Back to hitting the pavement

I am finally back to running! After taking way too long off and being extremely disappointed in the fact that I bowed out of the Buffalo YMCA Turkey Trot, because I wasn't ready for an 8k, I decided I needed to lace up my sneaks and get back out there. Just in time for the snow and cold!

I really hate running in the winter mostly because its always dark. Its dark when I wake up and its dark when I get home from work. But if I want to get back into it, I don't really have any other option (Treadmill is on my Christmas list).  I decided that the best way to commit to running was to sign up for a race, and whats better then doing a race and going on vacation? Um nothing!! Runcation it is! We are heading to the Miami South Beach Half Marathon on March 9th! I am soooo excited, not only do I get the chance to do my second half marathon, but I get to go to South Beach for 4 days! Countdown is on.  I'm planning to do the Buffalo Marathon again in May but I am doing the full this year, so Dan and I are going to time out our full marathon training so that we hit the halfway mark right about the time we head to Miami! I guess I better add some more warm, winter running gear to my Christmas list too, since its more likely I'll get that then a treadmill.

On a completely separate note, we are finally moved and settling into our new home! Here's a few photos to leave you with of our new home sweet home! We have many rooms left to go, but at least the two main rooms we live in are nearly done! Kitchen renovation to begin after Christmas! (hopefully)

Stephanie

My Summer Bucket List

I thought I'd do a fun post and recap some of the super awesome and fun things I did this summer. I had a couple big bucket list items that I knocked off. The first one being my Half Marathon! I did a post way back about how I was training for one, and I am super excited to say that I actually completed it! I can't say that my training schedule was one I can recommend but it was good enough to carry me through 13.1 miles!

I was doing awesome at the beginning of my training, which is about when I did that post, sometime in March. The Shamrock Run was my first mental challenge for running (See my post here to read about why that sucked - Shamrock Run) and I honestly have to say I think without that race I would have been doomed. That was a turning point for me in "mind over matter". So come the end of May when the Buffalo Half and whole Marathons took place, I had only done a long run of about 6 miles (Yeah that's not even half way). But with the weather conditions on my side I ran the entire thing! I was extremely proud of myself for not only finishing (I knew I could do that) but for running through the full thing! It was a matter of pacing myself and enjoying the scenery, stop thinking about how much it hurts and the miles just fall away!
Being at a race like that and then watching all the full marathoners come in was probably one of the most motivational things I've ever done! I wanted to cry for each and every one of them since I know how much it hurts and how rewarding it was to finish! If this is not on your bucket list, put it there! Everyone can do a half marathon! The full next year will be my next mission!! Hopefully I can follow a good running plan that I can share! Here are some photos from the race!

Hubby and I before the race! (Don't mind extra long side burns, those are gone lol)

Dan, me and our buddy Paul after we all finished (the boys did the full... so proud of them!!)

My other conquered bucket list item this summer was skydiving!! Yes that's right we jumped out of a perfectly good airplane! It was one of the most awesome things I've ever done and highly recommend anyone try it, at least once! I was so excited about doing it that I really never even got scared. It was just such a thrilling experience and I cannot wait to try it again, maybe next time I'll do it in some exotic location!

It was a little pricey but definitely worth every penny and unlike anything I've ever experienced before! Below are some photos and I'll even share the video we bought. The jumper filming went with the hubs so its actually his jump, but he got me exiting the plane, which was the best part! Something else I would encourage anyone to put on their bucket list. Hopefully next summer we can add some new adventures to this list!

Ready to go!

Climbing in... yes the plane was that small!

All smiles - waving goodbye! :-)

Coming in for my landing - wasn't a graceful land but I survived it!

 

Dan's face is priceless in this video, and you can totally feel your skin flapping haha!

Cheers to Happy Summer Fun!

Stephanie

 

On the Move

I've been having a little trouble coming up with ideas for blogging about my sister's wedding (hence the no posts in awhile) So I've been looking around at other blogs for new  ideas. It would have been much easier to blog about my own wedding, if only I had this idea a year and a half ago! So instead one blogger said she uses her blog as a scrapbook of sorts. More for her own personal record keeping and photos from her family and I thought that was a superb idea! I used to scrapbook ALL the time and I just don't have the time, (or the patience for that matter) any longer. So enter new age scrapbooking!

