Book of Randomness

Just like many women tend to wonder why anyone would feel the need to wear sexy/cute/expensive “under garments” under their clothes when they know NO ONE will be seeing it, they may also wonder why you would want the same for a sports bra.

Let me explain before you start thinking I’m crazy.

Then I’ll show you my favorites!

There is nothing like being a hot sweaty mess (and not in a good way) to tear you down and make you think you look like crap. So if the theory that wearing sexy/cute bras under clothes works, then where else would be better to apply it than at your “worst cute moment”, at the gym!

Plus you never know when you will get hot and need to take your shirt off!

My picks!

C9 by Champion® Seamless Camisole Bra – Turquoise Stripe

C9 by Champion® Racerback Running Bra – Fuschia

C9 by Champion® Seamless Racerback Bra – Mandarin

Nike Women’s Updated Determination Sport Bra

3-pack, FRUIT OF THE LOOM, Spaghetti Strap Sport Bras

Moving Comfort Women’s Phoebe C/D Bra

My thought is that sports bras are going to wear out their elasticity no matter how much you spend on them. If you buy cheaper ones, you will not only not regret wasting the money, but you will get to have new styles and colors all the time!! How much more exciting is that!?!

I personally have about 10 C9 sports bras from Target and I love them!

Remember to get the support you need if you have a larger chest. When you wash them, wash them in warm water and hang them up to dry. You don’t want the heat to ruin the elastic fibers.

Have a good (and cute) workout!

What you put on your feet is just as important as what you put in your body.

If you have taken my advice about CrossFit or are still working out at the gym by yourself (isn’t that getting boring??), you still need to wear the proper shoe when you workout.

“Workout shoes” come in a super wide array of colors, shapes, fits and styles. The important thing is which one you wind up with.

I am not sure of all the technical mumbo jumbo, but there are many people who believe that since humans were naturally barefoot, that this is the best way to workout. It is probably why you will also see those crazy people running marathons barefoot. It is probably a stretch for most of us though. That is why companies have come up with those weird looking “feetsie” shoes that are essentially just providing a layer between your bare foot and the ground. They may look funny, but there are those who strongly believe in the abilities and functionality of these shoes, especially for hiking.

If you are not into that look, there is something you HAVE to look for in a cross-training shoe. You want to find the flatest sole that you can. This means a very shallow tread as well as the actually look of the shoe.

Working out in running shoes causes the foot to adjust to having too much padding as well as a decline from the heal to toe. You foot is strongest when it is barefoot which is why specialist reccommend that you walk around your home in bare feet, especially if you wear heels regularly.

Since most of us are used to the padding and shape of a running shoe, it will take some time, and a little pain to get used to running and working out in a FLAT training shoe. Once you get over it (and I barely noticed anything), you will be much happier with your shoes!!

The shoe I found that is the perfect discription, very effective, and OH SO CUTE is the Nike Zoom Quick Sister + Training Shoe. It is so comfortable. Super light weight. Durable. Plus it is Nike + enabled to hook up to your iPod.

The best part about the shoe?? The newest edition, and the one I will be getting next, carries a bright pink Nike symbol that is patent snake skin. I can’t wait!

Amazon is offering free shipping on the shoe right now, so check it out. They run true to size, so if you wear a 7 like me, go ahead and order a 7!

Description from Amazon:
Product Features:

• White/ Dark Grey/ Metallic Silver/ Vivid Pink
• Breathable mesh upper.DuraDS at midsole
• Nike DiamondFLX technology at outsole
• Nike+ enabled for instant workout feedback when used with a Nike+ SportBand or iPod® nano and Nike + iPod Sport Kit

So you can see the bottom “Diamond” sole.

If you are looking for a relatively easy meal that won’t pack on the pounds, then this one is for you. And trust me, they can taste great!!

Hot Pockets/Lean Pockets are easy to make and pretty tastey, but the ingredients and OMG the sodium levels are enough to turn you off. Luckily, there is an alternative.

Last year we started making our own pizzas with whole wheat dough and turkey toppings, still delicious and sooo much better for you. Unfortunately, after purchasing all of the ingredients for our have pepperoni, half sausage pizza, we realized we had come home without the dough!! Of course we were hungry and no one wanted to go back to the store, so we decided to improvise.

