Tuesday 3's

Hello bloggers!

I'm so excited to report that my friend Krystine was offered the position at the office where I work! She's starting out as a production artist with some copywriting mixed in for good measure! She just started this week and I'm so excited to have her as a coworker! This means I won't have to spend my lunch breaks alone at my desk anymore.

Here come the Tuesday 3's!

1. 90% of the time, I write in all caps. This is something I've done since my senior year of highschool and I only started doing it because a girl at the gym that I worked at did it and I thought it looked really neat, so I practiced writing like her before developing a similar style all my own.

2. A lot of the music on my iPod is actually pretty embarrassing but that doesn't stop me from blasting it during a workout. Some of my favorite artists that I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I turn up the volume when their songs come on include:

• Miley Cyrus
• Nicki Minaj
• Kesha
• Katy Perry
• A-Teens
• Backstreet Boys
• Jump5
• ZOEgirl
• Plus One
• Aqua Aquarium

3. Fall is my all-time favorite season. I love everything about it: the bold colors, changing leaves, pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, pumpkin-flavored everything, Thanksgiving, apple orchards, long walks while wearing gloves, hoodies + jeans, cute jackets, scarves, anticipation of the holidays, crisp air, soup for dinner, and carving pumpkins with Andy. Sure, summer is great and all, but Minnesota is hot, sticky, and muggy. You step outside and can hardly breathe. Definitely not my cup of tea...luckily September is right around the corner!

Alright, off to pre-marital counseling we go! Have a great night!

Do you anticipate Fall?
What embarrassing music do you enjoy?
Does your handwriting stay the same all the time or do you switch things up?

Tuesday 3's

Hi there!

I'm taking a quick break between working and heading to the gym right now. Well, that and letting my dinner settle--I'll be posting the recipe tomorrow for a great twist on a grilled cheese sandwich that you won't want to miss! We also picked out the tuxes for our wedding--I'm so excited to share our ensemble with you!

Last night Andy and I met up at the mall for a quick dinner at one of our favorite restaurants--Panera! I tried a new menu item: the lemon chicken orzo soup, while he ordered a soup + sandwich combo.

The verdict? This soup didn't even come close to my favorite black bean soup that I usually order.

(source)

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

A Mediterranean inspired soup with chicken, orzo, spinach, carrots, oregano and basil simmered in a lemon infused chicken broth and topped with a lemon wheel.

I got really excited when I read "lemon" in the name on the menu, but was quite disappointed after eating my soup. The lemon flavor was there alright, but the soup was mainly broth with a few pieces of chicken and orzo pasta.

Tuesday 3's
Let's get back into the swing of things with some Tuesday 3's--sound good?

1. I am very young at heart; I spent my Sunday morning doing the activity shown in the above photo. It's the little things in life...

2. Speaking of being young at heart, I also often eat like a 5 year old. Most of my life, I've been a pretty picky eater. Thankfully my taste buds have become more lenient over the years, but I'm still quite choosey when it comes to foods. A big thing for me is textures...if the texture is slightly strange, I usually have a hard time eating it. Things such as tapioca, shrimp/lobster/crab, certain rices, etc. are things I tend to avoid.

3. I often go on "dates" by myself. Don't get me wrong, I love going on dates with Andy, but sometimes, it is great to just head to Barnes and Noble, plop down in an aisle and catch up on some magazine reading... It's a chance to relax, recharge, and still be somewhat productive all at the same time. Win!

Off to the gym I go! Then heading home for some chocolate milk and a web layout project before hitting the hay for the night.

What is a favorite "solo date" of yours?
Do certain textures make you cringe?
Favorite thing to order at Panera?

Tuesday 3's

Hello!

Time for some Tuesday 3's to start the day.

1. I buy my food in bulk even though I'm currently a family of one. It is cheaper in the long run and I plan my meals carefully to make sure things don't go to waste. Sam's club has been my favorite new obsession this summer. Well, that and watermelon for 4 bucks!

2. This weekend I learned that you should not wait until the day of your engagement photos to go shoe shopping--especially when the mall does not open until 11am and your pictures get moved from 5pm to 2pm due to iffy weather conditions. Luckily I found the perfect pair of white heels after dashing through 5 stores and had enough time to show and get ready.

3. I can't stand having my toes unpainted and 99% of the time, I keep them covered with nail polish--even in the winter. This may or may not be in attempt to cover up some black nails due to running... The fact that I have ugly feet to begin with is besides the point. 

