Category Archives: Weekend

Cycle For Survival

Posted on by

11

Hi everyone!! How has everyone been doing?! Can you believe it’s February already?? Crazy. I know I’ve said this time and time again but the days, months, and years really do fly by so fast…and I think it just keeps getting faster the older I get! :P

There’s really not too much going on in my life right now…however I’ve noticed that as I get older and with time going by so fast, that life is too short to not make that time to spend with your friends…especially those that I’ve lost touch with since high school. Last weekend I had the great pleasure of seeing a best friend of mine in high school. We picked up like no time has passed (10+ years worth!) and it was such a joy to reconnect with her…talk about our jobs, marriage, husbands, babies, and life in general. If you’re reading – love you girl!

I admit that I sometimes put myself in this “bubble”, especially during my eating disorder days, and didn’t want to see anyone. I was so wrapped up in my struggles, hated the way I looked, and couldn’t even make plans with friends for fear what they’d think of me and see how unhappy and skinny I looked. Lately though I’ve realized that not only has recovering from my struggles made me a healthier person inside and out, but it has made me a more confident person and be who I want to be, take new risks and change in my life, and to open up to new and old friendships…and for that I will be forever grateful in recovering and being healthy again. I’m so happy to have reignited old friendships from my childhood, and it feels so good to let go of my “bubble”, reclaim these friendships, and know that they’ll always love me for who I am…and I’ve come to learn that those true friends, are the ones that accept you for who you are :)

And with that…I have to leave an oldie but goodie photo of my best friend and I from our high school days…I hope she doesn’t kill me for posting this :P

Next get together we’ll have to get an updated version of us ;)

I’ve realized that with how quickly time goes by, it’s so important to make time for friends, family, and loved ones. Reconnecting with old friends really does feel so great and there’s no other bond better than that between women. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but one of my New Year’s goals is to reconnect with old friends (in person! FB doesn’t count ;) ) and to just enjoy your days that you have here with those you love. I think trying for a baby and wanting to be a mom so badly has put a lot in perspective for me and has made me realize that your looks, your job, and your money is not the end all be all to your life – it’s about doing what makes you happy, living your life to the fullest, and to cherish every day you have with loved ones.

One other reason why I may be getting emotional is that this weekend I get to spend it with my other very bestest friend (my sissy!) to participate in a fundraising event called Cycle For Survival. Over 5 million has already been raised and it’s truly amazing what has become of this movement. Here’s a little synopsis of what it’s about:

Co-founded in 2007 by Jennifer Goodman Linn and her husband, Dave, Cycle for Survival is the national, indoor relay-style team cycling event that has raised more than $14 million in support of lifesaving research on rare cancers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and in the past five years has funded twenty-five clinical trials and research studies.

Cycle creates an opportunity for each of us to truly make a difference — every dollar raised by Cycle goes directly to Memorial Sloan-Kettering for research on rare cancers, paving the way for new, more effective treatment options.

Cycle is one of the world’s fastest-growing athletic fundraising events. Cycle 2012 will be the biggest ride to date with over 10,000 cyclers from across the country teaming up with friends, family and coworkers in New York City, Chicago, Long Island, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, DC and at satellite events worldwide!

Join the movement that brings hope to lives touched by rare cancers. Register or join a team today or make a gift to Cycle. No one beats cancer until we all beat cancer. Together, we can make a difference! (source)

Sadly Jennifer Goodman Linn lost her battle to cancer last summer 2011. She is such an inspiration and I am so happy and proud to be a part of such a significant event and to carry on her legend. Here is a video of her journey…

I hope you all have a very happy weekend, and remember, life is too short – call a friend, hug your family members, kiss your loved ones, and remind them how very much you love them…xoxo

Questions:
Do you stay in touch with your childhood/high school friends? How do you keep those connections alive?
Have you ever participated in a fundraising event?
Any fun plans for Friday night or this weekend?!

