I blame....

Okay, so I've been getting a lot of slack on why I have been absent lately and there is only one logical person to blame in this situation....Parker.

*a little backstory. My business partner, Summer, gave birth to her first baby last Wednesday. She is a beautiful little girl. So innocent. So sweet. So perfect. Her name is Parker.*

As of last Tuesday, contractions started to take place and therefore "Operation Parker" took hold and the rest of the instructors went to work like busy little bees. We were making phone calls, sending texts, double checking schedules to make sure that all of our ducks were in a row where client-coverage was concerned and the LAST thing that I was thinking of was my blog. When Summer and I opened up our studio, we split all of the responsibilites right down the middle. I never really questioned the things that she was in charge of and visa versa. Let me just say that as embarrassed as I am to admit this, I think I kind of took Summer for granted. Holy Jeez is it tough stuff running a biz solo. I am so thankful to have someone to share in not only the more challenging vices that come along with owning and successfully running a Pilates studio, but celebrating in the successes as well. I heart Summer. I wouldn't do this with anyone else. I digress. Since last Wednesday, I have been on a mission. No spare time. It's work...gym....dogs....DZ....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's. That's it. Period. So as much as I am so excited to have Parker now a physical part of our lives (we've been talking to her in utero for what feels like years), I am totally blaming her for not having the time to talk to my blog peeps.

Now I realize that I might've just hit a new low. I mean, blaming a 6-day old little baby girl for not being able to blog? Really, Katie?!? Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! ha!

So, what's happened since we last chatted? Let's see......

DZ and I went to go see "The Switch" with Jennifer Anniston and Jason Bateman. Nothing says "romantic date night" like a movie about artifical insemmination (sp?). haha. It was cute, but totally predicitable which I love. The thing I hate the most is when a movie throws a curveball atcha right when things are going just as planned. Grrr. Fortunately, this movie went just as I hoped it would. I left happy. We then took dinner over to Summer and Brian's to congratulate and "oooh" and "aaaah" over baby Parker. She is presh. More than that, though, I was so PROUD watching Summer. She has taken to mommyhood as if she were born for this role. I hope that I am like Summer when I grow up....she is true, genuine, nurturing and glows with that "baby love". :) I am so happy for them.

As much as I was hoping for the incessant rain to come to a hault so that DZ and I could continue our Beach Sunday traidion, that did not happen. Outlet malls, anyone?!? Yup...did that. Along with every. one. else. I guess we didn't take in to consideration that school started up this week so all the kiddos were shopping for new shoes, shorts of the appropriate length and the trendiest of tops. It was kind of nostalgic to watch the junior high girls giggle over the cute boys that would walk by. Oh how I remember those days. Oh wait, I still giggle when a cute boys walks by, what am I talking about!! I guess some things never change!!

So this week has been a blur and I cannot believe it's only Wednesday. I feel like its groundhog's day. Looking forward to this weekend as we are going to hang out with Any and Gina. They have a sitter for the twins and as much as I love hanging out with the boys, it will be a real treat for it just to be the four of us. I am most certain that some serious storytelling will take up most of the evening.

That's all I got. My brain is mush and my boys are giving me the "evil eye". I have not spent more than two seconds with them this week and they are laying the guilt trip on me bigtime. I'm a sucker for those big, sad, droopy eyes. Time for some puppy lovin'.

Carpe Diem!
xoxo

Child Please!

Are you wondering where the title of this post came from. None other than, Chad Ochocinco Johnson. That, along with "kiss the baby" which we overuse in the Z household as well. DZ and I have a completely unhealthy addiction to "Chad Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch". We cannot even help ourselves. It's our guilty pleasure and one of the very few shows that we both enjoy??! Don't knock it 'till you try it!

So yesterday was a ridiculously fantastic day. Any day that starts off at church is a good day. Good music. Good people. Good sermon. It's all good.

We then took advantage of the GORGEOUS day and continued our tradition of spending Sundays at the beach. We try to mix it up and rotate the places that we visit, but we inevitably end up towards the Sarasota area. Anna Maria Island was the paradise-of-choice and it did NOT disappoint! B-E-A-utiful!!

