Hello 2014

Well, today is the last day of 2013. This year has had many ups and a few downs but I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for me. Last year I made myself a list of resolutions that I unfortunately can't find right now, but I know there were a few things on it that I didn't get to accomplish that I still want to do this coming year.

I can't believe how fast this year went. Weddings, new jobs, heart break, moving, and starting crossfit all made an appearance in 2013 and without them all I wouldn't be who I am now.

Since now I have somewhere to permanently put my resolutions and look back on them, I decided to do two different lists. One will be my fitness resolutions and the other one being personal resolutions. Don't be surprised when my fitness list is longer than my personal. 2014 is going to be the year of fit Chelsey and I can't wait to get my butt back into gear. These past couple months I have been slacking, but I am determined to get back on the crossfit horse and you all are going to help me, by making me accountable, by reading my blog, and yelling at me when I start to slack.

Without further ado, here are my 2014 resolutions!

Fitness

• Crossfit at least 2 days a week
• 25 unbroken push ups
• 3 strict pull ups (5 would be pushing it)
• RX a whole WOD (I haven't RX'd any WOD so far)
• 100 unbroken double unders (I can barely do 2 as of right now!)
• Deadlift 200 pounds (90 right now)
• Run a half marathon
• 5 hand stand push ups (I'm too scared to even do 1)

Personal

• Stop being so damn nice to people Learn to say no more often
• Keep in touch with my family
• Volunteer more
• Live in the now, not in the future

I told you my fitness would be more than my personal. I don't really make too many personal resolutions because I try to be the best person I can be and live a life I love without doing it strictly because it's a new year. The start of a new year is the perfect time to start making more fitness resolutions because I can look back on what I did this past year and make new goals for myself. And let me tell you, it feels great when you can cross off those fitness goals one at a time. They may take me awhile but hey, I have a whole year!

I hope that everyone has a great night tonight bringing in the new year! Be careful and don't start off the new year making poor decisions. Don't drink and drive!

Florida In Review

Hello lovely blog readers! I hope that you all had a grand Christmas and that you got to spend some quality time with some amazing people (I know that I did!).
I got to spend a whole week in Florida with my mom and brother and I couldn't have asked for a better time.
Lets highlight some of the favorites shall we.

1. My brother and I decided to surprise our momma and decorate the apartment before she got home from work Saturday.
2. We got to meet up with my aunt Roni for brunch in downtown St. Pete which was amazing! (Who would have thought that sunflower seeds in a veggie wrap would be delicious!)
3. Went to the movies and saw Anchorman 2 (I highly suggest you go see it right now if you haven't!)
4. Me and my mom got to have lunch with my aunt Kim and my cousin Kati.
5. I went to crossfit with my friend Rachel at her box. So different than how my box is structured but I totally loved it.
6. On Christmas day I got to FaceTime with Max so he could show me all his presents he got from Santa!
and best of all...
6. I got a tattoo as part of my Christmas presents from my mom!!! (My brother got one too!)

Before and After!

Treys Half Way and Finished!

I was SUPER excited

I was sad to leave Florida but I was also excited to finally be back home in Philly. And unlike a lot of people, I am actually looking forward to going back to work on the 2nd!

I hope that every one had a lovely holiday! Time to put down all the cookies and pick back up some barbells!

WOD Thursday? Or Friday...

This week has been so crazy. I only worked three days and I'm currently sitting on the plane headed to Tampa. I didn't finish packing for my trip until around 2am (I am a horrible procrastinator if you couldn't tell).

I was so determined to stick to three posts a week but it is a bigger challenge than I thought. I don't want you all to miss out on my workouts so a WOD Thursday Friday will have to do for this week! I'm not going to make any promises about next week with vacation and Christmas.

Thursday December 12th

[1] Power Position Snatch (22 Minute EMOT[2]M)

Roast Beast
15 Minute AMPRAP
5 Pull Ups (Ring rows for the weak like me)
10 Shoulder to Overhead
10 Deadlifts

I don't actually have anything to complain about with this WOD. I'm slowing getting better at my snatch but I think it is because we are always doing some sort of snatch on Thursdays which will only make me better. I'm still at a pretty light weight but it's mainly because I'm scared that I'm gonna fall backwards and hurt myself because I am prone to that.

And that is the only WOD I did this week. I had a lot to do in preparation for my week vacation in Florida. I am hoping to get some regular gym time in while I am here and my friend does crossfit in St. Petersburg so I am going to join her on Monday for a WOD which I am super excited for. I have always been curious how other boxes run their programs. I will definitely have to let you all know how that goes!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

PS- This took more than 24 hours to finish as I am currently already in Florida. So much for a sweet mile high post! Maybe next Friday!

Elfie's Adventures

Probably the cutest part about December and nannying for a family that has a 2 year old is getting to see him wake up to Elfie every morning and seeing what shenanigans he got into the night before. I always feel bad since I'm sure his parents would like to be here every day for it but I am always sure to let them know whether or not Max was actually excited to see Elfie or not. I think his favorite day this week was probably the M&M's, mainly because he got to eat them with his breakfast and what kid doesn't love chocolate?! They usually save the better days for the weekends so they can see him get super excited but that makes sense (and because I really don't wanna have to make tiny pancakes at 6:30 in the morning!).

I hope that everyone has a good weekend! Mine will consist of EMT Practicals all day Saturday and doing a 12 hour ride along shift at the ambulance company!

WOD Wednesday

It's hump day! Which means the week is alllllmost over. Yesterday it snowed here in good ol' Philadelphia which meant I got my first SNOW DAY!! Nannying for a teacher and a principal sure does have its perks (even though I would've loved playing with the boys in it!).

Unfortunately, I had a terrible headache last night so I wasn't able to make the WOD but I'm still going to include it in this post since I was planning on going. Totally the same thing right?!

