My Own Personal Color

Question: If you had your own personal color what would be your color and why?

 

If I had to have my own custom color, I would have to say that mine would be an electric baby blue color.

 

 

When I first thought of what my color would be, I thought of an electric/vibrant yellow at first, because I am an all around optimistic person with a sun-shiney (That should be a word) personality. It sounded perfect at first, but then I remembered that there is that aspect in me that is very calm and sympathetic. I have that fire in me (cue the yellow), but I also have calmness to me; I have that ying-yang personality. 😀

 

When I met someone for the first time, they told me that I have a blue aurora around me. I was confused at first, so out of curiosity I asked “Why blue?” They smiled at first and proceeded to tell me that blue was the color of a kindhearted soul. In their words they told me that I was someone who loves to help people (true), I am a listener who people go to when they need someone to confide to (true), I have a passion for learning and teaching (true), I have that fire inside me that is powerful (true), I am calm and very comfortable to be around (true), I have a thirst for knowledge on what I can do to improve myself (true), and that I am a genuinely happy person (true). I sat in shock as they just described my personality. I have never met that person before and they described me spot on.

 

From the time I started helping blind children, I knew I had a passion for helping others. I went in every week excited to help the kids work on a new rt project, teach them methods on how to cook, get them participating in physical activities, teaching them new technological advancements, and being the ear they needed in counseling. I was excited to see the kids and the feeling for them in mutual. I have grown a bond with them. They not only taught me patience, they also gave me the ability to learn new strengths within myself. Along the lines of teaching, I aspire to be a health coach and a personal trainer. A few years ago I discovered my love for fitness and nutrition. Seriously, I can go on and on about those subjects. I want to be someone who helps change lives for the better in people. I want people to know and see what their bodies are capable of. I want to help people reach their goals. I want people to achieve greatness.

 

The first impression people tell me is that I am a very calm girl. I’m the type of person who is shy, but I will spark a conversation. I will want to get to know you to where it’s not too personal, but I know enough for the start of a friendship. I have the tendency to smile a lot and widdle my thumbs. It’s always been a habit. Some call it cute. Some call it shy. I call it being myself. When I get to know you more I will start to show more sides of me (being artistic, how I think, what’s on my mind, what I love, etc). I am who I am, no matter what. I do what makes me happy. I’m not afraid to be myself.

 

I just thought of this.. Another reason why I chose blue was because of fire. I remember learning that blue fire is much more hotter than a yellow flame. That hotter flame symbolizes how strong my passions are. I am a very passionate person, trust and believe. Once I have my heart set on something, I go for it. I do all that I can. I guess you can call me dedicated, right? 😉 I am a little fire ball of passion!

 

Blue is my aurora.. It’s my energy that surrounds me. If I could give my own nail polish name it would be Blossoming Discovery.

 

*If you are a look for some new and exciting nail polishes, go on over to check out Julep. There is a wide selection beautiful nail polish colors for any outfit or mood! . I have my eye on a few of their colors. 🙂 *

 

-What would your color be?

-What are you passionate about?

-What’s your favorite nail polish color?

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Connect with me!

Instagram -> @myhealthlyjourney

Twitter -> @xolovenatalie

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E-mail -> lovenataliemarie@gmail.com

North Carolina Recap!

I haven’t been on a vacation in years, so you can definitely say that this trip to North Carolina was well worth the excitement. I did not expect to be so blown away by the beauty of the scenery and so surprised by the hospitality and welcoming attitudes of the residents. Every day I would encounter locals who would make conversation while walking down the street or in a store. This trip is one I will never forget.

 

In North Carolina, I experienced the beauty of the forests, beaches, locals, and a wide variety of food. I cane into this vacation nervous, but once I got there, all of my worries faded away. The hotel I stayed in, The Embassy, was absolutely beautiful. There were 9 floors, a gym, a pool, a hot tub, a bistro, a dining area, and a waterfall. Absolutely beautiful. I had the view of the trees.

 

To make this easier, I will split up this post into days. Here we gooooooo!

 

Day 1 (Arrival Day): 

I woke up around 4:00 a.m. to catch my flight at 6:30 a.m. I grabbed a Chipotle egg sandwich from Wildflower Bread Company with a side of fruit and walnut granola to eat before the plane took off. The flight was 3.5 hours. I left from Phoenix, Arizona to Charlotte, North Carolina. From there, I had a 3 hour layover, so I went off to grab some lunch. I decided on a fiesta salad from Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. DELICIOUS.

