Back to School

Alright, I'm not going back to school obviously, but after a week off and returning to the office on the first day of the new fiscal year... it does feel a little bit like the first day of school, which of course means I'm wearing a cardigan and curled my hair this morning. :-) Even the weather seems to know it's back to school time - the air is a little crisp this morning... and with yesterday being Labor Day, well... I'd say it's about time for fall.

But before I officially say goodbye to summer, here is my Labor Day recap:

Monday is normally the day I have training with Vinny, and thankfully the holiday didn't change that - at 8am Sarah and I were going at it... we've been training with Vinny since what, December? Of course there was a break because of my knee surgery, but I'm still amazed that after 8 months or so, he still comes up with new exercises for us to do. I don't know if it's because I didn't eat any starch the day before, or if I was just pushing myself extra hard, or what, but half way through I thought I was going to puke. Guess I got my money's worth! It was a really good session though. I really enjoy starting the week off with training.

Then because the club was running on a holiday schedule, Sarah had to teach a Zumba class immediately after training, so I went to that too! I had so much fun spending my morning exercising, but I sure was hungry (and very smelly) by the time I got home.

Lunch was a Seetha-approved meal that Andy and I enjoyed outside (thanks to our landlord's table and chairs).

Boca patty w/curry saurkraut, carrots, greek yogurt dip, and salad w/goat cheese and blackberries

Andy had the starch version with a sandwich thin

Besides a quick trip to the airport to pick up Anna and Lisa (welcome back!), I spent the rest of the afternoon helping Andy hang things up on the walls. I will say I'm rather proud of the things I did while on vacation. There's still a LOT of unpacking to do, but it's starting to feel more "home-y" which is very good.

Breakfast bar wall FINALLY done! (just need some wine bottles)

Free table in all her glory

View from dining room into kitchen

Andy made the hanging baskets!

You'll also notice on the wall behind the breakfast bar we added a rod that is now holding our most used pots and pans so we don't have to dig them out all the time. Very cool!

That night we had Anna and Lisa over for dinner - who really wants to cook dinner after getting off an airplane? And of course, being Labor Day, we were pretty much required to use our new grill.

Anna supervising the grilling of the romaine

Anna and Lisa being adorably creepy. :-)

Seetha-approved dinner!

Love of my life... Man of my dreams... hahaha

All in all, a pretty awesome Labor Day. Now back to reality.... hopefully my new zen life will help me feel better about going to work. Haha. Good one!

Week Off - The End

Time for the wrap-up of my week off. I actually don't have to go back to Job #1 tomorrow (thank you Labor Day!!), but I'm already mourning my return to work. If only I could win the lottery...

Ok so we have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to cover.

Friday: Went to Sarah's Zumba class (yay!) with Lisa (double yay!). I'm really proud that I went because I have actually felt mildly sick this entire week. After class I was sad to have to retire the pants I wore - I noticed during the stretching portion at the end that the crotch seam was hanging on by a thread. I know it seems silly to mention, but I was sad to say goodbye to these pants as they are my favorites and have done several half marathons with me.

Farewell Pants!!!

I also finished my coffee bag art, hung them on the wall, and hung some other pictures as well.

Still need to put the wine holders up in the space in the middle

That night Andy and I went out to dinner and then we decided to go to Lowes to see what their grill situation was. Our two biggest reasons we wanted to move (besides to get out of the ghetto) was for our own washer and dryer and to be able to grill outside. Well.... check both boxes 'cause we got a grill!!

Will and Rose came over that night to see the new grill and we ended up making s'mores and talking about our family pets. Will's family had to put down their 16 year old Beagle, Rumble, that morning and he was understandably upset. Andy and I each talked about Comet (Andy's childhood dog) and my beloved Phoebe. It was such a sad conversation... even though 5 years have passed for both Andy and I, we still got really sad just talking about it. I firmly believe saying goodbye to a pet is one of the hardest things you ever have to do. Ugh, I'm going to cry just typing this! Ok, but I must mention one more.... Sassy, the cat I was lucky enough to spend 2 weeks with this summer, joined Rumble, Comet, and Phoebe this weekend as well. :-( I feel so bad for Sarah and her family - 5 years later and the memories still seem fresh for me, so I can only imagine what they are all feeling at this moment. Please keep Will and family and Sarah and family in your thoughts!

