Fitting Back In

My Weekend in Photos

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:18:00 +0000

Happy Monday! I hope you all had great weekends! We had great ones - Friday was very chill - just went over to Mel & Jon's for a few drinks and caught up with them post-holidays! Saturday we slept in, then headed to a beer tasting from 3 - 6. Then Mel & Jon & Terry picked us up and we went to 3 Sheets. It was a pretty weird place but the food (and wine!) were great! After dinner we hung out at Mel & Jon's then headed home. Sunday was a day of chilling and cooking - very chill. What was missing? Work. Yes, I didn't work all weekend! I also didn't work out - eek - time to get back to it!

Me & Austin at the fest! And no, I have no idea why my face looks so orange and wide. LOL

group shot!

Dinner with the Mittelbronns & Terry!

Sunday with the puppers - this is what they do while I cook - their little bunk beds! :)

Q: What was the highlight of your weekend?

Q: What's your favorite beer? Doesn't matter how many beers I try, miller lite is still my stand by/favorite! :) I will say I LOVED a lot of the beers at the fest, including this sour apple alagash!

Have any Paleo Questions?, Weekly Workouts & a new Meatless Recipe!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:41:00 +0000

Happy Hump Day! Hope you're all having good ones! I'm at home in my PJs watching mindless TV - so i'm doing pretty dang good. :) This week I've been doing a lot of paleo testing (and for those of you are sick of hearing me talk about it - i'm sorry - I promise I have other things to chat about!). But for those who are intrigued (like me!), my friend Mon has been incredibly helpful with paleo-talk. I sent her a million (probably 8) questions and she's been a great resource as she's been living the lifestyle for months! If you have any paleo questions, leave them in the comments - Mon has offered to answer them via guest post!!! I'm very excited, and so appreciative of her offer. So add your questions and on Sunday i'll get them over to her!

And on to my week, in a nutshell:
Sunday: Rested, worked, went to Whole Foods & Publix for "paleo food", cooked a few paleo dishes and called it a night!

Monday: a.m. workout (P90X chest & back); lunchtime walk with Stacy (3 miles); then just work, work, work and Paleo testing!

Tuesday: a.m. workout (P90X plyos); lunchtime walk with Stacy (3 miles); then just work, work, work and Paleo testing! (do you see a pattern here? LOL)

Wednesday: a.m. workout (P90X shoulders, biceps and triceps); work, work, work; home to watch my girly TV shows (e.g., Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie, Switched at Birth, The Lying Game, and Pretty Little Liars hehe).

We also had a new recipe - not paleo, but yummy, meatless and seasonal!

Pesto Butternut Squash Pizza
Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from Cooking Light

Nutritional Information: 428 calories, 58 carbs, 19 fat grams and 15 protein grams.

YUM! I never would have thought about putting squash on a pizza, but it tasted wonderful and i'm so glad I did it! The pesto went well with it, as well as the parmesean. I will definitely make this again - loved the colors, the taste, how filling it was and think it's a great seasonal meal. Check out the recipe on Healthified Kitchen!

Other than that, Austin sent me this adorable picture:

A baby!

Yes, i'll end on that adorably happy note. hehe

Q: How are your workouts going this week? I'm glad to have gotten in 5 so far! Am either resting or doing yoga!

Q: Any fun plans this weekend?!

Healthified Creamy Cajun Chicken Alfredo; 4 Skinny Finds!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:48:00 +0000

First of all, thank you for your support following my car accident! I would be lying if I said I wasn't totally freaked, but I appreciate your thoughts and thanks to your ideas and comments i'm definitely going to see a doctor this week and, pending our conversation and my talk with Geiko this evening, seek a chiropractor and/or massage therapy. Thank you again for your kind thoughts and wonderful suggestions! And oh my - just reading some of your notes about your accidents made it even more scary and real - it's just not that safe out there - eek! :(

On a WAY other note, towards a MUCH happier place, BEFORE the accident, I did have some good luck at the boutique sale on Saturday a.m.! In fact, I found 4 skinny finds! Well, technically it's 6, but I could only find pictures of 4! Here goes...

Work Custom Jeans; skinny/gray

Citizens of Humanity Avedon Skilly in Dark Ivy (like a DARK green)

Citizens of Humanity Avedon skinny in Absolute

Blank NYC black corduroy skinny jeans

I also got a pair of Esley olive green thick leggings (with pockets) and a pair of Be 1 super thin skinny dark gray jeans/leggings (skinny) with white stitches - classic! Couldn't find pictures of either of these online - boo. And as far as non-skinny finds, I am now the proud owner of a cute top and a dress (pics to come!). Stacy has luck too with a dress, a cool vest, awesome purple corduroy pants and earrings!

Outside of buying skinny pants, i'm still trying out skinny recipes! Here is a new non-paleo dish!

Creamy Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Recipe adapted from Food Network
Makes 6 servings

Nutritional Information: 392 calories, 46 carbs, 11 fat grams and 28 protein grams.

Great dish! Very spicy, but not too spicy. It was definitely a cream sauce, that tasted very sinful and like something I wouldn’t order at Olive Garden for fear of it being calorific. All in all, a new favorite around here. Very filling, sinful-tasting and something I would make for guests for sure! (and note: I froze a serving of this to test it - it reheated SO well - just as creamy!) Check out the recipe on Healthified Kitchen!

Q: Skinny pants: yay or nay?! I'm a HUGE fan, especially of the stretchy, soft ones that feel like maternity pants/leggings. hehe

Q: How has your Monday been so far? Mine has literally been up and down - i'm definitely happy that I got in 2 workouts though! woo!

Day Derailed (car accident = wah wah)

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:11:00 +0000

So I thought Saturday was going to be awesome! Boutique shopping with Stacy, lunch with my sis, a trip to Trader Joe's, a workout and movie night with Austin. It started out good - I made it to the boutique sale but it was raining buckets. But we pushed on, through the rain, and shopped. I got 6 new pairs of pants (eeee!), a top and a dress/romper/beach cover up. Austin called and said the weather was getting bad, flooding, etc. - that I need to skip visiting my sis, TJ's and the gym and just come. home. now.

So I did. I left the boutique sale, drove slowly and was being very careful. I was on a major highway coming down a hill and there were cops everywhere. Firetrucks. There had been an accident and 2 lanes were closed without notice. Needless to say everyone hit their breaks and slowed down. Everyone, that is, except for the car behind me which plowed into me. I saw it in the rearview and their hood just completely folded in, the front of their car smashed and smoke started billowing out. (yes - still pouring rain). For the record, it was nothing like this:

Instead I immediately started crying. Like gigundo elephant tears + hyperventilating. I just knew I was hurt and my car was destroyed and it just completely freaked me out! Turned out, my car is kind of awesome and will probably just need a new bumper. And, I think I just got whiplash, nothing more, as my neck and upper back/shoulders are really tight.

Needless to say, after a while of dealing with the cops/license/insurance, being talked down by a firefighter and having my blood pressure/vitals taken, I was on the road home, still shaken and slightly freaked out! My day following that was spent with a sore neck/back, in bed, being catered to by Austin (thanks again, Austin!).

Q: Have you ever been in a car accident? I told Austin i'm used to hitting things, not being hit. I used to frequently back into things (poles, walls, trash cans, etc.). I don't think i'd been hit since I was 16 in my white civic! I wasn't NEARLY as freaked. I think I was immortal then, of course.

Q: Any get-rid-of-whiplash-symptom ideas? My neck is still sore - boo!

I Can't Wait...

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:09:00 +0000

To see this:

To wear these:

New Citizens of Humanity dark green skinny jeans!

To be reunited with these two people:

My mom, my sis & me from my mom's birthday dinner last month at Dante's Down the Hatch

For my fridge to look like this:

Well not EXACTLY like this but you know what I mean - i'm still looking to attempt pseduo-paleo in February!

