Don’t fight the festive.
My former Grinch-self is kicking me in the shins.
As advertised, Vegas and I got a tree. Vegas did the lights (after a debate over whether wrapping or running lights up and down is better). We hung ornaments. There was Christmas music and champagne.
This, after being opposed to Christmas decor of years. My former self thought it was a waste of time and money, not to mention messy.
My new smiley-self loved every minute of it.
(And that’s not just the wine talking.)…
Total monkey.
There’s nothing more distracting than wanting to be somewhere you’re not.
Actually, I don’t really care where I am. It’s more about who’s with me. The company makes the location. Which is why yesterday I had a case of the Tuesdays.
But now it’s Wednesday. The next sunrise I see will be with Vegas. With the first Christmas tree I’ve had in 5 or 6 years. And flowers. I bought a poinsettia for the first time ever. Who am I?!
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This WIAW I turned out a lot more prepared-looking than it felt! Either way, it was good.
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!
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After my morning cocktail, I ate my morning sludge. While baking a pie. ‘Tis the season!
Breakfast was a concoction I’ve been eating a lot lately. TVP and oats made with carob powder, cinnamon, chcolate liquid stevia, and an egg white. Topped with blackberries. It’s actually really good!
Arugula salad with raw zucchini, pepper, and fresh lemon juice with my Sizzlefish salmon. I really love salmon. Would it be acceptable to eat it every meal?
Shredded up no-salt deli turkey with red bell pepper and tossed with salsa, nutritional yeast, and balsamic vinegar. With one of my Apple Carrot Protein Muffins for dessert.
I was feeling a bar. Have you guys tried Think Thin bars? I think they changed formulas… for the better! I got this at Whole Paycheck Foods (obvi). That Pumpkin Spice. Get. It.
This… well… it was a little hurried. But whatever. Corn tortilla topped with red peppers, egg whites, nutritional yeast, and one tasty local #yolkporn moment.
Milkshake Greek yogurt bowl topped with popcorn, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder sauce. I used the new Quest vanilla milkshake protein powder, which I love. It was an excellent post-workout dessert.
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Is it just me, or has this been the longest week ever? An. Tici. Pation. (Name that movie.)
What is your favorite oatmeal mix-in? Besides nut butter… too easy! 😉
What’s your favorite holiday decoration? I love having a real tree – they smell so good!
Winning is my favorite thing.
Really… everything is a competition.
I saw this sign walking to a meeting yesterday and literally laughed out loud.
Sometimes being wrong isn’t SO bad. I’d decided never to date again. Vegas has ruined me. So… I admit it. I was wrong.
But I am still never, ever having babies. Take that, Universe.
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This WIAW I ate a whole lot random food after getting stranded an extra day out West. First time in my life I missed a flight! Didn’t feel like a mistake after I made it though. 😉
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…
The only reason I like winter is the fact that I get to wear boots.
And snow, but we don’t get much of that in Georgia.
But, it does get cold! When I wanted to get outdoors during our first cold snap, I was really happy to have my Sugar Bowl boots from Ahnu! Unbelievably, my feet stayed toasty – that never happens. In fact, I have Raynaud’s Disease; usually my toes and fingers are so cold they turn white and go numb! While my fingers did turn white, my feet were actually warm!
I was also pleased with the look. Black and blue are my favorite colors. The laces in the front are stylin’, but not at the expense of function. These boots have side zips so you don’t need to spend 20 minutes tugging them on and readjusting them. I’ll be taking these to Lake Tahoe in a few weeks!
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Who loves leg day?
Not. Me.
Leg day is my least favorite. It’s why I always do it with my trainer. He pushes me harder than I would push myself, and it’s like a mini-therapy session. My least favorite thing in the WORLD are Hack Squats. I’s rather do 25 reps of something (I also hate volume) than do Hacks.
You may have seen the pic below on Instagram or Facebook. I call it “The Hack Squat: A Hate Story.” In my face you can see my progression from determination to “I might puke” to… the “poop” face.
Because misery loves company, I brought along my baby sister, Madison. If you have siblings, you know that everything is a competition. I won. Not only did she admit that I’m stronger, but we also compared butts.
31 year old vs. 23 year old butt. Just sayin’…
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Who’s singing the Frozen song?
I refuse to see that movie.
you’d think I’d rather see a movie than actually be frozen. But no. I got frozen. My friend, Tori, heard me complaining about all my injuries (shit falls apart when you get older, y’all!), and offered to hook me up with a trial for Icebox Cryotherapy. Basically, they freeze you with gasified liquid nitrogen. It looked like I was standing in a cylinder of dry ice – but it’s not as dangerous.
In Tori’s words: “You know how when you bang your thumb, blood rushes to it and it gets really hot because your body is trying to fix it? Basically same body response when you do cryo. Your body thinks you’re freezing to death, so it sends signals all over and sees what’s ‘broken’ or hurt and focuses on it.” Sounds great, right?! It really is great for recovery; in fact, many professional athletes have been using if for years!
Recovery aside, Cryotherapy has multiple other benefits:
So was it that bad? It was 3 minutes at negative 130 degrees Celsius (-266 Fahrenheit). It wasn’t a cake walk… but honestly, I didn’t ever think I’d never make it out alive. I had gloves and booties on (I have Raynaud’s, which the owner made sure she looked out for). The parts that hurt the worst were my legs (which are sore and injured) and my nipples (apparently common), but I recovered right after. Your core temp doesn’t actually change, so you don’t freeze to death.
After wards, my body felt SO relaxed, I slept like a little baby that night, and hit a couple PRs in the gym the next day. I’d like to do it a few more times for my injuries, but it definitely helped with the general soreness and recovery! If you’re in Atlanta or have a facility in your city, I definitely recommend it!
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Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.
It’s the only holiday not masquerading as a religious or national holiday.
There’s something in the air this time of year. It’s exciting – they weather is nice, people are energetic (it’s a massive relief from the Southern summer heat and humidity)… and who doesn’t like to pretend to be someone else?
The “yard art” along the Beltline is even dressed up for Halloween!
The family dog, Honey, is also festive. My little sister brought her by my office for a visit yesterday. My socks matched her candy corn handkerchief.
Can you believe she’s 13?! Cutest Corgi-Golden “puppy” ever.
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Have you ever eaten warm banana?
Think pie… bananas foster… breads.
When you bake a banana it becomes a gooey, caramel-y treat. You don’t even need to use sugar. Like in these muffins.
I’m not one to take the time to make a baked oatmeal in the morning, but I love having it for breakfast. Especially as it gets colder outside! Bake it in advance and you have a delicious instant breakfast, portioned out perfectly. That’s the idea behind these.
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