Chi Vuole Cotto, Chi Vuole Crudo

It basically means to each their own.

I was reading an article about one woman's views on what she is happy to pay full price for. I agreed with some of her points. Then, with others, I would think I would never spend the extra money on that. e.g. designer handbag. It got me thinking because everyone has a different set of acceptable splurges. Here are a few of mine -


Athletic shoes - Quality is important and if you take care of your feet, they'll take care of you. Not just any pricey pair is going to do the trick. A person needs to understand how they run/walk and what their needs are. This guide is a good starting point.




Wardrobe Staples - Sensible shoes, pant suit, slacks, jeans, etc. These need to fit well, and be of good quality. Not to sale that these can't or shouldn't be bought on sale or on clearance, just stick with quality.

It's easy to change things up with an inexpensive tops or accessories. Personally, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, JC Penny's and Goodwill have been great places to find fillers.
Bras are another thing worth the price. Again, I try to wait for sales, but women just need good bras. I think if a woman is a C cup or above the cheap bras sadly just don't cut it.




Insurance/Safety - Car, home, health, dental, renter's, etc. After my experiences NEVER skimp on insurance. There are many types of insurance and what each person needs depends on their life situation. It's so important to evaluate and make sure there is enough coverage AND it's being used. If you're not using your flex spending, why have it? Which leads to another problem of having too much insurance. It's all about looking at individual situations and figuring out what's best. Agents can help and there are many articles online to read as well.
Safety is huge! Not everything can be prevented but let's do what we can. It's worth it to invest in a good helmet, reflectors, hydration method, and gloves if someone is getting series about cycling. It doesn't guarantee anything but it does reduce risks.



Home/Personal Care - 
Good Vacuum - clean floors, keeps carpets in better conditions, so many reasons
Razors - it's just not worth the nicks, and I've learned the men's razors are so much better than women's
DO - Yes we all need some DO for our BO. It's important to buy what works for a person.

Soaps - Some soaps. This is all relative. We buy the inexpensive hand soap that works well. I also learned to make homemade liquid laundry soap that is super cheap and works really well. Though I've found that some lower cost body soaps don't do as well.


These are some of my thoughts. What about you?? I'm so curious.

Please post on what's important to you and why - even if you disagree with me.

Circuits, treadmills and weights, Oh my!!!

Working part time has meant an increase in my gym time! When my work ends, I have a few hours before I can pick up Hubby. I could goof around but mostly I end up at a branch of my gym down the street from work.

It’s given me more time to work out - at my body’s pace. Even now I can’t say my pace because I don’t want to own it. (I can’t/don’t to admit to being that slow and weak!)

To stave off boredom, I've found/developed different circuit and weight routines online. Another must is switching machines. (As much as I love the sliptical.) I tried having a 'rule' that I couldn't use the same cardio machine two days in a row. The unraveling of this rule came from only having three options: treadmill, elipitical and recline bike. I settled into a pattern very quickly, which isn't good for my cardio workouts right now.

I'm back to the drawing board for cardio workout 'rules'. Have any good ones you care to share?

It’s an uphill path but I am happy to say I can say, I feel I am making some very, very small bits of progress. I can use the machines for a little bit longer and on some weight lifting exercises I can do another set.

It feels like I spend a large part of my day at the gym but it will be worth the effort.

At least that's what I'm hoping for.

En-ie min-ie mine-ie mo, to which gym shall we go?

New place is GREAT. It doesn’t come with a gym room, so we had to search for somewhere else to work out.

Yes, I did try the work out at home. It doesn’t work for me. One video yes that’s fine but to really get the workout I need, I need the social atmosphere and pressure. My hubby would be just fine working out at home but is being encouraging by coming to the gym with me after work.

There was a lengthy search and comparison of local gyms. Here’s a few of the options we found.

Option A – 45 $ a month per person year long contract

Pros - Shiny new facility, lap pool, classes, racquet ball courts, decent amount of weights and cardio, clean locker rooms, kind of close to home and even has a Jacuzzi.

Cons – 90 $ a month on the gym, are you kidding me!? Oh and you’re not going to waive the pricey start up fees?!

Plus they didn’t have personal tvs on each cardio machine. Not required just nice. Lets take a look around. Hmmm most of the people, I mean almost all men, doing weights look like they live there or were juicing.

Option B – 10 $ a month no start up fee month to month

Really cheap, only ten dollars a month. Now we know for only ten dollars a month we would not be getting all the extras but that's fine, we don't need racquet ball courts or jacuzzis.

