Potty Talk

I know that I said I was not going to talk about toilets again, but I lied. Actually I am not going to talk about toilets; I am going to talk about the bidet. 

The bidet has been ridiculed by Americans for years; every time we go to Europe, we laugh about the "two toilets," "the low sink" or the "weird looking drinking fountain." I have to admit to seeing one for the first time a long time ago and knowing what it was used for but not really how it was used. It was in the bathroom of my boyfriend's mom, who was American, but had traveled a lot for work and had lived abroad for a long time. Apparently she liked it so much she had one installed in her house in California. 

I never used hers though. The first time I used a bidet was maybe five years later, when I went to South Korea for the first time. Their toilets not only squirt water, but they have heated water, air and a heated seat too. You could spend a very long time in the bathroom in South Korea. 

I think this one was in China.

Last year I bought a bidet. My bidet is not that fancy. It just attaches to your toilet on the side. It takes about 10 minutes to set up and is not obtrusive or anything. I call it the starter bidet. Here's the funny part; I liked mine so much I bought one for everyone for Christmas. There have been mixed reviews and comments so far. 

My dad and my mom both tried it without sitting on it and sprayed the bathroom wall, even though the instructions say not to turn it on if you are not sitting. When my mom first turned it on while sitting, we heard a loud yelp come from the bathroom. It does have pretty strong pressure! My brother went to my parents house and fell in love with the bidet right away. Little did he know he was getting one too! However, his girlfriend is less than thrilled. I think she has this idea that you can get dirty stuff in a clean place by using it? But let me clear up some of the mystery. 

When you turn the water on, the little sprayer wand pops out of its protected home to spray you. So you are not using dirty water to spray yourself. The water pressure (and temperature if set up that way) can be adjusted, as can the angle, so you can aim it where it is best for you. After you are done, you can dry off using TP or a towel that you then wash after a couple of uses. It saves a lot of TP, let me tell you! This is nothing new; people have been doing it for many years, but it is new to me and I have been very happy with my new toy. You know how sometimes someone gives you a gift and you think you are never going to use it and then you get a ton of use out of it? This is one of those things. 

Have you ever used a bidet? If so, what do you think!? If not, what's holding you back? If you don't want to talk about toilets, what item have you thought you were not going to get any use out of and then it became your favorite thing? 

Backpacking Gear Review: The Big Three

This post is a long time coming! Since it's Black Friday and maybe you are looking for something to buy, this is perfect timing! Since the "big three" are really the most important for both comfort and weight in the life of a backpacker, I will start with those. For those of you that do not know, the big three consists of your shelter, sleep system and backpack. These are generally the three heaviest things you will carry, apart from food and water. There are a couple of different camps (ha!) when it comes to pack weight, but most say that the big three should weigh no more than twelve pounds, and many even think it should be no more than nine pounds. Of course if you are an ultralight backpacker, I think your entire base weight (everything except food, water and fuel) is supposed to be less than ten pounds. However, I digress; my big three items weigh about seven pounds with the heaviest being my shelter, then the sleep system, then my pack.

Before I start, I want to give a shout out to a tent that I have used for quite a while, but is no longer available online. It is the Big Agnes Fishhook UL1 Tent; a picture of it can be found here. It is a one man, three season, no zipper tent which weighs 47 oz. without a footprint. This was my first really light tent; before that, I believe my prior tent weighed about 6 pounds. Nope, I am not kidding. I was so excited to finally have a tent that was lightweight, easy to pack and carry and was actually quite spacious for one person. The only con is that the little hook closure is a little hard to open and close when you are trying to get out for a potty break in the middle of the night. Otherwise, it was great. I even took it to Peru where it got down in the 20s at night and I was pretty comfortable. Additionally, I would bring all of my gear inside with me and there was plenty of space. 

Lastly, but definitely not least, when the pole broke after I had owned it for about five years, I sent it back to Big Agnes and they fixed it for only the cost of shipping. However, this was right before the pandemic and when I had not received it back a few months later, I wrote to them and they said it had been shipped to me, but since I had not received it, they would send me a new pole set anyway, free of charge. The tent is great; the customer service is even better. 

