{Amy & Grant}

New Year = BIG changes!

2012-02-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

A few things that I find a little shocking...

1) We are already over a MONTH into the New Year...

(where has the time gone?!)

2) I can't believe how much life has changed

with just ONE year.

and......

3) Our lives are about to change in a BIG way

because we're having a

BABY!!

Yep... there's a little bun-in-the-Cropper-oven!

Here's how the news came about...

It was about a week before Christmas and I was a few days "late"

I was running errands at the store and I thought,

"why don't I pick up a pregnancy test just in case..."

So there I was at home alone & peeing on that little tiny stick...

When low & behold the word "PREGNANT" pops up!

I went into shock... Pretty sure I screamed and then started pacing

back & forth having a mini freak out session saying,

"OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY FREAKIN' GOSH!!"

Since Christmas was just ONE week away and KNOWING how my husband

is a huge sucker for surprises I decided to wait until Christmas morning to

spill the beans...

(talk about the looooongest week ever!!)

Here's how it all went down:

(quick side note: I kept teasing Grant that I was going to buy him and ipad for Christmas... if you know Grant he is VERY practical & loves saving money. He kept telling me that "we already have a laptop & don't need to spend the money on an ipad"- this ipad debate went on for a good month... therefore I thought it would be PERFECT to wrap "the big news" up in an empty ipad box to throw him off)

This is what he opened Christmas morning:

And yes... you better believe I got it on video!

So there you go!

Little baby Cropper has an official due date of

**August 20th, 2012**

The {long overdue} J-O-B Update.

2011-08-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well well well... guess who's back?

Yep, I decided to crawl out of my study hole and say hello.

I've totally left everyone high and dry, I know.

Let me just tell you, these last 2 months have definitely been

a little on the crazy side...

For starters, my new job is going great- I LOVE it!

We are in week 6 right now of training and I'm only half way there!

I've had 3 tests so far and only have 11 more tests to go...

My brain hurts just thinking about it.

It is SO much information!

Pretty much all I do is study these days.

Here is my trusty little study partner Stella...

Since I'm still in training, I haven't taken any emergency calls just yet

but I have come across some things I thought I'd share...

Ohhh cops & their doughnuts...

Isn't that SO cute?

In between all the studying, I've still been able to try out a few cooking recipes...

And I even popped my Crock Pot cherry!

Yep- I got to use my crock pot for the VERY first time.

I don't know why I haven't jumped on this Crock Pot train before...

I mean, I have been seriously missing out!

So here's the first Cropper Crock Pot success:

Skinny Santa Fe Chicken

Yep... mouth watering....

It's from my favorite SkinnyTaste.com recipe site.

Here's the super delish recipe that your taste buds will be thanking me for.

Amist all the studying business...

I also dragged my best friends into waking up at 4am

to do a Police & Fireman 10K with me last month!

(gotta represent right??)

I {heart} these girls!

Well it's back to studying I go... I'll {hopefully} get to update again soon!

Life Change {Status}

2011-07-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

So I'm about to make a total life change here...

And to be frank, the word change completely scares me.

In the next month I'll be starting an actual career!

(whoaaaa... like official grown up status)

I'm soo blessed, fortunate, & excited to have this opportunity because out of 800 people that tested I am one of the 10 people that were selected to begin training in an academy to be...

a 9-1-1 Dispatcher for the Police Department!

{sorry- I had to toot my own horn for a minute there but I almost feel entitled to because this job took me about 2 years to get while I had to pass 6 intensive tests! So here I go... toot toot!}

Let's just hope I can turn this dream job of mine into reality. See, I say dream job but how do I even know since I've never tried it? I've always wanted to do this since I was a little girl... Remember that show Rescue 911? I watched it religiously. Like gluuuued to the T.V. whenever it came on. I.was.obsessed. But just for arguments sake, I also wanted to be a cowgirl too- I used to practice roping fake bull horns in my front yard!

So what exactly constitutes a "dream job"?

Is it the fact that I want this soooo badly that I can almost taste it?
Is it the fact that when I've done a sit-along with a current dispatcher and I walk into the call center I get full body chills?
Is it the fact that I've dreamed about this job since I can remember??

And then when I tell people about this new job the majority of people say

"Oh I could never do that job"

But why?

To be honest, I've actually never thought twice about not doing this job... so when I hear people say things like that I start to think "Crap! What exactly am I getting myself into??" and "What makes me think I can do this job?" I know I've always wanted to but can I actually do it?? Then I start into this whole mindset thing where I'm second guessing myself... which then leads to thinking of all sorts of insecurities. It just turns into a crazy mumbojumbo cluster F.

The main reason for this crazzzziness is because I'm trying something completely foreign... Putting myself out there in the real world... setting myself up for something I could possibly fail at and to be honest, failure is scary.

You just never know what you can do if you don't try though.

And just for the record I'm not just going to *try*- I'm going to put my whole heart and soul into this... like I'm talkin' everything I've got. So then if I don't succeed, I'll have no regrets knowing that I gave it my all.

So here's to a little bit of celebration (happy dance status!) plus explanation of what's going to be happening in my life for the next year and a half while I'm in training. There might be less frequest blog posts but I'll make sure to update on the really interesting calls that I hear.

I might even have a few like this one:

Wish me luck!

San Francisco Mini Date

2011-06-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

Remember this post about how I kidnapped my husband

and took him to San Francisco for the weekend??

Well I decided to do a little walk down memory lane with
a mini San Francisco recap date.

Since San Fran has one of the biggest China Town's
in the country I decided to take him to one of the biggest
Chinese Food Chains for dinner... PF Chang's China Bistro. yumm!

This was our dessert... Banana Spring Rolls.

Talk about delishhhh.
I'm pretty sure they serve it with Coconut Ice Cream too.

Since I strategically planned for us to eat at the PF Chang's in this outdoor shopping mall
called "The District", we were within walking distance for our next adventure.

After dinner we walked across the street to this little sign:

They offer *free* Trolley rides around the District Shopping Mall!

Pretty perfect for San Fran huh??

Waiting at the Trolley Stop.

The Trolley we got to ride on.

A little peak to the inside of the Trolley- they had the cutest little

two seater benches. So romantic right?

Just a fun little date idea!

xoxo

My Husband.

2011-06-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

I needed to give a little shout out to my main squeeze, Grant.

I'm always blogging about me & the things I'm doing, so I figured
I would feature a little highlight on him so you can get to know my other half.
{after all, this blog is called amy&grant}

So here's a little about my husband...

He LOVES to fly.

He'll find any excuse for not keeping his feet on the ground.

{his first paramotor experience}

{his first flight lesson}

He LOVES surprises.

{to see what that surprise was see here}

He LOVES surprising me.

{to see more of that surprise see here}

He LOVES his little brother.

...who's 15 years old & officially taller than him.

He LOVES the little things.

{to that little surprise see here}

He LOVES getting dressed up

He LOVES our little kitties.

He LOVES hunting with the boys.

He LOVES playing the piano.

He's got this God-given talent & can play by ear.

{he even played the piano & sang for me at our wedding}

He LOVES fast cars.

And last but certainly not least....
He's my best friend.

Grant-

Thank you...

For never letting me take myself too seriously... For being my biggest fan everrr... For always being at all my races to cheer me on while taking tons of videos... For letting me be a brat {sometimes}... For being my little guinea pig & trying all the new recipes I make... For letting me take the "good pillow" at night... For the sweet dance moves you bust out randomly that make me laugh... For teaching me the value of relationships... For letting me see the world through your eyes. What a beautiful world that is too. I can't wait to continue our life adventure together. It's definitely not going to be easy but I know without a doubt it'll be so worth it.

Thank you for being you. I love you.

WINNER WINNER

2011-06-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

And the WINNER of the

4th of July Patriotic Wreath

Chelsea at THREE BIRDS

Comment #3 selected by Random.org

CONGRATS!

My little kitty Rexy is soo excited for you... see?

Well actually she was so excited that she passed out from all the fun.

Such a party animal!

Cupcake Secrets & a Patriotic Giveaway!

2011-06-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Sparklers, BBQs, warm fresh air.... just a few reasons why I love the 4th of July.

And of course I love any excuse to whip up some festive cupcakes too!

Last year we were invited to a neighborhood BBQ to which I immediately
volunteered to bring some of my little creations.
This is what I came up with:

Windmill Cupcakes

Red, White & Blue Flag Cupcakes

They were a hit!

This year I plan to make these for any BBQs we're invited to...

Corny Cupcakes

Now aren't these just the cutest thing you've ever seen?!
They're little cupcakes that look like corn on the cob & it even uses
a starburst as the "butter"
I.could.die.

I'll let you in on a few of my little "cupcake secrets" ...

1- My recipe usually calls for 3 large eggs.
To make it a little healthier I substitute the 3 eggs for 4 egg whites.

2- When baking (not cooking) and the recipe calls for vegetable oil,
you can swap the vegetable oil for regular apple sauce 1:1
Example: 1/3 cup vegetable oil is 1/3 cup apple sauce.
This makes a lot less calories and they turn out more moist too!

But shhhh... it's our little secret {wink}

Feel free to start throwing out those invites this way... you know you want
some of those cute corny cupcakes! Kidding. But that'd be cool.

Annnnnd because I'm feeling especially patriotic{and the fact that I made an extra one for fun}
I've decided I'm going to spread the love and do a little giveaway!

Remember that Patriotic Wreath I made last month? You know, like this one...

Well I'm giving it away my friends!
Wouldn't this look fabulous in your kitchen, entry way or front door??

Here's how my {first} little giveaway is going to go:
{leave a separate comment for each item you complete}

1. Follow my blog {amy&grant} and leave a comment saying so.
{check to see if you already follow me so that it counts too}

2. Leave a separate comment of what you love about the 4th of July.

GIVEAWAY closes on June 26th at midnight
WINNER will be announced June 27th, 2011

XOXO

Triatha-Fun Event

2011-06-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

Soo I'm proud to say that Grant did his first triathlon this past Saturday!!

