Living in sin

A few glimpses of what I've experienced since moving in with the fiance:

This may or may not have been the first thing we unpacked. ...much needed.

Living with, waking up to & hearing Beau giggle, I mean, laugh, at the t.v. while I'm upstairs unpacking is everything I'd imagined and more. I just love him & love life with him. ((ok...enough with the sap.))

On that note, we ordered his wedding band from Amazon.com. Brace yourself. Grand total was $12.75 INCLUDING SHIPPING! I know what you're thinking. I'm really not cheap. I had budgeted at least $300 for his band and thought I was getting out easy but he absolutely refused and "didn't like" any other band except the one from Amazon.com. And for the record, NO- it's NOT used!

What do ya think?!

Juuuust kidding...this is it in ALL it's $12.75 glory!

Beau officially gave me lessons last night on how to properly load and unload his shotgun...just in case there are ever any creepsters by our house. Well, I knew before but I always forget so we had a little practice session last night. Now if I can just remember all those steps if I were really in a bind... :/

Yes, that's my pink gun case. :)

After unpacking, Beau unveiled the cereal bowl I painted for him back in the day for one of my sorostitute events. ((ok I'm kidding about the sorostitute comment...I love DZ!)) but you have to admit his bowl is pretty stinkin' cute.

Very few women will pull into her garage & feel completely at home seeing THIS:

Beau's bobcat/pride & joy

Yesterday when I got home from work, Beau had already picked up and put together our new coffee table and end tables. Sooo nice of him! & it was on his birthday! ((Can't you tell we're still in the honeymoon stage of cohabitation?!))

We experienced our first grocery store trip. Beau's is convinced it was thee healthiest $200 he's ever spent and is really regretting not sneaking a gallon of ice cream somewhere in the basket. The closest thing we have to "sweet" is peanut butter. :)

Here's me with some baby fruits...I couldn't resist!

We are on a mad dash for a media console. Our blue rubbermaid will not stick around much longer. Plus, it doesn't match any of our living room decor.

From Target...me likey but....

We have made countless trips to Target so I'm swearing off that place for a week. But I did manage to find this cute shirt in the baby section and snap a photo to send to my bff. (Love ya, Julz!)

I am verrry thankful for "his" & "hers" tools. A woman needs her things too ya know?!
Last but definitely not least...I never want to look at a freaking box. EVER AGAIN!

More pics of the house will come later...when all the boxes are gone and you can actually see the floor!

Just another day?

You may all consider this day just as normal as any other. For me, not so much.

Three years ago today I lost my daddy. For the past two years this day has been really tough and the fact that it falls the day after Beau's birthday just flat out sucks. As with most tragic events, things get better with time and they have, but not 100% by any means. I'm very humbled by my experience and know that dad is watching over his little girl every single day which is how I've been able to keep my head above water.

I don't know if any of y'all have heard of "pennies from heaven" but it's something my family and I truly believe in it so I thought I'd share the meaning.

I have always heard the saying, "penny for your thoughts."
I wondered why people said that cause what could a simple penny have bought!?!
We pass them up each day as we walk along our busy way.
Never fully realizing what they are meant to say.

Until a precious friend explained the meaning of the phrase to me one day.
And from that moment on, I realized what a simple penny could convey.
We were talking of the years gone by and the time we shared with my sister.
As we reminisced of the good old days, she softly said, "I know you still miss her."

Then she gently placed her hands around mine and tenderly looked into my eyes.
No sound was heard, no movement at all as if the world stopped for a moment to let us cry.
Then she reached out and pulled me closer as she wiped away my tears.
She whispered "Lois knows you still love her," of that I am certain my dear.

Lois will forever love you too and I will prove it to you, if you will only believe.
Before the day is over and the angels sing you to sleep, a penny you will see.
A penny for your thoughts, pennies from Heaven she will send.
Letting you know she still loves you and that your heart will one day mend.

When you are holding that penny for just that brief moment in time.
Know that the love you two have for one another will forever shine.
Before that day was over, can you guess what I had found?
Not one, but seven brilliant pennies more precious to me than jewels in a crown.

So now each day as I go along my busy way.
I pick up those pennies and now fully realize what they were sent here to say.
And for the simple quote "penny for your thoughts."
One will never know what joy a penny has bought!

Author ~ Martha Carol
Copyright 2001

This picture was taken the day Beau and I took our engagement pictures. My mom went to sit down and found this penny glued to the bench next to her so we left a little message:

26???

