home, and it wasn't as amazing as I anticipated it being. Maybe I've just weened myself off of it, which I suppose is a good thing! Now I feel another challenge, I'm just not sure what it'll be yet. I have exactly one month til I can eat my beloved Nutella again! I hope it still tastes as good as it did when I gave it up....
Well, I hope you all had a great Easter. We just took Misha for a walk and now it's time to do laundry.

I love little kid kisses, always open mouthed :) xoxo

Question: What did you all do for Easter? Eat anything good?

1 day til EASTER!! 04/23/2011

This is what Misha did all day while I worked. Such a hard life she lives.
I woke up super early this Saturday morning, but I had lots to do before heading to work. I rolled out all my cake ball pops and stuck the sticks in em. These are A LOT of work.....cute.....but a lot of work. After I got outta work I headed home to make dinner & finish up my cake ball pops. For dinner we had perch (fish) I baked it in the oven with garlic salt, pepper & parsley. On the side we had lima beans & garden vegetable rice. Quick and easy!

Misha spied on us from around the corner. She was eating her food, but was making sure we didn't drop any of ours. She might as well pull up a chair and sit, she eats everything we eat anyways :)
After dinner I spent about and hour & a half on the cake balls. I hope Helena & Tiya like them! I have to make these again on Tuesday, but this time I am making strawberry ones for my friend Megan at work. She gave up a crazy amount of stuff for Lent and her first request are these (along with Mt Dew, McDonald's, chocolate, etc) I am honored she likes them that much. Thankfully I won't have to decorate hers like chicks & bunnies!! GREAT JOB MEGAN~your a rockstar!

I can't wait to go to the gym tomorrow. I feel like such a bum on my days off. We will be going super early since I have to come home and make the carrot casserole for Easter dinner. We are eating early, like, lunch time so I won't have a lot of time in the morning. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!!! I will be indulging on lots of candy since I gave it up til Easter~I think I might sleep with my bag of starburst jellybeans and wake up at midnight to have a snack :)

Question: Did you give up anything for Lent? How excited are you to eat it tomorrow? Or will you wake up at midnight & start goin crazy?

I'm packing my bags..... 04/22/2011

Misha and I are all packed! We are moving somewhere sunny! Florida, South Carolina & Hawaii are my top choices. Since I have family in Florida, guess we'll go there. The reason I'm moving is because it snowed here today. I threatened to move if it snowed again, and when I was at work, I looked out the window, and there is was....SNOW. I called my boss and gave her my "2 minute" notice. She thought I was kidding....

I wish I wasn't kidding. I wish I really could just pack up and leave, BUT I can't. So I stayed here and worked today, went tanning afterwards, then met Abram at the gym.

....Going back to last night, dinner with Mike was great (although the food was kinda awful) He informed me that he is home for his pre-deployment. The Marines are sending him to Afghanistan to fly helicopters. Scary. He will be gone for 7 months, he is so brave! LOVE YOU MIKE!! BE SAFE~remember to check my blog every day while your over there so you know what I am doing :)

Isn't he adorable? Yes ladies, he is single. How? I don't know. What a charmer!!

I forgot to mention yesterday, while I was at work Mandi surprised me with a waist band that she made. It's for me & her to use while we are running. It will hold my phone...some money...jellybeans...whatever my little heart desires!! Here's an amazing pic of me testing it out while at work, it works pretty great!! If anyone wants to buy one, let me know. I'm pimpin her out:

Attractive, right? At least I'm having a good time!!!

This post is all over the place. But today I woke up, made a strawberry & banana smoothie with vanilla protein powder and headed to work. Today I made something new for lunch, it was delish. I am so glad I have a toaster oven at work to use everyday, otherwise I would be pretty upset.

Multi-grain english muffin, sauce, cheese & turkey pepperoni. MINI PIZZA! Yummm. Carrots on the side~I ate most of them before my mini pizza finished. I also had a side of pineapple. There was so much candy in the break room, I had to avoid it all day since I am not allowed eating any of it til SUNDAY....I ran tonight at the gym, I alternated a speed of 4.0 for 1 minute, 6.5 for 2 minutes and 8.0 for 2 minutes. I repeated that a few times and finished it off with running at 6.5. I met Abram up in the weight room after my run and worked on my triceps for a while. He had me doing a bunch of different stuff. Arms=sore.
We came home and made breakfast for dinner. I work all day tomorrow, so I am off to relax. Have a fabulous Friday everyone!! P.S. I

Question: Do you know anyone who has been deployed? How do you keep in touch while they are over seas?

