WIAW: a busily relaxing day?

sharing WIAW, on a Thursday!

 

^^I started the morning off with some bible-ing, journaling, and coffee-ing. accompanied by my bridesmaid bouquet from this past weekend :)^^

^^breakfast was a scrambled mess (the best kind of mess) including eggs, zucchini, and eggplant. banana and almond butter on the side.^^

^^I’ve been all about the jumbo salads this summer! lettuce, cucumbers, celery, carrots, salmon, and salsa.^^

after lunch, I chilled by the pool for a little. And by a little I literally mean 30 minutes because it was SO hot out & I have ADD. I was drenched in sweat just from laying outside.

^^snack time: frozen berries + almond butter. coconut butter + berries is my favorite, but almond butter does the trick as well!^^

Thank you thank you to my amazing parents for this new sleeping bag. PLUS it’s orange. I’m in heaven, and I can’t wait to take it out for a spin (but actually it’s so hot, will I even need a sleeping bag?!)

^^finally: dinner. ground beef, summer squash, zucchini, and tomato sauce.^^

Questions of the day:

Is it dead summer heat where you are yet?!

Pool or Ocean- what do you prefer?

I’m ocean all the way, but that’s 3-5 hours from here!

weekend adventures + the meals of the day.

Summer is definitely here in South Carolina 85+ every day, with a proper dose of rain. Just your typical southern summer! yesterday I got stranded for about 10 minutes in a torrential downpour. Being a northerner, I am not a  fan of driving haphazardly through the rain, so I opted to pull over and let the worst part pass. It goes from downpour to sprinkling rain in a matter of 10 minutes here, so waiting it out really isn’t too bad! Plus as I pulled in at home, I saw a double rainbow, just the joyful moment I needed!

 

food of the day:

breakfast: a mess of eggs, zucchini, eggplant, and salsa + avocado on top. easy & delicious.

lunch: eggplant, salmon, zucchini and olive oil. eaten barely warmed, because when it’s 90 out, I really don’t want to cook.

 

dinner: spaghetti squash, brussels, ground beef (the BEST) and tomato sauce. another simple meal for a busy day!

and another adventure from this weekend:

hiking which ended with sliding down rocks into the river. nothing better than nature 🙂

 

 

Question of the day:

How do you dal with cooking in the summer? Avoid it, or just turn up the AC?

a weekend day in the life.

After a coffee and some water I started my morning with a 30 minute walk. It’s the best way to wake up! I love that movement first thing, and the fresh air is amazing. When i arrived back in my apartment, I talked to my parents (always a treat) and worked on homework.

After boring homework and laundry, the boy finally came over (he likes to sleep in…. one way we are definitely not similar). We went out for a late breakfast at Tandem – a coffeehouse and creperie. Coffee for her, latte for him. Tomato soup and cheese crepe for him, mediterranean (egg, feta, tomatoes, and spinach) crepe for her. It was a beautiful morning (let’s be real– it was almost afternoon at this point) to sit outside and enjoy each other’s company.

During the afternoon I grabbed some groceries, cooked for the week (paleo pumpkin bread #yesplease). Then I headed to the gym and walked on the treadmill while I watched an hour long documentary for class. I loved being able to move and get work done at the same time– there’s nothing worse than being stuck at my desk/staring at my computer all day.

Some snacks included chocolate chips, a banana + almond butter, and some carrots + salsa. Weekend meals are always a little less structured for me, especially because of the late breakfasts.

Before I headed off to lead Youth Group, I packed a quick dinner of Dubliner cheese, Applegate Farms pepperoni, spinach, and a sweet potato + Kerrygold buttah. Quick, easy, and incredibly delicious.

After I arrived home, I was pretty hungry so I had some 85% dark chocolate topped with almond butter.

All in all a successful and delicious weekend day 🙂

Questions of the day:

What does your typical weekend look like?

Are your weekend meals usually different than weekdays?

 

lately.

it’s been quite a while since a shared. sorry guys! beginning of the semester madness, you know how it is! but I am trucking along, tying to keep a good balance of healthy eats as I settle back into the college environment.

eats lately:

breakfasts:

^loving my bone broth lately. it’s a gut healing spectacular nutrition powerhouse.^

^all the spaghetti squash, eggs, tomato sauce, vegetables, and goat cheese.^

^canned salmon for the win. plus Kerrygold Dubliner cheese.^

^Eggs, spinach, celery, avocado.^

^I recently tried the Applegate bacon made from the pork shoulder rather than pork belly. I love the meatier nature of this bacon, it feels more substantial and has a delicious pork flavor. All that aside, I will always have a special place in my heart for bacon.^

^a pre-hiking breakfast last weekend with my boy. bacon, eggs, red pepper, and goat cheese.^

lunches:

^i made paleo banana bread last weekend. it was amazing. served with veggies and meat, please.^

^all the kale. when I make kale chips I just eat them all. I can’t stop. It could be worse, right?^

^cook your veggies with your bacon. then tell me you don’t like them.^

^an afternoon studying/coffee-ing together.^

dinners:

^to go form the dining hall. added canned salmon on top, because the ‘clean’ protein options from our Dining Hall are pretty much nonexistent.^

^it works for breakfast or dinner- spaghetti squash, sauce, Dubliner cheese, buttah, and chicken.^

^kale chips AND plantains?! these are seriously amazing. with avocado? just STOP. it’s too good.^

^pretty much the same mess, with some extra vegetables thrown in. yummers.^

^dinner at Sidewall, a new local pizza place. Salad + gluten free pizza with broccoli and Brussels. I’m in love. it was a little pricey, but freshly made so… #worthit.^

Weekender- 3 words.

Saturday:

First miles outside.

It started raining.

Time limit treadmills 😦

I’m not fast.

11 miles DONE champion.

 

Refuel with chocolate.

Also, fried rice.

My mom loves me.

Monogrammed running headband.

Sunday:

Breakfast on tortillas.

Walk with besties :).

 

Jumbo dinner salad.

Recovery day shake-out.

Smiles and scarves.

Questions of the day?

Three words to describe your weekend?

How do you refuel from a run?

Behind Schedule//Settling In

Hey all! If you haven’t noticed, I’m running a bit behind schedule with the posts this week. Settling back in to a class/work/study schedule has been a little hectic. Not to mention catching up with friends! Busy busy , but so wonderful to be back and getting into the swing of the semester. Here are some highlights from Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday:

Workouts:

Wednesday– A quick 41 min workout on the Arc Trainer. I love this machine- easy on my body, but still allows me to challenge myself!

^Since starting school, I’ve been getting shorter, more efficient workouts in– I walk a mile {one way} to class, so it adds a lot of activity to my day {in addition to running around campus all day long}.^

Thursday– on Thursday my workout was a little all over the place. I had about 30 minutes before a meeting with a professor, so I dropped my bags off and went for a 2 mile run outside. So refreshing! I often spend very little time outside during the school week, and it makes me sad. I have to take more advantage of my gorgeous campus.

Later on after dinner I ran 2 more miles on the treadmill {it had gotten dark + freezing outside} and then walked another 10 minutes on an incline for a good cool down.

Friday– Friday was another jumbled workout. I wasn’t sure if I would have free time in the afternoon, so I between my first class and lunch/my second class, I  did a quick 15 minutes on the Elliptical, followed by a 15 minute circuit from the Nike Training Club App.

After being in the lab all afternoon, I still had some time before I was meeting up with friends, so I hopped back on the Elliptical for 20 minutes, before walking the mile back to my apartment.

Eats:

^Breakfast– oats, apple, greek yogurt. Delicious. And coffee…necessary.^

 

^These are all salads, Dining Hall style. Usually it’s lettuce/spinach, lots of toppings, feta cheese, some sort of protein {beans or tofu–the meat is sketchy, and since I just started eating meat…I’m not that adventurous yet}. A couple of corn chips if I feel like it- but I try not to get them too often/too many because I’m not sure if they are 100% gluten free.^

^Kind bar snacking. This flavor was amazing. Try it ASAP!^

^Curry Soup, dining hall style^

 

^Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup, from Trader Joe’s. It’s so good. I actually just had some for breakfast… veggies first thing in the morning? I have to keep this soup around..^

 

^green peppers and hummus. Perfect snack. Did you know green peppers are full of potassium?^

^A little dessert- rice chez, greek yogurt, and a bit of granola.^

Scenes:

^waiting for my meeting on Thursday. I was checking to see if I was too sweaty/red from my run…^

^On Wednesday afternoon, I went for a coffee date with a friend.  I had the most delicious cappuccino and 2 hours of great conversation. There is nothing in the world like chatting with a wonderful Christian friend about the ups and downs of our lives!^

My new Fitbit!! I can’t wait to share the review with you guys.

Last but not least. I took a Buzzfeed quiz last night and found out that I should actually be living in Barcelona! I was so so so happy to hear that- I love Spain and Barcelona is absolutely my favorite city I have ever visited in Europe. Guess I have a new life plan 😉

Questions of the day:

What city should you live in? Find out here!

What is going on with your weekend?!

 

Emergency STOP.

Yesterday morning started with some greek yogurt and granola:

^so good and clean!^

 

^After I hung out for a while, reading and cleaning, my mom and her baby boy {she nannies for him} came to visit. He was obsessed with our stairs! His house is Ranch-Style, so stairs are a big deal for him. I had fun watching him scamper up them, and trying to teach him the concept of walking down backwards, for safety.^

^After my mom and baby boy left, I threw together a delicious lunch from leftovers. Salmon, rice chips, eggplant, carrots, and hummus on the side. So good. Followed by a square of Godiva Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt.^

Workout:

My workout on the schedule was 4 miles. I was running strong, and pushing myself more than I normally do when….I hit the emergency stop button! 😥 I absolutely hate when that happens. Totally threw me out of my groove…but I took it as a chance to sip some water and push myself to go faster for the last 1.82 miles.

