February 26, 2010

Time For Friday Follow

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Today marks Friday Follow #7, hosted by the lovely ladies at One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapes.   If you’re looking for a great way to discover fun & interesting new blogs, plus gain some fabulous new followers, then look no further! 

Joining in on the fun is a easy as pie – just click on the button above  and link up!  Then take these steps:
  • Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots
  • Follow as many blogs as you’d like
  • Comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow
  • Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow
Thanks for stopping by!

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February 25, 2010

The One Where I Almost Passed Out At The Gym

I’ve been dedicated to exercising for almost a year now, successfully making it a part of my daily/weekly routine.  And truly it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done.  However, lately (pretty much since the holidays)I’ve felt that  I’ve fallen a little off-track.  So, I decided to add more cardio, including a relatively intense class called “Cardio Body Training”.  Think lots of intervals with weight training & running included.  When I described some of the many various activities to my hubby, he likened it to some of the movements seen in the P90x series.  I’m not much of a runner (don’t like it and honestly don’t have the endurance for it), so during the 2 –3 trips out to the track in each class, I’ve been hopping on a treadmill. 

Two days ago I went to my 4th class, having not gone for 2 weeks due to that lovely cut on my arm, the weather, etc.  Things started fine, with us utilizing the bosu ball for a lot of the exercises.  I even joined the class for our first run, around the basketball court.  For the second run, I decided to hop on the treadmill….and it was there, after just a minute or two, that I was surprised by an odd feeling of not being able to catch my breath – as if I wasn’t getting enough oxygen with each breath in.  So I quickly jumped off  and started to feel better after walking around a bit.  I re-joined the class back inside the studio, and was in the middle of doing planks with weighted arm extensions when that feeling came over me again, just more intense.  I was already near the door, so I walked out of the room and stood there, hunched over and not being able to breathe….I couldn’t even get enough air needed to say my name, it just came out as a breathless whisper.  Another instructor was nearby, saw my panicked expression, and needless to say, in a matter of seconds about 10 people rushed at me….including the club’s nurse, who brought an oxygen tank and heart monitor.  I ended up sitting on the floor with her for a good 20 minutes, as my symptoms slowly subsided and I started to feel better.  All in all, she theorized that my heart rate most likely had shot up to way beyond it’s max limit!  I could have simply over-done it, but it could have also happened for some other reason.  She suggested I call my primary doc for some testing, and sent me to the club’s cafe for some Gatorade and a banana. 

So, I promptly went to my doc yesterday, and after a normal EKG and listening to my heart/lungs, he did not think it was a  heart-related problem, but possibly ‘exercise-induced-asthma’ or some other bronchial irritation.  Could also be a virus, but that would probably produce illness symptoms.  Honestly, I’m still not sure about his diagnosis.  Even today, 2 days later, I still have this feeling of heaviness/tightness in my chest and have dealt with radiating back pain most of the day.  And when you do a search for the whole EIA thing, most sites list coughing as a major symptom, which I did not have.

I guess I am a little anxious about the whole situation (which of course does not help).  My doc also gave me an Advair disk, to use if another ‘attack’ happens as a way to relieve the symptoms.   And boy, mentioning that tidbit to people has caused me to receive a firestorm of advice that Advair should NEVER be used that way, no matter what the circumstances!  WTF??   My doc assured me it was ok, that in my special situation it was perfectly fine to use the medication that way and others have done it as well.  I’m not sure what to believe, but I DO know that if I still don’t feel well tomorrow, I will call back and most likely he’ll have me go do a chest x-ray.  This is all so crazy, especially when I’ve NEVER had anything like that happen to me before. 

To say the least, the whole thing was a freaky experience and has totally caught me off guard!

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February 23, 2010

Conversations With The Vertically Challenged (aka Toddlers)

At almost 4 years old, the peanut has been saying some pretty funny & random stuff lately, especially when she’s trying to rationalize with us.  I try my damn hardest to remember it all….but unfortunately I have the mental capacity of a gnat when it comes to memory.  Seriously, I can’t remember shit.  The hubby often gets annoyed at me when he recalls a conversation we had and I have NO idea what he’s talking about.  What can I say?  It’s another lovely trait I inherited from my mom’s side of the family (along with some excessive sweating and frequent klutziness).

Anyhow, the peanut and I were in the car the other day, just listening to music as we were headed home from the gym.  Lately she’s been trying to sing along to songs – her current favorite being Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”….she loves belting out the ‘gaga ooh la la’ part.  So, a song that I really like came on, and  this time I tried singing along, but only knew the main chorus.  Here is what followed:

peanut: “Why did you stop singing, mama?”

me: “Because I only know that one part of the song.”

peanut: “Mama!  All you have to do is listen for a tiny bit, and then you know the words!”

And then she proceeded to sing the next line of the song correctly,  as if to say “see? piece of cake!”.

Sheesh!

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February 22, 2010

Aw, You Shouldn’t Have

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So, I recently received another blog award - February 17th to be exact. And honestly, I’ve been slacking a bit with the posting lately….guess it’s just been one of those weeks around here: ya know – life, lip gloss, binkies & the whole shebang!  

