N Her Shoes

NEW BLOG NEW BLOG NEW BLOG!!!

2010-01-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

Alright friends I have moved over to my NEW BLOG!!! Click here to read more.

Please update your Google Readers, Blog Rolls and Book Marks.

My new address is http://www.bobbimccormick.com/

Head over and check out my first POST of the YEAR!!!

Be Right Back

2010-01-02T22:29:00.001-08:00

Hi friends just wanted to check in I am alive, but am currently very frustrated because I have typed up several posts and they keep getting ERASED!!! So We are working on some of these issues and I will be back on Monday!!!

Miss you all hope 2010 has started out with a BANG!

I leave you with a sweet picture of Bosco:)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2009 Recap + LAST CHANCE Workout!

2009-12-31T07:31:00.001-08:00

WOW I did a lot this year and this is only the highlights!!!!! NY’s GOALS to come very soon!

****

I made a fiesta kind of breakfast this morning that tasted wonderful!!! My motivation came from wanting to use my new Chopper I got for Christmas :)

It actually works pretty good!

I scrambled two eggs and mixed in some onion and tomato.

Topped on two La Tortilla Factory Corn Tortillas with a little cheese and avocado!

Muy Bien!

With a cup of Home Made Sbux!

LAST DAY OF 2009!!! Can you believe it?! I am going to finish strong with a Jillian DVD tonight before we go out to ring in the new year?!

How about you any LAST CHANCE workouts before 2010?!

Wanted: Runners!

2009-12-30T12:11:00.001-08:00

HARDCORE RUNNERS & BEGINNERS WANTED

Last year 12 of us went on an ADVENTURE of a life time and did the Wild West Relay in Colorado and this year I want to take on yet another relay race, but this time on the BEACH!!!

The running Buddies and I have been chatting like crazy about a race that we would like to get some people together for. It is called Ragner Relay Race Santa Barbara to Dana Point, April 23-24th 2010. We would love to get 12 runners together to do this with!

CHECK OUT LAST YEARS RUNNERS!

Amanda from Run to the Finish

Melissa from Trying to Heal

Kristen from ChasRunner

Shannon from Shannon's Scene: Take Two

Alesha

Cynthia from Amber (Shannon's cousin)

Julie

Jennifer

Jeri from JerBer Shares

Moore (Alesha's friend)

Dionne (Moore's friend and lives in CO)

AND ME!

PART I
PART II

THE RAGNER RELAY IS A FORM OF AN ADVENTURE RACE

PICTURE THIS: “Beach Bunnies. Movie Premiers. You and 11 of your closest friends running day and night. Starting in the American Riviera, Santa Barbara, your team of 12 runners will embark on a 177 mile adventure-fest. The party in your van will only get better as you leap frog your way down the beautiful Pacific Coast. You'll feel the ocean-spray as you fly past the star-studded Malibu, Ca and the "South-Swells" of Huntington Beach. The race (and your stamina) will wrap up where the spectacular bluffs meet the crashing waves of Dana Point.”

Running three legs during a 24-hour relay race is much easier than you think. Each team member runs three legs, ranging between 3 and 8 miles. This relay race is physically demanding, but legs vary in difficulty, and runners can choose their legs. This unique relay format makes Los Angeles an accessible race for beginners yet challenging enough for the most competitive.

How do you get from one exchange to the next? Each team is allowed two support vehicles. The first vehicle will drop off the first runner, drive ahead a few miles, cheer the runner on, and provide them with water, snacks, and plenty of love. That vehicle will then drive ahead to the first exchange point to drop off the second runner and pick up the first runner when that leg is complete. They will repeat this pattern for six legs until they hand off to their second vehicle. This leapfrogging pattern will continue all the way to the finish line.

The cost will be $100 per runner + the two rental vans split 12 ways + gas of course you would have to pay for transportation to and from the relay!

Ok so who is interested?!!!! I think this would be an amazing bonding experience, and so much FUN!

Please send me an email so I can add you to our list!

Back on the Bandwagon

2009-12-30T07:35:00.001-08:00

This Christmas I got this wonderful gift package full of six different types of Starbucks coffees! Not only am I going to enjoy every one of them, I am also going to save a whole lot of money. Next year Starbucks will be cut out of my budget:(

I decided to try to go with the Christmas Blend this morning, since I am still in the Christmas spirit!

I dusted off the old coffee press and brought her out to play! I really want to get a single cup one, I think I will have to use my Starbucks gift card to purchase one!

Thank goodness I already had breakfast waiting for me in the fridge,I was so indecisive on what to make this morning and then I remembered I already made something last night! I mixed together 1/2 c oats, 1/4 c milk, 1 tbsp AB, flax seed, 1/4 c Canned Pumpkin, and a little honey.

I shaped it into a cookie and then placed in the fridge overnight. I decided to top it off with a little whip cream AKA yogurt and some blackberries.

As far as my run goes I didn’t make it out this morning. The crew was running a lot later then I thought and I wouldn’t make it back in time for work. Plus I am teaching kickboxing tonight and 8 miles might not be the smartest thing to do this morning. I do miss running, but right now I am really loving getting back into more circuit training!!!

***

FINISH STRONG SERIES!

So friends we only have 2 more days of 2009, so let’s FINISH STRONG with these super fun and quick workout! I got this from ehow.com

Step 1

Jog in place for 2 minutes. A warm up helps to avoid injury while exercising and also helps you get into the right frame of mind for a workout. This will prepare your body for fat loss.
Step2

Do 1 minute of squats. Squats are the most effective way to burn fat and tone your legs and butt. To do a proper squat, your feet should be placed shoulder width apart. Bend at the knees and lower your body to the ground, sticking your butt out as if you were going to sit in a chair. Do not let your knees extend over your toes. Keep your weight in your heels; it should feels as though you could easily tip backwards. Come back to your starting position and repeat.
Step3

Complete 1 minute of push ups. Do whichever you can, "man" or "woman" push ups, but remember; do not rest between exercises. Lie down with your hands underneath your body at shoulder height and width apart. Straighten your arms to lift your body, keeping your back straight and feet (or knees) together. Exhale as you go up, and inhale as you go down. You will be on your way to converting body fat into muscle.
Step4

Start 2 minutes of lunges; 1 minute left leg, 1 minute right leg. To do a proper lunge start with feet together, then step forward with one foot (roughly 2-3 feet from the body), and bend your knees to lower your body down slowly. Do not let your front knee go over your toes as this may result in injury. Keep your torso upright and tight, maintaining balance. These are also excellent for fat loss.
Step5

Do a 1 minute plank. Place your elbows and forearms under your chest. Using your toes and forearms as the only contact with the ground, prop yourself up. You want to make a straight line from your shoulders to your feet; do not let your hips sink towards the ground. Focus on keeping the abdominals tight. Beginners may have to go in 15 second increments to make up a minute as this can be a tough position to hold.
Step6

Complete 1 minute of a bicycle crunch. Lie flat on the ground with your hands alongside your head. Bring your knees to a 90* angle and start the pedaling motion. It should look as if you are trying to touch your right elbow to your left knee, and vice versa. For maximum benefit from the exercise, do not bring either leg in past a 90* angle.
Step7

Do 2 minutes arm circles; 1 minute forward, 1 minute backward. This is a lot harder than it sounds. Straighten your arms so that they are horizontal with the floor, and start making circles. Imagine that you are outlining a circle the size of a basketball.
Step8

Cool down and stretch for 2 minutes....OR, go through it again!

GET MOVING!!!!!

Wii Fit WHAT?!

2009-12-29T19:37:00.001-08:00

Hubby and I played my new Wii Fit I got from Santa for Christmas instead of doing my Jillian DVD I will have to do it on Thursday. It was a lot of fun setting up our profiles check out some fun video coverage below…(sorry it’s so dark!) WTF is all I have to say!

After our Biggest Loser workout we headed to the kitchen to make us a His and Her dinner. I love it when Hubby helps me in the kitchen (hint hint)!Tonight I turned to my wok, because you can cook just about anything in it and it’s SUPER FAST! Tonight I was looking forward to making dinner at home but I didn’t want to anything that was going to take a while to cook, because I was impatient!!!

He says Chicken, She says Tofu!

Hubby’s chicken, green beans, and corn stir fry!

I went with a more traditional style stir-fry..kinda

Tofu, Spinach, Broccoli, Eggplant, Butternut Squash, and Mixed Veggies!

Hubby and I polished off the rest of the Martinelli’s from Christmas.

I found the perfect spot in the house to work tonight.

There is nothing like sitting next to the fire with a warm cup of Hot Coco with Whipped Cream to make a day complete!

Almost done with my NY’s Goals and 2009 recap! Hubby and I are going to work until 8pm and then play a little Rock band!!!

I am planning on running 8 miles with Mr.Rick and Fast Jill tomorrow so it might be an early night!

New Dish

2009-12-29T17:14:00.001-08:00

Hi friends how was your day? Mine was fabulous! I thought that I might actually be on a jury today, but I was dismissed!!! Being stuck at the court room all day gave me plenty of time to catch up on reading, writing and Google Reader!

When I got home I was starved and made a wonderful balanced lunch. Hubby got me this dish set for Christmas and I love it! It’s from the Bobby Flay Collection.

I grilled some of our butternut squash and eggplant in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes with a little EVOO and pepper.

Used some leftover turkey to make a little turkey cran salad

and GREENS!

The perfect bite :)

So nice to be home and make lunch!!! I plan on doing my new Jillian DVD right after I publish this, can’t wait to tell you all how it is!

Doing the Duty

2009-12-29T08:23:00.001-08:00

This morning I had to wake up extra early for Jury Duty. Can you believe this is the first time I have ever been called?! Actually most of my co- workers got a letter too. Have you ever served on a Jury before? I am actually excited because I was on Mock-trial in highschool and love Law and Order...ok not the same thing but still interesting:)

I did manage to make a yummy breakfast! Egg Sammie:)

I was craving eggs this morning probbably because of my intense kickboxing class last night and lack of protein!

I am really struggling at finding a balance at what to eat when I teach at 7:30pm. When I get home I am ready for dinner, but don't want to eat too much before I workout. Then when I get home It's 9pm and I am too tired to make anything. Any advice?

Last night Hubby and I talked a lot about the future and our goals for 2010. It got me super excited. Can't wait to share! Today as I sit here waiting and waiting, I will be doing a lot of writing for the bloggy!

FYI-I am blogging from the iPhone today!

Three days left FINISH STRONG!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday Monday Monday

2009-12-28T12:35:00.001-08:00

The day is moving right along. I didn't have as many emails or phone messages as anticipated! I am not a huge fan of being at a desk all day but it does have it’s advantages. Like I get to make my lunch in my office and catch up on my personal stuff on my lunch hour.

For lunch today I made a bowl of Healthy Harvest Split Pea Soup…

and a GREEN Salad with avocado, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Together

I decided to bring a placemat to work so I don’t get my desk all dirty :).

As I work on my goals for 2010 I get excited for all that the year has in store. I know there is one goal I have for sure and that is to improve my blog and make it the best it can be! I am working with a company right now to get my blog transferred over to WordPress. I plan keeping my blog content the same, food and fitness but I want to step it up a notch! My goal for next year will be to post three times a day and include more healthy recipes and workouts as well as everyday life tips!

I can not thank you all enough for reading NHerShoes and supporting me through this Journey of life! I look forward so seeing what 2010 has in store for NHS!

Are You Ready?!

2009-12-28T07:35:00.001-08:00

4 MORE DAYS OF 2009!!!!

It’s time to get back to work! 10 days of Holiday was just what I needed. Just in case you missed all the madness.

Dinner with the Besties
Balboa Lights
All day Baking
Mission Inn With the Family
Christmas With the Neighbors
Christmas 2009 Recap

I woke up a little later this morning to make sure I was ready to start the week off with a wonderful 8 hours of sleep. For breakfast I decided I needed to get through the huge can of pumpkin I have and make some Pumpkin Oats (so predictable I know).

I made a normal bowl of Oats and added in Pumpkin then topped with crushed Almonds and some Home-made Almond Roca I got from my friend Melissa!!

I also made a cup of coffee to take to-go.

