I have gratitude today for...
* going to the beach with the kids and Lily. It was a little chilly but beautiful. It was the last dogs are allowed on the beach so there were a million dogs there. All different kinds---it was fun to see them play and run around. 
* a nice Easter dinner at the house. Ham, green beans, potato salad, baked beans and crescent rolls. Everything was great!
* heading home on the early side, we left CT around 3pm and didn't hit any traffic. 
* renting Zero Dark Thirty from Redbox. It was very good. I thought Argo was better but it was still excellent!

I have gratitude today for...
* an easy drive to Greenwich, CT this morning. 
* a nice afternoon hanging out at Chris & Kem's. We played with the kids in the backyard, a board game with Edie and had a few drinks with Chris & Kem before we all left for dinner. 
* a fun night out with Tessa & Steve. We met at their house and had a glass of wine. Then we went to Zaza Italian Grill for dinner. It was a small, cute restaurant in Stanford. We went through two bottles of wine and the food was excellent. After dinner we went back to their place for more wine (I couldn't even finish the glass) and dessert. It was so great to see them!

I have gratitude today for...
* feeling grateful for the time I've had at GlobalOptions. Today was technically my last day and it felt very weird. 
* the message Casey left for me today. It was nice of him to call and say I'll be missed. 
* sending out a "goodbye" email to my clients and colleagues at GlobalOptions. 
* talking with Scott this afternoon. I emailed him asking him to call me. I thought it was weird I hadn't heard from anyone about my leaving. We had a good talk- he told me they've been really happy with me and the work I've done. They loved how well I represented GlobalOptions and would hire me back in a second if they had room for me on the East Coast. Although I wouldn't go back after everything that happened, it made me feel good to hear positive feedback. 
* baking chocolate chip cookies and heath bar cookies to bring to Chris & Kem's for Easter tonight. They came out a little weird (kind of flat) but still tasted good. 

I have gratitude today for...
* talking with Judi Thompson today. She called me about my Tastefully Simple business. It turns out she was calling to tell me about a new energy company in Radnor. It sounded interesting and I'm going to meet with them to learn more about it. 
* Kelly sending me her bachelorette list so we can start planing and send out the save the date Evite!
* an easy drive down to Avalon. I did a spring cleaning at Katie's house this afternoon. I treated myself to a french vanilla cappuccino from Wawa for my drive home. 
* getting through the drive home when I wanted to crawl out of my skin because the traffic was so bad. I tried to weave around an accident but all of the roads were at a standstill. It took me over 2 hours to get home from Avalon. 

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to help Dad out with their car situation. He needed a ride to/from the auto shop so Kelly and I waited to leave until he needed to go.
* shopping at the Philadelphia Outlets with Kelly today. We spent all day there! She bought a bunch of new spring clothes for teaching and I got a bunch of shorts for the summer.  I also finally bought a Vera Bradley mini-laptop case for my iPad and keyboard, it was only $20! We also looked at bridesmaids dresses but didn't find a winner. I forgot how great the outlets are---our favorites were GAP, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic & Vera Bradley.
* awesome massages at Cortiva. Kelly treated me which was so nice. 
* Tony A's pizza that Andy picked up for dinner. I helped Kelly with her wedding invitations and we watched TV for a while before going to bed. I was really tired since I barely slept at Mom & Dad's last night. 

I have gratitude today for...
* the viral profile picture of the = sign to demonstrate support for gay marriage. I wrote:

"I don't usually do the "change your profile picture" things, but I had to for this. It's unbelievable to me that people care so much about who other people marry. And then I wonder how many of them are in awful heterosexual marriages? Change will come..."

* meeting Dad for yoga at their gym this morning. It was a slow, gentle class so I didn't feel like I got a good workout but I'm still glad we went. 
* watching Army Wives, Bill Burr and relaxing this afternoon at the house. Kelly & Alex arrived around 3. Dad made a great dinner. It was fun to all be together.
* Ashley, Jaclyn & Erica coming over. Mom hung out with us until 1am. We had wine, snacks and lots of girl talk!

I have gratitude today for...
* thinking about Erin the second I saw 3/25 on my alarm clock. 16 years ago today, and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Erin, we remember you!
* talking with John this morning about my coming back to Suburban Life. He's been filling me in on what the team is like, what accounts I'll be working, etc. 
* hanging out with Kerry tonight. We went to the mall for a little bit and then I stayed over her house. We watched Revenge, had a few glasses of wine and talked about everything that's been going on. 

