Spill it Sunday: Taking over the Big Man’s World

Sometimes Arman let’s me do really cool things, like take over his link up for the day and ask deeply personal questions. Okay so none of this weeks Spill it Sunday questions are that personal, but they are fun and that’s really what this is all about.

1. What is your middle name? If you don’t have one do you wish you did? What would it be? I have the same name as about 75% of the Sarah’s I have met, Elizabeth. Maybe not the most creative but it’s got a nice ring to it.

2. When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up? There was a stretch where I wanted to be Belle from beauty and the Beast and I transitioned from that to Broadway star. Neither of those worked out for me, which is probably for the best given how well I sing.

3.  What do you keep in the glove box of your car? Not gloves, which bothers my OCD self on occasion (I like the names of things to match their purpose). I’ve got the usual registration and insurance, along with the manual for my car and a couple of pens.

4. Name one food that always seems to go bad before you eat it? Bananas. They usually end up overripe on our counter, which is how I end up hoarding them in our freezer.

 

5. What was the last workout you did? I did a quick HIIT workout yesterday before heading up to  the BF’s for the rest of the weekend.

6. When was the last time you got the giggles in an inappropriate moment? What did you do? This seems to happen a lot when my little brother is around, so I’m waiting on this one, no giggles since he’s been home but it’s only a matter of time 🙂

7. If you had to pick one song to play continuously in the background of your everyday life what would you pick? Porcelain by Helen Jane Long. It’s a simple melody that seems to fit a variety of moods and it’s just pretty to listen to.

8. What would you do if you got 25 hours in a day while everyone else was still stuck with 24? I’d set aside an hour to actually work here, instead of leaving it to sporadic chance, that way the blog wouldn’t interfere with living my life but it would still get done. That time would probably end up being cooking/photographing time because why not get an extra hour of eats in the day?

9. Pick a great picture of you/your family/your friends, tell us the background story of what’s happening in it. This was a family vacation in Seattle and San Francisco a few years back. My brother and I had pulled up some grass to eat our lunch and within minutes we were completely surrounded by seagulls. Thankfully they didn’t come for us (or our lunch!) but it definitely made for a great photo.

10. Whats your favorite quote/song/image when you need a little inspiration?

What song would you want on a constant repeat? What’s one thing that’s made your life great this weekend?

Spill it Sunday: Mom tells all

Good morning everyone! I’m keeping it short today so I have more time to spend with my mom (after finishing work, of course). But I figured since it is Mother’s Day, why not invite her along for all the Spill it Sunday goodness 🙂

I even got her to take a selfie for the occasion.

1. If your tastebuds could only decipher one flavor for the rest of your life, which would you choose?  Strawberries 

2. What sports did you play as a child, if any? In high school I loved playing tennis with my friends. 

4. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? What’s the strangest thing you want to try to eat? I once had a bite of a brain taco my friend brought to work… never again

5. Lions, tigers or bears? (Oh my) Lions(?)

6. What is your favorite restaurant you’ve ever been to? Wildfire, which is a nice restaurant by us we’ve been to for various family celebrations. 

8. What is the best compliment you’ve received? When someone compliments my kids, because it shows I’ve done a good job raising them. 

9. Describe your personal style (for clothing or decor) and why you like it. Anything comfy and cozy.

10. What is one thing you absolutely want to do this summer? Enjoy daily walks outside while the weather is nice. 

Be sure to share some love with your mom today (and maybe take a selfie). 

Spill it Sunday: The Netflix Duckface Brother Edition

Annnnd just like that there went another week, my bad. I swear I have all these wonderful lists and plans for posting each week and then something happens. I think it’s called life… or Netflix... 😉

I fully promise to catch you up on everything that’s been going on around here, including those long awaited waffles, at some point this week. But today is Sunday, the day of duck faced selfies and secrets with the Big Man himself.

This week starts the with questions submitted from other bloggers for Arman’s Spill it Sundays (maybe if I ask really nice he’ll let me submit the questions some week)

1. In real life are you more of an extrovert or an introvert? I think this picture of my wild Saturday night last night pretty much answers this question.

