Barbie got her toilet!

Today was my nieces 3rd birthday! 

I can’t believe it’s been three years already! I’m not even a parent but I’m still going to say it – they grow up so fast!

My sister threw a little family party for her which was mostly adults but she had one little girl to play with so she still had fun. We BBQ’d, ate cake, and best of all opened presents! She knew a little more about what was going on this year so all day she was asking to open her presents, the wait was killing her! She specifically asked for her “Happy Birthday Presents”.

She definitely loved her presents, especially her Barbie car from Brandon and I and her Barbie bath set including a Barbie tub and TOILET. She was so excited for that! For weeks she has been complaining that her Barbie’s didn’t have three things – a car, a toilet, and a Barbie daddy (that’s what she thinks Ken is) It was too funny, but she got all three! Barbie and Vanessa’s lives are now complete .

                                           “Clothes?!? Really?!!?”

I don’t know if you can tell from this picture or not.. but I have another niece on her way any day now! Hopefully tomorrow or Saturday while my Dad is still in town – fingers are crossed!

Can’t wait for another little princess to spoil That’s an aunt’s job didn’t you know?

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On another note – tomorrow I am going to start doing a daily eats post. I know I said I wasn’t going to when I originally started my blog but I feel like at least in the beginning it will be really helpful. 

xox

To be completely honest…

I’ve been avoiding you.

I’ve been avoiding the blog.

I’ve been avoiding myself. 

And as much as I have tried, I really haven’t been completely honest.

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I can try to hide it, but I’m not fooling anybody. I say I’m going to the gym (and some days I really do!) but I’m clearly not going regularly. I say I am eating healthy (and a lot of the time I do) but then I go and spoil it by binging. Like I did tonight…

I’m also not fooling my closet… I might have more like definitely had a breakdown the other afternoon while trying to find something to wear to Brandon’s sisters Gr.9 grad ceremony.

You have no idea how hard it was to type that. Well…actually you might. That’s what motivated me to start this in the first place. I was so inspired by all of the amazing women I have read about and thought “if they can do it so can I!”

But then I started to feel like a sham.

I would say I ate this or that … but what I wouldn’t say is that I couldn’t stop myself from going to the store by my office to grab a chocolate bar or a red bull because I couldn’t control my cravings. I wouldn’t admit that it happened far too frequently, they weren’t just a treat. Treats are occasional. These were not.

Then I let myself fall into the comparison trap.

I started comparing my meals to everyone else's. I felt embarrassed that until Brandon and I find better jobs than the ones we have now (both new grads still in our student jobs) I can’t buy the “fancy” healthy ingredients all the time.

I am stopping that now. I am going to start keeping a log of my daily eats – and not hide a thing. I am going to become more creative with my meals and get creative with what I do have and can buy. It is possible to do it on our budget, it just will require a bit more work. For starters I am going to plan out my work lunches at the beginning of the week. Too often I leave it till the last minute and end up wasting money eating out or grabbing something quick and unhealthy/not filling.

I added a workout log page as well. I am going to strive to update it at least a couple times a week. I might not record that days workout right away, but it will be going up.

I’m also going to add the link back onto my Twitter page. I chickened out before and took it down in case someone I knew found it.

I know I might sound like a broken record. And I haven’t given any reasons to believe me in the past. So I’m not going to say I promise anything. I am just going to do it.

Today is Tuesday right??

Because it sure feels like a Monday to me.  Maybe it’s because I took yesterday off for my birthday. Maybe nasty old Monday didn’t want to let me get away with having a good start to the week.

Why do I think this? My first tweet of the morning should explain it all:

From behind, they are identical.

At least I noticed my mistake BEFORE taking a bite. It could have been a lot worse otherwise.
Thankfully the day turned aroundWork was alright, went by nice and fast. Plus I got off a little early which meant I could go the gym earlier! Which was awesome because as much as I really do enjoy working out, all I wanted to do was come home and curl up on the couch and watch a few episodes of Mad Men. (Still on season 1, but so far I love it!)

Today was my second (second haha) day of 5k training – so far I am two for two! But I actually did Monday’s plan because yesterday I went by memory and accidentally did Tuesday’s instead. Oops! Oh well, they both got done – that’s the main thing!

After I finished on the treadmill, I went upstairs into one of the class rooms to do my strength training. When the weight room itself is too busy/crowded I like to go up there all by my lonesome. I still get a little unsecure and if I’m doing a new move I feel better doing it when no one can see me – silly I know.

For the strength training part of my workout, I did Gina's (from The Fitnessista) Summer Shape Up Week 2 workout:

1. Push-up (15- modify to knee push-up when/if you need to), followed by overhead press (12) – repeat 2 more times for 3 times total

2. Lunge and bicep curl (12 on each side)

3. Hold left lunge and bicep curl on 12 times; hold right lunge and bicep curl 12 times

4. Jumping lunges- 30 seconds

5. Single-leg deadlift (12); immediately followed by bent-over row (12)- repeat 2 more times for 3 times total

6. Weighted squats (25)

7. Squat jumps- 30 seconds (hold a light weight to make it more challenging)

8. Tricep dips (30)

9. Assisted pull-ups (30)

10. Ab burner

-50 frog crunches

-25 leg lifts

-25 bicycle crunches

-20 stiff-leg pullover crunch

-Plank 30 seconds

Holy.Crap. This kicked my butt. And I totally loved it. I wrote it down on a couple post it notes at work today so I wouldn’t forget what to do and left them in my gym bag so I can do this again!

