A Mom’s Birthday & A Dog’s Christmas

My mom’s birthday celebration on Wednesday night was a lot of fun! I invited my grandmother, aunt, and neighbors over to celebrate. I think my mom’s favorite part of the night was just “hanging out” with everyone.

Notice that my aunt is holding a picture frame in this photo. In that frame are the pictures from Shanah’s ultrasound. She and my brother are having a boy! Yay — Egg Man’s going to have a little brother. Little Egg is due May 3.

I ordered my mom’s favorite kind of cake: one covered with white chocolate shavings. This cake was made by the awesome bakers at a fantastic little bakery in Berwyn, PA called Clay’s Bakery. Underneath all those delightful white chocolate shavings was vanilla layer cake filled with raspberry preserves.

I’m still a little surprised when my mom asks me if I want any dessert. I can’t believe I passed on dessert for so many years! Passing on dessert won’t result in weight loss/maintenance, my friends — in fact, I think passing on dessert is counterproductive to losing weight and/or maintaining weight. But that’s the topic for another post I’ve been writing in my head. I had a slice of cake and YUM, was it good!

Carter and I bought my mom a Vera Bradley stocking (a great gift for all the Vera Bradley fans out there!) and a necklace and earrings made by Brighton. Have you heard of Brighton? It’s a great gift for all the ladies on your list. Whether she’s 27 (like me) or, um, 28, like my mom, she’ll love it! Translation: Brighton is beautiful jewelry for girls of all ages.

I always love going to my mom’s house to play with the dogs. Lacey is my sweet little bichon frise. My mom gave her to me for Valentine’s Day when I was in seventh grade. I treasure every moment with her — it’s always hard to say goodbye to her when I leave, because she walks out to the porch and watches me drive away. Sometimes I end up on the verge of tears. She’s 15 years old, so she’s a sweet, old lady in dog years. I love her so much.

And then there’s crazy little Noodles. Kyle and I like to put coins on his flat forehead. There’s something extremely funny about balancing coins on a mini dachshund’s forehead.

Speaking of cute dogs, do yourself a favor and watch this short video that my mom sent to me this morning. I don’t know why I’m SO emotional — maybe because it’s the holidays — but this made me cry. The little dog in this video just melts my
heart: A Dog’s Christmas

Enjoy your weekend! I hope you get to cuddle with some cute doggies of your own.

And the winner is . . .

Thanks to all who participated in the Oikos giveaway. Your recipes and ideas sound delicious! I used a random integer generator to choose the winner.

The winner is . . . drum roll please . . . number 17, Amanda of Two Boos Who Eat. Amanda said: “YUM! I would use the Oikos in a recipe for blueberry muffins!” Congratulations, Amanda! Enjoy those muffins! Please contact me with your address, and the coupons and tote bag will be on their way.

On today’s agenda: Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, and more Christmas shopping with one of the best friends a girl could ask for. Have a great day!

Simple Pleasures

Happy Birthday, Mom! I’m so excited to celebrate tonight!

The best part about birthday celebrations is spending time with the people you love. Ahhh, the simple pleasures. Yesterday was a day full of them:

♥ I woke up early and shopped for 2 hours in Toys ‘R Us. I browsed through all the aisles about 5 times before I finally made my choices. I was shopping for . . .

my nephew, Egg Man (or Zane, if you must):

and my cousin’s baby, Nathan:

♥ The sun came out while I was shopping, so I rushed home and took Kai for a delightful walk. It was 50 degrees, and I wanted to take advantage of the mild weather. It’s supposed to be in the 30s for the rest of the week – brrr!

♥ While I was walking, I got a call about a job opportunty that I didn’t even apply for! It turns out that a former colleague recommended me for the position. It would only be temporary work, but it would be very rewarding: teaching day care center staff about recognizing the risk factors for, preventing, and responding to asthma attacks in children. What a nice surprise!

♥ I went shopping at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods and met my mom for a delicious Whole Foods dinner. Their butternut squash casserole is one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten; in fact, it was the inspiration for my insanely yumalicious Butternut CasserBowl oatmeal. I also bought some items I’ve never tried before, and I’m excited to give them a test run: dates, muesli, and The Bee’s Knees peanut butter, to name a few. All will appear on the blog, I’m sure.

♥ I came home to a very happy Kai, and we rough-housed in the kitchen for a while. It’s incredibly satisfying to play with my dog and realize that I’m laughing out loud, with no one else around to hear. My pets are my family and they bring so much joy to my heart.

