Not Feelin' It

I realized today that I just can't eat the same way as I used to.  Eating whole foods, plant based and cooking mainly from home for the past (almost!!!) 4 months has really messed with my eating habits....but in a good way.

The other day I went out to a Mexican food restaurant near my house and I left not feeling so hot.  I didn't realize it at the time why I wasn't feeling well but I realized today.

I went to a Chinese food buffet for dinner today and halfway through my plate I got a headache and my stomach started to ache!  I realized then that my diet has changed so much of the past few months that I cannot "indulge" in the same foods that I used to love.  I only ate vegetables and grains today (no meat) but I still felt icky.  All of the grease and salt (oh my!) had me feeling awful.

I like going out to eat and socializing, but I will have to suggest "better" places to eat in the future OR even better, suggest non food related activities.  We can meet at a park and go for a walk or watch a movie.  Watch out friends, no more food related activities for me (or at least fewer!).

Our nation has made food the center off our social activities and holidays.  Think about the major holidays in the USA, all of them are centered around food.  4th of July has BBQ,Christmas has ham themed dinner, Thanksgiving is all about the turkey, etc. etc. etc.  Maybe we can all suggest an activity before or after the meal to at least include a walk or run 'race'.  Or maybe set up an obstacle course at the local neighborhood park for everyone to participate in.

Anyway, this week I am going to stay my course and eat my favorite sandwich for breakfast.  I have a new favorite salad which includes:  arugula, tomatoes, onions, unsalted sunflower seeds, salt + pepper, and Tessamae's lemon and garlic dressing (best dressing ever).

I am going out of town to Dallas to visit Clarissa this weekend and see the Rangers take on the Kansas City Royals with other SFA Alumni.  I will be hard taking my food to Dallas with me, so I will have to see how that goes.  I might just buy some salad stuff when I get there except at the ball field, I heard they have vegan hot dogs which I'm kinda excited to try!  They aren't carrot hot dogs, but still.   I love carrot hot dogs!

Best sandwich ever!

 So I didn’t mention that on April 1^st I adopted a plant based, whole foods diet.  I watched the documentary Forks over Knives on Netflix and was hooked.  I watched it a few years ago and was intrigued, but I couldn’t see myself giving up cheese.  I heart cheese way too much to give it up.

Or so I thought. I made the decision on Saturday and started (with a little cheating) on Monday but went “all out” on April 1^st.  I will admit that my sister, bro-in-law and his aunt are all doing it too so I am not completely alone.

I did a few things that have helped me stay more focused.  I downloaded vegan podcasts, followed vegan people on Instagram, meal plan and bought a monthly meal plan to Meal Mentor.   Meal prepping/planning is the key, especially if you commute 2 hours each day to and from work.  If I wake up late (which is actually happening less now that I have more energy) I do not want to make something before I go to work, I like to grab and go.  I can eat breakfast at my desk and just stick the rest of my food in the fridge until lunch or snack time.  If I don’t have something prepared I just go out to eat, which I can 100% make food choices that fit in the diet but they don’t always fit in the budget.

One of the times I went out was to Leibman’s.  it is a local deli and fine foods/gifts store that I have loved for a while.  They have the best dips and I always go there to pick something up when I go to a party.  Now, I have to find another dip that works because I used to get caviar and cream cheese dip that everyone loved! 

Anyway, the deli has 3 vegetarian options that can be made vegan/plant based by tweaking it.  I made the sandwich at home have eaten it all week.

I used Dave’s Killer Bread, arugula, thinly sliced tomato, thinly sliced cucumber, walnuts (for crunch), avocado, onion sprouts and balsamic vinegar.  SO GOOD!!!  You can make this sandwich even if you aren’t plant based; I know I would have loved it if I wasn’t plant based.

(BTW, sorry, I took pictures with my phone as I was making the sandwich for work...hence the tupperware container)

Sunshine Crunch Sandwich

Add the arugula (I have fallen in love with a green)

Add the cucumber

Add the tomato

Add chopped walnuts

Add thinly sliced avocado

Add the sprouts.

