Thank you for the feedback in the anonymous 3 Question FFF Survey I posted. It has really been eye-opening and helpful. I will leave the survey open for responses through tomorrow and would still love for you to respond if you can.

Okay…now we shall move on from all the blogging talk. Let’s talk impulse shopping!

I am a planner. Plan plan plan. We budget like crazy in this household. I meal plan. I love to-do lists and knowing what to expect in my days. Yet, impulse buys still get to me. Especially when it comes to food!

Grocery shopping budget = very important for me. Otherwise, I could easily browse the aisles of my favorite Kroger or Trader Joes and load up the cart with a bunch of things not really needed. However, if I find something that catches my eye and it’s on sale?

I take it as an omen that it must go in the cart. Wouldn’t you?

When at the store, I came across this spinach salad on manager’s special. With our recent snap back to warmer temperatures, nothing sounded better than a salad for lunch. Plus, it had all of my favorite salad components – fruit, cheese, and nuts plus balsamic dressing.

The spinach ended up being a little wilty from reaching it’s sell-by date, so I subbed out some of the less than stellar greens with ones we had on hand. Then I loaded up the rest of the salad with the spicy pecans, feta, dried apricots and cranberries, and dressing.

The salad tasted fantastic. I loved the touch of spice from the pecans. That was my first time having spiced pecans in a salad of that nature, but I loved it. What I didn’t love? The size. Only half a plate? Nuh-uh. Not happening. So I had a totally random peanut butter and banana on the side.

Not the best flavor combos, but whatever. I had a happy lunch. Thank you, impulses!

I find it interesting because for as much of a planner as I am, a lot of my final decisions are pretty impulsive. I will think things over, analyze pros-cons lists, and pray about particular decisions but when it comes down to it, many times my choices feel like game time decisions.

Deciding to start a family? One month I just knew and quite suddenly threw my pills out. Don’t worry – Peter was on board!

Deciding to finally enter a fitness competition? Did a Google search one morning and signed up immediately after.

Deciding to get certified in personal training? Planned in a car ride home from Peter’s parents house one afternoon.

Facilitating an adult study group at church? Said I would take it over before I knew the words were coming out of my mouth.

The list could go on and on…but I won’t bore you. I guess what I am trying to say is that I can only plan so much, then it gets to the point of overanalyzing things. Sometimes going on impulse can be a good thing because it’s our gut, our instincts, our conscience speaking. Sometimes I also believe it’s allowing God to do the guiding and forcing me to simply trust the path and stop trying to have the control. Whatever it is, it’s brought good to my life on the whole. Just like some other impulses that can happen…

Ahem. No clue where that came from.  

• On a scale of 1 (give me time to consider my answer) to 10 (spontaneous to the max) how impulsive are you in your decision making?
• What was your last impulse buy?

Let’s try not to focus on the fact that yet another weekend has reached the end of its legs and another busy, hectic week looks us in the face. Easier said than done, I know. At least I had another chill day today to refresh myself before the mile-long lists of to-dos reappeared.

This morning, I set my alarm for 6;30 am – a slight punch to the stomach for a Sunday morning. Sunday mornings are the only morning of the week which I can sleep-in, so I will stay in bed typically until 7:00 or later. The thing is, though, I usually still wake up around 6:30 am naturally, but lay around for the rest of the time. Today, I set the alarm with the mindset that if I wanted to stay in bed, I could…or if I felt rested enough, I could go ahead and get my workout done for the day.

I almost lazily hung about, but then I looked to the future and the thoughts of an afternoon with nothing on the agenda appealed far greater than an extra 30 minutes under the covers. The workout won! Cathe intervals – check! Sweaty mess – check!

Good thing I pretty up nicely.

I don’t think my church friends would have appreciated the nasty.

As every Sunday morning, we spent a large portion of our day at church with our Sunday study group and then worship service. The message from our study group’s discussion really struck me. It was just the message I needed to hear this morning and reaffirmed quite a few things for me. I love when that happens! I may have to share it later this week, since it’s a general topic we all question from time to time.

Once 12 o’clock rolled around, we made our way home for the afternoon. Finally, by 1 o’clock, the kids were fed and down for their naps and I could sit down to lunch with Peter.

I think that is the hardest thing about Sundays. I eat breakfast around 8 am and can never eat lunch until one. I want to inhale my kitchen every week after church! Instead, I make the quickest and most satisfying thing I can think to make – and it almost never includes veggies. Take today’s lunch for example -

Another grilled hummus, tomato, and cheese sandwich. An apple. An Oikos honey Greek yogurt. Not a single green in sight. It’s like this every week. I guess veggies just don’t cut my hunger and cravings when the hunger beast comes out in full force. Interesting since I know a load of veggies will fill me up real well. I don’t question my belly, I just feed it what it wants. Cravings = good. Or at least they make it easier to decide what’s for lunch. If only they could clue me in to what’s for dinner tonight too.

• What types of foods do you turn to when you reach the point of HANGRY?
• Would you rather get more sleep or get your workout out of the way?

Be sure to check out my guest post for Ellie @ Fit For The Soul!!!