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A Liebster from my Lobster!

Everything has been so hectic lately.
My classes are kicking my butt, I work 50 hours a week and getting a work out in has been high priority. So naturally, my life is in disarray but the elliptical is getting some nice booty action.

I haven't had a chance to blog, because I'm barely sleeping. My life is all work-class-tutoring-homework/study-cook/back-workout-nap-work...and repeat.

Part of my NYRs was to keep up with my blog, but I've been slacking. I'm so very sorry and will do much better, I promise!

Now...imagine my surprise when this wonderful bestie (my lobster, of sorts) nominated me for a Liebster award! How awesome right? How not-cool of me is it that I've been a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins and haven't added my newest recipes and workout tips?
Yeah, talk about shameful.
On the flipside, what excellent motivation to kick things into high gear!
Thank you, Laura-dearest!


What is it?
The Liebster Award is given to new and upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers or so.  Liebster is German for "sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome." 

Nomination made by...

Laura at The Brightside According to Laura nominated me for the award. Muah! I love you bundles.

Liebster rules...

Learning more about each other is the name of the game. The Liebster blog award rules are as follows:

- Post 11 random facts about yourself. 
- Answer 11 questions from your nominator. 
- Nominate 11 other blogs with under 200 followers and ask them 11 questions. 

11 Random Facts About Moi!

1. I am in love with my best friend. Thankfully, he loves me too. It's a cheesy-dorky-quirky relationship that people only tend to read about; not perfect, but perfectly imperfect and completely wonderful.
2. Sharpies! I can never have enough of them. I have them in every color and use them for my label-craziness, organization and even my class note cards.
3. I am powerless to bookstores and coffee shops - especially when they're in the same location.
4. My dream car happens to be a Lotus Elise - there's just a sexiness about cars and machines in general that draws me in.
5. I have never, ever been drunk. I tried to once, but the beau put me straight to bed when I started getting tipsy. Apparently, I'm a riot.
6. Running is my jam! In the past 29 days, I have run 92 miles. I've met my goal and surpassed it! Plus, I've got another 2 days to run my butt off!
7. My mom is my best friend and she always has been. I never went through one of those "ugh-I-hate-you" phases. We fought, no doubt, but I always let her know I loved her.
8. My parents had me at 21, consequently - I fully blame them for my love of all things 80's and for raising me to appreciate great music, fast cars and real family time.
9. I traveled to Paris, France and got my grub on! Seriously...I ate ants and snails! They were tasty, but since I'm not normally on a grub-hunt with Timon and Pumba, I don't seek out bugs.
10. I want to be a Pediatric Oncologist - and have wanted to be one since I was 5!
11. I've been working on a novel for the past several years and hope that one day, it'll be published.

Questions from my Nominator

What is your favorite season? 

• Winter. Hands-down. I have a too-short love affair with snowflakes, outdoor ice rinks, floppy ear-flap hats and salted caramel hot chocolate. As a girl from South Texas, I'm used to triple-digit heat and snow cones, year round. When I went off to college, I was beyond thrilled that Baylor experienced temperatures below 50 degrees, where I could watch the seasons change and hear the ever-wonderful crunch of gold, amber and rouge leaves beneath my feet. Naked tree branches and pale morning skies. I love everything about winter, including the transition into my most favorite season.

What was your first concert?

• I actually attended a TRAFFIC and Sade concert when I was 4...does that count? Maybe they weren't performing together - I honestly couldn't tell you. My first official "big girl concert?" Well, I flew to Minneapolis, MN to visit my aunt during the summer between my junior and senior year of highschool. I was gloriously in love with THE FRAY and guess who was playing? I was thrilled! I got to see The Fray, TRAIN, Trampled by Turtles and several other bands at Basilica Block Party. If you haven never had the pleasure of attending - get your tickets for this year's show! It's a big to-do, raises money for a great cause and they have deep-fried Oreos. Need I say more? 

What is your go-to Karaoke song?

• Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting" - seriously...is there a better song to belt lyrics to?

What is your favorite quote and why?