Add the balsamic vinegar when you are ready to eat it.  I like to cut mine into triangles.

21 Day Fix-An Explaination

This week marks 90 days until I cruise away into the sunset on Royal Caribbean.  This also marks (just over) one week that I have been doing the 21 Day Fix.  I am making it my goal to stay away from sweets, treats and alcohol until the cruise.  I might slip up a little bit, but I am trying REALLY hard to make it.

Do you like my drawing? hahaha. I drew this on an envelope that I mailed Clarissa

I lost 2.5 lbs last week thanks in part to the 21 Day Fix and also walking a few nights a week at Memorial Park.  Meal planning has really helped keep me on track, but I have had a few times where I was out and about and stopped to get something. 

Did I ever tell you how the 21 Day Fix works?  It’s really simple way to portion control your food. 

THE FOOD

There are six color coded containers that each represent a different food group.  Green=vegetables, Purple=fruit, Red=protein, Yellow=carbs, Blue=cheese, Orange=Seeds and Oils.

I am in the 2^nd tier of containers and I’m allowed the following:

4 Green Boxes-Vegetables

3 Purple Boxes-Fruits

4 Red Boxes-Proteins

3 Yellow-Grains

1 Blue Box-Healthy Fats and Cheese

1 Orange Box-Seeds and Oils

Honestly, it is a lot of food and I’m not hungry!  By the time I get hungry, it’s time to eat again.  The difference is I am eating ‘better’ foods and smaller portions.  Portion control (and Taco Bell) has always been my downfall.  I have been overweight most of my life.  I gain weight in my mid section and upper body, but have great legs.  I look like a football player (without the SuperBowl ring) and my shape is called an inverted triangle.  However, I will change all that with this program!!

 

The Plan comes with an entire booklet to explain how to successfully complete the program

Throughout the day the goal is to eat all of your boxes.  You measure them out in the box and then put them in a to-go container or a plate, like you would normally do for your meals.   For instance, for lunch I would eat a salad and it would work out like this in my boxes:

2 green container of spring mix lettuce

1 green container mixed vegetables (l cut up beets, celery, carrots, bell peppers, and onions)

1 red container of lean ground turkey (keep in red container and microwave when ready to eat)

1 blue container of shredded cheese

1 orange container of olive oil and then I pour on the vinegar

Then I mix it all up together (when I am ready to eat it) so the dressing gets on everything and then I seriously enjoy it!  My mouth is watering right now typing this! :)

It makes for a really big salad that I add to my to-go container and bring to work.  I do measure out my olive oil and vinegar and add it to a sealed Tupperware type container to bring to work.  The containers aren’t air tight (or is it water tight?) and I don’t want olive oil and vinegar to leak on everything.

Measure it out and then put it in a baggie.  In the mix: celery and rainbow carrots, chopped

For a snack I usually have some cut up veggies, 2 boiled eggs, 1 container of mixed fruit, or a red container some cottage cheese with salt and pepper.  I measure whatever it is in the container and then transfer it to a snack baggie or Tupperware.  The booklet says that boiled eggs are a red container, so I don’t measure them.  I usually leave the cottage cheese in the container so not to dirty another container.  I guess you could leave the everything in the container if you aren’t using it to measure another food. 

THE WORKOUTS

There are several different workouts that you do on this program that are all 30 minutes long.  There is an ab workout that is 10 minutes long that you can do at the end of your 30 minutes, but so far I have not done so.  I think there are more workouts that come with a certain challenge pack, but I didn’t get them with mine.

