Upgrading Melissa

Could it be?  Two blog posts in two days?  Yes that’s right, my friends.  You have just witnessed a miracle.  ;)

As promised in yesterday’s post, How to Start Working Out, today I will be posting my workout routine.  I wouldn’t say it’s that advanced…I’m still a newbie, after all.  But I did work up to this point, and as this becomes easier for me, I suppose I’ll have to up the ante again…though I’m not sure what that will be next.  

The cardio routine I do is considered a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) Workout. 

What is High Intensity Interval Training?

HIIT is short bursts of anaerobic exercise, followed by less-intense recovery periods.  There’s a lot longer explanation that can be found in this Wikipedia article, but the gist of it is that it gets your heart rate up in short bursts, using more energy which supposedly burns calories throughout the day as you try to recover.

How to Start HIIT Workouts

When I decided this was the method for me, I had no idea where to start.  My beloved blogger, Iowa Girl Eats, does a lot of HIIT workouts, but hers were all too advanced for me to start with.  So instead, I turned to Google and found this little guy:

This is about 1.25 miles.  I did this workout first, but remember that I had already been running upwards of 2 miles when I started, so this wasn’t challenging enough for me.

So slowly, I began to adapt this workout to make it more difficult.  I only tweaked the speed and left the incline the same, and it’s worked out quite well.  

This is my HIIT Treadmill workout:

* You’ll notice I added a little something to the end of this.  For the last half mile, I walk at a steep incline of 12 at a pace of 4.0, or sometimes even 4.3 (I’m working my way up).  This part doesn’t take a full 10 minutes for me, probably closer to 7 minutes, but then I cool down at a slower pace and no incline until I hit (and go beyond) the 2 mile mark. 

Why do I like this HIIT Workout?

As I discussed in yesterday’s post, I have workout A.D.D.  I start to get bored and stare at the time.  As I run, I think about all the things I need to be doing when I get home, and I drive myself nuts.  However, this routine keeps me busy.  The most time you’re ever doing the same thing is in the first 3 minutes and the last 3 minutes. 2 miles FLIES by, even though I’m actually on the treadmill longer than I would if I were running 2 miles.  

Secondly, none of the running stints are too long.  Fast running at 1 minute increments doesn’t hurt my ankles, knees or hips, at all. This makes Melissa (and Brad, who has to listen to me whine about it afterwards) very happy.

The Effects

So far, I’m noticing that the incline of this workout is really working my legs, in particular my bum, calves, and hamstrings.  I can see and feel the muscles starting to form there.  It also forces you to use your core when you’re at an incline, or you’ll fall off.  :)  And finally, when I do the 12 incline, I hold on to the back of the treadmill lightly, so it engages your arms, too.

Other Workout Elements

In addition to cardio, I also use the machines to lift weights, and yoga mats to do planks, push ups, lunges, etc. And finally, I’ve started doing yoga classes twice a week, which are very challenging and great for my arms, abs, legs, and every part of my body.  In fact, I actually did this back bendy thing the other day (I didn’t look nearly this graceful), but my arms and back were sore for days after!  

Stay tuned..my hope is to post my smoothie recipe in the coming days, as well as some of our heart healthy eats and snacks from Healthy 2012.  

Thanks for reading!

Ok…ok.  So I know that on the blog posting front, I’ve really slacked off.  It’s just that Christmas came, things got busy, and when we returned home after the holidays, I got a bit sidetracked.

I have all kinds of things to blog about…for instance, in December we traveled to Napa and San Francisco, so I can now cross that off my 35 Upgrades Before 35!  

But that’s not what I want to blog about today.  Instead, I want to tell you about another goal I’ve accomplished from my 35 Upgrades list:  I have finally settled into a workout routine!

