noBOLOGNA

  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • FITNESS
  • DISNEY
  • ARBONNE
  • CONTACT

May 11, 2015

Florida Birthday Re-cap 1

Good Morning!  I was looking through some pictures yesterday and realized that I never shared about our trip to Disney and my birthday.  I’m warning you now, this will be a major picture overhaul, but I feel like I actually did a good job at enjoying myself tremendously while also capturing what all happened.  It was a jam packed trip, but we had such a wonderful time, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate my birthday!  I’ll break this into a two part blog post.

On Monday, we headed out of town around 11pm.  We had plans to grab breakfast with our friends, Joel & Charlotte, in Atlanta.  It was a slight detour, but we decided it’s probably worth the trouble in the future because we were able to try a new restaurant and spend some time catching up with them.  Although it was extremely short, it was very sweet!

thumbs-up-diner

They decided to take us to Thumbs Up Diner, which was absolutely delicious!  I think we were all impressed with our choices for breakfast that morning.  I went with a veggie omelet, a slice of french toast, and a hot cup of coffee.

thumbs-up-breakfastthumbs-up

After breakfast, Joel & Charlotte had to head off to work and we started our journey down to Gainesville to see Nick’s brother & sister-in-law.  We were just dropping by because we knew we’d be seeing them very shortly at Disney World since they were coming down the day after us.  While we waited on Trey to get back in town, we had a delicious lunch and visited a unique grocery store down the street from their house.  I can’t for the life of me remember what this place was called, but we found a few things that we were excited to try!

grocery-haul

We got some dark chocolate cherries that were really delicious, but we didn’t get a chance to finish the bag because we accidentally left them in the car and they completely melted (FAIL.)  You all know how much I love Kevita, so I wanted to try this new-to-me flavor, Blueberry Cherry, along with a Kombucha brew that Nick picked out.  Our main reason for going was because Kathryn saw a vegan fruit chew that she thought I might like, so I definitely had to get some, but I ended up not liking it very much.  Nick loved them though and had no problem polishing off the bag.  Lastly, my cousin got me hooked on these homeopathic remedies when we were in Jamaica.  She has one that she uses for tension/stress and one that she uses for a hangover when needed.  I  never got too crazy in Jamaica, but there was one morning that I woke up less than par, so I tried one of her homeopathic remedies and it seemed to do a good job.  I wanted to find a sleep aid homeopathic remedy to help us fall asleep quickly at night so we would get as much rest as possible, so I picked that up while we were there also.  It seemed to work great throughout the trip too so I highly recommend it!

Of course, lots of fun with this little nugget during the entire visit – although it never seems like enough!

nugget-time

Tuesday night, Nick and I made the rest of our trip down to Orlando so I could be ready for my conference on Wednesday morning.  The conference ended up being super informative and I had some good vegetarian options.

IMG_6626

This was a delicious Greek meal where I made a falafel pita pocket and had cous cous and a greek salad on the side.  Not much else to share regarding my work conference because I’m pretty sure I’d bore you all to sleep at the computer, so I’ll move on to Wednesday night after the conference.  I could have decided to join the conference attendees at a sponsored dinner, but it was at a steak house and I really wanted to spend some extra time with Kathryn and the baby, so I decided to meet them at their hotel for dinner instead.  We had an early birthday celebration and spent the evening snuggling on sweet baby Cade and chit chatting!

IMG_6629

IMG_6632

Kathryn and I both ordered a drink with our meal… I can’t remember exactly what it was, but it was pomegranate something I believe.  The point is that it was delicious!

IMG_6641

Later than night, Nick and I went out to explore Downtown Disney for a bit.  So much has changed and so much continues to change in this area of Disney World!  We were a little overwhelmed with how crowded it was, but that helped prepare us for Thursday night activities, so I think it was worth the trip.

Thursday morning, I woke up to attend the remainder of my conference, again, I learned so many awesome things and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to attend this special event in Orlando. After the event, I periodically checked my work e-mail to make sure I didn’t miss anything, but other than that, I shut off my work brain so I could focus on spending time with these wonderful people on my birthday at Disney World!  I’ll be back to share what activities we did for my birthday along with everything else that wrapped up a phenomenal trip to Florida!

Switching gears….

