THIS is why I don’t do desserts

As you know, yesterday I spent the 4th of July by myself.  I didn’t deal with it very well.  I mean, it’s not the same as being by yourself on Christmas, but it is a holiday that’s meant to be shared with people.  Laughing, bbqing, drinking, and celebrating our nation’s independence. Instead, I was reminded of my own independence and got a bit depressed and down about it all.

After I took a 30 minute walk, I felt much better about my singledom and decided to spend time reading and watching the last few episodes of The Wire, which I had gotten from Netlix. (How AMAZING was that show?!  I’ve now finished the series, and wow, I loved it.  Yes, it was hardcore, but it said so much about city politics, policing, and how easily people can fall between the cracks.  If you haven’t seen it, I’d highly recommend it).

Anyway, back to the real reason for this post.

My parents, my uncle, and I are getting together today to have our 4th of July BBQ, a day late.  I’m going to wear the shirt I found on Cafepress.com.  The one that I thought I would wear on the actual 4th of July (until the plans changed).  I figure that I might as well wear it today, since I spent the money on it and I don’t want to wait a whole year to wear it:

I just love this shirt, and I think it captures the true spirit of this holiday.

As far as the food for the BBQ, we’re going all out – guacamole and chips (appetizers), turkey burger sliders, deviled eggs, pasta salad, and a green salad.  And for dessert?  Well, my mom found “the cutest recipe” in one of her online recipe websites (something along the lines of Family Circle, I’m sure).  It’s Rice Krispy Treats made to look like the American Flag.  Easy and adorable, right?  I said I’d make it, because it seemed easy, and I’m usually bringing some sort of appetizer to these events, so I wanted to change things up by bringing something for dessert.

I went grocery shopping on Friday and got the marshmallows and Rice Krispy cereal.  Then I went along the baking aisle to find some sort of icing that could be used for easy decorations.  I found “easy squeeze” frosting in red and blue ($4.85 each) and then I found an aerosol can of white frosting ($5.50).  This was going to be one expensive dessert.  But, convenience is something I don’t mind paying for.

I thought the easy squeeze packages had some sort of decorating tip on them.  They didn’t.  That was sold separately.  I should’ve gotten the aerosol can in all three colors (the aerosol can came with 4 different tips included.  I guess you do get what you pay for).  I imagined making the blue square in the upper left hand corner, then putting little white stars on it.  Then, I thought I’d make waves of red and white frosting for the rest of the flag.  Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans…

The blue frosting wouldn’t come out of the package!  Easy squeeze my ass!  I was using all of my muscle in both of my hands just to get the stuff out.  At one point I thought I was going to have to go to the store and buy the aerosol can of frosting, but then I told myself that I’d already spent way too much on this dumb dessert and tried to make it work.  I finally got the blue out.  Then I started on the red, giving as much force as I could – well, wouldn’t you know that the red came flying out?  In big red globs.  You would’ve thought someone was bleeding to death, from the looks of things around my kitchen.  Sigh.  Luckily, the aerosol can worked beautifully, and I used two different tips to decorate the stars and then the stripes.

With the creative use of a butter knife, I was able to salvage the look of the flag, but man, I am NEVER making this damn thing again in life.  There is a reason that I stick to savory cooking – I’m good at it.  Baking isn’t really my thing, and while I do make good cupcakes for my classes from time to time, anything that requires any level of real cake decorating skills just isn’t my thing.  Plus, I should’ve stayed away from any sort of recipe that would be featured in a middle America bake sale – Suzy Homemaker I’m not.

Anyway, here’s the finished product.  The camera wasn’t able to capture all of the mistakes.  Let’s just say that I hope it tastes better than it looks:

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Update: Getting a Life

Ever since I started my weight loss blog, I’ve been writing much less frequently on this one.  Because weight loss is my main focus (almost like a part-time job), it makes sense that I have more to write about that topic than any other.  Still, sometimes I feel badly that this blog, the one I started blogging with, gets pushed back to second-class citizen status.

One thing that seems appropriate to write about here is how I’ve been doing on my quest to “get a life.”  Last August, I wrote a post where I vowed to take back my life and stop living to work instead of just working to live.

I’m happy to report that I am now a reformed workaholic.

It wasn’t easy.  At first I felt like I was really sloughing off on my duties at work.  “I really should go to the play this weekend.” “The students would really like it if I went to that football/basketball/soccer game,” etc.  Instead of feeding into this guilt trip I was laying on myself, I just said no.  I took myself off of the numerous committees I had been serving on and kept only those that I felt were the most important.

