Woof. The past few weeks have been a doozy. But I woke up this morning and realized I’m getting way too comfortable not writing every single day, and I really need to quit it!
So because we’ve been strangers lately let’s have a random round-up of all things marvelous on this beautiful Monday.
Shout out to Katie for hosting every week!
Always practice safe snacks
I haven’t exactly been killing it in the healthy food department when it comes to mealtime. I’m still getting used to having a schedule that isn’t the same every day so usually by the time I get home from work at night dinner is thrown together with the first few things I see. This usually involves some kind of bread and cheese. However, working at lululemon has really motivated me to snack well during my shifts and I always pack my own healthy snacks for the train so I (hopefully) don’t dive headfirst into the tortilla chips the minute I walk in the door.
Green juice from a health foods store across the street. It was pretty good! It had tons of celery in it, which is my biggest beef with juices (makes them taste like dirt IMHO) but there’s a green apple in there that provided a little sweetness which was nice. Plus it made my insides feel all kinds of nice so there’s that.
I also tried these new-to-me lentil chips and they were out of this world delicious! They actually tasted like pizza (I mean obviously they weren’t pizza but you catch my drift).
Also, I’m in a bit of an “ants on a log” phase – ten year old me is very proud.
Wine Night and Book Club
My group of girlfriends and I aren’t technically in a book club yet but we are well on our way to starting one. We all just finished reading Gone Girl so we got together for wine and snacks last week and we couldn’t stop talking about the book! If any of you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. I’ll be reading Gillian Flynn’s other two books next, Sharp Objects and Dark Places.
Outdoor Concerts in the Summer
Is there anything that screams summer more than live music? I’ve been lucky enough to go to a few outdoor concerts this summer, and can’t wait to go see Luke Bryan in a few weeks at Soldier Field. Talk about a show! My friends and I are all about the cover bands lately and some really great ones have been to the suburbs in the past few weeks so we’ve taken full advantage.
Apparently it’s Halloween season??
I turned a corner at the grocery store yesterday and was stunned at what I saw. Halloween candy is already on the shelves! Is it just me or is it waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early for that? I mean I’m always a proponent of a big bag of candy but seeing pumpkins and cartoon ghosts on all the packaging just didn’t feel right. Considering I’ve worn short sleeves a total of ten times this summer I can see why. Summer didn’t happen!
Let’s Be Cops
As a huge New Girl fan, I love love love Jake Johnson. Nick and Coach in the same movie? I knew I had to see it. It was so funny!! I did get carded to see the R-rated film, however, which was hilarious. Here’s to hoping my baby face looks continue well into my 50s.
I also sneaked in my new favorite dessert, aka Raisinets on crack.
What a weekend. Between a ton of hours spent at lululemon and not one but two wine nights in the past week, I’ve realized just how blessed I am to have a job I LOVE and friends who are my safety net no matter what happens. I’m starting this week absolutely full of joy, which feels amazing.
Questions:
- Favorite movie snack?
- Favorite white wine? I need suggestions!
- Is it too soon for Halloween-themed treats?
i had a big lunch 
Ohh candy corn is always my fall candy go to!! They are so dangerous and good esp with peanuts!! That green juice looks yummy too!!
You are my soul sister! Candy corn and peanuts is my FAVORITE fall snack. The saltier the peanuts the better 🙂
Hey!!! I LOVE candy corn SO much!! Actually, last night, I was like I’m getting candy corn and eating lots of it but then I decided it would not be a good idea. I can never stop once I start.
I love eating chocolate covered peanuts while watching movies!!!
XOXO!!
Chocolate covered almonds/peanuts/raisins are so good! The perfect movie snacks 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever met a pinot grigio that I haven’t liked. Cupcake wines makes an inexpensive and yummy one!
Movie snacks? Sour Patch Kids. Even though they make my mouth hurt after awhile.
I literally did a double take when I passed the candy aisle at the grocery store the other day. I don’t recall ever seeing candy set out before Labor Day before! It seems like holidays are coming earlier and earlier every year!
Seriously…why do we always rush everything?? Then we don’t appreciate the actual season and it just flies by because then we’re looking on to the next thing! It’s an endless, crazy cycle. I’m on a big pinot grigio kick now actually! I love it
Oh goodness. I have a lot to say again.
– Ha, your “book club” sounds like the opposite of a book club I was in for awhile. We got together with the intention of talking about a book we read and ended up just eating food and drinking wine and ignoring the book entirely 😛
– YES to the Halloween candy. What is this madness?!?!?!?! I was at Jewel yesterday and could not believe it. It is WAY, WAY, WAY too early for Halloween candy. I also saw pumpkin beer at Jewel, which, REALLY?? Save it for October, people! Or at least September! We’re completely skipping over apple season, and that is unacceptable.
