Five Things Friday

Thanks for hanging in with me this week, even though I've done no cooking or recipe sharing :) Onward and upward!

It's been a crazy week and I'm thrilled that the weekend is upon us. I'm keeping this short and sweet today, so here are my five things!

Gorg outdoor happy hour - The Yard @ Soho Grand Hotel

Zoya's Hayden nail polish

My mom gave me this color and it's really so pretty. I don't usually love pinks, but this one reminds me of a pink Blow Pop or a Barbie car and I'm totally digging it for spring. I feel like Zoya is a lesser known polish brand, but I'm incredibly impressed with the quality.

Forever 21 tanks

For $5, you really can't beat it. My favorite part about this tank is that it's form-fitting but flattering. I can't wait to go back to pick up a few more colors.

Keep it Sweet Desserts

Lauren was my first blog friend and I'm so thrilled and excited for her new dessert endeavor (not to mention salivating over her incredible blog recipes). I was beyond psyched when I arrived home last night to a box of black and white blondies that she sent me. Though I was stuffed from dinner with friends, I tore right into them and they were nothing short of A-mazing. I'll tell you more about them next week, but meanwhile, be sure to check out her site!

image c/o Keep it Sweet Desserts

Game of Thrones opening credits

I am a serious snob when it comes to good opening credits. To me, it really sets the tone for the entire show. It needs a mix of great, captivating visuals and exciting, riveting music. And yes, when we watch these shows, I make Shaun sit through the entire opening credit sequence before every ep, even if we are watching multiple eps in a row. Some of my favorite opening credits done right include True Blood, Dexter, American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy, Shameless and The Sopranos. And Game of Thrones. Not only is the visual pretty awesome, but I'm kind of obsessed with the music!

So there you have it. Five things I'm adoring this week. Now it's your turn!

What are your five things this week?

Thursday Thoughts

I haven't cooked anything exciting since Easter. I just haven't been into it and have been making dishes just to get through the week. I'm hoping for a reinvigoration in the kitchen this weekend! I feel like I need a full-blown, therapeutic baking sesh. Pronto.

Dick Clark died, which makes me so sad. New Year's Eve just won't be the same.

I dove directly into 50 Shades of Grey...whew! I am not only obsessed but feel a little wrong for being obsessed. Something tells me I will easily finish it before the weekend. Thanks to all of you who weighed in on this recommendation!

I'm 100% getting my favorite 92Y Tribeca breakfast this morning. I am doing it. You can't stop me.

Shaun and I have been eating a ton of salad. As I mentioned yesterday, we have been making giant salads, filled with veggies, chicken, hardboiled egg whites and other delicious things. I'll tell you more about it next week.

My new TV obsession? Giuliana & Bill. Do any of you watch this show? It's on Style Network. First of all...I adore her. She is beautiful inside and out, keeps it real and is an inspiration to all women! Secondly, Bill is adorable. And lastly...similar to why I adore Ice Loves Coco...they seems like a normal married couple. It's refreshing. This season has been especially heartbreaking as they fight not only infertility but her breast cancer.

I can't wait to get our new dressers this weekend. I'm talking about it here in case you missed it.

I've also had a hankering for some Indian food lately. I think I know what we'll be ordering in on Friday evening...

So that's it for me today. Sorry this week has been less than exciting. I need a little kitchen inspiration!

How do you stay inspired in the kitchen, or just in life in general?

What are some of your thoughts today?

Getting back on track

I feel like I've written this post in the past, but it's back again.

I somehow lost touch with getting back on track with my weight, healthy eating and exercising. While my weekdays were still mostly filled with healthy foods, I found myself having more than a glass of red wine on a Tuesday evening, snacking on cheese and crackers and even downing leftover cupcakes as dessert.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's something I'd never want to live without.

But those are once in a while things, or weekend things at the very least.

Somehow, I gained back weight that I had lost since the holiday and then some. The number of clothes in my closet that weren't tight on me were shrinking. I started feeling worse and worse about myself.

But!

I can dwell on what's been or I can look forward to what's going to be. And this week, I started to turn it all around again. I don't know if it's the incredibly warm weather reminding me that Memorial Day is only 5 weeks away, the fact that my clothes aren't fitting or my general dissatisfaction with my appearance, but I'm ready to make a change! I want to look like this again:

So here's what I've been doing:

1. I made a lot of food on Sunday. Shaun and I chopped vegetables, cooked, packed and prepped all evening so that we'd have lots of healthy options for the week.

 

2. I made sure that I'd have a big, healthy, filling salad in the fridge, ready at all times to be taken on the go for lunch or for a quick dinner in a pinch.

 

3. I stocked up on fruit. This has become my go-to snack. I typically have a banana in the afternoon, with a little Better 'n Peanut Butter on the side. Last night, I had a chopped banana with some sugar-free chocolate syrup and a dollop of fat free whipped cream.

4. I committed to exercising 3 days per week. I know this may not seem like a lot to most of you, but to me, it is significantly more than what I've been doing, and I'm hoping to grow this over time.

So that's my plan.

Summer and tight clothing, I'm ready to kick your butt!

Are you feeling the pressure of impending summer?

What are your go-to healthy, yet filling foods?