Shelter: I guess that brings me to my next tent, as I bought this due to my happiness with my first one. The Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 weighs 46 oz. with the footprint. This is a semi freestanding tent, which means that there are two corners which have to be staked down and two corners which are connected to poles. It is a two man tent with two doors and two vestibules and it is spacious for one but you do have to be pretty friendly with your tentmate when you are sharing. Personally, I have had no issues with this, but I do think that if both people are sleeping on any wider than a 20 inch pad, it may be a tight fit. This tent has been with me in as low as 17 degrees Fahrenheit, has gone through snow and rain storms and has protected me from many a mosquito. It is easy to set up with only one pole and is skinny when packed up so it fits nicely in the outer pocket of my pack. 

Mine is made from nylon but there are now other versions that are made of other materials, like stronger nylon and also dyneema (DCF) if you really want to break the bank. There is also a three man version of this same tent. 

The Big Three

Sleep: Western Mountaineering Ultralite 20 degree sleeping bag (29 oz.) and the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite regular size (12 oz.). If you know me at all, you will know that I can get stuck in the trap of analysis-paralysis. This was true in the case of buying a good sleeping bag. I own a really nice Caribou bag that I have had since I was in high school; it is synthetic and it is very warm and I used it for a long time on my backpacking trips. However, it is not small. There is a reason our packs used to be 40 pounds! Then I got an REI bag that is equally as warm, but even bulkier. So I tried to find a bag that was (a) warm, (b) light and (c) inexpensive. Like looking for a needle in a haystack, it was nigh impossible. Then I finally decided that I would have to pony up some cash, but then I couldn't decide between a quilt and a bag, down or synthetic, long or short, mummy or not!!! I finally settled on the Western Mountaineering bag. 

To make a long story short, it is an 850 fill down bag with a 20 degree rating. Just like most, it does not actually keep me warm down to the rated temperature; I have found that if it is under 30 degrees, I am happier if I add a silk liner to the mix. Otherwise, it is good; it has a little hood if you need it, although I normally just use that as a pillow cover. I wish it had a cell phone pocket, as I have had a few cold nights where I would have preferred to have my phone secured, rather than floating around in my bag, which is where I keep it. 

The Therm-a-Rest is a regular size, 47 inches long with an R value of 4.2, which means that it does keep me warmer on those cold nights. It is comfortable, but it took a little while to get used to the 2.5 inch height which sometimes feels like you are going to slide right off of it in the middle of the night. I find these pretty easy to pop though, and have popped two short versions. I repaired one of them with the kit that comes with it, but will carry tenacious tape from now on, as I constantly was having to blow it up in the middle of the night. The regular size one that I have now also slowly leaks but I am not sure where or why. However, it only requires one or two slight blow ups, so I have not really been overly worried about it. 

Backpack:  Hyperlite 2400 Southwest Backpack (28.6 oz.). I would say this is the best purchase that I have made. The other items are good, but I could  probably find better ones (like a warmer sleeping bag for instance). The backpack is made out of cuben fiber, or DCF, which is a waterproof, lightweight and very strong composite material. Think about the Tyvek they use to make buildings, but lighter. It has two hip pockets and you can order additional chest strap pockets if desired. It is built for your body, as in you measure your torso and waist and they customize it for you. It is frameless, has a roll top, three exterior pockets and it carries 40 liters. As I said, I love this pack; I was a little worried the frameless nature would be uncomfortable, but it isn't. It fits me like a glove. The only thing I would do differently if I ordered it again is that I would get the larger size, as you can always fill it less and roll the top more. However, I can fit a bear can, all my food and clothes and sleep system on the inside and my tent in the outer pocket and I sometimes still have room to spare. 

So there you have it! Next time, I will talk a little about the kitchen! 

What is your favorite "big three" item? Even if you are not a backpacker, tell me: what travel item is your heaviest? 

