5 Things Friday #2

It was fun to do 5 Things Friday last week, so I decided to keep it going.

#1-I should not be allowed on treadmills!! My towel flew off the back so I jumped off to get it. When getting back on, I scraped my shin on the belt. Who does that?!?! Treadmill burn! At least I didn't fall off!!  Sorry for the blinding whiteness of my leg too.  My legs haven't seen the sun in awhile.

#2-Porter is finally learning to play better with other dogs.  He normally annoys them and they try to run away from him.  Jaxon is a large and patient pup, but he put Porter in his place Wednesday.  It was really cute.  Jax took Porter's stick and wouldn't share, so what does Porter do?!?!  He decided to just play in the grass next to Jaxon.  It was adorable!

#3-I missed happy hour last night with the Moose Club gang.  It is a tradition to have a beer wherever you are on Thursday and "tele-moose" if you have to miss.  I didn't have any Stella's at home, so I had to improvise.  At least I didn't miss out!!

#4-Why did I miss happy hour?  Kansas City Royals Fan Fest is this weekend.  Bobby's parents were invited to the sneak peek and we all got to go.  The boys were very excited and even played some of the games.  There were players everywhere and it wasn't crowded at all. 

#5-Who is excited for the Super Bowl this weekend?  I am, I am!!  Since I went to a Seahawks game this year, I am cheering for them.  I even have a t-shirt that I bought for the game.  I'm totally going to look like a legit fan! 

I love trying out new recipes for Super Bowl time.  It is a great opportunity to test out appetizer recipes that I wouldn't make for just Bobby and I.  This year I am making a veggie and dip platter and Bacon Cheddar and Jalapeno Pinwheels. 

Who are you cheering for on Sunday? 

What is your favorite appetizer recipe?  Football or any party.

Has anyone else had a treadmill mishap?  I can't be the only person. :)

Things I Love Thursday

In case you've been living under a rock and have no idea what Pinterest is all about, this post is for you. It is one of the things I love!! I kept this week light and fun. There are many things I love more than Pinterest. :)

After a fancy dinner tonight, I browsed through my Pinterest to find an array if things to share.

You can get skinny:

 Get fat:

Get fit:

And get fashionable:

Plan a party: 

Plan a wedding:

Plan a honeymoon or any trip:

Plan a baby shower too:

Then of course there is just some stuff that's adorable: 

Inspiring: 

Oh so true:

And I always find something hilarious to brighten my day:

What is something you love? 

Juan-uary is almost over

Happy Hump Day! I hope everyone is surving this cold, cold week! January is almost over and as the Bachelor has cleverly coined it...so is Juan-uary. My friends finally convinced me (badgered me) to check out this season of the Bachelor. I will admit that Juan Pablo is very handsome, so that helped with the convincing!

I must confess that I was a die hard Bachelor fan about 7 years ago. I quit watching when this guy (also super hot) didn't pick ANYONE!!!

Anyway, I digress.  I poured myself a small glass of wine and settled in for the HOURS of catching up.  I don't know why the episode needs to be 2 hours each time, but at least you can fast forward through the rose ceremony if you're short on time.  I skipped the meet everyone night because it is too many people for me.  There is a local Kansas City girl on the show and she is super cute.  I hope she makes it far. 

In between Bachelor episodes, I managed to cook dinner.  Meatloaf, potatoes and salad.  It was delicious!  Bobby worked late which is how I was able to sqeeze in 2 episodes of Juan Pablo!!  The hour meatloaf takes to cook was no biggie since he wasn't getting home until close to 8pm.

After dinner, I still had wine left.  I guess pouring half of a bottle of wine in one glass makes the glass last a long time!  We watched some tv and snuggled on the couch.  Then it was time for dessert.  If you haven't tried Trader Joe's Cookie Butter, you are missing out!  It is delicious!  I think I will buy some chocolate chips to throw in with it for the next time I eat it for dessert.

Do you watch the Bachelor?  If so, who is your favorite girl so far?  Mine is Nikki...hometown girl with lots of sass!

Have you tried cookie butter?  Favorite recipes with it?  Or do you just eat it with a spoon?

Frozen

Frozen-I'm not talking about the frozen weather that is across the country. I saw on the news that the "high" today in Chicago is -2!!! That's insane and makes me not want to complain about our weather with highs in the teens.

I'm talking about the movie Frozen. I went with my future SIL (sister in law) and another friend last night. I know I am way behind on seeing it, but it is ADORABLE!! I loved it. The reindeer, Sven, reminded me of my pup. Big and slightly dumb with a great heart.

