Single Digit Countdowns & Hill Runs

You’re probably over it, but single digit countdowns and clear weather forecasts make me a VERY happy girl.

Nine more days till I'm Mrs. This Guy!

 (Photobooth pics from the wedding this past weekend. 

Yes, that's a camouflage vest. No, I don't want to talk about it.)

I strongly believe that magazine subscriptions are one of the most awesome gifts ever. 

The gift that keeps on giving for a year? Yes, please. Also, don’t worry, I fully intend on making that glorious mother of all grilled cheeses IMMEDIATELY. If melty cheese and bread constitutes fine cooking, I’m all over it.

And then, because I choose to eat like complete and total shit 93% of the time, I have to go for a run. Note – the general nutrition-savvy population would strongly disagree with my logic of out-exercising a bad diet. And to them, I say,

STEP OFF!

YOU GUYS. School of Rock is probably one of my favorite movies of all time ever. It might be Jack Black at his finest. Okay, I don’t know why I said that, but truly, it’s incredible. To prove it I’m going to share with you all of the fantastic images that arose when I chose to pinterest (verb) “School of Rock”

Y’all, that’s HYSTERICAL.

OHMYGOD. I’M CRYING.

And my two personal favorites:

Amen to that y’all.

Anyways, I have no idea where this post was going before I distracted myself with quotes from the greatest movie of all time,butttttt…

Oh yeah, Hill Runs.

I told you in my Cowtown recap how hill work really does pay off. Wednesday night hill runs are a weekly thing with my good friend and running coach, Karen. She’s lucky enough (is it luck though? Or is it a curse?) to live in a neighborhood of roller coaster like hill-age. So once a week, off we go to torture ourselves all for the love of the run. It's hard and intense and exhausting and slow moving, but I always feel SO much stronger afterwards. 

Yes, that's me. 

Post run, I came home to this, my favorite site of all time - Fiance cooking dinner. 

And more wedding presents!

PS: I sincerely apologize for the state of my home in these photos. I just wanted to give you a peek into what it looks like when a wedding takes over your living room. And if you are wondering why the walls are bare, it's because every single picture frame and photograph that I own has been commandeered for this blessed occasion. So basically when I come home every day, it looks like someone broke in, ransacked through everything, decided they weren’t interested in my cake topper and tablecloths, so just left them there, amidst the chaos. But dinner with this guy makes me smile and distracts me for at least a half hour until I demand dessert. 

Today at the office, some sweet coworkers threw me a little bridal luncheon. 

And leftover bridal shower cupcakes are THE BOMB.

YUM. Really, HOW am I going to fit into a wedding dress?

You know what is spectacular about tomorrow? It’s my FRIDAY. HOLLA!

Heard that. I’ve got Friday off, and I’ve got big plans to sleep in until at least 6am (who am I?) and then shop and eat and do all the other wonderful things you do with days off. You know, errands. 

And, just a few more days until Boston 2014! 

I love love watching Boston, and I know that watching this year is going to be a really special experience. There will be a lot of spirit out there!

LOVE&EXTRAHUGS,

Nat

One dozen days.

I've been MIA the past ten days, because life right now is crazy crazy crazy. I've resigned myself to the fact that I won't be getting any sleep until after April 25th.

 

 

It kind of feels like I woke up one day and Spring had arrived. And you know what's fantastic about Spring? Well lots of things, but for starters, PERFECT WEATHER RUNS.

 

 

I'd be lying if I said running has been on the forefront of my mind lately, but I did get in a quick run with Taylor, a hill run on Wednesday, and a Saturday morning run with friends. Not terribly shabby.

 

The theme in my kitchen this week was quesadillas.

 

Tuesday night dinner was a medley of onions, peppers, black beans, corn, shredded chicken, and lots of cheese, salsa and guac for Taylor and I.

Wednesday night my old roomie (insert sad face here) came over to check out the new place and to let me talk her ear off about life in general and I decided to make pizza quesadillas in her honor. Partially because she's obsessed with pizza, and partially because I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen. It's a win-win for everybody.

 

Outside of my kitchen, the theme was fast food. And lots of it. Wednesday morning Tay and I went to pick up our marriage license (UM HOLY CRAP) and celebrated with Whataburger taquitos, as per usual.

 

 

 

Thursday morning Bryn and I decided it was time to hit up TB for breakfast. I ordered the waffle taco. It was pretty good, but it goes without saying my unrealistically high expectations set me up for slight disappointment. My fault. The cinnabon bites, however, were spectacular.

 

 

Work this week dragged on and on, so Friday received a very warm welcome. And also I love waking up to texts like this from sweet friends.

 

 

This weekend Taylor and I got to celebrate the wedding of two of our good friends. So Friday and Saturday were spent celebrating and dancing the night away with all of our favorite people.

Have I mentioned that weekends are my fave?

 

SUCH A FUN NIGHT. The rainy weather today inspired me to sleep in, and then reward myself for sleeping in with an hour long nap.  The only thing that could motivate me to crawl out of my bed was a trip to Target.

