TWLC3 Update - 4/30

Today is weigh-in day for TWLC3, which I always do in the morning because really, who wants to weigh themself at the end of the day when they are full of food and water? I wasn't expecting a big loss like last week, but I was hoping for something. I lost 1lb. Just one. Hey, it's better than nothing and I think it's enough to keep me motivated.
I am a little confused as to why it's just one because I started working out more and I only had one cheat day, just like last week (I take Friday off to enjoy lunch with my coworkers and dinner with S, but the key is not to go all crazy just because it's a free day). Maybe I was just uber bloated and stuffed for the first weigh in and a 1lb loss per week is probably what I'm more likely to see over the coming weeks.

So from my start weight I'm down 5.26% which is really good! I'll be taking measurements this weekend and will have a comparison next Monday to see if all the toning I've added in has had any effect. I think this week I'm going to up my cardio and see if I can't shed some of this fat.

I'm still liking my eating plan, and for the most part I'm pretty satisfied. I tend to gravitate toward one recipe and make it over and over and get bored, so I'm forcing myself to look at recipes that are different, shrimp for example, so I can hopefully stay on track. I'm also training myself not to binge eat chocolate. I'm buying the good stuff, Ghirardelli & Ritter Sport, and making myself not eat it all at once. Dark chocolate helps. I'm not sure I can resist milk chocoalte just yet. I managed to only eat one serving of the Ritter sport bar yesterday and the Ghirardelli bag hasn't even been opened yet.

I'm going to set some rewards for myself. Big ones. Ones that make me want to lose the weight, make it worth it. I haven't decided everything yet but I do know that little rewards don't work. I've tried that route before. So in addition to the TWLC3 prize, which I'm sure there will be fierce competition for, I'll have my own reward system.

Here's to another week of hard work and hopefully pounds lost!

Sunday's Random Tidbits

Man, it's Sunday evening already!? I'm a little bummed about that.

• We watched Thor yesterday and The Incredible Hulk today, so we're pretty much caught up ready for The Avengers on Friday!
• I managed to NOT buy mascara, lip butter or nail polish at Target today. I was rather impressed with myself. 
• I did buy ALOT of fruit and veggies so I should have no excuse for bad choices. 
• Also bought some new face wash because I keep breaking out, and some new moisturizer since I'm about out of current one. I might go ahead and switch right now because I'm really liking new one. It's Neutrogena oil-free moisture with SPF 15 and I really like the way it smells!
• I picked up some anti-frizz serum from Garnier and it smells like peaches, yum =)
• Ran a virtual 5k yesterday.
• S got an iPad and now I'm kinda wanting one too, even though I have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro. 
• Still addicted to Temple Run. . . must collect all the coinssss
• I'm looking forward to Mad Men in a few hours!
• I can't believe it's going to be May on Tuesday. This year is just flying by.
• Oh, I got confirmation that my citizenship paperwork has been received and then next time I will hear from them will be for my interview. I wonder if that's when I have to take the test too. . .I should brush up on my US government and history. . . 
• I did Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown today. I actually really liked it. She definitely knows how to make you sweat no matter what type of exercise!

Hope you had an awesome weekend and are ready for Monday because it'll be here before we know it!

Virtual 5K

Some of the TWLC3 members did a virtual 5k this weekend. Those of us who wanted to participate just had to say we were in, and report back with our time. I just went to the gym to run mine mainly because I suck at running outside and I'm not completely convinced I live in the safest area.


Anyway. . . I alternated walking and running and was doing really well until about 2.85 when my right knee started to hurt. I was going to ignore it, but thought that might be a bad idea and slowed to a walk. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to finish strong at a run, but the important thing is that I finished right? And that I ran at all, because I just really suck at running and always have. It took me 48:30, so about 15:50 per mile. 


Now I have a time to beat the next time I do this, something to focus on. Yay for everyone who participated! I'm really enjoying the community we have going on. It's really encouraging and helpful. I'm very glad I signed up for TWLC3.

Friday Fun Facts

Happy, happy Friday!!

