Be All The Way Strong

You can have it all. It just takes a lot of work. But hard work always pays off. Remember the days of pulling all nighters and studying your face off? And while getting that good grade, another one dropped? Spending the following weeks to raise that grade only to find another one suffered? Maybe that didn't happen to you but it happened to me year after year. Eventually I got the swing of things and evened the kilt. I learned how to balance the work load so that each class represented my hard work and each class scored a high grade at the same time. It's the jinx effect. When all things happen together.

I believe in being fit. I believe fit means strong. I don't think strong always shows. I think strong holds many levels to its definition. The girl or guy with bulging/cut muscles may have the strength but maybe not the endurance. The girl/guy with a layer hiding the hard muscles may not show a lot of strength but will blow your mind in his/hers endless endurance abilities. Standing trackside cheering on my sons track team brought this kind of scenario into full perspective. The girls lined up, ready for 30some seconds of bliss in the 100m dash. Each girl kneeled, hand on track, eyes on finish line, perched and ready. Each trim in size except for one. Upon a quick inspection, judging the book by it's cover, all bets would lead to a particular winner. But after the count and horn blast all those bets would be lost. The girl who created the largest of shadows also created quite the ruckus. She had the strength, the endurance, the all the way strong to win the race. She stood tall and ran. The power in her in eyes matched the power of her stride.

It's important to be strong in your mind and soul. We can lift and squat, run and spin all day, every day but at the end of the day if we're feeling defeated in our thoughts and aspirations for all else in life then what good is the smaller size, the tighter skirt, the flatter belly? It makes me think of the word superficial  No one wants to live a life coated in happiness and beauty. Happiness and beauty should shine outwards from within.

I'm dedicating the month of May to Be All The Way Strong.
It's best fitting for me. I work hard on my outward appearance and physical strength. My mind is rolling during the time I spend running, lifting, stepping, dancing, TRX'ing. My mind challenges my body in ways that I should challenge my soul in moments of chaos, in times of grief and stress. In decisions of quitting bad habits and properly allotting time to tasks. And so much more.

If I can control my thoughts and push out the "quit now" feeling during hard workouts, long races, and resistant training then why not work that same muscle (the mind) to push out temptations to leave the laundry piled, wash dishes after the next meal, blog another posts, read another blog, or raise my voice in a moment of stress and chaos? Believe me I am no saint. I have my faults and yet I am still an amazing mother, wife and friend. We live in peace and show much respect to each other but like in the fit-world there is always room for improvement.

If I can center my energy to better discipline all parts of my life not just gym time how much of a better person would I be? How much more confidence would shine through my every step? How much more love could I share and how much more peace could be felt in the stillest of moments as well as the most rambunctious?

So I challenge myself to Be All The Way Strong. And as always I totally invite you to join! There's a fancy button, a hashtag of # allthewaystrong and more posts to come. You may find there are thoughts that counteract your fitness time. I see so much passion and drive in peoples faces when I look around the gym yet I wonder if they'll carry the same strength on the beach when in much less clothing. I see high fives and hear cheers at races but maybe there is solemness in their homes. Working the mind, body and soul/spirit/core whatever you call it will hit a different sore spot for each one of us.

You'll see me challenging myself in lifting heavier, speed training for the fun of it, and picking up spin classes. 3 fit-world things I want to focus on this month. I may post less, I may post more during the month as I truly open my heart and look deeper for any ways I can be stronger in mind and soul. With an upcoming cross country move, a transition back to the regular army, terrible twos occurring in the most public of places and yes, a tween boy moving through puberty... I could use a little more mental strength and inner peace.


I want to the most beautiful person I can be. 






Linking with Just Because, Anything and Everything, Take Time Tuesdays,

That's the end?

Bummer. Another weekend is done and over. Really it is a bummer.
There's always so much more I want to do before Monday rolls around but oza well.

That guy would be one of those things. I miss him during the week. Mr. Workaholic if you're reading - come home for lunch! Better yet, just call out sick for the rest of your workday. thanks.


Our weekend as per the usual had some workouts and fun fitness.

We had all intentions of just laying around on Saturday but that didn't happen until way after dinner. We started the day with the gym. Good workout never hurt anyone. Moved on to lunch. Could you stuff a few more sprouts in there please? And then walked over to Pigtails and Curls for Landon's first haircut. Excuse me while I go cry. AGAIN. I'm still not over the loss of his long curls. Moving on.... dog walks and a car wash in the driveway. This is serious fun people. At least for a 2 year old.

