Windows Down
Heyyy ! 
How’s your day going?? Holy tees and cookies! Keep those giveaway entries coming 
And thank you so mucho to those of you who have voted already <3
This morning, I totally changed around my plans. Since I started working full-time, every day has been rush rush rush. Blog, workout, pre-blog, work, finish blog, read, sleep, repeat. Today, I just wanted to slooooooow down and eat my breakfast on the couch without eating quickly standing at the counter before taking off.
So I did.
I had hefty bowl of pumpkin protein oats (1 C oats, 1 scoop Sun Warrior, almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and cacao nibs) and had a lovely breakfast sans rush.
After taking that pic, the spoonful of oats fell onto the placemat.
Fail. Haha.
My body was achy from yesterday’s intense yoga class, I was tired from a weird night of sleep –I usually sleep like a baby- and I didn’t really feel like going to the gym, rushing around to errands and then heading to work.
So I went to the library instead 
I drove there with the windows down- the fall breeze felt ahhhhmazing.
The lady working at the library was so sweet and set me up with a library card even thought I don’t *technically* live here, and I can start to use it in two days. I’m pretty excited because with all of the driving I’ve been doing, I think it will be fun to listen to books on CD while I drive around. I just finished the Brian Tracy CDs and LOVED them. (If you’re down with motivational and goal-setting stuff, definitely check out his work)
After the library, somehow I ended up here.
The Fresh Market!
I can’t believe that I’m going to say this… but I kinda like Fresh Market more than Whole Paycheck. Whole Foods does have a baller juice bar and hot bar, but the atmosphere at Fresh Market is so beautiful.
I was doing pirouettes through the produce. No photo evidence, so you’ll have to use your imagination
The prices at Fresh Market are redonk, so I usually just browse around in happiness and pick up Fresh Market necessities, like coffee and veggie chips:
(you can order both online if you don’t have a FM nearby)
I also grabbed some bananners and fresh almond butter, since a day without either of those isn’t really a day at all.
I tasted some to make sure it was fresh… ya know?
It felt so good to have a slow morning after the chaos. I’m off tomorrow, so a non-bento box dinner will be happening (what to make?!), baking, Dance Trance and a little project. Me <—- stoked.
Have a lovely day!
xoxo,
Gina
Something to think:
“I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
Stephan Grellet
53 Comments
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I love fresh nut butters! I nearly always buy my peanut butter freshly ground, the only time I don’t is for cookies. 🙂
We have a Huckleberry’s in Spokane that is sort of the same as Whole Paycheck but smaller. It is just as expensive if not more though! I wish I had another alternative like Fresh Market. I swear, every single time i go in there, I end up spending at least 50 bucks!
I love fresh almond butter — Did you get to grind it yourself? That is the best 🙂
Motivational cds and books are great — I’ve never heard of Brian Tracy but I’ll have to look into him.
Have a great night Gina!
yes! i love the grind your own stuff 🙂
definitely check it out- he’s amazing
Luuuuurve Fresh Market! My dad used to live right outside Atlanta and I would beg to go there! They had these raspberry cookie things that were to die for!
With all the stuff going on in the blog world today, I just wanted to take a minute and thank you for the quality and honesty of what you post. I love how you leave us with something to think about, and even more so I love how goal-oriented and ambitious you are. I love the other girls and follow their blogs religiously as well, but I look forward to reading yours the most because it’s like a breath of fresh air. Your personality shines through your writing and you seem like a honest-to-goodness wonderful person. So thank you for all you do for us 🙂
BTW I totally agree about the vibe of Fresh Market… I live in Tampa and have been known to go there only to look at the vegetables… they’re just so pretty there!
thank you jessica- i hope you know how much your comment means to me <3
Yoga classes that leave you sore the next day are the BEST 🙂
Sometimes it just feels sooo good to slow down when you’re constantly a busy bee! I am doing the same thing tonight! And let me tell you, doing *nothing* feels oh so good! 🙂
I know it’s just almond butter, but that stuff that looks extra delicious! Yum!
I hate, hate, hate rushing in the morning! I get up extra early so that I have
time to relax and take things slowly…totally worth it.
Our Whole Foods doesn’t have a juice bar – I wish it did. I’d love to go to a Fresh too!
I’m not even really a coffee drinker and I am OBSESSED with Fresh Market coffee. My best friend Lynne, who now lives in Indiana, made me try it once when I visited and I had to buy 3 bags to bring home!
I have never made my own almond butter. I think that would be so awesome!
The WF on Sand Lake has such a good juice bar. The one with broccoli and pineapple rocks my mouth.
I love markets like that! Whole Foods is and will always be the papa bear of them all though!
I’ve never had veggie chips before! How are they?
OK…enough is enough. I need to get some pumpkin, STAT.
I make my own almond butter…it’s great! I have an almond butter addiction. 🙂
Fresh Market looks woonndderfuuul… 😀
I love that quote at the end… thanks for that… and for showing the oats. OOPS ! 😉
I feel the same way about full time work – wish I could work part-time, hopefully in a few years!. That whole “rush, rush” pace is not healthy for me (or anyone, really). I always remind myself to slow down, and things will get done…but, they’ll get done at my pace!
