Friday Five: 5 Things I’m Loving This Week

You'd think after having a two-hour delay on both Monday and Tuesday that this week would've flew by, but that wasn't the case. I'm incredibly happy that it's finally Friday! I'm leaving right from work to head down to Washington, D.C. with John. We are spending the weekend there with three of his friends from college plus one of those friend's husband. I'm so excited for a little weekend getaway in an area I am not super familiar with. We're going to explore, eat yummy food, and catch up on life :) If anyone has any suggestions of things to do or places to eat in the D.C. area, let me know! For now, read on to see some things I've been loving this week.

1. Sugar Rush

My sister introduced John and I to a new {to us} Netflix show that has become our newest binge! Sugar Rush is a baking show that is unlike many other baking shows I've seen. The show starts off with 4 teams who are competing for the $10,000 prize. The teams are given a theme that is used throughout the three rounds {cupcake round, confections round, and the cake round}. The teams are given a total of 3 hours to complete the first two rounds but the catch is, the quicker they finish, the more time they can add to the last round, which is 3 hours to begin with. I like how each team is finishing at different times and they judge them as they finish. It's totally worth the watch!

2. Cuties Oranges

I picked up a bag of Cuties last week at the store because I had a coupon and it had been awhile since I'd bought them. I'm so glad I did because they've been a nice addition to my lunch every day and they're super easy to peel unlike the oranges I had bought a couple weeks back.

3. Apples

Can you tell food was really on my mind this week? While shopping last week, I grabbed some apples along with my Cuties. Apples are my go-to fruit because they typically last awhile in my fruit bowl and they're easy to just throw in my bag and go. Growing up, I wasn't a huge fan of apples because I always made a mess eating them, plus I took forever to finish one. Now I have an apple at least once a day as a snack.

I love waking up to this view!

4. 2 Hour Weather Delays

On both Monday and Tuesday my school had a 2 hour delay due to snow/unsafe weather. It was such a great feeling to be able to sleep in and have more time to get ready in the morning. I wasn't as productive as I should have been, given I had 2 extra hours, but I did manage to make myself a nice breakfast on Monday and then do a HIIT workout on Tuesday.

5. O'Keefe's Cooling Relief Lip Balm

This time of the year brings out the worst in my lips.Last year I actually went to the doctors after dealing with awful chapped lips that made me look like a child that had Kool-Aid around my mouth for 4+ months. I've been proactive this year with getting the best lip balms for during the day and putting Aquaphor on each night. O'Keefe's Lip Repair has been the best for me so far. The cool relief kind leaves my lips feeling soothed. I've noticed a difference in the intensity of my chapped lips since using it regularly!

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?

How to Annoy a Runner Part 1

Odds are, the moment someone finds out you're a runner, they're going to make some sort of comment or ask a question that makes it very obvious that they have little knowledge when it comes to running. Or they just truly think they're being funny. As much as it can be annoying, the comments/questions can become funny after you've heard them many times. Today I am sharing with you some things that have personally been said to me that I have found both annoying and funny at the same time. While compiling this list, I realized I had a lot of things to add so I decided to split this into a two part post to spread out the funny. Part two of this post will be coming soon!

How long is the marathon you're running? A marathon is, and will always be, 26.2 miles. 

I can't run because *insert excuse here*. You do not need to justify to me why you don't run. I'm not judging you if you choose not to run. Also, most times the excuses are pretty lame.

I can't even run to the mailbox! I honestly bet you could run farther than that. Don't underestimate yourself!

Did you win? I wish, but the odds of me winning a race with over 10,000 participants when I run slower than a snail are very low. Instead, I won a cool medal, post race snacks, and the satisfaction that I did it!

I only run if something/someone is chasing me! *insert fake laugh here*

Running is bad for your knees. I only want to hear this from an actual doctor. 

Oh, you run marathons? So you've run Boston? First of all, that is not the only marathon. Second of all, you'd probably know if I did.

When are you running the Boston Marathon? Probably never, tbh.

Question of the Day: Have you heard any of these before? Are there any things people have said to you or asked you related to running that was annoying?

