Thought of the Day

{Survey}: Currently.

current book(s): nothing fun, sadly. my chemistry, calc, and religion books have been the only ones I've been reading - but i do have Terra sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read!

current music: i am loving the album God's Not Dead by Newsboys - i just rediscovered it on spotify and can't get enough!

current guilty pleasure: not quite sure where to go with this, haha. but froyo is always on this list! that and pinterest (aka my time sucker).

current nail color: sparkly teal!

current drink: water & pumpkin spice coffee. all a girl needs.

current food: i just ate my new favorite breakfast again this morning - it's plain greek yogurt mixed with honey and a few spoonfuls of  blueberry muesli, topped with sliced banana, TJ's creamy salted peanut butter, an extra drizzle of honey, and today i added some granola on top. seriously, this is the most filling breakfast ever!! not to mention it's the perfect combo of flavors and textures - i love the chew that the muesli adds.

current favorite show: my one of my roommates and my neighbors got me hooked on the bachelor! it's so ridiculous and fun to laugh at. i also LOVE once upon a time (my roomie got me hooked on that too.. sigh), and modern family.

current wish list: this shirt:

kind of kidding. but kind of not.

current bane of my existence: chemistry. and math. and missing my family & kitties!

current celebrity crush: this guy will always be on that list.

current indulgence: strawberry froyo at the dining halls. SO GOOD. totally broke my 'rule' of trying to only eat desserts on the weekends for that one.

 current blessing: being able to attend this school & not having to worry about paying for it or taking out loans thanks to my amazing parents. and SO much more!

current slang: well i don't think i really have any 'current' stuff.. but i do always say fudgemuffins when i'm frustrated. everyone thinks it's hilarious, haha!

current outfit:  a tshirt and running shorts because i was feeling lazy this morning and don't want to have to change before my run later today. hey, whatever gets me out the door, right?

current excitement: that i don't have to work this weekend and can go to the grocery store on saturday morning. it's the little things! especially since all i will be doing all weekend besides that is studying for midterms.ughh.

current mood: a little overwhelmed, a little anxious about my schoolwork, but overall really really happy. i love my life here and no matter how hard it gets i wouldn't trade it for a thing. and lately God's been teaching me that taking time to just rest in Him does wonders for my stress.

 {pin it}

current link: no clue, so i'm going to link back to brittany at GoTheXtraMile cause that's where i got this survey from ;)

happy thursday everyone!

taking a step back.

so this weekend has been so busy and stressful and exhausting. i have a LOT of work to do, midterms are coming up, and i feel like no matter how hard i work, i'm only chipping away at a mountain.

 

{pin it}

i'm stressed about doing well in my classes and figuring out if my major is right for me. i'm missing home a LOT at the moment. and i'm still trying to figure out how to properly manage my time as a full-time student with a part-time job.

 {pin it}

but then... i took a step back. i FaceTimed my mom, i laughed, i cried, and i realized that no matter how bad i think it is,  my life is pretty darn beautiful.

 {pin it}

and for that, i am incredibly grateful.

WIAW: Recipe Explosion

so remember how i told you that i'd have plenty of recipes for you when i got home for break? well, i've been cooking and baking like crazy ever since i got home! i'm pretty sure i've made a different cookie every day not to mention i've been cooking a few dinners for my family. i love having a kitchen!!


prepare yourselves.. cause i've got a lot of recipes comin' atcha!

first up: homemade pumpkin spice latte!
as you guys know i'm just a *little* obsessed with pumpkin at this point. i've demolished one of those huge cans of pumpkin in less than a week. and there's no signs of stopping.
this drink is really easy to make, and if you leave off the whipped cream it's vegan!

ingredients:

• 2 cups almond milk (or other milk of choice)
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
• 1 cup brewed coffee of choice 

directions:

