First up were manicures and pedicures. We had a big day out of town planned but due to some elements out of our control we ended up at a local quickie nail spot. It was bumping in there first thing this morning so we settled in for some pampering and girl talk!

Here is the beautiful bride to be…Siobhan (Hi Shiv!!) Im trying to get “Shiv” to stick because Ringer is one of my favorite new shows. Shes not having it right now but I think she’ll come around.

I was sad to see my obscenely pink polish go but I knew there was some beautiful purple polish (the wedding color) just waiting for my tootsies!

PS–  My feet are totally not bleeding in that photo. There are lights in the tub but I agree it looks creepy. Anywho, I have to admit while I prefer a nice spa for facials or massages, I LOVE a cheap nail salon. Ive had a couple of expensive mani/pedis at spas in my day. The worst was on a girls weekend several years ago where my mani/pedi combo cost $118!!! I nearly had a heart attack and you know what? It didnt last a hot second longer than my $30 sessions. With that said I was very happy with my wedding nails today. Siobhan went for the gels and French tips which also looked amazing!

Up next on mission bride was picking up a few last minute wedding needs like bows for gifts, travel needs, etc. We also may have decided that hats were a good plan for the bachelorette wine tour.. This may have then snowballed into the purchase of many hats….many many hats.

Can I also say how much I am enjoying this “Speciality Shop” thing Target is doing? They are visiting speciality boutiques and selling “For Target” versions of their favorite finds. We had a blast combing through all of the goodies around the store.

My next bridesmaid duty was to make sure the leading lady was fed! We decided on a quickie lunch at La Carreta, a little local Mexican place.

This place does not re-invent the wheel but you cant beat it for your cheap Mexican food fix. All week long I have been seriously craving some pico de gallo and chips. Since Saturday is my day to indulge I didnt feel bad about it one bit!

So good! For lunch we both ordered the 1/2 size fajitas. I got mine with grilled chicken and veggies.

I only ate one of the tortillas since I had been eating chips like it was my job but it was really yummy! I also finished off the veggies and had a bit more chicken as well.

Our last stop together was for some final wedding weekend accessories (camis and such) for the bride. We popped into Old Navy to get this taken care of and then called it a day!

I also have to share how stoked I was for the managers special at Kroger today…. 0.99 cent Puffins!!! Shut Up!

Now its time for some house chores, a workout, and the Greys Anatomy finale!!!

Congrats Siobhan and Tunde! I cant wait to stand up with you on your big day!!!!!

ACTIVITY:

Yoga Classes: 1 (90 min each)

Miles Run/Walk/Jogged 4

Activity Points Earned ? I did not properly track this week!

FOOD:

Days on Plan: 7

Days Daily Target was hit: 3

Days Over Target: 2

Days Under Target: 2 (I need to work on that this week as I was under by more than the allowed 3 points on each day)

Activity Points Eaten: 0

Weekly Allowance Points Eaten: 10

RESULTS:

I netted a loss of 6.0 pounds this week for a total loss of 6.0 pounds.

PHOTO FROM THE WEEK: (well close enough!)

Truthfully, the hubs and I have had a lot of decisions to make. One of which being should I accept the job I was offered in Tampa? The “wife” side of me was screaming “Yes take the job and be with your husband!!!” while the logical “sara” side of me knew a move with a pay cut and less career driven duties than I have  now (essentially an entry level grunt work job) was not the right choice. Ultimately, we turned in down but it was not easy to come to that decision. Now, we are working toward taking things one step at a time. Our next step–  meeting in NYC later this week for a wedding. Eeeek Color me excited! Maybe with this new “take things as they come” philosophy I will stop feeling so helpless and lost.

Luckily the latter part of the week returned me to some normalcy. Work was a beast, especially Friday, and I felt myself comfortably settling back in to the swing of things. There has also been some good eats over the last few days including a much needed stop for sushi!!

