Fill-in-the-Blanks Survey

Happy rainy Sunday from Houston! It has been a cold and rainy weekend, and it appears as though the rain is going to be sticking around for at least another 24 hours. I'm all for the colder weather, but I could do without the rain. It makes walking Mack, running, and running errands 10 times more difficult. But I managed to walk Mack this morning and late afternoon, I even managed to squeeze in an almost eight-mile run before I went up to school to help with volleyball lessons. And the cold and rain makes it all the more acceptable to whip out the tacky Christmas sweaters, right?

Tacky Sweater Day 2016

But for now, I am committed to bringing back Sunday's survey tradition. At least until the end of this year. Surely I can stick to that commitment, right? This week's survey is one that I found on my favorite blogger's - Peanut Butter Fingers - page, and I just had to give it a go. 

Fill-in-the-Blanks Survey

• I would do an Ironman once.

Throwback to six years ago when I did a half ironman in college. I had no idea what I was doing, and I had not a fear in the world. I figured, 'Hey, I like working out, and I'll be living in Austin. Sounds fun!' It turned out to be the farthest thing from fun, and I distinctly remember crossing the finish line in TEARS (they were not tears of joy; they were tears of pain) and telling my dad that I was never doing that again. And typically when I say that, I do it again. But it is not something that has even crossed my mind these past six years. That being said, I think I could probably do it if I had the right training plan. So, I might do it once.

• The weirdest thing I ever ate was some unidentifiable fish.

I am THE least adventurous food person around, so what is weird to me is probably not weird to anyone else. It is very rare that I try food that "sounds weird" to me, and I've always been that way. I stuck to Spaghettio's and Lunchables for a good portion of my childhood, and cereal was my go-to in college when I wasn't feeling the other options. What can I say? I'm a creature of a habit! But when I was studying abroad in Spain, I ate some unidentifiable, downright strange food that my dorm served. I really like fish, and all of the seafood I ate in Spain was absolutely fantastic, but we're talking bones and eyes happening here. If that's not stepping outside your comfort zone, I don't know what is. 

• The movie of my life would star Sandra Bullock.

Isn't the resemblance obvious? Just kidding, but Sandra Bullock is an absolute all-star. From Miss Congeniality to The Proposal to The Blind Side, and everything in between, she's an absolute superstar. I also wouldn't hate being played by Emma Watson. 

Queens (Source)

• My go-to food indulgence is dark chocolate.

Can it really be considered an indulgence if I eat it every day? Probably not, but at least I acknowledge that it is an indulgence.

The best brand of chocolate

• The last live concert I saw was Kenny Chesney.

In addition to not being a very adventurous foodie, I'm also not a huge concert-goer. I love the rodeo because one, it's the rodeo, and two, the concerts are THE perfect length. In my opinion. And I typically know all of the songs being performed, as opposed to traditional concerts when the artists decide to debut new songs, thus not allowing me to sing along. Which is probably a blessing for the people around me. But I would be lying if I said I wouldn't L O V E tickets to see Taylor Swift when she comes to Houston in February. Doesn't she tell us to never grow up?

Taylor Swift Concert circa 2010

• My favorite jeans are my red Mid-Rise Rockstar Skinny Jeans.

Obviously the red (Rockstar) pants that I wear to school almost every Friday get the nod for favorite jeans. I happened upon them at Old Navy my senior year of college - before I even knew I would be teaching at a Cardinal Red school. But they've turned out to be my most frequently worn pants. They're comfortable and spirited, and they were approximately $20. Can't beat that.

 

But if we're talking jeans jeans, you can't go wrong with 1969 denim from Gap. They're some of the only jeans that I have found that fit both my legs and my waist. Ex-volleyball player runner problems, am I right?

• My can’t-live-without beauty product is my Benefit They're Real! Mascara or my EOS Lip Balm.

Adding to my non-adventurous foodie, non-concert going self, I'm also not a beauty guru. I prefer days when I don't have to put on makeup, and my makeup routine takes maybe three minutes. Maybe. But I do love They're Real because it's the one mascara I've tried that doesn't leave clumps. And it does lengthen eyelashes like a dream. And I used to be all about Burt's Bees, but once I was introduced to EOS Lip Balm during my student teaching semester, I never looked back. My students keep me up on the trends.

And with that, I'm off to get some work done before the penultimate Monday of the fall semester. How that happened, I am not entirely sure. But I certainly won't complain about a couple of weeks to spend catching up with family and friends, reading, running, and snuggling with my sweet pup. Let's all Celebrate Monday by making it a great one!

Game of Fives

Happy Survey Sunday! Survey Sunday is easily one of my favorite weekly fitnessandfroyo traditions, as hard as it can be to find new surveys each week. But I found this one through a quick search of Julie's blog, and I couldn't help but give it a go.

Enjoy, and may you learn something new about the girl behind the blog.

Five Places I’m Dying to Visit

• Alaska – Ever since I saw The Proposal, I’m eagerly anticipating a trip to a state where summertime daylight rarely ends.
• Italy – I’ve got some Italian in me, and everything I’ve seen and read about Italy just seems so picturesque.

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• Peru – Machu Picchu is calling my name.
• Pacific Northwest – When I’m 25 and can rent a car, I would love to spend a few weeks driving through Yosemite, up through Oregon and Washington, and over to Montana and Idaho.
• Chile – My trip to Argentina developed a love in me for all things South America. My uncle has spent some time in the country, and everything I’ve heard of it has been nothing short of amazing.

Five Foods I Eat Every Day

• Eggs, or egg whites

• Chocolate
• Cooked oats
• Pickles (seriously)
• Yogurt

Five Talents I Wish I Had

• Calligraphy - Perhaps I can find a class to take?
• Dancing

My attempt at learning to tango

• Singing, or anything musical
• Photography
• Tennis (more on this to come)

I may not have many tennis skills, but I've got the tennis skirt down

Five Healthy Food Bloggers I Wish Would Cook For Me Every Day

• Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers
• Monica from Run Eat Repeat
• Gina from SkinnyTaste
• Katie from Chocolate Covered Katie
• Gina from Fitnessista

Five Instagram Accounts I Love

• Anthropologie – So aesthetically pleasing.
• 365ThingsAustin – Nostalgia for one incredible city.
• BakerByNature – Serious baking goals.
• RachMansfield – Everyone’s favorite sweet treats turned healthy.
• Betches – Wildly inappropriate most of the time, but wickedly funny.

Five Things I Wear (Almost) Every Day

• Tennis shoes

The only shoes I wore in Argentina

• Grandma slippers
• Padded running socks – Thorlo and Lululemon are my favorites.
• Headband – Typically Lululemon, but I don’t discriminate.

• Shark Watch – I’ve got quite the impressive watch tan line. While I usually trade in the sports watch in favor of a more … “professional” watch that I wear to school, I don’t think I took this watch off one time while in Argentina. It was a permanent fixture.

Five Songs I Listen To On Repeat

• In Your Arms by Nico & Vinz
• Moving Forward by Colony House
• North Carolina by Little Chief
• Work From Home by Fifth Harmony
• Work This Body by Walk the Moon

Five Beauty Products I Use Every Day

• EOS Lip Balm – I put this stuff on obsessively. And it comes in so many fun flavors. All of which I have probably tried.
• Dermablend Powder – Smooth coverage, definitely not cakey, and gets the job done.
• Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser – Okay, I might be guilty of skipping a day or two or three here and there, but this random find is my favorite of any face wash I’ve ever tried.

But this face mask was fun to do

• Benefit They’re Real! Mascara – Mascara and eyeshadow is about as much make-up as I will apply on a regular basis, and now that I’ve tried this particular product, there’s no going back to drugstore mascara.
• Marc Jacobs' "Daisy" Perfume - A sweet-smelling fragrance that works for any occasion.

Five Movies I Can Watch On Repeat

• Harry Potter (All you have to do is say “marathon weekend” and I know what my weekend plans are.)
• She’s the Man
• Mean Girls
• Remember the Titans
• The Breakfast Club

Five Books On My Current Reading List

• The Shining by Stephen King
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

And I'll do all of my reading here, thanks

Five Random Things I Ate Yesterday

• Nothin’ But Granola Cookies
• Watermelon (I can’t get enough these days!)
• Garden Sammie + Chicken from Local Foods (This is two days in a row, people)
• Orchard Valley Harvest Dark Chocolate Blueberries
• Grapes

And with that, I'm off to get in my final long run before next weekend's trail race. My first, and I'm starting with 13 miles in the middle of a Texas July. Call me crazy, and be on the lookout for a recipe post (or two!) as well as a product review coming in the very near future.

Things I'm Loving Friday XXIX + Product Review

Happy Friday from the Houston airport! I am just getting ready to board the plane that will take me to San Francisco, but I just couldn't neglect my blog today, because I certainly won't be posting anytime tomorrow.

Frank Body Scrub
I'm not one to impulse buy beauty products. I tend to stick with what I know and what I like and not stray much from them. That's why this Australia-made, coffee-based scrub was a purchase that was a little out of the ordinary for me. And though I just received it in the mail, and have only given it one try, I'm obsessed. I have this cute scar from a rollerblading incident, and I'm hoping that this scrub will do the trick. And hey, clear skin is never a bad perk. While it was a little different for an impatient person for myself to wait ten-ish minutes for it to dry, my skin felt smooth after just the one use. I'm feeling a long-term relationship with this one!

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Life Hacks
This was a total impulse buy a couple of weeks ago during an innocent visit to Paper Source. I am such a sucker for things like this. But this one wasn't such a bad buy. In fact, it offers simple, actually applicable solutions to everyday problems. Tired of banging your thumb while using a hammer? Use a clothespin to alleviate that issue. Want to ensure that you get the best carton of ice cream? Press on the top of the container. If it's solid, it's been properly stored. If it can be pushed down, it's been thawed and refrozen. With thousands of tips just like this one, this book is a fun, easy read that will likely teach you something along the way.

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Love and Sunshine 
I was at Bath and Body Works stocking up on a few of my favorite wallflower scents when I noticed a display at the center of the store that read "Love and Sunshine." A sucker for all things sunshine, I went to check it out. Upon spraying this scent, I knew I was going to be making an additional purchase. It's light and subtle, it's sweet (but not too sweet), and it smells just as you think love and sunshine would smell -  lemony and floral with a hint of strawberry. The perfect scent for these spring and summer months.

Strong and Smart
Texas has already been Strong, but now we're Smart, too. But we already knew that. But all kidding aside, Texas Basketball just hired themselves a new basketball coach - Shaka Smart, the former VCU Basketball coach. And though I'm not so sure about the way Rick Barnes was let go, I am absolutely thrilled about the future of Texas sports. If Charlie Strong can find us a quarterback, we're good to go on the football front. Our basketball team has more than enough talent, and I think Shaka Smart is ready to bring the team to its full potential. Now all we need to do is hire a baseball coach with the last name of Sexy. I promise I didn't make that one up.

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Dr. Praeger's Veggie Burgers
When xxx reached out to me about trying out these veggie burgers, I immediately said yes. I love a good veggie burger, though they're just not something I think to buy and cook up myself. I'm not sure why, as all you really have to do is turn on the oven. I was sent the Super Greens Veggie Burgers, which are both gluten-free and dairy-free, so they were right up my alley. But I didn't stop there. I found a recipe for cauliflower bread, so I whipped that up to use as the buns. Double the veggies, double the fun, right? But seriously, I absolutely recommend these burgers. It's all the healthy ingredients of your favorite salad - quinoa, kale, and collard greens, to name just a few of the trendy super foods found within - thrown together into something that may be a little more exciting to eat. The flavor was fresh, and while I topped my burger with mustard, I think a variety of sauces would work well with it. I've tried a couple of frozen veggie burger brands, and I'm going to have to give the nod to Dr. Praeger's on this one!

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Do You Believe in Magic?
We search high and low for hidden magic - Prince Charming, fairy dust, and a wand that can cast spells just like Harry Potter's. But what we often times forget is that there is beauty and magic all around us, all the time. And this article states this idea perfectly. It's short, sweet, and simple, but so very powerful. It can sometimes be hard to see the beauty in the common, everyday things and events, simply because that's what we see and do every day. Waking up. Catching the sunrise. A lone flower on the side of the road. Reality is just as magical as the imaginary, and every day may not be extraordinary, but there something extraordinary can be found in every day.

Fuller House
In the spirit of San Francisco, I revisited this reminiscent Painted Ladies picture, and not much later did I learn that Netflix is allegedly releasing a Full House reunion series, focusing on besties DJ Tanner and Kimmy Gibler. While I know these spin-offs aren't ever as good as the original, I have high hopes for this one. I've said before that I grew up with the Tanner family and the life lessons that Danny sent our way. Heck, I still watch Full House when I get the chance! Though I didn't jump on the Girl Meets World bandwagon, this reunion series seems to have a different feel. I have my fingers crossed that this announcement was no April Fool's joke, and here's to catching a glimpse of Uncle Jesse and the rest of the Tanner crew this time around!

And I'll see YOU guys from San Francisco! Ready or not, the golden girls are coming!