What I’m Loving Wednesday 11.7.12

1. When my old roommate moved out, she sold her dining room table. Until I replace it, the dining room is empty. It has become the “Activity Room,” aka the place I do handstands.

In this space, we have enough room to exercise, blog, do arts & crafts, have dance parties, or maybe even play spin the bottle.

2. I was browsing through the Juvenile section of the library this week and stumbled upon this gem:

What kind of message are we trying to send our adolescent girls? Not all men are dogs! Just half of them. ;)

3. I used to never (ever!) drink Red Bull. Then I met Danielle, a Red Bull rep and enthusiast. Since then, I've learned the magic of having Red Bull wings from drinking RBVs. They make for incredible dance sessions. Today Danielle informed me that the sugar in red bull is produced from a sugar beet. No wonder why I love the drink!

4. If any of you were wondering if I had commitment issues, you are correct. I can’t even keep a cart for more than one aisle.

5. I secretly want to decorate the apartment like this for the holidays:

I call it “Pastels meet Winter Wonderland.” All of that glitz was at Marshall’s if you’re interested in glamming out your home, too.

6. Speaking of glamorous, I found this pretty nail polish in the clearance bin at Target. L’Oreal’s “Brit Invasion.”

7. Once a fan of hipsters, always a fan of hipsters.

Is that not great? It’s a totally different kind of hipster, but still, the look of pure joy on my face cracks me up. It is the exact same face I make after a shot of tequila, haha!!

I want to thank each and every one of you who commented on yesterday’s post about my half marathon training. You are all so sweet and I will remember that as I cross the finish line. Big hugs!

What I’m Loving Wednesday 10.31.12

1. Last night I instagrammed/tweeted a picture of the Pumpkin & Black Bean Chili I had made for dinner.

One of my readers who I met this Spring tweeted that it looked so amazing. I was pretty sure she lived in the same complex as me, so I told her to come on over. Shortly after, I sent her back home with chili, Sriracha, and a few pieces of chocolate. She had never tried Sriracha before and I knew I had to convert her. The chocolate was given for obvious reasons: always eat something sweet after a spicy meal. It’s a rule.

I LOVE MY READERS. You guys are the best.

2. Last Friday when Danielle and I were out, we ran into our friend Will who is just as much of a beet lover as I am. Danielle suggested that we just get married and demanded that Will get on his knees.

Obviously this was a joke, but I’m humored that a) he’s holding his own arm up, b) he’s holding my wrong hand, c) he looks like a Twilight vampire, and c)we are in front of a gay bar. But by far, the funniest part of this whole situation was people’s reactions.

People take stuff on Facebook so seriously! No one in my family called me -- they’ve either abandoned me or know quite well how peculiar my behavior is.

3. After I ate on Saturday, I boxed up my leftovers before I went out for the night. I left myself a love note.

No, it did not work….for me or Danielle.

4. Last week  Groopdealz had a sale for these chunky anchor bracelets for only $7.99. I bought the blue and it’s just as pretty in person.

I found some similar bracelets on Etsy here and here.

5. This is pretty darn accurate. 

6. I was one happy child on this day in 1987.

25 years and 92875298729687 cavities later, I want to wish you a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What I’m Loving Wednesday 10.17.12

1. Dabo Swinney was outside the cafeteria at Blackbaud. I grabbed his bicep.

Just kidding, that’s a cardboard cutout. But I did grab his bicep.

2. Boding knows me too well. In the past 24 hours I have burned myself  3 times on a hot pan/the oven, ran smack dab into a bush, and shut my foot in the car door. I need to slow down.

3. This drink I had at The Macintosh last weekend. The Mex-ital Fizz: Campari, orange juice, elderflower, habanero, prosecco, Espolon rinse. Those bartenders are fantastic but should know by now that I am too clumsy for a martini glass.

4. While looking for decorations in Homegoods, I came across a display of Jewish goodies. Seriously, why was all this on sale?

I regret not buying um, all of it. My favorite part was their version of Candy Land – Kosherland. HA!

5. My breakfast for the past few days has been: 2 Van’s waffles topped with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup. Try this!

6. Amanda is my most Emoji-savvy friend. Look at her skills!

7. Some things never change.

I can’t stop laughing at that. 25 years later and I’m still posing. Will I be doing this with my cane at 80? You bet.

XO

My Favorite Healthy Snacks

I’ve mentioned it before – I really love snacks. Lots of little meals > 3 big meals. Here are the snacks I most often eat.

1. Greek yogurt. It’s packed with protein, is rich and creamy, and full of flavor. My favorite brands, by far, are Fage and Chobani.. My absolute favorite is Fage’s Cherry 0%. I don’t typically like cherry-flavored foods, but this is the jam.

I also really like their Blueberry 0%.

Of all of the Chobani flavors, Pineapple 2% is the one I buy the most. Just like their Passion fruit flavor, it’s very tropical.

Surprisingly, I love their Lemon 0%. It’s really refreshing!

2. Luna bars. Let’s be honest, these things are “healthier” candy bars. They’re made with 70% organic ingredients and contain many essential vitamins and nutrients. Iced Oatmeal Raisin is ridiculously good.

I’ve noticed that people either love the Iced Oatmeal Raisin or the S’mores flavor, but not both. Weird, right? My other top flavors are Peanut Honey Pretzel, Chocolate Dipped Coconut, and Blueberry Bliss.

3. Nuts! I prefer almonds and walnuts, but put me in front of a can of cashews or peanuts and I won’t deny them. First and foremost, I like plain ol’ nuts in their natural state. I buy them in bulk from either Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.

4. Fruit. I love almost all fruit in its natural state. Bananas, blueberries, and strawberries are my favorite. I’ll also never say no to pineapple. Have I ever told you I briefly lived in Hawaii with my mom when I was 3? Yep. Check this out. Someone was eating a lot of pineapple in 1987.

5. Back to the food. In high school, chips were my weakness. Nowadays, I reach for popchips. They’re not baked or fried, but instead air-popped. They have the best flavors and are so crunchy. I have little to no self control around a bag of Barbecue or Salt & Pepper popchips.

Their newest flavor, Sweet Potato, is quite different because it’s sweet, but is absolutely delicious.

Have you guys seen the new tortilla popchips? I’m dying to try them!

6. String cheese. I hadn’t had string cheese in years until very recently when I visited my grandparents. I forgot how convenient of a snack this is. And it’s cheese. Come on. We all love it. These bad boys are only 50 calories a pop (stick?) and, well, they’re fun to play with.

Embrace your inner 10-year-old and buy a bag of these.

7. Cottage cheese + jam. Sorry if you just threw up after reading that. It’s a great combo, I swear! Cottage cheese packs a punch of protein, and if you buy a lower sodium or low-fat kind, is a great post-workout snack. Top it with some jam for extra flavor. Just try it! +

8. Carrots + hummus. Sabra’s Roasted Garlic hummus is the best! +

9. Avocado + toast. It’s one of the most simple, yet delicious, snacks I eat. Just top a piece of toast with a couple avocado slices, drizzle with honey, top with salt & pepper, eat munch away.

10. COOKIES! Of course! Can’t stop, won’t stop. These aren’t healthy, but I could never leave them off my list of favorite snacks. ;)

What’s your favorite snack?

Are you team Fage or Chobani?

Favorite Luna bar flavor?