the pure interest

I’ll tell you what, being accountable on the internet is pretty exhausting. it’s hard to believe I’m already on day 6 of this. Only 5 more days to go (counting today). Yesterday went really well until a big picnic we had with some friends at Aaron & Kelly’s - again, thanks guys. It was so much fun! But, I basically threw rules out the window and ate normally last night. Sometimes I think it was worth it, other times I regret it because I was fighting waves of nausea all night due to eating more in quantity and more fat then my body has had in a week. I think I DON’T regret it way more though - everything was soooo good. And truthfully we had a lot of fruit and veggies - the main splurges were a hot dog, a little too much ranchy cornbread salad, a cupcake, a piece of cheesecake and a bit of cookie cake. (do you see where my main weaknesses lie?)

The picnic was great with little kids running around all over the place!! I’ll tell you what, kids are way funnier then adults, and they don’t even mean to be. They just… are. From Candace screaming with laughter when Brian peaked out from behind a corner, to watching she and Eli enjoy a classic game of “ring a round the rosie” (little do they know where that originated), Logan calling his mom and dad old, and Camden actually ENJOYING playing with Connick! 

Ok, the fact that all of those names are represented on the internet, INCLUDING THE DOG, freaked me out a little bit.

Back to business. Weigh-In today. 4.2 lbs less then Monday. Water retention, bloating, etc. aside, that is good news. I’m seriously impressed with myself. This morning I’m feeling a little bit off, sort of queasy (maybe as a result of overeating last night?) But excited to workout for the first time since Tuesday!! The busy-ness eliminated that possibility for three days!! Ok enough…

Day 6 Menu:

Breakfast: Feta, Black Olive, and Tomato mainly egg white Omelet (for me just eggs, tomatoes and feta)

Snack: Fruit & Cheese

Lunch: Turkey and Hummus Pita (I don’t even own hummus)

Snack: Peanut Butter & Banana Protein Smoothie

Dinner: Grilled Ahi Tuna Salad (no on tuna, probably use shredded chicken instead)

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Have a great Saturday everyone! the plans for me today are workout, clean, shoot a wedding, some web work, and do a lot of yardwork.

I took these two photos at my parent’s house in their garden on Father’s Day. I hope to one day have the freedom to plan such a volume of plants in my yard, although I don’t think I’ll go QUITE AS crazy as they do, I mean, it’s wild back there. They have a ton of daisies that spread like wild fire.

Yesterday’s update is that I ate OK, but did have to bake cornbread for a dish I’m making for a picnic, and it smelled so incredible….I ended up burning it, so I just HAD to try a piece to make sure it was ok. The inside was, but not the outside, but I’ll tell you, after eating hardly any bread or fat all week, it tasted amazing. So that put me about 250 cals over, but I’m not too worried. Again I had no time to workout, but I’m trying not to beat myself up. Going straight from work to lunch to the doctor to work to freelance to box moving to eating dinner on the way to praise band and then to praise band then to the grocery store then beginning to prepare picnic feast for tonight basically left NO time for a workout. Sometimes the expectations in this workout plan are totally ridiculous, if YOU HAVE A LIFE. And I don’t even have KIDS YET!!

One thing I’ve been really noticing while looking at my food eating totals is that my fat intake has been seriously cut in half, and I think that is really making a difference. I mean, I know “eating low - fat” is so 10 years ago, but it is so important. I can feel it in my body - I fit into my jeans that were “just too tight” two weeks ago. That is a progress people.

I don’t have all the information for today’s meals with me. So far today I switched breakfast and morning snack because of ease of preparation, and I just could not stomach what I was supposed to eat for breakfast with how I felt this morning.

