Monday flew by for some reason. I guess it was my hearty breakfast I had that kept me in work-mode all the way through lunch! I got some new Kashi cereal at the store on Sunday and so far so good!

Before I knew it, it was 5 o'clock and time to go. I headed home to take care of the doggies before heading to the gym. My usual classes were cancelled, so I decided to do my own weights workout at my neighborhood gym.

My Workout was as follows: I rotated muscle groups in each "round" from arms and upper body, legs and abs, to get a full body workout.

15 Min. Warm-up on the treadmill

Round 1:
Shoulder Circuit: 10 forward raises, 10 lateral raises, 10 back raises Repeat 2x
Walking Lunges: 3 sets of 12, with 10 lb weights
Leg Raises(abs): 3 sets of 20

Round 2:
Chest: 3 sets of 15, 10 lb. free weight, bench press, alternating with 3 sets of 15 pushups
Squats: 3 sets of 10, weighted Squats, 3 sets of 10 weighted, turned out squats, alternating
Mason Twist (abs): 3 sets of 25

Round 3:
Biceps and Triceps: 3 sets of 12 each of tricep dips and bicep curls (10 lb. weight) alternating
Hip and Leg Raises (Gluts): 3 sets of 15 hip raises, 3 sets of 12, on each leg, leg presses
Planks (abs): 3 planks, 1 min. each.

10 min. Cool down on the treadmill.

The whole workout took about 1 hour and 10 minutes and I had a good sweat going on afterwards. I was ready to go relax with the pups, since Brett was out of town for work, and cook a nice meal.

I had a great weekend with all the fun activites planned, but it didn't exactly go as I outlined in the previous post! Saturday was scorchingly hot out, so the girls and I decided to skip the park and have some fun in doors instead. Going to the mall wasn't a much better idea, however, because there were so many people doing back to school shopping, and the fact that it was tax-free weekend didnt help! We remembered that my favorite yogurt bar, Tutti Frutti, was having its grand opening party and was giving out free yogurt from 11-1pm! FREE! So, at around 12 noon, we opted for a delicious and nutritious yogurt lunch!

For Dinner, to continue Courtney's Birthday celebration, we went to this new restaurant called Crave that is located right acrosss the street from the Millenia Mall. It is a very nice restaurant with a very eclectic menu. I got an asian noodle salad that was delicious! Brett got a crab cake, and Courtney got this delicious gourmet macaroni and cheese! I unfortunately forgot my camera on this venture, so I could not post any pictures! Sorry!

Sunday morning was equally as hot, and I unfortunately could not bring myself to wake up and run 7 miles in the heat, with no breeze, and the sun glaring down on me and reflecting off the pavement, making me want to pass out! (I clearly talked myself out of it with deep thought, as I was laying comfortably in my bed!) Instead, I told myself that I would just run later that evening when the sun was setting so it wouldn't be so hot out. Perfect plan, I decided! Brett and I started the day off by looking through the newspaper for good coupons we could use at the grocery store. Our fridge and pantry were completely bare and we had literally nothing to eat in the house except for a box of 50 Kudos Brett bought as an impulse buy when we were at BJ's Wholesale Club about 2 weekends ago! While I clipped coupons, Brett cooked us up a gourmet breakfast, which started off the day perfectly.

We spent about an hour and a half at the grocery store, going down every isle, and making sure to cross off all the items on our list. We clearly did some damage at the store!

This receipt made it on the fridge! It was so nice to open the pantry and the fridge after we stocked it up with all of our goodies. I love opening the fridge and seeing it packed with delicious foods. Makes me very excited to eat! So, for lunch, even though we did a humongous grocery shop, we met up with Len and Jagi, and their family from Poland, at Brio Tuscan Grill at the Millenia Mall. Even though it is so close to our apartment, Brett and I had never been there. The service was great and the food was very flavorful. Our waitress was extremely sweet, and even vrought us out an appetizer of Bruscetta to share on the house! I ordered a lunch combo with a Margehrita Pizza, and the Chopped Salad. I indulged in lots of carbs at this lunch; even the bread they brought out with the drinks was excellent!

After lunch, I had some serious monthly cravings for something sweet! We didn't buy anything dessert-like at the store, of course, so I made Brett take me to get something to satisfy my craving! I tried to stay somewhat healthy and picked out some dark chocolate Raisinets. They were the perfect solution, and I didn't feel that bad about it because it says, on the back of the package,  that this snack is a natural source of Antioxidants from both the Fruit and the Dark Chocolate, which helps maintain good health.

