Tag: Random

• A Day Off

  Posted at 6:14 AM by Brittany, on January 29, 2015

  Last week I showed up to school to find a big fat note on the classroom window.

  **Chem 142 & 152 CANCELLED.**

  Immediately my body went into a state of shock, not only was lecture cancelled, but so was my lab. I don’t work on Thursdays because I am usually at school all day. This meant one thing: I had a complete, total, and 100% day off…from everything.

  

  Insert excitedly awkward selfie.

  I had already driven the 10 minutes to get to school, so I stayed around for an hour to do some homework, but then the rest of the day was mine. I had even finished my scheduled 5 mile run for the day. Ideally I would have loved to go for a hike, or even venture to Seattle, but the days get dark so fast and that wouldn’t have worked well.

  

  Where I’d REALLY rather be…

  So I did the next best thing, I wandered World Market.

  

  There are many reasons why I love to wander World Market, starting with their coffee samples. Something about that tiny cup in my hand while walking the aisles makes me feel like a freshly groomed sheep. So light and free.

  It’s also one of the few places I will willingly try flavored coffee.

  

  I like to stare at things while I drink my coffee. Computer screens, my cat taking a bath, rain falling, strangers spilling ketchup on themselves, or paintings.

  

  

  That coffee print is brilliant, and true! Except the part about the lighter roasts, I’m a full bodied-low acidity coffee kinda gal. Lighter roasts are too bright and floral for my liking. I want my coffee smooth enough to pair with…

  

  …chocolate. All the chocolate. Chocolate is made in the kitchen, unless you’re being innovatively unsanitary. The kitchen calls for baking tools (and snacks.)

  

  I NEED this ceramic style kitchen utensil holder! So rustic.

  

  If you insist.

  

  I’d serve so many cookies off that deer face. Cookies…which bake for allotted amounts of time. Time in which you’ll need a clock. Or six.

  

  The worn looks to all these clocks speak to my recycling soul. I’d possibly find something similar digging in the trash, then it would be vintage right? Then I would smell…and I’d need a candle to walk around with to mask my scent.

  

  When I close my eyes and sniff these candles I feel like I’m in a tropical land with rare succulents, and komodo dragons the length of Asia.

  

  When it’s all said and done, really I just like to mentally decorate the house I don’t own, and buy chocolate. I walked out with the wasabi ginger bar and a classic sea salt bar. Both pair perfectly with coffee and a book…a book about coffee.

  

  This is the first book I’ve purchased in years. I’m all about the library, but I had a Barnes and Noble gift card collecting dust. This was the perfect purchase. I love it.

  Speaking of coffee, I am currently drinking a cup all the way from New Zealand. My dear friend Gigi sent me TWO bags. A good friend sends you a gift from her recent vacation, but a great friend sends you a gift of your true passions. ❤

  

  Ground for a plunger, (or French press) how perfect.

  “Extra smooth, extra caffeine, extra grunt.”

  Q: What stores do you love to wander? Whole Foods, TJ’s, World Market, and REI top my list.

  

  | 82 Comments Tagged Adventure, Coffee, Random, School, World Market

• Does it Make Me…

  Posted at 6:04 AM by Brittany, on January 23, 2015

  Does is make me obsessive if I can’t stop with the creamy/crunchy combo?

  

  Pretzels and almond butter

  -OR-

  

  Yogurt/blueberry/banana mush WITH CRUNCHY GRANOLA.

  Does is make me immature if this text message was the highlight of my week?

  

  Does it make me impatient if I say I AM SO OVER WINTER. The dry skin, and constant static cling alone are enough to make me a hot angry mess.

  

  Silver lining – at least there’s no snow. Knock on wood.

  Does is make me lazy if I haven’t made any time to buy a new SD card for my dSLR? I’ve been using my iPhone for all my photos.

  Does is make me motivated if I’ve not purchased a treat in…far too long. I’m starting to dream about donuts dancing with sprinkles.

  

  Does it make me earthy if this is my toothpaste? It’s made of…clay.

  Does it make me a bad student if I plan to skip class today (something you would have NEVER caught me doing last quarter, learning to be lenient), because I’m too excited about finally going to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery??

  Coffee playground here I come.

  

  Click photo for more awesome pictures.

  Brace yourselves for some Instagram photos. Happy weekend!

  Q: Fill in the blank: “Does it make me ________?”

  

  | 86 Comments Tagged Coffee, Does it Make Me, Food, Instagram, Random, Starbucks, Vegan

• A Side of Tips

  Posted at 7:11 AM by Brittany, on January 12, 2015

  Here’s how this post is going to work: I’m going to randomly share a few updates in my life, because despite this article telling me I shouldn’t (number 2) this is my life and I do what I waaaannnt. Plus I disagree with that article.

  Then I’m going to share a life tip related to the update. Got it? Good.

