So, no Wedding Wednesday post today because I'm going on vacation!
In less than 12 hours, I will be leaving my lil apartment and my puppies in the care of a friend while me and the Pre-Hubby hope on a plane and head to Philadelphia!! One of my good friends from my 1st year of college is getting married (does that count for Wedding Wednesday?)! I'm excited to see people that I haven't seen since I left Pennsylvania 9 years ago. Even more exciting will be the fact that Pre-Hubby will be with me to see the people I talk about!
I will try to get my Fitness Friday post up this week, and have a guest spot for Savory Sunday! Other than that, I'm offline until I return next Tuesday! Hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Savory Sunday - Breakfast Cups
The following recipe I found one day while perusing Pinterest.
It caught my attention because it was a quick and easy recipe, with Bacon! Who doesn't love bacon?! Well, actually me. I'm not the BIGGEST fan of bacon, but there are some things that deserve a lil bacon love. This is one of them!
Notice how I didn't put a set amount of ingredients. It will all depend on how many cups you choose to make. You can make 1 (although I don't know why you would only make ONE!) or you can make 12! You will want to adjust your ingredients to match the number of cups you are making. For the purposes of this post, I made 7 (3 for me, and 4 for my Fiance). You will need a frying pan (for the bacon) and a cupcake pan (to put it all together).
First up, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is pre-heating, its time to prep!
Begin by cooking the bacon. I recommend 1 slice of bacon per cup. I also cut each slice in half so that it is easier to mold the bacon into the cups near the end. Cook the bacon at a medium to medium-high heat for around 4 minutes. You want the bacon cooked, but still flimsy. It will cook more once you start the baking process. Once it is done cooking, put it on a plate covered with a paper towel until we are ready to put the whole thing together!
With the bacon cooking, take your bread slices and lightly roll them with a rolling pin. You don't want them paper thin, but you want them not so fluffy. Once you have the slice rolled out, take a large cup and place it on the bread, cutting off the crusts and excess around the cup. This will leave you with a squashed bread circle! You will need 1 circle for each cup.
Next up is veggies. Think of this meal like an omelet and add the veggies that you like. I like onions with just about everything! This time around I also added a little bit of chopped mushrooms. Because these will be small cups, make sure that you chop up your veggies really well.
Now that your prep work is done, its time to put it all together. Begin by taking your cupcake pan and spraying a light dusting of olive oil spray. Next, gently press the bread circles into the holes of the cupcake pan. Pretend you are making cupcake liners out of the bread. If you are not making enough cups to fill the pan, make sure to space them out for even cooking. After getting all the bread in place, add a little bit of the veggies to the bottom of each cup. Then, take your bacon and gently press it around the edge of the cup.
Now for the fun part! Crack an egg into the cup, so that you are within the bounds of the bacon edges and covering the veggies! If you like a runny yolk when you cook your eggs, you can leave them the way the fall. However, if you are like me, and like a firmer yolk, just take a fork and pierce the yolk a few times before cooking. Once you have the egg in, add a dash of salt and pepper to the top, if you like, and pop the pan in oven that has been preheating! You will want to cook the cups for 10-12 minutes. Once the egg is fully cooked, add a bit of shredded cheese and cook for up to 2 more minutes.
Once that timer goes off, and the cheese is melted, you now have delicious breakfast cups to enjoy!
Here is a slideshow of the whole process!
Breakfast cups: the breakfast you can take on the go! If you try this yourself, let me know how you like it!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
 |
| Breakfast Cups |
Ingredients:BreadBaconEggsShredded CheeseVarious Veggies of your choosing(Onions, Green Peppers, Mushroom, etc)
First up, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is pre-heating, its time to prep!
Begin by cooking the bacon. I recommend 1 slice of bacon per cup. I also cut each slice in half so that it is easier to mold the bacon into the cups near the end. Cook the bacon at a medium to medium-high heat for around 4 minutes. You want the bacon cooked, but still flimsy. It will cook more once you start the baking process. Once it is done cooking, put it on a plate covered with a paper towel until we are ready to put the whole thing together!
With the bacon cooking, take your bread slices and lightly roll them with a rolling pin. You don't want them paper thin, but you want them not so fluffy. Once you have the slice rolled out, take a large cup and place it on the bread, cutting off the crusts and excess around the cup. This will leave you with a squashed bread circle! You will need 1 circle for each cup.
Next up is veggies. Think of this meal like an omelet and add the veggies that you like. I like onions with just about everything! This time around I also added a little bit of chopped mushrooms. Because these will be small cups, make sure that you chop up your veggies really well.
Now that your prep work is done, its time to put it all together. Begin by taking your cupcake pan and spraying a light dusting of olive oil spray. Next, gently press the bread circles into the holes of the cupcake pan. Pretend you are making cupcake liners out of the bread. If you are not making enough cups to fill the pan, make sure to space them out for even cooking. After getting all the bread in place, add a little bit of the veggies to the bottom of each cup. Then, take your bacon and gently press it around the edge of the cup.
Now for the fun part! Crack an egg into the cup, so that you are within the bounds of the bacon edges and covering the veggies! If you like a runny yolk when you cook your eggs, you can leave them the way the fall. However, if you are like me, and like a firmer yolk, just take a fork and pierce the yolk a few times before cooking. Once you have the egg in, add a dash of salt and pepper to the top, if you like, and pop the pan in oven that has been preheating! You will want to cook the cups for 10-12 minutes. Once the egg is fully cooked, add a bit of shredded cheese and cook for up to 2 more minutes.
