Lace Lovin'

It's Wednesday!

(Tell me, how many blog posts that you have ever read have started like that? "It's [insert day of the week here!]"

As if every day is their favorite day. 

Ha. 

The fact that it is Wednesday means two things: 

1. It's the middle of the week. (booo.)

2. It's time for my first Outfit post. 

Disclaimer: I am by no means an outfit person. When I'm not wearing jeans and a top, it is necessary that I document it. 

So cute, right? 

I'm totally obsessed with the whole polo on harem pants effect. 

JUST KIDDING. 

Here's my real outfit: 

Face looks weird, so 'twas covered. It happens. 

There you have it. 

Sidenote: my hair is getting long! I'm so eggscited! It's totally punny. 

Oh yeah, and I made this amazing pizza this weekend. 

How amazing does it look? 

Literally the yummiest thing ever. 

Wait...isn't some of it still in the fridge? 

YESS SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN I GET HOME FROM WORK. 

Sorry guys. Just thinking out loud there. 

love you all!

Sari for Party Rockin'

This weekend was a good one ya'll. And by weekend I mean Thursday through Sunday. Because Thursday is the new Friday right? 

Pshh, who cares about having to work on a Friday!?

Anyways. 

On Thursday night, we went out to dinner to celebrate my first paycheck!

HOLLA FOR A DOLLA. 

or $550.

that's right. 

i'm now officially rich. 

on a $2/hour salary. (Don't worry guys. It's not illegal)

BOMB. 

Pasta with broccolini and brussel sprouts. 

On Friday and Saturday, I just had myself a little grading party. 

Sunday morning, my dad and I went on a 17 mile bike ride! My butt is still sore. 

No pictures from that because they're still on my dad's phone. 

#bloggerfail

On Sunday afternoon, I went to a desi (Indian) party. We got all dressed up, so that was fun!

Let me tell you- saris are DIFFICULT to wear. 

EDIT: Guys, my pictures are ridonkulously grainy. Some of them are taken with a DSLR, and some of them with my phone, which is still pretty good quality! I've resized all of them to 700 pixels wide on PicMonkey, but they still look terrible. 

HELP. 

What do I do?

How was your weekend? 

xo, Hima

RECIPE: Dark Chocolate Pumpkin French Toast Roll-up.

I was lacking inspiration for breakfast after my workout on Sunday morning. 

So I turned to my favorite resource for all things food. 

Instagram and the fitfam. 

@pbeechie came to the rescue! 

A little bit of adaptation and 20 minutes later, thus was born the

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin French Toast Roll-up. 

I died. 

And came back to life to eat this. 

SO. GOOD. 

And the best part? It's pretty darn healthy!

Ingredients: 

• Roll-ups
• 1 tortilla
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 2 tbsp milk (almond or regular)
• 10 drops stevia
• Cinnamon + nutmeg to taste
• Chocolate Sauce:
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp milk
• Pumpkin Spice Sauce
• 1 tbsp Greek Yogurt
• cinnamon + nutmeg to taste
• A tiny bit (1/5 scoop?) of protein powder
• Water to liquidify. 

Cooking: soak the tortillas in the mixture for 3-5 minutes each side and cook in a shallow pan until egg whites are cooked. Plat and pour your sauces. Devour in five minutes flat.

Let me know if you try it!

xo, Hima

I'm hungry. And you will be too!

Since it's the middle of summer, my friends and I have a lot more time to go out and eat all kinds of fun food- delectable desserts, fantastic fruits (Farmer's Market, anyone?), and just a ton of food. 

Obviously, we work out a lot more in the summer ;)

With all of this eating, planning to eat, etc, I've decided to start a food bucket list of sorts. 

Why not keep it all organized, right? So without further ado...

1. CREAM. 

Okay, technically I have tried this at UC Berkeley, but another one opened in Palo Alto and I want to compare!

Warm, fresh-baked cookies and storemade creamy ice cream. Have I sold you yet? 

2. Macarons. Just haven't tried 'em. They're also on my life bucket list. 

3. Black Bean Brownies

I think I might make some next weekend- watch out for a recipe post!

They're a healthy twist on brownies and supposedly delicious!

Has it hit you that I have a serious sweet tooth yet? 

4. Salvadorian Pupusas. 

Basically a Salvadorian calzone. 

So unhealthy I'm gonna die. 

tell me that doesn't look amazing. 

5. @pbeechie's (Instagram) La Tortilla healthy poptarts. 

Literally the most appetizing post-workout/late night dessert ever. 

That's what is on my immediate bucket list- This will definitely be a post series!

What is on your food bucket list? Anything that I should put on mine? Let me know in the comments below!

xo, Hima

El Fin de Semana

It's time for my favorite link-up, Weekend Shenanigans!