We have to remind ourselves that we actually LIVE here....we are truly blessed!

This is my "Anxiety? What anxiety?!?" face!! Being at the beach is pretty much my therapy!

For those of you who are not familiar with my little-to-be-desired work schedule, I am revising it. No more traveling back and forth, but rather getting there early, working my tail off and leaving early. Welcome to owning your own business, Katie. It's about time you start enjoying the fruits of your labor. Who knows, perhaps this will give me more time to, oh I don't know, BLOG PERHAPS?? You could only be so lucky!

I'm hoping that this week gives us some more sunny weather. I might have to make a solo beach trip during the week for some R&R. Also looking forward to hitting up Grassroots at some point, the outlet mall, and Eat, Pray, Love. Busy, busy week.

I haven't been taking too many food pics lately and for good reason. First of all, they really haven't been anything to write home about and secondly...I'm kind of playing around with my diet. Figuring out some intolerances that I am having and hoping that a few tweaks here and there will do the trick.

I hope that everyone has a great week....I am hoping to be back on tomorrow. No promises. If the sun is out, lying poolside trumps blogging ANYDAY. What can I say, I'm a water baby!

Carpe Diem!

xo

a flower a day.....

or is it an apple a day?? Po-tay-toe....Po-tah-toe.

I love flowers. They make me happy. Like, REALLY happy. I love all kind of flowers. I love that they come in all shapes, sizes and colors....all equally beautiful....all equally ALIVE!

A while back I decided that each week I would buy a fresh bouquet of flowers from the little market across the street from my studio to put in our house. There's something about coming home to a fragrant, gorgeous arrangement smiling back at me. Yes, I believe flowers can (and do) smile!

My most favorite flower of ALL time would have to be a hot pink gerber daisy. Fugeddaboutit. I die. (any Friends or Rachel Zoe fans out there?? Holla!).

And to be sent flowers from someone.....you have my heart forever. (hint hint).

Since we do live in the Sunshine State and have the perfect climate for growing beautiful buds all year round, DZ and I take pride in our assortment.

Enjoy!

Okay, so it's a mushroom, but it's in the shape of a flower. Cute, huh? (Nevermind the fact that DZ and I are officially growing 'shrooms in our backyard. Darn rain!)

I found this the week that we bought our house & I was SO proud. I mean, how fitting?!? We call him "Tiny Tucker" (it was a pre-Ziggy purchase. Sorry Little Boy!) and he is a bobblehead Harlequin Great Dane. Welcome Home!! :)

DZ and I are headed to a comedy club tonight with some friends....a guaranteed great time. I think I might've even wet myself a little last time we went. Uh oh, TMI? hehe.

Tomorrow is Sunday, which means one thing and one thing only......BEACH!! I think we might head down to Anna Maria. Haven't soaked our toes in those waters in a while. Hope everyone has a fabulous and safe weekend.

Carpe Diem!

xoxo

I'm Okay!

So my "catchup Monday" was capped off with "The Ultimate Catch" with Chad Ochocinco. Night complete. Kiss the baby! Lol!

