I’ve moved!

Come find me over at:  http://justaonegirlrevolution.com – hope to see you there!

christmas continues.

Holy crap, today is FLYING by!

My day started out with the dogs trying to wake me up at 5 am.  That was so not happening.  Fortunately after a few minutes, they laid back down for awhile.

breakfast.

Once I got up and moving, I had an easy breakfast:  banana bread muffins with sunflower seed butter.  I loved the combo so much yesterday that it was worthy of being repeated!

Holy yum.

I ate in a frantic rush to get to church.  In my I have plenty of time to get ready thinking, I actually ended up wasting a bit too much time and before I knew it, it was after 8 am, and I still hadn’t showered or gotten ready!  I flew through my morning routine, but I made it with a few minutes to spare!

After church, I stopped for some caffeine in the form of a soy caramel macchiato.  Heavenly.

christmas continues.

For my oldest nieces and nephew this Christmas, their gift was that I take them to a movie and lunch, both of their choosing.  My nephew, Jacob, was the first to take me up on the offer.  The movie?  TRON:  Legacy.  Not exactly my cup of tea, but I’m not an 8 year old boy and, more importantly, it wasn’t about me, so I went willingly.

We shared some popcorn at the theater.  Is it just me or is movie theater popcorn not one of the best things in the world?

While the movie was not one I would have normally gone to see, I was more entertained that I expected (perhaps, in part, because Garrett Hedlund isn’t so bad to look at for a couple hours?).

The restaurant of his choice was the always quality Steak ‘n’ Shake.  I was a bit surprised to find something healthy and vegetarian friendly on the menu!   I had the apple walnut harvest salad which had gala apples, red grapes (supposedly…I didn’t see any on mine!), honey roasted walnuts, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges and premium bleu cheese crumbles.  It came with a berry balsamic vinaigrette.

Any shred of nutritional value was counteracted with the mint chocolate chip milkshake.  It’s been a few years since I’ve had a milkshake from Steak ‘n’ Shake, but this wasn’t quite as good as I remembered.  Still good enough that I drank the whole thing, though!

I had a fun afternoon with Jacob!  It was great to have some one-on-one time together!  Love you buddy!  Thanks for hanging out with me for a few hours!

I love, love, love being Aunt Mindy!

breakfast for dinner.

The light lunch I planned to have this afternoon – chips and guac – didn’t happen (sad face!).  I opened the container of guac and it was definitely past it’s prime.  You know how usually there’s a brown layer on top that you can mix up with the normal colored guac underneath and it’s totally edible?  Definitely not a green layer.  Oops.

snackity-snack.

Once I realized the guac was no bueno, I turned to Plan B:  a bagel and cream cheese!  Surprised, aren’t ya?

I’ve got about enough of the strawberry daiquiri cream cheese for one bagel!  I can’t lie, I’m ready for it to be gone!  I swear, the stuff was multiplying overnight!

I attempted to reserve a copy of The Social Network from Redbox tonight.  I was excited when I looked online and there was one available.  Said excitement was crushed when I got to Walgreens and realized their Redbox machine wasn’t working.  So, I don’t get my movie AND I’m out the $1 since I paid online to reserve it.  Boo you whore (apparently I should watch Mean Girls instead??).

dinner.

My dad and stepmom came to town to meet for dinner tonight.  Did you know Perkin’s really isn’t a very vegetarian friendly restaurant?  Lots of meat and potatoes type stuff.  Breakfast menu, it is!

I went for an omelet.  I think it’s funny they don’t cook the “stuffing” with the eggs, but put them on top.  I had cheddar cheese, spinach, mushrooms, and some really pathetic looking tomatoes.  I miss summertime produce.

With some potatoes and whole wheat toast on the side.  Next time, I’m just getting an entire plateful of the potatoes.  They were gooooood.

Hope you’re having a lovely Saturday!!

the accent vlog.

I’ve seen this post on probably close to a dozen blogs now and it’s been fun hearing how everyone sounds when they talk! So, here goes nothing!

If you wanted to follow along, here is the list of words/questions: Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

• What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
• What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
• What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
• What do you call gym shoes?
• What do you say to address a group of people?
• What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
• What do you call your grandparents?
• What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
• What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
• What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

So, there you go, hope you enjoyed it!  If you’re curious, I was born and raised in Michigan and with the exception of a 3 month stint in California, I’ve lived here my whole life.

should have been six.

I rarely remember my dreams, but I had an odd one last night!  I dreamt that some girl and her boyfriend had broken into the house where I was house sitting.  I was still sleeping, but the girl took a shower and the running water woke me up.  But, there was something wrong with my legs and arms so I couldn’t get up and it felt like I was pinned down to the bed.

Then I woke up.  Weird, no?!

breakfast.

Dogs don’t know the meaning of the term sleeping in.  They were up before 6 this morning ready to go outside and have breakfast.  I took care of them, then definitely went back to sleep for a couple more hours.  I was not getting up that early on a Saturday!

