Hey there, and Happy Friday!
Is it just me, or are the weeks flying by at an alarming rate? I swear the older I get, the faster life goes. It’s scary. Stop, time! Stop! The only bright side is that summer will be upon us in a flash, and that means sun, sand, and sangria!
Okay maybe no sand for this girl—I don’t have a trip to Hawaii planned (bugger!), but I can’t complain because I do get to take a peek at the ocean….
this weekend!
Hopefully. As of 12am last night, I hadn’t put one item into my suitcase. Not one. Needless to say, I’m going to be scrambling to get packed this morning before it’s time to leave for the airport. Ooof.
I sure hope that my fluffy-pillowed hotel bed (love them!) is prepared for a Sara faceplant tonight, because I’m already exhausted thinking about it. 
Anyway, the weekend is here! Since my mind is buzzing with a zillion thoughts today, let’s do this freestyle. Freestyle Friday…that works, right? Right.
*****
1. Do you ever have a workout completely planned out and then you’re forced to change it because certain machines or weights are occupied at the gym? Apparently it was Squat Rack Thursday at the YMCA yesterday morning because he entire time I was there, the two squat racks were occupied. Some people may view unavailable weight machines as a challenge to do a new exercise or think outside of the box, however I see it as a fantastic opportunity to walk by the weights several times, sighing in annoyance so they’ll stop hogging the machine and let me do my thing.
Kidding!
I wasn’t willing to scrap the squats, though, so I shuffled around my workout, and saved the @** to the grass for last.
Sidenote: Writing down my workouts on post-it notes and snapping pictures of them is working really well for me. They’re all saved in my phone now!
The squat rack still wasn’t available, when I’d finished my calf raises, so I decided to wait it out on the sit-up bench.
After completing a couple sit-ups and snapping a few selfies (how do others manage to make this not look awkward?!), the squat rack still wasn’t available, so I decided to call it a day, and went to fetch my jacket.
That’s when I saw this.
Look beyond the cell phone. In case you can’t tell, that’s a bag of gummy bears. Not a bag of vitamin gummy bears (my favorite), but real sugar-containing gummy bears. There’s a bodybuilder at the Y who snacks on them while he’s lifting, and he IS RIPPED. I’ve been watching him munch away in between sets over the past few weeks, and was finally able to document the evidence to share with you.
Could it be that gummy bears are the secret to bangin’ biceps? I could totally get on board with that.
2. My mom and I made Cobb Salads for dinner last night, and ohmygosh, they were good.
When I was little, I hated salad, but made a huge exception for Cobb Salads—as long as they were drenched in Ranch dressing. We’re talking a 1:1 ratio of greens to the good stuff. Now I rarely use bottled dressings because they’re typically loaded with mysterious additives, but there’s a local Boise brand that contains nothing but organic Greek yogurt, buttermilk and spices, and it’s pretty knock-your-socks off amazing.
My salad included spinach, romaine lettuce, diced chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, egg, red onion, blue cheese, avocado, and bacon.
Oh yes, bacon. You all know how I feel about that.
3. Speaking of bacon…look what I stumbled upon while perusing Pinterest the other day.
Bacon Taco Shells! Err, bacon bikini busters? Naw. I’m joking. I’ll try anything once, so I’d totally sink my teeth into one of these.
In fact, I would even try making them for Cinco de Mayo IF I was going to be home. However, since the cheap plastic hotel coffee maker is the only thing I’ll have access to that even remotely resembles an oven, I’m going to leave it up to YOU. If you make these, pleeeease let me know, k? That would be pretty fan-freaking-tastic. 
4. If bacon tacos aren’t your thing, might I suggest celebrating with a quesadilla like I did Wednesday night?
I had a massive craving for cheese but didn’t want to take the time to make pizza, so I stuffed a gluten free whole grain tortilla with spinach, feta, and mozzarella, then “grilled” it in a pan until the edges were crispy and the cheese was melted.
Look at that CHEESE. I could eat this meal every day!
5. I could—and do—wear the same outfit every day, too. Okay, not every day. But I’ve been living in running tights, and workout tanks all week long. Oh, and last weekend, I may or may not have worn the same sweater, tank top, and flats both Saturday and Sunday.
Hey, it makes life easier.
6. Speaking of easy, I really love the convenience of cereal bowls.
2% plain Greek yogurt, Honey Rice Puffins, banana, raspberries, coconut peanut butter
Pour, stir, eat. Does it get any simpler?
If you’re a fellow cereal lover (and even if you’re not), you HAVE to check out this Buzzfeed article: 16 Breakfast Cereals that Should be Obliterated. I can’t stop laughing.
“Trix: That bunny must have diabetes by now, Amiright?”
Awwr, poor bunny! I completely disagree with #3 and #5, though!
7. Oh, and I discovered a snack this week that totally reminded me of cereal.
Yep, blueberry almonds! I swear they taste exactly like purple Fruit Loops…with an almond flair! I love blueberries, and I love almonds, but I’m still not so sure how I feel about the purple blueberry hue ON my almonds…
However, I am sure about something else: I’m nuts about this new-to-me coconutty granola. Look at the SIZE of those clusters!
This bag of KIND Oats & Honey Clusters with Toasted Coconut will definitely be accompanying me to San Francisco.
And on that note, it’s time to tackle that suitcase…
I hope you have a beautiful and blessed weekend!
I’ll try to pop in Monday, however the internet can be sketchy in hotels, so if I don’t post, I’ll catch you all Wednesday!
Hugs!
I want to know…
What do you do when you’re unable to do the workout you originally planned? Throw in the towel? Try out something new?
What’s your go-to pre-workout fuel? Any gummy bear-eaters out there?
What’s your favorite salad dressing—both now and when you were little?
I’ve always loved creamy ranch and blue cheese, but I also love a simple drizzle of truffle oil and lemon juice.
Do you ever wear the same outfit two days in a row?
Please tell me I’m not the only one!
The post Freestyle Friday: Gummy Bear Fuel appeared first on Nourish and Flourish.