And baby makes three...

This girl has been modifying her fitness for almost 14 weeks now, and it's all because of her little baby within! Yes, that's right. I am pregnant—and we couldn't be happier about it. I found out the day they accepted our offer on the house, so you can imagine how truly excited we were to actually get the house. Baby is kickin' it quite happily in momma right now, literally. It was an active little bugger at the ultrasound, even though it seems kinda calm in the pics.

I like to think it's working out in the womb. Makin' momma proud, of course. And momma is still working out, too. Still teaching that 6:00AM class, still getting my cardio on...although I've had to change things up a bit. I can't lift more than 35 pounds at a time, and my heart rate has to stay below 140. This means that I'm working at a much lower intensity and relying pretty heavily on my heart rate monitor. But, rest assured, I'm still working! And loving it...'though I wish I could run a bit faster. I am primarily walking, but running here and there at a really, really slow pace. It feels good, which is all that matters.

And I think the baby likes it, too (given his/her performance at the ultrasound).

Rest assured, I will not let my modified exercise plans take the place of any exercise plans I give you! And speaking of, you'll want to check out Blissfully Domestic for my latest article: Build a Summer-Ready Body with These Ten Exercises.

I'm back! Didja miss me?

Please accept my sincerest apologies for the missing posts. I blame it all on AT&T. And no, I won't get into it because I've just now finally gotten rid of all the anger and frustration. I'm thinking happy thoughts and (quite frankly) I don't want to stop! Life has been so good in the new house and we've only been here for three days! It feels good to come home to and wake up in a place that is ours. All ours. No rent checks, no crazy neighbors clomping up and down the stairs as if the stairs are not attached to anyone's wall. It's so...

...peaceful. Especially when the deer run around on the other side of the fence with their babies. So precious, and I will click a pic at some point. They're just so fast!

Anyways. We're getting settled, room by room. Of course the first room to get organized was the kitchen, because you cannot live happily without an organized place in which to prep your food. At least I can't. Messy kitchens drive me nutso! So far, ours is staying quite clean.

I haven't done any decorating yet, so it's still rather bare, but it functions quite nicely and I have proof in today's lunch. A veggie sandwich because, yes...sometimes it's acceptable to forgo the cold cuts. I just add hummus to up the protein content. I added some of these, too (although not for protein):

Radishes. I can't honestly say that I eat them all that frequently, but Jason's mom brought us a bunch this weekend and I'm never one to let fresh produce pass me by. Turns out, I like them! Hooray! And I guess they contain Vitamin C, which is always good to bring into your diet.

Back to my sandwich. Oh, man. Was it good!

Add a glass of lemonade and some fresh Michigan cherries...best lunch ever. And I made it with random veggies. In fact, a veggie sandwich is the perfect way to use up all those leftover veggies. Trust me when I say that veggie sandwiches are good! You won't even miss the meat. Add a slice of Swiss, some hummus and honey mustard, season it with freshly ground pepper and some mixed spices...

...yum. I promise.

And if you use whole grain bread, it really ups the nutrition factor even more. Gotta get those healthy carbs! I know it sounds crazy, but you really do!

Quite frankly, this little beast set an awesome tone to my afternoon. You really can tell when you eat healthy. Dontcha think? We decided that, since we were on vacation, we should do as vacationers do. We dropped our efforts at the house and headed straight for the beach.

The sun felt so good. And midway through the afternoon, this peach tasted so good:

Don't forget about all that fresh fruit that's starting to pop up in your grocery stores and at your farmer's markets. It totally is Nature's candy. And it's oh, so good for you! The perfect addition to any healthy lifestyle, at least I think so.

Anyhoo, that's enough about today. As I sit here and type this, my husband is taking apart a big IKEA bookcase. It's the second time we've taken it apart, and I am really hoping it goes back together again without a hitch. Seriously, it's like my favorite thing in the whole world, but we can't get it into our office without taking it apart.

I better go help.

Question: What super healthy item(s) did you eat today?

Moving Day

We. Are. In! And we owe it all to the family and friends that came up/down for the trip. It was gorgeous day, and I'm sure the last thing they wanted to do was move boxes and bulky furniture to and fro—but they did.

