Wednesday, June 30, 2010

i plateaued...

(workout update)

for two whole weeks. it wasn't fun.

i weighed 121 for SO long (at least it felt SO long) and i was still working out everyday.

and then i decided to really try eating healthier- i couldn't take this workout-really-hard-and-not-see-results-thing, it was getting old. so on saturday when we did our grocery shopping, we bought pita chips instead of tortilla chips and fresh fruit instead of fruit snacks. it's not a huge change, but a good start, right?

and i haven't eaten any tortilla chips since friday- even though the rest of the bag stares at me from the cupboard. this is a serious miracle (i think the looming beach trip is helping with my self control). i have traded my usual lunch of nachos -chips OVERLOADED with melted cheese- for meat, cheese, and crackers with a side of applesauce. instead of ice cream or shave ice for dessert , i have a bowl full of fruit- bananas, strawberries, and pineapple... yum! (don't worry we will still find the best shave ice place- but we will go maybe once a week instead of three... yikes!)

and whoa! what a difference!


consider the plateau CONQUERED! i lost three pounds in 1/2 a week. WHAT?! well, i weighed 118 last night (woot woot!) but i'm thinking it might be a fluke. so i think i'll take 119 for right now. hopefully the upcoming beach trip won't put me back to square one. i feel like i might be laying on the beach ALL day instead of getting in my workouts... i will just have to do some running on the beach, play hard in the water, or dance my tail off for our music video. oooo... i can't wait!

where i am now:
  • 119 lbs (maybe 118- we'll see)
  • 26" waist
  • 36" hips (lost two inches)
only 4 pounds until my goal weight... i CAN do this!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

rocked it!


jeremy, my hot and smart husband, took the DAT today.

DAT= dental admissions test. doesn't it look so intimidating in all caps? i think so.

longest five hours of my life.

it officially started at 8:18 with a text saying, "hey love im here im gonna head in"
(who needs proper punctuation in texts anyways?)

i tried to stay super busy at work, so i would be distracted and time would fly by. i got my work done amazingly fast, but the hours still crawled...

until he called at precisely 1:31 and said, "Babe! I GOT A 19!!!"
(the exact score he was shooting for, which should get him into dental school)

and then the celebrating began...

we are both so happy... and relieved.


Saturday, June 26, 2010

$1.72


do you like?





i bought 1 yard of ribbon and 1/8 yard of fabric and then followed this great tutorial to make
my frilly headband. i need to make and wear more headbands. they sure jazz up any outfit real
quick. can you imagine this ruffly headband in blue, coral, or yellow?
how lovely!
and it only cost $1.72 to make. that's a steal.


let's give broccoli a try



last night we went to chili's for dinner.

notice how jeremy orders the chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies
and i order the beefy burger with fries... so good.



i bravely tried a piece of jeremy's broccoli...



i chewed... and GAGGED (yuck)... and i was about to spit it out in my napkin, but jeremy
encouraged me to just keep chewing. i managed to get it down and immediately followed it with
water and then some delicious seasoned fries (which taste WAY better than broccoli). broccoli
is pretty nasty... i don't think i will ever try it again.
maybe i should
stop torturing myself with all of these gross vegetables and just stick to my canned green beans.


Friday, June 25, 2010

AOL


i have an AOL email address.


gasp!


and whenever anybody notices (like in a class, or work, etc) i am bound to get some sort of comment. usually something like this, "AOL?! You still use AOL??! Are you serious?"

well, i remember a time when pretty much everybody had an AOL email address and we all had AIM and we could chat all of the time. those were the good ole days, when all of your friends were in one place. i remember chatting for hours on the computer with buddies (in my junior high days) waiting for my favorite boy(s) to get on so i could flirt it up. but everyone jumped ship when hotmail came along... and again with yahoo... and then again with gmail (msn fit in there somewhere, too i think). i don't know why you would sign-up for another email address when you already have one, but i also don't really care if you do. is @gmail really that much cooler than @aol? i would venture to say NO. but i guess i am one of the few that has stayed loyal to their internet provider (and i use mozilla to get my email, but whatever...)

i am katie and i am proud to say
i have an AOL email address and i chat on AIM with my mom daily.

yeah, we are cool like that.

The Shred Shack


our quest for the best: {shave ice edition}

round 3

The Shred Shack
on University Ave by Lon's Cooking Shack

richie came with us this time and we all got smalls. i got peach,
jeremy got watermelon, and richie got bubblegum.


