A Whirlwind of Houses

on September 21, 2010
in All Posts

I loved hearing about your healthy choices!  It is so fun to see how your little efforts really add up, isn’t it? 

 

Today my healthy choice was NOT working out, actually.  I was really exhausted after a full day of house hunting with my mother-in-law and volunteering at Girls on the Run.  I decided it would be more beneficial for me to go home, relax, and get to bed earlier.  I can make up my run tomorrow!

 

Alright – so I know you all want to know how the house huntin’ went!

 

Let’s just put it this way… We looked at a LOT of houses!

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And guess what?

 

I think we found a place for my mother- and father-in-law!  But now it all comes down to negotiations.  We should know for sure in a week or so.  Keep your fingers crossed! 🙂

 

While hunting, I ate about two servings of almonds:

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And a banana:

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I quickly rushed home (my mother-in-law hung out with the realtor and scoped out a few more places) to grab a bite to eat before Girls on the Run.  I drank a Green Monster (2 cups spinach, 1 cup almond breeze, 2 tablespoons instant coffee, and a banana)… and yes, I use Ball Jars for drinking + growing herbs.  They are multi-purpose!

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And a sandwich with hummus:

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I rushed back to South Carolina for Girls on the Run.  I am LOVING this volunteer job.  It is so rewarding to have the girls hug you and hold your hand and tell you that they ran an extra two laps or are going to try extra hard today.  I don’t think they know how much those simple acts lift up an adult’s spirits!  It really is awesome… plus, I love coaching with Jen.

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I rocked the No Meat Athlete shirt and told a few of the girls that I was a vegetarian.  They thought it was weird. 🙂

 

My mother-in-law was exhausted as I felt, and we both decided it would be best to stay in and enjoy a simple homemade dinner.

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I made zucchini, mushroom, chickpea, and tomato enchiladas.  I have fallen in love with enchiladas!  So easy to make and super delicious.

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I used this lovely tomatillo sauce, which was SPICY!

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Served with parsnip fries. 🙂

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On that note… I am going to honor my healthy decision to relax and enjoy this evening.  And I really want to get in bed before 10 PM.  Let’s see if I can do it!

 

Please VOTE for Healthy Tipping Point for Project Food Blog – you can read my entry and vote here!

{ 75 comments }

 

  • Evan Thomas September 21, 2010, 8:52 pm

    Those ceilings look so high! I’d hate to have to clean them(and that about wraps up all I know to look for in a house)

  • Mary September 21, 2010, 8:53 pm

    Good for you! You deserve some time to just chill out and relax and enjoy yourself 🙂 Those houses look GORGEOUS! I am in awe at how huge they are!

  • Alexa @ The Girl In Chucks September 21, 2010, 8:54 pm

    That is one tasty looking dinner…and a whole lotta houses!

  • AllieNic @Frisky Lemon September 21, 2010, 8:55 pm

    Wow…those house are…wow. BEAUTIFUL! I would love love love to have a pool like that! It wouldn’t really be worth it in Boston though…

    Those almonds are addicting! That’s my favorite kind: just the right amount of salt!

  • Leanne @ Radiant, Balanced & Fit September 21, 2010, 8:55 pm

    Do you have a receipe for parsnip fries?

    • Caitlin September 21, 2010, 9:07 pm

      slice, coat with salt and pepper and olive oil, and bake at 375 for 30 minutes!

  • Trish September 21, 2010, 8:55 pm

    Wow!! Those houses are to die for! I so wish I could afford something so nice. Maybe someday if I am lucky . . .

    And love the girls on the run program. That is such a great thing. It would be interesting to hear more about the girls involved – their stories and all. But YAY for you for giving back – you are so amazingly sweet and kind hearted. I am constantly impressed by you. 🙂

  • sarah k. @ the pajama chef September 21, 2010, 8:55 pm

    those enchiladas look good!

  • Lauren September 21, 2010, 8:55 pm

    Congrats to your in-laws for finding a house. I know, and I’m sure you do too, how stressful this process is.

    Haha I love my “No Meat Athlete” Shirt but I’m pretty sure I get weird looks when I wear it too.

  • christina cadden September 21, 2010, 8:56 pm

    Looks like a fun day!

