SENIORS! 2012!!

Hi Babes!!

I’ve noticed a lot of new readers have been stopping by lately and I wanted to give ya’ll a big Hellllllooo and Welcome!! It’s nicetameetya.  Feel free to look around the blog and read all about my views on health, fitness, blogging and life in general..I’m a happy one, just warning ya!

Anywho, today marks the very last day of my first day of high school meaning that I’m a…

SENIOR!!!!! Bam chica wow- talk about senioritis!  I’m only one year away from graduation and moving yet another step closer to achieving my biggest dreams down South…everybody, watch out.

Just a forewarning for ya’ll: This is going to be one of those “random posts” that doesn’t really have a topic and totally throws random information at you for a mile a minute.  That’s how I roll sometimes, babes!  So for my first piece of rannnndom awesomeness, ya’ll have GOT to check out my newest Costco LOVE!

ALMOND BUTTA'!!

Would you believe that I got this whole jar for just $5 dollars!?  You gotta love Costco, seriously the prices are un-be-LIEVABLE!!!  In addition to mah’ almond butter, we also picked up some chocolate Vitatops, (love!) almonds, (to make more almond butter, of course!) and tons of fresh produce that I totally live for…blueberries, cherries, raspberries, tomatoes, french greenbeans…yes baby, yes! You’d think that a wholesale grocery store like Costco wouldn’t have very good produce, but it’s actually quite stellar!! We got this HUGE tub of organic spinach for just $4 bucks. Deal? I think so.

And while I’m still thinking about it, I wanted to show ya’ll my new tiedye shirt…freshly concocted at my Cross Country “Girls Night!” Parttaaayy a few days weeks ago.

I’m basically in love with it.

In other hoopla, I’ve just got to get to bed soon because I’ve got another early wakeup call tomorrow. School. Who woulda thunk?! It truly is crazy how fast time flies sometimes.  I still can’t get over the fact that I’m a SENIOR!! (Can you tell I’m excited!!?!)

For those of you guys who read daily and were expecting a little sumthin’ better, I promise that a great post will be in your near future.  For now, all I gotta say is, I LOVE LIFE! And Here’s to SENIORS-CLASS OF 2012!!! WOOPWOOP!!

Be back soon, babes!

Love Always,
Olivia

Thanks Yous! And Ice Cream:)

To all of my Gorgeous Readers,

Ya’ll are some of the most uplifting, spirited and encouraging people a blogger could ever ask for!!  Really, the comments I received in this last post were so heartfelt and full of love that I’ve been oodling with joy every time I get a new one. (:  Considering the fact that I totally just made up the word oodling, I’d say that you guys ROCK!

*Little Side note-  Have you ever noticed that I use the word, ya’ll a lot?  Believe it or not, I hardly ever say it when I’m out with friends and family- it’s just practice for when I move down South next year…I foresee that I’ll fit in, beautifully.

I'm pretty sure people down South don't actually make this face on a normal basis:)

Anyway, this past week has been one of the best weeks of the whole Summer!  Even though I absolutely lovvvve my job at Nordstrom, I’ve had this whole week off and it’s been incredible to simply chill, hang with friends and achieve whatever I please. To top things off, I’m feeling better than EVER now that I’m stronger and healthier than I’ve been in months.  It’s amazing what a few pounds can do to a gal!

And now, ya’ll have GOT to check out this amazing ice cream bar my friend and I set up.  It’s all homemade and totally Organic…minus the oreos and fluff; you just can’t have it all.

Here we are anxiously awaiting for the ice cream mix to cool.

While patiently hungrily passing the time as our ice cream churned, we discovered a new thing on my camera. Whenever it sees a person smiling, it automatically takes a picture.  Weird, huh? The setting is called “Smile!” and for whatever reason, I can’t figure out how to turn it off! Suggestions!?

Now back to the ice cream.  First, we started by making a decadent Chocolate Gelato. (RECIPE at Bottom!!!)

I know, I know. This is an insanely gross picture with terrible lighting and zooming effects.  What can I say, we were hungry!

Then, we scooped it into bowls…

And PILED on the toppings!!

Hers + Mine; close call on the whipped cream!

Oh yea, and here’s our toppings bar.

Another terrible pic;)

Oreos, Sprinkles, Marshmallow Fluff, Brownie Batter, Chocolate Chips and Homedid Maple Whipped Cream!!!  Go Crazy.