I have gratitude today for...
* Spring Cleaning! Who cares that it's supposed to snow 2-5" tomorrow? Where is spring??? Anyway, I cleaned upstairs---dusted, vacuumed & steam mopped the floors and cleaned the bathroom. Then I worked in the kitchen---gave the microwave a good cleaning and the counters as well.
* finally trying out a homemade laundry detergent recipe. It was so easy and I'm excited to try it out! The food processor made shredding the soap painless.
* doing the elliptical when I didn't feel like getting off the couch.
* catching up with Mom, Dad & Kelly this afternoon. I'm excited to see them this week!
* booking massage appointments for Kelly and me while she's here next week. 

I have gratitude today for...
* another great yoga class with Maura at the gym this morning.
* a relaxing afternoon watching NCAA games, HIMYM & Shark Tank.
* making us a great chicken marsala dinner even though I was tempted to suggest take out or going out. We have so much food here and we need to use it up.
* a fun night at Milkboy in Philly to see Matt play. Ben met us there and we didn't miss any of Matt's set even though we hit traffic. J.D. was there and it was nice to see him---I think the last time I saw him was when Matt played at Havana in 2006 or 2007.
* finding an article from HS about the LHS soccer team. It was one of the ones I saved because Steve's picture was a part of it. It brought back a lot of great memories. 

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to take it easy today---still trying to make this cold go away!
* watching the NCAA tournament with Andy tonight. As always, there were some great games.
* finding out John Mayer and Phillip Phillips are touring together, might have to go to that!

I have gratitude today for...
* sleeping in this morning. I started feeling a cold coming on yesterday and I'm trying to fight it off so our weekend isn't ruined. I thought I paid my dues in January!
* going to Sandy's office baby shower today. Everyone loved the cookies! I spent most of the afternoon there talking about everything that happened with my position. Brian, John, Sandy & Ian were all very supportive.
* dropping off a box of things to Impact Thrift Shop. It included items such as our old toaster oven, vases, picture frames and other random things. Hopefully someone will be thankful to inherit them.
* going up to bed early, watching American Idol and Grey's Anatomy, and then turning out the lights. Would really like to get rid of this cold ASAP.

I have gratitude today for...
* talking with Misha this morning. He explained they are pushing back the US launch and still want me to be involved but it won't be happening until the end of the year (at the earliest.)
* being able to tell John I'm interested in coming back to the magazine. They are willing to work with me to give me what I need to come back.
* getting out of the house and going to BJ's. You'd think I'm a stay-at-home mom since the highlight of so many days for me is going to BJ's, haha.
* baking Heath Bar cookies and Oatmeal Raison cookies for tomorrow's party for Sandy at the office.
* going to yoga at the gym. I really liked the instructor Maura, she was a sub for the usual instructor.
* Andy booking us a flight down to FL. We are crazy and plan on driving home---the airfares are too expensive and we're helping Jeff & Megan by driving their SUV home so Megan can fly with the kids.
*LaSalle winning their NCAA Tournament play-in game---now Philly has 3 teams in the tournament. Hopefully they all get to round 2.

I have gratitude today for...
* Jenn Nino posting a free DMB Live Trax album from Google Music that I didn't have yet.
* emails back and forth with Jillian. I'm hoping they can come for DMB weekend in June!
* a great session with Mike at the gym today. We did legs, shoulders and abs. I've realized my shoulders and upper body really need strengthening. My legs are already pretty strong, and abs are always hard. It was a great workout!
* going to Popejoy's open mic night at Falls Taproom. Andrea, Jeff and Lindsay were there too. They weren't able to start playing on time because the restaurant was full so we got to catch up for a while. We stayed for their set and then left around midnight.

