Home Sweet Home

Thursday:

Beautiful sunrise run…first at the beach

and then along the Watercolor trails and boardwalks!

The downside to Jason returning home before me…He sent me this picture of the mail I received while on vacation.  Busted.

After my run, I had another breakfast on the Fish Out of Water patio.  The view and my fruit bowl were gorgeous!

I opted for the adult pool after breakfast.  The Watercolor Inn Beach Club is full of energy and this pool provides a nice quiet spot to relax.

And then, it was time to pack and head home, but not before one last picture from my balcony.

I basically packed a bucket of pineapple for the drive home. I also found a Smoothie King (they have vegan options).

Friday: National Donut Day!

Coincidence?  I think not.

What better way to kickoff donut day than with a gym workout followed by a green smoothie!  I am loving the New Balance Ice Graphic Tunic and 876 seemed like a fun number to run.  Take that OCD runners!

Bye, bye sand.  A much needed carwash.

I have been taking dates with me to snack on throughout the day.  One date really fixes my sweet tooth!

And, the main reason I came home (other than seeing my husband!) was to pickup my race bib for this weekend’s Franklin Half Marathon!  I’m joining friends and using it as a training run.  It’s always a super hot/hilly race.  I would never choose it as a goal race, but it’s fun to support a local run with friends!

After lots of yummy vacation food, I opted to skip the donuts.  It’s all about balance and I had my fair share of sweets over the last week.

Do you enjoy just running races for fun with friends or does your competitive spirit kick in?

Did you celebrate donut day?  What kind and from where? Obviously, I’m living vicariously!

After vacations, do you feel the need to “reign it in” and eat a little healthier?

Happy Weekend and Choose Joy!

The Friday Five

1.  Happy National Donut Day!!  Both Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts are giving away free donuts.

2.  Coola Sport spf30 Pina Colada Sunscreen Spray.  It’s organic, vegan, cruelty-free, and you get to smell like a cocktail!

3.  I am loving the new Picky Bar flavor, Ah Fudge Nuts!

4.  I enjoy following Annie Jaffrey’s beauty vlog.  She recommended Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia perfume and I’m so glad I ordered a bottle.  Gardenia is one of my favorite scents, it’s 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and affordable.

5.  Every time I wear the Lacie shorts from Lilly Pulitzer, I get compliments.  Lilly just brought them back (they’ve been sold out for a while) and I made sure to order another back-up pair.  They’re also super comfortable with an elastic waist band.

Happy Friday and Choose Joy!!!

My husband left me…at the beach.

I hope you had a very Happy National Running Day!!!!  I loved reading everyone posts about why they run…so inspiring!

Annie at TheLittleGSP.com pointed out that I never explained where 30A is…oops!  I’ve been hanging out on the Florida panhandle.  Scenic highway 30a is between Panama City and Destin.  It’s comprised of a bunch of little beach towns.

Wednesday:

The sunrise was gorgeous!!

Jason and I went swimming in the ocean (aka nature’s shower) after our run.

All washed up!  This was my not-so-graceful exit from the ocean.  Big thanks to Jason for catching this gem!

We went back to the Fish Out Of Water patio for breakfast.  They have THE BEST french toast that I’ve ever head in my life.  If you’re on 30A, you must try it.  I’m going to recreate it when I get home!

Then the leaving part…We were supposed to check out and head home, but I wasn’t ready.  Jason needed to get back for work, so he left and I stayed.  I seriously have the greatest husband!

Post-breakfast pool time!

Bike ride…

Lunch at Raw and Juicy (green smoothie, chia pudding, and coconut macaroons!)

Shopping in Seaside

Balcony coffee time.

Random dinner (salad, sweet potato fries, and fried green tomatoes) on the Great Southern patio

A big perk to staying at the Watercolor Inn: They deliver cookies to your room every night during turn down service…yum!

And, I totally forgot to post our turtle rescue from a couple of days ago.  Jason decided to shoot a play-by-play.  Look how big he/she is…so cool!!!

Do you ever just order random items off the menu that don’t go together?  Sometimes I just want what I want.

Do you have a sweet tooth before bed?  Those cookies don’t stand a chance with me.  They’re gone in a minute.

Rank in order of your favorite to least favorite…french toast, pancakes, waffles.  For me, it’s waffles, french toast, and then pancakes.  (Except with this french toast.  It always wins!)

#choosejoy

I’m not going home.