Did I feel like I was out of the loop?  Yes.  Did I crave being “in the know” the way I was when I served on lots of different committees and attended tons of school events?  Sure, sometimes.  But that feeling of being slightly out of the dialed in group was well worth the time and energy I found now that I wasn’t spending so much time and effort at work.

It was a strange year for me because CTLB, my best friend at school and one of my best friends in life, left.  I felt a lot lonlier than I had in the past 4 years, when were were “joined at the hip.”  But before you start feeling too sorry for me, I do have an amazing group of friends at school, and we all eat lunch together every day, so it’s not like I sit alone in my classroom and grade papers while I eat a stale sandwich.  (That would never, ever be me, by the way).  We also had a new principal this year, and that made for a lot of changes.  Good changes, but still, there were a lot of things going on this year that left me feeling out of sorts a lot of time time.

But my life outside of the work day was fantastic!  I found that I had tons of free time, and I used it to try new activities, reach out to old friends and make some new ones, spend lots more time with my family, and just enjoy myself by doing whatever I wanted to do – riding my bike, reading a great (or trashy) book, watching movies, cooking, etc.

It seemed idyllic until the school said they were looking for someone to teach a “summer school after school” class.  I saw dollar signs and knew that if I taught the class I would have the money I needed for a down payment on my new car AND I wouldn’t have to work this summer.  So, beginning after February break, I gave up 60 hours+ of free time and taught the class.  (This may not sound like a lot, but this is on top of teaching 5 other classes.  Not to mention grading and prepping for 6 classes).  It is something that I’m glad I did (for the money), but will never do again.  It’s just not worth giving up that much of my life.

All in all, I loved having my life back.  I felt like I was a better teacher because I could look at things from a well rested, happy point of view.  I plan on doing more of the same this coming school year.  Actually, it should be even better because I’m only teaching one honors class, which will dramatically cut down on my paperload.  Can’t wait.

Ok, enough writing, time to get out there and LIVE!

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So, What Are Your Summer Plans?

Lately, I’ve been hearing that question a lot.  This is the first summer where I haven’t signed up to work, and I couldn’t be happier.  I’m looking forward to actually getting one of the full benefits of teaching – an entire 2-month period of time off.

My mom in particular is worried that I’ll get bored.  She knows me too well, because when I get bored, I start to spend money.  What better way to ebb boredom than to go shopping, right?  Well, not this summer.

This summer I plan to do nothing.

And by “nothing,” I mean that the plan is no plan. Nothing too specific. Mornings spent reading the newspaper while sipping coffee. Walking. Working out. Swimming. Biking. Lots if activity & focus on weight loss. Keeping the house super clean and organized. Feeling like every day is a Saturday, even when it’s Tuesday.  Thursday morning WW meetings. Seeing friends. Buying produce and flowers from the farmers market every Friday. Overusing my Netflix queue. Music in the Park. Cooking healthy, delicious meals for myself every day. Laying in the sun reading a captivating book. Shopping, but trying not to spend too much $.  Starlight Cinema.  Buying a new car in August when my current lease is up.  (I’m thinking a VW Beetle convertible would suit me perfectly).  A tiny bit if tweaking my current curriculum. And lots and lots of writing on this blog and BellaOnTheBeach.

Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

— Henry James

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Book Review – I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti

I just finished one of the best books I have read in a long time.  It’s called I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci.  I could relate to everything in this book – the bad dates/relationships, the love of cooking, the Italian-American (half Sicilian, mind you) culture – all of it.

The book is a combination smart chick-lit, recipe book.  The pairing works fantastically well, as do the menus she provides throughout the book.  Anyone who knows an Italian will tell you that one of the ways we show our love is through food.  The idea for the book was inspired.

Melucci’s style is a great mix of sarcastic, self-deprecating, and so, so humorous.  Her down-to-earth style reminds me a bit of myself.  This is the type of book I would have loved to have written.

The recipes in the book sound divine, and I’m definitely going to try many of them out.

I just found out that Giulia Melucci is going to be giving a book signing in SF on July 11th, and I’ve made plans to be there.

Here’s a little bit from the author, just to entice you:

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3 Cheers for 2009!

2008 was quite a year, wasn’t it?  So many challenging things occurred around the world and here at home, but we made it through.  Some of us just barely, but we ARE here to live again another day.

Personally, 2008 was a pretty good year for me.

