Weight Loss Wednesday

I had good news; now, I don't have good news. Quite frankly, my weight loss journey is trying to bring me down. However, I am not letting it! Instead, I am grabbing it roughly by its muffin top and saying, You're going down!

So instead of sharing what I've done to improve my weight loss lately, I am going to say what I am GOING to do.
I'm a planner. I love planning my weekends, my workday, family vacations, vacations I may never take, vacations random people want to take. When it comes to planning my meals, I try. I really do. But it never works out for me. I get lazy; I forget to do this or buy that - it just never happens. So starting today, I am changing that! Planning all day, every day.

Here are a few healthy recipes I've found on Pinterest lately.... Starting with what I am making for the rest of the week!

Flourless Manicotti with Zucchini

Source: self.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Chicken Enchiladas in the Crockpot
I'm going to ease up on the cheese :)

Source: genaw.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Chicken via PaleOMG
While I am not following paleo, all of Juli's recipes look amazing. I can't wait to try this one out!

Source: paleomg.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Santa Fe Chicken in the crockpot
Can you tell I really love my crockpot?

Source: chef-n-training.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

And I am going to get better about updating this blog. I'm thinking a post documenting me cooking one of these dishes!

Favorite Things Friday

Favorite Things Friday is taking you to the most magical place on Earth today: Disney World!

As a Floridian who lives an hour away, Disney World has always been a staple vacation destination. It was a quick weekend away with my family, as a child, or with my friends the older I got. Sometimes, my parents would really spoil us and take us for a whole week. :-)

Now, as an adult, I am annual pass holder who tries to get over there once a month. Like I said on my earlier post this week, whether I'm riding rides or simply relaxing in the World Showcase, I always enjoy my Disney weekends. So this week, I'll be sharing all of my favorite things Disney!

Favorite Park

My sister and I in front of the castle

It's really hard to pick just one, as I seem to love each of the park's unique aspects. However, there's something so special and wonderful about Magic Kingdom! From the castle to Main Street to the various lands, everything is so perfectly detailed to make you feel like you've gone to the future or the wild West.

Favorite Event
Hands down, Food & Wine Festival. Epcot holds a six week event where they put up booths for the various countries where visitors can get traditional food and drink items. I am a foodie, maybe not as extreme as others, so I love trying new cuisine that I might not normally order out. This past year, I tried Coq au Vin sur Gratin de Macaroni, a delicious braised chicken and pasta with cheese dish, from France and a seared filet with smashed sweet potatoes and braai sauce from South Africa, as well my usual, go-to Food & Wine Festival dishes.
The weather is also starting to cool down (just in the 70s and 80s, if you're lucky, so don't get too excited), so if you're planning a Disney trip, definitely consider Food & Wine Festival.

Favorite Time of the Year
Christmas. Duh. It's my favorite time of the year, regardless of Disney World, but the parks definitely make it all the most special. From the lights on Cinderella's Castle to the Christmas storytelling in Epcot to the Osborne Family's Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Hollywood Studios, there is no shortage of Christmas spirit in the parks.

Favorite Restaurant
My favorite restaurant at Disney World has got to be Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort. And there's really only two reasons why: sticky wings and bread.
We always end up at Kona on our trips that last longer than one night. There are a lot of wonderful options on property (Le Cellier Steakhouse at Canada in Epcot is great for special occasions), but there's nothing like eating a whole plate of sticky wings by yourself and finishing it up with some warm sweet bread and honey macadamia nut butter. Oh my. I'm ready for some now!

The most delicious wings on the face of the Earth.

Favorite Reason to Go
The best part is you don't need one! But celebrating birthdays in the park is always fun for me and my friends. I celebrated my 25th birthday there last year, and I plan on celebrating my 26th as well! Whether I've been celebrating a birthday, my wonderful relationship with Steve, or simply the blessing of friendship, there's always enough good times to last me till my next trip.

Fast Cars

Nothing to report for Weight Loss Wednesday, so I'm going to switch it up a little!