And, if there were any doubt life was getting back to normal yesterday I squashed that by driving across down to the sketchy yet also wondeful “dollar” movies, sitting with a friend, and watching American Reunion start to finish without taking a phone call or having my mind racing.

I truly think this whole experience has brought incredible insight but thats a post for another time! Hopefully, there is some truth to the quote I found tacked on the yoga lobby wall….

And speaking of Life–  Im off to live one this weekend! On tap for today: Mani/Pedis with the bride to be, a light lunch, and a run!

What is on your Saturday agenda?

On deck for tomorrow:

90 minutes of Bikram Yoga

How do you handle big transitions?

I was craving veggies so the Farmers Market Pizza was a must.

It was almost cruel, but, after 2 1/2 months of zero face to face contact the hubs had to head back to work so I headed out to explore Tampa. Let’s be honest…I made it has far as the first shopping center I could find (Citrus Park) since I was on a mission for Bridesmaid shoes..Accomplished BTW! Before I knew it I was picking up the hubs from the office and on my way to see my other Tampa love.

Harlow was pretty pumped to see me and we spent a little while hunting her new arch nemesis…lizards! These guys were everywhere!

It was beyond wonderful to be with my family. *sigh*

Next, we took off for a little exploring. I had never been to the Hyde Park area and I wanted to check it out. Very cute little spot.

I do have to admit I *might* have had a motive for asking the hubs to head down this way…

Yes, I thought my trip needed a stop at Lululemon. The girls were all really nice and helpful (a huge plus after my bad experience in the Georgetown store last summer!). They were even able to recommend a Bikram class for the following day. All in all it was a win, and the hubs even went back later to buy the yoga tank I had my eye on!

At this point we were starving so we made our way over to SoHo Sushi. I am still on the hunt for a Tampa sushi spot and this was next on my “to try” list.

It doesnt look like much from the outside but it was really bumping for a week night. The atmosphere was cozy and the sushi was really good (not the best but really really good).  I would def give it another go!

Bryan doesnt do sushi but still managed to score a great dinner.

We capped off our night by sharing a cupcake and watching movies at home. I am also still on the hunt for good cupcakes in Tampa and likely wont visit GiGis again. Ick!

They tasted “off” or old to me. Ive been really spoiled by the amazing Bubblecake here in Va so I am not sure anywhere will ever live up. Gigis definitely did not.

The next day was a full workday for the hubs so I got up early to see him off. Afterward I headed on my way for another day of exploring which included a visit to Evolation Yoga (the Carollwood location).

I took the Hot90 class which is designed in the same fashion as the Bikram classes I take in VA. The studio was really nice and the staff really welcoming.

I will certainly visit again and, depending on where we find a house, might even make this studio my “home” studio. I cant tell you how good it felt to have found that!

After class I took my sweaty self to find some food.

I found a little spot called Brunchies where I ordered a yummy eggwhite and veggie omlette and the best orange juice EVER!

At this point I got a little too cocky and decided I didnt need GPS to get me back to the hubs place. I was going to find it myself. Cut to me in a Publix parking lot fishing out the GPS. Ahem. Well, I needed to stop at Publix anyway.

After making it “home” I got a couple of phone calls about possible jobs in FL (weird right?) and I took Harlow out for a little run to burn off some energy. She didnt complain.

Next, it was off to Orlando for a little one on one time with the hubs. He surprised me by taking me to “our” spot at Downtown Disney.

It was the most perfect night to sit out on the patio, have a few drinks, and relax. I even tried salt and vinegar on my fries for the very first time. #WIN

Exhausted we headed back to our hotel to rest up for our trip to Disney. On Saturday, my last day in town, we crammed in as much as possible starting with breakfast on the go!

Then we were off to the Happiest Place on Earth!!!

This was my very first Flower and Garden festival at Epcot and I was super excited!

Luckily, the hubs and I had our very own tour guide for part of the morning!

My friend, Andrea, from Run Eat Date Sleep graciously offered to accompany us for the morning. We had a blast hanging out and as for the flowers….Amazing!

