What I’m Loving Wednesday

I’ve seen these posts on other blogger’s sites like pbfingers and carrotsncake so I decided to jot down a bit about the things I am loving lately, here they are –

• Homemade Kale Chips

I’ve loved kale chips for a few years now, but for the longest time could never figure out how to make them so crispy and not soggy. I finally got the recipe right and these are a hit every.single.time!

• My Husband Getting a Bike

For about 7 years now I have been asking my husband to get a bike so we can go for rides together and last week he finally did! I love that he can help me train for the upcoming STP (Seattle to Portland) bike ride. It even motivated me to put my bike rack (that I have been storing for years) on my car.

• Thrift Shopping

Over the last few months, I have sadly gained some unwanted pounds and some of my clothes don’t fit right now. Since I know this is temporary, I have really enjoyed finding cheap clothing at thrift stores like Goodwill and Value Village. The other day I needed to find a pair of capris and was able to find a pair in just the right size for $4! Another item on my list was a bathing suit top and I didn’t think I would find one at Goodwill but I actually found two – with the tags still on so it’s not totally gross.

• My New Samsung Galaxy S6

I went to the dark side. I gave up my iPhone for an android and at first I hated it but now I really love it. I like that it syncs so well with all of my Google applications and I oddly enjoy that the applications don’t have badge notifications because then I’m finding that I don’t need to open my alerts all the time, which is refreshing.

• Barre3

With my Class Pass membership, I get to go to some pretty cool local studios but the one I can’t get enough of lately is Barre3! I even maxed out my three visits per month this past month and that has never happened before, but the day my monthly membership renewed, I reserved a class. Every time I go to the studio in my neighborhood the instructors are so so so friendly and it just makes me feel at home. I get a killer workout and the teachers always say the most positive quotes – kind like yoga but better. It makes me wish I could be a Barre3 franchise owner or work for HQ in Portland!

What are you loving lately?

Currently

I found this survey over at Iowa Girl Eats and it looked like fun and I like having fun, so here we go!

Time and place: 8:50pm, sitting on my living room couch in my cozy apartment looking a my husband in the distance and listening to the pouring down rain and cars drive by outside.

Cooking: Nothing at the moment. Tonight, we celebrated my sister-in-law’s 16th birthday at a local noodle restaurant and I ordered vermicelli bun for the first time, it was so yummy! I usually order pho but I liked how the bun had more veggies in it. This week, I do plan to make a lighter version of this soup so that will be some cooking for me.

Anticipating: Spring! I feel like there have been a few days teasing us with spring-like weather here in the Northwest and I am loving it. Sun and warmth bring me so much joy because that means more time spent outdoors and….baseball!

Seeking: rock climbing shoes. My husband and I joined a rock climbing gym (in addition to my Class Pass membership) and are now trying to find shoes but we know very little about what to get and the prices for these shoes are quite high so we are trying to find whats best.

Avoiding: folding my laundry. To me, this is probably my most hated chore. Funny story, years ago when I was living alone in a studio I constantly had a mound of fresh clean clothes on top of my dryer about 3 feet high because I just didn’t want to fold them. Still, to this day there is always a pile of clean clothes on my floor waiting for me to fold them.

Craving: Water. This is weird considering I drink about a gallon of water every single day, maybe my sodium intake has been high or something but I am loving water.

Loving: Lots of things: the fact that I learned you can save a FB group post to read later, my Strides iphone app to record my daily habits, my supportive girlfriends and the fact I am finally following my dreams in terms of my career.

Reading: Head Over Heels. I found this book at the library a couple weeks back because I wanted something casual and funny, so far it has been a good read. I also wanted a paperback book because they are easier for me to hold in bed, anyone else agree? I am aiming to read 2 days a week which I am really enjoying.

Watching: The Bachelor. I’ve always been into reality TV and have watched The Bachelor on and off for years but I’m really into it this season, I love JoJo but I already saw who Realty Steve picked to win so we will see what happens. I was a bit annoyed this week when I saw all the McDonalds brand placement, is that really necessary? Or maybe it is because they are losing customers…? Wishful thinking.

Pick a few “Currently” categories and share below!

