Special Guest Post Thursday - Why I Love New York

2010 is almost over and I have been doing a great job of ending it on a calm mellow note.  But, I do not want to leave you readers high and dry as you ring in 2011.  First up is this awesome guest post from the fabulous Molly from Smart Pretty and Awkward.  Her blog is so entertaining!  Go there and check it out . . .well. . .after you read her guest post here first!

Why I Love New York

by Molly from Smart Pretty and Awkward 

For this Healthy Obsessions of a Girlie Tomboy guest post, 

I'd like to discuss the main interest of me, Molly from the East Coast. 

My preoccupation is not a dress, a food, a boy, or a shoe,

But New York City--a city of bright lights, where any dream can come true.

A small town is great, I come from a lovely one myself

But I always felt I needed a town with an entire street dedicated solely to....buying felt. 

No, I kid, there's a lot more to love besides the Garment District. 

I like Penelope Cafe, 230 Fifth, Butter Lane....just not the Knicks. 

Every night a new restaurant, for a million nights in a row.

Or at least a new takeout spot--hopefully one that delivers Bordeaux.

"Hey, did you see that hot new cultural exhibit or show?" "What, no?" 

Honestly, I didn't either--but it is nice to always have the option to go.

But hey, if Manhattan isn't your cup of tea, that's okay! I'd still like to be friends 

I understand NYC can also be the city of high rents and shady activities that often offend. 

But for me, Molly from the East Coast, at the end of long day when it's time to sleep, 

There's no place I'd rather be than looking out my NYC window while I dreamily count sheep.

My Dad, The Mad Genius!

I would like to take a break from our normally scheduled blogging this week to cover some special things that have happened over the holidays.  First up, let me tell you folks about my dad.

I am what you call a "Daddy's Girl."

Not the "I can bat my eyes at my dad and get away with murder" Daddy's Girl.  But a "I love my dad to bits and was his faux son growing up" Daddy's Girl.  I think that is why I became somewhat of a tomboy.  I wanted to impress my dad with my boyish skills.  That and I didn't think that "Because I am a girl" was good excuse not to do cool things like change a tire, change my oil, or paint a room.  But I digress.

Anyways, in addition to getting my tomboyish ways from my dad, we also have a lot in common.

We both love to dance:

See the look of glee in his face?  He was some smooth moves.  Smooth enough to have almost every one of my girlfriends want to dance with him!

We make goofy faces (in general and when we dance):

This is his "yeah, I'm cool" face.

This is my "I'm in the zone" face. See the similarities?

He's also where I get my love of cooking from.  He came over to the States in '79 without any knowledge or skills in the kitchen.  My mom taught him two Filipino dishes that she knew (and promptly "forgot") how to make and spent time in front of the television watching "Wok with Yan" to pick up the rest.  Now he is a cooking machine.  As evidence by our Christmas FEAST!

And this is not the half of it! 

Let me break it down dish by dish!

Mash Potatoes

Steamed baby carrots and asparagus

Tomato, Mozzarella, Cucumber Stackers

Beef Stew (I'm not gonna lie, I went NUTS when I saw this.  I LOVE Beef Stew)

Sweet and Sour Pork (He served the sauce separately)

Drumsticks with Shaved Parmesan on Radicchio

Shrimp Stir Fry

Pan Seared Salmon with cream sauce (served separately)

Honey Baked Ham (the ONLY thing I had asked for)

There was also a dish with buttered corn, but I forgot to take a picture of that.  

So I know what you are wondering (other than "Where's my invite to the next feast?") . . . How many people were coming to dinner?  This is what my dad makes for . . .wait for it . . FIVE PEOPLE!!!  Yep, it was just my family and Marcin for Christmas dinner.  So there was 10 dishes for 5 people,  3 of which were girls with small appetites.  I'm telling you the man is crazy!

See that smirk on his face?   It's saying "I cooked so you better EAT!"

I couldn't really talk about our Christmas without talking about my Dad mad cooking skills.  Every dish was delicious and between Marcin and I, I think we covered everything.  And of course, we took some home!  Still working on some of those leftovers!

So there you have it folks, my dad, the mad cooking genius who will stop at nothing to have you leaving our house stuffed to the brim and clutching onto leftover to your dear life!

Now say "Bye" Dad!

