Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!  It's time for another installment of Friday Favorites!  I'm linking up with Katie, Clare, and Heather this week, and I feel like this is more of a continuation from yesterday's post...so here are some more favorites...

Speaking of continuation from yesterday's post...remember when I said that I am a crazy pet parent.  I checked out my pictures from this week and this is what I found...

Out for a walk

Doing abs with my helper



Stretching with my helper-he was a little tired after our walk!

 I may have a problem!!  He's just so cute that it is hard not to take pics.

I recently signed up to be a coach with Girls on the Run (a great organization which encourages girls to feel healthy and confident and empowered by running). When I was on their site signing up, I found out that they are one of the charities on Charity Miles.

Charity Miles is what I really wanted to tell you guys about. It is an app on your phone that uses the GPS to track miles, and equates them to either $.10/mile for biking or $.25/mile for running or walking to be donated to the charity of your choice. Once you finish your activity, it asks to post to Facebook or Twitter. You are required to do the post for the miles to count because it raises awareness for your charity and the company sponsoring you/donating the money. I encourage all of you who walk, run or bike to download the app and check it out. If you are doing the activity anyway, why not raise money and awareness for your favorite charity??

My strawberry plant has fruit! It has been growing tiny green strawberries, but I finally have an adorable red and ripe strawberry!!! I should not be this excited about one strawberry, but I can't help myself!

The summer trend of cute flowy and light tops is fantastic.  This shirt from Francesca's is super cute.  So is this from this top from Express.

What are you loving right now? 

Thursday Thoughts

I'm feeling so off this week. I have no idea what day it is, but I am happy that it is almost Friday!! Since I am feeling off, today is random thought Thursday!!

#1-I'm pretty sure I am a crazy pet parent. I definitely talk to my dog and I am planning his FIRST birthday party this weekend!!  I also meet most of the 15 signs that you are obsessed with your dog from this buzzfeed article.... http://www.buzzfeed.com/cvlee12/15-signs-that-you-are-obsessed-with-your-dog-fs6g

I mean-look at this face!  So adorable!

#2-Frozen might be my new favorite Disney movie!  When Sven gets his tongue stuck to the rail I bust out laughing every time.  The trolls and Olaf are so adorable.  There isn't anything that I don't like about this movie!  Who wouldn't want to build a snowman?!?!

#3-I really wish that I was invited to Kimye's wedding.  John Legend singing live?  And you know the fashion was insane!



Photo from E! Online

#4-I'm pretty sure I broke my finger.  I have jammed it before, but this seems worse.  Plus, it is a little numb today.  I was playing flag football and tried to catch a bad pass with my finger tip apparently.  I assumed it was jammed last night, but the swelling kept increasing as the night went on.  Probably didn't help that I played 2.5 hours of 4's sand volleyball after! Maybe I can tape it to my index finger for tonight's volleyball game...I mean-it is just my left hand.

You guys are welcome for these shots!

#5-My brother got engaged last night!!  I'm so happy for him.  We have been asking him when he was going to make it official with his girlfriend of 3 years for quite awhile now.  I LOVE her!!  She is so sweet and considerate and will make a great addition to our family!!!



#6-I had to run from flag football straight to volleyball last night, so I needed a pick me up.  I forgot how delicious an Iced Skinny Vanilla Latte from Starbucks can be!  So refreshing and just what I needed.

Tell me something random that you thought of today.



Would You Rather

Clare at Fitting It All In posted a cute Would You Rather post on Monday. I'm jumping on board and answering the questions that she put up.

Would You Rather….


Speak another language or get higher degree? Speak another language-Spanish

Have a beautiful singing voice or be a fantastic dancer? Be a fantastic dancer.  I have always wanted to be graceful and have sweet moves!

Be a CEO of a huge company or run your own small business? Run my own small business.  Now I just need to find something I love and do it!  Oh and fund it...minor details!

Fly like a bird or teleport? Fly like a bird-if you teleport, you miss out on seeing what's in between where you start and where you end up.

Eat only sweet food or only salty food for the rest of your life?  Salty - I am a savory/salty fan!

Do yoga or lift weights? Both are a struggle for me.  I SHOULD be doing more of both!

Be a SUPER fast runner be SUPER strong? Super fast runner-then I could win races instead of coming in 572nd!

Have 8 kids or no kids? No kids-no thank you to 8! 

Have a small, older home with character or design a big brand new home?  Big and brand new.  I like character, but doing a ton of work to an old home doesn't interest me.  I like my little (and super easy) Pinterest projects.

Watch the Today Show or Good Morning America? Today Show

Watch only sports or watch only BRAVO? This is a tough one!!  I'll have to go with sports, but I would really, REALLY miss Bravo! 

Cook a romantic dinner at home or go to the nicest restaurant in town?  Go out to the nicest restaurant in town.  I really like to try new things when I go out to restaurants.  I'm not as brave at home when cooking with unfamiliar ingredients.