Sunday. Well the entire day escaped me. Long story short. My YMCA had days mixed up between fitness instructor certification training and group resistance band training. yea. leeeetle pissed off about this but I guess there's no harm done as now I have random credits in resistance band training. Not at all what I intended my Sunday to award with me but I'll take it. And now Monday will be spent sending emails and making phone calls to arrange for the actual group instructor class. I'm on a time crunch and would love to see this all happen before our house is packed and we're driving cross country to our new home! Fingers crossed this all falls back into place. Such a little screw up is definitely creating a bit of stress for me!

It probably goes without saying but I'll say it anyways. We had 3 delicious green smoothies this weekend :) Check here for the link up if you've been doing this challenge with us! And get in on today's giveaway!

Also, today's the last day to enter the April group giveaway!

Hope you all have a fun Monday and wonderful start to the week!




Linking with Sami Shenanigans, YOLO Mondays, Join the Gossip, Bloglovin,  MomsMonday Mingle

Green Smoothie Link Up #3

We made it!!! 

7 days of adding one green smoothie to your routine was actually a lot of fun and for sure very healthy!!


I'm smiling ear to ear thinking about how many of us jumped on board with this challenge and stuck with it :)
It's been fun bouncing around the link ups and following along via Twitter and Instagram. Huge THANK YOU to Katherine. She's the creator of our little challenge and has worked hard collaborating and bringing you giveaway opportunities. If you haven't gotten by her blog, you're crazy. She's filled with cheer and tons of real food recipes. AND, I hope you've stopped by the co -hosts Sally, Jezz, Ashlee, and Hope too! They've definitely inspired me to try a few new "green" recipes! and makeup, and pilates, and other recipes too!

Today's the final link up.
A HOOAH, farewell to this challenge but definitely not an excuse to stop drinking spinach! I say keep it up! I know my family and I will continue to add greens to our smoothies. I seriously had no idea that the taste would be masked so well by fruit. Both my boys are getting servings of veggies and hardly noticing it. Making momma happy. Hubs is still a bit weary of the whole idea but he's coming around. And me.... I'm hooked! I'll never make another smoothie without at least adding a handful of spinach  :)

What about you?
Have you tried new ingredients? Bought new "superfoods"?
Do you think you'll continue with daily/weekly green smoothies?

Enjoy the Giveaway below and best of luck to you! Then link up your recipes and final posts!
If you missed the previous link ups and green smoothie recipes I've tried you can find them here...

Sambazon
{all organic, vegan and gluten free} 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Party Time - Green Smoothie

It's the 7th and final day of our Green Smoothie Challenge!
Katherine, Ashlee, Sally, Jezz, Hope and I all hope you've had fun getting your green on!
Tomorrow is the final link up. Have you looked over Wednesday and Fridays? I'm so tempted to try every green smoothie creation! Each time I make one of these green smoothies I'm still expecting to taste the green and just doesn't happen. Maybe because I overload the blender with every fruit in the house or maybe it's just meant to be. But I'm loving the fact that my smoothies now offer a pow of both veggies and fruits.

Party Time Green Smoothie

for the first smoothie...                          for the second smoothie...

handfuls of spinach                                 cup of sliced strawberries

handful of kale                                           cup of blueberries and blackberries

cup of frozen pineapple                         sliced kiwi

sliced frozen banana                               mango greek yogurt

mango                                                          5 spinach icecubes

1/4 cup Coconut Milk                            1/4 cup Coconut Milk

Blend each smoothie separately then combine! This makes plenty so expect leftovers!

We had fun with this colorful smoothie. It's like a little party in a cup! My little one and I played with layering the veggie and fruit goodness into our glasses. His being a plastic Mickey Mouse tumbler :) We made more than enough and used the leftovers for popsicles! Those will be the perfect bedtime treat for little man tonight. He really does get all kinds of excited when it's time to make a smoothie. He grabs his step stool and gets himself up to the counter ready to press the button on the blender. He imitates the sounds he hears and when it's ready he hops down, cup in hands and literally jumps up and down squealing for his fill up. It's really too cute and makes me happy that he's as excited about a green smoothie as he is over a new truck or handful of M&M's.

