Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 02:44 PM
I can be so high maintenance when it comes to coffee!
I worked as a barista at Starbucks for about 3 years, so I am familiar with all of their drinks and customizations. And, of course, you guys know that I love to be creative with my food! Beverage customization just comes naturally to me! 
Check out the doozie that I ordered this afternoon:
If you wanted to order this drink, you would ask for a “decaf, tall, sugar-free vanilla, soy milk, misto.” Okay, that is totally ridiculous! I admit it! In plain English, the drink that I ordered is half decaf coffee, half soy milk with vanilla flavoring added in. Anyway, this is part of my afternoon snack.
Since we are on the Starbucks subject– has anyone tried this Espresso Truffle beverage? Apparently, it is Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate with a shot of espresso. Sounds divine!
Lunch
Today’s lunch was another grab-and-go at 7:45 this morning. I need to try a little harder in the lunch department!
Part one of lunch was a toasted Van’s waffle with Teddie peanut butter spread on top. I left my waffle in the toaster oven a little too long and the edges burnt! Thankfully, it smelled like a toasted pastry, so no one in my office complained. I’m sure you office people are with me about the burnt popcorn smell! It’s gross and lingers for-ever, right?
Lunch also included vanilla Stonyfield yogurt with chopped apple, cinnamon, and sliced walnuts.
The yogurt combo was a mushy mess! It wasn’t pretty, but it tasted great!
With waffle and PB…
My high maintenance coffee is holding off my hunger well. I have a JamFrakas bar if I get the grumbles later on this afternoon.
Nutrition for Your Skin and How Not to Get Sick
This article was packed with great info!
A number of foods contain elements that can contribute to maintaining healthy skin, including legumes, avocados, soybeans, nuts, egg yolks, salmon, green tea, pomegranates and tomatoes.
What are your tips and tricks for keeping your skin healthy and beautiful?
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized
Tags: almonds, apple, cinnamon, misto, soy milk, yogurt
Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Good morning! After my less than nutritious food choices yesterday, I’m off to a great start this morning! I even woke up and ran 6.25 miles before work! Watch out, the healthy train is back in motion! 
(I’m such a dork!)
Breakfast this morning was dominated by Barney Butter (aka the greatest nut butter on earth). I enjoyed 2 enormous scoops with my oats today.
Also in the mix: whole cranberries, sliced almonds, and ground flaxseed meal.
For the cranberries, I added them to my oats before putting the oat mixture in the microwave. After about 2 minutes, the cranberries came out warm, soft, and tangy.
At work, I made my usual mug of java– today, Italian Roast with vanilla soy milk and agave nectar. Under my mug is 9 pages of meeting minutes that I have to type up this morning. Fuuuuun!
Over-Packing and the QOTD
So, guys, I have an over-packing problem… a pretty serious one, actually. Packing for our week-long honeymoon took me days… and I still packed way too much! Even just going away for a weekend poses all sorts of problems for me. I’m one of those people who pack for every possible occasion and every possible weather situation. This is great because I have all kinds of clothing (and stuff) to chose from, but it’s insane because I bring so much (crap) with me!
Our weekend trip to NYC is only 2 days long, but I started packing last night. I know, it’s ridiculous. However, packing has gone fairly well so far… no major over-packing issues. Last night in the middle of planning what to bring, I actually googled some tips for not over-packing, which were very helpful and might actually make a difference! Some of my favorite tips are below.
- Try to match up just enough outfits for number of days you are going on vacation. Reusing articles of clothing to make new outfits gives you a large variety with a smaller amount of clothing. One way to do this is to have the majority be staple colors such as whites, beige, browns and black. Throw in a few colored or patterned pieces to add variety.
- The easiest way to have a lot of options is to pack accessories. Shoes are too bulky to carry a lot of, but be sure to have a casual pair and a slightly dressier pair. Remember, you can buy cheap flip flops just about anywhere, and you can throw them out at the airport before coming back home. Women especially can pack things like scarves, belts, and inexpensive jewelry, which will make any outfit unique.
- Pack the clothes into the suitcase by rolling them. For shirts fold lengthwise before rolling, for pants fold in half lengthwise and then half horizontally. This allows you to fit more into a small suitcase. Be sure to keep clothes that wrinkle easily on the top.
- If all else fails, just pack as usual, then take half away. You probably will not need most of it, and unless you are trekking into rural or uncivilized areas of the world, you will be able to pick up anything you couldn’t pack.
Do you tend to over-pack? How do you prevent over-packing?
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized
Tags: agave nectar, almonds, cranberries, ground flaxseed
Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 09:55 AM
So, I had one of those mornings where you wake up and don’t know where you are or what day of the week it is. When I woke up, it felt like a Saturday, and I originally thought (and hoped) it was, but after a few seconds of pure confusion, I remembered that it was Thursday and I needed to get up for work. Blaaahh. It’s such a strange feeling, isn’t it?
Breakfast was delish this morning… mostly because of my new stock of chunky Barney Butter. (I think Barney Butter should just hire me already! 
)
I made my oats with vanilla hemp milk and ground flaxseed this morning, and topped them with chopped dates and almond slices… and, of course, 2 enormous spoonfuls of Barney Butter.
At work, I made myself a cup o’ joe with agave nectar and milk from the School’s condiment bar. (I’m all out of soy milk… like everything else!)
Fitness 101 & Ray LaMontagne
After work tonight, I’m off to a Fitness 101 session at one of the other Healthworks locations. All newly hired fitness team members are asked to attend. Fitness 101 is a 3-hour session that covers the basics of “delivering exceptional fitness experiences to members.” From what I understand, it also goes over general exercise guidelines and how to develop fitness programs, which will likely be somewhat of a review for me, but I’m sure there will also be lots to learn!
Immediately after Fitness 101, I’m off to see Ray LaMontagne at the Opera House. (Ray is outstanding!!! If you haven’t heard his music yet, definitely check him out!) The session at Healthworks runs until 9:00 pm, so I hope the concert has an opening act and that Ray goes on kind of late. I’ll be rushing from one event to another (with dinner squeezed in there somewhere). Man, can my life slow down? Pretty please?!
Question of the Day
Do you think you are too hard on yourself when it comes to healthy eating and exercise?
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized
Tags: almonds, dates