And we will forever be in debt to them for doing so. It was a great day. A great day indeed. We kept things (pardon the pun) moving so we could enjoy the new place for a bit—complete with fresh brats on the grill.

Some hamburgers, too.

But as I sit here and type this post, I am quick to realize that it will be the last blog post I ever write in this tiny little apartment that has treated us so well. Bittersweet, that's for sure. It's so...empty in here! What remains are just the memories. And the laundry. We don't have our new laundry pair yet. Coming soon!

Also coming soon—more fitness. I PROMISE! I know this blog has turned into a bit of a personal diary as of late, but know that I haven't forgotten my roots as a healthy living blogger. It's just been...crazy. To say the least. But I assure you that my efforts to live a healthy, balanced life haven't been forgotten. I'm still hitting the gym, still trying to eat healthy...it's possible to do just that when life takes your regular style off the beaten path for a bit.

So with that, I leave you until tomorrow.

Hopefully. AT&T assures me that my Internet will be switched over, up and running tomorrow. You know, some time between the hours of 8:00AM and 8:00PM.

Thanks for the window, guys. Real specific there.

Question: Do you have a favorite grill recipe that combines flavor with all the qualities of a healthy recipe? Send it my way. I'm looking for something new to try! And, of course, I'll probably post about it...yes, I'll give you credit!

La Perla and La Clean House

Well, THAT was a full day! We cleaned the place from head to toe, wiping every nook and cranny in an effort to rid the place of its previous owners. Not that we disliked the previous owners, they turned out to be very nice, but we just wanted them out—so that we can finally call the place ours. You know, when we bring all of our stuff in. Because who wants to fill a dirty house, let's be honest.

I even bought a Swiffer for the occasion because the flooring is mostly wood or tile. I love my Swiffer. Almost as much as I love authentic Mexican food.

We broke for lunch and my husband took me to a place called La Perla. It's off the beaten path, and I can't believe this is the first time I've ever eaten there. Seriously, it's nothing more than a Mexican grocery store with a taco stand in the back. AND IT'S AWESOME. Proof:

Chicken tacos. Hold the cheese. And honestly, they took me back to Cozumel. They were that good. Oh, my gosh...I want more right now just thinking about them! I could have done without the sour cream, but...well, whatever. And if you think I'd eat Mexican food without guacamole, well then you obviously don't know me!

Good guac:

Great bill:

Really, it would have been less. They charged us twice for our drinks. But the beauty in that lies in the fact that they served bottled beverages. (Old school!) So we grabbed extras on the way out.

Speaking of "the way out", I'm about to head out of this day. It's been long, it's been fun, but it is most definitely time for bed. Another long day is ahead of us! The fams are coming down/up to move the rest of our junk on over to the new house. I hope to have my camera in hand the entire time. But we'll see how that goes.

Question: When you go "authentic," do you go Mexican? Italian? What? Me...it's always Mexican first, Italian second. And then after that, perhaps some Polish.

We own a house!

I have keys to a house. That I own. And it fries my brain.

I own a house.

I finally own a house.

Sorry, WE own a house.

And...I'm sick of writing my name down. (Holy paperwork, Batman!)

Everything went quite smoothly this morning, we signed the papers and headed back to the house to walk through it again as the official homeowners. It felt good. It made me feel old, like an adult...though I'm not sure I'll ever give up acting like a kid. If you've ever met my parents, you know that acting like a kid is in my blood. And I mean that in the best possible, most fun way. I love my parents. They're like...my friends, really. Never a dull, laugh-free moment.

Who wants to grow up, anyway? It's much more fun to be responsible while having tons 'o fun.

And that's just what we intend to do this weekend as we officially take over our new place of residence. Tonight, we finish up at the apartment by packing all the loose ends we've been using all week. Tomorrow, we clean the house. And on Sunday, well...let the fun begin! Sunday is move-in day and we've got our whole family coming down/up to help. Our intention is to get everything over there before lunch so that we can spend the afternoon enjoying the house and each other.

I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully. Our Internet is supposed to get switched over to the house on Monday, which means I should have access all weekend. Fingers crossed. And I apologize in advance, but this move is all-consuming which means that all thoughts of fitness are currently residing in the back of my head. You don't mind a little peak at my new life, do you?

Stick with me, I'll get back to fitness soon enough. 

