I’m currently en route to New York City to meet up with my mentor (who works at a huge magazine!) and an editorial assistant for another magazine. I’m beyond excited!
Anyway, how was your weekend? Mine was fabulous. It just so happened to be my 22nd birthday yesterday, so that made it all the more exciting.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE!!
Today I’m coming at you with some more Thursday Thoughts and, of course, I’m joining Amanda‘s link-up party!
It may not come as a surprise that my thoughts today are mostly about – what else – CHRISTMAS!
Hello strangers!
Once again, it’s been way too long since my last post.
I’m swamped with papers, studying for midterms, applying to jobs, and enjoying senior year festivities, but this long weekend I came home to run a half marathon!
I’m hoping to write a full race recap sooner rather than later, so be on the lookout for that!
I haven’t posted in ages, but I haven’t forgotten about blogging. In fact, I’ve been Instagramming daily for the last couple months, and I have tons of blog post ideas for the (hopefully near) future.
And in case you didn’t notice… I have done something for the little old blog recently…
Hi guys! Happy Hump Day!
I feel like it’s been ages since we last spoke…
It’s been much longer than I anticipated because I did end up going back to the Cape on Thursday night, and unfortunately we had no internet.
I actually wrote an entire Thinking Out Loud post last Thursday in the car, thinking I would hit publish as soon as we got to the hotel.
Wellp that wasn’t exactly possible when we had no internet. The hotel ‘had wifi’ but for some reason it didn’t work, at least not in our room..
I was a little extremely frustrated at first, but then I decided to fully embrace a much needed break from technology. I didn’t use my laptop once and I only used my phone to text (and to Instagram one pic) when we were at restaurants and places where there was service. I have to admit, it was really nice to step away from the internet and social media for a couple days and just focus on my family and enjoying our little vacation.
Anywho, most of the post I wrote on Thursday is still relevant so I’ll probably edit and publish it tomorrow. Since today is Wednesday and all and I have tons of food pics, I think that calls for another WIAW, hosted by Jenn of course!
First of all, you may be wondering why I headed back to Cape Cod less than 48 hours after I returned home from there…
I got back from Chatham last Tuesday at about 8pm, worked Wednesday and then Thursday from 7am to 1. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to give someone else my on-call shift Friday so I could head back to the Cape with my parents on Thursday afternoon. They had made these plans to go a while back, and since a few of my college friends were possibly going to be in Chatham, my goal was to at least see one of them.
Going into it, I knew that even if I didn’t end up seeing my friends, the quality family time was needed, especially since I’ll be leaving for Europe in less than a month.
After I got off work Thursday, I did a quick run and some arms, then repacked my bag (that I had basically left packed from Tuesday, just swapped out some outfits and such).
We arrived in the Cape Cod town of Yarmouth around 7pm and went right to The Skipper Restaurant & Chowder House. We had to wait an hour to be seated, but we didn’t mind!
I started with a few spoonfuls of my mom’s chowdah, which was super thick (and tasty).
For my meal, I ordered the ‘Grilled Scallop Salad’ which was fantastic. The cranberries and poppyseed dressing were just the right amount of sweetness to balance the salty scallops. I also had a piece of cornbread alongside my salad which tasted like dessert, so obviously I loved it.
We ate every bite of our meals, but there was no question about whether I would get ice cream from Skipper’s Icecream counter…
I chose the ‘Sea Salt Caramel with Walnuts’ which had some surprise chocolate caramel cups in it! I learned quite the valuable lesson by eating this ice-cream -> I don’t love plain walnuts… I guess I only like the candy-coated variety. That said, I loved everything else in this bowl of goodness that I enjoyed later on at the hotel (and I still ate all the walnuts – gotta get those healthy fats ;))
On Friday I woke up and ate a quick breakfast before heading out for a run (while my parents walked). I had some greek yogurt, a pear, and a bit of s’mores coffee pre 5 mile run, then a protein bar afterwards. Nothing too exciting, but it got the job done!
There was not a single cloud in the sky and our hotel was right on the water, so we quickly changed into our swimsuits, bathed in sunscreen, packed some lunch, and headed to the beach!
We relaxed in our chairs for a couple of hours before my mom and I took a walk along the water. When we returned, we were more than ready for lunch!
I packed a pb banana wrap, a white nectarine, and a kind bar.
Around 3:00 we decided to head back up to the hotel to lounge by the pool.
Clearly it was rough day..
For snack I had a gala apple with the rest of my pb + some almonds.
Around 4:30 I took a much needed shower and then we headed to Hyannis for dinner!
We parked our car and then walked around in search of the perfect place to eat. We came across The Black Cat Tavern where we were told it would be an hour wait. I had plans to meet up with one of my roommates (the same one I saw last week!) at 7:45 for an a Capella concert, so we said thanks anyway. As we started walking away, the hostess stopped us and said they could actually seat us right then. Score!
