New Year's Yummies!

Ok, so I admit it! I am an old lady! Oh but my husband is just as bad! We will NOT be watching the ball drop! WHY, you ask? Well because we are in bed with the lights out in our 10th dream by 9:30! yep! So, we won't see the ball drop, we won't scream Happy New Year and make out at 12am, we won't be hugging and kissing everyone (unless we are dreaming about it, but I doubt that)....
BUT~ I do know that celebrating with a glass of Champagne is a TRADITION! I LOVE Champagne, especially Prosecco Champagne from ITALY! Unlike Champagne, Prosecco is made withe the charmat method of producing sparkling wine in which the second fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks not in the bottle. The shorter, less labor intensive method is ideal for Prosecco as it preserves the crisp, young, fresh flavor of the grapes and keeps it affordable.

When choosing a good Prosecco look for the D.O.C. denominations: Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, Prosecco di Conegliano or Prosecco di Valdobbiadene. These wines are always a good bet for quality. Also the sub-denomination Cartizze (indicating they were grown on the slopes around the village of San Pietro di Barbozza). These are known for their drier, more mineral characteristics. It is best to drink Prosecco within three years of its vintage to experience its peak freshness, although many of the high-quality wines are best aged up to seven years.

 It's so crisp and refreshing and yes, one small glass will get me off my feet and floating in the air! I get light, kiddy and soooo smiley! LOL!


So, although We won't be toasting, you just may be! So enjoy some of these great tasty recipes....

New Year's Champagne Cocktail Recipes
It is tradition to toast the New Year with a glass of champagne. If you want a sweet twist on champagne for the upcoming New Year’s festivities, try one of these delicious recipes:






Bellini
A bellini is a nice alternative to your New Year’s bubbly, and makes a perfect drink for a New Year’s Day brunch. This classic cocktail is a mix of champagne and peach nectar is enjoying revival among cocktail enthusiasts. Use the recipe below to create your own delightful version of the bellini:

• 2 oz peach juice or peach puree
• 4 oz champagne or prosecco

Pour peach puree into champagne glass and add champagne. You can also create a “Baby Bellini” which is a non-alcoholic version of the drink. Simply substitute sparking cider for prosecco to make this yummy mock tail.
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Kiwi Sparkle
Enjoy this unexpected take on champagne. Garnish with a slice of kiwi to give guests a hint at what’s inside.

• 3 oz champagne
• ½ oz kiwi liqueur
• 1 oz kiwi juice
• Black Velvet

Serve this twist on traditional Irish stout to your beer-drinking guests. Great if you're having a casual party but still want to get a champagne toast in when the ball drops.


Create a 4:1 ratio of champagne and black Irish stout
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Champagne Fizz
Sugar and lemon give this fizzy drink a lemon-drop flavor. A good combination of sweet and sour, this cocktail will be sure to please your guests.

• 3 oz. chilled champagne
• 1 ½ oz. gin
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar.

Pour the gin, lemon juice, and sugar into a cocktail shaker that is half filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a champagne flute and add champagne. Serve chilled.
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Champagne Sangria
Try a twist on traditional sangria with this bubbly adaptation.

• ½ cup of orange juice
• 1 cup strawberries, blended
• Chopped fruit (apple, mango, orange, lime)
• 1 bottle of champagne

Prepare a large bowl or pitcher. Add in the orange juice, strawberries, and fruit. Mix together well. Allow to sit for at least a few hours (and preferably overnight), so the liquids absorb the flavors of the fruit.


Add in the champagne just before serving, so that it doesn't go flat.
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Poinsettia
Perfect for holidays, this ruby red cocktail will punch up your party.

• ½ oz Cointreau or triple sec
• Champagne
• 3 oz cranberry juice

Pour the Cointreau and cranberry juice into champagne flutes. Top off with champagne.
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French 75
Named after WWI French artillery gun, this drink packs as much punch as its name implies.

