Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Little Things: Dora

Workout: 20 minute weights + 20 min interval session

Guess who had a little Christmas surprise: me!!! I am back to my normal weight and my goal jeans actually fit me loose!!! Fist pump & woo-hoo!!!

I've been trying to watch my sugar intake, and by "watch" I mean - no sugar in my morning coffee :(

After all, let's be real here, it's the holidays and I'm in Damage Control mode. Not much I can do when there is food EVERYWHERE. Trying to get my veggies in and holding off the sugar monster as much as I can is helping. How about you, what are your damage control tips?

Also, I'm crushin' on the short workouts. They add a pep to my step and make me feel GRRRREAT! Plus, I'm trying to mix it up throughout the week to fend off boredom - yay!

Speaking about crushes, guess who has a little Dora crush?


That's right bloggies, Abacus does!

It's just so funny to see Abacus get all excited about my BB's toys. He loves 'em, can't get enough of them actually. It amazes how much my little lab is like a toddler.

My BB and him are fascinated not only by her toys, but by all of the following:
  • my Dulci's dog food (my poor Cocker can't eat without someone lunging at her food)
  • shredding paper (any kind, but toilet paper seems like an added bonus)
  • opening and closing doors (yes bloggies, they are both very proud of this ability)
  • pushing others out of the way when there's food involved
  • trying to counter surf (a certain electronic device may(or may not) have been involved - lesson learned)
  • making a run for it, no matter what that it is!
It's chaos, but I love it!

What chaos are you lovin' lately?

ADios:)


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

WIWW: Confessions

Work It Wedge Wednesday: ~40 min Insanity Cardio Balance video

That's right folks, today is all about confessions:
  • I'm Catholic and I just realized that I haven't gone to confession since I got married. I didn't even "go," the priest came to my dressing room and told me it was time for confession. I asked Richard if that happened to him, he said no. Our priest actually mistook his older brother for the groom, so my brother-in-law confessed in his place. Random - I know!
  • I haven't worn "big-girl" clothes to work since last Thursday. It's finals week so no one is here, plus I haven't had any meetings. No Meetings = I get to wear jeans and my favorite shoes. I can wear these every.single.day and have no problems with it.

  • I broke down and bought my first pair of work-flats last Thursday. It happened at lunch time when, what I thought was a wedge ended up treating me like a heel. Must find a better way of screening these so-called "wedges"!
  • I've been retaining water like CRAZY! My wedding ring has never felt so tight, don't know if it's a lack of water or what? Must.drink.water.
  • My scale has been very unkind to me this week. It was up 4-5 pounds two days in a row. I was sad! I am sad. It's back down to 3-4 today, but I think all the sugar and the "12 fattening days before Christmas" have caught up to me on Day 10. I'm trying to do damage control right now, but containing the Sugar Monster is a tough battle! How are you doing?
  • Today, we made S'mores at work. The sugar high was glorious, until it was no longer a high!
  • Today, I wore my pre-prego "goal" jeans in hopes that it would deter me from having an extra S'more. I was wrong, I ended up having 2 S'mores because "Hey, my jeans still fit!"
  • I had signed up for http://ebookfling.com/ a while ago. It's a nifty service that connects you to people who may want to share a book that is lend-able. You can buy or earn credits by lending books as well. Credits are much cheaper than some e-books so it’s a good investment! I actually just got my first request so I’m going to start reading the Hunger Games. I have 14 days, I can do this :) What are you reading these days?

    On a good note, I'm actually starting to exercise on a more consistent basis. This is what I've done last week:

    DayWhat I did
    ThursdayNothing :(
    FridayNothing :(
    Saturday40 min walk with doggies
    Sunday40 min walk with doggies
    Monday30 min yoga + 20 min interval cardio session
    Tuesday20 min intervals cardio session
    Wednesday~40 min Insanity Cardio Balance video

    Never mind, I thought I had worked out last Thursday and Friday - things are back to normal I guess! I really am going to try exercising tomorrow, I'm shooting for 5 this week :)

    How about you? What did you wear to work today? Did you work it out today?

    Oh yea, one last confession for the day: I have a short attention span and now I can blame the INTERNET:



    ADios!

    Wednesday, December 7, 2011

    Work It (Wedge): Office stairs ed

    Workout: 1 round of 7 sets of office stairs + 15 min brisk walk

    Sometime during the night I "conveniently" managed to place my pillow over my phone alarm. Darn it! Another missed AM workout!

    I thought, "no biggie" I worked out yesterday, have been eating well and cutting out my late-night snacks - go me. The only problem: a Nutella attack at work!!!



    The horror!!!

    I gave in to a serving (or more?) and got myself ready for a round of climbing office stairs. Usually, I'd go for a walking break - but I'm a desert gal and it's in the 40s today. You couldn't pay me to walk outside right now ;) Pay me you did for that 15 min brisk walk across campus!

    How do you handle little office foodie "indiscretions"?

    Also, in an effort to not dress like a college student I'll be making Wednesdays - Work It Wedge days. I wore this outfit today:



    Hubby says I dress like a grandma sometimes. Agree?


    Grandma - maybe? Goober - definitely!

    Personally, I really like this outfit - the colors, the warmth factor - and the star of it all: comfy wedges!



    The Wedges! I've made an executive decision and only plan on buying wedges for my office attire. Heels tend to hinder my walking breaks and I've never really gotten into flats - I'd rather buy some comfy sneaks instead. What are your faves?

