Sandwiches Taste Better Outdoors + Weekly Moves and Grooves

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

It’s TRUE.

When Jen from Peanut Butter Runner said, “sandwiches taste better on the beach,” I started hoping that I could experience a better-tasting sandwich based on the location at which I ate it.

Even though I didn’t go to the beach yesterday, I did eat lunch outside under the hot sun. The cars passing by sounded like waves washing ashore (Boston University Beach reference!), so it was close enough.

whole wheat pita with avocado, hummus, pork souvlaki, mint, and sriracha

Lo and behold, my sandwich tasted ten times better than any sandwich I’ve eaten indoors this summer. Any psychologists out there wanna get a PhD in this matter? I can be one of your experimental subjects.

Another reason it could have tasted that much better is the fact that I had an unexpected day off my internship. I was only there for an hour before the PTs sent me home, since they forgot to tell me that they had a 2 hour meeting in the middle of the day.

Since it was such a nice day, I decided to walk around and explore the town. My internship is in a cute, quaint town half an hour away from my house, so I was excited to have a spontaneous date with myself. 😀

I felt like the Barefoot Contessa walking into a boutique cookware shop and an organic, local market. I also wish I was a better food photographer so I could have an excuse to get ALL THE PRETTY THINGS.

I went home and napped for almost two hours. Excuse me?

I mean, I’ve usually been getting fewer than 8 hours of sleep per night, so maybe my body just wanted to catch up. But I was knocked out during this nap. I know because I don’t remember turning off my alarm after the first 45 minutes. I always feel slightly guilty when I indulge in such a long nap, but I know I need to honor my body and focus on rest this summer!

On that note, let’s move on to another edition of…

Saturday: 30 minutes pilates

Sunday: gymnastics warmup + 1 mile walk

Monday: 2 mile walk

Tuesday: 8 minute abs + messing around with dance choreography (missing dance like CRAZY this summer)

Wednesday: 20 min lower body barre + 2 mile walk

Thursday: donkey kicks and bridges + handstands

Friday: maybe a complete rest day, maybe some yoga, whatever feels right!

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Happy Friday, folks!!! Take a nap if you need it 🙂

So tell me:

Do you think food tastes better in a certain location/situation? Besides food tasting better when you’re hungry 😉

Do you like napping when possible?

How did you move this week?

New Hair, New Finds, New Best Friend

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

click on the button to learn more!

1) Remember when my brother and I plunged a few hundred feet head first into a canyon in Colorado? And I promised a Go-Pro video of our faces? Well, I posted said video on Youtube but have since forgotten to share it with you!

You can see me praying and making the sign of the cross before the ride starts at 1:16. (P.S. brace yourself for the scream.)

2) When I was at my PT internship the other day, one of physical therapists said, “Wow, you really cut your hair off.” Then the patient said, “Boys like long hair.” She then confirmed this with the physical therapist, a man.

…Oh.

Well I like my new short hair, dangit!

3) I still love my PT internship though. In fact, one of the PTs gave me all the digital versions of his textbooks, and one of them is about exercise form called Becoming a Supple Leopard. If becoming a supple leopard is not a fitness goal, I don’t know what is.

[source]

4) I came across this travel blog the other day called The Everywhereist. Have you heard of it? If you’ve read this article on PopSugar called “I Went Paleo and Now I Hate Everything,” that’s the blogger, Geraldine. She is absolutely hilarious. There is no blogger that makes me laugh out loud as much as she does.

Like I said, Geraldine runs a travel blog, but in the interest of us healthy living peeps, here’s her latest post called, “If the Exercise Class Descriptions From My Gym Were Honest.” Grab some tissues, you’ll probably cry of laughter.

5) Last week I told you guys that I wanted to cut down on social media when I came home from work. In all honesty, that has not happened. I realized that I can’t just say I’ll do something; I have to actually cut something out (taking Hayley’s advice!). Thus, I’m going to try logging out of my blog reader. I’m not as hardcore as Hayley, since I’m not deleting it, but I just need to spend less time reading the 100+ blogs that I follow. Hopefully this helps and gives me more time to read books! And sleep.

6) I saw more high school friends last night!

The “Core Four” getting ice cream, just like old times. You know you’re great friends when you can still laugh until you almost pee after a year apart from each other. Also, that’s blueberry cheesecake ice cream I ate. YEAH.

