tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25897310905284620682024-02-21T20:08:07.507-07:00tea thyme toastMelainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-44999410800240758952014-01-23T08:45:00.001-07:002014-01-23T09:06:09.024-07:00Small Success Thursday - Friends, Veils, and the Rock Cycle<a href="http://catholicmom.com/2014/01/23/small-success-thursday-celebrating-ordinary-time/"></a><br />
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What makes a week successful? The very fact that it is Thursday sends me into my best mood of the week, I am headed for three whole days off filled with family and friends and a really fun weekend to look forward to enjoying. <br />
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I'd like to start with some looking back on the week that was and celebrate Small Success Thursday with my new friends at CatholicMom.com<br />
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1. This morning two of my friends brought me baggies of different vanilla flavored lean protein powders. I was just thinking that I'd like a vanilla flavor in my morning protein shakes and here they popped into my office with two types to try. Success defined by having thoughtful friends, you bet!<br />
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2. I finally wore a veil to Mass and nobody screamed and pointed. I have been wanting to wear the veil I bought for the last two years; carrying it around in my purse terrified to actually wear it. My daughters, 14 and 11, snickered at me and threatened to stop sitting with me but they were both alter serving anyway and got over themselves pretty quick when I promised not to make them wear veils. Father Sam came by and said he was going to call me Dona Melaina from now on and other than that it was a total non event. Yet I consider it a success because I was brave enough to do this little act of reverence that just felt right. <br />
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3. I want to teach and this week took a step towards finding a teaching job by reaching out to a friend and agreeing to come teach the rock cycle to her class at the wonderful school where she teaches. She will introduce me around and they will hopefully use me for subbing on Fridays. I currently work Monday through Thursday 10 hours days, so subbing on Fridays and getting to know the Principal could lead to a teaching job when they starting filling positions for this fall. It's one step towards a big goal, but it's the hardest first step. <br />
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Share your small successes with me friends, I'd love to hear what happened in your world lately.<br />
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MelainaMelainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-5312792336104259392013-01-06T09:21:00.000-07:002013-01-06T09:21:50.467-07:00With a Brave HeartWhat a beautiful morning! I woke up early and tried to sneak downstairs for some quiet reading time. However, I am married to a person who wakes up if the pace of my breathing changes. So moments after I sat down with my book, a sleepy faced Duane appeared holding his copy of The Everything Travel Guide to Ireland. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Everything-Travel-Guide-Ireland/dp/1605501670/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357488676&sr=8-1&keywords=everything+travel+guide+to+ireland"></a><br />
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We spent a delightful hour planning our trip and talking about all the fun things we plan to see during our ten days in Ireland this coming March. I can read my book anytime, but quiet time spent with the mister is, as they say, priceless.<br />
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While we chatted I enjoyed a tasty breakfast of Earl Grey tea, and small sweet wheat bagel topped with almond butter and a slice banana. Once the trip planning was complete and my tummy had settled, I opted to try out my new exercise DVD: Jazzercise Burlesque. <br />
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I made it through the first 29 minutes of the DVD, before doing my own cooldown and collapsing for a tall drink of water. Have to keep working on my endurance!<br />
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We have an invitation to dinner this afternoon at my parent's house before heading to church to teach catechism before attending Mass. If we are feeling perky we will stay awake and watch the season 3 premier of Downton Abbey!<br />
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What a beautiful day, I hope your day is equally as joyful.Melainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-56136681018110769632013-01-02T19:25:00.000-07:002013-01-02T19:29:32.246-07:00Whoo's looking at you?I bounced into work this morning, fueled by a Contigo mug of coffee and an Ezekiel bread almond butter and banana sandwich, and found these sweet little faces sitting on my chair. <br />
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My friend Gail is one of those amazing people who hear you say something once and remember it. I love owls, and these owls are extra special because they were photographed here on the Army depot where I work. They are even more special because my friend printed and framed them and left them as a lovely welcome on a zero degree 0630 morning. <br />
