Scenes From The Week

Happy Friday loves! Hope everyone has had a wonderful week! I am currently off for the day because I am working this weekend but do have a couple fun things planned- farmers market, movies, out to dinner... and all with a great group of girlfriends!

Here's some snapshots of my week:

A brand new set of note cards

Some good 'ol downtime at Barnes and Noble enjoying an iced coffee and a stack of magazines

Incorporating everyday park features into my workout- pull ups and tricep dips were my go to moves for this week!

A little birthday craft for my best friend who turned 23 yesterday!

Now off to enjoy the rest of my day off! 

What are your plans for the weekend?

Yours truly, 

Em

This or That- Health and Fitness Style

I recently saw this survey posted by 2 of my favorite bloggers- Claire over at Fitting It All In and Courtney from Sweet Tooth Sweet Life. I couldn't help but want to join in on the fun and complete the survey myself!

1. Run/ workout in the heat and humidity or freezing cold temps and snow?

I am someone who hates feeling either extremes of temperatures! However when it comes to working out, I am far more likely to workout in the heat then I am in the freezing cold. While I don't enjoy the super hot temperatures and it can often cut some of my runs short- I can't imagine working out in the freezing cold. Normally in the winter its hard for my muscles to loosen up as is, let alone forcing them to run and workout. One of my favorite workouts of all time is hot yoga, which requires you to be comfortable in scorching temps while holding various positions and pushing your body. 

2. Washboard abs or flat abs?

Having abs in general would be lovely if neither of the above are an option. Kidding! I would definitely go with flat abs. I've always been fortunate to never have too much of a tummy, I do however have a lovely set of lovehandles that no matter I do... they aint movin. 

3. Dr. Oz or The Doctors

Being that I am only familiar with Dr. Oz, I feel like I have to say him. I have never watched the show The Doctors but do love when I am able to catch Dr. Oz and love reading his online articles

4. Cardio or Strength? 

This is such a toughie! I absolutely love cardio and the way I feel after a super sweaty workout but I also love the feeling of being sore the day after a good of weights. Classes like body pump and kickboxing are great because they really combine the two and leave me both sore the next day but also fully sweaty and feeling exhausted.

5. Protein or carbs?

Ever since a few months ago when I did a bit of a diet overhaul, I really don't have cravings too often. I also cut back my portion of carbs by a lot and now really only eat carbs in the form of rolled oats, sweet potatoes, pita pockets, or the occasional Kind bar. Protein wise- I eat a lot of tofu, black beans, and quinoa and find myself wanting these things as opposed to pasta or bread. 

One of my favorite meals- tofu, brown rice, and lots of veggies!

6. Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper

I'm not too big a fan of either- while I don't dislike them, I also don't find myself looking to them in the form of inspiration or when I need a new workout. Often times when I find myself in a slump or wanting to try something new, I'll look through some of my favorite healthy living blogs. 

7. Frozen yogurt or Ice cream? 

This is such a toughie- I love going to places to get froya and picking out the various toppings but there is nothing I love more then digging into a new pint of ice cream. I've heard so much about Ben & Jerry's new banana frozen yogurt with peanut butter swirls- I cant wait to try it out!

8. To train- Upper or Lower body.

Definitely upper body. My legs have never been an issue other then when it comes to the occasional shin splints. However, my upper body is something I am always continuing to work on and develop. I feel like no matter how many arm exercises I do and new things I try... nothing ever makes a dent into shaping my arms. 

There is no denying Michelle and her amazing toned arms- first lady AND makes time for guns of steel

9. Protein powder or food with protein?

I only use protein powder occasionally if I have it and only when I make my protein pancakes. Other then that because of my meatless diet I try to incorporate a lot of foods that are high in protein content. This not only helps give me energy throughout the day but also helps me stay full longer. 

