Buttering Me Up

Good evening my lovelies! I hope all of you are enjoying your Saturdays! I just got done enjoying some Skinny Taste Sloppy Joes & quinoa with mexicorn. I got some peppers on my hand while I was cooking and even though I've washed it with Dawn it still burns if I scratch anywhere... Oi vey it burns!


Yesterday marked exactly three months until the wedding but I was totally surprised when I got a text from the fiance telling me to meet him in the lobby of my work where I found these waiting on me... Act like a giddy school girl? Why yes I did!


Then when I got home I was told to get dressed because we were going to dinner! Yes sir! I was not going to object! We ended up at BJ's Brewhouse. I got a 5oz shooter of their low calorie beer and the vegetarian mini pizza while the fiance got a small margarita and mahi mahi tacos! And I had plans for desert, oh dear... how about some froyo? As if he had a choice. There is a local shop called Pink Berry and I love that they have a mini size! I get my chocolate fix and don't have to worry too much about my waist!


It was such a great night but I always feel like I'm being buttered up for something. I guess this is his way from keeping me from wearing my Nikes to the wedding and running out the door. {I kid} Now being the big party animals we are we still managed to be home and in bed by ten. Oh yeah, we are that lame. But I'll take being lame for a much needed 8 hours of sleep! Actually we had originally came home early to get a run in, but my favorite friend, migraine, showed up and killed that.


Crossfit games? Anyone watching them online or on the tv? I am so amazed, those are some amazing individuals! {though watching it makes me feel like a pansy}

Eat clean. train hard, & inspire others!
-Kiwi && Me

Date Day

The last few days I have been functioning at 50%, I have been exhausted. Yesterday the fiance let me sleep in till 10:30 while he cooked up some french toast! I woke up feeling pretty spoiled. And grateful! 

The last few days have been cool and rainy, so we have been enjoying a lot of rain on the tin roof - my favorite sound. I think it was working its magic on everyone!

We both got ready and headed to town for the day. First stop was the flower shop handling our wedding. We paid the deposit, gave her the color pieces, and signed our life away. Kidding. But I did have to listen to the florist and the fiance talk fishing for awhile... He is obsessed.

Then we headed to the mall to order his wedding ring. Kay was able to order the one he wanted since we were unable to find it in any store. I am not big on having credit cards, frankly I think they are evil {thats the finance and accountant in me} but having that Kay card has come in REALLY handy during all of this. He was happy, so I was happy!

And since it was sort of his day, he picked lunch - sushi at Chi. The sushi was just as great as last time, but it smelled funny in there. I'll let them slide this time. I stuck with my usual california rolls with brown rice.

And he got all this funky stuff. The fish freaks me out, but he bribed me into trying it finally though. It was alright, I haven't died yet but I haven't ruled that out as a possibility. 

We thought about going to the movies but there wasn't anything that we were dying to see that we hadn't already seen so we decided to go take a stroll through Trader Joe's! We bought some chicken sausage, some frozen veggies, some deserts {duh}, and the fiance got some of their peppermint toothpaste and bar soap. He likes to smell good.

Next we tried out a new froyo place called Orange Leaf. I am a creature of habit and the fiance likes to constantly try new things, so he won this time.

We split peanut butter and chocolate swirled together with gummie bears, cookie dough pieces, and little peanut butter cups. It was delicious! We also tried the brownie batter afterwards - AMAZING. They had a flavor called birthday cake that tasted just like Louisiana wedding cake and I thought the fiance was going to cry with joy - that is his favorite stuff. So I know we will be going back, even though it is really far away.

I came home and found this on the door step!

I won it in a giveaway hosted by Itz Linz! Her blog is awesome, and she has such a cool personality! Go check her out! 

This box has all kinds of cool stuff: bars, protein, tea, aromatherapy, house cleaning stuff, make up, and snacks! 

Decided to nerd out again with some Star Trek. I'm serious when I say I watch this A LOT. I love it. 

Dinner consisted of pulled beef on sandwich thins, sweet potato fries, and eggplant we got from Trader Joe's. Of course the boys picked this meal out, but it was good none the less.

The fiance and I decided to have a planking contest, I lost but I did make it to 2 minutes which is a new record for me so I was very happy! Then I opted for some Bob Yoga! I am really  becoming addicted to this yoga... Who would have thought?

Saw this on a friends facebook and it just cracked me up! So made me think of my own furry little monsters!

Well my friends I'm off to enjoy my day! 

Question: 
Are you a creature of habit or do you enjoy trying new things?
What is your favorite thing at Trader Joe's?

Eat clean, train hard, & inspire others!
-Kiwi && Me

What I Ate Wednesday #10

Good morning! Its another WIAW post and I'm going to continue posting like I have the last few weeks. Instead of posting everything I had in one day, I'm posting all the things I ate this week that caught my eye! This girl likes variety! 

----What WIAW isn't about----

Comparison - Judgement - Restriction - Guilt

----What WIAW is about----

Celebrating one of the glorious things we all have in common: We all eat!

