I just got inside from my morning run. Before I left, I wasn’t feeling very motivated, and I was hoping a quick three-miles around the neighborhood could turn that around. The first mile was a bit rocky, and my mindset was three seconds away from slowing down and walking back to the house. I quickly talked myself out of that mindset, and eventually started thinking about other things on the run. I started thinking about what direction I wanted to take my videos, what I wanted to accomplish around the house today, and what information I could share in this blog post. Even though my run started rocky, it quickly turned into my therapy session. After hitting three-miles, I felt a sense of accomplishment and confidence in myself.

I felt rejuvenated, my blood was flowing, and my ideas felt clearer as to what I wanted to do. The calmer state of mind made it easier for me to be in the moment. Even though running for medals and a fitter body is great, running for my mental health is even better, and it’s the reason why I lace up my shoes each week. I’ve made it a part of my self-care routine because self-care is more than just bubble baths and face masks. It’s an important part of proactive health care.

CVS Pharmacy knows that each lifestyle requires a different self-care routine, and they are taking self-care to another level by launching hundreds of unique and exciting products this year to help its customers make self-care moments more convenient. You’ll be able to shop CVS Pharmacy for your self-care essentials across all categories focused on physical, mental, emotional, and social health! We sometimes forget that self-care fits more categories than the beauty department.

I’m excited to partner up with CVS Pharmacy again to talk a bit about my self-care routine, and why I started running for my mental health. 

Even if I only go one mile, I still feel better than how I felt while sitting on the couch.

WHY I CAME BACK FROM MY RUNNING HIATUS

I’m about to get a little personal here. I’ve always struggled with body image issues since I was a little girl. Like most people, I have stages of my life where I feel great about myself, and then stages where I find myself struggling again. During those times of struggle, it all goes back to me, not making time for self-care. I used to go to doctors and demand answers, but then I decided to do something different. About a year ago, I hit a pretty lousy point in my mental health. I was starting to lose a bit of my identity and felt as if I was struggling a bit with my appearance. To be honest, your late twenties can be a strange time. Everyone your age is doing different things, and the comparison game can kick in. Instead of turning to another doctor about my body, I decided to start seeing a therapist. Maybe my body image was more than just gaining a few pounds; it was something more profound. Seeing a therapist was one of the best decisions I ever made. She reminded me that I wasn’t taking the time to do the things that I loved, the things that made me, well me.

THE TALK

She asked me, “What are some things you enjoy doing by yourself that you don’t do anymore?”

I replied, “I used to love painting, photography that wouldn’t end up on the blog, and running.”

She asked me why I stopped doing those things.

My answers were “painting took up too much time, I felt guilty about taking photos that didn’t end up on the blog, and I stopped running because I hated the pressure of racing, or the fear of getting injured.”

She sent me home with an assignment to do all three of those things throughout the week and to come back and let her know which one I wanted to start incorporating into my weekly routine to get back on track of feeling my best again. She wanted me to have an outlet that I could turn to when I was feeling stressed or down about myself.

The first thing I did was paint a canvas with flowers. I enjoyed it, but it took me hours, and I was over it in the first thirty minutes. Turns out, I’m way too impatient to paint anything. The photography part was fun, but it didn’t feel like a break from what I do for the blog every day. Running, now that gave me an adrenaline rush, confidence, endorphins, and a reminder as to why I started running years ago. It was also something I could do as soon as I walked out the door. It was convenient, and it was fulfilling.

When I returned to her office the following week, she noticed the excitement in my voice when I talked about running. When I left her office, I felt motivated to start my journey back to running every other day. I wanted to use that time to focus on me and how I’m feeling at that moment. It’s easy to distract yourself from your thoughts, but running is a good way to let your mind go.

THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE

After running, or getting out for long walks for several months, I noticed a significant change in my moods. I started to feel secure and confident about where I stood in the world. I wasn’t feeling down about the pace of my life or exploring the need to fulfill it with items or trips across the country. I was becoming content, and it was all because I was taking the time to add self-care to my daily-routine. For me, running is now a part of my self-care routine. Talking to a therapist is also a part of my self-care routine. Even if you don’t feel as if you’re struggling with anything, it’s nice to talk to someone about your life. They may pull things out of you that you never realized you were battling.

ACCEPTANCE

For me, running has helped me accept my life at the stage it’s currently in. It’s made me realize that I’m strong no matter what I look like, or what I’m faced with. I was looking for way too much acceptance in other people when the only person that needs to accept me is ME. Running has helped me build confidence and contentment for where I’m at in this very moment.

If I’m going to continue to run for my mental health, I have to take all the steps in making sure I have all the essentials to do so! I’m so lucky to live less than five-minutes away from CVS Pharmacy! It’s the best convenient destination to find a ton of self-care and proactive wellness solutions to help me stay on top of my best self-care game.

I love stopping into CVS to grab snack bars to take with me to have after a run. These Pressed by KIND bars are my favorite! I love that they have no added sugars and give my body the natural carbohydrates it needs to replenish muscles after a workout. They are also great for the summer months because they don’t have any ingredients that’ll melt all over the place. There are so many snack bars from popular brands at CVS, and I’m always discovering new ones I’ve never tried before.
Remember when I said one of my fears was to get injured? Well, I’ve been taking so many precautions to keep me from being injured. I’ve slowed my pace, been more intuitive with my body, stretched more, used muscle rubs spray, get regular massages, and wrap my knees with Kinesiology athletic tape. CVS has the best products for anyone with an active lifestyle! Plus, CVS Health brands are much more affordable. CVS Pharmacy is a great place to stop for all your gym-bag essentials.

The products that cater to holistic wellness are endless. You’ll be able to find essentials for vitamins/supplements, fitness, nutrition, sleep, mood/energy support, and skincare! I live for their Olly melatonin gummies and night and the biotin gummies in the morning. I have to hide them now because everyone in the house loves them.

I know this sounds funny, but since my brother is in the Air Force and works long draining ours, he considers his video game hour his self-care. I mean, each to their own, right? Self-care for my boyfriend is spending time at the gym each night, and then sitting down to play the piano for an hour or two before bed. CVS knows that self-care can look different to all people, but it’s important to incorporate it into our daily routines, regardless of age, gender or income.
Another great snack bar they carry are the MADE GOOD chocolate banana granola bars. These are perfect for anyone with a peanut allergy, and school safe just in case you forgot your snacks while you’re on the way to school! I love these bars for travel days when I’m on the plane and need something to hold me over.

I think you’ll also love this Oak and Reed Stainless steel white marble water bottle! It’s the perfect size for a bag, and it keeps your water ice cold! It’s a great reusable bottle for travel, the gym, or to drink throughout the day. Hydration is vital for keeping up with my running goals and keeping my body healthy. I don’t drink enough water but keeping the water bottle filled up near me helps a lot. I had so many compliments on this water bottle at the gym a few nights ago, and people were surprised when I said I got it at CVS! I’m telling you, people, CVS is crushing it lately! If you haven’t stopped in for a while, you’re in for a real treat. 
Adding tea to your self-care routine is a game-changer. I love having tea during a hot bath with essential oils, late at night while I watch a movie, or during my afternoon slump hour. The Be Well Teas at CVS will forever be my favorite. You don’t need to add any sweetener to your cup because the flavor is outstanding! In the afternoons, I’ve been trying my hardest to cut out my coffee and stick to tea instead. Get Focused tea for energy has made that pretty easy. It has hints of blueberries, my favorite, for the flavor! I can’t wait to try their Get Relaxed tea next. Let me know if you’ve tried that one out! Tea is so calming, which is the point of self-care!

I battle with endometriosis, so when I stop into CVS for medicine or bath salts, I always pick up a new tea to try! Plus, I bought my heating pad for cramps there last time, and it pretty much saved me a night of sleep! I’ll forever be grateful.

You all know I love making healthy snack balls to keep in the house for the morning before a run. It gives me the right amount of energy without all the extra density in my stomach. These energy balls help me from experiencing the annoying side stitch. I made these three-ingredient balls from products at CVS Pharmacy. I mixed a large scoop of peanut butter, 1/4 cup of oats, one scoop of Navitas Organics Focus Daily Superfood Boost, and rolled them into balls. Navitas Organics are one of my favorite brands at CVS Pharmacy. I love their matcha powder, goji berries, and turmeric powder as well! CVS is truly the perfect one-stop-shop! Oh, and you MUST try these energy balls out!
Smoothie bowls are a big part of my post-run routine! I have been adding the Green Superfood from Amazing Grass to my smoothie bowls for the past year, and I was so excited to see CVS carrying it.

Here’s what I put in my smoothie bowl: 1 cup of almond milk, 1/2 cup of ice, 1 banana, one scoop of protein powder, 1 scoop of Green Superfood from Amazing Grass, and two cups of spinach. I love topping the smoothie bowls with granola, chia seeds, fresh fruit, and coconut. The Made Good bars tasted great on top. I love the added crunch.

I talked about the Tested to be Trusted campaign that kicked off in mid-May! If you missed that post, then you’re probably wondering what that is. The Tested to be Trusted program created by CVS Pharmacy, requires third-party testing of ALL vitamins and supplements sold in-store and online to confirm the accuracy of the dietary ingredients listed on the supplement facts panel and to confirm products are free from certain additives and ingredients! CVS Pharmacy is the first and only national retailer to implement a program that requires this caliber of standards for vitamins and supplements, and it’s why I feel so confident about being a CVS Pharmacy customer, and it’s why I LOVE SUPPORTING this great company. The trust they build with customers is impressive, and I love all of the hard work they put into changing for the better.

I mentioned that running had changed my mental health. I’d love to hear what you do for self-care, and what has kept you on a healthy path the past year! I’d love to have an open discussion with you all about it. xo

Questions for you!

1. What do you do for YOUR mental health?
2. What does self-care mean to you?
3. Do you have any favorite CVS products you can’t live without?

ps: don’t forget to check the previous post to see if you won the CVS self-care package giveaway! 

This recap post almost didn’t happen this morning. I just spent the last 45-minutes trying to revive my computer after Leo’s big furry tail knocked over my coffee onto the keys. Luckily my persistent hair drying method worked, and my keyboard has finally regained life. I deserve some kind of computer doctor medal after that one. It’s a good thing my computer is working because I’m excited to share my week with you all. It was a good one.

Last week was filled with a lot of fun. I made time for tennis, went river floating down the catawba, went out with some friends, tried a (new to me) vegan restaurant in Charlotte, made a pad thai with zoodles that you must try, and got covered in paint working on a DIY project with my dad. Now, that is my kind of week. This week, I’m going to focus more on my running, organizing closets in the house, and posting the California blogs. Now that I’m back from my morning run, I made a second cup of coffee, and it’s time to start writing the recap!

The heat has me feeling defeated when it comes to running. I’m not giving up though, just taking it a lot slower until the cooler months get here. My goal is to keep running 2-4 miles several times a week to maintain my endurance until I can go all in. Even when I go out to run two miles, I feel pretty proud of myself.