Online it looked like it had everything we needed. The real world experience was made me want to take a shower. The stale smell of gym socks and latent sweat assaulted us when we walked in the ‘gym’.

It was a converted warehouse which lacked ventilation and had a women’s locker room straight from a creepy slasher movie. The machines were old and in disrepair. We got out of there as fast as we could because it was clear that was not the gym for us.

Option C – 20 $ a month, 30 $ start up fee, yr long contract, 40 $ yearly fee

Pros – 1 person can by the pass and always bring a guest, in fact the gym encourages it. Use of multiple gyms. One is on the way home for us, another is down the street from my work. Personal TV’s on cardio machines. Clean gyms and locker rooms.

Cons – No classes, year long contract, yearly maintenance fee and no pool.

Option D – 10 or 15 $ each, yr long contract, 30 $ start up fee

An ok gym with 2 branches. It had classes but they wouldn’t work with our schedule or we would have to pay even more for them. It had personal TV’s but wasn’t well ventilated, had below par locker rooms, no pool and was out of our way on the way home. It was pretty cheap but overall not worth it.

In the end we went with Option C. I can work out after work because I work part time and we stop into the gym right on our way home. Also the gym by my work was waiving the start up fee, so we saved 30 dollars. We’ve had the membership for almost three weeks and we’re happy with our choice. It’s been worth our money and time.

Thrifting

As we are increasing our workouts, we need more workout clothes. The thing is, I’m picky about my pants. The ones I like are usually around 20 dollars at Costco and much more anywhere else.

I’d like to have a set of workout clothes for Mon – Fri to make the work week less stress full. Adding laundry to an already Wednesday, yeah I’d like to avoid that.

Anyway, the cost of getting all new work out clothes was too much for this penny pincher. Lucky for me there is a Goodwill store near work and a few college campuses.

I was able to find 4 pairs of work out pants that I like plus a new work out T shirt for the cost of buying one pair of new work out pants. All my new workout pants are in great condition and now I have enough to get through the work week without needing to do laundry.

Employment Update

I am now working part time for the same education research company I was temping for, and have been working here since I started temping. I am hoping to get hired onto another project so I can be working full time but for now I spend more time in the gym. (more on that later.) The hubby is liking his job and he is working full time.

I have the best job, for now anyway

Seriously I very much enjoy my job! Through an temp agency, I have been placed in a wonderful company.

My main tasks center around being a secretary, which is not too demanding but keeps me busy. The great things about my job are that I am get to stay up to date on educational issues and I have had time to learn the new NVivo program. Through work I have found many educational issue blogs that offer a wealth of information about the common core project, research to identify bullies, congress's action to make for profit colleges more accountable for placing their graduates so they can pay for their degree (a very good thing), Secretary Duncan's attempt to learn student's perspective on education as well as the competition for race to the top funding. If you haven't read up on them, I say do it!

This stuff is fascinating and soo far reaching. These choices impact education for millions of people. During our commute home, my loving husband listens to me ramble on about what I learned that day, when I have time to read up on things that is. I have been debating posts about these kinds of issues, so you will probably see some.

I also get to take time to learn the new features of NVivo - a wonderful program that has countless applications but most often used in qualitative research. The new edition includes the ability to code pictures and videos as well as increased usability for survey research. All of which are far different then going through word documents to look for themes. It has taken many tutorials to learn some new features, but well worth it. I have also been able to give a little input on using this program because it's relatively new to people in this company.

Sadly, the person's who place I took is coming back from leave. Sad because she went through something just horrible. She is taking some time to recover a little and then she'll be back. I'm hoping to find a permanent place here but noting is set in stone yet. I'll keep you updated on how things progress.

Memorial Day Bliss

In a nice twist, we both had the day off and got to enjoy the day together. It consisted of sleeping in late, going to the gym and relaxing on the beach. Sleeping in was a treat and we both enjoyed a nice work out. In the afternoon, we took off to Nahant to take in the wonderful beaches we had heard were there. After some searching, we found a parking spot kind of close to the beach and grabbed out stuff from the trunk. This included beach towels, more sun screen, cards, a sand castle bucket and water.

We left the bag on the sand and headed towards the water. I was a little nervous about it being too cold so I carefully waded into the water. My husband was much more adventurous, went out deeper into the water and sat down to get acclimated... Luckily for me the water wasn't too cold. We waded out until the water same to our waist and enjoyed the little waves and took in the scenes. There were kids of all ages enjoying the water, sun and sand. Out much farther many boats were parked with fishermen. There was also lots of glorious sunshine!!!

