Late weekend recap

Friday, we spent the evening in getting caught up on the DVR with everything from Gossip Girl to Friday Night Lights. I made chicken quesadillas for dinner and it was a relaxing night at home.

Saturday, Geof and I went to Subway for lunch and then went to the gym for some much needed cardio post-vacation. We came home and got ready to head out for the night. There was a carnival going on in a neighborhood nearby, so we went there for awhile. It was a blast! We also bumped into some friends from the pool, which is always nice. We rode a few rides like the Himalaya and Fun Slide. The night also wouldn’t have been complete without some yummy funnel cake. It was so much fun!


Ferris wheel!


Geof going down the slide

Sunday was Mother’s Day and we took my mom to brunch at Generations. She really enjoyed herself and it was great to celebrate her for the day. Afterwards, we went to Target and then back to my mom’s for some pics by her azalea bushes. Once we got home, I took a long afternoon nap, did some work in the evening and called it a night.


Pretty!


My mom & I

Workout Wednesday

Inspired…or should I say thin-spired. That’s how I feel after watching the finale of last night’s Biggest Loser. If you’re a fan, then you know by now that Michael Ventrella was the winner. He lost a staggering 264 pounds, with a starting weight of 526 and then weighted in last night at 262. To say that he looks incredible would be an understatement. He has an energy about him and it was wonderful to see his transformation.


Michael before at 526 and after at 262

This got me thinking. I sit around and complain from time to time (okay, a lot) about how hard it is to lose weight, but then I see something like this and think that if he can lose the weight of an entire obese person, I can certainly get to where I want to be. I know I don’t have Bob and Jillian screaming at me and a Ranch that’s a workout playground at my disposal. It doesn’t matter though and it’s no excuse not to keep going.

As an update, this is week 19 for me and I am down a total of 19.4 pounds. That is slightly over a pound a week that I’ve been averaging. It’s not some astonishing number, but it’s what I have accomplished and I’m proud of it. I’ll update again in another 10 weeks.

Weekend recap

Friday, I made Geof and I a steak dinner and then did some work. Gwen called me later in the evening and we had another great conversation. She is such a wonderful person and it just reminds me that I need to try my hardest to get out there to visit her. After both of our husbands hollering at us, we finally managed to get off the phone. I realized Geof only wanted me off the phone to be his Rock Band partner in the basement. I agreed because we bought the microphone for it and I got to sing Lady GaGa.

Saturday, I got up and worked for a few hours and then we got ready to head off to a wedding at the Adventure Aquarium in NJ for our friends Greg and Alison’s special day. The venue is right on the Delaware River and has a magnificent view of Philadelphia. The actual room that the reception was in was part of the other side of the aquarium with great views of the shark tank. It was filled with many fish and of course lots of sharks. It was definitely one of the most unique venues that I’ve ever been to a wedding in. They did such a nice job tying the whole aquarium theme together and had turquoise and orange as their primary colors. We had a really nice time and it was a beautiful night.


Geof and I at the wedding with sunset over the city


Kind of blurry, but there is the shark tank in in the backgrond.


Loved the cakes, even if Greg is a Mets fan!


Night shots of the Ben Franlin bridge and Philadelphia skyline


Candy buffet and pretty blue decor


Greg and Geof


Geof being silly with the sharks


After they cut the cake


Fireworks when we were leaving that were going on at the Riversharks game

Sunday, I worked for another few hours (things are crazy with work right now) and then headed off to the gym. I don’t usually go on Sundays, but was glad that I did. It wasn’t crowded and actually somewhat cool in there for a change. I came home, caught up on some blogs and Geof cooked us dinner. We watched some baseball and hockey and called it a night.

Weekend recap

Whew…what a weekend! Friday was really relaxing. Geof and I went to the gym and then came home to catch up on some trashy reality TV. You have to cherish those lazy nights when you can!

Saturday, I had an appointment to get my makeup done at MAC. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, because I’ve seen some of my friends get it done and always looked nice. I love the smoky eye and nude lip look and asked them do this for me. My artist, Sarah, did a great job. It was a lot more dramatic than I’m used to, but something that I would definitely try to recreate for a night out. Luckily, Geof and I had plans to go see SafetySuit, so I was ready to go.


All done up from MAC!

SafetySuit was back in PA, about 40 minutes from us and it was great to see them again. After meeting the guys at their other shows, they recognized us right off the bat. We were talking to Dave (the guitarist) and then Doug (lead singer) came up behind me and grabbed me by the shoulders. We were chit chatting with the two of them for awhile and then we went to talk to Jeremy (the bassist) and Tate (the drummer). We let them know we were going on the cruise and everyone is really excited for it. Jeremy mentioned again how awesome it was of Geof to write the review that he did of the band. Tate and Geof got to talking about fishing and it was just nice to get a chance to chat with them in a more laid back environment. They were driving back to Nashville that same night, so we didn’t try to take up too much of their time. I give them a lot of credit for being away days and weeks at a time. It must feel good to get back to your loved ones after being out of the road. The show itself was awesome and the guys sounded great.

