Weekly wine down:

Yea…so I’ve been a little MIA.

Oops. I have no great reason or excuse….just busy getting my ‘2015 on’, you know?

Moving on….here’s a couple of my favorite things I’ve been enjoying the last couple of weeks (ok-months!)

My crave:

I’ve got an abundance of bananas right now and I’ve been craving banana pudding.
I know…you either are a banana pudding lover (mostly southerners) or you aren’t…the hubby hates it and thinks it disgusting. Like, the worst thing ever.
However, the banana pudding that I’m accustomed to making and eating doesn’t exactly fit in with my new year’s plan of getting to ‘my best self.’
So, I researched ‘healthy banana pudding’ and may have to give this one a try…I’ll let all you pudding lovers know how it was.

http://goodenessgracious.com/2013/03/skinny-banana-pudding.html

My best cut:

So, I whacked my hair off a couple of weeks ago.
Yep-this short! Kelly Rippa-ish short!
BEST. DECISION. EVER.
If I’m being honest, I’m just tired of all the work and length and weight and on…and on…
Another one of my ‘resolutions’ is to make things or life more simple…this is a good start for me.
When I left the salon, it looked a lot like this…but, as we know, we can never do our hair as good as the professionals.
I’m still working on styling it to perfection…but I love the cut!
And, if I don’t, it will always grow out.

http://bestpopularhairstyles.com/perfect-short-hairstyles-for-oval-face/

My favorite meal prep:

Going along with that ‘make things more simple’ resolution, I’ve been doing a lot of weekly meal preps.
Weekly meal prep makes my week less stressful when I already have all the groceries bought, veggies roasted/ cooked, and meals thought of.  This leaves time for more important things, like exercise and fitness (another one of my resolutions) and playing with the two pups!
With that said, I think I may have to give this ‘salad in a jar’ a try.
The only problem I have with this, and really any meal prep, is eating the same thing more than 2 times/ week.
It’s mental and I just can’t do it. I have to change it up…somehow…like taking the grilled chicken that I ate on Monday, then put on a salad on Wednesday, to in a stir fry on Thurday…changing the taste completely.
But, I’m willing to give this a try. I know this is perfect for those busy-ier people, than me…like with kids and those that have a commute and travel a lot for work.
(Note; be sure to follow her blog-it’s really good)

http://www.coffeecakeandcardio.com/2015/01/11/mason-jar-asian-chicken-salads/

I hope you are having a fabulous weekend!

Enjoy the ride!

Meaningful Monday: Reflecting

Hi all!
I hope everyone had a nice, pleasant, and low stress Christmas.
It’s the end of the year…again…how does this happen and so quick?!?!?
I swear it gets faster and faster every year.
While I’m still in planning mode for 2015, I thought I would take a look back at 2014, or reflect as seen in pictures.

The second day of January started pretty good as we brought these two cuties home.

They made themselves at home pretty quickly.

We took some puppy training classes, some of us learned….some of us didn’t.

Relaxed in the mountains in the spring
.

Did a little chillaxing in the hammock.

Maybe grabbed a nap, or two

Celebrated a very special 1 year!

Did a little more snuggling in the bed

Went to an awesome concert

Went back to the mountains for Thanksgiving and played in some really cold stuff

And finished the year with a fabulous Christmas!
Wow! What a year!
From the pictures, it seems like a lot of relaxing.
Here’s to hoping for much of the same in 2015!!!

Serve up some cuteness Christmas morning

Have you given any thought to what you may cook on Christmas morning for breakfast?
Tradition for us is to have a mid morning breakfast/ brunch and then do an early Christmas dinner, likely some soup.
Our big dinner is Christmas Eve and on this year’s menu is roasted chicken; carrots and quinoa; sweet potato stackers; green beans; bread; and petite cheesecakes for dessert.
The plan is to keep everything healthy and good…right down to the skinny cheesecakes. We shall see….

But, all bets are off for brunch!

So, if you are in search of a recipe for Christmas morning, I have some ideas (some new, some tried and true):

How cute is this Cinnamon roll Christmas tree? You wouldn’t even have to go to the extra work of making homemade cinnamon rolls (although your family and friends would lovvvveee you for it). You could go the can cinnamon roll route, to save time (and heartache).