7) Guess who I’m seeing tomorrow!? His name rhymes with Garmin and his blog is the opposite of The Little Woman’s World. (Spoiler: this guy!)

Who knows what kind of trouble we’ll get into. It’s been so fun getting to know bloggers more in person, outside of blog/social media comments. I was serious when I said I want to FaceTime with you guys!

8) I have a new best friend. He’s loyal, quiet yet unassuming, he makes my house smell really good, and he cooks me dinner while I’m at work.

His name is CrockPot. Not a sexy name, but names don’t matter.

Before work, I threw in some chicken breasts, spicy Italian sausage, a large visalia onion, marinara sauce, and some water. Then Mr. CrockPot worked his magic low and slow for about 6 hours. After work, my house smelled like an Italian restaurant and the chicken shredded with ease.

If no boy will take me out to dinner because of my short hair, at least I have the CrockPot to make me dinner.

10) I might have to take a flight to LA just to go to this place: Spread PB, A Peanut Butter Bar. It’s a peanut butter BAR. Go drool over their menu (and if you’re allergic to pb, pretend it’s almond butter).

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Hope you all have a fantastic day! Rock your hair, no matter what anyone says.

So tell me:

Do the guys in your life prefer long hair?

Have you come across any new blogs that you love?

What is your favorite kitchen appliance?

One thing you’re excited for!

Day in the Life: Internship and Domestic Duties

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

Another phase in life, another one of my favorite posts!

I use the term “phase” lightly, because I’m just referring to the in-school phase vsersus summer phase. No major life changes have occurred in the past two months (unless you count the hike up Bear Peak, which was pretty life-changing IMO).

Here’s what a typical summer day has been like for me! And since I’m sharing my eats, I’m also linking up with What I Ate Wednesday— still the coolest online food fiesta around.

5:55 AM First alarm goes off. Ignored.

5:58 AM Second alarm goes off (yes, I set an alarm three minutes after my first). Basically force myself to fall off the bed in order to get up.

6:05 AM Drive Pop to the train station.

6:30 AM Come back home and go back to sleep.

8:15 AM Wake up, take two. Go downstairs to start preparing breakfast, which was Amanda’s blueberry muffin breakfast bake!

8:35 AM Go back upstairs to get ready for the day, pray, all that jazz.

9:00 AM Dress up breakfast with Greek yogurt and banana cream sauce. Picture time!

9:15 AM Blog, pack lunch, and watch the Today show while eating. Dig in with a baby spoon in an attempt to savor it, but end up taking bites that were bigger than the spoon.

did you enter my big giveaway!?

10:15 AM Go upstairs to change out of PJs and put on makeup.

10:30 AM Leave for PT internship.

11:00 AM Arrive at PT internship and eat a Nature Valley granola bite (their new product coming out next month!) before heading in to start the day.

need one of those rolling standing desks for school

1:30 PM Snack break for a BelVita biscuit.

2:30 PM Lunch break. I packed brown rice with leftover pork, grilled shrimp, and veggies + the rest of the BelVita biscuits.

4:15 PM Leave internship and go grocery shopping. Take much too long looking for Enlightened crisps in the natural section (couldn’t find) and deciding whether or not I want to buy pork butt for pulled pork later in the week (didn’t buy just yet).

random selfie in which my eyebrows look like my eyes, or my eyes look like my eyebrows— squinty and black

6:00 PM Arrive home, put groceries away, waste time on social media, change into active clothing, and eat a few of these Somersaults that I just bought using a coupon from Blend (one of which you can win in the giveaway package!). I had to tell myself to zip up the bag before I ate them all if that says anything about how good they are.

6:30 PM Go for a neighborhood walk. Pray some, listen to music some. Enjoy the heat and sunshine.

7:05 PM Back home to do some bodyweight Bulgarian split squats and stretching.

7:30 PM Wash dishes that I left in the sink from breakfast.

7:40 PM Start warming up dinner. Hooray for grill leftovers! I had the same exact thing I ate for Memorial Day lunch and dinner.

8:00 PM Eat while starting this blog post, checking Facebook, watching Chopped, and texting my friends. Aka what you’re not supposed to do while eating a meal, but #sololife.

9:25 PM Dessert time! Vanilla bean ice cream with macerated strawberries and a peanut butter honey cookie from WB Kitchen (also from Blend swag). Start typing this post in real time.