WIAW: The Home Stretch

Well, this is (almost) it. Just two more finals, a day and a half and some packing before I don’t have to think about school for 5 weeks! I’ve been excited about Christmas break since at least Thanksgiving break and it’s finally here. This weekend was a little tease though–I went home on Friday and came back last night, mostly so I wouldn’t have to take back a crap ton of things when I drive home on Thursday night but also to be in a better study environment. Don’t get me wrong, I love my one bedroom apartment all to myself but things can get a little cray-cray around the complex on the weekends so I thought it would be better to try to study at home.

Today’s WIAW features my eats from Tuesday–side note, I wasn’t able to snap a picture of dinner, so I’m reusing a similar-looking pic from this summer.

Breakfast: peanut chocolate chia ‘pudding’ topped with homemade almond flour banana bread and unsweetened coconut shreds.

The pantry has been a little slack-a-lackin’ as of late (wow, did I really just say that?) so I’ve been whipping meals and snacks out of my butt. The microwave at home also just broke (how convenient) so instead of being able to make my usual protein microwave cake, I had to settle for a cold breakfast. Luckily I had some chia seeds on hand so I made a chia pudding overnight made with peanut flour, almond milk and raw chocolate protein powder. In the morning, I topped it with crumbles of an almond flour-based banana bread I made over the weekend (so good, BTW!) and unsweetened shredded coconut. This was actually really good, definite repeat breakfast. I can’t believe I used to hate coconut, it’s such a good topper!

Lunch: homemade sweet potato wedges with organic ketchup for dipping, raw cauliflower, homemade maple cinnamon cashews, peanut flour paste with Theo coconut dark chocolate square.

The snackplate lunch returns! This was a very random one, but I like random. The sweet potato wedges were made on Monday night and I’ve gotta say, homemade is way better than store bought when it comes to sweet potato fries–I’m baking them myself from now on! The cauliflower is my latest veggie obsession, I always eat it raw and plain, which is totally weird but whatever. It’s good. I made the cashews over the weekend and again, never going back to store bought flavored nuts (ok, I probably will when I’m feeling lazy). I just mixed a tablespoon of maple syrup with a shake of cinnamon and a teaspoon of coconut oil in a pan until it started to boil and then stirred in the cashews. This will totally work with all nuts, in case you hate cashews. I don’t love them, but they were all I had on hand and they were good with the maple and cinnamon.

Snack: dried pineapple eaten in the car.

I didn’t eat this entire bag, but I love it so much I could have! This stuff isn’t cheap (~$3.50 per bag) but it’s a pretty good deal for dried fruit with nothing added, and I always make it last almost a week. I only eat dried fruit that doesn’t have added sugars or oils or other crap, and let me tell you, it is beyond amazing! I’m calling it my crack in a bag, it is literally that good.

Dinner: Panera chopped Thai salad, without the chicken or wontons.

My mom and I grabbed Panera for dinner before she dropped me off. Panera is always a good, quick, healthy option and I pretty much always order the same thing: the Thai chopped salad minus the chicken and the wontons. I love it because A) it’s a huge bowl of fresh veggies and B) it has an addicting spicy-tangy peanut dressing and edamame. I almost went with the black bean soup because it was so cold on Tuesday, but I had to go with my favorite. Never disappoints.

Dessert (left to right clockwise): peanut flour/raw chocolate protein powder microwave cake topped with Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter; raw lemon pie macaroon; a few Vega cocoa-covered saviseeds.

I was feeling indecisive when snack time rolled around (but when am I not?) so I went with a mix of my favorite protein-packed snack of a protein microwave cake and healthy, delicious fats in the form of a raw macaroon and some dark chocolate-covered saviseeds. Those last two items were part of my most recent iHerb purchase, and they were both worth the price. The raw macaroons taste exactly like a lemon pie and are perfectly dense with just a hint of coconut. I love that they’re raw and basically made from coconut, almond flour, maple syrup and lemon juice. My kinda snack. The saviseeds have definitely grown on me–the first time I bit into one, I thought it had the oddest taste, but now they taste almost like what I remember peanut M&Ms tasting like. I’m glad I got the cocoa saviseeds because I have an obsession with all things dark chocolate. It’s a problem.

Have you ever tried a raw macaroon or saviseeds? What’s your favorite dried fruit? 

Who New?