• I started on a serious weight loss journey that involved trying the South Beach Diet, medically supervised fasting, Medifast, and finally Weight Watchers.  I lost a lot of weight, but more than that, I gained a whole new perspective about how I wanted to live my life.  I decided I wanted to live in a healthier, happier way.
• I graduated with my Masters in Educational Leadership in May.
• I bought a beach cruiser and rediscovered how much I love riding my bike.  It doesn’t really matter what the destination is; it just makes me feel happy to feel the rush of wind as I pedal as fast as I can, or slowly cruise by.  I love looking at life and the things around me at a bit of a slower pace than normal.  It’s like I’m taking time to breathe when I’m on my bike.
• I went to CTLB’s wedding in Connecticut in August, and I was able to travel all over Massachusetts (Cape Cod, Boston, etc).  It was a trip I had been looking forward to for at least a year and half, and it was awesome.  I can’t wait to go back to  visit CTLB and her new hubby at their new place in Southie (South Boston).
• I made sure that my life had more balance.  I left work at work, which was HUGE for me.  Never before in my life have I had the sense that work is just work (although I love it), but that there is so much more to life than your profession.  I am still working towards figuring out how to define myself past what I do, but I know that will come in time.
• I started cooking for myself. All the time.  Delicious, healthy dinners.  And along the way, I discovered that I not only enjoy cooking, but that I’m really good at it.  I can’t wait to try out a bunch of new recipes (at least 1 a week) in 2009.  (I’ll be writing about those on Bella on the Beach, if you want to check them out).
• I started reading again in earnest, once I no longer had grad school books to read.  I’ve borrowed a ton of books from the library since May, and truly, it has been one of my greatest pleasures.  I even started a book club with some friends, something I had always wanted to do.  I really like the discussions we’ve had about the book choices.  Plus, it’s a great excuse to get a wonderful group of ladies together for an afternoon.
• I organized my life.  Top to bottom.  Floor to ceiling.  I feel in control, at ease, and happy.

Even with all of the positive things that happened to me in 2008, I am really looking forward to 2009 even more.  I have a terrific feeling about this upcoming year.  For myself personally, I think it’s going to be MY year, filled with many new triumphs and discoveries, capped off in October with my 20th high school reunion.  But thinking in a more global sense, 2009 means change.  Change in political leadership in our country, change in our perspective about how we should live our lives, and change in the way we deal with nations and people around the globe.

Tonight, New Year’s Eve, I am a bit sad that I don’t have that traditional “date,” but I know all good things will come in time.  HE is out there, I just have to wait and not settle for the Mr. Maybes of the world who might distract me from HIM.

As we welcome 2009 tomorrow, what is the thing you’re most looking forward to?

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Break Time!

The past two weeks have been really busy for me.  I’m always busy at school, but the two weeks before break were CRAZY.

It just so happened that I had a journalism deadline AND a yearbook deadline within days of each other.  I’m really strict with my students about meeting the deadlines, no matter what.  In this case, “no matter what” meant staying in my room for the past two weeks, staying at school until 6:30 last Friday (Dec. 12), and going a little nuts when we ran into some technical difficulties.  But, I’m happy to report that both the newspaper and the yearbook deadline were met.  We got rave reviews on the paper, which always makes us feel good.

Couple these deadlines with the fact that I had a set of essays and 2 sets of research papers (think essays, but longer) to grade.  I was determined that I was going to grade these papers before I left for Christmas Break – no matter what.  There’s that phrase again.  This time “no matter what” meant staying up until 2:30AM on Thursday night, waking up at 5AM to continue grading, and still not finishing.  So, I stayed on Friday evening until 5;30 to get them done.  I may have been the last car in the parking lot (teachers clear out early when we have a long break like that), but I am so proud of myself for completely finishing all of the work I wanted to.

Which means I have two weeks off and ABSOLUTELY NO GRADING OR SCHOOL WORK OF ANY KIND TO DO!  (Ok, sorry for the ALL CAPS, but unless you teach high school English, I don’t think you can imagine the feeling of elation I have right now).

So, what am I going to do with myself?

