Home Sweet Home...?

This was the sight greeting us on I-680 as we came upon our exit for home.

I guess God knew I was severely depressed at the thought of being back in Youngstown, and took pity on me by giving me this semi-pretty sight...Although it doesn't even COMPARE to the beach.

I'll post more beach pics tomorrow, but for right now, I'm relaxing with Felix on the recliner, having a few beers, winding down, and catching up with DVR'd TV while we were gone.

Tomorrow starts the 30-Day Shred with Andrea, Steph, Becky, Laura, and myself! Can't wait to get back into a workout routine. I'm scared to step on the scale after a week of not working out and eating whatever the hell I wanted (and lots of it). EEK! Oh well, screw it. It was vacation.

VA Beach Day 4

It's our last FULL day of vacation...and I'm kind of bummed, but eager to get home at the same time.

After two beautiful days of mid 90's weather and killer sunshine, today is a little overcast, so there will be no laying on the beach. Which is ok, because I didn't get burned yesterday, but when I was in the shower, it stung a little, so I think the ocean sun would put me over the edge today.

On today's agenda: Movie theater (Felix must be feeling relaxed and happy because I got absolutely NO eye rolling for wanting to see "The Ugly Truth" with Katherine Heigl and Girard Butler, he was pretty amiable about it). Then, we're going to an indoor blacklight pirate ship miniature golf course. After that, we've gotta find some souvenirs to take home to Talia, and then we're planning on renting those two-person bikes you can ride up and down the boardwalk.

We've gotten really lucky with the weather this week. It was supposed to rain/thunderstorm all this week, and we had a fast and furious storm sweep in yesterday, but it was in the evening so we didn't miss out on anything. I'll post pictures of the storm later, though, because it was a sight to behold!

The guys who rent beach chairs didn't get everything put away in time, and there were umbrellas and chairs and boogie boards being blown into the ocean. It was pretty neat to see from the balcony of our room, though we couldn't stay outside too long because sand was actually blowing in our eyes...and we're nine floors up! Then, as quickly as they blow in, the clouds disappear and it's beautiful again!

VA Beach Day 3

Actually slept in until 7:00 this morning, haha. I guess this is being a grown-up?? I can't ever sleep in anymore.

We're getting ready to head down to the beach, gotta hurry because it's 9:21 and everyone is already jockeying for position with the beach chairs. It's going to be be in the low 90's today, and it's HUMID out there! I straightened my hair last night, and by the time we got back dinner, it was super wavy, soooo I'm not even gonna waste my time today.

We went parasailing yesterday, and it was SOOOO much fun! We went 1200 feet in the air, and get this: The people that went after us? THE LINE SNAPPED! Thankfully they were almost on the boat, and didn't get carried away too far, but they were sitting in the ocean for a few minutes while the boat circled around and one of the guys jumped off the boat to get them out of the water. The captain says he's been doing this for almost 20 years and has only seen it happen around ten times. I'm just so glad it wasn't us! I would've been FREAKING out if I were sitting a mile out in the ocean, with my feet hanging down into shark infested waters! No thank you!

I also found out yesterday, I get incredibly sea sick. I spent the entire time on the boat holding back my breakfast that was threatening to come up at any second. Fortunately, nothing came up...but it totally throws out our plans for that dolphin cruise I was interested in!!

****************************************************************************

Ok, fast forward to right now, 2:47 pm. Felix looked out at the beach and saw all the beach chairs filling up earlier, so we flew down there to get a good spot and I stopped writing midsentence. 12 dollars to rent a beach chair!! GOOD GOD!

I'm flying out of here once again, because we're headed to the Aquarium to check out some sealife, then another nice dinner at one of the local restaurants I found online.

Don't ever wanna come home!!!

VA Beach Day 2

It's 6:37 a.m and I just spent the night listening to the waves crashing on the beach! It was HEAVEN! But of course, being me, I couldn't sleep in like I wanted (trained to work overnights, I never can).

I'm getting today's blog post out of the way early, because it's really not my main concern this week.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!

Just to recap yesterday a little bit...

We didn't check in until after 4:30 and we had expected to get here around 3:00. But we stopped for lunch, to pee, etc, and traffic coming into the beach was ridiculous!

So our room is so much more amazing than I thought it was going to be!

You walk in, and there's a little hallway that leads to a living room/kitchen. There's a full refrigerator, sink, microwave, a table with three chairs, a pull-out couch, and a television.

Then, you walk into the bedroom (where Felix is sleeping away at the moment), and there's our king size bed, then a third room which is basically a dressing room/closet, and a HUGE bathroom. Mom, I know I said it yesterday when I called you, but THANK YOU SO MUCH!! If it wasn't for her and her hotel employee discount, there's no way we'd be able to afford being here right now. And we're getting an entire week for what other vacationers are paying for a night!