Before I headed out on my run on Monday, I made a bowl of my protein oats. I use oats, water, protein powder, and top it with nut butter. I have found that this small pre-run breakfast makes me feel the best and doesn’t cause stomach cramping. I’ll usually recover from my run with a smoothie.

ps, I filmed a day in the life on Monday —> video link
After my Monday morning run, I spent the rest of the day working on my recap blog (like every Monday ).

For lunch, I made a delicious tuna salad wrap and a green smoothie (the tutorial is in the video.) Kyle and I been living off this tuna salad for a couple of weeks. It’s so dang tasty. I got Becca hooked on it last night, and she had to run to the store to make her own. It’s perfect for adding to salads, crackers, or sandwiches. Next time, I need to make it in a bigger batch, so I have plenty of leftovers.
I decided to switch it up and make something new on Monday night, so when I saw gluten-free pad thai sauce at the grocery store, I knew I needed to buy it. The recipe turned out to be so delicious, and I’ve made it twice! Last night, I made it with zucchini noodles, and I’m already counting down the hours until lunchtime, so I can eat the leftovers I bought more ingredients on my way home last night so I could shoot some photos and make a more formal recipe blog post, but the recipe is in my recap video from Monday + more details towards the bottom of this blog post! 
On Tuesday morning, I had a blackberry spinach smoothie for breakfast. It had 3 cups of fresh spinach, 1/2 cup frozen blackberries, one scoop of amazing grass greens, one scoop of vanilla protein powder, 2 cups of water, and topped with granola and nut butter!

For lunch, I had Mary’s Jalapeno seed crackers topped with my tuna salad and leftover pad tai on the side.
On Tuesday night, I met up with my friend, Emily (best karaoke dancer in the Lake Tahoe Video), for dinner at Fern. Fern is a vegan restaurant in Charlotte that I have wanted to try for a while now. I had heard so many good things, and it didn’t disappoint.

For my dinner, I ordered their white bean burger with garlic aioli on gluten-free bread with a side of herb potatoes. Wow, was it good! We decided to order dessert to top off the delicious food while we finished our glass of wine. We decided to go with raspberry & chocolate mousse. It was unreal! The presentation was abstract on a plate. The creamy chocolate mouse hit the spot, and I would recommend it if you try this place out.

speaking of places to eat in Charlotte; I’m working on updating my Charlotte Guide page. It’s so dated, and I think creating a “weekend in Charlotte” blog post will be so much better! 
On Wednesday, I worked on the blog all day, and then go around to making a Purple Carrot for dinner. I tried out the scallion noodle cakes with crispy broccolini and tamarind sauce. I was pretty shocked by how good the noodle cakes were! I baked extra chicken in the oven for kyle’s plate, but he also loved the noodle cakes. They were so unique, and the crispy edges made each bite extra tasty like biting into a crispy french fry. 
So Thursday’s run, oh boy. I made it 2.2 miles and had to walk the rest of the way. It was hot, and I waited way too long to go out for a run. Plus, I kept getting into my head and psyching myself out. It’s crazy how we can get in our heads and create a huge mental block. One of my rules for running is that if I can’t run the rest of the route, I must walk it. I can’t just walk back to my house after going one mile, but walk the rest of the planned run. I have found that this makes me feel less defeated when I can’t keep going. 
I just threw a ton of stuff in a bowl for dinner on Thursday night. I made steamed broccoli, cauliflower gnocchi, and a black bean burger! I don’t mind these random dinner nights because they are quick to make and plus they taste great.
After finishing the ice cream blog post on Friday, I ate a quick lunch, and then headed over to my parent’s house to work on a project with my dad! I had a big salad with spinach, kale, cabbage, tuna salad, avocado aioli dressing, sesame seeds, cucumbers, and tomatoes. It hit the spot! 
My dad and I have been working on making fun cornhole boards! We play all the time, but I wanted heavy-duty boards that had less bounce. My dad built these in a few hours, and then I came over to paint them! I’m going to put the finishing coat on them tomorrow, and then order some pink and yellow bags off of amazon. I told my dad that since he’s retired, he should start building these for people!
I didn’t know for sure what I wanted to paint on them, but I did know I wanted a lot of colors. I started taping off the top with painters tape until I created a fun design. I have some paint spots to touch up since it bled under the tape a bit, but I’m pretty satisfied with how they turned out. I’ll be making some fall ones with pumpkins on them next!

After working on these in the backyard heat, I floated around the pool for a bit to cool down and then headed home to shower off and get ready for some fun Friday night plans. 
We met a group of friends at Kid Cashew for dinner! This is another one of my favorite spots in Charlotte. Kyle and I split the marinated chicken skewers and hummus for a starter. For my entree, I ordered the quinoa stuffed avocado with salmon on top. The dish was terrific and it would be fun to recreate at home. I loved the idea of stuffing avocados with quinoa. If you’re a salmon lover, I highly suggest their salmon. They know how to cook it to perfection.
After dinner, we all headed over to 1812 to check out the cool speakeasy. It’s so cool because you walk into Manchester, and give the person working the password, and she opens up a brick wall, and you take the stairs down to this cool cocktail bar. If you’re ever out with friends in Charlotte, this is a cool spot to bring them to. 
I was up bright and early on Saturday morning to meet up with my tennis group. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to get out and play, but it felt so good to be back! And even though it was in the nineties, I managed to fit in the three hours of playing time. Since I’ve been running again, my endurance when it comes to playing tennis has been so much better. I’m never huffing and puffing after a game.
When I got home, I made tuna salad wraps for lunch for kyle and me, and then we headed to look at a few homes! We spent the rest of the evening finally watching Bohemian Rapsody, and dang was that an excellent movie. We also watched the docu-series I Love you, now die: The Common Weather vs. Michelle Carter on HBO, and that’s such a crazy and messed up case. Yikes. 
On Sunday morning, Becca and I met up to go floating down the river! We’ve been doing this for the past three years, and it never gets old. (year 1, year 2) We did replace the tube this year since last year we floated down on a deflated tube

After parking the car at the Riverwalk, we drove the river access in Fort Mill to begin our adventure down!
And leave it to us to pack venti iced coffees! 
It can take anywhere from 2-3 hours to float down the river, so we brought our lunches in a cooler. Of course, I made us delicious tuna salad sandwiches!
Becca was the real MVP of the day. We were floating fast downstream and were about to miss our chance of getting out near the car, so she dove off the tube and swam us to shore.  
When I got home, I showered off all the river water, made a cappucinno, and started working on the blog. Around 6 pm, I decided to make some pad thai with zoodles for dinner! I can’t believe how good it turned out. I cooked the zoodles up in a pan on high with avocado oil until the zoodles with fully cooked. Then, I added pad tai sauce, spinach, and peanuts! I made regular rice noodles for Kyle and then added shrimp on top of both! I’ll get a recipe blog post out for this one this week.

Questions for you!

1. What is something fun you like to do in the summertime with your friends outdoors?
2. Have you ever been to a speakeasy?
3. What state do you live in?

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What made you want to start running again?

After running my first half marathon, I told myself I was never going to run again. I was in so much pain that I was traumatized. Before that, I used to love running as a way to stay fit and help me de-stress. When I had a hard time focusing, I’d take a timeout to run, which seemed to help me relax my mind. When I shifted the reason why I was running, I started not to love it as much. It was more of something “I had to do,” and I was always nervous about racing.

I had been wanting to get back into running for a while now, but it was that fear of being too out of shape or being faced with an injury again that stood in my way. I decided to come up with a game plan that helped me slowly get back into running at a comfortable pace.

Now, I finally feel like I’m back to running for the fun of it again, and I honestly have been enjoying every run. Most importantly, I was ready to start running again. I’ve never been good at pushing myself to do things I don’t want to do.

Are you on any running diet?

I’m not. I do, however, eat a higher carb breakfast on the days I’m going to run, and follow-up my run with a high protein/natural sugar snack to replenish my body. I do focus on the timing of my eating before I run to make sure everything is digested and it won’t cause any cramping or discomfort. Other than that, I eat a pretty normal diet aside from being gluten & dairy-free.

Do you ever get side cramps? What helps?

One out of three runs, I’ll experience the painful side stitch. I started to pay attention to what I ate and how I was stretching on the days I had experienced the stitches. I noticed that if I didn’t let my food digest for at least an hour, or If I didn’t take the time to stretch well enough before a run, the chances were that I was going to experience a side stitch. They usually happen about five minutes into the run, so I’ll walk for about one minute, and then run, and then walk, and then run until the cramps goes away. If it’s still painful and doesn’t go away, I’ll usually put my run off until the next day, or push it to later that evening. Adding as much dynamic stretching as I can before taking off has helped me tremendously!

How to get my pace up more? I’m at a 12 min mile currently.

I think the more you run, the faster your body will get naturally over time. I used to push my pace beyond my comfort level, and that never worked in my favor. To me, running should be enjoyable, and your body knows what pace it should be running at. If you try to increase your speed too soon, you can set yourself up for an injury. Chatting with a running coach can help you come up with a game plan to increase speed if that’s something you’re working towards. For me, things like strength training, hill training, and stretching contribute to my pace-goals overtime. Once in a while, I’ll try to run at a super fast speed for one minute, slow it down, speed up again, slow it down, and even though it makes me tired, it does help with my pace. I usually do it on the last mile once I feel like my body is nice and warmed up.

Have you ever hated running? If so, how did you grow to love it enough to stick with it?

Yes. The first time I ever hated running when I was backing middle school. They made us run around the track for a fundraiser, and each time we ran a lap, we received a dollar amount from our sponsors. I’ll never forget how much I hated that fundraiser. The second time I learned that I hated running was when I was in high school. I was extremely out of shape, and running the required test-mile made me feel sick. I ran it as fast as I could because I was embarrassed and self-conscious about anyone thinking I was too overweight to do it. I remember missing my next class because I was so sick after running it. All of that made me never want to run again. Even back when I lost a lot of my weight in college, it was purely from walking.

Way back when I was living in Atlanta, around age 23, I joined a gym that had one of the most amazing communities. I got super involved in the classes for the first time and even worked with my trainer for a good six months. I had never been more fit in my life at that point. During one of my training sessions, I was told to stay on the treadmill and run/walk for one hour. We were doing a water weight test to see how much I was retaining. I was running at a 9 min mile pace, and after thirty minutes went by, I realized that I had successfully run over three miles for the first time in my life. Whenever I had hated running, it was because I was out of shape or had an injury. I never gave running a chance, and from the outside, I thought people were just naturally good at it. I didn’t realize that it’s something you have to work at before it becomes something you genuinely love.

Some people love running to race, and some people love running as an outlet from their everyday challenges. I’ve learned that racing is not for me but running for my mental health and as a way to stay in shape is what I love to run for. Getting back into it was going to be hard, but now that I’m at a point where it’s comfortable, I love it again.

How do you find your music? It’s the only thing that keeps me going, a good song!

