Top Two Tuesday!

It's time for Top Two Tuesday again!  This Tuesday starts the beginning of a new series about what each of us has learned in life...this week, it's...

Top 2 things you've learned about friendship

1.  Friends come in all age groups, backgrounds, and walks of life
I have so many different types of friends, and to me, that's the best way to live life!  Each one of them offers something different to me, and I hope they feel the same way!  Even though my close friends range in age from 24-60, every one of them are VERY special to me!

2.  A true friend will drop EVERYTHING for you!Don't we all know someone who would drop everything, and I mean everything to come to your aide in a time of need.  To me, THAT is true friendship.  I am very lucky to have some friends like this, and I think they have showed me A LOT about what friendship means.  I hope their compassion rubs off on me, and I can be half as good a friend to them as they are to me!
 

What have you learned about friendship?  Head over to The Undomestic Momma and link up!

Weekend Update!

Once again, the weekend didn't last quite long enough!  It was a really nice one though.  The weather here in Music City was AH-mazing, and the fact that I didn't really have any plans going into this weekend made it even nicer, since it allowed me to just wing it and decide how to spend my time as I went along.

Friday night was dinner and a movie with my beau!  We went to see this movie:

This is two sentence review of this movie:  very cute and fun for the ladies, but a little too mushy for the boys.  It definitely had its funny parts, but it also had its far-fetched, silly parts as well!  Rental?  Maybe...

Since this was my first weekend to work this year, my Saturday morning was kind of a bust...however, it's still not TOO busy at work right now, so I was able to spend my last hour in the office cleaning and organizing in preparation of "the season." 

As I was leaving work that afternoon, my neighbor texted me and asked me to stop by her house so I spent the next hour and a half hanging out and drinking wine with her and a couple of her friends (don't worry, ladies...I used my Flex Points for that wine, so I didn't blow my diet).  =)  It was so much fun to sit out on the patio and enjoy the first glimpse of Spring!

The rest of Saturday was spent running, grocery shopping, cooking dinner, and just overall relaxing.  =)

Today was definitely the best day of the weekend...it started out by Patrick and I meeting Adam, Alacia and Baby Hannah at their church for the Sunday morning service.  We had visited their church once before when Patrick was the Godfather for Hannah's Baptism, and we really liked it a lot.  Therefore, when Patrick suggested that we go to church this Sunday, that church was at the top of my list.  Oh, and just for reference, here's a pic of the Stainbrook family back in May the first time we were at their church:

I can't believe how different Hannah is now!  It's hard to believe she was ever that tiny!

Next on the agenda was brunch at Mad Donna's in East Nashville.  We had all heard they have wonderful brunch, including Capt'n Crunch French Toast (does that not sound to-die-for!), so we decided today was the day to check it out.  Obviously, I didn't get the French Toast (there's NOTHING Weight Watchers about French Toast), but all of our food was delicious.  The service however, left a lot to be desired.  There was a wait when we got to the restaurant, but it WAS noon on a Sunday, so we were cool with that.  It was the fact that we waited OVER AN HOUR for our food AFTER we were seated that was a little bit of a problem.  Still, it was a pretty good experience, and if you have lots of time to kill on a Sunday, I suggest you check it out!

On the way home from lunch, Patrick and I made one last stop to pick up my early Valentine's Day gift.  Yes, I realize it's not really romantic to get your Valentine's gift BEFORE Valentine's Day, but since the Super Bowl Party is at my house next weekend, I needed this to go on my bed when people come over:

The rest of the day was spent watching this movie:

It is a GREAT movie!  Oh, and BTW, watching a movie on a laptop because you STILL don't have a DVD player isn't really all that bad.  =)

Now, I'm trying to get ready for the work week...it sure does make it hard when I have a fun weekend like this one...I'm determined this is going to be a good week though...fingers crossed!

What did you all do this weekend?  Hopefully, it was a great one!

Fill in the Blank Friday!

1. If my house was on fire and I could only grab 3 things I would grab my purse, my laptop, and my favorite outfit.  =)

2. A smell I really like is Black Raspberry Vanilla from Bath & Body Works and my beau's cologne.  I'm pretty senstive to smell though, so please nothing TOO strong!