After coming out of the water we attempted to build a sand castle. It didn't work out his time because the sand was too wet, but hopefully another time this summer we'll make a good one. Only next time I hope to avoid hermit crabs. On this beach they were all very small and very populous. I would be digging in the sand only to feel something wiggle beneath my finger tips. Shuddered again at the thought of that feeling.

Abandoning our pitiful sand castle, we explored the attractive shells and fascinating rocks. We found many exciting examples and decided to take some home. (We want to make an arrangement with them, and when we do I'll post a pic.)

To finish off our beach trip we played uno and soaked up some rays. Overall it was a wonderful day and relaxing break.

What have you been up to lately?

Visual Motivational

Spark People has wonderful ideas on staying motivated and being healthy.

Most recently, I created a 'Vision Collage' and am quite happy with the results.

It hangs on the back of our door, so I see it often when we are at home and every time we leave.

On it I have pasted pictures of things I want to do, reasons I want to change, and various motivational things. For example I have a picture of someone kayaking, which I want to do! A great pair of red heels and if you know me you know I love heels. Right now I can't wear them but hopefully in time... There is also a great quote saying the important things in exercise are to do it and to continue to do it. Seeing these things helps me remember why this is important to me and a reminder to get to the gym.

If I stop noticing it, I can move it somewhere else. If you are looking for motivation on something, try a visual reminder.

A link to description.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/vision_collage.asp

What are you wanting to do?

Bugging Out!

Another joy of our current apartment is the bugs! Since the weather became more pleasant they have begun their descent into our apartment. I have squashed giant spiders, creepy crawly things with a million legs and many more I don't want to know what they are!!! It's making me paranoid.

In order to prevent their entrance I have begun cleaning up immediately after we finish a meal, leaving nothing they might want out, cleaning, cleaning and cleaning. We have put tape around the bottom of the patio door to catch them as they squeeze through the crack. Though disgusting to change all I think is HAHA suckers!!!!!

Also yesterday my husband and I went for a nice walk only to come back with TICKS!!! EWWWW Luckily, he discovered them before they attached but we both had to strip down, check for any more, throw our clothes in the washer and scrub, scrub, scrub.

Maybe I'm going overboard. Though I don't think so. Bugs do not belong in my house end of story. Yet another reason we are happy to move. We will have a second floor place with proper seals around windows and doors.

Whew so much happening!!

WORK

About a month ago I accepted a temp position, that lasts until August, with an education research company in Cambridge! I love my job!!! I work with great people and am involved in research education. It is also very nice to be working full time. I, of course, hope that this results in a long term position but only the time will tell. One of my job responsibilities is to stay current on educational matters. As a result I will be posting on these topics. You’ve been warned.

I am such a nerd. :) I have been asked a couple of times to look over surveys, and I had fun doing it.

SUMMER READING

In having more tome and less stress from job searching, I've been able to get in some reading for fun. Due to the wonderful library system I was downloaded a few ebooks and gave them a try. The first one was a little difficult to get into so I gave that one up. The second book was 'Silent if the Grave' by Deanna Raybourn. It was a fun read and I have finished the second book. The third arrived to the library today!! I'm so excited to read the third book. They start off a little slow but there are so many key details in the beginning.

WORKOUTS

This has been a little tough. It's the same song and dance with pain and not being able to do much. Oh well, just have to keep trying.

South Beach Phase One

Hey there everybody!

So my husband and I have been trying an experiment. We started Phase One of the South Beach Diet. I'm here to give you an update and run down.

Basically, it is full of lean meats and veggies. For the first two weeks, there's no fruit or real starches. Which is hard because I like my fruit and bread. For the first two weeks it was hard for me. I felt so drained of energy, but eventually adjusted.

Some people say that a person stops craving sweets, but that didn't happen to me. I still wanted my sweets, just not as much.

Though my craving for vegetables have greatly increased. We went out to dinner for our anniversary and instead of wanting to get the mashed potatoes with cheese, I thought finally a menu with veggies!

I recommend this diet. Overall I wasn't hungry all the time and eat things that are good for me. I've learned a lot of tasty new recipes too. (I'm gonna do a special post about that!)

If you're looking for something new r a diet to try I say go for it!!!

My Husband is AMAZING!!!!!!!!

About a year ago I switched service providers and got a new phone, a nice little Samsung. It worked well and thanks to the industrial strength phone protector evaded injury and scratches for a whole year (not a small feat). However, recently the touch screen experienced long delays and it finally gave up the ghost.

