Monday, November 14, 2011
Stranger
So I know it has been a really long time since my last post. I haven't forgotten about this little blog :) I've actually been quite consumed with work, school, and moving. But this semester is almost over and then I should have more time to blog about the random thoughts in my head. Stay tuned...
Sunday, August 7, 2011
If you don't know where you are going, how will you know how to get there?
It's been a while since I posted. I just haven't really had much to say, I guess! :)
Anyways, I'm in a motivational cheerleader kind of mood. I'm a goal-oriented kind of chick. I am a planner and in order to reach my goals, I plan out the steps necessary to reach those goals. People always say they wish they could do that. Well guess what? EVERYONE can!
Setting goals is important because as the title of this post suggests, if you don't know where you are going, how will you know how to get there? You have to decide what you want in life, whether big or small, and make it happen! Tomorrow is not guaranteed, let alone ten years from now. The more you put off reaching your goals, the less likely they are come to fruition. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Tomorrow will be two years since my dad passed away. He always talked about wanting to go back to the "old country" (aka Bolivia), and England. But he never did either, and then he passed away. I wish he could have experienced both of those trips. England is fabulous! And when I make it to Bolivia in a couple years (it's already in planning stages), I'm sure it will be fabulous too. I'm not going to spend my life wishing I could do something, I am going to do it! And so should you!!
Oh sure, we all have excuses why we can't do something. But as they say- Excuses are like ass holes, we all have one, and they all stink! Admit it.
You want to lose weight, but you don't like to work out, or you don't want to change your diet. Well too bad!! Get your ass up and moving and quit whining! The weight is not going to fall off while you shovel cookies in your mouth. Believe me, this is experience talking. Those of you who know me know I was once quite the full-figured dame! A dame who loves her cookies...and cakes...and pizza...let's be honest, all food!
You want a new job, but lack the experience or schooling needed to get it. Seriously, research what is required and do it! You have the time if you really look at your life. Financial aid is available so you can afford it. That dream job isn't going to come knocking at your door and present itself. You want it, you have to work for it!
You want to go on a fabulous trip, but say you can't afford it. Plan the hell out of the vacation and make it happen! If you plan well in advance, it's much cheaper. And you will have plenty of time to save for it.
Nothing worth having will come easy. Everything will involve sacrifice. But that moment you reach your goal, whatever it is, will be so sweet and so worth it all.
Decide what you want in life, and start making it happen now. Not Monday, not next week, not next month. If you truly want it, make it happen. If not, shut up about it already! Shit or get off the pot.
Hopefully I have motivated you to set and reach your goals! If not, let me know what excuse you have, and I will rip it to shreds for you. ;)
Anyways, I'm in a motivational cheerleader kind of mood. I'm a goal-oriented kind of chick. I am a planner and in order to reach my goals, I plan out the steps necessary to reach those goals. People always say they wish they could do that. Well guess what? EVERYONE can!
Setting goals is important because as the title of this post suggests, if you don't know where you are going, how will you know how to get there? You have to decide what you want in life, whether big or small, and make it happen! Tomorrow is not guaranteed, let alone ten years from now. The more you put off reaching your goals, the less likely they are come to fruition. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Tomorrow will be two years since my dad passed away. He always talked about wanting to go back to the "old country" (aka Bolivia), and England. But he never did either, and then he passed away. I wish he could have experienced both of those trips. England is fabulous! And when I make it to Bolivia in a couple years (it's already in planning stages), I'm sure it will be fabulous too. I'm not going to spend my life wishing I could do something, I am going to do it! And so should you!!
Oh sure, we all have excuses why we can't do something. But as they say- Excuses are like ass holes, we all have one, and they all stink! Admit it.
You want to lose weight, but you don't like to work out, or you don't want to change your diet. Well too bad!! Get your ass up and moving and quit whining! The weight is not going to fall off while you shovel cookies in your mouth. Believe me, this is experience talking. Those of you who know me know I was once quite the full-figured dame! A dame who loves her cookies...and cakes...and pizza...let's be honest, all food!