Starting in 2012, Brad and I decided to start living a healthier lifestyle, so we joined a gym and started eating healthy (more about the eating healthy aspect later).  I’ve learned that I’ve been going about this gym thing wrong all this time…and while I’m no expert, I thought I’d share my tips on how to settle into a good workout routine:

1. Start slow.  You don’t have to go to the gym and turn into Jillian Michaels.  When you first start, you don’t even know what you’re capable of yet.  And you may start off feeling like a million dollars, but chances are, you’ll probably be sore the next day.  So take it easy, cowboy.  (<— This is a huge personal challenge for me!)
   
    
2. Something is better than nothing!  Even if you don’t have a lot of time, walking for 20 minutes on the treadmill is better than sitting on your bum.
   
   
   
   
3. Always make healthy choices! Don’t let this be your thought process, whether it applies to working out or eating:
   
   
   
   
4. Challenge Yourself. I know…I said to start slow, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay slow. When you find that your workout isn’t challenging anymore, up it a notch! And don’t be afraid to change things up a bit! I’ve recently thrown Yoga into my routine, and it really helps to freshen things up!
5. Don’t compare youself!  One thing I’ve realized more and more is that every body type is different.  You may not look like the celebrities or models you see on TV, so don’t weigh your progress by using them as your “norm.”  There is no “norm.”  Just make sure you feel good about yourself…that’s all that matters.
   
   
   
   
6. Figure out the things you like!  I hate the elliptical. Despise it. It bores me, and I find myself constantly staring at the time, waiting for it to be over.  I used to force myself to use the elliptical because everyone always said how great it was…but in Healthy 2012, I decided to say, “Screw the elliptical.”  I started running, because I like to run.  Then I came to another impasse.  Apparently, my 30 year old bones hate running.  My ankles, my hips, and my knees ached so badly, I could barely move the next day.  This went beyond sore muscles…it was borderline injury.  So one day, I decided to start trying a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout (more on that in my next post), and now I actually like going to the gym! What a concept!
   
   
   
   
7. Step away from the scale!  A scale can be deceiving…your weight may fluctuate due to how much water weight you’re carrying, the time of the month, the time of the day, and so on.  And nothing can be more discouraging than working your butt off, then getting on a scale and finding out you haven’t lost any weight.  So steer clear and instead pay attention to how your body looks.  If anything, weigh yourself once a week; no more. And remember, muscle weighs something, too!  Here is a great story about Staci’s weightless journey.  Believe it or not, she weighs nearly 15 lbs. more in the photo on the right!
   
    
8. Make it a habit!  If you get into the routine of going to the gym a few times a week, soon it will feel weird not to work out.
   
   
   
   
9. Be willing to invest!  Buy the things you need for the gym…comfortable workout clothes, running shoes, an iPod arm band thingy, an ankle or knee brace…whatever you need.  Some people even say that they feel more motivated to work out when they buy a new workout outfit…I haven’t tried that yet.  :)
10. Remember, no one is watching you!  For some reason, when I first began working out at the gym, I was very anxious about the thought of people looking at me and judging me.  I worried that they would notice the pained expression on my face, or my lack of strength or endurance.  But the truth is, no one cares about me. They are all focused on their own workout.  Once I realized that, my workout became a lot less about everyone else and a lot more about ME!  
    
     

In the coming days (or let’s be honest…it’ll probably be more like weeks), I will continue to share some of my workout and eating healthy tips, routines, and recipes with you!  Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post, where I’ll share my workout routine with you.  And coming soon, my smoothie recipe (which Brad may actually be addicted to) and a series of healthy snack ideas!  

See you tomorrow!  

Have you ever had a meal that you couldn’t wait to make?  I was oddly excited to make this dish because it seemed so easy…and for once in my life, I actually had all of the ingredients in my cabinet.  

I found this recipe via my beloved site, Pinterest, but upon perusing the ingredients, I realized that it called for 1 whole stick of BUTTER.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love butter just like every other human on the planet…however, after looking at the label and realizing that 1 stick of butter contains 800 CALORIES and (gulp) 88 GRAMS OF FAT, I couldn’t allow myself to use it.  So, I cut the amount in half.  And you know…it didn’t change it a bit, in my opinion. I also cut out the olive oil when roasting the vegetables and used a bit of cooking spray instead (olive oil cooking spray) - just enough to get the salt and pepper to stick.

