Wedding Location Search (2)

Saturday, start to finish, was absolutely amazing! It started out with waking up early, coffee while looking out on the marina, and blueberry pancakes with sausage!

Blueberries!

We took off shortly after breakfast for the Ft. Fisher Ferry to Southport, NC, where we would catch another ferry to Bald Head.

I had contacted the Hospitality Event Manager for one agency on the island and she gladly sent me all the information plus she setup complimentary Ferry tickets for us (!) The new ferry station for BHI at Southport was recently moved and is still being finished but it is very impressive already! There it is as we departed for Bald Head…

We arrived to Bald Head..

We met up with the event manager for Bald Head Ltd. and she drove us all around the island via golf cart! She was so helpful, taking us to every possible ceremony site and reception site! She even hooked us up with a free pass to the Shoal’s Club (which is probably our favorite site for our wedding) so that we could come back and check it out on our own after she left!

Drumroll please……..Wedding Possibilities Here we come!
Harborside Pavillion overlooking the marina and Lighthouse, Old Baldy.

 
Underneath the tent:

Marina & Lighthouse View Ceremony Site

Lighthouse Grounds

View of the Lighthouse grounds from the Chapel Entrance
 
The Chapel ( It was surprisingly quite nice and nondenominational, however, Jeff and I are not indoor/church types)

The Shoal’s Club ( our favorite so far!)
 
That is the Presentation Deck for our ceremony, overlooking the ocean and beach.

.

This is the other view, it does have a covered area for those that would want to be out of the sun

The Shoal’s Club Dining Rooms and Outdoor Patio for the Reception
 

This space ( and the two inside dining rooms to the right) is only available one Saturday a month for weddings and October 2010 is already filled. However, we could have it there any other day of the week (… sunday )

On the left of the above photo is the Event Pavillion…here it is inside below
 

We would also have the outside space around this Event Pavillion…

Hard to imagine with umbrellas and ketchup bottles, but you can see the dunes, palm trees and pool…

 

After we said our goodbyes and thank you’s, we had lunch at this fantastic restaurant right on the Harbor. Eb and Flow
“Island Paradise” was on special
 
Blue Curacao, Coconut Rum and Pineapple Juice  was incredibly refreshing! My lunch was exactly what I wanted as well, grilled salmon with grilled asparagus and a side salad ( it had peppers, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and romaine!). My fiance (!!!) had a shrimp buffalo style burger and beer.

We hit the bikes afterward and biked all the way down to South Beach area to meet up with another Event planner at the Island’s country/golf Club.

If you ever see Bald Head on theknot.com, you will see a photo of this country club! Her name was Lindsey and she actually graduated from where I am attending graduate school! What a coincidence! We did the tour of all their possible reception and ceremony sites, got more information and took more photos.
The Grill Terrace overlooks the driving range

The Main Dining Area is another option, which comes with The Ocean Terrace

Above, they were setting up the dance floor for a wedding. They actually have a better area of hardwood floors already in place in The Green Room, which is an additional fee but might be fantastic for our dancing! Below is The Ocean Terrace, this was actually the idea I fell in love with when we decided to check out BHI. I still really like the venue and the price but I did not realize it was so far back from the ocean…

It is funny because the ocean really is just about 1/4 mile straight walk down the driveway entrance so it isn’t that far!
  

After meeting with her, we were really undecided! There is a large cost difference between The Shoals and The BH Club but we think both are fantastic in different ways! We decided we wanted to think more about everything so we happily biked through all the beach houses

…and back to The Shoal’s Club to take advantage of our free pass! We checked out the dining room and patio area again, inside. Unfortunately the photos I took did not upload for some reason.

We had a drink at the bar. I had a sweet tea vodka with water and Jeff had a IPA ( again totally refreshing and delicious)

and utilized the private access to the beach! On our way I snapped this shot of the club…

I think it was very coincidental that as we stepped onto the beach, we set our stuff down right near this:

Someone had just gotten married!

We had a great time swimming in the ocean! The water was cool but perfect after a hot, sunny day of “work” and the sand was really soft as opposed to filled with crushed shells.

As we were biking all the way back to the Harbor, we found the entrance to a possible ceremony site we had seen earlier with our first event person…

This gazebo is really pretty and is “free” as far as site fees go. It has a much bigger lawn area than in this photo and a smaller lighthouse type of building on the opposite end. I thought the entrance to the little forest area was nice..
 