The workouts are great and quick.  I did dread doing them (because I’m lazy) but then my very wise friend (Krista) said “it’s only 30 minutes” and I snapped out of it and did it.  Each workout works out different body areas, so you aren’t too sore the next day.  I did the Total Body Cardio workout last night, but today I will do Upper Body. I know my legs are going to buuuuuuurn later today, so I will feel a relief when I don’t have to work them out again.  The first time I did that program, I was soooooo sore for a few days after in my legs that I didn’t want to do it again. Haha.  I did though and feel great about it!  (ask me about how I am feeling later today or in the morning though)

My goal is to lose 5 lbs per week for my cruise, it may or may not be achievable, but I am striving for it!  I have just under 90 days left til I cruise, wish me luck! 

 

I had 90 days left when I made this!

If you want to do the 21 Day Fix with me as an accountability partner, go here and order it today!  It is about $60 for the program by itself (you can get shakes too, but I haven’t been using them).

Do you have questions on how to do the 21 Day Fix?  Write a comment below and I will do my best to answer them!  Or I will get Krista to answer it. :)

**I have not been paid to write this, I just LOVE it and want everyone to try it too. I do not get any credit or $$ by you clicking the links, so this is an honest testimonial of how awesome I think the program is.

Eggplant Lasagna Recipe

As I have mentioned a numerous amount of times, I can't cook very well.  I try and try, but my recipes don't seem to work out.  I think at least part of the problem is that I usually don't follow the recipe 100%, in terms of the ingredient list that is.  Sometimes, I don't like that ingredient, other times I just don't have it at the house.  I have seen lots of people do just fine with switching ingredients, but for me, it doesn't work! Hmmm.

Well, anyway...this one worked!  I had some lasagna noodles that I needed to use up (I'm trying to use up as much as possible in my pantry and freezer before buying more) and an eggplant as well.  I looked for recipes that used both, but couldn't really find one (This is where my bad cooking critical thinking comes in).  I just sort of made my own recipe, but it turned out wonderfully!!!!

It is hard cooking for just one person, but this recipe freezes easily.  I froze three servings for future lunches/dinners and ate the rest this past week.  Yummy!

Eggplant Lasagna with Goat Cheese
6-9 servings (depending on how big you cut the pieces)

Ingredients:
1 package Lasagna noodles (I used the no boil kind)
1/2 eggplant
1/2 poblano pepper
1/2 tube of goat cheese
2 mozzarella cheese sticks (the snack kind)
Jar of spaghetti sauce


Directions:
1.Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut eggplant into thin slices
3. Layer lasagna noodles on bottom
4. Layer eggplant slices on top of noodles
5. Cut poblano pepper into small pieces, sprinkle on top of eggplant (seeds are optional-gives more of a kick)
6. Layer goat cheese throughout
7. Add 1/2 spaghetti sauce jar
8. Cut 1 mozzarella stick in small pieces, sprinkle throughout
9. Repeat steps 2-8 until you are at the top of the serving dish (my dish only let me do two layers)


Cost:
1 package Lasagna noodles ($1?? I've had this for awhile now, so I don't 100% remember)
1/2 eggplant ($1)
1/2 poblano pepper ($.50)
1/2 tube of goat cheese  ($2)
2 mozzarella cheese sticks (the snack kind) ($.50)
Jar of spaghetti sauce ($2)

6 servings cost: $1.16 each
9 servings cost: $.77 each

layers without the sauce (the goat cheese and mozzarella will melt)

On the Go Oatmeal Packs

I will be traveling soon and instead of eating unhealthy for breakfast I decided to make my own breakfast on the go oatmeal packs.  I dislike instant oatmeal packs since they have so many preservatives and additives so I made these in less than 5 minutes.  When you are traveling you don’t have much room in your suitcase (carry on) or you tend to squish bananas or pastries making your breakfast mushy.  Plus when you get to your hotel, a lot of times they only have pastries or cereal which are not always good for healthy options.  Vote for On the Go Oatmeal Packs (and Pedro).

What you will need:

-Snack size Ziploc bags (or regular)

-1/2 cup of steel cut oats (regular oatmeal-not instant)

-Salt

-Cinnamon (or Pumpkin pie spice mix!!)

