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A short and sweet stay in Orlando and some food pictures

December 2, 2015 By Ashley 33 Comments

Today, I’m waking up back in the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time in two weeks. There are some positives to getting back into my routine and normal life, but I must say, the post-holiday-travel blues are a real thing, my friends. A real, real thing.

I’m teaching BODYPUMP this morning and two classes at Orangetheory Fitness tonight, with a big chunk of writing at home in the middle of the day. I guess it’s a good thing that I’ll be very busy, to keep my mind somewhat occupied, but it never gets easier to say goodbye to Florida and my family after such a nice visit. Oh the difficulties of moving so far from home.

A few friend visits in St. Pete and Orlando

Before flying back West, Dave and I (and my Momma) had the chance to see a few more wonderful Florida faces. On the way from Southwest Florida to our old hometown of Orlando, we dropped by my friend Yolanda’s house in St. Petersburg and met her new little daughter, Vivi. From there, we continued to the center of the state to Orlando, where we met our friends, Jess and Amanda, for a late outdoor lunch in the Winter Park neighborhood at Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen, with Rudy in tow.

Finally, before a huge and delicious dinner at Buca di Bepo with Jess and Amanda, we paid a visit to our friends, Chris and Allison, and their two daughters in their new home, and shared a few stories and laughs.

Dining at Buca in Orlando with friends

Family-style Italian dining is always a good idea. Can you see the size of that colossal brownie sundae we’re all digging into?

Over the course of just a few hours, we caught up with a bunch of our Florida favorites. Yet as usual, I felt like there were a ton more friends I wanted to see and things I wanted to do, and we couldn’t quite fit it all in. Until next time …

This week’s “What I Ate Wednesday” recap

Switching gears to food, as always, in the middle of the week every week, I like to take a moment to share a full day of all of my meals in pictures, and this one’s from Florida.

What I Ate Wednesday via A Lady Goes

Today, I’m sharing a look at almost all of my meals from Sunday of this week. A day I spent at my parents’ house in Southwest Florida.

Breakfast at 9 a.m.

Florida muffin breakfast via A Lady Goes West

My first meal of the day included a toasted whole wheat English muffin, topped with mounds of almond butter, a banana and chia seeds. I enjoyed it alongside some hot green tea, sweetened with stevia and almond milk.

Liquid snack at 11 a.m. 

An un-pictured big carton of coconut water.

Lunch at 1:30 p.m.

Florida sushi lunch via A Lady Goes West

A helping of Publix sushi for the win! I gobbled up this brown-rice sushi roll filled with salmon and avocado and savored every single bite. Publix wasabi (the green stuff) has a good kick to it, by the way — it’s much more potent than Whole Foods wasabi.

Liquid snack at 4 p.m.

Florida matcha latte via A Lady Goes West

I had an embarrassing amount of these matcha green tea lattes from Starbucks over the past two weeks. But boy are they good. I will not be totaling up the dollar amount of those indulgences in my head. Not at all.

Dinner at 8 p.m.

Florida steak dinner via A Lady Goes West

Mom’s cooking strikes again. For our final dinner at home during the visit, I had tenderloin steak, roasted butternut squash, grilled garlic bread, steamed asparagus, grilled shrimp, feta-topped tomatoes and a glass of Chardonnay. It was beyond perfection.

Dessert at 9:30 p.m. 

After a family game of Scrabble and more wine, I got into the desserts and enjoyed a little bit of everything we had leftover from Thanksgiving celebrations (as a team player, I had to help my Mom empty out the fridge). My paper plate of goodness did not photograph well, but know that it included a heaping portion of pecan pie, carrot cake cheesecake and egg nog ice cream. Yum central.

Delicious food pictures and some chatter for #WhatIAteWednesday ... Click To Tweet

Check out more food posts

Why the food pictures? Each week, “What I Ate Wednesday” is an open invitation for bloggers to showcase their eats to their readers. If you want to see more food recaps, check out some of my posts from the past here. 

Questions of the day

When was the last time you caught up with an old friend?

How’s your week going so far?

Do you have an expensive daily food or drink habit?

Filed Under: Food, Uncategorized, What I Ate Wednesday Tagged With: Florida, food, healthy meals, Orlando, St. Pete, Travel, What I Ate Wednesday

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About Ashley

I'm a mom and fitness instructor in Charlotte, North Carolina. And A Lady Goes West is where I share fitness, wellness and clean beauty tips, as well as stories from my life.
 
