Friday Favorites

TGIF!! Am I right? And for those of us who observe market holidays PTL (praise the lord, Mom), we have a 3 day weekend! I am pretty sure 3 day weekends are my love language. You get a day for fun, a day for rest, and a day for productivity. Sounds pretty great to me! 

I'm linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika to share our favs.

ONE

I shared a post close to my heart yesterday...I'm working on practicing more self-care in 2017. I want to set my focus on making my life fulfilling with simple pleasures. If you didn't have a chance to read it, I would love to hear your thoughts!

On Tuesday, I put my money where my mouth is and decided to take. a random day off of work. I had a lot of things on my to do list and I knew it would invigorate me to cross them off. I slept in a little, had a good workout, and crossed off lots from my to- do list! But I still managed to fit in time for a pedicure....

...and a long walk with my boo. It was a beautiful day to get outside!

TWO

My parent's are the best. They are coming up to visit on Saturday...whoo hoo! They made my day on Tuesday by sending my little love a Valentine's Day card!

 I mean...can you handle the cuteness!?!

Also, my Dad regularly sends me texts like this one:

THREE

I shared with y'all on Monday my favorite types of workouts. I went to Orange Theory this week as normal and it killed me...as normal! I want to prove it to y'all. I wear old workout clothes, I have my hair in a messy bun, I sweat from every surface, and I turn the color of a tomato. Want proof?

Even my eyelids are red! Also, I squatted so hard this week that I ripped my shorts. RIP

What workouts kept you motivated this week?

FOUR

As always, breakfast has been my favorite meal of the day. I could eat breakfast food for every meal! I love trying new recipes for breakfast. I always try to incorporate a lot of protein, some carbs, and veggies cooked in fat. My breakfast is crucial for muscle repair because it is my first meal of the day after a hard workout!

My current breakfast obsessions are pan-fried plantains and chorizo. NOMZ. What should I try in the morning? Any interest in food posts?

What are y'all up to this weekend? See you back here next week! xo

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! This week has been a doozy for me. My heart wasn't in this week. I'm looking forward to having a restorative weekend! I am trying a yummy new brunch spot with my friends on Saturday morning. For those local to the Charlotte area it's Little Spoon in Selwyn. Then on Sunday I'm heading to Asheville to see the Biltmore with my parents and 2 of my friends. I think this weekend will be just what the doctor ordered. So that being said,  I'm linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika to share what I'm loving this week!

ONE

My coworker and I have started an afternoon tradition. Every afternoon around 2 or 3 we have tea time! We get excited about it everyday. It's a yummy, warm "treat" to get us through the afternoon slump. I've always loved tea...I remember drinking tea as a little girl. Granted, it was mostly sugar when I was little ha!

I sometimes after dinner have a cup of decaffeinated tea like Chamomile. It's like a hug in a mug! Okay, I hate myself for saying that.

Also, my mug doesn't hurt. Isn't it the cutest? I usually drink Twinings tea...either plain ole black tea or Darjeeling!

TWO

I never thought I would say this, but I've begun to enjoy podcasts. I love listening to one on my way to work or throwing headphones in while I take Gigi on a walk. Of course, the podcasts I enjoy are nutrition and fitness oriented. It really is my passion! Here are the ladies I've been listening to...

Cassy Joy @ Fed+Fed

Elizabeth @ Primal Potential

Juli @ Paleomg

Any suggestions of ones that I should listen to?

THREE

I pinned this yesterday. It was such a sense of encouragement for me. This week has left me feeling unfulfilled. But everyday is a new day.

I know it sounds cheesy, but words really can have an impact on your mindset. I talked about it here before my blogging hiatus. 

FOUR

If you missed it, since my blogging hiatus I've covered...

...what I've been up to and...

...what goals I've made for 2017! I would love to hear what goals you guys have for this year.

Alright, that's all folks! I will leave you with a cute picture of the pups...

Also, little Piper is getting spayed today so say a prayer for her!

Ok have a great weekend friends!!!

Friday Favorites

TGIF!! Can you believe it is already March 18th!? I surely cannot. I think time moves a whole lot quicker when you work at a desk job all day. Spring is in full gear here in Charlotte. It's warm during the day with the sun out and the mornings and evenings are cool. I love this time of year and would be perfectly okay if it was like this year round! But unfortunately, this will be short lived and the unbearably heat will be here. Sigh. Well, I'm soaking it up while I can. Anyways...today I'm linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika for Friday Favorites. 

ONE 

On Monday I shared a day in the life of moi. It was pretty much an ordinary day for me...working out, eating, working, etc :) If you haven't had a chance to read it, check it out here! I've been working on a post that documents what I eat and how it's made me successful in weight loss, so this post gives you a little preview. 

TWO

 On Tuesday I got Kristin Cavallari's book. On Wednesday, I finished her book haha! I read it so quickly. I really enjoyed it. I've had a girl crush on her since back in her Laguna Beach days (aging myself, here). She has great taste, eats healthy, and is a business woman #girlpower

It's a really quick and easy read. I've been working on a book review post so stay tuned for a full recap!

THREE

I saw this post while mindlessly scrolling through Instagram the other day. It spoke to my heart because it's what I truly believe.

