Eats, Love and Happiness

The Day I Met Richard Blais

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 22:38:00 +0000

Our NYC trip went by way too fast. As soon as we landed in the city we dropped our bags off at the hotel and set off wandering. I had a few weeks to plan this trip, but honestly I didn't do much planning. My thoughts were that NYC is too huge of a place to try and squeeze in a million things in just a few days. I was on vacation and I live my life by a planned schedule back home, that was the last thing I wanted to do on Monday.

Monday wasn't as eventful as Tuesday was going to be, but we still have a blast. We walked to Grand Central Station, to Times Square and then back to our hotel that was right off of 5th Ave. One of my good friends from high school works at 30 Rock so I was able to meet up with her for the day, too. Our evening wasn't all that exciting...I grabbed Pirates Booty and a pint of ice cream and we went back to the hotel to watch the NCAA Championship Game. I fell asleep before I could see who won. We're awesome NYC travelers, huh??

Tuesday was a different story. I wanted to sleep in, but I was up at 7am...of course. I walked down to a little shop to pick us up some breakfast and as soon as MJW woke up we had a nice relaxing breakfast in bed. We had to be at the restaurant to meet Richard Blais by 11:45. So of course, even though it was only about 10 minutes away, I was out the door by 11:10. We were meeting him for lunch at a restaurant called Social Eatz. To our surprise, we were able to add another Top Chef to our list for the day...Social Eatz is Angelo Sosa's pride and joy. I am so glad that we got to dine at Social Eatz. It was one of the best dining experiences I've had to date, and not just because I was surrounded by Top Chefs...the food was incredible.

I could sit here and write our entire dialog from the lunch but that would probably bore all of you...although I would re-live that lunch a million times over if I could. Richard was full of energy from the second he walked into the door. I always think it's weird to see people in life after you've only seen them on a screen. He was in an incredibly good mood and warned us that he had drank a few too many cups of coffee. Within a few seconds he was sharing with us a story about Yankees Stadium. He knew how to win my not-so-foodie fiancee over.

He told us that the food was incredible and ordering anything would be a great choice. He may have also said that Angelo is one of the best cooks he's ever met. It was really cool to see the relationship between the two of them and how they talk about each other. Top Chef contestants are like old classmates. They are constantly staying in touch and giving each other praise whenever they can. I was a little overwhelmed by the menu and kind of wanted to order everything...but didn't want to scarf down a ton of food in front of Mr. Top Chef. But before we knew it, Richard was ordering a ton of dishes on the menu so that we could try a little of everything. He also insisted we try the beverages and he went on to order a "mocktail" for himself...which was so good that he ordered me one to taste, too. It was so much fun to have such an enthusiastic dining partner.

Just so you can get an idea about how awesome the food was, here is quick list of what we got to taste: (the menu online isn't the same menu we ordered from...so I'll remember the best that I can)

Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps

Pork Belly Tacos

Pork Ribs

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese - sounds simple, but was so good

Tuna Pastrami Sandwich

The Best Fried Chicken Ever...I can't even begin to explain it

Kimchee Fries

The leftovers...

I *think* that was it. The restaurant features classic dishes with an Asian flair and just the right amount of spice. Richard praised Angelo for his ability to add spice to his food but without over doing it. I completely agree. The food had a delicious amount of spice but I never had to wash anything down with a ton of water. I was doing that enough out of straight nerves.

The conversation was incredibly smooth and exciting. We always had something to talk about whether it was molecular gastronomy, culinary school, his new restaurant The Spence, the White House Easter Egg Hunt (which he will be at this weekend DC friends!) or the DC food scene. One of my favorite parts of the lunch was when he made me play Top Chef judge and pick what dish I was going to send home. I didn't think I'd have to guts to sit there and pick one when the chef was just a few feet from me in the kitchen, but I did and Richard was thrilled I played along. He agreed with my choice and we broke the dish down...such a cool thing to do!

Before I knew it, the lunch was over and we were all on our way out the door. I never thought I would have such an amazing culinary experience before my career has even begun. Winning this lunch was one of the coolest things that I have ever done. Richard Blais is one of the coolest people I've ever met. I love celebrities that happen by "accident". He told me that he was recruited to be on the show and when I asked him if he is going to continue the whole TV thing he responded with a big yes...and for the right reason. Just like I want to be able to talk, write and teach people about food so that they are more aware and will start to eat better - Richard wants to stay on TV to help people eat better, too. He stated that families are facing their own "quick fire challenges" every day in their own kitchen when we are trying to figure out what to make for dinner. If him being on TV helps people get a better grasp on making a good meal at home, then he's all for it.

I can't thank Bravo enough for setting all of this up for us, Angelo for making us some amazing food and, of course, Richard for taking time out of his crazy life to have lunch with this little fluke sweepstakes winner who just so happens to be a culinary student. I'll remember this lunch forever and hope that his advice takes me a long way!

NYC Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 23:42:00 +0000

It's finally here...my trip to meet Richard Blais!

Remember when I won it ages ago??

After months of trying to figure it out, I'm finally going in a few weeks! I can't wait to pick this guy's brain...

Source

The trip is going to include airfare to and from NYC, a one-night hotel stay and of course the meet and greet with Richard Blais. I get to visit the Bravo Headquarters at NBC and am SO excited. I don't even get Bravo, but it's always on at the gym when I go on the treadmill. I also found out yesterday that we might have the opportunity to eat out at a restaurant and potentially be filmed! I'm kind of wondering if he's filming a cooking or reality show?!

Regardless, I'm really pumped to meet my fourth Top Chef. I've taken Carla Hall's cooking class, met up with Mike Isabella last year at the wine festival and met hottie Spike Mendelsohn this winter at an event I volunteered at.

We will be in NYC for approximately 48 hours and will be staying in Midtown...does anyone have any restaurant recommendations or recommendations for things that we should do in our short stay? I've been to NYC a bunch but I'd love to hear what you guys have to offer!

Insanity: Day One, Two and Three

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:58:00 +0000

On Monday, I received this in the mail!

Life really hasn't been the same since my P90X days and I've been dying to try Insanity ever since. It clearly looked like the next step but I just couldn't for up the $100+ for the set of DVDs. Then a little miracle happened and I won the workout DVDs on Gina's blog! I waited patiently and it finally arrived. I was working out within an hour of getting the package...I was so excited.

The first workout of Insanity is a Fitness Test. It took about thirty minutes and it was a great workout. If you check out the link it highlights a series of exercises that you have to do in one minute. You write down the maximum amount of reps for that minute and record your progress over the sixty days. My results weren't amazing but they weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be. I think I'll post them so I can compare the first test to the second test in four weeks. I look like I had so much fun, don't I?