I agree with you! I refuse to run without music, and it’s what helps me enjoy the run to the fullest. When I see people running together while having conversations, I’m not like…how? & no thanks! I usually make a playlist before I leave the house to get me excited about the run. I’ll search through Spotify or Apple radio for new music. Right now, I have Ariana Grande’s, thank u next album on repeat. That whole album puts me in a “mood” while running. Music also plays a big roll in my heart rate and energy levels. I like to add a mixture of slow and fast songs to help control my pace.

Have you lost any weight while running?

I struggle with high-cortisol levels in my body. For the past two years, I haven’t lost one pound. Even though I don’t have a scale, I do check in at the doctors to make sure I’m not gaining a ton of weight over time. I didn’t want running to be something that was only being used as a way to “lose weight,” but I wanted it to be there for me to stay in shape and help me mentally. I don’t think “being in shape” looks the same for everyone. Even though I’m not ripping with muscles in my arms or have a six pack of abs, I still feel very athletic and very in shape right now. If I wanted to lose weight, I’d focus more on cleaning up my diet, but I’m pretty comfortable in my body at the moment. I have days where my disorder will creep back in and tell me “you’re too fat” or “to search for the next best diet,” but that usually ends within two minutes after I give myself some tough love. The important thing about recovery is that you get to learn how to destroy those awful thoughts that creep up now and then. So, no, I have most likely not lost any weight while running, but goodness have I gained strength and confidence.

Do you plan on running daily or every other day?

Right now, I run every other day. If I feel like running back to back days or taking a couple of days off, I’ll do so. But, sticking to the every other day schedule has worked best for me. It keeps me consistent and motivated. When it comes to my mileage, I check in with myself at mile three to see if I’m up for a couple more. Running intuitively has kept me injury-free so far.

On days you run, do you still do some walking? Do you stretch before or after?

Because I have two active dogs, I have to walk 2-3 miles on the days I do not run, and the days I do run. I do a lot of my deep stretching after I finish running since my muscles are warmed up. I try my hardest to do 15-20 minutes of strength training on the days I’m not running, but I could be better about it. I also play tennis several days a week, which I like to do on my off-days.

How many miles are you averaging per week?

Right now, I’m running about 12-15 miles per week. I run every other day anywhere from 3-5 miles. I plan to increase to 15-20 miles by next month.

How do you motivate yourself knowing the first couple of runs will probably suck?

Taking it super slow helped me get past the “it’s gonna suck” mindset. I knew the first runs were going to be tough, but they were going to be quick. I added 0.1 miles onto each run to gradually get rid of that mindset. Even when I wanted to keep running, I made sure to stop. After the first couple of weeks, adding the milage made me feel so proud, and it quit being so hard. Doing it gradually helped me trust the process, and actually, see progress being made. If you can keep getting yourself out there for a short run, you’ll eventually realize that starting is the hardest part.

Did you focus on distance or pace first

At first, I was all about running a certain distance at a certain pace. It took me a while, but I realized that pace would come naturally and to only focus on running for a certain amount of time/distance. I’m now running slower than ever, but my runs feel better than ever. I can run a longer distance, for a longer amount of time, and I never get winded like I used to. I have turned off the audio cues to allow myself to run intuitively. Right now, I’m working on being able to run for one hour, no matter how fast or how many miles that takes me.

Do you run the entire time or break to walk?

I run the entire time. If I feel like I’m getting tired, or won’t be able to run any longer, I’ll round up the mile and run until it hits that solid number. Sometimes, I’ll stop for a quick ten seconds to stretch out my groin or shoulder, but I’m right back to it after that.

What is the biggest challenge you face while running now?

PERIOD CRAMPS. Struggling with endometriosis makes it even worse. The last thing I want to do when I’m in pain is to go out for a run, but I have noticed that exercise does help with the cramping. If the pain is too bad, I’ll save the run for the next day, but that is my biggest struggle right now.  I also carry a lot of water weight when I’m on my period so I feel so sluggish. Okkkk & the heat. The summer heat and humidity in the south is rough.

How did you get past the mental block with running?

I get a mental block with running just about every time I have to go do it. It’s not that I don’t want to do it, it’s that I fear what this run could bring. Because I’ve dealt this runner’s knee, Achilles tendonitis, groin sprains, and other injuries, I fear that this could be the run that I start feeling those things again. I sometimes fear that I’ll let myself down and only be able to run half of what I set out for. When I get those thoughts, I have to remind myself that I’m doing this for enjoyment. After the first five minutes of my run, I lose all of that mental-block and anxiety that comes with starting. The endorphins start to kick in, and I feel more proud than nervous. If you can push through that mental block, you’ll feel so good once you’re done. The way I feel after a run is why I get out there to do it. The rest of my day feels relaxed, and my thoughts are more transparent.

I get so self-conscious & frustrated because I know what fitness level I used to be, & now I’m so unfit.

I feel you. I think that’s what kept me from going back into running for so long. I once could run ten miles, but then could barely run one. It was so discouraging. Remember that before you were ever at a higher fitness level, you were also at ground zero. It takes time and determination to work yourself back up. The cool thing is that you already know you’re capable of doing it. You have to come up with a goal plan to get yourself back to the level you wish to be on. That self-consciousness will go away after you start crushing goals and working your way back up. When you look back on how you’re feeling right now, you’re going to be so proud of yourself. It’s all worth it in the end.

Who do you like to follow for running inspiration?

Following people who inspire you is one of my favorite things about Instagram. Most of the time, the people without a billion followers are the ones that inspire me most. I love following @dietitiangoesrunning for running inspiration. She’s a mom, a dietitian, and is an incredible runner! Every time I see her running posts, it makes me want to get out there and run. She’s also a running coach! I just downloaded her recipe e-book, and I’ll be making her brownies later this afternoon. And not to be biased or anything, but she’s from my hometown, so that makes me like her even more. Apparently, it runs in the family though, because her sister @banannarunning is just as inspiring! I also love following @elizabeth_healthy_life because she’s the sweetest, most down to earth, hard working person I know! She shares her struggles and strengths, and I love every single one of her posts. She runs for a very special reason, and I think you all will just love her. A quick few others I love to follow are @luluruns315, @runtothefinish, and most of my real-life friends. Watching Caitlin run consecutive races in Disney while battling lymphedema in her leg was one of the biggest things that inspired me just to start again. She crushes her races and overcomes the obstacles, and that motivates me to do the same. It’s important to find people that inspire you to be better.

How do you motivate yourself on days you don’t feel like running?

If I do not feel like running, which has only happened a couple of times, I won’t do it. I’ll just put it off until the next day. What has helped me stick to running on the days when I’m not up for it is that I “try.” I put on my running shoes, make a playlist, and tell myself that I can stop anytime I want. I have found on the days where I have no expectations, and I just “try” to run, those end up being my best days. I hit my first 4, and 5 mile runs on the days when I didn’t want to be out there doing it.

What are your favorite things to eat before a run and favorite things to eat after a run?

Before a run, I love my protein oats for breakfast. After a run, I love a date stuffed with peanut butter. Peanut butter and banana are also my favorite post or pre-workout snack.

Will you be racing?

I have no plans of racing at all right now. If I race, it’ll be a last-minute decision and nothing I train for. I may do some 5k’s because those are super fun, and usually for a good cause.

I think the best thing about running is finding a pair of shoes that fits you best! I want to help motivate you to start running, or to continue running by giving away a brand new pair of running shoes! The winner will receive a $100 gift card to Asics (because those are the shoes I love most!) All you have to do is answer the questions below in the comment section for a chance to win!

Questions for you!

1. What keeps you from running?
2. Are there any questions you’d like me to answer?
3. Should I run a 5k with one of my readers?

Five-Week Couch to 5k Training Plan + Running Food

For the past few months, I’ve been sharing my journey back to running.

I stopped running entirely after getting injured during my half. I feared that I’d start training again and the injury would come back forcing me to stop. The thought of failing at something I used to love made me not even want to start up again. It’s been over a year, but getting back into my running routine felt right this time. Running is something I like to do to calm me down, ease my anxiety, and to better my health. Being able to put my headphones in, lace up my tennis shoes, and walk out the door to run for a run has felt very rewarding. I have been feeling so much happier, thanks to the endorphins, and I’m finally feeling myself again. I know I’ll never be a competitive runner or enter any races, but being able to run for myself is the best feeling.

FIVE-WEEK COUCH TO 5K PLAN

I knew I had to have a plan this time. I decided to write a schedule that I knew was realistic for me and fit my style of running. Before you print out my running schedule, know that I am not a professional, and you should consult with your doctor, or a certified trainer before attempting any new fitness regimens. I’m just sharing the plan that worked for me. We are all different, so what works for me, may not work for you!

I’ve been working on a YouTube video that I filmed during my five weeks, and I hope to have that up sometime! I didn’t do too well organizing the clips, so it’s taking me a good amount of time to go through them and put them in the timeline where they belong. I have more sit-down chats about running in the video, so it’ll be a good one.

12-Week Half Marathon Training Plan + Eats 

NYC Half Marathon Recap

My Relationship With Running

5K TRAINING PLAN PRINT OUT

Even when I’m not training, I’ve always been able to run one mile. In PE, we learned that most healthy people should be able to run a mile. If you’re not there yet, it’s something you can quickly and easily work on. You can try running one minute on and one minute off until you reach a mile. Add 30 seconds to your running minutes each day to work your way up to a mile. Once you can run a mile comfortably, you can start this plan!

Week one was pretty tough. Just because I was able to run a mile didn’t mean that the mile felt great. I was definitely out of breath, and my legs felt extremely heavy. I run in a very hilly neighborhood, but I think that helped me build a lot of endurance. Now, when I run on flatter trails, it feels great.
The goal was to run every other day while adding .1 miles to the run until I reached two miles. When I hit two miles, I added .2 miles to the run until I hit three on the fifth week. This was the plan I created and followed 90% of it. There were days when I didn’t stretch; days I did tennis instead of strength training, and days where I maybe added an extra minute of running. But overall, it was the structure I needed. This is the plan that helped me build back my endurance for rerunning a comfortable three miles.

I’ve been on eight 3-mile runs since week five, and they are getting easier each time. Feeling proud of myself after a run is the best part. I think there’s part of me that still thinks “I can’t do it.” It’s defeating that mindset that means the most.

I’m currently on a new five-week plan to build up to five miles (I’ll share when I complete it!)

Strength training

my strength training lasts about 15-20- minutes, and it consists of short circuits with weights in my living room. My dumbells and kettlebells are my favorite investment!

Stretching

I make sure to stretch ten minutes after I run or do strength training. I can always work on improving my consistency with this! I’ve googled good stretches for IT bands and tried to replicate those.

Walking

I make sure to hit 6k-10k steps on the days I’m not running by walking alone. Since I have two dogs, this isn’t hard for me to reach because of the mileage we walk together. I’ll even stretch after a walk while my legs are warmed up.

