Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Please excuse the absence

First off, many apologies for the long gap in my posting. Since I stopped detailing my food every day, I must admit that I'm struggling a bit with what I want to "do" with my blog. I had plenty of thoughts of shutting it down, updating it several times a week, and/or everything in between.

One of the challenges about having a blog that's so financially focused is that I feel like I have to keep it anonymous. And I feel like that anonymity makes it very challenging to create a voice for the blog. I have a more fitness focused blog that is not anonymous, & I love posting pictures (although I'm a terrible photographer), and feeling like I can really be myself in that forum.

All of that said, posting about my finances absolutely keeps me more on track, which I love. It helps me stay motivated to reach my goals, and to pay attention to what I'm spending, and how I'm spending it. I find so much motivation in reading all of your blogs & seeing your creative ways to cut spending.

Even though April is mid-way through, I do have a few goals I'm focused on this month.

  1. Run a 5K. This was a 2009, 2010, and 2011 yearly goal, & I'm finally planning to do it. My race is this Sunday. :-)
  2. Run 30 miles in April.
  3. Plan a menu for the remaining two+ weeks of the month.
  4. Lose 3 more pounds by May, which will officially put me in the 140s!
  5. Track my spending for the second half of the month.
Hope you are all doing well!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Taxes & other miscellany

Sorry I've been off track with my posting lately. I was out of town for a couple of days, busy doing our taxes, & trying to get our summer planned out. I've just discovered that our preschool will be closed in August. Hmmmmmm.. . . That should make childcare very interesting this summer. I've looked into other possibilities, but so far they are all half day programs & we need something full time. Another day, another challenge.

I must admit. . . I have not been tracking my spending this month, and judging by my credit card statement, that's caught up with me. I haven't made any huge purchases (still on the clothing/shoes/makeup spending ban for the year), but the money is definitely trickling out at a faster rate than I would like. Now is the time for me to get back on the wagon & change that. Tracking is important for me to feel like we're spending our money on things that we value, versus spending it mindlessly & frivolously.

On that note, we owe nearly $10K in taxes. Yikes. M & I are going to discuss options for paying that tonight. Always a good time.

I'll be back with my end of the month wrap up shortly. Hope the beginning of spring is treating you all very well!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

3/23 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - what did you have for breakfast this morning? Are you a die hard breakfast eater like I am? Today I had a little bit of sauteed spinach (had to use the last of  giant Costco bag) with an egg on an English muffin. Plus 1/2 a laughing cow. Yum.

I'm planning to change my blog up a bit & just posting the calorie recaps + workout & fruits/vegetables. It will still keep me on track, but I don't want to put anyone to sleep with the minutiae of my life.

Total calories = 1550 :-(

Workout:
15 minutes running
30 minutes elliptical

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

3/22 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A -

Food:
Breakfast:
oatmeal + 1/2 tbsp peanut butter + blueberries - 180
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
Protein bar - 170

Lunch (Panera):
Half fuji chicken salad + Half mediterranean veggie sandwich - 560

Snack:
nectarine - 80

Dinner:
Balsamic chicken spinach salad with cottage cheese as the dressing - 350
1/2 serving nuts/dried fruit - 75

Total = 1445
Fruit/vegetables = 3/6

Workout:
30 minutes on the treadmill - ran 1.5 miles, walked 1.2 miles

One 401K loan is paid off!

I am very, very excited to finally be able to say that my 401K loan is paid off! It took forever for the money to clear various places & for Fidelity to finally show a zero balance on the loan/and credit my 401K with the funds, but it's all straightened out. Yes!


Loan History:
As background, we each took out a loan in March of last year for $49,500 (x2 - one out of each 401K) and we used that money to prepay part of our home mortgage, so we could combine both home loans (vacation property & primary residence) into one loan to secure a far better rate. The loans were absolutely the right choice from a financial perspective, but I hated having it around. Unfortunately, the loan terms did not allow for any additional payments unless you had enough to pay the entire remaining balance, which made it hard to chip away at it.

Paying it off:
The payment for paying off the loan (a little over $41K) was made by cobbling together money from various sources. I had a savings account where I stashed all extra funds, which totaled about $15K. But, the big money came from an unexpected bonus M received. The money I was able to save came directly from cutting spending in other areas: hair cuts for me, random shopping, meals out, trimming back groceries, and really just paying much closer attention to where our money went. I'm shocked by how much we were able to save just by really tracking how we were spending our income.

Net worth update:
Paying off this loan is a double whammy for our net worth. Not only does it decrease our liabilities by a huge chunk, but it also immediately transfers over to our assets, because the funds were automatically applied to my 401K, resulting in a $80Kish growth in our net worth. Now that's the kind of progress I like to see!

What's up next:
Next up on our list of financial goals is to pay off M's 401K loan. It's for the same amount, and the same rules apply with regard to pre-payment. His balance is currently hovering around $41K. We're going to apply the same savings principles that we used for my loan, and also apply any unexpected funds (from work, investments, etc) to our savings account until we have enough to pay it off.

After that, our goal is to clear our 2nd mortgage, which has a current balance of $185K.

Our financial situation will be undergoing a few shifts in the next several years. One of our biggest expenses at the moment is child care for the boys (we're paying about $2K/month - down from an all time high of $4K/month when they were infants). My oldest son will enter Kindergarten in the fall, and my youngest son will be in Kindergarten in fall of 2012. Both of these things will eventually reduce our childcare payments to about $600/month, as we will still need after school care. We're toying with the idea of purchasing a rental property once we clear the 401K loans & our second mortgage. I'd like to create other income streams, and now seems like an excellent time to invest in real estate. We qualify for excellent rates, we have stable incomes, and property value has dropped drastically.

Our ultimate goal is to hit a net worth of $1M by the end of 2012. If we pay off M's 401K loan soon, that will create another increase of $80K (again, the reduction in our liabilities combined with the money immediately transferring to our assets), which makes the number look doable.

Wrap Up:
I'll be posting a big end of the month wrap up as usual, but I couldn't resist updating our net worth for today.

Net worth as of 3/1 - $815,065
Net worth as of 3/22 - $896,594

Total change in net worth: +$81,529!!

Monday, March 21, 2011

3/21 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - happy spring! The weather was lovely over the weekend (cold but clear) & I'm very ready for spring to arrive & an opportunity to be outside more. What's your favorite season?

Weight = 152.8. Down a tiny bit from my weigh in earlier last week

Food:
Breakfast:
1 piece toast + egg + 1/2 laughing cow - 170
coffee + milk + fiber - 30
strawberries - 30

Snack:
dried fruit/nuts - 150

Lunch:
edamame - 150
egg salad (made with greek yogurt - no mayo) - 75
Dr Kracker - 100
roasted vegetables - 50
bread with tomato/cheese - 100

Snack:
frozen yogurt + mini oreos + granola - 180

Dinner:
cottage cheese - 100
roasted broccoli - 50
1 pc wheat bread with egg salad - 150
edamame - 145


Total = 1400
Fruit/Vegetables = 3/5

36 minutes on the treadmill. 3.10 miles running, .14 walking.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

3/20 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - What's on your menu for the week? Are you trying any new recipes?
Weight = weighing in on Monday

Food:
Breakfast:
english muffin + 1/2 laughing cow + egg - 230
coffee + milk + fiber - 30
strawberries & blueberries - 60

Snack:
fruit smoothie - 160

Lunch:
handful of nuts - 80
cottage cheese - 100
edamame - 150
1/2 banana wheat germ muffin - 80

Snack:
pear - 80
Dinner:
1 homemade taco salad - 300
Skinny margarita- 100

Total = 1370
Fruit/Vegetables = 6/5

Workout:
30 minutes on the treadmill running/walking
30 minutes on the elliptical

Menu Plan Sunday (3/20/11)

Lunches:Generally I take leftovers from the night before, plus add things like: edamame, fruit, vegetables + hummus, & nuts. Today I also made a healthy version of egg salad for my lunches (eggs, fat free greek yogurt, celery, mustard, pickles, salt & pepper). I plan to bring that with vegetables, crackers, etc. this week.

I baked banana wheat germ muffins for M's breakfasts. He's a huge muffin fan. :-)

Dinner:
Sunday - Homemade tacos
Monday -Italian baked chicken and pastina (from the freezer - I always make two of this dish)
Tuesday - Baked tilapia & sweet corn risotto (from the feezer - I made the risotto a few weeks ago & stashed the leftovers in the freezer) 
Wednesday - Baked shells with pesto, mozzarella & meat sauce (from the freezer - I made this last week & it makes a huge quantity)
Thursday  - M is out of town. I'll have grilled chicken on a salad.
Friday - M is out of town. I'll have any remaining leftovers or grilled chicken salad.
Saturday - We'll be out of town.
Sunday - Salads with balsamic chicken (we skip the dressing/bacon part & use our own) -

Saturday, March 19, 2011

3/19 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - any big weekend plans? My parents are in town to continue the celebration for N's 4th birthday. He's thrilled. :-)

**Wake up early to workout before soccer practice**
Food:
Breakfast:
1 pc wheat toast with peanut butter - 200
1 homemade waffle - 175
strawberries & blueberries - 80
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Lunch:
1/4 burger + fruit- 200
2 nuts - 20

Dinner:
2 glasses of wine - 160
1 piece pizza - 300
side salad - 200

Subtotal - 1365
Fruit/vegetables = 4/4

Friday, March 18, 2011

3/18 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - This can apply to both money & healthy eating, I've found, so how do you recover from a bad day? Do you jump back on your plan (be it saving or eating well, etc) the next day, or does it take you a while to get over your own frustration and slipping? I'm more of the former, but I've certainly struggled with this.