 So, by the time we got home from lunch and my little errand, it was about 3:00. We decided to rest a little bit before I began my workout, and watched a movie, while I snacked on my bowl of Raisinets. I ended up passing out on the couch, and when I woke up, the sky was black with rain clounds and my plan to run my 7 miles, that I put off earlier, was pretty much shoved out the door! Brett and I agreed it was best to get off the couch and down on the floor for some Ab Ripper X (a 15 minute ab workout from the Famous P90X Program) to make ourselves feel better about not wanted to go to the gym. After a sad attmept at that, we got up, looked at each other, and decided we were going to be lazy lumps and have a "Fat Night" by going to Ale House, drink beer, eat fried foods, and watch football. We told ourselves that we will be good again tomorrow now that we went grocery shopping and will continue our workout routine then. The beer and chicken fingers that I ordered were delicious and hit the spot while we were sitting out on the porch, watching football while the rain poured down outside. After the game, Brett had the genious idea to take our night up a notch, and talked me into ordering the Capt'n Jack's Buried Treasure. It didnt take much for his to talk me into it, and boy was it a treat!

The vanilla ice cream and cookie crust went oh-so-good with the gooey carmel toffee middle and the chocolate fidge drizzle. I was ready for bed after this one. Back to work in the morning! And back to the gym!!

Friday could not come sooner this week! I had so much planned for the weekend, that I think it made the week go by so slow! Looking forward to so much fun can get you antsy when you are sitting at a desk all day! Luckily I brought a pick-me-up 3pm snack to work. Yum!

The festivities for this weekend are as follows:

Friday

• Dinner with Brett’s old time Family Friends, Len and Jagi, and their family from Poland.
• Sleep over with friends Nicole and Jordan.  They are spending the night so they can get to the airport early in the morning for vacation!
• Watch Fabiana’s little pooch, Louie, starting tonight, for the whole weekend!

 Saturday

• Wake up very early to take friends Nicole and Jordan to airport (Saturdays are totally meant for sleeping in! Not for waking up at 5:30 in the morning! But I love them so I did it!)
• EPCOT for my friend Courtney’s 24th Birthday!
• Dinner either with Courtney and Amanda, or Len and Jagi. We will have to see where the day and night takes us! J

 Sunday

• Run 7 miles & Body Works Class
• Hopefully make it to the Mall and Outlets for some Tax-free Shopping!

Dinner was fun! We went to Logan's Roadhouse. I love those types of restaurants because of the peanuts! It is so fun to throw the shells on the floor; reminds me of being at the ballpark! Dinner was delicious, and they had a "Health Nuts" menu, which featured 6 or 7 dishes that are under 550 calories. I thought that was neat and went for the Salmon, steamed broccolli, and house salad. The food was good for sure, but I think it is the portion size that makes it under 550 calories, because there was barely any food! I ended up sharing Brett's sweet potato with him after I was all done! Overall, we all had a great time catching up and we really want to get together on Saturday night as well!

So, this morning, after taking Jordan and Nicole to the airport, I was woken by two crazy little poodles jumping all over me! They are like little balls of fun!

Now, I am drinking some coffee to get amped up for the big day! I am enjoying some Newman's Own Organic Extra Bold Coffee, with French Vanilla Splenda. It adds an extra special touch to a normal cup of coffee! 

Today I set my clock for 5:30 am to make it to the gym for a Powerflex class. Of course I had to press the snooze button a couple of times, but I did make it there on time for the class, and had a little extra warm-up time too! I love getting the gym over with early in the day! Since Brett doesn't work on Fridays, he doesn't have to go to bed as early as normal, so it is nice to be able to spend more time with him in the evening. I am excited for tonight because we are going to cook dinner (Probably pasta again, our pantry is pretty bare) and watch a movie that we got from Netflix! Can't Wait! P.S. Today was taco day at work! Yay! We all have a love/hate relationship with taco day, but I loved it today! :)

After work, I really wasn't feeling the workout that I had planned. I was supposed to run 5 miles after work, but I was so tired after working a long day Tuesday, and working till 6. I decided to go for a fun cardio workout to keep me excited about working out. I took a step class which kept my energy up and kept me moving the entire time! The class is an hour long, with 45 minutes of cardio step, dance-like motions, and then 15 minutes of abs. I was definitely hurting after that! I went home pretty hungry and decided to stick to something simple, and really quick! I made a pasta bowl with some steamed string beans, tomato sauce, and a little but of parm cheese sprinkled on tip! It really hit the spot!