Thursdays & Saturdays

I play tennis and sand volleyball. Playing a new sport is great for endurance! I won’t worry too much about getting my walking steps in if it lands on a sports day.
MY FAVORITE RUN DAY BREAKFAST

If you find something that works for you when it comes to the fuel and digestive department, stick to it! My breakfast for run days is almost always a bowl of protein oats! I feel my best when I run an hour after eating these oats. I digest it well, and it doesn’t cause any discomfort during my run. It’s crazy that food can make or break a run, so if you find something that works, stick to it! 
MY FAVORITE POST-RUN SNACK

I love to have a snack after running! I’ll usually drink water for about 45-minutes after a run and then have a carb + protein source to refuel.  I try to plan my runs to finish a little before lunch, but if not, I stick with a snack.

homemade gluten-free vegan almond butter banana bread

energy balls

protein muffins 
TEN THINGS I CAN’T RUN WITHOUT

I refuse to run without headphones! Music is one of the best ways to get my energy levels up when it comes to running, and I hate hearing myself breathe.

Shoes are everything! I highly recommend getting professionally fitted for running shoes. This can save you from unwanted injuries. Getting the socks with the running tabs will also help you from sliding and getting the blisters on the back of the heal.

I’ve never been one of those people that can run in shorts, so leggings with pockets to hold my cell phone are a must. Oh, and a visor, sunscreen, and sunglasses because I don’t want a sunburn!

I can’t live without my water and hydration tablets! I drink half a tablet water before my run and half after my run.

I hope this post gave you some inspiration to get out and start running!

If you print out the running plan, take a picture, and tag me in it so I can share it!

Questions or you!

1. At this very moment, can you run at least one mile?
2. What has stopped you from running in the past?
3. If you do run, what is one thing you cannot run without?

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Before I start the recap, I wanted to say thank you for all the sweet words in that last recap blog regarding my thoughts on Instagram. It was unexpected to see so many of you relate to how I was feeling. You put a lot of things in perspective for me, and being able to talk about things like that with my readers is why I love this platform! 
Last week was very successful in the running department, and my running post will be live on Wednesday! I’ve had many requests for a post on my journey from the couch to a 5k.  I’m looking forward to sharing the plan. I think you’re going to love the printout.

I had a stressful Monday morning. Things weren’t running smoothly on the blog’s backend, so I had a call with a web developer to get it all worked out and do a couple of audits. I’m excited to work with him to make things run smoother! We have a call later this afternoon to go over more of the issues that need fixing.

I decided to take a break from computer work, and head out on my run! Back in the day, running was my outlet for when I had anxiety, or when I felt overwhelmed. It feels so good to be able to use that outlet again. When people ask me why I run, it’s for my mental health. Running for training purposes ruined that mind space for me. The training felt more like a punishment rather than a release. I have been looking forward to running so much lately, and I have to talk myself out of doing it consecutive days, or running further than planned.

Now that I’ve spent a month and a half working towards three miles again, I’ll be spending the next month and a half working towards four to five miles. I’ll be doing the same concept by adding .1 to each one of my runs. My goal is to ultimately hit one hour of running which will be about six miles for me and never go beyond that.
After my run on Monday morning, I had a chicken salad gluten free wrap for lunch. We have made this chicken salad five times in the past week! We cannot get enough. The wraps are the gluten-free mission wraps, and I’m blown away with how good they are. They are by far the best gluten-free wraps I’ve had. I’m going to use them in a chicken tortilla soup soon.

After lunch, I finished up the recap post and finally got that up! 
On Tuesday afternoon, I worked on changing out the winter and summer clothes. It felt good to put all the sweaters away and hang up the sundresses and shorts.

When I was finished, I had a protein shake for lunch. It had kale, Amazing Grass Green Superfood powder, almond milk, protein powder, ice, banana, and kiwi.I went on a few walks with the dogs and then spent my evening editing the running video.

For lunch, I had the most random plate, but you guys know that’s how I roll! I had grapes with honey, a slice of gluten-free bread with my chicken salad recipe, and three microwaved Applegate chicken nuggets.
The weather was perfect on Wednesday morning. After walking the dogs and having my breakfast, I decided to fit in my scheduled three-mile run. I keep telling myself that I’m going to go for a run in a new location without hills, but it’s just so much more convenient to step outside and go for a run without adding all the extra driving.

The run went great. It’s crazy that three miles are tough for me now. As soon as I hit 2.4, I’m always ready to slow it down and quit. I’m excited to see how many more runs it takes before I’m feeling comfortable at the 3-mile mark again.

For lunch, I had gluten-free toast with Kite-Hill chive cream cheese, kiwi, grapes, pineapple, honey, and macadamia nuts. I’ve been drinking TrueNopal after running lately to help with hydration! I get so hot out in the sun since I run in the middle of the day. Cactus water is a great way to rehydrate and contains wayyyyy less sugar than coconut water.

I used to have stomach aches nearly every single night, discomfort from bloating, and always felt too sluggish to do anything. I was talking to a dietician that recommended that I cut my raw vegetable intake in half and try taking probiotics each day. It’s been two and a half weeks since taking probiotics every single day and cutting back on all of the vegetables I was eating, and I am in complete shock. I haven’t complained about a stomach ache, bloating, or anything in weeks. Now, I’m not giving up vegetables at all, just limiting the amount I’m eating. If you’re looking for a good probiotic to have every day, I highly recommend the GoodBelly (no sugar added) straight shots! I have been telling everyone about these because they have helped me feel so much better. I take one every day at noon. If you have digestive issues, it’s worth giving it a shot! (no pun intended) 
I decided to stop out at my parent’s house on Wednesday night, so the dogs could play in the backyard. My mom had been requesting my blueberry muffins, so I made her a batch using this recipe, but added blueberries instead of blackberries, and chia seeds. I used the same recipe without the lemon and blackberry but added chocolate chips for my dad. He’s not a fruit person. I know her doormat says “I hope you brought wine,” but I was hoping the muffins would do  
We got stuck in traffic on the back country road (because of construction) so thank goodness I had a muffin in the car! I was so hungry on the way back, and it held me over until I got home. 
I made a quick pizza for Kyle and me to split. I used the kale & broccoli crust from Trader Joes (cook it at 420 for ten minutes on each side before adding the toppings), topped it with tomato sauce, Applegate turkey pepperoni, and Daiya mozzarella shreds. We make this a lot!
I was excited about the Thursday night sand volleyball league. It’s so much fun and the weather couldn’t have been any more perfect. 
After our matches, we headed to Burton’s for dinner. Caitlin and I both ordered the gluten-free/veganGeneral Tso cauliflower wings. These are honestly one of the best things in Charlotte. I was excited for Caitlin to try them, and she was pretty impressed too! 
My body felt wrecked the next morning after playing sand volleyball. I was throwing myself all over the place to dive for balls, and I felt it when I woke up. I figured a run would help loosen up my body, but I felt worse. My neck and were so tight. After showering off, I knew the rest of Friday was going to be very inactive. 
Most people wouldn’t take pictures of their leftovers, but keepin’ it real. Here’s Friday’s lunch!
I decided to watch a movie with a cappuccino on Friday afternoon. It was raining, and since my brain wasn’t cooperating, I thought it was the best decision. I watched Green Book, and goodness was it a wonderful movie! It makes you feel sad, but happy at the end. 
Kyle and I decided to go out for dinner on Friday night. We went to one of our favorite sushi spots, Akahana. I ordered my favorite thing on the menu, a ginger salad and the gluten-free chicken lettuce wraps. I could eat this every single day! 
I worked on more of the running printables Saturday morning while drinking a smoothie. I decided not to go to tennis because my body still felt super sore, and it was overcast outside so I figured we’d get rained out anyway.

My smoothie had kale, Amazing Grass Green Superfood powder, almond milk, protein powder, ice, banana, raspberries, and blueberries.
I headed to the outlets to get some new running shoes on Saturday afternoon. As I was checking out, Becca called to see if I wanted to meet her at Lights Juicery & Cafe for lunch. Absolutely!

Becca and I split a french press coffee and their veggie dream sandwich with a kale salad. 
The coffee is so good there, but the food is just as great! We love this spot, especially since it’s halfway between our houses.
I watched an Easter service on t.v. while having my coffee on Sunday morning.

A few hours later, I had a slice of toast with peanut butter and banana slices to fuel my run. I usually let my food digest 45-minutes before taking off.
It was my first run with the new running shoes, and it’ made a world of difference. I have a wider foot, and I kept getting pain when I landed on the sides of my feet in the Brooks I was previously wearing. I felt like the past running shoes have been way too bulky and heavy for me. These Gel-Quantum 90 SG running shoes were light, super foamy, and wide enough for my feet to land comfortably. The best part was that the outlets had a BOGO on these! They are on sale right now, but definitely go up 1/2 a size.  I have them in grey and harmony white. I felt like I was running on clouds in these! 
For lunch, I made another batch of chicken salad to go with the gluten-free wraps!
Kyle and I took a trip to Home Depot to grab some cleaning supplies and I could not resist buying a few of these gorgeous flowers to put out in the pots out front.
We ended Sunday night with making homemade gluten-free chicken nuggets and watching American Idol!

I hope you all had a great weekend and an even better week!

Questions for you!

1. What did you do for Easter?
2. What recipe have you been making on repeat lately?
3. What is one thing you look forward to during the week?

I just finished walking the dogs a few miles, the sun and breeze are beaming through the open windows, my coffee is brewing, and I’m enjoying the sounds of my neighbors mowing their lawns. Oh, this is spring. I spent a few hours yesterday building a goal chart for spring and summer. I have so many things going through my mind that I’d like to accomplish, but writing it down and creating a plan is what really helps me put those goals into action. If you ever feel like you’re in a rut, grab a piece of paper and start planning. Write down your dreams, goals, and a few notes on how you plan to make them come to life  I always think of spring as an open the door to new beginnings, and I’m always feeling inspired to be better and do better this time of year. I know this has nothing to do with my recap, but just thought I’d share.

If you find yourself scrolling through Instagram a lot, you may feel the urge always to be doing something or going somewhere. It takes me five minutes after scrolling through social media to all of a sudden want something someone else has. Or if I see someone take a cool shot, I’ll think…hmmm, maybe I should be out in flower fields taking fresh pics for Instagram. To be honest, that’s not something I always enjoy doing. I don’t know where a lot of these influencers get their drive to dress up and take those shots every day. It’s truly impressive! I feel like it’s a chore just to put on mascara. Did you know that you should be posting 3 to 4 times a day on Instagram just to get picked up in the algorithm? No thanks. I sometimes have to think back to why I started blogging, and it was really to share my journey to a happier and healthier life. And to me, being happy and healthy means doing things I enjoy and sometimes those things don’t look as pretty on Instagram, but that’s perfectly OK. I didn’t start this blog to be an Instagrammer, or dress up for photos. As soon as I realized that, the pressure of posting or trying to keep up with the Instagram Jones kind of went away. This blog is where I feel the most creative, and it’s where I feel the most connected with readers, and it’s where I feel most comfortable being myself and pouring out my heart and soul. To those of you that still read this blog rather than just scrolling my Instagram, thank you for being here!  The point I was trying to make before that turned into a novel is that, after realizing that I always get the pressure to be doing something after scrolling through Instagram, I told myself I was going to have a week where I did everything I wanted to do, even if it wasn’t “content.” So this week, I listened to myself and enjoyed my week of walking the dogs, laying on the couch watching crime shows, organizing my closet, editing upcoming videos, editing a few blogs, working out, grocery shopping, eating good food, gardening, and staying around the house as much as possible. To be honest, this was one of the best weeks I’ve had in a long time. Sometimes being a boring person is something I crave. I do want to note that there is nothing wrong with Instagram, and I think it’s enjoyable, but it’s important to recognize when it’s making a negative impact on you. Maybe I’ll delete Instagram off my phone for a week and write a post about how it affected me.