Food:
Breakfast:
1 piece wheat toast + 1 tbsp peanut butter - 200
1/2 pear - 40
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Lunch (out):
1/2 Mexican chopped salad - 300
6 tortilla chips with salsa - 100

Dinner:
Leftover Mexican chopped salad - 300
wine - 160
1 pc chicken - 110


Total = 1240
Fruit/vegetables = 1/6

Workout = 38 minutes running/walking. 3.25 miles.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

3/17 - Fitness & Nutrition

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! Any big plans? It's my son's birthday, so we're going out to dinner. His choice was Greek food, so we'll be eating Gyros & then taking the boys to swimming lessons. We're party animals. :-)

Weight: unknown. Will weigh again on Monday.

Food:
Breakfast:
oatmeal with strawberries - 230
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
1 pc cheese - 100

Lunch:
soup & sandwich (Panera) - 550

Snack:
1/2 luna bar - 95
Trail mix - 150

Dinner:
Greek salad + 10 fries - 300
1/3 small piece of cake - 100

Total = 1555. I had a not great workout today, so I comforted myself with a bag of trail mix. Foolish mistake, because it pushed me over my calories for the day. Better success tomorrow!

Fruits/Vegetables = 3/5

Workout = 20 minutes running/walking

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

3/16 - Fitness & Nutrition Update

Weight = 153. Wooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! I did it! First mini goal is achieved. :-) I've lost 10 pounds since January 1st, and I've officially lost all of the weight that i gained during my pregnancy with my second child. One day before his 4th birthday, which was my goal. Next up, losing the 9 pounds I didn't lose between pregnancies. And getting back into the 140s. Can't wait! Can you tell that I'm excited?

Food:
Breakfast:
1 piece wheat toast + 1/2 laughing cow + egg - 170
banana & strawberries - 60
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
granola bar - 140

Lunch:
hummus/cheese/turkey wrap + salad - 300
frozen yogurt + mini oreos - 200

Dinner:
Chicken over 1/2 serving of pasta - 350
salad + light dresing -30

Subtotal - 1270
Fruit/Vegetables = 2/4

Workout: 38 minutes walking/running 3 miles.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

3/15 - Fitness & Nutrition Update

Q&A - The month is 1/2 way over. How are you doing with your March goals? I'm doing well with the fitness-oriented goals, & still working on the financial side. I am (im)patiently waiting for the funds to clear my 401K loan payoff, so I can officially check that loan off the balance sheet, update my tickers & change our net worth in my financial tracking. Can't wait!

Weight = 153.2 So close to my mini goal of 153!

Food:
Breakfast:
Greek yogurt + granola + strawberries - 250
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
1/2 luna bar - 95

Lunch:
1 Dr Kracker + 1 tsp peanut butter - 140
spinach salad with chicken & cottage cheese - 275

Snack:
2/3 vanilla ice with nonfat milk - 200
Dinner:
spinach salad - 275
1/2 banana + 1 bite chocolate/peanut butter
roasted broccoli - 50

Total - 1385
Fruit/Vegetables = 2/6

Workout:
40 minutes running/walking. Ran 3 miles today without stopping!

Monday, March 14, 2011

3/14 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A: - Do you have a favorite wine, or other adult beverage? M found my favorite wine at Costco last night, so I'm very pleased. It's Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc, & it's AMAZING. Love that stuff. Plus, it's only $10.99 at Costco, which is all kinds of a good deal. :-)

Weight = 153.8. Only .8 of a pound until I hit my mini goal. Can't wait! Next weigh in is on Thursday.

Food:
Breakfast:
1 piece wheat toast + 1/2 laughing cow + morningstar sausage - 180
1/2 Greek yogurt cup - 70
coffe + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
1 luna bar - 190

Lunch:
cottage cheese - 100
Mini turkey sandwich + salad - 400
frozen yogurt + mini oreos - 150
Dinner:
Brussel sprouts - 100
Wine - 80
Chicken dijonnaise - 150
Total = 1450
Fruit/Vegetables = 0/5

No workout. Rest day.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

3/13 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A: If you have a spouse/significant other, what's your favorite way to spend a "date night"? I'm easy. As long as there's a bottle of wine & a meal I don't have to cook, I'm in! Actually, I love to cook, but don't like the cleanup part. What about you? :-)

Weight = 154.2. Only 1.2 pounds from my mini goal. Yeah!

Food:
Breakfast1 pc wheat bread with 1 egg & 1/2 laughing cow - 170
honey dew - 20
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
smoothie - 150

Lunch (just got back from a big workout & wanted to eat everything in our house):
1 pc pizza - 300
cottage cheese - 100
cashews - 80

Snack:
hummus + celery + pita chips - 120
strawberries - 50

Dinner:
Parmesan chicken spinach salad - 250
wine - 140
Subtotal = 1430
Fruit/Vegetables = 5/5

Workout:
42 minutes on the treadmill (ran/walked 3.25 miles)
30 minutes on the bike

Menu Plan Sunday (3/13/11)

Lunches:Generally I take leftovers from the night before, plus add things like: edamame, fruit, vegetables + hummus, & nuts.

I improvised a lot last week & made the balsamic chicken into spinach salads several times last week. As a result, you will see a few items reappearing on this week's menu.

Dinner:
Sunday - Giada's crunchy parmesan chicken tenders on top of a spinach salad.
Monday -Italian baked chicken and pastina (from the freezer - I always make two of this dish)
Tuesday - Baked tilapia & sweet corn risotto (from the feezer - I made the risotto a few weeks ago) 
Wednesday - Chicken Dijonnaise (Williams Sonoma French cookbook)
Thursday  - Our son's birthday. The birthday person always gets to pick the meal the night of their birthday, & he's opted for going out for Greek food. :-) Smart boy.
Friday - Baked shells with pesto, mozzarella & meat sauce (from the freezer - I made this last week & it makes a huge quantity)
Saturday - Having a little family get together to celebrate my baby turning four. We're going out for pizza.
Sunday - leftover pizza (if there is any). If not, pepperoni casserole from the freezer.

3/12 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - do you workout outside? How do you handle bad weather? I'm in Washington, so I'm learning that I'm pretty much going to have to suck it up if I want to run outside. :-) Today it's 45 and raining, & I'm rallying myself for my run. Good luck to me.

Weight = 154.4 - WOOO! In the 154s. Only 1.4 lbs toward my mini goal of my pre-second child weight. I'm almost there.

Food:
Breakfast:
spinach, egg, & feta on a piece of wheat bread - 250
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Lunch:
cottage cheese - 100
bowl of strawberries & blueberries - 100
small piece of pizza - 250

Dinner (out):
2 glasses of wine - 160
Side salad - 150
Bruschetta & Chicken - 300

Total calories = 1340
Fruit/Vegetables = 4/6

Workout = 20 minute walk/run - 1.5 miles

Friday, March 11, 2011

3/11 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - what are you wearing today? Are you at home, the office, or somewhere else? I'm wearing dark skinny jeans, tall black boots, & a pink sweater. My office is very casual, so I can where whatever I want. I do try & pull it together a bit.

Weight = 155.2. Holding steady. Can't wait to break into the 154s. :-)

Food:
Breakfast:
oatmeal/apple pancake with 1/2 cup greek yogurt - 300
coffe + milk + fiber - 30

No snack (bigger breakfast today)

Lunch:
Spinach salad with grilled chicken, feta & cottage cheese (no dressing) - 275
pasta salad, hummus, pita - 150
frozen yogurt + mini cookies - 200

Dinner:
1 pc pizza - 300
Salad + light dressing - 50
wine - 120

Subtotal = 1425
Fruits/Vegetables = 3/6

Workout:
38 minutes run/walk = 3 miles.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

3/10 - Fitness & Nutrition Update

Weight = 155.2. No progress.

Q&A -

Food:
Breakfast:
1 fiber wrap + 1/2 chicken sausage + egg + spinach - 260
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Pre-workout snack:
Greek yogurt - 110

Lunch:
wrap + hummus + cheese + tomato + cucumber - 280
apple - 80
1 protein bar - 190

Dinner:
spinach salad with feta, cucumber, tomato, & balsamic chicken - 300
wine - 80

Total = 1330
Fruit/Vegetables - 1/6

Workout:
ran 1 mile + 25 minutes on the elliptical = 40 minutes of cardio
10 minutes of stretching.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

3/9 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - Do you make smoothies? I'm trying to get into smoothies, & I've been experimenting with flavors. Current favorite is: splash of juice, greek yogurt, banana, & strawberries. If you're a smoothie fan, what are your favorite ingredients?

Weight = unknown. Will weigh in again tomorrow.

