Till Then Smile Often

Short Week – Good Eats

Happy Hump Day everyone!! This has to be the best hump day ever since today is my Friday!! Don’t be jealous, I will be chasing my two nieces around for two days while I baby-sit them. Did I mention too that Friday is my birthday?! Yeah I am spending my birthday with my two nieces so it just may be the best birthday ever! Since I am spending the weekend in Cape Cod I tried to be really healthy during the week so I don’t feel too guilty if I indulge a bit on the weekend. I am planning on getting a morning walk in and I am bringing my bike to ride around on. We will be sitting around though and just laughing and talking a lot! So onto the eats.

Breakfast: I am still sticking to my protein shake in the mornings on weekdays because it works for me. On the weekends I have a little more time so I get to make some Eggs over easy and a few slices of bacon. This is a real treat and not something I eat everyday!

breakfast

Snack: I love this snack because it is something I can grab really quickly at work in between meetings or busy days. It is about 1-2 ounces of cheese slices and 1 cup of grapes. A great boost to get me through till lunch!

snack-2

 Lunch: My normal everyday salad. I really can eat this everyday! Romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomato and feta cheese.

lunch

Snack: I was missing my apples, so glad I can add them back in. My favorites are pink lady and Golden Delicious apples. Also 5 ounces of 0% Fat Free Chobani Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of Sugar Free Jello powder for a little flavor.

snack-1

Dinner: Since yesterday I got two workouts in I indulged a little but not too much since this is a low carb pizza!! I was lifting 7 50 pound boxes multiple times and moving them all over the building, then I got in an Insanity workout. So I put this together post workout. It is a Joseph’s Brand Fiber, Oat Bran, and Whole Wheat Pita pocket, my homemade pasta sauce, shredded taco cheese, a few slices of pepperoni, and a little bit of sliced Kielbasa. I baked it on a pizza tray on 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. So good!

pizza

What are some of your favorite meals?

 

 

 

Golden Snack Mix

I am so excited to be heading to the Cape for the Labor Day weekend!! Having a few snacks to munch on are essential because getting up from our lounge chairs when not necessary are frowned upon. Just kidding but really don’t get up. The old saying goes, move your feet lose your seat applies.  So I am tasked to bring the dessert but wanted to bring a snack too. This was inspired by this pin from Pinterest but I ended up making my own mix. This is a plain pick and dump recipe. We have some allergies to nuts so those are not included but a great way to add some protein and healthy fats so feel free to add some to your mix.

snack_mix-1

Ingredients: Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal ~ Pretzel Sticks ~ Goldfish in Cheddar and Parmesan Cheese ~ Raisins ~ Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

 

Directions: Place each ingredient in a bowl and mix. Yup that is it! You really can add anything you want to this mix so have fun and add away!

Snack Mix

What would you put in your snack mix?

I still haven’t decided what I am bringing for dessert so feel free to list ideas in the comments!

 

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley.

 

 

 

Drinks Are Meant To Be Shared

So remember when I said this would be the weekend of doing nothing?? Yeah, that really is never going to happen.

Friday: Since it was a little on the stressful side last week, I went to the liquor store to get a gift and I found some apple pie moonshine for drinks. Yeah, who could resist? Not me.

moonshine

Trying to come up with a good drink combo for Labor Day Weekend. I tried straight up, and mixed with Iced Tea, Cherry juice, and sprite. It was good but not great. Think I will try with Lemonade next.

Saturday: After an early wake-up call (Thanks, Seamus) I got some laundry and dishes done. Glamorous I know, don’t be jealous. Then I had a blate with Maddie from The Whimsy One. We met at the 99 Restaurant in Walpole for lunch. We have $3.99 Margarita’s that were as big as our heads!!

Margarita

I had such a good time and we laughed so much! It is great to meet up with another blogger to talk shop, compare notes, and talk personal stuff too. It is so great that she visits the area often too! If you haven’t already go check her out. She loves Bourbon, Bacon, and Football. What’s not to like?!!

meet

A blate isn’t complete without a pic. Not my best pic. What the heck?!

