Fashion Friday - Swimsuits Edition 1

For fashion friday I'm wearing two of the swimsuits I am loving this summer. One was purchased this year and one was purchased last year for me by my husband. I love the new pink that Victoria's Secret has available this year called "date night pink" or date night red".  LOVE!! I also love the gold toggles on the first swimsuit. I have another swimsuit like it, but in leopard print that I will feature next week.

Swimsuit - Victoria's Secret Date Night Pink Here;  Sandals - Giuseppe Zanotti (old); Sunglasses - Louis Vuitton Here; Earrings - Erica Lyons; Hat - Cappelli (old but similar Here in turquoise

Swimsuit - Victoria's Secret (old, but similar style Here in Paisley ); On toes - China Glaze in Pink Voltage; Sandals - Giuseppe Zanotti (old)

Why Green Smoothies?

I know I've done posts on this before, but I feel the need to do it again so click away now if your not interested in having more energy, glowing skin, reversing the aging process... well, you get the picture.

I started drinking green smoothies two years ago when I found out I had high levels of mercury and it was suggested that I start eating more cilantro. While I ate a small amount of cilantro in salsa and other mexican dishes, I felt I needed a way to get more of it in my system the fastest, least offensive way. About the same time the cilantro was recommended, I was reading about kale, how great it is and how everyone was putting it in their green smoothies. I decided those were the two ingredients I needed on a regular basis. I purchased a Vitamix which is GREAT! It blends everything up fast and very fine. Not like the blender I'm having to use now because the Vitamix is still in Birmingham. Temporarily!

I just can't tell you how much better I feel and how much better my skin looks since drinking these. I have one a day, 3 to 5 days a week. I add whatever fruits we have on hand, almost always a banana, cranberry juice, vanilla almond milk, protein powder, turmeric, cinnamon, flax seed (ground), sometimes walnuts, berries, pear, apple - whatever we have on hand. I usually add at least 2 or 3 fruits.

My husband thinks I over do it, but I'm always adding lots of things to it. It's a great way to get large amounts of greens and fruit, which I wouldn't do if it wasn't all blended together in smoothie form. I even added herbs last summer from our garden. Basil, mint and rosemary are particularly good. I add honey too since I like it a little more sweet and 2 handfuls of ice because it tastes much better cold. In the above smoothie, I even added a little avocado. I've added beets before, but they have a very strong taste. I felt like the cilantro and beets were battling out on my taste buds. Not good!! Healthy though!

Here's a list of most of the things I have added to my green smoothie and the health benefits of each. I always add Kale, Cilantro, Banana, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Protein Powder, Cranberry Juice and Honey. The other things are interchangeable.

Kale - Vitamin K, magnesium, iron, fiber, great detox food among other things. Read more about health benefits Here.

Cilantro - detoxing, binds with mercury and removes it from tissues, antibacterial, anti inflammatory

Banana - High in potassium, energy food

Walnuts- oleic acid, Omega 3.  Read the many health benefits Here.

Flax Seed- Omega 3's, fiber (better ground these babies good!)

Beets- Natural liver detox, cleanses the blood

Avocado - healthy fat, helps body absorb some nutrients, Vitamin E, lowers cholesterol

Cranberry Juice - good for kidney and bladder health although I use the diet version so I don't know how strong that is or if it has enough cranberry in it to do any good but it is the "water" for my smoothie so it isn't too thick.

Almond Milk - Vitamin E for skin health, Vitamin A for eye health, Vitamin D, more nutrients than regular dairy milk. I like the Vanilla unsweetened Almond Milk. Great in cereal too!

Protein Powder- amino acids for muscle repair and rebuild. Read more of the benefits Here.

Turmeric - anti-inflammatory, cancer fighting, heart health, anti-oxidant. GREAT stuff!

Cinnamon - regulates blood sugar, heart health. Read more benefits Here.

Berries - flavonoids and phytochemicals, help fight mental decline, heart health, diabetes

Pear- antioxidants, fight free radicals, heart health and makes a tasty green smoothie!

Apple-read the many benefits Here. My favorite health benefit of apples is quercetin - an antioxidant, anti inflammatory, also found to increase endurance and athletic performance. Quercetin is also  found in red wine so drink up!!

Basil- powerful antioxidant, anti-ageing benefits. Read more benefits Here.

Mint- soothes aches, pains and stomach problems, antiseptic and antibacterial, freshens breath

Rosemary- fights cancer, improves memory among many other things to many to list. Read more Here.

Honey- anti fungal, improves athletic performance, natural sweetener that makes smoothie taste great. Many more benefits Here.

Ginger Root - Soothes stomach, aids in digestion

Have I forgotten anything? What do you add to your green smoothies?

The Best Way To Recover - Beach Time!

