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The Last Week of Summer Break
It has been 105 days of Summer Vacation.
As much as I love my family, I am beyond ready to return to college life for SENIOR YEAR. My car is packed, my apartment is ready, and I’m cruising down the highway as we speak! The past 7 days have been the busiest and craziest days…here are some highlight:
The Green Goods:
Last week at work, our receptionist asked if anyone would like to “adopt” some of the office plants. I have a brand new unfurnished apartment…something green sounded nice! I got some funky flowered plants (don’t ask me what they are). Well….they needed pots. And planting soil. And metal stakes. My “free” plant babies cost $30. These damn things better not die. ;)
The Book List:
I stocked myself up with PLENTY of reading material for the school year too! One day after work, I had some time to kill while I waited for the temperatures to cool off enough for an evening run. The selection at the used bookstore in the mall this week? JACK POT. As I browsed the store, the stack of books in my arms grew taller and taller. The cashier actually came to me TWICE to hold my books at the counter.
“That looks very heavy.” You underestimate my muscles, mister.
But thank you ;)
My favorite find of the day = Someday, Someday, Maybe because of the author. Lauren Graham AKA Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls AKA my favorite show ever and ever. I’m three chapters in and already hoping she writes a sequel.
The Last Home Long-Run:
On Sunday morning, I tackled a 12-mile long run before the 7 o’ clock hour. The route was different than usual because 3 miles in I took a sharp left turn that led to some greener views. Sightings: 1 coyote, 2 scruffy mutts, and 5 hungry ducks.
A Jittery Habit:
I’ve picked up a habit of running to the deli next door for an afternoon Iced Americano with 3 pumps of sugar-free cinnamon dolce and a splash on non-fat. I have this “treat yourself” mentality going on right now. I’ve had 4 this week. Starbuck’s is capitalizing on my cold cravings and I’m okay with that.
Baseball Oreos:
Our office hosted a Bake Sale fundraiser for one of the employees. Instead of buying goodies, I will be participating by contributing something to sell. Pinterest is my go-to for crafty-crafts and I was immediately attracted to “Baseball Pops” AKA white chocolate-covered Oreos.
Popsicle sticks + Oreos + White Melting Chocolate + Red candy melts
Interning as Usual:
All summer long, I have worked in the corporate office of a major national manufacturing company. This has been an eye-opening experience since so much of my projects are directly related to my business courses. I’ve really enjoyed working in an office-setting….mainly because I get to dress up in heels and blazers and pencil skirts. Playing dress up is never a bad thing.
Lot’s of “goodbye” meals.
First, the department at work planned a mid-week lunch. It was my choice of restaurant. Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar & Grill :) No shop-talk allowed! I got a salad with shrimp skewers, avocado, mango salsa and light balsamic vinegrette on the side. (It reminded me of the version I made two years ago…)
We also met up for a last summer dinner with my mom’s BFF and her daughter. We were too busy girl-chatting for pictures on that one ;) Yesterday some girlies from work all went out for lunch at my favorite: Panera. Garden Veggie Soup with a Thai Chicken Salad:
Friday morning I walked into the office for the LAST day of my summer internship. Outside of my office was a breakfast spread that was noticeably different from previous company potlucks: It was healthy! Our office enjoys celebrating birthdays and special occasions with potlucks, most of which include donuts and streudals. They themed this one “healthy” in honor of moi and covered the table in fruits, nuts, granolas, yogurt, hummus and crackers. So sweet!
Plus an awesome last dinner at a sushi bar, Ooka. This week was full of some hilarious, ridiculous moments. It included lots of packing and cleaning and errands. But it also became a little overwhelming at time, and by Friday night I wanted a drink! I wanted to sip, relax, laugh and have a great last night. It was a success :)
Sending me off to school fat & happy and ready to take advantage of our amazing recreation center!
My summer was a long one. Two trips to New York and two medical procedures. Two trips to Flagstaff. One spectacular concert. Working full-time. Running morning and evening. Baking and cooking. Trips to San Diego and Newport. The only thing I didn’t get to was a baseball game. But the Dbacks are just a two-hour drive away, so maybe I’ll catch an AZ game pretty soon. ;)
BRING ON THE NEW SEMESTER.
Throwback Thursday: Week II
The TBT instagram trend makes it’s second appearance on the blog ;)
Today’s blast from the past comes from last year’s summer roadtrip to the stunning Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. You might be squeezing in one last summer get-away before August ends, and I’ve often commented on my thoughts that fitness should still be a part of vacation-ing.