• Read books. For pleasure!  Books like Sundays at Tiffany’s, Pledged: The Secret Lives of Sororities, and A Lion Among Men.  Looking at those titles, I know they sound like quite an eclectic mix, and they are.  Recent books I’ve checked out of the library.  I’m a voracious reader even when life is hectic, but especially when I have some time on my hands.  To see more books that I’ve been reading, you can click on my Good Reads Shelf to the right.
• Catch up on the stacks of magazines that are threatening to overtake my living room. That might be overstating it a bit, since the mags are all neatly placed in a magazine rack, but when I see 4 months worth of Vogue, Vanity Fair, Self, Real Simple, Prevention, and Women’s Health in front of me, I know it’s time to do some light reading.
• Workout or “be active” everyday. Today’s activity was cleaning the house from top to bottom (electric broom and mop the kitchen and bathroom floors, empty the dishwasher, do two loads of laundry, change sheets, clean the bathroom, and vacuum the whole place).  Whew!  I know I probably didn’t burn too many calories, but I did all of that in under 3 hours, and I am sort of sore as I sit here tonight writing this.  It’s been cold and rainy here, so I’m afraid that most of my working out will have to take me to the gym, but that’s ok.  It gives me a chance to catch up on my elliptical and treadmill time.  I am going to start Couch to 5K and see how it goes.  I have a few other activities planned for the new year, but I’ll discuss that more on my weight loss blog.
• Go to the movies. I love movies, but don’t find myself going to many lately.  I think part of it is that my schedule is so busy that I have to pick and choose which movies I have time to see.  There are two movies that I think look very interesting that I’m definitely making time for this vacation: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Seven Pounds.  Seven Pounds hasn’t gotten great reviews, but it intrigues me, and I think it’ll be worth $10 to find out what it’s about.
• Spend time with family and friends. There are so many people I can’t wait to see and spend time with.  I’m sure I’ll post about all the fun ahead.
• Go through my cookbooks. I have lots of healthy cookbooks that I’ve bought or been given in recent years, yet I find myself making my tried and true recipes more often than not.  I want to go through these cookbooks and mark several new recipes to try out in the new year.  I’m hoping to make at least one new recipe a week, just to keep things interesting.

So, there you have it.  Some rough plans for how I want to spend my Christmas Break.  I look forward to this 2-week vacation every year, and yet it always seems to fly by without very much getting accomplished.  I’m hoping that this year, I’ll make it a vacation to remember.

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Finally Friday

I know I haven’t written a real post on here in a while.  Not sure exactly why that is, other than the fact that I’ve been writing a lot more on my weight loss blog, and sometimes it’s hard to come up with content for both.  Or, the other obvious reason, because there hasn’t been a whole lot worth writing about going on in my life. 

So, I thought I’d do a quick recap/update of some of the things I’ve been doing

• I’ve been sticking to my Back to School Plan of staying 2 hours everyday after school to get my work done, rather than grading at home, on the weekends, and pulling all-nighters.  So far I’ve been really successful.  We just had grades due on Monday, and normally my weekend would’ve been stressful and I would’ve spent hours and hours grading.  Instead, I only spent about an hour grading my last 10 book reports that I hadn’t finished. It’s so nice to get home around 4:30 or 5pm everyday knowing that I have left school at school.  I know I have the entire evening stretched out ahead of me, and I can do whatever I want to with the time.  Weekends too.  It’s been great!
• On that note of having more free time, I really need to get some hobbies.  The last two years I have had almost no free time, so this idea of having idle time is sort of getting to me.  I know that I could/should use the time to workout, and I want to do that.  It’s just that reading a book on the couch sounds so much more fun than working out, ya know?  I think I’m going to tell myself that once I’ve been going to the gym or doing some other form of activity (bike riding, doing exercise DVDs, going for a walk, etc.) at least 5 days a week to start, then and only then can I entertain the idea of doing some other hobby.  Because the main goal I have in my life right now is to lose weight, so I feel like most of my efforts should be focused on that, if at all possible.  Ok, this bullet point was a good little pep talk for me.  🙂
• I joined eHarmony, but so far, the results have been nothing to write home about.  Or write a blog about.  None of the guys that are my “matches” are people I would want to go out with.  Not that they have anything wrong with them, per se, but they either live too far from me, are too old for me (11 years older is too old, I think), and seem to be in a different place in life than I am.  I paid for 3 months, so I’m hoping some diamond in the rough stands out and he and I decide we want to at least go on a date.  So far, I haven’t even entertained that idea with any of my so-called matches.  Ugh. 
• Any ideas of other places I can meet a nice guy? 
• The library has become my new favorite haunt.  I’ve been going at least once a week to return books and pick up new ones.  I’m like a reading machine.  I’ve always been an avid reader, but over the past two years I didn’t have as much time to devote to reading for pleasure, because I had so many things to read for my Masters program.  It’s so nice to read anything I want again.  You can click on my Goodreads link in my sidebar to see what I’ve been reading lately.  Mostly chick-lit because sometimes you just need to get lost in the fantasy, right?
• Now that I joined Weight Watchers, and I’m  eating real food again, I’ve been able to start cooking!  I’ve come to find out how much I really love cooking.  I want to start spending more time pouring over recipe books, creating meals and showing off my culinary creativity.  So much fun!!
• I’ve been enjoying spending time with friends and family.  Every weekend since school started I have been able to spend time with my parents, my sister, my nieces, and/or my friends.  It’s been great.  I’ve spent spa days, had cocktails, hosted a book club, gone to several dinners, and had lots of quick coffee/catch-up sessions.  I love reconnecting with all of my favorite people. 

