Snap Into Shape Sunday (Tuesday, NO SUNDAY! no tuesday)

Healthy Activities

1. Eating healthy (again)

2. Stretching my mind with old movies

This week, I am going to do my best to eat as few carbohydrates as possible. The colors in the grocery store are just beautiful and I decided that I want all of those colors in my kitchen and in my belly this week. So, I'm going to try to buy the rainbow tomorrow when I go shopping. David has finals that he is studying for, so we're going to keep a nice little stock of noodles in the house to help him with brain power, but we're going to do things a little separately this week, which works perfectly for both of us.

Because this particular Sunday post is inspired by my Uncle Dave, who was a movie FIEND, I have chosen to watch Funny Face with Audry Hepburn and Fred Astaire on this late Sunday morning. it is something I would not usually watch, and thus, I am stretching my brain outside my comfort zone. Whenever I find old movies like this that I haven't heard him talk about, i wonder if they had his seal of approval. But then I think, well, he would be happy that I'm branching out beyond Mean Girls and reality T.V. even if it was a movie that he didn't exactly approve of 100%. Plus, I think he approved of all Audrey movies. So here is my mini movie review:

In Funny Face, Audrey plays a lost and stereotypical bookish girl (literally). Fred Astair is a photographer for a pish posh magazine who quickly finds attraction with Audrey Hepburn, because really, who wouldn't fall in love with her. They find themselves in Paris where Audrey is forced to decide for herself what really matters: her personal beliefs, or a man. She of course chooses her beliefs, but when those let her down, she still has Fred Astair there to sing and dance all of her problems away. If only real life were like that... I guess mine kindof is right now.

Happy healthy-ing!-Charlotte

Spring is a Real Thing

So this morning was a bit interesting, and I thought I'd share. Firstly, I actually slept in for the first time in probably 4 weeks, which was A-MAZING. I got up and got water to water the dog and my little plants, and i looked outside and there was a cop car parked outside! so naturally, I took Peanut out to have a looksie-poo. Turns out it was a roommate argument.

None of this really matters except that it was  GORGEOUS day and here are some pictures of nature and the outdoors (please note: NOT COVERED IN SNOW!). We also washed Peanut this week, and I even wore my flip flops consistently this week! woop woop! This week I'm working on a no-carbs meal plan, so we'll see. so far this is the list:
-stuffed peppers minus the rice
-panko and almond breaded chicken with green beans
-tuna burgers with bean salad
-pasta salad (okay I caved)
-chicken stuffed th ricotta cheese and covered with mozzarella and tomato sauce

I also want to buy as much fruit as financially possible. the produce section at our grocery store is seriously BEAUTIFUL with color and fruit, avocados, and all kinds of star fruit and eeeeveeerryyything.
 I'm so excited!

Photos from the week:

So we rearranged our couch and Peanut found his new favorite spot. He was actually trying to get up to the window so that he could bark at cars as they went by. We decided that we love him and want him to be amused so we're going to try to get him some little stairs or a shelf or something. For now we'll just let him sit here, perched like a parrot or a cat. Because it is hilarious.

So recently David and I realized that we can fry stuff. Well really, David Fries stuff, and it's delicious. I put it all together, and then he faces the flaming hot oil. Isn't that just dreamy?  This is breaded fried tilapia. Next week I'm going to try to make it in the oven so we'll see how that one works out. I won't bore you with the details but the main flavors are ginger powder, mustard powder, and garlic powder, then obviously salt and pepper, and a kick of cayenne.

This is the home made macaroni and cheese that went with it. I'm pretty sure that according to the California School system, this is a vegetable so I'm just going to go with that. 

I also recently planted some seeds in some old cans that we had laying around since we take out recycling out 2 times a year. They actually popped up pretty quickly and although I don't have any pictures of them, I really liked this little jpeg so I thought I would add it here. Ain't it cuuuuuute???

Although this has nothing to do with the previous 4 pictures, I felt as though I simply must add it here. This is my life. Every. Day.  Peanut's ball went under the couch and David is helping him look for it. Obviously, they are having little success in this moment. (They were also both wagging their tails. My boyfriend is pretty awesome:). )

 So I am fully aware that I am one of those people who posts so many pictures of their dog that it makes everyone else sick to their stomach. Fortunately, that specific breed of people also doesn't care one single bit. David took this of me and little Stinker watching TV. Even though peanut looks all cute and content, the truth is that I was making him lay there to keep me warm. Isn't he a fantastic little actor? I think so.

The Walk

So Peanut and I went on a walk outside in the GORGEOUS weather yesterday. It was hovering around 60! Imagine that! I really think that living in Central Pennsylvania will make me appreciate the weather wherever else we go. there are little flowers popping up everywhere and there's this crazy thing i've never experienced before called THE SPRINGTIME. 