Tuesday:

We kicked off the day by heading to Justin Gaffrey’s gallery.  Jason got me one of his paintings for Valentine’s Day this year.  I’m a big fan!  You can see my painting in THIS POST!

We had breakfast on the patio at Fish Out Of Water.

We put in a little morning pool time….

Until some rain moved in.  Us, an umbrella, and a rain storm shenanigans.

For lunch we had a giant bowl of guacamole…and other food too, but it wasn’t near as exciting!!!

We did a little shopping and hopped on our bikes for an afternoon ride.  I love vacations where we don’t have to get in our car!!

Followed by a walk over to Seaside for dinner.  (Gross random note:  This was the first time I showered all day.  The ocean and swimming pool count for something, right?!)

Are you wearing jumpsuits and/or rompers?  I LOVE them!

Do you have any special plans for National Running Day?

Do you count the ocean or swimming pool as “bathing” during vacation?  (Don’t judge me!  I did eventually shower.)

#choosejoy

May Miles in 30A!

Another month is in the books!

May Miles: 343.  YTD: 1,571

Monday:

A bunch of Instagram runners wore orange for their run in honor of  @shanloves2run who lost her brother last week.  Everyone used the hashtag #runnerorange…pretty cool way to send some love her way.

We spent the morning exploring the Watersound dunes.  Beautiful!

Breakfast was at Raw and Juicy in Seaside!

Followed by a peaceful walk on the beach.

And pool time!

Where we were joined by this little guy…or girl.

The afternoon brought off and on showers, so we headed out for some retail therapy….first at Beau (my favorite home goods store).

And then Rosemary Beach!

For dinner, we had Italian at Borago.

I have a big crush on their Wild Mushroom Ravioli.

We walked over to Seaside to watch the sunset.  The clouds were crazy!

What do you like to do on rainy days at the beach?

Are you a mushroom lover?

How was your Monday?

#choosejoy

Another Trail Run is in the Books!

Thursday:

Great run with the Brentwood Breakfast Club!

Yes, her name is Jen too.  Yes, we regularly wear the same clothes to group runs!  This was the second time in two weeks.

Jason and I are getting ready to head to the beach.  That calls for a pedicure.

It was National Burger Day, so of course I celebrated with a Veggie Burger for dinner.

For dessert I heated up a packet of San Clemente Cookie Dough to make a gooey partially baked cookie…so good!

Friday:

Because we’re about to head out of town, I moved my long run up a day.  My sweet friends joined me in the woods.  🙂

It was the hottest, most humid run I’ve had so far this year.  We got to see the coolest owl!!  (Thanks to fellow Dirtbag, Jennifer for taking a great picture!)

I was definitely a muddy mess by the end.

I must have lost a lot of salt, because I was craving avocado rolls and stir-fried tofu for dinner.

What type of wildlife do you typically see on your runs?  What’s the craziest animal you’ve seen on a run?  I usually see deer, chipmunks, squirrels, but rarely do I get to see an owl up close.  Sometimes I see snakes…oh and once we saw two bobcats!

Do you have any summer vacation plans?  Where to?  

Are you racing or running long this weekend?  Share!

Sushi…yay or nay?  What’s your go-to order at a sushi restaurant?  

Happy Weekend and Choose Joy!

The Friday Five

1.  I bought a New Balance Ice Graphic Tunic at the Boston Expo.  I have worn it so much that I went ahead and ordered it in another color.  (They run big.  I wear an XS and it’s still loose.)

2.  Mantra Bands.  I LOVE these bracelets.  Obviously, I’m partial to the Choose Joy, but they have so many wonderful options!!

3.  R8 Roll Recovery.  After numerous recommendations, I finally bought an R8 Roller.  It’s so nice not having to contort my body to try and foam roll areas like my inner thighs.  Plus, it’s actually small enough to pack in my suitcase when I travel for destination races!

4.  Amphipod Hydraform Jett-Lite Thermal Running Water Bottle 20oz.  Amphipod has redesigned their handhelds and with some terrific updates.  I especially like that they replaced the pop top with a Jett Squeeze cap.  It’s easy to drink on the run and so much easier to clean.

5.  Friday feel good…Senior Class Donates $8000 to Principal Battling Cancer

Happy Friday and Choose Joy!

Simple Grilled Brussels Sprouts

This is a super simple and delicious way to grill Brussels sprouts! It’s the perfect side dish for your summer barbecue.

