My healthy happier life

What an awesome week!

My friends did an incredible job ensuring I wasn’t lonely this week, while Bo started his new job in New York City.

Between sunset evenings by the lake and impromptu dinner dates, there was barely a spare moment. The challenge really helped ensure that I enjoyed the week and am closing out the work week with enough energy for an early morning run even after a wine-filled girls’ night.

Do you all have great plans for the weekend? Since it’s supposed to hit 90 degrees in Geneva, my weekend plans involve lots of time cooling off in the lake and possibly taking a paddle board out for an adventure. Otherwise I hope to make some healthy treats for Wednesday’s flight to NYC (!!!) and catch up on some reading and movie watching.

Enjoy this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including 10 recipes, articles, posts and other items that caught my eye this week.

We found out this morning that our temporary housing in NYC, during July and August, is literally next door to my accountability partner and best friend Theodora! What a fun coincidence since we didn’t even request that location!

Speaking of coincidence, it is included in this list of frequently misused words. I’m guilty of at least five of these! –> Thanks for sharing Tina!

Want to start running but don’t know how? Share this with any of your friends and family members who say they don’t know where to start!

After underestimating the strength of the sun last Sunday, my mom, dad and I all layered on Hawaiian Tropic After Sun lotion. Five days later none of us are peeling and the lightweight formula absorbs quickly without leaving me greasy and sticky!

Break the 2 Hour Half Marathon Mark is a great read for anyone training for a goal race, regardless the pace.

Mary and I have both told all our friends about this kale salad since making it together Tuesday night. I’ve given you fair warning – the dressing is so delicious you should make extra!

My Instagram and Facebook feeds are making me crave donuts in a huge way! If you want to celebrate National Donut Day, here are the best places to get your free donut today!

“Your body is not standing in your way. Only your mind is standing in your way”

This article reminds us that yoga is for all shapes and sizes! –> I’m so glad she’s sharing her story and inspiring others!

I may have to whip this Spicy Red Pepper Feta dip up for tomorrow’s lakeside lounging session! I bet you even have half the ingredients already!

Since Trader Joes isn’t in Europe (yet) I especially appreciate these 7 recipes for Trader Joe favorites including their Greek yogurt guacamole!

Now it’s your turn! –> What are you loving this week?

Friday Favorite posts sometime include a few affiliate links.

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As I mentioned last week, Theodora and I have teamed up this month to be accountability partners.

We both have found that when life gets in the way, we often sacrifice our wellbeing. I tend to grab unhealthy snacks and dial in the workouts while Theodora says that her downfall is wine and takeout. These unhealthy habits can lead to unwanted pounds and lack of energy.

Inspired by Roni and Carla, the women behind the #wycwyc movement, during the month of June, Theodora and I are holding ourselves accountable for the things in our control: eating healthy during the day and working out. Our goal is to workout daily as we both get huge energy boosts when we work out regularly. Instead of taking a rest day, we will take an active rest day or two each week, when we practice light yoga or go on a long walk or easy bike ride. This will allow us to clear or mind daily but ensure that we don’t injure ourselves. In regards to food, Monday through Friday, we are focusing on healthy, wholesome food for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

I am lucky to have amazing friends and colleagues who have filled my June calendar with fun evening events, many of which include happy hours and dinners. Instead of feeling guilty about a glass of wine, or two, that I enjoy with them in celebration, I’m committing to remaining in control of what happens during the day.

In order to stay accountable, I’m taking pictures and keeping track of my food and workouts. Each week this month I’ll give you an overview of my food, in the form of notes and images in addition to my regular workout roundup.