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The owls have me thinking, if my friend hears me make an offhand remark about my love for owls and that sticks in her head, I wonder what else I say in passing becomes representative of me. You know that saying, “You are either a blessing or a lesson”. This is the time to be a blessing, there is so much hurt in the world and every direction we turn there is a media outlet providing round the clock coverage. It is up to us to decide what we allow in and what choose to let out. <br />
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We can choose to throw more good into the universe: with our thoughts, with our words, with the senseless acts of kindness that are wholly within our power to provide. I bet we all think of things that would be nice to do, but it is so easy to forget to do them, to let other matters fill our time. We put our money where our mouths are, but do we put our time where our hearts are? <br />
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Thank you for friendship, thank you for owls on an early winter morning. Thank you for shared laughter and thank you again for endless chances to get it right. <br />
Melainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-90430858618676092772013-01-01T17:48:00.001-07:002013-01-01T18:07:39.201-07:00Happy New Year 2013The truth is that I can do anything I really commit to, so can you. The hard part is not making the resolution, taking the walk, passing up dessert, or even saving for a rainy day. The hard part is coming up with something worthy of resolution. <br />
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Wouldn't it be great if we could resolve to do something that may actually make a difference? It would be neat to fit back into the Levis hanging in the back of my closet. I would be proud to say that I gave up candy and soda for three whole months. But I want something more, something that changes the life of another person. <br />
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So this year I'm going to make a resolution to look for the opportunity to make a difference. A good start will be going to yoga with my friends on Tuesday nights. It is not about the exercise, it is about the friendship building, for all of us. I am going to express my gratitude sincerely, so easy to do but easier to forget. It is a bit funny to be finally learning how to be a good woman friend at age 42, but this is definitely a case of better late than never. <br />
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I am also going to look at my own attitude and keep it in check. The universe can use some gracious behavior. A friend once told me that you don't have to attend every fight you're invited to. It is so easy to take offense and incredibly nice when you screw up and someone overlooks it. So I'm going to work on taking it easy on everyone around me, refuse to take offense and overlook small slights whenever possible. Remember how they told us in Sunday School to turn the other cheek? Those gorgeous little old lady Sunday School teachers with their blue frosted hair and craft projects made from oatmeal boxes. I hope Jesus took them to a special room in Heaven when they got there and gave them unlimited craft supplies and Avon hand lotion. <br />
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I woke up this morning and realized that I'm grateful to have my brother here in Utah for the holidays. We are worlds apart in every conceivable way except for the most important one. We grew up together, we have the same history and the same devoted and incredibly generous parents. Our parents put their hearts into creating a fun family experience and I don't think I've ever acknowledged to them or to my brother that I recognize how great it was being one of us. <br />
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My brother was my nemesis for so many years. Lately he keeps wanting to make amends for past screw-ups and it just occurred to me today that I have my own amends to make. I held onto so much old anger and resentment that it prevented us from having an adult relationship as siblings, as the only two witnesses of our crazy childhood as Army brats roaming the earth, getting lost on winding cobblestone streets in Europe, building snow forts in Minnesota, and being entranced by the magic shop in London. We are so different, but share genes, memories, and an awesome kid that he and his girlfriend gave birth to but that I have the joy of raising. I owe my brother an apology, a thank you, and the hope that I hold in my heart for the relationship we can have in the future.<br />
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What, God? You mean I am not perfect? Why did you wait until today to tell me? Lord, I know that through you all things are possible, so this year please open my heart and my mind to all of the people you put in my path who can use some help in their lives. Let me take it easy on the people I love; let me not be so prickly when someone has a way of doing something that is vastly different from my own. Thank you for my family, my job, awesome friends, a wonderful church and Father Sam, a beautiful home and more than enough food; thank you for true love and thank you for never closing the door on opportunity. <br />
