Not a Good Night

But before I get to the bad night, I will back up to this afternoon.  I went to the gym again today.  Today I did interval training on the treadmill.  It consisted of the following:

• Time – 0-5 minutes at 0 incline at a speed of 4.0
• Time – 5-8 minutes at 2 incline at a speed of 4.0
• Time – 8-10 minutes at 4 incline at a speed of 4.0
• Time – 10-12 minutes at 6 incline at a speed of 4.0
• Time – 12-13 minutes at 8 incline at a speed of 4.0
• Time -13-15 minutes at 1 incline at a speed of 6.0
• Time – 15-18 minutes at a 4 incline at a speed of 4.0
• Time – 18-21 minutes at a 6 incline at a speed of 4.0
• Time – 21 – 25 minutes at a 2 incline at a speed of 4.0

It was definitely a workout.  I was sweaty by the end and then it was back to work.  I was so hungry by the end of my workout that I forgot to take a picture.  I had a lettuce salad with dried fruit and a Morning Star burger and Western dressing.  About 3:00 I had a peach Chobani with granola for a snack. 

So when I got home, this is what we found:

Not the room we are remodeling This is our bedroom and this is not the basement that we are working on remodeling. Our 13 year old dog was locked in the bedroom while we were gone to work and school and this is what she did. We have no idea what is wrong with her. We are thinking maybe she has an infection in the area where shehad a spot removed 2 months ago. She keeps licking it and it is hard. I called the vet and we cannot get her in until Monday. Luckily we have some antibotics in the cupboard so we gave her one.Yep, she did it

So while Hubby and I were off getting Chickie from dance class.  Miss Molly (the one in the picture above) went to the basement and left a nice big mess on the carpet.  Yep, she has the runs.  Can the night get any worse???  Oh yes it can.  While we are cleaning up the mess on the carpet (yes we have a carpet cleaner so we are working like crazy to try and get it out before it stains the carpet) the other dog decides she is going to be sick.

Not feeling so well

Yep, she doesn’t feel the best.  She not only got sick once but three other times for a total of four times in four different areas of the house and 3 out of the 4 were on the carpet.  So my carpet is the quarter of the way cleaned with carpet cleaner thanks to do the dogs.  So needless to say I never got any supper.  So now it is off to eat a few Pop Chips, watch American Idol and have a nice cold drink.  Until tomorrow.

Basement Progressing . . .

So last night we went down to work on our basement.

Yep, that’s Chickie pulling up carpet.  See we have carpet already laid down in the basement and since we want to insulate the walls, we have to cut and pull up the carpet.  Break my heart but at least it is only a 3 inch strip all along the wall.  So once the carpet was all pulled up, it was time to get up the nailer strip (I call it the piece of wood with a bunch of nails that holds the carpet down – At least I know what it is used for)

So out comes the hammer and crow bar

Yep that is Bubba and Chickie working the crow bar and hammer.  Kids don’t want to help unless we bring out the big guns.  They pried up all of the nail boards by themselves.  We have to use the crow bar because the boards are nailed into the concrete and it is the only way to get them up.  So after they did that, Hubby came along behind and cleaned up.

Apparently he was taking up any loose wood that didn’t come up or cutting out the padding that didn’t get cut when he cut the carpet.  Of course, he couldn’t do it without his supervisor.

Doing a good job.

If Gizzy wasn’t supervising with Dad she was hanging out with me.

Hanging out on the couch

So as you can see, the basementis coming along, very, very slowly but since we are doing it ourselves and we both work full-time, it is going to go slowly.  My hope is to have it done by the end of May.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that it happens.

So this morning I got up and took the pups for their walk.  When I got back I was starving.  So it was a smoothie for breakfast.

Chuck full

In the mix:

• 1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 big handful spinach
• 1/4 cup tofu
• 1 cup peaches
• couple drops of almond extract

Mix it all up

What a pretty color

It tastes like an almond peach.  It is delicious.  Now it is time to get the kiddos ready for school and off to work I go.

Injury to back of knee . . .

Yep I did something to the back of my right knee.  It started to hurt late yesterday afternoon after I had been to the gym and did some running on the treadmill.  So last night I did some icing of it thinking that it would help.  When I got up this morning to take the pups for a walk, it wasn’t to bad.  it just ached a little bit.  Now today after I went to my circuit training class it hurts.  In fact I had to sit at the front desk for an hour and by the time I got up from the chair it was stiff as stiff can be and I could barely bend it.  It is a little swollen but not too much.  I am going to ice it tonight to see how it feels.  Hopefully it will be better so I can continue my training for the Couch to 5K plan.  If any other runner out there knows of something that I can do it help it, please let me know.  I am so new to running don’t even know where to begin.  Thanks.

So for breakfast this morning I was craving peanut butter.  Well, I didn’t want the carbs of bread so I had some oatmeal

Oatmeal

In the mix:

• 1/3 cup oatmeal
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup almond milk – Then when done I added
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Spoonful of Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter
• Crumbled on top was a Pumpkin Spice Vitalicious Muffin.  (They have been in the freezer for quite awhile and I need to use them up.