Tuesday Tidbits

I would say I read close to 5 health related articles from various sources every single day. I am obsessed with learning and know this knowledge and desire to learn will get me far in life so I make sure I am “in the know” about health related issues, products, shows, etc.

Starting today, I am devoting Tuesdays on the blog to a tidbits post of cool articles or products I have found throughout the week that I want to share with my readers, enjoy!

1. It’s heart month, learn how to keep your cardiovascular health in check: http://fitfluential.com/2016/02/5-ways-to-support-cardiovascular-health-now/ 
2. Souping is the new juicing, hmmm I haven’t heard of this until recently, what do you think? http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/04/fashion/souping-is-the-new-juicing.html?smid=fb-nytwell&smtyp=cur&_r=0
3. I have been seeing a lot of health experts talking about quitting sugar but I never understood the reason behind still consuming stevia and honey, this article explains it a bit more: https://iquitsugar.com/why-we-focus-on-fructose-not-sugar/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=8WP-the-real-reason-why-we-dont-use-honey&utm_campaign=8WP8
4. I loved reading this article, there are some great tips on using almost every single part of the food you eat: http://observer.com/2016/02/the-superfoods-you-need-to-stop-throwing-away/

Bouldering Babe

Thanks to some free day passes I received more than a year ago, Dan and I finally trekked the 3 miles down the road to the Seattle Bouldering Project. We had such a good time and got in a great workout too!

When we arrived at the gym, we were prompted to fill out the online waiver and get our rental shoes. After putting on the tight shoes (we learned your toes are supposed to be scrunched up in the front) one of the staff members showed us around and pointed out what the different colors of boulders meant. After that, we got out on the mats to start climbing!

White was the easiest and black was the most difficult so we decided to try the yellow which was the second easiest section for climbing. On the first one, I got close to the top but then mentally freaked out that I would fall and it was pretty high up so then we tried some shorter ones and did well with those. In between our scaling (…is that the correct term..?) we would take a seat on the mats and watch all of the other people doing amazing things – hanging from the ceiling, getting up to the top so quickly and balancing on small little rocks with all of their body weight – it was pretty impressive! Our upper bodies and hands (and my legs from my workouts the day before) got tired after about an hour or so but I’m pretty sure we both want to go back again really soon to get better! Thanks for the day passes Seattle Bouldering Project!

 

Wellness Wednesday: H2O

Be like Bobby Boucher from The Waterboy and drink your water!

Coach Klein:	Gatorade not only quenches your thirst better, it tastes better too, idiot.
Bobby Boucher:	No. You people drinkin the wrong water.
Coach Klein:	Gatorade
Bobby Boucher:	H2O.
Coach Klein:	Gatorade.
Bobby Boucher:	H2O.
Coach Klein:	[singing] Water sucks, it really, really sucks. Water sucks.

Water doesn’t really suck and the health benefits it provides are excellent for your body. Here are a few benefits to drinking water and some quick tips to increase your daily consumption.

Benefits of H2O:

• Water helps moisturize your skin, especially in the winter. Dehydration can occur to cause your skin to look dry and become flaky. Your skin is already part water but making sure you are properly hydrated will help even more.
• Water helps your body;s overall performance, especially if you are active. Through sweat, you lose water content therefore it is important to replenish it throughout the day.
• Water can also help you lose weight, not by any scientific reasoning but because if you replace your soda or coffee consumption with water, you will decrease your calorie intake. Water also helps you feel full.

Drink up – Tips for increasing your water intake: 

• Purchase a reusable water bottle so that you can refill it and carry it with you wherever you go. The brands I love are Camelbak and Nalgene
• If plain water just doesn’t do it for you, purchase an all natural sparkling water like La Croix or Dasani. Be sure to find a brand and flavor that only has water and natural ingredients on the label.
• Set a goal to drink a gallon of water a day and make it a fun challenge with your friends.

Monday Motivation

Happy first Monday of the new year! 2016 is here and I am more than ready to make it a fantastic one. How about you?

Mondays, new months and especially new years are all excellent times to review what you have accomplished thus far and how you want to continue the momentum into the future and build the life you want. I know, for myself right now, I feel a strong desire to continue to grow my business and dive so very deep into learning even more about health and wellness. Just for fun, here are a couple of my proud accomplishments and a few of my 2016 goals.