• I went to check my bank account this morning, as I always do, to survey the state of the finances. I noticed all of a sudden I had 2k avail credit, which is a lot more than the $300 I had yesterday. At first I thought S had made a really large payment. . . then I noticed my credit limit has been increased by $1800!! This does not bode well for my shopping. I realize it's good for my credit, but I like having a low-ish limit. Stops me going crazy.
• My Haute Look package arrives today!
• I have not done so well with my eating this week. I gave in to candy, more candy and some Chick Fil A breakfast. It was delicious, and I won't let myself have another one for awhile. Also, I worked out this AM, so maybe they just cancel each other out?
• I am addicted to Temple Run on my iPhone. ADDICTED. I can't stop playing. I need to beat all objectives, I need to get more coins. I just unlocked the geisha looking character and she's super speedy. It's great. Also a time sucker.
• We watched Iron Man and Iron Man 2 this week, and I really liked both of them! I can't believe I hadn't seen them before.
• I believe we're going to be renting The Hulk and Thor. We have tickets to see The Avengers next Friday, so we're watching all the previous character movies first.
• I'm doing a virtual 5K tomorrow with some of the TWLC3 members. Basically running/jogging/walking with others in spirit :)
• I had sushi for lunch with two coworkers and it was delicious.
• A*D got a new coach purse and I love it. WANT!
• I'm debating if it's pool weather yet. I love using my parents pool because it's private and I'm 100% sure no kids peed in it. I'm just sayin'.

I hope you all have a very awesome weekend!

Book Club Friday - Barbara Marr Mysteries

It's Book Club Friday!

I finished both Citizen Insane and Silenced by the Yams this week! I'm really glad I found this series.

Synopsis:
If you think PTA meetings are boring, then you haven't attended one in Barbara Marr's neighborhood, where MURDER is on the agenda. Always one to stumble into trouble, Barb learns the hard way, that a seemingly innocent yearbook scandal is actually part of a seriously sinister and deadly plot. Join soccer mom and movie lover Barbara Marr in this second laugh-out-loud, chaotic mystery, where high-profile crime and suburban living collide in an unexpected fashion. (Thanks Goodreads!)

My thoughts:
This sequel to Take the Monkeys and Run was a great follow up. There's lots o' drama between the mama's! Throw in Barb's husband still living in a condo with their friend Colt and being seen around town with another woman, one almost dead PTA member, a woman in disguised as a man and you've got some excitement in sleepy Rustic Woods, VA. And lucky for Barb, she's kept her mafia contacts. Another fun easy read in the same tone as the first novel. I still really like Karen Canwell's style - Barbara is a pretty funny character getting into all sorts of shenanigans!


Source

Synopsis:

What’s more chaotic than a house with a canary, two hungry cats, and a yappy poodle with elimination issues? Answer: Barbara Marr on a murder investigation. That’s right, when Barb attends her first movie review screening, film director Kurt Baugh dies within twenty minutes of meeting her. If that isn’t bad enough, her friend, ex-Mafioso, Frankie Romano, is arrested for the murder. In usual Barbara Marr fashion, a whole load of trouble ensues when she seeks to vindicate Frankie of the crime. More laughs, more fun, more Barbara Marr!

This third book in the popular Barbara Marr Murder Mystery Series brings Barb out of the suburbs and into the slimy, urban world of bright lights, nightly news, and drive-by shootings. Luckily, she never loses her sense of humor or her ability to befriend some decidedly quirky characters. (Thanks Goodreads!)

My thoughts:
The third installment of Barbara Marr's crazy life was once again very entertaining. There were two twists I never saw coming, which is always good. Honestly, if Barbara just listened to her husband (who does kinda know best here) she wouldn't end up in these predicaments and almost getting shot, like, twice. I'm just sayin'. It also totally sets up a fourth book, which I will definitely be reading!

Hop over to Heather @ Blonde. . . Undercover Blonde to check out more reviews!

WIAW #17

It's time for WIAW! Breakfast! Protein waffles made with the heart shaped waffle iron from A*D with some banana and mandarin oranges and agave drizzle.

I've been snacking on Larabar's lately. This is the chocolate chip cherry torte, but I also really like the peanut butter chocolate chip one.

I've had this for lunch and dinner this past week: one butter lettuce leaf stuffed with chicken, bell peppers and tomatoes.

Stacy sent me this :) I think it speaks for itself.

Dinner! This dish was supposed to have shrimp, but I'm not a huge shrimp fan nor did I have any in the house, so I subbed chicken. Yellow squash, tomatoes, corn, avocado and chicken tossed in chili pepper and lime juice. A good margarita would be perfect with this :)

That's all for WIAW this week. Make sure to visit Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to check out all the delicious eats from this week!

Hallelujah, we have a tracking number!

It's about time Haute Look shipped my order! Expected delivery of 4/27. But, we all know how much UPS loves me, so I'm not holding my breath.
That's all =)

I'm so smart, you guys. . .

So last night I'm making dinner, cutting up some bell peppers (hence the previous post about the "unidentified object") and chicken using my very sharp knives from Target. So sharp I keep them in the plastic protective cover that I bought them in. So sharp that I probably need adult supervision and my mom would probably lose sleeping knowing how I wield these knives on a daily basis.
I had finished chopping my bell peppers and moved that cutting board and very sharp knife over to the sink and went back to the island to start cutting the chicken on it's own board and with it's own very sharp knife (no food contamination here!). I had my right hand on the handle of the knife, and instead of holding above the plastic, I held below. Aaaaand I ever so lightly slide that very sharp knife right across my skin between my thumb and forefinger. It was like a hot knife through butter. Luckily it wasn't deep, but it stung a little!

