If you live in/near Hurst, TX and are planning a party...

... then you have to check this place out!

{Brookside Center}

This simple function hall is the perfect blank slate for designing and hosting whatever event you might have planned. It features "3,885 square feet and has the capacity for 234 people. The center is equipped with a full kitchen, including a dishwasher, microwave, stove, refrigerator, and ice machine. It also has a wood burning fireplace as well as a podium, sound system, and video screen. Included are thirty-three 60” round tables, twenty-five 6’ rectangular tables and 200 chairs."

And guess how much you get all that for???

$125 for a 6-11pm event! Can you freakin' believe that? The security deposit is only $200 and an actual security attendent for the whole time slot is $45. 

Crazy awesome! Wish we lived closer so I could hit this place up!

Low Calorie Menu Plan

It's official! I started my diet today... all the work I did back in winter 07/08 to lose 25 pounds has been wasted since I gained it all back. I'm happy I kept it off for a solid 2 years but it's time for me to get focused again and shed the pounds, except this time I want to lose 30 to have a sweet swim suit body by next summer :)


Last time I lost weight I did my own system of a low calorie diet and it worked... since then I discovered Livestrong.com. Livestrong.com is great resource for helping you track your eating habits and daily nutrition. Plus it takes care of the calorie calculating for you. For instance to achieve my goal of losing 1.5-2lbs a week I can eat 1493 calories a day. If I stick to this, I will hit my goal weight by February 7, 2011. Pretty cool, huh?


The best part about calorie counting, is that it changes your mindset towards food. It helps you healthily analyze what you put into your body. And you can really eat whatever you want as long as you watch your serving sizes and make appropriate decisions on what else you will eat the rest of the day/week. That's right your calories are like a budgeting system. Sure I get 1493 calories each day, so that's like 10451 calories a week. Say I know I am going to splurge on Saturday and maybe go over by an extra 1000 calories, well that means I can only eat 1326 calories every other day that week and still stick to my goal.


Once you get used to these new eating habits they become a way of life and it's easier to keep the weight off. Ergo how I did it for two years last time.


Today I started strong and only ate 1160 calories. I am pumped to stick to this plan and even signed up for a Livestrong.com Gold Membership which is only $29.95 for 6 months. That's phenomenal compared to Weight Watchers' online plan which is $65 for only 3 months of membership. And I have to say with all the neat tools and charts they offer it's totally worth it.


The biggest thing that will keep be focused on my weight loss plan though is having a set plan of what I can and will eat. I love food and I look forward to knowing what I will make next so I decided to start out with a month worth of home made dinners. I am still accounting for only cooking 5 times a week so here are 20 low calorie meal I found that will help keep me on track.



1. Artichoke Stuffed Chicken with Rice Pilaf - 700 calories per person


2. Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables - 730 calories per person
I'm planning on skipping the yogurt and peas


3. Pesto & Shrimp Pizza - 800 calories for 3 slices


4. Low Calorie Eggplant Parm - 126 calories a serving


5. Easy Chicken Bake - 420 calories per serving


6. Crispy Chicken with Stuffing - 360 calories per serving


7. Easy Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore and Spaghetti - 725 calories per person


8. Low Calorie Chicken Divan - 296 calories per serving


9. Oven Burger - 260 calories per serving
I'm going to use the ingredients to make yummy real burgers :)


10. Low Calorie Pepper Steak - 208 calories per serving


11. Wild Mushroom & Tomato Ragout - 164 calories
Going to add a pound of shrimp for an additional 120 calories per serving


12. Greek Style Pizza with Ricotta & Feta - 176 calories per serving
I'll toss some pepperoni on the hubby's side


13. Roasted Herb Salmon - 196 calories per serving


14. Mediterranean Salad with Artichokes, Penne, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes - 430 calories per serving


15. Pad Thai with Tofu - 223 calories a serving
Replace chicken for tofu and add 110 calories a serving


16. Mediterranean Roast Chicken - 159 calories per serving


17. Pulled BBQ Chicken Romaine Wrap - 162 calories per serving
I'll have bread or pita available for the hubs


18. Grilled Shrimp Tacos - 296 calories per taco
Gonna 86 the mayo and cabbage


19. Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings - 310 calories per serving


20. Paella - 388 calories per serving


To get me through breakfast and lunches, I will be hitting up Slimfast and Light Soy shakes which are only 170 calories and other low cal easy meals that I go to frequently. These include:
Easy Tortellini Soup - 475 calories
Yogurt & Honey - 178 calories
Peanut Butter & Honey Sandwiches - 210 calories
Smart Ones Fettuccine Alfredo - 240 calories
My Asparagus Paradise Recipe - 288 calories
Baked Potato - 243 calories


To settle my sweet tooth snack attacks, I love the 100 calorie granola bars and Smart Ones various sundaes which are only 170 calories.


