Blessed...

I can do it!

Happy Monday! 

Monday's are always great for a fresh start!  A new lease on life!  A do-over! I generally don't like to think of any day or time as a fresh start, because that leads to making excuses (it's better to just jump right back on track when you start thinking this way-don't wait for "Monday") but sometimes a future deadline just seems more obtainable.  Whatever works! 

I had a wonderful weekend with friends, but it involved drinking and not the best eating.  I didn't wait till Monday to start over though.  I stopped at the gym on my way home yesterday...I had been in the car for almost 4 hours and before I left, I put my workout clothes on so I would have no excuse.  I was actually excited to get into the gym and sweat out some booze and stretch my legs!  It was a good workout...I did some running, inclines, and weights!  I really need to focus on adding more strength training. 

I didn't weigh in last Thursday, but I had had an off week and am pretty sure the four pounds I lost in October were not solid pounds.  I fluctuate a lot and I really need to be consistent to take off solid pounds.  Instead of celebrating in my weight loss and continuing to move forward, I actually let my mind think that I could let loose a bit...not a good idea!  And my successful weigh in was Halloween which of course was a great day to let loose-Damn candy!

Like I said previously, I am not going to stress this holiday season, but I sure the hell am not going to gain.  I do not want to exceed 233 at all...it's just not needed. 

Here's to Monday! 

Happy July....

I had one of the most wonderfully relaxing and fun weekends!  I visited some friends in Moorhead, and spent some time with my sister.  It was truly a blast-the whole weekend!

The weekend was go-go-go...but in a good way!  I played some bar bingo, card games, ate ridiculously amazing pizza, and ridiculously amazing Fro-yo.  I went for a leisurely tube ride down a river with the sun shinning down and a cold one in my hand.  I took some down time and relaxed in an incredibly nice hotel!  If you ever find yourself in Moorhead, Mn, for whatever reason you might, the Marriott is INCREDIBLE!  I know it sounds unbelievable, but one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in.  And I have stayed in quite a few.

And now it is back to reality.  For two days that is!  Then it's the 4th and I am stoked to have the day off.

I feel rejuvenated by the fact that it is July 1st!  We are 6 months into the year, and 6 months out from twenty 13.

June really was a great month.  Chaz and I got to spend some wonderful time with his parents.  Way more time than we usually get to in a year.  Simply wonderful!  Not only am I blessed with amazing parents but I got damn lucky in the in-law department too!

We went to Alaska and visited Laine.  We have enjoyed great weather and some lovely outdoor meals.  Father's day was a blast with both sets of parents being in town.  That rarely happens anymore!

June however did have it's downsides.  Dealing with my ankle definitely depressed me from time to time.  I imagine the fact that my physical activity has dropped way down due to my injury really doesn't help.  But July is a fresh start.  July allows me to set some mid-year goals and just start getting some shit together.  Ready for this?!?!?!  I know this is a long post but hopefully it will inspire you to make some mid-year goals too!

In regards to the good old ankle:

1. 30 minutes of stretching/exercise daily
2. Make physical therapy appointments
3. Ice bath 5 nights a week
4. All of the above contingent on physical therapy appointment but I got an x-ray last week and nothing is broken!  Holla!!!!

In regards to life:

1. Make more meals at home
2. Clean litter box daily (that shits a bitch!)
3. Start a savings account simply for vacations
4. Start intensely funding our "Life" savings account
5. Pay off the credit card we used to fix Chaz's car emergency last month-did I let y'all know that his catalytic converter was stolen right off his car?  In the middle of the night?  In our parking lot?  And that our deductible was $500 and the repairs came in at $475 (duh?  isn't that how it works?) and we just decided to be grown ups and get his brakes done to?  $700 dollars later and we were ringing in summer! 
6. Pack lunches and breakfast daily.
7. Buy coffee only once a week (back to treating myself on Friday's only)
8. Daily planned physical activity.
9. Go to bed earlier (trying to shave 1 hour off!)
10. Make the effort to call my CO grandma once a week...I suck at talking on the phone.  I am either not by my phone, or I always feel busy.  I need to make the effort because it's worth it!  She brightens my day!
11. Create an intense budget and keep it up monthly
1. I think this will provide piece of mind and 
2. allow us to really save money and track it. 
3. This will also provide an easy forum to allow discussion about future plans.