How are you?!  April was a busy month for me and I didn’t make a lot of time for blogging.  I certainly missed it.  I have a lot of random stuff going on right now, but things will slow down a little bit since Girls on the Run ends this week.  I’m going to miss these beautiful little girls!  I also jumped on the Arbonne ban-wagon and I’m so excited about it!  I’m not a “sales” person, but I love their products and I will happily promote them if I find value from them and believe in them.  Arbonne is 100% vegan, so I really cherish that about the company.  You’ll see a lot more posts and updates to the blog about Arbonne, so be on the look out.  If you ever have questions or are interested in sampling some products, feel free to reach out!  I’m working on my personal schedule right now so I can fit in everything I want to do – one of those things… reading blogs!  Holy cow, I have not sought out new blogs to read in ages and the blogs I do follow, do not get a lot of attention from me right now, but I crave that blogging interaction, so while I’m trying to find time for everything I have committed to or volunteered for, I also want to make time for YOU!

So seriously… the main questions I want you to answer in today’s comments – How are you doing?  What’s new with you?  Do you have an exciting trip planned?  Are you trying out a new venture?  Do you need prayer for something specific?  Just give me an update on your life because I know April flew by and I missed out on a lot of blogging interaction.

Filed Under: Blogging, Disney, Family, Food, Nick, Travel, Vegan, Vegetarian 1 Comment

April 30, 2015

Office Hours

flower

{The most unique flower I’ve ever seen!  Saw this while waiting for our bus after Dunn’s River Falls.  Jamaica, you’re beautiful!}

Good morning!  April completely flew by for me.  It’s almost unbelievable.  I don’t imagine life slowing down anytime soon, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’d prefer to be busy and active than bored with nothing to do.  I wanted to pop in for a minute and say hello though because I know the blog has been fairly neglected lately.  I’ve been trying to figure out why that is and I’ve come to a few conclusions:

  • I feel the need to post pinnable, marketable posts and haven’t had the time to do it.
  • I haven’t been taking a lot of pictures lately of everything else going on so I haven’t shared much.
  • I have a vision for the blog, but I’m not entirely sure I’m going in the right direction half the time.

I feel like I need a more stream lined schedule for everything going on right now.  Something that forces me to sit down and get stuff done for the things that matter.

IMG_6015_thumb.jpg

MSWB – I’ve been leading the Mississippi Women Bloggers website for a few months now and it has not been top priority lately; however, I really want it to be because I want our community to improve and grow.  I want us to have regular guest bloggers and posts, I want us to be good at social media, I want us to host events throughout Mississippi for our bloggers, but right now, it’s me and 3 other ladies who are extremely busy with their own lives and families.  I need to schedule some strict “office hours” for MSWB.

Personal Blog – Of course, I want this to grow and flourish as well.  I love my blog, I love what it’s become, I love the exposure it’s received lately, but I’ve been a terrible blogger this month.  I managed to schedule some stuff at the beginning of the month while I was out of town at my conference and then I practically fell off the planet around these parts.  I’ve decided I will probably never be a food blogger.  I want to improve in that area, but I’m not good at creating recipes.  I’m good at following recipes haha.  So maybe this will be a place where I share some of my favorite recipe finds and then you can follow the experts.  I need to practice “just writing” and sharing more about what is actually going on in my life.  That’s what got my blog up and running in the first place and I don’t feel that I ever just sit and write to enjoy the fact that I have this wonderful space to share my life with the friends I’ve made through blogging.  I’m constantly trying to think of “marketable” posts and I think it’s overwhelmed me subconsciously.

Girls on the Run – My oh my!  How I love this beautiful program and I love my beautiful 3rd-5th grade girls!  My goal is to be a lot more active this coming year.  I plan to volunteer some hours for administrative & management duties to help out our Executive Director.  I’ll also be taking some social media responsibility for our chapter, so that’s another thing to add on my schedule.  Again, I’ll need some specific “office hours” to stay caught up with everything or I’ll let time slip right by.  It might be a wild and crazy dream, but this involvement could potentially lead to an actual job position with Girls on the Run, not necessarily in the Central Mississippi chapter because who knows where I’ll be in a few years, but I know they have large chapters across the US who actually hire staff and if I ever move, I’ll be looking into that opportunity, for sure!  I have loved this program so much more than I expected and I’m so incredibly blessed by the girls I work with.  They’ve been talking about this school performance all season and it’s supposed to be a really big deal to them.  I suggested yesterday at practice that I might come and watch and they got so excited about it – so obviously I have to go now!  I can’t wait to see them experience something that they’ve been looking forward to all year, just like the 5k we’re running next weekend to warp up the season.  I’m hoping to stay in touch with the girls I’ve worked with because I adore them so much!

