Some of my Favorite Things!

So yes, I know you probably don't care what some of my favorite things are lately, LMAO, but this is my blog so I'm going to share anyway! HAHA! :o)

I've been really enjoying drinking hot tea at night, the green and white Liptons are my newest but my old time favorite is pretty much any Tazo tea, but I'm partial to the Chai! I was ADDICTED to Chai Lattes when I was pregnant with Sofia! YUMMMM!

My Garmin! This is hands down the BEST running tool you can have!!!

My and my hubbie's FAVORITE moisturizer! Doesn't matter the season, it's good stuff!

DryMax socks from RunningWarehouse...these are the BEST!!!! Thankful to my "seasoned" running friends for the tip on these!! :o)

Thanks to my AWESOME sister for this bottle of perfume over a year ago...I'm hooked! LOVE IT!Homemade Bath Salts!!! I've made quite a few and have recieved various sugar and/or salt scrubs in the past few months for my nightly baths and LOVE THEM!!! You can put any essence oil in them, but I prefer mint and/or eucalyptus! Ahhhhhhh!!!! Oil and Salt or Sugar...skin is OH SO SOFT!!!! Screw you Bath & Bodyworks....I'm too frugal for you! LOL
Mixing two of my favorites lately...FIBER ONE CEREAL and CHOBANI GREEK YOGURT...

oh yeah! (Favorite Greek yogurt is Fage really!)Groupon is one of my new FAVORITES! I recently purchased a $50 Gap gc for $25 and a $20 Maria Maria Restaurant gc for $10 (Carlos Santana's restuarant in Austin). This site ROCKS! Sign up and have your area deals (groupons) emailed to you daily!
So these are just a few things that were on my mind tonight! I could go ON AND ON...makeup, snacks, clothes , etc...but I am going to go enjoy one of my FAVORITE things...cuddling with my hubby! :o)

Homemade Protein Bars

Okay, so I just told all my Facebook friends about this recipe I had for homemade protein bars and they came out SO GOOD I have to share! :o)

Ingredients

• 1 cup liquid egg whites or egg substitute
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin
• 3/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese or 6oz of vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup of protein powder (you can use flavored if you have it)
• 1 cup of wheat bran
  
• 1/2 tsp pure stevia
• 1 tsp each cinnamon and ginger

Directions

• preheat oven to 350. Spray 8x8 cake pan and set aside.
• mix egg whites, pumpkin, and cottage cheese until well combined.
  
• stir in rest of ingredients, pour into cake pan.
• bake for about 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Changes I made:

• used oat bran instead of wheat bran
• used 16 packets of Purevia instead of Stevia
• did 2 tsp of cinnamon
• substituted nutmeg for ginger (didn't have ginger on hand)
• added 2 tsp of vanilla

Smear some Dark Chocolate Dream or Nutella on top and you're looking at around 150 calories or so per bar...YUMMMO!!!

Will be adding maybe some dried fruit, nuts and/or chocolate chips next time. Even my 1 year old LOVED them!!

8 servings

My Newest Accessory!

I couldn't pass this one up today at Ross! Oh I love Ross!! And what better way to begin the new season than with a new apron?! LOL

I've put together my September MONTHLY menu plan and just have to print it up to look over it and create a shopping list then I'll post it up! :o) Now this will be a dinner menu plan based on what meats I have now in the freezer and a couple things that looked really good to me that I wanted to try as well. Having it set up for a month will enable me to have a loose grocery list planned each week way in advance. I should only be shopping for my weekly store deals and produce really so this, I'm hoping, will make a huge difference in the budget. We are starting Dave Ramsey's Money Makeover in September and I'm REALLY looking forward to all these different schedules, routines and discipline to start over here. I NEED IT!

Garmin, Fuel Belt, MILEAGE!!!

I am VERY excited today!!!! I got my very FIRST fuel belt!!! Yes, it's these little things that simply THRILL me! LOL My buddy Kim loves to run with a water bottle in one hand and her iPhone in the other hand (LOL) but me, I don't like to have ANYTHING in my hands really. I have one of those handheld water bottles and it's okay,but I prefer to do without it. This heat does make me feel the need for water, even on a short 30min run, I need it! I have my longest run yet coming up on Saturday...9.5miles!!

