It’s been a great week filled with new foods, activities and goals! I started off the week by deciding to only have a sugary treat on Saturdays. And I made it! Week two here I come.
The second biggest thing to happen was that my copy of Something Blue by Emily Giffin finally came in at the library. It is the second book to Something Borrowed which was a book that I flew through in one week. Well the big news is that I read all 338 pages of Something Blue in ONE day. Not only that but I worked two jobs that day! I think that’s pretty amazing. ALSO if you have not read these books I think they are pretty amazing and addicting. The movie Something Borrowed with Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin was good…but check out the book first.
Jaryl also took some big steps this week in new life goals. He had been studying like crazy for his personal training certification and plans to take the test next month. Besides that he is pursuing new careers and making plans for our future theatre.
Here are some of the foods we tried this week! These have 6 grains, including Quinoa! Delicious!
An energy drink filled with green tea and no added sugars. It did the trick when I had to be up at 4AM! Plus I love anything peach! This was my first ever energy drink.
A delicious substitute to a sugary fudgsicle. (Although we try to avoid artificial sweeteners like splenda) These ones taste like chocolate stars!
Today we saw The Secret World of Arrietty. Jaryl will be telling you all about it later tonight! ALSO stay tuned next week for some crazy adventures with….. THIS GUY!
Thank you to those of you who have stuck with me through my crappy blogging month of February! Who knew that the hard part of this New Years Resolution would not be actually doing a new thing everyday, but writing about it! Lucky for me I never said in my resolution that I had to blog every day! So needless to say Jaryl and I are having a good year trying new foods, inventing new games, and learning a lot. I am excited for the summer months to come so we can do more outdoor activities!
Tonight we got a rare opportunity to have dinner with our friends Chris and Rena. Sadly this was the first time we have entertained all year. (Unless you count our best friend Brandy sleeping on our floor! Which is…..not really entertaining, just our life Hi Brandy!). Firstly we were very excited to get to use the 4 person pasta serving set that we got as a wedding present almost 3 (wow!) years ago. It seems we always have more than 4 people over. Not only that but in this particular circle of friends we have someone allergic to dairy, fruit and of course me! (a strict vegetarian.) So we had delicious spaghetti and I even sprung for some dairy free mozzarella.
Trans Fat free
Dairy free
Free of all animal products (Vegan)
Free of common allergens including: Dairy (casein and lactose), soy, gluten, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts (excluding coconut)
Free of Artificial Ingredients
Free of Preservatives
Free of Hormones & Antibiotics
Kosher
So you may be wondering could something like that actually taste good?? The answer is yes. Although it had an oily feel due to the coconut oil, it has great flavor and texture!
We loved seeing our friends and their beautiful baby. It was long over due.
We ended the night by playing Mario Kart on the Wii and Jaryl placed first on Rainbow Road for the first time ever!!
So let us play catch up on the world of Madison and Jaryl.
Saturday February 25th
Saturday I had a call back for Renton Civic Theatre. (Nailed it by the way! And you will be hearing about The Purse Thief in April). Then we headed up to my Uncle’s and Cousin’s Birthday party. THEN we had to head back down to Jaryl’s show. Needless to say time to try something new was slim.
So around 11PM when life started winding down we decided to try some new demos on The Wii shop channel. We tried a game called Fluidity. Which was a physics based water game where you are a pile of water. You tilt the wii remote different directions to get through the various mazes, gears, and even jump over holes and enemies while collecting more water. The music is calming and the game itself is quite charming. Just be careful not to lose all your water! We both recommend you check it out on your Wii or right here http://www.nintendo.com/gamesites/wii/fluidity/
Jaryl says “It’s AWESOME! I want to get the full game!”
After that we tried a not so awesome game called 3D Pixel Racing. Which at first sight is a cute racing game that is made out of knock-off legos. But that is as far as it goes. if you veer off the track even slightly it flashes in a glitchy sort of way that Excite Bike for the NES used to do and puts you back a few seconds on the track. LAME. I think we can leave the world of Legos to…..LEGO.
