Going the Distance

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yep, the day of Love, Flowers, Pink and Red things, Chocolates, etc is here!

Hallmark, rejoice!

I agree with most other people that Valentine's Day is a bit silly--you should show your loved ones that they're loved all the time. But, I think we all have the tendency to get busy, things fall by the wayside, so, if for no other reason, it reminds us all that we really should let those people know how we feel.

Unfortunately for me, my Valentine is out of the country for work. Poopsicles, right?

But, he was sweet enough (as I mentioned in yesterday's post), to make me a mix-tape of songs before he went, and left me a card because he knows how much I love them. And when I got home from work yesterday, there were flowers waiting for me at the door. He made sure to make it special for me even though he couldn't be here, and I love him for that.

Wanna know what might be even cuter/sweeter than that?

His dad got all of the females in his family a bouquet of flowers. His wife, two daughters, the 4 grand-daughters.....

for the "big" girls

little fishies for the "little" girls

.....and one for me, too :)

It means a lot to me that he included me. This family has always made me feel like I'm part of their family, but little things like this just touch my heart and make me feel incredibly special. And lucky.

It gives me a little something extra to smile about today, when I can't spend it with the guy I love and adore.

Lucky for me (maybe?) a friend of mine also has a boyfriend who can't be with her, so she and I are going to be each others' Valentine dates tonight. Perhaps a little sangria to celebrate? I mean, it's red...

hehe

On Valentine's Day, or any other day, I'm very aware of just how lucky I am to have this amazing man in my life:

I thank my lucky stars (and Match.com) that he's mine, on a regular basis :)

Whether it be with a boyfriend, husband, or a good friend, I hope you all have fun/cute things planned to celebrate the day.

Remember, it's the small things in life that make life special.

WILW and Oh How Pinteresting

It's time for another edition of WILW and Oh How Pinteresting, so let's just get right to it, shall we?

I'm loving that we finally got all of the pictures from MG's sister for the Mexico trip. Recaps coming soon!

I'm loving that even though MG is out of town for Valentine's Day, he made me a mix cd of songs (super old school and I love it) and left a card for me to open on the actual day. (I love cards! I think they're the best part of getting a gift.) Love that man!

I'm loving reading the book Bossypants by Tina Fey. I can seriously hear her voice as I'm reading--so funny!

I'm loving that I've been making to-do lists and sticking to them. I love lists, and sometimes I don't utilize them when I need to. Lately I've been making them for myself at work, especially as it's been getting more and more busy, and it's helping me feel sane. And sometimes overwhelmed, but at least it's keeping me in line with what needs to get done.

I'm loving that in just a few short days, my bestie and I will be reunited. (I know I was loving this last week...and I still am. So there :) Can. Not. Wait.

I'm loving that I made a new friend at a wedding that MG and I went to this past weekend. It's so fun when you instantly connect with someone on a friend level!

(I have a couple other things I'm loving, but I'm gonna detail those in tomorrow's post, so make sure you come back!)

And, as always, I'm loving Pinterest and all of the awesome ideas it gives me for so many things!

This week I've been pinning...

I love the colors, the wall...just everything!

Love the cute casual look. And, I want that scarf!

Baked Pasta with Roasted Peppers and Zucchini

Add this to the "to-make" list? Absolutely!

bahahaha...I love pets

Truth!

Check out what else I've been pinning!

Happy Wednesday!

Saw, Pinned, Made: Hummus-Crusted Chicken with Veggies Recipe

As promised, I'm back with another tasty (and healthy!) recipe for you that I found from Pinterest, here.

And, it's really easy!

Hummus-Crusted Chicken with Veggies (in the oven)

Servings: 4

This dish is full of flavor, and won't leave you feeling guilty afterwards!

What You Need: (sorry I forgot to take a pic of the ingredients)

-4 chicken breasts

-8 oz hummus (use any kind you find tasty)

-1 zucchini, chopped

-1 yellow squash, chopped

-1 medium onion, chopped

-2 lemons (I used 3 Talespoons of lemon juice from the bottle)

-1 tsp. smoked paprika

-salt and pepper

-1 Tbsp. olive oil

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Ready a large baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Chop up your veggies (zucchini, squash and onion). Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil and salt and pepper (to taste). Mix until evenly coated.