Happy 26th birthday to the man
that makes me the happiest girl in the world!!

I love you more than anything and
hope you have a fabulous birthday!

...oh! & the best gift of all is that he now gets to
wake up to me every single day for the rest of our lives! ;)
((hope he doesn't want to return it...))

A what?? A vlog!!

So apparently there's a little chain of "vlogs" going around and after watching my first one by Young & Fabulous I literally got up from my heavenly bed and filmed my very own!

In saying that...please excuse my rat-tastic excuse of a hair-do and my leftover make up from a very busy day of working and packing. (We move today!!)

Hope you all enjoy listening to me and my non-accented Southern voice.

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And the questions to answer are:

• What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
• What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
• What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
• What do you call gym shoes?
• What do you say to address a group of people?
• What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped
• body and extremely long legs?
• What do you call your grandparents?
• What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry
• groceries at the supermarket?
• What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
• What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

PS-Although it's super annoying to hear your own voice and watch yourself on a video, I hope you ALL do one of these so I can watch and see all y'all's responses! (Yes...y'all's is a word!)

OH! & the next vlog I tape will be in mine & Beau's town home!!! (Can you tell I'm just slightly excited about moving in together?!)

1.13.2011

Happy 21st birthday to my baby brother!!!!!

I'm excited to finally be able to

booze it up with you...legally.

OH! And no more annoying liquor store

runs for you and your friends.

Contributing to minors always made me nervous...

The "Live-it": Questions Answered

Thank you ALL for your kind words and comments!! They really are so incredibly sweet and are very motivating. It's comments like those that make me choose veggies over rice and grilled rather than fried so honestly, thank you!

For those of you who left questions, I am more than happy to answer them as well as give a few tips on how to maintain your weight afterward.

SO! Here goes...


Warning: this is yet another kind of lengthy post but those burning questions in the back of your mind will all be answered! :)

1. The fruit issue: why can you not have fruit the first two weeks of the diet? (From Katie)

• We all know fruit is verrry good for you. It's full of fiber and nutrients so why do you have to avoid it for the first two weeks of a yeast free diet?
  
• For lack of better words, fruit has natural sugar in it. In order to successfully rid your colon of the yeast (which is the goal of the yeast free diet), you must stay away from sugar, even natural sugar, which is in fruit. It's only two weeks without it which, for a fruit feen (sp?), is for-ever but you. can. do. it. and the best part about not being able to have fruit for two weeks is that once you are actually able to eat fruit again, it's the sweetest thing you will ever put in your mouth. No joke!

2. Where did I find my motivation? (From Amy)

• Well, I work at a health and wellness center where I preach about the yeast free diet to our patients every single day. I've seen people change drastically because of this diet...and I'm not just talking about weight. Their acne disappears, their skin looks younger, they think more clearly, the feel excellent, their body is more defined, they have more energy, their hormones (which regulate your entire body) are more easily assimilated, etc....I could go on for dayyyysss but you get the point, right?! Plus, I desperately wanted to lose all the weight I gained in college so it was a win/win.

3. How much do you workout when you're doing this diet? (From Elizabeth)

• I actually feel like I worked out more while doing the diet and I think it's simply because I was so motivated and full of energy. Plus, once you begin to notice a difference in the way your clothes are fitting, you are even more motivated to shape and tone. I went to the gym about 3-4 times a week and was doing cardio for 30-45 minutes, followed by strength training (rotating arms and legs) and then I would end my workout with 20 minutes of abs.
• Remember: if you are training for a triathlon or some type of marathon you will need some type of carbohydrate to sustain. This is where the brown rice and/or sweet potatoes come into play, but remember...only sparingly.

4. What does a typical meal look like? (From anonymous?)

• A typical meal of mine is usually pretty colorful, hence all the veggies.
• Here's an example of the day in the life of a yeast free eater:
  

Breakfast: eggs, turkey bacon, half of avocado
Snack: handful of cashews
Lunch: spinach salad w/ tuna, black beans, salsa, onions
Dinner: grilled chicken or fish, steamed broccoli, baked zucchini

5. Where do I find my recipes? (another question from anonymous)

• Some of my recipes are recipes I've known for a while but just tweak a little bit. Example: Chili (I just don't add the cheese and sour cream like most people do) or Sausage balls (breakfast sausage, cheese & Bisquick rolled into balls and baked) which are SO good but you are supposed to use Bisquick to make them. Well, no flour = no Bisquick so I substitute the Bisquick with garbanzo bean flour (which is completely yeast free) and I don't add cheese! Ta-da!
  
