Manicure Monday: Nude for the New Year

Happy Monday!

I hope you had a nice, back-to-your-routine weekend. My weekend was mostly lazy, but I did a lot of blog work as well. So I don't feel as recooperated as usual, but it was time well-spent.

Did anyone realize that there was no Manicure Monday post last week? Yeah, neither did I. I completely spaced it, seeing as last Monday was New Year's Eve. Oops...! I didn't realize it until days later, and I that point, it was kind of too late. Anyway, this week I went for simple and classic: a nude mani. It'll go with everything, gives me a little style without much effort, and I adore this Essie color: Sand Tropez.

I was planning on making a special announcement and doing a lot more blog work today, but I got called into work. I always get called in when I have something to do and I always don't have to go in when I have nothing planned. Typical. Anyway, I just threw on my new running jacket and infinity scarf, both Christmas presents. Quick make up, out the door, and Starbucks for lunch on the way! See ya! 

Growing my Blog, Growing my Heart

Hey Folks! Do I start every other post with salutation now? Oh well, I like it! Today I want to address where I am with the blog right now, or basically, a little recap of where 6 months of blogging has gotten me.

First off, I started this blog in July 2012. I had just finished a Multimedia Composition for course where one of my assignments was to keep a blog over the semester. I had to update the blog at least once a week, sometimes more. I got to choose any topic of my choice, for which I chose healthy living. I posted about doing Insanity for the first time, recipes, grocery shopping, and stuff like that. It was fun, but more than that - my professor showed me that blogging is a real media that people make jobs out of. Being an English Writing major, I always knew I wanted to write but I never knew how. Blogging gave me the how. So after my wedding in June when I got back, I took the plunge started my very own blog.

The first four months of blogging (July-November) were pretty stale for me. I was only blogging an average of about 9 posts per month. I always had ideas in my head for blog posts, but few of them ever came to fruition (which is so sad. Sorry blog posts I never wrote!). I wanted it in my head, but my reality wasn't making much happen.

But in December - just last month - everything kind of changed. My passion for writing and turning my every day life into blog posts grew something fierce. At first, it felt like a lot of effort. How many times do I have to break out my camera and then import pictures onto my computer, and then edit them? Ugh. How many hours do I have to spend formatting stuff and proof-reading? How many posts will I have that have zero comments? Groan. (If you've blogged for any amount of time, please tell me you feel my pain.) But it was all worth it because by the end of December, I had blogged twice as much in one month as I had in the last four, and my page views for the month was almost as much as I had had in four months as well. I saw a huge jump.

Obviously, the more dedicated I am to the blog, the more visitors and comments I get. It's not a hard equation to figure out. But because that "equation" has shown me the results I have now, I'm overjoyed and even more excited about blogging. But besides posting more and getting the hang of the take pictures, format pictures, write post, publish post to social media rhythm, the biggest factor in becoming more successful with my blog has been connecting with you guys. Yes, I know this is not a novel concept. You read it on every blog post about how to grow your blog. But I just have to attest to the fact that that tip is so true. It's the number one thing anybody can do: just connect!

Where Social Media Comes In

In the staler months of my blog, I was reluctant to use social media to my advantage. I have been a social media scrooge for a while now, wanting to quit it altogether and such. But when I ultimately decided I needed social media merely to grow the blog, and I started using it like I should, that's when I stopped disliking social media and I started seeing real results and relationships form. Just in the past two weeks or so, I feel I have really connected with some fellow bloggers. And maybe it's not a big deal to anyone else (or maybe it is), but I seriously feel a part of my heart growing for these people I'm encountering.

An example of this love is from some tweets that really made me smile this week from Caroline at The Trendy Trainer and Kacie at Savvy Sassy Me. Caroline's tweet was in response to me saying I hope to grow my blog as big as some of the "big bloggers" someday. Too sweet. Thank you, ladies for the encouragement!

And as Kacie has said, just be yourself and you will find success. She posted a great post about being your self and how that simple idea has lead to her great success (yes, I think you are widly successful! Congrats on getting into Shape!). It's so simple and yet so many of us bloggers are kind of not ourselves because, well, this is the internet and it's scary, and what the heck is my blog supposed to be like anyway?! 

Anyway, with all this said, I just wanted to give a shout out to everyone I've been connecting with recently. Our connections mean a lot to me and I'm so glad to get to know other people doing what I do. And this list is in no particular order, it's just the order my bookmarks opened up ;)

• Danica @ It's Progression
• Kaite @ Gettin' My Healthy On
• Abbey @ Finding My Forever
• Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy
• Melanie @ Happy Being Healthy
• Caroline @ The Trendy Trainer
• Kacie @ Savvy Sassy Me 
• Toronto Runner

I'm really excited about where this blog is going and how much it has the opporunity to grow - not only in terms of numbers and posts - but in terms of friends :) 

{ A Year of Resolutions: 2013 }

Happy Friday! I am super stoked today, as I reaveal my *dun, dun, dun, dun* New Year's resolutions! As I mentioned a while back, I was thinking through some ideas for my New Year's Resolutions. Well - I finally decided and I'm so excited to share them with you! Although, typical me - I can never decide on just one thing. I typically don't do resolutions, but something about this new year's clean start really inspired me to set goals now. Instead of making one New Year's Resolution, I'm making 12 monthly goals for 2013.

The Plan 

For each month of the year, I'll have a different goal or focus. I love making goals, and I usually get so excited about them that I try to do them all at once. But trying to do them all at once usually results in failure and frustration. So instead, I'm breaking up all my wants and goals for the year over the course of 12 months. This way, I can focus on one goal at a time for long enough to create good habits and see progress. This method allows me to set many goals throughout the year with a reasonable plan for accomplishing them. This plan also helps me shift my focus to many different things instead of focusing too much on any one area of improvement. Below is a short synopsis of my monthly goals. It's a bit long, so bear with me! 

1. Back to Healthy January: Typical for a beginning-of-the-year resolution, I know, but it had to be done after 2012's holidays. This month's goals include: a new workout plan, keeping track of meals/calories through My Fitness Pal & striving to eat healthy filling foods, keeping a water diary (in attempt to drink more water regularly), and only having one dessert a week.

2. Good Day Sunshine February: An area I want to see change in is my morning and nightly routine. I want this month to be about establishing a true routine that allows me to wake up on time and go to bed in a peaceful state. This goal will allow me to focus on waking up when my alarm goes off (instead of 10-20 minutes later - novel, I know), complete certain tasks after waking up, and have a dedicated relaxing beditme routine.

