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March 16, 2012

Insanity Begins (plus a new packed lunch!)

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Good morning, friends!

Life is getting busier and busier over here — I only have 7 more weeks of classes left in my grad program! Can you guys believe it?! I feel like just yesterday I was announcing my decision to attend UNC. It’s going to be an insane end though — here’s what’s going on:

  • April 13 — Comprehensive Exams for my graduate program. This is a 4 hour, 3 question exam covering public health, medical nutrition therapy, and biochem — and if you don’t pass, you don’t graduate. No pressure. Gahhh
  • Regular final exams (the weeks of April 23 and 30th depending on the class) — mostly take home/assignments, but we do have a real biochem cumulative final.
  • May 6 — Our lease in Chapel Hill ends.
  • May 6 — Move back to DC, place so far still TBD. Get settled and start preparing myself for work in the hospital (reviewing worksheets, doing some prep work they give me, etc.)
  • May 18 — Reach the Beach Relay up in Massachusetts!
  • May 21 — Clinical internship starts at a hospital in DC.

Also thrown in there is two weddings up in DC in April (April 1 and April 14), the Tarheel 10 Miler on April 21, and about a million assignments/group projects/presentations as we wind down the semester. Oh, and wedding planning.

One day at a time, right? Whew. Feeling sliiiightly overwhelmed.

But just because I’m busy doesn’t mean I can’t take 5 minutes to pack myself a healthy lunch for school. 🙂

 

I had a long day at school yesterday so I packed lunch and various snacks to fuel me through the day.

First up — leftover Vegan Mexican Quinoa Salad!

 

Plus a salad with mixed greens, canned beets, and feta cheese:

 

I threw together a 2 second homemade dressing in a ziplock since we’re out of dressing — this was just olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and salt/pepper — no measurements, just eyeballed it:

 

And for snacks, I packed some strawberries and almonds:

 

And a Stonyfield blueberry Oikos — my favorite of their flavored Greek yogurts (usually I just buy plain and add my own fruit, but it’s nice to have these on hand for portable quick snacks):

 

It was super hot here in Chapel Hill yesterday — 85 degrees?! So I was in the mood for something fresh and cold for dinner. I whipped up a variation of my Mediterranean Pasta Salad (click for recipe):

 

So. Good. I love that recipe because it’s so customizable — just throw in all sorts of veggies, based on what you have on hand! I added green peppers, cherry tomatoes, some wilted spinach, artichoke hearts, and lightly steamed zucchini. Plus, some unpictured white beans that I added at the last minute — great flavor addition plus some added protein and fiber! Matt gave the pasta salad two thumbs up. 🙂

Time to get down to some serious work. I will leave you all with this hilarity I saw on Facebook the other day. Sooo true. 😉

 

Happy Friday!

How do you keep your sanity when life gets even more crazy than usual? Sticking with healthy eating and my normal exercise schedule always helps me — even if I feel like I “don’t have time” to exercise I still make time. I always come back clearer and more focused after exercising, so I find it actually ends up helping, not hurting, productivity! Plus it does wonders for stress levels. So do walking breaks! And the occasional glass of wine. 😉

