Jump, Hop, Lunge, Leap... SLEEP IN.

Happy Leap Day! This day always intrigues me. Its so elusive! Sometimes its there, sometimes its not! What about all the babies that are born on this day? How frustrating to only have a real birthday every four years! I came across this on pinterest today and it made me laugh.

Love it but it brings up a good point. Leap day is not a real day for those of us who are salaried. We technically work for free on this day since our salary is based on a 365 day calendar not a 366 day calendar. Think about it. No one should have to go to work on this day unless they want to. I should have slept in today like I wanted to! GEH!

Anyway, sorry for the lack of posts lately. Its been an exceptionally busy week. I've been working ever since we got back from the beach. I promise those pictures are coming!

Just not tonight since I have to be at work at 6 am tomorrow. Booooooooo.
 But get excited! Tomorrow is the first day of NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH! woot woot!

Do you hear that? The pillow is calling my name. Over and out.

Kane goes to Doggy Camp

Since moving to Atlanta, this is the very first time we've had to board our dog. It didn't help that the day before we were supposed to go out of town, Kane got sick and paid a visit to the vet. But, after a multitude of instructions and precautions were given to the kennel, we reluctantly left my baby for the weekend. He had a freaking blast. I love this kennel! They are pricey but gave Kane a ton of one on one time and play time in their indoor (heated) pool! They sent us little email updates while we were gone and included pictures of his stay.

Doesn't that look fun!? Obviously he is feeling tons better. I don't think he missed us at all! We had a groupon for 3 nights so it was pretty affordable. He got doggie ice cream on Sunday and they gave him a bath, cleaned his ears and clipped his toenails right before we picked him up. He smells fabulous and is SO soft! I need to ask them what shampoo they use. He was exhausted when he got home and crashed on his bed for the night!

We've already booked them for our trip to Florida and Savannah next month! I know he can't wait!

I'll be posting some pictures of our trip this past weekend to Florida later =)

Sick Computer

So, I totally tried to sit down yesterday after work and post these new pictures of Kane. But when I turned the lap top on it freaked out on me and started flashing all these warnings at me! Everything short of "your computer is going to blow up in 5... 4... 3..."

And then, (cue the scary movie music here)

the dreaded blue screen.

Yes, it happened. I have a virus. I thought I was invincible! I thought: "Nay, I don't need to update my virus software! I'm a careful internet surfer!" I think's its been like 5 years since I updated my virus software. Seriously. And then, things like pinterest came a long and took me to places on the internet I didn't even know exsisted with little blinky ads that I may have accidentally pushed on my way out of there. Sigh. So, needless to say, after 5 hours of a combo of freaking out/installing antivirus/crying a little/trying to undo the virus damage, I am now $40 poorer but fully protected (for 1 year) from trojans, virus, malware and whatever other gobble-dy gook there is out there that wants to hurt my poor lap top. The computer is only about 75% back to normal, but it works and I am now free to post more lovely pictures of Kane and our trip to Florida this past weekend. So stay tuned!!

xoxo!

My poor baby is sick!

Our little Kane is sick again! He started throwing up last night around 10 pm and then didn't stop until about 2 am. He threw up again this morning and while I was at work so I took him to the vet today. Poor thing was dehydrated and weak. They really couldn't pin point exactly what was wrong with him. After an x ray they determined he was likely constipated with possibly another ileus developing! (!!) Not good news considering were going out of town tomorrow and will be boarding him.

The vet decided she would give him some anti nausea medicine and some fluid subcutaneously and we would watch him over the next 24 hours. Yeah, fluid subcutaneously. I didn't even know they could do that! They inject some water under his skin and his tissues absorb it! When the vet brought him out to me, he looked like a hunchback or better yet a camel with all that water!

He isn't doing much better. No throwing up but a lot of abdominal pain. We'll keep you posted.

Week #6 and #7 crafts

Living in an older house, we have some creaks and cracks for sure. There isn't a lot of insulation despite the recent update our house got before we moved in. That lack of insulation has been really noticeable lately with the temperature drops outside. Last week I noticed a giant gap in one of our windows. The construction workers didn't paint it shut so that we would have the option of opening it. That was nice of them but it created one heck of a draft!

 So I decided to make one of those "draft snakes", a piece of fabric sewed up with some sort of material in it such as gravel, sand or rice to block out the draft.

