Movin' on Up

Don't forget to update your Google Readers/Blog Rolls with my new address!

http://thebalancebroad.wordpress.com/

"See" you there!

Break on Through to the Other Side

I've switched! I'm finally on Wordpress now. It was so ridiculously easy, too! Here is my new site:

http://thebalancebroad.wordpress.com/

Hope to "see" you all over there! I've still got some cleaning to do, but I just couldn't wait. Blogger = headache for me lately.

Chilly Chili Monday

*Answer's to Friday's Three Things:

I do not have a birth mark. Good job, Emily and Erica! ;-)

The job thing is true. Long and complicated, which one day I'm sure I'll get into, but it's true. Just another reason to never, ever burn bridges, people!

And....the night light. Okay - let me explain. First of all, I get up to pee (sorry, TMI) at least once a night. I'm a water machine during the day - it catches up to me at about, oh, 2 a.m. Add this to being a clutz, and a night light is strictly a preventative measure.

But also I blame it all on the movie "The Descent." SCARIEST movie I've ever, ever seen! I have never had a movie give me nightmares like this one. And I like scary movies! So basically, if you're a scary movie lover - GO see this.

So last week I made some of this vegetarian slow cooker chili. I mean, with "Grandma's" in the title, it had to be good. Right?

Oh. My. Goodness. Best chili ever!

Per some of the recommendations in the reviews, I subbed chili powder and ground cumin (still giggle when I say that in my head) for the Italian spices. HOLY HELL this was good! Plus, it made enough to feed me all week.

I LOVE slow cooker recipes. Or crockpot recipes. Whatever! What's your fave slow cooker recipe??

Now about my midterm....I studied my heart out all last week and was hoping to get at least a B. After almost 20 hours of studying last week + TONS of caffeine + ephedrine (runny nose but it serves another purpose!), I finally just went to do the damn thang on Saturday morning. And....I got an 89%! One point from an A! I cannot tell you how relieved I am. I celebrated with some ice cream last night. :-) I can't/don't keep it in my house, but a trip out to get some was warranted!

Thanks to all of your wishes about my test - ya'll are the best! Hope you have a great Monday. :-)

Blogging, Books and Balls

Happy Friday!!!

I've been hittin' the books hard! I have my mid-term tomorrow -eeeek. It's worth 20% of our grade, so I'm really nervous about it. If I want to get into the nursing program, I have to get an A in this class. And the next level Anatomy class that I'll take next semester. It's just a little nerve wracking. But, what's meant to be will be! I feel like I'm to the point where I've soaked up all of the information my brain can hold, ya know?

Earlier this week I was feelin' frisky and wanted some balls (TWSS), and I remembered seeing Caitlin's Flax-Encrusted Sweet Potato Balls awhile back.

Yum, yum!!!

These were so good...I liked the crunch the Flax added. I had them with mustard and a little Non-Fat TJ's Greek Yogurt - LOVE it with the yogurt! I will most definitely make these babies again.

Now, onto our little Friday game!


Three Things About Myself - which one is false?


- I have a birth mark in a place covered by my bathing suit.

- I quit my current job and asked for it back two weeks after.

- I sleep with a night light.

Wish me luck on my test!!

Lentils: A Second Chance

Dear Lentil Bean,

I had you before and my experience was not so pleasant. Okay, I lie. You tasted like ass.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I might be giving up on you too soon. Maybe I caught you on a bad day, maybe you didn't mix well with the other flavahs and spices....so I wanted to give you another chance.

I found a pretty tasty recipe for Sloppy Joes - who doesn't like those? When I mixed you all up and had another bite, I realized perhaps I judged you too quickly the first time. You're not so bad, after all.

You're not as amazing as your brothers, Garbanzo, Black, and Kidney - but you're not bad. Perhaps we'll meet again.

Please forgive me,

Holly

What is your favorite legume/bean? Mine is black, by a landslide. But I'm a bean lover pretty much all around.

Oh! And any Bachelor watchers out there? Jake is the next Bachelor. WTH?!! He's sweet and all, but something about him totally bugs. I was rooting for Kiptyn. :-(

Check out Missy's Halls Refresh and Silk Milk Giveaway!

And They Called it Pumpkin Love

Happy Monday!

This week is a 3-day work week for me - wahoooo!! No exciting trips for me - it'll be a "StayStudyCation." I have a big mid-term on Friday and had some vacay days to use up, so Thursday and Friday I'm hittin' the books big time.

*Answer to Friday's Three Questions? I did not trip down the aisle and fall at my sister's wedding. Isn't that every girl's worst fear?

Yes, my cousin dropped a weight on my head when I was 4. I had stitches and still have the scar to prove it!

And, yes, I did run up to Jermaine O'Neal one night outside of a bar in Indianapolis (this is when he played for the Pacers - pre-brawl). I asked if he would sign an autograph for me (hey, I didn't have any paper!) and when he asked where my pen was, I shrugged my shoulders and walked/skipped away! You can guess how many alcoholic drinks were involved in this scenario.

Moving on.

Thanks to Stephanie's recommendation, I picked up this stuff at TJ's this week - oh my, oh my!

