I love me some olive oil!

So while in St. George this weekend (more on that later)... we found an olive oil store!!! Score!



For those who know me well, you know that I'm OBSESSED with good olive oil. I love it plain, but I especially love it infused. So I pretty much wandered around, sampled to my little heart's content, and bought lots of mini bottles to try.

I love using olive oil in cooking (especially fish and chicken) and dipping (mmmm bread) and on pretty much anything else I can think of. I'm especially excited about the meyer lemon on salmon, the tuscan herb on tilapia, the butter one for popcorn, and allllll of them for dipping! I love the flavors, I love the heart-healthy fats, and I love all those cute little bottles! ;)


like my ghetto dipping dish? :) me too. this basil is delicious.

At-home Workout

Sometimes I just don't fit in my workout before/during/after work. And when I come home.... I sometimes don't want to leave.

Luckily it only takes 3.7 seconds of motivation to come up with an at-home workout.

Tabata intervals:
(with my handy tabata timer app) (tabata intervals are 20 sec on/10 sec off in sets of 8)



and all I needed was a patch of floor and these babies



My eight exercises:
-jumping jacks
-burpees
-skaters (on one leg)
-other leg
-running stairs
-box jumps (bottom stair)
-step ups (third stair)
-plank

And after 3 rounds, I was already dying :)



Now if I can just get the husband to join me next time.... :)

Race Checklist

Ok, this tool is one of the coolest things I've found.

It's a customizable race checklist for biking, running, and tri's. It basically has a list of pretty much everything you could need for each of these events, and you can go through and check the ones that are applicable to you (and add anything extra that you can think of). Once you've chosen everything you want to remember on race day, there is a print tab that compiles your list into a handy little document.

Genius. :)

Happy (stress-free) racing!



or just wear/pack this :)

May is National Physical Fitness & Sports Month!

Did you know that it's



?

Cause it totally is!


Funny how something like a themed month is so motivating for some people and so NOT for others. For me, at least, it gives me a little extra push to join in!

What sports or other physical activities will you/do you want to join in on this month?

For me it's biking, tennis, a little volleyball at work the other day (even though I don't even like vball), slacklining... and just about anything else that lets me enjoy warm weather!!!

Reaching a Major Goal

Goals. I love em. They drive me, they direct me, they sit in the back of my mind and tell me what to do when I have down-time.

I am so much more focused when I am working toward something I can check off a list. For example, if I tell myself, "I'm going to get into biking this summer," I don't usually get past drooling over gear. If I sign up for a race or ride, however, then I'm much more motivated to get out and prepare for it.

Well, 2 years ago (almost exactly) I made a goal to read all the talks given at General Conference between 2000 and the present (that list has obviously grown between 2012 and 2014). I don't think I quite realized how much of a commitment that would be, but once I set out to do it, there was no turning back. I've been chipping away at that goal almost daily for 2 whole years. And I've loved it.

Last night, I officially read my last talk on the list. When I realized I was reading it, my heart rate rose, I could hardly focus... I even called my husband in so I could tell him! I almost didn't want to read that last talk!

While it was so awesome to realize that I was accomplishing such a major goal, it also felt strange. Something that had been such a part of my life for 2 whole years was about to be... over. In a great way, but... now what?

Anyway, I read the talk, loved it, feel really great about setting out to do something and actually DOING it... and now I've already got a new goal in mind ;)

Yay for goal-setting!

A Bike Ride

A bike ride that's left me feeling dead, but that's ok. My request for a 30 mile ride turned into 41, but who's counting...



There were lots of highlights though :)


Snowcones + that hott face = awesome. So awesome.



That view. Those mountains. That beautifully paved trail with no cars. Glorious.



Pit stop at Kneader's for sandwiches. Yes, yes, and yes. Mmmmmmmm.


Overall, a great kickoff to the summer (even though I took my first fall... stupid bike shoes) that's left me wanting more... and left me craving snowcones, always! :)

Birthday!

This last week I turned 25 (yikes) and was given a great birthday :)

Woke up to presents (including a GC for laser hair removal - yesssssssss!) and an excited husband

After work we went shopping for workout clothes and visited the Sweet Tooth Fairy (to which my husband responded, "you shouldn't have brought me here," because now that he knows about how delicious those little cake bites are, he won't be able to stay away :))

Then we went to the new aquarium! It's so cool! Penguins, sharks, otters, rays... so much fun!!!

We finished up the day with a crab boil (cooked by my one and only) and cake!

Loving all the birthday love, and I'm feeling as blessed as can be :)