Am I the only person that struggles with writing an opener every single time I sit down to type a post? I know that blogging is supposed to be more casual, but as a (former) trained writer, my brain is trained to put a lot of emphasis into the whole “intro/conclusion” thing.
Here are my typical “go-to’s”:
- Happy Monday, Happy Wednesday, Happy Friday (yes, these are the only days I post…in case ya hadn’t noticed)
- Weather Talk (in all fairness, fall is my favorite time of the year, so it seems natural to start that way…)
- “Hello From ______ (fill in the blank with wherever I am at the moment)
I usually belabor the opening sentence for a good 30 minutes, and yet, it always ends up being one of the above. Since blogging is supposed to be “conversational,” maybe I should create you all the way I normally greet my friends, with an exceedingly large, loud and drawn out “Helllloooooo,” just to ensure my presence is known. The BF can tell you all about it. He gets it every time I enter our house and just LOVES it.
So, there you have it, a 180 word look into the over-analytical brain of a Sometimes Healthy Girl. But, you didn’t come here to read about my rambling thoughts. It’s “What I Ate Wednesday” (WIAW), and you’re here to check out my eats from the previous day. Tuesday was a bit hectic, so there were a few Sometimes Healthy Snacks on-to-go, plus a dinner full of veggie substitutions and finally a drool-worthy dessert.
5:30 AM: Wake up for no reason at all, so get up to quickly use the restroom.
Dog notices that I am up and decided to take advantage of my early potty break by whining until I let him out for a potty break of his own. Feed him and can’t get back to bed.
6:00 AM: Brew up a cup of coffee and use up the last of my Girl Scout Cookies Coffee-Mate creamer. Feel an unreasonable pang of sadness as I throw away the bottle. Consider mixing some water with the last drop to make it last longer.
Say it ‘aint so!
I noticed it was no longer in the grocery store last time I checked so that means just a week after I discovered this “special edition” creamer, it appears to be off the shelves. How did I miss the boat on this amazing creation? Our time together was short, but oh so sweet. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to drown my sorrows in their seasonal Pumpkin Spice flavor.
6:00 – 7:00 AM: Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Research Tumbler and whether or not it makes sense for my blog. Seriously, how do you guys keep up with all of this social media stuff? Every time that I think I have mastered a platform, a new network sprouts up. This may make me sound old, but I am glad I didn’t grow up with all of these distractions…I never would have made it past high school!
7:00 – 8:00 AM: Make breakfast and job search. Breakfast today was an open-faced wrap with egg beaters, mozzarella and a leftover crockpot concoction.
Come to mama!
8:00 – 9:00 AM: Take Cole to daycare. Yes, our doggy goes to daycare. You see, Cole is a very social dog, and he starts to get sad if he doesn’t get to hang out with his friends at least every couple of weeks.
I don’t speak human language…
Just like a little child who couldn’t care less to say goodbye to his mommy, he is off and running to his friends (without looking back) the minute I drop him off. But, my favorite part is picking him up: he sees me through the window, his tail wags like crazy and his body jiggles with excitement as he waits for the people to bring him to me. Melts my heart every.single.time.
9:00 – 9:30 AM: Stuck in traffic. Scarf down snack on the go (since I had been up since 5:30, I was already hungry!)
Yes, I took this picture in the middle of traffic.
If you haven’t tried these Blue Diamond Dark Chocolate Almonds, you’re missing out. Though there has been debate as to whether or not coconut milk actually “does anything” important for the body, I feel much more hydrated and replenished after I drink it.
9:30 – 11:15: Gym/shower time. The usual BodyCombat, plus some elliptical pedaling (while studying) and the 100’s challenge. Speaking of BodyCombat, a while ago after I posted a kickboxing workout for the 4th of July Weekend. You can do this workout anywhere, and it involves basic moves. The workout has been very popular on my Pinterest page, so thought I’d do a little re-post for those that haven’t seen it yet.
You can take this workout wherever you go. All you need is some great music and a little bit of motivation. Click here if you need help with the mechanics of each move. Remember – the harder you kick and punch, the higher that calorie burn. I’m going to post another kickboxing workout as soon as I have the time to work on it!
11:15 – 12:00: Study for NASM certification and eat leftover sausage, peppers, onions, apples crockpot mixture from Monday night dinner.
Crockpots are da bomb.
Chop up 2 apples, 3 peppers, 1 onion and some fresh basil. Cook up a package of lowfat chicken sausage and add to crockpot with a little white wine and chicken broth. Cook on low for 6 hours. Boom! The crockpot is magical – whatever you put in it tastes warm and delicious. It’s a must-have as we enter those cold winter months!