See, it's not that bad, but it reminded me why I take such care with these knives and that even the lightest touch can cut my skin and draw blood. Safety first, people!

What IS this?!

I cut open my yellow bell pepper to find this. . .

Is it a seed? A bean? I'm a little concerned that it was growing inside my bell pepper!

Sunday's Random Tidbits

Oh my gosh this weekend went by way too fast!

• I did Jillian's 30 Day Shred Level 1 this morning and it was HARD. 
• I am impressed with myself that I managed to get YouTube to come up on our smart TV with the futuristic remote that S bought months ago that I still have issues with!
• I had a pretty good week eating wise. I did have Gigi's on Friday and some chocolate today, but I don't have that overwhelming feeling to binge on more sugar which I think is process. I also ate some of S's chili cheese fries today, and oh did they not agree with me. I won't be doing that again.
• I bought some 5lb hand weights at Target to use with Jillian's video and my other workout DVD's. 
• I finished two books this weekend, both Barbara Marr mysteries, which I'll be reviewing for Book Club Friday =)
• Stacy sent me a package with yummy foods and a really awesome recipe book for different salads! I'm really excited to create some of them, especially the mango chicken (no it doesn't taste like leaves, Stacy!)
• My paperwork for my citizenship will be submitted on Monday. I'm really excited to get this ball rolling. I got to see my dad's certificate on Saturday and it looks really cool. Can't wait till I get my own!
• I had the worst caffeine headache today. I'm trying to fight it so I'm not dependent on drinking coffee, tea or soda and can just drink it when I choose. 

I'm getting ready to watch Mad Men and go to bed. Gotta get up in the AM and work out! Staying focused on TWLC3 goal =)

Haute Look Purchase

On April 2nd I placed an order for some items that were 50-85% off retail price which I thought was awesome. I guess I wasn't really paying attention to when the shipping dates were, or maybe I thought it wouldn't really be too long of a wait, or maybe they'd ship things early. Whatever I thought, I was wrong.

It's currently 4/22, so 20 days since I placed my order and I'm still waiting for it to ship. Delivery dates are anywhere from 4/24 to 5/2. I'm supposed to receive an email confirmation of shipment and since that has yet to happen I'm assuming it won't be delivered by 4/24. Is it just me or is it a bit crazy to wait one month for delivery or beauty products? That makes me think they didn't even have the items in stock at the time of the sale. It also makes me think twice about ordering from Haute Look. I think I much prefer ideeli because they've had delayed shipment before, but it actually ended up shipping out earlier and it was never one month after purchase.

I'm just impatient and am very much about instant gratification. Amazon Prime is spoiling me. I can wait about a week before I start to get antsy. I mean ground shipping is what? 7-10 business days? I hope the Haute Look package doesn't take that long. I also hope it's worth it. I haven't bought any new beauty products since placing this order! (You'd think I'd have saved some money from that, but somehow, I didn't). I've had so many things to show you in a haul post and have been waiting specifically for this to arrive so I could include it. Anyway, here's hoping it arrives this week!

Friday Fun Facts

Friday! It's pretty dull and dreary here in Dallas, but that's ok because it's Friday and that means two days of sleeping in and no (little) work!

• I pretty much lost my voice this week thanks to the cold/cough I was fighting. I gladly shared my germs with S and we both ended up at the doctor on Tuesday.
• I feel pretty good, just coughing and my voice comes and goes (which made for some interesting meetings yesterday!)
• My dad became a US citizen on Monday =D I shouldn't be too far behind him and I'm very, very excited about it.
• Considering I was ill this week, I was happy that I did two AM workouts. I ended up coming home and taking long naps, but I figured it was ok this week whil I recover ;-)
• I've done really well with my eating - only yesterday lunchtime was questionable when I went out to eat with coworkers and had some chicken tacos with refried beans and rice.
• And the cupcake I had at lunch time, but I will go to the gym when I get home to make up for it (and I'll be good all weekend!)
• I sprayed my face with grapefruit juice while attempting to eat half at my desk.
• I also got cough syrup on my shirt (but you already knew these things if you're my fb friend or twitter follower =D)
• Plans for this weekend include: rest, working out, a trip to Target, reading, and picking up Rik, Tay and Swarley from the airport. They better bring me a present. I requested a coffee mug.

What are you up to this weekend? Hope it's a good one!

