Advice Needed

To my beloved readers: I am sorry for the brief hiatus. Things have been a crazy.

 

I am sitting here thinking about what other words of wisdom I can share with you, however, I think I am looking for your words of wisdom instead.

 

So, tt and I bought a juicer. It is beautiful, a Breville Juice Fountain something or other. And I am super excited to start using it. The problem is, I have no idea where to even start. We got a free with purchase Juicing Bible, so I plan to read through that, but I am feeling overwhelmed. So, I am turning to the world for guidance. What do people juice? When? Do you replace meals? How many/day? Is this a daily thing? Should I do juice fasts?  Isn't it a huge PIA? AHH! So many questions.  Maybe the best first step is to read about it?

 

ANY advice would be appreciated....ready...set...GO!

 

 

Recipe of the day:

Tony's Tuna (only better!)
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Dear Stan...

love you, love PB

 

 

And Fancy was her name

So, I understand that I have declared Wednesday a "dark day" but then tt went and switched his day at home with his parents on me. So today I am gracing you with my presence, and tomorrow I will have my date.

I have two very extremely wonder-iffic things to announce:

1. I officially have lost 10 pounds!
2. I bought a new car!

OMG- to be 100% honest, I don't know which one I am more excited about. It is exhilarating to have lost 10 pounds. I mean, I'm a third of the way there...which is almost halfway. Ten down, twenty to go. Ok, maybe that still makes this whole whirlwind sound intimidating, but either way, I'm excited.

And then...I bought a car. I will miss my Stella dearly, but I am excited to welcome Miss Fancy to the family. I don't have a real picture of her, but this is what she looks like.

I am in LOVE. Fancy, in all her sparkly shiny new glory, is a 2012 Acura TSX. She is Bellanova White Pearl with Ebony interior, has everything you could possibly want or need inside, and she comes home on Saturday. This has been dubbed the "fastest car buying decision ever" -- I made the decision on the fly, and really had no reason other than "I feel like it" to buy a new car ((I am my father's daughter, after all)).

So now, I am on my way to skinny, with my new blonde hair, and Fancy.
Perhaps I need a new pair of shoes to go along with this scenario...

Recipe of the day:
Balsamic Chicken
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Home Alone

Does this happen to you? When you're super bored and have nothing to do, you get hungry? And not just hungry. Like.. crave everything in life that's bad for you, hungry. Ravage through the fridge, freezer, and pantry, hungry. Like.. eat everything in sight (if you let yourself), hungry. Yea, that's where I am today. And for whatever reason, all I want in life is one of my grandmother's sausage "appys". They are salty and cheesy and spicy and heaven in the form of a little, lumpy biscuit. I can't get them out of my head.

You may have figured out by now, I do not do well on my own. I need to be constantly entertained, and I have been this way ever since I can remember. My mother I'm sure would agree as well. This has improved a bit as I've gotten older, but I just hate being alone. I'm not sure if this is one of the charming qualities I have inherited from the infamous Lil, but it's one I'm stuck with.

Everyone who knew my grandmother says that I am exactly like her. Passionate, feisty, worried, and stubborn. I think the B word would have been used, often, if it had been allowed. All the wonderful things that come along with being a woman, Irish, and born in the month of November. I wish that I could have known her in my adult life, because I think I could have learned a lot from her. Its amusing to me that all the fiery parts of my personality are from her. I can only assume the rest is too. I suppose that it only makes sense that I love zebra print and modern style (her fave colors were black, white and red), one of my favorite meals is a hot turkey dinner (Thanksgiving was always held at Nan's house), and that in my most bored-est state, I crave her famous sausage appys.

Even thinking about them makes me feel like I need to work out. :)

Recipe of the day:

Nan's Sausage "Appys"

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Hotter than a two dollar pistol..

Baby, I'm on fire.

Thursday has historically been one of my favorite days of the week. It typically includes something from the following list: happy hours, Jersey Shore, and... most importantly... hair day.

Now, if you know me at all you know about my hair. Ok, ok I am addicting to shoes. Maybe I have a slight problem when it comes to jewelry. But I 100% am obsessed with my hair.

I get my hair done every 5-6 weeks on the dot. I have had long hair, short hair, curly hair, straight hair. Brown hair, blonde hair, black hair, red hair. I bounce between conservative styles/colors, and funky, fierce and edgy. I have had my whole head one color, and peek-a-boos in most shades of the rainbow (never green, though..hm..). Each time I visit my homegirl Aly at Blonde Ambition (yes-I am plugging), we change it up. Drastically.