IMG_2868

Arbonne – I’m going to a party tonight.  I’ve been contemplating selling Arbonne for a few years now.  They’re all vegan products which would match very well with my blog and they have a wide variety of items.  My favorite things so far: Vitamin B12+D Tropical Spray, Lip gloss, and Vegan Protein Powder.  Seriously, their protein powder is some of the best tasting stuff!   I’m getting close to the point where I need to order some more lip gloss and I’d love to order some protein powder, so I’m considering the possibility of becoming a seller.  I’ve used their skin care products before and I have to say, I have never felt like I had more beautiful skin than when I used their skin care line.  I could see a difference the very next day.  I’ll let y’all know how tonight goes, but I’m seriously thinking about it.  Again, if I did that, I’ll probably need “office hours” although I don’t plan on being a pushy salesperson, I’ll probably start off small and share it with some friends and then hopefully find a few loyal customers to keep me afloat in the business so I can continue to get my discounts.  If it grows into something more, then I’ll happily welcome that into my life.

IMG_0524

So to sum this up, I’m wanting to dip my “paws” (pun intended) in a lot of stuff right now, but I’m not managing it all very well which is why I think I need “office hours.”  Am I the only one like that?  I need to schedule some time to sit down and do certain things or I’ll let time fly by as I catch up on Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds.  I’ve taken a few lessons from my own blog post today:

  • Don’t be overwhelmed with blogging.  It’s supposed to be fun & enjoyable.  If all I do with it is share my experiences, then I’ll have nothing to lose because I have a place to go back and re-experience all the joyful times in my life!  If I don’t make money from it, that’s okay.  If I don’t become a legit food blogger with beautiful pictures, that’s okay.
  • To manage time wisely, I need to set aside specific times to get things done for MSWB, No Bologna, GOTR, and Arbonne (if that becomes an actual thing.)  I’ll feel less stressed and be able to “leave it alone” when time permits so I can enjoy the other aspects of my day.
  • Devote time to things that make me happy – Girls on the Run is definitely one of those things, so volunteer more if that’s what I need/want.  Blogging also makes me happy as long as I’m conscious of what I put into it and I don’t get overwhelmed.  I feel like I’m good at stepping back when necessary to re-evaluate how I should proceed (Exhibit A: April).  MSWB is a positive and encouraging place, something I want to spend time growing and nurturing because I want to see this community rise up.  Arbonne brings together things I’m passionate about and also things that allow me to relax and enjoy myself – they have a spa section, a fitness/health section, a makeup section, and a skin care section of their products.  All of which I enjoy to some degree or another.  If I start working with Arbonne, I’ll enjoy sharing products that I know are cruelty free, but I also know that they provide solutions to problems and I love helping others with that!

Regardless if this was a good blog post for you, it was a great blog post for me because I was able to focus back in to what I’m wanting to accomplish.  Hopefully it helped you realize some areas in your life that you either need to put more effort or time into or cut back in.  As always, I appreciate you for being here and reading this blog and I appreciate you being patient with me as I needed a few slow weeks to gather my thoughts and make time/space for No Bologna.  It’s such a pleasure & privilege to share experiences and life with you!

  • Do you have set “office hours” for activities in your life?
  • How do you manage the various programs you participate in?
  • I’d love any thoughts or opinions on how to manage this busy season in my life.  I know I’m good at staying organized and scheduled, but I believe that there is also someone out there who knows more than I do, so if you have any tips/tricks that I may not have thought of, I’d love to hear it!

Filed Under: 2015 Resolutions, Blogging, Favorite Things, Jamaica, Serious Talk, Vegan 1 Comment

April 14, 2015

14 Day Reset

Good Morning!  How are y’all doing today?  I got back in town from Orlando late late Sunday night and haven’t had a chance to talk to y’all yet.  My trip was fantastic and I’ll do a brief recap later in the week.  I had a wonderful birthday, one of the best I could ask for!  I learned a lot at my conference and I’m excited about implementing some new stuff at work.  Overall, it was just a phenomenal trip and I’m so glad I was able to go for work and for pleasure.

Now I’m back to reality and although that can be slightly disheartening, I have a lot of stuff that I’m excited about over the next few weeks!  For one, I start the process of getting braces.  I’m shaking in my boots over here, but I know it’ll be worth while.  I get my teeth pulled over Memorial Day Weekend, so I know what big and exciting plans I have – recovery!  Like I mentioned above, I learned a lot at my conference, so that will keep me busy over the next few weeks as I sort through the information and decide what I want to do with our office.   The other thing that I’m super excited about is the 14 Day detox Reset that Mary Lindsey and I are doing!

IMG_6683

Mary Lindsey is my friend who works at our local Whole Foods as the healthy eating specialist.  I try to attend every class that she teaches at Whole Foods and we do a group run on Wednesday mornings together.  I have really enjoyed getting to know Mary Lindsey on a more personal level and I definitely think it pays off to have a dietitian as a friend, she is always willing to answer my questions and explain things in greater detail for me!