♥ I thought about my husband . . . a lot. And just thinking about him makes me happy.

It was a pretty uneventful day and oh-so-joyful anyway. Simple pleasures are the best, aren’t they?

Speaking of simple pleasures, don’t forget to take a chance at winning some free treats compliments of Oikos Greek Yogurt! Just click on the following link and leave a comment on that post (not this one) describing a way you’d like to use Oikos Greek yogurt: Oikos Giveaway

For a chance to win, leave a comment by midnight (Eastern Time) tonight! I’ll post the winner tomorrow!

Cherries and Cherry Pits

Don’t forget to enter the Oikos Greek yogurt giveaway! You have until this Wednesday.

Did you ever read the book “Cherries and Cherry Pits” when you were little? It used to be one of my favorite books because I loved all of the bright illustrations. Definitely a great book for the little ones on your Christmas list.

[Image Source: Harper Collins]

As I’ve been using up the cherries I bought at Sam’s club over the past few days, I keep thinking of that book. I must have always loved fresh, red cherries. And what’s not to love when you can make this?

And this?

This first photo is Saturday’s pancake breakfast: Fiber 1 pancakes with chopped cherries and pecans pushed into the batter. I topped the pancakes with plain Greek yogurt (mixed with 1 packet of Splenda), some more cherries and maple syrup.

While we ate, Santa drove by on a firetruck. I was very perplexed. Santa always used to come around at night and hand out candycanes in my old neighborhood.

Kai was perplexed, too. She howled at the siren — it was only the third time during her 10 years on this earth that I’ve heard her howl. Carter and I were cracking up. I can’t believe my luck: I caught her howling on camera.

Now, back to those cherries. The oatmeal photo from above is this morning’s breakfast, which I’d like to call Cherry Macadamia Creme. I cooked 1/2 cup rolled oats in 1 cup water. When it was done cooking, I turned off the heat and mixed in 1 small container of vanilla Greek yogurt. I spooned it all into a bowl and topped it with chopped cherries and Mauna Loa dry roasted macadamias!!

Macadamias are so insanely tasty, and they transport me right back to our June 2008 Hawaiian honeymoon.

Mauna Loa macadamias are made by Hershey, and I bought a can of them this weekend when we went to Hershey Chocolate World and Hershey Christmas Candylane!

It was very cold, but lots of fun. Carter and I always love hanging out with my brother and Shanah . . . and little Egg Man, of course.

One of the highlights of the day was the sled dog show. The dogs love this sport!

Only 11 days until Christmas! Can you believe it? Have a merry Monday!

Oikos Giveaway Dec 11 – Dec 16!

If you read my review of Oikos organic Greek yogurt, you know I’m a big fan. In fact, this morning’s breakfast featured Oikos vanilla Greek yogurt and Stonyfield Farm (the company behind Oikos) pumpkin pie yogurt.

This bowl’s ingredients included:

1/2 container of the vanilla Greek yogurt and 1/2 container of the pumpkin pie yogurt
1 heaping tablespoon ground flaxseed
2/3 cup Health Valley low fat date almond granola (very crunchy and terrific flavor!)
lots of chopped fresh cherries
1 heaping tablespoon of chopped, toasted (in the microwave for 1 minute) pecans

Fruity. Nutty. Crunchy. And of course creamy thanks to the yogurts. Fantabulous breakfast.

What’s better than a delicious breakfast? Free stuff for you! Stonyfield Farm has kindly offered one lucky Defining Wellness reader the following items:

1. an Oikos tote
2. 1 coupon for a free 16-oz container of Oikos
3. 4 coupons, each for a free 5.3-oz container of Oikos

Please Note: You must be from the US to enter this contest, as the products are only distributed in the US.

To enter, leave 1 comment on this post describing how you will use Oikos organic Greek yogurt if you win this prize. For example, maybe you would use it like I did and combine it with other ingredients for breakfast, or maybe you have an idea for a sauce or baked good recipe. The contest is open from now until Wednesday, December 16 at midnight, Eastern time. Please leave only 1 comment per reader to give everyone a fair chance at winning, but feel free to tell your family and friends!

I will post a winner on Thursday morning. Good luck!

