Holiday Happenings in Downtown Waukesha

Mark Your Calendars as there are some great events coming up in downtown Waukesha for the holidays. I highlighted a few of the bigger events but I see that OurDowntown.com & Waukesha Silver Bells have rather extensive calendar with great events each night of the week in Waukesha. Live music, trivia nights, poker, karaoke, open mic, dance lessons and so much more fill each night of the week in Waukesha. There is always something going on.

11/21 - TREE LIGHTING - 8 PM - 9:30 PM
I have actually never attended this but I enjoy taking pictures of the gorgeous tree every year. I might just have the opportunity to be downtown during the tree lighting and might sing a song or too with the crowd. Listen for the tone deaf girl - that's me! 

11/23 - HOLIDAY STROLL - 12 PM -4 PM
Enjoy the wonderful shops that will be all decorated for the season and take advantage of some great sales and discounts.

11/23 - PHOTOS WITH SANTA - 12 PM - 3PM
Leticia Guzman American Family Insurance Agency on South & Grand.

11/23 - OPEN HOUSE AT THE WAUKESHA COUNTY MUSEUM - 1PM - 4PM
Enjoy a FREE afternoon at the museum before the Parade! 

11/23 - 52nd ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARADE - 4 PM - 7PM
I have made it a tradition with my friends to watch the parade every year. For the last few years we have watched the parade from the warmth of a local business on Main Street but I want to keep that a secret for fear of the place getting overcrowded. And the Packers game is at noon so no interference there. Maybe we will have to make it a day-long event with my friends again.

11/28 - BLACK FRIDAY
I'm sure the shops in downtown Waukesha will have some sort of specials for the day after Turkey Day but I haven't heard of anything specific.

11/28 - 12/20 - HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES - $5 per person or $12 for a family of 3 or more.
Fridays - 6 - 9 PM
Saturdays - 1 - 5 PM

11/29 - SANTA'S BREAKFAST - 8 AM - 10 AM
Martha Merrill's Bookshop - Advanced Reservations Required - 262-547-1060


11/29 - SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
You better believe I will be in downtown Waukesha on Saturday supporting our local shops and buying my holiday presents. I cannot think of a better way to personalize gifts than buying local. And you truly can find something for everyone. I urge all of you to Shop Local for at least some of your gifts this year. The more money you spend locally, the more stays locally to benefit the local communities.

11/29 - FREE PHOTOS WITH SANTA - 1 PM - 3 PM
Waukesha Wireless Store - They are offering this every Saturday until Christmas

12/6 - GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS CELEBRATION - 4 - 5 PM
Last year, Downtown Waukesha broke the record for the most carolers in one area singing together and we are celebrating that amazing feat this year. 


12/6 - ROCKIN' KRINGLE ART CRAWL - 4 - 10 PM
The downtown shops stay open extra late and offer great deals and discounts to get that one of a kind, unique gift for that special someone in your life. 

12/7 - SANTA RUN/WALK - 10:30 AM
I participated in this a few times and both times there was a snowfall. Last year, it was even snowing during the run and I truly had snowflakes that stayed on my nose and eyelashes. I plan to participate again this year with friends.

12/13 - UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER SATURDAY- ALL DAY
If you are wearing an ugly Christmas sweater, local establishments in downtown will offer you a special discount. If you have ever needed a reason to wear an ugly sweater more than just to the office party or friend's holiday party - this is it.

Healthy Living Week 1

Week one of healthy eating has come to a close and I briefly wanted to share with you how it's going.

SPECTACULAR

That's about the best word I can sum up to tell you how I'm feeling about things.

1) I haven't had a soda (minus two mixed drinks made with Dt. 7up instead of seltzer) and I think that is realy helping. I have replaced soda with seltzer, flavored water (like Crystal Light) and iced tea. 

2) I have been working out and it's paying off already. I checked out a few DVDs from the library and completed one of them so far. I also found a few workouts on Pinterest and did some squats, pushups, crunches and jumping jacks. I definitely want to increase the length I hold a plank for! That is an additional goal for the next few weeks.

3) I went running!!! It felt so amazing to get back at it after a forced hiatus due to Polar Vortex after Polar Vortex! But I ran up in Appleton and pushed out 2.36 miles without a lot of pain or wheezing. The time wasn't pretty but at least I did it right?

