Speaking of Instagram…

I’ve mentioned it once or twice before on this blog, but I’m slightly obsessed with Instagram. I never really got into the whole Twitter thing, but as soon as I downloaded the Instagram app a little over a year ago, it was love at first sight. Sometimes I’m a little out of control with and I think that I might need to force an intervention for myself. I love taking pictures (I have two art degrees and taught high school photography for seven years!) and documenting things day to day. Feel free to follow me @OatmealLauren (I’ll admit it though… at least 25% of my photos are of my dogs).

Today I thought I’d take a look back at some of the Instagram photos I’ve posted in the last week.

A collage of my pedicure/lunch date with Tiffany:

A self portrait at the gym after completing Week 2 of LiveFit Trainer (I feel so awkward taking pictures of myself in the gym…):

CARBmaster yogurt that I bought from King Soopers (I’d seen this many times on Laura’s and Lee’s blogs, but never lived near a store where I could find it!)

Home-made pizza from last Friday night (grilled! yum!):

The DVD we watched Friday night (one of my favorite movies ever!)

Lance and Jackson’s paws while they were sleeping one day:

How I found Lance the other night when I came upstairs to go to bed (he had rounded up all three shoes to keep him company):

(Search the hashtag #sillylance for tons of Lance photos )

(Taken from Paige’s Instagram feed) hiking with Jackson in Boulder on Tuesday:

Also from that hike:

Jackson’s tired face later that day:

A view of Boulder from another hike with Paige (yes, we hike together a lot- it’s the best!):

And, my two favorites from the week… first: a guy driving down the street on a moped and playing guitar at the same time. He almost hit that car.

And last, but definitely not least: this is how I found Lance when I woke up on Tuesday morning (asleep in the shower).

#sillylance

Have a fantastic weekend!

Are you on Instagram? Do you need to give yourself an intervention?

I am honored to be representing Silk at this year’s Blend Retreat. Silk is not only sponsoring me to attend Blend- they’re also sponsoring the cocktail hour! I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work with this incredible company on a few projects so far, and will try to do them proud this weekend. I am really excited for what we’ve been working on for the cocktail hour, all of which will be revealed on Friday evening at the retreat. Let’s just say that it involves some tasty, creative alcoholic beverages.

Today I thought it would be appropriate to reminisce about Blend 2012 a bit. If you were a reader of my blog back in May 2012, you may remember the many re-caps of Blend that I wrote (maybe even to an excessive degree?). I can’t help it though- this retreat has truly changed my life.

It’s funny to think that this time last year I was a high school teacher living in Maryland. I dreamed of quitting my job to pursue something that I was truly passionate about and one day making the move to the place I loved the most: Colorado. It’s definitely surreal that one year later, I’ve thrown caution to the wind (with the help and support of Greg, of course) and made both of those dreams come true. Well, I’m still working on finding that “dream” job, but at least I’m about fifty steps closer than I was a year ago!

The Blend Retreat played a big role in making me feel like my dreams could actually be turned into reality. I was surrounded by like-minded, strong, smart, driven women who weren’t afraid of going after what they wanted. Over that weekend, I spoke with several of my friends about how much I yearned for my dreams- and every one of them encouraged me to go for it. Being in Colorado, surrounded by such positivity made me realize even more that life is just too short. And soon after that, I made a life-changing decision.

I was reading back over my posts about Blend from last year the other day, and got the biggest smile on my face. I had forgotten how much Greg and I packed into the few days before Blend, which included a trip out west and a hike to one of my favorite views in Colorado.

When the actual day of the retreat came, I was just on sensory overload. First of all, check out the swag bag that I got at check-in:

I have to admit… I am pretty stoked to see what kind of goodies are in store for us this year. Last year’s would be pretty hard to top.

I immediately felt at home with everyone as we bonded during cocktail hour and dinner that night. It was so cool (and overwhelming!) to meet so many people “in person” for the first time that I had considered friends for a long time (including these three beautiful women!):

(Laura, Calee and Christine)

We all laughed and joked and drank and ate… and it just all felt so good.

We got our butts kicked in bootcamp and on a hike the next day:

Oh yeah- and in between the bootcamp and the hike we ate our faces off at breakfast.

THIS was the spread:

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo together with our good friends, beer and tequila.

And somehow all managed to get up bright and early the next morning for another butt-kicking bootcamp.

