Today I got gas.
No, not Fiber One-bar induced gas, silly. Gas for my car.
My little pre-work errand to fill up my tank led me to 7-Eleven, where I experienced their fantastic coffee bar.
Check out all the options!
Coffee Selections
I was immediately sold on a hot cuppa joe when I spotted these little creamers:
Pumpkin Spice!
Pumpkin pie spice!? Sign me up.
I dumped a creamer in my coffee and then drank one like a shot. Is that gross?
The coffee helped fuel me through a productive morning, though I was already pretty awake from an awesome sweat session at the gym this morning.
I completed this 30-minute workout on the treadmill:
30 Minute Treadmill Workout
It was challenging, but not “Oh my gosh, I’m gonna die” hard like this workout.
I completed my workout with 20 minutes on the elliptical while reading Southern Living.
Lunch
Yesterday I decided that only taking the Friday before my wedding off of work would simply not do. I requested Thursday off as well so now I have a lot of work to cram into the next two days.
I took a break from my to-do list around 12:30 to eat some lunch.
Today’s spread included English muffin pizzas topped with marinara sauce and creamy goat cheese.
LOVE Goat Cheese
On the side I enjoyed a sliced red pepper and a cup of Chobani Greek yogurt sweetened with a honey packet that I previously snagged from Starbucks.
Yog + Hon
And now it’s time for some long-overdue Q&A time!
Ask Me Anything: Round 13
I pulled the questions in this round of “Ask Me Anything” from the anonymous ones you guys submitted over the past couple of months. If I didn’t answer your question, please check my Q&A page or browse through previous Q&A posts (which may also be found on my Q&A page). I get a lot of repeat questions, so the answer you’re looking for may be there!
Let’s get crackin’…
What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas! Nothing compares.
I know you don’t post everything you eat, but could you please post everything you eat one day?
This is actually a request I receive quite frequently and I’ve debated about it for a while now. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I will not post an entire day of my eats for one reason… I think it brings about comparisons and that is not something I want to encourage. What I eat and the amount I eat is right for me. It may not be right for you. I can honestly tell you that I usually only blog about half of what I eat in a given day. I am a big fan of eating “mini-meals” throughout the day. I often eat six mini-meals during the day, with each meal being similar in size. You only see three (the mini meals I eat at typical breakfast, lunch and dinner times). I know there are many amazing blogs that post everything they eat and I love reading them, too, but I’m not sure that style is right for me and my blog. I hope this makes sense!
I’ve been with my boyfriend for years now and I love him but we’ve moved in together 5 months ago and I’m beginning to realize we’re not compatible. Wondering if it’s possible to snag a great guy like Ryan. Post about past loves please! I need some hope!
I debated answering this question because relationships are so personal, but reading this inquiry tugged at my heartstrings. I’ve been there and I know how confused and anxious you’re probably feeling.
Before Ryan, I dated my previous boyfriend for more than three years. We never really fought and we got along fine, but part of me felt like something was missing.
I will never forget asking my ex-boyfriend if he wanted to go for a walk with me on one of the first beautiful days of the year in Chicago. His response was “Why?” and it triggered something in me. Why not? Why wouldn’t you want to be outside, enjoying the beautiful day and spending quality time with your girlfriend? It sounds silly, but I can honestly say it really concerned me. I wanted to be with someone who would enjoy doing new things together and also make me feel truly loved. I was nervous to end things because I loved him very much. He was a really great guy, but I eventually realized he was not the guy for me.
We broke up after I met Ryan (you can read the whole story toward the bottom of this page). I knew that if I was really intrigued by another guy, my current relationship was probably missing something important. The process of breaking up with my ex-boyfriend and beginning to date Ryan was a very emotional time for me, but I am so happy I went with my gut and followed my heart. It doesn’t lie! 😀
What are your favorite clothing stores?