  • Sana September 21, 2010, 8:56 pm

    I hope you get the house you want… 😉 ERRRRR Your IN-LAWS!

  • ashleigh September 21, 2010, 8:57 pm

    I want to live in one of those houses 🙂 I hope whichever one they pick works out!

  • Lin September 21, 2010, 8:59 pm

    I love the house pics! I’ve been told many times that double sinks are the KEY to a happy marriage :-).

  • Chelsea @ Strawberry Sweat September 21, 2010, 9:00 pm

    What a busy day! I am kind of envious though, because I love looking at houses!! One day I hope to live in one again 🙂

  • Heather September 21, 2010, 9:02 pm

    yay for GOTR! I am sure yall make a great coaching team. Those houses are beautiful!!! so jealous.

  • Cynthia (It All Changes) September 21, 2010, 9:03 pm

    Those houses look gorgeous.

    BTW at that age I thought vegetarians were weirdos too. Now I’m right there with you 🙂

  • Lesley September 21, 2010, 9:04 pm

    Those are some seriously swanky houses! And I love that pic of you by the staircase. It looks like you’re mid-pirouette!

    • Caitlin September 21, 2010, 9:11 pm

      I was spinning!

  • Christina @ Food.Fun.Fabulous September 21, 2010, 9:05 pm

    I love that lagoon style pool! Hope you have a good night!

  • grocery goddess jen September 21, 2010, 9:06 pm

    Those are some delicious looking enchiladas…mmmmm. Those house are gorgeous!

  • Liz @ LBBakes September 21, 2010, 9:08 pm

    I am on such a Mexican food kick this week, I’ll have to add enchiladas to the list! House pictures look AMAZING – love the pool!

  • holly @ couchpotatoathlete September 21, 2010, 9:17 pm

    I love that picture of you spinning in the entry way — what a cool shot!

    We had Mexican pizza tonight and it was so delicious! I’m getting to bed early tonight too. 9:30pm is my target time!

  • Jessica @ Jessica Balances September 21, 2010, 9:24 pm

    I’ve been a slacker commenter lately but am still faithfully reading 🙂 and just want to say I LOVE all of this house hunting talk! All of the homes you’ve been posting are just gorgeous!

  • Camille September 21, 2010, 9:31 pm

    Those are incredible houses!
    I’m glad they found one!

  • Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine September 21, 2010, 9:33 pm

    All those houses are gorgeous- they can’t go wrong! I’m glad they found one they like. Girls on the Run sounds like such a great program, too!

  • Lee September 21, 2010, 9:36 pm

    Those houses are gorgeous!!

  • Natalie September 21, 2010, 9:38 pm

    I love house hunting for other people! What a fun day it looks like you had!

  • Kelly September 21, 2010, 9:40 pm

    Those houses look great! I hope everything goes well with the negotiations and stuff!

  • eatmovelove September 21, 2010, 9:47 pm

    For real?! Oh my God – that house is a DREAM! Swoon…

    I was wondering if you were doing Project Food Blog – the competition heats up!

    I keep getting pop-ups still on your site – something for “Celebrity Weight-Loss Diet things”…?!

    • Caitlin September 21, 2010, 9:48 pm

      Next time you get it, can you e-mail me all the info on the ad? I need to figure out if its your computer or mine. I highly doubt Foodbuzz is doing those ads though!

  • Lindsay September 21, 2010, 9:49 pm

    Those houses look amazing! So does that salsa…

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing September 21, 2010, 9:51 pm

    All those houses are gorgeous!!!!!! It must be so hard to decide!

  • Wendy Irene (Give Love Create Happiness) September 21, 2010, 9:54 pm

    I just wrote about jars today and how much I love them so I was very excited to see another use for them on your blog today!! 🙂 Good luck to your MIL on the house!

  • Michelle (The Runner's Plate) September 21, 2010, 9:57 pm

    My husband loves drinking out of our Ball jars!

  • Maryea September 21, 2010, 10:00 pm

    Thank you for what you are doing with the girls on the run program–that is so great! I love your No Meat Athlete shirt. I want one even though I am not a vegetarian. Now that would be weird.