"WIAW is about food and fun! It's about making new friends, breaking out of a food rut, noting changes in your diet/lifestyle, inspiring yourself & others, embracing fruit & vegetables, nourishing your body with the foods that work for you, finding new ways to eat your favorite foods, and so much more" 

<3-peas & crayons

last wednesday evening my family went to one our of favorite restaurants, PF Changs. i got a cup of wonton soup, lettuce wraps, and hot oolong tea. 

i have recently become addicted to macchiatos, adding chia seeds to everything, cooking with lots of quinoa, and chocolate peanut butter... yum!

i've been making macchiatos at home; a single serving of carmel nut coffee, two sweetner packets, and about a half a cup of milk. works out to be 56 cents for two instead of 3.55 at starbucks...

i made running to the kitchen's cheesy zucchini quinoa with cauliflower instead... it was amazing! i love finding healthy recipes that give me that comfort food feeling.

we served the quinoa with chicken and veggie kabobs! lots of squash and mushrooms, my favorites!

saturday night the fiance's mom made turkey sausage jambalaya lightened up, it was so delicious! sometimes us cajun babies just need a good dose of our roots.

lots of healthy snacks; lots of grapes and watermelon....

sunday night we tried sweet tooth sweet life's cheesy crab and shrimp shells with chicken instead of shrimp... a-maz-ing.

sometimes i even snack on veggies... i am quite sure i could live on cauliflower.

sometimes {okay 99% of the time} my fiance is wonderful; lets me sleep in and cooks me french toast. that is love my friends...

and sometimes i just give in to the evil voice and grab a starbucks skinny carmel macchiato...

now on to the sweaty details... fitness. 
 
though i have been taking it easy the last few days i have gotten in some killer workouts...

like lots of bob haper yoga...

some walking, jogging and sprinting with the fiance... ignore my iphones auto correct fail!

and lots of planks!!




Question:
What is your favorite summer treat?
Do you do workouts during commericals?
Are you a coffee addict?

Eat clean, train hard, & inspire others!
-Kiwi && Me

Marvelous in My Monday #5

Sorry for my disappearance, it wasn't intentional! Our house is under construction and when they dug up the concrete outside, they also chopped the internet cable so my only contact with the outside world was my phone! But they came out and fixed it today and we are back in business. This alone is marvelous!

Marvelous in My Monday is a link up party started by the wonderful Katie over at Healthy Diva Eats. You just post about marvelous things that have happened to you over the week.

Iced Skinny Carmel Macchiatos: AT HOME! My sister and her husband make them at home to save money and passed along the how to. I went to HEB and got some Lola Savannah Carmel Nut coffee beans and ground them. I brew one serving, put in it a cup with ice, top it off with about a cup of skim milk, and then add two sweetner packets and VOILA! Now I won't break the bank with my new found Starbucks addiction.

New Recipes: I have been on a trying new recipes kick lately and its AWESOME. My parents are always skeptical but then always enjoy the new dishes!

First, I made Running to the Kitchen's Cheesy Zucchini Quinoa, except with cauliflower. It was SOOOOO good. Healthy comfort food right here! I might have eaten more than I should, but it was worth it!



Last night I cooked Sweet Tooth Sweet Life's Cheesy Crab and Shrimp Shells. Both my parents watch their cholesterol so I scrapped the shrimp for some chicken, but it was just as good. My Dad is pretty hard to please and he had two bowls, so I'm pretty sure this dish is Daddy Approved, and that is a high honor.

The Final Countdown: Less than 100 days to the wedding, so we are now in the full swing of things. Am I freaking out? A little. But the fiance is being very helpful and we now have all our appointments set, so now its just getting all the little things. I can do this.

Running: Remember I have not always been a fan of running, but it is growing on me. This weekend I went our walking/jogging, sprinting with the fiance. It was fun! But it was hot! And yes I know it says springing, serious iPhone fail. I am {facepalming} over here.

Kiwi: She is so cute and my marvelous little buddy. She is also a bed hog, a lap hog, and she is continuously trying to steal my ice cream.

Star Trek: Please bear with me as I have a complete and total NERD OUT moment. I can honestly say that the most recent Star Trek with Chris Pine is in my top three favorite movies. I watch it when I'm on the treadmill and every time it comes on tv. Well the other day I just decided to do a little self indulging and bought it for my iPad, so now I can nerd out where ever whenever. THIS IS MARVELOUS!

Well, I am off to enjoy my evening, the fiance went out and bought all this fancy stuff to cook that I'm not allowed to see until its done, and we are about to start a movie! Cozy night at home tonight, winning.

Question: What marvelous thing has happened to you recently?
 
Eat clean, Train hard, & Inspire others!
-Kiwi && Me

Wedding Checks Feel So Great

So in case you didn't know, there are 98 days until this girl is a married lady. Yeah, I'm freaking out. We finally broke into the double digits and I have soooo much to do: cake, decorations, print {and send} invitations, grooms tuxes, hair trials, get the rehearsal scheduled... Freaking. Out. Hardcore. Not like bridezilla freak out, that is not my style. Plus I just hate the word bridezilla.