Thursday December 5th

[1] Power Snatch + [1] Snatch Balance (20 Minute EMOT[2]M)

Rainbows

For Time (7 minute cap)

5-10-15-10-5

Pull Ups (I did ring rows)

Thrusters

Dubs

2 minute AMRAP

Dubs

Butterflies

5 minute AMRAP

Clean and Jerks

If there is one thing that I hate doing, it's snatches. It's awkward, I feel awkward, and I probably look awkward doing them. I'm pretty sure I only got up to 55 pounds. Not that great but it's my least favorite so I'm slowly increasing my weight. No need to rush it. My second least favorite thing: dubs. I think I did like 6? I am absolutely horrible at them. I always end up whipping my arms more than actually getting the rope under me twice. Even trying to do single, single, double. Nope. I just can't seem to go fast enough. Oh well. After two of my least favorite work outs, at least I got to end on a good note with some split jerks. Some people hate them, I absolutely love them! I think it's because I feel so powerful when I get to dig my feet into the ground.

Tuesday December 10th

Power Clean Holds

20 minutes

ODDS- 2 Power Position Clean Holds

EVENS- 5 Strict Pull Ups

Schweddy Balls

For Time (6 minute cap)

20- Kettlebell Swings

60- Wall Balls

20- Kettlebell Swings

Whip 'Em Out

10 minute AMRAP

5 Toes to Bar

5 Pull Ups

30 Dubs

If I had gone to this last night I probably would've only complained about the dubs (see above comment). I'm not a fan of wall balls but they help me get a nice looking booty from the squats so I can't complain much about them. I probably would've subbed Knees to Chest for Toes to Bar and Ring Rows for Pull Ups. Maybe by the beginning of the year I will try to start banded pull ups and see how well that goes!

I hope that you all will enjoy my WOD Wednesdays and it will inspire you to get in the gym and lift some weights! I'm hoping that it will inspire myself to stick to my Tuesday and Thursday night WODs so that I can share them with you!

Crossfit Christmas List

I've only been doing crossfit for about 6 months now, but I am 110% obsessed with it. I got to bring a friend to my box this past Thursday to show her why I'm addicted. I think she fell in love. Mainly, because I think everyone does.

This Christmas all I really want is a new tattoo. However, if I didn't want a tattoo, I decided that I would make myself a little wishlist of what I would want. Yes, it is all crossfit stuff. Yes, I want all of it.

There's really nothing else a girl could ask for is there?

(The tank top is definitely my favorite of all of them!)

I hope that everyone has a great week!

PS- I am going to start doing WOD Wednesday's so that you can see what work outs I have done so you can do them on your own and have sore legs and arms with me!

What I'm Thankful For (Work Edition)

I might be a few days late on this post but I still think it should be said.

In regards to my job, I am so thankful for the family that I work for.

I started working for them in August of this year, but it seems like I have been with them for so much longer! I love the boys I watch more than anything and I would do anything for them. When their parents aren't home, I am responsible for them and I treat them like I would my own children. I truly love those boys and I don't know what I will do when I stop nannying for me. (Hopefully that won't be happening for awhile!)

Besides the relationship I have with the boys, the relationship I have built with their parents is just as strong. I might not see the dad that often, but I still never have a problem texting or calling him when I need to. My relationship I have established with their mom is completely different, in a good way. We send each other pictures of the boys whenever we capture adorable moments and when I'm not feeling well, she is sure to text me to ask how I am feeling. I've talked to her about my guy problems and she complains about work. I love the relationship I have with her and I am so thankful that she had two amazing little boys that I get to spend 5 out of my 7 days of the week with.

Whenever I need time off or I need to leave early from work, they never have a problem with coming home early or finding someone else to watch the boys (even though I hate leaving them). When I was planning my trip to Florida for Christmas and it was cheaper to fly down the Thursday before Christmas, they had no problem with letting me leave then, even though I already have all of Christmas week off AND almost the whole week for New Years.

I am one lucky nanny. That is for sure.

I hope all the other nannies out there think they are just as lucky. I never felt like a part of the family with the first family I worked with but now I couldn't even imagine my life without them.

PS- They are doing Elf on the Shelf and it is the cutest thing I've ever been a part of.

Anybody else out there have a sneaky little elf making messes and keeping the kids in check?

Crazy Crossfit

Last Friday, my box did a WOD that involved a certain challenge called "Bring Sally Up". I didn't get to do it but holy wow. That is all I have to say. I am scared for the day that I do indeed have to suck it up and get my back squat on. For your enjoyment of seeing people in pain I have included a video of said challenge. I dare you to complete the whole thing.

After cringing at these poor crossfitters I decided to do some YouTube searching to see what else I could find that involved crossfit. These are my top 5 videos that I have found so far. If you have seen others, please feel free to share them. I would love to watch them!

1- Don't know what crossfit is? Watch this quick video to see all the sorts of hell we put our body through.

2- This girl. My motivation for sure.

3- I am a chalk user, but definitely not as bad as some crossfitters. 

4- Haha. I'd watch this.

5- Had to show love for CFMY. However, our box has moved since this video was made.

The Worst Thing About A Busy Schedule...

Is that my workout is always the first thing to get sacrificed.

I think it has been almost three weeks since I got to go to the box and man do I miss it. (Stupid dentist appointments!)
I miss the lifts. I miss the ring rows. I miss the bruised shins.
Who am I?!
I'm a crossfit lover who has no time to crossfit but today I can finally go and I am so excited and nervous at the same time.
I am already mentally preparing for the fact that I won't be able to snatch as much as I had been or deadlift anything close to what I had last time, but it's my own fault. The majority of today's WOD is lifts which means I will be one sore nanny tomorrow and I'm totally stoked. I miss the aches and pains.

Wish me luck. T minus 10 hours till I can feel complete again.

And so you can feel my pain, below is the workout. It might not seem too bad, but I'm going to take a wild guess and say I will be sweating and panting.
A LOT.

1 Snatch Pull + 1 Power Snatch + 1 Overhead Squat (20 minutes- EMOT[2]M)

Hamstrung (20 Minute- EMOTM)
EVENS- 3 Deadlifts at 75% of Max
ODDS- 10 Box Jump Overs

I'll be sure to let you all know how this goes!

Anybody else have to sacrifice their workout sometimes? It always breaks my heart a little bit every time I have to do it.

My New Gadget

I read lots of blogs. Anything from baby blogs to cooking blogs to people who talk about whatever they want to that day. I love reading blogs because I can find so many new things that I wouldn't have seen or thought of myself. One of the blogs I read does a whole mixture of different stuff and one of those things is product reviews. I love reading them because most of the time I have never heard of the product so it helps me learn about it and contemplate if it is something that I would benefit from.