Sven-adorable reindeer in the movie

Porter-adorable puppy in our home

I also made some skinny chicken pot pie soup last night in the crockpot.  It ended up being delicious.  Bobby made some Pillsbury biscuits to eat with the soup.  It was super easy.  I sauted 3/4 lb of chicken with half of a large onion.  Then I dumped it in a crock pot with 4 cups of skim milk, 1 cup of chicken broth mixed with 1/4 cup of flour in a slurry, 1 cup of chicken broth, 1 bag of mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn, green beans), 1 peeled russet potato, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, and some crushed red pepper for a kick.  Then I cooked it on low for 8 hours.  You can make 4 large bowls out of it for right at 200 calories per serving!  Perfect for the frozen days!

What's the best movie you have seen lately?

How are you keeping warm right now?

Relaxing Sunday

We went to church on Sunday followed by some family time with my fiance's family. His mom made a Greek salad and pasta dish for lunch. I couldn't resist snapping a quick picture of the salad...it was too pretty!

After lunch the ladies chatted about wedding stuff (for another wedding they are helping plan).  Her theme is teal and yellow.  Feel free to comment with any good teal and yellow wedding ideas! 

This is how the boys passed the time while we chatted.  So peaceful!

We rounded out the day by running errands and playing with the pup.  It was 60 degrees so we took him out a lot to run around.  Too bad it is 18 today for the high!  Gotta love the extreme weather changes this year!!

What did you do this weekend?

For those of you married/engaged people, what were/are your wedding colors?

Pampered Chef

I managed a 6 mile run outside on Saturday. It was a beautiful day!!

I got myself cleaned up and head to co-host a pampered chef party. Yummy food and such awesome products!!!  If you don't have a pizza stone, you absolutely MUST buy one!!

Such a fun way to get together with girlfriends to have some wine, snacks and shop!!

After the party, I made chicken enchilada stuffed spaghetti squash. It was amazing and easy!! Skinny Taste recipes never disappoint! I made a few changes, but I can't take credit for the idea. Why not stuff a spaghetti squash with chicken enchilada filling?? Here is what I did:

1. Cook chicken with onion and jalapeño in a little olive oil with garlic.  

2. While that's cooking, pierce the spaghetti squash and cook it in the microwave for 10-12 minutes. 

3. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds and use a fork to pull the squash into spaghetti strings. 

4. Mix the spaghetti squash, chicken and veggies, and enchilada sauce (I use Trader Joes) in a bowl. 

5. Put the mix in each spaghetti squash half and top with shredded cheese. 

6. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees to melt the cheese. 

7. Enjoy!!! 

We scarfed it down before I could take a pic so I borrowed this from skinnytaste.com. 

Do you have a favorite pampered chef product?

What is your favorite site for recipes or cookbook? I'm always looking for new healthy recipes!!

All About Food

Yesterday was all about trying new things for Restaurant Week. 

I met some girl friends for lunch at our normal Thursday happy hour place. We don't ever eat during happy hour, so it is fun to try their food. We shared apps and I ordered the food truck tacos. They were fried shrimp and pickled veggies. The tacos were just okay, but the cheesy rice was amazing!!

That night we went out to a place where I have never eaten. Since it is restaurant week, they have a set menu offering.  Of course we had cocktails! I had a Moscow Mule. The girly looking drinks that the boys are holding are really scotch drinks. Too manly for my taste! :)

The first course was to be shared with 2 people so each couple ordered a different appetizer. Trio of dips and a chicken flatbread. The second course was soup and salad. Then the entrees came. Steak, salmon, and pork shoulder....all delicious choices!!

We ate the dessert before I could take a picture. A delicious bread pudding and panna cotta. Yummy!

I'm heading out for a run soon to work off some of the amazing food. It's always worth it to run a little extra when there is delicious food and drinks involved!!

Sticking with the theme...5 things Friday

I read quite a few blogs pretty much every day and I love to check out new blogs as well. I have noticed a trend today for 5 Things Friday posts. I decided to follow the crowd....

#1-This is what I came home to yesterday. I'm not sure how he decided that this would be a comfy way to be in his kennel for the afternoon, but I must be missing something. Weird puppy!!

#2-I found this wedding day arms workout.  I have been looking for a good routine for upper body.  I am really good at doing lower body workouts, but I usually just do pushups and dips for my arms and call it good.  One of my goals for the wedding is to tone up my arms.  I have never had very big or defined arms.  Just skinny and flabby...I think this will help me turn that around!