Basically I get to tell you about all the stuff I did over the weekend, and you tell me what you did, and we have a big ol' party thinking about all the fun or not-so-fun stuff we did!

Friday: After work, went to a karaoke place with some of my coworkers. That was fun. Lots of Avril Lavigne, Jonas Brothers, Hilary Duff- really throwin' it back!

The only part I didn't like was that the room was dark, so I couldn't get any pictures. 

1. Luis wore a penguin suit to work on Friday. Again, I love my job. 

2. Pretty flowers in the front yard on Sunday!

3. Frozen Blueberries. OH.EM.GEE. 

We bought 2 pounds of blueberries last week, and I finished them all! They're insanely expensive at the Farmer's Market ($8 a pint? NOT happening!), so Costco came to the rescue.

I just wash about 1/2 a cup and throw 'em in the freezer for a few hours. 

The end result is godly. 

4. I like it. 'Nuff said. 

5. And this is why I live in CA. 

What was your weekend like? I want to hear about all the fun stuff I couldn't come with you to!

xo, Hima

What on Earth?

It's been a while, huh? Like....4 whole days!

And then 4 whole days before that!

Cray-cray, I know. 

I totally just used that. Whatever. 

Anyways, while I've been doing a terrible job as a blogger (not posting or taking pictures- the whole deal), some amazing person out there decided that I was worthy of a Liebster Award.
Kinda cool, huh?
Zobia (such a cool name!) at the Eternity Journal nominated me, and I thought it would be fun to write about it.

 The rules for the Liebster Blog Award are simple, only blogs with 200 or less followers are nominated, each person nominated must write some facts about themselves (it's usually 11), answer questions the nominator asks, and nominate some bloggers for the rewards asking them some questions as well.

I'm lazy, so I'm just going to answer the questions...factually. That counts as my 11 facts, right? 
On to the questions!

1. How much time do you usually spend in a week blogging? More than I should for the number of posts I put out. I do a lot of unnecessary blog stalking without commenting, which is bad. BAD. If you read a post, comment. PERIOD. 

totally irrelevant picture, but I felt like this post needed a few. 

1. Do you consider blogging to be a hobby or a side-job? Definitely a hobby. 
2. What's your all time favorite movie? Animated: Tangled (What can I say? I grew up on Disney! That's so Raven anybody?) Non-animated: Legally Blonde or the Proposal. I love Reese Witherspoon and Sandra Bullock- they're just so funny!
3. What are some things you'd like to accomplish in the next 10 years? Graduate high school, go to college, go to grad school, get a job. At this point, my future is very uncertain, so I have no idea. 
4. What does your ideal summer look like? Teaching at Breakthrough. It's amazing. It's what I'm doing right now and I'm having SO much fun and learning more than I ever thought possible. Plus, we have some awesome spirit days. And I don't cry over ruining my white pants. 
5. Do you like to take pictures? Haaaaaaiiiillll yes. I probably take too many. Except for this week, I've only taken one. 
   
6. What's your favorite TV show and why? I don't watch a lot of TV, so probably like Modern Family or Cupcake Wars. A lot of people have been recommending Mad Men, so I'm definitely going to try that out! Any other shows that I should be watching?
7. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? No. idea. Probably donate most of it, put a bunch in my college account, and go shopping with the rest. 

more unrelated pictures!

1. Coffee or Tea? Tea...I should take a picture of my tea collection! I went through 18 bags of Raspberry Pomegranate during finals week. OH, and here's a secret- tea is best cold! Brew it cold and you will love me!
2. Do your or have you ever kept a handwritten journal of any kind? I've tried. It doesn't happen. 
3. Apple or Android or Neither? Apple computer, android phone. 

My questions for all ya'll: 

• If you could be one for just 24 hours, what cereal box cartoon character would you be? Why?
• What was the best thing that happened to you this weekend? 
• What is your favorite animal? List three adjectives to explain your choice.
• It's a very hot and muggy day. You desperately want something very cool and refreshing to quench your thirst and revitalize your body. What would you drink -- either make your own or store-bought.
• You discover that the person you're head-over-heels interested in loves a good homemade & handmade dessert. What will you concoct when you have this person over?
• What would you leave in your will for the person you care about the most?
• What do you consider to the most valuable thing you own: when you were a child/teenager/now?
• What's the kindest act you have ever seen done (either to/by you or another)?
• If you could have any job in the world, which one would you want? 
• What were your best/worst subjects in school and what subjects would you want to learn now?

Who I nominate:

Progress, Passion, and Young Professionalism

Undeniably Me
Anchors Aweigh

Go check out all of these blogs! They're all amazing! :)

Let's end with this amazing photo:

xo, Hima

RECIPE: Banana Chia Waffles

Soooooo.......

I made these on Saturday and they're pretty much the best things in the world. 

