recently

recently (an ode to katy perry)

Recent Music: Katy Perry

I could go on for an hour about how much I love her, but I’ll save you all some time. I love Katy Perry.

I’ve been lucky enough to see her in concert once and I’ve seen her concert movie, and after those experiences I can definitely say that she seems like one of the most genuine, nice, and down-to-earth singers.  Everything she sings about is either happy, catchy, or inspiring.

Watch this music video and tell me she doesn’t seem like the coolest person.

Hahaha I love it. She even brings “Kathy Beth Terry” onstage (her sister dresses up as her) at her shows.

“Teenage Dream” has been my favorite song for a few years.  It reminds me of my freshman year of college, dancing and singing around in my dorm room with my friends.

And “Firework” inspired so many people to be true to themselves, in the least cliche-way possible. You should see the YouTube videos of people reacting to this song.

I just love love love her and have decided that this weekend is going to be a Katy Perry on repeat weekend 🙂

Recent Read: “9 questions about Syria you were too embarrassed to ask”

Image

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/08/29/9-questions-about-syria-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/

I consider myself a well-educated person and am a frequent CNN-watcher and HuffPo-reader, but the Middle East has always baffled me.  It’s not something that’s easy to understand, but I think it’s so important to put effort into knowing world news.  So much has been going on recently with Assad’s regime and current rein of terror in Syria, and even if you’re not going to dedicate hours to learning about the Middle East and the history of its many proponents, at least read this short Washington Post article. It’s a short, smart piece that is pretty informative!

Recent purchase: Primal Fitness Bootcamps!

I just purchased an unlimited monthly membership to a new fitness program that is opening up in my area called “Primal Fitness Bootcamps”. It’s Crossfit-inspired bootcamp that I think will really kick my workout game into high gear!  It opens next week and I can’t wait to get started!

Recent “Should I or Shouldn’t I?”: Painted Tree Jewelry holder

I found this awesome jewelry holder on Etsy that I absolutely adore. I have tons of necklaces but have no place to put them all! Oftentimes they just end up tangled in the bottom of my purse or something. Still debating if this is worth the price or not.

Image

Recent Eats: BREAKFAST!

Yesterday I had breakfast for every meal of the day.  Enough said.

Image

Image

Image

I’m heading to Michigan for a family vacation this weekend.  We go every year and I always look forward to this beach vacation close to home.  I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!  Yay for a day off!

Question: any plans for Labor Day?

a little bit of me, recently

Hey guys! Just checking in with you all on this lovely Friday evening.  As usual I’m going to end the week with some of the things I’ve been loving recently.  Music, food, workouts…whatever stands out from that week.  Have a great weekend!

Recent music: I’ve been loving music all about being BRAVE!

Plus this absolutely beautiful song by Miranda Lambert. A great reminder that this world is made up of ALL kinds of people and it keeps spinning because of that variety…it’s nothing to be scared of or made uncomfortable by. That’s the beauty of the human race!

Recent workouts:

I’ve been having a lot of knee pain lately (which is why runs have been minimal) so I’ve turned to bootcamp workouts instead.  I’m looking to invest in a bootcamp membership next month simply because I love the way they make me feel–powerful, strong, and agile.  There’s a new bootcamp opening up in my town so I think it’d be really fun to be part of something from its beginning.

The other great part about these kinds of workouts?

Image

They can be done in the comfort of your home!

I did a free workout on Hulu that I’ve loved for a few years now–it’s part of the “Rock Hard Body” series and it’s a 40 minute workout called “Body by Jake”. I highly recommend it if you’re having one of those days when you don’t want to drive to the gym.

ImageYou too can get your sweat on and then immediately crawl into bed and continue to watch Netflix.

Recent eats: Oh so many. I’ve been eating like a queen lately.

Image

 

This little sucker cost me $5 at the airport in Washington D.C. I was stress eating after our plane wouldn’t take off and we all had to get off for them to fix the engine. Terrifying. This was the healthiest choice I could find, and I really do love pistachios!

Image

Since I take such an early train into the city, I’ve occasionallybeen bringing breakfast to-go.  This was oatmeal with bananas, peanut butter, and chia seeds. It was so hearty and filling.

Image

Avocado toast is the bomb.  I know so many people who don’t like avocado, and it kills me because I know that if they just sprinkled some sea salt on it they’d change their minds.  Guys, avocado without sea salt is just paste. Avocado WITH sea salt is bliss. Toast, avocado, sea salt, tomato, and thinly sliced swiss cheese.

Image

Using up all those peaches from the farmer’s market has been a breeze. This snack got heads turning at the office this week, and with good reason.

Image

I love my lemon desserts and this one takes the cake. Very rarely do I say a “health bar” can take the place of an actual dessert, but I’d pick this over a lemon bar any day.

Image

I worked my booty off at the restaurant this week, and just knowing that these tilapia tacos were going to be on special tonight was enough to get me through it all.  Breaded tilapia and remoulade smothered in our jalepeno-mango coleslaw. Gah this was the best thing I ate this week.

Recent reads:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/food-words-you-might-be-pronouncing-wrong

Image

If I told you how long I was saying “kee-noah” instead of “keen-wah” it’d be pretty embarrassing. Although, really, who was going to call me out on that? No one else knows how to say it either!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/video/hillarylevine/17-things-you-hated-as-a-kid-but-love-now

Image

Brussels sprout love came out of NOWHERE. Who would’ve thought? Olives are still gross though.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/reasons-trader-joes-is-the-best

Image

Trader Joes IS a shopping experience. Their chocolate selection is insane!

Speaking of chocolate, I think it’s midnight snack time 🙂 Have a great weekend!