slacker....

my sincerest apologies friends for neglecting my blog for so long! it  has been over a week since i have written a post....

do i have an excuse? not really, just been very busy with LIFE!

updates in my life:.
>i am going to my hometown this weekend to see one of my good friends get married! i am so excited to see her little family officially become one!
>i am having a GREAT friend of mine stay with me for 2 weeks (we are already  1 week in). it is so wonderful to have her around to talk with, take my mind off of other things and workout with! ok, we have only worked out once together, but she does hold me accountable to go to bed earlier which is something i should HAVE to work on! you can also blame her for being the reason my blog has been slacking...jk, she was the first one who pointed out that i was slacking!
>i have been able to get about 2-3 runs, 2 yoga classes and at least 1-2 weight lifting sessions in per week. much better improvement than before, however still a lot of room for improvement, i'll get there!

one thing that i think has allowed me to stay in shape while not putting in as much time in the gym is going in there with an intention. i have found that you can accomplish a lot by only spending 30 mins in the gym if you know what to do. besides, there is nothing worse then spending an hour in the gym and realizing it was a waste of time and you could've burned more calories cleaning (which is also an area that is slacking...), am i right?


i found this wonderful link to carrie underwood's leg workout, who doesn't want legs like carrie (or arms or hair or teeth for that matter)? she is absolutely stunning! not the, 'of course she looks good in an evening gown' stunning, but the stunning that still looks good kicking it in sweats, no makeup and greasy hair! can you tell i may be slightly jealous?

http://www.bodyincredible.com/incredible-bodies-2-those-legs-are-amazing-and-heres-how-to-achieve-them/

anyway, i am currently trying to compile little workouts like this one to target certain areas that i can either do at home or before practice at the gym. they will even come in handy if i ever decide to get my butt out of bed in the early morning for a short yet, effective workout. stay tuned for more!


goals:.
>start training for the annual sprint triathlon that is held in my hometown every spring. last year i was not able to participate due to my knee surgery, but plan to participate and be in great shape when i do!
>go thru my clothes and simplify my closet, who doesn't need to do this? luckily i have 2 closets in my room, but with my friend staying with me, we are both realizing we have TOO many clothes. this is going to be something we will accomplish together.
>TRY getting out of bed next week for an early morning workout. i have been failing at this so miserably that i will set an alarm early enough to workout, but then oversleep and barely have enough time to get ready for work, yikes. i need to do better. also, if i am going to start swimming for this triathlon, the pool right across the street from my house (literally, right across the street which makes me look even more pathetic) has open swim from 7-9 am 3 days/wk.
>pay off my iPad. i finally have the money to do this and need to this ASAP before that money magically disappears....
>finish my christmas shopping:. my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and mf are completed! yaay! i get super excited to GIVE presents for Christmas! i also am known to get so excited that the presents don't stay a surprise for too long. here's to a new christmas tradition:. not spending over my budget on presents and keeping everyone's presents a secret.....

that is all i can think of for now, my mind is already checked out looking foward to a weekend full of fun!

what are you all up to this weekend? how's your christmas shopping going?

always striving for more,
dee b.

.:your greatness is measured by your gifts, not by what you have:.

i'm done! i'm done and have been done with this detox! SOOOO over it!

i made it to about 3 pm of Day 3. did i see significant weight loss? sure, i lost 3.5 lbs (probably a little more since this was a measurement at the beginning of Day 3) in 2 days. was it worth it? hell no! i truly do enjoy eating fresh fruits and veggies and maintaining a clean diet, with a few nights of completely sloppy food (just to keep my metabolism on its toes, of course), but i did not get enough nutrients to really function. by 3 o'clock,  i was sitting in my cube with a crazy headache feeling light-headed and dizzy. knowing that my evening included practice with my girls and squeezing in a run before, i knew i had to eat something with substance to survive.

before my run, i ate a bag of animal crackers and granola bar, the best things i could find in my work's vending machine. 20 minutes into my run, i was shaking and nauseas ready to just go home and forget about practice, but luckily, i brought my protein powder with me. if i did not have that protein to get me through practice, i may have passed out.  either way, i had a huge realization:. you absolutely CANNOT workout without fuel and your diet is just as important as your workout routine....lesson learned

let's see if i can keep that in mind at 11 pm when my stomach is growling for something unhealthy (read ice cream)


always striving for more,
dee b.

DETOX DAY 3:. the LAST day



happy humpday, friends! this humpday seems to be an extra special celebration because it is my LAST day of this darn detox! i may never want to see a fruit or vegetable again! ok, little dramatic, but seriously, it is hard to function on only fruits and veggies and NO PROTEIN! i am tired, a little shaky and i guess a little irritable (according to my mf....whatever). not quite sure if all of these are truly from this detox diet or a combo with lack of sleep and ZERO time to workout, blah! i can almost guarantee that if i did have time to workout, that it would be pointless because of my lack of energy. i have time for a short run before practice tonight, so i am curious to see how that goes...

here is a recap of day 2 (don't get too excited it is very similiar to day 1) :.

breakfast:.

banana, strawberries and blackberries

lunch:.

again, same thing. diced tomatoes, avocados and cucumbers over spinach. so good, yet getting so old!