3. Marriage-focused March: This month will be all about focusing on one of my most important relationships: that which I have with my husband. This month will focus extra on my relationship and finally make all those good pins on my love board get some use. I'll also start reading The Love Dare, which dares you to do something different in your relationship every day for 40 days.

4. All-things Organized April: I'm pretty sure organization should have been my middle name, but there's always more room to get organized in my eyes. Leave no space behind, this month will focus on small organizational goals from problem areas in my house to going through my whole closet.

5. Priority in Prayer for May: I do well at prioritizing prayer, but sometimes what I pray about gets all over the place. To displace the burden of wanting to pray about everything all the time, I’m going to commit to following a prayer schedule, where I pray over one topic for that day of the week, such as my marriage or friends.

6. Stay Pretty for Summer June: While I'm sure I already spend plenty of time maintaining my appearance, I thought it would be fun to spend some extra time on it for a month. I tend to get into ruts of wearing the same clothes and doing the same thing with my hair. This month, I want to experiment with new styles and trends. My goal will be to try something new with my style (hair, clothes, beauty, etc.) every day and make sure that every day I do something to make myself feel and look beautiful.

7. Just Eat July: This month's focus is all about being in the kitchen. My goal this month will be to try new foods and recipes that I am normally afraid to try for fear of not cooking it right, it being too time consuming, and simply because I am a creature of habit when it comes to what I eat. My goal this month will be to try at least two new full-course meals each week, featuring a main dish, sides, and a dessert.

8. Worry-Free for August: Something I struggle with is worry and anxiety. The more I worry, the worse my anxiety becomes. I am always trying to tame my worry and hand my worries, fears, and insecurities over to God, but it's definitely not an easy task. This month's focus will be giving up one worry a day for every day of the month. I will focus on just one worry, such as worrying about what I eat, and for just that one day, choose to surrender it. I will outline a lot more details about this one later, but for now, it's just a worry-free month.

9. Second Half for September: Immediately after running my first half-marathon, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to run another one. I'm planning on running the Run to the Rock half-marathon in Plymouth, Massachusetts where you run to Plymouth rock through the woods! 

10. Scary Shop-Free October: I’ve done this before, but it’s always a challenge: a whole month of no shopping for myself. Simple, but still harder than it sounds! 

11. Read for November: One of my reoccurring goals always is to read more. However, the goal of "read more" never seems to mean much unless I put a number with it. For this month, I want to read a book a week for the whole month to push myself to actually make time for reading. More on what books I'll be reading later!

12. Blog It Up December: Why not take a month to focus on my favorite hobby: the blog itself! This month will be about all-things-blogging: social networking, lots of fun posts filled with pictures, and possibly taking the plunge to buy a domain name :)

Putting this all into words can kind of make 2013 seem like a daunting year before me. Yes, these are a lot of goals. But goals are what work for me and motivate me to be my best self. I hope to write about all of these goals with at least weekly updates on each month's topic. I hope to write about success as well as failure, as I'm sure each goal will not go as planned. While I have set aside a certain goal for each month, I also am giving myself the flexibility to change which goal I do for which month, in case the goal isn't practical for that month. Overall, I'm really excited about these goals. I'm sure you'll be hearing about all of them in a lot more detail when the time comes! 

• Question for you: Do you believe in New Year's Resolutions - why or why not? What goals have you set for yourself for 2013? 

*Special thanks to Shabby Blogs for the graphic.

Zippy Elliptical Workout

Good day! I'm having a good, but cold day so far. To start my day, I had my favorite breakfast: whole grain toast with peanut butter, banana, honey, and wheat germ. And of course some Starbucks to warm me & wake me up.

In leui of my January fitness plan, some cardio was on the books for today. As much as I desperately wanted to run, it was about 4 degrees this morning. Yikes! Outdoor run = out the window. Thankfully I have access to small gym in my apartment complex, but I wasn't keen on an indoor run today. Ugh, how I loathe the dreadmill! I really just feel my best running outside. Running on the treadmill takes more coordination for me, something I don't have a lot of.Instead, I opted for a quick but tough elliptical workout.

What always keeps me motivated when working out indoors is music. A lot of my favorite songs came on today, helping me keep up the pace. 

Soundtrack for Today

• "Toxic" - Britney Spears
• "Where the Streets have No Name" - U2
• "Dancing in the Dark" - DEV
• "Give It Up to Me" - Shakira
• "Vertigo" - U2
• "I'll Meet You There" - Owl City 
• "Part of Me" - Katy Perry 

And done! 

Also, I've decided to keep a workout log on the blog from now on to track my progress for 2013. And  after that workout, I'm starved! On the menu for lunch today is a chicken, avacado, and cheese melt along with some Trader Joe's Organic Lentil soup. Healthy, delicious, and very filling!

Now I'm home the rest of day hopefully to get some to-do list items done and stay toasty! 

• Question for you: How do you stay productive when it's cold and gloomy out? 

Book Review: { What Alice Forgot }

I just finished What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty for Peanut Butter Finger's December Book Club. I'm so glad I decided to this month's book club because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It got me to read a fiction book, which I hadn't done in far too long. I read plenty, but not ususally for pleasure - and what a pleasure it was! I got this book the week before my Christmas vacation and took it along for the trip. It was perfect to curl up reading this intriguing book on a cold night with a blankie. It was just what I needed to fully relax on my trip. Anyway, onto the review!

Synopsis (my version)

The book opens with the main character, Alice, confused as to where she is and what she's thinking. She's just fallen off a spin bike in her spin class at a gym and lost the last ten years of her memory (but she doesn't know it yet). She still thinks she's pregnant with her first child, married to her wonderful husband, and fixing up the old house they just bought. Within a few days, she realizes that her reality has drastically changed in the last ten years. She is in the process of divorcing her husband, Nick. She has three children, all of which she can't remember and are very strange to her. Her once-idolized sister has failed to have children and is resentful and distant from her. Her mother has married her father-in-law. And to top it all off, she's not the same Alice in the slightest. She was a woman who loved her dessert, never worked out, and was blissfully happy that way. But the ten-years-later Alice is uptight, skinny, runs for exercise (unheard of in her world), and basically runs everything her children do - from sporting activities to baking the world's largest lemon merangue pie! Her world is turned upside down. The book takes place over the course of about a week where she slowly gets teeny bits and pieces of her memory back, trying to make sense of "reality." But in the end, her hit on the head may have actually just been the best thing that ever happened to her and her family.