So, that’s what’s been going on with me.  Nothing overly exciting, but all good things.  I’m enjoying the quieter side of life right now.  I’m learning to live life at a bit of a slower pace and enjoy each day.

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200th Post!

It’s been a little while since I’ve written because I wanted to wait to write something “brilliant” for my 200th post. Then I started thinking about it and realized that today was a pretty great day, and why not write a bit about that?

Today was what I consider one of those perfect summer weekdays. Yes, I had to work, but things went really smoothly, and I got a lot accomplished. Things are really starting to come together, and I should have no problem finishing my assigned project by my last day, August 1st.

After work, I headed to the bike shop and got Lola a little accessory – a wicker basket! Now her look is complete. She was cute before, but now she’s adorable, don’t you think?

I love the basket because it allows me to carry the essentials with me without having to wear a backpack on my back.

Once I got home from the bike shop, I put the basket on Lola, which was not as complicated as I feared it would be. It actually made me feel good to do this myself, rather than asking my dad or my neighbor to help me.

When I checked the mail, I realized that I received my diploma! It looks so amazing, and I’m so proud of myself for all that I’ve accomplished. My sister gave me a gorgeous frame to put it in, and I can’t wait to hang it later this weekend. I have the perfect spot in mind.

After I ate a quick and healthy dinner (grilled chicken and steamed string beans), I was ready to head down to the Starbucks that’s about a mile and half from my house to meet CBCB and BeachGirl. It took me about 15-20 minutes to get down there, but I felt so confident riding the bike. Plus, I knew how cute Lola looked as I was riding her. Riding the bike really makes me feel so happy to be alive. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I love that I’m able to move my body, get exercise, and feel so good about myself while doing it.

Chatting with CBCB and BeachGirl about our summers was great. CBCB just got back from a trip to Hawaii and a visit with a friend in central/southern California. BeachGirl also just got back from a trip to Northern California with the youth group at her church. The one thing I miss about working during the summer is the ability to take quick trips like this, but when I weigh it against the money I’m making, it’s worth it, for this summer at least. Next summer I’ll see how I feel (and how much money I’ve saved up during the year).

On my way home, I kept thinking about what a great day this was. The perfect combo of work, exercise, and socializing. A perfectly balanced day. One of those “regular” days that seem far too seldom in my life, but I am working hard to change that. It’s my goal to re-design my lifestyle so that I can fit more of these days into my normal routine, even when school gets back in and things get a lot more hectic. I’m hoping that if I can make it a true change this summer, things will naturally fall into place when school gets back in session.

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4-Day Weekend Plans

Without irking those of you reading this at work, I’d like to point out that I get a 4-day weekend! The company where I’m working this summer is closed today and tomorrow, and my boss told me that I’d be paid for both days! How nice is that?

Since yesterday was my birthday, this just extends a wonderful birthday/4th of July weekend for me. Here are the plans:

Thursday
Wake up late (done)
Clean the house – laundry, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, etc. (so, you see, I will be working, just not in the office)
Get the car washed
Go to the library to pick up more books that I have on hold
Go to the mall to get some new clothes (in smaller sizes!!) with some birthday money
Go out to dinner at Red Lobster with BFF, so we can celebrate “our birthday” (she and I do this every year, so it’s become a really fun tradition).

Friday
Go grocery shopping for the food for a bbq I’m having later at my house
Go for a bike ride
Get food ready for the bbq
Have a bbq at my house – appetizers – chips & salsa, hummus and veggies, dinner – chicken and beef kabobs, corn, caprese salad (mozzarella, tomatoes, basil)
Watch a movie?