I have gratitude today for...
* everything going smoothly for our trip home. We had to "get up" at 2:30am to leave Cocoa Beach by 3. I only slept for about an hour by the time I fell asleep and then started waking up concerned we'd oversleep. We drove to the airport, returned the car, and went through security, all with no issues. Our flight was on time and I had 4 days of parking credit on my account that I gave to Jeff to use. I actually felt much better than I thought I would considering I hardly slept last night.
* going to Trader Joe's and trying out some new things of theirs. I spent way too much time looking everything over. Some of the things I tried for the first time are: jasmine brown rice, frozen chicken egg rolls and quinoa & black bean chips.
* being able to take a nap when I got home. I took a shower, put on the TV and slept for about an hour.
* Kelly being ok. She texted me late this afternoon "I Love You" and then sent another one saying "We are in lockdown but we're going to be OK". I had no way of knowing what was happening. She didn't know and there was nothing on the school's website or on local news sites. I was so scared there was some crazy person in her school and started to think the worst. About an hour after the initial text, she sent another one saying "safe". I had to wait until 10pm to talk to her but at least I knew she was ok.
* a relaxing evening with Andy. We had stew for dinner that he made over the weekend and watched the Flyers game.

I have gratitude today for...
* spending time outside in the backyard this morning. It was a little chilly but sunny.
* Mom Roth coming with me to pick up the rental car for tomorrow morning. I ended up getting a nicer car than I was supposed to (Mazda 6 instead of Hyundai Elantra). I'm glad I looked at the rental agreement, they over charged me $35.
* it finally being warm enough to sit on the beach for a few hours. I finished the book by Jonathan Flores and talked with Andy for a while.
* booking a car service for N2 Camden in June! Now no one has to worry about driving for the Saturday show.
* making a yummy iced coffee with coffee leftover from this morning. Megan makes it really strong so it was perfect for iced coffee.
* a relaxing last night. We made dinner at home, Jeffrey hung out with us while we ate, and we watched Revenge.

I have gratitude today for...
* going to the Lucky Leprechaun race to watch Jeffrey & James run in the kids race. It was fun to see everyone dressed up for St. Patty's Day. Megan won 2nd place in the 30-39 age group and Jeff & Jeffrey won raffle prizes. It was a beautiful morning too!
* going to Sundari Yoga for a class this morning. I was going back and forth about buying a package. I wish I knew they were here when I first got here on Monday! I ended up buying a 10 pack, assuming we'll be back down in April or the fall. I was the only one that showed up for class so I got to experience a private class. It wasn't exactly a private lesson because she didn't really adjust me or critique my form (she did watch and guide me through most of the 2nd half instead of doing the poses along with me.) Still, it was a different experience being the only one there. Jean was very nice and I'm looking forward to going back there again. I definitely need to make sure I continue incorporating yoga. Lately every time I take a class I feel like I'm starting over. Yoga is also how I got skinny in 2011, everything else I'm doing isn't producing the results yoga produced when I was practicing 4-5 times a week.
* going to the beach for a little while even though it was breezy and chilly. I only stayed for a half hour or so but at least I can say I was there with a bathing suit on. The sun Gods didn't want me getting a tan on this trip. (Kind of kidding, I use so much sunblock now I rarely get tan anyway.)
* reading more of a book I started a while ago called "Stories from a Teacher" by Jonathan Flores. He tells great short stories that are raw and honest about teaching high school English in D.C.
* going to Milliken's near Port Canaveral. They had a great outside area with sand for the kids to play in. We met Megan's friends Millie & Daniel for apps and drinks. It was a bit chilly in the shade but the heat lamps helped a lot, (so did a few glasses of wine.)
* helping Jeff make S'mores with the boys for their "camping" trip in the backyard. Jeff made a small fire pit and we roasted marshmallows. The fire didn't last too long because we didn't have real firewood but it worked.

I have gratitude today for...
* spending a lot of the morning outside in the backyard.
* going out with Meg, the kids and Mom Roth to run errands. What could be more fun than going to Lowe's, Wal-Mart, The Dollar Tree & Wendy's? I bought the kids cute St. Patty's Day glasses and the adults St. Patty's Day lays.
* finally starting the 21-Day Meditation Challenge. I went to the beach and was annoyed because I thought the download wasn't working on my phone. After restarting it a few times it finally worked. For some reason I thought it would be a guided mediation the whole time. I liked listening to Deepak speaking, and tried to "clear my mind" during the mediation part. It was challenging but I did get something out of it. It helped that I was on the beach, listening to the ocean. I am interested to see how meditating progresses for me.
* going for an awesome run tonight! I ran for 3.3 miles, my furthest yet! I gave myself a point where I'd be "allowed" to walk, and when I got there I felt I could keep going. From that point I ran for almost an extra mile. I'm not focused on speed yet, I just want to be able to keep increase distance and the overall time I can run. I was really proud of myself tonight!
* Mom Roth treating us to Slow N Low. I had the pulled turkey with mashed potatoes and baked beans. I also sauteed some spinach to go with it. Everything was so good!
* talking with KB tonight. He updated me on Jenn's work situation and explained what's going on with her heart. He was so calm and it sounds like they are working with really good doctors. They are going to be in FL the first week in April so we'll get to see them if we come down. They're also planning on coming to DMB @ Camden with Julie so that will be fun!
* talking with Andy for a while tonight. He's the best for telling me to come down here to get away for a few days.