Thoughts

Loved. This. Book. It hooked me right away and kept me going. Honestly, when I first picked it up, I was like... Wow, this is long and thick. But by the end, I could hardly believe it was almost over. It hooked me so well because the whole time, I was thinking, "Oh my God, Alice has to find out what her life is really like!" And I couldn't wait to see if she ever got her memory back. So I just kept turning the pages!

Something I liked and disliked about this book was how emotionally attached I got to the story. Obviously, a good story is supposed to evoke emotion in its reader, but I was actually getting sad or depressed from parts of this story. The hardest thing for me was reading about Alice and her husband, Nick. Being a newlywed myself, I was smitten with Alice's memories of the early years of her marriage. When she lost her memory, she still thought that was reality: a sweet doting husband who adored her and their unborn child. How sweet! I was already in love with Nick before he was really in the story. And then - reality hit Alice and I hard. I was just as taken aback by Nick's hard, cold tone when he first speaks to her in the book. She's in the hospital, hoping he will come to her rescue like she expects. But instead, he's on a business trip in Portugal cussing her out on the other line. I was seriously upset when I read this!

After I realized they were getting divorced, it made more sense, but I was still highly affected. The whole concept of their divorce was interesting. Alice (without her memory) thought of it like a newlywed would. She couldn't fathom why they were getting divorced. She kept thinking it must have been an affair, a death of a child - something "worth" getting divorced for. But when she asks Nick, he simple replies that the reason is a million little reasons and not one big one. This book made me really think about the concept of divorce and why it happens. As a newlywed, it's easy to think that only "big bad" things can trigger a divorce. But the reality for many people, I believe, is that it's actually all the small things that build up around two people and then drive them away. This was sad to read about, but so intriguing and pertinent to modern day. It wasn't delightful to read about divorce and how many people it affects, but it was eye-opening and very thought-provoking.

Things I liked:

• I loved all the characters, Alice especially. The way Moriarty wrote was just so real. Her writing is conversational, witty, and raw in a beautiful, real-life way. 
• I liked the way she dealt with Elisabeth's infertility. Alice's sister Elisabeth kept a journal for her psychiatrist as a part of her therapy to heal from how many miscarriages she had had. Elisabeth had been trying by IVF to get pregnant for six years. She had no problem getting pregnant, but always lost the baby. This was a really interesting side-story that was completely opposite from Alice's - the perfect mom with three kids. It was nice to read something sad, like infertility, because Moriarty wrote it with such realistic and raw emotion. 
• The Australian setting. I've never been to Australia, but it was cool to have somewhere new as a setting. Although I kept picturing it all to be like England for some reason... Not sure why. 
• The ending! Not going to give anything away here, but right up until the last pages, I thought it was going to end one way, and I was like - NO WAY can it end this way. But then it didn't. It was a really good, catching ending that I adored. 

Things I didn't like:

• Like I said earlier, Elisabeth keeps a journal that you get to read and so does their surrogate grandmother, Frannie. Frannie writes to her deceased fiance from years before. The thing I didn't like is that most the time, Frannie's entries would follow Elisabeth's almost always. It just started to become a little old. I wish they had been spaced out from each other. By the end of the book, I was tired of the journal entries. 
• I also just didn't care for the story line with Frannie altogether. It was much less deep than Elisabeth's and just didn't add much to me. Frannie didn't seem to be a major character in Alice's life like Elisabeth was, so I just didn't see her entries as that important. 

End Thoughts 

Overall, I would give this book an 8 out of 10. I thought it was very well-written, captured me as a reader, and had a very interesting story line. I would definitely like to check out more of Moriarty's novels in the future. I am so glad I filled my time with some much-needed reading. This book has definitely inspired me to keep doing book club or whatever it takes to get some quality reading time in for my pleasure.

Questions for the day... 

• If you've read this book, what did you think of the journal entries? If not, what's the last good book you've read and why? 
• How does the concept of divorce affect you? Would it upset you like it upset me? 

Happy New Year: Reflecting on 2012

Happy New Year!

Hope your New Year's Eve was fun and eventful. The hubs and I went out for dinner with some friends and then stayed in playing games and sharing stories. It was a fun time :) I'm ringing in the New Year with a new calendar, as always. Probably one of my favorite Christmas gifts is a calendar. I've always gotten one as a Christmas gift, and since my husband knows I love them, he got me this lovely Paris calendar. I am, without a doubt, obsessed with all-things-Paris. I won't grow tired of looking at this all year long.

Reflecting on 2012 

Anyway, I'd like to do some reflecting on 2012 before I let it completely get away from me. 2012 was an amazing year. I would say 2012 was without a doubt the best year of my life yet. Why was it so great? Here's some fun things I did this year that made it spectacular.

Beans

I started the year getting my now-best furry friend, Beans. I had never owned a dog before Beans. He was my birthday present in March. And he has turned my world upside-down in such a good way! I am smitten with him every day. He's changed my heart, warmed my life, and overall made me a happier, better person.

Getting Married! 

The single most important/awesome/life-changing thing that I did this year was marry my very best friend. Our wedding day was Saturday, June 16th. It was the day I had always dreamed of - but even better. We had a small wedding with very close family and friends at my in-laws beautiful home. I couldn't have asked for a better day, a better mate, or better weather (as it was outside!). It was the most special day of my life! 

So happy! 

Beans all ready in his bow tie!

Self-Discovery 

Something I had been wrestling with a while before I started this blog was the fact that I'm a perfectionist. 2012 was the year that I truly addressed this part of my personality and tried to learn more about how to overcome perfectionism. A big help in understanding this was reading the book The Relief of Imperfection. This book helped shape my views about understanding imperfection and begin to embrace them. 

I also worked toward deepening my faith this year like never before. Last January, my church has something called the ask, where we were to ask for something big over the course of a year. I asked to be free of anxiety and worry. While I am not there yet, God has shown me so much, drawn me close to Him in a state of dependency, and absolutely lessened my worry and anxiety. 

Fitness 

Another biggie for me this year was running my first half-marathon! Before 2012, I was not a runner at all. I typically hated running and wasn't "good" at it. I never thought I could run as far as 13.1 miles, but I did and I  hope to do it again this year! Along with the half-marathon, I also completed two rounds of the Insanity Workout. My fitness endevours were really through the roof in 2012 compared to any other year. 2012 was the year that I truly fell in love with fitness and pushing myself harder than I thought I could go. 