1. heat the milk, pumpkin, and sugars over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until milk is steamed and mixture is hot. 
2. stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and remove from heat. 
3. in two {large} mugs, pour 1/2 cup coffee, and then pour 1 cup of the pumpkin mixture over it. top with whipped cream (if desired) and an extra shake of pumpkin pie spice. 

up next: shrimp, brussel sprouts, and goat cheese pizza.

i made this for dinner a few nights ago and i can honestly say this is the BEST homemade pizza i have ever made. it doesn't take too long thanks to the premade pizza dough (i highly recommend using trader joe's - it never fails me!) 

ingredients:

• 1 premade pizza dough (i used trader joe's whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder (you can omit the garlic powder if it's not your thang) 
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shaved brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (and salt & pepper) for sautéing
• 1/2 pound frozen peeled cooked shrimp
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms + 1/2 cup water for cooking
• 1/2 cup romano and parmesan cheese (i used a mix of both, but you can use whatever you prefer)
• 3 ounces goat cheese

directions:

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
2. roll out pizza dough on a floured surface into a semi-round shape (as you can see i'm not too great at that). place on a pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and brush the olive oil over the crust. sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and top with parmesan cheese. 
3. heat a pan to medium heat and add the brussel sprouts and coconut oil. once the brussel sprouts are soft, add the shrimp and cook until shrimp are hot. season with salt & pepper to taste. 
4. meanwhile, in a different pan, add mushrooms and water and cook on medium-high heat. cook mushrooms are tender (they will be a brown color) and set aside. 
5. add brussel sprouts, shrimp, mushrooms, & parmesan and romano cheese to pizza dough. crumble goat cheese on top and bake for 10-15 minutes. 

and thirdly, parmesan kale chips!

i've never cooked with kale before but this was SO much easier than i thought it would be. the key is getting a bag of washed and chopped kale from trader joe's - it makes everything so much easier!

ingredients:

• 1 bag chopped kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3-4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

directions:

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. spread kale out on a baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan, salt, and pepper. toss the kale around to make sure it's fully coated (i just used a pair of tongs). 
3. bake for 15 minutes or until crispy. 

i have a few other recipes for you - a classic holiday shortbread recipe, my mom's sugar cookies, and a few more! so be on the lookout :) 

on another note... this girl just found out she got an A- in chemistry! to say i'm stoked is an understatement!! i have never worked harder in my life for anything and to see that it paid off makes me so freakin' happy. 

besides cooking and baking like crazy, i've been snuggling with these cutie pies LOTS and catching up on my TV shows. i've made it through 8 episodes of Once Upon a Time in 24 hours. hey, isn't that what break is for? ;-)

and this just cracks me up every time. i have the prissiest little chubby cat ever.

thought of the day: 

what's the best thing you've made recently?

favorite thing to do when you have free time? i love to read, watch TV, do my favorite workouts, cook and bake, and spend time with family and friends!

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?

it's the little things.

when your friend bakes you coconut chocolate chip oatmeal cookies even though she doesn't like coconut <3

when you get awesome packages in the mail. thanks, chobani!! {p.s. that vanilla chocolate chunk flavor? AH-mazing! i am in LOVE with it!}

getting to petsit for 7 of the most adorable kittens ever. my dad keeps reminding me that we have 4 cats and don't need any more pets but THEY'RE SOOOOO CUTE! and i think they're up for adoption soon.. we'll see if i can work any magic by then ;) 

having to work in a new location and then realizing that it's worth having to drive 20 extra minutes to get there because on your lunch break you can get a huge salad at whole foods next door {this one cost $10. whoops.}

my newly created celebrity husband board on Pinterest. yep, i went there. makes me so happy. 

my Friday treat: triple shot 2 pump vanilla nonfat latte. sometimes you just gotta get the real deal. 

i'm so glad it's the weekend! i have a long shift at work tonight (day 6.. woop woop! my next paycheck's gonna be ballin'. haha.) but then i have a full two days off. i think i'm going to go outlet shopping and see a movie! 

what made your week this week? 

any fun plans this weekend?

