Friday, July 20, 2012

Happy Day = Vacation Time


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"Aunt Blain, I am ready for Vacation....Are You?!" - Jackson

I am headed out tomorrow for a week of vacation at Ocean Isle Beach with Sister and Sam, Mom and Dad and of course my little niece and nephew, Olivia and Jackson. 
I am beyond excited and can't wait to kick back, relax and play with these little doodles all week!
Bring on Vacation Time!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Mother Of The Bride Dress


See this little lady below:

That's my BEAUTIFUL MOMMA!
(my fingers are crossed I will look just like her in 23 years!)

This past weekend we decided to try and cross another item off our wedding list and that was her Mother Of The Bride Dress.  Originally I thought it would be OK if she picked out a short dress but I squashed that thought really fast.  I want her to be glamorous; stand out from the other guests.  She is a very important part of our wedding and I want her to feel that way.  I want her to be special.
  She tried on several gowns and of course they all looked amazing with her cute little figure but at the end of the day we found one that none of us could get over.  

She decided that the Adrianna Papell Crystal Broach Ruched Jersey Gown was going to be her MOB dress! 
Click the link above and check out a video clip of the model in the dress.  The back is stunning the way it frames your rump hump. The way it flows makes it red carpet elegant.

The color is called Eclipse which looks like a blue slate.  I am so excited!  It's going to look gorgeous with the champagne color bridesmaids dresses.


Mom, you will look stunning!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Engagement Pictures



Our Engagement Pictures are back and we could not be more happy!!!!

Honestly, I would be lying if I said I did not stress about getting these pictures taken.  For the life of me I could not figure out what to wear and "Charleston", being a boy, did not care.  I wanted these pictures to turn out looking like US.  
I finally narrowed it down to a couple pieces and after seeing the final results I think it worked out perfect.
When I say Cyn worked magic with these photos, it's really an understatement.  As I was sitting at Lindsey's house getting my hair and makeup done, it started to drizzle. (PS - Lindsey is the bomb!  I'm serious.  This girl did a transformation on my sad hair and face that no one else could tackle!) This drizzle was happening at the same time the air temp reached 98 degrees.  If you are from North Carolina you know what this feels like:   HOT, STICKY AND HUMID.
I don't think I have ever experienced such a miserable feeling.
But, can you tell in the pictures?  NOPE!  That's the magic that the fabulous Cyn has!!

All my thanks go to Cyn for these special memories.  You are the easiest and sweetest girl to work with and you truly captured what Matt and I share.  Words can't thank you enough. 

Check out her blog post here:  Blain + Matt

Thank you Cyn and Lindsey....hurry up March 9th so we can do this all over again!

Check me out on facebook next week and I will have more posted there.  I might need your help in picking some to put up in our house!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Not A HOLIDAY/VACATION Week Here

So if you live in North Carolina (or South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana) and missed the memo...Duke Energy completed the merger with Progress Energy last Monday; for most of you this means Duke will now be your power company.  Therefore, that is exactly what I have been up to 24/7 for the last week.  Work, Work, Work.  I think I might have forgotten to breathe.  This just means my poor little blog got some neglect.  Actually, it wasn't just my blog....the neglect poured over into my friends, fiance, house, yard, kitchen, workouts etc... life has been pretty much on hold.

Therefore tonight, I decided to be a good little girl and have a hot meal on the table for "Charleston" when he got home from hanging out with the boys.  I tried something new and it turned out AMAZING therefore I just had to share with you....this is the easiest recipe and a total crowd pleaser.  I WILL make this the next time we have friends over.

Chicken Rollatini with Prosciutto and Cheese
by Gina's Skinny Recipes
Find the recipe here:  YUM YUM YUM

8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
4 (2.8 oz) slices thin lean prosciutto, sliced in half
4 slices Sargento reduced fat provolone or mozzarella, sliced in half
1/2 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
1 lemon, juice of
1 tbsp olive oil
fresh pepper
1/4 red onion, sliced
olive oil non-stick spray

Wash
 and 
dry
 cutlets well with paper towels. 
Combine
 breadcrumbs and grated cheese in one bowl and olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in another bowl.