Drink beer or wine? Both

Eat cookies or eat cake? Yes please!

Have only brothers or have only sisters? I can't pick.  I have one of each and I love them both!  I can't imagine anything else!

Go to Africa or Asia?  Africa-I would love to hike Kilimanjaro and go on a safari.  I have friends who did it a few years ago and said it was amazing!

Eat sweet potato fries or regular fries? Regular fries.  I'm one of the only people on earth who doesn't love sweet potato fries

Own an SUV or a sports car?  SUV-I like to have lots of room.  Plus, the pup has to have a place to sit!

Have a personal chef or a personal trainer? Personal trainer.  I like cooking, so I would be sad if someone did it for me.

Sleep for 9 hours every night but no coffee, or sleep for 6 hours a night and have coffee? I'm not a huge coffee drinker.  I'll have the occasional Starbucks for fun, but I don't drink it every day.  So I'll take 9 hours of sleep.

Read a book or watch a movie? Read a book. 

Live on the east coast or west coast? West-fun in the sun!  I have never been to Califonia, but I am certain that I would love it!

Have your toenails painted or your fingernails painted?  Fingernails.  I hate having my feet touched!

Go to the beach or the mountains? Beach-I will always choose beach!

Your turn-pick a few and comment or borrow like I did and post on your blog!  Happy Hump Day!

24 Day Challenge Results and Recap

Well, I made it through the challenge. However-I wouldn't call my journey a challenge. I customized the Advocare 24 Day Challenge to fit my lifestyle.  The website says: The 24-Day Challenge™ is a comprehensive supplementation and nutrition program. Give your body the jump start it needs to help you reach your goals.  There’s something for everyone: weight management, energy, overall body composition or overall wellness.  I totally agree. 

Let's look back at why I decided to do the challenge from my initial post:
Becky encouraged me to join and it seemed like a good opportunity to try it out. Several healthy living bloggers have been posting about positive results not only with weight loss, but with energy levels and overall health improvements!  A big thank you to Becky for reaching out!!  My energy levels improved a ton and my stomach seems to be a lot flatter without the processed foods!  I definitely was low energy during the cleanse, but the max phase almost instantly restores your energy and even gives you more.  Hello half marathon PR earlier in the month!!

No one loves to get into a bikini (except maybe swim suit models!) and it is always a little stressful trying to get in summer shape...so this is a great kick start to get that beach body!  I didn't lose a ton of weight, but I definitely feel better and less bloated (except for this weekend after all the beers!!).  I even got into a swim suit yesterday by the pool.  I am planning to do the challenge right before the wedding just to ensure that I am on track with my diet and so I can look hot in my dress.  

Clean eating-I have been trying to eat more whole foods, but there is always room for improvement. I eat pretty healthy most of the time, but processed foods definitely creep into my diet more than they should. I am looking forward to seeing how I feel without them.  I didn't realize how much processed food that I was consuming (ahem, ramen noodles).  Removing it from my diet made me realize how much better I felt not eating "fake food".  Plus, I fell in love with salads again.  I had forgotten how much I love them!!

Cut waaayyyy back on soda and booze. I have one can of diet coke per day + an occasional fountain drink as a treat. I feel like this is too much and would like to completely eliminate it for the challenge. Booze on the other hand-I will cut back on this one. It is getting to be wonderful patio weather and there are a few events that are on the calendar where I plan to limit myself to 2 drinks.  Soda was a success.  I didn't have any soda at all on the challenge!!  I haven't gone back to my one diet coke per day and I haven't had a fountain soda yet.  I plan to stick to water, spark, and crystal light!  Booze-I didn't do so well with this one!!  I followed my 2 drink rule on the cleanse phase, but was more lax during the max phase.  Again-prob why I didn't lose more weight, but I knew that would be the case!

Overall Results-not huge changes for me.  Most of my change was how I feel and getting back on track with being aware of what I am putting in my body!  It is weird not taking so many pills each day too!  I kinda miss the morning ritual/routine!! 

If you are interested in doing the 24DC, I recommend speaking to an advocare coach and talking about your goals and needs.  They can help you come up with a plan and offer tips and advice to help you through the challenge! 

Have you done the 24DC?  Did you have good results?  How did you feel before/during/after the challenge?

Any post challenge tips?

Weekend in Pictures

I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend!! We celebrated with great friends, delicious food and drinks, and some lake time!!

Delicious drinks:

Yummy food:

Fun with friends:

Lots of lake time:

Worn out pup!

How was your Memorial Day weekend?

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday before a long weekend!!! I'm so ready for a long relaxing weekend. I'm heading to the lake tomorrow after my run for some fun in the sun.

It's time for Friday Favorites and Five Things Friday. I'm linking up with Katie for Friday Favorites and Clare for Five Things Friday.

