Fitness Friday: Smart Snacking

Snacking smart is an important key to any weight loss/management system. I recently started keeping a food diary to count and track calories throughout the day and was amazed at how many little in-between snack foods or trips to the chip bag in the pantry can quickly add up! A smart rule of thumb is to keep all snacks at around 100-150 calories.

Edy's Fruit Bars are a new favorite of mine - The orange & cream flavor is my favorite of them all! The cream inside makes me feel like I am eating a little ice cream! Other flavors are available as well.

I had a good week this week! I worked out Monday,Tuesday, and Wednesday, & tomorrow will make 4 days. Cardio Max was very hard on me this week! I wish I was still a 6-day a week exerciser, but I am lacking motivation right now! Maybe because it is January?! I have a feeling that this summer I will be a workout machine. I plan to join a gym in the town where Don moves to in June so that I can have a membership there once we are married. I really miss the gym!

I also watched what I ate this week and had zero "no no foods"! Overall, a good week!

Wedding Wednesday: Wedding Gowns

I know it is Thursday night, but I had to deal with some issues yesterday and didn't have time to post my Wedding Wednesday last night! In either February or March, I will be heading down to Atlanta to meet my mom & sister and Don's mom & sister to dress shop! We have our shops already picked out -- I just have to figure out a weekend that I can leave Virginia. I am so excited to share this experience with those close to me!

The style of wedding dress that I am wanting is no big guess to many people. When I think wedding dress, I think: BIG, flowing, dramatic, and total princess! My favorite line is Maggie Sottero. Of this line, I have two favorite looks: the gathered look & the ballerina look. I know those are probably not the proper terms, but they work for me. I am only listing Maggie Sottero because I do love her 'look' the best, however, I am open to many different brands and styles!

News!

I am excited to finally have the opportunity to announce that I have accepted a new position as Manager of Marketing within a corporation in Central Virginia! I have been anxious to tell you all and I am now able to. My emotions are very high as I am excited for this new, yet challenging opportunity. I am thankful to the Lord for providing this for me as a big career step. It is located about 40 minutes away from where I currently live so I will be commuting for now until I move in with Don after our September wedding. In the meantime, we will be townhome shopping for Don's lease it up in June and we will relocate halfway between our two jobs.

When we initially chose September as our wedding date, I thought it would take ages to arrive. However, now with my new job taking off, 3-4 weekend trips to Georgia, Alabama, and Florida for wedding shopping and showers, finding a new place for Don and I to live and moving him there in June, being a bridesmaid in my friend Jen's September 4 wedding (3 weeks before mine! ah!), it is going to be so busy. I seriously have to just take one week at a time or I will seriously freak out. All this to say that I am so glad I have 8 more months to plan -- I have a feeling it will fly!

Also, thank you for your support and comments lately! I have enjoyed reading each one of them. I am so pleasantly surprised to have 301 followers! I asked myself today how I gained 100 in 2 months?! Thank you! Blogging has become such a fun, special aspect of my life and I plan to keep going and going...!

Have a great week everyone! I will check in soon!

Pinks! With a splash of Orange

Wedding Alert! I am changing my colors. Shocker! Let me give you a little background...I had a lot of exterior pressure from the beginning to have a fall themed wedding with leaves, pumpkins, deep fall colors mixed with a lot of browns, etc. I seriously was making myself adopt this vision. It just never set right with me.

I love PINK. Pink is very me and as my wedding decorator, Dave said last night, "Brittney, your blood runs pink, not red," I knew what I needed to do. Pick the color that was going to make me most happy! He and I got online last night and looked through many color combination because I still wanted it to look fallish. I will be pairing a watermelon pink (or maybe bubble gum if I like the dress better) with splashes of orange and green.

If you are worried that I won't be able to tie in the fall nature of the month, don't worry! I have already listed some ideas that will incorporate fall staples. I just may be changing some colors around. Take a lookat some of my inspiration!

Bragging on my sis

Let me take a moment and share with you how special my little sister, Ashlyn, is to me! Ashlyn is in her last semester of high school, and I can hardly believe she is 18! I remember holding her when she was born and I said, "Sissy, I will never throw you away." I hope she knows that even though I moved 10 hours away five years ago, I think and pray for her each day.

Fitness Friday

I tend to get stressed when my life is not structured. During this 8.5 month in-between time of being at Don's, then at my house, then in D.C., spending evenings wedding planning, and other personal things which I hope to share soon, I feel like I cannot get on an established routine like I normally am. I used to be an avid weight lifter, but that takes a steady schedule plus a gym membership, both of which I do not have. I would love a gym membership again now that the budget allows, but I am never at home! With all that being said, I have chosen to do what I can do...Cardio. I have the Shred and Cardio Max workout dvds that I do in my apartment and cart with me to Don's house. I am thankful to have a fiance who enjoys working out with me. We love taking jogs or working out at his gym together. I also get in good workouts at the hotel gyms when I am traveling. Even though I cannot do a consistent weight schedule at the moment, I am always sure to do cardio at least five days a week.

