Hi friends. 
I am in the best mood this morning because.. SEAN IS COMING IN TODAY!!!!
Yahoooooo! His mom is coming with him too to visit and see NJ for the first time ever! We’re going to have a blast, I can’t wait. We’re going to be enjoying lots of yummy food, the beach, laughs, shopping, etc. I’m so ready to have some fun with Sean and his mom. I missed them both so much!
Let me recap yesterday.
I actually got most of the things off my to-do list checked off.
1. Trader Joe’s
I had to pick up a few ingredients for dinner + baking so I hit up da Joe Joe’s.
I needed some organic brown sugar (finally got some!!) and vegetable stock and built the rest of my trip around those two ingredients. I got what I needed for the cookies I’m making for Sean that he begs me to make and for dinner last night. Plus some other odds and ends. 
Organic carrots, semi-sweet choc. chips, red bell pepper, heirloom tomato, dried cranberries, brown basmati rice (MY FAV!!!).
Organic low sodium veggie broth (tastes amaze), organic brown sugar, spicy soy & flaxseed tortilla chips.
While walking around TJ’s I heard some lady raving about how good these chips are. Since I am a curious cat, I decided to pick up a bag and try them for myself. Omg. So. Good. They taste like healthy Dorito’s!!! (if that’s possible)
Pretty good ingredients list.. not as bad as Dorito’s. Look at their’s:
[source]
S-C-A-R-Y!
Anyways, I was also surprised that these chips have 6g protein per 7 chips!
Not too shabby, a nice little chip if I do say so myself. So far I’m happy with this product! They taste very good and aren’t too spicy. I’m really enjoying them.
I had some chips with this sandwich.
Yummy yum yumz.
2. Lay out in the sunshine
After attacking the chip bag, I decided to lay out. I want to get a bit of a base tan goin’ on so I don’t burn. Although, me burning is inevitable, I try my best to keep it to a minimum. I am a ginger ya kno, and I do burn!
So relaxing..
It was nice and hot and humid out yesterday and I was lovin’ it. It hasn’t been sunny here in over a week so I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to not sit out in the sunshine.
3. Clean the basement
Not gonna lie, our basement always looks like a bomb went off in it. My littler sister plays dolls in it all the time and it’s seriously a mess. I was surprised how un-messy it was compared to what it can be sometimes, but it was still a mess. I had to clean up the basement because that’s where Sean’s mom will be staying (we put up a bed).
Before:
After:
Don’t be fooled, if you open up those closet doors, baby dolls, random baby clothing, and other childish toys will fall in your face.
Oh, and about the gymnastics beam + bars.. my sister is a gymnast and just had to have those. You should see me on them LOL. I look like the jolly green giant.
4. Get my nails done
I was waiting all day for this moment!!! The whole time at the gym I just kept thinking ‘it’s going to feel so good to just sit down and get pampered’ and boy, it did!
We went right from the gym so I was still in my stanky gym clothes. Spin went by 100x faster because I knew as soon as we were done I was going to be able to relax.
In action:
Ahhhhhhhh.
I went with a classic french pedicure for my toes and a neon pink for my nails.
I love a bright pop of color!
5. Make a really delicious, wholesome dinner
Pre running around like a made woman, I prepped dinner.
I made this casserole with a few modifications.
I prepped everything and then when I was ready for it to be cooked, I told my mom to just stick the whole thing in the oven at 300* for an hour and a half. By the time I got home, dinner was served! EASY.
I added a tablespoon of Earth Balance at the end for extra creaminess, it definitely made all the difference.
This dinner did not photograph well but it was the wholesome, nutritious foods I needed. The ingredients list is short and this meal is packed with lots of healthy fats, carbs, and protein. A wonder meal in my eyes, if you ask me!
I garnished mine with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for some heat.
Waking up this morning, I was eager to get out of bed because I knew I had VOO waiting for me!
I made my strawberry shortcake VOO and added 1/2 scoop SunWarrior vanilla protein powder for extra protein + staying power.
So refreshing on a hot Spring morning.
I’m off to bake cookies for Sean, make kale chips (didn’t have time yesterday), freeze up some cherries, go to work, the gym, and finally pick Sean up at the airport!!!
Have a great Wednesday 
