Drawing - Apothoderm Skincare Coupon

This month I am giving away one of the Rewards that I earned on EveryMove. It's a coupon code for $25 off a purchase of $50 or more. You can check out the company's website here. If you want to enter comment on this blog post with your email address. A winner will be selected on February 12th.

Sunday Playlist - Jewish Reggae Matisyahu

Got No Water - Matisyahu

Jerusalem (Out of Darkness Comes Light) - Matisyahu

King Without a Crown - Matisyahu

Message in a Bottle - Matisyahu

Miracle - Matisyahu

One Day - Matisyahu

Sunshine - Matisyahu

Temple - Matisyahu

We Will Walk - Matisyahu

World on Fire - Moshav & Matisyahu

Recipe Tuesday Frozen Hot Chocolate

Frozen Hot Chocolate

I know it sounds a little strange and more than a little oxymoronic but I swear it makes sense.

This recipe is only 85 calories per serving and the recipe below makes 2 servings so if you're feeling sinful you can enjoy 2 servings without a huge dent in your calorie intake, now THAT'S what I call amazing!

Ingredients: 

• 3 packages Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets Diet Cocoa Mix
• 2 tbsp Hot Water
• 3/4 cup Fat Free Milk
• 1-1 1/2 cups Ice
• Reddi Whip Chocolate Topping

Directions:

1. Put cocoa mix and water into bowl and mix
2. Put cocoe mixture, ice, and milk into blender and blend until well mixed
3. Place in cups, add 2 tbsp of reddi whip to the top and serve!

Note: As with all frozen beverages you must serve immediately or it melts and becomes disgusting. So definitely not a make ahead recipe. ;)

Sunday Playlist - Sad Country

Sad Country - Patrick Ivan Church Forever Remembered 1/6/14

I Drive Your Truck - Lee Brice

I Will Remember You - Sarah McLachlan

Help Pour Out the Rain - Buddy Jewell

Who You'd Be Today - Kenny Chesney

Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain) - Gary Allan

Angels in Waiting - Tammy Cochran

When I Get Where I'm Going - Brad Paisley & Dolly Parton

One More Day - Diamond Rio

Carrying Your Love with Me - George Straight

Recipe Tuesday Italian Chicken

Italian Chicken

I'm sure every little kid remembers going camping and preparing a hoagie dinner, meaning putting everything in aluminum foil and putting it over a fire to cook. This is the adult take on that, no camping required!

The recipe below is 237 calories and serves 4. I piece of chicken and 1 cup veggies is what makes a serving.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Frozen Broccoli Cuts
• 1 can Hunts Diced Tomatoes (drained)
• 1/2 Light Italian Dressing
• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, roughly 1.25 lbs total

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450. Combine Broccoli, Tomatoes, and Dressing into a bowl.
2. For each packet lay two 20x12 sheets of aluminum foil on top of each other.
3. Place 1 chicken breast on top with 1 cup of the veggie/dressing mixture. Fold over the first piece of foil. Folder second piece of foil over pinch towards the top so there's room for steam to help cook.
4. Place the packets on a baking sheet and put into oven for 20-25 minutes until its no longer pink or if internal temperature of the chicken exceeds 165.
5. Slowly undo the foil to avoid being burned by the steam and serve!

Note: If you like spice add a little minced garlic to this reicpe and bonus garlic is good for your health!

Sunday Playlist - Sad Country

Sad Country Playlist - Forever Remembered Patrick Ivan Church 1/6/14

Wish You Were Here - Mark Wills

I'll Wait For You - Joe Nichols

Monday Morning Church - Alan Jackson

Can't Be Really Gone - Tim McGraw

Come Home Soon - Shedaisy

Holes in the Floor of Heaven - Steve Wariner

There You'll Be - Faith Hill

If Something Should Happen - Daryl Worley

Friday Magazine Pull - Heart Rate Monitor Training

Pulled from Fitness Magazine October 2013

Thursday Fun Activity- Double Dutch

Who says fitness has to be done alone or be boring? I'm sure at least some of you remember doing double dutch during recess. All you nee is 2 ropes and 2 friends! Double Dutch too complicated? Jump with one rope instead. Either way you're having fun and burning calories

Even if you jump at a slow pace for only 10 minutes you have burned 80 calories! You can use Self.com's calculator for estimating your calorie burn while skipping some rope.

Bonus, skipping rope is one of the few activities that doubles as cardio and muscle toning at once! WebMD suggests that for beginner jumpers you get a plastic beaded jump rope because it maintains shape and is lightweight. Whatever you do wear the right shoes if you're going to do this consistently to minimize impact on knees, ankles and hips!

To get a cheap jump rope you can get one for less than $10 at WalMart!

So add it up folks: Cardio + Muscle Toning + Fast Calorie Burn + Socialization + Nostalgia + Cheap = GREAT IDEA!

Review Wednesday - FitBolt

FitBolt is an interesting website that helps promote healthy behavior while you are at work or if you sit for long periods at a computer on your own time.

It syncs information from your FitBit but it also can sync information from RunKeeper and Daily Mile.

