66/365

Dinner tonight:

Chicken salad with Riesling my friend Tiner brought over last week.  Yummo.

Dessert!

Ok this is Lucas' dessert, hence the caramel and chocolate drizzles and milk - its a prettier picture, lol.  This is a brownie from Trader Joe's - 130 calories.  Add 2/3 cup of non fat vanilla yogurt to mix, stir, bake.  Awesome!!  I used a cupcake pan because my brownie pan finally got thrown out (no mother, I don't need another). :-)

Go get these!

Happy brownies and wine!

65/365

Its been a movie weekend so far.  Yesterday after we got groceries we watched three movies:


The Town -  not bad actually; a little long and as my FB friend Adam said everything is pretty believable up until the last "job".

Grown Ups (on Instant Netflix) - funnier than I though it would be (I thought it would be more stupid funny than funny funny) - starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, and Kevin James - how could it not be funny?  

Freakonomics (on Instant) - interesting documentary based on a book of the same name; explores things like how a name given at birth can predetermine how you end up as an adult, etc.

Today we've watched:


The Parking Lot Movie (also on Instant) - pretty entertaining documentary about a bunch of guys who work in a pay lot in Virginia and the BS they put up with from stupid, entitled, Hummer driving idiots, lol.  I would definitely recommend it.

Now starting up the documentary on Hugh Hefner.

64/365

Saw this on another blog and thought it was fun!




ABC's of Me

A. Age: 28 7/8ths......  I'll be 29 in 2 weeks.  Le Sigh.

B. Bed size: Queen. I would be fine with a King seeing how my 3 small dogs like to sleep with their long legs straight out.

C. Chore you dislike:  Scrubbing floors

D. Dogs:  Basil, 12 years old in May - sassy yet reserved, totally Lucas' dog, the mother hen; Vinci, 7 years old, my heart dog, kisser, lover, leg lifter; Chuck, 4 years old in May - a boy trapped in a girls body, tiny, spunky, loves everyone.

C, B and V

E. Essential start to your day: Shower, coffee, peanut butter.

F. Favorite color:  Green

G. Gold or silver:  Usually silver

H. Height: 5′ 3" ish.  I would love to be about 5'5" so I wouldn't have to drag my pant hems everywhere. Ugh.

I. Instruments you play(ed): Guitar Hero. :)

J. Job title: Secretary/Scheduler/Mom/"work" wife to 1 very needy spine surgeon and 1 less needy spine surgeon, 2 PA's, 2 RN's, a multitude of random spine fellows and a partridge in a pear tree.

K. Kids:  Are great for other people.

L. Live:  Minneapolis

M. Mom’s name: Mom aka Becky

N. Nicknames: I think we've been over this before in another blog - my parents call me Amber Louise or Louis and my work peeps call me Queen.

O. Overnight hospital stays: Birth

P. Pet peeves: Bad drivers and stupid people - both of which there are way too many of in this world.

Q. Quote from a movie:  A few that come to mind.... 

"Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"  - Buddy the Elf (that movie cracks me up!)

"Fuck-a-doodle-doo!" - Shaun of the Dead

"I'll have what she's having." - When Harry Met Sally

R. Righty or lefty: Righty. 

S. Siblings: My sister Lori who I've talked about in another blog and two sisters in law (Britt and Fiona) and a brother in law (Levi).

T. Time you wake up: Weekdays, 6:15 am; Weekends, when I wake up (anywhere between 10 and 12)

U. Underwear: Something everyone should wear.

V. Vegetables you don't like: I'm allergic to radishes; can't do brussels sprouts and squash.

W. What makes you run late: Usually my husband but we're pretty punctual people.  

X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth and spine.

Y. Yummy food you make: I make a pretty good homemade pizza.

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Eh, I don't love the zoo - it makes me sad to see animals confined, but if I HAD to pick one - I like looking at the tropical or usual looking fish.

Happy Saturday!

63/365

And don't you forget it!

Marilyn was onto something......

Love those quotes - speaking of Marilyn - was anyone else born in the wrong decade?  Pretty sure I was....  I would LOVE to dress like this:   

Yes, I'm sure it explains my love for costume parties and costume dramas!

62/365

First of all, really weather dude? 

I'm down with the temps, but "Big Storm" - go away snow.  Go away.

And for fun, a Thursday "health" quiz:

1. What did you eat for breakfast?

Peanut Butter on an English muffin, coffee and a banana

2. How much water do you drink a day? 

Not enough!  Maybe around 50 oz or so.

3. What is your least favorite "healthy" food? 

Brussels sprouts....  I tried!

4. What is your favorite fruit? 

Hmmm......  apples, bananas, pineapples and strawberries

5. What is your favorite vegetable? 

potatoes and carrots

6. How many calories do you burn a week? 

I have no clue - enough to maintain or lose weight.

