There are so many shows that are premireing, this week that I can't keep track! Brett and I usually will record all of the shows we like, and then actually watch them throughout the week. It works out because we record 2-3 shows a night, then watch them whenever we have time....without commercials, which is the best!

These are the shows I am currently watching/recording:

It is so hard to keep track of all of them! The only one that is new is Hell Cats, and I am actually really excited about that one! :)

Brett and I are also trying to get into some new shows such as "Undercovers," J.J. Abrams new show, My Generation, Hawaii 5-0, The Event, The Defenders, and Outsourced. We haven't seen them yet, but I will keep you updated to if they are interesteing or not!

Like I said....So many shows, so little time!

I am finally feeling so much better today! No more stomach problems thank goodness! I started off the morning with a heartly breakfast of my favorite kind. Cereal! I added a little banana in as well. It is the best cereal topper!

I have some exciting news about tonight's workout! I am taking a ballet class! I used to dance a lot when I was younger and was on the dance team for 3 years in High School!

After going away to college, I still loved to dance, but school and of course social life got in the way of dance. I tried out for the UCF dance team, but didn't make it, so I guess I got discouraged. After that, I decided to join a dance club freshman year, where I got to choreograph dances, which was a lot of fun! Other than that, I always take advantage of any hip hop classes at the gym! So it has been a while, since I have had a formal ballet class!

I miss dance so much, and I just found out that my friend at work also used to dance, and she found a studio close by! We decided to go to a ballet class tonight, to get back to the basics of dance. Ballet is such a great workout! It focuses on your flexibility and is a great ab workout, too!

I am so excited!

This weekend is finally here! Nicole is coming up to Orlando tonight and we are waking up early Saturday morning for the 12th Annual Chick-fil-A Miracle Miles 15k!

We both have never done a 15k before, which is about 9.3 miles, so we thought it would be a good challenge! We both have completed Disney Half Marathons, so we know we can do it, but these long distances still give you a good challenge!

The race starts at the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Campus, and goes around a section of downtown Orlando. Looks like a fun course! Lots of pretty lakes to run by!

The best part about the race is that it is sponsored by Chick-fil-A! You know what that means! Free chicken sandwiches for all!

I think that alone will motivate me to finish the race!

We woke up bright and early at 5:00am, to get ready for the race and pick up a little energy bar for breakfast. Here's Nicole and I posing with our Gatorade Prime drink, right before the race!

The race went great, and it wasn't really that hot at all! It was a little muggy, because it was drizzling all morning, but towards the end of the race it was fine, because it was so cloudy!

My tummy was still bothering me from the week before, so I definitely didn't do as good as I wanted to, but I did finish in under 2 hours, which was my goal!

I am so proud of myself for finishing this race! I wasn't feeling 100% for the whole run, but I definitely felt great crossing that finish line. Right when I turned that last corner, a great song came on that really motivated me! You might laugh when you hear what song it was, Daft Punk's One More Time! The lyrics were pushing me to cross that finish line and celebrate, "Music's got me feeling so free, We're gonna celebrate, Celebrate and dance so free, One more time!" There was even one part of the song that said, "You know, you don't stop, you can't stop," and it made me run stronger, and told me not to stop! The whole moment of coming up to the finish line, with a great song really pushing me and almost speaking right to me, gave me chills as I came up to the crowd cheering at the finish line!

 I realized then and there why I do these races. Of course the causes are a great motivator, in this case it was helping "tiny babies," or premature babies, which is a great cause! It is also that feeling of accomplishment you get, after training so hard everyday, to finally see those people cheering you on and hearing your name as you cross the finish line! For anyone who is looking for a challenge, who wants to help the community, or someone who just wants to start exercising, this is by far the most rewarding thing you can do! I encourage everyone to give it a shot, I guarantee you won't stop racing!


While Nicole and I were running, Brett and Jordan were getting to experience the street fair, where all the vendors set up and give out free samples of food and merchandise, and all that good stuff. Well, when I crossed the finish line, I was very surprised to see this:

I guess there was free face painting, and the boys decided to get their faces painted like cows!! I was cracking up! It was a great end to the race!

After the race, everyone was starving, so we decided to hit up our favorite breakfast cafe! Keke's!

After breakfast, we all took naps of course! The rest of the day consisted of much needed girl time with me and Nicole, while the boys watched football and drank beer! Fun times!

I have not been on my A-Game this week, with posting and gyming! I felt fine on Monday after taking a spin class, but Tuesday morning is still a blur!