Ok, moving on...

Saturday: Worked Job #2 - holy cow was it busy. Then I had a meeting with Seetha. Seetha is a new trainer at the club who also specializes in nutrition. Anna actually met with her on Thursday and after rave reviews, I was excited to hear what she would have to say to me. The meeting was a little sad - when she told me not to measure my food, I honestly said, "How do I eat if I can't measure?" She seemed confused, and I said (voice shaking), "I don't know how to eat food." There's so much truth in that - I'm not even sure I realized that's how I felt - but I'm ready to learn and I'm excited to follow Seetha's instructions for me for this week.

- Sleep: go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, while getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night

- Food: try to replace starches with dairy, don't measure anything, and if I feel like I might binge, give myself permission to do so, but set a time limit

- Exercise: try to exercise at the same time each day and do yoga (20 minutes) 3 times a week

That night Andy and I went to the grocery store and then cooked our first dinner on the new grill. It was delicious!!!

Grill Master Brown

Grilled Zucchini

mmmmm.... steak

I should quickly add - the grill we got was originally $299, but thanks to a couple of rust spots on the lid (who cares?!?), we got it for 50% off!! And on top of that, Andy's parent's had given us a $25 gift card, so really it was $125! The cheapest crappiest grill they sold at the store was $99, so I'd say we got a heck of a deal.

Sunday: State Fair Day!!!! We left early in the morning and spent the afternoon at the State Fair! It was very hot and very crowded... not as enjoyable as it has been in the past because of that, but I'm still glad we went. Here are some highlights from the trip.

Crazy Goat!!

I touched one :-)

Baby Pigs!

Ok and my favorite part of the fair was... THE GOAT COSTUME COMPETITION!!!! It was like Toddler's and Tiara's with goats. Perfect. And thank you Andy for sitting through it - I completely understand that was not your cup of tea. :-)

Pirate and Parrot Goat

Labor Day Goat

French Painter and Canvas Goat

Little Bo Peep and her Sheep Goat

I don't know who won (Andy sat through most of it but eventually couldn't stand it anymore). My favorite was the pirate with the parrot goat. Moving on...

Suzy Bunny!

Butter Sculpture

I didn't have any of this

While those looked rather tempting, I managed to stick to Seetha approved foods at the fair - salad with chicken, fruit salad, and some of Andy's apple dumpling - I only had parts of the apple and ice cream... not crust (starch). Success!

And now it's Sunday night... I'm doing laundry.... about to head to the store to get some Seetha approved foods.... and will probably call it an early night. The fair wore me out! All in all, a good week off. I got a decent amount accomplished and am feeling much better about our new place.

Week Off - Part 2

Ok, "Week Off - Part 2" is really just 'What I did on Thursday,' but I thought I'd go ahead and keep the theme.

After getting my desk set up, some drawers organized, and my blog updated, I decided it was time to take this week of vacation up a notch and do something, well... vacation-y.

Hello Pool!

Alright so I'll be honest... I wore a skirt over my bathing suit (which was a tankini) the entire time because I just felt too self conscious to expose my legs. And because of that, I also didn't go into the pool, which I'm pretty sad about because it was so hot and the pool looked so good. It would be one thing if I didn't work there (this pool is at Job #2)... but I just can't bring myself to be in a bathing suit in front of my coworkers and members I see every time I work, at least not right now.

Well friends... I had a phone date with Rebecca while laying out, and let's just say.... I stayed out too long.

Oops

I love the sun, but clearly it was not loving me!

The rest of the day was spent picking up supplies for my latest home decor project. When Andy got home he helped me with it!

