Guinea Pig 2

Since it's the end of the month, I thought I'd post my thoughts on the newest products I've tried throughout February. There were some bad and some so-so items, but mostly everything was great! Here we go...

VitaTops These are the BEST product I've tried this month, by a long shot. If you are a chocolate fan, these guilt-free treats are for you. They are just tops of muffins, but they are loaded with vitamins and fiber, and only 100 calories. If you are a points counter, then you'll be glad to know that these are only 1 point! Vitalicious has many different flavors, but the ones I've tried are Chocolate Mint, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate, Deep Chocolate, and Triple Chocolate Chunk...and they are all fabulous! You keep them in the freezer, and defrost in the microwave for 10 seconds, or you can eat them frozen, or you can slice them in half and put some Low-Fat Cool Whip in the center, refreeze, and enjoy! No two ways about it, these treats are highly recommended! VitaMuffins These muffins can also be found on the Vitalicious website. They have several different flavors, and I have only tried the CranBran flavor. They aren't bad, and I would definitely grab one if I needed a quick and healthy breakfast, but when given a choice (and more time), I'd most likely go for other options. I'm betting the Deep Chocolate VitaMuffins are really good, since they look like smaller versions of the VitaTops. These are also only 100 calories and 1 point, so if you are looking for convenience, they may be worth a shot. Primal Strips Jerky I have been craving beef jerky, but it is high in fat and calories, so I went looking for a healthier alternative. Enter Primal Strips. These jerky-like strips are made out of shitake mushrooms and soy, and while their website says it is the best tasting, best textured soy jerky, I completely disagreed. It comes in individual packages, but when you open them up, they are covered in slimy sauce. Since when is jerky covered in slime? The texture is a turnoff, but if you can get past that, I suppose it's fine. Mix My Granola This website is wonderful! On Valentine's Day weekend, Kevin and I had breakfast at a fancy restaurant, where I had homemade granola with yogurt and fruit. While they labeled this the "Healthy Start" breakfast, there is really nothing healthy about granola. As I was searching for healthy alternatives, I found this website on the Hungry Girl website (I love that girl!). On this site, you can mix your own granola, and they will send it to you in a cute canister! You can name it and even include a personalized picture! They have lots of bases (Low-Fat, Organic, Cinammon), plus TONS of mix-ins (dried fruits and berries, nuts, and powders like energy and caffeine). Prices vary by ingredients, but it is so worth it. I like to mix mine with non-fat flavored yogurts. They also have premixed varieties (the picture link is the Apricot Granola Delight), which sound delicious as well. Go to the website and get started on it. Let me know which combos you choose, so I can mix some up as well! Those are all the products for this month. Any ideas for March products? I'm willing to take suggestions!

The (draining) Power of Positive Thinking

I am not a positive thinker by nature. I like to say that I am a realistic person (although Kevin claims that I am pessimistic). Lately, I have tried to be more positive/not always think of the worst case scenario. Trying not to focus on the negative is really exhausting! For example, on Wednesday as I got to school, I almost slipped on ice in the parking lot. I told myself not to go with my first thought which was, "Crap...this is going to be a horrible day!" Instead, I thought, "I'm lucky I didn't fall!" When I got settled, I noticed a large puddle by my desk. The water bottle I had put in my teacher bag had decided to open in the ice-slipping scuffle, and had leaked all through my bag. I quickly got all of my stuff out of there. My first thought? "Well, this day is shot!" However, I forced myself to think, "Whoa! Thank goodness only the unimportant papers at the bottom are soaked, and my gradebook and ungraded papers are safe!" True, my day wasn't completely ruined by those two little incidences, and in the long run, they didn't seem like that big of a deal since I forced myself not to hyper-focus on them. I do have to say, though, that thinking positively is really draining! As a borderline pessimist, I've had to train my brain. Perhaps it's like training a dog, or disciplining children...you just have to be consistent, and eventually it'll kick in!

