MERCI GRACIAS DANKE GRAZIE THANKS!

Thanks for stopping by my blog. You will find something new everyday from my current workout routine, restaurant reviews, random internet findings,vacations, recipes, rants/raves etc. Enjoy :)

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

MIA

Sorry I've been MIA. I have really been writing more on http://gettingstrongerburningfat.blogspot.com/

I am not sure if I will continue writing on this one but please follow my new one!

Monday, April 12, 2010

FREE JET BLUE TICKET!

Today Jet Blue was celebrating their 10th Birthday by giving away tickets. They had a scavenger like game via twitter and after waiting for a few hours I finally scored one. Its a round trip ticket, anywhere Jet Blue flies but the catch is it has to be used before June 23, 2010. I have a super busy few months coming up. But I dont want it to go to waste and I dont want to take too many days off work!

Decisions Decisions!

THANK YOU JET BLUE! I heart you and you are my favorite airlines :)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Letter to the Activities Coordinator at My Gym

Hi ________


I just wanted to write to you to express my concern about a change in the schedules for group exercise classes. I am sad to hear that Total Body Conditioning with Olyver on Wednesdays at 7:30 has been cancelled. I have faithfully come to this class for almost a year. When I stared I could barely do 5 sit-ups. This class has strengthened my core so much. I have lost inches upon inches from my waist from taking this class. This is the only weight training I do because its so intense and produces results. I pay a hefty membership and feel that you shouldn't just take away a class that people go to weekly. I depend on TBC and now I don't know what to do. I think $69 is a lot of money for a gym. I know he teaches it at other gyms but frankly right now I cant afford to pay $7 a week just to go to another gym for one class, nevermind how ever much the passport is. I am very sad and hope that this can be reversed. Please let me know what can be done. I would welcome an upgrade to a passport certainly. I am just very unhappy with this sudden change and just wanted to let you know.

Thanks,
Ashley


Good? :)

Monday, April 5, 2010

My Marathon Fundraising Page

Hi Everyone,

Please take a moment to check out my story and to donate to my marathon charity team.

Any amount can help this wonderful program!!

Thank You!!!

Ashley

http://www.active.com/donate/chicago_run/aniven

Thursday, April 1, 2010

CHICAGO MARATHON 10.10.10

It's Official....I am running the Chicago Marathon on 10.10.10 for a charity Chicago Run

It will be my first one!!!

I am super excited because all of my Dad's family lives there!!

AHHH I am so hyped right NOW!!!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Rain, Rain Go Away...

For you Northeasterners, its been touch and go the past few weeks...so much rain and gloom...so the saying goes, "April Showers, Bring May flowers"...whatever it sucks either way and its not even April yet. I just want it to be summer.Is that too much to ask?? This is my rant. Thanks for listening.
In any case, I found this picture and its pretty amazing. Hope you enjoy!

found google images search for "rain"

Monday, March 29, 2010

My Second Half Marathon!

Get Ready Cape Cod!

I will be running in my hometown area over Memorial Day Weekend in the Johnny Kelley Half Marathon!

I am excited to run somewhere closer to home. There is one in Boston that day but I'd rather have the scenic views and the ocean breeze at my back!

http://www.greathyannisroadraces.com/halfmar/

I will try to PR my one in Disney!

I am excited to get back to training!

When the Sand Runs out...

I was feeling like I needed something to kick start this dreary, rainy day in boston. I am fullly commited to getting where I want to be pysically and mentally. Sometimes when I am feeling down, I listen to this song by Rascal Flatts, called "When the Sand Runs out" to charge me back up.

My favorite lyrics from the song are the following...

'Cause people do it everyday

Promise themselves they're gonna change
I've been there, but I'm changin' from the inside out
That was then and this is now
I'm a new man [Woman], yeah, I'm a brand new man[Woman]

Chorus:
I'm gonna stop lookin' back and start movin' on
Learn how to face my fears
Love with all of my heart, make my mark
I wanna leave something here
Go out on a ledge, with out any net
That's what I'm gonna be about
Yeah I wanna be runnin'
When the sand runs out

Enjoy :)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

I don't know what is wrong, but I don't like it!

