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Archive for November, 2011

Pre-Holiday To-Do List

Posted in Blog, tagged , , , , on November 23, 2011 | 4 Comments »

It’s the day before Thanksgiving! And I’ve got a zillion things I want need to do today.Unfortunately, it seems like it’s been raining for the last 24-hours and the gloomy skies are giving me no motivation to get up and get moving. On the plus side, I already got my Christmas trees up and decorated, which was a time consuming and glitter-filled event. I’m normally not one to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but since no one is going to be at my house and since this my first Holiday season as a homeowner…I couldn’t resist! Pictures to follow after Thanksgiving.

My To-Do List:

  • Exercise
  • Blog
  • Finish my work for the week (I want a long weekend just like everyone else, but no work= no pay!)
  • Take two Exercise Rx quizzes for grad school
  • Pay bills yay!
  • Send out invites to my Ugly Sweater Christmas Party
  • Attempt to figure out the menu for my Ugly Sweater Christmas Party
  • Wrap presents (I’m serious my bedroom is overflowing with presents; I think they’ll look better under the tree)
  • Make muffins (it’s a family tradition to always eat muffins the morning of a holiday)
  • Bake cookies
  • Watch American Horror Story — this show confuses creeps me out, but I love it!
The morning workout:
  • 25 push-ups
  • Crunches with a medicine ball to three songs
  • Two songs worth of bicycles
  • Knee/hip/hamstring stretches
I can’t wait to be completely healed and do something a little more fun!

It’s going to be a long day! Good thing I’m up early.

What will you be doing today to prepare for Thanksgiving? 

What’s your favorite Christmas dessert or appetizer?

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Sidney’s Back!

Posted in Blog, Sports, tagged , , , , , , , on November 22, 2011 | 3 Comments »

With over 250 media credentials and a standing room only sell-out, Sidney Crosby took the ice last night for the first time in in 320 days and I was sitting just five rows back! The crowd was amazing, there were cameras everywhere and the Pens were amazing. Consol Energy Center was probably the loudest I have ever heard it. I’m still pumped! This may be one of the best sporting events I’ve ever been to — keeping in mind I’ve seen AFC Steeler Championship games and the Stanley Cup finals.

Highlights of the Night:

  • Sid was back! 2 Goals, 2 assists
  • Marc-Andre Fleury had a shut-out
  • Pens win 5-0
  • Geno scored
  • I made my Root Sports television debut — for literally two seconds when they scanned the crowd.
The Downfall:
  • Walking about two miles 4 weeks after foot surgery is a terrible idea! As a result, no exercise today just a lot of ice, work and a trip to Target. Am I the only one who can’t make it out of Target without buying multiple things I don’t really need?

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It’s a Hockey Night in Pittsburgh…

Posted in Blog, Sports, tagged , , , , on November 21, 2011 | 2 Comments »

And number 87 (Sidney Crosby) will be back on the ice! I am so excited we got tickets to this game last week before it was announced he was playing. Six rows from the ice for half the price, not a bad deal! Although, we could probably sell them and make a pretty penny. I was so excited when it was announced that I actually jumped up and down, until I realized I was hurting my foot. Oops. I actually couldn’t sleep last night…that’s how exciting this is. I’ve got my Crosby jersey out and ready to go. I wore my 87 jersey to a game a few weeks ago…just because I like it…and the annoying Habs fan behind me asked me if I knew Crosby was injured! Really? This is Pittsburgh and we’ve been Crosby watching since January! It was also kind of sad that she refused to allow her grandson to like the Pens. The poor kid just wanted to be a Pens fan and she insisted if he’s from Montreal, he must be a Habs fan.

To celebrate this huge announcement, I ended up putting my Christmas trees up earlier than planned. I have a black tree with all Penguins, Steeler and Pirate ornaments. The other tree is all browns, blues and off-whites, which matches the color scheme off my house. I’d post pictures, but I still need to make a trip to Target to find a gold star for the top of my “Pittsburgh Tree”.

This morning’s less-than- fun workout:

  • Crunches to two songs with a medicine ball –and I couldn’t seem to find anything I liked.
  • 25 push-ups — I was able to place pressure on my left foot…despite the fact I am now icing it.
  • 3 sets of 15 triceps curls/bicep extensions.
  • My PT exercises for my hamstring, which is kind of bothering me at the moment. I seem to have major issues with staying injury free.

