Everyday…

This morning when I started my day I read a quote online that I decided would be my mantra for the day…

“Every day may not be a good one, but there’s something good in every day.”

I especially remembered that quote on my 1.5 hour commute into Cleveland in the pouring rain through 10 zillion accidents.   Why do people drive like assholes when there is rain/snow/ice on the road?  I drove nice and slow the whole way while numerous people beeped/flipped me off/tried to run me off the road:(!

But I remembered…

“Every day may not be a good one, but there’s something good in every day.”

When I finally got downtown the rain stopped and the sun came out and the ended up being quite beautiful:)!   Since my work day started at 5am this morning due to a health screening I wrapped things up around 2pm and headed back home.  I cleaned the house, did a ton of laundry and then starting planning a delicious dinner for Mike and I!

I have been SO hungry for Mexican food and cornbread so I hit the recipe websites to look for a delicious EASY recipe.  And boy did I find a hit!

Let me first confess that, that is not my picture we gobbled it up to quickly to take a pic!  So tonight for dinner we had Quick Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas.  This recipe ROCKS and is so easy!  I made the recipe healthier by using fat free cream of chicken soup, reduced fat mexican shredded cheese, and low carb tortilla shells.  I also cut the recipe in half since it was for just Mike and I.  But it was FILLING!  As a side I made a special corn bread treat that Mike and I LOVE but never ever get.

If you have never had the pleasure of sweet corn cake do yourself a favor and TRY some, OMG it’s the bomb.com!  I used light butter and only used half of what the package calls for.  All in all tonights dinner was a grand slam, Mike and I both loved it and were stuffed!

After we cleaned up dinner together we decided to head to the metro park and go for a hike/walk.  We did a new trail along with the regular trail we hike and ended up doing 3.25 miles total.  It was beautiful night and we both agreed it felt nice to walk off our dinner!

However your day was today remember…

“Every day may not be a good one, but there’s something good in every day.”

Things that made my day good were… surviving morning rush hour, the sun coming out, cooking a delicious dinner, spending time laughing and talking with my husband, hiking and enjoying the great outdoors!

Yea!!! Zzzzz….

Good news!  Mike and I got the cabin the weekend we wanted in October:)!!!  So even though we will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary alittle late it will be a lot of fun!

Work this week is SLOW which is a-ok with me because shit is going to hit the fan in September!  Over my lunch break I did all of our yard work… (this picture is to good to NOT post)!

Since today is Tuesday it means it’s a bootcamp day.  Since we do a lot of strength training and not a ton of cardio in class, I left the house extra early and stopped at one my favorite close metro parks and went on a quick 2 mile hike before class.  I was nice and sweaty when I got to class tonight but only 4 people (including me) showed up… there are 15 people signed up!  Class tonight was very different we had 6 different stations set up and each one resembled and outdoor yard activity:

Station One)

Push a wheel barrel with tons of soil in it around an obstacle course for 1 minute.

Station Two)

Pull a long heavy rope with a 25 pound kettle bell tied to the end, down a field for one minute.

Station Three)

There were cones set up at each end of the field and we had to dead lift and pick a bag of soil up, carry it the other side then set down and repeat for one minute.

Station Four)

We had to swing a large heavy sledge hammer over our head and slam it on a giant tire and repeat for one minute.

Station Five)

We used a thatching rake in the field for one minute.

Station Six)

We had to dig a hole for a minute.

We repeated this three times total.  Like I said this class was very different but kicked my ass all the same!  So after the yard work, hiking and bootcamp and I am beat!

 

 

Perfect…

Todays weather was PERFECT!  I had all the windows open in the house and a such cool breeze was blowing in that I was wrapped up in a blanket working most of the day!  Fall will be here before we know it and although I am NOT looking forward to winter I LOVE fall!

 

Since it was so nice out Mike and I decided to meet after he got off of work and go for bike ride.  We met at a trail about 20 minutes from our house.  We rode around 5.5 miles on a pretty difficult trail (we mountain bike) and then we enjoyed dinner!  I made a picnic:).