I have been going to Disney World for as long as I can remember. Living around an hour away, my family made it a staple trip for me and my sister when we were younger. The older I got, the less cool I thought it was. Until college! Then, I started going with my friends, and of course, I was able to drink around the world. :-)

When I started dating my boyfriend, he was confused about the whole thing. He thought it was for little kids. Now, he's definitely changed his mind.

We started off our weekend with a little champagne toast!

For his 30th birthday, we decided to head to Disney for the weekend with my sister and her boyfriend. We stayed at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. If you are torn between staying at an on-property hotel versus a slightly cheaper one off property, spring for the on-property one. Not only are the hotels extremely well taken care of and close to parks, but the staff does whatever they can to make your stay that much more special. 

My sister and I (waiting for a bus!)

Steve and the just-rolled-off-a-truck, brand new Ferrari F30

Saturday brought on the big day.... the Exotic Driving Experience. For his birthday and Christmas presents, I decided to get Steve behind the wheel of a Ferrari F30. I'm a really awesome girlfriend. It was definitely an amazing experience, and once I heard those engines and saw those shiny, fast cars, I wanted to do it myself! The staff was wonderful (as expected), and the whole experience was very cool, even if you weren't driving.

My vehicle design

To continue with the fast car theme of the weekend, we headed over to Epcot bright and early on Sunday morning to try out the new Test Track! The coolest new feature has to be designing your own vehicle. You pick the lines, shape, the colors, any special add-ons as well as what you want it to excel in whether it be fast, high performing, environmentally friendly, etc. After you ride Test Track (which is completely redone on the inside...I'm still undecided as to whether or not I like the upgrade), all of the vehicles designed by the people in your car are graded from best to worst. I thought mine was going to win... it is in an awesome burnt orange color (GO CANES!).

Bottom line, whether you're 9 or 109, there's definitely something for you to do at Disney. Some trips are constantly go-go-go for my friends and I (We were known for visiting all four parks in one day), but there have been trips where we like to grab a margarita or glass of wine and just people watch.

Since I'm starting to look at hotels for my drinking around the world for St. Patty's Day in Disney, I think Favorite Things Friday  may also be Disney themed.
Do you have a favorite thing to do in Disney World that you must do every visit?

Favorite Things Friday

I decided to forgo my Weight Loss Wednesday blog post this week. It wasn't a good week for weight loss (things decided to go up slightly), so we're adjusting my numbers. Hopefully, I will have better results to share next Wednesday.

Despite having a love-hate relationship with food this week (on top of being emotional - Thanks, PMS!), I'm going to go ahead and share my favorite recipes! None of these recipes were created by me, but you can find the sources in the description and on my Pinterest page.

Favorite Dip
Buffalo Chicken Dip via Dashing Dish.
When I say this is one of the most delicious Buffalo chicken dips you will ever taste, I mean it. There are never any leftovers that go to waste with this dip. Even the pickiest eaters that I know devour it. I wish I had an excuse to make it right now... 

Source: dashingdish.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Favorite Healthy Asian Dish

My boyfriend and I made this sesame chicken, the lightened up version, a few months ago. It was a little difficult to make, as they were a lot of steps. However, the final product was delicious!

Source: alidaskitchen.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Favorite VegetableOne of my favorite websites for healthy cooking, Skinnytaste, has the EASIEST recipe for acorn squash. I buttered them, put a little bit of brown sugar on them, and baked them (while I was working out) a few weeks ago, and the acorn squash was delicious.  I was always a little weary of squash, but I am so glad I have recently gotten into and given it a try.

Source: skinnytaste.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Favorite Cookie
Anyone who knows me knows I'm a red velvet nut. Cupcakes, pancakes, rice krispie treats, cookies - if it comes in red velvet with cream cheese frosting, I'll eat it. I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course) last Christmas, and my sister and I made them. We overcooked them a little bit, but otherwise, they were delicious.

Source: recipegirl.com via Jessica on Pinterest

And now this food post has me wanting to eat again!