Sunday February 26th
Today was also packed full of work, work, and a performance. However when looking at the ads I did find a coupon for a new interesting product. Philadelphia Indulgence. A new line of chocolate cream cheeses. Now I must find I was slightly intrigued, however I knew it was just a ploy to get people to think they were eating something more healthy. Regardless, later that day I came around the corner at the grocery store and there it was….. They were sampling out the chocolate cream cheese! Was it good? It was just eh. A dulled down version of frosting. If I am going to have chocolate I am going to have it all the way! I would rather dip my fruit or cookies in ACTUAL frosting!
Monday February 27th
Today Jaryl took me to one of my teaching jobs on Mercer Island. On the way we decided to stop some where we always wanted to, Island Books. It was a great size, a nice feel and a big selection. (Not a used book store though, which is our favorite.) The children’s section was awesome and filled with cool instruments and toys. But the most important part of this story is the most beautiful stainless steel water bottle I have ever found! (The picture does not give it justice.) The colors were vibrant and called out to me. “I am going to make Jaryl buy me this water bottle” I thought. UNTIL we turned it over to look at the price…..
That’s right. 42.50. Eww. NO WAY Island books! No way.
This is the story of 2 new things. An audition and how I got the courage to do it!
Tonight I auditioned for Renton Civic Theatre’s The Purse Thief. I had a very long work day and so I was not feeling very energetic. I was drained…I was in need of…..super power! So in order to prep for my audition I tried this natural energy Drink called….. Hi Ball. 10 calories. No Carbs. No Sugars. No preservatives. No Artificial sweeteners. PLUS filled with natural caffeine and vitamins. (They also have a juice version, but that’s too many calories for me!) The only reason it has taken me so long to try it is the price. 2.40 for a small bottle! But this was a special occasion.
So I tried orange! Did it do the trick? It sure did! Jaryl looked at me and said ” how bad is it?” I knew he did not like carbonated water so I told him to imagine the worst as he took a swig.
“It was the worst! It was the worst!!!! Guess I will be the only one with energy tonight.
So we headed down to the Renton Civic Theatre, got a little lost. (Not to unusual for us). When we did arrive I was a little skeptical of the theatre. We were in downtown Renton which I am unfamiliar with and the theatre was right next to a convenience store with posters of beer everywhere. But this is a true story of not judging a book by its cover. We were both delighted with the theatre. The inside is so cute. There are pictures everywhere of past productions (I think more theatre should do that). And two stair cases on either side of the doors that enter the theatre. (Where they go? I guess that is for another time) But the point is I really enjoyed the nostalgia feel of the theatre. The stage itself was great. Not too big, not too little. The Audition went well and maybe just maybe, it was my orange Hiball. Next time I will have to try grapefruit or vanilla.
So it took 48 days for me to fall behind on the blogging. Not bad considering I am juggling 5 jobs and rehearsals. But don’t you fret! Jaryl and I have still been sticking to out plans of something new every day! And here is our weekend update for you!
Friday February 17th
Jaryl took me to the dentist this morning. I have not been having good experiences there, although I know I am lucky to be going at all! I am on my 3rd dentist because of the high rate of turnover at this particular location. NOT good considering the first guy gave me bad fillings and now I am having to go in and have them all fixed. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME.
But back to the point. For quite sometime I have been grinding my teeth in my sleep. Jaryl has been great and constantly waking me up but I knew if I did not do something about it soon I could really do some damage. SO today the dentist said we could fit me for a night guard and asked me if I had received a price quote on that. I said no, so the secretary came in and said the insurance didn’t cover it. ( I don’t understand why. It’s not a cosmetic thing, it’s a I could lose my teeth thing!) It was $444!! I could pay half now and half later. Ha! Like that made a difference.
So the dentist said I could get some over the counter guards that were not the best, but would do. I had not gotten one before because I have TMJ and the box said to consult your dentist first. So today I tried one. It was weird. I had to boil it and then imprint my teeth on it. But when it was all said and done I realized I have the mouth of a small child and it was way too loose! Jaryl and I both decided I could choke on it in the night and also after some more research an ill-fitting night guard can shift your jaw. eww. So now I am back to square one. So if anyone else has TMJ, a clicking jaw or bruxism (teeth grinding) and has some tips let me know.
