What a weekend it’s been! I got back this afternoon from my jaunt to the “shore”. It definitely had its highs and lows, but I’ve been going there since I was a born, and it’s like a second home to me. Highlights included tubing:

Partying with friends:

Blondies

Mike is such a sport with my endless photoshoots

And a completely inappropriate piece of Pirate’s Booty. Feel free to keep scrolling if you’re not quite as immature as us:

It’s clear from a lot of my posts that I get incredibly nostalgic, so it should come as no surprise that I whipped out the old iPhoto files when I got bored this afternoon for a little trip down memory lane:

It’s always a little strange to look at pictures of yourself where you look noticeably younger, isn’t it? The summer 2006 one was taken the day I got my license- I remember feeling so cool when I got to make the drive myself.

I kind of took a break from foodie photos over the weekend, since I ate most of my meals with groups of people and spent a lot of time snacking randomly as well! Of course, no trip to the shore would be complete without a stop on the way down for several pints of fresh strawberries:

And I also made a batch of blueberry muffins when I had three hours to kill before everyone else woke up on Sunday!

After a weekend of muffins, Wawa, brownies, beverages and snack foods, I was definitely looking forward to some clean eats when I got home:

I just realized what a completely rambling and random post this is. I blame it on the collective 8 hours of sleep I had this weekend….I do have some fun post ideas up my sleeve for this week though!! I start my nutrition internship at the hospital tomorrow, so I better rest up. Hope you all have a fantastic Tuesday!!

Good evening loves!! Thank you so much for all your comments on my last post- I realized I’m definitely not alone in my worrying! So many of you mentioned your significant others as the person who calms you down, which I really think is a testament to just how much we women worry. I always love reading everyone else’s perspective on difficult problems and situations!

My posting schedule is going to be even more erratic these next few days, because I’m leaving tomorrow for the shore- Memorial Day weekend is the official start to the summer season! I’ll post once or twice if I have down time (which is likely, since the friends I’m going with tend to sleep late).

Yesterday started off with a bowl of cereal and a six-mile run. The run itself wasn’t too hard, but my knee started hurting about halfway through. Since I had pretty minimal knee pain while training this winter, I’m convinced the humidity and change in air pressure have something to do with my discomfort; in any case, I’ve made the decision not to run in the half tomorrow morning. I’m 100% okay with my choice, which I think is a good indicator that I’m doing the right thing! I snacked on an apple when I got home:

I met one of my best friends for lunch at Cosi before going to see a matinee of Sex and the City 2. Of course, I got my favorite hummus and veggie sandwich, and absolutely hit the jackpot with my slice of bread- it was super thick, chewy and still warm from the oven. Delicious:

I snuck some snacks in my purse for movie enjoyment. I shared both with Maggie, and we both agreed that the apple flavor in the Heart Thrive wasn’t very apparent, though it was a filling snack! She’s not a fan of mint flavored things, but I loved the deep mint and smooth texture of the chocolate.

Though the movie was nowhere near as good as the first, I still loved it. The fabulous clothes and hilarious one-liners (and Liza Minelli singing “Single Ladies”) definitely made up for the far-fetched plot and sometimes cheesy moments! I’ve always loved SATC for the honest yet funny way it deals with relationships and dating, and one of my all-time favorite quotes comes from it:

Words to live by, no? I left the theater feeling fabulous, and dying for a pair of Louboutins.

After the movie, I met up with Mike for dinner at an Italian restaurant near his house. I got a grilled veggie pizza sans cheese, which I ate every last morsel of:

We went back to his house and baked a batch of TJ’s truffle brownies to enjoy before hanging out with some friends for the evening. I ended up sleeping over at a friend’s house, so didn’t get a picture of this morning’s breakfast- a carrot cake Clif bar and an apple.