  -Coffee. In the world of black crack things are smooth, pun intended. Starbucks has released Casi Cielo and I’ve had a few at work coffee tastings with the brew. My favorite tasting was one that my manager conducted. (Side note: I’m totally still sipping on Christmas blend while I write this post.)

  

  Coffee and cookies.

  She always goes above and beyond to ensure I can partake in things. These are vegan cookies, and the gingersnap flavors paired great. I love my people.

  COFFEE TIP: When brewing your morning coffee, pour hot water into your mug while you’re waiting. This will warm up your mug (duh) and minimize heat loss.

  -Running. My running has been fantastic. Like…I can’t believe it’s not butter fantastic. I’m going to blame the fact that I have an excellent balance in my life right now. It’s also hard to beat fantastic views and post run showers/feasting.

  

  (Winter) RUNNING TIP: If you have the option, start your run inside. I despise running on my treadmill for long distances as much as I despise cold lungs. Combining indoor/outdoor helps my mental stability and gives me big fat warm lungs.

  -School. Ohhh boyyyy, here we go. I’m a solid week into the next level of my chemistry class…and…it’s going OK. I’m knocking on every patch of wood I see after typing that out. I refuse to let this class go down in flames like the last class. I finished the last class with a B, so I’m hoping for AT LEAST a B+ this time.

  For this I also blame life balance. Funny how switching things around to provide a routine can benefit the overall flow of life. If you can, I suggest you try it.

  

  Usually the case for me.

  SCHOOL TIP: This actually goes for school/work/anything really..PACK YOUR LUNCH. Seriously, you’ve all heard it before, so DO IT! Prepping your meals ENSURES a healthy intake which ensures my favorite word: B A L A N C E. It also helps your pants to fit despite sitting for longer periods of time. I like when my pants fit.

  -Food. I’ve had the chance to get some baking in (there’s that balance again.) along with some solid meals. My current obsessions are: raw desserts, and anything with coconut flour. I’ve also been really into making things without refined sugars.

  I made this…

  

  Click photo for recipe.

  …and these…

  

  Cliccckkk.

  I subbed flax eggs for both of those, and swapped sugars for raw honey. The muffins came out perfect, but my bread looked like a sunken ship. The icing was too watery and made my bread too moist. Waste not though, I turned it into more of a bread pudding because the flavor was still good!

  FOOD TIP: Try using food to add sweetness to your baked goods. Dates, bananas, apples, raw honey, maple syrup, and more. All of these have helped satisfy my sweet tooth while allowing me to feel good about what I’m putting into my face hole.

  CliffsNotes Version: When life is balanced, things work together like a beautifully harmonized song. All that’s missing is a mountain adventure. and cake.

  Q: What’s your life tip for the day? 

  

  | 69 Comments Tagged Coffee, Random, Running, School, Starbucks

• Brain Splurge with a Side of Fun Facts

  Posted at 6:43 AM by Brittany, on December 30, 2014

  Whole lotta random coming atcha in 3…2…1…

  – Christmas was great this year, calm and casual just the way I like it. I gifted my mom tickets to see one of my favorite artists, because he happens to be playing with the Seattle Symphony. I knew she would like the symphony, and I would like him. Win.

  

  Fun Fact: I’ve never been to a concert. Unless you count a local radio stations throw together of artists that I went to when I was 12 with my friend and her dad. All I remember is a light up pin and ear plugs. I’m not going to count that.– I escaped to the mountains on another solo hike last week. I decided waiting on other people wasn’t worth it, so off I went with my Mace and kitchen knife.

  

  Fun Fact: I LOVE the look of rustic, old, and tattered things. Buildings, cars, boats, you name it. I drove past that boat pictured above many times and finally stopped to take a picture. Look close and you’ll spy a chicken and a cow.– I have officially entered the world of plant based caramel sauce. I hesitate to say “vegan” because I do use honey, but it’s close enough folks. Here is is pictured with a recipe I plan to share later this week. I’m absolutely obsessed.

  

  Fun Fact: This recipe inspired me to start making more raw like treats.– I’m in Arizona until the 4th of January. Mountains no longer look the same as the above photo from my solo hike. Not a green tree in sight, just red red rocks.

  

  Entering desert land, last of the white mountains.

  

  Fun Fact: Sunshine is a drug, and I’m prepared to overdose.-I’ve started training for my next half marathon in March. Running in Arizona has been an ego boost of sorts. FLAT lands mean quicker paces. Busting out an average 9:20 pace after taking months off doesn’t happen in my area, much too hilly.

  

  Fun Fact: Arizona is having one of its coldest winters. Almost feels like home.

   Q: What’s your fun fact of the day?

  

  | 72 Comments Tagged Arizona, Fun fact, Half Marathon, Random, Run, Vacation

• Fridays Fantastic Five

  Posted at 6:39 AM by Brittany, on December 5, 2014

  1. This box spoke to me. It said,”fill me with naughty treats because you need more insulation.” <–That’s not true, so the box was lying. Either way I love it.