  • Stacey September 21, 2010, 10:05 pm

    GOTR is such a rewarding experience 🙂 When I was a coach, the girls thought it was weird that I chose to run 10 miles on my Saturday mornings, ha! Love that shirt, by the way! I need to get one!

  • Liz @ Blog is the NEw Black September 21, 2010, 10:16 pm

    THose houses are nothing short of amazing! Good luck!

  • Lisa (bakebikeblog) September 21, 2010, 10:19 pm

    My oh my those houses are gorgeous!!! I really am jealous of the beautiful yards they have! Houses in my area have such small yards!@

  • Chelsea at Striking Balance September 21, 2010, 10:27 pm

    I’ve never made enchiladas, but if they are as easy as you say, I really must try!

    I am glad you are enjoying your volunteering experience, it is amazing how good it can make you feel.

  • maria @ Chasing the Now September 21, 2010, 10:31 pm

    I love that you are volunteering. I think when we are lucky and blessed it is SO important to pay it forward. These girls will remember you and your kindness for a long time.

    Also, thanks for the reminder that the little things add up!

  • Rachael September 21, 2010, 10:56 pm

    House-hunting for others is so nice and pressure-less!
    I also enjoyed yesterday’s post and the comments – good reminders all!

  • Amber K September 21, 2010, 10:59 pm

    I think it can be one of the healthiest choices to skip working out. You know your body and what it can handle!

    I think it’s so funny that they thought you were weird for being a vegetarian. My six-year-old niece thinks I’m plain crazy for hating meat, but she’s used to eating a ton of it at home, so I’m not surprised!

  • Carolyn @ lovinlosing September 21, 2010, 11:00 pm

    Those are some amazing houses!! Maybe I’ll look into Girls on the Run.

  • Charlie September 21, 2010, 11:03 pm

    I love all the pictures of the houses. I’ll probably dream of beautiful houses tonight :P.

  • Nicole - yuppie yogini September 21, 2010, 11:16 pm

    I tried to explain vegetarianism to my niece and nephew and they were like “then what do you eat”….funny…and sad.

  • Beth September 21, 2010, 11:17 pm

    How fun to house hunt with the in-laws! Your dinner looks so yummy too, enchiladas are so great and easy.

    Have a great rest of the week!

  • Alayna @ Thyme Bombe September 21, 2010, 11:30 pm

    Seriously, a closet with an island in it?!! I could roll out cookie dough AND get dressed in there! Or, you know, just have a space to lay out my clothes.

    • Caitlin September 22, 2010, 9:14 am

      major LOLs. and i agree!

  • Shelley September 21, 2010, 11:39 pm

    Ooo those houses look amazing! And a closet with an island bench? There’s something I haven’t seen before!

  • B September 21, 2010, 11:52 pm

    Wow, those houses are beautiful! I would love to go house hunting like that (probably never will on that level, but a girl can dream, right?)

  • Amanda@thegrainsofparadise September 21, 2010, 11:52 pm

    What pretty homes! So different than what you see in my neck of the woods! Love the parsnip fries too. Must try! Aloha!

  • stacey-healthylife September 22, 2010, 12:00 am

    Those houses look amazing, so fancy.

  • Lizz @ Leading the Good Life September 22, 2010, 12:04 am

    Good luck getting to bed early! Somehow, even when I clear my schedule I manage to dilly-dally so much that I never get to bed (or anywhere, for that matter!) early!

  • Peggy September 22, 2010, 12:41 am

    I’ve been tempted to coach for Girls on the Run for a while now, but I keep being scared off by the time commitment. I think I should just suck it up, though, because it looks like you’re having so much fun! What a great idea–I wish they’d had that for me when I was that age.

    • Caitlin September 22, 2010, 9:16 am

      if you sign on as an assistant coach, you can do it once a week! or you can sign up to run the 5k at the end of the season. they really need running buddies!

      also, check out the girls on the run solemates program. it’s pretty sweet!

  • Paige @Running Around Normal September 22, 2010, 6:56 am

    What beautiful houses!! Glad you guys narrowed it down 😀
    GOTR sounds so very rewarding. Just hearing your stories with the girls makes me want to go volunteer back at Big Brothers Big Sisters.

  • Erika @ Food, Fitness, & Fun September 22, 2010, 7:21 am

    Wow – those houses are so nice! I hope all goes well. 🙂
    PS – I think those “No Meat Athlete” shirts are so cute!