My Week in Pictures IX

How is it already Monday? I felt like last week went by so quickly but I had hoped the weekend would slow down. Sadly that seemed to fly by as well so here we are! Today I’m sharing my week in pictures with you. I hope everyone has a good Monday!


On Monday we went up to Pennsylvania for my aunt's burial. There was a beautiful memorial beforehand and then we all went to lunch afterwards. It was nice to catch up with some of my aunts and uncles (fun fact: my dad is one of eight siblings!). A vanilla chai was much needed for the drive home after such a long day.

The weather beautiful on Tuesday! Although my right foot was hurting, I still pushed myself through 4 miles. I was amazed that I was able to wear shorts and a tank top.

Nuun Immunity and Vitamins were essential for me this week as I felt like I was getting sick all week. Knock on wood, I never got any worse so it clearly helped!

Spontaneous pizza in the faculty lounge on Wednesday made for a very happy Emily on my prep!

Thursday night my sister, mom, and I went to our library for a free painting night. We learned how to paint leaves (pictured below) and flowers. It was so fun!

Before grocery shopping with my mom on Friday, I ran a quick 3 miles in shorts again!

John and I decided to use our gift card for the month on Friday night. This month's gift card was for Red Robin. We invited my brother to go with us and then he ended up coming back to our house afterwards to hang out.

We had dinner and hung out at my sister's house on Saturday night. I got some quality time with Tommy :)

 
I saw the cutest sign while out on my run on Sunday. I just thought the dog was adorable!

My first double digit run since the marathon!

I finally made some homemade granola bars. I had a nibble of one already and they are super tasty!

John had a free burrito coupon for our favorite burrito place, Pancheros, so of course we had to go for a nice dinner to end our weekend.

Question of the Day: Did you do anything exciting over the weekend?

Friday Five: 5 Things I’m Loving This Week

Happy Friday! This week was more calm compared to last week but I'm still super thankful that the weekend is finally here. I'm pretty worn out so a relaxing weekend, which is on the schedule as of now, is much needed! Before we can get this show on the road, read on to see what I've been loving this week!

1. L.L. Bean Boots

These were actually a hand-me-down and at the time I received them, I wasn't sure I'd ever actually want to wear them. The color wasn't really my choice and I just assumed they'd feel clunky on my small feet. Well I have to admit, I was quite wrong! These boots are actually incredibly comfortable and keep my feet nice and toasty. I have somehow made the dark red color go with all the outfits I've paired them with. It's to the point where I've worn them even when there isn't any snow on the ground!

2. Kettle Corn

Since moving out, John and I have learned that once we are home, we don't really snack. Whenever I go to the store, I don't really buy many snacks besides those we'd both pack in our lunches. However, one day John suggested we get some kettle corn to eat while watching TV some nights. I picked up a lighter version since typical kettle corn can be extremely high in sugar. We've been obsessed with it ever since I first bought a bag! I've even added it into my lunch snack rotation. Since buying the original bag (American Farmer brand, on the left), I have also tried Angie's Boom Chicka Pop (right). John favors the American Farmer kind while I would pick Boom Chicka Pop so at this point we just buy both, haha.

3. Leftovers

Not gonna lie, leftovers really came in clutch this week. After a crazy busy weekend, I didn't get much meal prepping done so I had to rely on whatever I had left over from meals over the weekend and stuff we had put in the freezer a few weeks ago. Though I am excited to get back into my normal routine come this weekend.

4. B&BW Winter Candy Apple Bubble Bath

For Christmas, I asked for bubble bath now that I had an actual bath to use it in. John surprised me with a bottle from Bath and Body Works in one of my favorite holiday scents. I absolutely love the amount of bubbles it makes {not too much, but just enough!} and don't even get me started on my love for anything apple scented. This has definitely helped me keep the holiday cheer alive as the weather gets cold and gross.

Something about an organized breakfast cabinet makes me feel so good! We have so much cereal while neither of us really eat it lol. 