Did I mention the view?! Here is the view from our hotel room:

Well, Felix is up now, so I'm off to enjoy my first full day here!! I think today we're going to get some sun and try to go parasailing.

I'm the happiest girl ever!

VA Beach Day 1

it's 9:20 pm, I'm sitting on our balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the beach in Virginia, with Felix, watching a free magic show, and eating Snyder's BBQ chips....that's all.

Holy Crap!

Alright, so Felix and I are FINALLY leaving for vacation later today, after his softball is over (heaven forbid he misses a Sunday to go on vacation with his girlfriend! But I don't say anything, because it's the one thing he LOVES to do...so who am I to take that away?) Anyway, we're leaving later tonight, and driving halfway to Winchester, VA and staying at what looks like a pretty rundown Quality Inn. (But at a 25 dollar employee discount rate, who's complaining? Not me!! THANKS MOM!!)

I can't guarantee I will post every day this week, though I'll try. I do promise to come back and post for the days I miss (but I probably wont miss, I'm pretty dedicated to this lousy blog!).

A few things:

1. Four other girls around the country have signed up to do the 30 Day Shred with me, beginning August 1st! I am BEYOND excited! More details to come, but if you're interested, leave me a blog comment or shoot me an email and I'll get back to you. Don't text me, because although I've decided to NOT go completely without internet this week, I AM going to keep my BlackBerry turned off.

The girls who are brave enough to shred are as follows:
**Andrea from California**
**Becky (aka the Fit Wife) from Atlanta**
**Laura from D.C**
**Steph from Pittsburgh**
and **ME from Youngstown**

I'm so pumped that we're all going to try and do this together. If you want in, let me know!

Until then, PEACE OUT, BITCHES, I'M ON VACATION!

Mommy, please don't get mad at me for saying "bitches".

Caturday.

Fit Friday!!!

I have a BUNCH to talk about today, so here's the order (I'm doing this for my own good in hopes I don't just randomly type a lot of stuff):

-Beach!

-Pedometer

-30 Day Shred

-Recipe Recap

-Healthy Links!

**Beach!**

I am officially on vacation as we speak! To kick it all off, I scheduled an hour long Relaxation Massage at Casal's de Spa in Canfield. I usually shy away from there because it's a little pricey for my taste, but I have a $25 gift card leftover from Christmas, so I'm putting that towards the massage. Wondering why I'm writing about massages during Fit Friday? Read here for some health benefits.

Anyway, so we leave Sunday night for the beach, and I AM going to try to get some exercise in while we're down there, but I'm thinking it's going to be mostly walks along the beach. I've slacked a little the last few weeks with workouts, so I'm figuring this will be my last week of relaxation before coming home and really getting serious (which I'll get to later). I'm in a funk and just need to re-energize.

**Pedometer**

Alright, so, I think I touched on this a little last week, but I wanna talk about this a little more in depth. I've been think that even though I work out for an hour or so at least 4-5 times a week, my lifestyle is otherwise sedentary. I watch TV, and I sit at a desk at work. And while I try my best to take the stares, and take breaks and walk around, I really do NOT move as much as I should.

So I bought a pedometer.

The Surgeon General recommends 10,000 steps a day for health and fitness. Depending on your stride, that's about the equivalent of 5 miles a day. I didn't realize just how HARD it is to achieve those steps!

To clear it up a little, a pedometer does NOT measure other activities besides walking/running. So, if you're on a bike, it doesn't register. So I guess technically if you work out, you don't HAVE to reach 10,000 steps, as long as you're getting a moderate level of physical activity. ANYWAY, My goal this week was to reach 10,000 steps a day. I only accomplished it TWICE, and that was by taking FOUR MILE WALKS around town during the day. Insane! I didn't workout Tuesday at all, and only registered around 3,000 steps. It's really opened up my eyes to how sedentary I am. And here I thought I was active!

Interested in a pedometer? This is the one I bought, and so far, no complaints. Very easy and simply to use. Seems accurate, too. I want to buy the Fitbit but it's a little pricey ($99), and it's not even available until August.

**30 Day Shred**

I've gotten SO bored with working out lately, that I need to switch something up. Let me make myself clear, I'm not entirely UNHAPPY with the way I look, but it's gotten to the point where I enjoy working out and challenging myself and eating healthy because I FEEL better and I'm HAPPIER. That being said, I don't want everyone thinking I'm on some quest to get super skinny, because I know I'll never be that without being miserable. I'm comfortable in my own skin (or at least getting there). Anyway- I've had Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred for months, but usually only do it when I don't feel like working out, or need to get something quick in because it's only a little over 20 minutes. Then, every time I do it, I realized it's the hardest 20 minutes of my life!

