Things I’m Loving Lately: February 2013 Edition

How’s everyone’s Thursday going?  I had another busy day at work today, but I started the day off right by teaching my 6am class.  I probably sound like a broken record with this, but I just love that class and everyone in it.  The dedication is just contagious!  I taught another Best Body Bootcamp workout, and this one had a lower body focus that left me sweaty and shaky.

Speaking of Best Body Bootcamp, Tina (the mastermind behind BBB) started a new series on her blog called “Bootcamper of the Week.”  And guess who was featured as this week’s bootcamper?!  That’s right!  Make sure to click on over and check it out.  I had a lot of fun sharing my story there.  Thanks for featuring me, Tina!

I wanted to wrap up my February blog posts by sharing some things I’ve been loving this month.  Here goes!

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds
I would say I shop at Trader Joe’s about once a month.  I absolutely love it there, but I can’t shop there weekly because there are just too many random “cool looking foods” that I would walk out of the store with and end up spending more money than really necessary.  The main things I buy at Trader Joe’s are almond butter, quinoa, Luna/Clif bars, and a few other staples.  One of my favorite treats to get there; however, are these dark chocolate almond bites.  Tim stopped by Trader Joe’s recently to pick up some quinoa for us, and he brought these home.  Way to my heart, boyfriend, way to my heart.

My New Soda Stream
More props for Tim!  For Valentine’s Day, he bought me a Soda Stream.  First of all, I am just so psyched to have seltzer at my disposal at any moment I want it.  Second of all, have you guys ever used one of these before?  It makes the most hilarious duck-like quacking sound to let you know the water has carbonated.  I giggle like a little kid every single time it quacks.  I love this thing!

Sunday Food Prep
I’ve always been pretty good about prepping food ahead of time, but this month I have totally been rocking my Sunday food preparation.  And I must say, it’s really helping with my time management.  It does take an hour or two on Sunday nights, but it’s so worth it to have those extra hours of downtime during the week.

This Workout Playlist
These jams have proooooobably been overplayed for a few too many weeks in my classes now, but I really just love this playlist.  I did a home workout the other week, and my warmup was literally dancing around my house to the New Kids song.  For all 3 minutes and 17 seconds.  Tim barely even had a reaction.  Whatever.  Y class members, I promise to switch up my music next week.  I swear.  Maybe.

New Contacts
A little random, but at the beginning of the year my eye doctor (my Uncle Chris!) switched up my contacts.  I used to have a prescription that required me to wear my contacts for 2-3 weeks at a time, and I found that my eyes were always dry, irritated, or I’d have some random awkward eye ailment happen to me.  Now I’m wearing these dailies (1-Day Acuvue Moist), and my eyes can definitely feel the difference.  Or maybe I should say not feel?  No more irritation and eye rubbing, and I get to just throw them away every night!  Amazing.

What things have you been loving lately? 

We’re almost at Friday, friends – hang in there!

February 2013 Foodie Penpal Reveal

Hello, friends! Can you believe it’s already the last day of February? This month has seriously FLOWN by. I’m excited though, because I am craving spring. In a bad way. I need me some outdoor time!

For today, I have a couple of month-end posts to share with you. I’ll be back later with my Feb favorites, but for now I’m here with my February Foodie Penpal reveal post!

If you are interested in joining Foodie Penpals, it’s super fun and open to all blog readers, regardless of whether you are a blogger or not. For more details, click over to Lindsay’s Foodie Penpals blog page.

Liz over at Vegging Out in SacTown had me this month. She sent me some olive oil, honey sticks, and a bag of almonds.

Liz wrote that the Bariani olive oil is grown and pressed right where she lives in Northern Cali. She even buys it from “Mr. Bariani himself!” How fun. This arrived at the perfect time, because we just ran out of olive oil the other day.

The honey sticks came in a 10 pack of different variations. I guess each type is made by bees pollinating different plants, including sage, wildflower, avocado, and more. Does anyone have any creative uses for these? I’m having a hard time thinking outside the box, but I can’t wait to try the different flavors.

Finally, the alder-smoked almonds came from two girls that sell all kinds of roasted nuts. Liz said they aren’t your typical farmers because they have blue and pink hair. That’s fun.

Thank you, Liz, for my February treats!