• This is a tough one...I truly love quotes. I mean, you can't begin to imagine how much I love quotes. So picking out just one is almost painful. Quotes are filled with pieces of wisdom and wonderful specks of truth. The quote most meaningful to me right now: 

• "Know your own truth and live by it." - Mario Batali
  Wonderful, right? Simple. Lovely. Thoughtful. So full of inspiration and deeper meaning. I've been contemplating this particular quote, lately. I've found that I haven't fully formed my own person yet, I'm still trying to find my truth.

Who or what inspires you?

• Right now, I'm reading Katie Couric's "The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives" and it really has some amazing advice from many wonderful people. I highly recommend you get yourself a copy. The stories it holds are so powerful and one of them struck a particularly powerful cord.
• Katie Couric, my new hero. I grew up knowing who she was, but I had no clue she'd been through so much until I read her introduction. How unbelievable is it that she had a "cookie-cutter childhood" and kind of expected the same for her adulthood, only to have everything flipped topsy-turvy. She married the love of her life, had two kids, loved her job and then lost her husband to cancer. Then she lost her sister to cancer, too. But she kept going, moving, fighting, doing - that's why she's amazing. Despite facing extreme adversity and insurmountable loss, she's learned to keep loving and looking toward the bright side. We can only hope to learn such courage and strength. 

What is one thing you cannot do without in the morning?

• You're expecting me to say coffee, right? WRONG! I leave for work at 6:15am every day, and am gone until about 6pm. That said, I absolutely cannot leave my apartment without kissing my boyfriend goodbye and leaving him with a simple sign of the cross (Hispanic-Catholic-habits...they die hard) on his forehead.

When are you at your happiest?

•  There are these moments of pure, unadulterated bliss I am lucky enough to experience when my entire family is together. Those milliseconds in time, rare as they are, leave me replete with happiness and longing for seconds or minutes more of those stories, smiles, embraces. I live for the sounds filling the rooms in which we spend our time but, mostly, I miss having my entire family in one place.

List three strengths and three weaknesses about yourself.

• Three Strengths:
• Confidence - I've got it oozing out my pores.
• Resilience - I am kind of the human equivalent of a cockroach. I can come back from just about anything and always have plan a and b and c...all the way to z. There's always a solution and I'm programmed to find one. 
• Rainbows - There's a brightside to everything. Would you expect anything less from the best friend of Laura, at TheBrightSideAccordingToLaura? I believe everyone has a good side and because of that, I help everyone in any way I can.  
• Three Weaknesses:
•  Humility - I'm not quite sure I ever learned how to harness this superpower. A Mother Teresa, I am not. I am trying to be better about this but it's a daily struggle to keep my ego in check. 
•  My tendency to over-give - I give past the point of hurting. I want to give until everyone is happy and peaceful but this sometimes leaves me exhausted, sad and beating myself up over whether or not I can help more. 
•  Ambition - At times I think it'll swallow me whole. I want to do so many things and help so many people, but there isn't enough time in a day.

What is your all-time favorite song?

• There isn't just one. Music is as much a part of my life as literature. I need it to breathe, to love, to learn, to laugh and to feel more deeply than an empty soul because without music, life would be empty. Right now, my favorite song is a tie between:
• Tracy Chapman - Give me one reason
• The Lumineers - Dead Sea 

What are three blogs you read regularly?

• I absolutely love to stumble across new blogs. It's kind of a weekly habit, and really hard to kick. The problem with new blogs, is that I have trouble keeping up with them all! I do have a few favorite (or a couple dozen, who am I trying to kid here?) bloggers, which a faithfully follow. One of them is my bestie, Laura. Her blog is sweet, lovely, inspirational and usually chock-full of fun bright thoughts. Light-hearted, funny, occasionally overly-Texan (as if there's such a thing possible!) and always loveable. She is always presenting you with a brighter side to everything, with a heaping helping of warmth. How could you not want to read her thoughts? Visit her here!

• We all know that I'm a serious foodie, hence the need to workout and write this blog. What you may not know is how hard it was for me to keep up with a decent diet. Why?  I love chocolate, cake, frosting...all three of them combined is just brilliant - don't you agree? I am constantly searching for ways to get my sweet-tooth fix, without breaking my calorie budget. I tend to find much inspiration over at FitFoodieFinds.com. She's great and goes through fun phases where she's addicted to certain ingredients, it's fantastic!