Once I got moving, I threw together a yogurt mess to use up the last of a Chobani container.  In addition to the yogurt, I had rolled oats, chia seeds, and some mocha peanut butter.

The rest of the morning was a lazy one, hanging out around the house, reading, and just relaxing.  It was just what I needed!!

long run.

Today was my scheduled long run.  I did 5 miles two weeks ago and took last week off since I was still getting over being sick. Today, I was tackling six.

Here’s the thing about long runs…eating breakfast four hours before you go and being dehydrated are a recipe for a horrible run.  I know this, but I went anyways.  The first couple miles felt great but things went downhill from there.

Just after the 3 mile mark, I kept telling myself I was over halfway there, I did this much I could finish it out.  By the time I stopped at 3.75, I had nothing left in me.  I finished in 43:25 and felt pretty defeated.

Next time will be better, I know it.

Once I got home, I was in desperate need for some food.  I warmed up a couple banana bread muffins and added some sunflower seed butter to the top.  They tasted heavenly!

Now, I’ve gotta go clean up and find some more substantial food for lunch.  I’ve (hopefully) got a my first vlog coming up later tonight which I’m really excited for!

confessions of an overpacker.

Tonight starts another round of house/dog sitting.  I’ll be here for a little over a week and you would think, based on how much I packed, it’s closer to a month.  In all fairness, I packed work, casual, and gym clothes plus entertainment for the week (a couple books, movies, etc.) and bunch of food so I’m not eating out the entire time.  Oh, and don’t forget the yoga mat!

Yep, I’m an overpacker.  At least I’m prepared for…well, I don’t know what for.  But, when something comes to be prepared for, I’m ready!!

dinner.

Although I just had it for lunch yesterday, I had another hummus and sprouts sandwich.  I added some feta and tomato to it tonight.

I cooked up some sweet potato fries to go with it. I coated them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and just a bit of rosemary before baking them at 350 for 40ish minutes.

I may have gone a  bit overboard with the ketchup!

academy award prep.

I want to watch as many of the Best Picture nominees as I can before the Academy Awards next month.  Tonight’s film was The Kids Are All Right.  This is one that I wanted to see in theaters, but never got to it.  Overall, I thought it a was quality film about family and how families aren’t always easy and things get messy, but at the end of the day, your family is there for you.  It’s a story of love and hurt and heartbreak.  Did I enjoy it?  Yes.  Is it worthy of winning Best Picture?  Not particularly.

Previously, I’ve already seen Toy Story 3 which was really cute (better than the second, not nearly as great as the first), but again, not deserving of Best Picture.  Inception is one I saw, but I think I need to see again.  I wasn’t feeling that great when I saw it and it’s probably not the best movie to see when you’re in a cold medicine fog.  I think out of the three I’ve seen, it’s the most deserving, but I doubt it has what it takes to win.

I had some good company for movie watching:  Norman and Rosie!  Cute, no?

And, some good beer.

Quite a lovely Friday evening.

waking up is hard to do.

I did not want to get out of my warm, comfortable bed this morning.  I laid there as long as I possibly could.  I’m glad it’s Friday and I can sleep in a bit tomorrow!!

breakfast.

I grabbed a bagel on my way out the door.  One day, I’ll cut back on bagels.  But, not today.  I love them too much!

lunch.

My friend Kate recently got a job down the street from me, so we met for lunch to grab a bit and catch up on life.  I went for the salad bar.  I had so many different things on the plate, I don’t know that I remember everything…spring mix, spinach, banana peppers, cucumbers, black olives, green pepper, red onion, sprouts, mushroom, chickpeas, almonds, feta, and topped with some balsamic vinaigrette.  I think that’s all?  Quite a mix, no?

I had some Greek yogurt on the side.  Chobani > Yoplait.  Hands down.  But, Chobani wasn’t an option so I worked with what I had.

vitamin d.

For quite some time, I’ve known I should be taking Vitamin D supplements.  This time of year, sunlight is at a minimum in Michigan and that is a primary source of the vitamin.  According to one source, anyone living north of Atlanta, Georgia isn’t exposed to enough sunlight to get the minimum vitamin D requirements six months out of the year (via Women’s Health).  Not only that, but the few food sources that offer the vitamin (fish, cheese, egg yolks) are ones that I either don’t eat at all or try to eat minimal amounts of.

Since vitamin D deficiency can lead to depression and seasonal affective disorder, I knew it was even more important to take the supplements since these issues are in my heredity.

It’s now been just under two weeks since I’ve started on my supplements and I feel like I can already notice a difference in my mood.  It’s likely just the placebo effect, but I like to tell myself that it really is making a positive difference in my life.

Do you take any supplements? I do a multivitamin, vitamin D, and a Tums for calcium.

elbow is back.

It’s no secret I’m a country music fan.  I adore Taylor Swift.  Carrie Underwood and I are practically like sisters (you know, from the one time I met her…).  Keith Urban dominates my iPod.  I do love more than country, though.  Such as the super fab British band Elbow (yes, you read that right, Elbow) who just happens to be releasing their new album build a rocket boys! on March 7.  If you don’t know this band, you need to.  Seriously.

