Skedaddling Over to Wordpress

So last night was an epic Orlando bloggie meetup, and I had such a blast! I really realized how much I love writing and how much I want to be a part of the blogging community, I'm going to really make the effort to get mine together...

Which is why I'm scooting on over to Wordpress.

From what I hear it's far more efficient and I'd rather switch over now before I get too much steam going over here on Blogger, which I've been having some irritation with anyways.

That said, to the oh...two or three readers I have...I hope to see ya over there ;)

http://lovelyascharged.wordpress.com/

Auf Weidersein, Dear Weekend.

Oh, Mondays, how I loathe you. Just on principle. Mondays in and of themselves aren't too bad (Only one class at 2, field trip day at work), it's just the fact that their eminent arrival shooes away my beloved weekend. Baby come back...you can blame it allllll on meeeeeeeeeee....

Anywho.

Dinner last night was kind of a hodgepodge of shtuff I had in my fridge - some leftover steamed spinach and diced tomatoes that I heated together with some spices for a kind of pesto-ey-chunky-sauce-y-topping concoction and whole wheat penne. It was "meh", can't quite put my finger on what I didn't love, but it did the job and it's no longer taking up precious space in my munchkin-sized fridge.

I've got a new favorite cafeteria lunch; a Mediterranean Monster Sammich. Whole wheat bread, baby spinach leaves, hummus, carrots, cucumber, and beets. I know it's not original in the slightest, and I wasn't going to be That Weird Girl Who Whips Out A Camera In The Cafeteria To Photograph Her Lunch, so no pic, but suffice it to say it's fresh delishness at its best :)

I popped in for a coffee this morning and instead stumbled across this lovely in my Uni's snack bar/cafe:

Umm, yes please! I also bought a dark chocolate almond one, which due to a snack attack en route to the dorm, is now currently reduced to a crumpled wrapper somewhere on my floor in my garbage can.


I love me my Clif Bars, don't get me wrong, but I've been looking for something lower in carbs/sugar for a mid-day snack bar. These have 180 calories, 5 grams of fat, 26g of carbs, 15 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. It's a good step down from Clif's 250 calories, 42 carbs, and 23 grams of sugar (Cranberry Orange Nut Bread Bar).


I'm kind of leary of energy bars in general, with LaraBars being so small for the calorie content, and other bars not being satisfying at all (I've been known to tear through two or three of the Special K Protein Meal bars), but the full quotient on these are pretty effective. The texture is a little stiffer ( the Dark Chocolate Almond one is also a lot crunchier, due to the almond pieces, which at first was kind of strange but after a few bites I came to enjoy it more). I really like the fact that these are made with dark chocolate that isn't melded with vegetable fat and that everything on the ingredient list (other than evaporated cane juice and citric acid) is organic. I headed over and checked out their website and now I'm dying to try some of their other goodies (the Raw Nugo 10 Cranberry Bar is calling my name).

Speaking of things calling my name...I have to go sit an exam. Ick.

Work Hard, Play Hard(er)

Ack, I'm so sorry for neglecting my posts. I've been majorly busy, but who hasn't? Last night, after a week of may-jah ass-busting for our classes and our jobs, my roomie and I went into Tampa for our first hockey game ever and a Saving Abel concert.

 

It. Was. Awesome. Cheap seats, cheap sangria, hot guys everywhere...What can I say, I'm easy to please. It was a much-needed night of angry men hitting things, angry men singing things, and general silliness on our behalf.

 

 We didn't care who won or lost (I pulled for the home team, but the Capitals won 3-1), but we decided that if we didn't get to see the players get into one good fight, we'd be disappointed. It only took about ten minutes for some guy to get slammed up against the wall and start throwing punches at another player...I'll just say, if hockey doesn't work out for him, he should look into boxing - that man had one mean uppercut!

The fight we didn't quite ask for though was the one right behind us at the concert. We were literally in the second row of people, but apparently it wasn't close enough for the completely schnockered (side note, isn't that the best word ever? Love It.) guy who ended up slugging a stranger in the face and got thrown out...but only after spilling his beer on the roomie and I. Oh well, I wore cheap shoes. And I may have gotten a few drops of sangria on the chick in front of me at the game when I jumped up to cheer, forgetting I still had my cup in my hand. She didn't notice, so no harm, no foul....right?                 
                                   

Bringing it back to fitness a little bit, keep your eyes peeled on Itunes for their new song "Hell of a Ride". They're test-driving songs for their new album, so nothing's been officially released yet, but it has a killer pump-up beat for cardio, and you better believe I'll download it the second it's available.