After slacking for the past few weeks in the gym department, today starts my journey back on the healthy train. I keep skipping the gym due to some insane migraine headaches and lack of sleep/energy and my body is definitely feeling it. I feel so much better when I'm on a regular gym schedule--working out actually gives me more energy, so it is time to get back into the groove starting today.

Do you buy things in bulk?

Are your nails usually painted?

Do you skip the gym when you're tired or push through it?

Tuesday 3's

Good morning!

I'm running a bit late this morning since my alarm decided to not go off. Yikes.

First up, it is my friend Kaaren's birthday today! I'm excited to celebrate with her tomorrow--hopefully grabbing some ice cream or something of the sort.

Ready for some Tuesday 3's?

1. I do not like mango one bit. Not mango itself, or mango-flavored things. I try to make myself like it, but there is just something about the taste and texture that throws me off every time. Instead, I resort to enjoying other summer fruits such as watermelon! I've been going through one a week lately because they are so good!

Holy dusty dash! P.S. My car was off--I don't drive on empty.

2. Whenever I have to run an errand before work, I always overestimate the amount of time I need--just in case. I hate being late to anything and it my book, unless I'm 10 minutes early, I am late. Is anyone else like this? I especially like to overestimate the time I need to pick up a coffee before work because I feel as though it would look bad to walk in 10 minutes late with a Starbucks in hand...you know?

3. Just to reiterate, I do not like bugs--and that includes spiders. Last night, I came home with a major migraine and was laying in bed, watching my show and minding my own business. This was the extent of my evening and therefore, after awhile, it began to get dark in my room. I didn't think anything of it because the dark actually was easier on my headache. While watching the show, I thought I saw something move in front of me out of the corner of my eye. I looked around and when I didn't see anything, I assumed it was just the screen reflecting in the glassy party of my phone, which was in front of me.

His glamour shot before I smashed him to pieces (source)

I shrugged it off and continued watching when all of the sudden, something was crawling on my arm! I screamed and immediately jumped out of bed and flicked on the lights! After some searching, I eventually found the little bugger and smashed him with the nearest object--my slipper. Ew, ew, ew! This thing wasn't just on my floor, or on the wall...but in my BED! The place where I sleep! Gross. I considered sleeping on the couch, but decided against it when I remembered how much more comfortable my bed is--and then proceeded to feel creepy-crawly all night...

Off to an appointment, then the office, followed by some pre-marital counseling!
Be sure to check back tomorrow for my friend Dana's guest post!

Has a spider ever caught you off guard?
Do you like mango? Or are there any fruits you don't like?
Are you generally early or late?

Tuesday 3's

Good morning!

Are you ready for some random Tuesday 3's to start your day?

1. As much as I love it, cereal doesn't always fill me up unless I pair it with something else. For example, I ate it Saturday morning for breakfast and was starving an hour later...I ended up eating eggs and a banana + peanut butter before I left for the gym since my organic Cinnamon Toast Crunch wasn't enough to fuel me for a workout.

2. I am 23 years old and still sleep with a nightlight. I'll admit it--I'm afraid of the dark!

3. On that note, I also love anything that has to do with kid's stuff: Crayola, juice boxes, Clif-Z bars, etc. The other night, Andy stopped over for dinner and while he was on my computer, I found some old crayons in my desk drawer. However, these were not just any crayons, they were scented ones! I immediately began scribbling on a card and smelling them before making a game out of it by having Andy guess what each scribbled scent was.

P.S. I finished both seasons of Make it or Break it on Netflix and need something new to watch in my downtime. Does anyone have any recommendations of a TV series on Netflix Instant-Play that I should watch next?

Favorite TV series? I love 24 and 7th Heaven
Markers or Crayons for coloring? Markers
Favorite scent? Chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven

Tuesday 3's

Hello! 

Time for some Tuesday 3's:

1. I do not like bugs. Not little ones, not cute ones, not large ones, not ones that fly. Not one bit. I also do not like frogs, but we will save that story for another day.

2. As the temps rise, so does my fruit intake. There is just something about the hot weather that makes me crave fruit like there is no tomorrow. I'm assuming it has something to do with the high-water content of produce and the fact that it is very abundant in the warmer months. Either way, it is delicious!

3. Andy and I love going for walks around MN's many lakes. We hit up the lake usually at least once every other week in the summer. Sometimes we walk, sometimes we run, while other times we bring our cameras. This is something that we have done together since before we started dating and we still love it just as much.

Where is your favorite place to spend summer days? 

What do you like to eat when it is hot outside?

Tuesday 3's

Hello, humidity! I didn't miss you.

