Real Fit Mama

I love being a blogger!
I love trying new foods!
I also love it when someone else picks them out for me!!

Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:

-On the 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
- Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

***If you’re in the UK, please contact Carol Anne from This Is Rock Salt at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved!

This month I was paired with Brooke from The Well Nourished Traveler and let’s just say that when you tell Brooke you really love nutbutter, oats and chocolate she DOES NOT disappoint!!

I just love coming home to find something waiting for me at the door…

It’s always so exciting to open up your box because you have no idea what’s inside. You know what clues you’ve given your penpal, but who knows what they end up picking out for you. Finding an envelope with YOUR name on the front is the best…

Brooke wrote out a lovely little message to me on the cutest stationary too.

Jason and I need some note cards like that!!

In the goodie box were some items that were spot on…Justin’s almond butter, hazelnut toffee dark chocolate and maple & brown sugar oatmeal packets. Then there was the Peach, Apricot, Melon fruit spread…I’m really excited to try this on homemade biscuits as soon as we get moved. The biowafers were made in Italy and seem very interesting. I’m sure Jason will break into them before I ever get a chance to, but I’ll get to at least TRY them!! And the blue corn chips will be devoured with some super tasty hummus in no time.

I would say that this is a really great foodie penpal box. Thanks Brooke, you did great! I sent a package to Marisa Rodriguez this month, but Marisa isn’t a blogger – she’s just an awesome someone who knows an amazing group to be a part of when she sees it!!

If you would like to get involved with the foodie penpal program head on over to The Lean Green Bean and talk to Lindsay. She’s the mastermind behind the entire thing!

I’m off to enjoy some snuggles and Olympics with Jason and the girls before face planting into bed. Hope you’re having a great week so far…

Everything about the Olympics was first class, and women were treated as athletes and equals. ~ Elizabeth Robinson Schwartz

It’s been a very odd Sunday…

Actually, it’s been a very odd few days…

We’ve been crazy busy packing and even started moving some boxes over on Friday. We’ve got till the end of August, but I would like to take my time, get things moved and unpacked in a neat and orderly fashion…if possible.

Pretty much we’ve been hanging out since it’s either 105 degrees (every day) or cloudy and raining (FINALLY!). The girls haven’t complained about how we’re spending our time…too much…so neither am I.

We started the weekend off by a Saturday morning walk to Bread Co for breakfast. Bagels, fruit, blueberry cream cheese and the best iced green tea around made me very happy!

The fam made me quite happy as well…

Once our tummies were full and we had made the trek back home we did a little more packing and some cleaning. It’s amazing how much of a mess you make when you’re moving! Then Jason got ready for his guys night out.

They were going camping and then to ride dirt bikes…

Regan was jealous that Daddy got to wear a motorcycle helmet and she didn’t (he better NOT be getting any of THAT started!) so she tried it on too.

Then Linsey pretended our desk chair was a motorcycle and took Regan for a ride all over the house. Great…

After Jason was on his way out of town with the guys the girls and I moved on to happier and safer forms of entertainment. The pool…

Linsey has been battling her fear of the diving board for two Summers now. She finally mastered the low dive a while back, but that damn high dive has been the bane of her existence. Well, she finally conquered that fear!!

And she learned that she really loves it!! I couldn’t keep her off the damn thing. Regan had a great time cheering and screaming for her sister and clapping every time she did something new like a spin or a cannonball or a funny face at her while coming down.

We’ve been suffering from a serious drought around here so when the girls and I woke up and discovered it was raining we were ECSTATIC! We took the rain as a sign it was okay to stay in our pajamas a bit longer, eat breakfast (and drink coffee) in bed and watch a little bit of the Olympics together. It was rather relaxing if I’m being completely honest.

My mom and the girls had a date planned for this afternoon so once they were off to the movies I changed clothes and hit the pavement. It was way hotter than I had thought it was going to be, but I still managed a pretty decent run.

Now that everyone is home safe and sound we’re in for the night. We’re planning on snuggling up together in the big bed with more of the Olympics and a little bit of this yummy goodness…

If you want to win some of your own please leave a comment on this blog post and the winners will be chosen tomorrow.

“As I have grown older, I’ve learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.” ~ Author Unknown

How many times have I said that Summer is my favorite season?

(photo credit)

I’m guessing a lot. I love the hot weather, the sunshine, the long days, the afternoons spent by the pool…

the frozen yogurt…

And not worrying about what shows are on because they’re all in reruns! The shows that are on (Real Housewives of whatever, Pregnant in Heels, Watch What Happens Live, Piers Morgan and my new fave Political Animals) always get TiVo’d so I can fast forward through the commercials when we do sit down to watch something.

