Christmas Recap Part 1

FYI, I do not have a smartphone and therefore the rate at which pictures can be added to my blog is less than ideal. I would apologize and promise to get a smartphone soon, but that would be silly!

Here are a few highlights of the last few days.

• I got a Garmin for Christmas! (which deserves its own separate post)
• In-law's flew into town last week; we have been spending a lot of time with them
• Three separate shindigs with the same group of people (my family, my in-laws, and my MIL's sister's family)... I'm sure everyone is partied-out
• Tons of food (and leftovers), sweets, and fun
• Everyone is healthy, safe, and happy. Couldn't ask for more this Christmas!

Sipping my yummy caramel latte from Panera Bread as we wait at the airport:

Finally! We got to enjoy the balsamic vinegar we purchased back when we went wine tasting during the summer. DELISH and I'm bummed the bottle is almost out...

Shindig #1: Parents sitting around the dining table while the young ones played Mario Party. Major laughter and competition going on.

The End of the World

We made it to December 21, 2012. Hooray!

What a better way to spend what would have been the end of the world than with our families. Tonight will be a small get together with our nearest and dearest.

Heartbroken, hopeful.

Friday's tragedy at Sandy Hook has hit me really hard. I feel so shaken by the reality of what happened. A ton of thoughts flood my mind: the heartache of these families, the trauma of the survivors, the questions of the nation. There are two blog posts I read the other day, which I was grateful for because I share the same feelings and thoughts of these writers:

I'm sorry.

Now.

And the read that really made my heart sink was written by a mother whose son struggles with a mental illness. She wrote this piece so well and it looks like it has gotten around. There is hope that more and more people are understanding that there is a bigger problem our nation faces. Hopefully leaders are touched with these cries for help, causing them to bravely point their efforts in a better direction to prevent tragedies in the future.

Here is the link: Thinking the Unthinkable

Sweet Tooth

TheHungryRunnerGirl is influencing me to eat sweets galore. Here are some delicious treats added to my life this past weekend.

#1: Hot chocolate cookies. HungryRunnerGirl told her readers we had to make them, so make them I did (you can find recipe on the link). YUM! Although they are super rich, so I can't have so many. The hubby on the other hand would have probably eaten them all if he didn't have to share with me and my sister.

#2: BJ's Red Velvet Pazookie. Picture says it all. I've had pazookies before, but thank you, G & M, for introducing me to this flavor!



#3: Cocoa Drizzled Kettle Corn. Bought this from Trader Joe's. Super addicting and tasting, although note to self: I can make this myself! My mom usually gets us kettle corn (tastes exactly the same) from the farmer's market and I can just drizzle melted chocolate myself. But thank you, TJ's, for the idea :)

12-12-12

Today is 12-12-12! The last day we will see repeating numbers in the date for a while. Pictures at 12:12 pm plus a reason to try new Trader Joe goodies...

 

Here I am at precisely 12:12 pm:

Mom took a pic, too!

And sister:

I am not always so professional looking... I had to give a presentation today at work! And what's a presentation without goodies? Amazing butter waffle cookies and salt water taffy from Trader Joe's. Love an excuse to try new things at my favorite store!

Yum!

Sesame Chicken

Tonight's menu: sesame chicken with roasted broccoli and brown rice. Dinner is served! Recipe below.

Lighter Sesame Chicken

Modified from Iowa Girl Eats

Serves 2

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup brown rice

·         2 cups broccoli florets

·         1 egg white

·         2 Tablespoons cornstarch

·         2 small chicken breasts (12oz), cut into 2″ pieces

·         salt & pepper

·         1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

·         2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

·         2-1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce

·         1/4 cup honey

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         2 green onions, chopped

Instructions

·         Roast or steam broccoli until crisp tender, then set aside (directions for roasting from Can You Stay for Dinner?).

·         Prepare rice according to package directions.

·         In a large bowl, whisk together egg white and cornstarch until smooth.