Saturday
Go to BFF’s mom’s house for zucchini flowers This is a truly southern Italian specialty that those who aren’t Italian may not understand.  The zucchini flowers are edible, and BFF’s mom puts them into this wonderful batter of flour, cheese, salt, and pepper and then fries them.  A truly delicious delicacy.  The things that makes them even more special is that they are only around for a few weeks of the year – in late June/early July, so this is a once a year treat and tradition that we have.
Nail appt.
Bike ride/gym – I’m thinking I’ll ride to the gym, since it’s not that far.
Get together with friends for a post-birthday celebration

Sunday
Spend the morning reading the paper/drinking coffee, as per my Sunday morning ritual
Go for a bike ride
Read and relax
Call friends
Go to Campo di Bocce for BFF’s birthday celebration.  I’m really excited about this one because bocce is the one “sport” I’m really good at.  I usually win, which makes my competitive side very happy.  I’m not sure if it’s because others don’t really know how to play the game or not, but whatever works, right?

By getting the housework out of the way today, I free myself up to really enjoy the rest of the weekend.  I’m so happy to have so many fun plans this weekend.  How are you planning to spend your 4th of July weekend?

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Weekend To-Do: Farmers’ Markets

This summer, one of the things I’ve vowed to change is the way that I buy vegetables. 

Growing up, we always went to Cosentino’s Market to get the freshest veggies possible during the non-summer months. Owned by a local Italian family that had acres and acres of orchards and produce, they always had wonderful produce.  In fact, the store’s official name is Cosentino’s Vegetable Haven.  How sweet is that? They always had all of those hard to find Italian vegetables that my mom liked to cook.

During summer, we got most of our vegetables from our own backyard garden, or the garden of my Nana, who had everything under the sun growing in her garden. We’d have tons of tomatoes, peppers of all sorts, Italian cucumbers, zucchini, corn, and string beans, just to name a few. We also fruit trees of every sort. I loved summer because it meant that we could go into the garden and find whatever we wanted to have for dinner that night. 

When my Nana passed away, the bounty was less plentiful. Then my parents moved from the house we grew up in (with the huge yard) to a townhouse with no yard, but many patios. My dad still grows tomatoes in wine barrels, but it’s just not the same as having a huge garden. 

So, this year rather than going to the supermarket to buy vegetables, I’ve decided that I’m going to get all of them from farmers’ markets. It’s almost as good as having your own garden, and I like the idea of supporting local businesses. Plus, I’ve been trying to eat organic, whenever possible. It’s all part of the healthier lifestyle I’m trying to sustain.  Plus, I’ve decided that I’m going to treat myself and buy myself fresh flowers each week, just to liven up the living room and bring some of summer inside.  Farmers’ markets are a great place to find gorgeous flowers that are reasonably priced.  

Part of my quest is to go to all of the local farmers’ markets I can.  I’ve been to 3 so far, but there are at least 3 or 4 more in my city that I’d like to make it to at least once this summer.  One is a few blocks from my house, but I’ve never been, I’m almost ashamed to say.   I can’t wait to venture into this unexplored territory that would unearth the treasures of summer. 

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A delicious surprise

Yesterday BFF and I planned to go shopping for a few essentials and splurges (see my previous post). When I got to her house to pick her up, she said she had a surprise for me.

She opened a box from Amazon.com and handed me the new Hungry Girl cookbook! How cool was that? I had been wanting to get it, and since I was the one who introduced her to the Hungry Girl website, she decided to get it for me.

I glanced at it quickly, and the recipes look really good. Of course, I didn’t spend too long at it, because it’s hard to look at delicious food when I’m on this fast. 🙂 I can’t wait to try some of the recipes once I’m done fasting.

The funny thing is, earlier in the day I was at Starbucks and thought about getting her The Art of Racing in the Rain, which is a book narrated by a dog, but I wasn’t sure if she really wanted it or not. She said she’d love to get it, but hadn’t yet. So, after our shopping expedition, we stopped at Starbucks and I got it for her.

The book looks really interesting:

The Art of Racing in the Rain Video Book Trailer (Extended)

It’s so fun to give (and get!) surprises like this.

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Week off wrap-up

I had this last week off, and I had all sorts of plans for how I was going to fill my time. Some of them fun, some of them work, but all of them helping me get organized and ready for the long haul that I have ahead of me before Spring Break. (At this point in the school year, it’s all about living for the next week off!)

I didn’t get as much accomplished as I had hoped, but mostly this was because I made sure to take plenty of time for me.

I watched movies: Once, Dogfight, Jane Austen Book Club (from Netflix) and Juno (in the theatre).

I read: Lucia, Lucia and Rococo (I was on an Adriana Trigiani kick), and more of Into the Wild. Plus all of my daily blog reads (found on the blogroll).

