I thought it was Monday…

Good morning ya’ll! 😀This was my view on Memorial Day and I had to share it with the world. Isn’t she beautiful? What made this sight even more insanely perfect was…Basking in the glory with my best friends. I planned a Memorial Day hike and a picnic at the top with my ladies to catch up since we all had the day off. Pure bliss.

What wasn’t pure bliss was the brutal 107 degree weather that nearly turned me into Akon. I seriously did a 3 shade upgrade. Another reason why I can’t wait to blend in Utah! Escaping the heat for a few days is just what the Dr. ordered. He also ordered my annual spring cleaning! Once a year I get fed up with things I don’t use anymore. Does that happen to anyone else? I start shoving clothes in weird places and not opening certain drawers. I decided to de-clutter and create new space in my room. Somehow I filled 4 trash bags and donated them to a clothing organization.

Felt so dang good and uplifting. Around this time of year everyone gets the “fit bug”, AZ turns into a thriving fitness community. This is what I see on my drive to work, home from work, and basically all day, urr day. Not mention countless runners.

So inspirational. I’ve started slowly incorporating more yoga at the end of my workouts as a form of meditation. I’ve been super wound up lately with my chaotic schedule. Taking time to inhale deep and connect with my body helps clear my head before work.I’ve been going hard with my vegetarian avocado pizza guys.  I adopt a new “food rut” each month and just go with it. It tastes delicious, I get used to a certain food budget, and I don’t have to over think dinner on my drive home. Winning! Tell me that siracha, avocado, basil, and nutritional yeast doesn’t’ have you curious. C’mon, go ahead and try to fool  yo’ self! 😉 I’ve been running and biking my usual miles at crazy lady hours. I am sure my neighbors walking their dogs think I am a lunatic by now. It’s not obvious I take pictures of myself stretching or anything. Especially when the beat drops and I am Jay-Z on the way inside the house…

Whateva. YOLO. #yaisaidit

What did you do this weekend?

What was the highlight of your Memorial Day

Anyone blending please say hi! 🙂

Thinking Out Loud #kabochaless

Hey, hey love-lay 🙂 Too much? Nahhhh

You know you have a total blogging crush when you type in “r” and spoons is the first web link to auto-fill in the search bar. #notcreepyatall

No caption needed.

1. For those who are curious  why I have willingly put myself through foodie hell, I shall explain.

Over the past month I’ve put on a little extra “fluff.” I eat to fuel my 4:30 am workouts, distance runs, and everything in between. But I think I’ve taken it too far with eating half a kabocha every night (no exaggeration) in addition to a full plate of veggies, and a loaded avocado omelet. I keep complaining about my veggie belly, but it’s actually caused some GI issues. Hence, waking up to run 7 miles on a full belly hasn’t been fun at times… And I actually got on the scale for the 1st time in a while and was like….”HOT-DAMN!” No major changes just ditching my expensive/heavy kabocha habit and going back to my old signature Panini melts for a while.

And no, I cannot eat a smaller kabocha portion. Kabocha is the air to my lungs. That is all. 2. Speaking of food changes, I am changing ALL THE THINGS. Err kinda. My food rut was cute at first. But now I am sick of everything I eat. This isn’t a good thing because I don’t want to be bothered with cooking or eating. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I live for the kitchen. So before I go grocery shopping tomorrow I am creating new snacks and lunch ideas.

Ya’ll, it’s so bad that I have been considered going back to eating meat. I’ve been pescatarian for almost 8 months. EW. Don’t let me do this. Tell me turkey pepperoni pizza and orange chicken tastes like dirt. I am begging you.

3. Life is weird right now. Anytime I am off from school I get “weird.” I only have a 1 week break (which ends Sunday). But I pick up weird habits. Like watching body builder YouTube videos….

Clearly I need a life outside of school and work. I mean really Ashley?!  I digress.

4. I need a life-size carry-on bag for the Blend Retreat so I called up momma oat’s to see what she had. Turns out she has a Roxy suitcase that can fit 3 minions in it. Does anyone remember how cool Roxy was back in the day? And is anyone wondering why my mom has one…It’s this one to be exact.