I was tossing and turning all night with hot and cold flashes! Work was not any better! I didn't have an appetite, and felt dizzy all day!

It was not fun at all. All I have to say is one word to describe what saved the day: Lipton!

Soup always makes me feel better when I am sick! It's always what my mom used to make me to make me feel better....and it always works!

I love the extra noodles in the Lipton soup mixes! It was a meal in itself too, and it felt good to get some food in me, and work on getting my appetite back!

I have a lot of things coming up, so look forward to the following posts:
 ²So Many Shows, So Little Time!
 ²Miracle Miles Race Weekend!
 ²Mission: Find Wedding Venue-West Coast Edition

It is about that time for some new running shoes! It has been about a year since I purchased my last pair of Nike Shox, which I have been running in for years. I love they way they look (which probably shouldn't be the reason for picking shoes!) and I always thought that they were really good for running. I never thought of even considering another brand!

I realized that I should look into trying a new brand while I was out on a long run the other day. I could barely run because my shins started hurting extremely bad to the point where I couldn't run at the speed I knew I could be at! I knew it had to do with my shoes, especially because it is about time to replace them.

They don't look too beaten up...that's why I love black sneakers! They always look new!

I started doing some internet research on how, and where to find some real running shoes and get some professional help picking the right pair!

I found this great article that gave some really good tips, and a link to a running specialist store that will give personalized service.

How to Buy the Right Running Shoes

There was also a " How to Determine Your Foot Type" section, and I determined that I have High-arched Feet. This is what the article had to say about High-arched Feet:

High-arched Feet

You should be able to easily determine if you have high arches -- you'll notice a high and definite arch on your foot. If you do the footprint test, your print will curve inward, making the middle part of your foot look very skinny. When you push your hand against the bottom of your foot, your arch will stay rigid.

Problem? If you have high arches, you probably supinate or underpronate, which means your feet roll outwards as you run. It's very important that runners with high arches periodically re-measure their feet because running will cause their arches to gradually fall, making their feet longer.

What to Buy: You need to look for flexible shoes with a soft midsole that absorbs shock. When buying running shoes, look for options with the words "flexible" or "cushioned" included in their descriptions.

The website actually recommended a shoe that would be good for my foot-type and a price comparison as well! The shoe they recommended was the "Asics Nimbus Women's Running Shoe." They don't look to bad either! I like them!

I am going to try to go to Track Shack this weekend, to see if I can get some more advice!

Brett and I started our Saturday Morning off early, and headed over to the Town Manor House, in Auburndale, Florida, to check it out as a possible wedding venue.

It was a cute little place, right on a big lake, and seemed like it could really be magical....for someone else's wedding. It is all customized to exactly what you want, and to the budget that you want, which is great, but it was just too small for what we want, and definitely won't hold all of our guests in the way we have envisioned. 

So, that's a big No next to Wedding Venue #2, but we will keep trying! Since we passed the Disney area on our way to the Town Manor House, we decided to stop by Magic Kingdom on our way back, to create some magic of our own!

What do you know! We got there and were walking down Main Street, when we bumped into Brett's Aunt Sue, Uncle Dave, cousins Lindsay and Kelly, her husband Rob, and their son Nathan! How crazy that we would find them there in that huge park!

We made it all the way around the park with the whole family, and it was so hot out! Brett and I decided to go on one last ride, Space Mountain, then call it a day and head home!

After our afternoon naps, we got a call from our friends Jessica and Michael who wanted to meet up for a little bit, and we all decided on going bowling! It has been forever since I bowled and I was excited to go out and do something different!

Bowling was so fun! We ended the night at Chili's where I got my favorite delicious chips and salsa! Gotta get home early tonight, though.....biiiiiiig day of football tomorrow!

Recently, Brett has had a manly urge to buy a new car. Of course with wedding planning and expenses, it probably isn't the perfect moment to be car hunting, but I decided to go with it and check out some deals in the area.
Brett's first car was a Mustang, so he has been dying to get back into one. He was doing his research online and found a great deal on a used Mustang with only 14,000 miles on it. He talked me into heading over to the dealership to check it out.

Instantly he fell in love with it, and 4 hours later, it was his! Had I known that "checking it out" meant he was going to buy it, I probably wouldn't have been so willing to come along and sit for 4 hours at the dealership! With that being said however, I am actually happy about the purchase. You wanna know why? Because its a convertible! I have always wanted one, and now I get to cruise around with my hunny with the top down! It is pretty exciting!

So, my good friend Courtney is moving on to bigger and better things! I have been working with her for a while now, and we have become really good friends! I am gonna miss her!