Once that timer goes off, and the cheese is melted, you now have delicious breakfast cups to enjoy!
Here is a slideshow of the whole process!
Breakfast cups: the breakfast you can take on the go! If you try this yourself, let me know how you like it!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Friday, May 18, 2012
Health Goals
Its been a long day, and this will be a shorter than normal post, but I really wanted to touch on this topic before I got too ahead of myself.
When I went to my doctor last August to speak honestly about me wanting to lose weight and keep it off, she was extremely helpful. Next week I will spend time going over some of the advice she gave me, but right now I want to discuss the one question she asked me that made me think.
Really? I want what I believe everyone wants when they try to lose weight! I wanna be skinny and look hot! I want to wear bikinis and get stares! DUH!!
Okay, realistically speaking, I actually had to think about what I truly wanted to accomplish in this journey. What did I want my end result to be? I was in this for the long haul. No more quick fixes or failed attempts. This is a life style change. I need to retrain my body and my habits to live healthier and continue with it. So, I started to make a list of goals I wanted to achieve. Its like when you set your 5-10-15 year life goals, only I was focusing on just my health.
Ultimately, I want to lose weight and be where I was when I graduated high school. I wasn't super skinny, but I was at a healthy weight and I was fit and in shape. I want to be able to Jog for at least 30 minutes without getting winded. I want to be able to buy clothes in a normal store, and not a plus size store with limited options. I want to have kids and be able to play with them without getting worn out because of my weight.
Its more than just being thin. Its about whole health. I DON'T want the health risks that come with being overweight. I DON'T want my weight to prevent me from getting out and enjoy life. I DON'T want to be another obesity statistic.
So, here is my list! I know some of these I can accomplish rather quickly, while others could take a few years. But I'm willing to fight to the end to reach them all.
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
When I went to my doctor last August to speak honestly about me wanting to lose weight and keep it off, she was extremely helpful. Next week I will spend time going over some of the advice she gave me, but right now I want to discuss the one question she asked me that made me think.
What are you hoping to accomplish by doing this?
Really? I want what I believe everyone wants when they try to lose weight! I wanna be skinny and look hot! I want to wear bikinis and get stares! DUH!!
Okay, realistically speaking, I actually had to think about what I truly wanted to accomplish in this journey. What did I want my end result to be? I was in this for the long haul. No more quick fixes or failed attempts. This is a life style change. I need to retrain my body and my habits to live healthier and continue with it. So, I started to make a list of goals I wanted to achieve. Its like when you set your 5-10-15 year life goals, only I was focusing on just my health.
Ultimately, I want to lose weight and be where I was when I graduated high school. I wasn't super skinny, but I was at a healthy weight and I was fit and in shape. I want to be able to Jog for at least 30 minutes without getting winded. I want to be able to buy clothes in a normal store, and not a plus size store with limited options. I want to have kids and be able to play with them without getting worn out because of my weight.
Its more than just being thin. Its about whole health. I DON'T want the health risks that come with being overweight. I DON'T want my weight to prevent me from getting out and enjoy life. I DON'T want to be another obesity statistic.
So, here is my list! I know some of these I can accomplish rather quickly, while others could take a few years. But I'm willing to fight to the end to reach them all.
- I want to weigh 150lbs - this will require me losing 100+ lbs.
- I want to be able to Jog (not run) for a minimum of 30 minutes without getting winded.
- I want to fit into a dress I still own from my first year of college.
- I want to be able to try on wedding dresses without worrying if they will carry my size.
- I want to have children and not be overweight when I do.
- I want to expand my food knowledge so that I make healthier food choices.
- I want to work towards a whole month with no fast food.
- I want to step on the scale at my doctor's office and for the nurse to tell me my weight falls into the NORMAL category.
- I want to train for a half marathon.
- I want to share my experiences with other women, and men, to help them gain the courage to get healthy as well!
There ya' have it! My list of health goals. What are your goals? How did you decide on the things you wanted to accomplish? Create them for YOU.
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Themes and Colors, oh my!
I would be lying if I said I didn't start thinking about wedding plans within MINUTES of getting engaged Its true! After the crying and the hugging and calling my mom, I started thinking about colors and people and food choices!
Like most girls, I had been "planning" my future wedding for years! I would gather pictures online, write down ideas on post its, and cut out things I liked from magazines or ads. One of the things I always loved about weddings was the theme. The theme of a wedding, or the color choices, really helped tell the story of the couple getting married. Back in the early stages of planning my dream wedding, I wanted a winter wedding focused on a dark red color. I felt it was very sensual and also bold. I even found a beautiful dress that was traditional white with red accents. The dress has become far more popular over the years.
As I look back at those early dreams, I realize how much I focused things around my high school. I was dreaming of a wedding with dark red and silver, and my high school colors were crimson and silver. I loved my high school years, but that would have been a little too odd!
As I got older, and my tastes evolved, I thought about how I wanted to feel on my wedding day. I wanted a man who loved me more than anything. I wanted the sun shining and the ocean in view. I wanted to feel breezy and carefree! And since my favorite color is Orange, EVERYTHING would be orange! I can see my bridesmaids cringing right now! I bet they are glad I didn't decide to go that direction!