Food:
Breakfast:
Smoothie (1/4 c apple juice, 1/2 a greek yogurt cup, straberries, 1/2 a banana 1+c spinach) - 200
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
1/2 luna bar - 95

Lunch:
almonds - 150
mini turkey sandwich & pasta salad - 250
cereal with milk - 300
Dinner:
crackers and peanut butter - 275

Total = 1400
Fruit/Vegetables = 4/5

Exercise - 30 minutes running - 2.57 miles. Woo!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

3/8 - Fitness & Nutrition Update

Q&A - are you a lunch packer? If so, what are your favorite lunches to bring? I'm boring & generally just have leftovers. I do love to make a wrap with hummus, cheese, & vegetables if there are no leftovers to be had. That + greek yogurt, fruit, hummus & vegetables, etc are some of my favorites.

Weight = next weigh in is Thursday. I'm trying not to let the daily fluctuations on the scale influence my life so much anymore. :-)

Food:
Breakfast:
1 pc wheat toast + 1/2 laughing cow + egg - 170
strawberries - 40

Snack:
greek yogurt - 110

Lunch:
1/2 pc pizza - 150
cottage cheese - 100
smoothie - 150

Snack:
carrots + hummus + 1 Dr Cracker - 160

Dinner:
handful of cashews - 80
cottage cheese - 100
1 pc bread with peanut butter - 250
roasted brussel sprouts - 75

Snack:
fruit - 50

Total = 1430

Fruits/Vegetables = 6/4.

Workout:
38 minutes run/walk.

Monday, March 7, 2011

3/7 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - what is your favorite breakfast? I made oatmeal with bananas & strawberries this morning, & it was pretty yummy.

Weight = 156. Not surprised after eating pizza for dinner last night. Kept the calories under control, but salt in the evening always makes my weight higher the next day.

Food:
Breakfast:
oatmeal (with milk) + 1/2 banana + strawberries - 250
coffee + mik + fiber - 30

Snack:
skinny macchiato - 100

Lunch:
1 pc vegetable pizza - 300
cottage cheese - 100
granola bar - 140

Snack:
Edamame - 150
1/2 apple - 40

Dinner:
Salad with cottage cheese (as dressing) + grilled chicken & tons of vegetables - 350
Subtotal = 1460

Fruit/Vegetables = 2/5

Workout:
36 minute run/walk. I think it was about 3.25 miles. We ran 70%ish of it/walked the rest.

Weekly Spending (2/28-3/6)

I've gotten a bit off track with my weekly spending, due to our vacation, but I'm back & ready to rumble this week.

My goal for 2011 is to keep my monthly flexible spending (i.e. what I charge on my credit card & includes: groceries, dining out, gifts, clothes, lessons for the kids, etc) to $1750/month. This nets out to around $58/day, which is pretty eye opening. I am regularly overspending the $1750/month, so I need to start keeping a close eye on this figure. Keeping the monthly spending in check is a critical part of paying off my 401K loan in 2011.

Monday:
-$.29 at Rite Aid. I picked up three rolls of dental floss that were $1/each & I had a $1 coupon for all three. The $.29 is the tax.

Tuesday:
-$63.48 on flowers for my Grandmother & Mom. Lots of hard things happening as my parents deal with both of their parents rapidly aging & facing dementia all at the same time. My mom is carrying most of the burden for this, despite her siblings. My dad, luckily, has a brother in the area that is also helping, but lots of emotions & heartache right now.
-$6.75 at Safeway for a few items for lunch (Greek yogurt, protein bar) & sweet potatoes for home.
$26.57 at Trader Joes for lunch items/snacks for the office & a few bags of pasta for home.

Wednesday:
-Lunch at Nordstrom using points (free)
-$5 at the grocery stores for a few Vitamin Water Zeros (they are my fun treat)

Thursday:
-$32.32 at Fred Meyer for pasta, risotto, & Luna bars.

Friday:
-$34.64 at Rite Aid. Picked up nail polish so I can give myself a manicure at home, and a few makeup items that are free after rebate. I should be getting back $24 after the rebate.

Saturday:
-$86 -Dry cleaner
-$50 on hair cuts/tip for the boys
-$130 for dinner out. Date night.

Sunday:
-$18.83 at Fred Meyer for Zbars (kids) + greek yogurt + apples
-$31.79 for pizza. (Will be enough for 2 dinners + a lunch or two)

Total spent for the week = $453.35. Total average spent per day = $64.76. Yikes. An expensive week. The dry cleaner was about 6x our normal bill & date night was a bit more than planned. We need to get in some No Spend days this week. :-)

Sunday, March 6, 2011

3/6 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - do you have any health dinner recipes you'd like to share? One of my favorites is Parmesan chicken with orzo . Yum!

Weight = didn't weigh in today, as I'm trying to become less scale-dependent. :-)

Food:
Toast with peanut butter - 200
1/2 banana - 55
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
fruit smoothie - 150

Lunch:
1/3 burger (no bun) + mustard - 180
pita chips/hummus - 100
cottage cheese - 100
1/4 apple - 20

Snack:
Trail mix - 150

Dinner:
1 1/4 pc pizza + salad - 500
Total = 1485
Workout:
35 minutes on the elliptical
10 minutes on the treadmill
20 minutes strength training
10 minutes stretching

Menu Plan Sunday

Lunches:
Generally I take leftovers from the night before, plus add things like: edamame, fruit, vegetables + hummus, & nuts.
Dinner:
Sunday - Parmesan chicken with orzo
Monday -Italian baked chicken and pastina (from the freezer - I always make two of this dish)
Tuesday - Baked tilapia & sweet corn risotto (from the feezer - I made the risotto last week) 
Wednesday - Chicken Dijonnaise (Williams Sonoma French cookbook)
Thursday  - Baked shells with pesto, mozzarella & meat sauce (from the freezer - I made this last week & it makes a huge quantity)
Friday - Homemade pepperoni pizza
Saturday - Salads with balsamic chicken (we skip the dressing/bacon part & use our own) -

Saturday, March 5, 2011

3/5 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - what are your weekend plans? We're taking the boys to soccer this morning, they desperately need hair cuts for their shaggy manes, & then we're having a date night tonight. :-) Not sure what we're going to do with our four hours of freedom, but I'm sure it will be fun! M is taking S (our oldest) skiing tomorrow & I'm going to the gym with N (our little guy, who is not into skiing yet). Hope you all have a producting, fun, & relaxing weekend!

Weight = 153.8. Progress! Finally! Only .8 lbs from my pre-baby #2 weight. And, I've officially lost more than half of the weight (I started at 180, & my goal is 130). I've lost 26.2 pounds. Woo!! When I hear that number, I automatically think of a marathon. . . and this process has certainy been that. :-)

I'm a terrible, awful photographer, but I'm thinking of trying to get better so that I can start mixing in actual photos of what I can eat, rather than just a boring list. I hope that will mix things up a bit & not make the nutritiona updates so painfu to read. :-)

Food:
Breakfast:
high fiber wrap + egg + 1 tbsp cheese + salsa - 220
banana - 110
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Pre run lunch:
cottage cheese - 100
2/3 package of edamame - 100
1 pc wheat toast with peanut butter - 230

Snack:
trail mix - 100

Dinner:
1/2 burger (no bun) + 7 fries + beet salad - 500
wine - 160

Total = 1550

Workout:
36 minute run/walk outside. Lots of hills. 3.2 miles. Now I just need to figure out how to not pee my pants on the last stretch. Good times. 36 minutes is 2 minutes under my previous low for my 5K training. Next up is 35 minutes - going to try for it tomorrow on the treadmill. I only felt like I might hurl on two of the hills, which is an improvement from the last time I ran after lunch. :-)

Friday, March 4, 2011

3/4 - Fitness & Nutrition Update

Q&A - do you weigh yourself every day? I'm starting to debate the wisdom of this, although it's something I've done for years. In my case, I generally use the scale to notice trends (trending up, et) so I can quickly correct. However, lately the scale doesn't seem to be telling the entire story (as evidenced here and here) & I'm tempted to move to a 1x/week weigh in - likely Mondays to ensure I stay on track over the weekends. Let me know your thoughts. I know that I'm feeling healthier & more in shape, & my clothes are feeling better, so I'm doing something right, despite what the scale says. :-)

Weight = 155.8. See above. :-)

Food:
1 pc wheat toast + natural peanut butter - 150
strawberries - 20

Snack:
1 pc cheese - 100
1/4 blueberry scone (small) - 75

Lunch:
mexican salad with 1/4 chicken breast & 7 tortilla chips - 350
1/2 plum - 20


Dinner:
pesto, mozzarella & shells casserole - 300
wine - 160

Snack:
trail mix - 100

Total = 1275

Fruits/Vegetables = 2/5

Workout for today:
Total run/walk = 45 minutes
Details:
walk - .25 miles
run - 1.5 miles
walk - .25 miles
run - .5 miles
walk - .25 miles
run - .5 miles
walk - .25 miles

Thursday, March 3, 2011

3/3 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - What is your favorite flavor of nutrition bars (Lara, Luna, etc). I'm currently in love with the Luna White Chocolate Macadamia Nut. I try & eat mostly whole foods, but if I'm going to miss a meal or need a big snack, this is fabulous. YUM.