Today was a productive day...and as happy as that should make me feel (I heart productivity!), I must admit that I had a bit of a sad moment. Stepped on the scale while I was at the gym and (gasp!), I HATED the number that was staring back at me. This is a neverending battle. One that I wish with every ounce of my being that I could conquer and come out on the other end victorious! Unfortunately, I am human and a girl and face all of the insecurites (and more) that most of us deal with on a daily basis. I am hoping to use this blog as a window into my most inner thoughts, be it good, bad and/or ugly. One day, not too far from now, I will explain my past and the darkness that I experienced, but as for the time being I am going to focus on overcoming my demons. I am 28 and feel like I have the confidence of a 7th grade girl (yeah, remember that awful time in your life when you're taller than all the boys, your hair is a hot mess, you haven't figured out how to wear make-up and aren't at the age where shaving is "appropriate". haha). Everyday I wake up and have to rev up my inner voice to communicate positivity. A lot harder than one might expect. I love my life. I love everything about it. My husband. My dogs. My family. My friends. My job. I feel so lucky to have so much and at such a young age. Truly blessed. Why then, do I find it so hard to truly be happy with ME? I am my worst enemy. With every glance in the mirror (which I try to avoid at all cost), I find something to critique. "Katie, suck in that tummy". "You really shouldn't have eaten so much yesterday, you're totally bloated". "Eat cleaner". "Don't wear such tight clothes, you can totally see your muffin top". One thing after another, I tear myself apart, only to feel shamed and sad about who I am. As much as I don't believe that I deserve this type of behavior from myself, and if any one of my clients were to tell me that they feel this way about themselves, I would be so sad for them. But for me, it's a necessary part of everyday life. I am not revealing this information to fish for pity or compliments. I want neither. Rather, I feel that once these feelings, as embarrassing as it is to say it out loud, are in black and white, it is then and only then that I can deal with them. I tend to give myself goals....you might have even picked up on this is my previous posts....so my new "goal" if you will is to STOP giving myself goals. I want to enjoy life and if I overindulge (which I most certainly will quite often, I'm sure) it's going to be okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. This is my mantra!!!! Thanks for allowing me an outlet to communicate my feelings. It really is my therapy!

Now, off to some lighter topics. FOOD!

Breakfast. My shake is baaaaaack! I got a new protein powder and I don't think it's as filling as my other one. I was STARVING by lunch and therefore ate my weight in "snacks". Felt gross.

Shake Domination!!

Had a Larabar about 3 hours after my shake because my stomach was eating my intestines. I have to say, not a huge fan. Too sweet. I know, I cannot believe those words just came out of my mouth. But I feel like it threw me off for the rest of the day. I was CRAVING sweets from then on.....

An insight to my lunchtime hunger madness (not picured): cottage cheese (finished it off. done and done.), sami's pita chips w/ hummus, Honey Bunches of Oats with almond milk. Nothing healthy which only lead to self-loathing and some inner abuse. Sad afternoon!

I love my boys. They love me no matter what the scale says!

Dinner was broccoli/cauliflower salad (compliments of mom-in-law. Thanks, Terry!) with leftover tofu. Note to self: must eat tofu as soon as it is cooked. Really chewy if left to eat at a later date. I've also included some pics of things that I cannot live without!!

You know the deal, DZ. I cook...you clean. Good luck with that.

(notice my Mexican dog in the background. DZ painted that himself while on vacay in Mexico. So cute and sweet. Looooooove.)

Thank you all for bearing with me through today's posts. I appreciate you listening to me as I work through what I hope to be a successful recovery story someday.

Carpe Diem!

xoxo

What are some things that you are working on? I am working on JUST BEING NICE to me!

What are some food items that are vital to everyday life for you? Nooch. Edamame. Annie's Goddess Dressing. My beloved protein shake!

Playing Ketchup (er, Catch Up!)

Happy Monday to all.

So today was a pretty low-key kind of day. I started out with a few clients and then went to my acupuncturist....she is such a blessing in my life. We have a "protocol" that we are starting and I am exciting to see where it takes me. We also agreed to start a detox-type diet consisting of clean, clean, CLEAN eating. I've been doing well anyway since the first of the month....as I mentioned, my 10-year reunion is rapidly approaching and seeing as how I was deemed "Most Likely To Succeed", I do NOT want to disappoint when I return home. It's been about 9 days of me being super in tuned to what is going into my body and I must say, I am feeling better and better with each clean meal. Now that I am detoxing....I have to cut out all processed foods. I'm sticking with the basics. Fruits, veggies, beans, legumes, DONE!

My mom and little cousin were in town all last week. SO. MUCH. FUN!! Nai'a is six and is truly the FUNNIEST person I know. Ever! It was a week jam-packed with crazy fun-ness (is that a word?!?) and therefore my trash tv had to wait. Until today, that is. I have never watched so much juicy drama in one day before. From The Real Housewives of NJ to The Rachel Zoe Project to The T.O. Show (haha....this one might be my FAV!), it was an afternoon of train-wreck goodness.

I ran out of my protein powder this weekend so my breakfast consisted of overnight oats. Wish I could take credit for this bad boy, but I totally stole it.

