Setting the Tone for the Week

As work nears an end and summer inches closer, I find myself suddenly quite socially occupied. I absolutely love being busy, and I'm so excited to spend time with friends, coworkers, and family, so the full calendar doesn't bother me at all.

This is my family, minus Terry. We are amazing. Terry is also amazing but couldn't be there for this spectacular moment.

But I also have to be aware of the potential down sides: less time to work out, more eating, more temptations to eat indulgently, more drinking, and less sleep.

It's only Monday and I already feel the effects of an oncoming busy week, so this afternoon I hit the gym in hopes of being proactive. I hopped on the treadmill for 35 minutes. After 5 minutes of warming up, I walked:

• 5 minutes at 4.5 mph and 4.0 incline 
• 5 minutes at 4.0 mph and 8-12 incline
• Repeat twice (three times total)

I haven't been hitting the treadmill too hard, especially since my legs are still tired and sore (and hopefully not injured) from Friday morning's long run. I've had a tight hamstring ever since, and all the foam rolling, yoga, and stretching is only minimally helpful. So I'll continue with light cardio and no running until I'm back to normal. 

I also busted out a three rounds of each of the following supersets: 

Triceps:

• 10 tricep dips
• 5 one-arm tricep push ups (per side)

Shoulders:

• 10 overhead press
• 10 L-raises

Chest:

• 10 push ups
• 10 chest flys

Not a bad workout, overall, and a great way to set the tone for the week. While I can't run, I plan to keep active and get in at least 30-40 minutes of cardio per day.

We're officially in crunch time at work--or at least I am. We only have eight more school days, which leaves very little time for grading, wrapping up last minute stuff in the classroom, and ensuring that all the students' grades are entered before the deadline. But I can't complain too much about only two weeks until summer!

Speaking of summer, I've been trying to get myself motivated lately to feel excited about healthy foods. For some reason, I totally crave healthy meals but just cannot think of creative snacks. I usually just end up eating a piece of fruit and then coming back to the kitchen 10 minutes later because--let's be honest--a piece of fruit just isn't going to cut it.

So I'm on a mission for healthy, filling, nutritious snacks. I'll compile a list and share with you soon, but meanwhile feel free to share ideas below please!

What are your favorite summer snacks? 

BLWB Healthy Snack Ideas

I think my body is almost back on track with this whole Daylight Savings Time thing, but it still felt painful to get out of bed this morning. We even skipped our morning workout knowing it’d be better to sleep a little, but I snoozed a lot more than usual.

This afternoon I hit the gym on my own, since Terry’s not feeling great. I completed a 40-minute HIIT walking workout, which alternated between increasing speed and increasing incline.

For the above workout, I tried to get to 4.5-5.0 mph during the speed intervals and 12-15 incline during the hill intervals. Hello sweaty mess!

Toughen it up: 

• Set your base incline higher (6 or 8)
• Run the speed intervals
• Run the hill intervals
• Take a shorter rest interval (30 sec or 45 sec)

Lighten it up:

• Set your base incline lower (2 or 0)
• Take a longer rest interval and/or shorter intense intervals
• Complete 4 or 5 rounds instead of 7

Just remember that a HIIT workout should get your heart rate up to a 9-10 intensity level (out of 10), and the recovery period should bring your heart rate back down significantly before you start up again. And be sure to give your heart a rest between HIIT workouts—I aim for only one or two per week to give ample recovery time.

For my upper body work today, I tackled Tina's Upper Body Burn Out. I loved the unique challenge of exhausting my muscles with one exercise and then hitting the same muscles with a different exercise immediately after. I'm sure I'll feel that one tomorrow! I even stretched for a solid 20 minutes after all that. I’m definitely getting better about stretching and/or foam rolling while we watch TV at night, and I feel a noticeable difference in my flexibility!

Today at work I enjoyed a new favorite snack (if you follow me on Instagram you already saw it):

Greek yogurt, applesauce, almond butter, cinnamon, and honey. So much flavor, and completely satisfying, too! But of course I got to thinking about my favorite snacks, and I’ve been wanting to share a little collection here for you in case you’re looking to add some variety to your midday eats.