Another wonderful breakfast followed…

(Kelly, Lynne, Emily, (me), Amy, Tiffany)

… and then the sad goodbyes began.

We were all so happy. A team. A family.

For the days (and weeks and months….) that followed Blend, I felt such a sense of happiness- but couldn’t WAIT for the next year’s retreat to come. I’m so excited that it’s finally here, and to see my Blend family again!

Are you going to Blend this year? (If so, you better come say hi!)

But beer didn’t really have a place in this recipe…

Here’s a confession: I eat coffee beans. Not by the handful or anything- but I always sneak a few beans while pouring them into the coffee grinder to get my French Press on. I like good coffee. One of the things that I miss most about Maryland (besides my friends and family of course) is my beloved Baltimore Coffee and Tea, where I would stock up on bags of delicious whole bean coffee on a regular basis. On that note- if anyone in the Boulder/Denver area knows of a great place to buy whole beans, I’m all ears!

Let’s get back on topic, shall we? The whole reason I brought up eating whole coffee beans is that each time I am snacking on them, I think Hey! I should make some chocolate-covered coffee beans! When Heather announced that her “D” ingredient was dark chocolate, it was finally motivation for me to experiment. And really, how hard could it be? Chocolate + coffee beans. We’re not baking a souffle here.

I thought about using a chili-infused chocolate, and might do that with a future batch. As soon as the idea of salt + chocolate entered into my mind, there was no going back.

I started by melting 1/2 of a bar of dark chocolate, combined with 1 tsp of coconut oil. I’m not really sure if the coconut oil was necessary, and will try a future batch without it, just to compare.

I heated it in the microwave for about 90 seconds, stopping to stir it every 30 seconds.

When the chocolate was melted, I dumped a few spoonfuls of coffee beans into the mixture and stirred it around. I removed the beans with a fork (to let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl) and placed them onto a sheet of wax paper.

It’s virtually impossible to separate all of the beans, so I decided to make them “clusters” instead. When all of the beans were coated and placed on the wax paper, I gave them a good sprinkling of this delicious sea salt that Laura sent me.

All ready to freeze…

I placed the beans in the freezer so that they would harden quickly- and they were all ready about 30 minutes later!

Voila! That might be the easiest “recipe” I’ve ever created.

Salted Chocolate Coffee Clusters

1/2 whole coffee beans

1 bar high quality dark chocolate, broken into small pieces (could also use chocolate chips)

2 tsp coconut oil

sea salt, to taste

place the chocolate and coconut oil into a small bowl. Heat for two minutes in the microwave, stirring every 20-30 seconds. When chocolate is completely melted, remove and stir well again. Add two spoonfuls of coffee beans into the melted chocolate and stir well, so that the beans are completely coated. Remove clusters of beans with a fork and place onto a sheet of wax paper. Repeat this process until all of the beans are gone. Sprinkle beans with sea salt and place in the freezer to solidify. Store clusters in a closed container, preferably in the fridge or freezer.

Thanks, Heather- for creating this wonderful link-up party!

What’s the easiest “recipe” that you make?

And I think it’s something that each and every one of us can relate to and benefit from.

The What’s Beautiful campaign is all about accountability- pushing past your goals and setting new ones- and sharing your journey along the way. And what better way is there to be held accountable than to offer a little incentive? Under Armour has set up a contest to see who is going after their goal and really making some badass changes. Each week, they will select some impressive women to receive swag bags full of Under Armour gear. These women will also be featured on the “top performers” section of their website, so that everyone else can get inspired from their hard work! At the end of the competition (8 weeks), the top ten finalists will be selected, and three of which will win the ultimate prize. And, I have to say… the prize is pretty darn good. This is how it is described on the What’s Beautiful website:

Three winners will be flown to Costa Rica to attend a four-day yoga and surf retreat. In addition to the lessons led by world-class instructors, winners will be treated to transformative massages, spa treatments and healthy, locally-sourced meals prepared by personal chefs. All while staying in plush accommodations looking out at the ocean. A retreat worthy of the women who earn it.

Sounds pretty amazing, right? Here’s what you do:

So, the first thing you need to do is come up with a goal. This can be related to something very specific (like “I will run a half marathon.”) or something a little more open to interpretation (like “I will become stronger.”) You can go here to sign up and declare your goal. From there, you can invite others to join your team and accept (and conquer!) challenges along the way. Members of a team can post challenges and interact with each other. You can also follow other participants and cheer each other on- I love that! Be sure to follow the hashtags #iwill and #whatsbeautiful to stay involved and motivated, and to follow everyone’s progress! Here’s my page- I’d love for you to follow me and cheer me on!