So, here is a healthier, less artery clogging version of…

Pasta with Roasted Asparagus & Balsamic Butter

Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Fill a large sauce pan with water and heat it to boiling. Wash a pound of asparagus, chop off the weird ends of the asparagus and cut it into 1-inch pieces…

I used a little less than 1 lb because I officially had the largest asparagus of all time to work with.  Next toss them on a roasting pan with oil, salt, and pepper.  I also added mushrooms…because I’m crazy like that.  Throw them in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Next, pour balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan (1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons more).  Apparently, balsamic vinegar steams a lot when it’s heated…don’t be alarmed (I was, and it turned out ok)…

Next, place 1 lb of pasta in your boiling water.  The recipe called for penne, but I didn’t have penne so I used a combo of what I had on hand (Mafalda and egg noodles). 

I saw this neat trick on Pinterest the other day (I’m so addicted) that said if your pan starts boiling over, position a wooden spoon over the top and it will stop. So I thought I’d test it out when my pasta started to inevitably boil over. 

Uh-ohhh….

And look…it worked!

It was magical…  :)

Heat the balsamic until it reduces down to a little under 1/3 cup (or 3 Tablespoons).  It will thicken and get syrupy.  At that point, add 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.  Remove the pan from the heat and pour it into a large serving bowl.

Drain the pasta, and add that to the bowl, along with the veggies, half a stick of butter, and 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese.  Yum yum…

Mix mix mix!  I added a little bit of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” spray (I just poured a little out of the bottle) just to make the sauce more creamy, but I honestly don’t know that it was necessary.

Top with a bit more parmesan for garnish (there can NEVER be enough parmesan…words to live by, my friends).  

And VOILA!

If you find you need more of a creamy sauce, you could probably add a little cream or milk, but I thought it was JUST RIGHT! 

This sauce was PHENOMENAL.  The salty/creamy taste of the butter, mixed with the slight sweetness of the sugar and the tang of the balsamic sauce made it downright addicting. (Is it just me, or did I sound like Adam Richman from Man vs. Food just then?)

Test it out and let me know your thoughts.  And be sure to give me feedback on what you did to replace the butter, if anything.  Bon appetit!  

Ze Recipe:

1 pound asparagus
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/2 stick of butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Fill a large saucepan with water and heat over high heat until boiling.  Add pasta and boil until tender (about 10 to 12 minutes).

In the meantime, cut the ends off of the asparagus and chop into 1-inch pieces.  Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Salt and pepper, toss to coat, and place in the oven on the middle rack for about 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender.

Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  When the vinegar has reduced to a little less than 1/4 of a cup (or 3 Tablespoons), stir in brown sugar and pepper.  Remove from heat.

Pour balsamic glaze in a large serving bowl, and add butter, vegetables, drained pasta, and parmesan cheese.  Toss to coat and allow the butter to melt completely.  Serve with an additional sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top.

Throughout my life, I hated spicy foods.  One time in college, I tried a friend’s hot wings at Buffalo Wild Wings and literally felt like I was going to die.  I was certain that all of my taste buds had been fried off, along with the first 14 layers of my tongue. My eyes watered, I chugged water, ate an indecent amount of celery, practically dipped my smoking tongue in ranch dressing, and vowed to never eat another spicy thing if the burning would just subside.

Then, in the winter of 2005, I met Brad, who puts hot sauce on EVERYTHING.  More specifically, Frank’s Red Hot.  Without even realizing I was doing it, I began slowly incorporating Frank’s into my diet as well.  And now, nearly 6 years later, I put hot sauce on my eggs, french fries/hash browns, tacos, and (my personal favorite) pizza.  