These travel packets will last for awhile and are easy to carry and don’t take up to much room in your suitcase.  When ready to eat them get a cup of hot water (ask a coffee shop or restaurant to give you a cup), add the oats, and let them soak for 5 minutes.  If you like to add peanut butter, coconut flakes, chia seeds, nuts, honey, etc. to your oatmeal, just add that to your baggie (honey might be hard to add, perhaps a travel container?).  Voila!  Done.  Easy to travel with breakfast.

Weight loss

As you know I am currently training for a marathon and trying to eat healthier at the same time.  Of course I don't want to put my actual weight on here, but I will tell you that since my breast reduction I have lost  40 lbs!  I have lost that over the past 3 years, but have only recently really started to lose the weight.  I joined Curves back in 2008, had the reduction in 2009 and started going to a 'regular' gym in 2010.  2011 marked the starting of my running experiment where I have lost the most weight.   Running is awesome cardio!

After I finished my goal for 2011 to run a half marathon, I did nothing for the next 6 months.  Maybe a workout DVD here or there, but overall...NOTHING!  Then came the end of June when I was picked in the lottery for the 2013 Houston Marathon and I realized that I better kick my booty in high gear if I wanted to be ready for it.  26.2 ain't no easy thing y'all! :)

I started switching watch I was eating, watching my portion sizes, and within a month (maybe a month and a half) I have lost 10 lbs!!  One of the things that has helped me (besides saying no to cupcakes!) is to track my weight daily.  Some say that this doesn't help you, but I think it does.

What I did was make a calendar and each morning I weigh myself right when I wake up, before I eat anything.  I write it down on the paper and I can track how much I have lost/gained any given week.  I am a very visual person so another thing I do is every time I workout during that week, I put a smiley face sticker! When I look back over the course of the month I start to see patterns for the times that I lost weight vs the times that I didn't by how much exercise I did.  I could be a super focused person by tracking my food also, but I don't want to. haha.  (Sorry, t.m.i.-I also note what days I am on my period so when I look back I can see why I didn't lose weight those days).

My next weight lost goal is to lose 10 more lbs before September 22nd when I go on vacation and have to look cute in a bathing suit in front of cute cabana boys. ;)  Wish me luck!

My Next 30 Years

It's been almost 2 months since I celebrated my 30th birthday in May.  I completed 29 out of 30 items on my 30 under 30 list, and also have created a bucket list.  I was driving home from dinner tonight and heard the lyrics to Tim McGraw's My Next 30 Years.  This song is old and I have heard it a gazillion times, but today I listened to the lyrics all the way. 

Here are the lyrics, but with a few changes (in red). 

Tim Mcgraw My Next Thirty Years Lyrics

Songwriters: VASSAR, PHIL

I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years I'm gonna have some fun
Try to forget about all the crazy things I've done
Maybe now I've conquered all my adolescent fears
And I'll do it better in my next thirty years

My next thirty years I'm gonna settle all the scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear
Figure out just what I'm doing here
In my next thirty years

Oh my next thirty years, I'm gonna watch my weight
Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late
Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers margaritas
Maybe I'll remember my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family and hang out with my wife husband
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years
In my next thirty years



In my next 30 years I want to travel more, forgive more, love more, find something I am passionate about, add and complete items to my bucket list, and much, much more.  What about you?

Houston Marathon Training-Week 1 and 2

For my Houston Marathon training I will be joining with the Gotta Run Katy program through January.  The program is based on the Brooks Hansen Method which maxes out your running program at 16 miles but is based on fatigue.  At the height of the program we will be running 6-8 miles on Friday, up to 16 miles on Saturday, and 11 or 12 on Sunday.  Our coach, Alain wants us to be prepared for the last 16 miles of the race, so he is going make us fatigued by running so many miles within a 3 day period.  On Tuesdays and Wednesdays we will be doing strength training and track workouts plus he will bring in different experts and vendors to speak with us.

