There are a few things that have happened over the past week that I am super excited about. Since it is unusual for P+K to share personal tid-bits on life, I had a very long debate with myself on whether or not a personal post would be good. Finally, it came down to the fact that, one, I am just to excited not to share, and two, it may explain why some posts have been a bit more dry than others lately. To those whom may dislike personal posts, I completely understand and promise that this will not be a crazy new P+K trend, and more importantly, it will not be boring.
Tomorrow things will be back to health and fitness as usual, but today, we take it personal with a few recent happenings that have made me super happy.
This Book
Since we got back from Michigan I have gone a bit crazy on the reading front. Seriously. It has not been uncommon for me to spend anywhere from three to eight (eight!) hours reading per day. I absolutely love stories and have found a pretty big character weakness through them... Almost any story can become like crack to me and there is no stopping until I know everything that has happened. This whole addiction seems to be taken to another level before we leave for Michigan and after we get back since I am unable to read very much at all while away.
To begin my book obsession stage I read four of the six Mortal Instruments books (do not judge too harshly, this is a no-judge zone), What We Talk About When We Talk About God, and am still in the process of reading Either/Or. Then, I decided to take this week to complete my annual Pride and Prejudice reading (did I mention this is a no judge zone?). After that, a good friend told me I must read Austenland. It has been made into a film that will be out in about a month and looks absolutely hi-lar-i-ous. The book was read in one 6-hour sitting and I loved it the whole way through.
Now, I cannot wait for the movie to be released and see Keri Russell's rendition of Jane. It will be, possibly, the cutest chick-flick ever. If you are into Jane Austen, even a little, I would completely recommend reading this book. Everything is in true Austen form with witty banter, love-to-hate characters, and a heroin you root for the whole time. Seriously, read.
Yes, this whole reading fixation is also the reason for my late and, sometimes, shorter than average posts. My guilty pleasure has been found.
This Recipe
I came across this Snapguide recipe today and am uber excited to try it out. One of the hardest parts of my becoming a vegetarian was giving up buffalo chicken. It is amazing. Sure, the buffalo chick'n you buy at stores are yummy, but is is not the most healthy thing in the world and does not seem to fill that chicken-shaped void in my stomach. Hopefully, this simple and healthy recipe will be good enough to thoroughly enjoy and healthy enough to leave me guilt free.
This House
The hubs and I will be making trip to California later this year and I have just found out that Disneyland's Haunted Mansion will be don up in it's Christmas decor when we are there. For the massive Disney fan that I am, it is quite ridiculous that I have never been to Disneyland before. I am embarrassed. Then, add the whole Nightmare Before Christmas love I have and you may understand why I will be counting down the days.
Just in case you have no idea what I am talking about, which is likely, every year Jack Skellington and the Nightmare Before Christmas crew move into the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. It has become a pretty icon part of the Disneyland Christmas decor that I am super excited to see. This is extra special to me since it will also be my first time visiting the original "Happiest Place on Earth". Excited? Yes, I am.
This Workout
The fittest time of my life would have to be, hands down, when I was training in classical ballet. There is nothing like ballet when it comes to toning and elongating muscles. For real. I can still remember a day when a 14-year-old classmate stoped me to comment on how huge my arm muscles were. I was picking up a stack of books and had no idea that bulging muscles were unusual, especially for a 12 year-old girl. Since then, my workouts have seemed to become more intense, but the muscle definition I had in my ballet days went away along with my pointe shoes.
Ballet is a form of exercise that athletes to actresses to super-models swear by. There is nothing that I have found that tones the muscles, elongates the body, and increases personal ability quite like ballet. Do not believe me, look at those like super-model Miranda Kerr who swears by the Ballet Bodies fitness studio located in L.A. But, not all of us are withing driving distance of L.A., or personal comfort to be seen in a class.
Enter this workout video series. For quite some time I have considered getting back into ballet, at least for the incredible barre routines that would be sure to give my body a lift. But, pride has gotten in the way every time and whenever I consider it I think of what a bumbling fool I could be. Then, I found this highly acclaimed workout series by the NY ballet that can be done in the privacy of home. Yes.
Something that excites me just as much as ordering this series is being able to review it for you. Give it a few weeks and I will be sure to tel you all my thoughts on the re-enter ballet subject!