*Wedding pictures by Kelly Dobson Photography

On the Fashion Front Wednesday - Ugly Sweater Purse

I haven't posted my December purse because I didn't really have a new purse until a couple of weeks ago.  Then I just kept forgetting to post it!  So here it is:

a.n.a Fringed Studded cross body From JCPenney

I was actually in JCPenny to see about a different purse, but this one cought my eye.  I can't really explain it, but I was very intrigued by it.  I definitely like the knitted material.  However, I was not a fan of the leather studded:

But it's sort of grown on me.  It's fun to play with as you are waiting in line.  Plus this bag have LOTS of different pockets.  So not only is this my December (and possibly January) purse, but I have dubbed this purse as my "Ugly Sweater Purse"

I think it's appropriate for this time of year.  I have seen countless "Ugly Sweater" parties at bars lately:

So I thought "Well, if people can proudly rock the Ugly Sweater deal for a party, I can rock the ugly sweater purse for the month of December!" 

So there you have it folks, my December purse!  Hope everyone is as excited about the Holidays (and the Holiday Break if you are in the Higher Ed world!)!  Happy Holidays everyone!  Be Safe!



On the Active Living Front - Tuesday - I need my Foam Roller!

Can you believe it's 4 days until Christmas!?!?  I don't know about you, but I'm definitely looking forward to the break.  I'm still debating on how active I want to be during the holiday break.  I definitely want to get some more runs in after Christmas and before New Years.  The Hubs and I have some much needed SCHEDULED lazy days planned, so I would need to counter that with some active days!

So in addition to being more conscious about my eating for the next few days, I decided to kick up my exercise a notch.  First up - an hour long run!

A while ago, I said that I was going to incorporate one day a week to do a long run (which is a one hour run for right now).  However, I haven't been able to find the time to do it, so I have been failing in this regard. 

So on Sunday, after I committed eating better for the next couple of days, I went to the gym and told myself to stay on the treadmill for one hour.  I WILL listen to my body and slow down when I need to.  I WILL try to run for as long as I can before I need to slow down.  Lastly, I WILL STAY ON THE TREADMILL! 

I really had no plan going in, but I just kept telling myself to stay on the treadmill!  Walking is not failing, it's still moving!

Here's how my hour went:
0-10 minutes - Walking at 3.0
10-20 minutes - Running at 5.3
20 -25 minutes - Running at 5.5
25 - 30 minutes - Walking at 3.0
30-50 minutes - Running at 5.3
50-53 minutes - Running at 5.5
53-55 minutes - Running at 5.7
55 - 57 minutes Running at 6.0
58 - 59 minutes - Running at 7.0
59 - 60 minutes - Walking at 3.0

As you can see, I was trying to end strong with a sprint at the end, but after one full minute, I just couldn't do it.  I think that one reason for the erratic running was that I was having issues with my right leg.  It just felt tight and it felt like I was always on the verge of a charlie horse.  I made sure to spend a good amount of time stretching after this run.  While I'm not happy about my run, I'm not disappointed.  I ended up covering 4.52 miles on the treadmil, so that is a plus!  I definitely need to take care of my leg before I attempt this again!

So you would think that after a run like that I would crawl (well drive home, get inside, then crawl) home and reach for my trusty and barely used Foam Roller:

But nope, instead, I took a bath and try to give myself a leg massage.  It sort of work. 

Yesterday (Monday), I went back to the gym with the Hubs (got to love working out with your Significant other) and did a variety of different exercise:
1) 15 minutes in the Elliptical (The Treadmill and I are on a break)
2) 3 Sets of 15 crunches on the decline bench
3) 3 sets of 15 crunches on the medicine ball
4) 3 sets of 15 side crunches (both sides) on the ab machine
5) 3 sets of 10 assisted chin ups
6) 10 minutes of stretching.

All in all a good workout!  But today, the back of my knees are screaming at me!  >:O

So, today is a break from the gym and QT with the foam roller.  I'm going to be screaming in pain, but it will be a good pain.

Who else is excited for Christmas?

On the Healthy Front Monday - Faux Detox

So this weekend involved a lot of ups and downs for me.  Well, just one downer.  A good friend of mine died Thursday night and I was contacted Friday morning.  He was a good man and a dear friend and I will miss him very much.  R.I.P. Charles "Chuck" Fulford.