Awhile ago she did a review on the Jawbone UP. I thought that I could totally see myself wearing it every day to mainly keep track of my steps. As a nanny, it is really hit or miss with how active I am at work. Some days we will just have a lazy day at home and others we will walk around the zoo or aquarium for hours. I have always been curious about my sleeping habits too. I love that it can connect to other apps that I use on my phone such as MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper.

I got my Jawbone UP in the mail October 30th and I haven't taken it off since!

I think that I am addicted to it. I love plugging it into my phone every day to see how many miles I have walked and how well I slept the night before (which is pretty rare these days). It keeps me accountable for the days that I don't go to crossfit. It's also a great way to show me how lazy I can be some days with the boys. Oh well.

Clearly Claire should come into town more often for bachelorette shenanigans because Saturday night was probably the most I have walked since I got the Jawbone UP. However, I think the majority of those steps were my sweet dance moves at the bar. No shame in my game.

I hope that everyone had a lovely weekend! The weather here in Philadelphia was absolutely amazing!

HAPPY MONDAY!

One Word.

LUSH.

If you haven't had the pleasure of walking into one of their stores you are missing out on probably one of the greatest experiences of your life. Okay, maybe a little dramatic but it still might change your life. I hadn't heard of it until my brother got me a gift box of goodies from there for Christmas about three years ago. Of course that means I blame him for my slight obsession that I now have. I have tried many of their products through out the years but since it can be a little pricey since it's fresh natural products I had to cut back some without a steady full time job. Thanks to nannying, I've been able to splurge a little on my face and hair care.

Reading the back of some of the labels of the things that you find in your shower can be a little scary sometimes. Try it. See how many ingredients you can't actually pronounce. And the ones with numbers in their name are chemicals. Yikes.

I decided that I wanted to slowly switch over to as many all natural products that I can so I started with my face wash and shampoo and conditioner. Boy, did I make a great decision!

First up, my new face cleanser that I would recommend to anyone!

Let the Good Times Roll.

The name is catchy and the scent is just over the top. If you like salted caramel popcorn, you will want to eat this. No joke.
I had never seen it before and the lovely lady informed us that it was once a limited edition item for the holidays but because so many customers wrote in saying they just had to have more of it they decided to make it a permanent cleanser and I am so grateful they are because it is probably the best product that has touched my face!
It has pieces of popcorn in the cleanser. Yes, in it! You might think that is crazy but it's amazing. I don't think my face has ever been this smooth. It's almost up there with a baby's butt.

Superbalm, Rehab, and Veganese.

Now, these don't have popcorn in them but they still sure smell amazing! And they do amazing things for your hair! 

I will confess, I have dandruff. Big deal, lots of people have it. But I haven't been able to find anything that works as well as good ol' Head and Shoulders. Well, I think I have finally found my replacement. 

Superbalm: This is a scalp treatment that you use 2-3 times a week, depending on how severe the dandruff is. I have used it twice in the past week and it has worked wonders! It has salicyclic acid and coconut oil which help sooth your scalp and keep it moisturized. It's weird to rub on your head 20 minutes before you actually shower but it works so it is totally worth it!

Rehab: A delicious (expensive) shampoo that has peppermint and juniper that gives your scalp a nice little tingle. There are other awesome things like pineapple juice, mango juice, and lavender oil that you will find in the ingredient list. YAY! for ingredients that you can actually read!

Veganese: I absolutely love this conditioner. Probably because it smells like lemon. Yeah, I think that is why I decided to pick this one over the other three they had to offer me. There is also lavender in it which helps with keeping your scalp flake free!

 

The best part about all of these products are that they are vegan! Makes me feel better about myself as I lather up in the shower.

My next step is changing my body wash. There are too many options to pick from but one of the best things about Lush is that they will give you endless amounts of samples because they know you will fall in love and will have to come back and buy their products!

Anybody else out there just as obsessed as much as I am?! I know I am not the only one!

I'd rather be working...

Today I had the day off since Bri and Ben didn't have to go to work because of the holiday. I thought that I was going to love the day off. I was wrong. By the time 2:30 rolled around, I was actually missing Max and Owen. I guess that's what happens when you hang out with two of the most adorable boys for 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. However, I got this hilarious text from Bri that made my night a little better!

She then proceeded to tell me that he said that he needed glasses and that he made mac and cheese for the kids and wanted to take Max and Hannah to the aquarium. How did I get so lucky to watch such a silly kid?! I can't wait to see them tomorrow!

But with the good, comes the bad. Luckily for Owen, he is cute and it was his birthday when the following abuse happened. Is that a real thing? Nanny abuse? 

Sometimes I wish that I could follow the kiddos around with a video camera so everyone could witness just how awesome these two are. I complain about getting up at 6 to head over to their house but I really wouldn't trade it for anything. I hope that one day I love any real job as much as I love what I'm doing right now.

Dedication.

Sorry that I have been M.I.A. for awhile. Between nannying, school, crossfit, and general laziness, I haven't had much time to actually sit on the couch and jot down anything that might be remotely interesting to anyone. Luckily for you though, I think I finally have something! WOOHOO!

This past weekend I got to fly down to Florida to spend some quality time with my mom and brother. And by quality time, I mean watching my brother play GTA5 while me and my mom watch the Best of Vine videos on Facebook. I had a great time and when Sunday rolled around I really didn't want to come back to Philadelphia.

The quality time was great, but the main reason for me heading down to FL was because it was the weekend of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Two years ago I was down there for it, somehow missed it last year, but we decided since my mom now lives in Florida that we should all do it again this year! Breast Cancer awareness month hits very close to home for my family, so anything that has to do with finding a cure will always hold a place in my heart.

In 2009 my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was the most devastating news I had ever heard in my 19 years of living. How could this have happened? My mom is the greatest person I know, so why this awful diseases was attacking her was beyond my belief. It came as a shock to everybody, but what didn't shock everyone was how strong she was. There were some moments that I wish that I could just drop out of college and go back to Arizona to take care of her, but I knew that wasn't what she would have wanted for me. Being across the country from your mom going through something like this was one of the hardest experiences I have ever had to deal with. I couldn't be there for her like I wanted to be and it was hard. But after everything, she made it through. I wouldn't know what I do without my mom. She's my best friend.