***

FINISH STRONG SERIES:

Alright I am getting back to normal, so we need to get back on track this week friends and FINISH STRONG!!! I have AKB tonight but I wanted to share with you all Melissa’s HARD-CORE Workout!

30 bicycle crunches
30 crunches
30 reverse curls
50 bridge poses
20 lying side leg lifts
30 lying inner leg lifts
40 laying squats (done w/ resistance band)
100 side punches (weighted: 2 lbs each hand)
100 front punches (weighted: 2 lbs each hand)
30 bicep curls (weighted 2lbs each hand and with resistance band)
30 tricep curls (weighted 2lbs each hand and with resistance band)
50 standing side kicks
30 donkey kicks
20 standing side leg lifts
1 min plank

Melissa I can’t wait to do this!!!

Q: Are you all ready for 2010?

I can’t believe it will be my 10 YEAR CLASS REUNION this year!!!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T17:53:00.001-08:00

Hello friends I have been enjoying every minute of my Holiday which means that I haven’t been on the computer!

Instead of leaving you with a very long blog post I leave you with a video recap with all 5 of our Christmas’s!!!

I also got a Polaroid Video camera from my wonderful SIL and videoed most of our Christmas, but then erased most of it except the evening. Oh well, at least I have pictures. I am excited to use it though I plan on making a lot more vlogs for you all to enjoy.

Tonight I am getting ready to get back to the grind, cleaning, shopping, meal prepping and resting. This has been a wonderful Holiday and I feel well rested and ready to get back to reality and finish this year strong. I have managed to get quite a few workouts in and I can not wait to try out my new Jillian DVD, Trouble Zones!!

Stay tuned for a 2009 RECAP coming soon, as well as goals for 2010!!

The Day After

2009-12-26T08:32:00.001-08:00

WOW I can’t believe Christmas 2009 is over, but my Holiday is not. I still have two more days to soak up some R & R. I have so much to share with you all, but I am headed to a two hour boot camp at my gym and then Hubby and I are going to play all day!!!

I leave you with this picture…

Christmas Brunch With the Neighbors

2009-12-24T14:25:00.001-08:00

’T was the AFTERNOON before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads
-Clement Clarke Moore, A Visit From St. Nicholas

Happy Christmas Eve afternoon to you all!!! I woke up super giddy this morning knowing that Santa is coming tonight and tomorrow morning. We have two big parties to attend to tonight, the first is with my Dads extended family and then one with my Mamma’s extended family (where I will fit all the food I don’t know).

I woke up early this morning, but the burrito I had last night did not sit well with my stomach so I did not get in a workout, oh well good thing I have a 2 hour boot camp on Saturday!!!

Hubby and I had brunch with our neighbors around 10am and I am just getting back. Check out all the yummy food!

Lot’s of TJ’s Juice

Best darn coffee ever!!! Ghirardelli’s Dark Chocolate Brew…

With some Chocolate Mint Truffle Creamer, ‘Tis the Season!

My beautiful plate; eggs, bacon, oranges and one amazing pumpkin pancake.

We sat around chatting for a while and the kids watched the Christmas Story.

Bosco just got a hair cut and I don’t like it one bit! What do you think?

I love our neighbors so much it’s so great that they not only live two doors down from us, but they also WORK with us!!! Look what they gave us for Christmas….HOLY YUM!

I am back home and I am going to get my Cornbread Stuffing ready for tonight and prep my Breakfast Casserole for the morning :)

All is quite and ready in this house to celebrate the beauty and joy of Christmas.

For Dirty Santa at both parties

For all the family

Santa’s gifts

I am sure I won’t be blogging much for a couple days, spending time with the fam. I leave you with the true meaning of Christmas…..

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

MERRY CHRISTMAS! FELIZ NAVEDAD! HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Let the Celebration Begin!

2009-12-23T22:38:00.001-08:00

Evening friends I have had an extremely long and productive day. Between organizing, cleaning, cooking, walking, and wrapping I am ready to call it a night. But first check out our fun evening with the fam at the Mission Inn. We do this every year it’s a wonderful tradition!

We found a hole in the wall Mexican and Seafood Restaurant for dinner.

Decisions Decisions …

I was so busy today that I barely had lunch so when these chips came to the table I couldn’t RESIST!!!

I ordered a Chicken Burrito with nothing but Chicken and Veggies inside and came out to be the size of my ARM!!! It tasted amazing!

I could only eat a forth of it, darn chips spoiled my dinner!

I was so proud of my little bro for ordering veggies on the side instead of beans and rice! Guess the Big Sister has taught him a thing or two ;)

We walked around the Mission Inn and enjoyed all of the beautiful lights.

Ice Skating in the square

We are Family…

Love this man!

My brother Jeremiah is quite the character he always make me laugh!

Tomorrow morning we are having breakfast with some of our wonderful neighbors and I hope to get one last workout before the festivities begin!

Oh I can’t believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve!!! I have two dinners tomorrow night with both sides of the family. The first at 5pm and the second at 7pm. I am going to enjoy every minute of it and make smart choices the best I can.

Sleep tight sleeping beauties!

Morning Person

2009-12-23T10:19:00.001-08:00

I am so much more of a morning person! I went for an early run this morning with my running buddies, 3 very cold but glorious miles. Felt good to get out on the road, this was only my second time running since my marathon! As you can see I haven’t been piling on the miles, but I have been working my bootie for the Bootie Buster Challenge!!

After my run I went to the market for the food I will be making over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Menus:

Christmas Eve- Cornbread Stuffing (my favorite)
Christmas Day- Cheese and Egg Casserole for Breakfast
Christmas Evening- Turkey, Organic Dressing, Sweet Pea Casserole, Hubby’s Corn, Rolls,Angela’s This Ain’t Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole and fresh cranberry sauce.

Check out my first Christmas Dinner (and other Holiday Madness) from last year, I am so glad this has become a tradition!!!

After shopping I went to the Drive-through Car Wash and cleaned out my entire car inside and out for only $5 and a peace of mind!

When I got home I was famished but wanted a warm and delicious breakfast. So I made a bowl of Pumpkin Cran Oats with POM seeds.

I added in some mixed nuts on top for a little extra protein. I got this bowl from Hubby last year for Christmas I just love it!

***

2 DAY COUNTDOWN!!!!

I am getting excited about Christmas only 2 more days and my check list is nearly finished!!!

~~SLEEP~~

~~Start a new book~~

Organize all of my AD(Athletic Director) stuff.

Clean out all of my kitchen cupboards

Go see the lights at Mission Inn with my family

~~Wash my car inside out!~~

~~Organize my dresser drawers~~

DO a MAJOR Detail clean to my master bathroom

~~Coffee with friends~~

~~Running late in the morning!~~

Here is a picture from our Christmas morning last year…MY FAMILY!

Man this post took me way longer then it should have!!!! My laptop died so I am using our PC that is like 15 years old and takes FOREVER!!!!

Have a Happy Hump Day!!!

Just Call Me Martha

2009-12-22T22:28:00.001-08:00

WARNING THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE GOING TO MAKE YOU HUNGRY, PLEASE READ ON A FULL STOMACH!

Helllllllo beautiful people in my life! I have been one busy bunny around these parts. I started baking right after lunch and didn’t get done until 7:30pm. Needless to say I felt like a true baker, I don’t know how Angela does it.

I multi tasked….no make up today :)

Tried hard not to taste too much… ya that was HARD!

I would love to say I have some great healthy recipes for you all, but I went with a few classics from an old Nestle Cook Book I have on hand ( in no way are these healthy).

These are some of the best cookies I have ever made!

I made these simple Peanut Butter Cookies with a kiss on top, basic but cute.

Bosco was my taste tester, he love everything!

Chop Chop

The work station

Sugar Cookies

Peppermint Bark

I received some Amish Friendship Bread from a friend at the gym and today was the day that I was able to make it!!! It couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

I made two loafs, one for the Hubby and I and the other I will be giving to a friend;)

Here are most of the goodies that are in each package(I still have one more bar to add).

Peppermint Bark

All wrapped up! I am giving these to neighbors, friends and all of my family. I hope they love them.

WOW!

Because I didn’t get done baking till late Hubby was so sweet to get us Chinese take-out!!!!! I would have loved to make a fine and creative dinner, but I had no more energy.

I enjoyed my meal with a glass of White Wine that we got from my Grandparents last year from Fresno.

I ordered the Garlic Shrimp with added tofu on top of my own brown sticky rice. I had this portion times two! I also had a piece of the Amish Bread, holy amazing!

While enjoying dinner Hubby and I watched the finale of “Sing Off” it was ok. I am not a fan of Nick Lachay who was the host, he was annoying!!! But I love Ben Folds he is one talented musician!

Overall it was a great day, I only have a few more things to get crossed off my to-do list and then I can just sit back and relax for the rest of the week!!! Tomorrow morning I am going for an easy 3 mile run with Mr. Rick and Fast Jill this will be my first time running with them since my marathon!!!! Can’t wait to catch up.

Good night loves!

Where Did it Go?

2009-12-22T13:24:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon..TODAY IS FLYING BY!!! Why is it that when you have the whole day to do whatever you want that if you are not careful you might miss it in a blink of an eye?!

Last night after kickboxing I went to Walmart to pick up some final baking supplies, bad idea. First reason the store was packed at 9PM and second reason is the baking shelves were practically empty.ARRRRR!

The Loot

When I got home I sipped on a glass of red wine and a Larabar (an odd combination I know) and watched some cheesy Christmas movie on Lifetime. That for me was very relaxing and just what I needed after my Walmart experience!

This morning I woke up late, but still managed to make it to another hour of kickboxing! We did bags, focus mitts, circuits, squats, kicks and so much more! I normally wouldn’t do back to back workouts like that but I am determined to finish strong! I wish you could all come to our classes they are intense and you always feel amazing afterward like you could conquer the world.

I then headed over to Sbux to meet my dear friend Melissa who I haven’t seen in a while we needed some major GIRL TALK! I ordered a Turkey Bacon Sandwich minus the cheese and a tall soy peppermint mocha (2 pumps chocolate one pump peppermint) with no whip, yes I have a very confusing order.

3 hours later when I got home I was famished!!!! I almost called Hubby and told him to meet me somewhere for lunch but I need to save money so I came home and made an avocado and tomato sandwich + tomato soup!

Today's plans are BAKING ALL DAY!!! I shall have lot’s of recipes to share so stay tuned!!!!

Question: What is your favorite thing to bake during the Holidays?

Less is More

2009-12-21T18:11:00.001-08:00

Evening friends! I had anticipated posting this afternoon but my day just flew by. I did manage to clean and organize a few things as well as have coffee with my dear friend Veronica.

I love being home to make lunch because I get to be a little more creative. Our pantry is bare because I am trying to get rid of ALL the food we already have before I go spend money on groceries.

For lunch I took one can of Organic Cream of Chicken Soup+ 1 cup of broccoli from our garden (BELOW)+ one cup frozen veggie mix + a little soy cheese..

It wasn’t too bad might have been better with some pepper.

and some leftover crackers

I also had a large Mango Tea this afternoon and snacked on way too many treats in the kitchen!!!

I have one more hour until I teach kickboxing so my mini dinner (I would rather be at the Avis’s with Hubby) was a whole wheat bagel with AB and Honey.

Alright we only have two more weeks left in the year! So friends let’s fight the battle of that 7lb average weight gain over the Holidays and make each exercise count!!

Finish Strong:

Check out the video below for a killer ab workout that only takes minutes!!!

I need some more at home workouts from you all and quick and healthy meals so email me soon!!!!!

Off to break a sweat!

Birthday Parties and the Balboa Light Parade

2009-12-21T10:11:00.001-08:00

4 MORE DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!!!!

I really want to be six again! Yesterday my niece Alysse turned the big six years old and she was the cutest Snow White Princess I have ever seen :)

Of course I am her favorite Aunt on the Trujillo side (her only).

She was so excited to get our Christmas Card because she loves Bosco!

I got her a Bosco of her own! A little T-Cup puppy that she can carry with her always.

This just looks so natural ;)

Too cute!

