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Mile 10 + Lorna Jane Review

November 17, 2014 by eatteachblog 5 Comments

I know my family, friends, and regular blog readers are going to roll their eyes when they read the inspiration for this post. But it’s something so real and so important that it must be mentioned, yet again, despite the snorting that may follow suit.

Taking Back My 20s.

I’m all about it right now.

When I shared my story about Mile 10 at the Nike Women’s Half, most people looked at me like I was ridiculous and I heard responses like, “What does that even mean?” or “You ARE in your 20s. How are you taking them back when you’re living them?” and, my personal favorite, “Are you not in your 20s? Are you not alive? Do you not exist? Are you dumb?”

Yes, I am in my 20s. Yes, I do exist. And, yes, technically I’m still living and breathing. But I’m not really LIVING. (There’s a clear difference between living and L-I-V-I-N-G when it’s in capital letters, duh).

At mile 10, something just hit me ~~(but not literally, because if something hit me when I was climbing up that mother-effing MOUNTAIN at that point of the race, I probably would have fallen and rolled down the hill)~~. I have always been that person to push things off. To wait until the timing was right.

Nope, I can’t register for a race because I can’t run longer than a few miles without stopping to walk. And, you’re not supposed to walk during a run. That’s why they call it a run.
Nope, I can’t go snorkeling. I refuse to wear a bathing suit in public. I need to lose 20 pounds and THEN I’ll happily go jump in the water. Because clearly everyone’s there to watch the ‘fat girl’ and not the awesome dolphins and sea creatures!
Nope, I can’t travel abroad in December because it’s my mom’s birthday. And then there’s my parent’s anniversary. Oh, and then there’s a Tuesday and I DEFINITELY shouldn’t be hopping on a plane on Tuesday.

You get the point.

Anyway, Mile 10 has been this significant turning point in my life.

There isn’t a right time.

There will never BE a right time.

And, if I continue to wait for the right time, my time will be up.

So, instead, I’m taking back my 20s.

Because I should be doing what makes me happy and healthy. I should be feeding my mind, soul, and spirit with exciting experiences. And I should be making every moment of every single day count. From SoulCycle to paddle boarding, I am putting myself out there. In a way that the old me just wouldn’t.

This new mindset aligns perfectly with Lorna Jane’s philosophy. Lorna Jane is a hi-tech athletic apparel company that makes everything from sports bras to tank tops to workout accessories. They believe in a three pillared philosophy of MOVE, NOURISH, and BELIEVE and it is this mantra (along with their clothing) that motivates women, myself included, to be the best that they can be. They encourage women to do what they love and to live out the best life they possibly can. With no hesitation. No procrastination. No waiting until the timing is right. Lorna Jane is not simply a clothing label, it is a way of life.

They have a new Fit Fall Fashion Line with some of the most flattering workout clothes ever. Not to mention, they have a whole section for Inspirational Tanks, which I’m loving. It helps when the words that you’re thinking and that you repeat to yourself OVER and OVER are sprawled across your chest or your back. It also helps that they’re really cute and fashionable! 😉

What’s not to love?

Go take back your 20s and check out their website.

Questions of the Day:

What would you order from the new #FitFallFashion line?
What mantra do you repeat to yourself as you’re working out?

**Disclaimer: I received a gift card to Lorna Jane, but the thoughts and opinions expressed are all my own. I am truly a fan of their philosophy and mission and I stand by every single word written.

Wandering Weekends: PaddleBoarding and Book Club

November 16, 2014 by eatteachblog 8 Comments

I love the weekend. More than I love a lot of things. I especially like the weekends that aren’t jam packed with events and to-dos. They allow me to clear my head, be more rational, and put things into perspective in a more productive way than attempting to understand events or situations in the midst of all the craziness. This weekend was pretty fantastic, as most weekends are.

Saturday:

Middle school fair + family time + massive amounts of food prep.

I am loving cinnamon lately. This is so unlike me. But I’ve been adding it in my chia pudding and it’s been so delish.

Sunday:

Paddle boarding in the AM + Book Club in the PM.

I love when my Sundays are filled with fun festivities. Makes the transition into Monday a lot easier! 🙂

Now it’s just work time + food prep for the week! On the menu this week is:

Cauliflower Pesto Rice (I’m obsessed with the fancy things my food processor can do).
Chicken Pad Thai (with cabbage instead of noodles, pinenuts instead of peanuts)
Ground Turkey w/Indian Masala (thanks to my amazing family who sends me packages of homemade masala).
Sweet Potato “Fries”
Roasted Squash and other Veggies! 🙂
Chia pudding. Lots of chia pudding.

