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katieblue

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I am SO happy to hear that you think of me when you hear Wasted Time - that's such a fantastic song to be associated with! Haha. :) You will definitely have to give details about the concert!! I wanted to go see him but seeing as my free time is so limited, I only bought tickets for a handful of concerts this summer, and my country concert is going to be Luke Bryan. Keith Urban seems to tour every year, so I figure I can try to catch him next year, but Luke Bryan almost never plays in my area.

I've never heard of Urinetown (but I bet Rob would know it; he and I are the reverse of you and Larry on this front!), but it's great that you guys liked it! Your daughter sounds so busy, but I hope she's enjoying herself!

 

I think there is definitely something to be said for the difference between boys and girls academically (as a generalization). It has to have something to do with both our culture teaching boys that they need to be "big strong men" who don't need to be doing "girly" things like reading books, whereas for girls it's totally acceptable to do less physical activities and be quiet and study. And I think it also has to do with boys maturing more slowly than girls.

But, that being said, if it's any comfort to you, I slacked like crazy in high school (I never did my homework, never studied, I was way too busy talking to my friends until 3am :P). And now in college I'm super proactive and I do all my work up front and never wait until the last minute. I think my turnaround had something to do with the fact that I'm paying for it all on my own so I figured I might as well make it count. Something about responsibility for yourself as a semi-adult. I hope your son is good on his word!

 

I'm ssssooo exhausted today, I'm running on about three hours of sleep. Stupid anxiety!! Definitely going to up the Natural Calm intake. My mind was racing all night long.

I was just thinking, as I have only three days left in my Whole30, it's interesting that this is the first time I'm not seeing any major NSV's so far. And I think it's because I have the most stress and the least sleep in this one. While I wasn't changing jobs, I'm still in the middle of a job I can't stand, and just the micromanaging nature of the whole place and culture of high tension and "you HAVE to be right where you're scheduled to be every second of the day OR ELSE YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT IT" has my anxiety so cranked up. It was bad enough already, but it's gotten way worse since I started this job. I feel like the longer I'm in it, the worse it gets. And it's just so much harder to do grad school while working full-time, even only going to school part-time this quarter. I feel like all I do is homework in my spare time, and I get to go out to do something fun probably once a week, but it's always at a cost because I have to scurry to catch up when it's over or get ahead before I go out. Rob and I couldn't have a date night this week as we try to have one each week because I have a dentist appointment after work this week and there goes the one night a week that I can take off from homework! Ugh. :(

 

I hope you get a ton of that reading time!! I will be reading my children's novels for class and thinking of you when I do! :) Lol!

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Katie,

     I hope you didn't think I think of you when i hear "Wasted Time" because I think you waste time!  haha Just the opposite...I don't know how you do all you do, especially with the stressful job environment.  I just think of you because you mentioned you love that song!  I will definitely give details about the concert.  We don't have super great seats, but Keith always moves around a lot in his shows.  I've seen him at least 3 other times.  Once, when he went down the "cat walk" playing his guitar, he stopped literally 1 foot away from me, and I could have reached out and touched him if I wanted.  (No, I didn't, though it was tempting!)  

Have fun at Luke Bryan!  My daughter got invited by a friend to go to this big country music concert they had last month at the University stadium with Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley, and Luke Bryan all in one night (there were also some other smaller acts earlier). She said Luke Bryan was the best, and it was a great concert.  

 

      That's good to hear you make a big transformation in your study habits in college.  So there is hope for my son!   :) He is definitely a late bloomer in the maturity department.  For example, he is 18, just graduated, and still only has his temporary driving permit.  He didn't drive at all until he was over 17.  (Not that we didn't try).  We made him get a part-time job at 16, thinking that would motivate him to drive, but no...Thank goodness the store he works at is only 3 miles from our house, but most of the time we have to drive him.  Occasionally, when we have a conflict, he'll have to walk.  Once again, we thought that would be motivation to start driving, but no.... It took forever just to get him to have the nerve to be able to drive outside the neighborhood.  We are now having him drive to and from work (with us).  So, now that he'll be going to college starting in late August, guess who gets to drive him?  Luckily, we were able to work his schedule out so he only goes two long days a week.  But it's still a hassle.  And then there's my daughter who just turned 16 in April, and already has her license!  Funny how girls are so different!  