• ½ oz lemon juice
• 1 oz gin
• ½ oz Cointreau
• Champagne

Pour the lemon juice or gin and Cointreau into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a champagne flute and add champagne.
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Champagne & Strawberries
When in doubt, keep it simple and give guests the option to have their champagne as is or garnished with strawberries for a hint of flavor or do as I did for our wedding day... PINK Champagne with Raspberries inside! OMG! So delish!

As always, be safe..Drink with responsibility and remember..you are not the only one on the road, so if you have had a few drinks, TAKE A CAB, GET A RIDE or find a couch to sleep on!! 
XO

Green Goddess Granola Contest!

Ok ladies and Gents! Here is your chance to taste my AMAZING CLEAN HEALTHY TASTY GREEN GODDESS GRANOLA for FREE! You win 3 bags of Granola: Peppermint, simply & Protein granola...All you have to do is email me your New Year's Goals and how you plan on achieving your goal, along with your pics! SO! What are you waiting for! Hurry and email me! I will announce the winner on January 4th! Once I announce the winner, I will also post their goals and pics! I will be mailing your granola right away, so make sure you give me your mailing address! :O)

I am actually meeting with an artist who is working on creating a design for my granola bags!

I am thrilled to embark on this new encounter! I love to help people learn how to eat healthy and clean!

In the meantime, you will receive your granola in a bag, that does NOT have my design BUT, you will have a FAB bag! The granola will stay fresh in the sealed bag for 2-3 weeks!

Mario and I recently went to the movies...Mario likes deep dark movies while I love the typical chick flicks! I love romance and humor. This movie was Great, I gotta tell you!

“Brothers”, the new film from Jim Sheridan (”In America”, “My Left Foot”), has such a wonderful premise for an honest story of emotional conflict: Natalie Portman plays a wife and mother whose husband (Tobey Maguire) goes missing while on a tour of duty in Afghanistan and presumed dead. She finds solace in his brother played by Jake Gyllenhaal. But then, it turns out that Maguire wasn't really dead! He returns and you get a conflict so thick you could drizzle it over pancakes.
I thought it was such an intense movie! The little girls in the movie were INCREDIBLE actresses! I definitely say GO SEE IT, but bring a box of tissues! It's a sad but touching movie!

off to the surgeon I went!

Finally! I did it! I have been on antibiotics now for 4 days feeling like crap! They give me the runs! Everything I eat comes right out! The meds did NOTHING for this GROSS infection on my freakin finger! I went to a Surgeon this morning. Dr. Charney in Rye was awesome! He did make me cry though! He looked at my finger and told me I have a bad case of:
Paronychia- which is:An infection that develops along the edge of the fingernail or toenail is called a paronychia (pear-ah-NIK-ee-ah). It is the most common hand infection and, if left untreated, can progress to a more severe infection of the entire finger or toe.
Well, he had to numb my whole finger and in doing this, it took two enormous needles!! One between my pointer and middle finger, and one between my pointer and thumb! OMG!!!! I started to cry like a baby! he came back in the room 10 minutes later as I was super numb and feeling queasy in my belly (I am such a baby)....he layed me down and took out this funky looking razor, I glanced over and saw blood, and just inhaled nuce and deep as he scrpaed out all the goo!
Here is what I am left with...

My finger is so swollen and sore! It's black and blue and all I wanted was my husband to comfort me! I called him from the room with tears in my eyes! I know, I am a drama queen, but I hate pain and boo boos! :O(

Well, Mario felt bad for me, but not enough to NOT cook his dinner, so off I go! On tonights menu, I am making him Chopped lobster meat rolled into Lemon Sole baked in lemon juice parsley and EVOO over brown rice pasta with spinach mushrooms and diced tomatoes! Want the recipe? Shoot me an email! iluvfitness@gmail.com

I'll be back with a new video and some fab pics! oh, ha! here I am on Christmas Eve, LOVING my blonde hair! :O)

Double Duty today!

I feel as though I have reached a bit of a plateau with my weight. I also know for a fact that I am burning less calories when running because I tack it with my Polar Heart Rate monitor. When I first started running I would burn tons of calories, but now as my body is getting used to the running, I am more in shape cardiovascular, so I am not burning as many. When I woke up, I had a Green Goddess Shake. It was delish! About an hour and 30 minutes later, I got my running sneaks on and headed out!