Beginning August 1st, I'm starting the 30-Day Shred. It's meant to be done EVERY DAY. No days off. The DVD has three levels to it, so I'm going to begin at Level 1 and do ten days of each level. Since it is only 20 minutes, I'm also going to try and combine it with daily walks (gotta get in those 10,000 steps!) at least 4 times a week. I need to switch up my routine and I'm hoping this is the way to do it. It's a challenge. And it works! Google "30 Day Shred Results" and look at some of the before and after pictures! It's Amazing! Anyone wanna try it with me? Let me know, I'm starting it the day after I get back from the beach. I'll take my measurements and see how much I shrink in 30 days.

**Recipe Recap**

I've found the BEST recipe for a healthy version of hot wings. They're boneless and baked and they are AWESOME. Like, amazingly awesome.

Ingredients:

-1 pound boneless skinless, raw chicken breasts, cut into nugget sized pieces.

-1/2 cup Fiber One original cereal, ground up to a breadcrumb like consistancy by a food processor or blender.

-2 ounces (about two servings) light Mesquite BBQ Pringles, crunched up into small pieces (put in a baggie and break up.

-6 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot

-Cayenne Pepper

-Adobo seasoning

-Garlic Powder

-Black pepper

Preheat over to 375. Mix together Fiber One, crunched up Pringles, Cayenne Pepper, black pepper, garlic powder and Adobo seasoning (use your judgement, there's no specific measurement) into a medium bowl.

Coat raw chicken with Frank's Red Hot. Piece by piece, roll chicken in Pringles mixture and place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for around 1o minutes, or until the coating is crunchy and chicken is cooked through.

That's it! LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!!!

**Links!**

Sorry. This took longer than I thought and now I'm sick of blogging. No links. And Fit Friday will be on hiatus next week because I'll still be at the beach! And while I plan on posting every day, I think I'm just going to post a single picture every day and then wait to tell all my Vacation Tales until the week after we return.

Looking for Participants!!

More to come tomorrow, (since it's Fit Friday and I need stuff to write about) but I wanna throw this out there:

Does anyone want to do Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred with me, beginning August 1st?

Every day. For 30 Days. But it's only a 20 minute workout.

Takers? Anyone? Please?

Susan Boyle Beats Obama.

I actually FORGOT I had to blog today. That hasn't happened in the almost 3 months I've been doing this thing. I have no idea what to write about soooo...

...While I hesitate to really get into my political beliefs on this blog, I do have this to say: I think President Obama needs to stop having primetime Press Conferences. I just read something somewhere that he has had more than any other President for as long as he's been in office. If the guy wants to be on television so bad, he should've moved to Hollywood.


Anyway, thank GOD Fox had decided not to air the press conference, because So You Think You Can Dance is on tonight and I would be crushed if I couldn't see the top 8 perform





Also, read this to find out how Susan Boyle kicked Obama's ass.





Awesomeness.

Weekend Recap.

Ok, so I usually do this on Sunday, but I had my little identity theft rant (which is in the process of being taken care of, it's just SUCH a pain in the ass.)

**Friday**

Quaker Steak N' Lube in Sharon decided to have a "thank you party" for our morning show because we always have them on and give them free publicity. It was all we could eat and drink...and we definately had a blast!

This is me with two of our overnight photographers, our morning reporter, and one of our regular guests.

After lunch, the other morning show producer gave me a ride home in her convertible with the top down! Made me want one for my next car!!

I came home for a few hours because lunch was early afternoon, then Felix and I went out for Mexican and Margarita's with our friends Lyz and Wayman. They're moving into a new condo, so we went and checked that out before coming home and crashing.

**Saturday**

Saturday we were up semi-early to help our friends Marty and Danielle move into a new apartment. It really didn't take long, and we were done by noon.

Steph and Rich came up later that afternoon! I had been looking forward to their visit for weeks!! (Steph and I try to schedule a "date" once a month, but more often than not it turns into every other month.) We take turns, so it was their turn to visit after we made a trip down to the Burgh in March.

We went to this new restaurant that just opened called "Drake's Landing". The food was phenomenal. I ordered caramel apple porkchops, and they were FANTASTIC. I've never ordered porkchops in my life, but these were amazing! It was a little pricey for my cheap-self, but it's definatly my new go-to special occasions restaurant.

After dinner, we headed over to Sports World for some mini-golf, batting cages, and go-carts!

We had to laugh because we came to the conclusion that Rich and I are the "cuddlers" in our respective relationships, while Steph and Felix were the "anti-affectionates".

After a great time at Sports World, Felix and I had to introduce Steph and Rich to the wonderfulness that is Handel's ice cream (new favorite for me? Graham Central Station. Amazing.) Then we stopped off and bought some beer and went back home for a few rousing rounds of Yahtzee, Trouble, and Boggle. Turns out, Rich is really really smart when it comes to finding words and odds. Who'da thunk it?!