(we went after we played catch in the park)


the deets

prices: it was $2 for a small (their mediums-$3 matched Hokulia's
smalls-$2.75)
, they didn't have cream, but it's only .50 for ice cream on bottom,
no extra for tax, only cash and check

flavors: the normal selection- nothing exciting, no combo suggestions

loyalty bonus: no special card- we forgot to ask, but they didn't offer us one

seating: a wooden bench and about 6 other plastic chairs

misc: give you a spooned straw, good soft ice, faster service-
less crowded, have a flat screen tv with footage of skateboarders


the verdict

the quality of shave ice is good, but not as good as Hokulia. i liked the small
size better here or at the SURF N SLURP- Hokulia's small is kinda big for one person. the
flavors are still the best at the SURF N SLURP. so we are at quite the crossroads.

til our next shave ice outing...


i thought it would take like a month or two to try all of these places...
but we are obviously loving this. 3-4 more to go.


Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Hokulia Shave Ice Co.


our quest for the best:
{shave ice edition}

round 2

Hokulia Shave Ice Co.
on Canyon Road across from Helaman Halls





we both got smalls and they were huge. i got strawberry colada and
jeremy got guava with cream on the top. it was good, melt-in-your-mouth good.


(we went for our FHE treat last night)

the deets


prices: $2.75 for a small shave ice (which is huge), .50 for cream on top,
$1 for ice cream on bottom, no extra for tax, only take cash and check

flavors: lots (not as much as "tons"), hawaiian flowers
by the favorites, no combo suggestions, no extra for multiple flavors

loyalty bonus: offer a "BUY 8 Hokulia Shave Ice and GET 1 FREE" Card
-without any size restrictions, etc

seating: four round tables with chairs (it was crowded, so we ate in the car)

misc: give you a spooned straw and a spoon, they are on facebook, have music,
fluffier and softer shave ice, but don't have smaller sizes and it was really crowded


the verdict

i missed the variety of flavors from the SURF N SLURP, but the quality of shave
ice at Hokulia was just like what we had in hawaii. it totally melts in your
mouth... so good. but the smalls were huge, i think next time we will just share one
(if we can agree on the flavor) or just get smaller sizes at the SURF N SLURP.

til our next shave ice outing...


Monday, June 21, 2010

ambushed


this morning i was ambushed... at work... with a vegetable.


a snap pea to be more specific.

i went down to the front desk (where i worked as a student) to get my mail, and they -all FOUR of them: amber, annie, brittany, and trent- said i couldn't have it until i tried some snap peas that brittany brought for a snack. funny funny. they have heard of my dislike, no... disdain, for all things vegetable and my mission to learn to like them, and they just want to help me out.

but i just tried carrots on thursday, can i get at least a week to recover??

guess not.

so i stared at the green thing for a while... they were all chowing down on them, so they couldn't really be that bad could they? (or so i hoped.) well, eventually, i took a bite... after they promised i could wash it down with a brownie -good thing, too. i took my bite, chewed, and swallowed- i didn't gag this time, so there's some improvement-

and...

snap peas are gross. way gross.

they taste like grass. i really don't get it. i am sure they are not meant to be ingested voluntarily by humans, unless starvation is on the brink. i'd rather eat something that doesn't taste like i am out in the wilderness trying to survive with nothing, but they all just kept eating them. weird. and then trent had the nerve to offer me some celery.

no thanks.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

countdown




{i haven't made one of these in years. how fun!}



we are going to huntington beach with my family in 11 days.
oooo, i can't wait.

we will spend 4 glorious days hanging out at the beach, catching an angels' game, and watching
some amazing fireworks. (we may even find time to make a music video, but only time will tell.)

p.s. another countdown, jeremy takes the DAT in 9 days!


oh and happy father's day, daddy! you are the BEST dad ever!
your card is coming in the mail... i mailed it late, sorry!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

SURF N SLURP


our quest for the best: {shave ice edition}

we have seen a number of shave ice places here in good ole provo (shave ice -not snow cone-
there is a HUGE difference and shave ice is far superior, this guy agrees).
so we have taken it upon
ourselves to test them ALL out and find the best one. you can thank us later.

first up:

SURF N SLURP
in the Day's Market parking lot off of Canyon Road



we both got smalls. i ordered midsummer nights dream- black raspberry and cream soda- and
jeremy ordered mango. both were DELICIOUS! i wanna go try some other sweet flavors...


(we went last night after we played tennis. i love that our shorts are our wedding colors!)


the deets


prices: $2 for a small (12 oz) shave ice, .50 for cream on top, $1 for ice cream on bottom,
no extra for tax, they take credit cards (but there is a .25 fee- or so their sign says)

flavors: tons! also have "specialty flavors" of tried and true combos,
no extra for multiple flavors

loyalty bonus: offer a "frequent surfer card" buy 10 (doesn't include kiddie sizes),
and get 1 small free (doesn't include added cream, or ice cream)

seating: none, unless you count the parking lot curb where we sat

misc: give you a spooned straw and a napkin and they have an outdated blog, jeremy
thought they put too much flavoring in, it pooled at the bottom... i thought it was great!


the verdict

well, the SURF N SLURP is the first one so far, so it's the best!! (ha!)
we definitely liked it and the prices were really good.
i really want to go back, but other shave ice places must be tried.

til our next shave ice outing...