Weight = 155.8. I briefly saw 154 flicker on the scale this morning. ;-)

Food:
Breakfast:
1 piece wheat toast + egg + 1/2 laughing cow - 180
coffee + milk + fiber - 30
plum - 30

Snack:
Greek yogurt - 110
1/2 luna bar - 85

Lunch:
Healthy veggie pizza from the gym - 375

Snack:
carrots + hummus - 100

Dinner:
Balsamic chicken salad (homemade, small serving of cottage cheese as dressing)- 300
cashews - 80
Wine - 80

Total = 1370
Fruits/Vegetables = 2/6

Workout:
50 minute workout class that focused on strength training & cardio. I loved it & I am so sore that my entire body is shaking. Nice! That means I will definitely be back. :-)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

3/2 - Fitness & Nutrition

Q&A - where is your favorite vacation spot? Mine is a toss up. We love the Oregon coast for casual, family vacations. We adore Las Vegas for glitzier adult-only trips, and Hawaii is my hands down favorite place to go. It's not too far from Seattle, but we're generally only away from the kids for a long weekend, which is a no go for that long of a flight. What about you?

Weight = 155.4 Down. Finally. :-) 2.4 lbs from the weight I was at when I got pregnant with my second child. Woo!

I also wanted to say this about my weight - I'm feeling much better about my lack of progress. Not that I'm giving up or not working hard at losing weight, but I want to recognize that I am feeling so good right now - I'm feeding my body good food, I'm working out, & I have a ton of energy. Being healthy is my number 1 goal. The number on the scale has too much power in my life, so I'm going to try hard to change that & focus on other factors.

In other news, M knows just how to cheer me up. He bought me a bunch of fun stuff at Lululemon, to encourage me in my workouts. Love that guy. :-)

Food:
1/2 wheat bagel with natural peanut butter - 220
1 plum - 40
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
greek yogurt - 100

Lunch (out with M):
1/4 grilled chicken sandwich + 10 fries - 250
1/2 grilled vegetable salad - 200

Snack:
Edamame - 150
Dinner:
2/3 serving corn risotto - 250
1 small piece baked tilapia - 75

Total = 1315
Fruits/Vegetables = 1/6

Workout (this morning! Finally got up early enough to squeeze it in):
20 minutes walking on the treadmill - level 4.2, elevation 2.0. I was incredibly dehydrated (jumped on the treadmill as soon as I was up), which was a mistake. My heart was racing big time. I kept the workout short, but need to figure out improvements going forward so I can be hydrated but not get a side ache (what normally happens if I drink right before I run) in the mornings.

March Goals

In order for me to be successful with my 2011 goals, I need to break them down into smaller tasks & track them monthly. I'm trying to get better at refining my goals each month. Here's the plan for March!

1) No shopping for clothes, shoes, or makeup for myself. Also, no shopping for the kids unless I've already checked their closets & it's something they need (no impulse shopping).
2) Keep variable monthly expenses to $1750.

3) Pay off 401K loan as soon as the money has cleared my account!

4) Log 5500 minutes of cardio workouts in March.

5) Log 150 minutes of strength training in March.

6) Log 100 minutes of stretching in March.

7) Organize and clean my closet. Sort through every item (shoes & clothes) to keep or toss.

8) Have one date with M.

9) Get together with two friends.

10) Add to my list of favorite meals, so that we have 20 compiled by the end of the month.

11) Complete a 2010 family photo album.

12) Read two books.

13) Pack a lunch 12 times in March.

14) Track all spending.

15) Have 10 no spend days.

February Goal Wrap Up

February was a more difficult month than January - it was both a shorter month, & we were on vacation for 4 days. I feel like I need to re-energize to get back on track for March. However, I am going to be paying off about $40K of debt in the next week or so (it was ready in February, but I need to wait for the funds to clear), which will pay off my 401K loan. That is, by far, the best part of the month. Super excited for that. I think the hardest part for me in February is that I lost .8 of a pound. That's it. I was even yesterday, but weighed myself this am & I was down .8 of a pound from February 1st. That's pretty much a heart breaker for me. Enough about that - I've spent plenty of emotional energy on it, & the only thing to do now is dust myself off & focus on ways to change that in March. AND I WILL.

1) No shopping for clothes, shoes, or makeup for myself. Also, no shopping for the kids unless I've already checked their closets & it's something they need (no impulse shopping). - Fail. As noted, in this post, I went to the gym to work out & forgot my pants. I have minimal guilt about this. I'm back on track for this month, but do plan to buy a better sports bra for running. Again, no guilt about this. :-)


2) Keep variable monthly expenses to $1750. - I think we were close, but I didn't track while we were on vacation. Most of our food expenses were already covered, but it's possible that I spent some time at the spa while we were there. We haven't done a very thorough job of detailing where vacation spending comes from, so for now, I'll consider this a semi-success for February. I'll work on the vacation spending going forward to make sure it's all properly accounted for.


3) Save all extra money in my 401K payoff fund. By the end of January, have $12,000 in my 401K snowball fund. - I more than exceeded this goal, thanks to some unexpected income from M. I will have this loan paid off (all $49,500 of it!) in the next week or so. Can't wait!!


4) Log 500 minutes of cardio workouts in February. This should be easy with my ski lessons.-  Achieved! I completed 514 minutes of cardio in February. This is lower than January for a few reasons - shorter month, fewer ski lessons due to poor conditions, and I was on vacation for a few days. Overall, I'm proud that I managed to deliver these numbers for the month.


5) Log 150 minutes of strength training in February. Fail. :-( I only completed 45 minutes of strength training in February, which is even worse than January. Epic fail - I really need to focus on this. 


6) Log 100 minutes of stretching in February. Fail. I only completed 50 minutes of stretching in February. I had originally planned to take pilates or yoga classes, & it never happened. This needs to get kicked into gear in March, and in fact, I've already started adding classes to my calendar.

7) Organize & clean my closet & bedroom - I achieved 1/2 of this - I cleaned & organized my bedroom, but no my closet. Shivers. That's quite a project, so it will be my goal for March.

8) Have one date with M. - Achieved! We went on vacation together, which is like one big extended date. It was fabulous!

9) Get together with two friends. Semi-fail. I had one get lunch, but my other lunch got moved out to yesterday, so it went into March.
10) Create a list of 20 favorite meals. Semi-fail. I'm at 15 right now, so although I added to the list, I didn't hit 20. I think I was overly ambitious for a short month where we were on vacation. :-)


11) Complete a 2010 family photo album. Fail. Did even start on this.

12) Read two books. Achieved! I read 6 books this month.

13) Pack lunch (or eat at home) 16 times this month.- Honestly, I didn't track this & we were on vacation for a few days, but I'm pretty sure I failed at this.


14) Track all spending. Fail. I was doing great until we went on vacation.

15) Have 10 no spend days. - Fail. Again, I think I was overly ambitious for a short month where we were on vacation. :-) I had 5 no spend days in February.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

3/1 - Fitness & Nutrition

Happy March!

Q&A - what is your favorite healthy snack? I'm currently loving hummus & carrots, edamame, or cheese. Cheese .. . yum. :-)

Weight = 156

Food:
Breakfast:
1 piece wheat toast + 1/2 laughing cow + 1 egg - 190
1/2 plum - 20
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
Luna bar - 190
Lunch:
1/2 piece bread, hummus, salad, cottage cheese - 400
small serving frozen yogurt + 1 tbsp mini m&ms - 100

Dinner:
Leftover chicken pastina - 300
roasted brussel sprouts - 60
plum - 40
small salad with light dressing - 50

Total = 1380
Fruit/Vegetables = 2/4

No workout

Monday, February 28, 2011

2/28 - Fitness & Nutrition

Good Morning, all & welcome to the last day of February. We keep getting hit with more snow, so it doesn't look like winter is over any time soon, but a girl can dream.

I'm trying to mix things up & make my daily posts a bit less *dry*. If you have any suggestions on things you'd like to see, please let me know! To start with, I'm going to do a Q&A at the beginning of each post. Since I don't have a backlog of questions, I'll make them up, but happy to answer anything you want to ask. I'm also a horrible photographer, but I'd like to learn & slowly turn this post into one with more visuals, showing what I actually ate. I know the simple list is boring to look at/read.

Q&A:
Where should we go for Memorial Day weekend? My parents have generously agreed to hang out with our boys, so this is our big adult weekend (we generally do 2 a year). We're leaving out of Portland, and can leave on Friday am & return on Monday. We'd love to do Hawaii, but the timeline is too tight. Instead, we're thinking of: Santa Barbara, wine country, or maybe the Oregon Coast. We've never done an adults only trip to our beach house (on the Oregon Coast), so that's definitely an idea as well. Share your thoughts in the comments!

Weight = 156.8. I'm not going to pretend that I'm not frustrated. It's been 2 months of solid eating right & working out, & I'm down just under 8 pounds. That feels unreasonable. That said, I'm definitely feeling better, my clothes fit better, and I feel like I look "tighter/more fit". I'll keep pressing on. :-)

Food:
Breakfast:
yogurt + granola + fruit - 250
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
skinny caramel macchiato - 100

Lunch:
healthy wrap with hummus, cheddar, tomatoes & cucumber - 250
mini Lara bar -100
apple - 80

Snack:
edamame - 150

Dinner:
Corn risotto - 300
1 small piece baked tilapia - 75
Total = 1335
Fruit/vegetables = 4/4

Workout = 35 minutes on the elliptical. Pushed it hard & kept my heart rate at 155+. Level 14.

