Julianna Bananna

recent loves.

2013-04-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

hi guys!

i'm finally back to writing on my own blog again... at least for today! i miss you guys :) i've been busy studying for midterms, writing papers, and writing my Mojo posts. i really love the internship so far - it's been a lot of work but i'm having a lot of fun writing!

anyway, i wanted to pop in and share some of my favorite things as of late (aka the last week):

favorite meal:
this roasted turkey, bacon, avocado, and tomato sandwich on fresh wheat bread at a place on campus. mmmmmm bacon.

runner up: apples n greens smoothie from jamba juice. i had a gift card which made it all the better! i do really miss making my own green smoothies, though.

new favorite website:
The WOD Shop - it's basically a CrossFit WOD generator, but there's tons of categories to choose from. you pick whatever type of workout you want to do and it pops up with a random one. i've been loving the bodyweight workouts (one of my recent workouts had pistols and my legs died. it was great) for days that i don't go to barbell, since i do workouts with olympic lifts there.

favorite music:
i've recently become obsessed with imagine dragons and mumford & sons. i can't get enough! i also bought the afters new album recently which is really awesome - i highly recommend it.

favorite workout:
a 6-mile run without looking at pace/time. it was so relaxing and reminded why i fell in love with running.

favorite bible verse:
last week i came across this verse and it definitely helped me get through the week. it's so easy to feel lost.. but sometimes, that's okay!
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."|| Luke 19:10

favorite new app:
so i have no idea how long vine has been around, but i downloaded it the other day and it's really interesting! i'm horrible at making videos/figuring it out, but it was really fun to play around with.

favorite text from home:
my mom sent me this picture of me like a week ago and it totally made my day. i'd never seen it before! even at four years old i was itching to get out the door, haha.

tell me: what's your 'favorite' of the week?

the latest mojo

2013-04-23T14:47:00.001-07:00

hello there! happy tuesday :)

i just wanted to pop in and tell you guys that i have two posts up on Daily Bruin Mojo. i'm really proud of them and i can't tell you how much fun i'm having spending time on these posts. i'd love it if you stopped by and checked them out - let me know what you think!

4 Ways to Mix Up Your Morning Meal in the Dining Halls (i co-wrote this with another intern - the first two recipes are mine)

Midterm Study Break: 5 Minute Dorm Room Workouts (& Playlist)

life's been kinda crazy lately but hopefully I'll be back soon with some more updates.

love you all! <3

I Run.

2013-04-20T10:30:00.003-07:00

I run because I love it. Not just the finish line, but the journey it took to get there.

I run because it makes me stronger.

I run when I'm happy.

I run when I'm upset.

I run even when it hurts.

I run because one day, I won't be able to.

I run to think.

I run because it brings me joy.

I run to push myself.

I run to escape. To be free.

I run because it puts a smile on my face.

I run for those who can't.

Virtual Coffee Date {4.16.13}

2013-04-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you about the mud run I did with a friend yesterday. We did the Merrel Down and Dirty 5K and had a blast! All of the obstacles along the course were so much fun - we climbed over walls (one was 15 feet tall!), went through tunnels, practically swam in a lake, and crawled through lots and lots of mud. The course was actually really hilly too, and reminded me of a cross country course I would've raced in high school. I'd also tell you about the amazing volunteers from the armed forces that were all over the course helping out. They were the sweetest and I really can't thank them enough for everything that they do.

{check out our before photo and after photo from the run!}

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you about the {much smaller} Christian group on campus that I recently started going to. I absolutely love it. The speaker is incredible and the people are the sweetest.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you about how excited I am that I got the online reporting/blogging internship at the Daily Bruin that I applied for last week. I'll be writing about a post a week on the Daily Bruin Mojo blog, and I think I'll be writing mostly about food and fitness. I have training the next few weeks - my first one was last Saturday and I learned so much! I'd also tell you that there's no way I would've gotten the internship without this little blog of mine. I'd say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading and sticking along these past {almost} two years.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you how obsessed I am with all the latest country music. I can't get enough of Luke Bryan and Hunter Hayes new songs.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I wouldn't be able to stop talking about how happy I am to be here at UCLA. Bruin Day was last weekend {that's when all the accepted applicants come check it out here} and I wanted to shout to everyone how much I love this place. I can't imagine ever going to school anywhere else. I've made the most amazing friends, and for the first time in my life I'm being truly me. I finally feel like I'm at home.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you that I'm pretty sure I'm about to do something crazy with a friend of mine sometime soon. And that I can't wait!

If we were having coffee this afternoon, we'd pray for those affected by what happened today in Boston. <3

Quest Nutrition {Self-Proclaimed Addict}

2013-04-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try Quest Bars for the longest time now because they've been all the rage in the blog world lately! I've heard so many good things about them that I couldn't wait to get my hands on some myself. And I'm so glad that I did!

First of all, I can't say enough good things about Quest Nutrition. They are really passionate about what they do and they make a really, really good product. They responded to me extremely quickly and are just all around awesome.

I was sent a variety box of Quest Bars and a box of Quest Cravings protein peanut butter cups. You guys have no idea how excited I was to dig into these!

All of Quest Nutrition's products have really short ingredient lists with recognizable ingredients. They also have superb nutritional stats - I haven't ever had any bar that even comes close! Each bar has 160-210 calories, 17g (natural) fiber, and 20-21g protein.

The bars are very filling, but most importantly, they taste AWESOME. There's no protein-y aftertaste that you would encounter with most other protein bars. I was also a little nervous about the high fiber content and how my stomach would react, but these never bothered my stomach whatsover.

These little babies are the perfect breakfast on-the-go, post workout fuel, or study snack.

{early morning quick breakfast - i loved the chocolate peanut butter! }

{finals study snack}

It's suggested that you microwave the bar for 15 seconds before eating it - I've never microwaved a protein bar before, but I decided to give it a go and am so glad I did! The bars get really nice and soft and basically taste like a freshly baked cookie.

{vanilla almond crunch after microwaving}

I thought I'd tell you guys which flavors were my favorites (which ones I will definitely be buying again):

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

lots of huge chunks of chocolate & when microwaved, this bar is exactly like cookie dough.

2. Chocolate Peanut Butter

tasted just like a brownie!

3. Coconut Cashew

if you love coconut, you'll love this flavor! it's really coconutty and creamy.

4. Cinnamon Roll

seriously made my room smell like a bakery! i bet this flavor would be really good topped with coconut butter.

5. Peanut Butter Supreme

super peanut buttery, which i was not expecting at all since not a lot of bars can get that flavor right. just like a peanut butter cookie!

6. Chocolate Brownie

this one also tasted like a brownie, but it wasn't as chocolate-y to me as the chocolate peanut butter.

7. Vanilla Almond Crunch

perfect for you non-chocolate lovers! the vanilla flavor really came through in this one.

8. Peanut Butter and Jelly

i liked the peanut butter supreme better, but this one was still really good. spot on with the PB&J flavor!