I love my Lysse she is just getting sooooo big! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL!

***

After the party we headed off to the annual Balboa Light Parade with fun friends!

Hubby and I had Subway on the drive down so when we saw this Yogurt shop on the island I knew it was time for dessert! I got a little bit of all of my favorites, pumpkin, chocolate, peanut butter and banana. I added some Heath Bar and Graham cracker crumbs on top to make it perfection!

Then it was time for the Boat Parade! We saw a few less boats this year, not sure why but all the ones we did see where pretty spectacular!

This is our 9th year getting together for this festive evening!

After we watched the parade we walked around the island and admired the homes that were all DECKED out!

We even had some very entertaining side walk performers.

I wanted to steal this adorable little golf cart!

Our friend Syd actually lives on the island so after we were pooped from walking we stopped by his house to sing some carols with his rock star brother!

Hubby even got up and sang a few, he can sing some wonderful Johnny Cash songs that melt my heart!

The boys

As if all of this fun wasn’t enough we headed over to a local coffee shop called The Gypsies Den. I ordered a delicious cup of decaf.

Hubby ordered the Chicken Nachos, I had my share as well (minus the cheese).

We sat around chatting late into the night and then we said our sweet goodbyes and called it a night.

What a wonderful night, I miss all of these people!!! My new years resolution is to see them ALL a lot more!

***

I slept in until 8:30 and laid in bed catching up on my google reader, man you were all so busy this weekend loved reading about your fun filled weekends! When I finally rolled out of bed I made a beautiful bowl of Cranberry Pumpkin Scone Oats!

I have no “REAL” plans today:

Organize Room + Bathroom
Wrap presents
Organize AD stuff
Get baking list together
Teach Kickboxing

See you all soon!

P.S. Remember to finish strong out there, I have a great workout I am posting at lunch!

Christmas Dinner With the Besties

2009-12-20T12:40:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe it’s already Sunday this weekend is just flying by, but that’s ok because for the next 8 days I get a nice LONG WEEKEND!

Friday night we had my Besties and their Hubby’s over for a
Christmas Dinner. I made it a little extra fancy with place cards and candles.

I love these placemats from World Market, I always forget to use them.

We had a cheese ball and crackers out while dinner finished cooking.

Ginger brought the Salad

and I made Stuffed Shells, these are the easiest and best things to make!

I enjoyed a glass of Cab with my dinner

There were also a lot of other extra yummy drinks!

My plate of goods

Friends

I wanted to be in the picture:)

After our lovely dinner we played some PIT

Bosco joined us

He preferred Apples to Apples

Then came Dessert, Danielle brought assorted Cheesecake from TJ’s. I had a half a piece of the Turtle Slice..HEAVEN!

Then it was present time!!! I just love D’s wrapping, I long to be a good wrapper one day!

I was super excited to get some wonderful goods to blog about from Ging, she knows me too well. I also got the TBL cookbook!

I can’t believe we have been BFF’s for 15 YEARS!!! (by the way there both prego!!) I can’t wait for next years party we will have little ones running around!

Such a fun night!

***

Saturday for me was an ALL DAY SHOPPING EXTRAVEGANZA!!! I did manage to get an hour of kickboxing in before I took off. I was so determined to get sll my gifts in hope to not have to go back. I didn’t have to much to buy , I kinda just wanted to get out and see all the manic people :) I live for the thrill of it all!

I made sure I wore some comfy clothes and shoes because I knew it was going to be a long day.

The first mall I went to wasn’t that crowded, but the second one I hit up was PACKED!! Half way through I hit the food court and did manage to find a healthy lunch, veggie sandwich on wheat and tomato soup.

I was still left a little hungry, thank goodness two hours later I got some FREE BLISS samples. I twitted about how I would never bring children with me shopping and I don’t know how people do it they must be SUPER MOMS!!! I also twitted about seeing four year olds in strollers, WHY?! I guess I will have to learn all of this one day when I am a mom.

8 hours later I left the mall and headed home. I was in no mood to make dinner so I ordered a pizza and picked it up to surprise Hubby. I had them make half of it a veggie with no cheese and the other half with cheese and pepperoni. Guess what half I chose?! ;)

I plopped right on the couch after dinner and watched The Holiday Inn, which is one of my favorite classic Christmas movies! I also had a cup of coco :)

Hubby and I stayed up late catching up on all the shows we DVR’d, like Sing Off..what a neat show! I love acapella!

Hubby and I just got back from teaching Sunday school to the little ones, so cute! We another fun Holiday day planned, my nieces 6th birthday party plus the Balboa Light Parade with friends!

Did you hit the malls this weekend? Are you still alive!

Singing in the Office

2009-12-18T12:36:00.001-08:00

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

This song has been stuck in my head all day! I have been working my little tale of at work trying to get all my bases covered before I take off next week off. 10 whole days to myself, I can not wait! I have so many things that I want to get organized and taken care of and I am already making a list.

SLEEP
Start a new book
Organize all of my AD(Athletic Director) stuff.
Clean out all of my kitchen cupboards
Go see the lights at Mission Inn with my family
Wash my car inside out!
Organize my dresser drawers
DO a MAJOR Detail clean to my master bathroom
Coffee with friends
Running late in the morning!

I brought leftover chili for lunch today and am sharing with the whole office, they love it and it sure is SPICEY! I forgot my camera so no pics sorry.

3 more hours till FREEDOM!!!

Question: Are you taking anytime off for the Holiday? If so what are your plans?

Thursday Night Christmas Party

2009-12-18T07:14:00.001-08:00

I am back!!! Hi friends I missed you all yesterday sorry for being MIA I was home sick all day trying to catch up on my zzzzz’s! I have had this awful cough that keeps creeping up at night and keeps me awake. Yesterday I finally took some coughing medicine and slept in until 10AM!!! It felt great and I am glad to be back and ready to tackle this Friday before HOLIDAY!

Last night we had our Thursday Night Group Christmas Party!

We all brought Chili or Soup and lot’s of toppings!

Love all the matching Crockpots!

I made a veggie chili that was super spicy but yummy!

I had a mixed bowl of my Veggie Chili and the Turkey Chili.

Lot’s of chatting and catching up with each other.

Rocky had fun too!

As did sweet Emma Rose

Rocky wanted to pose with the ladies ;)

Sweet Friends

Then came dessert!

I was pretty full from the chili so I just had one small bar, not sure what kind it was but it sure was AMAZING!

Such a fun night with friends, I love these guys! I can’t believe we have been meeting every Thursday for two years now!

***

Can’t believe it’s finally Friday, wasn’t sure it was ever going to get here! I have all of next week OFF!!!

I almost didn’t make it out of bed to workout this morning but then I remembered MY FINISH STRONG SERIES!

20 minute living room boot camp:

1 minute jog in place
1 minute bicep curls
25 lunges on each leg
1 minute jumping jacks
50 basic crunches
1 minute jump rope
25 squats
1 minute high knees
20 chair dips (or until failure)
1 minute butt kicks
50 bicycle crunches
20 chair dips
20 military presses with 10lb weights
15 burpees
1 minute plank
30 second side plank on each side
50 reverse crunches
1 minute mountain climbers
STRETCH!

So glad I did it! I also managed to make a wonderful bowl of Scone Topped Oats. I crumbled my home made Vegan Pumpkin Scone on top of my oats along with fresh cranberry sauce and walnuts.

Tonight Hubby and I are having my BFF’s and their Hubby’s over for a Christmas Dinner, on the menu are Stuffed Shells :)

Have a HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

It’s Christmas Already in this Casa!

2009-12-16T22:05:00.001-08:00

T’was the week before Christmas Eve..

ONLY ONE MORE WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!! I am so excited. I think I am most excited because I love seeing all of my family come together and celebrate together, just thinking about how much I love all of them makes me smile.

Today was super busy at work and my eats were pretty good, another salad and butternut squash soup combo, but then the DEVIL (Evan) came into the office and brought HUGE yummy chocolate cookies and this girl could not resist, no pics forgot my camera today!!!!

Tonight I taught kickboxing again, third time this week. Only three people showed up to class. It doesn't surprise me, class attendance is really low around the Holidays even though it should be PACKED! It was nice though because I got to mix up the workout like crazy. We did bags+sit-ups+pushups+million squats+running+jumping+burpees, the whole bit.

Two hours before class I ate this…

One hour after class I ate this..

This was my first time going through a drive through on my own in at least a YEAR!!! I ordered a chicken sandwich on wheat, Holy AMAZING! I ate it in the car, no pic because I was driving.

When I got home I had a bite of Melissa’s delicious bars, girl you need to send me the recipe!!!

When I walked into the hallway look what I found?!

Foodbuzz contacted me a couple days ago to let me know I won a raffle they were having (what?!) and I won a Breville !!! Ok I feel like it is Christmas already :) Thank you FOODBUZZ!!!

I have been dying to try juicing! Now I am going to need to find some great juicing combinations, anyone got any??? I know Erin does!

I am pooped going to try and sleep without coughing through out the night!!!!

Night Peeps!

Like A Baby

2009-12-16T07:20:00.001-08:00

Happy Thursday, oops I mean Wednesday!Is it just me or is this week going by slowwwww?! I so thought it was Thursday this morning and then quickly realized that sadly it was not.

I slept like a baby last night and managed to get 8 full wonderful hours in. I am hoping that sleep really pushes me through the day. We have lot’s of meetings at work today and I am going to need all the energy I can get.

I woke up on the later side so I made myself a quick bowl of mixed cereal, Puffins + Zoe’s Granola+ Nanner+ Dried Cranberries.

I am sure I will be hungry in an hour, I need some protein!

***

Finish Strong Series!

After my crazy eats yesterday I can not wait to teach Kickboxing tonight to finish this year strong! How are all of you doing with all the Holiday Parties, Shopping, and Holiday busyness that is upon us? I am not Piling on the Miles as I should be, but I am getting my circuit training and kickboxing in which makes me feel just as great!!

Today just take 15 minutes out of your day and do Lauren’s 10 min Boot Camp, YOU WON’T REGRET IT!

(Strength and Cardio)

2 min: Warm Up
1 min- jog in place
30 sec- arm circles
30 sec- toe touches

2 min: Round 1
1 min- Burpies
1 min- Walk out push-ups

2 min: Round 2
1 min- skaters
1 min- military kicks with shoulder press (5lb weights)

2 min: Round 3
1 min- alternating side kicks
1 min- squats with shoulder press (5 lb weights)

2 min: Cool Down
1 min- jog in place
1 min- plank

Have a HAPPY Hump Day!

Work Christmas Party 2009

2009-12-15T21:38:00.001-08:00

Good evening friends, I am one super tired girl so I will have to make this quick!!!

First stop was Hubby’s boss’s house for a little Hors D' Oeuvres and Cider before heading over to Mill Creek a local Restaurant for our Work Christmas Party.

There are about 100 full time employees that filled the hall.

On our tables were these mugs filled with goodies!

mmmm…

My Hot Date!

The Yarbroghs (spelling?) love them!

Dinner was very similar to my lunch. Instead of tri-tip I went with the chicken and filled up on veggies! I also gave my roll to the Hubby.

Hubby’s BORING plate.

We had a fun raffle, which we won nothing from :(

Dessert was Apple Cobbler so glad I waited all day for this!

I also got to bring our centerpiece home, which will be perfect for our Christmas Dinner Party on Friday Night!

Such a fun and exhausting day, only 3 more days until HOLIDAY!!! I love where I work, I feel so blessed to work for a company that truly cares about taking care of all of their employees in more then just a material way.

I am now going to pass out….

See you all in the morning!

Office Christmas Party

2009-12-15T14:03:00.001-08:00

Oh man am I stuffed or WHAT?!!!

Our office party started with these yummy Pita Chips and Salsa I had ~~a lot~~ a few handfuls.

Lunch arrived at 12:30! One of my co-workers Hubby’s is a chef and he was so kind and made us all the most wonderful lunch.

Twice baked potatoes

Green Beans

Tri-tip

Huge Salad

My plate of all the goods. I ate a nice size portion and took off the cheese on the potato..oh and also had a friends potato peel :) I AM SO STUFFED!

