It’s been a while since I did a grocery post, and yesterday I happened to think of capturing my weekly finds before putting them away, so I figured I’d share…

• Organic carrots
• Organic Flax Tempeh
• Wildwood Organic Sprouted Superfirm Tofu
• Organic fuji apples
• Organic braeburn apples
• Organic golden delicious apples
• Organic sugar snap peas
   

• Organic spinach
• Organic sweet potatoes
• Organic red delicious apples
• Organic bananas
    

• Nature’s Bakery Cooperative Peanut Butter Granola
• Nature’s Bakery Cooperative Almond Raisin Granola
• Doctor Kracker Klassic 3 Seed Crispbreads
• Doctor Kracker Seedlander Crispbreads
• 365 Organic Whole Wheat Tortillas
   

• Siggi’s Icelandic plain yogurt
• Wallaby Organic Greek yogurt yogurt
• Green Valley plain yogurt
• GTs Kombucha

Pretty much just the usuals for me, but it always feels good to have a stocked kitchen!
  

Any new grocery finds for you lately that I should try out?

Heather

I hopped (more like dragged) myself out of bed this morning a little earlier than I usually get up to hit the gym right away.

If I do go to the gym, I usually stick with the treadmill or bike since they’re the more “common” gym equipment and not as intimidating.  Earlier this week, however, someone was one the only bike at the gym and I decided to give the elliptical a try for the first time ever.

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Turns out I like it!  I definitely felt like it was more of a workout for me than walking on the treadmill or going on the bike, and I liked that I had the ability to play around with the incline and resistance.

So, the elliptical it was this morning!

Breakfast featured a new favorite of mine – Familia Swiss Muesli.

I’ve never had Muesli before this week and I actually really like it!  If you let it sit for 5-10 minutes before eating, it has a really great flavor and oatmeal-like texture.  I’ll definitely be buying it again.

Despite the cold, I decided an outdoor walk was in order this afternoon.  I’ve basically been hiding in my apartment the last couple days with how freezing it’s been, so it felt good to get out!

Now I’ve got some Calculus homework to get started, a yoga class to teach later, and a movie to finish watching (I started watching Tangled on Netflix this afternoon… no laughing allowed) before calling it a night!

Have you tried the elliptical before?  What do you think of it?

Heather

Here’s how it works…

1. List 11 random things about myself
2. Answer the 11 questions he asked me
3. Come up with 11 questions to ask other bloggers
4. Tag 11 other bloggers to do this next

My 11 Random Things…

1.  I took piano lessons for 11 years.

2.  I never lived in a dorm and decided to go straight to an apartment.  Dorm living definitely would not have been my thing.  I need my own space and my own kitchen!

3.  I can’t parallel park for the life of me and avoid doing so at all costs.

4.  One of my first memories is getting hit in the eye with a wooden bat when I was four that gave me a swollen shut, black and blue eye for weeks.  Long story, but it was a complete accident and mostly my fault for being in the way while my brothers were playing baseball.

5.  Growing up in a family of brothers, I know how to play a mean game of tackle football and throw quite the spiral if I do say so myself.

6.  My family and I used to go on fishing trips to Canada every summer for seven years in a row when I was growing up.  The only reason I put up with peeing on islands and being stuck on a boat all day is that I came back with a major tan.

7.  I was in competition-level gymnastics for 3 years (4th – 6th grades) and have the medals to prove it!

8.  I only applied to one college… luckily I got in.

9.  I hate the cold and can’t wait to move out of Wisconsin.

10.  I used to have my cartilage pierced in one ear, but it was so painful to sleep on that I grew it back shut after a couple months.

11.  I used to be deathly afraid of the dark and had a nightlight in my bedroom until I was maybe 16 or so.  I still don’t like the dark, but there are worse things in life.

Matt’s 11 Questions…

Iced coffee or hot coffee?

Although I like iced coffee during the summer in the afternoons, I’ll always be a hot coffee kind of person.

What kind of phone do you have?

iPhone 4!
 
What are you doing on Valentines day?

Hopefully talking to or skyping with my guy and having him open his Valentine’s Day gift from me.  That alone is special enough for me.   Otherwise no big plans out of the ordinary!

Do you like your job?

Right now I’m a full-time student and teach Power Vinyasa Yoga, and I’m pretty good with that for now.

What time do you go to bed?

10:30 – 11pm

Mac or PC?

I have to say PC just because I’ve never owned a Mac.  If I did get another laptop though, it would definitely be a Mac.

What would you do with 100 million dollars?

Travel. A lot. Give a million dollars to my parents and brothers. Buy a vacation home. Buy a new car.  I’d probably still have some kind of job just because I’d go crazy without something to do all day. 

