Staying on Track with Healthy Planning

From the title I'm sure you can guess what today's post is all about.  Right now just about every woman you know is trying her hardest to get lean, toned and tan for the upcoming bikini months and I'm no exception.  If you follow, you know that I've hired a personal trainer and have been avidly watching my habits on all fronts to get that beach body that we're all lusting over right now. 

However, exercise is only half the battle.  You could exercise your little tush off but if you go home to pre-packaged snacks and bacon you're doomed! Even those of us healthy eaters fall off track from time to time and today I'm going to share what has been most helpful to me during those times you feel you just can't keep it going!

I'm talking about planning...planning your meals, snacks and even beverages is very very important.  In our household, we use weekly meal planners as well as planned grocery lists.  I retrieve a lot of organizational resources from the fantastic website http://www.organizedhome.com/ (you can find printable pages here).  Each week, we plan our meals for 7 days; we will write out the days we plan to dine at a restaurant or even the here and there 'FFY' which is short for "fen for yourself" nights.  The weekly meal planning has several benefits, but the major ones are:

1. Keeps us on track for healthy eating - we're never scrambling and ending up with cheeseburgers.  Since we know our schedules for the week, we know how to plan meals accordingly - crock pot vs. grilling, etc.

2. Grocery bills have been drastically reduced; we know what we're eating and therefore, we know what and how much to buy

3. Ease! I am prepared each night when I get home because I either have a recipe stapled to the meal plan (which hangs on the fridge) or I have the meat defrosting on the counter.  There is no wasted time trying to figure out what to make

I get very excited to make these meals because I'm actually looking forward to what's for dinner that day, I KNOW what we're having. 

I also believe it is a chain of events happening when you plan ahead, because there is no guess work or stressing over 'what's for dinner' you make the right choices time and time again.  I've even found that I have more opportunity to indulge here and there on those items that I really love - margaritas! lol - because I do so well throughout the week with my planned meals that I do not feel guilty on the weekends having one or two or four!

I would recommend writing out breakfast, lunch and dinner - even if you eat the same thing for breakfast every day, write it down and stick to it.  For snacks, plan ahead as well but don't feel you have to eat certain snacks on certain days...get your hands on those great snack sized ziploc baggies and fill each one with some of the following items:
- dozen raw nuts
- cut up veggies
- reduced fat cheese
- fruit slices
- granola (raw)

Instead of saying 'okay on Wednesday I'm eating cheese for a snack' just have these pre-made little baggies in the refrigerator and grab one each day for that mid-day slump at 3pm, or maybe the slump between breakfast and lunch! I also favor the Kashi TLC bars as well as Fiber One bars (if you can handle them).

One last little tidbit that I would like to share with you.  I'm sure you are all well aware of the benefits of water! Yes, good ol' H2O...and hopefully you're getting a good 8 glasses per day.  But what I've learned is most important is when you drink 2 of those 8 glasses per day.  As soon as you wake up, drink a glass of water and right before you go to bed do the same. Water is a natural calorie burner and drinking right before bed helps balance hormone and energy levels, muscles and joints and promotes a better sleep as well as toxin clearing benefits! Drinking upon waking rehydrates your body and gets your metabolism working right away ;)

I hope that you find this information beneficial.  Would love to read your feedback!
xoxo

Smooth Sailing

There is a certain beneficial bounty out there...a deliciously tasty, creamy delight that not only satisfies your taste buds but slims your waistline at the same time? And...it's smoothies  

A "diet" I tried a couple years ago (which, might I add was extreeeeeeemely successful) was the Abs Diet (for Women) by David Zinczenzko, Editor in Chief for Men's Health Magazine.  This so-called diet, which was easier than figuring out 10% off your favorite shorts, did wonders for my post baby body and it really shaped my eating habits entirely.  I have completely changed my food lifestyle since reading the book and several accessory books as well.  That being said, a big factor to this 'diet' are smoothies.  According to Eat This, Not That (another wildly successful publication by same) smoothies "juice your brain, build muscle, burn fat and strengthen your heart in less than a minute"...now who doesn't want that?

Now these smoothies do not include the crapola ones you get a fast food restaurant, they're not Dunkin Donuts Low Calorie Fruit Smoothie chock full of 490 freakin calories and 83 grams of sugar!!! The type of smoothies that whittle the waist and pump the muscles are the ones you make at home (or ones, USUALLY, that are offered at your gym but be careful to watch the ingredient list).  You want to stick to fully natural, fruit/vegetables, protein sources and low sugar liquid add ins. 