It really feels good to sweat again. Is that weird? Day Two and Three were equally intense. While I found the workouts challenging, it wasn't like I couldn't complete them. Thank god, because I thought I was in awful shape and would be quitting after the first five minutes.

The thing I love most about the workouts is that they go by so fast! They focus a lot on warming up and stretching to prevent injury and by the time that's over, your dying from the workout and then you get to stretch again. I heard that the workouts do get longer during the second portion of the program, but we'll worry about that when they come.

I also love Shaun T. Not only is he easy on the eyes but he is a great motivator - even through the TV. No offense to my beloved Tony Horton, but I am really loving listening to Shaun T right now. I like the screaming and the yelling...and the music isn't that awful either.

It hasn't been too hard to find the motivation to workout after work but I can feel that it's going to get challenging by the end of the week. Sunday is set to be my rest day and I think it's timed perfectly because that is my last day of work after six days straight.

Today was Day Four and I think I'll do another recap after a week. Until then, please send good wishes and make sure that I do the videos every day! I know it's all going to be worth it.

The Secret Motivation to Spring Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:23:00 +0000

Spring better be here...because yesterday I got really sick of looking at my winter coats and boots and brought every single one of them up to our storage unit. Our storage unit is only one floor above us but I really do not want to go up there to drag those babies out again. It's time for leaving the house jacket-free and flip flops, don't you think?

I usually spend my only day off cleaning the condo, grocery shopping and doing laundry. This Monday I knew that I had to do some spring cleaning, but when you only have one day off a week, who really wants to spend the day cleaning the floor of your pantry, behind the couch and your cabinets? I know that was the last thing that I wanted to do. Somehow I found the motivation and gave myself a little incentive for completing the job.

I promised myself a little shopping trip afterwards.

Now, technically the actual shopping trip I made was to KMart to pick up a new trash can. That's not exactly what I call a fun afternoon of shopping, but that will come. I told myself that if I cleaned out my closet to a nearly bare state, I could go buy myself a few pieces of clothing to replace the old ones. That's a fair trade right? I ended up donating three bags worth of clothes. I will admit that it kind of sucked to "throw out", or rather give away, some perfectly good clothes, but the fact is, I didn't wear them. And I gave away a few winter jackets so I can buy a new one next year...

So if you are ever feeling like cleaning is the absolute last thing that you want to do, promise yourself a shopping trip. It works.

Alternatively, I did not promise myself any more cookbooks if I cleaned out my cookbook cabinet. This is out of control...and this isn't even all of them. I do use them, which is a good thing, but I thing I need a break from purchasing any new ones in the near future.

At least this looks a little bit better...

Reddick wasn't too pleased with my cleaning day. He laid around giving me this look all day. Eventually we were done and headed off to the dog park...not before doing my first Insanity workout though. I'll share more on that later!

Cherry Blossoms and Dress Hunting

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:38:00 +0000

It's been a great week. My sister was in town for the past seven days and even though we both had to work our butts off all week we still managed to sneak in some fun. Friday night I picked her up from the metro and we headed over to White Flint Mall to begin our bridesmaid dress hunt. We needed some fuel so we stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for some drinks and food. Sorry, I haven't taken pictures while eating out in awhile, and don't really plan to again any time soon...but we've all been to the Cheesecake Factory. The food looked awesome and tasted awesome. Now that I work in a restaurant, I honestly don't know how they manage to work a menu that large. It's still baffling me.

Anyways, after dinner and sweet-talking the waiter (he was African and I was totally looking for travel tips for our potential honeymoon) we headed out to the ghost mall that we call White Flint. There were maybe five people walking around and two of them were reading books by the elevator. I do love DC, but the shopping is sort of awful around here. We headed to Lord and Taylor, Ann Taylor and William Sonoma. William Sonoma does not have bridesmaid dresses, but they do have a sharpening stone that I desperately need. We didn't find anything that we liked and left empty handed. No progress, but we weren't that discouraged.

On Saturday we decided to take Reddick down to the Tidal Basin to walk around and look at the Cherry Blossoms. (Should they be capitalized?! I vote yes. They are cool and important.) Of course, I knew the city would be a mess with the marathon and spring break crowds, but we drove down and managed to find a parking spot in about fifteen minutes. It was such a beautiful day and everyone was out to enjoy it.

After that we headed to a St. Patty's Day BBQ but headed home early because I had to work at 7am. Luckily I was able to get out early and enjoy brunch at Founding Farmers with my sister and a friend. Then we headed to a much better mall, Montgomery Mall. At least we knew we would have some luck with Nordstrom...and we did! We found four dresses are are right along the lines of the colors that I want. We are definitely making progress and I hope to get some dresses ordered soon to send out to my bridesmaids.

Did everyone have a good St. Patrick's Day? I hope so! I know my mom did...it was her birthday! Happy Belated Birthday to my mom from all of us in DC!

It's Been One Week

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:10:00 +0000

I'm really sorry if that song gets stuck in your head now.

It's been a week since I blogged and I don't even know where this week went. I've been working six day weeks now and my only day being off is Monday. Of course on this Monday I had to go back to school, so I'm going on about eleven days straight right now. Everything caught up with me over the weekend and I was pretty useless Friday through Sunday night. I literally came home, barely showered and collapsed on the couch.

On Monday we had to go back for our second class during our externship period. The class was focused on cheese making. We made mozzarella and ricotta followed by a massive cheese tasting. I didn't get any pictures but I might blog about it. We'll see. It was nice to see my classmates, but I have to admit I was a little bitter about going to school on my only day off. Later on made it all worth it though, I headed to the airport to pick up my sister!

She's visiting for the week for work and it's nice to have my Maid of Honor with me every night to continue the wedding planning. We're going to try and do some shoe and dress shopping this weekend!

A few other things from the week is that it's been incredibly nice here for the past few days...like eighty degrees nice. Reddick and I went for a hike and a swim and all of our windows and doors have been open for three days straight. It's been amazing. Please please please don't leave sunshine!!

And last but not least (and to add to the randomness of this post)...I'm starting Insanity this weekend! I won it on Gina's blog and am so excited/terrified to start. This is exactly what I needed to continue my quest to get back into great shape.

Have any of you done it? Please tell me yes and that I won't completely die.

How To Buy A Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I don't really care for chicken. It is the one thing that I refuse to order when I go out to eat. Why? Because chicken is the one thing that I think everyone should master cooking at home. It's affordable, easy to cook and extremely versatile. There are thousands of chicken recipes out there for anyone to get their hands on. You can grill it, fry it, bake it, roast it...you can do just about anything with a chicken. While it might not be my favorite food, it is a favorite of all ages and I'm here to help you find your way to mastering poultry.