Wait…does this mean my mom cooler than me?! More than likely. I watch body building YouTube videos after all…

 

This is proof my brain is mush and I had a whole lotta’ nothing to say.

But I missed spoons so I decided to Think Out Loud anyways!

 

What are you thinking today?

What are you weekend plans?

Feel free to share your absurd kabocha recipes with me so I can scowl in the corner. Thanks.

 

MIMM 10

Hey there peaches! 😀 Hmm…I would probably never say that in real life. But it sounds darn cute right?! Add a little ole’ lady voice for extra emphasis on peaches. Ha, clearly it’s Monday and I need another cup of coffee. I wonder if Katie has found any recent coffee steals at Target. That woman can bargain shop. First off: Happy belated Mothers Day to all those sexy mamas! Mothers day calls for a gelato selfie with my mum while waiting in line for samples. Classy Ashley.

Marvelous was finishing my Capstone finals at ASU and reading for pleasure! I indulged in a relaxing read since summer courses start in T-minus 6 days. Passing up my text book for a little self help with Deepak Chopra was just what the doctor ordered. Marvelous is the liquid gold that comes out of this bag. World, meet Kahula Black Russian. It’s dark, deep, and rich. I add 2 droppers of liquid vanilla stevia and a dash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk to make it creamy. It doesn’t taste like alcohol or Kahula. It’s savory strong hints of caramel and mocha. Purrrr 😉 Marvelous was teaming up with my big brother to purchase our Mother’s Day gift. Mama oat’s has been talking about getting into yoga for years awhile now, so I thought a yoga mat and support block would help encourage her to make the first stretch. Ha, see what I did there?! Stretch instead of step?… I fail at being witty. Marvelous was running an impromptu 7 miles and spinning with friend Mikayla over the weekend! Marvelous was getting crafty in the kitchen after spin and making my pancake mix into little blackberry spice muffins. I was bummed that the little guys deflated after being exposed to the air (womp-womp). And yes, I ate the entire tray. Booh yah.The MOST marvelous was Mothers Day! Sunday started with gifts for my mom and little chat. Later we took gram & fam to gelato for a day date. Needless to say, I got my love for ice cream from her. Little lady annihilated her vanilla bean gelato 😉 Random marvelous-ness: Coconut emlusion for $2.99 at Ross! Attempting to shape my nails into “Rihanna claws” and giving myself a gold manicure. The smell of McDonalds fries distracting me a brother sister photo. The world had to stop. Those fries were calling my name. Please excuse my crummy iPhone photos. I was nursing a 2 month old kabocha belly. 2 nights in a row… 😯

Marvelous is my late night fro-yo bowl. I’ve been topping this bad boy with a chocolate mug cake, roasted walnuts, puffed rice, cinnamon croutons, caramel sauce and pb2 – for good measure.  8 nights in a row, I am thinking I broke my dessert rut and moved onto a new one. I ain’t mad at it! 😉

 

How was your Mother’s Day weekend?

What was the highlight of your weekend?

What is making today marvelous for you?

 

 

 

Sushi Tower

YO-YO-YO 😀

Erhh…sorry guys, I was feeling extra “8 Mile” this morning and blasted hip-hop on the drive into work. Nothing like Drake hands at 7:00 am, ammi right? This is going to be really akward if you’ve never heard of “Drake hands” – go read this article. #thirsty

Anywho…

This weekend I was responsible for dog sitting these two gems! They go by “big man” and “little man” *swoon*

It was weird having 2 puppies chasing my feet every time I tried walking around the house. I felt like the Kardashians and their fish pedicures. I had to be extra careful not to trample the little fellas 😉

How about puppy snuggles x3?! 🙂 I went to my aunts house this weekend after my long run (hence compression socks) and it looks like Dex loves pink just as much as I do.  Speaking of long run, Sunday morning called for a relaxing 10 mile run after Saturdays 95 minute ride. Lotso’ miles this weekend 😀 My legs were feeling extra crispy Monday morning. So I honored my body with REST. It’s all about being balanced and fit. I think I made my fellow runners & foodies proud. Revolving sushi bar meets 10 mile runger….Bring it.

12 of those plates were mine. And I may or may not have ninja-ed sushi and cream puffs from the other plates…

Like I said, runger.

