a whim.

First thing's first.  We celebrated a very important date since my last posting.  We celebrated Bo's 33rd birthday last week at Arturo's with a mini-fiesta!  I'll give you a brief recap in pictures...

The birthday boy is SO handsome ;)

(don't mind me...sweaty...in workout attire...looking rough)

The drink that did him in...

                      

                          

By far, my favorite picture of the night.  And PS, it was an action shot, not a pose (if you can believe that!).

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I cannot describe just how good it feels to be home on a Saturday...no wrestling tournament, no cleaning to do, and no homework.  It's amazing, and highly unusual during this time of year (a.k.a wrestling season).

Bo and I still got up fairly early this morning to go to the Farmer's Market downtown.  We went prepared to watch the cupcake war, judged by New Bern's very own winner of the real cupcake war.  Unfortunately, the weather last night set everything back a couple of hours and we were too early.  Needless to say, we missed it.  But, Camryn still managed to swindle her way into getting a cupcake from one of the contestants.  It pays to be cute AND sweet :)

When we left the market, I snapped some quick pics of the record-breaking cold.  Brrrrrrr!!!!

So, we enjoyed breakfast with mom at Carolina Bagel, then came back home to relax.  I'm watching Runaway Bride and simultaneously trying to get mentally psyched up to head to the gym in a little while...chances are looking slim.

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I am famous for my diet and exercise whims, none of which stick for very long.  Last week at a training session for work, a girl was sharing with everyone her reviews of Jillian Michael's detox water.  She lost 12 pounds in seven days just by drinking this water -- no change in diet and no added exercise.  I, of course, was immediately interested and set off to find the ingredients to this miracle detox.  The main ingredient, dandelion root tea, was the hardest to find.  I was super excited to start my detox, and I was very disciplined about drinking it.  My reviews = 2 thumbs DOWN.  I don't think I used the bathroom all week long.  TMI, I know.  But seriously, what was I thinking?!  I might have actually gained a few pounds.  I think the lesson learned here is this:  no whim, as good as it might sound, ever produces real results.  So, I've resolved to stick to 80% healthy eats, 20% splurges + daily exercise.  I'm down 12 pounds from a few months ago and I feel a TON better, so I should probably stick with it.

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Ok, off to change into my gym clothes.  I'm one step closer to my goal for this afternoon...

Stay warm this weekend :)

veggie heaven.

Happy Monday, folks!  I'm one happy girl right now because a) I just finished off a big bowl of my homemade low-fat veggie stew and b) I'm watching Biggest Loser, which is one of my favorites!  I had to make a decision last week--follow the Bachelor or follow Biggest Loser.  I knew I didn't have time to follow both shows, so Biggest Loser won out.  I figured it's much more positive PLUS it motivates me to get my butt moving.

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So, let me catch you up from yesterday.  I left you all to head in to the kitchen to do some prep work for my crockpot concoction I would be cooking today.  Veggies were chopped successfully with no cuts or bandaids needed.

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Post-chopping, I was able to sit down and enjoy a meal with my best friend.  Did I mention he made it with all kinds of love???

 Fresh veggie stir-fry...

Add half a sweet potato and baked salmon...now that's what I call a dinner!  A glass of red wine really topped it all off.

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Ok, so back to the stew.  This morning, all I had to do was add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth, a can of Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, and some seasoning.

It looks crazy-good, right?!  Turn the crock-pot on low for 9 hours, and voila!  To thicken up the soup some, I added a mixture of 3 Tbsp. cornstarch and 3 Tbsp. water.

The tiny sliver of bread is a piece of the Ezekiel bread I got at Harris Teeter tonight...decided to indulge and buy myself some after hearing the rave reviews from an old co-worker.  It's reallllly good!  Two thumbs up from me :)

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Ok, I can't go without mentioning my breakfast this morning.  I honestly didn't intend to talk only about food today (that's what happens when you're in love with food), but it just kind of happened that way.  I went to an early morning breakfast with Bo and his mom on Sunday before she left town.  She and I splurged and bought scones at the restaurant--she chose cranberry-orange and I, of course, chose the chocolate espresso.

I couldn't justify eating the WHOLE thing this morning, so I cut it in half.  I could eat one of these things everyday for the rest of my life.  20 seconds in the microwave and it's perfection.  I enjoyed mine with a cup of coffee.

