Foodie Pen Pals

Hello Friends!

I decided to try something new this month.   

Foodie Pen Pals.

Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean, a fellow Blend ,coordinated over 700 foodie bloggers and blog readers to be Foodie Pen Pals this month.  Props to her and her organization skills!

I received a box of goodies from Alicia who blogs at Fit with Flair.

I was pleased to see that pretty much everything in the box was new to me! 

Trying new things for the win!

{WIAW #26} Almost Better

Hello Friends!

It's Wednesday yet again!  And I have the day off!  And it's summer!!

I worked over the long-weekend that everyone else had, so this is my little vacation.  I'm feeling better, baring the phlem hanging around in my throat (tmi?), so instead of laying around, I might get up and do some cleaning projects.  Watch out house!

I have noticed that when I am just laying around the house (like the WIAW post from last week...yea I've been sick for a couple of weeks), I really don't get that hungry.  This changes when I'm working at my jobs (coffee catering, waitressing, babysitting twins) or working out regularly so it weirds me out a little when my appetite is low.  Can anyone else relate?

Check out what I ate yesterday for my
 WIAW (What. I. Ate. Wednesday.).<--click for more info on WIAW.

Goals Update + New Summer Goals

Hello Friends!

Well I totally spaced on doing goal update posts in March and April, but that makes this one all the more exciting right?!

I was blog-surfing today, since I have the day (and the next couple of days!!) off, and am procrastinating my cleaning projects.  I came across a post at the Lunch Box Diaries about setting goals.  I realized I needed to revisit my goals and get some things accomplished this summer!

(See January Update and February Update)

In January, I sat down and made this enormous collage of things I wanted to accomplish this year.

It's not something I often do, however I felt like I was in a little bit of a rut and wanted to get some things accomplished.

This project was mostly fueled by copious amounts of grandma cookies leftover from Christmas celebrations and while watching hours of 30 Rock on Netflix.  The results were quite nice despite the chaos of the season.

I am pleased to tell you that I have already accomplished quite a few of the goals on my list.  
(Click for the original post.)

It's a Girl! via Cake Pops!

Hello Friends!  It's a Girl!

(No friends, I'm not pregnant.)

When my friend Laci asked a couple of weeks ago if she could hire me to make cake pops for her baby gender reveal party...I said of course!  

I've been working on saying, "yes" to opportunities, like those showcasing my cake-popping talents. ;-)

When she told me that the purpose of the cake pops was to reveal the gender of her little one...I wondered how the heck that was going to work.

{WIAW #25} A Typical May Day at Home

Hello Friends!

I hope you are all having a great week!  I am recovering from my crazy cold.  Today my nose has been running like a faucet...along with the little kiddos' noses!  At least I know what they're going through right??

I am out of classes for the summer... in case I haven't mentioned it!!  Woohoo!  I am working more at my coffee catering job as well as my fun babysitting job, but I am also enjoying my days off. 

Sleeping in, doing blog stuff, baking, watching Food Network, and some cleaning projects (um yea need to start on those).

If you haven't heard of WIAW {What I Ate Wednesday} please click here for my explanation.

Today is simply a group of photos I've taken to make up a typical day of eats at home from last week.  Sometimes I start taking pictures for the day and forget...and others I just think my food looks really pretty.  (Times are approximate.)

Banana Chocolate-Chip Confetti Bars

Good Evening Friends!

This lovely creation makes me happy.

Not that food should be the main source of happiness...but sometimes it just helps.

The Day Before

Hello Friends!

Well it's been tapering week!  (Which to be quite honest...wasn't all too different from a lot of other weeks in my training for my first ever half marathon.)

I only ran a short run once, instead of two short and one long run.  I tried to mostly get some walking in.

Sunday: Rest/Eat Chinese food with BF's family for Mother's Day.

Her new camera face

Oh and a sort-of walk with sister Rachel.

{FFFF #20} Blog Reading Guilt

 Happy Friday Friends!

I haven't done a Friday Five Foodie Finds for...awhile.  (Oh I just checked..it was a month ago.)

That's okay though!  I just selected the best of the best over the last month. ;-)

Truth be told, I'm not a very good blog reader.  Not that in a normal world this would be considered a bad trait, but I feel like as a blog writer, I should also be a reader.

