blog – Page 19 – The Blonde Giraffe

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Working out & staying active is important during pregnancy. I am really looking forward to working out hard again and getting back into my pre-baby workouts Not to mention…I can’t wait to purchase some cute new workout gear to get me motivated! Below is a recap of how my workouts have evolved by trimester.

1st Trimester: Most of my workouts remained the same with little changes and modifications. I decided to quit pushing myself and focus on maintaining. I continued to attend yoga & pilates classes with very little modifications. I was sad I had to stop going to Core Power Yoga because most of their classes are heated but found another studio by our apartment with unheated classes. Pregnancy is not the time for heated yoga. I didn’t do much cardio except some limited running and hiking on the weekends. In the middle of this trimester, I started my Classical Pilates training certification.

2nd Trimester: We still went hiking on the weekends but I quit running. I phased out yoga this trimester mainly because my Pilates certification was taking up all my time with observation, teaching, and practice hours. I plan to start back yoga post baby. I joined a Prenatal Pilates class and it was a great resource for me and gave me the knowledge I needed to modify in my Pilates practice. Towards the end of this trimester, almost all my workouts were Pilates based.

3rd Trimester: The beginning this trimester, I was still super active with little workout changes from the 2nd trimester. I went on a backpacking trip right at the 6 month mark. It wasn’t an easy hike and this was really my last physically demanding hoo-rah. At 35 weeks, my body started to tell me no. A lot of my modifications in Pilates didn’t even feel that great anymore. Walking started to become difficult. Baby’s head dropped and the pelvic pressure became intense even on small walks. We still do a lot of walking since that is my mode of transportation but there is a lot of stopping and waddling involved. At 36 weeks, I quit all workouts outside the home and focused on gentle stretches and minimal leg & arm exercises. I am 37 weeks now and plan to continue with this workout plan till baby arrives.

Post-Natal Plans: I don’t want to set goals yet since I’m not sure how my delivery will go. I will give my body the time it needs to recover but then I plan to start back with Pilates first. I am excited to get back into working out without lots of modifications!

Zella Scoop Tank // Lululemon Jacket // Lululemon Run Inspire Crop

blogging, food, health

Green Mac and Cheese

theblondegiraffe

August 25, 2015

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Macaroni and cheese has always been a favorite of mine. Growing up, it was the only thing I could “cook” if you consider boiling water and dumping your boxed pasta in the water cooking. As I am learning more about food and making an effort to eat clean, I am changing and adapting my recipes to exclude the processed and powdery preservatives found in easy grocery store meals. I am also adding vegetables into my dishes for an extra punch of nutrients.

This recipe was inspired and adapted from Brooke of www.360yourlife.com. She introduced me to the Ancient Harvest Quinoa Organic Elbow Pasta and I use as our pasta replacement most of the time. I can find at our grocery stores here but you can order off Amazon from links below if you can’t find locally. For those with gluten intolerances, it’s gluten free.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta Options

Green Mac and Cheese

by Sarah Johnson

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Keywords: entree gluten-free

Ingredients

8 ounce (1 box) Ancient Harvest Quinoa Elbow Pasta
3 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1 cup of broccoli florets
1 cup peas
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cook pasta according to box.

While pasta cooks, blend spinach and milk in a blender or food processor.

Drain pasta & return pasta to pot on stovetop and remove from heat.

Add milk/spinach mixture to pasta and turn on low heat. Add butter, cheese, peas, broccoli, salt and pepper. Continue stirring and let simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a greased 13 x 9 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

blogging, food, life, seattle

Weekend Recap: Slowing Down

theblondegiraffe

August 24, 2015

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Our weekends filled with active adventures are slowing down. I hit the 36 week pregnancy mark and my body is telling me it needs more sleep, rest and overall needs to slow down. I did more resting & nesting this weekend than I normally do. Since we won’t be living in Capitol Hill that much longer, we want to make sure we take advantage of all the neighborhood restaurants & bars we can while we are still Cap Hill residents.