Santa Was Very Good To Me…

Posted on by

24

Happy Thursday everyone! Hope you’re all having a great week so far :)

I know some of you lucky ducks get this week off. And us? Not so much. I’ve been at work this whole week except for Monday. But to be honest with you, I actually like the calmness that this week brings – there’s less traffic on the roads, grocery stores, the gym – and that sense of “rushness” is gone. It’s a nice break from the busyness of other weeks and since the hubby is working also, I might as well be doing something productive as opposed to spending my days catching up with my dvr ;)

I’m pretty late in the game here in posting my Christmas weekend, but like they say, better late than never! I last left you off with the treats my sis and I planned to bake on Friday for our Christmas Eve party, and I have to say, they came out pretty damn good! And they were super easy to boot!

Here are our finished products…

Reindeer Cupcakes! They were a huge hit with the kiddies :)

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies – Absolutely Delicious.

Peppermint Bark – a hit with the adults and everyone absolutely loved them – and I think they’re far more delicious than the Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark…ifIdosaysomyself ;)

Per usual, our Christmas Eve party was an absolute blast – full of family fun, love, and holiday cheer. Especially when Santa made his grand entrance…

Our annual “Girls With Santa” pic

And just for fun, here’s one from 2008…

So cute – love love my whole family so very much and I’m so blessed we get this time together every year <3

The Lunsford/Blumbergs family :)

And one with my sis and her friend that I loved chatting and spending time with…especially with her adorable baby boy…

****

Christmas Day was filled with more joy, love, laughter, and good times. Especially in the form of a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, and of course, mimosas…Christmas Day isn’t complete without those! ;)

Once we filled our bellies with a delicious breakfast and little buzz from the champy, we got to (one) of the best parts of Christmas…presents!!! No pictures were taken of the event but I did snap some of my loot once I got home…let’s just say Santa was very good to me this year and I was definitely spoiled…

Looks like I’ll be getting that iPad soon…schweeet!!

Speaking of the iPad – I’ve heard through the grapevine that a new one is coming out in March so I’ll be waiting until then to purchase it. Either I’ll be getting the new one at a higher cost, or the old one at a discounted price so we’ll since what I’ll go with once it’s released and can comparison shop :)

And I was in serious Penguin heaven this Christmas…

Side note – not sure if some of you new readers know, but the hubby and I have a serious obsession with Penguins. It’s just one of those animals we started loving together at the beginning of our relationship…it started with Todd winning a small stuffed penguin for me at the fair and since then the rest is history and our love of Penguins grew 10-fold from there :)

So here’s the adorable Penguin loot I acquired and will not stop at it from ever growing…

From my wonderful friend/coworker…are those not the cutest cups??!! Along with Propel packets (which the hubby is already stealing from me!) and some Hershey Kisses in the Mason Jar (with a chalkboard lid and had my name on it – love it! )
Such a very special gift and I love it so much!

Advent Calendar from Sis and Chad – salt ‘n pepper shakers from Mom & Dad

Plate and Pez from Sis and Chad

PENGUIN SOCKS!!!! <3

From Mom & Dad – Nick & Nora Penguin Mukluks

From Sis and Chad – Penguin Socks from Bed, Bath & Beyond

And a couple extra special Biscoff goodies from Sissy!!!

And some glorious, delicious food from the in-laws…we’re set for the whole week – love it!!

****

It was an absolutely perfect weekend, filled to the brim with laughter, love, and many special moments that I will remember for a lifetime. I was certainly gifted more than enough this holiday season, but more importantly, I am truly blessed and so thankful to have such amazing friends and a very loving, wonderful family…I couldn’t be any more grateful to have the life that I have <3

Questions:
What was your favorite part of your Christmas weekend?
Any fun plans for this New Year’s Eve??!! Todd and I are old fogies and staying in for the night – but we are going out Friday night and using that gift card to Kingfish!!! Whoo hoo! :)

P.S. Whatever your plans may be, I wish you a very safe and happy New Year and I’m so ready to get 2012 started with a bang and a fresh start…I’m sure you’ve guessed what my #1 resolution wish is for the New Year ;) I’ll have a post up on that next week.

P.S.S. If you have a moment, please give a huge congrats to my lovely “faboosh” friend Shanna who just gave birth to her sweet baby boy Sawyer Clark. Born yesterday at a very healthy 8 lbs. 10 oz. – I bet her hubby is proud ;) I’m so very happy for her and her hubby and can’t wait to meet the lil guy!!!