I am home sick today. I have had a horrible cough and sore throat since monday. I took the day to rest up. I missed my meeting this morning too and I am sad because I havent seen my leader in weeks! She's pregnant so it be a bad idea to go around her sick. I have still been OP today...if anyone has any ideas on keeping me occupied send me a tweet! anivs18 on twitter :)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Change Is on my Mind

Change
1.to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone. (http://www.dictionary.com/)

I need to Change. I have changed. I am changing. The various degrees of me at any point in time. I struggle with change sometimes. It can be scary when you don't know the outcome. Change is good too, when you are able to try something new. When dealing with health and weightloss most people must go through change mentally and pysically and adapt over a period of time. I know for myself that I need to change bad habits in order to succced sometimes, but I dont need to change everything. I can keep what I know and the positive behavoirs and attributes that have made me who I am. I know that I have what it takes to get to where I need to be. There is just something that lies in the inbetween stages of change that is the struggle. I am unsure what even brought this on other than looking at dresses in Macy's at lunch. I already bought a dress for a wedding and it doesnt fit (ashamed to admit). I started to look at bigger sizes for a backup. But Why? I dont want to be a bigger size. How about I fight to get to a point where the dress needs to be taken in. I have 3 months to make the necessary changes to fit into that dress and I believe I can. I need to start making changes and keeping them consistent. Change is good. Change is needed Now!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Vegan Day 5 and 6 Recap and moving forward!

I continuted to eat vegan into the weekend and finally gave in and had seafood, cheese and non vegan cake. I knew that I could not maintain this lifestyle with the weekend of friends and Birthday celebrations. I think its great that some people choose veganisim for animal rights and commit to it completely, but I am a foodie. I am NOT a picky eater (sometimes this is bad news when it comes to weight loss haha) and I eat very healthy. I also enjoy foods from every food group and dont think it is for me long term.

Top 5 Things that I have learned from Eating Vegan

1. You do not need meat and dairy to survive. As long as you are eating protein from Tofu,Quinoa etc you are getting what you need along with taking a multi vitamin.
2. When you limit your diet in a new way, it can eliminate "mindless eating". I learned to say NO to foods I really didnt need and couldnt eat because they were not vegan during my trial.
3. Vegan DOES NOT mean its healthier. I discovered the chocolate cake I had from whole foods had just as many calories/fat as regular cake. French Fries are vegan....get my point? You really need to still becareful about the ingredients you are using etc.
4. Vegan eating definitely makes you feel more full, for a longer period of time.
5. Vegaan allowed me to cut out all procssed snack food like granola, luna, fiber one etc and replaced them with something fresh like fruit and grains.

Going forward....as I mentioned...I am going to eat vegan breakfasts and lunches during the week, while I am at work. At night, I will eat mostly vegan but have some meat and cheese. On the weekends I will eat what I want as far as variety but keep within my WW plan.

Over the weekend I made Vegan Cowboy Cookies check out the recipe...it makes a million cookies...make for a party or bring to work!! (NOT ww friendly unless you make over 70 cookies and use a teaspoon of dough per cookie still 2pts)

I also made what I am coining as "Stop Light Pizza" ww friendly 4 pts per slice, 8 servings per pizza ( I made a rectangle)

1 bag of Trader Joes Whole Wheat Pizza dough (120 Cal 2 Fat, 4 Fiber)
1 cup of Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese
1 cup of frozen red,green, yellow pepper strips
1/2 cup of Sauce

Arange and bake at 425 for 10-12 minutues...so good and healthy

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Vegan Day 5 : Tempeh Tacos!

Well its almost the weekend yay...Its supposed to hit 70 here in Boston...that would be amazing!

Today was a great day. Today was the first day I felt any signs of hunger between means since starting the veganism. There are 2 possible explanations for this:
1. I got up an hour earlier than usual so I feel like my eating times were thrown off a bit.
2. I gave a pint of blood...Im not sure but maybe this did something..I had OJ after no snacks (not vegan) but I had one of my vegan cookies when I got back to my desk to feel better.

So after lunch I was craving something sweet...I wanted chocolate....I had the points so I decided to walk to Whole Foods. It was a mile,there and back. I walked briskly in the gorgeous weather.

I bought a banana, 4 clementines and a slice of vegan chocolate cake.

I ended up eating 2 clementines and the cake for dessert. I'm saving the banana and other 2 clementines for tomorrow. The cake was 4 pts...not bad at all and it was delicious! I could not tell the difference honestly. Whole Foods really has some amazing food!

Now every week Melissa and I make turkey meat tacos. She felt bad cooking it but I insisted she make them but just to save me some seasoning (vegan I checked). I had bought  a 5 grain tempeh so I mixed the seasoning in and added some green onion and sauteed them for a few minutes. I put them inside 3 mini flourless tortillas that I got at whole foods. I topped them with my Vegan Creamy Mexican Dip and Lettuce. I got a very filling dinner for 6 pts. I still have 2 pts left over.