After lunch we did a Yankee Swap..

and chatted for a while about Christmas plans and such.

No sweets for this girl I am holding out for dessert tonight! One more hour of work and then off to more Holiday festivities!!!!

Going In For Battle

2009-12-15T07:24:00.001-08:00

Morning beautiful people! I am so thankful for all of you, I hope you all know that. The blogger community is such an amazing place and I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful readers and friends NHerShoes would not be what it is today without all of you!!!! Ok I just had to get that off my chest :).

I had another night of terrible sleep! I woke up at 3:30am and couldn’t go back to sleep so I stayed up for an hour plus and watched some TV. I ended up falling asleep again around 5 and getting up at 7. I am hoping that I don’t feel exhausted all DAY! Needless to say I didn’t do yoga as planned :(

For breakfast I made Cranberry French Toast, one of my favorite combinations.

Instead of milk I used Rice Nog + 1 egg and two egg whites + Pumpkin Spice

Topped with Apple Butter, Honey and Cranberry Sauce.

****

Finish Strong Series 16 MORE DAYS OF 2009!!!

A healthy alternative to Sugar Filled BREADS!

From the QUEEN BAKER Melissa

Whole Wheat Blackberry Quick Bread
(adapted from Happy Herbivores Whole Wheat Fat-Free Vegan Blueberry Breakfast Bake http://happyherbivore.com/2009/03/blueberry-coffee-cake/)

Ingredients:

1/2 C unsweetened natural applesauce
1 C soymilk
1/4 C brown sugar
splash of vanilla
2 C Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
sprinkle of nutmeg
1C frozen Blackberries (or any berries of your choice)
1/2 C Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine applesauce, soymilk, brown sugar and vanilla together, then add in all dry ingredients.
3. Fold in frozen berries and chocolate chips.
4. Spray loaf pan and spread dough evenly.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cut into slices and enjoy!

It tastes great with peanut/almond butter spread on it!

Thanks Melissa I can’t wait to make this!!!

*****

We have a Holiday Lunch Party for my department at work today where we will be grubbing on some AMAZING EATS! Then tonight, Hubby and I have our work Christmas Party where I am sure we will EAT even MORE!! I am putting on my “SMART CHOICES” helmet and go into battle..let’s see how I do :)

Question: How do you make good choices when you know you will be served dinner instead of making it yourself?

I Addicted

2009-12-14T21:37:00.001-08:00

Yes, it’s sad, but I am addicted to Fa-la-la-Lifetime. I am just a sucker for sappy Christmas movies I can’t help it.

I had two hours after work to kill until I taught kickboxing and instead of being productive I flopped on the couch and enjoyed my mini dinner while watching TV. I NEVER do that, it felt so unnatural and kind of rebellious ;).

My mini dinner consisted of a Cranberry Nut Butter & Nanner Sandwich.

A wonderful COMBO!

I have to say it was just a cranberry kind of day! I also snacked on some Reduced Fat CHEESE-IT’s while watching my CHEEZY MOVIE! Something else I NEVER DO!

Kickboxing three days in a row really kicks my BOOTIE!!!

But then I get super charged when I see this sweet face :) Oh Bosco how I love thee!

I am going to snuggle into bed with my last few chapters of the book I started on Thanksgiving break and call it a night. I think I shall do some YOGA in the morning my body could sure use it!

Oh by the way in answer to Learning to Cope w/ Eating and College I am not a teacher anymore I work at Forest Home a Christian Camp in CA.

Night friends!

Christmas Cards for Lunch

2009-12-14T13:14:00.001-08:00

Afternoon everyone, working on my second cup of joe and I might have to have a cookie too :)

Today’s lunch was super healthy and delicious!

I made a salad full of veggies+avocado and topped with home-made raspberry vinaigrette! Along with a mug full of home-made butternut squash soup, you are going to see a lot of this baby this week!

I worked on addressing my Christmas cards while I chowed away! This is the latest I have ever gotten them out!!!

Going to finish my cookie and get back to work!

Question: Do you mail out Christmas cards? Do you like receiving Christmas Cards?

hybrid circuit/interval/speed combo

2009-12-14T07:12:00.001-08:00

Good Morning and Happy Monday everyone!

Check out my weekend Holiday Festivities.

Blogger Sleepover
Birthday Parties + Holiday Open House

In honor of my Finish Strong Series, my friend/blogger Shannon sent me this awesome workout.

You can set out for a one or two mile courses (and warm up with a mile if you wish) depending on your time. If you want to up your ante, make each .25 a little faster than the last!

Run .25 miles
First break, dips
Find a bench, stairs, curb and do two sets of 8 dips
Run .25 miles
Second break, walking lunges
20 total; or 2 sets of 10 with a break in between
Run .25 miles
Third break, abs of your choice for one minute
Run your heart out to finish the mile!

If you're doing a two mile course, repeat, but add different arm, ab, butt/leg exercises.

Thanks Shannon!

This morning I made Cranberry Pumpkin Scone Oatmeal. Let’s just say I am in heaven :).

I basically topped my normal whipped banana oats with a ton of goodness!

Fresh Cranberries
Walnuts
1/4 Vegan Pumpkin Scone
Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
and a splash of Rice Nog!

When I wake up in the morning and I see my tree all lit up, it makes me SMILE:) I just love this time of the year!!!!

Time to punch the clock!

How was your weekend, anything festive go on??

Holiday Spirited Weekend

2009-12-13T22:27:00.001-08:00

Hello friends sorry for the late post but I have been in HOLIDAY mode! Lot’s of food, sweating, friends, shopping and sleeping :). Friday night I had a SUPER FUN BLOGGER SLEEPOVER with Melissa and then on Saturday we hit up the mall for some Christmas shopping. I found a few things, but have still a few more items to get.

Saturday night Hubby and I went to his boss’s (our friend) Josh’s Surprise Birthday Party. There was a wonderful taco bar and lot’s of BABIES!

Our 2.5 mile run + hour kickboxing class + shopping trip left me STARVED!!!

Man they are too cute!

Might have to barrow one or two :).

The Birthday Boy and his sweet baby Macey!

Miss. Addy

Dorks

I enjoyed two glasses of red

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Cake was AMAZING and super easy to make. You all know how I do not like cake at all, but this was an ice-cream sandwich cake!!! You layer the bottom of the pan with ice-cream sandwiches (like bricks) then put a layer of fudge then a layer of crunched up Butterfinger and repeat.

My beautiful piece (I so want this for my Birthday..hint hint Hubby).

This morning Hubby were super lazy and didn’t crawl out of bed until after 10am! Ok I know that is not like me at all but I think my body was screaming for rest. When I finally got up I went out to run a couple of errands for another busy Holiday weekend and then went to my friends house for a Christmas Open House.

The eats

I couldn’t partake in any sweets because I had to teach Kickboxing in a couple hours and didn’t want to risk a tummy ache.

An Open House is such a great idea! People can mingle around and come an go as they please. After the party I had a rockin Kickboxing class. I love the way I feel after kickboxing, I am always super sweaty and full of energy.

I came home and made butternut squash soup from scratch, check out my recipe here.

Along with some All Bran Crackers.

I also got some wrapping done and watched a cheesy Christmas movie on Lifetime :).

Hubby and I have a super busy week. Tonight I sat down and wrote down every hour of every day and make sure I utilize all my time!!! I know that super anal, but there is no wasted time in this household!

Monday Night-Teach AKB+Baking with Neighbors
Tuesday Night- Work Christmas Party
Wednesday Night-Teach AKB
Thursday- Thursday Night Group Christmas Party
Friday- BFF’s over for a Christmas Dinner Party
Saturday- LAST Minute CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
Sunday- Teach Sunday School + Boat Parade!

Hope you got some Holiday Spirit in this weekend! Remember only 18 days left until 2010, FINISH STRONG!!!

Sushi Making + Christmas Baking

2009-12-12T08:19:00.001-08:00

Last night Melissa arrived at my house with goodies in hand!!!

She brought me some of her delicious baking treats :).

We went to the grocery store and picked up all of our ingredients for our night of Sushi Making + Christmas Baking slumber party! Melissa knows her sushi, I have been dying to try and make my own sushi since I saw her make it with Meghann a while back.

All the veggies were sliced up perfectly

Along with the avacado

I could have added meat. but I love veggie rolls!

Brown EASY sticky rice. I buy this at Costco and you only have to microwave each bowl for 90 seconds!

Ok Melissa show me what to do?!

Roll it up

Then wet the end a little to keep it from falling out.

Cut into small pieces, not as easy as it looks!

mmmmmm!

Couldn’t wait to stick it in my mouth!

I also enjoyed a glass or two of Cab.

My teacher :)

Then it was BAKING time! Where better to find easy and delicious baking ideas then the blog world?! We decided to try Tina’s Banana Oatmeal Chip cookies.

Super easy to make!

They tasted yummy, but were a little small. Her recipe says that you should be able to make two dozen, we barely got 15!

The next recipe we decided to tackle was Meghanns Vegan Pumpkin Raisin Scones :). I have always wanted to make scones but they have always seem so complicated. These were super easy!

We added chocolate chips instead of raisins.

Can’t wait to try it!

Melissa and I stayed up watching the Holiday with my friend Danielle and then had some “girl” talk! What a fun night. Today we are going for a short run and then Melissa is going to try out my Kickboxing class.

After our morning of workouts we are off to hit the stores for some Christmas shopping!!! It’s going to be quite the eventful day :)

Rain Check

2009-12-11T07:08:00.001-08:00

This morning I jumped out of bed and got dressed for my early morning run with Mr.Rick and then he texted me that it was POURING RAIN outside!!! I was so bummed and then decided to do an at home boot camp Jodie sent me. I blasted the Christmas music and hopped to it!

Finish Strong Series Day 5:

Jog ( I danced too) in place 5 mins to warm-up then proceed with circuit:

Body weight squats 25 reps
Pushups 20 reps
Alternating lunges 15 reps each leg
Jumping jacks 40
Plank hold 45-60 seconds
Mountain climbers 40 ( 20 climbs each leg)
Crunches 25 reps
1 minute jump rope
Reverse lunges 15 reps each leg
Jumping jacks 30
Reverse Curls 15 reps
Bicycles 30 reps (15 each side)
Tricep Dips 16 reps
Cross body mountain climbers 20
Side plank hold 45 seconds each side
Curtsy lunges 20 reps each leg
Donkey kicks 25 each leg
Supermans 15 reps 2-5 count hold
Side Lunges 15 reps each leg
Incline push up 20 reps
Burpees 15
Jog in place 2 mins

Whittled Away My Middle

Day 5:

Plank: 1:05 seconds (arms fully extended)
Side plank: 48 (r)-55 (l) secs. on each side (arm fully extended)
Plank with elbows on stability ball: 50 secs.
Stability Ball Jackknifes: 15 reps
Stability ball roll out: 20 reps
Plank Rotations: 50 seconds (arms fully extended)

This took about 30 minutes and was INTENSE! The best part was I didn’t even have to leave the HOUSE! I didn’t want to make a mess in the kitchen this morning for breakfast, so I made a bowl of HOLIDAY SPIRIT AKA Cereal.

I am so excited for Melissa to come over tonight, I love baking and who better to do it with then the professional!

What are your plans for the weekend, are you shopping, baking, sleeping…?

I hope to get in all three!

So Fresh and So Clean Clean

2009-12-10T21:56:00.001-08:00

Oh man I haven’t stop going and going all day and I haven’t been tired, unbelievable! I was so busy tonight I almost forgot to BLOG! It’s been a very productive evening and I am glad to see it come to an end.

Dinner..

Hubby’s Vinegar Chicken+ Annie’s Mac and Cheese

Plus a Pomegranate Salad

After dinner I tackled this crazy mess!!

Hubby and I are a little OCD so this has been driving us CRAZY!! When my brother moved out this summer he left a lot of stuff behind and we finally decided to tear through the closet and drawers and get it back to order!!! ( we so need new blinds).

So much better….I can breathe NOW! I also have a friend coming over dear Miss. Melissa from Trying To Heal. She is home in CA for two weeks and we decided to have a girls night tomorrow filled with cooking, baking, Christmas movies and of course running!

