WIAW #13: Missing Seasoning

Good morning, everyone!  Sorry for the Debbie Downer post yesterday.  I just definitely needed to fill y'all in, and I didn't have anything else to post yesterday.

Let's move on to something more upbeat, shall we?

It's once again time for What I Ate Wednesday!  I remembered to photograph my food yesterday, so let's take a look.  Thank you, as always, to Jenn for hosting the linkup.  Head on over to her blog to find out what WIAW is all about and to visit other blogs who joined the party, too!

Breakfast

The usual: a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios Crunch Medley.  I really love this cereal!  I added in some watermelon on the side yesterday morning.

Lunch

We're a bit low on groceries this week, so no salad materials for lunch.  I had a craving for Ramen, so that's what I ate.  I don't put much of the flavoring on it to reduce some of the sodium.  Another way to add to the nutritional value is to throw in some chopped veggies.  I didn't have any available, so it was just plain Ramen for me!  Still, I enjoyed it; it was exactly what I was craving.

Snack #1

I got bit by the baking bug yesterday and made some Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip cookies.  I had a few of those for a snack in the afternoon.  They are AMAZING!  I'll post the recipe for these tasty treats tomorrow

Dinner

I made a Velveeta Tuna Melt boxed dinner.  But, when I opened the box, the seasoning mix wasn't in there!  I added some garlic powder, seasoning salt, cajun seasoning, and just a little paprika.  Joe couldn't even tell the seasoning was missing!  I also added some frozen corn to the mix, which added a slight crunch to the meal.  Yum!

Snack #2

I went on a run after dinner, and when I got back I had some of the Fitmixer Amino drink I usually have plus some watermelon.  They really hit the spot after my run in the hot Florida air.

Question for you: Have you ever had something missed out of a boxed dinner and had to improvise?
I think the fact that I actually added some good spices to it made me feel more confident in my cooking skills.  Practice makes perfect, I guess!

Doggy Drama

Not sure if anyone noticed, but someone has been absent from the blog for a while.

That's right, Mr. Wewii!  Well, there's a reason for that, and I think it's time to share that with you now.

As I explained before, wee started off long-term pet sitting Wewii for Joe's friend.  In March, his owner came to get him and we said so long to our little friend.  We got him back for good at the beginning of April and we've really enjoyed having him back.

What's not to love about a dog on a surfboard?

Well, back in February, I made a vague reference to a trying weekend.  I never shared what happened, but Wewii actually attacked Joe.  Wewii was very protective over me when he was laying on top of me on the couch or bed, and that Saturday morning, Joe was standing over the bed and I guess Wewii didn't like it.  He latched on to Joe's arm, and we spent that Saturday at the hospital getting the bite checked out.  We left Wewii shut up for the next few days (I would take him outside a few times a day) until Joe decided he was ready to let him out.  We didn't do anything about it because Joe's friend was set to take him back within the next week.

This picture was actually after I took him for a run during his lock-up time

Time passed, and we adjusted knowing what Wewii didn't like.  Everything was fine until one June evening.  Wewii went after Joe again when we were all sitting on the couch together.  He didn't latch on like he did the first time, but we knew that this was going to keep happening if we kept him.  He was (most likely) fought in the past, and we just didn't know his triggers or when he might snap again.

We had Wewii put down the next day.  It was just devastating for both of us because we really loved him.  As I told Wewii when I was saying goodbye, if he had only trusted Joe, things would have been wonderful.

Before our last run together

It's been about a month and a half, and Joe and I are used to life without our pet.  There are talks of getting another dog.  Joe is in the middle of studying for boards, so I think we might wait until after he takes those important tests.  Either way, we really enjoyed the year we spent with Wewii (minus his attacks) and will always remember him fondly.  Here are a few pictures I never posted of him from the last few days of his life.

He was going to TOWN licking me post-workout

Sprawled out on the couch

Repping his UGA Bulldogs

Adorably cuddled up to me

Rest in peace, Wewii!  We will miss you.

Question for you: Have you experienced the loss of a pet?  If so, how did you go about healing from it?
Tomorrow's post will be much happier :)  Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday evening!

Firecracker 4-miler Race Recap

Oh my goodness!  I JUST realized that I never recapped the Firecracker 4-miler race I ran on July 4th!  I was waiting for some pictures from Krista, but she's been quite swamped this summer and hasn't sent them.  I'll go ahead and recap the race for you anyway :)

The Firecracker 4-miler and 10-miler is held annually in Daytona Beach on July 4th.  The proceeds of the race go to Team Red, White & Blue, an organization whose mission is "to enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity."