Now, for my weekly report: I exercised Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and this morning. After the crazy week I have had, I am very satisfied with the four days. My weight has gone down 1 pound, so only six more to go. I don't want to drop these last 6 fast -- I want to go at a steady pace so that I can keep them off instead of doing something drastic to get rid of them quickly. I think it will pay off in the long run. When I get to my goal, I will have lost 20 pounds since July! Nothing drastic, just smooth and steady.

I have continually counted my calorie intake each day. My biggest fault is carbs. I crave them. I crave them each meal. I would rather have a bowl of Special K for dinner than cooking chicken. This is something that is a work in progress...

Giveaway Winner

I am excited to announce that out of 37 possible entries, number 13 won! Thank you Mrs. MFC for your readership and I hope you enjoy your year subscription to SHAPE magazine! I look forward to reading everyone's Fitness Friday posts tomorrow!

Chateaux Interiors

Good design is a knack that I do not have. I can make a room look pretty and put-together, but true design is rare. Please meet Chateaux Interiors, West Virginia's one stop design firm for both residential and commercial locations. Chateaux Interiors consists of two designers, Dana Blankenship & David Trump. David is a great friend from college, as well as my wedding decorator. Chateaux has recently launched their blog and it is already filled with a portfolio of their design as well as neat and usable tips for classic decor.

Their most recent accomplishment was featured in December's issue of West Virginia Living magazine. Dana and Dave completed a full re-design of a holiday showcase home located at The Greenbrier. Several months of work took place at this home, and in October it was opened up to esteemed guests of West Virginia.

Dana and Dave are a talented duo. If you reside in or near the West Virginia area and are interested in design for your home, be sure to give them a call to schedule a consultation. Follow their blog for daily design tips and other additions to their design portfolio.

Clear Skin

Having clear skin with a smooth dewy texture is important to me. The average teenager has trouble keeping clear skin during high school, but I never had trouble with my skin during that time. I thought I was home free -- ya right! It was bound to hit at some point and decided to do so during the start of my professional career. After trying product after product, I decided to see a dermatologist. He prescribed Differin, and within eight weeks, my skin was clear and back to normal. I have continued to use it each night for maintenance and rarely experience any breakouts.

Since Differin is such a strong gel, I use mild, non-medicated soaps like Neutrogena in the morning and Dove gentle exfoliating wash in the evening. Also, an important component to any skin care routine is to moisturize! My favorite moisturizer is Clinique's Moisturizing Gel found at any department store. One bottle lasts almost five months and it keeps my skin hydrated and gives it that dewy finish that I love.

Taking care of your skin will not only benefit you today, but will also reward you later in life. If need be, contact your dermatologist today for a consultation and start exposing your fresh face again worry-free!

Fitness Friday Giveaway Launch

I am excited to launch what I feel will be a great tool for us during our Keep Fit or Weight loss journeys this 2010 year. Fitness Friday will serve as a hub for us to post our own personal experiences in keeping trim and offer a support system. Throughout the first week of January, I cannot begin to count how many weight, food, or fitness tweets I have read. We discuss everything else on our blogs, why not designate a day to focus on health? Please get invovled in sharing tips, celebrating achieved goals, and offering encouragement to other bloggers!

In launching Fitness Friday, I would like to host my first giveaway! In any given week, you can find me at my local Barnes & Noble bookstore with a copy of SHAPE in hand. This magazine is full of exercise tips and meal plans. It is my favorite fitness magazine on the shelf and I want one of you to have a year subscription to SHAPE delivered to your door to help aid your keep fit/weight loss journey.

There are a maximum of three entries and you must be a follower.

Entry One: Leaving a comment on what your Keep Fit goals are this year.

Entry Two: Posting about the giveaway on your blog. Be sure to let me know if you do that.

Entry Three: Become a follower on twitter & tweeting this blog link to advertise the giveaway.

I will close the giveaway on Wednesday at midnight. I will email the winner and process the subscription request, but have no control over when you will start receiving the magazine. Please keep that in mind!

Thanks friends and I look forward to Fitness Fridays and keeping fit together!

(I know it is Thursday, but consider this my Friday post. I will be away from my computer tomorrow.)

Natalie & Nate's Wedding

As part of Wedding Wednesdays, I would also like to highlight weddings of friends. Natalie is a sweet friend that I have mentioned on my blog from time to time. I moved into her house last December and experienced the details of her planning a May wedding to Nate. I got to know her a lot in those few short months - she is such a blessing and so much fun to get to know! Natalie and Nate's photos were taken by Sam Stroud Photography and he just happens to be the photographer I chose as well! Our engagement photos are scheduled for January 30 and I am so excited to work with Sam. Please take a look at his work as well as my friends, Natalie and Nate.

Domestic Affairs

Domestication has begun. This Christmas, I received not one, but two aprons from my mom and aunt. They giggled upon figuring out they both got me a Vera Bradley apron! They are so cute and I love both patterns - Symphony in Hue & Imperial Toile. For now, I have one apron at my apartment and one at Don's house for the weekends I am there. Having such a soft textured material as well as cute patterns, why wouldn't you want one, too? Personalize it with a monogram and put a stamp on your kitchen!