How was everyone's Memorial Day weekend? Mine flew by but it was great having that extra day off. In case you were out of town this weekend, you may catch up here:

• (How To) Stay True to Your Workout
• Got caught in the rain
• Shared the second half of the My Best Friend series

Here we are already at Tuesday! It's back to the grind today, but it should fly by since I have a doctor's appointment later on to have my stitches removed. Now I can hit up the pool since Summer is finally here!

Tuesday 3's

1. I love lists and make them all of the time for work and personal things. Most of the times my lists are on post-it notes since some of my best ideas seem come to me while I am at work.

Common list topics include: 

• groceries
• blog post ideas
• to-do items
• priority of deadlines for projects at work

When I am at home, however, I tend to make my lists using a program called Evernote. This free download makes it super simple to organize all kinds of lists and information to keep you organized in all different areas. This is a great program and I'll tell you more about it in an upcoming post about the tools I use for blogging.

2. Popsicles are a staple of mine in the summer and it is not uncommon for me to eat 2-3 of them in one sitting. I love how fruity and refreshing they are on a hot, summer day.

My favorite are Edy's all-natural fruit bars, but really--any popsicle will do!

3. Rollerblading is hands-down my favorite summer fitness activity. Yesterday afternoon was spent rollerblading around the lake while jamming out to my ipod and enjoying the summer day. What I love the most about rollerblading is that I always forget that I'm working out. The time flies and by the time I am done, I'm drenched in sweat so I know that I got a really good workout in.

Are you a list-maker?
Favorite popsicle flavor?
What's your favorite summer fitness activity?

Tuesday 3's

Good morning!

Thank you so much for all of your feedback yesterday regarding blog content preferences--I will be working on adding these into my blog rotation in the near future.

Also, a few of you were asking how long my veggies in my "veggie bucket" last. If bought fresh from the store, they typically last anywhere from 5-7 days (carrots usually last the longest). On the final days of freshness, or if I can't eat them all and need to drag them out a couple more days, I'll fill the bucket with cool (not cold) water and place it back in the fridge. That usually brings the limp celery and thirsty carrots back to life. Good as new!

As promised, here are my Tuesday 3's!

1. Ever since I was young, I've always loved reading and libraries. In fact, I stopped by my local library last night and I'll tell you more about that in my next post. I love grabbing a huge stack of magazines or books and plopping down in a big, comfy chair for a few hours. I also really enjoy doing this at Barnes & Noble, too. The perk with B&N is that they have a coffee shop inside; however, our new library just added a Dunn Bros. Coffee shop inside, so now the debate of favorites is up in the air.

2. I love bananas and go through approximately 2 "bunches" of them each week. I add them in my cereal, eat them plain or with peanut butter, and toss them into my smoothies. I freeze them if they turn ripe too quickly and it makes my smoothies extra creamy!

Whenever we go grocery shopping together, I always beg Andy to let us get these mini bananas but he always says no. Aren't they so cute?! One day I'll convince him otherwise...just you wait! We usually try to plan our grocery shopping adventures around "sample day" so that we can taste-test all kinds of things while we shop.

 

 3. I'm sure this goes for most people but my boss and I were just chatting last week about how it is so much easier to get up and ready in the mornings when it is nice outside. When it is overcast or rainy, I find myself just wanting to stay in bed and watch Netflix all day. Anyone else?!


What's the best book you've read recently? 
Favorite fruit?
Any "sample day" fans?

Tuesday 3's (A Colorful Version)

Thanks so much for all of your help with the wedding post! It sounds like dresses #1 and #4 were the overall favorites! I'll keep you posted with more wedding details as they arise.

...So I just realized that I have been sitting here for an hour with my headphones in and no music playing. Classy.

Next on the agenda, Tuesday 3's!

1. I'm a semi-vegetarian and have been since highschool. I'm not all "letssavetheanimals" but rather, I just don't like red meat: plain and simple. I get protein through eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, and my favorite: peanut butter!

Veggie hotdog on the go

Snack plate for dinner last night...along with 2 popsicles, a cup of tea, and some crackers + cheese. Sometimes you just have to go with what you crave...

2. I love sprinkles and sometimes feel compelled to put them on random things.

For example, sometimes sprinkles sneak their way into my post-workout protein smoothies. Hey, once in awhile you have to reward your muscles for a job well done! 

Totally normal, right?

3. I'm looking for guest bloggers! Now that my blog is up full-force, I'd like to add a few new perspectives into the rotation. If you are any kind of blogger (designer, healthy-living, runner, or just someone who likes to post pictures and ramble) and are interested in guest blogging for me in the near future, please email me at lauraljr {at} gmail {dot} com! I'm also interested in swapping posts if that's more your style!