Race Swag

I opted for the 4-mile race, as I knew I wasn't ready for 10 miles at that time in my half marathon training.  The check occurred on the Daytona Beach boardwalk and was well-organized.  There were also a lot of booths to check out before heading to the start of the race.

Expo before the race

The race was on the beach, starting at the Daytona pier.  The 4-mile race was a 2 mile out-and-back course, while the 10-mile race ran from the Daytona pier to the pier in Port Orange and back.  There were a lot more people running the race than I expected, but they did a good job of encouraging slower-paced runners/walkers to start further back.

The start

I actually started off at a good pace for me.  The course was easy, since the beach in Daytona is very flat and pretty compact.  Once the sun came up, it got a little hot.  It was also very hazy that morning, which meant the humidity was in full effect!  In fact, you couldn't even see the Port Orange pier at the 2 mile turn around, so I felt very bad for the 10-milers!

Pre-race beauty...then it got hot

After the turn-around, I started to struggle a bit.  I was wearing my patriotic ProCompression marathon socks, I think those were making my body hotter than normal, since I usually wear ankle socks.

Patriotic "costume"

They always say to always practice running in your race attire, but I didn't think the high socks would cause me a problem.  Apparently I was wrong!  I wound up doing a few minutes of walking here-and-there, but I still finished under my goal time!

Forgive my PicStitch of the official race result

I set a goal of 44 minutes, but I really wanted to be under 40 minutes.  Either way, both goals were met and I was a happy gal.

They had bottles of water for the runners after the race and dogtags for the 4-mile finishers.  At the expo, they also had Panera bagels and fruit.  I opted for some watermelon for some extra water and the sugar.

I really enjoyed running in this race and am already planning to join in next year!  Who knows, maybe I'll do the 10-miler then :)

Question for you: Did you run a July 4th race?  If so, what kind of patriotic costume did you wear? If not, has a race "costume" ever gotten in your way of performance?

BBB6 Week 6 Recap

Happy Sunday, everyone!  Hope the weekend treated you well.  As I wait for the storms to pass before going for a run, I wanted to go ahead and tell you about my weekend and workouts!

My family came to visit Joe and me on Thursday and left early this morning.  We also had Joe's mom and sister visit on Saturday.  It's been quite a whirlwind weekend but a lot of fun seeing everyone!  Here are some photos from the weekend:

Friday was Eric's birthday!

Hanging by the hotel pool on Friday

Climbed to the top of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse on Friday evening

On the beach with Katherine, Joe's sister, and my mom

My family on the beach on Saturday

Putt-putt on Saturday night.  Joe was able to make it after Board Review classes

Watching fireworks off the pier on Saturday night

We had a lot of fun, as you can see :)

Now, let's get on to this week's workouts and Best Body Bootcamp goals!

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Activity
Monday-Workout A
Tuesday-rest day
Wednesday-Workout B + 2 miles of running in between sets
Thursday-Great 45-minute treadmill run + Back to the Core circuit
Friday-Walk on the beach plus climbing up to the top of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse
Saturday-rest day
Sunday-I will be completing an 8 mile run once these afternoon storms pass

While Friday's workout was unconventional, those activities certainly got my heart pumping!  I'm glad that I was still able to get 5 days of activity in despite the craziness of the last few days.

Goals
Goal #1 was to drink 72+ ozs. of water AND take a multivitamin each day.  While I took my vitamins daily, I only met the water goal 5/7 days.  I find it challenging to drink a lot of water when I'm on the go with visitors.  I always forget to bring a water bottle along on out-and-about days, which really limits the water I take it.

Goal #2 was to floss my teeth each night.  I'm still doing well with this, meeting this goal 5/7 days, as well.  This is a big improvement for me, and I'm starting to see the difference in my gums and teeth!  I think that makes me more motivated to floss when I can actually tell that it works.

Highlight of the Week
I really enjoyed my treadmill run on Thursday!  There were a few times that I wanted to cut it short or decrease the speed, but I managed to stay mentally tough and  keep to my plan.

Goal for Next Week
I'm just about a month away from the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon!  I really want to keep up my training runs throughout the week and take care of my body afterward by stretching, foam rolling, and icing (when needed).

Question for you: How do you stay hydrated when out-and-about?

ABC Survey

Happy Friday, y'all!  My parents and brother are here, and we have a full day planned at the beach.  While we're out doing fun stuff, I wanted to take some time for y'all to get to know me a little better.