The rest of the weekend was spent studying for finals coming up this weekend. Come May 19th I only have 4 more courses left until I graduate ASU! Fingers crossed I won’t have any exams the weekend of BLEND.  I will die if I have to sit in the hotel room taking a test.

What did you do this weekend?

 Have you ever been to a revolving sushi bar? What’s your favorite roll? Mine = crunchy California roll

Who else is taking summer courses? Le sigh.

50 Shades of Fit

Merp. Happy Friday ya’ll 😀

My lovely dancing bean Alison tagged me in Kailas 50 Shades of Fit. First off, I love me some Alison! So go groove on over to her page (foodie heaven & total cutie!). And forgive me in advance for writing a book on this tag. If only blogging counted towards my papers at ASU 😉 #collegelife #senioritis

So what is this movement? Check out Kailas post for details, but purpose is is defining YOUR fit.

“ Some people are just starting their fitness journey and others have been long time participants. But by incorporating fitness into their lives, every one is moving in the right direction and doing something positive for their health and happiness. The point is, what defines people’s individual fitness goals and standards are all different.”  -K dub. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Drum roll please…..!

#1. Currently, what does “fit” mean in  your life?

Woof, talk about a loaded question. I used to think “fit” was equivalent to having Michelle Obama arms and a 6 pack that glowed in the dark. Yes, glowed in the dark.

For me “fit” means strength, energy, and constantly growing and evolving from the person I was yesterday. When I first started running I thought running 2 miles was a big deal. Kid you not, I thought I had won an Emmy Award after I huffed and puffed my toosh down the street and back. As I grew more “fit” I would start thinking about myself in a past tense. I would think, “I just ran 4 miles, I am stronger than I was yesterday.” To me, that is fit. Constantly growing fitter, healthier, stronger, and evolving. Yep, and third person was totally necessary for all dat. Ha, dat. I digress. #whatsAmericacomingto #thankinstagram

#2. When did you initially get more interested in incorporating health and fitness into your lifestyle?

Alright ya’ll, who’s ready for trip down memory lane? I don’t think I’ve ever shared my fitness “past”, so brace yo’self!

I started incorporating fitness into my life at more “serious” level when I started competitive cheerleading in 8^th grade. I did that for 2 years, and then did varsity/competition cheer all 3 years of high school. After high school I cheered in Jr. College and was captain for a year before retiring my pom-poms for good as I transferred to ASU.Now if you notice I was a tad “fluffier” in my college prime (65 lbs to be exact). A doctor told me I was classified as obese and 1 burger away from diabetes at the age of 21. That is what triggered my interest in incorporating both health and fitness into my lifestyle. I did 2 diets over a year for the initial weight loss. Then I maintained my weight loss by living a healthy LIFESTYLE ever since.

#3. What are some of your favorite ways to get moving?

My blog  name gives this question away. Cough-cough, “Miles” on Oats! My passion is running. I’ve ran 2 half marathons, and average about  about 25 miles a week. I am also a hip hop dancer and have danced throughout college. Now that I am graduating ASU at the end of summer I’ve tapered back on dancing. Occasionally I get together with my some of my old dance crew to bust a move or record new choreography 😉Besides running I love weight training, cycling, plyometric training and hiking. Yes I am “that girl” busting out box jumps and burpees like a little jumping bean. Sometimes I get awkward looks at the gym. But decided to stop caring what people think about my “fit” 2 years ago. What? Only 2 years? Yes, even I used to have some insecurity’s with my body image and maneuvering around the gym. I am happy to report that self love, faith in God, and internal confidence have helped me 180 my approach to loving ME.

#4. In what ways do you inspire and encourage others to add some sort of fitness into their lives? + What advice would you give someone who is just starting their fitness journey and exploring what works for them?

Awkward turtle. I don’t put myself on a high horse when it comes to fitness. I consider myself a learner and a do-er. I actually blush (even tho I am mocha 😉  haha) when people compliment my progress and body. If you know me “in real life” you know I get SUPER awkward when it comes to compliments.