I've spent a lot of time here with my toes in the sand the past two days recovering from the triathlons I did Thursday and Saturday. Sure they were short, but I raced them as hard as I could as that was the plan to see where I am in my training, what I need to work on, etc (which is swimming and biking.) and I was a little sore.

Also, my asthma was acting up and I had some trouble breathing. The race Thursday I was really having a hard time breathing even though I had done my inhaler before the race. Saturday it wasn't as bad, but my throat and lungs were sore from the breathing struggle on Thursday. I was very surprised because I haven't had a problem in a long time. I'm thinking it may be the humidity causing it.

After the race on Saturday, I went to the gym and did some time on the spin bike and did upper body weights and on Sunday I did lower body weights, but no long run. Monday I actually swam in the ocean for a few minutes until my imagination started working over time and I imagined big, menacing fish with large teeth sneaking up behind me.

Totally creeps me out!

I don't know how to work through that fear. I never think about it during a race since there are so many people in the water with me. Okay, maybe I do think about it a little, but it doesn't stop me or creep me out or anything and during Ironman Florida and Gulf Coast half we swam straight out about 1/2 mile into the ocean and back. Once during Gulf Coast I tried new goggles during race day and they kept filling up with water and I couldn't see a thing. I totally got off course and didn't know where I was or which way to go and had to keep stopping to pour the water out of my goggles and try to spot a buoy and get back on course.

Now THAT was creepy!!

Anyway, Monday I swam. For about 5 minutes. In the ocean. Hey, you have to start somewhere!

I also did upper body weights, the elliptical and a mile 1/2 run. My legs felt tight, but I'm hoping by Wednesday they will be back to normal for my next run. Tuesdays for me are biking days.

The cats have settled in nicely and are getting along somewhat despite all the Murph's worries. I reasurred him that I had a plan and it is working. Phantom the bad cat has his "territory" in the guest bedroom. This is where his litter box is and where he gets fed and sleeps. We close him in there at night and when we leave the condo.

Ed and Cadence have their own litter box in the half bathroom and get fed in the kitchen. They can go anywhere in the condo except Phantom's room. Cadence can go in there sometimes if Phantom allows it, but it's not a good idea for Ed to go in there. That would be kitty suicide!

Their nightly routine is chilling out to some nice jazz. Last night I got this video of their typical evening.

We'll probably have to take Phantom with us when we go back to Birmingham for a few days. He has to have heart meds everyday and the Boy has started his summer "job". He was one of the few computer students who was selected to help some professors with a research project this summer. It is such an honor for him and he is so excited. He gets so focused on these things that I'm afraid Phantom might get neglected and his meds forgotten.

The Boy did a really great job taking care of him a couple of weeks ago when we went to Birmingham to get the other two cats and more stuff, but he was finished with classes and not working yet. Now I think the cat would be too much so he'll have to go with us. He's a pretty good traveler when he's in the cat carrier and not lowering windows with his paw.

Besides he'll get his jazz fix all the way back.

Two Triathlons And A Birthday

This week I raced in two short sprint triathlons and celebrated my "25th" birthday. Okay, well maybe double that number and subtract two to get my real age, but what's a number, right? I feel better and am stronger now than I ever was in my twenties.

Let me tell you I had the best birthday I've ever had and I mean EVER! How could it not be good when I'm at the beach with my wonderful husband, all my cats, on a gorgeous day, racing in a triathlon and eating cake afterward.

Perfect! 

On Thursday evening I raced in the Portofino Sunset Series triathlon and this morning I raced in the Pensacola Beach triathlon. Both races are sprints meaning short and fast as opposed to long and slower.

Portofino Sunset Series Triathlon - Thursday Evening

Team MPI, a multisport coaching organization, puts on a series of super short sprint races at Portofino Island Resort in Pensacola Beach. They do around 6 to 8 of these from April until August or September. The maximum number of participants is around 60, but there were only about 25 of us last Thursday.

It is a perfect race for beginners who have never done a triathlon or for racers looking for a fast workout. The swim is 300 yds in the Santa Rosa Sound, 7.5 mile bike ride and 1.5 mile run. All fast and flat. It was a lot of fun. I did the race as my cardio for the day instead of my usual "brick" indoor workout at the gym.

It's time to get outside now!

After the race, the Murph and I had dinner and then birthday cake. The Murph told me he wasn't going to eat any of it but changed his mind after he saw me shoveling spoonfuls of it in my mouth. We got the cake at Walmart during our grocery shopping expedition and he was telling the cashier that it was a "one person cake".  I thought he meant me since I was the only one who was going to eat it, but now I'm not so sure who that "one person" was since he was the one who finished it off the other day before I could get another piece of it!

He even ate the other rose! This size cake clearly isn't big enough for the Murph and I.