You want a new job, but lack the experience or schooling needed to get it. Seriously, research what is required and do it! You have the time if you really look at your life. Financial aid is available so you can afford it. That dream job isn't going to come knocking at your door and present itself. You want it, you have to work for it!
You want to go on a fabulous trip, but say you can't afford it. Plan the hell out of the vacation and make it happen! If you plan well in advance, it's much cheaper. And you will have plenty of time to save for it.
Nothing worth having will come easy. Everything will involve sacrifice. But that moment you reach your goal, whatever it is, will be so sweet and so worth it all.
Decide what you want in life, and start making it happen now. Not Monday, not next week, not next month. If you truly want it, make it happen. If not, shut up about it already! Shit or get off the pot.
Hopefully I have motivated you to set and reach your goals! If not, let me know what excuse you have, and I will rip it to shreds for you. ;)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Birthday freebie meals!
So my birthday was this week and I am all about the freebie birthday meals! It's the cheapskate at heart, I guess. Getting on various restaurant's email lists can get you tons of free food around your birthday. Sure, you get lots more email during the year, but it's totally worth it during your birthday month. My list is below. To get on the lists, just go to the individual restaurant's website and sign up and enjoy all the goodies!
Red Robin- Free burger during your birth month (you actually need to go to the restaurant to get a "Red Royalty Card.") During your birth month, the card is loaded with the free burger. And you also get a free appetizer within 14 days of registering your card. Bonus!
Benihana- The grand daddy of 'em all! A free $30 towards your meal. Good Monday through Thursday. Not a buy one get one type deal, just a free $30 towards your meal!
The Keg Steakhouse- Another great deal. A free 8 oz. sirloin meal including salad and sides free during your birth month. Or, if you prefer something else, they will let you get anything else on the menu up to $23 for free. If you choose a meal that is more than that, you just pay the difference. I actually enjoyed this great deal tonight!
Morton's Steakhouse- Free dessert. I am not sure on this one if it has to be on your birthday or not. I just got on this list and haven't used it yet.
McCormick & Schmicks- Free dessert. Same deal as Morton's. It's my first year on this list.
Souper Salad- Free salad buffet during your birth monday.
Logan's Roadhouse- Free nutter butter fudgeslide dessert (delish!) with any entree purchase.
Kabuki- $15 off your bill during birth month.
Firebird's- $10 off your bill during birth month.
BJ's Brewery- Free pizooki (heaven!!)
Famous Dave's- Buy one meal get one free up to $15.
Mimi's Cafe- One free entree with puchase of additional entree and two beverages.
Fox Restaurants- Free dessert.
Rubio's- Free $7 towards anything on the menu.
Golden Spoon- Free regular size frozen yogurt (it's big enough to make it a lunch!).
Wildfish/Roaring Fork- Free dessert.
Buca di Beppo- Free appetizer.
Ghengis Grill- Free bowl at lunch or dinner (best Mongolian bbq EVER!!)
Jimmy & Joe's Pizza- Free monster slice for your birthday AND half-birthday!
So there you have it. That's my list. Now go sign up and stuff yourself full of the birthday goodies like I have done this month!! And defintiely share any other great offers you know!!
Red Robin- Free burger during your birth month (you actually need to go to the restaurant to get a "Red Royalty Card.") During your birth month, the card is loaded with the free burger. And you also get a free appetizer within 14 days of registering your card. Bonus!
Benihana- The grand daddy of 'em all! A free $30 towards your meal. Good Monday through Thursday. Not a buy one get one type deal, just a free $30 towards your meal!
The Keg Steakhouse- Another great deal. A free 8 oz. sirloin meal including salad and sides free during your birth month. Or, if you prefer something else, they will let you get anything else on the menu up to $23 for free. If you choose a meal that is more than that, you just pay the difference. I actually enjoyed this great deal tonight!