Dip the chicken in the lemon-oil mixture, then in the breadcrumbs to coat well. Place each cutlet on a work surface such as a cutting board and lay 1/2 slice prosciutto, 1/2 slice cheese and a few chunks red onion on one side of the chicken cutlet.  


Preheat
 oven to 450°. Lightly
 spray
 a baking dish with non-stick spray.



Roll 
and 
place 
seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks needed). 
Repeat
 with the remaining chicken. When finished, 
top
 with remaining crumbs and spray lightly with oil.
Bake
 25 - 30 minutes. 
Serve 
immediately! 



Just try it!!!  You will love!!!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Happy Birthday To My Man!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MAIN SQUEEZE!
"Charleston", you are the man of my dreams and today is YOUR day and you DESERVE every minute of it!
Can't wait to celebrate YOU all weekend!

(a little sneak peek from our engagement pics last Sunday night)
I love you from deep down in the bottom pit of my heart.
 XOXO

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

House Update...Not Much Of An Update


I have yet to post any interior pictures of our new house for one reason....

There is still nothing in it!

Unless you love the look of random furniture and blank walls I have nothing to share.
I am ready to get knee deep in decorating and buying "big girl" furniture but want to get through the first couple months to see what our monthly expenses are going to be with utilities etc.  That way I know what I have left over each month to play with and save with.

Our house has four bedrooms, one of which we will be using as an office.  It also has two "living room" spaces, both of which we are going to use as comfy casual "family space." (Comfy casual family space in my dictionary means it has to have a TV!) 

The furniture that was in our old living room at the apartment is now in the smaller of the two living rooms at the new house.  That particular space just needs a little decoration and we will be good to go!

With that I am left with three main spaces to decorate:

1.  larger living room
2.  office
3.  master bedroom

All of which need furniture!
(Now you see where the dollar signs are popping up!)
Scary.
So...we will take it nice and slow and improve as we feel ready to spend the money.

Therefore, I will leave you with several pictures of a masterpiece of a living room that I would LOVE to recreate in my house one day!

via Laura Casey Interiors here in Charlotte


Friday, June 22, 2012

Hair

When I book a hair appointment I always go in with a plan.
I have tried every hair color out there including an accidental purple so needless to say I am never scared to try something new.  The length has seen 4 inches and 14 inches (although not in a looonnnggg time) so the cut never scares me either.  Therefore I don't know why I try and come up with a plan of action before my appointments because the same thing happens every time......

Yesterday, my plan was a more natural color brown highlight and a shorter bob cut.
And....
.....
....
....
.....
.....
....
....
...
..

this is what I walked away with:
I am a light blonde.!
My "hair girl" did good; she talked me into it and I went with her.
(Now I need to get a little sun this weekend so I don't look so washed out!)

Happy Friday Friends!


(And of course I couldn't leave you all for an entire weekend without a picture of the cutest niece and nephew on the planet!)

Sister sent me these pics this morning as the kiddo's were watching cartoons on her bed!
Olivia Claire

Baby Jackson
Melt my heart

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Where I Have Been

Just in case you have been missing me and wondering where I have been.....

I have been hanging out in Kernersville with my family playing with these two little nuts:
Yeap, that's a BABY!!!!
My nephew, Jackson Scott Howard was born last Wednesday, June 13th.
His formal introduction to come!

Friday, June 8, 2012

3-2-1 Cake

There is a new trend in my house every night....  Cook Dinner. Eat Dinner. Eat 3-2-1 Cake.
Yes, cake is being produced from my kitchen!
The baker in me is still trying to develop herself but this kind of cake requires no baking; just a microwave!