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If you are reading this, and I know that if I tell my mother how to find my blog again she will read it and maybe Sandy too, please know that you are a part of this amazing life I am so grateful for. There are changes to make, and resolutions to resolve and perhaps forget, but the people in our lives deserve our compassion and our gratitude and hope for better relationships in the future. May the peace that surpasses all understanding be with you in this new year. Happy 2013.<br />
Melainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-59293990291961540842012-02-01T13:22:00.000-07:002012-02-01T13:22:34.486-07:00Hey, guess what...chicken butt!I did not have one single teensy tiny piece of candy for the entire month of January. On Dec 31st I swore off candy for the year, but a the time I probably didn't believe that I would even last a whole week. <br />
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But something has changed, some interior motivation that I've never had before has just appeared and I feel certain that I can do anything I commit to doing. <br />
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So no candy this year. Two upper body and two lower body workouts a week, a lot of fun cardio whenever I feel like it, at least 100 grams of protein a day and trying to stay between 1200-1500 calories a day. <br />
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If you had told me even six months ago that I'd be totally rocking this new lifestyle, I would have laughed and asked about that bridge you have for sale. But yesterday I was describing to a friend in the lunchroom at work about my healthy eating and another friend piped in "but you can't do that forever". I look at him and without thinking said, "Why not? I deserve it."<br />
That's the point, if I ever really had one to begin with :)<br />
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I CAN do this forever, if by "this" I mean love myself enough to pack a healthy lunch and dedicate a little bit of time every day to some fun workouts. I am dancing like a lunatic with my 10 and 5 year olds to the Wii Just Dance game and they are laughing and I am laughing and we are high fiving each other and I just want to cry tears of joy over how much fun we are having together. <br />
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I have energy and love for my life and so much joy to share. That's the point, isn't it? The point to this life, and we only get one time around folks, is to share the joy. Get the joke. Laugh when you are having fun. Hug your kids. Find the sweetness in a carrot and the beauty in the snow dusting the mountains.<br />
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Enjoy your life. I am, I really am so totally and completely that I lack the words to express it. I enjoyed it a million and a half times when I yanked my husbands book out of his hands last night, turned on the stereo to an old Heart cd, and gave him the kind of kiss that he definitely wasn't expecting!<br />
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I will not allow dread, negativity, or "I cant's" to take root in my consciousness any more. <br />
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It's all good friends, seize the joy.Melainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-49518662022078865592011-12-28T09:49:00.000-07:002011-12-28T09:49:01.498-07:00Loving the Crunch workout videosIt's 0940 and I'm at work with my legs twitching to be home doing one of the Crunch fitness videos. The workouts are all "themed" and my favorite is the Bootcamp video, complete with instructor telling us to "pump it up Soldier" and the back up ladies in various camo outfits. The workout are all equally corny, and I embarrass my kids when doing the dance party hiphop style exercises and shaking my money-maker, but each one is motivating and fun and challenging enough to make me sweat. <br />
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Totally came to an awesome realization yesterday when tracking my nutrition and fitness on sparkpeople.com. I looked at how many calories a woman my weight expends doing just 30 minutes of aerobics, and how many calories I eat in a day (1200 - 1500) and realized that I can exercise a day's worth of calories by doing aerobics for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. What the heck kind of bargain goodness is that?!?<br />
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I'm taking it slow, one breath, one pound, one day at a time. In the past I've always started major diet/exercise plans when I'm unhappy with my life and need something to change (usually myself). It is interesting doing it this time when I'm really happy. Life is good, the kids are all doing well, Duane is the most awesome husband imaginable, and my parents are a huge blessing and living in Utah! Uh-oh, epiphany...this time I'm going to eat healthy and exercise just because I can? Because I have the God granted ability and means and a shred of self motivation? Oh me oh my. <br />
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Stuff I know to be true:<br />
1. Whatever "it" is, do it for yourself<br />
2. Today is better than yesterday<br />
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Peace y'all,<br />
MelainaMelainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-21009497116496047832011-12-02T09:01:00.003-07:002011-12-02T09:10:22.501-07:00Meals and Moves Dedicated December<a href="http://mealsandmovesblog.com/dedicated-december">Meals and Moves Dedicated December</a><br />
