PAX Prime

Ok so in Seattle, at the end of August, the geeks invade. Not in a bad way as I happy to be a pc gaming geek. Thousands and I mean thousands of people March into Seattle. Some in a vast array of costumes, some not. It is a great time to people watch as you never know what your going to see.

Now when it comes to the events it's about the expo hall, demos, presentations/panels and sway. Lots and lots of swag. Some of it more awesome and useful then others.

The first day we try and get our bearings and wonder. We try and see what lines look like so we can plan the next day. In the process of this we came across Assains Creed Black Flag. And a FREE photo booth!  Take a look,

Kick off to Fall!

What is your favorite time of the year? For me, alleyway I look forward to Fall. Crisp air, sweet and spicy scents of apple, nutmeg, cinnamon and caramel. The vibrant hues that the leaves turn.

And when I say I look forward to Fall all year, I am NOT kidding. At the beginning of August I start search stores for fall candles, wallflowers and other assorted home items to compliment my pumpkins and fall decor. I long for the first weekend in September as that is when I allow myself to put it all out.

Another aspect that I long for are the fall coffees from Starbucks. This year I lamented about my desire for a Pumpkin Spice Latte ... And behold! The next day was Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte 10th anniversary! It's like I conjured it with my desire!

This weekend Fall will arrive at my house, even if there is a month to go until it officially begins!

Happy Fall season to you all!

Sounders vs. Timbers

It's always a blast when I get to go to a Sounders match. Its even more of an awesome experience when I get to participate in the March to the Match. Today, my husband and I got tondo both! You can hear the crowd before you even see us coming! We are loud, proud and obnoxious. Chants and songs, fireworks and smoke bombs. This is what epitomizes the experience. So glad we went. So glad we won! Sounders - 1; Timbers - 0.

Tummy Troubles

Food. I love food. I am a bit more squishy then I like because I love food. And if given a choice, I would rather be napping then running...But the last little while I have been having serious tummy troubles. Aches and pains. Nausea. Bloat. This terrible tummy trouble was keeping me from the gym and it was getting to a point where I just didn't want to eat. Anything. Ever.

SO I started drinking almond milk in addition to regular 2% cows milk. I like the almond milk. It was still a transition, but I am trying to make it more of a regular part of my diet rather then a "sometimes" food. It mixes well with my protein powder as I do not eat enough protein regularly. But still, the tummy troubles. So I decided yesterday to try not drinking cows milk, not eating cheese (and that one is going to be difficult) and generally staying away from dairy to see how my system would fare.

Day one: I am feeling better then I have in a very long time. Not aches. No bloat. No nausea. I have to admit that that wasn't the only thing that I eliminated from my daily diet today. I also steered clear of oatmeal. I think I will stay away from that this week also and see how I feel next Monday. It is strange for me to not eat oatmeal as it is a daily part of my morning routine at the office. But again, between the two eliminations, I feel remarkable more like me and less like the unhappy and quite morose Jamie (like the poor gal above).

So as I researched where to get my calcium this week I was sadden to see my much loved oatmeal is a good source of calcium. Hopefully it will make a regular appearance in my diet after next week, but we shall see. So I will be adding more oranges and continue to drink my almond milk.

That is all for today! We shall see how I feel the rest of the week. :)

Food?

I have been watching this month as my friend Em has done the Whole Food challenge. It is really fascinating to watch and get her perspective on food and the process. I think, for me, the most interesting meal was her sweet apple omelet. I would never have thought of that and it is on my list to try!!!

I try, and for the most part succeed, at meal planning and taking food to work so that I don't spend excess money and so that I know what I am eating consistently. And I love to cook. I need to look at bringing more whole food options into my planning. I find that days like today, when I am particularly hormonal, I am starving all day! That makes smart choices more difficult when all I want is chocolate cake (most of you know I constantly have a desire for cake anyway). I did break down and ask the chocolate queen at work for some... I resisted and ended up with 3 thin mints. Best choice all around and capped them of with two glasses of water!

Em was able to follow the plan of the first two weeks with not eating dairy, sugar, legumes, grains or alcohol. That is amazing! The grains and the sugar part would be so very difficult. Bread, pasta, rice... and again the cake! But I am working on the dairy. It is hard at work and with the gym to get enough protein. I am eating more yogurt then ever (and meat ick!) and am trying to find other options for it. I have started drinking almond milk. Which tastes alright, especially since I got coconut almond milk, in my protein shakes. I think I am going to start taking that to work for afternoon snacks.

Summer

Summer in Seattle. It's beautiful, and as the years go by, increasingly unpredictable. Today is gorgeous and the 4th if July weekend is to be enjoyed. I'm sad that I will not be here to enjoy it. As Dave said last night, "when summer hits, there is nowhere else in the world I would be but here". And I completely agree. 75 degrees, no clouds, a nice breeze. Perfection. We will get to enjoy it tonight as were cooking out on our awesome infrared grill. The perfect kickoff for our mini vacation. I hope when we come back it's just as nice as it us right now!!

Hello!

Hi! This is exciting for mw b.c I have been thinking about blogging for many many months. I wanted to start after we got engaged in January, but life got ahead of me. :) For me, with school, work, wedding planning, my best friend having her first child along with a dear friend close to me having her second, and all the other things life throws your way, I am super busy most of the time.

This weekend leads up to the Fourth of July. I love it so much. The 4th is one of my all time favorite holidays. This stems from the fact that I am a AF brat! The parades and food and family time is the best along with summer. This year my family is meeting up in Las Vegas! Its been a busy year for my lil sis too. She is the first in the family to graduate college and she just turned 21. SO we decided to take on Vegas over the 4th! Its been a long time since we were all together for this holiday and were all looking forward to it!

As a result I hit up the mall today to get some snazzy new makeup to make the trip more glamorous. Sis wanted some baked gold eyeshadow replacement from Victoria's Secret. While I was there I picked up one for myself as well as a bronze and a pearl one. I also decided to check out Bare Minerals. I usually go to Sephora but I decided to mix it up a wee bit. I really enjoyed my time there. The makeup artists name was Jaime (good sign right!?!). We played with purple shimmer/glittery shades. It was great. I decided to get the Bare Minerals starter kit in light b.c I am soooo fair. I really like it. I will post pics as the weekend progresses!