One day, I found the Disney Bridal Collection by Alfred Angelo and my heart immediately clung to the Ariel dress. It would go with the beach scene I'd always imagined. It was light and breezy. It was beautiful! So I clung to that image, and when I met my Pre-Husband, I could see the two of us getting married, and me in that dress!
After we had been together 2 years, the topic of marriage came up a few times with me and the Pre-Hubby. Usually it was in some sort of joking manner, but nonetheless, the subject had been discussed. One of the common things brought up was how we should have a pirate wedding. We would have our officiant dressed like Jack Sparrow, and we could have all our guests dress up. As cheesy and nontraditional as it was, it was perfect for the two of us! We were fun people who enjoyed the cheesy things in life! And the Ariel dress would go perfect in this setting.
10 minutes after getting engaged, I turned to the love of my life and said "So, now we need to start planning our beach-y pirate themed wedding!" and he was totally on board! It was great! We started with a simple color scheme of turquoise, sandy brown, and white. Then, we started looking up decorations we could use. We found treasure chests, fake gold coins, small bags of jewels, and even tons of props we could buy for a photobooth to be set up at the reception! I always knew I didn't want a lot of flowers, or any at all, in my wedding. Because of this, when looking for decorations I focused mainly on the reception tables and small decorations. If we were gonna do a pirate theme, I still wanted to keep it classy. Sadly though, that theme didn't stick around.
After a month of looking things up and trying to hash out other parts of wedding planning, the Pre-Hubby had a stroke of genius. It started with the realization that we couldn't have a traditional first dance with the song that is "Our Song". You see, our song was chosen on a drunken karaoke night by random. While the song is PERFECT, its not one you can have a nice dance to! Here, take a listen for yourself!
So we decided we needed to pick a song that meant something to both of us and that we could dance to. That led me to start looking up songs by the man himself, Mr. Sinatra. Sinatra is a love that we both have. And it extends to all the old classic singers - Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby. As we listened to "The Way You Look Tonight", my Pre-Hubby jumped from off the couch and starting spouting off wildly "We have to change the theme! I've got it! Rat Pack! We have to have a vintage rat pack wedding. I can wear a pin stripe suit, and we can play all Rat Pack music during the reception." I have never seen this man so excited about something like this. And with that, I couldn't say no! I knew it was a wonderful idea. I knew it was something that would really reflect us and would help make that one day even more special. We settled on the same turquoise color, but added black and silver. A Rat Pack wedding theme was born.
So there you have it! The process I went through to get to my wedding theme. I still intend to keep it classy and only have light touches of that Vintage Vegas feel. It helps that the Pre-Husband and I just spent 5 days in Vegas for a friends wedding! It helped me gather more ideas on how I could pull the whole event together. Did you have a wedding theme? Or did you just choose a color scheme? What process did you go through to get to the end result? I wanna hear from you!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Like most girls, I had been "planning" my future wedding for years! I would gather pictures online, write down ideas on post its, and cut out things I liked from magazines or ads. One of the things I always loved about weddings was the theme. The theme of a wedding, or the color choices, really helped tell the story of the couple getting married. Back in the early stages of planning my dream wedding, I wanted a winter wedding focused on a dark red color. I felt it was very sensual and also bold. I even found a beautiful dress that was traditional white with red accents. The dress has become far more popular over the years.
As I got older, and my tastes evolved, I thought about how I wanted to feel on my wedding day. I wanted a man who loved me more than anything. I wanted the sun shining and the ocean in view. I wanted to feel breezy and carefree! And since my favorite color is Orange, EVERYTHING would be orange! I can see my bridesmaids cringing right now! I bet they are glad I didn't decide to go that direction!
One day, I found the Disney Bridal Collection by Alfred Angelo and my heart immediately clung to the Ariel dress. It would go with the beach scene I'd always imagined. It was light and breezy. It was beautiful! So I clung to that image, and when I met my Pre-Husband, I could see the two of us getting married, and me in that dress!
After we had been together 2 years, the topic of marriage came up a few times with me and the Pre-Hubby. Usually it was in some sort of joking manner, but nonetheless, the subject had been discussed. One of the common things brought up was how we should have a pirate wedding. We would have our officiant dressed like Jack Sparrow, and we could have all our guests dress up. As cheesy and nontraditional as it was, it was perfect for the two of us! We were fun people who enjoyed the cheesy things in life! And the Ariel dress would go perfect in this setting.
10 minutes after getting engaged, I turned to the love of my life and said "So, now we need to start planning our beach-y pirate themed wedding!" and he was totally on board! It was great! We started with a simple color scheme of turquoise, sandy brown, and white. Then, we started looking up decorations we could use. We found treasure chests, fake gold coins, small bags of jewels, and even tons of props we could buy for a photobooth to be set up at the reception! I always knew I didn't want a lot of flowers, or any at all, in my wedding. Because of this, when looking for decorations I focused mainly on the reception tables and small decorations. If we were gonna do a pirate theme, I still wanted to keep it classy. Sadly though, that theme didn't stick around.