Randoms, Questions, and a Giveaway!

Happy Monday. Today is a random sort of day, so bear with me.

* I am sure you heard about the BART strike. Luckily I was on vacation last week and I missed the entire fiasco, which, I have been assured, WAS a fiasco. I normally take the casual carpool, which means I wouldn't be affected by the BART directly, BUT...all the extra people on the road instead of on the BART means that I would have been affected. So, hurray for accidental beautifully timed vacations.

* You probably also heard about the flight at SFO. Crazy, right? Did you see the photos? I know that people were killed, but I am really surprised it wasn't worse, to be honest. That plane was really badly burned!

* I have a lot of things going on in my life but absolutely no brain power to explain anything. Hence the bullet points. Do you think there is a direct or inverse relationship between the two?

* I went to Oregon for a week. It's just like where I grew up; there are mountains, trees, lakes and rivers. There is hiking, swimming, biking and fishing. I had to drive ten hours to get there. Why is it we drive a long way to go to a place to enjoy ourselves when we have the same thing in our very own backyard?

* Chobani has NEW FLAVORS! They sent me a complimentary pack of their new flavors to taste and I am allowed to give one lucky reader a case of their very own! This is a one day giveaway and it will end tonight, July 8th at midnight Pacific Time. All you have to do to win is:

1. Leave a comment guessing what you think the new flavors are. If any of your guesses are right, +1
2. Leave a comment answering one of the above questions (re: inverse relationships / backyards). +1

A random drawing will be held tomorrow and a winner will be announced sometime this week. 

I hope you all had a great 4th of July and are not experiencing too much of a holiday hangover today!

Take Five: Snacks

I am a snacker. I love snacks. Instead of having 3 regular meals, I generally eat about 5 - 6 snack-type meals. I wrote a post a while back about what I typically eat on a regular work day. I am also a creature of habit. I usually eat very similar things each day. I am not really into candy or chips or soda. My go to snacks are these:

1. Legumes: Perhaps this is not a "snack" but each week I make a batch of some sort of bean and I take it with me in a little tupperware and it's my mid afternoon snack. I eat it a couple hours before I get off work so when I am going for a run after work I am not totally hungry but it has time to set in.

2. Dried Fruit: I am not really a big sweet lover, but I DO love dried fruit! Craisins (and dried coconut) are my crack! I also love dried mangoes, cherries and apricots. If you can dry it, I will eat it. Plus you can take them anywhere and they don't go bad, get squished or make a mess! The only bad thing about dried fruit is when you get the big bag from Costco and you eat the whole thing in one sitting!

3. Nuts: When I need something salty, which is VERY often, I look for my nuts. Ha. No, seriously, almonds are my favorite, but I am not nut-ist; I love all nuts!

4. Fruit: I probably eat at least 3 and sometimes more like 5 servings of fruit a day. It generally travels well, it hydrates you and it tastes good! I also snack on carrots, celery and radishes most days at work.

5. Granola/Oats: Whether it's oatmeal in the morning, or granola and yogurt later in the day, I think oatmeal and granola are a great way to get a nice full feeling while still being healthy.

Usually I buy items separately from the bulk aisle (or Costco) and mix up my own trail mixes, granola or nutrition bars, but sometimes it's just easier to grab and go. Some of my favorite pre-made items are made by Kind and one of my favorites of theirs is the Almond & Apricot bar. It's everything I love, all rolled up into a bar! The only thing it's missing is the legumes.

I have tried a lot of bars and some are good and some are only so-so, but I have to say, I have not yet met a Kind bar I didn't like.

What is your favorite snack? What is your favorite nutrition bar?

**I was not compensated for this post, but I was given this product for free in return for an honest review. Rest assured, my reviews are just that.

Incredisocks

I have always been one of those that are a bit skeptical of compression gear. In fact, anything that is hyped up by everyone else, I tend to stray away from. I tried the ice bath; it only made me cold. I tried the foam roller; it's fun and it feels good but I don't feel a big difference from not using it. So when Incrediwear contacted me to try their compression gear, I thought I would give it a go, even though I was doubtful.