I decided to play matchmaker with my very first Honeycrisp apple (which, BTW, blew my mind! Totally worth the extra $$).

They hit it off right away - instant chemistry. Rumor has it, there is already a second date in the works.

I got a hankering for something else pumpkin this weekend...and guess what I found!

Not even the pumpkin pie mix!

Did you know there is a shortage of canned pumpkin this year? Stock up, kids - this could jeopardize our Thanksgiving Dinners.

So what am I going to make with this pumpkin, you ask?

Why, muffins of course!

I wanted to get around to it, but alas, couch shopping, studying and mowing the lawn took precedent.

I did, however, get to enjoy a YUMMY pumpkin cupcake, given to me by my sister. It's a Weight Watcher recipe that I HAVE to get - this thing was phenomenal! I believe she used crushed pineapple, so it was UNbelievably moist.

I also got my very first Pumpkin Spice Latte to celebrate my studies and, well, the weekend.

And I ended my weekend by watching my favorite Pumpkin do his thang.

Question: Has anyone made the switch from blogger to Wordpress? Blogger has just caused me a lot of issues lately, so I started a Wordpress blog but am not sure about how to transfer it over. It is possible to transfer over all postings, right?

Check out Inside I am Dancing's CHOBANI Giveaway!

Favorite Part and Three Things Game

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on my post about my former (?) cardio addiction. It seems like this is a lot more common than I thought, and it's good to hear that most of you have found that balance. For me, I'm working on it...but I think I'm onto something here! The first step in solving a problem is admitting the problem, right?

Meghann had a fun post the other day about her favorite body part - her back. I think it is so easy to focus on the negatives regarding our own bodies; I don't have (a butt, boobs, hips), I am too big around my (thighs, waist, arms), I wish I were (a little bit taller, which I was a baller, wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her - love that song). But you get the idea.

I will start. My new favorite body part is my arms. Before this year, they were skinny but undefined. Just....there. Now, I'm getting some guns, kids!

They are there. I promise. Look closely.

Okay, your turn.

What's your favorite body part?!

Moving on....

So I always look forward to certain things on people's blogs....Iowa Girl's Three Question Thursday, Tina's questions at the end of her posts, and a lot more but my brain is too tired right now. ;-)

I thought I'd start something fun every Friday. I'll call it....The Three Things Game (original). Anyway, I've played this before and it's actually fun....but my life has been pretty uneventful so it might require lots of brainstorming on my part. We can stop if it's lame, but I love these things! You learn lots of scandelous interesting things about people, too.

You list 3 things - 2 of which are true about yourself, and one of which is not. Then someone guesses which are true and which is false.

So, 3 things about me:

- I slipped and fell as a bridesmaid walking down the aisle in my sister's wedding.

- My cousin dropped a 10 pound weight on my head when I was 4.

- I asked Jermaine O'Neal to sign his name on my cleavage, then ran away when I realized I didn't have a pen.

What do you think? Do you think I'm a clutz, an abused child, or a dumb blonde? (all three answers not optional). I'll answer in the next post!

Running Hiatus

Heather had an interesting post the other day about maintaining her weight loss/health without a massive amount of cardio.

As you can read in Heather's story, she's a former running addict who has replaced her running shoes with a yoga mat. She also takes several walks a week. Amazingly, Heather said her body has taken on a whole new level since not running (in a good way!).

I've been brainwashed to think that running = burning calories = staying thin. I would run to eat more, and I didn't think I deserved treats unless I was running at least 7 or 8 miles that day. If I was running less than 7 miles, I would also do the elliptical for 30 minutes. Needless to say, this created a very unhealthy mindset when it came to running.

I think before, when I hurt my hip and gained 15 pounds, I got depressed from not running and ate too much cookie dough. Folks, if you eat cookie dough 3-4 times a week, you are going to gain weight regardless of your activity level! ;-)

Since my knee injury, I really haven't done hardly any cardio at all. I'll walk, do the elliptical, or swim occasionally, but mainly I've been consistent with lifting (3 x's a week) and ab work (3 x's a week). And you know what? I have not gained one pound! This is simply amazing to me. I want to go back and tell my 24 year old self that I don't have to run 35 miles a week to stay thin and healthy. (*Runners, plllllease don't think I'm knocking running 35 miles a week! I just think my way of thinking about running was unhealthy).

Of course, I have always and will always love running. But what I love NOW is the feeling that I don't have to do it to look this way. And I really hope to get back to running soon! I just think when I do, hopefully I'll be able to maintain this way of thinking.

Have you ever taken something "healthy" - an activity, food/drink, hobby - and abused it so that it was unhealthy for you?



Check out this giveaway for a $200 gift card!

And Missy Maintains Silk Milk and Surprise Goodie Giveaway!

And Jamie's Nut Butter Giveaway!

Weekend Recap

Happy (?) Monday!

Whew, what a great weekend! We FINALLY had a perfect fall day yesterday - sunny and about 65. I went to the Colts game with my pops and they had the roof open - wahoo!!

My dad at the "press box" after the game. Needless to say, I drove home.

Of course, the game was complete when we SMASHED the Seahawks!

