Guest Post: Healthy Snacking by Brit!

If you haven't met Brittany yet, you are seriously missing out. She's one of those people who you feel connected to immediately because they're just THAT awesome. I've never met in real life, but she's real life besties with one of MY real life besties, so ipso facto.... we're besties, right? (Is that even the right way to use the phrase ipso facto? Anyway.) Brittany blogs all about how to stay healthy while still enjoying food. And she didn't mention it on her own, so I will: she just got published for the first time!!! I basically have a famous person posting on my blog today. Long story short, you will love her. Take it away, Brit!!

Hi! I’m Brittany and I blog over on my site Wine, Cheese, and Workout Capris. I am so excited to be writing a guest post for Alyssa’s blog. My blog focuses on how I’m trying to live the healthiest life I can while still enjoying my favorite things, which is wine and cheese (let’s be honest, I’m never giving those up). In the spirit of trying to incorporate health and fitness into everyday life, I’m writing to you about some simple, healthy snacks.

As summer winds down I always feel that I get quite a bit busier in the fall. In order to stay energized and on track I do best when I fuel myself properly with healthy snacks throughout the day. However, let’s face it, I’m lazy and I’m not one to prepare time-intensive food so here are some of my favorite, easy, healthy snacks. Most of these options you can simply buy in bulk and keep at your desk or in your backpack.

Anything with Peanut Butter or Hummus

I LOVE hummus and peanut butter (but not combined together, that would be gross). I eat one or the other every day whether it’s on pita chips, celery sticks, or other sliced vegetables. Choosing a protein-rich spread like peanut butter or hummus helps keep you fuller longer and is a much healthier alternative, over something like Ranch dip.

I always keep a jar of peanut butter at my desk at work and reach for it when I have an afternoon snack attack. See?

Also, these are my thoughts on hummus and bell peppers, just in case you were wondering:

Kale Chips

Heed my warning…

When 3 p.m. rolls around at work and I start to get hungry again, I usually want to reach for something salty and savory and the vending machine beckons me to come buy potato chips. And for the first 6 months that I worked at my job, I did usually give in and get the potato chips and promptly gained 10 pounds in that time. I’m not even kidding.
Don’t be like me and gain 10 pounds. You can indulge your salty treat obsession to your heart’s content just by doing one thing: switching to kale chips. I have literally made 8 humongous batches of kale chips in the last month alone because I adore the treat so much. By switching from potato chips to kale chips you’ll save yourself a TON of calories and you’ll be delivering your body a nutrient dense snack.
You can buy them pre-made but I much prefer homemade kale chips and they’re easy to make! For directions, check out my post on how to make kale chips.

Instant Oatmeal
One thing I have found since I have started transitioning to healthier eating habits is that halfway through the day, whether I have had lunch or not, I am still ravenous. One way I tide myself over until dinner is with instant oatmeal packets. All you have to do is add water and pop them in the microwave and you have a super healthy snack.
Plus, you’re doing your body a favor since oatmeal is full of fiber, aids in lowering cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar, and is full of antioxidants.
Also, if you add a scoop of peanut butter to your oatmeal you’re doubling your healthy protein intake (See how I incorporated peanut butter again? Yes, I am obsessed)

Frozen Fruit

I know, this sounds like an odd snack to keep on hand. However, it is actually really versatile and can be used in so many ways. I often bring a large bag of frozen strawberries or mixed berries and keep it in my freezer at work and then use it throughout the week in the following ways:

• As a yogurt or oatmeal topping
• In a mid-afternoon smoothie
• Plain and slightly thawed – it’s like a cool, healthy sweet treat!
• In a glass of water for extra flavor

However, my favorite way to enjoy frozen fruit is in a cocktail of course!

On-The-Go Store Bought Options

If you’re totally in a bind, starving, and haven’t brought any of the previously snacks along with you, here are some of my favorite options you can find at any grocery or convenience store.

1. Sargento Pepper Jack String Cheese
2. Clif White Chocolate Macademia Nut Bar
3. Greek On The Go Yogurt Strawberry Granola Bites
4. Terra Original Vegetable Chips
5. Skinny Pop Popcorn
6. Whole Fruit Valencia Orange Greek Frozen Yogurt
7. Healthy Choice Thai Style Chicken with Brown Rice Soup
8. Triscuit Brown Rice and Sweet Potato Crackers

That’s all I have! If you try any of the snacks I mentioned I hope you like them. Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day!!

Cheers!

And check out one of the sweetest (literally! get it?) bloggers I know, Leslie!

"We could invite all our friends over!!! Oh, wait."

When Meredith and I went to see Avenue Q a few weeks ago, we were talking about how my parents should get a pool at their house. "We could have pool parties and invite all our friends over!" she said. And then we realized - our friends? uhhhh. What other friends?

Maybe it's because everything in my life is all shifty-changy lately, but I've been thinking about adult friendships a lot lately. What do they entail?

