3/30- Your worst inhibitions tend to psych you out in the end

Weight Loss for the Week: 0lbs

This was such a random, crazy week. I got in about half of my workouts, and I didn't track my points very well two days this week. I planned some days, and completely forgot about things like lunch on other days. It was not a good week for thinking ahead. I walked out of my place without my lunch bag a few days, and rode that elevator back upstairs to grab whatever food I could find. Just a weird week all around.

School was good. My Theology kids are almost done with the Family and Friends unit. I hope they are learning something new, or at least thinking about some things in a new way. We've had a lot of good, random discussions. In British Literature, they finished their poetry unit. We survived the Cavalier poets and all their sexual innuendos. We had a lot of laughs with all of that though, so that was nice. At least they were engaged, right? Next up is satire. I hope they enjoy it as much as I do :)

I went out a lot this week. Mom and I went to the Grizzlies game on Monday (they won!). Kerry and I grabbed some dinner on Tuesday. I had Bible study on Wednesday. I went out on a date on Thursday. And then, after school on Friday, some of us went to the Flying Saucer to vent and begin our weekend. It was nice, don't get me wrong, but it did make keeping track of my work, my workouts, my points, etc. a bit more hectic. So, Saturday, after I walked a 5K with Mom and Cat, I decided to stay in for the weekend. Well, that and the headaches I was getting from allergy season- the only downside to spring. It was good, I needed to rest and relax and get myself ready for the week ahead (all meals have been planned! And all workouts should happen barring any absurd complications).  Oh, and I finally filed my taxes. I am getting a return, thank goodness, that should be just enough to cover a massage, maybe even the tip. A part of me wants to complain about getting back such a small return, but then I remember that there are plenty of people who have to pay taxes when they file, and I am thankful to not be one of those folks.

Today, I went to Mass, cleaned the apartment- like deep cleaned, my closets finally look organized again. I took a reading break up on the roof. Then, back to prepping for this week. I finally made my dinner and what will be most dinners this week- Lime Avocado Chicken. It only took about 30 minutes to make, so that was good. I do have to keep washing my hands though since I cut up a jalapeno. I'm glad to have that set. I also got some WW desserts this week- I have been in an intense sweet-craving mood the past week. So, I decided that if that is going to continue, I need better/healthier options. I got a few different ice cream options, so tasty!

Mom and I at the game

Go Grizzlies!

Lime Avocado Chicken Salad

Tip of the Week: Sticky notes can save your sanity.

Recipe of the Week: Lime Avocado Chicken
I put my serving on a bed of lettuce and had some light Ranch dressing which meant that my meal was 7 pts instead of 6. It was really good, very spicy!

3/23- Everything from toothpicks to a baby-grand

Weight Loss for the Week: 0lbs

It was the first week back after Spring Break. It was the first week of the final quarter. We are in the final countdown, y'all. CRAZINESS! Okay, the week wasn't that bad. It just felt long- and I took Monday off! I decided I wanted a slightly longer break, and I think that was a good decision. It was St. Patty's Day, so I dressed in green and enjoyed getting back into my normal routine. I went for a walk at Shelby Farms with a friend, then Ashly and I enjoyed our heritage at dinner ;)

Tuesday, I started back at school (and loved that some people noticed my tan!).  My Brit Lit kids have started a new unit on poetry- and they JUST love it! Note the sarcasm there. I made them write a few poems this week. They were not amused. My Theology classes have begun talking about moral issues related to family and friends- and I am learning far more than I ever expected to about them! I can only imagine what other hot topic issues will bring. Goodness gracious! I'm glad they're comfortable sharing at least (I may regret saying that down the line, but for now it's okay).  And now it's crunch time for their Morality videos. I am still hopeful that they will turn out well, but we will see the final products before we know it.