I have gratitude today for...
* Megan taking me along to try Cross-Fit. The owner Wayne was very nice and explained everything to me. I thought it was going to be much harder. I think my sessions with Mike are even more challenging (not saying this wasn't!) The hardest part for me was the weight lifting. I started off with a 30lb bar and that's more than I do at the gym. Overall I was able to finish everything and it felt great.
* going out with Megan and the kids to look at different consignment shops for a daybed to use in the "new" room. The boys ended up losing their patience and we had to come home. We had some good laughs while we were out running around. In the end she decided just to use the sofa bed she bought the other day.
* talking with Bob today. He told me GO isn't able to buy out our lease or cover our moving expenses. I told him Monday if they wouldn't help us with the move, we weren't moving. So---it's over. I will lose my position at the end of March. I am disappointed because I really liked this job and wish it all didn't have to change (going back to Sept.) I am trying to think positive thoughts, and believe I will be able to find something else that is an even better opportunity. I was extremely surprised they aren't willing to work with me at all. Oh well.
* Andy being so supportive about the whole job situation.
* talking with Ian after I talked to Bob. He has also been extremely supportive.
* making a dinner for everyone again tonight. We had rice & beans and quesadillas.
* helping Jeff & Megan paint the new room. We had a good time and it looks awesome!

I have gratitude today for...
* taking Erilin to the playground this morning. It was a little chilly but sunny, and nice to get outside! She might be the cutest little girl ever---she has the best personality and is so giggly and fun. I think she liked our walk better than actually playing at the playground. We were only there for 15 minutes or so.
* the nice man out walking that said hello to us. He was telling us about his grandchildren and gave Erilin a high-five before he continued on his morning walk.
* my huge spinach salad and tomato soup for lunch. I'm going to try eating more spinach in salads instead of always using mixed greens.
* being able to do my work outside this afternoon, and reading for a bit as well.
* my run this evening. I went early enough so it wasn't getting dark yet. I still don't necessarily love running, but I know it's going to help tone my stomach area and it's good for me so I keep pushing through.
* making an awesome dinner for Megan, Diane and Mom Roth tonight. I made pasta with tomato, garlic, white wine and olive oil and then sauteed some chicken and spinach to go with it. It was nice to sit down all together and have dinner with a glass of wine.
* watching some of American Idol tonight. My favorites had already gone but we caught the second half.
* going with Megan to pick up Jeff from the airport. I know she does the drive my herself all the time but it still makes me nervous. There are no lights, it's very boring and not good to drive by yourself when you're tired.

I have gratitude today for...
* Jeffrey giving me a big hug when Mom-Mom told him it was Aunt Teen on the couch. He didn't know I was coming and seemed genuinely excited I was here. Erilin was with him and they were so cute, coming up on the couch with me to say good morning.
* talking with Jeffrey and helping him calm down when he was upset their trip to Disney had to be postponed. It was a cloudy, rainy day---not good for Disney. He didn't want to hear what anyone had to say, but I started to explain how it wouldn't be any fun and we'd think of other fun things to do and he finally stopped crying. Love that kid!
* our fun trip to the Family Fun Center in Melbourne. Megan and I never laughed so hard as we took the boys onto the skating rink. They couldn't even stand up and we were hysterically laughing because we didn't even know how to teach them to skate. By the end of our time there, they were able to skate on their own! We also played laser tag and on the bounceys with Erilin.
* McDonald's Milkshakes! Since I'm a big kid I had to have one too. It was actually really good, it didn't seem like fake icy milk garbage.
* lying down for a little while this afternoon. I was so tired from not sleeping the last few nights, being up until 3am last night, and then getting up at 7am this morning. I watched the first episode of Army Wives and was able to fall asleep for maybe 20 minutes or so.
* going for a run after my rest. I ran the first half on the beach and the second half on the street because it was too dark to run on the beach alone. I've really been loving my workout mix now that it has close to 200 songs.

