Friday, April 30, 2010

quota

Please remind me not to shop anymore when I return to Manila. On top of the camera, clothes and shoes that I bought within the past 2 weeks, I can't help and got myself these as well:
Ontario Mills, California

Las Vegas Premium Outlet, Nevada

Woodbury Common, New York

I was telling my mom that she now needs to cook for me when we get back home so I'll just bring lunch to the office everyday. Hahaha.I still have 2 more weeks here and it would be such an effort to NOT shop, so I'll just do that in Manila. Goodluck!

Friday Fun!

In LA at the Beachbody Summit.  Having a great time.  Here's a few photos from yesterday.  It was a down day and no activities planned.  Just had fun meeting friends and making new friends!

Friday Challenge!  Let's burn those calves.  Calf Raises - 100.  You can do them with weights if you are a die-hard. You can use the stairs to really get the calves burning, or you can just stand there and lift on your toes. To do the calf-raises properly, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and raise up on your toes as high as you can.  Repeat.  You can do them all at once or spread it out throughout the day!

We have the group workout tonight.  I'll have a ton of photos for tomorrow if I get time to be online!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Travelin' time

I am going to be missing for a few days. I'm headed to Los Angeles for the Beachbody Summit!  I am so excited.  This is sooo fun.  I have been the last two years and don't plan to miss one!  We get to learn about new products coming out (Body Gospel, Turbo Fire) and workout with the trainers.  I'll be working out live with Tony Horton (P90X), Chalene Johnson (Turbo Jam, ChaLEAN Extreme), Leandro Carvalho (Brazil Butt Lift), Brett Hoebel (Rev Abs), and last but not least, Debbie Siebers ( Slim in 6).  This is going to be so much fun!!!

We will also be learning how to maximize our businesses!  Here's a peek at what Summit is like.




I will be posting photos and updates as I can.  Not sure about internet availability.

Have a good week and I'll talk soon!

Be sure to watch Kirstie Alley's Big Life on A&E Sunday!  Tony Horton will be on teaching Kirstie about P90X!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

camera: check!

This was waiting for me from Amazon when I arrived at New Jersey. I was only able to get the TX1 though since the TX5 in pink isn't available in stores and Amazon doesn't carry it yet. I tried a couple of shots and it's pretty good. Can't wait to put it into full use :)

Smarter way to satisfy your sweet tooth

Yes, there are smarter ways to eat your sweets.  You can grab a candy bar and run out the door, it may satisfy your sweet tooth for a short period of time, but I have found that when you eat sugar, you crave sugar.  So, instead of getting on that sugar treadmill, reach for a healthier option instead.  You can always snack on fruit which will help with the sugar cravings or you can try one of Nature's Path new granola bars.  I know, you've heard that granola bars are not such a great choice, but if you shop smart, they are!  Nature's Path Granola bars are good!

Nature's Path has recently expanded their granola bar line and were so generous to send me some of the bars to sample.  I have to say, I could have used a few more boxes :)  These are good!  I received a box of Pumpkin Spice, Sunny Hemp and Peanut Buddy bars.  I don't eat dairy, so I requested only bars that didn't contain any dairy.  There are other flavors that sound just as wonderful!

Jake immediately opened the boxes and started checking them out. He LOVED (this is really saying a lot, he doesn't show much interest or share many opinions!) the Pumpkin Spice bars and even asked me where HE could purchase them.  I liked these a lot as well, at least the one I got to try! Pumpkin Spice Bars include pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds and cinnamon!

Peanut Buddy bars were a hit with everyone as well.  Meredith thought that they were tasty and filling.  She likes to have a snack on hand when she has to work at the pre-school since she may not have time to sit down and eat.  Worked out great for her. Peanut Buddy bars contain peanut butter and whole roasted peanuts.