Backing up to Friday, I had my adorable niece and nephew over for a sleepover. Because no sleepover is complete without baking, I decided to give these brownies a whirl, recommended by Kristin.

I loved this recipe because I had everything on hand to make it! And I never knew you could substitute cocoa powder (+ oil) for dark chocolate squares?!! (*Don't mind the holes. I was showing my niece the toothpick test and, um, we kinda poked away).

These rocked my face off. And Reese's, too.

She was happy. I swear. I know she looks scared.

Little Ryan had his gluten free cupcakes to keep him happy (poor guy is allergic to gluten, dairy, oranges, potatoes, and tree nuts. My heart just aches that he will never know the wonder of almond butter). :-( But he's a happy little guy and was more than excited to get his cuppy cakes.

Do you have anyone close to you with food allergies? Gluten is becoming a common one, so thankfully there are lots of gluten-free products out there now. I actually love this recipe for Monkey Munch, which Ryan can have! Too bad he didn't like it. LOL.

Check out Run to Finish's Arm Sleeve Giveaway!

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

Hey, bloggies!

Sorry I've been MIA. It's been a craaaazy week!


My (new) roommate tore her ACL and partially ruptured her patellar tendon playing soccer last Thursday night. :-( Her mom came from St. Louis and has been cooking, cleaning, and spoiling us taking care of usher all week. She is seriously one of the nicest people ever...she mowed my lawn, cleaned my windows, swept the floors....I could get used to this life, people.

I DID finally get a chance to make a new recipe last night. I saw this recipe on Erica's blog for Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup. Um...I love both. So I had to try!


(*Side note - anytime I type "pumpkin" - which is often lately - I type "pumpking"....because obviously my fingers don't like words that just end in "in" and not "ing." Anyone else do this? Moving on.)

Well, in my absent-mindedness, I grabbed this instead of canned pumpkin:

Whoops!

Who knew they sold pumpkin pie mix in a can, anyway?

It was sweeter than it probably should've been, but who am I to waste food? And seriously, this was one of the best soups I've ever had...and I've had a lot! Kind of tasted like dessert for dinner. But with black beans and diced tomatoes. I'm interested to see how it tastes with just the regular ole' pumpkin.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup with a side of the Integumentary System

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I'm having my niece and nephew to spend the night tonight...then going to my first Colts game of the season!! I'm praying for good weather on Sunday so the roof will be open. Ahhh - I love my boys in blue! (or white....well, whatever).

Check out these AMAZING giveaways!

- Run to the Finish's Nutrition/Energy Bar Giveaway!

- Dori's Core Fusion and Physique 57 DVD Giveaway!

Not Better. Just Different.

I've been DYING to try Better n'Peanut Butter! I didn't realize they sold it at TJ's (SCORE), so I snagged some last week.



I am OBSESSED with nuts butters. No lie. Look at my stash.


I have PB in my morning oats - the Smart Balance. You see, I work at a headquarters for a local grocery store chain and I don't think they'd appreciate me whipping out the TJ's nut butter as I eat my breakfast. They don't realize I never shop at their stores because they're insanely expensive, and if I'm gonna go big, I'd rather spend that money at TJ's and Whole Paycheck.

At home I use the Almond Butter and TJ's PB, and now....Better n'PB! And for the record - it's not better tasting necessarily (IMO), but it does boast awesome stats:


Serving Size 2 tbsp (32.0 g)

Calories: 100
Calories from Fat:18
Total Fat: 2.0g
Sodium: 190mg
Total Carbohydrates: 13.0g
Sugars: 2.0g

I think the taste lends itself to a....coffee flavor? Am I nuts? (hahaha) It's not good or bad, just like me - different. Overall I like the stuff, but I'm not giving up my regular nut butters! Especially in the morning with breakfast....they just keep me fuller for longer.

Do you hoard a particular kind of food? Obviously I hoard nut butters, but I always have a huge stash of yogurt in my fridge at all times: Blueberry/Strawberry/Peach Chobani, TJ's Organic French Vanilla, TJ's Greek Style Honey (sooooo insanely delish!), just to name a few.

Hope ya'll have a great weekend! I'm off to visit my friend in Louisville - I'm going to a winery for only the 2nd time in my life. For a girl who doesn't really like wine, this could be really good - or really, really bad.

Stuffed Peppers

I have wanted to try Stuffed Peppers for a LONG time - so it was perfect timing when I saw a recipe last week in Jenna's article on Health.com!



First of all, these are super easy. Second, they are CHEAP!


Yum yum yum!


I was very impressed, although I actually got the diced tomatoes with chili peppers. And though I'm sure it could be classified as "mild" to most people, it almost had me in a sweat! Whew! But they were seriously good. Although, a little tricky to eat. I have to admit, I dug into them with my hands in the end. ;-) (Do people cut these things up to eat them?) It's a good thing my co-workers know how much of a classy chick I am.

Aggh - my boyfriend (Wentworth Miller) is guest starring on Law & Order SVU tonight! Super exciting. Anyone else a Prison Break fan? I was so disappointed when they cancelled it. I miss his sexy face.

Happy Hump Day!!

Check out Missy's Zevia Giveaway!!