BLWB Healthy Snack Ideas

• Trail mix
• Bell peppers, carrots, and/or cucumbers with hummus
• Homemade pita chips with hummus
• Triscuits or Woven Wheats with your favorite cheese (Manchego for me!)
• Fruit salad with sliced banana, berries, and pineapple

• Banana-nut muffins or Whole-wheat lemon-blueberry muffins
• Brown rice cakes with nut butter and banana or nut butter and raisins
• Toasted whole-wheat English muffin with cream cheese and sliced strawberries

• Small smoothie
• Fresh berries with cottage cheese or yogurt
• Whole piece of fruit with nut butter (bananas and apples with peanut butter are my favorite)—add a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg if you’re feeling crazy

• Toasted slice of pumpkin bread, banana bread, or zucchini bread with cream cheese or nut butter
• Healthy oatmeal cookies
• Equal parts Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat) and applesauce, mixed with cinnamon and a tablespoon of nut butter (shown above)
• Ina Garten's Jalapeno Cheddar Crackers from her Foolproof cookbook (blog post from Authentic Suburban Gourmet)

What's your favorite snack? Feel free to link up to recipes below!

I Don't Care for That

This evening, our planned menu of shepherd's pie faced possible disaster: we didn't have any zucchini. Terry's suggestion: use carrots instead. And I did--for his half. Sadly, I'm not such a big fan of cooked carrots, and my generous husband darted out to pick up zucchini anyway. (I am aware of how awesome he is.)

As he ran to the store, I got to thinking about foods I'm not too fond of, which led to a little brainstorming sesh, and that's why you are now going to read about my favorite and not-so-favorite foods.

(A word about the title: When I was young, my mom taught me that if I don't like something at a meal, I should say, "I don't care for that." It's supposed to be a more polite way of declining foods. Terry thinks it's cute.)

Favorites

Breakfast: French toast
Lunch: Grilled veggie sandwich (eggplant, zucchini, roasted bell peppers, grilled onions, maybe some aioli and/or feta)
Dinner: Burgers (obviously)
Dessert: Brownie sundae (love the hot/cold combo!)
Healthy Snack: Greek yogurt with applesauce and cinnamon
Appetizer: Mom's mushroom pizzas or baked brie

Fruit: Pear (at least lately)
Vegetable: Eggplant
Salty Snack: Buffalo Bleu Kettle Chips
Spice: Cinnamon or sea salt
Drink: Champagne

Splurge: Sweet potato fries
Most Likely Impulse Buy: Trader Joe's Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Most Frequent Craving: Pepperoni pizza

Not-So-Favorites

• Cooked carrots
• Most canned fruits and vegetables
• Blood oranges (new discovery)
• Tofu
• Extra-spicy foods
• Coffee
• Juice and juice-based smoothies

Take It Or Leave It

• Some seafood (has to be cooked just right)
• Goat cheese
• Cupcakes (my uncle still hasn't forgiven me for this one)

So, who's hungry now? We'll be enjoying our nightly dessert in a few minutes (latest favorite: homemade strawberry ice cream with a few chocolate chips and white chocolate chips), and we're getting up early again for tomorrow's leg workout. 

Speaking of which, today's 5 am sweat session was a quick 35 minutes on the treadmill, and we each hit three miles. We're both really getting into the new morning routine. The best part? We work out together almost every day! I really love this healthy habit, and it's so important to me that my husband is willing to get healthy with me. I want to live a healthy lifestyle, and I want to set a healthy example for our future children. We're doing all this work now so it's easier later.

Okay, tangent over. Hope you're having a great week!

Your Turn: What's your favorite vegetable? Favorite dinner? Favorite splurge? (Link up to recipes if you're so inclined!) And what foods do you hate?

Prepped for Tomorrow

I'm not sure what got into us today, but we spent most of our time preparing for tomorrow. I think we were avoiding the Sunday blues by staying busy.

But we did squeeze in a four-mile run! Terry kicked my butt, but I still managed to keep a 6+ mph pace.

So all my prep work today?

Breakfast: Overnight oats.

Lunch: Tuna salad (separated for tomorrow and Tuesday)

Snack: Strawberries, washed and separated

 All stacked up in the front of the fridge so we can pack it up in the morning.