Now, I should probably get back to the work that pays me money, so I can enjoy the holiday! Have a great day!

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Ugly Christmas Sweaters

Posted in Blog, tagged , on November 20, 2011 | 8 Comments »

Mission accomplished! I found the ugliest Christmas sweaters at Gabriel Brothers. My party isn’t til Dec. 17th, but I’m ready to go! Well minus the fact that all have ready is my outfit. My invitations are written out and I’ve got paper products. Otherwise, I have no idea what I’m doing! I’m in desperate need of easy-to-make appetizers and desserts. Any opinions are very much welcome!

And what’s an ugly Christmas sweater without a pair of tacky Christmas socks?

ugly christmas sweaters

 

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Shopping Saturday!

Posted in Blog, Holiday Gift Guide, tagged , , , , , on November 19, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Nothing beats waking up at 8 am on a Saturday to be a human alarm clock (men!). So much for sleeping in on the weekend. Since I’m up and have no chance of going back to bed, might as well be productive right.

The exercise (keep in mind I’m still not supposed to be doing anything crazy and I just needed a little something to get me out of bed and alert!):

  • 2 songs worth of crunches with a medicine ball…it was a country morning even though I’m not much of a country fan. Jason Aldean and Joe Nichols aren’t exactly the kind of songs that get you up and moving in the morning, but that’s okay. I just randomly picked a Pandora station on my iPhone (which I’m pretty sure I didn’t put there) and got at it.
  • 25 cross-legged push-ups.
  • 2 songs worth of bicycles, this time I got a little goofy and selected a Christmas station on Pandora. A workout to Mariah Carey and NSYNC is definitely unique!
The breakfast:
  • Granola
  • Yogurt
I’ve never been much of a breakfast eater…in fact, I never used to eat breakfast at all. So far, I’ve gone 20 days with always eating something for breakfast, which is a challenge for someone who does not like breakfast foods. I’m opened to suggestions, something I can eat quick, tastes great and will actually make me excited about breakfast! Any ideas?

Then it was on to homework…lovely reads about exercise planning for special populations (covered everything from children, to pregnant women to diabetics and everything in between). I can’t believe I’m almost finished with my second Master’s degree.

Now for the fun…Christmas shopping with my sister. We like to be done early…that leaves more time for decorating, wrapping, baking and party planning!

Shopping Trip Highlights:

  • Finished a lot of shopping for my mom (my sister and I do my dad’s and brother’s shopping as well, they do not like malls).
  • The 35 and under event at LOFT. I love a good LOFT sale! Plus I had an additional 20 percent off coupon for opening a credit card.
  • Awesome deals at Bath and Body Works plus I had a gift card so it cost me nothing!
  • 1/2 price holiday drinks at Starbucks…there is just something about those red cups and holiday flavors I can’t resist!

    White chocolate peppermint mocha!

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Adorable Thanksgiving Desserts

Posted in Food Ideas, Recipes, tagged , on November 18, 2011 | 1 Comment »

I found these desserts on lilsugar.com (fitsugar.com linked to it). These desserts are supposed to be for kids, but they are too adorable to pass up. Check them out here.  I wish I had the talents to make all of them.

I do plan on trying these though. I think the younger ones at Thanksgiving will get a kick out of them! I’ll post on my baking experience to follow next week.

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Why I Love Fridays!

Posted in Blog, tagged , , , , , on November 18, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Its finally Friday and can I just say that I love Friday’s. This week has been an awesome week!

  • My incision looks great
  • I don’t have my cast any more
  • I can finally get all the purple market, including my doctor’s initials off my foot
  • I haven’t taken pain medication in five days and I am practically walking like a normal person
  • I got an awesome freelance offer
  • I also go an offer to teach at a community college
  • My Kindle Fire came in the mail!

Pretty exciting week and it’s Friday. Friday’s are the best. I normally end up working for a few hours in the morning (which is awesome). Since the holidays are quickly approaching, I’ll probably head out with my mom this afternoon to do some shopping. Although I got a lot of shopping done online when I has random bouts of insomnia thanks to my post-surgery meds. I also really need to find an ugly Christmas sweater for a party I am hosting in a few weeks (first party ever as a home owner). I’ve tried Goodwill but I just can’t get past the awful smell when you walk in the door!