Thursday, June 17, 2010

veggie project #1


ok... so today has been an eventful day:

i tried a carrot.

true story.

but let's start from the beginning...

so yesterday i was thinking. thinking about how i should eat healthier and stop eating nachos for lunch almost everyday. so i decided that i would try veggies with hummus. supposedly it's delicious, so maybe it would help. i got my cousin's recipe for hummus and she said her family loves it with carrots. perfect, right? i could get some carrots and be a veggie lover in no time, or so i thought.

last night when i was doing my workout, jeremy ran to the store for groceries. i handed him the list of the somewhat hard to find items for hummus and i told him to get some carrots, too. "carrots?" he asked. "yes, i need carrots." "uhhh, what kind of carrots?" "i don't know... baby carrots? just carrots." "oooook." jeremy, knowing i DON'T eat vegetables, of ANY kind, was a little confused, but he arrived back home with a big bag of baby carrots anyways and then i filled him in on my plan.

{fast forward to today's lunch}

i made the black bean hummus and jeremy got the carrots out and rinsed them off- is that what you do with carrots? he asked how many i wanted as he was piling them onto the plate, "uh, four." "four?! that's all?" "yep." so he took some off of the plate and handed it to me. i sat down staring at the bowl of hummus and plate of carrots thinking, can i really do this? i had jeremy try a bite of the carrot before i tried it- i didn't want to get a bad one on my first try. he assured me it tasted like all the other carrots and to just eat it. i dipped it into the hummus and took a bite. yes, sir. i DID it. i tried the carrot!

and shortly after... i gagged. like a legit, non-voluntary gag. and then i spit it out in the sink (too much info? probably- sorry, but i'm attempting to eat veggies, and you get to hear ALL about it) and jeremy just laughed at me. he almost fell to the floor laughing and and he kept saying, "i have never seen somebody gag from eating a carrot." well, i'm your wife, buddy.

i thought that maybe i didn't like the hummus. so i got out the chips and found that the hummus was NOT the culprit, it was way good. i found solace in my chips and hummus for a while, until jeremy told me to try the carrots again. i picked one up, examining it, and told him i was scared. "it's just a carrot. eat it." so i took a brave bite. "just keep chewing," he encouraged me, followed by, "your body is probably freaking out right now," (because i NEVER eat carrots) haha, funny jeremy. so i chewed and chewed, made a couple funny faces and then got it down. success! it didn't taste good, but i ate a bite of a carrot. i can learn to like carrots, right?

i thought so, until i took another bite. gagged!! again, while jeremy laughed and laughed. i don't know why it is SO hilarious. all this time jeremy just kept popping the carrots in his mouth- how does he do that?! "you like carrots?" i asked. he responded, "yeah, but my wife doesn't, so i am deprived." haha... oops! well, now we have a whole bag to eat.


carrot recap

(these are the actual carrots in my fridge)

1st attempt: FAIL
2nd attempt: SUCCESS
3rd attempt: FAIL

jeremy insists that i focus on the 2nd attempt. he's nice to believe that i can actually learn to like vegetables. i really want to do this, at least i think i do. after i conquer carrots- assuming it's possible- i will move onto another vegetable, and then another, and another, until i like a plethora of veggies, whereas now i only like one- green beans.

so now i need your help: carrots- the current veggie project.

how do you like to eat them? maybe the better questions is, how do you get your kids to eat them? i am in desperate need of your secrets... obviously.



Wednesday, June 16, 2010

my secret


i have exercised everyday for a whole month! (minus sundays of course)
woot woot!

it has come to the point where i really think it's becoming a habit and not an awful chore. instead of thinking, "should i workout today?" i think, "what should i do for my workout today?" and i find that i am pushing myself more and more and really having fun. sore muscles really feel nice sometimes. it's great!

but do you wanna know what really keeps me going?

i bought a swimsuit. and that's all it took... kinda.

i got a purple ruffly top with some blue striped bottoms. i LOVE how ridiculously bright and fun it is! well, the real trick is that i bought it in a size small (even though the online measurements clearly told me i should order a size medium). can you believe it? i just ordered it online in a small one day when i was feeling extra ambitious to work out and get "shredded." i tried it on when it arrived and thought... "yeah, i would look better in a medium." so i asked jeremy if i should exchange it, but i told him earlier of my plan and he reminded me that it was supposed to be motivation to workout. so i didn't return it... (ambitious step numero dos). on top of buying the too-small-swimsuit, we are also going to the beach for the 4th of july (i can't wait!)... and i DON'T want to be exploding out of my colorful swimming suit on one of the busiest beach weekends of the year! that get's me moving, too.

so that is how i have become REALLY motivated to work out 6 days a week. try it: order a too-small-swimsuit that is crazy cute and then plan a trip where you have to wear it. you are bound to get going and see results. i am slowly fitting into my swimsuit and i am really enjoying feeling healthier, too. now if i could just develop a knack for veggies and green leaves...

