Fueling the Vehicle

Hooray for humpday – we’re halfway through the work week and halfway closer to the weekend!  And that’s a good enough reason to make a pit-stop at Starbucks…  Although, I don’t think you ever need a reason to go to Starbucks.

Notice how I didn’t say “to go get coffee” – someone’s gotta keep those darn coffee burners in business ;)   My dad’s got Dunkin’ Donuts covered [he's from the northeast where he was raised with a DD on every.single.street.corner] so I’ve taken the liberty of supporting Sbucks.

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The other day I stumbled upon the picture above on Instagram and thought it was fabulous.  I’ve heard people say that the human body is like a car, but I think this picture goes beyond that comparison and takes it one step further:

food = fuel

good fuel = strength and power

Without proper fuel [i.e. nutrition] your body is running on empty.  And like a car, you body cannot function on empty.

With two more half’s coming up, it’s a goal of mine to do a better job of fueling my body – not just on days I have a long run, but every day.  Over the next few weeks I want to focus on giving my body everything it needs and wants.  From food to rest, I want to learn how to truly decode my body’s signals.  I’ve got a health update planned for tomorrow so I’ll save my rambles until then.  Onto my [Tuesday] eats…

Thanks Jenn for hosting another tasty link-up!

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cappuccino me, please

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despite having paws and claws, Charlie has become quite the help in the kitchen – he’s a great taste tester

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berries & cinnamon pancakes topped with cottage cheese mixed with orchard made pumpkin butter + almond slivers

Since we’re moving in less than 2 months, we’re starting to use up all of our pantry perishables.  I found this jar of pumpkin butter that I got when we went apple picking in the fall hiding in the corner…  It’s a tad sweet for my liking, but it pairs well with cottage cheese!

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cuties – does anyone else hear this commercial when they see cuties?!

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veggies topped with cottage cheese + a crumbled Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger

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2 current cravings – pretzels & Fig Newmans

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an apple & coconut cashew Quest Bar

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veggie-filled salad

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tortillas dipped in Greek yogurt guacamole

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lentil soup

We had homemade meatball calzones on the menu for dinner but Ryan went to the movies so we opted to save them for tonight.  I’m not one to shun sodium [I love salt], but this soup was on sale and I love lentils so I thought I’d give it a shot.  Verdict?  The soup was lacking flavor but nothing a few shots of Tabasco + salt couldn’t fix.  I guess that cancels out the “low sodium” stat, ha!

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Arctic Zero isn’t Ben & Jerry’s but it was convenient while I watched Millionaire Matchmaker

Question:  What’s your #1 fueling tip?

Question:  What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

— Allison

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Marvelous Random Facts

Part of me was hoping to wake-up this morning to an email from our office saying that it was closed due to yesterday’s holiday – what a joke!  It’s Monday AND it’s April Fools Day…

I hope that y’all had a wonderful weekend and Easter holiday if you celebrated!  To be honest, I completely forgot that Easter was this weekend until a sales associates at one of the apartment complexeswe were looking said that they would be closed in honor of the holiday…  Whoops!

Ryan and I traded egg hunting for apartment hunting but we’re going over to my momma’s house tonight for dinner, better late than never!

A couple of weeks ago, Katie from Live Half Full nominated me for the Liebster award – thanks again Katie!  I had a marvelous time participating back in December [check out Liebster #1 here] so I’m happy to have a second chance!

11 Random Facts About Me

1.  After many “health hiccups” I ran my first half marathon!  I have 2 more this spring [Nike Women's in April and ZOOMA Annapolis in June] plus another this fall.  Maybe a full next January?  We’ll see!

2.  I’ve recently developed a liking for Pilates, after crowning myself as the worst yoga student.  I lack the inner “om” – child’s pose is my favorite.  Maybe if the classes were only 30 minutes I’d do better?

3.  Recently, one of the most commonly asked questions that I get is “When are you and Ryan expecting?”  We don’t have any immediate plans, but it is definitely something we’re looking forward to in the future.

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4.  The cold temperatures and the dreary winter weather puts me in a serious funk.  I don’t wanna jinx it, but I’m so thankful that spring has finally decided to grace us with its presence.

5.  It’s inevitable that whenever I start running longer distances, I always lose toenails.  I’ve tried what seems to be every trick in the book – band aids, bigger shoes, thicker socks – nothing has helped, besides a pedicure.

6.  When it comes to alcohol, I prefer bubbly or sweet wine.  If we’re talking hard liquor, I like it straight and dirty aka shot style…  I’d rather get it over quickly because I cringe with every sip I take of a mixed drink.

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7.  In January Ryan and I went on our honeymoon cruise to the eastern Caribbean [pt. 1 and pt. 2].  Royal Caribbean truly knows how to cater to their guests…  We already re-booked a cruise to the western Caribbean for next January!

8.  I used to hate the TV show Seinfeld but ever since I moved in with Ryan, we watch it every night – it’s his favorite show.

9.  It’s no secret that I prefer sweet over savory in the morning – I like to start and end my day on a sweet note.  I could eat pancakes topped with a dollop of *chunky* peanut butter every single morning.

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10.  I prefer playing with numbers over words so I’m a Sudoku dork.  Samurai Sudoku’s are my favorite – the tougher the better.

11.  When I was younger I joked that I’d marry an old rich man first and when he kicked the bucket I’d marry my true love.  That way I’d have both love and money haha!

Katie’s 11 Questions

1.  What’s your biggest goal for 2013?  To run my first half marathon…  DONE!

2.  What’s your favorite way to relieve stress?  To workout.  It doesn’t have to be an intense sweat session, but doing something physically active helps me to mentally disconnect from the world around me.