I am going to start a series of posts about chicken. We'll start with the basics, like what kind of chicken to buy, and then move into cooking methods. Keep in mind that I am not (yet) a professional and the tips that I will be giving are based on my own experience and opinion. I think you can trust me though, I've worked with hundreds of chickens in just the past few months. It's about time I shared this "knowledge" with someone.

Source

Buying A Chicken

My first rule: Stop buying pre-cut chicken! I know that it seems tempting to buy the chicken tenders that are already nice and clean or the "cheap" thighs that seem like a great deal on the sticker, but buying a whole chicken is going to be your best deal. Instead of looking at the price on the sticker, take a look at the price per pound. Chicken breasts can run up to $7.99/pound! That's insane. If you really hate cooking and are filthy rich, go ahead and buy those chicken breasts...but I'm pretty sure all of my readers want to save a buck or two.

Some of you may love me for this and some of you may roll your eyes, but, buy organic. I admit, there are some days that I just don't want to spend $8.00 on a teeny little chicken, but every time I buy a chicken that looks like it's on steroids and is half the price of my organic chicken, I regret it. It's disgusting. It has no flavor and it just seems incredibly unnatural to be eating a chicken that huge. Some days you might slip, but try not to. The flavor and quality of meat is worth the extra pennies. Think about it, a whole organic chicken cost about $8-10 at the grocery store...you were paying that much for just breasts a few minutes ago. Now you have a whole chicken that doesn't look like a freak of nature. It all evens out. I also admit that I would love to buy my chickens from a farm every week, but I just can't afford it. My favorite organic chicken from the grocery store is a Bell and Evans chicken. I love Bell and Evans for their prices and their quality. I love their meat so much that I actually do cheat and buy some pre-cut wings every now and then. (I am not buying 10 chickens so we can have some football food, sorry). They are the best chicken wings you will ever cook at home and they are extremely affordable (usually under $5 for a dozen).

Here are some things to keep in mind when buying your chicken and checking it when you get home:

This is silly, but check the sell-by or packaged date. If you are cooking it that day, you are ok with buying the earliest date. But if you know it's going to sit in your fridge or freezer for awhile, go to the back of the bunch and find the later date.
Check the color of the skin. I hate seeing chickens that don't have see through packaging. I'm sure there is a logistical reason for it, but I like to see the chicken I'm going to buy. Look for clear, uncolored skin with no orange or brown tints.
Check the firmness. Of course an uncooked chicken is going to be soft and mushy, but there is a clear difference between a firm, healthy chicken and a soft, unhealthy chicken.
When you get home, smell the chicken. If there is no or barely any odor, you are fine. If it stinks, throw it out. Easy enough. I had some chicken wings a few weeks ago that stunk up my kitchen as soon as I opened the package - three days before the freeze-by date! I was so bad and even thought I was going crazy, so I tried to cook them. They stunk up the kitchen even more. I actually ended up taking the chicken back to Whole Foods (without a receipt) and got store credit. It's way better to be safe than sorry. Food poisoning sucks.

Now that you have your whole chicken at home, just hold tight. The chicken should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than three or four days. It can go in the freezer for months, but don't expect the quality to hold. Freezing meat is ok, but fresh is always better. For the next post you'll need to pick up some twine. Everything else you should have right in your house. If you have any questions about purchasing chickens, please ask them in the comments and I'll do my best to help you out!

Will you be my bridesmaid?

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

It took me a very long time to decide who I wanted in my bridal party. It wasn't a matter of deciding "should she or shouldn't she?" it was simply a matter of keeping my numbers in control. If it was reasonable, I probably would have about thirty bridesmaids. I have so many beautiful women in my life who have each played very important parts in my life at very different times. But having thirty bridesmaids really wasn't realistic and I know that I can still share my wedding day with all of the girls, regardless as to if they are wearing matching dresses.

In the end, I chose three of my best friends who I have known for most of my life. Although we are often thousands of miles away from each other and don't talk as much as we should, they are the people that I can be myself around and I know will be with me until I'm old, grey and wrinkly with thirty grandchildren. I also have a fourth bridesmaid who is my little cousin...although she's not all that little anymore! She's grown up to be quite the little lady and I know she'll be able to hang with my girlfriends. I also have a junior bridesmaids and two flower girls, but I'll share more about them in another post.

Once I finally made my decision I wanted to find a creative way to ask my bridesmaids to join me on my special day. In true Amanda fashion, I got really impatient and actually ended up talking to three of them in person before my idea was even born. I was home over Thanksgiving and knew that the best way to ask them would be in person and considering I'm rarely home, that seemed like a better time than ever. However, I still wanted to send them their special invitation to be a part of our wedding party.

I saw this on Pinterest and my idea started to grow. I didn't go into the details that she did, but I liked her wording and worked with that. I created a 5x7 card on Shutterfly using a picture that I took standing on the deck of our venue. Each bridesmaid-to-be received the same card. This was the cover:

On the inside, the text read:

Our Day

The wedding will be on September 2, 2012 in Lake Placid. The ceremony and reception will take place at Craig Wood Golf Course. We want our wedding day to be fun, above all things. We don't want anyone to worry or stress out, so please be ready for a day of dressing up and having a blast.

Your Role

I simply just want you to be there. I also would love if you could participate in some of the activities that we plan on holding before the wedding. We will let you know more details about those events as soon as we can. We want our wedding day to be a day to thank our family and friends for being such an important part of our relationships.

Your Dress

The most important thing about the dress that you will wear at our wedding is that you are comfortable and feel beautiful in it. I would love for you all to wear a shade close to the color that I have enclosed. I've also included some pictures of ideas that I really like. I really like the idea of the bridal party wearing shades of soft purple/grey. My sister will be wearing the darkest color and the flower girls will be wearing a pale pink.

I also included a collage dress ideas and a color theme that I liked:

Considering we couldn't be face-to-face, sending them something made me almost as happy. We've also Skyped with my cousins who I asked to be in the wedding and that was so much fun. It was really fun to see their reactions when we told them we wanted them in the wedding. Now it's time to shop!!

The Workout That Almost Wasn't

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

It's really amazing the excuses that run through my head to convince myself not to workout...

It's a "rest" day because it's my day off. (Which actually is a valid point considering I am wrecked after every shift, but it's not really a legit excuse when I'm trying to get into wedding shape.)

I have a stomach ache.

I'll workout later.

Walking the dog is totally considered a workout.

I don't have the right P90X DVD that I want to do.

In fact, my DVD player is broken.

I have a headache.

It's cold outside. (Mind you, my gym is inside.)

The list can go on and on...but the fact is, I need to stop with the excuses. Yesterday morning I went as far as putting my workout clothes on as soon as I got up but then finding myself under the comforter on the couch watching Grey's Anatomy within just a few minutes. Then I finally got my act together and strapped on my sneakers. I had planned to start the P90X routine again but, like I said, I couldn't find the one DVD that I had my heart set on. I almost plopped right back down on the couch, but my little belly and not-so-tone limbs were telling me otherwise. Sneakers were on, the water bottle was full and I headed out the door. It wasn't that hard after all.

Once I got down to the gym I put in a pretty decent workout. I did twenty minutes on the treadmill and did some sprinting, jogging and walking intervals. Then I completed my third round of 100 burpees and finished the morning up with a working my arms with some weights. Did I regret it? Not one bit. Am I glad I did it? Of course! It really blows my mind that I could have talked myself out of working out. I can't really grasp what goes on in my head sometimes.

Now, it's just a matter of sticking to it. My worst fear is laying in bed the night before my wedding wishing that I had done more. It may seem like I'm being a bit hard on myself, but the truth is, sometimes my excuses are beating that strength and I need to turn that around.

You know what is helping a lot? Pinterest. Seriously, look at this website every day and you might feel like hopping on a treadmill.

From motivational quotes...

Source

To workout inspiration...

Add caption

Pinterest might be the key to getting back in shape. (I'm addicted.)

I'm working hard to battle my head and my body and I can feel myself moving in the right direction. It's hard to keep myself motivated when other things in my life are so insane, but I know it's all going to be worth it.

Choosing Our Wedding Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:01:00 +0000

One element of our wedding that I wanted to make sure was done quickly and properly was the choosing a photographer. Wedding photography has come a long way over the past few years and I wanted to get the best that we could with our given budget. The only problem with booking a photographer is that a date a pretty much a necessity in order to secure the job. We just booked our date this past week, so we considered ourselves out of luck. Most professional photographers (especially ones in a small town) are booked at least a year in advanced. Our chances of getting one of the few professional photographers were slim to none.

Little did we know, that we had no reason to worry at all. A good friend of ours from high school just so happens to be starting her own photography business. I immediately thought of her and threw the fact that we needed someone out to the Facebook world to see what people would say. Just like I thought, most of the people recommended our friend. A few messages were exchanged and once we finally set the date, I hired her immediately. My only concern was that we were hiring who might not photograph a wedding before our wedding day, but eventually that concern turned into motivation to hire her. Here is why you should consider someone who is just starting out (not with just photography):

Put yourself in their shoes. I am someone who is going to be looking for people to trust me with their money and their food pretty soon. Imagine yourself in their shoes and just starting out with your business, whatever it may be. Gaining that immediate trust is really necessary for them to get on their feet. You trust them, they respect your purchase. It's that simple.
They will work harder than they have ever worked before. I have this theory that people who are new to something and still learning will work their butts off in order to move in a competitive market. For example, I get my hair cut at teaching salons because I know the students are going to do their absolute best - or else they fail. It's a lot of pressure, but it lights a fire and forces them to work extremely diligently.
Their rates are extremely good. Very rarely will you see freelance workers like photographers, chefs, videographers, etc. come out with rates as high as their experienced competition. Our photographer is well within our budget and hopefully it will open up some extra funds for different props, accessories or decorations to make the venue more beautiful for the photos.
You will get more than what you paid for. We are getting a free engagement session as part of our package. How cool is that? Thinking of it from her perspective, the engagement session is not only going to serve it's regular purpose - a fun, casual session so we learn how to be comfortable in front of the camera - but it's another set of photos that she can add to her growing portfolio. Who knows what some other people might throw in...maybe photo books, CDs, an extra photographer? The options are endless.
They DO have experience. It just might not be the exact experience you think. Our photographer just got married last summer and she had beautiful pictures. Knowing that she had amazing pictures at her own wedding and that we have similar styles, I know that we can work together to make our pictures as beautiful as hers. Having a wedding fresh in her mind makes me feel very much at ease that we are going to create some amazing moments.

The more I think about working with our friend, the more excited I get. I am beyond happy with my decision. This is another one of those moments that I was freaking out for nothing and everything is working out the way it's suppose to.

To check out some of our photographer Elise's work, check out her Facebook page.

Self Diagnosed Hypochondriac

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I worry. I over-think things. I Google symptoms. Some might call me a hypochondriac.

Given the fact that there are a handful of genetic diseases and issues in my family, I do have a logical reason to constantly be on top of what's going on with my body. But when does it go too far? I was reading Huffington Post the other day and came across an article about blood sugar levels and the symptoms that might lead to diabetes. I was reading the symptoms and thought...

• Do you have a family history of diabetes, heart disease, or obesity? No

• Are you of non-white ancestry (African, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Indian, Middle Eastern)? No

• Are you overweight (BMI or body mass index over 25)? I hope not.

• Do you have extra belly fat? Is your waist circumference greater than 35 inches for women or greater than 40 inches for men? Extra belly fat? Probably...didn't measure though.

• Do you have sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings? ALL THE TIME

• Do you have trouble losing weight on a low fat diet? SO IT SEEMS...

• Has your doctor told you your blood sugar is a little high (greater than 100mg/dl) or have you actually been diagnosed with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, or diabetes? No

• Do you have high levels of triglycerides (over 100 mg/dl) or low HDL (good) cholesterol (< 50 mg/dl)? My cholesterol is actually pretty messed up for eating the way I do and someone my age. It is abnormally high.

• Do you have heart disease? No

• Do you have high blood pressure? No

• Are you inactive (less than 30 minutes of exercise four times a week)? No

• Have you had gestational diabetes or polycystic ovarian syndrome? No

• Do you suffer from infertility, low sex drive, or sexual dysfunction? Some days...

So, it doesn't seem that bad. But then it got me thinking about some other symptoms I've been reading lately. My father and grandmother both have hypothyroidism, so this is one list of symptoms that I pay attention to:

Having a hard time losing weight
Decreased libido
High Cholesterol
High Blood Pressure

Now, this may just be a hypochondriac talking, but if these disorders/diseases/issues have symptoms lists that look all to familiar, it seems like the next doctor's visit could get a little confusing, and expensive. It seems like if I were to walk into my Dr's office and say "I eat healthy, I can't lose weight and I have high cholesterol" there is no way he can pin point something right off the bat. I feel like it would take a lot of tests to figure out what's going on and, because it's happened to most of us, we will get misdiagnosed.