We were having lunch one day and she was telling me about doing a “detox” diet, except she’s not a huge fan of using the word detox because it gives off a negative connotation.  It is not that the actual definition of the word detox is bad, but it’s what society has made it out to be.   So Mary Lindsey came up with a more creative term for her 14 day diet – 14 Day Reset.  After she finished telling me about it, I knew I wanted in on the action!  (You know I don’t shy away from a good challenge!)  So we decided on a date that worked for both of us to do the 14 Day Reset together and I’m excited to say that it started yesterday!  This reset came just at the right time, I can assure you that my body needs a total reset after my staple Disney foods of Mickey pretzels and Vegan donuts (all day err day.)

I went over to Mary Lindsey’s house last night for dinner so we could discuss the parameters of our diet and plan a few exciting things for the blog!  For those of you who enjoy vlogs and have missed seeing those on here, let me send some joy your way – we’re vlogging! (I’m looking at you Meg!)  We have two videos that we plan to put up over the next few weeks and I think they’ll be fun & informative.  They’re centered around quick & healthy meal ideas so you’ll have no excuse to skip healthy at work or on the go!  Another thing coming to the blog is a guest post by Mary Lindsey.  We’re throwing around a few ideas right now, but I can already tell that it’s going to be a good one!

IMG_6684

Dinner: Deliciously creamy tomato basil soup, roasted potatoes, and roasted asparagus with a vinaigrette drizzle.

For those of you who are curious and possibly want to tag along on our 14 Day Reset, here is what we came up with:

Putting in –

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Whole Grains / Starchy Vegetables
  • Beans / Lentils
  • Nuts / Seeds
  • Healthy Seafood
  • Healthy Fats

Cutting out –

  • Dairy
  • Coffee
  • Refined Grains
  • Gluten (wheat) – no beer
  • Fried Foods
  • Sugars
  • Meat

Personal Health Goals, Heather –

  • Yoga 1x/week
  • Pilates Reformer 1x/week
  • 30 minute run 3x/week
  • Drink plenty of water

Personal Health Goals, Mary Lindsey –

  • Yoga 3x/week
  • 30 minute run 3x/week
  • Sleep 8 hours/night
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Do not eat with distractions

This diet is very similar to the Health Starts Here diet, although we’re taking it a little more extreme by cutting out gluten.  We certainly don’t see anything wrong with gluten if you don’t have an actual gluten allergy.  We are testing the theory for ourselves that gluten goes to our mid section and we both agree that we struggle with a flat stomach and love handles, so we’d like to see if cutting out gluten will help with that.  If it does help, we do not plan to eliminate gluten completely after the Reset, but it will let us know that when we are feeling bloated or gaining weight in that area, then we may need to reduce the amount of gluten we’re currently consuming.  Similar to the Health Starts Here, we’re also cutting out all added sweeteners that do not come from fruit.  We debated whether or not we’d like to cut out honey & maple syrup.  They’re natural sweeteners, but they’re definitely not better than sweetening with fruit, so we decided for this specific diet, we’d cut out honey and maple syrup to challenge ourselves to sweeten with fruits.  Dates are an excellent way to sweeten a meal or dessert.

Mary Lindsey also shared two new blogs with me that I’m excited to start reading for recipe inspiration: The First Mess and Cookie + Kate.  The tomato soup that Mary Lindsey made came from The First Mess and I was a huge fan of it!

I hope each of you are having a great week so far and if you have any questions about the 14 Day Reset or want to get involved with our challenge, then shoot me an e-mail!!  I’d love to keep you accountable and share tips I’ve learned over the past year.

Filed Under: 14 Day Reset, Fitness, Food, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods 4 Comments

« Previous Page
Next Page »

FOLLOW ME

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Archives

Categories

PINTEREST

Visit Heather's profile on Pinterest.

Disclaimer

The views and statements expressed on No Bologna are my own. You are reading No Bologna at your own risk and I am not providing any type of professional advice. Unless otherwise noted, all material on No Bologna may not be used, reprinted, or published without my consent. I do occasionally have affiliated links on my blog - this does not raise the price of the product, I simply get a very small commission from the regular retail price if something is purchased using an affiliated link on my site. I appreciate any support by you in regards to affiliated links.

Copyright © 2026 Heather @ No Bologna Blog · Pretty Peacock Pride Theme · KALEIDOSKOP · Genesis

Copyright © 2026 · Pretty Peacock Pride Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in