ATTENTION CALIFORNIANS: SPRINGTIME LOOKS JUST LIKE ALL THOSE PICTURE BOOKS WE READ WHEN WE WERE LITTLE KIDS! IT'S AMAZING!

There are literally tons of colorful flowers popping up everywhere, the birds came back and started chirping again, and it's just amazing. I just want to keep the windows open at all times. Now, when people ask what my favorite season is, I have actual life experience and can tell them a REAL answer!

 I LOVE SPRINGTIME!!! 

**To My California People**

 Here is a little taste of what spring actually looks like (besides that one hill behind cal poly turning green for a month and a half):

 (This is a dandelion. WHO KNEW?!?)

 (Flowers and Flowers and Flowers!)

 (Multiple flowers!)

 (Colors!)

 (Note the green grass)

 (sunshine behind me!!)

Enjoy your mildly less brown springtime! Love, Charlotte

p.s. Check out the new cards on Cards By Char Char in the tab above!

Snap Into Shape Sunday: Massaging your dog

So today is Snap into Shape Sunday!! Today I am focusing on Puppy love. I know that at least for me, it's much easier to take care of those around me. Recently I've been feeling like I really need some type of massage. So, I looked on YouTube for self-massage videos and found quite a few. Then I got a thought, I wonder if my doggy would like a massage. He does tend to just hang out when I pet him so I wondered if he would like a doggy massage. And guess what. THERE ARE TOTALLY DOG MASSAGE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE! I don't know what's better, YouTube videos of how to massage your dog, or the fact that they are posted by a licensed dog and horse massage therapist. You choose. The existence of both is already too much for me to take in as a semi-regular human being.

But in all seriousness, this lady's videos are amazing and show

 you how to massage your dog all over. it's great. Peanut was in doggy heaven.

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/2166-how-to-massage-your-dog-s-shoulders

Post Doggy massage, I found shoulder massage videos by this awesome guy that I simply MUST pass along. So, what you do is (rest your elbows on a table and follow his directions. Do one shoulder first, and if you feel zero difference, you have my permission to disregard anything I've ever said to you. This guy is seriously a-mazing.

On a personal note, I know that I am responsible for uploading things to my Uncle's webpage. The things that I owe to be put up are a few pictures of him with his cousin, and about a bazillion posts that people have sent me that I thought were being forwarded to my daily email. So that sucks and is embarrassing. Also on the personal front, I am trying to decide between california and maine this summer, so that's nice and miserable. And Finally, on tuesday I am cutting my hair a tinsy bit and I'm really excited because the lady that's going to do it is like, one of these amazing people, kindof like my Uncle Dave. So i'm really excited for that. Oh also, I got glasses that make me look like my mom in the '90s :). Maybe Hipsters are just all the '90s children fulfilling their childhood destinies of being the grown ups that they wanted to be when they were kiddos. And by “they” I mean WE. WE WE WE WE WE. WE. 

So the moral of the story for Snap Into Shape Sunday is :

(massage your own shoulders)+(massage your dog)= EVERYBODY HAPPIER!

Have a good week, Charlotte

April 15, 2013 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.)

Today I am doing several things in this post.

1.) The Dave Diet (not ACTUALLY a diet, just some soft "becoming healthy" suggestions)
2.) Quick overview of current life including what I ate for dinner.
3.) First World Problems Section (for just one second I promise)
4.) Addressing the Boston Marathon Bombing

1.) The Dave Diet- Today on the Dave Diet I am focusing on easy exercise, specifically dog walking. Dogs are a central part of most of our lives, and just like us they need exercise. if you decide to do something as committal as running with your dog (they won't judge you if you jog as fast as you walk), then start slow. I recently went to the vet for little Peanut and asked them about running since he tends to get distracted quite easily and he starts to lag after the first mile. They said to start just like you would for yourself. Don't run too hard and make sure you're walking them on cement before you're running them on cement. Your poochy loves you and thus, will follow you and your jogging to the end of the earth. This can cause the pads on their little paws to rub raw from the road or track. You most likely won't even notice until later because they won't say anything about it. Begin in small spurts, longer walks with small amounts of running during them. Eventually you can add in more running until you and your poochy and all your joints and muscles are all one big happy family. YOU CAN DO IT!