Staring at the meat, cheese, and sour cream did make me miss them but honestly my meal was A. healthier and B. probably more satisfying.

So far my plan still stands as eating vegan meals for breakfast and lunch mon-fri then eating meat and dailry at night and on the weekends as needed.

I still have all day tomorrow and saturday until dinner time to enjoy Vegan treats.

At dinner I plan to have Tuna Tar Tar because its amazing at the restaurant were going to. I will also indulge in their french fries and a fruity martini!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Vegan Day 4:Creamy Mexican Dip

So I posted earlier about yesterday so now Ill talk about the rest of the day...

I stayed within my points again yay! 4 days of eating completly vegan

I havent really craved anything yet. I think that changing what I eat has required a lot more planning so Ive had no "mindless eating" where Im just snacking on random things and all my dinners have been planned out. These are key tools for ww working and I think that this has made me realize that to continue to be successful with weight loss I need to plan meals better and not just grab anything thats around. When you limit certain things it makes you think so much more than oh I can just eat anything I want. For example not being able to eat cake and pizza at work this week simply because it wasnt vegan. Normally I wouldnt have thought twice about either. Thats prob 1000 calories I didnt have!

So tonight I made Vegan Creamy Mexican Dip
1 Jar of organic salsa,
1 package of lite silken tofu
1 jalapeƱo diced
1 avacado
Juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime juice
1 can of black beans rinsed,
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp of Cajun
3 Tbs of sun dried tomatos in oil

Add seasoning until it tastes spicy and mexicany and not like tofu :)

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth....add in beans after you empty into a bowl to add some "chunks"

1 ww pt for 1/4 cup

Enjoy with Vegan Tortilla chips or veggies

Vegan Day 3

I didnt get to blog last night because I was at a friends watching LOST.

I had another successful day. I had to give up free pizza at lunch..1. I had already eaten lunch (but that may not have stopped me, being honest) 2...it was vegan so I did not eat any!

I peeked at the scale this morning...official weigh in is tomorrow but it was the lowest its been in probably 6 months.(down 5 lbs from sunday) If anything eating vegan will cleanse and jump start my metabolism in a new way. I have not eaten any processed snack foods at all which is crazy.

Cheese....3 days without cheese...I honestly cant believe it...I havent really craved it to be honest but 3 days is not a long time by any means....but I usually have some kind of cheese at every meal. Its sad I know.

As far as my ww plan goes I have stayed within my Daily Points...another success of 3 days...that hasnt happend in awhile either!

Yesterday I also ran over 5 miles. It was my first run since the Half Marathon. I sprinted at one point to catch up with some people at run club and I think that killed me. I ran fast but it was not an easy run. Perhaps.

Oh yea...Happy St. Patricks Day!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Day Two:Vegan WW Success

Let me just say that I am loving this already! I have not felt this full during work in a lonnng time. The highlight of my day was saying *NO* to birthday cake at the office because it wasnt vegan. I am definitely an all or nothing person, which has its positives and negatives. When I am on my game I am SO on, when im off...lets not even go there. BUT I AM ON!

Today I stayed within my DPA and also did Spinning for an hour.

My dessert tonight was a smoothie!
2 frozen bananas (i freeze them when they get too brown)
1/2 cup of Trader Joes Very Cherry Blend frozen fruit
1 cup of Whole Soy Plain yogurt
1/3 cup light original silk
1 tbs peanut butter

This makes 2 servings for 5 pts each

SOOO AMAZING! Try it!

So 2 days into my week long of Veganism I am basicially feeling this so far as a comitment to WW and eating as healthy as I can

I feel like I would like to maintain eating vegan for breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday.

Dinners can have dairy and meat

Sat and Sun can be a combination of both vegan and non vegan depending on if I am eating out or at home.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Going Vegan for a week!

After reading *Bitch Cakes* blog and how she follows WW and veganism, and talking with a friend who has been doing it over a year I decided to check it out. Since my diet consists of mostly fruits and veggies, low cal low fat, I am hoping that this will be an easy transistion. My main issues are the dairy. I am a cheese-a-holic. I do luckily like soy milk. I am a bit nervous to try soy yogurt, but I will try it.

At Whole Foods, I bought Nutritional Yeast and Ground Flaxseed which are two specific items to add for protein and fiber benefits.