What color is your car?

Light grayish blue.

What did you eat for dinner last night?

Baked sweet potato and eggs over easy.

When was the last time you cried?

A few weeks ago maybe? I tear up pretty easily, but actually crying takes more for me.

Do you own or rent your place of living?

Rent. 

11 Questions for Tagged Bloggers

1. What was the first concert you ever went to?
2. What’s your favorite restaurant?
3. If you had to eat only one food the rest of your life, what would it be?
4. What’s your first memory?
5. Do you have any upcoming trips/vacations planned?
6. How many cities have you lived in throughout your life?
7. Have you ever traveled outside the country?  If so, where?
8. What kind of camera do you have?
9. Are you a city person or country person?
10. What time of the day do you prefer to workout?
11. How many siblings do you have?

Tagging time!

Kristi from Sweetly Fit
Brittany from GOtheXtraMile
Meg from Sunshine ‘n Spice
Mary from Bites and Bliss
Lesley from The Purple Carrot
Lizzy from In it to Win it!
Jenny from Peanut Butter and Jenny
Shannon from Tropical Eats
Averie from Love Veggies and Yoga
Meg from A Dash of Meg
Katie from Healthy Diva Eats

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Heather

One dilemma I’ve been trying to work out is my daily routine.  Lately I’ve been getting up at 5:05am every other day to hit the bike at the gym first thing in the morning.

I’m actually really enjoying the stress relief and energy it gives me right away to start my day, but I really need to work on getting to bed earlier if I want to keep this up.  6 hours of sleep a night just doesn’t agree with me!

Since the semester started, I’ve vowed to put at least some effort into my daily wardrobe, and so far it’s been a success! 

This morning’s outfit…

Little known fact:  I wanted to be a fashion designer or stylist at quite a few times throughout my life.  I’ve gotten over that career path, but it’s still something I enjoy!

I’ve been trying a few new things lately, so I thought I’d share…
 

I’ve mentioned this Nature’s Bakery Cooperative Peanut Butter Granola previously, and I now had the chance to try out two other varieties – Six Grain and Cashew Raisin.

Although I thought they were good, they seemed a little bland and the Cashew Raisin was definitely lacking in the cashews and raisins.  I think I’ll stick with my Peanut Butter Granola.

   
Philosophy On a Clear Day Retinol Clarifying Lotion

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This lotion truly is incredible.  I’ve never had bad acne, but I do tend to break out when I’m under a lot of stress, and this lotion has done wonders for clearing up redness and scars and making my face feel soft and refreshed in the mornings.  My face got pretty dry when I first started using it, but it seems to have become immune to that side effect as I’ve used it longer, so I honestly have no complaints about this product.  Check it out!

 
Wallaby Organic Greek 2% Yogurt

I randomly saw this at Whole Foods a couple weeks ago and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.  Luckily, it didn’t disappoint!  I’d say it tasted like Fage 2% with the texture of Chobani… aka it was heavenly.  I’m still Siggi’s number one fan, but this Wallaby yogurt might be taking second place!

Have a great Friday everyone!
 

What new products have you tried lately?

Heather

1) What is one of your favorite ways to spend a Saturday?

This is probably going to sound boring, but I just like to have a relaxing Saturday with warm, sunny weather where I can lay out in the sun with a book, go for a walk, get out on my bike, and unwind after long week!

2) List your top three favorite TV shows.

• Friends
• Gossip Girl
• Gilmore Girls

3) Would you rather be in pictures or take them?

In them!  If it’s worth a picture, it’s worth being part of the experience!

4) Why do you blog?

I love connecting with people who share my passion of a healthy, active lifestyle and sharing my own experiences!  I get so much inspiration from other bloggers, and there are so many wonderful people out there that I’ve connected with.

5) Share five websites that you visit regularly…

• My blog
• Facebook
• Google Reader
• Pinterest (my latest obsession!)
• Yahoo (personal email)

6) If you could have lunch with one person from your Twitter list who would it be?

Easy… this handsome guy!

I’ll take any chance I can get to spend time with him!

7) List a few of your favorite snacks.

• Greek yogurt
• Apples
• Granola

8 ) Do you have a pet? If so, what kind?

I’m petless!

9) Which three material possessions would you struggle to live without?

• My iPhone
• My laptop
• My Keurig (I was quick to warm up to this coffee maker.)

10) What’s your favorite drink? 

Either water or Kombucha.  They’re pretty much all I drink!

11) Do you enjoy cooking?

I actually do!  I’m not a very good cook by any means and I struggle to find the time or motivation to actually get cooking, but I do enjoy it when I get around to doing it.

12) Do you have children?

No… thank god!  I’m honestly not a kid person.  You can quote me on that 20 years from now.