My goal is simply stated as I will [re]define my body. But really, it’s anything but simple. It’s personal, complex, multidimensional and open to interpretation. The ideas behind this goal are based on two different things: I want to improve my body image and push myself to change my exercise habits and step outside of my comfort zone. (This falls perfectly in line with my new exercise routine!)

I have created my own team page, and I’d love for you to join me!

(You may recognize this photo from my Facebook page. It’s a group photo from last year’s Blend Retreat, and shows some of the most beautiful, strongest women I know!)

I chose this as my goal because having a positive image of my body is something I have struggled with for years. It’s something that I have been working on, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. I think that it goes hand in hand with the other part of my goal because I will be pushing my body in ways that are outside of my comfort zone. I became so comfortable with my routine of teaching the same classes every week and intense cardio sessions, and I want to break from that for a while. Heavy lifting and following a program are very different than what I’ve been doing for the last few years, so I’m excited to see how this changes me both physically and mentally. I think that this challenge will help me to view my body differently and appreciate it for how strong it is and how hard it works each day.

So, are you up for a challenge? If your goals are similar to mine, please join my team! And go ahead and create your own too- and become a part of this huge, amazing movement! It’s free and fun – what do you have to lose?

What are your fitness goals?

Getting up before (or even during) the 5:00 hour and hitting the gym for an intense workout requires a substantial amount of energy. I’ve tried various types of drinks/supplements to help get me going, but hadn’t heard of FRS Healthy Performance Products until I was presented with the opportunity to try them out through my ambassadorship with Fitfluential.

FRS sent me a package of some of their different Healthy Energy products to try out:

This package actually came at the perfect time- the very morning that we set out to move to Colorado! I knew that having a little energy boost would come in handy during that loooooong drive of nearly 1700 miles.

FRS products are unique in that they contain quercetin as a source of energy. Quercetin is a natural antioxidant found in certain foods that has shown to provide sustained energy, increased endurance and immune system support. There’s many other health benefits as well! Here’s some more info from FRS’s website on how quercetin works:

Instead of using lots of caffeine and sugar to give your body a lift, FRS activates your body’s own energy-producing mechanisms for sustained energy without fear of crashing.

Quercetin acts in the body as a “super fuel” that mimics the effects of exercise by enhancing the production of the body’s mitochondria, the energy-producing units in cells. Traditionally, exercise training has been the only practical way to increase the amount of mitochondria in cells.

FRS was developed as a fatigue-fighting health drink by a team of scientists, including Dr. Mitsunori Ono, PhD. It was then tested and refined by Dr. Ono and Dr. Lan Bo Chen, PhD. who, at the time, were both researchers at Harvard University.

Pretty cool, huh?

Let’s talk about the energy drinks:

FRS sent me both the original (90 calories) and low-calorie (20 calories) versions in a variety of flavors. Both are CHOCK FULL of vitamins and nutrients- and even contain fiber! I actually cracked open the Low Cal Peach Mango flavor first- to help me get through the day we drove 650 miles from Morgantown, WV to St. Louis, MO.

The flavor was pretty good. It’s not one that I would choose first, as I’d lean more towards something “berry” flavored before that. (I was saving the berry flavors for later!) I didn’t notice any huge benefits from drinking this, since I was just sitting on my butt in a car and not actually exercising. For that reason, I decided to hold off on drinking the rest of the stash until I got out to CO and hit the gym.

I drank the Wild Berry flavor before a brutal back and biceps workout earlier this week:

Not only was this flavor delicious, but it also definitely gave me an energy boost and got me through my workout! This is one that I could easily buy an entire case of.

Greg and I also tried out the drink mix one morning before working out:

Again, this provided the energy needed for an intense workout… but I wasn’t crazy about the flavor. Truth be told, I don’t typically like orange-flavored drinks and would definitely be getting the wild berry flavor if I was picking it out myself! Greg liked it though- he thought it tasted like the orange drink from McDonald’s (not that either of us has had one in over a decade…).