#3-The cat has decided that he likes me this week.  He started sitting behind me on the couch (probably so I will protect him) and he also will let me hold him.  It's only taken 4 years, but I think he finally likes me instead of just tolerating me!!

#4-Wedding jewelry arrived.  I LOVE it!  Thank you Etsy!!

#5-Did everyone see this?  http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/oreo-launch-new-cookie-flavors-article-1.1589238  Cookie Dough Oreos?!?!  OMG!  Yes please!

What are your 5 things for today?

Throw back Thursday

I decided to do a #tbt pic. I found my first Warrior Dash pictures from 2010 and made a fun collage. Some friends and I piled into a couple of cars and drove to Dallas to do what was then a new thing. An obstacle mud run. It was a blast!! 

Beers, mud, and fun warrior hats...makes for a great day! We have done 3 in total. I am even considering trying a Tough Mudder. Probably post wedding. :)

Has anyone done an obstacle run or Tough Mudder? What was it and what did you think?

Shoulder Injury Advice?

I actually hit the treadmill yesterday. I alternated between running fast and walking at a 4.5 mph pace with a 7 incline. It was a good booty workout! My legs were more tired than I thought when I got to volleyball. Whoops! I think I should stick to easier runs on Wednesdays. Anyways, I spent 30 minutes on the treadmill and it came out to 3.29 miles.

I posted about my post run diet coke fiasco last night.  I settled for puppy snuggles and kisses followed by couch time with Bobby.

My shoulder has been bothering me a lot the past couple of weeks.  I thought I was just sore from volleyball, but Porter tried to rip my arm out of socket on our Saturday walk.  I decided some ice was in order.  Thank you Bobby for helping!!  I'm not very good at nursing injuries.

What did you do for your workout last night?

How do you recover from an injury/soreness?  I haven't had shoulder pain before...so I am open to suggestions.

Diet coke catastrophe!

I went to grab a diet coke after volleyball and this is what I found...

Completely empty can that was still closed. It must have happened before it got to the store. The box showed no signs and the other cans weren't even sticky.

Made me a sad panda!! 

On a happy note, I got this cool pic of the cat. Totally artsy!

Wine Tuesday

Last night I went to a little wine tasting with some girl friends. We tried quite a few wines and everyone ended up buying a bottle or 2. One of the local stores has a monthly wine tasting for only $5 per person. It is a super casual and fun way to try new wines. The distributor serving us wines last night was hilarious!  I bought one wine because she called it a "patio pounder".  I love the term and the wine will be perfect for patio "pounding" with friends when it gets a little warmer!  Bonus is that these wines were all under $20.

The 2 I purchased

I didn't want to open a new bottle so I settled for a glass of this classy wine!  I actually really like Yellow Tail wines.  :)

Before heading to the tasting, I squeezed in a quick circuit workout.  100 High Knees, 80 Squats (prisoner, regular, plie), 60 lunges, 40 pushups (regular, diamond, wide arm), 20 squat jumps, 10 high knees.  Better than nothing, but not my best work!  I'll try to make up for it tonight by running and playing 2 games of volleyball!

Speaking of running, I am trying to talk the fiance into running a Sweetheart 5K with me on Sunday February 16th.  If you're in the KC area, check it out!

Do you have a favorite wine?  I don't have a favorite, but I typically like Pinot Noirs...and anything red really!

Do you have any upcoming races? 

New Me Part 2 (Warning-lots of selfies!!)

I really like my new short hair cut, but it has doubled my hair routine! Drying, curling with rollers, and then curling iron. Man...I don't know how most girls do it. I'm normally pretty "low maintenance"-aka super lazy with my style. I am trying though. My new morning routine

Curlers-Hot look, right?!?!

Then curling iron and hair spray...ta da!

It is definitely a more put together look than I normally rock with the messy curly hair.  I have a feeling I will go back and forth with it.  Luckily day 2 hair is easier.  Just add a few more curls with the curling iron and call it good...that is assuming that I don't do an afternoon run.  Which I did NOT do yesterday...still battling a cold!

Switch to morning workouts just for my hair?!?!  I don't think I can do it!!

Do you workout in the morning or afternoon?  What are your top 3 reasons why you choose that time of day?  I workout in the evening because
1. I can't get out of bed early.  I love to snooze too much!
2. I am starving by 11am for lunch
3. Too much time after work to snack if I don't fill it with exercise!