We continued on and waited for the ferry back to Southport, checking out the harbor entrance beach.
 
We hopped on the Ferry watching the sunset and drove back to Jeff’s dad’s house. His dad had ordered us pizza for dinner and we were so thankful because we were HUNGRY!

I had one slice of Hawaiian style with pineapple, canadian ham, bacon, roasted red peppers and jalepenos!  I had another slice of “Greek Veggie” with peppers, onions, spinach, olives and feta! Jack missed us and clearly wanted to be near any possible drop-age of pizza!

Body:
Biking All over the 14 miles of beaches on the island! Swimming in the ocean!

Mind:
We asked so many questions and received lots of information to take in for everything Bald Head has to offer!

Soul:
Completely filled! We accomplished so much fun, relaxation and exercise, delicious food and drink , and wedding planning activity all in one day!

Fantastic Friday!

All in one post since we are heading to the island shortly!

Body:
Mowed the lawn! I wore my heart rate monitor and found that I burned 305 kcal in 32 minutes! My HR was between 155-163, which is what it is for a normal elliptical session! Just so you know, if you are short on time and need to get your grass cut, it can be an excellent alternative form of exercise! It was also nice to spend time outside being productive, making our neighbors happy ( they all keep their grass cut very well!) and getting some exercise when most days I sit in lab focusing on DNA!  I headed to the gym afterwards because 1. I had the energy and 2. I knew we would be driving a lot this weekend!
Strength:
Abs- Plank
Abs-Inverted bench with medicine ball
Triceps/Chest-Abs- Walking Push Ups and Raises from plank to elbows
Quads- Squats on the Bosu
Cardio:
Elliptical for a 20 minute cooldown

Mind:
Studying Studying Studying Studying… Ah. We just got back our test corrections so I studied for our next exam on Tuesday and for our final three days later on Friday by figuring out mistakes I made on our previous test. I didn’t get very far because my mind kept wandering to wedding planning and checking on details for this weekend!

Soul:
I am excited to be heading to the beach again this weekend and to find a potential location for our ceremony and reception!

Eats!
Breakfast:

Smoothie, Fresh Fruit, Whole Grain Cereal
Smoothie: 3/4 scoop of Pure Protein, Organic Skim Milk, Frozen Pineapple, Bluberries, and Cherries.

Fresh Fruit: The last of the kiwi,cantaloupe, and banana with Smart Start cereal ( that I put into the smoothie and drank via spoonful).

Up closer…

Lunch:
Tilapia with veggies and pasta…

It is usually leftovers for lunch because we intentionally make more the night before so that we have easy lunches ready to go. I think that is such a great tip for families or busy bodies, unless you despise leftovers. I never understand why people would not like leftovers!  I really liked reading everyone’s answers about leftover pasta and pizza! I also loved reading your feedback on the oprah finance show, and thursday night weddings so Thank you for all your great comments!

Snack:
Since we were heading to the beach for a late night dinner with Jeff’s dad, we had a great little snack to hold us over..

Organic Fuji Apple with a yogurt ( and mixed in cottage cheese). I have been mixing yogurt with cottage cheese since first reading Muscle and Fitness Hers magazine back in 2000 ! 9 years ago, I purchased an entire year of it off the newstand! I can’t believe I didn’t just buy the subscription but I really enjoyed that magazine for all of its great strength training and diet tips! In high school, I was really into strength training while on the track team since I had to build up my “jumper” muscles . Anyhow, cottage cheese and yogurt together provides a super source of protein and tastes really good! I also enjoy mixing CC with tons of things like applesauce, mashed banana, and other fruits, and french toast.

Dinner:

We watched my penguins win the Stanley Cup!!! Way to go hometown! If my current team couldn’t win, I am happy to have lost to my hometown team. Of course I had a glass of wine as soon as we got in. Blackstone Merlot:

Blackstone is from Woodbridge, California and the merlot reminded me very distinctly of a chocolate covered cherry! It started very smooth with black cherry but then had a really nice finish of strong cocoa. Every sip was quite refreshing!

We had a great salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli and romaine ( a little hard boiled egg!) with london broil and potatoes from the grill.

