Opinions Wanted Friday: Biggest Life Moment

Many times I have heard people say "Oh that was the biggest thing that has ever happened to me" or "That was the most important day of my life"...a wedding...a baby...a marathon!! So is there really one biggest moment? Or are there lots of moments and what is biggest changes based on your current life stage?

What is your biggest life moment? Talk about a feel good Friday!! Remember your great time and share it with us!

AND TO LEAVE YOU WITH YOUR JAWS dropped...the one and only picture of me ever holding a baby...my new nephew Hudson.
---------------------------
Gratitude Journal
July 17
I am grateful for Facebook connecting me to people
I am grateful for reminders of friends birthdays
I am grateful for yard games
I am grateful for learning to bike
I am grateful the kitties are starting to get along...uhh still no name!

Monster Twists

Don't forget to enter to win some great gear!
OK so the baseline Green Monster as developed by Angela is fabu, but if you are like me you find yourself always experimenting. Unfortunately I started creating AWFUL monsters because I was trying to make them so darn healthy I started stripping out some of the yummy taste and well not all experiments work as well....and that caused me to stop drinking them all together!

Over the last two weeks I have been stepping back up to the plate and doing the daily Monster. I have also found some very fun TWISTS to share with you, in case you are ready to shake up your monster life.

ORIGINAL RECIPE found here >>

TOFU Monster
1/2 cup Nasoya Vanilla Silken creations, 2 cups spinach, 4 baby carrots, 1 cup cantaloup, 1 banana, 1 TBSP flax

OR I also love what I call the dessert version with the Nasoya Chocolate Silken creations, 1 cup water, 2 cups spinach, 3 baby carrots, 1/3 cucumber, 1 very ripe banana, 1/2 cup blueberries
POM Monster 1
1/2 POM wonderful, 2 brussel sprouts, 3 slices summer squash, 1/2 cup Nasoya vanilla silken creations, 3/4 cup blueberries, 2 cups spinach, 1 cup romaine, 1/2 cup water POM Monster 2
1 Apple, 1/4 cup frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1 stalk swiss chard, 1 cup spinach, 1/2 POM Wonderful, 1/3 cucumber, 1/3 zucchini Green Tea Monster
I don't have any loose leaf green tea, but I do have the concentrated drops from HerbaSway which adds some pretty awesome goodness to a smoothie!! 1 droper HerbaSway green tea, 2 radishes, 1 stalk swiss chard, 1/2 cup water, 1 banana, 2 cups spinach, 1/4 cucumber, 1 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup POM wonderful (not always needed)Espresso CLICK Monster
2 cups swiss chard, 6 carrots, HerbaSway Cranberry drops, 1 banana, 1 small packet Amazing Grass, 1 scoop Click -- This worked out well when I found myself lacking on available fruits.Click is my new amazing CURE ALL ingredient...have you made a bad monster? Toss in some espresso protein powder and BAM you're Emril with a fantastic tasting drink!! I am not a huge caffeine drinker, so I don't mind this little boost once in awhile and they say it's great for both pre-workout energy and post workokut recovery!Water Monster
I know many folks add milk (rice, soy, almond) to their smoothies but I often don't have it on hand so I started subbing the Silken Tofu...but other times I found that with just water you can get great results!! 1/3 cucumber, 1/3 yellow squash, 2 radishes, 1/2 POM Wonderful, 2 cups spinach, 1 cup blueberries, 1 very ripe banana, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 stalk swiss chard.I have had a few requests for recipes lately, so I hope this helps!
----------------------
Gratitude Journal
July 16
I am grateful for comfy couches
I am grateful for strange tv shows late at night when I can't sleep
I am grateful for cushioned shoes
I am grateful for water
I am grateful for a clean car

Savannah Wedding Design Scams Brides

I try to keep this blog on the positive side of life because that's where I like to live...but I can no longer not say anything about the injustice being done by Anastasia Stevenson and her company Savannah Wedding Designs.

Since my fiasco of a wedding last March, I have received emails from 6 other brides who were also ripped off for lack of a better term. They found me due to my blog post, which is why I am writing now to help prevent any additional brides from using her services!!

2 weddings cancelled with no refund
1 wedding where she simply didn't show up the day of
1 wedding where the person has never received photographs (3 years ago)
1 wedding where she was yelling at the bride as she walked down the aisle

1 wedding where she relocated the wedding from beach...to swamp

Better business bureau has 8 unresolved cases against her.

Wed Safe, a wedding insurance program, posted this note: "Please note: Effective June 12, 2009 insurance coverage cannot be purchased for any events involving Anastasia Stevenson or any organization with which this event planner is affiliated."

2 people have tried for months on end to serve her with papers but have found addresses to be incorrect from Georgia to LA.

A local Savannah TV station has finally gotten wind of the story and is working on something called "Wedding Planner or Wedding Scammer".