While the grill is heating up, halve all the fresh brussels sprouts and place them in a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.  Let this marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Throw all the sprouts into a grill basket and grill on low for about 40-45 minutes.

Stir occasionally. The outer edges will start to brown. (I love the brown crispy edges best!)

Remove and serve.  Optional garnish: Grated Parmesan cheese and/or lemon juice.  I like to grill my lemon first and then drizzle the juice over the cooked Brussels Sprouts.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds Brussels Sprouts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic; minced
salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnish: Grated Parmesan cheese and/or 1 grilled lemon

Instructions:

Clean, trim, and slice your brussels sprouts in half.

While the grill is heating up, clean, trim, and slice your Brussels sprouts in half.  Place them in a large bowl.  Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Let this marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Throw all the sprouts into a grill basket and grill on low for about 40-45 minutes. Stir occasionally. The outer edges will start to brown.

After the 45 minutes or so, place them in a large bowl serve and garnish if desired with Parmesan cheese and/or grilled lemon**.

**Slice lemon in half and grill cut side down for about 2 minutes.

#choosejoy

Related Recipes:

Lemon Grilled Asparagus

Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries

Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad

Three Day Weekend Wrap-Up

Saturday:

Pre-run coffee in my Boston mug.

On Friday, I ran a 4 hour trail run.  Saturday, I joined Jason and ran a little over 2 hours to practice running on tired legs.  I don’t focus on pace when I trail run, but I’ve had quite a few folks ask about it.  I’m definitely a lot slower on the trails!

When I got home, I made a dateorade.  It’s creamy, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon goodness!  It’s also vegan and raw!

I was craving salt, so we headed to Chuy’s for lunch.  I promise there’s a salad in that bowl!

Sunday:

First person in an empty gym and a recovery run on the treadmill…

Yes, I was listening to T Swift!

I followed the gym with breakfast with Jason.  I definitely have a healthy appetite….fruit, oatmeal, green juice, and coffee!

And we headed to Smith Park for a little more trail time.  It was a gorgeous day and we wanted to spend as much time outside as we could!

I picked up my first Go Pro!  I have no idea how to use it yet, but I’m excited to learn.

To get some more outside time, we had dinner on the Burger Up patio.  Sunday Funday!

Monday: Memorial Day

Click HERE to read 10 Facts About Memorial Day!

We woke up to ominous skies and headed to Percy Warner Park to get our run in as fast as possible.  We finished just in time!

After a full weekend of running, I made sure to drink Tart Cherry Juice for recovery.

Now, I feel just like Caroline!

Who has a GoPro?  Do you like it?  Share your tips!!

Dates…yay or nay?  They’re like candy for me!

What’s your favorite song to workout to right now?

Share your peak and pit from the weekend?  Peak: Having a low-key weekend at home with Jason.  Pit: The rainy Memorial Day weather.

#choosejoy

Shhh…I Eat Carbs

Thursday:

After celebrating our Anniversary on Wednesday night, Thursday involved a lot of coffee.

We met up with the Brentwood Breakfast Club for a run and breakfast at Puffy Muffin. (Follow The Brentwood Breakfast Club on Facebook to see our weekly routes!  Everyone is welcome to join us!!)

We hung our patriotic swags for the Memorial Day weekend!

Normally, I run a double on Thursdays, but I moved my long run to Friday this week.

Friday:

First car at the park just after sunrise.

4 Hour Trail Run.  3,000ft. elevation gain.  I felt great!!!

With wonderful company from Corrie and Sam!

Fleet Feet Nashville is having a big Memorial Day weekend SALE!!  I stocked up!

Check out their $50 shoe table!!

I ordered two venetian mirrors to go above our nightstands and they arrived…love them!  I wonder how long it will take Jason to hang them? (hint, hint)

And for dinner, I was craving pasta!

Lots and lots of carbs!!

A couple of housekeeping items…

Congratulations to @brivers14 on winning the Garmin Forerunner giveaway on my Instagram Page!

Cocogo is having a big Memorial Day Sale!!  I use Cocogo in my handheld for long runs and track workouts…love it!  Save an ADDITIONAL 10% when you use code: JENCHOOSESJOY (all caps) at checkout…30% TOTAL SAVINGS!

Do you carry a handheld or pack when you run? 

What do you drink during your workout?

What are your Memorial Day plans?

#choosejoy