Friday's Letters!

Today I am linking up with The Sweet Season Blog for Friday's Letters!

Dear Sunshine, Thank you so much for shining these past 2 days.  While I love to see you and enjoy the warmer days, I  am not enjoying the view of dirty windows!  I highly dislike cleaning windows and honestly don't see the point with a 3 1/2 month old puppy that likes to lick, smell and jump on my back sliding window.

Dear Verizon, I am over dealing with my phone that you updated (read: against my will) and it now only works when it chooses.  If I worked the way it does, I would be fired.  I secretly have visions of how I want to get rid of my phone.  Can't decide if I want to throw it at a street sign going 60 mph down the road, smash it with a hammer or flush it down the toilet! They all sound wonderful! ;)

Dear Scales:  I am very happy with you this morning!  I love stepping on you and you telling me I weigh less than I did on Monday!  You are my newest BFF (at least until you tell me that I have gained, then I will put you in the same category with above phone)!  You don't want to do that, mmmmmkay!

Dear Spring Cleaning,  I love making list and really enjoyed making my spring cleaning list, but honestly I just don't have it in me lately to go above and beyond my normal cleaning.  Yes, I know it needs to be done, but thinking it won't happen over Spring Break.  I think spending time with my family and friends sounds way more fun.

Dear Molly (our adorable new bloodhound puppy), I am so in love with you and so happy to have you be a part of our family.  However, I don't enjoy the little messes you continue to make.  I  don't like a dirty kitchen floor and every time you go outside, you come back in with your cute little dirty paws and leave your cute, but humongous footprints all over it! I feel like I have my spray mop in my hand all day long. Speaking of ginormous.  How is it possible for you to grow so much every week.  I know you are going to be a big dog, but I am already missing my cute little puppy that I could carry around.  Not to mention the large amounts of dog food that you continue to ingest daily.  Your lucky your so cute! 

Dear Easter, You totally snuck up on me this year!  I didn't even get any decorations out this year, besides all the cute crafts that Emily has made at school.  At this point I won't be going to the basement to dig around in the dust and cobwebs to look for my Easter tote.  Maybe next year. 

Enjoy your weekend everyone and Happy Easter!  :)

I would love for you to "like" my Facebook page HERE! Pretty please!  Thanks. 

Thursday Thoughts

I am linking up today with Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for Thursday Thoughts!

~ It's Thursday, but it really feels like a Saturday since I am not working.  Spring Break starts today and I am off work until April 8th.  Sweet.....

~ It's the first day of Spring Break and I have a long list of things I want to get done around my house (think Spring cleaning) and what have I done as of 9:41am?  Ate breakfast. Check.  Played on Facebook and read up on blogs I like to follow.  Check. Got dressed.  Big fat NO! Still in my comfy clothes. Won't be doing that until I absolutely have to!

~ Wishing I had more episodes of The Bachelor to catch up on right now!   I always say I'm not going to watch each season, but then I get sucked in and can't wait for Monday nights!  I was totally hoping he was going to pick Lindsay though.

~ Super excited for next Thursday, when we head to Kalahari (water park) in Ohio for a few days! So looking forward to getting away with the hubby and kids.  Totally looking forward to spending way to much time soaking in a hot tub!

~ So ready for warmer weather.  Spring so far in Michigan has been pretty craptastic!  The cold weather is keeping me indoors way to much.

~ Speaking of warmer weather, so ready for our summer of camping at Silver Lake!  I could live on the beach and love the sand in between my toes.  Love being a seasonal camper now.  So much easier to go.

~ It's sunny this morning, which is awesome, but not loving the sun shining through the windows and highlighting all the dirt and dust that needs to be cleaned up. Oh the joys of living on a dirt road and burning wood all winter. 

~ Trying to think of something to do today that will give me an excuse so I don't have to start my Spring cleaning.   ;)

Happy Thursday everyone!  I'm off to try to actually get something checked off my list today!

Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday! Everything Easter

Joining in on Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday over at The Vintage Apple again this week. Going with Easter pins since it is this weekend!  Oh, how I love Pinterest. 

See something you like, go ahead and click on the photo and it will take you to Pinterest and then you can click again and go to the original link for more info and instructions. :)

Source: inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: familyvolley.blogspot.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: living.msn.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: mommysavers.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: food.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: fgkmv.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Baked Chicken Fajitas Recipe

One of my go to recipes at least 2 to 3 times a month is Baked Chicken Fajitas!  We love it in our house.  It is a great quick weeknight dinner and pretty healthy too.

I found the recipe over at Six Sister's Stuff.  You should check them out.  Tons of great recipes, from main courses to yummy desserts.