While I cleaned up the guest room, Hubby organized the pantry.

I WILL RUN TOMORROW!! I can’t believe I haven’t run all week!! I know that this full week of rest from running is EXACTLY what my body needed. We have an early run so I need to get tucked in bed with my book reading for work and then call it a night!!

Night Friends!

Running On 5 Hours

2009-12-10T07:16:00.001-08:00

TGI (Almost) F!!!

There are so many reasons I am looking forward to the weekend; Hot Yoga, Christmas Movies, Shopping, Birthday Parties, Kickboxing, and REST!

Last night dinner was on the go, it’s always nice to have these on hand.

I met up with the BFF’s to scrapbook but we ended up talking for hours instead, I love girl time. I stayed up way to late and had a hard time sleeping last night. There is just so much on my mind sometimes that it just won’t stop working even when I am asleep. I had to text my running buddies and let them know I wouldn’t make it this morning, which means I will have to workout when I get off work. Five hours of sleep is just not enough!

When I finally rolled out of bed I made myself a fun breakfast to make me smile :). Pomegranate and Nanner Whole Wheat French toast!

I also did my morning study through this wonderful new devotional! It’s such a great tool to help me remember what the season is all about as well on reflect on so many things in my life.

I will make it through the day, might have to have ~~a lot~~ a cup of coffee to get me through it, but I will make it!

***

Finish Strong Series: Day 4

I got this wonderful recipe From the Beautiful Healthy Hostess

Here is an idea for your holiday treat!

Chocolate Covered Popcorn is the perfect treat! It's healthier than lots of treats, pretty and packages well, besides - it tastes great!

This super simple gift only takes three ingredients:

Air popped popcorn
Chocolate Almond Bark
White Almond Bark

*Pop 10-12 cups of popcorn with an air popper (or use butterless microwave popcorn)

*Melt 4 blocks of chocolate in the microwave and drizzle on the popped popcorn
Melt 2 blocks of white bark and drizzle on the chocolate popcorn.
Let cool, harden and dry. Then package in clear bags with fun bows!
Share with the ones you love!

Enjoy!

Fresh Off the Press

2009-12-09T07:32:00.001-08:00

Pictures from the Santa Barbara Marathon..love them! Notice I have a blue tongue from a Jolly Rancher someone gave me…too funny.

This morning I went to the gym super early and took on day three of my finish strong series!

From Gina’s Summer Shape up Challenge

-Elliptical 5 minutes to warm up
-Dumbbell lateral raise
-Triceps extension machine
-Elliptical 5 minutes (1 minute steady pace, 30 seconds as fast as you can go; repeat for 5 minutes)
-Dumbbell chest fly (do this laying on a mat)
-Dumbbell upright row
-Elliptical 5 minutes (start at 5 resistance and 5 incline and increase each by 1 for total of 5 minutes)
-Chest press machine
-Push ups- as many as you can
-Crunches (3 sets of 15-25)
-Elliptical 10 minutes

Plus Angela’s Whittle Away My Middle

Day 2:

Plank: 1:03 seconds (arms fully extended)
Side plank: 25 secs. on each side (arm fully extended)
Plank with elbows on stability ball: 50 secs.
Stability Ball Jackknifes: 15 reps
Stability ball roll out: 15 reps
Plank Rotations: 30 seconds

I feel great! Did anyone watch TBL last night, did that not just motivate you to get moving?!!!

For breakfast I made a GM!

Spinach+ Nanner + Soy Milk + Flax Seed + Raspberries + Ice

Lunch :)

Off to catch my carpool up the mountain!

Question: What is something that motivates you to be healthy?

One Busy Shepherd Two Fun Recipes

2009-12-08T21:06:00.001-08:00

Evening fellow lovers of life! Tonight I have been one busy lady :)

First check out how work went. YES lots and lots of SNOW!!!

As soon as I walked in the door I threw on my sneakers and did my 10 minute interval blast! I needed to warm and get moving.

I couldn’t do all the lunges because my legs said NO, but I widdled away my middle :).

Tonight I couldn’t wait to make dinner tonight it was the perfect time for some comfort food. One of my favorite comfort meals is Shepherds Pie, but with all the butter and fat I never eat it anymore, until NOW!

Turkey Sweet-Potato Shepherd's Pie (Adapted from Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:

2-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Sea Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 pounds ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, grated
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Pepper
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 cups veggie broth
A few dashes Worcestershire sauce
One 10-ounce box frozen peas
1/3 ripe banana, sliced
A few dashes hot pepper sauce
1 cup shredded light cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the sweet potatoes and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Drain and set aside, reserving the pot.
While the sweet potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 425°. In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over high heat. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon. Stir in the onion, carrots, and poultry seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the turkey broth and season with salt, pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened, then stir into the turkey mixture. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the sweet-potato pot and melt over medium-low heat. Add the sweet potatoes and banana; season with salt, pepper and the hot sauce and mash until combined.
Top the turkey with the sweet potato mixture and smooth the top. Cover the sweet potatoes with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes.

In the pot

Mash it all up!

First layer

Second layer

Top it off!

Yummy Goodness!!!

Check out the layers!!!

Healthy Comfort

With some sparkling POMEGRANITE water!

After dinner I made some of Hangry Pants Banana Oat Muffins, to take to work tomorrow. From the minute I saw this recipe I have been dying to make these!

So simple!!!

Banana Oat Muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 C Old Fashioned Oats
3/4 C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/4 C Ground Flax
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 small frozen bananas
1/4 C Light Agave
1 T Coconut Oil
1 8oz. container of Plain Fat Free Oikos

Steps:

Make oat flour by putting the oat in a food processor until they are a grainy flour consistency.
Add the oat flour to the whole wheat pastry flour, flax, baking soda and salt.
Put the bananas in the food processor and blend until they are creamy.
Add the Greek yogurt, agave and coconut oil to the banana mixture.
Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Scoop into greased muffin tins (I used Nature’s Promise Organic Cooking Spray) and cook at 325* for about 20 minutes.

I could have just eaten the batter!!!!

I loved that our whole house smelled scrumptious!

‘

Making muffins in a mini pan makes them a lot more fun to eat!

I enjoyed my muffin with a cup of Hot Coco with added Peppermint Extract!

Another festive cup, oh believe me I have MORE!

Time to watch The Biggest Loser Finale!!! These people are AMAZING!

Whittle Away My Middle

2009-12-08T07:06:00.001-08:00

Oh my goodness I woke up this morning thinking it was Monday but it’s TUESDAY! One day closer to the weekend, gotta love it! I was going to do my workout I posted yesterday but my muscles are still super sore this morning so I am going to do it when I get home, that way my muscles are more warmed up. I am also going to start widdling away my middle with Angela’s challenge!

Day 1:

Plank: 1:05 seconds (arms fully extended)
Side plank: 30 secs. on each side (arm fully extended)
Plank with elbows on stability ball: 1 minute
Stability Ball Jackknifes: 15 reps
Stability ball roll out: 20 reps
Plank Rotations: 45 seconds

This morning I made another bowl of Pomegranate Oats!

In the bowl:

1/3 c oats + 1/3 cup soy milk + 1/3 cup Rice Nog 1/2 banana
mixed in cinnamon, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp flax seed
toppings: 1/8 Honest Foods Pomegranate Walnut Plank Bar, POM Seeds, Chopped Pecans, and one spoonful of Apple Butter.

****

Finishing Strong Day Two: A Healthy Baking Recipe from a Reader!

Double Chocolate Pillows

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie trays with wax paper. In a large bowl, sift together the first five ingredients. Mix in the chocolate chips evenly distributing. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the oil and extract. Add in the pumpkin and sugar and mix until all is dissolved. Pour the wet into the dry and fold together until fully incorporated(batter will be very thick). Scoop into 24 mounds, flatten, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until puffed and firm to the touch.

Each cookie has about 90 calories, about 1.5g fiber, and 5g whole grains. For Holiday White Chocolate Peppermint pillows, swap out the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips and vanilla for peppermint extract

Sounds delicious I think I am going to have to make these tonight! Don’t forget to send me your at home workouts or healthy meal recipes so I can share with everyone!

Off to work where it’s SNOWING!!!!

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-07T22:00:00.001-08:00

Tonight after my WONDERFUL MASSAGE, we loaded up the car and headed to our local portrait studio for “Family” pictures. I am not a huge fan of studio pictures but with our busy schedule this was the best we could do this year. This was Bosco’s first time taking professinal photos and he did GREAT! We had so much fun and by the end we didn’t even know which one’s to choose from.

I was bad and took some screen shots while they weren’t looking..I had to do it for the blog ;).

Bosco getting ready..

Playful

Fake SMILE!

The McCormick Bunch!

Our favorite

We chose three photos that we liked I can’t wait to show you our Christmas cards!

We didn’t get home until after 8 so I made us a quick and easy dinner. Whole wheat bagels with marinara sauce and goat cheese, pizza’s! I should of had some greens with it, but I was lazy and tired.

After dinner I wrapped some more presents and sipped on some RiceNog, love it! Not as thick as regular EggNog but just as tasty!

In a festive mug of course, can you tell I love Christmas :)

Time to snuggle into bed with the last couple chapters of my book! I promised myself this week to be off the computer every night at least 30 minutes before bed time to completely unwind.

5am wake up call, NIGHT!

I am Not Going to Lie

2009-12-07T14:07:00.001-08:00

I am living my dream job today :). Cleaning, shopping, running errands, and eating lunch at home! Yes my dream job is to be a house wife/working from home. I love where I work but who doesn't want to work from home???

First stop today was a trip to the grocery store. We finally have a fridge full of food! While out running errands I found three things that make me smile!!

Isn’t this bowl adorable, (BIG LOTS)!?

I can’t wait to indulge in this delicious tea!

And some Organic Stuffing mix, by far my favorite food!!!!

For lunch I made some quick Eating Right Split Pea Soup..

with some All Bran Crackers.

I had to make something quick because I have ten minutes until my MASSAGE!!!

Well friends off to get those kinks and knots out!

Question: Would you like to work from home??

HER FINISH STRONG SERIES

2009-12-07T09:30:00.001-08:00

Good morning lovelies! Thank you again for the sweet, sweet comments about my marathon recap!!

Woke up feeling like I got beat with a bat! I managed to peal myself out of bed at a decent hour. I wanted to make sure I took this day for rest, but at the same time I have a lot of things to get done and I wanted to make the most out of my day off.

First things first I made a wonderful recovery bowl of Pomegranate Oats!

Did you know that Pomegranates support healthy blood flow because of its iron properties?? I need all the healthy antioxidants and healthy blood flow I can get!

In the bowl:

1/3 c oats + 2/3 cup soy milk + 1/2 banana
mixed in cinnamon, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp flax seed
toppings: 1/8 Honest Foods Pomegranate Walnut Plank Bar, POM Seeds, Chopped Pecans, Unsweetened Coconut, and one spoonful of Barney Butter.

***

Ok friends I have a fun new series that I am hosting here at NHS!

“It’s the Final Count Down”…

We have 24 days until the end of the year and I want to FINISH STRONG! How about you, would you like to FINISH STRONG too??? For the next 24 days I will be posting a fun new workout or a delicious healthy meal for you to try. I would love some of your ideas as well, do you have a Healthy Holiday Meal or a Healthy Baking recipe?? Please email me at marie.bobbi@gmail.com. Or what about a quick at home workout that you can do in 30 minutes or less?? Please share!

Now that my marathon training is over I want to start kicking into drive my interval/weight training again!! I miss doing weights and Shred. I have decided I want to turn those 3-5 pounds I have gained into pure muscle. I can’t think of more motivation then that little black dress I want to get into for NEW YEARS EVE! Most of all I want to finish this year with a BANG! Let’s make the most of these last day.

DAY 1…Counting Down…

Interval workout only takes 10-15 minutes!

Equipment needed: Exercise Ball, 5-10lb free weights, bench or chair, medicine ball or use weights.