But there were some positive things that happened this week.  A double date, an anniversary, and tackling an hour long run.  All of which will be summarized soon. 

But on to the task at hand.  First up, the weigh in . . dum dum dum!

From the Target Scale:

A 4 pound loss from last week's weigh-in

From the EatSmart Scale:

A 2.6 pound loss from last week's weigh-in

Hmmm . .I should probably give myself a pedicure if my tootsies are going to make a cameo on my blog!

So yeah for some loss!  I'm actually going to believe the EatSmart Scale over the Target scale.  Why?  Well, because the EatSmart Scale consistedly displayed 134.8 as my weight when I had to do a couple of weigh ins because my camera was spazzing out.  I kept getting blurry pictures.  The Target scale kept changing the weight until I finally got the 131.5 measurement for the picture. 

I decided to sort of clean up my eating for the next couple of days before the Christmas pig out (not really) at my parents house on Christmas eve.  Yahoo.com recently posted a Holiday Detox eating plan after Thanksgiving.  It looked reasonable, delicious, and clean.  I'm going to substitute some of the meals to at least one or two of my meals for the next three or four days.  I started on Sunday dinner with steamed salmon and broccoli and carrots.

Busted out both rice cookers to steam the fish (8 minutes) and vegetables (10 minutes):

The seasonings for both the veggies and the fish are really simple.  Lemon, pepper, and I added an egg wash for the salmon.

It was simple and delicious!

After dinner, I set to work to making salads that I will eat for the next few days:

In each serving of salad, I put:
1) Bunches of spinach
2) 1/3 of a sliced red pepper
3) 1/3 cup of red kidney beans
4) One whole celery
5) Mint leaves (I had some leftover from a Ceviche recipes I made a couple of weeks ago.  Recipe post to follow soon!)
6) 1/3 of sliced cucumber

For the dressing:
1) 1 teaspoon of Olive oil
2) 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
3) 1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar

Some cooky things that happened while making this salad:
1) My red pepper had a green pepper baby!

Have you ever seen a pepper within a pepper!  I also found a tinier pepper in the other half, but I forgot to take a picture!  Wild!

2) I peel my celery:

It's hard to see in the picture, but I have been taking a peeler to my celery lately.  It's a tip that I picked up from Emeril in some show.  Peeling the celery is supposed to bring out more of the celery flavor.  I do notice a hint of difference in the taste.

For breakfast today, I had a protein shake as suggested by the Holiday Detox eating plan:

In this delicious mix you have:
1) 12 oz of 2% milk
2) 1/2 cup of blackberries
3) 1/2 cup of whole strawberries
4) 1 scoop of vanilla protein
5) 1/2 a banana
6) 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
7) 1 teaspoon of wheat germ

I actually made this as a post workout treat last week and loved it.  It's really simple to do and I will be making this for my breakfast for the next couple of days.

So that is the plan for the pre-holiday "detox."  A protein shake for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and either a fish dish or saute tofu dish for dinner.  I may do the protein shake and salad for the post holiday detox, but I also want to spend the holiday break cooking.  I want to take another stab at making chili in the slow cooker.  We also want to make a decandent breakfast of french toast and mimosas and maybe bloody marys one day during the holiday break.  So I will play it by ear. 

What are your plans to not sabotage your health goals this holiday?

On the Beauty Front Thursday - Sephora Samples Review Part Deux

It's almost the weekend . . .It's almost the weekend!

That mantra has been running through my head all morning.  I don't know about you guys, but I am definitely BURNT OUT!  So much has happened this fall semester (yes I live my life by semesters still.  That's what I get for working at a university) that I'm ready for the holiday break.  The trick though is not filling all the days up with activity!  I'm trying my best. 

Anyways, I'm continuing my review of the Sephora samples I received with my recent purchase.