I chose the ‘Oven Roasted Pistachio Encrusted Salmon’ which was cooked to perfection and served on top of the most delectable orange honey glaze and creamy fruit risotto. I ate every last morsel and even used a piece of crusty bread to soak up all the delicious remnants. It was dee-lish.
We finished dinner right around 7:30 so I made it just in time to catch the Hyannis Sound concert with one of my college besties and her mom (while my parents explored town and went to ice cream, awww).
If you are ever in Cape Cod in the summer and you like good music, cute boys in Vineyard Vines, and/or having fun, you need to see one of their shows. Click here for all the info (and to listen to some of their amazing music!)
After the incredible show, we drove to my friend’s condo in Chatham where I was spending the night. On the way back we stopped for, what else, ice-cream!
I chose the ‘Purple Cow’ which was black raspberry with white and dark chocolate chunks. Yum!
We stayed up giggling like middle-schoolers and chatting away before calling it a night around 1:30.
It was a long but fabulous day!
On Saturday morning we woke up at 8:30, ate some cereal and fruit, then headed out for an easy run around downtown Chatham!
It was pretty humid out, and the pool was calling our names when we got back!
We were bummed we couldn’t see our other roommates (one had an early ferry ride to Nantucket, so the timing didn’t quite work out, and another ended up having to go to New Jersey), but we had a blast and were thankful just to see each other again!
My parents picked me up at 11:45 and as soon as we arrived back at our hotel, we got set for the beach.
It was pretty windy and the sun was going in and out of the clouds, so after about an hour I had to drape a towel over me as I ate my lunch (which was the same as Friday’s).
In an attempt to escape the sea breeze, we headed to the pool shortly after.
Around 4:00 it started to sprinkle, so I headed in for a shower before mass and dinner with my parents.
^ Lilly Pulitzer + some serious tan lines…
After church we went to The Waterfront at Lighthouse Inn in West Dennis.
I chose the ‘Sweet Salad’ which was a ginormous bowl of fruit over a bed of lettuce with seasoned shrimp. I thought it could have been tastier with spinach instead of romaine and iceberg lettuce, but the fruit and dressing were great and the shrimp was even better!
The sun was setting outside the window, which was an absolutely perfect way to end a yummy summer meal.
We then drove to Harwich Port to walk around for a bit before it got dark.
As we drove back to the hotel, we were on the lookout for a good ice cream spot. We saw tons on our way, but most were super crowded, so we decided to just head back to Skipper’s Icecream.
I got ‘Lobster Tracks’ which was vanilla ice-cream with a thick fudge swirl (oh my gosh), and red white-chocolate caramel cups. It was to die for. Definitely my favorite flavor of this trip!
^ That second photo is a massive fudge chunk. Aka a bite of heaven.
I went to sleep very happy (and very full) that night.
I got up at 7:45 on Sunday and went straight out the door for another 5 mile run. When I got back I stretched and sipped some coffee out by the pool, soaking up one last bit of sunny Cape Cod.
Once my parents were all set, we packed up, checked out, and headed to Hyannis for brunch at The SunnySide Restaurant.
.
We grabbed a table outside and enjoyed some breakfast while people-watching and recapping our awesome mini vacation!
I got a blueberry pancake and an over-easy egg. Once I saw my moms wheat toast and jam, I wish I had gotten eggs and toast instead of the pancake, but I was craving pancakes all weekend, so it had to be done!
We hit the road around noon, just as storm clouds rolled in and the skies opened up. Perfect timing!
Because Cape traffic can get a little crazy on Sunday afternoons, it took about 4 hours to get home, so a light lunch was needed in the car around 3:00.
I whipped out an undocumented nectarine and then topped a wheat wrap with pb and banana (while we were in motion, hence the horrendous presentation).
Plus an apple and more pb as soon as we got home!
In the summer, my parents usually throw something on the grill and we have a nice Sunday dinner with my older brothers, but since we didn’t get home until after 4:00 and were in no mood to cook, we ordered takeout around 7:00.
I got my fave Cosi salad (the Peruvian Palm). No pistachio-encrusted salmon or waterfront dining, but I still liked it!
It was such an amazing long weekend with my family (and a friend!). I’m so glad I decided to take work off to spend that time with my parents. I’m going to miss them so much when I’m abroad, so this was the perfect trip for us. Plus, the beach and food weren’t too shabby either…
Once again, thanks for enduring another photo dump/ rambling post from me! I hope you enjoyed reading it because I loved writing it.