I love when we get to visit with Steph and Rich! We've already set our next date...September 12th. I guess that's what happens when you're a grown up and have responsibilities. You gotta make plans MONTHS in advance. So next time it's their turn to entertain us in one of the greatest cities in the country...PITTSBURGH!!!!

I don't have anything to write about Sunday. I didn't go see Felix play softball because that's what I saw all those fraudulent charges on my debit card, so spent most of the morning on the phone fighting with National City.

I realized we don't have a free weekend until the end of August. Between camping trips, vacation, and scheduled Girl's Nights Out..it's going to be a busy rest of the summer!

Happy Music Monday!!!

You'll be singing this the rest of the day. Thank me later.

Earn Your Own Friggin' Money and Leave Mine Alone!

So Sunday is usually my "Weekend Recap", but I need to vent today. The Weekend Recap will come later in the week, because it really was an awesome weekend.

Anyway, this morning I checked my bank account online, and there were two charges to some online software company for that I DID NOT MAKE.

This happened to me a few months ago, when I had hundreds of dollars charged to some overseas software company in like, the West Indies or something. Luckily, with that company, I called them and they somehow saw the charges were fraudulent and canceled them before they posted to my account. This time, though, no luck. The "company" doesn't have any sort of customer service phone number to contact it, just email addresses.

So, I called my bank to cancel my card. Somehow managed to get the "I am pissed I have to work on a Sunday" bitch, who told me I can't put a hold on my account until the fraudulent charges post. She was very rude, and I asked to be transferred, but she was the only one working in the department today.

Basically, I know I'll get my money back, but it's SUCH a pain in the ass, because I have to go to the bank and file a dispute affadavit, then they'll give me a "provisional credit" and send me a new card.

The real kicker in this mess, though, is that we're leaving for the beach next weekend, before I get a new debit card, so I'm going to have to take ALL CASH. Which I'm not sure how I feel about carrying lots of money on me, but oh well. The bright side is this: At least all my beach money is in a SEPARATE savings account, so it's not completely drained...because then the beach trip would have to be canceled!

It's just frustrating because these jerks aren't making their own money, they're stealing everyone else's hard earned dough! I feel like there's a special place in hell for them. What goes around, comes around, identity-stealing bitches!

Caturday.

Fit Friday!!!

**Beach Countdown**
One week from now, I will officially be on VACATION!! And exactly 9 days from now I'll be lounging on the beach in Virginia!! WOO-HOO!!!

*Weekly Recipe*
I said I was going to make a light version of strawberry pie this week...and I did, and it was ok...but it's definately not worth writing about. It was too much work, and the results were just mediocre.

BUT- I did find a yummy healthy breakfast I'll be eating regularly, and I came up with it myself!

Have you seen the Dunkin Donuts commercial for their new "Wake-up Wrap" that looks like this:


It's really pretty yummy, and the one I tried had bacon on it, clocking in at just 190 calories. 190 calories doesn't seem like much, until you actually get one of them. They're TINY. I could easily eat 2, maybe 3 if I were being hoggy.

My version has 202 calories, and 12 grams of fiber, and it's TWICE as big as Dunkin Donuts' version.

Here what you do:

-Scramble two egg whites, set aside

-spray large pan with cooking spray, lay in large tortilla (I used La Tortilla Factory's Soft Wrap, 90 calories and 12 grams of fiber)

-tear up a piece of Kraft Fat Free Singles American into three pieces and lay them across one half of the tortilla.

-Take two pieces of cooked turkey bacon (zapped in the microwave), add them to the tortilla, add egg whites, and fold over tortilla so it looks like a quesadilla. Flip once, let each side get nice and brown.


Yum!!


*Thoughts*

I bought a pedometer for $13 bucks from Amazon.com this week. It came yesterday, but I only wore it for a few hours because I was wearing a dress to work and didn't have anywhere to put it. This next week I'll see how close I'm getting to the recommended 10,000 steps per day. (In addition to my daily workouts...because a pedometer only measures steps, not other movements).

Speaking of walking, I've been setting off on long walks around the neighborhood after my workouts. I've compiled a list of things I am loving and hating about these early evening strolls.

Likes:
-It clears my head

-allows me to actually get outside and enjoy the weather

-I get to investigate the neighborhood

-My iPod is getting more use than it has in the last year

-I enjoy putting my iPod on shuffle and noticing how my pace changes according to my music. (Example: I tend to stroll when the Righteous Brother's "Unchained Melody" comes on, and I ALMOST want to break into a job whenT.I's "Big Sh*t Poppin' plays).

-It's extra exercise...duh.

Dislikes:
-I'm not sure if it's just the squirrels in Austintown, or everywhere..but these creepy buggers make me feel like they're playing chicken with me on the sidewalk. They wait to run away until I'm like, a foot away..all the while staring at me out of the sides of their faces. Stupid squirrels.

