HLS Part 2–inspired!

Did you get past yesterday’s long post?  Sorry for the wordiness, there was just so much to share!

And if you’re new to the blog, join me on twitter @shanlikebanana

GAH!  How did I forget one of the best things about yesterday?  THE SWAG BAG!

Seriously, look at that spread!  AND, that’s not the end of it.  I picked up even more stuff the next day.

My faves were definitely the Nugo Darks –I’ve been touting these forever and now finally others will see how awesome they are.  Also finally got to try Larabars and Odwalla, since I’m too cheap to buy them myself.  Tons of Quaker goodies too – can you ever go wrong with Quaker?

After not a great night’s sleep, Jillian and I knew that coffees would be in order before breakfast – neither disappointed.  In fact, all the food and snacks of the day were quite good (so many vegetarian options) and there was no way I could go hungry

(note: upper left picture from Meghann at Meals and Miles who organized the entire Healthy Living Summit – talk about a GREAT job – so many kudos to her!!!)

I can’t even begin to capture all the amazingness of the day, but the standouts were:

• Learning to write a better recipe (note, don’t post other people’s recipes in its entirety, and be specific in your recipe instructions!)
• There is negativity in the blog world (boo ) mostly coming in the comments section (but there’s ways to combat it!)
• Dawn (author of The Flexitarian Diet and nutrition consultant to Chicago Cubs) was a fabulous Keynote speaker and I could totally see her and I being friends
• Numbers work for some people in tracking their health (me!  did you read the scale is my friend?)
• Your blog can make you $$$, but it takes work and perseverance (not sure I have the time for it, but options are nice!)

I felt like the day ended rather abruptly and plans were very up in the air for what to do for dinner.  So my roomie Jillian and I

went to twitter and tried to find the scoop.  It took a few hours, but finally we just decided to go out on our own and after a lot of walking, we settled on an outdoor table at Opa – WIN!  Great food and even a lil sparkling wine was necessary

We had such good conversations!  Jillian and I have a lot in common and we could have chatted forever!  But alas, our night needed to end….not before Sweet Endings though!

That would be PB drizzled across the top of PB and vanilla fro-yo.  Oh hot damn, was that tasty.

Before I knew it, we were in bed and my alarm was going off at 520a to catch my flight back to Cali.

Until next time HLS!

Day 2 HLS impressions:

• I thought I’d know more bloggers
• The attendees of HLS rocked
• Swag bags make me very, very happy
• Dawn, the “Flexitarian” is a fabulous speaker
• I wish there was more of a coordinated dinner event on Saturday
• Loved really getting to know my roomie!
• The panel discussions were beyond insightful – I’d love to be on one next year!
• I’m inspired to make Shanna, like Banana a better blog –> hold me to it okay?
• New friends are the best

What inspires you?

Fave fro-yo flavor? Topping?

Philly and HLS Part 1

I’m baaaaack!

And it feels good to be home, seeing the hubby, the pets, and getting back in my routine.  I think this preggers girl is just about done with traveling.  One more trip to Denver in a week and then I think I’m not going to be on planes for until after Baby O is born (insert happy dance here).

Philly and the Healthy Living Summit was a whirlwind.  It was wonderful, enlightening, and exhausting all in one.  I’ll be breaking up the recap over 2 days just so not to overwhelm

Travel to Philly was pretty good minus the horrible shuttle driver I had from PHL to the downtown Marriott – somehow I landed at 10p and didn’t get to the hotel until 12a.  FAIL!

But after a good night’s rest, I met up with one of my best college buds from Northwestern U –> Qamara!

(If we look a little worse for the wear it’s because we already trekked a few miles around in the humidity…next time remember, photo first!)

Our first stop was Reading Terminal, which reminded me a bit like Pike Place Market in Seattle full of delicious eats, homecrafted goods, and restaurants sprinkled throughout.  LOVE places like these!  It would also be the sight of our HLS cocktail party that evening!

Q chose for us to have breakfast at Down Home Dining.  And as much as I love my pancakes, I knew that oatmeal would be the most sustaining:

After breakfast we walked around Reading so I could drool some more:

I had to buy a cookie from 1st Street Bakery – I chose an oatmeal raisin and while tasty, it was a bit heavy on the buttah flavor, which isn’t really my thang.  Oh well.

Next up, we tried to see the Liberty Bell, but the line was annoyingly long so I just snapped a photo from afar along with some other Philly sites:

After some more walking, a stop at Dunkin Donuts for an iced latte () and a walk through Macy’s, it was time to meet my roomie Jillian from Sprinkle Massacre and quickly head to lunch with a some other HLSers.