So with that, I'm going to start out with our most exciting new life development! WE'RE MOVING! We finally bought a new, bigger and gorgeous home in our dream neighborhood! Its almost move in condition with a few exceptions, the kitchen and bathrooms all need to be majorly updated, but are all usable for the time being! I plan on chronicling our home renovations here. There is nothing better then a great Before & After photo!

Before we even close and make the big move, here are a few photos of the new house!

Exterior (Isn't she beautiful?)

Back Family Room (hubby is turning this into a ultra modern lounge - the only room in the house I gave him full control to decorate. Yikes!)

Entry way and stairway

My favorite part of the new house!

Master Suite (Walk- in closet on the left, bathroom on the right)

My living room (look at all this space, its like a blank slate)

And the kitchen, way to white - will be our first renovation project!

We are so looking forward to making this move! Right now I feel like life is in shambles with half our stuff boxed up in the basement. I'm trying to get organized before I pack up the rest of the house. We're hoping to close around the beginning of October so I have a few short weeks to get my act together. I'm just too excited to start all our new decorating, I don't even want to think about actually moving. I'm not a patient person but we'll be on our way in no time. Fortunately we are not moving far, so packing, organizing and decorating is about all we'll have to worry about!

Let me know if you have any moving tips to share, I'd love to hear what keeps you organized during times of chaos!

Cheers!

Stephanie

 

Budget Savvy Bride- Part 2

I wanted to continue my post from Friday on being Budget Savvy. The first four I previously posted I think were my top suggestions but I certainly have a few more ideas to pass on, great learning experiences from my wedding. Sorry this post got a little long, but I just have so much information to share!!

 5.  DIY - I know not everyone thinks they are a "Do it Yourself" type person, but if you want to save a ton of money try it out, or recruit some creative friends or bridal party members to help you out. We did our own centerpieces, favors, escort cards and even some misc. details around the reception. The centerpieces are one thing that really depends what you want to do. I found some small, round glass jars that I purchased in bulk online, same with a variety of sized pillar candles. We alternated the tables with the jars and candles. The candles saved a lot of money since the flowers were obviously more expensive and buying in bulk saved a ton of money too. The favors were my favorite DIY item,  my mother-in-law, who bakes everything in the world, made tons of little heart shaped cookies which she wrote "Thank You" and our initials on. Then 2 days before the wedding I had all 10 of my bridesmaids come over and help me put them in little clear baggies and tie them with ribbons. We busted out over 400 cookies in just a couple hours. We gave each person their own cookie favor and then put the rest on our coffee station that was set up after dinner. Food favors are the best, not only does everyone love them but all I had to purchase were the baggies, some ribbon, and some baking supplies. Much cheaper then spending $5-10 (or more) per person, on something most people won't even use when they leave. The other DIY thing that saved me a fortune were the place cards. I bought a package of place cards from the local craft store, found a pretty font on my computer and printed all the cards myself. The package of printable cards was only about $10.00. Come up with a clever color code for your guests meal selection and you've got yourself some really cute seating cards for just a few dollars. Instead of purchasing a guest book, I bought a large picture frame and framed a small 5x7 picture of my and my hubby and used that in place of a guest book. Now its something we can display in our home! Here's a couple pictures of my DIY details from the wedding. 

 

6. The Dress- Easily one of the most exciting things to buy when you start planning your wedding. The dress can set the tone of how formal of an affair you have. There are a couple things to keep in mind when buying the dress. Figure out your budget and stick to it! You may have to try on tons of dresses to keep it in your price point, but stick to your guns, there is a dress out there that fits in line with what you want to spend. Do yourself the biggest favor in the world and DON'T try on anything outside your budget, thats the best way to fall in love with something you can't have and be tempted to over spend. Another thing to consider, if the store you purchase from allows it,  is to take the dress elsewhere for alterations. Maybe you have a family member or friend that can do it for free or much less. Alterations can really add up, so if you can, do what you do for every other aspect of your wedding and shop around.

