favorite posts | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

2 ingredient {light} peanut butter frosty.

29 July, 2015 by Gracie 7 Comments

You guys…

You guys.

This little concoction here is a game changer.

I’ve always been one to need at least some sort of dessert/sweet treat like, every day. While I’m all about indulging every once in a while, when you need a daily treat, it’s nice to have a go-to that isn’t so over the top. This dessert is just that - all the creamy decadence of a Wendy’s frosty + under 150 calories.

Arctic Zero has been a favorite of mine for the past few months (especially since they came out with their new flavors) as I’ve been practicing Flexible Dieting/IIFYM. One night I randomly decided to mix in some PB2 I was trying to use up, and the result was nothing short of…the best decision ever.

2 Ingredient Light Peanut Butter Frosty

Here’s how to make it:

1) Put 1/2 pint of Toasted Coconut Arctic Zero in a bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds, or let it sit out to soften.
2) Add 2 tablespoons PB2, and mix together completely. I like to use a fork to really combine it well.

That’s it! The PB2 adds a great FLUFF - very reminiscent of the Wendy’s Frosty we all know and love. The peanut butter flavor definitely stands out the most, but there is still a (delicious) hint of the coconut too.

The nutritional breakdown: 2g fat, 19g carbs, 11g protein, 6g fiber

2 Ingredient Light Peanut Butter Frosty

Let me know if you try this + what you think! Enjoy

the best exercise you can do.

27 June, 2015 by Gracie 16 Comments

So this was going to be an Instagram rant, but I decided to save it for a full out blog post. Lucky you 😛

The other day I posted this pic on SnapChat, and at first it was just a typical Snap with a typical caption….

(That was most certainly taken before my sweaty-mess workout, ha)

But, then I started thinking - why did I feel the need to include the caveat “shameless?”

It didn’t take long for me to realize that the reason was because cardio isn’t exactly an IT form of exercise right now. In fact, lately it’s become some sort of joke like, oh - you still do cardio bro? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that when I tell them I love SoulCycle.

Listen - I get it. I know that more research is showing long bouts of cardio aren’t as necessary for health/weight loss/etc. as once thought. I know that weight training is better for X, Y, and Z reasons. And yes, I still make it a point to implement strength training into my exercise routine.

But…why all the hate? The funny thing is I see most of the judginess happening within the “FitFam.” And it’s not just against cardio. I’ve seen people bash every form of exercise under the sun. Strange, isn’t it, to be negative about something that relates to people trying to better themselves…

Bottom line - the best workout you can do it the one you’ll KEEP doing. And that most likely means that it’s one you’ll genuinely love and enjoy doing.

So if that’s running, run.
If it’s lifting heavy things, lift heavy things.
If it’s Yoga, do Yoga.
If it’s Crossfit, cross that fit.
…and so on.

I’m saying this coming from a place of genuinely loving exercise for the first time in over 10 years, and that makes me SO happy and excited. I’ve learned that I’m the type of person that connects to the mental/emotional benefits of exercise way more than the health/physical benefits, and that’s okay too. Who knows what different forms of exercise that will lead me to love throughout my life, but for now if that is cardio, I’m perfectly okay with that.

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What are your thoughts on this? What form of exercise do you connect with most, and why?

remembering the big things.

21 June, 2015 by Gracie 5 Comments

I’m all about appreciating the small things in life. The moments. The conversations. The seemingly insignificant experiences that we’ll remember forever. (I’m pretty sentimental, so I’ve got a lot of those things :P)

But, there are other “small” things in life that I must admit get more attention than they probably should. In fact, I’m realizing lately that my mind is typically most consumed with these types of things - work-related tasks, finances, household responsibilities, etc. Just sticking to a normal daily routine can take up most of our thoughts and energy, can’t it?

Don’t get me wrong - those are obviously all important things that shouldn’t be disregarded. That would just be irresponsible.

But for me, it’s not the act of doing those things that is a problem - it’s how much I let them consume my mind and my life. I find myself focusing so much on those particular ins and outs of every day life that I rarely stop to think about the WHY behind what I do. The bigger picture. The things that actually matter in the grand scheme of things.

My daily quiet time in the morning definitely helps, but I think I’m going to add a new practice to it - adding a few minutes to just reflect on those big things. I want to more often ask myself:

How can I help/reach other people more? What am I actively doing to make that happen?
How can I better cultivate the relationships in my life, and build new ones that I want?
Am I make sure to take care of myself - body and soul?
Am I allowing time for the things that I love? How am I actively pursuing those things?

