Foodie Penpals #2

Last month I joined a monthly program called Foodie Penpals. Foodie Penpals was started by Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean in September 2011. The group of participants has grown from 30 to way over 600! There are participants in the United States, Canada, and now even over in the UK!

This month I was assigned to send a box to Heather at GirliChef! I sent her homemade cookies, granola bars, and our family's steak rub recipe. Head over to her blog to see how she liked it! {Also her pictures are just amazing!}


My package this month is from Becky! She sent me all kinds of little goodies to try out!





She sent me locally made products as well as some "basics"! I couldn't agree more - chocolate is a must have. Her package included cherry pie filling, organic grits, capers, Lemon Ginger Honey, Pumpkin Butter and Hershey's Dark Chocolate Pieces! She also sent a very lovely card





Though I am saving the cherry pie filling for a rainy day, the rest has been devoured! In my house, good food doesn't last! The pumpkin butter and honey have been used to top ezekiel bread for breakfast! The grits... Well this southern girl LOVES grits! With some turkey bacon - holy cow! Happy as a jay bird! We tossed the capers in some pasta that the fiance made the other night! And I've been mixing the dark chocolate pieces with my almonds for a snack {or to top my icecream}!


Foodie penpals has been great so far - even though its my second month! My Dad and fiance sit there waiting to open to box to see what goodies they can run off with! So its really fun for the whole household! 


Question:
What would you use the contents of my package for?
Are you a foodie penpal? What great things did you get?


Live, Love, and Lift!
-Kiwi and Me

Fun + Furry Friday

Happy Friday! It is finally that favorite day of most everyone's week! {Personally Sunday is my favorite} Today is a great day though because I don't have to work and its Dad's Birthday! Though we aren't celebrating until tomorrow, I still wish all the love and happiness to the best man I have ever know! 

Last night I cooked Dad and the fiance homemade pizza while they watched Swamp People. They are addicted. I swore I would never watch it, but now I get drawn in. Some of those alligators are HUGE. The fiance has family near where that show is filmed in Louisiana, and I was born in Slidell - so I guess we are both technically cajun babies. {Crawfish, shrimp creole, and gumbo are my favooooorite} Afterwards I made them give up the TV so I could do another Jillian Michaels' workout before bed. Get my butt kicked - accomplished.

{me waiting on their show to end to workout}

I hate it when you are excited to sleep in and you wake up at the butt crack of dawn. 7:30 - bam - I'm awake. So I got up and cooked myself scrambled eggs with feta and a crumbled black bean burger {my current breakfast addiction}. After that I headed to town {yeah I live far away enough from town to say that} to run errands and a quick workout at the gym! 40 minutes of elliptical while I watched some of Fast Five; I love car movies.

I stopped by Kroger for some ingredients for the recipes I said I wanted to try yesterday. I also had to grab some things for some recipes of my own that I'll be posting up in the next few days! {so check back}

{I'm getting crazy addicted to that Mission Quacamole Dip - like hardcore}

When I got home I made my Dad watch my new movie! I love Mirror Mirror, it is a clean family movie and it is pretty funny. I also love that Snow White saves herself. Check it out!

I snacked on some Love Grown granola and blueberries with some Tazo Passion Tea while the fiance cleaned the kitchen. {I dusted, that counts for something right?}

Well my little sister Logann is almost here {YAY} and we are headed to go pick up my mother from the airport! So I bid you all goodnight!  I hope you have a fabulous weekend, and like I said check back for some fun fresh recipes! 

Last but not least its Furry Friday, so I thought I would show of Her Royal Highness, Kiwi herself!

Question:
What is your favorite way to eat granola?
Do you like to watch tv, listen to music, or have silence while you workout?

Live, Love, and Lift!
-Kiwi and Me

Thursday Thoughts

I’ve been sitting here thinking about something substantial to blog about and quite frankly I’m coming up blank. While I have some cool things planned for the next few days, today’s post just isn’t coming along like I wanted so I thought I would just share what is on my mind.

Pinterest: I have to force myself to limit my time on there, especially in the Food and Recipe section. Here are some recipes that I am dying to make: Hot Crab Dip, Cheesy Shrimp & Crab Shells, and Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip.

Training Mr. Crazy: The fiancé and I have been working daily to train our new family pup Sawyer. He is very one track minded, and as soon as he sees the cows and horses he just completely goes into his own little world. He wants to go after them, they want to go after him. Hopefully this is a something we can break him of soon. Other than that he is great. He splashes in his kiddie pool daily and its HILARIOUS. He will play fetch for awhile but then he becomes more interested in attacking Van. Energy Level: 1000.