BMI and Body Fat

Sorry I've been slacking on the posts lately....I feel like I don't have much to post about, unless you want weekly recaps of my Anatomy class? Nah, I'll spare ya.

Anywho, today I got my BMI and Body Fat measured at my gym. I've never done it before - only the online calculators like this one, and I've also had it measured on Wii fit ;-). I was just curious to see how it compared (can you really trust a video game system for your BMI?). Plus, it was free!

They ask you your weight and height, and also how much you exercise (this question was kind of embarrassing to answer....I'd MUCH rather have answered it back, oh....5 months ago?!). Then they use this handheld device. I measured 15.9% body fat and 18.6% BMI. I guess I don't really know the difference between the two? I know BMI is Body Mass Index, but...I guess I thought that measured your body fat?

It made me feel a little better because I've been pretty down on myself for not doing any cardio in the past few months. It seems like everything aggravates my knee. I probably should walk more (and swim....ugh, I wish I could get myself to like it because it's so good for you!). I know this might not have been entirely accurate, but at least it's a ball park figure.

Have you ever had your BMI or Body fat measured? I've always heard they are better indicators than weight, because of water retention and that sort of thing.

Well, I have my first test this weekend...wish me luck! Oh, and a little update on Teacher Guy - I just don't think *it's* there. We've been out 4 times...I think I would know by now, right? Of course it stinks (just typed "he stinks," LOL) because he's so sweet, cute, and everything I'd want on paper. But that chemistry thing....it's pretty darn important! Now I just have to find a way to tell him. I won't succumb to the post-it breakup a la Jack Berger, but is it okay to text that to him? ;-)



Check out Cookin Fanatic's TJ Pumpkin Butter giveaway!

Yellow Squash Casserole

My sister gave me some squash that she had grown, and I happily took it off her hands! I really, really hope to grow some veggies and herbs next year....I just never got around to it this year. Until then, I'll just steal others'.

I can't really remember ever eating squash (other than acorn squash, which I had once last fall and LOVED). And I've definitely never cooked with the stuff. So I went to my trusty cooking buddy (http://www.allrecipes.com/) and found this recipe for Yellow Squash Casserole.

The ingreds: (I didn't have milk, so I used non-fat plain greek yogurt, and I always subbed Wheat Thins - generic, 'cause mama is tryin' to save money! - for Ritz crackers...I LOVE Wheat Thins!!)


My question - how the *&%$ do you cut up a squash like this? I sliced off the skins, but stupidly forgot this has seeds. Do any of you have any good tips? I swear, this is why it takes me so long to cook. ;-)

I was a little skeptical about all of this....but it turned out amazing!! (I halved the recipe). I will say, however, that this was too much buttah for me. (Don't tell Paula, please). I hardly ever eat real butter, so I would definitely half the amount (at least) next time. It doesn't need it!

Do you ever eat or make squash? I LOVE acorn squash with brown sugar - I need to pick some up soon. And I STILL have not tried spaghetti squash....(I know!).

Check out Healthy Fit Runner's Giveaway!

And Christy's Oikos Giveaway!

Independent Woman

Have you lived where you lived now your whole life?

I have. Well, with the exception of college (4 years), when I went to Indiana University (only about an hour and a half away).

I have always been a homebody. When I was little, I couldn't even spend the night at a friends without coming home! It wasn't so much that I missed my mom and dad, it was that I loved my home.

Anyway, I've always stuck close to "home" - in fact, I live 5 miles from my parents, 4 miles from my oldest sister, and 3 miles from my middle sister! (some people think this is neat....other people thinks it's...weird). :-)

Yes, we always wear white at family gatherings. Don't you?

Sometimes I wonder if I am too dependent on my family. Not that that is a bad thing, but I think I am the stereotypical youngest child - my family has always been around to help with decisions, and to just help in general. And that's great! But sometimes I wonder if I need to be more independent.

Lately I've been thinking about moving....not seriously thinking about it (I did just buy my house a year ago!), but wondering if it's something I might want to do in the next few years. I don't even know where I would go! I wouldn't want to go too far, but there are so many great places that aren't terribly far from where I am now: Louisville (my bestie is there!), Denver (GORGEOUS....though far), Atlanta (warm, and gorgeous!), Tennessee (only driven it through it, but who doesn't love the accents?), Chicago (know a lot of people there....lots to do), the Carolinas.....

Ah. Who am I kidding? I'll probably never move. :-) But it is fun to think about...and maybe in a couple of years after I'm done with school (or have a new career, at least!), I will bite the bullet and do it.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?? Mine would be Colorado. Hands down! I've only been once, but it's gorgeous, the people are friendly, and Denver has over 300 days of sunshine a year. MAN! Much better than Indy's (below):

Thank Heavens for Betty Crocker Contest Winners

After seeing this recipe for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookie Treats on Iowa Girl Eat's and Chandra's blogs, I had try 'em for myselfmake them for my family!


Ingreds:


The PB Balls....


Shake it up, baby!

Does it get any better? No.

