Latests

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Today, this week rather, has been completely emotionally and physically taxing. I don’t even know how to talk about how I’ve been feeling. Mostly because I don’t have the time. And I’m too tired. Ha. I think the thing that’s been on the front of my mind has been my physical feeling- I have been eating fantastically, drinking tons of water, and exercising on a regular basis. Yet, with the start of this job I have slowly been gaining the weight back. I have so many assumptions of the culprit, but I can’t seem to overcome it!

A couple reasons why this bothers me. Even though I KNOW I’m healthy, I just don’t feel good. And another (vain) reason is because I don’t want this apparent weight gain to cause an outward thought that I’m ‘letting go.’ Meh. Stupid female brain. It is mostly how I FEEL though.

Onward and upward.

I have some latest things that I want to share!

Fleece Lined Leggings. I picked these up on a whim while we were at Bed Bath & Beyond a couple weeks ago. It wasn’t until this week that I opened them up to see how they fit. And, well…….they did. But they didn’t. There was no waistband to hold the suckers up! Not worth trying to amend on my own. They’ll probably wind up just being leggings I wear around the house. Only because I know Tyler doesn’t mind seeing a little crack from time to time.

Winter is coming. And just as I slapped on last year’s pair of boots, I realized the heel on the left boot was shot. I can’t risk waiting till I get to the states to buy them on the cheap, so I headed to the mall the other day to utilize a coupon. Come to find out these puppies were already on sale. SO, for a pair of boots that retails on the brand website for $170, I only paid $100! Good deal, Jen. Good deal.

On my weekly grocery shopping trip, I was in the baking aisle to stock up on all my baking ingredients, and I noticed that Peanut Butter & Co. products were on sale. They’re super expensive here, so I never indulged in a jar for the longest time. I caved and bought the Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. Still can’t decide whether I’m gonna enjoy this sucker by the spoonful, or whether I’m gonna bake something masterful with it.

I went for tea the other day with a coworker at Second Cup. I had never been there before, so I relied on my coworker for a good tea selection. She recommended the Maple tea. Hot dang it was so good. I really just wanted a stack of pancakes after I finished my cup!

A hair product that I should’ve mentioned a while back is something my hair dresser uses on me every time I go. After I found out what it was, I wondered WHY she would ever using a ‘thickening’ product on my Medusa of a scalp. But this Bumble & Bumble Thickening Hairspray works. However I style my hair using that product, is exactly how my hair stays. That’s something every lady wants, right? In case you were wondering, I actually spray it into wet hair, sleep, then style the next day (on most occasions).

Are you looking for the best cookie recipe of all time? Then head on over to Sally’s Baking Addiction and make her Favorite Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies. In her post, she tries all sorts of mix ins. I went with white chocolate chips as my mix in of choice. And that, my friends, is the best decision I’ve ever made. I want to bake these cookies over and over and over and over again until my oven breaks. (Maybe a slight exaggeration, as I just made a chocolate pie)

PS: regarding my rant at the beginning of this post. You may say ‘Duh Jen stop eating all that shit and you’ll feel better’. Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. I enjoy in moderation. It keeps the cravings to a minimum AND I can still have some of my favorite sweets.

SOCKS. Lots of fun socks. These were a steal at Target. The ankle socks were 75 cents and the knee highs were $1.50. Really can’t beat it. (I looked on the Canadian Target website and you can’t buy anything! So the link is to the US website. Silly Canada)

Favorite workout song I came across on Pandora:

Two exercise moves I’ve utilized lately (and love):

Last, but certainly not least, my sweet score of the week. I hit the RW & Co. at the mall during my lunch the other day and found this sweater (Originally $65) on sale for $14!!! Nothing like a good savings. To offset the savings, I also purchased two tanks.

What are some of your latests?

Winesday Wednesday 10/30

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Happy Winesday Wednesday Everyone! While I’m embarrassed to admit I haven’t really had any wine lately, I plan to indulge soon! But WW isn’t just about the grapes, it’s about the entire spectrum of boozy goodness. And I always have something to post 😉

Lately I have been craving a good red, but I just haven’t got my heart set on a certain flavor. I want something light that will be a nice glass to sip. What I DON’T really want is the deeper wine that you accompany with food. Any suggestions (looking in the $10-$25 range)? Until then, I am sticking with my fall beers and ciders.

