Marvelous In My Monday [MIMM] 11.12.12

The weather the past 3 days has been a real treat, much more enjoyable than the blustery and cool weather that rolled in last week…  Today was no different, sunny and spring-like, I definitely wanted to take advantage of it and be outside!  My Monday was just as marvelous as my weekend!

Marvelous…  3-day weekends [whoop, whoop].

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Marvelous…  A peppermint skim cappuccino from Starbucks.

Marvelous…  A peanut butter pancake bowl for breakfast.

Marvelous…  A long walk with a girlfriend, chatting about recent happenings and “it’s so bad, it’s so good” TV shows.

Marvelous…  A spicy salsa lentil stuffed pepper topped with melty mozzarella cheese for lunch.

Marvelous…  Chobani brownies topped with Peanut Butter Puffins.

Marvelous…  Going to the driving range and playing mini golf with Ryan.

Marvelous…  On-the-go afternoon snacks.

Marvelous…  A successful sweat session of 35 minutes spinning + 10 minutes stairs followed-up with TNT’s week 2 challenge and abs.

Week 1 Challenge

15 push-ups

20 squats

30 homework crunches

50 jumping jacks

*3 times through with no rest*

Week 2 Challenge

50 push-ups

1 mile run/ jog/ walk

Marvelous…  Watching He’s Just Not That Into You and the smell of pizza cooking in the oven for dinner.

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Marvelous…  MIMM, thanks Katie from Healthy Diva Eats!  I always enjoy reading other people’s marvelous posts, it’s a great way to start the week on a positive note 🙂

XOXO,

Allison

Question:  What’s your favorite “it’s so bad, it’s so good” TV show?

Question:  Have you ever baked with yogurt?  Do you have a favorite recipe?

Five Things Friday 1.27.12

Thing 1:  My brain felt like mush last night so a good laugh was much appreciated  🙂  Here are three “corny” foodie riddles  Purchase Order of Miami, Inc. left me [scroll down to the bottom to see the answers]…

A)  You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat?

B)  What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?

C)  What did the grape say when he was sat on?

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Thing 2:  I am 100% confident that yesterday’s snack [PB & Cottage Cheese Jelly Roll-Ups] and this morning’s bfast [Cereal Berry Cobbler To-Go] will be repeated.

old-fashioned oats + Kashi Go Lean + PB puffins + Silk Light Vanilla Soymilk + cottage cheese + cinnamon + Stevia + frozen mixed berries

Thing 3:  I am SO excited for this weekend!  It’s a 4-day weekend [Monday and Tuesday are teacher workdays] and I’ve got some fun things planned…

-Attending my first BodyPump Class

-Coffee catch-up dates with a few girlfriends

-Date night with Ryan

-Working at the housing development and sitting in the new model home [my part-time job]

-Celebrating my momma’s birthday!

-Sleeping in Monday and Tuesday morning

-Attending a professional development workshop titled “Coping with the Challenges of Adolescence: Privacy, Safety, and Physical Development”

Thing 4:  I seem to be sucked into trashy, reality TV this season…  The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Bachelor, and Jersey Shore- they’re so bad, they’re so good!

Thing 5:  A few recent reads worth sharing…

–An aspiring chef lost her sense of smell in an accident, but rather than letting it shatter her dreams, she learned how to rely on her other senses and her passion for cooking only intensified…

-More than a dozen of teens from a school in upstate New York school are experiencing mysterious, Tourette’s-like symptoms?!

-I type with my 2 hands and 10 fingers, this guy types with a 10-inch chopstick…

-As if her life wasn’t already going to be filled with enough prosperity, Jay-Z and Beyoncé chose Oprah as Blue Ivy’s godmother!

-A pair of high heels sure can make a woman feel sexy, but are they also harmful to her health?

[these crystallized high heels are for sale on Etsy]

P.S.  It was a productive day at school…

Daily Memorable Moment January 27:  Completing [and surviving] the first half of my first year teaching!