Morton's Steakhouse- Free dessert. I am not sure on this one if it has to be on your birthday or not. I just got on this list and haven't used it yet.
McCormick & Schmicks- Free dessert. Same deal as Morton's. It's my first year on this list.
Souper Salad- Free salad buffet during your birth monday.
Logan's Roadhouse- Free nutter butter fudgeslide dessert (delish!) with any entree purchase.
Kabuki- $15 off your bill during birth month.
Firebird's- $10 off your bill during birth month.
BJ's Brewery- Free pizooki (heaven!!)
Famous Dave's- Buy one meal get one free up to $15.
Mimi's Cafe- One free entree with puchase of additional entree and two beverages.
Fox Restaurants- Free dessert.
Rubio's- Free $7 towards anything on the menu.
Golden Spoon- Free regular size frozen yogurt (it's big enough to make it a lunch!).
Wildfish/Roaring Fork- Free dessert.
Buca di Beppo- Free appetizer.
Ghengis Grill- Free bowl at lunch or dinner (best Mongolian bbq EVER!!)
Jimmy & Joe's Pizza- Free monster slice for your birthday AND half-birthday!
So there you have it. That's my list. Now go sign up and stuff yourself full of the birthday goodies like I have done this month!! And defintiely share any other great offers you know!!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Great Sauce, Low Price
I love wine. In fact, I've never had a wine I hated. I've had a few I didn't love, but none that I hated. But unless someone else is buying, I stick to the cheap stuff. I do have one I LOVE that is around $30, but I save that one for special occassions. And that's as expensive as it gets for me. Wine is one of life's greatest pleasures. So much so in fact, that I pretty much only drink water and wine these days. You know Jesus turned water into wine. He knew what was up!
When Groupon advertised a wine tasting special that included 5 one ounce tastes each for two people and an appetizer to share for only $15 at Su Vino Winery, I was all over it. I had never heard of Su Vino Winery, apparently Scottsdale's first and only winery. I bought the Groupon back in March but we finally got around to using it on Friday. Don't ask me why it took us that long to use it.
If you have never been to Su Vino, it's a bit off the beaten path in old town. It's set back off the street, but they have signs out pointing potential winos in the right direction. It's a cute little place that is big enough that it doesn't feel like you are drinking wine someone made in a bathtub after playtime with a rubber ducky, but small enough that it still felt intimate. Tastefully decorated and not incredibly loud like a lot of bars where you can't carry on a conversation without yelling. There are steel wine holder thingies (hey, I like the finished product, I don't know the technical terminology of Wine Making 101!) right next to the bar that adds to the ambiance. It didn't have that high level of douchebaggery you expect from a Scottsdale bar either. Just average, normal folk. Not a popped collar as far as the eye could see. I expected there to be more people there on a Friday night, but there were only a few other people in there. While it's good because you can easily get a seat, I want this place to stay in business so more people need to go!
The bartenders were great. All were very attentive and thoroughly explained the wine list. The Lover and I each chose our 5 wines and tried not to overlap too much so we could taste more wine. The Lover's favorite was the Melange, a lovely red wine. My favorite was a Summer Rain, a sweet white wine which was surprising because I am a red wine kind of chick. As I said above, I've never had a wine I hated and this was no exception. All wines were great!
Su Vino doesn't have kitchen. They only have cold appetizers (think breads, cheeses, fruit, that sort of thing) and a few desserts. For our appetizer, we chose the cheese plate which included 4 types of cheese, nuts, fresh and dried fruit, crackers, and olives. But we nixed the olives as both of us find olives to be repulsive (but we both love olive oil, weird I know!). It was an awesome spread! We went there after dinner so we weren't overly hungry and we didn't try their dessert, but they also have brownies, chocolates, truffles, and stuffed strawberries. Next time, I am all over the dessert!
