The Voice

When I got home from work today, I had a lot on my "to-do" list.  Although we didn't conquer even half of what we needed to, we had a simple and great evening.

Jon and I started out with a 30 minute bike ride aiming to stay at 15 MPH the entire ride.  We did pretty well considering we took a new route with a lot more stoplights which makes it hard to maintain a constant speed. He's naturally stronger and better at this than me--but I did better that I've done before so I'll take it!  We came home, got to Skype with Jon's sister (thank God for Skype--really!) and made supper JUST in time to turn on The Voice.

For Her: Bean and cheese burrito with carrots/hummus and a couple of bites of leftover garlic    mashed potatoes
For Him: Toast (multiple slices) with black raspberry jam

We try to get rid of any leftovers before we go grocery shopping for the week, saving money AND food, so hodge podge suppers are definitely the norm for us.  Our fridge is looking a little bare (along with the fruit and veggie bowls) so I can't wait to hit up the market tomorrow.

I meant to get caught up on here tonight, (I've got a LOT to write about) but I get SO sucked into The Voice! We had a super busy yet fun weekend and I can't wait to share the stories, photos, and events of our past few days with you!!! But for now, back to The Voice, then off to sleep!!! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend :)

Swollen Glands

Although the weather is finally getting warmer here (I got sick of hearing how NICE it was in Iowa...where it's supposed to be colder than here!!), I think that I'm going to be UNDER the weather soon :( I have a gland swollen to the size of a quarter and I can tell that my body is fighting something off! Jon hasn't been feeling 100% lately either so I'm hoping we both start feeling better soon. Despite feeling a bit less than normal, I still went for a 20 minute run outside (following a trip to TRADER JOE'S) last night. I had to take advantage of the sunny skies! After, I made a run to RedBox and picked up a surprise snack for my husband:

Oreo's & Ice Cream-His fave :)

I hurried home, made myself another mushroom omelet, this time I added corn and topped it with salsa.  It was quite delicious.

Being that we've felt a little yucky lately, we've watched three movies in the past three days. This is NOT unusual for us as we LOVE to cuddle up and pop a new flick in. We have a RedBox within walking distance from our apartment...so we've definitely taken advantage of it.
  1. Sunday:

**Definitely worth seeing...I'm no history buff by any means, but it was definitely an intriguing movie.

  2. Monday:

**HAD to see this...I love the original (not as much as my mom does!) so I had to check it out. Even though it's not the original, I still loved!

  3. Tuesday:

**I didn't read the book like I had planned to, so I had no idea what to expect. It has some pretty graphic scenes, but this was the top movie out of the three we watched this week. I can't wait to read the book! Since The Hunger Games is coming out TONIGHT at midnight, I figured I better catch up with the rest of the world (something I've been wanting to do) and get the books! I just downloaded and can't wait to start reading :)

Although I'm still feeling a little groggy and tired, I hope to workout quick after work and then I'm off to get my hairs cut!!  Going to the salon is probably one of my top five favorite things to do.  Plus, it's been awhile since I've had a trim and with spring right around the corner, I need a fresh look.  I'm going to an Aveda concept salon in Davis (I don't swear by Aveda, but I do like their salons and products) and trying out a new stylist who is supposed to be good with curly hair!  I'll be the judge of that :)  I've been wearing my hair curly much more since getting home from the honeymoon in February.  Make it a great day!

Blended Soup

My workout last night wore me out more than I thought it would so I didn't make it up to go swim this morning. Jon didn't either so I don't feel so bad! Are we enabling each other? :/

Today started out chilly, but turned out to be a beautiful day in the mid-sixties.  After the rain and cold we've had, I'll take it...but it's making me itch for warm summer days!

Although being away from Iowa and our families stinks, I'll admit that the shopping here is 

UH-MAZING.  I found a new store (which maybe we have in the midwestsomewhere, but I wasn't familiar with it until I moved here) called Restoration Hardware.  I'm 100% obsessed.  I can't wait to have a house, even if it is a TINY house, to decorate.  I've been extremely un-motivated to decorate our "shoebox" apartment because I know it's only temporary.  I'd rather live in a boring, plain, mis-matched apartment now and save all of the $$$$$$ we can so I can decorate a more permanent abode!