Chaz and I are moving out of our apartment at the end of July...we only signed a 6 month lease and thank the dear Lord because this place is just too run down and after having parts stolen off of Chaz's car, it's just not worth staying longer.  We are moving back in with my grandma and taking the next few months to discuss some long term goals and hopefully make some decisions on where we want to settle for a while.  Not settle for good, because we like a little adventure in our life, but we want to make some concrete decisions!

Wish me luck!  I am looking forward to the second half of Twenty 13!  Hopefully you are too! 

Turn that frown...

And that I did! 

I was feeling pretty darn blue yesterday.  But I remedied it with the following

• A cupcake break with my dad.
• A loving phone call from my awesome husband at the perfect moment…he generally knows exactly what to say to flip my frowns.
• An email from my grandma.
• A 1 mile swim with my sister.
• An impromptu dinner with my mom and sister.
• All of this followed by a big bear hug from my hubby! 

It turned out to be a great day and I feel like my head is screwed on just a little bit straighter!

Reading the above also makes me realize that I would be pretty much lost without my amazing family!

Adventures in Alaska...Part 2

Monday morning when we arrived at 4am, Laine met us at the Port.  It was so great seeing her!  We hadn't seen her since Christmas vacation.  And we were super stoked she pulled herself out of bed at 4am after spending the weekend at a Brewfest!

She took us to the hostel she works at and we all crashed for a few hours.  Possibly the best sleep ever!

We ran a few errands, and Laine showed us around her town a bit, then we headed off to West Glacier trail for a hefty hike.

It was a bit rainy, and cloudy, as seems to be the usual weather for Juneau, but the scenery makes up for that.  It was just beautiful to be surrounded by the most pristine mountains I have ever seen.

The beginning of the trail was pretty smooth and wide.  It definitely crossed my mind a few times that this trail would be a piece of cake if it stayed like this.

Then it started getting a little steeper, and the path turned from dirt and rock to simply rock in many areas. The rocks were a bit slick, but we all had great boots on so I just kept trucking along.  In fact, I felt great.  It was a powerful feeling to be huffing along in the beauty of that trail, taking it all in and just plain being active in nature. I'm sure that sounds corny, but it's probably the best way to describe how I felt.

And then, I probably got a little to confident in my hiking abilities.  I started keeping pace with the head of the pack (our group included 7 people and a dog).  And as I jumped up on a rock ledge to move to the next height, my right foot lost its footing, leaving my left foot to support my body as I fell off the rock ledge.  I landed on a branch filled bush, which made a shit load of snapping noises, and scared the crap out of those behind me.  I am pretty sure  no one with me heard my ankle pop (only the branches cracking), but I certainly did.

I knew right away that something was wrong, but still tried to stay cool and keep my composure till I knew for sure if something was wrong.  Chaz helped me get up, and as I started to put pressure on my left foot, a sharp pain shot up my leg on both sides.  That's when I lost my shit.  Straight up bawling!  I think I said something along the lines of I did something really bad.

And I did, but it could have been worse.  I will tell you though, it's not easy getting through a trail with only one leg.  Wanna know how I got back?!?!?  You'll have to check back later for the next part of the story!

Adventures in Alaska...Part 1

Alaska was a blast!  I am definitely coming off of a high and have the "just got back from vacation blues"....I suppose it doesn't help that I have a bum foot, but going back to work today was hard.  I didn't go in until noon, and by 3 pm I was ready to blow that popsicle stand but I stuck it out.  

And the foot thing, well that's just one little (well, actually a big) part of the vacation, but I'll start from the beginning.

Our trip started out on Friday May 25th.  We flew to Seattle via Denver and hopped on a bus for a three hour ride to the ferry port.  When we arrived, Terri met us right away and we quickly met up with Denis.

We chilled for a bit while the cars were loaded onto the ferry, and once we got on the ferry, we got to enjoy watching the people set up tents on the decks of the ferry.  You can pay for a cabin, or set up a tent/sleep on chairs under a closure and heat lamps.  It was quite the site!

