Who Needs Snow?!

Hobby of the Day: Being a Teacher


Well it's Jan 12 and I'm officially disappointed in our weather.  It's rarely been colder than 32 degrees and SNOW?! HA!  We had a "dusting." I NEED snow! I NEED cold weather?  I don't live in a 4 season state to have fall and spring like weather year round.  Grr....I keep checking the weather in Quebec. I don't even know what 7 degrees or below 0 feels like.  Not that I want it all the time, but man.  I have turned on the heat 0 times this winter and the fire twice.  


Anyway, with or without snow I still do my Winter art projects.  Hence, the story Snowballs by Lois Ehlert - I LOVE her work and so do the kids, we had to read it twice.

I love the hair sticking straight up and hair band!

Snow Panda- P.S. Pandas are my Favorite

Spikey Haired Friend and Pup

I love how she made a hair ribbon from two sparkly things I had

3D nose, Alright! She said it was like a carrot!

I was SO proud of my students creativity! Go Kiddos!

They were NOT allowed to use scissors, ripped paper only 

Picture a day

Hobby of the Day: Taking Pictures


I meant to start posting, but I forgot.  I got this idea from someone else, it was to post a picture a day for the year 2012.  I am a little behind, so I will catch up with a few pictures.

Jan 1- Happy New Year

Jan 6- Looking at all the Christmas Tree Corpses

Jan 7- Oh Maryland, YES, You are taking up THREE spaces!

Jan 8- Wontons at Pho

Jan 9- I will wear you yet, little yellow Bikini

Jan 9- This is why Whole Foods Produce is Yummy! 

Jan 10- First Snow- Barely and yet FINALLY

Jan 11- Help I've Fallen

There aren't really any rhyme or reason for each photo, just something that excited and or inspired me for the day.

Sorry to be missing Jan 2-5, I'm gonna be better :-)

Jillian Michaels

Hobby of the Day: Working Out

I just purchased Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred....we shall see friends, we shall see....

I am currently on day 3 of 30. Bring it on Jillian! 

Her workout consists of a 20 min workout.  3 min of weights, 2 of cardio 1 of abs or her 3,2,1.  You do the 3, 2, 1  three times during the twenty min, but each set is different, thankfully.   I think I should be able be diligent with this workout regime, as well as throwing in my running and gym time.  In the past I have tried P90X.  Don't get me wrong, that workout is beastly too, but I can't do that and run/gym.  Just takes up way too much time, but an extra 20 min I can do.

Goal to be toned like this!

I also wouldn't mind her arms, or body....

Oddly enough after day one I wasn't in too much pain, don't get me wrong, when I move a certain way I can feel it, but I don't feel the inability to move.  My friend after one day did, perhaps that means I am in better shape than I realized......We'll see how I feel tomorrow.  I'm starting out easy on her level 1.

I figured I would do 10 days at level 1(unless I really feel ready to move on)

10 days at level 2 and

10 days at level 3

= 30 day shred.....I'm ready to shred off that weight!

The Blessings of a Crock Pot

Hobby of the day: Cooking via Crock Pot

I heart my crockpot!  H.E.A.R.T! We got it as a wedding present and well, I had never used one before.  Let's just say that throwing a bunch of ingredients into a pot and then turning it on before you go to work= perfection.  The best part is that I am the QUEEN of the Crock Pot in this home. Then it's up to hubby to clean up the "mess" and or items that might have stuck to the pot.  Love it!

I use a Rival Crock Pot, it has Slow and faster settings from 4 hours - 10 hours.  Sooo great. Once it's done cooking it sets it to warm....ahhh perfection.

Tonights meal: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken 

Thanks again to my new favorite, better for you, recipe site.  I am also a HUGE fan of Allrecipes.  Allrecipes is great because people leave their comments and often tweak the recipes, usually to the better. I am a huge fan of tweaking recipes, adding a little extra this or that and cutting on items.

I stuck to the recipe this time- although we did go to Whole Foods this week and therefore the majority of our stuff is organic.  We are not an all organic family by any means and also, it's expensive.  Isn't it a shame that eating healthier means you have to spend more money?!  The only thing I didn't add was cilantro, I am not a huge fan, if at all, of cilantro.  It isn't that I wouldn't have added it, it's just that I couldn't find it.  I know there are A LOT of people who do love cilantro, but sad to say, I am not one.

Let cook 10 hours badabing-badaboom!   Serve over rice, brown or white, I used brown.

Ooooh I also have a rice cooker, well not really mine, but we've had it forever. It's another fav....

Bon Appetite!