10 Step Ups, 10 per leg- you can use a workout bench or anything that is at least 3-4 feet off the ground.
10-20 Dips on the bench( more challenging put your feet up on a ball or chair)
25-50 Crunches- Put the Exercise Ball between your feet in the air and crunch up.
30 seconds of Burpees (at least 10)
Standing lunges with 5-10lb free weights, 10 on each side
Plank 30 seconds
15 military presses 5-10lb free weights
20 jumping jacks
30 seconds of squats with a bicep curl
30 seconds of bicycle sit-ups
Tricep kick backs with 5-10lb free weights on each arm.
10-15 pushups
20 sit-ups with a medicine ball over head, just hold on to the ball and push toward the sky.
30 seconds of mountain climbers

NO ONE SHOULD SAY I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR EXCERSISE during the Holiday season! I will start my workouts tomorrow!

****

Time to clean up the kitchen

Then to the grocery store I go, NO FOOD!

Massage!

Baking!

Tackle some AD items.

Then Christmas Pictures!

Santa Barbara International Marathon Race Recap

2009-12-06T20:43:00.001-08:00

Alarm went off at 4am and I soooo wanted to just roll over and stay in bed, but I had a marathon to get to!!! I took a bus to the starting line and then froze for about an hour plus, because we had a late start do to a car accident.

How cool is this, I ran into Melissa who is a reader of NHerShoes!!! She recognized me and asked if my name is Bobbi..wow what a small crazy world! She also rocked the marathon, Melissa if you are reading how did you finish???

We took off and I felt great..

Time to get rid of the gloves..here Hubby take them!

See you soon!

Mile 3 my tummy started turning, I wasn’t sure if I was hungry or sick??

I took a Hammer Gel just in case. Well it wasn’t hunger, I ended up throwing up at mile 4!!! I am not sure if it was what I ate, but after I threw up I felt a lot better. I still had nausea until mile 13, but I toughed it out.

The first 13 miles were pretty flat, a couple rolling hills and I was FLYING! I was in front of the 3:30 Pacer and knew I needed to slow down..but of course I didn’t!

At mile 12 I got rid of the long sleeves!

My Half Marathon time was 1:43..WAY TOO FAST! Just like Boston I knew I went out way too fast. After mile 13 the hills started to pick up and at mile 16 I started getting mentally exhausted. My mentality is always the hardest thing to get through in a marathon! I even thought to myself, “ok I have run a marathon before, I don’t need to finish…” Then I remembered how strong I was and how I could do it if the Biggest Loser Contestant COULD!

I really liked the course we ran through a park on a beautiful walking trail and my legs started to kill a bit. I looked down at my Garmin and I was running a 12 minute mile, WHAT..I knew I need to pick it up, but my legs wouldn’t move! Then I saw a t-shirt that said, “ It’s not like you are going die!” so true!

I then saw Hubby and saw that I was at mile 20, only 6 more miles. A 10k is nothing….I CAN DO THIS!! I have never talked/ prayed to myself so much in a Marathon!! Hubby said, “ FINISH STRONG LOVE” and I was determined to do so.

Mile 23 was SOOOO HARD!! They placed a half a mile HILL at the end of the race, HOW CRUEL!!! I was determined to run the whole thing and pick up my pace. At this time I was at 3:25 and I new I had a chance and getting another Boston qualifying time if I ran under an 8 minute mile for my last two miles, but I just wanted to finish not KILL myself.

I saw the finish and sprinted as hard as my legs would let me!

DONE AND DONE!!!!

Official stats:

Time: 3:44:45
Place: 31 in my age division out of 250
Average Pace: 8:32!!!!!

Need Fuel!

Need a Massage!

What an amazing and incredibly challenging marathon, I am so happy and proud to be finished!!!! Runners are NUTZ!

NEED MORE FOOD!!! After I stretched and got ready back at the hotel, we went out to eat at The Natural Cafe in Old Town Santa Barbara. I so want one of these at home!!! They have some of the most amazing sandwiches, tacos, pizzas, and salads. What else could this girl want?!

I ordered the daily special, the Gobble Burrito; a whole wheat tortilla, ground turkey, black beans, grilled veggies, and topped with soy cheese, tomatillo sauce, avocado and sour cream.

With a cup of potato soup, mmmmm! I only could finish half of my burrito because I needed to save room for dessert!

Hubby got the shredded chicken tacos, I had a bight they were so tasty! I brought a menu home and plan to try and make everything on it!

After our late lunch we went out to Yogurt Land for some self serve For-Yo! I filled my cup up with peanut butter, cookies and cream, and dark chocolate yogurt. I then topped it off with granola, carob chips, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, banana, and a drizzle of fudge!

Hubby had some yogurt with Captain Crunch and other goodness!

As if all this food wasn’t filling enough we decided to swing over to the Santa Barbara Winery for some Wine Tasting.

Couldn’t wait for the reds! I am not a huge fan of Chardonnay and Pinots.

Today Hubby was my DD..and the best PHOTOGRAPHER EVER!!!! I love you!

We are back home now and I am watching Dan in Real Life while resting my legs, I haven’t been this soar after a race in a long time. I am so glad I took tomorrow off I need a rest day!!!

I want to say thank you all again for all your amazing inspiring comments, I couldn’t be more blessed to have such an encouraging group of friends out there!!! Love you all!

Stay tuned for my new series tomorrow!!!

SB Expo + Pre Race Dinner

2009-12-05T20:35:00.001-08:00

Good evening friends! Hubby and I made it safely to Santa Barbara this afternoon and the first thing we did was hit up the EXPO! I love expos, its where I get to check out the latest and the greatest. Well SB’s Expo was not all that great, no freebies and the T-Shirts were so large that I got one for Hubby instead. It is their first one so I will cut them a little slack.

The only product they had to try was these FRS Healthy Energy Drinks. I got one to take after the race tomorrow, wasn’t willing to try anything new.

They did have my favorite Skirt Company, Atalanta Athletic Wear!

Once we looked at everything in the expo we hit the road to go check in to our hotel. When we arrived I saw a WF right across the STREET, holy heaven!!!

Hubby and I went in and played a little. First stop fresh Honey Nut PB!

Hubby found some unique looking water…what the heck is this stuff?!

I bought some Rice Nog…you never know it might be good :).

We asked some locals for some recommendations for an Italian Restaurant. They told us to head over to Pascucci in downtown Santa Barbara.

We started with some warm garlic bread. OOOO it was so chewy and wonderful!

I ordered a glass of Sterling Cab…a really great tasting wine from Sonoma.

Oops a little blurry!

I couldn’t figure out what to order, pizza..pasta..chicken???

I went with the Sorrento: Seasonal Veggies, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, garlic, basil, EVOO, peppers, yam, onions, mushrooms, and caper marina sauce on whole wheat pasta with chicken. I loved everything minus the chicken, I had a couple bights and then took it off.

This place was so cute, and just what we were looking for. I can’t wait to come back tomorrow and walk around a bit downtown (if I can walk).

We are now hanging out in our hotel room because I have a 4am wake up call! I have all my stuff laid out, but I am still not sure what to wear?! I am not sure what the weather is going to be like. It says that it should be at least 43 degrees.. but do I want to wear long sleeves the whole time??? CHOICES!

Good night friends! See you all after the marathon!

P.S. I am carrying my phone with me so feel free to send me a message on twitter for encouragement!!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KIND WORDS YOU ALL ARE MY NUMBER ONE FANS (well behind Hubby)!!!!

My 5th Marathon..Let’s Review

2009-12-05T08:53:00.001-08:00

#1 St. Jude Marathon 4:20---- HARDEST ONE because I didn’t train well.

#2. St. George Marathon 3:24 -----SUPER HARD because I was trying to qualify for Boston and it rained the entire race

Boston Marathon 3:50:13----Most mentally challenging but worth every minute!

San Diego Rock and Roll 4:30—Most fun I have ever had running a marathon!!!

Wow, 4 wonderful marathons and on to tackle one more! Here is the map of the course:

Ok I need to go pack!!! So glad I have my packing list!

I am getting excited and remembering some wonderful tips I posted about!!

First 10 Miles:

Start out slow. I took off way to fast at the Boston Marathon, running 7 minute miles! Take it slow. I know if I keep my pace steady at the beginning my body will thank me in the end.

Run my own race. Don't be worried if I see a lot of people passing me. Something I have struggled with in other marathons is thinking I wasn’t going fast enough,because of the folks that were speeding by me! I have to remember, they may be starting out way too fast, so I’ll catch them later at my own pace!

Don't get too emotional. Try to stay as calm as possible for the first 10 miles. At the St.George Marathon I almost broke down because I was getting too emotional. I will need to conserve my mental energy for the ENTIRE race!

Miles 11-20:

Break up the race. Start breaking up the race into smaller segments. It will make the distance and feel more manageable. When I pass the half marathon mark I only have one more half to go, and at the 20 miler mark I could say just a 10k and I am done!

Stay mentally tough. A runners mental toughness will really start to be tested during these miles. I need not to give into periods of self-doubt and discomfort. I need to remember all the training that I have done and have faith in it. I need to constantly think about how hard I have worked and how rewarding it will be to complete the race.

Beat boredom. Do whatever it takes to keep my mind occupied: I can sing songs, play mental games, count people, talk to other runners(I am hoping to run along side Meghann).

Miles 21-26.2:

Think outside my body. These are the miles I feel the most pain! I know will certainly feel tired. I need to let my mind take over from my body and try to focus on the outside -- the spectators, the other runners, the scenery.

Set small milestones. I need to break up the course, mile by mile. Start counting down the miles and the minutes.

Talk to myself. At this point in the race, I need to dig down deep for extra strength. Reminding myself what I have sacrificed( sleep, social time) to get to this point!!

Alright I am off to Santa Barbara!!! I can’t wait hit up the expo :)

Dad’s Birthday Dinner Recap!

2009-12-04T09:11:00.001-08:00

Morning friends!!

Last night’s Birthday dinner for DAD was a big hit! The food and company were the best part.

The Decor

The Menu

Salad
Thanksgiving Green Salad
This is a refreshing and delicious side dish
That includes raspberries
Mixed greens, dried cranberries
Oranges and spiced nuts
This salad is highly recommended this
Time of year for its wide variety of assorted flavors.

Main Dish
Slow-Cook Pulled Pork
This is tonight’s special for its rich flavor
It is home made by your famous chef, Bobbi M.

Side Dish
Home made baked macaroni salad
This has been requested by the guest of
Honor tonight and it is sure to be a treat to all.

Drinks
Assorted Secrets

Desserts
The big finish for tonight’s meal is
A delicious, mouth watering, crowd pleasing
Strawberry Ice Cream Cake!

The Family!

My Plate

Dad loved every bite!!

My Silly Brother and his GF.

My other two silly brothers!

My wonderful Grandparents!

Cake time, my Dad requested Strawberry and Vanilla Ice-Cream Cake!

I had some ice-cream, mmmm!

Dad opened presents.

Then the competitive Trujillo boys challenged Dad in an arm wrestling contest.

My brother Chris, beat my DAD for the first time EVER!

The brothers turn

The new brothers turn (he won, GO HUBBY)

I am only allowed to go after my youngest brother, Robert Aaron... ya, I got my butt kicked by a 16 year old!

My brother's GF is STRONG!!!

Picture time!

Family Portraits!

Love this one!

The boys

The siblings (minus one brother who couldn’t make it)

Bosco wanted to be in a picture too!

It was such a wonderful time with the family, I love them all so much!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This morning I woke up late, but I still went for a 3 mile easy, 30 minute run. It’s my last run before my marathon and my legs felt great, but my mind was still in a funk!! Can I run 26.2 miles on Sunday? YES, but for some reason I am getting hecka nervous!

When I got back home after my run, I have been watching my DVR’D TBL and now I am getting pumped and all fired up! I know that if these contestants could be running a MARATHON then so can I!

I am also enjoying a big bowl of Chocolate Pecan Apple Butter OATS!

YUMMERS!

I am going in late to work today, because I have a conference to check people in at. I love that I get Friday mornings to catch up!