Last but not least, I also started this blog! I had been wanting to blog for a while, and in July 2012, I took the plunge. I'm so glad I did because blogging is truly what I love, what inspires me to keep going, and I love the community that I am becoming a part of. Although my blog is small-scale now, I truly appreciate each and every one of you that ever reads my crazy writing and leaves me comments. I have big plans for the blog for 2013, and I can't wait to keep on bloggin'! 

Overall, 2012 was a year all about progression. I learned so much about myself and what I am capable of. I have come so far from where I had been in terms of fitness, my relationship with the Lord, my personal relationships, and my overall well-being. Although it's hard work, everything I worked toward in 2012 was beyond worth it. I am so ready to tackle big things in 2013 because 2012 was such a success in my eyes. I can't wait to keep working toward a better me. Happy New Year & have a blessed 2013! 

• Question for you: What was the highlight(s) of your year in 2012? 

New Year: New Workout!

Good morning! Okay, so it's not quite the New Year, but I'm starting a new workout routine today since it's the start of a new week. Since I just finished Insanity and I took the holiday's off for working out for the most part, I did some digging to find my next workout challenge. I actually didn't have to do much digging at all, as the answer arrived in my mail box. I'm going to try Fitness magazine's Lose 10 Pounds workout that is published in the most recent issue (January 2013).

But first off: breakfast. Let's just say my holiday's left me *cough* four pounds heavier *cough* Not a huge gain, but this does not make me a happy camper! Eating healthy again starts today! Today's spread includes two of Van's whole grain blueberry waffles, half a cup of nonfat Fage Greek yogurt, half a cup of fresh blueberries, a dash of cinnamon, and a little drizzle of raw honey. Delish! Also, note the adorable dishware I used today. The "Mrs." mug and plate were a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law. You can't see it, but the plate has the Eiffel Tower on it along with little French owls wearing berets. Love them! I'll probably be eating breakfast exclusively off these plates from now on!

But back to my new workout routine... 

The Plan 

The plan is laid out in black and white and is very time-friendly. The workouts include separate strength sessions and pick-your-own cardio sessions. For strength, you do 8 different moves as a circuit and repeat it once for a full circuit, doing it three times a week on non-consecutive days. For cardio, you can pick any cardio you want - running, biking, elliptical, etc. - as long as you do the minutes of cardio required for each week. You also have the option of adding an abs routine as an extra each week as well. Each week ramps up cardio and strength reps from the week before. The plan looks like this: 

• Week 1: 60 minutes cardio (at 30 min. each), 12 reps of each strength move 
• Week 2: 90 minutes of cardio (at 30 min. each), 14 reps of each move 
• Week 3: 135 minutes of cardio (at 45 min. each), 16 reps of each move
• Week 4: 150-180 minutes of cardio, 18-20 reps of each move 

Besides an intense looking workout, the diet plan includes eating healthy fats, whole grains, a lot of fruits and veggies, at around 1,500 calories a day. The best part? It's all laid out easy-as-pie (or, not eating pie, I should probably say) with this super-organized calendar to mark it all off! This baby is going on my pinboard, asap! 

There's a checkbox for strength workouts, cardio workouts, the abs routine, and eating healthy. There's a place where you sign your name and write the date you start the program as a kind of contract with yourself and the routine (in the yellow box). It lays out all the instructions for each week on either side. It's so easy! I absolutely love when workout plans include a calendar. It makes my little organized heart burst with happiness! 

Why I Chose this Plan 

There a ton of workout plans I could have tried, but I chose this one and for good reason. While this is called the "Lose 10 Pounds" workout, I am not doing this with the intention of actually losing 10 pounds because I don't need to. I'd like to lose five pounds because that's all I really see that I "need" to lose. This plan is much less about losing weight, though, than it is about a challenge and sculpting an awesome body. I chose this plan because... 

• I haven't done a plan that has separate strength and cardio sessions for a while now. Insanity has strength and cardio combined. When I trained for the half-marathon, I was doing only cardio for the most part. And some other workout DVD's I've done have been all combined HIIT training. Time for something I haven't been doing for a while now!

• It's not a workout DVD. For most of 2012, I was reliant on workout DVD's. This is definitely not a bad thing, but I'd like to be able to workout on my own too and step outside the box, literally. 

• The idea of ramping up cardio and reps each week seems challenging to me. Anything that's a challenge inspires me!

• The workout calendar was too good to pass up. I mean, it's just screaming for me to check all these awesome workouts off my list! 

For me specifically, I think I am going to try and have M/W/F be my strength days and T/TH/S be my cardio days. For cardio, I am going to try and run as much as I can, but considering that New England just dumped a foot of snow - we'll see about that. I have access to a treadmill, though, so hopefully I can still eek out the mileage. I'm also going to track my food on the My Fitness Pal app to keep things in perspective. Overall, if I can eat generally healthy (or at least better than I did over the holidays!), complete all the workouts, and have fun while doing it, it will be a month well spent. Off to try my first strength session! 

• Question for you: What are your fitness goals for 2013? What workout plan are you following now? 

Where I am with Perfectionism

Something I've been mulling over in my mind as the year comes to a close is where I am and what progress I've made this year. I started this blog with the intention of further understanding my perfectionistic tendencies and attempting to find ways to be free of the never-ending trap of perfectionism. This blog has been a great start in exploring that part of my life more, but it hasn't been as open as I once envisioned. I love to blog  about food, fitness, and my dog (like every other foodie/fitness blogger!), but perfectionism is really what I want to tap into more. Admittedly, it's hard to be so "real" with something as personal as being a perfectionist. It's easy to admit that I am a perfectionist, but it's harder to explain how I am that way, and get into the not-always-pretty details of what that sometimes looks like for me. Right now, I just want to give an update on where I am in this moment in time with still being a perfectionist.

Firstly, I wanted to shed some light on some specific ways that I am a perfectionist. If you're read any of my other posts, a lot of these things are probably apparent, but here's an inclusive list: 

• My appearance - How I look is a big deal to me. I can get perfectionistic with my hair, how my clothes fit, what my make-up looks like, etc. This also gets into what I physically look like as well, including weight. While I feel I am usually comfortable in my own skin, I still have moments of "am I the right weight?" and "do I look like I should/want to?" 

• What I eat - This area tends to come and go. I will go through times of intense tracking of what I eat, which, as a perfectionist and plan type of person, naturally appeals to me. I like to track my food on the My Fitness Pal app, which is really useful and helped me lose weight in the past. But sometimes this just frustrates me too. Then I get into periods of not tracking my food at all, not really planning meals, and this usually leaves me feeling like I'm not doing "enough" to eat healthy and stay on top of what I eat. 

