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February 28, 2023

Things I’m Loving Lately + One Thing I’m NOT Loving

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Hey friends! Popping in today with some Things I’m Loving Lately… and also one thing I’m really NOT loving lately – more on that at the end of the post. 

Let’s do this!

Things I’m Loving Lately 

1) Reading

I have been on a reading TEAR lately. Can’t stop, won’t stop!

(FYI – links are Amazon affiliate links.)

First up: A few weeks ago I read Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and wow, what a gorgeous book. It was so beautifully written and such a unique story. I loved it so much – highly recommend. 

Next up: I’m currently in the midst of reading a 5 book series that I am so obsessed with that I started it 2 weeks ago at the suggestion of a friend and now I’m already halfway through book 3.

I CANNOT put it down and I’m staying up way too late reading every night but ahhh it’s so good. Super creative and engaging!

If you like fantasy/magic/adventure books with a solid romance situation weaved into the mix, check out the Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Book 2 was even more awesome than Book 1, and I was really impressed with how complex it was – so many intricate details were set up in Book 1 that we didn’t realize! 

2) Adventures in the city

I took Riese on a fun adventure in the city recently on a day she didn’t have school.

We rode the metro in (very exciting, she LOVES the metro), did a ton of walking all around the monuments, and had a picnic lunch at the Washington Monument (tuna salad sandwiches – her current fave – plus some grapes, carrots, and string beans). 

We even saw some baby ducks in the reflecting pool leading up to the Lincoln Memorial! Riese was SO excited. They were adorable!

Not sure why it was partially empty – they are either cleaning it or we haven’t gotten enough rain… unclear.

Kathleen (my college friend and running buddy) and I also had a fun city adventure getting in our most recent long run – we did another huge loop of the city starting from Roosevelt Island, crossing Memorial Bridge and running all the way down the National Mall and around the Capitol, then back via the Georgetown Waterfront and Key Bridge.

We had gorgeous weather for it and thanks to a warm week, some of the flowers were starting to bloom!

It was equal parts “yay, this is gorgeous!” and “yikes, flowers are blooming in February… hello, global warming…”

We made it 9 miles and my muscles/legs felt good, but I felt super tired and not energetic overall – my hydration and nutrition were not exactly on point the day before thanks to a beer garden visit with some friends from school and the kids, so that was likely the culprit there. 

3) Rainbow Smoothies

How fun is this rainbow smoothie that Riese, Matt, and I made the other day? 

Ever since seeing a picture of a rainbow smoothie awhile ago, Riese has been wanting to make one, and a couple weeks ago we finally made it happen!

It also ended up being a good opportunity to test out two products I was sent recently for a potential sponsored review: Naked Greens and Naked Reds.

I was super impressed by their high quality ingredient lists (no fillers, additives, flavors, or colors – yay!) and excited to give them a shot to see if they were something I’d recommend – and now that I’ve tried them I can say that yes, I do!

Ingredient lists:

  • Naked Greens: Organic Broccoli, Organic Alfalfa Grass, Organic Kale, Organic Spinach, Organic Spirulina, Organic Wheat Grass Organic Prebiotic, Organic Ashwagandha, Organic Panax Ginseng and Probiotics
  • Naked Reds: Apple, Blueberry, Maqui, Cranberry, Elderberry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Acai, Dragon Fruit, Pomegranate

I wouldn’t drink them straight with water since they aren’t flavored (and Naked Greens is a little grassy on its own), but as a smoothie mix in they are a fantastic and versatile way to add in some extra nutrition, and they blend in well, too – not chalky, clumpy, or gritty.

Definitely going to keep these on hand for future smoothies… the Naked Greens in particular is a great way to get my picky eater kids some extra nutrition. 😉 

making a rainbow smoothie with naked greens and naked reds

If you’re interested in making a rainbow smoothie, too, here’s how we did it (makes about 4 smoothies).

  • Base recipe: 1 banana + 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt + a handful of ice cubes
  • For layer 1 (the pink layer), add the following to the base recipe: 1 cup frozen raspberries + one scoop Naked Reds
  • For layer 2 (the yellow layer), add the following to the base recipe: 1 cup frozen mango
  • For layer 3 (the green layer), add the following to the base recipe: 1 cup fresh baby spinach + one scoop Naked Greens
  • For layer 4 (the purple layer), add the following to the base recipe: 1 cup frozen blueberries

The smoothie should be quite thick so the layers stay put, but if you find it way too thick, add a splash of milk or a non-dairy alternative to the mix for each layer until it reaches your desired consistency. 

