The Health Benefits of Bananas via Amanda from Running with Spoons

The new Queen B (move over Beyonce, the queen of bananas has arrived) gives us some of the fantastic health benefits of our beloved fruit!

I Have a Disease via Jordan from The Balanced Blonde

This is a pretty common disease that I think a lot of us suffer from. Jordan writes a FANTASTIC post on the disease of being too busy and losing connections.

Baked Snickerdoodle Donut Holes via Amanda from Running with Spoons

Considering stealing Amanda from her home and bringing her to Santa Barbara to be my full-time baker. That’s acceptable, right?

Healthy Peppermint Frappuccino via Erin from The Almond Eater

I won’t like, it took me 4 times to correctly spell out frappuccino, but it would only take me .001 second to slurp down this drink. Yummers!

Slow Cooker Sugared Nuts via Chelsea from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Crockpot? SUGAR-COVERED NUTS? Sign me up!

The Best Vegan Chili via Arman from The Big Man’s World

Delicious for a cold day! Arman forsakes his love of ground kangaroo and keeps this one vegan 😉 . Yummmmmers.

Clean Eating Banana Bread via Kim from Hungry Healthy Girl

Yeah, this exists 😯 . Kim combines two of my favorite foods into one magical healthy dessert! She’s a magician!

Vegan Mini Cranberry Pumpkin Cheesecakes via Kim from Hungry Healthy Girl

I can’t help but share another one of Kim’s recipes… they’ve got me swooning!

Seed and Wheat Bread via Leigha from The Yooper Girl

Freshly baked bread-magic. I used to be intimidated by yeast (I actually wrote about it for one my college essays— fun fact!), but it’s so much easier than you think! Leigha’s photos make me want to eat my computer screen 😯 .

 

Hi all my beautiful babe friends! Something new this week that I plan to make into a weekly tradition: a roundup of some of my favorite reads! Sit back, relax, and get ready for some great posts .

What Do I Expose Myself To? via Julia from Lord Still Loves Me

SUCH a great read. Julia is one of my favorite bloggers (and I’m meeting her soon- AHH!) and she always writes so raw and from the heart. She isn’t afraid to tackle uncomfortable subjects about recovering from her eating disorder and is just a wonderful human in general! In this post, she talks about the selective exposure theory, that “suggests that we choose certain media messages because they validate our identities” and how detrimental exposing yourself to certain images, blogs, etc can be. I wholeheartedly agree with everything she said.

Pumpkin Spice Oreo Fudge via Gayle from Pumpkin ‘N Spice

YES. Just yes. Made with minimal ingredients and it just looks so freakin’ delicious 😯 .

Chocolate Avocado Pudding via Megan from Skinny Fitalicious

I know there may be some skeptics out there, but I can attest to how great avocado blends in with chocolate! This recipe looks mouthwatering and I just want to swim in a pool of it. Is that too much to ask?

One Bowl Vegan Banana Bread via Leigha from The Yooper Girl

Not sure why I don’t have a slice of this in my mouth right now… I need to post two pictures of this recipe because it looks completely fantabulous 😯 .

Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies via Amanda from Running with Spoons

Drooling. Need. With. Coffee. NOW. Amanda does it again <3.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Kale Pesto via Erin from The Almond Eater

Warm bread that’s stuffed with gooey cheese and delicious pesto? Uh, DUH. Give me 10. Now.

Tips for Recharging Your Workout via Chrissy from Pink Polish and Running Shoes

Great tips and ideas to get out of a working funk!

October Traffic and Income Report via the Pinch of Yum Team

Love these income reports! They’re always so informative and I definitely something to aspire to. They inspired me to create my own income reports as well (I haven’t updated them in a bit, but keep your eyes out for one coming out for this month!). 

So there ya have it! I’ll see all of ya’ll tomorrow with an extra tasty recipeeeeeee to make your Monday just a wee bit more delicious!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Sweaty Betty, but all thoughts are my own. 

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m a HUGE fan of cute and comfy workout clothes. There’s something about putting on a new outfit (even if it’s just for sweatin’ in!) and getting that extra boost of confidence. I’m not too embarrassed to admit that strutting into the gym with a new top (preferably one with cutouts or fun designs) helps get me excited and motivated for my workout. Throw in some fast-paced music into the mix and I’m ready to pound out the miles and squat like never before!