 

snack:.

an apple, carrots and peapods

dinner:.

i'm sorry that i'm not sorry that i steamed another big basket of veggies similar to day 1, you can judge all you want! :)

**confession time**

one of my awesome basketball parents brought me homemade caramels to practice last night. it literally made my day and was exactly what i needed for a pick-me-up from the cruddy day that i was having, but i politely put them in my bag and said 'i cannot wait to try them later' (which was true, but later meant thursday). her daughter kept insisting that i MUST try one ASAP. i was very disciplined and kept repeating, 'i am very excited to try one, but i am going to wait until after practice to try one' (of course, banking on that she would forget and i could move on with my tasteless detox). well, being the sweetheart that she is (seriously, she's one of my favorites), she took it upon herself to unwrap a caramel for me so she could be there when i tasted it for the 1st time! i could have felt quilty for breaking my detox diet, but i'll be honest, i didn't. i truly think i needed it get through practice and the rest of my day. plus, what kind of role model am i to explain to an 11 yr-old girl that her healthy-looking coach is on a detox DIET?  by the way, it was THE most delicious caramel i have ever tasted!

i forgot to add, i weighed myself yesterday morning and i lost ONE not worth it POUND! let's see if i get more surprising results in the next day....

always starving striving for more,

dee b.

.:act great, feel great, be your best:.

what's the best way you get your body back in equilibrium after thanksgiving?

before, it was the typical 'watch what i eat for a fews day' and exercise a little more to get back to pre-thanksgiving health, but this year i am trying something different.....a DETOX diet.

trying a detox has always been something i wanted to try, but never knew where to start! to be honest, i still don't know what i am doing, so i decided to make my own rules for it.

i am at day 2 of a 3-day detox and let me tell you, it's not easy, but it's not too hard either. maybe my rules are a little too lax?

here are my rules:.

>eating only fruits and veggies--cucumbers, avocados, tomatoes, spinach, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, aparagus, carrots, bananas, blackberries, strawberries, apples....
>drink lots of lemon water and water in general--i've read that by adding lemon to water is great for creating an acidic pH balance within your body. the lower your body's pH level (read more acidic), the less likely you are to manifest illness, disease and cancers. now, this is what i've read from a few sources, i would like to research this theory a little more...
>no coffee, dairy, carbs, gluten, sugar (besides what is in the fruit)--i have adjusted to this by drinking lots of herbal and green tea which still does not suffice my caffeine headache, but it makes me feel like it's doing something.

i started out this detox diet by getting all of my produce from whole foods, if i'm detoxing, i better use organic, right? i am sure there are better "detoxing fruits and veggies" then the ones that i purchased, but like i said, this first time around, i'll create my own rules.

here's a recap of day 1:.

i did weigh myself before this adventure began....my starting weight was 141 lbs. i know as a female i am not suppose to be comfortable sharing this with the world, but whatever, i'm not a normal female and as long as i am healthy, the number on the scale doesn't matter to me.

breakfast:.
banana and a cup of strawberries and blackberries

lunch:.

this was a mixture of cut up cucumbers, avocados and tomatoes. SUPER good! i actually put it over spinach as the 'dressing', but i ate that before thinking about taking a picture of it. since i'm being honest here, i didn't get around to eating the carrots and snowpeas....

snack:.

an apple and banana

dinner:.

ok, i may have cheated here a little bit by steaming the veggies before i ate them, but to my defense i was very cold after watching my mf's soccer game and the thought of eating more cold veggies made me shiver.

anyway, my dinner consisted of a big basket of steamed veggies:. asparagus (yum!), snowpeas, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers (green and red) and maaaaybe a little bit of salt for taste. although i was drooling over my mf's streak and sweet potatoes, it was actually surprisingly filling and satisfying (and i may have stolen a few sweet potatoes slices).



anyway, reflecting on day 1, i can say that it was pretty easy, there were a few times when i really wanted to eat just 1 starburst, drink 1 cup of coffee to get rid of my headache or get pizza for dinner because i had ate so well all day. NO! it is 3 days, i can suck it up for 3 days...

this is currently my main goal and focus, i don't think i'd be able to accomplish it if it didn't have my full attention, so my list of goals will have to put on hold except for 2:. get an oil change and make spare keys for our house (both getting done before practice this evening).

always striving for more,

dee b.

.:we often take for granted, the things that most deserve our gratitude:.

back to the grind after a refreshing 4-day weekend...

it's monday morning (grrr) after thanksgiving and i'm sitting in my cubicle thinking about how many things i have to be greatful for. do you find it easy to just go through the motions of 'thanksgiving' with all the traveling, food and family? what happens to your gratitude after all the events die down and you're not 'forced' to think about it?

i have many things to be grateful for and most of them are simple and basic...

1. FAMILY--this seems to be the default answer for everyone when asked what they're thankful for....

we're supportive, dysfunctional and FULL of love! let's be honest, there are times when everyone else turns their back on you and all you have is family....old pic, but a good one, love you guys!

i don't remember the last time almost all of the cousins were together! we have moved, got married, graduated, moved again basically grew up and forged our own paths, but getting together never changes. it's time filled with making fun of each other, eating too much food and catching up on all we have done since we last saw each other.