Head on over to the mealsandmovesblog.com and join me for Dedicated December! Janetha is so much fun and her blogs always motivate me to eat healthy and exercise (even when I don't do it, I really really think about exercising). Come on, it'll be more fun if we do it together!Melainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-69878170587651274922011-12-01T08:43:00.001-07:002011-12-01T09:06:06.325-07:00Pop-Tarts and PoliticiansI enjoyed the heck out of my breakfast this morning. After several months of really striving to eat a healthy breakfast, i.e. lots of fiber, protein, and calcium, I broke down, way down. Not only did I eat two cherry Pop-Tarts, I ate them toasted and covered in butter. So much butter, that the butter dripped onto my wrist as I drove down the road and I had to lick it off before it dripped onto my sweater. <br />
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Now let's play pretend for a minute. Suppose this is some sort of healthy living blog that you come to for guidance on preparing and eating a nutritious breakfast. Suppose further that I promoted myself as a fitness guru and raised funds for my campaign as the Healthy Breakfast Champion (HBC) of the United States of America (USA). Lots of funds, from lots of big corporations and individual people who send me checks from their personal bank accounts.<br />
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OK, still with me? I am running for the office of HBC of the USA and you are one of my campaign contributors. Since you admire me so much that you have sent me money, you are excited to notice me driving just in front of you on your way to work this morning. So excited in fact, that you speed up and drive just next to me with your mug of oatmeal raised in salute as you prepare to pass me with an admiring smile on your face. As you inch past, the smile freezes as you first notice my licking my wrist and then see the butter slathered Pop-Tart clenched in my greasy fingers. <br />
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Oh the horror. How does that make you feel? You have been supporting my campaign for the HBC of the USA because you believed that I not only preached the good life but practiced it. Are you going to continue to send people to this blog to read about healthy living with the whole butter-licking image seared into your retinas?<br />
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Probably not. <br />
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Herman Cain is licking butter covered Pop-Tarts. <br />
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I'd be the first to admit that people aren't perfect, and we should not expect perfection. But allegations of sexual harassment aside, this latest information to come forth is that he carried on a documented extra-marital affair for 13 years with a woman. That's enough to count him out of the running for me. I want to believe that someone I would choose to vote into the office of President of the United States will at least be faithful to the person he made private vows to in good faith. <br />
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People fall out of love, people have desires, people want things that their partners are unable or unwilling to provide. Those people need to clean up their business before they run for the most public and important office of this country.<br />
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The worst, the absolute worst thing he did in my book, is lie about it. <br />
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So what do you think? Can he, should he, save himself by coming clean and admitting his wrongdoings publicly? Or does he continue his campaign and make private apologies to the wife who probably already knew everything anyway? I'd really love to hear your opinions.<br />
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MelainaMelainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-30589762662729524142011-10-27T12:08:00.003-06:002011-10-28T07:37:51.978-06:00What's the Difference?At forty, I'm beginning to question whether what I eat really matters. I've tried about every diet on the planet and manage to stick to each one for somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 days. I don't eat much meat, but wouldn't classify myself a vegetarian. Low-carb/high protein diets give me headaches and make me inexplicably angry. I have bought various books by fitness and diet "experts" and have read them with great enthusiam and resolved to follow them precisely for the 7-days, 12-weeks, 90 months, etc. that they prescribe. The single thing all of these attempts have in common is that at the end (my end because I never make it to the directed end) I am left feeling like I have failed and then go purchase and consume most of a Costco Red Velvet Cake. <br />
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The one thing I know to be true, is that I crave variety and hate to feel like I'm forced (by myself even) to follow any sort of directed eating or exercising plan. Even perfect ones. Especially perfect ones. <br />
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Here is a list of the fabulous things I intend to do starting today that will make me healthier (by healthier I mean that I will no longer bash myself for failing to perfectly following anyone's diet and exercise plan).<br />