7. Locations - I think it goes without saying to shop around for your locations, you want to find the place that best fits your style and budget, but its important to remember what different locations include in their prices. Maybe one place only charges $25 per person, but they start adding on per head for everything from open bar, to coffee stations, cake cutting fees, number of servers you need, etc and all of a sudden you are over $50 per head. Maybe the next place charges $40 per head but its all included in that price. The $25 may seem like a better deal up front but make sure you get the scoop on any hidden fees. Also, consider what they already offer. The place I hosted my reception in offered a house center piece if we wanted, you could use what they had or add to it. They offered things like tea lights for tables, they included white linens and your choice of over 25 different napkin colors to match. Finding out things like this can save you from having to hire outside vendors to come in. 

Hope these little tid bits can help you save some money! Even if you can't execute all the ideas, just trying a few will add up! Happy Planning!

Cheers!

Stephanie

The Budget Savvy Bride

I thought I would do a post on what I did from my wedding last year that really helped me to save some big money! That's always the biggest problem when planning a wedding, when  to stop spending. The list I've complied are all things I executed one way or another but if you can pull some ideas from just a few of these suggestions I promise you will save some big money!!

1. Cut the guest list! This is a huge one and the fastest way to save. Regardless of whether the locations you pick are charging $15 per head or $50. Imagine your reception does charge $50 per head, at 200 guests that's $10,000 just for one venue. Now imagine if you cut that list down to 100 people, you just saved $5,000. (I think  it goes without saying in this example if budget is one of your priorities, don't select a venue that charges $50 per head if you can avoid it). Cutting the guest list means less food and drink, if you are paying per head, fewer favors to purchase, fewer tables that require centerpieces, table numbers and place settings and fewer escort cards and invitations to order. It can save you money in almost every area of your wedding.

2. Try an off peak day or month. I had my wedding on a Friday night. Highest demand for wedding dates is on Saturday, so tons of vendors offer cheaper rates for things when you hold your event on an off peak day. In Buffalo, where I live, summer is when most people plan their weddings, May-October is considered peak season. I booked a limo party bus that runs for $1500 on a Saturday in the summer for just $600 on Friday. That was a huge chunk of money I was able to use somewhere else in my planning. DJ's, Photographers, and rental sites all may offer a cheaper rate for booking off peak.

3. Talk to poeple you already know who offer services. A friend of a friend offered DJ services on the side of his day job. He used to be a DJ for a local radio station and now just kinda does it on his own. He saved us a fortune compared to hiring from a company (and probably did a better job). One of my bridesmaids had a cousin who shot videos for fun. Hiring a videographer wasn't exactly part of my budget, but we asked him if he would come to my house while we were getting ready, film the ceremony and then get some good footage of the reception, speeches and dancing. I figured it would be better to have something from an amateur then nothing at all. But he totally surprised us, he wasn't amateur at all!! He did an amazing job, put it all to music, included some stills from my photographer and even went around to guests all night at the reception and had them send us happy wedding wishes!  Its probably one of my most cherished things from my wedding day now.

4. Watch all your spending on miscellaneous things. This is where I easily slipped out of control. Its so easy to get caught up in the world of weddings. With Pinterest and Etsy there are so many ideas out there and you will want to do them all. Super cute bridesmaid gifts, bridal wear, card holders, unity candles, cake knives, favors, bridal accessories, the list goes on and on, and it all adds up so quickly. If there are things you really want, like wedding day wear, or items for the reception like card boxes or champagne flutes,  tell your bridal party. They can help spread to the word to family or friends who are looking for ideas for your engagement, bridal shower, bachelorette party or even wedding gifts. This can save you a lot if you get these things for gifts instead! You should try and keep track of all these little items too though. They are the things you don't ever put in your budget and you find yourself swiping the plastic card "it was only $10!" Trust me all those $10 items, they add up!