So today I amped it up a bit. I had a 6 mile run ahead of me....so the first three miles I ran pretty good until I had to make a potty run! I could not hold it in, and knew I would just get cramps, so i ran to the potty. When I returned, I ran at a 6.0 speed pace, and then for the next three miles, I would play games with myself. I would walk .25 miles, sprint.25 miles at 7.0 and I did this till I hit 8.0 speed and got to my 6th mile. So I ran 6 miles in 1 hour and 10 minutes....The bladder screwed me up, but I am glad I got to sprint and test out my legs!

When I got home, I had 2 natures Path waffles, 1 tbsp almond butter and Smashed pumpkin with cinnamon on top. I checked my emails, showered and back to the gym I went. I hit my legs and core really good. I have been doing some reading on how runners are supposed to train differently.....

For example, Watching yourself do bicep curls and isolating that bicep will do you no good. Many of the standard gym exercises like curls and tricep kickbacks do a very little for sports performance. Anything done on a machine is totally worthless for a runner, unless it's for rehab purposes.

so what do I do??? First, do just about everything with free weights. Second, focus on movements, not muscles. The whole idea of “working my biceps” is a bodybuilding idea, that has nothing to do with running. Athletics has to do with working in coordinated movements, which is the opposite of isolating muscles.

You want to look at the six basic human movement patterns, and base your weight training around them. The movements are:

1.)Squat (squats, lunges, deadlifts, jumps, kettlebell Swings)
2.)Push (pushups, bench press, dips)
3.)Pull (pullups, rows, rope climbs)
4.)Twist (cable rotations, full contact twists, hitting a heavy bag)
5.)Bend (deadlift, back extension, ball slam, hitting a tire with a sledge hammer, kettlebell Swings)
6.)Run (you've got this one covered)

So, although I LOVE doing things like Bicep curls, and your traditional workouts in the gym, I need to continue training like a runner! This Green Goddess has a 1/2 marathon coming up in March! So I did some high step step ups, Oh man, My little glutes are crying! Tuesday is my upper body and core day in the gym....No running....and Wednesday I run a long steady 6 mile run at 5.7 speed for the whole run (KILL YA SELF). I would rather sprint, but I have to train my body to run long distance and get my endurance up to par! :O)


Just had a FAB afternoon snack: a Pure Bar & a cup of Chai & green Tea with steamed almond milk & 1 teaspoon Agave! HIT THE SPOT! :O)

These bars are so yummy! VEGAN, ORGANIC, RAW HEALTHY!

I had the ChocoChip Trailmix Bar.

Organic Dates, Organic Walnuts, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Almonds, Organic Cashews, Organic Brown Rice Protein, Organic Cocoa and that’s all! (unless you count the 14 essential vitamins and minerals, important antioxidants from cocoa, and healthy Omega 3 fats in every bite). Nothing cooked. Nothing processed.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size	one bar/48g/1.7 oz
Calories	200
Fat Calories	80
Amount per Serving	% Daily Value
Total Fat 9g	13%
Saturated Fat 1g	6%
Trans Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 10mg	0%
Potassium 250mg	7%
Total Carb 25g	8%
Fiber 5g	18%
Sugars 18g
Protein 6g

  YES!

* Certified Organic

* Vegan

* Totally Raw

* 400mg Omega-3

* Low Sodium

* 4g Organic Fiber

* Healthy Antioxidants

* 1 1/2 Svgs of Fruit

NO!

* Refined Sugar

                                                                          * Artificial nothing

                                                                      * Preservatives

                                                                * Transfats

                                                                    * Cholesterol

                                                           * Dairy

                                                                       * Gluten or Soy

                                                             * GMO's

My everything in the sink lentil soup is on the menu for dinner tonight! Well, for me that is! Mario is having a Ground Turkey Medley over brown rice pasta... If you want either recipe, email me!

What is today?