Race day started bright dark and early at 5am on Saturday! My favorite part about races like this, is the ridiculous amount of pink that I get to wear! I went to Target on Friday in hopes of finding pink shorts and I did. I wasn't surprised because Target has everything a girl could ask for but now I'm just getting off topic.

The race was at Vinoy Park. Right on the water. I thought it was freezing, everyone else seemed to be enjoying the weather. I guess you know you've been in Pennsylvania too long when low 70's is chilly to you! It was still dark out when we got to the race but by the time we put our bib numbers on, the sun was rising.

Me and the Bro

Fast forward a few hours and we were standing behind all the runners, waiting to start walking.

The Tutus are totes happening next year!

My favorite part of doing walks like this are the great outfits that everyone is wearing! I wish that I had been more of a creep to show you all the wonderful ideas people had. I do believe that all the men wearing bras were definitely on my list of best dressed!

Finally, we were off! There were so many people doing the run/walk that it took us awhile to actually reach the start line but after about a minute and a half of shuffling down the road we made it!

This years race was a bit different than two years ago. My moms mph isn't as fast as it used to be so we decorated a wheelchair and pushed her. And by we, I mean me. Besides a few yards in the beginning that she pushed the wheelchair herself, it was all me. My brother tried to ask me if I wanted help, but I was determined to do it the whole way. And I did. Thank you crossfit. As a matter of fact, after the race I wasn't even tired. Very sweaty, but not tired!

Mmmm sweat.

Finally, after 3.1 miles we finally crossed the finish line. Only took 1 hour and 17 minutes! I was very impressed with our time. And we weren't last!

After the race, I got to meet up with an old friend which was awesome! Me and Rachel were inseparable when we were younger. She lived on the next street over from my childhood house so of course we were the best of friends. Then I moved. Whomp Whomp. I'm glad that I got to see her. She definitely helped me finally suck it up and decide to join crossfit since she had been doing it before I became obsessed. She ran the 15k on Saturday and is running a half marathon soon! GO HER!!

Photobomb courtesy of Fed

Days like Saturday are always emotional for the family but we all had each other there which was awesome. One of these years I would absolutely love to do the 3 day walk but I just can't ever find the time to dedicate to fund raise. Before I'm 30! That will be my goal!

I hope that everyone is enjoying their October! And can you believe that it is Wednesday already?!

In other news: IT IS OWENS FIRST BIRTHDAY TODAY!!!! 

Cupcakes and Wine

Need I say more?

I mean what girl doesn't like cupcakes or wine? Yum, cupcake wine. Now I'm getting off track.

This weekend I got to take a little mini vacation and head down to Maryland to visit one of my good friends Claire. She graduated in May and I had only seen her one time after that, for only about 5 minutes as I was cheering her on at the Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half Marathon! We were both Resident Assistants at Arcadia and instantly became friends.

I've never been to visit Claire before so I couldn't wait to find out what we were going to be doing this weekend!

First up, Georgetown.
If you have never been to Georgetown, it is all sorts of wonderful. It reminds me of Manayunk which made me love it even more! M Street was the place to be on Saturday. Beautiful weather and a Georgetown vs Princeton football game. The best part about Georgetown is on the corner of M Street and 33rd Street.

That's right. Georgetown Cupcake. So good I ate two. Vegan Apple Cinnamon. I should have brought some home with me, but lets be honest, they wouldn't have lasted the three hour bus ride home on Sunday.

Other things in Georgetown that weren't as important as cupcakes: Good Stuff Eatery (delicious fried portobello mushroom burger), LUSH (Let the Good Times Roll smells like salted caramel popcorn and everyone should try it), Vineyard Vines Pink Whale Hats (that we didn't get unfortunately), and of course all the drunk college students that were on M Street for the Georgetown v Princeton football game (me and Claire both agreed we were very happy with picking Arcadia).

Last but certainly not least on my wonderful trip to Maryland, Linganore Winery.

If there is one thing that me and Claire have in common (besides our love for Grey's Anatomy), it is our love for wine. We might be complete opposites when it comes to wine (her dry red, me sweet white) but we still love it. This was the third wine tasting that we have done together and I sure hope that it is not the last! Not only did we get to try lots of wine, we got to witness a pregnant lady also wine tasting. I mean, I love my wine but you probably won't see me at a winery when I'm pregnant. But I guess that's just me.

Unfortunately, after a beautiful afternoon of wine drinking, it was time to hop back on the megabus and make my 3 hour trip back to Philadelphia. 

But don't you worry Maryland, I'll be back to visit. 

Hope you all had a great last weekend of September! I can't believe it is October tomorrow!

New Vegan Yum Yums

Holy cow.

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted. Oops.
I'm finally getting into my weekly routine and man is it busy. Nothing like nannying for 11 hours and then going to class for 3. I wish that we had more like 30 hours in a day just so that I could sleep more than 6 hours. It felt good to sleep in till after 9 this past Saturday!

Since I am a "new" vegan I always tend to eat the same things every week because I know that it is vegan and everything is pretty simple. This week, I decided that I was going to expand my vegan palette and try some new food that wasn't almond milk and cereal, veggie wraps, and Indian food. Yes, that is in fact my daily eating habits. Not too adventurous. But it sure is tasty. I decided to try two new recipes for this week and hopefully another two next week!

First up:
Sweet Potato Soup. AKA Heaven in a bowl.

The weather these days has been amazing. Chilly in the mornings and nights. Perfect during the day. These kind of days make me want fall so badly that I decided I would close my eyes and eat some warm sweet potato soup in my cold kitchen and pretend that it was October. And did I mention that this was probably the easiest soup that I have ever made?

Adapted from Healthy. Happy. Life.