Then I ran on Monday here when it was 50 degrees out. I had to be really careful as there were puddles everywhere, but I made the best of it and had a blast. Again, not a great time but I did it.

Notice the left shoe is darker - soaked!

4) I made plenty of food on Sunday to get me through the week and I'll share two of those recipes now with you. Making food in advance is a great idea. I have a variety for the week and don't get so bored with my choices.

5) I realized that I don't need chips and dip while I am having a few drinks. Popcorn and veggies do the trick as well. They keep the hands busy in between trying to win at Kings Corners, trying to one-up each other with the best song with can find on YouTube, sing along horribly to said songs and enjoying a drink or two.

Looking forward to another week of feeling great, eating healthy, shedding pounds and toning up.

Taco Casserole - idea taken from my cousin using all her leftovers to make an easy dinner.

1 lb. Ground Turkey
1/2 medium onion, finely choppped
3 mini sweet peppers, chopped (or half a red/orange/green pepper)
1 packet Taco Seasoning - low sodium preferred
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. cumin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup salsa
1 can mexican corn, drained

1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked to directions on package
3/4 cup cheese, divided
3 dashes of green chile sauce (or any of your favorite hot sauces)

In a large skillet, cook ground turkey over medium high heat until cooked thru. Drain off any grease. Add taco seasoning, cumin, chile sauce, water, onions and peppers and simmer until onions are soft (about 5 minutes)

In a large mixing bowl, add beans, salsa, mexican corn, quinoa and 1/4 cup cheese and mix together. Add the turkey meat mixture and cooked quinoa and stir together.

Transfer contents to a large casserole dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Cover and place in oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until cheese has melted and edges are bubbling.

Makes 6 servings.



Pasta with Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Shrimp
adapted from here

Instead of Penne Pasta, I used Tofu Shirataki noodles. They have always made me curious and now I am a HUGE fan. They taste identical to regular pasta. You do need to rinse them and dry them very thoroughly and then cut them up. But for 20 calories and 3g of carbs per serving, you cannot go wrong!

I only had 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, so I chopped up a Roma and added it to the mix.

And I didn't have fresh basil, so I used Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle and some dried basil in the sauce.

After I finished the recipe and plated, I quickly pan grilled some shrimp with salt, pepper and garlic and placed them on top of the pasta dish.

Voila!

Makes 4 servings but you might need two bags of noodles if you are really into having them in the meal.

Holiday Happenings in Waukesha

The holidays are going to be here before we know it (and before we are ready!) Waukesha has so many great things going on for the holidays and I want to share that information with you. I have participated in some of these events in the past and they are really fun.

This website has great Waukesha holiday information all in one great place. I don't see that the actual Silver Bells shopping event is happening, but I see the holiday stroll before the parade is back!!!

November 22nd - Tree Lighting - 6 pm
I haven't attended this actual event, but I definitely make it a point to check out the tree every year. If you don't know where this is - it's the large pine tree in front of the Rotunda, covered in beautiful lights every year.

November 24th - Holiday Stroll - noon - 4 pm
Definitely head out to the shops on Sunday before the parade. Special deals will be available at the stores and you have the chance at getting a closer parking spot for the parade the earlier you get there!

November 24th - Holiday Parade - 4 pm
I have attended the parade for the last few years with my friends. It's a fun event! One year we brought cocoa from my condo and walked downtown. We had to cuddle close to stay warm by the end. Last year we had a plan in place. We stood outside Bernie's Tap Room for our spot and when we got cold, we went inside and watched the rest from the big windows eating Duck Pizza and drinking a little bit. (I risk the chance of giving up my spot this year by sharing this vital info, but I want people to come to Waukesha for this great parade, so I won't mind too much!)

November 30th - Small Business Saturday
Yes this falls after Black Friday, but I really urge you all to consider shopping local this year and supporting our great local artists and shops this year. So if you weren't trampled on Black Friday - come to downtown Saturday and finish your shopping :)

December 6th - Art Crawl - 4 - 10 pm
Shops stay open later and have many great specials. This is your chance to SHOP LOCAL at any of the great shops in downtown and get great gifts for all your loved ones.