Favorite Things Friday

Unlike most of the country, Florida is experiencing some awesome weather! Sunshine, great temps in the 70s and a wonderful breeze... not much more to ask for, really! With that being said, great things are in store, and I simply cannot wait.

So Favorite Things Friday will be dedicated to the things I am most looking forward to...

Favorite Recipe to Try Out
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies. So basically, anything and everything I love (minus pumpkin). I found them on one of my new favorite recipe sites, Budget Gourmet Mom.
 

Source: budgetgourmetmom.com via Jessica on Pinterest

They look like heaven, right? I'll let you know how they turn out.

Favorite Late Winter Event
The Florida State Fair, of course! A nearly two week fair dedicated to all things Florida... it's a little country, but hey, it's a lot of fun! They've got a lot of neat different exhibits, crazy rides and of course, all of the fried food you could ask for (which I will be steering clear of).

Favorite Upcoming Trip
It's a tie!
At the end of the month, my boyfriend and I will head up to D.C. for a quick 36-hour visit with his parents (and to get the rest of us stuff!), before we road trip back. I am so excited for a two-day road trip with Steve through the South. I'm really wanting to stop at Savannah or Charleston on our way home, but I think we may wait till we have more time to explore (and without a Uhaul!). If you have a good suggestion of somewhere to stop 6 or 7 hours south of D.C. and north of Tampa, do share!

Secondly, Steve and I will be drinking around the world at Epcot for St. Patty's Day with my lovely friend Cheryl and her boyfriend Stevie. Since she lives in Boston, I don't get to see her as often as I'd like, but I am so glad she is coming down to Florida for a few days to play in the sun :-)

Me & Cheryl in college, before a Ying-Yang Twins concert on campus

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy your weekend!

Weight Loss Wednesdays

Drum roll, please.... I am down another 1.1 lbs! Which means I've got just over 8 lbs to lose in the next three weeks. I am insanely determined at this point, and I hope that the next few weeks produce bigger numbers.

In order to hit those numbers, I'm taking drastic measures. I have completely cut out alcohol until St. Patrick's Day. Granted, I'm not a huge drinker. I have maybe a glass of wine during the week, maybe a drink or two over the weekend.
I am extremely interested to see what kind of effect this will have on my body and my weight loss efforts.
I am also going to get back to yoga (not that this is a huge, drastic measure). I really enjoyed yoga. I loved the peace of mind it gave me, the relaxing I feeling I carried with me for days after my yoga sessions, and of course, the improved posture and strengthening of my muscles.

I would also like to feature my newest fitness motivation.... Beyonce at the 2013 Super Bowl.

I think I will just play "Bootylicious" over and over in my head tonight while I'm working out!

Favorite Things Friday

We have made it through another week! Some of us better than others (I think I fall into the "others" category.)

I'm dedicating today's Favorite Things Friday post to all of my favorite Pinterest finds!

Favorite Craft
Valentine's Day is coming up soon. I think it's a great holiday to show your loved ones how much they really mean to you - even though, you should do it all of the time! I feel that my apartment needs some girlie, pink and heartfelt touches for the upcoming day for lovers. Thanks to this awesome DIY Valentine's Day decoration I found on CraftGawker (via StuffStephDoes), I now have the perfect craft!

Source: stuffstephdoes.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Favorite Recipe to Try
One of my favorite blogs to read, HelloHue by Lindsay, posted her recipe and tips for making homemade sushi this week. I died. Anyone who knows me knows I live for sushi. I cannot wait to give it a whirl!

Source: hellohue.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Favorite Outfit Inspiration
This outfit is so simple, yet it blew my mind. I really enjoyed the pop of color in the pants (I have some capris in this same color), and the extra touch of sophistication the blazer throws in. I think I will try an outfit like this next week!

Source: gochicorgohome.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Favorite Inspiration
This one is so simple, however, I seem to need a reminder every once in awhile. Life only happens once, so I need to make it better and better every day.