One thing we ALWAYS have in our house is pita bread, and there ya go, Pizza Pockets!

Here is how, and why!

The making of a BBQ Chicken Pizza Pocket!

1. Grab all of your ingredients!

• Pita Bread (whole wheat)
• Cheese – Pick your favorite, mozzarella is the basic for most recipes
• Sauce – Typically you will want pizza sauce, BBQ Sauce or some kind of white sauce
• Meats – If you want! To make it healthier, choose turkey pepperoni, turkey Italian sausage or chicken
• Veggies – These will be entirely dependant on the type of pizza you want. Some options are basil, tomatoes, onions, cilantro or peppers

  2. Slice your pita bread in half and separate the sides so that it creates a “pocket.” You may need a knife to do this, just remember to be gentle!
  

  
  
  

  3. Cook and meat that you will be including!

  4. Stuff the pockets with WHATEVER you want. It is probably the easiest to put everything in a bowl and mix it up. Place on rack as you go (we use a cookie drying rack on top of a cookie sheet so that they cook all the way around and any droppings fall onto the sheet).

  5. At a low to mid temperature (one you feel comfortable with), usually around 350-375, put the pockets in the oven for about 10 minutes. Watch them because this hasn’t exactly been an exact science, and different ingredients cook differently.
  

  
  
  

  And then enjoy!

  Keep in mind you can turn pretty much any pizza or even sandwich into a pocket. My favorites so far have been pepperoni and sausage pizza pocket and a BBQ chicken pizza pocket.

  The keys to making these healthy are using white meats like chicken breast and turkey (the pepperoni and sausages are GREAT substitutions), whole wheat pita or dough, and if you choose to, low fat toppings. Also make sure to watch the sodium and sugar levels in the sauces.

  You can also throw in an extra health kick by adding carrots, broccoli, spinach or any other veggies that have been food processed, to the sauce!

Keepin’ those pearly whites safe and lookin’ good!

I have never had major problems with my teeth, just a couple of minor “preventive” measures done in the recent years. While it may seem a little ridiculous to write about tooth and mouth care since we are all responsible adults, after my trip to the dentist this week, I thought it would be a good idea to give everyone a little reminder. PLUS, I learned a few new tricks and was given some products to try.

First the basics!

• Brush your teeth for AT LEAST one full minute
• Replace your toothbrush every three months or when there are signs of wear
• Brush as often as possible after meals, or at the very least, in the morning and at night
• Floss!

Helpful Hints and Products!

These are the tips I learned recently from my NEW dental hygienist!

• Mouthwash- Make sure you use a mouthwash with Fluoride in it, I suggest using ACT with Fluoride, Anti-Cavity.
• Pre-Brush- For a little whitening action and to loosen up the gunk in your teeth, use a pre-brush mouthwash.
• Toothpaste- Until my visit to the dentist, I have been using Colgate White. I was given a sample of Pro Enamel (which I had been interested in trying) toothpaste at my appointment, so I have been using it since. It seems to be effective, and also includes the anti-cavity fluoride. It does have a faint flavor to it, so do not expect a bold taste.
• Toothbrush- Not everyone wants to invest in a electric toothbrush which can run in the $70-$100 range, but you do need a little more than a manual toothbrush. The toothbrush I have been using for the past year is the new battery powered Colgate 360 SonicPower. At only a few bucks, it is a much cheaper, yet effective alternative.
• Floss- The easiest floss to use is waxed ones, just make sure you do it as often as possible!

A couple other things…

I also recommend using small disposable cups in your bathroom to cut down on germs. Since I started using them about two years ago, I have been sick far less than before. Use one in the morning to rinse your mouth, and also pour your mouthwash in. Repeat at night. You can find super cute options at places like target, just look around a little.

If you wear clear retainers or Invisiline… it may sound a little weird, but use denture cleaner! My dental hygienist recommended Efferdent, but I found the Target bran Up&Up has the same product available for only $2.96 (for 220 tablets). Drop the appliances in a cup of warm water and the tablets for 15 mins a few times a week. Don’t worry if you leave them in there all day. At night, also make sure you put the retainers or Invisiline in directly after using your mouthwash.