 Sephora Smoothing Primer ($15.00 for 0.05 oz)

From the Website:  "Improves foundation application while minimizing skin imperfections. Makeup lasts longer and skin is left velvety smooth with a matte finish. . . .Ideal for combination-oily skin types. "

My Thoughts:   I remembered using this product a while ago, but that was when I was doing moisturizer + primer which turned out to my a bad combination.  Now that I keep my face bare of products in the morning, I was very excited to try this again.  I keep hearing that gels are better than creams for oily to combination skin, so I was expecting this primer to work better than the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer which is a cream.  So when I first tried it, I was surprise at how quickly the gel absorbed into my skin.  I dotted my face with product before I evenly spread the product on my face.  With this primer, the product instantly absorbed into my skin, which is a good and bad thing.  Good because it absorbs quickly.  Bad because I felt like I couldn't evenly spread the product to the rest of my face.  I sort of felt like I had to add more product, but I refrained and was able to work what little product remained to the rest of my face.  When I added my Bare Minerals make-up, it stayed on the same as the Smashbox primer and I didn't have to blot my face later on in the day. 

Product Grading:

Texture: A-; light on the skin, but absorbs way too quickly!  Probably best used in the summer.

Scent: N/A

Staying Power: A = kept my face moisurize and my make-up in place

Overall: A-  = I think I would use this one in the summer and the Smashbox in the winter.

LAVANILA The Healthy Baby Lotion ($15.00 for 7 oz)

 

From the Website:  "This 100% natural lotion contains 30 essential vitamins and minerals that support the health and development of delicate baby skin. The ultra-light, easily absorbed formula blends soothing Sunflower and Vanilla Oil with nourishing Calendula and Noni Juice to lock in moisture and protect against dryness."

 

My Thoughts:  Sometimes, you jsut never know if products for babies can be just as effective on adults as they are for babies.  I use baby shampoo when I take a shower after working out because it is a bit gentler.  However, this was not the case here.  This lotion is definitely for delicate baby skin because it did NOTHING for my skin.  The lotion was watery and I practically used the whole sample just to moisturize my hands!  I may consider this for any future babies that may be in my future, but it is definitely not for adult use.  I do love the fact that it's all natural and paraban and sulfate free!

Product Grading:   I'm grading this based on adult use and not for babies.

Texture: D - Completely watery for the winter months!

Scent: A - very light

Staying Power: D - It does "easily absorb" and then disappear!

Overall: D - Again, not for adult use.

Stila One Step Make Up Foundation ($44.00 !!!! for 1 oz!)

From the Website:  "A skin-loving makeup that combines the benefits of a primer, foundation, concealer, and powder in one long-wearing formula. This innovative, medium-coverage formula is energized with Stila's exclusive Ionic Mineral Complex™ that reads and reacts to skin zone-by-zone, visibly priming, balancing, correcting, and optimizing for a supremely flawless finish."

My Thoughts:   I will admit, I was very hesistant to try this.  I LOVE my Bare Minerals make up.  I love that it doesn't cake on my face like most foundations.  But, for the sake of the blog, I grit my teeth and applied this foundation.  Since it was a primer/foundation/concealer/powder all in one, I was expecting the product to be HEAVY.  Boy was I wrong!  The One Step was as light as a primer.  It also glides on easy on the face and settles well.  Unfortunately, the sample that they gave me was a medium and I guess for Stilla, I need Tan.  It was a touch shade lighter than my skin.  So I did apply my Bare Minerals Tan over it to give me some color.  How did it fair for the rest of the day?  AWESOME!  It stayed on, it didn't cake up or become oily.  I almost forgot that I had make up until I looked in the mirror and saw how flawless my face was. 

Before Stila

After Stila

But is it worth $44.00??  I'm not sure.  I may have to play around with other version and see if I experience the same coverage and feeling.

Product Grading:

Texture: A+ - Initially it feels creamy, but it absorbs and settles into the skin quite nicely.

Scent: A - Didn't have the heavy foundation scent that I don't particularly like.
Staying Power: A - I would give this an A+ if I could test the foundation by itself without the additional mineral powder since it is the wrong color for me. 
Overall: A - Again, would have like to give this an A+ but I didn't have the right color and I'm not sure the price is worth it.  :)

Can't wait to start using more products!  Stay tuned for more reviews!

On the Active Front - Belated!

Hey guys,
Sorry for not posting yesterday.  I was tied up at work.  Then there was the slow drive home.  Also, I needed to get a workout in, so I did that instead of posting.  I've been off my game lately, but I just keep telling myself that I just need to survive till Christmas Eve eve!

Anways, last week I worked out 4 times!  Go me!  I went to the gym on Monday and did some ADD running on the treadmill.  I really had no focus and kind of just did whatever moved me. 