 

Not that I don’t love to go out for an evening of drinks or dancing, just not when I have to work in the morning! Thank goodness my weekend ABA sessions are done at the end of the month when I move up to the BF’s.

2. If money were no object where would you move to? Seattle. Hands down, no need to think. Some of my family lives out there and I have loved it every time we’ve gone to visit.

 

3. What are your hobbies besides blogging, food, and working out? Well I’ve been pretty open here about my struggles with my Netflix addiction... in reality though I like to spend what little free time I have reading. When I have more of it I like to get crafty making cards, wall art,  and photo albums, but I haven’t had that kind of free time in a while.

4. If you have a sibling what do you have in common and where do you differ the most? My brother and I have a lot of the same interests when it comes to books (he always makes good recommendations), TV (he shares my Netflix problem), and being active (though he’s thinking of a triathlon which is way beyond me).

As far as differences he’s a lot smarter than me, and way more outgoing, though I have him beat when it comes to creativity in the kitchen (plus I do a waaayyy better duck face).

5. If you were able to spend one day as the opposite sex, what would you do? Attend an outdoor concert or other outdoor event so I could enjoy going to the bathroom without having to wait in a long line for a sketchy port-a-potty!

 

What’s your favorite thing about your favorite sibling? Did you do anything wild and crazy for your Saturday night?

Spill it Sunday: The Breakfast edition

I know, I know I’ve been MIA these last few Sunday’s (heck I was MIA all last week!) What can I say the last few weeks of school are getting me down simply because they keep dragging on. Give me 2 weeks and I’ll be a graduate with a month long vacation before starting my real job… until then I can’t promise to stop being sporadic in my posting, but I can promise to try.

But I didn’t come here today to talk about me…

okay maybe a little bit, it is Selfie Spill it Sunday after all. But I really came here to talk about breakfast. 1st Breakfast, 2nd Breakfast, Brinner, Brunch I could eat breakfast foods all day everyday and be a  happy happy girl. Since Arman was featuring my favorite meal today I had to make sure I stopped by for the party.

1. What is your classic go to breakfast of choice? On a daily basis I like smoothies, well buttered toast, or granola depending on how early I wake up and/or how cold it is outside (I’m always cold so smoothies in the winter aren’t my thing). The one constant at my breakfast every day is a mug of tea... that’s actually a constant in my life but I always make my first cup at breakfast.

2. Favourite sweet style breakfast? I love waffles, pancakes, piles of fruit (mmm or waffles/pancakes topped with piles of fruit). I’ve been making waffles like crazy since I bought my waffle maker a few weeks ago, I’ll get to photos so I can share the recipe soon 🙂

3. Favourite savoury style breakfast? Omelettes!! I practically lived off the DIY omelette bar for college breakfasts and the love is still going strong. Eggs stuffed with veggies and cheese are also one of the things BF and I agree on for breakfast, and one of the few things he knows how to make for breakfast and I never turn down a chance to have someone else cook for me.

4. Strangest breakfast you’ve ever eaten? Post Easter last weekend I woke up and had a breakfast of ham, green beans, and a baked potato. I’ve had ham as part of a breakfast, I love potatoes as part of a breakfast. But eating them without doctoring, with a side of green beans and shallots was a new experience for me, and I surprised myself with how much I liked it.

5. Do you have a typical breakfast routine? Wake up, turn the kettle on, get ready for work. Once the kettle boils how much time I have left before running out the door will depend on if I throw things in a blender for a quick breakfast (~2min) throw toast in the toaster for a carb-o-licious breakfast (~4 min) or pour myself a bowl of granola and/or a cereal mess and actually sit and eat my breakfast (~10 min).

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to enjoy another mug of tea and some granola 🙂

Spill it Sunday: His and Her’s sweet and savory

Hey guys! Long time no see, and we’ll touch more on that in tomorrow’s Week in Review, but I wanted to check in quickly today because I haven’t linked up with Arman in what feels like forever!! And since it’s were talking about food this week (and everyone loves food) I pulled the BF in to help me answer some questions.