Used Coffee Bag Art!

I got some canvas bags that were used to ship coffee - these things are legit... un-roasted coffee beans were still falling out of them! We cut the bag down, stretched in on a blank canvas, and stapled it down. Tada!!! I think it looks pretty cool.

This morning I made another one (the bag has a different print on it). I thought this was all I would do, but now I've decided they need a little something more so I'm going to get some furniture tacks and nail them around to make a border. I think that will look cool (hopefully). Tonight when Andy gets home he has claimed that he will finally help me hang some things on the walls. Once that gets done I will definitely be posting more room reveal pics!

Alright, time to go to the hardware store for tacks, then to Sarah's Zumba class with Lisa, then... more pool? I know I know! I'm still red, but it's soooo nice out and I have a magazine I didn't finish looking at yesterday. I'll wear sunscreen!! It's my last official day of vacation after all... gotta make the most out of it!

Week Off - Part 1

Hi! I'm here! I can't believe I've abandoned the ol' blog for an entire week. But there's a decent reason...

I haven't been at work! Yes it's true - I typically update while at Job #1. HR notified me not too long ago that I had more vacation days than I thought, so I'm off this week! It's the last week of our fiscal year, so it's use 'em or lose 'em. I'm perfectly happy to take a week off. :-)

Here's what's been going on...

Friday: Yoga after work. Sadly Kristin was not feeling so stellar, so she had to leave halfway through, but I'm still glad we did it. :-) That night we got a surprise call from Andy's parent's asking if we wanted to meet them for dinner. We happened to have dinner near a casino, and you know me... I can't resist!

I won $11!!!

Future MOI - Cindy

Future FOI - Larry

Saturday: Worked at Job #2. Then tackled the basement. Room reveal!!

Shelves - righthand section is all wedding stuff!

Work bench

I SCRUBBED that wall - it was gross

I still owe you guys a picture of the laundry zone down in the basement. I felt really good about the work I did down there - not only getting it organized, but also taking care of lots of cobwebs (picture me psychotically brushing my arms anytime something touched me), and using zip ties to get the wires/cables tucked up nicely into the ceiling.

Sunday: Trip to Pittsburgh!!!!! I really needed to get to an IKEA to get a ton of candleholders for the wedding, but of course while we were there, Andy and I got some things for our new place.

At a gas station we stopped at - we shared one!

Mecca

The drive to Pittsburgh is 4.5 hours. Then we spent 4.5 hours in Ikea (could have stayed longer but the store was closing). And of course a 4.5 hour drive home. It was a LONG day, but totally worth it! I already want to go back!

Monday: Training with Vinny and Sarah (fun and hard). Then rest of the day was spent working on the place. Although these areas aren't finished, here's a sneak peak at the living room and another look at our dining room. Feel free to admire our new rugs.

Living Room - new rug and pillows

Dining Room - new rug

Dining Room - add curtains, plants, and decor!

Living Room - another new pillow

Monday was very fun and productive. :-)

Tuesday: Hair appointment... got some low lights this time.

Tada!

Best part about getting my hair done is getting to talk to my hair dresser. She just got married two weeks ago, so it was fun to hear all about her wedding. :-) I had to work at Job #2 that evening so I didn't get a whole lot else accomplished, although I did put my Seattle pictures in some frames... can't wait to hang them up!

Pictures I got last time I was home in WA

Wednesday: Worked on unpacking the bedroom... I'm amazed at how long it takes to do things... I really spent a lot of time in there, but I still can't really tell you what all I did (besides going through and organizing my jewelry). That evening was another Food Truck Rodeo! Kristin picked me up and we met Anna, Lisa, Will, Rose, and Andy there.

Hard to see... but this is the Food Truck Rodeo

Kristin, Babs, and empanadas!

Anna,  Lisa, and beer!

After the Food Truck Rodeo, everyone came back to see our new place, and then we played "The Game of Things" - Katie, this is still your game! Do you want me to mail it to you??