Sunny Hemp was my favorite.  I really thought they tasted a little like a rice krispy treat.  However, my kids told me that they think my tastebuds must be different from theirs.  They liked them too, but didn't think they were like the treats at all.  Sunny Hemp is a blend of sunflower, hemp and flaxseed and raisins.

Nature's Path also introduced 2 new flavors:   Mmmaple Pecan and Berry Strawberry bars.  All the bars are USDA certified organic which means no artifical preservatives, additives, GMO's (genetically modified organisms) or synthetic pesticides.

The bars are 140 calories, so it is a pretty good snack option.  I love that I can throw these in my purse or gym bag and will have a healthy option.  No candy bars for me please!

Another great feature of the bars is that they are packaged in a more sustainable box, using 36% less cardboard!

Check out Nature's Path on facebook, become a fan or "like" them and you will have a chance to win in their contests!  You can also follow Nature's Path on Twitter!

Monday, April 26, 2010

muscle burns fat!

I just love Chalene Johnson!  She is so motivating and truly wants us to be healthy and happy!  If you have done her Turbo Jam videos, you know that she is so full of energy and peppy!  I know that I have mentioned it before (probably many times over), but Turbo Jam is what got me started back on my physical fitness journey.  It is so much fun, you don't even feel like you are working out, it's a blast!  I liked it so much that I even got certified to teach TurboKick ( the live version of Turbo Jam) and piyo ( a combo of pilates and yoga, it's unlike any pilates or yoga you've ever been to!)    Check out Chalene Johnson on twitter or facebook and be sure to watch her motivational videos on youtube!

Chalene came out with ChaLEAN Extreme a little over a year ago and it is another favorite!  In this workout she talks about muscle burning fat!  You will not bulk up from lifting weights, you will get lean muscle mass and look GREAT!

ChaLEAN Extreme is a 90 day program that will boost your metabolism and have you burning body fat like crazy!  15 workouts and a motivational cd by Chalene and a healthy eats and  kitchen makeover dvd.  You also get a meal plan and recipes that will help you reach your goals!

I have done 1 round of this program and will be doing it again when I finish the current program of P90X and Slim in 6.  I highly recommend this workout if you like to lift weights and want to see great results!

The meal plan is heavy on animal products.  I think it can be subbed for a vegetarian or vegan plan, but it will take some modifications.

High Fiber Breakfast Muffin

1 - 1/2 cups wheat bran fiber
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
12 paper muffin liners

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper muffin liners.  Mix the wheat bran and the buttermilk and allow to stand for 10 mins.  Then beat the oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and ad this to the bran mixture.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Sift the flour mix into the buttermilk mix and combine, but do not overmix.  Then fold in the walnuts.  Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake for 15 - 20 mins or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean.  Serve 1 muffin with 1/2 cup cottage cheese or 1 egg for breakfast.

Previewing this workout tonight at Fit Club!  If you are in the area, please let me know and I'll get you info on our local Fit Club!  Try the workout, you will love it!  Muscle truly does burn fat!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Carpe Diem!

Not only do I love that phrase, Carpe Diem (Sieze the Day), I love the Carpe Diem Kombucha.  I am fairly new to the Kombucha world.   Kombucha is a fermented tea that you drink for health purposes.

Kombucha was first drank in Russia, China and Japan.  Kombucha contains many different cultures and organic acids, active enzymes, amino acids and polyphenols.  Many people claim health benefits including detoxifying and energizing and some even claim cancer-curing.  I don't know about all of those claims, I do know that when I drink it, I do have more energy and I feel better!

The first couple of times I tried Kombucha, I wasn't too fond of it. It has a distinctive taste.  I think Brian described it as vinegary.  Then I had some of the best tasting Kombucha  at 105 degrees in Oklahoma City.  After that, I was on the search to find a great tasting Kombucha.  I've tried several different brands, but Carpe Diem is my top pick!