Book Club - Take the Monkeys and Run

This week I read Take the Monkeys and Run by Karen Cantwell and this is the first installment in the Barbara Marr murder mystery series. I actually downloaded the third book, Silenced by the Yams, first but decided I wanted to read them all in order.

Synopsis:
Film lover Barbara Marr is a typical suburban mom living the typical suburban life in her sleepy little town of Rustic Woods, Virginia. Typical, that is until she sets out to find the missing link between a bizarre monkey sighting in her yard and the bone chilling middle-of-the-night fright fest at the strangely vacant house next door. When Barb talks her two friends into some seemingly innocent Charlie’s Angels-like sleuthing, they stumble upon way more than they bargained for and uncover a piece of neighborhood history that certain people would kill to keep on the cutting room floor. (Thanks Amazon!)

My thoughts:

I feel like I'm really easy to please because I've liked all the books I've read so far this year and this one was no exception. Barbara is a pretty likable character, just your regular suburban housewife who gets caught up in a real life mafia drama because she was too nosey (just like me!) I found myself laughing out loud a couple times. I personally really like Karen Cantwell's writing style - the book is written in first person from Barbara's perspective and I think Cantwell hit the nail on the head with the self deprecating, humorous narrative. It was a fun and easy read and I liked it so much I immediately paid $3 for the next book, Citizen Insane (and then I'll read my free download - Silenced by the Yams!)

TWLC3 Goals

In some previous posts I mentioned signing up for TWLC3 on That Wife. I need to write my goals down and do regular updates on my progress. There is $500 up for grabs (assuming everyone pays their dues) so with that motivation, along with my new eating plan and the support groups for TWLC on Facebook and Twitter I don't see any reason why I can't lose the weight for good this time.

1. Lose 40lbs. This is to get to that healthy weight per those charts that take your height and determine what weight you should be at. It honestly seems like a real long shot right now, but I've lost 40lbs before (from when I was at my heaviest) so why can't I do it again?
2. Tone up. I want to look fit and  healthy, not all scary and muscle-y. I will take into account that muscle weighs more than fat, so I could look great and weigh more than that "healthy" weight.
3. No more soda. Even diet. The rare occasion is ok, but really it's just fake chemicals I shouldn't put into my body or rely on for a caffeine fix on a daily basis.
4. Limit chocolate intake. This will be really hard for me but I think it's crucial I stop binge eating on chocolate.
5. Early morning works outs 4-5x per week. That will mean 4-5 days a week I'll have two-a-days.
6. Evening work outs 5-6x a week. Even if it's just a 30 minute walk around the block, it's better than nothing!
7. Drink at least 70oz of water daily. I'm usually pretty good about drinking my water so this shouldn't be too hard, especially if I keep it interesting by adding fresh fruit etc.
8. Stay on the clean, healthy eating plan. It's ok to have the occaional slip up, but it needs to be occasional. I will no longer rationalize all my bad food choices.
9. I will keep a record of all my food and drink. I use MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone to keep track. I'm usually pretty good about this too, but I will be extra vigilent and even input my bad choices.
10. Stay positive and be thankful. Keeping a positive attitude should help keep me motivated and being thankful for all the resources I have to help me with this and for the great group of women who are also doing TWLC3. There's really no reason not to succeed!

Those are my goals for now. I will share my progress and probably my measurements once I have my mom bust out her tape measure :) I feel like I have so many places to be accountable that it will continually push me to try. Here we go!

WIAW #16

It's time for WIAW! I've started on a new healthy eating plan, which I will talk about at a future date once I've determined how it's working out for me, but so far so good. And it's a veggie filled plan!



Breakfast was a bowl of overnight oats with some mandarin oranges, shredded coconut and a tablespoon of chocolate peanut butter. So good!

I saw this at Target for half the price of Whole Foods so decided to give the Trilogy flavor a try. It was not at all what I was expecting! I could really taste the ginger and it was fizzy! Pretty good though.

Lunch was a pretty awesome salad: chicken, fruit and veggies!

I took the empty synergy bottle and filled it with water and some fresh strawberries. Fresh berry tasting water!

I had a yummy snack - golden delicious apple with some Justin's chocolate peanut butter.

I made quinoa for the first time mixed with some peas on a bed of baby spinach and cucumber and some chicken for protein =)

And I just have to show you this pizza I got from Pie Five last Friday night because it was so yummy it deserves a mention! It was basically a greek salad on a thin crust pizza - chicken, Kalamata olives, banana peppers, Feta cheese, basil and sundried tomato puree. Delicious. 

I think I managed to get all the monthly challenges completed in this one week! Love your veggies, go green, add an extra serving! Check, check and check!

Remember to go check out Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for more WIAW eats!