This is not good! I had NO IDEA what today was! Wow! I thought it was Saturday for some reason. SO today I went to workout and for some strange reason I didn't not have my usual strength (forgot Ruthy is in town) but I managed to still kick my own ass! I worked on my chest, shoulders and back along with some fabulous yoga and stretching.
I went to Whole Food's this afternoon! Holy Crap it was PACKED! I just took a deeep breath and went about my business strolling up and down the isles, especially since I had no where to be. I loaded up my cart with goodies like Kale, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Yams, salad, mushrooms, cucs, and then I also got some Steel Cut Oats for my honey...Chia (ground) and....

Vega Smoothie Infusion is made exclusively from natural plant-based whole foods. Alkaline-forming and easy to digest, it provides premium nutrition in a convenient, affordable format. Clean and green, Vega contains no common allergens including corn, dairy, gluten, soy, wheat and yeast.
Vega Whole Food Smoothie Infusion is an affordable and welcome addition to anybody's grocery list. It's packed with goodness and helps bodies, young and old, get the nutrition they need and recover from nutritional stress.
Formulated by Brendan Brazier, vegan, professional Ironman triathlete and bestselling author on performance nutrition, Vega Smoothie Infusion can transform your regular fruit smoothie into a nutritious and delicious meal. Power-packed with raw, organic superfoods, each serving of Vega Smoothie Infusion provides more protein than 2 large eggs, more fiber than 2 slices of whole wheat bread and more Omega 3 than 6 oz of wild salmon.
Vega whole Food Smoothie Infusion comes in two convenient sizes. Try our 454 gram 15-serving resealable bag, or the handy 12-serving box of 30 gram single serving pouches.

Formulated by Brendan Brazier, vegan, professional Ironman triathlete and best-selling author on performance nutrition, Vega is made exclusively from natural plant-based whole foods. A synergistic collection of Brendan's favorite plant-based superfoods, Vega is not only a complete meal replacement, but also an ideal daily health-optimizing supplement. 
With just 220 calories and 2g of net carbs per serving (natural flavor), Vega is an excellent choice for those on a calorie-reduced diet. High in fiber, protein and essential fats, Vega is naturally filling and satisfying, helping to suppress appetite and cravings.
Easily digested, alkaline and great-tasting, Vega is clean and green, containing no animal products, corn, dairy, egg, fillers, gluten, soy, sugar, wheat or yeast. Absolutely no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners and GMO and pesticide-free.
Vega is available in wholesome and delicious Natural, Berry, Vanilla Chai and Chocolate flavors, in three sizes: individual 30g Snack Packs, small bottles containing 7-8 servings and large bottles containing 15-17 servings. One serving of Vega is a complete meal, exceeding all meal replacement requirements, but people with smaller appetites may find half a serving sufficiently satiating.
Each serving of Vega contains a full dose of MacaSure and ChlorEssence!

You have to try these delicious goods!!!!!!! Whole Food's and any other specialty market is where you can find them.

Our NYC Christmas Day

So, as a tradition, we (my family) like to go into NYC to see the tree on Christmas Day as well as go into St. Patrick's Cathedral to light a candle, say a prayer and be with God in silence for a few minutes. The tree was gorgeous this year! So wide and full and lit with beautiful lights. I really didn't get to soak it all in since there had to be at least 3,000 people surrounded and touching me(EWW)! I hate being that close to strangers!Both Mario and I are germ -o- phobs! Tyler happened to notice something we didn't see last year, which was the Swarovski Crystal Star. This star was lit with thousands of tiny crystals! SOOO GORGEOUS! You can see it in my photo album below.
After we went to the tree and church, we hopped in a Cab and went to Columbus Circle (MY FAV PLACE IN NYC). WE had dinner at the Mandarin Oriental with the kids. Along with Heather came her lovie- Trav. We had a really nice time. I love spending time with my kids at these ages 18 & 15..they are so funny, they have their own personalities and we all get along just fine!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

My New Years Goals

(or things I would LOVE to accomplish)

1. Start Bikram Yoga
2. Sell my Green Goddess Granola EVERYWHERE!
3. run the NYC 1/2 marathon
4. Join the runners club
5. Go back to Italia!
6. develop a workout & nutrition book for women
7. grow my hair past my bubbies! ;O)
8. start going to church
   

Those are just some things off the top of my head. I have some serious goals and dreams, I am not ready to share yet, but getting there. Do you have any 2010 goals for yourself? I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. I think you should instead make new goals for yourself. Short term and long term...Like a vision board (read my vision board post on July 31st).