Friday night, we walked up to the Rachel’s Ginger Beer for cocktails and mocktails after our dinner at home. I had the hibiscus ginger beer and Ryan had the moscow mule. My non-alcholic beverage made me feel like I was sipping on a real cocktail.

Saturday, Ryan went into work. I spent the day cleaning up around the house and resting. I was so tired and needed a day of nesting. I attempted to study some for my NASM testing but I feel asleep watching an anatomy video. I realized that wasn’t going to happen. Saturday night, we ventured out to meet up with some friends for a bit. We started off at the Lookout. Lookout is a neighborhood bar with a back patio that has views overlooking Lake Union. The sunset was a little erie from all the haze and smoke in the air from the wildfires in Central Washington. After the sun went down, we left Lookout and stopped by Summit Public House. I wish we would have discovered this little street sooner. It has become our new favorite go-to area. It’s a small stretch of dive bars, restaurants and the original Top Pot Donuts location. I love the quaint neighborhood feel away from the hustle and bustle of most of Cap Hill.

Sunday was another day of resting and eating. Our Sunday funday included the above food from Roy Street Coffee. Cheese plate & beer for Ryan and a decaf frappacino & sweets for me. Roy Street Coffee is new concept coffeehouse owned by Starbucks. It’s a coffee house Starbucks says “that reflects the local neighborhood’s values and personality and celebrates the Pacific Northwest’s coffee heritage, materials and artists.” I like that you can get coffee, food, beer or sweets all in a low-key coffeehouse setting.

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blogging, fashion, life

Seattle Vibes & Thursday Thoughts

theblondegiraffe

August 20, 2015

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I never intended to bring this up on my blog. It’s part of my past now I want to forget. I don’t want to relive any of it. We ended up in Seattle because I took a job with Amazon last year. I applaud the NY Times for publishing the article on Amazon they did last week. My experience at Amazon was similar to a lot of those interviewed for the article. I’m glad to see the company being exposed as to how they have treated employees. I’m not sharing any details of my experience on here but I will say it is the first time I have broken down in tears on the job. There was never a sense of team in the work environment and it seemed as though it was every man for himself.

I am just thankful I am healthy and will be giving birth to my first child next month. I am pursing a career in fitness now and could not be happier with where I am in life! I am also thankful to be able to live in a unique and vibrant city like Seattle.

3/4 sleeve sweatshirt // AG distressed skinny (non-maternity version) // Sam Edelman sandals

blogging, fashion

Shopping for Maternity Clothes

theblondegiraffe

August 18, 2015

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Exactly one month away from our due date…

Hopefully, I have enough clothes to get me through the next month. I still haven’t bought any maternity pants but I did break down a buy a few tops a few weeks ago. Destination Maternity was having a buy one get one $5.00 event so I bought four items. All four pieces I’ll be able to wear post pregnancy. I am still using the BellaBand on my pre-maternity pants to make them work.

To say we had a blast in the dressing room is an understatement. My friend Courtney went with me. She isn’t pregnant but might look like it above. They had faux bumps to try on so we had a little too much fun dressing her faux bump. She may or may not have bought something too.

For all the mamas to be out there, I would recommend a visit to Destination Maternity if you have one nearby. Destination Maternity is now having a buy one get one free event online.

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food

Comfort Food: Shepard’s Pie

theblondegiraffe

August 18, 2015

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Growing up in the South, my life was centered around food. My mom cooked almost every night and we ate dinner as a family when my Dad would get home from work. I love going home because I get to eat home cooking the whole time and I don’t have to do any work.

My only complaint about Mom’s cooking is her high use of butter, bacon grease, extra sugar on everything and other ingredients I am trying not to consume in order to live a healthier lifestyle. Don’t worry there will still be butter and sugar in my recipes! I am going through all my favorite recipes she made growing up and slightly altering to make into a healthier version. She is working on a cookbook now. I am excited for her to finish so I don’t have to call her every five minutes and get her to list out and explain each recipe to me. If I can get my dishes to taste 1/2 good as my Mom’s I consider that success!

Below is my recipe for Shepard’s Pie. I am less than five weeks away from Logan’s due date and my taste buds have switched to cravings of comfort meals.