We spent the weekend on the ferry, playing games, taking pictures, and relaxing.  Chaz and I got off in Ketchikan to enjoy the town for a few hours but other then that, we just stayed on the boat...it was just like a little cruise!

Port

Lovely scenery

I was even a good girl and snuck in a workout in my cabin! You can take that 30 Day shred bizzo anywhere!

Cabin

We arrived in Juneau on Memorial Day at 4am and headed to the hostel Laine works at to catch some z's!

Check back later for Part 2!

I'm gonna try!

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-269-14350-0,00.html

This is a good decision after a team treat run to DQ-(ugh, it got me again!)  I may not run every day but I am going to try and if nothing else, hopefully it will help me increase how often I run!

Two more sleeps until Chaz and I will be on our way to Seattle!  I am so excited!!!!!  The anticipation has been building for like at least three month now!  I can't believe it's here!  And I need a break like I need a salad!  Holy hellz ballz have the last three weeks been stressful.  And to top it off, Chaz's catalytic converter was stolen off of his truck Sunday night...while it was parked in our parking lot!  (straight up biatches!)  Cool, right?!  And $400 later that has proven to be a royal pain in the behind, but ya know what?  I don't care because I leave for Alaska in 2 days!  (THANK YOU GOD!)

Wonderful March Weekend...

This weekend was a nice, relaxing, get stuff done weekend.

Friday night I made dinner with my brother who was home from college and we played cards with my grandma. There is nothing better then spending time with family. These are the moments I will always remember.

Saturday morning my mom and I logged a 5.5 mile run. Much more then I expected, but my mom is good at pushing and motivating. I would say I am ready for the 5k next weekend.

I was hit with a migraine afterwards but luckily I had some good medicine and my nice bed to help me recover. Although my head was sore the rest of the evening, I was able to enjoy some Mexican food with my family.

I don't get migraines often, maybe one a year, but when I get them, I am knocked right down! Hopefully it will be a while before the next one.

Today, a perfectly relaxing Sunday, I worked on homework, hung with my family and husband, and did some cleaning and organizing.

That pile to the left is all donate...and that is probably only half of what I will have once I go through my dresser.

Dinner tonight was a delicious taco pizza!
1 package pre-made TJ's pizza dough

1 can TJ's light Organic Salsa Pinto Beans

1 lb. organic hamburger

taco seasoning

3 tbsp. salsa

1.5 cups light Mexican cheese

I pre-baked the crust, topped with the beans, hamburger mixture, salsa and cheese, baked for an additional 5-10 minutes, then topped with lettuce, chips, sour cream, salsa, what have you!

So good, and depending on additional toppings, you get 8 pieces for 6pp each...and the pieces are a nice size! I know I used a lot of Trader Joe's items but you can use your favorite brand.

I finished my night by packing up the tie blanket I made this weekend. I am donating it to a silent auction for a little boy whose family is from my dad's hometown. It sure feels nice to help out where I can!

Sleep good! I am off to bed so I can get up and head to the Y in the morning!

I need to take pictures with my nice camera...

I have been busy, and kinda meh...actually, I go through ups and downs, like sometimes I'm super happy, sometimes chill, sometimes relaxed, and sometimes just meh...not unhappy, just meh. Right now I'm kind meh. Bet you couldn't have guessed that. I am sure tonight I will be happy, and maybe even relaxed. The quirks of life! Not the facts of life; just the quirks.

My life has been filled with work, homework, and running. The Irish for a Day 5k is next Saturday and it has been nice to have a reason to run! It has been fun having my mom down the street (they moved in with D. Lo), as we can pop out for a run together!

I have also been doing a bit of cooking. Chaz and I made these egg boats this week. We followed the recipe pretty closely, but only made two loafs...I think you could use a variety of fillings, and for 2 baguettes, we still used 5 or 6 eggs! I don't know where the original poster purchased her loaves but mine were the demi loaves from Target.

And last weekend I got snowed in up in good old Moorhead, Mn. and decided to do some more baking.

