Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

It's Hump Day! WAHOO! This week has actually been pretty nice to me and is going by somewhat quickly. It's probably because we've been completely busy with a 15 year old boy in our home! Raymond and I are used to being in bed by around 9pm, and asleep shortly after that. Now that we've got a teenager to entertain for a few days... our sleep is lacking! And PS for those of you that don't have kids or teenage boys, they eat like machines. I kind of knew this already, but not to the the extent that it is. It's insane.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you a couple of  extremely important updates on the ol' blogger-ooski (just made that one up).

• The past 2 weeks have been so stinking busy for me, and the next couple are not going to calm down. R and I will have been out of town for 3 weekends in a row by the time March is over and done with. Weekends are usually our catch up time on cleaning and relaxing, so being out of town so much has really left our weeks packed to the brim! So, if my posts are lacking, please just bare with me! I am trying to figure out the best schedule that is going to work for me, and I'm thinking a M-W-F type is what it's going to be. Either way, when I figure it all out, you will be informed!

• Also, I know my blog design is probably boring you all to death. It's pink and... well, that's about it. I've had ideas in my head since I made the darn thing and just haven't had the chance to get things done. I mean, it involves picture taking and designing and so once again, I'm just extremely too busy to think about it right now. I'm hoping to have something more enticing for your beautiful eyes within the next couple months!

Thanks for baring with me through my messy out of control life and I'll catch ya on the flip-side!

Wonderful Weekend

This weekend was wonderful! So wonderful that I am absolutely exhausted and although I had the greatest intentions of waking up at my usual time this morning for the beginning of week two of boot camp, I reset the alarm and opted for more sleep. Sometimes, it is just necessary. And that workout can always be done at another time!

Despite the nasty weather, we packed up and drove 2 hours straight through rain. As usual, we needed to conduct our road trip photo shoot that takes forever before we just give up. PS- Don't try this, it's not the safest thing to do while driving in the rain.

We made it to Brownwood but found that we were left to find our own entertainment until the family was all together that night. (Everyone went their separate ways to either run errands, work, or visit family.)

Once we all reunited, we drank and ate mounds of food before calling it quits around... I actually don't even know what time it was, that's how sleepy I was!

Sunday, to my surprise, the sun was shining and the cold had somewhat subsided. It was a perfect day to be spent outside. So, that's what the boys did, and us girls (me, R's sister, and mom) headed into town for what they like to call a little "retail therapy". Sounded good to me! I made it out of the stores with just a few items (more on those later), and I'm sure my bank account is thanking me right about now. I never knew I could be so disciplined when it came to shopping, usually I am a mess!

Eventually evening rolled around and we needed to hit the road and head back to town. The upside to that was that we brought R's son back with us for Spring Break. Now I've got TWO smelly boys to deal with for a week! The downside - we ran over a skunk on the way and my back tire reeks of... well, skunk.

All in all, the weekend was fantastic and relaxing and was just what we needed for a mini getaway! It's a good thing, too, because we are going to be out of town for the next two weekends as well for wedding festivities!

Random Friday

Well, guys and gals. I really have nothing of great importance to discuss today... since I usually have such important stuff to talk to you all about.

• We're supposed to have a softball tournament this weekend, which would be my first time to actually play in a game. The stakes are extremely high, so I've been nervous all week about it. When I say high, I mean each member of the winning team gets a free case of beer high. That's the best prize anyone can win around these parts. Add a free turkey leg or a hot dog and you've got yourself the damn party of the century! Unfortunately, it looks like the amazing weather we've been having has been put on hold for 50 degree, windy, and stormy crap, so the fun weekend planned will have to wait.
• Since the rain is halting our plans, we're probably going to head to Brownwood to visit with his family. I'm pretty excited to get away for a while and relax with some awesome people!

• Even though my knee and ankle have been hurting, I decided to try running again today and had no problems. WTH joints! Pick a side and stick to it! Preferably the non-hurting side, please. Whatever, I was able to get my workout for boot camp in, so I'm fine with it.
• Our lease with our apartment is up in about 2 months and we are finally going to move into a house! Not sure where yet, but I really don't care at this point as long as it's not in the ghetto where the prostitutes roam. We've thought about buying, but the timing is just not right for us right now. I don't really care, I am just ready for more space... and I cannot wait to spend all of our money on new crap!!!!! (sorry, babe. It's happening.)