December 8th - Santa Run - 10:30 am
I only participated the first year and it was a blast. My friends and I didn't realize that people were really going to run it in the snowy-icy conditions so we had boots on that made running difficult. I believe we are going to be true competitors this year and run it - with a nice beer and pizza after I'm sure!

Fridays & Saturdays in December - Carriage Rides
Check the link for details on times

Move-It Monday: 1 Year of Running

Saturday marked my the one year anniversary of my first 5k race. To celebrate this occasion, I ran the same race, the Sole Burner 2013 in Appleton with my cousin and her husband and her father-in-law. Her mother-in-law and sister walked the route with the kiddos.

Unfortunately the weather wasn't like 2012 and we woke up to chilly temps and overcast skies. 2012 started cooler, but warmed up with beautiful, sunny skies by the time we started running. Our 2012 times were: Trisha ran a 26, Steve ran a 27 Perry ran a 39 and I ran a 40:04.

2012 Sole Burner

We registered the day-of this year because we were questioning the weather. Unfortunately they were out of t-shirts by the time we got in the tent. A little bit of a bummer as it was my one-year, but that's what I get for registering late!

The overall mood of the pre-run area was a little calmer than the previous year as we were all trying to just stay warm before the race.

We wandered up to the front just in time for them to blow the horn and we started off. It was less congested of a start this year which was nice, but my Pandora app decided to not work at that moment and I was so pumped to run to the Eminem station. I just turned on my run iTunes playlist instead and zoned out to Dave Matthews, Alex Clare and P!nk.

2013 Sole Burner

I could tell I was going a bit quick at the start, but I was feeling great. I knew the route and pretty much what to expect because it was the same course. I remembered the year prior when I needed to slow down and catch my breath, and I made sure to power through those spots this year.

About a half mile into the course, I started feeling ran droplets on me. I figured it was just a little storm and didn't worry about it. When we turned to head to College Ave. just after the 1 mile marker, the wind came gusting up behind us and flipped over barricades used blocking side streets. I realized I couldn't be so zoned out and had to watch for things flying around. But the wind at my back was great. (No one was hurt by anything flying.)

We turned onto College Ave. and the gusting winds were pushing against us then. Hats flew off and it was like a wind tunnel. I couldn't wait to get up the hill on College and turn again.

I remembered the big downhill and huge uphill in the last mile and took advantage of the water station to rinse my mouth and prepare. I was still feeling amazing despite the wind and rain.

I powered up the last hill the best I could and it was really raining at this point. Icy cold water on my face made me have to stare at my feet while running through the finish.

But I crossed that finish with a smile on my face as I knew I beat last year's time. It was really raining and I headed right for the tent that we were meeting at. I grabbed a water and caught my breath. Look at that red face representing my red faced runners (#RFR5k)

We waited in the tent for the others to meet up with us. It was too miserable for them to walk the whole 5k with the kiddos, so they cut back and joined us in the tent after a mile. We ran to the car and headed straight to Starbucks to warm up. When we got in the car, it started to sleet and we could hear the ice hitting the car.  Seriously, it's May - where is our warm weather? (It's also Wisconsin so we have 4 seasons each week sometimes!)

A skinny chai tea latte was exactly what I needed. The drive-thru Barista said Starbucks was the place to be after the race and we thanked her for her hard work and yummy beverages.

From inside the tent

We got back to the house and while waiting for official results to be posted, I took a really warm shower.

Results were posted a few hours later and we found out Trisha ran a 25 Steve was 28, Perry was 40 and I was......

Listed as an Other Participant :(

My chip timer didn't read for some unknown reason: rain, a wrinkle or bad read across the finish are a few reasons listed on the website. Luckily I was using my MapMyRun app and I know that I ran 3.4 miles in 38:14. I beat Perry and I beat last year's time!!!!!!!!!!

I took some turns wide so that is why I would have done a longer route than what was marked. Check out my splits below! My first mile is the fastest I have ever run by over a minute!!! Hello adrenaline. I am so happy with my time and can't wait to run another race soon!

Move-It Monday: March Runs and Fitness

Move it Monday on a Tuesday? Eh, it was bound to happen :)  At least I'm still posting right?