 

Enough with the food yap, I've got some things to get done to get ready for the rest of the week.  On the agenda for this week:

• Dinner with some great friends at Ratty's in downtown New Bern.
• Small group on Wednesday night...and I'm leading it.  Yikes.
• Thursday -- BO TURNS 33!!!! He's decided on Mexican and Margaritas (score!).

Bring it on :)

pin it.

It definitely feels like a Sunday over here at the Lansche house.  Bo went golfing all day with my dad, and so I immersed myself in my grad school studies, laundry, and cleaning.  Typical Sunday except I didn't make it to church, which is a real bummer.  I just couldn't bring myself to go alone.  So, I did the tv church thing, which is really crap compared to the real deal.  

It's honestly a wonder that there was any cleaning left to do.  Bo got up Thursday morning and did a few things around the house that he thought were monumental.  This is what I found...

Bo washed the dishes and left this note.

He also managed to get a trash bag in the can after taking the trash out...

And of course, we can't forget the stove that was gleaming after he cleaned it.  Gotta love him.  

Anyway, while I was in cleaning mode, I decided to organize a little.  I wanted to tackle the mounds of magazines I have laying around.  I got the idea not too long ago to create my own little pin book using clippings from magazines.  I always find little bits of inspiration in my magazines--whether it's a recipe idea, inspiration for healthy living, exercise ideas...but I've never been one to keep things stacked up.  So, inspired by interest, I've started pulling my favorites out and pinning them in a book I've created.  Some of today's finds included...

 

The beginnings of my pin book...

This definitely doesn't compare to the real Pinterest (that I'm oh-so-fond-of) but it's a great way to save the articles and other pieces that motivate me.  I can flip back through when I need a workout idea or if I'm just feeling lazy, it gives me a bit of a boost!  What's even better, my OCD doesn't get too out-of-control because I've cleared some clutter :)

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 This pretty much sums up my Sunday...nothing too exciting, but got some things accomplished.  No complaints here.  Now brace yourselves, because I'm heading into the kitchen to do some prep work for a crockpot recipe I found for Lowfat Veggie Stew.  If all goes well, it'll be tomorrow night's grub.  SAY. A. PRAYER.

ever-changing appetite.

There's a lot changing lately, none of which I'm accepting all too well.  For one, the weather.  This weather is just awful.  It's 45 degrees outside one day--I'm wearing scarves, sweaters, UGGs, and all things warm and cozy.  The very next day it is 70 degrees.  Of course I walk out of the house wearing the cold-weather gear only to realize we've been invaded by warm weather.  And then there's gas prices.  I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that they are changing along with the weather.  Call me cheap, but I'm ready for prices to stabilize...at the lower end of course.  And, let's my mention my appetite.  If I didn't know I wasn't pregnant, I'd think I was pregnant!

**I'm not pregnant**

I have this obscene love of all things FOOD, but my appetite is continuously changing.  It's very difficult to stick to any sort of routine when you want something different all the time.  I'm constantly looking up recipes (that I'm never gonna cook) and browsing through my favorite blogs, looking for food ideas.  I just love food.  And honestly, I've had some pretty good food here lately...no thanks to me, of course.

Clearly not a food, but it is a staple in the diet.  I love my Kuerig (I also love polka dots).  The latest concoction--one splenda, one teaspoon lite chocolate syrup, and 4 Tbsp. fat free half & half.  Makes the world's best cup of coffee.

The Harry & David chocolate-covered blueberries are my latest obsession.  Unfortunately, I have to go easy on these.

Note:  My mom (best mom in the world) is responsible for both the banana pudding and shrimp creole. She made both of these for our family dinner on Sunday night and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

As you can see, I've got some pretty talented cooks in my life ;)

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Ok folks, I've got LOTS on the agenda today.  First on the agenda, breakfast (of course).  Then I'm heading to my hair appointment...just a trim, no worries.  Happy Thursday!

sunday slow-down

Happy Sunday y'all :)  I don't know about you, but I think that the weekend should last through Monday.  One more day would do wonders for my well-being!  Oh well, wishful thinking I guess.  Bo and I have had a pretty good weekend.  Friday night, while he was off at wrestling (no surprise there), one of my very close friends and I caught up over dinner!  I feel terrible using this 3+ year-old picture, but I have no recent pictures of us together...which is simply awful.  I intend to fix that.