Take care of those teeth, they are the only ones you will get!!

Another word to the wise, get your wisdom teeth out ASAP or have your kids’ taken out!

Orienteering… despite how it sounds is not going from sushi bar to sushi bar. You can thank our “beginners instructor” for that awesome joke! Just kidding on the awesome part…

Orienteering is defined as a family of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain (Wikipedia definition).

It turns out there are several “sports” such as car, ski, bike and foot orienteering. Who knew?

A few of my friends are doing an adventure race in about a month where they are required to kayak, swim and run while orienteering. They had never been orienteering before, so yesterday they dragged me along for their practice day.

It turns out yesterday was National Orienteering Day, and although I participated in it, I’m still not exactly sure what it meant.

We arrived at the state park around 9:30 in the morning. After gathering our gear (I will list suggestions below) and putting our shoes and sunscreen on, we walked towards the check-in. We were greeted by some very nice gentlemen who helped us newbies through the process.

When you go orienteering, you are given a race number, a map, an electronic key or punch and for beginners, a cheat sheet. Once we had everything, we were sent over to the instructor who is retired military and was trained in orienteering by the US Government. While he was old and a little crazy, he knew exactly how to explain orienteering to us in a clear simplistic manner.

The fundamentals of orienteering are being able to read a topographical map (where squigily lines represent the incline or decline of a mountain), using a compass and recognizing key attributes of the land. Orienteering maps have far greater detail than a regular topographical map.

You will soon become familiar with symbols that stand for “distinctive tree” or “Y in the road.” My friends and I were wondering though… what qualifies a tree as distinctive?

He described orienteering as a three step waltz. The first step is your brain, second is the compass and third is the map. The compass is used to link steps one and two.

Keep in mind that I am not an expert, and since I have only had one experience with orienteering, I am definitely NOT an instructor. So this is where my instruction will end. Go out and find an orienteering club near you, and they will undoubtedly be able to teach you better than I could ever possibly try. The clubs usually host an event once a month, and most never EVER repeat a course twice. Even REI (and possibly other sporting goods stores) offer classes.

Once we finished our first course, we decided we wanted to do another! Not only did it only cost us $2 each for our first course, but it only cost $2 TOTAL for our second. Can we say CHEAP! Great way to spend time with friends or family. Plus it is a great way to exercise. It is two days later and my legs are still a little tired!

Everyone who is semi-active, outdoorsy or likes to camp or hike should hit up an orienteering class or event. You never know when or what could happen in the forrest or dessert, and you may find yourself using orienteering techniques.

Things you will NEED

• Clothes meant for hiking or camping (you will want to make sure you are covered – long sleeves and pants (many people use special bottoms to ensure the undergrowth does not get in their pants or shoes))
• Sunscreen of course
• Compass
• Water

Usually you will not need to bring a map since they will hand it to you just before the event starts…. just to ensure fairness.

You WILL have fun orienteering. Bring a few friends the first time you go and you are sure to have a blast. Keep in mind 4 heads are better than 1 (well usually).

HAVE FUN!!

Orienteering… despite how it sounds is not going from sushi bar to sushi bar. You can thank our “beginners instructor” for that awesome joke! Just kidding on the awesome part…

Orienteering is defined as a family of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain (Wikipedia definition).

It turns out there are several “sports” such as car, ski, bike and foot orienteering. Who knew?

A few of my friends are doing an adventure race in about a month where they are required to kayak, swim and run while orienteering. They had never been orienteering before, so yesterday they dragged me along for their practice day.

It turns out yesterday was National Orienteering Day, and although I participated in it, I’m still not exactly sure what it meant.

We arrived at the state park around 9:30 in the morning. After gathering our gear (I will list suggestions below) and putting our shoes and sunscreen on, we walked towards the check-in. We were greeted by some very nice gentlemen who helped us newbies through the process.

When you go orienteering, you are given a race number, a map, an electronic key or punch and for beginners, a cheat sheet. Once we had everything, we were sent over to the instructor who is retired military and was trained in orienteering by the US Government. While he was old and a little crazy, he knew exactly how to explain orienteering to us in a clear simplistic manner.

