Smile!

My post-run breakfast made me smile today :)

Whole wheat English muffin, blackberry jam, and a bananna :)

Monday Meal Plan

Well, my menu plan for last week pretty much went by the wayside.

Here was the plan....

Monday - I'm going to put my hubby to work and make him grill something yummy- his choice! Maybe I'll make some Roasted Broccoli or Herb Roasted Vegetables to go with whatever he makes. Rain made this idea fall to the side.  Instead we just ate some Tuna Salad sandwiches.
Tuesday - Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad We did manage to have this on the correct night. 
Wednesday -My favorite meatloaf, shells and cheese, leftover roasted broccoli (if there is any!) Hubby had to go to work early so it was just going to be me, and I ate some leftovers that were in the fridge.  A bit of a CORN night.
Thursday - Rehearsal Dinner for a wedding that my husband is in. The groom's parents had lasagna, salad, breadsticks...and quatro leche cake...FOUR milks...YUMMO
Friday - Wedding Day! Reception will be our dinner! Mmmmm  Herb Roasted Chicken, Veggies, Mashed Potatos, and White Chocolate Mousse Wedding Cake.
Saturday - Cheesy Crock pot Chicken, green beans Got home later than we planned...Driving all day to get home, too sleepy to cook!
Sunday - Hubby treated me to my favorite -- OLIVE GARDEN!!  :)

Perhaps we'll do better this week! I shouldn't have to do much grocery shopping as I have most of what I planned for last week!

Monday: My Favorite Meatloaf, green beans
Tuesday:  Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken, green beans
Wednesday: CORN/fend for yourself
Thursday: Broccoli, Ham, and Cheese casserole
Friday: Breakfast for dinner - omlets, english muffins, turkey bacon
Saturday: Zesty BBQ Chicken sandwiches, baked beans
Sunday: Hamburgers, Cucumber salad

I WON I WON I WON

I feel like one of the Miss USA winners....shaky hands covering my face, mouth open wide in disbelief, tears streaming down my face smearing my mascara...

OK, so maybe I'm not quite THAT excited.  But I am pretty darn excited.

I won a free pair of Yurbuds Earbud Enhancers for Hubby from Lacy!

It's the first ever giveaway that I've won from a blog :)  ::doin' the happy dance::

Thanks Lacy!!

What are Yurbuds?  Well since you asked... They are custom fitted earbud covers.  Guaranteed not to fall out of your ears while you run, jump, sweat, or are otherwise active.  Many people have trouble with standard earbuds, because, well, ears don't always come in standard sizes.  For example, Lacy's ears are small and my husband has larger than average ears.

How did I win?  I'm so glad you asked!  I won because I apparently made Lacy laugh.  I know, shocking, right?

To quote her quoting me,

"She entered on her husband's behalf and had the most comical quote describing his frustration.

'(He refers to his head as a taxicab with the doors open, calls his ears his satellites and explains that this is why he works at NASA...if he doesn't laugh at himself everyone else would).'

I laughed all week at the imagery and felt bad for my fellow struggler on the opposite end of the ear size battle."

So, in a nutshell (Help me, help me, I'm in a nutshell and I can't get out!), I won by making fun of my husband's ears.  Hey, it's nothing he hasn't said about himself.  I only quoted him :)

All we have to do is take a picture of one of his satellites..er...ears, with a quarter next to them in order to get this great gift.  So this afternoon I took said picture of my husband's ear.

Getting him to lay down was easy.  convincing him to let me take a picture of a quarter next to his ear without telling him why...that was a little more challenging.  "You're trying to prove how big my ears are aren't you?  Who were you making fun of my ears with, huh?"  LOL  (He said it while laughing, not in anger or annoyance...he knows I'm up to something but I won't tell him what!)

He never (OK, rarely) reads my blog so he probably won't know that they are coming until they are here.  Guess he should read my posts a little more often huh?  he he he (I love you, Baby!)

10 on 10 - July

I have some great photos to share of the wedding I attended...but I can't   :(  For some reason, when my computer got recovered from whatever alien life form took it over a few weeks back, certain things stopped working on it.  One of those seems to be my card reader so I can't load my pictures from my camera onto the computer.  So in order to keep up with the 10 on 10, I will post some of the pics from my phone.  I'm not sure if I have 10 or not...  lets see....

1.

"Mommy and Daddy get chicken and wedding cake, and all I get is a bottle??"

2.

Table runner pattern - it matches my blog!!

3.

Daddy and his little girl - dark and fuzzy due to the lighting

 so I turned it B&W hoping to make it look better.

4.

OK, I didn't take this, but it was taken with my phone --

Does that count?  lol

5.

The precious flower girl

6.

Hubby's boutonniere

7.