Please Tell Me I'm Not the Only One...

... who lipsyncs to every song that plays while ellipticalling (<-- yeah, probably not a word.)

{yep. still on repeat. #notsorry}

... who does this:

... who wishes that they were at the Healthy Living Summit right now.

... who bakes coconut protein cookies at 10:30 at night.

... and then proceeds to eat 4 of them smeared with almond butter for breakfast the next morning.

... who rewears workout clothes without washing them. {i know. i'm gross.}

...who lets her cats sleep on the table because they look too cute while sleeping to be disturbed.

... who gets more excited about a yummy breakfast than going clothes shopping.

english muffin with avocado, bacon, and eggs. hello delicious.

fill in the blank: tell me i'm not the only one who _______

a day in the summer life {half marathon training plan!}

so, I thought it would be fun to show you guys a day in the life now that I'm on summer vacation! that is, until I realized that I don't actually... do that much. hah. but I figured I'd show you guys what I've been up to anyway!

this morning I woke up early with a cramp in my neck and couldn't go back to sleep... so what's a girl to do? Starbucks, of course!

I also treated the lovelies working at Starbucks to some quality bedhead and sweatpant action before 7am. Sorry I'm not sorry..

had breakfast once I got home: vanilla Chobani with almond meal and some ever-present rainbow sprinkles, with a piece of toast and almond butter. This breakfast has been my favorite as of late!

I then proceeded to park my butt on the couch for a solid hour listening to country music, snuggling with my kitties, and dozing in and out of sleep. I got up a little while later and finally updated my about page and made a blog header that I finally think is going to stick around! The other one I made earlier was just a little too big with a little too much stuff going on, so I like this one much better.

And then I got to work making my half marathon training plan!! I went through the archives of some of my favorite blogs and looked at a couple of different plans before discovering the amazingness that is the Runner's World Smart Coach training plan creator! You get to customize it which definitely is what made me fall in love.

I knew that I wanted a couple of days a week to go to BodyPump and cross train, because my hips tend to start acting up when I run more than four days a week. I also knew that I didn't want too long of a plan overall, because I don't want to burn out. I also picked a day to run the half marathon (read this post to find out why I'm not running an actual race!), which happens to be the day before my family leaves for Maui! Perfect timing, no? :)

I also love that the plan automatically included specific tempo and speed work workouts because I am horrible at coming up with those! I know that I'm not going to be able to follow everything to a T (I'm going to be gone for a couple of days in the middle for UCLA orientation) but I'm going to do my best!

Here's the finalized plan!

{also, if you're wondering why I didn't do the scheduled 8-mile long run today, I ran 7.1 miles just the other day and decided that that was sufficient for my long run of the week - but other than that, I'm sticking with the plan!}

When I finished all that up I decided I should probably get my greasy bedhead in the shower! So I showered up and then headed out to meet a friend of mine for lunch at Panera.

I got the 1/2 Asian Sesame Salad and 1/2 Turkey Avocado BLT on sourdough.

The BLT was to DIE for and I definitely wish that I'd just gotten the full sandwich because the salad was just okay. Next time!

When I got home I got on the phone with a car insurance guy because someone rear ended me yesterday. Not fun! I got the crap scared out of me because the guy was going pretty fast when he hit me (I was stopped at a stoplight and he hit my car so hard it went a good couple feet forward to hit the person in front of me). Needless to say I was a panicky shaky mess for quite awhile! And both the front and back of my car are pretty banged up! :(

Aaaannd a full hour later I've only just gotten off the phone - going to take my car in to go get an estimate tomorrow.. Fingers crossed it gets fixed soon!

After all that I needed some happy thoughts - just looking at this little collage I made the other day makes me smile! "it's funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most" <-- anyone else love that song? it's my current favorite!! i <3 zac brown band!

I'm off to make a snack and then head to work!

happy {official} summer everyone!

have you ever been in a car accident?
favorite summer activity?