A Big Purchase

I did it. I purchased the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought for myself.

Well, it’s the most money I’ve spent outside of my Invisalign treatment and the time I contributed money (along with my dad) for the purchase of my car… or the time I paid for car repairs following an accident or two.

I consider car purchases/repairs a necessary expense, but what I bought today was purely for fun.

I bought… drum roll please… my first digital SLR camera.

Nikon D3000

This beautiful baby is a Nikon D3000, and I found it for a reasonable price on Amazon.com (+ no tax + free shipping!) and am excited to take picture after picture with my new toy.

Ever since Ryan’s mom let me borrow her SLR camera before Christmas I’ve been pining for my own. The image quality from my point and shoot camera from my college days just isn’t cutting it.

When I returned the amazing borrowed SLR camera to Ryan’s mom after more than a month of use (have you noticed my pictures have returned to less-than-stellar status?) , I felt an ache and longing for a wonderful camera of my own.

I shopped around, did some research and compared pricing and finally settled on this model. I hope to have it within a week! Yippee!!!

I must admit I feel a little anxious about making such a big purchase.

Are you a spender or a saver?

I am a “saver” by nature and get an antsy feeling if I spend more than $40 at any given store (yes, even my beloved grocery store).

Buying something this expensive is a big deal but I know it is something I will use daily (gotta keep the blog lookin’ pretty) and a nice camera will be wonderful throughout the wedding planning process and on our honeymoon. Heck, I hope it’s around to snap some pretty pictures of lil’ babies one day! Until then, Sadie will be my muse. 😉

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever purchased for yourself?

As for dinner, I didn’t eat dinner tonight because I’m broke and can no longer afford food.

Kidding! 😉

Dinner was an economical meal though. Ryan and I enjoyed a big ol’ helping of Monterey Pasta Company’s spinach and ricotta ravioli with marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, portobello mushrooms, onion and broccoli.

Ravioli Bowl

All Stirred Up

Gahhh, I’m full!

Off to watch the last two episodes of Gossip Girl season two (with Ryan – shhh!) and dream about my new camera! Enjoy your evening, friends!

Mini Pizzas

I had my own little pizza party at lunch today.

Pizza Party for One

I used a whole wheat sandwich thin as my crust and topped it with tomato basil marinara sauce, broccoli and mozzarella cheese.

Half the Pizza

Cheesy and delicious.

Daily Routines

One reader (heeey, Lisa!) commented on my last post asking what my morning routine looks like. Below is a timeline of a typical weekday morning in mah life:

• 5:30 a.m. – wake up, get dressed for gym
• 5:45 – 7 a.m. –  gym (sometimes shorter, sometimes longer depending on my workout)
• 7 a.m. – 7:40 a.m. – walk Sadie
• 7:40 – 8:10 a.m. – shower, get dressed
• 8:10 – 8:20 a.m. – pack food for the day
• 8:35 a.m. – arrive at work

Typing all of this out makes it seem like I do a lot in the morning, but really my mornings fly by! I don’t really sit down to relax until I arrive at my desk, but my work out keeps me entertained and I love my morning walk with Sadie (when it’s not in the 30s outside).

What does your morning routine look like? Feel free to give me a play-by-play. I find it oddly interesting.

My active mornings give me more time to relax after work. When I arrive home around 5:30 p.m., Ryan and I generally do something with Sadie for an hour (take her on a walk or to the dog park) before running an odd errand every so often, cooking dinner, eating and  enjoying “hang out time.”

What’s your favorite time of the day?

My favorite time of the day is dinnertime, followed by the time after we’re done eating. It’s when I feel like everything on my to do list is complete and I can settle in with Ryan and the pup for the night.

Vanilla Pumpkin Overnight Oats

The anticipation of a good breakfast makes getting up in the morning a bit easier for me.

Last night I prepped my morning meal: overnight oats with lots o’ pumpkin!

Vanilla Pumpkin Overnight Oats

The thick ‘n’ creamy mixture included:

• One packet of Kashi GoLean creamy truly vanilla hot cereal
• 1/3 c. pumpkin
• 1/4 c. cottage cheese
• 1 Oikos 0% Greek yogurt

Oikos

Kashi Vanilla Hot Cereal

I stirred it up and let it chill in the fridge overnight. This morning I dug in and loved every bite of this sweet and thick concoction.

Yum, Yum

What’s your favorite make-ahead meal?

As I said last night, my favorite make-ahead meal is definitely something in the crock pot. There’s nothing like coming home to an apartment filled with the smell of a delicious dinner.

Morning Work Out

Ryan is transitioning into morning workouts. Usually I work out in the morning, and he goes into work early and hits the gym after work… so by the time I’m off work he’s done working out. Lately though, he said he wasn’t in the mood to go to the gym after a full day at work. I don’t blame him and can’t remember how on earth I would workout after work when I first graduated from college. Ick.

Do you prefer a morning, lunchtime or evening workout?

I definitely prefer getting my workout done first thing in the morning. It feels good to check it off my list and accomplish something right off the bat!

Waking up at 5:30 a.m. seemed insane to me before, but like anything else, after a week or two of dedication it became habit.

After his first morning workout yesterday Ryan said he was in a good mood all day and was happy to be able to relax after work rather than rush to the gym. I’m sure Sadie likes the extra time with her daddy too! 😀

This morning I did 50 minutes of cardio:

• 10 min. stair master
• 10 min. arc trainer
• 20 min. elliptical
• 5 min. run
• 5 min. incline walking

I really enjoy breaking up my cardio into shorter segments on various machines. It really prevents boredom and makes the workout fly by!

Enjoy your Tuesday, fabulous readers! 🙂