I learned of this recipe from my Weight Watchers leader here at work and then found it on the Ducan Hines Website here:  3-2-1 Cake  ( I make several adjustments to the recipe.  see below.)

It makes single servings which is perfect for portion control and it takes only minutes to whip up.

"Charleston" is in LOVE with the milk chocolate cake.  I used the Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate mix as well as Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake Mix.  I top his with Light Cool Whip and Chocolate Syrup. 

Although I too have truly enjoyed this particular combination, I am looking forward to the next batch because I plan on mixing a Chocolate Fudge Cake mix with the angel food cake; I want more of a rich chocolate taste!

3-2-1 Microwave Cake

Recipe Description
This is a very easy cake for 1 or 2 servings.  It's light and you can do different things to it.  Try fruit on top, whipped cream or topping.  Have a can of cream or frosting handy to use too.

Ingredients
- 1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
- 1 box any flavor regular Cake Mix
- 2 tablespoons water
- cooking spray

"Baking" Instructions
1.  Mix the 2 cake mixes together in a gallon zip-lock bag.
2. Spray microwave safe bowl with cooking spray
3.  To make the cake:  take 1/3 cup of the cake mix; mix this with 2 tablespoons water; mix together and micro-wave for 1 minute.  Let rest for 5 - 10 minutes and serve with toppings.
4. Fruit, whipped cream or topping. 
5.  Red Velvet, Chocolate, Spice, Banana, Strawberry, Lemon etc use your imagination on the mixes.


You can slide it out of the bowl and serve pretty on a plate like this:
but at my house, we don't have time for that step...we eat right out of the bowl!

image via

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Samantha and Kevin's Wedding

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This past Friday, I took a half day at work (which gets me out of the office at 10ish!  There are some perks to going in at 5:30!) and headed to Kingsport, TN with "Charleston" for his cousin Samantha's wedding.  One word to describe the weekend:  BEAUTIFUL
The weather was BEAUTIFUL, The Oaks Castle where they got married was BEAUTIFUL and Samantha was a BEAUTIFUL bride!
Evidence:

Samantha and Kevin are two of the sweetest people placed on this planet and I envy them more then anything on how laid back both of their personalities are.  When the bride and groom are calm and always collected, it makes for the most relaxing weekend and atmosphere.

They did the best job of keeping a guest list of 200 feeling like a small intimate wedding.  I would also take a stab at saying that 150 of those guests were family which made this day even more special.


Samantha is "Charleston's" cousin on his mom's side of the family so I think the highlight for me was meeting EVERY single family member related to Barbara.  They live all over the U.S. so in the three years "Charleston" and I have been dating we have not had the opportunity to see them all. Now I do not have to meet them for the first time on our wedding day which was icing on the cake. 
I know I have said it a million times but I do not think I could be more blessed to be marrying into one of the most amazing families I could have ever asked for.

"Sorry bud, you picked me!"

Congratulations to MR. and MRS.  KEVIN PITTMAN!
Samantha and Kevin, we love you both and hope you have the most amazing honeymoon in Mexico! (and thanks for making "Charleston" an usher so that he could wear a bow-tie for the first time....I think he looks like a stud!)


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Olivia's Second Birthday


This past weekend Olivia turned 2!
It is absolutely crazy how fast time goes by and it makes me never want to miss one special day in this little girls life.  She truly has me wrapped around her little finger and when she looks at me with those eyes and says "Aunt Blain....".   I don't care what follows those sweet little high pitched words, I am going to do it or give it to her.  

I went home on Sunday to have lunch at my Grandmother's house for Livi's birthday with my family and then spent the afternoon with Sister helping get Livi's 'Dora the Explorer' party ready at the playground at our Church.
The child is OBSESSED with Dora and there was Dora EVERYTHING!  Sister even catered her party with taco's and chips and salsa to stick to the Dora theme ;)
I feel so blessed and privileged to be Olivia's aunt and I can't wait to continue to watch her grow up.