I found a recipe for Sweet Potatoes, Lentils, and Rice Soup and I've been craving soup ever since.  The recipe above uses coconut milk and that's not a favorite with Jon or I.  So, I searched for a similar recipe and found Vegetable, Lentil, & Wild Rice Soup.  Below is the recipe along with our alterations based on what we had in stock in bold type:

Vegetable Lentil Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

    2 medium carrots chopped **used the remainder of our baby carrots instead
    1 large potato cubed **Finished off the mixed bag of purple potatoes, fingerlings, and yukon gold potatoes                            we bought at the Farmer's Market last week
    2 cups sliced cabbage **Didn't have any so skipped this
    1 can diced tomatoes (32 oz.)
    1 medium onion
    2 cloves garlic
    1 tablespoon thyme
    1 tablespoon parsley
    1 tablespoon garlic powder
    salt & pepper to taste
    3 cubes vegetable bouillon **Did not have any so substituted 4 cups of Unsalted Vegetable Stock/2 Cups of Water instead
    1/4 cup lentils **Added a little more...we like our lentils :)
    1/4 cup wild rice **Fresh out of rice so substituted 1/4 C QUINOA yummmmmm
    1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Chop the onions and garlic and saute them in olive oil until they are almost cooked through. Add the spices, bouillon, 6 cups of water (veggie stock/water), the lentils and wild rice (quinoa). Bring to a boil and then add the can of tomatoes (with the liquid) and the carrots, potatoes and cabbage you've prepared. Lower heat and keep at a simmer for about 30 minutes.  Enjoy!  Other suggestions for additions to this soup: Chickpeas, canned sliced green beans, and brown rice. 

It was PIPING hot so we had to let it cool for about 15-20 minutes before we could even think about tasting it.  Jon says, "it smells delicious, but it's too **** hot!"  His initial observation...it looks like a cross between spaghetti and vegetable soup.  

 

We both thought it tasted decent, but it was quite bland, so we'll have to spice it up and add more veggies and flavors next time (maybe some peppers and oregano)!  

Time to decide what our workout of choice will be tonight. . .maybe just a home workout video and a walk/run with Kasey! We're both tired from our workouts last night....getting back into shape is ROUGH!

Scrambled Eggs

I did NOT want to get out of bed this Monday morning.  Monday's are always rough for me as I am NOT a morning person and I wish the weekends (that are spent almost entirely with my hubby) would continue forever! Only in my dreams.

Thank goodness I've discovered Dutch Bros Coffee...

Large Chai Tea Latte for me...sprinkled with nutmeg and cinnamon...topped with whipped cream. Eases my way into the work week :) 

After work I stopped at the Nugget Market to pick up mushrooms for supper tonight.  Along with the fungi, I picked up some Honey Chipotle Salsa.

Jon and I haven't been able to find a fresh salsa from the store we like since we've arrived in California, but this was a winner!  It started out sweet, had a slight hint of barbeque (weird I know, but it was oddly addicting), and hit you with a HOT kick after.  Three flavors I can't turn down.

For supper, I tried out a Mushroom Omelet recipe that I received in my inbox from "The Sonoma Diet Daily."  I don't follow The Sonoma Diet completely, but I enjoy and mostly agree with the tips I receive daily.  Here's the recipe:

Mushroom Omelet

Here's a simple omelet you can enjoy anytime. If you don't like mushrooms, try adding the veggie of your choice!

START TO FINISH: 20 minutes MAKES: 1 serving

2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

**I added:

-Handful of shredded spinach

1 Tablespoon of shredded cheese

1. In a small bowl, beat eggs, kosher salt, and pepper with a whisk until combined; set aside. In a medium nonstick skillet with flared sides, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and spinach; cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove mushrooms from skillet; set aside.

2. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to same skillet. Heat over medium heat. Add egg mixture to skillet. Immediately begin stirring egg mixture gently but continuously with a wooden or plastic spatula until mixture consists of small pieces of cooked egg surrounded by liquid egg. Stop stirring. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds more or until egg mixture is set but shiny.

3. Sprinkle mushrooms, spinach, and cheese across center of the egg mixture. With a spatula, lift and fold an edge of the omelet over the center. Remove omelet from heat. Fold the opposite edge toward the center and transfer to a warm plate, seam side down.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 236 cal., 19 g total fat (4 g sat. fat), 423 mg chol., 383 mg sodium, 2 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 14 g pro.

Here was the result: 

Maybe not the prettiest concotion (I'm working on my omelet skills) but it tasted delightful and filled me up!

Jon and I are working through Financial Peace University and reading The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.  I'm not a sales rep or anything for Dave Ramsey's products, but I can be a testimony that they are life changing!  The lesson we just finished was titled "Dumping Debt."  We've decided to attack this and commit to becoming debt free as fast as we possibly can.  Step #1: Cut up the credit card!  This is the one and only one we have...and really we barely used it.  BUT, we're doing everything necessary to take control of our income.

I know this is a bad picture...but I had to capture a moment that is going to hopefully change our financial future forever!