Maybe that means stopping to make more phone calls. Maybe it means saying “yes” to a social event, even if I’ve had a long day. Maybe it’s as simple as eating more slowly. Whatever those things are, I want to do more of them.

Anyone with me? How do you make sure you’re not forgetting the big things in your own life?

dating & relationships: when being picky is a bad thing.

18 June, 2015 by Gracie 12 Comments

Since writing my There’s Only Plan A post and reading all of your comment responses to it, I’ve felt pretty strongly that I should follow up with this one. Thanks especially to Bethany and her comment for inspiring me to address this (she shared this article with me, which is very much worth a read).

One might think that the whole just say no to plan B concept automatically means it’s okay to be picky - to write off guys more easily or more quickly because they’re not the plan A relationship you’ve built up in your mind.

Well, that’s not exactly what I meant.

Have you ever heard someone say “I’m just too picky” like it’s a badge of honor? I have, and I’ve probably been that person before. But the older I get, the more I realize that being picky can actually be a bad thing…and something that can hold you back from not just meeting the right guy(s), but also from becoming your best self.

Don’t get me wrong - I am (clearly) all for not settling. But, let’s always make sure that we’re not misusing the concept of settling. There’s a difference between not settling and just being too damn picky.

So, how do you know what the difference is? I suggest knowing what your non-negotiables are (this post that Jessi wrote does a great job of breaking it down). But for the short version, ask yourself:

What are the characteristics I absolutely must have in a partner?

Sorry, girls - “taller than you in heels” doesn’t quality for this one 😉 I’m talking about bigger picture things like beliefs, values, communication, integrity, etc.

And on that same note -

What are the things I absolutely cannot tolerate in a partner?

For example - infidelity, dishonesty, anger issues, etc.

Does that make sense? I think those are the sort of things I think it’s okay to be “picky” about - not whether or not your partner is brunette, works on Wall Street, or is a Yankees fan.

Look, I’m not saying that you can’t still have certain attributes and characteristics that you look for in a partner. Chemistry is still so SO important, and shouldn’t be ignored.

But here’s the thing - I do believe there is a middle ground. I see so many girls pendulum swing from being hopeless romantics waiting for their dream guy (that may or may not exist) to come to sweep them off their feet…to believing that passion and romance doesn’t exist, so they go for the relationship that just looks good on paper. Life may not be a fairytale, but it also doesn’t have to be like Desperate Housewives.

So for the sake of not seeming like I’m contradicting myself (ha) - what I’m getting at is that I do believe ultimately in plan A relationships, but let’s always make sure we’re not writing off great guys/girls just because they don’t fit into the Plan A Box we’ve (maybe subconsciously) created for ourselves.

So if you’re currently dating - maybe challenge yourself in that. And remember not to pendulum swing - going on a date or two to get to know someone doesn’t have to be this life altering decision - it’s simply the opportunity to get to know someone new and see where it goes. Because if I know anything, it’s that love is a weird thing. A weird but awesome thing. And you never know who might turn out to be your plan A…

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it’s possible to be too picky?

dating & relationships: there’s only plan A.

15 June, 2015 by Gracie 50 Comments

When I first started writing this post, I tried to find a way to apply it to all areas of life. But, it just wasn’t coming together. It was messy, and I was having trouble getting my point across. So I slept on it, and the next day I realized that it should be focused specifically on dating/relationships. Writing about dating makes me all sorts of nervous and weird, which is totally not like me, so that makes me think that I am supposed to share it all the more.

there's only plan A - why you shouldn't settle when it comes to dating

In most areas of life, I’ve pretty much always been a “have a plan B” (and sometimes plan C) sort of person. You know - in case something (or someone) didn’t turn out the way I hoped - I had something to fall back on.

Over the past few months, though, that’s something that God has really been challenging me on. I heard a message from Todd White where he said over a dozen times how Jesus is plan A, and there is no plan B. That struck a serious chord within me and *my* relationship with Jesus. After a few days of meditating on that, I began to think about how it applied to other areas of my life as well.

What I realized is that I had that mentality pretty dug in deep when it came to dating specifically. And, looking around at my peers and society today, I think it’s safe to say that that’s a mentality that mostly everyone has.

It’s only natural, when you think about it. Whether it’s because someone just wants to have a bunch options to have fun, or to combat the fear of rejection, this day in age (dating apps - HELLO) makes it easier than ever to have as many plan B’s as you could possibly want.

There’s the plan B that is ridiculously good looking, but it kinda sorta stops there.
…the plan B that you’re head over heels for, but it isn’t reciprocated (or vice versa).
…the plan B who is everything on paper you could ever want, but the chemistry is lacking.
…the plan B who gives you just enough to stick around, yet you know deep down it’s not enough.