If you have never been, you should definitely go. The regular price for 5 tastes, it's only $10! Great price!! And the prices for full glasses ranged from $5 to $8. Totally un-Scottsdale like! You can buy bottles to-go for about what you would pay at BevMo too. I came home with a bottle of Summer Rain for $11.75.
Ok so I know I sound like I work there or was paid to write this glowing review (neither of which is true), but this place was just so awesome and so perfect for those who love good wine, but are cheap, like me. If you haven't been, go. Here's the map from their website:
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Plenty of free parking around too. Bonus!!
Seriously, go and go soon!
When Groupon advertised a wine tasting special that included 5 one ounce tastes each for two people and an appetizer to share for only $15 at Su Vino Winery, I was all over it. I had never heard of Su Vino Winery, apparently Scottsdale's first and only winery. I bought the Groupon back in March but we finally got around to using it on Friday. Don't ask me why it took us that long to use it.
If you have never been to Su Vino, it's a bit off the beaten path in old town. It's set back off the street, but they have signs out pointing potential winos in the right direction. It's a cute little place that is big enough that it doesn't feel like you are drinking wine someone made in a bathtub after playtime with a rubber ducky, but small enough that it still felt intimate. Tastefully decorated and not incredibly loud like a lot of bars where you can't carry on a conversation without yelling. There are steel wine holder thingies (hey, I like the finished product, I don't know the technical terminology of Wine Making 101!) right next to the bar that adds to the ambiance. It didn't have that high level of douchebaggery you expect from a Scottsdale bar either. Just average, normal folk. Not a popped collar as far as the eye could see. I expected there to be more people there on a Friday night, but there were only a few other people in there. While it's good because you can easily get a seat, I want this place to stay in business so more people need to go!
The bartenders were great. All were very attentive and thoroughly explained the wine list. The Lover and I each chose our 5 wines and tried not to overlap too much so we could taste more wine. The Lover's favorite was the Melange, a lovely red wine. My favorite was a Summer Rain, a sweet white wine which was surprising because I am a red wine kind of chick. As I said above, I've never had a wine I hated and this was no exception. All wines were great!
Su Vino doesn't have kitchen. They only have cold appetizers (think breads, cheeses, fruit, that sort of thing) and a few desserts. For our appetizer, we chose the cheese plate which included 4 types of cheese, nuts, fresh and dried fruit, crackers, and olives. But we nixed the olives as both of us find olives to be repulsive (but we both love olive oil, weird I know!). It was an awesome spread! We went there after dinner so we weren't overly hungry and we didn't try their dessert, but they also have brownies, chocolates, truffles, and stuffed strawberries. Next time, I am all over the dessert!
If you have never been, you should definitely go. The regular price for 5 tastes, it's only $10! Great price!! And the prices for full glasses ranged from $5 to $8. Totally un-Scottsdale like! You can buy bottles to-go for about what you would pay at BevMo too. I came home with a bottle of Summer Rain for $11.75.
Ok so I know I sound like I work there or was paid to write this glowing review (neither of which is true), but this place was just so awesome and so perfect for those who love good wine, but are cheap, like me. If you haven't been, go. Here's the map from their website:
Plenty of free parking around too. Bonus!!
Seriously, go and go soon!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Workout Motivation
So I've been asked a few times how I find the motivation to work out. Today at work, I was discussing this very subject with a friend. I go to spin class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 a.m. and then do a cardio/weight training workout two days a week at 5:00 a.m. I'm not going to lie, some mornings, the last thing I want to do is go to the gym. But waiting to go after work is not an option for me. What motivates me to get up at the ass crack of dawn to hit the gym? It used to be my weight. I lost 65 pounds a few years ago through working out and watching calories. Nothing special, that really is the secret. Now, my focus is something different. Something a bit more important in the grand scheme of things. First and foremost, I am working out for my health.