• Have I mentioned how much I wish I had sisters? These wonderful ladies make it look like sooooo much fun! They've got ideas on just about everything and are all about wholesome family values. I am always inspired by them and love reading about their excursions. These sisters are wonderful, find out more about them at Six Sister's Stuff

My 11 Blog Nominatons

1. Lisa Vee's Photography
2. Writes Like a Girl 
3. Lisa Lupo Photography
4. Musings From the Law
5. Lauren Stilz 
6. Whale You Be My Friend 
7.  Easy Means Simple 
8. Amarette's Abenteuer 
9. Your Super Awesome Life 
10. Taking Back My Twenties 
11. Katy Loves

Not surprisingly, many of these are similar to Laura's. What can I say, we have great taste! :)

Here are my questions for these lovely bloggers:

1. What is your favorite book?
2. Which food to you run to when the world seems like it's crumbling around you?
3. Who is your favorite artist and why?
4. What is the one thing you can't go a single day without?
5. What one person has been the most fit-fluential for you?
6. Where do you feel most at peace?
7. What one act of kindness do you strive to perform each day?
8. How do you like your coffee? 
9. If you had to choose the way in which you'd leave this earth, how would you go?
10. What are three of your quirks?
11. Name your three greatest accomplishments and three greatest failures.   

Muah!
Much love to you!

Stop. Then wiggle it!

I've been bouncing around all morning, an unleashed ball of energy. It's fantastic!
There's so much to do! I've got engineering assignments, lab reports, two exams to prepare for, laundry, this week's lunch to make and grocery shopping!

GAH!

So, I reminded myself to STOP. 
Stop thinking about all the cray-cray crap that's gotta get done. Screw the deadlines. Forget about everyone who wants you to do them a favor. 

Take a minute to just do YOU!

Wiggle it! Dance it out! Read! Nap! Make a dessert! 
Whatever it is...make sure that you're doing it for you!

 I am always forgetting to put myself first. In fact, I've been putting off my workouts to get things done for friends and family. I decided to ride in the backseat. My wants, needs...I threw them out the damn window. 

Dear self, 

I'm sorry it took me so long to realize the error of my ways. But I'm back now, stronger than before and ready to get back to work. You are the most important thing in my life and I promise I will never let anything get in the way of you, again. 


Do you put yourself first?
If you're riding bitch, you need to make a change. Put yourself first, before you start helping someone else. You can't help them if you're out of whack. 

What are you doing for yourself today?

I'm working out, hard. It's time to bring the pain again and push past this plateau. 
Get strong, be fit, live happy. 

Love you.

Sexy Fluffy

BLAM!
I've hit a plateau. 

So obvi...I feel fat. TOM is visiting, so I'm bloated on top of all this weight-loss business and feel the intense need to cry. Shameful, right? 
Ladies, I know you know what I mean. Gentlemen...it's really is like shark week, but sometimes not even chocolate and kind words are going to save your butts. FYI.

Anyhow...I'm feeling FAT. No, not PHAT. 
FAT. Hefty. LARGE. Giant. As tall as I am round. 
So what does my beau suggest?

BRA SHOPPING! 
"Babe, you're beautiful. Go buy yourself some lingerie, I promise you'll feel gorgeous."

Wonderful, right? End of this cheesy story? 

NO!

We go to the mall, get measured (me, not him!) and it turns out that I'm actually a FULL CUP SIZE bigger than I thought I was. MAJOR FAT. 
How is this possible when I'm losing weight? 

Is the remaining fat re-depositing itself in my boobs?
Sigh...

What's worse? 
This skinny cow with no tact, shopping with her man, whispers to him..."yeah, as if that'll look good." 

Hand to GOD...I almost rounded on her and said:

But, I remained calm and continued looking through the oh-so-adorable-but-I-probably-cannot-fit-one-cheek-into-these lacies. 

How sad. 
Did I mention I'm in between sizes? 
Everything's too big or too small. 

GAH! I loathe plateaus!

So what am I doing about it?
We're changing it up, peeps!

I've got 6lbs of frozen fruit that needs to be munched!