- Is it just me or are Japanese Beetles back with a vengeance? I remember when I was little and our neighbors put out those smelly bags attached to posts in the ground that would attract them, and they'd die in the bags. I walk past a BUNCH of these during my walks, and while they make me slightly sick to my stomach, I'm intrigued by the sheer NUMBER of dead ones in the bottom of the bags. There has got to be literally THOUSANDS of them. Yuck!

-I don't like when kids ride their bikes towards me and I have to move out of the way. When I was little, I feel like we had more respect for our "elders" and got off the sidewalk so they could pass. Yet another difference between Youngstown and Brookville.

-I also don't like when kids try to get me to stop and talk to them. This seems to happen more than you would think. Not that I have anything against kids, but I really don't want their mommy's and daddy's thinking I'm going to try to snatch them out of the yard, and "who's that creepy walker lady?!"

-The nice Mexican fellows that always seem to be sitting outside of their house in lawnchairs every day, just looking around. I'm not sure if they are, but I feel like they're looking at my ample booty as I quickly pass by.

**Links**

Social Smoking CAN be harmful to your health.

Don't get too exciting about slipping into that smaller size. It's all relative.

Is being chubby REALLY a bad thing?

Too broke to be thin? Think again.

Do you get enough sleep? Here's a calculator to help you find out.

What does 100 calories look like? Test your portion knowledge.

Make it a great weekend!!!

I'd at least like the comfort of a Marlboro Light while I'm being shot at.

So a new study requested by the VA and the Pentagon is strongly urging a "smoke-free" military.

Read about it here.

We all know the dangers of smoking, but also know the dangers of putting your life at risk for your country. If a soldier wants to smoke a cig in the field, BUTT OUT and let him smoke! Surely the government has better ways of spending money than funding a study as ridiculous as this one.

Hang in There Youngstown, You're Alright!

Found on Youtube:




I don't know Ytown, this looks like it was made in the 70's, and you're STILL not alright! Those "troubled waters" seem to keep getting deeper and deeper!!!!

Is a Size 0 the Norm Now?

Ok, first a little background. Beth Ditto is apparently the front singer for a band called "Gossip" and describes herself as a "fat, feminist lesbian from Arkansas". Wonderful, great. Whatever. The only reason I even know who she is, is because Perez Hilton absolutely adores her for some reason, and I adore Perez Hilton.

Anyway, so, in attempt to make the most of her 15 minutes of fame, this Beth Ditto chick has released a "plus-sized" line of clothing. Here are some pics of her line (I stole them from Perez's website...Perez please don't sue me for copyright infringment):

Umm...am I missing something? These girls don't look "plus-sized" to me! Do they? Apparently this line is for big girls that begin at a size 10. Is size 10 really considered chubby? I'm confused. I don't get it. No, really. Really? If that's the case, then I think we need to start calling anything a size 6 and under "anorexic fit".

I'm not bashing you if you ARE a size 6 or under, I'm just trying to put it in perspective.

I'm guilty of feeling that sick pleasure of fitting into a smaller size, just like any other female on the planet, I just wish there was a way we could all get past obsessing about it so much. Let's just all exercise when we can, eat as clean as we can, and be strong and healthy! I know I sound like a creepy motivational speaker, but geeeez.

Does this make anyone else sick besides me?

Happy Music Monday!!!

Does anyone remember the show Ally McBeal with Calista Flockhart? I LOVED that show, and watched it with my mom ALL the time.

Anyway, I've had Barry White's "My First, My Last, My Everything" stuck in my head for the last three days. It's SUCH a fun song. I can't help but dance and smile whenever I hear it. So I searched on YouTube for it, and up popped a scene from Ally McBeal where one of the guys (his name escapes me now, it's been so long) dances to it in the mirror. Enjoy!!!

Weekend Recap.

Friday was a pretty low-key night. Talia was with us this weekend, so the three of us went out to dinner at a place called Brudder's, which I've always wanted to try. It was so-so. Nothing amazing, but pretty good. Then we came home, I made a strawberry pie (which sucked), while Talia played outside. Fell asleep on the recliner around 11:00 pm. Yup, I was a boring loser that night! And that's a-okay.

Then Saturday morning came around, and it's a day I've been looking forward to for weeks! Nicole's baby shower in Brookville!!

Look how Freakin' cute she is!!! I think she looks exactly the same, but like she has a basketball under her shirt. Adorable! Six weeks to go until we all get to meet baby Adrian!

It was soooo nice for all the girls to be back together again!

After the shower, we all went home to visit our families (my dad spilled ketchup on the back of my dress, which was fine, until he yelled because he felt bad and then I cried. But that was fast and furious and then it was over).

Then I picked up Nicole and Lauren again and we headed out to Brandee's sister Angie's house for a cookout. After a little more chatting around the campfire, we all were pretty tired so I took the girls home and headed back to Ohio. Right now we're keeping our finger's crossed that Lauren's house in Kane is still standing after tornado warnings in the area!! (Although I think I would've heard by now if her house was swept away Wizard of Oz style).