PS: I have been craving a Crispin or an Angry Orchard LIKE CRAZY! I have yet to find a good comparison here. #sadpanda

Alright, now on to YOUR submissions for the week!

@redjam428 posted this photo on instagram:

Heck yes! Nothing like a beer at the Garden! I Miss going to Boston sports games (or bars!)

HOLY CRAP. Mary tweeted a bloody mary that I could absolutely DIE for!!! There is nothing like a spicy bloody mary with lotsa fixins in it— especially when one of said ‘fixins’ is BACON.

And Monique tweeted another of my faves that I haven’t had in a while (let alone a GOOD batch in a while!)

Come to think of it, the last GOOD sangria I had was the Apple Cider Sangria I made for Thanksgiving last year. It’s especially good with some local cider. Mmm, now I’m getting excited for American Thanksgiving! Well speak of the devil, Athena enjoyed something similar……

She wrote: “Here is the white wine apple cider sangria I drank this weekend while away in Portsmouth NH. Perfect for fall!”

Mmm I totally agree. Looky here, Ashley just got to enjoy one on a nice crisp fall evening! I am so jealous.

Last (for this week) is what Keith sent in. And boy does it leave me curious to taste something similar..

Here is the natural state of a wine bottle. Empty of course. This is an Italian Amarone made from a Mondial kit, and was bottled December 2008. Lots of juice and this one had raisins in it as well. This makes for a “heavier” wine, and even after letting things settle in the carboy, there is still usually a bit of a film and some sediment in the bottle. What this tells me is that I’m drinking a natural product, a real one. One that isn’t quality controlled to within a chemically laden inch of it’s life. I suppose commercial wines aren’t that bad, but I sure don’t drink many of them. I like a bit of imperfection in life. You can see a bit of the film around the bottom of the cork and the bottom of the bottle. This one will go into my bleach box to deal with some rainy or snowy day. Amarone is sometimes called “The little sweet one”. It took a while to mature, and it’s just lovely now. In a natural sort of way.

Reminds me that we need to make another batch of wine ASAP.

All I have to share with you from this end is a couple of beers. Friday night, I went out with my friend Nicole. We chose to meet after work at Beer Revolution. The beer menu is pretty interesting in that they serve whatever’s tapped. Once it’s out, they move on to the next. (That sounds like they only have one beer at a time, but trust me, they do not! There are SO many)

We then walked to Craft, where I could indulge in yet another of my favorite Pyramid Apricot Ale. And ended the night at National, another craft beer house.

Onto the random…

If I had a large barrel and an endless supply of grapes. And if said items were portable, I would totally be Lucy from the grape stomping episode of I Love Lucy

And if it weren’t illegal..or expensive..I’d give out these snazzy halloween wines to trick or treaters.

Sweet pumpkin, bro (<—haha I linked the source of the below photo here. You’ll laugh at what the article’s actually for if you click on it!)

Hope you all have a fantastic Winesday Wednesday! And don’t forget to send me anything you want to include in next week’s post!

Latests

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Some more latests for you!

Nuts To You Nut Butters Organic Sunflower Seed Butter. I picked up a jar of this stuff at Community Naturals yesterday as a snack to keep handy at my desk. I ate some with an apple and it was over the moon delicious. Not quite sure if it tops my favorite Sunbutter from Trader Joe’s though (and yes, I know Sunbutter is available elsewhere, but I’m just professing my love and loyalty to good ol TJs).

I picked up this snazzy Belkin Easefit for iPod earlier this week, too. My last one had half the velcro come off that was totally past repair. And yes, I realized this problem right before leaving for a workout and attempted to have Tyler electrical-tape it to my arm so I could still have a good workout. Ended up swinging by a Future Shop and finding this bad boy on clearance..only $10! I’ve used it a few times already and really love it- it’s snug and soft on my arm. The end.

I also loaded it with my most recent music downloads (yes, I know not all these songs are brand new!!)

I just started reading The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (she wrote Eat, Pray, Love) So far it’s really good, but I’m not too far in it.

Tyler picked up a new flavor of Quest Bars…White Chocolate Raspberry! I had a bite of one tonight before heading to the gym and it tasted like dessert. This could be very dangerous. But then I remember if I eat too much of a Quest Bar I get all bloaty. You’re welcome for that extra bit of information.