 Pensacola Beach Triathlon - Saturday morning

This morning I raced in the Pensacola Beach triathlon which was much bigger, but also great for beginners since the swim is only 400 yds and was also in the Santa Rosa Sound behind the restaurant, Flounders instead of being in ocean waters which can sometimes be a little rough.

Transition area for the bikes was across the street from Flounders in the Casino Beach parking lot. The bike was 10 miles heading east going a little past Portofino Island Resort and back. The run was a little over 3 miles.

Pictures in the transition area.

Pictures behind Flounders Restaurant.

The run from Flounders back across the street to Casino Beach was a little tricky since I was running barefoot. I noticed when I got out of the water that the smart people had left flip flops over there to run back in. Oh well, they might not have stumped a toe, but I'm pretty sure it slowed them down!

I'm fumbling around in transition trying to get my running shoes on. I need to work on this!

I placed second in my age group. See the first place finisher in the middle? She looks fast! Four minutes faster than me! She did the race in less than an hour. No way could I have done that at this point. It's too early in training for me!

Overall, I was very happy with my times in both races especially considering my lack of swim training and time on my tri bike.

Right now I'm tired, happy and a year older!

Fashion Friday - A Little Floral

On toes: China Glaze - Pink Voltage here

Dress: Free People old, but newer floral bodycon version with lace here

Sandals: BCBG MaxAzria

Bracelets:(silver) David Yurman here,  (black) Avon

Music And A Happy Place

A couple of days ago we moved the last two of our three cats down to our beach home. I'm still recovering from it! Our first mistake was not doing our normal routine that morning and the cats instantly picked up on it. They know by now what it means when suitcases are loaded in the car. Cadence immediately runs and hides. Ed usually does too, but this time for some reason he didn't.

We loaded everything in the car and then it was time to get the cats last, but where was Cadence? I looked in my closet because that was where he was last week when I was looking all over the place for Phantom, who had run and hid because he probably thought he was about to go to the vet again. He doesn't really like that.

This time, no Cadence. That would be too easy. After looking in all his normal hiding places I finally found him up under the guest bed, tucked away tight up inside the box springs.

I couldn't reach him through the hole in the cover. I reached down and pushed on the bulge that was him at the bottom of the bed. He moved further away. I couldn't get him to scoot to the hole and grab him at the same time. It was a two man job. I called the Murph for back up.

Ed came to check it out. He was really creeped out by me on the floor half under the bed with the camera in my hand.

After all, that was his hole that he chewed in the box spring covers many years ago. His hiding spot too! The box spring cover that was on the Boy's bed was cut away many years ago for exactly this reason. Once Cadence is up in there it is almost impossible to get him out.

The Murph came and pushed on the Cadence lump and guided him to the hole where I was ready to make a grab for him.

Finally he got close enough and I grabbed him.

I had him for about a minute before he managed to get away. I had him by the back leg but had to let go because I realized he would just as soon lose the leg than let me keep him. I was screaming, he was meowing, it was chaos.

I finally cornered him downstairs and managed to cram him in the cat carrier.

 Ed was easy to get in his carrier, (sorry, no pictures, we were tired and an hour later leaving than planned), but not a very good traveler considering he hadn't been in a car in 10 years. He started meowing and continued for about 2 hours. It started out a low meow, but by the time we got on the interstate it was a loud, angry, fangy face meow.

I couldn't get a picture because I was driving. Take my word for it, it wasn't good!

I didn't hear a word out of Cadence. He zoned out the minute the carrier door was closed.

Jazz music playing on the radio didn't work for Ed like it works for Phantom. I finally figured out halfway through the trip that Ed likes rap music or music with a little more beat. He loved Flo Rida and was pretty fond of ABBA too.

It's always good to know the music choices of the cats because it makes traveling so much easier!

Phantom loves jazz favorites by John Coltrane, Lester Young, Ben Webster and others. He likes mellow, moody jazz. He also loves the sax and the trumpet! Phantom is a romantic at heart.  Here's one of his many favorites.

Ed loves rap and music with some beat. He loves the drums! He likes rhythm! He freaking LOVED this song. The fangy faced meowing ceased immediately!



And Cadence is so traumatize that he hears nothing while in the car. He goes straight to his happy place!

They are both doing great in their new home, especially Ed. He's 13 years old so we decided this is his official retirement home. The Murph says it's his Boca and all he needs are some black socks and some Bermuda shorts and he's all set.

The trip over to pick Phantom up from the Boy's apartment the next day was another "adventure". I'm pretty sure that Phantom was ready to get the heck out of there! He planted himself by the front door and looked at me meowing. No problems getting him in the car this time!

The only problem was I didn't have a carrier to put him in and suddenly while we were getting on the interstate, I heard the back window going down. I looked back and there he was propped up looking out the window with his paw on the window lowering button.

I managed to get the window back up before he made a leap for it onto the interstate.

And then I had lots of wine when I got home. LOTS of wine!!

The scenery helped too!