Question: Do you remember what it was like to walk through the doors of your first home? Or the first apartment you ever rented on your own?

Tomorrow is the big day.

I can't even think about fitness right now, except I have to because I'm teaching at 6:00AM tomorrow morning. 1) Because who wants to sub a bright-and-early class, and 2) Because I love my Circuit Sculpters. They're such a good group, and they make it easy for me to get up early. In fact, it'll be the only time I see the gym next week. It's time for my new house vacation.

I've decided to take some time off to get the house organized. And really, to just enjoy it without distraction. Jason will be home, too. I'm sure we'll be running around like crazy fools, emptying boxes and making random trips to Target—but it'll be great fun, I'm hoping.

I'm also hoping to make use of these puppies:

Four quarts of fresh Michigan strawberries, gifted to me by one of my coworkers. I have every intention of making Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, although my dad just informed me that his rhubarb crop currently is not looking so hot. Cross your fingers that it's fine, and cross your fingers again that I can make this batch o' berries last until at least Monday...I probably won't have time to touch them until then. And my canning jars are packed up somewhere with my big pot in which I'd have to cook the stuff. Seriously, cross your fingers for me. Twice.

And cross your fingers a third time that all goes well tomorrow. We. Can't. Wait! 

Question: How do you keep strawberries from going bad? Should I put them in the 'fridge right this second? Rinse first? I need your advice! They've been sitting on my counter since Wednesday...

Go jam in the kitchen!

Hey, guys! Today's post is rather quick—I simply want to redirect you to Lauren's blog, Jammin' in the Kitchen. A few weeks ago, she asked me to write a guest post that contained a healthy recipe. I ended up writing about my favorite snack..otherwise known as Whole Foods' Chocolate Earth Balls. Of course, I made them my own. Check out her site to get my recipe for Amazing Berry Bombs. 

Chicken. From a can.

This is what my life has come to. Chaos. Almost unlivable chaos. Our life is packed away in boxes taped so well that I fear even I won't be able to get into them when it comes time to unpack. We have packed away all but the essentials, and even some essentials we're realizing that we do need. For example, our kitchen gear. Except for plastic plates and cups, our silverware and a cutting board—our kitchen cupboards are empty, which means we live in terms of convenience. Simple, only-what-you-need convenience. Which is a challenge when it comes to cooking healthy, that's for sure. Goodbye warm dishes, we can't reheat you as our glass bowls are covered in newspaper and taped away until next week. Goodbye recipe book, I don't even have time to plan from you.

I feel like I'm camping in my own home. Because when you camp, you take the essentials with you. And I can only use my essentials right now.

It's sorta fun, but not really.

If I'm going to camp, I'd rather be living the experience outside. In the wilderness, surrounded by animal sounds and yes, even mosquitoes. And I want to be sitting by a fire singing silly songs and roasting marshmallows for S'mores. Not stepping over crap I forgot I owned, or sitting on a chair next to a wall of boxes so big I can't even see the television. No, this is not the camping I like.

But I'm doing my best to enjoy it because on Friday...glorious Friday, I will have the keys to my (sorry...our) very first home. And it will be awesome.

I already have a long list going for Target. I can't even tell you how excited I am about that.

But let's get back to what I'd really like to talk to you about: Chicken. From a can.

Yes, I went there.

It wasn't that bad, although it did smell a bit like cat food at first.

We went grocery shopping a few days ago and decided that one of our meals across the next few days would be a salad with some chicken breast on top. But then we realized that our kitchen was a disaster zone and, if I'm being completely honest with you, we really didn't feel like cooking anything too complicated. And at the time, fresh chicken breast seemed complicated—and, if I'm being completely honest with you again, we were both totally intrigued by the canned chicken. Take a look:

It seemed innocent enough, and a quick check of the ingredients taught me that it only contained white meat, water and salt. Nutrition info:

Not bad. And I wiped out some of the sodium when I rinsed it...well, hopefully. I do this with veggies as I've heard it works. So I figured it would work in this case, too.

The resulting salad wasn't so bad. ('Course, I much prefer FRESH chicken breast.)

Why is balsamic vinegar and olive oil so good? Man. I love it.