3.  What’s your favorite beer? (or drink)  I don’t care for beer – er, rather my belly doesn’t care for beer – but pour me a glass of wine and I’m a happy lady!

4.  Workouts – morning or night?  I love how accomplished I feel after a morning workout but ever since we started taking TNT classes and my runs have gotten longer, I’ve been doing more afternoon workouts.  I’m hoping to get back into a morning routine.

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5.  What’s your biggest motivator?  My health.  I know that some things [such as illnesses] are out of my control, but I have the choice of what I put in my body and how hard I push myself on a daily basis.

6.  What type of blog topics would you like to read about more on Live Half Full?  I love reading blogs that have a balance between food, fitness, and fun.

7.  What’s your favorite season and why?  Summer – I love bright and sunny warm weather!  One day I’d love to live at the beach.

8.  Any fun trips planned for 2013?  Our big trip this year was our honeymoon, but we have a handful of destination weddings later this year that we’re looking forward to attending.

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9.  What’s your favorite current television show?  I’m a big reality TV fan but I’ve also gotten back into Grey’s Anatomy.

10.  Do you celebrate anniversaries with your significant other?  Yes!

11. Do you cook dinner every night?  Yes, whether it’s 100% homemade or semi-homemade, dinner is always served.

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My 11 Questions

1.  What’s your favorite holiday?

2.  If money wasn’t a factor and you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

3.  How many pets do you have?

4.  Dark or milk chocolate?

5.  What would you choose as your last meal?

6.  If you could dine with a celebrity, who would you choose?

7.  What’s your dream job and are you currently doing it?

8.  What’s your favorite workout song?

9.  If you could relive one moment, what would it be?

10.  What’s your favorite springtime activity?

11.  Apple, blueberry, or cherry pie?

Thanks to Katie’s marvelous link-up, I’m opting not to nominate anyone specific but rather I nominate all of y’all – there are so many marvelous blogs!  Answer 1, 2, or all of the questions above :)

— Allison

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Favorite Finds Friday 12.14.12 // Yeehaw Y’all

We’re traveling to Texas today, yeehaw!  I could not be more excited to join one of my best girlfriends on such a special weekend.  Speaking from recent experience, having the opportunity to marry the love of your life is absolutely amazing and it’s an unforgettable day

Ryan and I woke up at 4AM because just like all you college students who are procrastinating studying for your finals, we procrastinated packing.  Somethings never change…  Once we were packed and showered we swung by Starbucks for some fuel and hit the road.  Surprisingly, we hardly hit any traffic and made it to the airport in great time #winning, only to arrive at our gate and find out that our flight has been delayed #losing.  Boo.

But the delay has given me some time to grab *another* coffee, blog, scope out the terminal shops [count: 2], and grab us Potbelly sandwiches for the flight since we won’t land until 2:30ish.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day with bridesmaid commitments starting in the morning and fun wedding festivities throughout the evening sooo I may or may not open my computer.  Time will tell!  If I don’t, I hope y’all have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend :)

*Edited to add: I wrote this post yesterday at the airport but had to pause to board the plane.  When we got to Texas we switched right into party mode and had a blast at the rehearsal!  This morning Ryan and I walked to breakfast and are relaxing for a bit before the prepping and primping begin.*

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Links Above: My Pinterest Boards // Links Below: Picture Source

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Good FoodQuinoa Baked Eggs by Fit Foodie Finds

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My StyleHair Bow

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Sweet TreatsHealth(ier) Chocolate Chunk Molasses Gingerbread Cookies by Running to the Kitchen

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EventsFairy Tale Cafe Lights

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Health & Wellness20 Healthy Reminders

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Words of WisdomBlessed

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CutiesComeee Onnn Momma Dog

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For the HomeFood, Family, & Love Kitchen Sign

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Places to GoHamilton Pool in Austin, Texas

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FlowersGlowing Dahlia

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Laughing Out Loud:  Butt Dial vs. Booty Call

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DIY Projects52 Reasons Why I Like You by Little Gray Fox

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Education & LearningWhy English is Hard to Learn

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Wedding AttireLacy Back with Brooches

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Looking Ahead to BabyPretty in Pink Party

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P.S.  Words cannot describe how much my heart breaks for yesterday’s unforgettably horrific event.  My prayers, thoughts, and well wishes go out to all of the families and their friends who were affected.  It’s an unfortunate reminder that we should not to take any moment for granted and to always show our loved ones how much we care.

Yesterday… #elf4Health 12/14 Day 19: Workout with a buddy. Grab a friend, your spouse, or even your dog!  Does carrying suitcases count?  Ryan got a wheelchair, I got the luggage.  So yes, I think so!  But I also snuck in a short sweat session before we went to the rehearsal.

This Weekend… #elf4Health 12/15-16 Day 20 and 21: Donate to a holiday charity in your area.  Look for food drives, toy drives, angel trees, etc…  This year our office adopted a family.  Each family member made a wish list and people in our office volunteered to purchase a gift.  On Friday I helped wrap the gifts and on Monday we’ll deliver them to the family.

Question:  What’s your favorite on-the-go breakfast?  I gotta give a thumbs up to Starbucks for their Perfect Oatmeal!  I like the consistency and the texture, topped with dried fruit and nuts, yum…

Question:  Do you workout when you’re traveling?  If we have some downtime I enjoy checking out the hotel gym or going out for a run, but it’s not something that I need to make time for.

*Don’t forget to enter my Torani giveaway and be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!  It’s open until Sunday, December 16th at 11:59PM EST.*

— Allison

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