This pic cracks me up. Tate put on a choir dress and came back out and played like it was nothing

Geof and me at the concert

Dave and me

Doug and me

Jeremy and Geof

Sunday, I met with a new group of girls for brunch at Terrain at Styer’s. This place is so cool. The owner of Anthropologie took over what used to be a regular nursery and turned it into a more outdoorsy Anthro-type spot and put in a café. The café is in a greenhouse and it’s just a really nice space to hangout and enjoy a meal. The group of girls I met up with were awesome and I thought they were all really sweet and welcoming. I cannot wait to see everyone again.

Pretty stained glass doors in the greenhouse

Me, Kim and Siobhan

Louise, Ganelle, Yvette and Jingbo

Pretty candles and cloches in the shop

When I got home, I finally got the chance to talk to Gwen. We were chatting the evening away until I realized it was time for dinner. She kept talking about making beer bread and it was making me hungry ;) I cannot wait to meet someday in person. Talking to her is like talking to an old friend that you’ve known forever. It’s unbelievable the real and honest friendships that can be made through blogging.

“That girl” at the gym

You know the one I’m talking about; the girl that shows up in full makeup, hair shining and a skimpy outfit. I saw the perfect example of this while I was sweaty and disgusting on the elliptical about a half hour into my workout tonight. She was doing these stretches with her hands behind her head and looking at herself in the mirror sticking her chest and rear out. I have to give girlfriend credit though, she was fit. More power to her, but I don’t understand the hair and makeup thing. I could see if you came right from work, but this chick was immaculate like she was going out on a Friday night.



Am I alone on this one?

Weekend recap

Friday, we had lots of errands to run and headed to Best Buy for Geof to get some of his laptop issues sorted out and then ran to Bed, Bath & Beyond to make a return. We got to the gym late and it was actually nice going on a Friday night, because it wasn’t very crowded. After the gym, we came home and relaxed.

This pic cracks me up. Geof using the pink Snuggie as a blanket and the dogs taking a rest too.

Saturday, we had ice skating and when we left it was snowing really bad. It came out of nowhere and I wasn’t expecting that at all. We took the drive nice and slow and grabbed a late lunch at Subway. Once we got home, I prepared for dinner and my mom came over. I made spaghetti with homemade turkey meatballs and we watched This Is It. I saw it in the theater with my mom when it was out, but Geof never saw it. He liked it.

Turkey Meatballs

Mmm...dinner!

Sunday, we stayed in and I caught up on blogs and some shows. Geof made a delicious dinner from some of the Omaha Steak goodies his boss sent him for Christmas and we watched the Grammy’s.

2 of my favorite ladies

Random Thursday musings

1. My car is back in the shop and I’m really hoping this is the last repair for awhile. I won’t get it back until sometime tomorrow.
2. Due to said car being in the shop, I have to work from home again tomorrow and cannot attend the happy hour festivities at work.
3. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!
4. The ice show is this weekend and I’m excited/nervous about it. I really want the kids to look good out there.
5. I’ve gone to the Lenten service at church the past 2 weeks and it has been great and given me a lot to think about.
6. I'm getting into a routine at the gym and want to keep it up.
7. My Florida trip with my mom is less than a month away and I cannot wait!
8. I think I will watch Twilight again this weekend. I made my mom watch it with me last weekend and she actually liked it. She thinks Edward is handsome.
9. I wish it would stop raining.

Late weekend recap & my Tuesday at the gym

Friday night I got home from work later than usual and forgot that my mom was coming over to treat Geof and me. She made dinner for us and we had taco salads. I forgot how much I missed her cooking. It always seems to taste a little better when it comes from home. We had dinner, caught up on life, watched television and then I baked cupcakes for my ladies night on Saturday.

Saturday was ice skating and we’re two weeks away from the show. I cannot believe it! I think everything will turn out fine, but the stress level is still there. After skating I came home and got ready to meet up with the girls for ladies night at Melissa’s. We had a blast. After that, I decided I wasn’t ready to go home just yet and met up with my friend Kelly at Barnaby’s for a drink. I ran into a few people I knew and we had a nice time.

Sunday, I must have been more tired that I thought because I slept in very late. My friend Jessica came over and we all went out. First, we went to the YMCA so that Geof and I could join. We’ve been talking about this for awhile now and finally did it. I’m really proud of both of us for taking the first step and will be even prouder when we put our membership to good use. After the gym, the 3 of us went out to dinner at Olive Garden. Now at least I have a gym to work off those breadsticks!

**TUESDAY UPDATE**

We went to the gym for the first time tonight and I feel pretty good. I hate to admit it, but it’s been a long time since I stepped foot into a gym. I feel out of shape and this is the kick I need to get me feeling better. My night consisted of 45 minutes of cardio (30 minutes on the elliptical, 15 on the bikes). I was feeling it on the elliptical, but pushed through. I know it’s not much, but definitely a start. I need to get a heart rate monitor to see where I’m really at, but the machines said I burned about 380 calories.

I love playing volleyball (we play beach volleyball every Tuesday in the summer at our pool). I was happy to see they have pick-up games every Tuesday and Thursday night at the gym. I like the fact that I can switch things up from doing sports, cardio on the machines, weights, classes and swimming. My biggest challenge is staying motivated. I hope that by posting and talking about it from time to time here will give me what I need to stay focused. I’ve watched one too many “Biggest Loser” episodes and I think my mind is in the right place now for the first time in a long time. It takes a lot for me to post this and put myself out there. If anyone has any great workout tips or motivational tips, I would love to hear them!