Weekend Recap – Catching Up with Friends

Happy Monday all!

I have to say, this weekend was pretty great! I got to spend quality time with friends, ate well, and actually made some progress on the packing front! Before I jump into my weekend, I just wanted to give you a heads up about the blog. You may have noticed that I did not post on Friday. I felt super guilty about it at first, but realized I didn’t want to write a post if I didn’t have the time to really put it together thoughtfully. Since my personal life and work schedule are just short of ridiculous over the next two weeks, I may not post regularly every day. This is partly to maintain my sanity, as well as to make sure I’m only writing about things I’m passionate about. I just didn’t want you guys to think I forgot about you! Once the big move is over, we’ll be back to daily posts!

On to the weekend…

This weekend was jam-packed busy, which is fairly unusual for me. On Friday, I worked for a few hours before meeting my co-workers at Sushi Morimoto for a farewell lunch. One of my colleagues is leaving for a new opportunity and it’s tradition for our staff to get together for a goodbye lunch. Since I already ate sushi twice last week from TJ’s, I opted for the hanger steak with Asian BBQ sauce, with a salad covered in ginger dressing. No pics, but it was AMAZING! After lunch, we stopped at GiGi’s Cupcakes – I got a Candy Bar cupcake. It was incredibly decadent and worth the splurge!

Friday night I headed over to Heidi’s to catch up a bit and watch the Grey’s Anatomy season finale. Anyone watch? It started off slow, but the ending was definitely a SHOCK (get it?! hehe). We also may have shared a bottle of wine. Que sera, sera!

On Saturday, Charlie woke me up bright and early. After laying on the couch because I was feeling a tad under the weather, I made some breakfast, showered, and headed over to see EG. She turned 5 this week! When I last saw her, she told me she wanted balloons, a Polly Pocket, and a slinkie for her bday. I got it all for her and she was thrilled! We had a great day playing at the park and snuggling.

As a side note, has anyone seen Polly Pockets lately? They’re huge – totally not pocket sized anymore!!

After watching EG, I raced home to clean, walk Charlie, and eat dinner because one of my closest friends from high school, Ashley, was staying the night. Ashley just got her dream job and will be to a different state, so we wanted to see each other before she left. It was just like old times – we snacked on some crab ragoon and watched season 5 of Friends – aka the BEST season of Friends!

“They don’t know that we know that they know we know!!!!”
“The messers become the mesees!”
Anyone know what I’m talking about? Best episode!

Sunday ended up being super productive! After Ashley left, Charlie and I went for a long walk around the neighborhood and then I got to work! I ended up packing almost all of the upstairs – this means that I really only have the kitchen and living room to pack. I’m feeling pretty good about my progress, though emotionally I’m a bit of a wreck and tear up  A LOT every time I think about it. I’m sure it will get easier.

After packing, I pulled out the gift Jessi got me for Christmas. It’s called “Sandy Paws” and it was a kit that helped me make a plaster print of Charlie’s paw. It took a little finesse, since I’m not super crafty, but I think it turned out well. It will be nice to keep a piece of him once he’s gone.

Pretty cool, huh? I’m still working on getting all of the sand off.

Saturday afternoon, Charlie and I hung out on the patio, basking in the sun. I started reading a new book, Falling Into You, today since I finished Silver Linings Playbook yesterday (which I LOVED!). We were out there until it randomly began storming. We then moved into the sunroom and listened to the rain. It was great.

This is a young adult book, but I’m hooked. 

For dinner, I met Heidi at HyVee. Do you guys have HyVee (it’s a grocery store chain)? They just built one on the west side of Madison and it is amazing. We got dinner – Mongolian Beef – at the Chinese buffet then did some shopping. I found this awesome carving of Bucky Badger in cheddar cheese (ONLY IN WISCONSIN!) and was thrilled to find they have an extensive bulk food section. Score!

Go Bucky!

Mmmm, quinoa, oats, granola, and more!

Other than that, Charlie and I spent Sunday night snuggling and watching some TV. I caught up on Scandal and the finale of the Office (haven’t watched the Office in years, but it was a great ending). It felt really good to have a busy weekend in Madison, not rushing to drive back from Milwaukee. Slowly but surely, I’m beginning to feel excited about being in Madison again. I went through a tough time here, but things are beginning to settle down and I’m feeling like this is home.

Your Turn!

• Did you catch up on TV this weekend? See Scandal or The Office? What did you think?
  
• Read any news book lately? Or have you read Silver Linings Playbook?
• Favorite Friends episode?

What’s Best for Me (aka shopping at Trader Joe’s)

Happy Thursday!

First, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone’s kind words yesterday in regards to my struggles with the Self Magazine Drop 10 program. I appreciate your comments, emails, and support! I really have taken what you said to heart – if this is not working for me, then I should not continue. I should focus on what’s best for me and what type of eating and exercise “plan” fits best with my lifestyle.

Sometimes conceding defeat is not failure; rather it’s just recognizing that what works for someone doesn’t work for everyone. And that’s ok!