You know what else everyone loves? Selfies 

1. What is your absolute favourite strictly ‘sweet’ food? This is a hard one for me (I have a hard time picking a favorite anything!) I’m going to have to go with caramel. Oooey gooey caramel sauce on ice cream, in chocolates, on spoons… you get the idea. I’m really not a sweets guy, but I do like cheesecake once in a while. 

2. What is your absolute favourite strictly ‘savoury’ food? Cheese!! I know you can get sweet with cheese sometimes, but I tend to go savory with it so it wins this category. Spaghetti and meatballs! Especially my families recipe. 

3. Best ‘Sweet and Savoury’ combination? Sticking with my favorites above I could say Chicago Style popcorn. This may not be the best in the world but I’ve been enjoying it recently.  Salty, cheesy, caramely, goodness for the win. Does two different foods at one meal count? I’m saying breakfast combos like an omelette and pancakes. <— we do that a lot when we have weekends off together

 

4.  Favourite sweet recipe? Waaaayy too many to choose from! I’m actually going to go with my Cranberry Almond Biscotti because I was just thinking of making a batch this weekend…. I didn’t, but I get points for wishful thinking right?

 

5.  Favourite savoury recipe? I’ve been playing around with a GF meat free version of these scones and while I haven’t perfected mine yet, I’m convinced it will be the perfect savory food when I do.

 

7. The big question…which one wins. Sweet OR Savoury? With the exception of granola I’m a savory girl at heart, though sweet and salty will always be the best combination of foods in my book. I already said I’m not a sweets person so for me savory wins hands down.

Ever had Chicago style popcorn? Do you agree that sweet and salty is the best combination of foods ever?!

Spill it Sunday: Bring on the Fats

I have to admit the first time I saw someone talking about Macros I had no idea what was going on… my knowledge hasn’t grown much since that initial reading but I blame that on the fact that overall I’m just not interested. I don’t count calories or serving sizes or macros when I eat I just try to aim for a variety of foods each day.

That being said I love it when other people showcase what they know about topics like this because it feels like a chance to learn something new. And when Arman announced that the Spill it Sunday posts this month were all going to be nutrition based I jumped at the chance to expand my knowledge a little more.

1. What is your favourite fat source? I’m a big fan of my coconut oil, both in and on my body 😉 I sub it for butter when I bake, slather it on like lotion in the winter, and it adds a subtle sweetness to my favorite granolas.

2. What is your favourite nut? What is your favourite nut butter? In terms of raw nuts it’s hard to pick a favorite… almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts… I’ve never met a nut I didn’t love. In terms of nut butters though

I think the winner is clear 🙂 

3. What fat is receives unfair flack? What is YOUR perception of this macronutrient? I think fat in general receives unfair flack. If I were to actually go and crunch some numbers (and let’s be honest I haven’t done much math since college) I think people around me would be surprised to see how much fat I take in in a given day especially since I maintain a healthy body weight. Fat is not the enemy, and fat-free foods taste weird.

4. What is your favorite recipe featuring fats? Since I’ve shown my love for almond butter in this post already it only seems fair to show off my recent recipe which combines that love with my granola addiction.

 Almond Butter Granola for the win!

6. What benefits do FATS play in YOUR personal eating habits? I like to think that having some fat at most meals helps  to keep me full which helps me to maintain reasonable portion sizes. At the minimum I know it makes my food taste good and there is nothing better than that  🙂

Since it is Spill it Sunday I guess I should include the obligatory selfie

Have a good rest of your weekend everyone!

Spill it Sunday: Bookworm Confessions

It’s no secret that I am a HUGE lover of books (right up there with my tea obsession!). I even have a pinterest board dedicated to some of my favorites 🙂 So when Arman announced the book theme for this weeks confessions I was all over it. In fact I’m sharing my favorite post from that board in lieu of a selfie today, because it’s totally worth the laugh.

Sadly I’ve never read that particular book… but I have lots of other favorites!