Oikos Greek Yogurt Review + Job Search News

I LOVE Oikos organic honey-flavored Greek yogurt, and I can never seem to get my hands on it. I guess other people have caught on to its deliciousness! If you see some, buy it and run! And send some my way, will ya? ; )

Check out this yummy breakfast concoction using the honey-flavored Oikos here: Pumpkin Blackberry Delight

When Stonyfield sent me some coupons to try other Oikos organic Greek yogurt flavors for free, I was out the door almost as soon as I had the coupons in my hands.

First, I tried vanilla Oikos to make Jenna’s (of Eat, Live, Run) overnight oats.

Raspberry Almond Overnight Oats:

1. I combined 1/2 C rolled oats and 1/2 C skim milk in a tupperware container, covered it, and put in the fridge overnight.
2. In the morning, I combined 2 T maple syrup and 1 T almond butter in a bowl and heated it in the microwave for about 20 or 30 seconds.

3. Then, I mixed in my overnight oats, the container of vanilla yogurt, cinnamon, and a packet of Splenda. I topped it all with raspberries (instead of Jenna’s bananas) and more cinnamon.

This was the best bowl of overnight oats I’ve ever had. The Oikos is so creamy and luscious, and the vanilla flavor worked perfectly in this recipe.

I also got a container of the plain yogurt to try. I used the plain yogurt in this morning’s breakfast. For this morning’s yogurt and granola bowl:

1. I heated up 1 T of maple syrup in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
2. I added in the plain yogurt and a packet of Splenda and mixed it all together.
3. I topped the yogurt mixture with Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Cranberry Maple Nut Granola (best granola ever!) and fresh raspberries.

The sweet maple flavor and creamy-crunchy texture of this breakfast just made me want to dance to my job interview. I plan to go out and get a big container of the plain Oikos to have on hand for oatmeal, yogurt and granola bowls, sauces/toppings and general cooking. The plain yogurt is very versatile because of it’s thick texture and mild flavor.

Besides the fabulous flavor and texture of Oikos yogurt, check out these other delightful facts. Stonyfield Farm:

1. uses only organic milk produced by organic farmers who don’t use antibiotics, toxic pesticides or synthetic growth hormones.
2. generates some of its energy from its waste water and rooftop solar cells, and diverts waste to recycling.
3. ships full truck loads, uses trains and relies on light-weight packaging to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
4. gives 10% of its profits to efforts that help to protect and restore the earth.
5. offers free reusable yogurt cups in partnership with Preserve, its recycling partner.

I’m totally on board with a company that makes fantastic organic products (including one of my favorite non-Greek yogurt flavors ever: Pumpkin Pie) AND cares about the planet.

Speaking of caring about the planet, I, too care about the planet . . . and its people . . . which is why I’m so excited about the job interviews I had today. The first interview was at the organization where I previously applied. Though I didn’t get the job that I originally applied for, this job (which they’d basically be creating FOR me — I’m so honored!) would be an even better fit.

The first part of the job would involve interviewing the consumers of mental health services to find out if they are satisfied with those services. For example, if you were in a treatment facility for a mental disorder, I would talk with you to make sure that you are satisfied with your treatment and that you feel you are actively involved in your own recovery process.

The second part of the job would involve working with high schools, colleges, civic groups and other community groups to educate them about mental health issues, develop educational programs, and implement programs to get youth involved in activities that enhance their well-being and mental health.

The third part of this job would involve writing a newsletter — and you all know I LOVE to write! I am so excited about this interview because I truly believe I’m a perfect fit for the job. It would most likely be part-time, too, which would be ideal while I’m going to grad school for counseling psychology. I’ll be hearing back before Christmas, so I’m hoping that perhaps the news will be an early Christmas gift!

My second interview also went very well. This interview was at a gym for a fitness instructor position. The cool thing about this job is that it would allow me to work on getting my personal training certification at the same time . . . something I’ve considered doing for the past several years. I would also have the opportunity to grow into a managerial position. Pros: I could start earning money immediately. I’d get to be involved in an active job (sitting behind a desk all day is not my idea of a good time). There is the potential to earn a great living. Cons: There is the potential to NOT earn a great living. I most likely wouldn’t have time to go to grad school at the same time.

Now is the most difficult part of the job search process: wait and see. I still have 2 other job possibilities that I should be hearing about any day now, too. So, to sum up: I have 4 job prospects, 1 grad school acceptance, and lots of soul-searching to do!

Obviously, I have a lot to think about. If you have any feedback, I’d love to hear it!

Accepted! (Plus Cookies!)

