January Movies

One of my NYR was to start having a movie night. Dan and I just don't watch movies that much, primarily because getting me to sit still for two hours is beyond impossible. But on Friday nights I am so beat that there is nothing I would rather do then sit on the couch and watch a movie (if I can stay awake).

I decided I'll do a short review of all the movies we watch every month, pick a monthly winner, and then pit them against each other at the end of the year.

This month's movies were the following:

The Warrior

We heard about this movie from Dan's cousins over Christmas and they promised that we would like it.  It is a story about two estranged brothers who each enter a mixed martial arts competition for different financial and personal reasons.  Obviously, they end up having to fight each other. 

Dan and I were on different sides regarding which brother we wanted to win.  Needless to say, Dan ended up hating the ending, but I loved it.  I went into this movie with such low expectations, and could not believe how much I enjoyed it in the end.  A must watch!

Moneyball

I like baseball.  I like dramas.  So why wouldn't I like Moneyball?  Well, because its kind of boring.  The concept is really interesting, but for me, the mathematical calculations didn't really carry the movie.  Plus, I hate Brad Pitt, and I thought his acting in this movie was moderate, at best.  Thank God for Johah Hill, otherwise this movie would have been a total snooze fest.

Ides of March

This movie was fantastic: politics, crime, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling.  It had us both on the edge of our seat the whole time.  My only complaint was the ending.  I wanted, no, I needed some kind of redemption - but I got none.   While I can appropriate what the movie was trying to say, I couldn't help but think "is that it?" as the credits rolled.

Secretariat

This is a true story about the horse that wins the triple crown.  So good, so well done, but not exactly a thriller when you know what happens at the end. I also felt like I didn't have a strong enough emotional connection to the horse or any of the characters with the exception of Diane Lane who did a fabulous job (as always).  I should note, however, that Dan loved this movie and thought it was so well done.  

Which means our rankings this month are really odd: 

Melissa's January Rankings: 

(1) Warrior

(2) Ides of March

(3) Secretariat

(4) Moneyball

Dan's January Rankings: 

(1) Secretariat

(2) Ides of March

(3) Moneyball

(4) Warrior*

*Dan wanted me to add that he doesn't think this movie is worth being ranked, he was really upset about the ending.

Any suggestions for February movies?

Changing How I Eat

As of today, I have officially lost 12 pounds since January 1st.

This blog has been a lot of things for me, and one of them is sharing my journey into cooking. After a lot of practice, I would now consider myself a fairly decent cook.  However, there is just one problem - I don't know how to cook healthy.  Sure, I can cook a Pioneer Woman dish and make it taste delicious, but what doesn't taste good with heavy whipping cream as the main ingredient???

I am working about 12 hours a day (including commute). That leaves me little or no time for working out. I have been incredibly frustrated with this because I like working out at least a couple times a week. But its just not going to happen. At least not right now.

So, at the beginning of the year I committed myself to a 3 months Weight Watchers membership and I couldn't be happier. I don't feel like I am depriving myself and to be honest, losing the weight hasn't been that hard.  Now that my body is used to eating healthier, the scale is moving more slowly.  But at least its moving down, and that is all that matters.

I am not really one to blog about my weight. While I respect all those "healthy eating" and "getting fit" blogs...that's just not me.

There will be no before and after pictures.
There will be no daily recaps.

There will just be me popping in every once in awhile to share some tips I have learned along the way. 

I thought I would start by sharing with you some of what I eat, as a lot of you are on WW and I have got so many ideas from your blogs.

A typical work week looks like this:

Breakfast: low fat yogurt (3 pts) and black coffee with 1 tbs. vanilla cream (1 pt)

Mid-morning snack: low fat string cheese (1 pts)

Lunch: turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with 1 tbs low fat mayo (6 pts) 

Mid-afternoon snack: low fat string cheese (1 pts)

All Day: drinking lots of water  

Dinner has been tough for me because when I get home I don't want to cook.  Thank god I found Skinny Taste (thanks again, Rachel).   I have found so many good recipes off this site, here are some of my favorites.

Asian Peanut with Noodles and Chicken (8 points)

This was delicious (and spicy). 

 

Steamed Clams with Fresh Basil (5 pts)

This dish was so fun to make! I have never made clams before so it was a new experience.  Downside?  Not very filling. Also, expensive.  A great appetizer but make sure to pair it with something more substantive.

Chicken Ropa Vieja (5 pts) 

This one is by far my favorite. So delicious.

Slow Cooked Barbocoa Pork (5 pts)

I forgot to take a picture of the pork, but I will the next time around because I will be making it again! You marinate it in coke zero, which I thought was funny, but it gave the pork a really sweet taste. Plus its a crock pot dish that required minimal effort!

So what happens when you come home and you don't want to cook? That's been interesting so far...mostly I have been defaulting to either cereal (1 1/2 cups Wheaties with 1/2 cup nonfat milk (6 pts)) or Taco Bell (1 bean burrito 9 points, I add my own 1 tbs. low fat sour cream which is no points if you keep it only at one).