Mike and I decided on our bike ride tonight we are just going to go out for a romantic dinner for our 1 year anniversary on Sept. 4th.  And then in late October we are going to get a cottage in Hocking Hills for a weekend:)!!!  Hotels are ridiculously expensive over a holiday weekend and going in October we will get to see the beautiful fall colors in the hills!  And it will be nice and chilly which will make the jacuzzi at the cottage we are hoping to book more enjoyable!  I have a reservation request in the place we are hoping to get so here’s to keeping our fingers crossed!  Its crazy we’ve already almost been married a year.  Time flies while your having fun:)!

Happy Monday!

Happy Friday!

TGIF

Take time…

For you!  It is a known fact that women especially tend to never take enough time for themselves.  In fact, research has shown that women today are less happy than women in the 1970’s!  Since I work from home and don’t have any children yet, I have plenty of alone time but I don’t always spend my time doing things that benefit ME.  Since I’m sure most of you, my readers, may suffer from this as well I thought I would provide some tips to help you find some healthy ME time!

1.) Find Time

Even if it is 5 minutes a day!  Everyone can squeeze some “me time” out of their day.  It may mean getting up 20 minutes early or going to bed 20 minutes later.  For those of you that work a typical 8am-5pm work day you get a lunch break right?  USE it or you will LOSE.  Your company gives you that break time because legally they have to. They count on 95% percent of us to work right through it, but DON’T!  In the long run you are only losing precious “me time”.

2.) Exercise-

Why don’t more people exercise?  Here are the three main reasons:

• It’s giving to yourself instead of others (women!)
• It takes time, and it’s not a habit.
• The benefits don’t happen right away, nor are they obvious.

Now let me give you numerous reason you should exercise.  Even if its a 20 minute brisk walk on your lunch break (wink, wink)

• Exercise control weight
• Exercise improves mood
• Exercise boosts energy
• Exercise promotes sleep
• Exercise CAN be fun

It takes finding ME time to fit exercise into anyones schedule and that is the ONLY downfall.  No one has ever regretted a workout… period!  This was the view on mine today!

3.)  Read

Even if you don’t especially enjoy reading the benefits are endless just like exercise.  Reading can improve your knowledge, expand your general culture, persuade you to have more fun, make your imagination fly, it can help you find new ways to express your ideas, and last but not least, it can expand your vocabulary.

4.) Have friends

According to Dr. Mardie Rossi, Woman need time for themselves, and with other women. Further research shows that women are happier when they take the time to connect deeply with other women, to make meaning and sense of their lives, and to learn to live from an their authentic selves.

How do you take time out of your day for a little “me time”???

Random…

Random #1-  I can’t believe I haven’t blogged for 7 whole days!  To be completely honest, I have had MAJOR writers block.   And it was my birthday this past Sunday so I sort of had an excuse.  We went karaoking and I won a trophy…

Ok. I lied. I drank to much and then claimed this random bar trophy as my own… but I like my version better!

Random #2-

Tonight I ran five miles and my knee started hurting.  Now I’m scared that since I’m a year older that I’m falling apart and/or developing arthritic appendages:(!

Random #3-

I’ve literally had 20 people ask me within the last couple weeks when Mike and I plan to have kids… um NEVER! Just kidding of course, we want kids someday but it’s not like I am pushing menopause anytime soon and we haven’t even been married a flipping year PEOPLE!  Plus having a kid terrifies me (and probably always will) SO we’re going to wait a while folks:)!

Random #4-

I am reading a great book on my nook right now called, “Everyday Zen” by Charlotte Beck and it is AMAZING!   Here is a paragraph that really hit home with me:

The only people who live comfortably are those who learn not to dream their lives away, but to with what’s right here-now, no matter what it is: good, bad, nice, not nice, headache, being ill, being happy.  It doesn’t make any difference.

That paragraph was my “light bulb moment” as Oprah would say!  The older I get the more I dream my life away, “when I have more money”, “when I lose ten pounds”.  This books really focuses on the here and now and how to live a overall comfortable life.  It states, “If we can accept the way things are, we’re not going to be greatly upset by anything.  And if we do become upset it is over more quickly.”  Yes mom you need to read this as well:)!

Random #5-

I need to start going to bed earlier… I’ve become a reality TV whore and enough is enough!

It feels good to be back:)!!!