I signed us both up for this Triatha-Fun event hosted by this local tri company the Friday before.

The distances were: 400 meter swim - 13 mile bike - 2.5 mile run

It's a great little starter race where you can work on transition times and just overall fitness.

Minus the 4 times he hurled during the run + the nausea after the race...

My little home skillet didn't really train for it & still survived!

(for the record, 94 degrees is a little too hot for running)

Overall though, he loved it & can't wait for the next one!

Just a few pictures of the event...

Our transition set-up before the race.

Me & the hub before the start.

My cute little friend Dilyana/newbie triathlete decided to join in the Tri-Fun

for her first event too!

Love this girl. She's such a go-getter!

A last minute picture before we wet-suited it up!

The best part about the race was being able see people that are completely new to triathlons take on the challenge and end up absolutely loving the sport. I'm tellin' ya, it's that feeling of achievement that I talked about in this post that is SO rewarding. It's knowing you tried something new & accomplished a challenging goal that makes it all worth it!

An extra bonus for me was being able to catch up to Grant at the very end of the race

and cross the finishline together.

You can do it too- set a goal & make it happen!

**Great place to look up races/events is Active.com and just do a general search {wink}

i {heart} breakfast.

2011-06-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

Actually I just *heart* food in general
...but breakfast is most definitely my favorite meal of the day.

I even love breakfast food when it's not early morning.

How fun is it to make waffles for dinner? Or eat cereal at midnight?

Not saying that those are the best meal choices but it's fun.

Maybe I'm the only one that gets that excited about breakfast...

and then to add to it, I have a soft spot for all things mini.

(hence the love for cupcakes, smart cars, and my little kitties)

So it's no surprise that when I saw these mini breakfast delights

on my favorite SkinnyTaste.com site, they were calling my name.

Hash Brown & Egg Whites

And what's even better is that you can have little leftovers saved for breakfast the next few days!
Now who doesn't love knowing you've got one less thing to do in the morning??

You can find the recipe --> Here

So I'm pretty proud of myself.
Last night I successfully made homemade Chicken Enchiladas from scratch (!!!)
What makes it even better is that they were the skinny version AND Grant loved them!
Double whammy status: cha-ching!
He even said it was one of his Top 2 favorite dinners that I've made!
(extra wife points!)

I picked up a few tips from Gina at SkinnyTaste.com
She suggested that if you're cooking a recipe that only calls
for a few ingredients, use high quality ingredients
to bring out the best taste.

So with that bit of advice I bought Kosher Salt.
That stuff is great for cooking! It has a lot of flavor.
I used it in this recipe & it was fab. Highly suggest!

Skinny Chicken Enchiladas

If you're thinking/craving/loving Mexican food, this dinner is.a.must.

It has a ton of flavor & let me reassure you,

if I can make it anyone can make it.

**Tip: Always remember that you can modify recipes to fit you're taste too.

For example- this recipe called for garlic, cilantro, & oregano.

Since these are not highly favorable in the Cropper home,

I left them out and it still tasted SO yum.

Here's the recipe --> Enchilada Yumminess

PS- Great idea for a Fathers Day dinner too!

Guarentee it'll impress!

Enjoy!

My Life List

2011-06-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

So I wrote a list.

It's a listy list of 100 things I want to do in my life... so far.

I saw this idea on one of my favorite blogs recently

& being that I love lists anyways, thought it would be neat to do.
No matter how silly, small, or random they might be,
this is a list of things I want to do, accomplish, or achieve in my life.

It's a little bit like a bucket list but less morbid.

And ya know what?

While making my life list I've even learned a few things about myself.

Kind of fun. Here we go:

1. Be a momma
2. Run through Central Park
3. Be able to do a flip on a trampoline... again
4. Sew my own apron {a cute one}
5. Speak Spanish fluently
6. Learn not to say yes when I really mean no
7. Build a piece of furniture
8. Run a marathon {Preferably this one... thank you Kelli!}
9. Overcome my phobia of needles
10. Serve a church mission with my husband
11. Attend a blog conference
12. Hike the Narrows at Zion National Park in Utah
13. Take cooking classes
14. Ride in a sailboat on the ocean
15. Become a personal fitness trainer
16. Teach my future children to be confident and kind
17. Grow strawberries and tomato's in my own garden
18. Stay in a castle
19. Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey {by myself}
20. Learn to change oil AND a flat tire on my car
21. Attend General Conference in Salt Lake City
22. Raft through the Grand Canyon
23. Learn how to surf
24. Own a pink pistol
25. Become a Registered Dietitian
26. Start an Esty shop
27. Ride on a gondala {in Paris}
28. Snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef
29. Win a contest
30. Do a Century Bike Ride
31. Cook everything from my favorite healthy-food website
32. Stay in an exotic hut over the water in Fiji
33. Anonymously pay for someones groceries
34. Read the entire series of a book {Hunger Games maybe?}
35. Go on a Disney Cruise
36. Teach a child how to ride a bike
37. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon
38. Be a spokesperson for Crystal Light Wild Strawberry Energy
39. See a fashion show in New York City
40. Have lunch with Fitness Model/Writer Jamie Eason {who I follow on facebook. shes.so.fab}
41. Go skydiving
42. Send everyone in my family a homemade birthday card with cupcakes for their birthday
43. Travel to all 50 states
44. Be a volunteer in the NICU at a hospital
45. Acquire some "Moon Shoes" like the ones I had as a child {remember those??}
46. Go whale watching in a kayak
47. Take a photography class
48. Bake my Grandma Jenkins's famous southern biscuits (from scratch) successfully
49. Meet Bakerella
50. Read the Book of Mormon in 24 hours
51. Attend the Tomatina in Spain (food fight)
52. Spend an entire summer at our cabin in Utah fishing, BBQing, and star gazing
53. Go paddle boarding
54. Spend a whole day cuddling in bed with the hubs
55. Plan and coordinate themed parties with festive favors and fancy foods like this amazing blog
56. Cover my whole bathroom mirror with my favorite inspirational quotes
57. Have a star named after me
58. Be on the cover of a fitness magazine
59. Can my own jam
60. ~~Finish a Triathlon~~
61. Ride a horse while it's running
62. Go Paragliding
63. Work for the Make-a-Wish Foundation
64. Be a Disney Princess
65. Attend the Olympics
66. Color coordinate my whole closet like a rainbow
67. Work for a Police Department
68. ~~Graduate from college~~
69. Have a camp out complete with a tent & smores in my backyard
70. Get paid to do what I love
71. Bake cinnamon rolls that rival those of Grandma Thrift
72. Hike an active volcano in Hawaii
73. Decorate and furnish my bedroom
74. Walk the Great Wall of China
75. Scuba dive to the remains of a sunken ship
76. Run a marathon
77. Fly an airplane
78. Learn to tap dance
79. Get a massage once a month for a year
80. Acquire 50 stamps on my passport
81. Get up-to-date on a Cropper Family scrapbook of our life adventure
82. Have a foster home for kitties
83. Cross a glacier on foot
84. Get a Masters Degree
85. Compete in a figure competition
86. Go backstage at a concert
87. Take a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower
88. Be someones mentor
89. For 365 days, write down something different I am thankful for
90. Leave a tip for $1,000 to a very deserving waitress
91. Go back packing through New Zealand
92. Master an entree from every different cuisine
93. Dive with a whale shark
94. Have a 2 year supply of food storage
95. Visit Machu Picchu
96. Travel on a Train
97. Ride a bike across the Golden Gate Bridge
98. Eat Alaskan Crab in Alaska
99. Have naturally thick hair
100. Tell someone my life story, sparing no details

These really are things I want to do too.
They're are my wishes, hopes, dreams, & aspirations.
It took me a couple of weeks to compile it all and I really put some thought into it. It just means more to physically write it down, commit it to memory and actually make it a goal to accomplish.

100 things really allows you the chance to dream big.

Highly suggest doing this... like you should probably do it right now.

What are some things on your life list?

Getting "the itch" again...

2011-06-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

So it's been over a month since my Iron Girl Triathlon and

I'm starting to get the itch again...

You know the itch, right?

The one where you feel the urge to tap into your competitive edge... the one where you want to do a workout that leaves you sucking wind then on a euphoric high... the one where you get super pumped to wake up at 4am during the summer to do your long run... no wait, scratch that last one.

That kinda sucks. No pain no gain though, right?

I think the only cure for this "itch" will have to be signing up for another race.

Honestly though, I've sort of found myself becoming a challenge addict,

I need something to ~~keep~~ get my motivation rolling,

and I thrive on that accomplishment feeling that I talked about in this previous post.

PLUS, I don't know about you but my life can be chaos central

sometimes and I need something to keep me sane.

**Just for the record I did NOT start out like this. In fact I was the girl that would go to the gym & be more concerned with how her hair looked in the mirrors lining the gym wall than actually working up any sort of perspiration. I would walk around the gym aimlessly and meander over to a treadmill where I'd run at a zero incline, 12 min pace, and if I could squeeze out 20 minutes I'd be happy. Then I'd do a few crunches and call it a day.

Truth is, I didn't know where to start or what to do?

That all started to change when I did my first 5K race
I was SO intimidated by the distance and I couldn't sleep the night before.
I got super anxious for the event that I didn't even get a chance to take the whole experience in.
The last mile was the hardest but then I crossed that finishline!

That's all it takes... one race... one time!

Lately I've had a few people mention how they want to do a race

and have asked about different events...

I get so excited for these people because I feel like
they're about to embark on some life changing experiences.

Well, my friends the time is now!
I am personally inviting you to join me...

Anyone who wants to step up to a challenge & accomplish a new goal!