A Fabulous, Delicious Weekend

Posted on by

22

Hi everyone!! Happy Tuesday and I hope you’re having a great week so far :)

I most definitely am – much better than last week – especially since coming off from such a fabulous, delicious weekend! And with that, let me go ahead and recap it for you all…

As I mentioned in Friday’s post – my sis, her boyfriend, Todd, and I had big plans to all get together to go out to our absolute fav place and get into some shenanigans ;) I’m so bummed I didn’t get many good pics from the night (too busy having fun!), but the evening started off at our place with a champagne toast courtesy from our Chandon shipment and some venison Todd cooked up – it was the actual venison that Todd hunted for while we were back in New York for Thanksgiving. Thoughts? This was my first time trying it and I admit, I wasn’t a huge fan. I’m a huge texture person, so while the flavor was good, the texture just wasn’t my cup of tea – a lil too “gamey” for me. I think for now I’ll stick with the cow…and the thought of eating bambi gets to me…sorry!

Oh and first, can’t leave out a pic of my outfit for the evening!

I have to say – knee high boots (my new ones!), a flowy tank, skinny jeans, and a leather jacket is at the top of my list for all time favorite outfits…

So after our champagne and venison tasting, it was off to B Street & Vine for some more fabulous good times and deliciousness.

Again, didn’t snap any pics except for some of the usual shenanigans that ensued…

in the cab…

And our foodie aftermath…

And the delicious wine that was consumed…****

Saturday was filled with more fabulousness in that I got to spend the day with the lovely Shanna. As always, we had great conversations together and I love spending time with her. I especially couldn’t wait to see her baby’s nursery and I am in love – so precious and it’s just absolutely perfect – hop on over to her blog to get a sneak peek of it in picture and video form :)

So, not only has she reignited the baby fever (that was already) in me, but she also sparked quite the baking and doggie bug in me, so much so that I was about to kidnap her fur baby (absolutely precious!) ;) And then we got into baking up quite the deliciousness…pecan pie cookies!!!

Given the fact that there are now only 4 cookies left in that container goes to show just how delicious they are. And the deliciousness and fun continued onto Starbucks where we got our fav Skinny Peppermint Mocha’s and a special treat of Gingerbread Biscotti that we shared – to which Shanna had the great idea of dipping it into our Mocha’s – amazing. I even had to get it again with Todd on Sunday – I’m hooked.

And Shanna and I had some interesting entertainment at Starbucks in the form of some strange men who kept looking over at us – I said to Shanna I felt like I was in the twilight zone, haha. Do you ever have that where everyone around you is just acting…weird? I blame it on the full moon that made it’s appearance that night ;)

And I have a feeling this delicious trend is going right through into this week since the adorable Ashley and I are doing a little barter.

So in exchange of me sending her a jar of this…

and a new jar of this…

That’s my jar that I made overnight oats in – highly recommended!!

…I’ll be getting some homemade cookies from her – can’t wait! They’re her hubby’s fav and I believe that any cookie that’s favored by the husband is a definite winner in my book ;)

Oh, and can’t forget, I found these beauties while in Mollie Stone’s getting the Biscoff…

I had never tried them before and I’m a definite fan – they’re just as delicious as you’d imagine

It was such a great weekend, a fabulous and delicious one indeed ;)

Hope you’re all having a great day and I’ll see you all back here soon! xo

Questions:
How was your weekend a fabulous or delicious one?
What’s your all-time favorite outfit and what pieces does it consist of that makes it your favorite?