2.) Tonight I had interesting lentil soup for dinner. I guess the red lentils decinigrated pretty quickly, so it was basically just mush, but it was all healthy ingredients except the one table spoon of butter, and David didn't say anything about missing any ingredients, he even went back for seconds. This ladies and gentlemen, is called a win. here's what we did:

Ingredients:
-2 carrots in small cubes
-1 sliced chicken breast
-1 cut up onion
-2 sliced celery sticks
-1 tbsp. butter. 
-1 carton of  chicken broth
-3/4 C frozen corn
-1 small can tomato paste
-salt and pepper to taste
-garlic powder

Directions:
1.) melt the butter and saute the onions. Once they are done enough, add the celery, carrots, and chicken. season everything, and cook with a lid on it until the chicken looks like it won't make you puke if you lick it. 
2.) add Tomato Paste and coat everything. 
3.) add corn, broth, and 1 C rinsed red lentils (ok, I won't lie, we didn't rinse ours. maybe this is the secret step, but we didn't have room in our sink). 
4.) Bring everything to a boil and then simmer. After about 30 minutes, I smelled something funny and so we went to check on it. It was the consistency of mashed potatoes (we had not yet added the whole carton of broth yet). At that point, we officially decided that if it didn't turn out, then it was cheap mexican restaurant night where they give you free chips and don't sell alcohol so it actually ends up being very reasonably priced. So we added the other half of the broth and let it cook very low for the last 35 minutes.

Then I tried it and burnt my tongue, but David said it was good. He said that he would probably eat the soup again and that he liked it. he may have been using his " you try really hard to give us easy healthy food so I'll eat what you pick to cook" voice, but I'll take it. There's no pictures because the lentil soaked up all the rest of the liquid so now it looks gross, but I swear it was tasty.

3.) First world problems. TODAY, I was sent a mass email being told that I could send my monetary contribution for the regional manager's birthday gift through inner-office mail. I make the least amount of money in the whole company, I am literally the lowest position that can be held in the company. I have spoken with the regional manager, he is a very nice and wonderful man, but unfortunately, no matter how much I like someone, if you ask me to make an unexpected donation three days before I get paid when you KNOW how much I get paid, then you should not expect very much from me. About 30 minutes later, I received a mass email notifying me that his gift had been changed from a gift card to a apple product starting with an "i" that literally costs more than any pay check I have ever received from this company. I have 2 things to say about this and then I will move on to things that actually matter in this world. 1.) If I'm going to use up money on any apple product, it's going to be for me. my phone is going to the crapper. 2.) I really appreciate acknowledging someone's hard work and dedication to their job and I think it's wonderful that someone has decided to get him a $600 gift when all the people at my level get is an email BUT I will admit that I am mildly insulted that I was sent an email of expectation of donation for a product that costs more than my pay check- aka my livelihood. If I did not pay into this gift, my money would be going towards food, dog expenses, rent, or utilities.  I have decided that instead, I am going to take the money asked of me, and once I get paid and have funds available, donate a bit in his name, and send him a card letting him know that I have done so. So that's the end of that.

4.) Addressing the Boston Marathon Bombing- First off, if you saw my Facebook Status today, this will be redundant for a few seconds, then you know my first and most shocked reaction. I recently decided to get a USA Today application on my iPhone because I was tired of having the least interesting topics of conversation in the apartment. I accidentally turned on phone notifications which means that if there is breaking news, it lights up my phone whether I'm using it or not. So today, not ten minutes after the bombing occurred, I had a notification that this event had taken place. It was just the craziest thing to me that people were still fleeing the scene, I'm sure a majority of the runners still had no idea that anything had happened, and how many hundreds of miles away, I was sitting at work, reading about a bombing on my cell phone. It simply blew my mind. I continued to get a few more updates to my phone as news of numbers of casualties and such continued to come out. I got the information so immediately that there were ZERO articles anywhere on the internet yet to be written about the even longer than two or three lines composed mainly of quotes from twitter of actually first person experiences.

I haven't decided whether this fact is a positive or negative one yet, and I think that's why it is sticking with me. I think that right now, the most important thing is that I am aware of the type of information that comes to me, the velocity at which it travels in mere minutes, and the way that I am receiving things.

As I read the notification out loud, I felt like it would probably be something very big I mean, these things happen in Criminal Minds, not real life. I felt as though I would simply switch to the internet on my phone and suddenly be surrounded with information, first hand accounts, analysis, and photographs, interviews telling heroic stories. But I had learned of the event so fast, that there was nothing. People were fleeing the scene as I was reading about it from the safety of Central Pennsylvania. I've never been put in that position before. There was no safety net of information to catch me and bring my shock back to reality.

I will continue to digest what has happened and pray for the victims. I hope they find whomever they are looking for.