Whether it be a new race distance, a new PR time, or just crossing the finishline,

The invite is extended for the Police & Fire Department 10K, 5K, or 1 mile walk

on Saturday, August 6th in Las Vegas... Even better that it's for a good cause!
Think about it! It's 2 months away and it could be your perfect
motivation for summer fitness.

And don't just say you'll sign up later either...

that gives you an excuse to slack off and not follow through.

You can even follow a training schedule to help

take some of the intimidation factor off and keep you focused.

Here's a few training schedules that I have found helpful:

*Just guidelines. Tweak to fit your schedule/life*

My favorite 5K training schedule is HERE

My favorite 10K training schedule can be found HERE

Annnd here is the website to sign up....

9th Annual Police & Fire Department 10K, 5K, & 1 mile walk

See look at that! I've almost done all the work for ya... now all you have to do is run!

If you're interested here's a few neat

fitness & nutrition articles I've come across recently...

Gateway Workouts to get to your Goal

Ab Exercises for Runners

Beginners Guide to Running Weight Loss

Now let's get running!!

Wood Block Display {Tutorial}

2011-06-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

I could spend dayssss blog hopping around on all the

fabulous crafty blog sites. I definitely have an endless list of things

that I want to create. I came across this idea about a year ago

and finally got around to trying it out.

Remember how I said I'd share the little crafty tutorial?

Well, here ya go!

2x4 Wood Block Display

Supplies:

-2x4 Piece of wood

*You can get at a hardware store & even have them cut it for you

-Sand paper

-Scrapbooking Paper

-Vinyl Lettering or dye cut letters

-Mod Podge

-Paint brush

-Ribbon

I used my Cricut cutter for the flowers and leaves.

I wanted it to resemble flowers in a garden for springtime

so I chose green for the grass and pink flowers.

You can choose any combination depending on the season/occasion.

I know there are different types of Mod Podge... Matte, Gloss, etc.

but since I'm pretty new to Mod Podge I just picked up whatever I found at

our local craft store.

Here's an easy little video tutorial on

"How-to Mod Podge"

I used Oreo Pops for this (tutorial of Oreo yumminess found here)

but you could use cake pops, brownie pops, or even fake daisies to fill the block.

Possibilities are endless.

Then put the pops in the block and there you go... You're done!

Enjoy!

For your salivating pleasure...

2011-06-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

Ever have those days where you feel super productive??

I totally had one of those yesterday.

Got caught up on everything at work (and then some),

Swept, swiffered, and vacuumed all the floors,

Organized some clothes to give away,

Got a 4 mile run in + some P90x,

and then made dinner PLUS dessert.

Grant got home and said...

"Wow you're like Martha Stewart right now!"

Obviously this behavior was out of the "norm" for me.

I'm crediting it to the 3-day weekend we just had...

and in my book, we should have them more often.

It just keeps you feeling refreshed, ya know?

I made this yummy dessert last night from SkinnyTaste.com

Lemon Cheesecake Yogurt Cups

So so good and only 108 calories each... realllly?? love.

I added blackberries but you could add crushed pineapple, raspberries,

strawberry slices... the possibilities are just about endless.

She even suggests baking the fruit in the cheesecake!

Here's the recipe

The next little recipe of deliciousness on my "to-cook" list is...

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

Doesn't it look scrumptious?

Here's the recipe if you're interested too!

Soo just because we're on the topic of food here's some great

little healthy food articles I've read lately:

Foods Healthy Eaters Can't Live Without

5 Nutrition Tips for New Athletes

6 Strategies to Eat Better

Love reading articles like these. It keeps me motivated to eat healthy

and since 70% of your success is nutrition... enough said.

Hope you all had a fabulous Memorial Weekend!

Oreo Pops {Tutorial}

2011-05-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

I love to make cake pops and I'm a little obsessed with them

ever since I got the "Cake Pops" book by Bakerella.

My only problem is that they take forever to make.

It ends up being quite the process even while

I usually end up splitting up the project into 2 days by baking a cake one day

and then putting together the cake pops the next...

but then there goes 2 of my evenings!

While I wish I could spend all my time crafting & baking,

that's just not likely to happen with the so-called life thing going on.

So to help save on my time (which I never quite have enough of),

lately oreo pops have been my "go-to"

because they're fun and their super easy to make!

They're a perfect touch for gift giving too.

Here's a few I made as part of a little gift!

Here's a little how-to if you want to join in on the fun.

*My favorite chocolate to use is the Wilton's Candy Melts Chocolate found at a craft store.

It's very easy to use and comes in a variety of colors.

Eat & enjoy!

*I made a few of these block holders with the oreo pops as gifts for family & friends.

It's definitely getting close to summer now but with a little creativity

the block can be made for a birthday/any holiday!

(look for a little crafty tutorial soon)

Mafia Date Night

2011-05-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

My husband totally surprised me one night after work and

took me on a *much needed* date night.

Lately I feel like we've been two married people
who have gotten SO caught up with our own personal lives
-running errands, working out, playing on sports leagues-
that we went from thinking "What should we do tonight?"

to automatically thinking "What am I doing tonight?"
...and we don't even have KIDS yet!

So we have no excuse for a weekly date night

and sadly enough that has been neglected lately.

(One of my *new years goals* I should definitely focus
a little more on because hey, marriage is work!)

It just so happened that my husband planned
a random surprise date this week for us.

We went to one of my favorite places to eat.... BJ's Restaurant!

They have THE best pizza ever which we practically inhaled.
They never disappoint.

The real reason why BJ's Restaurant is the *key to my heart*
is because of their Pizookie's! If you don't know what a Pizookie is...
it's a freshly baked, hot out of the oven, rich and delicious cookie topped
with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and served in its own deep dish.
Yes, it's absolutely HEAVENLY & will change your life.

This particular night we got the "Pizookie Trio"
which comes with 3 mini Pizookie's so you can try a variety.
We went with: Oreo.... Red velvet.... Chocolate Chip

Three words: TO.DIE.FOR.

After dinner he took me to one of the first hotels built in Vegas...

The Flamingo to see the "Mob Experience"

It's a recently new thing they opened up here in Vegas

and it was actually really cool.

They give you badges with "Mob Names" and send you on your first Mob mission.

You learn about how the Mafia was actually responsible for starting the idea of "Vegas"

and they were making LOADS of money under the table from owning the Casinos.

They have interactive Mob actors as you walk through alley ways and secret doors.

They even show a movie about the Mob too!

{Total BAD "A" faces because we stuck up a bank}

So fun & definitely worth checking out!

Kind of like I found Jesus...

2011-05-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Ever since my sprint triathlon ended I am CONVINCED

everyone has to do one. How lame does that sound, right?

"ohh-em-gee everyone like has to do this because it's just like soo cool"

No no... it's much more than that, I can assure you.

Last week I took an indoor bike class from the lady Jackie,
the founder of Xcell.com, who teaches triathlete swim classes
& trains various levels of triathletes.

#1- Hardest 1 hour & 15 min class I've taken. Ever.

But the good kind of hard... like the hard that kicks your trash, pushes your limit,

and makes you feel a little barfy but when it's all over you think "I soo rocked that!"

And then you are full of this amazing sense of accomplishment & rush of endorphins

which puts you in one fantastic mood.

And that's just ONE class... in one aspect.

I was talking to Jackie before the class started and she asked me...

"So how did you like the triathlon?"

To which I answered...

"Oh I loved it. I'm completely addicted &
I'm convinced everyone has to do one!"

She totally laughed at me...

Being that she's done over 100, yes that is ONE HUNDRED,

triathlons in her day, she could totally relate.

She told me... "It's kind of like you found Jesus, huh?"

Completely.

So here's me going all triathlon "preachy" on you...

You HAVE to do a triathlon sometime in your life!
Absolutely anyone can totally do it too.

Fitness is definitely something I'm super passionate about

and the best way to get & keep motivated is to try something new,

*sign up for a race* & train with people who have similar goals!

#1- You'll feel excited that you've learned something new.
Why not expand your knowledge?? It just makes you more valuable.

#2- You'll feel accomplished for sticking to your goals.
This one always catches up to me come race day... during the race
it hits me that I'm actually doing it. I get a little teary eyed, filled with emotion,
& a huge sense of accomplishment.

#3- You'll grow so much as a person because you were out of your comfort zone.
At some point you feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and nervous because
you're trying something new... which will be challenging at times but
after it's all said and done you look back and see just how far you've come.

#4- You'll most likely meet some amazing new friends.
Not that you have to get rid of the old ones but you'll meet people
who have been there done that, that will encourage you and give you great tips.

#5- You'll be healthy... and healthy = happy!
Enough said.

Who doesn't want to be happy??

I found this fantastic article on Fitbie.com

called "Yes, You Can Be a Triathlete"
Check it out. Good stuff.

Soo what better than to start this Friday, May 20, 2011...
because according to Active.com it is officially

*Bike to Work Day*

You can find some great tips here and here
but even if you work from home why not get out
and just ride a bike that day anyway?
You really can battle any excuse you have
and find a way to make it happen!

A great little quote I saw by the Tea Cups in Disney World this year...

Isn't that great?

Now get out there & make it happen!

Patriotic Wreath {Tutorial}

2011-05-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

So remember that Christmas Wreath on my crafty "to-do" list?

Well I made it & remodeled it into a little

Fourth of July *Patriotic* Wreath

It's never too early to be Patriotic right?
The best part was that it was one of the easiest crafts to make!

Here's a tutorial so you can get into the Patriotic spirit early as well...

I bought a 12" foam wreath, some festive scrapbook paper,

and red, white, and blue buttons from Hobby Lobby.

The wreath was a little thicker than what I wanted

so I ended up cutting it in half

I used my cricut cutter to cut 3 1/2 inch white stars out

to cover the foam wreath & then hot glued them in place

I trimmed off the excess foam that was still showing

Then using some patriotic paper I cut twelve 4 inch stars.