My meals for the morning and afternoon:

• Overnight oats (I'll add 1/2 sliced banana and sliced almonds tomorrow morning)
• Pear
• Tuna salad with some unpictured Woven Wheats 
• Strawberries

Terry's meals:

• Same as mine for breakfast and snacks
• Pea soup for lunch

I was thinking today that perhaps you might be interested in hearing a little about what Terry eats on a regular basis. He says he'd be willing to do a WIAW, so hopefully--if you're interested--you can see what my husband munches throughout the day. 

We also spent a good chunk of the day on a cleaning spree.

Is there anything better than a sparkling kitchen?

Now we feel more than ready to head back to work. Clean house, breakfast made, lunches packed, water bottles filled. And...the big news?

I'm going cold turkey (for lack of a better word) on my workouts. I've said it for months, and I'm finally doing something about it. Tomorrow morning I'll do my workout at 5 am, and I'll continue morning workouts throughout the entire month of January. It's going to require a lot of planning ahead, getting to bed earlier, and more willpower than I've shown in the past, but I know I can do it!

Dinners for the week:

• Monday: Stir Fry
• Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash and Black Bean tacos
• Wednesday: Leftovers
• Thursday: Vegetable Pizzas (inspired by Pinterest, I'll let you know how it goes)
• Friday: Perhaps a date night?

Okay, off to bed so I can wake up at 4:50 tomorrow...ugh can't wait!

What new goals are you working on? Do they require some significant changes in your routine? Any tips?

If you're getting back to the grind tomorrow, best of luck! Hope it's a painless day!

Assume Good Will

Talk about a case of the Mondays. Terry and I both slept terribly last night. Was it the heat? Was it the cat crying for NO reason at 3 am? Was it the excitement of a new week dawning? Whatever it was, we both woke up dragging and snoozed our alarms as late as possible.

This little punk kept right on sleepin...

My day improved from there, as I got to spend the day in a teacher retreat for newbies at my school. We all got subs for our classes and spent the school day reading and discussing articles, getting to know each other and our administrators better, learning more about the organization of the school, and discussing our roles on campus. It was an extremely productive and enlightening day, and I feel much more prepared to take on the school year. I'm especially grateful for the opportunity to know my fellow new-to-the-school teachers; we have formed a nice bond that I'm sure will continue to grow.

(Source)

(Note: The website above has best friend quotes, including, "Best friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life.")

Anyway, as our principal described the structure of our school staff and explained some of the nuances of our community, he threw out a piece of advice that really resonated with me: "Assume good will." What a simple thought, right? And yet how often do I find myself wondering if someone might have a less-than-honorable intention?

The thing is, practicing this theory would significantly improve any kind of teamwork, from professional settings to chatting with friends to marriage. If we always assume that the other person meant no harm, imagine how that would change the dynamic of the team or partnership. Instead of wasting energy wondering whether that e-mail was sarcastic or furrowing my brow about whether someone was trying to take credit for my idea, we could just skip to the good stuff. The stuff that matters, like accomplishing our task (in the case of a work team) or hearing about each other's day (in the case of friendship or marriage).

(Source)

Of course, as I thought about this post, I also tried to think of counterpoints--what if someone's comment really seems out of line or inappropriate? What if someone is blatantly lying? What if they clearly did not intend good will?

Well, I haven't yet encountered these situations, seeing as this phrase only struck me as life-changing today, but here's my plan: Assume good will anyway. Someone makes a sarcastic comment that hurts my feelings? I will take a deep breath and assume they didn't mean it that way. Someone doesn't tell the truth and makes me look bad? I will do my best to correct the mistake if it's important and then assume it was, in fact, a mistake. Someone clearly means to slam me with their words? I will assume I misinterpreted their message.

Yes, I will seem naive. But I think it's better than the alternative, right? I would rather mistake someone for being too nice than for being too mean. I would rather wrongly accuse someone of being kind than wrongly accuse him or her of being a jerk. And I would hope others would do the same for me. I have a gift of sarcasm (from my dear father), and I never mean it to harm anyone (though, to be honest, I don't mind throwing a few sarcastic jabs at companies who use marketing to fool people into thinking that unhealthy products are "natural" or "healthy" when they most certainly are not). So if I make a sarcastic comment that rubs someone the wrong way, I would hope he or she would be willing to assume I mean no harm.

