No Phone Zone...

I have been hearing all about "The No Phone Zone" from Oprah, I watched the show today and then decided to take the pledge. I will not text while driving and if I talk on the phone I will use a hand free device.
Here is the LINK to take the pledge for yourself...Help save a life!

A little motivation...

Have you ever thought about the connection between happiness and good health? Most of us would probably agree that there is a connection, but many of us don't take the time to build a foundation of good health. Good health can be the launching pad for great things. Think about when you are filling under the weather. It is hard to stay on track and consistent with your goals when your body isn't up to the challenge. It is extremely important to make sure your body stays in great condition if you want to build happiness within your life.
-From Sparkpeople.com-

A little thought for the day...on that note I am going to work out!

Eggplant Tomato Sauce

I made this for dinner last night. It was really yummy. I am a big fan of eggplant. It was quick and easy! I found the recipe on Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes! It is a great site with tons of recipes that include the WW points. I am not on WW, but some of my friends are, but it is also a nice guide for us non WW people. Enjoy!




Eggplant and Tomato Sauce
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 3/4 cup • Calories: 131 • Points: 2.5 ww points

1 medium eggplant, cut in 1/2" cubes
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

28 oz can plum tomatoes including juice (I like Tuttorosso)

salt and fresh ground pepper
chopped herbs like basil and parsley
In a large deep frying pan, saute garlic in olive oil. Add eggplant and saute about 2-3 minutes. Coarsely chop tomatoes and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, uncovered about 15-20 minutes. Add fresh chopped herbs and toss with pasta (extra points).

Lila Grace

Mark's brother Dave and his wife Heather welcomed their daughter Lila Grace Franklin on Sunday. Heather had a smooth delivery and everyone is feeling good! We brought pizza to the hospital last night and had a mini pizza party in celebration. I honestly have never seen Dave and Heather so happy. Heather told me " I know I wasn't feeling very motherly during my pregnancy, but the second I saw her it just wasn't weird anymore, I feel like a mom, it is just not weird" Brought tears to my eyes... COngrats Dave and Heather

Dave and Lila


Mark, Sarah and I admiring


The next thing that brought tears to my eyes, was watching Mark hold her and love on her. He is not afraid to pick any baby up - 2 hours old or 8 years old. He is such a guys guy and masculine but I just see it all melt away whenever he holds a baby...I can see it on his face, he is going to make a great dad and I love him even more for it!



There have been quite a few babies born on the Bajorek/Franklin side. It is so exciting...How thankful I am to God that all of these babies have been healthy. How thankful I am that we have such a loving and open family. How thankful I am that my siblings let me be apart of their kids lives in such a big way. I am sure I can be overwhelming at times because I always want to be around. I feel so thankful that I married a man who places his family first, even when it is not easy. And how thankful I am that we hope to be able to start a family one day too!...Life is good!

Mary Beth and Brian's Wedding

I finally had the chance to upload some pictures from my sister's wedding. It was a great weekend, I think MB and Brian really had a good time! It was great being with family and friends. I seriously didn't think it was possible to love my nieces and nephews anymore, but low and behold, they were so cute, I couldn't get enough of them! Mark and I also had a good time reflecting back on our wedding day and the past 10 months of marriage. We both agreed that we think we are doing a pretty good job! Here are a lot of pictures!!


















Lilly (I think)

Alex built this tower of books and then fell asleep on it...seriously?? how cute!



The one and only Evan!

Sweet Little Diana

March of Dimes

I walked in the March of Dimes Walk for Indianapolis this morning. It is an organization that promotes healthy pregnancy and babies...Our NICU has a team every year. I really enjoy this walk. not only are we supporting the babies we take care of every day, we also get to see some NICU graduates. It is a positive, uplifting day! I didn't take any pictures, it was wet and rainy!

Here is the LINK to the Indiana website.

Funk

I have been in a funk this week...Ever since we got home Sunday from Sister's wedding, I have just felt exhausted. Not sure if it was just from the busy 4 day wedding weekend or what, but I am in a funk! All I want to do is sleep and vegout ...As I was doing my morning blog stalking, I stumbled upon this on the The Happiness Project Blog
It is titled "Nine Things You Can Do Everyday- When You Can't Do Anything Else" This is what I am doing today..Don't Judge!!! (I also think I might do a little neice babysitting) I will be posting pictures soon from my sister's wedding!

PS. My sister in law Lauren, started a blog about Lilly and Diana...I added to my side bar-check out these cute girls!

