MIMM: Anniversary Recap #2 & Other Marvels

November 11, 2013 by Christine Skari

Let’s take a look at all the marvelous things that are happening lately!

Marvelous is my 3 year anniversary date with Kyle!

Not only did he spoil me with a steak and lobster dinner at home, we also went to Cold Spring Tavern! It’s rated the top romantic getaway restaurant in Santa Barbara and it blows us away every time we go!

We started off the meal with a platter of appetizers that included charbroiled tiger shrimp, venison sausage stuffed mushrooms, and artichoke hearts which were absolutely delicious! By this point we had been feasting on so much of their warm bread that I would have felt completely satisfied with leaving dinner at that.

Our entrees came with a first course of either lobster bisque, salad, or a hearty chili, and Kyle and I decided to order the bisque and chili so we could try a bit of everything. I feel like it’s almost comical to watch us eat since we’re always swapping dishes across the table!

For his main entree, Kyle ordered the Sautéed Duck Breast which came with sautéed vegetables and unreal garlic mashed potatoes. His dish was definitely the highlight of the meal!

For my main, I ordered the Cold Spring Chicken that was superb as well. It came stuffed with an almond-raisin stuffing and smothered with a sherry, sour cream, and mushroom sauce. Yum!

We had a wonderful evening and can’t wait to head up the mountains to our little getaway soon!

(Before I forget, thank you guys SO much for the kind comments you left on my last post! You guys sure make me feel the love and Kyle adores reading compliments directed to him (even if he won’t admit it ;))

Marvelous is shopping!

Kyle humored me while I picked up a few things from Forever21. I feel like those benches were designed to hold all the poor brothers, boyfriends, and husbands. It always makes me laugh when I see a hoard of males camped out there!

Marvelous is going to the zoo today for my best friend’s birthday!

Happy birthday Kelty, I love you! I feel so blessed to have you in my life and I value your friendship more than anything. You have such a kind heart, great sense of humor, and are always there for me. I could go on and on about your wonderful qualities!

Marvelous is baking!

I’m trying out a new recipe for lightened up pumpkin bread, so stay tuned folks!

{Skinny Banana Bread Recipe}

What’s the most marvelous thing about your monday?

MIMM: Halloween Shenanigans & Getting Back In The Groove!

November 3, 2013 by Christine Skari

Happy Monday folks! It’s back to the grind for me after a long week of Halloween festivities. If you’ve ever been to Santa Barbara around October, you’d know how HUGE of an ordeal it is here. Madness I tell ya!

In a weird way I’m almost relieved that the holiday is over. While I look forward to it every year, having a solid week of partying, lack of sleep, and junk food makes me feel sluggish and exhausted. I only have one body, so I need to show it the love, care, and respect it deserves. I’ve been craving veggies and exercise like no other!

Anyways, onwards to Marvelous In My Monday fun!

Marvelous is having a fantastic Halloween with all my favorite people!

Marvelous is endlessly decorating and loving the final results!

Marvelous is a fan-freaking-tastic first workout back!

This morning I walked with Kyle to one of our nearby gyms and completed my “I Don’t Want to Workout Workout”. I love how it sneakily challenges me and leaves me feeling worked-out and sweaty. After my time on the treadmill, I tortured myself with an awesome ab workout from my “Abs Trainer” iPhone app. If you’re ever in the market for a great collection of ab workout with a built-in timer and demonstrations, this is the perfect app!

Marvelous is coffee dates with my love!

Not so marvelous? Massive amounts of chemistry, biochemistry, and physics studying. Yikes.

Marvelous is impromptu paddle boarding with friends!

On Saturday my housemates and two of our foreign friends headed out to the beach for some impromptu paddle boarding fun. The water was freezing and it took me about 20 minutes to actually get in, but it was a blast and I loved being able to be out on the waves. There’s something so therapeutic about being out in nature and I’m going to make a conscious effort to capitalize on all the possible activities that the mountains and beaches that surround Santa Barbara bring!

Anyways, that’s all folks! Sorry to bombard this post with pictures :).

Hope you have some fabulous MIMM additions as well!

Milking a Sea Urchin For Its Jizz & Halloween Things

October 31, 2013 by Christine Skari

Happy Halloween to all of my lovely readers!

