Confessions and/or Obsessions

1. Last week was a long week, so Sunday I relaxed and spent the entire day watching Dawson's Creek on Netflix. I may have watched the entire first season that day and am happily working on season 2.

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2. Because of my recent love for Dawson and friends, I have not watched the Olympics as much as I wish. Tonight I plan to hunker down and enjoy the Women's Gymnastics Team competition and join in on the FitBlog Chat.

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3. While I am very excited that my gym is done its year plus long renovations, I am bumbed that my favorite classes now overlap. There is no way I would miss my two favorite morning classes (HIT and BodyPump). Now I just have to find a new way to work cycle back into my life.

4. I learned a valuable lesson about fueling Monday. Sunday, I relaxed, I did nothing. As a result I didn't eat as large of a dinner as normal. Monday morning, my body could tell. Half way through my favorite group fitness class I got really light headed and had to sit a tabata out. It was slightly embarrassing, but my instructor was great about it and completely understood when I headed out early. Lesson learned, fueling properly for a workout is just as important as the workout itself!

5. I have mentioned this before, but Jay really wants to do the Disney Coast to Coast Challenge. We are really lucky because one of my best friends lives in Orlando. Last year we were blessed with the opportunity to run the Disney Wine & Dine Half and visit Charlotte. As we are starting to think about our next running adventure and trip to Orlando, it seems to only make sense to run the Disney Marathon.

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We have the exact number of weeks to train between our honeymoon and the race. The race is on Jay's birthday. The race puts us closer to the Coast to Coast Challenge. AND most importantly, we get to see Charlotte.

The jury is still out. I loved our Disney Race experience last year. It truly was worth every penny. Jay and I are continuing to sleep on it and hope to make a final decision before we leave on our trip.

What confessions or obsessions have you had lately?

What experience have you had when you did not properly fuel for a workout?

And have you run the WDW Marathon? Would you recommend that we run it?

Favorite TV Shows

Everyone has their favorite TV shows. I have already confessed my love for Glee, but before Glee there were others.

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Ha, it almost sounds like I am talking about boys! Not that TV shows are anything like relationships, but I don’t know about you, I sometimes get way too involved in the plot line of the TV shows I watch.

I also have very fond memories of watching TV shows growing up. I would look forward to the next episode of a show all week in High School. After dinner and once we were all done our homework, my parents, brothers and I would often cuddle around the TV and watch our favorite shows. We had a few favorites, including my ultimate favorite Gilmore Girls.

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While we typically love shows about BIG families, this show really resonated with us for many reasons. My Dad and older brother loved all the movie and music references, Emily Gilmore reminded us all of my grandmother and my Mom and I loved the mother daughter relationship.

Years later, I still love this show. I almost own the entire series.

Another favorite, that I basically forgot about until Jay and I saw the first season at Bed, Bath and Beyond, is American Dreams.

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I have been hooked! I think one of the main reasons my entire family loved American Dreams is everyone related to the show in some manor. At the time the show debuted, I was the same age as the main character Meg. My parents both grew-up in the 60s and related to the time period.

Plus, you can’t beat the music. Even the other day Jay walked in the room to see Usher as Marvin Gaye. I think he was a little thrown off by it, thinking this show was just another one for the chicks.

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The last show that I have recently fallen in love with is Brothers & Sisters. I watched it on and off in college and even though I wasn’t home I know my dad watched it to. I actually started watching it because my Dad liked it so much. Because I came into the show in the third season, it has been fun watching the series from the beginning.

What are your favorite shows and why?

Skinny Mac N Cheese and Photography

Tomorrow is my work’s annual Thanksgiving lunch. My work provides the Turkey and all my coworkers make the side dishes. It is truly a feast.

The first year I worked there, I made my Mom’s Sauerkraut and last year I made Roasted Root Veggies. This year I knew I needed to do something different. Since my work is sponsoring a weight watchers group, I decided to make Mary’s (or Cooking Light) Light Mac N Cheese.

Since Mac N Cheese is a dish Jay and his family traditionally have at Thanksgiving, I thought I would share some of my new family traditions with the group, only the lighter version ;)

I love about this dish, it makes enough for me to take to work and have for dinner. Plus it is super filling!! I am a Happy Chef tonight!

While dinner (and lunch) was in the oven, I played with my newish digital camera. I call it newish since I have had it for about 4 months but have never found the time to play with all the settings until tonight.