I felt bad going to Blend and not knowing every single detail about the lives of the "bigger" bloggers.  I also felt bad I hadn't heard of certain bloggers that EVERYONE knew about.

Sorry Lindsay, I still am not sure if you live in Colorado now and sorry Tina, I have no idea if this is your first marathon.  But I still love you ladies and love reading your blogs when I do!

It's not that I don't care about these blogs, but I already feel like taking pictures, editing them, writing a post, and promoting a post already takes enough time out of the day.  Time that I could spend cleaning my bathroom...man I need to clean my bathroom.

I've been reading a few blogs this week and in many of them...I feel so out of the loop!  Tina, one of my favorites, is running (her first?) marathon and I didn't even know about it until yesterday!  Apparently she told everyone MONTHS ago and all the other readers are AGAIN wishing her good luck.  Again, it's not that I don't care about the girl, but I didn't read that particular post (or posts...sigh).

Well, here are some amazing looking recipes that I've found in the last month when I was actually reading blogs. ;-)

Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Bell Peppers by Cassie at Bake Your Day

Hello healthiness in an edible bowl!  Plus I still want to try to make quinoa!!

Happy (Late) Mother's Day + Cupcake Champs

Happy (Late) Mother's Day Friends!

Apparently we celebrate things late in my family.  

Celebrated the Daddio's birthday a week late...celebrated Mother's Day last night...

It's okay though, as long as we get together right?

As I said, last night we celebrated Mother's Day with my family (minus sister Courtney..she was working).

Sister Rachel, Brother Josh, Me, Grandma Kathy, John, Mama Sue

BF and I got some flowers for my mom and her mom (aka Grandma). 

 Most colorful flowers and tissue paper and ribbon ever!!

Happy (Late) Birthday Daddio!

Hello Friends!

{First of all: Did you enter my Fitmixer Giveaway??  It closes today, so head on over and come back for the rest of this post!!}

Since it was the Daddio's birthday the night I got back from Blend, we didn't celebrate it until that Saturday.

It was a little challenging getting together since he is fasting certain things (fasting and prayer time at church).

We decided to head to Jason's Deli for lunch on Saturday.

Sister Courtney and Daddio

Jason's Deli reminds me a little of Panera, however I feel it is a little more healthy.  (Note: Just because this is how I feel, does not make it a fact.)

Running: A Dangerous Sport

Hello Friends!

In running we don't wear helmets. 

We don't have shin-guards, elbow pads or airbags that inflate when we crash.

This is why running is a deceivingly dangerous sport.  I will tell you why.

My First 10K

BLEND: Out of my Comfort Zone + Link-Up

Hello Friends!

So I have been back from Blend a full week now.  Goodness I miss those lovely views!

Back porch at our cabin

In case you didn't know, Blend = Blogger + Friend (although some of the ladies were just readers).

Amanda, Katie, Elizabeth, Christine, Me

Also in case you didn't check out my other recaps:
Blend Retreat Kicked my Booty
{WIAW #25} Blend Retreat: A Foodie's Dream
Fitmixer Giveaway (Product from Blend) **Make sure to enter the exciting giveaway if you haven't already!!**

This is the recap I have been putting off because I want it to be just right.

All Studied Up and Smart and All

Hello Friends!

Well I did it.  Participated in the graduation ceremony for my associate's degree.

Did I want to go?  Heck no!

Daddio and I

If you know me at all, the last thing I want to do is be around people I don't know and walk on a stage in front of thousands of people in heels.  (I was wearing the heels... not necessarily the thousands of people.)

But I went.  And you know what?  I'm glad I did.

Daddio, me and Grandma Rose

I have never really stopped to think that this is an important milestone.  An important chapter of my life to be closed.

First Giveaway Ever: Fitmixer Slim AND Aminos

Hello Friends!

Although I've participated in giveaways and actually won a couple of products (that I still need to review...), I've never done a giveaway on my blog!

I thought since my blog is almost 2 years old that I should probably reward my faithful readers with an amazing product giveaway.

I won a couple of items at Blend Retreat (foodie recap here and fitness recap here) from my friends at Fitmixer.

I'm giving you the opportunity to win them!

Perks of the Job + Giveaway Teaser

Hello Friends!

I have this sweet babysitting job this summer. 

A couple of days a week I get to go over and hang out with cute one-year-old twins.

