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Primal Eating and Breaking the Bank

Back before Christmas (and then in my resolutions after...) I made the announcement that my diet and exercise would be a priority.  I did awesome....for about 3 weeks.  And then Christmas rolled around.  And again, I was crushed by my wagon as I fell off and it rolled over me - backed up- and did it again.
A few weeks ago a friend posted a picture of herself on Facebook and she looked good, really good.  Not that she didn't look good regularly - but she'd had a baby within the past year and I knew she'd been paying a lot of attention to her diet and exercise recently.  She looked really good and she seems really happy.  So I thought to myself, self.... you need to get yourself together.  I reached out and asked her what she'd been doing - because I knew just from seeing posts on her Facebook that it was a specific type of diet. 
She responded back that she'd been following what was called the "Primal Eating" movement, another 'diet' that closely resembles it is also called the Paleo diet.  In researching over the past week, I've found that it's called Primal or Paleo because it is suppose to get us back to eating what early man ate - back when the only option for food was what they could hunt or gather...No McDonald's just down the road, no Pizza Hut easily delivered. 
Basically, this diet means that you no longer eat grains, wheat, flour, gluten or processed sugars.
  It is also recommended that you generally stay away from processed foods altogether.
Frozen dinners be gone.
Fast food options no more.

So the hubs and I went out grocery shopping this weekend in hopes of stocking up on foods we can eat this week since today marks our first day of attempting to cut out all of that stuff.  It was recommended on this diet that you purchase grass fed meats and dairy products (Paleo doesn't recommend dairy products at all, but Primal is a little more lax about it)  
Well, let me tell you.  That stuff ain't no joke.  Organic products in general are expensive -- but grass fed?  Through the roof.  6 bucks for a carton of eggs.  SIX WHOLE DOLLARS.  Needless to say we didn't stock our pantry with all organic veggies and grass fed meats and cheeses.  I won't be breaking the bank over it.  We got a couple of organic things here and there - but I think we'll just focus more on eliminating the grains, flour, and processed sugars and worry about getting to the heart of "natural" eating when we can afford to do it.

Anyway -- just to make myself accountable, I'm putting it in writing... Or, I guess it should be typing it?  Whatever. I'm saying it here.  Today is Day Uno of "Primal" Eating.  We'll see how this goes.  Lunch: Organic Salad with Roast Chicken.
Dinner will be: Grass Fed hamburger patties with onions and mushrooms with a side of asparagus.
Yummmm (that's partially honest and partially sarcastic.  While I love a good salad and then hamburger with onions and mushrooms...I love some good old mashed potatoes as a side, so this will be an adjustment, haha)

My Organic Salad for lunch today :)

Friday Letters

Linking up today to write some letters...




Dear Moose Cafe Thank you so much for the awesome biscuit and apple butter I was served for lunch...it was scrumbdiddilyumpchious.



Dear Farmers Market, Thank you for the awesome two-fer deal you had on strawberries today.  Two packages for 3 dollars.  Yay!!


Dear current job, I have one more week with you - lets make it a good one!

Dear Hubs, looking forward to date night tonight.  I always love dinner and a movie with you :)

Dear anyone who reads my ramblings, you are AWESOME! I really appreciate it.

It's an OK day

Linking up today to let you know...

It's OK!

...Because it's almost Friday.

....That I really would like to be refusing to answer my phone at work today because I don't want anyone else to ask me to do something for them that they can do themselves.

...That my severely chipped finger nail polish has still not motivated me to remove it and apply a different coat.
Exhibit A

...That I'm no good at small talk today...I just want everyone to leave me alone (I'm really not a horrible person, just not in a great mood)

...That I'm ready to call it a day and it's only 10:30am.

...That sometimes, we all have these kind of days.



both via pinterest

Liebster Blog Award



I was surprised and grateful when Lesley over @ My Lively Mind let me know she'd nominated me for a Liebster Blog Award.  She has been so nice and gracious to me since she came across my small little blog.  You should definately check her out, stop by...tell her I said hello :)

Flattered as I was that I had been nominated for this award, I had absolutely no clue what it was.  So, in true ME fashion, I took it right to Google.  Google, however, failed me.  I could only find other  blog posts about being nominated - but no indication of where it originated.  I continued on and muddled through other search findings and found out that 'Liebster' is a German word that translates (if somewhat loosely) to "favorite" or maybe a pet name for a loved one like "dearest".  So there you go folks...if you didn't already know, now you do!

The rules of this award are:

1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you :)
2. Copy and paste the award to your blog
3. List at least three blogs (with less than 200 followers) you would like to award
 
So...without further adieu...
 
(these are in no particular order)
 
 
2) Megan over @ Hearts Prepared
 
3) Britt Renee over @ Britt Renee's Reality
 
These are great girls and I'm sure you'll like reading their blogs as much as I do - so take a minute and check them out :)
 
And a BIG thank you to Lesley!  I really appreciate your nomination



making changes

Last week I got a completely unexpected call.  It was random.  It was out of the blue....
It was a job offer.
I've been at my current job for 5 years.  There have been ups and downs, goods and bads...just like with any job.  But, there was no where else for me to go.  I was at the top of my ladder... and there were more no more ladders to consider.    I was where I was going to be in 10 years...if I stayed. 
I had applied and interviewed with the new company several times, and every other time I'd never heard anything.  But, this time... after several months,  I got the call and the offer.  It isn't a huge change in terms of what I'll actually be doing...but it is an increase in income and there is potential for me to be able to be promoted or move around to other positions within the company, which is more than I could ever hope at my current position.
So, on March 5th....I will be making the leap into a new job.  I really feel like this is the best decision for me, my husband, and our future. 
The adjustment will be interesting - but I'm really looking forward to the change.



last week in review

 Derin did a good job for Valentine's day.  He knows that I couldn't really care less about roses - so he got me these beautiful tulips...that are still blooming today.  He also got me the Breaking Dawn DVD and the Adele CD.  Um, Love. :)  We didn't go out to dinner or anything because he was on call - so I made dinner and we stayed in and watched a movie.  Perfect little Valentine's, if I do say so myself.