Ps....Before I go, I have to show you my infection. Not sure if it came from dirty tools at the nail salon, or what, but my finger is so swollen, sore to the touch, green and pus filled, IT'S GROSS! it throbs!

I goggled it before I called my Dr. and found this  ....turns out my Dr. said the same thing. She called in some antibiotics for me, and said if it doesn't get better by Monday, I will have to go to a surgeon and get the pus sucked out! THAT IS JUST NASTY!!!!!!!

CHECK PLEASE!

um yeah, that would be how many miles I ran today! I really took my time, and paced myself. I started my run at a pace of 5.7 and stayed there for about 20 minutes. I then stepped it up to 5.8 for another 20 minutes. At my 4 mile mark, i started with the annoying stitch in my side and then time I could not figure out why! I ran on an empty stomach and did not drink a lot of water. So I got a little irritated! At about 4.5 miles I HAD to walk for 30 seconds, but then amped up my speed to about 7.0 to catch up. I did that for the remainder of my run till I hit my 7th mile. I finished in 1 hour and 15 minutes. I know if I didn't have to stop, I would have done better. The best part is that my legs NEVER got tired, I never got tired, I sweat my ass off and felt great overall. I hope this cramp/stitch thing goes away for the next time I run.

I had to get my tushy over to Tommy K's Fitness in Mamaroneck to grab some supplements I was out of. SO here is what I take everyday without fail!

I take one every morning.

• Are easy to digest, even on an empty stomach–they're cultured whole food!
• Deliver essential nutrients in their safest and most active form within the infinite complexity of whole food.
• Provide an energizing and protective array of phytonutrients and ferment metabolites, including cultured soy isoflavones, beta glucans, bacteriocins, glutathione, lipoic acid, and enzymes.

Every Woman delivers 25 different nutritive and energizing probiotic vitamins and minerals as well as 20 stress-balancing and free-radical scavenging herbs cultured for maximum effectiveness.* Herbs like Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) and hawthorn have been revered for enhancing a woman’s vitality, while other free-radical scavenging herbs like cinnamon, oregano, and rosemary provide key health benefits that support and sustain.* The addition of supercritical ginger and turmeric extracts maximizes bioavailability and efficacy.*

I take 3 tabs 1 time per day, usually in the AM with my multi-V

Specifically designed for bodybuilders and athletes, Met-Rx Super Joint Guard combines time-tested nutrients to help support joint cartilage and mobility and provide nutrients needed for overworked joints. Each serving provides important components found within the joint structure such as glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid, along with omega 3 & 6 essentially fatty acids found within joint cell membranes. If you take a protein supplement every day to build your muscles, make sure to stack it with Super Joint Guard to help support your cartilage so you can unleash the fury on the weights, not on your joints.

 I take 3 caps 2 times a day one time with my multi-V and at night with my dinner

 Vitamin D and Zinc and offer a truly balanced and synergistic blend of essential minerals.  This formula supports strong bones and teeth, healthy enzymatic activity, and provides antioxidant support.*  Delivered via softgel, this formula is more easily absorbed and assimilated than capsules or tablets.

AHH! Smart Blend. I take 3 in  the AM with my other supps, I take 3 again with lunch and 3 more with dinner

Smart Blend is a cutting edge, proprietary blend of "smart fats" that contains important essential fatty acids (both essential and conditionally essential), which may be depleted in the diets of many athletes and exercise enthusiasts. Regular supplementation with Smart Blend ensures a complete mixture of essential fatty acids such as omega-3, omega-6, EPA, DHA, CLA and GLA. Smart Blend provides optimal support for reducing body fat, increasing muscle tissue recovery and balancing testosterone and insulin production.  This unique, scientifically invented supplement contains an exact mixture of essential fatty acids, CLA and GLA, which clinical research has shown, may enhance ones ability to burn fat, build and maintain lean muscle and promote optimum health. Because your body does not manufacture essential fatty acids on its own, Smart Blend provides these "necessary for life" fatty acids, which have shown in scientific literature to have a profound effect on the production of "prostaglandins." Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that render many positive effects in your body.