I started this morning and ate oatmeal, at lunch I had a Middle Eastern platter and Soy Fro-yo and then for dinner I made soy nuggets and Mac and Cheese...but honestly it did not taste like mac and cheese AT ALL, but dont get my wrong, it wasnt bad, jsut not what I expected. I am going to try and make recipes from Fat Free Vegan in order to follow WW as well. So my goal is to do it until dinner time on March 20th, that night I have a birthday party and I love the Tuna Tar Tar so I am probably going to eat that then. So almost a week.

My goal going forward is to integrate veganism into my diet but still eat some dairy and meat. I don't believe that it is for me long term, but I am interested to see the benfits and difference in how I feel after this.

So after day one I feel full and satisfied which is a good sign!

Heres a pic of my lunch today!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Disney Princess Half Marathon LONG Recap!

Wow..as I sit here 4 days later I still cant believe it...Sunday March 7, 2010 I ran 13.1 (13.25 says my garmin)...my first Half Marathon. It was September 15, 2009 when I clicked the submit button on active.com. I spent the next 5 months gradually increasing my mileage, running in 10 degree weather with 4 layers on, for that moment when I crossed the finish. I feel like I have accomplished so much in these past few months. Training for a race is the perfect way to set goals and accomplish them. I am a Half Marathoner! YAY

The Race weekend. I flew from Boston to Orlando Friday morning with my Mom and my good friends, Jenna and Steve.. My Dad, Step Mom and one of my friend Kristyn all Florida locals now met me as well. On friday, my mom and I went to the expo and got my race bag. I checked my d-tag( timing device) and picked up a headband from Sweaty Bands courtesy of my mom! I got one with Martini Glasses on it to signify my 66 days without Alcohol to prepare for the race post New Years Eve! I then hit Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Magic Kingdom over the next few days!

On race day I got up at 3:00am, showered, dressed, drank a bottle of water and ate my classic pre race meal of a Bagel with Peanut Butter and a Banana...my energizer of choice is Jelly Belly Sport Beans so I had a packet of those and I packed a tylonol and another packet in my capri pants for mid race.  At 3:45am a taxi took a bunch of us from my hotel (Regal Sun Resort..loved it) to Epcot. It was now 4am and a freezing 37 degrees out. I did not bring layers. I was only wearing my North Face fleece. After about 20 minutes I checked my coat and shivered my way into the waiting area. I cant describe how cold I was. Next time I will bring disposable layers or some people wore trash bags over them so they could rip them off before the start. Somehow with a 10K race average of 10:04 I got into Corall A which was the first to go! I was able to get up to the start line. For the next hour plus they tried to entertain the FREEZING princesses with the YMCA, Cupid Shuffle, Macarena etc. I participiated to stay warm and keep from beign anxious. Honestly I wasnt as nervous as I thought. Maybe the cold helped in a good way to distract me. At 6:00 the fireworks went off and I started running....not knowing what the outcome would be.

All I know is that I wanted to run the race without stopping and cross the finish without struggle. My goal was 2:20:00

Mile 1:10:21 one small hill, went by fast
Mile 2:10:24 enjoyed local HS bands
Mile 3:10:26 fun characters along the way (did not bring camera, did not stop for pictures)
Mile 4:10:28 Getting closer to Mgic Kingdom...past 5K mark
Mile 5:10:21 Hill going into Magic Kingdom, crowd was great
Mile 6:10:36 heading out back onto the highway, slowed a bit as i was almost half way
Mile 7:10:29 hit the Grand Floridian where there were more spectators..half way mark..I was feeling good and ready to take on the next half
Mile 8:10:38 trying to speed up but my body was definitely feeling a bit tired at this point
Mile 9: 10:31 over the slump and I passed a woman wearing a shirt for a fallen soildier...I started to tear up and said "Keep going, God Bless" as I passed her, what a great honor for whoever that young man was! Made me feel proud too!
Mile 10: 10:36 only a 5k left! Definitely feeling tired but anxious to get to the finish
Mile 11: 10:47 Hit the first major hill/overpass and tried to keep a steady pace going over it...also 11.1 was the farthest distance I had run to date so I didnt know what to expect after this point
Mile 12: 10:47 Hit ANOTHER hill/overpass again trying my best but I was defnitely fatigued and ready to finish...I was so close! I could see the entrace to Epcot!
Mile 13:10:34 trying to speed up as I was inside Epcot rounding the corner trying to find the finish. I was prepared to look for family and friends at this point.
Mile 13.1 10:22 I stated running on the left hand side close to the crowd so that I could look for my cheer squad. Luckily I saw my Dad and Carol and waved, then Jenna and Steve, then Kristyn then my Mom, they had all spread out along the end of the course. At this point my left calf started twitching and I said "not now" but I could see the finish and I headed for it. I gave it all that had left crossing the finish at a 7:38 pace.

