A Glance Back at February...

 

Well, it has been quite a fun-filled month! I have personally always LOVED the month of February, mostly because it's my birthday month (and my brother's)! Now I love it even  more because it's Robert's birthday month, Rachel's birthday month, and I know I will always have a Valentine for Valentine's day <3

 

I know I blogged earlier this month about wanting to make positive changes by eating healthier and joining a new CrossFit gym. I was hesitant to do so, because once you put it out there, I feel like  people are waiting for you to give up and fail. Well, I am proud to say that Robert and I have stayed strong, and are still successfully staying on track.  Even with SuperBowl, Rob's 30th Birthday, Valentine's Day, and other random events occuring, we haven't let that hold us back.  Now that I am almost 25 I truly do feel like I am finally becoming a grown up.  I know I still have a lot to learn about life, but lately I have been having epiphany after epiphany about what life is really all about.  I don't feel like I always have to go out and drink and party all the time to have fun, but can save that stuff for truly special occassions.  This was the first year for SuperBowl that Robert and I didn't get totally hammered and eat 10x the normal amount of food we should be eating.  OK, I'm not gonna lie, it was definitely a challenge, but I felt so great after it was all over and I stuck to my plan!

 

 

This was a big SuperBowl for us, because FINALLY the 49ers were in it! We were so pumped to finally have our team be competing in the biggest game of the year, so normally we would have told ourselves we DESERVE to overindulge and celebrate.  Well, actually no.  You can still have fun celebrating by eating in drinking, but in moderation. I don't want to ruin a whole week's worth of eating good and working out for one football game on Sunday. Even if it is the biggest game of the year.  How did we still celebrate and stay satisfied? Well, we still ordered a pizza from Pizza Hut (major indulge there) but we stuck to healthy toppings, didn't get stuffed crust like we wanted, and only ate a couple pieces each. We only bought a 12 pack of beer (instead of the normal 24 pack) and made a deal that once it was gone, it was gone.  Truth is, we didn't even end up finishing the 12 pack. I realized that once I had a couple, I could still enjoy the game by being coherent and knowing what was going on! I know this make me out to be an alcoholic, I swear I'm not! I just normally have beer after beer for these kinda days.  I also wanted to have healthy snack options instead of the normal chips and dip, so I decided to make a fruit salad. I even rode my bike to the store to get the fruit, and got a workout in before the big game! It's funny how conditioned people (especially Americans) are to make something as healthy as fruit salad unhealthy too. I simply cut up a bunch of fruit and tossed it in a bowl.  When telling my dad of this healthy appetizer he asked me, "What did you sweeten it with?" I laughed to myself, because before I probably would have made homemade whipped cream with tons of sugar, to add to my already naturally sweetened fruit. I told him, "Nothing, fruit is sweet enough already." It was so nice to have that option of being able to "splurge" on as much fruit as we wanted, instead of our normal splurges of beer and pizza. Even though the Niners lost, it was still a great game, and I felt really proud of us for making it a healthy one.

 

The next weekened was Robert's 30th birthday weekend! I had been looking forward to this weekend for so long, because I wanted to make my husband feel so special.  I had gone back and forth a lot about what to do for his birthday. Extravagant plans like surprising him and flying back to Sac, or Palm Springs, or LA were definitely in the works, but when it came down to it, Rob is in law school and we just can't afford trips like that right now.  It is also difficult for him to take off a few days from studying, because he truly spends time everyday reading or doing homework.  What we decided on was having a romantic dinner for two at our favorite restaurant around the corner from us, followed by a beer tour the next day when Rich came into town.  

 

Before going out to our special dinner, we went to CrossFit and did a killer WOD. This was a true testament to our new lifestyle.  Normally we would have decided we deserved a rest day, but now we know if you want to be able to indulge, you need to work hard first. FELT GREAT! It was fun to go home and get cleaned up and have something to get dressed up for too!

