The Little Things
March 20, 2012

I’m not a morning person. AT ALL. In college, my roommate would wake up before me so that she could do what she needed to in the bathroom and be out before I would wake up, because I was miserable to be around those first 15 minutes. I’ve gotten better (MUCH BETTER), and keeping a regular sleep schedule has definitely helped. Ok. The stage is set now.

Since my schedule has picked up this semester, it’s been increasingly difficult for me to fit in workouts in the evenings. If I don’t get out of work until 6 pm, I don’t end up starting my workout until 6:15-6:20, which means that I’m not showered and at home until 7:45. I make dinner and eat it, but then I don’t have too much more time to get anything done before I shut down for the evening. The schedule works, but not when I have things on my to do list that need to get done in the evenings. What’s a girl to do?

I always thought that those of you in the blog world who wake up at the crack of dawn to fit your workouts in before work were crazy. Who would give up an extra beautiful hour with their pillow?!

As I started looking at my schedule and “to do” lists, I realized that it might not be such a bad thing to get up early and squeeze in a workout before work. Here are a few benefits of working out in the morning that I’ve discovered:

Lots of benefits. The fact of the matter is that I still really like my sleep, and would much rather get another 40 minutes of sleep then get up in the morning. However, there are a lot of benefits to working out in the morning, and I can’t deny that either. My goal is to work out in the mornings 1-2 days a week. We’ll see how long I stay excited about the morning workout, but I’ve really enjoyed this over the last 2 weeks!

Now it’s your turn to share! Would you rather work out in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Are you a morning person, or are you a little difficult to be around those first minutes after you wake up? 

March 19, 2012

We all have things in life that leave us feeling happy and giddy. Perhaps Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music was right when she said “When I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad!”. Sometimes I like to remember my favorite things, and today is one of those days.

Here are some of my favorite things:

Now it’s your turn to share! What are a few of your favorite things? 

March 18, 2012

When I first sat down in January to create my workout plan, I looked at these weeks in March and wondered what it would be like to run 9 miles on a weekend. Of course I haven’t been able to build up that much, and haven’t been running much in the last month. Here’s what my workout looked like for the week:

Lesson Learned: I’m really enjoying mixing up my workouts, both in cross training and time of the day! It’s been great:) my lesson is to not be afraid to try out new exercises:)

Biggest Struggle: the weather has been so nice that I just want to go on walks instead of doing other cardio!

Now it’s your turn to share. What’s an achievement you experienced this week? Do you enjoy walking? 

March 16, 2012

While browsing pinterest a few days ago, I found this recipe for sweet & salty roasted chickpeas. I immediately pinned it on my recipe board to try out the minute I got a chance. I’m a fan of chickpeas, and find that it’s a good way to get in some protein (1 15oz can has 21g of protein!). I’ve also been craving salty treats lately, so all around this sounded like something that I needed to try.

Here’s What I Included

chickpeas ready to be roasted!

straight out of the oven. yum!

I have to say…they are delicious! The amount of time spent making this treat is minimal (maybe 10 minutes at best), and there is almost no clean up required. An easy, quick, no mess, delicious treat. I popped them in a closed container and ate it over the course of two or three days. You can add whatever spices you’d like- there’s no right or wrong way to do this thing:)

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s your favorite salty treat? Do you like sweet & salty mixed together, or do you prefer them to be separate? 

March 15, 2012

I’ve decided that I really enjoy doing these thankful posts each week. It forces me to think differently about the things in my life, and I truly believe that it would be healthy for each of us to, on a regular basis, write down what we are thankful for in our lives.

I’m thankful that it is lighter later now! I love that it is still light out at 8 pm… LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I’m going to miss the sun being bright when I leave for the gym in the morning, but that will soon return as well. For now, I’m loving the couple hours of sunlight I now have after work to enjoy the fresh air while I walk or run.

I’m thankful for my tropical coconut candle. It’s a pretty small thing that really doesn’t significantly impact my life in one way or another. However, it smells amazing while it’s burning, and the smell lingers long after it burns out. It’s delicious.