Goals for the week:

Stay 100% on Detox Plan
Go to the gym or go for a run 5/7 days.
Catch up on The Voice. Duh.

Monday, I’m ready for you.

Questions of the Day:

What is one highlight from your weekend?
What is one goal for your week?

Chicken Pesto Zoodles

November 11, 2014 by eatteachblog 4 Comments

I cannot even begin to explain how happy I’ve been over the past few days. I’m not sure whether it’s attributable to the time away from work or the detox working it’s magic. Maybe a combination of the two. But I’m in a happy, joyful mental space and I am loving it.

This morning, I woke up bright and early to receive my Tuesday morning package! Full Circle has moved away from the cardboard boxes and gotten a little more eco-friendly by using reusable bags! Which I’m loving because it’s become my enormous lunch box for work. Throw in a few icepacks and ALL the tupperware and we’re good to go!

However, no need to pack a lunch today because we had the day off! After putting my veggies away, I drove over to the gym. I was expecting a nice and quiet gym, but I guess a ton of people had the day off! I was still able to get a solid workout in – my energy was off the charts today.

After the gym, I drove over to the Apple Store in Los Gatos. My computer charger has been broken for several months now and I haven’t really prioritized getting a new one. It’s not the most convenient place to get to on the weekdays! While I was there, I stopped and hung out near the fountains and read some more of the book. I’m trying to savor every last bit of it. I really love it so much.

When I got home, I started some food prep for the week. I’ve found a really simple way to season my veggies while using the least amount of dishes possible. Efficiency, people.

1) Chop veggies and throw in tupperware.

2) Mix spices into oil

3) Pour oil over veggies.

4) Lay veggies on tray.

5) Roast.

6) Eat over the oven while they’re still scorching hot and burn your tongue. Obviously.

I went a little crazy with the food prep today, but it actually didn’t take too long. I just threw it in the oven and did other stuff around the apartment.

I want to make sure that I’m not getting too bored with the “on-plan foods” so I made something a little different for this week. I used the rest of the homemade pesto and made some Chicken Pesto Zoodles. SO GOOD.

Now I’m off to bed since we’re back to the grind tomorrow!

Good night!

Questions of the Day:

Brown bag for lunch? Or lunchbox?
Favorite recipe involving pesto?

Long Weekend Bliss!

November 10, 2014 by eatteachblog 4 Comments

Okay, I know I say this every time there’s a long weekend, but can all weekends be long weekends please?

Somehow all my stress and anxiety completely diminish when I have an extra day to get LIFE done. On Friday after work, Tiffany and I went to Willow Glen and got our nails done and had a nice end-of-the-week breakfast-for-dinner at Crepevine. I then proceeded to fall asleep by 9PM like the winner that I am.

Saturday:

I woke up bright and early and got some quality reading in at Starbucks.

I didn’t actually stay for too long because the book is SO DAMN GOOD and I just kept crying after each entry. And who really wants to be all puffy-eyed in public on a Saturday morning?

Around 11AM, I met up with Emma and we went to SoulCycle in Palo Alto. It was my first time there, so the cost of my class was only $20 (versus the typical $34!). I definitely loved the class, but it’s really hard to justify paying so much when my own gym offers spinning classes for free! Sure, there are no fancy candles. But, $34?! C’mon.

After our class, we walked over to Pressed Juicery and I got some DELICIOUS coconut and cinnamon juice.

After I showered and got ready, I drove up to the city. Lino was in town for an Emergency Med conference. So I met up with him and Ashley to watch the UCLA game! (WE WON!). We then went to Tender Greens for dinner. I miss this place. SO. MUCH.

Everything I ate was on plan! Chicken + sweet potatoes + veggies!

I also managed to get a bit sick, but when you drink tea out of a vodka cup, it still allows you to feel like a bad ass. Obviously.

Sunday:

I woke up nice and early and made a list of things to pick up from the Farmers Market and the grocery store.

I spent $70 on oils alone – olive and coconut. Ugh. I went a little crazy. I know. I’m just doing really well on this plan and figured a big jar of coconut oil is a good investment, yeah?

In the evening, I took Beth to Burrell School Winery (I didn’t partake in the tasting, obviously!) because I’ve been wanting to show her the place since I first joined the wine club! Afterward, we grabbed dinner at Summit House, a random restaurant along the 17 freeway that has a phenomenal patio and view!

We will definitely be going back there in the near future!

Monday:

I slept in until 8AM (what a treat!) and then met up with Nikita, one of my wonderful co-workers, and drove up to Woodside for a late morning/early afternoon hike! We did the same hike in Wunderlich County Park that I did with Jen and Ashley back in April.

