It’s that time of the month again!
And, no… not that time of the month (don’t worry – my mind went there too). It’s that time of the month where we take a look back at all the awesome things that happened in the last 30 28 days. February, you weirdo.
I started doing these kinds of posts back in January after scrapping my monthly favourites posts, and I really like them because they force me to slow down and actually make a note of all the highlights that I’d otherwise just gloss over and forget about while I’m busy focusing on the future. When you really stop to think about it, a lot of awesome things happen that we might not give ourselves enough credit for… so these posts are for doing just that!
Before we get into it, though, I just wanted to thank you guys for all your well wishes regarding my back. It’s feeling quite a bit better, but still a ways from 100%… which sucks because I was hoping to get up to the mountains this weekend. Le boo. But enough doom and gloom — on to the good stuff!
Healthier Chocolate Dessert Roundup
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies
Vegan Flourless Banana Bread Muffins
Secret Ingredient Chocolate Smoothie
For Savory Style:
Double Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Bites
Chocolate Coconut Almond Butter
. – . – . – .
- I think my absolute favourite blog-related news was the fact that Thinking Out Loud hit another all time high this month with over 100 linkup. I feel like I say this all the time, but I really appreciate you guys participating, commenting, and reading every week. I seriously never expected ToL to grow so much when I first started it out, but I guess everyone is looking for an excuse to dump random thoughts into a post in bullet point form. I feel ya, friends. I feel ya.
- Oh snap! Okay, favourite blog-related news is tied because I just remembered that my Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins hit over 500,000 pins this month. That’s just… boggling. I remember checking in on them a week ago when they were at 490k and wondering if they’d push 500 so I could include them in this recap. Lo and behold… 518. Boggled.
- Not as many features this month as I had back in January, but my Banana Bread Granola Bars went up on MyFitnessPal, so that was pretty neat!
- The last week in February marked National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and it was so great to see so many people raising awareness about the dangers of eating disorders. I shared my own post on the issue, and while it’s still a topic I feel very passionately about, I’m finding it so much easier to live recovery than write about it.
- And thanks so much for helping Spoons hit over 8k likes on Facebook. Love you guys!
. – . – . – .
- Weekend mountain getaways are probably my favourite part of every winter month, but I somehow only managed one in February. I was hoping to head out again tomorrow, but my dratted back decided to be a jerk. It’s feeling heaps better, though, so there’s hope yet! #PrayForSpoons
- In other fitness related news, running has been going well! You guys know I’m following the Couch to 5K program, and I’ve gotten to the point where I think I’m running more than walking. I’ve been taking it slow and repeating a lot of the weeks because I kind of need to save my legs for boarding, but my running has steadily been getting better… which is what I was after all along.
- Other than that, life has been mostly work and school. Coaching is seriously the love of my life, and I find myself wanting to study even in my spare time. That being said, my work/life balance definitely needs a huge overhaul, because yeah… I’d rather avoid any more stress-induced seized muscles…
. – . – . – .
- More recipes! I was kind of at a loss for what kind of theme to go for in March, but carrot cake and shamrock shake [type things] seem to be the most popular, so we’re going to see how we can work those flavours into something Spoonified.
- The return of What I Ate Wednesday and As We Speak! You guys keep telling me that you miss them, and honestly… I do too. I’ve got them in the schedule for March, so I’m definitely looking forward to making things a little more personal around here.
Tell me at least one awesome thing that happened in February!
What’s in the books for March?
More places to find me!
E-mail — [email protected]
Twitter — runwithspoons
Facebook — runningwithspoons
Pinterest — runwithspoons
Instagram — runwithspoons
Bloglovin — runningwithspoons
Mmmm your spinach and mushroom wild rice casserole looks like a must try! Yum!
Enjoy Hawaii! I lived there for a year and a half and loved it, but not enough, obviously, because I eventually left. Island fever. Great place to visit, not sure I could live there.
You nailed it. I love the easy conversational tone in these posts and feel like I’m getting little glimpses into your personal world. Crazy faced selfies always help.
Congrats on the half million pins. I’m still mind boggled, yet super thrilled for you. It’s very well deserved. Also I need to make those Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies. Make a note: must buy cream cheese. That should be an easy one to accomplish.
Juuuuust reminding you to buy cream cheese 😛
One awesome thing which happened in February is scheduling another knee surgery. And yes, it is AWESOME because it is just a huge heap of hope. So much hope and faith. March is going to be about focusing on my mental health and educating myself on a variety of mindful techniques, recovery exercises, and LOVING life. I am trying so hard to at least get myself into the blogging community for the shear idea of forming relationships again. I miss TALKING to people.