The 12 Best smoothie ingredients, according to Eat This Not That:
1. Peanut Butter (ALL NATURAL varieties - look for those words right on the front label)
2. Fat Free Milk (lots of calium and protein...none of the fat)
3. Blueberries (the huge amount of antioxidants have been shown to slow brain decline & reduce memory loss)
4. Low Fat/Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt (Or greek yogurt for added protein + digestion aid and calcium)
5. Raspberries (an antioxidant powerhouse)
6. Fat Free Chocolate Frozen Yogurt (calcium, phosphorous and NONE of the guilt)
7. Pineapple-Orange Juice (OJ has Vita C and Pineapple has a cancer inhibiting, inflammation reducing
enzyme)
8. Cherries (in addition to Vita C and fiber, they have been linked to fighting arthritis pain)
9. Bananas (GOOD carbs, keep you feeling energized)
10. Whey Protein (its essential amino acids help you pack on muscle - and muscles BURN calories!!)
11. Frozen (or fresh) Mangoes - chock full of Vita's A and C and beta carotene which helps prevent cancer
and promotes healhty skin!!!
12. Ice (helps it all blend together nicely)

Here are some of my favorite and very easy smoothie recipes based on those 12 ingredients all between 200 and 300 calories perfect for breakfast or a snack:

-- The Smooth Operator
-- The Mood Maker
-- The Brain Booster

So make yourself a simple smoothie tomorrow for breakfast or bring one to work for that 3pm rut we always find ourselves in...you'll see a change, for sure!

Have any recipes you want to share with me?

Weekend Wrap Up and More...

I hope that all my lovely readers had a wonderful Easter...I know that here in Jersey the weather has been beyond fantastic and it just feels soooo good.  It's literally been perfection.  About 75-79 degrees, slight breeze and all sun! That is good livin right there my friends.  And the forecast predicts similar weather up and until Tuesday of next week! (well, with the exception of potential rain on Friday but I'm ok with that).

Friday was a G R E A T  day for me...I passed my State licensing exam and am officially a real estate agent in the great State of Jerzeeee now! woot woot. I'm so excited to embarq on this new adventure and see where it takes me! I don't plan to invest a ton of time into real estate right away but I am definitely eager to get my feet wet...so if you or anyone you know is planning on buying or selling a home in New Jersey any time soon...

Grandma decided to keep the booger throughout the rest of the night Friday which allotted even more celebratory time for moi - I headed over to my girl Nic's house for some wine antics and gossip and it was very fun! By the way, shout out to Nic, who doesn't even read the damn blog - because she is loook f-i-i-i-i-n-e! Good work on the exercise, eating right and keepin in shape you're doing a great job girl

Saturday we (booger, hubbs and I) headed to the Phila zoo again to enjoy the weather and show the booger a good time.  It was really nice, we all had a great time and stopped at this Ah-mazing buffet on the way home where I gorged like a gluttonous crazy person (ew).

I <3 that one of my boys - booger always does that to hubbs when he's on his shoulders - I don't think he quite understands why you can't walk with your eyes covered, especially when carrying a child.

Here's some more animal shots - that monkey was staring at me for a good 10 minutes lol

Then Sunday, of course, Easter was just as eventful for me - as a mama these sort of Holidays are much more entailing then for those sans kids - you make a HUGE deal about dying eggs, getting to bed for the bunny and then hiding eggs, toys and a basket all over the house all while snapping photos before you even get coffee...Here are some of my favs (after coffee, dressed all nice) and ooh thanks to Ms. E at Strawberry Swing and Other Things for the cutie Arden B. skirt it was perfect for the weather and the occasion:

My Dad came with us, he was so cute!

Me n Boogs and then boogs reachin for Eggs scattered throughout the house with Spidey basket in tow

Had a great weekend with friends and family - looking forward to this week's weather and hopefully staying on track with the gym...the countdown is on ladies only 55 days until Memorial Day aka the begin of swimsuit season

How was your weekend, your Easter? Enjoying the weather?

xoxo

Deeee-lish

Last night I tried a very delicious recipe from the lovely Rachel Ray who has continued to make my life easy with her 30 minute meals.  Now I'm not gonna lie, she tends to call for ingredients that are weird and not easily attainable,  I do a lot of substituting and omitting because I am an ass and can never remember just don't have the time to pick up some things...as I was making these I was certain they weren't going to come out right but they actually came out perfect and I couldn't believe how good they were.