The mathematical version of the question - why am I not losing weight

This topic is probably getting boring, but I am sitting here, wondering what I'm doing wrong, & hoping you all might have tips for me. :-)

Here's the executive summary. I looked up my weight from exactly one month ago, and it's 156.8. Sadly, the exact same weight that I was at this morning. Down to the ounces. So, this of course means that I stayed exactly the same over the course of a month.

Note that I don't plan to track things this anally every month - just trying to get a handle on my lack of progress in February:
  • I consumed an average of 1546 calories per day. About 50 calories higher than I normally shoot for.
  • I worked out 15 times in February, so just under 4x/week. I did 500+ minutes of cardio, started running, and worked out (IMO) fairly hard.
According to the tools I found online, in order to support my body weight & activity level, I need to consume 2304 calories/day. Given my average daily calories, I should be generating a deficit of 758 calories/day, or what should net out to a 6 lb loss for February. Obviously, this is not the case & I lost nothing. Why? How? I'm SOOOOOOO frustrated.

Here are a few potential reasons I came up with:
-I'm underestimating the amount of calories that I'm consuming
-My metabolism is much slower than the calculator predicts
-The world is against me ;-)

The first option seems the most realistic, but I'm also trying to go by how hungry I feel each night. I would say that my stomach is growling or I'm at least mildly hungry about 95% of the time, so calorie counting aside, I feel like I should be losing weight.

Has anyone else been in this position? Any adivce or tips you could share? The only option I can think of at the moment is cutting back my calories further - possibly to 1300/day? I'm already getting in the best workouts I can on almost every available day, so I don't see much of an opportunity for improvement there.

End of February Net Worth Update

I updated all of my trackers & adjusted our net worth links based on February 28th numbers. Here are the highlights/lowlights:

Highlights:
-We continue to invest in our 401Ks each month, as well as pay down our 401K loans. The market has been pretty eratic, so I think we're about even this month.
-We countinue to pay down our two mortgages, slightly ahead of schedule due to extra payments.

Lowlights:
-Our stock options declined in value again, second month running.

Net result:
Quick summary is that we had no major highlights or lowlights this month, with one exception that I will mention but isn't reflected yet (still waiting for the funds to clear). Due to some unexpected income for M, I'll be paying off my 401K loan this week! This is the best news ever, as it will pay off around $41K of a current liability, and that money will be immediately be funneled into an asset (the 401K). It's a win/win. Love it! Aside from that, our net worth is pretty much the same from last month.

Our net worth as of the end of February is $812,110, which is up $8,606 from last month. Can't wait to see the big change next month based on the 401K loan payoff!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

2/27 - Fitness & Nutrition

Weight = 156.8. Up from yesterday, but not worrying about it. Had a great day.

I'll preface my breakfast by saying that I got about 1/2 of my normal sleep, due to N having nightmares & waking up all through the night. I know food is not a replacement for sleep, but I decided to have a big breakfast to hopefully still power a solid workout this morning. *fingers crossed*

Food:
Breakfast:
1 wheat bagel with peanut butter - 350
fruit - 40
coffee with milk - 30

Lunch:
chicken with pasta - 275
apple - 80

STARVING after my workout, so second lunch:
trail mix - 75
cheese - 100
edamame - 150


Dinner:
1/2 Giada's chicken pastina - 150
2 small pieces of chocolate - 50
wine - 80

subtotal = 1380
fruit/vegetables - 3/4

Workout:
-20 minutes on treadmill. Forgot a crucial item that I need for longer runs. I'll keep this family friendly, but suffice it to say that I'm a mother of two & didn't want any "pooling" on the treadmill while running. I'm pretty sure that's frowned upon at my gym. :-)
-45 minutes on the bike - high intensity. I cranked up my RPMs after my treadmill disappointment, & hit the bike hard - maintaining my heart rate of 155+ for the entire ride.
-15 minutes of weight training (focusing on arms & core)
-15 minutes of stretching. Used the foam roller to bring some relief to my legs, which were screaming in pain from my bike ride.

The calorie counter on the two cardio pieces said I burned 600+. I was soaking & felt like I had a great workout, so I believe it. Love Sundays & the time to work out harder than normal. :-)

Menu Plan Sunday

I made the Chicken with mustard marscapone sauce and it was fabulous! I highly recommend this recipe. The only substitution I made was using light cream cheese in place of the marscapone. It was delicious & will definitely be making its way into our regular rotation. :-)

Lunches:
Sunday - Leftover marscapone chicken marsala
Monday - fruit + lasagna from the freezer
Tuesday - vegetables/hummus + leftover Italian baked chicken
Wednesday - fruit + leftover risotto
Thursday - fruit + lasagna from the freezer
Friday - vegetables/hummus + baked shells
Saturday - cottage cheese + leftover balsamic chicken cutlet
Sunday - fruit, vegetables/hummus + any leftovers that need to be eaten up

Dinner:Sunday (M out of town) - Italian baked chicken and pastina (make 2 - one for the freezer)
Monday - Baked tilapia & sweet corn risotto *
Tuesday - Balsamic chicken cutlet
Wednesday - Baked shells with pesto, mozzarella & meat sauce
Thursday  - Leftover Baked chicken and pastina
Friday - Leftover baked shells with pesto, mozzarella & meat sauce
Saturday - Chicken Dijonnaise (Williams Sonoma French cookbook)
Sunday - Parmesan chicken with orzo

Saturday, February 26, 2011

2/26 - fitness & Nutrition Update

My shift key is sticking, so please excuse any typos. :-)

Weight = 156.2 Only 1.2 lbs from my pre-vacation low last week, & 3.2 lbs from my mini goal of 153. Woo!

Food:
Breakfast:
1/2 wheat bagel + 1/2 laughing cow + morningstar sausage - 250
Coffee + milk + fiber - 30
handful of blueberries - 25

Snack:
cottage cheese + apple - 180

Lunch:
Chicken marsala with pasta - 300

Snack:
trail mix - 150

Dinner:
1/2 Baked sweet potato - 100
vegetables & pita chips with hummus - 100
apple - 80
cottage cheese & small handful of trail mix - 150

Total = 1465
Fruits/Vegetables = 3/5

Workout:
45 minutes on the elliptical, level 14.
15 minutes stretching. I was sore after my run yesterday & want to be in good shape for tomorrow's run.

Friday, February 25, 2011

2/25 - Fitness & Nutrition

Weight = 156.8. Working my way back down to the 155 I hit last week before my vacation. :-)

Food:
Breakfast:
1/2 wheat bagel + 1/2 laughing cow + egg - 230
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
banana muffin & green tea - 150

Lunch:
Chicken marsala/pasta - 275
Smoothie - 160
apple - 80

Snack:
cheese - 100

Dinner (out - Red Robin):
side salad with 1 tsp dressing + cup of tortilla soup + 8 fries - 450
Total = 1475
Fruit/vegetables = 4/6

Workout = treadmill run/walk
2.25 mile run (speed of 5.1 mph)
1 mile walk

I broke my shopping pact

I was at the gym today, all psyched for my big run (I know - 5K - I'm embarassing myself :-)), and I check in my gym bag & . . . I forgot my pants. I know I could have skipped my workout, but knowing lunchtime was the only time today I could make it happen, I bought pants. They frown upon skipping this item at my gym.

And, my gym doesn't carry just any workout clothes - they have exclusively Lululemon. I love me some Lulu, but, it's just a bit spendy. Anyway, I ended up putting $80 (gasp!!!!) on my gift card & walking out with some seriously cute pants.

I had the best workout yet, because I decided that after that giant investment & breaking my pact, I'd better make it worth it.

No massage in March for me (my reward for not shopping each month), but I'm feeling proud of myself for my excellent workout. Win some/lose some. I'm warning you now that I'm going to buy something else, because I'm in desperate need of a better sports bra.

Two questions for those of you who are runners:
1) I need a better sports bra. Any recommendations? I'm a B/C, and I'm currently rocking a Champion, but it's not doing the trick. I've tried to layer two, but it basically cuts off my circulation, so that's a no go.
2) What's a good/reasonable time to shoot for during your first 5K?

Weekend plans & to do's

I always find it so helpful to create a plan for the weekend, so here goes. M is traveling this weekend, so I'm flying solo with the kids. :-)

Goals for the weekend:
  1. Organize my closet.
  2. Freeze and label all current leftovers to make sure they don't end up in the trash.
  3. Make muffins to restock the freezer.
  4. Organize our basement freezer.
  5. Friday run - walk .25 mile, run 1 mile, walk .25 mile, run .75 mile, walk .25 mile, run .5 mile, cool down walk of .25 mile. Total run = 2.25, total walk = 1. I need to train seriously for the 5K - it's in 7 weeks!
  6. Saturday - pilates & weights.
  7. Saturday run - walk .25 miles, run 1 mile, walk .25 mile, run 1 mile, walk .25 mile, run .75 mile, cool down walk of .25 mile. Total run = 2.75, total walk = 1 mile.
  8. Make a double portion of dinner on Sunday for the freezer.
  9. Deal with Kindle.
  10. Call boys college fund company regarding issues with payment being correctly applied.
  11. Eat well & stay relaxed, even when the kiddos make me crazy. :-)
  12. Have fun with the boys.
  13. Track spending for the month.
  14. Brainstorm/research ideas for Memorial Day getaway.
  15. Sunday - weights & run. walk - .25 miles, run 1.10 miles, walk .10 mile, run 1 mile, walk .10 mile, run 1 mile. Total run = 3.10, walk = .45
  16. Find a pilates or yoga class that works next week & schedule it onto my calendar! Schedule all workouts for next week.
I think that's enough. Hope you have a wonderful, fun, & productive weekend!