It's going to take work for me to put this idea into practice. I'm sure I'll catch myself getting irked by something Terry says, for example. But by assuming he means good will (and he always, always does--that guy is seriously the best), I will eliminate any chance of getting upset.

Alright, so that's my most recent healthy goal. Removing negative assumptions from my life could help reduce my stress and help me focus on what's important--doing my job to the best of my ability, staying in touch with friends and family, keeping my marriage strong.

Speaking of keeping our marriage strong, I made a kickass Greek salad tonight. It had all the usual ingredients, but I put the feta, onion, and tomato mixture in little cucumber boats! So fun.

We also munched on homemade pita chips and farmers' market hummus. Deeeeelicious!

Hoping for a better night's sleep tonight and a wonderful Tuesday for you!

What do you think of assuming good will? Do you have any team building advice that has helped you?

Wedding Band: Take Two

The summer days are quickly dwindling, and I'm so sad to see them go. But luckily I feel as though I really had time to rest, de-stress, get a few things done around the house, and enjoy lots of time with Terry and Scout. While I'm sure I could have done more, I feel ready to get back to work next week. Today I worked on my syllabi, first few weeks of lesson plans, and some reading, and I also did a bit of studying for my certification. These days are numbered, but I appreciate every one.

I also appreciate the fact that I've been able to see Terry more than once this summer during his work day. Today I picked him up a little early from work to head downtown, where we picked up his new wedding band!

So shiny

His original band was too big, apparently a common occurrence for guys because they aren't used to wearing rings and don't want one to be too tight. But since we chose a tungsten band, the ring couldn't be resized. We chose the new one, which is lighter in color but otherwise very similar, last week, and it fits perfectly. We kept the old one and figured it'll be a funny story and family heirloom for the future. If we have two sons, they can fight over who gets the original and who gets the new one.

Upon our arrival home, we scooted out the door for a midweek run, but Terry wasn't feeling great, so we kept it short and sweet sweaty. Then I assembled this little meal:

whole wheat mini pitas, spinach, tomato slices, red onion, pepperoncinis, and cucumber

The Greek turkey burgers turned out perfectly: crisp crunch from the veggies, creamy hummus, and some chips and grapes to complement the main dish. Perfect for a hot summer night.

Tomorrow I'm driving up north to see my parents, and Terry will join on Thursday. We're spending some time in the city, too, a belated mini-getaway for our one-year anniversary. Thanks to rewards points, our hotel room is free! We're planning to do lots of walking, eating, and sightseeing. San Francisco is my favorite city in the U.S., so of course I can't wait to spend a night there with Terry for the first time.

Tonight we're enjoying some down time, packing for the trip, and prepping some road trip snacks for me. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning for which I have to fast (aka skip breakfast). Skipping breakfast is worse for me than missing any other meal, and I'm honestly dreading it. Obviously I'll forego the morning workout and likely take a walk with my parents when I get to their house. But once that appointment is over I'll want a healthy meal and lots of snacks for the road. So far, the plan includes:

• Leftovers from tonight (before I leave the house)
• Apple slices
• Trail mix
• Banana
• Grapes
• Lots of water

Since I'm driving alone, everything needs to be within easy reach and easy to eat without making a mess or distracting me from the road. Safety first!

What's been your favorite road trip?

I remember driving back to LA after our wedding and honeymoon, just me and Terry, and we had so much fun talking about the future, reminiscing about our trip to Europe, just relishing the fact that we were married.

If you could take a road trip anywhere, where would you go?

I would LOVE to drive all the way across the country. 

Sunday Snack Day

Today involved one big event: running nine miles. The rest, which wasn't much, revolved around recovering and refueling from said nine miles and taking care of errands.

We slept in a bit and were out the door by 9 am for our run. We agreed to take it slow and kept a great pace (around 6.3 mph) the entire time. Even when Terry veered off course and sunk his foot into a muddy patch of grass.

Differently colored shoes!