3. Something you might not know about me is I love the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills...no, it's not something to be proud of, but that show is addictive!

4. Some of my favorite websites to putter about on are Facebook, Mint.com, and of course, Blogger.

5. This weekend I will work a little, relax a little, and play a little.  Stay tuned on Sunday or Monday to find out the full report!  =)

6. Nothing makes me happier than an unexpected day off work because of snow...unfortunately, I haven't had one of those this year, but it would make me REALLY happy!!!!!

7. A bad habit I have is driving too fast (don't worry Mom...I'm working on this).  I don't really have road rage, but I just like to get from Point A to Point B in shortest amount  of time possible!

If you would like to participate, head over to Lauren's blog and link up!

End of an Era!

So long Jeff Fisher...you will be missed!  You were one of the main reasons I became a Titans fan 11 years ago.  Here's hoping he has a successful career with his next team and that the Titans can recover from this pretty unscathed. 

Good luck Jeff and Go Titans!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

So, this past Monday was my first "weigh-in" with WeightWatchers!  I lost a total of 3.8 pounds, and I was pretty impressed by that!  I decided to devote this week's post to things I have learned in the last week:

1.  It's really hard to eat all of the points I am allowed everyday.  I get a ton of them!

2.  It's REALLY expensive to buy groceries when you are eating healthy!  Is it worth it?  Absolutely...but still, VERY expensive!

3.  Fruits and vegetables are my friends!  Not only do they have 0 Points, but they also taste great, are healthy, and have tons of fiber!

4.  I am not a fan of "logging" everything I eat.  WW sugests that you write everything you put in your mouth in a log and review it at the end of the week to see what worked for you that week and what didn't.  You would think this would be an OCD girl's dream...however...I HATE it!  I am trying my best to keep it up because it does make it easier to calculate points, but it's no fun!

5.  I feel sooooooo much better than I did a week ago!  I mean, seriously!  I'm not as tired, I'm not as hungry, I'm not as likely to be sick, and I'm a much faster runner! 

Okay, so I'm probably not THIS fast...but it's how I feel!  =)

6.  The processed TV dinners such as Lean Cuisine, SmartOnes, and Healthy Choice have wayyy more PointsPlus than they should based on how they taste.  In fact, I've pretty much cut them out of my diet!  The convenience just isn't worth it!

Stay tuned for next week's weight loss report! I know I'm definitely looking forward to it!  =)

#7 -- DONE!!!!!

I have been looking forward to this post ALL DAY LONG!  My new bedroom furniture finally arrived today, and I love it (although, I have to admit that it's WAYYYY bigger than I expected...I almost had a meltdown until they finished putting it together).  Now that I've had a few hours to take it all in, I couldn't be happier!  I'm so glad I added this to my 101 Things list!  Oh, and in case you were wondering, I decided on the bed with the storage underneath.  I loved the canopy bed, but I just had to go with a bed that sits up higher than that one did.  Here are a few pics!

Bed with the Chest of Drawers in the background

Dresser

Nightstand -- This is my favorite part since I've never had a nightstand before!

I still have a lot to do in this bedroom...starting with buying a comforter that is King sized instead of a Queen!  =)  However, I'm going to take my time and make sure I get exactly what I want!

Top Two Tuesday!

I am so excited about this week's Top Two Tuesday!  Since I'm trying to eat healthier (like a lot of people this time of year), I can't wait to see what everyone has suggested!

Top 2 Healthy Recipes and Snacks!

1.  Angel Food Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box Angel Food Cake Mix

1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice (NOT Syrup!!!!!)

Mix ingredients together and fill cupcake pans 2/3 full.  Bake according to directions on Angel Food box.  Some people like to top with Cool Whip, but I think they are so good, they don't need anything!

These cupcakes are delicious!  AND, they are only 1 point on Weight Watchers PointPlus!  That's my kinda dessert!

2.  Italian Chicken Pasta Toss

Ingredients:
6-oz. uncooked bow tie pasta (about 3 cups)
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut int 1-inch strips
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1-oz. (1/4 cup) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm. 