I have gratitude today for...
* receiving the Day 1 Meditation link for Oprah's 21-Day Meditation Challenge with Deepak Chopra. I've always wanted to try meditating and I know it would be good for me. I have a very hard time quieting my mind---even when I go for a massage or a Jin Sin Jyutsu session. I'm going to give this a shot and see what happens.
* the funny link Dad sent with cute kitty pictures. How do I convince Andy we need a kitty?
* my session with Hannelore today. I appreciated her agreeing to a lower per session rate so I can continue going every 3-4 weeks.
* lunch with Ian at Bertucci's. We talked about everything going on with my position, how I've been feeling about moving, and the lack of support from the company.
* Meredith giving me a ride to the airport. I was going to take the train but thank God she was able to give me a ride. By the time I got home from lunch with Ian and packed, I wouldn't have had time to get to the airport before my call with Bob.
* talking with Bob about our expectations for the move. I am realizing now they are probably going to offer very little as far as moving expenses are concerned. They also don't plan on increasing my pay at all. It will be interesting to hear what they come back with.
* finally getting to the house in Cocoa Beach safely, at 1:30am! What a nightmare of a trip. It started out with panicking I was already destined to miss my connecting flight in CLT because our plan in Philly was delayed 15 minutes. There was such a small window in between flights I was pretty much guaranteed to miss it. There were no other options aside from rescheduling for tomorrow so I took a chance and hoped we'd make some time up in the air. We arrived in CLT 40 minutes before my connecting flight so that was good news. Then, after being up in the air for 45 minutes on our way to Melbourne, the pilot came over the loud speaker and told us the cabin wasn't pressurizing. There was another mechanical issue and we had to go back to CLT. We didn't board our flight until 10:45 (we were supposed to ARRIVE in Melbourne at 10:44). We finally arrived in Melbourne around 12:45am. Megan had gone to sleep because she thought I'd be able to get a cab or rental car, and she wasn't responding to my texts. All rental cars were sold out and there were no cabs waiting at the airport. I thought I was going to be stranded there overnight. The man I sat next to on the plane offered to give me a ride to Cocoa Beach but I wasn't going to go anywhere with a man I don't know. It was very generous of him and he was a very nice guy, but still. I asked a couple I had been talking to in CLT while waiting for our new plane, if they were going near Cocoa Beach and offered to pay them to give me a ride. They lived 5 minutes from the airport. When they saw me standing there, visibly upset because I didn't know what to do, they came over to me and said they'd drive me. There are good samaritans in this world! At that point it felt like they had just offered me a million dollars. Jenn & Steve gave me a ride to Cocoa Beach, wouldn't take gas money, and are now my friends on Facebook. They really were saints tonight.
* my noise-cancelling headphones. I finally fell asleep on the living floor, and was happy to have the "sleep sounds" on my iPad with my headphones. Andy's mom was on the other side of the living room and I would have never slept without the headphones.

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to fall back asleep for a few hours after I was up from 3-6am. I couldn't sleep, and Andy snoring didn't help. I went onto the futon and watched a few episodes of Ellen until I fell asleep.
* making Sunday breakfast with Andy. We made breakfast potatoes, bacon and had grapefruit and bananas. We rarely make breakfast on the weekends so it was a nice treat.
* using my birthday free pizza offer from Tony A's for lunch today. We went to Andy's mom's house to return her car and get the mail. It was nice to sit outside and eat lunch. Andy spent some time cleaning up the backyard and I read on the deck.
* the adorable Vera Bradley makeup bag I bought today using my birthday certificate. I love how all of the my favorite places send  great birthday offers these days. I ended up only having to pay $10
for it!
* working with Mrs. C to set up her TS fundraiser for the Miles for Myeloma Philly 5K in April. We hit a few kinks but worked them out and now I know how to set up fundraisers/parties using Facebook.