Is Frozen Yogurt a food group? 04/21/2011

Dinner last night was chicken stir fry with broccoli, peas and red peppers. It was so yummy! We steamed white rice this time since the brown rice turned out so horrible last time. Misha fell asleep during dinner. She tries tricking us with her cuteness so we feed her (it works)

...and this is how last night ended~coffee frozen yogurt. Abram and I went to our local dairy to get milk and the frozen yogurt was calling my name. It was the perfect ending to my day. Do you think frozen yogurt could be considered a food group? I could eat it as a meal!
After we got home, I did my nightly routine of lifting my 8lb weight, pushups & situps on the balance ball. I am posting this blog early because we are going to dinner tonight with an old friend of mine. I have known him for at least 15 years! Wow, I sound old. I'm excited to see him, he is in the Marines and it's been a year or so since we've hung out. If I'm lucky I will get a couple pictures with the stud tonight :) Love ya Mike!! I don't have a lot to say today. Only 1 more day til Friday people!
I will leave you with this inspirational 'handbook to life' I found from one of my favorites blogs!

Question: Is there one food you love so much you could eat it several times a week? Every day

DO NOT FREEZE WHOLE BANANAS!! *for strong stomachs only* 04/20/2011

This morning I woke up to......SUN :) It was 54 degrees at 8am. I will be wearing open toed shoes thank you very much! This morning was a smoothie morning. I already had a frozen banana waiting for me and about 6 strawberries left~perfect amount for my breakfast!! So, this was my first time using a frozen banana and when I pulled it out of the freezer (peel and all) I asked myself a question: how the heck am I going to peel this thing? Smart Bethany said "let it thaw and use it later, just use a fresh banana" Stupid Bethany said "peel it with a knife!" So, guess which one I chose?

Yep. Typical. I sliced my finger up. Don't worry no stitches were required and my smoothie was still delicious. I also added some ice and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. Here I am enjoying it at work! Just me & my smoothie....

It was a slow day at work. After I got done I stopped at Michael's to buy some yellow and white candy melts, I am making spring chicken cake ball pops for my cousins on Easter! How cute are they?!? When I got home, I decided to run outside. It was sooo nice and warm. I ran 2 miles outside (I hoped it was more than that, but I have to realized running outside is a lot harder/different than running on a treadmill) I am satisfied with 2 miles for today. When I walked in the door, literally seconds later it started raining....HARD! I was lucky I didn't get caught in it, I had my phone with me!!

Looks like a storm is coming our way!!! It didn't last long, about 10 minutes of hard rain and now it's sunny again. Feels like Florida weather, minus the 90 degrees & continuous sunshine!
Just want to give a shout out to Brandy who so kindly let me know this morning that I have motivated her to run again! GO BRANDY! Glad I can be an inspiration :) Oh, and HI TINA (I know your a blog stalker) haha! No seriously, thanks for following!!
Well, Abram and I are having chicken stir fry with lots of veggies and steamed rice. Then we're gonna go get our tan on. GTL ;) minus the G since I ran outside....and the L since I only do Laundry on Sundays. Soooooo....yeahhhh....I will leave you with a couple pics! HAVE A HAPPY WEDNESDAY NIGHT!!! P.S. Is anyone totally sad the Cory and Leah (from Teen Mom 2 are getting divorced?!)

Question: Have you ever gotten caught in the rain with your cell phone? Gotten hurt doing something you KNOW you shouldn't be doing in the first place?

T-Shirt Time!!! (bills & snickerdoodles) 04/19/2011

Another rainy cold day in PA. I am starting to wonder if I will ever see Spring. Oh well. This morning I had a doctor appointment bright and early. By the time I got home, I was hungry and wanted something quick so I just toasted a cinnamon raisin bagel thin and cut up an apple. Quick, delicious & easy! Then, I ran....it wasn't any fun today. I don't know why, but I was not feelin it today. I was tired and I made the mistake of trying the pre-set interval level on my treadmill. It was going SO SLOW for the first five minutes, I kept thinking, ugh, I could already be a 1/4 of the way done. So I quickly shut it off and started my normal speed of 6.5-7.0~let's blame the bad tude on the rain!
Today is my co-worker Christine's birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!! So, I decided to make her Snickerdoodle Blondies!! They are cooling right now, so when I post the recipe later, I will add a good picture. But for now, here are the snickerdoodles in the making :)

Don't worry people, I didn't lick off the batter (only the extras once those babies were in the oven) You cannot make something this yummy and not taste it!! And also, just an FYI, I don't always wear a sweatshirt and my hair back, but on days when I don't have to work til 2, I'm lazy, OK!