2. FRIENDS--also, another default, but who are we without friends and those memories that we make with them? friends add character to our live, they help create our personalities, they enrich our lives in ways that family cannot. i have always said that i don't have one best friend that i get to see on a regular basis, but i have a lot of close friends and i am thankful for each and every one of them and the fullfillment they bring to my life.

  

3.MY HEALTH-- this may be debatable after 5 knee surgeries and a bout of shingles when i was a sophomore in college...

on a serious note, i am able to run, do yoga and workout (almost) as often as i'd like and i haven't had any serious diagnosis with my health, i will call that win!

4. my two guys....

guy 1.....

   

guy 2....
                             
seriously, these two can brighten any day. i'm happy to see them at the end of the day and bummed when i have to say goodbye.

5. my degree! after many late nights and exhausting mornings filled with school work and last minute studying, i never thought i'd reach this point with B.A. after my name, no more homework and where my opportunities are endless. my opportunities have led me into a cubicle. but i know that this degree is great head start to my career. speaking of my cubicle, it leads me to my next blessing (in disguise).....

6. my job....i know i make jokes out of being trapped in a cubicle, but there was a point when i was jobless and concerned about where my next rent check was going to come from. i may not be rolling in money, but my bills are paid and i am able to stay financially independent, which is VERY important to me. i was also able to celebrate good news regarding my job....i received FULL-TIME status at my job!!! yaay!!! this means a couple key things:. benefits (insurance, paid-time off, vacation) and more money (and salary pay may i add). although i am extremely grateful for this opportunity to happen very quickly after starting, it is a bittersweet feeling. sweet because it is what i worked for and puts me one step closer to going back to school and bitter because it means i should only get more comfortable in my cube....

like i've said before, i'm poor and i'm anxious to get a move on with my life plan, but i'm happier than what i ever thought possible and i have many things to be thankful each and every day!

what do you have to be thankful for? anything that you've neglected lately that needs a little appreciation?

appreciate everything that you have because if you don't, someone else will...

always striving for more,
dee b.

alright friends, here it is, the substantial post i promised! buckle up for a couple recipes and a secret hint into burning a lot of calories in a small amount of time....

recipes!

i have effortlessly mastered another crockpot recipe (please hold the applaus til the end). ok, not the greatest pic, i'll admit it was taken by a co-worker at lunch while we were sharing the leftovers, but seriously this stuff is good and healthy!

.:ro-tel shredded chicken:.
>chicken breasts--i have a small crock-pot, so i only used 3
>1 can corn--drained
>1 can black beans--drained and rinsed!
>1 can ro-tel tomatoes--drained--i used 2 cans and the flavored kind with cilantro and lime juice (i know there is one that has chiles, not my style)
>8 oz of cream cheese--can used reduced fat if looking to be even healthier!


place chicken breasts into bottom of crock pot (go ahead, leave them frozen). after draining the other ingredients, drop them on top of the chicken breast along with the cream cheese. leave in crockpot for 6-8 hours on low, stirring every couple hours if you can (shout out to my roommate for helping me out on this!). at the end, chicken should easily shread making it perfect for tacos, on top of rice or in a fiesta salad! if it looks a little 'soupy', turn off the crockpot for 30-45 mins, this should help take care of that.

now onto bigger and better things...dessert!

i decided to try this dessert because i was having dinner with one of my closest friends and oldest/bestest roommate and through the years, we have manifested a love for smores! although bonfire season is over, this recipe gets you close to an authentic s'more and curbs your craving.

.:s'more cookie bars:.
>1/2 cup butter, room temperature
>1/4 cup brown sugar
>1/2 cup sugar
>1 large egg
>1 tsp vanilla extract
>1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
>3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 7 full graham crackers)
>1 tsp baking powder
>1/4 tsp salt
>2 super-sized (5 oz.) dark chocolate bars (e.g. hershey’s)
>1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)


preheat oven to 350°F. grease an 8-inch square baking pan.


in a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. beat in egg and vanilla. in a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. place chocolate bars over dough. i found that the 2 hershey bars fit perfectly, but feel free to break them to make them fit. spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.
place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. if you clump the dough together in your hands, flatten it and place it in pieces on top, it's efficient and creates more of the 'crumbled' effect. bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. cool completely before cutting into bars.

yum, yum, yum! i promise it's super easy (if i can whip it together in 20 mins, i promise you can) and a total indulge!

i held back from indulging too much because i had a mission to work out before the gym closed. every other time, i could easily talk myself out of something else that i 'needed' to do. well, i need to do better with a lot of things beginning with working out. after spending an hour cleaning up my room, letting my food settle, i headed to the gym with 40 mins to workout before it closed and with no game plan in mind.

by habit, i started out on the treadmill and that did not go well which was expected after those s'more bars. i lasted 20 mins on the treadmill, decided to skip the weights, and see how many calories i could burn in the short amount using a jumprope and 1 plate weight. insert hint to burning LOTS of calories, JUMP ROPE! how simple and inexpensive. does anyone else feel that the jump rope is a highly underrated piece of equipment?

 i quickly threw together a circuit of exercises:. 30 seconds jump roping, 10 push-ups, 1 minute of abs (plank) and walking lunge with twist (using plate weight). after two rounds i was hoping the gym closing was going to my excuse to 'have' to go home. well, it had been 4 minutes. 4 minutes! i'm either out of shape or have just discovered a workout to kick my own butt...it's still up for debate. i decided to suck it up and went through 2 more rounds before going home, but i am excited to continue to use my jump rope regularly and see what happens!

with sore knees and a feeling of content, i am off to enjoy the rest of my evening!

always striving for more,
dee b.