Today I was officially accepted into a master’s degree program in counseling psychology! I’ll most likely be starting the program in January, and my goal is to work towards becoming an eating disorders counselor and/or a middle school/high school counselor. My heart is set on being an eating disorders counselor at this point in my life, but I like to keep my options open. I’m excited and nervous to pursue this dream. I’m nervous about the whole financial aspect of attending school, not the program itself. I think the financial aid process is so daunting and confusing . . . and I’m worried about taking on more loans and paying for books. But I know that, in the long run, getting more education is always a smart choice. And I really want to pursue this career — I believe I can make a difference and I want to start making that difference.

This is a great start to the week . . . now I’m hoping to hear about some job opportunities . . . it would sure make registering for classes easier if I knew if and where and when I’ll be working!

So, as things are starting to take shape for 2010, here’s how I’ve been wrapping up my 2009 — holiday style!

On Saturday, Carter and I made paninis and side salads:

My panini was in wrap form: I filled it with 2 T Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co., about 1/3 C pumpkin, and 1/2 banana. After pressing it on our panini press, it was warm and melty and perfect. I highly recommend this combo of ingredients — they go together like “peas and carrots.” Thanks Forrest.

While we ate, we partly enjoyed and partly scoffed at this view out our window:

The snow looks pretty, but I don’t like the cold and the wetness. “Any cold, wet thing I don’t really like.” Thanks Bella (any Twilight fans out there?).

On Saturday night, we went to my favorite restaurant, Seasons 52! I love everything about Seasons 52, from the burning fire when you first walk in, to the classy yet not-too-fancy decor, to the delicious and super-healthy food, to the perfectly-portioned desserts.

I got the baby spinach salad with fresh sliced seasonal pears, toasted pine nuts and crumbled bleu cheese. It was served with a delightfully light white balsamic vinaigrette and it was phenomenal. I also ordered the chipotle shrimp flatbread with grilled pineapple, Feta cheese and roasted poblano peppers. I’ve never tasted anything like it — I think it was my favorite entree I’ve ever ordered from Seasons 52. The flavors just melded together so perfectly.

Though it broke our hearts to skip dessert (one of my favorite things about Seasons 52), we had other dessert plans in mind: cookies! After dinner, we went to my dad’s and step-mom Connie’s house to bake Christmas cookies with her family. Carter and I brought peanut butter milk chocolate dough (and Reese’s Pieces to top it with) and white chocolate macadamia nut dough from Hope’s Cookies. I have yet to eat a cookie that outdoes Hope’s perfectly crisp on the outside, thick and chewy on the inside cookies. You can order them online and I HIGHLY recommend it. I’m willing to bet they’ll be among the best cookies you’ve ever eaten . . . and they make awesome Christmas gifts in Hope’s adorable boxes and tins.

One of Connie’s family members made red velvet cookie dough and another made sugar cookie dough. The requisite chocolate chip cookie dough was also on hand.

Connie attempted to make cherry tarts, but they ended up coming out a bit puffy — delicious though, I’m sure!

We decorated . . .

and baked . . .

and Carter wasn’t afraid to get in on the action . . .

The ladies couldn’t keep their hands off my husband. I can’t blame them. How many guys do you know who will willingly throw themselves into cookie-baking mayhem with a bunch of crazy gals?

I enjoyed a Reese’s cookie, a red velvet cookie, and split a white macadamia cookie with Carter. A year ago, I never could have done that. I either would have avoided the cookies and internally sulked, or I would have binged on countless cookies + whatever other “forbidden” foods I could get my hands on (with the mindset that “I”ll start again tomorrow”), or saddest of all, I wouldn’t have accepted the invitation to the fun get-together. What a difference a year and a Registered Dietitian can make! Woo hoo!!

Best of all, I got to enjoy an evening with wonderful people, including my husband and my dad.

We continued the holiday fun on Sunday. Shanah (my brother’s fiance), my mom, Carter and I took Egg Man (AKA Zane, Shanah’s baby and the coolest kid I know) to visit one of Santa’s reindeer at Waterloo Gardens.

After Zane got his picture with Santa, we each got our picture taken with Zane. I would wait in line to take my picture with him before waiting in line to take my picture with Santa. Zane’s cuter.

Mom with the Egg:

Carter with the Egg, dreaming of his own future Egg:

Me with the Egg. And yes, you can bet I was dreaming of an Egg of my own:

After visiting with Santa and his reindeer, we bought our Christmas trees (yay!) and then met up with my brother at the King of Prussia Mall, where we did some Egg holding and Christmas shopping.