You can make smaller stars depending

on the size of your wreath

After scoring each of the 5 points, crease the stars on each line then fold the inner points the opposite way so your star forms a 3-D shape

{Aren't they cute?}

Hot glue stars down while over lapping

then add buttons & embellishments

Final step is to add ribbon for hanging

I tied a bow with one ribbon, a loop knot with the other,

hot glued them together & then glued

them to the back of the wreath

And viola! You're done!

Then you sit back and admire your work.

Enjoy!

{Craft} To-Do List + Cinco De Mayo.

2011-05-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

Now that I've got some free time on my hands I want to shift my focus a little.

I've got some big plans up my sleeve for some home make-over projects
with a little bit of craft making too- I can hardly wait!

Here's a few crafty things I've got my eyes on...

Shabby Flower Pillow

I swear I've been seeing cute pillows everywhere but I'm waiting until we decide on some paint colors... yes, full on home makeover status. Until then I'm anxiously excited to put some sewing skills to the test and make this.
Here's the tutorial ------> Shabby Flower Pillow

Star Wreath

So this is actually a Christmas Wreath but how cute would it be modified into a Patriotic Wreath for the 4th of July? Super easy exchange to Red, White & Blue paper.

Love. Here's the How-To

It's definitely no surprise that I fell in love with these

Cupcake Gift Boxes

Reeeally? Genius.

Here's the complete how-to

Oh and how flippin delish does this look??

And just in time for Cinco de Mayo I might add...

Thank you SkinnyTaste.com, again!

Grilled Steak Fajitas

The recipe to deliciousness

Horchata Skinny Version

I don't know about you but I LOVE horchata!

I'm totally stoked to make it- Yum yum yum

Here's the recipe

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Iron Girl Triathlon

2011-05-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

It's official...

I totally survived my first Iron Girl Triathlon!

Can I just start out by saying that it won't be my last either!

I'm officially addicted and I can't wait to do another.

The distance for this Sprint Triathlon was:

800 meter swim - 14 mile bike - 3.1 mile run

Since it was an Iron Girl it was exclusive only to women.

The participants all had to wear hot pink Iron Girl swim caps
so it looked like this huge sea of pink!

This was before the race started...

(allllllll natural baby)

**Note girl on right side of picture without a wetsuit.

The temperature that morning started out in the low 50's

with the water temp in the low 60's and PLUS it was windy...

Not quite sure if she survived the swim!

My best friends woke up suuuuuper early to come cheer me on for the race.

When I saw two heads bobbing up and down running through a crowd coming my way, one redhead and one blond, I instantly knew they were there to cheer me on. I started to get a little teary eyed even before they ran up and then I saw this cute little sign Jess hand made for me. They've always been super supportive. It's definitely no wonder why we've been friends for 12+ years.

I love these girls!

Getting pumped before the start!

Here's the very start of the swim...

My T1 time (transition from the swim to the bike) was sooooo long.

It was about a quarter of a mile run from the end of the swim to where the bikes were

but still, longest transition time ever.

Grant is AWESOME at catching pictures and videos with his trusty little iphone.

Since he documents everything, he caught up to me on my T1 to take some footage...

The start of my bike...

And this is the video of my finish...

Here's me & my friend Diane with our swim coach Jackie Arcana.

This lady is off the chart. She won the *Full* Silverman triathlon in 2007 and 2009.
**Full meaning- 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run ( a.k.a. full marathon)!
Now she owns XcellPerformanceGroup.com and she trains triathletes of all levels.

It's definitely been a journey training for my first triathlon and I'm so excited to check off one of my *New Years Goals* from back in January. I definitely owe a big thank you to my awesome friends and family- you guys were truly my inspiration when I needed it most! You guys rock!

Now I can officially say I am an
Iron Girl!

wind out of my sails.

2011-04-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

In the past 2 weeks I will have seen 3 different doctors, had a chest x-ray, an abdominal ultrasound, my blood work done, my back adjusted, a lung capacity test done, and a year supply of prescription inhalers written for me.

Hi, my name is Amy and I'm sort of falling apart.

Then to top it off the week of this long anticipated Iron Girl that I've been training 4 months for, I totally get sick, can't eat anything and sleeeeep my life away for a few days... while I should be swimming, going for a few bike rides & some runs, eating super healthy status while drinking lots of water.

None of which happened because of the sick sleeping factor.

I know all too well that what happens the week of a race will totally have an affect on the actual day... which makes me feel like the wind has been sucked out of my sails, so-to-speak.

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."

-Theodore Roosevelt

So that's all I can do at this point... *TRY*

And the good thing is, since it's my first official triathlon ever,

there are no expectations except to finish, right?

In the midst of this craziness I'm fighting to stay focused

so I visited good'ol REI sporting goods store for some last minute race goods

and to top it all off I had $15 worth of free REI money to use! Cha-ching!

hey- free money is free money baby!

Here's a few things I got:

My goodies included (from left to right) my favorite little sport electrolyte

jelly beans, a new water bottle, silicone ear plugs, and

a mini bag that velcros to the middle bar on my bike.

Is it weird that the little things totally get me excited??

Now wish me luck, pray for me,

& rub your lucky rabbits foot for all I know...

I'll be needing all the help I can get for this race!

Open Water Swim (Take 2) + Easter Goodies.

2011-04-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have officially 4 DAYS until my Iron Girl Triathlon!

Can you believe that??

It feels like yesterday when I was making my new years resolutions,

signed up for the Iron Girl & officially started training!

With the race so close I wanted to do another open water swim

being that I had a minor freak out session (see this post)

the first time I swam open water...

So I signed up for a Wetsuit Clinic/Open Water Swim

hosted by a local triathlon group called

Xcell Performance Group

(They have some great training events and workshops for all levels of triathletes)

Here's a few things I've learned...

1. Swimming in a "triathlon wetsuit" is a must

My first swim was SO last minute that I rented a quick wetsuit from Sports Chalet and my only option was a scuba wetsuit. It felt like I was fighting the wetsuit the whole time while I was swimming because I couldn't lift my hands above my shoulders. Triathlon wetsuits are different than scuba wetsuits because they're more flexible in the shoulder area so that you can actually move your arms above your head for freestyle swimming. How was I supposed to know? That was my first event ever.

I've since learned my lesson & upgraded to a real traithlon wetsuit.

WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.

2. Acclimate to water before race start

This is huge. You have to get in the water before the race starts (freezing cold shock to body) and then physically pull your wetsuit away from your chest to let the water in. The water between your wetsuit & body will heat up and keep you warm.... but initially it's the coldest shock ever. You also HAVE to put your face in the water. For a different alternative you can dump some warm water down your wetsuit before you get in, just be careful not to pull a Channing Tatum who dumped scalding water down his wetsuit which burned "the goods".

3. Start with 20% less effort

With adrenaline rushing and nerves racing it's common to start out too fast and then you burn out. If you start out with 20% less effort than you think you could give, chances are you'll be at the right pace.

4. Re-lax

It's a hugely different atmostphere swimming open water with a group... let alone a race. You have to spot where you're going, keep an eye out for people around you, breathe, remember your fundamentals... and most importantly RELAX. A little tip we got at the clinic was to LITERALLY think to yourself as you're taking your swim stroke on the right "RE" and then with the swim stroke on the left "LAX". It sounds a little cheesy but you'd be surprised how much it helps!

I have to say I felt a million times better this open water swim than the last one and I even swam 800 meters at the end which is the same distance as the swim for the Iron Girl!

Sooo much of physical fitness is more mental than it is physical

and swimming is definitely no exception.

The rest of our weekend was filled with lots of Easter fun...

Here's a preview of the little "PG-13" Easter hunt I left for Grant

around our house Sunday morning...

Here's a picture of what the Easter Bunny left for him in the kitchen...

Here's his little Easter basket filled with a few of his favorite things...

Hope you all had a fantastic Easter too!

Cupcakes, Love & a little Thai...

2011-04-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

... is really all I need in life.

Just an observation..
I've come to realize that all my blog posts are generally about 3 things:

Food, Love, and Fitness.

Then there's the give or take a few about my pure obsession
with my widdle baby kitties Rexy & Stella.
I guess that makes up my life and if you're reading this
you may have some common interest or you're just seriously bored out of your mind.
Either way, I'll never know... but I'm secretly hoping it's appealing in some aspect.

So I did it. I made some Easter cupcakes...

As I was making them, I realized it's been far too long since I've made cupcakes!

I don't even think I made them for my own birthday- which is weird.

And for someone who's this obsessed with cupcakes

that even her Words With Friends name is:

Cupcake_lala

... going almost 3 months without making them is a little bit of crazy talk.

Here's how my little Easter creations turned out:

(excuse the iphone picture quality)

Here's a list of the ingredients I used :

-Funfetti Cake Mix
-Rainbow Chip Frosting
-Sour Punch Straws- Dollar Store
-Green Coconut Grass- JoAnn's Craft Store
-Peeps- Walmart
-Malt balls- Walmart
-Jelly Beans- Walmart

Oh and did I mention I love cupcakes?

Also for you ladies that want to do something Easter sweet status for your *love*

I would definitely check out some ideas over at "The Dating Divas"

Like this one....

Some "Bunny" Loves You

They have the complete how-to with a free printable and everything

PLUS other ideas too.

Lately I've been on this MAJOR Thai food binge kick.
It's a bit ridiculous.
I find myself daydreaming about the next time I'll have Thai food. A lot.
I'm going to have to thank my friends Brittany, Addison, & Pat
for being responsible for introducing me to my new favorite cuisine.
And what makes it even cooler is that my Father-in-law
totally speaks fluent Thai too!

Love love love Mango Sticky Rice & Basil Chicken.
{mouth.currently.salivating}

And then it just so happened that I came across this yum recipe
on my oh-so-favorite SkinnyTaste.com website

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken (lightened up)

Here's the recipe if you're interested too...

