Good morning!!! Well it is humpday! The past few weeks have flown by, but this one seems to be dragging a little, no? I got a great night’s sleep last night. I am not sure what it was but I fell asleep at 11pm and when the alarm went off, I didn’t feel like I was too exhausted to get up. I felt great! Sleeps like this are few and far between so when they happen, they need to be celebrated!!!! Do you think maybe it was the chamomile tea right before bed? Oh man, if that is the case I will be drinking that stuff EVERY NIGHT before bed!

Breakfast was delicious, per usual! Two flax Van’s waffles, smooth Barney Butter and 1/2 of a banana eaten sandwich style.

On the side I had a clementine and come coffee. Looks at this delicious mix…nom, nom, nom!

Today’s outfit:

Blue velvet pants (Gap, circa 2001 ), White shirt (Express), Tan cardigan ( Jacob), Brown boots (Nine West).

In Other News:

1. Self Love Tip of the Day: Have Fun:

Yup, having fun is a great way to love yourself. Inject some fun into your life! Life is meant to be enjoyed. Don’t take it too seriously. If you find a little time to have fun, you will be forced to let go of worry and will have an easier time relaxing!

That was last self love tip! I have done a self love tip everyday for the past month. What did you guys thing of it? Did you like, not like it, not care either way? Would you like to see more monthly tip series? If so, on what topics?

Oh, I am done with asking questions, let’s get to the answering questions portion of today’s post!

Ask Me Anything Questions:

Q: I have always been thin with a great metabolism, so I have never had to worry much about my diet or exercise. But in the past couple months I’ve started gaining a lot of weight. I have made some major changes in my diet but I just hate exercising. I try but I just can not get into it. Any suggestions? Did you always enjoy exercising?

A: Well, I guess I have always been an active person in some sense. Growing up I did gymnastics and tap danced. I was a very active child in the sense that I was non-stop to the point that I annoyed everyone around me! HA! My bestie May and I were the most hyperactive children you can imagine and we fed off each other so much! I am not sure how people could stand to be around us. But, as I got older I did not love exercising, but I wanted to. I wanted to be active, but I had no motivation.  I tried running before and since I was not naturally “good at it”, I thought it was too hard and I gave up. Eventually, I stopped making excuses and just did it. I just started running, I wanted it bad enough that I had the determination to work hard and see it through and it was HARD! My lungs burned *remember -I used to smoke* my body fatigued. I just worked hard and now it is easier. The thing I love best about running is even my best runs challenge me, they make me prove myself and I love that about exercise. For me, it is never easy. So I guess in short, my answer is just do it (like Nike says) and keep trying out new things until you find something you love. You just may not have found what is right for you.

Q: I try to eat healthy but have a hard time cutting out desserts. Have any low fat options for dessert?

A: Absolutely! My favorite dessert hands down is a piece or two of a dark chocolate bar (75-90% coco). I have chocolate bars in my fridge for MONTHS, whenever my sweet tooth hits, I rips off a little piece and let it melt in my mouth. I also keep some dark chocolate in my draw at work. I also love frozen yogurt. Stoneyfield has some great ones! Another favorite is a chocolate vitamuffin with some peanut butter, it is like a warm cakey peanut butter cup! Drool…..

Q: Have you ever experienced disordered eating or an eating disorder? Probably not, but I’m just wondering. I was also wondering if you are at all or were at all affected by the media?

A: Actually, I think I have experienced disordered eating at a few points in my life. I wrote a very open and honest post about this topic that you can read by clicking here.

Am I affected by the media? Of course, I am! Anyone who says they are not is lying. We are bombarded with images of thinness, of perfection everyday and I think it affects us all whether we know it or not and whether we want to admit it or not. I will say it does not effect me nearly as much as it used it. That is due to work I have done on myself to love who I am and how I look. Do I have bad days? Of Course! I have days when I wish my skin was clearer, my breasts were bigger, my hips were smaller, my hair was thicker. But, those bad days come A LOT less often than the good days. Most days I look in the mirror and love what I see. I love the woman I have become in all aspect of my life. I love that I am hard working and intelligent. I love that I am caring and have a great sense of humor. I also love what I see physically. I have a strong healthy body that I worked hard for. So, yes, the media does affect me, but I affect me more

Q:What are your career goals? Do you want to have kids? If so, when?

A: Good question. My career goals are to finish my M.Ed and work in a High School as a Guidance Counselor. I am hoping to work in an Urban setting, but we will see what happens. I have actually not written about this or really talked about it to anyone so you guys see it here first!!!!! I want to get my fitness training license as well! I will need something to do in the summer time when I am a Guidance Counselor and have summers off. Fitness is a passion of mine and I think I would love being a trainer. I also would love to keep blogging and see where that takes me, who knows!

Do I want kids…well, okay fine, you got it out of me! YES!!!! I want kids (my friends and family members all over the internet just let out a huge gasp)! I always joke about not liking kids and not wanting them, but truth be told, I actually get really excited when I think about being a mom! When? Oh God,  I don’t know…sometime in my 30′s. I want to finish my M.Ed and work for a few years. I think Adam and I will know when the time is right.

Q: What is the big deal about Barney Butter? Is it like regular Peanut Butter? How much is it? Where can you get it?

A: Barney Butter is not peanut butter, it is actually almond butter. It is just delicious, it tastes very different than any other nut butter I can think of! It is made in a peanut free factory so it is save for those with peanut allergies. You can learn more about the actual product by clicking here.   It costs about $6 a jar, but is well worth it. To find a store near you that sells it, click here.

You can  submit an anonymous  Ask Me Anything question by clicking here.

See you later on today!

Tags: Almond Butter, Bananas, Coffee, Waffles