Chili Sweet Potato Soup
1 Medium Size Sweet Potato
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 Cup No Chicken Broth
Dash of Chili Powder and Salt
Pinch of Cinnamon
1/2 Avocado
Wedge of Lime
Handful of Crushed Tortilla Chips (I used Whole Foods 365 Blue Corn Tortilla Chips)

1. Microwave the sweet potato (Or bake it in the oven, I just don't have time for that!)
2. Once sweet potato is soft, cut in half and scoop out that deliciousness into a blender.
3. Add the almond milk, fake chicken broth, chili powder, salt, and cinnamon
4. Blend all together until creamy. You might need to add more of either the almond milk or broth, just depends on if you want it more creamy or just thinned out.
5. Pour into a bowl and throw it in the microwave for about 1 minute to get it super hot
6. Squeeze lime wedge, drop in the chunks of avocado, and sprinkle with the tortilla chips
7. Close your eyes and enjoy liquid fall.

I really don't think it can get any more easy than that. I will definitely be making this frequently. And by frequently I probably mean weekly.

The next recipe I decided to try was for a vegan breakfast sandwich. Every week I eat the same things for breakfast. Milk and cereal or oatmeal. I haven't gotten sick of it yet, I just thought that I should maybe eat something with a little more nutrition since I have to run around with two boys all day. And I'm usually ready for a snack by 10am. This sandwich is also adapted from Happy. Healthy. Life. They have some awesome vegan recipes so I am sure the majority of my new meals will be coming from them!

Vegan Breakfast Sandwich
1 English Muffin
2 Tbsp soy vegan sausage (I used Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage)
1/4 Bell pepper (Any color will do), sliced
2 Slices of Tomato
Small handful of spinach
Sprinkle of Daiya Pepper Jack Cheese

1. Form sausage into a patty the same size as the English muffin and fry in pan until crisp on both sides. 5ish minutes.
2. Cut English muffin and pop it in the toaster
3. Once sausage patty is hot sprinkle on some Daiya cheese and cover until melted
4. Put spinach on one side of the English muffin and place sausage patty with melted cheese on top.
5. Add bell pepper slices tomatoes.
6. Top with the other side of the English muffin and devour

There are MANY different ways to make this unique. I think I am going to try some tofu "scrambled eggs" next time to top it off. Yum!

I hope that everyone has a fantastic weekend! Mine will consist of 8 hours of anatomy class for EMT and then hours and hours of studying for my first exam. Wish me luck!

I cheated.

I couldn't resist.
It was calling my name.
I had to.
Call me a bad vegan.
I can take it.

I cheated on my vegan diet with homemade snickers and I'm not even mad. A little guilty but not mad by any means.

If you were to taste them you would understand why I did what I did.

Click on the link below. Just look at the pictures first. Then make them for yourself. And don't share because you won't want to. And then you will finally know why I cheated.

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/01/homemade-snickers-bars/

EMT anyone?

After I graduated college I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I love chemistry, don't get me wrong, but would I be happy doing it every day? What field would I pursue? Industrial, pharmaceutical, cosmetic? The list goes on and on. A couple weeks before graduating I thought that nursing would be a great career choice! I looked at all the different accelerated programs in the area and even took a nutrition class online last summer to continue finishing the pre-reqs that I would need. Then after a bad experience in the ER, I thought that maybe nursing wouldn't be for me. If I were to become a nurse, the NICU is definitely where I would want to ultimately end up but I know you have to start from the bottom and I'm not sure I was willing to do that. So there went that great idea!

That is when I started to Nanny. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this job. I get to play with infants and toddlers all day and watch them grow and learn new things every week. However, I'm sitting on a degree that I do not use. A lot of google searches have happened in the last few months to try and find out what the heck I want to do with my life. I'm still young so I figured I still had awhile but I'm not patient and I want to know where my life is taking me. Right now. The google searches finally brought me to something that I thought might actually be an awesome career path and that something was EMT.

The medical field has always sparked an interest in me but becoming a doctor was not something I found myself ever doing. I already have gone through four years of college, that was plenty for me. Then the nursing idea didn't work out. I have always thought that working in an ER would be so awesome. You get to see new patients every day and every case is always unique in its own way. There aren't many opportunities in the ER with a chemistry degree. Which is why I do believe that EMT is the right choice for me.

My first class was Wednesday and although it was all paperwork and registering online for the course, it made me so excited for the next 8 or so months. I haven't been this excited to learn about something new which is why I know that I made the right decision. I might have to wear a polo and cargo pants to class every day but I will get to learn how to take vital signs, splint broken arms, and deliver babies. How awesome is that?! Tomorrow is my first "real" class so hopefully I can let you all know something interesting that you didn't know before!

Since my vacation to Arizona I have been slacking on my crossfit workouts but I got to get one in today and boy did it kick my butt. I was surprised I got 50 burpees in under 5 minutes! And all my weights were 60, a little light but hey it's Sunday!

Cry About It, Saddlebags (Chipper-For Time)
50 Burpees
400 Meter Run
21-15-9
Hang Power Cleans
Pull Ups (I did ring rows)
800 Meter Run
15-12-9
Deadlifts
Wall Balls
Toes to Bars (I did knees to chest)

Completed: 41:42

I hope that every one has a marvelous Monday tomorrow!

Good Ol' Arizona

Before I even start about my trip I just wanna say one thing. If you think that taking an overnight flight is a good idea before you have to nanny for 9 hours, you are mistaken. If you think you are going to just close your eyes and sleep the 5 hours, you are wrong. Never. Again.

Okay. Now onto my trip.
Friday night I was so excited about my 5:25am flight on Saturday that I couldn't even sleep! Luckily for me, my wonderful roommate drove me to the airport at 4 in the morning (that is some love right there!). I got my ticket, took a benedryl and slept my way to Texas. Well, for 3 hours at least. One more 2 hour flight and I was back in Arizona! Of course my flight was super early which meant that my ride was no where in sight. I think the text conversation went a little like this:

Me: I'M HERE!
Ian: Omg. Leaving Now.
Me: Ugh okay

Thank goodness my best friend doesn't live far from the airport so I didn't have to sit around and look like forgotten luggage for very long. I was pleasantly greeted by three lovely faces that I hadn't seen for quite some time. Paige, Tucker, and Ian. I couldn't wait for my three day weekend to start! But first, a necessary nap (which didn't end up lasting that long unfortunately). Then the rest of the afternoon went a little like this:

Buffalo Wild Wings
Wal-Mart
More Naps
Grocery Store (which you can buy alcohol in! Damn you, Pennsylvania)

Saturday night was going to be the only night we all had together so we all put on our fancy pants and headed out.