• Other recipes are super basic. I usually buy three types of meat every time I go to the grocery store so I always have a variety on hand: lean turkey, lean ground beef, tilapia/salmon. Pick out a meat, saute, steam, grill or bake your favorite veggies and add some black or green beans...voila! A perfectly easy yeast free meal!

Turkey patties, sauteed bell peppers/red peppers, sauteed onions, black beans, baked asparagus

• MOST of my favorite/real recipes come from working at a health & wellness center. Our vitamin store carries a yeast free eating cookbook which is pretty much like a bible to me (and anyone doing the diet for that matter.) It provides you with the guidelines, the reasons why someone might want to do the diet, a list of ALL the foods you can/cannot eat, a grocery shopping list, a sample meal plan, and best of all...TONS of recipes!
• And last but definitely not least...good ole' Google! But be careful...some people's idea of yeast free and mine are completely different so sometimes it can be a little deceiving.

6. Now that I've lost the weight, how do I maintain it?

• No one specifically asked this question but since I get it allllll the time I figured I would be proactive and answer it ahead of time.
• Basically after I did the diet for a strict 2 1/2 month period, I slowly but surely started incorporating more foods back into my diet. Some of the foods (like brown rice, oatmeal and granola) my body excepted. Others (chicken fried steak and fried pickles, for example)... not so much.
  
• After doing the diet, your idea of eating completely changes...not just mentally but physically as well. You don't want to eat certain things because you don't want to feel bloated afterward. Then again there are those foods that you absolutely can't eat because it literally makes you feel sick when you do so. This is a good thing, in my opinion. I know if I eat chicken fried steak I'm probably going to feel nauseous all night long so therefore, chances are I probably won't ever eat another one.
  
• One of the absolute best ways (I think) to maintain your weight after the diet is to do an 80/20...80% of the time (Monday-Friday afternoon) eat yeast free. 20% of the time (Friday nights-Sunday) try your hardest to eat yeast free but if something happens and you can't, it won't be the end of the world.

I hope this helps you all in the slightest bit! Remember, this is solely my opinion on what I have found to be very successful in losing weight, clearing up allergies and much, much more.

One of my favorite recipe blogs is Healthy Indulgences. Blogger, Lauren, is a college student who suffers from gluten intolerance so she has come up with a butt-load of gluten free recipes, which is verrrry similar to yeast free, and mmmmmaaannnn is she a genius!! (Gluten free can have cheese, agave nectar, flour and dairy (I think!) so you just have to use your substitutes for these items...)

A few of my favorite substitutes:
White, all purpose flour...or...garbanzo bean, black bean or almond flour
Sugar...or...erythritol, xylitol, stevia, truvia
Milk...or...almond milk, coconut milk

I've made a few of her recipes...like the black bean chocolate cake, which sounds absolutely disgusting but is a staple...TRUST!

Ok. Well...if you're still here...guh-reat!! If not, sorry for rambling! ;)

Ok-here it is. The "Live-it"!

"One should eat to live, not live to eat."

This may be a little long & drawn out but for all your requests (ahem, JILL!) ...here ya go! ((& sorry for anyone who has already read this very similar post...I had to freshen it up a bit for my newer followers!)

The sole purpose of this post is to convince each and every one of you looking to shed a few pounds and lead a healthier lifestyle that it really is possible.

Remember: it's not a diet, it's a way of life and preparation is everything! Be as creative as possible with your meals and you will do just fine.

The Guidelines:
-For the first 2 weeks, avoid fruit or butter
-For the first 30 days, avoid: sugar, yeast, milk or milk products & fermented products or alcoholic beverages
-After 30 days, you may add brown rice, sweet potatoes, and/or oatmeal OR if you are training for a triathlon or something crazy and need to carbs you can have them sparingly.

Basically, NO: grains, baked goods, breads, dairy, pasta, potatoes, mushrooms, sugar, soft drinks, alcohol, vegetable shortening, margarine.

Did ya give up already?!

No? Ok-good!!