The only flavors I wasn't a huge fan of were Lemon Cream Pie (the lemon flavor was a bit artificial) and Banana Nut Muffin (I'm not a huge fan of banana flavored things in general). The Apple Pie, Mixed Berry Bliss, and Strawberry Cheesecake flavors were pretty good, just not my favorites. And I just realized that all my non-favorite bars were fruit flavored... I think I just don't like fruit-y flavors in my protein bars, haha! But if you're fruit lover, then those are definitely for you because the flavors really do come through.

All in all, I think it's safe to say I'm addicted to these bars. I've never had a protein bar quite like a Quest Bar and of all the protein bars I've ever eaten, these are my favorites. Which is saying a lot!
I just ran out of them the other day and went #onaquest to find some more, only to discover a GNC store right here in Westwood. I only bought three bars since they're a tad pricey, but in this college student's opinion, they're definitely more than worth your money.

The protein peanut butter cups I was sent were also really good. I noticed a slight aftertaste in these, but it wasn't overpowering. Personally, I'd rather have an actual peanut butter cup, but if you're looking to stay on track with your eating, these are for you! I'd recommend microwaving them or swirling them into hot oatmeal for a treat.

I'm so thankful that I got to try everything and discover the deliciousness that is Quest Nutrition! Thanks again to an amazing company :-)

**disclaimer: I was sent these bars to review free of charge. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own as always.**

Virtual Coffee Date {3.30.13}

2013-03-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would tell you how I'm not ready for spring break to end. How all I want to do right now is go for a beautiful hike, spend hours on the beach soaking up sunshine, and have s'mores and tell stories around a campfire. I guess you could say I'm already craving some fresh air and summer in a big way.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd talk about how I'm not sure how I can make it another 11 weeks without seeing my family. Having that precious 5 days with them made me realize how much I miss them every day, and how talking to them on a little screen doesn't even hold a candle to being together in person. I'd also talk for way too long about how much I miss my cats. And I'd tell you that that I'm worried that Tux (our oldest cat) isn't going to make it three more months for me to say goodbye to him.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you go to go listen to OneRepublic's new album when you got home because I'm obsessed.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you about my beautiful run this morning. How the weather was absolutely spotless, and my legs felt like they could just keep going and going. I'd tell you how blessed I am to be able to experience the pure joy and freedom that running gives me.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you about all the things I want to do this summer. I want to run the Giant half marathon in the city and run the Ragnar trail race in Tahoe. I want to try out Crossfit. I want to go on road trips to visit friends. I want to go to as many country concerts as my little wallet will allow and go on lots of little mini-vacations with my family.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you about the delicious lunch I ate today after I went grocery shopping. After a dinner of yogurt and banana last night I realized that I needed some green in my life, and badly. Brussels sprouts have never tasted so good! Neither have lentils or goat cheese. I'd also tell you about how I always spend too much money at Trader Joe's and Target but that I never really feel guilty about it.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd talk about how good it felt to have a little spring-clean-out of my dorm room the other day. And how I somehow have managed to still make a mess in the 24 hours since I cleaned everything.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I'd tell you how excited I am to go to an Easter service at a new-to-me church tomorrow morning. I can't wait!

Spring Break {2013}

2013-03-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

i can't believe break is almost over already! it seems like i was just talking to you guys about trying to survive finals and here i am typing this up with only a few days left of spring break.

it has been a truly amazing and much needed break, though! i wanted to share some photos with you guys, because i took lots {pretty sure one day my iPhone is going to explode with photos. juuust sayin'}.

brunchin' with the big bro at corner bakery:

my crazy family is reunited {and to top that off, we went to the happiest place on earth!}

and of course a little kid's souvenir cup at carsland was 100% necessary.

i had so much fun at disneyland and california adventure- we hit up all the best rides (space mountain, indiana jones, matterhorn, buzz lightyear, california screamin', tower of terror, soarin' over california, radiator springs, and more!) and i don't think i've ever appreciated getting to spend time with my family more.

i had lots of cappucinos (seriously, people. you don't realize how good starbucks is until you're deprived of it for weeks at a time) and i also ate lots of good food - we got pizza 3 out of the 5 nights my parents were here (in classic foster style). we also ate lots of cookies and froyo and all of that wonderfulness!

after our two days at disneyland, my mom and i had a day together shopping, which was so much fun! i got a few new dresses, skirts, and shorts that were much needed because it's going to start getting hot here really soon. this is one of the skirts i got:

on our last day, my family went to see olympus has fallen (i thought it was a great movie!), had dinner at the counter (also known as my favorite place ever), and watched modern family and nashville on TV. basically a perfect day.

all in all it has been a wonderful break and i couldn't've asked for anything better! my parents dropped my brother and i off back at campus today and i've spent the day unpacking, cleaning and organizing my room (took soooo long!), picking up some essentials, and eating at whole foods. that spicy shrimp and avocado roll hit the spot!

aand now i'm eating a ginormous bowl of panda puffs (best cereal ever..anyone with me?) and am planning on skyping some friends and watching a movie for the rest of the night. 'twas a good day!

stay tuned for a Quest Bar review coming your way soon - if you haven't already gotten the hint from twitter, it's safe to say that i'm addicted. i can't wait to tell you guys about them!

xoxo

WIAW {10th Week}

2013-03-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

hey guys! happy hump day - i hope all of your weeks are going well!

i've been slammed with work lately and am buckling down for the rest of my last week of classes before finals. which basically means coffee is water, wearing PJ's to class is totally acceptable, my hair will be permanently stuck in a bun until next friday, and lots of chocolate is going to be consumed.

anyways - onto the recent eats! thanks for hosting jenn :-)

{thin mints totally count for this month's green theme, am i right?}

{greek yogurt with blueberry muesli, chia, seeds, STRAWBERRIES, sunflower seed butter, and vanilla almond granola}

{banana and cho}

{greek yogurt with frozen raspberries and chocolate chips stirred in, topped with peanut butter and sprinkles}

{smoothie with a new-to-me protein powder, frozen raspberries, greek yogurt, and almond milk}

{black bean, pork, and sweet potato bowl}

{italian salad with the rest of my PWO protein shake on the side}

{my staple breakfast: greek yogurt with muesli and frozen raspberries topped with banana, peanut butter, and honey}

{lots and lots o coffee}

{yet another greek yogurt and muesli bowl with strawbs, ssb, and granola}

{TJ's coconut chips and chocolate chips - always satisfies my sweet tooth!}

greek-style whole wheat pasta with chicken and a salad

vegan pizza - lots of veggies and vegan cheese!

{a huge package that made my night last night - the lovely folks at Quest Bar sent me some bars and peanut butter cups to try out! i've been hearing all about these for the longest time now and can't wait to dig in. review coming soon!}

i haven't posted about my workouts in awhile, but i've been going to 2-3 IFT classes a week and running on most of the other days. for the next week i know there will be lots of short treadmill sessions as i don't have a lot of time. but any movement is better than none!

only 1.5 more weeks til break and i can't wait. disneyland and hanging out with the fambam is where its at!

thought of the day:

have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Core Foods.

2013-02-23T23:40:00.000-08:00

Hi guys!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend - I've spent mine working, doing some studying, and some hanging out with friends. Not a half bad weekend for 7th week!

I have a really awesome review for you today. I usually don't review too many products because I personally don't like reading a lot of reviews on other blogs, but when I hear about a product that's really stellar, I want to tell you about it!