And then we followed it up with a trip to Alice’s with the intention that we were going to get some work done. Turns out when you hike for 5 miles, eat a delicious brunch, and then bask in the sun for a bit, you’re a lot less productive than you set out to be.

So, we decided to pack up and head to Crema Coffee Roasting Company and worked for a few hours until we called it a night!

Now I’m eating some homemade veggies and homemade pesto for dinner!

Please excuse the blurry picture – I was way too excited to dig into this pesto. (I added extra garlic!!)

We have the day off tomorrow too! So I’m hoping to get some solid work time in but also spend some time outdoors. The weather has been so nice and I want to take advantage of that before the winter kicks in. (Yes, even a California winter is too cold for me. Make fun of me all you want!).

Hope you all had a fantastic, relaxing weekend! <3

Questions of the Day:

Basil pesto or sundried tomato pesto?
Do you grocery shop with a list? Or are you more of a free-shopper?

Snippets and Moments

November 4, 2014 by eatteachblog 2 Comments

I haven’t been writing here as often, which makes me sad because 1) I love my routine of coming home after a long day: curling up on the couch, watching an episode of something that I’m far too behind on to EVER catch up, and blabbing on and on about my day to someone (or something) that listens. ~~My future husband is OH so lucky.~~ And 2) I enjoy having little snippets of my life documented somewhere because I love revisiting special moments.

I wish I could say it’s because I was doing REALLY fun things. Traveling the world maybe? Another #sisTurkey trip? But really, what it comes down to, is that work is SUPER busy lately. And the energy that it requires to walk to my backpack to get my computer charger and plug it in is just, honestly, not there.

Which is a bummer because this past month has had quite a number of special moments. So, let’s do a little recap, shall we?

1) I ran the Nike Women’s Half Marathon!

2) My favorite friend is ENGAGED! It’s so exciting for me because Gina and I were roomies when her and Tyler first started dating so it’s pretty fun that I’ve watched them fall more and more in love over the course of 5 years! 🙂 Here’s to many, MANY more! <3

3) I’ve finally gotten some quality Veer time. It had been almost 2 months. Unacceptable.

4) I’ve been attempting this “Taking Back My 20s” thing. Which has been my mantra since the half marathon.

Sometimes “taking back your 20s” can be painful the next morning.

5) The Giants won the World Series! I pretty much would rather do anything over watching a baseball game. But, you’ve gotta admit, the Giants fever is pretty addictive.

6) Halloween!

But, really, this is what my Halloween looked like:

7) My Nani came up north to visit! Her and Veer are new BFFs. I love it.

8) Our ISE team went to Big Sur for an overnight camping trip. I love the people I work with, but we don’t get enough time to hang out “off the clock.” This was a much needed trip and needs to be repeated ASAP!

9) I’m starting a 21-day Detox. Very similar to the clean eating thing I was doing back in May. But a little more restrictive, which is a-OK with me. I need something to get me back on track and away from the leftover Halloween candy.

10) Red cups are back. Enough said.

11) Winter is here. I am loving the morning sunrise each day. Goes perfectly with my red cup.

Hopefully I’ll keep blogging more consistently over the next three weeks. I’ll need a place to vent when I’m going through major wine withdrawal. 🙂

Good night! <3

Questions of the Day:

What’s your evening routine post-work?
Red cups before Thanksgiving? Yay or nay?
What did you dress up as for Halloween?
Favorite Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream Flavor?

Nike Women’s Half Highlights

October 27, 2014 by eatteachblog 5 Comments

In the spirit of Marathon Monday, I thought it would be fun to talk about the highlights of the Nike Women’s Half Marathon last weekend!

1) First and foremost, the number one highlight is that I completed a half marathon. It’s something I’ve talked about doing for quite some time. Before this one, I had previously registered for two and backed out because of timing (and I was basically too scared so I would have used anything as an excuse not to do it). But I committed. And I did it.

2) A few years ago, when I was in much better shape, I hesitated to register for one because I felt like I still didn’t have the stamina. However, I’ve realized that if I continue to wait for everything to align perfectly, I’ll just keep waiting. Until I die. Having done nothing. This realization was a pretty big one coming out of the half marathon. At mile 10, I literally shouted, “I’M TAKING BACK MY 20s.” Gone are the days that I let work take over other parts of my life. I’m still in my 20s. I need to start acting like it.