I dont remember what my first thought was..all I remember was my quads and sides aching and being glad that I was walking and not running anymore. I think I was smiling but Im not sure. All I knew is that I had just run my first Half Marathon with no picture or bathroom stops and it felt amazing!

My Chip time was 2:19:27....I beat my goal! Not bad for a first timer right?

Whats next you ask? Another HM on 5.30.10 on Cape Cod (my home town area) and then the CHICAGO MARATHON on 10.10.10. I feel that this HM is only a stepping stone to my true goal of running 26.2 miles...sure  a lot of people can run 26.2 miles but right now I cannot. In 7 months I will!

Here are a few pics from the race....

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Full Recap of my first half marathon coming tonight

                                     Heres a few pics...full report coming tonight!

Me at the finish 2:19:27 for 13.25 miles!                              The fabulous medal!

Friday, February 26, 2010

Rue La La

I need to give a shoutout to Rue La La a fantastic website that sells designer clothes, shoes, accesories, trips, home decor,beauty etc for much less! Every day at 11am a new boutique opens.

If you want to be invited leave me a comment!

Today I got a fabulous eye/lip set from Tarte for $15!! Normally $44

Monday, February 22, 2010

Find me on Twitter

Anivs18 on twitter!! I have no idea what I am doing hahaha

Thursday, February 18, 2010

50 Days!

Update on my challenge for race training....

Its been 50 days since I had any alcohol
I have had french fries  only 3 times since January 1....not bad but I had to let go of this one..no other fried foods such as calamari or buffalo wings
Desserts have only been eaten at special occasions
I have been OP
I have worked out 5-6 days a week

15 days to go!!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Tracking for my Half Marathon

Hi All

If you would like to track me during my half marathon...go to this link and type in Ashley Niven...im the only one so you cant miss it....17 days :)

http://live.activeresult.com/msg/MSG-signup.tcl?event_id=50

Monday, February 8, 2010

Superbowl Dips

I made 2 dips for the superbowl that were WW friendly.

Buff Chick Hot Wing Dip from Hungry Girl's Website


PER SERVING (1/15th of recipe, about 1/4 cup): 68 calories, 1.5g fat, 616mg sodium, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g sugars, 10g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Ingredients:

Two 9.75-oz. (or 10-oz.) cans 98% fat-free chunk white chicken breast in water, drained
One 8-oz. tub fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fat-free ranch dressing
1/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (Fage 0% is the best!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place cream cheese in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Mix in Frank's RedHot, mozzarella cheese, ranch dressing, and yogurt. Stir in chicken until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture evenly into a deep 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until mixture is heated through. Stir well and enjoy!

P.S. We love dipping carrot sticks and red bell pepper chunks into this dip, but we've also dunked baked tortilla chips into it and used it as a sandwich spread!

MAKES 15 SERVINGS
HG Alternative! To make this dish FAST, skip the oven altogether. Prepare dip according to the directions, but in a microwave-safe dish. Then microwave uncovered on high for 5 minutes (stopping and stirring halfway through cooking), or until hot.

Review: It was ok...some people at the party liked it, others didn't



WW's Creamy Mexican Dip

Ingredients

1 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt, Greek-variety recommended
1/2 cup(s) salsa, hot chipotle variety suggested
3/4 cup(s) avocado, diced
1/3 cup(s) cilantro, fresh, chopped
1/4 cup(s) red onion(s), chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste

Garnish

1/4 cup(s) avocado, diced
1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 Tbsp red onion(s), chopped

Instructions

In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt and salsa until blended; stir in remaining ingredients except garnishes. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.
When ready to serve, transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with garnishes. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.

Review: Amazing! Everyone loved it and thought it was sour cream based but the yogurt is great...it is so flavorful!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

GNC WELLbeING® be-BUFF™ Protein & Fiber Complex Mix - Chocolate Chunk

So I was in GNC today and I cam across this protein powder. It is only 1 WW pt per scoop and you mix with water. I thought it would be gross but it tastes just like chocolate milk. I got it for just under $20 on sale.