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Comments

  1. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says

    December 2, 2015 at 3:15 am

    I feel for you! Anytime I visit my family after I always get the spell of the blues for a little bit. It’s really hard when your family lives in another state. I always find jumping back into my routine helps.
    Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious recently posted…WIAW…So Much To Do So Little TimeMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 7:44 am

      I know, Megan. That’s what I’m going to do today … routine, routine, routine. 🙁 At least we have nice families to visit, which is a blessing!

      Reply
  2. Susie @ SuzLyfe says

    December 2, 2015 at 4:15 am

    How much do you miss Publix? I mean, shopping is such a pleasure there 😀 So glad that you had so many delicious meals with such great friends and family. There really is nothing like getting to reconnect with old friends!
    Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…Maintaining Fitness During Injury (Part 2)My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 7:43 am

      It felt so good to be with my old friends … and to visit Publix numerous times heheh! 🙂 Have a great day, Susie!

      Reply
  3. Mo says

    December 2, 2015 at 4:35 am

    As usual your eats look delicious and healthy. I think my daily expensive habit is my glass or 2 of wine every night. I probably don’t want to add the $$ I spend on wine ?
    You can justify the green tea lattes by all the antioxidants you are getting. Matcha is like a super food!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 7:34 am

      So true, Mo! And CHEERS to you and your nightly wine. I wonder if there is a way to mix matcha and wine? hahahha

      Reply
  4. Gretchen | Gretchruns says

    December 2, 2015 at 5:04 am

    I love Orlando! So cool that you got to visit, and I can’t believe you fit seeing so many friends in such a short period of time. Your organizational skills must be amazing! Is Publix sushi good? I’ve tried sushi from Trader Joe’s and my local grocery store and it’s always been horrible so I’m afraid to try from other grocers!
    Gretchen | Gretchruns recently posted…Wednesday Reviews : Trader Joe’sMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 7:33 am

      I happen to enjoy quite a few grocery store sushi varieties. Publix is good, but Whole Foods sushi is the BEST! But I don’t like Trader Joe’s sushi at all — that would be the last in my book, which is funny because Trader Joe’s has so many other good products.

      Reply
  5. Alyssa @ renaissancerunnergirl says

    December 2, 2015 at 7:04 am

    I can’t bring myself to try grocery store sushi – plus, they tend to put stuff in the rice that makes it unsafe for Celiacs (I know for example pretty much all of Trader Joe’s sushi has wheat in it). Is Publix better? I’ve never been to one!
    Alyssa @ renaissancerunnergirl recently posted…WIAW #34: Thanksgiving LeftoversMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 7:33 am

      Hi Alyssa, Publix sushi is WAYYYYY better than Trader Joe’s, that’s for sure. But I don’t know about the wheat content. Better safe than sorry though, so I can see why you’d be skeptical.

      Reply
  6. Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says

    December 2, 2015 at 7:49 am

    That all looks fabulous. I spend wayyyy too much on grocery store sushi and kombucha. It’s the little pleasure though. 🙂

    Enjoy getting to be home for a bit! I know I am too!
    Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted…Our Fridge Is Empty & Our Tree is Full [WIAW]My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 8:07 am

      Hi Laura! I haven’t had a lot of kombucha, but I know that can certainly be a pricey habit heheh! 🙂 Enjoy your day, lady!
      Ashley recently posted…A short and sweet stay in Orlando and some food picturesMy Profile

      Reply
  7. Julia @ Lord Still Loves Me says

    December 2, 2015 at 8:01 am

    I didn’t know Starbucks did green tea lattes! I don’t know why I assumed they didn’t, but I am literally going to go get one today! YES. Thank you for this!
    Julia @ Lord Still Loves Me recently posted…WIAW: Thanksgiving Eats!My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 8:06 am

      Hi Julia! Yes, Starbucks has them, but they aren’t always on the menu – so just ask anyways! 🙂
      Ashley recently posted…A short and sweet stay in Orlando and some food picturesMy Profile

      Reply
  8. Hilary says

    December 2, 2015 at 8:59 am

    Ahh since moving the last time I caught up with some old friends was back in mid October, with no immediate plans of going home I hope to get them to come out and visit soon!
    Hilary recently posted…December GoalsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 11:59 am

      I want some visitors as well, Hilary! Hope your friends come through for you heheh! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Jen@jpabstfitness says

    December 2, 2015 at 10:14 am

    I had no idea Starbucks had green tea lattes- my bank account will hate me, but I love you for telling me this!
    Jen@jpabstfitness recently posted…What I Ate WednesdayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 12:00 pm