Also, please let march be full of carrot cake because I’m kind of obsessed right meow. Kind of as in… GIVE.ME.ALL.THE.WEGMANS.CARROTCAKE!
I hope you keep recovering well with your back woes! <3
Keeping my fingers crossed for you, gorgeous! And… I MISS OUR CHATS!
Your photos are always so gorgeous Amanda 🙂 March for me means going back to full time study and work! Wooh! Two months of holiday had to end haha
So many fantastic milestones this month! Congrats, you truly deserve every single one <3 I can relate with loving work but realizing that more balance needs to happen. Sometimes it takes getting a little unbalanced to appreciate how important it is. Cheers to an even better month ahead!
I’m currently lying in bed right now sick as a dog (I don’t get this saying lol) and nothing has tasted good to me all day – but I could seriously go for those muffins and cookies and truffles!
Oh no! I hope you feel better soon, Chelsea!
Love your content! good job!!
I posted a new beauty review, I’d love to know your opinion
would you like to pass from my blog?
http://tr3ndygirl.com
kiss
Now I’m dying for a Shamrock Shake before 8 a.m. Great, thanks … 🙂
Your muffers are gonna get a million pins by next week…I CAN FEEL IT IN MY BONES!!!
So…There is the app for the couch to 5 k I downloaded yonks ago. I’m still on the couch part 😉
Did JT come? I sent him your way.
Did you put the right address on him? 😛
February was…cold. I hope to be doing my first race in March and that will kick off racing season! 🙂
All of your photos make me wish I had all of those delicious things in my kitchen. I’m definitely going to have to add your recipes into my rotation once hubby and I move.
http://www.divaandthedivine.com
Do you think you can do more savory recipes? I love your deserts but it seems like a lot of them are quite similar and just new variations on the same basic recipe
Ahh no promises, Angela. I was hoping to post more savoury recipes at some point last year, but my heart just wasn’t into them the same way it’s in to desserts.
I remember when I started a running program and I hit the point where I finally felt like I was running more than walking. It was awesome 🙂 Pretty soon you’ll be primarily running!
ughhh so many chocolate things in the beginning of this post is sparking a chocolate craving. I think I need to remedy that.
Yay couch to 5k! I’m officially running again the week after next. I’m excited but a little terrified. Happening in March: MOVING. NOT COMMUTING ANYMORE. I’m excited. 😀
Awesome – I hit 1000 subscribers!
March – taking an art class that I’m SO excited to start!
I’m so happy to see the success Spoons is getting. You go, girl!
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
You too, Ella!! Congrats on 1000 subs!!
I’m sorry to hear about your back! Back pain is the worst. I hope it’s back to good soon!
I can’t get over how crazy viral those muffins went. They’re like the blog gift that keeps on giving! So awesome. Congrats, lady!
Your photos are beautiful! Definitely want to try out those banana muffins. Happy Friday!
I February I purchased an Erin Condren planner (after reading your review). I think it’s going to be life-changing! Excited to continue reading your blog 🙂
Eeee! You’re seriously going to LOVE it! I’m still using mine and nowhere near to getting tired of it.
Im so pumped for you getting so many pins! That’s fantastic! I need to step up my recipe game some more. I never set out with the intention of being a food blogger and I still don’t plan on it, but I do miss the random recipes that I would share now and then. Seeing as how I finally am living somewhere with natural light, it’s time for picture taking!
Glad to hear your back is feeling better. I forgot to wish you well wishes yesterday 🙁 LOVE that you are still doing the couch to 5k and LOVE that you are running more than walking AND ENJOYING IT! Wahoo!! See, running isn’t so bad 😉 Have a great weekend! hope you get some boarding in.
Lol it’s not so bad when you get past the first little bit. That part is just agony 😛
Thanks for reminding me about the healthy dessert round up. I’m in the beloved habit of wanting a baked good along with a cold glass of almond milk for my bedtime snack!
So exciting on the running front! Although I definitely died a little when you said you were prioritizing snowboarding. I’m sorry! I’m a work in progress.
February was a gloriously fun month with two trips and not too much schoolwork – but March is going to be ALL the grind. A post about how you improve your work / life balance would be amazing!
Glad to hear you are feeling a little better? Fingers crossed this rest now means that you will be right as rain when the next opportunity comes up to head into the mountains.
Hope you manage to take some time to rest over the weekend. I know that’s what david and I will be doing, this week has been so manic that both our our bodies as screaming ‘relax and chill out!’
