Life gets a little crazy sometimes. It’s no surprise to anyone.

As you know, I’ve been sick lately, but life in general has gotten a little nuts.

I ended up going to the doctor last week to confirm what I already knew. No big deal. A little pain and a week of medicine and I’m mainly all good.

Work has been getting crazy too. Longer hours, more stress and not enough time in the day. That’s what happens in my line of work, projects come up at specific times and things can get a little out of hand. No doubt, beyond the fact that it is winter, I’m sure it contributed to why I was/am sick.

To top off the busy life, we are still working on the house. My weekends are consumed, any time I would spend relaxing and recharging is spent doing manual labor.

But on to the fun stuff. It turns out I am going to be training for the CrossFit Affiliate Games. I’m not sure what that means, but at least it gives me a goal to work towards for the next three months.

I’ll actually have a reason to lay off the sweets and snacks and train extra hard. Good timing for being in shape for the summer bikini months! I’ve probably mentioned it before, but goals or timelines are SOOOO crucial for helping you in your health and fitness endeavors.

It can be just about anything, going on a vacation, going to a wedding or reunion, seeing the dreaded ex or in my case, having a team depend on me at a certain point. I couldn’t ask for a better reason since I’ve been a “teammate” for most of my life.

There is my advice for the week. Find something that will motivate you, and remind yourself of it routinely.

Yucky. I have strep for the five millionth time in my life. No bueno!!! Nasty little illness.

Fortunately it is a fairly mild form compared to what I know. This time it is just the uber pesky and painful sore throat. If I could temporarily chop off my neck, I would!

So I’m sitting on my couch watching a little TV and eating some Ben & Jerry’s, thinking, what can I possibly write about while I feel icky.

How about Ben & Jerry’s!!??!!

Now I’m not talking any B&J, no, I’m not sitting here eating a pint of Half Baked.

My new favorite creations, MINI Ben & Jerry’s and FRO YO Ben & Jerry’s!!!

The minis are great because they give you a pre-dispensed amount of ice cream to prevent you from overindulging. Secondly, they come packaged with one of those annoyingly tiny disposable spoons so you eat SLOW. Great creation!!

The FroYo (aka frozen yogurt, and yes they actually call it FroYo) is great because they make the same great ice cream in frozen yogurt, offering a lot less calorieage! Only pitfall… so far I have only found it in Cherry Garcia and Half Baked (can anyone really not find pleasure in that flavor?).

Half Baked…. what a glorious creation… half chocolate chip cookie dough, half chocolate brownie… what is not to love?

Alright, time to get some rest… if you need me, I’ll be under the care of my doctors, Ben and Jerry.

So New York & Company has pretty much become my favorite store over the last couple of years. They ALWAYS have great sales, and ALWAYS make me feel good about myself (they run big so I rarely ever have to wear even a medium), YAY!

The sales are great. If you become a card holder or rewards member, they send you coupons ever couple of weeks. 30%, $30 off $75, $60 off $150, etc. You get the point. But beyond that, something is always on sale there. Sweaters Buy One Get One 50% Off. But the mondo sale there was 50% off of everything… yes EVERYTHING!! Granted, you probably won’t see that again very soon. They did however offer it TWICE before Christmas… and let me tell you, it worked, the store was practically empty after the holidays.

Anywho, you get my drift. Other side discounts to keep in mind. Gold card members get a special percentage off on Tuesdays (I think it is that day), AAA members get a discount any time you show your card, and they have random days where Gold card members get and EXTRA 10% off everything…. Just found this one out tonight, but you can’t plan this one, the workers don’t even know until that day.

So here are my new finds from tonight….!!!!

All of this for under $200!! I also got a super cute beaded tunic t-shirt (I’ll take a pic soon!) and a pair of oversized “Giraffe” sunglasses, but couldn’t find them on the site either. Oh well!

Go to NY & Co!!! Like NOW! Ok wait till the store opens tomorrow… they frown on that whole breaking and entering bit.

Here is your first Zone meal (I posted it over at Reluctant CrossFitter, a super easy breakfast!!

3 Blocks

In a blender, combine:

• 1 Cup of Whole (Organic if possible) Milk
• 2 Tablespoons of Whey Protein Powder
• 1 Cup of Frozen Strawberries
• 1/2 Cup of Frozen Blueberries

Eat one scoop of cashews on the side.

Easy as that!! And it tastes good!

So last night was my first attempt at making Indian food at home… it went OK, but I wouldn’t say it was my best. Maybe one of you can give me some pointers.