Again, is this not adorable and would your kids not think you are the best?

I DO NOT condone powdered sugar doughnuts…EVER…but this was too cute to pass up!
I guess for one day out of the year…we can let the sugar and processed contents of this ‘snack’ slide! (Remember: It’s not breakfast! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…you are setting yourself up for sugar overload all day)

For the adults on Christmas morning, I present to you this delectable concoction, two of my loves: Coffee and amaretto liqueur! (I’m pinning this now! Yum!)

Last but definitely not least….

This is one of my favorites!
I’m not even kidding!!!!
Put everything in the crock pot the night before….let it cook and fill the house with delightful smells all night…and eat the next morning!
It’s a Christmas miracle!!!!!!
I promise…you won’t be disappointed. Divine!

Hope you find these helpful…share with me now……

What are your Christmas traditions?

Be sure to post your yummies to my Facebook page. I would love to see your traditions!

Weekly wine down: For the last minute gifters

6 days.
Just in case you needed to be reminded…6 days is all you have left to do your Christmas shopping.
I am pretty much through with all my shopping, with the exception of a few easy items I want to pick up.
With that said, and the fact that it’s Friday, let’s wine down and start our holiday celebrations early!

To buy (for last-minute shopping):
If you have last-minute people to buy for, might I suggest you purchase something practical at this late point in the game?
How about an on-line gift card?
I know. Some people think gift cards are not personable. I totally disagree. Gift cards allow the person to get what they want…and I really like some of the gift cards below. They are my personal favorite retailers and a gift card from any of them would make me real happy!
It’s easy. Go to the website, buy the gift card online, and it emails the gift card to the recipient, to print or download to the phone.
How cool is that? You didn’t even have to leave your wine or get out of your pj’s.

Starbucks
You can even personalize your Starbucks card and select the amount of the gift you want. Plus, who doesn’t want (or need) more coffee in 2015?

Cabela’s
For the hard to buy boyfriend, dad, or even boss….a Cabela’s gift card. No, you don’t have to have a Cabela’s store to shop the sportsman giant. You can shop online…a gift to make any guy happy. I envision Cabela’s is for men like the Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus is to women of the shopping world….heaven!

Athleta Gift Cards
For the fitness minded gal, she would love an Athleta gift card! LOVE! Take it from me…she would love this! Athleta makes top-notch and durable fitness attire. I don’t have many pieces, but the ones I do have are worth every penny! Definitely one of those items that you ‘get what you pay for’…in a good way.

Barnes & Noble
Got a reader in the family but you don’t have a local B&N store? No problem. Shop online and get them a gift card. No more guessing if they would like the book….they can purchase a book or use the gift card to download books! Whatever! Genius!

 Amazon
This is the perfect gift card, personally, because the recipient can get clothing, books, cookware, food, or even toilet paper. Whatever in the heck they want (or need, in the case of tp).

 To make life easier:
Because we all need life to be a little bit easier around the holidays, right? Well, how about hosting a party and making one of these easy crock pot appetizers?
They look delicious!

 myrecipes.com

 To be the life of the party:
Isn’t this the cutest little Christmas party outfit? Chances are you may have most of the items in your closet (remember that black jacket I recommended you purchase?).
If not, Old Navy has sequin tops like this one for $6 right now!
Seriously….$6!!
If you only wear it once, then….it was $6! You can barely by a drink from Starbucks for that price!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/217932069443953050/

To be festive:
Yum, yum!!! This looks tasty, minus that silly elf! (I can’t stand that stupid elf game thing-I don’t think my dogs would like that Elf either)

http://lipglossandcrayons.com/2014/12/gingerbread-martini/

Happy weekend!

Make it a good one…doing what you do!!!!

Weekly wine down: Sunday, funday!!!

Wow! It’s now Sunday and I’m just finding time to do this post and I have about 3 more things to do today.
Man it was a busy weekend! Do you love or hate those kind of weekends?
I love them in that I get a lot done but they fly by and then it’s Monday. Eek.
At least I managed to get some wine in this weekend and chill a little.
Here’s the latest on the web:

Cranberry eggnog oatmeal
I have this in the crockpot now for weekly breakfasts. I’m pretty excited about it and will let you know the outcome.

