Fab Five Friday

Say that 5 times, fast....

1. Public transportation

In just a short amount of time I've gone from a huge fear of public trans to absolute infatuation. Great for people watching and beautiful views.

This one is my favorite <3

There was a guy on the train doing amazing yo-yo tricks. I wanted to take a video so badly...must. gain. courage.

2. Goat cheese

It's creamy & sinfully delicious. What's not to love? I first had it at Carrabba's in their Chicken Bryan. Crap it's good. So good that I had to search for the recipe and test it out myself.

I couldn't stop long enough to take a picture of the final plate. But there were leftovers! 

....with a side of vegetable couscous. Yum!

3. H&M

I'm 100% out of control borderline obsessed with this store. Good quality clothes with very reasonable prices....I'm sold. Clearly....

I went again this week...got a free shirt which really helped the end total. She couldn't find the tag and asked if it was a set with the pants...I said sure! Ok. Free shirt.

4. Coffee

Without it I believe I would die I would never make it through the day. The BFF said it perfectly..." You're in Jersey now...This ain't Florida!" I feel like I'm going nonstop from the moment I wake up til the time I force myself to stop. I'm no energizer bunny I tell ya!

5. Late Night TV

I'm so deliriously tired by the time I lay down, but I still have to get in a daily dose of Friends, and more recently, Big Bang Theory. BBT is geek-tastic.

That is all. Have a great weekend! xoxo

Hi my name is Jacki...

...and I'm a shopaholic. This past week has been a whirlwind of shopping. To explain: I got my first grown-up job since graduating! Eek! Combine this with the fact that I needed a whole new wardrobe because Florida apparel is not appropriate to wear in NJ/PA. 

But let's take it back a little further...Last Friday was Restaurant Week in Philly. Clearly being the food lover that I am, I had to partake. Dinner was at The Prime Rib and included a 3 course meal for $35...hello sweet deal! 

Course 1: Caesar salad
Course 2: Crab Imperial
Course 3: Options included Key Lime Pie, Creme Brulee, & Chocolate Mousse Pie...anyone that knows me should know what I chose.

Ok, ok....and back to shopping. I'm currently having a love affair with fall jackets. They're everywhere & I have total zero self-control. I caved and bought the motorcycle jacket from H&M; paired with skinny jeans and my new ankle boots, I looked fab ;)
Forever21 had some seriously cute jackets...I was torn.

My fashion advisor picked option 1. <3 loooove it!

And some other outfits...

...to wear with my new brown stretchy pants & brown flats

Day 1's outfit...I was a little nervous about my tattoos and nose piercing. Unnecessary. I saw both of these things on my fellow co-workers during the tour. Yay!

This makes me feel fancy.

Day 2's outfit

Day 3 was a Friday aka Jeans Day. This excites me. Clearly I had to buy another pair of jeans from Hollister.

Grand total of my shopping excursion: 

After a year of no employment & not having any really early classes I was seriously unused to waking up early. I subjected others to my pain ;)

The J.O.B.

Last Monday I went in to meet with the Bookkeeper I would be working with. They informed me they had another interview that afternoon and would get back the next day. A couple hours later I received the call offering me the position. Good choice people. Good choice. Even better...they wanted me to start in 2 days! Eek! Deal!

Day 1 they wasted no time putting me to work. Bank recs all day long. Holy eyeball pain. This old girl is not used to working. Everyone was super nice & welcoming. The company bought the Accounting department lunch for my first day. 

They sure know the way to my heart.

...as does "the boyfriend". Have I mentioned how much I love food?? especially cozy little Italian places that serve orgasmic pasta.

Pasta with onions & pancetta in a spicy marinara sauce

The rest of the weekend was filled with more good food, family, & friends. Now I need to get organized for my first full week of work. 

Challenges I foresee:

1. Multiple people needing to get ready around the same time in the morning
2. Finding the train station
3. Getting off at the right stop
4. The most important one: figuring in my workouts after a long day

I'm extremely grateful for all those that have given me the encouragement and help that I needed to get to this point. I don't think I've ever been this happy...just ask my sister ;)

Wish me luck this week! xoxo

SUPER...