Lemon- Poppy Seed Cookies

I decided that I wanted to make something to bring with me when I head home to Columbus tomorrow for my sisters wedding. We are having a cookout tomorrow night so I wanted to bring a dessert, something light and tasty...These looked perfect. I got the recipe from Annie's Eats! It was easy and quick. Did I mention these are fabulous?!! I did have to double the recipe to get 24 cookies, mine were kinda big. They are so yummy, especially if you like lemon things! I will be adding these to my rotation! Enjoy



Recipe and picture courtesy of Annie's Eats.

Yield: 18-24 cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1 large egg

For the glaze:
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest and egg until blended. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.

Drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are set and just beginning to brown at the edges (do not let the tops brown). Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack set over wax paper to cool a bit before glazing.

To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add more lemon juice if necessary, just until the glaze has reached a consistency good for drizzling over the cookies. Glaze the cookies and let the glaze set before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Source: adapted from Baking Bites

A Case of Bad Breath

So our dog, Bailey has started to have some real bad breath over the past few months. I mean, I think dog breath is always a little stinky, but this was a dramatic increase in stinky-ness. We had made no changes in her food or treats. So we decided to try this product called, "Dental Fresh". It is a mouthwash type liquid, that you put in their water bowl. They are not supposed to taste it. SO we have been using this for almost 2 weeks now...WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT HAS MADE. Her breath is a million times better. Thank You Dental Fresh!!! And remember a little goes a long way! It only cost us around $8.



Just add to your pet's drinking water for optimal oral health.
Dental Fresh protects teeth and gums, removes plaque and tartar, brightens teeth, and freshens breath. Makes professional cleaning faster, easier, and gentler

What Are You Saving It For?

This is one of the blogs I check on a weekly basis( insert stalker music here) I really liked her message today about What are you Saving it for? Sometimes I am guilty of this...Stressed if my house isn't always spotless, anxious about all the laundry I have to do, don't want to get my new China all "old looking" This is dumb, and this! post from " The Blessed Nest" says is beautifully! Have a great day!

I am leaving you with pictures of my nieces and nephews from Easter time. I absolutely adore them. Each day I pick a new favorite...not sure who is my favorite today! I am so excited to see them this weekend...

Diana and Lilly


Evan and Alex


I seriously need to talk Mark into having some of these!

Trying...

So I am going to be trying something new...since the weather is getting nicer, I am going to be trying to get up in the am 3/week to exercise. When I say AM, I am talking like before work at like 5-5:15 AM. I am either going to walk or do some strength training. Wish me luck! I am posting an article from Sparkpeople.com about morning exercise.

I am not a morning person.

This confession will come as no surprise to my friends and family, most of whom have spent many glorious years making merry over my tendency to nod off over breakfast, my need for copious amounts of coffee before noon, and my late-night bursts of productivity.

For years I’ve tried to pretend I’m one of “them”—those chirpy, cheerful folks who rise effortlessly at dawn to go after that proverbial worm. I’ve also spent many years suppressing the urge to complain bitterly about a world where night owls like me suffer grievous discrimination at the hands of those ubiquitous “normal” people.

So those who know me best are always startled—no, make that shocked—to find out that I do most of my exercising in the early hours of the day, anywhere from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. They’re even more astonished, after an initial double take, to discover that I actually like to get my exercise in early.

Really.

And though my morning-exercise regimen started out as a concession to the practical constraints of my life, I have since discovered that there are some very good benefits to learning to love exercise in the morning—so I’ll share with you my “Top Ten Reasons” for getting up with the early birds to get moving:
Exercising early in the morning "jump starts" your metabolism, keeping it elevated for hours, sometimes for up to 24 hours! As a result, you’ll be burning more calories all day long—just because you exercised in the morning.

Exercising in the morning energizes you for the day—not to mention that gratifying feeling of virtue you have knowing you’ve done something disciplined and good for you. (Much better than a worm!)

Studies have shown that exercise significantly increases mental acuity—a benefit that lasts four to ten hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m. means you get to harness that brainpower, instead of wasting it while you’re snoozing.

Assuming you make exercise a true priority, it shouldn’t be a major problem to get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier—especially since regular exercise generally means a higher quality of sleep, which in turn means you’ll probably require less sleep. (If getting up 30 to 60 minutes earlier each day seems too daunting, you can ease into it with 10 to 20 minutes at first.)

When you exercise at about the same time every morning—especially if you wake up regularly at about the same time—you’re regulating your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms. Your body learns that you do the same thing just about every day, and it begins to prepare for waking and exercise several hours before you actually open your eyes. That’s beneficial because:


Your body’s not “confused” by wildly changing wake-up times, which means waking up is much less painful. (You may even find that you don’t need an alarm clock most days.)

Hormones prepare your body for exercise by regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow to muscles, etc.