To have a whole lotta this:

YES - things are slowly calming down at work!

Not much has been up with me - just work. Monday the office was closed but I worked from home preparing to be out for 2 days for a company event. I did P90X arms. Tuesday I was in meetings from 9 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. I got home exhausted and cranky! Wednesday was said event. I did get up early and go to the gym first, but only had time for a 2-mile run + 5 minutes on the stair climber + P90 ab ripper. We had an AMAZING company event (that my team was responsible for putting on), and afterwards I went out with some of my co-workers for dinner at Cinco Mexican Cantina. The portions were HUGE (i.e. I split guacamole and fajitas with 2 other people!). Thursday I was a freaking zombie. Just totally spent. Foggy. Exhausted. And behind at work, life, etc. Totally cranky. So I rested. I worked. I went to bed EARLY. Friday I was determined to feel better! I slept 8 hours, got up early, ran 2 miles and worked! Then I hit up Zara to return a few things and had SO much luck (must take pics!), then I went by the grocery store and got ready to host book club. My sister, Monica, her sister Steph, Stacy, Danielle and Shana all came over and we discussed A Soft Place to Land. Mostly we just had a few glasses of wine, caught up, and talked everything from diets and skincare to babies and TV. SUCH a fun evening. Although it got late quick!

Q: How is your weekend going?

Q: Fill in the blank: I can't wait... ________________________!

Paleo Planning; Butternut Bean Burrito; Fill in the Blanks!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:23:00 +0000

Herro! How is your weekend going?! Mine is going well - just reorganizing the closet (yes, again!), running laundry and researching Paleo. Yes, I'm considering doing it, at least the 30-day challenge.

hehe I think that guy looks like Tarzan (photo found on Google images)

What I'm going to Miss

Rice (my favorite food - seriously)
Pasta (Austin's favorite food)
Torillas (wraps? enchiladas? burritos?)
Potatoes (feel okay about this - have replaced with sweet potatoes & butternut squash before)
Quinoa (we were just getting to be besties)
Cheese (my second favorite food - seriously. Cabot stock is going to go down!)
Milk (however will my eggs get fluffy?)
English Muffins (makes breakfasts so convenient. And muffin pizzas? Sad!)
Bread (bye-bye sammies)
Corn (goes SO well in numerous dishes - casseroles, tacos, etc.)
Black beans (and all beans; see note on corn!)
Candy (adios sour patch kids)
Diet Pepsi (I love a carbonated beverage)
Honey (I use it in LOTS of recipes)
Processed everything: Cheez-Its, luna bars, corn chips, etc.

What I'm Excited About:

Eating more whole foods and FRESH foods (rather than packaged/processed)
More avocado!
More sweet potato dishes!
Trying out new meats and new seasonings for meat
Grilling more (Austin's super pumped that I chose the coldest month in ATL to start "grilling more")
More egg dishes (so glad i've always been an egg fan!)
More fruit, especially for desserts!
New paleo-inspired recipes

Looks like even Paleo people pre-plan - eeee! (photo found on google images)

Ultimately, I'm most excited about what I keep reading, which is that there is a good chance this is going to help with a lot of my GI problems. I hear it reduces bloat and leads to better digestion, which makes me VERY happy. Apparently it as developed by a gastroenterologist. I also hear you sleep better and have more energy. So, i'm considering trying it and seeing how I feel, if it works, etc. Am I going to be perfect on paleo? Probably not, but i'm going to try to follow it as best I can and focus on eating vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs and fish. And even better news? Austin has agreed to try it with me. This makes my life SO much easier!

So what does this mean? Lots of paleo planning! I'm working on making some of my recipes paleo-friendly, and finding other paleo recipes. Really, it's just making the meat with veggies as a side, and making sure the sauces/condiments are natural. Yes, that's simplifying it, but my bestie Mon who has been eating Paleo-friendly for months, says it's best to focus on what you can eat rather than what you can't. So I shall focus on the SECOND list above! In the meantime, here is a non-paleo inspired recipe. :) It would actually BE paleo, without the tortilla. And cheese... and black beans.

Butternut Squash Black Bean Burritos
Recipe Inspired by One Heatlhy Apple and Dinners for a Year and Beyond
Makes 4 Servings

Nutritional Information: 397 calories, 56 carbs, 9 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

I thought these were amazing. The sauce absolutely makes them. Typically I’m not a big fan of ground turkey, so to be able to ‘mask’ it in this soft tortilla and yummy sauce is wonderful! The beans went really well with the squah, and like always, the squash made this super filling. It reheated very well, and is a winner with us. Definitely make this your own – try other squash or veggies, try chicken or beef – it’s easy to mix this one up and make it your favorite. Just make the sauce and you’ll be fine! Recipe over at Healthified Kithchen!

What else has been up this weekend?

Shopping with Austin - yes, we had a few things to return/purchase at Nordstrom, some Macy's purchases, etc. Guess what? I bought NOTHING! :)
Friday workout: P90X (legs & back followed by ab ripper) in the a.m.!
Dinner on Friday with Andy, Mon, Dax & Amanda at Escorpian Tequila Bar - GREAT food, I had a mahi mahi taco and a pulled pork taco - fabulous, fresh and well portioned. Mostly I had a GREAT time catching up with the Blancos (who are both paleos and had lots of great advice!) and seeing the Cooke's (who I hadn't seen since they got married in the Dominican this fall!). Such a fun visit.
LOTS of chilling with Austin & the pups - we didn't leave the house Saturday which was really nice, and Sunday we were home sans errands - gave me lots of time to sleep, chill, plan paleo, and read blogs - eeee! And I'm off work today! Kind of. The office is closed but I have WAY too much to do so i'll be working from home starting soon!

Your turn - fill in the blanks!

The highlight of my weekend was ____________.
I think Paleo is _____________.
My favorite song to work out to right now is ________. (what? seems totally irrelevant but i'm hoping to make a new play list tonight and would love your ideas! :) )

Paleo?!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:59:00 +0000

So i'm considering trying this. Do I have time for it? Is there ever enough time? Is now a good time? Who knows, so I'm thinking about just doing it for the month of February. I asked my co-worker about it (he's an awesome cross-fit dude) and he sent me a ton of links, and then I asked Mon (my bestie; an awesome cross-fit lady) and she sent me a ton of links.

Q: Ever tried Paleo? Should I do it?!

Q: Have any recipes, tips, etc. to get me through February on Paleo?!

And quick outside-of-Paleo recap:

Monday: a.m. workout of 2 miles (1.5 running at 6.3; 1/2 at 4 mph); work; team lunch; more work - oy.

Tuesday: a.m. workout of P90X plyos; work; team lunch; more work - oy. (are you seeing a pattern?)

Today: a.m. workout of P90X back & biceps + ab ripper x; work; 3-mile walk with my Real Simple magazine during lunch, and more work... whilst considering whether or not I should try Paleo with my co-workers (while eating carbs of course)... the remainder of the day should be ALL work - oy - i'm crazy behind fo sho.

Q: How are your workouts stacking up this week?! I refuse to skip a workout no matter how busy it gets! So far, that's working for me!

Meatless Breakfast Tacos with Homemade Salsa; 2 Miles!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:01:00 +0000

Happy Monday! While I had an awesome time in Breck it's SO good to be back! Today started with a shorter-than-usual workout. Bottomline - waking up at 6 a.m. here was 4 a.m. Colorado time so therefore I was exhausted! I DID manage to run 1.5 miles at 6.3 and walk 1/2 mile - 2 miles before work - not awful! I'm going to try to do P90X tonight at home (to stick to my workout plan!) - we'll see. In the meantime, here is another new recipe we're loving!