Love Grown Granola: At our local store we have most of the Love Grown Granolas but we don't have the chocolate flavored. Boo. Well Logann called and said she found it in her town, she was very impressed in the nutritional information of the granola, and she is now hooked! Spreading the love. Now hopefully the next time she comes home she will bring me some chocolate granola. I mean that is what sisters do, right? 

5 Day Weekend: This weekend is another five day weekend (I get one every 3 weeks), so maybe I’m more focused on freedom than blogging and that is my problem. I have a lot of fun plans this weekend; my sister is coming home, mother is coming home, blueberry picking, Dad’s birthday, recipes I’m working on… I’m very excited! Plus the 4^th of July is just around the corner and that is always a fun day for my family!

Magic Mike: Am I the only girl not dying to see this? I also have a lot of people look at me like I’m crazy when I say I don’t want to read Fifty Shades of Grey. Maybe I’m flawed, but I’m way more excited for the new Spider Man on the 3^rd and the next Batman the week after!

Under Construction: Our house in under construction! My parents have decided to make our garage gym a legit kick butt gym, build an upstairs office for my mother, and build a new garage. We have had lots to do moving stuff around and getting everything ready for the builders. The house looks weird. But I’m super stoked to see how the gym turns out.

Hair: You might have noticed all the pony tails I’ve been sporting in my pictures, aside from those of me exercising it is mostly because this girl needs a haircut. I’m also trying to decide if I want to stick with the dark or go lighter?

Wedding shoes: WHY IS THIS DECISION SO HARD? I’ve been looking all over for pretty blue flats to wear under my dress, and they are either not blue or not pretty. I think the people at DSW are starting to think I’m crazy.

Skinny Cows: The fiance picked up a new kind at the store, Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl. O.M.G. So good. Find it, try it.

Well I'm off to con the fiance into playing with my hair before I workout. 

Ps. This is funny.

Question: 

What movie are you looking forward too? 

What recipe are you excited to try?

Live, Love, and Lift!

-Kiwi and Me

What I Ate Wednesday #8

Good morning! Its another WIAW post and I'm going to continue posting like I have the last few weeks. Instead of posting everything I had in one day, I'm posting all the things I ate this week that caught my eye! This girl likes variety! 

----What WIAW isn't about----

Comparison - Judgement - Restriction - Guilt

----What WIAW is about----

Celebrating one of the glorious things we all have in common: We all eat!

WIAW is about food and fun! It's about making new friends, breaking out of a food rut, noting changes in your diet/lifestyle, inspiring yourself & others, embracing fruit & vegetables, nourishing your body with the foods that work for you, finding new ways to eat your favorite foods, and so much more <3

-peas & crayons

a half bird from freebirds

skinny taste black bean chipotle burgers, with avocado and homemade cole slaw

scrambled eggs mixed with grated parmesan and crumbled black bean burgers

my addiction, tazo passion fruit tea with no added sugar from starbucks

love grown foods simply oats granola and fresca, an afternoon snack

perfect fit meals from kroger the fiance picked up for us

more tazo passion fruit tea, a d d i c t e d

sunday we had to take my mother to the airport early so i got up and made her breakfast. scrambled eggs, feta, onions, mushrooms, and crumbled black bean burgers

lunch with my dad a red lobster, ordered the chicken, shrimp and scallops from the grill but i didn't eat the chicken or the rice. i might have run out of room because i had a few cheddar biscuits

more tea. :)

snack time! almonds and dark chocolate pieces

i'm a southern girl, sometimes i have grits for breakfast

i might also be addicted to sushi

This afternoon, after we got home from our favorite sushi joint, the fiance and I spent some time outside playing with the pups. Sawyer has a kiddie pool he splashes around in and its hilarious! I have a video, I'll load it up soon so you all can see!


Right before the sun went down I decided to go for a run, even though it was still pretty close to 100 degrees outside. I only ran for about 20-25 minutes, I forgot my phone, but boy was I red when I came inside.

Now some of you may be new to my blog and don't know this but generally I don't like yoga. I just have never enjoyed it, or maybe I was just doing the wrong yoga DVD. Tonight I decided that since I ran, which is also not my favorite, I would give yoga another go. I broke out another Bob Harper DVD that I had previously ordered and hadn't gotten a chance to use yet, and I LOVED IT. I was on fire, I felt challenged, and I got that "peace of mind" everyone raves about. I will definitely be doing this DVD more often.

One a slightly distressing note: we switched propane companies for a bigger tank and cheaper rate, and they forgot to turn the lines on. So I had to take one of the coldest baths ever. Not a fan.


Question:
What is your favorite yoga dvd?
What is your favorite tea?