Don't worry. Although this sounds extremely restricting, after the first week ALL of your cravings are gone. Yea, those M&M's you just have to have after lunch. You won't want them. Those cinnamon rolls you're used to having for breakfast. See ya! You think I'm kidding? After week 2 I wasn't even hungry. I thought the girls at work were going to send me to a help center for anorexia because I wasn't eating lunch and I barely ate a breakfast. Seriously!

Staples:
*lean meat/protein: turkey, chicken, ground beef, eggs, turkey bacon, fish, Canadian bacon, shellfish, pork chops, steaks
*veggies: ((no corn or carrots)) cucumbers, celery, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, onions, squash, artichokes, asparagus, bell peppers, bok choy, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, kale, okra, lettuce, spaghetti squash, lemons & limes ((yes, these are technically fruits but they are allowed and mixed with olive oil they make for a great salad dressing.))
*legumes: BEANS! black, green, kidney, pinto, red ((no baked))
*healthy fats: nuts ((no honey roasted)), avocados, natural peanut/almond/cashew butter, olive oil
*sweeteners: xylitol, erythritol, stevia, truvia ((no honey, splenda, sweet-n-low or agave nectar))
*condiments/extras: salsa, tomato sauce, chicken/beef broth
*drinks: coffee (no dairy creamer!), teas, water, sparkling water (Perrier, La Croix), Zevia

*spices: any, really. All the common spices-we'll leave it at that.

*After two weeks, you can add back fruit but not just any fruit.
*The best (& most common) fruits are: strawberries, blueberries, apples, pears, kiwis, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, peaches
**Remember to AVOID the following fruits throughout the entire diet: pineapple, cherries, watermelon, dates, figs, bananas, grapes. ((not to say that these fruits have no nutritional value, because they do, however, they are just higher in natural sugar content which is not good for the diet.))

Are you still with me?!

Ok, good. You'll be glad you stuck it out thus far...

((Plus...if you stick around a little bit longer you'll get to see my "fat" pics!))

Things you'll thank me for telling you about:
*First and foremost, I'll just throw it out there that VODKA/SODA is the closest yeast free alcoholic beverage. There!
*Almond milk: Almond Breeze, unsweetened, any flavor: can be used in smoothies, recipes (substitute for milk), coffee

*Jay Robb's WHEY protein powder: found in any grocery/health foods store. Any flavor. Perfect added to almond milk to make a smoothie

*LaraBar: Although they have dates as an ingredient, they are SO extremely close to being yeast free that I ate them anyway because it's what kept me compliant. As long as you eat them sparingly and not for every meal, I say it's ok so go for it!
*Pacific Naturals Black Bean Soup: throw in a few black beans and avocado and mmmmm...mmmmmmm!! :)

*Homemade chili
*Spaghetti squash spaghetti (google it...it's SO easy.)
*Wraps: use romaine lettuce for tacos, sandwiches, etc...rather than bread.
*Terra chips: Original; and only eat them sparingly.
*Hummus: Sabra brand, if you can find it. Any flavor. Great for dipping celery, cucumbers or Terra Chips.

And now for the before and after!!

You may not visually be able to see the difference but I cannot put into words how great I feel. ((Or you can just look at my chubby arms & see for yourself...)) My work suits were all a size 8...a tight 8, at that. Now...a size 4 and they still seem to fit a little baggy. My jeans stretch out by just looking at them. All my swimsuits, tops, shorts and sundresses are all at least a size too big and oddly enough...so are my panties. TMI?? Oops! The only thing that still fits the same are my socks. No complaints there.

BEFORE
((insert annoying wrestler announcer voice ::here::))

...weighing in at a whopping 144 pounds...

Spring 2008

St. Thomas 2009

St. Thomas 2009

...and AFTER!
I introduce you to...my jawline & collar bones !

September 2010

October 2010

October 2010

Seriously...if my fiance can do it...YOU can do it! Please feel FREE to ask me any questions!!

What are you waiting for?! Bikini season will be here before ya know it! ;)

Go ahead. Laugh.

I couldn't resist posting the latest nonsense my company has had me participate in recently.

As you all know, or I hope you all know by now, I am very passionate about health and wellness which is why, well, I work for a health and wellness center, I eat a very precise diet (most of the time) and I work out pretty regularly. I am a strong believer in "you are what you eat" and I could honestly be a poster child for the yeast free diet that we preach every day at my office. ((Thank you, Hotze Health & Wellness Center, for getting rid of my 20 unwanted, puffy pounds.))