Anastasia Stevenson was denied a business license this year.

I am sharing all of this with the sincere hope that any future brides will find this BEFORE hiring her... she has ruined a very special day for too many people. Luckily I married the perfect man for me, so even her horrific performance cannot take that away from me.

Did I make that?

I am so impressed with myself right now... really I could just pat myself on the back. Cooking used to scare me, but now I tend to enjoy it so... when I saw a post on Meghann the Graduate about a yummy sandwich she ordered I thought to myself I CAN MAKE THAT!!!

Which turned out to be true and take approximately 2 hours...haha for a sandwich!
First up: Learning to make homemade roasted red peppers. I did this long process in the oven..and was CRAZY proud and happy with how they turned out. David even loved them! Here they are one before peeling and the other in process.... followed by the slices as I put them back in the oven for final roastingSecond: marinate zucchini in balsmaic vinegar (why didn't I think of this sooner!)
Third: Grill on top of stove as I don't know how to use the actual gas grill

All together... some of my Gluten Free Life bread, feta cheese, grilled mushroom, roasted red pepper and marinated zucchini sandwich... HEAVEN...I could eat this daily!Next up I sauteed a boat load of mushrooms and green beans... then conveniently added them to my Annie Chun's bowl making it even tastier and 2 perfect lunches! I have a few other fun creations...which will be in a giveaway so I'll save those. What cool stuff have you made lately?

RUNNING
The mind stuff must be working because every last ounce of my pain is GONE. Literally in two days...after months and months and months... GONE. I can't run 10 miles yet, but hello it's been over a month since I was able to really run. So I'm building back endurance now.

David ran 2 miles with me last night, which was pretty dang awesome. We haven't run together since we first started dating...now I think he may just run with me more often!! OMG could we really be that couple that works out together...my excitement level is off the charts!

Awesome Artisana Giveaway...but seriously don't enter I want to win so badly! Or if you do leave my name so I get an additional entry!!
-----------------------------
Gratitude Journal (yes #2 for today)
I am grateful for yummy filling lunches
I am grateful for people who can fix corrupted files (Terese!!)
I am grateful for kind strangers
I am grateful for dishwashers
I am grateful for my air conditioner

Good Gear Almighty (Giveaway)

SHORTS
Many of you have heard me talk about my great love of McDavid compression pants and leg sleeves...they were my saving grace during the Olathe 1/2 marathon and my WONDERFUL recovery tool post San Diego...seriously it's true love my friends.

Now because of Joey at McDavid I was also lucky enough to get some women's compression shorts...which the current injuries have limited my use of but I am like white on rice now with these babies...so of course I would like to share!!! McDavid Compression Shorts

I have 2 size small compression shorts to share with you folks, for the low low price of a comment about your current favorite piece of running apparel.
**Please note that a size small is seriously small...like maybe a size 0-2...possibly a 4, but they don't fit me folks I need a medium.
***Also note you cannot just say..ohh want to win, you must answer the question for a valid entry.

SOCKS
Last year was the first time I truly realized how important socks could be to your runninng... I mean yeah I'm on my feet for 4 hours, but isn't it just my shoes that matter. No my friends it is not. DryMax was my first introduction to sweet sweet cushion...but I'm not afraid to venture out and after hearing some folks talk about Balega it was time to see if the hype measured up.First up were the Lady Enduro socks...overall I'm a big fan, they are soft and cushy and do all the right things to make my feet feel FABUUUUU. My only complaint is that for me personally the sock is just a little to high, I like the lower one's...which would be the second pair and my total FAV that I tried out. Ha! Tell me you don't love the top of these socks!! They were so soft it felt like putting on slippers and very low cut, but with the small tab in the back so that you wouldn't rub your heel if they slipped a bit. Yeah perfection.

So for you my friends I have 2 pairs of Balega Enduro Women's running sock is a size Small (6-8 shoe size) and for another winner 2 pairs Balega Enduro Women's running socks in size Medium (8.5-10.5)... that's right you big old feet people like me size 11...are SOL.

Enter by leaving me your current favorite sock or something you learned from the Balega Sports website.

Additional entries (please leave a comment per entry):
You can leave separate entries to be entered for the shorts and the socks.
Link back to the contest
Add me to your blog roll

Winner selected and announced here on the 20th... you must check in to claim prize
---------------------------------
Gratitude Journal
July 15
I am grateful for David running with me
I am grateful for happy knees, legs, etc
I am grateful for kitties that get along
I am grateful for zucchini
I am grateful for cushy socks

Mind Games For Pain?

Runners have long played mind games to get through a tough run or to make it just a little farther. My favorite is usually...I'll just run to the next light pole...which turns in to about 10 light poles and 12 more blocks.

