It’s a Wonderful Life!

Yesterday might have been one of the best days of the year! (is that fair?) Well, here’s what I did, in order, with a few pictures:

• Woke up at about 8am & brewed some coffee
• Went to hot yoga from 9:30-11am
• drank lots of water on my way to TJMaxx. There, I bought a new yoga mat & a laptop case. I have been using my mom’s mat, but I bought my own orange mat! This is my second laptop sleeve/case, but the 1st one was much too small, so I got this one:

 

 purple-y, huh?

 

< showing it’s backside (oh!)

 

 

& it’s front, spilling it’s brains (cords) >

 

 

 

 

• Then, I went home, made me some grub (huge-ontic salad with greens, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, edamame, garbanzos, peppers; an apple; & carrots with hummus) & ate it outside
• puttered around on my computer, especially on Craig’s List because I’m searching for a bike. I e-mailed a guy about one & there’s a strong possibility of me getting it. He e-mailed me back quickly, so I may go take a look-see this week! I also e-mailed my friend down the street who restores bikes for fun (!) & works at a bike store in town to see if it’s a good deal… he says go for it!
• I decided to finally test out my new shoes from Christmas (why did I wait this long?!), thus I found myself on a 35-minute run… I felt like I was flying… or going fast, for me! But, I also decided the shoes were half a size too small– ouch!
• I got back home and prepared a letter to my sister, including random, funny newspaper clippings & pictures, because she thinks those kinds of things are weird and funny, like I do, too. Many of these were about cats & Prez Bush-isms
• I whipped up a smoothie, using this:  It has a LOT of really great, whole-foods ingredients (greens, spirulina, etc.) with 16 g. protein + apple-cinnamon flavor, yum! I added an apple, ice, water, & a couple of spoonfuls of sogurt… & cinnamon. It looked like this, in the blender:  GREEN!!! I was like, what’s going on here??? …but that’s how it’s supposed to be because of the ingredients, soo, I popped it in the freezer, while I…
• Took a shower & got dressed
• Then, I drank this:  with more cinnamon on top. At 1st, I didn’t like it. I wanted to like it, but I didn’t. I kept drinking it, and finally decided I did like it! The added apple & sogurt made  it thicker & I liked the way I felt after it, with all those wholesome ingredients! I probably won’t buy this particular flavor again, but I like the product. I did this on my way…
• to the Post Office to mail something for my dad & my sister’s letter
• & to exchange my shoes for the correct size. It’s quite a trek over to do that, so I’m glad I had some fuel! I got a little nervous driving ol’ Desi (my 1997 Toyota Tercel) over there, especially when I thought it was over-heating, YIKES! So, I drove about 60 mph or slower the entire time, despite those angry, fast drivers. I also returned a sweatshirt & got store-credit for it.
• While I was over that direction, I stopped by Whole Foods. I wasn’t that impressed, so I left almost directly and headed to my natural-foods store/work for dinner.
• I got there about 20 minutes before they closed the Colossal Salad Bar, so I had to hurry, which is not like me in my eating habits! I piled on a HUUUUUGE salad (x2) & tried split-pea soup for the first time- YUM! I added cayenne pepper for a kick. I also had a large bowl of fruit. Nothing like making your own salad with every ingredient imaginable (2 kinds of tofu (teriyaki & blackened), chickpeas, edamame, shredded carrot & beet, mushrooms, marinated mushrooms, tomatoes, steamed veggies, raw veggies, crunchy & “hair-like” sprouts, about 7 different dressings, nuts, raisins, different cheeses, cooked eggs, different grain-salads & mixtures…. tons!) + rice & beans, soups…. DEE-VINE! No photo– sorry, maybe another time.
• I left stuffed, so I went home, got some goodies together & left for my uncle’s to have some dark chocolate-covered ginger & go to sleep

Today, I have to finish registering for classes & turn my change into ca$h… not much else… maybe go visit that bike and/or see a movie, go book-browsing… I never know!

Have a great week, friends!!!

*OH! By the way, the makers of Clif products have a red wine out, that is organic, with no sulfites. I hear it’s excellent & totally worth raving about!

Thankful and Giving! (and getting)

What a wonderful day I had on Thanksgiving!

^ Here I am with Mr. & Mrs. OrangePop… those who birthed me! I love them a lot and am very fortunate to have such loving and supportive parents! I have 2 older sisters who, unfortunately, weren’t able to make it. My sister who is away working at a ski resort went to a church and had a free dinner with the old people who sponsored it!!! How cute! My other sister had her traditional meal the night before and she ate leftovers (which, I think, is one of the best parts of the food-part of the holiday!) that day and lounged, watched the parade (where she actually went to see it in NY last year!). She came home the next day and we’ve been hanging out, when I’m not at work. 