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Jessica on Pinterest

My goal this week... to make it to the movies solo (because I clearly didn't accomplish that last week!! HAHA) and to get three whole blog posts out! One of the blog posts will be all about Steve's birthday weekend!

Weight Loss Wednesday

So it's another Wednesday..... and I've only got a .7lb weight loss to report. I now have 9.3lbs to lose by March 1st... I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

My trainer, William, is going to be dropping my daily carb intake another 15 grams, starting Friday, the day after my hi-carb day (when I eat 230 g of carbs!). I'll now be down to 125g of carbs a day. Lately, at 140, I've been able to eat a little bit of pasta or a half a cup of rice, along with veggies, in order to hit my carbs. But with my numbers so low now, I think the only way to stick to my macros is clean eating.... aka solely veggies.

Lately, I've been venturing out of my little box when it comes to veggies. I'm not necessarily picky -- the only veggie I don't really like is carrots -- but I tend to stick to my favorites: broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts and green beans.

Last week, I talked about how I tried spaghetti squash as a noddle substitute and loved it. I am proud to report, I've tried two new vegetables this week!
While I've had beets before, they've always been canned. I had my first fresh beets that my mom purchased from the Saturday Morning Market in St. Pete, Fla., and they were great.
I also tried acorn squash for the first time. I turned to my favorite healthy recipe website SkinnyTaste for some ideas on how to cook it. I gave her roasted acorn squash with brown sugar a try, and it was awesome. I see myself buying some more acorn squash from the market this weekend!

Happy Hump Day!

Favorite Things Friday

Hi all! HAPPY FRIDAY! Hope you are enjoying your day, whether you are at the office, relaxing or having a great, fun-filled day (like I am!). While you read this, I am probably playing somewhere in Disney World... I'm thinking we're going to start our day at Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios. I will be in Disney World this weekend, celebrating my wonderful boyfriend's 30th birthday.

Favorite January baby:
This has to be pretty obvious... my wonderful, sweet and loving boyfriend, Steve. He turns the big 3-0 today, and he definitely deserves to be a part of my Favorite Things Friday post. This has grown to be one of my favorite pictures of us. It was during my birthday last year when we, of course, went to Disney World. (It was my first birthday celebration in Disney!) He really makes every day special and wonderful for me. I honestly don't think I could have a better sidekick in life who always loves me, always supports me, and always makes life interesting.

I love you, babe!


Favorite Current Wish List Item: 
I am a huge fan of anything with elephants. They're just so cute, and I absolutely love what they stand for. Good luck, happiness and longevity -- who couldn't use all of those in their life regularly? As soon as I saw this Stella & Dot scarf on Koko Likes (One of my favorite blogs to follow. If you haven't checked it out, do it now!), I fell in love.
I'm hoping a little birdie surprises me with it for Valentine's Day (hint, birdie, you were mentioned in the previous favorite!!)

Favorite Moment from This Week: 
HOCKEY RETURNED!! I am a huge fan of hockey and of course, my hometown team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. I got to watch a few games already this week, and I am hoping there is a hockey game in my near future. Hockey games are always so exciting and fast-paced... I have never gone to one and not had a good time. I've also had a hard time finding anyone who doesn't like a hockey game after going to a live game.
Do you have a favorite team?

 

Favorite Inspiration

I love ending my Favorite Things Friday post on a positive and powerful note. I hope this quote impacts you the same way it has impacted me this week.

Source: brendan-i-am.tumblr.com via Jessica on Pinterest

My goal this week....is to go to a movie alone. This was actually an idea from my coworker Liv. The idea is a little scary, but I think it's a good thing to test my confidence every once in awhile. Besides, there are a lot of movies out right now that I want to see (Argo? Silver Linings Playbook? Wreck it Ralph?), so this is a good excuse to see them.

Have a fantastic weekend, friends!

Weight Loss Wednesday - Week Three

Ignore the fact that this being published on a Thursday, please!

My weight loss over the past two weeks has been unimpressive. (Thank you, lady business!) I'm down 1.1 lbs since my weigh-in on Saturday, but technically, I'm still at my lowest weight this month.