Sick

I've been trying to fight off a cold with all my might, but the cold won. Well, actually its a cough now. One of those chest hurting coughs. I'm feeling pretty drained - it's taking all my energy to make it through the work day so I don't even feel coherent enough to post here. I really hope I shake this soon becuase I wanted to get a good start on TWLC3 (That Weight Loss Challenge 3) and new eating plan I started. All get well thoughts and good vibes are appreciated =)

Sunday's Random Tidbits

Happy Sunday! Hope you had a great weekend =)

• I bought a mango at the store, and I'm really not sure what to do with it.
• I had a really sore throat on Friday night and felt like the passage between my nose and throat were blocked, but now it's become a runny nose. It's a really weird sensation and it's made me feel so BLAH!
• I succeeded in staying away from the make-up and clothing sections of Target, woohoo! I decided no more purchases until my Haute Look order is delivered, which is not until 4/24. I'm all about instant gratification and waiting almost a month for order delivery is not ok with me. I don't know if I'll buy from them again.
• Except maybe a maxi dress from Old Navy. Come on, they're like $15!
• I've signed up for TLWC3!
• I've been walking Rik and T's dog, Swarley, since T is out of town and Rik has been working late (it's Tax season). He's the cutest thing, but he doesn't seem to like going very far with me =(
• I'm trying to get on a clean eating regime/lifestyle choice. I apparently eat more chemicalized food than I realized. Yes, I made up a word.
• I've been doing really well not really drinking soda. I think I had one Diet Coke throughout the entire week, and it tasted all the more delicious when I had it! Yes, I realize it's chemicals.
• I had brunch this morning with two college friends at the ever delicious Egg and I. It was so good to see them!! 
• I took two naps today, and it was awesome =)

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Rise and grind tomorrow (Thanks Dolvett!)

Friday Fun Story

Instead of Friday Fun Facts I decided today that I am going to regale you with a thrilling story of how I got locked out on a balcony of a high rise in the middle of a Texas summer.
This was July of 2008 and I had agreed to help my friend from work and take her dogs out to use the bathroom one Saturday morning as she was in El Paso helping her mom move. She was going to be home later that day, but lil Chihuahua's can't hold it for that long. I planned to go over to the apartment in downtown Dallas and then head over to a personal training appointment in Southlake.

I drove downtown and parked in my coworkers spot and headed up to her apartment. First mistake - I left my purse and cell phone in my car. Never, ever, ever go anywhere without your cell phone. EVER. I have never made that mistake again. So I get to the lobby and take the elevator, which will only move if you have the keyfob, up to the 10th floor. I let myself into the apartment and put the keys on the counter. Second mistake - don't ever set your keys DOWN. Always put them in your pocket, or keep ahold of them. ALWAYS.

I saw the dogs were on the balcony and instead of letting them in and chasing them around to get the leash on, I went out onto the balcony and the door closed behind me. I got the dogs on their leashes, turned around to go back into the apartment and the handle wouldn't move. Almost immediately it dawned on me that I was locked out here because the same thing had happened to our friend awhile ago when we were hanging out over there, but someone immediately let him back in. So I was stuck. On a balcony. On the 10th floor. It was about 7am and already getting hot. I'll admit, I panicked a little. Ok, alot. I started freaking out thinking I would be stuck on this balcony until this afternoon in the hot hot Texas heat until my friend came home and let us in. No food, no water, two dogs who needed the bathroom. . . 

Then I noticed a small window to the side of the balcony that led back into the building so I pushed it up and it opened! So I climbed through into a room with pipes and found I would be able to get back inside the building and I was just praying that I had left the front door open. . . but I hadn't. I tried to get the dogs over the window sill and to come downstairs with me but the little one was too scared and wouldn't jump over. I honestly did not know what to do.

I decided I should go downstairs and try to find someone to help me, even though once I went down, I wouldn't be able to go back up. I shut the window and left the dogs on the balcony and went downstairs. I ran all over the lobby, I ran to my car and tried to break into it (no luck), I ran to the pool, I went to the closed office and I eventually just ended up in the lobby waiting by the elevators and about to cry.

Just as I'm about to have a breakdown, a woman walked into the lobby. I all but accosted her as I start babbling with tears running down my face and I probably made NO sense whatsoever. She tried calling the building maintenance but no one answered. We talked for a few minutes and then she decided to just give me her phone to use while I resolved the issue at hand. She is a nurse and had just got home from the night shift, so obviously exhausted and wanting to get away from me ;-) We went up the elevator together so I could check on the dog and know where to return the cell phone (she lived on the same floor!) and then I headed back to the lobby.

