Hey guys! How’s it going? So that snow from this morning? GONE. No more! Colorado is quite crazy 🙂
My stomach was grumbling a little before lunch today, so I finally gave in and made a bag of that 100-calorie popcorn with seasoned salt again. Twice in one week MUST be a record for me!
As suspected the snack didn’t really hold me over, so I figured I might as well make lunch. Today I had some leftover chili from a while back that I had frozen. I thawed it out over a huge handful of baby spinach, which wilted right in. I figure that I haven’t had Green Monsters the past couple of mornings, and I wanted to get my spinach in somehow!
Served with one large carrot:
And an Everything bagel thin!
‘Twas a delicious lunch! The chili has 3 different kinds of beans and no added fat, so I figured I deserved this Snickerdoodle cookie 🙂
I mean, it was free and up for grabs…who am I to say no?! It really was the perfect ending to a great lunch though. This afternoon, after seeing a tweet from Tina, I decided to watch the tutorials on Nerd KERF about budget-making. This is such a sensitive subject for Nate and myself; I really hate how money does that! We are pretty underpaid (my opinion), especially for living in Colorado where the cost of living is much higher than Texas, so staying on budget has been pretty difficult. That being said (and not griping because I am REALLY thankful to have a job where I really love the company and the people I work with are amazing), budgeting was definitely a roller-coaster of emotions today. The good news is we have more than we thought we did!
On my lunch break I hiked it on down to Target and found 4 T-shirts for $8!!! I mean, what a steal! I decided to celebrate my purchase with a trip to Whole Paycheck Foods to look at yummy food. While I was there they were handing out samples of spring rolls, so I had a shrimp one. That’s when my inner Summer Texan decided to pay a visit and I was practically forced to buy another iced tea:
What else was I supposed to do? Just walk out without it? I don’t think so 🙂 It was (and still is) the perfect refreshment for my hike back to the office. Does anyone have a good iced-tea recipe that doesn’t require a tea-maker? I’m all ears for that one!
I’m excited because tomorrow’s supposed to be 60 degrees and sunny – hurray spring! PLUS it’s Thursday, which we all know is the new Friday. One thing I really love about Boulder is that everyone seems to collectively enjoy the warm weather today. There are always kids playing, people running and cycling, hikers, climbers, etc. all out together. It’s got that small-town feel even though it’s definitely a city!
Are you more of a small-town person or do you thrive in a bigger city? Lubbock, Texas (where I grew up) was around 200,000 people, which I loved. It was definitely another small-town/big-city all in one arrangement! When we moved to Dallas I just didn’t feel at home with all of the traffic and huge buildings. However, I will say that I really enjoy visiting big cities, walking around downtown and really anywhere I want to go!
I wouldn’t want to live anywhere like Leakey but I definitely don’t want to live in LA….SLO is probably the perfect size city for me 🙂 hahaha Gosh, I loved that place
I make either sun tea or use Cold Brew tea bags-they’re actually pretty good and it’s easy to control how strong the tea becomes. I also like to take some mint leaves and either crush or tear them and add them to the tea. Perfect refreshment on a hot summer Texas day!
Hello,
I am a new reader and I really enjoy your blog! I was excited to see that you live in Boulder…so do I! Just nice to read a local blog!
Born and raised in Seattle. Definitely a city girl. But I also love the outdoors and nature…so Portland is a better fit.
Good ole ice tea, your a Texan. I get excited when I go into Dallas with the tall buildings, but I couldn’t live down there. I need my trees.
Budgeting can be so difficult. My hubby and I are working on our budget and trying to set something up with a financial planner. It’s tough!
I know this is blasphemy coming from a Dallas-ite, but… I don’t like sweet tea. At all. But I seem to be very much in the minority… 😉
I’m definitely a big city girl. Living in Oklahoma drove me nuts because there wasn’t enough to do.
I moved from a small city to Toronto. I’m back in my small city. Toronto was NOT for me.
I love where I live for the reason that it accommodates both the small town and big city. We live in metro Atlanta so we are close to the city for activities, but also live in an area that has a more community like feel. It’s easy to get to most everything you need, but also amid mountains and lakes. I love it!
I’m a “medium town” girl. I wouldn’t want to live in a small, small town, but I also would get really tired, I think, of living in a big city.
Of course, I’ve never really done either (always lived in medium-sized towns), so who knows! 🙂
I can appreciate both the city and the small town. I do love the city, I grew up and live in one. I just like having everything around me, not being dependent on a car, etc. But every year we spend like a month in the small town my dad was born in and I love love love it there. It’s a totally different vibe. So calm. 🙂
i came to post tea recipes, but you’ve got a few! iced tea is super easy–i personally do the several tea bags in a pitcher, pour over hot water, let steep until stronger than you’d prefer to drink it, add ice to fill up pitcher and voila!
i’m a city girl. i went to college and worked in dc and miss it now that i’m living and working in the ‘burbs. 🙂
I thrive on city living, i’d much rather hear construction noises & car horns rather than birds.
if you get a recipe for iced tea, I’d love to see it.