This ABC survey has been going around blog world for a while, but I have fun doing surveys.  Plus, I don't think I've shared all of this stuff with you before :)

A: Attached or Single?
This you know: Attached :)

At Chipper Jones' last game, Sept. 2012

B: Best Friend
Besides Joe, I have a lot of "best friends" from each part of my life.  My bridesmaids Kristie, Krista, Jen, and Farrah would be a good sampling of these people :)

Kristie, Krista, me, and Farrah

Me and Jen

Kristie and I met in college on our hall in the freshman dorms.  Krista and I did Girl Scouts together, then went on to go to high school together and have the same major/Master's program in college.  Jen and I met in middle school.  Farrah and I are sorority sisters and lived together for 2 years.

C: Cake or Pie?
Cake, definitely.

D: Day of Choice?
Friday!  It's the end of the work week, Joe and I always go for Mexican food, and then we do something fun together.

E: Essential Item?
Hmmm, I'm really not sure!  I guess I'll go with laptop.

F: Favorite Color?
Pink!

G: Gummy Bears or Worms?
Worms, especially sour gummy worms!

H: Hometown?
Richmond, VA aka RVA or the 804 as I may refer to it from time to time.

I: Favorite Indulgence?
Cookie Dough.  In my apartment in college, we used to keep a tub of it in the fridge.  I would get a spoonful whenever I needed something sweet.

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J: January or July?
July

K: Kids?
As I tell my students who ask "When are you going to have kids?", I already have 100+ kids that I teach every day!  That's enough for me (for now).

L: Life isn't complete without...
God.

M: Marriage Date?
June 30, 2012

N: Number of Brothers/Sisters?
1 Brother, Eric.  He's pretty awesome (and, IT'S HIS BIRTHDAY TODAY!).

O: Oranges or Apples?
Oranges.

P: Phobias?
I have a fear of the unknown, I guess.  New situations/not knowing what something will be like give me anxiety.

Q: Quote?
I like a lot of quotes, but my current favorite is from Robin Roberts at the ESPYs last week:

"When fear knocks, let faith answer the door"

Powerful reminder of how to live our daily lives from a woman who has survived so many difficult circumstances in her life.

R: Reason to Smile?
There are many, but I think what's got me smiling the most right now is remembering that God loves me and will use me for His purpose, flaws and all!

S: Season of Choice?
Summer!  It's beach time, and I'm out of school :)

T: Tag 5 people.
Everyone!  Share some of your answers in the comments!

U: Unknown Fact About Me
I was born with six fingers on my left hand.  They cut the 6th finger off because there wasn't a knuckle for it on my hand. <---my about="" fact="" fun="" games.="" get-to-know-you="" go-to="" in="" me="" p="">
V: Vegetable?
Broccoli!  Yummy!

W: Worst Habit?
Starting a task then not finishing it.  Or, having a great idea, starting to get the ball rolling, then never following through.  It's not good, and I'm trying to change it.

X: X-ray or Ultrasound?
Weird question...I guess x-ray since I've never had an ultrasound?

Y: Your Favorite Food?
Ice cream/fro-yo.

Oh, real food? :)  I'm a sucker for a good pasta dish.

Z: Zodiac Sign?
Gemini.

Question for you: Pick one (or more) of the letters and answer the question yourself!  Or, link to your blog post where you completed this survey.

Back to the Core

Good afternoon, y'all!  I was up and at-it early this morning.  I had to go to a training this morning and decided to get my workout in and errands done after the meeting.  It feels good to get things done and out of the way early in the day!

Yesterday, I realized that I've been neglecting one of my favorite muscle groups to work out: my core!  In addition to some time on the treadmill, I took some time to do this core circuit:

I completed 3 rounds of the circuit, and my core was feelin' good!

Conveniently, as I was browsing the blogs I usually read, I came across Kat's post about the August Core Focus that she'll be hosting.

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She'll send a daily core workout, and all you have to do is post to the ChallengeLoop site each day you work your core.  If you do more than 5 core workouts (and post about it) in the month of August, you're entered to win a prize! You can sign up for it here on ChallengeLoop.  This is a great supplement to whatever fitness or training program you're doing and will help your body is so many ways!  Join me in focusing on your core muscles in August!

Now, it's time for me to get ready for my parents and brother to get here!

From last year's visit during our tour of the speedway...not the best family picture, but that's all I had!

