Pages

Sunday, September 30, 2012

FRUIT.

hey guys!! i hope you all had a wonderful weekend! i definitely had a good one - i went to Santa Monica with my floormates on Saturday and basically spent a ton of money on food. and it was all so worth it!!

i finally got a Starbucks (which i have been craving like crazy since i've just been drinking dining hall coffee!) and some froyo. i am going into major froyo withdrawals since i used to get it for free all the time and the dining hall soft-serve isn't even comparable! needless to say i was one happy camper.

grande iced coffee with 2 pumps pumpkin spice = heaven

peach and coconut froyo with strawberries, raspberries, almonds, coconut shreds, and a waffle cookie
we also went onto the pier and i found THE FRUIT GUY!! there's this little fruit stand on the pier where you tell them what fruit you want and they chop it up fresh right in front of you. i literally have never been happier to see a cup of fresh fruit. i got watermelon, cantaloupe, and pineapple and it was so good! i am getting sick of bananas and apples already so i was more than willing to spend $5 on a cup of fruit.

i also went to a game night, Bruin Fest (which was basically like a carnival), and then woke up early this morning to go to church! it was definitely a good service but it was really long - i got picked up from my dorm around 8 and didn't get back til noon! needless to say i was definitely exhausted and put on my cozies and basically hung out in my room for most of the afternoon.

and then i ventured out for my first trip to Trader Joes! i was originally going to bike there but then somehow my bike had a flat so i just ended up walking. i actually really enjoyed it though because time alone has been a little hard to come by so walking by myself was a nice little breather of fresh air.

and the big news of the day: i only spent $20 at TJs!! record right there - i think it was the fact that i knew i had to pay for it with my own money that kept me from going too overboard. here's what i got:


  •  almond butter (i'm halfway through the jar of barney butter i brought!)
  • vanilla greek yogurt
  • baby carrots (perfect study snack!)
  • frozen pineapple
  • frozen raspberries
  • chocolate chips (only $2 baby!)
  • crackers to put almond butter on
  • string cheese 
and i made my first smoothie today (MORE GOOD FRUIT!! cant you tell i'm excited?! wooo smoothie mission material right here!)


in the blender:
  •  1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 frozen banana (from the dining hall)
  • 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
  • 1/2 cup liquid of choice (i used water because i didn't have anything else!) 
it tasted so good. seriously i was tempted to just chow down on the bags of frozen fruit because i've been craving it so much!! 

i also got to skype both my mom and my dad today which was really nice. the homesickness definitely hit in last night and i was so happy to get to see their faces today. i really miss being able to talk to them more and MY KITTIES! it's so weird not having them around and it's a bummer because they were always an instant mood booster, too.  

i also noticed today that i'm starting to get a sore throat so i picked up some cough drops and vitamins (gummy, of course!) on the way back from TJs along with a few other things - here's to hoping i don't get sick!

also starting to get really freaked out about class.. i haven't even had my math or chem lectures yet and i have midterms in both of those classes in 3 weeks!! i am going to have to study a LOT! 

what's your favorite kind of fruit?
best study tips/snacks?

Thursday, September 27, 2012

First Vlog in College!

hey guys! i did my first vlog here at college today so if you have a few minutes i'd love it if you watched! i think the audio/visual may be a little off (i couldn't figure out how to fix it - anyone have any suggestions?) but i hope you like it!


(also check out that HAWTT face i'm making right there^^ hahahaha)

anything you guys want me to make a vlog about in the future? 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I love UCLA.

Hey guys! i've been crazy busy over here but i am LOVING UCLA!! this is quite a long post so you've been forewarned! ;)

move in day! the bro & padre :) 
i moved in on Friday and it went really smoothly - but it took me like 2 hours to put up all of my decorations because i brought so many. i am loving my space though because it is so colorful!



a close up of all the quotes above my desk! 
I am loving my roomies and floormates - everyone is so friendly! 