*1/2 cup of rolled oats.

*2 tbsp of chia seeds.

*1 cup of water

stir all these ingredients together and let them sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add the following:

*cinnamon

*almond butter

*protein powder

ENJOY!!

Lunch was a protein shake (yay for getting more protein powder today) with lots of snackage on veggie chips with hummus, cottage cheese (HAVE to stop this pronto!!) and blueberries. Sorry, no photos. Too busy shoveling food.

Since I didn't have to go back to work tonight, I played housewife and cooked dinner for DZ and myself.

I had a bowl full of sauteed goodess: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, tofu, sun-dried tomatoes and dried edamame topped with Annie's Goddess Dressing and Nooch. Mmmmm!!

DZ had some marinated pork chops, baked potatoe and corn on the cob. With a side of Tucker....never more than an arm's length away.

Where's Ziggy you ask??

Passed out. It was a CBW (camp bow wow) Monday. He is dunzo!

Hope ya'll have a great night. I'm gonna watch some Rays ball then crash.

Some things that my bad a** acupuncturist and I talked about today. My name is Katie and I am a perfectionist!! I am trying to define what "perfect" means to me. What does it mean to YOU?? What is something that you are striving to work on?

Carpe Diem! xo

My FAVORITE things...

I have spent the last week playing hostess to my fam and as crazy as it has been, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. It's Sunday, my FAVORITE day of the week and it is storming like crazy. Thunderstorms are another fav of mine, which is why I felt like it would be fun to create a blog to let you know some of my most favorite things in the world!

* DZ. We will celebrate our 5th anniversary this October....I wouldn't trade one day!
* Tucker and Ziggy. My heart hurts when I look at them. Lame, I know!
* Sundays. What's not to love about a no-obligation-kind-of-day??
* Thunderstorms. The bigger and scarier...the better!!
* Two Words. Ice. Cream.
* Working Out. Endorphins are God's gift. Gotta love 'em.
* Birthdays. Not just mine (although March 16th should be a national holiday).
* Healthy Foods. I get giddy when I can find healthy food that tastes great!
* Coffee. Not all the time. But when I'm in the mood, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
* The beach. The smell. The sounds. The feel of the sand. All of it!
* A good book. The kind that you become addicted to.
* Family. Crazy, but amzaing!
* Friends. We can go ages without talking to each other and it's like we haven't missed a beat!
* Country music. It just makes me happy.
* My studio. I love everything about what I do. Pilates. My clients. The girls.
* Church. I wish I could feel that sense of inspiration 24/7.

That's all I've got for now. Believe me, there's more where that came from but I really want to get back to wasting away the rest of this rainy day! :)

Talk to y'all tomorrow.
Carpe Diem!
xoxo

...on the road again...

...I just can't wait to get on the road again!! :) Lame, I know, but it's a song that my family ALWAYS sang whenever we would get in the car to start a road trip!!

I am writing this post from the car as we are heading down (or up and over, rather) to Jacksonville for the weekend. Seeing as how we have a good two hours left in this little “roadie”, I might be a little long-winded today.

I apologize for being so absent this week. There are lots of things that I could blame, but the truth is I was having a somewhat down-and-out week and just really didn’t feel like “talking” to anybody. I am pretty sure that each and every one of y’all have been there and therefore completely understand where I am coming from.

Where do I begin: so much has happened in the last 5 days. I will start from the beginning…..

Monday NO-NO!! My days at work are all pretty much the same where awesomeness is concerned. What can I say, I am truly “living the dream” when it comes to careers. I cannot complain (and if you ever hear me saying anything negative about what I do, I hereby give you permission to give me a swift kick in the a**). However, this particular evening, I was given great tickets to the Tampa vs. Detroit baseball game and since DZ is a former Tiger himself, we decided it would be fun to go and watch some cute boys swing some bats. (Okay, so I added “cute”…what can I say, I’m a sucker for those uniforms!!). Turned out the starting pitcher, Matt Garza, through a no-hitter. The FIRST in Rays history. Ridonculous!!