I’m thankful for almond milk. I wasn’t ever a huge fan of drinking milk, and once I became lactose intolerant, I really didn’t drink milk unless it was on top of cereal. I found almond milk right before Christmas, and not only do I use it in cooking, but I also enjoy a glass of it a few times a week too! It’s healthy and fantastic. And a great way to get some milk!

I’m thankful that my brother lifted with me again this past week. We mostly did arms again, although I threw a few leg exercises in as well. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to spend 2 hours getting advice from him and having him help me with my form. Free personal training/ time to hang out with my brother? I’ll take it!

I’m thankful that my phone can do group messaging now. I have my parents and siblings in one group message, and almost every day a flurry of random jokes and pictures get sent around. We get to connect in some form most of the days of the week and stay updated on each other’s lives without having long conversations. I love it!

I’m thankful for walks with friends. On Sunday I went for a 1.75 mile walk with two of my friends. We weren’t power walking, but took an afternoon stroll and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine. Those moments in life are beautiful.

Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today? Do you enjoy walking with other people, or do you prefer some other form of physical activity? 

March 13, 2012

My grandma died in October (i posted about it here), and I’ve experienced a wide range of emotions since that time. I miss her very much, that’s for sure, although some days are much worse then others. I’m not someone who thinks that when someone dies they shouldn’t be talked about. I’m all about continuing to talk about that person, and remembering the funny memories and experiences. I think it’s healthy to continue to carry the joy and memories of that person through life, and that’s what I do with her. I’ve also placed a few little memories around my house of her, one of which is the last thing she ever gave to me. It’s something completely ridiculous, but something that gave her joy during her last few months at her assisted living center.

Yes… it’s a solar powered flower. When it’s in the sunlight, the flower and the leaves bounce back and forth. It’s silly, but it looks so happy when the sunlight hits it. My grandma loved them, and she gave one to me the last time I visited her there. I keep it in my living room, and smile every time I see it dancing. It reminds me of the joy she had in so many things in life, and it gives me a funny memory of her.

Losing someone is never easy, but I’d rather remember the good memories then try to forget my grandma and never speak of her.

Now it’s your turn to share! If you’ve ever lost someone before, what’s one little way you choose to remember them? 

March 12, 2012

I’ve gotten obsessive about oatmeal. You think I’m kidding? I’ve even had dreams about it. I crave it for almost every meal, and wish I could get every single vitamin and mineral that I need from it. I’m forcing myself to eat other foods as well, but nothing can replace my beloved oatmeal. Because I eat it so often, I like to try different flavors and toppings. This past weekend I started thinking of drink combinations, and remembered a strawberry mango drink I had a few years ago. Because I had freshly sliced strawberries in my refrigerator, I knew I needed to try this combination on top of my oatmeal. Inspiration can come in many forms, right?

Here’s What I Included

I threw the mango in first, so you can barely see a few little pieces of the mango, but I promise they are there. This combination was unique, and I really loved it. It was definitely more spring-ish as well, so that made it a little more fun to consume.

Packed with calcium and protein, this is an incredibly easy and quick meal that is both healthy and delicious. YUM! If you love oatmeal, check out some of my favorite recent oatmeal creations: Blueberry Almond Oatmeal, Tropical Coconut Oatmeal, Blueberry Pomegranate Oatmeal, and Valentine’s Day Oatmeal.

Now it’s your turn to share! Where you do get inspiration for the food that you cook? 

March 11, 2012

I don’t feel like I’m training for anything anymore. As I typed the title of this post I even questioned myself. I guess because I haven’t gone on a run for a few weeks it feels like I’m just working out like I used to do…back before I was a “runner”.

Here’s what the week looked like:

Total Miles: 6.6 mi bike + 2.9 mi walk + 5. 88 mi elliptical= 15.38 mile total , total minutes of planks= 16:30, total strength training: 45 minutes

Lesson Learned: I can work out in the mornings! I’ve never been a “wake up early and go to the gym” type of person, but I did it this week. More on that in a later post this coming week.