What better time than the present to kick-start a new week here at EllaBellaMozzarella and pass on some blog love!  Momma Such over at Raising My 4 Sons  kindly granted me with the BEAUTIFUL BLOGGER AWARD – thanks lady!   She has a lovely blog and I guarantee you’ll adore her cute and often silly tales about life as a SAHM to 4 boys.  So make sure to check her out.

The established rules of this award are as follows:
  • thank & link to the person that gave you the award.
  • pass this award onto 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered and think are fantastic.
  • contact said blogs and let them know they’ve won.
  • state 7 things about yourself.
Now, Momma Such broke the rules a bit, so in the interest of time & the fact my family is currently looking to me to start cooking some sort of dinner, I will follow her lead by passing the award on to a couple of  new & fabulous blogs I’ve recently stumbled upon.  Drum roll, please:

Nicolle @ Babee Love
Tiffany @ On The Verge

And here are a few random things about yours truly -
  1. I was born in Germany and have lived in the US for almost 25 years.
  2. I have no middle name.
  3. I have a tattoo of a tiny heart on my lower back.
  4. I harbor some regrets from years past, but have been working on letting go.
  5. I was pretty awkward, shy & self-conscious in school and hope to do the best I can to instill confidence & a good dose of self-esteem in my daughter so that she may be better equipped for all the challenges that junior high & high school will inevitably bring.

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February 20, 2010

Who Doesn’t Love A Free Pretzel?

Ok, so for anyone who’s ever tasted the yummy, buttery, deliciousness that is an Auntie Anne’s pretzel, you know how unbelievably irresistible they truly are!  Am I right?  Personally, way back when I used to favor the cinnamon version, in all it’s sweet, sugary glory.  However, these days we stop by to get a treat for the peanut, and always go for the regular (sometimes unsalted) pretzel…..and boy does she love it!  So warm, so fluffy, so YUM!

Anywho, today Auntie Anne’s is offering a special promotion that I thought was too good not to share: TODAY ONLY (Sat. 2/20) they are offering FREE PRETZEL DAY from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.  That’s right, you get a FREE pretzel (either cinnamon or original, one per person).

Love it!

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February 12, 2010

How Mama Ruined The Night

So, two days ago we had yet another crazy day of  unprecedented snowfall – I mean seriously, two Nor’easter’s  within a week?  At this point I am SO over it!   Wednesday’s blizzard was an all day event, a complete white-out, that added  two more feet of snow on top of all that was still left from last week.  Needless to say, we hunkered down, yet again.  And when the power went out at about 5:30pm, I was highly annoyed at first, but then decided to roll with it by pouring a glass of wine and giggling with the peanut about how we were all going to snuggle in bed together later on.

Unfortunately, I singlehandedly brought our jovial mood to a screeching halt by accidentally slicing the inside of my wrist with the lid of a soup can.  I know, FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC, right??  Now, I completely blame it on the power outage, since it was the reason we were making soup (on our gas stove) in the first place.  And it was the reason I was having a hard time seeing if I had poured out all the contents of the can….which somehow (still not sure how, it happened so fast) caused me to carve a 3/4 inch deep & 1 inch wide laceration into my wrist.  I freaked out a bit after seeing all the blood, but we were able to get it under control relatively quickly by putting some serious pressure  on it. Anyway, heading to the hospital was not an option, since most roads were literally closed and our cars were stuck behind  an actual wall of snow.  Even calling an ambulance would have just put everyone at unnecessary risk, it was that bad out there.  Besides, it wasn’t bleeding at all.  Long story short, we made it to the emergency room the next day, where I was informed it was too late for stitches (even thought I technically needed them) since at this point the wound was too contaminated to sew shut for fear of infection.  Wonderful!  Now I’m left with a steri-taped, gauzed & wrapped wrist that I’m hoping will heal in a way that does not leave me with too bad of a scar.  Oh, and did I mention the cut is right where my hand meets my arm (yes, it looks like I tried to commit suicide)….and did you know that this particular spot is very difficult not to bend during daily activities, which is only slowing down the whole healing thing.  Oh, and that tetanus shot was a boatload of fun too!  Oh, and I’m not going to be able to do my normal workouts for a while, which doesn’t help the out of control food consumption that’s been happening around here lately during all these snowed-in days!

Yes, I know I’m complaining and whining, yet again.  Deal with it (and I mean that in the nicest way possible)!

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February 10, 2010

Easy Honey-Mustard Chicken Wings

I’m not much of a cook, by any means, so the fact that I’m writing a post wherein I dispense a recipe is pretty funny.  But, really I had nothing to do with this anyway since it was all my hubby who cooked up this tasty dish for us last Sunday.  I just bought all the ingredients – that counts for something, right?   Anyway, these wings were truly yummy and so I thought ‘why not share it with all my bloggy peeps & tweeps’!  And the best part?  It involves a slow cooker!