After a month of looking things up and trying to hash out other parts of wedding planning, the Pre-Hubby had a stroke of genius. It started with the realization that we couldn't have a traditional first dance with the song that is "Our Song". You see, our song was chosen on a drunken karaoke night by random. While the song is PERFECT, its not one you can have a nice dance to! Here, take a listen for yourself!
So we decided we needed to pick a song that meant something to both of us and that we could dance to. That led me to start looking up songs by the man himself, Mr. Sinatra. Sinatra is a love that we both have. And it extends to all the old classic singers - Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby. As we listened to "The Way You Look Tonight", my Pre-Hubby jumped from off the couch and starting spouting off wildly "We have to change the theme! I've got it! Rat Pack! We have to have a vintage rat pack wedding. I can wear a pin stripe suit, and we can play all Rat Pack music during the reception." I have never seen this man so excited about something like this. And with that, I couldn't say no! I knew it was a wonderful idea. I knew it was something that would really reflect us and would help make that one day even more special. We settled on the same turquoise color, but added black and silver. A Rat Pack wedding theme was born.
So there you have it! The process I went through to get to my wedding theme. I still intend to keep it classy and only have light touches of that Vintage Vegas feel. It helps that the Pre-Husband and I just spent 5 days in Vegas for a friends wedding! It helped me gather more ideas on how I could pull the whole event together. Did you have a wedding theme? Or did you just choose a color scheme? What process did you go through to get to the end result? I wanna hear from you!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Mother's Day and the Seattle Color Run!
Today's Savory Sunday post is being replaced with a special Mother's day post!
First up, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!! To all the moms who give there all each and every day for their children, you are truly appreciated! To my own mom, you are the best! Thanx for always being there with the honest truth, the tough love, and the best hugs ever!!! I miss you and hope to visit you soon!
So, what did I do this Mother's Day? Well, since I couldn't be with my mom, I ran in the Seattle Color Run! My mom has been one of my biggest supporters in my weight loss journey, so I ran this 5K for her!
The Color Run pretty much has 2 SIMPLE rules. 1. White shirts mandatory at the start line and 2. Color plastered EVERYTHING at the finish! Everyone starts the 5K dressed in white and ready to rock! And by the end, it looks like a tie dyed party! At every kilometer of the run, you go through a color zone where you are blitzed with color dust! This was my first 5K EVER and I've got to say it was a BLAST!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
First up, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!! To all the moms who give there all each and every day for their children, you are truly appreciated! To my own mom, you are the best! Thanx for always being there with the honest truth, the tough love, and the best hugs ever!!! I miss you and hope to visit you soon!
So, what did I do this Mother's Day? Well, since I couldn't be with my mom, I ran in the Seattle Color Run! My mom has been one of my biggest supporters in my weight loss journey, so I ran this 5K for her!
The Color Run pretty much has 2 SIMPLE rules. 1. White shirts mandatory at the start line and 2. Color plastered EVERYTHING at the finish! Everyone starts the 5K dressed in white and ready to rock! And by the end, it looks like a tie dyed party! At every kilometer of the run, you go through a color zone where you are blitzed with color dust! This was my first 5K EVER and I've got to say it was a BLAST!
My training for the 5K wasn't very good. And I wound up being the only person in my Princess Procrastinators team who made it to Race Day! However, another great friend of mine, Myranda, her 2 sisters and her mom were all running, so I spent the day with them! They are like my surrogate family and I've known them for 17 years, so it was a great way to spend a beautiful sunny Mother's day!
When we got to Seattle, we wound up being at the end of the line! 7000 people in the run, and WE were the tail end! I told everyone right away that there was no way that I was going to be able to run the whole thing! With a prior ankle injury, very little training, and all the extra weight I carry around - running is not my friend! I had 2 goals: finish in under an hour (59 minutes 59 seconds was OK!) and do NOT be the very last person to finish!
I started off good and kept up a nice jog for the first little bit. I alternated walking and jogging all the way to the first color, which was Blue. By then, I was on my own! Thank heavens I knew we had a predetermined meet up point, or I would have been left in the dust (literally)! The next color I ran through was Yellow! I stayed on the far left side of the run lane and was pelted with yellow dust from head to toe! I even got it right in my face! Luckily I was wearing my sunglasses!
As I was nearing the half way mark, I saw another friend of mine, already on the return trip! And then Myranda and her mom jogged past me! I finally caught up to Myranda's 2 sisters and walked with them til we went through the 3rd color, Green! Green seems to be the color that stuck to almost EVERYONE. After we got past green, we heard a guy say that it was "all downhill from here" (we had been walking up at a slight incline, burning those calves!). Hearing this, the girls started jogging and I just kept on walking. My feet were killing me, but I knew I had to make it all the way to the end! I was not about to give up!
Whoever said it was all downhill lied, because shortly after jogging through the 4th color, Orange, there was a HUGE HILL! Ok, it wasn't HUGE, but man did I think I was going to die before I made it to the top of that hill. When I got to the top, it was like all the pain I was feeling the last part of the run went away! I saw the finish line. I actually made it ALL THE WAY!
After walking through that finish line, I couldn't stop smiling! This was an amazing accomplishment for me and to see my friends afterwards, proud of me and cheering for me because I made it all the way to the end was amazing! And of course, the first thing I did was call my mommy! The best thing to hear was how proud she was of me for making it through to the end! One big step in my weight loss journey! It was a great day to enjoy an sunny Seattle day when I couldn't spend it with my mom!