Spinach bake

Blackberry Cobbler

Brown Sugar Banana Blueberry Muffins

And other then baking this weekend, Tonya and I went to this cute craft fair where I got some raw honey, and a few other trinkets. I also bought myself a french press which I have put to good use, and on the way home from Moorhead (which was Monday since I got snowed in Sunday), I stopped at this cute little truck stop and bought some delicious organic jelly! Yummy!

And yeah, I know my pictures aren't the best...it is just so handy to use my iPhone instead of pulling out my big camera, but I like taking pictures, and making them look nice, so I should probably stop being so lazy. And maybe I can even commission my husband to take some photos for me!

Thanks gosh it's the weekend! Happy Friday Peeps!

Valentine's Day Part 2: Gifts and Dessert

You can tell I have been sick because I started out this 2 post journey with every intention of getting them both out in the same day, but alas, it did not happen.

So after our lovely date at the MOA, Chaz and I came home to have a dessert I had made the night before. I got the recipe from here. I adjusted a bit by adding a graham cracker crust...the pie crust I initially made was horrible. I bought a dry mix and lets just say, that is never happening again.

My husband waited patiently while I arranged the cheery topping! He loves cheesecake with cherries and this tasted just like cheesecake!
See, a heart for Valentine's day!
Happy man!
Then we exchanged gifts. Chaz got a year subscription to Backpacker Magazine...
And a fun t-shirt...nom nom nom!

And I got to pick out this little number while we were at the mall! He made me feel truly spoiled that night!
Hope everyone had a fantastic day! I love taking time to celebrate every holiday because, well, life is short. So get out there and celebrate President's day today! I will be doing so with a Netti pot, Kleenex, airborne, and some Panera soup! I feel like this cold is finally breaking!

Valentine's Day Part One

This year Chaz planned our Valentine's Day excursion and it could not have been a better night. He picked me up from work with this wonderful smile and we headed to the Mall of America.

Chaz had a little golfing adventure in store for us.
We had played mini golf here when we first moved to the big city so it was fun to come again and enjoy the 18 hole course right in the center of the mall.
Chaz of-course won. As much as he would have liked to let me win, I was too much of a goof and took a few to many 8 stroke holes.
And please excuse the pics...it was dark, and we only had an i-phone.

After golfing, we walked around the mall, did a bit of shopping, and went to Famous Dave's for dinner. We had planned to have dinner at French Meadow but our reservations weren't till 8:45 and we were just hungrytoo.

It turned out to be a delicious choice!

Not feeling well...

At all!

My night tonight is going to be pretty easy...and I am looking forward to it. I want to do a quick 1 mile run. With the 5k in less then a month, I gotta start running consistently and I personally think a little movement or exercise is good when I am sick (although I have read some reports that it is not as it inflames your sinuses and stuff-I have never been good at listening). Then, it will be inside to have dinner, shower, then lay on the couch all night watching tv and/or movies. And when I say lay on the couch, I mean like bring my pillow and comforter to the couch, have a huge glass of water, and just not move.

I hope to put up some pictures from V-day, and maybe work on a bit of homework, but that is all...I know that sounds like a lot but for me, it really isn't! I generally pack my plate pretty full so this will be relaxing for sure!

I am a little put off that this is the second time in the last two months that I have been sick with a cold but what can you do. Aside from medicine, zicam, Kleenex, water, a humidifier, and hand soap, I really don't know what else I can do.

Lovely love...

Tonight my husband planned our Valentine's Day celebration. It was simple, and sweet, and I had a grin on my face the entire night. I am in love with the most amazing man. I feel lucky everyday to have him as the man who stands beside me in all that I do. And I will stand by him, through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs. We are in this together and I honestly could not ask for a better person to share my life with. Our life has been full of adventure, full of laughs and joy, and most importantly, LOVE!

I will fill you in on our date tomorrow, but tonight I leave you with a picture of Faith enjoying one of Chaz's gifts! He got a year subscription to Backpacker magazine and she couldn't wait to enjoy it!

Good morning Monday...

I love sleeping in on the weekends.

My favorite are those mornings when I have no where to be, and really nothing pressing to do. I lay in bed, going in and out of sleep, curled up in my big, soft comforter.