Thursday was my Birthday, but we waited until Saturday to go out and celebrate with friends.
I have a little birthday crown on but you can't see it in this picture...boo.


Sunday we got the first snow of the season (and probably the last unless we have another Blizzard in March like we did in 1993)  Very strange weekend, with it being in the 60's on Saturday and then it snowing on Sunday.
The puppies enjoyed watching the snow falling.


Even with the snow, we headed out because I bought Miranda Lambert tickets for my birthday..for myself.  I knew just what I wanted, and I was really happy with my present. :)
 She put on SUCH a good show!!!!

All in all my Valentines/Birthday week and weekend was AWESOME.


happy valentine's day

Thank you St. Valentine's for being commercialized in a way that allows my husband to shower gifts upon me and treat me like a queen ;)

This will be the sixth Valentine's Day the Hubs and I have spent together.
And the second we'll enjoy as a married couple. 
So today, I wanted to share a little about why I.LOVE.HIM.SO.RIDICULOUSLY.

One of our engagement pictures.

If you know Derin and I, you will know that he's the favorite.  Everyone loves him.  I hear it all the time..."Oh I just love Derin".  Or, "Why didn't you bring Derin? I'd really like to see him."  Well, you're seeing me - suck it up, MOM.  But, I can't hate because he really is an awesome guy.  The best if you ask me... which no one is really asking - I'm merely telling so... there you have it.

Derin and I circa 2005

He is without a doubt the best friend I could ever ask for.  No, he doesn't help me go through my closet and pick out the best shoes for my outfits.  And no, he doesn't particularly enjoy shopping for Kate Spade while I mull over which style I'd rather have. 
But, he makes me laugh until I cry.
He holds my hand in the car.
He keeps my most important secrets.
He's the best person to go to Home Depot with.
He supports me, no matter what decision I make.
He loves my parents as much as I do.
He loves my friends and they've become his friends.
He loves the fact that I LOVE dogs.  
He even handles my random sobbing moments when the ASPCA commercials come on and I'm screaming, "Turn the channel! I can't watch!!"
He makes the dinner sometimes.
He cleans the kitchen.
He folds the laundry.
He handles all the landscaping maintenance. (Come on, mowing...it just ain't my thing)
But most importantly...He loves me.
He doesn't get upset that I tell him I love him 20+ times a day - he just says it back.
He calls me to ask me out on dates, still.
He wakes up in the middle of the night after we've drifted apart in our sleep to find me and put his arm around me again.
He wakes me up with kisses every morning.
He tells me I'm beautiful.

Us on our Honeymoon, 2010.  Aren't our sunburns just so sexy?  Especially Derin's ;)

He, without question, is the most amazing thing in my life.  Without him I'd be lost, and I thank God every day that he blessed me with this man - and I'm still trying to figure out what made me deserving of him.  But, I won't question too much - don't want any powers that be to realize they made a mistake giving him to me. 

Happy Valentine's Day
To the person who makes me whole.

New Years, circa 2007










on the kindle

I'm an avid reader.  I have books all over my house.  Finally, this past Christmas I got a Kindle so now I can upload books and clutter up my kindle, instead of my house.  

Most recently, I read the Hunger Games trilogy.  

At first, I was hesitant.  Much like Twilight, I kept putting it off thinking I wouldn't like it because it can be considered Science Fiction.  But, again, like Twilight...I LOVED it.  I read all three books in, like, four days.  They were so good.  Now, I'm anxiously anticipating the movies.

Personally, I'm team Peeta.
I just love the way their relationship plays out.
via pinterest

I won't elaborate for anyone who hasn't read the books.  You just need to read them.  I'm serious....go get them, sit down, and read them today :)

friday's letters

Today I'm linking up for some Friday's letters :)

Dear Mom, Happy Birthday.  I hope it is wonderful and glorious and all you hoped your 62nd birthday would be.  I know you've been sick, but you are doing awesome - keep up the great work!





Dear Hubs,  I will miss you desperately this weekend while I'm away in Asheville.   While I'll be off having fun, I will still be anxiously anticipating seeing you again on Sunday!

Dear TamiBeth, my Rockstar for Life...I cannot wait to see you this weekend and shower you with gifts that your little one will soon be able to use.  I am so proud of you and Bryan and I think you will be one of the most awesome moms on the planet.

 

Dear Dakota, Delia, and Boomer...be good for Daddy? (better than you are for me while he's away, mmmkay?)

 Dear producers of Andrew Zimmerman's show, Bizarre Foods - please turn his mic down when he's eating -- that slopping sound he makes with his mouth while he's eating any number of disgusting foreign treats is enough to make my stomach lurch into my throat.  Oh, just don't watch you say?  My husband loves your show.  I can't begin to know why.




new design and the Giants win!!!

I've spruced things up a bit around here, moved some things around, made a couple of changes.  
I like it, so I think I'll keep it this way a while :)

Oh, and the Giants Won!!!!

Take that Tom Brady