Sew Lately...

My title isn't super original but you will see why it is in just a bit.  Today officially marked the day that work resumed.  I am thoroughly excited for this school year and to be back to work.  Leading up to today I have been trying to accomplish a lot and savor the time that I had to myself and others. 

Friday night was date night. We went to this great European bar in Pacific Beach.  It completely reminded me of Costa Rica because of the cool environment and outside patio.  We munched on tapas and relaxed to some great jazz music.  I can not wait to go back to this place with others, I loved it so much!

The past couple mornings have been amazing sweat sessions, which finally motivated me to start some new projects yesterday.

So sweaty after bootcamp!

I finally started cleaning out our second bedroom and figuring out how to move the furniture around to make it feel complete.  Right now it is basically our "throw it in there and shut the door" room.  We have a pull-out couch, bookshelves, and desk in there.  Plus, the walls are pretty dark due to my color choice a couple of years ago.  I had always had stark white walls in all of my homes growing up, so when I got to choose the color for this room I wanted something rich and pretty.  However, my lovely taupe turned out darker than expected and made the room feel much smaller.  Now that I have finally de-cluttered the room as much as I can, I can finally start attempting to decorate and make it much brighter.  Pictures to come soon!

My last project was curtains for my classroom, and I finished in a day and a half  :)   I have never really used a sewing machine, so my mom came over yesterday to give me a little run through and help me get everything measured.  I LOVE sewing!  I felt so accomplished when I finished them and can't wait to hang them up tomorrow.

I have become obsessed with blogs!  Through mine and others I have found so many on things I love, like cooking, exercising, and (attempting) crafts.  One in particular has completely motivated me to try some new recipes and I have already tried two and loved them both!  I got some fresh zucchini from my friend's garden and they are enormous!  Luckily I am cooking a dish tomorrow night for bible study that will use one whole one, or else I would be trying everything with zucchini.  Tonight I made a polenta pizza.  I know that this does not sound appetizing at all at first, but the taste completely surprised me.  Really, the only reason I decided to include it in my blog was because of the magnificent aroma that was coming from my oven tonight as it baked and the delicious taste that went with it.  I made mine with arugula, onions, zucchini, chicken, parmesan, and gruyere cheese.

Can't wait to try more recipes and finish our room!

Sweat Does a Body Good

Do you know when your body definitely needs a good kick in the bum?  I have been feeling so lazy and sluggish lazy, and I felt like my body has been screaming "Give me one amazing workout!".  Sometimes we just get into these routines with our workouts and daily habits, and it gets pretty boring...so needless to say, I was definitely ready for a challenge today!
This morning I tried my friend Jessica's class with Fit2Wed. It was amazing!  Constant movement for the entire hour, and the repetition really gave my body a challenge.  It was one of the workouts that I definitely had to hang my clothes out to dry afterward.

Plus, I had so much energy afterward.  I was a little bummed I had to hurry home to get cleaned up and head to Ramona because all of the house cleaning I keep putting off was actually appealing to me.  I guess it will have to wait until tomorrow.  Between my Total Fitness class at Fitness Quest 10 yesterday and my workout today, my arms are feeling strong.
This afternoon I had a little "Mommy and Me" date and saw "Eat, Pray, Love".  A great workout, time with my lovely mom, and a fun movie made for an amazing first half of the day!  When I came home I was craving something sweet and remembered I had these delicious fruit choices:

My brother-in-law brought home some plums and nectarines from his friends' farm up in northern CA.  They are the most amazing plums and nectarines I have ever had!  Sweet, juicy, and amazingly fresh and organic. :)

I am currently trying to look into a CSA in San Diego for great organic produce, and after eating these I was even more motivated to do more research!  I have heard great things from others that get their produce through them, and can't wait to find out more.

Connections

Last night we were able to help our friend Josh celebrate his 28th birthday.  We met his wife, Heather, and him back in March when we started going to the Young Married Cafe at the Rock.  Do you know the feeling that you know someone from somewhere but can't place your finger on it?  We had it with them, and we found out that they were very close friends with Daniel's cousin and his wife. 

Well, at dinner we found even more connections between our lovely friends and their friends!  We saw someone we had gone to high school with and met a girl that was in the exact same credential program that I was in, just one year later.  We had a wonderful time seeing all of our friends, including this beautiful couple!

Tonight, Daniel and I soaked in the warmth by going for a walk and turning on the grill for dinner.  Since we have come home from D.C. all Daniel has been wanting are homemade jalepeno turkey burgers.  Our friend, Nathan, made some while we were visiting.  So, we went to the store and made it happen!

They are super easy!  We used 3 jalapenos for one pound of ground turkey breast, fresh garlic, and other seasonings.  I topped mine with avocado and lettuce, and indulged with a delicious whole wheat bun.  While Daniel was grilling, I made my new favorite zucchini hummus!  I got the recipe from my friend Jessica with Fit2Wed.  It is delicious and so easy!  My raw veggies and hummus were the perfect side to the delicious burger.