The fundamentals of orienteering are being able to read a topographical map (where squigily lines represent the incline or decline of a mountain), using a compass and recognizing key attributes of the land. Orienteering maps have far greater detail than a regular topographical map.

You will soon become familiar with symbols that stand for “distinctive tree” or “Y in the road.” My friends and I were wondering though… what qualifies a tree as distinctive?

He described orienteering as a three step waltz. The first step is your brain, second is the compass and third is the map. The compass is used to link steps one and two.

Keep in mind that I am not an expert, and since I have only had one experience with orienteering, I am definitely NOT an instructor. So this is where my instruction will end. Go out and find an orienteering club near you, and they will undoubtedly be able to teach you better than I could ever possibly try. The clubs usually host an event once a month, and most never EVER repeat a course twice. Even REI (and possibly other sporting goods stores) offer classes.

Once we finished our first course, we decided we wanted to do another! Not only did it only cost us $2 each for our first course, but it only cost $2 TOTAL for our second. Can we say CHEAP! Great way to spend time with friends or family. Plus it is a great way to exercise. It is two days later and my legs are still a little tired!

Everyone who is semi-active, outdoorsy or likes to camp or hike should hit up an orienteering class or event. You never know when or what could happen in the forrest or dessert, and you may find yourself using orienteering techniques.

Things you will NEED

• Clothes meant for hiking or camping (you will want to make sure you are covered – long sleeves and pants (many people use special bottoms to ensure the undergrowth does not get in their pants or shoes))
• Sunscreen of course
• Compass
• Water

Usually you will not need to bring a map since they will hand it to you just before the event starts…. just to ensure fairness.

You WILL have fun orienteering. Bring a few friends the first time you go and you are sure to have a blast. Keep in mind 4 heads are better than 1 (well usually).

HAVE FUN!!

My FAVORITE book EVER! Ok maybe it is my favorite possession….? I guess that could be stretching it, but this book is definitely WAY up there.

So what is it you may ask?

Freakin’ Fabulous by Clinton Kelly. I feel hesitant to share this with everyone because, well if I share, then you may become more fabulous than I am… oh well. The more fabulous people the better!

Everyone has seen the TLC show What Not to Wear on at least one occasion (and if you haven’t, you must be living under a rock). Clinton is half of the hosting duo, Clinton and Stacy. Clinton is also touring the country’s Macy’s stores for Make Over America (sadly I was not chosen ) He is undoubtedly funny on the show, and it translates perfectly into his book. He had me laughing cover to cover.

Freakin’ Fabulous is like my new life bible. I have only had the chance to read it all the way through once, but I frequently refer back to it. I actually began to annoy my friends and family by saying… “Clinton says….” or “According to Clinton…” I even had my DAD quoting the book!! Weird.

By the first few pages of the book you will wish Clinton was your best friend!

Freakin’ Fabulous is the book that you need if you want to know “How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else” according to its sub-title!

Highlights of the book… according to moi!

• Dress: Includes everything you need to know from accessories, to tailoring, dressing for certain occasions and a page of very ugly shoes (clearly the DON’T page)
• Speak: Definitely the section I need to read again… and AGAIN. The proper use for words. My greatest accomplishment so far has been taking the “s” off of the end of anyway! The pretty pictures and doodles help my learning… what can I say, I’m a visual person!
• Behave: Don’t butter the entire roll!! Holding wine glasses, eating oysters, texting with company and even a section on “bodily functions.” This section is definitely a must read. Did you know you should never bring your own food item to a party unless requested? I did not know that one, but you can ruin the theme/atmosphere.
• Eat: Four recipes you should MEMORIZE, cutting onions and other great recipes.
• Drink: I was laughing from the first page of this section as Clinton says, “Gin has made me do a lot of stupid things, but I forgive it.” Obviously there are drink recipes in the section, but my part is the section on wine; descriptions, how to serve, how to order and which wine pairs best with your food.
• Entertain: Plan for 1 bottle of wine per person!! Now that sounds like a party! Covers food to serve, music, booting people at the end of the night and making the potty smell nice! The “Mac and Cheese with Bacon” looks and sounds delicious… although it reminds me of the overeating experience I had at Yardhouse.
• Decorate: I cannot wait until I have my own house to be able to do all of this!! Room by room tricks, organization (“Kill the Clutter”), and fresh flowers. Never include baby’s breath or ferns IN an arrangement! Clinton suggests using Flowerbud.com for flowers.