Weekends have also been tough because who doesn't like to eat out on weekends?  Thankfully, my friend sent me this website (Dotti's Weight Loss Zone) that has a ton of restaurants and their WW values.  And remember what I said about not depriving myself?  This weekend I had 1/2 chicken burrito at Chipotle (I couldn't eat the whole thing if I wanted to) and a skinny bagel with low fat cream cheese at Einsteins, and still stayed on track! 

Also, instead of pancakes in the morning, I highly recommend this dish:

Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas (6 pts) 

It tastes so good right out of the oven and is super healthy. 

I'll keep you posted as I go along...

Anyone else out there have any healthy eating or WW tips?

Best Latte In Dallas. Maybe the World.

Best latte in Dallas

Maybe the World. 

I know. I love lattes.

The Pearl Cup

1900 N Henderson Ave Ste B Dallas, TX 75206

iThoughts

Please excuse my absence, but you see I have been rather busy.

Well, "busy" is a relative term.  By "busy" I mean that I pretty much have been on my new iPad nonstop. 

I know I should be doing more productive things, but I just can't help it.  Dan got me one for Christmas and it hasn't left my hand since.  I am obsessed. 

"What do you do with it?"

This is a common question people ask me while I ignore them and stare at my iPad. 

Well first and foremost, I take a lot of pictures of myself looking like this.

Ha, ha, ha, oh wow.  This picture cracks me up every time. 

But I digress.  Things to do on the iPad...

Well, hands down my favorite has been the Kindle Ap.  I didn't know if I would like having an e-reader, but so far I just adore it.  Since the start of the year I have already read four books because reading on my iPad is so convenient! 

While on the topic of books, another ap you must get is Overdrive. This ap allows you to log into your library and download books to your Kindle for free.  Awesome, right?  Another fun thing I do with Overdrive is download audiobooks and play them from my iPad on my way to work.  The speakers on the iPad are so great I don't even bother hooking them up to the speakers in my car.

I also enjoy the Weight Watchers Ap, which only benefits those of you who are doing WW, but it is a great ap nonetheless and better then the one on my phone for a multitude of reasons- one of which is that it has great searching capabilities. 

Speaking of food, the iPad is extremely convenient in the kitchen.  I have been uploading the recipe and then just propping up my iPad while I cook.  The fabulous Mojito Maven turned me on to Skinnytaste to aid in my Weight Watchers goals.  So far, I have tried three recipes, all of which were delicious and very low in points.  I am going to do a full recap of what I have been eating eventually, but until then I highly recommend the Chicken Roopa Vieja.

Other aps I use are flipboard, facebook, tweetdeck, hulu plus, and ESPN. 

Last, but certainly not least, I have been enjoying finally having access to Instagram.  You have no idea how jealous I have been of all you who have iPhones.  Why oh why wont they develop a Instagram ap for the droid?

Here's some of the photos I have tweeted this week... 

I have wanted and needed a scarf rack this entire winter.  So now that its almost spring I decided to get one (and by "almost spring" I mean only in Texas, as it was almost 40 degrees today).  If you want one, you can get one at the Container Store.  They have nicer, wood ones, but they don't have as many holes. 

Tea in the evening, vanilla rooibus, of course.

My favorite part of Saturday mornings is drinking coffee out of my London mug!

Toby says good morning!

Kadira says goodnight!

My final thoughts on the iPad?  People say that its just an expensive toy, and I guess that is a far description.  Yet so much of our lives are connected to technology these days the iPad is a really convenient tool.  It has been life changing for me, just as much as the cell phone.  Or the computer.  Or internet.  Okay not the internet, but close. 

 Any other iPad or iPhone Aps that are must haves?

2012 Resolutions

1. MAKE MINI RESOLUTIONS EVERY MONTH

Last year it was no sweets in January...this year I am upping the ante with:

A. NO SWEETS IN JANUARY
B. NO ALCOHOL IN JANUARY

The exception? Social situations. I am not going to be the girl not drinking at my friend's birthday. That girl is lame.

Here are some of my long term resolutions...

2. ORGANIZE MY RECIPES
3. TRY WEIGHT WATCHERS FOR THREE MONTHS, CONTINUE IF I LIKE IT
4. LEARN HEALTHIER RECIPES
5. RUN A HALF MARATHON
6. READ 25 BOOKS
7. GO ON THREE VACATIONS
8. VOLUNTEER
9. GET A DINING ROOM TABLE
10. REDECORATE THE BEDROOM
11. GET MY DEGREES FRAMED FOR MY OFFICE
12. WRITE OR READ FOR PLEASURE EVERYDAY
13. LEARN A NEW SKILL
14. INITIATE A MOVIE NIGHT
15. CREATE RITUALS FOR EVERY HOLIDAY

2011 in Review

Last year, I was thrilled to see 2010 come to a close.  2010 was a rough year, but I had high hopes for 2011.  I even said this:

That being said, I have a feeling 2011 is going to be my year. 11 has always been my lucky number, and the year is already starting out great with some good news starting on Monday (and no I am not talking about the launch of Oprah's own network, but that too!)

