My Tree Is UP!

I’ve been very busy decorating!! The first thing I did was put the tree up! I went back to the artificial tree this year after having a real one for 2 years. Tough choice, I love a real tree, but at 11:15 last Tuesday night I suddenly wanted the tree up and started! First time I’ve ever put my tree up before Thanksgiving EVER!

Added Embellishments!

This year I added some more to my tree.  This is my third year with my brown, burlap, green and white tree theme.  I’m in love with all things white, so I added quite a bit of white to my tree.  Since I’ve been working in the land of Christmas Bliss at Total Bliss this season I feel like I had to take my tree up a notch!  I added 8 of these big huge fluffy snowballs.  They are great “filler” for those artificial tree “gaps”…hate those things!  I also added several of fun little white signs with words on them, and some fabulous snowy white picks all over the tree!

My Favorite Thing

I’m going to have to say that one of my favorites on the tree this year are these big gray driftwood looking balls. I got these in the mountains a few weeks ago for $3.99 each! A great deal because I can use them year round somewhere in the house! They are tucked all over the tree…again filling in the “gaps”!

The final view

So here she is! I gotta say the photo does not do the tree justice! I’m loving it! I’ve got lots more decor to share!

Most of the things on my tree I have gotten at Total Bliss over the last few years. You can’t have everything you want at once. Each year I have added what I can afford. It is best to get a few high impact items and embellish them with smaller, lower priced things. Nice ribbon can go a long way too! Mix it in with stuff you have, it changes up what you have and makes it feel brand new!

Today I’m packing! I’m headed to Long Beach, CA tomorrow to attend the Juice Plus+ Convention. It is my fourth time going and I’m super excited!!! But, I’m a total stress packer. It is embarrassing how many hours I will spend today gathering things to cram into my suitcase. Totally and completely self absorbing and embarrassing as to how many hours I will spend trying to figure out which shoes to take and what outfits to plan. The hardest thing is the time of year. In between seasons is the hardest time to pack. It is warm in the afternoon, pretty cool at night and then the whole air conditioned conference atmosphere to deal with too!!! A girls worst nightmare!

Shoes

I generally start my packing with shoes. A girl’s feet must be happy, it sets the tone of the day for me. So, I must be fashionable and comfortable. That is why I own 7 pairs of Dansko clogs…ranging from cow, to leopard, to snake to mary janes, etc. I can’t bring them all though. I also am still very much into my fab cowboy boots I splurged on this year…

but, they take of precious cargo space in the suitcase. I’m also thinking it t is also time for the toes to be popping out and I did get a french pedicure yesterday to show off….shoe dilemma unresolved…

Layering

With all the elements I will be exposed to I will need to master the art of layering…more things to take up in the suitcase! The good thing about layering is that you can mix and match the pieces. The difficult thing is that I need to stick with a base color of brown or black. If I do both, then I’m doubling my clothes (and shoes!)….ugh! I think I’m going with grays and black as my base color. Speaking of color I can throw white in there if necessary. I did google “white shoe rules” and it seems they are no longer a big deal as to when you can wear them. You can go with white if you need to. That helps a lot!

Food

I must strategically pack my food. I will need some in my carry on. It is a total flying time of over 7 hours and I will never rely on an airline to provide me a morsel of my subsistence. I will have my Juice Plus+ soft chews with me that will provide me a tasty snack packed with fruit and veggie concentrates, and PB&J and a variety of other snacks. I have made my homemade granola bars, trail mix and bought a bunch of healthy snack foods to take. The conference is so incredible you don’t want to miss any of it so you tend to miss opportunities to get food, so I take loads of stuff in with me. So, yet another section of my suitcase must be dedicated to food. I’d hate to get up to eat and miss out on Bear Gryls!!!

Techy Stuff

I am the official photographer for my team. That equal lugging the Nikon D90 with me. I’m a little worried about this because it has been acting funny lately. I need to get it looked at, but did I? No. I hate to drag the thing out there and then have it not work. But, I love taking pictures so I guess it will go. I also go nowhere without my MacBook. I have anxiety being away from it…seriously….sad situation. Anyway, it will provide me about 3 hours of entertainment on the plane. I can watch a movie, organize my e-mail, pictures, delete crap I don’t need, etc. Productive time. OK, it is going. The poundage with the MacBook and Camera and food in my carry on will put me in the chiropractor’s office a few extra times when I get back. Not to mention I’m going for my pre flight adjustment today.

OK, if you have made it this far in my post I may have stressed you out too! One more thing to add to the list is that I have to go color the gray too! So, I’m off to go color the hair, shower and PACK!!!

Have a blessed day my friends….come back next week and visit when I return from sunny California!

Smoothies....My best friend!

I will be unplugging for the next 3 days as I head to Phoenix, AZ to attend the Juice Plus conference. I’m super excited! I went 6 months ago and was just blown away by what I learned. I’m going with some of my best girl friends too, so I get a double treat! A girls trip mixed in with one of my biggest passions health and wellness.

