Wow. I want to start by saying THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who commented on last night’s post. It’s no secret that this community is amazing, but I was still absolutely floored by all of your supportive, encouraging and sympathetic comments. So many people made such great points, and it really did make such a difference to me. You guys rock J
The weather finally took a turn for the better today, and blessed us with temperatures in the 70s and clear blue skies. I woke up and breakfasted on a bowl of Nature’s Path SmartBran with fresh raspberries and almond milk:
A little later, I set out for a run, but within five minutes I knew I’d be miserable if I attempted to keep running while coughing and wiping my nose on my shirt. Instead, I came home for another easy elliptical sesh, during which I finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and cried when Dumbledore died. Gets me every time.
For lunch, I made good use of my almost empty TJ’s almond butter jar:
Silk plain soy yogurt, Kashi GoLean Crunch, blueberries, cinnamon and almond butter
After lunch, I had plans to head back to my high school with my friends Jillian and Maggie for a visit. Right as I was walking out the door though, I received a delicious surprise!
Katie from Healthy Diva Eats sent me a bunch of Justin’s chocolate almond butter squeeze packets, which I’ve been dying to try! Thank you so much, Katie!! I you haven’t checked out her blog yet, definitely head over there- it’s one of my favorites!
Of course, I had to sample one right away J I enjoyed it squeezed on top of a chocolate Heart Thrive, which I was sent to review awhile ago. I loved how the chocolate almond butter flavor really complemented the cake-like Heart Thrive, which was especially yummy when I bit into the chocolate chips!
Our visit was beautiful, but it definitely made me nostalgic. When I graduated, I was so ready to get to college that I swore I’d never miss the place; now, I wish I could go back. I went to a small, all girls school, and the camaraderie and love we had for both each other and the school is something I’ve yet to find or hear of anywhere else. We didn’t care about how grungy we looked or how weird we acted, we just had fun and enjoyed each other’s friendship. I’ve tried many times to explain to people the bond my class had, but there really are no words to describe it. It wasn't uncommon for us to randomly break out into song about the "Red Hot class of '08." Not to mention, food was a religion there! The whole school is still one huge bottomless pit of Chili’s skillet queso and Chipwiches, which was a very helpful environment for me during senior year.
Jillian and I
Maggie, Me and Jillian on our “mansion tour”
View of the arts building from the third floor
The three of us were lucky to run into a teacher from our senior year who offered to give us a tour of “the mansion.” Our school was built on a donated estate with a huge mansion that contained both classrooms and a convent for the sisters. The third floor was always off-limits, but as graduates we were lucky enough to get a peek. This teacher is incredibly knowledgeable about the school’s history, and told us tons of interesting tidbits. For instance, there are 16 bathrooms in the house, and when the original family still lived there, they employed sixty people to maintain it!
We spent over two hours roaming, the mansion and campus in the beautiful weather and by the time I got home, I had a hunger for veggies! I was supposed to go out to dinner with my parents for Indian, but since our plans fell through, this was almost as good:
Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, onion, olives, almonds and tempeh, topped with Dijon
Whole wheat biscuit topped with Sunbutter, plus some red grapes
Two liqueur filled chocolates for dessert. Best way to enjoy alcohol, in my opinion!
Tonight I have a hot date with my DVD player and Say Anything. Now if only I could get Mike to stand outside with a boom box…
What was your high school experience like? Do you still keep in touch with people from there? If you’ve already graduated, did you prefer high school or college? Clearly, I loved high school! I still keep in touch with a lot of girls from my class, and I’m the only nerd I know who still wears my class ring every single day. I love college, but I don’t think I’ll ever look back on these memories quite as fondly as my high school ones, just because of how safe and nurturing an environment it was.
Are you a crier in movies? I’m not a very emotional person, but the one time I can’t control my tears is in a sappy movie!
61 comments:
Dude, you just gave the Harry Potter ending away! I kid, I kid...I've read them all. Did not like the ending.
During high school, I claimed to hate it but now looking back I had so much fun! I'm still best friends with my buddies from there. Through everything, they've always been there for me and proven our lasting friendships.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww yay!!!!!!!!! So glad you loved the suprise!!!!!!!!!!!! I never seen them in stores either, and I know you love chocolate and what better than chocolate almond butter!!!! Glad you liked it love!!!!!!!!!!! U are such a great friend, and Im glad we became friends through our blogs : )
Wow that campus is beautiful!!!!!!!!! thanks for sharing those pics!!! What a great day you had and weather too!!!