I'll leave it at that for today. I have a ton more budget savvy tips for you that I will post another time. I don't want to bore you! You'll just have to check back for more awesome wedding ideas, and to hear what my sister and I are up to!

Cheers!
 Stephanie

The Wedding Planner

I'm not very good at this blogging thing just yet. My problem has been trying to find something interesting to blog about. Then while talking to my husband last night, we decided that I need to focus on what I really enjoy doing in my spare time. So we came up with the idea that what I really enjoyed most was planning our wedding last year. I've been married almost a year now, our 1st anniversary is coming up on August 12th. I may be in the minority here but I was in serious wedding planning withdrawal! Until my younger sister announced 2 weeks ago that she was (finally) engaged!! I was ecstatic not only for her and her future hubby, but for the fact that I could help plan another wedding!! She hasn't been to a lot of weddings and her future husband isn't all that into the wedding things so she needs a lot of help. As Matron of Honor and self proclaimed wedding planner, I thought it would be fun to chronicle all the planning. She's on tight budget so I'm going to try and focus on all the plans that could help others plan a wedding on a small dime

I'll start with what we've done so far..... aside from looking at a TON of photos online we haven't done much of anything. My husband's family owns a Banquet place, Classics V Banquets in Amherst, NY, she's about 90% sure that's where the reception will be, but since she hasn't finalized a date yet, that hasn't been decided. She's about 95% sure she'll be using the same DJ I used for my wedding, who was incredibly awesome (not someone who tries to run the show, but involved enough to keep the night flowing smoothly). She's pretty open minded about everything, but extremly indecisive, which I can already tell is going to be the hardest part! One thing she wants that I didn't was to get married in a church. My hubby and I got married in the new Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, NY. We wanted something unique and modern, sister on the other hand is a bit more traditional. We found that you'll want to make sure when picking a church (if your not a member of  it) you ask about ALL the fees. We talked to a specific church in Buffalo who charged a $600 rental fee, which seemed reasonable compared to some of the other rentals rates out there, but once we started asking questions we found that it didn't include a $250 administrative fee, a $50 fee to be let into the church for the rehearsal,  and candles, flowers and music, were all extra. So be sure to ask lots of questions when picking locations so they don't try and sneak extra fees on you. That's about as far as we've gotten so far. She's definitely thinking next year, so we have lots of time!

In honor of starting my wedding section of the blog I thought I'd post some of my favorites photos from my wedding last year! Enjoy!

Photographer: Andy Buscemi - www.Buscemiphotography.com

Half Marathon

I am Training for the Buffalo Half Marathon taking place on May 27, 2012. Its something I have always wanted to do but never imagined I could, and I'm doing it!! I ran my first 6 miles on Sunday, and to my amazement I didn't die! Once I get past my 3 mile hump its smooth sailing! For race practice we ran the Buffalo Shamrock Run on Saturday March 3rd. 65 mph winds made for a tricky day and despite whinning and complaining to my husband all the way to the starting line I completed the 8k in about 45 minutes! (My goal was under an hour) So not only did I beat my goal, but I didn it in conditions I never thought I could! Running is such a mental game and I think I am finally getting to the pont where I realized that I CAN do this, and I've come so far now, to stop would only make me have to start all over again! Here's a picture of me and my friends Meghan and Danielle after we completed the run!!

All Smiles for not being blown away!

If you want to follow my progress, keep checking back to my blog and I'll post updates, but you can also find me on Run Keeper http://runkeeper.com/user/mrsmags/profile Join my Street Team! I'm setting out for 4 miles tonight and Saturday is my big run of 8 miles. I'm more then halfway there in my training!!

I'll finish up with some very motivational quotes I've found, of course, on Pinterest. But they have kept me moving!!

"The hardest step for a runner is the first one out the door"

Valentine's Day!