 

                

 

 

A few months ago a restaurant called The Patio opened up a couple blocks away from us (where Lamont Street Grill used to be) and we absolutely love it.  Since we haven't been eating out lately, it was SUCH a treat to go there and have a really special dinner.  We actually had never sat inside the restaurant before, usually just having drinks and appetizers at the bar or the patio area.  Still being somewhat conscious of eating healthier, we ordered the filet mignon and the special of the night, which was swordfish. We had both never had swordfish, and were excited to have our favorite meal, filet mignon. We shared them both, and they were AMAZING! Not huge portions, but so decadent and fulfilling.  It felt great to not have to order an appetizer and other extra stuff, but just to get our entrees.  We even just drank Vodka/soda drinks with extra lime juice in them instead of tons of beer or fruity drinks with heavy syrups and soda. It's the small changes that really do count! Robert was so cute when it came to dessert, too. I asked if he wanted to order dessert since it was his birthday and he said, "No, lets not, we don't need dessert. We already indulged with dinner and drinks." It was so nice to see him being so strong, even on his birthday. A couple minutes later our server brought out the oreo ice cream cake I got him at Baskin Robbins hehe :) Even though we did end up having dessert, it was a special occassion and he deserved it! I ordered the smallest cake they had, which was still huge for 2 people, so we gave half of it to the server and told her to take it to the back to let the waitstaff enjoy it. (This is a huge thing when you work at a restaurant! Such a treat to get goodies from guests) Overall, it was such an amazing night, even without having it be over the top and crazy.

 

Ok, the next day did get a little crazier, but it's his 30th right??!  A friend that I work with at BJ's told me about a brewery tour company that he works for. He told me they take you around to different breweries in San Diego, and you do tastings. I signed us up for the public brewery tour (along with Rich too) and we went into it excited, not really knowing what to expect. We got picked up at Mission Bay close to our house the morning of the 9th, which is Robert's actual birthday.  The van had 6 other people going on the tour, plus our tour director.  We ended up going to 3 different breweries: Ballast Point, Alesmith, and San Diego Brewing Company.  We each had a bracelet that showed the bartenders at each spot that we were with Brewery Tour of San Diego, and then you could basically taste any beers you wanted.  We started at Ballast Point, and got to go on a tour of the actually brewery and learn how beer was made.  This was our favorite brewery because the atmosphere was so fun, and the people were amazing. Alesmith was nice too, but felt more like a wine tasting room.  It was quieter and not as laid back, but still had amazing beer. One of Rob's favorties was the seasonal My Bloody Valentine. Our tour guide was really awesome and knowledgeable. San Diego Brewing Company was probably our least favorite spot, mostly because it was just an outdated restaurant, and we sat at a table with our group, instead of a fun bar atmosphere. We did get to eat lunch here, which was really yummy and much needed, but the atmosphere wasn't as fun.  The tour ended in the afternoon, and we were really sad it was over.  Being pretty buzzed, we ended up walking to The Patio for some food and more drinks, and had a great night! It was nice to have Rich down from LA to celebrate with us for Rob's big birthday! Even though I know we over did the beer and food that day, it didn't discourage me from getting right back at eating healthy and enjoying our new lifestyle the next day. Afterall, how we ate and drank that one day is how we used to always eat and drink for no reason at all.

 

Since February has so many special events, we decided to just lay low for Valentine's Day, and not do anything too fancy.  We each got one another a special card, and had a yummy (yet healthy) dinner.  We show each other everyday how much we love one another, so Valentine's Day doesn't need to be extreme, plus we both wanted to stay on track by eating healthy and saving money. I DID manage to burn the S*** outta my hand while making food that evening though. I don't know what I was thinking... I had a pan in the oven, grabbed it out with a pot holder, and set it on the stove. Then I put the pot holder away, and a minute later grabbed the metal handle of the pan that was still close to 400 degrees. Luckily I dropped it a second later, but not after SERIOUSLY burning my hand and fingers. I knew not to put cold water on it right away, but just luke warm water, so I did that and tried not to freak out until Rob got home and few minutes later.  Then I burst into tears and freaked out lol. Rob took great care of me though! He went and got me this awesome burn gel and all sorts of bandages and stuff, and offered to take me to the doctor.  I decided not to go, since there isn't much they can do for a small burn.  After a couple hours of serious pain, we wrapped it up and went to bed, and my hand turned out better than we expected! Lesson learned, and I also learned how hard it is to just have one hand to use! It's very difficult explaining to a man how to put your hair up in a bun! HAHA.