While the blondies were in the oven, I decided to pay my bills. Being a grown up is fun, isn't it?

I got an exciting package delivered while I was paying my bills. The UPS man even yelled: It's T-Shirt Timmmmme!!!!

Oh yes, yes I did. I bought a Jersey Shore themed shirt. Now now, don't be jealous! Just go online and buy it @ Forever 21!!! I can't wait to wear this, I'm so pathetic, I know!! Well, that's all for today!! Enjoy your day, I hope it's sunny where your all at :) Soak some of it in for me!!

Can someone ever get sick of sprinkles?? 04/18/2011

I got my Easter basket one week early! Mom & Dad are going to Kentucky and they will be gone for Easter Sunday, so Abram and I got our treats a lil earlier than normal. Too bad I can't eat that delicious candy til next Sunday! Oh well, only ONE MORE WEEK and it'll taste better than ever! To be honest, since giving it up, I haven't craved it as much. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it'll taste glorious, but, once you stop eating it daily, you stop missing it. I'm glad I had the will power to last!

Monday morning I woke up and decided to get my run out of the way so I could relax after work, but about 1/2 way thru my run the power went out~just completely shut off with no warning and I will tell you this, the treadmill does NOT slow down, it just STOPS. I almost flew forward and hit the wall!!! Slightly scary I must say!! While I ran today I watched Audrina's new show on VH1, it was not as good as I expected. After that was over I watched Khloe & Lamar, again, still not as good as I had hoped. But it passed the time. After my (interrupted) run, I struggled with what I should eat for breakfast. We have no milk, and I wasn't in the mood for eggs so I decided on *cake batter oatmeal* I mean, honestly, can one ever get sick of eating sprinkles? I think NOT! I will add the recipe to my page. It was very filling and yummmmy!

After work I got home to see that my Bic Bands had arrived!! I bought one for me and one for Mandi for our 5k that we are running in next weekend!! So of course I had to try it on and finish up my run in it to make sure it would stay and not slip out of my hair! It is great!! My new favorite headband to run in, and I must say it is stylish!!

Check it out! (yes, I am watching Sister Wives in the background!!) No shame~I like those pligs!! haha

For dinner tonight, Abram and I are having sloppy joes, vegetables and some BEETS :) Then we are gonna go tanning so we are nice and tan for Florida in June! Have a great night!!

Question: Do you have a favorite headband/hair tie/sports bra etc that you like exercising in?

Ring, Jumbo Scallops, Shoes & Protein, OH MY! 04/17/2011

Here she is!! Isn't she beautiful :) I love it. I can't wait to get it back from being sized!! Here is is with my engagement ring:

It is perfect, thanks Abram :) It's supposed to be my one year anniversary gift a little early, but he says he still wants to get me something else! I am totally okay with that! The more presents, the better!! Last nights dinner and a movie was great!! The dinner was romantic and relaxing! We love going there, it's not overly crowded and it's just so quaint. I ordered 'Scallops al Mario' I have never in my life seen such big scallops, I mean, seriously:

It was topped with pancetta and asparagus. On the side it came a bowl of spaghetti with vodka sauce. It was so filling. I also had a side salad and bread with olive oil :) After dinner we killed time at the mall before the movie started and I got these cutie shoes....I used to hate boat shoes, but I have been seeing them everywhere lately and decided that I must own a pair....

Those are Misha's toys behind me: blue bear and little Misha. Abram has amazing photography skills :) Soul Surfer was a good inspirational movie! It's a must see! We went to the bar after the movie and met up with friends for a few drinks and watched Abram's friend's band play.
This morning we woke up and decided to make protein pancakes, we used whole wheat pancake mix, a scoop of vanilla protein powder, water & one egg white. They were ok, the first few he over cooked, so we smothered them in sugar free syrup, and one was left over for Misha!!

After breakfast we hit the gym & I worked it out. Let me tell you. I am beat. I lifted a lot more weight than I normally do and ran a lot of intervals mixed between 6.5 and 8.5. It was intense, feelin good!! I just finished eating lunch and now I am off to Target to do some shopping for cleaning supplies and such! Dinner at mom & dad's tonight, talk to everyone tomorrow!!