The hubs and I parted ways with Andrea and made our lunch reservation (that we had to make six stinking months ago I might add) at Le Cellier.

My friend Kristen would have seriously loved the pretzel bread. It was amazing…as was everything else for that matter. The hubs and I ordered WAY too much food and sadly a lot went to waste. But live and learn.

My personal favorite was my little chocolate mousse moose!

It was nice to spend the afternoon just taking in all of the sites….and maybe a boozy drink or two!

Before I knew it we were heading back to Tampa. In honor of cinco de mayo we picked up a light dinner from something called….The Taco Bus. I was ensured this “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” spot was good so I agreed.

I know this place is wildly popular but it just wasnt my thing. I was a huge fan of the guacamole though!

We capped off my trip by letting our inner nerds out and seeing The Avengers. We made a pact to see it together so I was pumped to be in town the same weekend it came out!

We both loved the movie and just like that my trip was over. Saying goodbye is always tough but knowing I would see him again in three weeks for Siobhans wedding took the sting away, just a little. I was up EARLY the next morning and ready to go. Sadly, I cannot say the same about my plane. After a 4 hour delay in Clearwater it was time to go home.

It was a great, much needed, trip. The next few weeks are going to be packed with decisions and changes but I can say it feels really great to be moving toward something new.

Ill be back to fitnes and weight loss blogging this week ie tomorrow. Happy Weekend!

A few months ago I was all proud to finally be conquering my fear of flying. With monthly flights it was getting progressively less scary and easier to relax during my travels. However, after an unfortunate incident earlier in the year we are now back to square one. In the spirit of my easy travel tips here are my top five tips on easing your flying fears.

1. Stay Busy: There is nothing worse, or more anxiety inducing, than having nothing to do on a flight. You end up with way too much time to obsess about every little sound, bump, and shake along the way. Keep that wandering mind in tact with a Book, I-Pad/I-Pod, Magazine, or all of the above. On tomorrow’s flight Im going armed with a creepy book sure to pique my interests, Rachael Ray magazines, and my I-Phone loaded with a few new shows to watch. Ill be back on the ground in no time!

2. Give Yourself Time: The last thing you want is to be rushing through an airport with your blood pressure through the roof before getting on a flight. Give your self time to calmly get through security, calmly pick up a snack and calmly wait at the gate. Having even a few moments of down time can help you to say centered and get relaxed.

3. Breathe Through Your Nose: You can thank yoga for this one but it DOES work. Once you are on the plane and start to feel the panic setting in just stop breathing through your mouth. Once you start to “pant” your body is triggered into a flight or fight response. Breathing steady cleansing breaths in and out through your nose can really help calm your flying jitters. Namaste.

4. Talk About It: Talk to other people about their flying horror stories. It sounds weird but you have to think ALL of these pals lived to tell the tale. Your more experienced flying friends can also offer up some good pointers. If you get really freaked out on your flight then press your “call” button. Your flight attendant can usually help calm your fears, especially if you let them know you are a nervous or first time flyer.

5. Educate Yourself: The more familiar you are with the flying process the less likely you will be to panic. Try a website like Flying Without Fear to calm your nerves.

In any case you are in good company. I am all sorts of nervous about tomorrow’s flight but Im doing my best. I even had a little treat tonight….strawberries and melted dark chocolate? Yes Please!

Tomorrow Ill be coming to you from beautiful FL! Happy Flying!!!

Greens, red onion, feta, and cranberry is one of my absolute most favorite flavor combos. This salad was delicious.

Work was super busy and I ended up leaving a little later than I intended. Monday is supposed to be a running day but the cold misting rain put the breaks on that. I was also too late for yoga. So, I did what any girl would do….I found an app for that!

