Thursday, March 28, 2013

Great in 8 - Week 7

No loss or gain this week, I’ve been really good at maintaining for the last few weigh-ins! I’ve taken a break from Yoplait Light (because it’s never on sale when I go shopping) and started eating dry cereal for breakfast. I like it because I can eat a little here or there and I don’t have to worry about it going bad if I leave it out. I do look pretty funny when I eat it though, so the fact that my desk is in a little office that doesn’t get a lot of traffic is a plus. I’ll probably go back to yogurt and stock up when it’s on sale, but cereal works for now. I can say that regardless of what I’m eating, breakfast is a huge help in getting my day going. I am not one of those people who can roll out of bed and into the kitchen, but cereal or yogurt or fruit a couple hours after I wake up is a great way to kickstart my metabolism!

I’ve been struggling with not eating or drinking after 8pm and I feel silly losing 5 points each day because I want some Triscuits or chocolate milk. We had a big work event this past Friday and Saturday and at dinner on Friday I was so good and refused dessert because it was served after 8pm. Have you ever had Maggiano’s chocolate cake?! I got to take some leftovers home though, so I was able to get my chocolate fix at a more appropriate time.

Favorite workout song of the week - Mood Rings by Relient K
This gem popped up on Pandora the other day and I sang along as loud as I could. This is a good song to walk/run to, it has a solid beat so you can stay on step. These guys (along with Hellogoodbye!) are coming to town in May, I’m looking forward to it!

Our meals were pretty standard this week, nothing too exciting one way or the other. I can’t believe it’s been almost 8 weeks already. It’ll be April in just a few days, what?! Almost time to bust out my white shoes!

-Jenn

Monday, March 25, 2013

Liebster Award

My friend and former roomie Andria over at Is this awesome? Y/N and Through Feminist Eyes recently gave me a Liebster award! Because I like her and the word Liebster (seriously, I wish I had a friend whose name sounded something like Liebster so I could call him or her that on a regular basis), I’m going to pass it on!

Liebster is German for sweetest, kindest, nicest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, welcome, beloved, or dearest. You don't really win anything tangible, but you get to learn more about the authors of your favorite blogs, plus it's free publicity from those who nominate you. Then you get to pay it forward!




11 facts about me
1) I was a teenage bride
2) I’m oddly possessive of my car
3) I want to watch the sun rise on the east coast and the sun set on the west coast in the same day
4) I could eat Chick-fil-A for every meal for the rest of my life and be totally okay with it
5) I name inanimate objects (car, phone, GPS, etc.)
6) I was a C-section baby
7) I’m allergic to tree nuts but didn’t realize it until after I was married (I seriously thought everyone’s tongue and throat got itchy and swollen after eating cashews or almonds)
8) I wish I could have tattoos
9) I write in all caps because my handwriting’s neater that way
10) My favorite number is 10
11) I’m terrified of blowing up a gas station, so when I fill up I always keep one uncovered hand on my car and one uncovered hand on the gas pump handle, regardless of the weather


11 answers to Andria’s 11 questions
1) What is your favorite type of book to read?
Happy books! Genre doesn’t matter as much as my feelings when I read


2) What is your dream job?
One where I get paid in gourmet chocolate

3) If you could visit any country, which would you visit?
Australia

4) Where do you think you’ll be in ten years?
Hopefully somewhere warm and debt-free, preferably in the Southeast US

5) If your 16-year-old self could see you know, what would he or she think of you?
She’d probably be disappointed to discover that my face still breaks out and that I live in the freaking cold Midwest, but pleasantly surprised with my future-doctor husband and how I decorated our apartment

6) If you could donate one million dollars to any charity, which would it be?
Probably Heifer International because recipients learn how to sustain themselves instead of begging or stealing for food

7) What do you consider to be one of your greatest strengths?
I’m really good at getting out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off, I don’t ever hit snooze

8) If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which would you choose?
A party animal. Who needs sleep?