At first I was hesitant to participate in a program that maxes out the running at 16 miles (what about the next 10!) but Coach Alain (plus I Googled the Brooks Hansen Method) relieved me of my fears.  I will try and update everyone on my weekly progress as I get closer to the big day!

Weekly Breakdown (Week 1):

Saturday: I started with the program on Saturday (I joined late, some members had been doing the program for about two weeks) and Coach Alain had us run 35 minutes one way, and 35 minutes back.  I didn’t have a watch so I tried keeping up with some other members in front of me.  I covered about 5 miles in the 70 minutes we had to run.  I know that isn’t much, but for me that is a lot seeing as I haven’t run hardly at all in the past 7 months since my half marathon.  Afterwards we stretched and we had a vendor from Luke’s Locker (also a Gotta Run member) who was the manager of the shoe department speak with us about the importance of good running shoes and also the different types of shoes out there.

Weekly breakdown (Week 2):

Sunday-Met up with Gotta Run Katy at 5:45 am (but I got there late-6 am) for an early morning workout.  We were supposed to run until we got to the dam, but my friend Aly walked with another member for a total of 4 miles.  I went home and fell right to sleep, I was exhausted from the mileage the day before and staying up later than usual.  I need to get to sleep earlier when I have to be there so early.

Monday-Lunchtime workout of Strong Body Ageless Body (45 min) using 3 lb weights (need to increase the weights!)

Tuesday-off.  I switched Monday and Tuesday because I had to meet with a potential pet sitter for Jabba when I go to Honduras (and misc times throughout the year) in September.

Wednesday-Since I am still sort of training for my first triathlon I took out my bike yesterday for a short time (very short, I borrowed a fancy bike from my friend and took it out for a test run), then I ran 3 miles, then I went home and did the arms/legs portion of the Strong Body, Ageless Body DVD.  Tired!

Thursday-Rest day!!!

Friday-Restday L I was supposed to run 6 miles, but that didn’t happen since I had a last minute errand to run that took awhile. Next week I will be better about getting ALL of my workout/runs in.

Saturday-8 miles!  Coach Alain said to run 45 minutes, which should be about 8 miles.  At 45 minutes I was only estimated to complete 6 miles so instead of quitting and saying that it was ok only to do 6 miles and cop out, I completed the 8 that he said to do.  I was the last person to finish, and the group had already done the stretching portion so I stretched on my own.  Afterwards I went to Starbucks for breakfast (Iced latte and a bagel with cream cheese) and to change out of my sweaty clothes so I would be comfortable to drive to Madisonville.

Fueling for a marathon

Last year at this time when I was training for my half marathon I had attempted to eat healthy, but the temptation of cupcakes and frozen yogurt was a bit too much. :/

This time around for my marathon I am going to make more of an effort to have healthier foods around.  I have tried to cook foods in bulk over the last few weeks and then freeze them, buy more nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.  I am trying to go out to eat less (which is only halfway working) and eat less red meat (‘white’ meat=lean protein).  I am trying to eat less packaged foods with fewer preservatives and stick to fresh made foods in the deli section at my grocery store or foods I prepared myself.  Experts say that you should stick to the outside areas of the grocery store and only go into the aisles for spices.  Get foods with an expiration date that is coming up.  If it is 2012 and the food doesn’t expire until 2015, then that might be full of crap that you don’t need to eat it, if you can’t pronounce words on the label then you probably shouldn’t eat them!

As I start to run more and exercise/cross train more I am going to be hungrier, but right now this is what I have been getting from the grocery store to fill me up for the week.  I haven’t been able to find a good farmers market or farm close to where I live now (I loved Froeberg’s Farm in Alvin by my old house) so I have to make do with the supermarket foods.