I got the chance to try CORE Defender Meals from CORE Foods through my SweatPink ambassadorship, and I'm so glad that I did. CORE Meals aren't your average 'health' bar. CORE meals are a fresh, full bowl of raw oatmeal to go - in bar form! Each of the bars is made from 7 raw, organic, whole foods ingredients.

When you eat one of the bars, you're supposed to drink a bottle of water (2 glasses) with it to equal 1 full bowl of oatmeal. I was a little skeptical of the staying power of these bars because usually a bar never fill me up like a meal does - but of all the bars I've had, these were the most filling.

My favorite bar was definitely the raw almond raisin bar - it tasted just like a bowl of oatmeal I would've made myself at home. And these bars were PERFECT for long hours of studying at the library. Nothing like healthy energy to power you through lots of work!

Not only are the nutrition stats, ingredients, taste, and staying power of these bars amazing - but the company is really incredible as well. CORE foods is a certified B corporation & they reinvest all of their profit into food, community, and the planet. Basically, they make really awesome food because they LOVE it, not because they're trying to make money off of us. And companies like that are companies that I love.

I'd love for you guys to try out these bars too - if you "like" CORE Foods on Facebook, you get a $5 coupon code good for any online order and you can also enter to win a free case of the bars! Here's the link for the coupon code.

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your weekend - I'll be back soon with the latest eats & workouts!

Five (+1) Things Friday

2013-02-15T17:53:00.001-08:00

1. I DID A PULL-UP this week!! 4, to be exact :) That was my goal for the end of this school year and i'm so stoked to say that i CRUSHED it. and i know that i could've done more so i'm really excited to see where i'll be at the end of the year!

2. my mom sent me the cutest valentine's care package with coffee, brookside chocolate, a little burt's bee's kit, a few other things, and a little card that made my day.

3. a shirt that i ordered myself from fashletics finally came! i have had this shirt on my pinterest board for the longest time and now that i have a part time job again i finally justified buying it for myself. it's so comfy and flattering and makes me feel like a total badass!(the back says i choose strength)

4. another reason my mom is the best: texts like this.

5. when you get chocolate covered strawberries in the dining hall on valentine's day, a food baby is totally unavoidable. i'm pretty sure i ate like 6.. and i am perfectly okay with that because food was my valentine. duh. ;)

5+1. CHEM MIDTERM IS OVER. it was awful, but it's over!! and i'm so glad it's the weekend!

any fun plans this weekend?

weekend countdown returns!

2013-02-09T16:06:00.000-08:00

a bajillion food pics that i haven't shared with you guys yet:

greek yogurt bowl with blueberry muesli, frozen raspberries, banana, almond butter, and honey bunches of oats

sweet potato with vanilla CHO and honey

oatmeal with banana and almonds

rice cake with peanut butter and almond m&ms

a huge pile of roasted brussels sprouts. i got SO excited when i saw these in the dining hall! #foodiealert

another bowl of greek yogurt, muesli, banana, raspberries, and almond butter

quinoa(!!) with steak and butternut squash

lentils with butternut squash and steak

turkey, avocado, and veggie sub

yet another greek yogurt bowl with muesli, banana, honey, and granola

5 workouts of the week:

sunday: 6 mile run
monday: IFT class
tuesday: 4.4 mile run
thursday: late night circuit workout to wake me up before my graveyard shift. super proud that i actually got this one in!

friday: 3.5 mile run

today i'm hopefully going to head out for a run later or do a quick speed session on the treadmill!

4 photos from my 3-hour adventure trying to find sprinkles cupcakes last night:

PSI: the metro is very, very confusing. thank goodness for unlimited ride cards!

3 favorite pins of the week:

2 things making me smile:

-that i get to facetime my parents today!

-the #SheReadsTruth soul detox plan. i am loving it so far even though i'm really behind!

1 question for ya'll: what's the best thing you ate/did/sweated out this week?

{Survey}: Currently.

2013-01-31T10:18:00.001-08:00

current book(s): nothing fun, sadly. my chemistry, calc, and religion books have been the only ones I've been reading - but i do have Terra sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read!

current music: i am loving the album God's Not Dead by Newsboys - i just rediscovered it on spotify and can't get enough!

current guilty pleasure: not quite sure where to go with this, haha. but froyo is always on this list! that and pinterest (aka my time sucker).

current nail color: sparkly teal!

current drink: water & pumpkin spice coffee. all a girl needs.

current food: i just ate my new favorite breakfast again this morning - it's plain greek yogurt mixed with honey and a few spoonfuls of blueberry muesli, topped with sliced banana, TJ's creamy salted peanut butter, an extra drizzle of honey, and today i added some granola on top. seriously, this is the most filling breakfast ever!! not to mention it's the perfect combo of flavors and textures - i love the chew that the muesli adds.

current favorite show: my one of my roommates and my neighbors got me hooked on the bachelor! it's so ridiculous and fun to laugh at. i also LOVE once upon a time (my roomie got me hooked on that too.. sigh), and modern family.

current wish list: this shirt:

kind of kidding. but kind of not.

current bane of my existence: chemistry. and math. and missing my family & kitties!

current celebrity crush: this guy will always be on that list.

current indulgence: strawberry froyo at the dining halls. SO GOOD. totally broke my 'rule' of trying to only eat desserts on the weekends for that one.

current blessing: being able to attend this school & not having to worry about paying for it or taking out loans thanks to my amazing parents. and SO much more!

current slang: well i don't think i really have any 'current' stuff.. but i do always say fudgemuffins when i'm frustrated. everyone thinks it's hilarious, haha!

current outfit: a tshirt and running shorts because i was feeling lazy this morning and don't want to have to change before my run later today. hey, whatever gets me out the door, right?

current excitement: that i don't have to work this weekend and can go to the grocery store on saturday morning. it's the little things! especially since all i will be doing all weekend besides that is studying for midterms.ughh.

current mood: a little overwhelmed, a little anxious about my schoolwork, but overall really really happy. i love my life here and no matter how hard it gets i wouldn't trade it for a thing. and lately God's been teaching me that taking time to just rest in Him does wonders for my stress.

{pin it}

current link: no clue, so i'm going to link back to brittany at GoTheXtraMile cause that's where i got this survey from ;)

happy thursday everyone!

taking a step back.

2013-01-27T21:11:00.004-08:00

so this weekend has been so busy and stressful and exhausting. i have a LOT of work to do, midterms are coming up, and i feel like no matter how hard i work, i'm only chipping away at a mountain.

{pin it}

i'm stressed about doing well in my classes and figuring out if my major is right for me. i'm missing home a LOT at the moment. and i'm still trying to figure out how to properly manage my time as a full-time student with a part-time job.

{pin it}

but then... i took a step back. i FaceTimed my mom, i laughed, i cried, and i realized that no matter how bad i think it is, my life is pretty darn beautiful.

{pin it}

and for that, i am incredibly grateful.

Recent Eats & Workouts.

