On the bright side: 
-The sun is shining
-It's officially one degree outside. 
-There is still a possibility that we will actually go to school this week. 
-We are inching ever closer to February, which means we're inching closer to spring. 

Trying to keep the positivity up and the negativity at bay. So far, it's sort of working! 

On Sunday, Dan and I made the trek up to Wedding Belles to pick out the outfits for the men in the wedding party and to pick up our wedding invitations (perfect!). We also got to see the bridesmaid dresses, and oh yes, I am totally in love with them! The color, the style... total perfection! I can't wait to see the whole wedding come together. We're almost in double digit days until the wedding, which is unreal! I think the next 102 days are going to fly!

I've also been trying to combat the Angela-shaped dent that I could be making in the couch with a bunch of different workouts (thank YOU, Pinterest). Lately, Pop Sugar has been my go to workout maker (besides Jazzercise, of course). It's been a fun and different way to change up the routine. Some new favorites include the 10-minute Plyometric Dance workout, the 5-minute Plyometric workout, and the 20-minute Tabata workout. They're short enough that it doesn't feel like a big time commitment, but when I put them back to back, it's a nice change of pace every few minutes. 

Do you have any go to snow day activities? Next up is addressing wedding invitations (!!!) and starting a new book, but I'd like to have something else a little more active in place in case that doesn't keep the antsy-ness at bay. 

Snowed in Saturday: Honeymoon dreaming

Bring on the honeymoon!

I'm trying very hard to stay positive about the weather. Very, very, very hard. But, I'm struggling, people. The first few days of being snowed in, I was a happy camper. I read my books. I baked my cookies. I watched three entire seasons of Scandal. I cleaned and organized the house. I made the best of it. 

But now, here we are in Polar Vortex part deux, and I am OVER IT, people. Today was supposed to be my first bridal gown fitting, but the roads are too bad to make it in to Wedding Belles, so we're rescheduling. Additionally, our wedding invitations and bridesmaid dresses are there (!!!!), and I'm jonesing to see them. Dan and I are hoping to make the trek tomorrow so that Dan can try on the tux we ordered and pick out what the men will be wearing. I'm so excited! Or, I will be when we can get there! 

So, today, I'm dreaming of warmer weather, and looking at all things honeymoon related. Come June, Dan and I will be spending two full weeks in Greece! I'm literally over the moon about our trip! We'll be spending time in Rhodes, Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. Greece has always been the number one destination on my travel bucket list, so the fact that we're actually getting to go there is incredible! 

I plan to be blowing up my Pinterest with all sorts of Greece related things... what to pack, where to stay, what to do, where to eat. I just can't wait to see all of the things I've been dreaming about! 

Do you have any Greece advice for us? We'd love to have it! 

This is my favorite guide so far, mostly because we're going to both of these islands:
Santorini and Mykonos

Bring on honeymoon 2014!

Wedding Wednesday: Why I have two engagement rings

Okay, okay, so, before you go judging, let me explain how I came to possess two engagement rings today. 

When Dan and I were talking about getting engaged, we were looking at rings online one night. I chose my favorite ring, and then handed Dan the computer and asked him to pick the one he liked for me. We chose almost the exact same ring. So I knew right then that ring selection would be in good hands, and told him when he was ready, he could go it alone. My ring size is a 5. 

Well, that's the ring size on my RIGHT hand, not my left. And who knew they'd end up being different? They are. I'm actually, like, a 4.5 on my left hand. So, my ring is too big. 

I've known for awhile that I would eventually have it sized. I'm currently wearing a ring sizer on it, so it doesn't bother me too much. But when we went in to order our wedding rings, we were told that my engagement ring comes as a set, and in order to perfectly match the set, they would have to take my ring back. 

FOR FIVE WEEKS. 

Now, I know that sounds silly, but I've become very attached to my ring. It's not just that it's beautiful (it is beautiful). It's that it symbolizes something unbreakable between Dan and me. And the thought of being without it for five weeks makes me sad. I don't want to look down and see that empty finger. And I REALLY don't want people asking where my ring is or if everything is okay. 

Enter fake ring! For only $9.10, I purchased a little gem and a lot of piece of mind at the mall tonight. 

Can you spot the fake? Okay, it's easy, but at least I have something to show for it!

Clearly I want to be wearing my real ring, but in the mean time, it's nice to know I have a back up. Dan commented that if only he'd known that there were fake rings available at the mall, I could have ended up with a different ring entirely. 

We have a two-hour delay for tomorrow morning due to the weather. There's something nice about knowing I don't have to get up early (hence how this blog post got done. Also hence how this plyometric workout got done.)

Sleep well, all! 

A long weekend update

This long weekend was just what the doctor ordered after a full five days (plus a full night of parent/teacher conferences) at school and some SERIOUSLY strange events in northern Indiana! It was a weird week in general! Word on the street is that Polar Vortex part two is on the way. I'm choosing to pretend it's not happening. 

My coworkers Johnna and Chris. (P.S. Do you know how hard it is to dress for a bridal shower when it's 12 degrees outside? Wearing white is not ideal when you blend in with the outdoors.)