13) What are your favorite hobbies?

• Exercise/Fitness
• Food
• Nutrition
• Reading
• Writing

14) Would you consider yourself to be shy or outgoing?

For the most part, I’m outgoing!  I’ll say and do just about anything… you only live once!  I do tend to get a bit shy when I’m trying to impress someone or by an authority figure since I get careful about what I say, but otherwise I’d consider myself outgoing.

15) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?

I know this is probably cliché, but there really isn’t anything I’d change about myself!  If there was, I’d already have done it.  It took me a while to figure out who I was and be happy with myself, but I’m definitely satisfied with the person I’ve become throughout the years.

16) Who is your favorite actor/actress?

This is a tough one for me… I don’t think I really have a favorite, but I like Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, and Jennifer Aniston.

17) What’s the coolest thing you’ve done this week?

Oh boy… started my classes again?  Apparently I’m lacking in the coolness department.

18) Do you live near your family or far from them?

3 hours away… not too far.

19) List three of your talents.

• My memory – I can remember the tiniest details of any event, person, place, etc.  The little things are often the most important to me, so I like to keep them in mind!
• My creativity – This is probably more crafty-ness than creativity, but I’ve always loved crafts and projects that create something beautiful.  I can knit, make jewelry, make homemade cards, press flowers… if Martha Stewart does it, I probably can too.  I’ve gotten out of the habit of making crafts the past few years, but it’s still something I enjoy and am pretty good at!

Yep, I made this!

• Writing – I was in the accelerated English and Writing programs all through middle school and high school and passed out of all my basic Communication courses in college.  More importantly, I enjoy expressing myself with writing!  No, I’m not the type that’s going to write a novel, but I do like to think I have some talent when it comes to writing.

20) What is your greatest attribute?

I think I would have to say it’s how much I care about the people closest to me.  I will literally do almost anything for those I love and always try to put them first.  I’ll admit that I sometimes care too much and forget to think about my own happiness, but it makes me happy when I see those I love happy!  I’m repaid every day when I’m surrounded by those people I care about.

Pick one of these 20 questions to answer for yourself!

Heather

Classes officially started on Monday this week, and already I’m bogged down with my fair share of work.  I was sad to see my winter break end, but it also feeds good to have some purpose again and keep busy!

I was pretty concerned heading into this week that this would be tough semester, especially considering I’m confronting Calculus once again.  If you’ve been reading my blog for years, you might remember the Calculus fiasco during my senior year of high school that I vowed to never relive.  Although after two discussion sections and a lecture, I believe there is a slight chance I may outfail the other students pass. 

With the start of classes, I’m back to my usual early, busy mornings.

This morning for breakfast I had a bowl of Nature’s Path Smart Bran topped with organic unsweetened almond milk and an organic banana.

I still think of this cereal as rabbit food (I swear rabbit food looks identical to this), but I actually like it!  The cereal, not rabbit food… thank god.

I was quick to get my Keurig-brewed coffee this morning and tried out this Green Mountain French Vanilla k-cup.

I’m pretty much in love with this flavor.  An added bonus?  My apartment smelled amazing all morning.

After two classes and a lunch break, I headed outside for a 6-mile walk.  Yes, it’s freezing, but I mentally need my time away from the hustle and bustle of downtown to stay sane!

Being my easily entertained, highly observant self, I noticed this adorable heart-shaped indent in the blacktop on my walk.

So cute!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Heather

One of the best things about granola is how versatile it is; I can eat it plain (my favorite), as cereal with almond milk, or mixed it with yogurt to name a few.  Granola has so many varieties that it’s tough to get bored with it, and it can be extremely nutritious as long as you read the label before buying.
 

I thought I’d put together a list of my Top 5 Favorite Granolas to date.  I’m sure I’ll find some new ones as I work my way through different brands and varieties, but right now, these are the 5 I’m loving!
 

1. Love Grown Foods Raisin Almond Crunch

First off, Love Grown Foods has some freaking amazing granola!  The ingredients are stellar, and the granola tastes incredible!  Raisin Almond Crunch is definitely my favorite of all the varieties I’ve tried, especially since I’m such a sucker for raisins and almonds.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find Love Grown Foods’ products near me yet, but hopefully that will change soon!

  
2. Love Grown Foods Sweet Cranberry Pecan

Yes, Love Grown Foods earns another top 5 spot on my favorites list.  Again, it has near perfect ingredients and an excellent natural taste!  The Raisin Almond Crunch beats this one out, but only because pecans will never beat almonds in my world.

 
3. Nature’s Bakery Cooperative Peanut Butter Granola

This locally made peanut butter granola is simply amazing.  I’m officially addicted!  It has such a natural taste and a clean, organic ingredient list.  I love how there are actual peanut in the granola as well as peanut butter to fully get the peanut taste! 