1. Favourite novel of all time? This is nearly impossible. I’m going to say Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (never seen the movie but I imagine it won’t do it justice). It’s one of those books that hits you hard while you’re reading it and does it again with every re-read.

2. Favourite genre Totally depends on my mood… I love a good love story but I also love the richness that comes with well written adventure/fantasy novels, and everyone needs a good thriller once in a while 😉

3. Favourite childhood novel/Favourite teen novel- The Wild Magic quartet by Tamora Pierce. I was well down the fantasy rabbit hole by the time I read these in middle school, but everything from the strong female character to the suspenseful romance of the plot keeps these near the top of my list… and that’s saying something because I read a LOT of YA fiction.

4. Favourite Series? My guilty pleasure series is the Temperance Brennan mysteries by Kathy Reichs (they’re the basis for my favorite TV show Bones). My favorite series overall would have to be the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings for the sheer history and depth of the writing (though if I ever start the Sherlock Holmes stories there might be some competition for this top spot).

5. Which book would you hope future generations will continue to consider a classic? In terms of new classics I would hope the Harry Potter books continue in popularity as my generation grows up. Not only are the books well written for kids to grow with the whole magic of the series was something historical and I would love to pass that same enthusiasm down to future generations.

From literature that is already classic I hope that the works of Jane Austen are around for a long, long time!

Shout out with a recommendation below! I’m always looking for something new to read.

Spill it Sunday: Musical Chat Roulette

Good morning everyone! Looks a little different around here, huh? You’ll have to be patient with me as I settle into my new home here at WordPress, but I’m hoping to have all the bugs worked out by the end of the week 🙂

This week Arman has us basically playing Chat Roulette   with our musical devices… so things could get interesting. Be sure to swing by The Big Man’s World to see what everyone else is listening to.

I always keep my phone loaded with music because the commute get’s pretty boring pretty fast without it. I actually just stocked up on a bunch of new CD’s at the library yesterday so I’ll be adding even more variety in the next few weeks.

If you only knew: Shinedown, The Sound of Madness

Shinedown has been in my collection since High School, it started when I heard a song I liked (What a Shame) in the background of a Harry Potter fan video… yeah yeah nerd alert…  and I’ve since had the chance to enjoy all of their albums since.

All I wanted: Paramore, Brand New Eyes

One of my childhood friends has been in love with Paramore for as long as I’ve known her (and for a while she had the bright red hair to match). We don’t talk much anymore, but she’ll occasionally send me links to their songs on Facebook.

Renegade: DAUGHTRY, Renegade 

We’re moving into guilty pleasure territory with this one. I remember watching Chris Daughtry on American Idol with my dad, and little high school me just loved him! I’ve since moved on from the man but I’m still a sucker for his music.

U +UR Hand: P!nk, I’m Not Dead

The title on this one is self-explanatory, no? P!nk is my go to when I need angry girl music, music for a girl’s night, or a good cry. Seriously her albums cover everything (and her athleticism is to die for).

I’ve been: Original Broadway Cast, Next to Normal

Seriously it’s my Iphone, you knew a musical was bound to come up 😉 This is one of the best songs from one of my favorite modern shows. Go check it out, I promise it’s a goodie!

And I suppose since it’s Sunday I should throw in a selfie for good measure, right? It’s a comfy morning before work with my glasses on and my mug of tea. I’m also wearing the BF’s shirt…

shh don’t tell him I stole it

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WIR #39: The Spill it Sunday Edition

Good morning everyone! Hopefully you all are having a wonderful start to your week. Since I failed to get my act together this weekend I’m hooking up with not one BUT two link ups today. 

I figure since Meghan and Arman both love their lists neither party  will complain 🙂 

The last 5 places I traveled this weekend included: 

• Work
• Home
• Library
• Work 
• ISHA

ISHA is the Illinois convention for SLPeeps and for my first ever professional conference it was a lot of fun! I got to see one of my classmates present her thesis research, sit in on some really cool technology sessions, make contacts for potential jobs (yikes!), and gather up a bunch of free swag. I was also part of our college bowl team, and while we weren’t the winners our professors were proud of us for getting up there 🙂 

Seriously though the number of pens I now have is insane!