They are coming for a long weekend.  Joe's mom and sister are also coming on Saturday, since they haven't seen my family since our wedding a year ago!  I have some last-minute preparations to take care of before all of our guests arrive.  As far as the blog goes, I have a book review and a survey post scheduled for the next few days, and I'll be back to my regular posts on Sunday.

Question for you: What's your favorite core exercise?
One of my favorites are reverse crunches.  They seem so easy to me, but they really work the lower abs.  So fun!

WIAW #12: New York City!

Hey there!  Sorry I was MIA yesterday.  Joe and I took an impromptu trip to St. Augustine to see our friends Andrew and Jacqui for the day!  I didn't take any pictures, but we had a great time hanging out with them, their son Danny (and baby #2 on the way!!), and Jacqui's parents for a while.

To recap my time in NYC and all the bachelorette fun, I decided to approach it from a What-I-Ate angle!  I took pictures of many of our delicious eats, so I wanted to share those with you, as well as fill you in on different things we did.

Thanks, as always, to Jenn for hosting the WIAW party!  Check out her blog if you want to see what it's all about!

Friday
I caught an early morning flight to DC, met up with the other girls, then rode in the car up to New York City.  I knew that I would need some snacks along the way, so I packed some healthy eats to hold me over.

Airplane snack

In-the-car snack later on

 We ate lunch at Panera before hitting the road, and I enjoyed the Strawberry Chicken Poppyseed salad they have during the summer.  This salad is FANTASTIC, and it really hit the spot!

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From left to right: Valerie, Mary, me, Stephanie, and Krista

We hit the road, and Valerie had no idea where we were going!  We convinced her she needed a passport, so we kept joking that we were going camping in Canada and wouldn't have running water.  When the NYC skyline appeared right around dinner time, we asked Valerie if she'd want to stop for dinner in the city.  She said yes, and after sitting in traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel, we pulled up to our hotel.  She was so surprised and excited!

After unloading, we walked to our dinner destination for the evening: Blockheads (Midtown West location).  We had delicious drinks and great food!  The atmosphere at the place was awesome, too!  It was outdoors in a little square between some buildings.

My drink, the Frozen Flag...DELICIOUS!

I ordered the Chicken Fajita Sticky Rice Bowl, which was really, really good.  After dinner, we went back to the hotel for gifts, Bachelorette-themed games, and some rest.

Saturday
We woke up semi-early because we had a jam-packed schedule.  Our first time: Alice's Tea Cup for brunch!  This place was absolutely adorable!  Their menu featured a wide array of teas, freshly baked scones, and some fancy breakfast items.  We, of course, ordered two pots of tea to try first.

Oh, and a giant mug of coffee :)

I ordered the Mixed Berry Crepes and a Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scone.  Both items were amazing!  

The restaurant itself was so cute, the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and we all loved our food.  Next time I go back to NYC, Alice's Tea Cup is definitely on my list of places to eat again!

After brunch, we began our walking/subway tour of the city.  We started by walking from Alice's Tea Cup to Central Park.  Our other destinations included FAO Schwartz, Rockefeller Center, taking the Staten Island Ferry, and the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center (which included seeing the Freedom Tower).

It was then time to get ready for the evening!  We decided on a cowgirl theme since the main reason we went to New York was to take Valerie to Coyote Ugly.  We all got dressed up in our cowboy hats and boots, as well as some adorable sashes that one of  the bridesmaid's made for us!

from Krista's Instagram

First stop was dinner.  We ate at Delicatessen in SoHo.  They had a wide variety of food options, but we all saw the MacBar section of the menu and ordered from it!  They had a ton of different macaroni and cheese variations, and I went with the Magherita Mac.

It was so good, and so filling!  The restaurant had such a "hip" vibe to it, and we really enjoyed sitting on the patio for our meal.  We had great service and we all enjoyed our meal.

The evening was filled with dancing at Coyote Ugly then laughing at a Comedy Club late in the evening.  We all enjoyed our time out with Valerie, who certainly enjoyed dancing on the bar at Coyote Ugly!

Sunday
We ate a quick hotel breakfast, then packed up the room and drove back to DC (where Valerie and some of the other bridesmaids live).  On our way home, we stopped at Tony Luke's in Philly for a cheesesteak for lunch.  We found the place from a Google search, and I think we all enjoyed our meal.

Overall, a very fun Bachelorette party weekend for Valerie with LOTS of good eats!  I'm looking forward to her wedding in about 2.5 weeks :)

Question for you:  Any places that I have to go eat next time I'm in NYC?