After the 4 miles, I still had 20 minutes of Pretty Little Liars to watch…. so I figured I should do something productive as an excuse to finish it up ;). I went on the Arc Trainer for 19 minutes while I watched the episode. It was a nice way to cool down.

 

^So so cold in my house! It’s ok– I get to practice layering! And living cheaply after I graduate from college..^

When I got home from the gym, my mom and I threw some dinner together- fish, sweet potatoes, roasted carrots, and some more roasted eggplant. It was delicious.

My mom hit the sack pretty early– babysitting an 11 month old is exhausting! I hung out with my dad and watched TV while working on a craft for my roommates. And ate some more dark chocolate… so so good! It was a great night and made me want to stay home for another month! I love my family.

Question of the day:

What’s your favorite way to hang out with your family?

since.

So, since I haven’t been checking in lately, I’ll give you guys some random pictures, plus my Saturday antics!

Life “since”: 

^I took full advantage of the few freezing days we got in Greenville to break out all my winter gear. And of course take some selfies….^

  

^watching the boys play soccer….which led to me being captivating by my shadow. It’s the simply things guys.^

^I am in love with this new Christmas tumbler. It just makes workouts so much more fun!^

^isn’t he just the cutest? Drinking the beer he brewed himself!^

^salad with chips, apple, cucumber, lettuce, and hummus.^

^when in doubt.. add goat cheese. I needed to spice up some frozen kale, and this more than did the trick!^

 

^Last dinner with my gorgeous roomie! Mahi Mahi burgers, quinoa, goat cheese, and roasted pearl onions + brussels sprouts. This was amazing. Goat cheese has a special place in my heart.^

^Healthy dessert one night. Banana, pumpkin, cinnamon, and one hershey’s kiss for a treat!^

^The last meal before I headed home from school. I went all out with fries, I live a wild life. And a black bean burger under all those vegetables.^

^Airport salad, not too shabby BWI! Chopped vegetables, with avocado on top.^

Saturday:

Saturday morning consisted of crafts, baking, and general preparations for all the Christmas gatherings we’ll be having at our house over the next few days. The funny thing is that we won’t even be here for Christmas Eve/Day, but there will be lots of activities before then.

After some work around the house in the morning, I met a friend out to get manicures and do some shopping. My color came out a lot lighter than I thought 😦 but…later I painted over with a gold color I love! I’ll post that tomorrow. Besides– the most important part of the manicure is getting them to clean up your nails, right?!

^After shopping, we stopped in at a new restaurant, Sweet ‘n’ Savory in Port Jefferson, to try their crepes. We split and Eggplant Crepe and a Berries and Creme Crepe. They were enormous and so so delicious. Anyone in the Long Island area, you HAVE to try these. You will be more than satisfied.^

^For family dinner, I wasn’t too hunger {did you see those crepes?!}, so I stuck with the vegetable sides. Spaghetti squash, roasted broccoli, and broiled asparagus. Yum!^

^And to round out the night… a workout. 30 minutes of intervals on the Elliptical, and 20 minutes of Arc intervals. Nice and sweaty, in under an hour!^

Off to the family holiday party!

Any parties tonight?

 

a long day..

yesterday consisted of

• vacuuming for hours
• dusting, as must come before every vacuuming escapade
• 100 lunges (a challenge for the day!)
• bike to/from the gym
• 60 min elliptical workout
• 30 minutes of strength training/toning
• and a walk with my Mom to round it out!

Needless to say…. I (aka my legs) was thoroughly exhausted, but I felt accomplished by the end. Cleaning always motivates me to do more cleaning..which is good, but also tiring!

Anyway…here’s a quick rundown of my de-lish fuel for the day…

a yummy breakfast “banana split” with a banana, some soy blueberry yogurt and trail mix sprinkled on top:

a few hours later.. a snack of pineapple. cherries, and watermelon-clean and refreshing!

I also had half a kmbucha- Guava Goddess. It was my first time trying this flavor and I loved it.

then a break for a quick workout..

 

more cleaning, more organizing…then break! snack time… simple guacamole (just avocado, tomatoes, and onions)

served with kale chips..yum! For my kale chips I just put some little kale leaves on a cookie sheet, sprinkle them with olive oil and pepper, and bake for about 10-15 min at 350.

dinner was a hot mess, but a delicious one.. peppers, kale, asparagus, tomatoes, and onion- served over romaine with a veggie burger. I just threw everything into a pan (except the romaine) waited till the veggie burger was cooked, and voila!

and as an after dinner treat… a green tea slushie? I stuck my tea in the freezer earlier in defiance of its burning hot temperature.. but of course I forgot about it. When I went back for it later, it was half ice/half drink and surprisingly great! I’ll have to do this more often as we head into those hot summer days.

  

Hope your week is going well..Happy Humpday!