You have to buy volume 1 and 2 to get all 26 postures (BOO THAT!!) but you are still coming in at only $20.00. Now I can get my yoga on pretty much anywhere I want. Of course, the experience isnt the same. I craved the heat for sure but this will do just fine in a pinch. I will also say I would NOT recommend this to someone new to the practice. You want to use this only as needed. The real deal is infinitely better!

Speaking of yoga–  I had the weirdest conversation with the hubs earlier. He will be working for most of my trip down to FL (cue the sighs) so I decided to keep myself busy exploring Tampa. I am really excited to visit Evolation for a yoga class. I casually told the hubs “Ill just take your mat and towel” and he was horrified. “You can’t do that,” he said, “It’s gross”. I wanted to know what was gross exactly. I would wash the towel and spray down the mat. We share everything so why is this gross. He informed me “I don’t know. It just is. It’s like borrowing someone’s toothbrush or underwear”. I reminded him we have sadly had to share a toothbrush on more than one occasion. But, I guess thats settled; Ill either be renting a mat and towel which technically should be even grosser if we are going by his standards OR Ill need to make a quick stop in Lululemon. Ill give you 3 guesses what I have in mind!  Honestly, Im not grossed out by renting mats. Since I work at the local studio one night a week and clean the mats as part of my duties I know they are thoroughly cleaned at studios. I guess my question is Who is the weird one–  the hubs for thinking sharing a yoga mat is gross or me for not even considering that there was an ick factor?

Finally, I was able to get dinner started. I was STARVING. I made my “crowd pleaser pasta” . The only problem is there was no crowd to please. I HATE wasting food (and frankly did enough of that today with my unfortunate freezer incident) so after having my portion I separated another portion into a Tupperware container for lunch tomorrow and FIVE more portions in ziploc bags to be frozen after they cool. Some healthy and organic heat and eat meals! YUM!

Waste not, want not!! Now its time for my assistant blogger and I to go watch Tony Lucca kill it on The Voice!!

Until Tuesday Friends!

Breakfast was a warm twist on my Greek Yogurt “Messy Parfait”. I heated through some sliced peaches with a touch of vanilla.

I added that warm goodness right to the top of some plain Greek yogurt and Kashi Go Lean cereal.

After breakfast I got to work getting my new Garmin in order for a run. Unfortunately, I got caught up in the house work (and this was a workout let me tell you!! I was sweating buckets!). On the bright side it is all ready for my post work run tomorrow!

Once the house was all a sparkle I had to get groceries for the 1/2 week I would be home. I also decided to grab a bite. Panera is always good in a pinch. And PS: I totally scooped those tortillas off the top of the soup before digging in!

The highlight of my day had to be the yoga picnic tonight. All of the yogis from the studio got together for some grilled burgers, amazing sides, and beautiful weather! I have never seen a healthier cookout spread in my entire life. I loved it!

I felt like I was taking a little scoop of everything but all of the beautiful salads and twists on quinoa won me over! Id didnt make it through my entire plate but I at least tried a bite of everything. My favorite was the spinach and feta quinoa. Amazing!

It was nice to see everyone outside of the studio. There were tons of people there I didnt recognize. I didn’t know if it was because they were morning class takers or if it was because it was difficult to recognize people in “street clothes”. Maybe if everyone were half naked and drenched in buckets of sweat I could have placed them!

How did I top off my healthy dinner? With a baby sized brownie of course!

Its back to work for me tonight. (Could I be any more boring today??) But I know more exciting things are on the way. For one, I have a product review coming up this week….

I havent tried it yet but I have a sneaking suspicion that if Ben and Jerry are involved its going to be good!

What is your favorite Ben and Jerry’s flavor?

I had “Siri” make a couple of shopping lists before heading out. This is surprisingly handy even though she sometimes misunderstands me. FYI–  I did NOT tell her I needed a cardigan and then another cardigan. Silly girl!

I needed to pick up a couple of basics from Old Navy like camis and such.

I somehow ended up getting dazzled by the front display and taking home one of the $8.00 dresses today. Gotta love a 1 day sale!