The list of ingredients looks a little overwhelming and I'd have to admit
it'll be my first "Asian" dish ever but I'm totally up for the challenge!
Soo keep your fingers crossed it actually turns out edible.

I might even invest in some chopsticks.

Happy Friday Eve!

Fitness Motivations + Easter Obsessions.

2011-04-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

Okayyy so I'm pretty much pumped that it's spring time, excited that it stays light out longer with some warmer temperatures, and totally flippin stoaked that I have this Iron Girl in less than 2 weeks {aahhh!}

Now it's just keeping my fingers crossed that this crazy Vegas spring weather will be good to me come race day! Nothing will be worse than a suuuuper windy open water swim (yeah totally still newbie status over here) and then biking in the wind is... well from my experience, the only times I've actually fallen on my bike.

Needless to say, FINGERS ARE CROSSED!

I've been loving this website called Fitbie lately

{cutest name ever too}
They just have some great fitness & nutition articles.
Here's a few I thought I'd share...

Healthy Lifestyle Changes to Live By

Instant Inspiration

Best Stress Relieving Workouts

And you just can't go wrong with Active.com
I could spend daysssss browsing their website for inspiration and tips.

A reallllllly good article for my beginning runner friends

How to make your own energy gel

And I'm totally pulling an oxymoron here buuuut
I have to confess this obsession I've been having with Easter candy lately!
Yessss I "cheat" here and there & hey- isn't that all the more motivation to keep working out?
So I've been ~~SUPER~~ slightly addicted to these deliciously scrumptious candies...

Starburst Jellybeans + Cadbury Mini Eggs =
*Heaven in your Mouth*

I also decided to get a little easter happy and play the Easter Bunny
by leaving these on some desks for my co-workers at our office:

How cute huh??

Soo cute infact that here's some more
free easter printables you should TOTALLY take advantage of!

I mean really... a little thought can go a long way!

I can't even wait for this weekend because I totally plan on making
some easter cupcakes... but I'm having a hard time deciding on which ones.
Here's what I've been looking at:

Option 1: Little Birdie Nest Cupcakes

Option 2: Little Lamb Cupcakes

Option 3: Robin's Egg Cupcakes

I might even end up making them all.
So yum!

Hope you all have a
fantastic Easter weekend!

Iron Girl Count Down

2011-04-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

So I have a little less than 3 weeks until my Iron Girl Triathlon...

I'm getting super nervous but excited at the same time.

This past weekend I signed up for a "Triatha-Fun" event

last minute for some extra practice.

The event was put on by this local triathlon group at Lake Las Vegas.

The distances were:

400 meter swim - 12 mile bike - 2.5 mile run

And just as I was setting up my bike and putting on my wetsuit this hardcore pro guy next to me with all this Ironman gear says "So are you going to win?" ... and I laughed "Ummm yes... But really this is my first time doing this" and then his eyes went big and asked "First time ever? Have you ever swam in the lake before... Open water?" And I looked at him saying "Well no?" Then his next response threw me... "And you're going to do the whole thing??"

Well Mr. Lets Freak Out the New Girl.... Yes, I'm going to do the whole thing!

And here's how it all went down...

Getting pumped for the event...

My "Ohhh shizzz" moment before it started when my feet were already numb just standing on the freezing sand... for a moment I thought "Is there any way I could escape without anyone seeing me??"

But then I thought back to "Mr. Let's Freak Out the New Girl" and I had to do it.

My friend giving me some last minute advice before the start.

Check out this video of the swim start...

(Look for the person who actually did bail in the beginning)

Open water swimming is 100% different than my training in the pool. I tried to not focus on the freezing cold shock my body was feeling and focus on the fundamentals I've been practicing for months... but then when I put my face in the water to freestyle swim I got another cold shock to my body combined with not being able to see anything in the murky/dark water... I felt panicky and ended up swimming with my head above the water and alternating to the backstroke. I'm sure it'll get easier the more I do it... and it's definitely something I need to practice again before my actual race.

Running and trying to take off my wetsuit at the same time.

*Note: feet are still completely numb at this point*

First transition to the bike....

Then as I passed a lady on the run she looked over at me and asked,
"So when does this actually get fun?"
We both laughed.
To me this is fun though... I love trying something completely new,
setting a goal and then seeing it through.
You only grow as a person when you push yourself outside of your comfort zone.

And I have to say that I totally finished!
I wasn't the last one out of the water OR crossing the finish line...
So I felt pretty accomplished!

Iron Girl- I'll see you in
3 weeks!

Warrior Dash Extravaganza

2011-04-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this post about the Turkey Trot & my little friend Candice?

Well I have officially "pulled a Candice" so that I could run in this fab race:

And it was definitely one of the funnest races I've done!

It was a 3 mile run full of obstacles all along the course.

Ah-mazing.

Here's a little looksie at our day:

We decided to dress up as cowgirls for the festivities...

Our ensemble was complete with cowboy hats,

bandanna scarves, and gun holsters with plastic pistols.

Before the race

{i heart these girlsss}

We got these sweet Viking hats too!

And this is a little glimpse of what the course was like...

And here we are after jumping in the mud pit and finishing the race...

Complete with muddy faces and everything!

Then after we had to wash the mud off in this freeeeeezing cold lake...

But that's ok because

needless to say we survived and we are officially

*Warrior Status*

growing pains.

2011-04-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

So far this year has felt like one huge trial.

I've definitely been blessed with soo many things but I've also had some serious rollercoasters with a few bumps in the road as well. I know that's all part of life, so I take it as it comes and I'm learning to love my trials. That might sound weird... loving your trials and all... but I really feel that if you learn to love the hardships and find the "good" in them, you appreciate the journey and the opportunity for growth.

This weekend we watched General Conference. I love Conference weekends.
I especially love when I feel like I was being directly spoken to... like it was a message straight through to my heart. Here's a few things I learned:

1- It's important to remember that your profession does not define you. Jesus was a carpenter but that did not define his life. His life was defined by who he became.

2- It's not as important to marry the right person as to become the right person.
3- Choose the one you love and love the one you choose.

Confessions and a Thief.

2011-03-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

First, confession time...

You remember this post about my ~~love affair~~ preference of

Crystal Light Wild Strawberry Energy?

Well, I've recently been cheating on Wild Strawberry

with thisssss:

Soooo goooood.

Can I just say that I've had this ~~unhealthy~~ serious obsession for

my Wild Strawberry for almost 6 years now...

I'm not even going to say how many I have each day.

We won't go there...

Sooo for the first time EVER I think I may have found a rival flavor.

If you understood the obsessiveness I have with it,

then you'd realize it's kind of a big deal for me.

Like I would go as far as admitting that I single-handedly

just might keep the Wild Strawberry flavor in business.

I've been known to raid Wal-Mart & buy their entire supply!

Annnnd *maybe* I've done that to multiple Wal-Marts in one night... maybe.

(I really can't believe I just confessed to that...

first step is admitting you have a problem, right?)

... I even got this picture text from my best friend last

week showing me that the dining commons at UNLV has

Wild Strawberry Energy ON TAP!!

That could quite possibly change my life.

Regardless... my life has been changed by this *grape* flavor

and needless to say I'm expanding horizons & embracing the new.

Secondly.... I caught a thief IN THE ACT!

Here is the suspect: Miss Stiletto

The Act: Stealing my make-up...

And here she is completely caught red handed

stealing my favorite lip gloss & trying to explain herself...

Close call. Close call.

LuckY Lover DaY

2011-03-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

I just love St. Patrick's day...

Probably because I'm so naturally pasty white and

this is the one holiday that pale pastiness people are much appreciated.
... Along with red heads too!
**Shout out to my reds Lisa & Jessica**

But I really love St. Patrick's Day for much more than that,

I love it because it's a holiday with no pressure.

It's more about having fun catching leprechauns
or mixing up some green food & drinks...

and the slightest bit of creativity can go a loooong way.

So with that...

Before I went to bed last night I left this
on our kitchen counter for Grant to help him get in the St. Patty's Day spirit:

Annnd I got together with some of my best girlfriends

to make these yummy treats:

**Green Shamrock Rice Krispie Treats**

(hey we're no experts when it comes to decorating

but I can assure you they tasted oh-so-yummy

... it's the thought that counts anyways, right?)

We got the idea from ms. fancypants over at

Little Birdie Secrets

(she gives the complete how-to-tutorial)

And I left that on my husbands desk before he got to work this morning

for an added St. Patty's bonus!

Happy Leprechaun Hunting!

...Because Fit Feels Better.

2011-03-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

So I have this serious passion for working out. As the weather gets nicer I get a major itch for taking the day off and enjoying some fresh outside air... Well as fresh as air gets in Las Vegas that is! Living in Vegas it gets SO hard to workout in the summer when it's nearly 110 degrees by 8 a.m. and then during the winter it's already dark outside by 4pm with the temperature around 30 degrees. No bueno. Since that makes up the majority of the year, you can understand why I sit at my desk during those shortened spring and fall seasons gazing out of the window daydreaming about my running shoes and where I would unleash my passion. I've tried to convince my husband that I would be a GREAT stay-at-home wifey... that he'd ALWAYS have clean laundry, dinner every night, and a super fit lady because I'd practically be working out all the time... he never falls for it.

So now I'm feeling like I should pursue a career path. Like a REAL career.

Combined with my passion for working out... I love nutrition.

I've really considered going back to get my masters degree in nutrition to be some sort of Registered Dietitian or something. I really have no idea what I would do with it at this point but it could be a start to something great, right? I mean, if I'm going to be working (before we go down the kid route) anyways why not do something that I'm passionate about??

Anyways... just some thoughts.

Here's a few articles I'm inspired by:

Running Workouts for the Work-a-holic

Healthy Lifestyle Tidbits

A good "power climbing" workout for my fellow cyclists

This is an absolute life-savor for sore muscles

Here's a great local website for fellow triathletes looking for some extra training

And here's the latest in my kitchen...

I LOVE Fresh & Easy Marketplace.