And with that, I leave you with a slideshow of pics from the day!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Friday, May 11, 2012
Fitness Friday - How did I get here?
Welcome to the first Fitness Friday post. I figured the best way to begin this segment was to explain how I got to where I am today (health/weight wise) and going forward talk about the things I'm doing to get healthy and my progress!.
***NOTE: This is the first time I have ever been completely open and honest about why I'm at the point I am today. I apologize for the length now and will understand if you do not want to continue, however once I started writing, I just couldn't stop. I could have split this in to 2 posts but I felt I needed to get it all out now and start moving forward. There are 2 big events that led me to where I am today. I shed a few tears while writing this, and ultimately I feel this has really put me at a better starting point than I thought I was already at.***
I was always an in shape kid. Being the only girl in my family, with a younger brother and 4 older boy cousins, for 16 years meant that instead of tea parties and traditional Barbie activities, I was with playing sports, running around, and using Barbie dolls as throwing objects! (my baby sister was born the summer after I turned 16!) By the time I hit high school, I was short, healthy and in shape. I never felt like there was ever a problem with my weight, until my step-dad would make comments about me having a fruit snack or 2 when I got home from school. Or my mom would pipe up when I had seconds at dinner. I think the most annoying part about it all was that I wasn't an inactive teenager. I walked a half mile to and from school every day. I lived in a great neighborhood, so a lot of my after school time was spent walking around with my friends or taking my little brother to the play area in the housing development close to our place. Did I have times where I sat at the computer? Yes. Were there days where I would just hang out in my room? Yes. But I was a teenager. That's what teenagers do.
I stayed around the same weight (145lbs) all through high school. By the time I left for college, I was THRILLED!! I spent a lot of my time helping take care of things at home, and watching my siblings while my parents were out. I missed out on a lot of fun times with my friends because of it, and moving away for college was going to be my chance to start MY life. And I chose to move 3000 miles from home, from Washington state to Pennsylvania!
When I got to college, my eating habits weren't that great! Dining hall food, HUB restaurants, 2am Pizza escapades! But I was a freshman, with no car! It was a mile walk ONE WAY to just about everything I needed to get to. Dorm hall to class? A mile. Class to work? A mile and a half. Back to my dorm? Almost a mile. Do that 2-3 times a DAY, and there was no Freshman 15 for me! When I came home at Christmas break, I was actually almost 15lbs lighter than when I had left. For a short girl with big hips and a large chest - I looked great!
I only spent one year in Pennsylvania. The program I was in wasn't right for me, and because I was an out of state student from a poor family at a pricey school, I just couldn't afford it. I moved back home for the summer before heading to Central Washington for my second year of college. I moved into an apartment off campus with a girl who had a spare room. I got a job on the opposite end of the college town working for Subway. And again, I didn't have a car. It almost didn't matter what I ate, because I walked so much and so far, I burned off all the extra calories I ate. And that's when I met a boy.
I was always an in shape kid. Being the only girl in my family, with a younger brother and 4 older boy cousins, for 16 years meant that instead of tea parties and traditional Barbie activities, I was with playing sports, running around, and using Barbie dolls as throwing objects! (my baby sister was born the summer after I turned 16!) By the time I hit high school, I was short, healthy and in shape. I never felt like there was ever a problem with my weight, until my step-dad would make comments about me having a fruit snack or 2 when I got home from school. Or my mom would pipe up when I had seconds at dinner. I think the most annoying part about it all was that I wasn't an inactive teenager. I walked a half mile to and from school every day. I lived in a great neighborhood, so a lot of my after school time was spent walking around with my friends or taking my little brother to the play area in the housing development close to our place. Did I have times where I sat at the computer? Yes. Were there days where I would just hang out in my room? Yes. But I was a teenager. That's what teenagers do.
I stayed around the same weight (145lbs) all through high school. By the time I left for college, I was THRILLED!! I spent a lot of my time helping take care of things at home, and watching my siblings while my parents were out. I missed out on a lot of fun times with my friends because of it, and moving away for college was going to be my chance to start MY life. And I chose to move 3000 miles from home, from Washington state to Pennsylvania!
When I got to college, my eating habits weren't that great! Dining hall food, HUB restaurants, 2am Pizza escapades! But I was a freshman, with no car! It was a mile walk ONE WAY to just about everything I needed to get to. Dorm hall to class? A mile. Class to work? A mile and a half. Back to my dorm? Almost a mile. Do that 2-3 times a DAY, and there was no Freshman 15 for me! When I came home at Christmas break, I was actually almost 15lbs lighter than when I had left. For a short girl with big hips and a large chest - I looked great!
I only spent one year in Pennsylvania. The program I was in wasn't right for me, and because I was an out of state student from a poor family at a pricey school, I just couldn't afford it. I moved back home for the summer before heading to Central Washington for my second year of college. I moved into an apartment off campus with a girl who had a spare room. I got a job on the opposite end of the college town working for Subway. And again, I didn't have a car. It almost didn't matter what I ate, because I walked so much and so far, I burned off all the extra calories I ate. And that's when I met a boy.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
How do you start planning a wedding on a tight budget??