I apologize for how ridiculously harsh it seems to define human beings as just “plan B’s,” but I think you know where I was trying to go with that. Plan B’s aren’t necessarily specific people - they’re types of relationships that you know deep down are not right for you, but you keep them around anyway.

For such a long time I thought, well - where’s the harm in having plan B relationship? It’s just to hold me over and keep me distracted until plan A comes along, right? And you never know - plan B could always turn out to be plan A!

I get that - I totally do. And for a lot of people, that might work. But in my own life, especially as of late, I feel pretty strongly that it doesn’t exactly work that way.

Because here’s the thing I’m learning about having a plan B. Yes - it does a great job of distracting you until plan A comes along, but to what extent? Is it so distracting that you’re actually putting off finding your plan A even longer without realizing it?

For me (truth serum) that has looked a lot like waiting and hoping that a plan B relationship would suddenly turn into a plan A. It has been changing things about myself to be more appealing to the wrong guys, when I should have been focusing on becoming the woman that my future husband will eventually find and think - there she is.

At first it’s scary to kick the plan B’s and C’s. They’re usually still pretty decent options. But please remember that your hopes and desires for that plan A relationship - even if you haven’t found it yet - is there for a reason.

Our hopes and dreams and desires are there for a reason. Don’t settle for the second rate version. I challenge you to not even pay plan B any mind and just keep your focus on plan A.

It’s not “eye on getting attention,” or “eye on something is better than nothing.” It’s eye on the prize. Eye on YOUR guy. Eye on YOUR girl.

This isn’t about being entitled, it’s about being hopeful. It’s about having faith. It’s about knowing your value, and believing in what you deserve.

I think it’s important to note that it’s also about respecting the other person! I have admittedly been some guys’ plan B (and maybe even a plan D or E at one point…that’s New York, for ya :P), and it obviously sucks. So why would I ever want to do that to someone else?

Sometimes plan A might take a little longer, and it might be more difficult to achieve, but you know (you KNOW) it’s so much more worth it in the end.

I may not be an expert, but I know this much about successful relationships - they only work if you’re both each other’s plan A.

So for me…that’s what I’m holding out for. No more backup plan. There’s only plan A. And that’s actually pretty freeing.

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Can you relate? Have you found dating these days becoming more difficult because everyone has so many alternatives?

bikini acceptance.

10 June, 2015 by Gracie 52 Comments

I’ve got to be honest - I never thought I’d be one of those body acceptance blah blah blah people.

Haha. I think that came out wrong.

I guess what I mean is that I don’t find anything wrong with wanting to lose weight and even aim to be *gasp* skinny (yes, I said the S word). Those things seem to have become taboo in the blog world, and I think that’s unfortunate. Especially when the irony is that so many behind the “body acceptance” movement are actually the most restrictive.

WHOA. I digress. Writing a blog post at midnight will do that to ya. Where was I going with this again?

I remember. So, the other day when I was putting together my part 2 Vegas recap, I decidedly left out a few photos. And what did they all have in common?

I was in my bikini.

As someone who considers herself to be pretty damn confident, I was kind of bothered by this. Why did I care enough to purposefully leave out those photos?

After thinking it through, I came to a pretty solid conclusion. It’s not that I feel like I’m “fat” or unworthy. I don’t even think it’s necessarily an insecurity.

When it comes down to it, I think it’s an issue of pride. That my body isn’t what it used to be. It isn’t what I feel like it should be for how much I exercise. It’s that if I just waited a few more weeks, I’d have a better bikini body to show for.

And you know what? I had no idea that I felt that way until I wrote that post. Good ol’ GML, once again helping me dig up any issues left behind, ha.

So here I am, drinking the body acceptance Kool Aid, I suppose. But I’m totally down with that, because I’m in favor of FREEDOM in all shapes and forms. So these are a few revelations I’ve had over the past few days…

Why can’t my body look like it used to? Because it doesn’t. Because bodies change. Because I’m not 17 anymore - I’m a grown woman, and proud of it.

Why don’t I have washboard abs and a thigh gap? Because that’s not how I’m built. At least not right now.

Don’t get me wrong - I love fitness and aiming to be healthy. And do I still want to lose some weight? Yes, and that’s okay. But, as I focus on the changes I make in my body, I never want to forget that the real importance lies in the changes that happen in my heart. My soul. My character.

Yes, I want to feel confident in my own skin and proud of the work I’ve put into my fitness. But even more so, I want to be confident in the condition of my heart. In the destination of my soul. In the character I’ve built through overcoming hardship, surrendering my life to God, and becoming a woman that stands for more than just a “perfect” figure.