I called my mom. I called my friend. I called the building office. I called my trainer to cancel because I was way late at this point. I called and called and called and finally! Someone who worked in the office and lived in the building got in touch with me and would be coming down to talk to me. It was closer to 8am at this point. We went and sat in the office and waited for the manager to come as the overnight guy wasn't authorized to let strangers into the apartment without talking to my coworker. There was alot of waiting and round about stuff and honestly I don't know why he couldn't have just come up there with me, seen the keys, seen the dogs, made sure I didn't steal anything, oh! and see the picture of me and the resident on her table. . . which is what ended up happening about an hour after that.

I grabbed my keys, and grabbed the dogs and took them out to go potty. Poor things! I returned the phone to the life saver nurse, put the dogs in the bathroom and left so fast! So, luckily I didn't end up trapped and dead on a balcony, but now that I think about it, this isn't my first time being trapped on a balcony. Perhaps this is a sign to stay indoors. Or take keys everywhere.

Book Club - Wannabe Spy Club

Here's what I read this week!

Source

Synopsis:
Meet Leslie, Dale, Jazz and Vivica: Four best friends use the skills they learn from their favorite spy shows and impromptu spy lessons to find love and bring down their enemies.

Sometimes when you date someone, you have to date their friends as well.

But Leslie Mason isn’t ready to date. Her life has been in limbo since the night her parents died, and she’s spent the last five years raising her teenage sister, Amanda. All she really wants is to see her sister settled safely at college. As far as Leslie’s concerned, living like a nun is no big deal – after all, who needs a man when you have three best friends like the other members of The Wannabe Spy Club? Their mission: to learn everything they believe spies would know. If that means watching every spy show ever made, shooting guns, riding motorcycles, or even pole dancing, they’re all in. Therefore, Leslie sees no compelling reason to add a man to the mix... until she meets the oh-so-tempting, tattoo-covered, Harley-riding mechanic, Jack Bradley (click the picture source link for the full synopsis). 


My thoughts:
I downloaded this because it was a free Kindle book and I'm really glad I did because I thought this book was great! It really didn't have anything to do with spies, but the girls do use spy gadgets and tips picked up from watching spy shows to save one of their own. One of the main story lines revolves around one of the Wannabes, Leslie, and Jack, a nice mechanic who is head over heels for her. The other main story line is about Leslie's younger sister, Amanda, and the problems she gets herself into by being rebellious and acting out. She gets herself into trouble with a gang member, and that's where the Wannabes and their spy stuff comes in. There were some pretty hot and heavy scenes between Jack and Leslie, but I guess that's why it's a romance novel! This was such a fun, easy read I just couldn't put it down - read it in about half a day. 

Be sure to check out Heather @ Blonde. . . Undercover Blonde for more!

WIAW #15

Happy Wednesday. It's WIAW time!

I made some overnight oats for breakfast, but omitted the greek yogurt since I was out of it and didn't have a choice. I topped it with some Justin's honey peanut butter and a bit of Bear Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch granola. I also had a cappuchino k-cup which was delish and hazlenutty!

I have two lunches to show you! One is a sausage sandwich in a whole wheat pita with ketchup. My mom cooked up some English sausages on Easter and I got to take home the leftovers! I love these and it was the perfect light lunch.

The second lunch I want to show you is my left over seared ahi tuna plate from Yumi To Go. The tuna was seared with a blackened pepper crust and on a bed on soba noodles with some mushrooms and cucumber. I added some extra cucumber (not pictured). YUM!

I found these Justin's bars at Whole Foods, and it's an imitation snickers bar! Pretty good, but I might like the peanut butter cups a bit more.

For dinner I had had a left over taco burger on a whole wheat bun from my mom's Easter feast.

Side dish of pasta salad - pasta, sun dried tomatoes, bell peppers, olives and feta. SO GOOD!

S took me out for dessert one night to marble slab. You're looking at a small cup of Amaretto with white chocolate chips. It was delicious!

Don't forget to check out Jenn @ Peas and Crayons and check out what everyone else is eating!

Some neurons just weren't firing. . .

I wanted to know how much my camera weighed so when I took a picture of the scale, I could subtract the weight of the camera and know my actual weight. I tried placing my camera on the bathroom scales and it wouldn't register, so I got a little bummed out and then just decided oh well, 1-2lbs doesn't matter than much.
No, it did not occur to me to weigh myself without the camera (which would have solved the problem all together) and then weigh myself WITH the camera and subtract.

The Fog Yesterday

If you look to the left of the stop light, my office should be there. But, Fog.

American Reunion

We went to the matinee showing of American Reunion at the movie grill on Saturday.

Source

I really like these movies. I've seen all of them in the theaters except the original American Pie, because I was too young when it came out (and I didn't realize that until right now, lol)! Anyway, I enjoyed this fourth installment of American Pie. All the original cast is back getting into all new predicaments. It was really funny, as it should be. Stifler is still the complete jerk he's always been, Oz is still in love with Heather, Kev seems to be the same, Finch is still trying to be all cool and mysterious and Jim is the same sweet guy who is trying to do the right thing but still ends up in a problematic situation.