Side Note: The lovely (even though some may say different. cough Ian cough) floral shirt worn by yours truly has been worn every time I have ever gone to Ra, the sushi place we ended up at. Strange coincidence.

Studs.

Hotties.

If there is one thing that I have fallen in love with in Arizona, it's the Breakfast Buzz smoothie from d'lish. A smoothie? Really Chelsey. Yes. It is chocolate, banana, coffee, and peanut butter goodness. I have had at least one every time I have been out there since Paige allowed for me to taste such magnificence. When everyone was out getting smoothies for everyone I started making breakfast. Pancakes and bacon. Two things that I do not eat. They better have felt honored. It was our friend Ian's birthday so, of course, we had to be obnoxious and sing to him (I don't think he liked it too much, but luckily we didn't care). His birthday present consisted of a 6 pack of Blue Moon and a hand painted Ron Burgundy beer stein. High five to me.

The rest of the day consisted of us watching SNL Clips and episodes of New Girl. We finally decided to leave the house to get some Mexican food because a trip to Arizona without Mexican food is an unsuccessful one to me. We went to Cafe Rio which had yummy homemade tortillas that they made right in front of you. Then we went back home for some more laziness and then decided to go to a place where you get to watch a movie and get to eat dinner at the same time! We saw We're the Millers. Hilarious if you haven't already spent the million dollars it take to go see movies now a days.

Monday was another lazy day.
Best part of the whole thing: Water War.

I had never heard of it before and both Paige and Jon thought that I would chicken out but after watching what it was I couldn't have been more excited. If you don't watch Jimmy Fallon, like me, you wouldn't know what it is. Go watch this, laugh, and then challenge your friends. Unfortunately, I lost. But it was so much fun and a great way to end my stay in Arizona.

Weekends like this make it hard for me to say good bye. I love Philadelphia, but I absolutely love spending all day with my closest friends. Distance sure does make the heart grow fonder. And sometimes it straight up sucks.

Hope everyone else had a great Labor Day Weekend!! Fall here we come!!

Ugh and Delicious

One of the above words describes my workout from last night and one describes the lunch that I made for myself today. Can you guess which is which?

For someone who has run multiple 5k's, running during a crossfit workout is UGH. Because doing front squats for 20 minutes and then some wall balls and toes to bars (or rather knees to chest) isn't enough they had to throw in a 800 meter run followed by even more workout! I don't think I would've been so miserable if it wasn't for that run right in the middle. It wore me out and the thought of giving up ran through my mind, but you just can't give up at crossfit. Too much encouragement from the coaches and fellow crossfitters to give up. I did the best I could but I hit both time caps which is frustrating. However, I got up to 90 pounds on my lifting which I was quite impressed with! Try it out, maybe you will have better luck than me!

1 Full Squat Clean + 2 Front Squats (20 Minutes)

Standing on the Wall, Hands on Your Balls (Gotta Love the Name!)
7 Rounds For Time (6 Minute Cap)
12 Wall Balls
5 Toes to Bars (I did Knees to Chest)
Metcon
For Time (12 Minute Cap)
800 Meter Run
5 Rounds:
30 Dubs
10 Hand Stand Push Ups
Then
30 Burpees

Now onto the DELICIOUS part of my day. When I was working Sunday I wasn't sure what I wanted do make for meals this week. Well, my friend Sandy had a fabulous idea and it turned out so so good I thought that I would share it with you so you can go out there and make some yummy vegan Asian inspired food. And there are only 4 ingredients. Yes, F-O-U-R.

1 Package of 365 (Whole Foods Brand) Frozen Stir Fry Vegetable Mix
1/2 Block of Tofu, Cubed (I used Nasoya Sprouted)
1 Package Noodles (I used Organic Hakubaku Soba Buckwheat Noodles)
Soy Sauce (As much as needed for your taste)
Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

1. Cook the noodles as directed on the package, mine only took 4 minutes!
2. In the pot used for the noodles pour in frozen veggies with a little soy sauce to start. Cook until hot and then add tofu.
3. Add noodles back in to the pot.
4. Pour some more soy sauce until it tastes like heaven.
5. Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes if you wish. I wished and it was delicious.

You will thank me later. I promise. You can even add more veggies if you wish! Use your Vegan imagination.

And since I'm getting even more excited, 3 days till I'm on a plane!

Happy Hump Day!

In the past 6 days...

I have done a lot of the same things I do every day, things I wouldn't consider blog worthy. On the other hand there were a few things that happened that I would like to mention before I forget.

1. Ordered my textbook for my EMT class! (But just got an email saying its on backorder, so that's wonderful)

2. My flight coming back to Philly isn't until 10:45pm on Monday which means I get to be in Arizona for almost a whole other day than I expected! (Even though that means my flight gets in at 6:15am and then I nanny at 8, that should be interesting)

3. Went to my first Indian market on Saturday and bought some delicious snacks! (Including a flake bar, which isn't vegan but I had to because I can never find them and they are my favorite candy of all time)

4. An Irishman bought me a drink and then proceeded to tell me he hated me because he was a Manchester United fan.

5. Worked at Whole Foods for the first time in almost 3 weeks. I have come to realize I love the people I work with, not so much the actual act of cashiering.

and

6. I crafted a birthday present for a dude and I am super proud of it! (And if he doesn't like it, I plan on keeping it for myself)

So there you have it, 6 things I did in the past 6 days.

I think that I have been looking forward to my trip to Arizona so much that every day that goes by is almost a blur. I just get so excited each morning I wake up because it is one day closer to being in the hot (dry) sunshine with some pretty rad people.

4 days. Just 4 more days.

Hump Day Adventures

It's Wednesday! Which means tomorrow is Thursday which is one day away from Friday! Woohoo! I completely forgot but I'm going to a Phillies game on Friday with some other Whole Foods employees which was a nice surprise! I don't really watch baseball but I will drink a beer and talk away the night!

