12/27/2012

Oh right Christmas...

I can't believe I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks...my bad. Things have been busy around here. Did you hear? I'm getting married in 4 days!  I didn't want to leave you guys high and dry so here's a little Christmas recap!

I signed the cats up for KJPugs Kitty & Canine Holiday Blogger Gift Exchange.  Ian was paired with Arielle and Beans was paired with Prim.  Normally my cats are not big fans of toys, we'll get them a package of mice or whatever and they sniff around them for a few minutes then return to playing with the tops of milk bottles or other random household items.  I was very impressed when they both immediately started playing with their new toys from their new friends!  It may help that there was plenty of catnip included...
We started our holiday celebration with our annual dinner at The Library III restaurant.  It's funny we almost always get sat at this same table.  The food was delicious as always and we were in and out within an hour and a 1/2 so there was plenty of time to meet Joe's mom for church.  Other than that our Christmas Eve was pretty uneventful, after church Joe & I drove around for a little while looking at lights then went home and I think we were in bed before 10pm!
Christmas morning started at home where Joe & I indulged in mimosas and cinnamon rolls while exchanging gifts with each other, my favorite tradition!
We started with our stockings where I found all kinds of goodies!  New pajamas to wear to my mom's house for brunch, an over-sized diamond ring ornament for our tree to represent 2012, an extra charger for my iPhone 5 and a gift card to Starbucks!
Next up we started in on our gifts to each other.  I may have gone slightly overboard with Joe...  He made a couple of comments about how many more gifts were in his stack then mine.  My pile was a little smaller because there's was one super fancy gift, an iPad mini!  I'm super excited to use it on our honeymoon!  I'm hoping to put up a couple of posts during the wedding weekend & while we're in Antigua from it!
I'm pretty sure Joe's favorite present was a new crock pot that you can set and forget.  I thought it was going to be the apple TV but he seemed way more excited about all the things he could make for dinner in this guy.
I also received a new fitbit!  I'm super excited about it's ability to sync with my cell phone & iPad, no more waiting until I get home at night to see how many more calories I've earned!  Anybody else get a fitbit?  Let's be friends!
A little while later Nicole, Jack & Lou came over to exchange gifts.  I'd say Jack was happy with the toolbox we got him, he wanted it opened immediately and was talking about all the things he was going to build and fix with Joe.  We also gave him a wedding related present, a t-shirt that says "I'm in charge of the rings."
Next it was off to my mom's house for brunch with Shana & Bill.  Some highlights were this super cute Anthropologie watch my sister gave me and an ornament for my mom.  I'm not sure I've mentioned it here but Jack calls my mom "Chickie Bak Bak," we have no idea why but he just started one day and it stuck.  Well, my sister got her a chickie bak bak ornament!
As is tradition, we all wore our matching pajamas and took a photo for posterity.  
As we were packing up to head home the boys decided to try out the sabercut saw I got for my mom.  She's had a tree limb down in her yard since super storm Sandy and they figured it was the perfect place to test it out.  It surprisingly worked really well and offered quite the work out!  Maybe I should take care of the rest of the limb to work my arms before the wedding?!
Our last celebration of the day was at Joe's parent's house.  We went there around 3pm and exchanged gifts before dinner.  I got a new robe and Joe got some new work shirts plus a bunch of gift cards!
It was a really great day, very relaxing.  Everyone is really excited about the wedding!  Joe's parents are even throwing a little get together on Friday night to spend some extra time with out of town family.  Starting a 4pm today I'm off until January 14th and it's going to be all wedding all the time for the next few days!

12/14/2012

Five for Friday ~ 12/14/12

1.  You never complain about going to my work functions.

2.  You thanked me for sorting all your socks.

3.  You stayed at a friend's so we could have a bachelorette slumber party.

4.  Only 17 more days until you get to be mean to me.

5.  You try to make me stick to my diet.
February 2011

12/13/2012

where has all the willpower gone

Apparently it's gone to the same place that all my spare time has gone...

I was doing so well...  I was down 3 pounds, I was somehow managing to avoid wheat & dairy, I was working out on the regular... Look at all the salads I ate!  Joe made a whole chicken for dinner one night and then cornish hens another night with only vegetables as a side dish.

