smoothies

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! I will probably be back late tonight as I am visiting my sister in Iowa (cross that state off my list to visit). I am hoping to make some tacos or fajitas at home Saturday if not tonight. I think fajitas are one of the few things all my family members like, instead of everyone eating their own thing for dinner which is the usual.

Anyway I am back with Friday Favorites for the second week.

Green smoothie at home – I really missed my blender while I was traveling and my green smoothies. I added avocado, banana, spinach, almond milk and protein powder to this one and topped with mini chocolate chips. It was so good and I hope to be making them at least once a week again soon.
New socks – So I don’t know what it is with socks, but I always feel like I buy a bunch and then only end up with 5 pairs I wear. I really don’t know what happens to all the other pairs. Anyway my socks from my trip were pretty gross and I really like the Under Armor brand and then I also saw these super soft (the package does not lie!) Puma socks for 25% off as well, so I picked up those too. 12 new pairs of socks. Hopefully I am set for a while. I really don’t need that many.
Coupons for free stuff – I love Bath and Body Works and Victoria Secret when I get the free coupons. I swear half my underwear was free from Victoria Secret. Though apparently Victoria Secret realized they can’t just do free without a purchase anymore so you have to make a purchase, so I bought a pair of underwear and got one free. The cool part was the coupon actually worked for the more expensive pair which was sweet. Bath and Body works also sent a free coupon for a full size shower gel. My sister literally used to have a whole shelf of the travel size bottles she had gotten for free. I was surprised when this coupon was for a full size.
Getting rid of more stuff – I came home from traveling and realized how much I lived without. I mean I have slowly been getting rid of things since college because I lived without a lot of my stuff in the dorm room obviously, but somehow it wasn’t until I lived out of a backpack for 4 months that I really realized how little I needed. Finally I was able to become detached from shirts and pairs of underwear that really needed to be tossed. I have also been able to get rid of little trinket items that serve no purpose. I realize some people may like them, but I just don’t have the space for them and pretty tired of moving things from place to place. Moving 3 times in 3 years and to two different states will do that. I actually now will have lived in 3 different states in the last 4 years which is pretty crazy.
First Cubs Game – I’ve been a terrible Chicagoan the last 27 years of my life and have never been to a Cubs Game. But actually the only sports games I have been to have been through my jobs with a suite, so it’s actually not too surprising. Anyway I finally went on Tuesday night. It was cold, like 40 degrees outside (ummm this is not May weather…), but the Cubs won and that was the best part!! It was also the latest I have managed to stay up in weeks haha!

first cubs game — beautiful sunset and Cubs win at my first Cubs game

That’s all I have for today. Tomorrow I am working on packing up my car and then getting an early start on Sunday morning to start my drive to Binghamton, NY. I have an aunt in Ohio so stopping there for the night. Soon I will be moved, now I just need a job…

What are you doing this weekend?

And we made it past humpday. YAY!! I didn’t have as pampering a night as last week, but I was able to leave work on time 2 days in a ROW!! That calls for celebrating or actually having time to do things at home, which was really nice.

Let’s get to Thinking Out Loud…

I’ve come to discover that if I don’t meal plan, A) I won’t starve and B) I WILL live on smoothies for dinner. My latest avocado smoothie includes: half frozen banana, giant handful of spinach, half an avocado, 1 scoop mocha mint About Time protein, single serving package of hemp hearts, ¾ cup almond milk and chocolate chips or….

toast Tuesday and smoothie — celebrating #toastTuesday with my smoothie for dinner Tuesday night. Same smoothie Wednesday night lol

…SMORES M&Ms, yes I did put Smores M&Ms in my smoothie and they are awesome. My co worker found them at ACME in NJ. I need to see if my local ACME carries them. I rarely shop there as they tend to be pricier than Giant or Wegmans.

Since Smores talk = summer, can we talk about how I don’t want summer to end?! The last two weeks people are complaining of the 90 degree temps. Yes it’s hot, but I would rather have it be 90 degrees than below freezing any day (except I like a white Christmas). Anyway a few years ago I kept hearing people complain of the heat and then as soon as we had a colder day, they would complain it was too cold, so which is it? I decided I will not complain of the heat because I know it is not here forever. But I do need a gallon or two of water with hot weather. I also am fortunate to have good AC, because without it, sleeping at night would be hard, but that is the main time I run it.

So last weekend while Brian and my sister were here, I put some rice on the stove and totally got distracted watching something on tv and suddenly the rice was burning. I thought I would have to toss the pan it was impossible to scrub. Well I got some steel wool and after a couple days working on it little by little, I finally got it polished up and looking much better. Hopefully I learned my lesson on walking away or maybe I will remember to set the timer.

2016-08-17 18.20.36 — after cleaning. no before picture but just imagine an entirely black bottom

I have to say I am looking forward to sleeping this weekend. Between the Olympics watching I did all last week, early morning workouts and visitors over the weekend, I have some sleep to catch up on. Thankfully I actually felt refreshed yesterday morning after making it to bed shortly after 9pm both nights this week. I even went to the gym Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 5am. Wednesday I was super motivated and worked on barbell squats again. I have started light again with the bar and adding 10 pounds as I am working on squatting deeper. My legs are definitely getting stronger.

I was so productive last night. I made another batch of almond flour cookies to put in the freezer and did some laundry and cleaning. It is always those little things that make me so happy and not rushing to get to bed when I get home.

Well I think I will keep this post short and sweet. I have learned in the corporate world, those are the only things that are read when you send emails haha. Right now it’s time to go back to the couch and read a bit before bed so I can be fully relaxed and sleep well tonight.

Have an awesome day and I will be back tomorrow with another yoga pose as part of the Yoga Workshop Fridays series.

Green Smoothie and Free Stuff: Friday Favorites 5/5

Smoothies, Smores, Summer: Thinking Out Loud #55