Come back Monday for the final link up!
Share a recipe and your thoughts on the challenge on with us. Has it become a habit for you?
Something you will continue? Did you learn of new ingredients or shelf items to help make your smoothies even more nutritious/yummy?






Linking with Taste Of Tuesdays, Tell Me Tuesday

I Love Me a FRIDAY!

Finally Friday! 
I'm sooooo looking forward to the weekend, I'm sure you are too!
Considering Sunday will be spent in class studying for the AFAA certification, I plan to relax at home with my 3 L's all.day.long Saturday. Maybe squeeze in a little workout, maybe not. No pressure this weekend! I may even completely unplug. maybe. This has been a busy week on the blog, thank you all for playing along!

1// HELLO hot new running shoes! I drove my happy self down to Carytown this week to Road Runners. There they have you walk and run to determine your gait. Turns out the shoes I've been choosing over-correct my slight pronation. In fact my left foot turns inward more than my right foot. No wonder my right knee and ITband have been bothering me! They gave me 3 choices in the perfect structured shoe for me and I chose the Nike Zoom Elite based on fitting not color. Trust me, if you follow me on Instagram then you know all about my cry for help over this bubblegum pink color!

2// Aprils fitness challenge was Be Your Own Inspiration and Be More Active. I think I did pretty well. Even my boys jumped on this and my husband, well that man is plenty active already. Anyhoooo, I definitely added more running to my routine, tried fun fitness and picked up the kettlebell more times than I can count. Hope you all had fun with the Be More Active Challenge too! We'll soon see what challenge May brings us :)

3// Like Father like son! Little man Landon is all about his daddy. He got a leaf blower and mower for his birthday so now he's happy instead of crappie when his dads doing yard work. The two of them do it together every week. Landon even tries to bring the mower into bath time and bed time. Too cute.

4// Another green smoothie! You know this had slide into my H54F post :) Be sure to check out the linky and add yours too if you've joined us!

5// Lance is doing shot put on the track team now! He's a sprinter and loves the 100 meter dash but he's gotten really good at shot put so coach let him do it twice this week! He's making his momma proud!


*Take a moment to reflect on the big and small things that make your week more beautiful.



Have you ever been fitted for running shoes?
Sat through an AFAA Certification class?

Much love to you all!!
Hope you each have a wonderful weekend!


P.S.
Hopefully you caught yesterday's post!
All my April Sponsors make me smile ear and to ear, you should def go meet each one!
This months group giveaway has a $70 VISA up for grabs along with some real estate... have fun with that :)

AND Weekend Bloglovin Hop

Green Smoothie Link Up #2

WOW! Wednesdays Green Smoothie Link Up held over 30 delicious smoothie creations and it seems by the comments, tweets and even IG that there are so many more of you participating too!!
Your doing your body lots of good :)

I'm wondering do you feel any different?
Like do you feel healthier by just having one green smoothie? Do feel more energetic? Less hungry?

Just curious.

I guess for me, having a smoothie/green smoothie each day definitely makes me feel healthy. It's a healthy choice how could it not?! They do fill me up but are in no way a meal replacement for me. I find them to be super convenient and love adding protein to it for post workout purposes. The whole family enjoys them and I'm thinking about freezing the mix as popsicles for the upcoming weekend. Don't you think that'll work?

I'm happy about taking on taking on this 7 day green smoothie. I know my blog is running posts like crazy compared to my normal but this is a good cause and I'm happy to support it and thrilled by each of you who have joined! Our bodies are little machines and we need to fuel them correctly. This is just one way to be sure we're feeding ourselves a healthy treat each day!



Keep those recipes coming and keep with the challenge, stay strong through the weekend! We're here for ya!!

***

your host/cohost are the first 6

just link a green smoothie post and be cool and link back

Let's mingle and gain inspiration from each other :)

Island Green Smoothie

Island Green Smoothie

Blend these ingredients first...

handful of finely chopped Kale

handful of chopped spinach

1/4 c. coconut milk

1/2 c. mango Greek yogurt

1/2 c. traditional oats

Then add...

chopped mango

chopped kiwi

cup of pineapple cubes

handful green grapes

sliced banana

Blend and enjoy!
*if none of the above are frozen then add your spinach ice cubes! 

I must admit I was scared to try kale as my "green" in today's smoothie. Kale is known to have a bitter taste. It's also known to hold high amounts of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber even some protein, all the stuff that's good for you! So it was well worth the try. And guess what? I really liked this smoothie!