I take one teency cap in the AM with my other supps

Vitamin D is normally obtained from the diet or produced by the skin from the ultraviolet energy of the sun.  However, it is not abundant in food.  As more people avoid sun exposure, Vitamin D supplementation becomes even more necessary to ensure that your body receives an adequate supply.



and last but not least...me & my Meditropin are back together again! I was off it for a while, but decided that I needed to start again! It's a drink. I take 3 packets, in a small glass of water, let it dissolve all the way, and drink immediately. It tastes like an orange and vanilla ice pop! YUM! You will sleep like a baby! You will feel incredible in just the first week. You drink this 3 hours after your last meal, and hop right into bed. I have my clients drinking this as well! LOVE IT!

• recommended by physicians*
• support endocrine (hormone) function*
• support metabolic function*

Doctor-recommended to get your hormones humming.

Hormones are the bits and bytes of your body's information technology system, directing your body's operations, and regulating your endocrine system and metabolic processes. Healthy hormones are essential to growth, development and reproduction, and they play an important role in the development of strength and power by mediating the remodeling of muscle protein.

To keep your internal systems running smoothly, your body depends on a steady diet of nutritional amino acids. The specific amino acids in MediTropin are associated with healthy hormone function, healthy sexual and reproductive function, musculoskeletal and protein metabolism, healthy cardiovascular and endothelial function, healthy immune function, and positive mood and brain function.* MediTropin nourishes your whole body and helps:

support endocrine function*

support protein biosynthesis and muscle protein synthesis*

invigorate your mind by regulating the release of neurotransmitters*

sexual and reproductive health*

cardiovascular health and endothelial function*

immune function*

our 2009 Christmas Memories..

WHat a great night as always when we got to Toni & Dom's! Lots of food, wine, family and laughs! We always have a great time catching up! It's amazing that they live in the same town, yet we hardly get to see each other since life gets in the way!
So I brought the raw coconut balls for desert, The baked asparagus with mushrooms, and the quinoa with scallions, tomatoes, feta and kalamata olives as a side dish for the wild salmon Toni made. I also brought my 2 veggies burgers. Marianna brough the red velvet cake for desert, and Toni made Zupe De Pesce over linguini & baked ziti. Everything was so delicious!
Here are some of the pics I took at Toni & Dom's house...

This is Erica my niece with Heather my daughter. It freaks us out how big Erica is now. She is almost as tall as Heather and JUST AS BEAUTIFUL!

 Here are the two chefs! Toni & Marianna perfecting out Christmas Dinner! Toni found an amazing recipe from Lydia. Although I did not have the fish, I did have the broth and the linguini, and it was DELICIOUS! SO tasty I was tempted to have some fish! My veggie burgers hit the spot though. Toni is a great cook, and Marianna is a GREAT baker!

Here I am with my baby boy Tyler! Boy this kid is starting to really sprout up! Does he look like his mommy???

Here are Tyler and Erica. SOO MATURE! SO FREAKING CUTE!

awe! Dom (my awesome bro in law) with his little girl Erica! The best dad around!

Me and Coda! This dog is the best dog EVER! So freaking sweet, happy and just a little mush ball! She was giving me a Christmas kiss! AWE!

Oh my, and here is our nephew Shane who LOVES to eat Salmon skin! Yep, I said it..Salmon skin! He's the best kid! So smart, so bashful and quite the hockey player!

Aunty Marianna & Tyler chatting it up on the couch! Tyler was talking to everyone about his Disney trip with the Harrison High School Wrestling Team! GO TYLER!

Not sure why they are cracking up, but this is Heatehr with her adorable boyfriend Trav and Tyler....I got Trav an Affliction long sleeve shirt! He LOVED IT!