12:30 – 1:30 PM: Doctor’s appointment. I’ll spare you the details. You’re welcome.
1:30 – 2:00 PM: More traffic.
2:00 – 2:45 PM: Camp out at adorable coffee shop and eat a homemade pop-tart before 3:00 appointment
Unreal.
If you’re ever in the Hudson Valley, you should probably go out of your way to hit up 2 Alices Coffee Lounge. The coffee is absolutely perfect and their pastries are one-of-a-kind. It’s located in Cornwall, an idyllic little town nestled in the middle of the mountains, about 15 minutes from West Point. The inside is somehow extremely spacious while feeling cozy at the same time, but I decided to soak up the fall sunshine on the patio.
The homemade berry pop-tart lived up to its name. The pastry was buttery and moist, and the fruity filling took my back to my childhood days.
3:00 – 4:00 PM: Meet with fitness director at local gym…about a job.
Yes, that’s right. A couple of months ago, I emailed an independent gym in my area to see if I could shadow a personal trainer and get a feel for the industry. Making a career switch would be a giant leap for me, so I wanted to make sure I knew what I would be getting into. He responded to me pretty quickly to let me know that, while shadowing is typically only offered for students, the gym was planning on hiring for the winter rush pretty soon.
He suggested that I come in to discuss my goals and background and three meetings later I came away with a job! We had some in-depth discussions each meeting, and I’m very excited to get started. There seems to be a lot of potential for growth at this gym, and it’s the type of place where any great idea can be implemented. I LOVE that mentality. My mind is already bursting with ideas. I’m hoping to lend some expertise on the social media front as well.
BUT first, I’ll need to pass that pesky little NASM certification test. My first day is in mid-October, and I need to take the test two weeks after that. So, it’s time to get serious about the studying. Up until now, I’ve been devoting about an hour a day. Moving forward, I’ll have to triple that time, at minimum.
I feel a lot of emotions surrounding this development, but I’ll save it for another post, since, once again, this post is too long. Suffice it to say that I am a bit nervous about this rather large career change. My NASM book says it best. “Change is against human nature. It goes against what is familiar, stable and routine.” Stating the obvious here, but part of me is petrified to veer off that safe and familiar corporate America path. The other part is energized and invigorated at the chance to pursue what I am passionate about. As I said last week, I have a strong feeling it’s all leading me to exactly where I belong.
4:00 – 5:00 PM: Job search and snack.
Random Sometimes Healthy snacks
Check out the random deliciousness. I am currently obsessed with olives and fresh mozzarella. I usually hit the olive bar at every Stop ‘N Shop visit, and I am determined to sample every olive ever created. Join me in this challenge, please.
5:00 – 6:00 PM: Errands, including picking up Hot Loops for my Girls on the Run team.
Every time the girls run a lap, we give them a Hot Loop (remember those??) to help them (and us) keep track of the distance., One of the coaches also puts on a Hot Loop for every lap that every girl runs. At the end of the practice, we show the girls our colorful arm to demonstrate how far they ran! They love it! We’re also making a chain of all of the Hot Loops throughout the entire season. This is the chain after our first practice.
Needless to say, these girls are overachievers and this chain is going to be quite long by the end of the season! Girls on the Run practices are fast becoming my favorite part of the week. Seeing the girls’ enthusiasm for running is inspiring, but it’s also just fun to hang out with some carefree kids for a couple of hours. Oh, to be 10 again.
6:00 – 7:00 PM: Make dinner while listening to country music.
When I snap my fingers, these random ingredients will turn into dinner!
Per usual. Dinner took about 30 more minutes than I planned, because I decided to make four things at once. Typical. I baked kale chips in the oven, while microwaving the spaghetti squash, boiling the water for green beans and sauteing the onions for Kristin’s Honey and Balsamic Onions Chicken Skillet. I didn’t have a moment to stop and take pictures as I frantically ran around the kitchen to ensure nothing was burning.
Here’s the finished product.
The hard work was worth it!
Per usual, Kristin’s recipe was on-point. This girl never lets me down, and the BF, the biggest food critic I know, has liked every dish of hers that I’ve ever cooked. Winner winner, chicken dinner. The spaghetti squash was mixed with 3 cheeses (Laughing Cow, mozzarella, and parmesan). I’m on a never-ending mission to force my BF into loving spaghetti squash. I think he is just hung up on the whole “spaghetti” thing. To which I try to remind him – it’s not supposed to taste the same…rather, it’s a substitution! Same goes for kale “chips” (I used the kale we picked at the farm a couple of weeks ago) but he’s totally onboard with those suckers. Ya win some, ya lose some.