9) What is your favorite type of music?
Um, maybe "alternative rock or pop" - stuff like Two Door Cinema Club or Andrew McMahon. I don't really know how to label stuff like that. It's good music, it's just not as popular as some of the other stuff out there

10) How old were you when you had your first kiss, and how did it happen?
I was 15, it was in the back of a car after a youth temple trip

11) Who is your favorite figure from history?
Nikola Tesla is pretty awesome


11 blogs I'm nominating
1) Carly over at Gary and Carly
2) Carrie over at Everyday a Holladay
3) Courtney over at M+C
4) Emily over at Zack, Ems and Elise
5) Heather over at The Clares
6) Janey over at Ratto Tales
7) Katie R over at The Rogersons
8) Katie S over at Love, Us
10) Michelle over at Michelle, My Belle
11) Sarah over at Mr. and Mrs. Brunson


My 11 questions for my 11 bloggers
1) In the film adaptation of your life, which actor or actress would you want to be you?
2) How many scars do you have and what are their stories?
3) Aside from childbirth (if applicable), what’s the worst pain you’ve ever been in?
4) What’s your life motto?
5) Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you according to this arbitrary quiz from TeenNick.com?
6) What’s the last thing you ate?

7) If your music selection for the rest of forever was limited to the discography of one artist/group, who would you pick?
8) What’s the best thing you’ve pinned on Pinterest?
9) How many pecks of pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?
10) What’s your favorite holiday?
11) If you were a kitchen utensil/gadget, what would you be?

You don't have to participate if you don't want to, it's just for fun. Enjoy!

-Jenn

Monday, March 18, 2013

Great in 8 - Week 6

I gained a pound this week. But it’s easy to see where it came from. Last Tuesday we had the Sisters over and Daniel made beef and broccoli. Wednesday was Sarah’s birthday so I bought Firehouse for her and and Janey and we had a picnic at school, then we had amazing cake and ice cream later that night. On Thursday we went to Chipotle for dinner with Matt and Courtney, and then we played Zombies and ate pie to celebrate March 14. On Saturday we went to Wendy’s and then on Sunday we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a traditional meal (corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and soda bread) and the Ratto St. Patrick’s dessert, leprechaun pie. And I only walked a couple days because Nic’s parents were in town for spring break so Janey couldn’t stay after work. I did have my Yoplait Light though and I felt much better eating it instead of cereal. Daniel and I are leaning towards IVF right now and I know it’ll take a big toll on my body, so I really need to be better about what I put in my body and what I do to it!

Favorite workout song of the week - One Day by Matisyahu

I used to stretch out to this song after zumba. It’s a nice way to cool down and slow down without listening to something you’d hear in a spa!

Recipe WIN - Celery and peanut butter
That’s it, folks. Nothing fancy, just celery and peanut butter. Maybe some chocolate chips or raisins if you have them around. The end.

-Jenn

Friday, March 15, 2013

Infertility Adventures: LDS Family Services

Daniel’s last spring break is this week, so we decided to take a day to go to Glen Ellyn, IL (a suburb of Chicago) to visit LDS Family Services. The office was in a nice little complex and I was really nervous. I filled out the forms because my handwriting’s usually neater than Daniel’s, but I should’ve let him write because I made several mistakes and had to cross things out more than once.


We met with Mike for about an hour and kind of went through the whole process. It’s tricky because the only certified Wisconsin caseworker left recently, so LDS Family Services can’t be the one stop agency we’d hoped it’d be. However, they can help with the costs of a home study, education classes, etc. The Church has deals worked out with Lutheran Social Services and some Catholic charities so that they can accept the LDSFS services instead of their own agency’s. However, that lengthens the process because the paperwork has to be transferred and filed and everything has to be done a certain way. Mike suggested that we go with another agency but still take advantage of itsaboutlove.org, the Church’s listing of adoptive parents. If we do everything (home study, classes, post-placement visits, etc.) through Lutheran Social Services, it’s $13,500.

I’ll let you take a moment to wipe down your screen after the inevitable spit take that just happened.

That’s about what my entire college experience cost. That’s close to how much we get in loans each year. That’s roughly a round of IVF. And we basically have to double that to not only get a baby, but to show we are financially stable enough to provide for a baby. It’s overwhelming. It’s terrifying. But it can be done. It has been done. We just have to overhaul our budget and save like crazy.