I posted this a year ago, but it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long since our amazing stay in Boise, ID. Every day started with a long run along the Boise River Greenbelt (with SO MANY friendly runners/bikers.) We floated in tubes down the river. We spent an evening at the horse races (my first gambling experience and I WON!). We adored downtown, the cute shops, and the restaurants. We toured Boise State University. I could 100% picture myself living in the beautiful city after college. :)
(July 15, 2013)
Know what’s great about hotel fitness rooms? They are almost always empty! A personal training room :) There is nothing about this workout that makes it specific to hotel gyms so feel free to complete in the comfort of your living room, dorm room, or even at the gym.
We’ve been staying at a hotel in Boise and of course the exercise room was the first thing I checked out when I got here. It’s the best hotel fitness room I’ve seen, not claustrophobic and has a decent amount of equipment! Two treadmills, stationary bike, elliptical, three strength machines, full set of dumbbells, mats and medicine balls plus open space, surround sound, tv and air conditioning. Can’t really ask for much more, can we? It was empty after we first arrived and I had been sitting in the car/airplane for a few hours so I got right to making up my own circuit.
You will need:
- A timer
- Set of weights (I used 10-lb. dumbbells)
Complete 5 sets of Circuit One and then move on to 5 sets of Circuit Two.
A little explanation for circuit one: On sets 1/3/5 do 12 x bicep curls; On sets 2/4 do 12 x tricep extensions. Circuit workouts are designed to go straight from one exercise to the next, keeping the rest time to a minimum. Your heart rate will stay elevated that way!
I know some people like to think of the motto “I’m on vacation” as a guilt-free excuse to indulge in extra foods and take a break from working out. Honestly, staying fit is easier on vacation because there’s no tight schedule to squeeze it into, you’re not exhausted from work or school, and it’s a great way to sight-see if you’re getting active outside. Plus you will feel better about any extra snacking you do, knowing it’s being somewhat counteracted by physical activity. And exercise keeps me happy and feeling good, so vacation and exercise go together like peanut butter & bananas if you ask me :)
Back to the Boise River for us, we have an afternoon of rafting. Catch ya on the flip side!
Throwback Thursday – Blog Post Style
This morning I loved waking up to Instagram posts of baby pictures, parents’ wedding pictures, embarrassing elementary poses. It must be Thursday! (side note: does it constitute a “throwback” if it happened less than a month ago…?)
After over 2 years of blogging, I have an archive of 250 blog posts. Most of which are bound to go unnoticed by new-to-the-blog readers, and lay under the radar in the giant info-overload that is the internet. Instead of leaving them in the cobwebs, I wanted to pull some back into the frontlines for a second life. Starting this week, I’m bringing #TBT to SLMC! Thursday’s will now include a favorite forgotten workout, recipe, or recap post. :)
This was originally posted on September 17, 2012 during the first few weeks of sophomore year (when the blog was still a baby, awww…). Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of NEW goodies to share in the coming days too. In the meantime….THIS FROZEN YOGURT. Omg.
Enjoy!
SUMMER’S ENDING, MAKE FROZEN YOGURT
(September 2012)
“It’s already the middle of September, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte is already back at Starbucks. I guess that means summer is wrapping up, huh? Well it hasn’t completely started cooling down yet, so I think we can get away with one more batch of frozen yogurt before switching pumpkin-and-apple-flavor-everything.
This weekend has been the most productive couple of days… There was the first home football game of the season, a complete shut out by our boys! My suitemates switched up roommates, (lots of heavy furniture moving involved) and now I have a wonderful new roomie! The Price is Right Live show was a fun and different way to start a Saturday night, but I sadly walked away empty handed. Then there was my first strength training workout, my first James Bond movie (a homework assignment- I would rather be watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy) and a ridiculous amount of homework plus some other fun stuff here and there. I wasn’t ready for this Monday morning alarm clock but here I am, hair curled and all, ready to share a super-healthy-super-sweet-summer-dessert : )
You will need:
1 1/2 Cups Vanilla non-fat Greek Yogurt
1 Cup fresh strawberries, diced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar *could substitute 1/4 cup with stevia
1 dark chocolate bar, broken into pieces
6 graham crackers, broken not crushed
*An ice cream maker
1. Heat diced strawberries, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until they start to soften. Drain and refrigerate until cool.
2. Once the strawberries are cold, stir in the greek yogurt.
3. Pour yogurt mixture into the ice cream maker and allow to mix together in the machine for 20 minutes.
4. By hand, mix in the graham cracker and chocolate pieces; place the whole bowl in the freezer for at least 60 minutes before serving.
If you like greek frozen yogurt, you may also want to try: Peach n’ Pecan Greek Frozen Yogurt
Now we can welcome autumn. Onto all things cinnamon & spice.”
:)