Every once in awhile I pick up a few of these Whey Protein packs at Whole Foods

10. Lunges or Squats

Definitely squats. Sometimes when I am doing lunges I loose my footing or forget what legs I've done first or which foot started out first. Squats are easy and can be modified a few different ways- sumo squat, jumping squat, and single leg squat are a few of my favorites. 

11. Sweet or salty
I think I'm going to have to go with salty, which is weird because I rarely add salt to any of my meals but I would much rather have fries then a piece of chocolate cake... crazy I know.

12. Workout attire- Cute or comfy?
Definitely a combination of both- I love feeling cute while I workout but it is essential I be comfortable! There is nothing worse then trying to get get through a workout but having to adjust and readjust various outfit pieces. Lately I have been LOVING Gap's workout line

13. Body pump or heavy lifting?
I'm new to body pump but I definitely love the sore feeling I am left with the following 2 days. It makes me feel like I have actually accomplished something and leaves me wanting to improve and add to my weight sets.

14. Yoga or Pilates?
Yoga! I love doing yoga after a few days of intense working out in a row- it leaves me feeling rested and with a peaceful frame of mind. Pilates is definitely something I would love to get into more but for now, yoga is a favorite!

15. Nike or Adidas?


 16. Running on the treadmill or outdoors?
If you would have asked me 2 weeks ago, I easily would have said running a treadmill. However within the past week I have been stepping up my running game and started running outside. Although it has been super hot out, I have still enjoyed running around my neighborhood and the feeling of being outdoors.

17. Whole Foods or Trader Joes?
I visit both of these places when I do my grocery shopping! Most of what I get comes from TJs because I don't think I could afford to do all my shopping at Whole Foods but I do loving going there to pick up a few things every now and then. Whole Food's salad bar is also one of my favorite things to treat myself to!

18. Summer or Winter Olympics?
Summer! Having swam competitively for most of my life, I love getting sucked into the different events and watching the amazing display of talents!

19. Roasted or Steamed veggies?
Roasted! I love how much more flavor you can taste when you roast a variety of veggies together!


Which of these things do you prefer in your healthy lifestyle?

Yours truly,
Em

Meals For This Week

Happy Monday dolls! I have decided to stick with my meal planning again for this week since it went so well last week and made life so much easier! Here is what I will be having this week:

Monday

B- Overnight oats, recipe can be found here

L- Salad with romaine, sun dried tomatoes, sesame sticks, broccoli, and asian spicy peanut dressing. Also accompanied by a peach from the Farmers market (delish!)

D- Tofu Parmesan- recipe to come!

Tuesday

B- Protein pancake, recipe here

Snack- Peach and blueberries

L- Tofu parm leftovers 

D- Black bean burger and sweet potato fries

Wednesday

B-Overnight oats

Snack- Blueberries and Kind bar

L- Black bean burger leftovers

D- Out

Thursday 

B- Pita pocket with egg whites

Snack- Peach and blueberries

L- Salmon patty with zucchini and squash

D- home cooked meal :)

Thursday evening I will be heading home to see my best friend on her birthday! I am very excited to get to spend some time with her as well as my family on Friday. 

As for the rest of the week here's what I have planned:

Body Pump Tuesday and Thursday morning

Margaritas with some of the nurses on my floor Wednesday night

and last but not least- heading home to see this gal for her birthday!

Hope everyone has a great start to their week!

Yours truly, 

Em

Sunday Social

Good morning lovies! Today I am linking up for another round of Social Sunday and I LOVE the questions for this week!

1. What is your favorite fall activity?

My favorite fall activity that I am anxiously counting down to... is that start of football! ECU Pirate football to be more specific, only 27 days away! This is my second year being an alumni and not having access to go to every game... however being that I have a new job and can actually afford tickets... I went ahead and bought season tickets! I could not be more excited for to get down there come September and cheer on my Pirates!

2. Do you follow a football team? If so which one and why?

College football speaking- I obviously follow my Pirates first and foremost. NFL wise- I cheer for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens. Being that my family is split between Philly and Baltimore, I try to keep things fair. 