A full Indian meal is one of my goals for the upcoming Spring/Summer so that I can have a themed dinner party with my all of my friends. The ultimate goal is to be able to make all of the dishes by hand, including the Naan and Samosas. But I’m not quite there yet…

Last night I made Chicken Tikka Masala with Brown Jasmine Rice and pre-made Naan Bread. The Masala sauce, rice and naan were all Trader Joe’s products which made it super easy. The other bonus is that the naan is made with wheat pasta (don’t cook for the full 10 minutes it calls for).

The rice takes the longest (about 30-35 minutes), but the chicken and bread only take 10-15… how easy and quick is that?!?

My first Indian food experience came a few years ago when I visited a friend in New York. She took us to the most random restaurant I have ever experienced… but it was exactly that… an experience!! But a great one!

I am sooo sorry I cannot remember the name of the restaurant!!! It was between 5th and 6th Streets. It has red chili pepper lights strung across the ceiling. The walls which are entirely mirrored, reflect the lights so it looks like they continue for miles. The restaurant is one the bottom floor and the policy is BYOB… literally!

I love when you can find some cute accessories for really cheap!!! What can really beat that?? Yeah, that’s what I thought, not much!!

Here are my new finds from Forever 21 that I picked up last week.

ALL FOR UNDER $20!!!

Bracelet is flexible and “oversided” shall we say

The two strands are connected. The silver key has several small stones covering it, and the gold one has just a few accent stones.

I love this little guy! The ears, eyes, and trunk all have small white accent rhinestones.

I thought it was time to share another one of my favorite Hungry Girl recipes!

This one is a classic food that for the most part, everyone has had at some point. I like to consider it somewhat of a comfort food, and perfect for these colder times of the year!

So here is the slimmed down version of Homemade Chicken Pot Pie!

Photo from Hungry Girl’s website.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces raw boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• One 10.75 ounce can of Campbell’s 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery Soup
• Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls refrigerated dough

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cook chicken until it is light brown in an non-stick pan (make sure pieces are still tender)
• Heat frozen vegetables in microwave (use package instructions)
• Mix chicken, vegetables and soup together. Place in a 9″ round baking dish (probably a pie dish) sprayed with non-stick spray.
• Cook in oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbly, mix halfway through.
• While dish is cooking, unroll 4 crescent rolls (the original recipe calls for 3, but it’s not quite enough) and make a ball. Roll out into a circle so that it can cover the top of the pie. You can choose what to do with the leftover rolls, I usually make them as rolls on the side.
• Add dough to the top of the mixture and cook for an additional 20 minutes (until top is golden brown).

  ENJOY!!!

  The serving size says this recipe is for 4 people, but you could probably get 5 out of it… especially if you add a small salad.

I actually received this in my e-mail this morning thanks to my e-mail subscription to Jillian Michaels, but I figure she gets enough credit, so why not help out a fellow blogger!!

I stubled upon the “5 Ways to Calm Hunger Pangs” at Living Smart Girl. I’m new to her site (as I just found it this morning) but it seems like a super cute and informative stop on the internet! P.S. I hope she doesn’t mind the link!

From Jillian
Do you start getting hunger pangs at 11:50 a.m. in anticipation of lunch? We’ve all been there. The cause is the hormone ghrelin; released when the stomach is empty, it sets off a chain reaction in the body to make you hungry. In general, you want to keep levels of ghrelin low during the day so you can keep hunger in check. Apart from an empty stomach, there are several factors that can raise ghrelin levels, including drinking alcohol, eating too few calories, and eating greasy, fatty foods. Here are some strategies that will help you manage these triggers and keep your ghrelin levels from rising:

Have a substantial breakfast. One study showed that people who ate a higher-calorie breakfast produced 33 percent less ghrelin throughout the day and felt satisfied for a longer period of time. Try a whole-wheat English muffin with organic peanut butter, a cup of strawberries, and some low-fat yogurt.

Choose complex carbs and get more fiber. Insulin and ghrelin go hand in hand. When insulin goes up after you eat, ghrelin goes down. If you eat the wrong kind of carbohydrates — refined carbs such as white bread and pasta — your blood sugar rises dramatically. In response, your body releases a surge of insulin to clear that sugar from the bloodstream. The insulin does its job very efficiently, and the resulting low blood sugar causes hunger sooner. These constant blood sugar ups and downs can wreak havoc on your metabolism, so it’s best to eat complex carbs and fiber, which delay the release of sugar into the bloodstream so that insulin levels are kept stable and you feel full longer.

Eat on a schedule. Research has found that ghrelin levels rise and fall at your usual mealtimes, so eating on a schedule prevents spikes in ghrelin. If you’re running errands and are away from the kitchen at one of your typical mealtimes, carry a small bag of almonds or other nuts with you — you can eat a little something to keep your stomach satisfied until you can get home and have a real meal.