Have a great rest of your Hump Day, and a fabulous rest of the week 🙂
I’ll see ya back here soon with some Thursday Thoughts, a ‘how to pack‘ post, and much, much more!
xo’s
PS – Don’t forget, my Twitter and Instagram handles (as well as Pinterest) are now @fuelingfab (which will possibly be my new blog title!). Your input on my blog name (once I go self-hosted) is still much appreciated 🙂
Questions of the day:
And in case you missed them, here are some of my more recent posts…
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday! Mine was amazing, and I hope yours was also full of relaxation, family time, fun with friends, fabulous food, and some fitness thrown in there, too!
I’m still on break for the next two weeks, but I’m definitely feeling the after Christmas (and New Years Eve) blues. I took a decent amount of photos, so I thought what better way to beat those blues than a kinda sorta not really “wordless Wednesday” recap!
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Modern Family marathon.
Chex in a Christmas mug. (Does anyone else think the vanilla flavor tastes like sugar cookies? SO GOOD.)
Oreo brownie.
Pre-church peppermint mocha.
Christmassy nails.
Lacy shirt and new boots for Christmas Eve Mass.
Christmas Eve lasagna, garlic bread, and salad.
Santa came!
Enough dessert for 19 people?
Lemon poppyseed cake with orange glaze, rounds 1 & 2.
Round 3.
Chocolate on chocolate on chocolate.
Five mile run in the snow. Perfection.
I’m dreaming of a white (day after) Christmas.
Cosi date with friends.
More.
And more.
First trip to Moe’s.
I guess I liked it?
Hot cocoa by the tree.
Feeling snacky.
Christmas celebration #2.
(Early) birthday cake!
Out with the fam.
Dear peppermint stick, why do you have to be seasonal?
Clean and simple.
Microwaved.
Tired from last night = lazy easy eats.
Imma miss this
so, so much.
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PS – Want to kick-start the new year? Check out this workout!
PPS – This year, instead of making resolutions you won’t keep, make the commitment to become the BEST you.
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Questions of the day:
I’ve been pretty busy all morning and it doesn’t look like that will end until much later but I really wanted to check in while I eat my lunch (the usual – whole grain bagel, chunky pb, banana, and cinnamon, along with some Polar Cucumber Melon Seltzer)!
I woke up this morning and went for a nice 6 mile run, followed by my stretching routine and a yummy breakfast of 2 mug eggs with salsa, a nectarine, and a glass of Silk Pure Almond Vanilla Almond Milk.
Then I had a call, showered, and got to work.
It’s thundering and pouring out there, so it’s making me pretty happy to be cooped up in my nice cozy house all day.
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On a different note, I created a “Let’s Connect!” page late last night because I really want to start having conversations with the zero people that see this blog you guys! So, please check out that page and follow me on Twitter (@fuelingalife) and Bloglovin’, and comment on any of my posts!
I’d love to hear from you!
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Alright, all done with lunch ( 🙁 ) – time to think about the Caramel Macchiato coffee I’m having with my afternoon snack…and the turkey burgers we’re having for dinner focus.
So I made a big decision about the blog today! Instead of doing a daily theme, I’m just going to do whatever ‘theme’ comes to me when I sit down and write. Although I think clever alliterations like ‘Motivation’ Monday, ‘What I Wore’, ‘One Word’, or ‘Workout’ Wednesday, and ‘Fun Facts’ Friday are super cute and fun, I’m finding it challenging to make my life match those daily themes. I will definitely do posts with those titles, but I will do them when they fit the day I’m having. There are days when I stay in workout clothes, days when I don’t have any new, exciting eats, days when I just don’t find anything that worthy of an in-depth recap. On days like that, I would really struggle trying to force a post that fulfills a certain ‘day’ if that’s not the day I’ve had. Blogging is a part of my life, and I’m not willing to form my days around a silly little post.
Now that a decision has been made and made clear on here, let’s get to the fun stuff!
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I started my day with a quick breakfast consisting of a smoothie and a hard boiled egg for additional protein.
In the smoothie:
-1/2 frozen banana
-4 frozen strawberries
-handful frozen spinach
-1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
-little under 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
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After scarfing down that breakfast, I did a 50 minute workout which was comprised of:
-5 minute circuit (jumping jacks, jump rope, high knees, jump rope, jumping jacks)
-2 mile run on treadmill
-5 minute circuit (speed skaters, butt kicks, box jumps, snowboard jumps, squat kicks)
-2 mile run on treadmill
-5 minute circuit (sumo squats, Heisman shuffle, calf raises, jumping lunges, bridges)
-3 minute planks (1 minute front, 1 minute each side)
-STRETCHED and rolled (I’ll have to show you my stretching routine one of these days!)
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Once I showered and did a little intern work, I made a quick lunch of a whole grain bagel with crunchy peanut butter and raspberry fruit spread.
I have an interview in a little while so I needed to put on a decent outfit. I loved the outfit I wore for the family pics on Saturday, so I decided to do a look similar to that (sorry if I’m boring you with basically the same outfit in different colors…I’ll show you something different soon!).