3. Add the veggies to the bottom of the baking dish.

4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place it on top of the veggies in the baking dish.

5. Smooth on the hummus, covering the entire tops of the chicken. You can be generous here. Then squeeze the juice of one lemon (or 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice) over the entire dish.

At this point, if you have actual lemons, you can slice the other lemon up and add thinly sliced pieces between the chicken and veggies. I did not do this and it came out just fine.

6. Sprinkle on about 1 tsp of paprika. The key here is to sprinkle it from the jar, not from the measuring spoon, otherwise it plops down unevenly like it did for me.

(oops)

7. Place the dish in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the veggies are soft.

Remove from the oven and serve!

The chicken is tender, the hummus is crusty in some parts, and creamy in others, and the veggies have absorbed some of the delicious flavors.

All in all, it's a really simple, delicious, and healthy meal to try!

It's also good as leftovers (I wasn't sure if it would be, but I tested it out the next day for lunch and it tasted fab!)

Let me know what you think if you try it!

Birthday Wishlist

You may have heard that this girl is having a birthday soon.

A BIG, milestone birthday!

That's right, this chick is turning 30.
In fact, it's exactly one month away today. EEK!

But, rather than focusing on getting old and that stuff, I thought I'd take a few to let you all know what's on my birthday wish-list. You know, in case you wanted to make me feel better about being an old lady! :)

First on the list is this Karma necklace from dogeared.com for $56

I've had my eye on this guy for a loooooong time (we are talking a few years, people), but I've never sucked it up and just bought it. I dunno why. I just haven't.

Next on my list is this cute dress that I saw at Lulu's for $39.

I think it's a super cute summer-y dress, and I would totally wear this all the time. Maybe even on my Spring Break trip! (more on that later tho... :)
**Update: I purchased this myself due to an email about a sale on the website. It's arriving today!**

And, because I love my Redskins (p!nky, look away!), I reeeeally want an RG3 shirt. I won't get greedy and ask for a jersey. Just a shirt.

That's not too much to ask, right?

TOMs Brown Gisele Leopard-print Ballet Flats (man, that was a mouth-full), size 9, $89.

I love my regular pair of Toms (in fact I'm wearing them as I write this post.) A friend of mine has this pair and in person, they're SUPER cute. And I want them. Please?

I've been obsessed with getting new fashion scarves lately. I love pairing them with different outfits to dress them up and bit. Plus, in this cold weather, it's nice to have a little extra something to keep me warm. I love these two guys from Target for $15

Aren't they cute??

And, for my big ticket item....I really want a black Coach purse. I have a brown/tan one of these and I just love it. To have a black one would be perfect!

It's the Madison Signature Maggie purse in black from Coach. I've seen it ranging from $140-$190 on ebay. This would be my splurge item if I were to buy it for myself.

So, that's it. Not TOO crazy and out there, right? I mean, you only turn 30 once!

What would be on your birthday wishlist?

Firsts...

I saw this post on Janna's blog a little bit ago and thought it was a fun change of pace from my regular posts. So here's me switching it up on ya!
Happy Friday! :)

1. First thing you do when you wake up in the morning:

Put in my contacts and take Cooper out for a walk

2. First thing you do you when you get home from work:

If I'm home first, I take Cooper out, and then either catch up DVR, read, or get my gym clothes on and work out before I lose motivation

3. First kiss:

In the 2nd grade, my neighbor, Jacob, when we were playing outside of his house one day.

4. First home:

Well, I don't OWN a home, but the first home that I lived in was the same one that my parents still live in, in Maryland. My first apartment on my own was in Arlington, VA. Coincidentally enough, MG used to live in the same building.

5. First car:

A Chrysler Concord....a big ol' boat of a car. First car I bought on my own was my Honda Accord that I own now.

6. First car accident / traffic violation:

Knock on wood, none. I had a little fender-tap once before work but there was no damage and no insurance reports. Thank goodness!