Whatchu got goin' on this weekend?

I Die, I Die

Remember those resolution things we all make at the beginning of the year? No? Me either... I wish. I made a resolution to run more often this year. And so far, I have been doing a damn good job of it, if I do say so myself. I run every day at the gym, whether it is for 10 minutes or 50 (haha).

Yesterday morning as I started my 20 minutes of cardio for boot camp, I noticed a slight pain in my knee and ankle. I know the ankle thing is from when I ate it down some stairs, but the knee thing? No idea where the heck that creeped up from. I can typically stretch out my ankle after warming up for a few minutes and the pain subsides, but today I just about wanted to rip my leg off. It didn't help that I had lead-legs either. With all that being said, if this whole knee crap doesn't go away, I'm probably going to crumble and die inside. I have just begun to enjoy running, and now I've got to stop. Damn you old lady joints!

I absolutely must share this video with you guys. I saw it for the first time yesterday and have now watched it enough times to count on two hands. Every time I watch it, I have tears streaming down my face and my heart feels like it is about to burst from my chest from laughing so hard. Please take some time to watch this, and then share it with the people you love and want to make laugh. Or you could share it with the people you hate too, and then they could pee themselves and be really embarrassed. Your call.

And if you're too high and mighty that this video doesn't even make you crack a slight chuckle, well then you don't know real comedy when ya see it. Now remove yourself from my blog! Just kidding... but really, it's hysterical, right?

What Year is This?

I just caught a glimpse of the date on my phone. March 7?! When did this happen? Pretty sure I was just in the middle being shocked that it was already Feb. 29... yesterday. Ooof, my brain just can't seem to accept that the days are flying by.

This is sort of a love-hate thing with me. I'm really excited for summer this year because I cannot wait to top last year. Last summer was absolutely awesome and I definitely wouldn't trade it for anything, but that just gives me hopes that we can make this one even more supercallafragalisticexpialadocious. Forgive me if I spelled that wrong.


Biggest Bash of Summer 2011

 

The After Math



ACL - Fav. Picture of ALL Time



Responsible Life Guards


Anyway, I kind of hate this because I'm definitely not excited about sweating just by walking to my car. Especially when I need to look good. Nothing says sexy like sweat drops down your spine! I'm also a bit worried because I have high hopes of actually liking the way I look in a swim suit the first time I put it on, and I definitely have quite a bit of work to do if I want that to happen.

Luckily I made a spur of the moment decision to join boot camp and am really happy that I did! Like I said yesterday, I was getting really bored in the gym and being that I'm not a fitness expert, I wasn't sure of any new moves to include my workouts. So far, I have been impressed. I definitely thought I had more strength than I actually do. Just changing the position of your body can make a mundane-to-you workout completely difficult again! Today's workout definitely left me huffing and puffing, and even thought I'm not where I want to be yet, I know that I am on my way and my goals are in arm's reach!

One Day!

Tzatziki Sauce

Well I sure am pooed after this morning's workout! Today I began Tina's boot camp. Lately I have been feeling very bored at the gym and have been poking around the www for weeks now looking for new moves to incorporate into my workouts. Luckily I heard about this camp at the last minute and signed myself up! Today was a cardio day and I definitely felt like I pushed myself more than I have been lately. I sure am hoping to have a hot bod this summer (or at least one that I am somewhat proud of).

Last week I posted a recipe for some super-duper nutritious and delicious quinoa burgers. I also mentioned a sauce that I would be sharing soon enough, that only makes these little babies even tastier!

I'm really not sure what tzaiki sauce is typically eaten with... but it seems like it would be tasty on pretty much anything that you'd top with sour cream, yogurt, etc. By now, we all know I like to keep things pretty real around these parts, so I won't lie when I say I was apprehensive to try this stuff at first. I can't even spell the darn word, why would I want to try the stuff? But after a tiny dip of the finger, I was sold. If you like sour cream, you will enjoy this recipe!

**********

Tzatziki Sauce

(Adapted from Eating Well, Living Thin)

Prep Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Cook Time: None
Chill Time: Recommended 2 hours

Yields: About 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup thick plain Greek-style yogurt
• 3 tablespoons light sour cream
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated – squeezed of excess water
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl blend together the yogurt, sour cream, grated cucumber, garlic powder, sugar, and dill weed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill.

Enjoy!

**********

(source)

Hot 'n' Pink...

... isn't just the way I like my steaks cooked. But we'll get to that in a minute.

This weekend was pretty stinkin' awesome if I do say so myself. The weather here in Austin was absolutely amazing and probably couldn't have been any better. Which is why the entire 2 days were spent outside.

Friday evening Raymond and I met up with some friends of ours for dinner and drinks. We tried out a new-to-us restaurant, Longhorn Steakhouse. Everyone was pretty satisfied with their meals, except for me. It wasn't awful, but my steak was just a bit (a lot) chewy for my liking. The pricing was average for a steakhouse, though. It also didn't hurt that we had good company!

Saturday morning was an early rise for us, being that we had a kickball tournament all day. I actually didn't take part in the games, and just went along for what we like to call "moral support" aka free beer and food. We arrived to the fields around 10:30am. Being as responsible as I am, I managed to wait until almost noon to crack my first beer. It's a good thing, too, because 8 hours later... we we're still going at it. Now, I don't know if you've ever drank all day in the sun... but it sure does have more of an effect on me than drinking indoors does. Something about that hot sun makes that beer go down as smooth as water. I'm pretty sure it's safe to say we all had a great time! The night was finished off with a sushi dinner and we were asleep by 10pm.

With the weather being perfect again on Sunday, we met up with some friends for a little softball practice. Again, we had an absolute blast and spent about 4 hours in the blazing sun catching, pitching, and hitting.

Evening eventually rolled around and we finally called it quits for the weekend. It was a long and tiring one, but if I could do this every weekend, my life would be complete. I had so much fun and the weather could not have been more fantastic! The only downfall would be this:

Pretty sure raccoon-eyes and redneck aren't my best looks. Ouuuuchhhh....

Girls Love It, Guys Hate It

The other day I was reading an article about beauty mistakes that turn men off. While the article states that these are mistakes, I'm pretty sure most women do these things on purpose. I will be one of the first people to tell you that I truly believe that women dress to impress other women. Sure they want their man to think they look great, but what they really want is to make others jealous. Now of course, not everyone is like this, and maybe you don't even know you're doing it? But just ask yourself, how many times have you envied another woman's outfit/hair/body/etc. I can name about 427 million times for me.

Now that I am in an established relationship, I definitely feel myself becoming more interested in the way my man views me rather than anyone else. Sure, I used to be worried about looking good for others out there, and there is still part of me that doesn't want to look like a trash bag, but for the most part, I want Raymond to think I've still got it. Keep the fire alive, people!

As I was reading this list of so-called mistakes that we as women do, I wasn't shocked at all. But I was somewhat relieved that I don't do many of them. In fact, only one to be exact!

• Fragrance Overload - I totally understand this one. There are women in the gym every morning that seem like they pour a bottle of the stuff over their heads sometimes. I just don't get it. What is attractive about making someone unable to breathe? Sure, you don't smell bad, but you can't be smelled at all because you're making people hold their breaths around you. I personally haven't worn perfume in over a year. I ran out of my favorite and just haven't bought anymore. I think men's cologne smells better than any women's fragrance out there, so every now and then I will use a spritz of R's. He's not a fan of me doing that. Sorry, babe!
• Caked on Foundation - I have always been someone that uses foundation. While my skin isn't awful and I only get the occasion pimple(s) around my lady time each month, I was blessed with my families un-even skin tone. It's nothing crazy and awful to look at, but I guess I am own worst critic (as we all are), and insist that I need foundation. I typically don't wear any makeup during the week, because nobody really sees me, but once the weekend hits, I wear one layer of Cover Girl. And to be honest with you, I don't even know what type it is, because that's how often I wear it.

• Overdone Eyelashes - This is one I have never been able to wrap my head around. Maybe it's because I have naturally long eyelashes? Either way, fake eyelashes don't ever look real. No matter what you do to them, they look fake. I think they should definitely be saved for Halloween and other dress-up events of the sort. I also can't stand the mascara commericals that promise they aren't using fake lashes, and that their product is really giving stars those lashes. Get real! Pretty sure I have seen those stars in other shows/movies and they look nothing like that! Besides, if you're eyelashes are fake, there is bound to be something else fake, right? Or maybe I'm just a mean B.

