Trader Joes & David Hasselhoff ?!

Pretty sure the whole state of Maine was at Trader Joes today. As I pulled into the parking lot, I was almost certain that David Hasselhoff was signing t-shirts because of how busy it was.

Unfortunately, no true sitings of David but I know he was there somewhere.

Here is my loot:

• Trader Joes "The Works" Bagels- Mostly for Andrew, he'll have to get some cream cheese because I forgot that ;)
• 2 Bottles of Wine- 2 Buck chuck for 2.69 Each. Amazing.
• Peanut flour- Heard it was a great protein source and such. Any ideas?
• Pumpkin butter- Its gone already. Well, not really at all, but if I didnt have self control it would be. Basically a smooth and sweet substitute to jelly. Nice pumpkiny taste.
• Blueberry Granola bars- Mostly for Andrew.
• Tomato Soup- Need I say more?
• Red Curry Sauce
• Chickenless Chicken Nuggets- Ill let you know how "chickeny" these are. Ew.
• High Fiber Oats- Need my whole grains in the morning.
• Orange- Orange you glad my list is done?!

So, as I try stuff Ill let you know what I think of it..if its worth buying. Trader Joe's is nuts today being its opening day in Portland, ME. I wonder how Whole Foods is dealing with this tragedy to their organic empire.. Hmmm...


Another beautiful picture for ya:

Mindful living and my Life

"The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hanh is a life changing book [for me]. It is a book that focuses on Eastern Meditation and acts as a guide toward living a more enriched and fulfilling life. It teaches you how you can really live each and every moment.

I say that this book is life changing because it has helped me manage my anxiety incredibly. Before practicing mindfulness, I would let my anxiety and negative attitude get the best of me.
"The Miracle of Mindfulness" has helped me in slowing down and truly appreciating my surroundings- the beautiful tree across from my apartment, the extremely friendly cat next door or my cup of coffee with Andrew in the morning.
Being mindful isn't always easy, but it is worth the effort-- always.

Take time to really live every moment. You never know what your missing with a quick glance. =)

Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes which it will; being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way which it won’t.” – James Baraz"

"Good Friends, Good Food"

Tonight, we celebrated Restaurant Week at the Corner Room. Andrew and I met my friends Krissy and Megan there. Upon arriving, we ordered a bottle of Chianti at the bar. The wine list was a bit overwhelming for us. The Chianti was nothing to write home about..

We were prompty sat at our table and brought waters and our O-K wine.
The Corner Room is a beautiful and open restaurant on Exchange St. in Portland. It is a sister restaurant with the Grill Room and the Front Room. People refer to the restaurants as "the Rooms". Duh... :)

The Three Course prix fixed menu had lots of options for the 1st course appetizer but for the 2nd not so much. I generally like to go with a salad but instead decided to try the calamari. It was good, but again, nothing amazing.

The entree was a course of 3 different pastas. I went with the pasta bolognese which was yummy.
The third course was a scoop of pumpkin gelato, and you cant really go wrong there.

Good friends. The lovely lady directly across from me is opening up a new restaurant in Portland on Middle St. "The East End Grill" Dontcha just love it? I am so excited for her!

Good night.

Bowl of Perfection

Most mornings I start my day with a bowl of oatmeal.

No sugar laden pancakes or cereal for me! I crash instantly.
 I need my whole grains for breakfast or I am one cranky mess.

If you arent eating oats, you should probably start. Go buy some Quaker and make your heart happy!

1/2 cup oats
Lots of Cinnamon
Dash salt

After I cook this in the microwave for about 3 minutes, I add a tablespoon of natural peanut butter for some healthy fat and protein. My personal favorite is Skippy Natural.

Mmmm, and no breakfast is complete without a cup of joe. I hate to say it, but I think my boyfriend and I are turning into coffee snobs.

Tonight, a couple of us are going out to eat at the Corner Room. I have been there once before for Happy Hour and it was a wonderful time with great service from the bartender. They also had several different appetizers for free, including a ricotta mousse that was amazing.

Oh, yes, couldnt end this post without a picture of this beauty. Andrew worked really hard on this!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

My side of Portland

Can I say that I absolutely love Portland, Maine? After living in small towns in Maine for the first 22 years of my life, I thought any city would be too overwhelming. Which Portland is.

 I mean, how do you even begin to decide which bar to have a drink at with friends? The choices are endless. I just let someone else decide most of the time.

Or where do you go for a long walk when you could walk through the Old Port, Baxter Boulevard or on the East End beach?
My personal favorite is Baxter Boulevard.

The 3.5 mile walk or run is fairly flat except one small hill. It is so beautiful. Did I mention its only half mile away from my apartment? I am a lucky girl. There are markers every .25 of a mile. This is definitely nice. Don't be embarrased if a runner passes you on your leisurely walk twice, happens to me all the time. ;)

Anyway, now I have a new conundrum that keeps me up at night (just kidding! ... kinda)

Which grocery store will I choose?

Hannaford, Whole Foods, or the new Trader Joe's.

Sunday Fun Day

Ah, Sunday. You make Monday hurt so much worse, but youre so worth every minute of pure relaxation.

Sundays are my only day off. I dont take this lightly. I plan this day every week.

Last week, I took full advantage of a hiking trip with friends at Crawford Notch in New Hampshire. We hiked up the Webster Trail. Lo and behold, there was snow on top. This was on October 17th, mind you. It was an excellent hike with a few falls. My sister, Em, decided to wear running sneakers and I think her butt was a little sore the next day because of it ;) The picture below is of my boy and me.

Of course, after we had to reward ourselves with brews from Moat Brewing Company. I tried the Moat Apfel Ale. It had a very subtle apple cider taste to it was was 20 oz. of deliciousness. If you are looking for something with lots of apple taste, this isnt it, but it was yummy and very refreshing.

This weekend, I was not as enthusiastic about hiking. Instead, I stayed in bed til 11! I NEVER stay in bed that late. It felt amazing. I bummed around the house for a bit, and finally Andrew and I took a trip to the petstore. Andrew has 3 cichlids that he treats like babys..Its kind of cute.. but mostly creepy.

My mom invited us down for Italian sausage and spinach lasagna and pumpkin whoopie pies. My mom is an amazing cook and this meal was delicious. I requested a big green salad on the side. Mmmm..I ate about 1.5 pieces of lasagna and lots of salad. I also had a big bite of one of these..

After our meal, I dug out the family albums. I get such a kick out of looking through old albums. I'll leave you with this pic :) I am not sure who left me in a field of grass but look at the size of my head. Epic.

Perfect fall day in Maine

People do say a pictures worth 1,000 words:

Located in Phippsburg, Maine. The Bates-Morse Trail is a super easy hiking trail to the Ocean.

After our day of shell collecting, we decided it was time to find a giant pumpkin to carve.

Here she is :)

Welcome to my blog!

So I have decided to finally start a blog. YAY! :)