Question:  What TV shows are you hooked on?  Besides the trashy reality shows, I’m hooked on My Fair Wedding and Storage Wars [and Seinfeld reruns, it’s Ryan’s fave]…

Question:  Have you ever had a dream that woke you up in the middle of the night?  Last night I woke up around 3AM from a scary dream that I was in a car accident…  In my dream, I was driving over a little hill and when I got to the top of the hill, a car was coming straight towards me and hit me head on…  I woke up this morning all shook up and ironically I saw an accident on my way to work

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The answers to the riddles…

A)  Corn on the cob- you throw away the skin [or sheaf], then cook it, eat the corn, then throw away the cob.

B)  Pumpkin pi.

C)  Nothing, he just let out a little whine.

Venues Pt. 2 & Weekend Randoms

Over the weekend my Dear and I visited more potential wedding venues 🙂  Last weekend we visited venues in the Leesburg area and this weekend we focused on the Alexandria, Clarendon, and D.C. areas!

**FYI: the venues are listed in order as we saw them, they are not in rank order!**

Hilton Alexandria Old Town:

“As one of the premier Washington DC area’s event sites, we artfully integrate exquisite cuisine, unparalleled service, and captivating event venues. From opulent indoor events, receptions in our newly renovated Grand Ballroom, to intimate outdoor celebrations in our courtyard, the result is a celebration you’ll always remember.”

• Price Range: $$$
• Ceremony and reception site
• Overnight accommodations available
• Indoor and outdoor space available
• Capacity: up to 250
• Style: hotel

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Clarendon Ballroom:

“Located in Clarendon, just minutes from DC via Georgetown, this 1930’s Art Deco Ballroom offers magnificent event cuisine, attentive service, and a stress-free planning process with an experienced and creative event staff.”

• Price Range:  $$$
• Ceremony and reception site
• Indoor and outdoor space available
• Capacity: up to 250
• Style: banquet/ reception hall, mansion/ historic site, unusual/ alternative

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Top of the Town:

“The totally new Top of the Town in Arlington is an elegant reception site featuring a dramatic and sweeping view across the Potomac River of Washington, DC landmarks and monuments. The hilltop penthouse “room with a view” provides a panoramic view of the nation’s capital, including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol and the Jefferson Memorial…even as far away as the new Redskins Stadium. The views are breathtaking anytime, day or night. Parking included.”

• Price Range: $$$
• Ceremony and reception site
• Indoor and outdoor space available
• Capacity: up to 200
• Style: banquet/ reception hall

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The Ballroom at McLean Gardens:

“Grand Ballroom in DC with award-winning Cuisine, trained & professional staff, dance floor, fireplaces, tall columns & cute front porch… prices starting at $100 per person inclusive of the venue & catering.. Washington Best kept secret is out!”

• Price Range: $$
• Ceremony and reception site
• Indoor and outdoor space available
• Capacity: up to 200
• Style: banquet/ reception hall

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National Museum of Women in the Arts:

“When planning a wedding ceremony and reception, the National Museum of Women in the Arts offers the setting to make your event unforgettable. The museum’s special events staff will happily advise you in how best to use the space. This beautiful Renaissance Revival building and the collection of art makes for a memorable space.”

• Price Range: $$$
• Ceremony and reception site
• Only indoor space available
• Capacity: up to 400
• Style: museum/ art gallery

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**Descriptions and facts are from The Knot website**

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My mind was more “wedding-focused” than “camera-focused” so photos from the weekend are just a quick glimpse into some of the things I ate, did, and saw…

P.S.  Happy Columbus Day!  FYI, Columbus Day [provided by Wikipedia]…

• Was first popularized as a holiday in the United States through the lobbying of Angelo Noce, a first generation Italian, in Denver; the first official Columbus Day holiday was proclaimed by Colorado governor Jesse F. McDonald in 1905 and made a statutory holiday in 1907
• Was declared a federal holiday on October 12 in 1934 by Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a result of lobbying by the Knights of Columbus
• Has been fixed to the second Monday in October [the same day as Thanksgiving in Canada] since 1971

Question:  What did you do this weekend?

Question:  Do you get to enjoy the 3-day weekend?!