I have the most random tastes in music, my poor Ipod must think I'm schizophrenic. I love alternative rock for interval sprints, hip hop and pop for longer runs, and softer rock, eighties pop, or top 40 tuns for weights and stretching and the like.

Now I'm kind of curious, does anyone else have a preferred musical "type" for each type of workout? Or do you just hit shuffle and hope for the best?

Rock on, loves.

So, as much as the time change can be a pain in the arse in the mornings, I'm kind of making peace with it. If I bring workout clothes with me to work, I can change after my students leave, high-tail it to the lake, and do a easy-paced 5k before it gets dark. My shins were kuh-illing me today, so I ran about half the way on the grass next to the path, but made it and had some phenomenal endorphins for the rest of the evening!

I stopped in Walmart the other day to grab a thing or two and I stumbled across this shtuff:

My mum used to buy this all the time when I was little and make banana-peanut butter-Ovaltine shakes for me for breakfast. I went all Memory Lane and bought a jar, and whipped one up (I subbed in Almond Milk for regular) after my run. I gotta hand that one to her, it was delish :) Refreshing, creamy but not thick...true happiness!

Added bonus, it is vitamin fortified, so the mix alone packs a good deal of Vitamin A and C, B2, Niacin, and B6 (45% of the daily requirement for each), some Calcium and Phosphorus (8%) and Iron (15%), half of the daily requirement for Vitamin D, and 60% of the DV of B1. Good deal if you ask me! It seems to be a nice alternative to protein powders in my calorie budget (a 2 tablespoon serving of Ovaltine is only 50 calories, opposed to 150+ for various shake mixes), although it's not much by means of protein. It just depends what tradeoff you're going for.

Ugh, the beast of a 500 page novel that was due this morning whenever my Senioritis-ized self gets to it is calling me, so I'm off to round up some decaf chai, a Sex and the City dvd for background noise (is it just me or can anyone else not study in the dead quiet?) and my warmest blanket and curl up for the night...ignoring the fact that it's only 9:30! Oh the glamorous life I lead ;)

Owie and Ouchie.

 I get sick like a boy. Whiney, grumpy, and lazy. Although I'm not really sick, just soooooore.

I wish I knew what I was sore from, because my workouts haven't been particularly ass-kicking, but I woke up this morning with most of my muscles crinked together and begging for a day off - hence a decision not to run today. Instead I'm penguin-waddling around my suite, "MMPH"ing every time I move a limb, and coming up with excuses for this afternoon to bench myself from playing football with my kiddos (don't think I've mentioned it here before, but I'm a teacher at an after-school program for the at-risk kids in my city). Excedrin has been my best friend this morning, and I'm not above popping one of the muscle relaxers I have left over from when I pulled my back a few months ago if this soreness doesn't let up.

But speaking of Excedrin. I Googled it to pull up a picture for the blog, and the results were...quite interesting. I thought this was much more gratuitous than a shot of the bottle:

Apparently that yumminess is Andrew Joiner, a model who filmed a commercial for the brand. My local networks and I are gonna have to have a few words, b'cause whatever commercial that was in was most decidedly not aired on my channels. I would remember.

Thought that would be a little better eye candy than the mushiness that is my breakfast oatmeal.

All Hail Spring!

 I ran my lake trail again today, and it was much less of a struggle than yesterday. Thank goodness! Moral of the story: no more week-long gym hiatus-es!

After the run I was ridiculously hungry but not ready for a full-on lunch, so I busted out a California avocado and sliced a quarter of it into wonky little strips, heaped em up on top of half a 100 calorie whole wheat English muffin, and scarfed. Lemme tell ya, I was the absolutely epitome of lovely right there, attacking that sucker, which I may or may not have made a second one of :) Carbs + Avocado = Heaven in my book! Thinking about all those avocado trees bursting with fruit makes me even more excited about the onset of spring!

Speaking of things that make me ridiculously excited, I think I've settled on an apartment! In less than 60 days, I could be moving into this:

I know it's a blurry shot, but Google seems to have a grudge against me, and it was all I could pull up that didn't have the apartment name and sales info plastered across it.

I really am in love with it, though. The potential roommate was such a sweetheart, the rent is right in my range, and the basic utilities are paid for by the apartment complex.

It's right off our Interstate, about 10 minutes from my work (although I have a suspicion that has more to do with my lead foot than the actual geographical distance!) and 15 minutes from my university (read: the friends I have now that will still be in school next year). There's a huge screening room in the lobby, perfect for hosting football parties (something I've dreamed about since I was old enough to think about having my own place). Not to mention that all of five minutes ago when I was Googling the complex for a photo, I found out that the different floor plans are named after famous artists; there's an O'Keefe, Chagall, Matisse (that would be mine!), Monet, and Dali. I totally geeked out for a few minutes and feel like that was the last sign to tell me it's perfect :)

Happy Monday!!!