.:if you're not totally free, ask yourself why?:.

LOVE this new quote that my good friend shared me!

how was everyone's weekends? did you get everything accomplished that you had hoped or was doing nothing at all an accomplishment in itself?

mine was a little bit of both. i spent my friday night at a pure romance party with college friends. has anyone ever been to one of those? they're crazy, but fun to do with friends in pj's and around a few drinks! saturday brought our first snow and time for henry to come home to the hospital!

my mf dropped henry off thursday morning for his 'procedure'. the poor dude got neutered, his front paws declawed and a microchip placed somewhere in his body. we received a call from the vet later in the afternoon saying that everything went well and he snapped out of anesthesia very quickly (weird). per routine, he had to stay over night for supervision and care. on friday, we were encouraged to leave him for an additional night because of his 'active and adventurous nature', we know. i was very sad to be with out the little guy for one more night, but knew it was for the best! so, saturday morning, i worked my regular shift at the yoga studio, practiced at a class afterwards and rushed to pick up henry afterwards. we were sent home with henry, drugs, special kitty litter, and a cone. henry had the cone off within 2 mins of mf and i wrestling him into it! oh well, we tried. he is very low key, thanks to the drugs and is recovering well.

the rest of my saturday was spent catching up an old friend over coffee and being snowed in with my mf having a criminal minds marathon, could i have asked for a better saturday? heck no!

i spent all day today in lakeville coaching my girls in a tournament. we played 3 games and lost all 3 games. am i disappointed? yes. all because we lost? no. my frustration began when 4 out of my 10 girls were late to the game, a couple of them showing up barely before halftime. as 5th graders, i do realize they are not responsible for driving themselves, but being that late changed the entire mind-set of the game. anyway, we made mistakes as a team that we should not have made. so my goal over Thanksgiving break, is to create a new focus and angle on coaching to try with them. i am hoping it will be more effective than what i am doing now...

 my working out is still slacking, but it is getting better. maybe a couple more mixes from rockmyrun.com will help? stay tuned....


i leave you with a promise that my post tomorrow will be more substantial and interesting!

always striving for more,
dee b.

.:happy humpday!:.

humpday is quite an exciting checkpoint for myself and my surrounding cube-mates. it's not only allows us to see the light of the weekend, but it also means payday is tomorrow and, let's be honest, humpday jokes break up the day as well.

i am proud to tell you all that i made it to the gym last night and worked out for an entire 1 1/2 hours burning over 700 calories. i have not worked out like (or felt this sore) in a long time.

my workout routine included:.
-30 min run on the treamill, starting out at 6.0 speed and increasing every 5 mins until i reached 7.8 speed. lucky for me, this was another run where my legs wanted to out run my heart regardless of the fact that i spent most of the time with a heart rate over 175 bpm. heart, i am sorry that i'm not sorry.
-weightlifting-i am hoping for this to become more methodical, so i can share some secrets with you until then, i just do basic squats, benchpress, incline dumbbell press and more squats....
-abs-my mf decided we should do the ab workout from p90x together. after about 2 sets, he got distracted by intramural soccer (soccer being his main love) that was going on. before we started he heeded a warning, do what you can, so i was glad to have only done 2 sets. :)
- we ended up playing in a game of intramural soccer, so i guess that counts as working out, right?

before working out, i tried out a recipe like i promised! i made eggocupcakes (egg cupcakes). the recipe is cheap and the procedure is simple:.

.:eggocakes:.
>approx 10 eggs
>approx 1 cup of milk
>salt or seasoning salt & pepper
>veggies:. peppers, mushrooms, whatever you like in your omelets
>cheese
>cupcake pan
>non-stick cooking spray

preheat oven to 375°. in a mixing bowl, create scrambled egg mixture with eggs, milk, and salt  & pepper. pour mixture into the cupcake pan (sprayed with the non-sticky stuff). cut up your choice of veggies and sprinkle them in with the cheese. bake for 30 mins. pop them out of the cupcake pan and refigerate. they're easy and healthy for breakfast on the run or quick post-workout protein. i made mine with almond milk and quinoa (for a little extra protein kick). now, this was my first time playing with quinoa, i am pretty sure i made it right, but i am going to have to play with it a little more before i know for sure. i soaked it in cold water for about 7 mins before draining it. i used 1 cup quinoa: 1 1/2 cup cold water, brought it to a boil and let it simmer for about 15 mins, essentially, until all the water was absorbed. next time, i may try this recipe with skim milk and skip the quinoa....

pictures of the recipe will be on later tonight (i can blog at my cubicle, but cannot upload pics)

anyway friends, i am off for a night of basketball practice and hopefully a few drinks to celebrate humpday (i'll be honest, a workout tonight is not in the forecast)

always striving for me,
dee b.

.:just another manic monday:.

that is exactly how i feel today...i feel a little off, emotional and edgy.


i had a full weekend of activities and not much time for sleeping, but i am ready for a new week! yes, mondays suck, but doesn't it feel like mondays can also mean a fresh start? a jumping off point for starting to achieve a new goal, feeling refreshed to hone in your work duties or just simply, moving forward to bigger and better things? i needed a monday, i needed a fresh start and i needed a clean slate to move forward.


which leads me to...

