I have to start off by saying THANK YOU for your votes and support of Makenzie! The results are in. She came in 2nd, after the lying cheater. But, what matters is we voted with dignity and we will still receive a complimentary photo session. I will be sure to show the pictures after we do the session. It will be sometime soon, since it's for Easter, so stay tuned. 😀

I cannot believe it is already Friday! Time is just a flying by!!! Today's Fun Fact Friday will be a bit different. I received this award from Lindsey at Eat, Read, Run and I figured it went perfectly with my Fun Fact Friday posts. Thanks for this fun Lindsey!!! 😀

As part of the award, I am to come up with six outrageous lies and one truth. Same concept as my Fun Fact Fridays, but you have 7 things to pick one truth from. Oh, so evil!! I'll keep them a bit more basic for this one. So here we go! Which of the following is the TRUTH?

1. I used to think Steven Tyler (from Aerosmith) was sexy.
2. The show Friends annoys me to no end.
3. I have perfect eyesight thanks to Lasik.
4. I have a huge fear of swimming in oceans and will not go in one if I can avoid it.
5. I hate speeding and always try to go the speed limit.
6. Fried chicken is my favorite guilty pleasure food.
7. I studied abroad in Spain for 5 months.

I pass this on to everyone because I think its so fun to play the truth game...and would love to learn some crazy facts about you all. So play along if you feel like! 😀

The remainder of the post, I am borrowing an idea and post from Jen at the blog Eat Move Love. It seems fun and just a bunch of random questions that I think show a good bit of someone's personality. So I'm in for it! We can just consider today's post a get to know more craziness about me...and maybe in turn I'll learn some things about you too.

So – HAVE I EVER….

1) Walked out of a movie in the theatre? -

No. I pay the dang $10 to see a movie, I am going to watch it. Even if I am suffering madly through it. Which doesn't happen often because we only go to the theatres for things we really want to see. The only time I almost walked out of a movie was when we saw the movie The Box with Cameron Diaz in it (the only thing playing that fit our schedule). It was AWFUL and the only reason I stayed was because I had nowhere else to go. We went during the 6 hours downtime on my competition day, so it was between watching the movie or sitting in a parking lot. I will stop books early if I don't love them and end movies we rent early, though.

2) Spontaneously bought/watched a movie that was out years ago…but brings up “sentimental” feelings?

Only one time I can think of. Once again, I'm too cheap to buy things I don't really need. BUT I did buy a DVD of the 1980s movie The Labrynth with David Bowie and Jennifer Connely. He was the goblin king and stole her baby brother. Does anyone remember this movie? My sister and I loved it growing up and we have so so many jokes tied to that movie because we will still watch it for fun. When I actually found that at a store, I was buying it in no time. LOL

3) Had a major celebrity/athlete/singing crush “back in the day”? (think of having a poster up, or maybe something similar to mySPEED/Keanu obsession !)

I've never had huge crushes on celebrities. I will think some are hot, but not enough to have a poster or dream about them. Although, the character Vince on the old teeny bopper show What I Like About You with Amanda Bynes did catch my attention in college. I would watch that show just for him.

4) Called in “sick”/made an excuse to work or cancelled an appointment/meeting/get-together with friends, co-workers, etc. (but you weren’t actually?!)…

Those usually were the only sick days I took! Now, being a mommy I can't call in sick. Boo!!!

5) Just come home from work – when you should be going to the gym/doing some activity/being productive…and instead plopped on your butt with FOOD and a book/TV, a bath, some music….and just completely VEG OUT and become a LAZY BUTT…but not give 2 damns’??

Oh yea. I would say at least once a week I have a lazy butt day! And I savor every moment!

6) Had a HORRIBLE hair-cut that made you want to cry or hide out for, well, a year until it grew out?

Yes. I can't think of it specifically right now, but I know I have hated my haircuts many times. Basically, I just hate my hair. It is too fine to do anything with!

7) Had your Heart broken? How did you deal with it?

Remember the 7 year on again off again dude? That whole relationship was about breaking each other's hearts! How did I deal with it? I met Peter and realized that the craziness that made up our relationship was not good. And then got to laugh when the ex called me a week before my wedding telling me a bunch of crap about how we were supposed to be together....then eloped with some random chick while I was on my honeymoon! That helped me get over anything of our past real fast!! LOL Just hilarity!!!

