Early Birthday Celebration

Helloooooo all!

As you may or may not know, this Friday I am turning the big 2-0, which is so crazy. 20 sounds wayyyy older than 19, so I’m feeling more and more like an (actual) adult. Since I will be spending part of my birthday finalizing packing (we’re leaving for North Carolina the next day for vaycay) and seeing a Taylor Swift concert later that night (eeeeeeee!), my friends and I decided to do a mini celebration yesterday.

We headed out 30 minutes to Westport for some shopping, walking and eating. I needed some tea, so we went to my favorite loose-leaf tea store DavidsTea. I stocked up on some matcha and an almond, cinnamon spice tea called Alpine Punch. I also picked up and iced Birthday Cake soy latte as my first treat of the evening.

We wandered our way to a few more shops before getting dinner at the Granola Bar. It’s a healthy, local and organic restaurant with a casual feel. They have a ton of breakfast, smoothies and, of course, granola bars that I am dying to try out as well as salads and sammies that all looked divine. It’s perfectly divided for take out or dining, so if I’m ever dropping by the area I’ll definitely grab some salads for lunch.

We started out with a kale artichoke dip that wasn’t as dippy as I expected and I found myself using a fork to scoop it onto my pita chips. But, it was still yummy nonetheless.

For dinner I had a vegetarian bolognese that was SO SO good. It was loaded with roasted veggies on top of spaghetti squash instead of pasta with red sauce. It had the veggie overload that I love and was filling but didn’t make me feel stuffed the way I do when I normally eat pasta dishes.

Afterwards we were on a mission to take a quick stroll on the nearby Compo Beach, which was a lot harder than expected. Almost all of the parking is for private owners or you needed a pass that was $30. We even encountered a woman that rudely explained to us we would receive a $75 fine if we parked. Come on — we literally just wanted to walk around for 10 minutes!!

Finally, we found two hour parking and got to walk around and dip our toes in the water. It had been hot and humid all day and we were in the mood to be by the cool shore, so it was absolutely perfect. The view was amazing and the houses by the water were gorgeous. If I could afford it, I would live there in a heartbeat.

We also did a little, silly photo shoot while walking.

(Excuse my strange, crooked duck feet)

It was a lovely evening filled with lovely friends and I’m so grateful to have them in my life and to share these experiences with them.

Where do you like to go for birthday celebrations?

5 ways to be less sedentary at work

My internship started this week and so far it’s been really enjoyable, even though I need to get up  somewhat early. It’s been a bit time consuming juggling it with waitressing and running, but I like being busy and I’m learning a lot. I’m mostly working with social media and writing a bit, so I’m hoping to get a byline in the magazine.

Because most of my work involves the computer, I find myself sitting for a few hours, which I HATE. I need to be moving around and active, so being sedentary for a while has me squirming. Since I have tasks that need to be completed, I’ve come up with a few ways to get moving for a short while.

1. Set a timer. By setting a timer on you phone or computer every hour or so, it will remind you that it’s time to walk around for a bit when you’re super concentrated on a project. It’s important to keep those legs moving every two hours for blood flow and a short walk around the office will freshen your brain and creativity.

2. Drink a TON of water. More liquid equals more trips to the bathroom, so you’ll definitely get moving every time you walk to take a leak. Also you should be getting at least 8 cups a day, so fill up your Camelback, tea mug, or sip on your favorite (healthy) energy drink.

3. Get a fitness tracker. Although they can be pricy starting at about $100, these trackers count steps and give you a goal to meet. Wearing one on your wrist can remind you to get moving, plus some of them even tell you when you’ve been sitting for too long — talk about a motivator.

4. Stand while you work. If possible, try and stand while you type on the computer or write down notes. It burns more calories than sitting and you can shift side to side on your feet while you work to get the blood flowing. If it’s in your budget, get a standing desk that will make it easier.

5. Walk to your coworkers. It may seem quickest to write an email or call a coworker when you have a question or need something done, but you could easily get more movement in by walking to their desk to talk to them. This is also a great way to build personal, face-to-face relationships.

A summer state of mind

Now I have finished all my finals, it marks the end of my sophomore year of college, which  means I’m halfway done with my college career (crazy, right?). It’s sad to leave the close friends I’ve made, my activities and the comfort of North Carolina for the summer, but I have some exciting things to look forward to. I will be interning at a local magazine and documentary company and, hopefully, will be babysitting and waitressing for some extra cash. I’ll be busy, but that’s the way I like it and I’ll get a ton of experience.

Although this year was filled with stress and some bumps, I really learned a lot about myself and what my priorities are, and right now I should be focused me. Over the course of the semester I stress ate, partied a little harder than I should have and lost the healthy mentality I once had. I want that back.

This summer will be a cleanse — of healthiness and of happiness. Without the temptations of late night CookOut, unknown dining hall foods or FOMO over exercise, I am ready to make a lifestyle change and feel better about myself. So I have set a few goals for myself:

• Avoid processed foods
• Stay away from sugar
• Keep my vegetarian diet and eat mostly plants
• Run a half marathon in under 2:00:00
• Be kind
• Love myself

By sticking to these goals I am hoping to feel better about myself, possibly lose a few pounds and be a role model for those around me.

What are your goals for the summer? What changes do you want to make?