Lucky for me, they not only sent me a calf compression sleeve, but they also sent me several of their different kinds of socks! I usually buy whatever socks Costco or Target has on sale in multi packs, so these socks were such a treat! The compression sleeve, like the foam roller, feels great. It is just tight enough but not too tight and wearing it makes my calf feel like it's being squeezed in a very nice way. I really can't complain.

However, my favorite thing that they sent were the hiking socks. If you ever see me wearing boots and jeans, you can guarantee that I am wearing them under my boots! I wear them around the house as a way to keep warm (and lately it's been pretty chilly) with the hard wood floors. I even wear them for hiking! They are awesome. I want 10 more pairs of these!

My favorite!

So, if you are a compression sleeve lover, you will love their calf sleeves, or if you just want to get cozy feet, you will love their entire line of socks. They also have other compression gear, braces and insoles.

I received these products free of charge in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you like compression gear? What is your favorite brand of socks?

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Many people get stressed out with all the extra work that the holidays bring. Not only do you have to do your regular day to day things, but throw in grocery shopping, having a kitchen or house full of people and having to get up early and plan and cook everything so that it hopefully comes out of the oven all at the same time, and you can easily have a meltdown on your hands.

Personally, I love to cook and like we have talked about in some of the previous What’s For Dinner posts, planning ahead is key. It’s hard when you only have four burners and one tiny oven, but it can be done, and it can be fun.

For several years, I was a vegetarian, so I left the cooking of the turkey up to the carnivores. My favorite thing was the sides. Now, I love cooking and eating turkey, but my favorites remain the same. I could eat side dishes all day. Oh wait, I DO eat side dishes all day. However, this can be traumatic on my waistline! So there are a couple of things that I do in order to not feel the post dinner food coma and accompanying guilt.

First, I sign up for a Turkey Trot! I know, it’s sometimes hard to fit in in, but you can put the turkey in the oven and then go off and run. It takes less than an hour for most and you end up feeling invigorated afterward! The other thing I do is that I try to cut down on my butter and sugar intake by doing a few subs to my favorite recipes.

One of my favorite side dishes is sweet potatoes! However, the general recipe is loaded with butter and sugar. Personally I like the taste of the potato and don’t need to cover it up with sugar, so I just go Au natural. Also, I love the flavors of fall, so why not work with what’s available?

Cinnamon Apple Sweet Potatoes

3 Large Sweet Potatoes (or Yams)

1-2 Large Apples

1 cup pecans

4 Tbsp Brummel and Brown spread

2 Tbsp cinnamon

½ -1 cup Craisins

1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Dice up the apples and sweet potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss together thoroughly. Put mixture in 9 x 13 baking dish or on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour, stirring occasionally (3 – 4 times). Remove and enjoy! The apples give it a bit of sweetness without the added sugar.

__________

Another dish I love to make is dessert. One of my favorite recipes is for these pumpkin spice muffins. If you sub part of the sugar with splenda and use Brummel and Brown rather than butter, you have a muffin you can sink your teeth into without feeling the Turkey Day bloat. 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 cup Flour

¼ cup Splenda

¼ cup Sugar (or you can use ½ cup sugar only)

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Cinnamon

½  tsp Nutmeg

½  tsp Salt

4 Tbsp Brummel and Brown spread, cut into pieces

1 -1 ¼ cup Pumpkin Puree

½  cup Evaporated Milk

1 Egg

2 tsp Vanilla

½  cup craisins (or raisins)

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

¼  tsp Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin tins.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in spread with two knives or your fingers until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Use a ¼ cup measure to fill 12 muffin tins with batter. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin. Bake for 25 minutes. Take out of the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes before taking out of the tin. If you are like me, you will not listen to this advice and you will take one “ugly” one out for a sample right away. Somebody has to do it. 

Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Who is the Thanksgiving chef in your family? What is your favorite dish to eat? What is your favorite Thanksgiving recipe?