Biggest Struggle: Frustration that I’m not running. This has been my struggle a lot recently, but I miss running and am frustrated that I’ve been sidelined.

This week i learned that switching up my schedule and workouts is important for me to stay motivated and encouraged. I biked, which I haven’t done since Christmas, and threw in some morning workouts too. Overall my workouts this week went well, and I got in some solid mileage despite not running. I’m keeping my cardio up, and that’s a good thing.

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one accomplishment from this past week? Did you try anything new this week? 

March 9, 2012

For the last year I’ve been a HUGE fan of Chobani. While pomegranate is my all time favorite flavor, I was really excited when Chobani released 3 new flavors earlier this year. I anxiously checked the shelves each week, waiting for the flavors to arrive. A few weeks ago, they arrived just in time for a huge Chobani sale (where I stocked up 5 weeks worth). While Chobani didn’t ask my to review the new flavors (I wish they had though!), I decided to do a review of my own.

Blood Orange. I honestly thought that this would be my least favorite of the flavors, I was wrong! Besides the name being a bit of a turn off, I actually really liked this flavor. It definitely tastes very much like an orange, and I feel that it tastes authentic.

Apple Cinnamon. Imagine the taste of apple pie… This flavor tastes like dessert, and would make a great addition to various dessert dishes that you might cook. It’s pretty sweet, but I’m a fan.

Passion Fruit. I was most looking forward to this flavor, and I think it is by far the most unique flavor that Chobani has put out so far. I have to say that I think this might be my least favorite flavor of Chobani so far, but I’m starting to get used to it. The fruit part is very yellow, and for some reason some days this seems off putting to me (other days I’m ok with it). There are also good-sized black seeds in this yogurt that are very hard and crunchy. While I love the pomegranate seeds in the pomegranate chobani, these are just a little too crunchy for me.

So, there you go. Overall, I’ve really enjoyed the new flavors, but none of them won the  #1 spot as my favorite.

Now it’s your turn to share! Have you tried any of the new flavors of Chobani? If you have, what is your favorite flavor? What flavor would you like to see created next? 

March 8, 2012

Happy Thankful Thursday! Despite the fact that I’m still not able to run (and feeling pretty discouraged about running my half marathon at the beginning of May), there are still a lot of other things in my life to feel thankful about today. You ready?

I’m thankful that I had a great Leap Day! The day was so great, in fact, that I dedicated an entire post to it, which you can read here. Frozen yogurt would’ve made the day even better. Hmm… I should’ve thought of that:)

I’m thankful that my brother was patient enough to make it through an hour long weight lifting session with me. Again, I dedicated an entire post to this, which can be read here. Seriously though, despite the fact that I may have been a little dramatic (and announced that I was dying a time or two), I’m glad that he was able to laugh through it with me and have fun. It was a great time. The feeling the next day though? Not so great.

I’m thankful that oatmeal is cheap. Seriously, for the quantity of oats you get, it’s a pretty cheap meal. I’m lucky that they are fairly low in cost because I go through them amazingly quickly. I’m also thankful that oatmeal tastes good with delicious things on top (like this Blueberry Almond Oatmeal).

I’m thankful for the nice weather that has been perfect for walking. I can’t run (BOO), but I can walk, and it’s been nice to still be able to get some fresh air after work. The sunlight certainly doesn’t help either.

I’m thankful that I’ve checked a few big things off my to do list. A few deadlines have passed, and I got everything done that I needed to in time. This also helps free up my schedule a bit for a few weeks this spring.

I’m thankful for a clean kitchen. Seriously, does anyone else have a hard time keeping their kitchen clean? From random food splatters, to drops of stuff that fall on the ground, to a great collection place for dirty dishes and random papers, keeping the kitchen clean seems like a part-time job to me. Having a dirty kitchen stresses me out a bit, so I’m always happy when I feel like I have some control over it.

Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today? What’s one thing you do to try to keep your kitchen clean?