I like to move.
Some call it ADD, some call it energy.
I’ve been known to make my own standing desk out of empty boxes, but I’ve always wanted a treadmill desk. My company isn’t likely to spring for that anytime soon, so I took matters into my own hands.
This was in my condo gym on a work-from-home day. I stacked one of the step up things on top of the treadmill bars and off I went!
I kept the speed super slow and was able to read, talk, and type with no problem. It actually helped me be more focused! If only we had a treadmill at the office!!!
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Speaking of moving… this WIAW I am in LA. (California, not Lower Alabama.) I didn’t do an epic food prep like I have in the past since it’s a building year… and I’m in Cali. The food here rocks! I brought some basics and winged the rest. It was delish!
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!
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Breakfast:
My morning cocktail made it to CA with me! Sort of – I brought my amines from home but had to skip the ACV due to a lack of grocery/hotel options. I followed that up with some hotel cereal on top of a mix of coffee and my own protein from home. This trip I brought RAW Protein (found at WholeFoods). I always get fresh fruit and peanut butter from the hotel to supplement.
Mid-Morning Snack:
A delicious frittata from an adorable cafe. Usually they are cut from pre-made pie, but this was freshly made while I waited! It had red pepper, tomato, spinach, and zucchini.
Lunch:
We happened upon a really cool crepe place, Rockin’ Crepes. The dishes were rock ‘n ‘roll theme! I chose the Black Crowes. It had hummus, cucumber, tomato, red peppers, gets, and a drizzle of black truffle oil. I added chicken. We also had a side of fries with beer cheese dip. #worthit
Afternoon Snacks:
There is an awesome open air market on Tuesday nights in Huntington Beach. We sampled our way up and down the street – these apples were delicious art:
A beer flight and (unpictured) edamame were also in order.
Dinner:
Epic sushi. If you’re ever in the Irvine area, you MUST TRY Taiko. Hands down the best hand-roll I’ve ever had! I also tried shrimp head for the first time… it was really good (what isn’t good tempura fried?), but looking at it was hard. Toro was also another first. That might be my new favorite sashimi piece!
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I’m moving to California.
Do you prefer to stand at work?
What is your favorite sushi item?
You are a genius. Although, I would have been freaked out for the laptop falling…
I wish we had the options in my office for even a gym ball but no bueno. And crepes. CREPES. I’ll let you in on a secret. #strangebutgood and crepes have been in the lab
You could bring in a ball! I sat on one in my old job. People were fascinated/thought I was nuts.
Now I want crepes! With goat cheese!
That is really smart, but not sure I could do it. I often see people reading books on the treadmill and have no clue how they manage to read a word whilst running.
I couldn’t run, but walking at a slow pace was surprisingly easy!
That’s quite inventive! We have a standing desk at work. Maybe I could kick one of my patients off a treadmill so I can work and walk at the same time? Probably wouldn’t fly…
I wish I could CREATE standing.
I can edit my work–but not create.
we just got a new floor in my work building, everyone who works there loves it because they are all the expandable standing desks. so basically all can be transformed into a standing desk. I just love that. I wish I could do that.
I’m so jealous! We have one floor with cool stuff like that, but it’s not mine. 🙁
i am trying to bribe the kiwi into getting us a treadmill. I want to walk and work. GAH. p.s enjoy cali!
I’d love to stand, but don’t think it’s an option unless you have medical reasons at my job. Oh man, Toro is so so good! I love sushi! Especially sashimi- hardcore, no frills, straight up fish. With some wasabi!
I wish we could get them at work – that’s at my condo. I did make my own standing desk with boxes though!
i would love to have a treadmill desk!! not at school cuz i’m up and down and running around after my fourth graders enough, but more for at home for blogging and reading blogs 🙂
Love the treadmill desk! When I worked in an office setting, I was up and down constantly. Now I take much longer breaks and love the flexibility. I definitely can’t sit for long, either. My butt and legs start aching and complaining!
Mine does that same! I wonder about people who sit all the time… don’t they hurt too?!
I agree, no need to bring food when you’re traveling to a place with amazing eats!!! Love all the variety and freshness in your meals! 🙂
You are a genuis with your stand-up walking desk! And the beer flight, sweet!
We walked miles in the CA sun – the beer HAD to happen. 🙂
So great! I have one that is part rigged and part supplied by a treadmill desk company. I already had the standing desk part and then a treadmill desk company gave me the treadmill deck to use with it. I love it and there’s no going back!
That’s awesome! And so nice of the treadmill company!
genius!!! when i had a treadmill, I had this $20 thing that strapped on to it and I totally used it as a desk.
I stack boxes to stand at work but think it would be so cool to have a walking station.
I stacked boxes on my desk too! I look homeless. LOL!
Very cool DIY idea! I would love to have that at work!
Thanks! I wish I had one in my office – this only happens when I can work from home.
My husband just got an exercise ball for his home office. I don’t do a ton of sitting as I chase a toddler around, even prior to motherhood, I taught so I was on my feet a lot!
I had one of those at my old job! I need to bring that back too!
I LOVE my raised desk girlie!
If I ever have the room for it, I’ve already told my parents that I’m calling dibs on their treadmill (they never use it) and turning it into a treadmill desk. Until then, my bookcase-turned-standing-desk has to do the trick 😉
Ohhhhh… I need to offer to take my mom’s off her hands…
I have a standing desk at home and when I read blogs I either jog or march in place – it makes me feel happier and less like a slug!!!
What a riot! This is awesome.. Way to take matters into your own hands 🙂
Thanks. 🙂
I made a standing desk at home out of some boxes, and my husband hated looking at it so much that he actually bought me a real standing desk-type-holder-thing (technical term). The treadmill is taking it to a new level!
Shrimp head? Hmm …. not sure I could handle that, but everything else looks awesome!
I did that in my office – I’m hoping one day they get sick of people standing behind a stack of xerox paper. 🙂
LOVE it! THe stand up walking desk and the trip to Cali. You rock, friend. Have fun!
Thank you!!! One day I’ll make it to Canada and I’m crashing your house. 🙂
YES I stand A LOT!! I will stand at my desk (adjusted) to write. I obviously stand to cook and photograph… AND I have had various iterations of a treadmill desk – I LOVE it!
one thing, hate to be the downer – if you are using a laptop with guts – memory, hard drive etcetera, basically anything but a cloud computer – the vibration can kill it slowly. if you can construct something that is free standing AROUND the treadmill, the better. I have a VERY old blog post about this, I’ll find when I am on a real computer 🙂
THAT BLACK CROWES CREPE SOUNDS FANTASTIC!!
and CRAAAAAAP I have been so go Go GO I forgot you were coming to L.A.!! foiled again, I fly home tonight 🙁
I’m going to start developing a complex. 😛
NOOOOOOOOO!! 😉 XXO
If I had a TREADMILL in my apartment… I would BE ALL OVER MAKING THIS! However, the treadmills are in the gym, and I don’t think my landlord would be TOO KEEN on me building a desk over the treadmill, plus there is no WiFi down there – fu**in’ boonies. LOL!
That being said, I do at least have a stand up desk in my apartment. Yup. I am standing, RIGHT NOW!
That is SO funny! I was just at my desk standing up moving from side to side, reading some drawings. I have a tall cabinet that I put things on so that I can get up and stand and read things and maybe do some squats while I am at it! My neighbors think I am insane, but it makes me happy! I normally get up and walk if even to the printer at least 3-4 times an hour.
That apple art was insane!!! Love apples so much 🙂
The side-to-side is a good idea! I stand at my bar at home a lot too. Anything to avoid my as going numb. 🙂
Love the treadmill desk idea! I don’t own a treadmill, otherwise I’d be tempted to do that at least for my personal blogging work. I do have an exercise ball though that I’m going to start trying to use for my “chair” soon in hopes of engaging my core more during work.
I had a ball at one point too. I donated it to a coworker when I left my last job. I wonder if she still uses it…
Tuna is always my favorite on the sushi menu…in many, many forms! I love that you worked from your treadmill – so creative!
Have you tried Toro? I hadn’t seen it before but I think it’s my new favorite!
That is some apple display!!! Next time I eat an apple I will try to recreate this 😉
I want to see a pic of that!
Goddammit I was in the Irvine area two weeks ago!