I was there the other day and bought some
fresh red & yellow bell peppers (1 each), chicken breasts (comes in a pack of 2),

and this little marinade...

Combined them all together... & viola!

... And seriously it was absolutely flippin' delish & under $10. Cha-ching!
A must, must, must! Even Grant loved it.

Thanks Fresh & Easy for keepin' it real.

Au Revoir... Adios... Farewell!

2011-03-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

My little brother Taylor is going into the MTC today!

I cannot believe he's already that old...

It's a little bit of a funny story because everyone kept asking him....

"Where do you want to go on your mission?"

His response: "Oh I don't care- anywhere but Odgen!"

And then when he got his mission call guess where he got called?

Odgen, Utah baby!

We seriously thought he was joking but he said "No, no its true... and if it wasn't so dang funny then I'd probably be bummed out!" But needless to say, he's more than ecstatic to go! I've never seen someone so eager to go on a mission- He would go out with the missionaries every night that he could. He's an amazing brother with a huge testimony

and I know he'll be an amazing missionary.

So since he'll be gone for 2 years we decided to get together

with our favorite photographer (Chelsea Robbins) and sneak in some quick family pictures!

{AmyGrant}

{daddy's girls}

{future missionary on the left}

{silly faces that mom wasn't going for}

{zoolander model poses... not sure i've ever seen a model pose like dads before. ever.}

{Grant & Taylor KILL me. Total karate chop action}

{the ladies kissy face}

{the last time we'll be together for the next 4 years}

I love you Taylor! Good luck!!

And thank you Chelsea for doing another fabulous job!

(check out her other super fab work here)

The BIG 2-5.

2011-03-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

So I'm officially a quarter of a century old now.

And my mother so graciously reminded me of that
first thing birthday morning... thanks alot mom.

I did have quite the fun filled birthday weekend though.
Here's what happened:

1. Duathlon

Saturday morning at Boulder Beach I had a Duathlon race.

It was a 1 mile run- 10 mile bike- 2 mile run.

My thoughts before the race: "Pshh... this'll be a piece of {birthday} cake!"

My thoughts after the race: "I feel like barfing up any sort of
remains of what WOULD BE cake!"

Ewww.

Can we just say I underestimated it by... well... a lot??

Yeahhh... so it was a little harder than I expected.

{before the race}

{finishing the first mile}

{trying to get my foot clipped in... this bystander lady can totally tell I'm a newbee}

{Me & Mando- Jessica's hubby- after the race}

And what's interesting is that while reading all these articles on triathlons and whatnot to sort of prepare myself... I've noticed that many of them say to work on your transitions and that **the bike to run transition is the hardest**

I have now come to realize how true that statement is! My legs were absolute NOODLES after riding crazy hills for 10 miles and then trying to run! It almost took me the whole first mile for them to stop feeling like gumby central. It was a bizarre feeling.

And with all of this barfy + noodle leggy stuff going on...
I've realized that I SO need to step up the training.

Needless to say it was a big ~~butt kicking~~ eye-opener for sure!

2. Mani Pedi Date
My best friend Jessica treated me to a much needed manicure & pedicure

after the little duathlon on Saturday. Serious sweetheart status! Love her.

I decided to venture out of my typical hot pink color
and get a light purple on the toes...

I was feeling rather springy until Grant told me it looked "Grandma Status".

I reminded him that I was just trying to fit in

since I was a *quarter of a century now*

Good or bad- I can always count on his honesty.

3. Wii Dance Part-ay

Saturday night we had a big dance party with some amazing friends!

We had a few dance battles playing Dance 2 on the Wii.

Sooo much fun!

Here's a few pics of the birthday bash:

{my birthday sign}

A few cake pops that I made...

{first time making them}

Here's a little iphone video of the guys showing their sweet moves...

(it's a little dark but you can still get the gist of it)

Shakin' it to OutKast...

The winners battling it out to Viva Las Vegas!

We had some sweet makeshift candles (a.k.a. toothpicks) on the yummy

funfetti cake with rainbow chip frosting Jessica made me!

Annnd best part was hanging out with some of my best friends!

Still can't believe I'm this old already??

To all my runners...

2011-03-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

Thought you might appreciate this...

Happy Friday.

Love Hunt Date.

2011-03-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

We FINALLY got to have our Valentine's date!

I felt like I'd been planning it for.ev.er.

And since our water heater flooded our garage the night before

the big V-Day.... we had to postpone our little date night.

(better late than never- right?)

And the best part about dates like this....

You can totally do this for an anniversary

or just for a random romantic date.

So this is what I did:

Grant came home to this candy gram & his robe...

I made him a bubble bath & left him to relax while I made some dinner.

Here's place setting... super cheeeeesy hearts status but in honor of V-day I'm allowed.

Thennn after dinner was the LOVE HUNT.

Here's what I made him:

I hid the clues all around the house & even tied one to our little Stella!

He had to do a love "task" before he got to pull the next "clue" out of the slip.

Tasks ranged from taking turns making a toast to

slow dancing to our favorite *love* song.

The last clue led up to our bedroom where he walked into this:

In the gift bag I had this for him:

Since I made a New Years Resolution for more date nights & I wanted to

make a little scrapbook to document everything... and I came up with this.

I decorated some pages and left about half the book empty to add to it.

Then we topped it all off with this yummy dessert:

Here's the super easy "How-To"

I borrowed some of these fun ideas from those

amazing Dating Divas and threw my own twist on them.

They have some great date ideas & tips.
Check 'em out!

bike shenanigans & cute kitties.

2011-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

I OFFICIALLY have (less than) 2 months until my Iron Girl race!!
(Ahhh!)

So I decided to take the plunge and *invest* in a bike trainer.

It helps to convert your road bike into a stationary bike.

Soo I can pretty much have my own little spin class in my living room
riding my bike and still use my clip-in shoes.
Plus it's good practice shifting gears & such.

I.AM.IN.LOVE.

It's probably the closest thing to riding outside
which is super ideal for me because
usually when I'm training it's dark outside.

And I'm proud to announce that I put it together...

ALL BY MYSELF

(woo! go me!)

I grabbed these tools out of the garage & got to work.

Rexy decided she had to help...

Stella had to inspect our work...

...And then we got her approval.

Here it is all put together:

**On a completely different note...
I've realized that our kitties have officially chosen favorites.

Let me show you what I mean...

I feel asleep on the couch the other night and
cute Stella preciouspants decided to curl up with me.

(i could LITERALLY squeeze her!)

And if you can make her out through the camo sweats...
that is Rexy cuddling up with her favorite- Grant.

I might be a little bitter that Rexy has chosen Grant

ONLY BECAUSE I flippin taught that kitty everything she knows!

Literally... from how to use a litter box- Refer to THIS POST

... To how to eat big kitty food when she was switching from

her widdle babystatus formula- Refer to THIS POST

And she even lets him make

Chinese kitty faces...

Rude.

We love them.

Month of celebrations...

2011-02-28T10:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already the LAST day in February?!!

This has definitely been the month of celebrations.............

1. Grady's Birthday

We celebrated our little nephews 1st birthday!

As you can see he was pretty excited about those streamers...

This is the cake his mom made him!

How cool is this?? She's literally amazing at that stuff.

This is one of my favorites.

He was SO excited about the cake that

he started waving his arms back and forth realllllllly fast

Then he snuck a little....

When we gave him his first piece, he started off pretty good.

Loving EVERY bite...

Then he had he clobbered the side of his face with cake...

Annnnd it was all a big mess from there!

Isn't that what a 1 year old is supposed to do??

How cute is he? Love.

No baby fever or anything, riiiight??

2. Bridal Shower
My friend Lana is getting married & I'm one of her bridesmaids.
We threw her a shower this past weekend and here's what went down:

Her wedding colors are a combination of black, silver, light lime green & white.
We themed the party around those colors
& blew up a few of their engagement photos for decoration too.

We had Green & White Oriental Paper Lanterns and balloons everywhere!

Lime green frosted cupcakes from The Cupcakery

& the cutest "i do" napkins to friggin die for!

Of course I couldn't resist doing a candy table...

I themed it around *green* candy & had:

- Mint Green Bliss Dove Chocolates

- "Engagement" Ring Pops

- Green Sour Apple Straws

- Green Apple Rings

- Green & White Mint Oreo Suckers

These were the Oreo Suckers I made...

And good news!! My birthday is in 5 days...

Looks like more celebrations to come!!

Happy Monday!

abandoned ship status + cooking yumminess.

2011-02-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

I've been in a SERIOUS funk lately.

I'm thinking its a combination of feeling so out-of-schedule

while being out of town for 3 straight weekends.

PLUS having our water heater completely bail out on us

and flood our garage.

Then not even getting to celebrate the ONE day

out of the year actually dedicated to love

because we're fixing that trader of a water heater

And to add to all of this...

I have completely jumped off the "training" bandwagon.

Like full on, eyes closed, abandoned ship status.

I'm hoping to regain my motivation somehow... along with my sanity at this point.

If you see either of them, let me know.

I'm thinking I might just need personal day though.

Here's what my day would look like:

hiring a maid, going on a reallllllly long bike ride + a run,

getting a massage & pedicure, treating myself to a movie

and then coming home to a sparking clean casa!

*sighhh*

that would soo make for a perfect day in my world

But since that won't be happening anytime soon, here's my plan:

(inspired by my aunt lisa- who is absolutely amazzzing)

I'm going to be more positive

**Ok let me just preface by saying I'm not this crazy negative person
(but who doesn't want to just be happier?)
So I'm going to do a little experiment...
I'm not going to say ANYTHING negative

throughout a whole day. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
And not just for 1 day, but *trying* for everyday.

It's sort of one of those things your mom used to tell you...

"if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all"

I'm just curious if it'll help make my life happier if I focus on the good.