Egg and Cheese Breakfast Tacos with Homemade Salsa
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Recipe

Nutritional Information per serving (2 tacos): 386 calories, 46 carbs, 10 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

At first I was like really? Make my own salsa? But it added so much to these beans and eggs! I was also nervous about refried beans but they went so well with the green-onion eggs and everything had a lot of flavor. I wouldn't change a thing - it was a wonderful, filling breakfast that tasted excellent! Great, meatless meal - check out the recipe on Healthified Kitchen!

Q: Tacos for breakfast: yay or nay? i'm a huge fan of tacos, burritos, tostados, nachos, etc. for breakfast!

Q: What is your weekly workout plan? i hope to do a lot of P90X, a couple of runs and LOTS of abs - ab ripper 3X!

Breck Bites, Home to ATL!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Back from Breck! SUCH a fun, family vacation - very bitter sweet to fly out yesterday. Of course today has been lovely - sleeping in, doing laundry, getting our perfect puppers back, going to the grocery store - you know, getting our house back in order! The last few days were like this:

Monday: Dropped off the pups (sad!), flew to Denver where our luggage was 2 hours behind us (grrr Delta), watched UGA lose its bowl game (boo!), met up with Austin's parents & brothers, drove from Denver to Breck, got to the awesome place Austin's parents got, got our skis/boots and went to dinner at Fatty's. I also grabbed some new pants at Mountain Wave. Then it was off to Kroger, home to unpack and time to sleep for our first day of skiing!

Ski group!

Tuesday: I got up early, made breakfast, through lunch in the slowcooker and we headed out to ski! We didn't have much powder and no snow, but the runs were groomed and we had a great day of skiing! I did mostly blacks (eee!), and blues - SO fun. It was also nice to be able to ski in/ski out - the place was SO convenient - great to go in and eat breakfast and visit with Austin's mom. After skiing the boys hit the hot tub (yes, the place had its own hot tub - so nice!) and then we all went out to eat at Mi Casa - love Mexican! Then home to pass out - I was asleep by 10 every night!

Casa!

Me & Austin!

Austin & his bros

What else is there to do in lift lines? Take pictures - of course!

Wednesday: Up early again, made breakfast again and went out to ski! Spent the day out, ate out on the mountain at the base of Peak 9 for lunch, skiied more, then skiied home, exhausted! We hung out, then decided to cook in! So I ran to the store with Austin's parents, stopped by a few hotels to check them out, then we got home and Austin's dad grilled steaks and chicken, we made potatoes and broccoli and had a little feast! We also had lots of yummy wine thanks to Austin's parents! Good times.

Lunch with Michelle at Peak 9!

cooking!

dinner in!

Thursday: Up early again, more breakfast and more skiing! We skiied in for lunch to have leftovers, then were back out for more skiing fun! I was REALLY enjoying the slopes, I could just feel like I was improving - love that! We skiied for the rest of the day, then headed home, had a cheese plate and the chef showed up! Austin's dad had found a chef who came over to the house and made homemade bread, salad, acorn squash risotto, lamb - AMAZING. It was great to stay in and have such a nice meal cooked right there at the house - very nice! Afterwards we watched a movie and passed out!

The best meal I ate in Breck was the meal that chef made at the condo - seriously! I want to try to recreate this!

Friday: You guessed it - up early again, more breakfast cooking, lunch into the slowcooker, and our LAST day of skiing - sad! Chris, our buddy from GA who moved to Denver, met us on the slopes! So great to see him and spend the day skiing with him and all the boys. We skied in for lunch, then headed back out for our last runs of the trip. Another beautiful, sunny, snowless day! Then we went out to dinner to Blue River Bistro with the family & Chris & Katie! So great to see Katie! After dinner we headed to their ski house in Frisco, had a drink, caught up with them, then went home and passed out!

My ski buddies on the last day - with Chris!

Me with the crew - minus Tyler!

Walking to the bistro

The brothers at the bistro!

Loved seeing this lady!

So fun to see them -although we want them to move back to Atlanta stat!

Me & Austin's dad/my ski instructor! :)

Saturday: Up early, packed, left the condo and headed to Denver! Our flight wasn't until 4 p.m., so we walked around the cute downtown area, had a great lunch at Cherry Cricket where I had the best burger I've ever had - seriously, 1/4 pounder with mushroom, swiss and grilled onions - AMAZING. Then it was off to the airport for our flight (which I slept through the majority of) - and then bye to the family, home to unpack and sleep!

SUCH a great trip - loved the time with the family, the skiing, seeing Breck again, breaking in my new boots, getting my new ski pants, cooking and having fun. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that I hadn't gained a pound - I ate and drank a lot more than normal, but I guess 5+ hours of skiing covered the extra calories! WOO! Now i'm back and ready to focus on my January 2012 To-Do/Enjoy List!

Q: How's your 2012 been so far?! Any highlights already?

Q: What are you looking forward to this month?

Turkey & Squash Risotto; BRECK!!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Having a great time in Breck and loving my new ski pants! The liner is zebra print. hehe

More pics to come - my resizer isn't working! Ugh - but we're having a blast, had a great, easy flight over, skiied all day yesterday (LOVING the house we're at - it's ski in/ski out so you ski right off the back yard!) I'm skiing all blues and blacks, too - loving the blacks! I'd be loving them more if we had more powder but there is NO snow here - eek! Oh well, good food, good times, good group and because of the convenience of how close we are i'm cooking breakfasts for the group each a.m.! I even put taco soup in the crockpot yesterday morning, and we skiied in for lunch to eat it - awesome! Anywho, more pics to come, for now, check out this YUMMY risotto recipe we had before we left - AWESOME!

Turkey & Squash Risotto
Recipe inspired by Closet Cooking
Makes 4 Servings

Nutritional Information: 369 calories, 46 carbs, 10 fat grams and 18 protein grams.

Excellent! Such a great fall/winter dish. The turkey added a lot to make it more filling, and the risotto and butternut squash blended together so well. Also, while the little cranberries are optional, I must say I really liked these surprise bites of sweetness! Great recipe - check it out on Healthified Kitchen!

Q: What are you up to today? What's the weather like where you are? It's colder in Atlanta than it is here in Colorado!

Q: What's your favorite risotto? Mine may still be my breakfast risotto!

Weekly Workouts, Shopping & Off to Ski!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:45:00 +0000

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We had a great time celebrating Auburn's win at the dome, and since then have just been packing, shopping and getting ready for our ski trip (I'll be in Colorado this evening - woo!). It's been a pretty good week - lot s of good workouts, good shopping and good times!

Weekly Workouts: Last week was great! I got in 5 workouts, including:

Monday: P90X biceps, triceps & shoulders; ab ripper X
Tuesday: P90X plyos
Wednesday: 3.5-mile walk at 4 mph
Thursday: 3-mile run at 6.3 mph; 1/2 mile walk at 4 mph during a.m. (this workout was REALLY exciting to me - I hadn't just hopped on and run 3 miles straight in a while - eee!)
Friday: 3-mile walk @ lunch with Stacy
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: shopping/packing - active rest? LOL

Weekly Shopping: I hit the jackpot at Zara! I got 1 dress, 2 sweaters, 2 tops and a pair of navy skinny pants - eeee! Here's pics of what I could find online:

cable stitch cardigan with sheepskin hoodie liner! to me the sweater is super dark in person - random!

Jersey dress - I got it in navy!

Got this top in gray with white dots - has a cool back - big silver exposed zipper from bottom to top!

I got this top in an emerald green! Great for work - easy to tuck in to black or dark gray!

I also had luck at Nordstrom - finding my new black rider boots, two new pairs of skinny jeans and a cape!

