honestly...: things i am loving lately

(alternately titled; that time i posted way too many selfies.)

i almost don't remember how to do this but here we go.

1) Salads. I have always loved salads but have also always been a little lazy at making decent ones at home. lately, I have been making sure to have butter lettuce on hand (makes a huge difference IMO), boiled eggs and a dressing that i like that isn't too heavy. the Tessemae dressings have been a game changer for me when it comes to making tasty salads at home. you can find them in the cooler of the produce section at most grocery stores. the only flavor i haven't loved is the zesty ranch.

-1b) also green smoothies...and by "green" i mean i put spinach in them. i'm going to need a much more powerful blender before i can add anything more green into my smoothies. i have also been having a smoothie most days too, usually for breakfast but sometimes for dinner when i don't have anything planned and want something light. spinach, frozen blueberries or a banana, pb2, ice, almond milk and blend. simple and quick. i was using a protein powder but i ran out and can't seem to bite the bullet and spend the $$ a good one.

2) keeping with the food theme, ICED COFFEE. obsessed with iced coffee lately. again, nothing new about me loving iced coffee but making it at home is a new thing. i recently bought this iced coffee maker for myself and love it. it is so simple and easy to use and clean. today i made a half caff mix because my caffeine consumption has been questionable lately. i also made some coconut syrup to add to it because my dunkin donuts almond joy iced coffee consumption has also been questionable lately. (seriously, it's sooo good and soo not good for you)

3) working out at home, specifically, the Beachbody workouts, more specifically, the 21 day fix and 21 day fix extreme workouts. now, i am not a beachbody coach and i don't get anything from saying this but i have really loved their workouts lately. they are a doable 30 mins (even my super needy kids can last 30 mins) and effective.

3b) the ymca. i know. i just said i am liking working out at home. i am. i am also still loving having a membership to the Y for the purposes of running. i know most people hate running on a treadmill but with gregg's schedule and kids at home all the time, it's my only option. plus, i sorta love putting my headphones in and zoning out on the treadmill without having to worry about where i'm going and what's coming at me. plus, running on a treadmill is easier than running outside ;)

also, on the subject of running, i am really enjoying running to worship music. i have always stuck to pop/main stream music for running and i still do listen to that often for working out. (hello JT!) but i have been surprised by how much i am enjoying putting on worship music for my time on the treadmill. so many times, i finish a run and feel like i have just spent time in worship and connecting with God. it's been so great for me. so maybe give it a try if you are like me and have always thought it wasn't motivating enough to get you through a run.

4) dresses. way back before a baby was ever growing in my body, i wore dresses and skirts all the time. it was basically all my wardrobe was made of because i have always lived in the south and there is rarely a time when it's cold enough that our legs absolutely need to be covered. but then, i got pregnant and honestly just found dresses so unflattering on me i couldn't handle it. and then i had a baby and everything looked different and i convinced myself that dresses just were not made for my body anymore. ridiculous. anyway, 7.5 years later..i am loving dresses again whether they look flattering or not, i don't really care. they are great because:

they are cool and it always so freaking humid
all i need to do is locate one piece of clothing in my closet and pull it on and i am ready for the day. add a necklace and i'm ready for something fancy.
they are so comfortable

here are some of the ones i have found for this summer