Would you believe that between myself, my friend and my little brother, almost the entire batch was devoured!?  I kidd you not that we each had two bowls and piled ‘em high…it was Phenomenal.

(My poor little brother had to go run a 2.5 mile time trial race right afterwards though.  Poor thing said that he was so sick afterwards…oops!)

Well you’re all probably waiting for that yummmmay Chocolate Gelato recipe, aren’t ya folks? It’s actually a lot lighter than regular ice cream because it doesn’t contain any heavy cream- Just Milk!  That way, even if you’re not trying to gain weight, you can still justify eating two bowls. You’ll survive, I promise.

Decadent Chocolate Gelato

(adapted from Saveur)

You will need:

3 cups 2% milk

1/2 cup + 3 tbsp sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2  tbsp cornstarch

1 – 2 egg yolks (optional: I’ve made this recipe multiple times, and I think I like it best when using 2 egg yolks…it gets super creamy!)

(and an ice cream maker!)

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of milk to a simmer over medium heat. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa and cornstarch along with the remaining cup of milk; mix until combined.  Once combined, pour your cocoa mixture into the heated milk, and whisk constantly until it reaches a full boil.  Turn down the heat and continue whisking for 2 more minutes.  The sugar and cocoa will be dissolved and the mixture should be the consistency of thick whipping cream.  Go ahead and grab a taste; it’s fabulous.

Pour mixture into a large bowl and allow it to cool slightly before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for at least an hour or up to overnight.  I’ll be honest that I’m a cheater and stuck mine straight into the freezer for 40 minutes.  When you want ice cream, you want it fast!

Once chilled, pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers directions.  Mine took about 25 minutes.

Scoop into large bowls and share your joy with somebody that you love!!  You can even take a picture of yourself if you’re that excited for homedid ice cream.

I was.

Enjoy this recipe babes! I’ll be back with lots more to say and the brand new recipe for my Homemade Maple Whipped Cream, soon.

Love, Olivia. <3 <3 <3

Who I’m becoming.

Hey Friends!!

Why is it, that once you’ve missed just a few days of doing something, it becomes so hard to get back into the swing of things again?  Like running, for example.  When you’re running day after day, it becomes just another part of the daily routine and you feel lost when you’re not running. Well that, my friends, has also happened with this blog.

I love this picture! Despite the fact that it bares little relevance to this post:)

When I first started my blog, I wanted it to be a happy place where I posted all about some of my biggest passions: running, healthy eating and just being upbeat and radiant in general!  I wanted to have an open place where I could share the new recipes I concocted and talk all about the amazing workouts I completed.  I wanted to be an inspiration to all of the young girls, and men and women out there, who think that a healthy lifestyle is torturous and hard to maintain for an extended period of time.  Well guys,  I have to say that being away from the blog world has been one of the best, and HEALTHIEST things that I could’ve done for myself this Summer.

Allow me to explain.

Healthy Heart. Hearty Life. <3<3

I’ve always been a healthy eater, and I’ve also always enjoyed my fair share of sweets, too. I kidd you not when I say that I can eat a whole bag of chocolate chips and a container of Reddi-Whip in a matter of days!  But for some whatever reason, when I started this blog I started eating more healthy than ever before and definitely more so than I do now.  I was reading other peoples food and healthy living blogs too,  and always had a million “healthy” recipes that I just had to make. 

Unfortunately, the whole “healthy living gimmick” really seemed to have gotten to me around late winter/early spring time and, looking back, I realize that I crossed the line and went way over the edge of being healthy.  In reality I was only harming myself, badly.   I was eating healthy stuff- all the time, and I was exercising, too- all the time.  And when you pair that combination with the fact that I’m a teenager and have a metabolism on steroids, you’ve got a huge recipe for disaster.

I went from being a normal, healthy kid, to being this…

I'm pretty sure this was at my lowest BMI ever.

A scary, scary skinny…

Sometime around March.

…emaciated…

April/Mayish.

…Helpless little girl that had no real idea of the damage she was putting her body through.

I got to be at my lowest body weight for my height-ever- during this time period. I can barely describe the horror and worries that flew through my head when I stepped onto that scale and realized just how skinny I had gotten.  I had No Idea that I, ME, could lose so much weight without trying to; I’ll be honest that some very terrifying thoughts swarmed me that day at a mile a minute.  The worst part is that I never wanted to lose a pound!!