I enjoy sharing my workout routines and fitness recaps to hopefully spark a little motivation in someone out there. Just like I get motivated by seeing other people accomplishing great things. When I wake up at 4:30 am to workout I like to pep myself up by envisioning my long term goals and reminding myself I am worth the effort. It also doesn’t hurt to see what the people you look up to are doing for their daily workout. I follow a lot of elite runners and always get a little more pumped knowing they just ran 13 miles, I deff can get my bum up run 6.The advice I would give to someone starting their journey is never limit yourself. Never put mental blocks in the way of what you truly want. I used to fear running 4 miles. I built a mental fear that  I would  I would run out there and not be able to run back. So I kept working towards it, setting new goals, took it slow, and trusted the process and my body to get me there. Miracles do not happen overnight. But warriors grow over time. Think of yourself as a warrior preparing for your ultimate goal (mine was running). Pour your heart, mind, and soul into anything you do. Once you meet your goal, or even exceed it, I promise that feeling will be irreplaceable and beyond satisfying.

I tag my girls to share their “shades of fit”:

Aurora, @FitnessisSweet

Beth, @TheSmallVictories

Katie, @BlondeAmbition

 

What does FIT mean to you?

What is your favorite way to get active?

 

Some people are just starting their fitness journey and others have been long time participants. But by incorporating fitness into their lives, every one is moving in the right direction and doing something positive for their health and happiness. The point is, what defines people’s individual fitness goals and standards are all different. – See more at: http://healthyhelperblog.com/2014/02/23/50-shades-fit/#sthash.JpKGE8UG.dpuf

Some people are just starting their fitness journey and others have been long time participants. But by incorporating fitness into their lives, every one is moving in the right direction and doing something positive for their health and happiness. The point is, what defines people’s individual fitness goals and standards are all different. – See more at: http://healthyhelperblog.com/2014/02/23/50-shades-fit/#sthash.JpKGE8UG.dpuf

Some people are just starting their fitness journey and others have been long time participants. But by incorporating fitness into their lives, every one is moving in the right direction and doing something positive for their health and happiness. The point is, what defines people’s individual fitness goals and standards are all different. – See more at: http://healthyhelperblog.com/2014/02/23/50-shades-fit/#sthash.JpKGE8UG.dpuf

Friday Smiles

Happy Friday chickpeas! 😀 Wake up and smell the roses! Wait…I am sure that is pretty unrealistic unless you live in the floral department at Safeway. At least take a look at these gorgeous flowers I spotted on this mornings run Perfect way to start the morning. What’s even more perfect was hitting a new PR on my usual 4 mile short run without even realizing it. Hollah.

(erm..I can still say hollah right? How about holler- yep, er makes it more acceptable 😉 )Does anyone else receive life changing gift cards for Christmas (Whole Foods gift card) and nearly pee their pants because they are SO excited. Turns out they don’t use it until half a year later? No? Just me? Well okay then. #sorrymom #youdabest

❤

After my weekend in the mountains I was introduced to 2 products I fell madly in love with. Bubbie’s sweet pickle chips and Josephs sugar-free syrup made with only Maltitol. This was such a blessing since I have been trying damn hard to get away from Walden Farms anything. Then I scooped up my usual prospects which I was running dangerously low on: peanut butter, liquid vanilla stevia (for cawfee), and coconut flour.These all go into the foodie splurge category since they wouldn’t typically fit in my budget all in one swoop. I think it’s totally appropriate to thank Santa mom for the best Christmas gift (ever) and keeping my stomach happy.

Yep, I’d say this Friday is off to a pretty good start. It’s the little things, ammi right? Or ammi right?

What is making you happy today?

What is your #1 favorite product from Whole Foods?

Who else is has gift cards circa 2013? I digress.