This coming week (starting Sunday)...I'm having a protein shake for dinner, until I get tired of them every night. I'll change up the ingredients, but always keep the protein to meet my daily nutritional values. You see, I'm incredibly busy and tend to work out in the late afternoon or evenings, so a shake will work much better for me than a typical dinner. I'll definitely let you know how it goes. 
Lunch will be mainly salads, but I heart me some bunny food - so that won't be a problem to stick to. 
Which leaves?

BREAKFAST!
The real question is...

I'm going to incorporate some awesome home-made breakfast bars, so that I can snack halfway through my morning. Can anyone say woot? Mmmm, yum! [pictures to follow]

My man has been kind of a slave-driver lately. He's all "gotta work out, ROAR!" :gnashes pearly whites:

It's kind of annoying, actually. 
He's super strong, so he's pumping some serious iron and looking sexy-buff, while I'm working with puny-baby-weights and can barely make fluffy look good, let alone with my sweaty booty in neon spandex. Good grief. I just realized how comical I must look in the gym. SMH.

Add this song to your workout jams...it's EPIC!

Oh, so what happened with the new bras?
I bought a few and they feel like they're ALL over me! But I guess that's what a good one's supposed to be like, huh? It's like a boobie protector, all up in my business and holding things in place. 
The beau was right, too. Once I got home and showered, then a bit dolled up for a night out...well, I slung one of those puppies on (the black lacey kind that makes me blush, even though no one else knows I'm wearing it) and all my man could say all night was:

Babe, can you get me..."As you wish."
Sweetie, I need..."As you wish."
Is it alright if..."As you wish."
More coffee for me...."As you wish."


This over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder is brilliant! If you don't have pretty, lacey, lovely undies...GO GET SOME! 

It's not the fabric that makes me feel pretty, it's the look I get from my man. 
He loves me bundles. 
Enough to drag me to the gym, when all I want to do is nap. 
More than enough to work around my hectic schedule to make sure I eat healthy. 
Beyond the normal love levels that one would expect.

He's the real deal and I'm one lucky gal. 
So I won't push past this plateau for him. He already loves me. 
I'm doing this for me, so that maybe someday soon - I'll love myself as much as he loves me. 

Now that would be spectacular, but for now, I'll make fluffy look sexy. 

 

Jugs & Milkshakes

Quite the predicament, no?

You know the one. 

It's this wonderful frothy mixture that you know must have been sent down to us from Zeus in a spontaneous moment of insane kindness for us mere mortals. 

Mortals with a serious weakness for sweet decadence. 
[Yes, the apple has come full circle.]

Chocolate, strawberry, butterscotch, vanilla creme....there are so many splendid flavor combinations to indulge those cravings and well - who doesn't love sipping down that shake? 

HIPS.

They hate it. My boobs, they hate it. Well, maybe they could stand to gain a little suppleness [since they're attached to a has-been athlete and probably hate being so...lame flat nothing special. 
My hips though? Hell to the NO! They definitely could do without the extra calories and itty bitty pieces of lard that would be deposited by the shake. 

We can't have that. We've gotta do activities!

And 1 & 2...&1&2...

All that aside ladies and gents - who of you can actually give up your favorite things?
Not me. 


So I found several healthy ways to make me not want to cry. 

Most of these ideas are not actually milkshakes, but smoothies. 
When I want a really great milkshake, I switch out crazy fat-loaded ice cream for something non-fat or (LOVE!) go for the Fro-Yo! Haagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry's make wonderful options! :]

The Green Monster - Laura introduced me to this wonderful creation and it's never a bad option. 

It looks freaky, but it's yummy! Promise.

Berries are my fave! Blackberries are the bestest!

You can get some awesome recipes HERE! Our friends over at Prevention are pretty much on the up & up! Yummy stuff, ya'll!


I hope you all are mixing up your nutrition! I don't like when things get boring. I would much rather enjoy some nummy eats that I don't have to see every single day. 
Except salads. 
I <3 them and can eat bunny food every day! Only exception...and they're obviously not the same salads. Everything's got a twist!


Now on to my new Arm Workout! I'm starting it this week and am super mega-stoked. Wanna join? 

Super Mega-Awesome!

I hope that your fitness journey is going well. We're finally starting to see real results. 