One-a-Day

The last few weeks have started out great, but the farther I get into the week, the more stressed out and overwhelmed I feel. I don't know if anyone else out there in blog-land has the same issues. (I imagine anyone who teaches is in the same boat as I am.) I have come up with a solution. Well, not really a solution...more like an experiment. No matter how bogged down we get with work/family/bills/other stressful things, let's vow to do ONE thing a day just for ourselves. I'm not saying this has to be a big thing (although it could be once in a while). It could be something like treating yourself to a Starbucks coffee, taking a bubble bath, reading for pleasure (imagine that!) for 10 minutes, making a fun online purchase, whatever. As long as this "one-a-day" is purely for yourself. I know this sounds a little selfish, but many times we (and I mean women, mostly) put everyone else first and don't take the time to make sure we are in a good place, sacrificing our sanity for the sake of others. Taking the focus off of our stresses and spending time doing something positive for ourselves just once a day, may make us feel more confident and centered. I really think this is worth a try. So, my "one-a-day" for today? Yoga!!! And tomorrow??? Sushi dinner with my friend Rachel. What will your "one-a-day" be today? Tomorrow?? Keep me POSTed!

Gym Dilemma

I promised myself that this post would be brief, because it is an attempt to stall my going to the gym to run. It's not that I don't like to run, it's just that running after you've been educating young kids is almost like working out AFTER you've just run a marathon. So, here is the dilemma:

Gym right after work, or gym after a break?

Usually I go home right after work to let Tobi out, take a break, eat dinner, and then go to the gym. To be honest, the going to the gym part sometimes doesn't happen, because I have more time to talk myself out of it. I tell myself I really just need a break to decompress from the stress of school, but should that not be the reason I go to the gym??? If I go to the gym after work (after letting Tobi out, of course), I convince myself that I am a horrible pet owner because my poor dog is at home by himself again, while I am "selfishly" working out. Another cop out? I think so! What are your strategies to get you to the gym in the evenings??? Help!!!

A Cincinnati Weekend

This week was a particularly difficult one for me at work, which is why I was excited to get away from everything. Luckily, we were scheduled to visit Cincinnati on Saturday for Kevin's younger brother Steven's "Welcome Back/Birthday Celebration". Steven's girlfriend, Cindy, orchestrated the festivities, inviting out of town friends, renting a stretch Navigator limo, and making reservations at a bar. The evening was so much fun, full of antics that are better left to our memories and your imaginations! While there, we spent some time with Kevin's older brother Ben, sister-in-law Erin, and our adorable nephew Eli. He has grown so much in the last month! Eli is pulling himself up to stand, crawling like a champ, and getting his two front teeth! Spending time with family really helps me put things in perspective, so I was grateful that we were able to see some of our favorite people.

In the Limo

In the Club Eli Entertaining Everyone

Life in Piles

I have come to realize that Kevin and I live our lives in piles. See, the nice thing about piles is that they make you feel like you are more organized than you actually are, which is deceiving. In fact, you still have a mess, it's just an "organized mess". All like things that should be put away are grouped together, however, they are still out in the open. The funny thing is that we get annoyed with one another's piles. For example, I don't feel it necessary to keep shoes out in piles, when there is a perfectly good closet with ample space for shoes. This really gets under my skin, because this pile does not seem necessary to me. Kevin, on the other hand, likes for his shoes to be out in the open. I am very bad about putting away my folded, clean laundry, and leave it in the laundry room until I absolutely have to put it away. Kevin gets frustrated with me, because he wants that stuff put away in the dressers, not stacked on the folding table. As we approach the 6 months of marriage mark, we are learning to pick our battles. Some piles are unavoidable, like snow, and some we'll just have to keep working on!

Unavoidable Piles Avoidable Piles

Valentine's Day '10

Kevin and I celebrated Valentine's Day a little early. On Friday night, we went downtown and checked into The Conrad. We enjoyed a bottle of one of our favorite sparkling wines before heading out to dinner at The Oceanaire. The meal was amazing! We had crab cakes as an appetizer, which was just a whole lot of crab. I ate Ahi Tuna with a wasabi/soy sauce, while Kevin enjoyed Mahi Mahi Oscar (that just means it was topped with a creamy sauce with King Crab and asparagus). We also ordered sides of asparagus and red potatoes, which Kevin was not able to eat much of, because he was so stuffed after eating his entree. I, on the other hand, ate as much as possible. For dessert (yes, we had to), we got chocolate mousse...so good! We also enjoyed another bottle of sparkling wine with dinner. It was so nice to treat ourselves to a fancy night. I hope that everyone has a fabulously special Valentine's Day today!