I hope you guys have some fun plans for today/the weekend- I know I do! The college I go to (UCSB) is known for it’s absolutely huge Halloween celebrations and things get crazy over here this time of year. Chaos!

The next couple of days will be a whirlwind of activities, including a Halloween party that my housemates and I will be throwing! Pictures to come when we get all the decorations up :). Let’s just say that we’re going to be going crazy with recipes and decorations from Pinterest.

{Source}

Oh, and some more fun things that have been going on lately, like me forcing a sea urchin to jizz all over itself, then sucking it up with a pipette. Yup, you heard me correctly. The things I do in my biology lab.

The purpose of the experiment was to study the fertilization and early development in echinoderms, which was incredibly interesting and fascinating to see under a microscope. Let’s be honest, though, the main thing I took away from it was that I sexually assaulted a sea urchin with a pipette and potassium chloride.

And with that on your mind, have a safe Halloween!

MIMM: Work Hard, Play Hard

October 27, 2013 by Christine Skari

I have to say, Monday is a bit of a jerk. Here I am, minding my own business and having a wonderful weekend and Monday always comes along to ruin all my fun. Boo!

Good thing I have some Marvelous in My Monday reflections to help remind me that working hard correlates to playing hard and hopefully that will give me the motivation I need to make it till Thursday (Halloween shenanigans)!

Off we go!

Marvelous is a fun night out!

On Friday a few of my closest friends and I headed out for a great night of dancing, laughter, and fun! We ended up not getting to sleep till 4 in the morning, but it was completely worth the great time!

Marvelous is coffee dates with my handsome guy!

Coffee+Kyle=LOVE!

Marvelous is new foreign friends!

A few weeks ago we met a group of foreign boys who are currently studying abroad at my college from England, Scotland, and Ireland and have been having a blast hanging out with them and comparing our cultures. Our hearts melt when they call us “lassies”! (SO cute!!)

Marvelous is fun fitness!

Being pretty sick for two weeks and having zero time for sleep/working out has really taken a toll on my overall fitness. Not only was I basically stationary for half a month, I lost a sizable amount of weight from having no appetite and have been feeling pretty feeble and weak (something I hate- I love being a strong girl!). It’s a bit irritating to me how quickly you can become out of shape, but I’m working on getting myself back to my previous fitness levels now that I have a bit more time for myself. I’m a huge fan of fun exercise, so tennis with Tiana and our foreign boys is a great way to get my heart rate up and get some conditioning in!

Annnddd that’s all folks! Hope you have some Marvelous In Your Monday as well!

Oh, and one quick thing before I sign off!

I’d love to feature some recipes/workouts from you guys on my Facebook page, so let me know via the comments or shoot me an email/tweet if you have anything in particular you’d like to share!

Still Alive

October 24, 2013 by Christine Skari

It feels like forever and a day since I lasted posted, and, even if it’s only been a little over a week, I’ve missed blogging like crazy!

I can’t even begin to express how hectic things have been in my life lately and I’ve almost felt as if I’m drowning under all the work and studying that college has been throwing at me. I’m talking waking up at 6 and not ending till 1-2 in the morning and repeating that for almost two weeks. That, coupled with getting pretty sick (almost better!), has left me feeling worn to the bone and uninspired in terms of cooking, exercise, and incorporating “fun” into my life.

The life of a Biology major, man!

Anyways, enough complaining. Long story short, I’m ridiculously happy and relieved to have time to blog again and am really looking forward to catching up with all of you crazy kids as well! Expect some new recipes soon and my regular posting to return!

Some other random things:

These new boots that I just ordered at a steal price. Obsessed. Hautelook is amazing!
I’ve been thinking about rewarding myself with a fitness treat! I’m thinking either a garmin or tennis racket. Thoughts?
Pretty sure I’ve overdosed on coffee. I never thought I’d reach that point, but I’ve been inhaling it like it was liquid gold for the last couple of weeks. Pray that it wears off!
This guy is my rock. Honestly, I’m not even sure how he puts up with me when I get stressed out and hormonal haha, sometimes I can’t even stand myself ;). The other day, we had a delicious lunch date at a quaint Italian restaurant in Santa Barbara.

This post has been a little all over the place, but it’s great to be back!