The Royal Treatment

Well, I might not be a pretty pretty princess, but the royal wedding this morning sure made me remember my special day when I felt like one!



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True, I may not have married into royalty (as my godmother promised me twenty years ago that Prince William would surely be my future groom, along with every other little girl my age), but I wouldn't have traded my day as a bride for anything less than eleventy billion people attending my party in the world!!

In honor of the special day, I, along with the entire world, got up early to watch some of the festivities.  Did you know the Mother Queen has worn over 5,000 different hats in her lifetime?  I don't know whether or not it's sadder that she has worn THAT many head coverings in her lifetime or that someone actually has that job to count how many....lol. 

 Anywhoo, the coverage was gorgeous, and while I wouldn't have condoned standing outside Buckingham Palace for hours just to see a hand wave, I did thoroughly enjoy the kisses the couple shared on the balcony....ahhh romance.

So what to do to celebrate the day?  I decided to give myself The Royal Treatment!  Enter in spa services, classic cheap Rae style.  So how to indulge on a budget, on a Friday night after a week of craziness?  I give you the....

Pretty as a Princess Friday Night DIY Spa!

You will need the following:

Dr Teals Epsom Salts (yes, we love him)

A glass of bubbly ( or some diet ginger ale if you're a cool kid like me)

Gentle Face cleanser

A few tablespoons of sugar

Shocking pink Nail polish

Baby oil

A nice trashy novel

A Big Plush towel

A willing hubster ( I wonder if he'll kill me for that :-p)

Step 1:  Pour yo salts in a nice steamy bath.  Immerse.  Drink bubbly.  Read up on some trashy chick lit.

Step 2:  After about 15 minutes, run the faucet and combine face cleanser and sugar into a scrub and exfoliate that mug.  Use the rest of the scrub to pretty up knees, elbows and your other 2000 parts :-D

Step 3:  Step outta the tub, towel off, and rub some baby oil all over your legs and arms and mug.  Insta moisturizing for pennies.  Perfect.

Step 4:  Paint them tootsers shocking pink.  I hear its good luck to have pretty toes for a race.  Even though I destroy them in the process.  No one said perfection was a requirement :-D

Step 5:  After the tootsers are dry, seek out the willing hubster.  Ask for foot and leg massooges.  Smile pretty and bat your eyes :-)

Yay for the weekend - I hope everyone takes some time to relax and destress from the week, prince or princess style!!

Things that go bump!

Yup, that's ME.  Just call me Mister Bump.  Last weekend, when I went out for a bike ride with my buddy on the canal, we were on our way home on the trail and came upon a break in the path with three posts, where you were supposed to pick a side and coast through the opening to the other side of the path.  Out of nowhere, my buddy PUSHED me into a post and I crashed my bike! ....I decided too late which side to pick and ended up crashing my leg into the middle post.  Bummer.  I have a gorgeous black and blue and green and all shades of the rainbow mark down my left leg from hip to knee.  Beautiful!

http://www.nataliedee.com/

So, yesterday, we were helping my sister and brother in law move.  We had to move their belongings from a UHaul and two storage containers into a trailer (which was super awesome because it rained and the trailer LEAKED, causing the project to take over twice is long....my sister in law has the patience of a saint!)..and as I was helping move a piece of furniture off the UHaul ramp with a family friend, the piece of furniture turned strangely and bumped into my leg, knocking me off the ramp and into a railing....leaving a huge scrape all down my right leg.....which is a lovely shade of purple today. 

So....basically I am sporting rainbows down both legs.  It's a good thing I don't work for ABW anymore.  yeesh.

So that's the highlight of my week so far.  I lead a charmed existence, no?  On the running and tri front, I'm almost at the end of a 6 week cycle, so rest week is in sight!  I had a mid week brick yesterday (3 hour ride and 2 mile run off the bike) and was feeling pretty shot the whole time....which is a sure sign that it's about time for a break.  Since I have a half marathon this weekend, I think I am going to re-think my workouts for the next three days in order to go in a bit fresh.  I've got a long swim and strength today, speedwork and core tomorrow, and a bike Saturday.  I may nix a few of the workouts or reorganize them in order to feel good about Sunday.

