making menus

One thing I'm really good about doing is making dinner every night. I'm not one to order pizza or throw some boxed macaroni & cheese together. I enjoy cooking but I realize that many of my friends and family don't and/or feel like their skills are lacking. In an effort to be accountable to my "lizzy gets fit" goals, I've decided to share some tips of mine for cooking dinner.

Every week, I make a menu. I made up a pretty little menu and decorated a small bulletin board to post in my kitchen so that I'll be motivated to look at it (scribbed on a sticky-note and thrown on the fridge doesn't seem to work for me). I look online for recipes (often from Martha Stewart) and make the list on Monday mornings. Then after work, I go to the store to get the items I need for the week. Here's this week's menu: Monday
Stir-Fry with Broccoli, Snap Peas, Carrots, Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper and Chicken over Brown Basmati Rice - Takes 30 minutes (I don't have a recipe for this. I just throw in whatever veggies I have with some sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, kosher salt and maybe some broth if needed).

Tuesday
Steaks with Balsmic-Dijon Sauce, Steamed Green Beans and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes - Takes 30 minutes)

Wednesday
Portobello and Zucchini Tacos with Pico de Gallo (this is a favorite recipe of ours) - Takes 20 minutes

Thursday
(I'll be home late tonight so it had to be easy) Zucchini and Tomato Frittata (except, I'm subsituting the Zucchini for Yellow Squash and adding some fresh basil leaves, Gruyere cheese and maybe some chives on top for good measure) - Takes 30 minutes

Friday
Salmon over Spinach Beet Salad with Turkey Bacon and Shallot Dressing (I may omit the turkey bacon) - Takes 20 minutes

Saturday
Date Night (with a gift card!)

Sunday
Dinner at Mom's - Make rolls!

Another tip - if possible, walk to the grocery store or market to get your weekly items. The walk there and carrying those groceries home will give you your exercise for the day.

lizzy gets fit

In the spirit of "Fitness Journals" all over the blogging universe (i.e. Ali over at Your Heart Out and Angie over at Angie In Shape) I've decided to fess up and start my own little journal toward fitness. I can't afford a personal trainer to report to . . . so thanks to blogging I will hold myself accountable to you and to my new friends in Angie's program (join here - for free, silly!)

Originally, I figured that I would have the cajones to post my current weight so that I would be embarrassed enough to actually stick to this and lose some poundage. However, it turns out I'm a wimp and can't put my fatness out there on display. I'm just not that confident. Strick that: I'm 5'7" and weigh 155 pounds. I hope that makes you all feel better.

So, let's just say that I would like to get to how I looked when David and I were dating (me - 15 pounds ago). Ideally, I would like to lose 25 pounds but I keep telling myself that it's not about the weight. According to my insurance health analysis, I'm still in the "healthy weight range" - seriously by 1 pound. For my height, I should be anywhere between 130 - 155 pounds. Yeah, pushing the envelope has always been one of my strong points . . . if only I could push myself onto the other end of those numbers . . .

If I lose 1 pound a week (starting this week - weighing in on Sunday), I can get to my goal weight by July 26th. Just in time for the family reunion in San Diego! Here are my goals:

1. Lose at least 15 pounds.
2. Fit into my size 29 Chip & Pepper jeans.
3. No swim shorts in the water.

Wish me luck!

P.S. If you want some great motivation to lose weight, send your picture to Weight View and see how you'll look 20 pounds lighter! It's pretty awesome and totally free. (First seen on Design Mom)

angie's challenge

My friend Angie is very awesome.

I've known Angie since I was 8 and I could tell you a lot of funny stories about her from the time I met her all the way through high school and when we worked together at Scrapbooks Etc. She's one of those people that makes any situation 10 times more funny because of her quick wit and silly phrases. Most people read her blog to be inspired by her creativity (she teaches incredible scrapbooking classes) or to check out her delicious daughter but yesterday, she posted something a little more serious but not any less inspirational. She's invited the blogging world to join her in her quest for a healthier life and I'm so joining in. You should too by clicking here.

I can do hard things

My department at work is starting a weight loss challenge next month. It will go on for 4 months and the winner gets $1,000! Can you believe it? I'm so excited for whoever wins (but I hope it's me)! My goals include losing 2 pant sizes and approximately 20 pounds (give or take based on muscle increase). Can I do it? Yes, I can! You know why? Because Donnie's blog post about running a 1/2 marathon inspired me when she said, "I CAN DO HARD THINGS". I like to repeat that to myself when I'm killing myself during lunges and suicides. It's totally true: I can do hard things!

If I win, I'm also giving myself a special treat: Betsy's haircut. I hope I look half as cute as she does with this 'do.

Me like-y redecorating. What is better than taking a fugly piece of furniture and making it lovely? Oh dear, I really love doing that!

Example A: Take this stained (with who knows what? - mind you) chair from Salvation Army. I do believe the cost was $10. It was a might stinky and very, very dusty. However, it had a great shape and once I took a wet rag and a bottle of Febreeze to it - it was good enough to be covered in this red and olive fabric and brown rope trim. Result: comfortable and functional.






Example B: These chairs are of excellent quality. David's grammy passed away in September and we were given her dining table and chairs. The table and chairs are very sturdy and in excellent shape. I don't just LOoooVE the stain of the wood - but you know what they say, "beggars can't be choosers". So, I recovered the seats. I'm not as crazy about this fabric as I was when I recovered them but Amy Butler is pretty great. I'm thinking that in our next house, I will cover these in a stripe or just a plain color. Maybe like this or this or this. Dear Restoration Hardware . . . will you marry me?







Example C: I love getting things for free. Moving into our old school house was good to us. The previous tenants left this trashy bookcase and so after much deliberation, I decided to paint it "English Bulldog Black" and cover the back with some awesome green brocade scrapbook paper. Voila! Mod Podge is the bomb.








Example D: I do enjoy a good filing cabinet now and then. Putting my receipts and tax information in one secure place is so gratifying! This piece of junk was rusting, coated in dust and a very boring color of cream slightly dotted in old, crusty pink bubblegum. So, last Saturday, I sanded this sucker and spray painted it "Arctic Blue" (couldn't the "spray-paint-color-naming-people" come up with a better one than that?) and now it sits in my new guest room/office.

{how about orange}

I found this blog today: How About Orange. I kind of love it. Correction: I REALLY love it.

Great DIY projects. In fact, I'm going to use this one this week for my craft room/guest room/office.

Picture from How About Orange. Thank you Jessica Jones.

{resolutions}

10. Crack open the self-teaching calligraphy book I bought 4 months ago.
9. Train for the half marathon.
8. Look smoking hot at the beach without shorts on (see above as a reference).
7. Save at least $5,000.
6. Grow hair 3 inches or cut 3 inches.
5. Learn to sew more than a straight line.
4. Resist impulse online purchases.
3. Watch less television.
2. Read the Twilight books.
1. Get a little closer to who I want to be.