Celerate Everything - A New Link Up

There is always something to celebrate. 

Big or Small. Today and Everyday. 

...life is full of reasons to party celebrate... 

For today

I choose to celebrate.....

our safe travels and the joy of making a house a home.

Now it's your turn! Link up your reasons to celebrate :)

Give thanks to Lindsay at Domesticated Working Woman
this is her link up, her idea! And, I'm happy to be a part of it each month!

...happy to have Jordyn with me this month...

Style Sessions Co-Host!!

I'm SO excited to be co-hosting Style Sessions today and featured as a Head Stylist!
But before we get to all that fun... you first need to know the genius behind all of this!
Lauren from Style Elixir



She's been here with Heart Shaped Sweat this month and is giving away a $30 value Ad Space 
in this months giveaway!

She's also sharing with us a beautiful, colorful Wallis outfit as part of the Blogger Style Competition.
hint, hint... show her your support in this competition and vote for her every day (even every hour)
during the month of June to ensure her win!
It's take just a moment, click the link above and vote! It's that easy and means so much :)
In appreciation for your time and votes she is giving away 
$25 gift card to store of your choice 
and Ad Space!
ENTER HERE!!!

Now Let's get back to the Style Sessions FUN!

In case you're new here, Style Sessions is live every Tuesday from 5am PST. It's all about sharing what we've been wearing, or if you're on a budget, a virtual outfit you'd love to wear! Every week I also select someone to showcase as 'Head Stylist' in the next edition - it's a brilliant way to showcase your personal style and your blog.

Want to join the fashion link-up? Add your post now and meet some new fashionistas!  I simply ask that you please follow Style Elixir (via Bloglovin', Twitter, Facebook or GFC!) and provide a link to this in your post or add the button below to your blog. Any tweets to spread the word are fabulous, we all love meeting new blog friends!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.stylelixir.com/" title="Style Elixir"><img src="http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s570/stylelixir/StyleSessionsLogo_zps1d35aa03.jpg" alt="Style Elixir" style="border:none;" /></a></div>  

Lauren's look this week - Polished Prints

It probably comes as no surprise to you, but I do adore brights! Especially red, coral and at the moment orange hues too. This patterned print dress from Wallis really caught my eye, I thought it was a great piece to dress up or down and so versatile for any season. For a polished touch, style with a little black jacket and patent pumps..

Outfit Details:  Wallis Dress c/o   |   Black Jacket (similar)  |   Prada Sunglasses   |   Pave Earrings (similar)   |   Black Patent Heels (similar)  |  Tiffany & Co. Ring   |   Gold Bangles  (similar)  |   Black Bow Ring (similar)   |   Marc Jacobs Handbag

As part of Style Sessions, Lauren features one of us bloggers each week as head stylist. 
Here's what she had to say this week :)

Meet Our Head Stylist...

I'm excited to introduce Kristine of Heart Shaped Sweat! As gorgeous on the inside as she is on the outside, Kristine is a super fit mom who loves her fashion. I have such a weakness for coral, it's always so fresh and looks perfect the way Kristine has styled it with gold and tan...

STYLE Q&A WITH KRISTINE

What is your go-to look?  Anything easy and comfortable, yet stylish. As a busy mom of two, I rely on classic but flirty tops to show my personality and add style to my favorite jeans.

There are so many fashion trends right now, which one are you currently loving?

I love the pattern mixing trend and knotted button-down shirts with a maxi look! But, my all time favorite trend is bright colors. Bright colors and neon let us really make a statement, no matter how trendy we are. 

What inspired you to start Heart Shaped Sweat?  After my second son, friends started asking how I got back in shape. No matter what advice or tips I offered, the best thing I could give them was motivation. I realized what an awesome feeling it was to see them get up and get active. I turned to blogging to continue that passion. I try to blog motivation and inspiration for being fit and healthy - along with my family's happenings!

Name three beauty products you couldn't live without:  Easy. I use Aquaphor on my lips throughout the day, everyday. I use baby oil everyday in the shower as a full body moisturizer (I swear it prevented stretch marks in each pregnancy). And I couldn't live without water, the benefits of water are endless.

How would you describe your style?  My style is all over the place! You will find me in flowy maxi's with a tank top, pencil skirts with a button down, or jeans with flip flops and you will always find me in bright nike workout clothes!

To discover more about the beautiful Kristine, visit Heart Shaped Sweat.

Join the Link Up Below and Share Your Style:

...happy to have Shannon with me this month...

Summer Kickoff Virtual 5k - Link-Up!

We all come from different walks, runs, and spins of life but we for sure have these 3.1 miles in common!

For some this 5K was part of a regular workout, for others it was part of a bigger race and for at least one of you it was your first 5K ever!!! I'm excited to see the color dash madness, gorgeous trails of your states and even the digital glowing screens of a job well done. I hope you all enjoyed your time as much as I did!