Last but not least… the energy chews:

OH how I love these! They were gone within two days (and that was only because I had to force myself not to eat them all in the car that first day!). Greg loved them too. The chews also contain a healthy dose of vitamins and give a nice little energy boost. Just be careful when you eat one- you won’t want to stop there!

Needless to say, I am definitely a fan of FRS products and they will be something that I will be likely to purchase on my own. And, it’s funny- I can’t remember ever seeing FRS before I had it sent to me, but now I see it every time I shop at Whole Foods and REI. It’s good to know that stores I really love also believe in and support this product- and that I can easily find it any time I want!

*This is a sponsored post. I received compensation and samples of the FRS products as part of a Fitfluential campaign. All opinions and images are my own.

Do you take any kind of energy supplement/drink before workouts?

When Greg and I eventually rolled out of bed and joined the living, I headed downstairs to make a delicious and simple breakfast:

Scrambled eggs (1 egg + 3 egg whites) with avocado and tomato, a slice of Dave’s Killer Bread (toasted) and half a banana with peanut butter.

I also had come coffee (before) and drank a bunch of water along our hike. Breakfast kept me satisfied until our hike was over, when we ventured over to the Boulder Farmers Market to shop and get some lunch. There’s a bunch of different food vendors there, and it was really hard to choose which one to go to! I ultimately chose Mod Market because the line wasn’t too long and the food looked tasty.

I ordered a Citrus Chipotle Chicken sandwich and a Power Plate for Greg and I to split. The Power Plate came with three different “salads” that were made of various grains (freekeh!! and quinoa) plus salad greens. We enjoyed this lovely lunch on the grass while watching all of the interesting people around us.

There were so many tasty food options at the farmers market, including a pizza vendor that has all kinds of unique toppings. I’ll have to make my way through and get lunch from a different vendor each time!

Greg and I headed back home to do a bunch of unpacking for the rest of the day, and I drank one of these.

Thanks, Paige for making me obsessed. The pulp is SO good!

For dinner, Greg and I decided to  break in the new grill that we had bought. It’s pretty big and fancy and I have to admit- it’s kind of pretty too!

I had picked up some ground bison from Whole Foods a few days before, so we used it to make bulked-up burgers along with grilled asparagus and salad greens from the farmers market. I had a stout from Left Hand too.

Dessert was delicious, but I gobbled it up before I could take a photo. Greg grilled up some sliced pineapple (that Tiffany gave us!) and it was topped with this gelato from Sprouts.

I had actually planned on buying some of this delicious local ice cream that I had sampled at the farmers market, but they didn’t sell it at Sprouts. I know Whole Foods carries it, so I’ll have to stock up there. (And FYI, the gelato is just okay. I probably won’t buy it again.)

I have a feeling that the next few WIAW posts are going to be pretty darn tasty. There’s definitely no shortage of great restaurants and food options around here!

Have a wonderful day!

I met Katie for the first time (in person) at the Blend Retreat last year (she happens to be one of the three organizers of the event!). Ever since then, we’ve made sure to meet up for lunch when I’ve visited Colorado. It’s always fun to catch up with Katie, and her beautiful daughter Adrienne is about as charming as they get. It’s amazing how much more she grows up every time I see her! She’s one smart little girl, that Adrienne. I also have to mention that Katie brought a fantastic housewarming gift: beer from Lone Tree Brewery! She knows Greg and I too well.

I prepared a simple lunch: crackers, veggies and hummus (Sweet Potato Hope Hummus- it’s SO good!) to start:

And a salad platter with balsamic grilled chicken, salad greens (from the Farmers’ Market) with raspberries, almonds and goat cheese (and a raspberry vinaigrette I whipped up) and quinoa.

Very simple, pretty and delicious.

Adrienne kept us entertained with conversation and her general cuteness (and was too cute asking for “more, please!”).

As always, it was great to catch up with Katie and talk about what’s going on in our lives. It was also fun to talk about Blend, of course- I can’t believe it’s less than two weeks away! We have a little playground/swing set in our backyard, and it was a beautiful day to go outside and play. It was nice to see that swing set get some use, since Greg and I might be a little too big for it.

This was really a ladder with a broken rung, but Adrienne thought it was a swing…. so we went with that.

Such a sweet little girl.

After playing in the backyard for a while, we enjoyed a little dessert, which was also very simple. Mashed banana mixed with vanilla ice cream and cinnamon sandwiched between graham crackers (and frozen).

