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A Very High 5 for Friday!

January 17, 2014

It has been a really, really good week. It was filled with nothing but work and the gym, but I feel really accomplished.
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To begin, I would like to ask for you guys to pray for my dad. I have mentioned before that he has incurable cancer. He has been battling a brain tumor over the past couple of months. It has been causing him to stay really sick and have seizures. He went to Duke yesterday to have brain surgery so the tumor could be removed. However, once the doctors started, they noticed that the tumor is too far in his brain to be removed. 

To say I am shocked would be an understatement. I could barely breathe last night when my sister told me what was going on. But the doctors are going to meet with him and my step-mom to go over the next steps to help him. Chemo does not work and he has already had too much radiation. I have been told though, that the doctors may able to do radiation again. I do not know what is going to happen, but my family seems in good spirits and it looks like there may be alternatives he can do so I feel OK about everything right now.

I went to the doctor yesterday for my B12 injection. While I was there I was weighed. Last week I was up 2.3 pounds for the first time in 6 weeks since beginning my journey. I lost 4 pounds this week! I am down 23.1 pounds since November 25th!

I work out with my best friend everyday at the gym after work. She then comes over to my apartment at least once a week for dinner after. This week I made some delicious concoctions:

Roasted vegetables - zucchini and mushrooms. I sliced them, drizzled extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and feta cheese then roasted at 350 for 45 minutes. Delicious!


Next I had a sweet potato left over from when she was over at my apartment Friday. It was a really big potato and I did not want it to go bad, but I did not know what to do with it. So I boiled it until tender, added 1/2 cup of unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, ground cinnamon, and took my mixer to cream it. The result was an odd type of mashed potatoes. However, it tasted so good - it tastes like pie to me!


At my work, we dress business casual everyday. On Wednesday's we have a Manager's meeting. I usually dress up for that, just because. I am the youngest person there so I like to make myself look better when I can. Ha. I wore my black business suit with a lace and leopard print cami under it. I am glad my President is so cool and lets me be me. Ha! The top is from Victoria's Secret but I have had it a while, I don't know if it's still available.


Oh and my curls cooperated, too. Score!

My company is an Administration company and we provide the support for many publishing distributors. Thus we get free magazines every week on Wednesday. I am really excited about my picks this week!


Yesterday was my off day from the gym. Man I needed it too. I was so sore. I grocery shopped after work. Since I have been trying so hard to work off the baggage I obtained in 2013 via weight gain, I am really educating myself on eating more organic. Thanks to my Amazon Prime account I was able to "borrow" a book on the Kindle library about organic eating on a budget. I want to continue to eat this way as long as I live so I am really excited to play in my kitchen this week to create new, delicious, and most of all clean recipes.


Lastly, since it is the middle of the month, you know what that means - Ipsy bags! What do you guys think about the bag this month? I finally received mine last night. The bag is different than the usual style, but I like it. Also the items in the bag are not usually what I get, but I am intrigued. I am most excited to try the deep conditioning treatment for hair. Since I color my hair a lot, I spend a lot of money to keep it healthy. Also included was a light face lotion. My face is naturally really oily so a light lotion is a must on my face.


If you do not know what Ipsy is, it is a makeup bag that comes once a month. It's $10 flat. You are charged on the 1st of every month and your items come in the middle. When you go to the website to sign up, you will answer questions about your beauty and skin routine to closely match which products will suit you best. You then receive 4-5 full size beauty products. If you do not receive Ipsy and want too, please use my link! Click here to sign up!

Don't forget to be a part of all of the awesome Friday link up's going on today; click here!

That is all I have for now, I hope to have some delicious recipes coming your way next week! Have a great weekend.

24 comments

  1. Prayers for your dad. I'm sorry to hear that news that is heart breaking. Way to go on more weight loss you are so good! Cute outfit dare I say that one is a bit more reserved for my pink princess? Its really cute though! Yum on the food. Magazines...so jelly! xoxo me

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  2. Thinking of your dad and your family during this difficult time.

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  3. Prayers for your Dad and big hugs to you to help you through! Congrats on the weight loss this week. You are rocking it girl! Also could you look any more beautiful in your work gear, and those curls! Love! I haven't got my Ipsy bag yet, but it is my first one so I am excited. I got he notice it shipped.