Im actually not a crier in movies, I dont know why!!!! I am a very emotional person , but movies just dont get to me!!
Love you girl!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad you're feeling better after yesterday :) And that campus is so gorgeous! Sounds like you had a good time. I enjoyed my last two years of high school where I went to a tech center and was able to do lotsss of photography and graphic design, while still taking core classes. Hated my first two years of "normal" high school, though. It was all just so "catty."
That picture of your salad is seriously beautiful, by the way. Not to get all geeky, but it's got really great lines - I could definitely see that in a magazine :)
Ahh, I am so jealous of your single-serve almond butters! I've been looking around for them everywhere, but I'm thinking ordering online is the only way to get them :/
To be honest, high school for me was just *okay.* I loved my small private school and I loved my friends, but I certainly wouldn't go back. I also faced some upsetting situations during senior year (kind of similar to the story you talked about in your previous post, actually). In the end, I'm just happy to be out of high school, out of college, and excited for what the future holds :D
Speaking of which! What does your schedule look like for the next couple of weeks? We need to do lunch! :)
I use to be a movie crier, not so much anymore. Not sure why? Highschool was a terrible experience for me..I do have one friend that I keep in touch with that I love dearly <3
Im glad you feel supported by the fed back from your last post. I read a lot of what people said too and I agree with a lot of them as well!
Dana <3
http://happinessiswithin.wordpress.com/
ok lets establish that harry potter is awesome!(i really wish i could see the theme park owell..) anywho, i went to an all girls school too and totally get what u mean. i was able to go to school with my hair a mess and not worry about boys and all that!
i dont really get very teary with movies but thats a changin. must be a late hormal growth spurt!lolxooxoxoooxo
I really want to try that new Justin's hazelnut butter, it looks to die for! Enjoy! And, believe it or not, I have yet to try a Heart Thrive--I can't find them anywhere!
And I agree, isn't the blog community the best? I feel like I've known ya'all forever. I wish we could organize a big meet-up...
I love those single nut butter packets! Yum!
And your salad looks so pretty with the crisscrossed zigzags!
Wow, your high school is beautiful! It kinda reminds me of mine, but definitely mansiony-er.
Glad you are feeling better about everything today and that the blog community helped! I def agree after my lil rant the other day. I honestly had a great time in high school and college but they were both sooo different I only keep in touch with a few friends from both, the most important ones!
I am a total sap in movies but not always real life...
I cry when Dumbledore dies too, no worries. I'm such a crier, I can't even watch the Lion King! I kid you not. And don't EVEN get me started on Titanic! Meh.
I LOVED the last two years of high school. My class was like yours, SUPER close. Good memories :) And how lucky are you that you got to to go high school in a MANSION!
Sooo jealous of the Justin's...
Love ya girl!
I loved HS. It has been 11 years and I still keep in touch with many of my friends! I can totally relate to the camaraderie at an all girls school. I went to Peace College (small all girls college: about 600 students) and loved every minute of it! rolled out of bed and walked to class in our pjs!
Lucky girl for getting all those almond butter packs!!
ahh, i blubber like a big fat whalee in sad movies!!
have you ever seen Radio with Cuba Gooding Jr.? omg. tears, my friend, tears.
and
I NEED TO TRY THOSE NEW JUSTINS!!
so freaking jealous!!!!
hope your cold GOES AWAY soon- annoying! haha
xoxoLisa
Wow. .. ok I need to try this Justin's stuff. Wow. That's all I have to say. You definitely made me want it. And I read the 7th Harry Potter (for the hundredth time) a few weeks ago and bawled through the entire thing. Books make me cry. I am odd.
