Washingtonians Unite

Great giveaway going on at Anne's blog, fANNEtastic food! If you are from the DC area head on over and check it out.

Surveys are like Chain Letters

I will be the first to admit that I am a bit superstitious. For example, whenever I received any chain letters via email I would either sigh and prepare to forward them on to 40 people or face the consequences or 'accidentally' delete it and move on (possible bad karma here but I try not to think about it). These surveys I keep seeing appear on people's blogs, like Julie's, somehow remind me of these chain letters except in a bit of an opposite way, they excite me. Something about filling out the questions and learning a bit more about everyone in the blogging community makes me look forward to seeing new ones pop up in the blog world. I have filled them out before and have for one reason or another forgotten to post them so hear it goes...

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

Definitely closed, maybe this stems from my childhood but I still sometimes think there is a distinct possibility that something is lurking inside of them, its either that or the fact that there is an annoying fluorescent light that comes on every time they are open.

2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels?

Usually, only if they smell good. I figure they are going to get replaced most of the time any way and come in handy for future vacations.

3. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

Tucked in especially around my feet. I get very uncomfortable if the sheets aren't tight around my feet...weird I know. I

4. Would you rather be attacked by a bear or a swarm of bees?

I'd like to say I could take a bear...but I am going to be realistic and go with the bees.

5. Do you have freckles?

Yes, so many. I just tried counting and didn't even know where to begin.

6. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Slow pokes. Whether its on the road, in the grocery aisle, or even on running trails I am usually in a hurry and can't stand when people somehow become obstacles. This must be the city girl in me.

7. Have you ever peed in the woods?

I was a girl scout. That should answer the question. And maybe just once in some tall grass I'll refer to as woods for all intensive purposes when the line for the porta potties at a concert was too long.

8. Do you ever dance if there’s no music playing?

Definitely. There's always music playing even if its just in my head.

9. Do you chew your pens and pencils?

Usually. Unfortunately I used to bite my nails and instead used pens as a stand in. Now I'm addicted to pens..?

10. Is it ok for guys to wear pink?

Absolutely. I find it obnoxious when a guy refuses to wear pink it screams insecure to me because guys look great in pink.

11. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?

I don't eat real chicken nuggets (I am a vegetarian) but I dip faux nuggets in honey or ketchup. I used to only dip them in honey as a kid. SO good. Try it immediately.

12. What is your favorite food?

It is constantly changing but two that have never failed me are peanut butter and cereal.

13. What movies could you watch over and over and still love?

Man on Fire, Coyote Ugly, Steel Magnolias, Dirty Dancing, Sex and the City, Pride and Prejudice, ahh too many to list!

14. Were you ever a boy/girl scout?

I answered this in the peeing question but yes I actually still have my Girl Scout sash with all of the patches tucked in my bed side table. I may or may not have used it for Halloween....

15. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?

Maybe, if it was a present for my future husband or a tasteful fashion photo shoot.

16. Can you change the oil on a car?

I have a general idea. I know how to check it but I don't necessarily know how to change it. I can change the wiper fluid!

17. Ever gotten a speeding ticket?

Knock on wood no. I try and obey the speed limit within reason I just picture what I would do if I got pulled over...lets just say it involves lots of tears and embarrassment, something I would like to avoid.

18. Ever ran out of gas?

Not yet. I hope this doesn't happen either! (My superstition is totally coming into play in this question and the one before..eek)

19. Are you lazy?

I like to think of myself as someone who enjoys leisurely activities but I definitely prefer to be on the go because I get bored far to easily.

20. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?

Since my birthday is around Halloween this was a big holiday in my house. I was a witch, ballerina, fairy, princess, wonder woman....

21. How many languages can you speak?

English and some Spanish, enough to get by.

22. Who is better…Leno or Letterman?

I have grown up watching Leno so I would have to go with him. Plus I think Letterman is kind of a sleeze.

23. Do you sing in the car?

Absolutely. Even louder if I am alone.

24. Ever eat a pierogi?

Not even sure what these contain but maybe?

25. First concert?

It was either Beach Boys or Spice Girls, either way both were phenomenal concerts. I may or may not have dressed up as Baby Spice :)

Have a great rest of your Thursday! One more day until the weekend!!!

Cherry Blossoms and Bike Rides

I won't even begin to go into all the reasons (or excuses) for not posting in FOREVER, but let's just say I have been very busy, distracted, forgetful, etc. etc.

Anyways it has been incredible weather the past few days here that all I have wanted to do is spend time outside. Due to the massive snowstorm that happened this winter I think the entire city is antsy to spend as much time outside as possible. After staying up way too late chatting with sister #2, aka Worm, this morning was inevitably off to a slow start...11:30 am slow start. I finally dragged myself out of bed dreaming of warms oats drizzled with peanut buttah. But due in part to my laziness and starvation I settled for quick oats, and by quick I mean instant. I tried out a new Nature's Path flavor, Maple Nut, from Whole Foods and I am really liking it. Then I set off for a bike ride which turned out to be amazing until I turned around and had to head directly into a wall of wind. I am not talking a slight breeze but gale force winds. Anyways ten miles later I hopped of the bike barely able to walk and decided that a one mile run would save me from not being able to walk tomorrow by stretching out my legs. Mission accomplished. I ran home threw together a quick lunch, a salad with beets, artichokes, tofu, pine nuts, and Annie's Honey Mustard dressing. After that I ran to do some errands and am now sitting with frozen peas on my legs contemplating what I can have for dinner....I am praying to think of something instant for this meal too. Have a great weekend!

