a day of yes

 Our First Date

Thanh woke up this morning and asked me, "Ummm, do you have any plans for this evening? Because I'd really love to take you out for our 3 year anniversary of the day I asked you to marry me." Does it get any better than that?! I really don't think so - but of course, I am biased.

 A Year and a Half Later, I said Yes

So today was proclaimed, by him, as "A Day of Yes". I answered yes to all his questions (the non-ridiculous ones of course) and was giddy with anticipation of where he was going to take me on our date. He just told me to wear a dress and that he would take care of the rest. I mean, really?! This is fairytale stuff, right?

After we got home from work, I went upstairs and got ready to go on our date. He was waiting for me downstairs, and as I entered the room, a little gasp escaped from him - I guess I was looking pretty good :) It was such a nice moment and brought me back to the good 'ole dating days when he would pick me up for a night out.

 A Day Of Yes Smiles

He surprised me with going to Firebirds...we got a bottle of wine...and reminisced about our engagement story and how he asked my parents for permission. Swoon! He is a piece of work, I tell ya :)

Side Note: This moment reminded me of that Family Matters episode where Carl Winslow got his wife a present for their 10 year first date anniversary. I loved it back then and am livin' it now.

South Beach...And I'm Not Talking Miami

via South Beach

Dreadful...well, it's not actually dreadful, but maybe a bit boring.

My husband and I started on the South Beach Diet over a month ago to help with getting our bodies healthy and rid our diets of all the complex carbohydrates we were so used to. I noticed that we were having carbs at every meal of every day. I mean, it's so easy to have toast and grits at breakfast, a sandwich at lunch, and some pasta or rice dish at dinner. No wonder we were feeling so lazy and sluggish!

My doctor recommended this diet because it wasn't as harsh as others and pretty easy to follow. I agree that it is not harsh, but easy? I don't know about that. You seem to get into this rut where you are eating the same things over and over again - eggs/turkey bacon for breakfast, chicken caesar salad for lunch, and some kind of meat with vegetables for dinner. Boring, right?! I'm going to list out some pros and cons here and you tell me what you think:

Pros

1. Weight Loss - duh!
2. I feel amazing and so much lighter
3. My skin is healthier and I experience a lot less little breakouts
4. New recipes (when I can find ones I like)

Cons

1. Not much variety for a girl who is not a big fan of vegetables (I'm such a baby, I know)
2. I can't eat scrambled eggs anymore without gagging - it's just too much
3. Carb cravings - dear mac & cheese, I miss you...that is all
4. Sweets cravings - what I would do for a PAN of fudge brownies...disgraceful
5. Going out to eat is tough!

So how am I supposed to spice up this diet and still be good? I want it to be a lifestyle change, but as an Italian from New Orleans (where pasta/rice is served with everything), I'm finding it hard to stick to it. Any ideas for a couple who has entered into Phase 2 of the diet and has ALMOST had it?!