Learning to Balance

Hi friends.

Back at it with the blog posts, and I mean I am really going to try harder this semester to get on here more often and throw some cool recipes and meaningful moments your way! I appreciate all of you who follow me, and for those who have just discovered my blog, welcome!

I’ve been a busy little bee over here once the semester started, and while it can be slightly (HA! slightly…) stressful, I’m learning to love being busy and eating up the empty time I have in-between my classes to study and be a part of more things here on my campus. I’m also starting my training for a half marathon this spring with my run club and I am OVERLY EXCITED FOR THAT (!!!!!!!!!!).

While all seems peachy, I’ve had some struggles this semester once again, and instead of hiding them I’d like to share what I’m experiencing and potentially help others who may be in the same boat as I am.

I touched on this last semester, but I am still struggling to find a happy medium here with food intake and how I respect my body. Unfortunately, I’ve reached some spells of negativity and found myself having a very hard time being in touch with my inner self. Not something I thought I’d be experiencing, as I was so excited to leave for college; but none the less, it is not something you can ignore or hide. It is what it is and this made me decide that my new year’s resolution was to move away from the eating habits I’ve developed and live more fully without dwelling on the past. It’s been a journey so far, and no, it is not easy to break habits I’ve built up…. but I guess I’m working on it.

Why do I bring this up?

I need to learn to balance things in my life better than I have, and I think that is something a lot of people can relate to. We (as in most of us) are constantly stuck in a fixed mindset that tells us right from wrong. In some cases, that’s great! You can’t go stealing things from Whole Foods! But in other cases, it may be apart of our demise. For myself, I know that is completely true, and it was very hard to come to terms with that.

I believe that my fixed mindset is a HUGE factor in why sometimes when the pizza comes out, I eat a lot more than feels okay in my body. I am constantly living in this world where I feel I need to be healthy ALL. THE. TIME. And then when I break that “rule”? Shit. Let’s get all the food down in one bite and go for more!

Let me tell you, that is NOT fun, and is NOT the way I have ever approached food. I love food, and I want to have a healthy relationship with it.

I guess here’s my point for this post: learn to love yourself and learn that every once in awhile it is okay to let go. A lot of times I feel like we get wrapped up in different things that surround us. The media, people who live near us, goals… and it’s hard when we feel like we aren’t perfect… But…. News Flash: we are not perfect. It is time to accept that. It is time we find a good balance. It is time that we love ourselves for even those small things we hate and it is time that we embrace body and mindful peace.

A challenge: break that “fixed mindset” once a day. See how good it feels, and try to incorporate it more. My goal? Leave it in the past for good. But for now, once a day seems reasonable.

Oh, and remember, balance your life, but also your relationship with food. Healthy, and not so healthy.

‘Cause pizza is reallllll good.

 

Surviving Semester One

The end of the semester is coming around the corner *cheers dramatically*.

College, unfortunately, is not some walk in the park and I think we’ve all come to figure that out as we began our journey almost three months ago. The stress levels are killer, you have to unlock the bathroom door every time, and your favorite shower is almost always taken.

Don’t get me wrong, though, although it’s stressful, it’s a blast all in one. The people you meet and the experiences you have are incredible; and I can finally say that I feel like I’m really getting into the swing of things. With studying and buddying, college is a whole whirl wind of things going on. For someone like me who prides as a creature of habit most days, this can be freakin’ overwhelming.

The first month and a half, I struggled hard here at Iowa State. My eating was off, I could barely sleep, and the thing I thought about most was when my family was coming to visit me. I often sat there, eating junk food thinking “I wish I had my kitchen and my two dogs”. My running was depleted and I felt like the joy I had coming to college was smothered by this sadness.

I woke up, then, and realized; I am in the time of my life. Sure, residence halls blow, and hair balls in the bathroom are killer, but I am on my way to becoming what I want to be when I grow up. I am surrounded by people struggling JUST LIKE ME. So why the pity party? At this moment, I felt like I grew up and now I’ve put together an awesome lists of ways YOU can survive your first or second semester too. Because no one deserves to be unhappy; you gotta live and you gotta live NOW!

