Till Then Smile Often

Well that went quick

Okay when are we going to institute the four day work week and the three day weekend? This needs to happen! This weekend went by too quickly!

Saturday – I started out at the gym doing a killer arm routine. Greg Plitt is well known in the fitness industry and he has a new program out on the www.bodybuilding.com  website. It is really intense and I am following it for the most part though I am not doing the two a day workouts or the liquid diet. I am following it more to shake up my weight training.

Here is the arm workout I did, it is not for the faint of heart.

After some cleaning I headed out to the batting cages but unfortunately they were closed. 🙁 They seem to be harder and harder to find one that is open in this area. So I headed to the beach which was part of my plan anyway. Since I was in the area I stopping in at the Quincy Animal Shelter where I used to volunteer and where I got Seamus.

shelter

I got to catch up with another volunteer and see a few of the dogs! The beach was five minutes from there and laid out for about an hour then the thunder and lightening came. 🙁 Needless to say I hightailed it out of there.

beach beach-1

Headed home for some dinner and some snuggles with Seamus. He got some of the leftover lettuce from my salad.

lettuce

Sunday – I went for a 3 mile run and then headed down to celebrate my Sister In Law’s birthday. My nieces are just the cutest don’t you agree?!!!

niece niece-1

When I got home I did some food prep on the grill. Nothing like some grilled chicken with a litte BBQ sauce to have for the week.

chicken

Then I relaxed for the rest of the night with some cocktails and the movie Bridesmaids.

cocktails

What were you up to this weekend?

Linking up with Sami at Sami’s Shenanigans and Leann at Join the Gossip .

Also linking up with Postcards from Rachel and Northern Belle Diaries.

Let’s Laugh Out Loud Shall We?

I can’t tell you how excited I am for FRIDAY!!! I don’t think I have any plans this weekend but the beach is calling my name now that I have finally stopped peeling. Hopefully I will finally take my kayak out of storage. Well let’s get this weekend started with some of the things I am loving, thinking about and totally lusting over!

ONE: I grew up with my Dad, my brother and me. This kinda stuff happened on the reg. Wanna have an even more amazing friday and laugh till you pee then watch this video!!!

 

TWO: Even though I have only owned my home for 3 years and already decorated each room it seems I want to re-decorate each room. For my Kitchen:   I have white tile in my Kitchen so the light oak cabinets just aren’t working for me. I really want to paint my kitchen yellow (currently it’s blue) and the darker cabinets would really add the contrast needed for yellow walls. With the light cabinets yellow would just wash out the whole room. Kitchen cabinets. Want to do this this Fall BADly!! SOURCE    

 

THREE: For my main Bathroom: I want to paint it this color by Benjamin Moore – Pleasant Valley Blue.

Pleasant Valley Blue - Benjamin Moore This is just that perfectly neutral blue.

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I also want to add some shelving for storage and decoration.

small bathroom ideas

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FOUR: I was on PetFinder again yesterday. I don’t have a big enough yard and my neighbors annoy Seamus as it is so I need to wait till I move to get a second dog but this really doesn’t help! How cute!

Brandi: Chihuahua, Dog; Mansfield, MA

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 Chica: Rat Terrier, Dog; Boston, MA

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 Sugar: Pug, Dog; Brockton, MA

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Seriously any of my Massachusetts peeps please adopt these precious pups. It may be time for me to volunteer at another animal shelter to get my pup fix.

FIVE: You know it’s true!

Don't deny it....

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Here is mine:

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

Less than Stellar

Happy Hump DAy everyone! I am so excited for this week to be almost over! It has been a roungh one for my family and I really need this weekend ti recover. So I won’t keep you in suspense. My foods for a day.

Breakfast: I made an egg white scramble and a ham steak. This totally hit the spot! Served with a little diet cranberry juice.

breakfast

Snack/Lunch: I think I made this for lunch but you can have it for a snack too. I juiced 2 Oranges, 2 Apples, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks.

juice

Dinner: I saw this recipe on Pinterest and had to try it. Worth a try and much better for you. I may add a little more cheese to the top before baking when I make it next time. For the recipe click here.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

With so much going on with my Aunt passing I have been a little lacking in creativity. I have been having a lot of protein shakes as meals or snacks, not wanting to make anything. I promise to up my game next week.