The key ingredient players. Btw- that’s almond milk eggnog that I made ( contains egg whites instead of whole eggs) from this recipe for 2 reasons: we don’t drink cows milk and I can’t stand the fact of drinking whole eggs, regardless of how much alcohol is in it. Yuck!
Btw. Santa not required.

<a href="http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Eggnog_Cranberry_Oatmeal"amp;

This is the <a href="http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Eggnog_finished_Oatmeal”>recipe and what it should look like. Yum.

DIY:
I better get started on next years wreath.
See, their is a reason for weekly wine down!

Goodhousekeeping.com

To do, again:
We did this for the year of 2013 and it was really sweet and special to read the notes on 12/31. We wrote down things we were grateful for song the way or something fun and memorable that we did.
It’s a great way to look back at a year of highlights and memories, some sadly forgotten and hen remembers fondly.
I think I may need to bring this back for 2015. It’s a great way to remember to be grateful.
I challenge you to do this for 2015. You won’t regret it.

Happy new week to you!

Remember…life’s a journey, not a race.

Wildcard Wednesday: Decking the halls

Well, I finally got it done!

On Friday evening, we made the long trek (1.7 miles) to the Christmas tree lot to purchase our tree for the year.

I had already decided I wanted to do a much smaller tree this year (think table top). Smaller trees require less lights, less ornaments, and less aggravation.

It took all of 5 minutes to pick out our tree (hey, we had pizza to pick up) and we headed home. It turned out to be a little bigger than table top, but still smaller than years past (I remember we use to have a 9′ tree-who the heck decorated that???? those were the young days).

We got the tree in the house…and…there it stood until Saturday evening…when I finally got motivated to get the lights on it and get it decorated. (honestly, I wanted it done before the weekend was over and refused to let it occupy all of my Sunday time-great attitude, right? Just keeping it real folks!)

I’m still trying to figure out why I’m not completely and totally in the Christmas spirit this year. I can’t come up with any real answers. Up until this week, the weather played a huge role, as it was a nice, balmy 75+ degrees for a straight week. That’s not necessarily Christmas weather. But then it cooled off and has been nothing shy of perfect this week. Cool enough for scarves, hot drinks, fires, boots, and sweaters…but not frigid.

I’ve heard several people this week make comments about how they, too, aren’t in the spirit as much this year.

I don’t know. Maybe things have just been too busy lately….

Anyway…so, here’s my Christmas 2014 home tour, along with some inspiration and cuteness.

 

I absolutely adore my little pillow cover from Craftberrybush.com. This was a Facebook find and I could not be more excited! Plus, it was only $20. Win win!!! (Psst-be sure to check out her home page-her Christmas decorations are simply beautiful!)
I’ve come to realize in the last year that I have a pillow fetish, meaning that I have wayyyyy too many pillows. I think I like pillows because they can change a room’s mood and tone instantly and you can change them out with the seasons.
So, anytime I find (or make) a favorite pillow cover, I’m sold! Bonus!

My dear made it to my mantle this year. Thanks Target!
Oh…and the 2 cute sweater stockings for the little ones….Lucy and Desi.
(Note: we had to move the stockings the other morning to turn on the fireplace and I put the stockings under the tree-I came back from the kitchen and Lucy was chewing on her ‘L’ and Desi had already chewed off one of the balls on the stocking-nice! Geez!)

My tree…and one cute doggie, looking all serious.
You can’t tell from these horrible iPhone pictures but that’s kind of a squatty tree…in a silver pail (or bucket)…with a gigantic star!!!!
Apparently, putting your tree in a pail, barrel, or box this year is all the trend.
This is actually the picture on a blog where I got my inspiration from, Littlemissmomma.com.
When I saw her cute, little squatty tree (her words, not mine) in that pail, I had to do it!Heck, I even got my man on board. He thought it was a great idea (likely to hold beer later)!
Anyway, I love her blog. She’s so real and honest about her experiences as a mom and a wife. Plus, she’s got great fashion style and she’s cute! Jump on over and read a couple of her posts. I promise you will be hooked!

