Surprise -- and Welcome Home!!

I came home to my apartment today to find.. ::dah dah DAH::

  N  E  W      T  H  I  N  G  S       !  !  ! 

Yay!!!!!!!!! Nothing cheers me up more than seeing that brown box on my counter meaning a prize has finally arrived in the mail! [Yes, a 'prize' -- when I really really want something not only do I stalk it online searching out the best detail, sometimes for MONTHS, but I also make myself earn it whether it be with a lil healthier eating, cleaning, or pushing myself in my workouts]

Step #1.  Open Box

Step #2.  Get *this* excited about what's inside!!! woohoo!!



What was inside do you ask??? NEW WORKOUT GEAR!!!

My Bubble Gum Pink Jillian Michaels "Sexy" Bra

Definitely the most money I've ever spent on a sports bra... but after watching [eh em... getting my butt kicked by] her last DVD I've been wanting to try it out soo so so badly!!

And LuLuLemon Run Speed Shorts in Pink Mist

First LuLuLemon run purchase and probably won't be my last!  I'm typically a Walmart/Target workout fiend all the way... with a little Victoria's Secret yoga wear thrown in, but it feels very rewarding to know I've worked towards my goals and now I get new things - and I especially like that they're things that will keep pushing me towards harder workouts and better runs!  Yes.. sometimes I do simply reward myself with a delicious cookie, but I feel that giving myself the gear that will help push me to succeed is a much better use of the rewards system - don't you agree??

{Prepare yourself for the self-timed try-it-on shot}

Doubt I'll actually be wearing this bra out in public without some sort of a loose fitting top over it but wanted to give you all an idea of how it fits on someone who isn't blessed with Miss Jillian Michael's incredible abs of steel ::sigh::

.. my fault really.  I haven't yet completed her "Ripped in 30" DVD... heard Level 4 is killer.  Maybe that's where I'll find those abs...

Do you ever 'reward' yourself for maintaining a healthy & active life style?  What is your favorite splurge?

What is the most expensive workout gear you own?

 

Talking Turkey

So after the boyfriend's campout this past weekend we ended up with a lot of extra turkey burger patties so I was in need of a recipe that would use up all this ground meat!

Luckily I'd seen a recipe in a magazine for a delicious looking Turkey Loaf so I decided to try and whip up something like this.  Please note, I have had NO experience making any type of a meat loaf - let alone a turkey loaf - but I digress...

The Recipe I ended up using turns out as follows:

**analysis by CalorieCount.com

I apologize for the next picture... I'm not sure there is a way to make Turkey Loaf look incredible -- but I promise it tasted that way!!

We paired the Turkey Loaf with some whole grain brown rice cooked up in our rice pot while chopped green & red bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, green onions, peas and spinach steamed on top!!  Cooking with a rice cooker is one of the BEST ways to make a meal -- the only downside is that brown rice takes over an hour and a half before it is done.  For this reason I usually make a big pot of this veggie rice the day before and separate it into mini tupperware containers to eat throughout the week. 

{My Aroma Rice Cooker! With Steam Pot on Top!}

{yummy rice bowl}

Have you ever made a type of Meatloaf?  Are you a fan? 

Maxi-mum Style

The right Maxi length can be tough to figure out - how short is too short and what shoes can you pair your maxi with? 

Personally, I love for my maxi to almost skirt the ground - which would make it impossible to buy something that I could wear with both heels and flats.  Until I discovered the Express Maxi Skirt (thanks Ashley for the recommendation!)

The skirt comes in a lightweight, jersey knit and comes in a handful of colors.  It's $59.90 but Express is constantly offering deals like buy-one-get-one-half-off and $25 off your $75 purchase so keep an eye open!  The *best* feature of the skirt though is its fold-over waist band.  The super thick band is about 4-5inches so fold it all the way over and keep the skirt short for flip flop days and simply un-fold it to add 4-5inches of length for your wedges at night!  This is especially a good buy for you model-esque tall women out there as you have the option of wearing the skirt long! 

This skirt is very figure flattering -- I only have one picture of me in it so far though, on travel this summer:

Hi!  This is me in my Express Maxi Skirt! 

I've got it folded to wear with sandals in the picture.

{Yes, all the way folded over it is still long on me - I am not blessed with long super model legs!}



:(

A great Maxi Dress I've found that is generous with the length is this one from Victoria's Secret:

Currently on SALE for $59.50 :)

So that you can get an accurate feel for the length, here's the dress on me {I'm 5'5"} :

{Meet my boyfriend, Mike!!}

I was honestly stepping on the dress for half the trip and should most likely invest in getting it hemmed or only wear it with wedges from now on... I'm klutz-y enough as it is without setting myself up for disaster!!

{For the record - I only came back with 3 bruises of unknown origin from our trip - WIN!}

Now to answer the question of "How short is too short?" [for a maxi]

As I mentioned earlier, I'm a fan of the longer the better in my personal style, but that causes problems when it comes to walking in general and my shoes don't really get all that much attention. [and Mike thinks it's ridiculous and that the maxi's actually look significantly better when they end slightly above the ankle - so if you're looking for a guy's perspective there it is!]

{  I also love extremely LARGE sunglasses.  And bags. And rings. He's learning to deal :)  }

So here's an example of a shorter Maxi done properly:

Photo Credit: Broke & Beautiful

So chic.

Do you own a maxi dress or skirt?  What do you pair it with - heels, wedges or flats?  What do you think is the ideal length for a maxi?