Eeee - was so happy to find these - TOOK FOREVER! Seriously - multiple Macy's, Coach, Michael Kors, DSW, Nine West, Bloomingdale's - it took entirely too long but i'm happy to have them in time for my ski trip!

Hudson stretch skinny jeans

Joe's skinny jeans

Via Spiga cape

Sadly, no pics of my FAVORITE of the sweaters or the navy pants. Sigh - i'll have to take my own! I did wear the navy pants to the game and a new little $10 top from Forever 21.

What else was up this week?

working, working, working. Worked LATE - tried to get a lot done before the week off from work!
going to 5 Seasons and having gator for an appetizer with salmon for dinner
preparing for our ski trip (laundry; packing; finding our ski stuff; etc.)
Seeing Auburn win its Chick-fil-A bowl - great new year!

That's about it!

Q: What are you up to on your second day of 2012?! We're leaving for the airport in 30 minutes - time to go ski!

20 2012 To-Do/To-Enjoy List

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:23:00 +0000

This year I decided to do my resolutions, to-dos, goals, etc. a bit different. Instead of listing them out somewhat arbitrarily, I decided to look at it more in the lines of what I hope to do each day, week, month, quarter, etc. - this way I could focus a bit more on what I really want to do! I also took the number down to 20 things - again, more doable. Yes, things come up. Yes, I may not get to it all. And yes, many of these are from last year. But that's okay! I truly enjoyed sitting down and really taking the time to think about what I want to do next year - the sky's the limit! And then paring back to make it as realistic as possible. So, without further ado, here is what I hope to-do/to-enjoy in 2012!

Daily To Do/To-Enjoys

1. Each day I want to focus on the positive, enjoy my family and puppers, think about/call/email loved ones, blog (even if it's just a photo), read blogs (even if it's just one post from one of my favorite writers), do something active (even if it's just stretching on off days!), eat healthified, home-cooked meals, and read something inspiring or motivating!
2. Track calories until goal weight is reached (115).

Weekly To-Do/To-Enjoys

3. Have date night.
4. Measure on Thursdays. (to help show progress the scale may not show!)
5. Relax: Read a magazine and do at least 30 minutes of yoga/stretching.
6. Try out churches in our area - hopefully find one!
7. Make at least 1 new recipe.

Monthly To-Do/To-Enjoys

8. Make and follow monthly workout plans (to include P90X/strength training, spinning, and running).
9. Read 2-3 fiction books and 1 nonfiction book. (40/year). Attend book club!
10. Make 1 'fun with food' recipe - bentos, snacks, etc.
11. Find, edit and healthify 5 recipes to prepare for cooking.

Quarterly To-Do/To-Enjoys

12. Create a step-by-step meal plan.
13. Do a family videos (1/quarter - spring, summer, fall, winter!)

One-time-only/Ongoing To-Do/To-Enjoys

14. Find master bedroom items: small bench for Remy & reupholster chaise; focus on updating the laundry room, bathrooms and the hallway.
15. Do home upgrades including 'stairs' project, flooring in guest bath and printing/framing more pictures!
16. Make 2010 photo book; make 2011 photo book; make wedding book.
17. Do a household budget.
18. Learn how to sew on a button, how to use my food processor and how to use my rice maker.
19. Reorganize my career goals/notes/tips/etc.; reorganize my to-make recipes.
20. Accomplish fitness goals: build to where I can run 6 miles straight at 6.3 mph (9.5-minute miles); run 3 miles straight at 7.5 mph (8-minute miles); run a 5K race (first race ever!).

Overall, I just hope to have a happy and balanced 2012 where I can be present in what i'm doing and not worrying about how much I have to do because I've spread myself too thin. I want to see my family and friends as much as possible. I want to be active, eat healthy and reach my goal weight again where I feel the most positive physically! I want to continue organizing, traveling, cooking and enjoying Atlanta. Here's to an AMAZING 2012, starting with seeing Auburn in the Chick-fil-A bowl on New Year's Eve, then flying out to Breckenridge, Co., on Jan. 2. Already SO excited for what all the new year will bring!

Q: What are you looking most forward to in 2012? All I can say is balance - i'm truly hoping and planning for a more healthy work-life balance.

Christmas Weekend Photos + New Slowcooker Recipe!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:03:00 +0000

Oh Christmas weekend! How much we prepare and then how quickly you go. Saturday, Christmas Eve, Austin's parents came over around noon for lunch & gifts!

Time to open presents!

Who doesn't love themed monopoly?

Michelle even got presents for Remy & Reuben!

And she got me an awesome chafing dish! Can't wait to use it - so fancy!

The boys! I told them they were dressed like Alvin, Simon and Theordore

His family stayed until 3 or so, then me and Austin cleaned up, turned the dishes, prepared for my family the next day and left at 5:30 to meet them at church for a 6 p.m. service. We went to church, then had dinner at Norman's Landing - awesome salmon. Then it was home sweet home.

Actually we had a beer - we each pulled a random import- I got this one. It was good and the colors were festive. Then it was time for bed - had to be up early!

Saturday, Christmas Day, we got up early and headed up to Lake Lanier to Austin's aunt & uncle's house. The whole family was there. This is a random picture and apparently the face I make when i'm asked to give 'angry face.'

Hanging out with E, Ty, Austin & Kev

After a yummy breakfast and a few hours of visiting, it was time to get back home to prepare for my family's 2 p.m. arrival. Remy was exhausted - she curled up in a curtain for a few hours. I TOTALLY felt where she was coming from!

We had a yummy dinner, then opened presents! I'm wearing a new coat my mom got me, and holding an awesome pic & frame Devon & Zach got us!

Dane bug loved the boxes toys came in!

Such a cute family - Dane talked for like an hour - hilarious! Loved this pic as Zach and his mini me are both chatting away!

Love the Christmas colors! Dane's nighttime bottle!

Devon & Zach also got me this awesome electronic frother! I made yummy coffee/chocolate drinks - as you can see i'm not consistent with the frother yet, but i'll get there!

Unfortunately I have NO pics of my mom - sad! Zach took most of the pics during gift opening and she had to leave before our late night coffee chocolates so we missed her - hopefully i'll get some from him soon! I also need to get pics from him from Monday, December 26, AKA my mom's birthday! We had a great family dinner at Dante's Down the Hatch!

And before heading out, I want to share a new slowcooker dish! It may not look the prettiest but it was GOOD and reheated well which makes me happy. :)

Slowcooker Mexican Beefy Mac
Makes 4 Servings

Nutritional Information: 457 calories, 60 carabs, 7 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

This was super easy, yummy and spicy! I liked being able to just add raw meat and a few cans/packets to a slowcooker and then having a yummy meal. I liked this dish too because I LOVE slowcooker dishes and that cook the pasta for me - gives the noodles a lot of great flavor. This one is an easy one and will definitely be repeated. Check out the recipe on Healthified Kitchen!

Q: What was your favorite gift that you gave or received? I loved all of the photo gifts this year - getting and giving printed/framed photos from fun family events was great - something you always want and mean to do yourself but it doesn't always happen - so it's a perfect gift to get or give!

Q: Where do you stand on meat in the slowcooker? Some prefer to cook it before it goes in; I prefer to put it in raw and let the slow cooker cook it!

2011's 30 Resolutions.... How Did I do?!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:20:00 +0000

I can't believe it's December. I can't BELIEVE 2012 is around the corner, in less than 1 week. O. M. G. This year has brought on a lot of surprises and ended up being far busier than I could handle, but regardless I tried to keep my goals in mind. Some I didn't get to - TGF2012! K - Here were my original 30 To-Dos for 2011, and below is how everything shook out!