• Cleaning - Anyone who has known me for any period of time knows that I am literally obsessed with cleaning. I have always been neat, tidy, and have the love of all-things clean. Since having my own apartment with my husband, I've realized even more how sort of crazy-obsessed I can become with tidying and cleaning. 

• My Faith - I've had ups and downs this year in my relationship with God. It's something that's very important to me, but even this part of who I am is not left untouched from my desires for perfection. Although I trust God, I don't trust Him enough, and I still have a performance-based faith a lot of the time. This is driven by my own pressures that I put on myself. I go through periods of knowing His grace and love for me - realizing that He loves me regardless of what I do or don't do - and I also go through periods of thinking that my efforts to have a relationship with Him aren't enough, that I am not enough for God. 

• Relaxing in general - Just in the past few months, I've been finding it increasingly hard to just sit back and relax. It's like I have to give myself permission to stop wanting to do all the things I want to do (read, blog, clean some more...) and just let go. This is so hard for me since my drive for things to be perfect can be so fiery at times. Sitting down and not working so hard to achieve things? That's an option? These are the thoughts that go through my head. And sometimes, even when I mentally try to let myself chill out, minutes later, I find my mind chugging away at all I "have to do" again. 

Secondly, I want to note that while I tend to struggle with these specific areas, my general "perfectionism" has gotten tremendously better this year. I think in a way, I feel like I should have made more progress or that I shouldn't struggle with anything at all since I set my mind on making progress in this area this year. But of course I still struggle. I may always struggle with it, even if just a teeny little bit. In my attempt to accomplish good, I overstep and am riddled with worry and self-doubt at times because I so long for things to be just right. But so often, things aren't just right. My clothes don't fit right that day. I didn't have time for a workout. I have to leave the apartment a mess. The bread I was going to eat is moldy. I missed my daily devotional again. This isn't my everyday, but this is life. Life isn't perfect, and I wrestle with that fact in times like these. All these areas listed above are just a few of the ways that I see my life impacted by wanting perfection. 

But sometimes I just have to remember that happiness is a choice to make every day, and that I'm the one that chooses my actions. It's hard to step out of certain perfectionist-y habits that I have because they're just that - habits. But becoming aware of my insecurities has helped me tremendously to see just how to promote change in myself. 2012 was my year to start really recognizing and coming to terms with me: the perfectionist. I'm hopeful for 2013 to begin breaking out of habits I want to see changed and progress even more into the person I desire to be: a person happy with herself and her life, imperfections and all.

• Question for you: How are you a "perfectionist," even if you don't consider yourself one? What one habit about yourself do you want to change?

Home for the Holidays!

Good afternoon :)

I went on vacation to spend Christmas with my in-laws and it was a fantastic time! I was gone for over a week and I enjoyed a much-needed vacation. I just got back Friday night, so the whole weekend has been a sort of catch-up-on-life-before-it-starts-again kind of weekend. I think I did five loads of laundry yesterday? Yeah, madness. Anyway, here's some fun photos of my trip.

Me and Beans, snuggling on the couch, as usual.

My in-laws have a Great Dane named Tank, and yes, he is quite the tank. But this doesn't stop Beans from being best friends with him. They love each other. It's the oddest couple I've ever seen!

I almost didn't get these, but the crazy dog lady in me just had to get these Christmas pajamas for Beans. Here he is as "Santa's Helper." Worth it? Yes. 

Here is my awesome gift basket full of goodies from my in-laws. They are too good to me!

Anyway, the trip was great. I love going to my in-laws and escaping on a long holiday. I finished my book, ate way too much good food, and enjoyed time with family. What more could I ask for on a holiday? It's hard to believe the year is almost over (I feel like I've said that a lot before...), so some serious reflecting/planning is in order on my part. I've got a new workout routine for January and I have a whole slew of goals I want to set for 2013. I hope your holiday's were a blast and that your New Year starts off with a bang! 

Finished: Insanity Round 2!

Hey folks! Two weeks ago (has it been that long already?), I finished my daily morning workouts with Shaun T, aka the Insanity 60 day program workout! Again, I'm proud to have finished this program. For those of you who don't know what Insanity is, it is a Beach Body workout DVD program that lasts 60 days. There are 12 videos that you rotate through six days of the week. The videos are usually about 40 to 60 minutes long. The workouts include high intensity interval training, where you work through a mix of cardio and strength exercises together without stopping. I had great results and got addicted to Insanity earlier this year, so I decided to do it again. Here's my quickie review!

What I love about Insanity 

- Foolproof: the calendar that you print out is super easy. It tells you what to do on every day. I would write the date at the top of the day when I completed the workout to know what days I did what.

- Consistency: It forces you to workout 6 days a week, which I really like. Although that seems like a lot of commitment, it creates a great routine/habit of working out consistently every week.

- Great Results: I have cuts in my legs and am more toned all over. The last time I did this workout, my whole body shape changed. I didn't lose a lot of weight either time (but I wasn't really needing to lose), but it really transforms your body shape and muscles. This time around, Insanity kept my sleek runner's legs toned after the half-marathon.

- Variety: It's not too terribly repetitive. There are 12 or so different videos that you get to switch through. They are all similar but they all vary a little. Some videos are more intense than others, and there are even recovery day videos. It's a good mix to keep you going.

- Stretching: Each video starts with stretching after the warm up and ends with stretching. It's very yoga based stretching, which helps flexibility and muscle recovery. The stretching at the end was always a great way to end the workout in a relaxing and calming way.

- Positive leadership: Shaun T is a great role model for this series. He is positive and uplifting. He is motivating and not annoying. He just has a great attitude that made me feel like I could get through any workout. The people in the video were also pretty positive too, which makes for a good experience every time I did the workout.

What I altered about the Program

- Loud moves: Because I'm in an apartment, I would occasionally alter some of the moves that were just too thud-inducing. If there was a jumping squat, sometimes I would just do normal squats so as to not thud ridiculously. (P.S. This is NOT an apartment friendly workout, although I did it fine. My neighbor below me did complain, but nothing ever came of it. I just tried to be aware of when she was home or not when I worked out.)

- Fit Test: I didn't do the "fit test" days. The fit test was basically a video where you tried to do as many reps of certain moves. You'd keep track of your reps and try to do more and more as the program went on. I'm not all that motivated by doing as many reps as I can. I often find I have bad form when I do this or it hurts something. This video is only 15 minutes long too, so I never saw it as an actual workout. I just used a different video on the fit test days.

- Weights: Insanity doesn't use any weights, which I missed at times. I felt the program toned me but didn't build muscle much. I added light weights the last two weeks to certain moves that would accommodate it to build extra muscle and give me a little boost.