A couple months ago, I underwent a fairly major surgery. While there are many great side effects from the surgery, there are negatives as well. Big negatives. I am now at a much higher risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer earlier in life. Scary stuff!! What's the one thing that can help prevent all those awful things? Regular cardiovascular exercise and strength training! I know it won't guarantee that I won't get any of those diseases, but it can help prevent them. Not only that, it's good for so many other things in life. Exercise is a stress reliever, an energizer, a self-esteem booster, a mood booster, an aphrodesiac (yeah, I am going there!), an immune system booster, a way to control weight gain, and so much more!
I especially take the heart disease risk seriously because my dad died much too early from heart disease. After he died, I really started focusing more on cardio, much as I hate it. And believe me, I HATE cardio! There is so much focus on breast cancer these days, but heart disease actually kills more women per year than breast cancer!
So what's my motivation? Every bead of sweat says a very loud "NO!" to breast cancer. Every rep screams "Screw You" to osteoporosis. Every mile echos "Go fuck yourself!" to heart disease. Every increased heart beat says "I will not be a statistic!"
Now, I would be lying if I said my weight didn't come to mind at all while I am working out. As I said in my first post, I love to eat. Seriously, I really love to eat. I can eat any man under the table. I'm not one of those chicks that eats like a bird. I finish the Lover's leftovers. Seriously. But I've been able to maintain my weight while eating incredible food because I work out so strenuously. I would rather be able to enjoy great food than eat boring foods every day. I worked my ass off (literally) to lose the weight and I am not going to allow myself to gain it back!!
Along with the whole maintaining my weight thing, I love the increased strength. I can't begin to put in to words how great it feels to do an exercise and see a man do the exact same exercise, but with much less weight. I'm totally not a femi-nazi, I swear, but when I work out, I get super "I am woman, hear me roar" when I work out around men. It pushes me to go further and show up the men-folk. I don't know why I get that way, but I do.
Finally, when I am really struggling, Lt. Dan comes to my rescue. Who is Lt. Dan, you ask? Lt. Dan is my imaginary drill sargeant that yells at me to move my fat ass when I am slowing down. Sure, I may sound crazy, but Lt. Dan means business and he gets results! I recommend Lt. Dan to everyone!
So enough about my motivation. What motivates you to work out?
A couple months ago, I underwent a fairly major surgery. While there are many great side effects from the surgery, there are negatives as well. Big negatives. I am now at a much higher risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer earlier in life. Scary stuff!! What's the one thing that can help prevent all those awful things? Regular cardiovascular exercise and strength training! I know it won't guarantee that I won't get any of those diseases, but it can help prevent them. Not only that, it's good for so many other things in life. Exercise is a stress reliever, an energizer, a self-esteem booster, a mood booster, an aphrodesiac (yeah, I am going there!), an immune system booster, a way to control weight gain, and so much more!
I especially take the heart disease risk seriously because my dad died much too early from heart disease. After he died, I really started focusing more on cardio, much as I hate it. And believe me, I HATE cardio! There is so much focus on breast cancer these days, but heart disease actually kills more women per year than breast cancer!
So what's my motivation? Every bead of sweat says a very loud "NO!" to breast cancer. Every rep screams "Screw You" to osteoporosis. Every mile echos "Go fuck yourself!" to heart disease. Every increased heart beat says "I will not be a statistic!"
Now, I would be lying if I said my weight didn't come to mind at all while I am working out. As I said in my first post, I love to eat. Seriously, I really love to eat. I can eat any man under the table. I'm not one of those chicks that eats like a bird. I finish the Lover's leftovers. Seriously. But I've been able to maintain my weight while eating incredible food because I work out so strenuously. I would rather be able to enjoy great food than eat boring foods every day. I worked my ass off (literally) to lose the weight and I am not going to allow myself to gain it back!!
Along with the whole maintaining my weight thing, I love the increased strength. I can't begin to put in to words how great it feels to do an exercise and see a man do the exact same exercise, but with much less weight. I'm totally not a femi-nazi, I swear, but when I work out, I get super "I am woman, hear me roar" when I work out around men. It pushes me to go further and show up the men-folk. I don't know why I get that way, but I do.