.....guilty as charged. although, i have picked up my game at the yoga studio, my attendance in the weight room is non-existent. it is too early to hibernate and let's face it, how else am i suppose to survive this unforgiving MN winter without working out? tonight, i have the evening off of coaching and i have a date with my mf (man friend) and the weight room. what's better than working out with your mf? i'm sure most of you laughed and said, 'PLENTY', but working out for both of us is a way to decompress, to keep our sanity, so truly, heading to the gym together is like a date for us (which usually leads to drinks afterwards, but that helps keep our sanity too).

i have accomplished yet another goal! my baby, henry, will be going in on thursday to be neutered and declawed, poor guy doesn't even know what is coming! also, this week i have plans to attempt a few new recipes (egg cupcakes for breakfast and possibly something in the crockpot....) along with homemade laundry detergent, things could get dangerous around my house.

as i was driving to basketball practice last night, i thought of goals to put in here (don't mind the randomness, it just happens):.

>sweat once a day:. yoga, weight lifting, running, anything! i gotta get moving even if it is for only 30 mins/day

>catch more ZZZzzzs! this is always easier said than done, but recently recovering from a cold makes you motivated to sleep more. i've realized that my body will never crash for 12-15 hours at a time to get caught up on sleep, so i must hold myself accountable for getting my 8 hours. more sleep will also promote more energy for working out (can anyone say, 6 am yoga?)

>live in a different state or country:. don't get me wrong, i absolutely love MN and believe we have a beautiful state, but i think experiencing living somewhere else, even for a short period, would make me appreciate it even more

>travel, travel, travel:. i have really been bitten by the travel bug, unfortunately, my bank account laughs at me when i look at it for extra money to put away to for a trip, but that will come....

>earn full-time status at my current job:. ok, it's not my ideal job, but everyone has to start somewhere and to get anywhere, you need money (i.e. go back to school). i am working hard in my suffocating cubicle to receive full-time which means benefits and more money (refer back to travel, travel, travel)

>organize my life:. it's really not that serious and i can't be the only one who struggles with this (right?), but going from work to coaching along with packing different outfits to try to fit in yoga or a run in between can cause a chaotic room and car. i've always found that it's much easier to STAY organized than to GET organized, but i tend to forget that when i'm flying out the door and won't be back for 12+ hours.

>get another tattoo:. i realize i do need money for this as well, so i'm not going to be able to get this done for awhile, but it will happen!

>start christmas shopping NOW:. and yes, i mean now! living simply and christmas shopping do not go hand in hand, so i must start being creative for christmas gifts and spread out that expense over the next month and a half.

i'm slowly starting to feel stressed and that the walls of my cubicle are moving in on me as i make this list, so that's all i'm going to 'mention' for now.

i'm off to answer my phone and change people's lives!

always striving for more,

dee b.

.:simple or free-spirited?:.

i stumbled upon the excerpt below on none other, than pinterest! i really think it pertains to my personality and this new concept of living simple. i find that i can not only relate to a few of these (celebrate authenticity, LOL, enjoy simple things), but i can also look at this for inspiration. in times that i am feeling stuck in my cubicle, wondering how in the world did i end up here, or where will my career end up, OR what for/when i will go back to school, i can pull this up, take a deep breath and just live. everyone has unanswered questions that they'd like an 'easy' answer to, but it's how we go about finding those answers that defines us. live life, friends and enjoy the journey (this journey is promised to be bumpy, hard hat may be required in some situations).
 

we've reached another friday, any big plans this weekend?

i am so excited for 5 o'clock when i am done with work! my mf and i are going for a walk down by the stone arch bridge. awwww, precious, i know, i know. i love going for walks and want to get in as many as i can before the it gets unbearably cold! like i said, some of the best things in life are free. tomorrow night, i get to go to my first bachelorette party for my good friend, emily. i am so excited to catch up with friends from high school and celebrate emily, who deserves the best night ever! in between, i have to work my shift at the yoga studio and run basketball practice for my girls (our next tournament is next weekend!).

.:GOALS/TO-DO:.

-make an appt for mr. henry to get neutered/declawed (sorry, dude)

-go for a run and/or to yoga sometime  

-prepare for an upcoming t-giving day 5k--i almost forgot i was a runner thanks to my knees and sickness, maybe i should run outside a couple times before to make sure i still got it?

-try out some new recipes from http://www.bhg.com/recipes/healthy/dinner/cheap-heart-healthy-dinner-ideas/#page=8

-attempt to make homemade laundry detergent

-create a practice plan for my girls to prepare for our tournament

i'm surprised that i can't think of any other ones? i've done quite well staying on top of my laundry/cleaning which normally rules my goals list....

any goals you would like to accomplish before winter hits?

always striving for more,

dee b.

