june

Happy National Running Day! I hope all the runners out there are getting some miles in to celebrate (I know I am)!

Let’s talk JUNE GOALS! So many other bloggers share goals at the beginning of every month. And while I usually shy away from doing so (because — cliche alert — I’m afraid of failing), I’ve become much more comfortable with goal-setting lately. It’s a huge part of my job and so the initial “rip off the bandaid” anxiety is over. You just have to realize that goals are just that — goals. They can be modified along the way, you can end up not completing them, whatever. But sharing them with others makes you 10x more accountable than if you just let them float around in your head.

Go to Delos Wellness 3x per week

I’m training to run a marathon. I am bad a stretching. I wasn’t a math major but it sounds like my legs and back are going to be needing some TLC throughout the next few months. Thank goodness I discovered this place! It is life-changing! Delos Therapy is precise manual therapy for chronic pain and pain management. Direct pressure is applied to detailed points along the entire muscle, which forces a stretch of the myofibrils and individual muscle fibers, relieves hyper-contraction and congestion, and results in restored function and relief. In other words, it’s like a massage if the massage made you want to cry. I’ve met a lot of the therapists there and they all make me so excited to train and take care of myself. Plus they offer a discounted rate for members of the Chicago Area Runners Association — so many perks to being a part of that organization! I consider it an investment in my health — hey, I’m asking people to donate money to my marathon fund, I better not get injured and have to back out!

Attend 3 concerts

This shouldn’t be an issue. I’m going to Piqniq this weekend, and free concerts in the park start downtown this week. So let’s call this an easy goal, but a goal nonetheless!

Meditate 1x/week, Journal 2x/week

I get wrapped up in my busy schedule way too easily. I’m always running late, always out the door going to this meeting, that workout, this event or that shift. And even when I’m commuting, I’m responding to comments, reading blogs, answering emails, scheduling community events for the store…it’s just never-ending. I’m prone to panic attacks, so if I don’t start getting this under control I’m going to continue to feel like I’m at the end of my rope. My therapist has suggested I sit down and write in a journal a few times a week, and after only one time it gave me so much relief. My mom has suggested I meditate more, and even though that makes me uncomfortable, I’m going to commit to doing it at least once a week, as a place to start. I have the physical health thing down — now time to make sure I keep up the mental health too.

Go To Chinatown

I just met a girl at dinner the other night and learned that she is an Asian food expert. I am PUMPED! I don’t have too many friends hankering to spend a day in Chinatown but it’s always been in the back of my mind to go. I don’t even particularly love Chinese food — I just really want to go with someone who can show me the best of the best. I want to feel like the female Anthony Bourdain. Antonia Bourdain. So at some point this month, I’m going!

What are your goals for June?

Hi folks! I can’t wait to read about all your weekends. Mine was filled with tons of activity, sunshine, furniture shopping and, of course food. Is anyone else blown away that it’s June? March, April and May flew by but I’m hoping that June will slow its roll so we can enjoy the nice weather that we all deserve so much.

As you saw yesterday, Zain and I started out the weekend by biking to the farmers market early Saturday morning. We didn’t buy anything but it was just nice to walk around and see the options for the future. Next time I’ll be sure to go around lunch time – there were tons of awesome food options! Tacos, fancy grilled cheese, crepes…I was pretty mad I had just eaten breakfast haha. I never like to miss out on food like that.

Breakfast before the market was peanut butter and bananas on a sandwich thin + coffee

Zain finally learned what it takes to date a blogger so he likes to take “spontaneous” pictures of our adventures.

I also noticed that everyone at the farmers market was in athletic gear. These are my people.

After the market I met up my friend Megan for a bootcamp class. It was the last class in my two week pass at Yoga Loft and I really can’t tell you how much I’m going to miss it. Once I have to stop paying all those beginning fees and additional costs of moving I’ll for sure get a 10-pass there to use over the span of a few weeks. That place kicked my butt and I loved every second of it.

The rest of the day was spent furniture shopping. Zain is all about the deals so we ended up biking + walking about five miles or so to a furniture outlet in the middle of nowhere. We felt like we were on a pilgrimage across the Sahara (it was 95 on Saturday) so when we saw 7-Eleven and were sure it wasn’t a mirage, we picked up some Slurpees.

Saturday night I hung out on Megan’s roof watching the sunset and drinking wine, so it was basically the perfect day.

Sunday was spent church-going, grocery shopping and Blackhawks-watching. The weekend was full and fabulous – but don’t think I’d leave you without showing you all the food I ate!

For some random reason I was all about the salads this weekend:

Mixed greens with hard boiled egg, tomato, blue cheese, avocado and balsamic vinaigrette.

Arugula with mozzarella and baby tomatoes (dressed with the oil that the mozzarella was soaking in plus TJ’s balsamic glaze)

But don’t think I just ate salads all weekend – that would just be nonsense.

Mahi mahi with herbes de provence and lemon, breadcrumb and herbes de provence-stuffed tomatoes and roasted brussel sprouts

Spinach-egg white breakfast wrap from Starbucks (plus it looks like the barista was cursing me out haha)

Veggie burger topped with cheddar, bbq sauce and onion straws

It was a blast of a weekend – I even started off Monday right with a 6:00am 4 mile run. Now that summer is here morning runs are going to be a lot more common. Everything is on the up and up!