Emphasize high-volume, low-calorie foods. Levels of ghrelin remain high until food stretches the walls of your stomach, making you feel full. High-volume, low-calorie foods, such as salads and soups, reduce ghrelin levels long before you’ve overeaten. All green veggies and any foods with a high water content count as high-volume, low-calorie foods.

Eat protein. Protein-rich foods can also suppress ghrelin levels — they help create a long-lasting feeling of fullness. Try adding whey protein to a low-calorie smoothie. (If you’re sensitive to gluten, just be sure to check the ingredients list; some whey protein products contain gluten.) One study found that whey brought about a prolonged suppression of ghrelin.

Yep, I admit it, I am now the owner of a Snuggie. To be honest, I’m still not sure why, but I am.

We have all seen the commercials for the Snuggie, the “As Seen on TV” product, but I wonder how many actually ordered one over. I’m guessing the majority of Snuggie owners waited until they were available in stores… but I could be wrong.

The commercials and box boast, “The blanket that has sleeves!” and “Keeps you warm and your hands free!” But what is the truth about the Snuggie? I will tell you my overall impressions thus far.

Snuggie Basics

• Comes in colors: Royal Blue, Burgandy, Sage Green and limited editions Pink and Zebra
• Machine washable fleece
• 71″x54″ – One size fits all

Snuggie Promises

“Snuggie blanket is the super-soft blanket that has sleeves. It does not slip and slide like a regular blanket so it keeps you warm from head to toe while allowing complete freedom of movement. Read, eat, sew, use the remote, told on the phone or work on your laptop in complete comfort. You can also use outside to keep warm at sporting events!”

and…

“Perfect For:
-Traveling in the car
-Night time pub crawls
-Chilly office buildings
-Sporting events
-Cold movie theaters
-And much, much more!”

Here’s The Problem

“Complete freedom of movement” doesn’t work so well if you need to get up. For crying out loud, you would trip and fall from the length. Not to mention you are wearing a blanket of excess material, and fleece likes to stick to itself.

Second… I have no problem dressing up in costume or occasionally making a fool of myself, but of the “prefect for” locations, I wouldn’t be caught dead at any of them. Driving in my car? Out in public? At a sporting event where people are on average a little too macho for their own good? And let’s see, I didn’t see BLACK on the list of available colors.

Oh I forgot to mention the box has a picture of someone wearing a Snuggie on a plane. Maybe, but only if it was black.

My final and probably most important complaint would have to be the cheap-ass fleece that is used. I mean, I pretty much expect most stuff from TV commercials to be cheaply made, but I still would have been disappointed if I had purchased the Snuggie with my own money.

Final Judgement

The Snuggie is a good concept to remain in your own home and out of the public eye at all times. It is warm, and nice to have while watching TV. You CAN read a book or magazine, work on your laptop and other such activities that require little movement.

If you are over the height of 5′7″-5′9″ the Snuggie will start to lose the effect of being a blanket.

If you are at all talented in the relm of sewing, or in fact have a friend/relative you can, I would HIGHLY recommend spending the $10 (the average price of the Snuggie) and buy your own fabric to make your own. If you do this, you can buy a higher quality fabric, pick your own design/color and also make it longer. I have not tried to make one, but it seems that you could find a bath robe pattern and make it longer and add loose (“oversized”) sleeves. Let me know if you want to make one and I’ll get you some measurements.

My decision: The Snuggie is an effective item, but if there were only two options, buy the original or not have one, I would go with not buying one. Get it as a gift or a better idea is to make your own.

If you already have a Snuggie, enjoy! I will enjoy and use mine, but don’t expect to ever catch me in it! Ok maybe I might use it on the “night time pub crawl,” but only if we are doing a “Snuggie Bar Crawl” a.k.a. everyone is wearing one.

So Christmas is almost upon us. Needless to say I’m sure we have all been having a busy couple of weeks. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, I am sure you are feeling the end of the year crunch.

Well my advice is… enjoy it while it lasts. It may get a little crazy, stressful or hectic, but it is still one of the most enjoyable times of the year, and boy does it fly by!!

-Drink lots of water, take your vitamins and eat healthy…. well except for the holiday meals and left overs!! Don’t worry, I won’t take that away from you!

-Do not drink and drive!!! Not only is it incredibly dangerous for you and those around you, but this is the time of year the police are out in full force. You don’t have to injury anyone for drunk driving to screw your life up. DUI’s are permanent people!

-Spend as much time as you can with those who you love. Whether that be family or friends, make the most of your time with the important people in your life.

-Take LOTS of pictures!!

-Most importantly, have fun and make a few memories.

Have a great couple of weeks everyone!! I will try to keep posting, but you never know what will happen!