Matilda

Whew.

by Jessica on February 25, 2013

in Crossfit, Dogs, Matilda, Video, Weekend

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We’re coming off an amazing but unexpected 4-day weekend. After finally getting our first big snow of the season, the town pretty much shut down and Neil got to stay home with me for two whole days. It was like having a real-life coworker again, or well — you know what I mean. Someone to talk to other than the dogs.

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We subsisted on soup and these amazing baked fries. I could eat baked fries forever.

But before we get into our weekend, let me just start with this:

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I passed my Level 1 test and am now a CrossFit Level 1 (CF-L1) Trainer! I took that straight from the email so no one can sue me. As I mentioned in my last post, I wasn’t supposed to find out until Monday, but I happened to check my email Saturday night while Neil and I were making cookies and saw the email pop up. I screamed. So. Loud.

I can say this now, but waiting was such a nail biter. Literally. I thought I’d kicked my nail-biting habit, but nubbin fingers say otherwise. Everyone says that as long as you pay attention you’ll pass with ease, but a few of the questions left me so nervous. I couldn’t even put on the shirt they gave us because I thought I’d jinx myself! So, without further ado…

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Yay! Needless to say, some celebrating was in order. Cider and some dark chocolate and cranberry trail mix!

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We also had a few of these…

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So good, can’t wait to share Neil’s recipe! Now the rest of our weekend…

Saturday morning brought an insane lower body WOD that smoked my quads and glutes (I’m still hobbling around). You should definitely try it.

Kiss your quads goodbye chipper workout...

Recovery was our favorite avocado, egg and bacon “salad”…

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And a stir fry…

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The rest of the weekend was cleaning and getting re-settled after what feels like two weeks of insane travel and work. Nothing feels as good as starting the week with clean laundry, fresh sheets and an organized inbox.

Oh, and we did play in the snow a bit. This was Matilda’s first big snow with us, and boy did she love it. And apparently some of the staff at Vimeo loved her. Too funny.

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Random Thursday

by Jessica on January 10, 2013

in Camping, Clive, DIY, Dogs, Food, House, Matilda

This week has been killer. If there was any question, the holidays are DEFINITELY over, and it’s back to work big time for both of us. I woke up yesterday thinking it was Thursday! Anyhow, here are some of the random things going on around here…

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Our old ’80s humidifier finally kicked the bucket this winter (not before bleaching a spot on my carpet to mark its passing — grr!), so I told Neil to look around, research, and pick what he thought was best. He picked this one, and now instead of just our bedroom, it takes care of the WHOLE house. Look at that thing, it’s bigger than Clive! Thanks for posing buddy, mommy appreciates it. Notice a trend that Neil tends to go BIG when he buys stuff? Remember the pressure cooker this fall?

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He even bought a remote so we know exactly the humidity percentage levels in whatever room the remote is in. I think we’re a little device crazy…

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Matilda would like a clause added to her contract to insure she gets one creepy staring photo per post.

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My mother-in-law joined Pinterest, and I’m reaping the awesome reward. It looks amazing at night, but it’s hard to get a good photo of. I’ll try again tonight.

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Everyone on Facebook and Twitter is saying they are sick or feel like they’re getting sick. I stocked up on Emergen-C on Amazon. There’s some irony in drinking tropical-flavored vitamin supplements to avoid getting sick in the winter in the midwest.

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I also bought this. We played it with Patrick and Jen on our ski trip last year and it’s my second favorite game to Cards Against Humanity. It’s easy to learn, and doesn’t require a lot of mental effort to play (read: perfect while drinking). It’s also lightweight and doesn’t have a lot of pieces, so I might throw it in our packs for backpacking.

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My MIL gifted us a ton of dried fruit on their visit a week ago. I’ve never really had dried pineapple like this (it’s always in some mystery processed shape as part of some over-sugared mix), but it’s amazing. A little crunchy, a little chewy in some parts, but the flavor is like candy. I’m sure will make a mess of my dehydrator, but I must try to make it again, along with some banana chips, which we’ve already eaten all of.

Now back to surviving the rest of this week. So far I don’t feel like I’m winning.

How’s your week going?

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Finally Friday

by Jessica on December 7, 2012

in Christmas, Food, Matilda, Meat

I feel like I’ve been in a blender this week. Here, there, and totally turned around in circles with work. I’m totally ready for some down time — if I can just get through a few more hours of this day. Here are a few randoms from this week:

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I managed to get the tree decorated on Wednesday, and now I never want to turn it off. I know it’s just a little tree with mostly hand-me-down ornaments from my parents, but it makes our living room feel so nice. Remember when we just had our little tabletop tree? Well now this tree is full. How does that happen? My favorite new addition…

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Matilda’s first ornament! I strategically put all the pet ornaments in front. Dorky?

Dinner from the other night, bacon-wrapped chicken. So easy to make. Simply marinade or season chicken with flavors of choice, wrap with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Then bake at 250 degrees for 50 minutes or until baked through.

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Now off to CrossFit! We’re doing 1-rep max cleans today, and I’m really hoping for a new PR. My last PR was 95-lbs back in September, so I’d like to see at least 105-lbs today!

Any exciting plans this weekend?

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Gluten-Free Hello Dolly Bars

October 30, 2012
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I MADE DESSERT! Sorry, it’s just so rare these days, I feel like I have to break out the caps lock — and the strong tags. I stopped myself at italics. My mom and I are in the early stages of Christmas baking planning. I know. It feels so early, but with my travel schedule [...]

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Random Thursday

October 25, 2012
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This week, behind the scenes, I’ve been working on a series of posts about our first year of being mostly Paleo and doing CrossFit. I deluded myself into thinking I could be one of those bloggers who can churn out posts daily effortlessly, and that I would have them finished and posted in less than [...]

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Halloweenies

October 19, 2012
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Happy Friday! It’s a cold and rainy morning here, and everyone seems to be cuddled up wherever they can find a warm spot, even if it means sleeping with the enemy. I think we’ve finally got our yucky colds beat, and luckily, right in time for the weekend! Tomorrow morning we’re off to Kansas City [...]

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Flight of the weekend

August 7, 2012
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I can’t believe it’s already Tuesday! This weekend went by so fast. We made a quick trip down to Springfield for a friend’s birthday party. Of course, our trips have to start with a treat, and Cashew Inn Cashew Out is our favorite. Everyone has their favorite Cashew Chicken recipe, but theirs is the best. [...]

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