PROUD ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Ran a half marathon
• Graduated college
• Perfected my cupcake recipe
• …and many others!

2016 GOALS

• Complete the 200+ mile bike ride from Seattle to Portland
• Become a certified health coach
• Learn one song on piano
• Begin studying for my personal training certification
• Officially launch my health and wellness business

One thing that I love (and that keeps me focused on goals) is writing them out. DONE

Another thing I love is motivational quotes, here a few to get you thinking about what you want to achieve in 2016:

What is Thrive Market?

If you are like me, there are many ads on my Facebook timeline and new ones pop up everyday. Facebook has been smart about how they promote their sponsored posts and all the ads I scroll through are things I am interested in, likely due to the pages I like and things I post – brilliant!

One I have seen over the last couple months is Thrive Market.

Thrive Market offers something for anyone and everyone who want

to eat healthier and live well. Thrive has a really nice, curated mix of

products to choose from that are the best-in-class of organic, non-

GMO, vegan, raw, paleo and gluten free. However you like to shop,

you can find exactly what you’re looking for.

Like Costco or other warehouse clubs, Thrive Market is membership

based. Thrive members purchase a membership for $59.95 per year.

That’s just $5 per month, if you break it down. With a Thrive Market

membership comes access to more than 3,000 of the top organic,

non-GMO, healthy products. You can simply browse the website,

fill your cart with whatever products you like, and have your order

shipped directly to your home. If the membership fee seems like a big commitment, never fear: Everyone can try out Thrive Market

with a free one-month trial before you start paying the annual fee.

Click here for my affiliate link: http://go.thrv.me/SH14E

Paleo Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Tis the season to combine the ever delicious chocolate and mint! In my eyes, bark is a holiday treat that comes around annually so I thought I would try a healthy twist on this festive dessert. Here is my recipe, let me know if you try it out and what you think!

Paleo Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 drops of peppermint oil ( you could use extract but I use the real stuff)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of salt

1 crushed candy cane

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt the coconut oil in a microwave safe container or on the stove – I don’t like extra dishes so I used the microwave option.
2. Add coco powder to dish and mix.
3. Add maple syrup, vanilla, peppermint and dash of salt and stir again.
4. Place wax paper on dish. The texture should be a liquid and easy to spread on a baking sheet or plate.
5. Add the melted bark to the wax paper covered dish you are using.
6. Break the candy cane with a hammer inside a plastic bag and sprinkle on top of bark.
7. Place dish in the freezer for 1 hour.
8. Break apart with your hands, eat and ENJOY!

Workout Wednesday

Welcome to the first Workout Wednesday of 2016! I hope to use Wednesday as a time to talk about my workouts from the past week through my Class Pass membership. If you aren’t familiar, Class Pass is a membership based fitness program where members can pay a monthly fee and attend as many studios and gyms as they want in their city. In Seattle, there are tons of fitness studios I can’t afford to pay the $25 drop in rate for so Class Pass gives me the option to check them out at a very discounted rate. I have only had Class Pass for a couple weeks, but am so far LOVING it. 

Here are my workouts from the past week:

12/28: BodyPump @ Flow Fitness. I have taken hundreds of BP classes at 24 Hour Fitness and Golds Gym and I really love the class so I decided to try one out at a new gym. The instructor was a sub, but she was great and smiley which I love. The hour long class using a dumbbell and free weights went by quick and I got a great workout in.

12/30: Pedal & Pulse @ Community Fitness. This was my first time attending this studio and accidentally drove to the wrong location at first, so if you go, make sure you double check the address! I walked in a couple minutes late due to my mistake but thankfully they still let me into the class. I walked into the warm up of the “pedal” portion of the class and was surprised how full the room was; I don’t think I have even seen a class with so many people – it sure was motivating. We pedaled on the spin bikes for 25-30 minutes then got off and did some Pilates style strength training. I enjoyed the class and would go again, but was a little bummed I wasn’t as sore as I thought I would be.

In addition to these classes, I have also taken classes at Tricycle Fitness, Barre3, and Rival Fitness

What’s your favorite class?