Today the high was suppose to be around 88. I know that Max likes his walks but in no way was I going to walk for an hour, pushing a stroller, up hill. Sorry buddy. So I decided that today would be a great day to visit the aquarium!! I love the aquarium and what child doesn't. Max was actually excited about going today (unlike the zoo fiasco). And I didn't get lost going to Jersey (thank goodness)!

I think my favorite part was when they fed the hippos. I don't think it was Max or Owens but oh well (I think they liked the sharks best).

Look at that cutie!

I must say, getting lunch at the aquarium was probably the worst part of the whole day. Pushing a double stroller with only one child and chasing another through the aquarium I can handle, but pushing a double stroller with two kids IN it with one hand while carrying a tray of food with another, not so much. Thank goodness for the wonderful cashier who walked to a table with me, filled our drinks, got us napkins and ketchup, and searched for a spoon. I think I would have lost all of our lunch without her. And then I probably would've ended up on the floor crying with the kids because all the food was gone.

This whole waking up at 5:15 and getting home between 4 and 5 has really put a pause on my crossfitting. Not to mention the fact that I was almost sick for a whole week. Once I break routine it is really hard for me get back into the swing of things. However, with a little help from some of the other lady crossfitters at my box I pushed myself to go tonight. Two things.

1. I forgot how much fun I have when I step into the box.
and
2. I forgot how much I sweat once in said box.

If I could give one piece of advice it would definitely be to NOT skip out for a week and half and then think you can just dive right back in. This workout wasn't even that bad looking on paper but after it was all said and done I was miserable. I could barely lift any weight and I was cramping like no other. So I will take my own advice and make sure I go again tomorrow. The WOD we did today is below. I'm not even going to tell you all what my times and weights were because I am embarrassed with myself. Maybe next time!

Floor Press (20 minutes 8x4)

Mean Mugs and Shoulder Shrugs
2 Rounds- For Time (4 Minute Cap)
15 Pull Ups (I did ring rows)
15 Shoulder to Overhead
Metcon
2 Rounds- For Time (4 Minute Cap)
10 Thrusters
10 Burpees
Metcon (7 Minute AMRAP Reps and Rounds)
10 KB Swings
10 Back Squats

Try it out. =) Let me know what you think.

Happy (almost over) Hump Day!

3 of the many reasons why I love Whole Foods

Just having become vegan (about 4 months ago), I didn't realize how difficult it would be to shop in a "normal" grocery store. I like to get in and out, but noooooooo, now I have to look at every label of everything new that I want to eat just to make sure that it doesn't contain milk (ain't nobody got time for that!). Luckily, they have to put a little blurb at the end of the ingredient list if it contains wheat, soy, or milk products so it isn't that hard to determine if I can buy it or not but it is still annoying at times. I've come to realize that Whole Foods really is THE store to shop at if you are vegan, vegetarian, or have dietary restrictions. There are so many awesome products that you will not find at any other grocery store in your town. I don't think that I could ever go back to shopping at another store, they don't have my fake mayo or fake cheese! After having to look at the back of the box of everything I have come to realize the three reasons why Whole Foods makes it so much easier for us vegans to shop there.

1. On the majority of their 365 brand products they have this handy little V+ on the back of the packaging. If it's there, it means it is 100% vegan. No need to read all the ingredients. Hallelujah.

2. In the bakery and prepared foods sections of the store they have these obnoxious green labels that say vegan on them. Again, hallelujah, because baked goods can be difficult to determine if they are vegan friendly or not. And Chelsey loves herself some vegan baked goods.

and.

3. There are many different companies out there today that know that the majority of their consumers are either vegetarian or vegan. So to make things easier for us, they put vegan in front the whole list of ingredients so that we don't even have to look at the long list! Thank you Amy's for giving a sick girl "chicken" noodle soup. Yum.

The list of reasons why I love Whole Foods could go on and on. And I am sure there will be many other posts dedicated to Whole Foods. But for now, this is why I'm loving them and I figured I would share them with you. You never know, maybe you will want to become a vegan and I will have just helped you tremendously on your search for vegan friendly foods because that shit's rough. And annoying.

Hope everyone is enjoying this delightful weekend. I am spending mine on the couch, cuddled with my dog, and ABC Family movies.

PS- Exactly 2 weeks till I'm in Arizona! Can. Not. Wait.

I knew it was coming...

As you may know from my last post, the two boys I nanny for are sick. Guess what that means? Chelsey gets sick too! The past two days have been rough. Not being able to breathing through your nose is probably the worst cold symptom in the planet because when you try to eat you run out of breath like you just sprinted 400 meters. Super attractive. Not being able to work out definitely sucks too.

Hopefully my 20 dollar shopping spree at CVS last night will help me get rid of this junk before Monday or I will be more miserable than I have been. Cranky sick children + cranky sick nanny = disaster.

On the upside, we went to the Philadelphia Zoo yesterday! Even though I have lived in Philadelphia for the past 5 years I have never been so I was probably more excited about the trip than the kids were. I was jealous that they got to sleep on the ride home and I had to drive but it made for one great afternoon filled with goats, flamingos, and tons of monkeys! Maybe some ice cream too.

Happy Thursday!

And now it is bedtime. Good night world.

Day 1 Complete

Before I even begin to talk about my awesome day yesterday I just want to say how excited I am because I finally bought a ticket to Arizona for Labor Day Weekend!!!!!! 18 days could not come soon enough. Seriously. Super stoked.

Okay. Onto my work day.

Yesterday was probably one of the best first days of work I have had in a long time. I mean I got to play with a 10 month old and a 2.5 year old for 9 hours. That alone makes it a lot better than standing at a cash register for 7 hours at Whole Foods any day (Sorry!).

The getting up at 5:15 part was definitely harder than I thought it would be, possibly because I didn't go to sleep until almost midnight. Oops. But thanks to some coffee I was good to go. Luckily the kids aren't awake when I get to the house because I need some time to still wake up before I have two boys jumping all over me. Max, the 2.5 year old was up first! He is potty training, which for someone who had never dealt with that before was a little scared at first but there was only two accidents the whole day which is my books counts for a pretty good day. Especially since he HATES saying when he has to go. One of my favorite conversations happened when I was sitting across from him while he was on the toilet.