     Your workplace sounds really stressful!  I've always thought libraries were calm places to be?  Every library I've ever frequented  on a regular basis, it always seems like the librarians and other workers really love their jobs.  I wonder why yours is so opposite?  I feel sad for you, because you seem like a such a positive person, and they must really drag you down.  Sorry you didn't get your date night this week.  :(  I love reading children's novels!  Which ones are your currently reading?  

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Hi all.  My weekend with my mom was fun.  The pizza dinner and cake were both awesome!  

 

Wendy, this time, I just got a yellow cake with cream cheese icing (my mom's husband likes the basics), but I love their German chocolate (or just chocolate cake with chocolate icing), and they also make a strawberry that I think is just the yellow cake with strawberry icing, but the icing is to die for!  All of their icings are amazing.  I'm not even much of a fan of cake.  They have a small 4" one that is more than enough for 2-3 people, and it's only $9 or $10.  I also am jealous of all the great concerts you go to.  I love Keith Urban, Billy Joel, and Elton John.  The one thing that kind of stinks about living in Charleston is that we don't realy get big name concerts.  The last one I went to was, I think, Miranda Lambert, who's pretty big, but we never get Billy Joel or Bruce Springsteen or anyone like that.  When I lived outside of DC, I went to SO many concerts.  Now I go to some small - medium sized ones, but not like I used to.  I hope you have a wonderful birthday tomorrow!

 

Katie, I hear you on the cooking.  Up until this week, I had been doing a lot of really easy meals that I had made a bunch of times before.  All this cooking gets to me every once in a while, and I just need easy stuff.  I'm glad you had a good cry and are feeling better!  Sometimes you really need that.

 

These are two good recipes I made this week:

 

Thai Curry Salad - If you like Thai/curry,you have to try this one! The dressing makes more than you need for the salad, so we've been putting on steamed veggies and other things we've made this week.

 

Strawberry Basil Chicken - A great summertime meal!

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Colleen,

   Thanks for the birthday wishes and info about the Whole Foods cake!  They sound so yummy!  Sorry you don't get many big concerts your way.  I guess I've been spoiled, growing up near Pittsburgh, and now living my whole adult life in Columbus, we always get lots of big names.  Larry and I love to go to concerts.  Sometimes we enjoy the less known artists at the smaller venues just as much, however.  We have some country artists who come to smaller venues that we really like a lot, like Phil Vassar, David Nail, and Jason Michael Carroll. If you ever get a chance to see any of them, I highly recommend it!  I'll let you know how Keith Urban is tonight-he's one of my all-time favorites.  And I'm sure I won't be eating or drinking compliant today, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow!

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Wendy, I did not at all think that “wasted time” was attached to me in a negative way!! I just know it’s a great song and I thought of you when it came on yesterday while driving to work! :) I don’t always think you need great seats to enjoy a concert; as long as you can catch glimpses and have enough room to wiggle around, I always think they’re great! It’s when they’re so crowded that you can’t breathe or raise your arms that I don’t have a good time anymore. Lol. You totally should have touched him!!!

I’m so jealous of your daughter getting to see that big show! I was actually supposed to see Florida Georgia Line, too, with one of my girlfriends, but we didn’t buy tickets yet and I think I’m going to have to back out because I just have too much homework. :(

 

That’s so interesting that your son took so long to get his permit. I feel like everyone was SO excited when I was in school to be able to drive! I wonder if there’s some sort of psychological hang-up he has about growing up or taking on responsibilities or something. I know my sister had a hard time with “becoming an adult” and started acting out like a wild thing when she hit her twenties because she was trying to get people to notice her and treat her like a child. Everybody has their quirks, I suppose! But I can’t imagine not wanting the freedom that comes with driving.

You know, libraries are not as calm as you’d imagine; dealing with the public never is. But the other departments in my library ARE great and the people DO love their jobs. The problem is the department I work in, because the supervisor is so freaking uptight and rigid and has no personality or sense of humor. Whereas the Reference and Children’s departments are really whimsical and laid back (and somehow manage to get their jobs done – weird, right?? :P) So it’s all up to the supervisor, really.

 

Right now, I’m reading Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi! I just finished Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, which I LOVED, and Bud, Not Buddy. Next I have to go back to Number the Stars. It’s certainly keeping me busy!!