OH MY HEAVENS. Obviously this were not "healthy" in any way, shape or form - but life is waaaay too short not to have your favorite things. PB and chocolate ARE my favorite things, especially when mixed together. Oooooh la la! Seriously, this is now one of my favorite cookies. Maybe only second to sugar cookies with icing.

What's your favorite cookie? I also like white chocolate macadamia nut...but I've never made them! My favorite (as mentioned above) is a soft sugar cookie with LOTS of icing. YUM.

Check out Kelly's Near East Giveaway Meal Kit Giveaway!!

Me Gusta Cilantro Y Couscous

New favorite recipe alert!

There are a few things I love SO much that I seek them out in meals/recipes/foods - almond butter, feta cheese, honey mustard, and...cilantro. Oh, cilantro. Te amo.

Oh. And I've never made couscous! I think I've eaten it before...but I've never made it. So I found a recipe for Black Bean and Couscous Salad that included cilantro and couscous - score and score.

The cast:

All the ingreds....

+ couscous....

WOWSA! First of all - who knew a cup of uncooked couscous made, like, a bajillion cups of cooked couscous?! Craziness. But this is seriously amazing. I love everything in it, and it's very filling because of the beans and fiber. Definitely gonna be repeated in this house!

What's one ingredient you absolutely could not live without?

P.S. Thanks for all of your "congratulations!" If you can't tell, I'm just a wee bit excited. :-)

P.S.S. Ya know how I bombed my first Anatomy quiz? Well, long story short, the computer graded it incorrectly and I e-mailed my prof about it. She corrected my quiz and gave me 100% - yahooooo! Fingers crossed for many more 100's.

Bleh Weekend....GREAT News!

So for various reasons, my weekend was just bleh. Not horrible or bad, just bleh - ya know those weekends? But it was all made up for when (at my parent's house today for lunch) my 5 year old niece came out carrying this cake:





It says "Congrats Happy Baby." (huh?) And while many in my family inherited the blond gene, when my niece blurted out, "We're having a baby!" - we got it!

My sister is preggers!!

Aaaaah, I am so excited. Her kids (my niece and nephew) will be 6 and 4 when the baby is born (April Fool's Day is her due date!). I obviously LOVE being an aunt - even if I don't have kiddos of my own, being an aunt is such a close 2nd. Especially to the kiddos of your sisters. AND my sister is the CUTEST pregnant person ever! (And, no, Kristy - I'm not just sayin' that 'cause I know you're reading!) ;-) She is also one of those people who never, EVER complains about being pregnant. Plus, she's so dang cute!

So that just goes to show you when you're having a bad day (or weekend), there is always good news around the corner to pull you out.

Hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

MAT Review and a Hit-and-Run

So a couple of months ago, I spent about $800 of my tax money to fix dings, scratches and a cracked front bumper in my car. I plan on having my car for awhile - I still love it! - and I wanted it to be purty again.

Well....we had a good few months, Red! Sadly, I backed into my neighbor's truck the other night. :-( The GOOD news is that a. he was super understanding and nice, and b. it's his company truck and they said it doesn't need to be fixed! (The scratch is only a few inches long).

The BAD news is that my car didn't fare so well:

Aggggh, such is life. I may or may not get it fixed, depending on how much it is. But I'm so relieved his car is okay!

So today I had my first Muscle Activation Technique Session. It was interesting....he tested my muscles (like, for example, he pushed on my outer leg while I tried to resist) to see how weak/strong they were. Interestingly, he noted right away that my right ankle is weaker than my left (I sprained my right ankle very badly 4 years ago).

I think I'll give it another go or two - it's pricey!!! $85/session...YOWSA. But at this point, I'd consider selling organs to get back on the roads again. So here's hopin'! (I kinda like my kidneys).

I'll leave you with a video of my ADORABLE nieces, Grace and Clare. Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite joke is "What do three gay horses like to eat?" A. "Hay hay hay!" I know....not very PC but my gay friends love it more than I do. Anywho, I'm doing my part to pass on the joke to Clare.





Check out Missy's Yoplait Giveaway!

And Quinn's Favorite Things Giveaway!

Stressed

So I'm only a week into my Anatomy class and I feel like maybe I bit off more than I can chew.

We read one chapter a week and have to post a discussion and take a quiz. Sounds easy, right? Well, the chapters are about 30 pages long, and the handwritten notes I took on it were about 9 pages! I also did all of the activities, games, and practice quizzes....so I'm guessing I spent a good 6-7 hours last week on school work.

I was SO nervous to take the quiz last night! I just bit the bullet and totally freaked out. They give you 30 minutes, so I sort of rushed through the first 5 questions. When I clicked submit, it said I was done! Needless to say, I didn't do as well as I'd hoped. Which is SUCH a bummer because I think I just got major test anxiety - I knew the information! UGH. The GOOD news is that we can drop our 2 lowest test scores, so this will definitely be one of them.

I am kind of loving Fit Nut's lists right now. :-) I LOVE lists! So here is my goal to try and change this thing around:

- Set aside at least one night a week JUST for school work

- Make sure house is quiet and I'm not tired/hunger when taking quiz

- Print off Power Point Slides prepared by professor (tongue twister!) and take additional
notes on them after reading chapters (instead of writing them all out by hand)

- Close out of Tweet Deck prior to starting quiz. ;-)

- Don't get discouraged.