Basically it is either a Firefox or Chrome Plugin, Desktop Application, or you can run it in your browser if your company does not allow you to install programs or add ons to your computer. A timer will go off every 30 minutes with a random exercise. This site promotes holistic health so it won't always be something like mountain climbers for 35 seconds. It can be anything from in chair stretches, quick exercises, health reminders, posture corrections and even diet pointers. And the best part is that if it offers you an activity that is not appropriate for your workplace you can always rate it a thumbs down and it won't appear again. It also accou

Studies have shown that extended sitting at a desk creates long-term health and posture issues and with this FREE, yes, FREE site you can limit how much sitting at a desk affects your life.

Check out this nifty InfoGraphic about health in the workplace if you're not convinced this is a fabulous idea.

Recipe Tuesday Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken & Vegetable Stir Fry

Making your own Chinese food ensures you're eating healthy and not spending a lot of dough. This recipe is a tried and true recipe, my partner wanted to eat this every day for 2 weeks the first time I ever made it. Recipe below contains 372 Calories for each 1 cup of stir fry and half cup of rice. Recipe makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (cut into less than an half inch)
• 12 oz frozen vegetables
• 1/2 cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
• 2 cups Long Grain White Rice
• OPTIONAL - Sesame Seeds
• OPTIONAL - Ground Ginger

Instructions:

1. Add oil to skillet over medium/high heat
2. Add the chopped chicken to the skillet and stir until no longer pink
3. Add the frozen vegges to the skillet and stir until veggies are tender
4. Follow the packaged instructions for the Rice
5. Reduce heat to medium/low and add the soy sauce, let simmer until rice is finished cooking
6. When rice is finished serve the chicken and veggies over it and tada you're done!

Notes - If you want a little more kick and don't mind a few extra calories add a tbsp of Sesame Seeds. There are a lot of health benefits of adding ground ginger to your diet, adding a pinch won't bust the calorie bank but it will add a little more health to your lifestyle. To mix it up change the vegetables you use or instead of white rice use egg noodles, though if you use egg noodles using Reduced Teriyaki Sauce instead of Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce offers a better flavor on the noodles.

Motivational Meme Monday

I loved this so much when I saw it I'm copying over the entire script it came from.

{She} ...by Kobi Yamada

She must be something special. She is. Celebrate her.
She loved life and it loved her back. Celebrate her passion.
She listened to her heart above all other voices. Celebrate her wisdom.
She pursued big dreams instead of small realities. Celebrate her priorities.
She saw every ending as a new beginning. Celebrate her resiliency.
She discovered her real measurements had nothing to do with numbers or statistics. Celebrate her self-esteem.
She was kind, loving and patient…with herself. Celebrate her tenderness.
She woke up one day and threw away all her excuses. Celebrate her accountability.
She realized that she was missing a great deal by being sensible. Celebrate her spirit.
She turned her can’ts into cans, and her dreams into plans. Celebrate her goals.
She ignored people who said it couldn’t be done. Celebrate her independence.
She had a way of turning obstacles into opportunities. Celebrate her magic.
She went out on a limb, had it break off behind her, and discovered she could fly. Celebrate her faith.
She discovered she was the one she’d been waiting for. Celebrate her self-reliance.
She added so much beauty to being human. Celebrate her presence.
She walked in when everyone else walked out. Celebrate her friendship.
She just has this way of brightening the day. Celebrate her radiance.
She made the whole world feel like home. Celebrate her warmth.
She decided to enjoy more and endure less. Celebrate her choices.
She decided to start living the life she’d imagined. Celebrate her freedom.
She colored her thoughts with only the brightest hues. Celebrate her optimism.
She was an artist and her life was her canvas. Celebrate her brilliance.
She ran ahead where there were no paths. Celebrate her bravery.
She crossed borders recklessly, refusing to recognize limits, saying bonjour and buon giorno as though she owned both France and Italy and the day itself. Celebrate her joie de vivre.
She held her head high and looked the world straight in the eye. Celebrate her strength.
She not only saw a light at the end of the tunnel she became that light for others. Celebrate her compassion.
She designed a life she loved. Celebrate her joy.
She took the leap and built her wings on the way down. Celebrate her daring.
She said bye-bye to unhealthy relationships. Celebrate her happiness. 
She remained true to herself. Celebrate her authenticity.
She made the world a better place. Celebrate her.

Weekly Round-Up - Week #1

January 1 - January 4

Total Steps: 63, 072

Total Stairs: 72

Total Miles: 26.72

Total Calorie Burn: 9,496

Total Calorie Intake: 4,797

Total Weight Loss: 1.6 lbs

Miles to Museum Trip: 73.3 Miles

Miles to Cooling Towel: 173.3 Miles

Weight Loss to Gel Nails: 3.4 lbs

Sunday Playlist - Inspirational Country

A Little Bit Stronger - Sara Evans

You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban

My Wish - Rascal Flatts

Born to Fly - Sara Evans

This One's For the Girls - Martina McBride

Free & Easy - Dierks Bentley

If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins

Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw

I Hold On - Dierks Bentley

The Heart of Dixie - Danielle Bradbery