1. Find your hobby

Whether it be running, drawing, biking, reading, laying in a field; find something you love to do that can distract you when times are getting tough. A major component of overcoming stress and even sadness sometimes, is to spark a little joy by doing a favorite thing.

2. Use that hobby, and find others that do the same

I cannot stress this enough; finding people who are involved in your similar interests can rock your world more than you think. In high school maybe you had clubs or sports you participated in daily and now you feel detached because college is so big and what if I don’t have those great things? Good news, bud. There’s tons of people interested in the same things you are. Get out there, join that club or sport and hang out with cool people that you can connect with on a level other friends may not be able to. For me, I found run club and culinary club. Obsessed with both, and the people bring me MAJOR joy.

3. Make friends with people on your floor or in your building

It is so scary coming into a place you don’t know anyone, and sometimes, you feel alone. The thing is, there are tons of people “feeling alone”- therefore, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I remember my first night here I went to bed and was like “oh my god I am friendless and no one is here for me help me, MOM COME BACK!”. Then, the next day I went to dinner with my floor and I met some of my greatest friends here on campus. It involved capture the flag and an accidental butt grab; but hey, I have friends now!

All I can say is having people close to you that can share a friendship is something you will need, especially when a homesickness feel hits and you can’t survive without an immediate hug.

4. Hit up Group fitness classes

Every person and their mother is going to tell you to “WORKOUT” because freshman 15 and all that jazz. Sure, weight gain is NOT fun (lol, me! it’s okay- you will probably experience it; it’s a part of life!), but it’s not irreversible and it isn’t some initiation into college. Something to utilize, especially if you aren’t into working out alone, is group fitness. There are SO many classes you can take, ranging from cardio cycling to yoga to belly dance.  I utilize the yoga classes at least twice a week, and it’s great to feel motivated by others to get in some good exercise. Even if you like to work out on your own, like me, these classes are just fun!

5. Journal

Every single day, I start my morning with writing 25 daily gratitudes. I cannot tell you the difference this has made in my life here. In the beginning, I was struggling with binge eating to comfort me (not a good thing to do!), and then I felt sad and terrible more than I would like to. Then, one morning, I decided that this was not something I wanted, and I forced myself to write 25 things I was happy about that day. From that day, I had continued this and I have been BINGE FREE! I’m not some miracle cure, but just someone who needed to remember that there is good in my life, and I shouldn’t throw away the progress I made from my previous eating disorder.

 

Get cute pencils from eathealthydesigns.com !!!

Journaling is the key to opening up when you just can’t speak. I’m almost on journal number two! Another great thing to do is to write down all your fun adventures. You can look back and smile when you think of all the crazy things you’ve done!

6. Seek help

Whether it be from a tutor or a therapist, if you are struggling, do not fear to reach out to someone. As I stated above, I struggled with my eating and I have now found myself with a therapy appointment on Thursday mornings. It was scary at first, but I realized that to better myself, I needed the extra help. This goes for classes, too. If chemistry doesn’t click with you, don’t ride the semester out feeling down and unworthy of a good grade; ask for help! There are so many tutors available, as well as review sessions for tests!

7. Be you

This is cheesy, but just be yourself. No one can be cool as the real you, and the great thing about college is that there are so many people just like you that have the same interests and even the same humor. Don’t change who you are.

 

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I hope this post on semester one survival tips was helpful because these were some things that really helped me ride out this semester. I still have a few weeks to go, but I’m ending this semester feeling like Emily again, and I only wish to bring that to other people that may be roughing it their first months of this newness. Let me know if you ever need anything, or have more tips on how to survive!

STUDY FOR YOUR FINALS!

New Challenges, A New Perspective.

Boy, do I wish I could be posting some killer cooked recipe that I made while at home. Unfortunately, that is VERY unrealistic here in the lovely residence halls of Iowa State! And s unfortunate as it is and though the amount I am missing my kitchen is quite incredible, I am currently LOVING college. Yes, it is kicking my butt; but I am truly enjoying myself each day.