The beau is down 12 pounds, since December. Fan-flipping-tastic, right!?! I've been healthy baking like crazy, so it's a mini-miracle - but these recipes really are the best of the healthy-fit and foodie craving worlds!

Don't settle for your lifestyle. Make compromises when necessary, but make sure you're loving the direction you're headed. Fewer calories doesn't mean better and too much is never good. Find your balance while busting those buns. More endorphins, happier nature, loved body. 

Get going!

Now, I should get back to my studies. 
Good night, loves!

HUGS <3

 

How Many Licks?

Listen to this, ya'll! I think I'm finally over the "ooh-I-can-totes-snarf-down-another-frappuccino" to make it through my day. Those cravings. Yeah - you have them too! Don't lie.
Don't get me wrong, usually I want a salad or veggies more than anything else. My coffee habit (albeit something FIERCE) is usually no more than a cup a day and less than 200 calories, if I mosey my derriere down to Starbucks. All that aside...I still CRAVE chocolate and coffee and doughnuts (seriously, I should own stock in Shipley's) and Mountain Dew. All these things, I have occasionally - but sometimes I want to gobble everything up.

Then I give myself a pep-talk that usually goes something like this:
"So, beautiful - you're comfy in your current jean size, right? In fact, you really want to get to a healthier weight and into some smaller jeans, eh? Well...those extra [insert nummie goodness here] are definitely not going to help your jiggle."

I wanted to share a few of the recipes that I've come across recently. I'm one of those "pin it" then "make it" girls. Why pin it just to look at it?

LAME, right?

Not me! I make sure that my pantry is stocked and that my guys are hungry - they're always willing test subjects for most of my creations. I love finding thinspiration recipes! These are a few of my faves!

Blondies! This gurl does them right! Mmm!
These are DE-lish and pretty healthy already!

 

I see something, and then (if it's all sorts of Paula Deen wrong[or very, very right], with butter and lard and bacon) I change up the ingredients to make them fit my healthier life choices.

But, since my boys are more likely to hate something that tastes "healthy," I'm forced to be creative. I add in Splenda, instead of sugar. Or use Chobani yogurt instead of butter. I've been picking up tips here and there...loving every recipe I've made so far! My office peeps are loving them too, so I promise I'm not just tooting my own horn. I've gotten some of these chunkies to start eating healthier, all because they're gnoshing on 80 cal brownies and yet, they're none the wiser.
There's nothing worse than telling someone your treats are healthy, then they don't want to eat them. Instead, I leave them out for anyone to snag. When I get asked for the recipe, they tend to be floored.
The look on their faces when I tell them the cookies are only 37 cals each or are sugar free?

Priceless!

You should definitely start spreading the fit-foodie love around! It's wonderfully contagious. I swear, I would have so much fun being a Kashi GoLean Protein Egg [yootoob it], handing out healthy goodies. Too fun!

Turkey Bacon, FTW! :]

These make for a fun and quick breakfast.
Super yummy and protein packed!
I'm all about being more healthy without having to worry about exact calories.
Honestly...who's got time for that?

Scrumptious!

These Italian Dunkers are epic! I actually made the meatballs and these were the result.

Amazing, right?

Come on, ya'll! Get into your kitchen and fumble around with those ingredients. Tinker your way into something nummy and finger-lickin' tasty! The healthier, the better!

If you come across anything legendary, be sure to let me know! I <3 some awesome recipes!

Great Starts

This past week, I lost my voice. 
By Saturday afternoon, I had a fever + chills and absolutely NO love for running. Oh! Everything I tried to eat had no flavor, almost like licking air. Weird, huh? Darn sickly tastebuds.
Now it's Monday and I'm not feeling too much better. Hoping to force myself back into top-notch mode, I've endeavored to stay busy. Well, as busy as one can be with practically zero energy and a pile of assignments. Cal 3 will just have to wait until my mind isn't so murky.

With the semester in full swing, I've had to start planning my meals more strictly and making sure there are plenty of healthy snacks around. Our fridge is packed to the hinges with yogurt, eggs, meat, salads, veggies and plenty of other goodies.
The beau and I also decided to add some Cliff Builder's Bars into our weekly routine. Who doesn't love a good meal replacement bar? We add a piece of fruit (usually a banana or an apple) and a bottle of water. Voila! You've got your sexy self, a meal! A yummy one, too! 