Grandma, Aunt Lori and Olivia blowing out the candles on her birthday cake

This little girl has a personality bigger then my sister and Sam are ever going to be able to handle :)
I can't wait until she is 16! Ha 

Olivia and I reading books together.  She is a little bookworm


One little monkey jumping on Grandma's bed


and we are still reading books.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLIVIA CLAIRE HOWARD!

YOU LITTLE DIVA IN THE MAKING!

AUNT BLAIN LOVES YOU PIECES!  You will always be my little peanut.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Installing A Husband

My future mother-in-law sent me this the other day.  I thought it was cute and share-worthy material!  Thanks Barb!


INSTALLING A HUSBAND

Dear Tech Support,
Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0...

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs such as NBA 5.0, NFL 3.0 and Golf Clubs 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.
What can I do?
Signed,
Desperate!!!



DEAR DESPERATE!!!,
First, keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command:ithoughtyoulovedme.html, try to download Tears 6.2, and do not forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update. If those applications work as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0, or Beer 6.1. Please note Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Farting and Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources.)

In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 -program. This is an unsupported application and will crash Husband 1.0!!!

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly... You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Cooking 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.
Good Luck!
Tech Support



Friday, May 25, 2012

Entryway "Redo"


I saw these photos of an entryway "redo" on Young House Love and fell in love with the concept.  Right now we have a mud room off the driveway that has a long large closet covering one wall.  I would LOVE to take down the doors and convert it to a wall like this one with some sort of cubbie/bench at the bottom for added storage space.
I am obsessed with the mini mantle!



Oh the possibilities!  Isn't that the fun part of buying a house...making it your own?  Now if only I had a money tree ;)
Happy Friday Friends!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Floral Prints

"Charleston" and I are getting our engagement pictures taken at the end of June by the fabulous Cyn Kain and I have been brainstorming several looks for the pictures.  Because it is in the heat of the summer I originally thought I would go for some sort of dress but... the more I think about it.... if we are walking around downtown Charlotte or another urban area, I might want to go with a floral short and light weight jacket; I LOVE this look!







Happy Thursday Friends!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Dinnerware Decisions


I feel totally overwhelmed when it comes to thinking about the wedding; probably because it has been on the back burner for several months since we started house hunting. I make lists in my head everyday about things I want/need to do but have yet to get anything checked off:


Flowers
Cake
Bridesmaids Dresses
Wedding website
Registry
Save-the-dates
Invitations
Guest book
Transportation

(OK my heart is beating fast again just thinking about it)

In the meantime I have started to think about where “Charleston” and I should register and what kind of everyday dishes would work for us. I am trying to convince him to go with me this weekend to get the ball rolling…

There are so many choices but since I get my grandmothers china I want to stick to just registering for casual dinnerware. Right now I am leaning towards Pottery Barn’s Cambria Dinnerware in Stone. I need to call my BFF Leslie who is the Pottery Barn connoisseur and get her opinion because my only concern with going for Pottery Barn dishes is, if one breaks, will I be able to find this pattern in 10 years compared to going for something more common like a Lennox pattern from Belk?  Also, how often does Pottery Barn change their patterns?  Will this still be available up until the wedding date next March?

Anyone have any advice?


Monday, May 21, 2012

Our Petting Zoo

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One of the reasons we fell in love with our house was the private backyard.  The house backs up to a huge natural area owned by the city.  During one of our tours of the house "Charleston" saw a deer walk through the backyard and I think from that point on he was sold.  At the closing the sellers mentioned the amount of wildlife that we will see in the area but we honestly never expected that we would actually have this:

It doesn't matter what time of day it is or how loud we are on the patio, they are out there just playing around; not scared of a thing.  I told "Charleston" that by the end of the month I will have them named and eating out of my hand :)  
Welcome to the Higgins/Atkins petting zoo!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Friday's Playlist


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Good grief, is anyone else as excited as I am for it to be a Friday?
I still have a house full of boxes that are screaming my name to make them disappear.... but... I just keep telling myself that its a process and I will approach it one day at a time!  So we will begin tomorrow :)

To keep my mind off of all I need to accomplish I have made a new playlist that has jump started my good mood for a beautiful weekend in the Queen City!

