Hi guys! Thank you for your kind words on yesterday’s post about why you’ll be seeing gluten free dinners (and meals) on the blog a lot more often for awhile. As for today, I’ve got a TON of random and unrelated things to share, so we’re doing it list style. I’ll get right into it!
1) The 3 musketeers/workout gang is back together!! I’ve been out of commission on the boot camp front for about 2 months due to Marine Corps Marathon taper and then recovery, and my friend Kathleen was out for a few months due to her new addition (her baby is now almost 3 months – time flies!), so we were really excited to get back to our workout gang yesterday morning with Chelsea!
The three of us usually meet up once a week for an early morning boot camp and it’s always so much fun – a great workout doesn’t seem so hard when you have friends to chat with during it. 🙂 We hit up Urban Athletic Club via ClassPass (<—affiliate link) yesterday morning, just like old times! It’s good to be back, ladies. Can’t wait until next week! Also, I’m not gonna lie, I’m so sore today from that workout!
2) Matt is trying his hand at making us some homemade kombucha! He got a make your own kombucha at home kit from the store and started the magic on Sunday. I’ll keep you guys updated – will be a fun experiment if nothing else! 🙂 Any tips from those of you who have made homemade kombucha before?! I’m kind of of the “ain’t nobody got time for that/let’s just buy it” mentality with this stuff but Matt really enjoys projects/experiments, so I’m looking forward to getting to enjoy the results!
3) Does anyone else get really nerdy and excited about buying a new calendar and getting it all updated/organized? I use my online Google calendar for day to day appointments and meetings, workouts, travel, etc., but I have a paper calendar to keep track of my blog editorial calendar and day to day to do lists. It makes me happy. 🙂
4) I’m obsessed with Le Pain Quotidien lately – I’ve gone twice in the last week for lunch with friends. One day I enjoyed their mix and match lunch with avocado toast, quinoa salad, and carrot soup. Another day I enjoyed my old fave, their lentil and avocado salad. So good!
Also loving: the kale and barley salad with salmon from Rustico in Ballston. I met my friend Hilary for lunch there yesterday and we both got the same thing! Yummmm. I love barley – so chewy. (And I figured I’d better have it out, since we won’t be eating it at home for awhile since it is not gluten free.) If you love barley too, here’s an old fave cold weather appropriate barley recipe: Turkey, Veggie, and Barley Chili. Or try my Spiced Raisin and Pine Nut Barley Salad!
5) My friends at Brooks sent me a couple new items recently to test out as part of my Run Happy Blogger Ambassadorship: the Dash Hoodie and the Threshold Pant (affiliate links).
I love both! The Dash Hoodie is perfect for those who are into the fit-fashion sort of look – it’s very “athleisure”. Super cozy and soft! I love the bright blue color, too (it also comes in other colors). As for the Threshold Pant, I haven’t run in them yet since it hasn’t been cold enough, but I’m obsessed with them and have worn them on a ton of walks, and at home around the house all day (wearing them right now, in fact)! I can already tell they will be my new favorite super cold/snowy day running pants – they are nice and stretchy and thin but have a soft and cozy inner layer that feels like fleece. Love. Put them on your holiday wish list!
Thank you Brooks! Now, if you guys can just bring back the PureConnect (which I’m wearing in the photos and refuse to move on from), then all will be right with the world… 🙂 Still mourning their loss big time. I wear the PureCadence some now but to be honest, they aren’t nearly as perfect as the PureConnects were and I’m finding them to be a bit too narrow for me now that I’ve worn them more consistently. Sigh.
6) Zara has taken to lounging/sleeping on our dining room chairs, which means that our guests can now have the pleasure of having a furry butt when they leave our house. It’s also awkward to not realize she’s there and almost sit on her! Lol. Oh, cats. 🙂
7) Have you guys heard of theSkimm? It’s a concise weekday email overview of the world news, but written in a very relatable and engaging way. I’ve been a subscriber for a couple years now and love it. Right now in honor of Thanksgiving they are working with FEED and for every new sign up for theSkimm email list today, FEED will donate one meal to a child in need through one of its global giving partners. I wanted to be sure to share and help support the cause – sign up here today!
8) I was featured in a cool article in the Washington Post Express (the free metro newspaper here in DC) on Monday about how moving overseas can be a good way to shake up/figure out your career. They interviewed me about my experience quitting my job and teaching English in Prague before coming back and applying to grad schools to become a dietitian! I totally forgot about the article and wasn’t sure when it would be out, so it was fun to be reading through the paper on my commute on Monday, flip a page, and see a photo of me! (credit for below photo that was taken for the article: Jason Hornick)
9) Speaking of teaching English, I’ve been thinking a lot over the past week and a half about how I feel there’s really more I could/should be doing on the volunteer front to be spreading more joy and hope to others. After debating what I could do to make a difference (besides setting up ongoing/monthly donations to some charitable organizations I believe in, which I’ve already done) and talking it over with others, my friend Karen had a great idea: volunteer to teach English here in DC!
I’m excited to be able to put those skills to good use again (I have a TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language – certificate via my training course in Prague) and to help immigrants in the DC area to feel more welcome and at home while learning language skills that will be useful their whole lives. (If you’re local and interested, I’m going to be volunteering for the Washington English Center – it sounds like they can always use more volunteers to either teach or tutor!)
I know it’s a small part of a very big puzzle, but I think if we all do just a little more every day to spread positivity the world will be a much happier and more united place. <3 If you have any other great DC/northern Virginia area volunteer opportunities/ideas to share, I’d love to hear them.
Have a nice day, guys – see you tomorrow for some tips on stress-free eating during the holiday season.
Faves from around the web:
- The importance of giving ourselves breaks from technology – yes, yes, yes. The “leave your phone at home on purpose” tip is one I do often on weekends!
- A great post on finding balance
- 9 Life Lessons Learned from Running – yep, ditto. Love this <3
- Genius: 5 Minute Microwaveable Granola
- For my vegan friends planning for next week: 9 Delicious Vegan Pumpkin Recipes for Fall and 50 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- And for my non-vegan friends: this Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing sounds awesome