As a new college kid, and someone who has struggled with anxiety and an eating disorder, newness is a freaky situation to me. I am a very routine individual, and because that gets off, it gives me stress like no other. I love being relaxed, yet when your life changes so drastically, it can be very, VERY scary. Especially when social eating is not something I have been used to, as well as not having the beautiful option of cooking all my favorite things at the drop of a hat (I’m looking’ at you crispy sweet potato wedges!!!).

I have been scared here, and I am sure that there are many other individuals feeling the same way I am; trying to balance recovery as well as living a normal young adult life.

Working’ on the social eating!

I spoke a few posts ago about my eating and how it has changed since being here. It’s been a process, but I am beginning to get a better grip on the excessive eating. It’s tricky to explain, but each day I take time to evaluate how I am feeling and what’s going on. I’m not saying it’s perfect- PUH LEASE!- in fact, just the other night I ate a ton, and felt like a pile of crap afterwards, but what I’m saying is that if you are struggling, you can make it, too.

When this all started, I was so afraid. I hated it every second, and it happened more often than not. I found myself seeing others eat things I didn’t even want, yet I felt pressured to succumb and eat what I didn’t have on my plate already. But I’ve realized that this is not making me happy. Following my values is not hard. It is a choice I enjoy, and sometimes, I forget that. I forget that I cannot be everyone else. I should not be embarrassed about being human, about being someone who enjoys broccoli or gets excited about almond milk. I should not be embarrassed to be an Emily.

Emily and Emily for lunch?

I began to open up, and now I am finding happiness quite often.

I believe that everyone has the ability to find this balance in college; and I am excited for the day where I can say I am completely balanced here. For now, I wanted to share my journey, what I’m learning here in Iowa, and how I am getting closer to the real me. For now, remember that you too can embrace change.

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Making Changes

So recently, I’ve been adapting a “vegetarian lifestyle”. One I’ve loved, one that I secretly promoted, and one that I only started at the beginning of the summer due to a past scare with my anorexia being promoted by the weight loss I had while I was a vegetarian.

Now with starting school, things have been a lot different than they’ve been in the past.

As I stated in my post about what’s been going on, my eating has been all over the place; weird cravings, full bellies and a lot of discomfort. I did a reevaluation of myself, and decided that I really needed to start looking at what I’ve been eating, and what I can do to stop the crazy food intakes that happen too frequently.

Here at school, there are not many options for vegetarians, let alone running vegetarians who need the right nutrients ALL the time. For the past weeks, I’ve been consuming the same things over and over and over again- which isn’t healthy for my body, either.

I’ve decided to reintroduce some meats into my diet for right now, and then when I return home for breaks I can practice vegetarianism as much as I want, as I’ll have access to all I need. It makes me upset, but at the same time, I need to listen to my head- meaning that I need the variety right now.

I wanted to make this post just so people knew and weren’t surprised if I posted something with meat. I still am a huge advocate for animals and love them to death. I’m also making sure that what I consume is well-treated and fed meat. Gotta have respect.

For now, I need to help myself until things can calm down and I can figure out my whole ordeal.

A Girl Uncovered: Revisiting Summer and Now

Week one of college is officially over.

I think I can actually say I’m a college student now, and to me, that’s pretty neat considering I’ve been dreaming of this opportunity for a long time. It’s been a transition for sure, but one I’m really starting to enjoy.

But before I embark on this four year adventure, I wanted to revisit something that’s bothered me over the summer; something I’ve come across here at my campus this first week; and something I plan on working on to better myself once again.

I preach balance, and for months on end, I lived it in the best way possible. Unfortunately this summer, I came across a road of late-night food shoveling and some nasty times of eating way too much; and continuing because I already dabbled in it. I don’t want to label it bingeing, but to some extent I think I am or was. And that concerned me deeply.