·         Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper then add to egg white mixture and toss to evenly coat.

·         Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then carefully add chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked through.

·         Meanwhile, combine sesame seeds, soy sauce, honey, and garlic together in a small bowl then set aside.

·         Turn off heat and remove skillet from burner. Add prepared sauce and green onions then toss to combine. Stir in broccoli, then scoop mixture into bowls over cooked rice.

Long hair, don't care!

Or should I? I don't remember the last time it's been this long... Stay tuned for an after-haircut picture! (By the way, taking a picture behind myself was a challenge!)

RESULTS: Elk Grove 2012 5K Fun Run Series #4

This just in... I finished in 26:05 and placed first in my age division! I also had to tie my shoe sometime during mile 2. And I biked 4.8 miles on the way to the race from home (and had to bike back... whew!).

It was a super small, local race. Maybe not even 200 people? But it was a lot of fun and proceeds benefited the Elk Grove Food Bank. Always nice to help a good cause. I am so excited that I beat my goal time of a sub 30 and now I look forward to completing all four 5Ks in the series in 2013! However, I sure was POOPED afterward. I am going to stick to 5Ks for now. It is a good distance where I am not in major pain afterward and it will be fun trying to beat my time with each new race. I believe they say, "PR?" :)

I also want to add that Hubby is the best #1 fan in the whole wide world. He woke up to bike with me to the race, support me, and take pictures. He is even going to try and run the next 5K, too!

I'm running a 5K!

My first 5K race ever - I usually walk them. This is also my first race since the Shamrock. Here's the course I'll be running tomorrow! Super excited, anxious, and nervous.

Frosty December

Christmas, Christ's birth, more food, snowboarding, rain, wind, snow, hot chocolate, chai tea lattes, warm blankets, extra socks, the end of 2012, and New Year's Eve. December is here!

My new desktop background from Leelou's Blog:

Girl's Day!

Our Fab-5-Day-O-Fun in San Francisco!

Lovejoy's Tea Room

Burke Williams Day Spa

Westfield Galleria

Osha Thai Restaurant

Collage made by MBQ:

Three Gatekeepers

From Suze Orman in "How to Push Past Your Money Fears Once and for All"

"I told her about an incredible teacher I studied with years ago, who taught me a simple method for measuring the integrity of my actions. Imagine three gatekeepers standing between you and the actions you want to take or the things you want to purchase, or even the things you want to say. Each of these gatekeepers represents one question:

                 Is it kind?

                   Is it necessary?

                     Is it true?

To this day, I check in with these gatekeepers when I'm unsure about my course of action. And if it doesn't pass one of the gatekeepers—if the purchase isn't really necessary or the word isn't kind or the action true—I know I need to stop and rethink what I'm doing."

BOGO Starbucks!

Hello, Caramel Brulée Latte!

It was BOGO today...woot!

Quote

"It's better to do what is right than what is easy."

Friday Thoughts

1.    My Papa (mom's dad) is having some challenges with his health. Thoughts and prayers going out to him and Mama and all of the wonderful people helping them out. They live in the Philippines and I really wish I could visit soon.

2.    The colder/gloomier weather is slowly getting to me. I am a summer gal and so that means I start to get a little down during this time of the year.

3.    Why not squeeze in a blog post every so often, even though I'm such a perfectionist and would rather wait until I have a better idea for a post and the best pictures to add and time to really write a good post and edit it? After all, this blog is for me to just blabber away, express myself, and talk to myself.

4.    Busy weekend ahead: Cheering on my friend in the musical, Annie, possible shopping trip w/ the mom & sister, and... finally... Apple Hill on Sunday!!!