I went to my first football game on Saturday and had a great time! I love all of the school spirit here!! It was definitely a SWEAT FEST though, it's going to take some getting used to - it's a lot hotter here than in NorCal. i definitely am going to be tanner when i go back home, though! ;) 



i got to see a free screening of perks of being a wallflower on Sunday night (after waiting 8 hours!! worth it though because Stephen Chbosky, Mae Whitman, and Johnny Simmons were there for a Q&A!)



i also got in my first workout at the gym yesterday! i gotta say it was definitely intimidating - i didn't know where anything was and wandered around like an idiot for quite awhile. not to mention that there's like 50,000 weight machines that i don't know how to use that are really complicated! but i did some elliptical and then a circuit workouts, until i got over my fear of using a barbell and went for it. it felt so good to lift weights again! 

and onto the food! so far i am loving all of the food because there are so many options (and plenty vegetarian and vegan options too!) and i haven't gotten tired of any of it. i also think i've done pretty well eating fairly healthy food. i only snapped photos of a few of my meals though (and i apologize for the photo quality - the lighting is not exactly good in the dining halls!)

banana with pb and an egg scramble
a big salad and a gyro pita sandwich
a huge salad and a chicken burrito (i just ate the insides and left the ginormous tortilla alone!)
oatmeal with granola and peanut butter, cantaloupe, pear, nonfat milk, and coffee
a taco salad with chicken, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, and guac (i didn't eat the sour cream or tortilla strips) 

chicken caesar salad and sunchips
my stomach has been bothering me the past couple of days (tums have been my best friend!!), which i think is because i'm eating different food and at different times. fingers crossed i can figure it all out soon! 

there was also an activities fair yesterday and there are so many things i want to do!! but i am planning on joining an on-campus christian group and a running club as well as trying to play intramural soccer. and classes start on thursday - eek! i just picked up my last few textbooks and the ones i'm most excited about are the ones for my nutrition/body image discussion class (it's called a Fiat Lux here, which is just a class that's 1-2 units and for freshman only!) 


i finally got some free time this afternoon (this morning we went and volunteered at a homeless shelter for volunteer day!) and i'm doing my first load of laundry, taking a nap, and then going for a run before a floor thing i'm going to tonight! 

i'm hoping to get into a routine with blogging more regularly once i get into the swing of things 
so bear with me :) i am having an amazing time here though!!
any advice on how to get over my fears in the weight room? 
what is/was your favorite part of starting college?

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Making Me Happy

there are so many things that have been putting a smile on my face lately!
-first things first: my mom is the COOLEST MOM EVER.


check out the blanket she made for my dorm room! it's so colorful and has all of my favorite tshirts. i love it so much!



-oreo birthday blast ice cream. uh.. yeah. this stuff is freakin awesome.


-getting cards from my friends at college!  of course i sent them cards back with huge kitty pictures on the front, in true Julianna fashion. ;)


-iced coffee with mocha syrup. mmmyeah.


-froyo friday. best. idea. ever. only this was my last free froyo since i worked my last shift on friday! bittersweet.


-going out to dinner with my family last night at one of our favorite places, the counter! i got a salad with organic mixed greens, tomatoes, pickles, onions, hard boiled eggs, a beef burger, and sautéed mushrooms. we also split an order of onion strings and fries. totally worth the splurge!



-this pin. country lovin'! ;)


-getting my Harry Potter and Hunger Games posters in the mail that I'm putting up in my dorm room (along with my Taylor Swift poster and a crapton of photos and quotes! i'm so excited to decorate!)!


-having a freakin' awesome breakfast this morning! cinnamon raisin french toast cooked in coconut oil (OBSESSED) with almond butter in the middle and on the top, maple syrup, and chia seeds.


-that i'm leaving for college in 4 days. EEEE!! better get on that packing though.......
what's making you happy right now?

