Spare Time

...I don't have much.

Apparently, my husband might.
Apparently, when you sleep on the same pillowcases for four years, they develop holes.
Apparently, when you wash the pillowcases every week for four years, the holes get bigger.
Apparently, these holes are just big enough for a cavapoo's legs.
Apparently, if the holes are positioned just right, you can fashion a dog toga.
Apparently, Blazer will be the best dressed dog at the next puppy frat party.

You think I'm kidding... This is how Blazer pranced into the living room tonight.

All Hail the Miracle Candle!

Y'all. I am not one for infomercials or quick fix ANYTHING. But, I have found the miracle candle and scent that I believe will cure just about anything that ails you. It is the Woodwick Candle in the scent "Fireside". About a year ago, we went to dinner at my cousin Melissa's house. She had one of these candles burning, and I fell in love. The scent is ridiculously wonderful. It literally smells like fall, Christmas, comfort food, baked goods, and a roaring fire all in one. What's more to love? AND, as if that wasn't good enough... it's called "Woodwick" because it has a wood wick. Brilliant. When you burn this wood wick, it sounds like a fire in a fireplace. It actually crackles!! After I experienced this candle, I went out the next day and purchased one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I don't know how much they cost and I really don't care, but I think they are under $20. I burned two of them last fall and winter, and then I stopped buying them for some reason. Well... yesterday, I went over to Melissa's house (she now lives right down the street from me, but that's a story for another time). When I walked in, I immediately recognized the scent: Woodwick Fireside!! I was hooked, once again. So today I went right back out to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought one.

Sundays for me are usually full of stress, to-do lists, and thoughts of the impending work week. But today.... oh, today. I burned the Woodwick all day. And I am not exaggerating.... it was the best.day.ever. There is something about the fireside scent that makes me happy, calm, and content. It's like watching the leaves fall while baking a pumpkin pie and cuddling up next to a fire with a book and a fluffy puppy all while listening to Christmas music. No lie. Now I can't guarantee the results, but it did make my day/month/year. I strongly recommend you hit up your nearest B,B, & B and get one. It doesn't even matter if you have a 20% off coupon or not. Just do it. You'll be glad you did. Woodwick, if you're reading this, can I please have a lifetime supply for free? I'll be your spokesperson and happily peddle these around the neighborhood in my spare time. (Never hurts to ask.)

Workout Jams

I recently joined a gym less than five minutes from our house at the entrance to our subdivision. I am loving having that convenient access, and now I work out more often. I am trying to do an hour long workout three to five days a week. We are going to Hawaii in March, so that's my "big goal" if you will. I figure that's enough time to actually make a difference.

I love the elliptical, and I can crank out 45 minutes no problem with the right music. I was obsessed with Pandora on my iPhone for a while there, but then I got kind of tired of it. I have an iPod shuffle which I LOVE because it is so tiny and light, you can wear it to do ANY kind of workout and never even know it's there. My shuffle playlist has been getting a little stale lately, so I was getting bored at the gym. An hour seemed like an eternity. Today before I went to the gym, I did a little research and spent about $15 on iTunes. The result was a spiced up playlist that I am now obsessed with. I knocked out my entire workout and was kind of sad to leave because I wasn't all the way through my playlist. I found some pretty good sites with workout playlist suggestions:

• http://www.runhundred.com/ (They list songs by beats per minute so you can correlate the music with the intensity of your workout!)
• www.fitnessmag.com/workout/music (They have playlists from trainers and celebrities. I enjoyed Elizabeth Hasselback's playlist.)
• http://www.self.com/ has tons of playlists to browse through.
• I also love the "Genius" feature on iTunes that makes suggestions based on what you buy.

I love that no one can make fun of me for my workout music at the gym. Sometimes I think, "If the person next to me could hear the song I'm jamming to right now, they would laugh so hard!" But they can't!! Y'all are my friends, though, and I know you won't judge me for my song choices. (Right?) Here are my top 25 workout songs right now in no particular order. You will notice a strong tendency towards the 80's. If you know me, this will not be surprising. My list is VERY random. I usually laugh out loud when the shuffle plays David Crowder right after Usher. There is something just wrong about that. Anyway, I hope my list inspires you to download some new (old) songs. I highly suggest them for a great workout!!

1. Stronger (Britney Spears)
2. Toxic (Britney Spears)
3. Just Like Heaven (The Cure)
4. P.Y.T. (Danny Gokey from American Idol)
5. Maneater (Daryl Hall & John Oates)
6. Our Love is Loud (David Crowder Band)
7. September (Earth, Wind, and Fire)
8. Glamorous (Fergie) (clean version... hello)
9. Canned Heat (Jamiroquai)
10. Together Again (Janet Jackson)
11. Empty Me (Jeremy Camp)
12. One Step at a Time (Jordin Sparks)
13. Stronger (Kanye West) (yep... clean one)
14. Fresh (Kool & The Gang)
15. Just Dance (Lady GaGa)
16. Human Nature (Matt Giraud from American Idol)
17. Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)
18. Fame (Naturi Naughton - from the new Fame movie)
19. Together Forever (Rick Astley) (this one's for you, TheLoj)
20. Part Time Lover (Stevie Wonder)
21. Yeah! (Usher)
22. So Emotional (Whitney Houston)
23. Uptown Girl (Billy Joel)
24. All For You (Janet Jackson)
25. Come Clean (Hillary Duff)

Don't judge. :-) Maybe you could comment and tell me your best workout songs! I'm jammin' right now, but I'll need a refresher soon.

Summer Lives!

Believe me when I say... the days of sitting around and doing nothing are officially over. However, summer lives in the Norwood household through our nightly dinner of tomatoes. Well, we don't JUST have tomatoes for dinner, but we definitely could. We have tomatoes every night because they are still good, and I don't want to miss one day of goodness. Lately I've been making a simple panzanella salad I found in Cooking Light. There is some sort of magical synergy in this dish. It comes together super quickly with very few ingredients, but the taste is incredible. You have to try it before the tomatoes are gone!!

Panzanella Salad
From Cooking Light, August 2009

Ingredients
3 ounces sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (2 [1 1/2-ounce] slices)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives (about 8)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tomato, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place bread cubes in a jelly-roll pan; bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until crisp, stirring once. Cool completely.
3. Combine vinegar and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a large bowl. Add bread cubes, onion, and remaining ingredients, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately.

P.S. Sorry I've been M.I.A. You know the drill. Eat, sleep, teach. But, we are going to A&M tomorrow for opening weekend. I am SO excited! I'll be back soon with some Aggie stories and pictures for you.