#1-I found this awesome wine steaks on Pinterest from http://spikeyourwine.com/

#2-The Bachelorette started back up. I liked Andy a lot on Juan Pablo's season, so I'm giving it a chance. So far, it's pretty good. The guys are funny!

#3-We found this hilarious album when shopping for furniture in Bobby's parents basement. It is so fun to go through old stuff! 

#4-Today is the last day of my 24 Day Challenge!! I'm so excited to see results tomorrow. 

#5-Check out these amazing ideas...

Drones delivering champs-yes please!

http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2014/05/champagne-delivered-to-your-hotel-room-by-drone

Cooler scooter...brilliant!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1yAw0bh3tsg&list=UU8-Th83bH_thdKZDJCrn88g

Do you have fun plans for Memorial Day Weekend?

5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Life

It's almost summer and life gets super busy!! Here are 5 ways to spring clean your life and set you up to have a great summer.

#1-tighten up your workout regimen. Ramp up your workouts in the mornings  so you are already in a groove when summer comes around and it gets hot in the evenings-social life and temperature wise!

#2-sign up for fun leagues. Sand volleyball, softball, golf, kick ball...whatever you're into. Joining a league is an amazing way to meet people and bring in extra exercise in a fun way!!

#3-take advantage of the amazing fruits and vegetables that are in season. Support your local farmers when possible by hitting up a farmers market or even grow your own!!

#4-plan patio dates and cookouts with your friends. Nothing is more fun than catching up with friends and enjoying the outdoors at the same time! 

#5-don't stress over bikini season. Nothing is more beautiful than confidence! It's great to try to improve yourself as long as you're going abou it the right way. No starving and deprivation needed-we don't want any hangry beach goers! :)

How do you get ready for summer?

Bonus: Overland Park Farmers Market put this guide together for what is in season from spring to fall. I wanted to share with all of you guys. 

Weekly Workouts

I haven't done a weekly workout check in for a little while.  Last week was a taper week, so there is not much to tell there.  This week has been better and more interesting.

Saturday: Half Marathon-if you missed the recap, check it out here and on the Race Recap tab.  Driving range to hit some golf balls-not a lot of exercise, but it still takes some effort to swing a club. :)

Sunday: Bright and early for pool play for a volleyball tournament.  Luckily we won fairly easily, so I didn't have to work too hard on tired legs.  After pool play, I came home and took Porter out for a mile and a half walk.  I did some yoga and stretching on Sunday night to loosen up my stiff and sore muscles.  It really is helping...especially when I have my own helper making sure I do things right!

Monday: Continuation of the volleyball tourney.  It was an 8 team single elimination bracket.  We had to win 2 out of 3 games with rally scoring to 25.  The competition was tough!!!  We won our first 2 games to advance to the next round where we met the team that eventually won the tournament.  Close games, but we lost and ended up playing for 3rd place.  We beat the other team and took Bronze.  Not a bad Monday night!!!

Tuesday: I went to the chiropractor and he said that my back looked good-especially after a lot of activity.  So after a quick adjustment, I have graduated to weekly appointments and hopefully soon-monthly!  Yay!!  After my adjustment, I went for a shake out run-well....that's what I planned anyway.  I started out at 7:45 pace for the first mile, dropped to 7:35 for the second mile and realized that my legs are def tired during the 3rd mile where I ran 7:55.  Those are fast miles for me!  I had to stop a couple of times in the last mile.  I came home and took Porter for a mile walk-it was a little too hot for a pup to run. 

Wednesday: I did a little yoga this morning to wake up.  Tonight I am going to go on an easy run after work.  3-5 miles depending on how I feel and then take the pup out for a 2 mile run/walk.  It is still warm, so we will see how he does. 

Thursday: 30 minute bike ride + HIIT workout-->probably this one that I found on Pinterest

Friday: Rest day
Saturday: Long run of 6-8 miles
Sunday: Rest day

What are you workouts this week?  Do you have any upcoming races?

Treat Yourself Tuesday

Welcome to Treat Yourself Tuesday-where the treats are plentiful and always fun!!  Thanks to Becky at Olives 'n Wine, I try to treat myself a little bit each week.  Head over here to see why it is so important to treat yourself!

Without further ado...how did I treat myself this week??

Pretty flowers to brighten the apartment:

Nails-spring mani to brighten my day every time I look at them! :) 

Delicious and healthy breakfasts:

Eggs, mango salsa, fruit

Whole wheat sandwich thin w/avocado and sriracha (I really love sriracha!!):

I have been trying to do more yoga.  I have done it for relaxation and post run stretching:

Since the weather has been nicer, I spruced up our patio.  I bought this cute coffee table so we have somewhere to put our drinks.  We will have to be careful of the tail zone-one glass casualty so far this summer!!

This adorable pillow also from World Market-on sale right now! 

I found this fly swatter at the store and couldn't resist.  I'm not sure I will be able to use it to kill a fly.  It's just too cute!

How did you treat yourself this week?