Healthy Eating Made Easier with FIXATE!

I'm really working on finding new recipes that my entire family can enjoy. I want to make meals that are healthy, nutritious, and most importantly- delicious! 

Jack is a great eater and I've really cut back on the amount of sugary and processed treats/snacks he eats. I just don't buy them any more and I'm really proud of that. We will still go out for ice cream or I'll get him a treat while we're out, but it's not a regular occurrence any more. And I just don't keep candy and other things in the house like I used to. And guess what? He doesn't ask for treats every morning like he used to! I'd call that a parenting win!

Pinterest is a great place to find meal and snack ideas, but who has time to go through all those pins? Especially when there are so many mouth watering treats to sidetrack you!

That's why I'm thrilled to have FIXATE at my fingertips! It's filled with 101 healthy, balanced recipes that the whole family can enjoy. There are recipes for pancakes, waffles, soups, meatballs, and even ice cream and other healthy desserts!

I got the book last week and cannot wait to start whipping up some yummy dishes. I'll post as I try different things. Interested in getting the cookbook for your family? Click HERE. 

What is your favorite thing to make for your family? What are some clever ways you've come up with to get your kids to eat vegetables and other foods they may be reluctant to eat? 

On the Go!

Today was a busy, rushed morning which means it was just another typical morning for us! Before I wouldn't even hesitate to stop at Panera or Starbucks and spend money I didn't need to be spending on sugary drinks and unhealthy food. Today I'm so grateful to have found a healthy, delicious, and on-the-go breakfast!

The best part, besides the amazing taste and health benefits? It's actually cheaper than one of those sugary drinks! Shakeology for the win!!

I have a 21 Day Fix group starting August 3rd and everyone who joins will be entered to win one of these new cookbooks, filled with 101 fix-approved recipes! There are vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and kid-friendly recipes included. I can't wait to start trying them and will be posting my favorites! 

Interested in learning more about the group? Find me on Facebook and I'll add you to the event where you can learn more! 

National Stroller Running Day

I haven't been posting much, but I just found out about an awesome event that I just have to share!

You can visit Moms Little Running Buddy for all the info, including how to win some cool prizes! I love my BOB and even at 5 years old, I love taking Jack out for a run. He often asks to get out and run now and I'm happy to oblige!

We will definitely be participating in this event! Who's going to join me?

Jack in 2010

2015

I seriously love this stroller and it has been one of the best purchases I've made since becoming a mom. 

Do you or have you ever run with a stroller? 

Mission 10 Miler

This past Sunday I ran my first race of the year! The last race I ran was a 10-Miler in November. 4 months later and I'm running another local 10-Miler. It's a great distance and it's becoming one of my favorites to run.

My running has been more consistent leading up to this race, but I didn't run for 3 weeks in March. Not good! The weather has been getting better so I went out for a short run last Thursday and an even shorter run Saturday morning. Getting outside (after only running indoors for the last 4 months) built up my confidence for the race.

I ran this race last year and the weather was just awful. Rain, hail, sleet, snow...every type of precipitation you can think of, we had it during those 2 hours! This year was 1000x better. A bit windy and chilly, but the sun was out, the sky was clear, and the ground was dry. I'll take it!

The course starts and ends just outside of a baseball stadium and it's an out and back course. The only problem is you're out in the middle of nowhere (or at least it feels like it!) and the road seems to go on for forever. Finally you turn the corner and see the tent marking the turnaround. It's a beautiful thing!

I started out with the 10:00 min/mile pacer and my first 2 miles were my fastest. It was too fast for me so I had to slow down a bit. I wanted to wait until I made it to the turnaround before kicking it up. The course consists of rolling hills, with 2 bigger hills as you near the finish, and I needed to save some energy for this last mile.

My splits were 10:37/mile for the first half and 10:38/mile for the second half. Finish time was 1:46:06, my second fastest 10 miler! And I beat last year's time by 4 1/2 minutes! But really, how could I not with the drastic differences in the weather? Still, I'll take it!

See that squint? Gotta love that sun!

Thanks to the hills and me pushing it (and after a 3 week running hiatus), my quads are still sore 3 days later. Am I crazy for loving it? I guess that's why I continue to run! :)

Here are a few things I love about this race and why I plan on doing it every year that I'm able to:

• It's local and takes less than 30 minutes for me to get there
• The race fee doesn't break the bank and even if it did, it goes to a good cause (see below)
• It's a 2pm start time on a Sunday. They want everyone to have the chance to go to church in the morning before the race. How great is that? And I love that I don't have to get up super early!
• It's called "A Race for Recovery" because they support a local Rescue Mission which provides long-term residential recovery programs to the chemically addicted, food to the hungry, and clothing and furniture to the needy. This year they raised $25,000! 
• You get a nice running shirt and medal
• They have same-day packet pickup so no having to go out of my way the day before. And did I mention the race is at 2pm? Packet pickup goes until 1:30. Again, no getting out of bed super early or going out of your way!
• A great selection of post-race food and drink
• Amazing volunteers who had smiles on their faces. One even thanked me for being out there running. 

To sum it up, this is the perfect race (at least to me) and I can't wait to do it again next year! If you live in the area, definitely check it out. Maybe I'll see you out there. :)

What do you look for when signing up for a race? What's important to you? 

Honey Stinger Hive 2015

Last month I was on the Honey Stinger website looking at their yummy products and came across their ambassador application. A lot of the people I follow on Instagram are ambassadors for various companies and I've been wanting to get involved. It seems like a very cool thing to do and a great way to get discounts on products you love. So I filled out the application.

This prompted me to search for and submit applications to other companies as well. I didn't think I'd get picked for any because let's face it...I'm not the best at blogging regularly! I'm really trying to change that this year and now I have extra motivation to stay on top of it.

I got picked to be a part of the Honey Stinger Hive for 2015!!

I'm a sponsored athlete! How crazy is that?? It's very cool and I'm honored to be working with such a great company. I love the products I've tried and I'm looking forward to trying more. I'll be sharing more about their products and I'm even planning to do a giveaway sometime soon. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out their website and tell me what you like or what you most want to try.

I'm excited for what 2015 is bringing!