Saturday February 18th
Since my favorite holiday has come to pass I put on a little weight. Darn you Valentines day and your cute candy and baked goods! So it was time to get back on the horse and eat right and workout. So today was the big health kick off. Jaryl and I went grocery shopping and made sure to purchase lots of produce, protein and no snacks. Expect for our favorite Pop Chips! (So awesome if you haven’t tried them.) Next to the pop chips though was something new.
BEST purchase I could have made! Even Jaryl likes them. We decided they taste like chocolate drizzled cinnamon toast crunch. And finally a sweet treat that won’t wreck my diet.
Besides eating right today I HAD to work out. So Instead of going to the gym I was going to do some workouts from my latest issue of Fitness magazine and my Biggest Loser Yoga DVD. BUT my yoga dvd is sadly missing. So after I completed various workouts from the magazine I decided to look for some workouts on Youtube. I was surprised to find so much. (You really can get anything on the internet. I once looked up how to make a sonic screwdriver…It was there.)
So I ended up doing a ten minute kick boxing videohttp://youtu.be/ZlX_Gy4HP2E and then a 20 minute martial arts videohttp://youtu.be/yCekB36YGEc (super fun the people running it are very peppy).
Sunday February 19th.
Today Jaryl and I had a cozy night at home. Recently Jaryl decided that in order to find good monologues he is going to read all the plays on the Pulitzer Prize list. So Together we read Dinner with Friends By Donald Margulies. It is a delightful play about two couples and their lives together. But suddenly it all changes when one of the couples gets a divorce. Jaryl and I both loved how real the dialogue was. It was all very natural and some of the banter between the couples was very familiar to us . One play down! Many more to go!
Today Jaryl and I tried Trophy Cupcakes in Wallingford. I was very excited to surprise him. We both love cupcakes, we even had cupcakes at our wedding. We usually go to Pinkabella Cupcakes in Redmond and they are the BEST. The store is all pinked out and the selection of flavors is great and they are all delicious.
I was excited to find another place to try. The inside was cute. Not pink so subtract a point there. The flavors were…okay. I guess towards the end of the day there is not much to pick from but still. I ended up getting a Neapolitan and Jaryl got a triple chocolate. I was so happy when they put them in a box. When we got home I opened it right up and bit in. EWW.
The cake is dry.
The taste is Blan.
The frosting is gross.
And of course….they do not celebrate the color pink.
Jaryl had the same things to say. These cupcakes are not worth the calories, and do not even compare to Pinkabella. Not to mention they were 50 cents more a piece than Pinkabella prices! You are better off picking up a cupccake at your local grocery store. Trophy Cupcakes….WHO gave you your trophy??
If you do want to check out Pinkabella cupcakes they are in Redmond, Lynwood, Bellevue, Queen Anne and South Center. They have the BEST red velvet cake I have ever tasted. Plus you can buy shots of frosting!
Although I look happy in this picture, I was not. This was before I bit in.
Tonight as I was about to spend another night working on stuff in Starbucks and going to the gym, I got a last minute invite from my friend Jordi to go to J’ADORE!: A Burlesque Valentine at the Triple Door in Seattle. Of course I said yes! I had neither been to the Triple Door OR a Burlesque show (Unless you count Cher and Christina….) so this would be 2 firsts in one. Luckily always prepared for an outing, I found my cute hat and make up in the car and we were off. (So much for the gym).
We had a FABULOUS time. There were all types of acts! A beautiful Hula Dance, Our favorite act was a girl dressed in roses and she came out in the audience and slowly gave them all away… The people right next to us got one and I was jealous. (I told Jordi we had to get one….but we did not). You will see Jordi and I pictured with her below! (Unfortunately not in her roses) And THEN who wouldn’t want to see A girl come out of an oyster!
The act was full of dancing, and some very funny dances too! Including one where a girl was dressed up in a box of chocolates and as she did a cute dance and found out there was actually candy in them she got distracted and kept eating.
The Triple Door itself was beautiful and the food was great. We enjoyed a great virgin drink called a Scamp and the green beans were delicious.So sorry Jaryl is in Tech for another show and could not be here! I will definitely bring him!
Here’s A little bit more about the show!
Seattle’s reigning Burlesque super-troupe delivers a gorgeous and glittering VALENTINE featuring some of the Bombshells’ most exhilarating acts to date. J’Adore! promises to celebrate l’amour with good humor, style, and a healthy dose of dazzle! Bring a friend, a lover, a family member, or a secret crush, and celebrate with the Valentine’s Burlesque spectacular that will leave you shouting: “J’ADORE……The Atomic Bombshells!” The incomparable Jasper McCann emcees with high style and charm.