I have gratitude today for...
* the sun shining and it warming up a bit (finally)!!!! I'm excited of minor signs of spring at this point.
* another awesome, hard, grueling, etc. spinning class with Mike at the gym. I can't believe how challenging those classes are, but I feel great at the end!
* deep cleaning the downstairs after the gym. The whole house needs to be cleaned from top to bottom. I only did the downstairs because I wanted to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.
* making a chicken quesadilla for lunch, sitting out back in the sunshine, and reading a whole lot of "People I Want to Punch in the Throat". That blog is my new favorite, the author Jen is a genius!
* chatting with Merideth for a few minutes when I was reading on the front porch. I am sure they think I'm a ghost. We still haven't had that glass of wine we talked about last April.
* Mom & Dad coming over for dinner. Andy, Mom, Dad and I hung out in the kitchen and talked while I cooked. I made the baked ziti and parmesan chicken I made last weekend, (it was that good) and I made a peanut butter pie crust with chocolate pudding for dessert. It was so nice to have them visit. After dinner we watched some funny YouTube videos and the Mumford & Sons concert from the Ed Sullivan theater.

I have gratitude today for...
* Mike sending me the workout documents from the last two weeks. Now I really need to start doing them on my own.
* Mom sending me a link to a Amazon Local Deal for Dolce & Clemente in Robbinsville. Our favorite Italian market!
* Jenny McCarthy on Rachael Ray. I love her!
* more emails from Kerry this morning that were supportive and encouraging.
* lunch with John at Baggataway's (yes, again.)
* talking with Bob today about the whole moving situation. I was very nervous and feeling very anxious and I just needed to breathe and explain where we are with things right now.
* treating myself to some new stuff from Victoria's Secret. I'm usually too cheap to spend that much money on underwear and bras but I had $20 off $50. I ended up getting 2 bras and 4 pairs of underwear for $40. Not too bad, and their quality is damn good!
* a relaxing night talking with Andy and watching TV. We watched a few episodes of Shark Tank. I've never thought much of that show but I really liked hearing the different ideas and critiquing how they interacted with the "sharks". It's actually very interesting.

I have gratitude today for...
* really enjoying my office now that it's functional and cleaned up!
* setting a few Tastefully Simple parties today for next month.
* one the bloggers I follow telling me which website she uses for her photo collages. I'm going to have to try it out!
* Vera Bradley reissuing my $20 birthday reward since I forgot to use it before the end of Feb. I've been hoping to get the large cosmetic bag and the iPad sleeve.
* finding a notebook with a bunch of blog entries from March and May 2011. There are several holes in my blog. Some were times when I was writing in a planner or notebook and then transferring to the blog. Others I simply wasn't writing at all and, for the life of me, can't remember anything about those days. Really the idea behind the blog is to write everyday, but sometimes that just doesn't happen.
* doing the elliptical even thought it was pretty late. We didn't eat dinner until after 9pm.

I have gratitude today for...
* falling back to sleep for a couple of hours after I woke up at 5am and couldn't get back to sleep.
* listening to my body and taking the day off from exercising. I was a little sore from my workout yesterday and exercised 7 or 8 days in a row. It was time for a break.
* the encouraging emails Kerry sent me about everything that is happening right now.
* having such a supportive husband who believes in me.
* watching the Villanova game with Andy. It was a great game and they finally won a big one! Hopefully it gets them into the tournament.

I have gratitude today for...
* working out this morning with Mike at the gym. He had me do several new exercises (including burpees, I've always been afraid of them.) I love how I'm learning new ways to work different muscle groups and I am doing things I never thought I could do. I was reluctant to spend the money on a trainer but I am getting so much out of it!
* lunch with John & Brian at Baggataway's. I had the veggie spring rolls for the first time since last spring when I gave up meat. They were very good! We had a great lunch talking about what's going on at the magazine and life in general.
* keeping my cool when I was questioned about my high expenses this month. I was sort of expecting it but I was proactive and explained why they were so high (almost $8,000!) I traveled 15 days last month and paid for hotel rooms for other people. I know I can justify each line item but it was annoying I even had to worry about it. By the end of the day the report was approved by my home office, we'll see what happens from there.
* my desk FINALLY looking like a desk. I've enjoyed working in my office and I just have a little more to do as far as organizing/cleaning goes.
* the new baked ziti recipe coming out so good tonight. Andy found a recipe without ricotta cheese and I tried making it tonight. It was awesome! I also made a parmesan crusted chicken cutlet to go with it. We both really enjoyed dinner---I love when new recipes are keepers!
* trying to use coconut oil again. I made cupcakes (I've really been wanting something sweet (not typical) and used egg whites and coconut oil to make them a little healthier. They were really fluffy and practically falling apart but they were a nice treat and I didn't feel guilty for eating one.
* finding my favorite on American Idol this season. Angela is my girl. I love her and think she's hands down the best contestant.