Wrapped up for CrossFit

 

 

Also this month, we decided we want to start doing more activites outside, and had never tried hiking before. Turns out, there are a bunch of places close by! For our first hike, we wanted one that was fairly easy, so Robert found this place called Cowles Mountain.  It is the highest spot in the city of San Diego, and is about 15 miles from our house. This past Saturday we finally got to use our Camel Baks and hiking shoes, and headed over there. I don't know what Rob was expecting, but I thought we would be some of the few hikers that morning. Boy were we wrong. There were seriously hundreds of people, and the trail wasn't that wide. But it was still really fun. I also didn't know what I was expecting as far as it being called "easy," but I definitely didn't expect to get so sweaty and out of breath! We ended up using our MapMy Run App on our phone to see how long it would take us, and how far we went. We wanted to use this time as a benchmark to beat next time we did it. Reaching the top was such an amazing feeling! I feel like I am actually living life and getting out and doing things that are not only healthy, but exciting and fun. You could see all of San Diego from up there! We had a small snack and then headed back down. Some people ran up and down the mountain, which is a future goal of mine. We ran down part of the hill, which was challenging and exciting, because of the rocky terrain and people to dodge. Later that night at home, we decided we wanted to do the hike again the next day.  Well, when Sunday morning rolled around we were feeling PRETTY lazy.  We both didn't really feel like doing it, but know we would feel better about sticking to what we said we were gonna do. SO, even though we were sore from the day before, we headed back to Cowles Mountain on Sunday in the late morning. It was a bit warmer this day, but at least we knew what to expect this time. It definitely was a painful trip up, but we did it! AND beat our time getting to the top, and our overall time by almost 10 minutes! This felt amazing.  We even brought Chloe this time too, after seeing all sorts of dogs doing the hike the previous day.  We were a bit concerned she wouldn't be able to make it the whole way, but after our bike rides we have taken, and seeing other small dogs do the hike, I knew she could do it! SHE KICKED OUR BUTTS! This little 9 pound dog who barely ever goes on regular walks, was jumping and hopping up rocks, steps, and this mountain at a quick pace. We ran almost the whole way down this time, and Chloe had no problem keeping up either! Everyone made comments like "Look at that little dog!" and "AWWW how cute!" She was a champ, and I was so proud of her and us! She definitely fell fast asleep on the car ride back.  We want to tackle some longer hikes, since this one was only 3 miles round trip. So who knows which one we will do next, but it will be exciting!

 

 

   

 

                

 

 

This month has been sooo great! I have rekindled my love for cooking, and really have surprised myself with some of the recipes I have come up with.  It is fun to see a yummy looking recipe and make it healthy by substituting better ingredients! I am excited to stay on this journey, and to have Robert to keep me motivated and uplifted! OH! I forgot to mention that we decided to give something up for Lent this year. Me, not being Catholic, had never done this before, but I wanted to challenge myself further, and also do it for the meaning of Lent. Robert and I decided to give up all sweets, candy, and desserts for the 40 days of Lent! We wanted to choose something that would be difficult, but not IMPOSSIBLE. We thought of maybe soda, but we both rarely drink that anyway, so we decided that dessert would be a good choice.  I thought it would be pretty easy, since I don't normally crave sweets, but I swear, once you tell yourself you can't have something you want it! I am proud to say that neither of us have slipped up and cheated, and I plan on continuing it all the way until Easter. Even though that means no birthday dessert, oh well! It feels great to test myself and stick with it! Hope you all are having as great a month as I am! Love and miss you all back home in Sacramento!!! OH! Another thing I forgot to mention, Robert joined a softball team at school! So that is another new healthy activity that we have to do (even though I just cheer him on).

 

            

Ya it's February 2nd, but here's to 2013!