Almost everything in my closet comes from the following stores:
- J.Crew
- Banana Republic
- Marshall’s
- TJMaxx
- Ruelala.com (ß I know I pimp this site a lot, but they have the BEST deals on designer goods. I buy a lot of my “date night” dresses and all of my designer jeans from Ruelala!)
- Hautelook.com
What do you do after a weekend of indulgent eating? Do you ever cleanse or detox?
I almost always eat more indulgently on the weekends. My weekends are often filled with social events and dinners out and I eat what I want to eat. Of course I try to maintain my healthy eating habits on the weekend, but I don’t beat myself up over indulging in dessert. After a weekend of indulgent eating, I can honestly say I look forward to eating healthy again on Monday morning. I know my body will feel better and I know I’ll have more energy when I get back to my normal healthier habits. I don’t cleanse or detox, but I do try to hop back on the healthy living bandwagon first thing on Monday morning.
When you talk about doing “light cardio” on the elliptical, what level of resistance do you do?
To me, “light cardio” is cardio done at a pace where I can comfortably maintain a conversation. On the elliptical at my gym, that is a level 10 (the ellipticals at my gym go up to level 20) and an incline of 9 (again, the ellipticals go up to an incline of 20).
What percent milk do you use?
I honestly don’t like milk. I never have. If I use milk, it’s usually just in smoothies or on top of cereal and it’s typically 2 percent because that is what Ryan buys.
Do you eat lunch at home every day?
Nope. I eat lunch at work almost every day and usually snap my lunchtime photos after breakfast.
As always, if you have any questions for me, please feel free to shoot me an email at pbfingers@gmail.com (though I must warn you, I’m a little backed up at the moment due to wedding planning!) or you may click here if you’re a little more bashful and would like to submit an anonymous question.
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I have a necklace that looks EXACTLY like your bracelet…love it!
ahh when I was little I used to drink the creamers at Denny’s. But then again I also use to eat slices of butter while my mom was cooking. Times have changed…
goat cheese has my heart. there’s nothing better!
Mhm, muffin pizza with goat cheese, that’s one awesome combo!
Love your q&a, it’s always nice to learn a bit more about bloggers
Great idea for the mini pizza! That could totally work at my office and would be such a nice change from my standard ham & cheese on a sandwich thin!
I love your mini pizzas and I appreciate that you don’t blog all of your food for each day. I honestly have those feelings of comparison when I find blogs that do that — I don’t read them as often!
thank you! it’s something i’ve debated for a while, but ultimately decided just wasn’t for me or my blog. 🙂 glad you support it!
Hey girl, nice workout this morning! I find that incline walking is almost harder than jogging, so cheers to you for doing that as your ‘warm-up’!
I love Marshall’s and didn’t find out until recently that it’s a separate chain than TJMaxx…after I tried returning something to TJMaxx that I got at Marshall’s, ha! They’re so similar inside.
Newbie poster, long-time lurker. Love your blog!
woohoo for newbie posters!
Your story of how you met Ryan isn’t loading, it’s saying ‘Page Not Found’.. Anyone else say they couldn’t get to it?
thanks for letting me know! should be fixed now!
woops! thanks for bringing this to my attention. it should be fixed now. 🙂
Oh you brought me back to my childhood with your lunch. My mom never bought or ordered pizza when we were growing up so always made her own. She’d often make us mini pizzas on english muffins…loved them:)
Enjoy the rest of the day….only a few more days to go till the big day!!!
Mmm i love goat cheese. I had a really similar experience with a past boyfriend who just wasn’t completely right for me, even though he was a good guy. I’m not marrying my current significant other or anything yet, though 🙂
Mmmm goats cheese pizza! Your delicious looking food always makes me hungry!
I agree, I love your blog the way it is! Posting EVERYTHING automatically makes you compare, and its also not as interesting to read! So keep up your amazing blogging style- I love Peanut Butter Fingers! 😀
Love english muffin pizzas!
Q and A’s are so much fun!