I know that someone out there needs to read this and someone needs to hear this. Your happiness is paramount. Nothing else nor no one else can make you happy until you love yourself. I talked about my revelation about this here. If you haven't checked it out, you should. I talk about how I'm dating myself and what impact that's had on my life. 

FIVE

   Well, if you follow me on Instagram and/or Snapchat the "cat" is out of the bag! I have a new family member...

...Gigi!! Look at my little nug! Gigi fell into my lap. My friend, Sara, has a frenchie, Winston, who she (and me too!) adores. The breeder had mentioned that she had a 1 year old pup who she had purchased to breed but ended up being too small. She's out of the puppy phase, potty trained, and crate trained. I was intrigued. Fun fact about me...when I've made up my mind I move quickly. I'm very decisive and once I decided I was going to get her we packed up on Saturday to grab her.

She's pretty shy but at the same time spunky. She snorts like a pig when she's happy, when she eats, and even when she's pouting. She hasn't quite figured out how to tell me she needs to potty and she refuses to walk on a leash. Straight. Out. Refuses. But she's mine. She's my little piglet and I love her to pieces.

All the dog mama's out there...any tips, secrets, ideas, etc. I should know? I had dogs growing up but this is my first pup all on my own! I would love to hear any suggestions.

My weekend will be pretty low key. I have a lot of meal prepping to do, cleaning, adult stuff...blegh. But I also plan on spending a lot of QT with my little piglet. Oh how life has changed!! What are y'all up to this weekend? Are y'all having beautiful weather like Charlotte? Have a great one, loves! xo

Friday Favorites

Hola amigos! Happy. Freaking. Friday! Phew, this week was a doozy. Nothing in particular happened but it seemed to go by at a snail's pace. Speaking of, the other day I told my coworker that he was moving as slow as pond water and he busted out laughing. Please tell me I'm not the only one who says this saying?? Okay, I digress. Today I'm linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for Friday 

Favorites!

ONE

Ahhh, how fun it was to a) blog unusually on a Tuesday and b) reminisce about my childhood to link up about our home towns. Andrea posted Google Map pictures of her childhood homes and I thought that was a great idea! I was sad I didn't have a picture of my childhood home to share. It made me realize that when I go home next I need to take a good picture of my home so I can remember it forever. Well Google Maps was a FAIL. I screenshotted it with the sound box showing and you can't see my house AT ALL. Sigh.

TWO

Tuesday, March 8th, was International Women's Day. Even though I believe we deserve and need way more than a day a year, it's still an incredible opportunity to recognize the strength, courage, intelligence, etc that women possess around the world! It got me thinking about the women I surround myself with and how they impact my life. Here are a picture of my closest girlfriends from college...

...thinking about it I was floored with how much we embody about the strength of women. For instance our careers (from left to right), Vet, Lawyer, Nurse, Engineer, and Finance. Wow, how incredible is that? I'm so grateful that I surrounded myself with such intelligent and ambitious friends.

And I would be doing a disservice if I didn't mention my fabulous Momma! My Mom has taught me everything I know. She is strong yet gentle, smart yet humble, and selfless yet tough. I love her and appreciate that she taught me that being smart and being a strong student was okay. I love you, Deeds!

THREE

I mentioned it last week but I've been working on a post that breaks down what I eat on a regular basis. I think it's a great way to keep myself accountable and possibly give y'all some ideas to switch up your routine! Well spoiler alert...one thing I eat a lot of is sweet potatoes. I adore them. I feel like I'm cheating when I eat them! One of my favorite ways to eat them is sliced up and roasted. I blogged about that here. But keeping it real, when I get home after work I don't feel like spending 45 minutes prepping and roasting them because I'm tuckered out. So I've been eating them whole and cooking them in the microwave. 

I was talking to my trainer about how to eat them. I like mine with butter and salt but I know that butter is so bad for you and high in calories! So not knowing what to do, I've just been eating them with salt, which is fine but I felt like there had to be another solution. So she suggested coconut oil. Now let me stop you first, yes coconut oil is very high in calories, but it will take you approximately 5 seconds into researching it to find how good it is for you. Don't believe me? Check here, here, and here. So I tried it and GUYS I'M OBSESSED! It's seriously so delicious and in my opinion, better than butter. Shoutout to my trainer, Sara, for the tip!

FOUR

I realized this week that this month 2 years ago I had an experience of a lifetime in Russia. I am constantly amazed by how quickly time passes. Such sweet memories with great people. I blogged about my trip here. 

FIVE

By far my favorite of the week is being down 5 pounds since I kicked off my wellness journey! I am so proud of myself for dragging myself out of bed at 5 am to workout before work and for making healthier food choices. It's not easy but it's doable and I feel better. 

I feel like I've been able to strike a balance between wellness and maintenance. I've found a schedule and food choices that are applicable and realistic for my everyday life. I don't feel starved or deprived by any means. I can't wait to share some of my changes moving forward! In the mean time, check out my Workout Wednesday post where I show y'all one of my workouts and a wellness tip for the week!

Happy Friday from my little buddy, Winston! I hope y'all have a great weekend and see you back here on Monday! xo