It was delicious and it hit my peanut butter and sweet craving.  Plus I was starving after getting back from taking the pups for a walk.

So I hit the gym for my circuit class from 11:30 to noon.  What torture it was.  The trainer worked the triceps hard today.  My arms were like jello by the end of the class.  I probably won’t even be able to move them in the morning.

So for lunch, it is Wednesday, which means it is $5.00 salad or sandwich at Olde Boston’s and it is on the main floor of the building.  I couldn’t pass it up.  I wasn’t all that hungry but I knew I needed some protein.

Fries with that?

I had a Grilled Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich which consisted of grilled chicken breast on a Ciabatta bun topped with Swiss cheese, bacon, tomato, lettuce and mayo and a side of fries.  The bacon wasn’t crispy so I ended up taking it out of the sandwich and not eating it plus the fries weren’t crispy so I only had 2 of them.  By the time I got done, this is what the plate looked like

Looks pretty greasy

I only ended up eating 3/4 of the sandwich.  It just wasn’t sitting very well.  Apparently reading all of the other food bloggers has made me more conscious of what I put in my mouth because after eating 2 fries I really felt guilty and didn’t eat any more.  This of course with my old self would never have happened.  I would have eaten them all even though they weren’t crisp.

The afternoon flew by at work.  Luckily because I was in no mood to be there.  Hubby made supper once again (I know ladies, I have quite the gem there and I am defintely going to keep him.)

Burito?

He tried to duplicate Taco Bell’s Burito Supreme but I modified mine a little.  In the mix was refried beans, taco meat, enchilada sauce, lettuce and greek yogurt.  I skipped the cheese and sour cream.  With a side of roasted aspargus.  We have been craving the aspargus so we got some at the grocery store.

Notice the pinky?

Finger licking good

 

Yup, Chickie is all prim and proper when she eats her burito.  She also loves roasted aspargus.  She ate half the pan herself tonight.  On the other hand, Bubba won’t touch it with a 10 foot pole.  It was hate day at school, notice Chickie’s sparkly hat.  She is soo into hats.  Good thing she doesn’t have her credit card otherwise it would be maxed out on hats.

Well now it is off to have one of these

No I wasn't to paid advertise this beer, Hubby likes it and it was the only thing in the fridge

and help Hubby with the basement.  Have a great night. 

P.S. The Shoe Page has been updated.

Which one doesn’t belong???

So went I got up to take the pups for a walk this morning, this is what was on the ground.

Hello Mother Nature??

If you remember the song from Seasame Street, which one of these do not belong, see if you can guess which one doesn’t belong.

Which one doesn't belong? March 29, Snow, Tulip

If you guessed snow, you are correct.  Yep we woke up to the ground covered in snow.  Someone needs to inform Mother Nature that it is almost April.  We don’t need any more snow.

Breakfast this morning was a smoothie:

Bubba is wide awake this morning

In the mix is:

• 1 scoop Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 big handfuls of spinach
• 1 cup cherries

Blend it up and you have a smoothie that isn’t the best color but tastes delicious.

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

While Chickie was getting her breakfast, someone else would like a bite as well:

Got any for me?

Now it is off to get the kiddos ready for school and finish getting ready for work.  Have a great day and hopefully the snow will melt today.

P.S.  The Shoe Page has been updated

What’s a mother to do?

Before I get to my problem, let’s start with what’s for supper.

M & Ms

Just kidding, this was an afternoon snack.  I was craving chocolate at 3:00 and let’s be honest, I could never, ever give up chocolate that’s like asking the Sun not to be yellow.

Monday's Supper

Turkey Quesadilla with a side of fruit.

In the tortilla shell is turkey, cheddar cheese and mozerlla cheese.  I topped it with salsa and greek yogurt.

In the fruit mix is grapes, kiwi and pineapple.  Needed to get some more fruit in since I don’t have much today.

Now on to my problem.  The kiddos did not have school today and I left them a list of chores to do.  When I got home from work I checked to make sure they had done the chores.  They both tell me yep, we did them.  My 12 year old (Bubba) flat out lied to me.  He did not do one of the chores that was on the list.  As a punishment he is doing the chore now and he has lost his ipod for the rest of the week.

My problem is, they want to stay home by themselves for the summer since they are 12 and 10.  I just don’t want them being home alone all day and watching t.v. and playing on the computer.  That is not how I think they should spend the summer.  I know that they are at the age where they are too old to go to a daycare for the summer.  I just don’t know what to do with them all summer long.  I work from 8:30 to 5:00 Monday through Friday and Hubby works 7:00 to 3:00 Monday through Friday and it is hard to run them to different activities during the day.  I can’t leave my job all the time.  I’m asking, what do other mothers do with their children who are at this age for the summer?  I am at a complete loss as what to do.  Any input would be very valuable.

Gym Time . . .

