Boring Tuesday!

Nothing big to report on today!

My workout went well yesterday - but I didn't do as much cardio as I hoped. I just haven't shaken this cold yet and my whole chest and throat were burning... but the weight circuit kicked my butt.

I came home, grocery shopped with Bonnie, and made this yummy Weight Watchers recipe for dinner. The chicken was delish - moist, lemony, and we used dried herbs and they were still devine. We heated up some canned green beans on the stove (I drain the liquid from the can first) and added a splash of EVOO and Garlic Salt and all were happy!

I then enjoyed some red wine and popcorn while we watched Biggest Loser!

Lucky me, the Army let my fiance leave way early yesterday, so we were able to Skype last night as well. I'm enjoying the time he's not in the field very much!

Today was a busy day. No organized moving every hour, but I was up and down a bunch for other stuff, so I still feel accomplished. I have some big projects ahead of me, but I'm excited to tackle them once and for all.

Here is what I wore today:

Boots from J Crew ($199-$318 online... I got mine at the Clearance Store in Lynchburg for $60!), Dress from Gap, Cardigan from Eddie Bauer, Scarf from Target, Cheetah belt from New York and Co,  Earrings from Kate Spade, and bracelets from Premier Jewelry. 

Gym plan for tonight: 30 minutes of cardio and this upper body workout from Women's Health Magazine:

Have a good night!

New week - a fresh start!

So, Logan is back in the field this week. It's always tough when I don't get to speak to him for days on end, but lucky for me he always comes back on the weekends. I won't be able to say the same thing come time for Ranger school...

So, I have a few resolutions I'd love to stick to this week:

1. Work out every day - I have to get back in shape and soon - my wedding dress gets here in 6 weeks and counting! There is zero time to lose. See below for my workout plan for today.

2. Eat right - I did well this morning, ate a little much at lunch (I should've stopped when I was full!) but I have healthy snacks packed for this afternoon and have been drinking lots of water.

3. Bring some work home with me at night - it's a busy time in the office and if I can bring a small amount of work home with me I'll make my life MUCH easier in a month or so. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to bank up the comp time!

4. Move for 5 minutes every hour. I set an alarm on my phone and for a few minutes do this routine:

• 10 calf raises - slowly getting up on my tip toes and lowering myself back down
• 10 squats - letting my butt JUST touch my office chair and standing back up again
• 10 leg raises - balancing myself on my desk, move my right leg directly back and into the air 10 times, then doing the same with my left
• 10 arm circles - rotating 10 forward then 10 backward
• 10 arm raises - moving my fists from my shoulders straight up past my head
• I bend over, touch my toes, and take some deep breaths
• I run anything that needs taken down to our garden level downstairs, get a quick change of scenery, and fill up my water bottle at the cooler

It's helping me to focus on my work for the time I'm at my desk, and helping me keep my blood moving during the day. I've noticed I'm not nearly as fatigued today as I usually am at this time, too!

So here is my workout plan for this evening:

• 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical machine - doing the weight loss program - it's full of intervals and the short duration keeps me motivated to work hard without losing steam
• This weight circuit from Women's Health Magazine:

• I'll do 10 of each exercise with weights between 20-25 lbs three times through

This should give me some cardio, get my heart pumping, and do some all over work with these total body exercises. It shouldn't take me very long to knock out and should leave me feeling great!

And now, for what I wore today:

Red scarf, Target, Black top, Old Navy, Black cardigan, New York and Co, Gray pants, New York and Co, Black flats, Payless

Today's stacks are brought to you by my sister's jewelry box! But in all fairness, it's so easy to grab one or two of these every time we duck into the Outlet stores or when there's a good sale online! All are Kate Spade. You can find a huge variety here!

 The earrings are from a local boutique - I'm not sure of the brand.

Stay posted on more on how I do with my goals this week!

Favorites Friday!

Thank you to everyone for the "Get Well Soon" wishes -- I'm feeling better, even though I still SOUND very stuffed up. I'm sure I'll bounce back soon!

And I have to admit I AM guilty of making a purchase at the big Lilly sale yesterday -- so much for my resolution to save more money! But, in my defense, the dress I bought was very reasonably priced, AND it was my favorite print - You Gotta Regatta!

The Somerset Dress will be perfect come summer time - I'm so excited!

And now onto some of my favorite things for this week - keeping in mind how sick I've been they're things that have been my saving grace while I've been laying in bed trying to get better:

Dutch Blitz!

Logan's family got me hooked on this game when I was in Indiana and I purchased the app for my iPhone and played it all week - I'm obsessed.

Duke Basketball

Nothing makes you feel better than seeing your favorite team win a good basketball game!

Fleece Sheets

We keep our apartment very cold (it's not very insulated and our heating bill was through the roof last month) so being able to cuddle up in a warm bed with the kittens made it all easier to bear. I got my sheets for Christmas, but you can find similar ones at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

That's all for now! I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday Night!

Under the Weather

I hardly EVER get sick. Seriously - the last time I had a bad cough and felt truly under the weather was in December of 2009. So how do I start my new year? With a cold!

Since I never get sick, I am a huge baby when I actually DO get sick. I had to say bye to Logan on New Years Day - we won't see each other again until March 8 - and being sick made it that much worse. I was a whiney mess the whole way home and hardly slept that night.

I got up for work yesterday  but was sent home at noon by my boss. I took a pretty heroic nap yesterday afternoon and made tomato tea - a recommendation from a co-worker of mine. I was skeptical at first, but it was actually pretty good! Here is the recipe:

2 c. Tomato Juice
2-3 cloves Garlic, crushed - or more if you can stand it. (I used significantly more.)
2 T. Lemon Juice
Hot Sauce - as much as you can stand
2-3 Large fresh basil leaves
2-3 sprigs of Thyme
Cayenne Pepper - as much as you can stand

Add all ingredients into a sauce pan and and heat until nice and warm.  Using an immersion blender, blend all of the ingredients together well, and let steep on the stove for about 5-10 minutes (longer it sets the better it gets!).  Once you’re ready to serve, sip slowly and breath deeply–the fumes and the tea both will aid with your congestion. 

The garlic will kill any bacterial infections in your throat and all the spicy will clear out your sinuses. And it was pretty filling - especially since I didn't have much of an appetite.

I promise I'll get back into the swing of blogging soon!