Shepards Pie

by Sarah Johnson

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

Beef Pie Filling

1 lb grass fed beef
6 oz can of tomato paste
12 oz of frozen mixed vegetables (I use fresh & local when available but the bag of frozen vegetables can help with convenience)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup of organic vegetable broth (or you can use beef broth)

Mashed Potatoes

4 medium potatoes (peeled and chopped – I use Yukon Gold potatoes but to make healthier can use sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
2 cups cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a large pot, boil enough water to cook the potatoes. Peel and chop the potatoes. Cook until soft.

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until beef is cooked. Once cooked add the tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and vegetables. Stir to combine evenly.

When the potatoes are done, drain the water from them and return them to the pot. Add the milk, butter and salt and mix until the potatoes are creamy.

Pour the ground beef/vegetable mixture into a 13X9 baking dish and spread in dish evenly.

Add the potatoes to the top of the beef/vegetable mixture and over evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

blogging, food, seattle

Weekend Recap: Seattle Street Food Festival

theblondegiraffe

August 17, 2015

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Well the food might not have been the healthiest but it it sure was good! We ventured out to the Seattle Street Food Festival Saturday during the day. The festival started on Friday and ran through Sunday. Admission was free and featured Food Trucks from all over the Northwest along with a row of pop-up craft tents. A few of my favorite jewelry and t-shirt tents from the Fremont market had pop-up tents at the festival. We arrived around 3 and the festival was packed. My only complaints about the event were the lines were long at some of the food trucks and many of the food trucks had run out of food by 5pm.

We spent most of our time in the Beer Garden area. You had to be 21 to enter this area and it was a nice escape from the packed streets where the food trucks were. It wasn’t crowded at all during the day and they had tables set up for you to sit and relax. By the time we left around 7, this area was starting to get more crowded and the live band was about to start. There was music playing all day but it was about to hit another level of fun as we were leaving. I’m sure dancing and good times were had by all that were there til the event stopped at 11pm.

7

8

blogging, fashion

Dressing the Bump

theblondegiraffe

August 11, 2015

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Comfort is everything to me. As I enter Wk 34 of pregnancy, the options in my closet for dressing are becoming slim. Thanks to Forever21 & knit dresses for allowing me to purchase some non-fitness clothes to get me through this last month at costs that don’t break the bank.

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blogging, life, seattle

Weekend Recap: Friends, Food & Beach

theblondegiraffe

August 10, 2015

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We started our weekend off with our 5 year anniversary dinner at Rione XIII in Capitol Hill. We had our first dinner here the day we moved to Seattle. This was our first time time back since last Fall. I would highly recommend this restaurant. The food is great and a really cute atmosphere. Our original weekend plan was to go hiking Saturday but we decided our hikes might be put on hold until after the baby arrives. Saturday ended up being low key for us and met some friends out at Sun Liquor. We went to the original Sun Liquor location in Capitol Hill on Summit Ave. We sat outside at this intimate neighborhood bar and it felt like Fall as the sun started going down. I was too busy chatting and didn’t take any photos this night.

Sunday morning we slept in. Then we made breakfast and were off to our neighborhood Farmers Market. My purchases included tomatoes, berries and some peaches. Let’s see if these peaches taste half as good as the South Carolina peaches I’ve been craving lately.

Can’t make a trip to the Farmers Market without a $5.00 flower purchase.

We spent the rest of our Sunday at Medrona Beach enjoying the sunshine and water.

blogging, life

5 Years Later…

theblondegiraffe

August 7, 2015

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Happy 5th Anniversary to my husband! It’s crazy how fast the years go by. We married 5 years ago today and started dating eleven years ago. We have lived on the west and east coasts. Our shiba inu turns 8 soon and we have a baby boy on the way! I couldn’t imagine having anyone else to have shared all the highs and lows of finding ourselves throughout our 20s.

Look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries in the years to come!

We got married in my hometown of Mocksville, North Carolina in the church I grew up in. We had our reception in a barn. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect wedding day!