So after work, I drove over to Trader Joe’s (which wasn’t too hard, since it’s a 30 second drive!) and stocked up on food for the next week or so. I’m pretty proud to say that I bought almost all fresh food and am ready to get back on an eating schedule that works for me.

Mmmm. Arugula, broccoli slaw, butternut squash and tomatoes. I’m definitely going to make my goat cheese and butternut squash recipe again. I’m thinking of using the broccoli slaw on sandwiches. Then there’s the arugula. Full disclosure, I’ve never actually cooked with/included arugula in recipes before. Any suggestions?

Next up, sweet potatoes and avocado in bulk. It was a much better deal, and I could eat both of these every day. Will definitely be throwing some goat cheese on my sweet potato again!

FRUIT! Strawberries and apples. I also bought bananas, but forgot to take a picture of them. Whoops. The apples will definitely be paired with PB or almond butter. Not sure about the strawberries yet…in yogurt or oatmeal, eat by themselves…

 
Frozen fruit. YESSS. I didn’t realize frozen fruit was so affordable at TJ’s. I’m definitely making some tropical smoothies. Might try making some tropical ice cream as well.

Goat cheese. Obviously. If you are a regular reader, you know I’m just a *tad* obsessed. I also picked up a Cilantro and Chive Yogurt dip. I’m really looking forward to trying it! I bought it in place of hummus this week. We’ll see if it’s as good as it sounds!

Bought some pastrami for sammies this week! I’m planning on whole wheat bread, broccoli slaw, avocado, and pastrami. Maybe goat cheese. Full disclosure – I’ve never had pastrami before. I’m hoping it’s as good as I hear it is!

    
Vanilla Greek Yogurt. Has anyone mixed PB2 in vanilla greek yogurt? I assume it will taste fine…

Finally bought almonds to make my own almond butter. WAY TOO EXCITED FOR THIS! Any recipe suggestions? I’ve mostly been told to throw the almonds in my Vitamix and blend. Have you made almond butter?

Pita chips. A must at TJ’s. And they’re only $1.99!

Bought sushi for dinner. I hid it pretty well, but I definitely dug into this for dinner before taking this picture. It was delicious – spicy, fresh, and very filling!

Bought this as a treat, because I love pizza. Apparently it’s made in Italy and imported here. I hope it’s as tasty as it sounds!

Trying these for the first time – dried strawberry fruit strip and an apple strawberry fruit roll up. For around 50 calories a piece, I thought I’d give them a try.

CHOCOLATE! I always buy the 100 calorie milk chocolate bars – it’s a great snack and helps provide me with some portion control. Though I will say, sometimes I have two for a 200 calorie snack. Oh well – you only live once! I also love these small bags of dark chocolate almond toffee – it’s like a little bag of heaven!

And on unrelated note…

I got my first Bulu Box in the mail today. I’m excited to try the goodies I received – I’ll tell you more about it next week after I’ve sampled everything!

You know I NEVER pass up a chance to share a picture of Charlie! We spent all of last night sitting outside, and he looked like such a cutie in the sun, with his Care Bear nearby (he is currently obsessed with Wish Bear and this is the first stuffie he has destroyed!).

Your Turn!

• Have you ever tried a new food or exercise plan and it didn’t work? What didn’t work for you? What changes did you make?
  
• Are you a Trader Joe’s junkie like me? What are your favorite foods to buy there?

WIAW – Self Magazine Drop 10 edition!

Happy Wednesday all! It’s that time of the week – What I Ate Wednesday! Thanks to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting!

As I’ve mentioned, I’m completing the Self Magazine Drop 10 program. The program is designed to help you lose 10 pounds in 5 weeks (which for me, at my weight, I’m not entirely sure will be possible, but am still trying!). The meal plan is to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, each around 400 calories, a snack around 150 calories, and 2oo “free” calories that I get to choose. In addition, there is a workout plan to follow.

I got the meal plan on Sunday and was a little apprehensive, mostly because I didn’t think I would be full on this plan. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to be wrong so far! So, here are my Drop 10 eats from Tuesday.

 

For breakfast, I made the Spiced Apple and Almond Butter Wrap. I sautéed 1/2 an apple in cooking spray and topped with pumpkin pie spice (the recipe said apple pie spice, but I didn’t have any..oh well!). After the apples were done, I spread them on a Trader Joe’s whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter spread on it. This was not only delicious but actually filled me up until lunch – WIN!

For lunch I made the Toasted Roast Beef Sandwich. This may have been the biggest sandwich I’ve ever made. I mashed 1/4 of an avocado with salt and garlic powder and salt and spread it on one slice of toasted Trader Joe’s whole wheat bread. On the other slice of bread, I spread Trader Joe’s chipotle hummus. The sammie filling was spinach, tomato, and 30z of roast beef (I used a little yes). This sandwich was HUGE and delicious. No lie, I’m making it all week for lunch!