We had a blast, it just makes me sad the five of us are so spread out that we only get together every once in awhile...Hopefully we'll be able to organize something BEFORE Nicole's wedding shower/bachelorette party next year!!

Right now, it's Sunday morning and I'm sitting on the recliner watching Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason on TBS. Felix is at the grocery store, and I'm going to wake Talia up in a few minutes to get her ready to go back to her mom's. Then it's softball, nap, and another week of work! (and I know you're curious...so it's exactly 14 days until we head to the beach..and just ten more days of work!!!!)

Caturday!

Fit Friday!!!

Ok...Beach countdown? 14 days until I'm officially on vacation, 16 days until we leave for the beach! I've got all my cute summer dresses bought, flip flops picked out...a mental list of everything we need to take...but I'm also a little concerned about working out. I really don't want to take an ENTIRE week off. I think I'm planning on taking my Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD (twenty minute workout, but SUPER. TOUGH. Ugh!), my loptop, and my light weights. Hopefully I can make myself get up at least 2 or 3 days that week and exercise.

Speaking of Jillian Michael's, she was on the cover of Self Magazine this month, and I REALLY liked what she had to say, because I can definately identify with it:

" If I didn't work out and watch what I ate, I'd easly be 200 pounds. In seconds! I'd have donuts every morning for breakfast and pasta with three pieces of bread and a glass of wine for lunch. But I don't, because I prioritize. I am not the girl who loves the gym. Wrong girl. And I'm not the girl who loves broccoli, either. But I AM the girl who feels potent, capable and confident when she feels strong, and I don't want to give that up. To me it's not about building a better body. It's about building a better life. And if your health is your platform for life, it's got to be rock solid. If you want to take on the world, you need a good foundation."

-Jillian Michaels, Self Magazine July 2009

Words to live by, folks!!!


So, rewind to last Fit Friday, I said I was going to begin making/reviewing one healthy recipe a week. This week I cooked up a very lightened up version of a cheesey, beefy, quasadilla (kind of adapted from Hungry Girl's , but I tweaked mine and I like it better).

These things rocked my socks! LOVED them! I ate one for breakfast four days this week.
Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
-1 large high fiber/low calorie tortilla ( I used La Tortilla Factory's high fiber smart wraps)
- 1 serving Boca ground crumbles (I swear you can't even tell this isn't ground beef)
-1/4 cup fat free shredded cheddar
- 1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Swiss
- 2 tbsp light sour cream, divided
- 1/4 tsp dry taco seasoning mix
-salsa

Directions:

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine soy crumbles, fat free cheddar, taco seasoning, 1 tablespoon of light sour cream, and stir. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, mix again, and set aside.

Lay tortilla flat and spread Laughing Cow cheese wedge evenly over one half. Bring a large pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat, and lay tortilla in it with the cheesey side up (obviously). Top the cheesey half with soy crumble mixture.

Carefully fold the plain tortilla half over, pressing down with spatula to seal. Cook for about a minute, until slightly toasted. Flip and repeat!

Cut into triangles, top with the other tablespoon of sour cream and salsa.



290 calories or cheesey awesomeness. And since there's so much fiber? It keeps you full for hours!

I'm definately keeping this recipe review thing going, because I get sick of eating all of the same stuff everyday. Next week I'm going to make Strawberry Pie. Yum!

I was also going to pick a splurge food every week, but I didn't have one that was overly exciting in the last 7 days. Unless you're a producer for a morning television show, and your live reporter goes to a Greek festival and brings you back baklava. Then, the baklava is DEFINATELY a splurge food. Not that I would know anything about that.

I also want to take a minute to tell everyone how absolutely fabulous my mom is. She's been dutifully following Weight Watchers and has lost around 30 pounds. I can't even begin to describe how proud of her I am...and my dad,too. He's a walking fiend who has lost a bunch of weight as well. They're both awesome for taking control of their health...I want them both to be around for a very, very, long time. Love you guys!

I'll leave you with this fun fact courtesy of Women's Health Magazine: People who seldom smile in college photos are FIVE TIMES more likely to divorce than those who smiled more.

So smile away!! Be happy!!!

Cheese.

This is straight from one of my chick-lit books I'm so fond of reading...surprisingly deep, considering the book is basically a beach read:

"Do not waste life. Every time you let someone leave you without knowing how they make you feel, you have died a little death for nothing. Do not assume that you have more than the moment you are living in. It's never too soon to or too hard to tell someone that you love them, that they move you, that you are better for knowing them. Your job is to celebrate love, and to trust in the universe to bring you the people you need and tell you how to be with them when they arrive. You live a life that will end with regretting only things you did, not things you never did...Tell everyone, make them hear you, put aside your petty fears and love loud..."