Finished!
Goal #1. Try out lots of new fitness classes to mix up my cardio.Tried spin and body pump - ending up LOVING spin. Also took some classes at my new work gym - Rip & Ride (spin/strength mix), Zumba and Yoga. I also am doing P90X - really mixing it up!
Goal #2. Start C25K again. Got up to 3 miles straight again - woo! Now I feel like I can hop on and run 2-3 miles 2-3 times a week no problem - this feels great and my foot is loving the mix of cardio too - less stress for sure.
Goal #6. Omit needless things. Go through all closets and donate or toss. Go through all clothes and donate or toss.Took. For. Ever. But so worth it! And I donated 10+ bags to Goodwill!
Goal #7. Organize the pantry. Done - special thanks in part to my label maker. picture coming!
Goal #8. Organize the spice cabinet.

Yes, I get it - it's a spice drawer, not a cabinet - but it works best for us!

Goal #9. Train Remy. she's sitting and shaking - great little one!
Goal #11. Continue making new recipes, at least 5 per month. I did 5/month... in fact I posted 117 posts in healthified kitchen with more than 100 of those being recipes - eeee!
Goal #12. Reupholster chaise in master bedroom; get new bench for foot of bed. HALFWAY DONE; got a new bench but still need to reupholster! picture coming!
Goal #13. Have TV mounted and cable installed. We decided not to mount but DID get cable in the kitchen and adjusted our cable plan so i'm marking as DONE!
Goal #18. Don’t buy any books. Haven't. bought. one! (unless they're for book club - that doesn't count!)
Goal #21. Create a gift center. Did it, love it, so nice to have all of my tape, ribbon, cards, bags, tissue, etc. in one place! picture coming!
Goal #22. Get a container and establish a location for extra buttons. Great to have this on hand!
Goal #23. Buy lamps. DONE - love the new bedroom lamps and moved so much around in the house because of getting them - yay!
Goal #24. Hang shelves/hooks in guest bathroom. DONE - really happy with the final result! picture coming!
Goal #25. Get gutters cleaned. All Austin!
Goal #26. Block puppy escape route. All Austin!
Goal #27. Get fan in guest room corrected. All Austin!
Goal #28. Create a kitchen business center.Has been GREAT!

So nice to know where everything is, or where it's supposed to be!

Goal #29. See menus to make recipes! Loved doing this - gave me so many ideas including: Thanksgiving Club Sandwiches, General Tso's Chicken, and Margarita Pasta. I have a bunch more coming - can't wait to cook 'em!
Goal #30. Spend as much time with my nephew Dane as possible! I don't know that there's such a thing as 'enough' time, but I do feel like I got to see the little nugget a lot and I loved every minute of it!

Went Well, but didn't finish!
Goal #5. Make a 2010 book. Still have April - December to do - eek! Moving to 2012.
Goal #16. Make more mealplans (at least one per quarter). only 1 shared so far - plan to focus on this in 2012!

Goal #17. Have date night at least once per week. went pretty well! Once per week didn't happen but we definitely worked towards it and plan to continue this in 2012!
Goal #19. Read 52 books. Got WAY off track when work took over my life - eek! I ended up reading 34 books - eek! Going to try for 40 books in 2012!

Didn't Get to at ALL!
Goal #3. Measure each Thursday. Gotten out of the habit; Moving to 2012
Goal #4. Make my wedding album/book.Haven't started! Moving to 2012
Goal #10. Try out churches in our area.Have found that we're out of town more than in town - didn't make it as much of a priority as I should have - Moving to 2012
Goal #12. Reupholster chaise in master bedroom; get new bench for foot of bed. HALFWAY DONE; still need to reupholster in 2012!
Goal #14. Make new videos. Slow going! It just kind of fell off the radar. I want to start trying for quarterly videos in 2012!
Goal #15. Do abs twice a week. Did this for the month of Jul - and am now doing ab ripper 2-3 times per week - this will be a focus for 2012!
Goal #20. Do a household budget.Got started, lost motivation, never got it back and our finances kept changing so we'll plan to finalize it in Q1. I at least want to know how much $ is going out each month!
Goal #22. Learn how to sew on a button. Need to find someone to teach me - anyone??! :) Maybe youtube can teach me!

I've also found myself procrastinating by doing things and dealing with things that weren't on the list! I don't mean hanging with friends, traveling, etc. - those are necessities! I mean, selling my couch and buying a new one, growing a garden, buying a dresser/reorganizing our closet, creating a party central buffet, experiencing with meatless recipes, creating a new Tips & How To Section, joining a time-intensive leadership program at work (that involved sailing, a trip to California, and TONS of training sessions), getting promoted to manager at work and hiring 3 new people, dealing with a bad mole, and the list goes on. CRAZY year! Looking forward to 2012 - finalizing my goals for next year now - am definitely doing fewer than 30 - maybe in the 20 - 25 range so I can focus on 2 a month or something!

Q: What are you planning for in 2012? I plan to make To-Do and To-Enjoy lists - I love the idea of including things to enjoy not just to-do!

Getting Back on the Horse

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:27:00 +0000

Today it's back to:

Today i'm doing arms & shoulders & abs!

I want to go to the gym and just WALK on a treadmill. I haven't walked in forever! It's always rush, run, rush, run - today I just want to incline with some magazine - woop!

I have SO many recipes created, measured and READY to go! Today I hope to make: a new breakfast casserole from My Bizzy Kitchen, Turkey & Squash Risotto, Black Bean Butternut Squash Burritos, King Ranch Chicken and Stuffed Green Peppers!

Outside of cooking and working out, it's a bit of laundry, my mom's birthday dinner, chilling with the poodles (of course!) and downloading/editing Christmas pics!! I'm also assessing 2011's goals - I'm already nervous! haha

Q: What are you getting back to post-holiday?!

Q: What was the highlight of your holidays?

Merry Christmas: In Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:08:00 +0000

Merry Christmas! I hope you're enjoying this time with your family and friends! We've been having a wonderful weekend with yummy food, a nice service, lots of family and lots of cooking! I hope you've been having the same!!

5 Christmas Breakfasts for a Crowd

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:10:00 +0000

Happy Christmas Eve Eve! I hope you're all having a good one. I've had a great day - more on that later - in the meantime I HAVE to share a new breakfast we ate TODAY. Seriously awesome. And it got me thinking of other Christmas- and crowd-worthy recipes. So here are 5 Christmas Breakfasts for a Crowd - starting with the new one... (and YES - all red & green. :))

1. Breakfast Wonton Cups

Breakfast Wonton cups
Makes 4 Servings (12 cups)
Recipe adapted from Cooking with Mel
Nutritional Information (for 3 cups): 262 calories, 14 carbs, 12 fat grams and 21 protein grams.
I LOVED these little bits of fabulous. I loved that you could have 3, I loved the flavor. I hearted the crispy on the outside fluffy egg in the inside. Make these! All you need are simple ingredients and a muffin tin! You could even let guests make their own with a toppings bar! Recipe is here!

2. Italian Egg Bake

Italian Egg Bake
Makes 6 Servings
Inspired by a Pillsbury recipe
Nutritional Information: 353 calories, 24 carbs, 17 fat grams and 24 protein grams.
Tastes great and is very filling - didn't take long either which is always nice. I'd pre-cooked the sausage, so it was already in a box cooked and ready, and the cheese was already grated too - this helped! I liked the add of the Italian bread crumbs - the crunchy topping was nice with the softer, fluffy egg/potato layer. It's also great that it makes 6 servings AND reheats well. Recipe is here!

3. Spicy Potato & Bacon Breakfast

Spicy Potato and Bacon Breakfast Casserole
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites
Makes 4 Servings
Nutritional Information: 308 calories, 27 carbs, 12 fat grams and 22 protein grams.

Really easy, pretty (in my humble opinion) and made very healthy sized servings. Especially for 300 calories - I felt more like it tasted like a 400-calorie meal! It's a keeper, and I think you could really make it your own with more veggies, too! Recipe is here!