OK OK OK, it has been QUITE a long time since I have blogged, mostly because I felt so guilty about falling off the wagon and keeping up with it. So, without further adieu, I am officially back at it, and am going to make a point to make time in my life to do so.

A lot of changes have happened since I last posted, and even if no one reads this, or cares, I want to document the events in my life for myself at least! Traditionally I hate making New Years resolutions, because I am always let down when I don't follow through with them and give up. So I have made it a resolution to not make them! Well, my non-resolutions are:

1. To blog on a consistent basis

2. Maintain healthy eating and track everything I consume.

3. Say "yes" to more things, even if they seem scary.

4. Join a crossfit gym nearby to get my ass back in shape, and PUSH myself!

5. Stop watching so much TV, and get outside in this beautiful San Diego weather and take advantage of it!

Yes I know those goals may seem a little too steep to maintain all year, but that isn't my intention. I want those goals to be my new LIFE goals. I was scared to put it out there that these are my goals, mostly because of the scrutiny that comes along with it when other people know you are trying to achieve these things. I feel like people always are rooting for you to fail, and NOT reach your goals, so it is scary to put it in writing. THAT is why I have waited until Feb 2 to start blogging and post them, out of fear. But guess what? I am not scared anymore. If people are rooting for me to fail, that's fine, because THIS TIME I WILL PROVE YOU WRONG. And myself! The reason I have failed before is because I have never truly believed in myself. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy that I will not achieve a goal, and then I don't.

Robert and I needed to get our eating and drinking habits under control for a couple weeks before we REALLY started adding in exercise. It was pretty difficult to train our bodies to eat less, and choose healthy options. Also, a difficult thing for us is that we would not eat for hours and hours, and then be so hungry that we would eat way too much and over indulge.  Now our bodies are finally starting to get used to eating continuously throughout the day, but choosing the right things to do so. We are tracking everything we eat, and holding ourselves accountable.  An enjoyable activity we have now is cooking with and for one another, and discussing how to make our favorite dishes slimmed down, or what new creations we can come up with. Gone are the days that we feel the need to constantly be going to Happy Hour or out to eat. I want to change my lifestyle, and be active with my husband. When we eventually have children I don't want them sitting on the couch watching TV all the time and eating  junk food constantly. But if that is what Robert and I are doing, how would I expect them not to?

SO...with all that being said, we joined a new CrossFit gym 2 weeks ago, called Crossfit Humanity, here in San Diego. The past 2 weeks that we have gone are the first ones for the gym too. I know the owner through the mom I nanny for, and he's an awesome guy named Phil. The box isn't quite set up all the way yet, but it is definitely ready enough to get your ASS kicked! And we have been these past 2 weeks. I can honestly say that I have gone to workouts more consistently in the past 2 weeks than I have in over 2 years. 2 years ago is when we started CrossFit in Folsom, at Folsom City CrossFit. I am embarrassed to say that I have done CrossFit in the past, because by looking at me now, no one would be able to tell. Our close friends owned FCCF when we joined, and to be honest, I didn't go into the situation whole-heartedly. I wanted to join because our friends did it, not because I wanted to change my life! NOW I want to do it for ME, and am going at it with everything I have. I also want to apologize for getting so offended and defensive when I would be confronted at FCCF. It was hard to take constructive criticism from friends, and I would take it personally. Now I realize I can only improve, and need these suggestions to better myself, and improve in CrossFit. I have also learned to HAVE AN OPEN MIND! Try new things, listen to what people have to say, and do it! If you don't like it after giving it your all, then don't, but keep your opinion to yourself!

I am so happy that Robert and I are finally REALLY deciding to make long-term changes in our lives, and that I have him to go on this journey with. When we met, we shared the similar interests of drinking excessively and eating excessively.  Now, we can grow together even more by changing our interests and trying new things! Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE me some beer and pizza, and I don't think that will ever change. AND THAT IS OK! I just know now that those things CAN still be enjoyed, for special occassions, and if I have earned them by eating good all week and working out.  This all may sound like common knowledge to you all, and I have heard it all a million times too. But to actually BELIEVE that this is actually going to happen is a first for me, and I am so excited.  We have a loonnngg road ahead, but I can't wait to go down it. I am sick of the excuses holding me back, and refuse to let them any longer.