I didn’t always have this mindset. When I was back in highschool, I played club soccer and was used to running around in cotton practice jerseys that would not only keep me scorching hot in the California sun, but would soak up every bit of sweat on me. By the end of practice, I could just feel the grossness of my soggy tee-shirt and wanted nothing more than to jump in the shower as fast as humanly possible. Luckily, I stumbled upon the world of fashionable workout gear that is Sweaty Betty, which offers athletic items that not only look fantastic, but are well-ventilated to keep you from overheating and has sweat-wicking technology that dries off sweat and keeps you from feeling sticky!

Sweaty Betty is a goldmine for active women and has products ranging from yoga pants to girls dancewear. Honestly, there’s something for everyone! Here are a few pieces that have caught my eye and may or may not be sitting in my shopping basket, ready for checkout:

First off, I’m a sucker for anything that’s light peach in color. I love how flattering and feminine this top is and how it comes with thumbhole cuffs and a 360 reflectivity for nighttime visibility. Since it’s getting dark earlier now with the time change, I’m a huge fan of being able to be seen by passing cars and bikes when I’m out running at night!

Have I mentioned how much I love cute cut-outs in my workout clothes? Extra breeziness and extra fun to wear!

Are these not the most comfortable looking pants you’ve ever seen? I’m pretty sure I would never be able to change out of them once I slipped them on!

Question of the Day: What are some of your favorite workout pieces?

 

Hi friends! I don’t have too many words for you guys today. I’m pretty exhausted after a busy weekend (two new recipes shot, a Christmas photo shoot for a family, studying, 8 hours of driving, etc), so this is going to be a picture-saturated weekend recap!

Thursday was our four year anniversary, so Kyle and I headed up to “our place” up in the mountains. The restaurant is called Cold Spring Tavern and we’ve been going there for our anniversaries and Valentine’s Day for the last three years . We exchanged gifts and Kyle completely blew me away with the Marc Jacobs bag he got me! It’s a light brown leather with gold accents and I. Am. Obsessed. With. It. <3. I ended up getting him a custom engraved wallet, so we had a good laugh about our coordinating gifts. 

Also… new hair! Ahhhhhhhhh!

Studying for an English midterm on Monday and a genetics midterm on Thursday. Merhg. 

Recipes! Drooling over these Brownie Buckeye Cookies 😯 . They are insane and will be on the blog sometime this week!

Andddd I’m signing off. Hope you all had a great weekend!

 

 

 

Oh hai there, Thursday, you’re finally here! I’m pretty excited for this weekend since Kyle and I have some fun things planned. Let’s get on to some Thursday randomness hosted by the lovely Amanda!

1. Shockingly, I’ve never met up with someone I’ve come to know from blogging before!

When Kailey contacted me on Twitter to meet up at the local farmer’s market (We live reeeeallly close to one another), I jumped at the opportunity! Oddly, I was a little nervous about meeting someone in person, but those nerves were soon put to rest because she is just the c-u-t-e-s-t piece of sunshine ever! We grabbed some Starbucks, strolled the stalls (she got free carrots AND a free Japanese sweet potato from the vendors… score), and just chatted for an hour and half or so. It was wonderful!

2. TAYLOR SWIFT’S NEW ALBUM IS OUT. 

So I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this on the blog before, but I love Taylor Swift. I understand why people don’t like her and I’m not saying her music is super deep or of the best quality, but I DON’T CARE OK. She’s my homegirl and I listen to her songs on repeat. This is her first new album in 2 years, so I was more than ready to hear a bit of her new style and pre-ordered it well in advance 😯 . I have to say, though, that I kinda miss her old country-ish music. 

3. Do you guys still want monthly income reports?

I haven’t posted on in the last few months because 1. I’ve been super busy and 2. I don’t know if you guys are getting much out of them since I feel like I’m repeating things like a broken record.

4. I’ve been feeling kind of antsy about my hair lately and have been thinking about going slightly lighter with some pretty caramel highlights put in. I wouldn’t be going bleach blonde or anything, but sometimes a girl needs change. Thoughts?

 5. The toaster scares the hell out of me.

I get startled extremely easily and I honestly can’t stand next to the toaster if I know it’s going to pop the toast up soon. Like, toast comes viciously SPRINGING OUT of this malevolent machine and gives me a heart attack. ARE YOU KIDDING ME TOASTER. STOP IT. Just me? 😯 😯 😯 . It’s probably just me, huh. 

6. Is it Fall yet?

While the rest of the country gets the joys of crunchy leaves, boots, and sweaters, I’m still in sundresses and sandals. It’s hard to enjoy your pumpkin spice latte (#whitegirl) when you sweat while you’re drinking it… 

Anwhoooo, it’s time for bed! Hope ya’ll are having a great week so far!