4. Ricotta Tomato Toast & Italian Eggs

Ricotta Tomato Toast and Italian Eggs

Makes 4 Servings
Nutritional Information: 295 calories, 16 carbs, 16 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

LOVE the basily eggs - so good! The toast is great too, but just make sure you're okay with the fact that it's a bit cold (if that makes sense). The eggs are warm (obvi) but the toast isn't due to the cold tomato! Recipe is here!

5. Breakfast Nachos

Breakfast Nachos
Recipe from My Bizzy Kitchen
Makes 2 Servings
Nutritional Information: 337 calories, 32 carbs, 15 fat grams and 18 protein grams.

YUM. Seriously - I loved the flavors of the eggs, bacon and salsa and the crunch of the nachos, which made them really fun to eat. It filled me up to - while the calories aren't super high the fat helped as well as the protein. Just double, triple or quadruple for a crowd - just get out your baking sheets and go! Recipe is here!

There you have it - Christmas Breakfast round-up! Other than eating the YUMMY new wonton breakfast, I did TONS around the house, bought a new rug, bought new stools for the foot of our bed, framed 8 or so pics and just was CRAZY domestic. I also had coffee with these lovely ladies:

YES, Teresa & Daisy were driving through ATL for the holidays and met me at Starbucks. We of course talked for 2+ hours and time just flew - I love my bestie!! SO good to see her and she got me this ADORABLE and hilariously appropriate Christmas ornament.

YES, I went to Auburn and YES I had a blue VW bugg when I was 'auburn-bound' a mere 10 years ago. LOL SCARY! And YES, I already hung it. :) Thanks so much, T & Forrest!

Q: Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament?! This is definitely one of my favorites, among a few of my favorite frogs, my book worm and some snowwoman cheerleaders. hehe

Q: What's your favorite breakfast for a crowd? Any favorite 'red & green' breakfasts?

Q: What's better than coffee with a bestie?! I miss her even more now - GRRRR - why won't everyone I love move to Atlanta? Is that SO much to ask? :)

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf, New Slowcooker Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:05:00 +0000

Happy Thursday! Today marks day 6 of vacation, day 3 of being sick and I haven't worked out since Sunday - eek! I hope to do something today, even though i'm definitely still not 100%. Boo. Maybe i'll just walk? Take it easy? I dunno - getting stir crazy - there's only so many Hills episodes I can watch! haha On another note - I found 25 Ways to Wear a Scarf. I love the celebrity, waterfall and key tie. And no, I haven't been practicing all day on my vacation day. Don't be silly... The Twist & Pull is my go-to, but i'm excited to have so many new ways to try it. LOVE this video. At the end, you can click on your favorites for tutorials - GENIUS.

~~Other than practicing my scarf techniques,~~ I've just been cooking up recipes! This morning I made these awesome egg and bean breakfast tacos with homemade salsa, and lunch brought us another new recipe - Pesto Butternut Squash Pizza. AWESOME - so great to be back in the kitchen. Those recipes are coming soon, in the meantime, here's a new slowcooker recipe:

Slowcooker Chicken, Chickpea & Potato Curry
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Makes 6 Servings

Nutritional Information: 409 calories, 51 carbs, 7 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: So hearty! This is a great, filling recipe that reheats very well. I loved the use of potatoes - I don't use them enough! And the shredded chicken tasted wonderful. Most of the ingredients involve little to no prepwork- just add to the slowcooker and walk away. I also liked that it made 6 servings - and the nutritionals were right in line with my goals for meals. Check out the recipe on Healthified Kitchen!

Q: Scarf fan - yay or nay?! I love 'em!

Q: Is it cold where you are?! I want it to be cold - but it's just not cutting it. It's just gross. And kind of rainy. And mildly chilly. Blah. I want cold, I want snow, I want no precipitation!

The OMG Booth, The Hills, The Sickness

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:31:00 +0000

Who says you can't have fun with the people you work with?! This is extremely important to me, especially as of late being that I've been working far, far more than a standard 40-hour-workweek. I know it will get more reasonable and my life will get more balanced (2012?! Q1?! Yes!). Anyway, I think I mentioned a plethora of end-of-year celebrations - everything from my leadership program graduation celebration to my team luncheon, department party and company holiday party. Here are pics from the department one! My team is part of the Marketing Department, and our awesome CMO rents out Eclipse Di Luna each year for a luncheon where awards are given, tons of door prizes (i'm talking iPad 2s, Kindle fires, etc.) are given and it's just kind of awesome. We get out at 2 and we're welcome to leave, or stick around and drink open tab until 5. GOOD times, friends! They also do a photo booth - why not, right?! So in addition to a yummy lunch and prizes (I only won a $50 gas card - not too bad though, right?!), I have these photos to commemorate my time with my company and co-workers/friends!

Love these peeps - been working with all 3 of them for 6 years!! So glad we took an 'old school' crew pic

The team! Well, minus Todd and our soon-to-be boss Randy on 1/3 and our soon to be associate manager Leslie on 1/9!

Stacy & I: Take 1 - I thought I looked goofy

Stacy & I: Take 2 - we were both disappointed and felt we looked ridiculous

Stacy & I: Take 3 - we went with this one - at this point we were laughing so hard we thought it best to just walk away !

Me, Stacy & our new Peeps who are AWESOME: Ali & Amanda!

There you have it, folks, pics from a work celebration - do you see why I like working with these people?! In all seriousness though, I feel so lucky and fortunate to be at a company that takes care of its peeps, does fun things like this in part to celebrate, in part to team build, but also to recognize all of the hard work everyone did throughout the year!

Back to life, back to reality. I've been in bed sick. I have some kind of funky/sinus infectiony/misery - grrrr. All I've seen is this:

Yes, it turns out I had stopped watching the Hills at Season 3. The apparently made 3 more seasons and for some reason I thought it would be "funny" to watch one and see where I left off. Well I got sucked back in and have been watching it nonstop - eek! Save me! LOL

Q: Any holiday work parties for you?

Q: Photo booths: love 'em or hate 'em?

Q: The Hills: yay or nay?!

Book Review, Oven Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:56:00 +0000

I just realized I had not posted this recipe to my new, favorite, EASY kid-like food: Oven Dogs!

Oven Chili Dogs
Makes 4 Servings (8 hotdogs total)
Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen and Blog Chef

Nutritional Information: 446 calories, 53 carbs, 16 fat grams and 22 protein grams.

LOVED. I crave food like this, but don't give in. Now I can! If only I can figure out a way to get these into football games.... that's when I really crave them. LOL But really, great taste, not soggy at all, I loved how it cooked the hot dog in the bun - very tasty.

1 serving - 2 dogs!

The recipe is over at Healthfied Kitchen! I'm sorry it took so long to link over - oops!

So during my trip to N.C., in addition to visiting a lot, chilling a lot, sleeping in and eating a lot, I read a book! I hadn't read a book since September 2011's audio book! Seriously, it was so nice to relax and read. I I really enjoyed Susan Rebecca White’s A Soft Place to Land. It was about two sisters whose parents were killed in a plane crash. How did they deal with it? Place blame? Suffer together and move on together, and apart. It focused on Atlanta and San Francisco, so fun to read about those, and it also spanned many years so it was great to see how they ended up, how the tragedy impacted them and how it brought them together and pulled them apart. I read the book in two sittings – flew through it really. I couldn’t put it down, I cared about the sisters and I wanted them to be okay! It made me think a lot about families and how changes change you, and about me and my sister, growing up together, playing games together, going from being close to distant and back again. I give this book a 4/5 – it would have been a 5 if there had been a bit more surprises. The author told us a lot of the surprises up front; I would have preferred to discover them on my own. Also, at the end, a big surprise was revealed, but then it wasn’t fully explored which was disappointing. So all in all a great book – I laughed, I cried, and I felt like I knew the characters and cared about them!