So, as a new eater of spicy things (I still can’t claim to be on Brad’s level…though I can tolerate the hot wings at Buffalo Wild Wings now), I decided to take my obsession to the next level and try a new type of hot sauce.  

Sriracha:

Sriracha is a hot sauce/chili sauce with a garlic flavor.  It’s thicker than Franks, and it’s delicious in Asian inspired recipes (especially the Orange Chicken from Trader’s Joe’s), but it can really be used on anything…even pizza!  

And…it makes a great marinade, especially on chicken and fish.  

I am a seafood/fish person, but for some reason, plain old baked fish really freaks me out (which is kind of funny, since I can eat sushi with the best of them).  

So for dinner the other night, I used the recipe for Sriracha Chicken Fingers…but I changed it up a bit and adapted it into a tilapia recipe.

One of my Upgrading Melissa goals is to begin experimenting with creating my own recipes.  I can generally follow any recipe to a tee…so now it’s time to move on to the next step in my kitchen adventures and try to come up with my own clever concoctions. 

My first attempt was my Spiced Cream Cheese Cake Balls with a Caramel Drizzle…and they were a success.  Now it’s time to move on to dinner!  And even though this is more so an adaptation than an original recipe, it still feels like a good first step.  :)

Here’s goes nothing…

Sriacha Tilapia

The original recipe calls for you to marinade the chicken in the Sriracha sauce.  However, I read that you should not marinate fish in an acidic marinade for more than 30 minutes, or the fish will be mushy.  Since nothing sounds worse to me than mushy fish, I didn’t marinate at all…I just dipped.  I also didn’t use eggs…because I didn’t have any.

Here’s the cast of characters:

2 tilapia filets, thawed
1/3 Sriracha Hot Sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
pinch of dried ginger
1 clove of garlic
1 cup all purpose flour
1.5 cups Panko bread crumbs
pinch of salt & pepper 

1.)  Preheat your broiler and move the rack to the center of the oven.

In one bowl, mix together Sriracha sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Mix well.

2.) Pour the flour into another bowl and the Panko bread crumbs into a 3rd bowl.

3.) Cover a small baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Sure, you don’t have to use aluminum foil…but I’m lazy and cover everything in foil so I don’t have to wash it after.   ;)

4.)  Line up the bowls with the sauce mix on the right, the flour in the middle, and the bread crumbs on the right.  Place the baking sheet to the right of the bread crumbs.

5.)  Dip each filet in the Sriracha mix, covering both sides, then the flour, and finally the bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs to the filet to make sure they stick.  Place the filets on the pan.

6.)  Spritz the top of each filet with the non-stick cooking spray.  Broil the fish for about 10-12 minutes, or until the bread crumbs get slightly golden and then fish flakes easily.

7.)  Sit back and relish in the deliciousness of your spicy, garlicky, and non-fishy dinner!

YUM YUM!

Amazing…

A few months ago, I came up with the idea to make an informational cake pop website filled with cake pop recipes, cake pop making tips, and photos.  Cake pops are the new trend in baking, and I doubt that they will die off in popularity any time soon.  They are popping up at weddings, birthday parties, and even at Starbucks!  

So, I designed HowToMakeCakePops.com, wrote all of the content (optimized for the search engines, of course), and created a Facebook and Twitter page that Brad and I sent out to our friends.

And then I became obsessed with the idea of making cake pops of my very own.  

Since I didn’t have a ton of time to make said cake pops, I decided to forego the sticks and make cake balls instead.  Same deliciousness factor, just not as easy to eat, I guess.

I came up with my own recipe concoction:  spice cake mixed with cream cheese frosting, dipped in white chocolate, and drizzled with caramel.  They turned out…well…delicious.  Because how could a combo like that be BAD?! 