2013-01-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

my life lately = class + study + work + eat + sweat + sleep.

needless to say i'm so happy it's the weekend! even though all i'll be doing for the rest of the weekend is working and studying, it's a nice break from going to class.

i thought i'd stop in and share some recent eats (since i missed WIAW), and all of the awesome workouts i did the past week!

the friday special sushi bowl - sticky rice with carrots, cucumber, edamame, shrimp w/ spicy mayo, and AVOCADO! this bowl was so good - i wish it was offered on more days than friday!

obligatory friday froyo. peach & tart flavors with lots of strawberries, cheesecake bites, walnuts, almonds, pink & white cookies, and graham cracker crumbs.

tortilla with crunchy almond butter, banana, chia seeds, and honey

plain greek yogurt with TJ's blueberry muesli, a little honey, and frozen berries

lots of sweet potatoes with nut butter & honey! i bought a couple of sweet potatoes at trader joes last week - best decision ever :-) and they're really really cheap, too!

my favorite shrimp & corn chowder

whole wheat turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and dijonaise.

another bowl of plain greek yogurt with muesli, frozen berries, and honey

an oatmeal bowl - i made it with a packet of maple TJ's oatmeal, milk, and chia seeds and then topped it with almond butter, banana slices, shredded coconut, & a few crushed up coconut cookie thins (from TJ's, best things ever!)

workouts this week:

sunday: 6 mile run (longest distance i've run in who knows how long!)
monday: 20 minutes of elliptical, 1 round of kaila's workout, 1 mile treadmill run, stretches
tuesday: 2 mile treadmill run + 10 mins elliptical
wednesday: 30 minutes elliptical intervals (i was a sweaty mess by the end!) + abs in between classes
thursday: 3.4 mile run before class
friday: IFT WOD that looked like this:

warm up: 4 laps of farmers' carry around the gym with a 26# kettlebell
WOD:
complete each exercise for one minute before moving onto the next. rest for one minute in between rounds.
-slam balls
-KB thrusters
-double unders
-push-ups

i used a 16# slam ball and a 26# kettlebell for the thrusters. by the end of the workout i was DEAD. but super proud of myself because i did my first double under!! and managed to get four in a row in the last round!

all in all it was a great week for workouts considering that most days i didn't have much time to squeeze one in (but was always glad that i did!). today i'm SUPER sore in my legs from yesterday's workout so it's definitely a rest day. i might take tomorrow off, too, or do a yoga video on hulu or something.

oh & a random outfit pic before i go - it was raining a little bit this week but it was still warm so i went with leggings, a tank, a scarf, and boots!

and i'll leave you with this:

tell me: best thing you've eaten / best workout you've done this past week!

Five Things Friday.

2013-01-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

1. They had sweet potatoes at the dining hall last night!! I've been craving them all week and was planning on going to the grocery store this weekend specifically to get them because I wanted them so bad. So needless to say when I saw them on the menu I flipped! That was all I ate for dinner last night - and yep, I ate three. #noshame. also, PSI, sweet potatoes with peanut butter AND froyo = best decision ever.

2. I have the best mom in the entire world. I got a care package from her last night and she had crammed in like 10 protein bars, PUMPKIN SPICE COFFEE, lots of dark chocolate, coconut m&ms, biscotti, cashews, dried apple chips, pita chips, popcorn, sour patch kids, and redvines. So basically all of my favorite things in one box!

3. I start work today, and am being trained today and tomorrow. Working 12-13 hours a week on top of my hard classes is going to take a little bit of getting used to, but I think (hopefully!) I will get the hang of it in a week or two. Plus, then I won't feel guilty about spending money on fun things when I'm grocery shopping! ;-)

4. I love LA. Because I wore shorts yesterday. In January.

5.Remember that crazy insane workout I did on Tuesday? Well, DOMS majorly hit yesterday and I could barely move my arms, they were so sore. I felt like that kid from A Christmas Story where he's all "I can't put my arms down!" except it was the opposite because I couldn't lift them up, haha!

tell me something great about your friday!

Life Lately.

2013-01-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

hey guys!!

i'm finally adjusting to being back on an actual schedule down in LA after 3 1/2 weeks of pure relaxation. i am loving being back here at my second home, though!!

these sunrises will never. get. old.

life lately, well, let's just say it's been pretty hectic. in a totally awesome way. i've been doing so many fun things with my friends (like going to a UCLA gymnastics meet, seeing les mis, going out for pizza & froyo, watching the bachelor together, and so much more!). i've met even more amazing people this quarter, and am just soaking up the blessing that my life is right now.

at the gymnastics meet!

i've been getting back into the swing of actually doing work - this quarter i'm taking the next chemistry & math classes in the series i'm in, and a religion class on judaism, christianity, and islam. i'm praying that i don't get murdered by the research paper i have to write.. cause this girl is not a writer!

i also applied for a job and after 3 interviews last week, i got it! i start training sometime next week and couldn't be more excited.

insert random photo of my current favorite outfit(:

on the workout front: remember how i said i was going to be doing best body bootcamp? well, i had the best of intentions when i signed up for the bootcamp - it's such a great way to kick off the new year. but, when i signed up, i kinda sorta forgot about the craziness that is the beginning of a new quarter. i also forgot how crowded the gym gets, and that my personality just doesn't quite go with doing solo workouts. i'm a group exercise girl through and through. i forgot how much i love my barbell class and if i did best body bootcamp, i wouldn't be able to take that class.

so instead of putting the pressure on myself to finish out the entire 8 weeks of the bootcamp (which is almost an entire quarter), i decided that it's just not for me right now. this isn't in any way saying that tina's program is anything but awesome (because trust me, the program is really great), but i didn't want to stress myself out about something that i don't need to be stressing about.

i'm going to save all the workouts from the program for another time in my life when i can really 100% commit to them. and i'm happy that i'm able to make that decision with 0 guilt.

and for now, well, let's just say that i'm IN LOVE with my intense functional training barbell class. it kicks my booty unlike anything else i've ever done. today we did a really great workout:

5x3 snatch
5 rounds of

15 RDLs (romanian deadlifts)
10 bent over rows

100 burpees for time

it's safe to say that was one of the hardest workouts. ever. the instructors didn't tell us about the burpees until we'd put all of our weights away (silly me, thinking that we could be done). there was a 10 minute cap on the burpees and we just did them as fast as possible.

and HOLY CRAP THAT HURT. like hell. but i did in and finished in 7:59 - the first girl in my class to finish! i was so proud of myself. i can't wait to see how i improve by the end of the quarter!

walking back up to my dorm was quite the challenge, my muscles are so dead. i don't even want to think about tomorrow.

so right now, i'm putting myself through the pain of the stick:

and slurping up this yummilicious drink ($3 and ohsoworthit):

and somehow have a huge smile plastered on my face despite my level of exhaustion.

growin' dem muscles :-)

pretty sure that smile isn't gonna be there when i try and get out of bed tomorrow ;)

what's the hardest workout you've done lately?

FRS Review

2013-01-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

Sustained Energy. Increased Endurance. Immune System Support.

These all sound like pretty darn great things, am I right?

I'm all about energy. Having enough to get me through a kickbutt workout, refueling post-workout to have increased energy for the day, and those pick-me-ups when that late afternoon slump starts to hit.