 

Colleen, so nice to hear from you! :) Thanks for sharing the recipes! You always have such good ideas!! Where do you find them all? I DEFINITELY want to try that Thai curry salad, I love Thai food! And because it’s so sweet, it’s one of those things that has been hard to do following Whole30! (And it’s expensive, so we can’t really go out to get it often…)

 

Today is the last day of my third Whole30!!

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Aww, Katie, thanks so much for wishing me a happy birthday, and calling me your Whole30 mom!  I told Larry that, and he got a kick out of it.  The concert was AMAZING, as Keith Urban always is.  The opening acts were Maren Morris and Brett Eldredge.  They were also really good.  Keith played a perfect mix of new songs and old, and I sang along to every one.  He is such an awesome guitar player, I could go on and on...Our seats were better than I thought (not that we sat down at all!)  We ate Chinese before the concert, and I had both wine and beer before and during concert, which explains my headache this morning, but it was worth it.  With traffic, it's almost a two hour trip to Cincinnati, so by the time we got home it was 1:00 am.  And I didn't really fall asleep until almost 3:00, then my cat and dog started trying to wake me up around 6:30, so I'm being really lazy this morning.  

     The books you're reading sound really interesting, I have read Number the Stars, but not the others.  Have you ever heard of Donalyn Miller, the author of The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild?  She has awesome book recommendations for upper elementary-high school age students.  I highly recommend her books (I know you don't have time for reading extra books right now, though!)

 

Colleen,

      You do post great recipes.  I'll definitely be checking out the Strawberry basil chicken!  Glad you had a good weekend with your mom1

 

Wendy

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Well, you have turned out to be my Whole30 mom, so I'd say it's accurate. :P

I'm so glad you had fun at the concert!! I love Brett Eldredge so much, too; all his hits are SO catchy!

I love that Keith Urban is such a great musician, because I feel like sometimes country music is all about the singing rather than the music, especially with the modern pop/rock country music being so produced. And it's awesome to hear that he is so talented, especially live!

I hope your head is feeling better now, and SO glad you feel it was worth it!! :)

 

I have never heard of Donalyn Miller, but unfortunately nearly all of our books this quarter are assigned, so I don't think I'll get to check her out for a while. But as a future children's librarian, I am glad for the recommendation, so thank you!! :)

As for the ones I've been reading, Bud Not Buddy was ADORABLE, and Roller Girl was fabulous - either of those is a definite must if you're a fan of children's lit! Today I was working on evaluating bias in nonfiction, which is actually so interesting. #nerd

 

Today I have to go to my mom's house for my grandma's birthday dinner (I say "have to" because you guys know how I feel about my mom... this is more to make my grandma happy than anything else). I got stuck making the cake, as usual (I did this to myself, I set the standard that I would be the baker for the family but now they always ask me to bring baked goods!), BUT I did not eat any of it at all while making it, which is an accomplishment for me! Especially because I made it yesterday, which was technically Day 30, and I was waffling all over going, "Well, I made it 30 days, it probably would be okay..." But I knew I'd be cheating myself and I stayed strong. :) And it's a strawberry shortcake which is one of the most fabulous desserts ever, and associated with great childhood memories because my dad always used to make them for summertime BBQs. But I made it with regular cake flour that is all glutenous so I definitely will not be partaking in any... although I will definitely set some strawberries aside for myself!

Plus, all I had to do ahead of time was bake the cake; I'll be making the whipped cream frosting and putting it together when I get there, because you can't really make that in advance or it will make the cake soggy. Aside from that, I got away with a REALLY easy side dish. We're just bringing the mandoline along with us to slice up some sweet potatoes and apples, toss them in some coconut oil and cinnamon, and throw them on the grill for a few minutes. Virtually nothing to it, which is great, because it means less work for me! I'm getting the hang of this. :P

Now, just to survive the next few hours...

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Katie,

   I hope your grandma's birthday party is as stress-free as possible considering you'll be at your mom's house.  Your cake sounds amazing, and you really have a lot of will-power to not partake.  That's definitely a NSV, in my opinion!  Your sweet potato recipe sounds really easy and yummy, I'm definitely going to copy that!  Larry loves sweet potatoes, so he will enjoy that, too.  

 

    To be honest, I wasn't that excited to see Brett Eldredge, but he was so good that he changed my mind.  Actually one of his songs is on the radio now, "I Wanna Be that Song," and I like it a lot!  I agree that in country they seem to focus on the lyrics and singing, but Keith is the whole package.  Even my brother, who hates country, knows who Keith is and respects his guitar-playing talent.  