An subject was Crumble-Top Pumpkin Muffins. Since we are moving soon, I have made an extra effort to clean out the pantry. Sadly, I had a can of Libby’s Easy Pumpkin Pie mix that I bought last year and was about to expire (eek). Thankfully, the label provided me with a great easy recipe.

But enough about muffins! I finally played with all the settings and found the one that I liked the best for the muffin (above). I feel like I learned a lot in just 15 minutes. I am so glad I finally took the time to play around!

It is amazing how much all the settings look so different. Even though I feel more comfortable, I still feel like I have a lot to learn about my camera and a whole world to learn about digital photography.

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Besides my time in the kitchen, I also wanted to take a minute to talk about last night’s Glee. I loved how Glee has gone back to its roots and has started incorporating more music into its episodes. This, in my opinion, is a big improvement from the beginning of the season.

Second, I am glad Glee has stayed with its anti-bullying attitude. I loved the dodge ball scene and how the writes flowed that into Kurt’s stance on anti-bullying.

Lastly, I am very very interested where the writers are taking the Santana storyline. I think its about to get a bit more interesting.

How did you feel about last night’s Glee?

 

How/Does your work celebrate Thanksgiving?

Just an another Tuesday

Not much to report from my end tonight.

I finished a few knitting projects :) which means I am that much closer to being done with Christmas gifts :)

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Then I hunkered down for tonight’s Glee. I loved how they integrated West Side Story into the entire show, but I am not sure how I feel about Blaine/Kurt and Rachel/Finn’s choices at the end. Why both?

What were your opinion on tonight’s episode?

Hello November

Wow, I feel like I say this every month, but is it already November? With October behind us, let’s recap on those October Goals.

BodyPump: I wanted to attend 4 classes this month. I only attended 3 because I skipped the Wednesday before the marathon. While I always want to accomplish my goals, I am glad I decided to take last week easy.

In November, I would like to attend 4 classes again and increase my weight. I am kind of a whimp when it comes to increasing weight. I always regret not working harder when I don’t feel it the next day. In the spirit of toning up for the holidays, I am going to work hard to go up 2.5 lbs in every muscle group by the New Year. Let ‘um rip!

Yoga: My goals was to attend 2 classes. In actuality, I only attended one class, but I was a lot better about practicing Yoga on my own at home. I think my tight IT Band scare mid-October taught me a lot about the importance of stretching. The last two weeks I have incorporated at least 20 minutes of Yoga and stretching into my routine both before and after workouts. Plus, if I did skip class, I would sleep in an extra 30 minutes but still get in a solid 45 minutes of yoga. All-in-all, I am pretty satisfied with my mat tie this month.

For November, I would like to continue my devotion to the mat. For the sake of concrete numbers  would like to attend two classes this month.

Happy Hour: My goal for October was 1 per week. In reality I think I only went to 2 the entire month. How did that happen?!?! Don’t worry, I still consumed my fair share of alcohol, just not out in bars.

This month, I would like to continue to monitor my nights out to once a week. This includes Glee nights at a Friends and Wing Nights at the Bar.

Shopping: Of all my goals for October, I think I made the most progress in this category. Jay and I only have one person left in his family and one and half for my family (one person I may get a bonus gift for).

My biggest challenge this month will be finishing those darn knitting projects. One Project down, four to finish!!! I don’t why finishing projects is so hard!!

After being sick in September, I promised myself I would be better about sleep, extra vitamin C, tip-top nutrition, foam rolling (err pressing?) and listening to my body. I think I accomplished this in October. When I returned from Orlando, my cold relapsed slightly, practically causing me to make taking care of myself a October goal. While taking care of myself should always be a goal, with no big race coming I just hope to get the sleep I need to help me be the happiest I can be. (aka no sleep Sarah = angry Sarah, well rested Sarah = happy and pleasant Sarah).

Run a Marathon done and done! It feels so great to accomplish this goal. For a full recap please read this post.

So besides my comments above, what’s new in November?

My main goal this month is to continue running.

I would like to get at least a 6 mile run in every week to stay in shape until I start training for the USA Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon. As I have said before, I really want to run a sub 2 hour half marathon and I really think Rock ‘N’ Roll is my chance.

I also would like to PR at the Charleston Gobble Wobble over Thanksgiving (which I am officially registered for as of TODAY)! I know I will really need to focus on speed training in the next few short weeks to accomplish this goal. But after the marathon, I am determined t reach my goal!!

That is it for this month! I am off to finish those knitting projects and watch Glee!

What goals have you set for yourself this month?