Thoughtful Thursday Eats

Breakfast:
Fruit Covered Oats

Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Raspberries, a few slices of banana and a little peanut butter with a Green Smoothie on the side…

I know I know, it looks gross. I used Kale, frozen pineapple, frozen blueberries, milk and chocolate protein powder to make a mini smoothie. It was so refreshing!

Lunch:

Oikos Organic Bluberry Yogurt sprinkled with Smart Start cereal, kiwi,(the other half of ) a banana, peanut butter on my spoon in the back

and I just used frozen mixed vegetables and steamed them in the microwave for several minutes. 

Dinner:
Fish Taco and Salsa with Greens

The fish:
Wild Tilapia made in the skillet with lemon pepper seasoning and capers
The Greens: 
Kale and Spinach heated in the Micro
The Salsa:
I sliced up fresh cantaloupe, added bottled black bean and corn salsa, frozen thawed pineapple, and extra black beans with some hot sauce. It was really tasty! I know mango salsa goes well with fish so I figured the cantaloupe would be a good substitute!

 

Thought-full Thursday

Body:
Strength:
Quads & Bicep -Hammer Curls with Lunges- These made my HR go up to 163 ! That is usually what I keep it at for a good cardio workout.
Back- Bent Over Rows
Back- Lateral Pulldowns
Biceps- Pulley Bar Raises
Quads- Bosu Lunges

Cardio:
Elliptical… I bet some of you have noticed my resting from running for quite some time. I think when my whole leg started hurting vs. my knee, I realized it could be from a lack of strength training/over-training with runs. I tend to get excited with my runs and just want to keep running, forgetting strength exercises. I will return to running eventually!

Mind:

Class: Genetic Mutations and Translation. I stayed for lab- It was the Hand-Shaking Lab. Basically, we all wore gloves and one dish had a bacteria. We all touched our own dishes then shook hands randomly with four different people, swabbing after each shake. We will find out how easy it is to transmit bacteria through infection.

Test Corrections! I studied and found several answers that I missed. Overall, I did do better than my last test but I still missed a few questions regarding lab ( which I am not taking!) so that bothered me a little. I guess I could have researched more from the lab materials posted on Blackboard just as much as he could have told me about the lab questions.

I looked at more wedding venues and menus, did more laundry, cleaning and packing!

Soul:

I knew wedding planning would be fun and overwhelming, but I did not expect so many venues to charge such different rental fees just for hosting an event there Saturday vs. other days. One place charged a rental fee of $600 on Thursday night, that went up to $2500 for Friday night, then up to $5,000 for Saturday rentals! That is just for having it there, not including tax, food, servers, tables, linens, accomodations, etc etc!

I think they offer a great service and should definitely make their profit but I don’t feel like paying an extra $4,400 for a different day of the week! What are your opinions on attending a Thursday night wedding?

- Those that could take off Friday can make a nice long weekend out of it
-Those that cannot take off, could come down for Thursday and be back for work Friday if need be.
-I would think where-ever we have the wedding if on a Saturday, our guests would be inclined to make the weekend out of it.

Bacon Pepper Pizzatta

Breakfast was super fast because I had to jet to class ( I slept in a bit)! Whole wheat toast, TJ Valencia Peanut Butter, Banana slices, an Organic Oikos Blueberry and Fruit

Leftovers (pasta) with extras (veggies) for Lunch.

I like cold pasta leftovers- always have- its like cold pizza. How do you feel about leftovers?

Dinner : Bacon Pepper Pizzatta

I really wanted to use up the eggs we have so I decided on frittata but then decided on strata of sorts for dinner. I randomly chose items to create the dish: bacon, frozen pepper and onion mix, cumin, red chile flakes, mexican cheese, black beans and a whole wheat toast crust. Seemingly, it was all going to fit into my spring form pan and I could just pop it out to serve.

I sauteed the peppers and onions with the spices,
then used the same pan to cook the bacon. Grease aroma filled the kitchen as I buttered the pan and laid four slices of whole wheat bread in the bottom.

After toasting the bread for a few minutes, I added the peppers, beans, then poured in the egg mix ( 2 eggs , 4 egg whites) topping it all with cheese and bacon. Unfortunately, the egg mix soaked through the bread and started seeping out of the pan on to the counter!

I quickly had to figure out a solution! I grabbed a pie dish and popped the spring form out on top of that. The problem seemed to be solved, so I popped the pie pan into the oven ( which didn’t fit into my toaster oven that I had preheated) for 15 minutes on 350*.