  • Meghan September 22, 2010, 8:01 am

    Love the houses. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
    Also, its not that your healthy choice was to NOT exercise–it was to do something for your soul instead (spend time with family). You need to take care of the physical and spiritual! That is what I tell myself when plans with friends and family get in the way of exercise or eating perfectly–its just that I am “exercising” another part of my self.

  • Diana (Mymarblerye) September 22, 2010, 8:01 am

    sweet jesus what do your in-laws do? And do they adopt 27 year old asian women as daughters?

    • Caitlin September 22, 2010, 9:16 am

      my mother in law owned her own computer business and flipped houses throughout her life. i would also like to move in with them.

      also, houses are dirt cheap in south carolina. those aren’t as expensive as you think!

      • MCW September 22, 2010, 10:05 am

        I sure wish I could afford dirt, then! I know that market and my version of cheap is definitely different than yours!

  • Samantha @ Health, Happiness & Skinny Jeans September 22, 2010, 8:10 am

    Those houses are beautiful. I hope your in-laws find their dream home.

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat September 22, 2010, 8:25 am

    That sounds like such a fun volunteer job! Congrats on the house hunting. I know it can be a pretty exhausting activity but I’m glad you found a place! 🙂

  • Kelly September 22, 2010, 9:17 am

    Oooh, I love the living room with the dark wooden beams! Those houses are so beautiful, your in-laws have a tough decision to make.

  • Lulu September 22, 2010, 9:33 am

    Oh the house that has HUGE walk in closet is really the way to go! It so much easier to see what you have and organize. I stopped buying shoes/clothes because I ran out of space. Whatever, I just really like shoes (especially my running shoes!!).

  • Candice @ChiaSeedMe September 22, 2010, 9:38 am

    So glad your in-laws found a house they love – good luck to them during the next week! When you find a place you love, the negotiation process is so nerve wracking!

    Enchiladas are one of my go-to meals when I’m in a hurry, tired or really any other night because I’m always craving mexican food:)

  • Jessica September 22, 2010, 10:17 am

    I just went out and bought a case of those mason jars last week. I think they are so fun to use for drinking glasses.
    I got the idea from reading blogs!

    Those enchiladas look delish!

    Have a good day!

  • Erin September 22, 2010, 10:36 am

    can you do a recipe post for the enchiladas? i’m a newbie cook and those look delicious- but i have no idea how to make them. I would really appreciate it!

    • Caitlin September 22, 2010, 10:39 am

      It’s really simple – you can do it!

      (This made 3 enchiladas)

      Preheat oven to 350
      Rinse and drain 1/2 can of chickpeas
      Slice 5 small button white mushrooms
      Slice a small tomato
      Slice a zucchini lengthwise.
      Combine all the veggies in a bowl.
      Split veggie mix into thirds and roll up into three wheat tortillas
      Line tortillas in a casserole dish and pour salsa verde on top
      Bake for 30 minutes.

  • Laurie September 22, 2010, 10:59 am

    I loved reading about your experience with GOTR! Yes, the girls can be so sweet, I love that they think being a vegetarian was weird.

  • Whitney September 22, 2010, 12:29 pm

    I may have missed this. Whats the best way to get involved with Girls on the Run? I would love to volunteer but don’t know how to do it.

    • Caitlin September 22, 2010, 2:17 pm

      because this season has already started you have some options:

      1) wait until january to volunteer. you can reach out to your local chapter via the girlsontherun.org website.

      2) volunteer to be a running buddy in december. the girls all run a 5K at the end of the season and each girl needs an adult to run the race with. talk to your local chapter to find out deets.

      3) join the solemates program, which is when you race your own race and fundraise 262$ which funds two girls’ participation in the program. this is good if you can’t coach during the school day!

  • Lisa September 22, 2010, 12:34 pm

    Fancy fancy! I love the Great Rooms with the fireplaces.

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) September 22, 2010, 3:58 pm

    Wow – you have been looking at some incredible houses for your in-laws!!!!

  • Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary) September 22, 2010, 7:41 pm

    MmmmMMMM I love tomatillo salsa’s! I need to make my green enchiladas again soon.

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