The down side of Summer (believe me – there are a few!) is that with the days being so long I “feel” like I have more time, but the reality is that I have just as much time as I did in the Winter. I’m just finding more and more things to take up that time! Blogging has definitely taken a back seat though…

Instead of posting everyday I’ve gotten down to as low as once a week this Summer. I know it shouldn’t be a big deal or even bother me at all, but I feel like I’m losing readers by being such an absentee blogger.

On the flip side my family comes first. Spending time with the girls however and whenever I can is top on my “to-do” list. Jason is still taking classes this Summer so when he IS at home we drop everything to spend time with him.

So to ensure that I am not pissing away the minutes of my Summer (and my life) with things that are nothing more than time suckers I’ve compiled a list of things I will no longer be doing because they just take up way too much time.

1. counting calories
2. weighing myself constantly
3. logging everything I put into my mouth
4. taking a zillion pictures of the things we’re doing
5. tweeting/facebooking/social mediaing after 9pm
6. telling my kids I can’t do something because there’s dishes in the sink
7. washing/drying/folding laundry and then leaving it in the basket
8. hitting the snooze button more than twice in the mornings
9. skipping morning workouts
10. entering the kitchen after 9pm

Are there things sucking up your precious time that you can do away with?

I’m giving you all a few more days to enter my Starbucks ice cream giveaway. So head over to this blog post and leave a comment to enter!

The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. ~ Peggy O’ Mara (thanks to Carla for posting this on facebook earlier today!)

Ok guys…

It’s hot as balls here in the STL again AND I’m stuck inside with a 4 year old who decided to get double ear infections. Boo!!

Things are getting crazier by the day around here. Boxes are taking over just about every spare inch of the apartment because as soon as we get the go ahead to move I want to be 100% ready to GO.

…I’m over having upstairs neighbors

…I’m over sharing a driveway

…I’m over not having a backyard for the dogs

…I’m over only having one bathroom

…I’m over not having a place to send the girls to play

…I’m over their rooms being so small that they can’t really play in them

But most of all I’m just ready to be in our new house living like grown ups!

It’s looking like we have about 10 days until the big move, but if we get the go ahead early I will not be complaining.

***fingers crossed***

Here’s What…
So the three things I’m obsessed with this week ALL happen to be food. Shocker, I know, but it’s true. These three things have been getting me through this massive St Louis (and pretty much the entire country) heat wave. When it’s hot (and I mean reeeeeeeeally hot) eating is more of a pain than an enjoyment.

But this stuff is making it a little bit easier…

1. Luna fiber bars
These little guys are just filling enough that I don’t feel “full”, but I’m not starving any longer. They pack a nice fiber boost and taste pretty yummy too. I found them at Target a few weeks back and have been pretty thrilled with them ever since. The strawberry peanut butter is my favorite flavor, but the raspberry chocolate is quite yummy as well.

2. Hummus and Pita Chips
I cannot tell a lie, but this combo has been my dinner on more than one occasion this past week. I love the crunch of the Stacy pita chip better than any other for some reason. I’m totally digging on the simply naked variety with my fave roasted pine nut hummus.

3. Bananas and Peanut Butter
I’m fully aware that this is in no way new to me (or anyone else for that matter) but when you find something you love you stick with it. Having said that, I haven’t eaten a banana with warm, melty creamy peanut butter on top in forever! So this week I’ve definitely rectified that food crisis for sure. Plus, the flavor combo is just too yummy to resist.

Since Regan had to go and get double ear infections we can’t enjoy one of my other favorite obsessions – THE POOL. Sadly, Linsey ditched us for that very thing and her friends this evening. So Regan and I are going to enjoy a fun filled evening of box packing and movie watching.

Jason has shut himself in our bedroom to finish a project that is due for his summer class tomorrow night. smart guy…

I hope you are enjoying your evening wherever you are, whatever you’re doing. Don’t forget to enter my surprise giveaway by leaving a comment on this post. The ones that have been left so far are pretty creative!!

While you’re in front of your computer you really should stop by this post by my dear friend Carla. It’s her birthday and she really shows us exactly how we should all choose to celebrate.

Happy Birthday Carla!!! xoxo

And speaking of birthdays – in honor of his 94th, here is my very most favorite quote by the one and only Nelson Mandela…

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. ~ Nelson Mandela

Jason and I worked just the two of us today.

I needed the help of two different friends to get Linsey to dance.

Regan complained of ear and throat pain last night and after an afternoon trip to the doctor the diagnosis was two ear infections.

Linsey usually takes two ballet classes on Tuesday, but had to skip one.

Even with two dogs under foot I was able to sneak in my skipped workout tonight.

With sweat dripping from my forehead I made two different dinners.

Now I’m hoping to get two little girls in bed.

Don’t forget to comment on last night’s post!!!

P.S. Blogging from my iPhone is very difficult.

Good night…