Bites of My Life

Buckle up, there are 3 weeks of bites in one post. The holidays were great, I want to go back. I’m not quite ready to give back into routine. I mean I am, but I’m not. I’d be lying if I said coming back to Dallas wasn’t hard. I got so comfortable being home and with my family, and best friends. But we are here, I’m back in Dallas, and working to get my mindset wrapped around the new year and decade. It feels good don’t get me wrong. So fingers crossed, prayers being said, and sights set on a great 2020.

-This green juice from Trader Joe’s is my new secret weapon to add something healthy to my diet every day. I stocked up on a bunch during my last week in Dallas as prep before going home to all of the Christmas cookies, popcorn, drinks and treats.
-Cleaned out the freezer with one of my go-to’s, quinoa fried rice.
-If you missed my Brandy Ice recipe, head here now. I loved loved loved seeing how many people made them over the holidays!
-I ditched my car for a few days and challenged myself to walk more even with the weather being colder. I’ve become a recluse since it turned to winter and I loved pretending like I was in New York walking to work, to work out, the grocery store, etc.
-Christmas ice cream and hot cocoa and a Nancy Meyer’s movie to really lean into the season.
-The Amazon headband quad-fecta!! I have, I kid you not, worn one of these headbands every single day since I bought them. Did I mention they are 4 for $14?
-Had a huge group dinner with everyone back in OKC for the holiday. There were over 20 of us and it was so fun to all be back together.
-My parent’s tree (despite it being fake) is unreal! Full of gorgeous new ornaments intertwined with old popsicle stick ornaments we made as kids. The best!
-The Hall’s annual family friend Christmas party is one of all of our’s favorite holiday traditions.

-My little elves decorating cookies for Santa!
-Christmas morning cranberry orange bread and coffee. Not pictured sausage crescent rolls and mimosas.
-Cranberry mules to go with Christmas dinner. We just added cranberry juice and fresh cranberries.
-Meat, potatoes and mom’s Christmas salad. Always a win!
-Christmas night brandy ices, the whole family loved them!
-Headed to Memphis between xmas and NYE for Price and Kenzie’s wedding. Kenzie and I lived together my past two years in OKC. It was a really great weekend being back with two close friends for their wedding!
-Brandy Ice at The Jones only for NYE. I quickly grabbed a glass just to make sure it was up to par. It was :)
-Another Jones NYE party success has me feeling #blessed for this marketing team that developed in 2019!
-I finished out the night with some of my very best friends. AKA no one else I’d rather end one year and enter the next with.

-Greens, salad, vegetables!!! It seemed like so long since I had all of these in one meal. #holidaysgotmelike…
-Gotta get that luck in for 2020, so Hoppin’ John for New Year’s Day lunch.
-Popcorn is the best snack Y or N?
-Some ball pit snuggles and belly laughs with my favorite girls before I headed back to Dallas.
-Avocado toast on Ezekiel bread with tomato, just like my girl Melissa Wood.
-Easy peasy filling meal: sweet potato with almond butter and cinnamon.
-Trying to not eat all the almond butter straight from the container, as well as trying to be more eco and wallet-friendly by creating my own almond butter packs. I pre-portioned out 2 tablespoons in my little salad dressing containers.
-Not doing Whole30 this January and not trying to obsessively diet. I had lots of pizza and this amazing ice cream Saturday and loved every bite.
-Half Baked Harvest’s Indian Coconut Butter Cauliflower for Golden Globe watching and dinner this week!

Here’s to the new decade, new year, new month, new week!

Annie

How I Turned Into A Reader

I’ve never been a reader. I used to read growing up, but more because I had to for school, not because I wanted to. The idea of reading made me bored just thinking about it. I would look at the pages, but instead of getting lost in the words, my mind would run wild.

I’ve made the resolution the past few years to kick the whole “non-reader” tagline I put on myself. But how most resolutions go, I would crash and burn before I even picked up a book.

Then comes January 2018 and I did not make a resolution to read more. It just sort of happened. I adore Jenna Bush Hager on the Today Show and I had put Sisters First, on my imaginary “must read” list ever since it came out. I purchased it and let it sit on my shelf for a few weeks (months).