Spicy Potato Pancakes with Holiday Guacamole
Takes about 15 minutes to prepare, 10 minutes to cook

(Makes 6-7, 3" pancakes)

Keep in mind how HEALTHY this recipe is - you're only using 1 sweet potato and 1 avocado...which are both power foods! I tried to be a little stingy with the olive oil because I didn't want them greasy tasting, which they weren't...be sure NOT to use vegetable oil and if you want alternatives to EVOO, try canola/almond/peanut oils

INGREDIENTS:

1 Large Sweet Potato

EVOO

1/2 medium sized sweet onion

1 beaten egg

1/3 Cup Corn Meal, All Purpose Flour or Matzo Meal (I used corn meal)

1 tablespoon Chili Powder

2 teaspoons Ground Cumin

2 teaspoons Paprika

Sea Salt

1 Haas Avocado
1/4 Red Bell Pepper, diced

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 small clove of garlic, pasted with a small amount of salt

Fat free sour cream (optional)

Frank's Red Hot (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

--Peel and shred the sweet potato with a box grater, drain all the excess water (this is very important - get the potato as dry as possible)
--Heat EVOO in a skillet, enough to make a small puddle - about 1/3 cup
--Grate the onion over the bowl of shredded potato, allowing the onion juices to mix in
--Add the beaten egg and corn meal and season with the spices and some salt
You may have to add additional corn meal, you want the pancakes to form together nicely to avoid ending up with hashbrowns rather than panacakes
--Form small pancakes (about 3" in diameter) and place in the hot oil
--Cook until golden brown on both sides (I kept the heat at medium to ensure an even cook through, being careful not to burn)
--While the cakes are cookin, combine the avocado flesh, diced red pepper, lemon juice and garlic paste - either mash by hand or use a small food chopper/processor
--Let the cakes 'de-grease' on a paper towel before serving...serve with the guacamole and (optionally) fat free sour cream mixed with a little Frank's Red Hot sauce

Mangia...

Health & Fitness - Recipe Share

I'm trying to get re-motivated at the gym through an aggressive workout program.  I figured if I promised myself I'd attend certain classes I would have a much better chance following through than if I was just promising to attend the gym at some point.  I like taking classes because they are on a set schedule and for me, it is a good way to keep it interesting.  It avoids wasted time trying to figure out what to do each day, you just show up/listen to someone and leave.  I find that you tend to make good gym friends at the classes as well and they're always great motivation! So here's my aggressive schedule for the next week:

• Thursday - Kickboxing from 5pm to 6pm
• Saturday - Body Pump from 9:15am-10:15amMonday - Body Pump from 5pm-6pm
• Tuesday - Pilates from 6:15-7:15pm
• Wednesday - Body Pump from 6:15-7:15pm

I'll follow this schedule week to week for the next 8 weeks which will bring us to Memorial Day weekend.  I know I will have a much more difficult time maintaining a 5 day/per week gym schedule in the summer since the booger will always want to play outside so I will more than likely go down to 2-3 days per week then. 

So on to the health side, I have decided to give up desserts.  This is an area that I struggle with consistantly.  I cannot seem to resist ice crea, tiramisu, brownies, you name it.  And I know this is reeking havoc on my midsection.  I have extreme difficulty refusing chocolate of any sort and any sweet for that matter so I have made a conscientious decision to give it up completely - as I did meat (which I'm still going strong).  We'll see how this goes.

disclaimer: Rita's Italian Ice does NOT count as a dessert - especially considering it is fat/trans fat/cholesterol free

And in the good spirit of health and fitness, I'm sharing a very yummy and VERY simple concotion that I personally L-O-V-E...mind you, this "recipe" is for 1 serving (because hubbs and booger do not eat fish I usually cook this for moi only)...again, sooooo easy

Ingredients:

--1 Fresh Mahi Mahi filet (or whichever white fish you have handy - mahi mahi is just really good)

--Birds Eye brand Steamfresh bag of Whole Grain Rice (10 oz.)

  

--Birds Eye brand Steamfresh bag of Peas (the package you want is the one that comes with 4 individual serving bags - use one bag for this "recipe")

--Fresh Salsa...like this (which is basically some chopped up tomatoes, jalapenos, red onions, lime juice, cilantro) luckily for me for $4.99 you can pick up a container of this already done for you it's called "Fresh Salsa" lol

--EVOO

--Balsamic Vinegarette (I highly recommend the Good Seasons 'make your own' version because it is beyond good and you can sub half the amount of oil for more water/more balsamic for a less fat version)

--this yummy delish perfection seasoning: McCormick's Perfect Pinch Lemon Pepper - or any Lemon Pepper seasoning (even the ones from the dollar store work great)

And for the easiness:

1. 
   