What I didn’t read and should’ve: my book club pick Water for Elephants (I guess my Tuesday evening is suddenly free now) and some articles for grad school. I will make sure to get to the articles before I go to bed, since class meets tomorrow.

I did grad school work: CTLB and I spent 5 hours on Tuesday working on our action research project (thesis). It was great to accomplish so much, and just reinforces what a great team we make.

I forgot to pay my grad school fees: The 2nd installment of my fee payment was due on Monday, but it totally slipped my mind. By Friday the university completely dropped me from all of my classes! Yes, you read that correctly – I’m disenrolled. Ugh! So now I have to pay a $150 fine and go through some rigamaroll to get re-enrolled, but I guess I have no one to blame for myself. Good thing I have the money, including the extra for the fine, so this should just be a matter of going to the student services office and turning in paperwork and a payment.

I dined: I went out with friends twice this week. Thursday night to the Afgani restaurant and last night to a great Mediterranean place with CBCB (who was just back from Paris) and BeachGirl. I also went to The Counter, but since I ate that at home, that probably doesn’t count. Tonight I’m headed to my parents’ house for a mini-Oscar party. My mom has all sorts of “small bites” that she made for us to eat while we watch the Oscars (and judge the dresses).

I worked out: I went four times this week, which is a lot for me. I never made it to Club One as I had planned, but that’s ok. I’ve decided that I don’t need to join a chi-chi club; 24 Hour Fitness is great for my needs, plus it’s a whole lot cheaper.

I cleaned: I did the normal house chores and laundry, but I never made it to fully organizing all of my files and my new bookcase. The books are all organized, but I have a bunch of stationary and binders that I wanted to get set up. This will be finished before the end of this week — it sounds like a great weeknight project.

I cooked: I tried a couple of new recipes that turned out really well. I didn’t go through all of my great new recipe books and mark the ones I’d like to try, but again, this sounds like a great weeknight project.

I blogged: I wrote quite a few posts on this blog and my weight loss blog, and it felt great. I love having the time to write, a luxury I rarely have during the hectic work week.

I erranded: Ok, so I know this isn’t a word, but it seems like it should be. I ran a bunch of errands this week, which was great.

I decided: I made the decision that I will work this summer again. I was looking forward to having the summer off, but practically and financially it makes a lot more sense for me to work again. After I pay my parents back, the rest of the money will be fun money, which is always nice. Hopefully I’ll have lost so much weight by August that I need to buy a whole new wardrobe!!

I relaxed: Most days I slept in until at least 9:30, which is so strange for me. Even on the weekends, I’m usually up by 7:30, so this was really a treat. It also caused me to go to bed really late, but hey, that’s what vacations are all about, right?

All in all, I feel good about how I spent this week. I was able to find a nice balance between work and play. I can’t ask for more than that.

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Just what I needed: a girls’ night

Tonight a few friends and I went to an Afgani restaurant in a nearby city and had one of the best meals I’ve eaten in a long time. Not only was the food delicious (I had lamb kabobs), but the conversation was so fun.

We chatted about everything from books (we are all English teachers) to babies (2 of the girls have kids) and it was relaxed and happy.

It reminded me that that’s the purpose of going out to eat with friends — it’s as much about the great conversation and fun times as it is about the food. You’re paying for the entire experience. I really need to get out more often, because I love dining out.

The other thing I realized (although I knew this) is that on SBD it really is easy to eat out. I don’t need to feel like I have to cook at home all the time. I enjoy cooking and have rediscovered how good I am at it, but there’s nothing like trying different foods and enjoying a fabulous girls’ night.

Isn’t it funny how sometimes the simplest things help me break out of my routine and add some joy to my life?

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Lent – 40 days to do something good for myself

When I was a girl going to Catholic school, Lent meant giving up things.  Giving up meat on Fridays and giving up some other bad habit or thing you loved doing in order to show a sacrifice.

I stopped giving things up for Lent a while ago, although I did try not to eat meat on Fridays, when I remembered.  I never thought of Lent as a way to do something different to improve my life.