#MISSIONACCOMPLISHED

I kinda sorta love being in my kitchen now that I have all of the fancy cooking things (thank you wedding showers!) so this evening I spent a few hours whipping together a couple things for this week. I don't always use Sunday as a designated "food prep day" but I almost always end up in the kitchen doing something, and this week I stumbled across two delicious looking recipes by Melanie over at Nutritious Eats. The first I decided to tackle was this crustless quiche. I had everything on hand but ham, so I just subbed in a little turkey bacon. I'm stoked to have this on hand to heat up for quick breakfasts this week!

And these chocolate chip cookie balls.

 

Y'all, they are INCREDIBLE. It took all the willpower in the world not to  shove them all in my mouth at once. They are deliciously sweet, and crazy simple to throw together, and will do a great job of giving me my chocolate fix without me having to rip into a giant bag of fun size Kit Kat bars.

 

Last weekend, Taylor and I made the best Trader Joe's run of all time. And in approximately one dozen days, we'll be popping those corks!

Bring it Monday!

 

LOVE&HUGS,

 

Nat

Allergies, Yoga, and, most importantly, Taco Bell.

I know what you're thinking.

"NATALIE. 3 posts in three days!? Calm the freak down."

Well, my bad y'all. My bad. There are just too many things to talk about. Like this:

Pardon my French but, OMG. It is OFFICIAL.

I promise I’ll probably maybe stop talking about wedding stuff soon-ish. IDK, maybe not. Deal with it.

And if you've been wondering why you've felt like complete and TOTAL CRAP this week, this is why:

Snot everywhere. Itchy eyes of misery. Coughing up all sorts of alien-like substances. Mouth breathing like Napoleon. Cue raspy telephone sick voice. It's been a fun week, y'all.

Okay, besides wedding countdowns and your daily dose of me whining, there is something of the utmost importance that we all need to discuss IMMEDIATELY.

SIX NEW BREAKFAST MENU ITEMS AT TACO BELL! There is a God!

The only problem here is that, if they really knew me, like knew me, deep down in my soul, they’d know my affinity for breakfast foods does NOT cut off like a timer at 11am! That kind of love is eternal, and has no time restraints. Dumbasses. So now, I’m being forced to make SIX stops at SIX different Taco Bell locations all in the name of not making a fool out of myself in front of the TB morning shift drive through employee. The things I do for shame’s sake, y’all.

Before you know it, this will quickly turn into a Whataburger taquito type situation where from the hours of 11pm-11am I am ravenously hungry for all things grease based! Thank God I’m getting married in four weeks, I can’t wait to give up this “healthy living” stuff once and for all and live on fast food for ever and ever and ever AMEN like all the happy people do.

I’d like to continue to talk to you about food. I know, I know, throwing you a curve ball. But it's now time for:

FOTW! (AKA - Food of the Week) 
*Loud cheers and crazy applause*

Alli got me a Ninja! I mean, us. She got us a Ninja. (Bleh, this whole "marriage = share all the crap" thing is going to get annoying REAL quick.) Anyway, it's been smoothie city up in here. 

SMOOTHIES FOR DAYS.

I don't remember who told me to start pouring oatmeal and almond milk in a bowl and letting it sit in the fridge overnight, but whoever you were, thank you. It's fast and easy and therefore awesome. Also anything topped with chocolate chips and peanut butter is obviously destined for greatness. 

Yesterday at lunch, my Cane's chicken strip was shaped exactly like a whale. Please don't ask me what kind of whale because I didn't see Blackfish and I'm generally just uneducated on sea creatures. But I took it as a quite obvious sign that the Universe totally approves of our BFF whale watching trip coming up in August.

  
I found this recipe on Natalie Hodson's blog (she's totes adorbs) and I had everything it called for in my kitchen, so Zuchinni tater tots it was. 

And ketchup. Because the recipe told me to. And also because I love ketchup. 

And since I'm super healthy, (OMG- kidding, please see above RE: Taco Bell) I’ve gone to yoga five days in a row and I am digging it. I've been hitting up the 530am class, and I lerrrrve waking up that way. Even though I’m nowhere close to being able to do handstand or crow or whatever the hell they're called, I’ve got a mean child’s pose.

Remember when I said I was going to start training for a 5k PR in May? Yeah, that’s not going to happen. PR training takes time, of which I have NONE at the current moment. #weddingplanningprobs And while we're at it, remember when I used to run? Yeah, me too. I've run twice in the past week, and one of those runs was a 1.5 mile trek around the block with Taylor. But I did somehow get talked into registering for THIS race in July!

15.6 miles. In July. At midnight. NBD.

#IVELOSTMYFREAKINGMIND

Which will require me to actually get off my ass and train. I should probably get on that. And if I plan on fitting into my wedding dress, I should probably cool it on the gummy bears, too.

Hey good news y'all - it's FRIDAY!

Whatever, Dwight.

I have exciting plans for a run, yoga, and then lots of wine sprinkled with small bits of wedding related activities.

LOVE&HUGS,

Nat