Bubbly

Happy Friday All!

I am glad this week flew by, because man was it jam packed. Life has been busy and I don't see things slowing down anytime soon!

Yesterday I got a call, a call I have been waiting for since I moved home in June!

 Yesterday I accepted my first big girl corporate job, in the big city! I will be moving to Minneapolis in just about a month (so much to do)!!! Look out Minneapolis here I come! I have been prepping for my interviews the last few weeks, hence why I was a little MIA with blogging!

I feel so blessed right now, and am thankful for my very strong support system! My family,  Mark and wonderful friends believed this day would come even when I lost hope and thought the job search would never end! It was the never ending support from the ones I love that fueled me to keep applying, job application after job application.  I never gave up (though sometimes I wanted to)!

Source: google.ca via Bri on Pinterest

So thank you Mom, Dad, Miranda, Mark, and my long list of amazing friends and relatives for your unfaltering support and encouragement! I am grateful beyond belief for how much you all believed in me!

The rest of yesterday is a bit of a blur.  From letting people know, to being in utter shock that I was finally going to be on my own again!  But there is one thing I know for sure... I had a ridiculously large smile plastered across my face the rest of the day!    A fabulous grilled dinner, bubbly, red velvet and chocolate cake made for a wonderful evening of celebrating!  

I am still on cloud 9 as I type this!

So here is to this exciting new chapter! I hope you will stick with me and join me as I once again explore life in a new city!

Oh and PS, recipe recap to come!!

Happy Friday!

Happy Thursday Lovelies! 

I apologize for being a little MIA in the blog world!

There have been some interesting things going on in life!

I promise to be back to my normal posting as soon as life seems to calm down!

But for today I leave you with some inspiration!

Source: kaboodle.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Erin Havah @ StyleItKosher.com on Pinterest

Enjoy your day everyone!  I hope you all are having beautiful spring weather! 

It's Madness

Well March Madness that is! While I admit I know nothing about basketball march madness is always an exciting time!  Weekend games, parties, and time with friends! 

Unfortunately my Butler Bulldogs didn't make it this year! But there is a new underdog to route for, The Creighton Blue Jays! It will be great to watch and cheer on my little sisters school (who knows how far they will make it)!

I decided this year it was time for me to make my first ever bracket! You would think with Butler making it all the way to the final games (2 years in a row) that I would have done this sooner!

Now I already told you I know nothing about basketball, and to be honest had no idea there were 4 different divisions of the bracket (I learned that last year)! Thankfully my sports obsessed boyfriend helped me out with this one a bit!  And I think I had a pretty great way of picking my teams!  So are you ready for my super scientific bracket method? Ready?

Colors and mascots (and also some teams that I actually knew who the heck they were) genious!

Now will see how well my first bracket does!

Did any of you make a bracket this year?

How did you decide your teams?

Scenes From The Weekend

Hey there everyone!

Did we all have a wonderful weekend?

I hope so!

I cannot get over how nice the weather was this weekend!

I ditched my early morning gym workout Saturday for a lovely 2 hour walk with my mom!

Up in my neighborhood we have these wonderful paths through the woods that covers about 6 miles!

It was great to get outside, enjoy some fresh air, beautiful scenery and of course exercise!

My body (and ankle) appreciated the low key workout!

Here are just a few pictures from our nature hike!

I cannot wait for the weather to be nice all the time, I am now itching for spring to get here!

Now, I am going to spare you from my ramblings today and simply just share the 3 dishes that will be featured this week!  This week is going to be a bit hectic, I maybe a little MIA I apologize in advance!  Don't miss me to much!

But here are our 3 lovely recipes
(most will be served with grilled chicken or fish since the weather is so nice)!!
Enjoy!

Tex Mex CousCous-From Eat Yourself Skinny

Source: eat-yourself-skinny.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

Skinny Taste-Pasta with Broccoli

Source: skinnytaste.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

and finally...
Roasted Veggies!

Source: myrecipes.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

Happy Monday Everyone!

Great Picks

Happy Friday everyone!

Just 8 more hours, and we will officially be enjoying the weekend!