So I thought before I talked about my day I would give ya'll a little background on the fiance and I. We went to high school together, he thought I was pretty and I made fun of him. We had the same circle of friends but never really hung out together until my college years when I was in a serious relationship with someone else. We broke up, I was very upset, and my mom told me I needed to get out. Well his best friend decided to make his move, the fiance made his, and guess who won? I believe his exact text message {yes he was a goober and asked me out in a text} was, "We should mate, I mean date." We have been together for almost six years now.




Now I want everyone to know that I love my car like 1% less than the fiance. So a lot. I'm very paranoid about door dings (I got one that cost me $600 to fix), people messing with her, ect. We have known for four years that we were going to get engaged, I picked out the ring, so I knew it was coming. I told him, surprise me - I didn't want to see it coming. If he had flowers, or took me to a nice dinner I would know.




So I came home one day, and he was standing out front with the dog. I had had a horrible day, and had complained on the phone earlier about a car parking 3 inches from mine. {HEARTATTACH} I was trying to get my stuff out of the car and he said, "OMG Jaren someone door dinged you bad, like to the metal!" Instantly, I was livid. I was said he better not be joking, I was going to have someone's head... You get it, I was mad. So as I lug all my bags around to the other side of the car to see the damage, he is down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was stunned, surprised, and laughing at his methods. I believe my exact words were, "Yes, you shithead". We are loving. It was perfect for us, and we had a great night alone afterwards. Happy me.




So today we picked out our flowers - bouquets, reception, ceremony, table decorations, ect. Who feels about 10% lighter? *SMILE* Whites, and pinks... Lots of glass and candles... Its going to be so pretty! I'm very excited. Next week is final dress fitting and invitations, a month from now is cake and table decorations... Everything is coming together. I don't know how people do this and stay sane! Or do a DIY wedding... 10,000 Kudos to you guys.

Question:
Did you do a DIY wedding?
Was your proposal traditional or spontaneous?

Eat clean, Train hard, && Inspire others!
-Kiwi & Me

the engagement photographs are from Mustard Seed Photography

What I Ate Wednesday #9

Good morning! Its another WIAW post and I'm going to continue posting like I have the last few weeks. Instead of posting everything I had in one day, I'm posting all the things I ate this week that caught my eye! This girl likes variety! 

----What WIAW isn't about----

Comparison - Judgement - Restriction - Guilt

----What WIAW is about----

Celebrating one of the glorious things we all have in common: We all eat!

"WIAW is about food and fun! It's about making new friends, breaking out of a food rut, noting changes in your diet/lifestyle, inspiring yourself & others, embracing fruit & vegetables, nourishing your body with the foods that work for you, finding new ways to eat your favorite foods, and so much more" 

<3-peas & crayons

wednesday night dinner - picked by the fiance and my father - steak, oven roasted potatoes with onions, and baked beans

thursday night - my favorite - homemade pizza with onions, feta, black olives, broccoli, jalapenos and mushrooms

friday afternoon snack - while the fiance cleaned the kitchen {he is simply amazing} - tazo passion fruit tea, blueberries and Love Grown Foods Simply Oats

i have always given my friends flack for being addicted to coffee since i've never really liked it. well saturday logann & i stopped by starbucks and she ordered me a iced skinny carmel macchiato. it was love. i am addicted.

spent most of saturday afternoon making these {and stuffing my face with them}

recipe here

my favorite summer salsa - recipe here

good ol' fashioned fresh salsa - recipe here

while i worked on my recipe posts saturday i enjoyed a small pina colada

my father's birthday dinner - bbq'd chicken, asparagus, cole slaw, mashed sweet potatoes, and black baked beans

sunday morning skinny macchiato while i enjoyed some time with friends at cars && coffee

monday morning i made the boys some of No Sugar Sweet Life's Greek Yogurt Blueberry Banana Bread. they were very happy boys.

tuesday lunch - my addiction - sushhhhhi <3

another skinny macchiato, see its terrible! she created a monster.

now for the fitness aspect! {the fun part}

wednesday night: jillian michaels ripped in thirty

friday i hit the gym for forty minutes of cardio on the elliptical

saturday - 30 minutes of interval training on the treadmill, 10 minutes of rowing, 10 minutes cool down on the tread mill, 75 second plank, and some stretching. took my sisters with me - fun & fitness - one stop shop! 

sunday night - i did my commercial break workout while i watched extreme makeover weight loss edition and then ended the night with 60 minutes of bob harper's yoga.

monday night - day of rest. though they are nice, i get bored around workout time, antsy almost.  


tuesday night - 30 mins of bob harpers bob workout. dead jaren was dead. that workout is hard, like making-caveman-noises-just-to get-through-it hard.

i hope everyone has a fun && safe fourth of july! 

Question:
What is your favorite summer treat?

Do you do workouts during commericals?

Are you a coffee addict?

Eat clean, Train hard, & Inspire others!-Kiwi and Me