River City Lights - Griffin House
Good Life - One Republic
What I Wouldn't Do - A Fine Factory
Stole My Heart - Little and Ashley
First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
Ooh La La - Faces
Say - John Mayer
Song For No One - Mike Snow
The Middle of the Road - Jonathan Rice
Island In The Sun - Weezer
5 Years Time - Noah & The Whale
Beautiful Day - U2
Angel Dream No.2 - Tom Petty
Secrets - One Republic
Farther Along - Josh Garrels
Springsteen - Eric Church
Just Say Yes - Snow Patrol
Washed Away - Joe Purdy
Say Hey (I love you) - Michael Franti & Spearhead
For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
This Years Love - David Grey
Here We Are - Patrick Park
Tongue Tied - Grouplove
Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
After All - Sondre Lerche
Queen Bee - Neil Halstead
Come on Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners


Ta-Ta for now friends!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Not A Baker

I am not a baker.  I do not have the patience to bake.  I hate to measure and I hate to have to bake something to just the right minute and second for it to turn out perfect; too much effort for me.  (I am a burner in the kitchen.  I get distracted watching TV while my recipe is baking and usually end up making some form of a charcoal concoction!).  Therefore, I always find myself in a pickle when a friend asks me to "bring the desert."  Too many times I have showed up with an add-egg-water-and-oil pouch made cookie.  Therefore, I was out searching for something different to take to a gathering this week and I stumbled upon what I believe to be a new solution....

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries via The Sweets Life

How amazing do those look; my mouth is watering right now!  They also seem so simple that my fingers are crossed I can pull them off.  I am thinking I could either serve them just like this or...... how amazing would they be along side a scoop of homemade ice cream?!  YUM!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

-1 lb large strawberries
-8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat)
-3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some may already be hollow inside). Prep all strawberries and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Done Deal

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It's a done deal...we are officially homeowners!
We closed on the house yesterday morning at 10:00 and by 11:30 had the keys in our hands.


"Charleston's" mom did a little snooping/gossiping with some friends at church, who also live in our neighborhood, and found out that our house is the "Robinson house" to most of the older couples that have lived in the hood 15+ years.  The Robinson family owned the house for 30+ years before selling it in 2006 to the couple we bought it from. 

The sellers that we purchased the home from did not use the home as their primary residence but put their elder mother up in it when she moved to Charlotte.  Therefore the house has been very "easily" lived in and has been kept in great condition for a home built in 1968. 

When we arrived for the walk-through before the closing, the house had been cleaned from top to bottom and every original owners manual, to every single kitchen appliance, fan, outdoor lighting, etc. was laid out neatly on the counter.  From that point on I knew we were purchasing a home from my kind of people...neat and organized!!  LOVE IT!

We spent the most part of yesterday moving over little things and meeting the neighbors.  So far our neighbors seem fantastic.  The Bailey's beside us have lived in their house since 1975 and they have a daughter that was actually a teacher in Kernersville; my hometown! It's a small world!  I was a little intimidated that these "older" individuals would not like some young bucks moving up in their hood but I was totally wrong!  Each left us with a "Well come on over if you need anything!"

Let the weekend begin!


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Bring On The Fun And Memories

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The last five months have truly been a whirlwind. I got engaged, started planning a wedding, went through some serious health issues with “Charleston”, started house hunting, stopped house hunting, closing on THE house tomorrow, and officially moving in next Tuesday. OK, breather.

All the dreams I have thought about for so long are playing out right in front of my eyes and I wouldn’t have pictured it any other way. Pinch me right now so that I know this is real.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly overwhelmed as well but… the one thing that is keeping me grounded is knowing that once we get into our house, we are set, establishing roots for the years to come; a place to start our marriage and life together. I can’t wait for that feeling of knowing that when I walk in our front door, I am HOME. I am looking forward to slowly unpacking and putting things just right where I want them.