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I went to a Beginner's Pole Dancing class at Vixen Fitness.  I had a blast!  Not only was there a dancing component to the class, but I learned things that I thought I would never be able to do.  When I leave from the studio, I think "Oh my god, I just lifted my body weight and spun it around a pole!  I thought I would never be able to do that!" 

One thing I like about the class is that yes you are learning to appreciate your body and think sexy, but as my teacher said in every class "The Sexy comes last."  What you are also doing is challenging yourself!  It's sort of like yoga.  You first think, "I'm supposed to put my body in THAT position."  Then the teacher walks you through it and you think "Oh is that all there is?." Then BOOM, you are doing it!  Shaky at first, but with practice you get the hang of it . . .then you bring the sexy in!

This week, I took a stab at the Carb Lovers Diet Tone Up exercises in the book.

First up, three sets of 15 reps of the Squat to Overhead Press

I took it easy with this one because of my knee issues.  I did this in front of a mirror in order to make sure my form was correct and to remind myself to keep my abs tight.

Next, three sets of 15 reps of the Single-Leg Dumbell Row

This one is my favorite.  It reminds me of my favorite yoga pose.

The third exerise, three sets of 15 reps of the Superman (no idea why the picture is wonky):

I like this one too and I'm so feeling it today!  It's simple, but effective.

And lastly, three sets of 15 of the Dolphin Plank.

Again, simple but effective!

Thoughts:

I like how the Carb Lovers Diet details the workouts and show beginning and after pictures of the positions.  These workouts are great if you want a quick workout at home.  There are two more exercises listed in this set, but I didn't do them to protect my kness.  I will probably rotate that with the Squat to Overhead Press.

For the rest of the week, I have one more Beginner Pole class and then gym time at Snap Fitness!

I'm trying to factor in a long run somewhere in the weekend, I don't know when, but it WILL be done!

On the Healthy Front Monday - And the tracking begins!

Happy Monday Folks!


So who else got hit with the snowstorm?

Michigan got hit with a snowstorm on Sunday!  Made for the drive into work this morning quite fun (she says sarcastically).

Anyways despite the snowstorm, I had a fairly relaxing weekend.  Also, even though Christmas is 11 days away, I got an early present!

 

EatSmart Precision Digital Bathroom Scale

The folks at EatSmart were looking for bloggers to review this scale.  I happily volunteered for the task.  I had some time to think about how to go about reviewing this delicious new scale.  I could only think of one thing - a good old fashion Compare/Contrast & Before/After. 

Compare & Contrast

I am going to compare and contrast the measurements on the EatSmart scale to my old and busted scale I got from Target a couple of years ago.  The EatSmart scale is said to accurately measure your weight to the nearest .2 lbs.  So with the help of my handsome assistant:

The Hubs

We went ahead and took our first measurements on both scales.

The Hubs measurements:

Target Scale:

EatSmart Scale:

My Measurements:

Target Scale:

EatSmart Scale:

The hubs hypothesized that the EatSmart scale would measure more than the Target scale and it looks like he was right.  

So the Before and After Measurements?  Well, the hubs is going to track his measurements before and after workouts.  I'm going to track my measurements before and after . . .um . . .something I like to call "The Duece."  It's a nickname to a bodily function that one of my friends came up with one trip.  It sort of stuck with me.  

I think that tracking my measurements till the end of the year should give me some good material for my full on review.  Plus it would help me stay on track with my weight loss plans!  I have 10 (or 12 pounds) to lose before June (or maybe I would make it to my 30th birthday in May?).  

So there will be a "Weigh-In" component to my Monday On the Healthy Living Front posts.  I'm a little nervous doing this, but if I want to be accountable, I will have to be honest and put my measurements out there, right?

Wish Me Luck!

On the Beauty Front - Sephora Sample Review #1

Happy Hump Day Everyone!
Remember last week when I got a boatload (well more like a bag load) of samples with my Sephora order?

Well, I've started to use some of the samples and I thought that I would give you all my review.  First up,

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

From the Website:  Yu-Be's website boasts that its longest selling skin care line in Japan.   This moisturizing skin cream is the "original #1 seller in Japan."  A glycerin base moisturizer, this cream was meant to have the same effect as petroleum-based products minus the greasy mess that follows. 