With my screen dead I could not call or txt, very frustrating because I was still looking for work at the time. We called our phone company only to find out they could do nothing. We could buy a new phone (which is a lot even for the simplest ones) or send it to them for repairs at a VERY high cost. I was stuck between an expensive rock and a more expensive hard place.

My husband began searching the internet for other phones and more info. As it turns out this little Samsung model now has a very high incident of the touch screens, or digitizers going kaput. I had a lemon….

The upside was that nifty techy people had posted many a you tube video with instructions for replacing the broken pieces. Good news, even better news was that they were cheap compared to buying a new phone. We ended up getting a new digitizer and touch screen from an online supply place.

The incredible man then set about fixing my poor broken phone. In he process the antenna wire was damaged. It turns out you can not order them offline, but you can find someone on craigslist who is selling their old broken phone for cheap! So he managed to figure out how to fix the phone and saved us a chunk of money

Finally it works again!!!

Now I just need everyone’s phone number again….

Spring is here… Maybe…

The trees, bushes and flowers are starting to send forth signs of life! It’s so nice to see the beginning of leaves, some flowers, more blossoms, and more life out and about! Such a rejuvenation

We are starting to make plans on what we would like to do/see this summer. I’ll give you a few selections from the current list:

Build a sandcastle – neither of us have ever made one and we have a beach nearby!!

Kayaking – there are a ton of places around here! For those of you who remember my first escapade, the waters here are much calmer and I really did LOVE kayaking and being on the water, so I’m gonna try it again!

Some hiking – nothing too intense but it is impressive out here, plus New Hampshire and Vermont are a short drive away!

4^th of July – specifics aren’t in stone, but we are looking forward to enjoying the local fourth of July fare here – grilled lobster!!!

I’ll keep you updated on what we’ll be up to, I just wanted to shout and celebrate spring being here!!

MOVING!!!!! YAY!!!

In an effort to avoid another cave we began the hunt for our next place. We had a few criterion - washer dryer in the apartment, dishwasher, NOT first floor and within our price range. Since we were looking months in advance, we got a great one!!! With the lease signed I feel like I can shout the news with joy!

It’s a nice second floor apartment that was an in-law suite.

It is bigger than our current place and 200 dollars cheaper!

The kitchen is really big.

There is storage space.

There are a ton of triple paned windows, and excellent insulation!

Plus we have an outside deck and screened in porch!!

We move in July 1^st and couldn’t be more excited!

I'll post pictures when I can!

New recipes

A new twist on marinara! It adds more fiber and protein in with veggie goodness.

Take one can of white beans, rinse and puree in blender/food processor.

Heat olive oil on medium, add lots of fresh garlic and lots of onions to sautee, then oregano or basil to taste.

Add one to two cans of diced tomatoes. Cook down and reduce a little.

Add salt and pepper to taste. (it does need salt!)

The result is a wonderfully creamy and flavorful tomato sauce. I, of course, think it's great. However, the true measure is that my husband likes it!

No I am not ignoring you

My phone is in repair. Hopefully it will be back up and running soon.

Interview One

Well this week was eventful.

My husband started his new job this week and so far it's really good.

I had two interviews this week, which is exciting. This is the story of the first one. It's one of those that wasn't funny then, but I can laugh about now.

I left Wednesday morning at 7:30 giving myself a half hour of flex time to be to the interview by nine. Parking and driving in the area is kind of a nightmare, so I opted for public transit. Boarding the shuttle to the train station I was confident and proud that I was early and going to make it on time.

The shuttle glided on the road to the station and I got to relax and take in the neighborhood. There was a man standing on his porch calling to a dog out in the yard, a father dropping of identically dressed twin boys off at a day care, and then some Tibetan prayer flags strung across someone's porch. As we were passing by this intriguing cookie shop there was a sudden lurch forward and the engine died. Then came the familiar sound of an engine attempting to start. The driver turned the key again and once again the alternator wouldn't turn over. This was followed by a baited silence among the passengers, all hoping the engine would start.

After a few tries the driver got out and passengers got out their cell phones. A few people called someone to let them know they were going to be late, others were typing on their blackberry's or just looking at their phone. Re-entering the bus the driver was asking someone on a radio to send for another shuttle, we all heard the response that it wouldn't be possible for at least an hour. Panic began to set in for me, umm ok I can figure this out right??