Stephanie and I have been close friends since 2005.  Hard to believe that it's been that long!  She is the type of person who just gets me, even when no one else does.  We've seen each other fail miserably in various areas of life, which has brought us that much closer.  She never judges, and loves me through it all.  So anyway, we did our little Christmas exchange (another Christmas after Christmas) and caught up on all the latest life-happenings.  I am just SO thankful for good friends like Stephanie.

Saturday, after going to Bo's tournament for a few hours, I picked up an iPad from a colleague who is allowing me to borrow it through the end of the year.  I got a Kindle Fire HD for Christmas (that I'm in love with because I'm a bookworm) but it isn't compatible with Flash Player...so to make a long story short, my co-worker is letting me borrow the iPad to utilize a program called educreations.  For you teachers that haven't checked it out, you should.  Now.  I was so pumped about it, that I spent the entire afternoon playing with it.  

This morning, we woke up and ran out to the high school for our weekly weigh-in.  I haven't weighed in since before Christmas, mainly out of fear that I'd packed on too many pounds.  Somehow, maybe by the grace of God, I'd only gained 1.4 pounds since Christmas.  This shouldn't be too hard to lose.  The WeightWatchers program is super easy to use and I've had so much success with it.  After weighing in, I fixed a quick cup of coffee, showered up, and we were off to church.  

Church was good today, as always.  Our church will soon be starting a series based on My One Word. I'm super excited about picking my one word, even though I have NO CLUE what it will be.  Forget New Year's resolutions, I'm going to spend the next year focusing on my one word.  In the running...

• Discipline.  I'd love to be more disciplined in so many areas of my life.  I sometimes feel like a bit of a spaz, jumping from one thing to the next, never finishing anything.  
• Joy.  I've thought about this a lot lately.  I want to find joy in the small things.  
• Acceptance.  I have a very hard time dealing with situations when they are not going my way.  I really hate to admit that, but it is what it is.  I'd like to learn to accept my circumstances, particularly when they cannot be changed.  I want to learn to accept the people in my life for who they are.  I want to accept change, and I have a feeling 2013 will bring many changes.  

I'm still giving my word a lot of thought; hopefully, I'll choose something soon (and choose it with confidence).  

The rest of our day has been consumed by cleaning, laundry, lesson planning, and lounging around the house with the dogs.  I sure do love a Sunday slow-down.

In just a bit, Bo and I are headed to my parents' house for dinner, and mom says it's a surprise...

new year's getaway.

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a blast, whether you were partying hard or hanging out at home watching the ball drop.  I, of course, was doing the second.  Bo and I spent New Year's Eve at his sister and brother-in-law's house enjoying the company of each other.  As always, I fell asleep long before the ball dropped but Bo woke me up just in time!

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Bo and I left Sunday morning to make the six hour drive to Greenville, SC.  We stopped in Cary at one of our favorite spots to eat lunch.  Pei Wei, which is a branch of P.F. Changs, is more casual but just as delicious.  I enjoyed the teriyaki vegetables and tried it with tofu...let's just say I'm not a tofu girl.  Bo said that almost all vegetarians eat tofu; I guess I'll have to be an exception to that.

It didn't disappoint.

Bo even thought it looked tasty.  Can't you see it written all over his face??

And while I don't believe in fortune telling or psychics or anything related, it's always fun to read my fortune.

When we arrived, we got right down to business.  Sarajane and Mark are always SO good to us.  They gave Bo a putter to go with the rest of his new clubs and I got these super cute things.

Christmas decorations...because we all know how much I like love to decorate at Christmas.

 This one is blurry, but it's an adorable jewelry hanger with owls perched on top.

And a cute pair of earrings to start me off!

While we were in Greenville, we did a whole lot of eating, relaxing, and enjoying one another.  I couldn't have asked for a better, low-key holiday.

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Now it's back to the grind.  Not only do I go back to work, but my classes also start back up tomorrow. Not to mention I've got to get back on track (aka get my tail to the gym and back on Weight Watchers). I don't know about you all, but I'm looking forward to all 2013 has to bring!  Here's to a new year!