8.  Wanted to look like or BE another celebrity?

Nope. I love me. I wouldn't mind having the personal chefs and disposable income of a celebrity though. 😉

Feel free to answer these questions for yourself. Or add another Have You Ever! Speaking of questions...I have two more to get to from the Ask Me Anything box. I'll do that one day soon. Add more if you like 😀

Another Giveaway to check out - Morgan at Live Love Eat and Play and Adrien at Confessions of A Health Nut. Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Ends tonight!!!

Two of my favorite things - a book review and an easy, delicious recipe. 😀 We'll start with the food. After all, who can enjoy a good book when hungry? Have to get our priorities right. 😉

Easy Crockpot Chicken & White Bean Chili/Soup

This recipe is so great. It's really just chop, open, toss into the pot and let the crockpot do it's thang. It's kind of in between a chili and a soup. The ingredients all remind me of chili, but the consistency comes out a little more like a very hearty soup. I am not the most talented cook in the world. So if I am able to complete a recipe and it turn out well, then you know it's a fail-proof winner. 😉

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package chicken breast, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 large can Cannellini beans
• 1 can Great Northern beans
• 1 can black eyed peas
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 can Diced Green Chilis (optional - if you want extra spice)
• 3c chicken broth
• 1T minced garlic
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Now the step by step...

1) Dice chicken breasts into around 1" pieces.

2) Chop the zucchini and onion into even peices.

3) Toss the chicken and veggies into the crockpot.

chicken, zucs, onion

4) Add all the beans, Rotel, chilies, and seasonings.

with the beans, rotel, and chilies

5) Pour in chicken broth and stir mixture to evenly distribute all ingredients.

broth joins the fun and we all mingle together

6) Pop on the lid and let cook for 8 hours on low.

7) Have a hefty bowl of the warm, slightly spicy, healthy concoction.

up close and personal

That's it!!! Super simple, yet very delicious. And very healthy too. I did use low sodium broth and for the beans you can rinse them to get off some of the extra salt or use a lower sodium brand as well. This is a very satisfying meal. Other benefit = it makes a TON, so you have plenty to freeze and have on hand for when in a pinch with dinner. Frozen packaged meal? No, thanks! I got my soup! 😀

Next stop on this post = my belated book review! I actually finished this book over the weekend, because I could not put it down. What book is it?? This one!

The Time Traveler's Wife

I know, I just got done reading a book from another popular movie (Dear John), but this one finally became available at the library and I had to read it. This was definitely one of the best books I have read in a long time. I loved how different it was. Now, I adore chick lit and light hearted reads, but I also really like books that have a deeper plot and more to mull over. The Time Traveler's Wife delivered on that very well.

The story is about a man who has a genetic disorder which leaves him being thrown into different times without warning. He time travels against his will, and usually to places in his own past. For example, much of the beginning of the book describes instances where he time traveled to his present day wife, but when she was a young girl and teenager. Later, after they finally met in the present, the plot shifts more to the difficulties of loving someone with this "genetic disorder" and all the troubles they encounter trying to build their life together. The narration goes back and forth between Henry, the time traveler, and Clare, his wife and love.

What I most enjoyed about this book is the fact that while it is a beautiful love story full of emotion and relatable characters, there is a LOT of intriguing things to consider in the bigger picture of our own life and worlds as we know them. Henry will often be sent into times he does not enjoy from his past, but with no ability to change them. He just has to watch what has happened, knowing what is coming, but with nothing he can do about it. Clare, from a young age has had visits from Henry and has grown up knowing that he would one day be her husband. She often times will make comments about Henry being her destiny and she has known nothing else but to love him.

All of this led me to ponder the ideas of predestination. How much of our lives are tied up in things that have already happened somewhere else that we have no clue about? Does fate play a role in our lives? Are there parts of our "destinies' that we don't really have control over? It was actually fun to read such a wonderful story, but have it bring so much more thought out of it. I highly recommend this novel. I haven't seen the movie yet, so I can't speak for it. But this book is something special, that's for sure. 🙂

I'll end this now with some links to all of the giveaways going on around here....and one last request for votes for M. The poll is back up and it should be open until later tonight. This is the last time I'll ask, but please click here and vote for #24 😀

Lauren at Eat, Drink, and Be Hopeful is having a Chobani giveaway

Lara at Thinspired is having an Attune Bar giveaway

And check out my giveaway of Gnu Bars if you haven't already!