Another passenger looked up from his iphone and announced that there was a bus stop about a sixth of a mile away. Mass exodus began. We all filled out the passenger side door and began briskly walking to the bus stop. Since it was my only hope of making it on time I joined them. However, when I got to the bus stop I remembered, 'oh yeah I don't carry cash and don't have any money on my transit card.....' I asked if I could give someone a couple of bucks tomorrow in exchange for using their transit card. The group's reply was an awkward no. Then one girl said, 'I think it's only another half mile that way.' (Seriously you see someone with a forearm crutch and that's your response, but anyway.)

Determined to make it to my interview on time I started walking as fast as I could to get to the train station. Almost a mile and a half later I made it. (Trying to jog in ballet flats is a bad idea by the way.) My legs were weak and the muscles already angry with me, but I was glad to catch the next train. I hoped beyond hope that I could make it on time. I made it my the transfer station looking at the clock and thinking I might just make it. Then I waited for the D line, and waited and waited. When I knew there was no chance of me arriving on time I called to let them know I would be late. (I really don't like being late.)

Finally the D line arrived and after what seemed like forever I made it to the stop. I got out and headed in the right direction, by then my legs were so weak. I made it to the interview late, though I think it went well.

Making my way back home I had no problem catching my trains or buses, go figure huh.

5K Training and Shin Splints Cure

So far my 5K training is going really well! I like the interval training cause it pushes me more, and I think I'll be to complete the 5K.

I was looking at average 5K times and I don't think I'm going to make a 20 to 25 minute time!! I'm not worried though, I'm just wanting to complete it and do my best.

Also my husband taught me a great trick for relieving shin splints. Use a disposable plastic cup. Fill it partially with water and freeze it. Once it's frozen you can turn it upside down and ice your shins, rubbing the ice up and sown your shin. It works soo well!!! It's perfect and targeted. If you get shin splints give it a try! (Though I suspect it would work well on other sore areas.)

At that point again

My work search is at that point again. That point where I wonder why I keep applying for jobs if I'm not getting any interviews, I wonder what I am doing wrong, and wonder what I will be doing with my life...

It's a rough point. I'm pushing past it and just trying to do my best.

Weekend Update

Friday

In the morning, I went with the sister missionaries to teach a gentleman. It was really good. He is making some difficult changes and they aren't easy. (Though his wife is happy he's giving up smoking!) The sister we have in our ward right now are bright, strong and compassionate women. It is so fun to go out with them.

During the day I had a phone interview and applied for even more jobs! In preparing for the interview I was looking at the company's research methods, when I suddenly got a little worried. I read discrete choice modeling and thought, "I've never even heard of that!" After googling it, I learned it is logistic and probit modeling by another name, and my anxiety level went back down. The jobs that I applied for sounded interesting and I'll let you know if anything comes of them.

Friday night, I watched part of Funny Girl with Barbara Streisand, while my husband was at work. Now I have to tell you, I have never seen a Streisand movie. I know shocker!!! Don't really know why, I just haven't. I was curious and gave it a try. So far I am enjoying it! I love her spunk!

I signed up for a virtual 5K! It is through sparkpeople and I think it will be a good thing to work towards. They had some simple and basic training programs I can do. This gives me something to work towards.

Saturday

We slept in, worked in the temple and then relaxed with a funny movie. It was our ward's day to do service in the temple, and my hubby and I signed up for the 12 to 4 shift. We worked in the laundry room which was nice and peaceful. Spending time in the temple can be uplifting and I had a lot of time to meditate.

Sunday

Pretty typical Sunday. (Which is nice cause I get to spend loads of time with my husband.) I got a new calling. I am now the Relief Society Committee Meeting Leader, though I still get to teach next week. basically a member of the presidency and I will be working on the activities that used to be enrichment. It's a little daunting and I wasn't expecting a change.

As some of you know It's been a little tough making friends out here and I prayed for some help to find and make new friends, well I guess I got what I prayed for!

On the friend note I am super excited that one of my good friends will be here in June and another one could be out here soon too!! Yay!

That's all for now! Drop me a line!

Quick updates

We are still job hunting.

Some of the snow has melted, though I think we will still get more.

Found a great new doctor.

February flew by so fast!

I’m reading the Chronicles of Narnia in Italian.

Job search takes up most of my time.

I’ve been working out and eating well!

Castle is an amazing TV show, you should check it out!

I made it three days without using my crutch

My husband is teaching me to crochet.

I miss being in school.

What's been happening

DNA

So we’ve done some fun activities as date night or for FHE. The most recent being DNA extraction! (Don’t worry it was from beans.) Trevor found the idea online, we tried it and had fun! It was a really simple process that required household items.