A couple weeks back, I went with a friend to get our hair and makeup done (she won two tickets for the complimentary service and asked me to join her). The girl who did my hair used one of those wand things and I LOVED how it put some really awesome waves in my long-ass hair. I’ve been on the hunt for a wand ever since and managed to find one at Winners on the cheap- hopefully it’s not cheap in performance just because it was cheap in price! Oh wait, I just googled it and the original retail price for the Le Angelique Ultimate Curling Iron was $149…..and I paid $34.99! Sweet.

With the cold weather so brutally seeping in, I managed to find a pair of Anne Klein sweater knit tights. My main concern before purchasing them was that they wouldn’t be long enough since my last tights purchase was an epic fail. Turns out they WERE long enough, only they didn’t have adequate elastic in the waist and would sag every time I walked a bit. Totally annoying when I try to get in about 2 miles of walking during my lunch break.

At the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Fest this past weekend, Oil & Vinegar had a booth that I managed to swing by. I only tried one of their samples and HOLY CRAP it was phenomenal. I tried their Fig Vinegar. As soon as I tasted it with a small piece of bread, I could immediately imagine sitting down with a nice loaf of crusty fresh baked bread and sopping up the goodness mixed with oil. Mmmm my mouth is watering now.

Last thing to quickly share are some of my latest favorite moves in the gym:

Kettlebell Jerks (link to video demo here)

Barbell Front Squat (link to video demo here)

That’s all from this end! Any latests you’ve discovered lately and want to share!?? I love knowing about new-to-me things!

Winesday Wednesday 10/23

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

The first edition of Winesday Wednesday is a bit…..short. Not too many submissions from you guys (hint, hint..and I brought it back because so many of you liked it!!) So here goes!

FIrst up, Monique @burpeestobubbly (twitter) tweeted the following pic saying “@nutcaseinpoint drinking lots of #bubbly lately! Lovely glass of Cava with sushi was perfect!” (Gal loves her bubbly, can’t you tell?!!)

Laura @laurabridgman (twitter) sent the following pic, which I can tell is from The Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Fest from this past weekend. How do I know? Because I won 2 tickets of admission AND drink tickets for one of the sessions! (more on that later) Anyways, she sent a pic of Dirty Laudry’s blush— sounds definitely like a wine that I would try just for the name!

Last up, Kori @korichace sent the following: “So my mom bought me this for my birthday and I think it’s hilarious. I haven’t been able to use it yet so today I brought it to work as a joke. I think it will be awesome to use by the pool next summer. I’m super cheap so I buy the big huge bottles of wine since I drink a glass almost every night ( whoops!) this is a Cavit merlot. It’s not too bad but definitely prefer other brands over it.”

I LOVE this. I bought one for my mom not too long ago and am still kicking myself for not getting one for ME! Ah well, guess I’ll just have to keep drinking straight from the bottle 😉

That’s it for reader submissions! (remember you can refer back to this post for ways to send me your stuff over the next week to have it added in the next post!)

Now, from ME:

Friday, some co-workers and I enjoyed bulldogs at Julio’s Barrio.
After work, one of my co-workers and I went to Hudon’s for more chit-chat. I tried one of their craft pumpkin brews. Not my fave, but decent enough to sip.
Saturday, Tyler and I headed to the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Fest. I can’t even tell you all the different liquors and wines and beers we were able to sample. Two of my favorites were the Hog’s Head Brewery Death By Pumpkin Spiced Ale and Jasper Brewing Co. Blueberry Vanilla Ale.
After our session at the fest was over, we walked over to Craft for some food and a pint of MY FAVORITE BEER OF ALL TIME, Pyramid’s Apricot Ale. I was a happy lady. And then I needed a nap.

Hope everyone has a fabulous Winesday Wednesday and I look forward to seeing what you send me over the next week! (Remember: it can be ANYTHING: recipes, cocktails, beer, anything you see online or take a pic of relating to alcohol-y goodness!)

THE WEDDING

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

I don’t even know how to actually WRITE about our wedding day. There’s just way too much. So here goes:

-I woke up at 6am to workout in the hotel gym. OBVIOUSLY. I focused on cardio and arms because um HELLO, I was wearing a strapless dress.

-8am, my bridesmaid Katie and I headed to Starbucks for some caffeine. Very important for the upcoming long day.

-9:30am me, the bridesmaid, matron of honor, mom, mother in law and godmother went to a nearby spa for a mini pre-wedding bridal shower/pampering session. AND YES THERE WERE MIMOSAS. LOTS OF THEM. We got mani/pedis and fueled up on fruit, yogurt, and baked treats. (let’s be honest, it was mostly mimosas).

