Three “T” Thursday!

Posted on May 3, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hey loves!

So this has been a helluva busy week for me, but through it all, I’ve managed to maintain a little sanity and balance…and it just so happens that today is Thursday, so you know what THAT means!

What is it about Thursdays that makes me want to make a list of things?

For starters, it could be the fact that I’ve been blog-stalking the queen of all list makers this week. Last week, I finished up with Phase 1 of LiveFit (review coming soon!) and I thought I would take a little break this week and play around with some other workouts. Ever since Lindsay started up the weekly feature Tuesday Trainer, I’ve been saying I was going to get around to trying some of the workouts.

Well, EIGHT months later, and I finally committed! This week, I’ve done 3 out of the 28 different workouts…

1. Tuesday Trainer

Hey, go big or go home, right?

Plyometrics, combination moves, and supersets…the recipe for one sweaty Heather!

So far, the Back & Bi’s workout has been my favorite (I LOVE working my back…and if I’m completely honest, although I know plyometric moves are some of the most effective for increasing endurance, burning calories, and developing muscle power, I can be a total wimp at times.

If given the choice, I’d take each and every explosive move and pour water on their fuses! 😉

2. Thinking Outside The Box

In an effort to clean out the fridge before the weekend, I’ve been having to get a little more creative/accepting when it comes to meals and snacks this week, but what is it they say, “Necessity breeds innovation”?…

Like the brilliant idea I had last night to use up the last of my spinach…

Green monster smoothie meets overnight oats!

Just a couple handfuls of spinach, protein powder, 1/2 banana, and water blended up and then mixed with 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1/2 cup raw oats, a splash of vanilla extract and a ~~dash~~ dump of cinnamon…

VOILA…greenified overnight oats!

Or how about the 1/2 a cantaloup I busted out at work today…I got some looks, but eh, I know they were just jealous of my juicy melon(s…that’s what she said!)

Or my (unpictured) spinach and avocado sandwich I inhaled (hence the lack of photographic evidence) a few hours later…I swear you could slather avocado on a stick and I’d eat it!

And hey, why not eat an entire thing of kale chips with dinner?…man, I’ve had a LOT of greens today!

So why have I been trying so desperately to clean out my fridge?

3. Tomorrow!

I know I haven’t talked about it much…honestly because I felt like the day would never get here, but at 9am tomorrow morning, I’ll be on board a Southwest airplane on my way to the BLEND Retreat!

Ahhhh!

Peace out homies, I’ve got more packing to do and I have to get up in like 5 1/2 hours!

What are your 3 “T’s” for Thursday?

Have you ever tried any of the Tuesday Trainer workouts? What did you think?

Posted in Blend Retreat, Thursday Things, Travel, Workouts | Tagged overnight oats, smoothie, spinach | 6 Comments

If Hulk Had a Mohawk…

Posted on May 2, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Whew!

I just got in from my babysitting gig with Pete and RE-Pete and boy did we have another fun-filled night!

When I first got there, the boys were both sitting down to dinner so after mom left, I joined them. BBQ chicken sandwiches for them, and another one of these beauties for me!

Afterwards, we headed outside to make good use of the…wait for it…upper EIGHTY degree weather we had today…ugh, I worry what’s in store for us come August! :-/

Just monkeying around!

Then while I pushed Pirate RE-Pete higher AND HIGHER on the swing, Pete shared with me a few of his masterful skills…

Hanging upside down…

Spinning in circles until gravity takes over…

And um…

Who knew he was such a gifted yogi! 😉

Then what started as a simple game of kick-the-ball morphed into full on tag! I seriously have NO idea how I didn’t lose my ~~lunch~~ dinner!

Unfortunately, Heather’s endurance isn’t quite what it used to be so I was MORE than grateful when Pete asked if we could go back inside and play a few minutes later.

And I may have a sweet spot for Legos, but there is another thing I cannot say no to…and that my friends, is playing CARS!