Here’s my tutorial:

Start out with a store bought cake mix.  You could make your own too…but who has the time for that?  I chose this one:

You’ll need frosting to mix with the cake (I used cream cheese frosting), some sort of chocolate to dip the cake balls in, and then any type of decorations you want.  I just melted caramel and drizzled, but you could dip them in sprinkles, or buy edible ink pens and draw on them, or use edible googly eyes (is that a word…googly?  If not, it should be), and make faces on them. Whatever you want.  Here is my cast of characters:

1.)  Bake the cake according to package directions, and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely.  I don’t have a cooling rack, so I used the wire shelf from my microwave and rigged it up over the sink.  Ha…sometimes, you have to think outside of the box.  ;)

2.)  Crumble the cake into a bowl.  I just used my hands and it was kind of fun! (I poked holes in the cake while it was cooling to let some of the heat escape…that’s why it looks so weird).

3.)  Mix the whole can of frosting in with the crumbled cake and mix it all together to make a “dough.”  This is where things got messy, and I stopped taking pictures.  

4.)  Throw the bowl in the fridge to chill for an hour or so…this will make the dough easier to work with.  Spread wax paper on a tray or baking sheet (I used a giant glass cutting board).  

5.)  Roll the cake into balls and place them on the wax paper.  I used a small spoon to scoop the balls, so they turned out to be about quarter-size.  And here’s a tip…once you scoop the “dough,” press it against the side of the bowl to pack it together.  That makes it easier to roll.

When you’ve rolled all the dough into balls, put the tray in the fridge or freezer again to chill while you prep the chocolate.  

6.)  Melt your chips either in the microwave or using the double boiling method.  I added a bit of vegetable oil to thin the chocolate out.  I learned this after I tried to dip the first ball and it ended in disaster.

7.)  Use a fork to dip each ball into the chocolate, then tap it lightly on the side of the bowl to knock off excess chocolate.  Place the cake ball on the wax paper to allow it to cool.

And this is when I ran out of chocolate.  So I suggest buying two bags of chocolate chips or chocolate melts so you don’t run into this problem.  

Instead, when I realized I was going to run out, I poured the remaining chocolate in a ziplock bag, cut off one corner, and drizzled white chocolate over the cake balls.  Then I did the same thing with the melted caramel.  Brad said he actually liked those ones better than the chocolate coated ones, so I suppose it’s just a matter of personal preference.

Here’s the finished product….aren’t they cute?!

I took these cake pops from Iowa to Pittsburgh, where we were spending the weekend with friends and tailgating for the Steelers game on Sunday.  My cake balls got rave reviews!

Scott & Courtney’s puppy, Maddie, really wanted to try some…  :)

My goal is to make actual cake pops next time, and do something a little more creative with the decorating.  But this was a good first experience, and lots of fun to make! 

Enjoy everyone!

I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately.  I’ve been channeling Martha Stewart like crazy and doing craft project after craft project.  I’ve been to Michael’s and JoAnn fabrics multiple times and…get this…I haven’t been to the mall once since we’ve moved here.  Not once.  

This is serious, friends.

A few weeks ago, I shared my homemade prettified bulletin board project, and it got rave reviews.  However, because of my need to use 4 different types of scrap paper for said project, I had lots of leftovers, which I stashed away and vowed to use at a later date.

Usually, that’s the last time said scrapbook paper sees the light of day in casa de McKean.

But enter the new me, Martha-lissa, and this time, I made it personal goal to use those scraps. 

So, behold my first 2 leftover scrap paper projects…which seriously couldn’t be simpler.

1.)  Pen holder

I wanted a pen holder for my desk, because when I was desk shopping, cuteness won over practicality, and I bought a writing desk with only 1 drawer.  So I needed somewhere to stash my writing utensils…yet I kept forgetting to buy a pen holder.

Then, last week, due to all of the research and writing I’ve done in building my new cake pops website, I wound up making a batch of my first and very own cake balls (spice cake mixed with cream cheese frosting, dipped in white chocolate, and drizzled in caramel - I will post about that soon, i swear).  And as I stared at the empty icing can afterwards, inspiration hit.

Meet my new pen holder:

Want to make a snazzy scrapbook paper pen holder of your own?

