the week ahead...

well i am officially in the homestretch for this semester. over the next couple of weeks, i will be spending more time in murfreesboro than knoxville. my goal this weekend was to finish up all my homework and assignments so that i don't have any to do over thanksgiving, clean and organize my room/the apartment and to pack my stuff up for home. i got all my clothes together and its safe to say that i am taking an obscene amount home but since i will be home all but five days in all in december, i am taking most all of my winter clothes home. loading and unloading the car is sure to be fun. i also finished up all my christmas shopping for gifts for just me and picked up a few other gifts to help mom out some.

the week ahead is definitely a busy one even though i only have one day of class. we have thanksgiving at our house which i love helping host and the current headcount is 22 people i think. luckily, the four of us make a good team and we get everything done that needs to be done. with so many things to do, one may wonder how i stay organized. i write everything down in my planner and of course, make lists. i have a meal plan, workout plan, and to-do list for this upcoming busy week that officially kicks off the holiday season. 

the meal plan: thanksgiving is meant for overeating and i'm not going to try to change that. i don't allow myself to splurge often and thanksgiving is certainly a day i should allow myself to do so. nonetheless, i am going to watch what i eat (and what my family eats because their health is just as important to me as mine own) very carefully in the days leading up to turkey day and a healthy breakfast on thursday. here's the menu i have in mind for this week.

• monday: Peanut Butter and Pepper's chicken pot pie with a fruit salad
• tuesday: Freutcake's enchiladas with pumpkin sauce, black bean salad and pumpkin salsa 
• wednesday: spaghetti squash with crockpot pasta meat sauce, salad (no carbs!) 
• thursday morning: banana and berries steel cut oats made with almond milk 

the workout plan: 

• tuesday: spin class
• wednesday: cardio and body pump
• thursday: treadmill 

the to-do list:

• tuesday: cleaning, last minute grocery run for any forgotten things
• wednesday: going to get the christmas tree (but not decorating until AFTER thanksgiving!), some pre-thanksgiving cooking and setting up the house and decorating for thursday 
• thursday: watch the macy's thanksgiving day parade of course and enjoy the holiday! 
• friday: decorate for christmas! 

y'all probably think i am an OCD freak who has to plan everything out and if that's true, so be it. i think i would go crazy if i didn't carry my Lilly planner with me 24/7 and that's okay with me. i may be a 45 year old in a 21 year old body and that's alright. planning everything out reduces my stress level which i need all the help doing. 

with such a busy week ahead, today i am planning to relax some. i can't start checking things off my to-do list until i get to murfreesboro so today i am packing up my car, painting my nails in essie's "penny talk" (a fabulous rose gold that is perfect for this time of year), studying for a test i have tomorrow and trying to stay warm! i will be murfreesboro bound mid-afternoon tomorrow so i want to make sure that i have everything packed and that the little red rocket is ready to roll out after my exam! i can't wait to spend time with my family this week for thanksgiving and the traditions we have are things i cherish. from thanksgiving to decorating for christmas, this coming week is one of my very favorites. blog posts may be few and far between but i will try not to desert y'all! happy early turkey day!

xoxo, 

clp  

whirlwind of a week

well the first week of junior year (if three days qualifies as a week) has come to an end and i am glad it is over. it has been a whirlwind of a week. thankfully it is the weekend and i am hoping to let myself relax some and rest.

yesterday was a busy day despite having only one class. i would rather have none at all but one at 12:20 on a friday is nothing to really complain about. i did get to spend two hours of my friday afternoon at the genius bar getting them to install windows on my mac (oh the irony). though it took way longer than i expected, they did get my computer to run all the programs i need for class. i was there so long that i lusted over a kate spade phone case so long that eventually i convinced myself i just had to have it.

this morning i woke up and went to power hot yoga at Real Hot Yoga here in knoxville. i love going to hot yoga. not only do you sweat out all your body's toxins, but it also gives you a great strength workout and is a nice break from cardio.

i also made a trip to another one of my favorite places, Trader Joe's. i like grocery shopping at trader joe's because they offer healthy, organic foods at a lower price point than what you find the same products for at larger supermarkets. while they don't have absolutely everything on your shopping list, they do have a great selection of produce and their brand is top-notch. they also sell things that are exclusive to only their stores, such as their infamous cookie butter (which i have yet to try but am going to soon). today, along with many fruits and veggies, i picked up some of their frozen tamales, ravioli and their layered hummus, all of which i have heard are excellent. trader joe's is definitely one of my preferred places to grocery shop.

at the grocery store, i try to buy only what i know i am going to eat. i plan my meals out extensively so i don't waste any food, especially since i buy so much produce that will go bad. meal planning also helps to control your budget and helps with weight management. i find that i spend less because i buy only what i need. meal planning helps to manage weight because you see exactly what you are eating. though it can be time consuming and isn't as flexible, it has more advantages than disadvantages.

today is the last day of formal recruitment and i am quite excited for bid day tomorrow! not only will things get back to normal, but we will get our new pretty little lyres! since i have been on the setup committee i have not seen how the rounds are going firsthand, but i hear that alpha chi omega is a force to be reckoned with! i look forward to seeing who will be wearing our letters!

i made myself breakfast for dinner tonight! this was a quick and easy meal that came together in less than thirty minutes. i didn't want anything too heavy tonight so i fixed zucchini corn cakes with a fried egg, turkey sausage and added a sliced tomato and some watermelon and cantaloupe on the side. the recipe makes just enough for one, but can easily be doubled.

zucchini and corn cakes

1 large egg

2 tbsp + 1 tsp milk

2 tbsp + 1 tsp whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup corn kernels (i used canned)

3/4 c grated zucchini

1/4 c chopped onion

pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, etc. to taste

tabasco, if desired

goat cheese or feta cheese, if desired

1. Stir together all ingredients in mixing bowl until combined. 
2. Drop batter in 1/4 cup measures into heated skillet (sprayed with PAM!). Cook until browned on both sides. 
3. Serve warm, topped with cheese or tabasco hot sauce if desired. 

(adapted from Whole Foods Market)

today is one of my most favorite person in the world's birthday. my sweet, sweet grandmother is celebrating another year of her fabulous life. she, like my mama, is one of people i look up to the most. her life has been nothing short of admirable and i hope i can be half the woman she is. she is the source of my red hair which i am now and forever grateful for.

my mawsie, as she is affectionately known, has always been my biggest fan. the time i spend with her is time that i cherish the most. i know she is always just a call away when i am in knoxville or a five minute drive from my house in murfreesboro. so, happy birthday mawsie and here's to many more years of you! 

xoxo,
clp

p.s. coming tomorrow: favorite september arrivals from j.crew!