Five Question Friday

A day late and a dollar short! Oh well...here it is!

1. Did you make any fun purchases this week?

 

Yep...two actually!  I don't usually spoil myself that much, I swear!  It was a good week though!  :)

I bought a Canon Speedlite 430 EXii external flash for my DSLR!  I have wanted one for a while, a long while...and finally stumbled across a smokin' deal on craigslist.  I love it so far!

I also bought an iPod touch!  My Sony MP3 player is dying a slow death so I decided it was time to upgrade.  The exact same day a friend of mine posted on a message board that we both frequent, that she was selling her practically new iPod touch because she just got an iPhone and doesn't need it anymore....I got it for a great price too!

2. If you could go to any musical concert, what would it be?

 

Just one...I love concerts and have been to literally all types.  Right now I am wishing I bought tickets to the Rascal Flatts concert in a few weeks.  Thats only because its hot on my radar.  Otherwise, I would like to see Sarah McLachlin, Faith Hill/Tim McGraw, U2, John Mellancamp (again), Jimmy Buffet....I could go on and on!

3.  What is your least fav/most fav house chore ?

Least fav...hands down its cleaning the bathroom

Most fav...seriously, who has a favorite house chore!  I guess if I had to choose one, it would be laundry.  I kinda like steam cleaning the carpets too.

4. Would you prefer new appliances or clothes?

 

New clothes.  There is nothing more to say about that!  :)

5. Miracle Whip or Mayo?

Oh thats easy...Mayo!  I can't stand Miracle Whip.  I haven't had it in years but I remember as a kid hating it.  Its one of those things, either you like it or you don't!

Shrinking

Its been eons since I last posted here.  I don't know why.  I don't what has gotten into me.  I used to be such a good blogger.  For a while I was posting nearly daily on my daughter's blog, a few times a week on this one and guest posting a few times a month on Our Bella Cucina.  Then it just stopped.

Oh well...maybe I can revive it!  We'll see!

Anyway...what have I been up to lately?

I have been shrinking!  :)  

Seriously though, I have been working my a$$ off...literally.  I am happy to report I am 2, almost 3 sizes smaller than I was at the beginning of the year.  As of Saturday, my scale was reading 23lbs lighter too!

It started slowly.  Around the middle of December I dusted off the elliptical in the basement and started using it every other night but didn't pay attention to what I was eating.  Then in January I was challenged to run a 10K.  I have never been a runner before but said what the heck!  I bought a used treadmill from a friend and started running 2 or 3 nights a week.  I still wasn't worried about my food.  Within a month, by Valentine's Day, I had dropped a pant size but the scale had not budged!

In March I started watching what I was eating and kept with the running.  By the middle of April I had lost 4lbs.  Not all that inspiring!  So we joined a fancy schmancy gym by our house.  

Has that ever paid off!  The gym has become our second home!  We spend hours upon hours there on the weekend at the pool.  We spend many nights there.  Morgan likes the kid area and begs to go, so I usually squeeze in an extra workout...in addition to my morning workout!  Yes thats right, I workout in the mornings.  Every morning!  I meet a few friends there around 5:15am.  We vary what we do.  Sometimes its a step class, other times its yoga or the elliptical.  This morning it was a class called Athletic Conditioning.  Except I am not athletic so I am not sure what I was thinking taking that class!  It was a killer!

On the weekends I usually hit the gym an hour before we hit the pool to get in some cardio and strength training.  Its hard to fit in a break day but I try to force myself to spend at least one weekday morning in the hot tub/sauna instead of upstairs in the cardio area!

Its clearly paying off.  Just over a month ago I went shopping with a friend and bought a bunch of new work clothes because I was tired of wearing pants 2 sizes too big!  I am happy to report...those pants are all getting a little bit too baggy.  I'm not quite ready to commit to the next size down...but I am very close!

I have about 10-15 more pounds to lose before I hit my goal.  After that I am going to focus on maintaining and firming up but not worrying about what the scale says anymore!          