Carpe Diem Kombucha comes in 3 flavors, Classic, Quince and Cranberry.   I was so excited when my package arrived in the mail.  Evidently so was Brian because I had the bottles on the counter, went to get my camera to take a photo and when I came back into the kitchen Brian was drinking the Cranberry!  So, in the photo, you see that it isn't full :)

Carpe Diem contains only natural ingredients, no artificial sweeteners or additives.  I really liked all the flavors, but I think the Quince was my fave and Brian liked the Cranberry the best. 




I like to drink it before a workout, it just gives me an extra energy boost to get through some of those tough workouts.  I also think the Kombucha helps with bathroom issues.  If you have trouble going, try some Kombucha!

You can find Carpe Diem on amazon and in some Whole Foods Stores.  Not near me though - too bad, I'll just have to order online!  I do love shopping online!




Be sure to check out Carpe Diem on facebook,  "Like" them ( still not sure I am liking all the changes facebook continues to do). 

Discussion:  Have you tried Kombucha?  What are your thoughts?  Does it give you an energy boost?

Friday, April 23, 2010

Meatless?

Good Morning!  Yay for Friday!

Today's Friday Challenge is a good one!  Go meatless!  You can choose how long you go meatless for:  1 meal, 2 meals, or all day!

I eat a mostly vegetarian diet with no dairy (except for the whey protein isolate that is in my Shakeology) on a daily basis.  As soon as they come out with the vegan version of Shakeology, I'll be switching over to it and will not have ANY dairy!  (Note to Beachbody:  ANYTIME would be fine!)  When I changed my diet, I lost weight, I had a dramatic change in my health, no more headaches, no more stomach aches, and my skin cleared up.  WOW!

So, choose which option you will do - I really do encourage you to challenge yourself and not eat any meat at all today ( or if it is too late - tomorrow!)

So, what do you eat?  There are LOTS of options - fruit smoothie or shakeology for breakfast, veggie pasta salad with a nice crusty bread for lunch, beans and rice for dinner?  Soup, a big ol' salad,  I could go on and on.













There are many vegetarian cookbooks out there.  A few of my favorites:

Alicia Silverstone's Kind Diet













Dreena Burton - Eat Drink and be Vegan













Isa Chandra Moskowitz - Vegan with a Vengenance














Here is my favorite beans and rice recipe!  You can even use canned beans, just make sure to drain and rinse.

beans of your choice ( black, pinto, adzuki, or a combo of all are some of my faves)
brown rice ( or quinoa, millet, or a combo of all)

Put these in your bowl and on top:

add chopped mango, salsa, avocado,red onion, cilantro and hot pepper sauce.  I also like vegannaise on top.  YUM!  I may have to have this for lunch now.  Sounds so good!  Let me know if you try it!  I'll get a photo of it today and add it.  It's a pretty dish!

Friday Follow:

Friday Follow is a great way to meet new people, read new blogs and have a fun day!

Join in the fun and get to browsing!!!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day! I'm excited for many reasons, but most of all because it is a day that we can all celebrate this beautiful planet we live on! 


What can we do to celebrate you might ask?  Good question!  I plan to pick up garbage and trash. I am still amazed that people are so trashy.  I was driving down the road yesterday and a little red car was in front of me.  The driver rolled down the window and threw out a napkin.  WHAT?  WHY?  I just don't understand why people throw their garbage out for everyone else to pick up.  Can't you wait until you get home?  What is the urgency of needing to throw it out the window?

I am also going to plant!  This year I am so excited, I am helping (well, kinda) my friends with their garden.  I will get to work it and then eat from it.  There is nothing as satisfying as eating something you have grown.  I also keep containers on my deck for tomatoes and peppers.  A couple of things I can't live without in the summer months.  However, this year I am going to try planting my tomatoes in the ground.  They just haven't produced many tomatoes the last couple of years.  I'm exicted to give this a try too!  I'll be sharing photos and updates on both gardens!