Step 1:  Wash and dry an empty frosting can (or lick it clean…whatevs).

Step 2:  Wrap paper around the container until it meets, then cut to size.

Step 3:  Tape the edges together.  Yep, it’s true.  I didn’t even use glue to make this piece of art.  It’s super easy!  :)

2.)  Homemade iPhone Cover

Of course, I found this idea on Pinterest.  I seriously have a problem.  Seriously. But we all knew that.

After assembling my pen holder, I realized that I had just enough paper left to make my very own homemade iPhone cover.  

You’ll need a clear or transparent iPhone case for this baby.  I found mine on Ebay for $4 with free shipping and a free screen cover.  Woohooo!

Want to make your own homemade iPhone case?

Step 1:  Lay the scrap of paper down on a flat surface, with the side that you want to show facing DOWN.  

Step 2:  Place the clear case face down (flat part down) on top of the paper.  Trace it closely.  Also trace around the inside of the little camera hole in the top right corner.  

Step 3:  Cut around the inside of the traced line.  You may have to trim the paper down a little once you fit it inside the case.  Also,carefully cut out the camera hole.  An exacta knife would make this a ton easier, but if you don’t have one, you can just use scissors…the line just won’t be as neat.  (I didn’t have an exacta knife…just dull scissors…hence the reason it looks like a bear chewed through mine).

Step 4:  Insert your cut paper into the case, with the side that you want to show facing down.  Then stick your iPhone inside as you typically would.  

Ta-daaa!  The beauty of this is:

a.)  It’s super cute and original looking

b.)  It’s a cheap and cute iPhone cover…which I thought was an oxymoron!  Turns out, you don’t have to pay $30 for one at Verizon or AT&T.  

c.)  You can change it any time you want for under a $1.  And that’s a very big selling point if you…tend to change you mind often…<ahem>…like some of us do…<ahem ahem>. 

What do you do with your leftover scrapbook paper?  I would love to know, since I have 3 more pieces just dying to be used!  :)

In Milwaukee, we lived downtown in a condo where, for 3 years, I rarely (basically never) had to deal with a bug.  No spiders, no lady bugs, no flies, no gnats, no ants.  Just me and Brad…just how I like it, with no surprise visitors from the insect world.

And then I moved to Iowa.

Now, we live in a house with a pond right behind us…and we are definitely a little closer to nature than we once were.

Case and point:
I woke up this morning to find this on my window (outside, thank God):

Yes…that is a Praying Mantis.  I woke Brad up to inform him that the biggest bug I’d ever seen was living on my window.  He told me that it was a Praying Mantis (though I had already made that assumption).  Once I determined that it was outside and was NOT going to eat me, I decided I kind of liked him.

Then it started storming and now he’s gone.  I’m hoping that he is still alive…and wasn’t washed away somewhere.  

In other news, Brad and I spent the whole weekend working our tails off to finish our house.  I left for Canada about 4 days after we moved in, and was gone for 8 days, so we’re a little behind schedule.  However, we got a lot accomplished this weekend.  Everything is unpacked and put away, and I finally have a desk to sit at and an office to sit in…an office that I LOVE, by the way.  

I know I’ve mentioned the obsession I have with decorating my office, and that has not died down whatsoever since I’ve been home.  On Sunday, while Brad was drafting his Fantasy Football team, I went to Michael’s to prep for my newest craft:  A homemade bulletin board!

Here’s how to make your very own prettified bulletin board:

They sell 6x6 cork boards in packs of 4 for $5.99 at Michaels, so I bought two packs.  And then I bought 4 pieces of 12x12 scrap paper (though two would have worked…but I liked the color variety):

I cut two squares out from each piece of paper (tracing the squares with a pencil onto the back of the paper first)…

Then I glued the paper squares onto the corkboard using Rubber Cement…

…and attached them to the wall using the little sticky squares that came with the corkboard (I tested a sticky square on the wall in the corner to make sure it came off easily and didn’t peal the paint off when removed…it didn’t).  