I could probably eat about 20 of these if I’m not careful…

Adrienne talked to the dogs (“hello, doggie!”)

And shortly afterwards, it was time for the gals to head back home. Katie texted me this photo that she took of Adrienne shortly after leaving our house- poor girl was tuckered out!

I’m (kind of) starting to get used to the idea that I can see my Colorado girls as often as I want, and not just one or two times a year. I’ve got a few other friend/Blend dates lined up this week, and I’m so excited to see everyone. I’m a very lucky girl to be welcomed by so many wonderful friends!

What do you like to prepare for guests when they come over for a meal?

The weekend started Friday morning with an event in Lyons that was put on by Shape and Oakley. My connection to the event with through Heather and our Fitfluential ambassadorship.

Shortly after arriving, we also met up with Paige!

And I found another friendly face belonging to Heather!

The morning started off with a boot camp led by two Oakley ambassadors.

Considering this was supposed to be a rest day, I most definitely cheated by doing this workout. It was intense! I have to say- I loved the part of the partner workout when “Partner A” did a full sit-up while “partner B” held partner’s A’s feet down and held a plank. Hardcore!

There were a number of other sessions that we rotated through, which included a sports nutrition discussion, Oakley sunglasses fittings and YOGA.

The instructor taught us step-by-step how to do a headstand. (I still can’t do one.)

It was a really fun day, and the setting was just beautiful!

The event lasted until mid-afternoon, and I quickly came back home to get cleaned up and meet back up with Paige and her husband and some friends of theirs to head up to Fort Collins. Greg and I hadn’t been to Fort Collins before, and it was at the top of our list of places we wanted to go right away! They do an event downtown on the first Friday of each month where you can walk into various galleries late into the evening. The downtown area was GREAT! Lots of hipsters, but very charming. I definitely want to go back during the day sometime soon (and to visit the many wonderful breweries!).

We started off by getting dinner at The Crown Pub. And this is exactly how we sat…

(picture borrowed from Paige)

I love this girl!

And her hubby is pretty great too!

Afterwards, we walked around downtown and ventured in and out of a few galleries. Then we decided to head over to Crankenstein (I LOVE THAT NAME) for some beers. Paige and I split some samples, because we wanted some variety.

There was some really good people watching there, too.

**

Saturday was SO GREAT. I had actually planned out what I wanted to do on our first Saturday in Colorado for quite a while, and it was everything I anticipated- and more! My plans weren’t anything crazy, but they were perfect for Greg and me. The plan was to hike in Boulder and then hit up the farmer’s market for lunch. Luckily the weather cooperated! We met up with Natalie and her husband Colin. They also brought their Golden Retriever, Zoe. Natalie and Colin are the kind of people (like most of my Colorado friends) that I feel like I’ve known for years! We also met up with Paige at the trail head and got started on the hike.

Paige and I had hiked the same trail last month when I was looking for a house, but we went the opposite way this time. I really, really like this trail. It’s all open (so wear sunblock) and has beautiful views throughout the entire trail.

We got to the summit and took a few photos, of course.

The three amigos!

Look at this cute little family!

The views on the way down were just as beautiful. I mean, really…..

I have a feeling that we’ll be hiking there a lot.

Just as planned, we headed over to the Boulder Farmer’s Market to do a little shopping and get lunch after the hike.

I got some great asparagus, salad greens and eggs- and definitely could have bought a ton of other great stuff. I think we all showed a little restraint because we were hungry and thinking about what we wanted for lunch! The farmers’ market has a bunch of local food vendors, and I chose Mod Market (which was really tasty!).

We all got our food and found a spot on the grass nearby to sit and relax.

It was so much fun to just eat, chat and people watch. I think we could’ve stayed there all afternoon!

Greg and I ran a few errands and then tried to tackle a few of the yet-to-be-unpacked boxes that waited for us at home. I wish I could say that we had a really exciting, adventurous Sunday… but that didn’t happen. We definitely both had a list of things that we wanted to do, but decided that it would be a lot smarter to stay home and continue unpacking the house instead. It was definitely a good choice, because the house is starting to look a lot more put-together. Plus, I keep having to remind myself that we live here now. There’s plenty of time to enjoy it all!

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo by making some bangin’ tofu tacos….

Any excuse to make Mexican food is a good one!

Have a great week!

What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekend?