Summer Challenges

Happy Friday!

I just wanted to introduce you all to a few different challenges going on right now around the blog world. I've decided to jump on board to as a way to start my summer off on the right foot. I love challenging myself to live healthier each day!

Oh She Glow's June Salad-a-day Challenge. It's a great way to get in your leafy green veggies! I've been fairly consistent, eating my salad every day for lunch for the last two weeks (minus yesterday). I thought it would be more difficult, but I've actually really enjoyed it. A big salad is very refreshing in the middle of a steamy summer day!

The other challenge is Sweet Tooth Sweet Life's June Yoga Challenge. As you know, I've been trying to fit in yoga for a while. It seems like no matter how hard I try, yoga just keeps falling to the back burner because of one thing or the other. So when I heard about the June Yoga Challenge, I thought I would give it a shot.

Goal:

• Do yoga once a week. 

Actual:

• Day 1- 60 minutes, Bob Harper's Yoga for the Warrior. (This has to be my favorite yoga DVD.)

I felt peaceful and relaxed after my practice. I also was thrilled that I actually fit yoga in this week! WOOHOO! Did I mention my upper body is still sore and I did yoga Wednesday? Yep, It was that intense.

Moving onto the last thing I wanted to share with you today, the Fitnessista's Summer Shape Up! I've been a huge fan of her blog after discovering it last fall so you can imagine how excited I was when I found out that Gina puts together a Summer Shape Up program for her readers! It is a combination of weekly meal plans and workouts designed by the Fitnessista- it is like free online personal training, just without the personalization! I'm loving the workouts. One less thing I have to plan! I haven't really tried out the meal plan. My food sensitivities and allergies can make mealtime a little complicated so I'm opting to just follow healthy eating strategies and focus on mindful eating during the Shape Up. I will mention that the meal plans look FABULOUS though!

My summer is definitely going to be a healthy, fun-filled one which is just the way I like it!

Do you have any awesome summer plans?

<3 K.E.

A Few of My Favorite Things

I haven't been blogging lately because I haven't felt like I really had anything to say. And because I have been busy living! I'm finding a routine that I actually like and it doesn't leave much time for the blog. I'm not planning to give it up completely or anything like that, but I also am not planning to interrupt my life either. We'll just have to try this out and see how it goes.

I'm feeling random (what's new, right?) and thought I would share a few of my favorite things of the moment with you.

1. For my birthday, my wonderful husband gave me a Clarisonic Mia! He knew I'd been dying to try it out because I'd heard and read so many good things about it. My face is fairly sensitive so I'm always a little leery of trying anything new, but this little gadget blew me out of the water. I highly recommend it. It's gentle yet it deep cleans, it feels like a massage, it is simple to use and only takes a minute of your time, and last, but definitely not least, my skin is glowing and more vibrant than it has ever been. And I love it. L.O.V.E it. :)

2. I am in love (once again) with the ooey gooey stuff we know and love from our childhood, peanut butter. I will eat it on anything, at any time, any where. It is especially magnificent on Overnight Oats. Oh, and I had to try out PB Fingers' recipe for Oatmeal Peanut Butter Banana Cookies because they sounded like a cookie form of Overnight Oats. They didn't taste anything like Overnight Oats, but they were still delicious. I modified the recipe a bit to make it healthier and compatible with my food intolerances- I subbed spelt flour for the wheat flour, coconut sugar for the brown sugar, and olive oil for the canola oil (only because I didn't have any canola oil). They turned out perfectly- chewy and moist. My mom and baby sister agreed!

3. Speaking of Overnight Oats, they are my favorite breakfast of the moment. I actually branched out and ate some as a pre-yoga snack last week. Delish!

4. I don't have a photo to illustrate this one (although you can look at any of my recent posts to see it). But I'm a wee bit obsessed with Instagram. Ever since I discovered it, I've been using it for all of the blog photos. Not very professional I know, but it means you actually have illustrations to go with my chatter and it is sooo easy to use. Win-win in my opinion.

5.Our George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Grill! We bought it a few weeks ago and are absolutely loving it! It sits on our balcony and beckons to me, reminding me that despite it being 96 degrees Fahrenheit there are still wonderful things about summer and grilling is one of them! I've also discovered that I love grilled corn on the cob. I sprinkle the corn with chili powder and then put it straight on the grill. YUM! The hubby loves it too in case you were wondering!

So there you have it. Five favorite things of the moment. I'm sure there are many more, but I can always save them for another day. Toodles!

<3 K.E.