Thunderstorm and Jambalaya

So, a lot has been happening here recently. Peanut went to the vet and as I say, he's lucky he's cute because boy does that doggy cost a lotta dough. On our way home from the Vet it started thundering and lightninging like CRAZY! I (obviously) took a video so without further ado, from my lovely home video collection to your eyes: ** PLEASE NOTE: David looked into it further and he is aware of the real explanation for thunder and lightening (VERRY VERY FRIGHTENING!-queen) as am I so no need for any correction. thanks though.

Also, as a side, tonight, or rather last night, we made jambalaya. quick (ish) and easy:

1 package of sausages baked at 350 for 35 minutes, let cool and then slice
1 large chicken breast
3 large skinned tomatoes or a can of diced tomatoes
1 onion sauted with garlic
1 big scoop of garlic (3 tablespoons maybe?)
Creole seasoning
Oregano
salt and pepper

**Saute 1/2 lb Shrimp in butter, season with creole seasoning and add to bowls before pouring servings**

Directions:
Put everything in your crock pot and set on low for 8 hours. I did everything in the pot the night before and then turned it on today so we had NO DISHES TODAYYYYYY!!!!

Like I said, It's been thunder-y here all afternoon but we decided to rough it and go to my co-worker's friend's senior vocal recital tonight right during the 20 minute torrential downpour. It was fun but I do not like being moist and I am quite glad to be back inside. The recital also forced us to walk into the Methodist Church that we've been walking past for 9 months. Yay Jesus.


That's all for now. Stay dry!-Charlotte

Snap Into Shap Sunday! (The Dave Diet)

Snap into Shape Sunday!

(The Dave Diet)

So a few weeks ago, my dear amazing beloved Uncle Dave passed away. Since he was always such a traveler, it doesn't quite feel like he's missing yet, so besides the shock, nothing has really set in yet. He died unexpectedly from a heart attack or blood clot. After hearing the results of cause of death, I was surprised because I had never thought of him as overweight. He was always just the best bear hugger on the PLANET. I think most people don't realize how easy it is to have an “unhealthy” heart. I know a lot of us have done some type of dieting or exercise regime at some point or another in our lives, however, I think we're making a big commitment out of something that can be simple and easy.

So now I'm going to make up for it, and I'm inviting you to do the same. I am going to start a weekly Snap into Shape Sunday Segment !! Every week I'll give a fun exercise idea, activity, or recipe that will help all of us snap into shape as a family. They will be easy things (I'm not sure if you know how truly lazy I am, I PROMISE they'll be easy) that everyone can take 30 minutes out of their day or evening to do (set a timer!).

Today we start with snacking because everyone loves a good snack:

PEANUT LOVES SNACKS!

We usually go to the chips and salsa or crackers and cheese because it is simple, easy, and right at our finger tips. Take a few minutes on the weekends to make yourself pre-made snack baggies like good old carrots and celery with Smart Balance Peanut Butter, or hummus. Baggies are you friend! Simply baggy these foods in small portions on Sunday, and you'll have them around all week. If you're feeling ambitious and have a blender around, go one step further and make your own hummus to cut down on the sodium and processed sugars. Here's a recipe of things you probably already have in the kitchen:

Recipe makes 2 cups:

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1/3 cup pitted Spanish Manzanilla olives
  
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
  
• 1 teaspoon cilantro leaves (or basil if cilantro tastes like metal to you)
  
• salt and pepper to taste 
  
  Place garbanzo beans, olives, and garlic into the bowl of a blender or food processor. Pour in olive oil and lemon juice; season with basil, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Cover and puree until smooth. Hummus can be served immediately, or covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  
  
  Here are some helpful Snacking hints from www.heart.org: 
  
  
  To satisfy a crunchy mood:
   
• Apples (dip in citrus to keep from browning for a few days)
  
• Carrot and celery sticks
  
• Green pepper sticks
  
• Zucchini circles
  
• Radishes
  
• Broccoli spears
  
• Cauliflower
  
• Unsalted rice cakes

To Quench thirst:

• Fat-free milk
  
• Unsweetened juices
  
• Low-sodium tomato or mixed vegetable juice
  
• Water

For those good ol' munchies:

• Whole-grain breads or toast
  
• Unsalted sunflower seeds
  
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
  
• Low-fat or fat-free cheese
  
• Plain, low-fat or fat-free yogurt
  
• Bagels
  
• Unsalted almonds, walnuts and other nuts

And for sweets instead of Chocolate (say it isn't so!!!!):

• Unsweetened canned fruit
  
• Thin slice of angel food cake
  
• Baked apple
  
• Raisins
  
• Dried fruit gelatin gems
  
• Frozen bananas
  
• Frozen grapes
  
• Fresh fruit
  
• Low-fat or fat-free unsweetened fruit yogurt

See more ideas on MyHeartMyLife.org . See you next week!

Love, Char