 

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

When I saw this pin on Pinterest I just knew I had to make it. I haven’t had Mac and Cheese in a long time. Gasp, I know! I used to LOVE Velvetta Shells and Cheese in college, but my 20 year old metabolism is long gone. Being able to make a healthy version means I can at least enjoy it once in a while.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Ingredients: 8 cups cauliflower florets (2 – 16oz bags) ~ 2 Tbs. butter or margarine ~ 3 Tbs. all-purpose or wheat flour ~ 2 cups Almond milk ~ 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.) ~ 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese ~ 2 egg yolks ~ 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (I used low carb bread toasted and crumbled by hand)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets, and boil 5 to 7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and set aside.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

2. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in milk, garlic, and reserved cooking liquid, and cook 7 to 10 minutes, or until sauce is thickened, whisking constantly.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

3. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, and egg yolks until cheese is melted.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

4. Fold in cauliflower.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

5. Coat 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread cauliflower mixture in baking dish, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

6. Spray breadcrumbs with cooking spray. Bake 30 minutes, or until casserole is hot and bubbly and breadcrumbs are crisp and brown.

Cauliflower Mac and CheeseCauliflower Mac and Cheese

I originally was going to use Almond flour in place of the flour but decided to use whole wheat flower so that the sauce would have a better chance of thickening. Now this is not Mac and Cheese but with more than half the carbs and calories saved it was really delicious and I would totally make it again! This would also be good with some bacon bits or ham chunks mixed in.

  What do you say, willing to give it a try?

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley.

 

Cleaning, Baking and Workouts

I think this post may be a little short as I don’t think I did much that was picture worthy. When I am stressed I bake, when I am sad I clean.

pics

One. I spent Saturday pulling apart my closet and getting rid of anything I haven’t worn in a while. I came up with a full garbage bag of clothes to donate.

Two. The top shelf of my closet is full of my workout clothes and jeans. I took them down refolded and sorted by size. I have way to many workout clothes!!!

Three. I then rearranged all the furniture in my office/craft room. It works so much better and opened up the floor space. I still have to re-hang some pictures and art but it is so much cleaner and organized. Very happy with how it came out. I then scrubbed out my tub, toilets, oven and vacuumed my couch. Yeah, like I said I clean when I am sad.

Four. I then snuggled on the couch with Seamus and caught up on my DVR. It doesn’t matter how much couch space there is, Seamus will always choose the spot that has him touching at least a portion of my body. Stage 5 clinger!!!

Five. Then he finally fell asleep! So presh!

Six. I started the morning with a yummy juice. I juiced 2 oranges, 2 apples, 2 carrots, and 2 stalks of celery.

Seven. I went to the gym for a hard shoulder workout and a 3 mile run. I completed this routine:

shoulder workout

For my shoulder routine and videos of how to perform the exercises click here.

After a quick shower and protein shake I headed to the grocery store, then took Seamus for a walk. After it was an all our bake-a-thon!

Eight. I made Seamus some homemade doggie treats, some cranberry pistachio bars (pictured). The Cranberry Pistachio bites were featured on Aileen’s Blog Sparkly & Sweet.

Nine. Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (recipe coming soon)

 

I wish I could have spent some time at the beach but I am still peeling. How was your weekend?

 

Linking up with Sami at Sami’s Shenanigans and Leann at Join the Gossip .

Also linking up with Postcards from Rachel and Northern Belle Diaries.

 

 

Shoulder Workout

Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday! I figured I would pop in to share my workout that I will be doing today in case anyone wanted to try it out. *NOTE: I am not a personal training this is just the exact workout that I will be doing today. Know your limits, modify if you have to and use good form.

shoulder workout

What is a superset? A superset is performed when two exercises are performed back to back without stopping. Those two exercises become one superset. The above supersets are performed for a total of 3 supersets before moving on to the next superset or set. For more info go here.

Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press

Arnold Dumbbell Press

Side Dumbbell Raises

Front Delt Raises

* This can also be done with a weight plate, held in two hands and raise straight up.

Single Arm Upright Row

Rear Delt Row

Bradford Barbell press

Rear Cable Crossover Fly

Hope this helps you to get in the weight room and gain some lean muscle to burn more calories. Any questions feel free to send me an email. I love talking fitness!