Listen to This

I thought I would start off with a song that I am loving lately! If you haven't already heard it, enjoy! If you have already heard it, then enjoy again!

I almost always listen to music when I run. However, I haven't bought a pair of headphones in years. I use the ones that came with my iPod. The little padding part came off and one side doesn't always work, but I usually just make do with what I have.

I recently got a chance to try a new earphone, Yurbuds. They are bright pink and they have a twist lock feature where you stick them in and then twist and they stay in your ears really well!

The first time I used them I took them for a test drive because you know the old saying, "don't ever try something new on race day". They worked great. They did not fall out at all and the sound quality is really good. Also, both sides work! Score. The only thing I don't like is that my other headphones have a microphone. I don't use it very often but it is nice to be able to answer the phone when I need to without having to get it out and use it without headphones.

Then on race day, I wore them the whole time. I had absolutely no problems. In fact, they stayed in so good that I almost needed them to come out a little faster when I saw my parents on the side of the road. I was scrambling to get my ear bud out and wave and get my gloves to my grandma all at the same time, but that is my own fault. I need to be quicker on my toes!

All in all, I would recommend these as a new earphone for you to try. Plus they come in a lot of fun colors and different types, like this one, which DOES have a microphone! Now I just need to update my playlist and I will be all set for some serious running!

Here are a few of the tunes I had to keep me company during the race:

Sunshine
Some Nights (this is a pretty cool remix of the song)
1901

What are your favorite headphones for running? What is your song that you use when you need to get pumped up? Have you tried Yurbuds?

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary entry into the Nike Women's Marathon and a pair of Yurbud headphones in return for an honest review.

Tried It

Lately I have been trying a lot of new fitness related items. Here are some of the ones I have tried and what I have thought about them. 

Waxelene: This is described as an "eco-friendly alternative to petroleum jelly. It has the same protective, waterproofing, moisturizing and soothing properties that doctors love, but contains no petroleum or hydrogenated oils." I tried it as an alternate to Body Glide. I don't chafe very often, except when I wear a tank top. Then I chafe under my arm. So I smeared it on for my last long run and...no chafe. Sweet. It can also be used for chapped lips or dry skin as well as several other uses. I love the idea that it's all natural and only has 4 ingredients. I don't like that it comes in a heavy glass jar which doesn't bode well for my already overfull running bag! 

Cool Off: These are little individually wrapped cooling towelettes. I really like them! They give me a minty fresh feeling! The only thing is, the first time, I used them on my face and it was burning a little! I would stick to body use only. They fit great into my purse and running bag. I have tried other wipes and they are basically just baby wipes with a different name. These are much more refreshing than a baby wipe! 

Topricin:  A homeopathic cream that provides pain relief by improving circulation and attracting and stimulating the body's healing chemistry at the site of pain. I was sent three different kinds -- Regular, Junior and Foot Therapy. I tried the regular one on my sore calf a few weeks ago and it seemed to help. It also doesn't smell like a hospital, like some of the other sports creams do, which is a definite plus! 

Celcius: I don't normally like energy drinks. They have a certain taste to them that is just wrong. However, Celicius is quite good. I received four kinds: Raspberry Acai Green Tea, Strawberry Kiwi, Sparkling Orange and Outrageous Orange. Of the four, the Raspberry Acai Green Tea was my favorite. It was a little sweet, but definitely did not have the nasty taste that some of the other energy drinks have. It is supposed to do several things: boost metabolism, improve endurance and provide lasting energy. It contains caffeine in the form of green tea extract and guarana and it really does give you a nice energy kick! 

I love getting to try new things, as I am really kind of one of those people who once I find what I like I stick to it. So it is nice to have friends who use something different, or to get a sample from somewhere, because you never know when you are going to find your new favorite thing! 

Do you try new things or do you stick with the tried and true? Do you chafe a lot when you run? What is your favorite energy drink?