-"Sleeping Over" by Stacey Ballis

Remebering Michael.

Ok, before anyone gets all up in arms and calls me insensitive, I just want to start out by saying Michael Jackson was a talented entertainer. I downloaded his number 1's album after I heard about his death, and I've been jamming to it for nearly two weeks now. Who doesn't like his music? Or at least know half the dance to Thriller?

That being said, why are people always remembered as spectacular after they die? Have we not forgotten this man was on trial for CHILD MOLESTATION?! Even though he wasn't convicted, there was some creepy ass stuff going on at Neverland...and I don't think anyone can disagree with that.

Or how about when he dangled his child "Blanket" over that balcony in front of cameras and screaming fans? Or how he masked his children when he took them out in public? or what about the fact he had so much plastic surgery his nose looked like it was falling off? Come on, people. If someone would've asked you your opinion on Michael Jackson a month ago, most of you would've said something along the lines of him being weird. Stop being so hypocritical.

At yesterday's momorial, the ever so wonderful Reverend Al Sharpton addressed Michael's kids and said this: "I want his children to know there was nothing strange about your daddy, it was strange what your daddy had to deal with."

WTF! There most certainly WAS something strange about your daddy! Your daddy was a FREAK! Why has this all been forgotten just because he's dead? Get a grip!

Thought of the Day.

I don't really have too much to write about today, but something came to mind yesterday while perusing/creeping on Facebook.

I get terribly irritated by people who think they're photographers just because they have a nice camera and can take ultra-close-up pictures of things to make them seem "artsy".

Take this picture, for example. This isn't art, it's a goshdamn close-up of a brick wall. I'm capable of this, and trust me when I say I DON'T take great pictures.

How is this artistic?

Happy Music Monday!!!

This song reminds me of college and living with Brandee. Much to her chagrin, I used to run around the apartment, jumping on everything, and singing this at the top of my lungs. Sometimes in my underwear.

Weekend Recap.

This weekend ended up being really awesome. Friday night, the plan was to go out with Sally for some girl time, and grab some beers. Which we did. Wearing throwback 80's t-shirts. Mine? Ninja Turtles. Hers? Jem.

So, at one point Sally was telling me about a local gay bar she had been to, and how much fun it was, because you could dance and have a good time without guys coming up behind you and grabbing you, and being creeptastic. I was feeling a little spontaneous, so I said, "Let's go now!"

Off we went to the gay bar! AND- they were having a "foam party", which means the dance floor is set up with hoses in the ceiling that shoot foam. We danced around in the foam and had an absolute BLAST. Came home around 2:30, had to take a shower to get the soap out of my hair, and went to bed. Really one of the best, most spontaneous nights ever!

Saturday.

Felix and I have a bit of an odd tradition for July 4th. I'm not sure how it started, but the first year we dated, we went and saw a movie and then went out for Chinese food, so now it's something we do every year. Sally and Seth joined us for a Transformers matinee (I fell asleep...TWICE. Worst movie ever). Then Felix and I headed to Asuka, where I enjoyed a nice strawberry daquiri, Shrimp Pad Thai, and some California rolls (Ok, so we went out for Japanese instead of Chinese this year).

After that, we came home and crashed on the recliner for about an hour. I was beat from the night before, and Felix claims he's old (I prefer to call him "vintage"). After that, we decided to take up Sally's offer to join her at a picnic in the tiny city on the outskirts of Youngstown, called Campbell (pronounced like "Camel" by everyone in Youngstown). Talk about insane! Never have I witnessed anything like the city of Campbell of the Fourth of July. EVERYONE shoots off fireworks in their backyard. Everywhere. Watch this video:

I don't think I can accurately describe the insanity of this place. We were in the middle of a neighborhood, with people all around us, and EVERYONE was shooting off fireworks in their backyards. And I'm not talking about your run-of-the-mill backyard sparklers. Everyone was shooting off the big ones in every single backyard. After I got over the initial feeling of being in a War Zone, I enjoyed it.

Can't wait until next weekend...Nicole's baby shower is Saturday and then a night out in Brookville. It should be interesting, to say the least.

Caturday.

Fit Friday!!!

Ok, those three pounds I gained in the last few weeks that I chalked up to monthly/girly/water weight? Yeah, totally not true. Those three pounds are stillllll here, just weeks (23 days, to be exact) before VA Beach Trip. I've been slacking on the workouts, and slacking on the healthy eating...it's my own fault.

For those of you who work out regularly, have you ever gotten in a diet funk? Where you're just soooo sick of working out and soooo sick of eating grilled chicken that you feel like screaming? That's where I'm at right now. Though I'm still getting in four good workouts a week (as opposed to 5 or 6), I've been saying "eff it" to eating healthy. I was scared to step on the scale for a few weeks, but now that I finally did it, I'm hoping my determination will return. I LIKE when I feel like working out. The motivation just hasn't been there.