Check these out! They're awesome! We are HUGE fans!

This week our dinners will be:
Monday: Steak Flatbread Pizzas
Tuesday: Sausage and Spinach Penne
Wednesday: Enchiladas Suizas
Thursday: Fire-Roasted Sausage & Noodles
Saturday: Movie Night! We're having dinner out with friends & have promised that we will share one plate. We've realized just how much he over-eats and how many left-overs I tend to bring home for myself. Why not just share, right? Healthy-Fit Couple of the year! :]

This mom plans for EACH of her kids. Too much?

I'll do my best to post pictures and may even include some of these recipes. I owe a few cooking tips to my good friend, Julie - so I need to get on the ball for her Med-School cooking help! 

Tonight I'm making my quick and easy pizzas. For a healthy breakfast tomorrow, I'll be baking chocolate banana bread tonight. This will be a first for me - so I'm hoping it comes out like this:

My chocolate monster needs to be sated.

Our goal is to start running again on Wednesday. This cold really kicked my boo-tay all weekend and I need to get back to my body-sculpting business. 

My weight loss goal: 40 pounds to go. 
I've got until April 23rd to do this. I want to look super sexy in a wonderful dress and pumps for my big 24! :] Set a goal and GO for it!

Step one - Be accountable!
My friends and I have all gotten MyFinessPal on our iPhones, so we're holding each other accountable for our daily food choices. Personally, I don't worry too much about the actual calorie values. If I'm over or under by a couple hundred calories, so what? Your body will work your metabolism harder if you switch up your daily calorie values. Don't stray too far now, loves - but make sure that you give your body a little of what it craves. 
Example? 
I will never give up coffee or chocolate. But you bet your fit bunz that I am going keep those cravings in check! If I'm at Starbucks, I choose non-fat milk and sugar free syrups. Usually, my grande bevy costs me about 220 calories. As for chocolate...my fave is dark! Maybe a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips with a cup of strawberries. Mmm...mmm...MMM!

Ooh-la-la! our friends @ Nestle are doing it right!

How's your week going?
Remember - if you haven't started your workout yet...it's NOT too late! 
The first steps you take are usually the hardest, but they're the most exhilarating! 
Get those buns moving! 

Hit It Before You Quit It!

Pay attention kiddies. Life lessons here.

So, I went all dark and twisty on you guys a few weeks back when I got my rejection letter from graduate school. Missed that entry? Here ya go --> Serious Venting

What did I do? 

Well, after removing my head from my own fantastically shaped derriere and getting over the "woe is me" attitude - I put stock in what a few of my besties said "Snap the heck outta this, chick! You've got this!"


I decided to hit it again before quitting, because I'm nothing if not thorough - right?
Reaching out to the admissions board, I found out what I did wrong, how I fell short and I fixed it.

Guess what?

Now THIS girl is going to graduate school! :] 
I know it doesn't always work out in our favor, but I really needed this WIN and am so glad to have the opportunity to show this school just how much of an asset I am.

I got my admission confirmation at work, today!
Hand to God, I hugged everybody in a 50ft radius.
Yes, I am that thrilled!

This experience made me realize that I shouldn't give in so easily - and neither should you!

I can think of several people who told me I'd never get here.
How do you like them apples?

It's January 8th. Which of you haven't started working on that weight loss rezzie?
Better question...how many of you worked out like a HOSS for a couple of days, but then rewarded yourself with brownies and a few days of rest?

For. SHAME.

Don't quit it yet. [If you haven't started...what the hell are you waiting for?]

Aim for the most amazing version of yourself. Perfection is over-rated.

Have you tried SPARK?
- There are plenty of fantastic flavors to choose from and they come in either a canister or pouches for portability. Try the Strawberry Mango...it rocks my socks!

I'm about to start the 24 day Challenge. I lost 8 pounds on the program in 24 days, this past fall. More importantly, the cleanse helped me jump-start my workout plan.This year, Advocare has released a workout program! It's 7 workouts that increase intensity and will put you on your better fitness path. I'm going to start those workouts with the 24 Day Challenge and add in some Catalyst. 