This is my typical day of eating lately:

Breakfast

1/2 cup of oatmeal with a fruit (usually either blueberries or banana), chia seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, cinnamon, and honey.  I just purchased ground flax seed and I am going to start adding them to my oatmeal routine.

or

2 eggs and either a side of toast with jelly or a piece of fruit

Lunch

 Sandwich-either pimento and cheese (fresh from the deli-not the packaged kind-and I know that it isn't the best, but it is really tasty and better than a burger) or PB&J sandwich on whole grain bread.

Vegetable-either steamed (with my favorite microwaveable steamer) or raw with hummus Fruit for ‘dessert’-lately it’s been cherries, mango, banana, or apple

Cheese-sometimes a Gouda Babybel piece (love!)

or

Leftover frozen bulk item I cooked (Chicken Spaghetti, meatloaf, 15 Bean Soup, Lasagna, etc)

Dinner

It depends on what time I get home to decide if I am going to eat a big dinner or not.  Usually it’s leftover items I cooked or some fruit if I got home late and I am not hungry.

Snacks

I usually get hungry around 9:30-10 am so I eat some nuts that I keep in my desk, and then around 3 or 3:30 pm I get hungry again and have some more nuts, or sometimes I bring an extra piece of fruit with me.  FYI: A serving on nuts (get unsalted!) is a shotglass size.  Don't go and eat a huge handful of nuts, that's a lot of calories.

Drinks

When I do go out to eat I try and stick to water (plus it saves you like $2.50 each time you go out) or if I do get another kind of drink I get unsweetened tea.  In my tea I used to add 1 packet of Sweet n’ Low, then when that go too sweet I switched to ½ a packet.  Then I started hearing all sorts of things about Aspartame and tried to nix it from my tea all together.  Now I get tea with lemon, but honestly it tastes like water almost so I might as well save the money and get water…working on switching over 100%)

Hydrating drink-During and after a workout I have been drinking a sports drink called Nuun and I love it!  Nuun comes in dissolvable tablets (like Alka-Seltzer) that you add to your water bottle, let dissolve for 2 minutes and drink!  Super simple and it comes in a ton of flavors.  The best part is it’s not really sugary like Gatorade or PowerAde and is still really tasty and hydrating.

Margaritas-I have stopped drinking over the last few weeks in preparation of my triathlon and marathon.  Maybe in a few months I will go back to drinking something every once in a while, but overall I am trying to stop the additional calories and dehydration that alcohol brings. If I do happen to go out once in a while I won’t be that girl who orders water (unless I am driving) at the bar so I wouldn’t mind getting a drink then, but I am trying to reduce unneeded calories that will hinder my progress towards weight loss/marathon training.

That is my food for this week!  Let me know what you guys are eating, or if you have found any healthy foods that you can’t live without.

OIAJ-a recipe!

What?!  A RECIPE coming from ME?!  Yep!  I can't believe it either. ;)  I have a few favorite blogs that swear by Overnight Oats in a Jar so I was determined to try it once I finally got a jar of empty nut butter (and remembered to save it!).  The best part of OIAJ is that you don't have to cook anything, you just mix everything together and leave it in the fridge overnight.

So, as this is my first time making OIAJ...it might not be pretty!   When making your OIAJ, feel free to change the ingredients to fit your tastes. The most important thing is the jar, the oats, and the liquid (milk or water). 

In the mix :
-Almost empty peanut butter jar (or you can use almond butter, or sunflower butter)
-1/2 cup oats
-1 cup milk (I used skim milk but you can use any kind of milk or even water)
-chia seeds
-coconut flakes (I used unsweetened)
-blueberries (they were frozen from when we picked them)
-Cinnamon

Step 1-Nearly empty jar of nut butter (this looks like more is in there, but really it wasn't a lot since I had just stirred it).

Step 2-Add the oats!

Step 3-Chia seeds

Step 4-Add the coconut flakes

Step 5-Then add milk (do you see my bike in the background I am using to train for my triathlon?!

Step 6-Stir and add the lid (I have had those spoons forever but I hardly ever use them!)

Step 7-Place in fridge overnight (Go Astros!)