I got in most of my workouts this week, and I stayed on top of my points all but one day. So that was good. This week was a little out of the ordinary though in regards to activities. St. Pat's was on Monday. Then, Wednesday evening, Mary Kathryn and Gigi were in town, so I went to visit with them shortly after I got home from work. It was so nice catching up with her and her family. And Gigi is getting so big, I can't believe it! Thursday, I had a friend over for dinner- we had the recipe down below, and it was delicious! Saturday morning, a girl from WU/DG was unexpectedly in town, so we met up for brunch at Cafe Eclectic. It was really cool getting to see her. It's so rare to see people from college since I went so far away to it. I always like catching up with people like that though. It's pretty cool. Last night, Sunshine and I went to dinner and then saw the movie "The Grand Budapest Hotel." It was really good, and totally packed! I recommend seeing it :)  Today, I went to Mass and another CYA-er sat with me which was nice. Then, we went to Fellowship for a bit. This afternoon, Mom, Memaw, and I went to see "Jesus Christ, Superstar" at Theatre Memphis. They did a really good job with it.

Irish Cupcakes!

Shot of Irish Whiskey

Ashly and I showing off our green!

Gigi enjoying her dinner :)

Tess and I at Cafe Ecletic

Now, it's time to start preparing for the week ahead.

Tip of the Week: Start that Spring Cleaning!

Recipe of the Week: Spicy Chicken Salad (2 servings/6 pts a serving)

Ingredients:
Salad Stuffs:
Lettuce
Carrots
Bell Peppers

2 Chicken Breasts
2 Tablespoons Buffalo Sauce
1.5 Teaspoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Oregano

Lite Ranch Dressing

Mix salad ingredients together, set on plates and set to the side. Chop up chicken breasts into cubes. Mix with buffalo sauce and spices. Cook in a skillet until done. Split evenly between two salads. Lightly drizzle dressing. Enjoy!

3/16- We moonwalk the foxtrot, then polka the salsa

Weight Loss for Two Weeks Ago: .5lbs

Weight Loss for the Week: 1.5lbs

Okay, could not post last week since I was out of the country with fairly limited internet access. I will attempt to sum up the past two weeks though. While I was still home, I was able to get most of my workouts in- I even tried a different Zumba instructor one night- so intense! I also walked outside while everything was frozen over (we had two snow days!), mainly to get food and get out of my apartment (yay cabin fever!). I only taught two days that week because of the snow days, and the fact that I had taken Friday off to prepare for my trip. The kids were good, antsy for break of course. But, we all made it! Crazy schedules and everything! Friday was a bit of a whirlwind getting the car ready, cleaning, doing laundry, running errands, etc. It ended with mani/pedis and pizza with Kerry though, so it was all good.

Saturday, we woke up early and hit the road to Atlanta to catch our flight. We were fortunate that the drive was good- no bad weather, no bad traffic. And, Kerry found some great, old CDs of mine to make the time pass quickly. The Spice Girls' wisdom is timeless, you know. We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, so we grabbed some lunch, and then chilled until it was time for our flight. The flight was pretty short, and soon, we were in Cancun! After we checked into our hotel that evening, we explored the grounds a bit and grabbed some dinner- the first of many delicious meals.  We were disappointed to find that there was not a gym, but took it as the ultimate sign to relax for the week.

For the most part our days consisted of waking in time to see the sunrise- whether on the beach or from our balcony (yay for upgrades!). Then, we would check emails, etc. as we eagerly awaited breakfast. Yes, we tended to be there as they started serving the hot food. We would eat all the fresh fruit, eggs, and anything else that struck our fancy. Then, we went straight to the beach to grab a cabana for the morning! We would nap, read, cool off in the ocean, and, above all, relax. It took a few days to get used to the fact that we could do as we pleased with no real schedule. It was amazing. We would finally go to lunch, sometimes check our internet again. Then, we would venture over to the pool. It was so nice- it was a salt water pool that also had a bar attached. We were definitely living the life. We would swim around practicing our mad skills as we pretended to have Olympic abilities. We would lounge in the chairs, read some more, and sometimes talk with our new friends. We met three pretty cool couples there. One couple was even from Memphis! Such a small world, right? Finally, we would venture back to our room, usually watch the sunset from the balcony, and get showered and ready for dinner. We went to each of the three restaurants twice. Each was really delicious. And, we liked that they had smaller portion sizes. It meant we could have our three-course meal without feeling bloated and gross. After dinner, we would go back to our room and usually fall asleep pretty quickly. 