   Cook the rice as directed on the package (in the microwave...oh yeah)
2. 
   
   Cook one serving of the peas as directed on the package (in the microwave...oh yeah again) 
3. 
   
   Heat up a skillet so that its pretty damn hot and add a little EVOO
4. 
   
   While that's heating up, rub a little EVOO on the mahi mahi and sprinkle some of that yummy seasoning on it (rubbing it in) and do this on each side, coating it generously
5. 
   
   Put the filet on the heated skillet and cook on each side basically until its seared and cooked most of the way (approx 4 minutes on each side)
6. Add half the rice and the entire bag of peas and drizzle with the yummy bals vinegarette dressing (drizzle, DONT drench) and basically cut up the fish filet with a spatula so that's its flaky and combed through
7. Plate the dish and throw a few tablespoons of the fresh salsa mix on top -- VOILA!!!

There you go - a super yummy and ridiculously easy 'recipe' courtesy of Maria ;)

Dressing Professionally...and an update

First I'll start with the update...I'm going 13 days strong without eating meat.  I must say, I can definitely feel a difference...I haven't experienced that "stuffed" feeling since I've given up meat and overally I just feel healthier.  Maybe it is all in my head and I'm just 'trying' to feel differently but either way it is working.  I must say, though, I do have a downside to not eating meat.  I subconsciously have convinced myself that since I don't eat meat I can substitute that absence with the presence of chocolate...umm, yeah no not a great idea.  I'm still working on this people.  I didn't make it to the gym this morning because the booger was up all night with the shits, yeah that was awesome.  I will, however, make it to the gym tomorrow night for the kickboxing class.  I missed pilates yesterday because I went to visit my new second cousin in law, Abigail and boy is she precious. My bestie is home now too which is also mucho exciting for moi. (like how I just used french and spanish in the same sentence).

Now that I've updated you on my life, because we all know that's what you were anxiously awaiting.  Today my focus is dressing for the office and what rules apply.  Let me preface by saying, I work in a business casual atmosphere and I am going to focus on that sort of environment. Congratulations to miss Jessica for getting her first 9-5er at Aflac :)

Business casual can be simply defined as clean, comfortable and easy.

1. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever wear a bare leg.  I don't care if it's 300 degrees outside and you're sweating bullets.  In my opinion, a bare leg is not acceptable for work.  Always wear some sort of leg cover whether they're nude, black, whatever.  I prefer thigh highs because I do not fancy the over spill that pantyhose causes me in the midsection, but that's a preference.  Obviously, in the winter you would switch to tights. 

2. On that note, skirts.  I LOVE me a good pencil skirt and own about 8 of them in various designs. These are perfect for work wear. And whether you prefer a straight skirt or A line, the skirt length is important.  Around the knee length, not much longer and not much shorter either.  Take into account what length the skirt will be at when you are seated, legs crossed.  It my be appropriate while standing but if you sit and it scoots up to the coochie, that's a no go. 

3. Avoid sky high stilettos.  Honestly, I can hardly believe I'm saying this as I adore a 5" Louboutin pump (adore, not own it's a recession folks). Not only are they not practical but they're a bit overzealous for work.  You're not out on the town with your girls you're more than likely in a cubicle or office with mostly men who will certainly judge you like a street walker for wearing 'em.  I believe sticking to a 3" or lower heel is more than appropriate.  If you must take it to 3.5" that's ok.  And the higher the heel, the longer your bottoms should be (i.e stick to pants with real high heels or opt for a longer pencil skirt)

4. Tops. This, you would think, is obvious.  No, it is not okay to show your bubbies at work.  You are a career woman not a cocktail waitress and you should be taken seriously.  (I know, I sound like a fem bot) But it's true.  You can absolutely look gorge without showing the ta-ta's so just don't do it.  I, every single day, wear a tight fitting tank under every sweater, blouse, top, etc. just so that even if it is low cut the cleave is avoided and if you bend over and its a bit baggy, there's no peep show.