Yet I couldn’t change my habits. It was hard and I found myself really feeling bad about what I was doing with my food. I love food, and here I felt as though I had begun to abuse it again, just in a different way than I did two years ago.

My main thoughts that provoked it were probably due to emotional and stress problems leading up to such a big change in my life. At points, I’d think- “this is okay because I had a bad day” or “I’m stressed so… ben and jerry’s?”. These thoughts are far from what I preach, and as the summer had begun to end, I really was upset by how it played out.

I want to make something clear as I continue. I don’t see this as a “oh god I’m going to get fat” problem. As a girl who has learned to respect and love her body, I want to be far away from that type of thinking. It creates a problem, though, when I respect my body so much, yet push my stomach to limits and eat foods that hurt my system because I don’t know how to control it. That’s where my problems arise.

I took a lot of time to evaluate this before I even thought about posting; but I know many young people and older people alike struggle at some points with this. As a kid now going into college, I wanted to offer what I’m doing to help the situation. In no way am I a professional. But I am a human.

I first looked at what’s been going on, and that’s a lot. I’m moving away from home, leaving friends and family, encountering new obstacles with food, fast meals, fast times… yada yada. Then I came up with what I think I need to do.

1. Journal when emotions and stressors come into play. This is HUGE! It gives you a moment to pep talk or to hash out feelings you may throw other places.
2. Evaluate how I’m feeling and why I feel the need to reach for food.
3. Enjoy what I’m eating; and not think about when it will be gone or how I would want more.
4. Start preparing and trying new things. Being in a rut causes your body to have more cravings than normal.
5. Honor my cravings with healthier options, that way when I do reach for a “treat” or a “balanced” type meal, it feels good. Not bad.

I’m hoping I can make it work because I truly love the life of balance and I can’t wait to find it again. Let me know if there’s any questions or concerns you ever need answered and remember…

 

Balance is key.

 

Lollapalooza Recap

Four days checked off my bucket list.

Last year, I went to Lollapalooza for a day. After that day, I made it my goal to spend my last summer moments before college in the same beautiful park, with my friends. Little did I know, I’d also make it my goal ((later on)) to attend all four days of it.

I have been so excited for so many months, weeks, and days counting down to this amazing event. And now that it’s over, I want to share the incredible experience I had the past weekend in one of my favorite cities; filled with music, great food and some of my greatest friends!

 

The center of it all.

Thursday was my first day off and I started at my own house, filling up on my bowl o’ goodness oats that have been a staple this summer. And then I was off to the 9:40 express down to Chitown where I’d spend the day running in between sets with friends (aka The 1975 and The Arcs at the SAME time…ANARCHY!). A rain delay for the front gates, rain in the middle of Bastille, and…. some interesting eats!

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I have to be honest: Not many food choices, and that really made me mad. I was excited for Chowtown as a crazed foodie should be, yet it was filled with a bunch of fries and pizza. Granted, yes, that’s great and all. But I can get that anywhere! I ended up finding Goddess and Grocer all the way at the end with an incredible Thai Tofu wrap that kept me filled for hours (with an afternoon apple!). Tofu tacos from Chipotle (praise these, I ate them three days in a row!) were my dinner.

Friday was the same run of things, except I ended up leaving for awhile to grab some of my favorite stir-fry around from Brightwork Kitchen . Bless, it saved me!

Golden Miso sauce = heaven

While that was great, so were a few of the bands I saw that day. The Struts had a killer performance (one of the best!), not to mention Lewis Del Mar, Alessia Cara, Fouls, and Radiohead for the headliner. The Struts by far had one of the funnest performances I’ve witnessed as a concert goer. BBBBABBBY BBBBABBBBY bBBBAyYYYBAYYYY!

Saturday was my favorite day, and not just for one reason (although, one is more prominent!). One: spent 12 hours with my best friends since kindergarten, two: front row for four bands, three: tacos., four:

I just may have weaseled my way and waited for four hours to be front row for my favorite band in the entire world: Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I don’t have a lot of words to describe that experience for you, but it involved tears and a bundle of absolute joy as I heard words that fueled my recovery from my eating disorder two years again; except I heard them and witnessed them being sang. It was just… it was just so cool.