5. Decluttering

Fun fact: I hate clutter and "stuff." I guess that isn't really something fun but I'm serious. If I could get John to get on board to live the minimalist lifestyle, I would. I just get so annoyed when there are things in my way, especially things I don't necessarily need. Over the past few days, I have worked on going through different areas of our house and sorting through items to get rid of things that we don't need. One major area of clutter has been mail/random paper stacks in our kitchen. Where does it all even come from?! It's amazing the kind of things that will pile up if you let it. It's been feeling so nice to have a little bit more space!

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?

Unique Date Ideas

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I thought it would be fun to share some different date ideas that deviate from the typical date night of going out to dinner or going to the movies (side note: Does anyone actually go to the movies anymore?! I find it to be way too expensive these days.). If you have done any of these or have more unique date ideas, let me know in the comments!

Ice Skating

This time of year is perfect to grab your significant other and head to your local ice skating rink. You don't need to be an ice skating pro (but if you are, that's great!) to have a good time. I actually find it to be more fun if you have to slowly inch your way around the rink because then you have all that time to talk and have fun.

Baking/Cooking Competition

We've all seen some sort of baking or cooking competition on Food Network so now is your turn to have your own competition! This can be done many different ways. You could either both make the same item and then see whose tastes/looks best. Each person can make a different dish and then swap the dishes to eat. One person can make the main course and the other person can make the appetizers, sides, or dessert. The possibilities are endless! The focus of this date night is to just have fun and enjoy some {hopefully yummy} food!

Restaurant Hop

This is probably my favorite date idea! The idea of this date is to eat each course at a different place all in one night. What I mean by this is you go somewhere for appetizers, then go to a new place for your main meal, and then go to another new place for dessert. You could even add in drinks somewhere in the mix! This will keep you two moving all night and allow you to pick the restaurants based on what your favorite course is there.

Minute to Win It: Valentine's Day Style

If you're really looking to have a fun date night, check out these Minute to Win It style games that are Valentine's Day related. If you've seen the show before then you know how fun it is to race against the clock to do a task that seems simple, but actually isn't. Make a whole night of it and then have the loser cook dinner 😊


Question of the Day: Do you have any plans for Valentine’s Day just yet?

My Week in Pictures VIII

Oh man, what a week last week was. I can’t believe it’s already Monday and it’s time to start over again. I could really use an extra day to the weekend. Sadly that’s not possible, so here I am starting my work week on a tired note. Continue on to see what I was up to all last week through pictures!

I started my week with a chilly run Monday. The sky was beautiful!

There is a Free Little Library on my way home from work so I stopped by and switched out a book to get this new one.

I squeezed in a quick run before the wind picked up and the temperature dropped on Wednesday. While running, I found someone’s package that blew 2 units down from where it was left. I did my good deed for the day and brought it back to the right place AND put something slightly heavy on top to hold it down.

I spent the rest of Wednesday night in a warm bath with hot chocolate. I tried out my new Winter Candy Apple bubble bath and it was amazing!

Late Tuesday night my family found out that my Aunt Lynne had suddenly passed away. The first part of her services were Friday (burial is Monday) and luckily I was able to get a bereavement day from work. John and I stopped for breakfast at the Amish Market on our way to the funeral on Friday since we had some extra time in the morning.

To make Friday even better (*sarcasm*), we came home to a burst pipe in our downstairs bathroom. What a mess it was!

After a long night, and hardly any sleep, John surprised me with a chai tea in bed. He even put frothed milk on top!

My friend, Erika, and I went ice skating on Saturday afternoon.

We postponed our pizza night with my sister, brother-in-law, and brother until Saturday night and it was just what I needed!

John made a stuffed crust pizza. So good!

Sunday morning was another lazy morning after yet another long night. Dexter wasn't complaining about some extra snuggles!

I peeled myself out of bed to run a quick 4 miles because how could I not take advantage of the beautiful weather?!

When I got back, we made waffles for a late breakfast before heading to my grandparents to hang out with my family.

We watched the Super Bowl at John's parent's house. I'm not one to really pay attention to the game, but John had bought us boxes in his dad's work pool so we were paying attention to that. Good thing because our box won in the second quarter!! We won a whopping $500! We are so thrilled because that pays for the plumbing bill from Friday. I also got to eat a delicious cannoli, so win-win, right?!

