Hello!
Workouts
Tuesday – Rest.
Wednesday – 30 minutes of elliptical intervals.
Thursday – 30 minutes of elliptical intervals.
Thank you all for the well wishes and good vibes! My back has been feeling much better and I have started doing some cardio exercise to get my butt back into the gym. I’ll probably avoid lifting for another week or so, but I’m optimistic 
Eats
1) A big ol’ bowl of avocado, red onions, cheddar, chicken, and homemade salsa. Avos have been on hella sale for the past week or so and I am SO jazzed.
2) Chris has been really craving baked squash lately and we picked up a lovely little acorn squash, rubbed the inside with coconut oil and baked in the oven until it was sweet, roasty, creamy deliciousness. Do you eat the skin? I do, but he doesn’t. It was organic and I’m not gonna pay for organic anything and not eat the skin!
3) Cheesecake! Chris isn’t big on desserts, but he loves cheesecake, so I was so stoked to see this wonderful SkinnyTaste recipe. I used slightly less sugar (flavored yogurt already has tons), one whole egg instead of two egg whites, and skipped the chocolate/raspberry fancy. I also experimented with yogurt flavors – I’ve made this twice now, once with blueberry yogurt and once with peach yogurt and both were amazing.
Thank You
Thank you all so, so much for the support, kind words, and well wishes on my last post about feeling in a funk. I don’t really like to post when I’m feeling emotionally unwell, but it made me feel so much better to read your comments and remember that I’m not the only one who feels off sometimes.
You all inspired me to be take charge and I started a little secret side blog where I vom my thoughts and feelings every morning. A lot like how I used to journal personally, I don’t worry about sentence structure or sounding like an idiot. Putting things into words helps me sort it out.
I recently made a list of every single thing in the world that rubs me the wrong way in some form – ranging from feeling helpless and overwhelmed to getting a pimple.
I then made a list of every single thing that brings me joy in any way, like eating breakfast with my husband, petting cats, or looking at vacation photos. I tried to match things from this list with things from the “FML” list. For example, I hate when my bus is late, but I like listening to podcasts. It’s so empowering! Plus, who doesn’t love lists?
Do you keep a personal journal?
Those heart-shaped eggs are adorable! I love them haha.
Ha! Aren’t they funny?
I’m glad to hear your back is feeling better. I always love the pictures you put at the beginning of your post. The sky has been gorgeous lately, hasn’t it?!
Ah journaling… I love it!! I’ve been keeping journals since I can remember and I hop I continue to do it because it’s so … healing!
Thank you, Allie!
Yes, Pittsburgh has been giving us some really beautiful days recently.
I stopped journaling for a little while because the chore of writing everything down made it less fun. But, now that I’m typing, it’s much easier for me to get all of my thoughts out. It really is healing!
That squash looks great. You can’t go wrong with a little coconut oil too. I love avocados. They aren’t very good around this time of year though up in Wisconsin!
Our avocados came from Mexico, so, yeah – hella food miles
So delicious, though!
Acorn squash in coconut oil sounds so yummy and comforting! I just got over being in a funk and journaling also sketching myself happy and whole helped me a lot. Sending you love and joy. Love + shine Courtstar
Sketching! I’m so jealous of you artistic types. I’ve tried all sorts of creative expression, but writing is the only thing that I’ve stuck with.
As you know I also just started keeping a journal! It really does help. I considered starting a private blog like you did, and I still might because although it is nice to write with a pen and paper, it kind of hurts my hand!! And I can say so much in the span of a couple minutes that would take me soooo much longer to write.
EXACTLY. Oh my gosh, exactly exactly exactly.
My brain goes about 100 mph and I can’t write fast enough and then my hand starts to cramp and it’s not an enjoyable experience. But with my side blog, I can just type and type to my heart’s content, letting my brain unleash all of its insanities. It makes me feel SO much better.
Great idea with the journal! I hope it helps!
And that cheesecake sounds perfect! I will have to make some eventually
Thank you, Nikki!!!
I would definitely recommend that cheesecake recipe. It was so easy and delicious!
Oh yes, I may sound like a middle school girl here…but I still journal. I have a little diary, if you will, and I just write out my frustrations in it. Writing has always been therapeutic for me. Glad to hear that you’re feeling better, though! Hugs!
It’s so nice to have a safe place where I don’t have to worry about sounding selfish or totally irrational. Usually, seeing things written down makes them seem a little easier to deal with.
Thank you, Angela!!
I love the idea of canceling a bad thing with a good thing! Sorry you are in a funk, been there, done that – HUGS!
