Seven Things Sunday

Remember my Five Things Friday post, in which I said I would make that a new Fitness & Froyo tradition, though I clearly lied about that. So, in an effort to pick up where I left off with Survey Sunday, here is my Seven Things Sunday. I would like to say that this will become a regular thing, but I make no promises.

Podcasts

I'll be honest, I am not usually a huge podcast fan. But I do enjoy listening to various church sermons via podcast. Though I attend the University of Texas, I have had the opportunity to attend Breakaway at Texas A&M University in College Station, and I really loved it. My best friend actually volunteers with Breakaway Ministries, and has been recommending their podcasts to me for years. Earlier today, I finally took the opportunity to listen to two of their summer series podcasts, which were both about life in your 20's, and they were just what I needed to hear. If you are in your 20's, and have 20 minutes to spare, I would definitely recommend giving one of them a listen.

New Recipes

Though I wouldn't call what I had for lunch a "new" recipe, I did add a new-to-me ingredient to the mix: pineapple! I whipped up one of my go-to meals of mixed veggies (broccoli, zucchini, and squash) and grilled chicken, all topped with lemon pepper and salsa, of course. The grilled pineapple came to me mainly because it is about to go bad, so I wanted to use it before it went to waste. And, as you all have probably gathered by now, I absolutely love Pinterest, and recipes are by far my favorite thing to pin, so new recipes are always high on the list of things I love.

Daily Walks

Walking is quickly turning into one of my favorite forms of exercise, which, like running, can be done anywhere. It is one of the easiest ways to get active, it is a low-impact exercise, but it also provides many health benefits - lowers blood pressure, helps maintain strong bones, and reduces the risk of heart disease, just to name a few. Plus, I am lucky enough to have such a beautiful walk and run trail just minutes from where I live in Austin. If you are new to exercise, or are looking for a way to wind down at the end of each day, go for a walk through your neighborhood. I guarantee you won't regret it!

The view from my walk today

(Source)

Roommates

Whenever I tell someone I live with eight girls (soon to be nine!), I am always met with a cringe, and a "how's that going?" And my response is the same each time, "I absolutely love it." I am so thankful to live with such encouraging, fun, and special girls, who always provide me with endless amounts of laughter and support. They always do so much for me - such as washing any dishes that I may leave in the sink, and laughing when they find any extremely moldy food in the fridge (hey, with nine girls, some food will inevitably be pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten about) - and I love every second of time I spend with them. Today I am especially thankful for Jamie Lynn, as she killed the Clubhouse cockroach that has been crawling around for about two weeks now. Roomie of the year award!

Grace

This one will come as a surprise to my parents, but yesterday, just about half an hour outside of Austin, I was pulled over for speeding. I am usually pretty good about following the speed limit, or at least only going five miles over, but as soon as I saw the cop in the median, I knew I was going way too fast. He pulled right on out and turned on his lights, so I immediately pulled over to the right side of the road, where he asked for my license and insurance, and I guess I looked just pathetic enough for him to let me off with only a warning. It has been over two years since I was last pulled over, and I will be sure to be conscious of how fast I am going from here on out!

Coconut Almonds

This one is a little bit random, but it's also my latest snack obsession: Blue Diamond Toasted Coconut Almonds. They have just the right amount of coconut without being too overwhelming. I found them at Target, but I would imagine you could find them at any major grocery store. Now my challenge to you is to eat just one serving of them!

(Source)

New (And Old) Books

I am currently reading both Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (yes, this is my first time reading it - oops!), as well as re-reading the entire Harry Potter series. I am loving Pride and Prejudice, though it is one that requires total concentration, which is why I am happy to balance it out with an extended Hogwarts stay. I absolutely love finding new books to read, but I also love re-reading my very favorites. Getting lost in a book is one of my favorite things to do, and I am happy to have so much extra time to read for fun this summer.

And there you have it, everyone. I'm working the desk until 10pm tonight, and I have to be back at 8am tomorrow morning, so I can almost guarantee you that there will be nothing too exciting happening between now and then. Enjoy your last few weekend hours!