I am really proud of her and her decision to  try new things! She got a job with one of our sister hotels, under the same owners as the Swan and Dolphin. It's the Sheraton Chicago! She's moving to the Windy City! It is so exciting! She has been wanting to move there for a while, and she finally has done it! She got a great job, a promotion actually, and is moving in with one of her really good friends who just happened to move to Chicago recently!

I am already planning my trip up there! I have never been, but heard that it is spectacular!

We are sending her off with one final night out here in Florida, and going out to CRAVE for happy hour! It was delicious, and we ordered almost one of everything from the happy hour menu! Sorry I didn't snap any pics, the food went right into our mouths as soon as we got it!

I did, however, get pictures from dessert! Tutti Fruitti!!

Finally my Week is back to normal! It takes a couple days for me to get back into the groove of things after a long weekend of fun and excitement!

There's a lot on my plate right now, and I will try to go in order!

My workouts this week are going to be intense! I have to step it into gear for the Miracle Miles Race coming up on September 25th! I will be running a lot this week! Monday was a great night at the gym! I ran 6 miles and felt great! Now I have to work on my speed, and try to get faster! I probably won't run more than 7 miles to prepare for the race, there's always extra motivation to finish when you're surrounded by other runners! I am so excited that my best friend Nicole is running it with me! It will be my first run with someone else! 

Football is BACK!!! The first week of football felt great! We went to our favorite little dive bar and pool hall, Backstage Billiards, for beer, free pool, and free food! I lost my first fantasy game against Fertile Mertle, but I have high hopes that the Man Eaters will dominate this week!

Next on the list is school! I started talking about going back to school a little while ago, and have finally started taking the first steps into getting back! I got approved for tuition reimbursement! That was for sure step number one, because that will help a great deal with financing this endeavor! It is such a process, so much paperwork, but I am so excited to start learning and getting a degree in Digital Media! Not gonna lie, I actually kind of miss school!
 
This weekend of course cannot go on without a little wedding planning involved! we have another venue to look at! Now, this one is totally different than our original vision. It is not on the beach, but on a lake, so it does have the same feel to it. It is a little quaint Bed and Breakfast called Town Manor right in between Orlando and Tampa. It seems like such a cute, intimate, and different place, so we are really excited to check it out!

We are also starting our gift registry (finally!) at Bed Bath and Beyond! I am really excited to start scanning! 

Check it out here!: Registry

Also, on the list for this weekend is Colombia!

Colombia is this fantastic spanish restaurat located in Celebration. They have a famous salad called the "1905 Salad" that they make table-side for you! That along with the delicious tastes of authentic spanish cuisine keep us going back! We just found out that this Sunday, from noon until 7pm, they are celebrating their 105th Anniversary! In honor of this long family owned and operated restaurant, they are having special "throw-back" prices! Going back to the day when coffee was only .05 cents! This is the menu they are offering, and check out those prices! We are so excited!

Chicken & Yellow Rice “Ybor” for $2.95
Boliche (eye round of beef) for $2.95
Merluza “A la Rusa” for $2.95
Columbia’s Original “1905 Salad” for $1.95
Sangria for $.95 cents
Flan for $.50 cents
Richly-brewed American coffee for $.05 cents


Upcoming Posts! Keep a look out:
             ²Brett's New Car
             ²New Running Shoes. How to Choose?
             ²Courtney's Last Day in Florida!
            

We finally made it back to Orlando after a long weekend of fun! Brett and I decided we needed to treat ourselves to a nice night out together. We had a gift card from one of Brett's Aunt's to the Cheesecake Factory, so we decided to go all out! 

We started with an appetizer of fried mac and cheese! 

For my entree, I decided to try something new. I always steer away from menu items that have "spicy" in the name or description, but lately, Brett has been tempting me with hot and spicy foods, and I am oddly intrigued by them! Most of them I can handle and have actually enjoyed!

I love curry, but of course never had it spicy, so I decided to try the Bam Bam Thai Noodle dish, that had spicy in the name! I was hesitant that it would be too hot, but I am so glad I got it cause it was delicious!

I forced myself to quit halfway through the dish, cause I was getting stuffed, but was totally in the mood for cheesecake! 

We decided on the Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake! It has chunks of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups mixed in original cheesecake with layers of delicious fudge cake and caramel! We also felt really good about ourselves for purchasing this one because 25 cents from each slice sold is donated to help feed hungry Americans in our communities! Now that will definitely help you to not feel guilty about eating cheesecake! ;)