• Dry Skin - Okay, this one is HARD to deal with, am I right? My skin type would definitely be classified as normal to dry. I know a lot of people complain about oily skin, but the opposite end of the spectrum isn't all rainbows and unicorns, either. I definitely have to make sure I moisturize daily if I want nice skin, and still some times it's not the best. If I'm wearing pants that day, you can forget about it! I'll definitely share my skin care routine with you guys some time, because I have a great facial system that keeps me looking so fresh 'n' so clean, clean.
• A Sloppy Shave - Ding ding ding! This is the one I am guilty of, sometimes. I get my workouts in during the morning hours, so that's also when I shower. I wish I could be one of those people that only needs to shave every 4 days but unfortunately, I shave in the morning and by night, I've got pokies. Not bad, but enough to be annoying. Also because I shower in the mornings, I'm typically in a hurry so I don't get the best shave I probably could. Meh, whatever. There are bigger fish to fry than this one!
• Yellow Teeth - This one goes without saying. I mean really, is there anybody out there that actually likes dark teeth? If there is, I don't want to know them.
• Sticky Lipgloss - Again, I don't even wear the stuff because not even I can stand the stickiness of it. I am definitely a Carmex, Burt's Bees kind of gal. Ladies, your man should not have to wipe his lips of sparkles and glitter after he smooches you.
• Orangy Self-Tanner - It's not a secret that I am as white as they come. I mean really, my mom is from Nebraska and my dad, from London. White girl in the house! I don't tan easily and when I do, I get to a shade and just stay there. Of course I wish I had beautiful olive skin but instead, I'm ashen. There are worse problems than this, of course. I don't fake tan and have used Jergens stuff once. My knees and palms were the beautiful shade of our TX Longhorns jerseys. PS that was in 6th grade so I give myself a pass on that one. Nothing says sexy like Oompa Loompa.

• Stiff Hair - I can't do anything with my hair other than throw it in a clip or leave it down to strangle myself, so I typically don't do anything to it. Natural-ness to me is a touch wavy and scraggly. I got a compliment on it the other day shortly I had just rolled out of bed and brushed it, so I guess it can't be too bad. The only product I ever use besides shampoo and conditioner (daily), is hair spray if I curl it, which hasn't been in about 6 months, and it is never enough to where I can't run my fingers through it.
• Smokey Eye Overload - I don't even know how to do the smokey eye look, let alone put on any eyeshadow, so I'm definitely out on this one. I wish I knew how to do a suttle look, but I would probably never use it anyway. I do think that if you do it correctly, it can look super pretty!
• Bold Lipstick - Okay, maybe I am guilty of two of these. I love the red-lip look on some people. Unfortunately, Raymond hates it. I have done it twice and both times he said he was not a fan. I can see how it can look a little to over-done, but I guess my girly side has to come out every now and then!
• Hair Add-Ins - From the moment I saw the whole feather craze, I was not a fan. Raymond had no idea what I was talking about and the next day he came home and said he tons of girls with them in their hair. I am just not a fan of hair accessories in general. The headbands with huge flowers and stuff... they just seem better suited for little girls, as in 12 and under. And that's not the look I'm going for these days. Also, ix-nay on the whole headband across the forehead thing... I bet that leaves a nice and sexy tan line!
• Neon, Dark, and Patterned Manicures - Again, I don't really do anything to my nails. The toes are usually always a shade of pink or red, and the nails are plain. If there is a special occasion, I might paint them red or a nude shimmer. Nothing special here.

So there ya have it. Am I totally boring because I don't do anything to myself or am I smart because I'm free of most of these mistakes? I suppose it's up for interpretation!

Are you guilty of any of these things? What else do you think women do that men hate?

Quinoa Burgers

You may have already seen these babies running around on Pinterest, but I first found out about them through my aunt. I wasn't expecting to be a fan of them, but they really are delish and have a great flavor and texture! Oh yeah, and it doesn't hurt that they are EXTREMELY good for you. Summer bodies, here we come!

**********

Quinoa Burgers

(Adapted from Eating Well, Living Thin)

Prep Time: 30 minutes (this includes time for cooking the quinoa)

Cook Time: 8 minutes (4 on each side)

Yields: Approximately 10 burgers

Ingredients:

• 2 rounded cups cooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 green onions, including white parts
• 1/2 teaspoon or sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• Olive oil for frying

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, mozz. cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, sugar, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder. Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

**********

(source)

What is the sauce on top of the burgers, you ask? Stay tuned and I'll share it with you guys soon!