  

  2. I found a dollar coin in the parking lot after finishing chem class this week. It was like a glimmer of magical hope after one too many molarity equations.

  

  3. Starbucks ornaments. Enough said.

  

  4. The mountains surrounding my living space have been large and in change lately. Sunny yet freezing days mean clean, snowy, BLUE mountain tops. If I can’t be on the mountain, I’m thankful I can at least see them all around me.

  

  Not the best photo, but you get the idea.

  5. Cookies twice in one day. Despite the fact that neither of these instances offered any “Brittany friendly” cookies, the gestures behind them sparked my fire higher than The General Sherman Tree. Instance #1- Partner appreciation cookies at work.

  

  Sorry friends, these chocolate coated shortbread cookies are not available for the public. I gave mine to my mama!

  Instance # 2- The kid I sit by in chem class gave a plate of cookies he made to me and the girl on my other side (I sit in the middle.) There is a special bond chemistry students develop with each other, and I’m not talking about ionic or covalent. We all laugh, cry, and bleed the same while stuffing our brains with painful knowledge.

  He’s my new favorite person, and such a precious high school child.

  

  Naturally I started and finished this post by talking about cookies. Happy Friday.

  Q: What’s one of your Friday favorites? 

  

  | 42 Comments Tagged Christmas, Cookies, Random, Starbucks

• Going with the Flow

  Posted at 6:13 AM by Brittany, on December 2, 2014

  Sometimes unexpected things happen. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned how to (mostly) accept unplanned situations that arise. Case in point: last Saturday I had plans to see Mockingjay at 3:45, any later & I turn into a walking zombie. Come to find out the universe had alternate plans for me, and I noticed I had a flat tire.

  I knew my chances of making the 3:45 movie were impossible once the man at the tire shop told me it would take 3-4 hours to fix. This also happened to be the day of our first snow fall, and freezing temperatures causing every hermit and their moms to crawl out and prep for the winter season. To make matters worse my house lost power.

  

  My room was as dark as this brownie…darker even.

  No power means no heat.

  So there I was at home (thanks to my wonderful mother swooping me up from the tire shop) wearing enough layers to give a blubbered elephant seal a run for their money, with no car, and no movie. I was calm, collected, and OK with this unexpected change in plans. Why? Because I am the only person with the power to prevent negativity.

  

  Layers like this, but inside, and with no bike.

  I chose optimism and spewed positive thoughts. I now have a fixed tire, and made it to the 6:30 movie (no zombie), which was fantastic by the way. It’s natural to be upset when things don’t go as planned, but choosing how to react is entirely up to you.

  Go with the flow, it requires less energy.

  Q: Who saw Mockingjay? Thoughts?

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Life, Random, Winter

• Elastic Pants, Here I Come

  Posted at 4:01 AM by Brittany, on November 21, 2014

  I’m always craving sweets, always. I eat 75% plants and 25% sweets which usually keeps me satisfied and in balance. On the off chance I don’t get my full 25% portion of sweets, I may splurge to a solid 30-40% instead. This is not a pretty sight.

  I successfully avoided the seasonal Bark Thins at Costco, until yesterday.

  

  Don’t ask how many servings I ate upon opening this package. I will lie to you and say less than one. OK I had more than one…more like..three. I then proceeded to run, do a Jillian Michaels workout, and cool down with an incline walk. If you’re looking for a way to ensure you want NOTHING TO DO WITH all the chocolate this is it.

  I felt sick for hours, resulting in plants on plants on plants for dinner.

  

  I ate 213874 lbs of spinach.

  You win this round Bark Thins.

  Speaking of food, I’m still super jazzed for Thanksgiving. Can we just take a moment to talk about how cute, perfect, and TRUE these cards are!?!

  

  The inside says: “And you. Happy Thanksgiving.”

  Seriously, get these in your life ASAP. Buy them here. Elastic pants, here I come.

  In completely unrelated news I made a smoothie a few days ago that I thought had the taste and texture of butterscotch pudding. I had my mom try some so I could gather information for scientific research(aka an outside opinion), and she said it tasted like a candle. This was moments after my sister said her cereal tasted like dog poop.

  Either my taste buds are skewed, or I should be concerned about what my family does when I’m not around. Or both. Happy Friday!

  Q: Have you had any of the Bark Thin flavors? They are all CRACK, crack I tell you!

  

  | 64 Comments Tagged Plants, Random, Run, Smoothie, Vegan

• Does it Make Me…

  Posted at 8:01 AM by Brittany, on November 10, 2014

  Does it make me out of shape if after doing one day of week one “Ripped in 30” with Jillian Michaels, I was sore for two days? Don’t ask me to pick up dropped items.