I’m hoping for a work-free weekend. Here are some potential weekend activities:

  • Light up night in Pittsburgh
  • Ice skating (might not be the best idea given I’m 3.5 weeks out of surgery)
  • Out to dinner
  • Shopping with my sister
  • the Zoo
  • Light up night in my local boro
What do you have planned for this weekend?
Have you ever attended and ugly sweater Christmas party? Where did you get your sweater?

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Baked Spinach, Tomato Pasta

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , on November 17, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole-wheat penne
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 3 cups diced tomato, divided
  • 1 tablespoons dried oregano (or any herb)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3⁄4 cup shredded low- fat cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, about 12 minutes. Rinse penne under cold water and drain; set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add spinach and 2 cups of tomato; cook for 4 minutes, until spinach wilts.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1 cup of tomato, herbs, and salt. Transfer the cooked tomato mixture to the bowl and stir well. Add pasta to tomato mixture and combine thoroughly. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.
  5. Grease bottom of baking dish with remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Pour tomato pasta mixture into dish. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until cheese melts, about 4 more minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Baked spinach and tomato pasta

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The Road to Recovery Continues…

Posted in Blog, tagged , , , , , , , on November 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

I’m at the doctor’s office again. Blogging from a waiting room may be one of the weirdest places to blog from. Everyone in the waiting room is glued to the TV watching whatever soap opera is currently on! I feel like I am making too much noise by typing. I’ve also had a lady ask me when I was graduating High School…I always thought I looked young; but high school seems a bit excessive. Then again, when I had my surgery I had multiple nurses try to yell at my for signing consent forms because they thought I was 16 yrs old. Meanwhile, I probably recited by DOB at least a dozen times that day…I was born in 1985, not 1995!!!!

Do you look young for your age? How old do people normally think you are?

Anyways back to waiting! I cannot wait to see what my foot looks like under these bandages this time. Hopefully better than last time! It’s like unwrapping a very odd present on Christmas morning. I’ll be very excited if I walk out of this office wearing two matching shoes :)

They are calling my name!

Here’s a photo a snapped really quickly…I always have a fear of someone coming in a room when I am taking an odd picture. If I ever get busted, I plan on saying I’m taking a picture for my very curious sister (who is an RN). I think that should get me out of an awkward situation. What do you think?

And the good news is… I walked out of the office wearing my own shoes…no more big, bulky boot!

And then I was pleasantly surprised to come home and find out that I have been hired by a local community college to be an instructor in the community education department!

Have your ever been busted taking an awkward picture for the sake of blogging?

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Staying Organized- Top 10 Tips for Staying Organized

Posted in Blog, Inspiration, tagged , , , on November 16, 2011 | 2 Comments »

How do you stay organized? Personally, I rely on a few things to stay organized: my iPhone, the magnetic calendar on my fridge and a Vera Bradley planner I purchased for five dollars at an outlet sale. While I love this list from simpleorganizedliving.com, here’s my top ten tips for staying organized.

  1. Write it down and put it in your phone. Whether it’s a doctor’s appointment, meeting or coffee with a friend, put it in multiple places so you don’t forget.
  2. Important papers go on the fridge. Tickets to any sporting even that I am afraid of losing stay on the fridge until it’s game day!
  3. Pay your bills as soon as they come in. It’s better than them getting lost in the shuffle.
  4. Do laundry twice a week. Iron and wash during a favorite TV show so it seems like less of a task.
  5. Make to-do lists. If you need to feel productive, write down your daily tasks and cross them off as you go.
  6. Clean your closet out at the start of each season. If it doesn’t fit or you don’t like it, get rid of it. Donate it or if you are looking to make some extra cash resort to eBay.
  7. Log your workouts and meals. Being healthy can make your ever-so-hectic lifestyle a lot easier.
  8. Make a grocery list. If you run out of something, put it on a list. It is much easier than roaming the grocery store aimlessly (and never grocery shop hungry)!
  9. A filing system. I have file folders for all important information — bills, school stuff, freelance contracts, guarantees on appliances, etc… If I need something, I know exactly where to turn.
  10. Clean to your favorite tunes. It’s a workout and can make cleaning much more enjoyable. A clean house is a much happier house.

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