Well, after that deep post about my personal stuggles in life, LETS GO NINERS in the Super Bowl tomorrow. I wish we were going to be in Sacramento with all of our friends and family to watch the game as usual, but cheers to new beginnings! Rob is doing awesome in law school & kicked ass his first semester at USD! (not that I expected anything less) I am happily nannying for the same family, and life is good! I miss everyone back home, and hope you all find time to come visit us soon, or we'll see you next time we're up there! LOVE YOU ALL! And thanks for reading this long rant about me :)

Rascal Flatts Concert!

So yesterday was just a normal weekend day for Robert and I, as we settle into our new lives in San Diego.  Robert had some reading and research to do for a memo for law school, and I needed to get some cleaning done and run some errands. It was a productive day, and we were looking forward to going to a party that night. The family that I nanny for invited us to a promotion party for the dad, and we were pumped to go out with them, and hang out and make new friends.

 

Robert and I laid down for a little while in the afternoon after having a long morning of cleaning and studying, and we were trying to rest and maybe catch a few Z's. As we were laying there talking, I remembered Rascal Flatts was in San Diego and performing that night with Eli Young Band and Little Big Town.  I was sad because I LOVE Rascal Flatts, but I hadn't bought the tickets before because we are trying to cut back on extra expenses. Well....we got to wondering how much tickets would be, and started looking online. JUST TO LOOK... Well.... we both got a little pumped at the possibility of going, and caved. We got a great deal on tickets that weren't too far away from the stage either. Lawn seats were an option, but we preferred to be a little closer to the action, and be more comfortable.

 

So, at 3:30 pm we called the guy off Craigslist, went and met him, and BOOM, we had two tickets to the concert that was 3 1/2 hours away! We were soo excited, yet we felt a little rushed too. As we were browsing Craiglist for concert tickets, we had seen a party bus option to take to the concert. We looked into that, so that way we didn't have to drive all the way to Chula Vista (which is about 35 minutes south) when we had never been there before, and both wanted to relax and have a good time. So we talked to the party bus guy, and he told us it left from a bar down the street from us at 6 PM! Now we were even more pumped! We could bring alcohol on the party bus AND we didn't have to worry about drinking and driving, or traffic, or parking!

 

We hurried home and started getting ready. I was especially pumped because Rob has never been to a country concert before, and I've been telling him how much he would love it. When we first met, Rob said "I don't even think I've ever listened to an entire country song before." Well, over 4 years later, it's really growing on him! He's started liking Zac Brown Band, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and of course Rascal Flatts. I was so excited that he was finally going to see them live, and enjoy their great performances.

 

So after the party bus being a little late, and us being very hot, and in desperate need of one of our ice cold beers in the ice chest we brought, we FINALLY got on the bus, and the party began! We didn't know anyone else, but after waiting for the bus with them for over half an hour, we had talked a little and everyone was really fun. It immediately got CRAZY! People were chugging cheap vodka from the bottle, beers were passed around, and the music was blasting with everyone singing and dancing. Rob and I just stuck to our beer we brought, kinda trying to take it slow, since it was going to be a long night. These people were so much fun, and it was funny for us to watch them get loose, because we didn't even know them!

 

 

 

We were worried we would miss the opening acts since the bus had been late, but luckily we made it there during the first performers. It was a great outdoor venue, called Cricket Amphitheatre. It reminded us of going to Marysville at Sleeptrain Amphitheatre for concerts back home. The hills in the background were beautiful, and I was thankful we didn't have to drive all the way out here!

 

We saw Eli Young Band and Little Big Town open for Rascal Flatts. They were amazing. Robert really liked Eli Young Band, and I was so happy they played "Crazy Girl." I'm not so sure the people around us were happy, since I was singing it at the top of my lungs too haha. He also liked Little Big Town (especially the brunette singer) and enjoyed the song "Tornado." I was so happy that the concert started out so great, and he kept saying, "Can you believe we're about to see Rascal Flatts?" We were beyond excited, especially beacuse it was so last minute, and unexpected.

 

We even met up with our new friend Gianna before Rascal Flatts came out, and had a few minutes to snap a few pics! Love her. We had a little bit of a camera malfunction so these are the only ones that looked halfway decent.

 

When Rascal Flatts came out it was amazing! The buildup of adrenaline was so awesome, and I was screaming and jumping up and down. Robert got really into it, too, and we had such a good time. They played so many of my favorite songs, like "Mayberry" "Life is a Highway" "Here Comes Goodbye" and many many many more! It was such a great performace, and I got tons of amazing pictures. Some other great highlights of the show were the fact that they brought two little girls on stage to sing and dance with them, they paid tribute to the troops by singing the Star Spangled Banner, and an audience member proposed to his girlfriend on stage! It was so romantic and beautiful. They got to dance on stage while Rascal Flatts sang, so obviously she said YES! Overall, it was such a great night, and even though we missed the party we were supposed to go to, I just couldn't pass up a great opportunity to see my favorites while they were in town.

 

The Camozzi Wedding!

 

So it's been a few days since the wedding happened....and I am finally going to blog about Gina and Stephen's beautiful day! To be honest, Robert and I are still recovering a little bit. It was quite the weekend.

 

 

Gina Avalos and Stephen Camozzi got married at Lake Natoma Inn in historic Folsom on Saturday, September 8, 2012. It was such a perfect day for a wedding, and we are so happy we got to witness such a special event.  We arrived to the wedding site at around 5:15, and the ceremony began at 5:30. It was a beautiful outside ceremony, with sparkles and little touches of beauty all around. It was so great to see so many familiar faces around us, especially since we've been gone for a couple months now.  Many people commented on Robert's beard being grown out (and it was only growing for 3 weeks!). He loved all the great compliments he got!

 

 

When the wedding began, Stephen walked out with sunglasses on, looking so handsome with his hair combed and neat.  He definitely looked nervous, but also so excited and happy at the same time.  As the bridal party began walking out, I realized "wow this is actually happening!" Stephen and Gina have been together ever since I've known them, and many years before that. It was hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that they were finally becoming man and wife! As soon as Gina started walking out, you could see how happy she was, with tears rolling down her face. It brought back memories of my wedding day, and I couldn't imagine how overwhelming, yet great, it must feel to have so many people watching you. People from all areas of your life are standing there, waiting for you to walk down the aisle, and marry the love of your life. I bet it was all catching up to her at once.   As she walked down the aisle Stephen looked soo happy. You could tell he was getting choked up seeing her, because she looked AMAZING. Gina is always beautiful, but today she truly was gorgeous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ceremony was so typical of Gina and Stephen's relationship.  They both had microphones on, so we could hear very clearly when they were speaking, mumbling, or whispering to one another.  Gina's uncle T.J. officiated the ceremony, which made it all that more personal for them.  Since he knew Gina and Stephen already, you could see it was difficult at times for him to keep his composure. Gina and Stephen were so playful, sassy, funny, yet heartfelt and honest that it was so entertaining to watch! I am so glad that Robert and I were able to fly up and see this, because the pictures wouldn't have done it justice. 

 

 

After the ceremony, the reception was amazing! Great good, lots of friends, and lots of alcohol flowing.  Not only was the music amazing, but I feel like everyone was dancing the whole time! The bride and groom gave glow stick glasses to everyone to wear, which was a quirky and fun gift to have. Everyone from young to old was wearing them, shaking there booty to the wide variety of music. From "Bitty Bitty Bum Bum", to "Call Me Maybe", to "Friends in Low Places." WHAT A NIGHT! Stephen and Gina made an effort to walk around to everyone and make them feel noticed and appreciated, which was really nice. It was such a fun night, that I'm sure everyone will remember.  And if not...I've got the pictures to remind them!

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS MR. & MRS. CAMOZZI! ROBERT AND I WISH YOU A LIFETIME OF HAPPINESS!!