Oh baby love, my baby love

Hi bloggies! Thank you all so much for your input and suggestions on my blogging rut. You’ve given me some great ideas! It seems that everyone likes getting to know the blogger behind the posts, so I’m going to try to include more of my day-to-day life from now on. Workouts and fashion were two other big requests, so I’m still coming up with some fun ideas to incorporate them.

Speaking of workouts, this morning’s was TOUGH! It’s been awhile since I got my cardio on, so I hopped on the elliptical for 45 minutes in my garage. The heat made it incredibly sweaty and difficult- I only covered 3 miles in that time! I know HIIT is all the rage, but sometimes I just crave a slow and steady workout.

Breakfast was a bowl of Kashi GoLean, almond milk and bloobs, plus about six gallons of water.

I helped out in the maternity clinic again today, and fell even more in love with babies. I used to hate them, but I guess my biological clock has kicked in because I can’t help but coo over them. Sorry, inner mommy, but you’re waiting about ten years to have your own.

After reading all about a certain snacky blonde’s millet obsession this morning, I dug a few slices out of the freezer to make my lunch.

A squeeze pack of Justin’s chocolate almond butter (from Katie) on millet bread, along with a bag of cherries and a handful of almonds.

I was craving pretzels for the last few hours of work, so I made a stop at the hospital vending machines on my way out for a bag of Rold Gold honey wheat pretzel twists. Served with a squeeze of yellow mustard, these brought me back to the days of after-school snacks at my friend Lauren’s house.

I wasn’t feeling to creative for dinner, so I just threw a bunch of stuff into a bowl and hoped for the best. This contained broccoli, carrots, a tomato, tomato sauce, nutritional yeast and our only block of silken tofu. Firm would have worked far better, but beggars can’t be choosers!

This was surprisingly awesome. Despite the sloppy looks, the taste was delicious- the ingredients were simple, but it packed a lot of taste!

Of course, no dinner is complete without fruit + chocolate. A pink lady and Lindt 85%, to be exact.

Tonight will be busy! I’m packing boxes for a trip to New York tomorrow (we’re moving the furniture into my apartment…whee!), going to see Twilight with my madre and then packing up the truck for the ride. Talk to you from the Big Apple!

Can you work out in heat + humidity? As long as I knock it out in the morning, I’m good. Something about bright sunlight and heat makes a workout unbearable for me.

Babies- love em or hate em? They used to scare me, but now I think there’s nothing cuter than a tiny sleeping baby in an adorable outfit. Like I said though- none on the radar for awhile!

Still taking suggestions of things you’d like to see on the blog!

Tummy Troubles and New Ideas

It turns out that my ode to seafood a few days ago was a bit of ironic foreshadowing. As I got ready for bed last night, my tummy began to feel a bit queasy; an hour later, I was praying to the porcelain gods. Puking is never fun, but I think raw fish might be the worst thing to see again…

Alas, I finally got to sleep, and though I felt fine by the morning, I decided to keep it simple for breakfast with some dry Kashi GoLean Crunch and a banana.

I decided to take a rest day, and instead spent the morning cleaning my room. No matter how often I do it, there’s always a pile of clothes to be put away or a dust bunny waiting to be attacked. Such is life.

By lunchtime, my appetite was back in full force. I started off with a tomato and hummus sandwich on Ezekiel, plus two sliced Jersey peaches and more blackberries.

When that didn’t quite fill me up, it was time for round two: a handful of dry roasted peanuts and a Lu Petit Ecolier dark chocolate cookie. Much better.

 

My mom had a colonoscopy done this morning and couldn’t drive, so I spent the rest of the day doing errands for la famille. I snacked intermittently on a Gala apple and baby carrots:

As well as a dry bowl of Three Sisters’ marshmallow oaties.

I know I’m not the only one who saves the best for last.

When dinnertime rolled around, I was craving carbs + fruit like nobody’s business. Thank God for cereal…Nature’s Path SmartBran, original Puffins and fresh bloobs, all swimming in almond milk. Some might say three bowls of cereal in a day is excessive. I say it’s delicious.

For dessert, I had a bowl of cherries and four squares of Lindt black currant dark chocolate. Obviously J

I’ll be honest: lately, I’ve been feeling a bit unmotivated when it comes to blogging. I still want to blog, but I’ve been having trouble coming up with new content! I feel like I'm in a rut, and my posts are getting repetitive. What do you guys want to see more or less of on the blog? Is there anything you love/hate? Why do you read blogs- the food, the workouts, the people, the pictures? I’m trying to come up with some new ideas, so I’d love everyone’s input!

Thanks so much for all your help loves! I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday J

Just to be gross, have you ever been turned off of a favorite food by getting sick from it? I have a feeling it’s going to be awhile before I brave sashimi again…

Down at the New Amsterdam...

It was definitely a bit toasty out today…

I’ll take it. Call me crazy, but I’d rather boil than freeze. I always prefer sweltering heat to bitter cold!

Given the ridiculous temps this morning, I kept the workout inside and did my No More Trouble Zones DVD. The arms circuit is insane…I’m always in pain washing my hair the next day!

I had an apple pre-workout, and the usual bowl of cereal afterwards. This bowl contained Nature’s Path SmartBran, almond milk and the biggest blackberries I’ve ever seen, which my parents picked up from a farmer’s roadside stand on their way back from the shore yesterday.

At the hospital today, I helped out in the OB/GYN clinic, which provides inexpensive prenatal care to low-income women. It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. I can’t discuss much, but just the ages of some of the girls made me want to cry. This whole internship is making me realize how fortunate I am to have my health, as well as parents who love and support me through everything.

For lunch, I had overnight oats containing a mashed banana, a splash of almond milk, raw oats, a scoop of Sun Warrior vanilla protein powder, a spoonful of almond butter and sliced blackberries. On the side, I had a deliciously juicy unpictured peach, also from the New Jersey farmstand.

When I got home, I dug into a bag of baby carrots and hummus, plus some cherries:

For dinner, I met up with my good friend Mikey for sushi. He’s been in Spain visiting his extended family for the past month, so it was great to see him and catch up. As usual, we split an unpictured order of edamame and a huge platter of sashimi:

I also had some miso soup and an unpictured side salad with ginger dressing.

I drove home blasting old school Counting Crows and smelling the clean summer air. Certain CDs always remind me of summer- Counting Crows’ August and Everything After, Augustana’s Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt, and Blink-182’s Enema of the State. Happiness.

Dessert when I got home was a huge bowl of strawberries:

Hope you all have a wonderful hump day!

What music reminds you of summer?

Do you have any meal traditions you share with friends or family? Mikey and I always get sashimi, and my friend Jillian and I love our Cosi dinner dates!