I hear ya! I need more morning slow and thoroughly enjoyed with breakfast! I have to admit that I love cute markets. I think I’d buy anything there if it looked cute.
congrats on the challenge! 🙂
It’s amazing how something that so simple like eating sitting down instead of in a rush can make your day 1000x better 🙂
I’ve heard that grind-your-own nut butter is amazing but I have yet to try it. I just love the TJ Raw version so much!
I do love the Fresh Market’s atmosphere! I used to love it more than Whole Foods until I saw the ingredient lists of their snack mixes, candies, etc. They use partially hydrogenated oils in almost everything they make.. including the bakery items 🙁 But the stuff they sell that they don’t make themselves is awesome! It’s a cool place for sure!
I’m so psyched that fall weather is officially here. It’s just gorgeous outside!
OMG! I was at Fresh Market in my town in PA on Saturday and I got fresh almond butter too!
Next time you are at Fresh Market, check out Woof Gang Bakery next door. It is a supercute gourmet pet food shop & bakery. Your pups will love their homemade yogurt dipped cookies 🙂
I freaking love fresh market! There’s only one near me, and i go as often as I can. Their coffee is amazing, and there’s nothing quite like eating warm almond butter straight from the grinder…
I just recently rekindled my love for Fresh Market. I rarely ever go since it is far from my house, but I happened to be in the neighborhood so I stopped in. I was amazed to find some beautiful bunches of organic kale and collard greens for only 2 bucks each! Apparently not everything is out of my price range there. 🙂
Fresh Market is crazy expensive here – even more so than WF. But, I do love those veggies chips. Also, I just tried their pumpkin spice coffee for the first time last week. You’re going to love it!
Agreed on Fresh Market! I love how “homey” it feels. 🙂
Glad you took a relaxing morning. You deserve it.
I totally know what you mean about rushing around all the time! I, too, recently started working full-time and sometimes it feels good to just relax for a minute. Glad you enjoyed your morning! 🙂
Absolutely love the quote “to think about” 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
pumpkin protein oats, Ooooh yaa!
you inspired me to make pumpkin smoothie and pumpkin oats…both which are to die for!!!
for the oats, i added nutmeg and cinnamon …oh my!! they bring out the pumpkinnish flavor even more!! and also, i totally agree with the comment jessica wrote… i love browsing through other people blogs but i always end up on yours!! it’s so honest and just down-to-earth. and it’s how normal people live each day… God Bless..
so glad you like the oats and smoothie!
thank you <3
I really love that quote you posted at the end. It really made me think about living in the moment because once that moment passes it doesn’t come back. I can totally relate it to overcoming eating obstacles and not being hard on myself for indulging. If you pass something amazing up, you may not get another shot at enjoying it. We all have to taste every moment and live it out loud – just like David Cook sings in his song “Time of my Life” 🙂
Sorry that you had a random night of sleep. Must be all your yoga chi (upward lifting energy) that you’ve been cultivating lately 🙂
Fresh Market…love way more than WFs, if for nothing else, price alone!
I love the bowl that your oats are in. Skylar adores monkeys. She’d have me buy that monkey bowl off your table if she could have her way!
xo
Hi!
It’s the first time I’m commenting on your post, but I’ve been reading your blog for some time now and I’m just hooked 🙂 This may sound kinda cheesy, but stories of your everyday life inspire me in some way to just kick butt at being a healthier foodie and to not have any excuses at being lazy. And today’s post – its just pure Zen 🙂
So, thanks for being so cool and … Continue to have a nice day!
hey bojana! thanks so much for reading my little blog and for your sweet comment <3
I love love love Fresh Market (my wallet, not so much). I always end up buying $$$ worth of their gorgeous flowers and produce whenever I’m in there. That pumpkin spice coffee will make your whole house smell fantastic.
It looks like you are really enjoying life in Orlando. Yay!!!
Gina–
Can you give us your take on this? This article seems to be stirring up a lot of controversy.
http://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/news/articles/health-blogger-controversy
hey girl,
i haven’t responded to the article on purpose. i don’t want to give mc more page views and don’t want to draw more attention to this so people can move on.
I love the feel of Fresh Market so much more than Whole Foods. They are both fabulous, but in Fresh Market you actually feel like you are in someone’s home (with all the wood and decor). In fact, I have a post about my recent trip to Fresh Market here: http://wp.me/p11tTV-8y. Enjoy!
That Fresh Market sounds awesome–I wish northern MN would get something like that! In my dreams maybe haha
Your pumpkin oats look so yummy. I just found your blog and it is so interesting. I have a quick question about your protein, I have been researching new proteins and I keep reading about Sun Warrior, how do you like it?
it’s my favorite- and i’ve tried pretty much every protein under the sun 😉
I hate rushing through breakfast! I usually purposefully wake up early enough to allow myself at least half an hour to enjoy my breakfast. 😛
Hope you enjoy your day off today!
i’m not sure why but i sort of felt like crying when i read your quote! it was beautiful!
it sounds like you had such a great day! 🙂
you should make fitnessista-style mac n cheese…yum!
oh YUM! maybe i’ll do that thursday????
This statement is so true…”I also grabbed some bananners and fresh almond butter, since a day without either of those isn’t really a day at all.” I couldn’t have said it better myself! You and your blog are so fun to read!