I boarded the 27 minutes flight to Raleigh, North Carolina. Afterwards, I waited for the shuttle bus to arrive and then went to the hotel. With the three hour time difference, we arrived around 6 something and went down to the hotel bistro to grab some dinner. I got an (unpictured) burger with fries. I was exhausted, so we decided to sleep from 9 p.m. to 8 am the next morning!

Day 2:

We woke up at 8 a.m., got ready, and went down for a hotel breakfast. You guys, I didn’t choose oatmeal even though they served it! :O I chose to go outside of my comfort zone and order this..

It was filling and delicious! While my mom searched some things to do, I decided to go do a quick workout (my only one on the trip using weights), shower, and have the banana and peanut butter post workout. We decided to go to this huge mall that was across the street. It’s called Crabtree Valley Mall.

Pictures on our way to the mall.

I got a new pair of converse, two pairs of leggings, three pairs of shorts, a cute sports bra, a crop top, a dress, two pairs of sweatpants, two bows, lotion, perfume, a shirt, and Questbars! For lunch, I had Pad Thia with extra veggies. Mmmm!

After the mall, my mom and I met my dad back at the hotel and we decided to get (unpictured) greek food for dinner. I had chicken in a white wine caper sauce with rice and vegetables. It was pretty good, but the sauce was a bit too tangy for me. We stopped for some ice cream on the way home, watched a movie, and then crashed out around 10 p.m.

 

Day 3:

Woke up around 8 a.m. again, had breakfast, and then got ready to go to downtown Raleigh.

My mom and I had to figure out the bus system (which was unsuccessful at first), catch the bus, and take a 25 minute ride to downtown. The locals were very nice and the town was absolutely beautiful. We saw churches, the state capital, galleries, museums, and a bunch of restaurants.

We sat at a park before deciding to go to a history museum which was filled with all types of artifacts and cool history! What I couldn’t believe was that it was free.  You never find that anywhere! The locals were so nice and we saw this book that was filled with signatures of people from all over the world. It was amazing.

By the end of the museum, my mom and I were pretty hungry, so we decided to eat at the Raleigh Times. I got a grilled chicken sandwich with avocado with a side of fries.

Around 6 p.m., my parents and I went to The Pit and I got shredded BBQ chicken, sweet potato fried 😉 , and chipotle corn (unpictured). IT WAS DELICIOUS. Afterwards, we went to get some freshly made chocolate at the Videri Chocolate Factory. I enjoyed this as a bedtime snack while watching The Big Bang Theory.

Oh! I almost forgot! Before we got to eat at the Pit, we waited outside and saw a Pub Trolley. Turn up on a trolley! 😀

Day 4:

Today is the day we went to the BEACH! I haven’t been to the beach in so many years, so you can’t even imagine how excited I was! 😀 We had to drive 2.5 hours to Carolina Beach. The car ride was not too bad, but I was overwhelmed with excitement. My breath was taken away once I saw the beach. I played in the ocean for a while just soaking up all the beauty.

After wiping the sand out of all places 0.0 , we went down to the boardwalk. The first thing that caught my eye was a big sign that said Henna tattoos! Of course I had to get one. 😉 The guy that did my tattoo was Heinz (He’s from Germany). While doing my tattoo, he was an open book and kept a conversation the entire time. I had to wait two hours for it to dry and then come back for touch ups. It looks absolutely beautiful. Before I left, we exchanged goodbyes and he gave me a kiss on the hand and told me I was his favorite customer of the day. D’awww. ^_^

For lunch, we went to a little beach shack that had a balcony on top for dining. We got a 5 star view of the ocean.

I got the Chicken Caesar Wrap with chips and mango salsa.

Around 6 p.m., we left the beach and decided to head back to the hotel since there was a 2.5 hour drive back. I fell asleep in the car a few times, but before we got to the hotel, we decided to pick up some Thai on the go from the Thai House. I can’t get enough of Pad Thai!

Day 5:

We decided to sleep in to about 9 a.m. since we were all wiped out from the beach from the day before. We enjoyed some breakfast, got ready, and headed back to downtown Raleigh. It was raining on the way there, and it was absolutely beautiful!

We walked around for a bit and then decided to go to the Natural Science museum! It was so amazing. I will just let the pictures show you a portion of what I saw. 🙂

Afterwards, my parents wanted to get a quick drink at an authentic English pub called the London Bridge Pub.