 
4. Nuts About Granola Plain Jane Peanut Butter Granola

I was recently sent this granola to review, and let me just say that it was one of the best single servings of granola I’ve ever had!  The peanut butter flavor was very obvious in the best possible way, and I loved the crunch of the granola itself.

   
5. Nature’s Path Hemp Plus Granola

I’ve tried quite a few Nature’s Path Granolas, but this is the one that has always stuck with me.  It’s absolutely perfect with almond milk for breakfast since it holds me over for hours!  The ingredients aren’t quite as noteworthy as some other granolas, but it still lives up to my standards. 

What’s your favorite granola?

Heather

I woke up at 5:15am and could not fall back asleep for the life of me, so I took that as a sign to get started on my Sunday a bit earlier than expected.

I recently bought this Nature’s Path Vanilla Almond Flax Plus Granola at Target, and poured myself a bowl for breakfast with unsweetened organic almond milk.

I really like this granola!  It’s slightly sweetened without tasting fake and holds me over for hours!

Coffee was next on my to-do list!

I am absolutely obsessed with my new Keurig!  So simple to use, and it really does make great-tasting coffee. 

Given my 5:15am wake-up, I was pretty exhausted even with my coffee consumption.  Hence, a morning nap session on the couch.

I’m allowed be lazy sometimes.

I ended up heading to the gym for 60 minutes on the bike after my nap, so I guess I wasn’t all that lazy this morning!

Despite the blizzard and cold weather we had this week, it was 30*F after lunch, so I took that as my cue to head outside for a 6-mile walk.

It was actually really nice since there wasn’t too much wind, and even I’ll admit that snow can be pretty when it isn’t below freezing.

I don’t have too many plans for my evening besides squeezing in a yoga podcast and teaching late yoga class tonight, but I’ll happily take it!

Do you tend to stick it out for exercise when winter weather hits, or do you head indoors?

Heather

The roads were terrible and everyone was going 10mph on the highways today.  This always seems to happen with the first big blizzard, although in another week everyone will be back to their speeding ways.  
 

My morning actually started out on such a great note though!  I decided to go to a 5:30am yoga class that my friend was teaching, which meant I had to get up at 4:35am.  A little bit crazy considering I’m still on winter break, but totally worth it.  It definitely set the mood for my day!

I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to get to this studio and take classes once school starts up again, but this 5:30am class is definitely going on my schedule.

I’ve been trying quite a few new food items lately, so I figured I’d share some of them from my last Whole Foods trip in this post…

I haven’t tried these yet, but I can’t wait to!  Whole Foods’ 365 brand has some awesome choices for cereal.

These were a brand new apple for me!  I’d say they taste similar to a gala, but less sour.  I loved them!

Matt recommended this cheese to since I’ve taken a liking to goat cheese lately.  I tried it out on a salad and really liked the subtle extra flavor it had compared to normal goat cheese!

Another one I haven’t tried out yet, but can’t wait to!  I’ve been eating granola every day, so I’m always up for trying out a new one.

The “new” item here is the hummus… I only buy hummus maybe once every 2 months, but I always end up loving it when I do.  I’m definitely a fan of dill, so the extra flavor it added was perfect for me!

I’m heading to Yoga Sculpt class tonight (basically yoga with weights) that my same friend is teaching at the studio I also teach at.  I like the concept of Sculpt classes in how they add an extra bonus of strength training, and my friend always still adds in flows to her sequence, so it ends up being a really well-rounded workout!  Perfect way to end my evening!

What’s something new you’ve tried lately and loved?

Heather

As far as I knew, we weren’t doing Christmas presents this year… my parents help out a lot with me being a college student, and I assured them that that was more than enough of a present for me.  So I was pretty surprised when they brought out gifts for me to open.
 

It started out simple…

(I won $2 thank you very much!)
 

Gotta keep my feet warm and cozy.

Softest. Blanket. Ever.

And then I opened my last present…

I’m pretty sure my mom has a candid photo of me having a minor heart attack as I unwrapped this gift. 

I never even mentioned to my mom how awesome I think Keurigs are, so apparently she reads minds – I always had that suspicion about her.
 

My dad and I spent another hour playing around with my new coffee maker and we tried out 2 of the k-cups that came with the Keurig.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t need any more caffeine at 6pm, but Christmas only comes once a year!

I’ll now be spending my morning shopping online for Keurig add-ons and new K-cups varieties… and consuming more coffee than any human should.  It’s the simple things that make me happy.
  

Do you have a Keurig?

Any tips for a new Keurig owner?

Heather