.:bliss is a constant state of mind, undisturbed by gain or loss:.

i did it, i sucked it up and made my first attempt to run in weeks and i survived! i only had time for a 25 minute run before i had hit the court for basketball, but i didn't take a single minute for granted! it felt great to get moving, get my heart rate up and burn some serious calories in a short amount of time. i am happy to share with you that my mix from rockmyrun.com was fantastic. inspiration 4 perspiration may now be my go-to mix for working out. it's a 45 minute playlist that mixes rap and hip hop, i am now motivated to workout long enough to hear the entire playlist. again, i highly suggest this website for FREE mix playlists that range from hip hop to country to rock. i can't wait to download more!

running is my time to think. on my run today, i thought about how simple my life has become in a short amount of time. i went from going to college full-time, working 2 jobs and sharing any spare time that i had with socializing and running. my money was spent on expensive food, going out (to eat and for drinks) and 'retail therapy'. i considered myself frugal. since then, i have cut down to one full time job (thankfully), food i can make in bulk (that freezes well)and an expensive night is hitting up late night happy at green mill with the man friend. i am happy, happier then what i have ever been, in fact. it's been months since i have even considered taking a happy pill (read anti-depressant, that before, i thought i needed in times of 'stress'. most of my money has a place to go (loans/bills) before it's even in my account, but i wouldn't change a thing in my life. i can put all my energy into this one job to be successful at it, share my large(and cheap) meals with my man friend and i enjoy the little victories in life. some of the best things are free.

there are a few things that i have come to really enjoy while living simple: a good cup of coffee or tea, catching up with a friend over the phone or over spaghetti (shout out to my fellow poor friends), enjoying a yoga class, the smell of library books, reading in the glow of a burning candle, bubble baths, watching old tv shows online, criminal minds marathon with my mf(man friend), pinterest, or being greeted by my kitten when i walk in the door.

i challenge you friends, that thing you need want, wait a week or two. see how you managed survive without it and re-evaluate that need. like me, you may surprise yourself at how happy you will be living simple.

i'd love to hear ideas on how you all manage to cut costs and 'tighten that belt' of finances!

always striving for more,
dee b.

happy tuesday!


i have survived monday (barely) and have officially been sick for a week! i am proud to say that i pushed through a yoga sculpt class (burning 454 cals in 1 hr) last night which sets me up to accomplish my goal of attending 3 yoga classes this week, yaay! i am very motivated to start getting back into the gym, i've let my new work and coaching schedule get in the way too much and it's time to start making this a priority again. does anyone else feel empowered when leaving the gym? well, i'm starting to forget what that feeling is.....


alright friends, i have a confession to make, i'm an addict. i am officially confessing my addiction to pinterest; it is the first thing i log in to at work (after the necessary login windows). i really enjoy finding out new recipes (many will be posted here after i try them), getting fun ideas for DIY projects or simply scrolling through all the pictures (and sharing them with my man friend which he is so enthused about). if you haven't checked it out, i highly suggest it!

here is a picture of my dad and i sharing our first father/daughter dance a few years ago at my cousin's wedding.  i'm sharing this picture with you to tell you how truly blessed i am to have this man as my father. although this picture may show otherwise, i was not always a daddy's girl. i have 2 older brothers who bonded more with him growing up than i thought i ever could. over the years, we have grown closer and i matured to appreciate his advice and guidance. i may have hated having to do chores and things called responsibilities when i was younger, but today, i look back and know that i would not be where i am at today without that type of push. my dad travels a lot for his job and he was in middle of nowhere WI last night when he hit a deer, the airbags deployed and his new business car may be totaled, but he was able to walk away. events like this make you reflect and be thankful for all the moments you had with that certain someone. my dad and i get each other. we make ridiculous jokes (sorry, mom), quotes movies (joe dirt) and interrupt dinner prayers (dear 6 lb 7 oz baby Jesus). my dad takes care of me, from supplying the extra car parts i have in the trunk of my car to making sure i have enough food to eat to washing my car while i sleep in on saturday mornings. i know one day i will have to face this world without him, but i know the values that he's instilled (and i'm sure i'll still have some of those extra car parts) will live on. for now, i can't wait to continue the memories and to share our father/daughter dance at my own wedding (which we already have a song pick out for :) ). Love you Dad!

i am spending this quiet evening (rare) getting caught up on laundry, cleaning, making a good meal (pot roast) and simply relaxing with my 2 guys (kitten and bf). i am in high hopes that i will feel better soon and i can get started on a new workout plan tomorrow and try out my new workout mix! i am excited to share with you a website that offers free mixes to help inspire your runs or push you through those last few reps. this wonderful website is rockmyrun.com and they offer various mixes that range in BPM to specialize to your workouts. i haven't tried out my mixes yet thanks to this cold, but i will let you know how they go!




now that it's getting cold outside, what's your favorite way to sweat?


always striving for more,
dee b.


p.s. the recipe for my pot roast is simple, healthy, yet delicious!
all you need to do is a crock pot, roast, carrots and potatoes. first, put the roast in and fill around it with carrots and cut up potatoes. pour a cup of water into the crock pot and let sit for 6-8 hours. you know it's done when the roast is falling apart :)


i promise more interesting recipes are on the way!