Bacon Pepper Pizzatta

I actually didn’t realize it, but some of the eggs had still dripped underneath the springform plate…
Regardless, it was delicious! The eggs leavened up, creating a crust with the bread just like pizza! The salty bacon and fluffy egg strata went very nicely with the smokey cumin!

The whole dish provided approximately 660 kcal and 52 g protein! About 20% of the calories came from fat, and you could even decrease that by using less cheese and/or removing the bacon. I can’t believe how fast and easy it was either- lay down some bread, mix up eggs, add veggies, bake! This accident turned out better than I ever imagined!

I had half with some fresh fruit that Jeff picked up for us. Organic Kiwi, Raspberries and Canteloupe!

Wonderful Wednesday

Body:

Elliptical and Sauna! ( It was 194*, smelled of cedar and very relaxing).

I had never done Vigorous Flow Yoga before last night and let me tell you, it was a great experience! If you have also never been, it was fairly basic yoga moves ( down dog, foward fold, triangle, warrior 1, etc) done in sequences with your breath ( in… out) and rather fast paced.

It really helped me to “get in tune” with my breath as yogis often say because each movement was a breath. Inhale -plank pose, Exhale-ground, In- up dog, Exhale-Down dog, Inhale right lef up, Exhale- right leg in front, Inhale Warrior 2…  The instructor had a very interesting accent and knew her stuff!
My back is a little sore as it usually gets from Up-dog but I would definitely go again!

Mind:

Class: DNA coding and mRNA template replication: Initiation, Elongation, and Termination. I cannot believe we have an exam on Tuesday and our Final on Friday! It feels like I just started the class, okay, I did just start the class!

I also managed to….

Meet with my professor and discuss thesis ideas!
Grab household things we have needed for ages
Do laundry
Clean the laundry room
Clean and organize my clothing room
Iron clothing
Begin to pack for this weekend
Search wedding venues
Put up a new shower curtain ( ew! the old one was nasty!)
Make dinner

I realize these are all just normal everyday type of things but in retrospect, it feels like so much productivity!

Soul:

Ah, productivity. The goal of all organisms is to produce. Actually the goal of organisms is reproduce, but nonetheless, produce something. I feel as though I have lived four days in one.

Wedding Location Search #2 coming up this weekend!
Jeff and I will be traveling to Bald Head Island, NC to search venues there. We were intending to make a last minute, expensive trip to Hilton Head but thought to try somewhere closer first.

The island itself does not allow vehicles aside from golf carts and bikes in order to preserve its natural habitat better. I think that concept is a fantastic idea, more walking and biking is also such a healthier way of life! The rental properties all have huge lawns but are not as large as we had in mind ( at least online it seems) so we are excited to check out the possibilities in person!

We are also excited to break up our drive, as we will stay with my future-father-in-law friday night.  We will only have a short drive to the ferry Saturday morning. The coordinator we have spoken with setup ferry tickets for us, which was such a nice gesture on his part! I can’t wait to see what the island has to offer!

Wine Correspondent:
I choose interview times and am so eager to even have this opportunity I am bursting at the seams! Once again, thank you to so many of you that have voted for me. I appreciate it to no end. If you haven’t already or just want to check out my video, you can view this site http://www.areallygoodejob.com/video-view.aspx?vid=MnkCD4ql2Ag to vote for me!!!

Thank you again!

Terrific Tuesday

If you haven’t heard the news yet in the life of Bhealthier…

I sent in my video application to be a wine correspondent for Murphy-Goode Winery last week! They just emailed me for a PHONE INTERVIEW to help select their Top 50 candidates!!!!

Please visit this site http://www.areallygoodejob.com/video-view.aspx?vid=MnkCD4ql2Ag  to vote for me!!! Plus you get to “meet” me after seeing my video!
Thank you to everyone that has already put their vote in for me!

Terrific Breakfast:
Oats with cinnamon and valencia peanut butter.

Blueberries and Cherries- hmmm Antioxidants!

 

Ladies Luncheon at Lilly’s!

I tried so hard to find desire for other fantastic dishes here but I couldn’t resist my usual favorite: The Red Rooster !

It is made with organic greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, onions and topped with fabulous bread knobs, BBQ chicken, roasted pecans and cheese. I had water and blue cheese dressing ( but the salad doesn’t need much dressing I think).