Question: Have you ever ordered seafood and it came out bigger than your head? Were you scared to eat it or excited? :)

Lazy (but exciting) Saturday 04/16/2011

Good afternoon friends. This day has been extremely rainy & cold & lazy. Butttt, I have exciting news!! I will highlight it for you later, here's how my day has gone so far:
Slept in, ate 2 Van's lite waffles with 2 Morning Star sausages and topped it off with some sugar free syrup, mmm mmm! Then Abram and I went to the salon and brought the girls some Starbucks (they deserve it, they work so hard!) from there we ran to Wal-Mart to get Misha some new dog food, she's been getting sick off the other stuff we got her, poor pup. I made her 2 scrambled eggs this morning, she loved every bite! Then we (I) went tanning and started our venture to look for a wedding band for me. I should have one by know, I realize this, but I just haven't found the *right* one. We went to 2 stores and at the 2nd store, just as I was ready to leave, we found it!!! It's beautiful and fits so well with my Simon G mosaic cut rose, yellow and white gold engagement ring. I can't wait to post pics!!
Leaving the store in full excitement, we realized we were hungry (I tried to bribe him into going to Kiwi and getting frozen yogurt, but he wasn't havin it!) so we went home and made some lunch. I ate this (which is a typical lunch for me, but you never see it, so here it is!)

It's my most favorite lunch to make. Whole wheat english muffin with ham, cheese & turkey pepperoni all melted/toasted in the toaster oven. It tastes like a mini stromboli. On the side is carrots (I ate most of them before I decided to take the picture) and vanilla cupcake goldfish. One might say I have an obsession with cake flavor, one might be true :) After our lunch I tried to get Abram to watch Vegas Vacation, but he snuck off into the bedroom to take a nap...I followed shortly after. The rain makes it so easy to sleep!

Tonight we are going to dinner at Mario & Luigi's (a little Italian place) and then off to see Soul Surfer at the movies. The girl in the movie's name is Bethany, can't be a bad movie if the star of it has an awesome name :) After the movie we are meeting up with friends at a bar in town. Abram's friend's band is playing and I even got Janelle to come with me (my bestie from highschool) Talk to ya tomorrow~no workouts today. Saturday is my REST DAY. Tomorrow will be a brutal day at the gym ;)

Question: All you married friends, do you have wedding bands? Or did you wait to find the perfect one?

Pulled Pork Friday! 04/15/2011

This wonderful Friday morning we woke up to sun again! 2 days in a row! How did I get so lucky? I had extra time this morning so I made myself an egg white/spinach/salsa burrito and had an apple on the side. I worked alllllll day and couldn't wait to get out so I could run & eat pulled pork (Abram stuck it in the crock pot this morning!) Mandi and I decided to skip the gym tonight, she wanted to run outside with Juno (her doggie) and I was ok with just running at home on my treadmill. As I was about to leave work I got a call from my mom so I invited her and dad over for pork! Here's what my plate looked like:

Mmm, I lovvve my Gram's beets :) The pork was super good too~even my mom was impressed with Abram's pork skills! After dinner we watched Two and a Half Men (WINNING) while mom & I snuggled up under the cheetah blanket and facebooked.

Dad & Ruby hung out and drank beer. *FYI people, I updated my dad's job under my "we are who we are" page, he was very angry I had the wrong job title for him: he works for HIGHWAY SAFETY...NOT Highway Safety PATROL....sooo sorry dad :) He thinks the way I put it makes him sound like he picks up trash from the side of the road, and the only "patrol" he does is going back and forth from his office to the kitchen-he works from home! I tried to convince him that a trip to Atlantic City would be fun tomorrow-he could gamble and I could shop-but he told me it's supposed to rain and I wouldn't outlet shop if it was raining :( Guess I'm stuck here tomorrow, no shopping for me. But I will go tanning....

Off to watch "The Roommate" with Abram~TGIF!!!!!

Question: Would you prefer to go outlet shopping in the rain? Or stay inside nice & warm?