It's funny and fun and worthy of being a piece of the American Pie series =) If you're an American Pie fan I think you'll enjoy the movie.

Fadi's Mediterranean Restaurant

Would you believe I didn't take a single picture? Bad blogger!!

I went to Fadi's on Thursday with my brother and his girlfriend for dinner. I had said next time they go to let me know because I've really been wanting to try the Greek and Mediterranean restaurants around town and S is a pretty basic meat and cheese eater. I've heard lots of good things about this place and it lived up to all of them!

It's kind of a buffet - you go in and pile your plate with the different hummus flavors - they had regular, spicy, a green one and baba ganoush - and salads galore. Then you go and order a meat dish and a side. I had a beef gyro and some lemon herb potatoes. It came with a yogurty-cucumber sauce which was yummy. All dishes come with one free fresh pita. The reason I say "kind of" a buffet is that I'm not sure you can go back for more hummus and salad without paying again? I haven't quite got it figured out yet.

I was so full from eating the delicious hummus and salads that I could barely eat half of my gyro. Leftovers! It was still yummy for dinner the next day =) I will definitely go back here, although perhaps remember that my eyes are bigger than my stomach at a buffet. . !

Sunday's Random Tidbits - Easter Edition

Happy Easter you guys! Or Happy Sunday if you don't celebrate Easter

• I cannot express how much I am looking forward to a Chick Fil A chicken biscuit on Monday morning. Not only because I gave it up for Lent but because I am only allowing myself ONE and then I'm focusing hard core on being healthy.
• I'm going over to my parents today and my mom is cooking burgers on the grill. Not really your traditional Easter feast, but I've really been craving a good burger and hers are the best. And I'm sure she'll have some awesome side dishes too, yum yum!
• Some of my clothes have been feeling a little tight, and it's really disheartening to notice that so that's one reason why I really need to buckle down.
• Another reason is that my short jeans tore between the thighs so I've had to quit wearing them and I really refuse to buy another pair of "large" jeans. 
• I'm excited to try all the coffee flavors in my giant sample pack - there are some real serious lookin' ones in there. . .
• I'm getting really for the items I purchased on Haute Look on April 2nd. I think delivery dates of 4/24 - 5/2 is just craziness! Don't these people know I have a haul post to write ;-)
• I really need to get back to saving more than I'm spending - I would like several expensive items, and well, if I don't save up I can't buy them!
• I brought my work stuff home and I really did intend to get some stuff done and it just never happened. . . boo. I just can't bring myself to do work on the weekends unless it's necessary, which it really wasn't. 

Who's ready for Monday? I think I'm gonna take a three-four day weekend soon because these two day ones just aren't cutting it for me!! Hope you have a great Easter/Sunday =)

This is what 70 k-cups looks like

Yum!

Friday Fun Facts

I say this almost every week, but Friday, I love you. You are my second most favoritist day =)

• Happy Easter weekend everyone!
• This means I can eat fast food again!
• But I'm going to try not to.
• Except for Chick Fil A, because I can't resist the delicious warm moist chicken on either a warm buttery biscuit or bun. YUM! The only thing that sucks is that they are closed on Sunday so I have to wait a whole extra day!
• I want to see American Reunion. Might try for a matinee showing.
• Did anyone watch Scandal? Thoughts?
• I painted my nails this AM and then realized I had to go to the bathroom and my bangs were starting to itch my nose so I had to use a pen to move them out of the way #firstworldproblems
• My mom has Easter Eggs for us which I can't wait to devoure. Love Cadbury's chocolate!
• I'm really excited about all the books I downloaded to my Kindle lately. I'm branching out from my usual authors and I've found some gems.
• It was one of my bff's birthday yesterday and my package for her actually arrived on time!! I'm so happy she liked everything =D I love giving presents.
• I failed pretty miserably at going to the gym or working out this week, so I'm going to make an extra effort to do that tonight and this weekend.
• My Amazon package with 70 k-cups arrivied today! There were alot of different ones from the last sample pack so I'm looking forward to trying them!
• I bought some stuff from Haute Look earlier in the week and I'm dying for it to be shipped out already! I don't understand why it takes so long. Their estimated delivery date was like 4/24 - 5/3. Why so long!?

I hope everyone has an awesome Easter weekend!