I also struggle with when is it a symptom vs. when is it an actual part of your life? I feel like I'm always trying to lose weight and I also feel like it's not coming off regardless as to how much I work out.

Does that mean I'm not working out right or does it mean something is wrong?

I also eat pretty healthy (well am starting to again) so is the weight not coming off because something is wrong or is that one little brownie really keep that weight on?

Am I tired because something is wrong or am I just not getting enough sleep?

I honestly think only someone like me would write this blog post and find a way to understand it. I love the internet, but sometimes it really freaks me out with what's out there. How do we know that these articles are legitimate and when do we know we need to go see a doctor? Or do we simply need to get offline and go for a jog, eat a salad and stop worrying?

Date and Venue: Done!

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

And just like that, we have six months to go! I can't believe it. It seems like there hasn't been much going on with the wedding planning lately and suddenly I have just six months to get everything done.

I know I told you guys a little bit about the drama going on behind the wedding venue choice but after months and months of waiting, we've decided to go with Craig Wood Golf Course.

I told you guys about Craig Wood last summer when we went venue shopping. At that time it was my favorite but we knew that it was going to come with some baggage. Basically, the property is owned by the village and the restaurant/events are managed by a different person every year. They decided who the person was going to be last week. As soon as I found out, I got on the phone and bombarded this poor man. Luckily he was able to come back pretty quickly to confirm that we could have the wedding there and confirm our date!

We have a lot of things to work out, like how we are going to fit my insanely large family out here, but I have faith everything will fall into place. I honestly think we have chosen one of the most beautiful places in lake Placid.

So, on September 2, 2012, MJW and I are going to be married with these beautiful mountains in the background. Six months to go!!

Drenched

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:08:00 +0000

You might not be able to tell, but this puppy is soaked.

He was a rock star today though. Usually I get out of work around two or three, but of course the one day that I made plans for tonight (and had to cancel) and leave Reddick out of his crate all day, I don't get out until 5:30. Super. You can imagine how thrilled I was to come home and find my little pup taking his day long nap on his bed without any disruption in the house. I felt so bad for him being alone all day and I knew I had to get him outside to move around, but of course, it was the crappiest day we've seen in weeks. I threw on some running clothes and promised him a quick mile jog and off we went. Of course, it was just sprinkling so I took him a little farther and that's when it started to pour. Thanks a lot Mother Nature.

This extra day kind of sucked.

Dinner wasn't even that exciting.

Yep, I had a plastic-wrapped microwaved sweet potato for dinner. It looks hideous, and slightly inappropriate. Sorry. Ignore the fact that I'm in culinary school right now.

The rest of the night looks like this because I am one sore mama from doing my 100 Burpees. And Reddick jumped to take the spot on my lap before the laptop could...

What is the sense in having an extra day when it's going to rain all day and make me cancel my only fun plans? Come on now...

The 100 Burpee Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Source

How many times are you going to hear from me that I need to get into tip-top wedding shape? I'm warning you, I'm not going to shut up about it until the wedding day. I'll probably try a million different workouts, try to get you guys to do them with me and get bored with them within a few days. It's going to be a never ending cycle. If your as random about working out as I am, jump on board...if not, please forgive me.

Yes, I have goals (weight, measurements, etc.) but they have been the same goals that I have had for years and not a lot has changed. I've been in good shape, bad shape and the best shape of my life...the only measuring factor there was that I was happy and I liked what I saw in the mirror. This is what I'm aiming for for the next six months.

So what's up first? Burpees. Click here if you don't know what a burpee is. The other day I was talking to MJW about getting back into shape and he said mentioned trying to see how long it would take to do 100 burpees. I cringed and admitted that I usually only do five to ten at a time, so it might take me a few days. I asked him how long he thought it would take him and he swiftly replied seven minutes. Damn.

The next day at the gym, after doing some running on the treadmill, I thought I would give it a shot and start with fifty. I set my timer and got to work on my fifty burprees. It took me a whopping eight minutes. I was doing about five to seven at a time and then resting for five to thirty seconds. It was not an easy task, but I made sure I completed all fifty and all fifty with good form. If there was one thing I learned about P90X is that quality still trumps quantity when you are trying to firm up.

Today I bump it up to 100. Even if it takes me twenty minutes, I'm going to do it and continue to do it every other day and track my times. I don't know how long I'll do this, but I know for as long as I do I'm getting a killer workout. I'm not really that sore today, but I can definitely feel that I got a full body workout after my run yesterday.

Who wants to join me with the 100 burpree challenge? I'll post my times on my Facebook Page and I'd love if you guys left your times in the comments. Let me know that you'll be joining me!

Kombucha

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 22:55:00 +0000

There are those of you who know what kombucha is, and still love it.

There are those of you who know what kombucha is, and are completely freaked out.

And then there are those of you who think I'm speaking a different language right now.

I love kombucha. I also admit that my only experience with kombucha is the Synergy line of products (which have been said not to be as beneficial as pure kombucha). I used to try and drink 3-4 a week until it was getting to be a really expensive habit. Considering I'm going to be giving up other things, like jars of frosting, I'm probably going to allow a little more kombucha back into my life. They usually range between three and four dollars each.

Why do I drink kombucha? I actually like how it tastes. Synergy offers a large variety of flavors. It has a bit of a carbonated feel to it, so it's a much better beverage to grab when I'm craving a Diet Coke. Also, you can drink an entire bottle and only consume about 60 calories. I like to think that it helps my digestive system and is providing more health benefits than if I were to be drinking something else. But what actually are the health benefits to drinking kombucha?

Some claims are:

It heals/prevents cancer
It stimulates the immune system
It aids the digestive system
It improves liver function

Maybe it's in my head or maybe it's real, I just feel healthier when I drink it.

There haven't really been any substantial tests done to see if any of these claims are true. The only thing we know is that it doesn't cause any harm...except for the fact it contains alcohol. Some of you might remember when Synergy had to remove all of their products from our local shelves because it has a trace of alcohol in it (it is fermented tea after all). Shortly after, they introduced a new product that had the alcohol removed and could sell it all ages.

Why might it freak people out? Well the process of making it isn't exactly glamorous. Anyone can make kombucha in their home but it does involve fermentation and this strange looking blob thing in the middle of a jar. That's enough of a reason to scare people away.

Source

I'm not sure if I'll ever make my own kombucha, but I'll drink Synergy forever. There are a million awful drinks out there and I'd much rather spend four dollars on something like this than a Mountain Dew or Vanilla Latte.