Heeeeeeey there! Glad to see there was a lot of Whole Foods lovin’ going on around here. I will hopefully be getting my cook/bake on in less than 2 weeks and making some or all of those things.

So lately in my life there’s been a lot of new stuff, which is always fun and exciting. So obviously, I had to make a little play on words (get it–who knew…who new…new things?) because that’s how I roll. So lets run down the list of new-ish things, shall we?

Who new…voluminous oats could change my life?

Dark chocolate java raspberry almond voluminous oats. Probably the best combo I've ever created, just sayin'.

Ignore the crapalicious quality of the pic, it was taken at like 9 pm. Cinnamon raisin voluminous oats. See how much they fill up the bowl?

 Ever since I discovered the joy of oats, I’ve been hooked. I’ve been whipping up overnight oats almost every day since this May, and I haven’t gotten sick of them yet. But…no more. I found CCK’s Voluminous Oatmeal Trick and I’ve abandoned my beloved overnighters in favor of thick, fluffy, volume-filled oats. Sure, I still eat them cold (for some reason, they are just SO good that way) but now they actually take a little prep work, which I don’t mind at all. Sure, they tend to spill in the micro which is annoying, but who wouldn’t want double the oats for the same amount of calories? I was shocked at the amount of oats my usual 1/4 cup made when I used this method. And the texture is pure awesomeness. Do I miss my overnighters? Well, yeah, but not enough to quit my addiction to voluminous oats!

Who new…Iron Chef America would do a challenge with oatmeal?

Okay, okay, so this episode isn’t exactly new (I found out it was from the 2010 season) but I just saw it for the first time on the Food Network a week or so ago. Usually, they do things like exotic veggies or something, but oatmeal? So cool to see for a self-proclaimed oats lover like me.

Who new…I’d have issues signing up for next semester’s classes?

My schedule so far. I'm still waiting on one class...

 Honestly, making your class schedule in college is way less stressful than in high school, at least at my university. But this year, I was freaking out because I need this one class to get an internship at a TV station this summer, and it’s a class mostly for juniors and seniors. I’m a sophomore. So I had to sign up for classes later, because of my class standing. A few days before my sign up date, there were only 4 slots out of 18 left. The day before, there were 2. And when I finally signed up for it, there was exactly one left. Yep, I got the last spot! I was so ecstatic to get it that I texted my dad about it. But signing up for other ones was more of a hassle. I need an additional comp class, and it’s a 300 level, so I thought I’d be able to get in no problem. Well…it wouldn’t let me, since I’m not a junior or senior. Urgh, what classes do they expect me to take then? I’ve already got most of my graduation requirements done or currently being finished. A lot of upper level journalism classes were already filled or didn’t work with the class I already signed up for. In the end, I’m taking two American history classes (for my option area, which is like a minor but less official), broadcast news and a weather and climate class (I’m considering being a TV meteorologist!). I also finally got into a TV studio production class that I needed an override for and I’m waiting on a business reporting workshop class to open up. If I get that, my spring semester looks pretty decent, no real math or science classes and a lot of journalism and history, which I love.

Who new…you can make a healthified sopapilla with just two ingredients?

Vintage-ized "sopapilla" picture.

 I can’t remember if I’ve ever actually had a sopapilla (maybe in a Spanish class fiesta a long time ago), but it wasn’t on my agenda to recreate one…but I did. A few nights ago, I was having a brown rice tortilla and on the side I had a little bit of honey. I was planning on making a wrap with the tortilla, honey, almond butter and butternut squash, but then I remembered how easily the tortillas fall apart. So I just ended up putting the honey in the tortilla, folding it over and well, it reminded me of a sopapilla for some reason! I mean, it actually does seem pretty similar to one, only way more healthy. Brown rice tortillas are pretty chewy like fried dough and putting honey on it sweetens it up just like with a real sopapilla. But you can feel good about eating this 2 ingredient “sopapilla” because it’s gluten-free, not fried and sweetened with just a little raw honey (well, if you use the ingredients I did). It makes a perfect little sweet snack.

Who new…cauliflower could be purple?

Purple overload! Purple cauliflower in a purple mini colander.

 I gotta admit, I was pretty weirded out myself when I first saw it at Whole Foods. But they were giving out samples of raw colored cauli and I just had to try it. It’s actually the same as regular cauliflower, just prettier. I always eat my cauli raw because it’s delish that way, especially dipped in spicy salsa!