It was a long long day. I, Jaryl, got to work at 4;30AM because Madison had to work an opening shift at 5:00. What was I going to do?? Madison needed the car. When I arrived I did a lot of work on auditions and the play I’m in: The Young Man from Atlanta. I clocked in a half an hour early, 6:15AM, and started the work day off. I had to work until 5 and then hed off to rehearsal until 10!
I was so tired. So very very tired. What was I going to do? I was not going to float along all day in a sleepy daze. While I was giving the Bistro girl a break, I realized what I had to do. I had to…Drink Coffee. I don’t want to drink coffee. I’ve never really tried it before, but I knew that I had to try. First drink. That’s right I said first drink which means I had more than one. I made myself a 2 shot latte. Disgusting. So, I added vanilla. Even more disgusting, but I drank it anyway. Second drink. I had a 2 shot Americano. Iced. I drank that all up. It was gross as well. But then I started to think, maybe it wasn’t. I’ll try it again. Third drink. Another 2 shot Americano. Nope…still gross. Now, lets count how many shots I had on the first day I had coffee. 2 + 2 +2. 6 shots.
Needless to say I was bouncing off the wall. The Bistro girl told me that I would crash pretty hard, but I never did. However…I WILL NEVER DRINK COFFEE AGAIN. It’s gross. Someone told me that it was a taste I’ll get use to. I’m sorry but if I have to get use to a taste, I don’t want to. NO THANK YOU!!!
White chocolate is such an interesting thing. I am not even sure most people know that it is in fact NOT CHOCOLATE. Most versions contain milk and sugar, which just the thought of it makes me ill. I remember as a child white chocolate became really popular when Hershey’s came out with those cookies and cream bars. I think the fact that I had too many of those as a kid might be why I stay away from white chocolate now.
However a few days ago I had a sip of a white chocolate Mocha Milkshake and it was soooo good. (I make a rule of not drinking calories and after that sip I a reminded of why) So that led me to think… could white chocolate be on my side again? Well tonight Jaryl and I tried a white chocolate kit kat and a white chocolate . The results? Delicious. We both loved the white chocolate Reese’s because it really enhances the peanut butter taste. The Kit Kat was also good but I think we will stick to milk chocolate for that!
While on a run through the neighborhood of Wallingford tonight, I came across Molly Moon’s! A delicious hand-made ice cream store that our friend Daniel had just recommended to us. So this must be a SIGN I thought! (Only I could let a wonderful run lead to ice cream).
Now I had heard of Molly Moon’s a couple times before but I never gave much thought to it. I heard they had….unusual flavors. The last time I tried an odd flavored ice cream was at my friend Alli’s house. It was Snoqualmie Ice cream…and it was Lavender flavored! Everyone looked at me as I took the first bite….
“Well, what does it taste like?” Her Dad asked.
“Lavender….” I said.
(He would agree with me very soon. Although it sounds dumb the only way to explain it’s taste is just that. Lavender.) Either way. It was not good. So you can see why I haven’t been rushing to get down to Molly Moon’s. But this year is a year for new things after all. And fate had led me here…right?
So as soon as Jaryl was done with rehearsal we headed in. The store was small. A line of about 10 people in about 20 feet of space. I sampled salted caramel, earl grey and I wanted to try more (Particularly chili chocolate) BUT the girls working there were unpleasant to say the least. So I settled on a kids cone of Scout mint (mint ice cream with thin mints crushed in). I know it wasn’t what I sampled but sometimes I don’t make sense.
Jaryl sampled Theo Chocolate and that’s what he got. Don’t worry I tricked him into trying mine…even though he hates mint. But he needs to try new things.
The ice cream was delicious. I will go back to see what new flavors they get.
These have 6 grains, including Quinoa! Delicious!
An energy drink filled with green tea and no added sugars. It did the trick when I had to be up at 4AM! Plus I love anything peach! This was my first ever energy drink.
A delicious substitute to a sugary fudgsicle. (Although we try to avoid artificial sweeteners like splenda) These ones taste like chocolate stars!