Alright, so. As I continue these Fit Fridays, I'm realizing sometimes its hard to find stuff to write about. You all really don't care that much that too much ice cream has resulted in a slight gain in the circumference of my ass, do you? Didn't think so.

My newest ideas:

Each Fit Friday I'm going to pick a healthy recipe I'm going to try out in time for the next Fit Friday. When the next Fit Friday comes around, I'll review the healthy recipe, and if it's worthy, post it and talk about it (Was it easy to make, would a substitution of this for that taste better, etc.) . I'll also announce the recipe I'll work on for the following FF. Make sense? Good. If not, you're stupid, and go back and read the previous paragraph slowly outloud.

For next Friday, I'm going to make a lightened up version of a Cheesy, Beefy Quesadilla. You can find the recipe on the Hungry Girl website. This quesadilla comes in at a measly 196 calories, compared to a shocking average of 650 for more-fattening versions. I'll report back next week...with pics.

I'm also going to announce a weekly "Splurge Food" that I deem worthy of digging into, despite the awful effects it could have on your waistline.

This week's pick? Dairy Queen's "Girl Scout Tagalongs Peanut Butter Patty Blizzard".

Dairy Queen came on the show to talk about this new blizzard earlier in the week. One of the perks of working on a morning show is that they ALWAYS bring samples. I probably ate half of a small, and this thing was SOOOO worth it. I told Felix we HAVE to go this weekend to get another one. Who doesn't love peanut butter? I MIGHT ask for an extra little squirt of fudge in there to make it more chocolatey. MMmmm!

I've been waiting to reach this milestone for a LONG time.

There once was a girl named Ashley, who attended Clarion University from 2001-2005. During that time, Ashley worked at Wal-Mart, but never seemed to have enough money for everything she wanted. So, she decided to apply for a Discover credit card. To her delight, she immediately received a $2,000 limit!

Though she tried at first to keep her spending under control, the free-feeling joy of swiping the plastic card and "buying" whatever she wanted overwhelmed her, and the debt quickly (VERY QUICKLY) grew.

Ashley wasn't very savvy about the importance of paying off your balance, and sometimes ignored the bill when it came and she didn't have money to pay it.

After graduation, Ashley was even more broke at first than she was in college. That Discover bill came and went, and she sometimes forgot about it, and sent in a minimum payment whenever she could. The balance grew and grew until it was well OVER the $2,000 limit.

Finally, when Ashley couldn't figure out why her credit was so shitty, she did a little investigative work and found out that (GASP!) her credit sucked because of late payments (or no payments) on this stupid credit card!!

Once Ashley got her finances together, she diligently started paying as much as she could on the balance, but with a ridiculous interest rate, it seemed as though she wasn't making a dent. Most of her tax return several years in a row, went to pay off the balance.

Today, Ashley has just scheduled her VERY LAST payment she'll ever have to make to Discover (her account was closed by Discover a long time ago!!).

Ashley feels unbelievably proud of herself and free! Even though she'll now be taking on an additional student loan payment, she's finally gotten her finances in order enough that she's paying stuff off slowly, has a little bit stashed away in the bank, and will very soon open an additional savings account to save up for a down payment on a house!

She's come a LONG way financially in the last two years and is super-dee-duperty proud of herself.

Opinions Needed.

I'm debating whether or not to do an experiment while I'm at the beach at the end of this month. I THINK I'm going to try and give up my BlackBerry for an ENTIRE 5 days. I want to see if my world will come crashing down around me if I don't call my mom every five minutes to tell her something random, or check Facebook, or text, or BBM. Do you think I should try it?

Obviously, I'll take my phone WITH me, just in case something happens, but my goal is to keep it turned off from the moment we step into our hotel until the moment we get home (yes, that means no phone on the 8+ hours home while Felix is driving. That is going to be KILLER). I honestly don't know if I'll be able to do it, but I'm going to try.

This is where I need your opinion:
I'm trying to decide whether or not I should also give up the internet (no facebook, hotmail, etc.). HOWEVER, because of my weird dedication to getting through this "blogging every day for a year" experiment, I HAVE to take my laptop. I have every intention of writing a blog post every day while I'm down there, even though it will probably just be a picture every day. I guess what I'm asking, do you think I'd be able to take my laptop for blogging purposes, and actually stay away from everything else? Is it worth the sacrifice just to see if I can do it?

I'm so friggin' dependent on technology, it's ridiculous. I want to see if I'll actually DIE if I don't check my email and facebook 83974383 times a day. I'm not much of a phone chatter, but texting? I do it a gazillion times a day. Do I really need to do that while I'm at the beach, or should I just sit back and relax and enjoy my first real vacation in YEARS.

Opinions, please!!!!!