Of course I couldn’t give you a Christmas post without showing you some of my Christmas pups!

Let’s hope they are this calm on Saturday when they get their pictures made with Santa!

That’s it…have a great evening!

Weekly ‘wine’ down:Yes…more food and drinks! It’s Christmas…why not?

Wow!
Another week in December has gone by and I STILL don’t have my tree up!
“Tonight’s the night”….as Rod Stewart use to say (except I don’t think he was talking about stringing lights 🙂 .
Yep…I’m going to turn the a/c down so it can be cold enough to use the fireplace; put on Christmas vacation; grab a hot totty; and start stringing some lights.
Good lord I hate this task.
I’m not sure how much more than the tree will go up this year. It’s all just sometimes too much, you know?

Anyway, let’s ‘wine’ down (or wine up for me-my weekend starts now) from the week and enjoy some favorites:

To cook:

I’ve talked about using the slow cooker on here before and I adore mine.
But, I have worried, or thought, about turning it on while I’m out of the house.
I mean, I do have 2 adorable precious assets to protect….Lucy and Desi.
So, this article was one of those light bulb moments, or rather duh-huh moments.
I think I will do this next week…at night.

http://www.thekitchn.com/why-i-cook-my-slow-cooker-meals-overnight-213532

To feast on:

Oh. my.gosh.
Have you seen these delicious looking morsels filled with great goodness made by Nestle? They look divine.
Since I have some big (BIG) plans for 2015, I better go ahead and make one of these now.
Because everything you eat from now until January 1 doesn’t count anyway, right?

http://veryculinary.com/2014/12/02/deep-dish-chocolate-caramel-cookies/

To dream:

Have you been following my daily FB share of homes decorated for Christmas ? These bloggers offer true inspiration and, hopefully for me, motivation…to get my butt moving!
Seriously, they treat this stuff seriously!
I’m thinking they start decorating in early November, right?
Here’s one of my favorites.
I love the simplicity, shabby, and flannel styles and fabrics used for decorating. So classic Christmas and winter-y.

http://www.bhg.com/blogs/better-homes-and-gardens-style-blog/2014/11/25/vintage-christmas-12-fabulous-festive-styling-ideas/

To make…now:

This is my drink for the evening/ weekend.
Btw-a favorite food blogger- she’s got some great recipes

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/peppermint-white-hot-chocolate-recipe/

Happy weekend friends!

Enjoy the journey………………………….

Meaningful Monday: Awaken your brain

I had big plans last week, in terms of this blog.

And, then….they just didn’t happen.

Instead, this happened…

 

(that’s a picture of nothing happening, btw- total relaxation)

I apologize for only squeezing out one post last week, even though I was on vacation and had PLENTY of time to write some really good ones.

I will attempt to get back on a normal schedule this week.

But, as I sat and thought about why I didn’t write last week, I thought of this blog’s title and contents……

the importance of a ‘real’ vacation

I say ‘real’ because I mean having no worries; no schedules; no deadlines; and no routines. A total ‘turning off’ of the social world (even though I did catch up on my daily FB feeds); getting far away, even if it’s in a remote area; and turning off the noise around you, to hear the waterfall or the birds or the ‘nothing’.

I admit, that this is kind of hard for us ‘type A’ personalities to do…not have a schedule, even on vacation.

But, when we do it, we do it 100% and come back feeling relaxed, refreshed, and re-energized!

Why vacate:
This most recent post article stated that 40% of Americans don’t use all of their allocated vacation days.

What?

I cannot imagine this as I use all of mine. In fact, I already have mine planned for next year (sort of).

