Sunday Smiles: Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I love this season because of the inspiration I get from the sense of rebirth and renewal that’s all around – it’s refreshing! I hope you spent the day, as I did, enjoying the day with friends & family!!!

Yesterday my sister and I spent time planting spring flowers in my front yard.  Here is my front porch container;  I love the mix of colors.

Ranunculus are so beautiful, and since they’re one of my favorite flowers, I knew I wanted to plant them this year. I added asters and a cool variety of daisy to their containers. I can’t wait for them to settle in a bit really start thriving.

I know I had a shot like this last week, but since these are a fresh bouquet of flowers, straight from the front yard, I figured I’d share them again.

My contribution to our Easter brunch – a beautiful berry salad – strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

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Sunday Smiles – Spring Has Sprung!

{I’m going to save my weigh-in update for later in the week. As you guys know, I was one pound away from the goal that will get my file on the surgeon’s desk. I’ve been working hard all week to get that pound (plus more) off, and I’m going in to my local Kaiser to get my weight officially documented. So, I’ll write my weigh-in post after I have those results}.

I know I’ve been pretty absent on this blog, and on commenting on everyone else’s blogs. I’m so sorry for that. It’s been really busy for me at work, and when I’m off, I’ve been concentrating on getting these pounds off. Ever since the time change, I’ve been feeling so tired and drained and have been heading to bed earlier than normal. Still, I need to be better about writing and commenting, because blogging is one of my great loves, and I don’t want to slack on it right as I’m achieving everything that I’ve been working so hard for.

For today’s post, I figured I’d share some of the things that have been making me smile.

I took this one on a walk with Sofi last week. So many of my neighbors have beautiful flowers in bloom in their front yards, which really makes me love this time of year.

Sofi loves her indoor/outdoor doggie bed, but after a long, hot walk, she loves the cool grass even more. If given the choice, Sofi will choose to be outside every single time.

These next two photos were taken during last week’s Spring Fling dress up days.  I was one of the few teachers who actually dressed up, which I don’t understand, since the students love to see us looking goofy.  I had fun with it, as you can tell.

Monday was Crazy Day, and I think I aced that assignment. I definitely brought hte crazy!

Tuesday was Western Day. This was the first time I’ve ever worn a cowboy hat! It’s also the first time in years that I’ve braided my hair. I can’t believe how long it’s gotten!

This is Sofi’s favorite position on any given morning – tummy up, soaking up the sun. What a life!

Sofi’s 2nd birthday is on Tuesday, and my mom being the great Nonni that she is, had to celebrate it early by giving Sofi this fun toy. She wasn’t so sure at first, but she hasn’t been without it since yesterday afternoon when she got it.

My sister and I have tons of gorgeous lilies in our front yard, and I just had to make a quick spring arrangement for my dining table. I love bringing the spring inside!

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, and I couldn’t help but snap this quick pic while Sofi and I took our early afternoon walk today.

I’ve been participating in #fmsphotoaday on Instagram, and today’s assignment was “Up.” Can you believe that bright blue sky, without a cloud to be seen? I’m so lucky to live here.

There you have it.  A bunch of reasons to smile today.  I hope your Sunday was just as happy.  Look for my weigh-in update tomorrow, and please cross your fingers & toes that the official weigh-in puts me well under the goal.

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Sunday Smiles, April Fool’s Edition

It’s been a month of Sundays since I featured a “Sunday Smiles” post, and what better day to resurrect it than April Fool’s Day, right?

So, technically I took this one yesterday, but it's just too cute not to include. I had them both in Sofi's car seat to make coming home from their "spa day" a bit easier. They weren't thrilled. But it made a cute pic, no?

The herbs my sister gave me to enhance my poaching liquid. Sage, thyme, rosemary, dill, parsley, and garlic. So fragrant!

The chicken tenders I poached. A healthy, less expensive way to have chicken in my salads this week. Those herbs absolutely made a difference in the flavor of the chicken.

