So, where can I go for a cheap date?

Ok, the camera is fixed yet again! Phew! I'm going to try to run through yesterday quickly so that I can get to today's excitement.

An Amazing Grass/almond milk GM shake for breakfast, followed by a fascinating social work seminar! Entitled "When talking isn't enough", it focused on alternative, more "creative" forms of therapeutic interventions to use with children, adults, and/or families. It was by far the most captivating training I have been to and I learned a ton of great tools that I can't wait to use! Anyone in the Chicago area who practices therapy should definitely go to a workshop by Jeff Levy, I promise you won't regret it!By the time I got to eat lunch I was famished!! I made a quick bowl of guac and threw this over a salad -

made with spinach, red peppers, and homemade dressing and carrots that got thrown in after the picture was taken.

I had just bought my recent favorite "dessert" of choice - and somehow I literally ate the ENTIRE bagfull!!! I felt slightly guilty about this, but quickly put this out of my head. Yes, it's a few hundred calories in a bag of dates, but I think that's a heck of a lot better than going through a bag of chips or cookies! Plus I felt enormously full and satisfied afterward and wasn't hungry for quite a while afterward.

I plan on going through many, many more of these bags - but I would love to find a source where I can get these in bulk to save money and to not waste so much money on the packaging. I would also prefer to get the good stuff (Medjools) - does anyone know of any great websites to get cheap dates? Haha, hence my witty blog title ;)

At the gym I did an hour of cardio (stairmaster, reclining bike, and elliptical) with some leg and ab work thrown in there for good measure!

After picking Mike up from work, I made him some watermelon and had just a few pieces.

Then I realized that THIS exciting package had come from MacroLife Naturals!! The company sent me a box full of goodies, and of course I had to try one right away ;)

I tried the flavor that appealed to me least (normally I would have beelined for the chocolate but I wanted to save it for a chocolate craving) - apple lemon ginger - and even so, it was very good! It had a very fresh flavor and I love the ingredient list. I would give this flavor a B+.

The stats:

My sister, Laura and her friend, Liane, came up to Chicago for the night. Neither of them had seen our new place yet, so Mike and I took them out for a night on the town in the South Loop - our night would have been a bit crazier if I didn't have to get up the next morning at 5am for my marathon training :)

Congrats Laura on your new job as a recruiter for Valparaiso University!!!

First course: VINO - this was the second and third course, too ;)Fourth course: the best cheap pad thai food you will ever get your hands on: this puppy was only $6.00!! (Opart Thai in the South Loop)

Time for Thai!

Fifth course: more dark chocolate!!!! Not pictured because my camera is a cantankerous little thing.

Next up: the recap from "Val Day"! Stay tuned!