Now, let’s get to the recap blog
Whenever I have a scheduled run, I always make sure to have a bowl of protein oats about an hour before. This has been the best fuel for me so far. I digest it well, I never feel full or hungry, and it never causes cramping (for me.) If you find a pre-run meal that works for you, stick with it! The post-run snack is what you can have fun changing up in my opinion.

I know I’ve mentioned it before and it’s repetitive, but here are the details just in case you’re new here!

I usually add blueberries to my protein oats, but since I was out, here’s how it went down! I add 1/4 cup of oats to a bowl with 1/2 cup of water and microwave for 45 seconds. If I’m adding blueberries, I’ll add in the blueberries at this point and microwave for an additional 30 seconds. It’ll look watery, but no worries! The protein powder will absorb it all up. I mix in about a scoop of protein powder, and then add my toppings! This one had peanut butter, vegan chocolate chips, and some Purely Elizabeth granola to add some extra crunch. On the side, I had a Koia protein drink mixed with a bit of almond milk for some extra energy! If you haven’t had the Koia drinks yet, you’re missing out! I always add them to almond milk just to make them last longer. They are so good! The vanilla bean is my favorite. Oh, and if you’re wondering about my protein powder, I have been using RawFusion lately. The flavor is so good, and it’s pretty inexpensive compared to the other brands I’ve used. I’ve had their chocolate, banana nut, and vanilla. 
About an hour after breakfast, I headed out on my run. I always tell myself that I’m going to drive to a flat trail, but I never feel up to it. Instead, I put myself through torture running the hilly neighborhood. Luckily, this makes my runs much easier when it’s a flat trail.

After I hit three miles, I feel so darn proud of myself. Mostly because I never thought I’d run for the enjoyment again. After I run, my endorphins kick in, and I’m happier. Running does bring me mental clarity, and it’s a good way to do something for myself that empowers me. The best part of this is that I don’t have an end plan. My goal is to just run for enjoyment and use it as meditation. Will I be running any races? Absolutely not! And if I do, it’ll be unplanned and something I do for fun.
After getting cleaned up after my run, I headed to Sprouts to pick up some groceries. I ended up making the most delicious dairy-free chicken salad. I cannot wait to share the recipe with you this week. I’ve already made three batches, and Kyle keeps asking for more. I plan to add it to my meal prep video I’m shooting Friday as well.

So for lunch, I had a kale salad topped with the chicken salad, tomatoes, grapes, and Mary’s gluten-free crackers. Holy Moly, these things are so good! I don’t know if I can buy them anymore because Kyle and I ate the whole box in one night. We kept dipping them into the chicken salad. They taste just like the buttery Ritz crackers. I was not expecting them to be so good! 
I spent the rest of the evening editing some videos for YouTube and watching American Idol before bed Dinner? Well, the box of crackers with chicken salad while standing around the counter. 
I had a delicious chocolate strawberry bagel for dessert on Tuesday morning! I use the O’doughs plain gluten-free bagel and topped it with the Kite-Hill strawberry cream cheese, vegan Enjoy Life chocolate chips, and fresh strawberries. This breakfast was so tasty, and I also had almond milk mixed with one scoop of protein powder for some extra protein. 
In the afternoon, I walked the dogs and then decided to film a quick tutorial video for my IGTV and Youtube. I get asked a lot about how I make my cauliflower gnocchi so crispy! I have a blog post on it, but now you can watch the video on my Instagram or Youtube channel! And yes, I dip them in ketchup! 
For lunch, I had chopped kale with chicken salad on top, and gluten-free croutons. 
I decided to whip up some protein balls later in the afternoon. I love keeping these in my fridge for a post-run snack or something to have with my coffee, or before my dog walks. I am one of those people that needs to eat something when I wake up. I’m always hungry first thing in the morning. One time, I tried intermittent fasting for a month, which helped a bit, but I still loved having my early morning breakfast. I don’t know how people do it!

These balls have three scoops chocolate protein powder, 1 cup of gluten-free oats, 1/3 cup of almond milk (or more if dry), 1/4 cup of peanut butter, and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Mix and form into balls! It’s that easy  
Lazy dinner night = Siete tortilla pizzas with tomato sauce, dairy-free Daiya mozzarella shreds, and Applegate turkey pepperoni. I’m sure these don’t look appetizing but don’t let this photo fool you. They were delicious! 
I was out of oats on Wednesday morning, so I settled for a gluten-free bagel with peanut butter and a banana before my run. This is also another pre-workout food that I can stomach well. Bananas are great for muscle cramps. 
I had two miles planned, and they went pretty smoothly! The only problem was that it was really hot outside! I could feel my face turning into a tomato after five minutes of running. I’m going to have to start waking up at the crack of dawn to run in the summer. When we get temps reaching 100, I’ll have no choice.

After hopping into the shower, I was still burning up. The best way to cool off is a smoothie! My smoothie had 2 cups of kale, almond milk, banana, protein powder, Amazing Grass Green Superfood powder, and ice. Oh, and topped with Purely Elizabeth granola for that extra crunch! 
For dinner, I had a gluten-free bagel topped with Kite-Hill Chive cream cheese, organic turkey slices, grapes with honey, and leftover cauliflower gnocchi. I also have a bowl of dairy-free chocolate peanut butter Enlightened Ice cream with SoDelicious dairy-free whipped topping for dessert.  I’m telling you, that ice cream was amazing!!!! 
Not a bad way to wake up!  
Breakfast on Thursday was the same as Wednesday!

For the past ten days, I’ve had a GoodBelly PlusShot Probiotic juice daily. If you ever deal with digestive issues or bloating, you may want to try this out. My bloating in the evenings has gone down tremendously, and the stomach pains I feel after eating certain foods have vanished. It could be the fact that I’m eating fewer vegetables, but so far these shots have been a game changer! They are definitely worth trying out! 
On the days I’m not running, I dedicate 15 to 20 minutes of living room strength training. I do a lot of leg lifts, weights, and core workouts. I don’t love going to the gym that much anymore (i go through gym phases), and being able to workout in my living room is just as effective and so much more convenient. After my workout, I decided to end it with a one-mile run. 
I spent the rest of the day with the air conditioning guys. My upstairs unit had a part break (the same part as last year), and luckily it was under warranty, so they spent a few hours fixing it.

After the air conditioning nonsense, I had a quick dinner! I made a turkey bagel sandwich with kite-hill chive cream cheese and had fresh fruit with honey on the side. 
Later in the evening, Caitlin and I headed to play with our sand volleyball league. I hadn’t played volleyball since high school, but it was so much fun. I was exhausted because I didn’t get home until midnight, and then I was all wound up and didn’t fall asleep until 2 am. I should have never turned on Dateline!
I had a late start to my Friday morning because I was so tired. The dogs and I did our two-miles, and then came to have breakfast. I had Chobani’s new dairy-free yogurt with fresh fruit, and it was delicious! I love how their dairy-free yogurt actually tastes like Greek yogurt, and it’s pretty low in sugar compared to other brands. 
I took Friday off from running, and decided to rest my muscles and do some walking and stretching instead. We had in and out of storms, so I was happy with that decision. I had to run to Earthfare to pick up a few ingredients for baking, and I bought one of their super green juices for the car ride home. It had ZERO sweetness whatsoever. It was one of those “hurry up and chug” types of juices. 
I baked my mom some her favorite protein muffins! She had been requesting them all week. These are the lemon blackberry protein muffins but with poppy seeds and blueberries instead of the blackberries. They are so delicious!

Kyle and I were going to play tennis Friday night but got rained out. Instead, we ate stir fry and watched the documentary on the disappearance of Madeleine Mccann. I love crime documentaries, but not things like this. It just made me sad and feel uneasy.
We had powerful storms on Saturday morning. The pups and I stayed in bed watching the Food Network and sipping coffee while listening to the thunder. The rain meant another day without tennis, but I found some other things to do around the house.
I made a delicious smoothie bowl for breakfast. It had 2 cups of kale, almond milk, banana, protein powder, Amazing Grass Green Superfood powder, and ice. I topped it with Purely Elizabeth granola, banana, kiwi, honey, and coconut shreds.
I was shocked at the amount of DMs I got about me eating the kiwi skin! I think it’s the best part because it’s sour, But it’s also filled with extra fiber and nutrients. Don’t neglect the kiwi skin! Add it to your smoothies if you can’t handle the texture, but it’s too good to let it go to waste. 
I was planning to take Saturday off, but when the sun came out, I knew it was a sign to get out there and run! I had already taken Friday off, and if I continued to take days off, I’d quit altogether. After finishing the Saturday run, I felt so proud of myself. It was unplanned but felt great! The humidity wasn’t fun, but that’s the type of thing that’ll make you stronger!

After showering off, I had a cappuccino and watched more of the documentary with Kyle! We just relaxed the rest of the day and did a few things around the house. 
On Sunday morning, I met up with Caitlin at Starbucks so we could map out our California road trip that is going down this summer! We finished the itinerary, but now adding a few stops and planning which hotels we’ll stay at in the locations! I’m so excited to share the trip with you! It’s going to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.
After a few hours of planning, we were super hungry, so we walked over to the Towne Tavern for lunch. I ordered a salmon salad that came with romaine, onions, cherries, pecans, and a citrus vinaigrette. It hit the spot!  
I spent the rest of Sunday editing my running video that should be done very soon! I ended my evening with a green smoothie, finished up my taxes, and watched American Idol before bed!

Questions for you!

1. If you have Instagram, do you ever feel the urge for “more” after browsing?
2. Has Instagram steered you away from reading blogs?
3. If you’re reading here today, say hi by leaving the “ ” emoji.