Through the FitFluential ambassador program, I was given the opportunity to try out some FRS products - all products that give you natural, sustained energy.

Where does this natural energy found in all FRS products come from? Quercetin.

So... what the heck is quercetin?

According to the FRS website, it's powerful antioxidant that's found in foods like blueberries, apples and grapes that has been proven in clinical trials to provide sustained energy and many other health benefits. Quercetin acts like a 'super-fuel' in the body by enhancing the production of mitochondria - those little organelles in cells that produce energy.

What did I think?

At first I was I little bit thrown off by the color of the quercetin. It creates a natural yellow color in the drinks, which I was not at all expecting when I opened them. Once I found out that the color came from the quercetin, I was relieved because there weren't any weird colorings added to the drinks.

I also at first thought that the quercetin tasted a little weird (I think because I didn't know what to expect because I'd never had it before). However after a few sips of my first drink I came to like the flavor.

I found that I got an energy boost from all of the products I received, but certain products I liked more than others.

Which products would I buy myself?

This is a key question that I wish more bloggers included in their reviews. Sure, you can like something and say it's great, but would you spend your own money on it?

On a regular basis, I wouldn't buy the Healthy Energy drinks, but if I was looking for a pick-me-up (cough cough finals week) I would definitely buy a couple for the energy boost.

However, I wouldn't buy the Healthy Slim drinks for myself because I'm not trying to lose weight (the drinks have Slendesta in them to curb appetite). For those of you that may be interested in the product, I took a few sips of each just to see what the flavor was like, and I liked the Strawberry Melon better than the Tropical drink.

My favorites were the Pomegranate Blueberry Soft Chews and both the Blackberry Acai and Orange Cream Healthy Protein drinks. These are the products that I would buy for myself to keep on hand.

The Pomegranate Blueberry Soft Chews tasted a lot better than the Orange Hard Chews. The chews reminded me of Starburst which I liked a lot!The recommendation was to take two in the morning and two in the afternoon, which is what I did. I found that I had a lot of energy for my morning workout and never hit that afternoon slump! Two thumbs up.

Both flavors of the Healthy Protein drinks were really good - I loved the smooth creaminess of the drinks. No chalky nasty protein drinks over here! These babies had 25 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber for staying power, all for 200 calories or less. They would be great if you didn't have time to make a full meal after a workout, or were just looking to add some protein to the side of a PWO meal.

I'm always down for a post-workout drink that tastes good and keeps me full and energized for more than an hour or two.

If you're interested in trying out a few FRS products, they have a free trial on their website - you just have to pay $3.95 for shipping and they'll send you a 9-day supply of a few different products! Pretty sweet, no?

Also, if you still want to learn more about quercetin and how it works, check out the FAQs and the science of quercetin on the FRS website.

**Disclaimer: I received these products free of cost through FitFluential. All opinions are my own.**

First WIAW of 2013.

2013-01-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

i can't believe the holidays are over already! the time went by so fast.. can't believe i'm leaving to go back to school in a few days, either. i'm both excited and sad about that one, but i guess you can't have the best of both worlds, eh?

{photo from my family's trip to Carmel a few days back!}

until then i'm going to make the most of these last few days - shopping, pedicures, hanging out with friends, and eating lots of good food are all on the agenda!

i've been savoring my time in my own kitchen and eating some pretty awesome food lately.. so let's WIAW (yep, just made that a verb. i'm about it.)!

this takeout breakfast was one of the best meals i had in Carmel, especially since i was sick the entire time we were there. I had an egg white, veggie, and avocado omelet with homefries and toast.

i made a seriously bomb-diggity omelet(!!) with spinach and avocado with a side of roasted brussels sprouts for a PWO meal. mmm mmm. talk about GREEN!

traditional New Year's Day breakfast in my house - huevos rancheros! my mom made a big pan for my dad & brother and then this little smaller one for me that was made with a whole wheat tortilla. so good!

a breakfast from when i was since, hence the OJ! egg white & veggie scramble with avocado. i'm seeing an avocado theme here..

mini salad from Whole Foods with lots of veggies.

part of our taco bar from NYE - we also had black & pinto beans, taco turkey meat, and tortillas.

roasted brussels sprouts with bacon. lately i've been obsessed with roasted brussels sprouts, but throw bacon in there and you take it to a whole different level. so freakin' good!!

pomegranate CHO with bluebs and fresh pomegranate arils.

coffee & caramel coconut cookie ice creams with crushed toffee. this has been my dessert almost every night with different flavors of ice cream - we currently have 6 different kinds in my house. let's just say i'm a fan ;-)

SWEET POTATO FRIES WITH PEANUT BUTTER. that totally deserved all caps because it was OMG good. i've never made sweet potato fries before and let's just say i've been missing out. this was only the second time i made sweet potato - the first time i made one a really long time ago i just microwaved it and wasn't a fan. ever since i've avoided them but DANGGGG i can't believe how good these were.

i got my hands on one of the new chobani flavors - coffee with dark chocolate chips. and yes, it is ~~just as good~~ better than it sounds. mmmmm!

**end glorious WIAW**

on another note, i went shopping with my momma a few days back and got these amazing babies:

dear Nike Frees, i love you. and i don't even have to go to all the trouble of lacing in my #sweatpink laces cause these laces are already pretty darn pink :-)

i almost bought this adorable dress, too, but it was like two inches too short in the back. darn you bootay. and all the stores that keep making crazy short stuff.

oh, almost forgot! exciting piece of news - i signed up for Tina's Best Body Bootcamp! i figured it would be a great way to kick off the new year and i've heard so many great things about it. i'm stoked! i'll be sure to keep ya'll updated on how it goes!

alrighty folks that's all for now! hopefully i'll be back a few more times before i head back to school..i'm thinking of writing up a few 2013 goals but haven't quite gotten around to that yet ;) better late than never!

what's the best thing you've eaten lately?

any fun fitness plans to kick off 2013?

healthy eating in the dining hall {from a college freshman's perspective}.

2012-12-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

hi guys!
i've been meaning to write this post for awhile now and finally got the chance to write it over break! i wanted to share some of the ways that i stayed healthy while navigating college dining halls.

**disclaimer: these tips are just what worked for ME. i am not a registered dietician and my views should not be taken as medical advice.**

a lot of articles i've read about staying healthy in college talk about making your own food. which i am all for, but there's just a *slight* problem with that: it's not possible for me! i don't have access to a kitchen of any sort and the microwave in my room, well, let's just say it's not the greatest. so i wanted to share some of the things i learned in trying to maintain a healthy diet while eating every meal on campus (i had the biggest meal plan - 19 meals a week - and ate all of my meals. what can i say? this girl likes food!)

PIN IT

with that said, here's my tips for healthy eating in the dining hall!

tip 1. eat a good breakfast.
pass up the pastries, the biscuits and gravy, and the sugary coffee drinks and opt for something with protein, healthy fat, and whole grains.

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some of my favorite healthy breakfasts on campus include:

oatmeal with peanut butter (sometimes i even brought my own almond butter) and raisins with a side of fruit (or banana sliced on top)
yogurt with nuts, dried fruit, and granola
egg white omelets with veggies

i made sure to dab off the oil on the omelets, because the ones at my school were pretty greasy.

banana with peanut butter
to-go cup of cereal with milk and fruit

tip 2. include veggies (or fruit) at every meal.

