Springing to Life

Happeeee weeeekend :D I’m going to be straight up right off the bat here. I had a boring day! But, it was at least the first time I didn’t have to wake up to an alarm in 19 days, so that was a bonus. Slept in till 6:30. Woo! :P (there’s a note of sarcasm there, only crazy people use the term “sleep-in” and “6am” in the same sentence).

I woke up this morning knowing I wanted one thing and one thing only: custard oats. Then I opened my fridge to discover a near empty jar of almond butter. Sweet!

Looook into my nearemptyjarofalmondbutterrrrr…

To eat oats out of a jar, one requires a long spoon. 

And an upside down reflection.

Don’t forget to lick the lid!

I never used to eat the crusty nut butter at the bottom of the jar until HEAB taught me that pouring hot oatmeal in there makes it dreamy.

Caution: oats in a jar is very hot! I actually finished my coffee before I finished the oatmeal.

Gym didn’t open till 9am this morning, which seemed like an eternity. It was busy when I got there too! (9:15, didn’t want to be one of those annoying people who wait for them to unlock the door). Today was a full-body weightlifting day. I made it up as I went along, hopefully I can remember it all…

Started with 21 minutes sprint intervals on the elliptical.

Exercise	Weight	Reps	Sets	Target
Superset:
Wide-grip deadlift	60 lbs	8-12	3	Legs, back
Good morning	55 lbs	8-12	3	Hamstrings, back
Superset:
Dumbbell fly	15 lb dumbbells	8-12	3	Chest
Dumbbell shoulder press	15 lb dumbbells	8-12	3	Shoulders
Superset:
Plie squat	15 lbs	12	3	Quads, glutes
Single-leg deadlift	15 lb dumbbells	8 each leg	3	Hamstrings, glutes
Superset:
Seated cable row	55 lbs	8-12	3	Back
Incline dumbbell shoulder press	20 lb dumbbells	8-12	3	Shoulders
Straight set:
Walking lunges	bodyweight	24	1	Legs
Superset:
Forward tricep extension	15 lbs	15	2	Triceps
Barbell 21s	20 lbs	21	2	Biceps
Alternating set:
Medicine ball squat	11 lbs	12	2	Whole body
Russian twist	11 lbs	32	2	Abs
Lying medicine ball throw				Arms, chest
Alternating set:
Prone jackknife	bodyweight	12	2	Abs
Hamstring curl on ball	bodyweight	12	2	Hamstrings, calves
Plank	bodyweight	60 sec	2	Abs

Phew! I think that covers it! It looks like a lot, but I was sort of all over the place. I know I probably should plan these things out. But then I get all stressed about remembering it all and getting the machines I need to get to. It’s a lot more fun to just go with it :)

I was a starvin’ marvin by the time I got home. I made something I never get to have during the workweek – a smoothie!

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 big scoop plain yogurt
• 1 scoop IsoLean peach-mango protein powder
• 1/2 tbsp almond butter
• 1/2 banana
• ice
• 1/4 tsp each guar and xanthan gums

It’s important to get every last drop!!!

What would you call a smoothie stache on the forehead??

Smoothies go right through me, so lunch was shortly after.

 
Turkey and baba ganouj pita.

These pitas have been in the freezer for too long, every one seems to fall apart when I defrost it :(

The weather was absolutely gorgeous here today. There was no way I couldn’t take advantage of it! So I went for a walk along my favourite running trail late this afternoon. I was greeted with the usual view when I stepped out into my driveway.

Never gets old. Top three things I will miss about Fredericton when I move in June: 1) the river, 2) my gym, 3) my university.

I carried my camera around my neck a la Peter Parker and played around as I breathed in the fresh spring air.

 I LOVE SPRING!!!!!

Spring is my favourite season. I love how everything just starts to come alive again after a long and harsh winter (albeit, this year wasn’t too bad). There’s a vibrancy in the air that you can feel, and everyone is more alive and friendly. And I love how inviting the warm sun is, even though the air still has that bite to it. Perfection.

When I got home, I reheated some turkey goulash from earlier in the week

Skipped the egg noodles and just had spaghetti squash, for no reason other than the fact that I have a mound of it in my fridge that needs to be eaten. Makes for wonderful leftovers :)

 

Flashback Friday 

I wanted to flashback to past Easters this week, but, well, I have no photo evidence that the month of April exists. For the past 5 years, I have spent Easter weekend holed up writing end of term papers and studying for exams. Clearly, nothing worth taking photos of happened during that time. It’s actually quite weird not to be doing it this year!

Anyways, so I am instead flashing back to February 21, 2010 when I made mini egg cookies.

I almost wanted to call this flashback lame, but there is nothing lame about these cookies my friends. So far, my favourite of the Treat Monday treats. I urge you to make them for your Easter celebrations, or at least to use up that giant bag of Mini Eggs you got. Recipe is found here!

 

And with that, I’m off to bed. I am doing absolutely nothing this weekend, as both my parents are off travelling. I’m stuck in Fredericton bored out of my wits instead. I can’t wait to get out of this city!!!!!

Question of the Day: What’s your favourite thing about spring?

P.S. Check out my guest post over on Kristin’ blog!