Source: weheartit.com via Clarisse on Pinterest

Anyone have big plans for the weekend? I'm going to take full advantage of having nothing planned, sit back and relax! I have been wanting to finish the book I am reading, sounds like the perfect weekend to do that! Tonight is my sisters last night home, so I am looking forward to spending some time with her before she leaves.

Speaking of my sister she picked two fabulous recipes to make this week! I will be adding these recipes to the list of keepers!

Great job sissy!

Let's start with this one!

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad-The Diva Dish.

Source: thediva-dish.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

This salad was full of flavor from the cilantro and lemon and I loved the avacado. My sister used black quinoa which I had never had before gave the salad a nice look! This would be an easy salad to throw in a lunch box, or an easy meal for a hectic night! Loaded with protein from the chickpeas and quinoa and healthy fats from the avocado this is one nutrient packed salad!

Now let's talk about these burritos.

Greek Burritos (from Kokocooks) to be exact!

Hands down I would eat this over a regular Mexican burrito any day! My sister subbed in grilled chicken in place of the lamb and then finished it off in a pan with the spices. Delicious! She said she used a bit more tomato paste and added our favorite Greek seasoning to give the dish a little kick of flavor! Homemade tzaziki sauce, fresh cucumber, tomatoes, and a sprinkle of feta made for some happy taste buds! As we sat around the dinner table talking about the meal we also decided the chicken served with pita bread and hummus would be a delicious idea as well! 

Looking for a a tasty dinner, make those burritos!  You won't be sorry! 

So there you have it! Two recipes from my lovely sisters pin board!  Thanks Sissy!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Bittersweet

Hello!

How are we all today?

Doing well?   Anxiously awaiting the weekend?

I know I am!

I want to say a big Thank You to you all!

Source: etsy.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

I really appreciate the well wishes regarding my ankle!

And loved all the feed back and suggestions you all gave on how to up calcium intake!  Thank you, Thank You Thank You!


Today is my Coworker and Friend Krista's last day of work!
She will be starting her dream job here in a few weeks.  I am so happy and excited for her!  She has a great future ahead of her!  But I am going to miss having her around!

Source: 366coolthings.tumblr.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

So it is a bittersweet day here in the office!
But wising my friend the best as she heads out on this new adventure!

Happy Thursday! 

Uping the Intake

Wednesday!

How did we already make it to the middle of the week?

I feel like this week I have been in go go go mode!  

But I can't complain I like to be a bit busy!

Last week I mentioned in a post that I was having a bit of trouble with my ankle. 

Well I finally sucked it up and went to Sports Medicine to have my ankle checked out.  And the results are in..

I have a very tiny stress fracture on the inside of my left ankle (well no wonder it hurt to run)!  I have to say I am not completely shocked with the results but I am relieved that my pain is not caused by something worse!  Thankfully my stress fracture is tiny which is great news.  While I have to take a month of from running (queue sad face) I am thankful that I am still allowed to do low impact cardio and weights.  I would go crazy if I couldn't work out.  

Along with the low impact cardio my Doctor recommends lots and lots of stretching and focusing on a well balanced diet.  She wants me to focus on getting all  the proper nutrients with a emphasis on calcium (gotta build strong bones)!  A siren went off in my head with the word calcium, because I know I don't get as much calicum as I need!  

Since my doctors appointment I have been looking for small ways to up my intake of calicum!
One of my 2012 goals was to continue on the path of healthy living (read about my 2012 goals here).  Uping my calicum intake def. falls under that goal!

Here is my plan of action;
One of the easiest things I can do is drink milk!
I am going to aim for 2 glasses of milk a day!

Unsweetened almond milk is my favorite!

I am going to continue packing loaded yogurt bowls for a mid morning snack!

Not only is plain greek yogurt good for you, but its a blank canvas for healthy mix ins!
Some favs are Trader Joes Trail Mix (nuts are another great source), Granola/cereal, and fresh fruit!

I am going to up my intake of calcium rich veggies!

Killing two birds with one stone!  Veggies and calcium!

And last but not least incorperate Chia seeds more into my diet (2 ounces of Chia Seeds have 600 MG of calcium)! Yes I use them every now and then in overnight oats, but people add them to salads, smoothies, and yogurt... the sky is the limit!

A few small steps that will hopefully lead to big benefits!
How do you sneak more calcium into your diet?