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

the future...

can be SO:

nerve-racking, overwhelming, and mysterious.

and it can also be:

fun, exciting, and full of adventure.


i felt all of these things in the last TWO days! AAAHHHH! i just need to relax. jeremy has been getting his dental school application ready to submit and we had to decide what schools to apply to. he gave me his top ten and then i had to go through and see if they had graduate programs for marriage and family therapy. for some reason that totally overwhelmed me- probably because i was WAY under-qualified for a couple of the programs, but we ended up finding 8 schools that work wonderfully for both of us. so thankfully i am passed the whole i'm-freaking-out-about-our-unknown-future to the i'm-so-excited-for-our-upcoming-adventure. it's a much better place to be. i have been researching the programs and i get so excited about each one. i can't wait to see where we will end up. this is just too much fun. our 8 schools are all over the country, which makes it fun, but also worries my mom... she wants us to stay close :) we may end up in (not in any particular order): Boston, Philadelphia, Kentucky, New Jersery, Nebraska, Las Vegas, Baltimore, or Utah. ooooo, the possibilities... they make me giddy!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

cloverlove: re-opened


i have had some recent requests to
re-open my etsy shop...


so... it's up and running again!

YAY!


you can go take a look at the fun
earrings on cloverlove
here





enjoy

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

a new project...

is in the planning stages.

and i am SO excited about it.

and a little scared.

i want to make a QUILT!

and not just any quilt... a zig-zag quilt.

kind of like this:


but bigger! and with all kinds of fabric.

it will be amazing, i'm just sure of it.

i have never made a quilt, but i figure i need a long project to keep me
busy over the next school year while jeremy is doing
homework and i am eager to play -i still want him to get good grades.

now i just need to do the math part and
figure out measurements and yardage needed, etc.

i can't wait to go fabric shopping!


Saturday, June 5, 2010

date night


we went to dinner at Pasterero's and we both had the shredded pork
tacos. they were good and we will definitely go back. i want to try their quesadillas.




then we played tennis. it was really last minute, but we found an open court.
[p.s. jeremy is so cute.]



i won the set 6-4.
then i lost the next three games and was in quite the sour
mood, so we practiced our serves instead. i really need to work on being a
better loser... sorry sweetheart.


then we stocked up on goodies at the store and made mint oreo shakes. i forgot to
add milk... duh! so they were WAY thick, but still delicious!



it was a good day!

Friday, June 4, 2010

a little tidbit

from a letter sent by the cute missionary:

"Being out on a mission has really helped me understand how
great this gospel is and also the importance of living the
gospel
principles that we are taught starting in primary.
Everyday we are continuing to take the most important test
any of us will ever take. We are going to be graded on our
everyday actions. My mission has helped me realize the
importance of always trying to be Christ-like.
Living this
gospel isn't a job or a chore, you have to make it your
lifestyle.
"

i love reading his letters. i am so proud of that boy. keep working hard sammy!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

i need...


like REALLY need...

paint-able walls!

sometimes renting is no beuno,
especially when i see fun projects like this:


on neat blogs like this.
(this cool girl even has a son named ralph... love it! i toy around with the idea
of naming a future son ralph [after my grandpa, cuz he's a pretty rad guy], but i worry the name might
be too vintage, like not cool-vintage, just frumpy-vintage. but now i have hope. anyways...)


well... some day, one day, i will paint a mural on my wall. and it will be AMAZING!

i can't wait. really... i might go crazy.

can i practice on your paint-able wall???
(ooo... so jealous)


Tuesday, June 1, 2010

the day off


what a lovely monday morning when you don't have to go anywhere!
we had a pretty fun day for not having any plans.

we slept in and then decided to go play tennis. we haven't played since last summer and it was
really fun. i love tennis. we had some sweet shots, but i lost... jeremy always seems to win.

then we just chilled... jeremy studied and i took a nap.

we eventually had burgers for an early dinner.




YUM!




and then jeremy went to work for the evening. i kept myself entertained by getting in touch
with my 5 year old self and coloring some disney princesses. i also watched some high quality
television (if that exists).




after being cooped up for a while on such a beautiful day, i went on a walk. just
me and my trusty camera. we are good friends.




then jeremy came back home to hang out with me. YAY!

and we roasted mallows over the blue flames... gas stoves are the best!





s'mores with peanut butter cups are the best!





it was a pretty fun day!

now let's go back to work...