Just Be

So where did we last leave off? Oh, that’s right, the day I packed my life into a little suit case. Friends, I had one of the most rejuvenating and freeing weekends. It’s been a long time since I felt so at peace with myself and my surroundings. I made an intention to unplug from everything and everyone. Sometimes you need to just be, and that’s exactly what I did.  Welcome to my weekend scenery! I basked in the beauty of Gods creations all weekend. I had no complaints about having no internet connectivity or a list of “to-dos.” I mean, how could you find any imperfections when your surrounded by lush red rocks and raw organic nature?  I hiked, ran a lot of trails, and touched based with my childhood when I stumbled upon these cuties. Totally picked one and put it behind my ear. Just like when I was a little girl 😀   Running in high elevation terrain was such a challenge, but it felt great to get uncomfortable and embrace rolling hills. It also helped that I had mountains to gawk at, beautiful white doves instead of nasty pigeons, and was exploring. I made the most of my hikes and tried to soak up every element in my surroundings. It’s not often we take time to pause and take a moment to admire a flower, historical tree, or groves in a mountain. Society has trained us to always GO-GO-GO. It’s rare to just be and enjoy life for what it is. Life. I spent a lot of time reflecting, journaling, praying, and being silent. I don’t even think I verbally spoke to anyone on Saturday, just the sound of my own laughter while watching movies before bed. I’ve been so consumed with juggling my full-time career, full-time University load, living life by a strict schedule, and pouring my heart and soul into my last 6 months at ASU. I needed a 2 day mental break away from myself and the world. As odd as that may sound, everyone needs a break every once in a while. I still did homework (because you can’t really take a break from school), but I didn’t feel the pressure to check things off a physical & mental list.  Don’t worry, I had these little guys to keep me company. Meet Zeus and Samba! Lot’s a cuddles, walks, and lovin!

❤

What was the highlight of your weekend?

When is the last time you unplugged and took time for yourself?

Thinking out Loud: Packing Light?

Man o’ man! Ya’ll, I couldn’t be happier that it’s Thursday because Thursday’s are meant for…Shoot! I am getting pretty good at those intros aye? 😉

1. Last night I started packing up my suitcase  for a little road trippin’ that I mentioned last week. Ladies, please tell me it’s totally acceptable to pack a carry on sized bag for a weekend away?! No really, someone convince me I shouldn’t star on the next episode of hoarders. I am feeling a little ridic right about now…2. I mean what can you expect from a runner? Hear me out. I need a running outfit for each day, different size water bottles depending on my miles, trail shoes, road shoes, a hat in case I go hiking, an armband in case I want tunes, and my Garmin (obvi). Totally acceptable, right? 3.  I don’t know about you, but I need to be prepared with an outfit for whatever may come up. I won’t be doing anything fancy, so 2 daytime outfits that are sorta cute yet casual (and my fedora, just for good measure 😉 ) I also plan on making time for self reflection, journaling, and self help with Deepak Chopra. 4. I haven’t seen The Wolf of Wall Street or Frozen yet…! I plan on winding down with these much-anticipated flicks before bed 😀 Girls gotta be prepared right?! Plus, I’d rather relax with a good movie that I can enjoy instead of insta creepin’ #letsbereal5. Since I was up late with a packing attack, I was flippen’ delusional for my 4:30 am wake up call. I wonder if anyone noticed I was wearing my pajama top in spin…. 😯6. Guys, you know that moment when you make the perfect cup of coffee? I mean THAT MOMENT where you actually make awkward noises from the depths of your gut like, “Mmmm….sighhhh…mmm-mmm! rummaaahhh“?! Yea, that happened this morning and I needed a mini photo shoot to reminisce on how perfect that coffee was. Step 1. Admire your prefect hazelnut, cinnamon, and butterscotch coffee that you crafted like a mad woman.

Step 2. Enjoy every sip and take a few coffee selfies because it needs to be documented for historical purposes.

Step 3. Weap to the coffee heavens when 1/2 of your cup is gone and you know there are only a few more sips of pure bliss.

Step 4. Realize you need a life and coffee is not that serious. Yep, I digress. But damn, it was good. 7. If this is any notion of how I pack for a casual short weekend away, I am truly terrified to see how I handle packing for The Blend Retreat! I may have to actually need check a bag for the dreaded $25 😦  Ladies…..HALP!

 

What do you have planned this weekend?

Who is checking a bag for blend?! (*crickets*….only you Ashley…only you.)

Does anyone else have a deep-deep relationship with coffee like myself?

Weekend Things

Hey, hey! Is ever too late to share weekend shennanigians? I subconsciously feel like weekend recaps are only acceptable on Mondays. Ermm…I guess I am breaking my own rules!