More recently, I have had a simple wedge haircut (ala Victoria Beckham), and have gradually been getting lighter, which is always an adventure. Today, we made the decision that it's time to grow. And to go BLONDE. Holy hannah, I am blonde. And I plan to have more fun. Including maybe finding myself a tan, and officially declaring Wednesday night "date night".

Wednesday will henceforth be a dark day online - and tt and I will be having a nice little evening together sans technology. No TV, no computers, no iPad, no cell phones. Last night, I made a delicious little stir fry and we sat outside. We typically eat dinner on the couch, in front of the tube, but we instead sat out on the deck, enjoyed the weather, and were forced to actually talk to each other!!! Crazy, I know. Is it weird that it gave me warm fuzzies? Probably.

With technology, busy schedules, and everyone being go go go all the time, I don't think people spend enough time together, and it was just really nice. (We did end up coming in to canoodle on the couch and watch the end of the volleyball game, though. Go USA!)

And, on that note: Blondes have more fun and I think everyone should have a dark day each week. Only good can come from either :)

Recipe of the day:

Springtime Stir Fry

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Are you motivated by watching Olympic athletes?

I don't particularly care about the Olympics, which I think makes me a bad American. I have been watching this year, because tt watches them which makes him a good American. (side note: if a bad American dates a good American, does it cancel out the badness? Hmm). Anyway. I find myself going back and forth when it comes to the motivation factor. I have clearly been trying to become a healthier version of me...and this includes working out (which on another sidenote, I think I have to kick up a notch) - so one would think that I would be super motivated by watching these amazing athletes competing to be the best at their sport. But it really doesn't.

Now don't get me wrong, I 100% appreciate what they are doing. They are the most talented athletes in the world. And as I watch them compete, I am amazed at how fast/strong/in sync/etc they truly are. But that doesn't inspire me to go out and strive to be an Olympian. Maybe it makes me wish I was as in shape as them..but really, the wish is as far as it goes (as I sit here on my couch, in sweatpants, munching on a handful of dark chocolate covered almonds. Self proclaimed "lazy by nature" - I wasn't lying).

Are you motivated by watching Olympic athletes? Why or why not?

Recipe of the day:
Lemon Caper Dijon Salmon
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Addendum - Monday take 2

Two things:

1. Read my friend Stan's blog ~ she is amazing and inspirational and I heart her. You should too.
2. Tomorrow is weigh in day... and so it starts week #5 ~ what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

                                                                                                               ............dun dun dun. 

 

 

 

And that is all.

 

Death by sushi

Happy Monday lovelies!  And what a Monday it has been.
5:15 AM - Alarm goes off. "Because running is a better wake up than coffee"

5:30 AM - I am out the door. Feeling great, other than the humidity that apparently never went away from yesterday. Week 2, Workout 1 of the C25k workout plan.

6:00 AM - I literally almost pass out. I don't know if I didn't hydrate myself appropriately yesterday, or what. But it was not pretty. I had to walk back to the house. (Luckily, I still had buckets of sweat dripping off me, despite not making it through my entire workout). Rehydrated with a bottle of coconut water, had my scrambled egg rollup and continued on to start my little Monday.
Fast forward.

12:00 PM - Lunch date with Erin. We tried to go to this new restaurant, bartaco that tt and I had just discovered as a new restaurant in West Hartford Center, but alas, it was not open for lunch. We had to make a quick decision, not knowing that this decision would change the course for the rest of the day. Across the street stands Ichiro, a sushi place I have steered clear of for a few years. Not the greatest sushi, but never the worst, other than leaving the restaurant reeking, and the occasional "fishy" roll. Figuring that it's still open, it can't be all that bad still.

12:20 PM - Lunch is served. I ordered the lunch roll special, two rolls for $9.00 - Tuna Avocado and Peanut Avocado (my newest obsesh), both with brown rice. Honestly, they tasted fine. Not the greatest rolls I have ever had, but not the worst. (Of course Erin being the sushi snob that she is, reminded me that it can't even compare to Noble). She had spicy tuna and a yellowtail avocado, both of which she picked through because the taste was a little...off.

12:45 PM - Return to the office after lunch.