About this race....not sure what kind of goals to put in place for it.  Last year, I ran a 1:57, but I did a duathlon the day before and was feeling pretty shot.  My half marathon PR is 1:52...I would love to beat that, but I haven't been doing too much in the way of speedwork, so I think we'll just see how that one goes :-D  Anyone else racing this weekend?  Here's to hoping the crazy winds and rain we've been having subside by then!  Until then....

Oh, you bet I bought those for the hubster. 

Back to the Grind

After a long weekend and playing catch up, its back to the good ole grind today.  Full day o work, full day o craziness, back to those healthy eats!



www.nataliedee.com

Not 'round these parts it isn't!!


Naner oats with almonds and cinnamon

Close up YUM!!!

And that, friends, has been the best part of my day so far.  Sad?  Maybe.  But I luuurrrvvveeee oats! I prefer to look at them as POWER FOOD!!!

On tap for the rest of the day:  oodles and oodles of work, catchin' up, and a swimmy swim.  I did pretty well playin' the catch up game (you can only do so much with a full day, yes?) and the swimmy swim went pretty well.  I did a cooper test, which is a 12 minute test for speed-basically you see how many yards you can complete in 12 minutes.  I did 700, which isn't too bad for me-not so much of a speed demon as my hubster, who can easily whip out a few hundred more yards, but its a work in progress!!  Finished up the workout with an easy mile and some drill work, easy peasy.

Okey smokey, nothin' super special else going on here....still trying to get back on board after the sugary weekend ....and prepping for a local half marathon this weekend, holler! 

What's your POWER FOOD?

Weekend Wonderfulness

After a way crazy weekend, it is time to get back to grindstone :-)  Thankfully, I can play a bit of catch up on the blog and vicariously relive this jam packed full weekend in photos!!
On Saturday, I took a break from standard tri training and spent some time with a friend from the past and new tri buddy, Brennan. We had plans for a nice mountain bike jaunt down the canal and ended up talking up a storm and biking all the way to Newark and back....about 30 miles and 3 hours of great talking and catching up!

Palmyra port!

The mountain bikes

Brennan and I-yes I still have my IMLP sticker on my helmet :-))

Awesomeness.  Brennan is in training for his first season of tri's...he's done a few road races and a duathlon with the hubster and I-can't wait to try to drown him in the lake go swimming at Kershaw this summer!(Kidding, friend :-D)  'Twas a great way to spend a Saturday Afternoon and I look forward to doing it again soon-hopefully next time we can get our Ironman in training (the hubster!) to join us!

Sunday, Easter day, was chock full of family goodness! I started out the day with a 10 mile run around my neighborhood and the hubster and I did our Easter baskets (we are such little kids-we can't wait!!)

Looks like the Easter Bunny Came!

Prezzies for the hubster

I was good, too :-)



New Splish suit!!

 After the Glaserino Easter, we headed out to my cousin Karen's house, who does a wonderful job every Easter and Christmas Eve of doing up the holiday in traditional Polish fashion!  Check it out!

Partaking in the blessed foods...my Aunt Sophie, our Matriarch, in spirit

Yum food!  Mama TFB and Cousin Kathy

Mama TFB and the hubster...awwww

A lil of my plate....sooo good!

Karen and Tom, the soon to be newlyweds!

My cousin Noah, celebrating his 22nd birthday!

 After stuffing ourselves silly with delicious brunch and birthday cake, we headed back to the casa to do an egg hunt with Mama TFB (sometimes you just don't grow up-I am more than fine with this!)

Huntin for Eggs!

Easter Basket 2...filled with Andy's Candy and Lotto tix...mmmm!!

Hubster-gettin gelled up for IMLP!

 As always, we got completely spoiled.  With more chocolate in our bellies, we headed out to the hubster's Aunt's house in Lima to do dinner with his side of the fam!

Me and the hubster chillin before dins!

Sis Tanya and bro Jeff!

Nephew Wyatt...thank goodness that Easter Bunny brings puzzles and not just sweets!

The whole family at dinner....such a yummy feast!

Dad Glaser says Holla!

My plate...yum yum! (Yes, I went back for seconds..and thirds!)

