Happy Friday!! Is it just me or has it seemed like a really long week? I can't complain though because the weather has been absolutely gorgeous- 90-95F degrees and perfectly sunny. The humidity has been another story, but I crave days like these in the dead of winter.
Moving on, two weeks ago I did a Friday Favorites post and it seemed to be pretty popular so I thought I'd do another one. Just be warned it's a random mishmosh (does anyone still say that?) of things.
Of course I had to put paddleboarding first! I've been paddleboarding a number of times over the past week with friends and solo and every time I fall more in love with it. It's a fantastic workout because it works your entire body, I even got some of my friends to try doing yoga on it with me and it's hard than you think! We've been getting Groupons for board rentals, but now I'm looking into buying my own board because why keep spending money renting a board? If you've never been definitely try it out!
Earth Balance creamy coconut peanut butter is kind of my new obsession. The coconut tastes so real, no artificial junk here! My body is still having a very hard time with fats, specifically peanut butter so my doctor and I have been working on it. I'm eating anywhere from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon a day and hoping that overtime my body will get used to the fat, so far no luck, but I'm not about to quit trying, especially with peanut butter that tastes this good!
Have you ever heard of the book The 5 Love Languages? It's been around for awhile and I had to do some work on it in college, but I never gave it much thought. A friend of mine was showing me the results from the quiz she had taken that showed her love languages. She got me to take the quiz too (it's free!) and I have to say the results are pretty accurate. I'd much rather have someone do something for me, like empty the dishwasher, or spend time with someone rather than receiving a gift. I'm also not a touchy feely person, nor have I ever been so that was spot on. The only thing that I felt was wrong is in certain situations these change. For instance, when I go to someone's house I always try to bring a baked good with me, that could be interpreted as a gift, but really I try not to show up anywhere empty handed. Also, with certain people I tend to be more touchy feely. When I was in a long term relationship cuddling/hand holding/etc. made me feel safe and secure, but with friends and family I'm not touchy feely (minus my dog who I love cuddling with). Take the quiz (REALLY IT'S FREE!!) and comment below with your results because I'm curious now!
I met up with a friend for lunch at Panera last week and was immediately reminded why I love it so much. It's such a cozy atmosphere. It reminds me of fall where i want to wear chunky sweaters and sip hot tea in front of the fireplace. I have no idea why it reminds of that but it does. Anyway, I was also reminded of how awesome my local Panera is about accommodating food allergies. I really wanted the Thai Chicken salad so they made it work for me! The service was fantastic, the salad was delicious and the company was even better. I left with a very full heart (and tummy).
Lastly, of course I'm loving Cora! She hasn't made a blog appearance in awhile so that needed to change. This goofball has been loving the summer weather. Technically she loves all weather (minus downpours) but she loves playing in the lake. I'm pretty sure she's half fish because I have to physically get her out of the water or she'd be in there 24/7. I have to give her a bath once a week because she spends so much time in the lake that she stinks. I still love her to pieces though, even when she is stinky.
Now it's your turn! What are some of your current favorites? Comment below and tell me and tell me your results of the 5 Love Languages quiz! Have a wonderful Friday!
Happy Friday! It felt nice to have a short week after the holiday, but I am more than ready for the weekend! I'm super excited about today's post because I have a giveaway for you! First let's talk about the protein powder.
Since I had to make the change to dairy free everything I've had a hard time finding protein powders that I like. I'm not someone who likes to use the same thing every time, so switching it up is a must for me, but it's easier said then done. If you've ever tried plant based protein powders they tend to be a bit too thick, chunky and taste like chalk- why try to sugar coat the truth? When I was offered the chance to try Amazing Grass I jumped on it.
All of the ingredients in Amazing Grass protein are items that are easily pronounced and readily available. Not to mention they're all organic, so no nasty pesticides! It's important to me that I know what I'm putting in my body, so when I read ingredients lists that contain wheat grass, pea protein, chia, organic acai, organic peanut butter, etc. I have no problems putting that in my body because it's good for me!
Let's talk about taste. Taste is tied for first place (with ingredients) for what's most important to me in a protein powder. I'm super picky about taste because who wants to drink chalk? Not me. I always drink protein powder mixed with just water, so I was really happy when it mixed so well. If you let it sit for a few minutes it really thickens up too! Pro tip: mix protein and water the night before and set in fridge- it gets so thick that it's like a smoothie! The chocolate and peanut butter taste really shined through but neither overpowered the other. I really liked it plain (just mixed with water), so I also tested it in a smoothie. I throw a lot of fruit in my smoothies so I was worried that there would be too much competing for taste, but I was pleasantly surprised! The chocolate and peanut butter taste were subtle, but detectable and the smoothie tasted like chocolate and peanut butter strawberries- so good! Overall 10/10 for taste.