Any other semi-vegetarians out there?

What do you put sprinkles on?

How was your Monday?

Tuesday 3's

Yesterday morning I was greeted with a huge thunderstorm and it definitely started my day off on a happy note...I love thunderstorms as long as they stay pretty calm.

Anywho...I had a lovely night catching up over coffee with miss Kaaren! Things have been kind of hectic with holidays and things, so it was great to see her again! We usually meet every other week for a book study....more on that another day!

Are you ready for some Tuesday 3's?

1. I have a slight obsession with Clif Kid Z-Bars and usually enjoy at least one of them each day! My favorite flavor is honey graham--it's so delicious! These are really meant for kids, but they are the perfect size snack before bed or for instant fuel before a workout. Anyone else a fan?

Trick or treat!

2. Often times, I'm a little OCD... I have a hard time relaxing if the rest of my apartment is not neat and tidy. I think I get it from my mom, whom we used to call "Danny Tanner." What can I say? I like things organized in a visually-pleasing manner. 

3. Sometimes I do quirky things like put stickers inside my car. This little fuzzy guy lives on the center dash of my car to keep me company during my commute to work. I used to have a Nemo sticker but he mysteriously disappeared one day. 

Well, there you have it! Have a great Tuesday! 

What's something quirky that you do?

Tuesday 3's

Hello! I hope you're having a great Tuesday! Here's the lowdown for my Tuesday 3's!

The sun is shining and I am a happy camper. I'm so excited for a wedding-planning date tonight with Andy--I might do a recap post of it later this week, so be sure to check back.

1. While in college, my friend Mikayla and I once had a picnic at 8pm in the design lab at school. If my professor ever found out about this, he'd probably have a heart attack, because he'd always get really nervous whenever I'd bring my coffee tumbler to his early morning classes since food/drink wasn't technically allowed around the computers. Breakfast for dinner, anyone?

2. Growing up, I was always a bookworm. I loved reading and would often check out the maximum number of books that my library would allow and then read them all before returning them to check out more. I still love reading to this day, with some of my favorite books being thrillers, advertising/design books, and Christian non-fiction by authors such as Max Lucado.

3. I really don't like swallowing pills--especially large ones. In fact, I dislike it so much, that I put a womens' multivitamin in my jeans pocket most days right before I leave for work--telling myself that I'll take it as soon as I get to the office. Well, that rarely happens, and by the end of the week, I often have quite the collection of pills in my pants pocket.

3 random things about you...Go!

Tuesday 3's

It's time for Tuesday 3's again!

1. I could eat cereal for each meal of the day and be perfectly content. It is my go-to meal--whether it be in a bowl with milk, in a ziplock baggie as an afternoon snack at work, or straight out of the box while watching tv. The variety of flavors keep me entertained without getting tired of it.

2. When I find a new song that I like, I tend to wear it out completely by listening to it on repeat on my iPod until I'm so sick of it that I have to change the radio station whenever it comes on while I'm driving.

I downloaded a new playlist before I ran a half marathon last summer, and the first 5 miles of the race consisted of 3 songs on repeat before I moved on to the rest of my running playlist. Right now, my "repeat song" is "Get Around This" by SafetySuit...I LOVE this band! My sister and I discovered this band when one of their songs was played during the show "The Hills."

3. Really, the only color I'm not a huge fan of is YELLOW. Other than that, I pretty much like any color, with GREEN being my all-time favorite.

Tell me three random things about you!


Do you listen to songs on repeat?

Tuesday 3's

A trend in the blog world consists of a "Triple Tangent Tuesday," also known as "Two Tangent Tuesday," so here I go with my first one. What you can expect from these posts are 3 random things about myself or about anything, really!

1. 90 percent of the time, my hair is in a ponytail. I went the short hair route for a couple of years and now I'm in the process of growing it out for our upcoming wedding. Also, most days I hit the gym after work, so I don't really bother with cutesy hair in the morning because let's face it, I'd rather sip coffee and surf the web in my pajamas than curl my hair.

Right before Spring Break '08....Let's just say I was more than ready for a vacation at that point.

2. I'm a weather fanatic and check the forecast at LEAST 3 times a day. It is even worse now that I have a Mac with the fancy weather widget on the dashboard. I guess I just really like to plan ahead!

3. When I was younger, I was obsessed with dancing. Name a type of dance class and I have probably taken it or taught it before. After 9 years of dance, I took up long-distance running instead and have never looked back. Once in a great while I miss it, but nothing relieves stress like a good, long run on a nice day.

Dance team photos, age 15. So long, braces! Hello, straight smile.

What are three things about you?