Dessert (well, part of it, lol)

Whew, what a weekend!!  Clearly, we passed out after that marathon of a day.

And here I am, on Monday, in a complete sugar hangover and remembering while Easter is wonderfully fun, I am so glad it only comes once a year! 

Back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow, friends :-D

Happy Easter!!

Hello friends!  Full recap of the weekend coming soon, including an epic mountain bike ride with my pal Brennan and Easter pics, but here’s a few laughs to enjoy the holiday!

Happy Easter to all-I hope you have a wonderful day with friends and family and eat many chocolate eggs, cadburys and peeps!  Tomorrow we get back on the healthy living wagon, holidays don’t count (much!)

The cookie monster!!

So, what’s a girl to do with a whole Friday off that happens to be Earth day?  We ride bikes!!  70 miles in the Ironman bank, cha-ching!!
And what do you do with a 3 hour and 46 minute workout window post ride?  (The workout window is specifically designed, in my opinion, to break your healthy living lifestyle post long workout -hey, I earned it!)
YOU MAKE COOKIES!!!  And so I headed over to Mama TFB's (yeah, that’s tri’ing for balance-and yes, I am trying to be cool ) with the hubster to make some Easter cutouts!
Check it out!

ready to roll em out

Mama TFB doin' her baking thang!

Cookies ready to go!

(Yeah, thats my grilled cheese on the lower rack.  I multitask!)

Decorating man DUZ DEKORATING!

The finished product...so pretty!!

Hungry??  Give ‘em a whirl!

Mama TFB’s Easter Cutouts
Makes about 3 dozen
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix until just combined. Add flour and baking powder in intervals. Dough will seem as if doesn't have enough moisture but continue to mix with mixer until combined (it will come together when chilled). Divide the dough into four equal parts, shape into four disks, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate about an hour or until firm. Preheat oven to 375 F.  Roll out dough on floured surface, about 1/4 inch thick for crispier cookies and 1/3 inch thick for softer cookies. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets. (Feel free to eat scraps of some raw dough to, ya know, ‘taste test’.  Bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges just start to turn a golden color. For softer cookies, do not allow the cookies to take on color. Remove from oven, let cool for one minute and then transfer to wire rack. Allow cookie sheet to cool thoroughly before placing uncooked dough on it.
Decorate cookies with icing (a paste of water, almond flavoring and confectioner’s sugar) and sprinkles!

holy yum!!  Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to go test the final products…..to make sure it’s safe to serve, of course!!

Won Ton Creations

I'm BAACKKK!!!  Feeling much better, thank you very much.  I would like to blame my idiocy on working out in the sleet for several hours, the unpredictable Rochester weather, work stress, and other life stress for my 24 hour bug.  No, really....I enjoyed a day of nothing, probably way too much :-D

But now, onto our regularly scheduled programming, folks.  It's almost Easter (if it snows here on Sunday, by goodness, I really AM relocating!) and I am super excited for a fun filled weekend with cookie making, brunching with the polish relations, and then doing dinner with my lovely new family (yep, the hubsters.  They rock my socks off because not only do they accept me, but they also bring my small but mighty family right into the fray!  YAY!)

Before the sugar coated madness of the weekend, the hubster and I decided to spend a little time together tonight because the Sabres aren't playing because we like to have fun date nights.  And what's more exciting  to a frugal foodie than making a fun dinner together?  I give you the Glaser wonton creations!

I got a coupon from Nasoya a few months ago for a really sweet deal on any of their products, and these intruiged me.  But what to do with them?  We decided to throw culture out the window and mix asian with mexican with italian with rando veggies and create a wonton feast :-)

On the Menu: black bean wontons, sausage wontons (for hubs) and sweet tater wontons (alll mine!)

Lets say it with pictures, no?



Assemble your ingredients




Enlist a helper!

fill your wrappers!

seal with egg wash, then place another wraper on top!

Pretty crimps with a fork!

Sweet potato filling (with cinnamon and maple syrup)

Hubster in action!

different style wrapperz-single folded

Eat leftover filling!





Pop those suckas in the oven at 400 for 8 minutes!



mmmm....some got a bit browner than others :-)

Serve with some dippin sauce and veggies!!

Awesome date night, yay!!