Live, Love, and Lift!
-Kiwi and Me


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your weight loss pictures and story - email me at: kiwiandmefit(at)gmail(dot)com

100th Post + Blogs I Love

Yeah you heard Jasper right, this is my 100th post! Holy cow! How awesome is that? Time flies when you're having fun! I hope everyone reading this enjoys this blog as much as I do. When I started this, it was for me. This blog keeps me accountable; it is a work out log, a food diary, a way for me to reflect on things in my life... Pretty much its cheap therapy. A motto that I have sort of adopted to get me through my days is, "Eat clean, train hard, and inspire others." Like I've said before, if I can just inspire one person, mission accomplished. I enjoy sharing my life with everyone, even if it is not always super eventful. 


To celebrate my 100th post I thought I would celebrate by posting the posts I'm most proud about as well as the blogs that inspire me.


My First Post
Do all vices come with a price?
Sunday, a day of prep
My workout makes me nauseous
Pizza + Pizza Dough Recipes
Guest Post: Food Labeling - By Logann
Sore, what a wonderful feeling
Healthy Snacking
Fun Chocolate Chip Oatmeal and Walnut Cookies 

I would like to end this post by sharing with all of you blogs that inspire me and keep me motivated. Hopefully you'll love them too.


First, is Kelly at No Sugar Sweet Life. Don't let the no sugar added in her blog title fool you, she is probably one of the sweetest bloggers I've had the pleasure of communicating with. {Plus she put me on her blog love and I almost fainted} She shares details of her life, awesome tips for living a simple healthy life, her fitness journey, GORGEOUS pictures, and recipes that will make your mouth water just by looking at the screen! She has lost over 50 pounds since she started her journey, and is truly inspiring!


If you like fun and fashion, then Katie at Healthy Diva Eats is your girl! She shares everything from fashion to food and fitness. Plus she hosts a really cool link up party called Marvelous in My Monday! If anyone has a positive attitude it is this girl, reading her blog always brings a smile to my face! She also shares some pretty awesome recipes! Some of her smoothies are just to die for!


Next up is Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean! I would just love to have her creativity! She posts up delicious creative recipes weekly as well as new and butt kicking workouts! If anyone is an example of Fitfluential, it is this girl right here! She also started the Foodie Penpals program! She is a genius!


I couldn't be more jealous of Kristin at Stuft Mama. Not only does she have the cutest twin boys, she also gets to workout with none other than Bob Harper himself. {and she calls him her boyfriend teehee} I don't know when this girl sleeps; she is always posting pictures of time with her boys, tasty healthy recipes, and her workouts! Just look at her arms, Kristin is one buff mama! Just watch out, she is always taunting us with her awesome looking {yet healthy} deserts! Look up her Flat Kitty pictures, they crack me up.


Julie at Peanut Butter Fingers is just plain awesome! No other way to describe her! I love reading about her life in Ocala, and her uber cute dog Sadie! If you want access to new and effective workouts check her out! She posts quite a few! She also posts up pictures of what she eats daily! I get lots of ideas for dishes, she sparks my creativity!


And last, but definitely NOT least, Courtney at Sweet Tooth Sweet Life! Her cat Cody looks like a skinnier version of Jasper, it just trips me out. While she is working on getting her personal training business started, she blogs lots of awesome recipes! Ranging from sweets to meals, everything looks delicious! Especially this one! She also has all kinds of workouts posted up here for everyone to enjoy! She is just a sweet interesting person and I know you will enjoy her blog!


Thank you everyone for your comments and love! Remember you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter! And I hope that, like most things, this blog just gets better with time. Feel free to send me questions, tips, or suggestions if there is something you would like me to cover in my blog! I would love to! 


Live, Love, and Lift!
-Kiwi and Me

For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your weight loss pictures and story - email me at: kiwiandmefit(at)gmail(dot)com

Marvelous in My Monday #3

Marvelous in My Monday is a link up party started by the wonderful Katie over at Healthy Diva Eats. You just post about marvelous things that have happened to you over the week. 

First off, one of our local Kroger started offering Perfect Fit Meals. Many of you may have heard of My Fit Foods, where you can go buy prepackaged healthy meals that you just heat and go. Perfect Fit Meals is the same concept. You can get them at Kroger for roughly $4.99-7.99 per meal, with breakfast to dinner options available! The nutritional information for the whole meal is posted on every meal, with most meals ranging from 250 to 350 calories. I had mentioned to my fiance that Kroger got Perfect Fit Meals and he was like, yeah thats great. But yesterday at the store he picked a few up and he is a believer. They are tasty, easy, and healthy. Perfect for someone on the go who needs a healthy option! So check them out!

The mediterranean chicken with asparagus and quinoa was delicious!

I have decided to taste the Koolaid and try out Crossfit at Crossfit Conroe this week! I love trying new workouts, especially very intense ones. I am super excited, but nervous to go into a new environment where I don't know anyone. Hopefully I'll make some new friends quick, and get a kick butt workout! Wish me luck, and I'll definitely post up on my experience!