I went to a performing arts high school. It was really cool - I sang several hours a day in addition to regular schoolwork. It's so funny, my group of friends is actually planning on having a reunion picnic this weekend. It's really crazy to think we graduated five years ago, because we were a huge family in high school. Most of them stayed in touch, and while we're still friends I went through a lot of shit on my own and haven't spent much time with them recently. Although, my little sister in my sorority and I were in the same graduating class and in choir together, and became absolute best friends, even though we were barely friends in high school. We even went to Thailand for seven weeks together. Now that my college experience is pretty much over - I'm almost done and I've kind of decided my school work is more important than my social life, although once upon a time my social life was prime and I have some amazing memories that I hold just as dear as the memories I have of high school. I've had very different experiences between high school and college, and had a lot of time to explore who I really am. It's really been an interesting ride. Ahhhhh oh gosh now I feel old.
LMAO sorry I word-vomited in your comments! I just cant believe that high school AND college are behind me now! It's so crazy!
Have fun with the movie babe! Jon always jokes about standing outside of my window with a boom box but he has yet to make good. Fingers crossed.
Wow, that was your school?? It's so nice! I've had good & bad times in both high school and college but I'd have to say college wins for me :)
Usually, I'm an emotional rock lol but sometimes a movie will make me teary!
Wow, what a gorgeous high school! Glad to hear that the whole all girls deal worked well for you and that you had that camaraderie :)
Personally I like college a MILLION times better than high school- in HS i went through a lot of my difficult times and I didn't feel that I connected with a lot of the people there and as a result I'm in touch with very few people from high school.
That's cool that you had such an amazing high school experience. I went to two different public schools, one more rural and small, one in a city. I had a lot of good experiences, mainly due to one particular teacher/friend, to whom I will forever be indebted.
I am sooooo jealous of your TJ's nut butter samples! Happy Friday :)
Love your blog <3
And I so agree with everyones comments on your last post, just because we eat healthy and are a good size does not mean we still llisten to ed! And your school was gorgeous! I went to a catholic private school from 6-12 did not have the greatest time not alot of friends and I was just socially awkward, thankfully things have changed, but I do miss a few people from high school who impacted me in good ways. I so need to get aaround to trying some store bought soy yogurt, I have been making my own with agaragar.
It sounds like you had a great high school experience! I loved my high school and sometimes I wanna do it over again, but all in all, college (and post-college) is way more fun! Haha...I actually cried in Air Bud...How's that for lame?
i keep in touch with some friends but have only gone back to see performances, never to 'visit.' i liked high school, not too much i'd do differently.
definitely not a crier in movies. stone-hearted b. but i'll laugh out loud at any movie theater!
I love Say Anything! Such a good one... now I want to see it again :)
Wow, your HS is gorgeous!
I feel exactly the same way about HS; I am still very close with my friends from HS and had an amazing time there. I wear my class ring everyday too!
Ah, and I'm still looking for Justin's chocolate almond butter! It sounds so delicious, but it's being elusive! ;-)
Have a great night, girl!
the mustard drizz is fabulous. perfect!
the heart thrives...well, they are a bit, ahem, dry for my taste but scott and skylar like them.
my mom went to an all girls cath h.s. and 40 yrs later, she is STILL bff's with her classmates. She's 63 and she gets together w/ her girls regularly for coffee, dinner parties, etc. she also lived in an era where ppl dont move across the country quite as much as they do now so the ladies all still live in MN
my h.s. was 700 ppl in my class. i hated h.s. i dont speak to a single person from my h.s. i also dont speak to a single person from college. my entire first 22 yrs of life...i dont talk to anyone from then. it's sad, actually. not by choice, it's just gone down that way.
I've been wanting to try heart thrives for ages! I also love how this post is full of fresh veggies and fruit. Doesn't it just feel like summer? Those pictures are gorgeous by the way. I'm glad you had such a wonderful time!
Have a lovely day!
xox
Personally I think I'm still in denial about Dumbledore's death. =P
Also your salad looks amaaazing- why does my dressing never look that nice?! Haha and I did enjoy high school and I keep in touch with a few of my friends, but I LOVE college and know that I'll be friends with my roommates/sorority sisters forever (or at least that's the plan!).
lovely pics of you! that yogurt in a jar looks so good! xx
i love those liquor filled chocolates! i stayed a hotel once and tey had those as a little welcome gift!! they were delish!
the justins is SO good and so easy to take with yo anywhere! love his new packaging too!!
im SUCH a crier!! i cry at tv shows, movies, sappy stuff oh yeah I break down!! I cry at 'say yes to the dress' hahaha man im pathetic!
