recap: sunshine, exercise, & healthy eats!

I hope you had the best of weekends! It was a crazy one over here!

I had been wanting my own dog for about a year now and Saturday I spontaneously decided that January 27th, 2018 seemed just as good as any day to get one.

But before I get to that…lettuce back up all the way to last Wednesday!

Wednesday I enjoyed this colorful salad at work. It had romaine, spinach, tomatoes, orange pepper, rotisserie chicken, Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard vinaigrette (found at Kroger!), chow mein noodles, and a few salt&pepper cashews. This salad was incredibly flavorful and filling! I love salads with a bunch of different ingredients thrown in.

Later in the afternoon I enjoyed a green juice from Zest!
For dinner that night I decided to cook up a feast for the my parents and I. They have been under some stress lately at work so I wanted them to be able to relax with a nice dinner when they got back. I blasted some music and got to work making dinner!

I made lemon quinoa, roasted brussels sprouts & sweet potatoes, and lemon dill salmon. I also had a few artichoke hearts on the side. My favorite part of salmon is the skin! Anyone else?
Thursday morning started with a workout and then some quiet time.

I also diffused some grapefruit, peppermint, and tangerine. I love how fresh and clean these oils smell together. They put me in the best mood.

A little later I made some protein oatmeal – chocolate protein powder, quick oats, almond milk, half a banana, and lots of cinnamon.

I went to work in the morning before I headed to campus. I enjoyed an easy lunch before I had to leave work to head to school.

When I got home from school I took our family dog Annie on a walk. The weather was perfect! It was in the upper 50’s!

Later for dinner I ate half a bag of romaine lettuce with gluten-free chicken nuggets, Annie’s Caesar dressing, and some croutons while I FaceTimed Barrett.

Friday I woke up early, drank my coffee, and ate a light breakfast. I decided to hop on the treadmill for a couple of miles because I knew I would be sitting down most of the day. I babysit for a little 3 month old boy on Friday’s so it is a lot of sitting down and snuggling.

I had a BIG salad for lunch with pretzel thins. I also had a Zest! Almond on a Date for a little pick me up.

Around 3:30 I headed to the grocery store on my way home to pick up ingredients for pizza. When I got home I downed a Ningxia Red to give me an energy boost for a quick run. Read about the benefits of Ningxia HERE!

I ran 2 miles as fast as I could and walked one. I could not get over the weather! It was so beautiful out.

When I got back home I drank a cup of coffee and sliced an apple. I mixed together 1 TBSP chocolate PB2 and 1 TBSP chocolate protein powder with water to dip my apples in.

A little later my mom and I enjoyed some wine and appetizers while we waited for my dad and Barrett to show up.

I made a Caesar salad to go with the pizzas! I used a Flat Out wrap for mine since I wanted to go a lighter route. I used Taralynn’s recipe and it was AMAZING!

I couldn’t stay up very late Friday because the wine made me so sleepy. I don’t drink alcohol very much so when I do I am instantly tired. Plus, my dad has been into making cocktails so he made me one that was very heavy on the vodka. It was delicious but again, it made me exhausted.
Saturday morning started out bright and early with my dear friend: coffee. My mom and I cooked up breakfast (gluten free waffles, sausage, a little gravy, and eggs!) and I don’t know what came over me but I was determined to get a dog that day!

So…most of the day was picking up this little guy and getting him all settled in.
Read about Owen HERE!

I went to church with my whole family and Barrett for Vespers. Saturday was also the 10 year anniversary since my mom’s dad passed away. <3 So we held a prayer service for him after Vespers.
When we got home I ate a bowl of oatmeal while keeping a close eye on Owen!

I said my goodbyes for the week to Barrett (and cried because I hate saying goodbye every week. He is my best friend!) Luckily Owen is already helping with how much I miss Barrett. Puppies are great antidepressants!
Owen slept with me and he woke me up every hour. He is so cute so it is hard to be mad at him. Plus, I am potty training him so I had to get up anyways to take him outside.
Also, my Rutavala oil came in and I am so pumped!

To say I was tired on Sunday would be a understatment. I went to church, came home, drank a lot of coffee, and now I am enjoying this concoction while I write this recap.
Toasted gluten-free bagel thin, hummus, turkey, and an egg!