I am also going to continue recycling.  We take our newspapers to the Humane Society.  They need them to line cages.  I love that I get to help out both the environment and the animals.  I also recycle our plastic and glass bottles ( although we have switched to a brita pitcher for water)  Highly recommend the Brita Pitcher.  Recycling in our town means that you have to haul it to the recycling center.  I will be so glad when we get recycling savvy around here.

I have been making some of my own cleaning supplies as well.  I love the Gorgeously Green Books for recipes and tips.  You can also make your own beauty supplies.  This is a lot of fun and there are a couple of recipes here on the blog for you to check out.  Just click on the recipes tab at the top and scroll down.  You'll find them!  A great book for making your own beauty supplies is:  Organic Body Care Recipes.

Reduce, Re-Use and Recycle!

Discussion:  What are your plans for Earth Day and what are your tips for reducing, reusing and recycling?

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

happy birthday!


One of the challenges of long distance relationships is surprising each other on special occassions. If only he was in the US, it would have been so easy to have something shipped. But in Australia, effort! There are limited online shopping sites and mind you, they're expensive (birthday balloons and a small flower arrangment for almost $100?!)! I was about to settle for Amazon but international shipping takes at least 2 weeks. No can do.
So the next best thing is just to have a cake delivered to his place but all the cake shops I saw online required you to call for the payment details. Good thing my good friend Abel was his roommate so I was able to ask for his help to make Lec's birthday memorable in my own little way.
Happy birthday, dear! I still owe you your real birthday gift when I see you ;)

Salad anyone?

I love it when the weather gets warmer. I can eat more of the foods that I love in warmer weather. There is more produce available. I can grow my own, which is even better!


I love having salads, soups and fresh fruits and veggies. Living in the midwest, it can be hard to find fresh produce year round and the stuff they ship in isn't always that good. So, we eat seasonally.


Today, I made a wonderful salad. I got the recipe off a new website that you have to be a member of. If I get permission, I'll post the recipe. It was really easy and quick and sooo tasty! It's beautiful as well!


Tomorrow is Earth Day! It's a great day to plant, to pick up trash and to recycle! What will you be doing?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

12:03

I purposely woke up early today so I could greet Lec at exactly midnight in Sydney. Too early though coz I was already up by 6:30 (midnight in Sydney is at 7am Vegas time). So I went online nonetheless and I found out that he already sent me an offline message a few minutes ago. Good thing he was still awake so we chatted for awhile and I greeted him anyway, but I was still consciously waiting for his midnight to strike to make it official.

We were talking about things I should do while I'm here in Vegas that I didn't notice right away that it was already 7:03 my time. So I immediately sent him an IM saying 'It should be around 12:03 already there in Sydney so, Happy Birthday, dear!' and at the exact same time that I sent it, he IM'd me saying 'It's already 12:03 here'. Hahaha! We were thinking the exact same thing and our clocks are in sync!

I really miss him and how I wish we could spend his birthday together. We're still keeping our fingers crossed that he'd be able to come back to the US in May. So in the meantime, happy, happy birthday, dear! Mwah! :)

Perfect 10 Diet


I was given a copy of the Perfect 10 Diet by Michael Aziz, M.D. book to review. I've been reading and the diet intrigues me.


The Perfect 10 Diet is based on hormonal balance. 10 key hormones that hold the secret to losing weight and feeling great!


The Perfect 10 Diet is the culmination of more than 10 years worth or medical research and a breakthrough diet plan that The Perfect 10 Diet is NOT a low-fat, low-carb, low-calorie diet, but instead a REAL FAT, SMART CARB plan designed to balance the hormones that control health, weight and gagin in order to speed up metabolism and lose weight the smart way.


The diet is broken down into 3 phases:


Stage One - 3 weeks - follows the Paleolithic diet ( veggies, fruits, poultry, seafood, beans, nuts and seeds)


Stage Two - Flexibile - human diet ( veggies, fruits, poultry, seafood, beans, nuts and seeds and whole grains)


Stage Three - Life - modern diet with a few modifications ( veggies, fruits, poultry, seafood, beans,nuts and seeds, more whole grains. Sweets or refined carbs sparingly.