Two people never have each other as part of Foodie Penpals, so if you guys are interested in seeing what I sent out this month, click over to Sam’s blog at Center of the Pie. Hopefully she’ll do a recap post on the stuff I sent her way. I’ll give you a hint – it was all nice and Greek!

Do you take part in Foodie Penpals? If so, what did you get this month? What did you send? If you don’t, what would you send out if participating for the first time?

I can never decide whether to send random things or go with a themed box. Besides the Greek theme I have also sent a chocolate theme, and a “fall flavors” theme, but I think the rest have been pretty random!

On Finding Balance

Usually when it comes to thinking of new blog content, I list out different topics I want to write about in any given week.  This “list” includes an ongoing section of recipes that I want to make sure I don’t forget about.  Same with workouts.  Sometimes the list includes things I want to make sure I mention by a certain date, and I always have ideas floating around for future posts that don’t necessarily have any kind of “timeline” on them.

However, I’ve noticed that one topic I added to my list… at the beginning of the year… to write about at the beginning of the year… is still on the list.  And I keep asking myself, WHY haven’t I written about what my goals are for 2013 yet?

I am notorious for being a New Year’s sucker.  Over-committing to a ridiculous amounts of goals.  Making an enormous bucket list that starts out as something fun, but turns into self-ridicule for never crossing out everything on it.  I mean, look at my 2012 New Year’s goals post… it’s full of goals galore!  And that was great… for 2012.  At that point in my life, I was in SUCH a career/life rut that I needed to set those goals for myself to feel motivated at changing my situation.  And I accomplished a lot, don’t get me wrong.  A whole lot.  I’m proud of myself for doing everything I did, and I know that starting the year with intention had a lot to do with my successes.

So why haven’t I felt as motivated to set goals for 2013? 

While I do have things I want to do this year (grow the wellness program at work, finalize my plans for the Wellcoaches certification, run another 5k, get out of my comfort zone, focus on one thing at a time, grow my name and this blog), I honestly just feel tired.  And while I can certainly still have all these intentions in the back of my mind, I think feeling this way is pretty telling about what my real focus should be this year.

If you are someone like me, the only speed you know is “go.”  I’m always running from one job to the other, only to come home and tackle all the things on my to do lists (yes, lists) that “have to get done.”  My “me time” is cleaning or blogging.  I never just stop.  And if I do, I can’t stop for more than a few minutes without getting up to organize something that “should” get organized.  If I take a vacation day just because, I run a billion errands instead of just sit around the house with a cup of coffee and a good book.  Now that I think about it, I can’t even tell you the last time I read a good book!

Am I on this never-ending hunt for the perfect balance between everything I do?  I love everything I do, but I’m always looking for new ways to keep up with both jobs while maintaining a healthy diet, getting the right amount of exercise, having enough downtime to spend with friends/family, and so on.  Maybe if I just stop worrying about trying to do everything so perfectly all the time, balance might come a little more naturally.  Maybe I’ll get more sleep and feel less overwhelmed.  I mean, here I am trying to motivate all of you day in and day out to live a healthy lifestyle, but how healthy can I really be when I feel stressed so often? 

It’s obvious that slowing down is the answer to my issues.  Maybe then I’ll find stability, which I think is the answer to finding real balance.  Doing things perfectly and productively 100% of the time is unattainable and unreasonable.  It leaves me feeling like I can barely keep my head above water, and it’s just not healthy.  I don’t HAVE to get through every email every day, or fold every bit of laundry the second it comes out of the dryer.  That’s not what is going to matter down the line.  What will matter in five years are all the little things.  Whether that be a little extra sleep, an extra glass of wine, an extra hug, or maybe just that hour spent laughing over nothing. 

Slowing down doesn’t come easily to me, but someone recently suggested comparing this to exercising.  As you all know, I’m very self-driven in ensuring I get to the gym and exercise enough.  I know that to keep my body looking how it does and at its healthiest, I need to put in the work and concentration and time.  But the same goes for mental health too.  In order to keep my MIND at its healthiest, I need to put in the same work and concentration and time.  Most of my goals for this round of Best Body Bootcamp have revolved around this.  I’m learning to delegate.  I’m learning to say no.  But I have a long way to go.  And that’s why this year, in 2013, I have resolved to take a step (or a few) back and commit to simply finding balance.

Does anyone else struggle with finding balance in their lives?  I would love to hear your stories.  Please share any advice or tips you have in the comments!