Birthday Post!

Holy moly... I'm 27 years old!  Where in the world did the time go?  When I was little, I remember wishing that I would grow up... and FAST!  Now that I'm an adult I wish I was little again.  Something about paying bills, working all the time, and worrying about all sorts of things kind of takes the fun out of it for you.

I didn't do to much to celebrate my birthday... work is really busy for me right now with Phonathon, my next class for my Master's program started up, and Dan had to work so my night consisted of cuddling with my sweet dog!

Remington was truly shocked when I told him how old I was!

But he decided he still loved me...

I did come home to some wonderful gifts!  Dan and I don't usually do birthday presents for each other, but he surprised me with some things I have mentioned in the previous months.

I've been wanting to read these books for a long time.  I'm looking forward to gaining some insight into Dan's current occupation and how to better our marriage.  They should both be good reads!

SLIPPERS!!!  I have been wanting a pair of these for a long time!  I was so excited when I opened this box and slipped my feet into these fuzzy pieces of heaven!  As you can see, Remington wasn't so sure about them!

I saw these shirts a long while ago and I just laugh every time I see them.  Of course, I'm sure some of you cop wives out there may think its not classy, but Dan and I's humor happen to love things like this... I mean come on, Dan has a stuffed pig sitting on the dash in the back of his police car!

My Mom and Dad got me these awesome running shoes!!!  WOOT WOOT!  Just what I need for my upcoming half marathon!!!

 
My day at work was also full of Happy Birthdays, lovely cards, gift cards, and even my very own birthday cupcake from my friend Debbie!!!  Notice the purple icing... she knows me too well :)  Her and Heather (another good friend at work) took me for lunch at Noodles!  Yes, the way to my heart is through FOOD!

I also was blessed with some very sweet cards full of money from other family members.  Who couldn't love gifts like these... you can buy whatever you want!!!  :)

And even from thousands of miles away and out on the open sea... my bestest buddy Myla sent me a B-day email wishing me well and making sure I had something good planned for the day!  I miss her so much!

THANK YOU EVERYONE for making getting old seem pretty fun!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I'll leave you with an email I received from Debbie's husband and my running partner, Greg...

Me: I'm getting old...

Greg's Email Response: Sorry to say, but anything over 25 years old is considered an antique.  Hey, that's not what I say, it's just a rule of thumb.  Don't even think about the fact that the Hoosier Dome only had a productive life for 24 years before they deemed it to old and demolished it. I'm sure you have a few more good years left.

 SIGH...

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips

Can you honestly believe I'm doing a beauty post!  I know!  What is wrong with me?  Anyways, I've been curious about how these nail polish strips work, so I decided "Hey, why not try it!!!" I decided to post my results since these suckers are "suppose" to stay on for a full 10 days.  I haven't been able to keep polish on my nails for longer than a matter of hours in most cases!!! P.S. That's why I don't ever wear it...

Day 1

I was kind of nervous about putting them on... I mean I'm an extreme perfectionist and I knew once I messed up I would be done with the whole thing.  But, I didn't!  They were SUPER easy and looked better than when I paint my own nails. What do you think???  I was very impressed with them by this point.

Day 2

Nails still look like new... I have been cleaning the house and doing lots of other things today.  Usually that would cause a lot of chipping on normal nail polish for me, but not these. I'm still very impressed!!!

Day 3

Still looking good!

Day 4

Today is the  first day that I have noticed a chip.  I have 2 tiny ones on my index fingers near the tip of my nail. I'm sure it is because these two fingers are probably used the most.  It is hardly noticeable and I have to strain my eyeballs to see it! Again, I'm a very happy camper!

Day 5

No new chips that I have noticed.  They are still looking great!  There is some minor grow out by my cuticles, but of course that is to be expected :)  Have I mentioned what a great invention these little babies are????  LOVE 'EM!

Day 6

Wow, my nails still look pretty good!  To the untrained eyeball you would think they are perfect, however, I of course am seeing little tiny flaws as the days go by... but I mean it is day six... I've never had nail polish on this long!  EVER!

Day 7

Not much new has changed... still look very good to the untrained eye!

Day 8

I washed my car by hand today... figured that this would definitely have some effect on the polish.  NOTHING!  They still look as good afterward!  WOW!!!

Day 9

Little bit more wear and tear and grow out of course, but nothing major. 

Day 10

Well... I made it to day 10!  I cannot believe it!  I'm officially in love with these little babies!!!  In fact, my nails still look good enough to wear a few extra days... I'm gonna see how long I can go before they start looking nasty!!!