The only downside to Amazing Grass is the cost, it's $34.99 for a 10 serving container. You can save a little by purchasing more than one at the same time though. While it is expensive, you're getting the highest quality ingredients possible. I'd much rather pay more and know what I'm putting in my body. Other than price, I have absolutly zero complaints about the product. It tastes great, the ingredients are fantastic and it's an awesome source of nutrition. Plus one serving of Amazing Grass contains 2 servings of fruit and veggies! For picky eaters it's a great way to sneak in some extra nutrients.
Now for the super awesome part, Amazing Grass is giving away a container of their new protein to one awesome reader!! The contest is open to US residents only (sorry international readers!) and the winner will get to pick their flavor of choice to try- chocolate peanut butter, original, or pure vanilla. To enter for your chance to win all you have to do is follow me on instagram, like the picture and share your favorite way to keep fit during the summer! For a BONUS tag a friend on the picture or comment on this post with your favorite way to use protein powder! The winner will be announced and contacted Sunday morning! Good luck!
Happy Thursday, I hope you had a great 4th of July and long holiday weekend! I meant to post a weekend recap yesterday, but life got a little busy so it's a day later than planned, but also another day closer to the weekend again YAY! The holiday weekend was busy but so much fun.
I had some friends over on Saturday to watch fireworks on the lake and to have a relaxing lake day. We had so much fun soaking up the sunshine and swimming so I cannot wait to have another lake day with everyone soon.
Once it got dark we sat out and watched the fireworks. It was by far one of the best firework displays I've ever seen. There was so many awesome fireworks that it was hard to choose a favorite firework. I was also excited because one of my best friends was able to get off work just in time for the show, so he rushed over and watched them with us. I always feel like a little kid when I watch fireworks because I'm so in awe of their power and beauty. I've always been curious how they make fireworks to form different shapes and patterns, but that's my inner nerd showing.
My friends and I hung out for a bit after the fireworks, but some of them had to work in the morning so we called it a night pretty early. We used to stay up until 3 or 4am talking and laughing but it's a lot harder for all of us to do that now- as my grandpa used to say getting old ain't for sissies!
Sunday was a relaxing day; after being up late with friends I needed some time to just hang out in the sun. A few people came out and we had some wine and just relaxed by the lake. Can we please take a moment to appreciate how adorable this wine glass is?! One of my best friends Kate got me a set of wine glasses from HomeGoods and I'm in love with them! They're so cute and I feel so much classier drinking out of a proper wine glass than a solo cup.
For dinner Sunday night I had some leftovers of grilled chicken, grilled sweet potato and green beans. This has been my go to meal lately because it's so easy. To grill sweet potato all I do is slice it into semi-thick chunks, spray both sides with nonstick cookspray or coconut oil (it keeps it from sticking to the grill), throw on some seasoning and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. It's so easy but so good!
I started the 4th of July at the gym with a lift and a run. I always start my day off with a workout because it makes me feel good and it helps me get the day off on the right foot. I ran outside, but immediately regretted it because it was SO hot and humid that it was hard for me to catch my breath. Needless to say I cut my run way short. I refueled with my usual oatmeal and berries (and sprinkles of course), but lately I've been mixing in some vanilla chia protein powder from Bob's Red Mill and it's so good! It makes the oatmeal extra thick and creamy, plus it gives it a really good taste.
Cora and I spent a ton of time outside on the 4th because it was so nice out. Unlike me, Cora doesn't mind the heat or humidity. She will just charge into the lake to cool off.
Tuesday was by far my favorite day of the long weekend. A friend and I got a Groupon to rent paddleboards. I had rented a paddleboard in Maui with my brother, but hadn't done it since and forgot how fun it was. We popped right up, no falling or anything, and paddled for hours. It was a picture perfect day for paddleboarding- sunny skies, a light breeze and the water is warm. We took breaks to get water to stay hydrated and to jump off our boars to cool off. After dinner I headed back out on the board for another few hours. I wish I didn't have to return the board because it was so much fun. Now I want to buy a paddleboard because I'd be out on it all the time. I just wish they weren't so expensive!
What did you do over the holiday weekend? Did you do watch fireworks for the 4th of July? Have you ever tried paddleboarding or would you try it?