7. How many calories do you eat a day? 

1500-2000 depending

8. What are your favorite healthy snacks? 

Hmmmm, popcorn, wheat thins w/ Laughing Cow cheese, low cal hot chocolate,  strawberries in lite cool whip, grapes mixed with sour cream and brown sugar (don't knock it til you try it)

9. What do you usually eat for lunch? 

Every day is different - usually left overs; sometimes soup, sometimes a sandwich.  Always fruit or a veggie.  Always water.  And usually a piece of chocolate from the Bar by Dar at work.

10. What is usually for dinner? 

I rotate between chicken with a veggie and rice/potatoes; spaghetti, chicken fried rice, soup, pancakes; in the summer we grill turkey burgers alot

11. What is your favorite body part to strength train?
Arms

12. What is your least favorite body part to strength train?
Legs

13. What is your least favorite exercise?
Treadmill because its boring

14. What is your favorite exercise? 

I like walking outside or Pilates

15. What is your "bad" food cravings?
Chocolate or a ton of chips and salsa.  YUM!

16. What is your go to workout song?
Lady Gaga anything; FU - CeeLo Green; Bon Jovi; 80's tunes.  I have a work out playlist on the ipod

17. Do you take vitamins or supplements?
No

18. How often do you eat out?
Every couple weeks or so.

19. Do you eat fast food?
Only Subway and occasionally Chipotle.  I haven't had McD's (or the like) for over a year.

20. How do you stay motivated?
Results!

21. Who is your biggest supporter?
Everyone!  My coworkers and family always have healthy food for me at potlucks/picnics; Lucas goes exercising with me.

22. How much weight have you lost?
 70 lbs

23. How did you determine your goal weight?
I wanted to be a size 10 because that's what I was when I graduated.  I'm now a size 10 but now maybe an 8 is looking good.  I don't want to get too small - I like curves.

24. Do you have a gym membership?
Not anymore.  We did Snap Fitness this summer and I really liked it, but after winter started we quit - it was hard to leave the nice warm house after getting home from work! 

25. How often do you work out? 

3-4 times a week depending on what's up

26. How did you find Spark People.com?
 A google search

27. How much sleep do you get a night? 

6-8 hours depending - on weekends I sleep 10-12 hours.  :-) Bliss.

28. Are you a morning or night workout person?
Night.  I like sleeping too much to get up early to work out.

29. Do you have a "cheat" day? 

Nope.  If I want to eat something, like a piece of cake, I eat it.  Its about moderation.

30. Do you drink soda?
Not often.  I used to be a diet pepsi freak.  Now I rarely have it.

31. Do you drink alcohol? How much?
Once in awhile I have  glass of wine with dinner or a beer if we go out. 

32. What is your favorite thing about Spark People.com?
Everyone is very supportive.  Love the recipes and fun blogs.

33. What do you not like about your body? What do you love about your body?
Not: I need to tone up.  Like:  Curves.

34. Do you have a workout buddy?
Lucas!

35. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to this Healthy Lifestyle? 

Cute Clothes and my blood pressure went down!!  :-)

61/365

Found two new websites I'm obsessed with!

Fit this, girl!  This lovely lady is a former MN Roller Girl and blogs about everything including weight loss.

Nutmeg Notebook - Another great website my friend Lisa recommended.  Lots of good recipes based on the WW point system.


Dessert tonight!  Guess which is Lucas'?  Yes the one bathed in caramel.  This cake is the diet pop cake - cake mix + 12 oz of diet pop + stir + bake = YUM!  And low calorie.  The cake with lite cool whip on it is about 180 calories or so - of course my baby chocolate kisses add a little extra, but I can "afford" a few extra today.

60/365

Helloooooooooooooo March.  Welcome.  I hope you bring nice weather, little snow and hopefully summer at some point.  ;-)

March brings my last birthday in my "20's" - le sigh.  It's ok.  Everyone says 30 is pretty decent, so I'll embrace my last year as a 20-something and be super excited for 30.  I've heard that 40 is a bitch though..... I'll have to plan something fun for my 30th in 2012 (especially since the world is suppose to be ending) - perhaps a 20's theme costume party to say "good bye to my 20's"?   You all know I love a good costume party.  

Speaking of costume parties, we might have to have one last HURRAH this spring before our house sells (pretty sure wherever we move won't be nearly big enough for 25-35 people costume parties).  Any opinions on these themes:

* Murder in Sin City (Vegas obviously)
* Ho, Ho, Homocide:  A North Pole Night of Naughtiness (my personal favorite)
* Murder in Margaritaville (think Jimmy Buffet)
* Lights! Camera! Murder! (Hollywood-ish)