Last week, Lucas and I took our lunch breaks together, we ordered smoothies and sandwiches. I took notes of what was in the Island Green Smoothie I had ordered and did my best to recreate it. I think I nailed it! I highly recommend you give this one a try. Super nutritious and super delicious!


What's been your favorite smoothie so far?
Have you tried Kale in your smoothie before?
We tried Kale chips again tonight and are starting to really like them. Have you had those before?


Katherine, Ashlee, Sally, Jezz, and Hope have been posting green smoothie recipes all week.
Be sure to check out their posts, lots of green going on there and the Sun Warrior Giveaway is live through tonight, enter there for Raw Vegan Superfoods :) Also, I've got a fab giveaway here for you too!

Tomorrow is another Green Smoothie Link up!
check here for other green smoothies of this week!

Meet, Greet and WIN the April Sponsor Giveaway!

Have you met Heart Shaped Sweat's April Sponsors?
I feel so blessed and lucky to have had them with me this month!!! 
This month (just like last month) lead me to some amazing blogs.
I truly hope you've taken the time to click and see for yourself.
In case you haven't lets hit 'em up one at a time and then you can get in on the giveaway fun :)

blog

Rebecca. I met her through Big and Littles and couldn't have asked for a better partner. She's an infectious person...meaning her happiness is contagious! One conversation with her will send you off in the best of spirits. You might remember her guest post on the benefits of laughter, there she reminds us to live life happy and never be to serious to miss a chance at a fall-out-laughing-fit. I could link you to various posts, but I'm just gonna link you to her blog. Go see for yourself. Her happiness beams through every post.

blog

Bonnie guest posted about his Biggest Looser tryouts and Crossfit journeys. He's proof that making little changes towards healthy living can produce some big results. He teaches us the keys to success by reminding us of the 5 key people every one of us need in our lives. Bonnie is a Roden and Feilds Consultant and clearly knows a thing or two about marketing, even scoring profits by simply using Pinterest.

blog 

Natalie, girls got a voice that should be heard! Her blog covers everything from fashion to current events. She's got tips on how to win a giveaway for all of us that feel overwhelmed by the options to enter and the simple math required to know when the odds are in our favor. I cracked up over her post detailing letters from prison. Yes, her husband knows about this too! And was enlightened by her voice on dealing with others negativity, being true to yourself and standing behind your blog.

blog

Chrissy, one of the queens for blog hops like That Friday Blog Hop and Thirsty Thursdays! Her blog is filled with posts that show a woman's real side. I love her makeup tutorials and adore the fact that she's not afraid to show the real her, makeup free! She shares her fertility struggles and the tough family decisions that come along with such a sensitive issue. And then, she'll send you off into hysterics by showcasing the way best friends get down!

blog

Carolyn, a busy woman who does it all with style and grace. Her other blog showcases her incredible photography skills and over at CC Makes Stuff you'll find one of kind necklaces, headbands, rings and more, each handmade! Her posts will renew and restore your faith and give you courage through the times that hurt. And if you're feeling crafty, in DIY mode any one of her before and after posts will inspire you and help you along!

blog

Martha a mother of four holds the oh,so funny answers to every child's "that's not fair" scream. Don't let the pretzels and glass of wine for dinner fool you, she's sprinted many races and knows her way around the athletic department. She's got dreams for a WhatTheWhat kind of link up, you know for posts that go a little like this... And for all you pup lovers out there, she's rescued one that gives the best doggy hugs ever.

blog

Jill a sucker for vintage and quaint thrift-iquing, a lover of coffee and cream. One heck of a styled momma with a happy crafting heart. There that's it in one sentence. Ok two. Jill's a one stop shop for melt your heart in posts like failing parenting 101 and not being a supermom and she'll remind you to shine in your most beautiful light no matter how hard times are. She works hard, writing for a magazine and serving in a saloon and while she's far up in the mountains, I have a map and would love to one day enjoy a cup of joe with her.

blog

Sarah, she's forever sprinkling us with genius words, inspiring the best in each of us. You know those words that just make you think, ponder and quietly change perspective.  Her blog delicately delivers those to you. She talks about a tugging at the heart for change and the beauty in the world that spins around completely unaware. There's a poet air about her, a calming effect in each post. Snapshots of her home that need no earlybird filter and a weekly On the Inside Series that will send you swooning.