YES I stay in touch with my best girlfriends from HS they are some of my best friends to this day!!
Awww Katie is such a sweetheart!!
HS experience was awful! College was good though, but mainly my work friends at my job I had throughout undergrad got me through and I kind of miss them. I don't talk to anyone from high school anymore, and only a few people from undergrad.
Definitely a crier in movies. And books!! When Dumbledore cries it gets me everytime too!
Your high school campus is beautiful! And it sounds like you had an awesome experience there. :)
My HS experience was okay. I was really insecure with myself at the time, which resulted in some really hard times. I did come out of it with a really awesome group of friends who I'm still close with, so I'm super thankful for that!
PS. That salad looks perfect!
What a fabulous surprise! Those nut butters look amazing. As do your raspberries. I have been craving raspberries big time, but they are so expensive right now!
Omigosh your high school looks so beautiful! It makes mine look like nothing more than a shoebox lol. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed HS. I had a close-knit group of friends and we were always goofing off and getting into trouble. Unfortunately, I've lost touch with most of them :( With everyone going off to different colleges, our contact died down after a few years, but I wish I could find some of them again. College is alright, but definitely not as interesting as HS was.
Hope you're having a beautiful Friday!
I am most certainly a crier in movies. And books. Last summer I went with the family to a water park here in Minnesota, and apparently I thought it would be a good idea to finish reading My Sister's Keeper. I was crying in public. A lot.
I love the heart thrive products, sooo cute. I don't cry much at movies because for some reason I have a hard time getting really into them, odd...
Jealous of all your nut-butter!!!!! I, sadly, have lost touch with pretty much everyone I went to high school with - a combination of moving far, far away from each other and losing touch. Facebook helps but that's about it. I went to a HUUUUUGE high school so I think that factors in.
i LOVED college (go blue!), but i am still best friends with all my high school friends and love being home/around them like nothing else. i am actually going home next week and am so excited, i can hardly contain myself.
I love that you are a fan of H. Potts too! I'm totally geeked out that they are making a Harry Potter WORLD at Universal Studios!
Your high school looks really cool - kinda like Hogwarts in a way ; )
My best friend and I have been besties since middle school. I think it takes a lot to maintain a friendship as you grow up, but I'm so glad we are still so tight!
You and I would be good movie partners. I always cry too! (I saw Marley and Me in theaters and was a disaster!)
I have never tried Justin's or heart Thrive products, but they both look yummy. I love the idea of chocolate PB.
Your eats look yummy. I esp. love the smart bran rasp combo. So yummy! Gotta love SmartBran!
I loveee Justin's nut butter! It is probably my favorite! My high school experience was okay. I don't really talk to anyone from there now! So sad. I never drank until college either lol.
I really didn't have a great group of friends in high school. I've kept up with one or two girls since, but even they have kind of faded out of my life. I'm not too upset about it, though, because I really have found the most amazing people here at school. These are the people I'm going to still be talking to in 20+ years, and I can't wait to grow even more with them.
Your high school looks pretty amazing, though. The campus is so pretty!
HEY BEAUTIFUL!!!
i LOVED highschool but i love college more! Just bc of the independence!! i love it! I had great groups of friends in both places..andn they are different.. i think college is more of where you REALLY find who you are!
love you girl! MISSED YOU
I'm usually really good about holding in the tears when someone else is around, but if it's just me I really boo hoo! Can't wait to hear how you like your spicy PB!!!
Aww, looks like you guys had fun! I haven't been back to my old high school in ages. I graduated back in 2003, and I think I went to visit once in 2004. I do miss it, and now you got me thinking whether or not some of my favorite teachers are still there.. hmm...
Glad you are feeling better now! xox
Just read your post from yesterday. That's really frustrating and I'm sorry you had to experience that. If it's still on your mind in the next few days, maybe give your friend a call and say so? It might make you feel a little better to confront the issue...otherwise, let it roll of your back. You're a strong girl :)
Not only am I a crier in movies, I cry in books, tv, and life in general. I'm a mess.
How do you make oats with cocoa powder??
I was totally expecting to loooooooove college and hate high school in retrospect, but actually in high school I made great friends and had an amazing time doing theater... whereas in college I learned a lot and had amazing professors but was lonely all the time.