      They are so good, Jen. But they aren’t always on the menu, so just ask. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Amy says

    December 2, 2015 at 10:56 am

    Your trip “home” was great to read about! I do take living near my family for granted…….we don’t really make time to get together outside of a special occasion. This year was different though—maybe getting older is the reason, but it’s been better:) I don’t have a daily treat that’s spendy—when I buy my occasional latte–once a mth-ha, I feel bad spending the 4-5 bucks. I’m so used to making coffee at home and bringing tea bags to work. That green tea latte sounds delish though:)

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 12:02 pm

      Hi Amy! You should totally appreciate having family close by, because it’s SO hard to not have it. I realize it more and more as I get older too, of course. I usually make my tea at home, but because it was a “trip/holiday/vacation” I didn’t feel too bad about the daily splurge heheh! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Jessica @ Semi-Sweet Tooth says

    December 2, 2015 at 11:31 am

    Fiiiiiine… I’ll try something at SB that’s not my steamed apple juice. But it’s just so simple and tasty! Ha!

    Sounds like you had a great time traveling through the state. But welcome home. 🙂
    Jessica @ Semi-Sweet Tooth recently posted…2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Gals (All $50 & Under!)My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 12:03 pm

      Steamed apple juice? This is something I do not know about … sounds yummy though! 🙂

      Reply
  12. sarah says

    December 2, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    I love Publix, it’s just the best lol. I definitely have a coffee addiction which can get expensive, luckily I like it black so that keeps the cost down!
    sarah recently posted…A New Protein Source ReviewedMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 2:01 pm

      I wish I could drink black coffee! So cheap and quick. 🙂 You are my hero, Sarah hahah!

      Reply
  13. Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A. says

    December 2, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    You consumed pretty much all of my favorite foods in one day! I’m jealous. And that colossal sundae?! No words – just a long mmmmmmmm sound 🙂
    Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A. recently posted…5 Ways To Stay on Track with Winter WorkoutsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 2, 2015 at 3:57 pm

      Get yourself to a Buca di Bepo to try it out yourself, Whitney. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Krissy @ Pretty Wee Things says

    December 2, 2015 at 6:09 pm

    YUM! I love brown rice sushi too! And yes, oh my gosh I had to cut down my coffee intake after I did our budget and worked out I was spending almost $1500 per year ON ALMOND MILK COFFEE! Whaaaaat!
    lol, so don’t work it out in your head, it’s safer not to know!
    Krissy @ Pretty Wee Things recently posted…8 healthy bloggers who have your back this ChristmasMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:41 am

      HAHAH! WOW! That’s a lot of money on coffee. Scary thought. Glad you got it under control, Krissy!

      Reply
  15. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says

    December 2, 2015 at 6:37 pm

    Leaving family is always hard, especially after a holiday! On the flip side, those green tea lattes are sooo good! Happy WIAW, Ashley!
    Liz @ I Heart Vegetables recently posted…What I Ate SundayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:41 am

      They are, Liz! I want lattes and family in my life EVERY day. 🙂

      Reply
  16. Dani @ Dani California Cooks says

    December 2, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    I had some serious post-vacation blues going on this Monday. Thankfully I’m taking a lot of vacation in December!
    Dani @ Dani California Cooks recently posted…WIAW – Still Not HungryMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:40 am

      Good for you, Dani! Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Dawn says

    December 3, 2015 at 9:36 am

    I too am from Florida, and recently moved to the Bay Area. That is what drew me to your blog. I just needed to share with someone that might understand, that I sooooo miss Publix.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Ashley. I'm a mom and fitness instructor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. I love to help you live a balanced life with no extremes, making sure you never skip a rest day. A Lady Goes West is where I share my workouts, simple meals, clean beauty tips and wellness insight with you. Find out more about me and stay awhile!