Here are the supposed benefits of be-BUFF.......
Wish your workout could last all day? The results can...

be-BUFF is no ordinary protein complex - it can help you achieve better fitness results and more! This delicious protein mix was specifically designed for women to fuel lean body mass, enhance your metabolism, curb your appetite and provide beauty from within!



Protein: sufficient protein intake is essential to any women seeking a slim, toned physique. Consuming protein increases your feeling of fullness, so you won't be as hungry. Along with exercise, protein is a quality furl for lean body mass.When you build lean muscle, your metabolism increases, and you will burn more calories.



Fiber: be-BUFF features a superior form of fiber, called Sunfiber®. It's clinically proven to improve regularity, improve growth of beneficial bacteria and normalize bacterial flora.Fiber, like protein, helps you to feel fuller, longer. Adult women should consume 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day to maintain good health and normal bowel function.



Enzymes: support a healthy digestive system and help your body to better use the nutrients you take in each day. Enzymes also help to reduce bloating and gas.



Beauty Blend: features a unique proprietary blend of ingredients that support beautiful, health hair and nails and hydrate skin.



Calcium: in addition to protein and fiber, be-BUFF provides 500 mg of bone building calcium in each serving - that's about half of what you need each day. After all, if you're going to have strong muscles, you'll want strong bones to support them.
 
All taken from http://www.gnc.com/
 

Jersey Shore: I Met Pauly D!

Randomly out one night we met a guy who claimed to be Pauly D's body guard...Pauly came to Boston and we met him..it was a pretty hilarious night...There are tons of phots here.

Here's the one of us with him

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Beginning of the End is here...LOST

The final season of LOST starts tonight. I got into it in college in Season 3 and watched through Season 5. I recently watched Seasons 1 and 2 with friends. Here is a collage of some photos to get me in the mood :)



Monday, February 1, 2010

Crock Pot Cooking!

I got a crock pot last week and I made two recipes this weekend. They both came out great and are delicious and healthy.

The first is a great Chicken Taco Chilli from Ginas Fabulous Blog

The next is from the Weight Watchers Website...a Zero Point Crock Pot Vegetable Soup

10 oz spinach, baby leaves


2 medium carrot(s), chopped

2 medium celery, ribs, chopped

1 large onion(s), chopped

1 medium garlic clove(s), minced

4 cup(s) vegetable broth

28 oz canned diced tomatoes

2 piece(s) bay leaf

1 Tbsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed


Place all ingredients in a slow cooker; cover and cook on high power for 5 hours. Remove bay leaves, stir and serve. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

One month Down, One to Go

So Its officially been 30 Days since starting my health kickstart challange. You can read about what I've been doing Here . I have successfully stuck to all of the following. My weight has been fluctuating but I have been toning up. My goal is 10lbs before V day adn Im haf way there. I will continue this through my race on March 7th in Disney.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

DIY: Wall Design

For over a year we had a blank white wall over the flat screen. Melissa and I finally decided to jazz it up. We bought the shelves and a set of frames from Urban Outfitters . We then went through magazines and put up random pictures in around the shelves. We also added candles and vases to the shelves from Pier 1 Imports that are not pictured.

Ta da!



Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Vote!

Today is election day to fill the late Ted Kennedy's Senate spot for Massachusetss. One vote can make a difference. Read the platforms, make an informed decision and vote vote vote!








Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I <3 Lululemon Athletica

So most would say all athletic wear is created equal. I beg to differ. The quality of Lululemon is what you pay for. I am super psyched that I found an awesome pair of capris to run in for my Half Marathon in March. Im thinking of a tank, tee, long sleeve combo for up top...ill figure that out later. They say that for long races you need to have "disposable clothing" that you can take off and leave (obviously unless your loaded with money, it needs to be older grungy stuff that you dont care about getting back((Disney launders and donates the clothes to charity!)). Anyway these capris got good revies and I think theyre a great length for march running...not too short (avoid chaffing and irritation) and not long incase it gets up into the 70s at the end of the race. I am so glad that these for almost $30 off which is a lot for LuluLemon prices! I hope they work out well for the race!





These are the sayings on the reusuable shopping bags
I love the inspirational quotes!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year. As most of the world does, we take this time to set our resolutions! As I have mentioned I am running my first 1/2 marathon in March. I want to take the next few months to get some weight off that I have gained over the holidays.

My goals until March 7th
*No alcohol
*No fried food (Not that I eat a lot but it just has no nutritional value)
*No desserts unless its a special occasion
*Follow WW Plan
*Workout 5 days a week

I look forward to a happy healthier me!