Which of course called for some TCBY. White chocolate macadamia (fat free and sugar free!) with heath bar pieces:

A weekend that starts with peanut butter and ends with frozen yogurt is a winner in my book. And a week that starts with a grad school acceptance ain’t too shabby either!

Pending Possibilities

Do you know that feeling when you find a perfect gift for someone and you’re really excited to give it to them? I have that feeling! My mom’s birthday is coming up on December 16th, and Carter and I bought her a GREAT gift! I can’t wait to tell you what it is on the 16th . . . but I can’t now, just in case my mom reads this. I just had to share my excitement!

In food news . . . I received this sample from Kashi this week:

That’s GoLean Crunch Honey Almond Flax. I tried it for breakfast, atop of a mixture of Fage 0% yogurt, warmed-up Libby’s pumpkin, 2 T flax, and 2 packets of Splenda. I sprinkled some blueberries on top:

I LOVED the crunch of the cereal, but I’m not sure if I was crazy about the flavor. I think it just may have gotten lost because the pumpkin flavor out-powered it. Or maybe I’m just used to eating granola for breakfast. I love Kashi, so I’ll probably give this cereal another shot, but without the pumpkin next time.

Today is a beautiful and sunny 50 degrees, so I’m going to take advantage of the sunshine and take Kai for a walk. We sure won’t be walking tomorrow — it’s supposed to be 42 degrees and rainy . . . and then the rain’s supposed to turn to snow. We might accumulate 1-2 inches! I’m not sure if I’m happy or sad about this. I’m really more of a warm-weather girl. But, since I’ll be inside at a cookie exchange tomorrow night, I think the snow will just add to the festive ambiance. What kind of cookies should I bake for the exchange? Hmmmmm . . .

Yesterday, I finally got a call about the director of community prevention position that I applied for. I didn’t get the job, but I got some really awesome feedback, and I’m pleased with everything that the executive director had to say about me. He told me that he’d “hire me in a heartbeat,” but unfortunately, the organization has been struggling for the past few years and he had to hire somebody with more directorial experience who could “hit the ground running” and get the organization back on its feet. However, because he was so impressed with my enthusiasm, dedication and work ethic, the executive director wants to CREATE a position for me! I was completely flattered, and I think I was more excited than if I had been offered the job.

He said that, though he can’t promise anything, the mental health division of the organization is being re-structured, and they will most likely be hiring a health educator within the next few months. I have an interview with the director of the mental health division next week to discuss potential opportunities. I’m very excited because this position would actually be a better fit for me — I have a psychology degree and experience as a health educator, so it’s right up my alley.

So . . . I have lots of balls up in the air. I have so many pending job possibilities and of course, the pending possibility of attending grad school, so I’m staying positive! I’ve been working hard to carve out opportunities for myself, and I know something will work out, all in good time. I choose to look at the bright side — not having a job has enabled me to savor the holiday season on a whole new level . . . and hey, I have the chance to do some modeling. I got more pics back from JMB Photoworks:

Grown-up Tammy remembering young Tammy . . . how cool:

I prefer the natural-looking photos over the ones where I’m edited into the background, but the edits definitely add something unique to my portfolio.

Have a fabulous weekend! Anyone else getting a Christmas tree this weekend? Look at the new ornament my step-mom bought for me to celebrate my recovery and newfound love of cooking! What a perfect gift!

“Snow Much Fun to Cook!” I love it!

Holiday Traditions

Doutzen Kroes is my hero! Check out the curves and the muscles on this Victoria’s Secret supermodel!

[Photo Source: www.vsallaccess.com]

Did any of you watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last night? I get excited to watch it every year. That’s the little girl in me, still dreaming to be a model. I love the energy, the fashion, the creativity — it’s all so exciting! But I have to admit,  I was appalled when David Kirsch (a celebrity personal trainer) made all the Victoria’s Secret model search contestants stand in front of a mirror and point out their own flaws. If the ladies couldn’t find any flaws on their own, he pointed them out for them. Umm . . . if that’s not the recipe for a trek down eating disorder lane, I don’t know what is. It’s one thing to help a model develop muscle and tone her body; it’s quite another to force her to find her flaws. That doesn’t build confidence and that’s not what beauty’s all about. Rather than focusing on flaws, why not focus on health and fitness and the fun of exercise? I understand that models are supposed to look great, but forcing them to focus on their flaws will not build their confidence, and confidence is one of the most beautiful attributes of all.