I have changed the recipe a little to fit our taste buds, but not much.  I love this recipe because you can make a little or a lot very easily.  Tonight I was only cooking for 3 so I used less chicken and cooked it in a smaller baking dish.

You can see the original recipe HERE.

Below is my adaptation of Baked Chicken Fajitas. Enjoy!  :)

INGREDIENTS:
2 large skinless chicken breasts or up to a pound, cut into strips (change the amount of chicken based on how many people you are serving, more chicken for more people)
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies (I usually use the original because we like a little more spice, if you don't, use the Mild or just use a can of tomatoes and a can of chilies)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I like to use both red and green)
2 Tablespoons Canola oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Flour tortillas
Toppings such as cheese and sour cream


 Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a  baking dish, base the size on how many servings you will be making. Mix together chicken, Rotel, peppers, and onions in the dish.  In a small bowl combine the oil and spices.  Mix the spice mixture in with the chicken.  Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve with tortillas and all the other fixings you like, such as cheese, lettuce and sour cream.

**I like to cook this in a lower temp oven like 250 to 300 degrees for a couple hours, so the chicken and veggies are really tender.  If you don't have the time, just cook it at the above temp and time.** 

A Day in My Life is on Facebook!

I recently started a Facebook page for A day in My life!  You can go HERE to like it if you feel so inclined!  Thanks!  :)

Weekly Weight In 3/25/13

Stepped on the scale this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see I was down 2 more lbs!  I feel like I had a pretty good week and a decent weekend, minus the extra pieces of pizza on Friday night and the pile of homemade mac-n-cheese last night!  I am such a carb person and crave pizza all the time!

I got a few runs in last week, along with a zumba class and a great 3 hour raking workout on Sunday!  I'm a little sore from that.

So, all in all a great week, but I didn't start this week off that great!  Went to dinner at our favorite Mexican Place tonight and pigged out on their chips and salsa (hangs head in shame).  Won't let that ruin my week, starting fresh in the morning and hoping to hit Zumba tomorrow night.

Hoping to have some warmer temps soon.  Getting really tired of the 20 and 30 degree days with snow showers.  Makes it so hard to want to be outside and get a good jog in.  Really need some sun so I can stop looking like I could glow in the dark!  ;)

A Week in Photos..... 3/24/13

Here are a few photos from my phone that were taken over the past week!  Enjoy!  :)

A self taken photo of my beautiful oldest daughter Hannah!  She takes them once in awhile and I enjoy finding them on my phone. 

Our adorable spoiled rotten bloodhound puppy, Molly!  She loves pillows!

Emily and her 96 year old Great Grandpa picking up pine cones together this morning!

All the pine cones that were collected today while we were cutting up a pine tree that had fallen at my hubby's Grandpa's house!

Emily's choice of clothing for the afternoon!  She was hot after playing Kinect and changed her clothes!

 Me, on the day I ran a mile straight!  It was really cold and was snowing out!  Didn't let a little weather keep me inside.

 Have you heard of the show called "Pass Time" on the Speed Channel?  Well, my 5 year old daughter, Emily, loves this show and begs to watch it with her Dad every day.  She loves the cars and guessing how quickly each car will make the pass!

Non-Scale Victory!! I finally did it!

I am participating in another new Linkup today.  This is for celebrating a Non-Scale Victory!  Life By Lex is the host and she has a really great blog, you should totally check it out!

I  had a major Non-Scale Victory yesterday! Like HUGE for me!  I have been working really hard over the course of the last year on being able to run a mile and guess what?  I TOTALLY DID IT YESTERDAY!!!  I ran a mile without stopping!!  :)

I am so geeked.  It felt so good.  Last year at this time I was just starting to walk daily and couldn't even run a tenth of a mile. I haven't ran a mile straight since high school!

I am doing The Color Run 5K this August in Grand Rapids and am hoping to be able to run most of it.  I have 4 months to work up to the 3.1 miles and I am really thinking I will be able to do it!

Have any of you had a Non-Scale victories this past week?  Whether it be mentally, physically or in weight loss! Share it with me and others!

Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday!

I found a fun thing to on Wednesday's over at The Vintage Apple! It is a link up called "Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday"! 

It's no secret that I love me some Pinterest!  Don't know what Pinterest is or haven't taken the plunge yet, let me know and I will send you an invite!  You won't be disappointed, I promise.  Although, I won't take responsibility for all the time you waste on Pinterest!  :)

Now, onto some of my favorite pins that I have found on Pinterest just this past week!

Source: pinterest-daily.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: thesweettalkshop.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: themetapicture.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: thebootblog.net via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: studybreaks.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: wanelo.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: emp.de via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: five-words.com.au via Wendy on Pinterest

Want to participate too? Head HERE to learn how and let me know so I can check out your pins!