Sunday: I cleaned my house from top to bottom. Watched the 2011 Footloose and rested with Seamus. He knows how to get comfortable.

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

A Whole Lot of Nothing

Happy Friday!! Can I get a heck ya!! This week has been rough but it is almost over. I am looking forward to this weekend so I can do NOTHING!! Yup I said it, NOTHING!! I am going to park my butt on my couch and do nothing. Just kidding I am going to clean my house top to bottom, and workout but mostly sit on my bottom watching the rest of Breaking Bad. Thanks twitter Fraandsss for turning me on to this show! Sucks you in for sure!

Since it’s Friday I am going to share with you little lovelies my 5 things I am loving, thinking about, or just plain gotta share with you!

 

One. The fall boots from Target I just got this past weekend. Can’t wait to break these bad boys in. They were only $32.99 – Steal!!

Boots

Two. Can me simple but money doesn’t impress me. I make my own money, thank you very much! Love, honor, respect and kindess means more to me. Throw your fancy car and fancy thing in my face and I am more than likely to walk in the other direction. This doesn’t mean I don’t respect your success just with how you wear it. With that said:

Love

Puppy Love

Three. Since i am transitioning my focus and getting back into the weight room I got to it on Monday with a Leg workout. I used the Plate Loaded Leg Press for 410 pounds. This is not the heaviest I have gone but not bad for my first day back in a few months. I will take it. Yes, it was hard to walk, sit and go up stairs. I may have crawled once. 🙂

weights

Four. I am thinking about making some of this fall mix for next weekends Labor Day party down the Cape. I am tasked to bring a dessert too just not sure what I am going to make yet.

Fall munch mix: Cheez-Its, peanuts, pretzel squares, Reese's pieces, caramel corn, honey nut cheerios, marshmallows

Fall Mix

Five. I love the chance to help others. It is one of my biggest strengths and one of my biggest weaknesses. So when I stumbled on Nadine’s tutorial on how to leave blog comments I knew i had to share it. There are a few blogs I follow that I never know responded to something I commented on because I never got an email. Nadine shows you how to fix it.

How To Leave Blog Comments

Bonus. Here is a little Usher to get your Friday moving a little quicker.

What are some things you are loving lately?

What are some of your favorite desserts?

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

 

Liebster Award – Take Two

I am part of the Bigs and Little program for bloggers and we get paired together to try and help each other learn and grow! So I would like to introduce you to my Little. Lisa from Meanderings, Adventures, and Crafty Inspirations is currently living in Peru and is sharing her adventures. So go check her out and show some love!! She also nominated me for another Liebster Award so see my answers below.

My Questions for Others:

1. What’s your middle name? Lee

2. What’s the newest blog you are excited to read? I read a lot of blogs and don’t want to single one out over the others. They all bring something to the table!

3. What’s your favorite dessert? I love the Low Carb cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.

4. What was your best costume (Halloween or otherwise) EVER? I get the most compliments on my Day of the Dead costume.

halloween

5. If you could speak another language what do it be? Why? I have always wanted to learn to speak Italian. It is the language of love after all.

6. Your dream vacation: I absolutely want to travel to Italy, Greece and to Australia. Being somewhere near water and sand and a cabana boy!

At the end of our lane, you come to this portion of the esplanade. It's so pretty here, it could be anywhere on the Mediterranean.

Greece

7. Share one aspirations you want to complete in your life.  I would love to work for myself one day! Maybe a bakery!

8. Where are you most content? I am most content at home. I think my home is comfortable and inviting and I get to relax. Second would be near water.

9. What song makes you really happy? I guess anything by Ray LaMontagne. Such a great voice!

10. What song is playing now or the last song you listened to? Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

11. Where do you prefer: city, country, mountains, or beach? Why? I much prefer the beach and mountains. Combine the two and I am golden!

What would be your answers to some of the above questions? Share in the comments section!