I had a lot of good food this weekend (that I didn't take pictures of- bad blogger!), but these definitely take the cake  waffle. 

Here's the recipe!

• 1 whole wheat flour
• 1 finely chopped banana
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
• 1/3 cup applesauce (there is no butter in these, but you have to spray the waffle maker!)
• A TON of chia seeds (gotta get that protein!)

Mix it all up, pop it in the waffle maker, top with whatever you have laying around, and enjoy!

You need waffles in your life. I really want to try savory waffles! Has anyone tried them? What do you think?

Also, totally off topic, but the TransAmerica building is very tall.  

San Francisco was amazing, as always. Just didn't get to take pictures b/c I couldn't use my phone. 

Sorry for the short and rushed post, ya'll. 

I'll make it up to you tomorrow!

How was your weekend? 

xo, Hima

Kids Say the Darndest Things + Big News!

Aaaand I've branded myself as a middle-aged school teacher. 

Wonderful. 

But it's true- kids say the craziest things!

At Breakthrough, the program I'm teaching at this summer (confused? catch up here), the teacher are pretty young too- high school and college students. Last Friday was Thrift Shop Friday, and us teachers really pulled out all the stops for that one. 

harem pants are wonderful. 

Yesterday was Wacky Tuesday, and we were REALLY wacky!

This is me and a few of my students of my Block B biology class. 

I love 'em.

While grading, I came across a few gems that I thought I should share. 

Enjoy!

This was from my journalism class. The students were supposed to interview a teacher for their reaction to the SFO Asiana Crash last weekend (Sidenote: my mom was supposed to be on that flight. SO THANKFUL!), and this is what I got. 

"Rahul is better than Hima." 

great.

"Is there anything else you would like to say or ask?"

"HI MOM!" - Joseline, age 20.

Budget cuts- the universal excuse. 

The article was a total spoiler. What a pity. 

BIG NEWS!

Can I get a "What-what!?" 

No? 

Oh, okay. 

I finally got my act together and started my food Instagram!

Follow me @healtherrific for amazing food pictures. 

Because we all love a little food now and then all the time.

Intrigued? Check my Instagram to see what these are!

Happy Wednesday, ya'll!

xo, Hima

I have an addiction....

Strawberries. 

I just can't stop eating them. 

But we'll get to that later, I've got a few other gems for you from this delightful weekend of mine first!

First up is Thrift Shop Friday at work!

Yes, I am wearing a fur vest, a bugs bunny tie, and harem pants all in one outfit. 

But seriously, why can't harem pants be a thing again- SO comfortable!

Saturday morning was a family bike ride to downtown Saratoga, where we met the cutest poodle! Her name was Bisou, which means kiss in French, probably because she wouldn't stop giving them!

In the afternoon, I randomly proposed a trip to Sprinkles Cupcakes in Palo Alto, about a 20 minute drive, and to my surprise, we went!

They are $3.50 each and DEFINITELY worth all the hype. 

Clockwise, the flavors are banana, salted caramel, red velvet, lemon blueberry, black and white, and coconut.

Haven't tried all of them yet, but the red velvet is my favorite by far!

Have you ever been to Sprinkles? What do ya'll think of the whole cupcake fad going on? 

OMG. 

Does anyone watch Cupcake Wars? LOVE. 

Sunday afternoon was another bike ride, this time with my food and fitness buddy Gauri! This was definitely a much needed catch-up since we last saw each other two weeks ago. 

Never mind the fact that we text on a daily basis. 

We went up to this GORGEOUS place in Saratoga called Villa Montalvo. 

On to my little problem.

NOM. 

So much goodness this weekend. 

Plain ol' strawberries, two strawberry spinach salads, and a delicious strawberry mug cake. 

Please please please follow my new food Instagram @healtherrific! If you love food, and I know you do, because everyone loves food, you're bound to enjoy it. 

I promise I eat foods other that strawberries!

Maybe. 

What are your summer addictions? I don't know, something about summer just says "fruit" to me!

xo, Hima

Linking up with Sarah and Shanna!

The Friday Five

I tried, friends. I really did. Coming up with a creative title for this post was just not going to happen. But that's okay, because this week was pretty darn awesome. 

Let's review, shall we? 

1. Clean Taco Tuesday- pretty amazing stuff. I learned that broccoli slaw is one of the world's most delicious things, and my favorite way to eat broccoli. I may or may not have eaten these tacos three nights in a row. 

2. I heard from another teacher at Breakthrough (confused? catch up on what I'm doing here) that a few students have told him that my bio class is their favorite class of the day. I posted about this earlier, but honestly, this seriously made my week. 

It's interesting to be on the other side of this. 

3. Doggy Play Dates

So cute!

4. The 4th of Ju-lylylylylylylylyly! 

Please tell me you got that reference? 