50 Things You Don't Need to Know

I Came across this 50 Things You Don't Need to Know list over on Pinterest awhile ago and thought I would share it.  I happen to find useless information quite interesting.  I also love playing trivia games and you never know when some of the useless information you have stored in your brain will be a trivia question!  ;)

Numbers 28 and 50 are gross!

Enjoy! 

Weekly Weight In and My Non-Scale Victory

Stepped on the scale this morning to find I had lost again, but only about 0.6 of a lb.  Thought I would see more, but have to remind myself that it is still a loss.  I didn't get as much activity in as I would have liked last week and I also had a not so good eating weekend! 

Weekends are my worst.  My hubby is home and we tend to have a higher fat and calorie breakfast.  We had dinner out once and I ordered bad (pulled pork and fries, but they were oh so good).  I also ended up eating frozen pizza, not once, but 2 TIMES!  I'm telling ya, pizza is my thing.  I LOVE IT, like honestly you could put sauce, cheese and pepperoni on a piece of cardboard and I would eat it (hangs head in shame)!

Anyways, all in all it wasn't a bad week.  Had a loss, tried out a new Zumba class that I loved and plan on going back to at least once a week.  I have noticed that my jeans are feeling a little looser again, so that's awesome!

I did have a great Non-Scale victory this past week.  Yesterday I went for my wog (walk/jog).  I always start out walking until I am warmed up then I add some jogging in.  I am not a jogger/runner.  Never have been, but it does feel natural to me now to jog at times.  I have never really ever jogged more than .4 of a mile straight since I started walking regularly last year, which isn't much, but for me it's good since I use to have a hard time jogging to my mailbox and back.

Anyways, yesterday, I was feeling good, the sun was shining, I had some rocking music in my ears and I decided that I was going to push myself a little harder this time and go a little further than I usually do.  Well, I ended up running .8 of a mile straight!  That's almost a mile!  I should have kept running because once I got past the leg pain and heavy breathing, I actually felt pretty good and it felt natural.  I stopped once I got to my driveway.  Still a little mad about that, but still really happy with what I accomplished.  I honestly haven't ran that much straight since gym class in high school which was a loooonnnnggggg time ago!  ;)

So I might not have lost as much as I wanted last week, but in my mind, I am getting stronger, fitter and healthier every day!  A year ago, I was 50 lbs heavier, a whole lot lazier, couldn't barely walk a mile without shin splints and was stuffing my face with whatever I wanted all day long!

So I will remind myself when I feel discouraged that "the scales aren't telling me the whole story"!  

For any of you that might be working on fitness, etc., did you have a non-scale success this week?  Share it with me! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!  Hope your all having a great day and wearing your green.  The sun is shining here, which is helping, since it is cold!  Makes it more bearable.  I am so ready for Spring.  I want to be outside, without a coat.  How about you? 

I am getting ready to head out for a long walk right now, then I guess I will need to clean my house, since it looks like I haven't in days, which might or might not be the case!  ;)

I bet you have always wondered what your Leprechaun name is.  Mine is Stumpy McSmelly!  Not so sure I like it!  Leave me a comment with your Leprechaun name, pretty please.  :)

Leaving you with a couple photos that are St. Paddy's day related.

Painted my nails green last night so I wouldn't get pinched today! Boy I need some sun and lotion!  ;)

Shamrock pancakes I made for breakfast this morning.  Emily helped me with the cookie cutter part.  :)

Would love it if you would head on over to Facebook and LIKE my new page for A Day in My life!  

St. Patrick's Day Food and Craft Ideas

 In honor of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, I have rounded up some of my favorite ideas to celebrate.  These are all pins that I have pinned on Pinterest!  If you haven't heard of Pinterest or haven't joined yet, you really should.  Although, I will warn you that it will magically suck away time from your day that you could otherwise use to clean your house, exercise, etc!  Don't say I didn't warn you!  If you would like an invite let me know.  You know you wanna.....

Anyways, back on topic.  I am married into an Irish family.  Even have a nice Irish last name, McNamara (pronounced MacNamara) that no one can pronounce correctly.  My hubby and I have even toyed with the idea of getting shamrock tattoos, but we haven't (yet)! 

We won't be doing anything too crazy for St. Patrick's Day this year.  Going to some friends house tonight to hang out and play cards.  I'm sure there will be some beer involved, but not by me.  Beer is nasty.  Do you have any grand plans for St. Patty's Day this year?

Okay, I am rambling.....  So below are a few of my favorite ideas I have found on Pinterest.  I have done a few, but most I haven't.  Let me know if you try one out!

HERE is my link for my Pinterest St. Patrick's Day Board if you would like to see more.