 

    I will check out the titles you mentioned.  I will add them to my Goodreads "want to read" shelf!  Are you on Goodreads?  

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The birthday party was alright, it was actually kind of eye-opening because I was watching my mom's anxiety making her freak out and realizing that I do the exact same thing so often. It was a good way to keep me in check because I so do NOT want to be like her. So I actually calmed down and walked away and let her grill the sweet potatoes, even though she was totally doing it wrong, I just let go and let her get herself all worked up and decided not to be a part of it. They turned out yummy anyway though, so I would definitely recommend them! And SO easy, the hardest part is peeling them!

I did wind up eating way too much, as usual, but I know to expect this going into dinners with my mom's side of the family because it takes focus off of how stressful being around them is. So I'm trying not to be too hard on myself.

But she also told me I looked good last night, when she usually tells me I'm "too skinny", which freaked me out because it made me think I must have gained enough weight to fit her standards, and not be skinny anymore. I know I keep on gaining weight and I know eventually I'm going to cross the line into overweight if it keeps up like this, and it scares me so much because I work so hard and it's just not good enough. So I cried a lot about that this morning, and felt a lot better after I had a good cry. I can't remember the last time I bawled like a baby like that! I guess I needed it!!

 

I'm excited that Brett Eldredge was that good live!! I love Beat of the Music and Drunk On Your Love, so catchy!! They just make me want to dance. :) That's why I love country music actually, at the same time as I can love metal like Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath - it's just so simple and fun! But I do appreciate musicians like Keith who are super talented also. I do hope i get to see him someday!!

 

I am on Goodreads! What is your username?! I will follow you!! :)

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Glad you made it through the party without too much drama.  But I feel so bad that you cried about your weight!   :( I hope your day gets better now that you got your cry out of the way.  Try to remember the focus is on health, not weight.  I know, easy for me to say.  I got a little down yesterday, too, since I was going through all the clothes in my closet, and trying on bunch of stuff.  Some of the pants that were way too big after my 2nd W30, now almost fit again.  So i hopped on the scale, and sure enough, I've gained 5 pounds back.  And I know I'll probably gain more with our vacation coming up later this week.  Larry and I are planning another W30 September 15-Oct. 15, but I don't want to start that one at the weight I was back in our first one in February.  

  

That's so funny that you like country music and metal (they usually don't go together)! I have never really listened to metal, but I do love a lot of old rock, like Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eagles, Rush, the Who, etc. My cd collection is pretty diverse, everything from Amy Grant to Blake Shelton to Norah Jones.  

 

Sending you big hug and smile your way! 

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Wow, I have so much to catch up on.  Maybe I should go by topic instead of person.

 

Goodreads - I'm on there and would love to be friends with both of y'all (my username is galaxigrl), although my book reading has been very slack since having Chase.  Now when I get downtime at night, I just want to veg in front of the tv.  I do read sometimes on long trips, because Drew just likes to listen to his music and not talk, which I don't mind, because I like to read or sleep or play on my phone.

 

Music - I love all kinds of music, too, although I've probably started listening to more indie lately.  I do listen to country on the radio, and I recognize a lot of songs, but I don't always know the artists.  My favs are probably Garth (always!), Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan.  And then, in general, some of my current favorite bans are The Mountain Goats, The Avett Brothers, The Head and the Heart.  As for older music, I will ALWAYS love Bruce, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Buffett.  They're all so good!  Sometimes I really miss being close to major music venues, but I guess I've gotten used to it.  There's an awesome ampitheatre in Northern VA, where I used to live, called Wolftrap (they were actually talking about it on NPR the other day).  They don't get a ton of big acts, but you can bring your own food and alcohol, and it's really relaxed.  It's so nice on a summer evening.

 

Katie, did I ever mention that my family vacations in Wildwood every year?  Are you close to there?  They're going in a couple of weeks.  We came up for it last year but not this year.  It's just too much time in a car for Chase, and it's not easy to get there from here by plane.  