Unrelated, I have a crush on your snacks. I have been wanting to try Justin's and HeartThrive for forevs!
That salad looks soooo good and pretty!!
I really loved high school I still keep in touch with a lot of the people but I must say that college was just so great. I met my sweetheart in college, maybe thats why ;)
I love food that looks good and is in shapes (basically everything you eat).
I've never seen liquor filled chocolate but I will definitely keep an eye out from now on. what a brilliant idea!
everyone always makes fun of me when I till them I cry when dumbledore cried so i am SO glad to know I am not the only one! haha
ahhh that chocolate peanut butter looks SO DELICIOUS :) need to get my hands on same asap.
ps. you have really pretty hair! love the color
Chocolate almond butter? YUM!
1st of all.. I just got a secret completely unexpected package in the mail -- OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, GIRL! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
moving on..
you will DIE over that chocolate AB -- Justin's is the best (besides pb&co obvi.. eek! I'm so excited to try WCW!!!!)
have the best saturday ever, sugar. You deserve it! xoxoxo
High school was a little weird for me...I went to two different 7-12 private schools. I went to the first one for 7th grade, moved away to Minnesota for 8-11th grades, then came back to the same school in Georgia for 12th grade. Needless to say it was pretty weird, since everyone had new friends and it was hard to fit back in. I think because of this I've truly loved college so much more since I found an awesome core group of friends!
It is fun to go back though and see the people you haven't seen in forever!
Have a good weekend, girl!
girl your hs is gorgeous! where in the world did you go? hogwarts?? hahaha i keed ;) but seriously that school is awesome looking!
hs was fun for me! i had a big group of girlfriends who i'm still friends with now and played volleyball both in and out of hs!
enjoy the gawwwwwjy ny weather this weekend!
What cute pics!!!!!
I loved college and wish I was still there..ha! It was just such a fun time and I miss walking out my front door and having people to hang out with to do random things!
Hope you're enjoying the beautiful day hun!!! :) :)
I can't believe that you went to school there! I didn't care much for highschool, but I got some pretty great friends out of it. :)
I am a crier too. Dumbledore gets me everytime.
:)
Hi love!!!! Cute post :)
I liked college MUCH MORE than college. In HS I hung around with ppl I shouldn't have (think mean girls). Since HS I only keep in touch with a few people but met my best friends in college.
Hope you have a great weekend love!! XOXOX
Hi, sweety! Sorry to hear about your "friend's" nasty comment :-/ The ONLY reason people ever make inappropriate comments is because their egos tell them they are not good enough as they are. If someone accepts who they are and his/her divine nature, they will only pour forth love to other people. Don't take it personally because the comment wasn't about YOU, it was about HER and what she hates about herself. This can be translated to MANY life situations. It is always about THEM and their ego-driven behaviors.
Be well! And keep that chin up! You have worked so hard to recover and that is all that matters. It is between you and god and no one else.
Kisses!
Loved my high school experience. I am more close to those friends than the ones I made in college. I had a great college experience as well, though my high school friends are my true forever friends :)
And we both are criers in movies!!! We get it from our mom!
That chocolate almond butter looks amazing!
And wow your high school experience seems pretty legit and you and the friendship you have with those girls is amazing! (& 16 bathrooms in that "mansion"!? holy cow!)
And I loved high school and I still keep in touch with a huge group of my high school friends, but I also lovee my college friends too, so I don't really have a preference because they are so different! :)
I missed your last post so I went back and read it! My Grandma is one of those people who LOVES making comments based on how skinny/fat someone is and what they eat/don't eat. It really is SO annoying. So I can relate to the situation with your friend.
You know I've recently gotten back in touch with quite a few people I knew from HS via Facebook. Because I went for a couple years without being in touch with anyone... mainly due to all the problems going on in my life.
No, I'm not a crier. ;)
i loved my graduation! i had so much fun. and yes, i definatly keep in touch with my highschool freinds :)
your pictures are beautiful! it looks like you all had such a lovely time!
Wow, your school is gorgeous. My high school was similar, though. Was just looking at my yearbook last year (my 10 year reunion is next year!! ACK!) and thinking to myself I had it pretty good.
Oh and those almond butter squeeze packets just beg to be emptied straight into the mouth. :)
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