1 WINNER TAKES ALL!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Green Smoothie Link Up!

If you follow me on twitter, I might be killing you with the green smoothie tweets, but I can't help it! You people are full of yummy little creations and I kinda just want to share them with everyone. I've always been a fan of smoothies and am forever grateful to Katherine for contacting me about this Green Smoothie Challenge. I don't know how much longer it would have taken me to DRINK SPINACH. I love knowing that I can start or end each day with a serving of both fruit and veggies. And it's a serving that taste more like ice cream. So keep those recipes coming and keep with the challenge....you're doing your body lots of good!

The Green Smoothie Challenge has already gifted 2 winners with $70 worth of Amazing Grass meals, there are more giveaways to come over the next 4 days. It's uber hard for me to not spill the beans, I'm excited for you! Katherine's scored some great companies and products! But there is one giveaway I can brag on and tell you about! All those rad bloggers to the right have come together to host a nice little giveaway, be sure to come back later tonight and get in on their awesomeness and generosity! Cheers my friends!

***

your host/cohost are the first 6

just link a green smoothie post and be cool and link back

Let's mingle and gain inspiration from each other :)

Post Workout Banana & Oat Green Smoothie

I'm currently rolling a tennis ball under foot. I'm in desperate need of new running shoes. In my mind, I'm cursing myself for not taking the time to shop for a new pair. Tell you a secret, these running shoes have been with me since last years 10K. bad, bad, bad. very bad. It's no wonder my arches ache and my knee is driving me crazy each time I run or hit the gym. I'm promising myself a block of time on Wednesday to shop for new running shoes. You all hold me to it!!! I'm so quick to put myself off and worry over others but this is important stuff here. for realzzzz.

Ok, on to the awesomely.delicious post work-out smoothie. 

If you like banana and pineapple this ones for you.  If you sweat and drag yourself back home after a run or time at the gym, this ones for you. If you... just kidding.

What's in it...

Post Workout Protein Green Smoothie

4 spinach ice cubes
2 handfuls spinach
1 sliced banana
chunks of pineapple (maybe cups worth)
scoop of peanut butter (you can make your own!)
teaspoon of L-Glutamine
scoop of banana flavored protein powder
half cup of oats
half cup of almond milk (or other liquid)

So the list of items makes it seem complicated but it's not. This is simple stuff, just chop, scoop and dump.
Let the blender do the hard work. If you really like the taste of peanut butter go for it, make it a heaping spoonful. I kinda don't so if I'd change anything about this it would be a little less peanut butter. The banana and pineapple are light, fluffy flavors so the peanut butter does get the limelight.

If you haven't noticed yet, I'm a bit obsessed with banana's. No one in their right mind wants a banana protein powder shake, awesome for me because GNC marked this whey protein flavor down from 60 to 20. Thank you very much, it makes for a super yummy post workout smoothie. What is L-Glutamine? It comes in tablet or powder form and is believed to help with muscle repair and growth aka soreness. When you're working hard, you're gonna have sore muscles. It's a good thing, a strong sign that you're becoming better. But it doesn't necessarily look on good you. At least not me. When I'm struggling up a staircase with toddler, purse, dog, and groceries I look all sorts of foolishness. I believe in L-Glutamine. When I use it consistently I notice my soreness fades more quickly. It's also known to aid in digestion and help deliver protein to muscles. Definite pluses when working out. We buy powder form and just add it to our shakes and smoothies. An easy and thoughtless aid in post workout care.

Why oats? ehhhh, I've just noticed a lot of smoothies, cookies and brunches making oats look fancy. And because we know oats hold fiber. Fiber fills you up and helps keep things on the reg. (whatever that's worth). It's just half a cup of traditional oats. Good ole' Quaker style. One of these days I'll try mashing a banana into oats and see what all the rave is over those yummy looking cookies but for now the resturant size tub of oats is just for me' smoothies. If you're wanting a green smoothie to tie you over between meals or be a meal replacement, add oats to help fill you up.

yes, little man will literally fight me for a sip of my green smoothies. excellent way to sneak him some veggies! 

this pic of us first went up on IG about a week ago!

That's it loves! I'm beat, my feet ache and my belly is full. I'm off to watch some TV and stare into my lovers eyes. Plus I'm really full of myself tonight, so it's best I get out of here!

