Summer Time Smoothies

It is finally summer and I am quickly falling back into my "typical" summer routine.  When I say typical I mean, yes, typical for me.  I'm not sure there are many other college students that enjoy getting up early to run followed with thinking up some delicious replenishing breakfast. 

 I decided to embrace my typical routine by getting up and running a short 2 miles with my mom followed with my first trip back to the YMCA.  I realized how spoiled I am to have a membership in the city to an all women's gym--specialized machines, comfortable and no strange stairs from the locals. Oh I will definitely be missing that for the coming weeks.  I honestly cannot tell you why I take such issue with readjusting to a gym that I used to be so familiar with but I am almost always stricken with fear that seriously puts a damper on my workout.  However, I pushed through, found the machines that I am used to working with and made myself a list of free weight exercises to do and volia--done.

This morning I had decided to start in with some smoothies and had been craving one ever since I made up my mind.  I had seen this idea on Pinterest which led me a blog with a brief description of how it works--honestly it is pretty self explanatory but here is a picture for all you visual learners out there:

Courtesy of Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs.

Steps:

1. Buy or find a cheap blender

2. Remove the main pitcher that it comes with and separate blade (be careful this is sharp!)

3. fill a medium sized mason jar with your smoothie of choice

4. place blade on top of mason jar, attach the piece that holds everything together

5. flip and place on the blender. 

** I find that holding it down works best since the jar doesn't completely screw into the blender mechanism.

Think Magic Bullet on a budget--except this is better since the Magic Bullet is (a) $50 and (b) pretty time consuming with all those parts that seem to get lost!

Full and beautiful with lots of protein and antioxidants!

Ready to drink!

The recipe for today:

1/2 frozen banana

1/4 (give or take) Wegmans mixed frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries & blackberries)

1 container of chobani

1/2 a packet of Spiruten Vanilla Protein Powder

1/2 cup (i didn't measure)? Almond Milk

Blend and enjoy!

First Race of The Season.

congrats to my mom on her first 5k ever!  She ran the whole thing and beat her estimated time.  

I came in at 26:30 something and ended up with a great average time (8:30m), a personal record for me!

Hump Day

Please excuse me for the somewhat corny quote that I chose to add from pinterest. I believe that it is fitting of my mood today.  I woke up and finally the sun was shining again.  Though I didn't want to leave my bed, and yes it took a few snooze cycles, I managed to get up and get ready for the day.  I had originally decided to workout this afternoon but made a point of getting there bright and early.  There is just something about starting the day off with a successful workout that puts me in the right mindset to get work done.  And this of course was true, I am rambling about writing final papers and studying for final exams (which are starting so so soon!)

I wanted to share my good mood and excitement for today with you in hopes that maybe you too will have a great day!

Also, my first 5k of the season is on Sunday and I cannot wait to run it with my mom :)

Flying By

I honestly cannot fathom how quickly this semester is coming to a close.  As I sat attempting to write my final essay for a philosophy class I felt the procrastination building.  What to do I thought? I perused pinterest (something I had barely known about the last time I actually wrote on Miscellanea) and then decided it was time to update.

Here is a brief recap on the semester:

I became a sister of the Theta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Phi at University of Rochester and have already met the most amazing girls that I am proudly able to call my sisters.

I said goodbye to my best friend and first dog Greta (Bunny) who lived an amazing grouchy life constantly scaring away my friends.

Brendan and I went to my friend Sarah's Wedding in Upstate, NY which was absolutely beautiful.

I spent hours making these AMAZING irish car bomb cupcakes for miss. Maureen's birthday

Which we later celebrated with many desserts and a great dinner out with her friends from school.

Spring flowers finally sprouted (and then froze again).

I visited Brendan numerous times all which included some pretty delicious meals. (whole wheat pasta, tomatoes, greek olives, capers, feta, basil)

and most recently, friends from home came to visit for a night out!

While the semester as a whole has been one of the best yet and I have met some of the most influential people that have had a wonderful impact on my life, I have yet to explain the best part.

From June to July (this coming summer) I will be in Cape Town, South Africa!  While in Cape Town I will be taking  course while spending 16-20 hours weekly in clinics, hospice facilities and rural AIDS clinics working with the locals while learning their healthcare system.

I cannot wait to share these experiences with my friends and family through photographs and writing!

Further updates for the coming weeks:

1. Ballet Performance Group spring show, this friday

2. First D-DAY weekend, next weekend

3. My mom and I will run a 5k together next weekend as well

4. Summer begins!

Day 3 & 4.

Day 3: A Hand. Hand eating street vendor Churro's from WinterFest Weekend 2012

Day 4: A Stranger...Fail. I actually know this kid but must have been so tired and out of it to recognize him with a new haircut. oops.

Day 4: Bavarian Nut Roasters. These guys really were strangers, I promise.  However, they loved being photographed and I took 3094809834 pictures of them but found this one quite suiting for the stranger-esque side of the image since it seems to be sniped from afar.

Day 2: Words

Let's be cliche. Words are powerful.  Well, so is the way you photograph them. Take a newspaper headline for example.  I can read, "Happily Ever After" making one think of disney movies with beautiful princesses and princes or their significant other or something of the like.  Or, you can find a way to skew those words...A way to make them have a greater significance if you will.

 Day 2 of the photo challenge seemed to be more of a challenge than I had originally intended.  I learned that capturing words is definitely more difficult than it seems but not bad overall.  I apologize for lack of creativity.

Check back tomorrow for Day 3!

Day 1: Your View Today

So today would be February 1st if you haven't checked your calendars yet which means this whole photo a day (for 29 days) has officially started.  Day 1 (TODAY) I was told to photograph "my view today" and here is what I was able to come up with:

The new view of course would be from accepting a bid to Alpha Phi last night! How ridiculously cheesy you might ask, but oh well. I'm satisfied with it and promise that I will try to take more images with actual photographic skill than setting some lighting on my invitation.  

However, this is such a turning point in life and my experience at Rochester.  First I never thought I would ever participate in greek life, then I somehow decided to sign up for recruitment and by the end of the first day knew where I belonged (again way too cheesy). 

In any case, Happy Wednesday and happy february :)