Tuesday/Wednesday Two more glorious work days. Aside from kickin’ some major tail when it comes to working (I believe both days I had at least 9 hours…whew!), nothing super fabulous seemed to occur. Sometimes “boring” is nice!

Thursday “Welcome to the dark side”. I was victorious in taking with me two girlfriends to Grassroots, my most favorite little raw/vegan café. We had a spectacular lunch and I feel proud of both of them for trusting me and stepping (or eating) outside the box. It was a huge success and I believe that one of them even went back for dinner. You’re welcome for my referrals, Grassroots!!

Friday One word: OHMYGOSHIAMSOHAPPYITSFRIDAY!!! Okay, so that’s about 19 million words, but since its Friday, I can totally get away with cramming them all together in sheer excitement!! Anything goes on a Friday! Right?????

Now that we’re all caught up with activities that have taken place this week, lets move on to the juicy goodness….FOOD! I have been fairly proud of my pickings the last few days and am sadly realizing with each passing day that dairy and I just don’t get along. Tear. Goodbye cottage cheese…..I will miss our time together. It definitely leaves me with a bloated feeling and worse than that, I actually get a knot (I swear it feels like it’s the size of a basketball) at the top of my stomach anytime I consume dairy. Sniff Sniff.

I would like to end this post with a proposition. I am almost exactly (give or take a few days) three months away from my 10-year high school reunion. Yowsa!! This excites and terrifies me at the same time. I had the most amazing high school experience that any girl could ask for and I am giddy thinking about reuniting with some peeps that I haven’t seen in ages. Terrifying b/c you set all these expectations for yourself that you would to accomplish by the time that the ripe age of 28 comes around. Hehe. I really want to challenge myself, and anyone else whom would like to join me in this escapade, to not only eat super clean, but also work on some inner confidence that I feel I might lack. I want to be able to walk into the room and smile knowing that I look and feel better than I did 10 years ago. I am going to work on the “specifics” and get back to you. I’m a “planner”, so I will have it all written out for anyone who might want to follow along with me. I would LOVE some company.

Adios mis amigos!!
…and remember: CARPE DIEM!
xoxo

ps. My goal for the weekend is to take pictures.....AND LOTS OF 'EM for your viewing pleasure!

Ikea OVERLOAD!!

Ikea should come with a warning sign....either that or it should give every person (of age) who walks through their doors a Zantax. The last time I visited this superstore I was in college and must've been feeding off the energy of the several girflriends that I went with OR I was still slightly inebriated from the night before and therfore didn't really care where I was as long as I had a greesy piece of pizza in hand (which ironically, Ikea sells) to soak up whatever was still in the tums.

....I digress.

I got a "wild hair" yesterday afternoon and decided that I wanted to re-organize our pantry NOW! Ikea was our first choice. I had never been to the one here in Tampa (it opened up last May) but had heard that in the area of organization, THIS was the place to go. So off we went....happily entering the doors like two little kids. For those who are unfamiliar with the layout and proceedings of an IKEA, here is the jist.

-You first walk through their "showroom" with a little brochure looking thing and a pencil that is about an inch long in hand.

-Any room that you could possibly fathom is demonstrated and decorated. If you see something that you like or wish to purchase, you whip out your Barbie pencil and write the quantity, make #, color, size, bin #, aisle #, birthdate, social security #, etc. (okay, so the last two are false, but with all the information that you have to write down it seems a little excessive!).

-After the five years that it takes you to "shop" the showrooms, you go down to the warehouse where they have all the products.

-You are then responsible for going through yet ANOTHER 10 football fields-worth of crap that you picked out upstairs.

-Proceed to HELL....oops, I mean, checkout. This is where all idiots of the world unite! How is it that we have come so far in technology, however people STILL cannot seem to figure out how to scan their own items in "self-checkout" lanes. COME ONE PEOPLE!!

Anywho, to say the least, I left there glazed over and with heart palpatations. Too much. In the midst of a meltdown, luckily I had DZ to somewhat steer me in the direction of baskets and organizational jars for the pantry.

Here's what some of the finished product looks like!