I never had that "we've been friends since we were six" BFF situation. I've always been intrigued with people who have. I have close friends, several of them. I talk about "my best friend" a lot, even though I have four or five of them. I'll say "my best friend teaches sixth grade" and then five minutes later say "oh yeah, last summer when I visited my best friend in Baltimore..." when those are two separate people. My friends all fill separate roles.. Jenna is my sit in coffee shops for hours friend. Kelsey is my lives far away so we text about nail polish all day friend. Meredith is my lets go shopping and get drinks friend.

All of these girls are people I call my best friends. But what does that mean? We easily go two weeks without talking to each other. Not on purpose, but we're all busy, and before you know it, it's been two weeks or three weeks or a month and boom! we have A LOT to discuss at coffee.

Friendships take work, you know? I mean, duh. Of course you knew that. I always knew they would. But I guess I didn't anticipate the kind of work. Kyle and I will plan a phone date three weeks in advance. A phone date! We have to PLAN a phone date. It's so weird, right? But it's really not. I mean, I know you guys are reading this and nodding along with me, because you totally have to do it too. 

And then there's the whole other weirdness of how some friends are 'talk on the phone friends' and some friends are 'gchat friends' and some friends are 'make plans via text and we'll just catch up in person' friends. I mean, Meredith and I have been friends for over ten years now, and we've never gchatted one single time, but I gchat with my blog friends nearly every day. Kelsey lives in Baltimore and we rarely talk on the phone, but Kyle (who lives in San Diego) and I talk on the phone once a month-ish. It's weird and illogical, right? Right. 

But all these people are my friends - my best friends. And at the risk of sounding TOTALLY cliche, our sporadic texting and once-a-month meetups and three hour phone dates are what has made our friendship that much stronger. And that's something I'll be forever grateful for. 

And PS - you're all invited for a pool party if my parents ever get a pool.

Check out one of the sweetest (literally! get it?) bloggers I know, Leslie!

Lately...

I've been slacking on all blog-related responsibilities lately. I thought I was going to make it through the summer without falling off the wagon, but oh well. I mean, I did post on Sunday, but my Sunday posts are so easy and formulaic and don't require any thought, you know? Totally easy.

I didn't post anything yesterday because the last 36 hours have been a disaster of the most epic proportions. Everything is starting to straighten out now, but man, it's been rough around here. Any time i started to think about a blog post, I closed my computer in like... a minute.

Thanks to everyone who had kind words about my grandfather... things took a turn for the much worse, but have now taken a turn for much, much better. He has a spot on his brain (in addition to the cancer he already had) that was causing swelling around his brain, which was causing slurred speech and blurred vision and lots of nausea. Now that they know what it is and how to treat it, he'll be in a hospital-like treatment facility for the next few weeks. It's still hard, but things are getting better.

In other life-related updates, Garrett and I thought we found an apartment, but the only available unit in the complex we love has a bit of a smokey smell, and we're not too keen on it. So now our options are to 1) get a two bedroom in the same complex (two bedrooms would be great, but much more $$$) 2) wait until an acceptable 1 bedroom opens up (we have places to stay until we find an apt, but waiting? ugh.) or 3) finding a new apartment complex. We both really, really liked this place, but we're not sure how to proceed at this point. I'll obviously keep you posted.

Also, I found out last week that one of my best friends, Jenna, reads my blog! Yeah, that's right... real people have started to discover me here, and you know what? I'm still breathing, and the world is still standing. Imagine that, right? Cuh-raziness. Anyway, hi Jenna!!!!!! I know exactly what you were thinking when you were reading about the apartment smelling like smoke, and I'm totally with you.

I think that's all that's going on in these parts. I know I keep talking about how everything is changing right now, but man, it is just crazy.

A Recap + A Question

I lost it yesterday when Garrett left. Long distance is exhausting, you guys. It's exhausting and awful and unfair and horrible and I hate it and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Ever.

Okay. That's enough whining. For now.

But now I have a confession: we didn't do a single Cinco de Mayo OR Kentucky Derby related activity. Not a single one. I know. I know. Despite all that, our weekend was good. Friday we didn't do aaaaaanything, except cook an amazing dinner of spinach ravioli with alfredo sauce and cheesy biscuits. Wonderful, delicious, etc.

Saturday, we looked at a few apartments, then met Kelsey for coffee! She was in town from Baltimore for a night so we met up with her and some of her friends for a quick coffee.

After that, we went to Garrett's cousin's house, where we ate dinner and then played this game called Wits and Wagers. Have you ever heard of it? I hadn't, but it was fun! Also FYI: I suck at it, so you should definitely play with me if you want to win big.

Here, Garrett and I wrote the same answer, and so did his cousin and his cousin's wife. So funny, right?

And now, a question: What do you do?

I gotta tell you guys: I love this prompt because it really bothers me how much stock we, as a society, put into the question "what do you do?" What someone does for work is only a tiny portion of who they are as a person, you know?