 

Weight - I totally get feeling upset about your weight, even though it shouldn't be about that.  I'm the same way.  The last time I weighed myself I was exactly what I weighed after W30, but that's already like 4 months ago, and I feel like I'm still eating pretty well, so I should have lost more.  But, in reality, I haven't been eating that well, and I don't ever exercise, so it makes sense.  Drew and I talked about doing another W30, but he's going to be travelling for work off and on from Aug - Oct, so I don't know when we'll do it.  I'm totally freaking out about being home all week with Chase by myself.  Wendy, you're probably laughing because you have a ton of kids, and I'm freaking out about taking care of one by myself.  I've just never done it, and Chase is way off his going to bed schedule, so it's going to be a challenge.  There's no way I'll be able to do a W30 during that time.  I don't even know how I'm going to make dinner for myself, because whenever I try to do anything but pay attention to him in the evenings, he just cries the whole time and pulls at my pants/dress/skirt.  It might be a good time to introduce TV :).

 

I have no idea how you could not want to get your drivers license as soon as humanly possible, but both my cousin and stepsister were in no hurry.  I don't get it at all.  I couldn't get mine fast enough!

 

You know I can't leave y'all without a recipe.  This is one we made on Saturday.  A little out of the ordinary but really good.  We weren't that hungry, so we ate it by itself, but I think it would go good with some fish.  Katie, I get a lot of recipes by following Whole30 Recipes on Instagram, and I find a lot on Pinterest.  I don't know how much y'all use Pinterest, but the more pins you pin on the same topic, the more of those pins will be in your feed.  I'm definitely goingn to try grilling sweet potatoes and apples.  That sounds yummy!   

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I requested both of you on Goodreads! :)

 

It’s so frustrating to have to struggle with weight! It’s honestly less about the number and more about the way I look and feel… all my clothes are tight and I’m getting that ‘spare tire’ around my middle and it’s just not attractive and I want it off! If I weighed as much as I do now but felt like I looked awesome, I don’t think I’d care nearly as much about the number. I’m sorry to hear you ladies have the same sort of struggles… I wish we didn’t have to!

 

All the classic rock you mentioned is fabulous, too, Wendy! I’m with Colleen, I love all kinds of music! The more you like the more you get to enjoy! I used to HATE country but then I heard Cruise by Florida Georgia Line and it was so damn catchy it was my gateway song!

However I’m not a large fan of indie rock, although Rob really is so I may have heard some of your favorite bands you listed and just not know who they were. :)

I think a concert venue where you can bring your own food and drinks sounds amazing! Normally they are SO expensive to buy anything at, we just tailgate in the parking lot! (Even though I don’t drink anyway)

 

You did not mention the Wildwood vacation! That’s about an hour and a half south of me, down at the very bottom of Jersey. But if you ever do come up again, please let me know, because I would definitely make that drive to see you!!

 

I am a Pinterest junkie – I’m gonna have to follow you on Pinterest, too!! Those zucchini noodles look to DIE for, actually. We just tried salting zucchini noodles before we ate them and honestly it made all the difference in the world, it was JUST like regular pasta!

I feel like grilled fruit is the best thing in the whole world. We've tried grilling pineapple and watermelon, too. Watermelon is crazy, I don't know if you've ever tried it but it totally changes its taste completely! I want to try grilled peaches, next. Peaches are my favorite fruit!

Which reminds me, actually, we have spent all this time discussing food and never have I asked you what your favorite foods are!!

 

Also, Wendy, thank you for the hug!! I’m glad we’re all connecting on other social media in case we drop off of here due to busy life and all that nonsense. :) Haha.

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Hi, girls!  I don't have much time to write, as we are going to the zoo again today, and I need to start waking up the teenagers (wish me luck on that!). We want to get an early start as it's going to be 90 degrees later.  I love all this talk about food, music, and books! 3 of my favorite things in life!

 

I'll check in later!

 

Wendy

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I think you can find me on Pinterest by searching Colleen Bridges.  My picture is of myself and my son in a restaurant.  My Time to Get Serious board is my W30 recipes.  I am so in love with Pinterest, especially for recipes.  I feel like I've found so many good ones on there that I would not have come across otherwise.  

 

I accepted both of your friend requests on Goodreads!  Looking forward to seeing what books y'all like!

 

Katie, I'll definitely let you know if we come up to Wildwood again.  I'm thinking we probably will next August.

 

So, when you salted the zucchini noodles, did you just salt the raw noodles and eat them raw?  Normally, when we're putting sauce over them, we sautee them.  That salad was my first time having them raw, and they were really good.  I think dressings can really make a meal.  The one on that salad was perfect, and it was so easy to make!

