Ice Cream Sundays + Start of Grad School

Two very different yet equally important things.

I’ve been meaning to post this for the past two days, but here we are on a Wednesday. Now that I have to fill my days and nights with studying, blogging will probably be reduced to once a week again. C’est la vie.

It’s been a blessed past five days though!

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even my pineapple was smiling at me! (but this was a terrible pineapple)

Friday

Friday was my last day of work as a gross anatomy teaching assistant, and I must say that I had a great time working that job. (Definitely a better time than the students were having. What troopers.)

I kicked off the weekend with Colby! We picked up our pottery that we painted last weekend, and they turned out so well.

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Afterwards we walked over to Shawarma King for some Mediterranean goods.

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I got the falafel wrap, which totally hit the spot.

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Then we went to Paris Creperie for dessert, necessarily. I got the petite sized bear claw crepe (cinnamon and cookie butter), which was not really worth the price (I was hoping they’d have vanilla ice cream to top it with – negative) but tasty nonetheless.

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As always, time with Colby was the best part 🙂

Later in the night, I joined some friends at Rachel’s place for a Princess Diaries movie night. If it were any other movie, I would have gone to bed instead, but the original Princess Diaries is so worth it.

Saturday

I was suuuuuper tired getting up early Saturday morning, but I was still so happy to go to a 7:30am “Cardio Core Fusion” class at Exhale Back Bay with my friend Elayne!

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She had told me that ClassPass (a membership that gives you discounted prices for fitness classes throughout the city) was having a 4 classes for $4 deal for their 4th anniversary, so we jumped on it. This Cardio Core Fusion was a great, involving lots of planks and punches and fun beats, but my body was NOT having it after a week of less-than-ideal amounts of sleep.

But any opportunity to move and groove with friends is a good time!

I made sure not to book anything else for Saturday so that I could nap (for 2.5 hours thankyouverymuch), clean the apartment, do laundry, pray, cook, FaceTime with the fam, and go to sleep early-ish. I hadn’t forced myself to have a (nearly) commitment-free day in a long time, but after Saturday, I was reminded of how valuable those kinds of days are.

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meatloaf + arugula salad

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banana bread mug cake + greek yogurt while FaceTiming the fam

Sunday

…started off with THE BEST smoothie ever. On Saturday night I threw together in a bowl:

  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 1/3 c. greek yogurt
  • 1/2 c. oats
  • 1 tbsp. chia seeds
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • dash of nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • big spoonful of peanut butter

On Sunday morning, I poured the whole mixture into a blender with a little more milk and about 2/3-3/4 of a frozen banana. And voila! The thickest, most luscious pb banana smoothie of all time.

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I miss it.

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I walked to a church downtown for confession afterwards and then met up with Ben for a workout on the esplanade. It was a hot and beautiful day, so it seemed like all of Boston’s humans and domestic and wild animals were playing outside.

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We utilized the equipment and came up with this fun workout that also made me feel like I was working out on top of a stove. The rubber flooring of this thing is a heat sponge.

3 rounds:

  • 20 tricep dips
  • 15 goblet squats (with a random cement block we found there)
  • 20 decline situps
  • 10 burpee bench jumpovers
  • 10 step up hops each leg
  • 10 side to side uneven pushups
  • 10 lateral hopover burpees
  • 25 double unders
  • 20 reverse rows

We drank oh so much agua afterwards and walked over to a different park to hang out with more friends!

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We picnicked, frisbee’d, read, jumped rope, and made fun of each other. Quality friend time ♥︎

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I packed and ate this sandwich for the park – pepper jack, ham, arugula, bacon, sriracha mayo *squeal*

After playing outside for a few hours, I walked back home while FaceTiming my friend Briana. Then I showered, ate meatloaf and veggies in record speed, and rushed back out the door for Mass back on campus.

My friends and I have unofficially decided that we now have a post-Sunday-Mass ice cream ritual. I really just kept bugging people about ice cream all day, but who was gonna say no? We went to White Mountain Creamery last Sunday, so it seems like it’s “ice cream Sundays” should be a thing now.

This week we went to Emack and Bolio’s, which has been known to just be “meh,” and for me it was still just that, but it was ice cream. It was also my fault for ordering too chocolatey of a flavor for my taste.

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chocolate salted peanut butter cup + bananas foster (the latter was delicious though!)

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some of my favorite humans

Rachel invited us over to her place to hang out/watch the Cardinals v. Pirates baseball game, but I was there for the hanging out, popcorn and beer. The baseball was nice white noise.

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Monday

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I’ve been having overnight oats 5/7 days per week probably, and I am never mad about it.

I worked through the morning at my side job and then headed to the gym for a very short but efficient workout (read: my legs were jello by the end).

Supersets (3x)

  • 10 pistols each leg + 20 KB swings (12kg)
  • 15 weighted jump squats (10#) + 20 hamstring ball curls + 20 jump lunges

I warmed up before and stretched afterwards, but this was IT.