I know, I know… 🙁
we do a mix of standing and sitting with our work : ) we do like to stand better though.
favorite sushi that is tough – anything with tuna or salmon, and eel
I’m newly a fan of eel! That’s what was in the last roll we had.
genius!!! I wish I could stand and work, but most patients don’t like being that high. 🙂
Hahaha! I like to be high at the dentist. 😉
I have a makeshift standing desk at work and everyone gives me hell for it. Now that I have a glute issue, I have a great excuse not to sit down all day long. Any time I have to type something important, I sit down though. I can’t imagine being able to walk and concentrate!
It actually made me concentrate more! Granted, I was only at 2.0. There’s no way I could do it faster!
Thats awesome Laura! You are so creative, in so many ways! I love that idea! I will be interested how you find it after a few months….if it really makes a difference or not. I run too many miles to consider this (and I dont have desk job haha), but it was great read! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you!!! Unfortunately, I can’t do it regularly since I only work from home 1-2 days a week. It’s a nice change up though!
This might be my favorite WIAW! Several reasons: 1) I would love to be able to chart standing up at least but unfortunately I have a desk top, great set up you made though 2)The 3 Fruit Loops on your hot cereal crack me up! 3) All the Cali food looks amazinggg 4) I am a craft beer snob so I appreciate your flight, remember what any of the beers were?? West coast beer is awesome 5) Sushi is awesome too… I was told to suck on shrimp heads before, not necessarily eat them… my fav sushi item is probably anything with salmon!
Thank you!!! There were more Fruit Loops, but they didn’t make it all the back to my room. LOL!
The flight… there was a IPA, a red (my fav), a barely wine (second favorite), a sage lager (cool, but ended up too watery)… and my memory is escaping me. It was brewed there at the HB Beer Company in Huntington Beach.
haha love it. If I ever get a treadmill, I’m so doing this. I have a standing desk at home and at work, which I consider quite lucky. I’m worried about doing school full time bc of all the time on my ass, but then again, I know I’ll be walking a ton more. I did a test run yesterday (going to campus w/ o the car) and walked 6 miles, and that was just to one building and home.
You are kicking my ass with the walking. I so wish I could walk to work!!!
Do you know how close HB is to me – dang!!! Those apples are beautiful!
That treadmill thing – WOW! A bit scary to me but hey, genius! 🙂
I need to plan better next time and stay over for the weekend. This was a last minute whirlwind!
A walking desk? That is a genius idea 😀
Love the apple art as well it is so pretty!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Brilliant!!!! What do you do about conference calls? Is the background noise too loud?
Nope! I use my Bose headphones – they’re meant for running, but are better voice/sound quality than “normal” headsets.
I would LOVE to stand at work – or even sit on a stab ball – but the last first time someone brought a stability ball in was the last as mgmnt said they could not risk a workers comp claim if my coworker fell off her ball! GAH!
Awesome idea you step thingie is – I just might have to borrow that one!
Food IS better in Cali – I was there a couple years ago and didn’t want to leave – because of the food too 😉
Safe travels back Laura!
Seriously?! I had a ball before and no one said a word. That’s just crazy!
Holy cow, those apples. I bet Heather recreates that in her next recipe with apple!
I want the frittata. And the booze. Although maybe not at the same time.
Boozy fritatta? That’s what I should have had for breakfast on St. Patrick’s Day! Don’t judge – I’m Irish!
Shrimp head? Now THAT is a new one! Ugh, I love so many different kinds of sushi…tuna, salmon, and eel probably being my favorites, but I’m always experimenting and trying new ones. Just take my word for it and do NOT eat octopus shashimi…omg, it like grows in your mouth! Annnnnnd that is TOTALLY what she said! *bam*
That crepe is a thing of beauty…and you had me at truffle oil of course! What was in the sauce that makes it such a vibrant green?
And I CAUGHT you! You totally just had a “plain” protein shake…and might I add that it was with the worst tasting protein powder I’ve ever had in my LIFE?! Omg, that stuff tastes like ass…dirty plant ass! So, um…roots? Lol
I can’t even read the rest of this… I’m literally laughing out loud. You win that round.
I think it was a creamy basil pesto… it’s been too long. That place really did rock though!