And so, let's conclude with your Daily Dose of Fit: When you're in a pinch, regardless of the reason, there is almost always a way to keep yourself on the right path to good health. You just have to get creative. And that's what makes living the fit life so much fun! It's a constant journey during which you can always learn new and exciting things. And I'm not just talking about new and exciting things in the kitchen. You have to be open to trying these new things, though. This is when you really expose yourself to exciting adventures, culinary or otherwise.

Interesting? I think so.
Boring? Hardly.

Unless you're talking about packing, which I now have to resume...

Question: What compromises have you had to make as of late, if any?

Bike safe!

I packed up our "office" this weekend, and consequently came across this little gem of a booklet. I think I picked it up last summer at one of the cycling events I participated in, and I probably had every intention of blogging about it at the time, but alas—it got lost in the shuffle otherwise known as my life. Until now.

Here I sit with it today, finally having read it from front to back. I even took pictures of important points within because, well...even though the book is all about bicycle safety on Indiana's roads, I am guessing your state's government advocates for something similar. You'd have to check your state government's website for specifics, but I'm here today to share with you what Indiana thinks to (at the very least) get you thinking about how safe you keep yourself on a bike.

Let's start with your head. Specifically, your helmet. This book says that over 1,000 American bicyclists die in crashes every single year, and those deaths are usually related to brain injuries, which means—yes, you have to wear that goofy helmet. In light of the previous statistic, don't you think you look more goofy without that helmet than with it? I don't know about you, but I'll make myself look as weird as possible in the name of saving my brain. How to make sure your bike helmet fits properly? Here's a clip from the booklet:

Live it, love it and learn it! It'll save your life.

The other thing that'll save your life: Obeying all traffic rules. Indiana, and perhaps many other states, consider bikers to be just like drivers. Therefore, you must obey all traffic rules as if you were behind the wheel of a car. This even applies to one-way streets. Indiana cops will pull you over for biking the wrong way down a one-way street. This I didn't know, but I'm glad I do! And speaking of "the wrong way," you should always ride your bike WITH the flow of traffic. Another stat from this book: 20% of all car-bike collisions result when bikers ride against traffic. Yikes, right? It's an easy fix, so fix it!

Not so easy? Turning left on a bike. Another clip from the booklet:

"Always signal," that's key. If you don't know the proper cycling signals, this image will help you learn them:

Now, get out there and test those signals!

If you want your own copy of the above (or a sweet coloring book), click here. You probably don't have to be from Indiana to get one!

Question: Ever have a scare on your bike?

Eat fresh!

Subway sure did hit the spot tonight. I can't even stop thinking about how good my sandwich was. And the best part? It was good for me. I got the Veggie Delight on wheat bread with Pepper Jack cheese and just about every vegetable behind the counter (except for those neon yellow peppers, ew) topped with a sprinkle of pepper and just a dollop...a small dollop of honey mustard dressing. SO. GOOD. So tasty. And proof that fast food doesn't have to be bad food.

Eat that McDonald's and Burger King.
Just eat it!

We spent Father's Day without our fathers, forgoing holiday hoopla for what proved to be a productive day of packing. We're pretty much down to the essentials, with the rest of our lives boxed up and ready for the big move. Just a few small things in the kitchen need to be boxed, and then there's all of our clothes and the computer. I even boxed up my shoe collection today, carefully writing "FRAGILE" on the box so that everyone would know to handle it with care. Hey, they're precious to me! (She says with a laugh...)

And so that Subway sandwich above, yes...you guessed it. We packed them into a cooler and headed down to the bluff. If you haven't caught on by now, this is how we typically end our Sundays. Bluffin' it with a packed dinner of some sort.

Mmmmm, Subway. I love you.

Today's highlights?

Chicken Satay, found in the June issue of Cooking Light. What I love about this magazine is that everything is (well, looks) so dang good...and it's usually pretty good for you, too. But the real lesson lies in the fact that you have to plan some downtime into your day just as much as you have to plan some fitness. Make sure, as crazy as life can be, that you give yourself time to do things that will relax the mind and soothe the body. For me, that usually involves reading a book or a magazine. Tonight, I gave myself a dose of both.

I'm still reading Run Like A Girl, and I can't wait to write my official book review. There's some good stuff within, and I think you'll like the quotes I'm bookmarking to share. Who doesn't love a good quote, right?