Miss Mary Mack? That old hand game? Anyone?

Anyways, I took a page out of all of your super creative books and decided to be a little fun with my food. 

Strawberries and blueberries on greek yogurt on a brown rice tortilla. 

Pure heaven.

YUM. 

5. I'm not a fashion blogger. 

Or a fashionista. 

I've got a slight obsession with clothes, but I'm definitely not super brave in terms of fashion choices. 

So when I put together this outfit for the 4th- I thought I was amazingly creative. 

Thanks to my brother for the photo!

Aaaaand just for your enjoyment, here are a couple of the outtakes. 

This is why I'm not a fashion blogger ya'll. 

I can't keep it together in front of the camera. 

Oh yeah, just so you don't have this ridiculous picture of me in your heads all weekend, here's another one. 

It's true. If you're here, obviously you are the bomb. 

What did you do for the 4th? Any fashion misadventures? 

Have a fantabulous weekend!

xo, Hima

Patriotic Pride!

I'm convinced that alliteration makes everything ten times better. Patriotic Pride? So much better than Fourth of July Loves, or something like that. 

Happy Independence Day to all my amazing Americans out there!

This is one of my favorite holidays, because, let's face it, it's the middle of summer. 

It's hot, sticky, and full of delicious food and great fireworks. 

One of the best parts of the 4th is the clothes. Now, I love myself some ugly Christmas sweaters, but patriotism is in fashion year round!

This is what I would wear if I had everything on here- I'm only missing...oh just about everything!

1. Shirt- Kohl's- $4.99 (!!)

2. Scarf- Lulu's- $31

3. Vest- Jane Norman's- $49

4. Boat Shoes- ASOS- $25

5. Shorts- House of Fraser- $27

I can justify the shirt and those shoes (because I'm head over heels in love with boat shoes right now), but I'm not sure about anything else. 

Totally my dream Independence Day outfit. 

Here's what I probably will actually be wearing. 

I looked for a whole 5 minutes- and I just could not find a picture of this dress on the Internet, so I guess it was in-store only. 

#throwbackthursday to April 2013!

The adorable creature on the right is one of my besties for life, Tulika. 

We think we're cute. 

It's a matter of opinion. 

Yes, I rewear outfits. No, I don't care. 

I just get really attached to combinations that I think look cute. 

Happy Fourth of July ya'll!

peace out, 'muricans. (And expats, and international visitors)

I love my country, but this was too good. 

Have fun!

xo, Hima

In Which I Sit in Mud While Wearing White Pants

 Not the smartest move- I know. Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. And my crew kids were calling.

Quick Note about my job: It’s basically a cross between a teacher and a camp counselor. In addition to teaching three classes of biology and journalism, I have a “crew” of 8 kids for whom I’m a mentor, leader, big sister, and all that jazz.

Basically, it’s the best job in the world.

Alright, so yesterday was fun. I guess the boring part was the classroom rules, the syllabus, and you know, the same thing you do every single year of your grade school career?
Just so you know, not a good life decision to wear white pants and sit in mud.
Please pray for my pants tonight.
just kidding- you have much more important things to pray about. 

The fun parts: 

Sorry for the messy room- It's never really clean. 

Enter white jeans. 

1. Nervous selfie-ing in the morning. 

2. Greeting the kids. Every morning, we form a soccer-mom tunnel with high fives that the kids run through. It's a great way to energize the kids in the morning and pull some of the quieter kids out of their shells!

Our tunnel looked a lot better than that one though: 

We're so cute!

3. One of my kids, when asked by another teacher, said that my class had been her favorite of the day.

cue heart melting. 

#breakthroughlove

Oh shoot. Did I just hashtag on Blogger?

I don't know whether to feel like I'm venturing into unknown territory or disappointing a whole lot of potential blog readers. 

4. Crew partner, Michael. He’s basically my best friend ever. We have yet to take a picture together, but it will happen soon.

5. Cooooookies. Made these for a staff meeting tomorrow.

Just call me Suzy Homemaker.

Just kidding- don’t. All I had to do was break the precut dough apart and throw it in the oven without burning myself.

And I succeeded. But hey, you win some, you lose some. Remember Birthday Cake Pancakes?

Things I learned: 

1 Minnesotans are the nicest people. ever. 

Here's proof.

They're also great because they invented bundt cakes. 

2. Actually teaching validates all the tedious hours spent lesson planning. 

3. Skipping is dangerous. One kid almost got a concussion today. 

And before I wrap up this super long post, BLOGLOVIN!
I'm sure you've been loving getting Hima Hearts delivered to your Google Reader every day, but as of yesterday, poor Google Reader is a thing of the past.
SO please please pretty please follow Hima Hearts on Bloglovin'
Just click that beautiful button below.

yeah, so pretty much the best Monday ever. How was yours? 

xo, Hima