Link Love #63

I feel like I’ve hardly been on the interwebs at all since I got home so this post was a fun one. I usually have a bunch of posts that I share and add to my link love post throughout the week, but this time I had a bit of catching up to do! Apparently I’ve unintentionally decided to take a little social media detox and I think it’s a good thing. I’m loving all of the family time and I’m happy to put my computer and phone down to soak it all in. I hope you’ve had the chance over the holiday to do the same.

Health

3 Things I've Learned About Feeling Overwhelmed Family Sport Life Cotter Crunch

3 Things I’ve Learned About Feeling Overwhelmed – Family Sport Life via Cotter Crunch

3 Things I’ve Learned About Feeling OverwhelmedFamily Sport Life via Cotter Crunch
Tips On Staying Healthy This Winter – Hungry Healthy Happy
7 Ways To Bounce Back If You Feel Like You Ate A Bit Too Much – MindBodyGreen
Nutrition Tips and Recipes for Vegan Runners – Running on Real Food
How Journaling Can Help Stop Mindless Eating – Mommy Run Fast

Fitness

How to Modify Exercises (A Beginner’s Guide) Pumps & Iron

How to Modify Exercises (A Beginner’s Guide) – Pumps & Iron

How to Modify Exercises (A Beginner’s Guide) – Pumps & Iron
Pre-Turkey & Pie Burner Workout + Weekly Workout Recap – Peanut Butter Runner
Turkey Day Tabata Workout {No Equipment Required} – Trainer Paige
Give Planks Workout {video} – Fitnessista
Burn Off The Cocktails Workout – Lifting Revolution

Food

White Chocolate-Dipped Brown Butter Ginger Cookies with Pistachios Ambitious Kitchen

White Chocolate-Dipped Brown Butter Ginger Cookies with Pistachios – Ambitious Kitchen

White Chocolate-Dipped Brown Butter Ginger Cookies with Pistachios – Ambitious Kitchen
Healthy Vanilla Almond Milk Latte Rice Pudding – Fit Foodie Finds
Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, and Parsnip Toss with Wild Rice, Cranberries, and Feta – Destination Delish
Salty Maple Squash with Ginger Scallion Rice + Turmeric Brussels Slaw – The First Mess
Fig-Glazed Bacon Sliders with Brussels Sprouts, Grapes, Walnuts and Mint Yogurt Sauce – Iowa Girl Eats

Food for Thought

What is one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Link Love #46

After a weekend off from workouts, I was ready to hit the gym yesterday. To be honest, my legs were still sore from Friday’s workout [say what?!] but I knew I was ready to get them moving again. It was a little rough, but damn, it felt good. The sunburn, however, is still not my friend and still looking a little too purple for my liking. Lesson. Learned. Seriously.

Well, it hasn’t been too long since my last link love, but there were some really, especially wonderful posts over the past week that I’ve been excited to share with you. Enjoy!

Health

Overcoming Negative Thoughts and Learning to Fly Love Life Surf

Overcoming Negative Thoughts – Love, Life, Surf

Overcoming Negative Thoughts and Learning to Fly – Love, Life, Surf
Everyone Has a Hard – Carla Birnberg
How Often Do You Rest? – Mommy Run Faster
Do Runners (and all Athletes) Really Need a Walk Break? – Cotter Crunch
Why I No Longer Strive for Balance – Caroline Winn Photography

Fitness

WAHM Tabata Workout 20 Minute Fat Burning Workout MusselFIT

WAHM Tabata Workout: 20 Minute Fat Burning Workout – MusselFIT

WAHM Tabata Workout: 20 Minute Fat Burning Workout – MusselFIT
A DIY 30 Minute Whole Body Workout – FitKnitChick
Booty Burner Workout – Reach Your Peak
You’re 5 Minutes Away From a Rock Solid Ab Workout – Lifting Revolution
She ROCKS Boot-Camp Workout – She Rocks Fitness

Food

The Ultimate Veggie Sandwich Edible Perspective

The Ultimate Veggie Sandwich – Edible Perspective

The Ultimate Veggie Sandwich – Edible Perspective
Superfood Cookie Dough – Fitnessista
Nectarine and Fig Summer Salad with Crispy Pancetta – How Sweet It Is
No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes – Minimalist Baker
Caramelized Peach + Cherry, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Salad w/Buckwheat Crêpes – Half Baked Harvest

Food for Thought

What was one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Five Things Friday

Is it just me or did this week fly? Not that anyone ever complains that it’s Friday.. besides, I have a fun weekend ahead!

  1. Tonight we’re headed into San Francisco to meet up with a few Fit Approach friends and head to a sketch comedy show. I’m pretty excited. It’s been a while since we’ve been to a comedy show but it’s right up our alley.
  2. Tomorrow I’m meeting up with Alyse [<– more Fit Approach love!] to go to a free VinBata class. It’s a combo of Vinyasa and Tabata.. I honestly have no idea what to expect but it should be fun!
    Workout Margaritas
    …..or wine?
  3. Speaking of workouts, I mentioned yesterday that I’ve been taking a bit slower at the gym lately and trying to figure out what my body actually wants instead of just doing a workout. Turns out, yesterday when I woke up I had no desire to go to the gym. I did some [really lame] yoga that I found on HuluPlus.. I say really lame because it was a little too slow for what I was looking for and there were commercials. How relaxing, right?
  4. I ended up getting really antsy as the day went on and decided to go for a GPS-less run around a nearby lake. Full disclosure: it was hard. For whatever reason, my asthma decided to act up and I was having trouble getting in some steady breathing, but I decided to feel it out and take my time. I ran about 3.25 miles and to my surprise, it was around a 7:50 pace! Woo! Plus, pretty flowers 😉
    Flowers California
  5. I’m pretty sure I completely forgot to mention the HIIT class I went to at Athleta last week taught by Erin, a trainer that I met at FitBloggin’ 2012 in Baltimore. She taught a kick ass [literally!] 6 am bootcamp and it was awesome so I knew to expect nothing less last week. She focused on sharing some moves that could be done anywhere, whether you’re at home, traveling, sitting at your kids baseball game, etc. I had a great time and it was so nice to catch up with her afterwards over a glass of wine [my only reason to go to P.F. Changs these days..] I also left with a new pair of capris that I pretty much love.
    Power Fitness Athleta HIITIf you’re in the bay area, I highly recommend checking out some of her classes!

Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Jessica B! Please email me with your mailing information so I can pass it on.

And I leave you with this.

think-confusing-south-beach-passover-ecard-someecards1Yup.

Food for Thought

What are your plans this weekend?
Have you ever tried a VinBata class or something similar?

What I Ate Wednesday #9 – Wedding Crashers

Remember when I said I found the best part of wedding planning? Well I think in the last 2 weeks I’ve found 2 more things that rival for the best part—dress shopping and band shopping!

First and foremost, I got a dress! And I love it and I want to wear it all the time and I can’t wait to put it on again! Wanna see pictures?! You got it! On May 12, 2013  😉

After it took 5 months to find the right venue, I was worried that dress shopping was going to be a complete nightmare, but it was so much fun and it only took me 2 trips to say YES to the dress! (I had to.. really, I did.)

Secondly, band shopping has been a bit frustrating to start off. We’ve just been listening to tons of cliche demos all the while, trying not to laugh. Once we picked out a few bands we liked, we were told to go check them out. Sooooo we crashed a wedding! Yes, we were invited by the band management company, but not by the bride and groom. We got dressed up, turned it into a full on date night and had a great time!

Barr & Table Wedding Crashers Kaleidoscope Band

Now onto the eats..

Breakfast
Lately, I’ve been in love with protein pancakes. I was on quite a roll for awhile with the Tone It Up pineapple protein pancakes, but decided to switch it up. Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers has a recipe for banana bread protein pancakes that I tried awhile back and absolutely fell in love with! So now, I’m on a banana bread protein pancake kick that I just can’t seem to shake. And I’m totally ok with it! Top it off with my favorite Tone It Up bombshell spell and I’m in heaven!

Barr & Table What I Ate Wednesday WIAW Peanut Butter Fingers PBFingers Banana Bread Protein Pancakes Peanut Butter PB Tone It Up TIU Bombshell Spell

Lunch
A delicious spicy Asian chicken and vegetable dish with whole wheat couscous. So delicious, that I didn’t get a picture!

Snack
Strawberry yogurt bites. A little something sweet that I whipped up in no time!

Barr & Table Strawberry Yogurt Bites Chobani Dannon Oikos Vanilla Greek Yogurt Banana Almonds Cinnamon

Dinner
Since we had to get all dressed up anyway, we figured we might as well head to a new restaurant for an impromptu date night!

Seasons 52 was the restaurant of choice. This restaurant uses seasonally inspired ingredients with a menu that is updated weekly. (Get it? Seasonally updated.. 52 weeks in a year..)

Nathan chose it because he loves me.. aka everything on the menu is 475 calories or less. And it doesn’t hurt that the menu sounded awesome!

Barr & Table Seasons 52 Restaurant Salmon Salad Jicama Watermelon Refresher Flatbread Pizza Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Mocha Macchiato

I ordered the organic arugula salad with watermelon, grilled golden beets, jicama, toasted pistachios, and a side of lemongrass salmon. The salad was amazingly delicious and the salmon tasted like it was totally indulgent, but it wasn’t! On the side, I enjoyed a wonderful watermelon refresher. I’m a sucker for any kind of watermelon cocktail!

Nathan got the ripe plum tomato flatbread with fresh basil, roasted garlic, and parmesan cheese, and a mixed green salad on the side. The flatbread was everything a flatbread should be. Super thin, crispy crust, not a ton of cheese, and nice and light.

And because our meals were so light and wonderful, we topped it off with their mini indulgences. I had the chocolate peanut butter mousse and Nathan ordered the mocha macchiato. Both fantastic, but I think I won the dessert round! He kept trying to sneak little bites!

My one complaint about Seasons 52 is that the closest one is an hour away. That said, we might have to visit friends in the area more so we can go back 🙂

Fitness

Jess Blonde Ponytail GNC Lean Legs Circuit Tabata Workout Barr & Table

I’m not gonna lie, I totally killed it at the gym the other night. But my favorite part of my workout was the GNC lean leg circuit from Jess at Blonde Ponytail. If you watch the video, she tells you to do 3 rounds of this circuit, but if you’re up for the challenge, you can do it tabata style, or 8 times through.

As I got through the first 3 sets, I thought “alright, this isn’t so bad.. let’s take it to 5!” Got to 5 sets and thought “I’m doing it.. I’m going for all 8 sets!” I finished all 8 sets in 20 minutes and felt awesome! And 2 days later, I’m remembering each and every one of those moves every time I stand up. Hurts so good!

Speak Up!

Have you tried a new restaurant recently? What was the best part of your meal?