Currently, with Paige (and giveaway winner!!)

Currently....wanting to wear my new boots all day er' day!!

I HAD to buy them.

I mean...I've been in Texas more than half my life and still didn't have cowboy boots! It was sad, really.

(but now I'm considering returning them because I'm pretty much broke. Bleh.)

Franco Sarto ankle booties 

Currently....mourning my decisions to NOT buy the perfect black motorcycle ankle boots at Marshall's the other day. I can't even find a photo of them online!

I'll never see them again. :(

Currently... re-reading the book of Matthew.

source: Juxtapost

I decided to start reading through the New Testament in order. 

Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever done that before! 

(Does my posting about my love for boots conflict with "do not prioritize temporary things"? Hmm.)

Currently...still recovering from my first encounter with this...

Blue Bell, you've done it again!

Currently...on the search for a fabulous sweater like this to take to England with me.

source: loveitsomuch

The thing is, I live in Texas. The only sweaters I've found out are thin and not cozy enough for my liking!! (Help?!)

Currently....trying to get back in shape. 

I ran THE MOST PATHETIC less than two miles of my life last night. It was terrible. Really really bad.

But, here's a sneak peak of my new hair (not that you can tell....) 

;)

Lastly, CONGRATS to Katie Rice, the winner of our Bayou Accents giveaway! Thanks so everyone who participated!

HOW TO Eat SPINACH 3 Times a Day Without Even Liking It

Hey friends!!

[I acknowledge that this makes two posts in a row about food, and I promise that won't continue to be the case!]

If you follow me on instagram (which of course you do) you might have noticed that I've gotten a little OCD about what I eat. I am by no means anywhere near an expert, but the more I read and research, the more it kind of freaks me out how much junk I've put into my body!! No wonder the "freshman 15" is so real!

So, my grocery list has included mostly fresh veggies, fruits, whole grains, and lean meats- and I'm loving it!

Now lets get to the actual point of this post: Spinach. You know... makes you strong and stuff.

Men's Health (OK OK I know, MEN's Health is for....men, BUT they author "Eat This Not That" which is awesome) says:

"Popeye, it turns out, was onto something.

While wolfing down a can of spinach might not give you insta-muscles or superhuman strength, eating two or three servings of this nutrient-rich leafy green each week could help you power up in other ways. Some preliminary researchshows it might make your muscles more efficient during a workout (cool, huh?). Plus, it has a load of other nutrients that keep all systems running smoothly:

• It’s full of lutein, which promotes healthy eyesight by preventing cataracts and macular degeneration.
• One cup of fresh spinach provides almost 200 percent of the daily value of vitamin K, which is essential for bone health.
• Spinach contains twice the amount of iron as most other greens and can act as a substitute for men who are not eating as much meat, according to New York City nutritionist Stephanie Middleberg, R.D. (Getting enough iron, among other things, will keep your energy levels up.)

But perhaps the best thing about spinach is this: It’s extremely versatile, so you can keep it on hand and toss it into any meal."

So, I bought myself a tub of spinach (yes, a tub...not those wimpy bags that provide super droopy salads in a bag after 3 days) and was determined to get through it in a week!

Here are a few examples of how I did it:

Breakfast Scramble!

sauteed spinach and ham (torn up lunch meat in a frying pan with spinach and olive oil)

egg/eggs

topped with diced tomato and avocado!

Spinach Tuna Open Face

(Ok, I know I featured this particular meal already, but come ON guys- so simple and delicious!)

Half a whole grain (low sodium) english muffin, toasted

handful of fresh spinach

tuna

(how do you rotate images?! oh well)

I don't know what to call this, but I made it up and I'm super proud because it has not one, but TWO things that I don't like in it! And it was good!!

finely chopped mushrooms sauteed with spinach

brown rice

grilled chicken

So, I urge you to go out and try new things!!! After a whole week, you might even like it ;)

*Disclaimer: I love Mexican food. I love pizza. I love cheesy pasta and garlic bread. I love bbq wings. I love seasoned fries...you get the point. SO this post isn't me saying "I will never eat fried chicken again ever in my life!!!", it's about choices that I've been making lately that make ME feel better and a lifestyle change I plan on abiding by (pretty closely...wink wink)

Instagram and Bloglovin

First of all, HEY BLOG WORLD, all freakin out cause its the end of the world tomorrow (or the end of Google Reader, at least...)- make sure you're following me on Bloglovin.

BUT, I've also read in several places that if you use Blogger, the "my blogs" list will still be functional. We shall see.

Now that we put that behind us, I'm linking up with my girl Tawny for an instagram recap!

For those of you who follow me on instagram and get annoyed with food pictures....too bad so sad!

I'm by myself, and I'm trying to be super healthy, and I happen to really like pretty plate presentation!

Did you know that frying deli meat makes it REALLY GOOD? I'm not a deli meat fan, but throw that stuff in a frying pan with a little olive oil and we're golden. 

God bless George Foreman. That is all. 

Trying to change things up a bit everyday. Whole grain english muffins are my new favorite thing! 

Second half of the english muffin is under there somewhere.... 

1) I don't like spinach. 

2) You can disguise the taste of spinach REALLY EASILY. For example...

3) Put a pretty hefty amount of spinach on top of an english muffin and top that with tuna = what spinach?

So if you plan on sticking around with me this summer, expect a whole lot more of that. 

I'm convinced that healthy living does NOT have to be complicated. Doesn't it look good??

Happy Sunday, friends! :)

Happies and Crappies- part 2

I'm not going to lie you guys, my favorite part of this link-up is the shiny gold button. Love it!

Lets mix it up and start with the "crappies" first so we can end on a "happies" note! (TGIF!)

crappies

Not enough practice time. Flute nerd out moment! I've been so busy and a little under the weather that my Feb. 8 audition is sneaking up on me!

Allergy attack! Those darned allergies. Two days ago they just decided to smack me in the face and say "Thought you were doing well? NOPE! SUCKS FOR YOU! HA!" 

FOG. Fog is pretty, but lets face it, makes me feel a little bit lot like this:

happie/crappie

Obsessed with Downton (DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING, I HAVEN'T FINISHED SEASON 3)

Watched a certain episode and CRIED for seriously 10 minutes. Couldn't stop! It was nuts. 

Anyone out there that feels me on this one?

happies

More 6AM work out success! Call me crazy, but just look at these bright shiny faces that worked out and got to the practice rooms by 8AM :)

Today I'm meeting my mom to pick up Winston! I get to pup sit for the entire week while my parents are cruising. Woohoooo! Also, follow me on instagram for mega Winston photos ;)

Ran about 5 miles outside of the gym with the boyfran. Getting better!!

Started juicing. Check out this cup o' celery/cucumber/spinach/cilantro/apple/orange/lemon!

*ignore the soap stained "fancy" glass ;)

Roomies both got jobs- I love them and I'm excited for them so I thought I'd give them a little shout out.

Did I mention that Winston will be here for a whole week?? Yeah, thats about all I can think about right now.

Happy Friday, y'all! Link up with Sarah and Stephanie and share your "happies and crappies" with us!

-PB