I hope you all had a great weekend. It looks like it’s going to be a rainy day today, so after I get this recap post done, I’m going to hurry up and get outside for my run. It’s crazy to think that one month ago, I was struggling to run one mile and on Saturday, I finally hit three miles, and it felt comfortable. It feels so good to be back in the rhythm again. I just need to remind myself to do more strength training, and I’ll be set. I’m currently putting together my YouTube video from March which will take you on the runs, what I ate, and getting back into running routine with me!  
I was finally feeling back to my normal self on Wednesday after being sick. I decided to get back out and go for a run since it was 70-degrees and I needed to build my stamina back up before Saturday. This run felt rough, and my body wasn’t 100% into it. I decided to stop at 2.2, which was only .3 under the planned run. I’ve learned to be proud of every single run I complete even if it’s short, slow, or didn’t go as planned. 
Kyle and I did an evening walk with the dogs before having dinner. I made my vegan enchiladas with the Casava flour tortillas from Siete. I had carrots, avocado, and Chive Kite-Hill on the side.
Thursday breakfast: spinach salad with balsamic, raspberry Lava yogurt with protein powder added, and a side of Bearitos! The Bearitos are soooooo good. I can’t wait to add them to a bowl of chili.

Thursday lunch: fresh spinach, unsweetened almond milk, one scoop vanilla protein powder, frozen banana, frozen mango, and ice. 
On Thursday night, I baked up the Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi and added it the kale and quinoa mix. I mixed in the Kite-Hill chive cream cheese to add more flavor. 
I met up with my mom on Friday afternoon for lunch. We headed over to Earthfare to get soup and sushi. I had their vegetarian chili and sushi on the side. My mom had the quesadillas and chicken & dumpling soup. I’m not sure who’s combo was weirder.
I made chicken and vegetable stir fry for dinner on Friday night. I hadn’t made it in a while, and it’s one of our favorite dinners. We watched movies on Friday night, and I headed to bed early because I needed to wake up early for my run with Meighan. 
After having my coffee, I made a slice of peanut butter toast and headed out the door for my run with Meighan. She was in town for one of her friend’s birthday parties, and we decided to fit in our run. We had planned it for last Sunday, but we got rained out in D.C. 
The run was beautiful! Spring is in full swing here in Charlotte.

I forgot how much I love running with her!  It’s so much easier to feed off of the energy of a running buddy rather than run alone. It felt so dang good to hit three miles again finally, and I felt so good about it. It wasn’t a struggle, and I didn’t feel like I was pushing myself at all. 
After my run, I headed to Starbucks to pick up an iced coffee before tennis. I knew after three hours of tennis; I was going to need some coffee!
I got home around 2 pm and had leftover stir fry for lunch.
We decided to bring the dogs over to my parent’s house on Saturday evening to around in the backyard. And when my parent’s say they are making salmon and grilled vegetables, it’s the way to my heart. 
Sunday morning breakfast: fresh spinach, unsweetened almond milk, one scoop vanilla protein powder, frozen banana, frozen mango, and ice. I love topping my smoothies with Purely Elizabeth granola!
Becca and I had plans to go for a long trail walk on Sunday morning, but we got rained out. I wasn’t mad about it because I didn’t feel like doing anything active. We decided to hit up the movies instead! We headed to Target to get movie snacks first, and then made our way to the theatre to go see “US.” We had the whole movie theater to ourselves. 
Ohhhhhh and if you’re wondering, the movie was really good!! I definitely recommend it. I love a good mix of horror and humor.
For dinner, I made a kale & broccoli crust from Trader Joe’s topped with tomato sauce, Daiya mozzarella cheese shreds, and Applegate turkey pepperonis. The key to making this crust perfect is baking the crust for 10 minutes at 430-degrees, flipping and baking it another 10 minutes, adding the toppings, and then baking it again for 10-12 minutes!

Questions for you!

1. Describe your weekend in one word.
2. What is your favorite movie theater snack?
3. Do you have any fitness goals for this spring?

After breakfast, I did my mile walk with both dogs! I used this as a way to get my muscles nice and loose before pre-run stretching.

I did two miles, and it felt great. I felt like I could have kept going, but it takes more willpower to make yourself stop and stick to the training plan. The hills are now becoming a breeze, and I find myself breathing more relaxed during the run. 
For dinner, I topped a baby kale salad with grilled salmon and sweet potatoes. The salmon was grilled with Trader Joe’s BBQ sauce and Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. I buy the freshly caught salmon from Trader Joe’s and slice it into sections to make it easier to grill. I posted a delicious recipe for grilled salmon on my blog last week that you can check out here just in case you missed it!


On Tuesday, I had Forager Plain Chashewgurt with my protein powder and Elizabeth Granola on top! This combo is like dessert. I felt restless after editing for a few hours, so I decided to get up and try to complete my 10,000 steps before 1 pm. I figured this would be an excellent way to tire me out and force me to sit still for a few more hours of editing. Do you ever hear of parent’s talking about tiring their kids out? Well, I feel like I’m the kid sometimes and I need some of the energy released before I can focus. Long walks are so helpful for me, and that’s usually why I do them when I first wake up with the dogs. I loved setting this goal publicly because it forced me to stick with it and complete those 10,000 steps before! I loved getting messages from you guys as well because a lot of you were joining me on the challenge! It felt like a group effort. 
I was really hungry after walking those miles! I made my crispy cauliflower gnocchi, green beans, and salmon for lunch. After my walk and filling my belly, I was ready to sit back with my cappucinno and work. The walking did the trick! I don’t know why I have troubles focussing some days. Even when I want to do 1000 things, I don’t know where to start. 
I didn’t feel like cooking, and I was craving a pizza so bad on Tuesday night. I decided to order a gluten-free & dairy-free pizza from Brixx Wood Fired Pizza. I have lived in my house for just about three years now, and this was the first time I had ever used a delivery service. The pizza was so good, and now I need NOT to make this a habit. Kyle had the chicken buffalo pizza, but I’ve never been a “team buffalo” person. Especially not on pizza! 
For my breakfast on Wednesday morning, I had my go-to protein oats with some granola on top. I don’t know what it is about having crunchy granola on my oats, but I like it.

A few hours later, I headed out on my run! I made a mistake with my apple watch and didn’t turn it on until .5mi into the run. When I looked at my running app, I was at 2.5, so I quickly stopped. I had only planned to do 2.1 for the day. It wasn’t a big difference, but I still am trying to hard to stick to the structure. The weather was breathtaking on Wednesday and spring was all over my neighborhood. I felt so good to be out running.
I had a protein shake for lunch that had frozen peaches, banana, almond milk, ice, protein powder, and topped with Purely Elizabeth granola. For dinner, I had a baby kale salad with grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, sesame seeds, and a honey mustard vinaigrette. About three hours later, I ended the night with a big bowl of BoomChickaPop popcorn and chocolate chips on top. 
My dad came over on Thursday so we could finish grouting the backsplash in the kitchen. He’s so good at this stuff. We will be starting the cabinet painting in a few weeks, so that’ll be pretty intense!

I also decided to try out 23andMe (Healthy & Ancestry.) It’s pretty pricey, but I’m really looking forward to getting my results. I’ll keep you all posted!
I did get a recipe video editing for this popular gluten-free & vegan banana bread recipe up on my YouTube channel! You can watch it here!  I have two videos coming up next week so don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you can receive the notifications when I post!  
For my dinner on Thursday night, I had half of the Fuji Apple Chicken salad from Panera with extra baby kale. I know that bowl looks like it’s just lettuce, but all the chicken and good stuff when to the bottom when I tossed it around in dressing.
On Friday morning, I woke up early to get ready and head over to my parent’s house to drop off the dogs for the weekend, and do my 2-mile run in their neighborhood. They have zero hills, so I thought it would be more enjoyable. The run went well, but I’m not a morning runner. This was going to be my last run before hitting 3-miles with Meighan in D.C.
When I got back to my house, I took a quick shower, packed a bag for D.C., and Kyle, and I headed out for our road trip around 11 A.M. We were excited to visit Meighan and her boyfriend for the weekend. 
The trip took forever this time. We regretted not flying five hours into our drive

I had a lot of questions about my fruit infused water. The bottle is a Contigo Purity Glass Water Bottle (and my favorite water bottle on the planet.) I just added in mandarines, blueberries, and raspberries to give it a hint of flavor. This helps people like me, who don’t love water, stay hydrated.

Kyle and I snacked on trail mix from Earthfare, which I should have never opened the bag. Can’t stop / won’t stop mood! We also split a granola bar on round two of a snack attack.

I thought I’d treat myself to an afternoon latte, but that went downhill when I got into the car, and they added a ton of vanilla syrup. Ew, wuuuut! Unless it’s a peppermint mocha latte, I only want espresso and almond milk in my cup. This wasn’t the only reason why I was feeling coffee defeated and depleted. Before we found an actual Dunkin, 45-minutes before that we had followed the GPS six miles out of the way off a country road exit to stop at a Dunkin, but when we got to the location, it was just a gas station that served drip “Dunkin” coffee. It smelled really old, and I couldn’t put myself through that. I don’t know how Kyle puts up with my coffee diva-ness. 
Around four, I had the other half of my Panera salad I had packed for the road trip.

We finally made it to our hotel around 7:30 pm! We quickly unpacked and headed out to meet up with Meighan and her boyfriend for dinner! 
I cannot wait to share all the photos from our trip Friday!  I missed this girl so much.

We got back home on Sunday evening.

**sickness details, don’t read if you have sensitive stomach**

…

I was feeling so off during the car ride, and I noticed it because I wasn’t hungry. I’m always hungry for some kind of snacks, coffee, or Panera salads on road trips. I didn’t even want to look at food. I had a banana and a protein bar for the whole day but kept getting weird nauseous waves. I thought it was because I was looking at my phone on the entire trip and it may have caused motion sickness.

…

I took a bubble bath around 7 PM, but it didn’t help with any of nausea. I drank some water to help my stomach and make sure I was hydrated.

…

We started watching American Idol around 8, and that’s when it all went downhill. I darted to the trash and started vomiting aggressively. When I throw up, it’s rare. It happens maybe once every two years. Of course, I felt better for about thirty minutes. I decided to shower off, brush my teeth, bring ice water up to bed with me, a giant bucket just in case, and go lay down. Kyle came upstairs to watch the show with me, but I was out sleeping within thirty minutes.

…

I woke up at 1:30 with stomach aches. I knew it was coming. I grabbed the bucket, and it started happening again. That forceful, scary, uncontrollable…you know, feeling. I felt so weak, and my face was as pale as a ghost. I got dizzy and had a hard time standing up. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and my way downstairs to be on the couch. Even though I’m a 28-year-old adult, I called my mom crying because I was scared. She talked to me for a good thirty minutes as I sipped Pedialyte and finally fell back asleep. 
I felt like I was hit by a car when I woke up on Monday morning. My head was pounding, I was freezing while sweating, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Kyle took the morning off to make sure I was ok before he left for work. He brought up ice water and a waffle to see if I could get anything down, but I did not have an appetite, and the thought of food made me nauseous.

….

Around 10 am, I was having back spasms and shooting pain that caused so much discomfort I could hardly lay in bed. I wrapped my body in a heated blanket and finally fell asleep for a few more hours.

….

The migraine was unbearable, but I figured it was a mixture of no caffeine and dehydrated. Around noon, another vomiting episode occurred. I had no idea where any of the liquids were coming from because it had been almost 48 hours since eating anything.