My view from the front… HOW YOU DOIN’, GRANT PARK?

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All I can say is that I left Grant Park speechless that day. And while they topped the day (and the weekend), Nothing but Thieves and X Ambassadors rocked my Saturday too.

Definitely could have done without the show from Jane’s Addiction. Ew. Did not care for the strippers.

Sunday was just a day of me. Which was awesome. I took a later train, and spent my last time in the city before college exploring the rest of the fest, listened to some music here and there, and grabbed Native Foods for dinner.

Bangkok Curry Bowl with blackened tempeh

I spent the rest of the night in recovery at my lovely home. Each night, I’d come home and fuel my body with some food at crash around 12:30. Safe to say, Sunday I went to bed at 10 with no problems.

 

Here’s what I have to say about Lollapalooza:

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1. Don’t expect to see everyone you want. It’s impossible, and yes it stinks. But, don’t beat yourself up! Take it as an excuse to explore new bands, and try out different things.
2. WATER. I never realized how important it is. I mean, I drink a lot of water anyways, but the amount of camelbaks I went through this weekend could probably fill Lake Michigan.
3. Never take for granted good food. Seriously.
4. Take time to appreciate how wonderful life is every once in awhile. This weekend, I was able to spend time with my favorite people in such a beautiful place. And not only that, but I met so many fabulous human beings that cared about music just as much as I did. People can be different than you, but you may find that there are so many similarities in the smallest of things.

 

My weekend was beautiful. Truly. The food was good, the laughs were endless, and the music blew my mind one too many times. I only hope that this summer, you got to cross something epic off your bucket list, too.

 

Change and Moving Forward

Hey everyone!

It’s been incredibly long since I’ve posted, but it’s due to good things coming into play. Life has been full of hustle and bustle; grad parties on the weekends, full days of work during the week, and of course long runs, cooking and baking…. what else can you expect!

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, and it has to deal with changes coming into play as I begin my journey moving forward into college, as well as life after college. I’m leaving home, and am starting to walk down the path of what I may do for the rest of my life; and that’s incredibly scary! But while it’s scary, it’s also incredibly exciting and I can’t wait to share my view on change.

Fun Favorites

I like a lot of things.

In fact, I really love a lot of things. Give me a category, and I bet you I can find something I enjoy in it, or about it.

Since I’ve missed blogging an INCREDIBLE bundle, I’m bringing back a post I missed writing about- and that just has to deal with…. *que music and Julie Andrews* A FEWWWW OF MY FAVOOOOORITE THINGS!

About every one to two weeks, I’m going to make a collection of things I’ve enjoyed over the past days, and share them out with the world so then you guys can get a picture of how my life is, what I’m doing, and what I’m consuming. Then, maybe you can hop on the train and make it a favorite of yours, too!

Alrighty, lets get on with it, shall we my lovelies? Let’s split this baby up into categories!

 

1. Blogs/ Blogposts:

   1. Nutrition Stripped : For one, I am ultimately OBSESSED with the amazing Mckel Hill and her website nutrition stripped. No joke, I think that every time I graze the internet, I end up on her page. Why I love it? Not only is there just about everything under the sun on her website, she’s also got a snapchat filled with even more glorious tips and hilarious dog posts.
   2. Will Frolic for Food has incredible recipes based on a whole food/ plant-centric diet that I challenge you to try!
   3. Sounds majorly dorky but in the foodie world, What I Ate Wednesday posts make me happy to read…. I love seeing some of my favorite bloggers in action of what they eat and just how their day goes!
   4. Mindbodygreen is a wonderful website packed full with tons upon tons of health tips centered around all aspects. I go on it at least three times a week to check the feed.

2. Music

   1. Huge fan of Alabama Shakes right now, and if you need any proof, just listen.
   2. Need tips on how to make the perfect running playlist? Check it out.