   Don't do it









5. Pants/Shorts. Here is where opinions may vary on what is acceptable.  Obviously, a clean cut dark pant is the easiest way to go (i.e. Express' Editor Pant) because it looks very professional and will match basically anything.  Khaki is great too but shouldn't be worn in the winter (imo) as it is a 3 season color if you ask me.  In the warmer months, shorten the pant to ankle or even calf and in the summer opt for a bermuda length short (shorts that reach the knee) don't ever wear your Jersey shore shorts to work, ever! Leggings - I think leggings are acceptable for work SO LONG AS THEY ARE BLACK and WORN WITH A TUNIC (oversized cardigan, etc)...don't show up at 9am with your leggings and waist length top.  That's not ok.

6. Dresses. I wear a lot of dresses, especially in the summer.  Get your hands on as many very cute, short sleeved boleros and cropped cardigans as you can.  These will take all of your summer dresses to work appropriate attire. You need to 'feel out' your own workplace and see what works because for me, I can wear a bare shoulder without a problem but in a more corporate setting that won't be acceptable.  Again, do not forget to cover the leg and don't forget to add a tank of some sort if the dress is v-neck.  The length rule above prevails.  You will know what's approprite.  If you can feel a breeze on your buttcrack its toooo short.  Its good to get a second opinion on length if you can because I know I've convinced myself that certain lengths were ok, when they weren't. 

7. Miscellaneous.  I do not agree with standardized opinions that you have keep your makeup boring and basic.  I've worn a smokey eye to work and I personally think that's fine.  Although I don't wear a lot of makeup to begin with, well I do, but it doesn't look like I do.  Obviously you need to avoid glitter at all costs and should stray from a bright red lip or statement falsies.  When it comes to accessories...I say it depends on the outfit.  If you're wearing a black dress, black pumps I think its more than fine to wear a statement necklace, but keep the earrings simple at that point.  It's all about balance.  Don't walk in with 20 bangles, hoops and an eleaborate necklace with a cocktail ring.
 
Headbands are more than fine so long as it is not overdone...this is acceptable

                                                        this is NOT acceptable

Balance, Balance, Balance my ladies.  It is important to be stylish, but comfortable.  It is important to look like a professional but keep your femininity.  The days of high end structured suits are gone.  You can look just as amazing at work as you would for a night out on the town...just don't choose the same outfit for both occassions.

If I missed something, let me know.  Share your opinions and ask me questions! Would love to hear the feedback.

Sweet...it's Manday

A loooonnng overhaul for me today followers, I was out of work on Friday due to the snow...yes snow, can you believe it, I was shocked too! not. I'm so over the winter its not even funny.  I'm sick of black and grey and I have really cute white pumps I want to rock, immediately but due to the whole "White Rule" I can't and it makes me angry.  For now I am dreaming of coral, yellow and pink but hopefully it will soon be reality. 

All that aside, Thursday night I took an AWESOME kickboxing class at my gym.  I absolutely love the instructor (whose pilates class I take on Tuesday's) and the class kicked my assss big time! I was dripping sweat 10 minutes into the class and that's what I call a workout.  I skipped the gym on Friday because I shoveled snow for a good 2 hours and that's what I call the suckiest part of my day a good core workout!  So my exercise over the weekend was pretty nice.  Unfortunately I couldn't get my lazy butt out of bed for 6:45am Saturday yoga (again)...maybe next weekend? Eh hem, although I was in fact at the gym this morn at 6am.

The weekend was well, mediocre.  We were basically 'snowed in' on Friday but we ventured out later in the day to hang with my bestie's mama dukes (heyyyy Joan) which turned into a whole entire night of eating Kashi pizza and drinking 2 magnums of red wine...yes you read that right, two magnums.  It was a good time. 

Mi mama's cumpleanos was Saturday so we had her over for dinner yesterday for a lovely seafood extravaganza and capped out the night with some good ol' closing ceremony action followed by Desperate Housewives! The only shopping I did this weekend was for groceries and new tires, unfortunately.  So no exciting purchases to share.

After today's man parade, I'm going to come back later and discuss an inspired topic....Workplace Fashion Rules so stay tuned :) .... I know, terribly cheesy but I couldn't resist.  And now back to our regularly scheduled program featuring the scrumptious Ryan Reynolds and if possibly there's some god for saken reason you don't know him - he's a gorgeous actor married to Scarlett Johansson who's been in some great movies...Smokin' Aces, Waiting, The Proposal, Xmen: Origins and some stints on SNL (he used to be engaged to Alanis Morrisette):

KWEENO, KICKBOXING AND ANN TAYLOR

Quinoa (pronounced kwee-no) -- a fabulous nutritional grain, cereal like.  Nutritionally MUCH better than even brown rice.  It's protein content is unusually high (12-18%) and unlike rice it contains a very balanced set of essential amino acids for humans which again, makes it a complete protein source.  A great source of dietary fiber, gluten free and easy to digest.  To make quinoa, you have to first soak the grains in hot water for a good 5 minutes in order to remove the bitter outer coating called saponins after soaking you will drain all the water (using a mesh strainer if you have one as the grains are very small) you then cook to a rolling boil and once boiling, cover with a tight lid and let simmer for 15 minutes.  After same, take the pot off the heat (still covered) for 5 minutes, fluff with fork after and you're set. 