The last 5 people I spoke to include:

• The BF
• The Bestie
• My boss at job #2
• My dad
• A classmate who was looking for the Starbucks while we were at ISHA

The best part about talking to the bestie (besides the fact that we haven’t talked much since Christmas) she asked me to stand up with her in her wedding!! I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of her special day next summer (and to now have even more of an excuse to stalk her wedding board on pinterest). 

The last 5 workout I did include:

• Dance Party
• The “exercise” portion of an ABA session (which is me rolling my kiddo around on a ball, surprisingly good for the core!) 
• Yoga
• Yoga
• Burpees x150 (yeah not my best idea)

Does shivering count as a workout?! Because I got in even more of that this past week as well. You can call me whiny all you like, but I hate the cold, I hate the snow, and we have way too much of both right now. I mean you can barely see our mailbox at the end of the driveway anymore!

This is my “it’s cold and I don’t like it” face

The next 5 places I’ll be heading include: 

• School placement
• Home
• School placement
• Tutoring
• Home

Talk about wash, rinse, and repeat! It’s shaping up to be a pretty boring week. No crazy meetings at school, no conference to attend, I don’t even get a chance to see the BF until next weekend. It’s probably for the best considering the pile of online job applications I have pending in my inbox… but after the excitement of last week it still sounds kinda sad. 

But there are at least 5 things making me happy right now:

• Consistent internet access (even if I have to sit on the floor plugged into the router to get it)
• A steaming mug of green tea (you knew this was coming)
• A clean/organized room and closet for the week ahead
• Something delicious baking in the oven (there is a bake-off this week after all) 
• A whole day with the BF next week

The best thing so far about my school practicum (besides my kiddos whom I love)  has been getting to work the school schedule. While I’m bummed I don’t get a spring break like some of the girls in my program (1 of them has a whole 3 weeks off!) It has been nice to have these random days off scattered throughout the month. The BF’s new schedule is Wednesday-Saturday so when I have a random Monday off (like President’s Day) its nice to be able to spend a little extra time with him. 

This week I’m hoping to keep up with the workouts (which are feeling great), get ahead on the job applications (which are piling up), figure out a budget friendly V-day gift for the BF (I’ve got until next weekend…) and play some fun games with my kiddos at school (I’ve been pinning like crazy it’s time to decide). A quiet week for sure, but it should be a good one!

Spill it Sunday: Booty shaking and pancake making

Good Morning everyone. Hope you all are enjoying a lazy sunday morning of mad monkeying, pancake making or however you choose to spend your weekends 🙂

Arman asked for our musical confessions for this week’s Spill it Sunday which brought my mind right to Usher…

Yeah… this post is going to be all over the place… consider yourself warned!

What is your all time favourite musical artist/band?

This is a terrible question because my taste in music is almost always dependant on my mood. I love love love P!nk, I could listen to John Mayer for hours, and I think everything by Helen Jane Long is beautiful. 

 What is your favourite genre of music?

As if my answer above wasn’t enough to clue you in I’m really indecisive when it comes to picking favorites (it’s like asking me to pick a favorite book!). That being said I think I have to go with musicals as my favorite genre. I spent some quality time with Idina Menzel while cleaning up my pancake mess in the kitchen yesterday, and I have to say the chance to belt showtunes around an empty kitchen was long overdue!

 I grew up on with Annie and Joseph, fell in love with Phantom of the Opera and Wicked in high school, and I’m still adding to my list of well loved shows that I will probably never see today… 

Spring Awakening is one such show!

 Which musician does NOT deserve that title?

I’d say Miley Cyrus is the winner here… but then again we live in a world where Rebecca Black exists so there’s that. 

Sorry!

Most embarrassing musical admissions/tastes 

I own every album of Taylor Swift’s… right next to all my Linkin Park which makes my most embarrassing admission the fact that I never know what’s going to come up next on my phone. Or I could just confess my absolute adoration of Daughtry… 

Now that I’ve given  you a musical buffet shout out below with one song you think I should add to my collection!