I can remember how much I wanted one of these road rugs when I was younger but instead I was forced to use the lines in the linoleum on the kitchen floor! 😉

I was pretty happy and content “vroom-vrooming” my little race car hither and thither when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, came the most horrific sight you will ever see…

Be afraid, be VERY afraaaaaaaaaaaaaaid!

After total annihilation of the city’s streets and one innocent passersby (a lone astronaut was harmed in tonight’s events…but it’s ok, I hear he’s gonna pull through!), I was left to ponder

Maybe it really ISN’T easy being green!

After some time in thought, we cleaned up the aftermath, toted the astronaut to the hospital, and then quieted down with a little light reading.

All the boys’ idea…LOVE it!

And um, hello?…Coolest book ever!

Bathtime was a hoot…Pete and RE-Pete were too excited to see my made skills in soap-made mohawks 😉

And then we picked out some super hero PJ’s, messed up our hair, and brushed some teethies before settling in for some quiet time waiting for mom and dad to make it back from Bible study.

It may seem like just another night to you mom’s out there, but when you don’t normally get to spend time with the humans of the short variety, it’s the little things that make you smile.

Like when Pete cracked up and about fell out of his chair at the dinner table after I told a really bad joke…

Or when they looked up at me and called me “Miss Heather”…

And especially when they hugged me goodnight!

I’m smiling as I type this!

Did you know that during the Jurassic Period, dinosaurs grew to be their greatest size?

Got any random trivia knowledge to share?

What was your favorite playground game in school?
I always loved Red Light, Green Light!

Posted in Adventures in Babysitting | Tagged fun, green, kids, toys | 8 Comments

It’s Not Easy Being Green!

Posted on May 1, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

The philosophical statement that has been stuck in the hearts of people around the world for years…

Well, while it may be hard to physically BE a certain shade of jade…

EATING GREEN has never been easier!

That’s right folks, as if you haven’t seen enough of my GREEN-filled posts, I’ve got yet another one for this week’s edition of What I Ate Wednesday…But c’mon, you can never have too much green, right? 😉

Be sure to hop on over to Peas & Crayons and show some love to our lovely host Jenn, who definitely knows a thing or two about whipping up some fantastically delicious GREEN eats!

Have you seen her Fiesta Tuna Salad? That is so happening in the VERY near future!

Breakfast
1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup peanut flower, 1/4 cup rolled oats, maple extract and cinnamon all mixed up and topped with 1/2 a banana, some raisins, and a few chopped butter toffee peanuts.

Enjoyed alongside a mug of (unpictured) coffee and…

Some GREEN juice!

Snack #1
(Unpictured) carrots and celery dipped in creamy cashew butter (apparently, I’m not the only one who considers this combo tasty…thanks camera for deciding to get hungry!)

Snack #2
1 packet of Better Oats Dark Chocolate instant oatmeal mixed with water.

This was my first time trying these and I have to say for instant oats, they’re not too shabby!

Lunch
The best GREEN sandwich ever created: whole wheat bread, 1/2 a mashed avocado, spinach and roasted asparagus

Note: It’s not so easy to eat asparagus in sandwich form, but definitely worth the mess I made!

I’m totally having the same thing for lunch tomorrow!

Snack #3/Post-workout
Vanilla protein powder, water, ice, 1/2 a banana, and “the gums” pictured in front of some GREEN grass! 😉

Let me just note the hilarity that is the smudge of GREEN smoothie from I don’t know when on the lid of the xanthan gum…you can tell what I use these babies for, that’s for sure! Lol

If you’ve never tried adding either one of these gems into your smoothies, you are missing out! The xanthan gum thickens it while the guar gum gives it a super creamy consistency…feels like you are drinking a thick and creamy milkshake!

Dinner
Baked BBQ tofu, smashed potatoes mixed with cottage cheese and topped with nutritional yeast and chives, and a big pile of steamed GREEN broccoli

How about another look at that gorgeous tofu?