Fantastic.  This will be on repeat for the immediate future.

dinner.

It was our third attempt at scheduling something, but my friend Andrea and I finally got to hang out tonight!  We went out for an early dinner at Bar Louie after work.

It was so great to catch up!  We haven’t hung out quite as much in the past couple months for various reasons: the holidays, we’ve both been sick, and she is adjusting to married life with her husband Ryan.  You know, life gets in the way.  It was really great to spend a bit of time together!

I considered a martini, but I knew I was running later in the evening and I knew that would be a recipe for a terrible workout.  Another time.  To start, we shared an order of bruschetta pomodoro.

I got a Farmer’s Market Pizza for my main dish. It was so good!  Piled high with a bunch of different veg, a sauce with a great little spice to it, and not too much cheese.  Just right.

Yum.  I ate the entire thing (It was around a 7″, I’d say, so nothing too huge).

run.

I told myself the only way I was allowed to watch Big Bang Theory tonight was if I did it from a treadmill at the Y.  Worked like a charm.  I had a great run, time flew by, and I got a couple funny looks when I laughed at some of the jokes.  I did 3 miles in 32:25 (10:48 pace).  I’m still not by any means fast, and I don’t know that I ever will be, but I do feel like I’m finally starting to rebuild some of the speed and endurance I had this time last year when I was training for the 25K.  It feels so good!

they think it’s weird.

Did you know today is not, in fact, Wednesday?  I know, I know, that’s obvious.  Clearly not to me.  I realized it was Thursday around, oh, 11 this morning.  Such is life.  Fortunately, I didn’t miss any Earth shattering events given my lack of ability to read a calendar…or simply keep track of time.

I was still feeling full from last night’s food baby, so it was a light breakfast this morning:  Kashi Heart to Heart with 1 tbsp of chia seeds and a cup of almond milk.

The chia seeds clumped up at the bottom of the bowl and were just a big glob waiting to be eaten once the cereal was gone.  I clearly need to learn to stir better.

Today’s sugar buzz came courtesy of homemade cream puffs topped with chocolate frosting.

Amazeballs.  Cream puffs are one of those desserts where I could take it or leave it.  If they were all this good, leaving it would never be an option.

I spent my lunch break play Apples to Apples with a few people from the office.  I lost miserably.  I blame the horrible cards and the fact that after I would play my card and draw a new one, inevitably, the card I drew would have been perfect for the round we were wrapping up.  Almost every single time.

Most of my coworkers are pretty insistent that I’m weird about food.  I write about it, I take pictures of it, and some of the stuff I eat they look at me life I’m crazy.  Today’s sandwich was no exception.  Hummus and sprouts on wheat?  Love it.  Several people thought it sounded disgusting and didn’t hesitate to tell me just as much.

You can think my food is weird, it’s really okay.  You don’t have to eat it.

I paired the sammie with leftover acorn squash and a package of Ritz Crakerfuls.

“Natural flavor with other natural flavors”?  What does that even mean!?  I don’t think I want to know.

Gotta jet!  I’m heading for a date with the treadmill and a rerun of The Big Bang Theory!  See y’all in awhile!

blogger confessions: stylish.

Thanks to the lovely Julia for the Stylish Blogger Award!

As a recipient, I have to share seven facts about myself that you don’t know.  Well, most of you won’t know them anyhow.

• I’m slightly OCD about even numbers. For example, if I buy a Diet Coke out of the vending machine at work, I will only buy it  from the even numbered slots (generally 36…not only is it an even number, the square root of it is 6, also an even number).  There are other examples, but let’s not make myself look completely nuts in one day.
• My first memory is my fifth birthday. My dad was a firefighter at the time and there was a practice fire the night of my birthday.  My parents took me to dinner at Pizza Hut, then we went to the fire.  I was minding my own business when one of my dad’s buddies thought I’d like to see my dad IN the burning house.  He picked me up and toted me over.  I didn’t quite grasp the protective gear concept and just saw my dad standing inside a burning building.  I was scarred for years.
• I lived in the same house my entire childhood. I didn’t move until I went to college.  That same year, my mom sold the house I grew up in.
• I never had braces.  I was blessed with good teeth.  I’m forever grateful.  But, my eyes on the other hand…
• I’ve worn glasses since I was 5.  At one point during elementary school, my eyes were so bad I had bifocals.  I was a cool kid.  I tried contacts once but my eyes are naturally quite dry so it didn’t go too well.
• I love books and reading.  That part, not so much the confession.  The true confession is that when I was in elementary school, I would carry around a bag with like a dozen books in case I was gone from the house and finished one.  I wanted to have my options on what to pick next.  My favorites were the Baby Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High/University.  Again, I was a cool kid.
• I’m slightly obsessed with California. I blame it on watching (and being obsessed with) Full House as a kid.  I was in 7th heaven the first time I went to San Francisco.

 

Part of the receiving the award is passing it on to fellow bloggers.  But, I’ve lost track of who has and hasn’t done this…so if you haven’t gotten this fab honor, I award it to YOU!