Finally, when I am really struggling, Lt. Dan comes to my rescue. Who is Lt. Dan, you ask? Lt. Dan is my imaginary drill sargeant that yells at me to move my fat ass when I am slowing down. Sure, I may sound crazy, but Lt. Dan means business and he gets results! I recommend Lt. Dan to everyone!
So enough about my motivation. What motivates you to work out?
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Hitting the Sauce
My first blog post! I am no longer a blog virgin! Oh my goodness, can you tell just by looking at me??
I decided to write this blog for a few reasons:
1. To shut those up that keep asking me to start one! I kid, I kid! Those that suggested I start this blog are fabulous ladies and I am happy they pushed me to do it because without their encouragement, I don't know if I ever would have gotten around to it.
2. I've recently started making jewelry and would like to share that with my friends, get feedback and new ideas, and connect with others with the same interests. I will also be making shoe clips. Stay tuned for that!
3. I love to cook and bake. I also really love to eat. Those that know me well know I have a thing for cake. Well, maybe not so much of a "thing" but more like an obsession. I think that might be a more appropriate description. Cake is like crack for me. I'm not one of those women who when at a party with cake (really, it's not a party unless there's cake), will ask for a small piece. No, I want a big piece and preferrably, one of the corners. The more frosting, the better. And when I say frosting, I don't mean fondant. Looks pretty but tastes like ass. I'll eat it because it's cake, but I won't love it. I got off on a tangent thinking of cake, but my point is similar to point 2 above, I want to share my creations with friends, get feedback and new ideas, and connect with others who love to cook and bake.
4. Travelling the world is my life goal. It's a big world and I want to see it all. I've only scratched the surface so far. But as I stated in my "About Me" section, I am a cheapskate. If you think you cannot afford to travel, more than likely you are wrong. It takes planning and most certainly takes being a cheapskate! I will detail in later blogs how my Lover (aka my husband) and I have been able to take some of the trips we have taken for much less money than you would expect.
So there you have it. This is what my blog is all about. I've published my first blog. I'm no longer a blog virgin. Wait a minute, since I put out, shouldn't I have been at least taken to a nice dinner first??? I am a lady afterall! Well, better luck next time I guess :)
I decided to write this blog for a few reasons:
1. To shut those up that keep asking me to start one! I kid, I kid! Those that suggested I start this blog are fabulous ladies and I am happy they pushed me to do it because without their encouragement, I don't know if I ever would have gotten around to it.
2. I've recently started making jewelry and would like to share that with my friends, get feedback and new ideas, and connect with others with the same interests. I will also be making shoe clips. Stay tuned for that!
3. I love to cook and bake. I also really love to eat. Those that know me well know I have a thing for cake. Well, maybe not so much of a "thing" but more like an obsession. I think that might be a more appropriate description. Cake is like crack for me. I'm not one of those women who when at a party with cake (really, it's not a party unless there's cake), will ask for a small piece. No, I want a big piece and preferrably, one of the corners. The more frosting, the better. And when I say frosting, I don't mean fondant. Looks pretty but tastes like ass. I'll eat it because it's cake, but I won't love it. I got off on a tangent thinking of cake, but my point is similar to point 2 above, I want to share my creations with friends, get feedback and new ideas, and connect with others who love to cook and bake.
4. Travelling the world is my life goal. It's a big world and I want to see it all. I've only scratched the surface so far. But as I stated in my "About Me" section, I am a cheapskate. If you think you cannot afford to travel, more than likely you are wrong. It takes planning and most certainly takes being a cheapskate! I will detail in later blogs how my Lover (aka my husband) and I have been able to take some of the trips we have taken for much less money than you would expect.
So there you have it. This is what my blog is all about. I've published my first blog. I'm no longer a blog virgin. Wait a minute, since I put out, shouldn't I have been at least taken to a nice dinner first??? I am a lady afterall! Well, better luck next time I guess :)
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