Tomorrow is the first link up for this Green Smoothie Challenge! I'm excited to see us all link our posts. You don't have to make a new special post for the link up, you can totally use Mondays or today's. In fact, I'll probably use today's :) It's been fun wondering around, checking into everyones excitement and recipes!  I feel uber happy that so many have joined this challenge and having a go-to place in tomorrows link up will make it much easier for us to meet each other! Wooohooo to 7 days of green smoothies!

Make sure to check in with Katherine (our ring leader), Ashlee, Hope, Sally, and Jezz. We're all in this craziness together and here for you with support and fun "green" recipes!

Ok, now I'm done!


But before you go check out yesterday's super sweet Apple Green Smoothie!
And/Or check out the Green Smoothie Link Up for countless recipes for your next smoothie and if you have a green smoothie post we'd love for you to link it up too :)

*more on L-Glutamine here and here 
as always, I'm not a doctor or RD!


Linking with Just Because, Tell Me Tuesday, Taste of Tuesday, Anything and Everything, Katherine's Corner

Apple A Day - Green Smoothie Recipe & Giveaway!

Today's the kickoff!

Green Smoothie Challenge - Day 1
In case you forgot or are seeing this for the first time, all you have to do is add one green smoothie to your day for 7 days. That's it! How easy right?! Here's a look at my first ever green smoothie....

We love apples in this house. My little one will carry an apple around like most tots do their paci. He'll stay busy on that apple all day. It's quite the babysitter. Apples are a staple, a must have in my house!

The first time I put apples in the blender was for this salad dressing and I remember thinking, well this is weird. But that salad dressing went down as one of my absolute faves. So for my first green smoothie I wanted to try mixing apples in with other fruits and handfuls of spinach.

Like apples, everyone in the fam wants a sip of my smoothie. I always make enough for at least 2 glasses and if I'm really being generous with MY smoothie then an entire blender full will make about 3 glasses. I tell you this because if you too make enough to share then you really need to double up on the greens to reep all the benefits of a green smoothie.

Apple a Day - Green Smoothie Recipe

1/2 c. almond milk

2 c. chopped spinach

1 fugi apple sliced/cubed

1 c. frozen pineapple chunks

1 c. frozen strawberry slices

*measurements are close estimates, I really just chop and dump!

So my first Green Smoothie wasn't actually the color green?! Keep that in mind, not all green smoothies are green. If you're adding blueberries or tons of strawberries or not using enough spinach/other green then the color will vary :)

Aside from the stems, I LOVED it!
I promise you, you can't taste the spinach!

Stealing a few tips from my Makings of a Green Smoothie post.... pour milk into blender first then add spinach, followed by fruits. It's important to put milk or creamy fruits in first so the blades/motor can work efficiently. My first green smoothie held a few stems, I realized that breaking the spinach leaves into pieces before adding to blender would help my smoothies be more smooth and stem free. Freezing my fruits the night before is really helpful too. Every smoothie needs something frozen otherwise you just get juice. Another fun trick for something frozen is making spinach ice cubes! Do this by placing spinach leaves in an ice cube tray and adding water. Tossing 5 or so into an otherwise unfrozen smoothie recipe will help you get the right consistency.

Also check out my Banana and Oat Post Workout Green Smoothie, it's my favorite!
The Green Smoothie linky is filling up with recipes too, check it out!


So team up with us!
Make sure to comment on one of our blogs so we know you're doing it too!

It's been a bit tricky to keep track of each person whose joined. Katherine who host this challenge has about 60 people signed up and each of us co-host are showing anywhere from 5 to 20 people joining. As important as it is for us to share recipes with you, it's even more important that we get to really know each other through this challenge! We'll have link ups set for you join on Wednesday, Friday and the final day - next Monday. This will give us all one place to be together and a chance to show off share our favorite green recipes and mingle!!

Be sure to check out Katherine, Hope, Ashlee, Sally, and Jezz too! They each have yummy recipe's posted this week for the challenge! Let us know if you have any troubles or questions, we're here for ya!!

And now GIVEAWAY TIME :)
sponsored by Amazing Grass. Enter now, winner selected on Tuesday!
a Rafflecopter giveaway



P.S. if you missed the weekends fun you can find it here! 