Who new…I’d actually order something from iHerb?

My iHerb goodies. I Picnik'd this photo, in case you were wondering why it looks weird!

I’ve been dying to try ordering something from iHerb, but never got up the nerve until I saw a $5 off code I could use on my first order. Well, I knew right away what my first purchase would be–PB2! I have always wanted to try it, but didn’t really want to pay a lot for shipping and stuff on Amazon. With the $5 off, the chocolate PB2 was basically free, except for a measly $2 for shipping. Not half bad! And the verdict: so yummy! I think it’s fairly similar to peanut flour (probably my next purchase) and the chocolate doesn’t overpower the peanutty taste. And I love that it was so cheap. Overall, I really had a good experience with iHerb…and they included a little freebie in my package–some weird mushroom-infused coffee. Ermmmm, what? I guess I’ll try it, but I’m expecting to gag 😛

Oh, and P.S. for any of you who want to check out iHerb for the first time, you can use the code NOQ779. You can thank me later 😉 Just kidding, but iHerb is my new go-to for foodie finds.

And finally, thanks to the beautiful Brittany who awarded me with the Liebster award! How nice of her 😀

 

Liebster’ is German for ‘dearest’ or ‘beloved’ but it can also mean ‘favorite.’ The idea behind this award is to bring attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers and show some support.
The rules of winning this award are as follows:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2. Reveal 5 of your top picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. Enjoy the love and support of some wonderful people on the www!

So I’m gonna give it to… Chloe at LightOnMyFeet, Aja at Writing and Recovering, Michelle at Oats ‘n Bows, Kat at A Dash of Fairydust and Ragnhild at Vegan Aphrodite.

What’s new with you? Have you ever bought anything from iHerb?

My Foodie Staples

Aren’t there a few many things you can’t live without? I’m sure we all have them, I know I do! They tend to change every once in a while, but I definitely have some items I’d prefer to not go without. With that being said, here’s my current list of foodie staples!

Cereal: Right now, I’m loving on the PB Puffins (hope I never get sick of those!), Kashi Honey Sunshine, 365 Organic Honey Crunch & Oats and Cascadian Farm Cinnamon Crunch. I also really like Bear Naked Fit granola (especially triple berry crunch–what’s with all these cereals and having crunch in their name?) and Udi’s cranberry granola. I generally don’t have cereal at breakfast (I used to everyday, though) but it makes an amazing snack…or small dinner?

PB & Chocolate Puffins, Bear Naked Fit granola

Fruit: Gosh, no way could I ever live without this! I love almost all fruits I’ve tried, except for plums and pears. In my dorm, it’s hard to have some of my favorite fruits, like pineapple and berries, so I’m sticking with some tried-and-true varieties, like bananas, black grapes and apples. They’re all pretty versatile and easy to take with me to classes.

Red grapes, giant Honeycrisp apple, bunch 'o bananas

Veggies: I also love veggies, but I don’t really have a way to cook it, so raw it is. Luckily, I love raw cauliflower, and it’s pretty easy to eat. I also discovered butternut squash, which is amazing and simple to heat up in the micro. Plus it comes pre-cut (thanks, Whole Foods!) so it’s perfect for someone without a sharp knife handy. Baby carrots are also a good option.

Cubed b-nut squash, baby carrots, cauliflower

Dried fruit: Mmmmmm, yes! Dried fruit is the bomb.com and even less of a hassle to bring to classes. I love Medjool dates, raisins (golden and regular), dried pineapple, freeze-dried fruit…the list goes on and on. I just look for dried fruit without any added sugar or chemicals and I’m good to go!

Organic Medjool dates, raisins, organic dried pineapple

Mini frozen burritos: I have 2 small fridges with tiny freezer compartments, so I need all the space I can get. EVOL makes mini burritos, which are perfect as a snack or part of dinner/lunch. I love the veggie fajita kind, since it’s vegan and yummy. Score!

2 mini EVOL veggie fajita frozen burritos

Sweet potatoes: I’ve been missing these guys like crazy lately, but luckily, they’re back in my life again. They heat up quick in the micro and taste so so good topped with almost anything–nut butter, trail mix, honey, guacamole, chili powder…

Cinnamon and almond butter topped sweet potato

Spices: Speaking of chili powder, girl’s gotta have her spices. All I got right now is curry powder, ground cinnamon and hot Mexican chili pepper, but it’s good enough for me! Those are probably my 3 fave, and they can ‘spice’ up anything from coffee (the cinnamon, of course) to veggies.