I never thought I'd be running 9.5 miles, shit I never thought I'd run 3 or hop on a bike to race...and you KNOW I never saw myself swimming in a race! So when I am feeling doubtful, I keep going over in my mind the things I've succeeded in so far and it helps give me that extra little boost I need. I'm looking so forward to Triathlon season next year but for now I'm focusing on my running! I have three races in my plan for this season and now just have to budget them in and pay for them one each month, these things are EXPENSIVE!!!! I was sitting around last week wondering if I'd be able to fit a Marathon in this year but wasn't sure if I'd have time to train since I knew the White Rock 26.2 in Dallas was too close to the Chosen Half Marathon I'm doing in October...BUT I came across the Austin Marathon, looked at the Galloway training plan and it just so happens that I can easily transition from one race into the training for another!!! I KNEW it was just meant to be!! So looks like this is where I'm at from here until 2/20/2011!!

9.5 mi 8/28
4.0 mi 9/4
11 mi 9/11
4.0 mi 9/18
12.5 mi 9/25
4.0 mi 10/2
14 mi 10/9
5.0 mi 10/16
13.1 mi 10/23 The Chosen Half Marathon Race
4.0 mi 10/31 (I jump right into week 13 in Galloway's 30wk Marathon Plan!)
14 mi 11/7 Rock n Roll Half Marathon (benefits breast cancer so I thought this would be great!)
5 mi 11/14
17 mi 11/21
5 mi 11/28
6 mi 12/5
20 mi 12/12
6 mi 12/19
6 mi 12/26
23 mi 1/2
6 mi 1/9
7 mi 1/16
26 mi 1/23
7 mi 1/30
6 mi 2/6
7 mi 2/13
26.2 mi 2/20 RACE DAY! Austin Marathon

So talk about a little nerve racking...OMG!!! I look at this and think, "Me? Really? Running this many miles??" I can honestly say I saw a woman who reminded me of myself in so many ways not just accomplish this but do multiple marathons and she is who I think of alot when I'm out there pounding the pavement. Very inspiring. I KNOW I can do this!!! I just can't give in to that self doubt I'm so famous for having. If it weren't for my Kimmers I don't think I would even be able to any of this! LOL :o)

First Day of 2nd Grade!

Well there she is! My beautiful baby girl, well not such a baby anymore!! I cannot believe she is a 2nd grader already, wow does time fly! :o) We are once again entering a new season of life and I'm so very grateful that I am wired to just go with the flow for the most part. I know lots of people who are so resistant to change, but I embrace it! I am excited and fueled by it.

Summer was great, but I am so thankful that it is OVER! Pools are cleaned up and ready to be packed up. Backpacks, Lunchboxes, take home folders, "school food" are all back in the home. We are back into our Dinner, bath, bed routine...tv watching will be less and less, reading more and more! I am looking forward to the heat dying down so we can get back to spending our afternoons after school outside eating snacks and riding bikes after homework. Ready to fine tune my workout schedule, playdate schedule, breakfast and lunch menu planning this year too (excited to see how this will go!), setup our date nights for the next two months, and CRAFTING!!!!

OH FALL, BRING IT ON!!!

Here's to another GREAT year!! Mommy is so proud of my SWEET, SMART AND BEAUTIFUL little girl! She is a GEM!

The Hodge Family

Since I've been on such a collage kick lately, I figure I'd end this week with a bunch of pictures of a family Chris and I hold dear to our hearts, The Hodges. They moved here to Hutto with Kyle and Erika to plant Resonate Community Church 4 years ago and have spent their time, energy and money "investing" in people. The impact they've had on our family just can't be put into words. They are beginning a new Season in their lives back in the Dallas area and I just know that they will be blessed so much in so many ways! After all, God does bless in abundance, doesn't he? I know I've experienced it being lucky enough to live right across the street from them for almost 2 years now.

GOOD LUCK YOU GUYS!
I'm so glad that you're close enough for us to see often!
LOVE YOU!

Danskin 2010

Thinking of my Tri Buddies today as they're getting ready for the Sweet n Twisted Triathlon on Sunday! You girls KNOW you can do this....remember?!?!?!
Love you!!!
These memories will last a lifetime!!!