IGE Chipotle Bowl’s

I love Iowa Girl Eats Chipotle Bowls.

They are super easy to make and customize. I prepped everything before my guests arrived. All I had to do was cook the rice and nuke the beans. Done and DONE!

It feels like its been forever since I’ve seen the girls! It was so nice to get together for some relaxing, chit-chat, Chipotle Bowls, Fro Yo and Glee.

Bottom line, it was a great evening and the Chipotle Bowls were a hit!

Glee

Lauren mentioned earlier in the evening how disappointed she was in the lack of songs this season. I honestly did not notice it until tonight when the episode was jam packed with number after number.

The only thing that bothered me about tonight’s episode was where the directors are taking Mercedes’s character. Even though she can be a drama queen, I feel like she is better than walking out on Glee and the Musical.

But I know not everyone will like all the character development. Before the show, Lauren commented on how she didn’t like the direction the director’s took Quinn. I agree that punk, bad-ass, rebel Quinn in the first two episodes was a bit ridiculous. I think the “I want my baby back” plot is completely realistic of how a girl in her situation would react, especially since the woman raising her baby is teaching at her school. Of course I also think the whole thing is a bit over dramatized.

OK Gleeks, what do you think of the story-line so far this season?

A Night or 2 IN

Good morning friends! Sorry I left you hanging last night. I have been tackling a cold since Wednesday.

This meant I was not able to go to the DC Blogger meet-up. :( Ladies it looked like fun, I hope I can make it next month!

Besides cancelling evening plans, I have been able to catch-up on TV shows and movies.  I am not very good about keeping up with TV shows, but this fall I am going to try my hardest to catch Glee, New Girl and Parenthood. Sorry Biggest Loser, but you have lost my attention.

For movies, I finally watched Something Borrowed with my roommate Mary. You may remember that both of us read the book first a month or so ago. The movie was good, but very different from the book.

They essentially made Ethan and Rachel’s friend Hilary the same person. It makes a lot of sense from a sequel stand point to develop Ethan’s character more in the first movie, but I missed the Hilary character. Oh well!

My only other complaint was the choice of Kate Hudson as Darcy. She just wasn’t what I expected.

What did you think of Something Borrowed (the book, movie or both)?

And what TV shows do you plan to watch this fall?

Really Random Friday

1. I finished watching Glee Seasons 1 & 2 and am totally psyched to see Glee 3D with Lauren this weekend. The only problem, Season 3 doesn’t start until September 20th, what show should I watch until then?

2. This morning I decided that before I have children I want to visit Africa, Australia and Asia. Looks like I have a lot of traveling to do in the next 3-5 years.

3. Actually my “before I have a family” list is starting to get a little out of control… maybe I need to work on that too.

4. I have read 3 books and not posted a thing about them. Something to work on this weekend.

5. Exactly one week until HLS!! Who’s going?

6. My weekends are unnaturally booked until August 2012.

7. This is the last weekend of Alumni Softball until next spring.

8. Only 11 weeks until the Marathon (aka 2-18 mile runs, 2-20 mile runs, 1-22 mile run, 5-14ish mile runs and 1-8 mile run).

9. My Mom finished hiking the 100 mile wilderness of the AT yesterday.

10. Only 23 days left of pool season. Only 23 days to get rid of my racer-back tan lines.

11. Tonight I will make Mama Peas Meatless Muffins and maybe drink a beer.

12. Please excuse the random pictures.

Your Turn! Tell me something really random!!!

Zucchini Pasta

I know you were probably expecting some great wedding post. It is Wedding Wednesday, but I am not feeling 100% so instead you get a recap of last night’s dinner.

Another great find from the blog world. Another recipe successfully moved from Recipes To Make to Recipes I Love on Pinterest. Tonight I present how Jenna’s Zucchini Pasta made it onto my list of favorites.

To start off this recipe is easy and taught me the wonders of Mascarpone Cheese. Who knew that you could add it to hot veggies (or past for that matter) and a little lemon juice to get such an amazing sauce?

This recipe was fast and seamless. I felt like as soon as I was done chopping the sausage the water was boiling and ready for pasta. I did not find myself waiting around the kitchen. That keeps a spastic person like me from getting bored and burning something :).

While we are talking about Jenna, let me tell you how my 21 day Yoga Challenge is going. Well, its simply just going. I have made a conscious effort to practice at least 5 minutes of yoga and made it to 2 yoga classes :) Overall, a big improvement from the past few months (which makes me very happy). New yoga instructors are a real plus.