…

My head was spinning, I was sweating, aching, and my back felt like it was going to break. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I called my doctor to see if I needed to come to see them or make my way into Urgent Care to be checked out. They wanted me over to them as soon as possible, so I headed that way.

…

I was severely dehydrated with a bad case of food poisoning. The doctor was nervous about my back pain was an issue with the gall bladder or pancreas, but was leaning more towards it being due to dehydration. He was right about dehydration because as soon as I had a round of IV, my back pain eased up a bit, the headache went from extreme to mild, and I was feeling more balanced. The fever was still 101, but he felt confident it would break within time.

…

I picked up my prescription, grabbed more Pedialyte, and headed straight to bed.

…

My fever finally broke around 8:30 pm. 
Kyle brought up some chicken and rice soup with some gluten-free toast to try to get me to eat. I managed to have some bread and most of the broth from the soup. I never thought I’d find myself trying to get as much sodium in my body as possible. After dinner, I took another round of medication, drank some water, and was out like a light bulb.

Luckily, I felt much better on Tuesday morning (minus the fact that it was snowing when I woke up.) It’s never fun to be sick, and I never want to have food poisoning for the rest of my life! I’m lucky that I got through it because I know it can hit people way worse. This is going to be a “take it slow” week for me, so it’ll be a great excuse to sit back and write/edit blogs that are waiting to be posted!

Questions for you!

1. Are you a road trip snacker?
2. Have you ever experienced food poisoning?
3. What is one goal you have for April?

I had one of the best weeks. It was active, the weather was perfect, I spent time with some pretty amazing people, and I got a lot of work done. Housework? Ehhh. I’ll be catching up on that this week  Even my Monday morning has been productive. I’ve already had my breakfast, walked the dogs two miles, and completed my scheduled run! Who’s ready to conquer the week? Me! Are you?  OK, good. Let’s jump into the weekly recap! 
I mentioned last week how the weather affects my moods. This couldn’t be truer! Since the sun has been out and the weather has been warm, my entire energy and attitude has shifted. I’m feeling more energetic, more productive, and happier. Maybe this is a sign that I need to move to Florida, Hawaii, or California.  
My Monday was pretty uneventful. I had my protein oats for breakfast, walked the dogs, and then headed off to my massage. I was feeling sore on Sunday evening, so I decided to schedule a massage for Monday afternoon. I’m so happy I did because I was feeling 100% better the next day. I picked up Whole Foods salad bar to go over some baby kale for lunch, and then spent the rest of the day putting my recap blog together. I finished later in the evening, walked the dogs with Kyle, and then had protein yogurt with granola on top for dinner! See why it was so simple to put my Monday in a collage?
My dad came over early Tuesday morning to work on the kitchen a bit more. We are going at our own slow pace, but it’s totally fine. On the plus side, I’ve finally found the perfect paint color for the cabinets. We will most likely tackle those in a few weeks. I had a quote in hopes someone else would paint them a few weeks ago, and they quoted $4400. That motivated me, even more, to do it myself. I mean, I could replace them for less! Crazy crazy.

Like most mornings, I had my protein oats for breakfast. I microwave 1/4 cup of gluten-free rolled oats with one cup of water for 35 seconds. I know it’s a lot of water in ratio to the oats, but the protein powder thickens it up. After thirty seconds, I add in blueberries, and microwave for another thirty seconds. Then, I mix in a scoop of protein powder and a pinch of peanut butter. I don’t know why I felt the need to add cashews to it this time. This tastes like a dessert bowl, and I love how filling it is. It’s the perfect breakfast to have before a run.
Later in the afternoon, I headed out on my run. If you’re wondering why my runs are so short, check out last week’s recap blog to read about my training plan and how I plan to pick back up! Even though this run was short, it took me a few minutes to get into the running mindset. I felt good after completing it.
I had an apple with peanut butter for a post-run snack and then leftover Whole Foods bar for dinner.

I spent the remainder of Tuesday evening blogging a bit, folding laundry, and hanging up all of my clothes. 
Protein oats for a Wednesday morning as well! I wanted to share that this past week, I’ve been enjoying RawFusion protein powder. It’s plant-based, inexpensive, and the flavor is phenomenal. Kyle started using it, and when I tried his, I had to have it as well. I use the banana nut and the vanilla!
Wednesday lunch! I had a bowl of baby kale, blackberries, sunflower seeds, avocado, Trader Joe’s falafel mix, and my homemade dressing. My dressing had avocado oil, mustard seed, and agave. I’ve been in love with baby kale ever since my Disney trip. I can’t get enough of it lately! 
For dinner, I roasted some brussels sprouts and my favorite extra crispy cauliflower gnocchi!  
Now, this is my ideal dinner. For my green beans and snow peas, I cooked them up in a little sesame oil, gluten-free soy sauce, everything but the bagel seasoning, and agave. I ended up mixing this whole bowl together like a stirfry.

I think this is what I’ll make for dinner tonight! 
After my breakfast on Thursday, I completed my next scheduled run! I felt like I could have finished three miles after this one. I was feeling so energetic! I know I have mentioned this before, but I am incredibly excited to run on a flat surface after training in my hilly neighborhood.
For my lunch, I had baby kale chopped and tossed in oil and vinegar dressing. I topped it with tomatoes, avocado, onion, sunflower seeds, falafel, and baby carrots. The only thing this salad was missing was grilled salmon on top! 
Now, if I would have added grilled salmon on top, I wouldn’t have been hungry a few hours later  I decided to have a rice cake with peanut butter and honey on top! Yum.

While Kyle and I were on our evening walk, we had quite the adventure trying to capture a wandering puppy dog. After trying to stop semis going 60 mph, getting yelled at by a man who wanted to know why the ***k we were on his property (I mean, we were trespassing, but for a good cause), and other craziness; I ended up running another mile back to the house to grab a leash. Kyle stayed with the dog while I sprinted back to make sure he didn’t jump out in traffic again. The story ended happily and the owners were found!

All of this running around and adrenaline rushes made me want a glass of wine. I chugged water and settled for pizza.  We treated ourselves to a broccoli and kale crust pizza topped with Daiya plant-based cheese and turkey pepperonis. 
Because I was out of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries made their way into my morning protein oats! 
The weather was gorgeous on Friday! I decided to walk Grumples and Leo three miles before lunch! On the days I’m not running, I’ve been trying to step up my walking game to make sure I keep moving.

For lunch, I had some lentil crackers, leftover pizza, bananas, raspberries, carrots, and kite hill. 
Kyle wanted to play tennis on Friday night, and I’ll never say no to that! We headed out and played for a couple of hours. I can’t even explain how excited I am to finally get to play tennis now that it’s light outside in the evenings and not cold! 
When we got home, we decided to sit out on the back deck and grill some salmon for dinner. 
You can find the salmon recipe here! I added it to a bowl with baby kale, oil and vinegar dressing, and sunflower seeds. 
We treated ourselves to some hot chocolate while we watched Dateline. I use frothed almond milk with one tablespoon of Ghirardelli (DF) double dark chocolate hot cocoa mix, SoDelicious coconut whipped topping, and Lily’s V/SF chocolate chips! 
I headed out in the morning to go play some tennis with my group for a few hours. I had a lot of you DMing me about posting a blog with some tips for beginners and for people who are interested in starting tennis. If you want me to do that, let me know, and I’d LOVE to write a blog about it! 
I got home around 2 pm and was sooooooo hungry! I had my protein oats and added extra nut butter and chocolate chips. 
My parent’s had been begging me to make them the loaf of vegan and gluten-free banana bread from last week! The bananas were finally ready to go, and I quickly made a batch to bring over to them. I also decided to film a tutorial that’ll be up very soon! This bread is to die for! 
While the bread was cooking, I headed out on my scheduled run! I thought about skipping it because I played tennis for three hours, but I don’t want to make excuses or get thrown off the schedule, so I just went out and did it. I was proud of getting the motivation to do it after I finished. I felt so good! I feel like I’m finally getting back to running for the joy of it again. 
After getting cleaned off, Kyle and I headed out to my parent’s house for dinner and to play a game of bags! My parents make the best grilled vegetables and roasted salmon.

We spent the evening sitting around the fire and enjoying the beautiful night. It’s crazy that this time last year, my dad was laying out the cement to build this fireplace. He worked so hard and did it all by himself in a few months. I’m so lucky to have a dad who is as handy as that man!
On Sunday morning, my mom and I did a fun little project together (will be on the blog soon) and then headed to Amelies to have some coffee and split a breakfast sandwich. It was only 10 am, and we had both fit in our 10,000 steps in for the day!

Kyle and I met up with some friends and did a Paint & Wine class at Painting with a Twist on Sunday afternoon! We had so much fun, and I was shocked at how good Kyle’s painting turned out. I’ve never even seen him draw a stick figure, so I was pretty shocked. I don’t think I’ll be hanging mine on the wall anytime soon, but it was definitely fun! We are going to sign up for one of their “paint your pet” nights! 
When our class was done, we headed over to Kid Cashew for dinner. I have lived in Charlotte for five years and have always wanted to eat there. I’m just disappointed I hadn’t gone there sooner, because it was everything and more! If you live or are visiting the Charlotte area, please add this place to your list. They have a great menu, and it’s filled with vegan and gluten-free options.
We sat outside on their patio because it was a gorgeous day. I had their blueberry dream tea, which was unreal.
For my meal, I had the Greens, Grains, & Avocado Salad. It had garden greens, tri-color quinoa, pistachios, fennel, chipotle sauce, oranges, lemon vinaigrette, almonds, and Scottish salmon on top! I also ordered the butterless Brussels sprouts on the side. They are caramelized in a lemon vinaigrette with almonds. There wasn’t a drop left from this salad bowl! I’m pretty good about bringing home leftovers, but this salad didn’t stand a chance. All of the flavors were so delicious, and the ingredients were unbelievably fresh. I cannot wait to go back! 
They treated us to a free dessert on the house, which was so sweet of them! See what I did there

We ended our week by watching American Idol, and I was out by 9:30!  It’s safe to say I had a pretty darn good week!

Thank you guys for stopping by to read my recap blog!

Questions for you!

1. Have you ever done a paint and wine class?
2. What has you excited about being active this week?
3. What was the last meal you ate that blew you away?

It’s gloomy and rainy here, which sets the perfect mood for blogging my recap post with a cup of coffee. I am feeling less-overwhelmed this morning. On Friday, I was burned out and felt like my head was going to explode. I know reading my blog makes my life look very easy-going and relaxed, but those photos are only glimpses into what goes on behind the scenes. I spend about 10-13 hours behind my computer screen every day, and when I’m not behind the screen, I’m creating my blog content. Don’t get me wrong; blogging is so fun, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But sometimes I don’t give myself enough time outside of my computer or creative world. Not all weeks or days are like that though; I’ve just been trying to catch on up everything so I can enjoy my time while I’m away next month.

Because I had such a blog-focused week, I decided to keep my computer shut all weekend. I put my energy into getting my home projects done. I am feeling so much more refreshed today, and I look forward to another busy week! I am skipping out on yoga this morning to get this blog post done, but I’ll be heading to the 1 pm class!