Meanwhile, dice tomatoes and chop onion.  Slice zucchni.  Cut bell pepper into thin strips and chicken crosswise into 1-in. strips.

Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Press garlic into skillet.  Add chicken.  Stir-fry 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add onion, zucchini, bell pepper, peas, seasoning mix and salt; stir-fry 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes; heat 1-2 minutes, stirring gently until heated through.  Remove from heat.

Stir in warm pasta.  Grate Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta.  Serve immediately.

I found this recipe in one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks, and it is delicious!  You would never believe that it's healthy!

What are some of your favorite healthy snacks/recipes?  Head over to The Undomestic Momma and let us know!

#98 -- DONE!!!!!

When I made my 101 Things list, I never thought I would have to buy a laptop so soon!  However, unfortunately, I wasn't really left with a choice when my old laptop died a couple of months ago.

Thank goodness my beau is such a bargain hunter.  He found me the perfect laptop for a really good price.  The laptop I chose is made by Asus and it even has a 10-Key (a must have for us nerdy accountants) and a webcam.

Glad to back in the world of the technologically advanced again!

#56 -- DONE!!!!!

When I moved into my condo in November 2009, THIS is the monstrosity that was hanging in my half bathroom:

Yes, it really is THAT ugly!  I am really not sure what the previous owners were thinking, but to each his own, right?

After I had lived here for a few months, I found a new mirror that I thought would look much better, so I decided to go ahead and buy it.  However, it took forever for me to get it hung, hence the reason I added it to my 101 Things list! 

So, after living at my place for over a year, I finally replaced my ugly mirror with one that looks much more appropriate for the decor:

Weekend Update!

This was what will probably be my last "work-free" weekend until after April 15th, so I decided to make the most of it and have a really good time.  Friday night, Kat and I had our monthly "date night."  Since we are both trying to eat healthy, we decided that nothing sounded better than the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday!  They also have what is called their Fit and Trim menu with MANY selections under 700 calories.  Kat and I both agreed that our "less than 700 calorie" meal was wayyyyy too good to really be less than 700 calories.  If you haven't checked it out, you definitely should!  I know I'll be going back!  We had a great time and, as usual, sat and chatted wayyyy past the time our server wanted us to.  Oops!  =)

On Saturday morning, it was time for my final hair appointment until after tax day (can you see the theme here?).  =)  I just love a fresh hair cut...it's so nice knowing that your hair will do what you want it to for at least 4 weeks!

Saturday afternoon, I ran in my 2nd 5K -- the Nashville Zoo Run Run!  Since Alysia started running recently, she did it with me!  It was her first 5K and she did great!


The race was tons of fun!  However, it was also really hard!  I totally ignored the fact that there are TONS of hills at the zoo when I was training!  I was NOT prepared for that.  Because of the hills, I felt like I walked a lot more in this race than I did in the last one...however, I actually finished in 35:12...a full 1:24 better than the Resolution Run!  I was pretty proud of myself, but realized I have a long way to go if I am going to run in the half marathon...however, I have over 3 months to train, so I know I can do it!  Here are a few more pics of the day!


Me crossing the finish line...Patrick always wants a pic of me finishing the race, but as you can see I never seem to cooperate...maybe next time!  =)



Alysia and I have such good BFs!  They came out and cheered us on, even though it was UBER-cold out there! 

Saturday evening Patrick and I went to a friend's birthday dinner at a local Mexican restuarant, but because we both had busy weekends up to that point, we called it an early night!

Sunday was a super fun day because Patrick and I went to the circus with Chase and Maggie!  It was so much fun!  I love the circus and have looked forward to it all week.  This year's circus did not disappoint.  Here are a few of the cool pics I took:

The tigers were impressive, as always!

The elephants are definitely my favorites!

On the way back to the car after the show, we all had a conversation about what we would do if we traveled with the circus.  I said I would like to fly on the trapeze...however, that doesn't seem very realistic since I doubt any of those girls are a day over 22...therefore, if I had to pick something a little more reasonable, I would like to ride on the elephants!  That would be a BLAST! 

What would you be if you traveled with the circus?  =)