Love your answers — very honest and thoughtful and considerate to your readers and your fam/loved ones. Such a sweetie you are.
I indulge on the weekends too and love coming back to Monday with oats and tons of greens!
I have a question myself I am going to enter it into you lil Q and A box!
I loved your pomegranate video earilar! and I love goat cheese as well as tortilla pizzas! I make those sometimes! They are so good!
I love it when you do the Q&A posts, so thanks for sharing!
i just discovered your blog a couple days ago, and basically went through about 30 pages of it already! i love the content you post! i’m recovering from a severe eating disorder, and things like this help keep me from relapsing. thank you for taking the time to share your ..fitness journey.. lol, and please continue blogging! i love your quirky style of writing, and your outfits are super cute *^^*
I really respect and admire the fact that you don’t share everything you eat. I agree with the whole comparison thing. I think there is importance of sharing IDEAS of food options, but not every single morsel.
And the whole just going back to normal on Monday thing is so great. Definitely the best way to approach things.
Hey Julie! I emailed you a question of mine! I was not sure if you checked you email everyday so I just wanted to pop into say: CHECK IT! 🙂 haha.
hope your having a good day.
I am going to have to try your mini pizzas!
Everyday I come home and check out your dinner post (usually before I make dinner myself) and today as I was logging on my boyfriend Jarod said “time to check in with peanut butter girl” LOL!! It made me smile.. he knows how much I love your blog!! 😀
p.s. I agree with your decision (and support it!) to not post EVERYTHING you eat. I love getting ideas for healthy eats..but I find myself enjoying your “stories” about work, Ryan, family life, wedding etc even more. I kind of feel like you’re one of my girlfriends and I’m checking in everyday (does that sound weird? ha ha)
Anyway, have a great night “peanut butter girl” 😉
this comment made me smile from ear to ear! 🙂 i feel honored to be known as the peanut butter girl. 😉
I LOVE the selection at 7-11, it’s such a surprising Coffee Stop, right? By the way, I gave you the SUNSHINE AWARD on my blog because your blog brings such a smile to my face everyday (even though I don’t always comment I check in 3 times a day!). Check it out 🙂 I’m so excited for your wedding – you’ll be a beautiful bride!
I feel like I’m having deja-vue- that is EXACTLY what I did yesterday- had to stop & get gas & actually went INSIDE 7-11 this time, instead of just getting gas, because I wanted coffee 😀 & I was also SO impressed with their coffee bar, and snagged a few pumpkin creamers to keep at my desk ‘just in case.’ Gotta be prepared for emergencies 😉
Your too funny about the ‘I’m going to die workout’ – LOL!! I really want to try your workout today- it looks pretty intense.
Oh good, now I don’t feel so bad about watching Food Network while working out! 🙂
Good for you for realizing what fits in with your blog and what doesn’t! I love reading about what everyone eats, but it seems so exhaustive to every meal every single day. I do it sometimes but the stress of it makes blogging not fun. And it does feel very competitive — I feel like I have to eat a certain way to “fit in.”
I admire your honesty!
Goat Cheese on pizza is the new mozzarella!
I have to say, I am so proud of you for sticking with your morals on not posting about every morsel you eat. I love your honesty and your concern about not wanting to be considered a comparison. Very nobel of you! Being a beautiful young woman, it’s so easy for others to naturally feel that they would need to compare but you honestly have the most humble heart. 🙂
thank you, lauren! and i couldn’t agree more about goat cheese being the new mozzarella. so flavorful!
I’m not sure which comment section I saw this but someone said they knew about your guardian smiley. I’ve always wondered about that. Could you tell me what it is and where it came from??
it randomly showed up after i had the blog fairy help me with redesigning my site. i like the lil’ guy! 😀
Love the Q&A! I totally agree with you when you say that you had concerns when your ex didn’t want to take a walk with you. I love going on walks with my dog and boyfriend to just enjoy the weather and each other. It’s awesome you were brave enough to know what you really wanted in a man! you go chica 🙂
i totally agree with your decision not to post everything you eat. way to stick to your beliefs and not let us all fall into comparison. thanks! have a good last day of work tomorrow 🙂
I discovered the 7-11 coffee bar once on the way to Vegas. I was amazed!