Whether it was a breeze or a challenge we did this together and are kicking off the summer in a fit way :)  

Thank you all so much for doing this first ever virtual 5K with Heart Shaped Sweat!

Now let's get the virtual post race party started!

Link up your Summer Kickoff Virtual 5K posts below! And, drop a line on each others posts too!

eeeeeekkk! I'm just so excited about this!

...happy to have Shannon with me this month...

I Love Me a FRIDAY!

Finally Friday! 
I'm sooooo looking forward to the weekend, I'm sure you are too!
Considering Sunday will be spent in class studying for the AFAA certification, I plan to relax at home with my 3 L's all.day.long Saturday. Maybe squeeze in a little workout, maybe not. No pressure this weekend! I may even completely unplug. maybe. This has been a busy week on the blog, thank you all for playing along!

1// HELLO hot new running shoes! I drove my happy self down to Carytown this week to Road Runners. There they have you walk and run to determine your gait. Turns out the shoes I've been choosing over-correct my slight pronation. In fact my left foot turns inward more than my right foot. No wonder my right knee and ITband have been bothering me! They gave me 3 choices in the perfect structured shoe for me and I chose the Nike Zoom Elite based on fitting not color. Trust me, if you follow me on Instagram then you know all about my cry for help over this bubblegum pink color!

2// Aprils fitness challenge was Be Your Own Inspiration and Be More Active. I think I did pretty well. Even my boys jumped on this and my husband, well that man is plenty active already. Anyhoooo, I definitely added more running to my routine, tried fun fitness and picked up the kettlebell more times than I can count. Hope you all had fun with the Be More Active Challenge too! We'll soon see what challenge May brings us :)

3// Like Father like son! Little man Landon is all about his daddy. He got a leaf blower and mower for his birthday so now he's happy instead of crappie when his dads doing yard work. The two of them do it together every week. Landon even tries to bring the mower into bath time and bed time. Too cute.

4// Another green smoothie! You know this had slide into my H54F post :) Be sure to check out the linky and add yours too if you've joined us!

5// Lance is doing shot put on the track team now! He's a sprinter and loves the 100 meter dash but he's gotten really good at shot put so coach let him do it twice this week! He's making his momma proud!


*Take a moment to reflect on the big and small things that make your week more beautiful.



Have you ever been fitted for running shoes?
Sat through an AFAA Certification class?

Much love to you all!!
Hope you each have a wonderful weekend!


P.S.
Hopefully you caught yesterday's post!
All my April Sponsors make me smile ear and to ear, you should def go meet each one!
This months group giveaway has a $70 VISA up for grabs along with some real estate... have fun with that :)

AND Weekend Bloglovin Hop

Green Smoothie Link Up #2

WOW! Wednesdays Green Smoothie Link Up held over 30 delicious smoothie creations and it seems by the comments, tweets and even IG that there are so many more of you participating too!!
Your doing your body lots of good :)

I'm wondering do you feel any different?
Like do you feel healthier by just having one green smoothie? Do feel more energetic? Less hungry?

Just curious.

I guess for me, having a smoothie/green smoothie each day definitely makes me feel healthy. It's a healthy choice how could it not?! They do fill me up but are in no way a meal replacement for me. I find them to be super convenient and love adding protein to it for post workout purposes. The whole family enjoys them and I'm thinking about freezing the mix as popsicles for the upcoming weekend. Don't you think that'll work?

I'm happy about taking on taking on this 7 day green smoothie. I know my blog is running posts like crazy compared to my normal but this is a good cause and I'm happy to support it and thrilled by each of you who have joined! Our bodies are little machines and we need to fuel them correctly. This is just one way to be sure we're feeding ourselves a healthy treat each day!



Keep those recipes coming and keep with the challenge, stay strong through the weekend! We're here for ya!!

***

your host/cohost are the first 6

just link a green smoothie post and be cool and link back

Let's mingle and gain inspiration from each other :)

Green Smoothie Link Up!

If you follow me on twitter, I might be killing you with the green smoothie tweets, but I can't help it! You people are full of yummy little creations and I kinda just want to share them with everyone. I've always been a fan of smoothies and am forever grateful to Katherine for contacting me about this Green Smoothie Challenge. I don't know how much longer it would have taken me to DRINK SPINACH. I love knowing that I can start or end each day with a serving of both fruit and veggies. And it's a serving that taste more like ice cream. So keep those recipes coming and keep with the challenge....you're doing your body lots of good!

The Green Smoothie Challenge has already gifted 2 winners with $70 worth of Amazing Grass meals, there are more giveaways to come over the next 4 days. It's uber hard for me to not spill the beans, I'm excited for you! Katherine's scored some great companies and products! But there is one giveaway I can brag on and tell you about! All those rad bloggers to the right have come together to host a nice little giveaway, be sure to come back later tonight and get in on their awesomeness and generosity! Cheers my friends!

***

your host/cohost are the first 6

just link a green smoothie post and be cool and link back

Let's mingle and gain inspiration from each other :)

She was Stronger than She Knew...