I love how clean it looks! The cute little white trash can

is where I keep all the puppy stuff. It's perfect. And the two little white baskets have all of our herbs alphabetically (aren't you proud, Mom Z??). I LOVE organizing....it makes me happy! :)

We went to church this morning. What a great way to start the day. We haven't been in a little bit so it was nice to get our booties back in the pews. There was a guest speaker today and althoug he was good, he wasn't our Greg. Either way, I always leave there inspired and ready for the week to come.....

Tropical Storm Bonnie has been toying with our emotions this week and although nothing major has hit us, she's still making it so that going to the beach is out of the question. Boo on you, Bonnie!!

Dinner was D-E-L-I-S-H! I had a tofu wrap that included: avocado, Annie's Goddess Dressing, my sun-dried (or dehydrator-dried) tomatoes, edamame, spinach, tofu all in an Ezekial wrap. Mmmmm. Alongside I had a mexican "rice". It was a new recipe that came from my Raw cookbook. It was acorn squash that I pulsed into small pieces and mixed with avocado, cilantro, tomatoe and onion. Surprisingly delisious as well! DZ had leftover pizza. haha. To each his own!!

Mexican "Rice"

My Ezekial-Tofu Wrap

Off to hang with the hubs. Happy Sunday to all. Be back on tomorrow! Carpe Diem!! xo

Things that make you go "hmmm"....

1. What inspires you?

2. When do you feel your happiest and healthiest?

Saturday....*sigh*

*enter "hallelujah" music*

Saturday is upon us! I am finished with work and now have a day and a half of NOTHING pressing to do! Love!

Yesterday was lovely. It was nice and gloomy outside because of Bonnie (the tropical storm) and Ziggy was at Camp Bow Wow which meant that home was nice and QUIET!! DZ and I had our "date night" last night including a jaunt through Barnes & Noble (I'm secretly having an affair with this place...shhhh!). I wanted to get a new cookbook that I had been eyeing, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen, and a chick-flick book, Firefly Lane, that came highly recommended to me by one of my fav clients (shoutout to Paula! whoop whoop!!). :) I love, love, love Barnes & Noble. Or any bookstore for that matter. There's something about the smell when you first walk through the doors that literally gives me an endorphine rush. I could spend hours in there. Just walking through the aisles, reading different titles and watching what other people are drawn to really mesmorizes me. Dork, I know! Of course, we cannot really go anywhere without having a few giggles amongst ourselves.

DZ thought that I might need to pick up these books and take some notes:

Really?!?

Although, I thought that this was much more my style!! Prettier cover. :)

We decided that we were both in the mood for "Mexican" so we went to this restaurant that has the best guacamole in the world. Literally, I wish that I could get it pumped into my veins....THAT good. Since it was still early, we thought we might go home and watch a movie, but since we're both pretty old at heart, we crashed by 10pm. Who are we kidding?!? We're old married folk....we don't stay up late anymore. haha.

I worked this morning and am now hanging out with DZ at his work. Our plan of attack for today is to go to the gym together -- always an adventure. Take the boys for a walk and then rent a movie. Any suggestions?

I'm hoping to get another post in today, but no promises! Haven't really been focused on food too much today, although I am hoping to try a recipe or two tonight from my new cookbook. I'll definitely take pics of the disasters that are sure to come. :)

Happy weekend, everyone!

Carpe Diem!!

Bad Ziggys

While I was cooking dinner this evening, I was so proud of my boys for being so well-behaved and quietly lying in the living room keeping to themselves. Or so I thought............

This is part of a strap that belongs to my reformer ("Pilates machine"). Apparently Ziggy is going through his Terrible Two's and has been getting into EVERYTHING. Be it my reformer, laundry, flip flops (one of mine is still missing!!) or even a bar of raspberry scented soap, he continues to challenge authority! Kids will be kids, I guess!

...onto the juicy goodness of my Thursday. Food!! I'm starting to get a little better at taking pictures of my meals, but my breakfast this morning was oatmeal that was eaten in the car on my way to work. Safety first....don't think I would've been able to talk myself out of a ticket on that one had I been pulled over (which those who know me, know that I would most certainly been pulled over! haha).