.:no struggle, no progress:.

here, i find myself on a late sunday night again, trying to post before i go to bed. i must apologize for letting my blog slack so early in its existence, but to my defense i was quite sick all week. i woke up tuesday with a nasty sore throat and it has progressed into a strong cough (hacking or wheezing may be more accurate). alas, i survived this week and am hoping to be back to 100% soon!

so many things to update you on! first and foremost, a goal was nixed off the list! the cutest guy i know is now the smartest guy i know, he passed his important test! ok, maybe i really didn't have to do much (besides help him celebrate) and it was more his goal than mine, but nonetheless i am uber proud of him and can't wait to see where this takes his career! 

another big goal was accomplished this weekend, successfully getting my girls through their first basketball tournament! i am proud to announce that we placed 4th (out of 8 teams). we did a lot of great things this weekend, but we have also have a lot of work to do before our next tournament. the biggest (and most important) feat accomplished was how the girls realized they are going to have to take their 'in house' basketball skills up a level to compete in traveling and they reacted. for that, i am proud of them. we are ready to hit the court hard this week, make adjustments and continue to get better. 

it's intimidating knowing that i am making a big impact on these girls' basketball careers as well as their overall growth into teenagers. on the other hand, they may be impacting me more. remember turning double digits for the first time? how simple life was, yet how hard it seemed? these girls inspire me to celebrate the little victories and to remain optimistic even when its easier get down. an example of this:. a player came into a huddle at the end of the 3rd quarter and exclaimed, 'coach, we're not winning yet!', a teammate replied for me, 'it doesn't matter if we're winning or losing, it matters that we're trying our best!'. i couldn't have said it better myself. we may have been down by 20-some points, but i left that game knowing the girls remained positive and held each other up as team.

i'll admit things as a new college grad is not easy. it's exciting, exhausting and scary. you have a plan that you made for yourself in high school, you were hell-bound to make that plan happen and nothing was going to stand in your way. according to my plan, at 22, i was going to be attending a top-notch physical therapy school, married with a dog and possibly a cute starter house. i heard a saying, if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans. well God, i'll laugh with you on that one. things don't always go as planned, but as long as you're trying your best, that's all that matters. 

the time has come to buck up and set some more goals for myself because lately, i am feeling unaccomplished:.

-get better **

-attend yoga at least 3 times this week

-organize my car

-get 8 hours of sleep/night 

-not spend any money between now and thursday (ok, my gas light just turned out, so after that i'm done!)

keeping it simple this week, friends!

i'll leave you with one more picture....

here was my attempt to enjoy a bubble bath and catching up on gossip girls while sick this week. he doesn't seem very sympathetic, does he? thank you, henry!

i promise you will be seeing more of me this week!

always striving for more,

dee b. 

.:done looking for the critics cause they're everywhere:.

well friends, here i lay in bed when i should be at work, but i went home sick, thanks to a sore throat and quite possibly those 5th graders i coach....


although my paycheck may take a cut, i got to take time to hang with my kitty, dr. phil and ellen while blogging, so i guess i'll won't complain....


anyway, friends, how was your halloween? anything exciting happen? i got to spend my halloween handing candy out (with the cute guy) to the precious kids of Van Buren Ave followed by a late night workout. this workout (and P!nk's F* Perfect song) made me realize an important question to ask you....


who is your biggest critic, that one person who you strive to impress??? is it  friend (or enemy),  family member, significant other, co-worker??? are you ready for mine??? it's me, i am my own biggest critic. this may true for you as well, but unfortunately, mine is to a fault. 


i've heard plenty of times from my mom, 'you're too hard on yourself', or from a friend, "i don't know how you do it'. the answer is, i do it because i make myself do it. i put everything i have into every element of my life; my job, relationships, working out and schoolwork (this one could be debatable). 


you see my workout last night wasn't up to 'my standards', so i left the gym feeling like i shouldn't have even wasted my time instead of relishing in the fact that i had gone to gym at all. laying in bed last night (thinking i was being lazy for going to sleep instead of blogging), i decided it's time to cut myself some slack. right now my life can get too busy for working out everyday and i have to be ok with that. i may have to learn to say the word 'NO' in order to catch up on sleep or take an evening for a bubble bath. some days i may be sick and have to lay around all day (although i still think i should have sucked it up and stayed at work) and it's time to start listening to my body and bask in the successes not the failures. of course there are responsibilities, and you better believe i'll still be setting goals, but it's time to teach myself it's unhealthy to give to everything else and not to myself. my time to live simply is long overdue. so friends, here is my pledge to stop feeling guilty or selfish when i simply can't do it all. any suggestions on accomplishing this? maybe i should start with ordering mocha with the whipped cream and whole milk....


here is a picture to remind myself, that sleep is sooo necessary.....

please realize, this dude leads a hard life, he is a 6 month old kitten after all. i've decided that he is either extremely tired from cuddling with me all day or trying not breath in the germs....


alas, the nyquil is kicking in and i need to chug one more glass of warm honey water with hopes of waking up fully recovered ready to answer life and death questions of senior citizens! 


always striving for more,
dee b. 