Every January, we kick off the year with "Yeast Free With Me" to help our patients and staff reach their goal weight and this year is no different. Although this video is absolutely hysterical to me, I can understand why you might judge me but I, by no means, am a paid actress...just in case you were wondering...so judge me all ya want! ;)

Before you watch, I must give you a little bit of background of these fine actresses:

• Bertha Barker (aka the host) is a fabulous Latino lady who works in our front office. Yes, that is her real accent. Yes, she chose to bark all on her own...no one told her to do that.
• I'm Jessica Johnson, the ditzy sorority girl with the big ass...imagine that.
• Susie Stephens, the mother of 3, is our Marketing Director.
• Pat Berry, the southern grandmother, is our IT Director.

How they talked us into doing this video, I don't know. There was no bribing involved but I may seriously consider it next time.

Anywho...I have never soberly laughed this hard in my entire life until we shot this video. Hope this all gives you a good laugh (at my expense.)

OH! And if you want to participate in our challenge, eat healthy and shed a few unwanted pounds just go to DrHotze.com. ((It's not like an event...it's just a series of emails.)

I promise to blog about the diet...

...but I have been anticipating this post this for a while now...

50 correspondence emails and $30 under budget later...

They're here!!
((p.s.- i apologize for the tacky block outs but I have to protect our identities just in case of creepers.))

What you're lookin' at:
Top left: Hotel accommodation card
Top Right: Response card
Bottom Middle: The invitation (um. duh.)
Far right: Hot pink lined envelope (duh. again.)

Just a close up!

Wanna know how to totally regulate your guest list???
...pay verrrry close attention...

Order your response cards with 2 blanks rather than one for the number of attendees. (see photo above)) Before you send the invitations, you fill in the second blank on the response card with the number of people you're inviting per that invitation. So let's say this particular invitation is to Taylor Swift & Guest (ya. i'm inviting her. so what?!) Back to my point...I would fill in the second blank with "2" so it would read "___ of _2_ will be attending" since I am only inviting Taylor and one guest. This would leave Taylor to then go in and fill in the first blank with "2" (because of course she & her guest which apparently won't be Jake Gyllenhaal, Taylor Lautner or John Mayer wouldn't miss our wedding for the world) and therefore her response card would read " 2 of 2 will be attending". When you do it this way, no one can sneak in their rent-a-date, friend with benefits, wedding crasher or second cousin's boyfriend's baby daddies...you get my point right?! You see, it would be completely incorrect for Taylor to fill in "3 of 2" which is why this will hopefully work like a charm! ((Props to Beau's brother-in-law for telling us this little trick!!))

&& for the record, the only reason we are doing this is because our guest list is already over 400 and our venue only holds 300. Ya. So that's a problem and hopefully people will understand. ((Not just that but to feed and booze up more than 400 guests would cost an arm and a leg.))

OH! I almost forgot to include one of the most important additions to our invitation...

Today marks 101 days to go!
Can you believe that?!?!?!

**p.p.s (or p.s.s...whatever)-I really needed to go back to the black and pink blog background. That whole red and blue, girl next door background thing totally wasn't working for me. At. All.

Good Morning, Stephanie! It's me, 2011.

Did anyone else wake up on New Year's Day and think:

[[pardon my French...]]

"Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm ________ this year!"

Fill in the blank with what's most appropriate for you but here's what ran through my mind...

Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm turning 25 this year!
Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm 20 pounds lighter this year!
Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm still employed this year!
((hey now! i'm a great catch so IDK what that last one even means))
Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm still alive & kickin' this year!
Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm not pregnant this year! ;) HA!
Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm moving out for the last time this year!
Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm finally convincing
Beau to live with me this year!
((ok so he really doesn't have a choice anymore...so what?!))
Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm gonna have a joint bank account this year!
Holy shit. It's 2011. I'm GETTING MARRIED this year!!!

*Yea...that last one hit me like a ton of bricks ((in a good way, of course)). It finally feels real! When people ask me when I'm getting married, no longer can I say "Next April" because it's THIS APRIL!

.wowzer.

Cheers to 2011!!
Cheers to Dr. Hotze for keepin' me on the payroll!
Cheers to livin' it up on my bachelorette cruise with my girls!
Cheers to being a wife!!
Cheers to a romantic honeymoon!
Cheers to starting a great life with a great man!!

When 2011 came-a-knockin' on your door...
what did you say?!!

((OH! && you're welcome for not being the 12,745th New Year's Eve recap you've read.))