Thursday, September 13, 2012

One Week.

holy crap, guys. i'm leaving for college in a week. this is super exciting and scaring the shizz outta me all at the same time.

i have most of the stuff i need for my dorm room - there's only a few more small things i need to buy and then this weekend i'm going to start packing. wait. packing? what?

holy crap. x5000000.

is this real life?

anyway, as i was having this realization this morning that i'm leaving so soon, i started to get a little sad. a whole two months that i won't get to see my little nuggets!! (don't worry mom & dad, i'm going to miss you too. but i can't exactly Skype-pet-kitty-talk to my cats.)



my boyz

yep. cat lady for life. 
and a whole two months that i will be without a kitchen..!

special k protein cereal, a sliced nectarine, almond butter, and almond milk
then again, considering that i failed at making steel cut oatmeal TWICE this morning (yes, twice!! obviously i have issues) & had to have a cereal bowl {above} instead, i think maybe letting someone else cook for awhile is probably a good thing. 

when i started to get sad and anxious this morning about leaving, i realized that there's nothing else in the world i would rather do than go to my dream college right now. yes, i'm going to get really homesick. yes, it's going to be hard to adjust. yes, i'm probably going to fail my first paper. 


but you know what? i'm ready. there's so many things i'm looking forward to, some of which are:
  • playing soccer again for the first time in over a year. i CANNOT WAIT to lace up my cleats again. 
  • going to as many football and basketball games as possible. 8 clappin! 
  •  diddy riese. enough said.
  • taking group fitness classes at Wooden. only $25 a quarter! heck yes! (on another note- i can become a certified group fitness instructor through UCLA and teach classes as a student. you have no idea how excited this makes me!!) 
  • going to Cru (campus crusade) and worshipping. i know i'm going to need that! 
  • going to the Santa Monica pier (perks of living in LA, peeps)
  • hopefully getting an on-campus job to make some $$ (i'm thinking second quarter would be a good time to do that!) 
  • doing well in my classes *fingers crossed* - and praying that chemistry doesn't kill me. literally.
  • and most of all, meeting lots of other people, making new friends, and having FUN! 
there's a lot of changes ahead,


but i couldn't be happier to have a fresh start and a bright future ahead of me. 

watch out, world. this girl is comin' atcha.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Lately {Eating, Sweating, Doing}

happy WIAW everyone!! i have so much to share with you all today! :) 

what i've been eating:
vanilla Chobani with a farmer's market nectarine, walnuts, granola, and chia seeds
nonfat latte and a coconut macaroon
another Vitality Bowl.. whoops ;) this one had acai, guarana, strawberries, banana, flaxseed, soy milk, apple juice, spinach, and broccoli and was topped with granola, strawberries, kiwis, and goji berries.
super ugly but delicious lunch! a bed of rainbow quinoa topped with baked crispy tofu, and a mix of sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, and shredded carrots that i added a little milk, flour, and pine nut hummus to. so good!
breakfast at my new favorite cafe! egg, cheese, tomato, and avocado sandwich on multigrain bread with a side of fruit and a large coffee.
a bowl of strawberries with vanilla chobani topped with homemade granola (see below)
more homemade granola with almond-coconut milk, and a simple berry smoothie with spinach added in
another homemade 'vitality' smoothie bowl
how i've been sweating:
  • saturday: bootcamp class at my gym that killed me! i was so sore after!
  • sunday: easy 4 mile shakeout run
  • monday: 15 mins stairclimber + upper body weights workout 
  • tuesday: 9.7 mile run (i only was planning on going 6-7 but my route ended up being a lot longer than i thought it was!) 
also, check out my progress! i'm so proud of myself for working hard to include strength training in my routine and am so happy with my arms- my shoulders really pop!


what i've been doing:
  • baking! i made chocolate chip scones with a milk chocolate drizzle from ina garten's cookbook:


i also made golden granola from jenna's book, white jacket required. this stuff is SO FREAKIN GOOD. 


  • working. last shift on friday! :( 
  • school shopping.


i've ordered all of my textbooks (EEKKKK! haha my chem book scares the crap outta me!) and gotten a few more things for my dorm room. i can't wait to move in and show you guys what it looks like! 
  • watching food network. hey, if i have the time, might as well, right?!
the great food truck race + m&ms + fancy root beer. definitely my kinda night!
  • having quiet time doing the #shereadstruth study every morning. i am LOVING it! 

what have you been eating, sweating, or doing lately?