So obviously, I've been thinking about this for a while. And this is what I do, in list form because:
I'm a list-maker. This is obvious, right? Lists are the only reason I ever get anything done, I gotta be honest. And sometimes, when I have a lot to do, I'll write down things that I've already done so I have a few things to cross off before I get started. It really helps. Who else does that? I know I"m not the only one.
I'm a nurturer. I love taking care of people. Are you sick? I'll bring you soup and crackers. Do you have a hangover? I'm on my way with the Gatorade. Going through a breakup? I've got the wine and chocolate. Taking care of other people is something I'm really good at. (Because of this, sometimes I don't take care of myself. But that's a different post for a different day.)
Because I'm a nurturer, I'm also a worrier. I worry about everything. I know it doesn't help anything, and I try so hard not to, but sometimes I just can't help it. I'm going to have gray hair by the time I'm 30, I swear.
I'm a leggings wearer. I'm just saying, if I have to wear real pants on a weekend, I'm not going to be happy camper. I would prefer to take my pants with buttons and zippers off at 5pm on Friday and not put them on again until Monday morning. Not sorry 'bout it.
I'm a corny joke teller. You guys, I love dumb jokes. I love them. I'm always ready with one. Example: why doesn't a chicken coupe have four doors? ..................because then it would be a chicken sedan. Amazingly hilarious, I know. I'll be here all week.
I'm an advocate. I have a dual degree in Elementary and Special Education. Even though I'm not teaching, I take advocating for people with disabilities very seriously.
I'm a coffee drinker. We all saw this one coming, right?

I'm also a fiance, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a wannabe fashionista, and a blogger. And I think I'm pretty great.

[Linking up with Sami + Jenni]

                               

 This week, I: 

decided to hop on Jenni's blog every day in May challenge. Hopefully I can keep on it! We're off to a good start! I also fell in love with a vacuum cleaner, and promptly had a quarter life crisis about it. (Stevie assured me that this was normal and okay.)

I contemplated a blog makeover, and participated in a few other link-ups. I love reading Lauren's blog (fellow NC people WHATUP), and I love doing the Sunday Currently. Sunday is my favorite day, and talking about it always makes me happy.

If you're like me, you've diagnosed yourself on WebMD at least once twice twenty times. The Frisky breaks down an online self-diagnosis, gif by gif.

Are you a parent? Do your kids ever do creepy things? Anything creepier than the things kids have said on this Reddit thread?

If you spend a lot of time in coffee shops like I do, you'll appreciate this article on the 13 kinds of people you'll see in a coffee shop on The Frisky. Also, I loved Sex and the City, but I'm glad I'm not like Carrie Bradshaw. Aren't you?

Jason Collins is officially the first openly gay athlete currently playing a major American sport. I applaud him for his courage and his willingness to create an environment where all athletes can be honest about their sexuality. His essay is long, but I encourage you to read it if you haven't already. (Fun fact: he played in high school with Jason Segel!)

Marissa Mayer, who has been kicking butt and taking names since she took over Yahoo! last year, has extended Yahoo!'s parental leave policies for new parents to 16 weeks for new moms, 8 weeks for new dads, and a $500 allowance for groceries or daipers or whatever. Kudos to her, and hopefully other companies (or THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY) will follow suit. We HAVE to fix our horrible, antiquated maternity leave policies.

Got a horrible coworker or a pessimistic friend? Be careful, because negative thoughts are contagious! And finally, did you know a county in Georgia is still having segregated proms? Seriously. In 2013. But this year, after some dedicated students put in some serious work, they had their first integrated prom since 1964.

Garrett is here! That's all I need to say about that, right?

I'm getting a makeover at Sephora tomorrow. I got VIB status about two years ago, and as far as I'm concerned, this is one of the main benefits. 

Miriam's birthday. One of my favorite blogger friends is turning 30 next week, and her party is tomorrow! I'm pretty freakin' excited.

Kelsey is in town! Kelsey is in town from Baltimore with some of her friends for a wedding, so we're going to grab a quick lunch with them... sometime. This weekend is going to be so hectic, man. 

Have a good weekend everyone!!!! xox

Some things that have made me smile this week... 

Lunch with my future mother-in-law. I don't get to see her that much since she lives so far away, but it was nice to be able to grab lunch with her as she was driving back through VA on her way home last weekend. I love her.

Another weekend of beautiful weather. Okay seriously. I love spring. Sorry I'm not sorry. =)

Spending time with Meredith this weekend. We've both been so busy lately, it's been forever since we've seen each other. (Okay, like three weeks. But that IS forever when you live approximately seven minutes apart, right?) So tomorrow is for lunch, some shopping, some coffee, and lots of girl time! I'm super excited.

Summer's WEDDING! My friend Summer is getting married today! She lives in California so we weren't able to go, but I'm so excited for her! Yay for 2013 weddings, am I right? =)

This picture (via this blog). I think that sums it up quite nicely, right?

Happy Friday, everybody!!! xox