Last night was a late night, I didn't get home until 9pm! We have been working overtime at work to sort through files for our upcoming office renovation, so I didn't leave work until about 7:15. I headed to thegym to get my training for the 15k over with, and decided to add in some abs in afterwards. During our OT, we snacked on crudites (which I found out is a fancy word for vegetables and dip) and chips and salsa, which held me until I got home.

This morning I woke up at 6:45am to Win scratching at the door, ready for his morning walk. I took my time getting ready and kept breakfast simple, which a fruit cup, that I ended up eating at work.

So far, I have been engaged for only 1 week and four days, and I have not stopped thinking about wedding planning! I swear I have had some kind of wedding related dream every night since Friday, July 30th! It crazy...but fun! So my parents are throwing Brett and I an engagement party at the Marriott Ocean Point on Singer Island, over Labor Day weekend, and I just got word that Brett's parents are going to be joining us! We were unsure if they were going to be able to make the trip down there, but we just got word that they are spending the weekend in their very own, ocean front, suite! I am so thrilled that they are coming and even more exciting for all my friends and some family, to meet them! This will be a great way for both Brett and I's parents to get closer and become one family!

This weekend was a rainy one, but it definitely gave Brett and I some time to relax! Saturday morning consisted of Brett and I taking Win to get a hair cut and to his yearly wellness exam at the vet. Winnie gets so silly at the vet. He just freezes up into a stuffed animal and lets the doctor do anything he needs to do. He does have kind of a "Help me mommy!" look in his eyes though.

We also got to start our first registry this weekend at Target. It was fun scanning all the items with the laser gun. I think we had a little too much fun with it actually! After that, it was time for lunch, and I decided to stay at home and make a sandwich. However, Brett's taste buds were going for something a little more flavorful. He headed out to Chipotle instead!

Sunday was even more rainy, but I was lucky enough to make it on my full 6 mile run early in the morning before the rain started. I headed over to Baldwin Park to run around Lake Baldwin, since I know that it is exactly 2.5 miles around. It was perfect weather because it was slightly overcast and it is so much easier to run while there is no sun beating down on you. After the run I headed to the Colonial La Fitness for a Body Works class. By the time I was heading home, it was already pouring down rain! My plan to lay out by the pool went out the door right then! Brett and I had nothing on the to-do list, so we hung around the house, watched some of our recorded shows, watched the rain, and of course went to Tutti Frutti! It is a new frozen yogurt bar, right in front of the Millenia Mall, and right down the street from our apartment. Our weekends are incomplete without a visit to Tutti Frutti!

It is a really cool concept, and a really light and healthy summer snack! All the yogurts are probiotic and kosher, and most of them are fat free! The flavors change everyday so you never know what you are going to get, and you know that it is made fresh! They also have fresh fruit like mangos, strawberries, and kiwis, which I load on top of my yogurt everytime!

This morning I got up for my usual 5:45 am spin class. I love taking this class on Friday mornings, because when I get off work I don't have to worry about working out, and I can start the weekend off right away! TGIF! I love the instructor too, she is really great and keeps you motivated the whole time.

I was ready for the day when I got home and decided to make a healthy breakfast sandwich to fuel up for the day. I toasted a Nature's Own sandwich thin, which by the way I don't like as much as the Arnold brand. Brett saw these at the store and wanted to give them a try, but they are definitely not as good. I topped the sandwich thin with fat free mozzarella cheese folded in between 2 egg whites, and some turkey lunch meant that I browned up in the skillet. On the side I enjoyed the sweetest strawberries and a handful of blueberries. Yum!

Brett and I got this in the mail and it was so exciting! Our very first engagement card! It was from Brett's parents, and my future in-laws! So fun!

After work, I hit up the gym where I worked my little tush off! I ran 3.5 miles, which was on my 15k training plan, before heading upstairs to take a Powerflex class. The instructor really pushed us and my arms and legs felt like jello afterwards! (Which is a good thing in the long run.) I came home to the fiance' (I love saying that now!) cooking a cuban-inspired pork dish, which was simmering on the stove. It smelled delicious, and I was starving and ready to eat! Brett served the dish over some brown rice, and it hit the spot!

I just started noticing in the grocery store, that drinks like Vitamin Water and Powerade are making 0 calorie drinks. I decided to try a powerade, lemon-lime flavor, with dinner. I snagged it on sale at Publix and it really tastes great! It taste just like normal powerade but without the calories! So refreshing! Ok, I am off to watch Shutter Island. We ordered it from Netflix and are excited to watch!