A Very Special Weekend

Posted on by

21

Hi everyone!! Sorry to be MIA for so long – I’ve been getting caught up on work and errands before I leave for my trip to New York. And I just wanted to give you all a heads up, so you’re all not worrying about me ;) , that I’m disconnecting from the computer for a bit. With our trip to New York and then celebrating Thanksgiving with my side of the family I’m going to take this time to relax, so no blog posts or commenting on blogs will be happening from me for a couple weeks. So until then, today will be my last blog post and once back home and at work I will definitely have an awesome recap of New York and our Thanksgiving – can’t wait! :)

****

This past weekend was a very special one – it was spent with a very special friend and family and those two things are pretty much what equals living the good life means to me – along with some very yummy food too ;)

Friday I spent the day with a very special new friend of mine – the beautiful Shanna and her adorable baby bump ;)

Shanna brought up a great point on her blog that really resonated with me and we touched on it a bit together that day – that now older, out of school, and days spent mostly at work – it’s quite difficult to make friends, and find girlfriends that are truly nice and have a lot in common with. Well, I hit the jackpot with this girl because she is truly such a sweet and genuine person and I’m loving the friendship we’re building and will continue to grow – we have so much in common and have a great connection, and I’m very fortunate to have her as a new friend :)

As you can see above, we started our day with frozen yogurt at U Love – it was delish and we were loving every minute of it. I got Peanut Butter and English Toffee fro yo with an animal cracker, nilla wafers, kit kat pieces, snickers, brownie pieces, some M&M’s, peanut butter chips…and I think that’s it?!

We then continued the fun to Bella Nails to get pedicures and relax in the best massage chairs – it was so relaxing and an awesome way to get in some girl chat and learn more about one another. Then we stopped by Starbucks for something to warm our bellies since it was rainy and chilly out – I remember Shanna had blogged about a Skinny Peppermint Mocha that she loved so I knew that’s what I had to get. It was delish and definitely didn’t taste Skinny at all – I think it’ll definitely be a new winter staple of mine ;)

Next up was the grocery store to pick up a couple ingredients for a lil baking extravaganza. Shanna has this amazing recipe for Pumpkin Raisin Bread Pudding and this was our first time making it so it was fun to tackle and taste something new together :)

It was absolutely delish and we ate our pieces while relaxing on the couch doing what girls do best – chit chatting and watching Giada on Food Network :) And if you want the recipe, check out Shanna’s blog this Saturday for the deets!

****

Saturday was spent just lounging around and doing errands – it was pretty relaxing since hubby was getting ready for his big Men’s Health Urbanathlon race on Sunday! It was so much fun and I’m so very proud of him for such a huge accomplishment!

But first, lemme back up a bit! So the race started at 7am and we had to be there at 6am so that the participants could start warming up. My wonderful sister joined us for the day to help me root Todd on and keep me company, heehee. She’s the absolute best and a good sport for meeting us at the house at 5am – on a Sunday nonetheless. Love you sissy! :)

It was dark and chilly, but thankfully I had my Uggs keeping me warm…

Sorry for the blurriness!

But the time actually started going by pretty fast and before we knew it friends of ours and trainers at our gym Equinox started trickling through and before we knew it, it was time for the boys to start warming up!

Gettin’ ready…

And he’s off!!!

Sissy and I had about an hour to kill until it was time to walk to the finish so we stopped by Starbuck’s…a lil something to warm us up and get my second Skinny Peppermint Mocha of the season! Told ya it’d become a staple of mine ;)

Along with some amazing Biscoff Cookies that my sis had brought – you must try them. Especially dipped in coffee, pure bliss :)

After our coffee we walked the couple miles to the finish line and after about 10 minutes of waiting we spotted the hubby!!

Go Todd Go!!!

Whoo hoo!!! Finish time: 1:33:09 – 10.2 mile course of running and obstacle courses

So proud!

And then what does any sport event end with – beer!!! We enjoyed a few before heading home…

We then headed to my parents house for some food and football action – go Niners!!! 8-1! :)

And caught some photos of the amazing sunset we had that night…

It really was such a very special weekend and I couldn’t have asked for more – it was the perfect way to end my weekend here before heading to New York where I’ll be getting in even more family quality time.

I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving and if traveling, I wish you all a safe and fun holiday!!! See you all back here in a couple weeks :)

Questions:
What makes a very special weekend for you?
Are you traveling these next couple weeks?
Any fun plans for Thanksgiving?