To be honest, it's insanely frustrating. And when I look at the overall number of what I want to loose (just over 50 lbs), I get extremely discouraged and begin to feel like it will never happen. So I've decided to break it down in smaller increments...

My goal is to lose 10 lbs by the end of February. It's roughly 2 lbs a week, so it's a very attainable goal. So wish me luck!


As for other parts of my healthy eating journey, I have been trying new foods. I recently tried spaghetti squash as a noodle substitute during a "family pasta night" with my sister and our good friends, Chris and Jess. I also made Steamy Kitchen's recipe for cauliflower mashed potatoes two days ago.
I absolutely loved the spaghetti squash.... it is an easy substitute for pasta. I even used some leftovers with taco-seasoned chicken, cheddar cheese and sour cream in a unique Mexican noodle mix. As for the cauliflower mashed "potatoes," I think I will have to give it another whirl. It had nothing to do with the recipe... I just think my cauliflower was going to bad. Another great resolution... be better about using fresh veggies! :)

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Favorite Things Friday

I totally dropped the ball this last week... no posts, no updates, nada. It was a ridiculous week at work, and I finally have Internet in my apartment, so I'm thinking I'll only get better at this blogging thing. So here goes my crazy week recap and Favorite Things Friday... the Monday edition.

I met my goal of dressing up for work every day! I was impressed with myself. I even managed to take a picture four out of five days. Do not judge that they were in the bathroom at work and selfies. I really need to get the boyfriend to snap pics of me in the morning if I am going to do another clothing challenge.

 

Favorite New Tmblr
While I cannot get enough of the .gif tmblrs lately (I'm looking at you #MyFriendsAreMarried), my new favorite tmblr in my RSS feed has to be 99 Problems but a Pitch Aint' One. As someone in the PR field, I feel like each one is talking to me. :)

Favorite TV Show
(Because all of my favorites are back!) I have a hard time keeping a schedule and actually sitting down to watch TV shows. If there is a Real Housewives of (Enter any city here) on, you will definitely find me sitting down and zoning out. But trying to always sit down at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday is extremely hard to do. I really enjoy watching "Parenthood," "New Girl," "The Mindy Project" and my new favorite this season:

If you are not watching "The New Normal," I'm not quite sure what your problem is. But it is the funniest show out there right now. Each of the characters is hysterical, and the storyline is extremely heartwarming and accurate for today's society.





Favorite Pinterest Find
My skin and I are constantly battling it out. One day, it's oily; the next, it's dry. I usually have an extremely bad breakout or nothing at all. I'm always trying new formulas and products to keep it under control. I found this brightening toner on Pinterest that you make with witch hazel, lemon juice and water.
Word to the wise.... use lemon juice rather than squeezing your own lemons. I only spent like a $1.50 on the lemons, but it was a pain to squeeze them. :-)


Favorite Inspiration
I had a hard week in the weight loss department, thanks to that time of the month. So I found myself more discouraged than I should have been. But like the image says, today is another chance.

Source: backonpointe.tumblr.com via Jessica on Pinterest

My goal this week... is to make my boyfriend's 30th birthday as special as possible. His birthday is on Friday, and we'll be going away for the weekend (to Disney!). I can't wait to make his birthday weekend as special as possible because he simply deserves it.

Favorite Things Friday

So I got a little inspiration from Lauren Conrad's Friday Favorites, and I've decided my favorite things that I've seen/experienced/pinned/listened to/watched over the week.

Favorite New App

Songza. If you haven't given it a shot, stop what you're doing and download or visit Songza.com right now. A coworker of mine brought it up one day as his go-to app for streaming music when he's running. I use Songza everywhere now... at my desk during work, while I'm in the shower, when I'm cleaning and at the gym.
My favorite playlist? Toss up between A Michael Jackson Dance Party and A 90's School Dance. (Yes, I'm aware of how embarrassing my music is.)