That’s it for now, the next episode of Mad Men is calling my name! Hope you had a better start to your day than I did!

xox

Letttt’s try that again…

So, I have a confession to make…

I kind of maybe super failed at my first attempt at training for my 5k.

Like big time failed.

Like out of 6 workouts in 2 weeks I only got in maybe…three?

I had the best intentions, really! And I don’t mean to make a bunch of excuses but last week I really was sick. Well, kind of sick. More like I had a migraine for 4 days straight. Seriously.. Monday-Thursday I was popping ibuprofen and allergy meds like my life depended on it. Allergies + a low pressure system + hormones = practically dying Meaghan.

BUT – I’m going to say that was just bad luck/bad timing. And is not going to be a regular “excuse”.
So, I am starting over tomorrow. For real this time I have already scheduled my workouts into my planner for the week so I can’t pretend like I don’t have the time!

Now that I have that off of my chest – lets catch up!

I haven’t blogged in a week or so (something I am also blaming on my headaches.. I stare at a computer screen at work all day and couldn’t even consider looking at it when I got home too).  So since Mon-Thurs was very uneventful, lets talk about the weekend!

Friday was the first day in a long time I finally got to spend some QT with my kitchen. I hadn’t baked or really cooked in way too long (true story – Brandon has been cooking a lot for me lately, or we have been eating quick little meals…not cooking to enjoy but to eat. Boring!) so I itching to get cooking!

First, I made Andrea's marinara sauce.

Can I just say how much I *lovelovelovelovelove* this sauce?! Because I really do.

I’ve made it a couple times now and the love is only growing stronger. If you haven’t made it yet, do it. Now.. here’s the link. No excuses now!

Mmmm – it smelled "*so* good! Lots of garlic and onion – how could it not?!

The finished product! Not the best picture I know (and not even all of it!). I had already started putting everything away and I realized I had super slacked on the picture taking so I quickly took a picture of this container.

After the sauce was finished, I decided to get my bake on and make some delicious looking cookies I found on Jessica's blog. Brown sugar blueberry cookies to be exact!

Blueberries were also on sale for 1.99/pint this week so I took it as a sign I just HAD to make them

Except mine didn’t look quite as pretty as her’s… in fact they didn’t even really look like cookies.

 

 

 

 

  vs.

 

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More like random mini scone type things. Which is weird because I followed it to a T (tee? tea? I really don’t get that phrase…oh well!) and apparently I wasn’t the only one. I read through her comments and it happened to a couple of other people as well. At least they still tasted great!

Another great thing about this weekend? 
EARLY BIRTHDAY PRESENTS!

Brandon, the wonderful man he is, decided to give me my birthday presents a couple days early. He knew I was having a rough week (on top of the headache I also found out I didn’t get that job I interviewed for a couple weeks back) and knew just how to cheer me up.

(plus some unpictured/already devoured chocolates from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory)

He listens to hints well . I couldn’t really think of any one thing that I really wanted this year but he knew I have been eyeing some new products at MAC, knew I desperately needed a new planner, and have been wanting to try the shatter nail polish! I couldn’t have asked for more!

I’ve already tried the shatter a couple times (it’s a real b*tch to get off!) and this is my favorite combo so far:

The picture doesn’t do it justice really… the blue is actually much darker in real life. And don’t mind my little kid hands haha.

And that’s the highlights of my weekend! Now I am going to spend the rest of my birthday eve curled up watching my favourite movie of all time (Funny Face) and get my beauty sleep.

How was your week/weekend?? What’s your favourite movie?

Better late than never right?

Today’s post was meant to be posted yesterday. I even started it Thursday night so I would be able to get it done before work on Friday…annnnnnd that never happened. So here are my Friday Saturday Fill In’s!

1. Hey! What’s up beautiful?!

2. I have never used the phrase: kernel of truth.

3. Eat Pray Love was a book that I could not get into no matter how hard I tried.

4. The best brownies are found in the middle.

5. First thing to note: I am probably the most uncoordinated person you will ever meet. I think I proved that to everyone in my Zumba class today.

6. I need a distraction from waiting to hear back about my interview! It’s driving me nuts waiting!

7. And as for the weekend, last night I went to my mom’s after work, today my plans includes continuing that visit with my momma (we went to Zumba!), visited my sister for a bit, and now I’m curled up on the couch watching a movie! and Sunday, I want to spend the day with Brandon – I’m trying to convince him to go for a walk on the trail by our apartment and then maybe going to pick up my grad photos!

I had a blast at Zumba this morning. It was only my second time going to the class so I am still learning the moves but I managed! I was definitely the most uncoordinated person in the class though, I think everyone else has been there a lot more frequently that me!
Luckily the room was big and there was lots of space around me

After Zumba, my mom and I headed back to her house to freshen up before we went to visit my sister. She is due in a week and we are all getting so excited to finally meet little Julianne! Since she is due the day before my birthday I told her she needs to do as many jumping jacks as she can, eat a bunch of spicy foods and maybe go over a couple speed bumps that day so I can have a niece for a birthday present!
Best birthday present ever I’d say I have high hopes for the speedbumps trick – it’s what brought me early and my first niece!

On a completely different note – I figured out how to show you the training plan I found for my 5k training.  I just completed the first week, and so far so good!  The only thing I didn’t do was today’s plan, but I am counting this mornings Zumba class because it was definitely an intense cardio workout!

I think for the intervals that alternate based on miles and not time I am going to do in the gym since it’s easier to keep track on the treadmill. Otherwise I really want to do this outside as much as possible. With summer weather finally here for the most part that should be easy-ish to do now!

Well, that’s all for now! Have you ever tried Zumba? Are you a pro or as bad at it as I am?