Running Goals

1. Get GOO (or gummies). I keep reading more and more that these pro runners use them to fuel themselves.
2. RICE after all runs (rest, ice, compression, elevate). Recovery is key!
3. Eat well and get enough sleep/rest. My co-worker said she had one of her best runs lately (14+ miles – don’t fret, she’s training for the CIM lol…) b/c she had enough sleep the previous night, she ate a big breakfast and hydrated before her run.
4. Get compression socks (cannot believe how much $ they are) – I think the idea is to lessen the hurt your legs go through as you run. Maybe for now I’ll wear tube socks =P
5. Get better shoes (specifically a half size bigger! Mel can relate lol). But also get the “right” shoes by going to Fleet Feet or Running Zone and having them recommend the right shoes

Sweet November

Something about this new month makes me happy. I am typically a summer gal, but the thought that pretty autumn leaves, salted caramel hot chocolates, and Christmas tunes will soon surround me makes me just plain happy.

Happy November First! :)

My cute desktop, thanks to Leelou Blogs:

Baked Egg Cups

In honor of hosting Sarah & Aaron... Baked egg cups! Recipe from Simple Delights.

It's fun to take pictures of the set-up :)

Must try harder...

This is what my desk looks like...

...and this is how I feel.

C'mon, motivation! Please kick in........... now!!!

Stir-Fry

Ta-Da! I have mastered a basic stir-fry. It's even vegetarian! Tofu, broccoli, carrots, onions, and of course gotta have the minced garlic. No recipe because I actually make it up as I go (cannot believe I am saying those words).

Style: Work Outfits

I thought it would be fun to chronicle my own fashion choices from day to day. Whether it helps me make better decisions on what to pull out of my closet (or what hairdo to put on), I think it will be fun looking back at my style years from now.  

For starters, here are a few of my outfits from work.

Yesterday's Work Outfit:

Plain white tee (H&M), jeweled necklace (old), olive green pencil skirt (H&M), belt (Forever 21), flats (Payless)

My hair is naturally wavy (the waves first made their appearance in 6th grade). It has been a battle all my life to figure out what to do with this thick, unruly hair. My "go-to" style is this look of natural waves, which I simply air dried, added mousse and hair spray, and loosely curled the front guys who seem to have a mind of their own.

Another Work Outfit:

Floral skirt (Express), cardigan (Gap), sandals (old)

Another Work Outift:

Burnt orange skirt (Forever 21), cream top (H&M), Steve Madden moccasins (Macy's), turquoise and gold bracelet (Forever 21), and... best part ever... drum roll... 100% Italian leather jacket from Florence, Italy!

You may have noticed my workplace is on the casual/business casual side in terms of attire. One of my goals is to dress more professionally though.

Last, but not least...

Today's Work Outfit!

What I like to call, my "Kourtney Kardashian" top (H&M), black pencil skirt (H&M), turquoise and silver bracelet (Forever 21), nude flats (Reflection)

 

Messy bun.

1st Post: Hello, world!

Hello, world-wide-web-of-bloggers. I have been addicted to reading blogs these days.

Inspired by stylish, beautiful, food-loving, home-decorating bloggers, whose blogs I am ridiculously obsessed with, I finally felt it was time to start my own blog. I love the idea of chronicling your life, sharing your experiences and failures, desires and thoughts, whether it is for the sake of inspiring others or keeping records for your own self.

Funny thing: I didn't used to think much of blogging. I didn't see why anyone would want to listen to your rants of this and that, or why someone would follow everything you had to say. This attitude changed after I came across bloggers who I began relating to and whose amazing writing skills and ability to tell stories via the Internet left me wanting to read more. I bookmarked these blogs, checking in once a week, sometimes once a day! The pictures (especially of the food) were so appealing to me. The writing was so conversational, flowy, and relatable… hilarious, even! Thanks to the gals who share their worlds with the rest of us, I am officially crossing over into the blogging world. It’s my turn to share.

Life may seem short, but it is still the longest thing we ever endure. We all laugh, cry, hope, dream, enjoy, wonder, fight, think, hate, and love, yet all of our experiences are unique. Here's my life as I know, see, and feel it. Here’s to the beginning of my own little corner of the blogging world.

...& that's all she wrote on her first post ever.