I had this with my dinner last night and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at both the taste and the texture.  Now, when I boiled it I substituted the water for chicken broth and there are TONS of tasty recipes online.  Try it.

This is what the uncooked quinoa looks like...similar to pastina if you've ever had that. 

I found THIS great recipe that I'm going to have for lunch today.



On to other news, SURPRISE its snowing again today! Shocker.  I mean, when is it going to stop already? I have 3 ready to pop pregnant friends and I don't believe that a blizzard is very good 'I'm on my way to the hospital' weather.  So enough already.

I'm taking a kickboxing class tonight at 5pm (will probably get my own butt kicked) but will let you know how it goes.  I cannot say enough how much I really loved that pilates class on Tuesday...my abs are still burning! I know if I continue to take the class each week I'll definitely see an improvement.  I'm hoping they add a 2nd convenient class that I can take.  I've decided that Mon, Wed, Fri I'll do the 6am gym and Tuesdays and Thursdays I'll take a class at night.  Will keep you updated on my progress!

I know this post hasn't been tooo exciting but I just had to share my excitement for this new food as well as the fitness updates!  For my fashion and beauty segment today, I'm going to share my rant about Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft.  Let me start by saying this is one store I always looked at as an 'older' store - I always thought it was a store that women in their late 30's and early 40's shopped at to look somewhat cute and on trend.  I was a very sadly mistaken young girl when I thought this.  The oh-so-adorable Chloe at Chloe's Conspiracy has me HOOKED on Ann Taylor. 

However, my dears, I very quickly came to shocking revelation #1 - I cannot afford to shop at this store, not even on sale I mean, some stuff has ok prices, $39.99 isn't bad for a nice cardigan but $128 for a statement necklace or $88 for a shell? 
They just have the most adorable, feminine, gorgeous pieces of everything - they have very cute jewelry and their ruffly, flowery, girly colored tops are to die for.  Here is my "want list" of Ann Taylor items that if anyone really loved me lots would get for me!! btw my B-diddy is 12/31, my Anniversary is 7/25,  Christmas is ALWAYS 12/25 and Easter this year is 4/4...K thanks, xoxo

Holy Bejesus Whirlwind

10:31am and already a shit storm of stuff going on today! Well I didn't get up for the gym this morning folks...and not because I'm lazy but because it was rainy and snowy and since I don't have class tonight I decided I'm going to take a 6pm pilates class tonight instead :::Jaime you know you want to come with me::: I do mediocre pilates at home and while I'm certainly no expert I'm not afraid to try a new class but having a little moral support helps in case I look like a total arse who doesn't know how to do it, I'll have company :)

That being said, on to my shit storm (and let me preface by saying none of it is really earth stoppingly exciting but more like "holy cow that's a lot of shit for 1 hour") -- so first my boss tells me that our next project is going to be opening up a burger and mexican joint - okay, I'm in - I don't eat meat anymore but I like me a good roasted vegetable fajita so that works for me.  Then my doll of a friend, Dana told me she started a blog today - YAYYY!!! Here's her masterpiece Then my other friend Jaime (same girl who will be joining me for pilates tonight, rigth Jaim?) told me she got a fabulous new job that pays well and has lots of opportunity so that's great news for her (and me, because now I'll make her buy the drinks when we go out)...my other friend told me she just did very well on an interview last week and quite possibly has the job (way to go Nic)...and last but not least I had one hell of a good breakfast this morning! So I've had a great 9am-10:30am day thus far, woot woot.

Speaking of that same breakfast -- let me share because it was heavenly.  It was this:

with a small handful of these:

and about 2 tablespoons of this:

Not even joking - it was a party in my mouth, tasted like a heavenly dessert.  And for less than 150 calories and repeat with me now, ZERO GRAMS OF FAT!!!! and repeat this part too FIFTEEN GRAMS OF PROTEIN.
I   a m   s o   s m a r t ,   s - m - r - t

I am going to post later with some shopping, product reviews and other F&B lovin but just wanted to say hi real quick