How do you view overall pins for something? I have pins that have been pinned many times, but all by different sources so they are just a handful here and a handful there, but all the same pin. Is there a way to view ALL time pins from each random source?! Awesome month indeed, I turned another year older and made some big girl decisions. Yay.
I use the Shareaholic widget and that includes a total pin count, as well as letting you know how often something has been shared to twitter, Facebook, etc. You can download it at https://shareaholic.com OR you can use this site here http://pinplugins.com/pincount/
What a huge accomplishment, congrats! You work so hard on your blog that it is only fair you deserve that recognition.
It’s hard for me to believe that February is almost over. This month has been awful but flown by.
Congrats on the huge ToL! And on the 500K pins! That’s fantastic, though with your incredible pictures and delicious recipes, I’m not surprised at all 🙂 Have a fabulous weekend!
Aww thanks so much, Ellen! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend as well!
February flew by since I had visitors for half of it!! Headed to Austin next week (next month!!) and turning 26… yikes!
Oooooh, As We Speak! sounds intriguing. Good job with the running thing. It’s smarter to be conservative and keep that bod healthy!
You know, I had a pretty rough end to February so it’s nice that you asked what is the best part of February so I have to think about the good things! I would say that I had a lot of great friend time and got sucked into Scandal which is such an amazing show. 🙂 As for March, I’m starting to get busy with events for work and hope to continue to think up great things to blog about! 🙂
Sorry to hear about the rough patch, Jessie. I hope March starts out on a better foot for you!
Booo for the lingering back pain 🙁 I hope you feel better asap! Especially for the weekend. On the bright side, perhaps this is your body’s way of basically forcing you to just stop and stay in to rest without doing much. Those sorts of weekends are some of my favorite (minus the pain) 🙂
And you know I’m happy to hear about your running going well! Anything and everything running-related puts a goofy smile on my face. I hope you share your race experience if you’re planning on running one soon!
Happy Friday love 🙂
I would love to, but the idea also intimidates the heck out of me! I might look into some 5ks in the spring though!
I got to see Rainn Wilson perform Soul Pancake last night, so that was pretty awesome! I live in a small town, things like that don’t happen often! And I fully intend to be making a double chocolate mug cake tonight, so that should be pretty awesome as well! Hope your back is better and you can make it to the mountains! Have a great weekend Amanda!
Those chocolate chip cheesecake cookies… swoon!
Okay, I’m pretty lame for saying that I am excited for the resurrection of WIAW! I don’t know why I get such a kick out of seeing people’s meals, and you share the “almond butter at every meal” unofficial rule that I follow as well! BRING IT ON! And congrats on February’s accomplishments!
In Feb, I can’t really give any stand-out accomplishments. I think every day has been super incredible this month, so maybe it was actually getting the chance to paint my toenails? Haha. But in March, I’m FINALLY getting my first tattoo! I’ve been searching for the perfect artist to start my tat collection, and now I’ve got the date set and the deposit down! Super pumped. And happy birthday to my awesome dad this month!
Oooo that’s super exciting! Although I have to admit terrifying as well. This girl faints at the sight of needles, so yeah… No tattoos in my near future 😆
Woa – CONGRATS lady on 500,000 pins on your Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins!!!! And I missed a few posts so before I go back and catch up – I am sorry about your back and hope it’s better soon – back pain is the worst – a cut up pool noodle works wonders though.
Looking forward to spoonified shamrocks shakes and carrot cakes next month! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
A cut up pool noodle. I’ve heard them being used for a lot of different things, but never back pain!
Yay for awesome blog stuff happening for you this month! And that’s awesome that running is going well. I’ve only been running once or twice a week recently, so I’m hoping to pick it back up a bit more. I’m just looking forward to March and hopefully some warmer weather. A snow bunny I am not.
That chocolate breakfast bake needs to happen in my kitchen… like this weekend…
One awesome thing that happened in February was snowboarding in Wausau, WI.
In the books for March… Punta Cana!!!!!
Wow, good for you about 500ks pins! That’s nuts!!
Glad to hear the running is going well! Such a great feeling when you really feel it getting easier. Love these roundups since I get overwhelmed with amazing photos of delicious food! Seriously, no clue how you do it.
Just a lot of practice and stubbornness! My early pics definitely were nowhere near as good!
Your pictures always blow my mind! You have such amazing photography skills! I loooove reading these posts! Helps me catch up on anything I’ve missed. Have a fabulous weekend!
Aww thanks so much, Taca! Hope you’re having a great weekend as well!