Beating the Soon-to-Be Winter Blues

Winter is getting ready to show her ugly face here in Nebraska soon.

As in tomorrow, soon. BLAH!!!

Knowing my window of opportunity to ride was quickly closing, I text my girl Tyree yesterday at 3pm and we were on our bikes and in the wind by exactly 4:45pm.

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Impromptu ride…. And soooo worth it. Totally needed that open crisp air in my face. We rode for a while and then made a pit stop at The Rusty Nail for some dinner and a cocktail.

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I chose a mushroom Swiss burger and Tyree had the burrito plate. Warm, delicious and filling. Vodka and sugar free redbull also made its way onto our tabs. Wonder how that happened…

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Perfect little evening if you ask me.

This AM I woke up and whipped up an oatmeal pancake. First time making something like this and I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I think I will continue to tweak ingredients as I go, but for the first one, I was impressed.

Oatmeal Pancake

1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup egg whites
2 Tbsp. PB2
1 Tbsp. Plain Greek yogurt
1 packet of Stevia

Mix, spread on heated griddle, lightly brown each side, soak in syrup, enjoy!

This recipe was 264 calories, 35 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams protein.

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I have a full day at work today. Hello meetings!!

After work I teach TurboKick at the Y from 4:30-5:15 and then it’s off to In This Moment concert at Sokol with my girl, Tyree!!

Eek!!!

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Have a Great Day, all!!

Friday Faves

Happy Friday to you!  We have a weekend of traveling for a 60th wedding anniversary celebration and a family dinner.  I hoe you all have a fun weekend planned as well!

My Friday Faves

1) TurboKick.   I have mentioned before that I teach this class four times a week at the local YMCA.  My last class for the week is on Friday’s from 4:30-5:15pm.  It is always interesting to guess the attendance for the day.  Happy Hour is TOUGH competition, y’all.

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2. Starbucks.  I treat myself on Friday’s to a Caramel Frapp.  MY FAVE!!!  Sugar free syrup, non-fat milk, no whip, please.

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3. Too Faced Primed and Poreless.

I use this primer everyday underneath my foundation.  Lifesaver for those who tend to get oily as the day passes by.  By the end of the workday my foundation is still set in place with minimum shine since I started using this product.

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4. Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Along the same lines as the Primer, the Shadow Insurance is just for your eyes.  Do you get that ugly eyeshadow crease?  You won’t after you start using this product!  My eyeshadow looks great at the end of a 9 hour day, no joke.  And my eyeshadow used to always be creased and slimy looking by lunch time.  This product is magic to me!

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5. Scandal

I am COMPLETELY obsessed with this show.  The plot lines, the characters, the suspense, the emotion.  Totally invested in this series and right now I don’t want it to EVER end.

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What is your makeup must-have?

Do you have a TV show that you can’t get enough of?

The Weekend in Review

Why is it that the weekends just fly by?  Sigh…..

What a great weekend it was, though!

Friday, 4pm, Happy Hour.  Check Friday Faves for a recap.

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After Happy Hour with the girls, I met up with my husband at The Anchor Inn for some dinner and beers.  The Anchor used to be located on the Missouri River and was THE place to be during the summer months.  They had a large outdoor stage right by the river where multiple bands played every weekend.  On site was the main bar and grill where you could sit inside, or you could enjoy the outdoors and visit any of the Tiki-Hut bars (number depending on the size of crowd).  It was definitely a one-of-a-kind place to hang out during the summer.

Unfortunately, the floods of 2011 put the entire place under water for months, and in the end they were prohibited from re-building.  So sad.  They have relocated to an in-town location, which is still a fun place to hang out and we always enjoy our time there, but it is definitely a completely different ambiance.  The new building doesn’t allow for the crowds and atmosphere as the Anchor Inn once had, but I have to commend Junior (owner) for re-opening and continuing on.  Business is still booming!

Clint and I were actually supposed to be married in 2011 at the Anchor.  I’ll tell that story at a later date.  We found an alternate location, but it was a bit stressful, to say the least. 🙂

Below pic is an example of the old Anchor Inn parties.  So fun!  Click here for more pics.

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Saturday!  Woke up and watched my favorite Food Network TV Shows and started my BFY Chicken Tortilla Soup.   I love Crock Pot recipes!  Throw in the pot, close the lid, set the temp and walk away.  The house smelled SO good while the ingredients cooked down and melded together.  Delicious!

The end product:

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My husband worked on the house replacing a few boards and painting some of the trim.  Sure is handy when he has the proper equipment to reach our rooftop.

ImageChamp and I hung out on the front stoop enjoying the beautiful weather while the hubby slaved away.

What a cute guard dog.

He’s likely to lick you to death, so a little less guard and a lot more cute is probably the reality.

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ImageI took advantage of the gorgeous day and went for a nice 5 mile jog with a 1 mile walk to cool down and take in the sights.  There is a pretty nice trail (cement trail, not off-road trail) near my house, so I always like to hit it up when running more than 3 miles.  I maintained a nice and easy 9 1/2 mph pace which is right where I wanted to be since it’s been about a month since I have done any real jogging over 2 miles.  Needed a break after training for two half marathons.  My back was thankful for that break, but it was nice to be back out there again.

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We capped off our Saturday evening staying in.  We were planning on attending a Halloween Party, but in the end, decided to just stay home.  Sometimes we just need that down time.

Sunday morning I was up at the crack of dawn (seriously, 6:30AM), so I went to the grocery store and bought ingredients to make the most delicious egg white, spinach, feta cheese casserole.  I will post that recipe and my full day tomorrow.

Now, it is time for BED!

Enjoy your Sunday evening whatever you do and wherever you are!