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1. Eat lots of veggies and whole grains. I love all vegetables and all grains so this is the easy part.<br />
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2. Have some cheese when I like and 1/2 and 1/2 in my coffee. These things are delicious and keep me from feeling deprived.<br />
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3. Eat some protein. This might be greek yogurt, maybe some vegetarian meat in my chili, or even a piece of rotisserie chicken if it's tasty and hot. No rules. If I walk into my mom's kitchen and she offers me a tasty BLT, I am going to eat the bacon, give thanks to the pig and go on with my life!<br />
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The truth is that as long as I don't live on bagels and cake, my weight doesn't fluctuate much. The difference in how I feel is enormous when I'm happily eating a random variety of foods that I cook mostly at home and enjoy.<br />
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The other half of the equation is exercise. Same sordid story, intense and well intentioned exercise programs starting with Taebo and most recently a weak (less than a week, haha) attempt at a very good 12-week bodybuilding plan. But I'm throwing every single plan away, I'm donating the books that contain them to the D.I. (Utah version of Salvation Army) so that I cannot see them staring at me from the book shelf when I pass by. Instead here is the new and improved exercise plan:<br />
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1. Do some Bikram yoga when it's convenient. The studio is 45 minutes away so I only go when I have other business in Salt Lake and some free time. Whenever I go I wish I could go everyday because it makes me feel like a rock star. <br />
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2. Go for a walk whenever I can find someone to walk with, it's too boring to walk alone. If I'm on the walk and feel like running then I will, falalalala. Remember, no rules. I'm more of an opportunity runner than a dedicated one.<br />
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3. There are many interesting exercises to do with a medicine ball. I have a printout of ten of these exercises that when combined work the whole body. I only enjoy doing six of the ten so I avoid this workout. Tonight I am going to go home and cross the four I don't like off with a sharpie and happily do the fun six. The workout is called the Tarheel 200 and it's available on Menshealth.com if you are interested. <br />
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4. Swimming is fun. Lifting weights is empowering. My dad loves to play tennis and sometimes I do too. Rollerskating, iceskating, Taebo DVD, 30-Day Shred DVD, and entire cabinet of excellent workout DVDs... you get the picture.<br />
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The point is that we all have enough stress and expectations imposed on us by jobs and family obligations. If you are a person who actually enjoys sticking to a plan then by all means, stick to the plan! But do not let it rule you, do not let the anxiety of "have to" keep you from enjoying the things you love. You decide what feels good to your body, what makes your soul sing, what you can put on the calendar for next week and absolutely look forward to with your whole heart.<br />
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What's the difference? Doing what you like allows you to show yourself some love, and when you are loving yourself the whole universe will receive and acknowledge that love and return it with joy and abundance. <br />
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Melaina<br />
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Question: What do you let the "fun" out of by forcing yourself to do it?Melainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-4127084587305116442011-10-04T05:45:00.000-06:002011-10-04T05:45:47.910-06:00Good Morning Virginia Beach!No breakfast pictures for you today, unless you count this one:<br />
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First we heard the sound of the waves and the birds, when we stumbled to the balcony this is the sight that greeted us:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Then an hour later:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kj8RLzgLvZ0h2Ff86TWDVaLoh6jCL9fsD8vYNB3Raqdne8vZc3EQ93o5o7xdaUGrCa_7m1vrFBepuHb8dDAanXueIhdD3htnBF5X40aRSJH4k8l03Lj8pY68tsL5z0UtXHG9-nQZhYin/s1600/seven+thirty+am+on+virginia+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kj8RLzgLvZ0h2Ff86TWDVaLoh6jCL9fsD8vYNB3Raqdne8vZc3EQ93o5o7xdaUGrCa_7m1vrFBepuHb8dDAanXueIhdD3htnBF5X40aRSJH4k8l03Lj8pY68tsL5z0UtXHG9-nQZhYin/s320/seven+thirty+am+on+virginia+beach.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>The dolphins were leaping into the air and being just generally hilarious and gorgeous.<br />
Duane said that if you look at out that and don't feel small you are just missing the point. Love this guy and love this life.Melainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-5675857208648565362011-09-28T15:35:00.000-06:002011-09-28T15:35:12.711-06:00Eggs StaticI enjoyed the rare treat of waking up this morning at a reasonable time (6 am instead of 5 am) then cooking and eating and fabulous breakfast with my family.<br />
