Any Weigh You Want It

This morning Taylor says:

220.4

Same as last week! To be honest with you, my initial reaction is frustration, but I think considering I ate my weight in peanut butter puffins this weekend, it’s okay. I’m going to accept my maintain.

(Sarah, re: your comment, I am NOT buying any more of these after this box is done...there's maybe 1/4 of the box left now and that's after having it for two days! Haha, it's not good. These are a total danger zone. I wonder if I could rig up a system like in greeting cards where everytime I open the pb puffins box it plays Highway To The Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins.)

In other news, my sad little giveaway ended, and KatDoesDiets is the winner! Hooray!

In other other news, I made it through all the stages with another EHarmony Guy. EHarmony Guy 2, I guess. EHarmony Guy: The Squeakuel. EHarmony Guy: The Empire Strikes Back. Anyway, he’s actually one of the guys I initiated contact with, so that’s cool I guess. We’re meeting next Sunday afternoon. We’ll see what happens!

*Speaking of Highway To The Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins, I had that as my ringtone for about a year...do you know how many smiles and laughs and compliments I got on it?! Haha, seriously, if random people heard my phone ring they'd come up to me and be like "That's. Awesome." People love them some Top Gun.

Hey Food

(post title original is Hey Dude, a fantastic old show of my childhood that was on Nickelodeon. Oh, the days!)

So I mentioned in a tweet this morning that I had a dumb thing and a heartwarming thing to talk about. The heartwarming thing is below in the dinner section, so here's the dumb thing.

I was getting my coffee this morning and used this mug:

So, this mug was my favorite one growing up. No rhyme or reason other than: Penguins! Being cute! So when I went to college I wanted to take it with me; just to give me a little dose of home while I was away. I'm discussing this with my parents, telling them to which mug I am referring, and they go: "Oh, the one with all the penguins having sex?"

LOOK CLOSER.

All KINDS of sex positions. What. The. Hell. I had never noticed. I didn't bother to look closer, because, it's just cute penguins, you know? Just hangin' out. Apparently engaging in an enormous orgy. Luckily the mug still manages to remain one of my favorites as I somehow protected my childhood innocence that was connected to the mug. Probably just blocked out the part about animal sex. Ugh.

Now that you've got animal sex on the brain, let's talk about food. I'm sure there's a weird joke or a segue in there somewhere? No? Well you can't win 'em all.


Breakfast:

*3/4 cup cottage cheese
*half of an everything bagel with 3 slices avocado, egg subst. and 1 tbsp ketchup.
*cup of coffee with some almond milk

iced coffee: espresso with 1 half&half packet thing, 1 equal

Lunch: (the one I made/packed yesterday!)

*big handful of baby carrots
*sandwich: arnold’s thin, handful of baby spinach, 2 slices of avocado, 4 bread and butter pickles, 1 LCL wedge.
*can of V8

Snack: green apple

more coffee: espresso with 1 half&half moo thing

Dinner:

For dinner, I went out, but I did GREAT!

I had dinner at one of my favorite Italian places with some family friends - three of my mom's friends and some of their daughters. Basically my mom's friends think I'm a homeless orphan or something when my parents are gone. (I'm also invited over to a family dinner with another one of my mom's friends on Sunday.) So sweet. When I showed up at the restaurant, one woman goes “We thought you needed a MOM!!!” See, this is the heartwarming thing! They're so cute and I'm so lucky to be surrounded and loved by them.

Anyway, before I went to dinner I scoped out the menu online. I had planned to order their Bistecca salad, it sounded amazing: “Rosemary garlic-marinated flat-iron steak over arugula salad and grilled eggplant, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and candied garlic”

…and that’s exactly what I did! I got a water and had that salad. Actually, “dominated” would be more appropriate. It was so good. I know there were probably a lot of hidden calories with whatever dressing was used (some kind of balsamic-y thing, I think) but…hell! I got a salad and I stuck to it. No bread, no bites off of anyone’s pasta-filled plates.

(This restaurant is AMAZING and I’ve never had a bad meal there and I’m happy that their salads are just as good as their pasta dishes, it’s an incentive to choosing salad.)

And then the table split a chocolate ganache thing, and I politely declined! That was more Lent related than anything else, but I stuck to it. (Other Lent news: sent my resume to the boss of a friend who asked for it, and worked on a separate job application…Sweets ‘n Jobs Day Two was a success!)

Huzzah! So it was a good day.

(EDIT: Just hopped on the Wii Fit for 30 minutes! Also, I hope I get some new blog readers from searching for something weird like "Penguin Sex".)

And see below and enter the giveaway if you want and/or haven't already! Haha, the count stands at an impressive NINE as I write this. I love it. TOUGH COMPETITION.

GIVEAWAY!

As you have probably read on like 200 other blogs (written by bloggers that have better time management skills than I do), Progresso Soup, as part of their Souper You promotion contest shenanigans gave me a fun giveaway pack to give to one of you fine peeps!

So I'm finally doing the giveaway!