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have a banana or an apple at breakfast
take advantage of the salad bar. load up on the fresh veggies and go easy on the dressing.
have a bowl of (brothy, not creamy) soup at the beginning of your meal.
steamed veggies (if available) are always a great choice.
have a piece of fruit for dessert.

tip 3. beware of social eating.

i found that there were quite a few times when my friends and floormates would want to get dinner and i wasn't quite hungry. i didn't want to miss out on hanging out with them, but i also didn't want to waste a meal swipe only to not eat anything. in the beginning, i would eat a full meal just so i could eat with them, and then afterwards realize i didn't really enjoy my meal because i simply wasn't that hungry. i found that the best solution to this was to forget about wasting a swipe, go eat with my friends, and just have something small like a banana with peanut butter.

tip 4. always have healthy snacks on hand!

even though i didn't make much food in my room, i always made sure to keep healthy snacks in my fridge and drawers.

PIN IT

some of my favorites are :

string cheese
carrots and hummus
dry roasted nuts
greek yogurt (love me some CHO!)
protein bars (my favorites are Luna & NuGo bars)
tortillas with nut butter or microwaved with string cheese
crackers with nut butter
frozen fruit (frozen raspberries and frozen pineapple were my favorites)
popcorn
dried edamame <-- high in protein!
beef jerky
pretzels or popchips
dark chocolate
tea & hot cocoa

tip 5. don't eat dessert after every meal.

the pastry case and all you can eat soft serve machines on college campuses are really tempting. but if you eat dessert after lunch & dinner, you'll find yourself hitting sugar crashes in the afternoon and lacking energy. not to mention that eating lots of cake and brownies is an easy way to gain the freshman 15!

at the beginning of the year i fell into the trap of not wanting to 'waste' food and wanting to get the most bang for my buck at every meal, which meant eating dessert. once i figured out the effect that it was having on me, i started cutting back. my energy went up and when i did indulge, it tasted a lot better! by the end of the quarter i tried to have fruit for dessert during the week and then on the weekends i would go for the froyo or a brownie. but this leads to #6..

tip 6. don't eat something you don't like.

if it doesn't taste good, why eat it? i found that a lot of desserts just weren't as good as homemade desserts - and once i realized that, i stopped eating the ones that were only so-so! this tip also goes for main courses as well. if you taste something and don't like it, don't finish it. if there's nothing else available that you like, make a pb&j or have cereal and milk.

tip 7. get creative!

it's REALLY easy to get tired of the food on campus. (and this is coming from a girl who has 9 places to eat!) getting tired of food means reaching for the french fries or eating dessert for dinner - and while both of these things are totally fine, doing that every day is not going to be good for your health.

i found that walking around to each station and seeing what was available first really helped me. then i could decide whether i wanted to eat something that was being served or make something of my own. often i mix and matched from different stations to come up with something unique! one of my favorite go-to meals that is easy to mix up is a hot salad. i would pile on steamed veggies and tofu (or chicken) on a bed of spinach and top it with corn, rice, pesto sauce, and cheese. then i pop it in the microwave til the spinach is soft and i've got a filling and tasty meal!

tip 8. don't be too hard on yourself!

going to college is a very hard transition to make! don't get me wrong, i've loved every minute of it, but that doesn't mean that it's not difficult. being an emotional eater myself, the first few weeks were definitely rough, but eventually i found what worked for me and my body (including figuring out the cause of the headaches i was getting!). so just be patient and pay attention to your body - it will all work out in the end.

what would your best tip be for a college student navigating the dining halls?

Christmas 2012.

2012-12-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

i hope you all had an amazing holiday celebrating Jesus' birth (if you celebrate)! i had a wonderful time with my family.

my Christmas Eve was full of the usual traditions, which i love!

pictures with Santa... at 18 and 20 years old. we're just cool like that. ;-)

lunch at in-n-out with daddy

and then my brother and i baked a batch of my grandma's sugar cookies - they're the best sugar cookies in the world! they disappeared so fast that they evaded my camera.

after that i went to church with the fam

and then we came home and had our (unpictured) traditional crackers + cheese + meat tray for dinner!

Christmas morning was i was up bright and early to get cooking on a special breakfast. i LOVE breakfast so Christmas morning breakfast is always one of my favorites! i made Martha Stewart's Mushroom-Cheddar Fritatta with a few modifications. since my dad & brother aren't so keen on broccoli ~~in the morning~~, i split the recipe into two square pans and put all the broccoli on my side. i also added 2 eggs and 4 egg whites, and 1/4 cup milk to the egg mixture, as well as crumbling in a few pieces of bacon into each pan.

they turned out really well (minus being *slightly* overcooked - while they were baking i was working out in our little home gym with my momma so I didn't pull them out quite on time)! we also had Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and pigs in a blanket - Christmas morning staples in our house - as well as pomegranate arils and OJ.

not to mention this bomb-diggity coffee creamer... the stuff is so good!

after breakfast it was time to open stockings, which is what i was most excited about because this year i was in charge of the stockings. my family has always had most food-based stockings so i had a ton of fun shopping and picking things out for everyone - food shopping is the best!

everyone loved their stockings & i'm quite excited to dig into all of my goodies. lots of nut butter, protein bars, coffee, chocolate, granola, TJ's treats, and a few other things!

after stockings we opened some presents and then headed over to visit my grandparents in their assisted living home. [insert yogurt + granola snack here] we chatted with them and my aunt, uncle, and cousins for a few hours and then made the drive back home to finish up presents.

[insert leftover fritatta and baked pumpkin oatmeal here]

i think one of my favorite presents was the cat toys we got our kitties because watching them go crazy was hilarious!

some highlights of my Christmas were getting a baby coffeemaker for my dorm room (so excited about this, even though it's not exactly allowed ;), a replacement iPod shuffle for working out, some new music, a few cute tops, and workout gear from Lululemon! my mom picked out a few things for me (run for your life crop, heart opener tank) and i had picked out a pair of wunder under pants because i've been oogling those for a long time. i'm currently wearing them and they're so unbelievably comfy i don't think i'm ever taking them off! i also got this awesome water bottle:

if you can't read it, the back of the water bottle says "because i like muffins (not muffin tops)". makes me laugh :)

after we finished up presents, it was time for dinner! my dad smoked a turkey (he makes the best turkey, hands down), i made mashed potatoes and gravy, and my mom had made my grandma's homemade rolls. these rolls are my kryptonite. but seriously. i have never had anything that compares - so fluffy and doughy and just freakin delicious.

no room for veggies on my plate because a) i was too lazy to make them and b) i needed more room for extra rolls in my tummy!

just look at that fluffy deliciousness!

my plate:

plus three more rolls because they're just THAT good. hey, i only get them once a year, so it's go big or go home!

i also had some see's candy and a small bowl of ice cream for dessert because no day is complete without dessert in my world.