3) Mile 10 was basically a HILL. A steep, mother-effing hill that was REALLY painful at that leg of the race. However, in those really challenging moments, people come together in a way that’s unlike anything else. As we all struggled to make our way up the hill, a runner shouted out, “I’m doing this for the BEER.” Another runner turned around and said, “I’m actually doing it for the wine.” A runner in her 70s shouted out, “I’m doing this for the prime rib!!” It was probably one of my favorite moments of the entire race.

4) I got to run the entire 13.1 with my best friend.

One year ago, I drove up to SF to cheer her on as she ran the full marathon. Little did I know that we’d be running side by side the following year. LOVE YOU.

5) Being a part of Team in Training was one of the best experiences. Not only were the coaches so helpful as we caught sight of them throughout the race, but we were able to meet several other team members from around the country who were fighting the same fight. The night before the race, we went to the Inspiration Dinner where we were able to meet “Team Katie.” Katie, a now 16-year old girl, was diagnosed with leukemia at the young age of 5. Her family (grandmother, mother, aunt, and sister) shared their stories about the 10-year journey that brought them to the race. Watching Team Katie cross the finish line was an ultimate high for me.

6) I may be slightly biased, but I think we had the best manager and the best coaches. Each and every week, they helped ground us in our mission and reminded us that we were a part of something so much bigger.

7) The post-race food. Um, hello. When else is it acceptable to eat a burger and fries for lunch and then a few slices of pizza for dinner? (Although I need to stop using the excuse that “I just ran a half marathon.” I think that it expires after a day or two).

Overall, it was one of the happiest moments of my life. And I’m just so grateful that I was encouraged to join and supported along the way. (And yes, Jen Merz, I may officially be addicted).

Questions of the Day:

What’s the last race you ran?
What’s your favorite post-run meal?

Fun Facts Friday [7/25/14]

July 25, 2014 by eatteachblog Leave a Comment

A little late on the Fun Facts Friday post, but better late than never?

This week has been so great catching up with some of my favorites. I cannot BELIEVE how quickly this summer has flown by and that work will be starting back up on Monday. (I know, I know. I can just picture all you eye rollers hatin’ on me because “at least I HAVE a summer vacation”).

In other news, Fun Facts Friday is definitely more of a “Fun Things I Did During The Week” post when I’m in vacation mode because I don’t really blog throughout the week. For the sake of consistency, we’re going to leave the title as is.

1) I was going to use the summertime to start my slow and gradual wean off coffee.

It didn’t happen. Oops.

2) Around this time last year, I hung out with Robert, one of my very best friends from UCLA. This was a few months before his daughter, Avery, was born.

I distinctly remember that, as we were departing and heading our separate ways, I shouted out, “The next time I see you, you’re going to have A BABY.”

I FINALLY got my act together and drove down to San Clemente to meet baby Avery and, MAN, her beautiful smile melts your heart away.

I got to spend the afternoon with Julia and Avery having a picnic on the beach.

Rob was working so I, unfortunately, didn’t get to see his silly face. But hopefully that’ll change soon enough when they come back up NORTH! (Crossing my fingers).

3) I’m still going crazy for ALL things coconut.

Neither of these things ended up being good. Boo.

4) I found my new favorite white wine.

I usually prefer a nice red over white (especially Chardonnay), but this stuff was pretty fantastic.

5) A few days ago, I drove over to Chapman to see Greggy, who’s been so busy studying for the Bar Exam. I picked up some lunch from Rutabegorz and ~~blessed him with my presence~~ hung out with him for a little bit before heading home.

I’ll probably see him again in a week or so when he comes up to SF for Lollapalooza.

6) I went to Pita Jungle AGAIN this week. My cousin, Bhanu, and his three friends are doing a Cali roadtrip and they hung out in Orange County for a few days before heading up the coast.

They’re so cute. He has pretty great friends.

7) I got to see Chantra after exactly a year (since our trip to Hawaii last July for Andrew and Joy’s wedding).

We went to Coffee Cup Cafe in Long Beach. And, just for the record, their coffee isn’t as good as they tell you it is.

8) Yesterday, a few of us went to the Santa Monica Pier for a free concert (they have free concerts every Thursday in the summer!).

We packed our grandma cart with all sorts of goodies.

I really miss this place. I remember when I lived in west LA, I would run up and down the pier ALL the time. It was such a perfect end to my work day. I miss the people. I miss the weather. I miss everything about it.

9) Sometimes when I go to concerts, I spend more time chatting than listening to the music. Oops.

10) Last night ended at 3AM. It also ended at Subway.

I mean, if I’m going to visit my old stomping grounds, I might as well just do it exactly like it was done. Right?

Questions of the Day:

What’s one fun fact from this week?
What’s one thing you’re looking forward to this weekend?

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Taking Back My 20s.

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