I love Sunshine & Fruit, but I hate Peanuts!! 04/14/2011

Today we woke up and the sun was shining!!! So I decided I was going to wear a bright & springy outfit:

Preeeetttty huh? So then I mixed up a quick smoothie with a slightly frozen banana, frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup of milk and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. It hit the spot! Our shipments come every Thursday so this morning I did inventory and put everything on the shelves. I HATE PEANUTS:

They are such a hassle & today I ended up making a HUGE mess. It was fun. I love Thursdays! Today was fruit extravaganza day! Mandi brought in a fruit & veggie platter, we pretty much hogged it up before anyone else even got a chance to touch it, whoopsies. No regrets, the pineapple was delish!

I got home from work & took a quick run-only one mile. Today is supposed to be my day off but I swear if I don't run I get restless leg syndrome and can't sleep at night! I wanted to run more, it was sooo easy today. Abram surprised me when he got home with a new camera card, it's a 32Gb so apparently it holds alottta pictures. I'm sure I can put that to the test! Tomorrow is FRIDAY~yippee!
Question: Do you ever want to run/exercise on your "day off" ?

Pets Come First 04/13/2011

Another rainy day in PA! I'm counting down the days til our vacation to Islamorada Florida~65 days! I talked to my sister last night on Skype, I haven't seen her since Christmas, that just blows my mind. That's like 4 months! Wayyyyy too long. We talked about her coming home soon though, my Pap is not doing well so she wants to get home as soon as she can, even if it's for a weekend. Hopefully she can afford to take the time off from her new job and not miss any school!
On a happier note, I ran 3.72 miles this morning. I jammed out to some old school rap, closed the blinds so I wouldn't see the ugly weather and watched silently as Robin Roberts danced with Jamie Fox on Good Morning America :) I am going to babysit my cousins around 10:30 this morning, then off to work til 8pm.
So, if you know me well, or not, I will tell you.....I love Dalmatians. I grew up with one named Annabelle (we called her "Sissy") and when I moved out on my own, I got one and her name is Misha. She is the absolute LOVE of my life, and now Abram's. He takes her to work with him everyday (yes his job allows it) and Misha just loves it. In fact, I think she loves him more now than she loves me. Go figure. So, this is what Misha was up to last night:

She loves eating anything but her own dog food. Abram feeds himself, then Misha, himself, then Misha. Bite for bite. Maybe that's why she loves him more.....
Speaking of pets, Mandi and I are running the 5k Dog Jog for Pets Come First on April 30th. This will be our first 5k and we are both excited/nervous. Abram's co-worker made this amazing poster to send around:

Isn't that the sweetest thing? I have a few pledges right now, thank you Heather, Lisa & Megan. The pets thank you too! I'm off to enjoy my baby cousins Helena and Tiya! Have a great Wednesday!!

Question: Do you feed your dog table scraps? Any advice for first time 5k'ers?

Rainy Tuesday topped with SPRINKLES! 04/12/2011

Yes, it's raining here again today. Also, the temperature has dropped significantly since yesterday! Guess I can put my open toed shoes away again....
This morning inside however was a success! I made a yummy breakfast except the whole time I was making it I kept thinking I left something out. I realized what that something was while I was in the shower. I forgot the sausage. Oh well, next time!!

I made an egg white with spinach and salsa wrap with a cut up McIntosh apple. That funny looking pumpkin in the background is my water. Yes I am a child and I also drink with a straw. We have 3 of these pumpkin cups floating around the house. Abram would always use the one at my mom's house when we went over there, so as a joke she bought him a few. Now it's basically the only cup we drink from (there is also a Disney Princess cup we drink from sometimes too, of course it is also plastic)
Before breakfast I ran 3.6 miles on the treadmill and did some sit ups on the balance ball. I work late tonight so I decided to make some grilled chicken to take on a salad tonight for dinner. I also made Abram a piece so he doesn't have to make frozen chicken nuggets (that is his go to meal when I work late) While looking in the fridge I realized that all of my funfetti granola bars were gone-GASP! We went thru them in 3 days (when I say "we" I mean "I") so I made another pan of those. When I find something I REALLY like I can't stop eating it. Example: I was eating Starburst Jellybeans like they were going out of style for like 3 weeks. One day I realized, that's it. I NEED to stop. So, I gave up candy til Easter. The first week was hard, but now it's like I never even had the addiction. My next move is to give up Nutella for a few weeks. It's insane how many jars of that stuff I go thru. So, the next time I will consume Nutella will be....MEMORIAL DAY! Think I can do it??
Question: When you realize you are over-doing something, do you pump the brakes?

Mistakes & Lessons Learned 04/11/2011