After our meeting, we went to the magical place that is Chick-fil-A. It’d been months since my last fix and I was craving it all morning! The girl who took our order had an adorable Southern accent and when I told her I liked it, she explained that she was working the drive-thru and saw us park and noticed the North Carolina sticker on my car and had switched to register so she could take our order and ask where I got it! She grew up in Greenville and started singing It’s a Small World when I told her I was from Wilmington. She was back at the drive-thru when we left and waved at us through the window. NC love is a beautiful thing!


The rough part now is deciding whether we want to pursue adoption or IVF. I hope and pray every single day that everything will work the way it's supposed to and we won’t have to make that decision right now, but I’m all too aware that we may have to choose sooner rather than later. I’ve been brainstorming ideas for fundraisers because regardless of our choice, we’re going to need some financial help. There are also grants and scholarships for both adoption and IVF, so we’ll try our luck with those too. Either way, it’s going to be an uphill battle and we need to be ready.

-Jenn

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Great in 8 - Week 5

I made it past the halfway point! And I didn’t gain any extra weight! And I ate at Firehouse (again)! Daniel had exams and it snowed so the roads were yucky, so we mostly lounged around the house in the evenings. I did have a fun girl’s night while the boys studied, I really love where I live and the great ladies I get to be friends with!

I didn’t buy my Yoplait Light at the store this week and I noticed. I really like just grabbing one on the way out and eating it at my desk. Sometimes I want to eat as soon as I get in, sometimes I can wait. I had Honey Nut Cheerios before work every morning and it was fine, but I like eating on my own terms much more than being tied down by a bowl and milk!

Favorite workout song of the week - Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard

This album is my go-to summer jam, I love it. This is a fun song and you can run in place or lift weights or do jumping jacks or whatever because you can’t not move when you hear it.

No recipe fails or wins, like I said, it was a pretty boring week. Hopefully next week will be a little more exciting!

-Jenn

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Great in 8 - Week 4

I gained a half pound this week. However, the last thing I ate on Sunday was ice cream, so there you go. I’ve decided that eating a few bad/unhealthy/insert-other-unsavory-adjective-here foods a day isn’t the end of the world. Portion control is your friend! I’d much rather have a little bit of something I want than be mean or irritated because I’m denying myself some extra calories. But beware: I stopped at McDonald’s (judge all you want, I don’t care) after a church function and ordered a Mighty Kids meal and I lost my credit card somewhere between the drive-thru and my living room. A new one’s on it’s way, but it’s still inconvenient. Think hard about your food choices and what will make you happy!

Favorite workout song of the week - Here (In Your Arms) by Hellogoodbye

An oldie, but a goodie. Pretty much anything by these guys is something you can exercise to!

No recipe fail(s) this week!

Recipe WIN - Chicken Awesome
My mom found this recipe in a Kraft Foods magazine several years ago and I named it because it involves chicken and it is awesome. No one came up with a better name, so it stuck. I like this recipe because it tastes good hot off the stove and as chilled leftovers. Win-win!

Ingredients
1 box of whole wheat spaghetti
2-3 chicken breasts, cubed
1 bottle of Light Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame dressing
2 boxes of frozen or 2 heads of fresh broccoli florets
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
1. Prepare spaghetti according to package instructions
2. In large pan on medium-high heat, combine chicken and dressing (½ the bottle, ¾ of the bottle, whatever, but enough to coat the chicken)
3. Cover and cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked and dressing boils (about 10 minutes), stirring every 2-3 minutes
4. Add broccoli to chicken and dressing, simmer for 5-7 minutes
5. Combine spaghetti, chicken, dressing, and broccoli
6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving (optional)

-Jenn

PS: We saw Imagine Dragons on Saturday night and it was awesome! I didn’t take any pictures or videos because we were kind of smashed in the middle and I couldn’t really see much, but the energy was just fantastic. We’re somewhere in here. It was also fun to rock out with Daniel, he had a great time too!