Dairy is kept to a minimum at all times. Alcohol should be in moderation only in Stage Two and Three.


A typical day on the Perfect 10 Diet, Stage One:
breakfast - full fat yogurt with sliced kiwis
optional mid-morning snack - a few chick peas
lunch - baked calamari with mixed green veggies
optional snack - celery with 2 tsp cream cheese
dinner - butternut squash soup


Typical day - Stage Two:


breakfast - 2 egg omelet with 1 slice bread
optional snack - blueberries dipped in reduced sugar dark organic chocolate
lunch - Indian mulligatawny soup (lentil, curry, coconut milk)
optional snack - fruit salad
dinner - moroccan girlled chicken with mixed veggies


Typical day - Stage Three


breakfast - 2 slices multigrains bread with macadamia butter
optional snack - 1 small latte with organic milk
lunch - mediterranean salad
optional snack - 1/2 - 1 cup herb roasted red potatoes
dinner - fish poached in champagne


Mediterranean Avocado Boats
Serves 4

Prep Time - 30 mins.

1 tbsp lime juice
2 ripe avocados, peeled and halved
1/2 tsp butter
5 medium eggs, beaten
2 green onions, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 olives, chopped
pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Pour the lime juice on the avocado halves, and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat.
Mix together the eggs, onions, cilantro and olives and place in a large skillet with the butter.
Cook for 5 mins over med-heat, stirring often. Set aside.
Place the cooked egg mixture in the avocado halves. Add salt and pepper. Serve.

More sample recipes can be found on The Perfect 10 Diet website.


Perfect 10 Shopping Tips

1. Dont' buy low-fat or fat-free products, especially fat-free dairy.

2. Gravitate towards fruits like berries, cherries and cantaloupe which contain less sugar.

3. Love those saturated Fats! Use real eggs, whole milk, and butter instead of egg substitutes, skim milk and margarine

4. Avoid low-carb products with soy protein isolate.

5. Integrate "healthy fats" like avocados, olive oil and nuts into your diet.

6. Don't buy products with artifical sweeteners such as diet sodas.

7. Bring your reading glasses to the supermarket and read ingredients.

8. If you can't pronounce the ingredients, don't put them into your body.

9. Listen to the bumper stickers and GO ORGANIC!

10. Eat before you go grocery shopping.


I think the book has some great ideas and love that you are staying away from processed foods and dairy. I think it might be hard for me to follow since I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but I'm willing to give it a try. Now that I have read the book, I'll be implementing it. If you are interested in my progress, let me know and I'll post about it!


Check out The Perfect 10 Diet on facebook, twitter and their website for more information!


You can pick up your copy of The Perfect 10 Diet at your local bookstore, or online at amazon.com (one of my favorite online places!)

Monday, April 19, 2010

Rockin' Monday!


It's Monday! I still love Mondays! Fresh start to the week, a new set of goals to accomplish and a clean slate! Last week is history, leave it there!

Each week I start off by setting a few goals for the week. This week I want to: move more, eat clean, workout 6 days, spend more time with my family and friends and reach my Beachbody coaching goals for the month ( I am very close to reaching them!). Do you set goals for each week?

It's Fit Club Monday and every week I highlight a workout and provide a yummy recipe for you to try!


Rockin Body Purchase Now


If you love to dance, this workout is for you! So fun and you will dance away the pounds!



Get a hot new Rockin' Body with Shaun T's high-octane dance party that will have you sweating off the pounds to all your favorite dance-floor hits!



Plus get 4 FREE gifts to keep!

Shaun T is back! The creator of the best-selling Hip Hop Abs® has created a revolutionary new program to burn the fat off your ENTIRE body!

Want a Rockin' Body?