So is it possible that our mind games are also the cause of many injuries? I will just flat out say you need to be OPEN MINDED to read this post or even consider its validity... so you've been warned. In this months issue of Runners World there is an article about a man with an injury...who went through all of the attempted remedies for pain that I have been doing!! PT, icing, heat, medicine, accupuncture, massage...ETC... then he heard about Dr. John Sarno who says that many (NOT ALL) pains are a manifestation of your mind. TENSION. STRESS...and most importantly repressed rage.

I decided that what the HECK I might as well investigate this more and see what happens. So I downloaded Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection, by John E. Sarno, M.D. and began listening to it on Sunday night. It's very hard to explain his whole theory but here are a few major tid bits:

1. Talk to your brain. Listen up brain you need to stop with manifesting this pain, I understand that I have repressed an emotion and I will deal with it, but I will no longer tolerate this pain.

2. Understand that true pain never lasts this long. Example: Have you ever had surgery? Remember how it really only hurt for a few days...not MONTHS on end. Or you stubbed your toe..short term pain because your body knows how to handle true pain. But pain from your unconscious is different.

3. You have to truly understand his theory and understand how these feelings could be manifesting in your body. You have to understand that sitting shouldn't be a painful activity..and that much like Pavlov you have learned to associate your activity with pain...so that's what you get.

4. Stop everything you are doing to treat the issue...there is nothing to treat.

Here is another older RW article online about this same topic.

ME?
Personally, I believe a great deal in the power of the mind on influencing your body and experiences... so this whole theory seemed plausible to me. I have to admit...my arse issues (piriformis), IT band issues...gone since I really started to believe exactly what he's saying and I have been talking to my brain.

KITTY
We are going to the vet today.
He still has no name other than Little Dude.
Our other cat HATES him and us for bringing him home.
He is still cuddly and fun.
He likes sitting on my shoulder.
-----------------------
Gratitude Journal
July 14
I am grateful for good vets
I am grateful for tiny kitty scratches
I am grateful for fun weekend plans
I am grateful for AWESOME lunches (details tomorrow)
I am grateful for learning to cook

Snackaroos

I have come to realize that my product tasting either has me ahead of the curve... or like light years behind the curve. To be honest...I don't particularly care!

So today I'm here with a few of my current snackaroos...while most people follow a plan of 3 meals or even 5... I personally know that I am a snacker, I have come to embrace my snackiness and thoroughly enjoy the foods that it has brought in to my life.

TRAIL MIX
As I've continued to move down the path of healthier eating, I stared to shun trail mix. I mean the ingredients really just didn't stack up...until I found Kopali organics!! OH MY WORD, it's a power packed snack for 120 calories. I enjoyed it before my group run last week and it was perfection. NUTS
You may remember my non-stop mentioning of Tierra Farms awhile back..well I was seriously so in love with those Agave Cashews I ordered a pound...wish it was like 10lbs at the rate I'm going.

Next up though are Sahale nuts...these awesome flavored nuts have been perfect lately in salads or as a quick snack in the afternoon...really who knew that I would find so much YUM in flavored nuts.NUT BUTTER
Yeah like you thought I would do a post on food and skip the nut butters...you crazies. I recently tried sunflower nut butter for the first time and decided that it's good...but not my favorite. No my favorite is probably still raw almond butter. But hey you only live once right...and any nut butter snack is BEAUTIFUL.VEGGIES/FRUITS
Clearly veggies and fruits are some of my main go to snacks. I mean I love fruit and if I thought I could eat it like all day long...I might. Then again maybe not, I really love cereal too. With my veggies, I am still enjoying all variety of flavors of hummus...red pepper Sonny and Joe's still wins the day though.

CHIPS
Chips are a thing for David...all greasy and ick, so I started eating soy crisps which I have talked about numerous times (GeniSoy). However, like many of you I am trying to eat soy in moderation so with my current tofu testing I was very excited to see Sensible Portions crisps! The chocolate covered crips won my attention directly after work and I was super impressed at the amount found in a 100 calorie bag!! Clearly the taste was more important than the quantity so I am happy to report that you need to start Sensibly Snacking yourself into happiness.BEVERAGES
Ok, I have been a plain water girl for well EONS...seriously I'm a dinosaur folks. Sometimes though it's sure nice to taste something with a little punch and if it's good for me well then aren't I just the lucky buck (sorry not a bird fan). Synergy has been out for awhile now, but I had never ventured in to that realm until now...and now I am hooked. As someone who doesn't drink much alcohol, I was laughable surprised at how a bottle of Synergy gave me that same almost heady buzz as a drink...COOL. Ok I can't lie there has also been some cookie sampling going on...which is probably why I just noticed a few LBS on the scale... maybe time to umm watch the SNACKAROOS for just a bit.
------------------------------------------
Gratitude Journal
July 13
I am grateful for templates
I am grateful for hot showers
I am grateful for morning runs
I am grateful for a good chat with friends
I am grateful for quick calls from the hubs