Whew. I feel better already.

Normally I deal with stress in bad, bad, ways. You know, hittin' the bottle and such. LOL - okay not really, but I do eat when I'm stressed and I'm determined NOT to let this get to me.

I just finished "The Power of Now," and I love that it focuses on being content in our present state. Basically, it says that at THIS moment, we don't have any pain/problems. Most of our pain and worries comes from thinking about past events or future events. This is SO true for me. So whenever I get stressed now about something that hasn't even happened, I just repeat "The Power of Now" to myself (in my head, don't want those weird looks) and remind myself to just BE.

In good news, my knee is feeling better!!! Not 100%, but I'd say it's definitely 80% better. I just have some achiness in the morning and sometimes throughout the day if I'm climbing stairs or something. I go Wednesday for Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) - fingers crossed! I definitely think the Active Release Technique helped, so let's hope this will get me back to 100%.

Sorry this is boring and blah...just wanted to say "hi" and hope you're all having a great Monday!

Calling All Students

So...I'm a little out of touch with being a student. I need help!

In college I always took notes by hand. I know I type faster than I write, but I retain things more if I write them out.

Problem is, this is creating LOTS of writing for my anatomy class!

How do you/did you take notes in classes? I feel kinda silly for even asking about this, but I just want to make sure I kick a$$ in my classes and I really have to stay on top of things.

*Date update - going to dinner with Teacher boy on Saturday. He is SO sweet....I talked to him on the phone and just kept asking questions. Like, he was actually interested in what I was saying! LOL.

The only thing is, I'm not sure if the attraction is there. I mean, he's very good looking, but for me it's all about personality. Usually I date good looking guys (or at least I think they are good looking, and my sister does, too, since she flirts with them - *Hi, Kristy!). However, one guy I dated was not my type (physically), yet I was SO attracted to him because he was hilarious! If you can make me laugh, you seriously have me.

Are you a looks person or personality person? (And don't be afraid here....I will admit that I can't imagine dating a guy under 5'11" because I'm 5'9". Good for Katie Holmes, but that just ain't me - vain as that sounds).

Check out Missy's Dave's Killer Bread Giveaway!

Turkey Joes...Turk - Turkey Joes

Sorry. Everytime I think about Sloppy Joes I always sing that song by Adam Sandler. Love that man!

So I came to the realization that it's pretty sad that I have not made some pretty "basic" meals in my life - meatloaf, pot roast, and....Sloppy Joes!

I found this recipe for TURKEY Joes. And I do love my ground turkey.


This was so. good. I will DEFINITELY be makin' these babies again! I think the mustard (and BBQ sauce) add a lil' somethin' somethin' to the mix. (*Do "regular" Sloppy Joes have mustard and BBQ sauce?) I'm thinking you could use fake meat and they would still turn out - the sauce is where it's at, baby.

After I went all buck wild on Almond Butters in my house, I finally used up some old jars and was able to rip into this puppy: Briden Wilson Farm Almond Butter.

I won this from a contest on Heather's blog. WOW. Can I just say, wow?! It's going to be so hard to go back to "normal" almond butter after this! I've never made my own AB, but this is how I would imagine it would taste if I did. Very, very fresh. Kind of "gritty," if you will. But not in a bad way! I like to taste my nuts (TWSS). Thanks, HEAB!

Almond Butter is one of the best things to come out of my blog stalkingsurfing. I don't know what I'd do without it now! Of course, as luck would have it, it's also $$$. For now I'll stick to Trader Joe's - though Maranatha has my heart. What's the best new food you've found in the last year?

Coffee Date and Back to School

Happy Monday, bloggies!

So I'm freaking out just a little bit since today I start something I said I would NEVER do again (this is why you should never say never)....I'm starting school!

Actually, I'm pretty excited about it. I figure I'll do the best I can in these classes (this fall and next Spring), and if I decide nursing isn't for me, that's okay. I won't actually apply to the nursing program until the Spring, and it's very hard to get into. But I'm a firm believer (*cheesiness alert*) that everything happens for a reason. So for now I'll just plug along and do what I can, and at least I'll learn a thing or two along the way. Hell, maybe I'll learn what the heck is goin' on with my knee!

So I met Match guy for coffee yesterday. Actually, I'll call him "Teacher Guy" since he's (duh) a teacher. (I often have nicknames for people I date....do any of you do that? I would tell you some of them, but they're not all "blog friendly"). LOL

It went pretty well! To me, a good first date is one that you're not scrambling to get out of. Did I think off the bat that he was *the one*? No. But he's a nice guy, the conversation was flowing, he asked lots of questions (!), and he just seemed very sweet. And he's cute. And ripped! Might have to start lifting more. Plus, did I mention he's a teacher?! SUCH a sucker for the guy who loves kids. I think we're going to try and meet up for dinner, so we'll see how that goes.

So yesterday I met my potential roommate and she is a total sweetheart! It's only temporary (she is hoping to get a job in either Dallas or Atlanta), but this will buy me some time to look for someone else. Fingers crossed! Oh, and D still isn't speaking to me. I know so many of us have been there, but it's incredibly uncomfortable living with someone who won't even make eye contact with you. And I don't feel like I did anything wrong?!