It's Friday!

I feel like my blog posts have been exceptionally dry lately, so I'm going to try & mix it up today. :-)

Here are my random thoughts & musings for the day.

  1. I'm bitter with Rite Aid. Their stupid UP reward ($20 when you buy $100 worth of qualifying items) is not working for me, despite having spent well over $100. Two phone calls to customer service & I'm so tempted to return everything & move on. Why don't I ever realize what a waste of time this is?
  2. My Kindle is broken. Sad face. Need to call customer support.
  3. I'm obsessed with running blogs lately. I've been thinking that it would be nice to have a "before I turn 40" bucket list, and that doing a marathon might make an appearance. Am I nuts?
  4. I made a crazy yummy dinner last night. It was phenomenal. YUM!! I substituted cream cheese for the marscapone. Giada's chicken with mustard marscapone sauce.
  5. I think that by next week I'll have very exciting news about my number one financial goal of the year (paying off my 401K).
  6. I've been a slacker with organizing this month. Unless I spend some serious time on my closet this weekend, I doubt I'll hit my February goal.
  7. I'm currently wearing Gap skinny jeans, tucked into tall boots (it's icy & snowy here) with a tshirt & a cranberry sweater over it. Plus a black Helly Hansen jacket. And gloves. Brrrr! I may be starting the space heater in my office soon. It's 23 degrees outside, & my window office lets in a total chill.
  8. I'm in love with Hawaii 5-0 & NCIS (LA).
  9. M & I had world's most ridiculous argument yesterday. Over milk. No joke. ;-) It's over now, but I don't think I'll ever forget how silly we were - over milk!
  10. Why is it that I feel amazing when I eat well & work out regularly, but it's still so hard to consistently do both?
  11. I have a count down going on days left at this job. To be fair, this deserves an entire post. I'm torn between guilt for feeling this way (my job is flexible, provides me with stellar benefits & great pay & is an actual career), and joy that I'm finally making a post-current company plan. I've worked here since my junior year in college (internship) & although it's a wonderful employer, it's also a-devote-100%-of-your-mental-energy kind of place. Does that make sense? I've set ridiculously aggressive goals for myself before I can feel comfortable making the switch (paying off both of our 401K loans, paying off our second house, and fully funding the boys college accounts), that are not reasonable, but I'm still working on a master plan.
  12. I plan to bake dozens of muffins this weekend. I love to bake, but I'm not much of a muffin person. M, however, loves them. I freeze them for him, & it's one of my favorite things to do for him. Low effort, high reward. He always says it's the best way to start his day.
  13. I would love to post pictures of my outfits (getting creative on my no shopping year long challenge), but I'm no skinny minny & don't think it would look very good. Also, I don't like the photos where people aren't showing their face, & I'm not ready for a reveal. :-)
And, now you? What are you up to this weekend? Random thoughts & musings of your own?

Thursday, February 24, 2011

2/24 - Fitness & Nutrition

Weight = 157.6. Finally heading back in the right direction.

I'm home with the kids today for a snow day, which always makes the food and exercise piece interesting. My plan is to work out during N's nap. Fingers crossed.

Food:
Breakfast:
oatmeal with blueberries - 200
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
Cashews - 100

Lunch:
cottage cheese - 100
cheese - 100
bread - 80
apple - 80
edamame - 150

Post workout snack:
trail mix - 150

Dinner:
Salad with light dressing - 20
Chicken marsala - 300
Bread/wine - 150
Total = 1460
Fruit/vegetables = 2/4

Workout = fast walk/run for 25 minutes on the treadmill
20 minute walk with the kids

Belated Menu Plan

I'm very late getting this together, due to our vacation & just generally being of my game once we got home. As a result, I'm scrambling every night & struggling to plan out our menu. I decided it was better late than never, so here goes.

I'm just going to tackle dinner plans this time to make this easier:

Dinner:
Thursday -Chicken with mustard marscapone sauce *
Friday (M out of town) - Leftover lasagna
Saturday (M out of town) - Leftover lasagna
Sunday (M out of town) - Italian baked chicken and pastina (make 2 - one for the freezer)
Monday - Baked tilapia & sweet corn risotto
Tuesday - Balsamic chicken cutlet
Wednesday - Baked shells with pesto, mozzarella & meat sauce
Thursday  - Leftover Baked chicken and pastina
Friday - Leftover baked shells
Saturday - Chicken Dijonnaise (Williams Sonoma French cookbook)
Sunday - Parmesan chicken with orzo

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

2/23 - Fitness & Nutrition

I need to lose my post-vacation blues & get back on track. My goal is to be at 150 by the end of March. I know I can do this! I'm going to work on a 1400 calorie (or less) diet for the next few weeks, as well as working out 5x/week. I know I can do this!

Weight = 158

Food:
english muffin + cream cheese + egg - 230
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
muffin - 160

Lunch:
spinach pasta + fresh tomato + parmesan - 300
edamame - 160
apple - 40

Snack:
mini Lara bar (Tropical Fruit Tart flavor)- 100
Dinner:
Wine - 80
Asparagus, broccoli & lasagna - 300
Cheese - 100

Total = 1500

Fruit/Vegetables = 1/6

No workout

2/22 - Fitness & Nutrition

I'm back from vacation today, & having a bit of the post-trip blues. I need to put on my big girl panties & deal with it. :-)

Weight = 157

Food:
Breakfast:
yogurt + granola + fruit - 250

Snack:
latte - 100
bagel with cream cheese - 300

Lunch:
mexican salad, chips, guacamole - 800

Snack:
frozen yogurt + mini m&ms - 200

Subtotal = 1650

Thursday, February 17, 2011

2/17 - Fitness & Nutrition

Weight = 155.8 Back in the 155s. . . finally. :-) Heading out on vacation tomorrow, so need to keep things under control & on track.

Food:
Breakfast:
fruit + yogurt + granola - 260
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
muffin - 150

Lunch:
2 slices of (reasonably healthy) pizza - 300
edamame - 150

Snack:
cheese - 100

Dinner:
cottage cheese - 100
roasted sweet potato - 200

Total = 1290
Fruits/vegetables = 2/4

Workout = 30 minute walk/run on the treadmill

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

2/16 - Fitness & Nutrition

I'm leaving for vacation in two days! Sadly, it's finally stopped raining in Seattle, & it's supposed to rain in Las Vegas. Oh joy. I was hoping to absorb at least a little Vitamin D on my trip. We shall see.

It's also my oldest son's birthday today - Happy 5th Birthday, S! I can't believe how fast you're growing up.

Weight = 156.2. Down a little bit again today.

With regard to my ongoing quest to eat 5 fruits & vegetables, I started researching edamame, and it looks like it does indeed count as a vegetable. Yeah! I love edamame & eat it often for lunch. :-)

Food:
Breakfast:
yogurt + granola + fruit - 250
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
banana muffin - 160

Lunch:
chicken salad- 200
fruit smoothie - 150
handful of pretzels/nuts - 120
Snack:
edamame - 150


Dinner:
pizza - 300
beer - 170

Total = 1570
Fruit/Vegetables = 4/3

Workout = 25 minute walk/run. Post pizza & beer. No bueno.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

2/15 - Fitness & Nutrition

I'm just going to throw it out there - I'm frustrated. I know that weight loss is a slow process, but I'm ready for progress! Part of my frustration is that this is the longest I've ever been consistent & healthy with a weight loss effort. I'm generally much more up & down. 5 days on plan, 3 days off, 4 days on, 6 days off, etc, etc, etc. I think I've had about 6 days where I've eaten more than 1500 calories in 1 1/2 months, & all of those days were only slightly over. In addition, I'm working out consistently.

I've cosidered dropping my calories to 1400, but I'm not very excited about it. I may reconsider if I want to move things along faster, just to stay motivated. More on that later.

Weight = 156.4

Food:
Breakfast:
1/2 wheat bagel + 1/2 laughing cow + egg - 245
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

snack:
banana muffin - 180
1 piece cheese - 100

Lunch:
2 pieces "healthy" barbecue chicken pizza - 300
edamame - 150

Snack:
frozen yogurt + 1 tbsp mini m&ms - 100

Dinner:
cottage cheese - 100
roasted sweet potato - 150
Total = 1355

No workout :-(

Monday, February 14, 2011

2/14 - Fitness & Nutrition

Happy Valentine's Day!