Bottom Line

The first time I did the program, I was so nervous and thought I wouldn't finish it. The second time around, the only doubt I had about doing it was about whether or not I would get bored since I had already done it. Yes, Insanity is challenging and tough for sure, but its doable. No, I can't get through a single video with perfect form without stopping yet. Sometimes I still have to stop and catch my breath or take a quick water break. But that's what makes the workout great - its challenging enough to keep pushing me, but not enough to totally kill me. I would, without a doubt, do Insanity again in the future.

For those of you who have done Insanity, what did you like or not like about it? For those of you who haven't, would you ever consider this workout? 

My Christmas Tradition: Aebleskiver

Merry Christmas! 

Quick post for today, but an important one in my book. Every year growing up with my family, ever since I can remember, we make aebleskiver. Aebleskiver is, simply put, Danish pancakes. They taste similar to pancakes only fluffier, and they are made into little balls. Sometimes I describe them as a cross between pancakes and donut holes. 

It's truly not Christmas to me until we make aebleskiver. Every year, after stockings and presents are opened, off to the kitchen we go to whip up a grand breakfast of aebleskiver, eggs, and maple sausage. Aebleskiver is traditionally served with powdered sugar on top with raspberry jam or other jams. Raspberry is definitely my favorite. 

Here's the recipe I use: 

Although I usually half this if it's just for my husband and I. And what really makes it great is the butter milk. To make butter milk, you can put 1 tablespoon of vinegar into 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes. This year, my hubby did the honor of making all the aebleskiver for our own mini-Christmas and our family's. So thankful to just sit back and enjoy the delicious dish! 

Our traditional breakfast: 

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! 

• What do you eat for Christmas breakfast? What's your favorite holiday food/meal? 

Manicure Monday: Sparkly Candy Cane for the Holiday's!

In leui of Christmas, I had to go all-out "festive" for this round of Manicure Monday. I saw the idea for candy cane nails on Pinterest most likely and thought it was perfect for my holiday vacation and the season. I started with a naked nail, a coat of cheap-o white nail polish, put some tape strips on, then a coat of red, then a sparkle top coat. Sounds like a lot of work? Yeah, it kind of was. This mani required a lot of waiting around for it to dry. The steps are as follows:

Step one: white base

Step two: nails strips (kind of hard to see here)

Step three: red goes on over the white and tape strips

Finished! 

It didn't turn out perfect, and I knew it wouldn't. The tape doesn't stay on as well as I'd like it, but it gets a straighter line than I ever could on my own, so I'll take it! I added the sparkles unexpectedly at the last minute to cover up my mistakes, and because, I mean, come on - it's not Christmas unless there's sparkles!

Overall, this mani was time consuming and a lot more over the top than I usually go for, but hey - why not. Mani Monday is all about trying something new each week for me, and this week is probably as different as I've ventured so far. This mani kind of screams "look at me!" which I don't really care for. Usually, I am fine with a neutral color that blends well with my outfits. Clearly, this is not going to blend or match much of anything I'm wearing! But it's only for a week and I guess I should live a little!

Hope your holiday's are bright and sparkly!

• Question for you: do you like seasonal manicures/festive nails or do you think it's tacky? 

An Early Christmas!

Yikes, was I busy the last week or so! Working nonstop, getting ready to go on vacation, and preparing for our early Christmas! I wanted to write this post the day we had our early Christmas, but life seemed to have kept me from blogging away. Better late than never! Anyway, because the hubs and I were leaving our place before Christmas day to spend it with my in-laws, we had to open our gifts to each other early. Don't mind if I do! We had our very own little mini-Christmas, and it was quite lovely if I say so myself. I wasn't really keen on the idea because I was concerned it wouldn't "feel" like Christmas. But we did everything we traditionally do: open stocking first, take turns opening presents, and then have a traditional breakfast afterwards. It definitely "felt" like Christmas, and for that I'm thankful.

It's funny because I stocked the Christmas tree full of presents all month until our Christmas, slowly adding more to the hub's pile of goodies. However, two days before we were supposedly supposed to open our presents, I still had nothing under the tree with my name on it. Grew me a little worrisome? Yes. Should I have worried if "Santa" would come for me? No way! Here's what lay under the tree to surprise me the day before we opened gifts:

Whoa! I couldn't stop asking," What's in the box?!?!" As soon as I opened it, I found out it was our fake tree's box and all my presents lay inside. Look how good Santa was to me! Thank youuu, hubby!

Pictured is... 

- two sweaters 

- Christmas kitchen towels

- my favorite bath bombs

- tons of my favorite foodie items 

- a Paris-themed journal

- a Beatles book called A Hard Day's Write 

- a travel size skin care set from Dermalogica 

- a new travel mug 

So many goodies! My favorite of all is my new running outfit: 

I am soooo excited about this outfit! I was seriously lacking some winter running wear, so this will come in handy for a brisk winter running season. The jacket is a VSX Sport jacket - lightweight but very warm. The running tights and shorts are C9 brand from Target. I love the C9 brand. It's just as nice as more expensive athletic wear for a more wallet-friendly price :) Anyway, I'm absolutely thrilled to have this outfit. Hopefully I won't let the cold be an excuse for not running anymore. 

To end our early gift exchange, the hubs and I made some of my family's tradition aebleskiver: 

 

More on that later! 

• Question for you: Have you ever opened Christmas presents early, and if so, why? Does is still feel like Christmas to you? 

Mulling Over New Year's Resolutions

Since the year is *gasp* almost over, I've already begun thinking about some New Year's Resolutions and goals for the coming year. 2012 was an awesome year, and I can only hope that 2013 is even better in terms of personal growth. I don't typically "believe" in New Year's resolutions, per say, but I feel as if a lot of things in my life are coming to a close now and I am moving onto a new chapter soon. So why not make some goals while I'm moving from one phase to the next? The New Year is always an excuse to make new goals because the New Year just brings a fresh breath of air to our lives. A new start. Ahh...