Can you say RIPPED! :] 
My rips are going to have rips...mmm sexy!


Keep on keeping on, ya'll!

Be big enough to realize that you're blessed/gifted/shinedupon/loved/awesome
Live it up!

Goals

I managed to sleep most of my day away because of a migraine that decided to assault me this afternoon. Jerk!

My dreams during that blissful [4 hour] nap were...wonderful. It was like my whole year unfolded and things clicked into place. Maybe the migraine was strangling just the right neurons. Maybe. 

Regardless of the cause, I now know what I want to do:

1. Lose 50 pounds by April 23. 
- This is going to be one hell of a challenge, but I've got you all - right? I can work my ass off off and vent about the evil crunches, how much I need an ice bath and missing white chocolate chip cookies. 

You can always be better. Aspire to be the best version of yourself at all times.

2. Get Published!
- I've got so much research to do for my novel, but I'm really stoked about where it's going. Hopefully another stroke of genius will hit me and my muse will visit again.

I can only hope to empower people through my words.

3. Get into graduate school. 
- Biomedical Engineering, here I come!

4. Take the LSAT and CRUNCH it!
- Applying to law school and getting accepted is the next step. Obvi!

5. Travel to 3 different cities [outside of our Noble Texas] with Angel. Those destinations I'll keep secret, because it'd be great for surprise him!

My better half.

6. Bake More. Cook More. Compile the recipes. 
- Food is my therapy. Over the years I've learned to be more cognizant of what I'm eating and how it affects my body. I'd like to continue sharing the lessons I learn and hope that you keep reading about the crazy running excursions and the [sometimes] failed recipes. 

Lasagna Cups. Mmm...scrumptious!

7. Take a step toward financial freedom.
- I have loved being a part of Advocare and want to make it a more permanent fixture in my life. Though I don't love every product they have to offer, the ones I do enjoy have made such a positive impact on my life. This healthy journey will continue and I'm so very happy to follow this path!

Advocare - Visit my site!

There are so many other things I want to accomplish, but these are the big seven. I haven't planned anything out, but I've put the goals out there. Instead of a vision board or day planner or exacto-knife for life...I'm just focusing on the goals. How I get there will be my adventure. 


What have you all set out to do for 2013?

Panties & Prologues

I dropped two more pounds this week. 

Work it, ya'll!

Woo-freaking-HOO!

Only a few more pounds before these panties start sliding their way down my fabulous derrier. Which, I might add, never seems to lose its shape. Does anyone else have that problem? I guess it's not really a problem, except when you're in between sizes and the skinny cow pulling your jeans off the rack can't seem to understand that just because you've got thunder thighs to fill the legs, does not mean your assets can pucker the back pockets. 
It's just frustrating...and even more irritating that she's only trying to help, so you really shouldn't bite her head off about your less-than-cooperative bunz.

Moi? 
Complaining about losing weight? 
YES! 

If I hadn't gotten so hefty to begin with, I wouldn't be in this ass-of-mine predicament.

Let this be a lesson to you, fellow chubsters - STICK TO YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS!
Come on, toots! 

You want to lose weight? 
Make a plan. Stick to the nutrition.  Don't deprive yourself, but don't give yourself a cookie for every 1 mile you walk at your leisure. You gotta risk it to get the biscuit, ya'll! 
[the risk here is a few bucketfuls of sweat, smaller jeans and the allure of {insert your biscuit} a certain little yellow polka-dot bikini]. 

Stop chasing that tail, too. Let someone chase yours!

Get fit, be happy and healthy. 
Remember how hard it was to run your chunky monkey, rocky-road loving bee-hind, up those hills and down that ravine...because you DO NOT WANT to be BACK here, ever AGAIN.

Capeesh?

::end rant:: & ::step off soapbox::


My treat for you today is more along the lines of mental stimulation. 
Holding true to my rezzie's [honestly friends, we're only 2 days in and shouldn't be breaking the oh-so-serious promises we made to ourselves only two nights ago. For SHAME.] I started working on my fiction novel. 

I have never shared this with anyone outside my immediate friend group, so this is exciting!