As a reminder, here's the loot:

You get some Progresso soup, a digital jump rope, and a nice big mug! Fun stuff.

Okay here's the nitty gritty. To enter, leave me a comment telling me something you really like about yourself. It can be silly or serious or weight-loss related or not related to anything! Just a favorite thing about yourself. All you need is one entry. Because otherwise I'm sure to mess it up somehow I want it to be simple and fair!

That's all! You crazy kids have until Sunday at 8pm Eastern Standard Time to leave a comment on this post. Then I'll use random.org to pick a winner and announce it on Monday the 22nd. Sound good? Get to boasting about yourself.



(Progresso provided me with the giveaway materials and the info for the contest! DON'T TAKE ME TO JAIL!)

Needing/Getting (song by OK GO from their new album. currently enjoying.)

A few things that are on the ol’ noggin:

*I did a little grocery shopping tonight. My cart was BALLER:
-baby spinach
-baby arugula
-granny smith apples
-baby carrots
-vitatops (cranbran)/vitamuffins (chocolate)
-frozen broccoli
-edamame
-kashi honey sunshine cereal
-low fat cottage cheese

Can I get a what what? Considering my shopping choices in January, this is AMAZING and felt as such. Not being ashamed while grocery shopping is something worth striving toward.

*The other day I started reading The Gunslinger by Stephen King. It’s the first book in a seven book series called The Dark Tower series. Anybody read them? My friend Kevin is a HUGE fan of them and we got to talking and I decided to read them. Gunslinger is really good so far. I love the way it’s written.

*I basically had two breakfasts today, I just had this feeling I’d need it. I’m CLAIRVOYANT. So I had my greek yogurt with cereal mixed in, and then a vitatop (cranbran) in the car on the way to the metro. This was around 7:30am. Work/temping got so nuts I didn’t eat again until 1:30pm! 6 hours later! I was starving. I don’t think I would have made it on one of those breakfasts alone. Yeesh.

*I’m going to my friends’ apartment tonight around 10pm, in my pajamas, and we’re going to watch LOST via Tivo (no commercials, holler) and it is going to be snuggly and fun and Lost-tastic. I’m going to be dead tired tomorrow morning but it’ll be totally worth it. Also? I’m taking the ice cream and Twizzlers** that I shamefully bought in a bad grocery store trip last week – in an attempt to make it like a fun! Sleepover! ….but really to get rid of it. I’m sneaky. And generous? …mostly just sneaky.

*Progresso soup reviews: I had the Italian Meatball the other day. Super delish. To be honest, the smell of it was AMAZING and the taste didn’t totally live up, but it was still really good. I also had the Hearty Vegetable or something like that, and it was also quite good. Basically like Minestrone but with pasta. Don’t forget – they are doing a Progresso Souper You contest that seems pretty sweet – go enter! (I still have a Giveaway to do for them/this whole deal, I’m sure you’ve seen other bloggers already do theirs, because they’re on top of their lives, whilst I am not! But I will do it soon. Can anyone email me with any tips for picking someone fairly? Isn’t there some random number generator or something? HOLD MY HAND I NEED HELP)


(**Okay, I might only take some of the Twizzlers. I feel very little shame in eating them as compared to other sweet treats.)

(Do I need to say again that Progresso provided me with the soup, the giveaway packet, and the information about the Souper You contest? I don't know how things work. Well I guess I just said it. I can sleep tonight.)

Connect Four

(Pretty Sneaky Sis!)

So, I ate really well today. I scored a temp gig and took a bunch of little snacks along with me. Throughout the morning and afternoon I had an arnold’s thin with almond butter, string cheese, turkey pepperoni, baby carrots, coffee, water, and garlic and herb all-bran crackers. When I got home I had a BIIIIIIG wrap, consisting of “Buffalo Style” chicken sausage, romaine lettuce, light ranch dressing, shredded carrots, and hot sauce wrapped in a tomato basil wrap.

(I know the tomato basil and the zingy-buffalo flavors don’t mix, but it actually tasted good – the wrap wasn’t at all basil-y so it was fine. Just so you don’t think I’m a total weirdo. Even though you think so anyway.)

Oh and I also had some veggie crunchers, maybe a little over a cup? And a Diet Coke.

So all in all, I ate healthfully. I made good choices.

But somehow, it doesn’t feel like it. I feel guilty, and there’s really no reason for it. Has anyone else experienced similar phantom guilt? It’s bonkers.

***

So I did it. I took the plunge. I signed up for 3 months of EHarmony. I’m terrified. My palms were literally sweaty after I did it and I felt my chest tighten. I’m so terrified of rejection – it’s not something I want to face. But I’m trying to do things outside of my comfort zone, in the name of change and evolution and what not. Maybe it will ultimately be good for me, in the long run.

Now the question is: Pursue or be pursued.

ComfortLaura says: Be Pursued! (After she finished screaming “RUN RUN RUN AWAY NOW GO HIDE IN YOUR VIDEO GAMES! LUIGI IS ALL THE MAN YOU’LL EVER NEED!”)

NewYearDynamoLaura says: Be Pursued!