With my plan in order I hope to shed some pounds and stay focused to get back into all my old favorite clothes :)

Help Wanted for Charity Event to Support Local Youth Art Programs

That's right folks! I am working with the Balch Springs Visual and Performing Arts Alliance to plan a charity benefit gala to support their local youth art programs. The art courses they offer are open to any child in the Dallas Metroplex between the ages of 3-17. Unfortunately, the core group of kids who would most benefit from these courses live below the poverty level. As you may already be aware of, Dallas has an over 30% poverty rate for children under 18. Therefore we are trying to host this charity event to raise funds for continuing these courses at no charge to the students in need. All proceeds would go directly to the Arts Alliance for funding as many student scholarships as possible.


So I present to you all...

I am very excited about this special event but the plans are still in the baby stages. We are currently looking for sponsors to make this event possible. So if you are an event vendor or think you could help in one of these areas:

Cocktail Style Catering

Beverages
Decorations
Flower Arrangements

Desserts

Candy Buffet
Donated Art for Charity Auction
Items for Swag Bags
Printing of Paper Items (Invitations, Programs, Tags, etc)

Calligraphy

Musical Performers

or in any other way you could think of, please drop me an email! Thanks and keep your eyes pealed for an official invitation to the event :)

Making World History

For starters let me acknowledge that while I am a baseball fan, I am not a major Rangers fan. I'm a Red Sox nation girl... meaning I hate the Yankees anyways :)

But I have to say it is quite nice to see my home team make world history by 1) playing their first ever ALCS, 2) playing their first ever game #6 and 3) heading to their first ever World Series!

Let's go RANGERS!

{source}

Tonights game was incredible! It feels so good to witness history in the making :)

Hoo Are You? #19

1.What was your favorite meal growing up?

I liked different meals at different stages but the earliest I remember is peanut butter and butter sandwiches on one piece of white bread minus crusts and cut diagonally,

2. What's your favorite month?

I have no earthly idea...

3. What store is most represented in your wardrobe?

GAP or Old Navy

4. How many times do you go to the movie theater each month/year?

maybe once each month

5. Fill in the blank- I've never been able to ___________________

Tell time on an analog clock O_O

Trash the Dress Photo Shoot

A couple Sundays ago I did a trash the dress photo shoot with the lovely Ashley to expand my portfolio. I packed some paints and we headed down to Deep Ellum. She had her 5 year old daughter jump in for some added fun. Check out some of my favorites :)

I absolutely love the trash the dress trend and would love to schedule more shoots. So if you would be up for this, I am offering a $50 discount off my usual portrait session cost. That means you can book a trash the dress shoot for only $75! Visit the Mismikado Creations website for more info on my photography :)

The ABC's of Me

{inspired by the lovely Kenna at Our Crazy Little Life}


A - Age: 20

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Dishes! When you cook dinner every night the kitchen is literally never clean!

D - Dogs' names: Coco & Miss B although neither currently live with us :(

E - Essential start to your day item: Brushing my teeth

F - Favorite color: Anything Bright

G - Gold or Silver: Silver or White Gold

H – Height: 5'3"

I - Instruments you play: I played at the Alto Saxophone, Guitar, and Piano but haven't touched any of them since my Sophomore year of HS.

J - Job title: Art Teacher & Freelance Graphic Designer

K - Kid(s): None for a few more years... altho do my students count?

L - Living arrangements: 2 bedroom apartment and hoping to start house hunting with the new year.

M - Mom's name: Nora

N – Nicknames: In real life -Nina, Online - mismikado

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: none yet

P - Pet Peeve: I can never think of any until I am faced with them

Q - Quote from a movie: "Everything is illuminated in the light of the past. It is always along the side of us on the inside, looking out. Like you say, inside out." - Everything is Illuminated

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: none

T - Time you wake up: 6:20ish on service days, whenever my body wakes up on the other days, and 8:00ish on the weekends.