Sidenote: I was fueled by this bomb sandwich I packed with me.

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avocado, arugula, two eggs, bacon, sriracha *angels singing*

Sandwiches make the world go ’round.

After the gym, I went to the bookstore to pick up a textbook for my class and then headed home to cook, eat and FaceTime with my dear friend Emma for THREE hours! There was apparently a lot on our hearts that needed to be said. Praise God for wonderful friends.

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dinner – more meatloaf with brown rice and veggies sautéed in sesame oil and rice vinegar

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post dinner – leftover green pancakes from the freezer, warmed up and topped with pb and maple syrup

I ate this dinner and snack kind of early (finished at 6pm) but ate a chicken drumstick at around 9pm after FaceTiming Emma. So I was full going to bed, but for some odd reason, I woke up starving at 3:30am. I hesitate to use the word starving for fear of overdramatizing my hunger, but I really was hungry to the bone and felt like I could have eaten a large burger with fries and milkshake in the middle of the night.

Of course, I got up and ate bread with pb&j. But when I went back to bed, I was still so hungry and ate half a frozen banana with yogurt. And then third times the charm, I got up again and ate several handfuls of sunflower seeds.

It was a very odd occurrence that I did not like at all, but I just honestly, inadvertently didn’t eat enough before going to bed. Happens…but I’d prefer if it didn’t.

Tuesday

First day of PT school!!!

We had orientation at 8am, followed by class from 9-12 and 1-3. Five hours of classes in one day is not my cuppa tea, but alas, summer school is here.

After our long first day of Functional Anatomy, our program directors kindly set up a fun social event for all of the post-bacs and continuing undergraduates (like me) to mingle and meet one another. We bonded over bowling and lots of delicious food (praaaaaaise)!IMG_9250

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I helped myself to half a ham sandwich, chips, salsa, egg rolls, chicken wings, fried mac and cheese(!!!!), lemonade, and, like, a couple veggies.

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new and old friends! (shoutout to Erin who always hypes up my blog around new people haha ♥︎)

Now I have things like homework to do at night, so I think I’m going to read a textbook, pray, EAT A FREAKING HEFTY SNACK, and hit the hay.

Hope you are all having a marvelous week!

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So tell me:

Do you have a fun weekly or monthly “ritual” of any sort?

Two things you did this weekend!

Do you ever schedule in a full day off? 

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Currently

A few notable moments/things since I last posted (p.s. check out a day in the life here!):

  1. Lunar eclipse. There were some nerds in front of the honors college with telescopes and cameras staring at the blood moon…so I knew I could join them and fit in.Processed with VSCOcam with m5 preset
  2. Temperatures cold enough to make me want a jacket heavier than a sweater.
  3. Drinking tropical drinks despite said temperatures.Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset
  4. I have a new lab partner/breakfast buddy who also brings her own peanut butter to the dining hall and allows me to eat some when I forget to bring my own. #friendship.

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Besides those things, I thought this would be a good time to share some other things that I’m diggin’ and feelin’ currently. [Love reading these kinds of posts from bloggers like Spoons!]

Current book: Human physiology textbook and I don’t hate it. Also, currently getting through lots of pages in my Holocaust textbook. Reading about history has always been difficult for me attention-wise, but this content is interesting and heavy.

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Current music: “Conrad” by Ben Howard. One of my friends kept talking about how excited he was to see Ben Howard at Boston Calling (an annual local concert that features a ton of rising/already huge artists), so I decided to check out his music. Verdict: in love.

Current guilty pleasure: Studying in the communal kitchen. This sounds hella weird, I know. It’s my guilty pleasure because there are so many study rooms from which I can choose, but I choose the kitchen because there usually isn’t anyone in there, so it’s quiet, and I can stand or sit at the countertop.

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Rachel was judging me so hard. I’m high maintenance, I get it.

Current nail color hair style: Straight (natural) or in a ponytail. My hair is stubborn, so I just let it be free most of the time. I kinda want to curl my hair, so I’m waiting for a special occasion to do so.

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Current drink: H2O. Still carry around my water bottle like a security blanket.

Current food: I’m really enjoying these burritos that PJ’s Organics so kindly sent me!* I found out a couple weeks ago that I actually don’t have the unlimited meal plan (even though I thought I did this whole time); I actually have the 14-meal plan (14 meals per week + other dining points). Thus, any food that I can eat outside the dining hall in my dorm/on the go that is nutritious and delicious…sign me up.

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I think this breakfast burrito had rosemary or sage in it. Fantastic.

Current obsession: My fuzzy red blanket. It gets chilly in our dorm at night these days, so the extra fluff and warmth is much appreciated.

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Current wish: That I could read more blogs. Studying and activities say nay many a time.

Current need: I would say a massage, but that’s not really a need. I would not object a massage offer though.

Current triumph: Deciding on leading a Bible study. I was on the fence about it at first, but with the prayers and encouragement of my friends, I have decided to lead a Bible study for freshmen girls starting next week!

