I've mentioned it a few times since I started, but in mid-January I became a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. The school is a yearlong course to become a certified health coach, and so far I've really enjoyed every single week. Not only am I a bit of a nerd in general who loves school and learning, but at IIN, I'm learning about topics related to a huge passion of mine (which you may have figured out by now!): healthy living. I thought it'd be fun to do a monthly recap post where I share some of my favorite concepts and ideas from the lessons, so this is recap #1! First off, how the school operates: I love how classes are set up to fit into a busy schedule. The school has an app so that you can listen to the lectures on your iPhone or do work on your iPad ... [Read More]
Archives for February 2014
Cocogo Brand Ambassador
First thing's first: It's time to announce my Cocogo sports drink giveaway winner. Congratulations to Calista at A Fettle Fine Thyme! I've emailed you for your address so I can get a box of lemon lime electrolyte packets shipped to you very soon. Speaking of Cocogo, I'm happy to announce that I'm now partnering with the company as a brand ambassador! As I mentioned in my post about their drink packets, I'm a big fan of keeping properly hydrated to feel my best and love electrolyte drinks. Grape is my favorite flavor of theirs! And because I feel like keeping things short and sweet on here tonight, I wanted to share some words of wisdom that I absolutely adore and have yet to post: I happen to believe that life's too short to waste your time on ... [Read More]
Hiking at Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay State Park
Hi there! I arrived home a few hours ago from my wonderful getaway to Lake Tahoe. It was the first time I visited the area, and just as everyone who has been there had told me, it's breathtakingly beautiful! I surprised my hubby by booking us a getaway to South Lake Tahoe. We own a timeshare, so I exchanged a few of our days for a stay at The Ridge Tahoe. Our room was pretty nice, and the resort was around a 15 minute drive from downtown. South Lake Tahoe is about a 4 hour drive from our home in the South Bay Area, which wasn't a bad trip. We drove up there on Friday afternoon and zipped back home on this Monday afternoon. On Saturday, we wanted to go snowshoeing to explore the mountains a bit. Much to my disappointment, the snowshoe rental guy told us that because the winter there ... [Read More]
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies [Gluten Free & Vegan]
Hi friends! I am super excited because I'm heading to Lake Tahoe tomorrow for a getaway with my hubby! I've never gone skiing before, so wish me luck. We're also planning on trying snowshoeing, and I found a bunch of restaurants that are my style -- including a couple of vegan and gluten free specific eateries that I'm looking forward to trying out. I'll certainly be recapping my trip next week, but today, let's talk about another fun topic: cookies, specifically dark chocolate peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies. How's that for a mouthful? There are a few kitchen creations that are my go-to recipes when I'm in the mood for something specific. When I get into what I think of as a cookie monster mode, this is definitely one of my no brainers to make. When I felt the need to make them ... [Read More]
Giveaway! Cocogo: Real Fruit Hydration On-the-Go
Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm back this week participating in The Skinny on Health's Fit Tip Tuesday blogger party, and today there's also a giveaway involved! One of my #1 health tips is to make staying hydrated a top priority. We all know that drinking water is important, and here are a few reasons why: Drinking water... Helps with alertness Prevents headaches and fatigue Keeps dry skin at bay Improves performance during exercise or activity Helps to control appetite During exercise, dehydration can cause a slower reaction time, decreased coordination and endurance, higher heart rate, and impaired concentration - no thanks! - so I always make sure to be properly hydrated before I start exercising, and to frequently sip water while I'm working out. I've mentioned ... [Read More]
Sweet ‘n Salty Roasted Chickpeas
Hi friends! Hope you had a fabulous Valentine's Day weekend. My V Day was nice and low key. I made tomato basil soup and asparagus risotto for a cozy dinner at home, and we drank a bottle of California zinfandel from Cline Cellars.... ...and we enjoyed strawberries, chocolate and port for dessert. My hubby got me gorgeous pink roses that I've been staring at all weekend, and I surprised him by booking a getaway to Lake Tahoe for this weekend. Adam has been there for work and raved about how beautiful it is, and I've never been there, so I thought it'd be an awesome spot to spend a long weekend. It's actually totally coincidental that I booked the trip right around V Day, but we're definitely looking forward to it! Other yummy highlights of my weekend were a Mexican salad.... ... [Read More]