Last month, I participated in quite a few runs. Running has never been anything that has come easy to me, but I'm sticking with it and raising money for great causes all at one time.

I am getting better at running overall and my time is staying decent, considering the Wisconsin elements that I have dealt. I know that the boot camp classes that I am taking at EnergizeZone in Waukesha are definitely helping me get stronger legs. You can't just run all the time and expect to get better - cross-training is key.

Another essential is the protein shakes that I have recently become obsessed with. I have found a way to make them where I don't taste the protein and can really enjoy them everyday! This is another thing I must thank Ken at the Zone for - proper nutrition information. Let's just say Peanut Butter Cup, Mint Chocolate, Strawberry Lemonade smoothies are my fave...it's like a treat after a workout! :)

In addition to these runs, I participated in Energize Zone's Spring Into Fitness event on March 23 - this was a day dedicated to showing the offerings of the gym and letting us try new classes for one price. We started with boot camp that was brutal but awesome as ever. I'm sure my classmates appreciated that I changed clothes before class 2 - I'm sweat when I work out!!!! LOL

During the break between classes we ate some healthy snacks including strawberries stuffed with vanilla yogurt and sliced almonds, protein deviled eggs, cheese, sausage, crackers and my mom's black bean brownies with Click Protein powder.

NOTE: Here are our edits to the recipe. We used brown sugar for the sugar and for the protein powder and coffee, I used 2 oz Click & 1 oz 2 tsp vanilla protein powder (no instant coffee.) We did add 1 Tbsp of olive oil (extra virgin of course) because we wanted some form of fat in the recipe. And you will use a bit more water than the recipe calls for. These things bake thick but they are sooooo good!

Here is the recap of my runs.

Sporting purple  for Alzheimer's 

Reflectors just cuz :)

Not the worst roads I have encountered but pretty rough. 

Testing out the new ProCompression socks for recovery

My medal for participation

Lucky Leprechaun 7k - 4.49 in 56:54 - snowy, slick and COLD
This run raised money for the MACC fund

Didn't want to get out of the car - too chilly!

Shauna and I before the run in the warm-ish tent

Freezing at the start

So ready to get going!

Finally people were moving!

Guinness Beer even runs :)

Mom got me almost at the finish - yep I was still smiling

Didn't stay after for the beer and my banana was frozen so I couldn't eat that either. Getting my shoes and socks off in the car and have the heat blast on my legs was heavenly!

Happy 5k - 3.1 in 37:28 - cool but no frigid
All proceeds from the HAPPY 5K will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Only picture I took - It was snowing on me

Cool medal :)

Health for America #50states 5k - 3.1 in 40:17 - icy yucky

Brought my face mask for the icy stuff hitting me in the face

Dry roads but there was snowy/icy crap hitting me in the face

There is road somewhere under there!

I actually haven't signed up for a single run in April yet and I'm thinking that this month should be more focus on either distance training (if I'm ok running slower but farther) or speed training. I was hoping to get a 5k done in 30 minutes this year and I'm holding pretty steady in the 35+ right now. What do you think? Speed or distance?

Catching Up

Sometimes I am on top of all things regarding my blog (and life), and sometimes I fall a bit behind. It's one of those behind times now. I don't have a good excuse as to why I haven't stayed up on the blog as I have cooked and eaten plenty lately :) But here is what will be coming up on blog in the next few weeks:

Another amazing beer dinner at Bernie's Tap Room - can't wait to pick Brooke's brain later this month for a chef feature!

 Sweet potato muffins - to die for!

Copycat Reese's peanut butter cup bars

My Lucky Leprechaun book and nail polish swap!

My trip to the Harley Museum

Virtual Run for Alzheimer's #Race2Remember

Lobster rolls from Key Westconsin

Energy Balls :)

Spending more time at Energize Zone and invite you to this event!

Easiest crockpot meal so far - chicken based! 

Prepping for the Lucky Leprechaun 7k with my ProCompression socks!

Training for the 7k continues in the snow - dedicated!!!!

Cooking with Click, black beans and spinach for brownies - say what??

 

Amazing chicken taquitos from Burp! Blog

Chicken Fontina pasta from Duo of Chefs

And some wine...

Wine...

Wine...

Wine...

and more wine! :) It's what pumps my veins lately