I woke up uncharacteristically early this morning (boo hiss!) but I decided to capitalize on the patently gorgeous Florida spring weather to run my lake. Gotta looove living a hopskip away from this:

Somehow running it was a big challenge for me today, and I ended up walking a bit of it. Maybe my body wasn't fully awake yet? I had a beloved Clif bar for fuel, so I figured I'd be good to go, but maybe not. I'm not beating myself up over it though, because it's officially the first day of my Spring Break! I'm trying to put Spring back into my step, not Break my spirit over missing my mark. Just room to improve for next time :)

So. Random musing. But, en route to the lake, my radio was blasting Adam Lambert's "What Do You Want From Me". As I was sitting there listening to the lyrics, it almost sounded like a letter To Me, From My Body. Think about it.

"There might have been a time when I would give myself away...Oh once upon a time, I didn't give a damn..."

"Yeah, it's plain to see, that baby you're beautiful, and there's nothing wrong with you...Thanks for loving me, 'cause you're doing it perfectly..."

"There might have been a time when I would let you slip away...I wouldn't even try but I think you could save my life..."

"Please don't give up, I'm working it out. Please don't give in, I won't let you down. It messed me up, need a second to breathe. But what do you want from me?"

Hmmm?

Anywho. Got back from my weakie run and started noshing on this delish-ness (I wonder WTF is up with the random incorrect timestamp?)

A sliced gala apple completely smothered in a chocolatey sauce made of on teaspoon of Dark Chocolate Dreams (I warmed it for 30 seconds in the micro to soften it a bit), a splash of almond milk, and a half scoop of SlimFast chocolate protein shake powder. Completely simple and all good for me, so no guilt! I had some brown sugar laying around and felt like being all garnish-ey-flair-ey, so I tossed a teeny pinch on top, although it didn't really do anything other than make those funny darker specks on top. Not planning to do that again. The sauce is something I will def repeat, though - creamy, gooey, and my chocolate fix!. I'm just glad my roomie wasn't here to see me...erm...um... licking the bowl. 

Lunch rolled around and there was nooo hunger in mah body, but I did decide to have something because I know I won't be eating until late late late tonight (have another appointment to see another potential place!) Went for something light and simple - coffee, carrots and English cuumber slices, and V8 Butternut Squash Soup. This *is*, unfortunately, made with milk, so it's not vegan, but it is a nice vegetarian option.  It's got a nice warm, spiced, fall-esque taste to it; almost a cinnamon aftertaste? I like it very much, though!

                                         

Don't mock my plastic lil' kiddie dishes. I do what I can for living in a dorm. Although I have my eye on these lovelies for once I move into a real place. J'adore Tar-jay!

Bzzz.

Despite having my first lazy Sunday morning in what seems like forever (time for two cups of coffee and some blog-reading from the warm nest of my bed!), I've got a busy-bee day ahead!

I'm graduating in less than sixty days (EEK!), but I'm staying in the same area because my current job becomes full-time for the summer. The decision to stay local also is partially because I can't bear to move back home towards the family and away from all the University friends.

Later today I'm meeting with two potential roommates. In less than two hours I'll be meeting the first for lunch at Panera bread (Garden Vegetable Pesto Soup, be warned, because I'm coming for you). Later this evening the second gal is having a cookout for some friends and invited me to stop by to see the place. This should be interesting!

Between meet-ups I'll be doing an easy jog around our local lake - a 2.85 mile track. Squeeze in a post-run shower and a few errands and hopefully I'll be home in time to watch Gia on Lifetime Movie Network (yes, crown me the Queen of Lame).

Sounds like its going to be a Venti-Cafe-Americano kind of day, but it should be productive! I don't mind busy days when I get good things done! Sorry for the picture-less post, but have a brilliant rest of your weekend!

Why yes, yes I do glow!

One of the best compliments I've ever received was simply this: "I couldn't stop staring at you, you were just glowing with beauty". Now, I take this with a grain of salt, because it was coming from a date who was likely (read: definitely) thinking it would get him places; that, and I don't usually fall for gushy compliments as such. Yes, Ke$ha, it's all just "blah, blah, blah".That said...to this day, it remains one of the most incredible things that has been said about me, and I want to replicate that healthy, vital, luminescent glow every day!

Some mornings (such as today), need a little help, though, after long, over-caffeinated nights, and I thank my lucky stars for happy Sephora-land, oh Magic Mecca of Gorgeousness, to help me fake it. The one fear I have, cosmetically speaking, is looking overly made up, so I'm fairly finicky about what goes on my face. I'd rather emphasize what I'm naturally given; just a quick little "boost", if you will.