^ My Vegan with a Vengeance cake! The Ginger-Macadamia Nut-Coconut-Carrot Cake was a total hit!

 Quorn Turk’y Roast– I loved it! Even the biggest meat-eater tried it and agreed it tasted just like turkey and admitted to even liking it! Yay! It’s not vegan, but I’m not. I rubbed it with olive oil and Italian seasoning and then baked it wrapped in tin-foil! Delish!

  Sweet Potato Casserole– my favorite side, which became more like the center. Plenty of walnuts, brown sugar and goodness in this baby!

My Black Friday started at 6am, when my mom and I went to Target (oh, love) and saw people LEAVING when we got there… whatttt?! Ludicrous! It’s not that I just needed anything or was looking for something in particular, but this gal loves a good deal, so I was on the hunt… I also loved that it marked the beginning of the holiday season so it was fun listening to the first bit of holiday music on the way there, while it was still dark. I got a sweater-ish top, a pair of black high-tops, Werther’s hard candies, and gum. Woo, big-spender. Then, we went to Michael’s where I got 2 types of yarn (I can crochet!) and some stationary. Then, Old Navy, where I bought two T-shirts. All on sale. Because I’m thrifty like that!

Today, we (my parents, oldest sis & I) went to get our Christmas tree! Beforehand, we stopped and got coffee and bagels, then skipped along to the tree-tent.  We’ve been debating whether or not to get a small tree and put it on a table, like we did last year when Jasper was a very curious pup; or to get a regular-sized tree and risk him eating the ornaments off the bottom, try to drink the tree’s water, or something else spontaneous and odd… in the end, we decided on a tall tree! The very 1st one we looked at was the one we got! It’s just beautiful and it fills the house with a comforting, lovely smell! Live trees are just the way to go! I’ll show you a picture once all the ornaments go up, but for now:

 

*Tucker & Jasper taking turns playing Santa!

As we decorated, we, of course, listened to holiday tunes. What’s your favorite song of the season?! I love (I think it’s Paul McCartney?) the song that goes, “Simply- having- a wonderful Christmastime!” It’s so happy and fun! Traditionally speaking, I love “Silent Night” (sad and lovely, because it reminds me of my Grandma) and “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” especially by Bing Crosby!

 

I hope everyone had a fantastic, loving Thanksgiving, like I did! 

Oh, another school week begins, sooo make it a great one!

XOXO~Gossip Girl Miss OP

Quick, Easy, Successful

Not men, but I mean the GRUB!

I got a tea ball! I consumed too much java yesterday, so I figured I’d switch to tea this morning! After my mis-hap with my teacup (the holes were bigger than the leaves!), I used my tea ball to brew some Mango Green Tea. I am LOVING mango in any form these days and this tea was awesome! Here it is, all brewed in my (self-) painted cup, with the tea ball sitting on the little tea bag holder.

I also made some homemade oats this morning! Usually, I use a package of Quaker Simple Harvest oatmeal, which is great and easy and has some really yummy ingredients, but all I have in the cupboard is the one with honey and in an attempt to have a vegan day, this morning I made my oats with soymilk, a chopped-up apple, cinnamon, walnuts, and brown sugar. How very autumn of me?! I love this combo, though! Maybe I’ll try some muesli sometime with cold oats and mango! Oh, that’d be delish!

Last night after coming home late from work, I had been planning on making a dish from V’con, but instead, I went to my 3 reliable amigos… allow me to show them to you:

So easy and quick and satisfied my taste for some Mexican cuisine! Okay, okay, I’ll admit I did add a few other ingredients (like onion, green pepper, red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast, avocado and, of course, tortilla chips). But still- easy and tasty! This morning I felt the fiber of all that and the beans right before bedtime… eek, but that’s totally healthy, right?! I’ve got a fridge full of leftovers, it seems: beans of all sorts, veggies, tomatoes, rice… hmm, the possibilities!

Day off! Day off! House to myself! I’m going to cook some good stuff, write some letters to friends (yes, I’m that old-fashioned, still!), and perhaps go shopping (I’m looking for some comfy shoes to wear to work, since I stand on my feet all day!), maybe rent a couple movies (any good suggestions out there?), and tool around with the dogs! Have a spectacular “Hump-Day!” (Think Fergie: My Humps!)

Additions!

I’m going to add a list of my favorite products/websites so look-out! Wait- so how do I do this?!

Also, I’ve got an addition to my wardrobe. This is so unlike me, as I’m pretty frugal with my money, but I needed to get something else at the store, as I returned a gift without the tags, or else the money would vanish! No store credit or money back! So, I roamed the store and saw these babies. I have no idea what I’m going to wear with them, or when/where I’ll wear them, but now I have some incentive to get something else for myself. Oh, darn! But I rarely buy for myself, and have been thinking about them since I saw them. So, let me introduce you to my size 8’s…

Now you’re acquainted!