We just had a blast. It was exactly what I needed- rest and rejuvenate for the final quarter of the year.  I also hope it's the start of a new tradition of an annual girls trip :)  Yesterday, we got up early, managed to get a taxi without paying a bs fee to the front desk clerk, made it to the airport, and then I promptly fell asleep on the plane. We landed, hiked back to the car and began our drive back home. I had seen that rain was supposed to be coming through, so I was doing my best to avoid driving in the rain as much as possible. We luckily never encountered any of it. And Kerry kept up her mad DJ skills with some even more awesome jams on our ride home. After I got home, I made myself go get dinner, posted photos to Facebook, and then crashed. I woke up in time to make it to Mass this morning, but just barely. Then, I went to brunch at Mom's with Mom, Memaw, Conor, and Ashly- very tasty welcome home! I've been putzing about the apartment, cleaning a little, unpacking a little, and being grateful that I decided to take tomorrow off because I knew I would need the time to get my butt back in gear.

Here are photos of sunrises, beach views, and me in my swimsuit (when have I had the confidence to let people see that?), and at one of the restaurants. 

Tip of the Week: RELAX! It's not always needed, but when you can do it, DO IT.

Recipe of the Week: http://addapinch.com/cooking/2014/01/07/skinny-orange-chicken-recipe/#axzz2piYWLz97

3/3- California dreaming on such a winter's day

Weight Loss for the Week: 0lbs

I tracked my points fairly well most days this week, though there was a day where I got so busy, I forgot to do so, and forgot what I had eaten for a while. I went over points that day when I finally remembered everything. I got in around half of my workouts this week. I was sick on Monday and Tuesday again- yay sinuses and allergies and the ever-changing weather in Memphis! I considered waiting it out, but decided to go to the doctor and get rid of it since I'm going out of town soon. After that, I have been back to walking/working out, so that's good. And I was hoping to make it to the gym early this morning since I wound up with a snow day, but now the gym has a rather delayed start. Oh well, I will make it there later in the day.

School was good this week. My juniors are finishing up their research papers, and while there are still some issues here and there, they have definitely improved. I pointed that out to them when they complained about all the comments I wrote on their papers (always room for improvement, you know?). My sophomores are getting a bit better at whole class discussions, though I still think I'm going to implement the talking stick method. Since they're getting to be alright at it, I think we will be able to approach the Morality topics in a more fun and critical way, so that's good. Now, to get them through this final week before break!

This weekend, I went to dinner and a play with Ashly on Friday. We had a really nice time, and the play was pretty good. It was not what I would have thought for a Shakespeare play, but it's always nice to see other interpretations I guess. Saturday, Kerry and I went for a nice, long walk in the gorgeous weather. That night, I went to Condomonium, and I just had a blast! I loved seeing all the outfits and accessories- I even bid on some earrings, but sadly could not bid as much as others did on them. Sunday, Mom, Memaw, Conor, and I had breakfast together at Stone Soup. It was so tasty, and so nice to have a family meal! Then, they helped me set up my new bed frame since the last one finally broke (it had been Pepaw's for a long time). After that, Kerry and I went swimsuit shopping. I got a cute black one- smaller size than ever before, and for the first time, I could buy one a "regular" store! After that, I went to a Young Adults Leadership meeting at Otherlands (hipster attire not required this go-round). It was really interesting to hear all that they do. I like getting more involved in this- plus it looks like some of the recruiting skills I acquired in college might come in handy :) I came home, got some dinner, put on the Oscars, and was doing fine until the power went out around 10:30. Fortunately, it came back on around 7:20, so now I can stay home, snuggled up, watching TV and browsing the internet.

Decorations at Condomonium

Puppy dog in a Condom dress

Condom dresses

Another Condom dress

Me with one of the Condom accessories

Snow and ice on the trees

Snow and ice on the flowers

Sun shining through the frozen branches

Tip of the Week: Always have Neosporin at the ready. It can heal almost anything, I swear.

Recipe of the Week: http://sweettreatsmore.com/2013/01/skinny-funfetti-cake-dip/