We've talked panties, now here's the prologue:

{Title, not set; Prologue}

“Dalyra! RUN. Damn. Run!” He’s screaming at me, this is beyond awful. I know I should listen, but my limbs are scrambling to get to him. Throwing punches and hurling broken men across the room. Marcello is fighting them with me, but this is anything but fair.

We were ambushed. Aural’s fiends, no doubt.

Ugh! There is no logical way out of this place. If we jump, we may never get back – not with Marc batter and weak.

I snap back into the fight. Break bones now, think later!

Move left!

 My instincts are pleading with me, this sucks! A hairy fist misses my chin by a fraction of an inch. Black dress shirts and dark jeans, everywhere. There’s something burning; the smoke, suffocating.

Something’s burning. Oh my God.

 There are too many of them, and I can’t access their minds. My elements are virtually useless against them as well.

We’re losing.

There’s more pain in the defeated voice, than I’m willing to express.

Bruises are starting to form on my knuckles, I’m sure one of them is broken. There was a definite sting that shocked my nocioreceptors into submission with that last blow.

I’m flailing around, attempting to do more damage with a tornado approach – hitting anything that comes near enough. We’re storming a path through the mêlée, endeavoring to get the hell out of here. The closer we are, the better chance we have.

            Almost there. I can practically touch him.

            “Fuck, Dali! Why haven’t you left?” Marcello is thundering his voice at me, while trying to duck away from a sucker-punch.

            Breathless, “How. Could. I. Leave. You?” Landing a jab with each word, then a cross-kick to my assailant’s chest. He goes down – hard. A lot of good that does, there’s another goon coming straight for me.

            “You need to get out! I can’t lose you, not again. Pl– !” Marcello’s plea is slammed shut with an uppercut, slamming his jaw shut. He staggered, but quickly regained equilibrium.  

            “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, sweetheart.” I scoff, but inwardly I’m praying that we can make it out of this.

Where is everyone?

            It’s like we’ve been fighting for hours and help is nowhere in sight. My strength is dwindling. I know I can’t keep this up.

There are only eight of them left. The others are either dead or incapacitated.

            I should have rested, when he asked me earlier. This is my fault.

            Mark is fighting three grizzly looking men and he lokos haggard.

Get. To. Marc.

The remaining five buttons are on me have concentrated around me. I’m shrouded by their tall, dark, immune-to-my-power bodies. I’m the target, that much I know. I’m pulling every defense move I know, skills I never thought I’d have to call on.

            Punch. Kick. Jump. Craaack! My jaw is out of commission. I can barely open it to scream.

Dislocated? Maybe. MEND, please -  heal!

Begging my super-human body to work with me, I continue throwing myself into the fray because I must save Marc. This is my fault. They want me, not him.

A warm, searing pain lashes me across the face and wraps around to the crown of my skull.  I’m flung across the room and through a window. Mark’s face is the last thing I see. His screams are drowned out by my failing senses.

I’m thinking, this can’t be happening.

Blackness. Night, maybe?

No, entrapment. 

Cold. Wet. Broken. I’m trapped in a darkness that has managed to engulf my entire being. I’m not alone, I can feel him near me. His breathing is shallow, thready and I can feel his pain.

How did I end up here?

Why didn’t I fight harder?

Can we be rescued, or do I have to claw our way out?

All these thoughts are flying through my mind, racing against time. Here I am, where? I do not know. My insides are twisting and I’m on the verge of panic. Marcello is dying, truly leaving my side in this world. My spirit, my soul, everything is slipping away. This mind-numbing situation is sucking me in.

I can’t think straight.

How can I survive without him? Will I even?

My head is on fire and the warm blood snaking its way down the left side of my face is all the physical evidence left on me from this disaster night. Marc’s not so lucky.

We’ve never truly died before. Reincarnation is sweet that way. We live, we die, repeat. But this…this isn’t something I can fix. The tears I’ve been holding back through the fight find their way to the surface and bubble up, rolling over the rim of my lower lids. I know I need to get out, but for now – I cry.

When it’s all gone, the helplessness and despair, I formulate a singular plan. Heart breaking, mind healing my wounds and I can’t wrap myself around the last few days. I’ve been kidnapped, beaten, broken and exploited – but, we’re together.  

I am going to murder the evil bastard who put us here.

[end of transmission]

Thanks for reading! :]