Book Club - I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can

This week I read:

Synopsis:

Barbara Gordon's groundbreaking memoir tells the extraordinary story of a woman who has it all, or thinks she does--a career as an Emmy-award-winning documentary producer, a man she loves, a world of friends, and a beautiful apartment in Manhattan. But beneath the fascade, Barbara's life is spinning out of control. In spite of the pills prescribed by her doctor, a nameless terror disrupting her daily life intensifies until she is besieged by crippling anxiety attacks. A formerly strong, independent, successful woman, Barbara's life becomes a nightmare of paralysis and fear.

When Barbara finds herself unable to leave her apartment or walk the streets of New York alone, she decides to take charge of her life. She doesn't want pills, she wants answers. Instead of ending her fears, quitting the medicine leads to the unraveling of what she thought was her perfect life, and Barbara becomes a casualty of a flawed and inept mental health system. Barbara had often spoken for the voiceless in her films, but she suddenly finds herself powerless, without a voice of her own. Though she feels frightened and misunderstood, the tenderness and love of another young patient, Jim, helps Barbara rediscover her voice and her identity. (Thanks Amazon)

My thoughts:
I bought this book because it was the 99 cent Kindle deal of the day. I thought it would be a little interesting but I never thought I'd be so captivated by it! I read half the book in one night and I'm finding it hard to put down. It's heartbreaking yet hopeful. I felt for Barbara (I'd call her a character, but since she is real that feels wrong) and I just wanted her to get help and get better and beat the demons she was fighting. As for the boyfriend who was so cruel and unkind. . . I just can't believe someone would treat a person they loved in that manner. This is not the kind of book I usually go for, but I'm glad I branched out.

Go check out Heather at Blonde. . . Undercover Blonde for more!

WIAW #14

Welcome to another edition of WIAW!I finally did it! I made overnight oats! I used a recipe from Julie at PB Fingers (although that might be slightly too much chia seed for me. . .) and I'm happy to report that I like it! Especially with a blob of chocolate peanut butter in the middle! This really kept me full all morning long.

Luuunch - this reminds me of meals I ate as a kid in England - beans on toast! And I threw in a turkey dog for added deliciousness! All on a toasted bagel thin.

This week I decided to give Zevia a try. This is soda sweetened with stevia so no calories! I don't usually drink regular cola but this was pretty good, and hey! no calories!

I also found Justin's Peanut Butter Cups - totally just as good as Reeses, if not more delicious. Unfortuntely the price tag is a little steep, so these will be a special occasion splurge. YUM!

For dinner I wanted some major veggies and protein. I decided to do some chicken skewers - chicken breasts, yellow and red bell peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and pineapple. I made 6 skewers total and got 5 meals out of it!

I toasted a pita and squirted some ketchup on my plate. This was so yummy. I love healthy dishes that are so good and good for you, like this one. I need to add this to my meal rotation.

Don't forget to check out Jenn @ Peas and Crayons and check out what everyone else has been eating!

Happy WIAW!

Hey, I shrunk my cardigan

Boo.

Zoned Out

My hair stylist has moved salons from Southlake to North Richland Hills. Either way it's a trek for me, but NRH is slightly farther. I ran a couple errands before hitting the highway. I know these highways pretty darn well so I didn't really even need the map and instructions I printed out. So I'm driving. I think the radio was on, but not too loud because it doesn't even get loud.
The next thing I know, I realize I'm somewhere I don't particularly recognize. I've driven the length of 12, so I kinda knew where I was, but I knew it wasn't where I wanted to be. When I saw the signs for I30 I knew I'd gone too far. I had wanted to exit on 183 and head west. I tried to exit for I30 and make a big loop around, but would you believe I missed the dang exit!! I took the next immediate exit and U-turned. As I'm driving back and I see the exit for 183, I looked around. This was the exact point where my brain had switched from auto-pilot to "where am I?"

I think that's kinda crazy that my brain knew to wake me out of my zone because I'd taken a wrong turn. I don't know what I was thinking about and I know it's bad to zone out, but wow the human brain is kinda cool =)

Hello Kitty Cupcakes

I made these Hello Kitty cupcakes with a receipe from SkinnyTaste that I pinned on Pinterest and the cupcake maker A*D gave me for Christmas. I'd been dying to see how this cupcake maker worked!

Above shot.

The ingredients: 1 box of cake, one diet soda, two egg whites.

Ya'll, I have never separated eggs before. Look how perfectly I did it! (I then cooked the eggs for my dinner =D)

I hand beat them since I don't have a fancy mixer and it was too much effort to get out the hand whisk. Good work out for my arms!

I sprayed the inside so the batter wouldn't stick, then dropped a spoonful into each hole and closed the lid.

I accidentally put too much in at one point, and it started to overflow! Oops!

The platter of finished Hello Kitty cupcakes

Close up!

This was fun for me, so I'm sure it would be fun for young girls (and maybe boys?!) Just a quick and easy batter that allowed me to experiment with the cupcake maker.