Who doesn't love a loud train passing by, right?

This was a long one, carrying loads of coal somewhere north of my little town.

Trains never cease to fascinate me. Have you ever taken a trip by train? I'm not talking a puddle-jumper to the next town over...I'm talking a cross-country, sleeper car type of trip. I've always wondered what that would be like.

Anyways.
It's Sunday night, which means I've got Circuit Sculpt in the morning.

Time to prep!
You, too...do you know what your workout schedule is for the upcoming week? Make sure you have one!

Question: Do you have any Sunday traditions? We used to do Sunday sundaes, too. We stopped that tradition, thankfully.

A Saturday Night Silly

When I get bored, I scour the Internets for funny fitness videos. Sure, there are other things I should be doing with my time (like continuing to pack)—but do you blame a girl for needing a giggle? Today's surfing adventure produced this, an old Nike ad:



Great closer, right? I love that it starts out so thoughtful, because really, this guy is thinking what a lot of us runners think when we're out on the road. And then...boom. Hello, punchline! It's great. At least I think so.

Hope you're all having a great weekend. Mine is flying by. I rode almost 8 miles this morning in an effort to drop off some videos at the video rental place, then the hubs and I headed to South Bend to shop for grown-up things like laundry pairs, dehumidifiers, lawnmowers and trash cans. We came home with mouthwash, shaving cream and eyeliner.

Fail.

Tomorrow? More packing. More planning for those grown-up purchases...we have less than a week! Can't wait to show you some pics of the new place. Particularly the kitchen. I haven't been cooking as much lately because my dinky little apartment kitchen is currently in a sad state of affairs. Well, let's be honest, my whole apartment is in a sad state of affairs.

Moving stinks.

Question: Have you made any funny fitness finds lately? If so, send them my way!

"You can't afford to be skinny!"

Let's take a look at the following ad, which comes to us from 1969:

If you read the text within the above ad, you'll find verbage that speaks negatively of the "thin, flat, skinny and underweight" look we so commonly see in present-day print. I find that awesome, and equally frustrating at the same time.

Awesome, because I wish that's what society was telling us these days—there are far too many of us that determine our own worth by the number on our scale. Correction—there are far too many of us that determine our own worth by the DECREASING number on the scale.

Frustrating, because this is another case of someone else determining what our self worth should be. Advertising, you sneaky beast! Let us be US, for silly's sake! Stop trying to make us feel less than deserving of our own happiness! Will it ever end? Will there ever be a standard for us to go by? No, and that's why we need to go by our own healthy standards. Not those proposed by printed pieces meant only to sell products.

In 1969, we needed to gain weight to find perfection.

In 2011, we need to lose weight to find perfection.

Is your head spinning in circles?

I call bullshiz. Ladies (gents, too)...stop referencing these digitally enhanced images. Stop referencing the unrealistic representation of the everyday. Start looking in the mirror and seeing yourselves for who you are both inside and out. Realize, once and for all, that what you see in print is not what you should be in person. Realize, once and for all, that you are much more than that flat image on the page in front of you. Life is meant to be lived to its fullest, healthiest potential.

You can't do that if you're constantly striving to be more like the unrealistic portrayals of life otherwise known as product advertisements.

The only thing you should be in person is YOU. Beautiful, original, unique and special you. Not the version of you based solely on, well...ads. And perhaps other people you think are (but are not really) better than you.

Am I a broken record? Perhaps. But if there's one thing I want you to take away from Daily Dose, it's the belief that you are who you are. And that person is amazing (and capable of so much more than you think). 

Question: See an ads lately that probably influenced you more than they should? Tell me about them, and whether or not you bought the product.

It was an epic fail...in slow motion.

Sad.

My poor little pink iPod is shattered to bits, and I have karma to blame. You see, on Sunday, I made fun of my dad for dropping and cracking is iPhone. And then on Tuesday, I dropped and cracked my iPod at the gym. It literally fell about a foot out of my hand and onto the floor. And that's where the cracking ensued. But it was one of those situations that took place in slow motion. I swear all the commotion around me sounded like slow-mo, too.  I saw my iPod wobble in my hand, I tried to correct the wobble while simultaneously realizing that the situation wasn't going to end well. And it obviously didn't.

One trip to the Apple store later and I've learned that it can't be fixed. Looks like I'm getting a new iPod at some point. Or maybe I'll take it up a notch and finally switch to the iPhone. Regardless, I have to have something—which is why I immediately took to the packing tape to secure all the bits and pieces. My little pink still works. For now. Which is good, given that I use it in all of the classes that I teach.

The reality of the situation, however, is that I won't be getting anything new anytime soon. I sit here right now crossing my fingers out of pure desperation and hope...hope that my currently working (but shattered) iPod continues to work until things settle down with the house.

One week, friends. ONE WEEK until we sign our lives away to our new home. We can't wait! Needless to say, life has been hectic. And messy...unorganized and, well...boxed like crazy.

I've said that before, though. Right?

Gah!

At least my legs aren't sore anymore. I'm teaching Circuit in the morning. We won't be doing any walking lunges or dead lifts.

Or maybe we will.

Who says torture isn't fun?

Question: Are you a fan of P90X? Have you checked out any of the other Beachbody workouts? If so, which one(s) and what did you think of them? (I know, random question...I'm just curious!)

Would you buy this product?

I can't stop thinking about the ridiculous amount of fitness gear on the shelves, some of which is absolutely not even remotely necessary or effective. I mean, does it get any more ridiculous than the above? Let's be glad we've made some advances since this time—although I think the whole vibration technique is still used by some. Not sure I believe in it, really.

Question: What's the most ridiculous piece of fitness equipment you've ever laid eyes on?

Ow.

I kicked my own butt in Circuit Sculpt on Monday. Yeah, literally. We did walking lunges, and I held 15-pound weights. We did single-leg dead lifts, and I held 15-pound weights. Three sets of 15 repetitions each, which I have done before but never to this effect. Perhaps it was the bouts of running in place with my feet both hip-width apart and wide-squat width.

It hurts to sit on the toilet.
It hurts to walk up stairs.
It hurts to stand up.

It hurts too much to get my camera out to take pretty and compelling pictures for this post.

I hurt. And oddly, I love it. I have a really, super hard time challenging my legs. I blame this on all those years of gymnastics and cheerleading, and all the running I do. In fact, I tried to run/walk this morning for 40 minutes. Great success, but I felt it. I'm still feeling it. So for the rest of this evening, I'm going to plant my butt on the couch. Well, after I paint my toenails.

Yeah, it's time to relax.
Tomorrow is a new day.

And hopefully I won't be sore.

Question: Do you like feeling sore? What muscle group do you have a hard time challenging?

A 15-Minute Cardio and Strength Circuit

There's an old saying that highlights quality as being more important than quantity, and it's a saying that finds great importance in the gym. You don't have to run on the treadmill for hours upon hours, or hit the weights every day to gain muscle and streamline body fat. You really, honestly don't—but many of you (my clients, too) really, honestly don't believe me. I get it because we're also told an old saying that indicates the more, the merrier. Let's stop and think about this for a second, though. If you go, go, go you get tired, tired and tired. Am I right? So think about your muscles in this way. To overload them is to fatigue them, and we need our muscles to be in tip-top condition each and everyday because they are the mechanics that propel us forward in our actions. So let me offer these two rules, and let me encourage you to never, ever break them:

1) Always and forever give your muscles at least 24 hours in between strength sessions. If you do a total body workout today, don't do another one until Wednesday. If you train arms today, don't train them again until Wednesday.

2) Never ever forget that the quality of your workout is much more important than how many times you work out. I know, I already said this. For example, I strength train twice a week. Mondays and Fridays, total body, one hour. And I work my butt off during those two hours. In between, I'm getting in my fair share of cardio sessions, which don't overload my muscles quite like a strength session. And, of course, I'm constantly demonstrating exercises, which get me little minuscule workouts here and there—but I have to be careful not to take these demonstrations too far, lest I overload my muscles.

Got it? Good.

Now let's talk about the following 15-Minute Cardio and Strength Circuit. It's a lot of work in a little amount of time, perfect for those days you don't have the time to hit the gym or get your full workout in. You can do the following, work up a sweat, and walk away refreshed and ready for the rest of your day. Best part? All you need is a stopwatch.

Monkey Pushups:



Enjoy!