 

My favorite food hands down is pizza.  I grew up in Pennsylvania, and the small towns where I lived didn't have much, but they all had multiple pizza places, and some were really good.  I miss the pizza there, but I have found a few good places here (after 10 years!).  

 

Wendy, enjoy the zoo!!

 

I love that we're at the point where we can talk about more than just W30!

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Wendy, I hope the zoo was awesome and you got to spend some quality time with your bonobos!! :)

 

Colleen, I found and followed you on Pinterest! (your picture with your son is absolutely adorable!!) I agree, it's absolutely my favorite resource for recipes! And so easy to just copy and paste them and print them out, as opposed to lugging a cookbook around the kitchen and getting it all splattered with food!

 

I mostly read young adult fiction, so that's most of what you will find on my Goodreads. I also love graphic novels because I am a total nerd. :) But occasionally I'll do an adult novel or a nonfiction. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to read anything that isn't for school right now!

 

Absolutely keep me posted about Wildwood! Next August I won't be in school anymore so I should actually have free time! Haha.

 

I salted the zoodles and let them sit for about an hour (you really only need like 10-20 minutes, I hear, but I walked away and did something else). Then I sauteed them for about 3-5 minutes in some clarified butter. I have eaten them raw, but not after salting them, so I'll have to try that!

The dressing IS the deciding factor about any meal, I agree! We have this amazing little dive pub in the town I grew up in, and they have this spinach salad that comes with roasted red peppers, red onion, avocado, blackened chicken, and baked goat cheese, and usually a warm raspberry vinaigrette. We went there last night with my dad and stepmom and they gave me just regular old Italian dressing on it - and it was nowhere near as heavenly as it used to be!!

 

I hear you on the pizza!! Since going gluten free, it has been the one thing that I just cannot find a replacement for. There is no substitute for amazing, good, gluteny pizza!

When you visit here, Jersey has some spectacular pizza places!! :)

 

I feel like we're at the point where we should all be sitting around on Friday nights hanging out! Not to be too cheesy, but one of my NSV's from my first Whole30 is definitely making friends with you fantastic ladies!

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Hi, girls,

   I have followed both of you on Pinterest and Goodreads now. I agree, that is an adorable picture of you and your son, Colleen!  :) On my Pinterest, it's mostly teacher/school stuff, recipes, clothes, and pictures of "adorable animals," like my precious bonobos.  ;) Speaking of those guys, I did get to spend some quality time with them at the zoo yesterday.  They were more active than normal, and there was a tiny one who was just born in March being held by mama.  Larry said I look at them with the  adoration most people reserve for newborn babies.  ha!  We also got to see the newest Polar bear, Norah, who was absolutely adorable!  She swam right by us.

 

     On my Goodreads, it is mostly books I read to my class, though you if dig deep you can find adult fiction/non-fiction books I actually read for enjoyment. Though I'm such a teacher nerd, that I actually read a lot of professional books on my own.  

 

    I'm with you both on pizza.  My small hometown had some awesome (and very gluteny) pizza places.  I love the thick, doughy crust with tons of cheese and sauce that is almost sweet.  

 

     Hanging out on Friday nights sounds so fun!  It's a shame we're so spread out.  You are both at the top of my NSV list as well!

 

     Just a heads up that we are leaving for Myrtle Beach on Friday, and will be gone the whole next week.  So if I drop off for a while, don't worry, I'll be back in August!  The condo we're staying at is supposed to have wifi, but normally I try to limit my internet activity during our vacations, and just focus on family time, and spend most of the day at the beach walking, reading, and soaking up the sun (with sunscreen!) and trying NOT to think about school starting soon!

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I followed you back on Pinterest, Wendy! I would love to see all your bonobos on there -- especially little tiny ones!! Oh my goodness!!

And polar bears are my favorite animal, so now I'm completely jealous!! I totally understand looking at animals like looking at babies. I mean, they ARE the cutest things ever. :P

 

I would be interested to see what you read to your class, actually, since I am a future children's librarian! (and taking children's lit right now!)

 

Ugh, now I am so sincerely craving pizza - I haven't had actual pizza since I went gluten free in 2010!! I wonder if it would be "worth it"... probably not!

 

Thanks for the heads up so we don't think you abandoned us! :P I hope you have an amazing time in Myrtle Beach -- and don't think about school AT ALL while you're there!

