February Favorites

Hello Honey Darling Dears!

Tea

Let me start by saying that I love love love tea.  I have a specific tea that I am obsessed with, Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice, this tea hits the spot every time.  I like this tea because you can enjoy it as is, you don't have to add anything to it.  You just brew it and whomp there it is.  My issue is that I can't find a local store that sells this so I have to order it and lets be serious, I forgot to order last week when I was running low.  I was at Wegmans and noticed they have a similar tea and it was on sale.  I clearly had to try it 

Tea is amazing

I did a blind taste test of the two teas.

Tea Test

While I could tell a difference in the overall taste (Harney and Sons is more rich and rounded) I am cool with the Wegmans brand tea.  Thank you store brand items!



Rosebud Lip Salve

new Rosebud Salve and completely finished Rosebud Salve

 This is one of my all time favorite lip balm/gloss.  I wear this to bed every night.  I also put it on in the morning after getting ready for the day and it lasts for hours.  I have tried the variations of this, Strawberry and Rose Mint, but the original remains my favorite.  I love it so much that I actually use the whole container.



Bike Fitting

Can't wait to start falling down outside!

 I bought a used tri bike a few months ago and it has been sitting in my garage.  Good times.  I finally brought it to the Bike Lane at Reston Town Center for a fitting.  Bill was my fitter and I have to tell you, he is spectacular.  During the fitting, Bill checked over my bike sort of like a car inspection.  He then had me sit on it and adjusted the seat, got me new pedals, a new seat, adjusted handle bars and areo bars.  He said my bike is in great shape (it's a 2009) and that I fit well on the bike! He then kept the bike for a few days to work on a hydration system and getting a bento box properly fitted on the back behind the seat. 

hydration system

Purple Potatoes!

Don't be scared of these gems!






These potatoes taste great!  They are sweeter than white potatoes but not as sweet as a yam.  I made a hash with purple potatoes, green pepper and onion. I served the hash on the side of two eggs baked in marinara.

cooking it all up

               

The final product

Do you have any foods that you have recently discovered?




Hugs and Loves,

M

Snow Days

Let me start by saying I am a huge fan of snow.  This is probably not the popular opinion of many adults in my area. 

Thursday was a magnificent day for me!  We got over a foot of snow and I got to stay home from work (to shovel all day, LOL). 

The snow started Wednesday night (I was out having a lovely dinner with April, Frank and Joe at Mellow Mushroom)

Wednesday night

Thursday night

The dogs of course were loving it.  I did have to go make trails for them in the backyard because they got really tired trying to make their own trails. 


Then of course came the shoveling....6 hours of it

Long Driveway

All the shoveling and what not was worth it.  This was a great snow, all the neighborhood kids were out sledding and wild shrieks could be heard throughout the day.  We haven't had a really good one in a few years so I was happy to have it. 

January Favorite Things

This month is always interesting with all the New Years Resolutions going on.  One of mine is to be better about eating breakfast each morning.  I usually wait until I am at work and have been awake for about 2+ hours before eating breakfast.  I find that I can't eat right away in the AM, but I always start my day with a great big glass of water.

Here are some of my breakfasts:

Oatmeal

For this I make regular oatmeal, right at the end of cooking crack one egg in and mix well.  This adds protein (something I'm trying to add to each meal).  I then add Cinnamon, chopped dates, pecans and coconut shavings.  This meal keeps me FULL.  I usually have this on the weekends after a morning workout. 









      
     



Blendees!

I don't own a juicer nor do I really care for one.  I blend stuff together and "eat" it.  This has kale, apple, carrot, celery, mandarin oranges, a bit of OJ and water.  I just blend until the stuff is chopped up really well. It satisfies that sweet tooth plus gives me a bunch of nutrients at once.  I know some people can't deal with that texture and that is fine, you do what is best for you!


Documentary:
Hungry for Change








This documentary is about how over time we have switched from a nutrient dense diet to consuming these high calorie foods that have low nutrition values.  We are essentially "starving" for nutrients because of our food choices and we are malnourished.  I don't follow any specific eating program, but I do try to eat less processed foods, less restaurant foods and make things more at home. It is not always easy to make better food choices but I am feeling better overall and don't crave sugar or salt anymore. 



Nerium AD



I got a 5 day sample from my lovely friend Laura of Nerium AD.  I have since ordered the product and am really enjoying it.  The night cream takes a bit of getting used to.  You wash your face and then dampen it before putting this product on.  Take your time to rub it in!  It then dries and feels like a powder.  If your face does not have enough water on it, the product will feel sticky and tacky.   It will feel a bit tight on your face, but its all good!  I noticed results right away which is why I ordered it!  The day cream is wonderful as well and dries to a nice soft finish and looks well under makeup.  Two weeks after I started using it I went to my dermatologist for my annual body check visit and she said my skin was looking magnificent!  I will post before/after pictures next month!

http://themoqueen.neriumproducts.com

If you are interested in trying it, please leave a comment below and I will contact you to get your mailing address to send you a 5 day sample. 


T25



This is the year I have to get into legit good fitness.  I have already signed up for my first triathlon and I have been a bit lets say lazy lately about training.  I got T25 to do in combo with my tri training.  I am only two weeks into the videos but so far so good, it is easy to talk myself into a 25 minute workout (28 if you do the stretches at the end, which you totally should do) If you have joint issues, this video set is not for you . This is a high impact workout.  Will post before/after pictures further into the process.