For my snack, I mixed Trader Joe’s plain greek yogurt with PB2 and a few chocolate chips. I had never tried PB2, but I think I liked it. It definitely wasn’t peanut butter, but the taste was still there. I only used 1.5 tbs, so it was less than 45 calories. Not too bad for those times I’m craving a peanut butter fix without the calories!

Dinner time! I made the Smoky Paprika Chicken. Full disclosure…I didn’t have any paprika, but it still turned out! In place of paprika, I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic power, cumin, and chili powder – great flavor! I also cut up and roasted 2.5 carrots, which was amazing! The carrots really softened up and almost had a french fry texture – maybe that sounds weird, but it was good – promise! I also had 1/2 cup of brown rice, which I don’t love, but it was filling!

At work, I’m a helping plan a regional conference and as a party favor today, we received these cow cookies. I had to have a bite for dinner…he was delicious! Ha. This pushed me over my “200” happy calories, but in addition to walking Charlie twice, I raked and mowed my lawn, so I feel like I definitely got my cardio in – no guilt here!

In other news, I think a mix of spring/summer has finally made it to Madison (I know I’ve said it before, but I’m becoming more convinced every day). Randomly, these flowers have popped up in my yard and I thought I’d share. They put a smile on my face everything I get home from work!

  

Your Turn!

• Have you ever tried following a meal plan? What did you think? Was it filling?
  
• Have you tried PB2? Thoughts?

Stitch Fix and Self Mag Drop 10 Kick Off!

Happy Tuesday!

About a month ago, I was reading one of my favorite blogs, A Healthy Slice of Life, when Brittany posted about Stitch Fix. What is Stitch Fix? It’s a company that basically provides you with a personal stylist to send you clothing that fits your unique style. Each month (or whenever you need a “fix”), Stitch Fix sends you a box with five items (clothes, accessories, jewelry).

When you sign up, you’re asked to fill out a style profile. It asks for your height, weight, sizes you typically wear, and what style(s) you wear or would like to wear. It also allows you to request what items you would prefer to receive – tops, bottoms, accessories, jewelry…

Well, I couldn’t resist. I basically live in workout clothes outside of work hours and am not exactly the “fashion forward” type, so having someone give me options seemed like a great idea. I signed up and I kind of loved it. Here’s what I got:

Left: Green top, Right: White Top

 
Left: Grey scarf, Right: Dress

Ruffle Top

I’ve got to say – I really loved everything in the box. The items were my style and actually fit! That was actually the biggest surprise – nothing was too small (yay!). That being said, the total cost of the whole box was $202, which I just can’t afford right now (hey, student loan repayment!). So after debating and going through the pictures with my mom and brother (who took the pictures and wanted credit — there you go, Kevin!) I decided to keep the black ruffle top. (Note: My mom was against this choice and whole-heartedly wanted me to keep the white blouse). The ruffle top cost $58, which I think was reasonable (each of the tops were in the $50-$70 range, and the scarf was $38).

If you’re thinking about trying Stitch Fix, I say go for it! It costs $20 to try, and if you keep an item like I did, the $20 is applied to your “fix!” I don’t think I’ll sign up for the “monthly fix” right now, but I’ll definitely get a “fix” again. If you’re interested, I’d appreciate if you used this link to check it out:

http://stitchfix.com/sign_up?referrer_id=3082114

Let me know if you try and what you think of it!

Self Drop 10:

As you may know, I’m starting the Self Drop 10 program in hopes to lose a few more pounds and if I’m successful, I may be featured in Self Magazine! Well, today was the kick off day and so far, I’m feeling good! I’m planning to tell you guys more about the program later this week, but thought I would share some of my eats today.

Full disclosure…I didn’t really adhere to their suggested meal plan,  but did stay within the recommended calorie amount. So what did I eat?

Mmmm. Strawberry banana mango smoothie. I used fresh strawberries and a banana, frozen mango chunks, 1/2 c vanilla yogurt, and 1/2 c skim milk. I was surprised it kept me full until lunch!

For lunch, my dad made us venison loin topped with onions and a side of green beans. OMG. Yum. Just yum.

When I got back to Madison, two Quest Bars were waiting for me. I tried the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar. Per other people’s advice, I threw it in the microwave for 10 seconds. OMG (again)!! It tasted just like a chewy, gooey cookie. At 190 calories and 17 (!!) grams of fiber, I felt pretty good about this. These may become my new afternoon go-to snack!

For dinner, I made myself a wrap. I used Trader Joe’s whole wheat tortilla, TJ’s chipotle hummus, spinach, tomato and TJ’s crumbled goat cheese. It was delicious and only 257 calories! I have to say, the TJ’s whole wheat tortilla was much better tasting than I was anticipating – definitely a pleasant surprise!

In full disclosure, I also ate three Oreos that are not pictures here. It happens…what can I say? I’m human!

Your Turn!

• What are your thoughts on Stitch Fix? Something you would try or not for you?
  
• Any favorite products you buy at Trader Joe’s? I am only doing my grocery shopping there and love their White Bean Basil Hummus, Cookie Butter, and greek yogurt! You?