 

We have a Star Wars themed BBQ this weekend, and I am once again tasked with making desserts. I've been having a ton of fun coming up with ideas, and Rob even said he will set aside time to help me since I have to do homework all weekend, too!

But there are going to be a lot of people there that I don't know in addition to my usual crowd, and I'm so nervous that I'm going to gorge myself until I pop...

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Katie, I'm so jealous of all the picnics and get-togethers you have!  They sound so much fun, but I guess it would be difficult not eating too much :).  I don't know how you can make desserts without eating them!  I really was never a big dessert person, but I started to crave sweets when I was pregnant, and now I like them a lot more, although, sometimes I'd rather a salty snack.  But I do like having something sweet after a meal.  I don't know where that came from, because I never used to be like that.  Frankly, I wish it would go away!

 

Wendy, your bonobos pics are so cute!  I really need to take my son to the zoo in Columbia, SC.  I think that's the closest one.  He'll love it.  I hope you have fun in MB!  Where do you stay when you go there?  North MB, MB, Murrells Inlet, Pawley's?  Now that my mom has a condo there, I'm becoming more familiar with the area.  It's less than 2 hours from Charleston, but we never really went there before, since there's not really anything there we don't have here.  

 

I'm going to the NC mountains with some friends this weekend.  We leave after work today.  I'm soooo ready for a day off!  And, hopefully, some cooler weather!  

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Katie,

   I agree with Colleen, it does seem like you have a lot of cookouts/picnics!  Sounds so fun, but I LOVE picnic food, so it would be hard for me to stay compliant on a W30 at one.  

 

     Colleen, we are staying at a condo in North MB, in Cherry Grove.  I can't wait to stick my feet in the sand!  We are leaving tomorrow, so I've been doing lots of shopping, laundry, and packing the last couple days.  Have fun in the mountains on your weekend getaway!  Hope you do get cooler weather! Even here in Ohio it's been like 90 every day lately.  Glad you like my bonobos. :D  I told my husband holding a baby bonobo is on my bucket list.  He said, "Well, good luck with that!"  

 

I'll miss you girls when I'm gone!  I'll catch up when I get back, promise!

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You know, we do have a lot of get togethers, but it’s mostly because Rob has a group of friends who are total foodies (and they do a lot with different alcohol too, right now the craze is tiki drinks, although like I’ve said, I don’t really drink so I’m not as well-versed). So whenever we have a gathering with them, once every month or two, it’s all about the food. And whenever I see my family members, it’s usually based around food, too. So between Rob’s friends, my dad, and my mom, I guess I do have a lot of food parties. Haha. It IS really hard, though, because I almost always eat until I feel physically in pain because the food is SO good, and I just don’t do well with moderation or “I’ll just have a little!”

The making desserts without eating them is new; normally I would just be going, “Here’s some frosting for the cake, here’s some for me” as I went along! But the Whole30 worked really well for me because I do better with those hard and fast just “No, I cannot have that right now” rules, as opposed to trying to just have a bite or two.
I think it seems like the only way to make sweet cravings go away is to kill that sugar dragon and stop having sweet things! I used to have a HUGE sweet tooth, but I’ve largely gotten over it since starting to eat Whole30 style for the past six months. We don’t have dessert at home ever now, and I don’t really look for a sweet fix now after eating. It really has to be a “worth it” like something homemade for me to want to indulge in dessert, because I know it’s just extra, empty calories. Or the paleo cookies and brownies at Cave restaurant near me – I do love those so much. :)

 

Wendy, don’t give up on your bonobo dream!! You can totally do it!

 

I hope you both have an absolutely amazing time on your getaways!!

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Alright, ladies, I know you are both away this weekend, but I'm posting this here to hold myself accountable.

 

We have our Star Wars themed BBQ today. I ALWAYS overindulge with this group of people, and this is also the only time I ever have alcohol, because Rob's one friend Bill makes the most amazing and yummy tiki drinks. And everyone involved is an amazing cook, although completely non-compliant by Whole30 or paleo standards. Plus, I made a Darth by Chocolate dessert and Wookie Cookies, both of which I want to eat like a crazy person, because I know I'm a damn good baker. ;)

 

And there are so many people going who I have never met, which makes me anxious, which makes me want to eat so I can focus on something else.

