Birthday Celebrations

If you have ever met a Cancer, then you know we like to celebrate our birthday...months! This was the first birthday JT was fully in charge of plans since it's our first as husband and wife. He really set the bar high for me when his September birthday comes around. He planned each day and we celebrated from Thursday through Sunday. Thursday, started with what I thought was going to be a birthday dinner at a fancy restaurant in town, but when I got home, I found my family there with brightly colored balloons and a shrimp boil cooking on the stove. It was such a wonderful surprise to see everyone at our place! I had no idea and felt so special and loved:)

After family gifts, JT let me open my gifts a little early. I love baskets of goodies! I can't wait to start our fall garden!

The next morning, I started my birthday with a solo jog around the neighborhood. 

Then, I ate cake for breakfast. Because that's what you do when it's your birthday...only, I felt sick soon after and wondered if I would know any better by my 28th birthday. Then, there was more cake. Sweet Virginia left a card, cake, and gift card on my desk at work. Isn't she the best?! Plus, she makes pretty good cake too...and I felt just fine after so I resolved to continue eating more cake that day. 

             

After work, Kathleen and I headed out to the lake to meet the rest of the group. She let me pick dinner and Five Guys happened to be on the way so, naturally, we stopped. Kathleen bought my dinner and decided this should be a yearly tradition. I won't argue that.

We got to the lake and spent our night talking and hanging out with everyone. Around 11:40 JT brought me a cupcake just before my birthday officially ended.

The next morning, Lauren made us pancakes and eggs. Check out this pancake mix...no hydrogenated oils here! JT picked this one out and did a great job!

After breakfast, it was time for the sun...and hunch punch. Remember this recipe? It usually makes it's way into a birthday celebration. This time, because I'm 27 and all, I added orange Powerade Zero to dilute it even more. 

                     

Us girls like to keep it more low key...

But low key is not for the boys...Joey arrived and we piled into the boat for even more fun. The boys found cliffs to jump off of. The girls found Disney themed music to heighten the effects of jumping. Disclaimer: I tried to get them to wear life vests to no avail.

    


   

Boys will be boys. At least they can cook. Back at the lake house we had another shrimp boil. 

We always have such a blast at Anna's lake house. It is the perfect, rustic escape to just relax and enjoy each other's company. Thanks for hosting, Anna!

We took a break from eating to marvel at the beautiful sunset.

And then got right back to it with dessert! Brownies from the Blue Eyed Baker (aka Kathleen). I just realized I have no picture because we ate them outside in the dark. But as usual, they were delicious!
We played Taboo and Cards Against Humanity before the birthday girl decided she was exhausted! I got about a 40 minute power nap in before actual bed time, but hey- I'm doing good to stay up past 11pm!

Sunday, after cleaning up, we stopped by Chef Troy's Talk of the Town Too where I had a salad with shrimp. Back at home, JT and I met his family for dinner at STIX. The final birthday celebration of the weekend complete with an embarrassing birthday song and dance (ahem, Cindy). I am so thankful they drove to meet us! Gracie kept us entertained with her squeals and smiles!



Needless to say, I had an amazing birthday celebration complete with family and friends. This whole getting old thing isn't so bad, especially if I get to do it with such wonderful people!

What would be your Disney theme song?

READ MORE

Beginnings of a Birthday Week

{Rainie} While Virginia, Kathleen, and the clinnuts went to the river for the weekend, J.T. and I spent the weekend around Jasper and Birmingham. We kicked it off with a fun dinner with our friends Lauren and Max at El Barrio. They currently have the watermelon margarita available so if you make it by this summer, you should get it!

Cheers to friends!

I got the veggie quesadilla this time. The side salad is so delicious!

But really, we go for the cheese dip. It is a Cotija and goat cheese blend with whatever else makes it amazing!

Saturday, JT went to work in Jasper so I decided to ride with him. I dropped him off and went to run around my old stomping grounds with my favorite four-legged running partner.

There had been some neighborhood drama involving the police and neighbors looking for a robber so I stopped by this town meeting:

After the excitement, I joined Anna and Jan for some coffee at their house before going on a walk/jog with Anna. Finally, it was time to relax so we cooled off with some refreshing watermelon slushies. Remember when I mixed watermelon, ice, and protein powder? Well, this time it was watermelon, ice, and vodka. Not a bad idea.

Ahhh...summer. 

For lunch, Jan had turkey, cheese, garden tomato, lettuce, and pop chips for us to enjoy! We made our sandwiches and enjoyed a break from the heat.

Saturday night, back in Birmingham, JT gave me an early birthday present!

And I had a very domesticated Saturday night where I made yogurt in my new yogurt maker and JT and I baked muffins together.

I am so enjoying all of our wonderful wedding gifts!

Sunday, was church, then lunch of chicken salad, the mall, and the farmer's market. That afternoon, I spent 3 hours meal planning and 2 hours grocery shopping. Dinner was a chicken pizza I picked up on sale at Fresh Market. We took watermelon to Lauren and Max because we had a ton. A few minutes later Lauren knocked on our door with fresh cookies. I could get used to this neighbor business. So, I ate some while I checked out the YMCA workout class schedule.

Then, all of a sudden, it was Monday. I actually love Monday- it's the chance for a brand new week! But I feel obligated to make it seem like I dread Monday...that's what all the cool kids are doing so to make my Monday brighter I had peaches for breakfast on top of cottage cheese. 

I always pack lunch... There's my homemade yogurt with chopped strawberries added. 

Lunch time salad was goat cheese, watermelon, cucumber, and spring mix lettuce with balsamic vinegar. I got to eat with the clinnuts because I was training one of our awesome new employees! We got coffee at Starbucks after and saw a fellow July birthday girl. You know those people who don't mention their birthday until it's over? We are not those people. Leigh said something about her birthday week and I responded with "you mean birthday month?"... It's a Cancer thing. 

Snack was at 3:30, my usual time, which allowed a perfect amount of time before our afternoon run. Homemade yogurt was so simple! I boiled about 5 cups of milk, added a starter, and put individual portions into the yogurt maker for 9 hours. This was my first time making it so my starter was a container of Coconut Greek Chobani yogurt. I may add more flavor next time, it was a little bitter, but  it was plain yogurt and the strawberries helped.

Virginia, one of the summer students, joined Kathleen, Virginia (the original) and me for our afternoon run. We knew it was going to be hot, like 100 degrees with a heat advisory, so we carried water. We took a before picture since we look all fresh and ready to run. 

Then, we took an after picture and almost didn't get up.

At home, JT and I cooked dinner together. We make a good team! I used my new Skinnytaste cookbook and made Mongolian Beef and Broccoli with a side of brown rice. It was so good! I am super excited to try more recipes! 

Finally, I worked on thank you cards--they have to be finished  by this week! I am so behind. JT has done a few;) but stamping our return address seems to be his strong point. 

What Skinnytaste recipes are your fave?

READ MORE

One Month Anniversary + Comedy Club Night

Yesterday marked a whole month of marriage for JT and me... And what a fun month it has been! I love having him in the same town, cooking dinner together, and just getting to hang out so often. We should have done this whole marriage thing sooner. 

2 things I learned this month:

1) Men require less sleep. I mean, what is so wrong with a 9:30pm bedtime?

2) Men can eat more often. Ok, I can technically eat more than JT in a sitting, but he could eat like every 2 hours! 

1 thing that surprised me about being married:

1) How much fun it really is! I thought it would be a harder adjustment, but it's been easy! Of course, it's been a month;)

I started my day with a jog downtown and through Railroad Park. 

We had plans to go to the Comedy Club to celebrate Jeff's birthday so I knew I would have to skip out on the afternoon run with Virginia and Kathleen. I ran a quick 3 mile route in the morning before work and remembered why I love a.m. exercise. I love the stillness of the morning before the world comes at you fast. It's also about 10 degrees cooler than these 90 degree afternoon runs.

The only trouble with morning runs is I still need time to wake up just a little before I hit the pavement. So, I have to wake up in enough time to allow for one cup of coffee or else I talk myself out of running. After I ran, I had one more cup of coffee and ate breakfast of cucumbers, goat cheese and half an avocado. Then a banana once I got to work. Pretty random breakfast combo but I was feeling salty foods after sweating so much!

Yesterday was a pretty busy work day so lunch was eaten in a bit of a rush, but delicious nonetheless.

• Mixed salad greens 
• 1 ounce of almonds
• 2 tablespoons Blue Cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried cherries
• 1 tablespoon Chia seeds
• plain Balsamic Vinegar (Ken's Reduced Fat Raspberry Vinaigrette is also really good on this type of salad mix.). 
• For some more protein, I had my favorite Chobani--Coconut flavored. I always freeze them, then put one in the refrigerator at work until lunch time and it is the perfect, creamy, almost frozen, yogurt treat. 

Snack: apple at 3:30pm. As long as clinic allows, my snack is at 3:30 pm. I've found setting a snack time helps a lot! If I get hungry around 3pm, I can convince myself to wait 30 more minutes. 3:30 is perfect for me because it provides an hour before we run too! I used to not have an afternoon snack and I would over-eat as soon as I walked in the door after work. Adding this snack has really helped me make it until an appropriate hour for dinner!

Speaking of dinner: My mom's subs were on the menu. JT had his on a bun, but I opted for a Spinach Tortilla to make it slightly lower cal. They are delicious! Ham, provolone cheese, pepperoni, banana peppers, lettuce, and Italian dressing. 

 

The Comedy Club options are less than healthy so JT and I agreed on dinner at home before the show, then sharing an appetizer. We had the Spinach and Artichoke dip, which was an ok version- a little too salty...not too bad though, we finished it! I also drank Blue Moon during the show. Dinner at the show is not pictured because it was really dark in there, but I did get this shot of some of my favorite people!

During the summer, would you rather exercise in the morning or the afternoon?

READ MORE