Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Tag, you're it!!

I was tagged!! My sister is a daily blogger. I really love reading her blog and always make it a goal to read it every day. One of her most recent posts she posted this game of tag. The idea is this:

She answered 8 questions that another blogger wrote. She (my sister) then made 8 new questions and tagged 8 new people. It's like a chain. Fun, right?!?


1. What specific thing made you happy today? (I accidentally erased this question but it was something like that...):

I worked out this morning. I've been working out three days a week now for a month. I've also upped, that's a word right!?!, my fruit and water intake. I even lost a little weight. It's been nice to work towards something.

2. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Can I be both? In reality I am.

3. If you had/have free time, what would you/do you spend that time doing?

Spending time with Michael; whatever that may mean. I have a friend who told me that, not in a bad way, I spend way too much time with Michael. She said that I need to spend more time with my friends and with myself. I just can't help it though. I love being married and I love who I'm married to so why wouldn't I want to spend time with him?

4. What is your favorite breakfast?

Eggs, sausage, fruit, and possibly a pancake or two.

5. You are alone in the house. No one is watching. You are listening to your favorite music. What kind of music is it? Are you singing along? Are you dancing? Remember, no one is watching. =)

Most likely I'm listening to Wicked or something really dancey. I can't help but sing along to anything I'm listening too and of course I'm dancing. Who do you think this is?

6. What have you never tried but really want to?

I have tried it but I really want to do it again; does that count? I want to be on a dance team again. I would love to be a professional dancer (not in a naughty way).

7. Do you have a favorite holiday? If so, what is it and why?

I'm constantly fighting this. I love Thanksgiving because of the food thing. I love to cook and eat. Oh I love to eat. At the same time, though, I love Christmas because who doesn't love Christmas?

8. What is the most recent thing that someone has done for you that made a difference in your day?

Just the other day I was feeling kind of down and my friend, Toni, wrote on my Facebook wall a little comment about how she was thinking of me or something. It really meant a lot to me.

Ok here are my questions and the people I'm tagging:

1. What is your favorite part about you?
2. If you could vacation any where, where would you go?
3. What does the best meal ever involve?
4. Name your favorite sweet.
5. Up to now what is your greatest accomplishment?
6. What would be your best day ever?
7. Favorite season and why?
8. What is the best book you've ever read?

1. Toni, because she always has such a funny blog.
2. Jenny, because I'm sure she could use some time to think about her. I have to explain to everyone that she is a mom, a wife to a student, pregnant, and just got called as the Relief Society President in her ward.
3. Janelle, because I love reading her blog.
4. Aynna, Best. cousin. ever. Ok, I have a lot of really great cousins but she is almost like a twin cousin.
5. Chelsey, because I love her and she needs a reason to blog.
6. Heather, because she hasn't blogged in a while and I love reading it.
7. Britta, she is a daily blogger anyways so I might as well get a little glory from it.
8. Amanda, because I haven't heard from her in a while.

By the way, I would have a link to each of these blogs but my computer is absolutely ridiculous and won't let me do anything like that and Michael has his computer with him.

Now go! I can't wait to read.

Monday, September 20, 2010

This is so odd...

I was on Panera's website doing some work when I found this story. I just had to share it.


A Panera Wedding Featured News
The last-minute surprise one couple will never forget

Jeff and Natalie Daniels were supposed to be married at 10 a.m. on August 16, 2008, in an outdoor ceremony at Lake Eola in Orlando, Florida. The bride was 45 minutes late but, unfortunately, Tropical Storm Fay arrived right on time with wind-swept rain that quickly soaked guests, drove the bride into her car, and sent the preacher scurrying into a nearby Panera Bread.

“We didn’t have a backup plan,” recalls Jeff. “I was so soaked, the dye from my tuxedo went right through my shirt. But then the reverend called and said it’s nice and dry in Panera, and the manager was willing to let us get married in there. I thought this is going to be one of the strangest weddings ever….”
The Reverend Glynn Ferguson and the Panera staff took charge, handing out towels and moving tables. A cloth was draped over a trashcan, and the couple’s Unity Candle was set on top. Meanwhile, the groom and his party were sequestered in the men’s room while guests formed a canopy of umbrellas so the bride could get from her car to the bakery-cafe.

