Another super delicious smoothie!

Yeah, yeah, I'm obsessed. Worth it.

This one is so deliciously fruity and magical. Loving it!



Blend together:
-frozen strawberries
-frozen peaches (are you noticing that I don't measure?)
-1 banana
-1 container strawberry greek yogurt
-a few spoonfuls of coconut milk
-chia seeds
-pineapple juice and coconut water to texture

Dying of tropical happiness.

Quotes and other stuff I like

In no particular order, screenshots of things that have moved me lately.

Busy weekend!

I always look forward to weekends because:
a) I don't have to wake up at 3:45 am to go to work
and
b) I always somehow convince myself that they will be restful.
Joke's always on me.

Not that I mind toooo much, because I always seem to find something fun to do.

Saturday morning we went on a bike ride to this really fun little fishing pond in Highland. There were these really cute old ladies pushing other really cute old ladies around the pond in wheelchairs. I love riding with my husband, even though he's much faster than I am. He's nice enough to wait for me. Even when bugs fly into my helmet and I freakkk out.

Then I went and saw The Fault in Our Stars. So often, movies don't do the book justice, but I loved this one. Want to see it again ASAP.

After that, we drove and then backpacked our way up to Silver Lake (in American Fork Canyon, one of the prettiest around) for the night.



We got there pretty late, and were pretty sweaty after that hike (big packs make hiking way harder haha), so we set up the tent really quick and then fished. I caught one right away and felt so bad for the poor fishy that I didn't want to fish any more. But this cutie kept at it



We woke up this morning to gorgeous views, wonderful weather, and an appreciation for the beauty that is so near to us!



We hiked around for a bit, and then made our way back down to civilization. I love little things like this that don't take much planning, much work, or much time.... but you still get to have such a great experience :)

Peach, Strawberry, and Coconut Smoothie

Summer is (mostly) here, and you know what that means....

Smoothies!

I love me some smoothies. Mmm mmm mmm. I whip em up, drink em till I die from happiness, and freeze the rest. It's a perfect system. And so so easy.

I came up with this one the other day, and it was too good not to share.

-frozen peaches (probably 1.5 cups)
-frozen strawberries (same)
-handful spinach leaves
-a few Tbs of chia seeds
-a few spoonfuls of coconut milk
-coconut water to get the right consistency
-(I also added peach protein, but it would be perfectly delicious without it)



I pretty much just blend until there are no more chunks. Then I pour myself a cup and portion the rest into mini mason jars. I freeze them and stick them in my lunch box to take to work. About halfway through the day, they are no longer frozen solid - so I drink them straight from the jar! It's like a gift that keeps on giving! :)



Do you have a favorite healthy smoothie recipe? I love getting so many nutrients in a delicious dessert-like form!

AFAA Group Exercise Workshop

As you all know, I love fitness certifications. This last Saturday, I went to a 9-hour workshop/certification examination for AFAA Group Exercise, and while it was a super long day, I loved it.



A few weeks of study and practice (since I've been teaching for over a year now with my job, which they recommend before taking this test) and then this all-day event! There was a written and practical component, and I'll find out in 4-6 weeks how I did! I'll let you know!


What better way to celebrate a Group Exercise exam than with a sweaty gym sesh?

Little Red Riding Hood 2014

Ok, so yesterday's ride was simply amazing. I've totally fallen in love with this sport, and this ride pretty much cemented it. I want to do this every year! Women-only races are so much fun!

I drove up Friday night to stay with my awesome aunt, and we went to check out the pre-race festivities. There was food, music, booths (I bought a sweet cycling headband!), and just an all-around fun atmosphere.


This dude = one of the many awesome (all male) volunteers

Saturday morning, my start time wasn't until 9:35, so I got to sleep in and take my time getting ready, which was SO nice! Everything went super-smoothly with getting there and getting started, which was such a relief. I signed up for this ride with a friend, and when she bailed, I was pretty nervous to do this alone. It ended up being such a great experience though!! I'm so glad things turned out the way they did :)

Everything went so perfectly! The weather was ideal, the scenery was gorgeous, people were so incredibly nice (from the people drumming music on the sides of the roads to the people sitting on their lawns and cheering us on to the amazingly costumed volunteers to all the nice and encouraging ladies, these people were seriously the best), the cold I'd been dealing with all week didn't give me nearly as much trouble as I'd expected, the rest stops were great (ok oreos with peanut butter and banana chunks on top are my new favorite race food), and I felt really good on the bike (especially on the uphill - it's such a cool feeling to dig deep and pass people on those tough parts!)!


lunch stop

Crossing the finish line, I just wanted to bottle up that feeling and keep it forever. I love events like this! I love the preparation, I love the energy, I love the feeling of accomplishment, and I love the people!


finish line sprite and beads

Aaaaand I love the ice cream sundaes they give you



I had the time of my life, I'm excited to sign up for some more rides and races, and I'm thankful to everyone who was so supportive :)


Yeahhhhhhh race stuff :)

A canyon in St. George and the last long bike ride..

So last weekend we took full advantage of the 3-day weekend and went down south... we rock climbed, slacklined, swam/laid out by the pool, ate delicious treats to our hearts' content, and did Birch Hollow - a canyon right outside of Zion.

It was a really beautiful canyon



with really awesome people



and many awesome rappels (and really cool scenery in general).



Fabulous weekend, fabulous experience. And so much fun! People often complain to me about how "boring" exercise is - but I think it's a matter of finding something fun for you. For some people it's running, for some people it's lifting, for some people it's hiking or climbing or surfing or canyoneering or biking or any other fun hobby that gets you moving. Love :)

---

Yesterday, The Husband and I were up in Layton, so we rode out to Antelope Island to get buffalo burgers (sorry guys, but you ain't got nothin on Meers burgers). Although I hate bumpy roads, this was still a really cool (and pretty) ride.



My life is crazy blessed :)




And my final thought for the day:



:)