Enjoy!! And if you want to try Naked Greens or Naked Reds, you can buy them directly on their website (linked previously), or over on Amazon (affiliate links: Naked Greens / Naked Reds). 

Something I’m Not Loving Lately

Okay, and now let’s end this post with a bit of a downer/something I’m most definitely NOT loving lately: I tweaked my hip/lower back picking up Wes at a weird angle over the weekend. 

My hips were tired already from the long run and I was not using good form at all which was not the smartest move… I was kind of turned sideways and bending at the waist to try to pick him up (basically using my back, not my legs – argh), AND Wes started flailing around and struggling away (yay, pre-nap chaos) and my left hip/lower back on that side just kind of spasm-ed.

It was super painful – like, I could not walk for a couple hours painful – and has been bothering me since. I obviously skipped my run yesterday and I actually had a massage scheduled (lucky timing as I made the appointment months ago) which helped loosen it up significantly, but… yeah. Major bummer.

I’m honestly not sure where this leaves me for the half marathon I’ve been training for. My hip and lower back feel much better now thanks to a few days of rest and epsom salt (affiliate link) baths, but it’s not totally normal, and I’m obviously not trying to injure myself more seriously because fitness is basically my #1 source of sanity and de-stressing.

As of now I’m just kind of waiting and see-ing. I am leaving tomorrow for a food blogging conference in Chicago and will be gone until Saturday, and I wasn’t planning to really do any workouts there, anyway, so it’s kind of good timing to take a break, but we’ll see.

At this point it’s looking unlikely I’m going to be able to do a half marathon in 2.5 weeks. I’m so disappointed. 🙁 Ugh. Stay tuned, friends.

- anne
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12 comments
  • haley February 28, 2023 · 7:44AM:
    Aww, bummer about your hip! Hope it feels better soon! Maybe you could find another race a little farther out.
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 28, 2023 · 10:09AM:
      Yeah, that's what I'm thinking... sigh. We'll see.
      Reply
  • Victoria
    February 28, 2023 · 10:06AM:
    Oh nooooooooooooo that's awful timing. I've had similar issues - it really sounds like something attached to your SI joint is off. Physical Therapy is the answer, ultimately, I am currently in PT to get my left leg working again and they can do miraculous things with needles and electricity and cupping and manual techniques. In the meantime, I've KT taped my SI joint before when waiting for a PT appointment and it can really help. Email me if you have any questions or just want to rant. I hope you get better soon!
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 28, 2023 · 10:09AM:
      Thank you, Victoria! Yes, I think it's probably SI joint related as well... it's the same area (except on the other side) that used to bother me during my pregnancies. Sigh. I appreciate the support - and I'm sorry to hear you are dealing with an injury as well. I'd love your PT's info if you don't mind sharing - I may reach out to them if the situation doesn't resolve on its own!
      Reply
      • Victoria
        March 1, 2023 · 5:00AM:
        I see Purvi at PureSports in DC - https://www.puresportsdc.com/ - be ready for a lot of needles oof.
        Reply
        • Anne
          March 1, 2023 · 1:40PM:
          Eeek! Thanks
          Reply
  • Ana February 28, 2023 · 12:42PM:
    Loved the post, except for the end! Hope you feel better but don't push yourself into serious injury. Maybe aim for a 10k farther down the road?
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 28, 2023 · 5:14PM:
      Yeah... maybe that or a 10 miler. We'll see.
      Reply
  • Roadrunner February 28, 2023 · 5:06PM:
    Oh, dear, and your training was going along well, too. Best wishes for a swift, full return to full form!
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 28, 2023 · 5:14PM:
      Thank you!
      Reply
  • Ava February 28, 2023 · 10:02PM:
    Chiropractor! I had the same thing happen to me.. the spasming/pain is so scary, especially with a little one. But going to the chiropractor took about 3-4 times over two weeks and I was a new person!
    Reply
    • Anne
      March 1, 2023 · 1:40PM:
      Ugh yeah I was super lucky Matt was home to take over with Wes or else I would have been in major trouble. That's amazing it was a quick fix for you - I'll look into a chiro! Thanks!
      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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anne mauney

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!

When I’m not writing or cooking for fannetastic food, you can find me running, coaching nutrition clients, or on an adventure with my family. Feel free to reach out - I'd love to hear from you!

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