 

For Which I Am Grateful

So this week has been a whirlwind of emotions. I feel completely off kilter and for a type A control freak like me it has been rough. I hate to feel unbalanced. Life will do that to you every so often, so I just have to go with it. My Aunt has gotten really sick and is now in hospice care so I have been spending what time I can at the hospital to be with family. When sitting down to write this post I struggled what to write about, how can I look back at this week and find the good in it? However there has been good among the bad. Sometimes you just have to sit and think about it, but it was there helping you get through it. These are my things…

One. Seamus. What can I say about my dog I haven’t already said! My Dad was joking (or maybe not joking) that Seamus is the devil. He barks at strangers in fear but he has come a long way and accepts people after learning they won’t hurt him. This week he was a huge support for me. When I got home and cried on the couch, Seamus put his paw on my lap and actually licked a tear off my face.  He has made sure he is by my side and at least part of him is touching me offering comfort. For him I am grateful!

puppy

Two.  Music has kept me sane when I want to block out the world. My tastes are very varied, but I am loving the new Halestorm album. I also listed to Citizen Cope and Ray LaMontagne.

Three. Cauliflower Mac and Cheese..say whay? Even though this recipe is fairly clean I look forward to recreating it with a few more modifications so stay tuned.

Mac 'n cheese cauliflower. Better for you than pasta

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Four. This week has reminded me how short life can be and to grab each moment and live it to the fullest.  Tell those you love just how much they mean to you daily.

 

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Five. It is Friday. That is all I got, my brain can’t handle anymore without coffee!! Have a great weekend everyone.  Hug your loved ones a little tighter today and everyday!

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

 

Salad: It’s What I Ate

Happy Hump Day Everyone! I think after two 4 day weekend in a row I am struggling to get through the day. I am day dreaming about the weekend and getting back to the beach and being outdoors. Sitting at a desk doesn’t seem like so much fun! What about you?  Well go ahead and get aboard the struggle bus with me and while you hitting the for your viewing pleasure take a look at some of my eats for this past week.

Breakfast: I got this idea from Chris Powell’s book The 7 day Carb Cycle Solution. I haven’t read through the whole book yet so I can’t say much about it, but this was delish! It was a 1/2 cup of gluten free granola, 1/2 cup of unsweetened Almond milk, 1 cup of water, and 1 scoop of protein powder. Mix the Almond milk, water and protein and pour over the granola.

granola

Snack: This was something that I could grab and go. A handful of grapes and about 3 ounces of cheese. The cheese added protein needed to feel full and the grapes add that little bit of sweetness.

snack

Salad and me go together like Bert and Ernie so I can have it for every meal just about.

Don’t believe me? See Exhibit A

Salad-1

This contained romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese and 2 hard-boiled eggs. You really can’t go wrong with a salad, just be careful with the dressing you choose!

Exhibit B

Chicken Salad

This ended up being my lunch and dinner on two seperate days. I just made enough chicken for the week on my grill and reheated. Salad was romaine lettuce, tomato and red onion.

Exhibit C

Dinner

This salad was romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, carrots and celery. I added these kabobs with Steak, pineapple and zucchini. So yummy!

Dinner: I was really craving pasta but I haven’t had regular pasta in a while and I remembered this Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Alfredo I made a few months ago. So I whipped it up and it was just as delicious as I remembered. For the recipe click here.

Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Splurges: I am human and I was on vacation so I had a few splurges. The first one I kept on the cleaner side so July 4th and the other was a pure cheat meal!! The first was strawberries, cool whip and blueberries. That was it, no sugar added. A sweet treat for the holiday. The second was a S’More. Which is enuff said I wanted some more!!

dessert dessert-1

 

Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Okay I may be a little excited as I am co-hosting for one of my favorite link-ups which is Taste of Tuesday of course! What better way to get motivated in making some awesome dishes than being able to share them and find some new recipes to try out! So what are you waiting for get on the party bus with us!  This week I brought out an oldie but goodie. I love this recipe since it is such a good alternative to spaghetti. I can’t tell you the last time I had real pasta. You can use a red sauce or a white sauce which is what I used this week.

Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

PIN THIS

Ingredients:

1/2 medium spaghetti squash ~ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ~ 1 cup heavy cream ~ 1 TBSP garlic, crushed ~ 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan ~ Fresh basil leaves (Note: If you want to make the whole squash just double the alfredo ingredients)

Directions:

Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.

Spaghetti Squash

Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and clean as you would a pumpkin. Completely submerge 1 half at a time, in a large pot of boiling water and cook for about 20 minutes until the inside is just tender to a fork and pulls apart in strands.