1:05 PM - I think I have food poisoning. For reals.

So as you can imagine, I took my olive patent leather sling-back platform stilettos, and marched myself right out of that office... and I worked from home for the remainder of the afternoon. AND, I don't think the anticipated lemon caper salmon will be happening tonight. Nor, will I be completing the 2nd round of my workouts. Tomorrow will be double or nothing. I swear.

I will, however, share a recipe that may be life changing for me that I stumbled across on Friday. I don't know if you know this about me, but I am mildly obsessed with hungry girl. I get her newsletter daily, and was intrigued by a recipe that she shared.

Recipe of the day:
Bake-Tastic Butternut Squash Fries 2.0
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Be Strong

Sometimes you just need someone to tell you to (thanks sf). I know, I know, my new-found life approach is all rainbows and butterflies. But you know what? Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes, it just plain sucks. And sometimes, you get upset by things that really shouldn't even upset you. Like, for example, your exhusband getting engaged.

I have found myself in a very -no, extremely- happy place in life. There was a bit of a rough patch that included losing myself in a long-term relationship that ended with a short-lived marriage (the self-proclaimed worst decision I have ever made), but through all of it, I was so very lucky to find myself again, and I was even so very luckier to have found my person (xx tt). Stress: I have no regrets, no hesitation, and would change absolutely nothing about my life. But receiving this news, I have to say, I was thrown for a bit of a loop.

No, I haven't looked at his facebook page, nor do I plan to. When I said that is a part of my life that I don't think about or care about anymore I wasn't lying. Does it make me a little happier knowing that the ring is hideous? Of course it does. (and yes, this has been confirmed by a few additional parties at this point. I won't look, but I will have my besties do it for me).

I'm feeling a run coming on. Even in this 90+ degree heat, maybe it is necessary. Let's get the house cleaned up first, and then make that decision. I'm finding that working out is really a great outlet. It used to be shoe shopping. Who knew that kind of switcheroo would ever happen?!!!

And.. I'm done ranting. Back to butterflies.

Recipe of the Day:
White Bean & Poblano Chicken Chili
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"Ninety"

So, for those of you who are patiently waiting by their computer for my daily posts (ahem...Stan), I will admit, I am already skipping days. Fail.

Friday: 90 days left.
I didn't get up to run in the AM. Fail again. Work was work. Crazy stressful as always. But got to enjoy a little HH with 2 chicks that I adore. So that was an enjoyable end to the day. Then, I got to enjoy a little Friday night dinner with tt ~ Grilled chicken with a broccoli slaw dressed in wasabi vinaigrette, paired with this delicious side dish that my friend Erin told me about. OMG.

Saturday: 89 days left.
I lost another 1.2 lbs, so that's good at least. But I'm just hoping I can keep it up.

And now I have to go before tt realizes what I'm doing. Sorry so short, promise I will return with my quick wit and words later/tomorrow. Teehee ;)

Recipe of the Day:

White Bean and Escarole Side Dish

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Thirsty Thursday

I love Max Burger in West Hartford CT. Like, I love it. Particularly the "Miss Daisy" with its luscious Brie or the "inside out" oozing with ooey gooey goodness. And I'm sorry, but don't get me started on their Max n Cheese.

Currently, however, in my dieting state, I cannot indulge in such pleasures. And that just plain sucks. But luckily for me (a sucker for a Thursday night out in the Center), there are yummy healthier options than a cheeseburger.

Tonight, while I most definitely stole 3 of tt's sweet potato fries, ate 4 of my Chinese fried noodles, and maybe, just maybe enjoyed some Pinot, I also had their blackened scallop salad. And oh-EM-gee, was it good. Not much to it besides lettuce, scallops and a little corn/black bean salsa, but tasty.

If you've never been to Burger, go there. That is all.

xo Coleen

PS- Don't tell my "trainer" about the wine. Kthanks. ;)

Dear Salt...we have to talk

sodium /so·di·um/ (so´de-um) a chemical element, at. no. 11, symbol Na

Let's face it. Most people have a love/hate relationship with salt. Personally, I have a love/love relationship with it. I love it. I truly use it in so many areas of my life... from exfoliating with it, to cooking [excessively] with it. I just love salt. My body, however, not such a fan. I think it's time for "the talk."  We must go our separate ways.

It's not you, it's me.

Recipe of the Day:

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

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