Does anyone else start school today/soon? If you're finished with school, have you ever thought of going back? I really hated college. Well, the learning part. ;-) There were $0.15 beers, people! But I am excited about this new chapter in my life, especially because I believe I'm on the path to doing something that I love. Life is too short. We spend so much of our lives at our jobs, it should really be doing something we love and take pride in.

Enjoy your Monday!

ART and Drama

Thanks SO much for your advice on St. Louis boy....I think I'll give him one more chance and if the convo is similar to the first, I'll tell him to save the gas $$$ (hey, it's hard times now, people!). It's good to know I'm not the only picky person out there when it comes to relationships. In the infamous words of Loreal (right?), I'm worth it.

So this morning I had my 4th ART session (Active Release Technique). One thing I love about this chiropractor is that he was very honest and upfront when I first went in. He told me, "You should know in 3-4 sessions whether or not this is for you." Phew! An honest chiropractor?! Thought that was harder to find than a Patrick Demsey look alike in Indiana.

As of right now my knee feels great, but he told me that if it doesn't feel better than he's not the guy for me. He recommended someone who specializes in Muscle Activation Techniques. Anyone ever heard of this? Basically they look for muscle imbalance and weakness, and DIG into the muscles to activate them. Or something like that. I might give it a shot, since it's only $75/session (this is cheap compared to what I'd pay to see another doctor....sad, huh?!).

In other news, I've had some may-juh roommate drama this week. L-O-N-G story, but basically my roommate, D, told me he's moving out next month. So my neighbor found a gal who needs a place by September 1st. Well, D basically stirred the pot and had a very mean conversation with our neighbor, and now she doesn't want to tell this girl she should live here (because D said he'd ignore her and not speak to her).

So...my dad caught wind of this and called D, basically calling him out on what he was doing. My dad was a little harsh, but never threatening. Well, D called his cousin (a cop) and told him my dad was threatening him! WTF?! My dad wouldn't - COULDN'T - hurt a fly even if he wanted to. He's the trashrunner, for cryin' out loud! LOL. He's just really protective of me since I have a hard time standing up for myself.

So basically D angrily announced he'll move out by 9/1 and HOPEFULLY this girl is cool and can move in! (I'm meeting her today). It just stinks because D is not even speaking to me right now - he's really made this whole situation into a huge fiasco, when it didn't need to be at all.

I hate it when people are drama queens and just like to stir the pot. Even if a situation isn't ideal, what's the point of creating drama and making it worse....ya know?

On a lighter note, here's the cutest Catholic school girl ya ever saw.



My niece started KINDERGARTEN this week! Agggh!! So cute I can hardly stand it.

Well, I'm off to meet a guy I've been talking to on Match - in PUBLIC. LOL. Wish me luck! He sounds super nice, so we'll see....

Have a great Saturday!

Meet Me in St. Louis

So I met this boy in St. Louis....

My cousin and I went out Saturday night and this guy started talking to me. He was really sweet and cute, so we exchanged numbers and texted the next day (we both went to the game).

True to form, he lives about 2 1/2 hours from me (I always find the out-of-towners somehow...even when I'm out of town). But he mentioned that he'd like to come see me sometime. I thought, "Ya know, why not?" So we talked on the phone this week and....yeah. He's SUPER sweet, but here are my issues:

1. LOVES to talk. About himself. I think he only asked me a couple of questions, and that was a good 20 minutes into the conversation. Now, I LOVE a guy who can talk, and maybe he was nervous, but it's always sweet when guys ask you questions....ya know? Plus, I'm not the type of person to talk about myself freely - I'm more of a listener. So I welcome the questions!

2. Talked about ex-girlfriend for approx. 10 minutes. Seriously?! I just don't think ex-talk should be brought up for awhile. It's one thing if you ask the, "When was your last serious relationship?" question. (eeeek - I hate that question!). But, guys, PLEASE don't talk about any situations involving your ex on the FIRST conversation.

3. He seems a little....unmotivated. Now, I've always joked that I would end up with the gas station attendant, because my sisters married the geniuses of the family. And you know what? If the gas station attendant were a smart, sweet guy, I would totally be down with that. Okay, so this guy is NOT a gas station attendant, but he doesn't seem motivated in his current job. He's unemployed 1/2 of the year (his job is seasonal) and he seems....okay with that? I hope that doesn't sound snobbish, because I would MUCH rather be with a pauper than a prince, but it just bugs when guys come off as lazy.

So there ya go. My question is - do I still let him come visit? If this guy lived in town, I'd go out with him just for sh!ts and giggles. Ya never know, and you only live once! But considering he'd have to drive 2 1/2 hours and I've already made a LIST about him (LOL), I would just feel so guilty having him come.

What do you think? Am I too picky? Are you/were you a picky person when it comes to relationships? Well, I know I'm too picky. But tell me that is okay. ;-)

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and Kelly's Free People Gift Card Giveaway!

Braggers

If there's one thing that bothers me in this world, it's braggers.