Here are the love birds! Ahh, Young puppy loves!

 Me & my MISTA! Mario hates taking pics! My Mr. Santa Claus!

 

Shane opened up one of his gifts and got Legos! He sat and put the whole thing together! He's got some patience and focus! GREAT JOB SHANE!

Me & My niece Erica! Aunt Tina got her a GREAT GIFT CARD from where else?? JUICY BABY! I love buying gifts! I love surprising everyone! She was happy! One mess up was buying Shane a NY Rangers baseball cap...and he HATES the Rangers! Whoops! But I think the Ripley's Believe it or Not book made up for the cap! His mommy Liz says he will wear and end up liking the Rangers! LOL!

Trav, Mommy & Heather...LOVE THE KIDS! I love Christmas!
Today we are off to NYC, I'll be back to post pics! I am sooo excited!
Have a wonderful day whereever you are and whoever you are with!
XO

Merry Christmas EVERYONE!

It's finally here! I don't even know where this year went. It seems as though the days, months and weeks are just flying by! I remember when I was little how the week before Christmas would DRAG! I would have ants in my pants everytime I looked at our tree, or saw a show...Just waiting for Santa...NOW, it's here and gone in a flash. I get so sad the day after Christmas, because under the tree is bare, everyone is back to work and school, and life just slows down. My kids are young adults now, so it's not so exciting when they open their gifts. They want to sleep till 10am, instead up getting us up at 6am like they used to. this is why Mario and I need another baby! I need to do it all again!

SO tonight we are going to my brother in laws Dom & Toni's house to celebrate and have our Italian Christmas even dinner. Lots of fish, Baked Ziti, Wild Salmon, asparagus and I also made Raw Coconut balls as one of the deserts, yum! One problem, what am I going to eat? Asparagus? raw balls? I think I'll pack a veggie burger and a salad....I can't just eat pasta and the baked ziti is filled with dairy which will have me doubled over in pain aside from me being a VEGAN. hmmm, What to do!

Christmas Day, we are going into the city to see the tree, then off to Columbus Circle to eat. I LOVE the city on Christmas, it's magical! Can't wait to take lots of pics!

I hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS! I will be back to post some pics and some fun stuff for you on the 26th of December. Until then, Enjoy your families and take a minute to look around the room, smile and be gratfeul for what you have and who you have in your life.

Love to you all!
XO Tina.

I LOVE my girl Gina!!!!

She just GETS IT RIGHT! Gina Acuti from Posh Salon in Mamaroneck NY is INCREDIBLE with her eye and creations! I met Gina about 3 years ago and had SHORT brown hair. It was riht after my 2nd figure competition when I decided to CUT IT OFF...Had gone to a salon in Greenwich CT (won't mention the name) where the salon was SNOBBY, the girl who did my hair told me she hated Greenwich women (um, DING DING- YOU WORK IN GREENWICH!) and I was charged an outrageous fee for a cut and color (around $300). I don't know about you, but I refuse to pay for a service that SUCKS, the atmosphere SUCKS and the hairdresser is um well, nasty, negative and NOT SO TALENTED!
So On my quest for a NEW hairdresser I went. When I first met Gina, RIGHT AWAY I knew I would LOVE HER! SHe was bubbly, so freaking cute and so trendy! When I described what I wanted (to grow my hair and eventually get back to blonde)...She got it RIGHT AWAY! When I left her the first time, I knew our relationship would last for years to come! Every 8 weeks I would go to her and everytime I left her I was COMPLETELY happy with my hair!

She eventually did my hair on my wedding day, and it came out INCREDIBLE! I was so happy with how creative she got! EVERYONE loved my whole look that day, especially the groom, MY HONEY!

Before I knew it, Mario was going to her, Heather and Tyler were going to her and I just started to brag about my girl and how great she was, that a few people even went to her.....

