Crossing Things Off

Guys, I don't think there is any feeling better than the one that comes with waking up at 2:30 in the morning, remembering that it is Saturday and I can wake up whenever I want to, and going back to sleep for the next five hours. That is pure joy, my friends.

Workout

So, after going to bed relatively early last night, I woke up right around 7:30am. I lounged in bed for a little while before getting up and going to the gym. I originally planned to take a spin class, but something about sitting on a bike for an entire hour just didn't sound appealing to me. Running, however, did sound appealing, so I figured I better jump on that feeling while it was still with me. I completed 5.4 miles in 45 minutes, and I will admit that it was a little bit more difficult than it probably should have been. That's what taking an entire month off of running will do to ya!

After cooling down for a couple minutes by walking on an incline, I headed over to the free weights area to complete this mini-upper body circuit. I did three rounds of each superset, with a 30-second break in between each set.

As I've said before, I tend to neglect strength training in favor of cardio, so when I do do it, it doesn't take long for me to really feel it. Summer goal - get better about doing strength training on a regular basis!

I was more than ready for a shower after that workout, so I headed home to do just that. I folded a little laundry (arguably one of my least favorite chores), and then I went to pick up my friend Hanna so that we could get some breakfast.

Breakfast

I think you guys are going to be pleasantly surprised by this part of my blog post this morning. Egg whites and spinach no more - at least for today! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I made a list of things I want to do in Austin this summer before the big move back to Houston. Should I be embarrassed that a majority of the items on this list are restaurants?

I used some of my work time wisely and tried to make my list look pretty, and after this morning, I can now cross another one of them off - Blenders and Bowls.

Blenders and Bowls is a place I have been meaning to check out since last year, and I am glad to say that I finally made it over there. And I will certainly be making a return trip.

Blenders and Bowls is Austin's first acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) cafe, and they specialize in smoothies and acai bowls topped with hemp granola, a variety of fresh fruit, and local Round Rock honey. Everything they serve is fresh, pure, and organic, in an attempt to serve up a meal that is both healthy and delicious. And they do just that. I wasn't too familiar with acai, but according to the Blenders and Bowls website, it is an antioxidant-filled (the most powerful in the world) berry whose flavor can be described as blueberry with a natural hint of dark chocolate. We are already off to a good start!

So now that we know what acai is, let's talk about the acai bowls. An acai bowl is a thick blend of the acai berry (along with other fruits), topped with a variety of toppings such as hemp granola, honey, fresh fruit, coconut, chia seeds, goji berries, and more.

After much deliberation, I settled on The Chill Berry, which was acai, strawberry, banana, and apple juice topped with hemp granola, strawberries, blueberries, goji berries, and honey. I added in some spinach to my blend, and subbed the goji berries for coconut, and I think my clean bowl spoke for itself. It was delicious, refreshing, and full of healthy ingredients.

I absolutely loved my bowl, and I feel as though it would be easy to recreate, but I can never seem to get my smoothies to be just the right consistency. They are never quite as thick as I want them, but now I have the motivation to keep trying. And the best part is that I was left feeling full for hours afterward. It was the perfect post-workout meal, and though Hanna and I were both skeptical about the acai at first, we both agreed that we were officially hooked.

And now I'm at work, planning on reading and working on a few crafts. Have a great Saturday. And if you need a laugh, check out this gem of a cup I stumbled upon at my house this morning.