Saturday– So my whole “go getter” 4:30 am workouts are great and all, but they are seriously messing with my weekend goal. SLEEPING IN. Now that my body has grown accustomed to vampire hours mon-fri, I can’t sleep in past 6:00 am. Sigh. The only good thing about my auto alarm was I was able to wear leopard print pants to spin.I may or may not have pretended I was a Cheeta Girl when I first put these bad boys on. Who else remembers that movie?! #cheetasistas #idigressAfter spin I was ravenous. I had no patience for flipping pancakes or whipping up cakey oatmeal. Instead, I dug in the depths of my cubboard for the good ole’ waffle maker. Oh man, I can’t stop the movie references….Anyways, I made marshmallow flavored waffles covered in liquid gold. Had one two cups of hazelnut cawfee, filled to the brim with a hint of almond milk, stevia, and cinnamon for the win! I wish I told you I did something amazing for the next 6 hours, but what you see was the story of my life. Thank you statistics for the extra serving of BS due Sunday!

After lunch I thought my head was going to pop off. This called for an impromptu study break (aka, mall date with my bestie!) Oh, and a little Lulu action on the side 😉
Ironically I had will power at the NARS counter when I was mentioning how much I missed my favorite eyeshadow “Galapagose” I thought I lost 2 summers ago. I was rummaging through my makeup drawers (yes, I used to be a beauty guru on Youtube ya’ll) and DUN – DUN – DUNNNNNNNN I celebrated (twerkered) and sent everyone I’ve complained to about that eyeshadow a pic of my discovery. Then I caught a “beauty bug” and decided to give myself a fresh coat of China Glaze Dance Baby, and MAC holographic glitter for an accent.

Sunday- I planned for a 7 mile run and wanted to fuel up Beth’s way- mango!

I guess my updated running playlist kept me happy because I was diggin’ my run! I ended up running 8 relaxing miles.

The rest of Sunday I saw Noah with big bro, made zoodle soup for lunches, studied, Asian market, and grew a veggie belly the size of a Jupiter.

Would anyone care for a Noah review or my April playlist?

What was the highlight of your weekend?
What’s your favorite makeup brand?  Where my MAC girls at?! 😉

MIMM #9

Ello, ello my beautiful friends 🙂 I think it’s safe to say today is already marvelous since it’s a fresh start to a new week! I didn’t have too many eventual weekend shenanigans. I can thank the commencement of my capstone at ASU for that! Last week I started my capstone for my bachelors degree. With that being said, I think my weekends are going to be pretty low-key and mundane for the next few months since I literally live in my office on weekends.

Any other college ladies in the same boat as me? #thestruggleLuckily I have the marvelous app “coffitivity” to help add some background noise during study sessions. I don’t know about you, but I study way better in a coffee shop or on campus. I think it’s the background noise that keeps my own crazy thoughts from stealing the show and distracting me from my studies. This app is genius, it basically brings Starbucks into your home, minus the delicious coffee cozy seats. Oh well, you win some you lose some 😉 Marvelous is squeezing in a few study breaks to work on myself. Instead of feeding my brain with social media and creeping on Instagram, I decided to nourish my mind and sneak in some words of wisdom from Deepak Chopra. Reading a chapter a day and taking notes has really shifted my attitude and given me a more hopeful and positive outlook on areas in my life.
“You know that you have fully experienced love when you turn into love-that is the spiritual goal of life.”

-Deepak Chopra

Sigh, I almost got the urge to APA format that quote. Yep, I have a bad case of senioritis. Marvelous was waking up early for 2 rewarding workouts. Saturday morning was INSANITY & abs. Sunday morning triceps & spinning. Marvelous is facials with my mum! Haha 🙂 I walked in and she scared me with her facial so I joined the party. Nothing soothes the soul like spending time with mom. Marvelous is being thankful for food to nourish my body. I worked up a sweat running around the kitchen like a turkey with its head chopped off. Nonetheless, I’ll never take food for granted when so many individuals in the world don’t know when to expect their next meal. I have a post planned later this week on my meal prepping tips 😉

What is making you feel marvelous this weekend?

Do you have any study tips?

When is the last time you had a facial or treated yo’self?! 😉 If it isn’t in the last 2 weeks, get on that, now!