I got home this morning and immediately got my workout on: a combination of days 4 and 5 of the Summer Shape Up. I did:

I did the circuit three times, then moved onto a 20 minute yoga for runners podcast. All worked and stretched out, I made some lunch:

I snacked on a bowl of cereal with blueberries and almond milk while addressing yet more invitations (I’m about halfway done!):

For dinner, I whipped up two tofu quiches for my parents and I. Mine contained a block of firm tofu, a chopped tomato, half an onion, a handful of chopped spinach, ¼ c nutritional yeast and garlic powder, while I made theirs bigger with the addition of mozzarella. I also had an unpictured slice of rosemary loaf on the side:

Simple and yummy. Dessert was a bowl of strawberries with chocolate sauce, plus two coconut lover cookies:

I’ve also been nibbling at some mixed nuts and the chocolate shoe I got my mom for Mother’s day- we’ve eaten most of it already J

Well, I’m off to pack and get to sleep early- these next few days will be tiring! I probably won’t be spending too much time at the computer, so please forgive my lack of commenting. Hope you all enjoy whatever you’re up to this weekend!

Do you have a favorite quote or mantra? I have a few, but my favorites include the SATC one above, Jack’s monologue from the dinner scene in Titanic, and 1 Corinthians 13.
What makes you feel fabulous? Heels always give me an extra confidence boost!

I’ll admit it: I’m a worrier. I worry about whether I’ll have enough apples left until my next grocery trip, about how much traffic there will be on my way to the mall, about what the heck I want to do as a career, about whether I’ll be happy in twenty years. It’s no secret that women worry more than men, so I guess it’s normal to some extent, but sometimes I even worry that my worrying gets in the way of living my life. I don’t like jumping into situations where I don’t have a plan; in my ideal world, everything would be mapped out before hand, and my jump would be more of a step. Planning makes me feel safe and in control, even if it does tend to suck the fun out of things. But it’s a false sense of security, because everything can always change in a second, whether a friend bails on a well-organized party or a huge wrench is thrown into my life plan.

I’m fortunate to have two people in my life (both men, whoda thunk?) who constantly remind me to stop worrying and start living. Through both their own actions and interactions with me, they show me that oftentimes, letting yourself go with the flow makes you far happier than scheduling away your life. After all, if you have no expectations, everything is kind of a pleasant surprise. Dreams and goals and motivation are all crucial to succeed, but, as the saying goes, it’s about the journey, not the destination. If you’re trying to get somewhere in order to be happy and are absolutely miserable along the way, chances are that one achievement won’t change the way you feel about life in general. Happiness isn’t something that comes from other people- they can contribute to it, but you have to be capable of creating your own happiness in the moment, despite what life throws at you. It’s useless to worry about what is, isn’t, or will be. If you’re truly happy with the path you’re on right now, then you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

I want to have faith that things will turn out the way they’re supposed to, that there is a plan for me, but that I’m not the one to create it. I want to have the courage to chase my hopes and dreams for the future, but the humility and faith to accept whatever curveball God throws at me. It’s a cliché, but it’s true that life just wouldn’t be as fun if we knew what was going to happen. I’m nervous for the bad, but excited for the good that I never saw coming. In the wise words of Ida Scott Taylor,

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Yesterday’s was day 3 of the Fitnessista’s Summer Shape Up; following the plan, I did a 20 minute Yoga for Runners podcast followed by 24 minutes on the elliptical while watching the newest DVRed episode of The Hills. It worked up quite an appetite for my breakfast-for-lunch bowl:

The afternoon was spend addressing envelopes for my brother’s wedding invitations (a few of you asked if it was my wedding that was so stressful…heck to the no. Not for several years, at least!). Afternoon snacks:

Mike and I had a sushi date for dinner. I got the sashimi platter, which came with miso soup, and I also split a dragon roll with him:

After dinner, we went out to ice cream, where I got an “iced coffee”- basically a latte made with chocolate soft serve ice cream instead of milk. Holy deliciousness:

The rest of the evening was spent chatting about life on his porch in the wonderful 85-degree heat. I’m obsessed with these warm temperatures; while others complain about the heat, I relish it. Give me some iced coffee and good conversation, and it’s pretty much a perfect night J

Today’s agenda includes a run, lunch with the bestie and a matinee showing of Sex and the City 2. So. Excited. Hope you have a wonderful day, loves!!