Tobi's Snow Day

I remembered to take my camera with me when I let Tobi out. Here he is sniffing around the backyard, getting familiar with the snow. My favorite is the one with him running towards me, because it looks like he's smiling. He is one adorable dog!!

Snowed In

Our annual February snow storm has arrived. This year, Kevin was actually in town, unlike last year, when I had to shovel the driveway myself. Thank goodness for my husband, because this years snow was just as wet and heavy as last years. Each year, Tobi must reacquaint himself with the snow, but once he realizes its harmless, he loves prancing around in it. I wish I would have gotten some pictures of him running around in the snow, because it's really cute! Here are some pictures from this years snow. I included pictures of the tree in our yard, the snow covered driveway, Kevin halfway done with the driveway, and the finished product. The snow plow in the background of the finished product is our neighbor's. He just started plowing his driveway and our across the street neighbor's driveway as Kevin finished shoveling ours. If he'd only waited!!

Guinea Pig

Over the last month, I have decided to use myself (and sometimes Kevin) as a guinea pig to test out several different foods and eating habits. Some of these things I've been doing for the entire month of January, while others, I have tried more recently. My inspiration to blog about this topic derives from one of my favorite people, who writes a blog called Happy Fat Girl, and her latest post. So, here it goes. Drinking at least 6 glasses of water before other beverages (except coffee): I am definitely snacking less. This is VERY difficult to maintain because of the nature of my job (teaching does not allow for freedom in potty breaks). Many weekdays, I don't make it to 6 glasses, so I don't get to drink anything but water, which is not a bad thing. On the weekends, it's a bit easier, and my evening plans sometimes force me to drink lots of water so I can enjoy a glass of wine at night. Tofu Shiritake Noodles: Kevin does not enjoy these at all. I am undecided right now. I've made two pasta dishes using them, and the second was better than the first. The noodles, while only 40 calories per package, have an odd texture, so they must be cleaned thoroughly. Here are a few recipes, thanks to Hungry Girl. (I made the first recipe, and highly recommend using the cleaning tips mentioned.) I have not totally given up on these noodles...more on these in the future. Eating snacks between meals (and eating smaller meals): Let me preface this by saying that I have only been doing this a few days. So far, this has been working well. I eat a snack between meals (cheese, fruit/fruit leather, turkey jerky, almonds, veggies/dip, etc.), which makes me feel full most of the time. During the week, I eat breakfast at 6:30 and lunch at 12:15. With that much time in between, I'm famished by lunch, and don't feel completely full even after eating my meal. Therefore, I end up snacking a TON after school gets out. By eating a snack in between my meals (and one a few hours before bed), I feel a lot more satisfied. It's like I'm playing a trick on my brain! * A note on this one...I try to write out a plan for what I will eat each day in the morning. As a teacher, I'm all about lists, so this helps me stay on track. Preparing snacks on Sunday afternoon: It sounds like a pain, but I tried this last Sunday. It is not that bad. I spent about 30 minutes cutting up vegetables and making a tasty dip. I also took some of this time to divide snacks into single-size servings (cheese, almonds, green bean chips which I'll talk about next, etc.). Result? Kevin and I are able to control our snack portions much more easily, and reaching for a healthy snack (i.e. veggies and dip) over a bag of chips just got a lot more realistic. Green Bean Chips Holy moly, these little suckers are good! There is a link to them in my side bar under "A Few of My Favorite Things". They sound icky, but if you are a green bean lover, you'll flip for them. You can find them at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Fresh Market. (A 1/2 cup is only 1 WW point!) Fuji Apples and Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese Wedges: I'm a HUGE fan of apples and peanut butter, but it's high in fat and calories. Hungry Girl to the rescue again. Enter Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese Wedges. Sounds interesting but tastes GREAT!!! (Click on the Hungry Girl link in this paragraph to learn more ideas on how to use this fab cheese.) I think I'll continue to rate new items that I try out on myself (and my patient and willing husband), and blog about them at them at the beginning of the next month. Up next: Primal Strips Meatless Jerky and VitaTops.