– Oh my gosh, those Brookside things are my FAVE. I got a couple samples after the Ravenswood Run and instantly fell in love. Plus they’re totally healthy, right? That’s what I tell myself, at least 😉
Good call about apple season! I completely forgot about that haha. I have to be honest…book talk lasted less than 30 the other three hours were totally dedicated to other subjects, as I’m guessing most “book clubs” do 😉 I’m glad someone else understands how addicting this snack is…they’re sitting next to me now actually haha they’re too good!
As far as wine goes, I just go to the store and look at either varietals I don’t know that says they are dry or I go for an Oregon Pinot Gris or basically anything from Napa (but I stick to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio!)
I’ve heard people LOVE pinot gris. Definitely something to try! I’m on a pinot grigio kick right now 🙂
I haven’t read Dark Places yet but I actually liked Sharp Objects a little bit better then Gone Girl! I can’t believe it’s halloween season… but at the same time I kind of can because this summer has gone by so insanely fast!
That’s true…from June to now flew by so who’s to say now to October won’t? Scary to think about! I can’t wait to read those two books – her mind and her writing is insane and amazing!
You are hilarious, and I’m glad that you had plastic protection for your snacks. I really want to see Let’s Be Cops. I’m glad that it was good! When I was a kid, I was all about the processed nachos at the theater, and popcorn with milk duds and an arctic freeze. Now, Alex and I bring lite kettle corn, get buncha crunch, and spike our giant coke zero. YEAH WE ROLL HARD
Hahaha how have I not thought about spiking a drink there? Hilarious! Also those processed nachos are some of the most delicious things on the planet, as bad as they are 🙂 you two are adorable
LOVED Gone Girl and my friends and I cannot wait until the movie comes out! I haven’t read Sharp Objects yet, but I did read Dark Places and really liked it! Not quite as much as Gone Girl, but it’s definitely a good read and just as dark (if not more so) than Gone Girl. Let me know how you like it if you read it!
I keep getting more and more excited to read these books! So glad to hear people loved them!
Oh mannn, I haven’t had ants on a log in ages. They are so good though! If you have never tried a chenin blanc before, I’d recommend it. If you can find one from the Columbia River Valley, even better. Australia makes some nice sauvignon blanc semillons although I’m not sure how many stores in the US carry as I had never heard of a semillion before.
I’ve never tried a chenin blanc! I’ll look into it, thanks! 🙂
Oh ants on a log. True story #1- There is a kids cook book published here and that is a recipe in it. A RECIPE. As if that’s a recipe.
True story #2- snacking at the movies is one of the best parts- except that one time I accidentally bought sugar free vines and ate the whole package.
Hahahahaha tough recipe! Also ick I can’t imagine how terrible my stomach would feel after all that fake sugar 😦 horrible
Yay for great friends and a great job! Love the focus on the awesome things in life! 🙂
Love the idea of ants in logs! We don’t have that growing up in the UK but it just sounds so cute! Not that I like ants, but you know what I mean!
Green juices are fab, know what you mean about making your insides feel good – but not so keen on the celery overload some of them have :-S
It’s such a huge staple here for little kids (and adults, apparently haha). Yeah green juices are interesting…they feel good but always have a huge price tag. If I liked them more I’d probably invest in a juicer but for now I’ll stick to my greens in whole form
I LOVED Gone Girl! I really want to read her other 2 books also. There are soo many books I want to read right now! It’s way too soon for Halloween stuff in my opinion! I also don’t like that Starbucks is releasing the PSL early this year. The PSL is supposed to be a fall drink and they are releasing it in the summer! They need to wait another month! It’s just not as special to me anymore haha okay I’m done ranting now.
I agree about nothing being special anymore – it’s all about instant gratification and rushing things in order to make the most money!
AHHA safe snacking–I love it. Buuuut I also hate when juices taste like celery. I’m not a huge celery fan so sometimes I stray away from green juice to fear that it will be straight celery.
See I love celery but when you blend it or juice it it just tastes like straight up dirt!
Halloween is my favorite, along with fall, and while I am not necessarily complaining I think August is just a TAD too early. HOWEVER, I am embracing it all and loving it. My mom decorated for fall yesterday…it’s not even September. HAHA. Safe snacking is the way to go!
I can handle Fall stuff – but man, ease me into it! Halloween is so extreme considering it hasn’t even been Labor Day yet. I do LOVE fall though so I’m excited!
I am a huge snacker! My favourite snack for the movies is probably nuts and seeds if I am being healthy, or nachos if I am not 😉
Those nachos are sooo incredibly good haha I’m a huge fan of the pretzels too. Honestly anything with that “cheese” sauce haha