In wedding news, this weekend my fabulous coworkers threw a bridal shower for me in LaPorte! It was SO much fun to spend time with everyone outside of work (rarely do we actually get a chance to talk for more than a minute or two at a time!)! It was great to have some laughs, and, as always, the people in our lives are so generous. So much love! 

I also went shopping with my flower girl, and we've found the perfect dress for Anica to wear down the aisle! I'm super excited to see her, because she's going to be absolutely adorable. I don't even mind if she and our ring bearer (Dan's nephew Cole) steal the show. They're too cute not to! 

And now eyes are on the week ahead. Lots of things to do for school (read: grading) and lots of things to do for the wedding (a giant blessing and a small curse all at the same time). I'm so incredibly excited to marry this man, though, that the stress is worth it! 

But for now, I'm planning to read a little from Insurgent and plan some meals for the week. So far, I'm looking at these:

1. These yummy Kale, Mushroom, and Cheese Calzones which look like they'll be super easy to make. 

2. The easiest four ingredient Parmesan Garlic Chicken recipe ever. This is my go to recipe on a weekday when I have a million other things to do. Make a veggie and some brown rice and it's the easiest dinner to make! 

3. One-pot Lemon Pasta I'm loving these awesome one-pot meals lately. Again, anything I can throw together with minimal ingredients and lots of taste are total winners in my book. 

I'm also hoping to get in some more strength training this week. I got in 40 minutes of total body training today, so we'll see. I'm determined to tone those muscles! Any go to exercises to share? 

Wedding Wednesday: Too much anxiety, so I digress and talk about what I'm reading instead

Oh, hello. I almost didn't recognize you there because I have become consumed with wedding planning! Anxiety has kicked in full force this week. I don't know if it's the realization that spring break was the last major chunk of free time I had to get things done or the fact that we're less than four months away, but I feel like my brain is always drifting toward what needs to be done next. It's a blessing and a curse at the same time. 

So, to avoid wedding related talk, I'll instead delve into the books I've been reading or want to read. Yay for healthy distractions! 

Just finished: 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Whoa there. I couldn't put this down! Dan got me the first book in the Divergent trilogy for Christmas, and I probably went through it in three days total. I love getting lost in a good book! I love the dystopian universe, the heroine of the story (Tris), and the relationships Tris has with the people around her. I can't wait to read the next two books! 

Attempting to plod through: 

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel 

I so WANT to get through this book. But I'm struggling! I really like the story line. And I like the plot. But it feels like I'm reading through a history textbook (it's a bit... dry). Plus, I keep getting distracted by other things, so by the time I pick it up again, I've forgotten who's who and what's what. 

Coming up next: 

Game of Thrones

Insurgent and Allegiant

Wicked

Where do I start? What are you reading right now? 

Wedding Wednesday: T-minus four months!

It's Wednesday, and snow/cold day number three here in northern Indiana. I can safely say I am ready to go back to work. I have made the best of my extra (unexpected) time off, but now, I want to see my kids, I want to have a routine, and I REALLY want to get the January issue of the newspaper to bed (it was supposed to come out Friday -- I assure you it will not)! 

This time HAS allowed me to get a lot of wedding planning done, though. Dan, being that he's the best fiance in the world, has officially booked our honeymoon (EEEEEEEEK!) and is working hard at finding us the perfect musicians for our wedding. I've been working mostly on invitations, table decorations, favors, outfit details, and the all important wedding paperwork for church. It's been nice having some time to work on it where I didn't feel too rushed! 

People have been asking me for months what the theme of our wedding is. I've had a really hard time answering this question. Elegant and romantic? Mint green and lavender? Open bar? I just never know how to answer that question. But, while we've been off on the winter break that doesn't end, we've come up with an idea we really love to connect a lot of our ideas to. Details to come! 

Since we're looking at going back to work tomorrow, I suppose I should prepare myself. Have a great rest of the week, all! 

Snowmaggedon 2014: Combating cabin fever

Night fall, January 5

Early afternoon, January 6

Snowmaggedon 2014 continues to barrel down on the state of Indiana. For one, it's currently -34 degrees with the windchill. For two, we got somewhere around 23 inches of snow in 24 hours. While the sun is shining beautifully right now, ain't nobody goin' anywhere for the foreseeable future. 

And I will admit, at this point, I'm going a wee-bit stir crazy. I've made every attempt to enjoy my household, tackle projects, and embrace the inside of my humble abode, but knowing I'll be stuck here at least another day (we've cancelled school for tomorrow) makes me feel a little bit like a shut in. 

So here is my next random list of things to do while you're stuck inside too. 

1. Vacuum by the washer and dryer. Seriously, does anybody ever do this? The area near ours is full of lint pieces that have fallen by the wayside. 

2. While the vacuum is already out, tackle those pesky stairs. Ugh. Stair vacuuming is the WORST. Nothing like trying to suck up dirt from individual platforms while trying to keep an object from falling on you or down the stairs. 

Now that the cleaning is out of the way...