The table cloth and the bottom of my glass - not sure how

 I took this.  I think it was an accident ha ha!

8.

The best of friends already! 

9.

The Groom and his groomsmen (Hubby is far right)

10.

Wish this sign worked at home too...

OK, I did manage to get 10 on 10 today :)  Sorry they are crappy quality... the glory of the camera phone :) Hopefully by next month I'll have this problem figured out and will have better pictures.

Fitness Friday #4

This week's weight
(Done on Wednesday morning.  I knew Thursday morning would be crazy hectic trying to get everyone and everything ready to leave, and I wasn't sure if the hotel gym would have an accurate scale for me to weigh this morning --Does Running around crazy getting everyone ready to go count as a "run" for Thursday?)

196.4

::sigh::  I think this number is stalking me.  I may need to get a restraining order!

Dear 196,
GET AWAY FROM ME AND STAY AWAY FROM ME! My friends in the 180's are waiting for me!


Last week's goals:

• Run at least twice.  **Doing the happy dance and patting self on the back!**  I ran my scheduled C25K runs M/W/F (Friday on the treadmill at the hotel) PLUS an extra run with Hubby on Tuesday. That makes 4 runs this week!  DOUBLE what my goal was. We also walked with Baby Girl several times this week as well.
• Log my food for the days that I am home, and be mindful of what foods I choose and how much I eat while we are gone. I logged Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday at home.  I also (on my phone) logged a good portion of Thursday and today. 

2 for 2!  Go me! :)

Evaluation:
:( I did an extra day of cardio but it seems as though I still didn't lose.  I had a particularly high sodium count on Tuesday before weighing Wednesday morning so perhaps that had something to do with the weight - maybe I'm retaining some water?

:)  I feel great about being able to get in the extra run, and it was extra fantastic that I could do the run with my hubby (who it seems I rarely get to do much with other than errands or daily chores).

:) I'm glad I was able to log fairly consistently because, as I was hoping it would, it made me aware that there may be an issue that I need to look at as far as what I'm eating rather than just how much.


This week's goals:

1. Run 3X's this week. Week 6 of C25K :)
2. Take my multivitamins DAILY! I keep forgetting to take my vitamins...argggghhhhh.  Gotta get back into the habit of taking them.
3. Log my food. I've noticed the few days that I have logged that I've had quite a bit of sodium.  I want to reevaluate the sodium after this week to see if it really is a problem that I need to tackle.

If you are making an attempt to be healthier, how are you doing on your goals?

10 on 10 - July

I recently came across a blog that asks it's readers to take photos on the 10th of every month and post 10 of them.  Sounded like so much fun that I couldn't pass it up! I decided that I would actually take the photos on the 9th and post them by the 10th because I know that I'm more likely to get to them posted the day or so after than the actual day I take them.

This is the perfect month for me to start because Hubby and I have a wedding to go to tonight so I should get some GREAT photos to post tomorrow!

Story Pyramid of ME

I was looking through various blogs the other day and saw one whose description mentioned that every life is a story waiting to be told.  Hmm...a story huh?

So the teacher in me came out in full force... I often used a Story Pyramid to help my older students remember a story we've read.

Here is the Story Pyramid of my life:

Nicole

caring, Christian

always near water

What's this life about?

Raised in very small town.

Married a friend from high school.

Masters Degree in Special Ed and Reading

Beautiful healthy baby girl, what more is needed?

That was kind of fun!  I think (if I ever teach older kids again that is) that I may have them do a story pyramid of their own life at some point in the year! :)

 **Putting this safely into my "teacher bag" to be pulled out if/when needed**

It was kind of hard to determine what to put in and what to leave out when you are limited on words and lines.  For instance...where do I put my running?  I decided that my running wasn't as important to me as the others so that's why I left it out...although it is important to me.  Decisions decisions!

What's your story about?  What would your pyramid look like?

Menu Planning Monday

Lets see how close I can get to following my plan this week....

Monday - I'm going to put my hubby to work and make him grill something yummy- his choice!  Maybe I'll make some Roasted Broccoli or Herb Roasted Vegetables to go with whatever he makes.

Tuesday - Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

Wednesday -My favorite meatloaf, shells and cheese, leftover roasted broccoli (if there is any!)

Thursday - Rehearsal Dinner for a wedding that my husband is in.

Friday - Wedding Day!  Reception will be our dinner!

Saturday - Cheesy Crock pot Chicken, green beans

Sunday - CORN*

Lunches are usually me on my own so, for the exception of Thursday and Friday which will probably be lunch out at a restaurant since we will be at a hotel, I will probably grab leftovers, a sandwich, or something light like a salad. 

Also...Did you notice the Dailymile.com widget on the left hand side yet?  You can see my latest workout and stats :)  COOL!!