Although the money isn't great per hour, especially compared to the wing-n-beer job and the coffee catering job, there are some perks that come a long with it.

First perk: the gal I sit for buys healthy food.  It's so cool to work for someone with a similar take on food and fitness. 

I also get to use some of this healthy food in my lunches!  I bring food, however when I see avacados in the fridge and some wrap thing I've never tried before...I meld it with the food I bring.

Yesterday I added the rest of the mushroom quinoa I tried from the day before to a wrap with olive-oil-peppered mayo, my chicken tenders, mozzarella cheese wrapped up in a sundried tomato tortilla.

Okay Mayo isn't healthy...but this is my semi-healthy blog!

{WIAW #25} Blend Retreat: A Foodie's Dream

Hello Friends!

Where do I begin on the journey through my foodie eats this weekend at Blend Retreat?  


Are you ready to get completely overloaded with yummy food pictures??

Dinner Friday night...oh em gee

 (In case you didn't catch it, here's my first Blend Retreat post all about how Blend kicked my booty.)

I didn't take nearly the amount of photos I would have liked to, however sometimes this can be a good thing.  Photo-taking requires time that could be spent socializing and networking...that's my justification anyhow!

It was fun watching all the bloggers take pictures :-)

Maybe we can just start at the beginning...
After I got all checked in and got my enormous SWAG bag...

Sitting on Babies

Hello Friends!

I would just like to say that I am super excited for this summer because one of my jobs (haha I have 3) is to watch two adorable twins a couple times a week.  (Babysitting...sitting on babies...;-) )

I've watched them occasionally in the past couple of months but I get to come over on a regular basis now.

They just turned one so are eating "real people food" now and it's seriously hilarious. 

I thought they were doing pretty well with their carrots, however when I took the highchair tray off, they were EVERYWHERE!

Clean Out Yo Fridge Nachos

Hello Friends!

Since I was out of town this weekend getting my booty kicked at Blend Retreat, I had a mostly empty fridge when I got back.  Or the items in the fridge were going bad quickly and needed to be put to use. 

No need to waste produce!

I decided to throw a bunch of things from the fridge that needed to be used up onto some whole wheat scoops chips.

Blend Retreat Kicked my Booty

Happy Monday Friends!

 
In case you didn't catch my last post entitled "Uncomfortable," I addressed the fact that I was super nervous about attending my first blogging meet-up, Blend 2012.

I'm happy to inform you that I did survive the Denver airport.  But now I'm not quite so sure why I was nervous about it.  Just follow the signs and get there early.  And find a friend to conquer it with you on the way back...especially if you get there four hours early on the way home.

How will I ever make that important phone call??

Not only did I survive the Denver airport, I survived TWO bootcamps and a FOUR MILE HIKE within the span of two days!  Another factor that played a part in wearing me out was the thin Boulder air. 

I was actually panting walking with my luggage to check in.  

It was a little embarrassing when I could only get out a strained, "Hi" when Lindsay hugged me and told me it was so good to meet me.  Although thinking about it a few minutes later...I was excited she recognized me!

Saturday morning, bright and early, Tina from Best Body Fitness and Lindsay from Lindsay's List led us in an intense and fun bootcamp.

Lindsay is telling us the importance of staying hydrated at such high elevations

Uncomfortable

Hello Friends!

This year I've had many goals. 

I made a New Years resolutions board and the whole thing.  I even look at it periodically to see how I'm doing.  Some days it is motivating...others I feel like I could be doing more, pushing myself further.  Conquering the world.

Obviously this is me conquering the world...err my neighborhood..

But for some reason I tend to hold back.  I tend to sit at home on my comfy couch, watching the same Gilmore Girls DVD for the zillionth time, eating the same food, same glass of diet dew. 

I tend to only do what I have to.  I had to find a job to make money.  I have a serving and a coffee job, but I would love to work somewhere in the health industry and have yet to make that happen.  Because I don't really have to.  I am comfortable where I am now.

Study Break!

Happy Tuesday Friends!

I have one last final tomorrow and then I am free.

Free for the summer.

From school, anyways.

I am taking a quick study break to process today.  (Although I'm excited to get back to it so I have an excuse to eat my yummy study snack!)

That's the beauty of blogging.  It's sort of like a diary.  (Thus the blog name "Diary of a Semi-Health Nut")