Ground cinnamon and hot Mexican-style chili powder

Truvia: I like things sweet, but I don’t want to add real sugar to some things, ya know? That’s where Truvia packets come in. They’re easy to carry around in case I get an unsweetened iced tea on-the-go and I always add a packet to my oats to sweeten them up. I love that they’re a natural sub for fake sugar.

Big box o' Truvia packets

Almond/nut butter: Where would we be without nut butter? As I’ve said several times before, PB is not my fave (sorry!). But I absolutely adore almond, and lately, almond peanut cashew. Nut butters are soooooo good on sweet taters, as an oats topper, on wraps/sandwiches, with fruit (especially dates) or even off your finger 😉

Archer Farms almond peanut cashew butter

Morningstar spicy veggie sausages: I have one of these almost every morning, and have for probably the last year. Somehow, I’m not getting bored of them. I’m definitely not a savory person, especially at breakfast, but they’re a great source of vegetarian protein, they’re easy to make (except when your micro burns them…) and they taste so darn good. I like anything spicy, like I’ve said millions of times before.

Spicy veggie breakfast sausage, fudgie-topped millet bread

Organic jelly: It’s kinda upsetting how many jellies have high fructose corn syrup in them. I mean, come on, why can’t they just have simple, natural ingredients? When I found Smucker’s Organic line of jellies, I fell in love. Sure, there’s still sugar in them, but it’s real sugar, and it’s natural and organic. There aren’t any weird ingredients in it either. Is it weird that I like it with nut butter and crackers????? It’s also delish as an oats topper.

Smucker's Organic concord grape jelly

Starbucks VIA instant coffee: I can’t live without my ‘bucks fix every once in awhile. But when you’re a college student with no car, it’s kinda hard to get. Lucky for me, they came out with instant coffee packs that are almost as good as their brewed stuff. Not only do I love it in homemade skinny lattes, but it’s amazing mixed in with overnight oats. Talk about an energizing breakfast 😛

Date with almond butter, homemade Starbucks VIA latte, Greek yogurt with raw organic honey

Protein bars: I’m no athlete, but I still eat these like it’s my job. Kidding, but I do love ’em. I don’t get the huge ones, like regular Clifs (I usually cut them in half to have as a snack), I prefer the Mojo kind which are like trail mix bars, and Pure and Halo bars. They make a perfect on-the-go lunch alongside some fruit and they come in so many varieties. My faves at the moment are Mojo white chocolate macadamia and mountain mix, Pure chocolate brownie and Halo s’mores and nutty marshmallow. I try to get bars that have at least 6 grams of protein (the Halo ones don’t, but they’re good for a snack) and only natural sugar.

Clif Mojo Mountain Mix & White Chocolate Macadamia, Clif Z-Bar Chocolate Chip and Full Moon Brownie, Pure Cherry Cashew and Chocolate Brownie, Halo Nutty Marshmallow and Clif C Blueberry

Almond milk: I switched to soy last May, and I liked it for a while, but now I prefer almond. I still have soy milk every so often (the Silk seasonal kinds are SO good) but now I’m trying to buy almond more often. I really love the Pacific Naturals unsweetened vanilla, but the plain Whole Foods brand is also good. It lasts longer in the fridge than soy and has a nice, light nutty taste.

Pacific Naturals organic unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Rolled oats: Of course I have these! I probably have oats in some form every single day…well actually, I pretty much just eat them in overnight oats 😀 Unlike a lot of people, I prefer overnighters to cooked oats. But anyways, oats are incredibly versatile, easy to prepare and so healthy. I don’t even want to start to explain my overnight oats, so just check out my page devoted to them!

Carrot cake overnight oats

 Greek yogurt: Another “duh” if you read my bloggy regularly! Oikos is my one true Greek yo’ love, but sometimes I go off and have an affair with Fage mango guanabana or blueberry acai. Shhhhhh, don’t tell 😉

Oikos organic plain, Fage Total 0% blueberry acai, Oikos organic caramel

 Of course, there are many many more products I’ve (sadly) had to leave out ’cause I didn’t wanna bore y’all with it, but these are what I have most often and love the most!

What are your foodie staples?