Friday Morning to do list:

pack for the weekend
blog Marathon recap
catch up on emails
pack lunch

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Staying Fit During the Holiday Season

2009-12-03T07:13:00.001-08:00

NHerShoes Guide to Staying Fit During the Holiday Season

The holidays are a time to celebrate, and boy, do we make the most of it. We EAT we DRINK, we indulge and then we end up feeling like bloated whales by the time it's all over. Staying healthy through the holidays is quite the challenge. I am trying to do my best to stay on track in my eating and exercise through the week, but on the weekends it gets soooo hard! I want to ENJOY all the holiday has to offer including all the party FOOD. I can stay away from most of the sweets because that is not my true weakness, it’s all the appetizers, drinks, and food that is so tempting to just say “hey this holiday comes only once a year enjoy, enjoy”, but I know that the next day I will regret that decision.

So how does one do it? How do you stay away, well I have some tips for you all that might be facing the same challenge this holiday.The first step, is to acknowledging the holidays probably will affect your exercise program to some extent. Then you can make adjustments that will help you stay fit during the season.

EXERCISE

SHORTEN YOUR CARDIO: Cut down your cardio into small circuit maximizing all the time you have even if it’s only 10 minutes. You can do real simple actives that don’t require too much like; walking, running, jump roping or cycling. Get the most out of the time you have by working at a high intensity.

My sample 10-minute BOOTCAMP is a great place to start:
0:00 to 1:00 - Warm up with a brisk walk (outside or around the house)
1:00 to 2:00 - Jumping jacks
2:00 to 3:00 - Jump rope (pretend if you don't have a rope)
3:00 to 4:00 - Run as fast as you can for 1 minute (in place or outside)
4:00 to 5:00 - Ski hops: Stand with feet together, bend knees and jump a few feet to the right and then left, landing with bent knees.
5:00 to 6:00 - Jumping jacks6:00 to
7:00 - Walk as fast as you can
7:00 to 8:00 - Jump rope
8:00 to 9:00 - Jumping jacks
9:00 to 10:00 - Cool down and catch your breath
Remember to work hard. Keep your perceived exertion at 8 or 9 for the entire workout.

WORK IT WHERE YOU CAN: If it’s taking the stairs at work or at the mall DO IT! This holiday season, wear a pedometer as you're running around, and see how many steps you can accumulate. Use EVERY opportunity to get in more movement, whether it's parking on the opposite side of where you need to be (I do this often).

TIME: Increase your time management skills over the holiday season. Organize your day the evening before. Prioritizing your tasks beforehand will help you find time to exercise. Each week, make it a priority to fit in three exercise sessions.

CHALLENGE: Give yourself a CHALLENGE! You can join the Bootie Buster Challenge or POTM Challenge Holiday Edition like me or got to livestrong.com to find one that works for you! Or even better ask a friend to hold you accountable, and each of you can work together to STAY fit during the HOLIDAYS!

EATING

EAT BEFORE: Rules to live by: NEVER go grocery shopping while hungry, and similarly, never hit a holiday party on an EMPTY stomach. You'll be less tempted to overindulge if your belly's full of something healthy. I think this is one we all know but tend to forget.

CHOOSE ONE TREAT: Once at the party, choose one thing to indulge in and make it good. No chips or anything you can have at any old time. Pick something you ONLY get during the holidays.

CONTROL YOUR DRINKING: Alcohol is an easy way to consume more calories than you need, so AVOID mixed or fruity drinks, and have a glass of water for every drink you consume. Also, definitely AVOID the egg nog; it has up to 350 calories a cup. A great thing to do is bring a packet of hot tea or apple cider and ask if you can have some boiled water.

DON'T SKIP MEALS:It's tempting to skip meals to make up for whatever nightmare food you'll eat later, but just like the empty-stomach rule, if you're starving, your rational mind will be unavailable for healthy food choices. Eat SMALL meals all day to avoid going nuts at the buffet table.

THE SEVENTH DAY RULE: Try to eat as healthily as possible and munch on holiday treats in small quantities. Did you notice I did not say to avoid holiday meals or treats? If you try to avoid them, you will regret it. This is always a good rule of thumb. Eat healthily for six days, and then eat one or two items, holiday snacks or deserts on the seventh. I try and do this all the time even when it’s not holiday season.

BALANCE: Remember that balance, variety and moderation apply to holiday celebrations as well as to most other things in life, so don't be too hard on yourself if you slip up. Keep your good intentions, spend time with family and friends and enjoy the holidays.

I am making it a personal challenge of mine to make healthier body. mind, and soul choices through this season. I already had two parties this week and did pretty well, but after writing this information I am going to push myself harder so that I feel HEALTHY and POSITIVE this SEASON. What are you going to do for yourself this season to stay HEALTHY?

"It's important to enjoy the spirit of the holidays and not focus on food so much; it is not the main point of the gathering. By doing that, you will make healthier choices."- Amanda Gavlik is a Health.com Contributing Editor

GOALS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR:

Work out 6 days out of seven, even if it is small workouts
Increase my weight training at least 2 days a week (after marathon)
Drink more water at holiday parties in order to stay fuller and make better food choices.
Write down my weeks goals of exercise for my challenge
REMEMBER the true meaning of the SEASON!

Back to Reality

2009-12-02T22:52:00.001-08:00

Sorry I have been MIA all day, I have been trying to settle back in to the “Real” world. My first day back to work wasn’t as crazy as I thought it would be, especially since I have a conference this weekend.

I wanted to start off my week the right way and got up at the crack of dawn to go for a 4 mile easy run with Mr.Rick. It felt good just to relax and catch up on our Holiday, I love taper week.

When I returned home I only had one choice for breakfast, vacation=no food in the fridge. Well I guess I had three choices

I threw them in a bowl and called it breakfast

I made an egg for some added protein, cereal always leaves me hungry!

Work flew by, and lunch is not even worth mentioning (steamed fish+brown rice). After work I swung by the grocery store to pick up a few things and supplies for the Annual Birthday Dinner, Hubby and I are making for my Dad. He has requested homemade Mac and Cheese (he is easy to please) and I am making something else that I know he is going to love. No worries I will have a full menu for you all tomorrow night! For dinner I went cheap and easy, brown rice pasta+home made marinara+tofu. Sorry for the bad pic, I was in a hurry.

This evening was super productive!! I promised myself I wouldn’t touch the computer, iPhone, or TV until I had got all my chores done. I unpacked my suitcase, put away laundry (Hubby did it for me), cleaned the kitchen, prepped dinner for tomorrow, and then watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” while wrapping Christmas presents, life is GOOD!

Tomorrow I get to sleep in because I am not running until Friday morning. I can not believe that I am running a marathon on Sunday! I am starting to get kind of nervous and to be honest I just want it to be OVER. I know this is just pre-race jitters and I will get over it.

The next few days are jammed pack (as always), Thursday: Dad’s Birthday Dinner, Friday: Friends Birthday Party, Saturday: Leading a workshop at conference(can’t wait to tell you all more) and leave for Santa Barbara, Sunday MARATHON!!!

Time to hit the hay…I am half way awake as it is.

Heads up on Monday I am going to be kicking off a fun series for all of you who want to look your best for New Years Eve!!!

B&C POTM Holiday Edition+WINNERS OF POTM

2009-12-01T09:52:00.001-08:00

Morning, or afternoon to some of you. I hope you all enjoyed my November in Review, it was such a fun and crazy month and I know this one is going to be even more crazy! When we get back we already have two parties on Thursday and Friday!! I better enjoy the calm of today before the madness begins!

This morning I slept in until 8:30 it was glorious! I made myself a quick bowl of Oats filled with a bunch of goodness. It felt great to eat a normal breakfast again.

The SIL and I decided to try out a kickboxing class at her gym this morning. I love going to classes at other gyms, I usually learn a couple new things and it is fun to mix it up a bit. This class was very interesting we did a little bit of everything, zumba, sculpt, kickboxing, and running! I loved that we mixed it up, but I did feel a little ~~scandalous~~ funny dancing with the dumbbell bar! Non the less we got in a great workout for the day..I need to start adding all of this to the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge, I am so behind!

I thought I would show you a pic of where Hubby and I have been staying. I absolutely adore my SIL and BIL’s home, it may convince me to move here one day!

Ok the POTM Challenge Winners are in!!! Thanks so much to Caitlin for being on top of things, while I have been out of town.

THE POTM WINNERS ARE!!!!

#1. RAN THE MOST MILES-Jessica K who ran 298.9 miles!!! Way to rock it girl..man I so admire you.

#2. Randomly selected Amina for the winner of the General Entry prize. She ran 20.57 miles! Yay!

#3. And the winner of the Operation Beautiful post is Jesse Lynn Hamlin, who took a piece of chalk with her on a run through Central Park and wrote Operation Beautiful messages on the side of the road. I loved Jesse Lynn's entry because I actually received several emails from "strangers" who had found her note!

B&C POTM Holiday Edition

You guys rock!!! I know this challenge was so inspirational and motivating for all of you that we decided for those who are already signed up for POTM we are going to extend the challenge and offer three more prizes!!! We are calling it B&C POTM Holiday Edition and it will run until the January 1st! Caitlin or I will send you an email soon that will have the spreadsheet link on it, so stay tuned!!!

So are you your ready to keep Piling on those MILES?!

Well I have to catch a plane, see you all soon!

November In Review

2009-12-01T07:12:00.001-08:00

I saw Angela’s post about her month in review and I thought it would be fun to look back on our crazy month of November!

November In Review

1. Halloween Hat Party Recap

2. My First Year of Coaching

3. Chipotle Barbecued Tofu

4. Fall Couples Retreat

5. Mission Inn Half Race Report

6. Life life with a purpose and passion

7. Detox Reflections

8. Pumpkin Breakfast Cookie

9. 18 Miles Done and Done!

10. Father and Daughter Weekend

11. Spontaneous Date Night!

12. Marathon Saturday

13. BYOT Pizza Party

14. 10k Lighting the Way Race Recap

15. Staff Retreat

16. 7 Miles On Thanksgiving

17. McCormick Thanksgiving

A Runners Christmas Wish List

2009-11-30T17:44:00.001-08:00

That’s right friends, we are back in Nashville and are in the last hours of our vacation. I am sad to have to leave tomorrow, but ~~dreading~~ excited to get back to routine.

We had a three hour trip to the SIL’s house and ate Subway in the car. I had the usual, veggie delight with everything! I saved the other half for the plane tomorrow.

When we got to the SIL’s house I couldn’t wait to go for a run! No rain today but it was extra chilly! I ended up running 5 miles a lot faster then I had anticipated. Check out these stats!

Garmin statistics:

Duration: 38:31
Distance: 5.0
Mile 1: 9:19
Mile 2: 8:29
Mile 3: 8:01
Mile 4: 8:11
Mile 5: 7:45!!!!!
The Burn: 580 calories

Not bad for a leisurely run!

When I got home we all decided to have Sushi delivered! My SIL knows of this great place in town that she really loves.

The boys being boys..and super excited to eat!

The spread!

We ordered four different rolls; Spider Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, Crunchy Crab Roll and a SWEET POTATO ROLL (only in the south!).

I had a little of everything and MORE!

With some edamame beans and a salad on the side.

The most amazing combination! I loved everyone of my rolls!

Hubby had some Tangerine Chicken, it was tasty too!

Some of my Sushi was so hard to eat…

I had to put down my chop sticks and get in to it!

Oh I am soooo stuffed! I knew that I went over the limit but whatever I am on my last night of vacation I couldn’t let any of the goodness go to waist :).

So friends have you started shopping yet?! I love to bless people with a little something they love on Christmas. I know that gifts are not the reason I celebrate the Holiday’s, but I am not going to lie I love buying gifts for people!!!

A Santa list for Runners

Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners (Amazon)

Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Running (Amazon)

Runner's World Runner's Diet: The Ultimate Eating Plan That Will Make Every Runner (and Walker) Leaner, Faster, and Fitter. (Amazon)

Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running (Amazon)

Black and Red Competition Suit (Amazon)

Valeo Dual Ab Wheel (Amazon)

Barney Butter Almond Butter 90 Calorie Packets, .6-Ounce Packages (Amazon)

Atlanta Commitment Skirt!

Flip Video to take on races!!!

Zoot Race-Day Belt

Camelbak Water bottle

Asics 2140’s

Asics Socks (My favorite!)