Last night I didn't get in until about 11, so it was just a quick unpack and SLEEP. Today i'm just catching up on work, blogging, laundry, etc. - not a bad day!

Q: I'm going to cook today - any recipes I should make?! I can't WAIT to get in the kitchen - let me know what you recommend!

Q: Hotdogs - yay or nay? I love them - my favorite are Hebrew National fat-free, but I also like ballpark light for a little more calories/fill!

Overcelebration, Finally on VACAY!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:54:00 +0000

Oh my gosh! CRAZY how little I've blogged. Long story short, my dad made an unexpected (but welcomed!) visit from Thailand. I hadn't seen him since the wedding! So him and my grandma came down to stay with me & Austin for 3 nights, and now i'm in NC staying with them for 3 nights - crazy! On top of that, work has been insane, still trying to get in P90X and we had celebrations for my team, my department, my company and my leadership program wrapped up with a celebration - INSANE. I feel behind at work and behind in life BUT i'm on vacation until the 28th - I KNOW I'll get caught up and feel better. Here's the haps (more pics coming soon - most of the celebration party's links haven't been sent!)!

Thursday: Had a busy day, no working from home, just P90X, work, work and more work! Then just home to ready the house for my dad & grandma's visit!

Friday: P90X (5th day in a row - yay!), then early leave to go home and meet my dad and grandma! We stayed up late welcoming them and chatting - then I just had to go to sleep - busy day the next day!

Saturday: I got up early, made breakfast, and we all hung out. Then I drove my dad & grandma to my sister's and then me and Austin to my company's holiday party! I met up with my team and their husband's beforehand at the hotel bar, then headed into the ballroom areas with over 1,000 other people - crazy! We had a great visit, played a a few of the casino games and raffles, had a few celebratory drinkies, then headed home.

Sunday: Woke up early, made breakfast and drove my dad and grandma up to outlets to get coach bags for my dad's wife! Then we headed home, changed, grabbed Austin and headed to Decatur to a church service with my sis, bro-in-law, nephew Dane and my sis's in-laws, Viv & Pat. We went to the service then headed to the Porter's for dinner - SO NICE!

Grandma, Dev & Dane, Dad & Me

Monday: I had the day off - Dad & Grandma hung around for a bit, then around lunch they took off to NC. I worked from home the remainder of the day to try to keep up, then got ready for work - CRAZY weekend!

Tuesday: P90X then work, work, work. 2-hour Seasons 52 celebratory team lunch. Good news: The last open position on my team is now filled! AND I spent lunch with my new director who starts on 1/3 - YES. Things are looking up! My senior director got us so many nice gifts - backpacks, pullovers, notebooks, etc. After the lunch I worked LATE. :(

Wednesday: P90X/ran 2 miles then SO much work. Preparing for the wrap-up of my leadership program and preparing to be out for a week - EEK!

Thursday: P90X then a CRAZY day - busy all day preparing for leadership presentations and working. I did give Christmas gifts to my awesome team -fun! My mom had found these cute badge flowers, and then I got some Urban Outfitters notebooks.

Then the day turned into leadership all day - the presentation at 2 went well, which rolled into a celebratory graduation ceremony, which became a dinner. I left the office at 8 p.m., but met up with my team at their hotel (my team was partially remote - two members from Michigan & California). I visited with them then headed home at 9:30 - when I found out my brother-in-law was in town with Austin!

Friday: Woke up exhausted. Just exhausted. No gym for me! I just worked frantically as we had to leave at 11:15 for Eclipse De Luna for my department celebration. YES, overcelebration between leadership, team, company and now department! I'm fortunate my company appreciates employees so much. We had the restaurant until 5 p.m. - doing awards, having lunch, having drinks, etc. Stacy & I hung out with some co-workers late, then Austin and Tyler joined me, and Shane, Brandon & Jason joined her, and we all had dinner together - FUN!

Then it was time to go home and sleep - had to get up the next day for NC!

Saturday: Woke up early, worked to make up for everything I missed Friday, packed, went to the office for a couple of hours then met up with my sis, bro-in-law and Dane - time to drive to NC to see my Dad & Grandma! We took our time, made a few stops, then got in around 5 p.m. Quickly getting settled before heading out to eat, then visiting then SLEEP.

Today I woke up after 11 hours of sleep. YES, 11. I was beat. I told Devon I hadn't felt like i'd had 5 minute to myself (outside of sleep) in SO long. So now i'm blogging, Devon is doing Christmas shopping and my dad is trying to connect to skype to call his wife Jang! Zach snapped this picture of me, Dad & Dev!

Q: Do you ever feel that way? Like you're just "on" for too long?!

Q: What are you up to today??!

Catch Up, P90, What I'm loving!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:37:00 +0000

Hola amigas! So I left you Friday when I was heading to downtown ATL for the SEC Championship game! I worked, then headed down to the Centennial Park area to meet Austin's parents at the Hilton Garden. Austin came down, we chilled, had a glass of wine, then headed out to dinner at Peasant Bistro! The food was amazing! Such a great, seasonal menu. I got the pork medallions and they were insane. We had a couple of bottles of wine, then walked through the park, checked out the ice skaters, checked out some of the bars in the area, took some pictures then headed back to the hotel and called it a night!

Saturday we got up early for the UGA vs. LSU game! Tyler (Austin's bro) got in town and we all got ready then walked around, went to go meet E (Austin's other bro), took some family pictures and then headed into the game! Crazy - I wasn't planning to go, but Austin's parents were offered a free ticket! It was lower level, 20 rows up from the field, 50 yard line - INSANE! While UGA loss (big boo) I had such a good time with the family. Afterwards we had a yummy dinner at Rays in the City. Scallops with Lobster Risotto? Don't mind if I do!

Sunday we got up early, had breakfast with the fam, then headed home to pick up the poodles, get stuff in order for the week, cook some meals, do some work, etc.! Family night - Christmas tree!

Monday: a.m. P90X back & chest & ab ripper; WORK; work and more work. Family night - Good Wife!

Tuesday: a.m. P90X plyos; WORK; work and more work... worked WAY too late. :( No family night - sad!

Wednesday: a.m. P90X arms & shoulders & ab ripper; team community relations event to the Salvation Army to help sort Angels! (Stacy & I adopted an 11-year-old angel - fun to see what happens once you turn your things in!). We added stockings to gifts, ensured all items were accounted for, went 'shopping' if they were missing anything - VERY enjoyable - perfect thing to do this time of year. Then I just went back to work and work, work, worked!

Today: a.m. 2-mile run; offsite event until 1 p.m.; second-round interview with a candidate to fill the last position on my team (yes!); more work. Home to do some house stuff!

So I'm LOVING:

P90X and being able to keep up the workouts!
The Holiday season
cooler weather
getting my house more in order
having so much vacation (will be off again December 16 - 27; then again Jan. 2 - 7 to ski!)
christmas shopping - i'm DONE!

I'm NOT loving:

My lack of blogging
My newfound absent-mindedness ("lost" my phone - found it in my work fridge; left my heels at home - had to go buy more before work at Target; left my wallet in the parking lot at said Target - I mean REALLY. Yes a good samaritan returned my wallet - WOW - I went back for it 4 hours later and there it was, unharmed - OY!).
The crunch - I feel crunched. I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day at all!
Papercuts. Said Christmas shopping and the fact that almost all of it was done online led to multiple cuts - eek!

Q: What are you loving?

Q: What are you not loving?

Weekly News! P90X? And Healthified Cheeseburger & Fries Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:32:00 +0000

It's almost the weekend?! Love it! This was my first week back from my lovely, productive, relaxing, family, friends, fun 12+ day vacation! Before I update, here's a new recipe we've been enjoying!

Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole
Recipe adapted from Lauren’s Kitchen
Makes 4 Servings

Nutritional Information: 403 calories, 26 carbs, 17 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

It really tasted like a cheeseburger! I loved the recipe; it was super cheesy and creamy. I worried about how it would reheat, but while the fries did lose their crispiness, it wasn't mushy like I'd feared! The serving size filled me up, and it's definitely a fun, childlike dish. I wouldn't make it for guests (it's just too silly of a dish!), but would definitely make it again for us and think it would be a great meal for kiddos. And yes, the fat grams are on the high side, but I figure you must make sure you have lower-fat breakfasts & lunches that day!

One serving!

Check out the recipe on Healthified Kitchen! The week has been pretty standard:

Monday: a.m. workout 2-mile run + abs; work; home to the family! News: Another new employee joined our team - SO exciting! And I was invited to do P90X with two co-workers I met at the gym. There is an area in the gym with a big flat screen and DVD player - you can get videos from the front and they had just started and invited me to join - starting the next day at 6 a.m.

Tuesday: a.m. workout 1-hour P90X plyos; work; home to the family! LOVED that plyo workout. News: I was so dang sore and don't know that i've ever done that many squats in a week, much less a day, much less one workout session!

Wednesday: a.m. workout 1-hour P90X bicep/tricep/chest workout + Ab ripper X; work; shopping for my Salvation Army Angel with Stacy; more work; worked late; off to Emily's for Book Club! I haven't read in months, and didn't read the book, but had missed the last two book club sessions so was SO glad to attend. Great to see the girls, catch up with everyone and eat Emily's yummy enchiladas! News: officially moved a part-time employee to full-time! Now our 5-person team has 4 people!

Today: slept! Was SO sore - I consider this a good thing! Worked, worked and did more work. Cooked a few recipes, and packed which brings me to... News: Austin's parents are in town for the SEC championship game. They got us a hotel room in downtown ATL so we're going to go spend the weekend with them down there! Should be a good time - when I leave work tomorrow i'll be heading to the hotel to chill for a bit before dinner - yay! AND I officially have a boss - the new director positions is now filled - WOO! Watch out 2012 here we come - an almost-full roster. I can actually feel the weight lifting!

Q: How was your week? Whatcha doing this weekend?

Q: P90X - tried it? Like it? Thoughts?

Q: What's your favorite 'childhood' food?!

Thanksgiving Leftover Sammies, A Wonderful Vacay!

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:42:00 +0000

Happy Sunday aka my last day of T-giving holidays! Yesterday was a great day - we got up early, packed up the car and headed back to Atlanta! We quickly unpacked, showered, put together a couple of recipes and before we knew it Mary & Scott were over - time to head over to Mel & Jon's to watch the Iron Bowl. We thought it was going to be a bit of a blowout, and it kind of was, but it was still fun! We got to see Mel & Jon's little 2-year-old Madison, as well as Terry & Sara's little 3-month old Samantha. The guys made awesome brats and homemade rosemary fries - WOW. Everything was excellent, we had a few drinks, and had a great time catching up with everyone. I didn't take any pics, but DO have Thanksgiving pics and a Thanksgiving recipe!

Thanksgiving Club Sandwiches
Makes 2 Servings

Nutritional Information: 390 calories, 51 carbs, 9 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

LOVED. Super creamy due to the mayo blend and cheese, soft and still crispy due to broiling and the cranberries and arugula added a nice twist. This was a yummy way to use our leftovers - it makes me want to keep cooked turkey around! You could easily take this down in calories by using a less caloric roll. This way you could add a side salad to make up those calories. While it was filling, it may be more filling this way.

The inside!

Check out the recipe on Healthified Kitchen! And here's some pics from Thanksgiving - such a great, relaxing week. Still can't believe I haven't been to the office since the 16th!

Austin and baby Dane who seriously makes mornings awesome!

Dane and his GG - Reuben LOVED little Dane, very curious!

Dane loved Reuben too! He loves dogs - such a sweet boy.

I got to give Dane a few of his bottles - such a good little eater!

Dev fed him too - he's doing great on his new solid foods!

Hanging with the two sweetest boys!

Austin hung with his two boys - his brothers E & Tyler!

Where was Remy? Exploring the WHOLE time - I snapped this pic of her running around in the kitchen!

Michelle set a beautiful T-giving table - all 9 of us were able to eat together!

We ate lots of yummy stuff, including these carrots

and dev's squash bake

and Paul's brussels

Plenty of food to go around!

Q: What was the highlight of your Thanksgiving?! Mine was definitely all of the family fun, relaxing, going through magazines, getting some of my to-dos done, overindulging and just having SUCH a great time off with Austin and the pups.

Q: What are you doing with your leftovers?! Any yummy turkey dishes you're making?!

New Soup Recipe, T-Giving Workouts

noreply@blogger.com (fittingbackin) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:45:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving holidays! I hope you're having wonderful ones - I still need to download pics, but do have one to share!

Me and my two best boys - baby Dane (my awesome nephew) and baby Reuben (my 4-year-old Shih poo)

I also have a recipe to share...

Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup
Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago

Nutritional Information: 358 calories, 44 carbs, 5 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

I thought it had a great flavor, and loved the parsley with lemon taste, and that little bit of cream went a long way, too. I think it's a great fall dish and of course anything with rice is a win for me. My recommendations would be to make sure the chicken is more shredded then diced, use fresh lemon juice, and make sure you cook the onions and carrots to where they're soft not crunchy (which is why i'm a fan of matchstick carrots - easier to cook!). Check out the recipe on Healthified Kitchen!

A bite - yum!

Wednesday we got up early and headed over to Birmingham to see our families! We got to Austin's parents' house around lunch, and quickly rounded up some people to go to the gym - love it! Me, Austin and his bros headed to the country club and I got on the treadmill determined to do 3 miles straight - did it! I ran 3 miles at 6.3, then walked a quarter mile - little under 32 minutes. Then I just did abs and chest and we headed back to the house just in time for my mom to arrive, and then for my sister, her husband Zach and baby Dane to arrive. Yay! Austin's dad made an awesome dinner I plan to repeat, then we all hung out for a bit before bedtime - great day!

Thursday was just a fun, family day. Lots of food, a long game of spades, 2 glasses of pinot noir, blessings, beautiful weather, outdoor fireplace, laughs - a great Thanksgiving day. I made my slowcooker mac & cheese, and everyone made awesome dishes from brussels sprouts with bacon to squash casserole. We also had several desserts to enjoy - mine & Austin's snickers pie, the Martin's pecan pie, and my mom's awesome cream cheese brownies. AWESOME day, pics coming tomorrow when I download (can you tell my card reader is acting up?! so annoying!)

Today has been chill - slept in to 8, had my mom's yummy breakfast burritos, said bye to E as he headed to Auburn for the Iron Bowl, then said bye to my sis/Zach, Dane, and later to my mom. Then there were 5. Me, Austin's dad and his brother Tyler headed to the gym where I did it again - ran 3 miles straight at 6.3 mph. Good stuff! Did the 32 minutes again for 3 miles running and 1/4 mile walking. Then I did some circuit stuff with the boys - bunny hops, dips, boxing, ropes, etc. Then back to the house for a quick arugula salad before shower time, pasta and now settling in to the LSU vs. AL game!

Q: How was your Thanksgiving? What was your biggest indulgence? Mine was definitely cream cheese brownies.... I'm SO going to be up when I weigh myself Monday.

Q: Were you able to get in a workout or 2? I worked out Monday (spin + 1-mile run + triceps + shoulders), Wednesday (3-mile run + chest + triceps), and today (3-mile run + circuits). So tomorrow it looks like I need to do legs, abs and back - random. :)