{source}

My sister Candace over at Saltwater Quilts finished her Rose Quilt she has been working on. It is soooooooooo pretty. Go check it out. I just love the colors! She is so talented. Duh she is related to me.

{source}

Question:

What marvelous thing happened to you this weekend?

What are you looking forward to the most this week?

Live, Love, and Lift!

-Kiwi and Me

For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your weight loss pictures and story - email me at: kiwiandmefit(at)gmail(dot)com

A Hot Day in Texas

Good evening from roasty humid Texas! I love where I live, but I dread when the heat of the summer kicks in. Just trying to readjust. They said this week we will be 100+. Not excited, at all.


I woke up early this morning, even though I had planned on sleeping in. I started my day with some Tazo Passion Tea, so refreshing. I might be a little obsessed with this tea. 

My mother left for Connecticut today, so I made her breakfast as she got ready. Scrambled eggs with onions, mushrooms, feta, and crumbled black bean burgers with toast. My dad put his in tortillas with salsa! {Served on Dad's favorite John Deere plate.}

After we dropped my mother off, Dad and I went to Red Lobster for lunch. I got the chicken, shrimp and scallops from the grill. I ate all the shrimp, scallops, and broccoli and packed up the chicken and rice to go. I might have had more cheddar biscuits then I should have but I couldn't resist. I was weak.

When we got home I decided a short nap was in order, and instead of sleeping thirty minutes I slept two hours. Like the dead. I made my way out to the barn to help my dad continue building the loft. Super super hot. I could just be standing there and pouring sweat. Then I mentioned to my dad that I wanted a weighted bar to use for deadlifts and squats, to which he responded with, "Like that one?" He made his own, and while it looks like something off of There I Fixed It, it works and it is a good 20-30lbs. 

So while he was cutting the pieces of wood we needed I was doing squats, dead lifts, and running the stairs. Boy was it hot! When we came inside we were so hot that we just had watermelon for dinner while I was forced to watch another western we watched Open Range. Now I'm just waiting on my stomach to work out. 

A fact about me, I love storms. All kinds, including hurricanes. I don't love the pain people have to go through because of it, but I'm just fascinated by the power of nature. When they said Tropical Storm Debby was headed to Texas, I was pretty excited. Now they are saying it will stay east of here {and dry us out even more-yay}, so prayers to those who will be effected. 

Question:
Have you ever improvised to get a workout in?
Do you love or hate storms?


Live, Love, and Lift!
-Kiwi and Me


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your weight loss pictures and story - email me at: kiwiandmefit(at)gmail(dot)com

Life & Furry Friday

Goodness it feels like I haven't posted in forever. {and it has only been two days-or a day and a half-who's counting} I've been busy, I have no other valid excuses. But it makes me feel lazy.
 
Yesterday, I had a dentist appointment and lots of fun errands in town to run. I hate any kind of doctor environment, no matter how nice they are. I'm just a pansy. I'm always afraid they are going to whip out a needle and try to poke me. No joke. Needle phobic to the extreme. 


But I did come home to find a new Women's Health waiting for me at the door, so that is a straight up win! I think its funny Kate Beckinsale hates working out. But its cool she found her groove in yoga! I think some days we can all relate, but 99% of days I love working out. Its fun, it pushes me, clears my head, and keeps me in shape!

After that, I headed down south to Houston for my first wedding dress fitting. First off, my tiny town doesn't have traffic unless there has been an accident. So for me to head to Houston, the land of crazy drivers and tail lights is just painful. Plus what is the point of having a camaro when you can't drive it spiritedly?

I stopped on my way to grab some tasty tea! Passion tea with no sugar added is my favorite. I actually buy the tea packets at the store to make it at home and work now. LOVE IT.

After my fitting, I picked up the fiance for some tasty fajitas at our favorite tex-mex restaurant, Chuy's. Then it was time to show Jillian Michaels who is boss. Another Ripped in 30 workout this week. I just love her.

eat clean, train hard, and inspire others.

As for today, I enjoyed this snack at work. Getting addicted to those Simply Oats quickly.

This afternoon I enjoyed a wonderful sushi dinner with my family, then we went to see Brave. I loved it! It may be too scary for little kids, but I thought it was a great movie! I love that it focuses on family and not her trying to find a husband. I won't ruin it for anyone, but seriously go see it.

As for Furry Friday, I thought I would show Sawyer off again. I know ya'll probably miss her royal fuzzy highness, Kiwi, so I'll be sure to post up her evilness soon. As for this little guy, this was Wednesday after some time playing in the yard.

Question:
What movie have you seen recently?
Do you have a love or a hate relationship with working out?

Live, Love, and Lift!
-Kiwi and Me

For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your weight loss pictures and story - email me at: kiwiandmefit(at)gmail(dot)com