Looks like it's about time for new running shoes! We finished fairly strong, agreeing that four more miles won't kill us. Our race, the Disneyland Half Marathon, is on September 2, only four weeks away. I'm excited, but these long runs are brutal. I'm looking forward to a long break from running after the race!

Instead of making a huge meal at 11 am, I assembled a variety of snacks to help us recover while sitting, icing, and moaning about our respective aches.

Banana bread (with peanut butter for me, cream cheese for Terry), grapes, and trail mix

Since our timing was awkward, we spent the rest of the day snacking.

Apples with peanut butter and raisins

My favorite chips

Olives for Ter

Tonight it'll be loads of vegetables (zucchini, squash, spinach) in our pasta.

Among all the snacks, Terry and I took our little guy in a field trip to Petco. The poor thing is terrified of his carrier (I guess past car trips have traumatized him?), and he hides when we take it out. But we got him all settled in, and he was great during the whole trip! He didn't cry in the car or at the store, even when we walked in to find a huge display of cats and kittens up for adoption.

My heart just melted. Mind you, I still claim that I am not a cat person. I love my cat, and I can appreciate a lot more about cats now that I own one, but I'm still a dog person. These cats, though...I didn't take pictures because I was holding Scout's carrier, so just use your imagination. Several were under 6 months old, all cuddled up together. Two were only 10 days old, guzzling milk from a bottle. We donated a few cans of cat food to help out, and the assistant asked if Scout would like a friend. Cute as they were, we're a one-cat family for now.

I'm cool with laundry baskets, but mesh carriers? HELL no!

Just leave me here. I'll watch the Olympics and let you know what happens.

Back at home, we spent the rest of the day relaxing, munching on the above snacks, swearing at the foam roller, and loving our lazy Sunday. Tonight I'm headed out for a girls' night of Olympics, wine, and cookies. I'm hoping to get home early enough to hit up the hot tub and soothe my poor legs!

Olympic Trail Mix

Oh, yes, that happened today. Recipe below, don't you worry.

I kicked off the morning with a new Thursday tradition. For the last three weeks, Jenn and I have been meeting up on Thursday mornings to work out together, and it's been great! I've mentioned before that Jenn and I are at the same fitness level, so we are awesome workout partners. Plus we're just awesome.

This is what awesome looks like. (Circa 2005)

Working out with Jenn has always been fun, but soon I'll be able to use the opportunity to practice, because...I'm currently studying to become a certified personal trainer!

Back in April and May, when I knew I was leaving my former job but hadn't yet found my new position, I thought perhaps it was an ideal time to try something new, just in case another job didn't come along. So I did some research, chose my program (more info below), and bought the study materials. I've been studying a little at a time throughout the summer and hope to be ready to take the test within a few months.

Now that I do have a teaching job for this school year, my plans aren't changing. I'll still study for and take my personal training exam, but I view it as a way to enhance my advice on the blog, perhaps create training programs for family and friends (I have a few requests already!), and improve my own approach to fitness.

Scout helps me study sometimes, but it's not quite as helpful as one might think.

As for the program, I chose NASM, the National Academy of Sports Medicine. The program is textbook-based, and I simply study and take the exam. I chose NASM because it comes highly recommended by other personal trainers I've met, including Courtney and Tina (yep, that's boot camp Tina!), it's widely accepted at most gyms and considered a very reputable program, and it is extremely science-based (though my English-major brain is aching trying to learn about long bones and short bones and epimysium and perimysium!). I have to study a lot of anatomy, physiology, and even some nutrition science. But I'm very excited to become more knowledgeable about the human body and how movement works.

By the way, both Tina and Courtney offer online personal training services if you're interested. It's a personalized version of the boot camp I've been doing--how could you go wrong?

Okay, about that trail mix...

I used ingredients from Trader Joe's, because they're quality, inexpensive, and unsalted. Except for the dried cranberries, each of these products only has one ingredient!

Yes, I opened the sunflower seeds bag upside down, and no, I don't regret it.

 I've noticed this week that in the afternoons I'm on the hunt for a crunchy, flavorful snack. Rather than cave and buy my weakness (Cheez-Its!), I opted to make a healthy, high-protein snack that I can eat over the next several days (though I'm sure it'll go much faster with Terry around!). I also realized that a lot of folks are hosting or attending Olympics viewing parties, and this crunchy bowl of deliciousness would be perfect in place of chips.