You’ll dance and sweat to some of the hottest hits of all time like "Holiday," "I'm Coming Out," "I Love Rock N' Roll," and more!

Get Rockin’ Results with 5 Rockin' workouts!

Mark, Move & Groove


Shaun will have you dancing and sweating with his breakthrough Mark It and Move It technique. (15 minutes)


Disco Groove


Hit the dance floor and shake your groove thing in this off-the-hook workout guaranteed to burn some serious calories. (35 minutes)



Party Express
Give Shaun 25 minutes and he guarantees a workout—without sacrificing results! (25 minutes)


Shaun T's Dance Party
It's a calorie-burning dance party in your living. (45 minutes)


Rock It Out
This rock-and-roll strength routine with shape, sculpt, and tone your new lean body from head to toe while it sends your metabolism soaring. (45 minutes)


Enjoy these easy-to-use tools for maximum results

My Quickstart Guide
Just follow this simple workout calendar and you'll be on your way to your very own Rockin' Body.


Never "Diet" Again guide
This easy-to-follow plan shows you how to eat simply and healthy and is filled with Shaun’s favorite meals and recipes


24/7 Online Support
Chat live with Shaun and get to know an amazing online community that will help you succeed.
Plus 4 FREE gifts to keep just for trying Rockin' Body!

Hard-Core Abs
Give Shaun 10 minutes and you’re on your way to the rock-hard abs of your dreams. (10 minutes)


Booty Time
Get ready for crazy moves to lift your buns, slim your hips, and tighten your abs. (30 minutes)


3-Day SlimDown
See visible results in just 3 days—GUARANTEED.


Party Guide
Learn what to eat and drink at any party without breaking the calorie bank.


Shaun T's Rockin' Body Guarantee!
If you’re not satisfied with your product within 30 days, simply return it for the full purchase price, less shipping and handling, no questions asked.

Fit Club Recipe:

Click on the link for the recipe! You won't be sorry!

Peas and Thank You has some of the best recipes. You should check out this website for sure!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

so me!

I saw this at Ross and I just had to get it...it's so me! I'm still figuring out where I'll put it but it will definitely go well in my room :)

St. Louis photos

I wanted to do a quick post today and show you some of my favorite photos from our recent trip to St. Louis. I've posted some of the fun, but we also went to the most beautiful Cathedral Basilica and the Botanical Gardens. It was perfect weather and I got some beautiful shots! Enjoy!

Good Morning, California!

It's nice to wake up to a sunny spring morning!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Reader Request - Food Combining


I have had a reader request to discuss food combining. Back in 2003, I completely changed my life. Started to exercise (oh, the horror!), changed my eating habits and started reading any and all health-related books I could get my hands on. I started out following the Hallelujah Acres mostly raw food diet upon a recommendation from my massage therapist. (I had been having all kinds of health problems, mostly weekly migraine headaches) I had some VERY good results, but found it hard to stick with it during the winter months. I really wanted more cooked foods. As I was reading books, a friend suggested Marilu Henner's Total Health Makover. I devoured this book in 2 days and went out and bought the next book she wrote - The 30 Day Total Health Makeover, and started following the program. This made all the difference in my health. I own all of Marilu's books and highly recommend them all!

In the books, Marilu talks about food combining. I was intrigued, decided that it certainly wouldn't hurt to give it a try. It was very confusing at first for me, but I kept at it and soon I had the hang of it. It helped that I joined marilu.com for more support and information. I am still a member there today and even helped to coach with her Body Victory program!

Food Combining basically means that you don't combine certain foods together. You don't eat your starches and animal proteins together. What? No meat and potatoes, you got it! No meat and potatoes. Fruit should be eaten alone. The fruit digests so quickly that if they are combined with other foods, they will rot and ferment. Source

Basic Food Combining Rules ( from Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover)
1. Do not eat proteins and starches together (Your body needs acids to digest proteins and an alkaline base to digest starches.