Thursday: We're all caught up now! This morning I uncovered and cleaned off my desk, hence, the blog update. In a bit I have a phone date with Rebecca. I can't wait to hear about how her first week back in college is going. Speaking of first days, today is my mom's first day of school with students. Good luck mom!!!

Ok friends, I'll add a quick note to say I have been eating like Mama June from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo... thankfully focusing on the house is keeping my mind occupied, because if I stopped to think about how I feel in my skin, well... I'd be pretty depressed right now. So far, ignoring the problem is keeping me going for now. I do intend to get back on track... soon...

Stay tuned for more frequent updates now that I've got a work space set up again. :-)

BargainBabs

Hi all - somehow there was a glitch and my post from yesterday was never published... so for the record, my "Power Outage" post was written on Thursday. Here are my thoughts for today...

I'm feeling better today. Not because I weigh less (in fact I weigh even more... I have gained 4+ pounds this week). No, it's definitely not that. It's because I have a new plan. You know how I like my plans.

New plan! Weigh myself once a week (encouraged strongly by Sarah, (thank you Sarah)), document all food that goes into my mouth, but try not to worry about what goes in quite as much. A more relaxed approach if you will. At this point I now have (at least) 21 pounds to lose before the wedding. But that is 358 days/51 weeks away, so as long as I lose about a half pound a week, I'll be just fine. I can afford the relaxed approach. Now don't get me wrong, this is going to be SOOOOOOO hard for me to do. It is not in my nature to be laid back and take it easy - to me that translates to lack of control - but I'm really going to try because I do think there's a lot of good in this method of living if I can just become comfortable with it.

Moving on.

Last night Andy and I had quite the adventure. We were able to borrow a truck to go pick up a free dining room table and bench (no chairs) that I found on Craigslist. To say the place was shady would be an understatement. Andy is still convinced there are drugs stashed in the legs of the table. But I don't care! I think it's a great table! And you certainly can't beat the price! FREE!!!!

New (to us) table and bench!

For now we're using the chairs from our old table. I think they work well together! Did I mention that I got this table and bench for FREE??!?!?!

Andy and I started enjoying the new addition this morning. We camped out, one on each end... I left the room for two seconds and when I came back, I laughed because we had a mirror image situation going on.

We are such dorks

Our old table would have made dual computing too cramped, so I'd say so far the new table is working out quite well.

Alright kiddos, I'm heading to yoga again tonight with Kristin, working at Job #2 tomorrow morning, and then thanks to a handful of vacation days I had left (use em or lose em) I will have some time to seriously unpack and get this place more functional. Prepare yourselves for some more exciting room reveals!

I'm having a power outage

I have no will power. I don't even have wedding power at this point. Went for a little walk outside today around 11:00am (counting so far as my exercise for the day), saw my reflection in a building, cried a little... let's just say the 'goings on' in my head are not so great right now. I talked to my mom for a bit and she told me I just need to relax and not try so hard. I know she's right... somehow I have to get out of this "all or nothing" mindset. I'll try again tomorrow...

But pushing my internal sadness aside, I had a very happy night last night. Anna came over to see our new place and have dinner - she is busy packing/moving so making dinner for her was my way of trying to help her out! Time for tacos!!

Taco Time!

Andy made it home in time for tacos too. And what better way to finish off a taco dinner than... a homemade pickle!

The pickles are ready!

Anna was the official tester

Andy did a really good job! They taste like... well they taste like pickles (although rather spicy). Success! Andy is now the master of poached eggs, water kefir, and pickles. A very random list, but hey, most guys can only make toast and cereal, so I'd say he's ahead of the pack.

Alright sorry to make this so short but I've got to hang it up and see if I can figure some sort of truck transportation situation for tonight... I found a free dining room table on Craigslist today and they've had a lot of other people wanting it too, so I have to figure out a way to actually pick it up fast, or I'm going to lose it! Wish me luck. :-/