Disclaimer: I was given these products for free in return to an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Protein Boost

I used to lift weights a lot. I had guns (and buns) the size of Texas. Okay, not really. When I did, I would sometimes use protein powder. The ones I tried were all very chalky tasting. Since I have been running more and lifting less, I stopped taking the protein powders, as I didn't see the need to gain weight or bulk up, which is what I though that the protein powders did.

Luckily, I was recently given the chance to try a few different ones. In the process, I learned a little more about the different proteins and how they can each assist you in different ways. The ones I tried were:

GNC Pro Performance Soy Protein -- Chocolate  -- This is a plant based, easily digestible protein. It is known for it's antioxidant capabilities. Helps support muscles during exercise.

Vega Sport -- Vanilla -- This is a plant based protein to be used for recovery. It replenishes your system, repairs muscle tissue and reduces inflammation to assist in recovery.

GNC Pro Performance Egg Protein -- Chocolate -- Good for people with lactose intolerance. Take either right before or right after a workout. 

GNC Pro Performance Whey Protein -- Strawberry -- This is a fast absorbing protein found in milk. It is in your body for a short time. Best used after intense workouts.

GNC Pro Performance Casein Protein -- Chocolate -- Casein is the main protein in milk. It is slow absorbing and remains in your body for a long time. Best used between meals or before bed.

According to an article in Runners World, the FDA suggests .36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For someone who weighs 130, this equals roughly 47 grams of protein. If you exercise a lot, this could increase to approximately twice that much (see this WebMD article). Protein is good for muscle recovery, maintaining a strong immune system and for helping muscles heal faster, which can mean less injuries for runners.

The order they are placed in above is the order in which I liked them. The Soy Protein was my favorite, as it tasted really good, is low in cholesterol and also had 25 grams of protein. This one is good to take before a workout or a run in order to deliver protein to your muscles during your workout.

To test these out, first I made a batch according to the recipe on the label. This usually includes adding one scoop of powder to 8 oz of water. When doing that, the two that tasted the best were the Soy Chocolate and the Vega Vanilla. However, Mr. Lovely, who is an old pro, whipped up a batch of the When Strawberry with a banana, some OJ and some ice for a delicious smoothie. I also tried a bit of the Soy Chocolate in my regular batch of steel cut oats. It tasted great and gave me a nice boost of protein for the day ahead!

I have also seen recipes online that I am looking forward to trying, like Elle's Protein Pops, Jess' Vanilla Almond Cran Protein Bites, Gina's Protein Pancakes or Livestrong's Easy Vanilla Cheesecake.

These products were sent to me for review purposes. All opinions are my own. 

Are you getting enough protein in your diet (if you are active, you should have 1 - 1.6 grams per kilo of body weight)? Do you use protein powder?  Do you have any good recipes to share?

Smelly Runner

I run a lot. I don't sweat a lot. I am one of those people who's face gets bright red, so even when I am barely exerting myself, it looks like I am working hard. However, even though I don't sweat very much, I sure don't smell like roses! Also, I travel a lot, and when I travel, I run.

So when I was asked to try out a few products that would help me to not stink, I gladly agreed. The fact that two of them are bags, and I am the ultimate bag lady, was only a plus. (You know what I mean. You have a bag for each of the smaller items, each of those bags goes into a larger bag, which may or may not go into an even larger bag...am I the only one that does this?)

The first, the Febreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator, is a product you put in your laundry. Just a cap full is what they recommend. I think it smells good, but did not notice that it was particularly better (or worse) than my regular detergent. It did remove the smell from my running clothes, so I guess all in all, it did the job. However, I would not necessarily say that it was above and beyond what I am currently using.

Next was the Tide Odor-Absorbing Sports Bag, "so you won’t leave a trail of odors as you leave the gym or the track!" This bag is a nice size and has a drawstring top. It does keep the smell from the rest of your items and is easy to carry and is very lightweight. I actually just fold it up really tiny and then pull it out when I need it. Or it is a great place to put all your running stuff so everything is all together.