I have gratitude today for...
* talking with John this morning about what's happening with the magazine and how I'm feeling about everything going on these days.
* finally finished my expenses for February. I've been working on them for days and they still took forever to finish this morning. Can't wait to submit them and receive my reimbursement- I am owed a lot of money this month!
* getting my ass to another spin class. Today I went to the gym and the instructor Dave was great! I now realize what an art it is to find the right music for a spin class. I've never sweat so much in my life. It felt good though and I will definitely be incorporating spin classes into my weekly routine! I enjoyed talking with Dave after class.
* getting an email from Debbie saying they requested tickets for DMB@Camden this summer. We had so much fun having them stay with us last summer and I hope everything works out for them to stay with us again in June. I love having company!
* an impromptu dinner at Bertucci's with Andy. The salad and pizza were very good and it was easy. I didn't have anything planned for dinner so it was the perfect night to be lazy and go out.

I have gratitude today for...
* watching a few more episodes of The Taste this morning with Andy.
* going to a Yin Yoga class at Aim High this afternoon. It was so relaxing I was falling asleep during shavasana. I felt a little guilty because it wasn't a grueling workout, but I know the stretching and breathing exercises are important too. I really need to start doing yoga more regularly again. I've been working out for almost two months and nothing has changed--weight or inches. I know yoga made a huge difference when I went from a size 4/6 to a 2 in 2011!
* talking with Mom and Dad this afternoon. We made plans for them to come for dinner one night next weekend. They also recommended I watch "Yoga Is" on Netflix, I plan on watching this week!
* using our awesome jacuzzi tub tonight and taking a bath with the jets on. I had the radio on and lit all of the candles. It was nice to relax! I don't use the bathtub nearly enough.
* being in bed before 10:30, I'm trying to go to bed earlier and get up earlier. It is so much harder than it sounds!

I have gratitude today for...
* getting a bunch of errands done today. I usually don't go out on Saturdays and the traffic was annoying. I bought a bunch of stuff at BJ's that will make eating healthier easier during the week---grapefruits, frozen berries for smoothies, 100 calorie packs of guacamole, mixed greens, spinach, grass-fed ground beef and blue tortilla chips. Yum!
* sending out the package to Kaitlin, finally. I sent her a bunch of Tastefully Simple samples and a thank you note for ordering the Laura Mercier products for me.
* grilling burgers for lunch. I plan on giving up meat from April 1 until Memorial Day so I'm enjoying all of the stuff I love now.
* having a relaxing afternoon at home. We started watching The Taste and I worked on organizing my office some more.
* sending out a few messages about setting up Tastefully Simple fundraisers on Facebook. I'm hoping I can set up a few to get started. Next step is scheduling a few parties.
* my workout on the elliptical today. I'm really proud that I've been so dedicated to working out over the last two months. Summertime is always hard for me so I know I have to stay focused and dedicated!

I have gratitude today for...
* hearing good news from Jillian today.
* being able to take a few deep breaths, and talking to Ian today, when I felt completely overwhelmed by Bob's emails about our moving date.
* starting out the new month with fitting in the elliptical this afternoon. I enjoy watching American Idol and Ellen while I workout. They help make the time go by fairly quickly.
* making the 5:17 train into Philly. I cut it a little close and was worried I'd have to run to the train station. I got there with 5 minutes to spare.
* starting Jennie McCarthy's book "Confessions of a Recovering Catholic". I only read a few chapters on the train but I could relate and they made me laugh. I love her!
* drinks and apps at Oh Shea's pub with Andy, Ben, Jess & John before the show at Helium. After the day I had I really enjoyed a few beers.
* going to Helium for the Todd Glass show. Andy & I saw him last March and he was great. He repeated some jokes but we still laughed a lot and had a good time! The openers were funny too.
* grabbing a few beers with Ben after the show and then going back to his apartment. He played the guitar and we were singing songs. I know I'm a terrible singer but we were having so much fun and started looking up the lyrics online when it became clear we needed assistance.