Step 8-Add toppings (I added blueberries) that you don't want to get soggy (some people add granola here).

The verdict? Well, I think I added too much milk or something because it was still sort of runny this morning. :/ I told y'all I can't cook!  Did you think this recipe was going to turn out wonderful? haha. :)

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite breakfast.  I prefer stove cooked oats or eggs. 

Let me know if you make OIAJ and how they turn out.  Lots of blogs swear that they are so good.

Moorhead's Blueberry Farm

A few weekends ago me, my mom, my sister Laura, and my nephew Cole went to  Moorhead's Blueberry Farm in Conroe, TX.  According to their website, the blueberry picking season is mid May through mid July so be sure to get there then!  I <3 blueberries.

On the way there we used the GPS in the truck to take us to Moorehead Road, but instead we should have gone to Moorhead Road.  We put the 'e' at the end of Moore when we shouldn't have. :/  My Mom was not happy (LOL), but they was were close to each other so it wasn't a big deal.  (p.s. City of Conroe, Why would you make two roads that are that similar in name?)

Tips!
1.  Use the correct street name when GPS'ing the street
2.  Wear sunscreen and a hat!
3.  Park on the street outside the gate
4.  Bring cash for blueberries, water, snow cones, and a small farmers market
5.  Bring some water or you can purchase some at the weigh station



Cole entertained himself on the way with my sunglasses. :)

We got there and had to park on the road due to there being so many cars, but it was so much easier getting out of there.  It was packed.  Tip: Park on the road before you get into the gates,otherwise you might have to wait til someone else leaves so you can back out.

You get there and they ask you what bucket you want, a smaller one or a big 5 gallon bucket.  We choose two of the smaller buckets and headed to the blueberries.  He had told us to go to the orange or blue sections just down the path to the right.  We didn't know what he was talking about until we saw this sign with arrows.

We got down to picking blueberries.  Cole decided he liked the blueberries on the ground better than the ones on the trees (bushes?) better so he plopped down and started eating them off the ground (ewww!).  Needless to say that he got bored with the blueberry picking process very easily and was covered with smashed sand and dirt by the time we left (but Laura used a water hose to wash him down).  He had fun running up and down the paths of the farm.

My Mom had fun picking blueberries!  We got each got about 3/4 of our bucket filled with blueberries to take home.

When you are picking blueberries there are some that are ripe and then some that aren't.  The other colored ones are sour!  I 'taste tested' a few. ;)  A few bushes had more blueberries at the top then at the bottom so I guess some kids had been there earlier in the day and picked the lower ones.

Then it was time for us to head to the weigh station ( a certain 1 year old was getting cranky and wanting a nap!) so we headed up there.  I thought I had about 5 lbs total, but it was really only about 2 lbs.  Score!  My Mom had about the same amount also.  When she got home she made some blueberry muffins!  Yummy.

Moorhead's Farm was great!  I really want to go back, but it's sort of farm from where I live now (Energy Corridor area), so I can only go when I visit my Mom.  I froze the blueberries in ziplock containers and use them for my oatmeal in the mornings! I plan on making some lemon blueberry white chocolate cookies soon that I found online.  If you are good I will share them with you. :)


Hurry!  Go to Moorhead's Blueberry Farm soon!

Last day

Today is my last day in my 20's and I am not exactly thrilled.  Yes, I have been doing my 30 under 30 list (more about that later, including a recap post!), but I didn't think I would be so anguished about this.  I have been sort of emotional lately and thought why?  Then I remembered!  It's all the old lady hormones. ;)

I know I will wake up with wrinkles tomorrow! haha.  I will keep you informed.

For now, I will eat a cupcake and anticipate turning 30 at midnight (technically I was born around 9 am). 

My pineapple cupcake is courtesy of my friend from college, Laura. :)  We had lunch and then went to get a cupcake.