7. First thing you wanted to be when you grew up:

The only thing I can remember wanting to be really badly was a dolphin trainer.

Heck, I STILL wanna be a dolphin trainer :)

8. First choice beverage:

Even tho I know it's bad for you, I love a good Diet Coke. However, I've been doing MUCH more water drinking lately and that's been pretty good to me.

9. First choice dessert:

Either mint chocolate chip ice cream or something like a creme brulee!

10. First choice restaurant:

Old Ebbitt in DC, or a local place called The Village Bistro--best seafood ever!

11. First song that comes to mind:

Ho, Hey!...it was on the radio this morning and stuck in my head now

12. First major purchase:

My set of leather reclining couches when I moved out of my parents' house. They were super comfy and many hours of lounging were spent on them before I sold them off this summer.

13. First job:

Temping...awful awful awful. I once signed a lawyer's name over 1,000 times on these letters/ads he was sending out. By the time I was done, I could sign his name better than I could sign my own.

{via}

14. First time you flew on a plane:

My mom loves this story. I was really little, like 3 or something and we were flying to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to see my grandparents, aunt and cousin. I got on the plane, sat down, and asked my mom, "How long until we get to Peter Rabbits?" (sounds like "Cedar Rapids", right?)

What can I say, I was a cute kid :)

and lastly...

15. First real "big girl" job:

The job I have now...being a speech pathologist at an elementary school, which was in the same district that I came back to this year.

Feta "Dip" Shrimp Pasta Recipe

Mmm, I'm salivating just remembering this pasta dish and how yummy it was. And I kinda wanna make it and eat it again right now.

Do you remember the feta dip recipe I posted? Super easy and super yum? Well, Shari over at The Daily Dish had a great idea to make this dip into a pasta dish with shrimp!

Servings: 4

What You Need:

-1 pound shrimp (I used frozen, pre-cooked, tail off small shrimp)

-1-2 tsp minced garlic

-about 10oz crumbled feta cheese

-4 roma tomatoes

-1 bunch green onions

-juice from 1 lemon

-3/4 lb. spaghetti (we used whole wheat to make it healthier)

-3 tablespoons oil, divided (1T and 2 T)

-black pepper to taste

-1 tsp dried oregano*

-1 tsp dried basil*

*instead of these two, you can try 2-3tsp of the Cavender's Greek seasoning that you used in the feta dip

What You Do:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions in a large pot. When it's done, drain it and return it to the pot you used.

2. While the pasta is cooking, slice up your tomatoes and green onions.

3. Using a frying pan, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the minced garlic to the frying pan. Let it heat up for about a minute and add in your shrimp. Cook until the shrimp look pink and cooked.

3. Place the pot with the cooked noodles on low-medium heat. Add the shrimp, tomatoes, green onions and feta. Mix all of the ingredients.

(see why you needed a big pot?)

4. Add in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice (be careful with not to squeeze in the seeds), basil and oregano (or Cavender's Greek Seasoning) and the black pepper. Mix well.

(this is not the "mixed well" shot)

5. Plate it up. Add on any extra feta for the look or the taste.

Enjoy your healthy flavorful dish!

Thank you, Shari, for sharing such a yummy recipe--MG and I absolutely LOVE this dish. And it's good as leftovers, too!

Let me know if you try it and how you like it!

WILW and Oh How Pinteresting!

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for two of my favorite link ups with Jamie and Michelle:

I'm loving that I get to see my best friend who doesn't live here anymore (sad face) in less than two weeks! Lots of fun girl-time will be had, wine, and who knows what else and I absolutely can't wait to soak up time with my bestie!

I'm loving that we got two episodes of The Bachelor this week. If you asked MG the same question, the answer would be MUCH different. Give me my guilty pleasure, thank you :)

I'm loving the awesome beauty products that I've discovered recently. Read about some of them here.

I'm loving the yummy meal that MG and I made last week. Remember that feta dip recipe? Well, I made it with shrimp and pasta--Could something be more awesome? I think not. Stay tuned for the recipe, but for now, here's your teaser pic: