Day 30

Out with April.... Can't believe the month is over in a few hours!

Today I have been enjoying my time in Indy :)

I had several FIRSTS today.

1) I visited The Naked Monkey spa! I highly recommend it! They said I would be hooked after my first time. I am. No lie. haha

2) We had dinner at Creation Cafe. Yum! If you go there, plan on a wait...it's a hoppin place but worth it.

3) Followed up dinner with a sweet treat at BRICS (Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station). Oh my gosh!! The Broad Ripple Blackberry tastes like blackberry cobbler. No joke. I have a new favorite! ha

Day 29

It's been a great day!

I woke up early to work out. Watched the Royal Wedding while eating breakfast. Worked 4 hours. Ran errands. Did stuff around the house while having lunch & doing a detox. Drove to Indy.

viewing history being made in real-time

Jen & I enjoyed a DELICIOUS meal at Santorini Greek Kitchen in Fountain Square. If you are in the neighborhood, you just gotta stop in! It's a great place, full of character...and they make you feel like part of the family. I love Greek food!

heading in to Santorini's

5QF - 4/29

I can't believe that April is coming to an end! Where has the past 4 months gone? Goodness! I'm so excited for summer to be here though...so much going on the next few months. Wait, who am I kidding, things are ALWAYS crazy busy around here!?! ha

Today's Weigh In - I lost 3.4 pounds!! WOOHOO!! Now a grand total of 30.4 pounds lost. Feeling great about it!

And on to today's Five Question Friday :)


- - -

1. If you could buy any car, money not an option, what would it be?

I know most of you will pick a fancy sports car, but honestly my "dream car" has always been a soft-top Jeep. My mom and I have talked about this for years...although she prefers hard-top. haha I just think it would be so much fun to cruise around in the summer with the top off and enjoy the sunshine/breeze. :) I'm a summer baby, so I will always enjoy anything that has to do with the outdoors in the summer time!

2. What was your worst first date ever?

I personally think all first dates are pretty terrible...or maybe that is because I haven't met "The One" yet. ha It's always awkward and I'm never quite sure how much I should (or shouldn't) talk. I hate being the one who has to keep the conversation going! With all that in mind, I guess my worst first date would be when I got sick, canceled the date (stay with me people...), and he was sweet enough to drive an hour out of his way to deliver a Wendy's Frosty to my doorstep (cause he knew I was craving one due to a sore throat). Of course, I was NOT expecting him and he knew it would freak me out, so he just left it at my doorstep and called me as he was leaving the apartment complex. I felt even worse!! Argh. So, it wasn't a date, but it was. haha It definitely has to rank up there with some of the worst "first meetings" of all time.

3. How old were you when you fell in love for the first time?

I was 23, I think. To this day, I still try to keep up-to-date with his family but I don't speak to him anymore. He was a pretty great first "love." He definitely made my first year all alone out in the real world a little easier!

4. When was the last time you reconciled your checkbook?

Last weekend! (you'd know that if you read my blog...haha) I am pretty faithful about checking my statement online each week and of course, as soon as the statement comes in the mail, I get it done. Yeah, I'm nerdy like that.

5. If you were going to fashion a "Wanted" Ad for a best friend, how would you word it?

WANTED: Best friend. Must be young at heart, loves to laugh, enjoys travel, always has a camera in hand, can follow random conversations, and likes animals. Would be a plus if grew up on a farm, have lots of rowdy cousins, can laugh at her mistakes, text-aholic, and enjoys exercise.

Day 28

I thought we were all done with the rain until Sunday...it was a beautiful sunny day, warmed up to 65! On my way home, this is what I see...

Mr. Storm Cloud moved in to cut off Mr. Sunshine

So I am now spending my evening snuggled on the couch in between loads of laundry. Oh the excitement. ;)

An update on my weight loss - I have been sweating my butt off every night on my good friend, the treadmill! ha Last week I did not lose...or gain! Weird week. ha This week I am hoping for a loss. I have done about 2 miles on the treadmill each night. I am still counting points with WW and that is getting easier all the time! :) Friday morning is my weigh in, so I'm sure I'll update you when I post my picture for that day. I'll be spending the weekend with Jen in Indy (yay!) and last time I was there, I could NOT connect to her internet with my laptop no matter what I tried (boo!). Stay tuned...updates may not come until Sunday evening!