Anywho... So I made this YUMMM dinner last night, thanks to SkinnyTaste.com

Southwest Turkey Meatballs & Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce

So so so yum. It took maybe 30 minutes from start to finish

and everything cost about $20... PLUS I have leftovers.

Here's the recipe

I feel like this will be my next cooking attempt....

Chicken Piccata

I first saw this on the menu at The Cheesecake Factory

... which is SO one of my favorite restaurants but

can we TALK about how every meal is like 1,654,962,540 calories??

So thankfully Mrs. Gina over at Skinny Taste has come up with

a "skinny version" of the deliciousness.

Here's the recipe

{Happy Friday-Eve}

scrap-a-holic weekend.

2011-02-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went to "SCRAPFEST" in Utah.

Doesn't it sound like such a Utah thing?

Pretty much it was a bunch of moms and their girlfriends

who got together for a weekend of scrapbooking

24 hours a day for the WHOLE weekend....

There were 2 types of women at this event:

#1- The Lolligagger

Who pays the $$ to scrapbook the whole weekend but only spends about 1 hour actually scrapbooking while the rest of the time is spent going to dinners, shopping and movies with her girlfriends.

#2- The Crazed Scrap-a-holic

Who spends every waking moment scrapbooking feverishly even until the wee hours of 4am to get the most out of the $$ she dropped for scrap-fest-fun. And yes, there was even a lady who scrapbooked 50 pages while she was there! How is that even possible??! I doubt she even ate anything, brushed her hair or used a toilet... and if that's the case, I'm glad my table wasn't next to hers!

What was my classification?

I'd say evenly in the middle.

Although from the looks of the table... it might say differently.

Here's what the madness looked like:

Here's a few of my crafty creations as of late...

{paper: JoAnn's- letters: rub on- felt buttons: JoAnn's}

{paint swatch: Home Depot- letters: white vinyl- ribbon: old scrap}

And YES that is a paint swatch thing from Home Depot,

which is cool because it was *FREE*

**Trick is: Combine it with a coordinating colored ribbon.

And then I had to make another...

{paper, button, & ribbon: JoAnn's- letters: stamp}

{paper & wooden heart button: JoAnn's- sparkly string: old scrap}

I swear I didn't just make cards...

buuut I'll share the other goods soon!

{Happy Wednesday}

world traveler princesspants.

2011-02-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

I have literally been living out of my flippin' suitcase lately

and my friends & family are starting to address me as
"world traveler princesspants"

(well ok... not so much the princesspants part but that would be cool.)

I've jumped on like everrrrrry opportunity to get out of town lately

so that the hubby can get his study on for
all these crazy licensing tests and whatnot...

....well actually, that's what I'm using to justify it.
So yes, I've been ~~abandoning him~~ leaving him at home,
but hey, he's survived :)

Here's the latest:

1. Palm Springs Girl Trip

One of my best friends Brittany (grew up together, danced together & in each others weddings) moved to Palm Springs, CA recently with her hubby
... Sooo a few of my best lady loves & I planned a trip to go visit her.

We went on this sweet hike...

{the lady loves}

{no matter HOW old you get... it's still fun to
borrow your friends clothes & play dress up.

I had to show this cuuuuute little polka dot jacket that
I ~~plan on stealing~~ borrowed from my friend Candice}

{Annnnd I had to capture how the cute little prego mommy right here

completely VITO'd our idea for dinner one night.
Funny how the pregg mama wins, right?}

Annnnd here's the text I sent the hubby on the way home...
So that you get a better understanding... I had texted him 2 hours before this
telling him we were 4 hours away then

And as you can see he just.continued.laughing.

So concerned right??

2. Orlando Disney World Trip

My friend Lana (who I cheered with on the Locos) is getting married & asked me to be one of her *bridesmaids*... since she also coaches the Foothill Varsity Dance Team and they were competing at Nationals in Florida, she invited the bridesmaids along for 5 days in Disney World as our "bridesmaid gift"

{sweeeeeeeet}

This is the stage at the dance competition.

Here's the hotel we stayed at...

How fun are these themes??!

Watching the Superbowl at the ESPN Zone

So the very first ride we went on was the Tower of Terror.

I have this horrid fear of heights

& I loath any sort of ride that just completely drops you...

I've realized the older I get, the more my fear intensifies.

Well my friend Lana wanted us all to go on this ride

with the whole dance team so that she could buy the picture.
It's their tradition after the competition.

Here's what the end result looked like...

Any guesses where I am??

I'll give you one hint...

I'm the one that looks like I'm in complete utter pain about to die.

Now I wasn't in pain but I absolutely felt like I was going to die.

Irrational? I just don't think so.

After we were done I texted Grant to tell him of my accomplishment

(since he's well aware of this fear I have)

he asked me how it was...

And if you're wondering what the so called "maliboomer flashbacks" I'm talking about,

just refer to this post

Needless to say though, I survived. Barely, but I did.

I bought my very first Mickey ears ever (!!)

& of course I had to get the zebra ones.

Then I met one of my favorite characters ever.

I tried to take him home, but he didn't go for that.

We had to get a picture by the castle wearing our Mickey ears, of course.

And then before we left that night we got to see the castle all lit up.

i {heart} disneyworld.

3. Utah Scrapfest.

Ok so I haven't actually done this yet.... but I'll be leaving tonight for a mommy-daughter

weekend to have some MAJOR scrapbooking fun.
I sound like such a dweeb. Whatev. Super excited

I definitely have some crafty ideas up my sleeve....

and can't wait to share!

{Happy Friday}

Meet Rexy... The Long Neck Alien.

2011-02-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd give a little update on behalf of our little kittylove Rexy.

She went in to get "fixed" last week and it was quite the experience. I don't deal well with the whole incision thing and whatnot, so I had a few gag moments while I was reading the instructions from the vet that said "make sure Rexy doesn't lick her belly" or "make sure she doesn't jump up and down for 3 days" or "if she starts to act depressed call us right away" and it got even worse by saying "and if it starts to puss..." but I'll spare you those details. These types of things, as minuscule as they might sound, completely gave me the heeeeeebie geebies. Like I get all queasy and weak at the knees and stuff. I felt like I was just imagining the sutures ripping open or something... (body shutter)

So everything worked out great until we got home and she started biting at her tummy. I was a little freaked out because how was I supposed to stop her?? What if her insides start gushing out?!?

So when Grant got home he decided to make a few different "barriers" ifyouwill...

Let's take a look at what he came up with:

Attempt #1

Meet Rexy- The Long Neck Alien.

I could die watching this video I swear. My favorite part is when he says "look at mama" and then her head whips over to look at me and she's got those beety little glowing eyes... but when Grant stopped holding her she closely resembled a fish out of water sooo that one didn't work.

Attempt #2

The Body Cast.

Grant took one of my t-shirts and cut it into a little outfit to cover Rexy's tummy... but when she got up from this sitting position, she took 3 steps and it completely fell off of her. No go status.

Attempt #3

The Cone Head.

After spending about 4 hours on this whole ordeal, he came up with this. Made out of an old poster board, it seemed to do the trick. She only wore it for a day because she stopped with the self-inflicting tummy biting non-sense.

She's doing great now though!

{Happy Wednesday!}

Love Notes.

2011-02-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

So my husband works... a lot.

I'm having a hard time scheduling in a specific "date night" every week

...which would be ideal, but just not likely for us right now.

His schedule varies and he usually gets home pretty late.

Buuuut I'm determined to stick with my new years resolution of

"more date nights with the hubby"... And since I can't exactly do that right now,

I've decided to tweak it a little bit to sort of stay on track.

I made it my goal to leave him little love notes & surprises each day last week.

Sometimes it's just "the little things" that can make a difference

and it's nice to know someone's thinking about you.

Here's what went down:

Day 1: Cinnamon Rolls

My hubster *loves* cinnamon rolls.

And everyone knows his Grandma makes the best ones ever...

Since I'm not quite on her level,

I opted to make Rhodes Freezer Cinnamon Rolls

and let me tell you they are divine!!

I baked him these little treats for breakfast:

(talk about sugar high... but totally worth it!)

Day 2: SODA amazing

I got his favorite soda, made him a little love note that said "I SODA think you're amazing", tied it with a ribbon, & left him this little surprise in the fridge when he got home from work.

Day 3: Breakfast Casserole (Take 2)

I made a second attempt in cooking another breakfast casserole...

(if you missed the first attempt- see here)

I used a different recipe this time and it tasted so yummy. It's just very convenient

for me to put it in Tupperware for Grant to take to work in the a.m.

I'm *trying* to make sure he's always eating.

If you know Grant, he gets sidetracked and then forgets to eat.

Completely opposite of me since I eat every

2 hours or else I'm biting peoples heads off...

I'm still mystified how someone "forgets" to eat??

Anyways... we're working on it.

Day 4: Stud Muffin

My little sister Rachel helped me bake some blueberry muffins

and I made this little love note

that said "Stud" with a picture of a "Muffin"

Then I left this on his desk the next morning before he got to work.

(it helps when you work for the same company)

Day 5: Picnic in the Park

So what if we don't get to have "date nights"? We'll just have "date lunches"

And with the Vegas weather being absolutely b-e-a-uuutiful lately,

I've been dying to have a little picnic!

(Better take advantage before we jump

into the 110 degree infamous Vegas weather)

With that, I packed our picnic basket the night before...

and as you can see the kitties helped as well.

Then I stole him for lunch & we headed to a nearby park.

It wasn't a fancy lunch but we had:

-Subway Sandwiches

-IBC Rootbeer

-Sugar Cookies

-Strawberries & Whipped Cream

So now I challenge you to do some little acts of {love}

for your other half.... and feel free to share what you've done

because I'd love some more ideas

motivational upkeep= new races + kittylove.

2011-01-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

Our little kittyfaces have been extra cute lately...

I think they've realized I needed some extra help around the house

since Grant's still recovering from his surgery.

Here's little 6 toes Stella helping me fold the laundry...