I love the pumpkin pie cream from Seven, there’s one around the block from my house and I have to will myself not walk there and get it everyday!
your answer to the ex-boyfriend question was so enlightening- my eyelids feel flipped and cleaned inside out 😀
You totally need to buy the new issue of Everyday Food! A) it has a new version of Shepard’s Pie on the cover, B) it has 4 different kinds of meatloaf, C) it has slow-cooker recipes D) it has a little section on POM Juice and 4 ways to use it in cooking (one with champagne!) and E) a HUGE section on Pumpkin Desserts! Right up your alley. YUM!
So exciting that you picked up the dress!!
I definitely love 711 coffee! It’s cheap too!
Love you Q&A posts and really appreciate your honesty! I hope you will continue to do Q&A posts in the future! 🙂
How do you manage eating 6 mini meals while working? I love the idea but I don’t know how I would fit 6 meals while at school!
i pack a big lunch bag the night before. my work has a fridge, microwave & toaster which also makes it pretty easy. 🙂
I’m a new reader to your blog and I LOVE it!
I was surprised to read that you haven’t ever seen the coffee options at 7-11, they are amazing!
I actually started eating greek yogurt after reading some of your posts, and I’m hooked. The other day I put one of those pumpkin spice creamers in my plain yogurt and it wasn’t too bad…probably would be a better with a little cinnamon or something.
And by the way…I literally LOL’ed when I read: “I dumped a creamer in my coffee and then drank one like a shot. Is that gross?”
HAPPY WEDDING WEEK! : )
wow, so glad i read this today. the question you answered about the relationship issue.
i had been with my boyfriend for 4 years. he has broken up with about 4 times too but this time, i know it’s for good and for the best as well. i feel i gave up so much of me during our relationship. though he’s a great guy and i really really do love him for who he is, it was tough being with him some times. it was tough wondering when he just “wasn’t going to feel it” again as this had been his excuse for breaking up.
so, now, i do feel really lonely. i have my daughter and my pets but i am a single about to be 42 year old woman with no desire to get out there and meet anyone new.
weird telling a complete stranger this but it’s just coming out.
i am so happy that you have met the “right” person for you. that is so important. if i ever get into another relationship, it will definitely be with a man i need rather than just a man i want…..if that makes sense.
you know what they say… when you’re not looking is when you find it! 😀
I am a huge fan of your blog, Julie. I just wanted to reach out because the same thing that happened to you with your ex-boyfriend/Ryan is happening to me right now. I just broke up with my boyfriend which was something I needed to do, but I happened to do it after I met the guy I literally just began dating. I think it gave me a push in the right direction to meet him, and I’m happy I’m not the only one that sees that this can sometimes work.
Happy wedding week(end)!
Jenna
it can definitely work. it’s hard breaking up w/someone who is really awesome for no real “reason” other than that there’s just something missing. sometimes it really does take a little spark w/someone else to make you realize you really are missing something that’s actually pretty darn important. i’m excited for you & your new guy! the beginning is always so fun! 🙂
Love your bracelet! Where did you get it?
thanks! it was actually my grandma’s bracelet.
I find when it comes to questions about detox, this article hits the nail on the head.
https://healthyrevelations.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/what-it-means-to-detox/
Love goat cheese!! Your lunch looks delicious! Thanks for not posting all you eat!! I appreciate the few meals you do post because it gets my imagination going on recipes but your blogs great the way it is.. I’ve been stalking it everyday for atleast 6 months!!! Love it
I was looking for a good treadmill workout and found this 30 minute one and it was intense! I loved it and loved the challenge it gave me—I’ll be doing this one again