I think it turned out great!
Now for week #7! I have always loved those plastic white wall flowers but never wanted to pay the outrageous price the stores want for them, so while on pinterest a month or so ago, I found a website with a template for paper wall flowers! So, I decided our guest room could really use some wall flower art =)

 voila! more crafts soon!

I'm still alive, promise!

Wow. I have been slacking. 10 days since my last post!? My apologies fellow bloggies. I have been Exhausted lately. Yes Exhausted with a capital E. I have sat down almost every night this week/past weekend to upload my pictures and post them to the blog but I end up falling asleep before I even get the camera plugged into the computer. Its bad. I'm really not sure what my deal is and Hubby is a bit concerned. Maybe it's my lack of caffeine in my system from the detox diet? Maybe my iron is low? Who knows; bottom line, I am determined to blog today, even if it means I have to miss my TV shows tonight.

A lot has happened in my blogging absence so bear with me...

Saturday it was blistering cold! It was like mother nature all of the sudden decided it was winter time and she was going to make sure everyone knew it. I knew we would eventually pay for this mild "winter" we've been having. Hubby bought tickets with a friend from work to go to the Park Tavern Oysterfest on Saturday. Good thing it was an outdoor AND indoor event! It was fun but coooold. My poor little fingers felt like they were going to fall off as I pried open the oyster shells.

Oyster Steam Stations

Inside, it was packed!

They had a couple local bands playing and it was packed! when we couldn't take the cold anymore, We headed to Noche in the Highlands for some tapas. Fun times!

Sunday night after church we had a pretty big scare. Driving through an intersection on the way home, a speeding mustang ran a red light, barely missed my little Honda and rammed right into the side of a grand prix right next to us. Thanks to Hubby's fantastic reaction times, we were spared.  That grand prix could have been us if Hubby hadn't slammed on the breaks before the mustang barreled through the intersection. The guy in the mustang just wasn't paying attention. It was a nasty sight. Thankfully no one was hurt but the mustang was completely undoubtedly totaled, leaking fluid all over the road. The passengers in the grand prix road the ambulance to the hospital but they were more than likely not hurt, just shaken up. No blood, only deployed airbags. I spoke to the operator at 911 and described the scene until the paramedics arrived and Hubby had to give a statement to the police. Crazy night! I have been on edge every time we drive through any intersection since then.

Monday night, The weather was better- not nearly as cold or windy as Saturday and Sunday. I bought tickets to a "Flavor Tripping" party at a local coffee roasting warehouse through Scoutmob. There is a berry from west Africa that has recently gotten a lot of press called the Miracle Berry. When you eat the berry it supposedly binds to your taste buds and makes everything sour taste sweet. This coffee warehouse bought  a bunch of these berries and then set up stations of different foods around for people to try.

Miracle Berry

Food tasting table

Not so sure about tasting a lemon

Hubby and I were pumped (maybe we built it up too much in our heads) and were sadly disappointed in the results. The sour foods tasted... sour. They had lemons, limes, granny smith apples, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, mustard,  salt and vinegar chips, Guinness (supposed to taste like a chocolate milkshake so they say). They berry altered the flavors slightly- making everything taste flat or dull. The Guinness did NOT taste like chocolate milkshake, ...more like flat beer. So, it was a bust but still cool to say we tried it! The best part of the night- Fellini's afterward!!

Yesterday was Valentine's Day (happy belated Valentine's day everyone!) but we didn't have any big plans. I made PF Chang wanna-be tofu lettuce wraps (which were pretty darn good) and we headed to our small group session.

We're planning to go to Parker's on Ponce later this week or next week to celebrate a late Valentine's day. Hope everyone else had a fantastic Valentine's day!! Last week's craft is up next! Stay tuned =)

Week #4 and #5 of 52

 Whoops!!! I just saw that I didn't upload pictures from last week's craft project! So, this is a combined post- which is semi appropriate considering both of the projects are related! Pinterest has inspired me to want to decorate more for Valentine's day. It started with my usual front door attire. We don't have the best of front doors for wreaths and such since it's glass. So, I've gone to hanging the wreath or door decoration on the wall in the sun room instead of the door. My usual valentine door decoration looks pretty pathetic on the wall:

I found a beaded heart wreath at Target that I liked but it was $20 and so VERY cheaply made that I couldn't bring myself to buy it. So I headed to Michael's to get the fixin's to make something like it. I ended up with this:

 

I like it! Not exactly what I had in my head when I started but it does the job and looks better on the wall in the sun room than the other thing!