Once again – the shorts, belt, and shirt are J.Crew!
The bow earrings are Francesca’s, and unfortunately I have no clue where the little twists are from.
The watch is Relic, and the two bracelets are Alex and Ani! I wear all three of these every single day.
And on my feet, I’m wearing my dirty silver Jack Rogers!
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The rest of my day looks like this: interview, coffee (and a snack for me!) with a friend, dinner (which I think will be hamburgers, sweet potato fries, and fruit salad) with the fam, then hopefully ice cream with some friends tonight!
Hope you have a great day!
Instead of a recap of my day, I decided that I would do some fun facts. I know that’s normally a ‘Friday’ thing (like Courtney and Chelsey do), and this is really my Thursday post, but ehhhh whatever. I’ll think of something to write about tomorrow.
Without further ado, here are some fun, random facts about me, in no particular order and with really no reason behind why I am revealing them now.
1. When I have any fruit with a stem, I need the stem out before I even think about eating it. I usually clean it off under cold water, dry it, and twist off the stem with a paper towel.
2. If I can, I slice my fruit (apples, pears, nectarines, etc.), as opposed to biting in. I hate the sticky feeling of juice running down my chin.
3. I always stretch after I run, and 99% of the time after I bike or do any sort of vigorous exercise. But after I run, I go through about a 10 minute stretching routine that I pieced together from stretches I’ve learned along the way. Once I started this little routine (probably my sophomore year of high school), I have never not done it after a run. Even if I have to do each stretch super fast, it will always get done.
4. There are really no vegetables I dislike besides olives. I have tried multiple times to give them another shot, but every single time I spit them out. Growing up I also hated pickles, until I tried them at college. Now I like them with certain things. I thought this same thing might happen with olives. Yeah no.
5. I am obsessed with coffee. I also hated it all my life, but the summer before I went to college, I drank a mug full of coconut flavored coffee from my cousin’s Keurig and it was love at first sip. My favorite right now is literally anything vanilla & cinnamon.
6. I love long car rides (when I am not the driver). There’s just something about watching the scenery change so quickly before your eyes, listening to music, and being on a journey that I just find so exhilarating yet peaceful at the same time.
7. My hair is extremely temperamental. It’s super fine and frizzy, so as soon as there’s even a trace of moisture in the air, it’s out of control. I can do the exact same thing to it every day (comb and put anti-frizz cream in it and let it air dry) and it will never look the same as it did the day before. Some days it’s got a cute little wave/curl to it, and others its just a frustrating frizz ball. Good hair was not something I was blessed with.
8. I hate math. AP Calculus was the death of me and I almost cried when I found out it wasn’t enough to get me out of taking math at my college. First semester freshman year of college when I stepped out the door after taking my math final, I literally smiled and giddily (is that a word?) giggled out loud. Never have to take a math class again. Never been so happy.
Not even The School of Rock ‘Math Song‘ can make me like it.
9. I am a night owl. If you haven’t already noticed that my posts go up s u p e r late, they do. It’s a bad sign when I’m still saying ‘today’ when technically I’m referring to yesterday. I just can’t fall asleep before 12 (or 1, really) even if I try.
10. I am obsessed with magazines. I love love love People Style Watch, Instyle, Glamour, Self, Allure, Marie Claire, the list goes on. When that glossy book comes in the mail, I get so excited. Celeb gossip, fashion, fitness – all my favorite things in one shiny little package. Looking at a pile of unread issues gives me that same feeling as when you see all the unopened presents on Christmas morning. I’m easily pleased, clearly.
Well that’s enough randomness for one Thursday night.
Wait look, it’s Friiiday.
Today really felt like summer.
The day began with an awesome 5 mile run outside before I set out for a hike with four of my friends. Not only was it fun to chat with them as we walked up the steep mountain, but we also got to look at this when we got to the top. It’s things like this that make you realize how good life really is.
After the hike, I spent some time at home working before I went out to The Counter Burger with the boy. I love that place. I always get the veggie burger on a multigrain bun with roasted red peppers, grilled onion, corn and black bean salsa, and tomato. SO messy. SO good.
After digesting I had some Edy’s Salted Caramel Pretzel ice cream mixed with vanilla greek yogurt, as well as some Hershey’s Drops.
I noticed today that I’ve been really digging gold lately. Not digging for gold – digging the gorgeous color. WIthout even thinking about it, I quickly changed into this outfit after the hike, and right as I looked in the mirror I laughed because I chose the same headband as I did a few nights ago, and gold earrings. Guess that’s what I’m into these days!
I didn’t end up wearing those earrings, but this pic shows the successful sock bun! It surprisingly stayed put all night!
Those were the earrings I decided on. Simple gold leaf studs.
So, there ya have it. Little fitness, little food, little fashion, and lots of fun all in one post. Four things that make me one happy girl.