In the news today....Kirstie Alley lost weight...again. This woman is out of control with her yo-yo weight. Her heart has got to be pissed at her.

She dropped from a size 14 to a 4...Let's see how long this lasts.

She should take a few pointers from Dr. Ozs's 6 Easy Ways to Extend Your Life:

1. Get up off your butt! People who sit for hours at work are going to die sooner. 
2. An egg a day keeps you out of the ground. One egg packs 13% of daily protein and only 4% of daily calories.
3. Take chromium to maintain blood sugar levels. 
4. As my friend Bart would say: Floss!! Apparently cramming before you see the dentist isn't really effective. Who knew?
5. Check your pulse when you wake up in the morning. You might already be dead, in which case, these pointers would be useless.
6. Do a self-massage...no, not that kind. Start with your thumbs by the sides of your nose and walk the index and middle finger across to the temple.

Superfoods

I'm a big fan of SUPERfoods and SUPERsets. They're...SUPERawesome. Here are just a few SUPERfoods you can easily include in your diet to keep you alive. 

1. Beets
2. Horseradish 
3. Sweet potatoes
4. Cruciferous veggies--cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli rabe
5. Blueberries
6. Dark, leafy greens
7. Canned Salmon

Now you say, Great, but what the heck can I make with these things. Well people here ya go:

Beet dip with Sour Cream and Horseradish

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Puree

Miso Noodle Soup

Salmon Cakes

Pasta with Walnut Pesto, Sausage, and Brocolli Rabe

Frozen Yogurt Sundae with Spiced Nuts

I'm squeezing in a quick run & ab workout before the Phillies game today! I love my life :) Wish I could get paid to do this.

Have a happy, healthy Thursday!! 

UPDATE:

1.63 mi in 16 min...The best part of the run:

Down hill with a cool breeze on my face

Wonderful Wednesday

This is my first time doing a themed day...but I felt it was in order.

Last Friday I had an interview, which I thought went pretty well. Apparently they did too because they're calling my references!

Thanks 'Susie' for the rave review! Now to find a backup reference for a boss that is no longer with the company.

Next order of business would be to meet the other girls in the accounting department.

I'm off to get my but whooped by Jillian and run some errands! Fingers crossed for a call back!

xoxo

Here's a little sneak peak of tonight's dinner ;)

Menu:
Pan-grilled, herb & garlic marinated chicken, coated in parmesan cheese

Oven roasted potatoes with fresh garlic, rosemary, and chopped parsley

Combine all with extra virgin olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place the potatoes in the oven and roast for about 30 to 40 minutes at 375 degrees, shaking the baking sheet occasionally

Fresh salad with black olives and garlic feta

Eek! I'm so excited! <3 

Can't. Stop. Thinking.

Something to know about me: I'm a planner...like far in the distance planner. And once I have my mind set on something there's no stopping it.

Halloween is only a mere 49 days away people. I'm thinking about dressing up as Sandy in Grease (favoritest movie ever, along with Pretty Woman).

Recently I was in H&M and spotted this fierce motorcycle jacket. I've been having dreams about it ever since. Why did I not buy it?!

I'm taking this discovery as a sign.

....and now back to another grueling JM workout. Sandy's pants are pretty tight.

Changes...

Change (v.): to become different; to become altered or modified

I've always had an aversion to this word. It scares me. One of the reasons I like accounting/finance is because its black & white. Clear as day. Now I know some change can be a good thing, but some people just go a little crazy with it. Since I've been back I've seen a lot of this...more in some than others. People grow up- I get that. It's life. Things happen. Some have grown into better, stronger people, some have gone through experiences that makes life simply more difficult, and then there's the very select few that seemingly have not changed a bit. 


Changing in a positive way is the least scary kind to me. I can accept this more easily. But if it goes in the opposite direction things get crazy. To this I say: Be true to yourself. Don't let anyone or anything change what is not already broken. Don't get caught up in life, greed, and relationships to the point where you are no longer human. 


"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves..."


On a positive note, we welcomed two babies into the world this week! Congratulations  on the birth of these little boys. May the changes you experience be ones that bring extreme happiness.