Since getting engaged in March, most of my free time has been in relation to the BIG DAY! The ideas are all circling my head. Something I've dreamt about forever is finally going to become a reality! What I thought would be a great time quickly turned into the worst version of 20(thousand) questions EVER! As I've posted previously, everyone wants to give their unsolicited advice. And everyone has questions for things I just can't answer yet. Whew, what a headache!
Once I got a handle on the fact that this is MY wedding, and the only people I need to make happy are me and the man I'm going to marry, I was able to move past the annoying questions and focus on what I've always wanted. But it's not that easy.
How do you plan a dream wedding on a very limited budget? The Pre-Husband and I will be paying for the wedding ourselves. And until recently, we were a 1 income household. This means that although we now have 2 incomes, we have a lot to catch up on financially before we can even begin to start paying for wedding stuff. With that in mind, in order to start our planning we had to break down the things that were most important so that we could begin somewhere.
First, I have always wanted to get married on the water, or near it. I pictured sand beaches, nice weather, lots of fun. This is the one item in my "if I had a dream wedding where money is no object" plan that I will not sacrifice for. This will mean we need to look for inexpensive venues near the water in Seattle. Do you see the problem? Seattle is a pricey city that rains more than it has sunny weather! We will have to be creative in our venue searches and find something that we can afford that meets the criteria that is the MOST important to me.
Second, we decided we wanted something small and intimate. We only want the closest of family and friends. And that meant cutting down a big large guest list to those people that truly mean the world to us. Our preliminary list was a bit overwhelming, and more than 2/3rds of it was for my side (I have lots of family!) In a perfect world, I would invite all my friends and every last cousin and family member. But I know that the more people I invite, the more room I will need, and the more food I will have to purchase. (I'm on a tight budget, remember!?)
The last thing, the date. I want an outdoor wedding. I'm a sunshine kind of girl! Hard to believe since I've lived in Washington my whole life (and still haven't run away to warmer climates - but that's a story for another time)! However, we want a date that means something to us, and also one that we don't risk the chance of rain. Financially we know that we will have to wait until 2013 to get married - but from there, where do we go?! We're still deciding (but its a toss up between March and August)!
So, how did you start your wedding planning? Did you pick a site and go from there? Did you have a large budget or a strict one? What were/are the most important things for your big day? I want to hear from you!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Once I got a handle on the fact that this is MY wedding, and the only people I need to make happy are me and the man I'm going to marry, I was able to move past the annoying questions and focus on what I've always wanted. But it's not that easy.
How do you plan a dream wedding on a very limited budget? The Pre-Husband and I will be paying for the wedding ourselves. And until recently, we were a 1 income household. This means that although we now have 2 incomes, we have a lot to catch up on financially before we can even begin to start paying for wedding stuff. With that in mind, in order to start our planning we had to break down the things that were most important so that we could begin somewhere.
First, I have always wanted to get married on the water, or near it. I pictured sand beaches, nice weather, lots of fun. This is the one item in my "if I had a dream wedding where money is no object" plan that I will not sacrifice for. This will mean we need to look for inexpensive venues near the water in Seattle. Do you see the problem? Seattle is a pricey city that rains more than it has sunny weather! We will have to be creative in our venue searches and find something that we can afford that meets the criteria that is the MOST important to me.
Second, we decided we wanted something small and intimate. We only want the closest of family and friends. And that meant cutting down a big large guest list to those people that truly mean the world to us. Our preliminary list was a bit overwhelming, and more than 2/3rds of it was for my side (I have lots of family!) In a perfect world, I would invite all my friends and every last cousin and family member. But I know that the more people I invite, the more room I will need, and the more food I will have to purchase. (I'm on a tight budget, remember!?)
The last thing, the date. I want an outdoor wedding. I'm a sunshine kind of girl! Hard to believe since I've lived in Washington my whole life (and still haven't run away to warmer climates - but that's a story for another time)! However, we want a date that means something to us, and also one that we don't risk the chance of rain. Financially we know that we will have to wait until 2013 to get married - but from there, where do we go?! We're still deciding (but its a toss up between March and August)!
So, how did you start your wedding planning? Did you pick a site and go from there? Did you have a large budget or a strict one? What were/are the most important things for your big day? I want to hear from you!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Chicken Tortellini Caesar Salad
Welcome to the first Savory Sunday post. The plan is to make these a regular Sunday extravaganza! I love to cook, and love baking even more. Each Sunday I will bring you a new recipe that I enjoy! First up is Chicken Tortellini Caesar Salad. This is a meal that I started making a few years ago and since then has been a huge hit with family and friends.
There are 2 ways you can make this recipe: completely from scratch or out of a bag. Today, I will be doing the out of the bag recipe. Its quicker and easier. It is the perfect meal when you don't want to wait forever for a meal! Let's begin!
With the pasta continuing to cool in the fridge, chop or slice up the chicken breast. Add a small amount of olive oil to a frying pan. I use a light olive oil spray, but you could use any kind of cooking oil. You only want enough to lightly coat the pan. Cook your chicken completely through, so there is no pink on the inside. If chopped, this is generally 5-7 minutes. If you like, you can season the chicken with any item you like. Once the chicken is cooked, take it off the burner and place off to the side.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the salad. Once combined, pull the tortellini out of the fridge and mix with the pasta. After fully mixed, serve up the pasta and salad mixture into bowls. Scoop your desired amount of chicken onto the mixture and Voila! Chicken Tortellini Caesar Salad! I serve mine with garlic bread or Texas toast. In the end, you have a complete meal.