Gym

I’ve been hitting the gym pretty regularly. I’ve been holding steady with my work outs. I think that is pretty great news.

Knitting

I have once again restarted my hat attempt. My husband has almost finished his third pair of socks! I’m so proud of him!

Thomas Kinkade puzzle

For date night we got a 1000 piece puzzle of a Thomas Kinkade. It took us a few days to get it all together. We really like it. It’s fun to have something that we put together and looks really nice.

Cooking

We’re focusing on cooking healthy and still finding great recipes on sparkrecipes.com. The newest recipe that we tried was white beans, pasta and chicken. I say give it a try!!!

Overall it was pretty good, just a little bland. That’s easy enough to fix though. This is a good dish with lots of protein and fiber. It is also very good reheated. Warning though a serving size is larger than expected.

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=294364

New lamp

We got a new lamp that is so nice! It helps light up the apartment so it’s not so much of a cave!

Sister missionaries

I’ve been able to go out teaching with the sisters in our ward and it has been so wonderful. These sisters are both strong, bright and kind women. It’s been a real boost to be able to watch them teach and get to know the amazing people they are teaching.

Work, Work, Work

The hubby is still working two jobs! I’m still working days as a cashier. When I’m not working, I’m applying for jobs! I have learned interesting things from being a cashier, such as it’s is most polite to have change ready or handy, teeth must be brushed often, students have to do some elaborate projects for school, and there are a lot of nice people out there.

In the past week I’ve been ranging from 4 to 13 applications a day, depending on work schedule and cover letters. Haven’t been getting much of a response, so I had my resume reviewed and it got good reviews. I’ve made the recommended changes, which hopefully get more of a response. I'll keep you updated.

Grrr.... angry face

Last Friday I got a call from a doctor's office informing me that I had an appointment today. I had to confirm it was actually for me, because I had made no such appointment. Turns out it was supposed to be for a mandatory insurance exam. I doubled checked the date and time before I got off the phone with the nice receptionist. Hmm, Monday the 17th, sounds a bit odd but she doubled checked it, so okay. (MLK day??) Since I was scheduled to work today, I had to get a replacement.

However upon arriving at the office a little before my appointment time, the building seemed rather vacant. I knocked, then rung the door bell. Called the office and left a message. Repeated this process and then called the 'emergency' number. Still another answering machine. Left another message. Waited on the porch for 15 minutes, then took pictures with my cell phone camera to prove I was there at the right time. I am really frustrated because I could have been working today, but I got a replacement because I was told this was mandatory and yes in fact the doctor's office would be open today. I know that anyone can make a mistake and I'm not angry at any person, just the situation.

How's Life

Right now life. I am still working as a cashier and applying for lots of jobs. I recently did a hefty chunk of research on resume and cover letter writing. This resulted in an overhaul of my cover letter and resume. My main motivation was to avoid insanity. This is because the definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again, expecting different results. So here’s doing something different in hopes of different results.

I’ve been able to catch up a little on Castle. Such an amazing show! It is well written and exciting, all with great costuming. I’ve become a fan of the show. If you haven’t seen it, you should check it out!! I’ve been waiting for a long time new Bones episode. I don’t sit there waiting for the shows, I usually just watch then on hulu when I am folding laundry or need to be still and relax.

We have been improving our diet and finding really great recipes on sparkrecipes.com. We have tried a sweet potato and black bean soup that is really delicious. http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=227453 If you are interested in some healthier recipes you should check out this site. We have liked almost all the ones that we’ve tried. I’m glad to have someone else who is committed to healthy eating.

My hubby is working two jobs right now, but we make the best of the time we get together. He is the best and works hard to take care of me and make me happy.

Protein Pancakes

I found this AMAZING recipe in SHAPE magazine for January. It sounds different and strange. Try it and you’ll love it.

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese

2 large eggs, or 1/2 cup egg whites

1+ tsp vanilla

1+ tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Cook over medium heat in a skillet sprayed with non stick spray.

Cook two minutes (or until golden brown) on each side

Top with your favorite toppings (fruit is tasty!!)

They are low calorie, very low fat and high in protein.

Work Out Update

So I’ve been able to go to the gym 3 times this week. Yay! I’ve been feeling better in this last week. I’ve done a lot of cardio, some weights and core training. Cardio has gone well. I am doing a warm up for strength training. Core training is difficult, which means I need to do more, and get into shape. I’m feeling happier when I exercise, and in a little less pain. I need to keep it up and will do so. I have a lot of support!!