Monthly Archives: January 2011

Fashion Help

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15

I am no fashion expert, but is “hair tinsel” really the up-and-coming trend!??!

(source)

I have been seeing quite a few girls at the elementary schools I teach at–and even a couple of parents–sport these pieces of shiny flare speckled throughout their locks. Has anyone else seen these?

Living in Alaska, I feel so isolated, so please tell me what is trending right now! I believe Toms are popular right now as well as headbands with big bows, but what else?? Help, I live in an isolated ice box called Alaska right now!!

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Sometimes I feel obligated to blog, but yesterday I had no desire to write a post, so I didn’t. It was a good feeling!! I actually spent the evening watching TV with Craig. . . . well, kind of–I still had to get up during the commercial breaks to do things. I am too much of a busy-body!!

Here’s a few highlights from my Sunday:

I made a Green Monster smoothie and added a kiwi. (I got the idea from a Runner’s World magazine.)

1/2 cup milk + 1 kiwi + 1/2 frozen banana + 2 cups spinach + 1 Tablespoon soy protein powder

I liked the flavor and if you are a little apprehensive to give a spinach smoothie a try, I would recommend adding the kiwi and banana to cover the bitterness of the spinach!!

I enjoyed this protein smoothie after my long run on Sunday along with a Peanut Butter-Banana Muffin that I pulled out of the freezer.

Workouts from last week (1/24 – 1/30):

Monday: rest

Tuesday: ran 5 miles + 45 minutes lifted weights at the gym

Wednesday: ran 7 miles (a.m.) + ran 3 miles (p.m.)

Thursday: ran 7 miles + 90 minutes yoga

Friday: ran 4 miles

Saturday: ran 6 miles + 45 minutes lifted weights at the gym

Sunday: ran 12 miles

Since I did a long run yesterday, I took the day off today. It was SO nice to be able to sleep in until 6 a.m. (instead of 5 a.m.) and get nearly 9 hours of sleep. When I am running and training a lot, I definitely need the extra sleep!

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Tonight I actually made dinner for us. I am pretty sure I didn’t make a meal at all last week.

Spinach Quiche

(Based off this recipe.)

Ingredients

3 whole wheat tortilla shells
4 turkey bacon strips, diced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 eggs
1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon each salt, pepper and paprika

Directions

1. Grease a pie plate and line with the tortilla shells.

2. In a small skillet, cook the bacon, onion, and red pepper until vegetables are tender. Stir in spinach.

3. Spoon spinach mixture into pastry.

4. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, cheese, and seasonings; pour over spinach mixture.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Overall, I thought the quiche turned out really well. I loved all the spinach in it and lean protein.

The one change I would make would be to reduce or eliminate the oregano because the flavor from it was pretty overpowering.

I’m enjoying a little Bachelor action tonight and will be hitting the hay after that.

Question

What is your favorite trend your digging right now?

A Sweet Saturday

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Nothing like a nice 6 mile run to get my Saturday started out right! :)

Nothing speedy–just an enjoyable run before my long run tomorrow.

Prior to running, I had a piece of toast with peanut butter and banana on it. Definitely a good pre-run standby.

After running, I had a Clif energy gel shot. I normally don’t have gels after running (usually only during a run), but I didn’t feel like eating much of anything else.

I heard these were good, but I was not impressed. I’m not sure if it was the flavor or just the Clif brand in general, but I’ll stick to my GUs for now.

I spent a good chunk of time foam rolling and stretching while I waited for Craig to get home so we could go to the gym. Since he was running a little late, I finished off the rest of this yogurt. (There was only about 1/3 cup left.) I sprinkled some Cherrios on top. Love Cheerios!

When Craig got home, we went to the gym where I lifted weights for 45 minutes. I alternated between arm lifts and abs/stretching. I didn’t want to lift my legs since I knew I would be doing a long run tomorrow.

Then it was time for lunch.

A big salad + a sweet, juicy orange

I topped my salad with tomatoes + carrots + nutritional yeast + homemade croutons (so good!–way better than store-bought ones!)

This afternoon Craig and I got pedicures!!

We went to Glaze Nail Bar in Anchorage. It is a super trendy, eco-friendly, natural nail salon and spa.

We had great service and a wonderful experience!

With all the running I do, my feet take a beating, so I was in desperate need of a pedicure.

Gosh, I look tired!

This was Craig’s first pedicure experience! A true Alaskan man knows how to pamper himself!

We are off to have dinner with friends tonight! See you tomorrow!

Say What?

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7

Hip, hip, hooray for Friday!!

I have definitely been lacking motivation this week and have been feeling pretty depressed and irritable lately. I’m so glad the weekend is here!! :D

I think this is the time of the year when people are really affected by the winter season–the holidays are over, the days are still short, and spring/summer seems a million miles away. (At least where I live. I know some of you are enjoying mild/warm temperatures–lucky!) Plus, after seeing my family this past weekend and having a blast with them, I’m coming off a high from that.

I miss running with my sister–even if it was below zero!

Over the weekend, my sister and I were talking about clothes, and we started talking about the brand Lululemon. I asked her how she pronounced “Lululemon.”

I had read Julie’s post last week, and like her, I thought for the longest time it was pronounced lulu-mon! As if I was Jamaican, but come to find out, it is pronounced lulu-lemon–like the citrus fruit and just like it is spelled!! Did anyone else think this?

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This morning I got up at 5 a.m. and ended up cleaning (dusting, straightening things up) for an hour before going out for my run. . . issues?? Yes, probably. . .

I then busted out a 4-mile run. It went by quickly, and I love how loose and flexible my legs (especially my hips) feel after my 90 minutes of yoga last night!

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New Products

A few new products I’ve recently tried . . . .

This Fruit 2 Day beverage was something my mom had at home, and I was more than happy to taste-test a new product!

The fruit juice contains real pieces (bits) of fruit and contains two servings of fruit in each bottle. The small pieces of pear mixed in with the juice were a nice addition to plain juice. It made drinking the beverage kind of fun!

I really liked the cherry-grape flavor, and the ingredients list was full of several kinds of fruits.

I would definitely drink this beverage, but I try to drink fruit juices in moderation since whole fruits are a better choice.

I really like Larabars and this flavor definitely ranks up there with my favorite flavors! How can you go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate?!?!

So chewy, delicious, and even good chilled!

I see a trend here. . . peanut butter + chocolate :)

Loved this Odwalla bar–great flavor and nice and chewy but not too tough.

This evening I enjoyed some quality time with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. It was so good to catch up with her!!

Question

What are your plans for the weekend?