SWEATS

Monday – Walked through Dublin all day, covering at least 7 miles! Heck, we had to power walk just to make it to the Guinness Factory before it closed!
Tuesday – A post-work 3 mile run
Wednesday – 4 mile interval run on treadmill
Thursday – CXWorx class + 10 minutes running at 8:20 pace
Friday – Easy 3 mile morning run along the lake + 60 minute yoga + meditation class after work which will go down in the books as the weirdest class ever taken!
Saturday- 6 mile run with my speedy friends Sandra & Amy
Sunday – 5 mile walk through Geneva with my parents

EATS

Breakfast: In addition to my to-go mug of French press coffee, I brought one of the below breakfasts with me to work each day last week. My routine is to enjoy my breakfast for ten minutes while sorting through my emails.

Greek yogurt + 1/4 c Kind Protein Granola + Banana
Greek yogurt + 1/4 cup oats + 8 chopped strawberries + cinnamon + dash vanilla extract
Large gala apple + 25 almonds
Greek yogurt + 1/4 cup oats + 1/2 banana + sliced almonds + cinnamon

Lunch: Our office has a large canteen or lunchroom which features cold and hot options. I stick to the salad bar 99% of the time since it’s often a healthier option. However, I caught myself loading my salad up with multiple servings of healthy fats and proteins. This month my goal is to keep my protein portion to one and healthy fat portion to one. The rest of the salad is filled with lots of fresh vegetables. I add some spice and flavor by topping it with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, fresh chives, and spices from our spice bar.

Snacks: During this challenge, cleaning up my afternoon snacks is one of the biggest challenges. I found myself snacking aimlessly sipping a second coffee and a sweet snack each afternoon. I’ve swapped the coffee and cappuccino habit for a cup of green tea. My favorite is Twinings Gingerbread green tea paired with one of the below snacks.

Gala apple + 2 Babybell cheese rounds
Gala apple + 12 almonds
1/4 c roasted cashews + 2 clementines
Trek Cocoa Coconut Protein Flapjack
1 bag of Lightly salted Propercorn popcorn

So there you have it, week one of my swEATS! In the future, we’d like to make this a group challenge, but for now, we’re taking things one step at a time. This month our goal is to share our workouts and meals with you, which was a popular request during last week’s giveaway.

Want to join in the challenge? Let us know what goal you want to be held accountable for this month!

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It’s as if Geneva knew the sunshine and blue sky would make me smile.

My friends and parents have been a wonderful support system this weekend, filling the void of Bo’s departure.

Yesterday morning I headed out for a 10k run with Amy and Sandra. These girls did a great job keeping pace and before I knew it we’d conquered the rolling hills of Coligny and were sipping Starbucks iced green teas and goofing off. The run’s 9:04 average pace was strong, and the views were gorgeous.

The run was the perfect pre-game for Caves Ouverts, the annual event that is a wine lover’s dream. It seems as if everyone in Geneva heads out to the vineyards for a day of relaxation, sunshine and tastes of local wine at participating vineyards. Each weekend a different canton, or community, hosts the event that allows people to enjoy tastes for the small cost of 5 francs.

Yesterday’s white dress was a recent purchase that may quickly become my favorite Summer dress. White and light, this airy TopShop dress has a cute cut-out back that is thick enough to allow for a regular bra.

We spent the afternoon at Domaine des Molard, a vineyard that has been making wine since 1352! Their Riesling- Sylvaner was perfect for the warm afternoon without being too sweet.

I headed back to Geneva four hours later to meet my mom and dad, who drove in from Chianti. We relaxed last night with dinner and gelato before a fun-filled Sunday fun day today.

We sipped cappuccinos while catching up at Le Pain Quotidien before spending six glorious hours outside.

I felt like a child again chasing bubbles and feeding swans.

We played tourist, taking pictures in front of the Jet d’Eau and the flags on Mont Blanc Bridge.

We walked five miles through Geneva, twisting and turning through the lakeside streets, stopping to enjoy the views and people watch. My parents’ legs don’t like me right now, but we certainly had fun!

As soon as my dad saw the small boat rental, he knew we had to take advantage of the quiet morning. We rented a motor boat for two hours, perfect for enjoying today’s sunshine and low humidity while waving to fellow boaters and admiring the gorgeous, lake-front homes.