Question: What is your current workout schedule? Do you give yourself enough rest in between sessions?

It was a Blue Diamond sunday.

Do you like Blue Diamond products? As in, Blue Diamond milk...flavored almonds...nut-thins, etc? Me, well I'm a fan of the brand and I partook in it's offerings twice today. All because of that Naturally Savvy gift bag I got a few days ago. (Sign up to win your own if you haven't already!)

It started with almond milk. Vanilla almond milk, which is not my typical choice, but it was tasty none-the-less. I much prefer plain almond milk, but I mixed this version in a breakfast bake. I haven't had a breakfast bake in a while, and this one was particularly tasty:

Let's call it the Blue Diamond Breakfast Bake, complete with fresh blueberries, whole wheat flour, organic maple syrup and strawberries, flaxseed...oh, and a sprinkling of Jessica's Gluten Free Vanilla Maple Granola. Yum. So good. And filling, which is always a plus when it comes to breakfast. At least in my kitchen because I'm typically on the move in the morning more so than any other time of day.

And this thing sure did power me up for a day of packing! You should see our apartment. We have a few walls of boxes, empty counters and shelves...it's great, but it's uncovering all the dirt which I can't bring myself to tackle just yet. We've been preoccupied with the packing, obviously not cleaning. That'll get done before we hand the keys over, I suppose. But speaking of packing, I took a break to munch on some Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins.

Really good, these guys. Especially with some garlic hummus. They offer just the right amount of salty flavor in combination with an excellent dose of healthy goodness. No junky ingredients, in other words. Light, crispy...16 crackers qualifies as one serving, which I think is a great number. I hate when they only give you, like...three. What's that? A taste?! Eh. Anyways, here's an outtake from the above photo shoot for your entertainment.

I swear, I can't get the guy to smile nice for a picture, but he's always up for being goofy in front of the lens.

Silly dude.

So in lieu of packing all day and all night, we broke off around 3:00PM and headed down to the bluff for our typical Sunday night routine of reading (Run Like a Girl), relaxing and eating.

Relaxing:

Eating:

Oh, sorry. No pictures of that. We ate Silver Beach Pizza, and when you eat Silver Beach Pizza, you don't bother with cameras. You eat. It's that good. So good, my parents drove 45 minutes north to eat with us. Trust me, you would, too.

And if you do, don't bother eating in the restaurant. Get it to go and curl up on your favorite blanket, picnic-style. Much more fun.

It's a good thing I snagged a 45-minute power walk this afternoon.

Oh, PS: My calves are burning. We did single-leg calf presses in class on Friday, one 15 lb. weight in hand. One set of 15 per side, then two sets of 15 double-leg calf presses. I can hardly walk! This may be a good indication that I've been ignoring my calf muscles. Don't ignore your calf muscles.

Back tomorrow with a quick 15-minute cardio and strength circuit. No equipment necessary! (Get excited.)

Question: Is there a restaurant in your life that you'd drive any distance for? Did you work out today?

The Farmer's Market

It's Saturday, which means that my local farmer's market is up and running again. I honestly forgot about it until Jason asked if I wanted to go, to which I responded with an enthusiastic "yes." And this time, I brought my camera:

Not much yet in terms of produce, but I did snag myself a pint of the beautiful strawberries you see above. They're organic, which makes them even better. Looking forwarding to snagging more produce as it becomes available.

And this, of course, is why you should seek out your local farmer's market:



Question: Do you visit your farmer's market regularly? What items do you love buying locally?

It's Friday. Oh, boy...it's Friday.

What. A. Week. Seriously...crazy. It's been awhile since I've worked over 40 hours, and I think I managed to do just that this week. Between the hours I put in at the gym, and the freelance work I did at my old agency, I seemed to have run around with my head cut off this week. And I think you noticed, given my sporadic posting schedule.

Unfortunately, I don't think that sporadic posting schedule is going to change anytime soon. We close on the house in exactly two weeks, which means we've got exactly two weeks to pack up our belongings and get all the financials in order, transfer magazine subscriptions and utilities, etc...etc. The list is a mile long. But I'm going my best to keep Daily Dose a part of that list. I'm vowing, at the very least, to say hello to you every single day. If that gets lame, I promise you that it won't last forever. Hang with me?

Thanks.