WIAW: Weekend Wrap-Up

Hey hey hey 😛 Glad you all really liked my last post! I loved that so many of you could relate to my “confessions” and you shared some of your own. There’s no shame in being different!

This past weekend I was lucky enough to get to go home (in case you’re wondering, I go home roughly every other weekend–I love my family too much not to, plus I get oober bored on campus on the weekends as I have no car 😦 ) and as those weekends usually do, it zipppppppped by! But it was jam-packed with awesome adventures so I’m not complaining!

Friday night my wonderful daddy picked me up since my mom and sister were getting ready for the play my sister was in. We stopped at Mad Greens, one of my favorite fast casual places, and I got a Hugh Jass salad, as usual. They also have a few sandwiches, but why not go for a giant bowl of greens and other good stuff, right? I got the Da Vinci salad, which was spinach, roasted artichokes (my fave), roasted red peppers, grilled portobello pieces and I subbed in edamame for the cannelini beans. It was topped with a spicy nonfat yogurt dressing which was yummy. The salad was giant but really good. Every salad I’ve ever gotten from there is good, so if you’re ever in Colorado (specifically Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins) and you love a good salad, make sure to stop by!

Mmmmmm, salad!

Back home, I got to spend some quality time with the little sis cracking up while looking at guys clothes on the Abercrombie website. Don’t ask why, we’re weird awesome.  

Saturday started out on the right foot–with a pumpkin spice Vitatop! I wouldn’t say they’re my favorite flavor (that would probably go to golden corn) but I love that they’re seasonal and they smell so good when you toast them. But lunch was even better…it was my first sweet potato in probably over a month! I’ve been missing them like crazy because I hadn’t been able to find them near me, but now I’m finally reunited because my mommy bought me a bunch to take back to my dorm. I topped half with red pepper flakes (I like things spah-cy!) and the other half with apple pie spice and APCB. With a slice of crispy tempeh ‘bacon’ and frozen mango on the side, it was the best lunch I’ve had in a while.

Random lunches are always the best, right?

After a lot of procrastinating and filling out some job forms (oh yeah, I finally have my first real job…wooooooooo!) my dad, sis and I embarked on our many errands. And…my sister drove! She just got her permit 6 months ago and I’ve never been in the car before when she was driving, so it was quite the experience. Don’t worry, I made it out alive 😉 Just kidding, she’s an awesome driver! It was just so weird to have her in the driver’s seat, instead of me or my dad. But anyways, we went to several places and then made a final stop at Starbucks! I’ve also been missing the ‘bucks, there isn’t one within walking distance of where I live 😦 I got the salted caramel mocha light Frappuccino and it was one of the best drinks I’ve ever had there! I love their light Frapps, partly because they’re ‘safe’ for me (since they’re made with skim milk and have no whipped cream) but also because they’re just so good and customizable. I really wanted to try a seasonal Frapp, and the pumpkin spice didn’t appeal to me as much, so I went for the salted caramel mocha and I don’t regret it. It had a toffee kinda taste to it and you could definitely taste the salt, but it was not too salty or sweet–a perfect balance. It sounds like it would be so weird, but trust me, it was the bomb.com and you should try it if you’re brave enough 😛

This was worth having to say the ridiculously long name...

After dropping the sister back off at home (she had her final play performance–which she did so well in, btw! the show was really funny also), my dad and I left yet again to finish our errands. This time, I was pumped because we were going to Whole Foods, aka my favorite place in the whole world! We also made a stop at Sunflower Market, which I’d never been to before. I totally didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was like an indoor farmers market mixed with Whole Foods. They didn’t have as much of a selection as WF, but I managed to be able to find a few items I’ve been dying to try–PB & Chocolate Puffins, Clif Mojo White Chocolate Mac bars and the new Clif Kid Zbar Full Moon Brownie. I almost squealed when I saw these things, but I restrained myself 😉 I also got a tiny white pumpkin to decorate my room for Halloween of course! And we couldn’t not stop at Whole Foods, so I picked up a bunch of stuff there, including a new-to-me item, meatless pepperoni slices. They’re made by Lightlife, and they’re actually pretty decent, a little chewy but a good sub for pepperoni. Honestly, I haven’t had real pepperoni in so long so I can’t really remember what it tastes like, but I think this was pretty similar, just not greasy at all!

Awwwwwwh, how cute is this?