Here is a slideshow of the whole process.
So there you have it. The first dish for Savory Sunday. One of my favorite meals, shared with all of you! Let me know your thoughts!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
There are 2 ways you can make this recipe: completely from scratch or out of a bag. Today, I will be doing the out of the bag recipe. Its quicker and easier. It is the perfect meal when you don't want to wait forever for a meal! Let's begin!
To create this glorious meal is easy! First, cook the tortellini based on the directions of the brand you buy. I buy the Buitoni brand, but you can buy any tortellini brand (including frozen brands). Once you finished cooking the tortellini, place in strainer and run cold water over it. After the pasta cooled down, and completely drained, place back in the pot and place in the fridge.Ingredients:1 Bag Caesar Salad mix1 Package Buitoni 3-Cheese Tortellini2 large Chicken Breasts
With the pasta continuing to cool in the fridge, chop or slice up the chicken breast. Add a small amount of olive oil to a frying pan. I use a light olive oil spray, but you could use any kind of cooking oil. You only want enough to lightly coat the pan. Cook your chicken completely through, so there is no pink on the inside. If chopped, this is generally 5-7 minutes. If you like, you can season the chicken with any item you like. Once the chicken is cooked, take it off the burner and place off to the side.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the salad. Once combined, pull the tortellini out of the fridge and mix with the pasta. After fully mixed, serve up the pasta and salad mixture into bowls. Scoop your desired amount of chicken onto the mixture and Voila! Chicken Tortellini Caesar Salad! I serve mine with garlic bread or Texas toast. In the end, you have a complete meal.
Here is a slideshow of the whole process.
So there you have it. The first dish for Savory Sunday. One of my favorite meals, shared with all of you! Let me know your thoughts!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Blog Revamp!
I told myself at the end of 2011 that I was going to begin blogging more. I have so many ideas in my head, and often times I have every intent to put them down in writing, but I always forget or time just slips away from me. Over the last couple of weeks, I've been talking with a friend about her own blog. It made me realize that I really haven't committed myself to blogging and we are already 1/3 of the way into the year!
So, I tried coming up with a new blog template. However after multiple attempts, I decided to keep the layout of my current blog with a couple of updates. To keep myself dedicated to my blog, I've come up with 3 topics that are important in my life, and thought I would share them with you all! Here is a little bit about each topic.
Savory Sunday - I love to cook. I have so much fun in my kitchen. Whether I'm making something from scratch or following a recipe, I can whip up just about anything. And I don't just cook. Baking is what I TRULY enjoy. I love baking cakes, cookies, cupcakes and cake pops! I've taken some decorating classes and make yummy desserts for my friends, family, and co-workers. With that said, every Sunday I will make something new. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or even a fancy dessert! And I will share the recipe and process with all of you!
Wedding Wednesday - Did you know i'm getting married?! WELL I AM!! Back on March 3rd, the love my life proposed! It was the sweetest thing ever. And ever since, my head has been spinning! So much to think about and plan. Rather than try and tell everyone individual about the joys and troubles in my wedding planning process, I figure I'd spill it all here. Each week will feature another adventure in Wedding Planning! And it will BE an adventure.
Fitness Friday - I could stand to lose a few pounds. Well, a few times a LOT. I spent the last few months of 2011 beginning a weight loss plan. I lost almost 30lbs. Since then, I've been at a standstill. I have recently reevaluated my weight loss goals and started using an online, free website called Bodyrock.tv to help me drop these pounds. What better way to get Wedding Ready then by knocking down these pesky pounds and fitting into a beautiful dress!? Every Friday I will talk about my adventures in fitness. That will include diet info, exercise, and my weight-loss progress.
So there you have it! An update to the blog, and consistent writing! I want to share my life, because my life is one large adventure! I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to comment if there is something else you want to see!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
So, I tried coming up with a new blog template. However after multiple attempts, I decided to keep the layout of my current blog with a couple of updates. To keep myself dedicated to my blog, I've come up with 3 topics that are important in my life, and thought I would share them with you all! Here is a little bit about each topic.
Savory Sunday - I love to cook. I have so much fun in my kitchen. Whether I'm making something from scratch or following a recipe, I can whip up just about anything. And I don't just cook. Baking is what I TRULY enjoy. I love baking cakes, cookies, cupcakes and cake pops! I've taken some decorating classes and make yummy desserts for my friends, family, and co-workers. With that said, every Sunday I will make something new. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or even a fancy dessert! And I will share the recipe and process with all of you!
Wedding Wednesday - Did you know i'm getting married?! WELL I AM!! Back on March 3rd, the love my life proposed! It was the sweetest thing ever. And ever since, my head has been spinning! So much to think about and plan. Rather than try and tell everyone individual about the joys and troubles in my wedding planning process, I figure I'd spill it all here. Each week will feature another adventure in Wedding Planning! And it will BE an adventure.