-12:30 we arrived at the ceremony/reception location to have our hair and makeup done. (and still drink more mimosas). We took our time and had SO MANY laughs with our hair/makeup team. Katie even went to Panera to pick up our lunch…..and get more champagne.

-4:30pm Ceremony time

-5pm LET THE OPEN BAR OPEN THE HECK UP.

-5-10:30pm party party party. Lots of drinks, laughs and cupcakes.

And here are some pics so that I don’t have to write too much…

Dress: Bell from Augusta Jones

Bridesmaid dresses: Clavin Klein

Jewlery: Handmade by my seamstress

Hair/Makeup: True Grace Makeup

Location: Pruyn House

Florist/Decorations: Intuition Events

Favors: Coopers Cave Root Beer

Caterer: Old Daley Inn I don’t have any pictures of the actual food, but it was REALLY good- especially since I’m really picky about food and tend to frown upon the typical event-fare. We had a lot of assorted cheeses, marinated goodies, sausage and pulled pork sliders for apps, 2 different family style salads (mediterranean and strawberry) and 4 entrees (tenderloin, salmon, veggie and chicken). Looking back, I wish I actually ate some of the food but A)my dress was tight to sit down in without stuffing my belly with food, and B) I was too busy chatting and drinking and laughing and having a good time. At one point, Tyler was actually feeding me bites of my entree to make sure I at least had something in my system.

We lucked out on our wedding day- the temperature in Upstate NY in the dead of summer can get NASTY. When we arrived on site the day before for rehearsal, we were sweating like PIGGIES. Then Saturday was super nice and perfect, and the day after (someone was getting married there the day after us) it poured.

We were originally planning on having the ceremony facing the garden, but it would have been in direct sunlight and probably uncomfortable for the guests waiting.

In case you were wondering, I wore a pair of glittery Nine West sandals. I didn’t really need the extra height, but it was WAY comfier and easier to walk in the grass!

All the ‘portraits’ we took were really quick to get through. I didn’t want to take a lot of time actually posing for photos, because I was really only wanting to get lots of action candids. Luckily our photographer understood and really worked with us on that.

Photographer: Sarah Smith Photography

I’m pretty sure she got at least a dozen or so photos with me flailing around in my thong as my mom and bridemaids were helping me into my dress. I blame this on 1.) all the dang champagne, and 2.) the fact that my only and FINAL fitting was in January (seven months prior) and I definitely put on weight/muscle. Not that I care about the weight thing, just wanted to fit in the most expensive piece of clothing I’ve ever owned, ya know.

I’m starting to feel a bit full of myself from showing all these pics that I’m in. But I suppose that’s what you get when you have a party where you’re the center of attention. I’ll take it for one day…but that’s about it.

Funny story…my girls (we all went to the same college- I obviously live in Calgary, Kristin is now in Seattle and Katie is in Chicago) met Tyler for the FIRST TIME the night before our wedding. Crazy. But geography can get tricky. Tyler’s best man is his best friend who he was the best man in HIS wedding, and my pretty little flower baby is Kristin’s babe. Her pink dress was adorbs. I almost wanted to wear it.

The day went by too damn fast. I want to go back and savor the crap out of it. Maybe dance a little more. And eat a cupcake.

Cupcakes: Make Me a Cake Next Door

Cake: Made by my cousin

DJ: All Around Sound

Awesome dance moves: Me (haha, no seriously)

The music was great- our DJ included every song I previously requested, and he kept the great vibe going the whole time. I think my dad was really into ‘getting jiggy with it’

Not sure what song prompted me to do this:

I personally love that I’m in my own little world and no one is minding.

Sorry the rest of these photos are not in little collages. Trying to keep this from being TOO long, but I can’t seem to compress the size, so now you’re gonna have to scroll…

I feel like there’s probably a lot that I left out- only because I’ve gone over everything in my head lie A MILLION times. And sometimes forget what’s in my head and what I’ve put out there.

Also, way too many thanks to everyone who made the whole thing possible. Numero uno being my parents. It was NOT easy planning this whole thing from 3000 miles away AND in a different country- heck, I booked the venue without even having seen it first! My parents did a lot of the grunt work .

Also a huge thanks to my bridesmaids- they made me feel SUPER special on that day since we weren’t able to see each other in person AT ALL prior to the wedding to plan!

Hope you enjoyed taking a peak at our special day 😉

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