.:i don't typically do this, but here's the deal:.

is it really already sunday night?? LATE sunday night, might i add. here i am sitting in a quiet room to reflect on the ups and down of another weekend that went too quickly. the downs:. i dropped my BRAND NEW blackberry in the toilet, i did not quite achieve all that i wanted to (do we ever?) and i missed basketball practice with my girls today due to a schedule change (which will never happen again!). fortunately, the ups of weekend out weigh the downs, by far. i got to spend quality time with my mom, took a much needed nap, went out with friends til late hours of the night/morning, had breakfast with the cutest guy i know, got my BRAND NEW blackberry to work again, spent time with the cutest guy i know's family (yes, the same guy from breakfast) and drum roll please, went for a run!


ok, so here's the thing, running for me is a big deal. not the 'yea, i run to fit into skinny jeans' big deal, but the 'i'm willing to wake up at 5:30 am, bundle up and run through freshly fallen snow' big deal. so, here is where i should probably fill you in on the whole 'knee' situation, blah....


it all began when i was 15 years old (i promise this story is going somewhere).....deep breath.....


it was the last soccer game before playoffs and having went to state the year before (for the first time in school's history), we were favored to make another appearance. i was a sophomore sweeper (for those of you unfamiliar with soccer, that's the last defender before the goalie). all i remember from that game, was being told my injury was not that serious and i should ease back into practice over the next few days. when i climbed out of bed the next morning and having my knee too unstable to initially stand up, i knew this needed to be fixed before playoffs, which brought me to local orthopedic clinic. a few hours later, i was on crutches telling my coach and teammates that i had torn my ACL, but not too worry because i think it's a quick fix, right coach? wrong. not only was i 15 undergoing a relatively major surgery, but it was to be followed up with months of dedication and rehab. that year i missed out on playing basketball, but this rehab process made me grow in more ways than any sports season could have. i succeeded, cried, struggled, laughed, cried some more and grew. i grew as a person and as an athlete, maintaining my passion for soccer and basketball, which brings me to my first soccer game back 8 months. i was forced to wear one of those awkward knee braces (when you see someone wearing one of these, you're so thankful it's them and not you), but had the support of family, friends and teammates as i made this big debut back to the field. this big debut ended in another torn ACL. the sexy brace did its job on my bad knee (trust me, that thing was bionic), but it was my 'good' knee that would now need surgery. i could go into details about how emotional this was and how sorry everyone was for me, but i'll just say this was a dark time for me as an athlete and as a person. after days of being in self-issued solitary confinement, i came out with a chip on my shoulder, ready for sentencing. i'm sure this rehab process was just as demanding as the first time around, but frankly, i was too pissed off to notice. 7 years down the road (that made me instantly feel old), i have now had a grand total of 5 knee surgeries, 4 on what was once my 'good' knee. i went from being an all state soccer player my freshman year to becoming medically ineligible to play D3 anything after my first year in college. sure, i could sit around and dwell on 'what could have been', but where would that put me? a bitter retiree blaming everyone else for my misfortunes? hmm, no thanks, i've got shit to do and goals to accomplish. 


running became my passion when i was 'encouraged' to find other activities that were less impact, but let me tell you, it was not a pretty start. i started out running/walking 2 miles (that may be stretching it) to losing sleep the night before my first 5k. running turned into my outlet, my way to decompress, my way to keep my competitive spirit alive, my drug of choice. these 5k's turned in 1/2 marathons, triathlons, dualthons and recently added to my resume, the twin cities marathon. had i really found my athletic niche again? wrong. whenever i seem to get too 'cocky', i am quickly reminded that i am human and there is a greater power above me who will do what it takes to form me into who i am supposed to be. after 4 knee surgeries, you'd think i'd not only own a wing of the clinic (sorry, mom and dad), but also, have bionic knees. wrong again. i had my fifth, and probably not my last, surgery this june which has left me with minimal cartilage, aka cushioning, in my left knee.


so, now do you kind of understand why running has turned into my passion? i am still struggling getting back into running. i realize after 5 knee surgeries i will have to run through pain, but some days the pain can be too much. although i am still coming to terms with the thought that i will probably never be able to run consecutive days like i used to, i start and end each run the same way, with patience and gratitude. patience, for however my body decides to feel that day and gratitude, that i have the strength, (read stubbornness), and ability to run what i can.


exhale.....my run this weekend reminded me of why i love it....

here are my necessities for running:. nike lunarglides (i have transitioned with nike thru the 1's, 2's and now 3's), ipod with my regular running playlist, protein shake-if i can't help my knees being sore, i can at least help my muscles and newly added, a heart rate monitor. i used to run with the nike+ device, but my running has taken on a new form. distance doesn't matter to me (as much) anymore, now i gauge my runs on how i feel. this weekend's run felt amazing, i was able to run over 4 miles in under 35 minutes while maintaining an average heart rate of 179. sorry heart, but my legs were not listening nor did they care how you felt because for once, they felt great. i have to try not to get too giddy over this run because tomorrow may bring a pissed off knee and a frustrated me. 


well, now that i have wrote another novel (i promise they all won't be this long), you have another piece of my puzzle. i'd like to end this post with goals because honestly, what are we without goals?


the goals in my head at the moment:.
-get up and run in the morning
-clean my room (did not get crossed off my last goal list)
-clean my car and put new tabs on the license plate...sorry dad, i still have not done this, but i do know to clean the license plate prior to sticking them on. 
-get my girls ready for their first big tournament this weekend!
-encourage and support the cute dude to accomplishing his current goal, passing an important test!


what did you do accomplish/wish to have accomplished this weekend? 


i have decided to throw another component into this blogging thing, a challenge. your first challenge, ponder events that you've experience, positive or negative, that has made you who you are today. who do you have to thank for that?


my bed and kitten are calling for a cuddle session....


always striving for more,
dee b.