What I love most about Gina is that she is HONEST, always takes her time, always takes notes, NEVER makes me wait, NEVER do I leave UNHAPPY and I love the girls she works with. Salon Posh is DEFINITELY a salon that will be successful for many years! The girls got it together. They are a team of sisters (not by blood) and best friends! I love them all!
If you are in need of a change, new look, new salon, or just want to have someone else get creative with you, you MUST go to Salon Posh!
They are located right on the Boston Post Road in Mamaroneck, NY. 914-899-3333. Tell her I sent you!
PS. You get GREENWICH CT service and atmosphere with resonable prices! You shouldn't have to pay a fortune to have FABULOUS HAIR!

And here is one more of my FAB color!

A day off from work, yet so busy!

I don't know which is more work…Going and training clients back to back early every morning, counting, designing programs, teaching people how to eat, remaining awake peppy and cheerful OR..Having a day off to just run around and take care of errands all day! YIKES!

Well, I woke up to get on my scale and have it read 117lbs! I LOVE IT! I am getting closer to my goal weight of 115lbs. The scale tells me that what I am doing is working! I am running now 4 days a week as well as became total VEGAN. I have NEVER felt this amazing. Listen, I am still human, and when I make the kids Pasta Bolognese or I make Mario a fat piece of filet mignon, I DO LOVE THE SMELL and HAVE gotten tempted at times….BUT my will is strong, my focus and dedication to myself is way more important that putting certain things in my body. Will power; Yeah, I have it! I am damn proud too! Real funny: Went to get my hair colored this afternoon…while getting capped up and ready for my highlights, sitting in front of me was a HUGE box of Dunkin Donuts! I looked at the box and actually got grossed out. By that's ME- It doesn't mean I think people who eat donuts are gross, I just think ME eating donuts would be GROSS.

By the way a girl working at the salon asked me if anyone has told me I look like Kelly Ripa, and I was just flattered. "Yes, my clients tell me I do" but I wish I had her tiny little body! I love Kelly RIpa. I think what we do have in common is our giddy and silly personality. She is HYSTERICAL!

SO? What do you think? I have to get some new pics up soon! I am on my way to being just as tiny as she is! LOOK OUT KELLY! :O)

Cramp in my side!

My run today really pissed me off...Ok, not my run, but these stomach cramps in my ribs when I would run! I was doing fine the first 4 miles and had two more to go, when suddenly I had to stop running and walk slow for about a minute, breath, stretch, dig my fingers into my side and try again! I was PISSED! I NEVER stop running once I start. I almost started to cry from frustration! I know, I'm a drama queen, but I am a perfectionist with my efforts in the gym and with my running! SO I finished my 6 mile run 3 minutes off from the normal 1 hour! GRRR! The stitch in my side subsided when I had .25 miles to go! I started sprinting at 7.4 just to get my time UNDER 1 hour 4 minutes! BASTARD!

Mario came over to me because he could see how upset I was, and he tried to calm me down and talk to me and say that NOT EVERY RUN will be perfect! Only he can talk to me when I am that upset and I will listen to him! I love my husband!

 How about this idea for those of you hosting a Christmas Party, dinner or family get together....

I’ve got a great idea for you…Champagne Christmas Punch! It’s light, flirty and perfect for a home party. You’ll need:

2 bottles of champagne or sparkling white wine
1 large can of pineapple juice
2 packages of frozen raspberries
2 containers of raspberry sorbet

Since the sorbet will add to the non-alcohol liquid content, make sure to add it the rest of your Christmas punch ingredients an hour or two before serving it to allow time for melting. The frozen raspberries will work nicely as a garnish and add some extra texture to the punch to set it apart from the same old, same old punch that’s usually served at office Christmas parties. 

I will be posting some more goodies...oh and by the way...I got my video charger! YAHHOOOO! More videos coming up!

Oh one more thing...The cupcakes I made, were a HUGE SUCCESS! Thanks peeps! I will make more soon!
XO Goodnight!

RIP Brittany Murphy!

32 years old and a life ended way too soon! Mario and I were driving back from dinner tonight and were listening to the news on am radio when they announced her death. I was shocked sad and couldn't believe it! To me she was bubbly, soo cute, full of life, so adorable and so talented. How sad. She will be missed.