I was completely starved by that time, so we decided to go to an Irish pub to get some delicious food.

I have to say that this was an absolutely delicious meal. I couldn’t get enough! What made it better was seeing this sign in the bathroom. It’s a bit explicit with the language, but if you’re Irish, you’ll get it. 🙂

We walked around for a bit afterwards and I will let the pictures show you some of the beauty I saw. 🙂

For dinner, I had leftovers from the Pit with an addition of veggies and extra BBQ. I also ended the night with a movie night with my parents. 🙂

Day 6 (Leaving Day):

My mom and I woke up around 8 a.m. to have our last breakfast at the hotel.

Since it was our last day, we decided to go to shop some more at the mall and I picked up the second book of the Divergent series and some new clothes. Did ya know Old Navy has some cute clothes? You should go check it out! Afterwards, we picked up lunch at Crisp to take back to the hotel. I got a Chicken Caesar wrap with a Santa Fe salad. I’m really going to miss all of the fresh fresh food.

We packed our bags and headed to the airport around 5:30 p.m. Our flight was scheduled for 7:40 p.m., but the flight was delayed to 8:30 p.m. because of the storms. My mom and I grabbed some dinner at a brewery; we got the chicken bbq sandwich with garlic fries (unpictured). The flight was smooth and then we had to rush to catch our next flight to Phoenix at 10:11 p.p (East coast time). I was falling in and out of sleep during the flight. We landed at 11:04 p.m. (West coast time) and then made our way home. We arrived around 12 a.m., I brushed my teeth, and fell right asleep.

This trip is definitely one that I will never forget. ❤

 

-Have you ever been to North Carolina?

-Where have you traveled too?

-Where do you want to travel too?

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Connect with me!

Instagram -> @myhealthlyjourney

Twitter -> @xolovenatalie

Pinterest -> @xolovenatalie

E-mail -> lovenataliemarie@gmail.com

Popping in to Say…

Hey everyone! I know I’ve been away from the blog world this past week, but I was popping in to say that I am going to have a recap of my trip to North Carolina tomorrow. 🙂

 

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend and has an even better week. ❤

 

I’ll be tying up the post on my flight back to Arizona. It’s saddens me that I have to leave, but I will be back again soon! I hope you’ll come back tomorrow to read the recap.

 

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Connect with me!

Instagram -> @myhealthlyjourney

Twitter -> @xolovenatalie

Pinterest -> @xolovenatalie

E-mail -> lovenataliemarie@gmail.com

WIAW ; The Biggest Collection of Eats Thus Far

Hey there! If you are reading this, I am now either 1) At the airport waiting for my flight 2) ON an airplane and on my way to North Carolina 3) At a layover in North Carolina 4) Wandering around North Carolina. ^_^

It’s been quite some time since I have participated in the WIAW party. This summer has been filled with a lot of different flavor experiments and has given me the time to actually cook some new meals! I am a repeat offender, but they usually now only last a week and I move on to a new combination. I have been eating more and more food lately, and I have really been enjoying the wide variety of food. Enough talking, because I know that you came to look at some pictures of food. Am I right? 😉

 

Oat game still going strong!

See? 😉

Corn flakes with blueberries and a protein bar.

Pork chops, rice, and veggies.

CHIPOTLE.

Waffles with jam, broccoli, scrambled eggs with salsa, ham, and a potato veggie hash topped with avocado.

Spaghetti and meatballs with broccoli.

Chicken, sweet potato, white potatoes (see Arman), and green beans.

CHIPOTLE.

Green chili chicken enchiladas with peas.

PAD THAI. YES. ❤

Hamburger, turkey dog, sweet potato fries, and veggies.

Cod, corn on the cob, broccoli, and sweet potato.

Turkey burger, broccoli, rice, and veggies.

French toast with jam, potato veggie egg scramble with avocado and salsa, ham, veggies, and broccoli,

Hake loin topped with mustard, corn bread waffles, and sweet potato.

Chicken, salad with avocado and mustard, brown rice, sweet potato, an egg, and salsa.

BLT with veggies.

Corn flakes with strawberries and a protein bar.

My first bagel in years (!!!) topped with jam and a protein bar.

Chicken, broccoli, and sweet potato.

Sweet n sour pork chop, sweet potato, and green beans.

Waffles, chicken, egg white scramble with salsa, sweet potato, and broccoli.

Wrap, zucchini, cottage cheese, carrots, and broccoli.

