You Got #PROOF?!?!?

I received a email from a reader last week asking about some Tweets and Instagram photos I had posted. The question about what the tweet said or the pictures posted but the hash tag I used. The question was, "When you use #PROOF, what does that mean?"

The folks at Fitfluential started the idea of using this particular hash tag in March of last year. On their blog they stated,

"To a photographer, that word refers to an unedited copy waiting for approval before printing, 

but we think it can mean more: 

PROOF of a challenge taken and conquered, 

PROOF of endurance and inner strength, 

PROOF that we came, we saw, we ran our own race."

*to read more of FitFluential's blog post, click here

Using "#PROOF" is my way of showing how I smashed my workout, how I'm living a healthy lifestyle, how I'm achieving the goals I've set for myself, etc. It is my documentation, my evidence, my accountability.

FitFluential: Motivation Monday

So, how are you bringing it? How are you kickin' in doors and takin' names? If you're not using the hash tag #PROOF, you should start!

Let's motivate each other and keep one another accountable! Leave your twitter handle and/or instagram user name in the comments section so I can follow you if I'm not already! :)

Kitchen Gear Love

Let me be honest, I'm not a woman who spends a large amount of time in the kitchen whipping up amazing meals. Aluminium foil on baking sheets, a Crock Pot, a George Foreman grill, and a Vitamix are the staples of my kitchen gear. They help me prep my boring usual staples especially when I'm prepping.

In an attempt to "reel it in" per the instructions I was given by The Boss #1 (if you missed that post, you can read it here), I've been consistently using one of the Christmas gifts I received from my very generous mother-in-law.

Look at my new toy!!

That's right....my NutriBullet, baby!!! Almost every morning for the past two weeks, I have been making a fruit & veggie shake for either meal #1 or #2.

My first shake was fairly basic since I was feeling a bit tentative and I didn't want to "overdo" it. I combined water, two handfuls of organic baby kale, 1 scoop of vanilla whey isolate protein powder, 1/2 cup of blackberries, 1 banana, and a little less than 1/4 cup of flax seeds. I wasn't sure that the NutriBullet would be able to blend all of these ingredients as well as my Vitamix did when I made similar type shakes but guess what, it did!!

An added bonus --> it was quieter than the Vitamix so I didn't have to take it out to the garage to make my shake like I've had to do in the past! The end result was a tasty shake that was such a pretty color, I told myself I would love to have a nail polish of the same color :)

During my weekend trip to the Dollar Store, I found pineapples and green apples. In an attempt to be adventurous (because I am NOT a fruit person), I bought both to use in my shake concoctions. I crossed my fingers that the purchase was a good idea and not a waste of money that I could have used on Fiddle Faddle!

This shake was made with two handfuls of organic baby kale, 1 green apple, 1/2 cup of pineapple, 1 scoop of vanilla whey isolate protein powder, and 1/4 cup of flax seeds.

It survived the car & elevator ride!

Since this shake was going to be meal #2 and it wasn't time to eat yet, I used one of the lids that came with the NutriBullet to transport my shake from home to work safely and mess-free! I love that all I have to do is put my shake ingredients in the cup, blend it, slap a lid on it, and walk out of the house. If that's not winning, I'm not sure what is!

Healthy drinking and driving :)

One last thing I absolutely L-O-V-E is the handle that can be used with the cups. I worked a later schedule on Monday so when I left for work, I was ready for my next meal. I made my shake, twisted on the handle, gathered my stuff, and sipped yumminess as I drove to work!

So far I've used bananas, kale, spinach, apples, pineapples, tangerines, blackberries, blueberries, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seeds. Any recommendations for recipes or other ingredients I should try? My mother-in-law shared this recipe that I'm equal parts scared and intrigued about.

Someone mentioned that there may be leakage issues with this particular product - has anyone who has a NutriBullet experienced this?

I am in no way affiliated with NutriBullet or Magic Bullet. 

All opinions expressed in this post were my own.

New Release Tuesday

Did anyone else realize that Christina had new music out besides the "My Body" song?? I didn't but discovered this song thanks to Pamela over at Thrive Personal Fitness!

Check out the song and tell me what you think....

Three Words --> Reel It In!!

Hey everybody!! Welcome to 2013! How is this year treating you thus far?!? I have been fighting cooties since a little after Christmas but other than that, I have no complaints!

I have been really enjoying my off-season...in fact, I might be enjoying it more than I should...lol!! Here are a few pictures of what my life is consisting of these days (and I can tell you it's not the gym, veggies, or cardio equipment!)

Because every librarian should wear reindeer ears at the Reference Desk

Apple fritters from my favorite bakery, Le Cave's

Kissing my nephew as much as possible! 

Dark chocolate pomegranate bites, vitamins, and my favorite magazine :)

Lulu's Shake Shoppe is only a 5 minute walk from my library! Woo hoo!!

The tater tots that accompanied my Nutella Reese's Peanut Butter Cup shake!

In enjoying my off-season and purposely forgetting the goal of "Operation Lean Mean Machine", I have put on about 10 pounds in the last few weeks. I am being completely honest when I say that I am squishy and happy...lol! I love not eating from a set plan, being "confined" to certain foods, and skipping workouts. But I also love seeing my abs, shoulder veins, and not feeling like my belly is oozing over the tops of my pants. 

When I checked in with The Boss #1 over the weekend and told her what my weight was, I received a three word text back from her. The text read "Reel it in" and nothing more. 