It was our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife! (And it was no different then usual) I've never really been into Valentine's Day, I always used to set my expectations way to high only to be let down, and really it was no different even when I first started dating my now hubby! I have now learned that the way we celebrate Valentine's Day is special for us and it doens't need to be made into a big thing, which is the most important thing! We had a great day as usual and even spread it out a little.
I had flowers waiting for me when I walked in the door from work and then we went to the Sabres vs. Devils hockey game with my sister and her BF. Wasn't the most romantic thing, but we had a great time and decided to go out to dinner just the two of us on Thursday instead, we didn't even have to wait like we would have had to on Tuesday! Then instead of spending a lot of money on gifts which is never what we have done for this hallmark holiday, I decided to get crafty with an idea I found on Pinterest. Its called "A Year of Dates", and I wrote a little poem for each month of the year and came up with a unique date idea, something that was fun, cheap, and different from things we usually do. Here's the poem that I put in his Valentine's card that explained what we would be doing:

Its Valentine's Day and your gift is here
Its something fun or romantic
each month of the year.

You've been enrolled in my club
of super special dates
and in each envelope, something new awaits.

At the begining of each month,
you can open just one
and the contents I promise

will be lots of fun. 

So go ahead and open February

the fun is about to start,

A whole year of adventure

for us both to take part! 

Here's a photo of the little package I gave him, all the months are tied up behind it, so he pulled out February and now March awaits! I thought it was a cute, fun idea that would spread our Valentine's Day out all year. I can't give away any more details yet, so he doens't read it! But there are some really fun things I'm looking forward too. Check back to see what we do next month!

February's date included some ice wine, which is our favorite, we usually go to Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada in early February for the ice wine festival and get a bottle to share on Valentine's Day, but we couldn't make it this year, so I got us a bottle and brought it to us instead, I complimented it with chocolate strawberries and ice cream, he even played a long and put in a cute chick flick for us to watch! (I fell asleep and he watched it by himself- oops!)

I also decided to do a little craft for our front door, pictured below (Also found on Pinterest) I just made it 2 weeks ago, so it won't get the display time it deserves I'll leave it up until the end of the month, then I think I'll make one for St. Patrick's day! It was really simple, a little time consuming, but I have a ton of yarn left and Little Blossom flowers are my specialty now! It looks great on our door, I just think it needs a bigger bow!

Hope everyone else had a great Valentine's Day!!

Colarado Travels

Just got home from Denver, Colorado yesterday! What an amazing trip! One of my best friends from High School moved out there just about 4 years ago and I finally made it out to see her! I cannot believe I waited this long! It's so beautiful! In my defense, I only started skiing 2 years ago, so I really wasn't ready for a place like Colorado, but its still a horrible excuse because now I'm dying to go out this summer and do some hiking. The views are just incredible, but to ski out there was really awesome to be able to do and I actually conquered my first black diamond! I'm so glad we made the trip, and it was a perfect year to go because Buffalo hasn't really seen any snow which is insanely weird. Even weirder though is that Denver doesn't really get snow (below the mountains) something I never knew, but while we were there they got hit with a whopping 24" over night! Being from Buffalo and knowing how to manage the snow without thinking twice, and having the perception that Denver is used to snow too, I was baffled to find out that the city shut down! It didn't stop us though, besides it was my birthday and a little snow doesn't keep you from celebrating! My other bff from High School flew out in the snow to come hang out with us to, it was so nice to spend my birthday with my two best friends from high school, we haven't all celebrated a birthday together since HS, and thats going on 8 years now! And of course the hubs was there too!

We ventured up to Boulder one day while we were there and that was a really neat town too. We did some shopping, tried some restaurants and of course had to check out more views of the Rockies, a site I could get used to seeing. Had my first tastes of Illegal Pete's (I guess its a big deal) we hit up Ted Turner's Steakhouse, and I found my absolute new favorite mojito bar! To bad its so far away, I'd go there every weekend if I could. We also scoped out a local Speak Easy, It was a little bar behind the pie shop, very cool atmosphere, and the drinks we're delish!