The only problem with deciding on a resolution is just that: deciding. I am terribly indecisive (probably because I worry I'd make a mistake and then things wouldn't be perfect). I can hardly decide what sweater to wear in the morning sometimes! Deciding what life goal I want for an entire year? That's another story! I've given this a lot of thought so that I can make up my mind... sort of. I'm thinking of coming up with a resolution (I really dislike that word) goal for each month of the year. Before the year starts, I can outline 12 different goals that I want to achieve throughout the year. My plan will be to focus on one goal each month, so as not to overwhelm myself. I feel that this method would be good and bad. It'd be good because I could actually take the time to focus on one thing at a time, esuring that it actually gets done. Sometimes, I get so goal-happy and want to do so many things at once that really none of them end up getting done. You know what I mean? So this method would force me to focus. But that's also a downside for me because I am such a motivated person when I set my mind on something that I think it would be hard to wait to do each goal. I would personally want to try and carry out each goal all at once because, once I know I want to do it, I think "Why not start now?" So this whole thing is kind of a catch-22 for me, but in my head, I know this method is the probable way I could accomplish 12 goals in a year for real.

I do like the idea of having goals throughout the year, though, so that I have the chance to work on different goals and so that I don't forget about that one goal I made months ago like most resolutions. Overall, I think it will be a fun way to challenge myself and be intentional with progress.

I haven't come up with a full list of goals yet, but some goals that I think will make my list are:

• Drink more water. This might sound silly to some of you who've heard this as a resolution by others, but I truly mean it. I used to be good about drinking a lot of water, but I'm not anymore and I desire to have that back. 

• Have a nighttime routine. I am a routine person, but my night routine is all over the place. I usually have to force myself to stop something that I'm doing and go to bed. I want bedtime to be a relaxing transition for me, not an abrupt stop to my day. I'm often on my computer late at night (um, like now...) before I go to bed, which is not relaxing! I would like to incorporate some reflection time in a journal, have a cup of tea, prayer time, or something blissful-sounding like that.

• Follow a prayer schedule. Another thing out of whack in my life right now is my prayer time. I do pray and often, but not necessarily about the things I know I want to/need to pray about. I tried to implement a prayer schedule in the past, but it didn't last. I'd really like to see myself get into a better routine with prayer so that I know Monday's, I pray about my family; Tuesday's, I pray about my marriage, etc. 

• Do a cleanse diet. The hubs and I have been talking this over for a while. I'd love to clean out my cupboards and start over. I don't think my diet is completely horrible by any means, but I'd like to try eating clean for real for at least 2 months. 

• Read more. Obviously, I'd have to come up with a better actual goal than just "read more," as that's a little ambiguous. But I do want to read more! This month, I'm doing Peanut Butter Fingers' book club and we're reading What Alice Forgot (which is so good!). Reading totally inspires me, relaxes me, and makes me a better me. In 2012, I did a lot of self-help reading, which is good to a certain extend, but as I started What Alice Forgot, I realized I hadn't read a fiction book in ages! I want to read a good balance of fiction and non-fiction in 2013. 

• Run another half-marathon. Yes, I wanna do another one. I will do one, and I can't wait! 

Anyway, those are just some of my thoughts for my New Year's Goals plan (I'm going to stop saying resolutions!). I'm going to mull it over more over my Christmas vacation and come up with a difinitive plan for the New Year soon!

[Thanks to Free Pretty Things for You for the banner] 

• Question for you: Are you making any New Year's Resolutions, and if so, what? Do you believe in them or think it's silly? 

Manicure Monday: Gimme a Break

Helloooo, Monday afternoon! Today is one of those dreary, raining, gimme-another-cuppa-tea kind of days for New England. I spent the whole day working in retail and now I am positively wiped. Last night I miraculouly managed to find time to take off my poor, obliterated mint mani from last week. I got sooo many compliments on this manicure. I was surprised because I didn't think it was too special, but I guess it was a hit. It lasted surprisingly well too. It was just in the last two days or so that the polish really got chipped. I was sad to see it go.

However, this week I'm giving my nails (and myself) a break. I didn't have time last night for the fun mani I had planned. I'm working all week until I leave on Thursday for vacation. My nails really get beat up at work since I work with my hands all day, so I didn't want to make up a nice mani and then have it ruined before my trip. I have a fun one planned, but I'll save that for next Mani Monday :) For now, Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails gives me some shine and restores my nails strength this week.

So, nothing exciting in the manicure department for today. But speaking of giving myself a break, that's exactly what I'm doing now. I've been feeling so stressed the past day or so because I know I have so much to do before I go on vacation this week. I'm also working a lot more than usual though, so I feel like there just isn't enough me to get things done. I've been secretly wishing that I could clone myself or forgo sleep so that I can get everything done that needs doing. But since that isn't going to happen, I'm trying not to stress about it by enjoying some of my favorite things: a workout, a nice candle, and some tea. 

I typically can only work out in the morning, as I mentioned in my 2012 fitness recap. Morning workouts are about it for me. But today when I got off of work, instead of rushing through all the things I want to get done (and then inevitably end up feeling even more stressed), I opted for a workout. At the almost-dark time of 4:30 pm, I tuned in to Jillian Michael's Six Week 6 Pack DVD for a quick but effective workout. Working out is a serious stress-reliever for me because it leaves me feeling accomplished and strong. When I feel that way, I am a lot more likely to take better care of myself and get more things done than if I don't. It was time well spent! 

After my quickie workout, I changed into jammies and lit my new candle: 

Not a great picture, but you get the idea. To me, lighting a candle is like saying "it's time to relax and enjoy your time." The scent of fresh balsam fills the room and I feel at ease. It's like happiness in a jar to me :) 

Then I got myself a warm cup of Trader Joe's Peppermint Tea. I am seriously addicted to this stuff. It's minty, slightly sweet, and seems to help me focus and clear my head. Now all I really want to do is cozy up with Beans and keep reading What Alice Forgot for book club. 

Here's to letting go of the busyness that this season seems to bring. I have the chance to relax, so why not take it? There will always be a to do list, but there is always another tomorrow. 

• Question for you: do you give yourself time to relax when you realize you would benefit, or do you keep racing on to get things done before you allow for down time? How do you think either choice affects your stress? 

Peanut Butter Blossom Bliss

Good afternoon! 

I'm about to run to work, but I thought I'd make time for a quick update. Last night after my peanut butter disappointment, I ended up making my favorite holiday cookie ever: peanut butter blossoms. Every year at Christmas, my mom and I usually made these together. I love them - chocolate kisses + peanut buttery cookie. What's not to like? 

Two most important ingredients ever: chocolate & peanut butter!

Last night, I just used the Hershey's recipe that's on the back of the back. All the other recipes I found were for cookie exchanges, aka made a ton of cookies, which I did not need. Last year, I definitely used a different recipe and it was a little more moist. These cookies were quite dry and not quite as peanut buttery as I wanted them to be, but still - amazing nonetheless. 