After we purchased goggles and swim cap, we headed to the gym.  I'm training for a half marathon, but I haven't decided which half marathon I will sign up for yet.  I'll decide that depending how my first few weeks of working out again goes.  I found a 10-week training plan that I'm modifying according to how my body feels.  I haven't worked out regularly since two weeks before my wedding (over 2.5 months ago) so I'm easing my way back into it to avoid injury.  

Tonight's routine: 45 minute fat burning circuit on the bike (while watching The Voice of course!)

1-10 min: Level 1

10-15 min: Level 2

15-20 min: Level 3

20-25 min: Level 4

25-30 min: Level 5

30-35 min: Level 4

35-40 min: Level 3

40-42:30 min: Level 2

42:30-45 min: Level 1

I felt rejuvenated and my legs are feeling like they got a wonderful workout in.  Time to hit the hay, I promised Jon I'd go for a swim with him at the gym before work in the morning...this will be a big feat for me if I ACTUALLY get out of my extremely comfortable and cozy bed! Gotta go pack!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

First of all, I have to apologize for the pictures in this post.  I forgot my camera so I used my phone--it seems to take decent photos but almost always leaves a weird glare!

Yesterday morning I spent three hours doing work on this blog...I'm just starting out and trying to learn as much as I can...so yes, three hours.  As I was almost finished with my project, my cute little baby hopped up on my lap and managed to exit out of everything I had been working on...with NONE of the changes saved!!! You can only imagine my frustration.  Lesson learned.

I hurried off to meet a friend from work at Forever 21.  This was my first girl's day since Jon's Grandparents visited to drop off our car two days after we moved here.  PTL, because I needed it! Something about girl talk and shopping always revives my soul :)  After a purchase of a new dress coat--only $32--and a basic ivory scarf, I headed back to meet up with Jon.

It's not unusual for us to take a drive on the weekends...and it's even LESS unusual that my husband has been found searching for places to go check out any sort of hunting, fishing, or outdoor gear.  Off to Vacaville we went.

It's been raining and gloomy here the entire week

We ended up at a random sporting goods store, Jon found his next big purchase, as well as a new friend.

The exploding zombie target

We headed to the outlet mall to take advantage of an extra 30% off your entire purchase at Banana Republic--I canNOT pass up this deal! I got a craving for sweets on the way, and had read that chewing Extra Dessert Delights was a good trick to satisfy my sweet tooth.  So, I gave it a shot.

Strawberry Shortcake

It was quite tasty and even though it wasn't the longest lasting flavor, it definitely did the trick. I'd recommend you give it a shot!

To celebrate St. Patty's Day, we headed home, changed quick, and went to deVere's Irish Pub in Davis.  

 We started out with a shot of Jameson thanks to the bartender.  My first time ever...I give it a thumbs up!

 The usual...Bud Light.

 Changed it up for a Stella Artois...one of my new favorites.

Finished the night off with an Irish classic Grilled Cheese and traditional chips.  YUM.
You can read more about how we would rate deVere's here.

Hope you all had a great St. Patty's Day!

In a Nutshell...

I won't try to bore you with all of the minute details of my life up until now, but, I do want to give you the proper background to understand HOW I got where I am!

I was born and raised in small town Iowa, with my Mom, Dad, older Brother, and our family dog. It's a wonderful and safe community where everyone knows everyone and everyTHING.  (If you don't, you KNOW where to get the info you're looking for!)

Matt-My Brother, Mary-His Wife, Dave-My Dad, Joleen-My Mom, Me, Jon, Liam & Jackson-Nephews

I went to a high school of 400-500 people.  My graduating class had around 100 people, give or take a few!  My friends and I were involved in multiple extra-curricular activities, spent Friday nights at numerous sporting events cheering on our classmates, eating pizza at the town square, and driving around town all night long.  I'm fortunate enough to have friends that I can STILL count on, even after graduating high school and college.

J-High Dance (Boys, I don't want to catch you drooling over the hotties above!)

The gang reunites during Thanksgiving break

Girls Night Out

Ugly Sweater Night (Okay, it got warm so we had to change!)

Below is my oldest nephew, Liam, who was born my senior year of high school.  Although I'm the "adult," he's more like my little brother since I never had one!

If I wasn't found with any of the people above, you could definitely find me with the people below.  Meet: The Iowa Rockets.

17R after earning a bid to the National Tournament

I spent a majority of my adolescence with the girls and coaches above traveling the country to play our favorite sport.  We made numerous memories, qualified for Nationals multiple years in a row, and had a TON of success.