*GULP*

I thought, "Damn it! I'm in so much trouble!!" but after a few more texts, it was clear that I wasn't in trouble but she was putting me on notice. Yes, I could still enjoy tater tots, apple fritters, and Mexican Hot Chocolates but I was not allowed to skip workouts. My soft ass needs to be in the gym at least 3 times a week and there definitely needs to be some cardio in there!

So, meals were prepped today...thank God for the Dollar Store by my house where I scored asparagus, spinach, brussel sprouts, and lentils...but I digress....and Tom (aka The Boss #2) & I will be hitting up the gym for 5 am workouts Monday & Tuesday morning.

You might be thinking to yourself, "It's your off-season. What's the big deal?" The answer to that is -->

Yep, it's the Excellent Adventure is going to be a huge deal. No, I'm not telling you what it is quite yet...be patient! :)

Adios 2012 y Hola 2013!!

2012 was an incredible year and I am thankful for all of the blessings, struggles, 

lessons, etc that took place this year.

I have a feeling that 2013 will blow 2012 out of the water! I have a few exciting things planned...what to know what those things are?? Well, I'm not sharing the details quite yet but I will give you a hint -->

Thank you for joining my in my various adventures this past year! 

Your support, encouragement, positive words, and laughter have meant the world to me!

 I hope you'll join me for more mischief and shenanigans next year!

The Rest of the Story....

Picking up where we left off.... :)

Tom and I sat at Red Robin, dissecting the pictures he had taken and analyzing what had taken place when my class took the stage. Now let me tell you that I absolutely hate to go out in public after prejudging. I hate it because I'm stinky, sticky, black as tar (thank you, Pro Tan) but my hatred went away after receiving a text from The Boss saying I could have a burger (no bun!) and a Diet Coke   #thankyousweetbabyjesus

We decided to stop picking things apart, enjoy our food, and head back to the hotel because Saturday was going to be a busy busy day! I was scheduled to shoot with the most AMAZING photographer - Ana from Urban Chick Foto!

Ana and I met on siouxcountry back in 2010 and I shot with her for the first time later that year (you can see those photos here). Now, by no means do I claim to be a model. In fact, I'm the complete opposite of one but Ana has a way of making you feel like a million bucks when she's pointing her camera at you.

We decided that we would do the shoot at the show's venue and it proved to be the perfect place! It's so much fun to watch Ana at work. The three of us would be walking and chatting when she would stop and say "This spot is perfect" and the posing would begin!

Tom hates to have his picture taken but I was able to convince him to strike a pose with me for a couple of pictures. I told him we needed concrete proof that we know how to dress like grown-ups and that we do, in fact, own clothes other than gym clothes!  *if you would like to see the rest of the pictures from the shoot, please visit Ana's blog!

Once the photo shoot was over, Tom and I headed back to the hotel to eat and rest. The "resting" only lasted about 45 minutes as we were bored with the food we brought with us and the hotel room!

I still dream about this salad!!

We went for a stroll and took that time as an opportunity to check in with The Princess who was staying with her grandparents. The Urban Picnic was calling our name and we gave each other a high-five for deciding to take a chance on the restaurant. I highly recommend it if you're ever in Mesa! Once we filled our bellies, it was time to head back to the hotel and put my feet until the athlete's meeting.

photo credit

photo credit

I have always said that shows are a bunch of hurry up & wait and this show was no different. Each competitor is introduced individually and those competing in divisions that require a routine (fitness, physique, and bodybuilding) each perform a 60 second routine.

photo credit

photo credit

photo credit

photo credit

To pass the time backstage, I chatted with some of the other competitors (everyone is a bit more relaxed and friendly at finals versus prejuding), listened to my music, and just tried to be still. At the show's intermission, the names of those who placed in the top 5 of their class were posted downstairs (the dressing rooms for the female athletes were upstairs). I hid in a bathroom stall freshened up my makeup and finally got the guts to walk downstairs to see what the verdict was. As I was heading to the posting, a girl from my class walked past me, smiled, and congratulated me on making top 5! I had just enough time to run back up the stairs, send a text to Tom & The Boss saying "Top 5, baby", and touch up my glaze before the show's expediter was asking Figure Class D to line up.

As we stood backstage, I looked at the other girls of the top 5 and knew I had accomplished what I had set out to do. Fifth place was announced and it wasn't my number that was called. I breathed a small sigh of relief and kept smiling. Fourth place was announced and the show's MC asked number 77 to step forward. Yes....number #77...me. "Damn it!", I thought, "One spot away!"

photo credit 

photo credit

Tom and I met in the lobby and I could tell by looking at him that he was disappointed with how things turned out. I dropped my face and tried really hard not to cry. I was so upset that once again, I had let him and The Boss down.

Thank you, Thirsty Lion!

We decided not to stay for the rest of the show and hit up a restaurant that the woman sitting next to him at the show had recommended. The Thirsty Lion was just what we needed. It had tvs...music...beer...fried food...and more beer!

I wasn't as sad and pouty on Sunday as I thought I would be. It could be due to the mini-exploration trip we took, or the pancakes, or the hashbrowns, or the biscuits and gravy - it's hard to say :)

Mural we found while exploring!

I will admit that it does sting a little bit to have placed fourth at a show I was certain I was going to place higher at. Then I remember what it felt like to place dead last at the shows I competed in two years ago and suddenly, fourth place really isn't that bad.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from The Boss #2, The Princess, and myself!
Wishing you & those you hold dear a wonderful holiday!