Anyways…let’s go back to last week! I left my last recap post off on Tuesday. 
My breakfast on Tuesday morning was delicious.

I made a chocolate banana smoothie that tasted like dessert and had one of my vegan blueberry pumpkin oatmeal muffins on the side. I’ll make sure to get that recipe posted this week.

My smoothie had cashew milk, chocolate protein powder (plant-based vegiday), 1/2 large frozen banana, 3-4 ice cubes, and 1 tablespoon of Chocolate Lover Superfood Blend (cacao, carob, shredded coconut, chia seeds, and lucuma powder.)

I spent the rest of the day writing, walking the dogs, and snacking on random things instead of making lunches. I tossed a salad together for dinner, and it was pretty good! My salad had spring lettuce blend, red onion, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, grilled chicken, and herb goddess dressing on top. I am still going strong with that dressing and haven’t gotten sick of it yet.

I headed over to my parent’s house later in the evening on Tuesday so I could get some stuff done for a campaign I’ve been working on. I sat in the backyard and worked on writing while the dogs ran in the around for hours chasing each other.
I stayed up way too late on Tuesday night, so I was sleepy on Wednesday. I decided to hang out at my parent’s house and work from there that way my dogs could continue to play without me feeling guilty for making them lay around on the couch. When we are at my house, I take them for one-mile walks three times a day, and it’s nice to take a break from that once in a while.

It was beautiful outside, so I played a towel down and worked from out by the pool. I snacked on fresh fruit and pistachios while enjoying my coffee. 
After editing all morning, I started the writing process in the afternoon. I turned on a movie, made a delicious Vans blueberry waffle with peanut butter, had a cup of lemon ginger tea, and set the mood to get to start writing.

I decided to watch Forever My Girl, and it was good, cheesy, and bad all at the same time. 
I headed home around 4 pm, and took the boys for a long walk! I finished my writing and needed a break from technology. We walked about three miles around the neighborhood working on their training.

After my walk, I had another chocolate banana protein smoothie with crumbled almond butter on top.

I had dinner around 7:45 pm. My dinner plate had mixed spring greens, tomatoes, red onions, a Gardein chipotle black bean veggie burger, Tessemae’s green goddess dressing, and a side of Siete chips. 
After finishing my work on Thursday afternoon, I headed out to meet up with my mom for a walk in the park on her lunch hour. It was a gorgeous day, and I was so excited to be out in it.
I picked up one of my favorites before meeting up with my mom. I love the Cayenne Cleanse Healthade Kombucha!
After walking with my mom, I headed to Earth Fare to pick up groceries for a serious meal prep. I wanted to have food in the house all weekend long so I wouldn’t have to worry about cooking anything. I also didn’t want to microwave another slice of frozen Daiya pizza or veggie burger.

I am going to do a separate blog post with details on the whole meal prep.

But if you’re looking for a guide in the meantime, here are some posts that will help you out!

Fajita Recipe
Roasted Vegetables
Vegan Almond Butter Crispy Treats
Go-To Vegan Kale Salad
Thanks to my meal prep, my Thursday night dinner was delicious!

I had my kale salad, roasted veggies, and fajitas.
I spent Friday morning and afternoon photographing, editing, and writing the post for these delicious Healthy Vegan Almond Butter & Chocolate Crispy Treats recipe! My family and Kyle were obsessed with these! Not one left…
And look what I found Friday! My very first strawberry from my little garden! It was so excited to pick it I have about give tomatoes that’ll be ready to pick in about a week or so! Kyle is in charge of my garden while I’m away for two and a half weeks, so all the pressure is on him to keep it thriving. 
For lunch on Friday, I had a big bowl of kale salad topped with my chicken fajita blend and roasted vegetables. Oh, and Herb Goddess dressing of course.
Leo likes to cuddle up with me on the couch while I work. He was asleep in that position for thirty minutes! We secretly think he’s a cat.
On Friday afternoon, I decided to start doing a new running challenge for myself. It only takes ten minutes from my day, and it’s such a good therapy session. Every day, I am going to run a mile to represent something I struggle with. The run can also be about something simple. I’m just going to pick a reason for my run every day and focus on the reason the entire mile. I love running for a reason and not running for to burn calories or get fit. It’s so good for the mind, and knowing it’s only one mile makes it even better

Friday was my first #ReasonForMyRun mile! I ran for my anxiety. If you want to join me, just tag me in your story/posts and use the hashtag! I love it so far. It looks like I’ll be running on the treadmill because of the rain today though! 
I finished up my final writing assignment on Friday afternoon, and then called it quits for the night. My mom came over, and we headed out for a super long dog walk.

For dinner, I had my meal prep fajitas and roasted vegetables with guacamole and hummus!

Of course, we ended the night with Dateline. 
I don’t know why, but I was up at 5 am on Saturday!

I had tea and took the dogs out for an early morning walk. I decided to get my mile done a bit earlier because I had so much to do on Saturday!

On Saturday, I ran for my battle with endometriosis.
My breakfast was so delicious!

I had two eggs cooked in avocado oil, a side of quinoa, and guacamole! And don’t forget the coffee…
I posted this photo MONTHS ago. This photo was taken after doing a closet cleanse. I knew I’d have to do several of these cleanouts gradually. No one needs that many clothes, so Saturday, I did another closet cleanout and I think you’ll be impressed. Hopefully, this inspires you to purge all those unused and useless clothes hanging in your closets. I thought of it this way. Having those clothes that I never wear in my closet makes me greedy. Someone else in need could be wearing them or using them. So, if I hadn’t worn it in over a year, it was time to go! And it’s OK to buy new clothes, but my new rule is that I have to toss one thing for every new thing I buy.
And the damage began…

To keep me entertained, I turned on a new season of Southern Charm to watch while doing the cleanout.

I took just about everything out of my closet, and neatly folded all the clothes I was going to donate. I had a ton of extra bins in the attic I put them in. 
I had a lot of clothes hanging up in my spare bedrooms that I emptied out as well. I no longer use up three closets! I’m now a one closet type of gal! It feels so good! 
I know this may look like a lot of clothes still, but I use all of them. In about five months, I’ll do another closet cleanout! And what you’re looking at is all I own now! Just scroll back up to the first photo, and you’ll be able to tell the difference.

I still need to organize them into sections better, but that can wait!

This took about four hours.  
I stopped for lunch while working on the closet project.

I had sweet potatoes, quinoa, guacamole, and butternut squash! 

When I came downstairs, I found a bouquet of flowers sitting on the table. Kyle knew I was a bit stressed over the week, and he thought flowers would brighten my day (and maybe my attitude? lol), But he’s the sweetest and that meant so much to me!

And if we’re being real, I probably had a bit of an attitude problem over the weekend, which rarely happens to me, but I was just in a mood. Do you guys ever get in “moods?” Mine is brought on by stress. 
After my closet cleanout, I headed out for a long walk with the dogs, and then hopped on the couch with my dinner to finish watching Southern Charm. I hid my computer under the coffee table so I wouldn’t be tempted to open it. I even closed my phone into a drawer after making dinner so I’d forget about it and avoid scrolling through Instagram stories.

For dinner, I had a kale salad with quinoa, guacamole, avocado oil, and butternut squash on top! I also had an apple chicken sausage, but that wasn’t pictured.

I was so tired that I fell asleep at 8:45 pm on the couch. Kyle was upstairs working in the office, so I continued to sleep like a baby. 
I was up bright and early on Sunday to have coffee, breakfast, and get the dogs ready for training. Their trainer came to us on Sunday to see them walk the neighborhood, and it was the only time I was frustrated that they didn’t do anything wrong. Safe to say that the dogs have been doing incredible, and are completely different from when we first started training with John at Holland k9 Services. It’s really been amazing to watch their transformation! I actually LOVE walking my dogs now. If you live in or around the Charlotte area, I HIGHLY recommend them for dog training.

Next weekend, we’ll be training uptown, so that’ll be super interesting to see how they do!
For my breakfast, I had an omelet stuffed with quinoa and topped with guacamole! THIS IS A GAMECHANGER.

I added avocado oil to a pan on high heat and cracked two eggs into the pan. After about a minute, I sprinkled 1/4 cup of cooked quinoa in the center and let it cook for an additional two minutes. And then I flipped it over like an omelet and cooked each side for about 45 seconds. I added a little tutorial video on my Instagram story today!
Hello, perfection. 
I headed to Target to get a new bed comforter on Sunday morning after training but ended up getting a new rug instead. I couldn’t find bedding that I liked, but I did find a rug that I wanted in my dining room! I’ve been trying to introduce more color into my living room, and I thought this would be a great start! I have been obsessed with their OpalHouse line! Here is the link to the rug if you want the details! (rug link here)
Next project? Painting the mirror in my living room. I was going to buy a rustic wooden one, but it’s much cheaper to paint this mirror to match my other furniture! I’m pretty happy with how it turned out!
I enjoyed this Suja Kombucha while painting! I bought their other flavors to try as well, so I’ll keep you posted! 
I used the Devine Color paint that target carries! It’s meant for walls, but it worked perfectly on the mirror! I did about two coats, and then wiped some of it off so the black would poke through to give it a weathered look to match my other furniture.
While the paint dried, I laced up and headed out to do my mile! On Saturday, I ran for self-doubt. 
My lunch was delicious, and I highly recommend this little fix! One of my favorite combos is lox and cream cheese! It’s unbelievable. Remember last summer when I stuffed hard boiled eggs with gucamole and added lox on top? Well, this is equally as good! It’s quick fix, and a great idea to make for guests.

I toasted the O’Doughs flaxseed everything bagels, topped it with Kite Hill vegan chive cream cheese spread, and added the lox and avocado on top! My friend, Meighan, recommended the chive Kite Hill spread, and it did not disappoint. Even Kyle LOVED this combo!
I can’t wait to have this for lunch again today! 
I also had half a bottle of Koia with cashew milk for some extra protein and to cure my sweet tooth. 
The paint finally dried and I hung up the mirror! I love the new color because it’s so much softer! 

And I rearranged the dining area to simplify it. I took out the lamp, added the bench back to the table and got rid of the chairs, and we still need to add the second shelf to the wall. The first attempt was a bit of a disaster! I’m still debating on painting the table…
I picked up these flavored Nut-Thins while I was out and about Sunday and it was worth sharing! The honey ones taste like little Teddy Grahams, and I love anything honey mustard flavored! They were 2 for $5 at Earth Fare, so I may have to stop and pick up some more!
The boys also got some new toys that they enjoyed destroying. 
Kyle and I ended the night with a Blue Apron and watched American Idol! I stayed up longer and watched Naked and Afraid as well! I love that show.

Now, I’m off to walk the dogs, head to yoga, and then get back to writing!

Questions for you!

1. Have you been putting off anything around your house?
2. Are there clothes in your closet that you haven’t worn in over a year?
3. Are you up for another fitness challenge?