Ha! See what I did there? Did you not read the part about me being terrified of rejection?

So stay tuned for EHarmony shenanigans.

***

My First Giveaway! (They Like Me! They Really Like Me! …no they don’t.)

So Progresso Soup is doing a Souper You Debut, an essay contest – the winner of which gets a really cool makeover trip/experience in NYC. You can read about it here: http://www.progressosoup.com/souperyou

In the next few weeks I’ll be trying some new flavors and telling you good lookin’ folk allll about ‘em. I already LURVE their French Onion flavor and a big fan of their Minestrone so I’m excited to try some new ones. I’ll be throwin’ some Progresso Knowledge your way soon.

Also in the next few weeks I get to giveaway a Progresso Prize Pack! It’s got soup, a mug, and a digital jump rope:

Sweetness. I’m gonna set that up soon – just as soon as I figure out how to do it. It’ll be in the next couple of weeks, I promise.

And because of some FTC guidelines I really don’t understand, I have to tell you that Progresso provided me with the soup, gift pack, information and the giveaway, basically everything. I provided the sass. That’s what I’m bringing to the table.

So in the meantime, you can go to http://www.progressosoup.com/souperyou and submit your essay for a chance to win a sweet trip to NYC. You can also print out some coupons! Why haven't you gone there yet?! .....wait, finish reading my post first (I'm important!) and then go.

My unofficial rule is that if you win that contest as a result of hearing about it from me, you have to bring me as your Plus One. (This Is A Joke. Repeat: I Don’t Mean This*)

***

Thanks ladies! 266 at 266, Becca at (Boston) Marathoner in Training and Kat at Low Fat Kat passed on this award to me! I have to share 7 things about myself and then pass it on to 7 bloggers.

7 things about me:

1. I am scared of mouthwash. I was at the dentist when I was about 5, before I was old enough to get the fluoride treatment thing – and they give you mouthwash instead. I swallowed some and then got violently ill. I’m still gun-shy about mouthwash to this day. I use it, because, I’m a freaking adult, but I hate it. I’m afraid of it.

2. I really want a Craigslist Missed Connection to be written about me. A friend of mine has had THREE about her. I want!

3. I was in band in high school, and we had our own superlatives. I was voted Coolest Sophomore, Coolest Junior, and in my senior year was voted Coolest Senior, Best Eyes and Most Fun to Be Around. It makes me laugh to wonder if such titles mean I’m the biggest geek in context with the rest of the world :-)

4. Until about a year and a half ago, I thought the phrase was “for all intensive purposes”. …it isn’t.

5. When I was 16, I was in love with a DC United player named Bobby Convey. He was exactly my age (same birthday down to the year) and living in the town over from me with the family of a friend of a friend of a friend. One of my best guy friends agreed to go on a date with this girl basically in order to get information on Bobby Convey’s whereabouts one Friday evening – at our high school rival’s soccer game. It was this huge ordeal, and so I went to the game with three of my friends. Sure enough, Bobby Convey showed up. I took one look at him and said “I want to go home”. I was terrified. My friend had to drag him over to us and carry the conversation as I stood there staring. I’ve never been good around guys OR famous people – this was a terrible combo. (I may or may not still carry a torch for him. Bobby, holler at me, forget about that EHarmony stuff I mentioned earlier, I was totally kidding)

6. I loathe tomatoes but I love ketchup and tomato soup.

7. I was the reason two of my dearest friends (the ones with the new condo!) got together. Six years ago we were having a big party, and they had been timidly flirting… So the night ends and we all passed out because…well, we were all shit-canned. So I was snoring, as I do and as one does when schwasted, and my guy friend was in the same room as me. He couldn’t take the snoring, and the next available room was that of his future girlfriend! That was the first night they got together, and the rest is history. They probably would have gotten together anyway, but I like to take credit, because that’s just the kind of Snoring Friend I am. I hope someone tells this story at their wedding, ‘cause it’s classy.

And I will pass it along to:

Jenny at Keep Me Accountable
Allison at Operation 365
Greta at Big Bottom Blogger
Doug at Beer and Cheese to the Beach (okay I know it's kind of a girly award, but honestly you can't get a better blog title. for realsies.)
Foodie Girl at For Me
Shannon/Chai at We Kin Get Thin
Kristina at Life Won't Weight

and I'm BREAKIN' THE RULES and doing another one because I really like her blog:

Kaitlin at Everyday Grace



(*I totally do mean it.)

Whatever you do, don't abbreviate Bath and Body Works as BBW on Twitter. You'll regret it.

My helpful advice above (TRUST ME) has nothing to do with this post, but it's good advice nonetheless.

I just wanted to quickly mention that Fantabulously Frugal is having a freaking sweet giveaway and you should go over and enter - there isn't much time left!

I mention BBW (JFC, Bath and Body Works) because I used to work there! Some of their stuff is included in the giveaway. I still use their products almost exclusively. Even though they have the unfortunate habit of discontinuing scents I love.

Anyhoodle, check out the giveaway here!