Poached chicken, divided into 2oz baggies for my salads.

A full fruit bowl. (I'm LOVING the Little Joesies from Trader Joe's - just like Cuties but sweeter and never any seeds).

I also spent some time this afternoon cutting up a bunch of bell peppers for my snacks this week. I bought tomato basil hummus and Tzatziki to have as "dips." And you can see from the lower photo that I really enjoyed my colorful, 55-calorie snack.

I adore opening my fridge and finding all of these healthy, colorful alternatives to choose from. (Those two pitchers have iced tea (brewed this morning from decaf black tea) and Crystal Light mango peach green tea).

Speaking of Crystal Light, yesterday I picked up some of their new "mojito" flavor (which I learned about from Celebrity Apprentice) and I really liked it. Very refreshing. Great for summer.

I also picked up this roasted seaweed that I'd first heard about on The Revolution. The lady at TJ's told me that they've been flying off the shelves, and people are buying 10 at a time. It's salty and crunchy and I really like it. Of course, you have to like that seaweed flavor. But if you like sushi, I'd recommend giving it a try. The entire package is only 60 calories and it kept me satisfied yesterday as I ran around doing a bunch of errands. I had my sister pick me up a few more when she went to TJ's today, including some in the wasabi flavor.

I was having a really hard time last week because of a few different things that were stressing me out, and my sister surprised me with this great card. Every time I look at it I smile. The inside says, "hang in there," and I kept reminding myself of this all week.

I was smiling as Sofi and I went on a walk and #sweatedpink (more on that tomorrow). Notice my laces? This shot also shows just how long Sofi's eyelashes are. Tres chic!

And when I walked back home and saw my beautiful bulbs blooming along with the white calla lilies, I definitely smiled.

What made you smile today?

Note: As you might be able to tell from a few of the photos, I had some fun with the Instagram and Frametastic apps.

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A Sunny Sunday of Smiles

Today was one of those days when I’m just happy to be alive!  I haven’t felt this content and “smiley” in about a month, so it’s a welcome change.  Sometimes it’s important to just appreciate the simple pleasures life brings us, which is exactly what this post is all about.

One of my recent goals was to spend more time with my friends and today I met one of my best friends, Di, for coffee and to catch up on the past month or so of our lives.  Di and I talked about everything – Lulu’s death, her ex, my sister/nieces, her kids, taxes, my weight loss, her work, my work, lap and surgery, being (almost) 40, and how excited I am about Sofi (whichever puppy she may be). It was so good to catch up, and we both said we wanted to make sure that we got together again soon.

Now, normally I wouldn’t celebrate potential sun damage, but I was just happy it was sunny enough today for me to get a bit of a color.  I NEVER burn, but I guess the sun was just intense where Di and I were sitting.  The day started out overcast, but as we sat there for 3 1/2 hours, the sun came out in full force.  The nice thing is that this mark will be gone by tomorrow morning. The sad thing is, so will the sun: the weather forecast is calling for morning showers.  Ugh.  But “April showers bring May flowers, right?”

Pandora!  I absolutely love this new Lenka radio station I made about a month ago.  Lots of A Fine Frenzy, Kate Nash, Adele, and even some Jason Mraz.  Having music in the background just makes any other task more manageable, to me.  This afternoon I’ve been grooving to this music and making dinners, doing laundry, changing sheets, and blogging.  I’ve been using Pandora for the last 3 years or so, but I’ve noticed that it’s becoming more popular lately. Do you use Pandora?  What station do you love?  I’m always on the lookout for new music.

My sister picked my nieces up from their old house today (they spent their week off with their dad) and she brought home a bunch of lemons from her old Meyer lemon tree in the back.  Thankfully, my sister shares!  I love the way that lemons brighten up everything from fish, to salad dressing, to water.  I can’t wait to use these all week.