& in the spirit of WIAW (and since i have some eats i haven't gotten the chance to show you guys yet) i thought i'd share some yummy eats from the past few days.

salad with rotisserie chicken, lentils, mushrooms, and white bean hummus

vitality bowl (acai strawberry banana smoothie base topped with granola, strawberries, and bananas)

starbucks gingerbread latte... times like 10. these are so good!

quinoa, lentil, and broccoli bowl with cheddar and parmesan

bowl of ice cream while watching a Christmas story

amy's vegetable barley soup bulked up with spinach, quinoa, and cheddar cheese

a huge froyo while out shopping. marshmallow & cookies and cream flavors with graham crackers. HEAVEN.

homemade cheese ravioli (with mushroom and alfredo sauces) that my dad picked up as a special treat!

sticky fingers pumpkin scones with a drizzle of honey.

today has been spent mostly relaxing, getting a good workout in (BodyPump and the stairclimber), and eating up delicious leftovers :-) later in the afternoon i'm going to go to the movies with my family!

what was a highlight of your christmas?

favorite holiday treat?

WIAW: Recipe Explosion

2012-12-19T15:05:00.002-08:00

so remember how i told you that i'd have plenty of recipes for you when i got home for break? well, i've been cooking and baking like crazy ever since i got home! i'm pretty sure i've made a different cookie every day not to mention i've been cooking a few dinners for my family. i love having a kitchen!!

prepare yourselves.. cause i've got a lot of recipes comin' atcha!

first up: homemade pumpkin spice latte!
as you guys know i'm just a *little* obsessed with pumpkin at this point. i've demolished one of those huge cans of pumpkin in less than a week. and there's no signs of stopping.
this drink is really easy to make, and if you leave off the whipped cream it's vegan!

ingredients:

2 cups almond milk (or other milk of choice)
1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup brewed coffee of choice

directions:

heat the milk, pumpkin, and sugars over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until milk is steamed and mixture is hot.
stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and remove from heat.
in two {large} mugs, pour 1/2 cup coffee, and then pour 1 cup of the pumpkin mixture over it. top with whipped cream (if desired) and an extra shake of pumpkin pie spice.

up next: shrimp, brussel sprouts, and goat cheese pizza.

i made this for dinner a few nights ago and i can honestly say this is the BEST homemade pizza i have ever made. it doesn't take too long thanks to the premade pizza dough (i highly recommend using trader joe's - it never fails me!)

ingredients:

1 premade pizza dough (i used trader joe's whole wheat)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder (you can omit the garlic powder if it's not your thang)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups shaved brussels sprouts
1 tbsp coconut oil (and salt & pepper) for sautéing
1/2 pound frozen peeled cooked shrimp
3 cups sliced mushrooms + 1/2 cup water for cooking
1/2 cup romano and parmesan cheese (i used a mix of both, but you can use whatever you prefer)
3 ounces goat cheese

directions:

preheat oven to 450 degrees.
roll out pizza dough on a floured surface into a semi-round shape (as you can see i'm not too great at that). place on a pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and brush the olive oil over the crust. sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and top with parmesan cheese.
heat a pan to medium heat and add the brussel sprouts and coconut oil. once the brussel sprouts are soft, add the shrimp and cook until shrimp are hot. season with salt & pepper to taste.
meanwhile, in a different pan, add mushrooms and water and cook on medium-high heat. cook mushrooms are tender (they will be a brown color) and set aside.
add brussel sprouts, shrimp, mushrooms, & parmesan and romano cheese to pizza dough. crumble goat cheese on top and bake for 10-15 minutes.

and thirdly, parmesan kale chips!

i've never cooked with kale before but this was SO much easier than i thought it would be. the key is getting a bag of washed and chopped kale from trader joe's - it makes everything so much easier!

ingredients:

1 bag chopped kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

directions:

preheat oven to 375 degrees.
spread kale out on a baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan, salt, and pepper. toss the kale around to make sure it's fully coated (i just used a pair of tongs).
bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

i have a few other recipes for you - a classic holiday shortbread recipe, my mom's sugar cookies, and a few more! so be on the lookout :)

on another note... this girl just found out she got an A- in chemistry! to say i'm stoked is an understatement!! i have never worked harder in my life for anything and to see that it paid off makes me so freakin' happy.

besides cooking and baking like crazy, i've been snuggling with these cutie pies LOTS and catching up on my TV shows. i've made it through 8 episodes of Once Upon a Time in 24 hours. hey, isn't that what break is for? ;-)

and this just cracks me up every time. i have the prissiest little chubby cat ever.

thought of the day:

what's the best thing you've made recently?

favorite thing to do when you have free time? i love to read, watch TV, do my favorite workouts, cook and bake, and spend time with family and friends!

hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near.

2012-12-16T21:21:00.001-08:00

praying for connecticut <3

***********************************************

i'm finally home and i'm so, so thankful for my family and friends.

i've been enjoying my time at home so much. lots of TV watching, baking, dance partying, trips to the gym with my momma, running, and spending time with my family.

my brown sugar cookies

yesterday we went into the city - one of our christmas traditions!

i started the day off with some delicious caramelized pumpkin pancakes (with barney butter of course) and a kickboxing class at the gym.

kickboxing was followed my a green monster (AHH! my first one in months!) and a shower

and then we were on our way!

we dance party on BART. #normal

my city!

visited the kitties in the macy's windows <3

chipotle for lunch! i got a burrito bowl with brown rice, steak, black beans, corn salsa, and guacccc.

macy's!

we're kinda crazy. (:

in front of the big christmas tree!

i love this picture! one of my mottos: life is better when you're laughing.

and of the course the night ended with froyo on the couch and a movie with the fam!

today i had a yummy breakfast (1 egg and 2 egg whites with spinach, & a whole wheat bagel - half with butter and half with almond butter), went for a run with a good friend, and zumba'd with mom.

my mom and i also made a ton of chocolate pretzels to give as gifts and i baked these amazing magic cookie bars (with dark, semisweet, & white chocolate chips, and almonds).

we dance partied while the bars were baking! i love my mom so much.

and now i'm off to enjoy some pizza and decorate the christmas tree with my family :)

Harry & David Pears!

2012-12-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm sitting in the airport and couldn't be happier - I finished my last final exam yesterday and am FREE for the holidays!! I can honestly say that I've never worked harder for anything in my life and accomplishing what I did this quarter is something I'm really proud of.

There were a few things that definitely got me through finals week - coffee, dance parties with my amazing roomies, living in sweatpants, quick treadmill runs to bust stress, and PACKAGES! Y'all know that packages are some of my favorite things ever.

My momma sent me a finals survival care package with lots of goodies. She even included two CDs for dance party breaks (she knows me so well ;) which definitely came in handy!!

I also received a box of Harry & David freshly-picked pears to try out. When the company kindly contacted me to see if I would be willing to review some of their fruit, I immediately said yes!

I've been living off of bananas over here (you don't even want to know how many bananas I ate this quarter) so I was dying for some good fruit. I'd heard so many good things about Harry & David through friends and other blogs and couldn't wait to try the fruit out for myself!

I received a box of the Royal Riviera Pears, which are the most popular fruit that Harry & David harvests. And now I know why they're so popular - these were literally the best pears I have ever eaten. The pears were perfectly soft, sweet, juicy, and all-around fantastic. I needed at least 5 napkins just to eat one pear because they were so juicy!