They had the BEST samples ever--colored cauliflower! They had yellow, purple and green...how weird!

Whole Foods haul: unpictured Medjool dates, Pacific Naturals unsweetened vanilla almond milk, Fage 0% blueberry acai, Oikos blueberry, Food For Life brown rice tortillas, EVOL veggie fajita burritos, cubed butternut squash, LightLife soy pepperoni slices, dried pineapple, Late July mild green mojo chips.

 Sunday was pretty chill, we went to church in the morning (which I’ve been missing, I haven’t gone to church in over a month I think), came home and had a quick lunch, then me, my mom and sister hit the road…for some retail therapy, of course! My favorite mall is on the way back to campus, so we decided to do a little shopping. It was my sister’s idea, believe me 😛 Anyways, I wasn’t exactly planning on buying anything, but I can’t not buy something if I’m already at the mall! I ended up getting this adorable cream cable knit sweater with cropped sleeves from Hollister. It’s incredibly warm (and a little itchy, ’cause it’s part wool) but really cute and I can’t wait to wear it. After our little outing, we continued on towards campus, and stopped at Noodles for dinner. I haven’t been there in a few months (mostly because my mom hates it so we usually never go when she takes me out for dinner) but surprisingly she agreed to it. I wasn’t feeling my usual (pad Thai with shrimp or pasta fresca with no cheese) so I got the Veggie Med flatbread without feta…only it ended up coming with feta. I hate when restaurants screw up your order, but it wasn’t too big of a deal for me to pick it off. It was super delish, with all these yummy veggies and some sort of spicy Mediterranean sauce. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like being a creeper and snapping a pic of it, but hopefully you can picture it 😉

Monday's lovely outfit: orange sweatshirt (HCo.), owl pendant (AE), brown striped leggings (AE), unpictured brown Bearpaw boots I love my Bearpaws to death and I'm so glad I can wear them again!

I finally got to try this, and OMG, so good. It might even be better than the mountain mix which is my favorite. I love the soy white chocolate chips and pretzel pieces throughout. I just wish the chips were on top because for some reason, I prefer to pick them off and save them for the end, but I think they actually tasted better mixed in.

 

Tuesday's outfit: grey duster sweater (A&F), dark grey lace tee (HCo.), coral culottes (A&F), grey sweater tights (Target), unpictured grey Bearpaw boots. I just love how vibrant the shorts look against all the grey!

 

What is your must-have item from Whole Foods? Do you like clothes shopping (I DOOOOOOOO!)? 

WIAW: A Day in the Life

Have you ever wanted to see what someone else does in a day? I mean, WIAW is one thing (a good thing) but have you ever been curious about what a blogger does besides eating? Are you kidding me–all we do is eat 😉 Just kidding!

You asked for it (not really!) and here it is…a typical day in my life (inspired by Tara’s post last week)! Plus the usual WIAW eats in the appropriate spots throughout the day!

DISCLAIMER: My life is really not all that exciting so be warned 😉 Oh, and this is what a typical Tuesday/Thursday looks like (since it’s my busier day)…Monday/Wednesday/Friday and weekends are totally different.

7:00 a.m. Wake up. Get mad at my iPod alarm (just kidding!). Do my biz-nass (aka bathroom) and probably crawl back in bed for like 5 minutes.

7:20 ish to 8:15. Make and devour breakfast. Have the Today Show on tv but don’t really watch it (yeah, idk why I do this, but it feels better than just getting ready in silence). Brush teeth, makeup, hair, get dressed. I usually plan my outfits a week in advance ’cause I’m cool like that!

A day without overnight oats at least once...does not happen for me! Dark chocolate overnighters topped with half a Kashi cherry vanilla cereal bar. The toppings are always the best part!

8:15 to 8:35. Catch up on blog reading. Pack up all my school stuff. Check, recheck and recheck again that I have my keys (don’t wanna risk getting locked out!). Walk down 3 flights of stairs and head out to my first class.

9 to 9:50. Stats class. Ugh, can I just say how much I wish I was done with math already? I thought the basic math class I took last year was it, but nooooooo! I’m almost 99% positive this will be my last math class, though.

Yes, I'm totally rolling my eyes at stats class. Ugh, get me outta there 😦

10 to 11. Turn in stats recitation work. I never go to recitation (’cause it’s so lame and not required) so I always have to turn in the homework on Tuesday. Then I walk around campus until my next class, or end up stuck in the library printing something off for another class. I’m pretty much printing something every other day. I need to get a life printer.