My Thoughts:  Well, I actually didn't read about the product before I started using the sample.  My intial thought when a put a drop of product into my hand - "Oh, it's like Vasaline."  However, it has a creamier texture than vasaline and I was able to massage the product into my whole hand (unlike Vasaline, where you feel like the product stayed at the inital point of contact on your skin).  Once I started to work the cream into my hand, I noticed the smell.  It wasn't overpowering, but it was distinctive.  The scent was very similar to Vicks Vapor rub.  At first medicinal, but somewhat calming.    I think it's the camphor that is listed in the ingredients that gives it that smell.  The smell goes away once you stop rubbing the product into your skin. 

And staying power?  Well, it did much better than the Lubriderm lotion that I have been using of late.  Of course, since it was a small sample, I've been a bit stingy when applying it to my hands.  I did notice that the cream did smooth over the numerous dry cracks on my thumbs.  I think it also helped heal some of them quicker than the Lubriderm lotion.  I also like the fact that once absorbed into the skin, there wasn't that filmy feeling that you would get with petroleum based products. 

Product Grading

Texture:  A

Scent:  B+

Staying Power:  B+ (will need to try a bigger sample to get a better sense of this)

Overall:  A-

I've been changing around my morning/make-up/and evening beauty routine around to get the most out of my products in the leasr amount of time.  I've been reading in recent magazine that it is ok to skip a cleanser in the morning.  The active ingredients will just dissolve from the radicals in the environment anyways, so you are really wasting product and $$$ by cleansing your skin in the morning AND evening.  A simple rinse with warm water in the shower is good enough. 

However, I've noticed that my make-up doesn't quite stay on as well as it did when I did my cleanser+toner+moisturizer routine in the morning.  Solution?

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light

From the Website:  This oil-free primer creates "a perfect canvas for foundation application with this silky, lightweight blend of vitamins A and E, grape seed extract and green tea. Worn alone or under foundation to increase longevity, our best-selling primer helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores for flawless skin with a velvety-smooth finish."  This primer also won  the Best of Sephora Award for Best Primer, one of Marie Claire’s “25 Products That Will Change Your Life,” and an InStyle Best Beauty Buy.

My Thoughts: I've used primer before and while I love the intial silkiness of the cream when I first put it on, my skin always becomes oily by the afternoon.  I would go through numerous oil absorbing sheets (and when I'm in a pickle - tissues) to sop up all the extra oil.  Well, it turns out that I was using foundation primer wrong!  Since I have been just rinsing my face with water in the morning, my face is a blank canvas for the primer (I guess that moisturizer + primer was just too much for my combonation skin!).  So when I put this primer on face, I got that initial silky feeling on my skin.  My make-up (Bare Minerals) buffed onto my face with ease and has remained there for the rest of the day.  It wasn't until I was driving home during the first day that I realized that I DID NOT reach for an oil absorbing sheet to blot my face after lunch!  Even now, 4:00 pm on day two, my skin doesn't feel like an oil slick and my make up is not rubbing off of my hands.

Product Grading:

Texture: A - as primers go, this one was light and absorbs well into the skin

Scent: N/A - didn't detect a scent

Staying Power: A+ It keeps my face from feeling tight in the dry winter air and helps keep my makeup in place 

Overall: A - I may be picking myself a bottle of this real soon! 

Can you believe that it's 17 days till Christmas?!?!?1 

Combo Post - On the Healthy and Active Living Front

So I just finished the weekend from hell.  Why?  Because I suffered a migraine ALL WEEKEND LONG!  If I'm really honest with myself, I have been suffering a migraine all of last week.  But I really didn't want to admit it and I just wanted to fight through it.  I had a lot of stuff going on including Marcin's Birthday, a friend's Thanksgiving Dinner, a bridal shopping event, and christmas shopping.  I was able to get Marcin's Birthday going and successful, but the rest of the week just fell through. 

By Saturday morning, I was in pain and could only muster energy in short spurts.  In those spurts, we were able to decorate the house for the holidays though:

Hung Christmas stockings for the whole family. 

Merged our ornaments together for our Christmas tree

And that is pretty much it for Christmas Decor.  Typically, I go the day after Christmas and by the ornaments on sale.  I think I will aim for more around the house decor than ornaments like I normally do.  I do want a christmas tree skirt for sure!