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My parents are staying with us for a few months to give the Utah winter a trail run before buying a house here. Mom had already fed our youngest, Paul, his normal meal of cereal and yogurt so it was just Chloe and I for eggs. I keep thinking that if I let him eat all of the cereal and yogurt he can stand that he will eventually want to eat something else. But it occurs to me that the flaw in that theory is that there are many kinds of yogurt and an even greater variety of cereals, at any rate he is happy and healthy and also eats bananas and peanut butter so life is good.<br />
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Chloe has a long happy history with egg consumption, dating back to her YouTube appearance at age two eating and discussing an egg that our chickens laid that morning. Check it out if you want to see the absolute sweetest thing on the internet: Chloe's Egg on YouTube. <br />
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My current eating goal is to eat a big delicious breakfast that is filling, contains some quality protein, and keeps me satisfied for a few hours. I find that when I eat a tiny breakfast I want some tasty donuts/candy/bagels, in other words any of the junk my coworkers so delight in bringing to the office.<br />
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This mornings creation:<br />
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Two egg white omelet stuffed with chopped fresh spinach and tomatoes<br />
Skinny english muffin topped with 1 tsp butter and 1 Tbl marionberry preserves<br />
Four 99% fat free slices of hickory turkey breast from Land O'Lakes<br />
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It really was a fantastic breakfast, but my eyes were much bigger than my stomach and I had to leave most of the turkey uneaten. Still, I made it all the way to lunch with Duane and the fabulous <a href="http://loftespizza.com/">Lofte's Pizzeria</a> after my meeting in Salt Lake this morning.<br />
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In typical new blogger fashion, I ate first before remembering to take the picture of the beautiful Rosemary Chicken Salad. The salad had mixed green, grilled rosemary chicken, capers, red onions, and celery served with a really nice balsamic dressing (the remains of the dressing are shown below, sorry). Yes that is my finger print running through the dressing on the plate!<br />
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All in all a successful day in the healthy eating initiative. One thing that I have learned lately is that the quality of the food I eat is the most important factor in how I feel, and a pretty plate always makes things taste better somehow.<br />
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On that note I should mention that Chloe was a little put out that her egg was served by my wonderful mother on a regular plate and that I put my breakfast on a fancy plate so I could take the picture. I promise right here and now that she is going to eat a beautiful dinner on the fanciest plate in the house tonight.<br />
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Happy evening all, off to make a nice cup of decaf earl grey tea, <a href="http://www.stashtea.com/">Stash Tea</a> is my favorite, and get some work finished.<br />
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MelainaMelainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589731090528462068.post-17527830646736409912011-09-27T15:31:00.000-06:002011-09-27T15:31:45.142-06:00Being a brave, hard-working soulThe advice I like to give is to be brave and work hard to accomplish your dreams. I bet if I take my own advice I can do some awesome stuff!<br />
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I'm talking about writing, eating healthy, getting in some daily exercise, using one of a vast selection of cameras to take some pictures, showing patience when helping the little people with their homework, and spending not another minute of my life gossiping. <br />
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Care to join me? I'd love to share this journey with you!<br />
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Breakfast today was mui delicioso, look:<br />
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1. Toast an english muffin and spread with 1 ounce of goat cheese<br />
2. Spray a small glass bowl with non-stick cooking spray and pour in 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters<br />
3. Microwave the Egg Beaters for 30 seconds, flip them over and microwave another 30 seconds<br />
4. Sprinkle cracked black pepper and some sea salt to taste over your eggs and place on one half of the english muffin<br />
5. Add 4 thin slices of 99% fat free ham (I love Land O' Lakes Black Forest Ham)<br />
6. Top with the other half of the english muffin and enjoy!<br />
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This was a great breakfast when paired with a giant cup of coffee and a David Sedaris audio book "When You are Engulfed in Flames". I laughed with my mouth full all the way to work!<br />
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MelainaMelainahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283444041996890917noreply@blogger.com0Stansbury Park, UT 84074, USA40.637983 -112.30338340.627632999999996 -112.3189965 40.648333 -112.2877695