Question of the Day: What is something fun you did this past weekend?

Friday Five: 5 Things I'm Loving This Week

Happy Friday! I’m actually happy to admit that this week seemed to speed by for me. The temperature is supposed to go up more this weekend after such a chilly week and I’m really looking forward to it! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

1. Lush Shampoo Bar

I've heard nothing but good thing about the shampoo bars from Lush so when I finally found myself in a Lush store this past weekend, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try one out! This was my first time really looking in the store {typically I just peek my head in and get overwhelmed with the amount of products to look at so I leave} and I was pumped to find out that I could get a sample of a shampoo bar to try out before actually purchasing one. HECK TO THE YES! I picked out a scent that was on the lemon-y side and they gave me a quarter of the original bar! I've been using it all week and I am already in love! It suds up really nicely and leaves me hair feeling light and clean. There is one more scent/type I want to try out before purchasing a full bar. A shampoo bar is about $11 but it lasts for 80 washes so it's a pretty good deal AND you're not using plastic bottles. Win-win if you ask me.

2.  Quinoa
I go through a rotation with food for my lunches so that I don't get sick of certain foods. Quinoa came back into the rotation in the past few weeks and I think it's here to stay for awhile. I love how versatile quinoa is as you can mix it with all different things. We had leftover ground turkey seasoned with taco seasoning one night and I mixed it with the quinoa. I was surprised at how tasty it was! On a typical day I'll just add some veggies and/or chicken. If anyone is a quinoa fan, do you have any suggestions of what to add?

3. Prodigy
This is a silly one, but I've been loving the new online math game we've been using with the sixth graders. It's a math game that doesn't even feel like a math game because you're so focused on "leveling up" and "battling" other students. My co-teacher and I set our kids up on there this week and learned that as teachers we are able to play as well! It's been a fun week of trying to see who can beat us teachers in battles and competing for the highest levels.

4. Tidying Up With Marie Kondo
After reading Marie Kondo's book back in the spring/summer, I figured it was worth a shot at watching her new Netflix series. So far I'm really loving it because it's taking ideas I read about in the book and giving me a visual. I had already switched my way of folding to her way but I realized I had been doing it a bit differently. I guess I just interpreted what I read wrong. I also now have a better understanding of the "spark joy" idea. If you haven't checked out this new Netflix series yet, I highly suggest it. Just be warned, it may make you want to get rid of a lot of stuff {not necessarily a problem}.

5. Alexa
John and I received an Echo Dot for Christmas last year and at first, had no clue what to really do with it besides ask Alexa for trivia questions and to play music. Over the past few months we have gotten a few smart lightbulbs and a smart thermostat. I now feel like I’m living in the future because we can control the thermostat from our phone or just tell it what to do. We also set the smart bulbs up in our bedroom so I just tell Alexa to turn them on. It’s the coolest thing ever! I never thought I’d say this, but I wish our whole house could be hooked up through Alexa!

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?

2019 Goals: January Update

Can you believe January is already almost over?! Man, 2019 is already flying by but I desperately want it to slooooow down considering there is a ton I have to do over the next few months. As a way of keeping myself accountable, I will be posting a update at the end of each month on the goals I set for myself this year. By doing this, I am hoping it helps me remember the goals I have and the baby steps I can take to reach them.

Running in the cold and still smiling!

Goal 1: Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

I have been keeping up with a good running schedule. I don't always hit the distances I want but I can't complain. As of now, my longest run post-marathon is 8 miles. My plan is to keep anywhere from 6-10 miles as my long run for the next couples weeks as I'm not training for any races right now. I haven't been the best with adding strength in but I'm getting better now that my brother taught me a few new kettle bell exercises. Meal prepping and tracking have been on point so fingers crossed it is becoming a good habit for me! Eating breakfast has become part of my routine but I definitely want to think of some new, easy ideas because overnight oats can get boring. I {partially} took part in Gazelle Sports #31HealthyHabits challenge which I think was a great kick in the butt I needed to start 2019 off strong!

Such a small purchase can go a long way!