  The book is full of color and information. Clinton has done an amazing job with this book balancing entertainment and information. I suggest it to EVERYONE. Give it to your girlfriends for their birthday or as a bachelorette party gift.

  You don’t NEED a reason, just get the book for crying out loud!! You will thank me later!

My FAVORITE book EVER! Ok maybe it is my favorite possession….? I guess that could be stretching it, but this book is definitely WAY up there.

So what is it you may ask?

Freakin’ Fabulous by Clinton Kelly. I feel hesitant to share this with everyone because, well if I share, then you may become more fabulous than I am… oh well. The more fabulous people the better!

Everyone has seen the TLC show What Not to Wear on at least one occasion (and if you haven’t, you must be living under a rock). Clinton is half of the hosting duo, Clinton and Stacy. Clinton is also touring the country’s Macy’s stores for Make Over America (sadly I was not chosen ) He is undoubtedly funny on the show, and it translates perfectly into his book. He had me laughing cover to cover.

Freakin’ Fabulous is like my new life bible. I have only had the chance to read it all the way through once, but I frequently refer back to it. I actually began to annoy my friends and family by saying… “Clinton says….” or “According to Clinton…” I even had my DAD quoting the book!! Weird.

By the first few pages of the book you will wish Clinton was your best friend!

Freakin’ Fabulous is the book that you need if you want to know “How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else” according to its sub-title!

Highlights of the book… according to moi!

• Dress: Includes everything you need to know from accessories, to tailoring, dressing for certain occasions and a page of very ugly shoes (clearly the DON’T page)
• Speak: Definitely the section I need to read again… and AGAIN. The proper use for words. My greatest accomplishment so far has been taking the “s” off of the end of anyway! The pretty pictures and doodles help my learning… what can I say, I’m a visual person!
• Behave: Don’t butter the entire roll!! Holding wine glasses, eating oysters, texting with company and even a section on “bodily functions.” This section is definitely a must read. Did you know you should never bring your own food item to a party unless requested? I did not know that one, but you can ruin the theme/atmosphere.
• Eat: Four recipes you should MEMORIZE, cutting onions and other great recipes.
• Drink: I was laughing from the first page of this section as Clinton says, “Gin has made me do a lot of stupid things, but I forgive it.” Obviously there are drink recipes in the section, but my part is the section on wine; descriptions, how to serve, how to order and which wine pairs best with your food.
• Entertain: Plan for 1 bottle of wine per person!! Now that sounds like a party! Covers food to serve, music, booting people at the end of the night and making the potty smell nice! The “Mac and Cheese with Bacon” looks and sounds delicious… although it reminds me of the overeating experience I had at Yardhouse.
• Decorate: I cannot wait until I have my own house to be able to do all of this!! Room by room tricks, organization (“Kill the Clutter”), and fresh flowers. Never include baby’s breath or ferns IN an arrangement! Clinton suggests using Flowerbud.com for flowers.

  The book is full of color and information. Clinton has done an amazing job with this book balancing entertainment and information. I suggest it to EVERYONE. Give it to your girlfriends for their birthday or as a bachelorette party gift.

  You don’t NEED a reason, just get the book for crying out loud!! You will thank me later!

It may be a little late in the season to discuss boating safety, but since I am fresh off of a boating trip I thought I would share a little bit about what I know and just learned. This is definitely not a complete (or anywhere close to it) list, so check out some boater safety sites before you go on your trip.

Obviously the key thing is to put kids in a life jacket!! It doesn’t matter if they think they look stupid! We ALL look a little silly in them!

Orange Flag You HAVE to have an orange flag up when you have people in the water. Whatever you do, do not forget this and have a friend run over. Major party pooper.