What do you guys think? Are you kombucha lovers or haters?

Something New

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:26:00 +0000

Clearly, I'm still in a blogging slump. I haven't posted in a few weeks and couldn't really find the motivation to. I've been spending a lot of time planning the wedding and trying to work out my goals for after I graduate school. As much as I love you guys, those things kind of trump this little old blog.

The blog is still going to be about culinary school and the wedding planning, I just decided to try out a new header. What do you think? I didn't have the heart to take Reddick out of the picture quite yet. Hopefully a new design will jump start the brainstorming and I'll have some new posts for you soon! While I don't think I'm going to have much time for recipes right now, I promise that I have lots of fun wedding planning news for you all. For right now, it's back to the wedding planning and work - hopefully tonight I'll have some time to work on some posts for you!

Wedding Planning via Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:59:00 +0000

Pinterest has taken control over my life. I could sit here for ours browsing through everything from banana recipes to purple shoes. It's a godsend...or maybe the exact opposite, but it's been a huge help with planning my wedding.

For those of you who aren't following me on Pinterest I thought I'd share some of the ideas for the wedding that I've found so far. And truthfully, we all know this is the extent of the wedding planning that's going on right now. Good news though, we hope to find out next week if we can have the wedding in the venue that we want. So to all of my potential invitees, please be patient, we're working.

Clearly, Reddick will be involved somehow. He is the one who spends the most time with us.

Source

I really want the bridesmaids to wear different dressesand allow them to pick their own dress so that they are super comfortable.

Source

This would be amazing...if my Dad wasn't a firefighter.

Source

I LOVE this idea - having a caricature artist at the wedding, but I'm sure we'll debate over a photobooth, too.

Source

And this might be one of the cutest favors ever...

Source

What are your favorite wedding ideas from Pinterest? Here are the rest of my wedding pins on my Everything Wedding board.

The Recipe I've Been Waiting For

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Earlier this week, Katie posted a recipe for German Chocolate Fudge Bites. No sugar, no flour and no butter? I was immediately intrigued, considering I'm eating only plant-based foods this week. I headed over to Whole Foods and picked up the ingredients to make the bites. Within about twelve hours they were all gone. They were delicious. At first I thought that they might taste like a Larabar (which I love, but wanted something richer) but they were definitely rich and full of cocoa. Nice work Katie!

Once I had a few I got to thinking about what they tasted like and finally it came to me - these bites have the same fudge taste as my all-time-favorite Chocolate Raspberry Luna Bar. I have been dying to figure out how to make these Luna Bars at home for awhile. With Katie's recipe inspiration, I got to work and came up with a recipe that tastes pretty darn close to my beloved Luna Bars.

Chocolate Berry Squares

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

2 T unsweetened shredded coconut

2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 t vanilla

3/4 cup berries (if frozen, thaw first) - I used a frozen assortment of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

1/4 c pecans or walnuts

Mix all ingredients together in a Magic Bullet or food processor. I recommend a food processor because my Bullet just couldn't handle all the hard chomping. Give everything a good mix once your done processing it. At this point, I shaped them into little squares, but you could do balls or bars, too.

Wedding Motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:38:00 +0000

The countdown is (almost) on. We hope to know in the next few weeks whether or not our date and venue will work. I hope this is the last time during our wedding planning that I have to rely in patience because I'm dying over here and my patience bucket is nearly empty.

Knowing that our date could be in less than seven months is really exciting, but it's also stressing me out. Now I have a date to look forward to that I know that I have to look and feel my best. A lot can happen in seven months and I'm hoping that the changes I've made in the past week are going to kick start everything. I'm going to try my best to make positive changes to my health and hope that they pay off for the wedding.

1. Workouts based on strength training and not so much "jogging to lose weight". Let's be real, I'm closer to thirty than I am to twenty and that means that jogging really doesn't do much for me anymore, sitting down on the weight machine doesn't do nearly as much as actually picking up the weights and spending more time stretching on the mat is great, but isn't going to do much for the way that I look. If I get on a treadmill, I'm going to sprint...If I pick up a weight, it's going to be challenging...If I'm going to workout, I'm going to sweat. I know, I bet you guys are sick of hearing me talk about working out, but it's really something that I've struggled with lately.

2. A more focused diet. I snack. I love sugar. I love carbs. I love everything that I shouldn't, but I also love eating healthy. Is this like some weird thing among healthy living bloggers? We can go from downing a green smoothie to eating a hamburger in just a few minutes. Balance is balance. I can't say I won't eat a burger or a chocolate chip cookie for the next seven months, but I do need to be more aware of what I'm putting into my mouth. I want to focus on less sugar, less gluten and less dairy. Right now, because I'm doing the detox, it's not that hard to stray away and cheat...but once it's over, I hope that I can stay committed.

3. Taking better care of my body. It's really hard to focus on a schedule when my work schedule changes week to week, but I want to try and get more sleep and keep my sleep hours regular.

I'm sure I'll have more heart-to-heart, freaking out about getting ready for the wedding posts. Let's hope I can hold myself to it!

Detox Smoothies

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:06:00 +0000

On Monday I started the Whole Living Action Plan. I'm posting more about it next week on DC Ladies, but I wanted to let you guys know a little bit about it, too. I wanted to do something to get myself back into shape and back into healthy eating habits. I was slowly making my way out of the hole over the past few weeks, but I knew it was time to commit myself to something that would promise results.

I'm on Day Three and I will be honest with you, it hasn't been butterflies and sunshine. Monday was great. I was at work and I have an ample supply of the allowed snacks at my fingertips to help me get through the day (dates, avacados, nuts, etc.). I had yesterday, today and I have tomorrow off, and I knew that days at home might be a little more challenging. Luckily, I set myself up pretty well and stocked my fridge and pantry with food that I am allowed to eat. It hasn't been too difficult eating and hunger-wise, but I feel a little awful. I've had a pounding headache for two days and am so tempted to grab a cup of coffee to whisk it away. But I won't.

To learn about what foods are restricted, click here. To read more about my experience so far, be sure to check out my post next week on the DC Ladies website.

I will share with you some of the smoothies that have been my breakfast treat. I have always been a fan of smoothies but I also find it pretty difficult to gulp one down in the middle of winter. Luckily, the past three days haven't been that bad. I think the key thing is giving myself time to drink it. I'm not rushing the meal like I normally rush breakfast.

