Foodie Sunday

Happy Sunday, everyone! It has been a cold and wet weekend here in Houston, so it has been perfect for getting caught up on the school side of things, as well as just relaxing under a blanket with this little blog of mine. I did manage to squeeze in a (rainy) run yesterday, as well as a delicious dinner at Hungry's, but otherwise, this weekend has been spent relaxing. And not to toot my own horn, but I'd say that it's pretty well deserved.

I started getting tired long about 8:30pm on Friday night, so that's how I knew I was really back at work. Those high schoolers are exhausting, yet it's funny that this past week I was overcome with so much appreciation for the job that I have. Yes, waking up early is hard, and yes, some of my students absolutely exasperate me, but sometimes I still can't believe that I get paid to do what I do. I truly love my students and the way they make me laugh and tell me things that I sometimes don't want to hear. I love it when they come and sit in my room during lunch just to talk (because I was so that student in high school), and I love that maybe, just maybe, I can be a bright spot in their days. I know how lucky I am, that I no longer dread getting out of my car in the morning, rather, I'm ready to get the day going. And then other days you have to wonder if you are doing anything right.

Anyway, let's get this survey show on the road. I'm hoping to whip up some baked goods later today for a co-worker who had a birthday on Friday, as well as get in a relaxing swim and an evening church service. Oh, and do a little bit of grading. Busy, busy! But that's just the way I like it. I hope your Sunday is a great one - and fingers crossed that Green Bay and Indianapolis pull out a couple of Ws!

I googled Carrots ‘n’Cake (an awesome healthy living blogger) survey, and I found quite a few, so I should be good to go for the next couple of weeks. This one actually comes from a blog called See Sarah Eat who mentions Carrots ‘n’ Cake. This is technically a vegan survey, and though I am not vegan by any means, due to my dairy intolerance I do often have to find dairy substitutes, mainly when it comes to dessert. My answers may not all be vegan-friendly, so just know that going into it. Here goes!

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?

I would have to go with Unsweetened Almond Milk. But I have had coconut milk before, too, and I am also quite a fan of that as well.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?

You can read my recipe to-do list here.

 

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3. Topping of choice for popcorn?

I love popcorn, and I am currently addicted to BoomChickaPop Sea Salt Popcorn. I also love popcorn topped with cinnamon.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?

I tried my hand at the Spanish Omelette a while back, and honestly, it was a huge disaster. There were so many steps involved, and though it tasted alright, it looked nothing like it was supposed to. And it required quite a bit of effort!

5. Favorite pickled item?

I am going to have to go with just straight pickles. I L-O-V-E pickles and I always put little Kosher Dills on the salads that I take with me to school.

6. How do you organize your recipes?

It’s funny that you ask that because I actually just got this great recipe box for Christmas. I have not yet put any recipes into said recipe box, but I hope to get that going (in all my free time, of course). Right now, I typically use the recipes that I find on Pinterest.

 

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7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?

Trash. Both of my parents are so good about using the garbage disposal, but I am always a little bit paranoid that I am going to put something down there that shouldn’t be!

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods, what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)?

Oh gosh, what a tough question! I would probably bring my banana-oatmeal-almond butter muffins (this gets me a lot of favorites all in one food), Honeycrisp apples, and Brussels sprouts (is that weird? I love them!)

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?

Granny was the one who taught me how to bake, so I think I will always cherish that. As I got older and started perfecting my craft (I’m still on that road, by the way), she would ask if she could just watch me, in the same way that I watched her.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?

I do enjoy So Delicious ice cream, but I hardly ever eat it. I would much rather just eat frozen yogurt or gelato. If you are ever in Austin and are craving some vegan ice cream, Lick is the place to go! They have regular ice cream as well, and in very unique flavors.

 

Coconut, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Swirl

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?

Definitely my KitchenAid StandMixer. That thing is a beaut, and it makes life so much easier.

 

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12. Spice/herb you would die without?

Lemon pepper. Does that count? I hope so, because I use it to season almost everything!

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?

Seeing as I grew up in the technology age, most of my recipes come from the Internet – whoops! But I do have this kid-friendly cookbook that believe it or not has some recipes that I would still make today.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?

I used to think that I didn’t like jam, but I actually love it. Really any flavor will work for me, but I especially like blueberry.

15. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?

Breakfast, for sure. It gets me the most excited, and that is where you will see the most variety in my recipes. In fact, I have a couple new breakfast recipes that I am dying to try!

 

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16. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?

Nothing. We have cabinets directly above our refrigerator.

17. What’s on your grocery list?

That reminds me that I definitely need to make a grocery store run sometime today. Spring mix lettuce, spinach, yogurt, and chicken are a few of the items I will need for this week. I think I have everything else that I need, but I am sure that I will think of something in the middle of the week and have to go back for it!

 

My "College Student" grocery list - it looks a little bit different than this now, but much remains the same. I'll have to make a "Working Woman" grocery list next!

18. Favorite grocery store?

When I lived in Austin, I visited Central Market on the reg. The proximity to Central Market is definitely one of the things I miss most about living in Austin, but I certainly can’t complain about Randall’s. I have two that are equidistant from my house, so if I ever need to get anything, it’s a pretty quick trip.

19. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?

I have found this delicious chocolate from Central Market – it’s the Taza brand I’ve posted about on the blog before, and I am obsessed. I was actually out in Highland Village a couple of weeks ago (where our Central Market is located) and I made sure to pick up a disc.

20. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?

Chia seeds are quite the investment, as is almond flour. But they are both so, so worth it.

Enjoy your Sunday! Exactly one week to race day – I am getting more and more excited by the minute! I have vowed to wear closed-toed shoes every waking moment, and to avoid the rollerblades, just for this week. We don’t want any last-minute injuries!

Long live  Broken Toe 2013

Things I'm Loving Friday XVI

It’s FRIDAY, and though it’s not the first Friday of the new year, and I know I missed posting a Things I’m Loving Friday last Friday, I thought I would start this school year off on the right note and give one to you guys today. As a teacher, my weeks are measured by the school calendar anyway, right?

Anyway, I will say that I am so glad it is Friday. I used to think I was a morning person, and I still am very cheerful in the morning, but waking up early has only gotten harder for me. And I’m lucky that I can get ready for school extremely quickly. I have to give a shout out to my curly hair for making that one possible.

We’ve had some very C-O-L-D weather here in Texas this week, and it’s no secret that I am not a fan of layering. What I find is that I’ll bundle up for about one minute of outside time, and once I get to where I need to go, the building has over-compensated for the temperature outside, and I end up shedding layer after layer after layer. So I’ve decided to just brave the cold with what I’ve got, because chances are that I won’t be outside for too long. Rant over, I promise. And without further ado, here are some Things I’m Loving Friday.

Vests

I invested (hehe, punny) in a vest last year around Christmastime. It was kind of a random, almost impulse purchase, because I am not always sure if I can pull off a vest, but because it was both in a winter white color, as well on sale, I decided to go for it. For something without sleeves, it keeps me surprisingly warm. I’ve worn it to school a couple of times (that’s about as many layers as I’m willing to deal with), and I have worn it quite a bit recently when taking walks around my neighborhood. I’ll wear something long-sleeved underneath the vest, and it works wonders. The vest I purchased is from Old Navy (and I can’t seem to find it anywhere online), though I have seen some cute (albeit a bit more expensive) and similar vests from J. Crew.

My go-to look

Mossimo Boots

Ankle boots, or booties, but I for some reason just don’t like that term, are a very popular trend these days. I still love my riding boots, but I, too, have fallen in love with the ankle boots phase. I have both a brown and a black pair, and I get quite a few compliments whenever I wear my black ones. People are often surprised when I tell them I found them at Target (no offense to Target, because it’s one of my very favorite stores). They are the Mossimo brand, and not only are they cute, but they are comfortable. They have a little heel on them, but it’s more of a wedge, making it possible for me to wear them at school, when I am on my feet all day. Unfortunately, I cannot find a link to them, but they are the boots pictured above the “Bootie” caption on the Women’s Boots homepage.

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Colored Pants

I don’t really like wearing slacks. I have a couple of pairs that work for me, but others of them are too baggy in all the wrong places. I suppose I could have them tailored, but when my place of work has a pretty lax dress code, why spend the extra money? Instead of wearing jeans every single day (though I certainly have my weeks), I have grown accustomed to wearing different-colored pants - pink, blue, gray, red, you name, I'll probably find a way to wear it. A little dressier than jeans, and a little cuter than slacks. My go-to pants are from Anthropologie (no real surprise there), but I see colored pants all over the place. I’m currently on the lookout for a pair of green pants, as well as a pair of burnt orange(ish) pants, so if you happen to know where I can get my legs into some of those, please send them my way!

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Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell has been on my to-read list for a while, but a lot of authors have been on my to-read list. A couple of weeks ago I was hanging out with the other members of JAKL (Jeff, Alex, Kelli, Lindsay), and Malcolm Gladwell’s The Outliers came up in conversation. We’re all four pretty nerdy, so this is no surprise. Both Alex and Lindsay said they really enjoyed it, so the next time I found myself at Barnes & Noble, I made sure to pick this one up. I was absolutely hooked. I read over 200 pages in one day, because it was just so interesting to read about how some of the most successful people in our world today were in the right place at the right time, or maybe they were born at the right time, or into the right family. 

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It takes about 10,000 hours to master something, and my favorite line from the book was this, “Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning.” Yes, teaching is hard, but it one of the most meaningful jobs that I can think of. One of my students was repeating English I this year, and I had him in my 5^th period class. He wasn’t on my roster for this semester, and he told me that he had passed the second semester, so he didn’t need to take it again this year. I told him to keep in touch (because secretly he was one of my favorites), and he promised he would come visit me during lunch often. It’s moments like those that make it all worth it. So, it comes as no surprise that I very recently purchased Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, and I can’t wait to get started.

 

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And that’s all I’ve got for you today, folks. But before I go, here’s a little update on the running front. I’ve run 33 miles so far this year, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a few dry spells here and there this upcoming weekend so that I can squeeze in a few more. This is the last weekend before half marathon weekend, and I am getting pumped! I’m a little nervous about the weather, but rain or shine it’s happening, so it’s probably better to just take it as it comes. Be sure to check back next week for a Things I’m Loving Friday: Running Edition! Have a great one!

Workouts of Tens

Two posts in one day? That's when you know it's the first week back at school, because I have a little bit of extra time on my hands. I have no grading to do (I should relish this, because I know the storm is approaching), and I think I'm relatively caught up on all of the PowerPoints and copies that need to be made. I shouldn't speak too soon, however, because it's very possible that I'll get to school tomorrow and realize that there is something else that I could have done. But then again, I've quickly learned that there's always something else that can be done, but that I have to call it quits at some point. And I think I've been pretty good about that thus far. So maybe I'll get to school one day and be scrambling, but what's life without a little bit of pressure?

Anyway, I wanted to get in a quick post tonight because I have a quick and efficient workout to share with you guys. At least, I find it to be efficient. I was perusing through my fitness board on Pinterest when I came across a workout that inspired me to take that and get a little creative. I did a longer variation of this workout during the volleyball season, that was still relatively quick, but because I planned on meeting Sarah for a walk at Hermann Park, I kept this one short and sweet.

And short and sweet is what I'll do with this post, too.

I started and ended each set with 100 jump ropes and 10 box jumps, but what came in the middle of those two exercises alternated every other set. On the odd-numbered sets, I did bicep curls, Russian twists, and (girl) pushups, and on the even-numbered sets I did overhead presses, ins & outs, and tricep dips.

Lots of 10s, or multiples of 10, and you see where I came up with the name for this workout. I would estimate that this took about 25 minutes, which is perfect for those days when you don't have a lot of time, yet you still want a challenge. And as you can see, it's extremely easy to add extra exercises to this workout. I've done back work and bosu ball squats, but it just really depends how much time you have. And trust me, your legs will be feeling the burn towards the end of this one!

And because I don't have much on my to-do list (yet), I found myself browsing Pinterest during one of my off periods, when I came across this recipe for Apple Peanut Butter Delights. Apple and peanut butter is one of my very favorite combinations, and it's been a while since I've enjoyed that indulgence, so I made a quick stop at Randall's on my way home and picked up a pack of Whole Wheat English Muffins so that I could throw this together for a quick and delicious dinner. And it can be considered healthy, right? Protein from the peanut butter, carbohydrates from the English muffin, and they say that apple a day keeps the doctor away! 

I nixed the sugar, mainly because I didn't want to dirty another bowl mixing the sugar and cinnamon together, so I'll tell myself it was a job well done. It tasted great, and if I had any left, I would surely take it with me to school tomorrow. But alas, my dad finished them off for me. So I guess it really was a job well done.

Recipe To-Do List

And we're back! Happy Tuesday! Today is my first day back at school for the spring semester (which I'm told moves quite a bit slower than the fall semester, but we'll see), but because I don't have a classroom, I also don't have a homeroom class, meaning I have about 45 extra minutes of free time this morning. So, why not try and crank out a quick blog post?

I was winding down last night - though I still wasn't able to fall asleep until close to midnight, but that's entirely my fault for getting out of my habit of going to bed at 10pm - and I found a (typical) BuzzFeed article titled "45 Healthy Recipes For Almost Every New Years Resolution Diet." It has recipes that fall under the paleo, vegeterian, low-carb, vegan, and gluten-free spectrum. And though I am not specifically any of those things, I always love finding new recipes to try and tweak.

For a very quick post this morning, that will probably make you hungry for lunch, I'll list off some of the recipes from this list that I hope to try. I will not follow every recipe exactly, but that's the fun of trying new things. I can add my own twist to a recipe, and then I can add it to my cute little recipe box that my mom gave me for Christmas. All of the pictures I use on this blog will come from the BuzzFeed article, and I guarantee you the pictures that I take of the food when I make it will not be quite as pretty, but it's not always about how it looks, is it?

Asian Chicken Stir Fry
This recipe is not something that I would normally cook up for myself, which is why I think it appeals to me so much.

Sausage, Kale, and Spaghetti Squash Boats
I love spaghetti squash, and I go through phases where I'll eat it until I'm sick of it, but I often use the exact same recipe. I think this variation will keep my taste buds guessing!

Greek Style Chicken Kabobs
Kabobs are one of my favorite meals, so I have very high hopes for this one!

Asian Salmon and Green Bean Stir Fry
I am a little bit iffy about this one, mainly because I tend to gravitate away toward cooking any seafood for myself, just in case I accidentally undercook it and end up making myself sick. There's just no time for that!

Clean Harissa Chicken Zucchini Meatballs
I am a big-time meatball lover, though I know they are not always the healthiest option. I love seeing a healthy meatball recipe, filled with ingredients that I really enjoy.

Picadillo Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers was a big trend for a while, and it's never something I tried, though that was because I wasn't sure I could make it look as pretty. Executing parts of a recipe perfectly is often harder than it looks!

Almond Oat Banana Crepes
This one, y'all, gets me pumped. I'm not a huge crepe fan, I will admit, but that's often because I know that I won't be able to eat it. I can make a few tweaks to this recipe to make it dairy-free, and it will make a most perfect weekend indulgence!

Brussel Sprout and Apple Grilled Cheese
This one will obviously need the most work, as I cannot have cheese. But stay tuned, because I'll surely think of something!

And on that note, I'm off to get some things ready for my first class of the day - let's hope I still remember how to do this teaching thing!

Fitness 15 in 2015

This post will be brief, mainly because it's 8:00pm and tomorrow begins semester two of teaching. After two weeks of 9-10 hours of sleep per night (and waking up between 9:00 and 9:30am), tomorrow's 5:48am wake-up call is going to be a tough one. That being said, I am ready to get back into a routine. I like being busy, and I like feeling as though I have a sense of direction and purpose. But don't get me wrong, I l-o-v-e-d having a little bit of time off. Teenagers zap your energy, and I now have a lot more respect for my sweet parents!

But because I haven't posted in a day or two, I thought I would list 15 fitness-related things that I hope to do in 2015. 15 is a nice, divisible number, and some of these things are simple, day-to-day things, while others are a bit more ambitious. Enjoy!

1. Drink more water.
I've always been pretty good about staying hydrated, but the amount of water I drink often dwindles once I get home from school. I want to be more conscious of drinking more later in the evening, before the body dehydrates while asleep.

At school, my purple CamelBak is with me at all times (Source)

2. Run 2,015 in 2015.
I mentioned this one in an earlier post. Together, my friend Amira and I are going to run 2,015 miles in 2015. That amounts to 1007.5 miles apiece. That's a lot of miles, but I'm already 22.4 miles in. Yeah!

3. Complete a triathlon.
This one may be a little more difficult, seeing as I no longer have a racing bike, but I know that many bicycle shops have a check-out program, sort of like a library. I'll have to look into that, but why not combine my love of swimming, biking, and running? It will be a shorter distance, of course, but it will certainly be a good challenge for me.

4. Foam roll.
Okay, I'll admit it. I'm the world's worst stretcher, and that's not a good thing, because I love things like running and cycling, and those things leave you feeling tiiiiiight. This increase in running has already left my hip flexors feeling tight, so I am going to try and take the time to foam roll for a few minutes after each run.

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5. Run a new-to-me race.
I am signed up to participate in the Austin Half Marathon, which I have run two times before. I am also signed up to participate in the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, which is not a race I have completed before (read: broken toe in 2013), but it won't feel new because it's in my very own city. I think what I mean by this goal is to run a race in a new-to-me city. Fingers crossed it's somewhere fun!

6. Try not to sit for more than one hour at a time.
This one will be hard. It's not hard for me when I'm at school, because my kids keep me up and moving almost the entire day, but when I get home, it's easy for me to sit down at my kitchen table and work on school stuff, or sit down on my couch and read, that I want to be better about alternating an hour of sitting with at least five minutes of walking or standing.

7. Yoga.
Does this one look familiar? Yeah, I've made this goal before. And maybe yoga isn't the best angle to take, because clearly it doesn't mean enough to me to force me to actually follow through with it. Maybe PiYo is the answer, but whatever it is, I vow to take at least one yoga-related class per month. That's only 12 a year. If I can't do that, then we have a whole other set of problems!

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8. Pull-ups.
My upper body is weak. You would think from years of volleyball, my upper body would be stronger than what it is, but my strength can be found in my legs. And normally when asked to do a pull-up, I laugh in that person's face. But this will be the year that I learn how to do a true pull-up.

9. Sprinting.
Because I played volleyball, I grew very familiar with the art of sprinting. After all, my side of the court is only 30 feet by 30 feet. So, I think I developed an aversion to sprinting, and I really want to re-incorporate it into my workouts on a regular basis. The Miracle Mile I blogged about a few days ago? That's one that easily incorporates a bit of sprint work!

10. Relax.
This one may seem counter-intuitive, but it's not. So often I get so wrapped up in exercising every single day, that I forget to take a day off here and there. Giving your body and your muscles time to rest is just as important as getting into a regular exercise routine. And one that I need to pay a bit more attention to.

11. Touch my toes.
It's a little bit sad that I would need to make this a goal, but sadly, I'm one of the least flexible people that I know. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm horrible about stretching, and I think it's time that I take those extra few minutes to stretch out my muscles so as to prevent an unwanted injury. 

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12. Take a new-to-me exercise class.
I am the type of person who finds what she likes and does not deviate from it. As a result, it's very easy to get stuck in an exercise rut. TRX is something that has forever (and by forever, I mean since its inception), interested me, but it is also something that intimidates me. What's the only way to overcome that? Learning how it's done!

13. Fun Race.
With all of the color runs and obstacle races out there, it's hard to dislike running. Race organizers do a lot to make running appeal to the general public. For so long (and I have to admit that I am part of this club), coaches have used running as punishment, and people despise running. You all know that I love to run, and while I often feel it in my knees, it has excellent health benefits. So, I would love to discover a new, fun race that makes me rediscover the joys of running, especially when I start complaining about how many miles I have left to run this year!

14. Look into instructor opportunities.
As a teacher, I have summers "off." I put that into quotations because, if you're a teacher, you know that that's not technically true. Anyway, because I have both my spinning and PiYo certifications, I would love to look into becoming an instructor somewhere, even if it's just a very part-time thing.

15. Swim 100 yards of butterfly.
For those of you who are familiar with swimming, you probably shuddered a bit when you read this butterfly bit. Butterfly is hands down the most difficult (and the most taxing) stroke, and just 25 yards of it absolutely wears me out. When I did summer league swim team I was able to swim 50 yards of it, but 100 yards will surely be a challenge!

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And that's that! Do you guys have any fitness-related goals for the new year?

Upper Body Superset

Happy Saturday! I am happy because we finally saw the sun here in Houston. Fun fact for you guys - we've had rain every single day this year. As someone who loves to spend as much time as possible outside, I am not a huge fan of that statistic. In fact, I planned to wake up earlier than I have been waking up this break so that I could go for a run, but the cold and wet weather was begging me to stay curled up in bed. So, I gave into that.

I did a little bit of school work before peeking outside and being met with a sun that was trying so hard to make an appearance. I laced up my running shoes and headed out for a 6.5 mile run. My run started out on a bit of a tough note - I just couldn't seem to get into a rhythm - but I quickly found my stride and felt as though I could have run forever. I will say that I did get a little bit warm in my leggings and dri-fit jacket, but there was no getting me out of my room in shorts. So, I was extra sweaty, but I'm not complaining. Fingers crossed that we'll be lucky enough to have weather like this for the half coming up in just two weeks (and one day)!

I went out to run a couple of errands - mainly getting ahead on making copies because I know the Kopy Kingdom will be a nightmare on Monday - and purchasing a new air freshener for my car. Because I was in the area, and I couldn't decide what sounded good to me, I indulged in a Spinach Berry Smoothie from Central Market.

This refreshing smoothie was filled with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, apple juice, chia seeds, and of course, spinach. I finished it while walking around on this beautiful Houston afternoon, before returning to my side of town and hitting the gym for a quick upper body workout. Remember how I said I was going to get better about strength training? Well, I'm making good on my promise.

This workout couldn't have lasted longer than 15 minutes, but my arms were shaking at the end of it. I completed each superset before moving onto the next one, and I used 12-pound dumbbells for every exercise minus the lateral and frontal raises, for which I used 5-pounders. I did 12 reps of each exercise, with the exception of the shoulder taps, for which I completed 20 (ten on each arm). I completed each superset three times, and gave myself 30 seconds of rest in between each one. None of these exercises are anything out-of-the-ordinary, but when you haven't done something as isolated as this in a while (read: me), you're certainly going to feel it!

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday evening!

The Book of Questions

Happy 2015! Can you believe it's 2015? I turn 23 this year, and apparently nobody likes you when you're 23 so...

Anyway, I hope you all had a fun and safe new years celebration. Mine was pretty low-key, which is just what I needed this year. I had all the intentions in the world to wake up and run the Commitment Day 5K sponsored by LifeTime Athletic in City Centre, but when my alarm went off (and went off and went off and went off), I just could not seem to drag myself out of bed. My dad came in and asked me if I planned on getting up, and I mumbled a convincing "No," and rolled over. I stayed in bed until 11:00am. I'm just soaking it up while I can! But I truly can't remember the last time I stayed in bed that late. It's been a long week!

I got up and immediately exchanged my pair of Happy Socks for some athletic socks and my tennis shoes, and headed out the door for my first run of 2015. It was very cold and started misting a bit, but I've already got 5 miles of mine and Amira's goal of running 2,015 miles down. Not a bad start to the year!

I didn't quite give myself enough time to shower before meeting up with one of my sweet YoungLife girls who happened to be visiting Houston for a couple of days. It's hard to believe that I met those girls when they were in 6th and 7th grade, and now they're sophomores in high school. Time sure does fly, and it was wonderful to share lunch with her at my favorite restaurant (I'll let you guys take a guess at that one), and catch up on how life is going for her back in Austin. We braved the cold and rain and walked around Rice Village a little bit before retreating back to my car where we turned the heater onto full blast.

Selfie game still going strong in 2015

I then popped back home for a quick minute, before heading out once again to run some errands with my friend Gayle. When we get together we can easily talk for hours, and we sat in her car in her driveway fogging up the windows (I know what you're thinking, not like that!) just talking for over an hour and a half. Though it was cold and damp outside, we managed to make the best of the dreary first day of the year.

And now, because you know I love a good survey, I figured there is no better way than to start off the year with one. And because I don't have a lot of other material for you guys today, whoops! I'll try to be more creative tomorrow. But until then, enjoy learning maybe even one new thing about me!

1. Do you have a middle name?
One of the most common middle names in the world - Elizabeth. Out of nine of us who lived in The Clubhouse, four of us had the middle name Elizabeth. 

2. What was your favorite subject in school?
I'm probably shaming myself as an English teacher, but I always had a thing for math.
 

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3. What's your favorite drink?
I'm a water girl through and through. I also love a good glass of champagne, and I'm finally learning how to like wine. I have never in my entire life liked soda, which made birthday parties as a kid pretty strange.

4. What's your favorite song at the moment?

Night Changes by One Direction. I know. Embarrassing. I promise I'm an adult!

5. What would you name your children?
I've got a list going, and I'm holding onto the hope that I have four children - two boys and two girls. Ryan, Ross, Reagan, and Rylie. I'm all about that alliteration.

6. Do you participate in any sports?
I actually just signed myself up for a sand volleyball league. Here goes nothing!

7. What's your favorite book? 
I've got a few, so to be fair to my bookshelf, I'll name my very favorites.

• Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers
• Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
• Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
• Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

8. What's your favorite color?
I love pink, but I also love orange, yellow, and red. I really love all colors, to be honest.

9. What's your favorite animal?
It's been a monkey for as long as I can remember. I even wrote a poem about them once -

"Monkeys like swinging from tree to tree.

I like monkeys, and monkeys like me."

Profound, right?

10. What's your favorite perfume?

Daisy by Marc Jacobs.

11. What's your favorite holiday?
I'll be honest, I love my birthday. But if we're being real, I love Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July a lot.

12. Have you graduated from High School?
Class of 2010.

Once a Spartan, always a Spartan

13. Have you been out of the country?
I have, and I want nothing more than to explore other countries. I've been bitten by the travel bug!

The Louvre with my cousin

14. Do you speak any other languages?
Once upon a time I was okay at Spanish. I'm not sure that I can make that claim anymore.
 
15. Do you have any siblings?
1 little brother, who attends that school north of the Red River.

16. What's your favorite store?
Anthropologie. I have a serious problem. Either that, or Target. When's the last time you walked out of there with only what you intended to buy? Yeah, that's what I thought.

17. What's your favorite restaurant?
Hungry's. It's my go-to.
 
18. Do you like school? 
I do, and though I am still technically in school (on the other side of things), I miss being a student. A master's program may be in my future, so stay tuned.

AP Physics

Creative destruction (this is ironic because I'm not creative in the least)

19. Who are some of your favorite YouTubers?
I don't follow any YouTubers regularly, and to be honest, it takes a lot for me to watch a YouTube video, for whatever reason.


20. What's your favorite movie? 
Remember the Titans, Mean Girls, She's the Man, The Sandlot, among others.

21. What are some of your favorite TV shows?
Friday Night Lights, Boy Meets World, Full House - classics.

22. PC or Mac?
I use both a PC and a Mac, and though I am certainly partial to my MacBook, I don't hate using a PC quite as much as I thought I would. 
 
23. What phone do you have?
I'm up on the iPhone game and I have an iPhone 6. I know, you all are shocked, because I had an iPhone 4 until right before I traded that one in and got the 6.

Hello 21st Century

24. How tall are you?
5'5"

25. Any pets? 
No, but I came way too close to applying to adopt a puppy, before realizing that I really don't have the time that a puppy deserves.

Nothing too crazy, I figured that would hold you over until I find the time to go through one of my latest purchases - The Book of Questions. That's when things will really start getting interesting! Happy football watching!