Olympic Trail Mix
Makes 3 cups

• 1 cup unsalted almonds
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds (I bought roasted, unsalted, and they are delicious!)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large container and shake to distribute everything evenly. You can keep them in an airtight container for several days and scoop out your snack as needed. You can also divide it all ahead of time and then just grab and go.

A few notes on this snack:

• Watch your serving size! While it's very healthy, it's also easy to eat too much. Keep your portion size to about 1/2 cup, wait to see if it satisfies you, then go back for a little more if you're still hungry. If you're eating these while watching the Olympics, it's best not to put the whole container out in front of you. Studies show people eat far more when they're watching TV, so put your portion in a bowl so you can watch and munch without a worry.
• When shopping for ingredients, try to find products with the fewest ingredients. Nuts already have plenty of oil in them; you don't need more. If you like salty trail mix, add your own salt at home. 
• Roasted nuts (or toasting them yourself!) are great; try to find roasted and unsalted, and again, watch that ingredient list.
• To be more budget-friendly, buy nuts in bulk. Store them in your freezer and they'll last for months and months. Keep raisins and dried cranberries in the fridge to extend their shelf life.

I hope you love this delightful treat!

What is your favorite Olympic event?

I'm all about gymnastics, but I can't wait to see trampoline!

WIAW on a Very Busy Summer Day

So far, summer has been anything but relaxing. It's certainly in my nature to find lots of ways to keep myself busy, but the three days I've had off from work and at home would qualify as hectic and slightly insane. Nevertheless, I had lots to do today and chose not to make it a day of rest.

What I Ate on a Very Busy Summer Wednesday



I started with an awesome yoga session, which relieved lots of tension in my neck and shoulders. Bob Harper's Warrior Yoga really focuses on stretching out typical tight areas, such as hamstrings and hips, but it also works up quite a sweat. Today I did the full hour and enjoyed every minute - even the painful ones.

9:15 am - Breakfast

Another egg, whole wheat English muffin, Havarti cheese, and jelly sandwich with tea on the side. Scarfed down in approximately one minute. I always eat messy foods fast because it's easier to keep eating than to put it down and clean off my hands between each bite. Am I the only one?

1:00 pm - Lunch with Terry


My new job starts in a few months, but teachers are required to be fingerprinted each time they start working with a new district, so I headed down to the police station near where Terry works.

A beautiful police department!

I also stopped at the local public library (which I haven't done since I was a kid, no joke) to grab this month's PBFingers Book Club selection. I'll write a review and post it on here, and you can join in the fun!

Then I picked up Terry for a quick lunch together. We both had leftovers.

And a few of these...

Then I was off to my very last practice coaching my girls. I got a chance to speak with the new coach again and answered some of her questions. I know the girls are in great hands. I was afraid I'd be in a weird limbo all summer, helping out sometimes or being "on call" when they needed me, but this coach has her stuff together, and those girls will be just fine!

After my very last long commute from the San Gabriel Valley (hallelujah!), I started in on all the chopping for tonight's recipe and munched on a snack.

5:00 pm - Afternoon snack 

Overnight oats with:

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/2 banana
• 3 ounces Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 spoon peanut butter
• 1/2 tablespoon honey

Once dinner was prepped, we headed over to the complex gym for a quick cross-training workout. Only one treadmill was available, so Terry completed this incline walking workout while I hopped on the elliptical. My workout was inspired by the same workout, and it kicked my booty! I rarely do the elliptical. There's something about it; I feel like the motion isn't natural or something. Regardless, I completed the following:

Not bad for an elliptical novice! And I certainly worked up a sweat. I also tackled some core work and a few upper body exercises before calling it quits and gearing up for a delicious, healthy dinner of chili and cornbread. 


7:45 pm - Dinner

Recipe coming soon!


9:00 pm - Dessert


Cinnamon swirl bread with Trader Joe's Cookie Butter and chocolate chips, plus milk. No picture because it was too yummy. 


It was a great day! And tomorrow I leave for Denver. I'm excited and nervous for my first solo conference.