Sarah S got the same salad and loved it as well!
Sarah B ordered  a slice of pizza and a house salad-

Of course she was happy to share- so here is my bite:

This definitely persuaded me to order pizza from there! Oh, how I wish I could have lunch out with the ladies everyday! It was so enjoyable despite the bit of rain, the unbearable heat and the barely-english speaking food runner that shouted ” kelly” or “sarah” everytime he brought an order out that wasn’t even ours!

Dinner:
Pasta and Salad…

Whole wheat pasta with a quick meaty pasta sauce…

I used  organic crushed tomatoes with basil, some Newman’s Own Olive Oil and a little NOO Balsamic Vinegar too…

For the salad- I toasted Kale as I did last night and used up the rest of the organic mix. I think I will use the rest of the Kale in smoothies tomorrow!

Wine Correspondent Video!

Hello All!!
I know that I mentioned on here last week I was preparing a video application for a job. Well that job was “A Really Goode Job” with Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma Valley California.

Check out this site http://www.areallygoodejob.com/video-view.aspx?vid=MnkCD4ql2Ag  to watch my video and please vote for me!!!

I just received an email from Murphy Goode asking me to do a phone interview to help in selecting their Top 50 Candidates!!! I am overjoyed and they haven’t even selected their Top 50 yet ! I cannot wait to talk with them!

I am on top of the world!

Recap for today:

Body:
Elliptical
Walking Push Ups
Planks
Yoga!! I went to a new class for me, Vigorous Flow. Let me tell you, it was vigorous!

Mind:
Exam is Done! Thank you for your good luck wishes! I think it went better than the previous exam.

Soul:
I am going to do a phone interview for a Dream Job working as  a wine correspondent in California! How wonderful!

I also went to lunch with lovely ladies from my classes Sarah B and Sarah S ( Hi Ladies!) and Sarah S’s friend Caroline. It was FABULOUS but also extremely hot outside! It is always so refreshing to meet someone new! Caroline was in town for a job interview at Johnson n Johnson and I hope it went well for her. If it did, she can move her and we will all be able to have lunch again!

Sarah and I went shopping afterwards which was also incredibley fun!* Sarah you are awesome, Thank you for going!

Monday

Yogurt, half of a mini smoothie ( milk and protein), with fruit and kashi go lean

Valencia Orange with mixed veggies and couscous and egg whites hot sauce salsa

I was STILL hungry after this despite knowing it was enough food ( ~ 320 kcal, 19 g protein.. lots of fiber). So, I made an agreement with myself before eating again… I had a big glass of water and waited a few minutes. I decided I was still hungry so I had a handful of graham crackers…and was satisfied!

Dinner was fast and simple-

Annie’s Whole Wheat Organic Shells and Cheese with Local Organic Kale ( toasted) and Organic Romaine Salad all from whole foods ( there is one behind my campus) oh no, the goddess dressing was from Trader Joes. Ah well.

Total Meal Cost for 2= $3.50

I crushed up a piece of toast I made and sprinkled it into the mac and cheese to make it taste more homemade like- I put the remained section underneath the mac and cheese.

I am up early and off to study. Wish Me Luck on the Exam!!!!!

Good Afternoon!

Body:

Strength:
Walking push ups with plank holds at the end ( 2 sets, 30 second holds)
Abs-Incline Bench with Medicine Ball ( you lift up and the cross side to side with the ball, back down, repeat)

Cardio:
Elliptical
 
Mind:
Study study study for exam!
Class was CRAZY hard today- all about DNA replication specifics! yikes!

Soul:
Looking forward to taking a study break this evening with the future hubs.

Wedding Location Search continues… This weekend ( ..or in two weekends)we are hoping to plan a last minute trip to Hilton Head.  The weekend after next, Jeff has a bachelor party in Charleston. This brings me to the amazing Erica of Itzy’s Kitchen-  a huge thank you to her again! She is helping take photos of a potential site for us this weekend and I can’t express in words how appreciative I am!

I am super excited to finish the exam tomorrow mostly to get it over with but also because afterward, I am going to lunch and shopping with two lovely friends from class!!! Hi Sarah!

See you later for my eats!

Happy Monday to everyone!
I felt super exhausted when I started my day but am totally recharged after my workout to pump out some studying and wedding planning!