Anyway, enough ranting . . . the girls are beautiful . . . and I’m especially digging Doutzen’s curves.

I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday! This week is flying by, probably because I’m so preoccupied being a Christmas elf. Yesterday, I opened the first window on my Advent calendar. I buy myself an Advent calendar every year to keep up with the tradition that my parents started for me.

Other Christmas traditions I love:

1. Buying and decorating a Christmas tree
2. Macy’s holiday light show
3. Christmas in Hershey

[Image Source: www.christmasinhershey.com]

4. Lighting candles and singing carols in church on Christmas Eve
5. Driving through random neighborhoods to look at beautiful light displays
6. Eating bagels and lox for Christmas breakfast
7. A roaring fire and soft Christmas tunes in the background on Christmas morning
8. Watching Lacey (my bichon frise, who lives with my mom) open her Christmas presents

9. Visiting Santa’s reindeer at Waterloo Gardens
10. Spending Christmas Eve and day enjoying the company of the people and pets I love!

What are some of your favorite holiday (Christmas, Hannukah, or otherwise) traditions?

Lick-The-Bowl Good

Today I concocted a snack that was good enough to to lick the bowl . . . I’m not saying I did or anything.

Roxy (the cute black thing in the background) experienced food envy.

I’m calling this combo Blackberry Pie In A Bowl. I’ve never had blackberry pie, but I imagine this is what it would taste like:

1. Mix together the following ingredients:

1/2 individual container Fage 0% yogurt
1/2 individual container Stonyfield Farm pumpkin pie yogurt
1 T ground flax
1 T sugar-free maple syrup (heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds first)
1 packet Splenda

2. Next, heat 1 T pecans in the microwave for 1 min 30 sec. Chop into small pieces.

3. Top the yogurt bowl with a handful of fresh blackberries and the toasted pecans. All I have to say is, mmmmm!

I also found a phenomenal use for leftover sweet potato casserole. Yep, I still have Thanksgiving leftovers!

To make this burrito, I simply mixed together some sweet potato casserole and about 1/2 C black beans in a bowl and heated them in the microwave for 1 minute. I placed the mixture on top of a Flatout bread, rolled it up and enjoyed every sweet and gooey bite!

This morning involved a re-appearance of my very own creation, Tammy’s Butternut CasserBowl, but this time I topped it with some candied walnuts. Such an awesome bowl of oats! Click here for the recipe: Tammy’s Butternut CasserBowl.

The oatmeal was the perfect fuel for my interview at a local gym — it went great, but I was disappointed regarding the pay rate. I’d be getting lower pay than I did during my summer jobs in college. I’m ok with working my way up to more advanced and higher paying opportunities, but at this point in my life, I either want to contribute to our household income in some meaningful way or work towards a career. Grad school’s looking better and better — so I’m really hoping I receive an acceptance letter this week.

I also mentioned a few weeks ago that there was one job I applied for that I “want so badly it hurts.” Well, I followed up regarding that position today. The director of human resources asked for my name and said, “Hmmm, you should be hearing from us in a week or two. If you don’t, give me a call.” Sounds promising. I’ve got every finger and every toe crossed . . . and crossed again. This job would be part-time, and it would be an absolutely PERFECT fit for me while I’m in grad school. When I hear anything, yay or nay, I’ll fill you in on what exactly the position entails.

I’ll just keep pushing along with a smile on my face until I make my dreams come true! And in the meantime, I continue the process of turning our home into a winter wonderland. Today, I added two small elements to our Christmas decor.

Christmas coasters . . .

and a holiday tablecloth for our little round “candle table.”

Now I’m in my pjs and getting ready to watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. If I could be any kind of model, I’d be a Victoria’s Secret model. Now, I just need to figure out how to grow 7 inches or so. For now, I’ll stick to working with cool photographers for shots like these . . .

Isn’t that funny? For this shot, I was actually in front of a green screen. The backdrop is a photo from our honeymoon in Hawaii back in June 2008. I’ve never worked with a green screen before, so this was an interesting experience for me — it’s strange not to have anything to “work off of” . . . no landscape, no props, nuttin’! More photos to come later this week.

Until next time, be sure to take a look at the first article in my new fitness series — you’ll find lots of awesome tips for runners!