So far I've made the:

Antioxidant Smoothie

Green Smoothie

Berry Grapefruit Smoothie

my own recipe

1/2 grapefruit, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces

2 cups frozen berries

1 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup carrot juice

The Antioxidant Smoothie was very tart, of course, but it was still pretty good. The Green Smoothie was chunky and tasted a lot like parsley but it was refreshing. It made my stomach a little upset, but you could tell in a good way. The smoothies are made with fresh, whole fruit and they are supposed to be making my digestive system work less and clean out all of those toxins. The smoothie I made this morning was really great. I love adding the carrot juice because it brings the sweetness and tartness level down.

Any smoothie recipes out there for me? I'd love to hear them!

Victory! and Reddick's Big Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:38:00 +0000

Just in case you aren't my Facebook friend, fan or Twitter follower, I'm pretty excited about last night's victory. I love my G-MEN!!!

But, I won't get into too much detail about how exciting yesterday was because I've got enough on my plate blog-wise as it is. Eats, Love, Happiness and Football? Maybe someday.

In puppy news, we got a really interesting e-mail yesterday. I'm not sure if I've told you or not, but when we adopted Reddick he was also with his brother. When we left the adoption site with Reddick in hands his brother was left behind and I was pretty devastated. I felt awful about not being able to adopt both of them. So of course, I did the second best thing and practically stalked the adoption agency to make sure that his brother, "Alex", was adopted. They were great and put me in touch with the new owners and we've stayed in touch every since. Sadly, the dogs haven't gotten together yet, but hopefully someday.

Anyways, Reddick's brother's new name is Santino, and Santino's owner contacted me yesterday to tell me that they caved and bought a DNA test to determine our pups breed. (This dog looks EXACTLY like Reddick, they are twins.) She mentioned that they paid for one of the cheaper tests and I think the results showed that. Wait until you see what Reddick's heritage might be...

Any guesses?

In case you forgot his cute little face, here's our puppy:

We were told he's a Boxer/Shepard mix and would grow to be about 45-50 pounds. He's 75 pounds.

Here's a Boxer...

They are both pretty top heavy...but we have always guessed he's a little Rottweiler, too.

But...we're all wrong. Here is what the test results revealed:

Chow Chow and Keeshond.

SERIOUSLY?! Did they get the test results mixed up? This is nuts.

I'm really happy that they went through and ordered the test because now I know never to buy one. Ever.

I'll go with my gut and just say that Reddick is healthy, happy and perfect (most of the time).

I Desperately Need To...

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:01:00 +0000

...start taking pictures again. Blog posts without pictures are dull. I also have very few things to write about when I'm not photo-documenting everything. Let's hope Reddick hasn't gotten his paws on my SLR.

...stop burning myself. Every time I feel my arm hit those damn hot racks at work a tear falls for my beautiful wedding dress. (Ok, there's a hint, I did not get a long sleeved wedding dress.)

...plan that wedding. We're close, I promise. Cross your fingers from now until February 7 and I'll hopefully have good news. (We aren't eloping.)

...finish writing my goals. I broke out a big piece of paper and sharpies last week and started getting to work on the list of things I want to work on right now. It's hiding under my bed, mostly so Reddick doesn't get a hold of it, and I have to finish it. Now.

...figure out my workout plan. I won't be doing Soldierfit. I know, I know, I told you guys I was practically their spokesperson, but it of course came down to money and I just cannot spend money to workout. I'm sorry. BUT, I did download this awesome app on my phone with really great (free) workouts and I'm debating dipping back into P90X.

...sharpen my knives. There is nothing worse in a kitchen than a dull knife. Does anyone know which farmers markets around here have a knife sharpening tent?

...get to work on my business. I'm working on developing a business and website plan and I want to have most of it done by the time I graduate. I've gotten some quotes, but if anyone is interested in working with me to develop my website(s) please let me know!

...donate. It's time to get rid of another round of clothes, dishes, cups and whatever else would be better off at Goodwill.

...fold laundry.

Puppy Puberty

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:23:00 +0000

You laugh, but I think it's a real thing.

Reddick is approaching his second birthday and I think something has gotten into him. In the past few weeks he's managed to destroy four remote controls and chew up all of my patience. He barks when he's bored, angry, lonely, irritated or just when he's sitting. He always wants to be chased and even after a two hour run at the dog park, still yearns for more. I love him, but we've hit a bump in the road.

Right now though, as I'm writing this post, he looks like a little angel.

We love Reddick more than anything and we like to think that we did a good job in raising him, but clearly some things have failed. Here is a list of things that I think we did right and wrong when raising our little guy.

What we did wrong:

We should have done more brain exercising than physical exercising. We are very dedicated to making sure that Reddick gets enough exercise to keep him healthy and lean but to also release his bundled up energy. We should have spent an equal amount of time working his brain. Dogs get really worn out doing mental exercises, just like they do with physical exercise. I want to take 15-20 minutes a few times a week to work with Reddick on learning new commands and working that brain of his.
We should have taught him "heal" right off the bat. Here is a blonde-moment, I never understood what it even meant until a few months ago. Too many times did we go out and let Reddick take us for a walk than the other way around. Now he's gotten used to walking side by side with us, but for awhile he was dragging us along for most of our walks. He loves walking and running and now it's a little more comfortable for both of us.
We should have designated a place for him on the couch. (Although, I'm almost positive this would never work.) We all love to snuggle, but it's a little frustrating to have company over and Reddick immediately wants to sit on their lap.
We should have done more barking training. His barking is really his biggest flaw. He mostly only does it when it is just me and him and he's bored. He hates when I just sit on the couch to work on my computer or watch tv. As soon as I do, he stands right in front of me and barks until I get up. What I need to do is ignore him and let him forget about how much it annoys him, but living in a condo and having neighbors all around me make it a little hard. I've thought about a barking collar again (a spray one) or breaking out the spray bottle again. He grew out of it before, so let's hope that this is part of his maturing and he also grows out of this stage.