(Side Note- If you haven’t read this post yet, you  might want to.  Consider this post Part #2.)

Do you see how in all of these pictures, I still look happy + joyful!?  Those aren’t fake smiles people, I truly was happy… I only wish that I would’ve taken a step back though, and truly looked at my life through God’s eyes; I probably wouldn’t have been so upbeat if I had known all of the damage that I’d be putting my future body through. (which I’ll probably have to talk about in another post because this one is getting lonnnng.)

Sometime in April-Still full of joy! PS-Love the pajamas!?

Remember how I posted about my job awhile back?  Well thank the Lord that I’ve enjoyed working as much as I have this Summer; I truly believe that having such a different activity to keep me busy has been a huge lifesaver for me.  It not only kept me away from the blog world- and food photography, and all of the other weird things that health bloggers all seem to do, but it’s also taught me a lot about myself and the power in positivity.

First week of Work in June.

For those of you who are regular readers, (PS-THANK YOU!!!), you already know that I’m a pretty spirited individual and that I honestly just lovvvveee being Happy!!  I think that contributes a lot for why I wanted to write this series of serious posts- because no other girl should have to face the consequences that I do for such silly, fixable mistakes.

I am so pleased to share with you, that just over the course of this Summer, I have gained a whopping 10 pounds and feel better than ever!!  I’ve gone from that skinny little chick who craved salad and oatmeal to a much healthier, even happier young woman who craves chocolate and sunflowerseed butter to the worlds end.

I’m finally headed in the right direction, this time for good, and I’m never looking back to that scary child I used to be.  I never said I was perfect, but I know that I’m a heck of a lot closer to it now than I was back then. And that, is certain.

I thought I’d include my most recent picture- at a BallGame last week- to show off how far I’ve come already.

That's me, on the left!

Bigger, Tanner, Blonder and way better dressed than three months ago and I’m still working at it!  I’ve got a long ways to go to get back to my ideal body weight but I’m embracing it with Love and putting forth everything I’ve got to get 100% healthy again. If anyone reading this is going through a similar situation- or any kind of situation at all – feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment on here and I can email you first.  I love talking, but I also love to listen! Getting everything out there in the open feels unbelievable, even if you’re only confiding in one person.

And remember babes, there’s always hope for a better tomorrow, you’ve just got to start being proactive today!

Stay tuned for part #3.
Love Always,
Olivia

Quickie

Hi there!! I’ve been quite the stranger to the blogging world this Summer, haven’t I?! Well guess what babes, I’ve spent literally ALL DAY LONG typing up a super long post full of pictures and all things seriousness…consider it a Part #2 to this post, where I talked about some issues I had awhile back. If you haven’t read it yet, definitely go check it out. Otherwise, my next one may be a little bit confusing for you!

The reason that I’m not posting what I originally planned for the blog today is because I wanted…

A) to get you all excited for my next post! (check back on Thursday!!)

B) to show off the slick new camera that I got.  I can’t really take a picture of it, (ha!) but it looks like this:

Love it!?!

And C) to see if I still have any readers left- now that I’ve practically abandonded you guys!! I really do appreciate all of the comments you guys leave, and I might, hopefully start posting a wee bit more.  But that all depends on how well I balance school, Cross Country and my job-all at once!

Anyways, Check back on Thursday and there really will be another post up…possibly my new record for the longest post ever!!

Thanks for readin’!

Liv

Mission Trip: Maine!

Hey Babes!! How’re ya’ll doing!? I realize I’ve been lacking in the postage department of my blog lately; I hope you’re all still with me! Let’s just say that this Summer has been CRAZY!! (in the best possible way!)

So for today’s post, I thought I would share about one incredible opportunity I’ve had recently; to travel with my youth group on a mission trip up in…

MAINE!!!  It took a car, an airplane, an 8-15 passenger van, and lots of feet to get all 79 of us there..but we did it!  Wow. It truly was the most inspiring & powerful trip; I don’t even know where to begin describing!

Oh, I can tell you where the picture above is from! It was outside a nursing home up in Winthrop, Maine- (where we were staying!) that some of us went to hang with the old people and pay them a much deserved visit.  I only went for a morning, but we got to play Cornhole with them and cheer ridiculously loudly when they got a hole.  It was absolutely darling; some of these people suffered from Alzheimers and other disabilities that prevented them from playing the game how a group of teenagers naturally would, but they’d show so much enthusiasm when they finally got a point, you just couldn’t help but smile as you built a special bond with many of the individuals there.