7:15 – 8:30 PM: Eat dinner. Watch Breaking Bad.
We are officially on the Breaking Bad Bandwagon. Too bad we can’t just sit on the couch for the next 5 days and have a Breaking Bad marathon.
9:00 – 10:00 PM: Clean messy kitchen.
Yeah, I really need to be a bit neater in the kitchen.
10:00 – 12:00 AM: Study, blog, eat the best sundae ever.
DIY Ice Cream Topping Bar!
Do you get excited whenever you spot the fruity pebbles at your local fro yo bar? I do. After making my Fruity Pebble Pancakes, it occurred to me that I actually have the power to top my ice cream/yogurt with this delicious cereal whenever I want. Huge epiphany. I also happened to have some Cinnamon Toast Crunch on-hand, so I added that to the top of my ice cream, along with some Chocolate Brownie Goldfish, whipped cream, a lil’ bit of chocolate sauce, and OF COURSE, a cherry on the top!
The sundae sent me into a food coma, and I was asleep in no time!
I woke up early again this morning, because I couldn’t stop thinking about the NASM test. I’m anxious to put a solid plan in place to ensure that I’m ready at the end of October. Off to study!
YOUR TURN:
I know some of you have studied for (and passed) this test, so PLEASE share your tips with me! Feel free to leave links. (Can I bribe you with a lifetime supply of French Toast Goldfish??)
What’s your thought on veggie substitutions?
My feeling is that they are not replacements for the real thing, but a nice alternative. Sure spaghetti squash doesn’t taste like spaghetti, but it’s the perfect option for someone like me who can’t stop herself from eating 6 bowls of pasta in one sitting! I think people need to be more realistic about eating healthy. The payoff is in the way the food makes you feel, as well as the results you see later!
Whoa congrats on the job offer!!! That’s awesome. Send me that sundae please? Kthx.
Caitlyn @ City and the Cubicle recently posted…And I’m Here….Again.
Congrats on the potential job! It sounds exciting, and it is always great to be at a place open to fresh, new ideas. And that homemade pop-tart looks awesome! 🙂
Heather Murphy recently posted…Two killer boot camp workouts you can do in your backyard
Thanks! And the pop-tart was delicious. Probably worth a trip to the Hudson Valley just to eat 😉
Congrats on the job, what an amazing adventure! I’ve never heard of hot loops before but I wish you were here to motivate me with them; great idea. As for veggies? The real thing is always better. A lot of times when I am lazy, I’ll use fresh spinach as base for spaghetti instead or with just a small amount of pasta.
Holli recently posted…Obstacles
Agreed! Can’t beat the real thing. But at least we have some decent alternatives 🙂
Spaghetti squash may not taste like spaghetti but for me that’s a winner. I don’t know why but I never really like pasta, I love the toppings and sauces better 🙂 Too funny because I had it last night!
haha it is rare that I meet a person that doesn’t like pasta 🙂
I listen to country music while I cook, too!! It’s the best! 🙂
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted…WIAW…While Traveling
Totally picks the mood up in the kitchen right?!
Okay, yes, totally have the same issue with starting a post! Congrats on the job offer–good luck studying!
Colleen @ Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill recently posted…Steve Madden x Keyshia Cole
Thanks Colleen!
Great eats as usual,and congrats on the job- will be good for them to utelize your social media skills!
Arman @ thebigmansworld recently posted…Product Review- Brookfarm
Thanks Arman!
Hi Jamie!
Wow, what an exciting period in your life! I’m sure it’s somewhat scary but like you said, it will lead you to exactly where you belong.
I’m in a similar situation ight now, trying to decide if I’m ready to make a big change and pursue a career in nutrition and fitness.
I think you’re very brave! Good luck on the exam 🙂
Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A. recently posted…Did Cortisone Really Cause Anna Gunn’s Drastic Weight Loss?
Shoot. I hadn’t tried spaghetti squash, but I was hoping it tasted just like spaghetti…the same thing happened when I tried cauliflower mashed potatoes. I think I just love potatoes (the regular kind), pasta (but I do substitute whole wheat), and rice (the white kind, yep, I said it) too much to ever cut them out of my diet. But I do think I will at least attempt to make spaghetti squash one of these days and see what happens!
Amy @ Long Drive Journey recently posted…I Did Some Yoga and I Liked It
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