Favorite Etsy Find

Kellie Cecilia Prints! Kellie is an awesome designer out of New York who I've had the pleasure of being friends with for over 8 years now. She makes awesome customizable note cards as well as holiday greeting cards. She is available for bridal showers, wedding announcements, everyday note cards - you name it she does it. My most favorite card of hers has got to be her first release in her '2013 Year of Themes' line: a new baby card featuring Dumbo.


 


Favorite Face to Come Home to 
Regardless of what kind of day I've had, I love coming home to my dog, a 4-year-old Kelpie mix named Rigby. She has the best personality... always ready to snuggle, play and love. I really understand why people say dogs are man's best friend!


Favorite Inspiration
And I'll leave you with another great find on Pinterest this week....some words of wisdom!

Source: craft.tutsplus.com via Jessica on Pinterest

I can't wait to update on Monday with how my week of actually putting effort into my hair, makeup and dress went! I'm also very excited to do my second week's challenge, thanks to my coworker Liv's awesome idea. 

Weight Loss Wednesdays - Week One

I've decided to dedicate Wednesdays to my weight loss and healthy lifestyle journey! :-) 

My weight has been something I have struggled with for most of my life. When I was obviously younger, I desperately wanted to be a size 0. But the older I got, the more I realized that it wasn't possible.

December of 2009 (Nope, that's not lemonade.)

 I have hips. I have curves. Being a size 0 will never be an option for me. But a size 8 or 10 who understand how to eat better and exercise? I'll take it.

The only time I ever felt like I was close to comfortable with my weight was my senior year of college and the first year after. I was working out more than I probably ever have.... not that it was a lot. I'd go with my gym-fanatic best friend, Jess, twice a week, maybe three times. I think the overall active and stressful college lifestyle helped me.

However, a few months of unemployment post-graduation and my Mom's delicious home cooking led to weight gain again. 

Me and two of my best friends, Kellie and Jess, Oct. 2009

I have been working with my personal trainer, William, for just over 6 months now. When I came to William, I was eating roughly 1200 calories a day, but I couldn't lose any weight. So he broke it down for me...plain and simple. I was eating all of the wrong things and at the wrong times.

We spent the last five and a half months building up my metabolism and working me up to nearly 1800 calories a day. I was eating four meals a day and simply tracking my macronutrients. And I never gained a pound! In fact, when we started "my diet," I was 2 lbs under from when I started my training with him.

Kellie, Jess and I, December 2012

With the holidays and everything, I'll be the first to admit I got off track. While I wasn't necessarily over-indulging, I know that I wasn't being completely conscious of my choices. As of my first meal this past Monday, I decided that it was time to get back on track and follow my "diet."

And I am pleased to announce that .... I weighed in today 4.1 lbs less than I did on Sunday!

I feel like I am finally understanding how I need to treat my body in order to be healthier. And I hope that the next time I take a picture with Kellie and Jess, I'll be looking even better than the one from right after college! 

So good to see you, 2013

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right. - Oprah Winfrey

I'm not typically an Oprah fan, but I felt that this quote was ever so appropriate for how I feel about 2013. The new year, regardless of which one it may be, provides everyone with a time to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

New Year's Day breakfast in Downtown St. Pete

Most resolutions for the new year include losing weight, drinking more water, being more active, landing a promotion, etc. And I'd be lying to say if most of my resolutions revolved around bettering my health, shedding the extra pounds and improving my career. But for 2013, I decided to step out of the box a little...

I have started this blog to hold myself accountable and to document the many things I find myself involved in. Over the course of 2013, I want to challenge myself to try new things or meet a goal. So each week, I will document my successes (and failures!) of achieving new goals and trying new things, in addition to my weight loss goals and life commentary.

My sweet boyfriend, Steve, and I at breakfast at The Hangar

Up first.... I am going to take a stab at looking like a professional every day of the week. Working in a small office where I am not always face to face with clients has led me to not always doing my hair or avoiding  makeup. For this week, I will be dressing up and doing my hair and makeup every day! (Hey, I've got to start somewhere.. :-))