Thank you, Biz! I’m doing my best to keep it together over here
Glad you are feeling better
I should make one of those lists! 
You could start a revolution of bloggers posting theirs 
Thank you, Courtney! Yes, the lists really made me feel so much better! Problems never seem as overwhelming after they’re written down.
Your eats look delicious! I cannot stop buying avocados- yum to the max
My hubby isn’t a big dessert fan but cannot pass up cheesecake- I’ll have to try making it, although, I’ve never made cheesecake and have heard that it’s hard, hm :/ And I love making lists and think they’re a great way to get your thoughts organized. Sending many warm wishes your way!
I’m WAY too into desserts; it’s so unfair that our husbands couldn’t care less about them
I don’t think that recipe is a “traditional” cheesecake and, to be honest, it was kinda ugly. But so delicious!
Thank you, Allison
“FML” list…I hope you feel better soon
The side blog is a great idea and also exercising/ running alone really help me stay balanced. At least exercise helped me get through last week 
Sometimes I get into such a slump that I don’t want to exercise, even though it ALWAYS makes me feel better. Once I get back into it, my days improve hugely
I think that is cool about your what makes you mad and what makes you happy list. I think with my 1000 gifts challenge, it is somewhat the same thing. I think focusing on the stuff that makes me happy really helps! And I love cheesecake. Yum!!
Yes, exactly! Focusing on what makes us happy really does make other stressors seem much more manageable and not as scary.
Love your list idea!!! And journaling is great for the soul. And I love cheesecake too!
Thank you, Jess! I’ve been trying to keep it together over here
Keeping a journal sounds like a great idea! When I got stressed out during college, I’d sometimes open a blank Microsoft Word document, write and rant … and then delete it–it felt so good!
I do that, too! I would write everything and it was great not to worry about sounding selfish, childish, or irrational. So cathartic!
Keeping a journal/blog sounds like an interesting idea! I don’t keep a journal, mostly out of laziness, but think it would be fun to have a written record years from now to look back on.
I stopped doing a pen-and-paper journal out of laziness, but typing everything is much easier
I love baked squash, i didn’t know squash skin was edible until last year when T and I made dinner and his roommate joined us and ate it. I actually went on google to make sure it was okay, needless to say its fine to eat. I still don’t eat it but also tend to not buy organic. I don’t keep a journal but my new blog and connecting with other bloggers has been really fun. I find it as a great form of therapy and an emotional stress relief.
Yeah, I actually wasn’t sure if it was okay to eat or not. I figured that eating zucchini skin is okay, so acorn squash probably is also?
Writing is so theraputic! Things never seem as overwhelming after they’re written down.
Glad to hear your back is beginning to feel better. Be sure to do some core strengthening!
I’m all about eating the skin of winter squash. It’s weird, but I really like it! Plus, winter squash is one of my very favorite vegetables.
Happy Friday!
Thank you, Michelle! I will definitely start doing some more core work soon, thanks for the reminder!
I love the skin of most fruits and vegetables! Except kumquats – bleh
Oh god I love lists. That’s an awesome idea too, I’m totally in a funk right now so I’ll probably copy you! Also, I WISH avos were on sale here. And of course I eat the skin, it’s so yummy all together!
It really did make me feel better! It helped me remember all of the things that I love about my life, despite the stresses.
man that cheesecake looks good. i am glad you are writing more. I find that it really helps, even when sometimes the last thing you want to do is write. good for you
I would definitely recommend that cheesecake recipe! We love it.
I totally agree that writing things down always helps, even if you end up throwing it away.
Glad you’re feeling better, love! I really like the idea of making the lists of both negative and positives, it seems like it can put your world into a much different perspective! Podcasts ARE totally empowering! Have a great weekend!
Thank you so much, Alisha! Putting anything into a list always makes me feel better
I was going to say, “nope, no skin” until I saw the organic detail–Heck yes, I’m with you, if I buy organic, I’m eating it all! Plus I like a little texture with my squash. Glad you’re working your way out of a funk (I hope it’s involving lots more goat videos!) And are we the same person? I just starting journal-ing again at the beginning of the month–Real pen and paper journal, and it’s mostly just to-do lists and a few sort-of sentences vomited out, but it really does help me calm and streamline my thoughts.
Can you please send some affordable avocados my way?
Thank you, Allie!
I love when you post photos of your To Do lists; I remember one entry said “Lamp”
And I definitely agree – sometimes just writing it the hell down can really make things seem more manageable.
Also, the avos are ROCK HARD when we get them in the store, so I totally could mail them to you! They’d be nice and ripe by the time they arrive