I’m back… back:)

Thanks for all the blog love:)  Who knew people actually read this shiz…. I missed you guys too:)

So let me do a quick little recap of why I haven’t blogged in SO long…

Saturday:

Saturday morning my parents came into town for my birthday.  We decided to head to the West Market in Cleveland for the day since my parents or my husband (who lived in Cleveland for 5+ years) had never been there!  And my bff Jilly meant us!  While we all checked out the market…

This guy stood in line for almost 45 minutes for a gyro…

For those of you that aren’t “Clevelanders” this gyro spot was on, “Man versus Food” and is kind of a big deal;)!  Mike said the gyro was delicious and worth the wait!  After walking around the market we then all headed over to The Bier Market where I had the BEST bloody mary ever!  Hey it was 5 o’clock somewhere;)!

Eventually we headed back home and relaxed a bit before we were off for dinner.  Since dinner was my “birthday dinner” I choose a sushi spot that I had heard great things about.  We went to dinner at Big Eye in Fairlawn and it rocked!  We ordered a ton of different sushi and they served it all on this awesome boat…

It was SO freaking good… I have been craving sushi since we ate it!  My actually birthday is August 14th so I may order some take out on my big day;)!  After my parents treated us to a delicious dinner we headed to a nearby bar for karaoke which turned into a great drunken mess!

Sunday:

Thankfully I woke up hangover free and we all headed out for a delicious breakfast.  My mom and I got some grocery shopping done at Earth Fare and then my parents headed back home!

Overall we had a great weekend!  Now that I have you all back up to speed,  tune back in tomorrow for a WORKOUT update!

I’m back… kinda

I don’t know if I have writers block or if my nook has just taken over my nightly ritual of blogging but whatever the case I’ve been absent lately…. So I promise I’ll return tomorrow with bells on:)!!!

 

Actually on Sunday… I can’t believe I’m finally going to be 21:)!!!

Did I mention…

I’m tired and my butt hurts (from riding my bike don’t be a pervert).  All I want to do is a read my nook and go to bed… Tune back tomorrow for an actual post worth reading:)  Did I mention I wish it was Friday…

 

7 links…

Can I first start by saying how freaking happy I am that this week as a whole is over!!!  I thought today was going to turn it around.

Mike and I went on a 14 mile trail bike ride today and by the time we were done I felt SOOOO much better!  Not only did the ride give me clarity but it also made me look forward to this upcoming week with a positive outlook.  When we were about 5 minutes from returning home I even told my hubby, “I feel so much better”.  Then we pulled into the driveway, I hopped out and this happened…

I dropped my iPhone and my screened shattered…. AHHHHH!!!  Let’s just say that there was ALOT of cursing and maybe a even few tears.  But after my husband yet AGAIN reminded me not to sweat the small stuff and I had a small heart to heart with my mom about life in general lately, I can say I now feel a lot better.  It also helped that I was able to get a new phone about 20 minutes after breaking my old one… again thanks to my hubby.  What would I do without that man!?!?

So on a lighter note… the other day I was tagged on the ongoing motivational mama Kimi’s page at A Slice of Kiwi.  Here goes nothing;)!!!

My most popular post –  By far my most popular post was the day I was featured on Skinny Runner’s page.  The post was entitled,  “Considering and considerations.”  I really admire Skinny Runner’s blog so that day was really cool for me to get a little taste of the amount of readers as she does daily!

My most beautiful post-  The post that I think that pulled the heart strings the most and that I really poured my heart into was, “Isn’t it Ironic“.  In this post I shared the story of my fathers passing and the relationship between my step-dad and myself.

My most controversial post – I really haven’t had any “haters” comment on my blog.  I guess I’ve just really never offended anyone… ever:)!?!?

Most helpful post –  Most of the recipes blogs I have posted I have had at least one person inquire on how it turned out or tips and tricks to make it taste better.  So even though I am by no means a cook I’ll go with this one.

Surprise success post – This post got alot of attention during, “Nurses Week” from people googling for gift ideas.  I love google!

Post that didn’t get enough attention –  Every post that didn’t get at least ONE comment!  Just kidding:)!  I started my blog for ME!  Some posts are better than others and that just the way it goes.

Post I’m the most proud of –  By far my most FAVORITE post thus far was the day I recapped running my first marathon entitled, “I did it…”. I worked really hard to accomplish that goal and I did it and got to share it with all of you… it was an awesome feeling!

I hope you guys ALL have a great week!  Say a little prayer for me that I do too;)!