**TIPS** On the package of these it strictly states NOT to put a clear coat on top of the polish strips.  I did do this however every couple of days.  I truly think that this might just be what helped to keep them from chipping. I noticed no negative ramifications from doing this, in fact, I would suggest it.

I also cut the strips in half so that I could get two uses out of them for the price of one.  Or, I would also like to try the left over pieces on my toes!!!!!

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of August 22nd - August 28th... you can just call me LAZY!!!  I was pathetic this week!!!

Monday, August 22nd, 2011 - REST DAY!

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 - stretch/strength

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011 - cross train/stretch

Thursday, August 25th, 2011 - ran 3.5 miles

Friday, August 26th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Saturday, August 27th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Sunday, August 28th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Total miles for the week: ran 3.5 miles

Week #19 of Kendra's Cooking Challenge: Mushroom Frittata

I've been dying to make one of these for a while now!  Mostly because it sounds so easy!!!  I decided to make breakfast for dinner and this included a Frittata!

Mushroom Frittata (www.allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 4 eggs or equivalent egg substitute
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions with some green tops
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings
• 1 pinch Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well mixed. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and fill with the mixture.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and set. Let cool for 20 minutes, cut in wedges and serve.

This was seriously the most easy recipe EVER!  And... listen to this... Dan rated it a 10!!!!  A 10 people... and its a vegetarian dish!  WOW!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

This one's for you Debbie!  BOOM!

A day in the life of Remington via our IPhones

We just love this BIG guy!

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of August 15th - August 21st... I took it pretty easy this week to make sure my legs were rested for my race.  I have to admit it was super nice to lay around after my days at work.  However, beginning this week I have to step it up a bit!  I have 8 weeks to get myself ready for this half marathon!!!

Monday, August 15th, 2011 - ran 6.2 miles

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011 -REST DAY!

Thursday, August 18th, 2011 - cross train/stretch

Friday, August 19th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Saturday, August 20th, 2011 - Ft. Harrison 10K (ran 6.2 miles)

Sunday, August 21st, 2011 - stretch, stretch, stretch

Total miles for the week : 12.4 miles

Pre/Post 10K Race Day

Pre-Race Day

It's the day before my 10K! I'm way nervous but excited! I have not ran at all since Monday evening when I did my second 6.2 miles.  I wanted to give my body a chance to really be rested for this 10K.  So far, I have mainly been focusing on stretching and working out other muscles besides my legs the other days this week.

I headed to the YMCA to get my packet on Friday night.  Usually I would do this the morning of, but I took a half day off or a doctor's appointment and got bored when that was finished so I figured why not get it out of the way!

Surprisingly, on my way to the doctor, I was in a car accident!  Some guy rear ended me.  Not too much damage to my car, but enough to make me pretty sore afterwards.  It definitely shook me up a bit. Wonderful... just before my race!

Post-Race Day

Let's see how can I sum up the day of the race.  I know... disorganized!  LOL!  First off the race started 20 minutes late.  Then the people directing the course told us the wrong way!!!  The last mile marker I even saw was 3!  YIKES!  Besides all the not knowing where the heck I was suppose to be going stuff, I feel happy with how things went. I finished in 1 hour and 5 minutes... and that was with hills.  Yes, the course was very hilly especially for me!  But I didn't stop running the whole time and that was my main goal!

Here's Greg (my running buddy) and I before the race... the 10 fingers stands for 10K not 10 miles :)

Getting ready to go!!!

 

Here's a pic of the balloon release!  The race was in memory of children who had passed from still births.  This was kind of emotional.

All in all it was a good race for me... disorganized yes... but I still felt good once I was finished.

Now... to train for my HALF MARATHON in October!

Butterflies!!!

People!  I have serious butterflies in my belly!!!!!

I am CRAZY nervous about this 10K on Saturday. I'm not real sure why.  I've ran my 6.2 miles twice so I know it's possible. Its at a place I'm somewhat familiar with. It isn't like if something doesn't go well I'm letting anyone down... it would only be myself that was disappointed.  Just a lot of mixed feelings about the WHOLE thing!

I noticed the race route was finally posted yesterday!!!

Not too bad right?

It is suppose to be a very scenic course which I love love love!  I get tired of running around my little subdivisions!  And I'm sure hills are in the forecast for that day as well.  Although, everyone considers "hilly" in a different way so it is hard to know what exactly that means. The weather has been perfect for the past couple of weeks, but the weather report for Saturday says humidity is coming and its a high of 88 degrees that day!  Thank goodness it will be in the morning!