After High School, I had too many ideas and didn't know where to go!  Do I play volleyball?  Big school, small school, or cosmetology school?  In state or out of state?  What will I major in?  I knew I LOVED to play volleyball, but I was unfortunately under the impression that I needed either a scholarship or be asked to walk on to a DI or DII school.  (I'll discuss more about this in a future post)  In July after I graduated high school, I had no scholarship offers, and one offer to walk-on to a school 8 hours from home.  With the facts facing me, I decided to hang up my shoes and focus on my studies.  This is where it gets lengthy, so I'll give you my 4.5 years of college life in fast forward:

1. Semester: Fall 2006

School: University of Northern Iowa

Major: Elementary/Special Education

Volleyball: NO :(

My new lifelong friend from college-Amanda, best friend from high school-Brooke, and Me

I spent a LOT of time cheering on former teammate, Jules, as she dominated at Mizzou (Watching her was half of the reason I decided to play again...keep reading)

2.  Semester: Spring 2007

School:  Kirkwood Community College

Major: General Education

Volleyball: Back with the Rockets as an Assistant Coach to the Coach who trained me

(Pretty sure I spent most of this year LEARNING from the best!)

Iowa Rockets 15R

3. Semesters: Fall 2007-Fall 2008

School: Des Moines Area Community College

Major/Degree: AA in Liberal Arts

Volleyball: Played for 2 seasons, qualified for Nationals twice

Coached for a small high school club in Woodward, IA

2007 at our first tournament of the year

Friends/Teammates

Roomies from Apt. 9

2008 team at Nationals

                     

4. Semester: Spring 2009

School: Iowa State University

Major: Dietetics

Volleyball: Coached for Johnston Volleyball Club

Enter: Kasey! I was at a new school where friend circles had already been made, so I decided to adopt Kasey to keep me company.

Soon after Kasey joined the family, my youngest nephew, Jackson, was born! It's been so fun to have him around and see his quite spunky personality develop :)

My handsome little buddy came to visit and show off in his tux before I walked down the aisle

 5. Semesters: Fall 2009-Fall 2010 

School: Simpson College

Major/Degree: BA in Sociology:Social Work

Volleyball: Played for two seasons, went to Nationals once

Coached for JVBC with my Simpson teammate, took our team Nationals 

**Started dating and got engaged to my husband!

2009 team on Seattle trip

First day out for the 2010 squad

Celebrating Halloween with my now hubby and teammate

JVBC 2010 team at Nationals

Enjoying a Peruvian specialty

We're engaged!

Engagement Session May 2011

Okay, did ya catch all that?  The past year of my life has been spent wedding planning, losing weight, changing my lifestyle, and trying to find a job.

Here is a list of the jobs I've held:

1. Sales Associate at Banana Republic

2. Nanny

3. Remedial Therapist

4. Club Volleyball Coach

5. Teacher's Aide

6. Freshman Volleyball Coach

7. Infant-Toddler Development Specialist (ITDS)

I loved something about EACH of these jobs.  I thought #7 was the winner as it was in my field of study, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was located where my husband was working.  By now, you've figured out that everything changes rapidly in my life, and now was no time to stop the trend.  Two weeks after I had started my job as an ITDS, my husband found out he was being relocated to California.  This was quite a shock for both of us and all of our families.  Not only were we about to get married in less than two months, we had to plan to move across the country only 2 days after we got married! Talk about CRAZY!!! Thankfully we have amazing family and friends who helped us pull all of it off.  

This brings us almost up to date...

Jon and I tied the knot on New Year's Eve 2011...

Jon and I chose not to see each other before the ceremony.  Needless to say, the 4 small children were DONE taking pictures by the time we got to this point!

My new family: Matt-Jon's Brother-In-Law, Anna-Jon's Oldest Sister, Jon, Me, Donna-Jon's Mom, Greg-Jon's Dad,   Abby-Jon's Middle Sister, Ryan-Abby's Boyfriend, Sarah-Jon's Youngest Sister, Justin-Sarah's Boyfriend

With a bittersweet taste, we left for sunny California 2 days later and landed in our new apartment in Davis, CA.

500 Square Feet...filled with pure love :)

We slept on the floor for the first week...and ate only finger foods!

I was blessed to get a job within a week as an Administrative Assistant.  I've never had a 8-5, full-time job, so this has been quite the learning experience for me.  I definitely miss the flexibility of having a different schedule each week, but at the same time this job allows me to see my husband every day (except when he travels back to Iowa for work), allows me to figure out what my next career move is, and gives us a chance to get on our feet financially.  NOW, you're up to speed.  Thanks for stopping by...I'm excited to have this blog as an outlet for everything that goes on as we venture through this life together!