I am off to relax, watch some Glee, drink an Airborne and hope that this is just a 24 hours thing.

My Friday Off

Today was my Friday off. I had no real plans and an unfortunately long “To-Do” List.

In my opinion there is no better way to refuel from a run and fuel for a “To-Do” List than some good food. Once I had finished a load of laundry and got some much needed sun I hunkered down and made a healthy lunch.

I tried to eat something from the freezer (ours is packed) and finish a few things in the fridge. I decided to tap into my roots with a Honeymoon Salad with a twist. Growing up we ate a lot of Honeymoon salads. You know why they call it that right? Lett-uce alone. Corny, yes! And unfortunately not the most appetizing.

Thankfully, I did have more in store for this salad. I topped it with a Trader Joe’s Veggie Burger, Broccoli and some Feta Cheese. It was delicious and hit the spot after my 11 mile run this morning (more on that Monday).

I occupied my afternoon with my “To-Do” List and a little bit of Glee. For some reason I thought I could just instantly have a block of hotel rooms for the wedding. Wrong! I did get to talk to one group sales manager and everything looks good, but I really wanted to get in touch with another hotel as well. Apparently I was not the only person with today off :)

After finishing another episode of Glee I made a list, checked it twice and got on Pinterest. I was on a mission, I wanted a recipe I love for tonight and a few I have never tried. After talking to Mary the other evening, we both decided to make a conscious effort to jazz up our weekly meals. All it takes is to try one new recipe a week. I love Pinterest because it has made sorting recipe’s into “Recipes To Make” and “Recipes I Love” and prevented my Google Reader from looking like a disaster!

As for the meal I love, I made Kristin’s Homemade Chipotle Bowl. I always make some variation but never to her specifications. Even tonight I left out the chicken. This meal hit the spot! I am so glad I spiced everything to her specifications. Definitely worth the extra bit of time.

To accompany my Chipotle Bowl, Mary and I split a nice bowl of Homemade Guacamole. I simply mashed up one Avocado, added some chopped Onion, Tomatoes and lots of Lime Juice. It was delicious!

Off to watch more glee and fall asleep early. Jay and I have a long weekend of softball ahead of us. I just hope I don’t get too burned :/

And check back later this week for the two new recipes I am going to try!

What are you doing this weekend? And any recipes I should try?

August Rush

What happened to July? I feel like the summer is flying by! 

I have not done a goal post for a month, but after reading a few other’s posts I decided it is about time that I hold myself accountable. I used to write down monthly goals in my planner but have lost that habit since entering the “real world”. I think it’s time to bring back an old habit in a new fashion, on my blog.

My weekends are super packed this month causing me to stress out a little. I love to travel, see my friends and be generally busy, but I need a weekend every month to just chill. With the marathon quickly approaching I feel like every moment is jam packed therefore I need to make sure I relax when I can and maybe even schedule some “me” time.

With no further adieu, here are my goals for August:

Sleep I am NOT fun when I don’t get a full nights sleep. With all of my commitments this month and training, sleep is going to be my personal priority. Sorry Glee, but I will not be able to watch another episode before going to bed. I am going to try and stick to a strict 10 p.m. bed-time most evenings. My only exception, the night before my “off” weekend day. One problem with summer training is early wake-up times. 

Weekday Training Runs I have been very bad about my runs during the week. The original plan was to run one 45 and one 60 minute run each week. Monday was the first day in our training that I actually ran for a full 60 minutes during the week (scary right?). My goal is to complete 3-60 minute runs and 4- 35 minute runs. I would love to say 45 minute runs, but let’s be realistic!

Practice Yoga Jenna posted yesterday about a 21 day Yoga challenge. I have decided to join her in the challenge but with a little modification. I used to practice Yoga at least 2 times a week. That all stopped when I started going to BodyPump. This morning was my first morning back in forever (it’s been so long that I can’t even tell you the last time I went). A new instructor took over the morning classes, giving my Yoga practice a chance. Plus as long a I pend 5 minutes practicing I’ll count it! My modification, I am going to try practicing Yoga 21 days in the month of August, because knowing me and my travel schedule, it will not happen everyday.

100 Push-ups I downloaded the 100 Push-up App last month and have not been very good about using it 2 to 3 times a week. That is all going to change, NOW. My goal is to get up to 36 consecutive push-ups this month.

Run up the steps like rocky!! This has been on my Bucket List since high school. I am attending the Healthy Living Summit in Philadelphia later this month and have decided this will be it! So Theresa, consider this fair warning and my only demand for this trip.