And sleeping in on the weekends means extra cuddle time with the hubby (if he is not working), and my little kitty girl! Faith loves jumping up on the bed (Kea can't get on the bed so I just have her bed next to ours-easy access for pets!), curling up on my head, and getting a good rub down. She is so soft and cuddly in the morning...she practically melts into the comforter with me.

I make sure to always enjoy these moments, these lazy mornings, cuddled up with my loves. Remembering those moments of peace and comfort are what get me through some of the craziest days.

Happy Monday!

Happy February...

Welcome February! I don't know about you but so far we have had a mild winter and even if we get dumped on from here on out, January rocked, and usually it doesn't, so I am good! We are one month closer to summer and that is what keeps my chugging along!

And since it is February, we are only 14 days away from Valentine's day! While this holiday has had every reputation under the sun: some like, some hate it, some are depressed by it, some don't care about it, some wish it was every day. I say, why not take the opportunity to celebrate each and every holiday you can! They are few and far between so let's have a good time!

You don't need a significant other to celebrate...you can celebrate with anyone you love! Parents, siblings, friends, whoever you want! Scratching your brain for what to do?

• Homemade dinner and dessert at home
• Dinner and a movie
• Heart shaped pizza from a local pizza joint
• Watch a scary movie
• Watch a romantic movie
• Have a group of girlfriends over and give each other manicures
• Wine and appetizer party
• An evening of watching your favorite tv show on Netflix or on Demand.
• Making homemade shakes and malts and buying crazy straws to drink them with
• Take a fun workout class...Yoga anyone?!
• An indoor, or if you are lucky, and outdoor, picnic
• A random week night shopping trip

Stuck on what to get those special people in your lives?

• Those cute little Valentine's from grade school, they can still bring a smile to an adults face
• Mani/pedi at a local salon
• Homemade cookies
• A gerber daisy in a simple vase with some greenery
• homemade chocolates....check this fun recipe out!
• homemade coupons...think "One Homemade Dinner" for a friend or family member or "One night of babysitting" for a couple that could use a night out!
• Bottle of wine or a case of beer with a fun glass to drink it in

And if you really want to have a good time, break out a good old paper lunch sack and get your household in the spirit! Set them out the week prior and during the week, family and friends can place little trinkets in the bag and everyone gets to go through them on Valentine's day!

Eeek!

The Durgins are headed to Alaska May 25th! CAN NOT WAIT!

We are blessed and lucky enough to be making the trip to Alaska with Chaz's parents to visit his sister...I might start packing tonight!

This may be a cheesy post...

Last night I hauled ass and tried my hardest to get everything put away in the apartment. I have to say, I am pretty darn proud of myself! Chaz is going to hang pictures, and then I can put the hutch items away and then.....we are done! All moved in! It feels really nice and the more I put stuff away and get acclimated, the more I am really enjoying it! I will post some updated pictures Sunday after we get everything hung!

Tonight I plan on relaxing in my nice, clean apartment with one of my girlfriends, making cookies, enjoying a delicious homemade dinner, and watching a movie. Sounds delightful and I can't wait for work to be over!

Mikey is also home so tomorrow I will venture out to B-town and enjoy his company! And aside from homework, I have nothing else planned...I think it will be a great weekend!

Next weekend we are having a big girl's weekend to celebrate my friend Emma's birthday so it will be nice to get some relaxing in this weekend!

And next weekend is the big game. Even though the Pack didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, I still like to watch commercials...so that is my plan! I also found this great WW recipe that I may have to make for the game!

Queso Dip!

Happy Friday!

and there goes the day...

I have become a bit more of a homebody this fall. I think it might be the homework, or the crazy work schedule, but I have spent more nights at home, more nights making dinner, more nights relaxing and watching tv. But when I get the call, I most certainly still enjoy a good party! I mean, how could you say no to these faces! I enjoyed a wonderful day on Saturday, having lunch with some of my besties, and following it up with a few drinks that evening! I must have really been sleep deprived from my cold because the alcohol went down a bit too smoothly, and while I didn't drink a lot, it seemed to soak in a bit better then usual. Hence, I don't remember much of the car ride home, I left my phone in my friends car, had to leave my car at my grandma's, and woke up at 4pm the next day because I had no phone or husband to wake me up (he was at work). WHAT?!?! You slept till 4pm? Yes...yes I did. And after a few moments of freaking out, and feeling like a loser for wasting the day, I slowly came to the realization that I needed the sleep, I didn't have much to do anyways, and I had one of the best nights in a while with some of the best people in the world.

