Things I’m Digging Lately

Happy Friday!

Today I’m sharing some random things that I’ve been loving lately. Here we go:

roasted chickpeas.  

Several times over the past couple of weeks I’ve popped open a can of chickpeas, drizzled a bit of olive oil and sprinkled salt, paprika, and garlic powder on top, and baked them in the oven. After they’re cooked, I sprinkle pumpkin cajun bread crumbs – from San Diego-based company Panache Pantry – on top. They’re crunchy, a little spicy and delicious! The exact recipe can be found here.

my new bracelet. 

While I was in Venice in September, I got the bracelet pictured above. I love having a souvenir I know I’ll use like this one that brings back great memories. Every time I’ve put it on since then, I think of how much fun I had on vacation!

the ponytail braid. 

My hair just gets to a point where it’s too long, when it starts getting stuck everywhere and I keep getting knots like a little kid who needs No More Tangles (Anyone use that as a little girl?). I can safely say that it’s at that point right now! I have a hair appointment in a few weeks, but until then, I’ve started wearing my hair in a braided ponytail. It’s awesome during workouts because it stays out of my face and doesn’t fall out. I am horrible at braiding and hair in general, so the braid is usually unintentionally messy, but I think it still works. Not sure why I didn’t think of it sooner!

Side note: I’ve discovered that taking a decent selfie ponytail hair picture is much harder than one would think…

….Oh hello toilet plunger.

brownie brittle.  

(source)

I’ve only tried their salted caramel flavor so far, and this stuff is awesome when you’re in a brownie/chocolate/caramel kind of mood. This is probably pretty evident by the name, but they’re like brownies in a snacky thin cookie form.

apples.  

If this wasn’t obvious from my recent post on ways I’m loving eating apples, I’ve been majorly digging apples this fall.

Although I’m all sweaty post-workout and the lighting is horrible, I can’t help but include this funny picture of Harley and me from last night. Someone – cough my husband cough – has gotten my dog in the habit of getting to nibble on the apples we eat after we’re finished with them. She’ll patiently sit close and wait until we’re done, and then she seriously eats the end of the apple like a person. It cracks me up!

my new Brooks sneakers.  

Last weekend I got new sneakers, which is always fun for a fitness lover! My last pair of sneakers were New Balances that I fell in love with, but this time I had to go back to my all-time favorite brand: Brooks. Their sneakers are the most comfortable thing in the world to me. This pair is super blue – even a lot of blue for me, who loves the color, but I got them anyways because I actually already had the other pairs in the store that I liked…

What can I say? Clearly I’m a blue Brooks sneaker lover!

Well I’m off to get my weekend started. My hubby has somehow convinced me to try some Thai massage place in San Jose that charges only $20 an hour for a massage. Given my last Thai massage experience with him in Thailand — when a tiny woman literally walked on my back, elbowed me as hard as she could, twisted me up like a pretzel, and put me in really compromising positions in a huge communal massage room — I am half expecting an awkward, painful massage, but we shall see!

Questions: Do you typically stick with one brand of sneakers or switch it up? Have you ever had a weird pro massage experience?