Me time I am not always good about setting aside time for myself. This month I want to have “me time” for at least an hour a week. This will not interrupt or be considered sleep, but can be categorized as Yoga, reading, Glee, relaxing by the pool etc. The key to “me time” is that I do something I enjoy on my own but not because I have to.

Looks like I have a lot of relaxing, some running and sleeping to do this month!

 

What are your goals for August?

Let’s Get Sloppy

What can I say, it has been a lazy weekend. Jay and I slept through softball Saturday. While we were sad to miss the game, it still felt great! I didn’t get out of bed until 10:30.

Our original plan was to go to Old Town on Sunday and enjoy brunch at Union Street Pub (using a Groupon). But we had a little more time than we anticipated Saturday, so we went then and stopped at Trader Joe’s for groceries on the way home.

Last night, I made Mama Pea’s Sloppy Josephine’s for Courtney and Lauren. After we enjoyed this easy but scrumptious meal we played Settlers of Catan. Jay got a little defensive as usual and ended up winning. Courtney was ahead most of the game, so it was disappointing to see a seasoned veteran win.

This morning after our long run (more on that tomorrow), Jay and I enjoyed some more Sloppy Josephine’s, but this time over baked potatoes. It was delicious and very satisfying after 15.5 miles.

I have never cooked lentils before now, but man am I hooked. Mary and I were just sitting here coming up with other fabulous combinations. I can’t wait to enjoy lentil more often!

Now I am off to watch some Glee, buy Jay new running shoes and possibly enjoy some ice cream…

What did you do this weekend?

Facebook Tuesday

Ah Facebook… Who doesn’t have it? I have had one since 2004 when I went to Boston University as a freshman. Back then, Facebook was only open to schools in Boston. The next year, when I transferred to USC, I actually had to open a new account because you couldn’t add new schools (a foreign concept to current FB users).

Yes, back when Facebook was dominated by college students, those were the days. When Facebook first opened its doors to high school students (and then everyone) I was kind of offended, it was a place for college students! As soon as I graduated, my whole elitist mind-set changed, and I appreciated the company opening its doors. Even today, I feel as if my college career is represented through my Facebook albums and wall.

But all that has really nothing to do with this post. This post has two purposes. One- to tell you that this blog is officially on Facebook and you should ‘like me’.  That is, if you want me dominating your wall (honestly, who wouldn’t?!?!?) and Two- to tell you about my dinner. So go like me, make me feel special and then go make some pasta!

Thankfully Jay and I stocked up at Costco after our hike two weekends ago, which made making dinner very easy. I quickly whipped up a meal of spinach & feta chicken sausage along with mushrooms and pasta sauce. This meal is honestly as easy as it sounds.

Simply cook the sliced sausage in a little olive oil and onion until cooked through. Add the sauce and you’re done. Serve with your choice of pasta.

Well I am off to have a Gleeful evening… again…

When did you join Facebook?

Gleeful Afternoon

This afternoon I had a date with a beer, some Mango Salsa (from Costco, Chips and Jay’s Xbox to watch Glee.

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I am 3 episodes in and completely addicted…

So addicted that I only stopped to make some Easy Tofu Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce and all the random frozen vegetables open in the freezer.

Then it was back to the recliner… which is where I plan to stay.

What TV Shows are you completely addicted to?

Four Things Friday!!

1. Yay it’s finally Friday, Friday, Friday!

Ok, I am a little obsessed with the Glee version of Rebecca Black’s Friday. I blame my boss who joked with me that I was playing this song while filing. Filing that I haven’t done in about… a month… or two. eek!

2. This is what my Facebook Wall looks like.

Yes, it is filled with wedding stuff from my bridesmaids. I am so thankful that they are actually into this whole bridesmaid thing. And yes, one of my girls tagged me in the Bridesmaid movie pic.

3. Oh Gnome you Didn’t!

Next week Jay will be an uncle! With our upcoming movie date to see Gnomeo & Juliet I became a little obsessed with finding gnome things to buy Jay’s new nephew. Now, you are probably wondering “why gnomes?”. Jay and I started buying Jeanette gnome statues about a two years ago and it just became a thing. So why shouldn’t we continue the tradition with her kid?

4. Two images I do not need to se for a while…

need I say more?

Where you affected by the blogger break-down? How did you cope?

Who things blogger needs a fun image like the Twitter whale? At least when Twitter breaks down I get something pleasant to look at!!