Linking with Wonderful Food, YOLO Mondays, Miscellany Mondays, Moms Monday Mingle, Bloglovin, Katherines Corner

The Weekend that Wore Me Out

You would think running a race and throwing a birthday party in one weekend (like last weekend) would wear me out, but no this was the weekend that wore me out! It all started Friday with a walk around Richmond's historic 100 acre park. Sweet Landon had the best time exploring and making new friends with the animals. Meanwhile my hip was his sweet spot since seeing everything at the park required 2 hours of walking. This place holds so much beauty, it deserves it's own little post. one day soon I'll get to that!

Moving on to Saturday I devoted an hour and half to weights/strength training. I scored big time by sliding into one of my favorite instructors classes. She always starts with 88 weighted lunges per leg. 88 people. 88. And that's just a mere 5 minutes of her 60 minute class. Afterwards I spent time foam rolling. I've had the weirdest knee issue since last weekends race, each time I run it acts up. Stretching has helped but I feel that adding on foam rolling is also helpful. Too bad, I may have applied to much pressure. Between the park, class and foam rolling I feel like I've been whacked with hammers. no bueno. But Saturday night may also be contributing to this feeling....

With little one at grandma's and my oldest at his dads I had the house to myself. Lucas had been at work since 7ish that morning so I cranked up the music and took my sweet time getting ready for a night out. The Army needs their face time and the events they choose to work are sometimes fun ones. Saturdays event was no exception. 8 bands in the line up, chili tasting at every other tent, and a lawn filled with party go-ers was the place the Army chose to recruit. While I'm almost positive they didn't get a single lead they did receive tons of support and gratitude and I'm sure left lasting impressions on curious minds. Once they finished their "job" hubby changed clothes and we finished the night with friends and dancing. Seriously, a good time. Can we all just note that Lucas is actually SMILING in the above pic?!!

I immediately made a green smoothie Sunday morning in an attempt to feel better. I guess you could say it helped. Those shakes are packed with nutrition and hydration. I'm jokingly calling this one the hangover cure. Green smoothies are where it's at...

Hope everyone had a FAB weekend and is off to a HAPPY MONDAY!
and....

I hope you're on board for the green smoothie challenge :)
There's a $70 giveaway running in today's kickoff post!




Linking with Weekend Shenanigans, Monday Morning Gossip, 

The Making of a Green Smoothie

Tomorrow starts the Green Smoothie Challenge!
It's really easy, just add one green smoothie to your day for 7 days :) 

How to make a Green Smoothie
pour your chosen liquid into blender first (I use almond milk)
add handfuls of chopped green (spinach, kale, parsley, collard, etc)
add chopped fruit (be creative, use your favorites)
add ice (or spinach ice cubes)
blend and enjoy!

It really is that easy and a green smoothie hardly taste any different than a regular smoothie.

Guarantee the right texture
you need something frozen in your recipe!
make spinach ice cubes
freeze chopped fruit
freeze yogurt
chop greens by hand or knife before adding to blender
pretty much always add a banana

So, why add a green smoothie to your day?
It's what the cool kids are doing! And, it's an easy and yummy way to add nutrition to your every day!
Your smoothie is completely custom to your liking. For example, if it's post workout - I add protein powder and a spoonful of L-glutamine powder. If I'm rushed for work I use milk, spinach icecubes, pineapple, strawberry and banana. If you want more of a detox kind use dandelion leaves, if you feel sick add ginger, honey, orange juice. It's whatever you're in the mood for or whatever you think your body needs.

Katherine who created this challenge for us has done it before, her blog is packed with info and recipes, not to mention some gorgeous photo's! And of course you can count on me to post recipes throughout the week and you should absolutely check out these girls for more!

Katherine - The Real Food Runner
Hope - All Smoothie Recipes
Ashlee - ABpetite
Sally - Forward From the Heart
Jezz - Jezz Dallas Makeup


<a href="http://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com/2013/04/announcing-2013-spring-green-smoothie.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiis_T-VzDhNp26NZieWzWysM5YlEXYo28dQxmAIRD1wdxNszjDsq3IqOQi3oHVRnn-IQ3oR1wbczVjuOxlSWSRvq07-kECGlpFeADoRv5WbsoNi4J1bnx_PK6JK-MNDThF7pRMSJS4vQ/s1600/GSC+blog+button.jpg"/></a><br>

Over 60 people have signed up for the challenge with us, please join if you haven't yet! Be sure to visit this post and add your name! 



Linking with Sunday Funday