What we did right:

Teaching him to play fetch. He loves tennis balls and will do almost anything to get a hold of one. If there is ever a day that we don't want to go running or go to the dog park, all we have to do is take him out back and play fetch with him. It is such a great way for him to exercise for a few minutes or even a few hours. Some of his proudest moments are when he's playing fetch with me or a complete stranger.
We kept his crate. He is crate trained and hasn't spent that much time in his crate, but it's a great thing to have around. I think he thinks of it as his bedroom. Sometimes he just goes and sits in there for hours, like it's his little corner of our condo. If something comes up (like him chewing remotes) we have the crate to put him in if we need to step out for a few hours. Slowly, he'll gain the right to be out on his own again when we are gone.
We keep a lot of toys on hand. Dogs need a variety of toys. Sometimes we put some away so he forgets about them and when it comes back out, it's like a new toy again. His favorites are his bones and the Kong. Having a toy that hides treats is the best thing ever. It keeps him busy for a long time.
We taught him to run with us. For the days that we do want to get out and run, it's a great thing to have a dog that will run alongside you. Reddick is fast and when he gets going, he doesn't like to stop, so it's great for the both of us.
We socialized him very early. We try to take Reddick to the dog park at least three times a week. He is one of the most friendly dogs you will ever meet. It was important to socialize him with dogs of all sizes. He prefers dogs that are smaller than him but is still really good around bigger dogs, too. The important thing is to let the dogs do their thing. They are going to jump on each other and growl, but that is their way of playing. They need to get it out of their system.
We keep human food out of his reach. He's curious when we are eating, but doesn't really "beg". It's not perfect, but its better than having a dog bark and whine while we eat. We do give him some human food, but it's not an every day thing and it's not like we are feeding him Big Macs. He loves carrots and apples. He's even eaten some of my leftover salad.
We drove around with him. Reddick was going to work with me until I went to school, so that means that he was commuting with me to work everyday, too. Now he is pretty stress-free in the car and sleeps most of the time.

I'm sure I could go on forever on the do's and don'ts of raising a puppy, but given the recent craziness at our house, these are a few that seem to stick out. On top of the fact that he's almost two, there have been a lot of changes in our house recently that I'm sure has gotten him worked up. MJW has been traveling a lot, my hours are wacky and Reddick is used to a certain schedule. Regardless, Reddick is still our responsibility and we owe it to him to make sure that he is raised correctly. We are all going to work really hard to overcome his flaws and make sure he lives the most perfect puppy life ever.

Couponing (Made Easy)

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:07:00 +0000

I've talked about couponing before on my blog and it's pretty clear how much I love it (despite how annoying and time consuming it might be), but I've been slacking, a lot. I haven't had been able to find the time or energy to devote to couponing. I know, it's crazy to say that when you save a lot of money, but it's true. I haven't been doing much shopping outside of grocery shopping anyways, so I haven't been all that concerned. The one kind of shopping I have been doing (when needed) is online shopping. It's quick, easy and I can do it without getting of my couch. That's shopping gold right there.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a website called Coupon Chief and they wanted me to test out their site and write a review. Considering most of my shopping has been done online, they couldn't have asked at a better time. I've said before that one of the easiest ways to save (especially if you hate coupon clipping) is searching for coupon codes when you are shopping online. I usually just use Google and have to sort through a bunch of website to find a successful code. Now that I've come across Coupon Chief, couponing just got that much easier. This website is a search database for thousands and thousands of coupon codes. Not only is the coupon code listed, but you can use it with a single click and the success rate is calculated as well.

Here's an example:

69%

SUCCESS

COUPON:

15% off Geek Squad Online Remote Support(exp 2/28)

CODE:

CouponsGeek15

Did this

coupon work?

There is one other thing about this website that might intrigue you even more, you can actually make money off of this site. You have the ability to submit coupon codes through their "pays-2-share" program and whenever someone uses your code you are reimbursed. I think I just found a better way to kill time than spending my free time on Facebook or Pinterest.

There are plenty of couponing sites out there right now, but I found this one to be one that is not only extremely easy to use and functional, it's also set up to help you make a few bucks. Head over and sign up! Let me know if you do and how everything goes. I'd love to hear about your experience.

I signed up for Couponchief.com and I did receive compensation for this post. The comments are my own and I plan to stay signed up to the website.

Soldierfit

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:56:00 +0000

We all know how tired I am, how I'm not eating super great and how I'm very out of shape. I tell you guys every day and you so nicely keep reading. Thanks friends.

We also know that I'm planning on getting married in the next year. I know that I don't want to feel or look the way I do now for the wedding. Despite how tired I am and how many pounds of carrots I lug around on a daily basis, it's really time to get back into shape. It's amazing how crappy I started to feel after I stopped eating healthy and working out regularly. I feel like I've been hit by a truck on a daily basis, but for all of the wrong reasons.

Last year MJW tried a new workout class called Soldierfit. A lot of our friends had been doing Crossfit, but we just really couldn't justify spending that much money to workout when the workouts are posted daily online. I honestly have a hard time wrapping my head around paying for a workout regardless, whether it's $100 a month or $5 a month. I also believe that we all get to a certain point in our lives where we hit a brick wall and the same workouts just don't work anymore. I think that I hit that point.

MJW really enjoyed Soldierfit and the results were amazing. He did it for three months straight and not only did he end up in great shape but he now has this incredible motivation to workout every day. (Which is a little annoying for those of us who have a crazy new lifestyle where working out just doesn't fit in like it used to.) So instead of being annoyed at the sweaty boy who was coming home every night from his workouts he suggested that I give it a try. He said that the people who attended were usually in good shape but nothing that I couldn't stand up against.

Yesterday, just before lunch, he texted me telling me that I should go try out a class to see if I like it. With fifteen minutes until go-time, I changed into workout clothes and ran out the door. I got to the class and was immediately greeted by the instructor and a few women attending the class. I believe there first words were "Are you here for Soldierfit? Don't be scared."

Side note, usually I don't just jump into cars and go to random workout classes by myself. I must be pretty desperate.

There was only four of us attending the class which made it a little nerve wracking but allowed for more one-on-one attention. My instructions were to soak in the class, not go 100% and take breaks when I need to. I had no idea what I was in for, so I nodded and started to jump rope to warm up.

The class consisted of rotating stations with ab workouts in between each set. The cool thing about Soldierfit is that every class is different and it focuses on your entire body. There was cardio, upper body, lower body, resistance training and ab workouts all in a matter of an hour. The class was extremely fun but also extremely painful (and I mean that in a good way). The hour long workout left me feeling like I worked every inch of my body. All I wanted to do was have a good lunch and do a few yoga poses afterwards to balance everything out.

I'm 99.9% sure that I am going to join Soldierfit. I know I've said that I hate paying to workout and I think it's a little crazy, but like I said before, I need something different. If I'm paying to workout, I'm more apt to get off of my butt and go do it. It's only an hour out of my day and I probably get a better workout in that hour at the class than I would with three days of going through the motions at my own gym.

I'm really excited to get back into shape and I'm considering sharing it all with you. Would you guys be interested in learning more about this class if I start taking it? I know there are a ton of workout blogs out there already and body transformations, but I think it might be really helpful (especially for those of you in the Montgomery County area).

If you think you might like to take a class, please check out their website or watch the video below. I'd be happy to direct you to the instructor that I met yesterday if you guys have any questions!