Weight = 156. Getting frustrated by my lack of progress, but holding on. I know I'm eating well & making good choices, so it's just a matter of time before my work is reflected on the scale. :-)

Food:
Breakfast:
yogurt + granola + fruit - 250
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
muffin - 160
cheese - 100

Lunch (out with MR):
cobb salad + bread - 400
wine - 120

Snack:
chex mix + crackers + 1/2 serving cottage cheese - 200

Dinner:
1 pc pizza + edamame - 300


Total = 1560
No workout

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Weekly Spending (2/7-2/13)

My goal for 2011 is to keep my monthly flexible spending (i.e. what I charge on my credit card & includes: groceries, dining out, gifts, clothes, lessons for the kids, etc) to $1750/month. This nets out to around $58/day, which is pretty eye opening. I am regularly overspending the $1750/month, so I need to start keeping a close eye on this figure. Keeping the monthly spending in check is a critical part of paying off my 401K loan in 2011.

Caveat: Last week & the next 3-4 weeks are generally our most expensive weeks of the year. They include: my birthday, both of my kids birthdays, Valentine's Day, etc. For the kids, one is having a friends party, and then we will have an "after party" dinner for all of our family/friends that drove from several hours away to participate. One child is having a water park getaway (we were going to do it anyway, but probably not at this time) and we're meeting friends/family there. Both kids are having a school party (not mandatory, but the school encourages you to bring something on their big day, of course), which means cupcakes for 36ish x2 over the next few weeks. They also both have Valentine's Day parties at school and we need to help with that. Plus meals out for my birthday, and M is taking me to Las Vegas to celebrate my birthday & Valentine's Day. It's not normally this expensive, I promise. ;-)

Monday:
-$38.44 at Rite Aid. Picked up a couple of personal items (shampoo, conditioner, and my Olay lotion I wear. I also picked up an eye cream, since I'm noticing wrinkles for the first time. Oh goodie. ;-)) I also received $10 in Up rewards.

Tuesday:
No spend day!

Wednesday:
No spend day!

Thursday:
+$10 cashed out from a gift card after my massage
-$60 for my birthday lunch with M. I was supposed to use a $30 gift card, but forgot it.
-$113.83 at Costco. We were out of ground beef & tilapia, plus a bunch of produce. We're produce addicts, apparently. We go through *a lot* of volume. :-)
-$27 - exchanged a birthday gift (gym bag & shoes) & got something that was more expensive.
-$20.45 - Gymboree for socks for the kids & a couple of shirts that were super marked down ($2.43 atnd $4.85)
- Big lotion from Aveda. Free for my birthday via an email offer. My son loves the scent (rosemary mint), so he's absconded with it.
- Big philosophy "birthday cake" body wash from Sephora - free for my birthday via their Beauty Insiders program.

Friday:
-$20.07 - grocery store. Picked up items for dessert on Saturday for a dinner part we're having + asparagus & a few more items I need for next week.
-$75.57 at Costco for yard maintenance items. I can't do them justice - M picked them up. ;-)

Saturday:
-$65 for party trays for the evening get together we had. (Family & friends after our kids party)
-$350ish for my son's 5th birthday party. He had a swimming party for his friends and our family & it was an excellent party. I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Sunday:
+$10.14 - party store return
+192.00 - birthday money
-$84.75 - grocery store. Replenished our wine stock after our party, plus finished off what we needed for the goodie bags for my younger son's (N) birthday party. Also picked up cupcake liners.

Total spent for the week = $642.97. Total spent per day = $91.85. Over by nearly double. Yikes - I really need to get this under control next week & going forward!

2/13 - Fitness & Nutrition

Weight = 157. High after yesterday's birthday party/food fest. ;-) Need to get back on track for our weekend vacation  - leaving on Friday!

Food:
Breakfast:
1/2 wheat bagel + 1/2 laughing cow + egg - 260
coffee + milk + fiber - 30
Fruit - 30


Lunch:
1/2 sandwich - 175
pasta salad - 150
handful of crackers - 70
1/4 sandwich - 150

Snack:
handful of nuts - 80

Dinner:
wine - 80
1 taco & 1/8 quesadilla - 300

Total = 1325
Fruits/Vegetables = 2/2
Workout = 27 minute outdoor run/walk

Menu Plan Sunday (2/13-2/21)

We have 4 members of our family - me & M (my lovely husband) & two small kids. Our boys are 5 (S) & (almost) 4 (N).

I made an old favorite chicken parmesan recipe, & it was fabulous. I used tomato sauce from the freezer, and it added just the right punch. I also shredded fresh mozzarella on top, and melted it before serving. Using up leftovers! ;-)

We also tried this Giada recipe last week (we're typically big fans) Grilled Chicken With Spinach Pesto and did not think it was very good. We won't be making it again. I managed to eat some of the leftovers, but M refused & we ended up tossing some.

Lunches:
  • Sunday - Leftover sandwiches & pasta salad from S's family birthday party
  • Monday - Valentine's Day lunch with M
  • Tuesday - Leftover pizza from S's pool party + fruit
  • Wednesday - Leftover pizza from S's pool party + fruit
  • Thursday - Leftover spicy chicken
  • Friday - Grabbing a healthy sandwich from our gym & heading to the airport! :-)
  • Saturday - Out of town
  • Sunday - Out of town
  • Monday - Out of town

Dinners:
*asterisk indicates that it's the first time I'm trying the recipe. I try & post reviews of our favorites in the following week's menu.

2/12 - Fitness & Nutrition Update

Lots of events going on today, so I need to stay focused!

Weight = 156.2

Food:
Breakfast:
1/2 english muffin + egg + 1/2 laughing cow - 180
coffee + milk + fiber - 20

Lunch:
pizza, salad & fruit - 500

Dinner:
1/2 sandwich - 150
pasta salad - 150
wine - 160
Artichoke dip/chips - 300

Total = 1460

No workout

Friday, February 11, 2011

2/11 - Fitness & Nutrition

Weight = 156.8

Food:
Breakfast:
yogurt + granola + blueberries/strawberries - 250
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
bagel with peanut butter - 300

Lunch:
Leftover chicken wrap - 250
cheese - 100

Snack:
1/2 Special K bar - 85

Dinner:
chicken parmesan - 300
wine - 80

Total = 1395
Fruit/vegetables = 2/1

No workout.

Shopping Challenge - need input

If you're a regular reader, you know that I created my own personal "non-shopping" challenge for 2011 (and, December 2010). So far, I have a spotless record. My challenge includes not shopping for any clothes, shoes, or makeup (unless I run out of an essential makeup that I wear every day & don't have a backup in my makeup bag). The exception is running shoes, in the event that I need to replace them before 2012.

Here's my dilemma. M bought me a few fabulous birthday gifts, & they include: a beautiful gym bag, a pair of weekender tennis shoes to replace my very old/falling apart ones (read - not for working out, but the park with the kids, etc), and a new pair of pants for the gym. I have no issues with these items, as they were gifts and not something I bought. If you read the "why" of the challenge, I think it will make sense why gifts are not an issue for me. Nonetheless, I really don't need a replacement gym bag. The one M picked is seriously gorgeous, but I have a functional one that I can continue to use for at least another year. Yesterday I exchanged the gym bag for a gorgeous black hoodie. The hoodie was more expensive than the gym bag, so I payed $21 for it. I can't decide if I want to consider this a problem for the challenge. In theory, I spent my money on clothes, which is a no go. In reality, I exchanged a birthday gift for something that I will use a great deal more than the original gift, which makes me happy. But, I'm having guilt about it & I think I'll return it.

Similarly, M bought me the super cute weekender tennis shoes, but after seeing them in black (vs the white that he chose), I decided that black would be more practical, would stay cleaner, and would last longer. I exchanged them & they were $5 more. I really, really don't want the white ones.

If you were me, what would you do? I'm thinking of exchanging the hoodie & keeping a store credit for next year, but that seems a little draconian - the original gift was a birthday present. I'm really not too tempted to return the shoes. I have no idea why New Balance feels compelled to charge me more for black vs white, but it's the exact gift M intended for me to have, just in another color.

Help a girl out, please, and post your thoughts. :-)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

2/10 - Fitness & Nutrition

Happy Birthday to me! My goal today is to stay on track today - it's my gift to myself to be healthy. :-)

Weight = 156. Down again! 3 pounds away from my the weight I was at when I got pregnant with my second baby.

Food:
Breakfast:
pineapple + granola + milk - 250
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
nonfat latte - 100

Lunch (out):
1/2 blackened turkey wrap & fries - 500
wine - 120
5 bites dessert - 150

Dinner:
Greek salad, 5 french fries, 1/4 cup rice - 400
2/3 cup cake - 200
Total = 1750
Fruit/Vegetables = 1/3

No workout

A perfect birthday

Today is my birthday (35, a big one!) & I woke up feeling like the luckiest lady in the world. They say that age brings wisdom, & for me, I think getting older represents contentment - understanding how truly I lucky am in life. Not material goods or junk that I shove in my closet, but two beautiful, happy, & healthy children, and a man that I love more than anything else. Amazing parents & sister/nephews, friends, family, the list goes on. I'm blessed, & I work hard to remember that, even on the not-so-fun days.

What am I up to today? I'm at work for the first half of the day, and then I'm headed out to meet M for lunch, & getting a massage! I may stop by the mall to pick up a few birthday freebies (Aveda - yum! & Sephora bubble bath) + new socks for my kiddos. I swear that their feet grow overnight. :-)

I am planning to have a few bites of my (free!) dessert at lunch. Tonight the boys have swimming lessons, so I'll be glamming it up at the pool.