The highlight of the trip of course though was skiing Breckenridge Mountain. We had to get up at 6am to beat the traffic but it was worth it when we were there by 9am and had almost the whole day to ski. The lifts there close at 4 since they can't light the mountains like they can around here. But we were lucky to snag a timeshare right on the mountain side of Peak 7, where there was a spa and outdoor hot tubs and pools. It was really neat to run outside  in your bathing suit, sit in the hot tubs with a beer and watch the skiers come down. A great way to finish the day! Unfortunately a combination of dehydration and extreme elevation gave me the worst headache, but water is an amazing thing and perked me right up! I can't wait to plan our next trip out there, hopefully she stays there long enough for us to come again! In the meantime, we have a trip to LA, California in April, and we're in the process of planning a trip to Greece in June! We have a big year for traveling and I am loving every minute of it!! 

(Buffalo) Chicken Wing Soup

I have to give myself props for the amazing chicken wing soup I made last night and had to share it. I think soup is my new favorite thing to cook, and luckily I live in Buffalo where it gets cold and a good hearty bowl of soup is always acceptable in January! (Even though its 52 degrees here today! Heat wave!) Also note that even though its called Buffalo Chicken Wing soup, since I am from Buffalo where the chicken wing originated (www.anchorbar.com ) Here we just call them Chicken Wings so this is my version of the soup... Just chicken wing soup!

-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 8-10 oz.) Shredded. - I just used the food processor to make it quicker
- drizzle of olive oil, (I don't measure anything really when I cook)
-2 sweet onions, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, minced (I think I used like 4, we love garlic! Yum)
-1 tablespoon of flour
-32 oz. of chicken stock (I used half chicken and half beef broth, came out amazing. I didn't have enough chicken broth so I mixed it up. Also I reccommend using more then 32 oz., or add water, if you like it soupy. I didn't think there was enough juice, so I ended up adding water to it later for more.)
-1/3 cup of hot sauce (I of course used Frank's Hot Sauce, another Buffalo staple)
-drizzle of yogurt blue cheese dressing (or just regular blue cheese dressing, this was another modification I made to the original- you gotta have blue cheese with your chicken wings)
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-1/4 cup parmesan cheese (don't measure, just throw in some handfuls of what you think is enough, Its cheese, you can never have too much!
-Sliced Green onions
-Cilantro

Cook chicken on baking sheet at 350 for approx. 30 minutes, or until no longer pink inside, shred and set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil, onions and a sprinkle of salt, stirring to coat, then cook for about 5 minutes until onion is soft. Add in garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Add in stock, buffalo sauce, chicken and grated cheeses, stirring constantly. Drizzle a small amount of blue cheese dressing and mix well. (Don't use too much dressing, blue cheese can be over powering) Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often. Add green onions at the end, and top each serving off with some fresh cilantro and voila! The whole thing took about 30 minutes to throw together (once the chicken was cooked).

It can be a healthy recipe, if you go easy on the cheese, use the low sodium broths, and just use water if you want more liquid. Also, as I stated above I used the yogurt blue cheese dressing, which is better for you, lower in fat and calories and it has a creamy consistency (no chunks). The original recipe I found served it with toasted cheese baguettes but we left those out too since who needs more carbs and the soup was pretty filing on its own. It was pretty delicious and after writing this I'm now hungry, I think I"ll go heat up my leftovers!!

Clever Ideas

Since my new obsession with Pintrest, I've been trying all kinds of neat and creative things that I found through the site. Everything from DIY, to recipes, to clever things that make life easier. Today I thought I would start with something super simple, and I will continue to share the creative and clever ideas that other people have come up with that work for me!
Today's thought seems too easy. It's called the $5.00 savings plan. It works like this, every time a $5.00 bill comes into your possession instead of throwing it into your wallet to spend again, put it in a jar or envelope. You'll be amazed at how quickly it adds up. Put a final destination on the money, like a vacation or that expensive ipad,  then you aren't as tempted to dip into when you need some quick cash. I've just started this past weekend and I already have $20 in my envelope!

Here's the site I found this on, MommySavers There's some good ideas on the site! I tend to be more of a credit/debit spender, but I've read that people tend to spend less money when they are using cash so I'm gonna give it a try, plus I'm, sure I'll find more $5 bills then if I used plastic all the time.

Photo credit: www.mommysavers.com

Happy Saving!!

Cheer!
Stephanie