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I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer t I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer than an Instagrammer and many times I feel like what I want to share doesn't fit well into a grid. But I'm able to bring much more long-form content to my blog each week. Speaking of that, this week, I debuted a new series called "A Lady Goes West Advice Corner" which has been something I've wanted to put together for a while. In this series, I'm taking totally anonymous questions from YOU and giving you some neutral third-party advice on it all. Here are the questions I addressed in the first advice corner edition:
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-“I became a first-time mom last spring and am currently dealing with all things motherhood. How do I deal with my expectations vs. reality of being a mom?" (such a good one, and I've been there)
-“How do you deal with days when you don't love your body? I think we can all relate to looking in the mirror and being disappointed with what we see?" (this happens to us all)
-“How do you deal with comparing yourself to others on social media and not feeling like everyone is doing things better than you?" (spoiler alert: everyone has their issues that you don't see)
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The answers are long, they come from my heart, and I hope they can provide some value to you! If this is something you're interested in, head over to A Lady Goes West today to check it out, and you can submit a question for the next edition.
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G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen g G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen giveaway? As a little thank-you for following, I wanted to do a giveaway of one of my favorite products. I've been using Vital Proteins collagen in my morning tea latte for years, and not only does the collagen creamer add a great taste, but it also supports healthy hair, skin, nails and joints too. Today, I'm giving away not only one canister of collagen creamer, but also a canister of collagen peptides to one lucky winner.
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You can leave as many comments as you want, and each one serves as an entry. You can earn an additional entry by sharing this post to your stories and tagging me. This giveaway closes on Saturday, February 27. The winner must live in the U.S. And this giveaway is not associated with Instagram. Good luck, and thanks for being here! 🙂 xoxo
HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Char HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Charlotte over the weekend, and we're so excited to get settled in our new neighborhood, city and state after many weeks of transition. In honor of this momentous occasion, I thought it would be fun to look back at the places Dave and I have lived together over the last 12 years. Here's what it has looked like -- and each place has been special for different reasons:
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-2009-2012 in a high-rise condo in downtown Orlando, where we lived when we got married.
-2012-2013 in a one-bedroom apartment in South of Market in San Francisco, which was always freezing no matter the time of day or year.
-2013-2014 in a tiny studio apartment in Nob Hill in San Francisco, which was only 550-square-feet, but we could hear the cable cars out of our always-open windows, so that was cool.
-2014-2017 in a two-bedroom townhouse in Walnut Creek, where we brought home both Rudy and Brady and had many sleepless nights.
-2017-2021 in a house that we owned in Pleasant Hill outside of San Francisco, which was across the street from a Starbucks so we went there way too often.
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And now we're here in Charlotte. It's good to be home! I'd love to know: Where do you call home?
Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on other Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on others or just yourself today, my little crew is wishing you a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplify Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplifying life, I also like adding more good, if there's room for it. And the last year has given me ample opportunity to make some changes and add a lot of good. Here's my super-random list of things I've added to my life in the last year that I now love:
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-Using oat milk as my milk of choice (it's literally the creamiest, and I can’t go back to others now)
-Choosing to be outside as much as possible (can't believe I stayed indoors so much before, never exploring the beautiful Bay Area and now Charlotte until the last year)
-Teaching and taking virtual fitness classes (I was a gym rat for years, and now I actually love to work out at home with my virtual fitness friends)
-Wearing my Apple watch for notifications so I don't always need to be on my phone and tracking some beneficial metrics (I've only had my watch for about 9 months, and I love to check my heart-rate and close my rings)
-Appreciating the ability to work for myself and giving myself friendlier deadlines (I've been my own boss for several years and used to be so strict with my deadlines, until I realized it was stressing me more than it needed to, so now I say no to a lot of things and only do what works well in my life, without adding too much unnecessary stress)
-Shorter workouts (full-hour workouts are a thing of the past for me)
-Wearing more colors (no more black uniforms every day)
-And more!
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I wrote a whole post about this topic on A Lady Goes West this week if this is of interest to you, and you can head on over and check it out. I'd love to know: What's something (random or not) that you've added to your life in the last year that you now love?
Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gy Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gym for the first time in more than 11 months. How did I feel about it? Mixed ... When we left California, gyms were still closed, and once we got to North Carolina, I was so used to not going to the gym, I didn't even think about going. After being here a month, I finally decided to get a guest pass at a gym near me, and I went twice. Here are my thoughts on the experience: 
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At first, I felt so excited to drive up and go in and work out in a big space with a lot of equipment and not be at home. But then reality sank in: Even though masks were required and there were signs everywhere reminding people, about half the folks in the gym had their masks off or had them down around their chin. Ummm, not cool. I get it, working out with a mask on sucks, but rules are rules, folks. I also didn't like that it was busier than I expected, and quite a bit of the equipment I wanted to use was occupied. That never happens at home.
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Overall, I'm glad that those who need to get to the gym are getting the opportunity, but right now, I think I'll go back to sweating safely at home for a little while longer. But at least I got my first locker-room selfie in almost a year. I'd love to know. Have you been back to the gym yet?
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