A Post-Holiday waistline.... Pre-Holidays!?

I knew my weight was getting up on the higher end lately, but I didn't realize how much until recently...

... I had a very overdue doctor's appointment, which included a visit on the scale to get my weight.  I cringed at the thought (I haven't gotten on a scale in probably a year), but stepped up, and waited for bad news. 

It wasn't just bad news.  It was the news that I've reached my highest weight so far in my 30-years of life.  Yikes.  

I've always been aware of health, and very into nutrition for healing, buying and supporting organic / local food companies, etc.  I love fruits and vegetables - LOVE them - but I also love cheese, chocolate, pizza, ice cream... the list goes on & on. 

I still jog 3x a week with Stacey, but that's just not enough considering I've probably been inhaling anywhere from 500-1,000 calories more per day than I should be!  

I know that part of the reason is because I moved in with John.  No, I don't blame him!  But I think a lot of people hit this point in life when they move in with their significant other or get married.  They kinda let themselves go a bit.  I know I sure as hell did!  I know John will love me no matter what, so why not have another helping of pasta?  Why not stuff myself silly?  

I'll tell you why.  

I don't love myself right now.  To be honest, I think it's been causing some problems in my life.  Laziness, lack of motivation, stress, tiredness - they've all been around, and I know I've been ignoring them.  I never minded a little bit of jiggle, but this has gone too far.  I don't even like catching my reflection in the mirror when I'm getting dressed.  I don't like this body. 

And no, before you say anything, it's not just about getting thin.  Yes, it would certainly be great to not have my jeans pinching, have my belts fit again, and to be able to snap my damn snowboarding pants shut.  But it's more about being healthy and vibrant, and feeling good about myself.  Feeling sexy and energetic and happy.  That comes from within, and I don't like how I feel on the inside - and I think it's been showing on the outside.

The holidays make it really difficult to eat right, and normally I just give up around this time of year, and vow to get "back on track" with my new year's resolutions (as I'm sure most people do).  But this year, I gotta start a little earlier.  There's no damn way I'm turning down pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but I'm going to be more careful with my portions / second helpings / alcohol consumption.  It's amazing how quickly it all comes on, and how long it takes to make it go away again... 

Sigh.  Have any of you out there reached this point?  Have you ever fallen into bad habits due to a relationship change?  Any thoughts or advice? 

Pretty Pretty Pictures

Man, I'm way behind on photo editing, hence the reason why you still haven't seen my Halloween pics yet!  Work has been busy, as usual this time of year.  That's my excuse, and I'm stickin' to it! 

So I decided to post some beautiful pictures that I found on one of my favorite sites We Heart It.  

Enjoy the lovely images, and I'll be back with more to share soon! :) 

Oh - and I'm in love - LOVE - with pixie cuts right now.  Pretty face with no hair to get in the way of it - I love them!!  Ever since I started growing my hair out I've been eying cute haircut pictures like this... maybe I wasn't meant to have long hair? ;)  We'll see how long I last!

Supercut of Straight-Down shots in Movies

I had to post this video!
I just found it on a random blog, and it's probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  It's a mash-up of a bunch of movie scenes - but only straight down shots.  It's fun to figure out which movie each clip is from, but also really amazing how powerful those shots made that section of the film - and how they're still just as powerful out of context (and mixed up with other ones).

Check it out!  :)

Sweet Potato Tart

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to make up a recipe that actually turned out pretty darn delicious!  I just used whatever I could find in the cupboard and threw everything together.  John and I ended up eating this for dinner, but I think it'd be much better as an appetizer instead.  

Sweet Potato Tart 
Serves about 4-6 people (as an appetizer)

INGREDIENTS
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes (peeled)
1/2 a stick of butter (this can be vegan too!)
1 puff pastry sheet
Honey
Goat cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Remove pastry sheet from package, and lay flat on a sheet of parchment paper (on a cookie sheet).  It helps if it's lightly floured.  With your fingers, mush the pastry from the center working in a circle until it has expanded to a slightly larger size than it used to be.  Bake according to package directions (I believe it's about 375-400 degrees for about 12 minutes).

Put a medium-sized pot of water on the stove to boil.

Meanwhile, slice up your peeled sweet potatoes about 1/4 of an inch thick, and add to the boiling water.  Boil for about 5-10 minutes, or until slightly tender. 

When you remove your puff pastry from the oven it should be just slightly browned.  Smoosh slices of butter into the pastry (it will fall a bit, but that's okay!), and layer on the drained sweet potatoes.  You may want to rinse them with cold water first since they will be hot!

Cook for about 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, and drizzle with honey.  Return to the oven for about 5 more minutes.

Remove from oven and top with crumbled goat cheese.  Slice into squares and enjoy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! (And our Stanley Hotel tour)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!  It needed to be said twice. :)

We threw a pretty EPIC Halloween party over the weekend - don't worry, pics are coming soon!  John and I were pretty pooped on Sunday, but we still managed to get our butts off the couch and head up to Estes Park, CO to attend our tour of the infamous Stanley Hotel. 

It really is a beautiful hotel - inside and out!  It was fun learning all of the history too, and all of the ghost stories.  

 
I just got these images from a Google search, but we did take a lot of pictures while we were there.  We didn't see any ghosts, or get any kind of eerie feelings, so maybe they were all taking a break for the day.  The tour guide said you pretty much can't stay one night there without hearing strange noises or being woken up in the middle of the night!

It made me really want to read The Shining by Steven King.  I knew that the book was based by his experience at this hotel, but I didn't know how crazy of a circumstance it was.  I guess he was teaching at a college at the time, and had writer's block.  He stayed the night in Room 217 and had some pretty wacky dreams and experiences there.  When he got home, he wrote The Shining in 7 DAYS.  Wowza!  I've always loved the movie by Stanley Krubrick, but I know he took a lot of creative license with the story.  I would love to read the original and get my own take on it! 

Tonight John and I are having our FIRST Halloween Trick-or-Treaters this evening, which I'm SO excited about.  I think I'm going to throw on my Minnie Mouse costume that I bought for a party a couple of years ago just for fun.  I can't really wear the costume I wore on Saturday - it's not really "kid appropriate".  HA!  

HAVE A WONDERFUL (and safe) HALLOWEEN!! :)  

Pumpkin Pickin'

Last weekend we all went to a big pumpkin patch / corn maze to have some fall-time-FUN!! 

This post is mostly just for pictures, but as you can see, we had an awesome time.  We ate fresh made potato ribbons, drank apple cider, ran around like children in the corn fields, and picked out the best pumpkins in the field (in my opinion)!

Kendra and her hubby came with us as well - it's super fun to have her in CO now!