Wrap, rice cakes topped with spinach + ham + mustard, cottage cheese, carrots, rutabaga, and veggies.

Same as above.

Chicken, lasagna, and broccoli.

Homemade Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Chicken, pasta, and broccoli.

Avocado mango salsa chicken salad from El Pollo Loco.

I hope you have an amazing day filled with amazing food. ❤

 

-Do you like Thai food?

-What’s your favorite food?

-What have you been eating lately?

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Connect with me!

Instagram -> @myhealthlyjourney

Twitter -> @xolovenatalie

Pinterest -> @xolovenatalie

E-mail -> lovenataliemarie@gmail.com

There Are Some Things I Need To Get Off Of My Chest

*DISCLAIMER: This post is going to be a more personal post.

 

If you have been reading my blog for some time now you know that I am a person who sees the optimism in every situation. I don’t like to look at the negative of anything, because who wants to do that? It’s just a downer. It’s not always easy though. As much as we all want too, we can’t always be happy 100% of the time. I’m all about being raw and real here.

 

1. Lately, I have been feeling like my mind is slipping back into my old ways. You know the ways of the eating disorder? Yes.. I know this is bound to happen and that I have to stay strong, but it’s hard. “Be a warrior. Persevere. You’re better than that!” I have heard that oh so many times whenever I bring up this topic to a friend. It’s hard to take that advice sometimes when the ones I have been confiding too have not faced an eating disorder. I have started counting macros again, because I have gained weight and it scared me. I took one look in the mirror and I was not happy. Yes, I am training hard in the gym, but you need to keep in mind that I had (and maybe still have..) body dysmorphia. If you don’t know what that is, it is a body image disorder that has to do with seeing myself differently than other people.. in a not so flattering way.

 

I’m not happy counting macros, but I’m also afraid of gaining weight. Yes, I admit it. Before you think “She needs to work on her self confidence,” I want you to know that is what I do every day. I do love myself (although it may not seem like it). I am grateful and thankful for all that I can do. I just have a tainted mindset that I am working on.

You’re probably thinking.. why is she talking about this? Well, I am going on vacation tomorrow and I am nervous about not tracking. I’m nervous about eating too much or too little. I’m nervous I will binge. I am nervous I will feel guilt. I’m just being raw and real with you all here. I know I need to enjoy this vacation, and I will, I just.. I guess I need advice? Or something..?

 

2. This may sound like a huge contradiction, but i am an advocate of loving yourself regardless. Lately, I have been seeing a lot of bashing on Instagram. I have seen accounts promoting anorexia and telling recovering girls to eat less, I have seen pictures and comments being made about other people, I have seen the nasty side of people. I know… I know… everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but the comments I have seen have disgusted me. I’ve seen bashing on “clean eating,” IIFYM (macros), intuitive eating, vegans, vegetarians, gluten free, training methods, bikini competitors,  meal plans, progress photos, etc. I’m actually surprised how outrageous it gets sometimes. People are failing to realize that everyone is different. Not everyone will like the same things as maybe you do. I know people who choose to do pilates and yoga over lifting. I know people who would choose to do cardio instead of lift. Not everyone enjoys lifting. Not everyone enjoys counting macros. Not everyone enjoys meal plans or exercise plans. There are benefits to everything out there in the fitness and nutrition world. Some things work better than other things for people.

3. Do you ever go through those time periods where you just feel lonely? I have. I realize I have family and friends that are always surrounding me, but I just have this feeling inside of myself. I have confided into God, but I think it’s something I am missing as a person. I am happy the majority of the time. I’m still trying to discover what it is. Maybe it’s a hidden passion? Maybe it’s something I need to let go of. Maybe it’s something I need in my life. I don’t know.. I’m sure you get what I am talking about if you have felt this way. Any tips you care to share if you have?

I know this wasn’t a typical post of mine, but it’s what I wanted to get off my chest. It felt good to type this out. Maybe I can connect with some of you that has every felt like this or thought like this. Who knows? Any who, I need to pack still, so I will end this here.

 

I hope you have an amazing day and just wait for an epic food post tomorrow. ❤

 

-Any advice you care to share?

-Have you been facing any internal struggles lately?

-What are your thoughts on any of the topics above?

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Connect with me!