Remember to turn off the prop when your friends and family are getting in and out of the boat.

Drinking High on the list of things NOT to do. Drinking and driving anything is a bad idea. Places that are frequented by “partiers” like Havasu have a zero tolerance policy, meaning if you test positive for ANY alcohol, they are sending you to the big house.

No Wake Zone Always obey this rule. You never know who is watching. Breaking the “No Wake” is like rolling a stop sign… it just gives the cops a reason to pull you over. (My friend was almost arrested because of this)

Wave Runners The passenger is always supposed to wear the safety key. Luckily the cops who almost arrested my friend gave us this lovely tidbit. It makes sense, how else would you know if they fell off?

Also remember that people do not pay attention to wave runners. Keep an eye out for boats in your area.

Lights Boat lights are very important. It is illegal to have a boat out in the water without having lights on it.

Sunscreen Wear it, re-apply it. There is nothing worse than a burn – they make you feel like an idiot because you can’t do something so simple. Plus peeling and skin cancer are hidious side effects.

Other helpful ideas…

• Wear boardshorts when you are wakeboarding or tubing (no one wants their bottoms coming off or going up there tush).
• Take your earings out when tubing. Not only can they fall out, they can go right through your earlob.
• Take plenty of food and water. Boating (especially in the sun or doing activities) can be physically exhausting.
• If you are riding wave runners, or on a boat, make sure the plugs are in… you don’t want to sink.
• Did I mention sunscreen??
• If you rent a boat make sure it has an anchor, large bimini top and a sound system.

  If you do rent a boat, or borrow it, make sure it is in good working condition. Nothing can ruin a boating trip faster than a dysfunctional boat.

Second Fave Find Friday!! YAY!

Have you ever struggled with diets? Tried everyone in the book and yet somehow you are still yo-yoing? Well, here is your life saver!!!

I have mentioned it in the past, but Hungry Girl has been my lifesaver for about a year now. When my family started on our fitness kick last year, our trainer told us we weren’t allowed to eat: dairy, grains, sugary fruits, etc. Now those things right there, are my life!! Needless to say, I was a little bummed. We tried it for a couple months, but no one can eat like that forever. ( I literally craved McDonald’s for a month after, weird right?)

Sooo…. HUNGRY GIRL!!! The greatest way to continue eating the foods you love without adding the inches to your waist. Better yet, LOSE some of those inches!!

Lisa Lillen, the creator, is NOT a nutritionist, she is a self proclaimed foodologist who has spent the time and research trying to find good tasting and healthy food items. Lisa develops these recipes based on her idea that “food is [her] passion and it has been [her] lifelong obsession.”

Hungry Girl now has two books out, Hungry Girl, and Hungry Girl 200 under 200. Both are great. They are full of more ideas than you can possibly imagine. Comfort foods, cocktails, desserts, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and you name it. There is even a section on typical party foods.

The basic concept behind all of the recipes is that you take a regular dish and just exchange a few ingredients for smarter choices… all while maintaining the delicious flavor!!

If you don’t want to jump right into buying the books, you also have the option to sign up for the daily newsletter which gives you some recipes and healthy grocery store finds. The pink links will take you to where you can buy the books!

Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World

The website is also a fountain of information and well designed!

There are sections called top ATE. For example, the top ATE: holiday favorites, long lasting snacks, and summer beverages.

The most useful top ATE is the one on calorie saving swaps. Hungry Girl uses simple substitutes like using the liquid egg substitute rather than a traditional egg. My own swaps that I ALWAYS stick to: turkey instead of ground beef, whole grain pasta (and all breads) instead of white, and olive oil spray instead of olive oil.

It is because of this mentality that you can cut out tons of calories without having to try to hard, or even worse, STARVE!!!

Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories

My only complaint with the Hungry Girl books is that they suggest using a product called Shirataki Tofu Noodles… I tried them once, and found I’m not such a fan. They are quite slimey and have an odd consistency… but go ahead and try them. If not, just substitute with whole wheat pasta.

Good luck!! Sign up for the newsletter at Hungry Girl, and buy the books!! Trust me, it will be worth it!

I forgot to mention they also have a fun little game called Whack-a-Snack!