Fitness Friday - I could stand to lose a few pounds. Well, a few times a LOT. I spent the last few months of 2011 beginning a weight loss plan. I lost almost 30lbs. Since then, I've been at a standstill. I have recently reevaluated my weight loss goals and started using an online, free website called Bodyrock.tv to help me drop these pounds. What better way to get Wedding Ready then by knocking down these pesky pounds and fitting into a beautiful dress!? Every Friday I will talk about my adventures in fitness. That will include diet info, exercise, and my weight-loss progress.
So there you have it! An update to the blog, and consistent writing! I want to share my life, because my life is one large adventure! I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to comment if there is something else you want to see!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Are you ready to Bodyrock?!
So, I've decided to do the 30 day Bodyrock.tv Challenge for this month. It will be kinda tricky, since I will spend 4 days in Philly at the end of the month, but I'm still determined to be successful in doing it. I decided to take before pictures, which I'm keeping for myself right now. And I also took a full set of measurements, which I will post here. I'm hoping to see at least a little bit of improvement.
On Monday, I did the FitTest for beginners (technically should have been done tuesday - oh well!). I thought it would be rather simple, since it included rather basic exercises. The concept is to do 4 exercises, 3 times each. You do the move for 50 seconds, with 10 seconds of rest and then move right on to the next move. For a total of 12 minutes. You are suppose to track how many times you can do each exercise in the 50 seconds you are doing it. The goal is to improve your results after the 30 days.
Oh the burn! One of the exercises is Squats, and I've always been able to do a lot of squats without much pain, but somehow by doing them in this interval setting, it made my thighs burn! Here are my results from the FitTest.
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Measurements:Weight: 256.4lbsNeck: 16"Chest: 45"Bust: 51.5"Ribs: 42"Waist: 43"Belly: 54"Hips: 53"Thigh: 33"Calf: 19"
On Monday, I did the FitTest for beginners (technically should have been done tuesday - oh well!). I thought it would be rather simple, since it included rather basic exercises. The concept is to do 4 exercises, 3 times each. You do the move for 50 seconds, with 10 seconds of rest and then move right on to the next move. For a total of 12 minutes. You are suppose to track how many times you can do each exercise in the 50 seconds you are doing it. The goal is to improve your results after the 30 days.
Oh the burn! One of the exercises is Squats, and I've always been able to do a lot of squats without much pain, but somehow by doing them in this interval setting, it made my thighs burn! Here are my results from the FitTest.
So, some pretty weak scores, but I'm hoping to vastly improve those over the next month! If you want to know more about the challenge, check out Bodyrock.tv. Its a free site with a lot of great exercise and eating tips. Look forward to updating you all as I go along! Maybe some of you could join me!Squats: 19 - 17 - 20Push-ups (Box): 8 - 7 - 6Tricep Dips: 4 - 5 - 3Crunches: 10 - 10 - 10
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
30 Day Fitspo Challenge - Day 30
10 facts about you! And now, what are your stats?
1. I have wanted to be an architect since I was 12 years old.
2. I was once almost arrested in Washington DC, in the midst of a war protest in 2002, however the cop realized I was just a crying college tourist who was lost in the crowd, and apologized profusely!!
3. I hate being alone at night, it’s one of my biggest fears.
4. I thoroughly enjoy laying in the dark, with a lava lamp, and listening to the doors, jimi hendrix, led zepplin, and music like it. No, i don’t do drugs, but it’s very relaxing!!
5. I signed up for a 5K on May 13th THIS year - YIKES!
6. I desperately want a record player!
7. I’m afraid that I’m never going to be good enough for anyone - including myself.
8. after taking Hot Yoga at the end of last year, I really miss it and want to take a more regular class.
9. I wish I could live closer to my family. I miss talking with my lil brother at night and playing with my lil sister.
10. I absolutely love to cook, but feel like i never have the time to do any cooking!
28 yrs old (I had a birthday since the first post!)
5'4"
256.4lbs
Measurements done yesterday.
waist: 43in
hips: 53in
bust: 51.5in
thigh: 32in
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
1. I have wanted to be an architect since I was 12 years old.
2. I was once almost arrested in Washington DC, in the midst of a war protest in 2002, however the cop realized I was just a crying college tourist who was lost in the crowd, and apologized profusely!!
3. I hate being alone at night, it’s one of my biggest fears.
4. I thoroughly enjoy laying in the dark, with a lava lamp, and listening to the doors, jimi hendrix, led zepplin, and music like it. No, i don’t do drugs, but it’s very relaxing!!
5. I signed up for a 5K on May 13th THIS year - YIKES!
6. I desperately want a record player!
7. I’m afraid that I’m never going to be good enough for anyone - including myself.
8. after taking Hot Yoga at the end of last year, I really miss it and want to take a more regular class.
9. I wish I could live closer to my family. I miss talking with my lil brother at night and playing with my lil sister.
10. I absolutely love to cook, but feel like i never have the time to do any cooking!
Stats:
28 yrs old (I had a birthday since the first post!)
5'4"
256.4lbs
Measurements done yesterday.
waist: 43in
hips: 53in
bust: 51.5in
thigh: 32in
Complete honesty, due to my engagement, my birthday, and a week long vacation in Vegas - I didn't exercise as much as I should have. because of this, virtually none of my stats changed at all. but today, I started the 30 Day Bodyrock.tv challenge. those numbers WILL change in 30 days!
Peace and Good JuJu,
Holly
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