And you want to know what?  2011 was a great year.  More importantly, it was a year of stability, which we desperately needed.  Everything seemed to settle down a bit and we were able to get our whits about us.  It felt like we finally transitioned into our adult lives.  Therefore, while I welcome 2012 with open arms and all the adventures it will bring, I will remember 2011 fondly.

 January 

-It was COLD.  So cold Toby and and Kadira actually shared a bed:

-I began my quilting quest
-We watched the Mavs beat the Lakers, little did we know this was an indication of a Mavs championship to come.

February

-I completed the no sweets in January challenge, kind of:

-I found hope in future generations.

March

-I begrudgingly realized I was going to have to take the Texas Bar Exam.
-I ate a huge slice of humble pie.
-I turned 27!:

April 

April was a fun month! 

-It was the best day of my life! I mean Kate's life:

-We went and saw Kenny Chesney at Cowboy's stadium:

-We attended our first Ranger's game of the season!

May

-Osama Bin Ladin was captured and killed:

-Oprah's show ended, I have been lost ever since.
-My friend and I sneaked out of work to meet Bethenny Frankel:

-I met Jen Lancaster:

June

-We visited Austin for the first time!:

July

-I blogged only twice, because I was too busy studying for the stupid bar exam. 

August

-I killed a bee all by myself.
-I bought an Erin Condren Life Changing Planner.
-I met...er...saw George and Laura Bush!

September

-I got a new job!

October

October was a great month too!

-I saw Taylor Swift in concert! 

-I finished that damn quilt (finally):

-I went home to visit my family in Idaho before starting my new gig:

November: 

-I found out I passed the bar exam and proceeded to pass out in surprise.
-I actually enjoyed Halloween.

December 

-I spent way too many hours of my life making a Christmas wreath:

-We spent Christmas with our families for the first time in three years:

Years Past:
-2010 Year in Review
-2009 Year in Review

Resolutions

Now, lets check in and see how I did on last years New Years Resolutions....

Resolutions I failed on:
-Learn how to bake 6 kinds of cakes from scratch: For the sake of my waistline, this was a good thing... 
-Create an emergency book for the house:  This just seems like a lot of work...
-Develop and STOP DEPLETING our wine collection: Have you met us? On a positive note, we did try a lot of wine this year...
-Run a half marathon: I did run three 5ks!
-Tour a winery: fail.

Resolutions I kind of did: 
-Reread the entire Harry Potter series before the last movie comes out:  I read 1-5 before taking a break 
-Work on decorating the house: We made improvements, but nothing substantial. -Volunteer somewhere: Coming in 2012...
Go the entire month of January without eating sweets: I did this, minus the cupcake incident
-Finish my manuscript: It not finished! But I did make a big dent in it!
-Read 25 new books (one more then last year!): 21.5....fail!  
-Try 25 new recipes (and yes, the cakes count): I probably came close to this but I stopped keeping track.
-Get out of debt: We made progress, but are not quite there yet! 

Resolutions I completed!:
-Get better about remembering and acknowledging birthdays:  See this post   
-Get better about recycling:  We bought a special recycle bin and normally our recycling is bigger then our garbage every week!
-Get our files organized:  Done!  Although I still would like to find a good file cabinet.  
-Learn how to quilt: See this post

2012 Resolutions coming tomorrow! Have a safe and joyous New Years Eve everybody! 

Melissa's Top Books of 2011

Well, there is good news...and there is some bad news.

The bad news is that I set a goal to read 25 books in 2011 and I missed it.  I only read 21...well, 21.5 really because I am halfway through The Art of Racing in the Rain.

The good news is that I read some really amazing books this year.

I also read a lot of losers.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?  Hated.  Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman?  This book won the distinction of my least favorite book of all time.

I also re-read a lot of books (Harry Potter and Emily Giffin novels) which is new for me, I normally hate doing that. 

I also read a few I couldn't finish.  (If Here was There by Jen Lancaster and A Place of Yes by Bethenny Frankel)

Last year I did a top ten list of my favorite books read in 2010. But this year, I am only giving the distinction to six.  I had a really hard time deciding between first and second place, but ultimately decided that first place goes to...(drum roll please)...

1. Room by Emma Donoghue

This book was just perfect.  Captivating, unique, and utterly imaginative.  This is a perfect pick for a book club.

(Note that you can click on the hyperlink and read my full review.)

2. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Who didn't read this book this year? 

3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I missed the proverbial boat on this book, as everybody else read it over a year ago.  But what an amazing piece of work! I just finished it so I didn't get the chance to write a review, but I was thrilled this book lived up to my high expectations. 

4. No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin

This book came out of nowhere for me.  I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but Goodwin's writing mixed with the fact that the Roosevelts are just so damn interesting made this a great read for me....

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth 

I don't know if its as good as the Hunger Games...but its definitely worth reading and I am looking forward to the second book in the trilogy.

6. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

This book almost didn't make the list, but I decided it deserved to because it was cute, fun, and different. Plus I have a major girl crush on Mindy Kaling.

So now I begin the task of compilling my 2012 to-read list.  Any books I should add?

To read all my book reviews make sure you friend me on make sure to friend me on Goodreads! My user name is DuolyNoted.