Photography Tips

I love photography.  Its one of my favorite hobbies.  My husband calls me the "Mamarazzi" because I always have my camera in my hand!  I don't ususally feel all that insprired between January and March though...I guess its because the weather cold and gloomy...so I typically don't take too many photos at the beginning of the year.  Plus you can only get so many good ones with the same old background of the house!!  All that will change once the flipflop weather and green grass returns.  Its so much easier to snap pictures outside!

For now...I wanted to link over to a post that I saw at The Idea Room.  Its full of great tips and tutorials on photography.  Check it out here!!



Five Questions Friday

1. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

Right now...my weight.  But I am already working on changing that!  Oh and maybe the length of my hair.  Its shorter than I would like and taking forever to grow out!  Both of those are pretty short term *issues* that should be *fixed* soon though! 

2. Write about a time when you got lost.

Well I wasn't necessarily lost...but its a funny story.  Back when I was in the military, nearing the end of my enlistment, I decided to get a part time job as a waitress.  The plan was for me to go to school during the day and waitress at night once I was discharged from the air force.  I had an interview set up at a new Applebee's that had just opened.  I raced across town to get there in time.  I was clearly too rushed, not paying attention at all.  I parked and walked in.  I asked for the guy I was meeting with, and got puzzled looks.  The hostess went and got the manager, who promtly interviewed me and then told me I was at The Black-eyed Pea not Applebee's but I could start the next day if I wanted too!  Yeah...I went to the wrong place!  I didn't realize there were two brand new restaurant right next to each other.  I drove and parked and walked into the closest one...the wrong one!

3. Camping or 5 star hotel?

Honestly...neither!  We aren't campers nor are we 5 star hotel people.  We fit somewhere in the middle.  I like to camp, I used to do it all the time as a kid.  However, my husband has never camped before and has no interest in trying it!  He might be willing to stay in a cabin that is fully equiped, but no way could I get him in a tent.  Lets face it, a cabin just isn't the same as camping!

4. Have you donated blood?

Tons of times.  Not recently, I am afraid...but I used to all the time.  I think the last time I did was when Morgan was just over a year old (almost 3 years ago - shame on me!)

5. Do you have a budget or do you 'fly by' most months?

A little bit of both.  We don't have a strict budget, but if we were to just "fly by" I am certain we would spend way more than we realized.  Being that I am an accountant...I like to know where my money is at all times.  I used to reconcile our accounts daily, but now that I have a kid...that is not happening!  I do it weekly though!  I keep a pretty close eye on what we are spending, but I am not too tight about it.

Make sure you stop by Mama M's blog for more!

Daybook

I am *stealing* this idea from the amazing Supermon Alysha.  I'm not a single mom, but I thought it would be fun to do it just the same!  Don't they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

outside my window...

Its gray, gloomy and rainy here today.  We don't normally have this kind of weather.  Its usually very sunny.  Even when it snows its not unusual to have the sun shinning.  We have something like 200+ days of sunshine each year.  I love it.  Today is actually day two of the gloom and grey...and I am totally over it!  I want the sun to come back out.  I would rather a cold wintery day, as long as its sunny.  I guess I shouldn't ever move to Seattle!

i am thinking...

that I have a million things I could be doing at home right now.  I really need to skip going to the gym tonight so I can do a little *catch up* at the homestead.

i am thankful for...

great friends.  It goes without saying that I am thankful for my family too.  But today I am really thankful for special friendships.  One relationship in general that makes me smile.  A friendship with a person that I would not normally connect with, a bond that is uncharacteristic for both of us...but so cherished.  True friends come into your life when you need them most.  You may find a close bond with somebody you would least expect.  Allow it to grow and flourish...you never know where it will take you.

i am learning...

how to navigate as a seudo single mom.  Daddy switched shifts at work recently and is now working the 4pm-midnight shift, Sunday - Thursday.  That means our world has totally shifted and we are trying to get used to the new schedule.  Its weird to not have dinner as a family, its weird to go to bed alone knowing he isn't even in the house.  Hopefully its not very long term, but it did result in a nice promotion at work and a nice pay increase.  For that reason, its good for our family for now.  Mini-me gets to hang out with him in the mornings...she loves it!  They go in late to work/school every morning, they lay around in their jammies watching cartoons.  Then I pick her up, have dinner with her, take her to the gym to play and keep her up later than normal at the pool most nights...hoping she will sleep in so Daddy gets some sleep!  Sounds perfect from a three year olds perspective!

i am wearing...

work clothes.  Nothing spectacular...not necessarily my favorite outfit in my closet but one I pulled out for this gloomy day!  I have grey/black checked pants and a teal blue knit top with a crisp white collared blouse under it.  Black simple heels and some silver jewelry complete the look!

i am creating...

nothing at the moment.  That seems so bland, doesn't it.  I usually love to create.  I love crafts, projects, photography.  I just haven't been very inspired lately.  Not to mention, I haven't had much time lately.  Sometimes being a mom, wife, employee, sister, daughter and friend leaves very little time to be creative! 

i am going...

to be very busy this weekend.  I have my regular standing commitments of gymnastics class for the munchkin Saturday morning, gym classes both Saturday & Sunday and hanging out at the pool with mini-me and friends on Saturday afternoon.  Add to that the typical weekend chores of cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping...plus a birthday party for a 1 yr old Saturday evening and a trip to the zoo Sunday afternoon.  I am exhausted just thinking about it.  Somehow I have to find some time to tag clothing for a consignment sale too.

i am reading...

occasionally, though not as much as I would like.  I have a kindle that I love.  I carry it with me everywhere, though I am not finding much time to pull it out and read it.  I enjoy reading on my lunch break but haven't done that at all this week so far.  Maybe today!  I would love to read at night, but by the time I sit down I am too tired to try to read!  But when I do get time to read, I have been reading The Stuff That Never Happened by Maddie Dawson.  So far I am really liking it.

i am hoping...

to lose some weight soon.  I have been working out hard lately with no results and its frustrating.  In December I started exercising...after almost 4 years of no exercising at all other than chasing a toddler.  I started on the elliptical in the basement.  Admittidly, it was the holiday season so I wasn't really watching what I was eating at all.  Then in January I made a commitment to run my first 10K on Memorial Day with a friend.  I bought a used treadmill and started training.  Remember, I have not exercised in years and I am now running.  I was starting to pay attention to my food intact too.  Still no weight loss.  In February I finally started getting strict with my food.  No eating out, no fast food, no soda, seriously cutting my portions and calories.  Still no weight loss.  In March we joined a fancy schmancy gym.  I started going daily, doing cardio for an hour and adding strength training some days.  I added fitness classes to break up the boring treadmill runs.  I also started religiously tracking my calories...still no weight loss.  I keep losing and gaining the same 5lbs.  I'm starting to get frustrated...but I am going to keep plugging away.  Eventually my body has got to stop fighting me, right? 

i am hearing...

some groovy music on my mp3 player.  I love music.  I listen to it all the time, no matter what I am doing.  

around the house...

there are a few piles of dirty laundry, probably some dishes sitting by the sink from this morning and dust everywhere!  There is never enough time to get it all done!  However, one thing I know for sure.  It will always be there waiting for me when I am ready to tackle it!

one of my favorite things...

is running actually.  I have never been a runner.  Never thought I would be a runner.  I started in January on a whim...a challenge from a friend.  She and I were at basically the same fitness level (nonexistant) and weight.  I said what the heck, I'll try it.  I have literally ran with it!  I love the feeling I get after a good run.  I love cranking up my music and having some alone time to pound the treadmill.  I haven't actually ran outside yet, but thats coming soon with the spring weather finally arriving!  Ironically, I don't know if I will make the 10K.  I am struggling with shin-splints and she may have to work that weekend.  We are both determined to run though, and are talking about picking a different race a little later in the summer.  Hopefully that will give me a little bit more time to work thru the shin-splints and training. 

a few plans for the week...

just the same ole same ole this week.  Work all day, gym in the evenings, sleep and start back over again.  The weekend is shaping up to be pretty busy but I already went over that!  Just plugging away, looking forward to warmer weather, flipflops and green grass!

a picture...



I love taking pictures but for some reason I haven't picked up my camera since January.  I need to fix that, and fast!  For now, here is a picture taken on my phone last week of mini-me at the indoor pool.  She loves it there!

Five Questions Friday

1. Have you ever had surgery?

Yes...wisdom teeth (is that really a surgery?) and I have had two cysts removed, one on my ovary and one inside my uterus.

2. Ever ride in an ambulance?

I have, but not for my own need.  When Morgan was 10 months old she had to ride in an ambulance.  The condition that required daycare to call the ambulance really wasn't that bad...except that the daycare she goes to is located on a military base.  At that exact moment the military base happened to be locked down because somebody decided to drive thru the gate area without stopping to show an id.  That means the traffic waiting to enter and exit the base was outrageous...meaning I could not get on base to get her, and Daddy could not travel across the base to get to her.  The only possible way to get movement and to get her checked out was with an ambulance.  We drove across town in an ambulance to the local hospital and spent an afternoon in the ER...all for a fever associated with an ear infection that caused her lips and fingers to turn blue momentarily.  It was scary at the time...but looking back the ambulance was a bit unnecessary.  If you ask me, the base should have provided the transporation free of cost.  It was their fault we needed it anyway!

Incidently...we found out the infant/toddlers are required to ride in a car seat in the back of an ambulance...if possible.  The nice parametics gave Morgan a stuffed animal to cheer her up on the ride too.

3. How are you in a medical emergency? Panicked? Calm?

In the above "emergency" I was pretty calm.  Way calmer than I would have expected actually.

4. Do you have a garden? Flowers or veggies?

I have a corner of the back yard for veggies...but I didn't plant anything last year because the crazy dog we had at the time had destroyed all my plants the previous summer.  This year Morgan and I are planning to revive the veggie garden.  I plant a bunch of flowers in the front yard too. 

5. When did you move out of your parents house?

I officially left my dad's house when I was 17.  It was two months into my senior year of high school.  I wouldn't say I moved out, so to speak.  I was asked to leave kicked out.  Its a long story.  Maybe I will share it one of these days.  Maybe.

If you want to join in the fun of Five Questions Friday...hop on over to Mama M.'s blog!

blogging again

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things with my blog.  I don't know what happened.  I was blogging faithfully for years about my daughter on my other blog, then I started this blog and stuck with it for a little while.  For some reason, last fall I fell off the wagon on both.  I can probably blame it on lots of things.  The holidays, work, life...it all got in the way.  The truth is, I love to blog.  So I am going to try to get back on the horse and see where it takes me. 

To get me started...I thought I would tell the story of my blog!

It started back in 2006, on a babysite.  I can't remember the name of the website, but it was a place to keep track of your pregnancy with pictures, posts and stuff.  I started writing the day I found I was pregnant with Morgan.  I wanted to document the journey since getting pregnant had been such a struggle for us. 

At some point after she was born I transitioned to using blogger.  I copied all my previous entries over and never looked back.  I blogged regularily, at least a couple times a week.  I documented everything about the first couple years of her life.  I posted pictures, told stories.  It became a living baby book, so to speak.  I challeneged myself each year to NaBloPoMo...and completed it each time!

After a few years of blogging, I decided it was time to branch out and have a "Mommy Blog" too.  I wanted to write about something other than Morgan.  Don't get me wrong, I love talking and writing about her...but I have more to write about than just that!

So...I started this blog...but I never really seemed to click with it.  I never found my groove I guess.  So rather than keep trying...I got busy and let both fall to the wayside.  I'm sad about that, because I love having Morgan's early years documented.  So I am going to try to get back into it.  I'm gonna keep writing and see where it takes me.  I never had big plans for either blog.  I just wanted to document Morgan's life and have a place for me to share whatever was going on in my mind and heart at the moment.

Silly Girl

Kids are so funny!  They say the craziest things sometimes, don't they!

The other day, Morgan was looking out the front window.  She got all excited and yelled, "Hey Dad...look at the Americans!".  Of course Daddy was like, "What?" We looked at each other with the funniest look on our faces.  What the heck could she be talking about.  We run to the window to see...Canadian Geese.  Sitting in the front yard! 

I have no idea how she put that together...but in her mind those birds are called American's!

Playlists

I just recently became a runner.  That line deserves a whole post on its own...which I will write soon!

Anyway, in an effort to pump up my running to the next level I have been on a hunt for songs to add to my playlist.  I need fast, loud songs that get my blood pumping and my legs moving.  

So far my favorites are:

- Stronger by Kanye West

- Walk This Way by Aerosmith & Run DMC

- I Gotta Feeling by The Black-eyed Peas

- Boom Boom Pow by The Black-eyed Peas

- The Way You Move by Outkast

- Back That Azz Up by Juvenile

-F*ck You by Cee Lo Green

And believe it or not...sometimes I love slower songs like...

- Is This Love by Bob Marley

- No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley

- Get Up, Stand Up by Bob Marley

- One Loe by Bob Marley

- I Want You To Want Me by Cheap Trick

- Free Fallin' by Tom Petty

- Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison

Are there any others I am missing that I should add?? 

Five Question Friday

I haven't done this in a while...a long while! 
Why not join in the fun? 

1. Do you know what your REAL hair color is?

uhm...I used to say I had no idea because I dyed my hair a dreadful bleach blond for so many years.  I started when I was entirely too young (early teen years) and continued well into my 20s.  At that time I thought my hair was a dirty blond, maybe a dingy light brown.

In my mid-twenties I wised up and went dark.  Its more a reddish brown now.  Based on the roots my hair is looking much more gray than I care to admit.  Besides the grey it looks like there is quite a bit of dark brown growth there too.  Its kind of a dingy dull dark brown. 

The gray is driving me nuts though, so now I am working towards a lighter happy medium.  Not too dark, but not too light, with some highlights...to hide the grey peeking in a little better.  I am finding that going too dark makes the regrowth look really drastic.  Don't worry I won't go back to bleach blond...I promise!

2. Do you plan ahead for summer, or fly by the seat of your pants?

Summer isn't all that different from the rest of the year for us.  We both work and the munchkin is in preschool/daycare year round.  Sure we get out and do more on the weekends, but the week is the same old thing.

Not sure what I will do once mini-me is in school with summers off though! 

3. What is your favorite meal to cook?

Smothered chicken...I love it!  I love to cook it, I love to eat it!  Yum!

4. Do you get offended by not receiving thank yous?

Traditional thank you cards...Nope...not at all.  Though if I send you flowers or something, I would like a quick text saying thanks.

5. How did you meet your best friend?

At work.  I was new at an accounting firm, she started a couple weeks after me.  We had the same last name, and were the youngest in the group.  We clicked instantly and have been best buds ever since.  We say we are sisters.  She lives five hours from me, I don't see her nearly enough...but I love her dearly.

Chicken Parmesan Sliders

At the request of a friend, here is "my"(*) recipe for gourmet Chicken Parmesan Sliders!  They are so yummy!

---------

Chicken Parmesan Sliders


Prep and cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic clove(s), finely chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh basil, torn
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 cup panko bread crumbs
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup mixed baby greens
8 dinner roll-sized buns

Directions:
In a small pot with a tight fitting lid, heat olive oil, over medium heat, add garlic and stir 2 minutes, add tomatoes and cover pot, raise heat a bit and cook tomatoes, shaking the pot occasionally, until tomatoes burst, 8-10 minutes. Mash up sauce with wooden spoon and season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Thicken, uncovered for 2-3 minutes, then stir in basil leaves and turn off heat.

Meanwhile, In a medium bowl, combine chicken with thyme and salt and pepper. Form into small patties (2 per serving). In a separate dish, combine breadcrumbs with sesame seeds and Parmesan cheese and parsley. Coat chicken patties in breadcrumbs, gently pressing patties into crumbs to make them stick. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, shallow non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook patties to golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side.

Place a spoonful of ricotta on bun bottom. Top ricotta with some mixed greens, then the patties, add some sauce and bun tops.

(* I have to give credit, where credit is due.  This is not "my" recipe, I got it from http://www.relishrelish.com/)

Slacker

I'm really slacking on this blog!

Happy New Year...

I guess my resolution is to get back to blogging.  Its not only this blog that is behind...you should see the blog about my daughter! 

My other resolution is to start running.  I am planning to run my first 10K on Memorial Day.

We'll see how it goes!

I'll try to document it, and the rest of my mommyhood life here in the near future!