At my final fitting for my wedding dress, not to toot my own horn but, I looked awesome.  However that's also about when things started to fall apart.  My mother & Dawn suggested we split a gingerbread milkshake three ways when we were out to dinner after that final dress fitting.
Then two days later it was my work holiday party where there was wine and passed hors devours and all kinds of other deliciousness.  Immediately following that was my bachelorette weekend.  It. Was. Awesome.  But, it was also filled to the brim with wheat and dairy and alcohol.  I actually managed to stay within my calories for the majority of the weekend but I was definitely not eating/drinking the right things.
My bachelorette weekend wrapped up with brunch at Seaview.  My favorite meal in the world!  I learned a very valuable lesson at brunch, I prefer mashed potatoes to creme brulee.
Now one would think that a bachelorette weekend is a one time thing.  You just hop back on the horse come Monday morning.  Except that this week began the holiday meals...  

Monday was a luncheon at the Doughty Rd office from The Cheese Board featuring Crazy Susan Cookies.
Tuesday was our family Hanukkah celebration and you better believe I was eating some potato latkes, I only get them once a year!  I did give that crescent roll to Joe though.
Wednesday was dinner at Roman Grill to celebrate my dad's birthday.  There were appetizers, lobster bisque, a wedge salad and kobe meatloaf...oh...and dessert.
Seriously I'm afraid to get on the scale.  My goals are a hot mess.  I should at least be getting my water, but no.
What do I do now.  Honestly I'm not sure.  I know I need to get back on track.  Seriously I'm 18 days away from the most photographed day of my life.  I have a session with my trainer tonight but today is also the big holiday luncheon at the hospital, I'll just have to avoid wheat & dairy I guess.  I'm planning on taking an aerobics class tomorrow night but then there's a bar crawl this weekend...It's like I just can't win but I also refuse to skip all the fun just because I'm dieting...bah!  Luckily next week's schedule, while packed, doesn't involve a lot of eating out.

Do you have any tips or tricks for staying strong during the holidays?  I'd appreciate any help I can get!

12/07/2012

Five for Friday ~ 12/7/12

1.  You didn't want me to take my shoes off at our dance lesson.

2.  You were actually interested in seeing Breaking Dawn Part 2.

3.  You came to bed with me at 8:30pm even though you weren't as exhausted as I was.

4.  You stopped to get me dinner before you went out with your friends.

5.  You're building a shed...in the rain...right now...
December 2011

12/04/2012

breaking a sweat

Since I haven't been posting daily recaps I've amassed quite a few pictures from my time at the gym.  Like these of the lovely ladies that torture me twice a week for a 1/2 hour.  Sarah & Ali are seriously so much fun!  I almost don't want to kill them when they tell me to do burpees...
I usually start my training days with a warm up on the elliptical, somewhere between 5 and 20 minutes depending on how early I get to the gym.
Ali was so excited to learn about my blog that she offered to take pictures for me during one of our workouts, some serious, some not so much.  We did box jumps and I only slammed my shin into the metal once, hence the thumbs up!  Lots and lots and lots of push ups, some on the ground, some on the bosu, some at an angle.  Mostly I'm just proud I can finally do them up off my knees, it's been a long time coming!
We concentrate primarily on my upper body because that's all that will be seen in my wedding dress, which means lots of tricep dips.  Ali also thinks I should use the yogi picture as my profile shot for this blog but anyone who reads this knows that yoga and I are NOT friends!
Even though the temperatures are finally dropping around here Joe & I are still trying to walk as much as possible.  We hoofed it to his parent's house for Thanksgiving dinner, about 2 miles, and we also continue to walk to ShopRite as much as possible.
(even when buying heavy items like cat food & turkeys)
All this exercise is definitely exhausting.  I like to be in bed by 10pm every night but sometimes I pass out on the couch before I can make it upstairs, luckily I've got a good snuggle buddy.
Also, I'm feeling pretty bad ass because it looks like I definitely lost a toenail during my half marathon!  When I took my polish off a few weeks ago I noticed my 2nd nail looked a little funny but I just ignored it.  Then over the weekend I was trimming my nails and noticed the little nail was barely hanging on, it practically fell off in my hand!  I'm torn between thinking this is totally gross and being very impressed with myself because losing a toenail is like a hard core running thing.
I am a little concerned about my wedding pedicure though...my shoes are peep toe...