Last, but not least, in fact, this is my favorite of all three, was the Tide Odor-Absorbing Travel bag. I used it on my trip to DC and was happy about a few things. First of all, it folds up to nothing and takes up no space whatsoever when it is empty. It is also a pleasing color combination (blue with light blue dots), so that is always fun. Lastly, it does keep the odors from my dirty clothes away from the clean! I often travel with just a carry on backpack, so the size was also perfect.

These products were given to me for free in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Have you tried any of these? Do you use a laundry bag when you travel? What is your favorite smelling detergent?

My Lottery

You have probably already heard a lot about the Find Your Strong project that Saucony is doing. Each week, they ask you to submit a photo or a quote or a ritual...something that inspires you to keep running. You can do it too; today is the last day to submit your photo for week 5 (your favorite sites on your run), and tomorrow there will be a new challenge for week 6.

The reason I bring this up is because I submitted one of my favorite running quotes for week 2 and I won! I won a new pair of Saucony Kinvaras. The Kinvara is a lightweight minimal shoe with a low heel drop. I received them in the mail the other day. I have never tried a minimal shoe before and am looking forward to their maiden voyage. I have read a little bit online about it and know that I will start slow at first, but other than that, I am not sure what to expect. You will hear back from me on that a bit later.

Not exactly my favorite colors, but not as ugly as I thought it would be! :)

But wait. There's more. I think I probably should have bought a lottery ticket when the jackpot was so high back a few weeks ago. Did you know that I have never bought a lottery ticket before? I should have that week because last month was a very lucky month for me. On top of winning the Kinvara, I also received:

- The Nature Box from Carrie: I have been rationing the goods, but so far am loving the pistachios, which are one of my favorite nuts and a really nice treat, especially these ones which are seasoned with salt and black pepper, so they have a bit of a kick! However, I am not sure the package is worth the $20/month price tag. In my box: currants, pistachios, dried pears, trail mix and pumpkin seeds.

- Dahlicious Lassi from Toni: I have not tried this yet, because I haven't found any stores near me that have it. But I will try it when I get the chance. It looks so good!

- Profoot Insoles and Moleskin from Marcia: I haven't used these yet, but plan to use them in my hiking boots, where they are much needed. And the moleskin has gone into my running bag just in case!

- 8 Pack of Peanut Butter Gu from Strava: I had to run 100 miles in a month to get this one, so it technically wasn't a "freebie" but I will count it as a win. Also, I have never tried PB flavored Gu. It sounds interesting. I wonder if I can make sandwiches out of it.

- Mystery Box from XLMIC: She said something about a sausage. I think there will also be some Nuun and other sports recovery bars/drinks etc.

Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for hosting these giveaways and allowing me to try fun new things that I may not be adventurous enough to try on my own! Have I mentioned how cool running bloggers are? No? Well, let me reiterate. Running bloggers are VERY cool.

"You don't get better at running hills by walking them". (this was one of the other winning running quotes for week 2, and my favorite out of the bunch!)

Do you enter contests? What's the best thing you have ever won? Have you tried any of the above products?

**I won all these products fair and square. Nobody asked me to say anything regarding any of them. All opinions are my own. 

EVOO

The other day, I received my free sample of Swanson’s items to review. I mostly got vitamins, so they will have to be tested over the longer run, but I also got a bottle of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil to try. I got it out during dinner at my parents house and made both of my parents try it as well as me trying it on spinach (drizzled over, not cooked in). We all tried a spoonful of it and decided it was quite (funnily enough) olive flavored. We didn’t remember our olive oil always being so heavy on the olive flavor, so we tried a different one we had laying around and it definitely did not taste as heavily of olive. In fact, the Swanson’s oil was much lighter and tastier, compared to the brand we had at home, which was heavier, less flavorful and more “buttery”. We all voted for the Swanson’s as the better oil, and I am not just saying this because I got a free sample. I still have not used it for cooking, but am looking forward to seeing how and if it brings out the flavor of the oil.

NOTE: I received these products for free from Swansons in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.