3. What is something fun about Fall in your area?

Being that I just moved to Richmond, I have yet to experience my first Fall here,\ but am very excited to see what it is like! Fall is absolutely my favorite season so I'm sure I will like it wherever I spend it- as long as the leaves change, there's a Starbucks that serves pumpkin lattes, and a crisp in the air... I'm good!

4. Favorite Fall outfit staples?

During Fall, I am all about skinny jeans, boots, sweater, and a scarf.

5. Thing you are looking forward to most about this Fall season?

Since I've already expressed how excited I am for Football season, I guess the next best thing will be exploring Richmond a bit more and experiencing the new place I call home! Work has been crazy the past few months and although I think I've done an ok job and getting out and seeing what Richmond has to offer, I'd like to continue making my home here. I'd also like to start exploring the areas around Richmond, such as Charlottesville! I'm dying to get up there once fall rolls around for some apple picking and vine tastings. 

6. Favorite Fall holiday? Traditions?

My family and I don't have too many fall traditions- obviously celebrating Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I will be home with my family, watching football, and getting to see old friends. 

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

Yours truly, 

Em

Saturdays are for...

farmers market by ead0724 featuring toms eyewear

J.Crew slim fit t shirt / J.Crew chino shorts / TOMS flat shoes / TIBI tote handbag / TOMS eyewear

New Recipes From This Week

In the beginning of the week I sat down to plan out my meals for the week and boy did it make a difference! I went through my cabinets to see what I already had and made a list of only the things I would need for certain recipes. It was super hard not to get sucked into buy things I wanted... but didn't need. I ended up following my meal plan almost perfectly! With that being said, I wanted to share 2 new recipes I tried this week that I can't wait to make again!

Black Bean Burgers:

This recipe is super easy requires minimal ingredients... my favorite kind.

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans

Onion powder

1 egg white

Salt and Pepper

Garlic salt

Rolled oats

Bread crumbs

Start by emptying the can of black beans into a bowl, using a spoon or a fork begin mashing the beans so that some become broken. 

Add bread crumbs, egg white, and oats- I didn't really measure these I just eye balled it to where I thought it would help them stick together. Add onion powder, garlic salt, and salt and pepper

Form into patties and set in fridge to set for a bit. This recipe makes 2 burgers, which is perfect for bringing the second to work the next day for lunch!

Cook the burgers like you would any other- I used a skillet pan and cooked them for about 8 minutes on each side

Add a slice of cheese and you are in business! 

The end result:

.

Another recipe I tried out this week was quinoa pudding! I found the recipe from Whole Living and modified it here and there but overall it did not disappoint and I loved it!

 Unfortunately I did not remember to take any pictures of the step by step process but if you like quinoa, I highly recommend you check out this recipe! It has been great to have in the morning with some almond butter and banana or at night topped with walnuts!

I am currently planning out my meals for next week, being that I am headed to the Farmer's Market tomorrow I wanted to have some idea of what to get!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Yours truly, 

Em

What I Ate Wednesday

Good morning lovies! Today I am participating in What I Ate Wednesday! Today I am also enjoying my first full day off in a week and a half! I am beyond exited to spend the day relaxing but also getting done lots of errands! Also later this evening I will be heading over to Maymont to see Old Crow Medicine Show and The Lumineers!

Here's a few things I have eaten this week:

Black bean burger, tomato, yogurt pepper jack cheese on a pita and sweet potato fries... this meal was AMAZING and definitely what I needed to end a stressful day

Protein pancake- oats, chia seeds, 2 egg whites, 1 mashed banana, walnuts, and almond butter to top! 

Quick and easy dinner- brown rice, tofu, and veggies

A mid-day treat- large iced coffee with a shot of espresso and skim milk

I'll be posting my black bean burger recipe later this week- it is mighty tasty and super healthy!

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday! 

Yours truly, 

Em