Instagram -> @myhealthlyjourney

Twitter -> @xolovenatalie

Pinterest -> @xolovenatalie

E-mail -> lovenataliemarie@gmail.com

Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s been quite some time since I have posted a recipe. The last one I think I posted was either an oatmeal recipe or a healthy chicken alfredo recipe.. Man, that takes me back to a few months ago. A few days ago, my mom asked me if I would whip up some of the special cookies I usually make around the fall and winter time. Que the oatmeal pumpkin chocolate chip cookie goodness.

 

Full of flavor, all healthy ingredients, made with a lot of love, and enjoyed by all.. These cookies are just a must to be made. They’re good fresh and frozen. They are the right amount of fluffy. They are the right amount of goodness. The batch does make quite a few, so there will be plenty to share ( If you don’t eat them all yourself. 😉 ).

 

It took me some time to perfect this recipe, but with trial and error comes learning. It’s not over whelming with a pumpkin flavor. It’s a sweet treat that you will enjoy. Plus, the chocolate chips join all the flavors together. Chocolate does that, ya know? You can enjoy it as a snack, dessert, with milk, with coffee, pretty much with anything.

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsps cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/3 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 large eggs
• 11/2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups chocolate chips

 

Directions

1. Mix together the oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

2. In another bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract.

3. Mix together the dry and wet ingredients.

4. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Bake in the over at 350 F for 15 minutes.

6. Cool and enjoy. 😉

 

-What’s your favorite type of cookie?

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Connect with me!

Instagram -> @myhealthlyjourney

Twitter -> @xolovenatalie

Pinterest -> @xolovenatalie

E-mail -> lovenataliemarie@gmail.com

Let’s Catch Up Over A Cup of Coffee, Shall We?

Good morning, sunshine!

I know that lately I have been pretty scarce on the blog world. Don’t think I forgot about you guys, because I haven’t! I pinky promise! I have just had a lot on my plate as of recently. Some good.. Some bad.. So I thought that we start fresh with a new week and catch up over a cup of coffee.

First off.. I don’t know if you have seen from my other post, but I am going to North Carolina in t-minus 9 days! I’m pretty dang excited about it. I mean, who wouldn’t?! I’m ready to finally travel again and go to the beach! I’ll be going to Raleigh with my mom, and we will be staying in this fancy (I must put the emphasis on fancy) hotel. It has indoor pools, hot tubs, restaurants, dining halls, conference rooms, a gym, a spa, and so many floors. My jaw dropped when I saw the pictures. It’s safe to say that I will be having a fantastic 5 days!

Second.. I finally tried Thai food for my first time! I chose to go with Pad Thai because it sounded the most appealing to me. You guys, it was love at first bite. The flavor! The spices! The amazingness! It was all too good. If you haven’t had Thai food, you really should go get some! You won’t regret it! Do you like Thai food? What do you like to get? 🙂

Thirdly.. I’m addicted to watching Supernatural on Netflix. It’s all I have on during the day when I am at home. It’s just so good! Please tell me I have some other fans out there with me as well?!

Fourthly.. I’ve been trying out a new split at the gym. I train four days, rest on the fifth, and then repeat. The first day is quads/glutes. BRING ON THE SQUATS. The second day is shoulders/back. The third day is hamstrings/glutes. The fourth day is Chest/arms. I really feel the soreness with this split. I have been hitting PRs (personal records) every week. I don’t bump up the weight drastically. Slow and steady wins the race. I have also been on the arc trainer afterwards, because I still have energy left in me. Oh, did I mention I bike to the gym and back? With all this work I do eat all the food! 😀

Fifthly.. when Amanda mentioned playing Farmville 2 on her iPad, I decided to give it a whirl. Amanda.. you got me hooked.

 

Sixth.. Arizona has been getting up into the 100s lately.. I am sweating all.the.time. Even when having breakfast! Hence another reason why I am excited to go to North Carolina.

 

Seventh.. I saw the new Transformers movie. I have to say that it was good! It dragged on a bit (2 hours 45 minutes..), but the movie caught my attention. Note to self, don’t watch an almost 3 hour movie at 11:45 pm. O.o

-P.S. Matt Damon is my favorite actor.

Eighth.. I am out of coffee. I will be more active in the blog world from now on. I have a delicious recipe coming your way tomorrow. 😉

 

I hope you have an amazing day! ❤

 

-What would you tell me over coffee?

-What have you been up too?

-What are you looking forward to?

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Connect with me!

Instagram -> @myhealthlyjourney

Twitter -> @xolovenatalie

Pinterest -> @xolovenatalie

E-mail -> lovenataliemarie@gmail.com