One thing I cannot live without are my smoothies! I make them almost everyday, usually after my workout or when I’m crashing about 2:00 pm. Her is the recipe for my Complete Smoothie::

Frozen or fresh organic fruit (1/2 -3/4 c.)
Organic vanilla yogart (1/3 c. – 1/2 c.)
1-2 T. of ground flaxseed
1 scoop of Juice Plus Complete Powder (vegetarian, contains fruit and vegetable powders and non GMO soy isoflavins!)
Juice or water

Blend it up and it is a Complete on the go meal! I’ve always got a can in my car too. I take it into places that make smoothies, like Starbucks, etc., and they will add a scoop of this to my drink for me. The chocolate is good in coffee too! Makes it like a mocha, a mocha that also has about 13 fruits and vegetables in it without you even tasting them!

If you want to follow me on Twitter or FaceBook I’ll be Tweeting some great information from the conference!

Don’t these look just fabulous? I’m pleased to tell you that they are healthy too! I was recently reading Natural Health Magazine {if you don’t know me well, I’m a total health nut!}. I came across this fabulous recipe by Ivy Larson. I was even more thrilled because I’ve heard Ivy speak before! Larson has been battling multiple sclerosis since 1998. She did not see improvement in her disease until she eliminated processed foods from her diet. Her latest cookbook is the Whole Foods Diet Cookbook.

use what you have!

I was thrilled that I had all the ingredients needed to make these Blondies! I’ll share my adaptation of the recipe with you! Use what you have, but keep in mind, the more natural or organic the ingredient you have, the “cleaner” {meaning no processed or minimally processed foods} the end result will be.

1 cup of all natural peanut butter {I used crunchy!}
3 organic eggs
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of organic milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of wheat germ
1/2 cup of light whole wheat flour {I like King Arthur the best – available at Harris Teeter}
3/4 cup of chocolate chips {I prefer Ghiradelli 60%}

1. Combine the peanut butter, eggs, brown sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.
2. Add the baking powder and blend. Mix in the wheat germ and flour just until blended.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 glass baking dish.
5. Bake @ 350 for 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool and ENJOY! You can get great fiber from the whole grain flour and wheat germ. The peanut butter packs in the protein and the chocolate just satisfies the need for some chocolate! Remember dark chocolate is a source of anti oxidants!

If you want 10 free recipes from Ivy, go to her website The 2 Larsons!

So, who is goning try to make these?

Happy Workout Face!

I’ve had sooo much fun at my Fit Club class that my website Seek the Triad has been sponsoring at Proehlific Park. Get over to Seek today to check out all the fun we have been having and all the new info on the new classes.

I’ve loved getting to know all the people in the class. We have totally cheered each other on and motivated each other for 6 weeks now. Lot’s of pounds have been dropped! I’m super excited to say that we are going to sponsor two more classes and we are adding childcare and an evening class!

For all my local readers….you now have NO EXCUSES not to be there with us! It works out to $8.00 a class. You could easily spend that shopping in the one hour that you are in class and not out shopping, or getting coffee, or something else.

For my non local readers…I want to motivate you too! Follow my workout progress to inspire you on my KRA Project Page. I’m documenting my progress and setbacks. Had a big setback this past week called The Nora Virus! Yep it kicked my butt!

What kind of excuses are you making not to exercise?

Artificially Flavored Vanilla Frozen Dessert

I’m very passionate about what this generation is eating. I often eat lunch with my kids, and take note of what they, and the kids around them are eating. I’ve been collecting wrappers from the “food” that they sell in the school cafeteria. I’ve noticed that at least two thirds of the kids buying lunch have an “ice cream” treat or Fruit by the Foot, or some other purchase in addition to the regular lunch on their tray.

This wrapper is from my visit the other day. Note that they claim it is High in Vitamin C. Also, twice they tell us on the front of the wrapper that it is Artificially Flavored.

Yum?

Here is the flip side…the real story of what is inside this wrapper. Yes, we see the dreaded High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and the Yellow 6, Red 40, and Yellow 5. Where is that Vitamin C coming from?

Really?

Have you missed me? I’ve missed myself! Well, I am back from the most incredible weekend I have had in quite some time! I was attending the Juice Plus+ Convention in Memphis, TN. The integrity of this company and this time together just blew me away! I am so honored to say that I have taken JP for 1 year and I will never miss a day of it for the rest of my life! I am so grateful for my dear sweet friend Kelly for introducing me to Whole Food Nutrition….check her out!

Kelly walking the stage!

Congratulations Kelly on achieving Senior Sales Coordinator!

Yeah!

If you have not heard of Juice Plus, it is very simple. It is just 100% vine ripened, pesticide free, fruits and vegetables that have been put through a proprietary process that removes the sugar and water and put into a capsule. 13 different fruits and vegetables and that is it. Plain and simple. Want to know more? Watch the 12 minute video and read the research here.

Think you can’t afford it? It cost $10 a week for an adult and children ages 4-18 are FREE! That is a lot of produce for $10 a week!

Oh My!

I love you all! I care about your health!

Coming soon…Pantry Makeovers….Don’t miss out!