Here she is telling me it was all done... caught her mid-meow.

What a sweetheart right??

She worked SO hard that she completely passed out on the couch after...

She was soo out of it too.

Grant started rubbing her little paw and she didn't even move a muscle.

I just love her.

Her newest fascination is water... mainly the sink:

Then miss Rexy decided she'd help with the dishes too ...

But I'm a little sad to say that our baby Rexy is at the vet today

getting spade.

I'm pretty sure she went into "heat"

because she's been making this weird purring sound and

rubbing up on everything...

Take a looksie:

Is it weird that I'm a little nervous for her?

Anyways... keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well.

So the training for the Iron Girl is.... still going.

I neeeed to find ways to keep up my motivation for the next ~~eternity~~ 3 months! This past weekend I did an Xtreme Indoor Cycling Class. We brought in our own bikes, set them into a trainer, cycled for 20 minutes and then ran 2 miles. We did this 3 times and then ended with 20 minutes of core work. Everything was timed so people got their competitive edge going and stepped it up a bit! It was soo much fun! And a great way to work on the transitions... I loved it. It got me really excited for the Iron Girl.

Also this weekend I got together with a few lovies that I normally run with

and we signed up for the Ragnar Relay Race in April.

It starts out in Huntington Beach and then ends on Coronado Island.

Doesn't that look fun?? It's 200 miles of puuuure running adventure and

we're pretty excited because we've got some

sweeeeet team costumes in the making...

(be on the lookout for some upcoming TOP SECRET pictures)

Then my lovely lady Jessica came across this off the friggin chart race

called the Warrior Dash. I really can't contain my excitement about this one...

It's a crazy obstacle course where you barrel through tunnels,

jump over fire and then crawl through a mud pit at the end!

Here's a little video of what I'm talking about...

Doesn't that look sweeeeeet??

I'm personally inviting anyone that wants to join!

things of note.

2011-01-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

Week 2 of training for Iron Girl: DONE. well... sort of.

Grant's surgery experience has completely thrown
a wrench in my training schedule...

I didn't realize how much I would be affected by it

& it took a lot out of me... more so than I planned.

having to take care of everything after working a full day = exhaustion

Anyways... the only sort of training I was able to accomplish

this week were my swimming sessions in the wee hours of the morning.

I'm starting to feel like I might reallllllly be able to do this whole Iron Girl thing...

as reality is starting to set in, here's a few things of note:

1. A.M.Workout Sessions are Best

I read an article a while back and it said that people who workout in the morning have a 90% chance of staying committed to their workout regimen. Then I got to thinking... this would ring *true* for me because after I work a full day I just never know what might come up or how I'll be feeling and its suuuure easier to compromise my workout when I've had a loooong tiring workday.

On the drive home from one of my a.m. swim sessions the sunrise was

{unbelievable}

And to be honest, pictures don't even do justice.

It's definitely a refreshing way to start out the day on many levels.

2. You are what you eat

Ever heard that saying? This week I have had ZERO energy for cooking dinner when I get home from work. I even lost my will power for eating healthy all together... it was all thrown out the window when I suggested to Grant one night, "hey, do you want to order in some Pizza Hut?" It's definitely out of the ordinary and I enjoyed every.last.bite. . . . until the next morning when I woke up feeling all sorts of yucky. Then to top it off this was my snack the next day:

I didn't feel guilty about these overindulgences

until I remembered another article that I read that said

"70% of your success is NUTRITION"

So now it's back on the bandwagon for me.

3. I have the cutest kitties

This may have nothing to do with my training for the week...

but I just couldn't help the fact that they are off the chart bff status.

Take a look at the cuteness:

Seriously precious right??

Ohhhh I could die.... and squeeze them... either or.

I love these widdle babyheads.

Hope you're having better

luck with your goals!

Duplicate Myself

2011-01-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

So I have this dilemma.

Remember how I want to become this little master chef person??
(if not, refer back to this betty crocker wannabe post)

I don't know what to do because I have THE BEST intentions to make these seriously delicious meals... I'll plan out the meals for the week... go grocery shopping... buy all this scrumptiously healthy produce and then somewhere in the mist of my week, dinner plans get skewed, random things pop up and two weeks later I find myself throwing moldy grossness away in the garbage...
a.k.a. throwing away $$$
Sounds delish right? I'm suuuuure you're thinking you're never coming over for dinner NOW.

I'm having a hard time balancing work, gym, cooking, cleaning, life etc etc...
(and lets be real, who isn't?)

But how does one keep up with everything??

I feel like I just need to duplicate myself just to keep up with life.

How do I get into this cooking thing when I find myself
wasting food more than using it?

And the more this happens, the more unmotivated I am to TRY to cook.

I need help.... advice... anything!
(ughh$!##?)

It's not all hopeless though...

I did manage to make my VERY FIRST breakfast casserole!

I've never made any sort of casserole in my entire life,
Heck, I didn't even know if I liked casserole...

but I was recently inspired by my mom because on Christmas morning

she made the most deliciously amazing breakfast yumminess!

This was MY end result:

Doesn't it look disgusting?? Here, lets try a different angle...

Nope, still horrific looking!
(the lighting from above the oven totally helps, I know)

But I can reassure you that it tasted oh-so-yum!
Grant said to me with a mouthful, "Oh my gosh! This is sooo good!"

And then after he finished eating he said "You are so master chef..."

... pause ...

(crickets)

"... well at least with this recipe"

Oh how I love his honesty. Supportive, but honest.
I've clearly got some work to do.

However, I do feel like it was an accomplishment at least

in my hubby's book.

Anyways.... here's my next breakfast adventure from my #1 favorite Skinnytaste.com

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Shake

(Sometimes I wish I could take cool pictures of food like this...
I might have to upgrade from the trusty iPhone to a big kid camera eventually)

I didn't give it this name either.... Mrs. {superstar} Gina from SkinnyTaste did.
But the fact that the word *Healthy* is in the title gets me going.
I love eating healthy stuff and NOT just because eating nutritious food
is... (are you ready for the textbook answer??) "what you should do" per say,
but literally I feeeeeel so much better when I do. Don't you?
It's not easy though... nothing good in life is everrr easy.

This could be an easy on-the-go meal & since I {heart} my zZzzz's in the a.m.
I figured I'd give this recipe a whirl.
I'm always trying to eat a "healthy breakfast"
and this seems as though it could be satisfying as well.

Here's the "how-to" if you're interested.

I'll keep an update on how it turns out... but on the flip side,
if anyone has advice on how to ~~not be a complete failure~~ be a better cook
go ahead and throw them my way.

Gracias!

i'm a bad wife.

2011-01-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

Yep, bad wife status. I'd like to claim that I'm new to this whole "wife" thing, but mannnn have I got a few things to learn.....

My sweet little hubbyface Grant had to have hernia surgery last week (which he's had for the past 2 years, so its about dang time) and I didn't even think about it until the day before when my mother-in-law asked me...

"So Amy, who's going to take Grant to his surgery & pick him up?"

Me: "uhhh...."

Being the amazing status that she is, she volunteered to take him.

So I'm at work the Friday he's having his surgery and I swear people left & right are coming out of the wood works to give me the guilttripofmylife when they ask "why I'm not there with my husband during surgery??"

My answer?

"uhhh, I didn't know I was supposed to be there."

Yeah, so that alone should definitely win me lovely #1 wife points.

I mean, lets be real here... I'm new to this whole "wife business".

We've only been married a little over a year now!

Anyways..............I did go pick him up from the hospital but to add

another dagger wound to my bruised ego,

the first words he said to me as I walked in the room

(still waking up from anesthetics, mindyou)

"ohh... you do love me"

SERIOUSLY!?

I got it allllllllllllll day... even from the hubster who wasn't even coherent!!

Here's the little pitiful pants himself after surgery....

(can we talk about how BIG his feet look?? gotta love iphone pictures)

ANYWAYS, I made up for the forgetful mishap when I played

"cater to my handicap hubby" all weekend.

And he's definitely got it rough since he's on some heavy duty pain meds & playing with his current love affair "modern warfare: black ops" on his PlayStation. I swear to you, he practically makes sweet love to the friggin game every time he plays it.

I mean the first words out of his mouth to the nurse when he was waking up from anesthesia was...

"i love my PS3"

WTF? Where's the love for the wifey, dude??!

... there is sooo a love affair going on.

What's your man's current "love affair"?

{Amy & Grant}

New Year = BIG changes!

The {long overdue} J-O-B Update.

Life Change {Status}

San Francisco *Mini* Date

My Husband.

WINNER WINNER

Cupcake Secrets & a Patriotic Giveaway!

Triatha-Fun Event

i {heart} breakfast.

My Life List

Getting "the itch" again...

Wood Block Display {Tutorial}

For your salivating pleasure...

Oreo Pops {Tutorial}

Mafia Date Night

Kind of like I found Jesus...

Patriotic Wreath {Tutorial}

{Craft} To-Do List + Cinco De Mayo.

*Iron Girl Triathlon*

wind out of my sails.

Open Water Swim (Take 2) + Easter Goodies.

Cupcakes, Love & a little Thai...

Fitness Motivations + Easter Obsessions.

Iron Girl Count Down

Warrior Dash Extravaganza

growing pains.

Confessions and a Thief.

LuckY *Lover* DaY

...Because Fit Feels Better.

Au Revoir... Adios... Farewell!

The BIG 2-5.

To all my runners...

*Love Hunt* Date.

bike shenanigans & cute kitties.

Month of celebrations...

abandoned ship status + cooking yumminess.

scrap-a-holic weekend.

world traveler princesspants.

Meet Rexy... The Long Neck Alien.

Love Notes.

motivational upkeep= new races + kittylove.

things of note.

Duplicate Myself

i'm a bad wife.

San Francisco Mini Date

Iron Girl Triathlon

LuckY Lover DaY

Love Hunt Date.