Wordless Wednesday – 9/30/15

Lunchtime doodles.  

 

Happy International Coffee Day…or not

Happy International Coffee Day, just kidding, I don’t drink coffee! I tried it a few times and quickly discovered I just didn’t have the pallet for such bold flavors. And it’s not just steaming cups of joe, it’s the iced varieties, too. But don’t get me wrong, I adore the smell of a freshly brewed cup of coffee at the office. (Fun side note, while my sister received a Keurig for Christmas a few years back, it’s not used all that often. Or maybe just not when I’m home, who knows! And yes, both of my sisters like coffee.) I actually reminded my whole family about today’s Java holiday.  

 Group messages are fun!

And now, because I don’t know of an International Chai Tea Latte Day, may I present you with my hot beverage of choice from today and most other days, too. 

I love Oregon Chai – my dad actually was the one who introduced me to chai tea. One day he picked up a package of vanilla chai tea latte by mistake, thinking he had grabbed a box of the original. After trying a cup of the vanilla chai tea latte and deciding that he didn’t like the flavor, he gave the box to me to take to work and I’ve been hooked on it ever since. 

It tastes like fall in a cup and what could be better than that?! The smell is inviting. Flavors of cinnamon, Ginger allspice and vanilla exploding in your mouth! While drinking it you can’t help but have a warm, fuzzy feeling as thoughts about fall, jumping in the leaves and carving pumpkins fill your mind. 

This my friends, is what I consider to be the perfect morning jolt! The packaging is also very interesting, telling how the company founder brough chai tea back to The United States from the Himalayas and how they use all natural ingredients. I also like how they provide different ways to enjoy this drink – hot, cold or extra creamy! And apparently if you visit their website, you can find recipes for different meals using chai tea. This is something I haven’t tried yet but I’ll look into it eventually.

   

Wellness Wednesday- 9/23/15

I know what you’re thinking…..where’s the wordless Wednesday post?! Truth is, I wanted to share my love for health and wellness and this photo from my workout this morning says it all!  
At my new work location, there is a 60 day walking challenge happening right now (I think we are on day 10 today) to walk the 365 miles from our town to Chicago, IL. I’ll do the math for you, that’s an average of six miles every, single day. As my job requires that I sit at a desk for eight hours of the day and I spend about an hour total driving each day, I was a little worried how I would find time to get in my six miles every day. That’s when I started getting creative. 

I have started getting to work an average of 30 – 40 minutes early each morning. This gives me time to get almost two miles in on the track. I work at a university, so it’s a very nice place to walk, although sometimes that early in the morning I have to find an alternate walking location as the ROTC students are running drills, but I digress… like usual, I got my miles in early again this morning! And it was chilly enough to break out my runDisney 2014 Wine and Dine half marathon jacket!

And then with my hour long lunch break, I decided to get up and move – once again you’ll find me out on the track doing laps with my headphones on, jamming out to my workout playlist all while waiting to hear the beautiful Runkeeper voice state that I have conquered yet another mile! And oh the joy that fills my heart when my FitBit starts to vibrate on my wrist letting me know that yes, I did just walk 10,000 steps all before 2 pm! (That’s a little more than four miles for the day so far!)

So, by the time I arrive home from work around 5:30 pm, I only have about two more miles to walk, but because I am an over achiever, I usually strive to have 8 – 10 miles by the end of the night. To get those miles in I do a variety of things – sometimes I’ll do a fitness DVD, if the weather’s nice I’ll go walking at one of the state parks that are close to my home, and more recently I’ve been marching in place in myliving room  while watching movies/TV shows; you’d be surprised how many steps you can rack up in a two-hour movie!  

And I want to end with a special thanks for Runkeeper and FitBit for making exercise fun and keeping me accountable!

*All opinions expressed here are my own. I did not receive monetary compensation for any of my product reviews. All reviews represent the opinion of The Undercover Princess and are based on my personal use and results. I did not receive any free products. My opinion of a product will not change if I receive it for free or with a discount for reviewing it. 

Five years later

I can’t believe it was five years ago today I went on my first date with this handsome, funny, sweet, charming, Disney loving man. I was only one month into my adventure on The Disney College Program, and he was there on the program as well – only difference being he’d been in Florida since May. 

We spent the day exploring Epcot. It was only my third time in Epcot as a cast member and my second time backstage. All day long he made me laugh, pointed out hidden Mickey’s and shared his vast Disney knowledge. 

I didn’t know it at the time, but I was falling head over heals for him. There was just something about him that made me instantly happier, comfortable and more at ease. It was a very natural feeling to go strolling around World Showcase hand-in-hand….I wondered how that could be when I’d only met him a week earlier! But like a moth to a flame, I was drawn in and never hesitated.

My favorite moment from that day, and I have often thought back to it, has nothing to do with rides, attractions or shows. We were merely standing in line at one of the outdoor food vendors in the England pavilion so Scott could order fish and chips. He pulled me in to give me a hug and whispered something funny in my ear (I don’t recall what it was now). As I was laughing, I saw this elderly hispanic couple walk past us heading towards the Canada pavilion. I saw her squeeze the man’s hand, tilt her head in our direction, and looking straight at me, she said “amor.” I didn’t retain many vocabulary words from my four years of high school Spanish, but that one I knew – love. 

“Could she be right?” “There’s no possible way, I just met this guy!” “She’s crazy – the Florida sun must be getting to her or something.” “Can I love someone without really knowing them?”

This whole exchange, which Scott missed because his back was to them, took place in a matter of seconds, and yet, it has stayed with me. Did they see something in us I couldn’t see? Or maybe she saw herself at my age and was reflecting on being young and in love. 

Whatever it was, what I wouldn’t give to find that woman today, just so I could give her a hug and tell her she was right! To this day, when he looks at me I radiate love. When he takes my hand, our fingers are like perfectly fitting puzzle pieces sliding home. And when he kisses me, oh the butterflies! (This song describes all of my feelings perfectly.) 

I am madly, deeply, truly in love with this man – and if the years have taught me anything, I will do whatever it takes to keep that love burning bright and strong. And I am so excited to see him in 38 days, being a long distance couple really stinks sometimes, but it’s all worth it once we are back together!! 😍😘❤️     

Wordless Wednesday- 9/9/15

This workout has gone to the birds…. 

 

Wordless Wednesday- 9/2/15

My morning view on my new commute to work…stunning sunrise! 

*This photo was taken while I was completely stopped at the traffic lights. All laws of the road were followed to achieve this shot.