And, in honor of the day, I even dressed up. Caveat: my current work environment is extremely casual, so I generally wear flats, jeans & sweaters. I think I'm the only person I've ever seen at the office in a dress or skirt, but I'm embracing it today.
-Purple/cobalt Forever 21 dress (normally my swimsuit coverup)
-Black, long Ann Taylor loft cardigan
-Black Opaque Gap tights
-Black Ann Taylor loft shooties
-A birthstone necklace from M

How do you like to spend your birthday?

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

2/9 - Fitness & Nutrition

Weight = 156.2. Heading down again - looking forward to the 155s! In good news, my only black belt no longer fits. The bad news is that I can't replace it until next January. ;-) I'm going to try & poke a new hole in it tonight, but it's black patent leather, & I'm skeptical of how that might work. I'll report back with my progress.

Food:
Breakfast:
oatmeal + blueberries - 200
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
muffin - 180
chips - 100


Lunch:
leftover fajita with guacamole - 300
1/2 apple - 40
1/2 special k bar -85

Snack:
cheese - 100
1/2 c lemon yogurt with 1 tbsp mini m&ms - 150

Dinner -
nuts -150
1 serving cottage cheese - 100
1/2 cup pesto chicken - 150

Total = 1585

Fruit/Vegetables = 2/2

Workout = 30 min elliptical, level 13
10 minutes strength training

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

On not shopping

It's officially been 70 days since I bought myself any shoes, clothes, accessories, or makeup. And, honestly? It's been freeing. I'm wearing clothes I've had in my closet forever, I'm enjoying getting dressed in the morning, I'm loving updating my budget. But, more than that - I'm redefining what "enough" means for me.  I'm not saying I'll never make a frivolous clothing purchase again. In fact, almost all clothing purchases are frivolous, because we could all theoretically survive with like 2 pair of pants and a couple of shirts.

I'm realizing that it's okay to enjoy putting outfits together, browsing and stores, and shopping. As long as I'm conscious of my own behavior, can afford what I'm spending, and not buying as a subsitute for other emotions.

That said, I've tried hard not to start coveting things this early in the process (I'm not buying anything until 2012), but I have thought of a few things I might like next year.

A wrap or hoodie from lululemon. Yum. http://shop.lululemon.com/Savasana_Wrap/pd/c/550/np/550/p/1107.html

A new pair of workout pants:
http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-228132/pgid-228129#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-238531/pgid-238533

And, a pair of brown boots:
Sutton tall leather flat boots
 
Apologies that the first two are not pictures - couldn't get it to work.
 
If you're embarking on a no spend/spend less challenge, how is it going for you?

2/8 - Fitness & Nutrition

Weight = 156.4. Heading back in the right direction. 3.4 lbs from my mini goal!

Food:
Breakfast:
  • Granola + blueberries + milk - 275
  • coffee + fiber + milk - 30

Snack:
  • 1 piece babybel - 60
  • 1/2 serving trail mix - 75


Lunch:
  • chicken salad + crackers - 300
  • Potato crisps - 200
  • Apple - 80

 Snack:
  • Mini lara bar - 100
Dinner:
  • 1/2 serving grilled chicken with spinach pesto - 152
  • wine - 80
  • crescent roll - 10
Total = 1452
Fruits/Vegetables = 3/2

Workout
15 minute power walk on the track between meetings. Nothing impressive, but it got me outside & my heart pumping. Plus, Vitamin D is good for me, & it's winter in Seattle. Got to take advantage of those small spurts of sunshine. :-)

Monday, February 7, 2011

2/7 - Fitness & Nutrition

Weight = 157.4. How am I up so much? Pushing on & focusing on working harder this week.

Food:
Breakfast:
coffee + milk + fiber - 30
english muffin + 1/2 laughing cow + sausage - 240

Snack:
cheese - 100

Lunch:
leftover homemade pizza - 200
pear - 80
1 pc pistachio bark - 85

Snack:
moose munch - 150
salad with 1 tsp thousand island dressing - 40
1/2 serving trail mix - 75

Dinner:
One fajita - 250
chips & guacamole - 200

Total = 1450

I'm adding back in my fruit/vegetable tracker, because I need it! I want to be eating more whole foods & less snacky junk.
Fruit = 1
Vegetables = 6


Workout = 45 minutes elliptical, level 13

Sunday, February 6, 2011

2/6 - Fitness & Nutrition

The scale was not kind to me this morning.

Weight = 158

Food:
Breakfast:
greek yogurt + granola + blueberries - 260
coffee + milk + fiber - 30

Snack:
latte - 90

Lunch:
cashew chicken salad - 200
crackers - 140
pear - 80

Snack:
hummus dip + pita chips - 150
peanut butter pretzels - 100

Dinner:
edamamae - 160
wine - 120

Snack:
1 hershey's kiss - 25

Subtotal = 1325

Workout = 45 minutes run/walk. I ran 2 milkes/walked 1.25. I'd like to bring that up to run 2.25/walk 1 mile on my next workout. I'm training for a 5K!
10 minutes strength
5 minutes stretch

Weekly spending (1/31-2/6)

My goal for 2011 is to keep my monthly flexible spending (i.e. what I charge on my credit card & includes: groceries, dining out, gifts, clothes, lessons for the kids, etc) to $1750/month. This nets out to around $58/day, which is pretty eye opening. I am regularly overspending the $1750/month, so I need to start keeping a close eye on this figure. Keeping the monthly spending in check is a critical part of paying off my 401K loan in 2011.

Monday:
- $1.50 on a bottled water at work. I forgot my aluminum canteen, and can't survive without water during the day. I'll refill this one multiple times today & bring my trusty one from home tomorrow.
-$1.99 on yogurt covered pretzels
+$8.72 - returned some party stuff that I didn't need.
-$14.11 - picked up more sale Vitamin water at Target (buy 8, get 4 free) + bread & peanut butter for lunches.
Total spent on Monday = $8.88

Tuesday:
- $15.00 at Rite Aid on some snacks. I'm continuing to build my supply of snacks (something we don't normally purchase) for a few parties we are having, items I need to supply for school events, & lunches for skiing for my son. I also received $11 back in UP rewards, so I purchased 8 items for $4, after the rebate. I may go back to get more - a great deal for things like trail mix, etc!
-$98.65 at Costco. Mostly groceries, but $34 for a duffel bag. The rest was the typical array of food: milk, eggs, produce, and a few items to make this dip for Sunday.
Total spend for Tuesday = $113.65

Wednesday:
-$10.25 at Rite Aid for more snacks & contact solution. I will be getting an $8 rebate, & I received $2 in UP rewards, so I basically paid $.25 for 10 bags of trail mix, chex mix, chips & contact solution.

Thursday:
-$8.00 for lunch with a friend.
+$2.00 - refund on a gift card with a very small balance on it.

Total spend for Thursday = $6.00

Friday:
No spend day. Finally. :-)

Saturday:
-$351 for 4 months worth of soccer classes (x2 kids)
-$160.08 at Costco for yard stuff (fertilizer, etc) & a few groceries for a party we're having next weekend. And batteries.
-$14.48 at the dry cleaner. M has to wear suits regularly for work.
-$3.29 for tortillas at the outlet bakery
-$96.76 at the grocery store. Stocking up on beer for a party we're having, and also got both birthday presents for my sons. They have birthdays one month apart & they are almost here. :-)
-$31.87 at Harry & David. Had a huge coupon & wanted to stock up on some favorites. I got $95 worth of items for that price, so it was a steal.
- $950 Valentine's Day present for M. Note that this is 25x what I would normally spend, but there was something very specific that the wanted - a replacement wedding band.
Total spend for Saturday = $1607.48. Gulp.

Sunday:
-$4.34 for coffee/hot chocolate at McDonald's, on the way home from our ill fated ski trip. Groan.

Holy smokes. Spendiest week ever. The boys activities are budgeted for, but happen only quarterly, so that's accounted for. My gift budget is blown by the VDay present, but I have the money in my savings account.

Total spend for the week = $1740.52. Average spend/day = $248.65. :-(

Menu Plan Sunday (2/6-2/13)

We have 4 members of our family - me & M (my lovely husband) & two small kids. Our boys are (almost) 5 & (almost) 4.

Quick review of a new recipe we tried last week - Thai Chicken Pizza. I made 2/3 of the pizza with the Thai Chicken, & pepperoni & cheese for the other 1/3 for the kids. I made my own Thai Peanut Sauce, from this recipe. I thought the pizza was very good. I want to experiment with it a bit more, but it tastes a lot like the California Pizza Kitchen kind.

Lunches:
  • Sunday - Cashew chicken salad on crackers + fruit. Making this dip for the Super Bowl, later in the day.
  • Monday - Leftover Thai Chicken Pizza + cottage cheese & fruit
  • Tuesday - Leftover fajitas
  • Wednesday - Leftover spicy chicken
  • Thursday - Out to lunch with M.
  • Friday - Leftover grilled chicken with pesto
  • Saturday - Pizza party for our oldest son.
  • Sunday - Picnic at the mountain. (S, my oldest son, & I take lessons on Sundays.)

Dinners:
*asterisk indicates that it's the first time I'm trying the recipe. I try & post reviews of our favorites in the following week's menu.