In keeping with my Scrumptious Sunday, I did a little bit of make-ahead cooking today.  I was starving after my coffee chat with Di (it was 2pm!) so I decided my Lean & Green was going to be a late lunch.  I’m so glad I did that because now I have 4 other meal replacements to enjoy throughout the course of my reality-tv-watching Sunday evening.  I made ground turkey taco salad today, and have enough seasoned turkey for two more salads.  I also baked a piece of salmon that I’m planning to have with asparagus tomorrow night.  So, 3 other meals ready and waiting for me.  Friday the rain is finally supposed to end and I’m hoping I’ll be able to bbq some chicken.

I’ve been reading A Dog’s Purpose for the last 3 weeks, but today I got some solid time to read quite a bit of it, and I love it.  I started it right after Lulu died, and I have to say that reading it has really helped me get through her death and the loss and emptiness that has come with it.  The book is told from a dog’s perspective, and it actually gave me a lot of insight (even though I know it’s fiction).  The author consulted with lots of dog behavior experts, including Cesar Milan, and so I think he was able to capture life from a dog’s perspective perfectly.  This book is for anyone who loves dogs, and it has truly offered me a huge amount of comfort.

While my official weigh-in isn’t until Wednesday, I am confident to report that since Wednesday I have already lost the 3.6 lbs that I gained last week.  I have been following Medifast strictly since then and it is definitely paying off on the scale.  I’m thrilled that a bit more effort on my part is going to pay off.  I should hit my mini goal in no time at this rate.

And, finally, I’ll end my Sunday Smiles with new photos of flowers that I’ve put all around the house.  I’ve never considered myself a great floral arranger, but lately I’ve been impressed with the way I’ve been able to display all the flowers we have in our garden.  I wanted to make sure to cut lots of flowers today because of the rain in the forecast for this week.  The flowers make me feel like I’ve brought a bit of springtime into the house and that definitely makes me smile.  Enjoy!

Cala Lillies are my favorites, and I love the way this looks in my living room.

Basically the same bouquet as last week, but the lighting was different and made the roses look almost florescent.

My favorite bouquet of the week. The vase matches the bathroom perfectly, the freesia smell heavenly, and the colors - gorgeous!!

How was your weekend?  What did you do that brought a smile to your face? 

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Sunday Smiles :)

Last night one of my cousin’s came over to my house for the first time, and he was truly impressed with it. He couldn’t get over how large it was, the size of my yard (not that it’s THAT big, but for a rental), how great the “flow” is for entertaining, and how I’ve decorated it. He made me feel so good about it. I’m really proud of where I live and how I’ve decorated. Which makes me feel like the extra money I spend every month in rent (compared to my last place) is totally and completely worth it.

Today I woke up late, and decided to honor this sense of gratitude I feel for how lucky I am to live here. So today I’m doing a photo “essay” post, filled with all the things that are making me smile on this gorgeous Sunday.

I bought these mums yesterday and they are so vibrant and firey. A perfect addition to my outdoor table. I love seeing them as I look out the window.

I bought this fall bouquet yesterday, since I knew I was having people over. Plus, I haven’t bought fresh flowers for myself in a long time, and I thought it was about time.

Lulu always makes me smile. Even with her recent naughtiness, Lulu is such a joy in my life and I feel like she’s the best thing that’s happened to me in the past year.

Naughty #1 came Friday, when Lulu decided to use my power cord as a chew toy. Luckily I avoided having to spend $80 to replace it because my dad can literally fix anything.

Naughty #2 came last night, after I had been out for about 4 hours. Lulu was so excited to see me, and we were playing. Then I went into my room to get changed and she jumped on the bed and we played a bit more. Suddenly she was getting into this strange pose. Before I knew what was going on, I realized she was peeing! On my silk duvet!! So I sopped up the pee with a towel, treated the duvet with Zout (before reading that it wasn’t recommended for silk), and washed it on the delicate, cool water cycle. Then I put it in the dryer on no-heat fluff. I closed the garage door, went to bed, and hoped for the best.