OrgJunkie has more recipes/menus to look at, and all of my recipes are always found HERE


*Clean Out the Refrigerator Night

Defining "Freedom"

According to Dictionary.com, "freedom" is defined as:

free·dom   /ˈfridəm/   –noun
1. the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint: He won his freedom after a retrial.
2. exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
3. the power to determine action without restraint.
4. political or national independence.
5. personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery: a slave who bought his freedom.
6. exemption from the presence of anything specified (usually fol. by from ): freedom from fear.
7. the absence of or release from ties, obligations, etc.
8. ease or facility of movement or action: to enjoy the freedom of living in the country.
9. frankness of manner or speech.
10. general exemption or immunity: freedom from taxation.
11. the absence of ceremony or reserve.
12. a liberty taken.
13. a particular immunity or privilege enjoyed, as by a city or corporation: freedom to levy taxes.
14. civil liberty, as opposed to subjection to an arbitrary or despotic government.
15. the right to enjoy all the privileges or special rights of citizenship, membership, etc., in a community or the like.
16. the right to frequent, enjoy, or use at will: to have the freedom of a friend's library.
17. Philosophy . the power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without; autonomy; self-determination. Compare necessity ( def. 7 ) .
 
My church has a sign up this week that states "Real freedom comes in God's love."

 
That will make you stop and think!

I am free to do His will.  I am free to give myself wholly to Him.  I am free to follow His commands.

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:34-35 NASB

 
Even if we had to live in times of Christian persecution, no one has the ability to take away our faith.  God gives us that freedom.  Others may be able to gain control of other aspects of my life, but that is one that no one can control.

A man in my Sunday School class does a prison ministry.  He commented once before that some of "his guys" have more freedom where they are than some people who are out walking around.  That is because "his guys" that he ministers to have found a true relationship with Christ and are free in His love, even if they are not physically free to walk among the populace yet.
 
Often, when I think of freedom, my first thought naturally goes to my husband and the brave men and women who are serving with him.  Sailors, Marines, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and all Law Enforcement help protect and fight for our freedom; physical freedom as well as freedom from fear of attack or persecution. 

Freedom isn't something that can be summed up or have a finger pointed at it and pronounced "THAT" is freedom.  It is something one feels in his/her heart and soul.

Thank you to all military and law enforcement agents who keep me physically free...

Thank you to God for giving me REAL freedom :)

We throw away things that people kill each other over...

A few days ago My husband and I watched "The Book of Eli."  In this movie, the world is a totally different place that where we live today.  The ozone layer is so thin that the sun will blind you if you are not wearing sunglasses, there is little to no water, people have very little, and education is not a priority.  The Bible and religion is lost. 

One of the quotes from the movie got me thinking.  Well, actually, many things made me think about my spiritual life, but this one in particular made me think about my physical life and the things I have or think I need.

A young girl was asking Eli what it was like before and he replied, "We threw away things that people kill each other over now."

It made me think about all the excess in my life.  What do I really need, what is just junk, wasting space, cluttering up my house/mind/soul?

One of the biggest recurring arguments that Hubby and I get into is over clutter and cleaning up.  I don't like clutter, he doesn't seem to see it.

After thinking about it for a while, I decided that we do have too much stuff.  Less stuff = less clutter = less arguing for Hubby and I = even happier Hubby and I.  Sounds logical, right?

So I am slowly going through the house and looking at everything we own and asking myself  "Do I really need it?  When is the last time I used it?  Do I have a plan to use it in the near future? Does it work? Do I have space for it"  All excess is being dealt with (donated/given away/recycled/ etc.). 

We've taken bags of clothes to the Salvation Army, a box of "decorative knick-knacks/junk" to a friend who was having a charity garage sale, and even emptied our pantry (are we REALLY ever going to eat this?  If not, it went to our church for the food pantry).

Ironically, one of the biggest excesses we have is...MOVIES!  We have an entire bookshelf filled with DVD's plus the two DVD cabinets that are on our entertainment center!  Now, most of these movies were bought, and watched, by the Hubster himself so I don't want to just go in and assume that he doesn't watch a movie enough to warrant keeping it...so I'm attempting to get Hubby to discern that for himself.  It's slow going! HAHA  I love him! :)

The movies that I have chosen to keep are: The Princess Bride (my all time favorite movie), Chronicles of Narnia, Chicago, all of the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Twilight series, and of course my Audry Hepburn movies for a total of about 20 movies.  Yes, I know.... I don't NEED movies for my survival, but we aren't going that far (yet). 

So my question of the day is...What are your favorite movies that you couldn't part with?  If movies aren't your thing, then what TV shows, books, or whatever?