Lunch was eaten at this kick a** little vegan/raw cafe. I'm not at that confidence level just yet where taking pics of my grub in a public venue is cool.....bare with me, I'll get there! However, the Sabrina's Favorite Sandwich and House Salad that I had was bangin'. I crave their food and eat there about three times a week. It's gotten so bad that when I walk through the doors, they give me a wave and write down my order....no words needed!!

I did get to go to the gym. Didn't run as planned, but did a great 45-minute workout on the elliptical. I had already done TRX with one of my clients this morning and didn't realize how fatigued my quads were until I got on the treadmill. Yup, no running for Katie!

Dinner was something I whipped up in a jiffy, but came out pretty descent. Pasta salad with angel hair noodles, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, green beans, broccoli and scallions. That's some beanie goodness if you ask me. :) I skipped out on the pasta for my serving and added some Annie's Goddess Dressing, dried edamame and Nutritional Yeast. Yum-O!!

Dessert is half of a "Rawnola" bar that I get at that same little cafe where lunch was served. It's got coconut in it, which isn't my fav but it's raw and only 2 grams of sugar (natural sugar I might add) so it feeds my sweet tooth perfectly!

Now it's time to relax with my DZ and answer some emails. I hope everyone has a Fabulous Friday. Carpe Diem!! xo

TGIAF!

Thank Gosh It's ALMOST Friday!!

For some reason, this week has been ridonculously long!! I'm not sure if it's because Mallory is out for the week and so I have been covering a bit for her or because it's 500 degrees outside and this heat just makes every minute drag by, but I cannot tell you how excited I am to have the weekend upon us.

I apologize for the lack of postage yesterday -- was in a "bum" mood and frankly, just didn't have anything too nice to say . And you know what mom always said, "If you can't say anything nice....."

On an interesting note, I used my dehydrator for the first time yesterday. Made Sun-Dried Tomatoes (or would they be Dehydrator-Dried Tomatoes?!?). They had to set for about 8 hours and I didn't think that through when I put them in so come 2:30am this morning, I had to get up, come downstairs and take my tomatoes out of the dehydrator and put them in an air-tight container so they wouldn't go bad. I was pretty impressed, though....
Before:


After:

Not too bad, eh?

On to some other news....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BUBBA!! I was able to talk to him this morning and he sounded SO good!! I miss him like crazy so every chance that I get to hear his voice is special. He was telling me that the highlight of his day was when he went to Chili's and a bunch of Korean waiters sang their version of the birthday song to him. It sounded a little something like this (enter Brithday-song music),

"Birthday, Birthday, Birthday.....

Birthday, Birthday, Birthday.....

Birthday, Birthday, Birthday...

Birthday, Birthday, Birthday!!!!"

(along w/ the clapping of hands and the banging of a tamborine!!). teeheehee!! LOVE!

My plan for the rest of the day is to go to the gym and attempt to get a good run in....I need it bad!! It just makes me feel soo much better when I've sweat! And to be quite honesty, I have two mischevious pups on my hands right now that are driving me nutso!

I will be back on tonight....going to log what I've eaten. It's been a yummy day of foodie if I must say so. Can't wait to share!!

Carpe Diem!

A Total Blank!

Forgive me, folks, for today is going to be a brief post. I woke up at 4am to get my day started and b/c one of our instructors is out of town, and I am therefore taking some of her clients for the week, I just walked through the door at about 6:30pm. Phew....long day!!

Started out with one of my fav shakes!! Added a half of a banana to it this am. Deeelish...although I think I went a tad crazy with the ice cubes so it wasn't as smooth as I would've liked. We'll try it again tomorrow.

LEFTOVER LUNCH!! mmmm.....quinoa with sauteed veggies and some Annie's Goddess Dressing drizzled over it. If you have never tried this dressing, I beg you to go buy some PRONTO!

Definitely had some snackage throughout the day....almond butter (I am a slave to this!), Raw Food bar and some veggies with hummus.

Din with DZ....just a salad with a glass of almond milk! Dessert was a heaping plate of "Ochocinco...The Ultimate Catch". Total trash, but we cannot help ourselves. We have bets on which girl is going to make it. Pretty sure that we lose a brain cell or two with each passing minute of this show, but it's mindless entertainment and when you are as busy as we tend to be on a daily basis, some "mind garbage" is the perfect ending to the day!!