TA-DAAAA!

P.S. Please excuse my pictures.  I lost my camera connector in the move, so I’m having to rely on my Blackberry for my photo documentation.

The only problem is, they’re so pretty that now I don’t want to stick them with pins!  ;)  Guess I’ll have to get over that!  

I’ve been finding a variety of crafty ideas for scrap paper lately (other than for scrapbooking).  Have you heard of any fun ideas for repurposing scrap paper?  If so, do share!  :)

It’s Monday.  Mondays are lame.  If you’re like me, each week when you wake up on this dreadful day, you have a major case of the Mondays and you need something to lift your spirits.

So I thought I would share some of the fun things I’ve found online a.k.a my obsession, Pinterest, this week.  I’m currently in Canada, meeting my new employer and learning about my new job.  However, in my down time, I’ve had plenty of time to peruse the Interweb and come up with a list of must-tries for when I get home!

Before I begin, a disclaimer:

This post is about as anti Uninstall: Sweet Tooth as they come.   Forgive me…I have had a relapse of epic proportions. 

1.)  Yesterday, my sweet little husband spent the day painting my office so it’ll be ready for decorating when I come home.  When we (he) painted our bedroom, we realized that despite the fact that we moved into a new, bigger place, with a roomy kitchen, garage, and deck…we still lack a wash tub where we can clean out our paint supplies.  So this makes painting a little complicated, because we’re both hesitant to wash paint down the drain of our brand new bathtub.  

Naturally, I found this idea today…after Brad painted all day yesterday.  Sorry, husband!  But, how GREAT of an idea is this?!  I use aluminum foil for everything else….why did I never think of this?

2.)  I love summer.  But lately, I’ve found myself looking forward to fall:  changing leaves, apple cider and pumpkin pie, the smell of bonfires, and….FALL FASHION! 

This skirt can be found on ASOS.com.  And here’s my favorite part about ASOS…they offer free shipping everyday.  And free return shipping, making it risk free to shop online (and they also have really cute stuff…plus a great sale going right now)!

3.)  I think we all know how I feel about cats.  They make me sneeze and wheeze and I can hardly be around them. 

But I want this kitty…. (Ok, so I know this isn’t really a “must-try” for me…I’d be completely nuts to get a cat…this little guy is more of a “must-see!”)

4.)  This, my friends, is what dreams are made of:

Samoa bark.  Like the Girl Scout cookies…but made at home…so you can have them Whenever. You. Want.  DROOL.

5.)  I have become obsessed with decorating my office.  Actually, I’ve become obsessed with the idea of finding throw pillows to put in my office.  I had this vision in my head, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.  And then last night, I found the exact pillow I wanted:

HURRAY!  And then I looked at the price tag:  $200.  For a pillow?  For a PILLOW!  For me to pay $200 for a pillow, it would have to fly….or clean my whole house…or highlight my hair…or something.  You get my point.

So I’ve decided to make my own.  This is the easiest, no-sew pillow cover idea ever:

6.)  Ok, seriously, the creative minds at Real Simple never cease to amaze me.  Check out this gem:  Use shower curtain hooks to hang your purses in your closet!  GENIUS!

7.)  I have been trying to find a better organization method for my boots for months…I line them up all pretty in the bottom of my closet…and then they all fall over. Well, now I’ve found my answer!  Plus, every time I drink wine I can just say that I’m working towards my goal of a more organized home….right?!  ;)

8.)  And here’s just a series of food porn that needs no explanation:

Pumpkin Pie White Chocolate

Trix-on-a-Stick

Wonton Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks (These are big in Wisconsin and they are SO GOOD)

Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Crostini w/Feta and Roasted Garlic Cheese Spread

Taco Stuffed Shells

Strawberry Champagne Slushies…yes Yes YES!

I guess that’s all.  No, that’s not true.  But that’s all I have time for for now.  Have a great Monday, everyone!  Muah!