TGIF friends!

Honestly, I really am glad that it’s Friday.  At the start of the week, I was feeling slightly overwhelmed with my coursework for the semester in addition to some other commitments I have right now, but as the week has progressed I’ve been able to manage my time well and stay focused and on top of my assignments and to-do’s.

There are still a few things I need to accomplish today so that I can go into the weekend with a clear head, but I’m in a much better place today than I was on Monday.

Thank goodness!

As far as what we have going on this weekend, tonight, Brian and I are enjoying a little date night at a place called Upstairs Circus.

According to the website “Upstairs Circus is a social bar where people can gather together to create unique D.I.Y., art & design projects.”  So, my understanding is that it’s like a wine and canvas, but instead you make projects.  I’m really looking forward to checking it out tonight and I’ll make sure to give you all a little recap next week!

Tomorrow, Brian and I are taking the day off from skiing (although my lesson last week went really well!) and we are going to check out a new coffee shop, take Bernie on a long walk or run, do some yoga, make a new recipe, and just relax a bit.  It should be pretty wonderful!

Alright, now for some of what I’m loving this week…

Five Things I Ate:

• African Peanut Stew from the Oh She Glows Cookbook.  The flavors in this soup….seriously on point.  Slightly spicy, nutty, creamy and just really delicious.

• Collard Fajitas.  Basically, I roasted up some bell peppers and zucchini with a homemade taco mix (you could use any taco mix), and I also baked the chicken with the taco mix.  I then placed the veggies and chicken inside a collard green and topped then with a bit of Texas Pete Hot Sauce and some homemade guacamole.  So delicious and satisfying 🙂

• I’m still on the smoothie bowl train 🙂 This bowl had banana, wild blueberries, frozen spinach, almond milk, and half a scoop of Vega Sport Performance Protein topped with Crunchies freeze dried strawberries and grapes and strawberries, about 1/3-1/2 a slice of banana bread, 1 tsp raw oats, and a drizzle of peanut butter.  It was like dessert for breakfast 🙂

• I’ve been enjoying lots of lunchtime salads topped with roasted veggies that I make a HUGE batch of over the weekend, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, some form of protein, and anything else from the fridge that sounds good.

• Last night’s dinner was particularly tasty and easy.  Roasted salmon (400 degrees for a bout 15 minutes), side salad topped with dijon, red wine vinegar, sea salt oregano and black pepper, roasted fennel and Trader Joe’s organic frozen brown rice.

Five Workouts I Did:

• Taught Bodypump
• Boot camp
• Vin/Yin Yoga
• Indoor Cycling
• Headed to Barre this morning

Five Things Making Me Happy:

• Yoga!  While sometimes it’s nice to not have to race out the door right after dinner to make it to class, I really am enjoying the mental and physical benefits of so much yoga.  I am really thanking yoga for my positive outlook today, and I’m feeling (slightly) more flexible 🙂
• Date night tonight.  I can’t wait to experience Upstairs Circus!!  It should be so fun.
• Trying new recipes.  I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I got a ton of cookbooks for Christmas and I am really enjoying trying new-to-me recipes.  I feel like I’m learning about different flavor and spice combinations and techniques to have in my cooking archives forever.
• The Bachelor.  I LOVE spending my Monday nights watching this fun and overly dramatic show!

• Kombucha.  Have you guys tried it?  It’s a fermented beverage that is naturally sparkling and full of probiotics.  I tried it a while back and was a little  meh about it, then I tried it recently and I absolutely LOVE it.  I only drink a half bottle at a time (most bottles are two servings) because there is a bit of sugar in them and they are very bubbly bit it is so yummy and such a fun treat!

Posts I Have Loved:

• No Bake Raspberry Protein Bars via The Hummusapien 
• Non Food Treat Ideas via Holley Grainger
• What You Need to Know About Ayurveda via Kara Lydon 
• Gluten-Free Chicken Marsala via The Lean Green Bean
• Make Your Own Sunbutter via Sinful Nutrition

Your Turn!

• Share details about your weekend or week with me or something that is just making you happy 🙂