Day 27 - April Showers

Oh where oh where has our driveway gone...oh where oh where could it be?

haha

This was our driveway this morning:



And this is the crater otherwise known as our driveway this evening...

Oy vey. I'd wish the rain away...but no good farm kid could do such a thing in fear that there will be no rain for the crops this summer! :p

So, we'll just pretend to be ducks enjoying the RECORD rainfall this month. And hope that all these April showers bring May flowers! haha

Day 26 - Orb

What is that glowing orb in the sky?!? We saw the sun several different times today. It was great! :) I didn't even have to wear a coat today! Hallelujah! (Seriously, I despise coats.)


Unfortunately rain is slated to return tonight...and with a vengeance. Until then, I'm just gonna savor the moment. ha

Day 25

Alright, I am EXHAUSTED. I really cannot remember a time in my life (well, besides State Officer year! ha) that I have repeatedly been this tired. And it feels great! Wait...what? :)

The weather is a major reason for my state of exhaustion. When it's rainy and dreary I have a really hard time keeping my energy level up. I've also been working out at least 6 nights a week, but usually it's every night. So after a long day at work, a hard work out, and a shower...and dinner...I'm done for. haha It really doesn't help either when Toby snuggles up to me and sleeps. ;)

But on to the picture of the day....anyone have any spare gravel they'll share?

Our gravel is all out in the road, across the road in the ditch. Argh.

Day 24 - Happy Easter

Continuation of yesterday...lazy day (somewhat)! ha

Toby & Momma resting on the couch

Essential cleaning supplies when you have a dog in the house ;)

I guess I wore him out by cleaning (you might remember how much he HATES the vacuum from previous posts)

Happy Easter!

Day 23 - Lazy Day

Today has been much like one of my new fave (this song makes me giggle & the video is outlandish) songs...a LAZY day. ;)



Toby has pretty much slept the day away, either with mom or Jen. He did nap on me while I did a detox this morning after my 2 mile run. (side note - I am 2 minutes faster per mile than I was 2 weeks ago! WOOHOO!)


After lunch, we have all been pretty darn lazy. That will continue into tomorrow. :)

Hope the Easter Bunny finds his way to your house despite all the rain!

Day 22 - Good Friday

Wow...what a day! ha

It started out with me working my usual shift, 7a-11a. Then I had to run to the bank and make a trip to get my nails done (and went to Wal-Mart for mom...yikes! NEVER again on Easter weekend!). I spent the rest of the day at home.

Our toilet was acting up AGAIN. Yes, it's been a constant problem...but hopefully will no longer be an issue! The guys that fixed it today seemed to do the trick. :) In a one bathroom house, it really bites to not have ANY functioning bathroom! haha

Since Jen is home, we did her first ever ionic detox. She has chronic knee problems (a-she ran track & cross country in junior high & a few years in high school, b-she is a swing dancer, c-she stands all day at work). She was feeling a little better after tonight's detox, but we'll do it again every day while she's home and when I go up to see her next weekend, I'll take the detox unit with me so she can repeat it. Jen definitely had a hard time sitting still for 45 minutes! Toby thought he should help her. ;)


I even took the time to balance my checkbook tonight. It's always a breeze. Funny how I DESPISE math and yet every job I've had since my college graduation has involved accounting/numbers. hmph Maybe God is trying to tell me something?!?


Tonight cousin Z came over for dinner. His visits are always long...and always fun! We love him like a brother. :) We ate, laughed, watched tv, sold stuff on Ebay, baked cookies, fixed the Keurig coffee maker, and talked some more. haha Truly the nights I wish could happen more often like in the past! I sure do miss him since he lives in Lexington.

And now...as I finish the day...and I've eaten WAY too much food, I realize how much more I'm gonna have to work out tomorrow. haha But it'll be worth it. Here's to hoping that the no loss/no gain from this week (holding steady on last week's weight) will not be troubled by this weekend's pig-out on good holiday food!

Hope you've had a blessed Good Friday! I know we sure have!

Day 21

Thursday night we christened mom's new fire pit! My cousin Z is home for the Easter weekend...and my sis surprised us a night sooner than we thought (she didn't know she had Good Friday off work)! So, we all grabbed a chair and sat around the fire. It was a little chilly to be out last night, but not too bad with the warmth of the fire.


Ahhhhh....I can tell we're gonna have a new favorite thing to do this summer and fall! ha

5QF - 4/22

I can't believe it's the end of April and Easter is finally here!

Hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend! :)

- - -

1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?

I hate to say it, but I don't really have a favorite Easter tradition. *gasp!* ha We keep things pretty low key at Easter and although have grown up with big celebrations and egg hunts, as we've gotten older, we're lucky to even have a "nicer" meal to celebrate. There are no longer any babies or little ones (well, not in our immediate family) to necessitate the frills, so I guess just spending time together is a tradition!

2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?

I'm a shower gal. I cannot get comfortable in a bath tub. How do you people do it?!? haha Wash away the ick, don't soak in it. :p

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?

Yes, I can. I prefer not to if it can be avoided. It's much easier in my sporty little car than it was in the SUV. The last time I parallel parked was probably a month or so ago.

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?

Geesh! I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO had to pull out my handy little WW Points Calculator app on my phone today to stop myself from buying my favorite Easter candy while in the line at Wal-Mart. :( Needless to say, 5 points for ONE Reese's peanut butter egg just didn't sound all that appealing, so I put it back. *sigh* I do love 'em, but my waistline won't get any smaller if I eat them this year!

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?

In the past I would have to say that our family did a pretty good job of splitting the difference. As a Catholic family, there was of course a huge focus put on mass and the true reason for the Easter holiday. Even though the religious aspect was the foundation for our celebrations, our parents definitely got us to believe in the hype of the Easter Bunny and would hide eggs so we could go on a treasure hunt after a big family dinner with my Grandma's sister's family. (haha - did ya follow that?)

Day 20 - ERROR

ARGH! For all except for 2 hours of the day...our company's program server (housed at our sister company) was down. Do you know how boring my day is if I don't have the programs to enter all the reports?!?

I was really tired of seeing this message...



On a side note, the week is half over! Thank goodness!! ha

Day 19 - Storm Central

Like most of the US, we're surviving the storms. It's flood central around here...seriously! I almost needed a boat to get out of the driveway today. They are saying up to 4 more inches of rain tonight. Argh! We definitely don't need all of that!!

I tried to snap a pic this morning while I was leaving the house for work. Lightning kept lighting up the dark storm clouds. As a person who enjoys a good thunderstorm (really, I do...just not ALL the rain), I'd have loved to been able to stay home and watch it roll through. Maybe another time. ha

Hope you're all surviving the crazy weather!

Day 18

Switching it up today with a video instead of a picture. I am absolutely LOVING my new treadmill, but Toby is definitely NOT happy about it. haha The entire time I workout on it, usually at least 30 minutes, the little rascal runs around barking at it. Every 60 seconds the treadmill beeps to signal time countdown. The joys of being a doggy mom. ;)




sorry for the low quality...had to resize it to email it from my phone & it's bouncy cause I was walking on the treadmill!

New Blog Header & Button

Hello friends! I have been tweaking my design skills...and have managed to improve my header and button. If you know of anyone else looking to upgrade their blog look to something slightly more snazzy than the pre-made headers, please send them my way! I promise I am VERY affordable compared to the big blog shops. :)

Please grab the link on the side bar for my button for use in your posts since it will directly link your friends to my blog!

Thanks everyone!

Day 17

Poor Toby...he's such a mistreated child. haha Momma doesn't let him get any rest! :p



Also, here is a before & after of mom's 1st detox. You can see how much better the color is in her toes. The swelling has also drastically reduced. It may be hard to see that in the picture because your feet tend to be a little puffy after each treatment, but that goes away within minutes.


For anyone wanting more info (especially you Mrs. Skeptic! haha), email me at emenchhofer@yahoo.com and I will send you a pdf about ionic detox. It's very informative and a quick read.

Day 16 - Day of Love

So today was a day full of wedding stuff....obviously, not for me (ha!)....but for some of my dearest friends. :)

The day started off with Kristi's bridal shower. Kristi and I became really good friends our Senior year of High School (the year I switched schools...long story!). We have always stayed in touch and I will actually be in her wedding next month. Today one of her aunts and cousins from Cincinnati threw her a Bridal Shower in Batesville at The Sherman House. It was a really nice luncheon! This is the first of her showers, but more to come on that at a later date!