We all know them. "Look at my new car!" "I'm SO excited to go to Florida - have fun in the snow!" Ugh....they make my skin crawl.

Now, there is a difference between "braggers" and people who are genuinely not looking for praise. No, I don't get mad when each of my friends gets a new car! LOL.

Braggers

- Want you to be jealous of them
- Are insecure/unhappy and bragging brings them "up," similar to those who use bullying to make themselves feel better

For example, a friend of mine drove a total beater of a car for years....when she got a brand new SUV this year, I could NOT have been happier for her. She totally deserved it! And I knew when she told me about it, she wasn't bragging. She was just extremely excited and happy - and I wanted to share that with her!

I have another friend who gets new "gadgets" all of the time - iPhone, new cars every year, new expensive cameras, etc. When she tells me about these things, I know she wants me to be jealous. She is a stay at home mom, but I know she's truly unhappy with her weight and her marriage. So by bragging about these new things, she's bringing herself up. It makes her feel better.

Another example is a co-worker of mine. I've always gotten the feeling that she's "watching" my weight and my body. When she asked me if I'd lost weight a few months ago, it wasn't the "Wow - you look great!" tone. It was more like 'looking you up and down' tone. Does that make sense? I almost feel like she is competitive with me. (*For example, someone brought in cookies for MY birthday and she commented loudly that she wouldn't eat them because they were way too fattening. Then she looked at me and smiled condescendingly as I was reaching for one! Um...it's my birthday, bitch! LOL) Anyway, she had about 20 pounds to lose and has lost about 15 pounds so far.

When she came in the other day, her first comment to myself and my co-worker was, "Look at me! I couldn't wear these pants a few months ago because my ass was too fat!" Now, when I lost about 15 pounds recently - I didn't say a word to anyone about it. You didn't catch me galavanting around the office saying - "look at me! I'm 2 sizes smaller, people!" That's just not me. And I knew from past encounters with her that she simply wanted praise from us. Of course, I'm embarrassed to admit that I turned into stubborn/biotch mode and congratulated her, but went on to say something about how I'd lost weight, too. I know...what am I - five years old? I hate that braggers bring out that side of me....but they do.

How about you? Do you know braggers? How do you deal with them?

I've learned with friends (like my stay-at-home mom friend) I just comment and congratulate them, and move on. But it's harder for me to do that with strangers or people I'm not friends with (like my co-worker).


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Worry Wart

....or is it Worry WORT?

Whatever it is, I am one.

I had a good talk with my dad this weekend on my way to St. Louis about my anxiety. I worry about money, I worry about finding someone, I worry about school (now), I worry about what other people think (all.the.time)....well, you get my drift.

My dad worked a pretty high stress job for 34 years, and was able to retire 4 years ago. Let me just tell you, the man is a COMPLETELY different guy from his working days. He's so carefree...he's like a little kid!

He gave me one good suggestion - he suggested I keep a little notebook with me and write down all of the things I worry about throughout the day. At the end of the day, I'll look and see what things I worried about that I no longer have to - maybe it's getting laundry done, or having enough time to get somewhere. And then look at the things that are more long-term (like school, job, etc.). Then estimate how much time I've wasted throughout the day worrying about random sh!t.

So yesterday morning, I got my little notebook and I started. Let me just tell you - I'd written down 3 things within ten minutes of waking! And this was my day OFF from work. LOL.

I kept jotting things down but I only made it till about noon before I stopped. I seriously had written down 20 things!

So it got me to thinking...I think I just need to be more organized about things. I LOVE to-do lists, but my problem is that I'm a may-juh procrastinator and half the things don't get done, so I just give up.

I think I'm going to start making a daily to-do list (also at the suggestion of my dad...apparently he should be my free therapist now?) and list things that need to be done soon at the top, and things that don't need to be done as quickly at the bottom.

Hopefully this will help....I think about all the time I've spent worrying in my life about STUPID stuff - I mean, I've probably spent weeks of my life worrying if you'd add it all up! It's just silly to live that way, ya know?

What about you? Are you a worrier? How do you deal with anxiety? Are you a to-do-lister?

Weekend Recap

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

It was so nice to get away for a little bit, and the sight of this made everything that much better.


We went to the game on Saturday and on Sunday...they won both games so I think we're good luck. :-) Here's my cousin and I before Saturday's game.

Us and Fredbird

My dad and I...check out that sexy taped knee!

My cousin and I ensued in some crazy shenanigans that evening....

Sunday's game with the fam

My cousin scored AMAZING seats for Sunday's game. 10 rows behind home plate!! I was in HEAVEN.

My boy Albert....sigh.

Me, my dad, and my cousin

My dad showin' off his socks...he's such a goof.

It was SUCH a great weekend...and I took today off from work to catch up on some things at home. Um....Mondays are SO MUCH BETTER when you don't have to work!

So I had to delete my last post because it's kind of a long story, but I think there's a chance the boy saw my blog or knows about it. But long story short, everything went pretty well. I was kind of proud of myself for standing my ground, and it made me realize sometimes we have to do what's hard if we know in the end it's what is BEST for us....ya know?

Hope you all had great weekends...I'm off to tackle the to-do list!

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