Think of me around 9:00ish on Saturday and send good vibes my way!!

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of August 8th - August 14th... I'm less than a week away from my 10K!  Am I prepared you ask... hmmmmmm... if I was running on a flat surface then maybe, but I have a feeling the hills might just kill me. Let's just say that I won't be surprised if I have to walk some of it. I am a little nervous... this is my first 10K and the farthest I have ever ran with a group of people. I'm sure I'll be fine, but you know how it is when you don't know what to expect with something?  You get those crazy butterflies in your belly!

The weather this week has been great!  Temperatures have dropped like 20 degrees... from 100 degrees to 80 degrees!  Thank you LORD!  Because of this, running has been enjoyable and a lot easier since I can now breathe comfortably. However, it did rain this weekend (which is good) but it did interrupt my running schedule that I had planned.

Monday, August 8th, 2011 - ran 6.2 miles (this was a killer and first time I have EVER ran that freakin' far)

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 -stretch/strength train

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Thursday, August 11th, 2011 - ran 4 miles

Friday, August 12th, 2011 - ran 2 miles

Saturday, August 13th, 2011 - cross train/stretch

Sunday, August 14th, 2011 - cross train/stretch (RAINING)

Total miles for the week : ran 12.2 miles

Bon Voyage...

One of our all time greatest friends in the entire world is leaving Dan and I soon! Our best buddy, Myla, has taken a position with the Semester at Sea program.  She will be working while traveling the world for the next four months on a cruise ship!!  This whole thing is very bitter sweet for us.  We are extremely happy and excited for her, but very sad for us. She has been a part of our family for over 4 years and it is very difficult to imagine her not being just a drive down the street or a trip down the stairs from me at work.  We will miss her terribly!!! BUT... I can't wait to see all her pictures and hear all her stories as this adventure in her life unfolds!!!

 

Myla's Going Away Cake

Love ya Myla!!

You'll forever be a part of our family!

And remember Myla... "Goodbyes are just the beginning of our next hello!"

You will be missed more than you will ever know!!!  BON VOYAGE!

Must Love Dogs...

I can't help it... I have a HUGE spot in my heart for these guys!!!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of August 1st - August 7th... my Monday run was AWFUL!  I'm not sure why, but I felt like a ton of bricks.  Plus, I discovered that I probably need to start taking water with me on my long runs or circle back around to the house mid run to get a drink when it is this hot out.  I was parched during that run and was seriously ready to drink from a nearby sprinkler! The rest of my runs this week weren't much better.  The hot weather I think is finally starting to get to me.  I don't think we have had any rain in over a month, and with 90 + temperatures constantly, it doesn't make for a pleasant workout. I keep hoping that it will cool down before my 10K but it doesn't look promising!

Monday, August 1st, 2011 - ran 4.77 miles

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 - stretch/strength train

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 - ran 4.09 miles

Thursday, August 4th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Friday, August 5th, 2011 - cross train/stretch

Saturday, August 6th, 2011 - ran 2.5 miles

Sunday, August 7th, 2011 - cross train/stretch

Total miles for the week: ran 11.36 miles

Week #18 of Kendra's Cooking Challenge: Zucchini Pizza Boats

I think I'm a bit behind in my cooking challenges posts... so you get to enjoy two in one week!  I thought this recipe looked interesting so I thought I would try it!  Nice for everyone... those of you on a diet, vegetarians, or if you just LOVE pizza... which everyone does of course!!

Zucchini Pizza Boats (www.foodgawker.com)

Ingredients

• 6 medium zucchinis
• 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
• 2 cups shredding mozzarella cheese
• pepperoni slices (if vegetarian substitute with olives)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the zucchini well to remove any grit. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and, using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the center. Leave about one centimeter of zucchini around the edges. Save the scooped out zucchini flesh in a bowl.

Place the scooped out zucchini halves on a baking sheet. Dump the reserved zucchini flesh out onto a cutting board and chop it into smaller pieces. Return the chopped pieces to the bowl and stir in the tomato sauce, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.

Refill the zucchini halves with the prepared mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is slightly browned. The longer the zucchini are in the oven, the softer they'll be so if you like firmer zucchini, bake for a shorter amount of time.

 

Don't they look delicious?  Dan rated these little guys an 8!  They actually tasted pretty much like actual pizza!