Day 5 Meals:

Breakfast: Turkey and Egg White Scrambled Eggs (added a little fat - free shredded cheddar and pepper, saving for morning snack)

Morning Snack: Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie (ate 1/2 for breakfast - it  was HUGE!!… did have to add a splenda packet and some chocolate slimfast shake for flavor)

Lunch: Chicken Pita (broiled skinless chicken breast, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, fat free ranch, whole wheat pita) My rushed version?? piece of wheat bread, 2 oz shredded chicken, fat free ranch and a few pieces of lettuce shoved down in about 3 minutes.

Snack: Peanut Butter Toast (I did celery & peanut butter instead)

Dinner: Steak, Brussel Sprouts & Salad with Italian dressing (nope, going to a picnic!)

Huge, amazing, fragrant peonies in my parents yard. Does anything smell as amazing as these flowers?

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

The last week or so has brought to fruition lots of mini-types of flowers showing their delicate faces in my little garden. 

The ever-present forget-me-not:
 

Weigela bush with deep pink flowers:

Phlox (still kicking!):

White Star-of-Bethlehem buds. They make me crazy while growing (starting in March and looking like weeds until they bloom for about 2 weeks) The bulbs are highly invasive, I’ve probably pulled out about 4,000 since we moved in 3 years ago:

Mountain Snow Ground cover - has flowers right now:

My parents gave me one of these within another plant dug out of their garden. I am totally in love with the delicate pinky/white balls of blossoms. They are tall and slender and perfect. However, I do not know what they are called. We thought heliotrope, but upon further research I don’t think this is right. Help fellow gardeners:
 

sigh…

i.

love.

flowers.

and.

nature.

I know, baby pink is similar to magenta. But, you have to admit, pinks and purples are sort of dominant right now, especially in spring in the NorthEastern part of the country!

I don’t have much else to say except, HOLY CRAP ON THE OFFICE LAST NIGHT, I screamed a lot (sorry friends), and YAY FOR SUNDAY!!!!

This might be my favorite flower photo I’ve ever taken…

Not much else to say today except

1. Download this if you like photoshop and use it ever, mainly for web design (although i’m sure i’d be helpful for anyone)
2. I’m eating way too much chocolate chip banana bread! I also now have a huge box of cookies from a party last night and box of cheez it party mix. (which is amazing by the way) I’m taking that all today to work hoping my colleagues will help me diminish it.
3. Financial/vacation/family segment: We got a generous offer from my in-laws last night about a trip to Myrtle Beach this summer. We’ve been trying to say no to basically any vacation plans for this year, as money is very tight and we wanted to save that potential money for this crucial year on our student loan pay-off. But they called and said that if budget is what is keeping us from going to Myrtle Beach with them, we can drive down to Maryland (which we were going to do anyway), then they will take us the rest of the way and pay for our expenses. We are so overwhelmed by their generosity… and of course we had to accept and will try to set aside some expense money for ourselves - so that will be the first week of July, and I am so excited. One thing that’s hard about being on a strict budget and letting your family know about it, is that people offer to do a lot for you sometimes, which can be so amazing and I am so grateful, but also makes us feel very guilty - because that is not our intention (to be mooches). Family and friends reactions to debt/money decisions are the toughest sometimes to gauge, especially when people are in different places in their lives with how they spend money, etc., priorities they put on travel and vacations and the like. We are just trying to say no and make some sacrifices, but somehow people keep coming through so we don’t have to make quite so many. Dave Ramsey would probably not be happy with us.
4. Still most excite about Niagara on Sunday… EEEEEeeeeee!!!!

Hey everyone!

• I roller bladed at the Peninsula for 6 miles with Angie yesterday! It was really fun. I almost fell over at the end but managed to make it
• I’m really not sure who will be the final two for American Idol… it’s a tough choice. I disagreed that David Cook took the night last night though, I thought last night was not his strongest at all.
• I made banana chocolate chip bread. It was well received upon asking. Never mind, lol.
• Today I need to do some promotion for an organization I am involved with and an event coming up. Click here and go to “Celebrity Dress Up Event” to read all about it. Thanks for your support, let me know if you are interested in buying tickets as I have some that I am responsible for selling