The past couple of weeks, I’ve been hit hard with this situation. Friends I thought I knew, trusted, and once shared great times with.

Out of the blue they’ve either said something completely inappropriate or acted like someone I didn’t even know.

When it first happens you’re sad. Then mad. Then confused.

How could this person you’ve known for so long suddenly turn into someone you don’t even want to be in contact with?

Some say it’s a part of life, but no matter what, you’ve got to stand up for yourself.

You know what you deserve and you know how you should be treated– by your friends, significant other, and even random strangers.

Stand up for yourself and most importantly, don’t make excuses for them.

I was once a timid, little girl who didn’t know what that meant. I tried to pretend like nothing was wrong and ignored the fact that I was getting trampled on and used. After a year of being single, I’ve grown into a pretty independent and emotionally strong person. I’m at a point where I’m happy and proud of the person I am.

Life is good and I am so so so excited about NYC adventures.

Just remember if you’re ever in a situation where a friend doesn’t support you, you truly are a lot better off without them.

And if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here for you.

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Now in a lot happier news… my car is finally fixed! The battery was dead.. and it’s been stuck in the driveway for about 2 weeks. No bueno.

Food-wise I’ve been enjoying Arnold Sandwich Thins for breakfast  pretty much every morning.

Thanks to the Healthy Living Summit, I scored about 10 coupons for $4 off any Arnold product. Going to be eating these for a while!

Egg sandwich with too many onions, too much ketchup, and some parmesan cheese.

(Had to take about 1/2 the onions off.. couldn’t handle them!)

Anyway, I hope you all have a great day! Sorry for the somewhat deep talk up there.

I hope you all had a wonderful week and that it’s not too cold wherever you are. The weather here has been very feisty to say the least- in the early morning and evening it’s in the 60s, but in the afternoon, it’s in the 80′s! Maybe Katy Perry was singing about Florida in her song when she says, “You’re hot then you’re cold…“

Here are a few meals I threw together this past week:

Simple breakfast of fried eggs, tomato slices, and a banana.

Lunch: Arnold Select Sandwich Thin with a Boca Burger, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard & crunchy purple grapes.

Pomegranate. YUM!

Studying while snacking on a Cherry Pie LARABAR. This one was good, but I do like the Apple or Key Lime Pie versions better.

I recieved my Zevia samples in the mail that I won from Kristi’s Giveaway! I have to say, these all-natural sodas taste exactly like the real deal! My roommate and I, who are soda lovers, have been sharing them because they taste so good.

On Zevia‘s website, they state that:

“Stevia is a natural herb native to South and Central America. For centuries, native Americans of Paraguay and Brazil called it the “sweet leaf” and used it to sweeten native foods. ZEVIA contains none of the chemically processed artificial sugar substitutes, artificial flavors or artificial colors found in other diet sodas.”

Root Beer is my favorite kind of soda pop, so of course, it was the first one I had to dive into. I was so surprised that it tasted and looked like actual Root Beer. Zevia Root Beer was so refreshing with my grilled chicken and veggie dinner. I have to give the wonderful folks at Zevia big props for their products. It’ll be interesting to see how these new “pure” sodas take over the markets and grocery stores.

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Time to get cracking on a lot of studying! Sadly, I won’t be able to go the Gator game tonight because a huge test in Managerial Economics is quickly approaching. I hope everyone in San Francisco for the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival is having a wonderful time!

Blueberry Activia Yogurt with Blueberries and a Banana

Lunch before the Gator football game on Saturday:
Arnold Select Sandwich Thin with Ham, Mozzarella, Tomato, Lettuce, Honey Mustard, and a side Granny Smith

A handful (or two) of almonds for an afternoon snack.

Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Sea Salt Almonds

For all of you almond butter lovers out there, I highly recommend these Oven Roasted Blue Diamond Almonds. From my experience in the past, normally packaged almonds, peanuts, or cashews are VERY salty. To my surprise, these Sea Salt Almonds contained the perfect combination of subtle, yet delicious flavors. Package them in a small Ziploc bag for an afternoon energy booster while sitting in class or even the office.

Lemon Tilapia with Baked Apricots one night with a fresh side salad.

Have a great night! Stay tuned later this week for details on My First Giveaway.