Also, I found some energy to cook as well.  I found that when I was cooking, I really didn't feel too much pain.  So over the weekend, I was able to make:

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins (Recipe from Matt at The Kitchen of a Runner . .Thanks Matt!) 

In this batch I used whole wheat flour and canola oil instead of spelt flour and coconut oil.  It was what I had on hand. 

This muffin was particularly beautiful, so I had to take a picture of it! FYI - All of the muffins were DELICIOUS!

On Sunday, I found some energy to make a hearty Lentil Chili that Marlon from Men In the Balance forwarded to me.  Thanks Marlon!

Lentil Chili Recipe from LilVeggiePatch.com:

Ingredients:

2 TBSP vegetable oil
½ onion, chopped - I actually used a whole onion I wanted to use it up
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup lentils
3 cups broth
1 can tomatoes - I used Mexican Diced
2 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP cumin
1 carrot chopped
3 stalks of green onion chopped
(the last two ingredients I added because, again, I was trying to use them up so they wouldn't spoil!)
Salt and pepper - added at the END of cooking

Directions:
1) In a large pot sauté the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil over medium heat. Once the onions are soft (about 5 minutes) add the lentils and broth.
2) Add the tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder if you didn’t use fresh garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour covered.

An hour later . . .

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not add salt until the very end, when you salt and pepper to your family’s taste. Cooking lentils with salt makes them hard, and you can simmer until the lentils disintegrate and you’ll still have tough lentil mush. On this note, you should also try for a low-sodium broth, because the ones that have a lot of salt in them will obviously have the same effect on the lentils.

Delicious vegetarian substitution to meat chili!

Anyways, it was all downhill after cooking the chili.  I had to cancel on both the bridal shopping event and on my friend's Thanksgiving Dinner because I just couldn't take any more of the pain and nothing was helping.  On Monday, I woke up to more pain. 

So I decided to not be stubborn any more and listened to my body.  I called in sick to work and stayed in bed.  I even banned myself from electronic devices.  I told myself not to watch any TV or blogged until I was better.  Marcin took the reigns and went out to get me what I really needed to stop being in pain!

My neurologist started me on a B2 regimen last year (I can take anywhere between 100-400 mg a day) and it has been working great!  The only times I had a migraine is when I ran out and it took me a couple of days to buy another bottle.  Well, I ran out of these vitamins the week before Thanksgiving and have been without them ever since.  They are very hard to find and if I'm at a store that doesn't have them, I forget that I need to buy them.  They ran out of B2 at the Rite Aid by my house, so Marcin went to a nearby GNC and bought me FOUR bottles!!!  His first words when he came back home was "You are good for another 4 months!"  And that is why I married him folks!

So having this migraine attack affected both my eating (as in I didn't want to or wanted to eat junk) and my activity (how was I supposed to go to the gym when the right side of my brain felt like it was doing the Mexican mamba?!).  I took 400mg of B2 yesterday and today and will probably continue that dose for the rest of the week.  The goal is to progress back to 100 mg daily.  The 400mg dose late Monday afternoon gave me enough energy to hit the gym.  I basically spent almost 3 miles on the treadmill.  My goal was just to be moving whether it was walking on a steep incline or running for a long as I can without getting winded.  For the rest of this week, I have 3 Pole fitness class at Vixen that I'm excited for! 

So what did I learn about myself throughout this ordeal?  That I try to do way too much in a small amount of time.  (I can hear my sister smirking at this because she used to tell me this every since I started getting migraines in undergrad!)  But it's true.  When the weekend comes, I sleep in late, but once I'm up, I'm trying to cram 48 hours worth of activity into 8.  In addition, I try to be very social and overcommit to countless social activities.  Since Marcin and I have various groups of friends, in gets a bit overwhelming to try to balance everything.  One group wants to one thing on the same day as a different group.  It's usually one of our events that merges everyone together and we can only do that so often!

So what did I decide to do about?  Well for one thing, stop saying yes to every damn thing until I confirm with Marcin what we have going on.  I have two commitments this weekend and it's going to stay that way!  I need to take care of me and my friends will have to understand that.  Marcin and I promised each other that we will spend one weekend night just at home to relax.  Friday does not count because we worked for 8 hours and both of our jobs have started to become stressful.

So I guess I have my News Years Resolution for next year (or at least one of them).  It's a work in progress, but I think I can get there.