So in some aspects of my life, I am turning into a bit of an old lady. But in other areas, I am the young whipper snapper I was my senior year of college!

Cheers!

P.S. And seriously, a break down of my alcohol intake so you can see that I really did not drink THAT much, and please keep in mind, this was over the course of 4 hours:

1 22 oz crispin (yum:)
1 ltr hard cider
1 lemon drop shot

P.P.S.
I have no shame!

One hell of a weekend...

This weekend was ridiculously busy, on top of which, I was ridiculously sick.

Last week I started to get back into the post holiday health kick. I took my new Garmin watch out for a run last Sunday and logged over 2 miles. I also did Body Pump last Wednesday at the Y...that class rocked! And I ate decent, up until this weekend. I didn't really get off track, but I also didn't track which I have learned can add to sneaky little points adding up real fast. I spent yesterday with my head on a pillow since it hurt to hold upright, but even a headache did not stop me from munching...ah the downfalls of a perpetual muncher. Such is life.

We got almost everything moved into our new apartment this weekend. Again, I was little help as I was dying from the inside out, but I did my best and with the help of some strong young men, we got so much done! There is literally maybe one car load left at D. Lo's...it feels wonderful to not have to do anymore heavy lifting mixed with stairs...although I am sure it is a great workout! Now all we have to do is turn on the tv and pound out unpacking boxes...this part is less stressful for me then the moving although I will get to the point where I just want everything unpacked! And since I was sick yesterday, I got ahead on some homework so now I can just go home, have dinner, and work on unpacking...slowly! I am even going to try to hit up body pump tomorrow after work! Can't lose site of my health!

And this brings me to my last thought for the day...I have my membership till the end of the month...since I am a student, I am able to do a three month discounted membership. I am mixed on signing up for another 3 months. It is costly, no matter the discount, and I am trying to get more running in (when I start running, I maybe see the gym once or twice a week-not worth the money). But on the other hand, I know I will not want to be running on freezing cold days. For sure this summer I will be great with my dvd's and the pavement...I am just up in the air about the next three months...feel free to let me know your thoughts!

P.S. I am going to make the 100% Irish for a Day 5k for my birthday a tradition and do it again this year...let me know if you are interested!!! I have some new running shoes that are ready for me to beat them up!

On the 12th Day of Christmas....

On the 12th day of Christmas, I thought I would give you a list of healthy snacks! Cool, eh? Just what you wanted!

1. Apple slices with peanut butter between them to create a sweet sandwich


2. 0% Vanilla Greek yogurt and honey...add some cookies for texture (graham crackers or a tasty little treat I like to call a biscoff cookie!)


3. Special K Pop Chips...2p+ per serving!


4. Pop Chips 3p+ per serving


5. Frozen banana, sliced, and blended with some chocolate sauce (1p+ and tastes just like ice cream!)


6. Raspberries with honey drizzled on top...trust me, delish! (1p+ for honey)


7. Diet root beer with a scoop of light vanilla ice cream (3p+)


8. 3 cups light popcorn...sprinkle with fun seasonings! (3p+)


9. Frozen grapes


10. String cheese and fruit...add some nuts to bulk it up!


11. Crackers and light cream cheese


12. Chips and chunky salsa

Hope these healthy snacks help to motivate you and maybe get back on track after the holidays...I know they have helped me!

And as tonight is the 12th day of Christmas, it is time to take the tree down. I took down other decorations earlier this week, but waited until the last day of Christmas to bid farewell to the tree. It is always sad taking something down that provides so much comfort and joy, but the fact that it is up for only a short time each year keeps it a special, meaningful tradition. So with this natural deadline, the 12th day of Christmas, I will force myself to bid ado, until next December.

Merry Christmas...it has been a special and fun celebration!