I was then at the gym one morning doing my routine 30 minute warm up on the elliptical or treadmill where I would watch the news and scroll social media. However, I was falling victim of the worst headaches from being on my phone for 30 straight minutes first thing in the morning. It was the worst way to start my day.

The next day I declared to myself that I would not get on my phone until after my workout. I’m a multi-tasker by choice and I knew I would need something to do in addition to my machine workout to make the time pass. So I picked up my copy of Sisters First and head to the gym. I flew through the chapters. Next thing I knew I was flying through whole books.

The multitasking of doing something with my legs makes me focus more on what I’m reading because I have to concentrate more. It’s kind of like listening to music while you study or work. It doesn’t work for everyone, but I always found that it made me focus more because I was having to work harder to grasp what I was studying. Just me?

Yes, I will often get stares from other gym-goers or remarks from those who love to make the comment “how do you do that while you’re working out?” Or even better “whatcha reading?” While they cock their neck to get a view of the cover of my book. Can’t a girl read and get her cardio in, in peace??

I’m not saying you need to start working out to become a reader, but I’m also saying you should try it. Besides a plane ride or lying on the beach, there are not many other places besides the gym I can turn so many pages in a book. I’m working on the whole lay on the couch, do nothing and just read thing, but it’s a work in progress. #cantsitstill

Now that you know walking on the treadmill was my gateway to reading (ha), let’s talk about everything I read in 2018. Disclosure: my taste in books is similar to my taste in movies. Rom coms with a few sprinkles of “based on a true story.” Think It’s Complicated, Father of the Bride and You’ve Got Mail, with Spotlight and The Social Network added in. Some may say I lend toward young adult reads, but I love an easy read with a cute story. Like I said, I’m still easing in to becoming a reader. So without further ado, my 2018 bookshelf…

1. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

2. Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara bush

3. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

4. Love the One You’re With by Emily Griffin

5. The Simplicity of Cider by Amy E. Reichert

6. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by mindy Kaling

7. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

8. Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham

9. DC Trip by Sara Benincasa

10. Dirty Rush by Taylor Bell

11. Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

12. When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger

13. Read Bottom Up by Neel Shah

14. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

15. Everybody Always by Bob Goff

16. The Lipstick Gospel by Stephanie Wilson

17. Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

18. Hey Girls by Michell Markowitz, Caroline Moss (still reading)

19. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

20. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (currently reading)

21. Boom Town by Sam Anderson (still reading )

Purchase these books here.

After I finished about 3 books, I set a goal to read 12 in 12. Twelve books in 12 months. Eight months went by and I was already at my goal. So then my goal became 20 in 12. I’m currently reading my 20th book of the year and have about 4 days left of the year. Think I can do it?

Let me be clear. I’m reading my 20th book, but I’m still reading my 18th and 19th too. Like I said I’m a multi-tasker. Pro-tip, don’t read more than one book at a time.

My favorite places to buy books are Amazon (follow me), Commonplace Books (the dreamiest book store in OKC) and Half Price Books. New books are about $5 off the retail price and used books are likely as the name suggests, half off the sticker price. Half Price Books also let’s you resell. I plan to take in a bunch of my read books to sell and then use that money to buy more!

In my year of reading, I re-read two of my favorite books. I read every page, so it’s not cheating. Both of these books are by the same author, my favorite, Shauna Niequist. Shauna loves Jesus, loves food and loves people. She writes in a format similar to blog posts. Short chapters with a story in each chapter. Nothing is drawn out. I love that. If you ask me for a book recommendation or better yet my favorite book, I’ll tell you it’s Bread & Wine. You can’t not like it.

And for the biggest win of my 2018 reading saga, is when my sister texted me for a book recommendation. Yes me, not the other way around. No better compliment.

Here’s to 2019 and more steps taken and more pages turned!

Annie

**For my ratings and reviews, and the books on my 2019 reading list, friend me on Goodreads. Feel free to DM or email me too for more recommendations.