2. Do not mix fruit with proteins, starches or any kind of vegetable.

3. Melons digest faster than any other food. These should be eaten alone, not mixed with other fruits.

4. Don't mix acid and/or sub-acid fruits with sweet fruits at the same meal.

Acid fruits include: grapefruit, pineapple, strawberries

Sub-acid fruits include: apples, grapes and peaches

Sweet fruits include: bananas, dates and raisins.

5. Eat only 4 - 6 different fruits or vegetables at one meal.

6. Fats and oils combine with everything (except fruits) but should be used in limited amounts. (They can slow down digestion.)

7. Wait between meals:

2 hours after eating fruit
3 hours after eating starches
4 hours after eating proteins

You can get a lot more info in Marilu's book. It may sound very confusing, but once you get the hang of it, it's easy.

Reasons to food combine:

Better digestion
Increased energy
Weight loss
Feel better
Less bloating

So, this has worked for me. It may or may not work for you, but it isn't hard to try it out for a few days and see how it affects you. I think you will see results from it for sure.


Instead of eating a turkey sandwich, you could do a lettuce wrap. No meatballs with your spaghetti, but you could add veggies or mushrooms.

If you have any questions, please post them and I'll do my best to answer them. I am certainly no expert, but I do have some experience with it. I also highly recommend marilu.com for tons of advice and support!

Friday, April 16, 2010

it's good to be back

It was a long flight from Manila to Guam, Guam to Hawaii and finally, Hawaii to LA. But it definitely felt good to be back in the US. As we were driving along the streets of LA, all thoughts of Manila (specifically anything to do with work) were forgotten. I have about 30+ days to be stress-free (except for a couple of days when I have to finish those AOs...sigh) so I'll savor and enjoy each and every day :)

While waiting for our connecting flight to LA, I saw this at the airport and I just had to have some:

It was my brother's first time to try it and he really liked it as well. Too bad it was only a small kiosk at the airport which didn't have the Cold Stone Creations (it just had regular ice cream without the fixings) so I'm yet to find another one with all the ice cream creations and have him try it.

I was able to get some sleep in the plane so I was still good when we got to my aunt and uncle's place in Riverside. I felt kinda sleepy though by mid afternoon but I don't want to fall prey to jetlag so when my aunt suggested that we go out, I was up for it!


And off to Ontario Mills we went. Outlet shopping on my first day! :)

In fairness, I just bought a couple of things but of course, I just had to pass by Coach and I can't help buying myself one :)

It's past midnight here already, but thanks to jetlag, I'm still alive and kicking. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day (more shopping!) so I guess I better try to get some sleep. My first day is pretty good and I'm so looking forward to the next days to come :)

Got Squats?

It's Friday Challenge Day! yay! I'm sure you are jumping for joy!!!!

We have done push-ups, sit-ups and drank our water. So today I think we should focus on our lower body. Yep, the dreaded squat! Now, be careful here. You must do these properly or it is hard on your knees. Put all the weight in your heels and stick out your booty! Just like you are sitting in a chair.
Source
The challenge is to do 25 slow squats. Now, when you are doing squats it can be deceiving. You may be able to do more, but you may not be able to walk tomorrow, so take it easy if you are new to doing squats. You can do more if you are used to doing squats, but I want everyone to be able to participate!

Be sure to let me know how you do.

I would love for you to check out my friend Valerie's blog. The Total Effect. She is such a cutie and has come up with the most interesting recipe challenge.


You can become a Master Shakeologist by creating the best tasting Shakeology recipe. She will even send you a sample of the Shake to create your recipe. I've got a few recipes up my sleeve to enter! The winner will be featured on her blog, facebook and twitter with the winning recipe!

Friday Follow!

Today is another Friday follow. I have to say that this is so enjoyable to participate. I am finding great new blogs to read. If you aren't participating, why not? Get signed up and start reading and following!




Discussion: What do you think is the best workout for the lower body? Squats? Lunges? Something else?