Goal 2: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

In the beginning of the month I purchased produce bags that will be a big help with reaching this goal as they are so easy to use. I have gotten better at remembering to bring my reusable bags each time I go to the store. I need to remember to stash a couple in my car so it's not something I need to think of before I leave the house. My students can be pretty wasteful when it comes to paper, and my school is not the best with recycling, so I took matters into my own hands. Whenever my students clean out their binders (which should happen more often than it actually does...), I have been taking any papers with blank sides and cutting them up to use as note paper. It comes in handy when I just have quick lists or notes to jot down. I also take the stack of extra fliers in my homeroom and cut them up as note paper. I've been doing a lot of brainstorming this month as to how I can re-purpose items. 

Goal 3: Reduce Phone Usage

I wouldn't say I've completely reduced my phone usage to the best of my ability, but I'm pretty dang proud at how many times I chose to pick up a book instead of my phone. I've been working on deleting apps I no longer need and turning off notifications to keep my phone from being so tempting.

Air fried chicken tenders = delish!

Goal 4: Try New Recipes

John and I tried a few new recipes this month in our air fryer. I have been collecting recipes online and also bookmarking them in my cookbooks to try in the near future. On a recent grocery trip, I stocked up on a couple McCormick spices to start adding into my more basic dishes, such as grilled chicken or quinoa bowls.

One box down, many to go!

Goal 5: Give Back

On one of my lazy Saturday's a few weeks back, I decided to go through a box of clothes that I'm embarrassed to admit has been sitting in my room since the move. The box was primarily old t-shirts that was moved from my college dorm, to home, to my new house, never being opened which clearly means they weren't important. I went through all the t-shirts (who knew someone could accumulate SO. MANY. T-SHIRTS!) and filled a box with a bunch to donate. Man, did it feel good to not only declutter, but also give to those who will actually wear them.

Goal 6: Save Money

Without even being too active on Poshmark lately, I was still able to make 3 sales. It's better than nothing! I have started being pickier with my shopping list after clearing out a bunch of expired items from my fridge and pantry. I am trying to buy only items we will use within the next week or two, unless it has a longer shelf life or can be frozen. I have also been focusing on buying things able to be frozen in bulk since it is much cheaper. John and I have collected a good amount of gift cards for restaurants so we are making a point to only go out to eat to places we have gift cards for.

Question of the Day: How are you doing with your 2019 goals or resolutions so far?

My Week in Pictures VII

Is the weekend seriously over already?! Looking back at last week, I was pretty busy each day. John and I actually realized we didn't eat dinner at home any night this past week because of prior dinner commitments! Talk about crazy. As I sit here to post my week in pictures, I realized I didn't really take many photos so enjoy what I did document :)


I had off Monday, which was the perfect reason to go on a nice run, but the weather convinced me otherwise...

Tuesday was a much better day for a run but Nuun Energy was a must considering I was exhausted after adjusting to work post-three day weekend.

Dexter was up for many snuggles this week since he isn't a big fan of being cold!

Thursday was such a rainy day but for once it wasn't freezing outside! I ended up going grocery shopping with my mom and sister after work.

My student, who is clearly not an adult, brought in this mug on Friday and it made my day because I was feeling the exact same way!

Friday lunches are my favorite because I can read while I eat!

Friday after work I drove up to Millersville to visit one of my best friends! I was having so much fun that I didn't take many pictures. On Friday we went to dinner at Core Life {the most delicious healthy eatery!}, went to the local mall where we spent a majority of our time in Lush, had some tasty ice cream, watched a movie, and caught up on life!

After a relaxing morning full of tea and banana pancakes on Saturday, we went for a run! One of our favorite things to do together :)

By time I got home Saturday night, John and I were in no mood to cook, so we used some gift cards and went to get sushi. The rolls on the left were absolutely amazing! I enjoyed the rolls on the right, as well, but they weren't the same as the others.

On Sunday we went over to John's parents for a birthday dinner for John's mom. They made crab cakes, shrimp, scallops, corn, grilled pineapple, and more! It was simply delicious!

After dinner we played Ticket to Ride since we got it for his mom for her birthday. It was such a nice night :)

Question of the Day: What is something fun you did this past week?