Yesterday I received the best afternoon pick-me-up, better than a Starbucks cappuccino or a chunk of dark chocolate…
I am so excited and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to join a group of strong, inspiring, and motivated women! As seen on the Fit Approach website, “Sweat PinkAmbassadors live the Fit Approach mission every day: they sweat hard, play hard, and inspire those around them to achieve their best selves.”
All of my excitement powered me through 1 + 1/2 TNT sessions last night. Ryan was late because he had to get an MRI that took longer than expected, so I happily stayed behind with him to make-up what he had missed. By the time we got home I was ravenous and raided the kitchen, snacking while I threw together the epitome of a kitchen sink salad.
I also had an unpictured bowl of chicken noodle soup and rice cakes topped with cottage cheese [hunger > pictures]. I could not be stopped and finished off the night with a sweet cereal yogurt bowl for dessert.
Surprise, surprise, this morning I served up a stack of cereal pancakes. Today’s cereal of choice: TJ’s Honey Nut O’s!
P.S. While I was busy packing Ryan’s and my lunches for today, Charlie was also busy… He ate the peanut butter filling and left me the pretzel shell, he’s so kind 😉
“It often seems, looking back, that the unexpected comes to define us, the paths we didn’t see coming and may have wandered down by mistake. The older we get the more willing we are to follow those, to surprise ourselves.”
~ Anna Quindlen
XOXO,
Allison
Question: Do you have a favorite chili recipe?
Question: Have you heard of the term flexitarian? Do you associate yourself as a flexitarian?
It’sss theee weekenddd! This week wasn’t very busy but I’m still happy it’s the weekend! Sleeping in, grocery shopping [prepping for power outages], no work, my birthday celebration tonight, and making new plans for Sunday because our trip to Kings Dominion has been postponed until the spring [silly Sandy]…
This survey has been bouncing around the blog world recently [thanks for sharing Alex and Jess] and I thought I’d partake in the fun!
A is for age: The ripe old age of 23.
B is for breakfast today: Whole wheat flax and oat ‘cakes topped with coconut Cho + almond slivers + raisins + maple syrup served with a side of cantaloupe and lots of coffee. Note: they’re not burnt, I just have an obsession with cinnamon [haha]!
C is for currently craving: Fresh food. Thinking that we may lose power for a couple of days due to Hurricane Sandy, I want to eat all the food in our fridge [waste not]!
D is for dinner tonight: Legal Sea Foods! We postponed the original plans because I was feeling under the weather and exactly one month later we’re celebrating. I’m psyched for a night with my friends and good food! What should I order: shrimp, swordfish, or lobstahhh?
throwback picture, 2010?!
E is for favorite type of exercise: Cardio. Running [outside > inside], the elliptical, or the spin bike. Although, if you ask me this question again in 13 weeks I may say strength training 😉
F is for an irrational fear: Getting into a car accident. I got into my first fender bender a few months ago [no one was hurt, just my bumper and my ego] and ever since, I’m scared that someone in front of me is going to slam on their breaks and I won’t stop quick enough.
G is for gross food: Sardines. Truthfully, I’ve never tried them but they look slimy, smelly, and make me go ick. Maybe if they were disguised in a tasty dish and I don’t know they’re there I’d try them… Maybe.
H is for hometown: Great Falls, VA. If you’re ever in the DC area, make an effort to visit Great Falls Park and go for a hike- the trails along the Potomac River are b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!
K is for kids: Absolutely! I’d like 3 but we’re planning to wait and enjoy married life for a while- our furry son is enough to handle.
L is for current location: Fairfax County, Virginia. I love where we live because it’s 15 minutes outside our Nation’s Capital [assuming traffic isn’t a nightmare] and about 15 minutes east of the rolling mountains.
M is for the most recent way you spent money: At the grocery store.
N is for something you need: My family [Charlie included] and my friends. They’ve provided me with so much strength and support, especially over the past few years, and I don’t think I could have got through it all without them.
O is for occupation: Exhibits assistant. No, I don’t work for a museum [common question]- I work for an association in the exhibits department and help to coordinate their annual trade shows.
P is for pet peeve: 1) People chewing with their mouth open. 2) People not following through with what they say they are going to do. I blame pet peeve #1 on my BFF because when we were younger, she always would tell me to chew with my mouth closed.
Q is for a quote: I loveee quotes and think they’re a great dose of inspiration and motivation. A few of my favorites…
“Use it up, wear it out, make with do, or do without.”
~A little background [as seen on Wikipedia]: “This homily was brought to the USA by immigrants from Great Britain in the early 1900s or before… The saying is used frequently by those who lived through the Great Depression and their children.”
“Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”
~Henry Ford
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.”
~The Serenity Prayer by Rienhold NeiBuhr
R is for random fact about you: I prefer athletic clothes > casual [jeans + t-shirt] clothes. Although, I do enjoy dressing up for special occasions and donning a sparkly dress + a pair of pumps!
S is for favorite healthy snack: Popcorn, a cereal + yogurt bowl, or a power bar [Luna and Cliff Mojo’s specifically].
T is for favorite treat: Dark chocolate and frozen yogurt 🙂 I love ending the day on a sweet note- no matter how full I am after dinner, I always have room for a sweet treat!
U is for something that makes you unique: It’s not necessary unique, but I think it’s something special… I was adopted at birth. I was a newborn so I have no memory of any of it, but I could not be more thankful for being raised in the family I was. My parents provided me with love and support, put up with my stubborn tendencies, and continue to encourage me to pursue my dreams.
V is for favorite vegetable: Too many to name. Seriously, I have always loved fruits and veggies [I was that weird child]… It’s easier to name my least favorite vegetable: seaweed. I don’t mind it in sushi, can hardly taste it, but I do not care for eating raw sheets of it.
X is for X-rays you’ve had: Best answer: too many! Between playing basketball and lacrosse and my klutziness, too many! I’ve had numerous x-rays [and MRI’s/ CT scans] on my ankles, knees, shoulders, and wrists.
Y is for yesterday’s highlight: Taking a day off from the gym and going to a local park for a family walk.
Z is for your time zone: Eastern Standard Time [EST].
XOXO,
Allison
Question: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Question: Do you prefer ice cream, fro-yo, or sorbet?
Do y’all watch the news? I watch the Today Show every morning while I’m eating breakfast, but this week I’ve had no desire to tune in. Why? Because every other segment Al Roker [I have nothing against him, he’s just doing his job] has an update about Hurricane Sandy. If you haven’t heard, Hurricane Sandy is supposed to be a big bully storm that may bash the mid-Atlantic and Northeast Sunday into early next week. You can read more about it here.
BUT, there are two different models and they’re predicting two different paths… I’m in favor of whichever one says that Sandy is going to stay out to sea. I’d like to go to Kings Dominion on Sunday and I’d like for our power to stay on *fingers crossed*!
“Don’t forget—no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.” ~Charles de Lint
XOXO,
Allison
Question: If you’re on the east coast, are you preparing for Hurricane Sandy?
Question: What are your fun weekend plans? I’m celebrating my birthday dinner tomorrow and *hopefully* going to Kings Dominion on Sunday! Lots of fun times with friends!
Life's a Bowl 