GARMIN FORERUNNER

Massage Gift Certificate!!!

Question: What's on your wish list this Christmas??

O’Charlies+Blind Side+Blogger Meet-Up in Memphis

2009-11-30T07:24:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday Friends! I am on vacay still so I can truly say Happy MONDAY! For all of you are at work today, I hope that your beginning of the week is wonderful!

Yesterday was very relaxing for us, we hung out with Hubby’s BFF and watched football and then headed out to dinner with the MIL. This was our last night in Memphis so we had to make sure we chose a dinner spot wisely. We decided that O’Charlies was a must! I checked out the nutritional information at livestrong.com, I was going to go with the Turkey Burger until I found out it has 940 calories and 55 grams of FAT!

I did manage to have one of their famous rolls! (150 calories a piece)

I decided on the Apple Crisp Chicken Salad for my main entree, but I had no blue cheese, dressing on the side, and light on the candy pecans.

I was so happy with my decision, this salad was very tasty and I didn’t feel like BLAH when I finished. After dinner we met up with some friends and went out to see the Blind Side! What a terrific movie! Yesterday I tweeted “Blind Side to me as a Coach, Women, Christian and lover of sports it was AMAZING!!” Sandra Bullock played the perfect mother! I would go see it again!

Hubby and I stayed up chatting with the MIL and may or may not have had some chocolate cake and icrcream ;).

This morning I met up with some beautiful blogger ladies, Nikki D. and Erin at Starbucks.

These two ladies are so sweet I know that if I lived her we would be great friends! I love blogger meet-ups because you always have so much in common to talk about, I hope to go to a blogger conference soon so I can meet many more! I know whenever I am in the south I will always have friends!

Hubby and I are saying goodbye to Memphis this morning and are headed back to Nashville until tomorrow night. Only 48 hours left of vacation, I need to soak it up!!!

Operation Chocolate Covered Kindness

Katie is hosting a pageview charity drive over on her blog. Be sure to check it out as today is the LAST day of the drive. Katie will be donating all of her money earned through Foodbuzz to The Enough Project. The more pageviews she receives, the more money she donates, so get clicking!

Question: What is your favorite part of vacation, food, attractions, rest????

My favorite part is not being on a time schedule!!!

Finally I Can Post!

2009-11-29T13:17:00.001-08:00

Hellooooo friends, it has been a wonderful two days. We are now back in Memphis after out wonderful visit to the FIL’s in Mississippi. I have a lot to post about, so I know you probably will just breeze through pics, and I am cool with that!

>>>>>First off here are some Black Friday Pics I finally got uploaded!

Chick-Fil-A!

The SIL+BIL

The Shopping Madness!!!

4am at Target with the FREE BAG!

Now on to Saturday on the FARM! I love going to my FIL’s, because there is something about the farm life that bring out true peace.

I love swinging on the front porch in the mornings :)

As you can see it doesn't get used a lot, FIL should give it to me ;)

Hubby likes to spit on the porch…true southerner!

FIL’s Home

He lives on over 150 Acres of land, wow!

Photo Shoot with the John Deer Tractor

As you can see this is where Hubby feel most comfortable.

Time to do our farm chores

Love playing with my camera!

I was a little scared of the HUGE DOGS, FIL has 9 Great Pyrenees’!

Ok Ok I am a little timid, not a farm girl!

Hubby is BRAVE!

Keep me behind the fence please :)

Hubby’s going in!

After we did our farm chores we took some “Christmas” photos..not really but who knows.

Such a stud!

This picture is a trip

Love the colors in this one

Father and Son

So many beautiful leaves

Dinner time!

The FIL made is Stuffed Chicken with Shrimp Etouffee.

Purple Hole Peas + Butter Beans (Hubby’s favorite)

The chicken was amazing, I loved the Cajon seasoning!

A very lovely simple dinner, I could live off of these beans!

After dinner we tried to slide across the floors…

I tried!

Last night we drove back to Memphis and I met up with a college friend for drinks at the Flying Saucer.

I started with a Hornsbey’s Apple Cider, a festive flavored beer (if I can even call cider beer).

Because we had an early dinner and I didn’t want to eat on an empty stomach, I ordered a Goat Cheese and Tomato Appetizer Pizza. It was the perfect size!

My second drink was a local wheat beer. Not bad but I didn’t finish the whole thing.

Mandy and I took a picture when we walked out, the lighting was BAD! I had a great time catching up and reminiscing about the College Years. Mandy is such a sweetheart and I am blessed to have spent time with her. Mandy you need to come to CALI!!!!

Even though we had a late night I still managed to have a great 4 mile run in the RAIN this morning! After my run we headed to our old Church, Fellowship Memphis and I snacked on a Banana Bread Larabar to hold me over.

Church was great, miss that place. Afterward we headed over to the Blue Coast Burrito for lunch with Hubby’s BFF.

Hi Josh!

I ordered a veggie burrito with guac in a whole wheat tortilla. So YUMMERS!

Well we have the whole day ahead of us and currently trying to figure out what to do to fill it. All I know is I can’t wait to see Blind Side tonight!!!!

Have a beautiful Sunday…and if you read all of this I HEART YOU!

Black Friday Extraveganza

2009-11-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

Black Friday was a huge success and a ton of fun. I know, I know, it's crazy to get up at 4am to hit the stores but when you do it with fun people like my SIL & BIL it is an adventure! Hubby stayed home and shopped online.

The alarm clock went off at 4am and our first stop was Target. There was nothing spectacular to try and get but the first 500 people got the cutest reusiable bags, worth the early rise. (maybe).

********(I had ton of fun pics but they won't upload, SAD DAY)

We shopped our little heart outs untl 7:30am and then had a good old country breakfast at Chick-Fil-A, when in Rome..I had my first chicken biscuit, wow I haven't lived till now:) Along with some fresh fruit instead of the tater tots. After breakfast we tackled the mall! I got some great gifts for my family and the Hubby , I can't wait to put them under the tree :) 8 hours of shopping can be counted as exercise!! We were pooped!

At this point I was ready for lunch, so Hubby and I went to my favorite college hangout, McAlisters' Deli.

I ordered a half an half, Sweetberry Chicken Sandwich and Chicken Tortilla soup. This one of my favorites in College. I love all the cranberry sauce on top, Subway needs to get on this!

Oh I miss this place!

Hubby had on of their new flatbread pizzas. It was on some sort of cracker, It was tasty!

side note:
Because Hubby and I are going to be eating out a lot and I am not sure how much running I can get in I am using LiveStrong.com to keep track of my eating habits, so I can make smart choices and fully enjoy our vacation:) It has been a huge help!

After lunch we decided to cruise around a bit and ended up stopping by Sonic for Happy Hour! I love Sonic's Limeades and because there isn't one close to us I haven't had one in FOR-EVER! We ordered two large Cherry Limeades.

Last night for dinner we made turkey sandwiches and butternut squash soup :)

I used some Wolfgang Puck Soup and then added a fuji apple to it, it tasted comforting and amazing!

On my sandwich I used homemade sweet pickles, HEAVEN!

I also got a lesson on how to prepare DEER MEAT!!!! Ya, I probably won't be making this any time soon.

This morning I planned on going out for an easy 4-5 mile but since we didn't get up until 9AM, I decided to take it easy today and enjoy some R&R. I know that when I get out of routine it is super hard for me to be motivated to do any workouts but, I know once I get back home I will have to get back to it!

For breakfast the FIL made us homemade biscuits, bacon, and eggs. Three things I don't normally have, but shoot when on a Farm one must eat like a Farmer :)

It should be a quiet day here on the Farm, we are planning a big lunch/dinner with FIL and then we are headed back to Memphis!

Hubby and I really want to see Blind Side and I have some friends to meet up with for drinks, this VACATION is in full swing.

Time to curl up to some Christmas Tunes and a good book.

edited to add:
P.S. The POTM Challenge is over! But never fear - we're going to start up a NEW POTM challenge for November 27 to Christmas Day (December 25) to encourage everyone to stick with their goals throughout the holiday season. :)

Please be sure to enter your mileage on the POTM sheet. You have until Monday, November 30 to do so, and then winners will be drawn.

As of right now, it looks like we ran more than 17,000 MILES COMBINED. That is INSANE! And it appears that the average mileage by each participant was 50 miles! As a group, we should feel very proud of our amazing accomplishment. I'll be back with official stats on Monday, as well as details on POTM December.

RRRRRRR!

2009-11-27T20:24:00.001-08:00

I am having trouble posting my fun post for the evening, Hubby's computer is being dumb! So I will have to call it a night and try again in the morning. I have been up since 3:30 am, must go to bed NOW!

Goodnight everyone!

P.S. All you POTM participants you have until November 30th to track your miles so get out there and burn off that pie:)

McCormick Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-27T04:44:00.001-08:00

Evening friends! While you actually won’t get this until the morning because the MIL doesn't have wireless so Hubby will be publishing this for me tomorrow.

I can’t believe this Thanksgiving day has come to an end! I loved being here in the South with Hubby’s family, but I couldn’t help to miss mine at home today.

I have to say there is something to be said about all the beautiful homes here in the South.

We had a three hour drive to the MIL’s house today so dinner didn’t start until around 6pm, which meant I had a few sausage balls on the way over as well as a Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino ;) While the ladies were in the kitchen the boys were watching football and looking at the ads for tomorrows big SALES!

They were too cute!

Dinner was AMAZING! There was more food then we knew what to do with.

The adult table.

I made a sweet potato casserole from Bella Eats. It had a pecan and brown sugar topping that tasted so scrumptious I could have eaten the whole thing!

My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is the cornbread dressing! I am so glad this holiday only comes once a year, because I could eat this whole dish!

We celebrated with a bottle of Martini and Rossi.

I am always afraid to open Champaign bottles..lol

My SIL’s plate (yes she is a little OCD)..I love her!

My plate, I went with a little of everything minus the rolls because I can have those any time of the year.

We toasted and gave Thanks for the clothes we have on our backs, the shelter over our heads, the food we have to eat, and each other!

This is Hubby’s Mother, Sister Michelle, BIL Brad, and Godmother.

Family portrait time…

Funny full pictures..

This one is my favorite!

As if we weren’t full enough, what is Thanksgiving without PIE?! I enjoyed a sliver of Apple pie, and some of Paula Dean’s Pecan Pie!

A La Mode of course :)

After dinner we all sat around looking at old pictures of the McCormick family. Hubby was an adorable baby, he also weighed 9 pounds!

Uncles

Hubby and Mom, love this photo!

What our boys will look like :)

What are girls will look like, just kidding! Hubby was tortured by my SIL when he was little, she used to dress him up like a girl…oh my..Hubby is going to kill me!

Shhhhh just don’t tell him…

What a wonderful Thanksgiving. I fell completly content with all my food choices but, we have another dinner TOMORROW night with Hubby’s Dad!!!!!

Well friends it’s 11pm here in Memphis and we are getting up at 2:30am to hit Old Navy and other stores for black Friday! Yes I am crazy! I am just glad that I am on Holiday and can be a completely lazy!

7 miles on Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T09:29:00.001-08:00

We got off to a late start this morning, Hubby and I slept in until 8:30!! Guess our bodies needed it :). We got all bundled up and went out for an 7 mile run, well I ran 7 miles and Hubby ran the first 3 with me.

It was actually not that cold, I was sweating a lot! I ran about a 9:30 mile with Hubby and then took off an averaged a 8:30 the rest of the way. It felt great to get out and run, I hadn’t run since my Sunday 10k.

The ecstatic 7 mile look :)

So THANKFUL for today!

I came back to the house and made a delicious bowl of oats. My SIL is so wonderful and has all my favorite breakfast toppings!

Oats(these are really good)

I topped my Oats with nanner, pecans, honey, and granola.

I may or may not have had ~~two~~ one of these delicious sausage balls!

Time to head out to Memphis for Dinner with the MIL.

I am THANKFUL for all of YOU today!!!!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving friends, I am thankful for my Hubby, Health, Family, Friends, and the LOVE of God!

To all my Family in CA, I LOVE YOU ALL!!