You know how some people say that they are perfectly fine with eating just fruit for dessert? Normally I would never say that, cause this girl's got a huge sweet tooth and loves her baked goods. But these pears were so good I would consider them dessert-worthy. They were the perfect late-night study snack for finals, too!

I even shared a few pears with a couple of friends and one of them proclaimed the pear to be the best thing she'd eaten in weeks. I definitely agree with that statement!

And that golden pear that they include in every box? I saved it for last and had it today on the way to the airport. I gotta say it was the best of the bunch ;-)

I've been eyeing lots of other goodies on the website and there are so many that would make a really great gift for the holidays - there's even up to 25% off on certain holiday gifts! I'm thinking about getting another box of pears for my family as part of their Christmas gift (okay, okay.. I just really want more fruit)

Thank you, Harry & David!

Disclaimer: I received this box of fruit free of charge. All opinions are my own.

WIAW: 10th Week & My First Barbell Competition

2012-12-05T15:03:00.000-08:00

hi friends! happy WIAW!

i don't have any healthy recipes for ya (but will have plenty when i go home!), but i did actually take pictures of most of my food yesterday - so here's a mostly full day of eats for me!

breakfast: cereal, banana, milk, and a few sips of {awful} coffee. i cannot wait to drink good coffee at home again!

midmorning snack: roasted almonds while studying in the library. chemistry, i hate you.

lunch: whole wheat sandwich with turkey, lettuce, tomato, and dijonaise, an apple, and SoBe Lean.

i also grabbed an {unpictured} nonfat no sugar added mocha as a treat on the way to class. i'm addicted to these things and don't really care about the whole fake sweetener thing. i tried to look it up online once to make sure there wasn't anything crazy weird in the drink {the cafe on campus is coffee bean & tea leaf} but then realized i was still going to drink them anyway so it didn't really matter. i'm weird like that.

afternoon snack: animal crackers (real ones! not those weird cookie things.. anyone else know what i'm talking about?) while doing my reading. it was only a buck for a bag of them at target! i put them into individual baggies so that i wouldn't plow through the whole bag in one study session.

workout: yesterday was my first ever IFT barbell competition! i almost chickened out but i am so glad that i went since it turns out that i won't be able to make the second half of the competition on thursday.

yesterday we did deadlifts and pull-ups & we got three attempts to get our heaviest weight. since i wasn't quite sure how much i could lift, i started with 135# for the deadlift and worked my way up to 160# (which was my 3rd attempt). i think i probably could've done 5-10 pounds more but i am so proud of that!

for the pull-ups, girls were supposed to do as many pull-ups as they could consecutively or do a negative (where you start at the top of pull-up position and lower yourself as slowly as possible) for as long as they can. i haven't exactly attempted a full on pull-up yet and i didn't want to screw up the form, so i did a negative and held it for 40 seconds! i was so proud of that - i hung on longer than any of the other girls in my class (there were ones in other classes that did 45 seconds i think) and everyone was cheering each other on which was so cool. makes me sad that i won't be able to make it tomorrow!

post workout: almond butter + chocolate chips. i should've grabbed something with a lot of protein but i reeeally wanted nut butter! it is what it is.

dinner: plate 1: steamed broccoli and cauliflower, some sort of chicken & spinach salad, and a barley salad.

plate 2: veggie pizza with parmesan cheese, a cup of milk, and a half decaf half hot chocolate mix.

{unpictured: small cup of plain vanilla froyo with sprinkles, and then a piece of AMAZING yellow butter cake with raspberries and white chocolate buttercream that we had at bible study cause one of my leaders' birthdays is today! it was so freaking good. no regrets whatsoever about breaking my 'fruit for dessert' during the week rule.}

also, yesterday was probably the last day i'll actually have worn real clothes for the next 8 days..

cause the week of yoga pants is beginning! everyone knows it's perfectly acceptable to wear yoga pants and sweatpants 24/7 from now until christmas break ;-)

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have a wonderful wednesday everyone!

Life is Crazy.

2012-12-03T14:25:00.000-08:00

hello friends! happy monday! i hope you all had wonderful weekends :)

life has been quite crazy over here. ever since i got back from home a little over a week ago, i've been catching up on all the work i failed to do over thanksgiving (a girl's gotta get a break sometime!), catching up with all my friends, and most importantly, catching up on sleep.

recently i've been getting headaches a LOT more frequently than i used to. as in, every day kinda deal. i knew something had to be wrong and i started keeping a journal of possible triggers that could be causing the problem - workouts, food, caffeine (aka coffee), stress, sleep. i tried to fix the first three in the beginning, but when it came down to it, i discovered that i just needed more sleep. period. my body was used to having anywhere from 8-10 hours of sleep a night before i came to college and i just expected it to adapt to only having 6 or 7 without any problems.

i think it's crazy that it took me until 9th week to figure out the cause of the problem, but hey, at least i did eventually! ever since i've started going to bed earlier (i made a rule of 8 hours sleep minimum. don't care how much work needs to be done, going to bed is more important) i haven't had a single headache in over a week. big stuff, people!

in trying to figure out the cause of my headaches i've also tried to clean up my diet a little and eat more foods that energize me, and don't leave me in that post-meal slump. most of these eats are comin' your way tomorrow for a WIAW food dump post. haha :)

on the workout side of things, last week i took things easy because i was nervous that doing high intensity workouts might have been part of what was causing my headaches. i went on quite a few runs with girls in my bible study, did the elliptical, and took a few rest days.

**just wanted to throw in a note here that if i wasn't able to figure out the cause of my headaches on my own, i was going to go to a doctor to make sure there wasn't a bigger problem**

but today i went back to my IFT class and did a totally kickass workout that i wanted to share with you guys! it was probably one of the hardest workouts i've done so far and it. was. awesome.

Source: Uploaded by user via Julianna on Pinterest

i used a 60# bar for my cleans, 2 15# dumbells for the thrusters, and the thickest resistance band for help on the pull-ups.

you could easily do this workout at home if you have a jumprope and kettlebells or dumbbells - just leave off the first exercise (cleans) and last exercise (pull-ups).

after the workout one of my instructors came over and told me that my cleans were looking really good (YAYYYY! i've been working on my form for so long now!) and asked if i was going to the competition tomorrow. IFT is very similar to CrossFit (not speaking from my own experience here, just what i've heard) and they have competitions here at UCLA at the end of every quarter to see how much you've improved since the beginning. if i'm not too sore from today's killer workout, then i think that i'll go tomorrow and see what i can do! i'm really excited for that.

post-workout fuel today: chicken caesar salad, milk, and a fruit cup. you gotta make do with the food to-go and this lunch was pretty good!

on that note i better get off to studying. 10th week = death week. quarter system peeps, ya feel me? i'm drowning in work over here and studying for finals is scary and overwhelming. i'm doing my best to not stress like crazy, focus, and get things done. but if i don't resurface until i'm home for christmas break, you'll know why! 11 more days of busting my butt and then i will be home and truly enjoying the christmas season. until then, michael buble will have to do ;)

what's the best workout you've done lately?