11 to 12:15. American West Since 1900 class. So far, I’m liking this class. I love U.S. history, and Western history is even more exciting for me. Unfortch, we have a hugh jass paper due the week before Thanksgiving, but otherwise it’s okay.

12:15 to 12:50. Read blogs and eat lunch. I always go over to the building next door because it’s close and it has a bunch of awesome comfy seating. The internet kinda sucks in there, but oh well. I always have to eat on-the-go on Tuesday and Thursday since it doesn’t pay to walk all the way back to my room for like 10 minutes and then have to walk back. I usually pack a bar of some sort (my faves are Clif Mojo Mountain Mix and Pure Chocolate Brownie bars) since they’re not messy and some fruit and carrots. I’m so glad it’s apple season because apples are totally portable.

I love random lunch combos. Lately I've been feeling the AB&J vibe, so I paired Archer Farms almond butter with organic grape jelly, Kashi crackers and frozen nanner slices. All eaten on my colorful bed.

1 to 2:50. Newswriting class. If you think this class sounds really long, you’re right. It’s because it includes a “lab” component, which is not really a lab in our case, but more like newswriting assignments and practice. I actually love the class, because it’s for my major. Plus we do fun things like go on “field trips” and my professor is so chill. Love it!

2:50 to 3:05. Head back to my room. My walks have sucked a little bit lately, because of my foot pain. It’s gotten a little better, so I hope it’s healing and not a serious injury.

3:10 to 3:45. Snack time. I also squeeze a “cardio blast” circuit workout in there, and some minutes of yoga.

I just realized that they make the superfruits Oikos flavor in a 4 pack so I had to get it. It's my current fave flavor of Greek yogurt.

3:45 to 6. Homework. Well, in an ideal world this is what I’d be doing. In the real world, however, I usually end up looking up random things on the internet, like recipes or clothes, and then realize how much time has passed. Then I actually start doing homework.

6:30 ish to 7. Dinner time. It really depends on when I’m feeling hungry, but 6:30 is usually it. Now I can actually sit down and enjoy a meal without rushing. Of course, I can’t really cook (besides in the micro which doesn’t count) but at least it’s something. Oh, and btw, I almost always make my own dinner vs. going to the dining hall. I tried it a lot last year and I didn’t love it. When I do go, I usually end up grabbing something from the express area which is like a healthier convenience store or just get a salad from the salad bar.

If you think this dinner is bizarre and random, you are obviously not me! Raw broccoli and cauliflower (only way I will eat them is raw..try em dipped in salsa!), a few green mojo multigrain chips, AB&J overnight oats, with a side of People StyleWatch, aka my favorite fashion/celeb mag.

7:30 to 8. Shower. I’m one of those weirdos who showers at night. I’d rather not have to wake up any earlier than I already do to wait for my hair to dry, blah blah blah.

8 to 9. Blog reading and maybe watch TV. I just tend to put the TV on and not actually watch it–I like it for the background noise–but I will sometimes watch if it’s a show I love, like The Office or What Not to Wear.

9 to 9:15. Night time snack. I love having cereal, or maybe a Vitatop. Just something sweet and small to end my night.

Awh, my cereal ❤ s me! Well, I ❤ you too! Bear Naked Fit (triple berry) with frozen bananas. Can you tell I'm lovin' on the frozen bananas? Best. Fruit. Ever!

9:15 to 9:30. Get ready for bed. Brush teeth, PJs, all that.

9:30 to 11. Text my mommy. We text each other every night for like an hour and a half. It’s the highlight of my day.

Outfit of the day: lime green/white striped boat neck tee (American Eagle), slouchy skinny jeans (American Eagle). I love baggy jeans, y'all!

11 p.m. Go to bed (hopefully). I like to get 9 hours of sleep, so an early-ish bedtime is a must. Plus I get tired around this time anyway. Good night!

What is your favorite brand of Greek yogurt (I am a tried-and-true, hardcore Oikos fan! I also like Fage mango guanabana)?

What kind of jeans do you rock (I’m partial to slouchy and boy fit jeans but I’d love to try some skinnies–any tips on how to rock them? I’m still kinda scared to wear them.)?

What’s one part of your day that’s always the same?