I grew up with sun tea! I grew up in a college town that had about 75,000 people during the school year and 55,000 when the students are gone for the summer!
The weather has been crazy here in Utah too! We got several inches of snow yesterday, then sun today and everything melted.
love LOVE sweet tea. A taste of home for sure…the church we go to here serves sweet tea every Sunday morning. We felt right at home there of course!
On another note, I am a big city girl. Although, I loved things about lubbock I love exploring a big city and knowing there is always more to explore.
I like to refer to myself as a “country girl by heart, city girl by dream.” I grew up in a town with a population of 6,000 but have lived in several large cities and really do love it. I think there’s something to be said for both, but I am very thankful I had small town roots and have been able to make the choice to spend my young adulthood in cities. It’s the perfect mix 🙂
I live in a small town but I like the bigger cities better. But I wouldn’t want to live somewhere like NYC permanently because I enjoy the fresh air and nature.
My mom always used to just heat water in a pitcher in the microwave and then steep a few tea bags in it. Steep them until it’s as strong as you like and sweeten (or not) to taste. Let it cool for a while, and pour it over a glass of ice! This is really good with raspberry tea or passion tea, as well as just normal ol’ tea.
Also, I wanted to tell you that thanks to your blog, I tried Okios! I’m really picky, so I was unsure about it at first. I tried the one with blueberry in it, and it was delicious! Thanks for making me brave and helping me try something new! 🙂
Raymond and i are in love with Boulder… unfortunately we can’t both find a job there 🙁
I am a big city girl, I grew up in Tehran… busy crowded a city that rarely sleeps, then moved to MA right outside of Boston…. and now Houston… I can’t imagine living in a small town.
BY the way.. we might make a trip out to Boulder this summer, I will let you know so may be we can get together 🙂
Budgeting and talking about money makes me really grumpy, so I totally understand. We have recently started using Mint to track how close we are to the budget we set up–it really helps, and is making me a lot less grumpy about these conversations.
Iced tea: I love to make sun tea–just fill up a glass container (I wouldn’t use plastic, just b/c it might react as it heats up) with water and then add a couple black tea bags. I love to add fresh mint as well…so yummy!
I am so torn on the small town v. city thing: I grew up in a town of about 1500 people. A little too small, but I went to a great school and could roam free around town. I vowed I’d be a city girl, but after studying abroad in the Dominican Republic and living in the beautiful, mountainous countryside, I really wanted to live in the country. Now here we are in Denver. James’ career (video editing) means that we probably need to live in the city for now–and I really do like it in Denver! So I think I would be happy living in a smaller town near a large city, ideally.
Small town girl. I come from a very isolated town of about 20 thousand people. You have to take two boats from the mainland to get there!
I am enjoying the California life for now though. The freeways really freaked me out at first–I am slowly getting used to them.
I love doing budgeting/personal finances(weird I know) but the more I keep track the better I feel. My hubby and I keep every single receipt from anything we purchase and I tally it all up at month end.
Groceries are my weakness!
Ok, iced tea is SUPER easy, this is how we did it at starbucks when i worked there: use either 8 regular tea bags or 2 big iced tea bags and pour enough boiling water over them in a pitcher. Let them steep 4 minutes, then remove the tea bags. Then, fill the pitcher up with ice. It works every time!
I’m totally a small town girl. I lived in San Diego for 7 years and while it was a good experience, I love now living somewhere small, where you can get around by bike/foot, without mega chain places everywhere. Also… people in large groups scare me 😉 lol
Iced Tea – I love making my own tea. During the summer I make sun tea, but I’ve learned that even on non warm days I can make my own iced tea – in the fridge. Take your pitcher, put in several bags of tea (or loose leaf tea in a strainer to make your own combo). The first recommendation I saw said 4 tea bags per quart, but I actually use a lot less – one tea ball per pitcher. You pop it in your fridge overnight, take out the tea leaves the next morning, and you’re set with iced tea. It’s important to note that the taste changes after a few days, so it’s best to drink it in the first 3 days. I know some people sweeten it as well.
My most common mixture (for both sun tea and fridge tea) is mint, lavender, and a bit of green tea leaves.
You can google fridge tea and find more recipes/ideas/specifics.
I am a city gal but I don’t want to be in a HUGE city! I in Austin…which I LOVE LOVE LOVE because it just city enough for me but without the hugeness of a city! Make sense??