Bride-to-be Kristi opening gifts

our other close friend & fellow bridesmaid, Olesha

After the bridal shower, I raced back home to pick up mom...and then we headed to Greensburg for my lifelong friend's wedding! I met Vince on the last day of 3rd grade. His mom, Sandy, and him had just moved to Osgood and she brought him in to meet everyone. We've been friends ever since. I have "grown up" in Mary Kay with his mom, Sandy, and his step-dad, Jeff, works the same place I do. It was SOOOOO much fun to see everyone tonight at the reception! We laughed and talked for hours. LOVED it!

the groom anxiously awaiting his bride

Vows

Unity candle

The sign of true friendships is going months, sometimes years, without talking and picking right back up where you left off. I have truly been blessed in my life with some of the most amazing friendships...

my best friend since Kindergarten, Jessica

Kyle, Chris (cracking himself up!), and Jesse
Chris & Jesse were our classmates

Jeff, Vince's step-dad & my quirky co-worker

3 of my long time friends - Vince, Jess, & Danny (best man)

one of my favorite people for high school, Amber (Kyle in above pic is her hubby)

Vince's little sis, Laura...she's a sweetheart!

my good friend & Vince's mom, Sandy

Live. Laugh. Love.

A day full of all 3 things! :)

Day 15 - Starting a Revolution!

Happy to report that I am down another 2 pounds...which brings my total to 27 pounds of weight loss!! So much more to go, but feeling great! :)

Toby was completely worn out today. He has not been able to nap as much as he'd like. ha Poor baby. ;)


I did another detox today...water was looking MUCH better! I'm convinced that so many people would feel better and be healthier from these detoxes!! I'm ready to start a revolution...thinking about starting a blog just for that. Will keep you posted. Tonight a family friend who gets severe migraines came over to give the detox a whirl. She was amazed! She ordered a unit from me because her mother-in-law is dying to do it as well to relieve joint pain in her knees.


Are YOU ready to join the detox revolution?? All the toxins expelled in the water are bodily waste. YUCK! The insane part is that what you see is only 10% of what your body expels in the process. The rest ends up working it's way through your system. This is a professional ionic detox system. You can buy cheaper versions, but they don't work and they give out very quickly. The system I'm selling is what a local "in-demand" massage therapist and a local chiropractic office uses and charges $50+ a session for! Holy moly! You'd have your own detox system paid for in just 5 uses!

5QF - 4/15

Friday, Friday...where for art thou Friday?!?

Has anyone else had a long week or is it just me?? My days have gone soooooooooooo slowly! It was a rough start to the week (as you saw in an earlier post), but thanks to my amazing friends (all of you on here included!), my week is ending on a high note. :)

So without further ado...Five Question Friday!



- - -

1. What is your favorite sign of spring?

My favorite sign of spring would probably be the grass getting that beautiful green color! I absolutely despise grass for every other reason (namely that if I sit in it I'll be itchy itchy!).

2. What was your best birthday ever?

That's tough because we usually fail to celebrate my birthday...mostly because it's during the summer and everyone is too busy doing everything else. This past year was most likely one of the best. Mom, Jen, and I had dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant, El Reparo and I got a funny card from Jen, plus the Purdue shirt I had been wanting! It was low key but nice. :) Hopefully the best birthday is yet to come!

3. What is your favorite dessert?

Ohhhhhhhh...dessert. That. Is. So. Not. Fair. I have been dying for some dessert! haha One thing doesn't go with a diet is dessert, although not to fear, I do treat myself to small sweet treats from time to time. My favorite is probably turtle cheesecake. mmmmmm Oh sorry, was I drooling?? ha

4. What is the best excuse you've ever used to get out of a ticket?

I've only ever had one speeding ticket and there was no talking my way out of it! However, I did get pulled over one other time....I was driving back to college after a weekend at home (a 2.5 hour trip). When I was leaving the house, a friend called to tell me that a very close family friend had been electrocuted on his farm. He was like a dad to me and it broke my heart. I think I cried the whole way back to Purdue. When the officer pulled me over, he could tell I was distraught and he told me to slow down and since I had no record, that I could go. Whew! That would have added to an already terrible day.

5. Do you wake up before your alarm, with your alarm, or after hitting snooze several times?

I almost always wake up a few minutes BEFORE my alarm goes off. Do you know how annoying that is?!? You can never sleep for 2 minutes because you're too busy thinking "ughhhh! I gotta get up soon!" haha I NEVER ever hit snooze. I am a morning person and usually just pop right outta bed and get my day started.