2012 Goals!

Every year you hear of people who are making their New Year’s resolutions and plan on sticking to them no matter what!  Then by Valentine’s Day they have slacked off and often forgotten about them.  I have been known to be one of those said people and this year I have decided that I do not want one goal throughout the year, I want several!

I can have a broad goal of getting more physically fit or paying down my debt, but if I don’t have a plan to get there then I won’t ever get there and I will slack off.  Plus I am a list person so manually checking something off hopefully will work wonders for me.  So I have broken down my ‘big categories’ of goals and will work diligently to complete all of them! 

I have my 30 Under 30 list that I am doing for fun, but these goals will help me with making my life where I want it to be.  I don’t want to be where I am at currently this time next year.  I want to go and do and be.  Oh, and BTW feel free to make your own list and send it to me (or send me the link to your blog) and we can keep each other accountable.

Ready?  Let’s go!

My Goals for 2012:

Running/Fitness

-Complete a marathon

-Complete a marathon in another state

-Run at least one race each month-and race to compete not just complete

-Place in my age group and get an award

-Run more with friends (and convince more friends/family to start running)

-Make new running friends and have ‘running dates’ with them!

-Complete a triathlon

-Work on speed work workouts at least once every week

-Log every workout and post a weekly/monthly recap

-Run a 28 minute 5K (get fast lady!)

-Beat my PR for the ½ marathon

-Get 5 new race medals (I <3 bling)

Financial

-Pay $5k down on my student loans

-Save $5k for a house

-Have a $5k emergency fund

-Go out to eat only once per week-save more money that way

-Choose a realistic budget and stick to it

Romantic

-Go on dates!  Maybe sign up for eHarmony or match.com

-No settling!  If I wouldn’t marry him, don’t waste time with him.

Jabba

-Get Jabba down to 20 lbs

-Spend more time with Jabba

-Leash train Jabba for more exercise

Spiritual

-Have daily quiet time

Cooking

-Cook at least one new recipe each week

-Blog about said recipe each week

-Create a personal cookbook of recipes to have on hand (the ones I like)

Family

-See my family more often.  Go on a trip with them.

-Schedule more time with close friends

Misc Personal

-Finish my 30 Under 30 list-5 months to go!

-Finish one new self improvement book a month

-Blog more!  Be consistent with posting

Travel

-See a new state that I have never been to (and not just ‘driving through’-see the state!)

-Run in at least a 5k in that new state

-Travel out of the country (cruises do count if out of the country)

Houston Texans Running with the Bulls 5K

***This post should have been posted October 16th, but I have been lazy!  Enjoy anyway though!***


It seems that every major Houston sports team hosts a 5K (did you read my Houston Astros 5K recap?).  The Houston Texans are no different. 

What to wear? What to wear?  Hmm, a new Houston Texans shirt?  Yes, please!

Breakfast was a rice cake with almond butter, pumpkin butter, and a nutty trail mix on top.  It was yummy!

I went with my aunt and cousin so I waited outside for them to pick me up and did a few stretches and took pictures of my feet. J

The race was held at Reliant Stadium.  We got there early to pick up our packets since neither of us wanted to drive into Houston earlier in the week.  My cousin also wanted to join us in the race so he had to get signed up for it.

My friend Andrea let me borrow her Garmin 201 that she isn’t using until my half marathon in December so I was able to keep track of how far I was going and what my time was.  At the end of the race the watch said 2.75 miles so I don’t know what happened. 

At the end of the race you travel down into the stadium on the floor of Reliant.  Through the blowup Toro the bull and to the finish line.

The race itself had a great course, but my legs were not feeling so hot from yesterday’s Friendswood Monster Dash so I figured I wouldn’t try and beat a specific time.  I didn’t take it easy though either.  I ran the entire time! 

Check out the cute shirt I got!

My official time?  35:34ßNot my best time, but I still finished it without stopping.  After yesterday’s race and my knees hurting, I think I did really well.  I am not sure that I will sign up for another race the same weekend I do another one.