Okay, as most of you know I started at the gym 2 weeks ago.  I measured this morning and I lost 1 inch each from my waist and hips – YEAH!  Of course, I am disappointed that I only lost 1 pound.  How is that possible?  Well I have decided that I need to add more cardio into my workout routine.  So I have been lurking following Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun who had a baby 2 months ago (by the way, they are the most adorable children ever, sorry I digress, but they are adorable).  She started a running program following the Couch to 5K running plan.  She is now running 3 miles per day.  She has been an inspiration to me to start doing some cardio, well if she can do it 2 months after having a baby, so can I (even though I hate running and never even did track in high school because I hated running).  But I am going to be positive and try this fitness plan and see how it works for me.  So on Saturday I went for a run.  I was pleasantly surprised on how well I felt and how well I did.  I didn’t actually follow the plan exactly.  I actually ran for 2 minutes and walked 1 minute.  I felt good so why not start there.  So now I am going to continue with the plan and see if in 9 weeks I am actually up to run a 5K.  My plan is to actually run a 5K race by the end of August (must give myself plenty of time to gear up for this, I am no spring chicken) and I want to lose 20 pounds by my birthday (the end of June).  In case you haven’t seen the pictures of me, 20 pounds is only the beginning but I’m hopeful that with doing the gym 3 days a week, watching what I eat (as it goes into my mouth, just kidding, I really need to focuse on eating more fruits and veggies and less sweets) and do cardio on opposite days that I go to the gym, I think my goals are within reach.  I want to thank all the fitness bloggers out there who have given me the inspiration to try this goal.

Now that I have bored the pants off you, let’s move on to today.

This is me before the gym:

Sorry, mirror at work not the best.

Me after the gym:

Yep, I feel like I could throw up

I increased my weights today.  It is hard to believe that after just 2 weeks I already need to increase my weights.  Apparently something is working, not sure where but I think I will eventually find it (hopefully otherwise I am going to have the best looking cellulite at the beach this summer).

On to Lunch:

Monday Lunch

I had the leftover Chicken-Fried Steak from last night and Chobani.  The only place in my neck of the woods that I can get Chobani is Target and then they only sell 4 flavors.  I so, so, so (that’s a lot of sos) want to try the lemon.  Everyone raves about it and they don’t sell it where I live. 😦  Anyway, I digress again.  By the time I got to the Chobani I needed a little crunch

A little crunch

I added a little of Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal.  Just what I needed.  In case you hadn’t noticed, missing vegetables and fruit.  Like I said above, must work on that.  Not a very good fruit eater so will have to do a little  lot of extra planning to get that in.  Now it is back to work.  Have a great afternoon.

Hello Moon . . .

How beautiful.

So today the kiddos do not have school so I got to sleep in until 6:30 which meant when I walked the pups it was actually light out.  I got to see the moon in the clear blue sky.  How beautiful is that?

Well it would be Monday so that means it is back to another week of work while the kiddos get to stay home and sleep in.

Breakfast this morning:

Chocolate Smoothie

Bubba didn’t drink all of his smoothie yesterday from Starbucks so I put it in the freezer yesterday and it ends up being my breakfast today.  How convenient for me.  🙂

Now it is off to do the work thing.

P.S. The Shoe Page has been updated.

Chicken-Fried Steak with Sausage Gravy

This afternoon we worked on the basement, well Hubby did most of the work.

Hubby worked on putting up the insulation board and cutting the carpet and putting down the 2X4 that he ripped in 1/2.

Then we ran and got the kiddos some new tennis shoes.

New Shoes

Bubba is going to start running and Chickie has outgrown her tennis shoes that she uses for volleyball.  What a productive afternoon, it only took us going to 3 different stores before we found a pair that they liked.

While we were out, might as well hit Starbucks.

That would be a Light Carmel Frappucino for me, Strawberries & Cream Frappucino for Chickie and a Chocolate Smootie for Bubba.  As you can tell, we all enjoyed them.

Once we got home from our errands it was time to start on supper.  I used another recipe from Rocco Dispirito’s Cookbook, Now Eat This!  It us Chicken-Fried Steak with Sausage Gravy.

You are to use 4 – 3-ounce portions lean filet mignon, pounded about 1/3 inch thick.  (I used ribeyes)

Then you put 1 cup whole-wheat four into a shallow dish.

2 cups bread crumbs into a separate shallow dish.

3 egg whites whipped in a bowl until they are very foamy but not quite holding peaks.

Egg WhitesBread Crumbs

Whole-Wheat Flour

Fur Ball

Last night Hubby and I went to the 3rd Annual Fur Ball.  This is a fundraiser for the local Humane Society.  It is held at one of the local car dealerships in town.  They clear out the showroom and set up tables everywhere.  We got all dressed up.

Not quite dressed up

The lucky thing about this Ball is that you are not required to get dressed up.  It is a casual event, which makes it really nice. 

So there was a silent auction, live auction, gambling with fun money, food, wine tasting and other drinks.

Champagne - don't mind if I do.Silent auction - there was a line that took 30 minutes to get through

Hungarian Beef Goulash

So while Hubby and the kiddos did some work on the basement ceilng.

Working hardBubba pounding away