I may turn into a pumpkin...

Not only did I proceed to purchase three pumpkins today but I also finished off a can of pumpkin. The three pumpkins are sitting prettily on my doorstep and the pumpkin puree is sitting pretty in my stomach. I think I was hopeful that both pumpkin purchases would result in weather that was a little warmer than 40 degrees. Even though this did not work the pumpkin cheered me up immensely and reminded me once again why fall is my favorite season. The recipe I followed for the pumpkin was KERF's Pumpkin Pie Yogurt. Happy Fall once again and I hope your weather is a little warmer and dryer than it is here!!

xoxo B

SnoCones

I think it goes without saying that I really need to work on some consistent posting...I give major props to all those bloggers posting 2-3 times a day plus pictures. I am really hoping I can get there someday. Anyways...

Today was a longgg day. I woke up around 8 injected myself with coffee, unfortunately I was not very hungry but forced myself to microwave some egg whites in a mug...hard work I know. After this I skipped off to class. Can I just say this weather is an instant mood changer. I love the smell, the sound of the leaves blowing, the sunlight, and pumpkins, everything about fall makes me a happier person this may or may not also have to do with my birthday being at the end of the month. Anyways after class I went to the gym and did a glorious sweaty 8.40 miles on the human hamster wheel aka the treadmill but Glamour kept me company and so did Bonnie Hunt. After regaining composure I went to Starbucks for a lazy lunch and some study time. I grabbed a pumpkin scone and a venti unsweetened passion tea. Extremely random I know but it was just what I wanted. After a few hours of studying (insert facebook stalking here), I grabbed a protein plate and ate everything but the egg it was perfect post exercise fuel. After some library printing and chit chatting I made my way home where I proceeded to make myself a cup of Sugar Cookie tea and pass out. I finally pulled myself from my bed and made a delicious dinner that took a lot of work. A huge salad with a mushroom lovers veggie burger on top and a side of grapes. A jar of bread and butter pickles may or may not have been consumed over the course of the night (and so begins the list of my weaknesses). I am finally off to sleep, busy busy day tomorrow that hopefully includes some sort of exercise perhaps a date with Jillian Michaels we shall see...Night B

Edited to Add: I just made sno cones with my little sister.......random random

So clearly I have been a major (ahem total) slacker in the blog posting department. I took the term summer vacation literally...vacation from school, vacation from blogging, etc. I took a vacation from just about everything but exercise which I guess isn't so bad after all. So here we are September is looming near and I am getting ready to go back to school, it is rather hard to believe. I am definitely feeling a mixture of fear, excitement, and hesitation but I am trying to stay positive. Enough of the ranting on to today's eats and exercise....

I woke up this morning at an almost unacceptable hour of 9:45 but I figured 1. its sunday and 2. I must have needed it and 3. it felt absolutely wonderful. As a slowly made my way downstairs I was feeling lazy (yes even after a nice 9 hours of sleep) and made an old school bowl of cereal. Total raisin bran with some almond milk and a sprinkle of flax on top. I think the sprinkle of flax on top was only to make me feel like I put some real effort into this breakfast. Whatever it was delicious and was perfect fuel for my run. After procrastinating watching Bravo (Jeff Lewis is an a*& hole and I love him) I finally tied on my sneakers and headed out the door. Again I still find myself working harder and longer during my runs if I set a smaller goal. It makes the run seem less like work and more enjoyable and 9 times out of 10 I run much longer than if I had set a large goal. In the end I ran 4.24 miles in 40 minutes. It was a nice leisurely pace I had to take the humidity and temperature into account since I decided to sleep until the early afternoon... :)

Once I got back my sister and I popped in a great Pilates video and did the power workout. It is basically 15 minutes of a bunch of ab and leg workouts and was the perfect conclusion to my workout for the day. I may go for a swim later but that is only if I ever leave the glorious A/C it is a hott one today.

I'm off to unpack/organize/inventory my closet (thank you Nina Garcia for the suggestion) this may prove to be more difficult than anticipated....ciao B

Craving Cream Soda

So many people don't realize that what they drink could be the most unhealthy part of their diet. For example the Starbucks blended drinks pack in the same amount of calories as a whole meal and not a lot of vitamins and nutrients! I have always looked for guilt free beverages with the great flavor and great ingredients that are simple and healthy. One of my more recent discoveries uses a Hungry Girl favorite, Torani Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup. This stuff can be used in drinks, smoothies, and even some snacks. Check out hungry girl for some great info about this product. But the drink discovery I have made is mixing 2 tablespoons of the syrup with 8 ounces of sparkling water...hello cream soda. It reminds me of one of my childhood favorites without all of the added sugar and calories! Often times I will at a spoonful of protein powder or liquid aminos to the drink to get in some added vitamins and protein. If your a fan of cream soda definitely give this a try and be prepared to start stocking Torani Syrups in your pantry on a regular basis!

~Brooke

Brooke's Brain Banter:

Does anyone else ever notice that when you're feeling really blah about getting a good workout in oftentimes it helps to set the bar low to convince yourself to give it a go anyway. For example maybe not using the elliptical for as long or doing fewer reps. I find that when I do this I actually do my usual routine anyway and all I needed was to play a little mind game with myself. Once I hit the mark that I had set going in I seem to be motivated to just keep going knowing I have at least achieved the goal I went in with even it it was not that tough of a goal to begin with. Amazing what a little trick can do to keep workouts consistent and your body feeling great.