  

  My cat has the idea.

  Does it make me a grown up if the thought of having a dog no longer disinterests me? I’m house sitting again, this time with a VERY WELL BEHAVED DOG.

  Does it make me unmotivated if I am counting down the days until I am done with the chemistry class I am taking? I’m going to say yes. Arizona/freedom is calling me.

  

  Can’t.Wait.For.This

  Does it make me soulless if I compare babies and puppies interchangeably? Both I cannot stand, unless well behaved like the aforementioned dog. I don’t do drool.

  Does it make me addicted if all I can think about is sugar? I may be eating my feelings towards school. Just a little. Also, Thanksgiving cannot come soon enough.

  

  

  Face plant

  Does it make me ambitious for walking to the store when I’m fully capable of driving? I didn’t think anything of it until I was asked TWICE by people driving by if I needed a ride. No, I just like to walk? Cars are overrated.

  Does it make me lazy if I’d rather walk than do any other kind of exercise right now? I’m soaking up all the fall colors while I can before the white blanket of death arrives.

  

  Does it make me a bad blogger if this is the best I could come up with for a post?

  Q: Fill in the blank: “Does it make me ________?”

  

  | 60 Comments Tagged Does it Make Me, Fall, Random, Run, School

• A History of Memorable Events

  Posted at 3:49 AM by Brittany, on November 6, 2014

  – 1989: Shot into the world, or “birthed.”

  

  Note: I did not come out looking like this. I was 8 mo. here, and already loving everything Halloween.

  – 1991: Stepped on a giant slug, proceeding to give me a life long phobia. Real talk.

  – 1992: Had the best hair I’ll ever have, this cannot be repeated.

  

  – 1997: Became the coolest kid on the block with my authentic Japanese Pokemon cards. Thank you dad for living in Japan and sending me this gold.

  – 2000: Hit puberty, tried to fight it by wearing the same soccer shorts and Old Navy tech vest…everyday. This lost me my title of coolest kid on the block.

  I also had a hair cut like this for years…thanks mom.

  

  – 2004: Introduced myself to coffee at the orthodontist (totally ironic.) Put enough cream and sugar in my cup to give five people diabetes for life.

  – 2005: Got braces. This sparked my fascination of teeth.

  

  16 yr old black haired Brittany.

  – 2007: Became a carbotarian by giving up meat, but eating all things bread and chips.

  – 2009: Got a job at a smoothie shop and found my love for veggies, and wheat grass.

  

  – 2011: Started this blog, ran my first race, unleashed the (slow as molasses) beast, got a job at Trader Joe’s, and met a boy.

  – 2012: Gave up all animal products, and perfected the art of roasted vegetables. Ran my first half marathon through the happiest place on earth.

  

  – 2012: Sparked my insatiable appetite for cupcakes.

  – 2013: Had a life changing breakup with aforementioned boy, which taught me peace, patience, and balance. I’m now very (possibly too) comfortable being alone.

  

  Balance is bliss.

  – 2013: Got a job at Starbucks. Cracked out on coffee even more than at the orthodontist when I was 15. Discovered a new passion for the bean.

  – 2014: Fell in love with the mountains and with my life, despite my always changing path. Learned that change is constant and adaptation is key.

  

  – Yesterday: Reminded myself why I never wear LOOSE fitting cotton bottoms while running. Everything moves. Everything.

   Q: What was a memorable moment in time for you?

  

  | 64 Comments Tagged Mountain, Random, Running, Starbucks, Trader Joes, Vegan

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 6:12 AM by Brittany, on October 24, 2014

  1. They’re baaaaccckkk…

  

  Coming to a Starbucks near you after November 1st.

  2. I kind of want to run a marathon..but I’m really scared.

  3. My typical grocery haul is what I like to call balance.

  

  4. I dislocated my elbow last week (at 4am), and spent 15 minutes trying to put it back in its socket. Sadly this has happened a handful of times before, but not recently. I cried, yelled for my mommy, pulled it back into place, and then went to work. Damn you yoga planks…

  5. Still obsessed with fall squash. 6. I really miss hiking, and being active all day. I’ve been so sedentary with school lately I’m starting to grow another human off my backside.

  7. Folded/curled chips > flat chips. I will dig throughout an entire bag searching for all of the folded chips. Don’t even get me started on when 5 chips are baked on top of each other.

  I guess once a digger always digger.

  

  8. I rarely have enough free time to spend reading blogs. Have I mentioned how badly school is cramping my style? Is it December yet??

  9. I don’t even have time to focus on creating tastings with my one true love – black crack.

  

  10. I want a new iPhone (I’m still rocking the iPhone 4 I got in 2011)…and the Garmin 220….and a trip to Ireland…and room filled with coffee and chocolate.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 92 Comments Tagged Coffee, Confessions, Random, Running, Vegan

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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