    If you have any inspiration photos or wanna send me a pic of what you wear to the office, I'll feature it on my blog. Should be fun, no?

    ADios :)

    Tuesday, December 6, 2011

    Little Things: Dill Breakfast Casserole

    Workout: 20 min interval run + 20 Minute Core Workout

    So last night was no silent one, but at least there were no angry BB cries!

    It never fails, as I laid my head down to rest on my pillow - my BB decided to start crying. It never fails! The good thing is she went back to bed, but it just seems like something is making her uncomfortable and I can't seem to get it right!

    Do you have kids? Have you found the optimal solution for their nighttime attire?

    On to today's yummilicious little thing:


    The easiest breakfast casserole on the planet!

    Dill Breakfast Casserole (makes 4 servings)

    • 6 eggs
    • 1 cup milk
    • salt and pepper
    • 6 T cream cheese
    • lots of dill (any of your favorite herbs)
    • 4 pieces whole-wheat bread
    1. Mix the eggs + milk + salt and pepper in a casserole dish of your choice
    2. Mix the cream cheese with your favorite herb blend
    3. Spread 3 T on two pieces of bread and cover both with the remaining bread
    4. Cut the cream cheese sammies into 1x1 in pieces
    5. Add to casserole dish, cover in plastic and store in fridge overnight
    6. In the AM, preheat oven to 375, remove plastic before cooking the casserole for 45 min
    7. Enjoy
    This was good! There are so many ways to play around with this recipe that I can't wait!

    I'm always rushed to make breakfast in the morning, so making this on Sunday and having it 2-3 days of the week is not that bad. Plus, each serving is about 300 calories #doublescore


    Too bad it looks like my dill herb plant didn't make it. Instead I have a lot of mint and the basil has managed to invade the old dill pot!

    Know any good mint recipes?

    ADios :)

    Monday, December 5, 2011

    The Salad Case: Breast Cancer and Lemonade

    Workout: None :( -running on coffee-fumes

    Yes, kids -> sleepless nights.

    Last night was a crazy one filled with angry cries in the middle of the night. My little BB was not a happy camper! A second cup o'joe and some walking breaks have given me some added energy today, but I can't do much about the bags under my eyes - those just give me away!

    How do you handle sleepless nights?

    I know, I know - look at me. Sliding right in, not even mentioning the fact that I've been MI(Blogging)A for close to a month. I don't even know where to start.

    Maybe here?

    Turns out, I had a little lemonade cancer scare a last month. I went in to my annual exam one Friday morning, thinking nothing of it. I was devastated, walking out of there with orders for my first mammogram and a diagnostic ultra-sound in my hand.

    Devastated. So many emotions, no words!

    My doctor wasn't too worried about it. She described it as small, soft and moveable but wanted to get it checked out since I have a history of breast cancer in my family. The test was scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving and we were close to TWO weeks away.

    I won't lie, I cried like a baby that weekend and didn't know if I could wait that long. Anytime I caught a smile from my BB, a glance from RC, a call from my parents, a laugh with my brother or a text from my friends - you name it, I nearly broke down and cried.

    Thoughts of things that I needed to do, to be prepared for; to take care of my BB; to not be forgotten; to pass on my love...

    Even as I write this, tears fill my eyes - I'm not prepared.

    I was blessed to have been reunited (through facebook) with a high-school buddy who is a breast cancer survivor. She's absolutely amazing and provided so much support that weekend. I will be forever grateful.

    I'm also blessed to have a very pro-active husband who got me into an appointment that next Monday.

    I'm sure you've heard that mammograms are the worst, but really - it wasn't bad. The lady tech was amazing and showed me all the pictures and told me I did have fibrocystic breasts but she couldn't find anything on the first shots. They did the ultrasound (that tech was not as nice), then did two more shots of my left breast with a sticker over the area where we felt the lump. Those shots showed a little bubble, almost painted-on which gave her a clear indication that it was grease/oil cyst.

    Relieved, anyone?

    That weekend made me think about so many things, but nutrition and lifestyle choices took on a whole new dimension; not to mention - my whole relationship with God! I kept thinking of this very special lady and how she described Jesus as this spirit who provided tremendous comfort and support. I found that so beautiful. I'm most blessed to have Him in my life.

    I know, not your standard sugar talk over here - but that described my last month. Anything but standard!

    I saw this today, and would have probably done the same thing given the situation.



    I will keep her and all the women out there dealing with this terrible disease in my prayers.

    All in all, Thanksgiving flew by along with my BB's flu-shot reaction, some friends and family, too much food, Christmas decorations and the realization that I married Mr. Grisswald himself. I am very thankful!

    I'm also very thankful for this healthy-living blog community and for this blog. I hand't really taken the time to think about that whole breast cancer scare and some of the things I "learned" that weekend quickly fell off my radar. Writing this post has made me remember the WHY I write this blog in the first place.

    Healthy living is something I choose to do, for so many reasons. It's not just something I can "say" I do, it's a lifestyle - something that requires me to actively make that choice. Every.single.minute of this beautiful thing we call life.

    Have you ever dealt with anything similar to this? When was the last time you performed a self-breast exam? Wanna brag about the last healthy choice you made? Mine would be quitting this never-ending post to try and catch some zzz's. Let's hope there are no angry cries tonight :)

    ADios :)