For the past couple years I have held off on buying ‘real’ furniture because I knew one day I would be buying a house. Now I am ready to buy furniture to fit our HOME. Even with that being said, taking advice from Alex Berlin of Things That Sparkle, “Invest in pieces you love slowly, rather than filling it with things you just like quickly.” I am looking forward to enjoying this new adventure as a slow process. Alex and her husband took two years to pick out the perfect couch - talk about patience!

“Charleston” and I are going from a 1,000 square foot apartment to a 2,400 square foot HOME so, you can only imagine how much empty space we will have but, that’s what I am excited about; SLOWLY building each room to fit our taste, wants and needs! And obviously there is a $$$ factor in there as well! Design each room as the funds come along. Therefore, over the next couple years, I can’t wait to show you the projects and progress we make in our HOME as an engaged and married couple!

Bring on the fun and memories that are ahead!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Weekend Recap in Kernersville

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"Charleston" and I headed to Kernersville this weekend to hang out with my family.  On Saturday morning I attended a mother-daughter brunch at my church with my mom, sis, neice, grandmother, aunt, and two cousins while dad and "Charleston" went turkey hunting (boys-will-be-boys).  As cheesy as the brunch was at times, it was also the most amazing feeling to look around the table and see how lucky I am to have such beautiful and strong women as my role models. 

The rest of the weekend included a surprise birthday party with friends, church on Sunday and a baby shower for Sister on Sunday afternoon.  It really has not hit me yet that we are going to have another baby in the family in just a month, especially a little boy which Blair and Sam have named Jackson!
After seeing all the cute little boy clothes, I am so ready to hug, squeeze and kiss on my little nephew!
But until then I will continue to spoil this little peanut who is getting cuter and cuter by the minute:

Olivia on Saturday morning, bed-head-and-all, enjoying cartoons and Apple Jacks

The bed head was fixed but cartoons and breakfast were still not over...

Aunt Blain loves you Olivia Claire!

Happy Monday Friends!

Friday, May 4, 2012

Black Bean Brownies and New WW Round!

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On Wednesday I started a new "round" of Weight Watchers here at work which means I just completed my last round like a champ!  I am proud to announce that in this past session I lost a total of 14.5 lbs!
I can say that my eating habits have done a complete 180 and I have a much better appreciation for food.  I can also say that with the change in my eating habits, my wallet has also gotten a little fatter.  When you start to cut down on your portions, especially if they were as out of control as mine were, your food goes a lot further!
I am excited to start again, especially since a couple more people from my little office have decided to join me :)   Motivation from co-workers really helps since I do eat breakfast and lunch with them five days a week!

Along with learning better eating habits I also experimented with many new recipes, one being:
via

I know it sounds super gross but I promise you that they are way better then the name hints; the beans give it more of a dark chocolate taste.  The beneit of adding the beans is that you do not have to add eggs or vegetable oil.  They add a "bulkiness" to the brownie making it a lot more filling.  This chocolate treat then becomes a good source of fiber and protein!  Many of the women in my class said they do this to sneak in a little extra nutrition for their kiddos.
Try them!

Black Bean Brownies

15 oz can black beans
19.5 oz box chocolate brownie mix

Open can of beans, drain and rinse well (I use my colander). Put beans back in the can and fill can with water. Put beans and water in blender until smooth. Mix pureed beans with brownie package mix. DO NOT add eggs or oil. Spray baking dish with Pam. Cook brownies according to package directions. Cool and serve.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Please Purchase And Share :)

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My shopping days have been put on hold for awhile until this little house buying process is over and I am back to having a stable budget each month but until then....will one of you bestest friends buy this and share?!  PA-LEASE?!
I am in love....
...with it all- every piece- bracelets, necklace, bag, sunglasses, even hair color!