- anne
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29 comments
  • Kris S March 16, 2012 · 10:57AM:
    Good luck with the insanity!! I'm sure you will get it all done, no worries :) For me when things have gotten crazy, I just take one thing at a time, go to a distraction-less environment (phone away, internet disconnected), and make sure to sleep!! Sleep seems to be the one thing that keeps me from total meltdown when things are out of control :) You can do it!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      March 16, 2012 · 11:39AM:
      Sleep - SO true. I always get 7 or 8 hours, no matter what! No sleep = total meltdown. :)
      Reply
  • Sana
    March 16, 2012 · 11:00AM:
    I love how put together you are even when you are stressed and busy! I am always a mess and I don't have my meals together ect. Work in progress!
    Reply
  • Emily March 16, 2012 · 11:01AM:
    It is rather funny you posted this as I had a similar realization this morning. I'm in my last semester of grad school as well (English) and so have 7 weeks to try and finish my thesis, write another seminar paper, and prepare for two conference presentations while teaching a section of freshman comp. Needless to say I feel your pain and have started planning menus and runs so health doesn't get pushed aside-especially with a gluten sensitivity. Thanks for the great tips to help me through!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      March 16, 2012 · 11:38AM:
      Yikes - good luck to you as well!! We can do this! :)
      Reply
  • Dani
    March 16, 2012 · 11:10AM:
    From the title I thought you were starting the Insanity exercise program! Good luck with finals and apartment hunting--it will all come together!
    Reply
  • Lauren @ What Lauren Likes
    March 16, 2012 · 11:13AM:
    Awesome lunch! Haha that last pic is hilarious :)
    Reply
  • Stephy C
    March 16, 2012 · 11:26AM:
    I can't believe how busy you are! Holy cow. The 4 hour exam sounds awful. It's so good you make the time for exercising though because it's so easy to say "I don't have time," but then just end up spending 45 minutes on Pinterest or something. LOL. Go Anne!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      March 16, 2012 · 11:38AM:
      Ha - exactly!
      Reply
  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats
    March 16, 2012 · 11:29AM:
    Definitely sticking to an exercise plan keeps me sane. If I schedule out that one, non-negotiable hour just for me every day it makes me feel like my life is still in order! Plus it's great for de-stressing!
    Reply
  • Alyssa @ fit and fun in third
    March 16, 2012 · 11:55AM:
    Wine, healthy eats, and exercise are my go-to stress relievers as well! Plus a good pedicure! When I get a foot massage I can't help but relax! :)
    Reply
  • Claire @ Live and Love to Eat
    March 16, 2012 · 11:59AM:
    Sounds like you've always juggled a million things at once - you'll continue to excel! :)
    Reply
    • Anne P
      March 16, 2012 · 12:36PM:
      Thanks for your confidence :)
      Reply
  • Renie March 16, 2012 · 2:18PM:
    Wheeee, I'm out of breath looking at your schedule.You will come through it okay, I have no doubt. What do I do when my schedule is overloaded. Why I go to bed and pull the covers over my head. Just kidding. I prioritize and my cut off is 3Pm so I can put supper together and make myself pretty for my husband when he comes home from work. I know you young women are probably poo pooing that, but take it from a married woman of 42 years, it spices things up.
    Reply
    • Renie March 16, 2012 · 2:22PM:
      OMG I have been married 45 years my daughter just reminded me. oops.
      Reply
      • Anne P
        March 16, 2012 · 3:16PM:
        That's a long time - good for you guys!
        Reply
        • Renie March 17, 2012 · 2:33PM:
          I was 17. 3 day honeymoon. Husband off to Vietnam for 2 years. To pass the 2 years I went to college. People of my age group, I think were more mature than 17year olds of today.
          Reply
  • Sierra @ Posh Meets Pavement
    March 16, 2012 · 5:15PM:
    Good Luck for tomorrow!!! You will do awesome. Can't wait to read all about it. Let me know if you are up for a couple recovery miles on Monday or Tuesday!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      March 16, 2012 · 6:04PM:
      Yes, I would love that! Could you do Wednesday?
      Reply
  • Ro @ Eat Live Move
    March 16, 2012 · 10:34PM:
    That's a really hard question when things are insane...However, I try to find some opportunity to play or at least focus on what I'm grateful for or what I'm learning from the experience. Playing for me is reading, dancing, and cuddling. In the midst of a crazy schedule, I think it's important to play a little to relieve stress.
    Reply
  • Amy
    March 17, 2012 · 7:48AM:
    Good luck, Anne! For me when life gets crazy I find it helpful to stick with the basics. Sleep, good food, exercise, and doing one thing at a time. :)
    Reply
  • Brandi
    March 17, 2012 · 11:43AM:
    Wow! You are definitely gonna be busy the next 7 weeks! :) Love the eats, I am so going to try the dressing recipe! I am like you, no matter if I feel like I don't have time I always try to squeeze in a workout, even if it's a short one. Rock those exams Anne!!
    Reply
  • Amy March 17, 2012 · 3:33PM:
    Debate: (I'm looking for actual insight here)- Chobani vs. Oikos? Please weigh in. I always buy Chobani......would I like Oikos? I am kinda new to yogurt.....I used to HATE it!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      March 17, 2012 · 4:02PM:
      I really like both! I like that Stonyfield's Oikos is organic, so I usually buy the plain version of that brand if I have the choice. But I really like a lot of the flavored Chobanis, so I buy those too. If you like one you'll probably like the other - they are pretty similar!
      Reply
      • Amy March 17, 2012 · 4:39PM:
        THANKS! I always enjoy your blog. Good luck over the next crazy 6 weeks!
        Reply
  • Adventurer March 18, 2012 · 9:09AM:
    Great philosophy when facing challenging periods, Anne. Time to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and repeating the process, as efficiently and focused as is possible... And we all know you'll come through with flying colors! Best of luck for continued success! :-)
    Reply
  • Lexi @ Cura Personalis Foodie
    March 19, 2012 · 4:54PM:
    Loving the packed lunch! I pack a tower out of mine all the time ;)
    Reply
  • Meredith
    March 19, 2012 · 8:53PM:
    I know how you're feeling right now -- my comps are in 2 weeks... MA in Hispanic Lit, exam is 6 hours for 6 questions and if we don't pass, we don't graduate either. There are only 4 people in my cohort so we've done a LOT of group studying over the past year. I know you are as ready for this to be done with as I am with mine :)
    Reply
    • Anne P
      March 20, 2012 · 9:14AM:
      Yikes - good luck to you as well! We can do this! :)
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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