U- Underwear: the same ones I've had for a few years now

V - Vegetable you dislike: tomatoes although they are technically fruit, beets, radishes

W - Ways you run late: misjudge travel time

X - X-rays: toes, right wrist, teeth, back

Y - Yummy food you make: you guys have seen my menu plans ;) and I love to bake...

Z - Zoo animals: Koala Bears 

lolcats

Source: Onlineeducation.org
This post contains affiliate links.

Our Ultimate Family Vacation

Sponsored By


Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.

As newlyweds, we have had a few conversations on what vacations we want to save up for and take in the future. A big contender is checking out the lush hillsides of Ireland. Every time something Irish comes up, one of us makes the comment of how badly we want to go.

{source}

However I think one of the coolest trips we could take would be the Ultimate All-American Road Trip I have been planning for the last 6 years. Yes, I have seriously dreamed of this trip for SIX years. So what's the plan?

Well initially my plan started as a road trip across the entire 50 states and as cool as that sounded it felt a little ambitious. So instead I have narrowed the journey down to a Historic Route 66 Road Trip from Chicago to LA. The basic logistics would involve one way flights from here to Chicago and from LA back to here. Therefore we would use a rental car to take the journey. Since we have a few years before we are old enough to rent a car this gives us time to save for this trip :)

My ultimate goal would be to create an Elizabethtown style map/scrapbook of our journey along the way.

{source}

I think the best way to accomplish this is to start out with a blank binder with tons of page protectors and blank sheets, markers and pens, scissors, double-sided tape, and my camera (along with it's usb cable). Then all along the way we pick up flyers and brochures and menus and business cards and take tons of photos and include all these with journaling about each moment. Every couple days also stop at a drug store photo kiosk or a fedex kinko's and print out our favorite photos to include in the appropriate spots. This way we will make a map of our journey and all the little things we hope to remember for the years to come.

In advance of course, I want to plot some of our stops and include these in the journal. Some great resources I've found for planning for this ultimate trip are: Roadside America, The American Roadside, The Quirky American West, Top 50 American Roadside Attractions, and Road Trip USA Route 66. These have given me a great list of cheesy and intriguing roadside stops that will be so fun to explore and the Road Trip USA Route 66 provides a wonderful map of all the towns we will pass along the way. 

Of course we will allow for digressions off of Route 66 such as the hour detour to check out Metropolis, IL - hometown to none other than Superman. Other big contenders include tagging the cars at Cadillac Ranch outside Amarillo, TX, grabbing a burger at Oldest Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, CA, walking across the original London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, AZ, having a picnic with The Blue Whale in Catoosa, OK, and how great would it be to schedule the trip in time for New Mexico's annual International Balloon Festival!

Wouldn't this make for such a memorable vacation for our family of two? :)

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Jalapeño Poppers Recipe

So here is my first original recipe post for you all :) These are a tasty treat that really hit the spot... yum!

Ingredients:

Bacon

Fresh Jalapeños

Cheese

Paprika

Foil covered cookie sheet

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a microwave-safe plate with 3 or 4 paper towels. Place your strips of bacon on top of the towels and cover with another 2 or 3 sheets. You will need the same number of bacon strips as whole jalapeños you have. Microwave your bacon at 3 minute intervals until crispy.

Wash and cut your jalapeños in half length wise. Be sure to remove all the seeds.

Break your bacon strips in half and place on piece inside each jalapeño.

Cover the bacon filled jalapeño with cheese and sprinkle some paprika over the whole thing.

Cook in oven until cheese is melted (roughly 7 minutes).

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

So this post is a little last as well as my monthly email update because unfortunately I am sick :( I'm hoping it's just a sinus infection since my classes start tomorrow. I look forward to sharing updates and maybe some pictures from that :) Afterwards I plan to go grocery shopping so here is the menu plan for this week.

Btw I dragged myself out of bed tonight to make breakfast for dinner. I got to use my new wok (I've always wanted one!) that I picked up for $3 at a yard sale on Friday. It's cast iron and has a wonderful lid... I am very happy with my purchase :)

Hearty Minestrone Soup
Baked Ziti
Fire Island Ziti from Taste of Home August/September 2010 p.46
Bubble Pizza
Baked Potatoes & Sausage Cheese Balls
Pepperoni Pizza Skillet

Don't these just sound yummy? :)

And with my calculations we should definitely be sticking to our $50 grocery budget this week. I'll let you all know for sure tomorrow.

Now for some Theraflu...