(Max holds his hand up to his ear)
"Shh, do you hear that?"
(I then put my hand up to my ear)
"No, what is it?"
"Poop!"

I do believe he was very serious. And it was hilarious. Kids really do say the funniest things and they don't even know it which makes it so much better for us adults. He also wanted corn for breakfast and proceeded to cry after I told him that corn was not a breakfast food (He settled for some go-gurt).

We got to go "fishing" in the morning and "mow the lawn". Typical male.

Owen is the easiest one to handle. He is very independent and just started walking so he just wants to do his own thing and be proud of himself for getting there without crawling.

I could write a whole lot more about how adorable these little guys are and what we did through out the day but then you would be super jealous of my job and I don't want you to end up going to work miserable because you read this. =)

On another note, I got a new planner! And if you know me at all, you know this was one of the highlights of my day. Who doesn't like a nice new shiny planner. Oh and I also bought some everything hummus. Like an everything bagel but hummus form. I'm sure it is equally delicious.

Day off = Target

My thoughts exactly.

Today was my first Saturday off in goodness knows how long and of course I wake up at 6:45. My body clearly hates me or it is just very confused as to why I wasn't feeding it coffee at 4:30. My day was productive to start: cleaned the bathroom, did my laundry, and even rearranged my dresser drawers! Then me and the roommate decided that we needed to go to Target. Every one knows that you never HAVE to go to Target but who can resist?! And this just wasn't a quick trip. No no no. If I do remember correctly, it was a 3 hour long trip. 3 HOURS! But we all know that it isn't too hard to get caught up in the aisles of forever happiness.

My shopping list consisted of 4 things:

1. Conditioner

2. Jelly

3. Bread

4. Shower Curtain Liner

Now, do you think that is all I left with? Of course not. Shoot, I didn't even get the bread or jelly! But I used a coupon for the conditioner. Go me!

Is it weird that I ended up buying more groceries than anything else with today's adventure? Probably wasn't a good idea to go while hungry either so the apple sauce and Rainier cherries were a definite must have.

Side Note: Rainier cherries are probably the best creation on this planet besides Whole Foods vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Go out and get yourself some! NOW!

I think that the best part of the whole trip was when we were at the check out and got to witness a woman freak out on the poor store manager. Now, I'm not sure why exactly the security guard asked this lady if she had her receipt but she was the wrong one to ask. I have never heard so many curse words come out of a middle aged white woman's mouth in front of a store full of people until today.

"This is the ASSHOLE that asked for my receipt. How dare you! What's your name? I'm calling corporate!"

"Ma'am, you need to calm down"

" It's because I'm white isn't it!"

Whoa whoa lady. I know we are in Philadelphia but I'm pretty sure you aren't the only white person shopping today, all you had to do was show the man your receipt. 

Turns out she was there to buy stuff for her son for college. Poor kid won't be able to show his face in that Target every again. 

Hope everyone's weekend is going as well as mine and not the security guards!

What is better than living with an Indian?

The answer is nothing. Especially when you LOVE Indian food.

I have always loved Indian food. If I had to pick one food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Indian. You can put anything in a curry sauce and I will eat it. Well almost anything.

Recently, me and my roommate, Sarika, have been eating A LOT of Indian food. At least 2 times a week, with leftovers in between (sorry not sorry). We always have the staples at hand so when nothing else sounds good to eat, Indian it is! It is so delicious and you would never know that it was completely vegan! We mix up the veggies depending on what we have but the recipe below is what my friend Sandy (human, not puppy) likes to call "Chickpea Surprise"

Chickpea Surprise
1 can of chickpeas (try to get the no salt added)
3-4 red potatoes (I've done sweet potato as well. delish.)
1/2 of a Cauliflower head (or frozen works too)
1 Bell pepper
1/2 Yellow onion
Peas, optional
Tomato paste
1 can of tomato sauce
Lots of mumbai bhaji pav masala
Olive oil
Rice
Naan (if you got it!)

1. Microwave potatoes till tender. In the meantime cut up all the veggies into bite size pieces. Heat up some oil in a pot and add peppers and onions.
2. Cut up cauliflower and toss in with the peppers and onions.
3. Sprinkle in some of that yummy mumbai bhaji pav masala.
4. Add tomato paste and sauce. Stir it all up.
5. Add chickpeas, potatoes, and peas (if you want them).
6. Put some more mumbai bhaji pav masala in the pot until you are satisfied with the flavor.
7. Pour over some white rice and dig in with some naan!

If you can't tell, I have no exact measurements for anything. When we make this we just throw in whatever we have. Sometimes there is peppers, sometimes there is broccoli. If you have carrots, throw those in as well. It's really whatever you like. We like our Indian food saucy but if you don't, just go lighter on the tomato sauce. Now for the mumbai bhaji pav masala. I had no idea this existed, but it will forever be in my cupboard. Luckily for me, Sarika's mom gets it for us but there are many Indian markets that you can go to and grab a box... or 5. This is one of those recipes that really is up to the individual making it but I guarantee you will love it and will then know why I am so obsessed with it. And bonus: the leftovers are just as good. I promise.

Enjoy! And spread the word about "Chickpea Surprise"!

My life in three words.

Chelsey. That's me.

Vegan. That's what I eat. (Almond Milk)

Crossfit. That's how I stay in shape. (Barbells)

Nanny. That's my job. (Strollers)

I had a blog once. About going to nursing school. And if you haven't noticed, that's not where my life ended up going. At all. But I can't complain because my life after college has been filled with great memories and even greater friends. If I had to sum up my life this past year some notable events included: moving to Manayunk (twice), having my mom in PA while she was working for a few months (love her), rescuing a dog (Sandy), my mom AND brother being in Philadelphia for Christmas (love him too), getting and losing my first nanny job (miss him), working my life away at Whole Foods (meh), and my best friend getting married (finally!).

My life might not be perfect but I love it and I wouldn't trade it for anything. So I hope that this blog can give you some good vegan recipes, maybe even motivation to get up off the couch and work out, or even get a good laugh at the ridiculous things that the kids I nanny for do and say. Whatever it does, I sure hope that it keeps you coming back for more!