Now, this week's craft project was Valentine related as well:

I made a cute paper flag garland from scrapbook paper and bought a few unfinished wooden frames from Michael's for $1 a piece, painted them black and printed the letters off the computer to put in each frame! Voila! So there you go, my valentine crafts! Back to regular, non-holiday related craft this week, stay tuned!

Goin' local!

So I am really excited, Hubby and I decided to participate in a local farm box program thanks to an awesome groupon. It's called Nature's Garden Delivered. Its basically like having a little bit of the famer's market delivered right to you! Yesterday we got our first box:

It was a TON of food! All organic, and mostly local. They consider local to mean you can get there by car in one day. So for us, Florida counts! yay! The good part about this company is that they will let you choose the size box you get. There are four choices: Tiny box meant for 1-2 people (probably the perfect one for us), Small box for 2-3 people, Medium box for 3-4 people, and Large box for 4 plus people. We also chose the option to have it delivered every other week so we aren't overwhelmed with a lot of produce!  They have some recipes on their website for what to make with the produce they deliver but I think I may have to hit the web for some idea on how to prepare some of these items (cough cough, collards). I am sure pinterest will be a big help as well.
I'll let you know how it goes!

To Detox or Not to Detox?

So, I am convinced we become addicted to certain foods. Take sugar for example, I will CRAVE sugary foods, desserts, candy etc. especially if I have overindulged several days in a row. The more i eat, the stronger the crave is. Almost the same thing with fatty snacks- if I see someone else eating them I immediately want some and I can't stop thinking about it. What is that!? What is in those foods that makes me feel that way?

Now most of you know I am brutally against all fad diets. They are gimmicks to draw you into spending money on that certain product or that certain book that promises to tell you the secret to weight loss or healthy eating. Baloney. Anything that excludes entire food groups is a BAD idea. But, I ran into the idea of a detox diet the other day and it intrigued me. Not the extreme detox where all you drink is liquids for a week, I am talking about a detox diet that excludes all processed foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. To eat each food in its truest form for a few days and see how you feel. Doesn't sound that bad to me. 

As a disclaimer- I am not endorsing any detox diet. They are not backed up scientifically. No one really knows what these so called "toxins" are that you are "detoxifying" from your body. In fact, that specifically is what your liver and kidneys are for! They filter your blood and take out the stuff your body doesn't need and you excrete it. But, the idea of removing these foods that have such a hold on me for a while sounds nice. Experts say that if you abstain from a habit for 21 days, you will break it. So, I created my own 21 day "detox" diet.

I used this site called Whole Living as my basis for the diet. They suggest a diet that is a little more extreme than I feel is healthy. In their 21 day diet you are supposed to abstain from processed food or beverages, added sugar, dairy, gluten, caffeine, and alcohol. Week 1 states you eat fruits, vegetables, and plant-based fats, including nuts, seeds, and oils only. In Week 2 you add back in seafood, beans and lentils, and organic soy and then in week 3 you add back in gluten-free grains and eggs. Like I said, extreme. I don't want this diet to be a punishment! Nor do I want it to be lacking in nutrients I need- like say protein? I still want to have muscles by the end of this stent. sheesh. I just want to break my weird obsession hold on fatty, bad for you foods.

SO- my version of a 21 day detox diet goes something like this... No processed foods, no added sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol, no bread. Everything else is a go! The no bread rule is mainly because I have gotten a little crazy at work with the rolls and crackers during the day. There just aren't very many options for a health concious vegetarian in the cafeteria. No bread means, basically no bread. I can still have gluten, I can still have oatmeal, tabouleh salad, quinoa etc. And its only for 21 days! come on!

So?? What do you all think?? Is this ridiculous? I am going to lean a little bit more on my dietitian friends for this question. I made a mango and berry smoothis today for breakfast with almond milk. I think i'm going to add some basic protein powder to it tomorrow. I also had green tea in place of coffee.
For my mid morning snack I had almonds and dried apricots.

For lunch I had pinto beans, salad with balsamic vinagrette and green tea
I have a yogurt for later =)

I'll let you know how this goes... so far so good except for the GI discomfort from so much fiber. yikes!