On that note, I have to share with you a photo of something I found during a recent packing spree.

It's my Cabbage Patch doll in her yellow sweatsuit and gym shoes! I don't think it's the outfit she came in, but I loved it the most which obviously helps to prove that I was a fitness fanatic at a very young age—ha! I mean, who wants to their doll to wear a shiny rockstar outfit (which I also had for her) when they can wear something comfy and suitable for movement? I've kept her in this outfit ever since, and I honestly don't think I even have any of the other outfits anymore.

Anyways. Back to packing...

Have a weekend!

Question: What's your earliest recollection of loving fitness?

Naturally Savvy Gift Bags

It feels like Christmas right now. No, not because the temperatures dropped so fiercely from yesterday's 94-degree weather...it feels like Christmas because Mr. Mailman delivered me a hefty (and totally cool) package. (I love it when I get home and there's a box at my door.)

Hello, Naturally Savvy gift bag! I love you so much because from tip-top to bottom, you are filled with natural goodness in the form of products I have never heard of (well, except for a few).

Literally, there are 15 pounds of natural and organic goodness within. This thing is hefty!

As you may recall, the kind people at Naturally Savvy requested permission to feed my blog posts to their site. I absolutely love their site, so I said "yes" in a heartbeat. When they agreed to send me one of their gift bags to review, I think I may have jumped up and down in my desk chair. So today, when it actually got here, I said "holy sh*t" when I opened the box. I had no idea how cool it would be! Sweet swag, that's for sure.

I will be reviewing the products within off and on over the course of the next few weeks, but for now, I'll satisfy your curiosity with this:

Barbara's Snackimals Animal Cookies in Double Chocolate. Dontcha know I'd go for the chocolate! It wasn't a disappointing choice, not at all. These things are good, made even more so by the lack of artificial flavors, additives and preservatives found in other chocolate animal crackers. I love that I recognize all of the ingredients within. And with only nine grams of sugar per serving, you can be sure this snack is better for you than your average chocolate bar.

Random thought: I bet these little dudes taste uh-mazing when dipped into some almond butter.

I drool just thinking about it.

Where to find them? I'm fairly certain almost every grocery store out there stocks Barbara's products, but you can use their Store Locator to scope out your area. And if you browse around their website, you might even find a coupon.

Speaking of browsing websites, head on over to Naturally Savvy and enter your name into their monthly drawing for—you guessed it—a Naturally Savvy Gift Bag!

Question: What is your favorite natural and/or organic product? It doesn't have to be food!

How to Survive a Heat Wave

Go to the pool. Rule number one, just go to the pool. And get in the water, even if it's just to dip your toes in all that coolness. Why didn't I just go to the beach? It's not as fun when you're alone, for starters. And I didn't feel like dealing with all that sand today. Hot, sticky sand did not sound pleasant. At all. I did, however, grab a power walk. Which, as it always does, leads me down to the beach.

This brings me to rule number two: Drink heavily. I should clarify...drink water very heavily. When the temps are up, your body needs all the help it can get to stay hydrated. So obviously a bottle of iced, cold water does the trick. I took one with me on my walk.

Rule number three: Don't attempt to exercise strenuously when the temps are above average. A power walk is manageable, but if I had been running, well...things probably wouldn't have been that good. If you want to snag a workout outside, do so in the early morning or late evening hours when the sun isn't at it's fullest power.

Other ways to survive a heat wave: water balloon fights, gyms, air conditioning, fans, popsicles, shade, movie theaters. Anything that keeps you cool, really. Yes, it might be beautiful outside, but it's OK to forgo all that beautiful sunshine if you're just not feeling the corresponding temperatures.

Speaking of not feeling things, I stopped reading my current book of choice. While I absolutely loved the subject matter, it just wasn't grabbing me like a good summer read should. Plus, I think I've got too much going on right now for such a heavy read. So I've decided to shelf it for the time being, and that's something I very rarely ever do, but I've got this stack of books calling my name. And in that stack of books, I found the following:

It came to the pool with me this afternoon, and it was sent to me by the author. I intend to give you my official book review once I finish reading it, but for now, I will say that it's turning out to be quite a decent read. I'll leave you with this quote:

 

Question: What's your activity of choice when the temps outside reach record highs?