You’ll need:
  • about 3lbs of chicken wings/drum sticks (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (you can add more, depending how ‘saucy’ you like them)
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 to 4 thin lemon slices
1. Rinse chicken parts, pat dry and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

2. Place pieces in pan and on boiler rack – broil for about 10 minutes, 4 to 5 inches from heat, turning halfway through.  Place in slow cooker when done.

3. Mix honey, BBQ sauce, mustard & garlic in small bowl (mix well)  and pour over chicken parts.  Top with lemon slices.

4.  Cover & cook on LOW 4 to 5 hours. Remove lemon slices and serve with sauce.

You can really make this recipe to your taste, depending on how you like your wings.  For example, the hubby used a spicy tabasco mustard, plus added extra garlic & some hot sauce to kick things up a notch.

We both loved how the wings turned out, and really, the whole thing was a pretty simple process!

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February 7, 2010

Holy Snow!

So, ya….it snowed around here yesterday.  Just a tad.  A little over 2 feet. No biggie.  WHA???  Seriously, we haven’t seen that much of the white stuff in a long time (thinking the Blizzard of 2003 was my last encounter with mountains of snow).  Even though I’m very much a warmer weather girl, I actually looked forward to the weekend, to being snowed in and spending lots of time chillaxing with my two peeps.  And honestly, when those first few flakes started falling Friday night as we were heading home from dinner at On The Border (OMG, have you tried their Margarita’s?? simply fabulous!), I was a bit giddy with anticipation.  And Saturday was indeed nice – we vedged,  we ate, we watched a movie, and we ate some more.  Now, two days later……uh, not so much!  Now all we’re left with is dirty snow, dirty cars, and delayed school hours cutting into my ‘Mama time’.  And the aforementioned food consumption that took place this weekend?  OOFAH….I’m actually afraid to step on the scale for fear of  looking down and seeing “Jeez woman – what did you do, eat your body weight in donuts, chocolate & cookies??”.  I’m not even joking.  I don’t know what was wrong with me.  I. COULD. NOT. STOP. EATING!  Gonna’ have to kick it into high gear at the gym this week.  And maybe lock up the pantry & the refrigerator. 

Anywho, don’t mind me.  There are still 133 days until summer.  There is another possible Nor’easter with significant snow forecasted for Tuesday/Wednesday.  A chocolate frosted donut is already calling my name & will undoubtedly be tempting me at breakfast tomorrow morning (darn you Dunkin Donuts!).  And all this makes me grumpy.


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February 4, 2010

Wordless Wednesday, But on Thursday

Presenting the proud (and possibly a bit tickled pink) owner of new princess jammies:



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February 1, 2010

A Little Bit of Happiness & Sunshine to Brighten Your Day!

It’s been about 6 months since I entered the blogosphere, and I continue to realize more & more what an amazing community it really is.  Besides sharing our own personal stories day in & day out, it’s also about discovering new & interesting blogs, making connections & just maybe even forming one or two ‘virtual’ friendships along the way.  So, when it comes to supporting & promoting other wonderful bloggety blogs, I’m all for it!

I recently received  2 fantastic blog awards, and of course want to continue sharing the love by passing them on to some fabulous peeps.

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First up, thanks bunches to Michelle at Flying Giggles And Lollipops, for dishing out the SUNSHINE AWARD  to me.  Her blog is both charming & cute, and filled with fab giveaways &  random musings on life as a SAHM to two girls!  Stop on over and say hello!

The rules are as follows:
  • Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
  • Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
  • Link the nominees within your post.
  • Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
  • Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.
And here are the sensational blogs I’m passing it on to:

Kristen @ The Fun Mommies
Busy Bee Suz @ Day By Day With Suz


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Next, Tia at Stoic kindly designated me with the sweet & cheerful HAPPY AWARD.   If  you’re a fan of snarky, sassy, funny ramblings about motherhood, marriage and life in general…then by all means, go check her out!

The rules are:
  • Copy the image and display it on your blog.
  • List 10 things that make you happy.
  • Try to do at least one of them today.
  • Pass on the award to 10 bloggers who brighten your day.
10 random things that make me happy (in no particular order) –
  1. My daughter’s beautiful smile.
  2. A Starbucks Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte.
  3. Watching my hubby be the most amazing father  I always knew he’d be.
  4. Thinking about my crazy kitty Skye (who passed away last September).
  5. A new heavenly pair of  Seven For All Mankind jeans that fit like a glove (especially if they were on sale).
  6. Looking at pictures of our fabulous wedding & honeymoon and reveling in all the wonderful memories.
  7. ‘LOST’ – the best show ever!
  8. Slowly but surely seeing the results of my hard work at the gym.
  9. Catching a few moments of  ‘The Howard Stern’ show when I’m alone in the car.
  10. Saturday night dinner out at a delish restaurant with my two favorite peeps!
Mostly all the blogs I come across brighten my day, but since I can only choose 10, here they are (again, in no particular order):

Momma Such @ Raising My 4 Sons
Manic Momma @Mommyhood Exposed
Brittany @ Mommy Words
Tanya @ Mommygoggles

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