3. Workouts:

   1. I’ve been doing RRayyme’s 600 butt rep for two weeks and I’m noticing a difference. Summer is coming, and a perky butt is what I’m going for! Still love my butt though… even if it is flat.
   2. YOGGGAAAAA! Through Pinterest, I’ve found incredible yoga workouts and I dare you to try one out! A favorite of mine is this one.

4. Food

   1. I love all nut butters, but almond butter lately is topping any other. Currently am rotating between Woodstock foods and Crunchy Barney butter!
   2. These english muffins are the perfect bite when you are rushing out the door.
   3. Smoothie bowls to help celebrate spring! Check out my new smoothie recipe to get in some extra antioxidants!

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   4. What drinks do I have on rotate? Califia Farms brewed and GT’s Kombucha. Gingerade is by far the best flavor, and I’m a fan of the cold brewed expresso from Califia!
      

 

 

 

That’s all for now, folks! Tune in in a few weeks to hear more about some things I’m diggin’. But for now, what have your favorite things been lately?

Learning How to Juggle

No I don’t mean juggling three balls on a unicycle here. Today, I’m talking about how to juggle being a blogger, being an athlete, and being a human.

Sometimes, and almost always, life is tricky. It is not easy to handle things being thrown at you all the time, especially when you’ve got expectations to fill, places to be, and your head is spinning in 110 different directions all the time. If it was easy to handle, life would be a cake walk. We’d wake up every morning with perfect hair, gleaming teeth and every second of the day would fall into place just the way we like it. Unfortunately, that’s not the way life is.

But, maybe we should embrace that craziness.

For myself, the past few months have been incredibly hectic. As a senior in high school, I’m finishing classes up, ending my track season, trying to see my family and friends, working part time and not to mention trying to take in all I can before I leave for school next fall. Weeks have been fully packed, sometimes not getting home until 7 pm. I’ve been struggling to make a good meal for Instagram, and man does that stink! Sometimes, I’m just not feeling the week at all. I’m tired, lost and bobbing in water way above my head… yet, there’s a magical thing about that because I am living my life.

Here’s the thing: when stress hits, we all want to run and hide. The fear of not having enough time is one of biggest frights most of us have due to the fact that our society tells us on a daily basis we have to be perfect. Well, guess what, I’m here to tell you that perfection isn’t possible, and it’s time to rock that juggling game.

Sure, I may be some crazy chick on a website whose telling you juggling and balancing and running around like a health freak that just found out avocados are on sale (lol, me) is part of life and is natural, but if you ask any old person, they’ll tell you the same. Life cannot be this perfect schedule, as we would miss out on the spontaneity of being who we are. Through the past years, I’ve learned a hell of a lot about the word balance through experience. And by god, I’ve come farther than I ever thought I could. Therefore, I wanted to share some wisdom by writing down some lessons I’ve taken in, as well as tips to get over those damn humps we hit each week.

1. Make time for yourself at least once during the week.
   1. Yes, this may sound crazy, but with a busy schedule, sitting down and breathing in your own space can open up wonders to relaxation. You deserve that moment of breathing, or mediation. And believe you deserve it! You may struggle at first, but try out fifteen minutes on a Sunday to sit in silence.
2.  Meal prep or plan or the weekend
   1. This has helped me so much. If you’ve got a schedule lined up for the week with weird hours, and rushed meals, try on Saturday or Sunday to get some grocery shopping in and prep meals for the week. Even if it’s just a few to get through some days, work that out! Time can fly by and when you come home hangry, it’s nice to have something there and ready!
3.  Find enjoyment in exercise.
   1. You probably thought I was just going to say, GET YOUR BODY MOVING. But to me, that doesn’t really make sense. If you’re hating what you’re doing, you aren’t benefiting from it, no matter what anyone else says. Find something that makes you move, and smile at the same time. For myself, I love to run so I’m not dreading getting in those miles. Other people, not so much. Try out new workouts (even if it’s just walking) and find your thaaaaang!
4. Sleep. Yes, sleep.
   1. We all know this one, but it’s the most important of all. Shoot for a solid 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and really try to! We all say we need more sleep, but then why not do it? Make rest important because it is! Sleeping is the best way to recover your body from workouts, and even just the hectic rushing of the day.
5. Eat well. Eat balanced.
   1. Greens and veggies are so good for you, yet so many people hate them. Which is understandable. When you’re young, no one looks at broccoli as an afternoon snack, so why would you at any age? So maybe find a way to dress that broccoli up! Healthy eating does not have to be boring. There are so many ways to embrace a healthy lifestyle without giving up eating tasty, nutritious foods. And here’s another thing: Everyone is telling you ALL the time to get those healthy foods in, and sometimes, it’s excessive. Learn to treat yourself once in awhile. Embrace fancy dinners out with friends, don’t stress over that scoop of ice cream! Life is easier when you don’t hound yourself all the time.