The destination was Govinda’s Vegetarian – our group of nearly 30 (?) overwhelmed the tiny place, but to get a veggie Philly cheesesteak sandwich was worth it!

After trekking back, Jillian and I spent a couple hours resting and chatting before our cocktail party.

All gussied up

Cocktail party shots at Reading Terminal:

And some new friends!

Laury from The Fitness Dish (I stole her photo).  She’s so easy to talk to – I wanted more time!

Lisa from I’m an Oakie – this girl has an awesome infectious personality!

And from our photobooth fun, CJ, and Janeetha from Meals and Moves – this girl is beyond real.  Love when people are what they show on their blogs!

I met so many other awesome girls, but didn’t take a lot of photos.  I was too busy having fun

First day Philly & HLS impressions:

• Philly is a great city – love that you can walk so many places
• Reading Terminal would be my haven if I lived there
• It’s never too late (read: 10 yrs) to catch up with old college friends
• I lucked out with a  great roomie in Jillian
• It is hard work to coordinate 200+ bloggers for a cocktail party
• I’m glad I wasn’t super hungry Friday night because the apps were lacking a bit
• You don’t need alcohol to have fun, but a photobooth sure helps get ya silly!

Phew!  Long post! 

Any favorite moments from Day 1 of HLS?

Or best moment of your weekend whatever you did?

What city do you want to see HLS in next?  I say Denver or San Francisco!

 

 

Operation Good Mood

Today is my Friday – I love the invention of the 9×80 workweek even if I do end up working on Sundays.  It’s just nice to have a weekday to tackle all the things you can’t normally get done on a weekend.  Oh and also have some “me time” which will include a sweaty workout, a car wash (for my car that is), and an iced latte if I’m good   I also need to make a Target run and I think I need to come home with one of these:

Another piece of great news to share?  Airfare ticket prices went down for August travel to Philly (à Healthy Living Summit)!  They were $600 at the beginning of the week and I snagged direct flights both ways for $339 yesterday.  SCORE!   Now who wants to be roomies with me

Lately I’ve had a major case of the crabbypants.  Don’t ask me why.  I wake up every day in a foul mood, and this never happens.  I’m a total morning person.  Actually, come to think of it, when I get to sleep 10+ hours on the weekend, I wake up just fine.

And I gotta tell ya, there really is something to that whole “waking up on the wrong side of the bed” thing.  I’m finding my sour mood is perpetuating my days.  At work, I can be high functioning and smile and engage, but I immediately turn off when I get home. And then I get bored.  I finish my workouts, my chores (dog walking, laundry, dishes, etc), watch some DVRed shows, and then sit on my rump feeling lame.  Perhaps I’m in bestie withdrawal from this girl?

Luckily I get to see her on Saturday! She’s coming into Cali for her sister’s and a friend’s baby shower and I’m going to meet her near Sacramento for din-din.  It will be too little time of course, but I also am spending the 4^th of July weekend with her in Tahoe.  Yipppeee!  Hey, look I’m smiling already

I think another thing that’s bumming me out is that the hubby and I want to move.  We desperately want a yard for Naava (the dog) and hardwood floors to keep cleaner as a result of both the dog and the cats.  Problem is, no one wants to rent to people with dogs.  See our dilemma?  Well, wait, I should modify that, if we were willing to pay $3500/mo, we may have more luck, but I’m having a hard enough time stomaching $3K / month.  Dang Cali prices.  And don’t get me started on a just buying a home.  Prices have *not* fallen in NorCal – and putting the requisite 20% (aka $200,000 in cash) down for a ho-hum small ranch house that needs fixing up is no bueno to me.  Ooo just thinking about it makes me blood boil a bit.  So let’s stop this talk shall we.

I need to get in OGM – that’s Operation Good Mood.  Here’s the start of my OGM list:

1) Go out to lunch with a friend at least once a week (on a work day…gasp!)

2) Date nights once a week during the week (already doing this, but must continue)

3) Go out at least one other night, even if for fro yo, gelato, dinner, group workout, etc

4) Spend >30 minutes in the sunshine each weekend day (by the pool, at Starbucks…)

5) Pedis every 3-4 weeks (already do this, but must continue)

6) More phone calls to friends / family so I don’t feel so lonely in Cali

7) ….

What else can I add to my list?

 

Have you had the coconut Twix?  Yay or nay?  Or would you try it?