I'm normally time-crunched from one too many snooze-buttons, though, so I'm usually limited to a few shmears and swipes before heading out, I've also never heard anyone complain about wishing they had less time in the A.M; without further ado, my nominations for my lifesaving "5 minute face" glow-boosters.


1.) Covergirl Aqua Smoothers. It's multitasking at it's finest - sunscreen (SPF 15), moisturizer, and just the tiniest hint of a sheer, skin tone-evening color. I love that there are no major yellow or pink tones - just a true, fleshy tint that blends seamlessly into my skin. It's got such a smooth texture and a a soft, glowy finish - and it's only $7 and change (much more reasonable than similar versions from Laura Mercier, N.V. Perricone, or Bobbi Brown)!

2.) Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat. I think, if I had to choose just one product to have on hand as a glow-booster, this would be it. It's a tricky little bugger to master, because it's not intended to work solo as a concealer. If I use it in conjunction with a traditional concealer though (my choice is Lancome Effacerness Waterproof for its blendable and creamy consistency), it reflects light in a manner that drastically reduces my dark undereye circles. A teeny dot in the inner corners of my eyes make them look brighter and wider, and for an extra luminosity, I'll dot it along the top of my cheekbones. There are no big chunks of glitter or shimmer, and the sleek little click-pen applicator makes it ridiculously portable for mid-day touchups. Fellow blogger KarlaSugar talks a bit more about them, and has real-life swatches of all the shades over here at her blog, The Next Best Thing to Going Shopping Yourself

3.) Bobbi Brown Pot Rouges. After one horribly eye-opening photograph of myself with blush that seemed so cakey that it needed a can of frosting right then and there, I switched over entirely to cream blushes, which to me have a far superior texture and almost no risk of over-application. Blending them in with your fingers makes it seem like a lit-from-within, healthy flush, which is my idea of an optimum perk-up. Added bonus? They work on lips too, so any product left over on your fingers can go straight onto the mouth for a lightly staining tint, feeding into my absolute and undying affection for multi-purpose products. Karla's got us covered with swatches of these too over at TNBTTGSY!

4.) Matrix Color Care Shielding Shine Mist. My hair, what with my slight curling iron dependence and regular dye jobs, needs a little help in the shine department. This spray is super-lightweight, so it doesn't undo all the time and effort of styling, and I love that it's from the Biolage line, which incorporates natural botanicals and Cera-Repair Pro-4 complex to repair and shield hair. In the meantime, though, gotta remember to work in those good fats (avacados, olive oil, yada yada, you know the drill!).

5.) Nivea Kiss of Shine. It's cheap, it's in the checkout line at Target, it's lightly shiny and not remotely sticky, need I say more? 

Go out and rock that glow - real or fake; revel in the compliments, and while you're at it - make it a point to pass out a few compliments of your own to friends and strangers today - the both of you will benefit! 

Cheers for Abundance

Dial back a bit to Monday. I was visiting my family for the weekend, and in anticipation of my work schedule that prevents me from being home in time to rummage through the cafeteria's patently sketchy dinner options, I thought to myself, pull a Donna Reed and cook my little heart out, while I had a stove at my disposal, and bring it back up to Uni with me.

Quick survey of the kitchen's contents gave me the stunningly enticing and mesmerizingly creative idea of steamed veggies and brown rice. The first part was just dandy. I steamed up some spinach, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower, and I sauteed some zucchini and yellow squash in EVOO. I packaged each thing into respective Ziploc baggies and Floomp, into the freezer they went. Nicely done, score one for Ms. Reed.

Then came the rice. Uncle Bens whole-grain, boil-in-a-bag brown rice. All natural, good source of fiber, no sugar or saturated fat, easy to make, easy to package, versatile with all the gorgeous vegetables. Soooooo, where exactly did I go wrong?

There were three boxes in the pantry, and I figured heck, you come home from work one hungry chickey, and you don't know when the next time you'll be home to fix more will be, so just fix it all.  I failed to do the math; the Lady Gaga emanating from my speakers had totally commandeered my brain functions and I was pretty much on autopilot. Next thing I knew, I look out and dayum, there's 32 ounces of it just chilling out on my dining room table. 2 pounds is a lotta rice.


I've been eating this stuff every day and it's Just. Not. Going. Away.

On the upside, I did find that it makes an interesting oatmeal-type breakfast if you heat it up with a drizzle of almond milk and a spoonful of peanut butter, like this one that magically hopped into my basket at the grocery store, what with its promises of combining peanuts and rich dark chocolate:

Now to bust my creative-ness out and find another way to rid myself of the remaining 20-some-odd ounces...