How could I ever be upset with that face?

Having lots of fresh fruit and veggies on hand makes me happy.

Being stocked up on food makes me feel ready for the week. Safeway had a sale on Healthy Choice entrees this week, so that’s what I got. Nothing makes me smile more than being organized.

Sunday morning ritual, part 1.

Sunday morning ritual, part 2. Although who am I kidding, I drink coffee every day.

I have an actual garden that I can play around in at this new house. These roses have been here a long time, but I’m hoping that I can learn how to care for them so that they thrive. This photo also reminds me that this spring and summer I’m going to be able to make this yard look amazing with a little money, lots of effort, and some gardening luck!

This is what I saw when I walked out of my front door this morning. It’s a gorgeous day here today: sunny, bright, slightly windy, with clear skies. Oh and lots of leaves falling from those huge trees in the center island on my street. Luckily they should all be gone within a few weeks.

These are the bulbs my dad and I planted last weekend. It doesn’t look like anything more than a box of dirt, but by the spring, they’ll be gorgeous. It’s been fun trying something as new as planting bulbs and hoping for the best.

I am so thankful to have a garage at this house. With an automatic door opener (when I lived here before, it hadn’t been installed yet and it was a pain opening the door manually, let me tell you. On these weekday mornings when the roofs have been covered with frost, it’s so nice to be able to get in a car that isn’t freezing cold.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to decorate this hutch, but I knew I wanted a wine theme in the room. So after my recent trip to Napa I decided that I’d fill it with bottles of wine. BevMo, World Market, and Trader Joe’s – here I come for some inexpensive, quirky bottles to go along with the more expensive ones I bought in wine country.

Back to the scene of the crime!

Luckily for her (and me!), the duvet came out just fine.

No stains, no shrinking, and other than being a bit wrinkled, no damage at all. It looks just as vibrant and happy as it did before “the midnight incident.”

While I’m not thrilled at the prospect of spending the day grading all of these essays and tests, I am so grateful that I get to do what I love – teach English. Every job comes with a downside, and grading is it for me. But every now and then I read a truly inspired essay and it makes me proud.

This playlist featuring Joshua Radin and Ari Hest has been the soundtrack to my Sunday, which I needed to get through the household chores and grading that I had going on today.  I learned about Joshua Radin from an episode of The Bachelorette (she says sheepishly), and FatGirlvsWorld told me about Ari Hest.  Both are mellow, singer-songwriters who add a nice bit of background music without being overbearing.

Speaking of music…

I cannot wait for this soundtrack to come out!  I have a whole playlist of Christmas music that I start listening to as soon as Thanksgiving is over.  Over 120 songs by my favorite artists.  Whenever I play the music it reminds me of the reason for the season, as they say.  And I can’t wait to add this album to the mix.

These two are the definition of adorable, aren’t they? Today LC and my mom are getting my niece’s ears pierced (she’s 8 yrs old), while my dad takes the 3-year-old niece to the park.  Wanting to do my part to make the day fun, I told my sister that she could bring Minnie over so that Minnie and Lulu could play.  These two have been great pals since they first met, and neither one plays with other dogs as well as they play with each other.  It’s the cutest thing to watch them have fun.  The added bonus is that Lulu is so tired when Minnie leaves.

LoseIt makes it so easy for me to keep track of what I’m eating.  Changing from points to calories worried me at first, but as soon as I started tracking everything in LoseIt, I wasn’t worried anymore.  It makes it so easy to know exactly where I am with my eating.

A snapshot of my iCal for the week ahead – working out, minimum days, professional development, and ending with inexpensive (but delicious) wine tasting aka Passport Weekend. We’ll see if my budget allows for me to stock up on more wine from some of these wineries.

Just a few images and words that show how truly fortunate I am.  No fancy vacation or shopping spree needed – just a camera and an appreciation for all the things that make me smile.  🙂

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