....still working on the posting-of-the-pics-thing. Promise to make a better effort the next couple of days. The rest of the week shouldn't be as busy.

Hoping everyone has a fantastic night and remember....CARPE DIEM!!

xo,
Katie
ps. My dehydrator came in the mail this week so I am uber excited to get my hands on it.....I'll keep you posted on the fun mishaps that are sure to take place throughout my experimentation. If anyone has any recipes, ideas, suggestions, please send them my may. I am all ears!!

One day closer to the weekend...

Knowing that we are one day closer to the weekend is something worth celebrating. Not that I am wishing my life away, but I adore my weekends: no particular obligations, hanging with DZ, and of course....the beach!! When we moved to The Sunshine State over five years ago (cannot believe it's been that long!), we vowed that we would NOT take living so close to the ocean/beach for granted. And we have stayed true to our word!!

Had a great run today -- 4 miles on an incline. Whew! Pushed myself hard. Was shweaty and exhausted when I walked out of the gym. I am in love with that feeling.

Went back to work this afternoon for back to back to back to back to back clients (haha). Dinner was deeeeeeeeeelish. I quickly threw together some sauteed veggies with Annie's Goddess Dressing and some quinoa. Mmmm. Quinoa is a blank canvas and goes with just about anything. Try it...I dare you not to like it! ;) ...and dessert. Oh how I love sweets. I had a tbsp of almond butter with a cold glass of almond milk. Perfection!! (ps. I am going to start taking pics of my food on a daily basis. I think its fun and might give you some ideas that you could incorporate in your life!)

I was just speaking with my mom tonight about how we both seem to struggle with our lack of self-control where sweets are concerned. I really feel as though it is an addiction and must be treated as one. I have fought and fought to find the balance of having sweets in "moderation". Not something that I am particulary strong at. I am an all-or-nothing type of gal...it's how I live every aspect of my life.

Question for today: What is something that you struggle with on a daily basis? How do you find the strength to get through your "addiction"?

Carpe Diem!
Katie

An (organic) apple a day....

4 am came VERY early this morning....pretty sure I hit snooze once or twice until Ziggy decided that it was time to put our feet on the floor and get a move on.

Nothin' beats a cold, crisp Pink Lady apple for bfast. That along with a Raw Organic "Chocolately Chocolate Chip" bar and I'm set. Anything that has the world "chocolate" in it twice is alright by me!! :) Now off to the gym to get my run in for the day.....

I heart Sundays!

What a glorious way to cap off a great weekend. After sleeping 10+ hours last night (tired, much??) DZ and I went down to our fav spot, Lido Beach, hit up Whole Foods (literally, my heart skips a beat when I walk through the doors) and came home to hang with our pups. I am so looking forward to spending this week really getting down and dirty with my blog. What's to come: recipes (or at least what I throw together in my mad-scientist-kind-of-way), workouts (Pilates and otherwise) and information that will hopefully be helpful to those out there reading along. Please let me know if there is anything on your mind or what you'd like to see from this blog. I am aiming to update throughout each day so feel free to shoot any questions and/or comments my direction. I'd LOVE to hear from you!

A few things that you MUST know about me:

1. I am a NUT about nutrition/working out. It is truly my passion to life a healthy life. I am ever-evolving in my eating habits (refuse to use the word "diet"), workouts (although Pilates is my rock) and inner peace!
2. My husband, DZ, is my biggest fan. He loves me, crazy and all!
3. We have two great danes, Tucker and Ziggy. They rock our world!!
4. Living in The Sunshine State has shown me how much of a water-baby I truly am. Getting to see the ocean every single day is a gift and one that I do not take for granted!!
5. My favorite saying: CARPE DIEM!!

This is my first post, so please bear with me. I am a newbie and am learning as I go. I hope to post pics (LOVE taking food pics, so will be doing that as well). I recently purchased a dehydrator and am super excited about the shenanigans that are going to take place with that.

Happy Sunday...Carpe Diem!

Katie