Five Fun Things Friday

Kovas and I were sent some organic herbal Alvita teas to sample.  So many delicious flavors - perfect for any time of day!

We make sure that every ingredient comes from responsible growers who make the land—and the herbs that grow on it—their primary concern. From there, our team painstakingly reviews the scientific data to make sure of proper dosage, and the perfect brewing techniques, so that our teas can give you the maximum benefit and the best taste.

Alvita - organic, gluten-free, kosher

We also had the opportunity to try Huma Chia Energy Gel in strawberry and apples and cinnamon flavors.  I love that these are all natural and have a great flavor without a chemically after-taste!

Don't like gels that taste like cough syrup? Neither do we. Now you can enjoy your gel with Hüma, the great-tasting, all-natural energy gel based on Chia.

All natural - Huma Chia Energy Gel

You can have the best running shoes with the right fit, but without good socks, you're likely to still have problems.  I have a pair of Darn Tough ski socks and love them, so I was psyched when they sent me two pairs of their running socks to try.  Super comfortable with a great fit and feel, no rubbing and no slipping - these have become my go-to socks for running!

...miles and miles (and miles) of blister-free bliss. Feel the difference of feeling nothing at all.

Darn Tough Run/Bike socks

Here's a great event to support virtually or in person if you're in the Chicago-land area...Tazer and I are planning to register for the event - the rest of the family will join virtually...

The Run for Boston 5k is a partnership between the Chicago Running Bloggers community and Muddy Monk Trail Running. Katie of Live Half Full worked to bring together the running community to put together an event to show the power and resiliency of the running community.

Together, our goal is to raise funds from our generous sponsors so that 100 percent of race entries benefits the Who Says I Can’t Foundation and directly to support the rehabilitation of those who lost limbs as a result of the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon. We need your help to make this possible. Contact us for information about volunteering or sponsoring this event.

Join us June 15, either in Libertyville at Independence Grove or virtually, for #Chicago4Boston.

Run for Boston 5k

The (new) winner of my Bestowed giveaway is

CONGRATULATIONS!  Please email or DM me your mailing address!

Happy Friday!

Any fun plans for the weekend?

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Koss Fit Series - Fit Clips and Fit Buds Stereophone Review

Last week I had the pleasure of heading up to Milwaukee for the Koss Fit Series Launch via FitFluential.  The Fit Series features two earphone models - FitClips and FitBuds, designed for women by women.

My mint FitClips and coral FitBuds

The Koss' female team partnered with 5-time Olympian and fitness enthusiast, Dara Torres to design the new line.  So a huge bonus of attending the launch was meeting the great people from Koss and Dara and participating in a spinning class with her (my first spin class ever!)!

Each of our spin bikes were adorned with the new FitClips - over the ear headphones in assorted bright colors - 5 different colors in all.  Love all the cute colors!  The soft, flexible clips fit comfortably around the ear.  Great fit and great workout!  My question was - how would the FitClips and FitBuds perform on a run...

Koss FitClips and FitBuds

When I got home,  I tried both the FitClips and the FitBuds for running.  Both stayed put and of course had great sound!  Both are available in 5 vibrant colors, feature a sweat-resistant coating and choice of 3 sizes of ear cushions for a perfect fit.

Koss Fit Series - check out all these great colors!

The Koss Fit Series is available now and to get $5 off a pair of Koss Fit Series headphones, enter Fit4Life during checkout at Koss.com.

This campaign was sponsored by Koss through FitFluential. All opinions are my own.

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Tuesday Training (a day late) - Week 2

Started the week out well, but ended up missing a couple days due to a cold.  No biggie with work, children and everyone's schedules, I am trying to stay flexible with my training...

Monday: 3 mile run.  Nice morning for an early before school neighborhood run with Gaigai.  Gaigai and Tazer are in their school's running club which is preparing them for the local YMCA's Commit to Be Fit 5k.  This has been a great way to slowly build up my miles and spend some extra time with them.

Tuesday: cross training.  I had to be at work early in the morning and right after Kovas and I headed into Chicago for a Portugal Wine tasting and dinner at III Forks.  We walked quite a distance from the car to the wine tasting and back to dinner - does that count as cross training? :)

Wednesday: 4 mile run.  Instead of my run, I spent the day in Milwaukee - I met and took my first ever spin class with Dara Torres!  This was definitely the highlight of my week - most memorable first spin class ever:)

Thursday: 4 mile run.  Woke up with some congestion, so I decided to take a rest day.  I've always heard if it's in your head, you're good to go.  If it's in your chest, take a rest day.  This was mostly in my head, but decided to rest anyways...

Friday:  Rest day.  Woke up feeling better and wanted to get some miles in before the week was over - ran an easy 4 miles.

Saturday: 5 miles with CARA.  Woke up feeling crappy again.  Super bummed that I missed my run with CARA.

Sunday:  Cross training.  Kovas and I went to my cousin's wedding Saturday night, so the kiddos spent the night at my aunt and uncle's house.  We took advantage of the beautiful morning and being childless to get in a steady 5 miles.

All in all a good week considering I was feeling miserable for most of it...

Do you train when sick?

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Meatless Monday - Raw Berry Crisp

No time for a hot breakfast?  Here's a simple, healthy no-cook breakfast from Whole Foods.

Raw Berry Crisp - recipe from Whole Foods

Rich nuts and sweet dates make a tasty topping for mixed berries in this no-cook version of berry crisp.

Ingredients:

6 cups mixed berries, such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries 

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, more or less to taste depending on sweetness of berries 

1 cup raw pecans 

1/2 cup raw walnuts 

1/2 cup pitted dates, roughly chopped 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Method: In a (7- x 11-inch) dish, toss berries with maple syrup. Put pecans, walnuts, dates and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Scatter nut mixture over berries and serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve. 

Nutritional Info:
PER SERVING:  240 calories (140 from fat), 16g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (8g dietary fiber, 16g sugar), 5g protein

Special Diets: Dairy Free Gluten Free Raw Vegan Vegetarian Wheat Free


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Friday Funnies and Bestowed Winner

Some friday funnies - in honor of all mothers...

Mother's Day - vacation day, but technically you still have to work (from thisflourishinglife.com)

Loony - love it:) (from pinterest.com)

Happy Mother's Day to SUPERMOMS everywhere (from livlig-online.com)

And the winner of the Bestowed giveaway is Sara - CONGRATULATIONS!

Please email or DM me your mailing address by Wednesday 5/15!

Happy Friday and Happy Mother's Day!

Any fun plans for the weekend?

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