 

But I WILL have self control today.

I will take it slowly.

I will enjoy each bite.

I am in control!!

Like Yoda says, "Do or do not, there is no try."

The force is with me. :)

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I'm back...!  Katie, I hope you had fun at your Star Wars BBQ! Than sounds so fun, and yummy!  Glad you didn't feel ill afterwards.  The force must have been with you!

 

We had a wonderful vacation in Myrtle Beach! The weather was fantastic, and we didn't have a drop of rain all week.  The condo we rented was right on the beach, so we had an ocean view off the balcony where we spent a lot of time talking, enjoying each other's company, reading, and having adult beverages in the evening.  ;) My stepdaughter is in grad school, and she was actually able to get a lot of work done on her laptop every morning out on the balcony.  We have gone to the Outer Banks on our previous 3 beach vacations, and while I love its much less crowded beaches, and less commercialism around town, MB was faster for us to get to, and the water was so much warmer.  The ocean was like bath water much of the time.  I'm a real wimp when it comes to cold water, so I never swam in the ocean at OBX, but actually did this week.  We also took several walks a day, and it was just SO relaxing. I'm a little sad today is the last day of July (my husband calls it Wendy's month, since I am off all month from work, have my birthday and anniversary this month, and we always vacation this month). But I do feel more rested and rejuvenated and actually a little more ready for back to school now.

 

     Speaking of that, I may have a new position this year, which I just found out about, and am excited about.  It's not official yet, so I will fill you in later if it actually happens.  <fingers crossed>

 

     I hope you ladies had a great week!  I had a very non-compliant week of eating, so even though we're not starting our next W30 until mid-September, I plan to clean up my eating this week.  One thing I did discover food-wise this week is that my stepdaughter makes the most simple, yummy salad dressing, which is compliant, and I can't wait to start doing.  She was in the kitchen making herself a salad, and I could smell it from the next room, and thought it smelled fantastic.  Here is all she does: Sprinkle fresh lemon juice over your salad, drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper. I tasted it, and loved it.  How simple!  I love the W30 ranch dressing, but it was a lot more time consuming than I wanted to do most days.  

 

    Today will be a day of laundry, grocery shopping, and I get to pick up our dog and cat who've been boarded all week.  Can't wait to see my fur babies!!

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Hey, Wendy!! So glad to hear that you had such a good time in Myrtle Beach and that you feel relaxed and recharged! It's so amazing when the weather works out perfectly like that!! It must have been so spectacular to stay in a condo right on the beach! I am so jealous of your stepdaughter's access to a beach view balcony to do her homework - although I might have a REALLY hard time staying focused when the beach is RIGHT there! :P

I've never been to the outer banks or Myrtle Beach, it's interesting that the water temperature is so different!

 

Do tell more about the new position!! :)

 

How do you feel after eating non-compliant all week? I feel like when I got back from Maine for just a few days I felt so bloated and sluggish and gross!

Your stepdaughter's recipe for lemon juice does sound so simple - my stepmom actually makes something similar, but she adds red wine vinegar to hers, and calls it Greek dressing!

 

My week was long but my weekend was great! I am in the middle of a group project in one class right now, which is really frustrating to try to do online, but I'm at a point where I literally can't do anything else right now until the other girls do their parts. While this drives me insane, it forces me to take a break from homework, and I didn't realize how badly I needed that! I went to two concerts this weekend, Luke Bryan, Dustin Lynch and Little Big Town on Saturday, and Breaking Benjamin and Disturbed last night! I'm tired but I had SO much fun at both of them, so I actually feel strangely recharged, too! It was the first weekend that I didn't spend at least one entire day doing homework - I did a little, but only an hour or two each day!

 

Also I got a chance to cook a little yesterday, and I HAVE to share these recipes with you!!

I made a steak rub that was chili powder, ground ginger, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, and let it sit overnight. Then when I grilled it, I heated up apricot jam and a little white vinegar on the stove to make a glaze, and glazed the steak with it! It turned out SO good!

As for sides, I made a pasta salad out of zoodles, and it was amazing how much it tasted JUST like pasta salad, and was totally 100% compliant!

Then I also made this tropical sweet potato salad, only I used Whole30 mayo instead of yogurt, which was amazeballs but dangerous, because it reminded me of an ambrosia salad, and was more like dessert than a side, and I ate wayyyyy too much of it!!

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