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  4. thinking of you and sending positive prayers to your dad and your family.

    peace and blessings,
    nancy

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  5. Oooh as a fellow oily skinned gal and a "slight" addiction to Ulta...you need to try Philosophy's Take a Deep Breath cream gel moisturizer. Its PERFECT for oily skin and goes under make up like a dream. Go get a sample at least. You will love it!

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  6. prayers to your dad xoxoxoxxo

    and yay for free magazines! i love oxygen mag :)

    kathy
    Vodka and Soda

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  7. My thoughts are with you and your family! I will say a prayer for your dad. Both my mom and my brother had cancer, so I know how it is. Congrats on the weight loss. Keep up the good work!

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  8. Keeping your dad and your family in my thoughts! And way to rock it with the weight loss and the fab work outfit!

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  9. Prayers for your dad, I hope things get better girl! I loved my Ipsy bag, always do haha. I was so excited to see Benefit in there, especially my POREfessional primer :)

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  10. Praying for your dad and your family! Keeping you all in my thoughts! Congrats on the weight loss girlyy! And share some advice for organic on a budget! I'd love to learn more about it! Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!

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  11. prayed for your dad sweetie!! I hope everything works out and I really love your outfit! loved seeing the grocery goodies! CONGRATS about the weight loss as well !!!! U are rockin it!!!

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  12. Oh so sad to hear about your dad , prayers from me!!!
    But on a bright note , you looked AWESOME . I need to have some leopard prints in my closet , for real.

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  13. I'm so sorry about my dad. My dad and mom traveled to Duke to have a few experimental treatments. He mostly had chemo and radiation where we lived though.

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  14. So sorry to hear about your dad, saying some prayers for family!

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  15. I will be sending warm and positive thoughts to you and your family!!!!

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  16. I love the recipes you post, the roasted veggies look so good. I'm definitely going to make those.

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  17. I am sending happy thoughts and wishes your way for your dad!

    How fun that you get all those magazines!!! Fitness magazines are always so motivating to me!

    I have been toying with the idea of trying Ipsy or Birchbox for a little while. Do you really feel it is worth it?

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  18. Ipsy gives full size products!? I had Birchbox for about a year, but they usually sent sample sizes with the occasional 1 full size product. I was thinking about re-subscribing to Birchbox, but maybe I should change to Ipsy!

    See you on the next Funday Monday!

    Vanessa

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  19. I'm so sorry about your Dad. I hope everything turns out ok.

    I'm not trying to be critical, because you are doing so great with your fitness and weight loss. However, PLEASE - think twice about wearing lace and showing cleavage at work. I know it's "you" and that's wonderful - I can relate!! But especially since you are the youngest employee -you should not want to be seen as someone who dresses "young" - and borderline inappropriately - just because you can. The older professionals may smile and say nothing - but believe me, they will think about attire as promotions and raises come up.

    I know it's tempting to show off your "stuff" now that you look sexy and feel great about yourself. Just keep it where it belongs - which is really not at the office, especially if you are assistant to the President of the company.

    Just a thought - and sorry for the lecture!

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    2. I appreciate your honesty love. However, the shirt shows absolutely no cleavage at all. I have been in the corporate world but years now so I know how to dress. I like to be fun with my fashion but always covered. A teeny, tiny little bit is showing in the above picture because of how I am standing, but that is it. Also, I am the President's assistant and we make a great team so if there were ever an issue, I would know.

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  20. That's good. You seem to have both fashion sense and common sense. I just know that in my office, sometimes the younger people seem to think that the fishnet, leather and lace they wear to a club on Friday night is "dressed up" - therefore also appropriate for the office. It's not that they are trying to look slutty, they just don't know any better. You obviously know, so that's great! As I said, I am SOOOO proud of you and your accomplishments, I just didn't want them to be dimmed or overshadowed by other frivolous things. No offense intended - really.

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  21. aw, I will definitely be praying for your Dad. Hope things get better soon.

    Those roasted veggies look BOMB! I love zucchini. Never tried it with mushrooms though. I will have to give it a shot!

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