Early Holiday Spirit & East Coast Clothing Suggestions

Posted on by

15

Whew that’s a long title! I’ll get to that in a sec, but first I want to say a huge thank you to you all for sending me “get better” wishes because I think I finally kicked this cold out of my system after having a nice, relaxing weekend with the hubby. We pretty much did absolutely nothing Saturday and Sunday and I think it’s just what the doctor ordered :)

Friday evenings we never particularly feel like putting that much effort into a meal so we went for a tasting plate of sorts…

Bagel chips, sliced baguette, white sharp cheddar cheese, salami – we also had a plate of veggies and hummus

This salami was a lil too fatty for my liking but still pretty good

Since we were still recovering from our colds we wanted to soothe our souls so chocolate chip cookies it was! Now, this lover of sweets here does not have a mixer – I know, the horror! So when I say we baked cookies, I literally mean that, just plop ‘em on a baking sheet and bake! :)

I had two right out of the oven – there’s really nothing better than warm ooey gooey cookies…and this kind was pretty good but a lil too healthy tasting for Todd’s liking - it did the job though ;)

Saturday morning I was starting to feel a bit better so I went to my spin class to sweat out the remnants of my cold – felt so much better afterwards! Then ran a few errands to the grocery store, got my car smogged, renewed my car registration, came home, ate lunch, then sat on the couch with Todd for the entire rest of the day. It was so nice to relax and catch up on some shows we had recorded like The Walking Dead and then watched an old favorite Office Space – love that movie!

We were feeling something super easy for dinner and I decided to continue our love for Mexican food and made ground turkey tacos. I just browned the meat, then added in a chopped red bell pepper, onion, and a packet of McCormick Taco Seasoning Mix, simmer for 5 minutes, and tada!

Soft for me, hard for him – that’s what she said ;)

x 2!

We also continued our love for sweet treats, you know, to feed that cold ;) So we broke out the good ole Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls and baked those for a fun dessert! We rarely eat packaged desserts like this, but it’s what our souls needed that weekend :)

We each had one and it was glorious

Sunday was another relaxing day filled with a quick gym workout with Todd and then a couple errands were ran. It was another evening of not wanting to put much effort into dinner so it was Mollie Stone’s sushi and salad bar to the rescue…

My salad – kidney beans, garbanzo beans, croutons, beets, and veggies

Todd’s sushi, which I took many bites from ;)

Sunday also consisted of me getting into some major holiday spirit. I don’t know why but this year I’m especially getting into the holiday spirit super early. I think the older I get, the more nostalgic I become so Sunday I got my small collection of Christmas decorations up – I hung our wreath on our front door and got out our holiday penguins…

P.S. ’9ers won!! Whoo hoo!!

And I even picked up a couple Advent Calendars for Todd and I…no matter how old I get, I will be doing this tradition forever. My parents always got me one and it’s a tradition I want to keep for our children as well…for now Todd and I will just enjoy the chocolates ;)

Are any of you into the holiday spirit early this season?! Or will you be waiting until after Thanksgiving?

I especially can’t wait for us to pick up our Christmas tree once we get back from New York. Speaking of New York, we’re headed to my in-laws next Thursday to upstate New York (super excited!) and I need some clothing suggestions from you all on what to wear. This California girl has no cold weather clothing whatsoever. I’ll be borrowing some from my sis but I really need some long sleeved tops like thermals, and comfy bottoms to wear with my Uggs like leggings – any of you have some suggestions on where I can get some affordable (cute!) cold weather clothing from? Todd suggested Target and I’m also thinking of checking out H&M. I also want to get some infinity scarves – any of you know where I can find some of those?!

****

Hope you all have a great day and if you get a chance hop on over to Caitlin’s blog at Healthy Tipping Point to wish her a congrats on some super exciting news! I’ve never met Caitlin, but I’ve been reading her blog since the very beginning and have always loved it. Her blog helped me in many ways in inspiring me to get healthy during my eating disordered/overexercising days…and now that she’s expecting I couldn’t be more happy for her and to follow her along on this journey. It’s so exciting to see so many bloggers that I’ve followed for the past 3+ years get married then pregnant and to be able to celebrate these milestones with them – it’s such a great community to be a part of and to follow everyone’s lives through the internet is a pretty amazing thing :)