“Once everyone was in position, I gave the staff the nod, they turned up the classical music, the bride and her father walked down the aisle, and I married them,” says Reverend Ferguson. “Everyone clapped, customers included. It was one of the most unusual weddings I’ve ever done, but it was warm, inviting, classy, and it sure smelled wonderful.”

“Natalie and I plan on going back to that Panera for our anniversary and giving the staff a photo of us taken in front of the store that day,” says Jeff. “Whenever we tell people this story, they can’t believe it. But it was very special, and we’ll never forget it.”

Publish Date: September 8, 2010

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

See TV can teach us something

Have you seen the most recent commercial from Nutrigrain Bars? The screen is split in half and it shows a woman who starts her day with a pastry and her day with a Nutrigrain Bar. She goes throughout her day making different nutritional decisions. The idea of the commercial is that if you start your day with a Nutrigrain Bar you will make healthier decisions throughout the rest of your day.

The first few times I saw this commercial I though, "Yeah right." Even if I had a Nutrigrain Bar for breakfast I would still choose the piece of brownie over the piece of apple that they were sampling at the grocery store any day of the week. I thought about it quite a bit and wondered if it was really true. I decided to conduct an experiment.

I made a goal three weeks ago that I would work out every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. So far, so good. On the days that I work out I tend to drink more water, eat more fruit, and eat a little healthier. I usually do spill over with my healthy living on days that I don't work out but still I have my days. Plus, I was working on my experiment. One morning there was 1/2 of an Almond Joy waiting for me to eat sitting on the kitchen counter. I ate it for breakfast. All day long I ate like crap. I didn't do it consciously either. It wasn't until later that day that I realized how bad I had eaten. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I usually open at work. This means that I'm eating breakfast there. If I eat eggs or a breakfast sandwich, a healthy one, I usually end the day well. But if I eat a sweet and high calorie bagel or a pastry I usually end the day feeling like crap because of all the crap I ate.

On top of that at the end of my good days I am more likely to cook dinner, have a different kind of energy (even though I'm still tired) and read my scriptures. I'm friendlier and easier to get along with. Finally, it makes me want to do it all over again so I can always feel that way.

I hope that all of you try to start your day with a healthier option. It really does work!!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Well that's disappointing.

You know those nights where you are tired after a long day? You worked on dinner as well as house work and you sit down just to realize that you want something sweet. You know the day, right?

The other night this happened to me. I could have gone to the grocery story that is right across the parking lot and got some chocolate chips or a candy bar but I didn't want to put that much energy into it. I decided to go online and get a recipe for cookies that need ingredients that I had lying around the house. I ended up finding this recipe that looked a little fishy because of the amount of ingredients but that was also the appeal. I decided to read the comments to get a better feel. The comments said things like:

"This is one of the best cookies I've ever had."

"I just wanted to make a cookie with the ingredients I had lying around my house. These cookies were just what I needed to fill my sugar need for the night."

"Super easy and the kids loved them."

You get the idea, right? I was so excited to make a cookie that was everything I was looking for. So, I spent the time to make the cookie (it really didn't take much time they really are easy). I was so excited for them to come out of the oven. I even poured myself a large glass of milk so I was ready.

I pulled them out of the oven and they smelled so good. I put three on my plate, grabbed my milk and sat down on the couch. I was so ready to get lost in a warm cookie and finish my day off right. I pulled up the biggest cookie to my mouth, smelled it, then put it in ready for the cookie to melt in my mouth and hit me in the spot that makes me happy that only cookies can reach.

WORSE COOKIE E.V.E.R!!

It was dry and had no flavor whatsoever. It crumbled and cracked. It was exactly the opposite of everything that I was expecting. Moral of the story; don't ever make a washboard cookie.

The next day I had work from 9-5:30. I woke up, worked out, and ate a good breakfast. I had a few minutes before leaving to work so I started the crockpot for some "Tex Mex Tacos." I was so excited about the thought of dinner being ready after a long day at work.

While I was at work I imagined Michael and I getting home about the same time. I would pull out tortillas, jalapenos, cheese, and sour cream. We would load up our tortillas and eat some of the best tacos ever made.

As soon as I got off work I rushed home to indulge in my tacos. I got out all the fixins I needed and opened the crock pot to find...dry meat. The tomatoes had dried to the bottom of the pot so the pork ended up drying out.

Hopefully next week will be a better food week for me. I'm thinking I need to buy some molasses and make myself some ginger snaps. MMmmmm...