There are so many other things you can do to take on that juggling life, but the one thing you’ve got to remember is to believe you can do it! Yeah, it’s cheesy, but it’s true. Believe you can do it, make goals, create a healthy mindset and rock on.

You’ve got this!

Let me know what you do to help you juggle.

What I’m Lovin’ Lately

I realized that I haven’t done one of these posts recently, yet I’m constantly finding things that I’m falling in love with so why not share out to the word?

Lately, life has been really crazy busy. It’s hard to find a moment for yourself when the whole world is spinning and going around. Time is flying, it’s already spring and high school is graduation is coming too quickly for me to process!

But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time to fall in love with a few things with a busy schedule.

1. Kevita Kombucha Brews– I am a for sure kombucha girl and these just seal the deal because of the rocking flavors they come in. Lavendar Melon (<3) is my forever and they give me the little bubble I look for, as I don’t drink pop! Probiotics and a killer taste? Sign me up!

2.  Hummusapien Lemon Coconut No Bake Bites

These have become my favorite snack bites EVER. Super easy to nosh on whenever I’m on the go, and the flavor combo definitely resonates with my taste buds. I love how easy they are to make, with such minimal ingredients. I’ve been throwing them on my yogurt, smoothie bowls, and even a few times with oatmeal. Ah, I am just in love.

3. 6oo Booty Rep from RRayymee- I am seriously working to get a booty. Yes, that sounds creepy but as a runner and as a regular human being, I want to definitely gain muscle in my glutes (LOLL). I love her blog, but this workout is one of the highlights I grasped from it while skimming. Easy to understand, yet it burns in that weirdly awesome kick-ass workout way!

4. My Saucony Ride 8 running shoes-

  So I ran in the Ride 7s for a lonnnnnnnng time (way too long) and they honestly were my favorite things. I mean, they were my first real pair of running shoes, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only reason I loved them so! When I got fitted for new shoes, I felt almost lost without trying on the new Sauconys. Finally at the end, I did and they ended up being perfect once again! The comfort and cushion of the shoe is just what my foot needs. Happy runner over here!

5. Alabama Shakes- If you are totally into a different feel of music, I highly reccommend this band. They just won most up and coming artists and they TOTALLY DESERVED IT! I cannot say enough about them.

6. Perfect Bars–

I just did a review and giveaway on these bars, but I’ll say it again: LOVE them. The ingredients are all organic, totally pronounceable, and the flavors are outrageously good. The thing I love most about them is that they keep you full on such awesome nutrients that you can snack on one and not be starving after twenty minutes. Now that’s a good snack option!

7. The change in season- I am not a winter person by any means (unless it’s Christmas… then snow is okay for about 3.5 days) and with spring rolling around, the fashion is back, the sun is out and I am a happy camper. I’m an outdoors type person, but I can’t take cold so I have to hide away under three sweaters. It’s so nice to walk out of my house in a light coat and rolled up jeans instead of my winter jacket! THANK YOU CHICAGO.

 

That’s just a brief summary of what I’ve been diggin’ lately- so let me know, what things are YOU lovin’ lately? Until next time!