I have listed some highlights from the article on why you should take those vacation days allocated to you, to which I’ve added some insight:

1-Your body needs a break, as restoration is importantI believe not only is it important to vacate work, but it’s also important to vacate your exercise program, sometimes called rest days-Now, I would never condone lying on the couch,  not moving for 7 days. But, taking a break from running, the gym, etc…can do your body good-I managed to squeeze in 3 good and strenuous mountain hikes while we were gone-they were thought of hikes or pleasure walks or getting some fresh air rather than exercise and that made them extra special

2-Letting your brain ‘day dream’ allows you to better solve problems and be more creative-I agree with the article in that I’m always on task oriented mode, from work projects, to volunteer projects to my workout routine to planning out meals for eating healthy-the downtime I had on vacation, where I didn’t work or plan, just played, will surely allow me to be more creative and insightful going into this next week

3-The more (shorter) vacations you take, the merrier you will be–I 100% believe in this-This is why I often use my vacation days for long weekends, especially around holidays-  these ‘mini vacations’ allow me to unwind and recharge in a ‘mini’ kind of way – as the article says, ‘spread out the happiness’!

 

 

One other article had these ideas to offer;

1-Taking a vacation will help you live 20% longer-Yes! Anything to live longer, correct?

2-Women who take 2 or more vacations per year are less likely to be depressed, tired, or unhappy with their marriage-I  believe that alone time with your spouse, even if you have kids and can only get away for an evening or night, is necessary to revive a marriage, to let all the worries of normal life go, and to just relax and rekindle why you 2 got together in the first place

3-You get to be a kid again, in that you don’t have a schedule or routine –I have honestly never looked at it like this but I suppose it’s 100% accurate-this is why we thoroughly enjoyed our hikes and our time playing in the snow this past week…we were able to let all of it go and just be a kid!

 

With that said, you still have time to take those vacations and be a kid..don’t let your company keep the time you’ve earned!

If you work for a company that gives you vacation time, they give it to you for a reason…so you can be the best employee and come back feeling refreshed and alive!

Did you take a vacation this year? Where did you go?

If not, why? (You know you don’t really have to go anywhere…’staycations’ are the thing now!)

 

 
Wow! This could certainly revive and refresh one’s brain!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wildcard Wednesday: Get your gobble on

 

So, tomorrow is the big Turkey Day!

Did you know that

• 46 million turkeys are consumed each year on Thanksgiving
• turkey consumption has increased 110% in the USA since 1970 (104% in the world)
• the turkey industry alone employs 20,000 people in the USA
• in 1970, 50% of all turkeys consumed during the year were on Thanksgiving Day-now, just 29% is consumed on Thanksgiving meaning that more Turkey is consumed all year long

Wow! That’s a lot of turkey talk!
Without going all PETA on you, I will say just think about that…one single day…46 million. That’s a lot of birds to raise, kill, and eat on one single day.

In the past, the main bird has gotten a bad rap health wise. However, clarification needs to be made or understood……………………….

TURKEY IS NOT BAD FOR YOU

As you may have guess, it’s actually all the other sugar-laden, 5 cheese, bread topped sides you consume that are bad for you (and that add to that turkey coma)!

Here are some turkey tips: (source)

The pros

• Turkey is a rich source of protein.
• Skinless turkey is low in fat. White meat is lower in kilojoules and has less fat than the dark meat. A typical turkey consists of 70 per cent white meat and 30 per cent dark meat.
• Turkey meat is a source of iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorus.
• It is also a source of vitamin B6 and niacin, which are both essential for the body’s energy production.
• Regular turkey consumption can help lower cholesterol levels. The meat is low-GI and can help keep insulin levels stable.
• Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which produces serotonin and plays an important role in strengthening the immune system.
• It is also a source of selenium, which is essential for thyroid hormone metabolism. It also boosts immunity and acts as an antioxidant.

The cons

• Turkey can be high in sodium.
• Some meat, particularly prepackaged slices, can be processed and contain other substances.
• Turkey skin is high in fat.
• Research suggests large amounts of tryptophan can make you sleepy.

 

So, besides my most recent tips for battling post Turkey coma that I posted this week on my facebook page (seen here–be sure and like my page!), I offer this solution to ensuring that you have a balanced meal on turkey day that will leave you feeling satisfied and full…….

Offer to bring a side to the gathering

Revolutionary, I know, and quite possibly it’s not an option to bring a side.

But, if you do, why not make it a nice, healthy side that offers the same great tasting punch as those 5 cheese maccaroni’s that Aunt “what’s her name?” brings…..

Here are some of my favorite, tried and tested, sides that I promise will make your family & friends say “this is healthy?” Say whatttttt??????