Don't forget to wear your green tomorrow! ;)

I make these for almost every holiday.  Just change the color of the M & M's!  I like to use peanut ones.  Yum!

Thinking about painting my nails today.  I'm sure mine won't be this cute, but I'm going to try!

Yum, anytime you do something with an Oreo, it's going to be good.

Shamrock Pancakes.  Made these last year.  These aren't mine, but they did turn out good.  The kids loved them.

Gotta love this!  Might do this tonight before I go to bed!  Emily will love it!

Cute craft idea for the kiddos.

Super cute and easy to do. 

Love sugar cookies.  Shamrocks and gold coins. 

Haven't done this, but really need to.  Super cute.

Favorite Food Blogs

Photo courtesy of Kevin and Amanda

I have had a few friends ask me where I find recipes of good home cooked meals that are not overly complicated and call for wacky ingredients!  I thought I would post a few of them here with links so you could check them out! Your welcome!  ;)

The photo above is from Kevin and Amanda and is my absolute favorite recipe ever!  I make it at least 3 times a month.  It is called Colorful Chicken Alfredo and is to die for (seriously)!  I think it is way better than Olive Garden.  I love throwing in tons of red, yellow and green peppers in, more than the recipe calls for.  So good! You MUST make this very soon, you won't regret it, unless you don't like Alfredo, then well, that's just crazy.  ;)

Emily Bites  This is a great Weight Watchers recipe site.

Get Off Your Butt and Bake Great recipes and tons of great look desserts.

Kevin and Amanda  Great recipes and beautiful photos of food, travel, etc.  

Life as a Lofthouse  Easy, but tasty recipes for busy weeknights!

Plain Chicken  Lots of great recipes for chicken, plus other stuff as well.

Six Sister's Stuff   Great site for recipes and crafts.

Skinny Taste  Another great low calorie, low fat site.

The Pioneer Woman  I'm sure you have heard of her and if you haven't your missing out!  Not only great recipes, but great posts about life, family, etc!  She even has her own show now on the Food Network! 


There are lots more that I use but these are my favorites right now.  I will do a post soon of some of my all time favorite meals to cook for my family that are from scratch, taste great and are rather easy. 

Got my WOG in today!

Today was a little warmer than the past couple days here in Michigan and by that I mean it was in the 30's, the sun was a shining and the wind wasn't blowing!  I had a busy morning, but told myself when I got home that I really needed to take advantage of the natural Vitamin D and head outside for awhile.  I prefer being outdoors, especially when I want to get some exercise in.

I love the dirt road I live on.  It's so nice to walk on.  Low traffic and you almost always see wildlife.  I love country living!  Can't wait till Spring so everything comes alive.  It's so dreary out right now.

It started out a little chilly.  I was dressed in yoga Capri pants, a tank top and a sweatshirt.  I had to pull my hands up inside my sleeves for the first half mile or so, but once I got moving I warmed right up!  

 Gotta wear shades....... 

Not sure exactly how far and how quickly I was moving because I am having phone issues right now and my phone shut off (yes, it does that randomly throughout the day and it's super fun, insert sarcasm) about half way through and I lost my Map My Run Data!  :( 

So I can't call myself strictly a walker or strictly a jogger since I do both right now.  It feels natural to jog after I have walked a bit and warmed up, but I can't run much more than a half mile at a time right now.  So today while I was out walking and jogging I decided that I would just say WOG instead of walk/jog! Yes, I talk (sing along to my music) while I wog, doesn't everybody?  Maybe it will catch on and everyone will start saying it, but probably not.  I'm a dork!

I was proud of myself today because there is this pretty big hill that I usually walk up but I was already jogging and I told myself I was going to jog up it today and I did!  It burned and hurt, but felt really good!  

So all in all I had a great day.  Got some exercise in and ate really well.  Although, I will tell you that I had to stare at the evil temptation of cake tonight!  I am Emily's Daisy Scout leader and we had a meeting tonight.  It was one of the girl's birthdays today and she brought cake and cupcakes.  I love me some cake ( and doughnuts and brownies), like seriously have a hard time turning it down.  I did great at the meeting but somehow ended up bringing the leftover cake home, thanks to my beautiful daughter Emily.  I served her a piece tonight and it smelled so good.  I ended up taking one bite and that was all I had. It took a ton of willpower to not devour the entire cake! I had some fruit and am feeling pretty good!  Now, if my hubby doesn't eat the rest or have a piece, I will be throwing the rest in the trash.  I can't be trusted with it tomorrow.  I won't try to eat it if it has been in the trash.  ;)

Doesn't it look sooooo good??

 Let's see how the weekend goes, it's usually my hardest with eating.  Just taking it one meal at a time, one day at a time....