After a couple more stops I was still batting zero so I ended up at my favorite Big Box store of all…. Here’s a clue.

Ahh yes Target. I got everything I was looking for and then some. Damn you Target and your reasonably priced goodies. I also ran into Siobhan who was out gathering supplies for her wedding gown bustling. Truthfully, we planned to cross paths so I could fulfill my bridesmaidly duties of making sure her supplies came on the cheap!

It was freezing out and we both still had a LOT on our agendas so we parted ways. My growling belly plus the rain left me with one solution..

I love a warm firehouse sub. YUM! The hubs and I would frequently pop in here during our “big box” outings. I am really missing that guy right now! I ordered our favorite, the hook and ladder on wheat. So Good!

Even though the weather was awful I still had one last stop to make after lunch–  the mall for wedding shoes. I kind of sat in my car hoping the downpour would let up but it never did. So, I braved the elements and dashed inside.

Sadly, the shoes were a no go. I am holding out hope that I will find a fabulous pair at the outlets next weekend. I made a super quick dash through the mall and only ended up with a couple of stow-aways:

Jessican Simpson Bling for 6.00!!

Some Coffee

And a cute pair of American Eagle jeans for $12.00.

I was home pretty early and the rest of my day looked a little like this…

I a offically packed and cleaned OUT for the day. Heading out with the girls to see “The Five Year Engagement”.

How was YOUR Saturday? What is your favorite “Big Box” Store?

1. I Hate Brie

This one is sad but true. I feel like everyone in the world likes Brie and I am some sort of freak. The last couple of times I tried it, thinking maybe my taste buds had changed, I found it repulsive. I made some excuses like “oh maybe this is cheap gross Brie” or “maybe this Brie just isnt fresh”. Well, my excuse making days are over. After worked today I popped over to “Farm Basket” for a quick bite. Can I just say this tiny little place was bumping! I had to park way up some random hill.

Anywho, I grabbed a smoked turkey on whole grain with fig jam (amazing), mixed greens, and Brie. Looks good right?

And it was! However, the Brie made me a little queasy after the first bite or two so I had to ditch it.

The sandwich was complemented by my favorite chips ever in the history of chips..

Route 11 chips are a brand based out of VA and they are incredible. The Dill Pickle variety is my favorite. I tell people these chips are why chips were invented, YUM! But back to the Brie, well, we are done. Proud to be Brie Free!

2. Ill Travel The Earth For A Pretty Bag

Speaking of pretty bags I finally busted out the gem that the hubs got me for my Birthday this year. It’s Love!

I did drive an hour today to pick up the bag from the pre-sale last weekend. I was so excited to get to Macys. I felt totally lame.

But my bag was there waiting for me. I have her prominently featured in my living room right now. I can get away with stuff like that since my husband is living 700 miles away!

3. I Almost Ate a Cupcake Off The Floor

Ok Maybe almost is too strong of a word. But here is my defense; I stopped at Bubblecake to pick up a magical cupcake for dessert tomorrow for my “cheat” meal. When I went to foil the cupcake and put it in the fridge it landed on it’s side. I thought *maybe* Id save the clean side but I heard my mother in my head saying “Sara don’t you dare. That is disgusting”. So I tossed it…I swear! But I was sad to do it.

4. I Can’t Stop Looking At My Hair

After getting several inches cut off of my hair earlier in the week I cannot stop staring at it, touching it, pulling it back, trying on headbands, etc. It’s got to stop!

5. Ugly Running Shoes Are My Jam…Apparently.

So I ended up with those insane neon orange Asics last month which I have affectionately nicknamed the orange monsters. After getting some shoe recommendations I ordered my first pair of Saucony running shoes online a couple weeks ago. They appeared light pink in the photo (cute) and met my needs. Well, they showed up this week and they are bright neon, hurts your face to look at the too long pink. I guess that’s my thing now. Introducing the Pink Monsters!

What is YOUR Friday confession??