Day 14

Detox is an amazing...unbelievable...gross thing. Seriously!

It is completely amazing because it essentially uses water, sea salt, and an electric pulse to pull all the toxins out of your body through your feet. There are different colors that the water will/can turn as it pulls the toxins from different levels of your body. There is a color for your liver, a color for joints, a color for digestive/stomach/intestines, a color for lungs, flakes for metal, bubbles for yeast, and even blood clots will come out of your body into the detox bath. I-N-S-A-N-E!!

So....if you are grossed out easily....look no further! ha It's weird, but cool all at the same time. Ya know?

pouring the water in and getting started

after just a few minutes...

at the end of my 45 minutes - worst mine has ever been!!

I am now selling these detox machines. The equipment itself is $250. You can buy all natural sea salt at your local grocer. It only takes 1/4-1/2 tsp. of sea salt per foot bath. We bought a sterilite tub at Dollar General and then just wrap it in a trash bag so it doesn't stain the tub and it's more sanitary if sharing it with someone else.

If you are interested, let me know! You will see a dramatic difference in your body...from fewer migraines, less joint pain (especially if you have any form of arthritis), better digestion, if you have skin problems (often times due to yeast) they will clear up, and a multitude of other issues! My mom has severe leg and feet problems due to a farm incident many MANY years ago where one of our 4-H calves kicked her in the leg. No doctor has ever been able to help her. The swelling and discoloration has improved after just TWO detox baths. She in typically a non-believer....but trust me, she believes now!!

Day 13

It's here! It's here! It's heeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrreeeeee!! :)

I ordered a treadmill about a week ago and today it arrived! I'm so excited! I've been wanting one for awhile, so mom and I cleared out a spot in her bedroom for it.

The delivery company will only put it in the house, NOT necessarily where you want it. haha So we had to move it from one end of the house....to the other!

Did I mention how big a box it was? And that the treadmill itself weighs 350 pounds? Whew!

So we got it moved across the house and unpacked...



And then I got to use it!! :) I ran/walked 1.5 miles tonight. It felt great! LOVE it! I can tell I'm going to be loving this purchase for quite a while!

Day 12

Thank you girls for all the encouraging words!! Today was a slightly better day. I think I cried most of it out last night and although I was in a funk most of the day, a good brisk 2 mile walk tonight helped! I was a little slower than I managed last year, but this was also my first real time out walking this year, so hopefully it'll get better.

my view

kinda hard to take a pic while power walking on a windy day! :p

In other news...the toilet is still not working! ARGH! Plumber is working on it as I type this and mom is helping. They've been at it for 2 hours with no luck. Not looking promising for tonight, but keep your fingers crossed!

Day 11

Ever have a day where you are literally ON TOP of the world...and then a rug gets pulled out from underneath you and you're looking up at the world wondering WHAT THE HELL happened??

Today was that day. :(

It's stupid really. I am sitting here berating myself for letting myself feel like this...and yet I can't stop the tears. Stupid stupid.

It is kinda ironic how today our toilet is not working (gotta love old farmhouses) and mere hours after I took the picture, that's where my day...and heart...ended up. In the crapper.

I'm not really ready to share today's hurt, but thank you to the 2 people in my life who are always there for me no matter what. Days like today are better because a) you let me vent and b) you try to cheer me up. Love you J & Z!

In the same token...I have been checking the items off my 2011 list, including being more open and taking chances to find love. I know, I know...God is in control. Doesn't make disappointment hurt less.

Day 10

An absolutely GORGEOUS day today!! Spent more time outside on Z's patio...even had breakfast there. :) Shopped for some herbs and veggie plants and helped Z plant them in planters. Cruised home this afternoon and helped mom put our new patio furniture and fire pit together! Can't wait to get outside and enjoy it.

the temps got pretty high today

Z adjusting the tops on his topsy turvy tomato & strawberry planters

Driving home! (not to worry, I was stopped at a light...ha)

Day 9

Saturday was a wonderfully relaxing day! I didn't log onto my computer once or even turn on the tv!?! We sat outside on Zach's patio most of the day. We did venture out into the rain during the morning to shop for some new patio furniture (pictures to come in later days I'm sure!).

evening sun made for great grilling time

beer, steak, potato, broccoli rice casserole

we had many hours sitting around the fire pit...heaven!

Z & I hanging out (sorry the smoke from the fire made it hazy..ha)