New Years Resolutions

Hobby of the day: Losing Weight, Working Out, Cooking Healthy

The NOT so Best Friend

As the New Year strikes, many people make resolutions.  Essentially promises as to what we would like to see achieved...resolutions seem to be repeated year after year.  I haven't made a resolution in a long time.  But this year Gary and I decided to set goals.  One of course is weight loss and eating healthier (As you can see from New Years Eve Post, we splurged on waaay yummy food).  We weighed ourselves on Jan 1 and then wrote down what weight we would like to be by the end of March, April 1st begins Spring Break.  A cruel joke I think.  Thankfully Gary and I are training for a half marathon, so we have to force ourselves to work out. We have 91 days to achieve our first target weight, then we have another 91 days until the last day of school to lose to our second goal weight. 


Gary and I also took pictures of ourselves, much to his disapproval in clothing we would like to be better in.  We took front, side and back photos.  I of course took pictures of myself in a bathing suit. The picture below is my motivation.  I will NOT be posting my muffin tops here, disappointed though you may be.  

The Motivation: being in a bathing suit in front of FRIENDS!!!

Why is it so much easier for guys to drop weight than girls?!


Apparently the East Coast has finally decided that it was winter and cold it is, not as cold as Quebec, where I long to visit, but cold enough nevertheless.  I wish that some snow would come too.... Yesterday was frigid and windy, thus no running outside.   Today is also quite cold and currently 59 degrees in the house.  I HATE heat! Heat gives me headaches, dry skin, itchy skin, nosebleeds and makes my eyes dry. Therefore we very RARELY use heat, thankfully we have a gas fireplace.  We prefer to sleep cold anyway.  


I was recently introduced to a website full of lower calories meals.  Thanks to Skinnytaste I have a new variety of tasty recipes.  It is quite a shame that Gary hates fish or rather seafood.  I love it and would love to make some of those recipes, but don't want to cook just for myself.  Last night I made Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach, you can find the recipe here.  It was delicious.  The recipe made waaay to much for G and I. Next time I'll try halfing the recipe.  Thankfully I can take some for lunch too.  

Sauce and Spinach blend: pre-cheese

Whole Wheat Ziti

Plenty for All

De-lic-ious!!

Spinning

Hobby of the day: Spin Class

I probably haven't done a spin class since June.  Gary and I used to go at least 1-2 times a week and we became Saturday morning regulars.  Once Summer hit, we kind of lost track of the classes and then once school began again, well FORGET IT!

As of 2012 we are back in the saddle, literally.  Our gym is great, great classes, location, personal, not the cheapest though..... but what can we say, we live on Capitol Hill. 

We had a new instructor.  He was kind of crazy, but in the good way.  I eased myself back into riding and pretty soon I was huffing and puffing.  I am not a big sweater, my husband, however LOTS!  Spin is one of the few places I sweat like whoa! The class wasn't even full, 15 of the 35 bikes were full, fans were on full blast and pretty soon the windows were steamed up and starting to perspire.  After class- well the floor is ridiculously slippery. Our instructor painted pictures as we road, apparently we road all the way to California, onto the beach, over hills, saw sunsets, fell breezes, etc.  He then navigated us back through Arizona, New Mexico, etc...At least class put a smile on my face....

New Years Eve

My last night of eating like CRAZY!!! I was STILL full this morning!

Don't you love my sparkly NYE outfit?!

The lovely host and hostess

I was sick for most of Christmas break and didn't really feel like going out.  I did want to dress up, but didn't really want to spend the money either on flashy new clothes. Not to mention all the New Year's Eve shindigs around here were super expensive.  I have trouble wrapping my head around spending almost $200 to be with people I don't even know.

 Someone commandeered the fondue stiring, not that I will complain.

  

 

Enjoying my FABULOUS fondue

We ended up having a quiet night with some good friends at their house. We had a fabulous dinner if I might add.  I made cheese fondue- Yum!  One of my favoritest things ever.  It was half Swiss cheese half Gruyere and plenty of white wine.  Apparently the trick is to flower the cheese before you add it to the fondue pot, as well as add a splash of lemon which helps to prevent clumping.  Needless to say we engorged ourselves.  We had that with apples, bread and carrots. My friend also made baked brie, and smoked Gouda.  It's fairly safe to say that we had PLENTY of cheese!

Dinner:  beef tenderloin and a fabulous salad, complete with homemade seasoned pecans, feta cheese and green apples. Delicious!

No loud obnoxious drunk people that we don't know....I didn't say we weren't loud

Dessert:  Dark Chocolate Toblerone Fondue, complete with Baileys and heavy cream
Served with: strawberries, bananas, potato chips and pretzels

What's NYE with out Bubbly? Baby Prosecco with a splash of pomegranate liquor