Parmesan Lemon zucchini

Seriously…this zuchinni is so great and easy to make…prep the zuke slices ahead of time…then saute up! I ensure you they will be all gone!

 

crash hot potatoes

These are fantastic (a repeat in our household),  especially piping hot out of the oven. Boil them up (even in the micro if you are short on time or energy), smash them, drizzle with oil and spices, and then pop them in the oven 15 mins before T-day time! They will be devoured. I promise! (btw-potatoes aren’t bad for you either 🙂 )

 

http://iowagirleats.com/2014/03/05/creamy-parmesan-garlic-quinoa/

Surprise everyone at the gathering by bringing quinoa! I bet you there’s one person that is curious about quinoa’s taste (and added complete source of protein healthiness). Shock them with this delicious parmesan garlic quinoa that goes from pot to table in 20 minutes! Yummo!

Is this not the cutest thing ever?
Surely, if they don’t think it’s cute they will love the apples and caramel? Who doesn’t love caramel apples for T-Day and fall?!?!?!?

Have a great holiday all!

Watch your portions, enjoy some protein, and most of give thanks to the many wonderful loving people around you sharing the day with you.
Because, without friends and family, what do you have?

As always, the opinions of the recipes above are all my own-all references have been linked-I was not compensated to promote any of these recipes or products-I simply have tried the recipes and love them, along with turkey-gobble, gobble!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly ‘wine’ down: A potato, a fat, and a reminder

Wine? What’s that? It’s been so long!
I didn’t realize that my juicing experiment didn’t include the juicing of grapes? 🙂
Jk-But, I will be looking forward to that one glass of red wine that I intend to thoroughly enjoy come Friday evening.

In the meantime, let’s highlight some of our favs from the internet this week:

WARNING: This post could be all about food and the foods I’m currently craving…since, you know, I haven’t had a lot of solids all week!

 

To eat:

Do you love avocados? I do and I’ve been eating the heck out of them this week (one/ day)!
Don’t be worried about the fats. They are good for you fats.
This may look funny…eggs, with whole wheat toast and avocado…but, trust me, it’s delicious!
Plus, you get heathy fats, protein from eggs and avacado, whole grains, and enough carbs to carry you through mid-morning!
Simply a perfect start to the morning.

http://www.alagraham.com/2013/03/egg-and-avocado-toast-clean-eating.html

To DIY:

This is a really great, and looks easy, idea for homemade Christmas gifts!
Creative, homemade gifts are the best to receive. It means you put some thought, effort and time into it.
Will you be making any homemade gifts this season?

http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/2014/11/handmade-gifts-lotion-bars/

To crave:
I’m craving sweet potatoes!
That’s not a bad thing, right?
These don’t look the healthiest but alongside some brocoli and chicken or fish they could surely fit the bill of a perfect meal!
Or, they could be that side you are looking for Thanksgiving!
Any time of the day…yummo!
Let me know if you try them out….before me.:)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/twice-baked-sweet-potatoes-recipe.html?soc=sharingpinterest

To think about:

Isn’t this the truth?
I was reminded of this quote just this week when a friend of ours passed away unexpectedly…just one evening after dinner….at age 50!
So young. So much left to do and live.
I can only imagine the heartache his parents, siblings, children, and dear friends are facing this week.
Death…it’s so final.
So eternal.
So gone….forever.
You don’t get that chance to re-do…do the things you missed out on…undo the things you did wrong….
You really have just a short time here on earth….who know’s how long or short.
Make the most of this time…and remember this quote.

Sorry to get so philosophical on you….we just all need to be reminded of this every once in a while.

Here’s to a great weekend friends!

I’ll be back on Monday with my juicing experiment final wrap up! I know you are on pins and needles in anticipation…..

In the meantime…enjoy this picture of our 2014 People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive!

(Nice necklace, btw! …..Made you look)
I think the media finally got something right!!!!!
Word was this was who originally was thought to play Christian Grey in the book turned movie 50 Shades of Grey!
He would have been perfect!!! Grrrr……

That’s better looking than those sweet potatoes up there…..nah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ENJOY THE JOURNEY!!!!!!!