This year I think I’m going to use the 40 days of Lent (which start today, Ash Wednesday) to keep myself feeling organized and prepared.  For me, this means several things:

• Keeping the house tidy during the week and doing a “deep cleaning” on the weekends.
• Cooking dinner for myself every night.
• Making my lunch the night before so that I’m not scrambling around the house like a maniac in the morning.
• Preparing the coffeemaker at night, so all I have to do in the morning is turn it on. (see above).
• Going to bed at a decent hour.  I’ve written about this one numerous times.  I often find myself falling asleep on the couch and waking up at 2am.  Not fun.  Not good for me.  Not gonna happen anymore.  From here on out, I’m going to get ready for bed around 10am and then go and read.  If I’m feeling lively, maybe this will be pushed to 11pm, but never later than that on a weeknight.
• Make sure to follow my “get ready for bed routine”: skin care regime, brush teeth, floss, and maybe shower at night (saving time in the morning is a trend I’m seeing here).
• Keep up with my every-other-weekday and both-weekend-days workout schedule.

They say it takes 2 weeks to start a new routine and have it “stick” into becoming a habit.  I’m hoping that during this 40 day period I’ll be able to start routines that will improve my life and help me feel even more organized and focused than I have been lately.

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Ugh! Do I hafta go to school tomorrow?!

I know, I know, I sound like a whining 4th grader, but wow, this Christmas vacation went by really quickly. I can’t believe it’s been two weeks already.

I didn’t get to half of the things I had planned for myself, but I actually accomplished some very significant things:

I feel calm and relaxed. Things were at a fever pitch both emotionally and physically for me right before school got out. I was at the end of my rope and thinking about whether or not to choke myself with it (just kidding). I was stressed out, exhausted, and basically in need of some serious R&R time. During this break I woke up late, went to bed early, went to bed late, relaxed, rejuvenated, and took things at a slower pace. This last week I’ve been getting up earlier, to prepare for school. Because 5:45am is gonna hit like a ton of bricks tomorrow, let me tell you.

I started working out again. I’ve been going to the gym regularly and I love the feeling of waking up the next morning with sore muscles. I even tried yoga, which wasn’t the best experience I’ve ever had, but it wasn’t bad enough to keep me from trying it again. BFF and I are going to try a Bikram class on Thursday evening. Hot yoga — kinda scary, but I’m just going to make sure to bring a ton of water with me. Now that I have my prep period back again, I’ll be able to go workout in the mornings every other day, which will be great. Plus adding a couple of yoga classes in the evenings, and I’ll be all set. I’m also going to try to make it to the gym both days of the weekend, if I can. I know that in order to raise my metabolism and lose weight, I have to workout. If I want to avoid a ton of loose skin, I need to weight train and tone up. Plus, I actually enjoy it, most of the time, if I have my iPod and some good tunes loaded up. The other great thing about working out is that it helps me measure my progress in terms other than just the reading on the scale. As I can move my body father and faster, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment.

I got back into the SBD routine. Not that I had ever truly stopped South Beach, but I did have a few moments where I gave into temptation, and the scale has shown that. (If you’re really curious about my stats, click on my weightloss blog in the sidebar). Not a huge gain, and in fact, a bit of a loss from the highest weight after the indulgence, but still, I’m 3.4 lbs higher than I was before the vacation started. The thing about it is, I’ve spent a good portion of time time this vacation reading and being inspired by weight loss blogs and books. I read Tales from the Scale and with each page I turned, I related more and more. Plus it gives me inspiration to think that maybe someday I’ll be writing my own book about this lifelong weight struggle journey. I’ve also found huge inspiration from Jennette at Half of Me. She’s lost 194 lbs, which is amazing! It encourages me more than any other thing I’ve read, because she lost the weight following the South Beach Diet. This makes my weight loss goal of losing over 100 lbs (probably more like 150) seem very doable and that is so exciting.
Cooking! The other blogger who is instrumental in my weight loss efforts is Kalyn. She posts the most amazing South Beach-friendly recipes. I’ve tried some great recipes this vacation, including: lots of greens sauteed with onions and garlic, to die for roasted sweet potatoes, grilled boneless pork chops, and finally, tonight I made balsamic grilled chicken.

I know the picture is blurry, but since I took it with my camera phone, I don’t think it turned out too badly. It was delicious, and I highly recommend you try the recipe. I used onions instead of shallots and put in some Montreal Chicken Seasoning instead of the Spike seasoning that her recipe calls for. CTLB gave me some great cookbooks for Christmas that I can’t wait to look through. One I’m especially interested in is the low carb slow cooker cookbook. What could be easier than using my CrockPot and making some low carb dinners?

I also spent a lot of time with family and friends this vacation, which was so wonderful. I got the house in order and kept it that way, and even did a bit more decorating. I feel incredibly organized and ready for action.

All in all, it was a relaxing, enjoyable vacation…I just wish I didn’t have to go to school tomorrow.

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