That's what cornhole looks like, for those of you who didn't know it!

Another task I worked on while on the trip was- Painting! (which I absolutely LOVE!!)

A group of us met at the house of a woman who had recently experienced some life changing events and truly needed some helping hands.  Her husband had been a hoarder and collected all kinds of random stuff…lots of old books and magazines, especially.  Six months ago, he died and left in her possession- 2 mentally challenged children and a house full of junk that she never really wanted.  This woman was also pretty religious which, in all honestly, was probably what helped get her through her hard times the most.

We cleaned up a lot of the inside of her house, and also fixed up the outside, too.  Paint scraping, repainting and repairing windows were some of the things that were completed, among others. I attempted to cut a piece of plexiglass to replace a broken window, (explaining the glasses!) but ended up breaking it and relinquishing that duty to someone else…back to painting for me! Let’s just say, the clothes I had been wearing are now…trashed.

Aside from working, we also took a day off to travel to the coast; which was absolutely gorgeous!!  I had never before been to a rocky beach like the one we visited, but I loved every moment of it and just hearing the sound of the waves was incredible. I love the Ocean!

That’s me on the left. Can you tell!? (I was having a really good hairday that day- a stroke of luck!) And just look at that amazing scenary…it made the 1 1/2 hour drive to get there totally worth it, for sure.

And when you hear the words beach and Maine together, what do you think of? Well I don’t know about all ya’ll, (is that even proper grammar!?), but I think about fresh, tasty LOBSTER, of course!

We stopped in at a Lobster shack for lunch and were given the option to eat a grilled cheese (blah) or a whole Lobster! I think it’s safe to say the Lobster was my first choice.

And the best part about our lunch was that only 3 of the 10ish people I was eating with got Lobster…and none of them had tried it before!  I took the role of “mom” and showed them how to crack the tails, scoop the meat out and dip it into that bomb melted butter. The expressions and looks of disgust from some of my friends were absolutely priceless, (although I do feel bad for the vegetarian at my table who looked like she was grossed out beyond belief!)

I’m really not sure why wordpress decides to make some pictures much larger than the others…even when they’re all set to the same size!  Oh! and for the record, I can safely say that of the three people who tried the lobster, none of them will be ordering a whole one anytime soon.  Let’s just say 3 lobsters made their way into my belly that day.

Anyways, there’s one more cool thing that I got to do on my trip and wanted to share with ya’ll.

Any guesses as to what I’m talking about!?  We worked in a food bank, of course!

One of the tasks was pretty repetitive and involved filling bag after bag with staple products (like rice and peanut butter) and sealing them up to be shipped off to people who needed some nutritional supplements.  From what I was told, the majority of consumers were elderly people, but they also had a program set up for pregnant mothers, too.

The other thing…was quite different. It involved meat; frozen meat.

We had to sort through box after box of frozen meat products, and discard all of the green, rancid pieces.  Most of the meat was donated from various restaurants and grocery chains, meaning much of it was well past its’ expiration date and, let’s just say…it wasn’t all pretty! I’ll spare you the photographs.

The Whole Group!!

(Can you spot me? It’s Where’s Waldo all over again!)

There was obviously much more to the trip then just work and Lobster! I really enjoyed bonding with so many different types of people and having the opportunity to get closer to even my closest of friends.  For those of you who have never been on a mission trip or similar experience, I would totally recommend it, 100%. It’s long, tiresome and exhausting at times, but you leave with an incredible feeling of ready to be home. Seriously, the moment I walked in through the front door of my house it was like, Ahhh, home, sweet home.

And instead of showing a picture of my beautiful house to wrap this post up, I thought I’d show off the cutest little ice cream sample EVER!

Don’t even tell me that baby cone isn’t the cutest thing you ever saw!  It was from an awesome ice cream shop called Tubbys, that had ridiculously good ice creams…and I mean, ridiculously good! *PS-If you go there, you have to get the Cookies + Cream ice cream bowl…with chocolate, of course. Chocolate + Oreos = You won’t be sorry!

So that’s where I’ve been for the past week; hopefully you guys all want to go on a trip like this someday now, too! Hope ya’ll enjoyed this post! TTYL!

XOXO
Olivia