3. Watch any movie that is located in a warm climate. Seriously, pick anything where there isn't snow on the ground and have at it. Heck, even go so far as imagining yourself there... unless it's the desert or a country western shoot out. 

4. Make any recipe that you already have the ingredients for. Last night, we made this awesome one pot Chicken Risotto. Super easy and delicious. Today, we have pulled pork going in the Crock Pot (the whole house smells like yum) and we'll be having sandwiches on Dan's homemade pretzel buns. Oh yes, the man made pretzel buns. Have I mentioned that I love him?! I can't find the exact recipe he used, but this one from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette is similar, and gives you a nice story about how 2013 was the year of the pretzel bun (who knew?!)! 

Ready and waiting! 

5. If you're still bored after doing all of these things, check out this blog to see her 50 ideas for some snow day fun. 

• What are YOU doing today to beat cabin fever? 

Preparing for Snowpocolypse 2014

Oh, hello. I'm writing to you on the eve of Snowpocolypse 2014. If you've caught the news or been near any grocery store in northern Indiana in the past 12 hours, you know we are about to get hit with a DOOZY of a storm. 

Conservatively, the weather people are predicting 8"-12" of snow. This will be immediately followed by temps like -10 with wind chills of -40. Beautiful, beautiful weather is on the way! 

 In fact, the National Weather Service issued this statement: 
"SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING SNOW WILL CAUSE ROADWAYS TO BECOME PARTIALLY OR FULLY IMPASSABLE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. * VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS IN HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. * FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA WILL OCCUR IN A MATTER OF MINUTES WITH THESE EXPECTED WIND CHILLS. DEATH WILL ALSO OCCUR IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN."

Hmph. That doesn't sound good. 

But instead of being concerned, I'm planning to entertain myself while we're snowed in. So, here are my best recommendations for keeping busy until the snow passes. 

1. Bake these cookies. These puppy chow cookies are crazy delicious. I made a batch today for a meeting tomorrow (which, let's be honest, may not take place -- more for me!), and I'm having a hard time staying out of the kitchen. They were slightly messy at the end, but well worth it. Plus, you probably already have all the ingredients on hand! 

2. Watch Scandal on Netflix. Seriously, I don't know how we missed this show, but we started watching it last week, and I am OBSESSED! The writing is smart, and the story line is addicting. Kerry Washington rocks as Olivia Pope! 

3. Read the Divergent series. I just started the first book in the series, and I already can't wait to see what happens next. Thank you, iPad, for letting me download books from the comfort of my soon-to-be snowed in home. 

4. Clean out the closet. Yes, I know, it sounds like a ton of fun, doesn't it? But, if you're anything like me, there are at LEAST ten things you could pull out and say goodbye to right now without ever missing them. I spent yesterday and part of this morning going through my closet and pulled anything that didn't fit or any item I didn't love anymore. Just by doing that, I knocked out a dozen items. Why would I want to wear things I don't love or that don't fit? 

What are YOU doing during the snowstorm? 

Run Streak: Completed!

New Year's Day greetings from freezing, cold, snowy northern Indiana! It's almost 2 p.m., and we're still in pajama mode around here. I'm kind of digging our lazy day! 

Today marks the last day in my Runner's World Run Streak, and I'm happy to say I'm going to make it! It started on Thanksgiving Day -- a commitment to run at least one mile a day from Thanksgiving Day to New Year's Day. In the beginning, I thought it just be a fun focus for the end of the year, but it turned out to be a great challenge too. 

Taking on a run challenge in northern Indiana in winter was a serious pain in the rear. If it wasn't snowing, it was frrrrrrrreezing. There were a lot of days of Under Armour on top of Under Armour and there were a lot of other days where the dreadmill and I had a less than ten minute date. 

I'll be entirely honest... there were many, many days where I only ran one mile. Most days, I just couldn't convince myself to push it past a mile. But, I ran every day for 35 days, and THAT feels like a great accomplishment! 

Our New Year's Eve run happened in boots! BOOTS!

Lately, I've felt kind of lazy since I haven't been training for anything big. I ran a ton of 5K's and two half marathons in 2012, and a handful of 5K's and two 10K's, but I didn't really do any training for those races. In fact, according to Map My Run, my longest run of the year was a measly 6.33 miles. Compared to the 10 and 12 and 13.1 mile runs from the year before, it doesn't feel like a lot. 

BUT, running the #RWRunStreak helped reinvigorate my excitement for running. Ine particular night, I remember getting home from work at 6 and having to leave for a dinner at 6:15, and I flew through that run to make it in time. It was a fun challenge to wake up a little earlier, push off something I was required to do, or take ten minutes out to do for something for myself. It was nice to have that challenge. And it's been extra nice to meet that goal. 

I contemplated keeping the streak going after today, but I think I'm going to give myself a little bit of slack. In just the past week or so, I've started to feel some running related soreness (I added some treadmill sprints there at the end, so that may have done it). But I'm looking forward to taking on new challenges, new adventures, and new experiences in 2014. Bring it on!