Spaghetti Squash

Remove, drain and cool with cold water or ice bath to stop the cooking. Scoop out the cooked squash from its skin with a fork and discard the skin.Fluff with the fork, you should see the “spaghetti”- like strands.

Spaghetti Squash

Reserve the separated cooked squash and dip with a strainer into boiling water to reheat just before serving.  (Note: If after cooking, the spaghetti squash is a little too al dente, you can cook it more in the hot water just before serving.)

Melt half the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cream and cook to thicken the sauce for about 2 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through.

Low Carb Spaghetti Squash

Stir in the rest of the butter. Place spaghetti squash in a large serving bowl, and pour Alfredo sauce over squash. I sprinkled with italian seasonings and garnished with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy! Original recipe found here and adapted.

Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

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The Fourth of July and Other Happenings

Am I the only one who needs to check their social media in order to remember what they actually did and when for the weekend?

Thursday – For the Fourth of July I spent the day at the beach. I failed to remember that this was really my first day chilin at the beach and got a little burnt. I think as I get older I am more prone to it too! 🙁 I’m old.

thursday

1. The last is at the end of my street so I can walk to it. They even rake the beach so there are no rocks. I love it. Most people head for the ocean so it feel like my own private beach sometimes.

2. Poor Seamus got so much attention so he got two really long walks each day. He was a little tuckered out.

3. I made this special 4th of July treat. Fresh strawberries, cool whip and fresh blueberries. I didn’t add any sugar or anything else. It was so taste and healthy.  There was a house that lives on the lake that had a huge group of people over and they were setting off fireworks so all went to the end of my driveway to see a bit of the fireworks. Seamus was going a little crazy with the fireworks going off. He was barking at the really loud ones and then running and jumping on me for the rest of the time. He was a total cuddle monster trying to get away from the noise.

Friday – Since I did get a little burnt I spent Friday inside doing chores, reading, and watching movies. I lubed up with lots of Aloe and lotion so that hopefully I could get back outside at some point.  I also broke in my new grill!

BBQ

4. Marinated BBQ chicken cooking on the grill.

5. Served the cooked BBQ chicken with a side of salad. So yummy.

6. The real reason I fired up the grill was to make S’Mores. I only made one but it was so worth it!

movies

7. Snitch with the Rock was really good. He takes on becoming a snitch to get his son out of jail for taking a package his friend sent full of drugs.

8. 12 Rounds 2 reloaded – I have to say I did see the first one with John Cena because come on he is hot and from Boston, so I watched the sequal because …friggin Randy Orton is H.O.T.!!! I am not usually into muscle guys but with the face, the body and the tattoo sleeves it works. Anyhoo there is a movie in there somewhere. He is an EMT and he happens upon an accident and fails to save one of the passengers. He then has to follow 12 rounds of clue in an act of revenge against all the people involved who helped set the “killer” free.

9. Warm Bodies – A Zombie with the ability to become human again with the help of a girl. It was a bit weird but some really funny points to the movie. It was cute.

Saturday – The burn was not so bad when I woke up so I hit the beach again. This time I used sunscreen. Took Seamus for another two long walks.

 Saturday

 10. I used SPF 30 and after a few hours at the beach I was not more red but more brown. Happy girl!

11. After getting back from the beach it was time to fuel up. Clean eating is all about eating the rainbow. I think I had a little bit of each color. Included was BBQ Chicken, Carrots, Celery, Orange, tomato and spinach & artichoke hummus. So yummy!

12. Seriously Ted is such a funny movie! Not really kid friendly but the most inapproriately funny movie. It was the perfect ending to the night!

Sunday – I went for a morning hike to get the day started. Who said you can’t get a good workout from hiking? No-one, that’s who! I burnt a ton of calories (Which is better than burning my body). Then I hit up the grocery store for a few fruits and veggies. After making some lunch I finished up some chores and took Seamus for a walk. I made him some homemade dog biscuits.

 hiking

 13. I love hiking. Everytime I go I end up taking a new route and love exploring.

14. Either way a ton of calories are burned!

15. Busted out the grill for some kabobs. This was steak marinated in ceasar dressing, zucchini and pineapple. I served it with a side salad with lettuce, red onion, tomato, carrots, and celery. So good!

How was your weekend?!

 

Linking up with Sami at Sami’s Shenanigans and Leann at Join the Gossip .

Also linking up with Postcards from Rachel and Northern Belle Diaries.