Your metabolism, along with all the hormones involved in activity and exercise, begin to elevate while you're sleeping. As a result, you’ll feel more alert, energized, and ready to exercise when you do wake up.

Many people find that morning exercise has a tendency to regulate their appetite for the rest of the day. Not only do they eat less (since activity causes the release of endorphins, which in turn diminishes appetite), they also choose healthier portions of healthier foods.

People who consistently exercise find, sometimes to their great surprise, that the appointed time every morning evolves into something they look forward to. Besides the satisfaction of taking care of themselves, they find it’s a great time to plan their day, pray, or just think more clearly—things most of us often don’t get to do otherwise.

Exercising first thing in the morning is the most foolproof way to ensure that other things don’t overtake your fitness commitment, particularly if you have a hectic family life. (It’s so easy to wimp out in the evening, when we’re tired or faced with such tasks as rustling up dinner and helping with homework.)

More than 90% of those who exercise consistently have a morning fitness routine. If you want to exercise on a regular basis, the odds are in your favor if you squeeze your workout into the a.m.

Non-morning people can always trick themselves in the a.m. Having trouble psyching yourself up for a sunrise jog? Do what I did—tell yourself that you’ll still be so fast asleep that you won’t even remember—much less mind!
By Rebecca Pratt, staff writer

Worry

Im sure many of you have learned that I am person who worries about everything. I can't help but worry about the big things in my life right down to the daily decisions. It is no way to live and I work on try to let go of that worry and have faith that everything will work out according to His plan. Mark is starting a new job next week, He is so excited and this is a great step for him, but with it has come a lot of worry for me (and him as well) What to expect, it will be a huge learning curve for him, how will this affect his time at home and so on and on...So I came across this passage this morning during my morning prayer time...

"Jesus said, "That is why I tell you not worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. For life is more then food, and your body more then clothing. Can all you worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things? Your Father already knows your needs, seek Him and He will give you everything you need." (Luke,22-32)


What a great reminder...Have a GREAT Wednesday everyone!

Glory Days...

I can't help but catch the March Madness fever. I know I only played at Ball State, but still watching these games, listening to how the players talk totally begins to flood my thoughts with my days as a division 1 college basketball player. By no means was I the star or very good for that matter, but I did work hard, I put my team first and did what was asked of me. So last night during the national championship, I started looking through old picture (many of which are not digital-ha) So I thought I would share of few. I don't have many in my uniform or anything, but with my teammates, some of my best friends. I learned so much about myself and life. I learned about commitment, trust, the power of a positive attitude, adversity, communication...I could go on and on! I would go back and do it in a heart beat (minus the broken hip) It was truly one of the best experience in my life







Glory days yeah goin back
Glory days aw he ain't never had
Glory days, glory days

Now I think I'm going down to the well tonight
and I'm going to drink till I get my fill
And I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it
but I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture
a little of the glory of, well time slips away
and leaves you with nothing mister but
boring stories of glory days

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! We had a great first Easter as a married couple!Church and brunch with Mark's family. Giving thanks and praise for my faith, husband, family and friends. oh and of course my cute doggy!

Another Book Review-

Ok- it may seem like I all I have been doing is reading lately, and the truth is, it is all I have been doing lately BUT...I have been sick on the couch for almost a week, plus I traveled to NYC so I had some good airport time with my Kindle. I love my Kindle, so easy to carry, so easy to use and plus I feel cool when I am using( Did i just say that outloud?) This was a great book, easy reading, comical, didn't have to think= my kinda book! It is called "Faking it" by Elisa Lorello. Here is the synopsis if you care:



Thirty-four-year old professor Andi Cutrone has broken up with her fiancé in Massachusetts , moved back to her native New York, and wants to be a better lover. So after meeting Devin, a handsome, charming escort, she proposes an unusual arrangement: lessons about writing in exchange for lessons about sex. When Devin accepts Andi’s proposal, he draws up a contract in which the two are forbidden to see each other socially. There’s just one problem: Andi also wants Devin.

Halfway into their arrangement, Devin and Andi break the rules of their contract and begin spending time together outside their weekly tutorials of drafting essays and dancing while stripped down. As they grow closer, Andi struggles to hide her feelings from Devin and accept herself as just another client while Devin attempts to maintain a “business as usual” attitude. Enter Sam, a New England professor with whom Andi begins a long distance relationship.

As their protective layers peel away, Andi and Devin discover each other ‘faking it’ and hiding their true selves from the world. However, once fully uncovered, both must decide how (and with whom) they will honor these truths. Will she give up her New York life for Sam? Will she hold out for Devin? Is it even possible to be in love with two men?

Faking It is a witty, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-wrenching story about relationships, writing, and getting real.

Liked it! On to the next one!