Today for my workout, I decided to go on a run instead of Insanity. Insanity's schedule called for a really easy video that I was just not feeling. But my run was terrible! It was 38 degrees, even at 10 am. My toes were frozen before I even started running. I had that burning feeling in the back fo my throat the whole time and I felt like I was running like a slug! Either way, when I finished, I felt great as usual - and much warmer. Talk about motivation to finish a run! I was seriously freezing! 

Welp, off to work I go. Toodles! 

My Year in Fitness: 2012

Being close to the end of the year (and an amazing one at that), I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately. Reflecting on how I've spent my time, and the progress I've made in certain areas, especially in fitness. 2012 was an amazing year of fitness for me. This and last year were the first years that I truly worked out all the time with a specific plan and accomplished specific goals. I've really come a looong way in terms of fitness. I went from nothing to half-marathoner in just a few years. I'm proud to look back on this year and see what I've done - literally - with my body!

My Year in Fitness! 

• January

- I worked my way almost all the way through Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30 DVD. I really liked this one as it was harder than the 30 Day Shred, which I did in 2011. But I got really sick my last week and a half, so I kind of fizzled out of that one, but there was nothing I could do about that one.

• February - April

- Started and finished Insanity (60 day program) before my wedding in June
- I love Insanity. Period. I was so afraid I wouldn't be fit enough to do it or that I'd hurt myself, but it was so worth all the effort. It wasn't that scary, either.
- I got such awesome results that I had to get my wedding dress resized a month before my wedding (eek!) because my strapless gown was literally falling off of me. I didn't actually lose much weight at all (maybe 3-5 pounds?), but it transformed my body from head to toe. My body was just a different shape after and it was awesome.

• May

- wanted to keep my results from Insanity but not start a crazy workout plan since I was busy doing wedding stuff
- did a combination of Hip Hop Abs & Turbo Jam, which was really fun to switch things up. I liked both videos for the variety but I probably wouldn't do either again because I felt they were too easy in terms of fitness but also too hard to follow since I'm not a born dancer.

• June

- again, right before my wedding so I didn't have a lot of time but...
- I did a combination of cardio (either outdoor running or indoor elliptical) & Jillian Michael's Blast Fat, Boost Metabolism and her No More Trouble Zones (both changenging hour long circuits that I LOVE)

• July - October 

- Signed up for the Boston Half-Marathon on July 11th (I remember because I had to sign up that day at a specific time because it sold out in only a few hours!) 

- Officially started training for the half on July 16th with Hal Higdon's 12 week plan

- Finished the half-marathon on October 7th! Byfar my favorite personal accomplishment of the year besides getting married :) 

• October (after the Half) - December 

- started round two of Insanity on the 16th 

- threw some running in once in a while when the weather was nice enough

And that's my year in fitness! In the next 19 days of the year (omgosh), I plan to finish Insanity on December 19th, then while I'm on vacation I will probably just take a break from working out besides a few runs, and I might throw in some old Jillian favorites if I have the time!

Some things I learned about myself & fitness this year are: 

• Good workout clothes are totally necessary and worth the price (usually). Without the proper gear, workouts aren't fun! This definitely goes for shoes too. I had to get new shoes when I trained for the half, but it was one of the best purchases of my life! 

• Sometimes I'm motivated, sometimes I'm not. But what keeps me motivated, personally, is having a plan. If I have no plan for a workout that day, I am waaay more likely to not workout at all. Making a calendar or schedule in advance has been totally key to my success in completing so many programs. 

• Even though scheduling workouts is good, I've never followed a schedule perfectly. This was especially true with my half-mararthon training. Some days, I could only eek out 3 miles when I was "scheduled" to do 4. Oh well. Stuff happens. You do what you can and you move onto the next day with a smile on your face :) 

• Running is awesome. Yes, I learned this this year. But it's been a truly valuable lesson. Running is one of the very few things that clears my head, which I have trouble doing these days. The mere thought of running right now makes me excited, motivated, and yet focused. I love it. 

• I am not a super-fast or "really great" runner, and that is okay with me. I can run, and however I can do that is super awesome. No comparing. No shame. 

• The lady who lives below me hates my fitness addiction. ;) This is where you either laugh or cringe. 

• I can really only workout in the morning, period. Other times of the day = no bueno. 

I love sharing my success with others because all this that I've written about has changed my life. I can only hope to encourage and connect with others with my accomplishments. That being said... 

• Question for you: What's your fitness goal(s) for 2013? 

Peanut Butter Cherrios & A Special Package!

Good Afternoon!

I've had a slow, but overall good day so far. I woke up not feeling my best at all. Everyone at work is sick/getting sick right now, so I thought for sure I would be next. I seriously struggled through my Insanity workout today and was thinking about quitting the whole time because I was just so sure I was coming down with something. But after a shower and some lunch, I felt a whole lot better. Today was one of my call in shifts, but I didn't end up having to work. So thankful! I really needed to go grocery shopping and having the day off when while I'm not feeling too well just sounded divine.

After I got back from the store, I was rushing to put all my groceries away so I could try the Peanut Butter Cherrios I got as a snack. But while I was rushing, I dropped my whole carton of eggs :( Oops! At least none of them completely broke open. They're all still useable.

I had been wanting to try Peanut Butter Cherrios for a while since a friend said they were sooo good. I love peanut butter anything, so I decided to treat myself (normally, I don't buy cereal with BHT in it, so this considered a "treat"). Unfortunately, I am not that impressed with them, though! I thought it would be love at first bite, but I kept eating and eating thinking, "Where's the peanut butter?!" I feel like they have more pb flavor dry versus in milk, so I munched on some more just dry to try and get my fix but was still left feeling like I needed a scoop of pb. Maybe I just had too high of expectations? Either way, I actually found them to be addicting and I wanted to eat more, probably just because of the crunch though.
So since I have those broken eggs and I am still craving peanut butter, I'm going to whip up a batch of peanut butter blossoms tonight. My Christmas Survey from earlier also reminded me that it's not really Christmas until you make peanut butter blossoms. I love those cookies!

On a fun note, I got my Christmas package from my mom today! Isn't it cute?

My mom is the most thoughtful gift-giver ever. Gifts from her are the best, especially when sent from far away. I opened the box, and look what was inside!

So many goodies! I can't wait to open them! And if you're thinking it's a little soon for a Christmas package, I'm opening everything early this year since I'm travelling. More about that later :)

Off to turn up the Christmas tunes and make those peanut butter blossoms!

• Question for you: What's your favorite holiday cookie? Everyone seems to have one! Share the recipe below :)