Current bane of my existence: “Bane of my existence” always sounds so melodramatic, but I guess mine would be the fact that nothing has happened in terms of my normal, feminine processes yet.

Current indulgence: A heck of a lot of sugar in general, which is something I want to talk about in another post this week. But for now, I’m just reflecting on how much I love dessert.

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Current procrastination: Studying for my human physiology exam and instead typing this post. (Don’t worry, mom and dad, it’s under control.)

Current blessing: Really good friends. Always a blessing.

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Current excitement: Catholic Center retreat in New Hampshire this weekend! In addition to spending some deep, quality time with God and friends, I’m SO EXCITED FOR STARS. Living in New York and Boston, I don’t see stars that often, but the New Hampshire skies seem to display the universe and it makes me want to cry of happiness.

Current mood: Content, anxious, excited.

Current link: Instead of a link, I have a few quote photos from Pope Francis’ address at the Festival of Families. Even if you’re not Catholic, I think it’s safe to say that Pope Francis’ words during his visit to the US hit every person’s heart in one way or another.

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Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday!

So tell me your current:

…guilty pleasure.

…obsession.

…wish.

…mood.

*PJ’s Organics sent me some of their products to try. Review coming soon! All opinions and content are my own.

Mall + Disney World

Hi there!

I didn’t post anything yesterday, but it feels as if I haven’t blogged in a week or something. Is that some magic Disney World time warp conundrum? Or is that just vacation? I actually told my friends that Disney is oddly scary because it’s this utopian world that is obnoxiously clean, constantly happy, frighteningly systematic, and meticulously attentive to detail. Sounds like an evil empire to me.  The happiest place on Earth!

I’ll shut up now and go right ahead into filling you all in on these past couple of days which included a trip to the Mall at Millennia, Gaylord Palms Resort (#why choose that name for a resort?), and the elusive Disney World!

Mall at Millennia

This is a beautiful mall in Orlando that my family loves to visit whenever we’re down here. For me, it’s not even the shopping; I just like to look at the place. There are palm trees inside the mall. INSIDE.

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After shopping and walking around for a bit, we walked across the street to the Elephant Bar restaurant for a super late lunch (3:30 PM— we were late risers and had breakfast at 11 AM). I ate the Grilled Salmon with Cilantro Cucumber Yogurt Sauce and some other Asian-y spiced sauce. Delicious!

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Gaylord Palms

Next we headed to the Gaylord Palms Resort (none of us could say that with a straight face…we’re mature), which is another beautiful place with some restaurants, shops, and gator/fish ponds.

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As we were walking, we came across a man casually reclining in his chair carving amazing fruit sculptures. He allowed me to take a picture of his works and told us that he carved fruits for Ivanka Trump’s and Kim Kardashian’s wedding! Hit him up if you want some profesh fruit faces at your Florida party!

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Frozen yogurt also happened. Peanut butter + cookies and cream to be exact.

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After we got back home in the evening, my aunt, Daliza and I walked over to these food trucks parked in our neighborhood. Apparently they come once a month, but I’d never seen them in past summers. We didn’t buy anything, but it was cool to visit!

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Disney World

I wouldn’t be surprised if you skipped to this portion of my blog post. Disney does that to people.

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Hitchin’ to the castle. Stay classy.

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As you can tell (if you’re familiar with Disney World), we visited the Magic Kingdom park with the iconic Cinderella Castle as the centerpiece. Daliza and I ventured to each of the “lands” in the park and managed to hop on quite a few rides throughout the day (we were there from 10 AM until 11:30 PM). Splash mountain was probably my favorite because it was the only one that was remotely thrilling with the big drop and splash (obviously) at the end. I got soaked.

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In my most romantic princess attire.

Daliza and I also tried the famous Disney Dole Whip! I had the pineapple-vanilla twist, which was good, but I liked Daliza’s orange-vanilla one better. The pineapple-vanilla was more icy, while the orange-vanilla one was creamier.

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Brought our own lunches to save SOME money from Disney’s black hole of revenue.

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“It’s a small world” ride! It had been 14 years since I went on this. It used to be my FAVORITE ride when I was a nugget.

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Daliza met her Peter Pan/her hero/her future husband.

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Dinner at “Columbia Harbour House” in Frontierland. This grilled salmon with couscous and steamed broccoli was surprisingly very delicious and satisfying!

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Evening festivities

After this electric parade, we watched the big shows at the Castle, which were easily my favorite parts of the whole day at Disney.

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And Tinker Bell 🙂

My feet were crying since we probably only sat down for a total of one hour in the whole day, but it was a blast. Amusement parks are 100 times less stressful when you’re not 5 years old.

Today? We already had a nice, big breakfast, and now we’re headed to the BEACH…”each, let’s go get away..”

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Have a fabulous weekend, friends!

So tell me:

Have you ever been to Disney World?

Who is your favorite Disney character?

Do you like amusement parks?