Today I had the pleasure of briefly working with a woman whose walk in life I would never want.
Her presence evoked the question "what has happened to you, who has done you wrong?"
Her reactions to normal everyday occurrences confirmed, she had been severely done wrong.
This woman was traumatized and perhaps even a bit brainwashed into thinking the worse of herself.
Someone had held captive all her dreams and wants, someone had stomped her spirit.
Trapping her in a process of feeling undeserving and incapable.
That someone or someones had done worse than just emotional damage to her.
And, it showed when approached by even a gentle strangers touch.

The steps taken to admit she needed our help had already exhausted her. But together, we worked through some strict anxiety and accomplished the clinical pieces necessary to her appointment. And, surprisingly by appointments end she seemed to carry confidence in the resolute to fix herself.

This woman is battered. Her children are battered. They have survived recent years through the help of a shelter and countless strangers. Prior to this her outlook on life was dim, her faith and strength challenged and broken by ways not even mentionable. Some people would give up or become hardened souls but not her. In everything she is given she proclaims graciousness. She takes nothing for granted. She gives with all she can which is simply an expression.

Receiving her thankfulness was quite moving. Her perception on what is guaranteed or promised in life is vastly different than most. Like the perpetual apologizer she gave thanks repeatedly for what is simply my job. what comes naturally to me. and requires no real skill. Feeling her gratitude was eye opening.

While she may have been struggling with the idea of being "worthy" of someones help, she left me struggling with the notion that I don't give thanks enough.

I want to take the time to be more thankful. More thankful of even the smallest of things.
You never know ones walk in life. You never know when an outreached hand can light up a soul or a simple "thank you" can move a mountain.

I had to share this with you all. The thoughts on that woman and the difference she made in my life are just too good to keep to myself. As much as she felt I had done her good, she has no idea the impression she is leaving on the people she meets. It's a sad story to hear of a battered woman and home. It's heartbreaking the defeat they feel and the potential for that cycle to continue. As weak as she thinks she is people like us know better. We know that she broke free and because of her relentless ways in showing appreciation for even tiniest of matters, she is undoubtedly affecting lives in ways she'll never know.

It's good for us to share stories like this and spread good!
Speaking of good, here's a little fun you can get in on!

The FAB Ms. Shanna rallied up her sponsors this month for another awesome giveaway!
Check out all the beauties participating and enter for a chance to win over $200 worth of goodies!
And don't forget to link up your goals for the month! We're all here for each other :)




Linking with Just Because, Tell Me Tuesday, Tea on Tuesdays, On Your Heart

Update & March Madness {Link UP}

I hope you've had a chance to link up and hop around the Monday Mingling Hop!!!

Just last week I shared two goals for the month of March. I feel really good about the 30in30 challenge, so far I've squeezed in 12 of the 30 miles! And remember the cleanse I told you about? We're done! WoooHooo! Honestly, I can't even express how happy I am with having finished all 7 days. There were some serious moments of temptation. It didn't take much for my mind to wander to foods other than the allowed ones of the day. Our usual food prep for the week has improved drastically and the fridge is overflowing with healthy snacks//deserts. The cleanse had a great effect on all of us. I'm excited to share the details with you later in the week! Meanwhile check out this MADNESS!!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://perceptioniseverything.blogspot.com/2013/03/march-madness.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Perception Is Everything" src="http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg592/PerceptionIsEverything/PIE3/MarchMadness_zps5a29feb3.jpg"/></a></div>

I'm starting to think Janna over at Perception is Everything can read minds. This is all her idea and I love it!
Do you ever feel like you're spinning your wheels? Getting everything done for the day but never really ready for the weeks to come? Janna's idea for March Madness is a fun link-up that will help us hold each other accountable. Simply create a to-do list and share it! It can be anything from fitness to fashion, school to work, home projects to budget challenges. "All that matters is that you tackle something from your list and we'll help you be accountable"! It's just what I need to get my booty in gear with ALL my to-do's!

Today's focus is fitness related.
I'm excited to be in this weeks madness and able to invite you all to join!

March Madness {Fitness} to-do's...
- try a local barre class
- complete my 30in30 challenge
- set a 6 mile PR in preparation for next months 10K
- be at the gym 2-3x's a week focusing on more cardio and weights
- look into fitness certification classes for the summer
- sign up for another spring race

It may seem like a long list but I love my fitness, it's part of my everyday life! During the summer months I add running to my off-nights from the gym but this year I've decided to start early. Running makes a huge difference in my endurance and appearance. I'll also keep working on extending my plank time. I'm back up to 4 minutes! I should probably add a reward to this list. You'll know I believe in rewarding yourself along the way, so I'm adding new running shoes. I need//want them badly. Any suggestions?

With summer lingering at just a few months away, now is the perfect time to create your "fit" to-do list!
If you've already posted one for the month, you can link that up too!

Be sure to visit Perception is Everything and say Hello!! 
Can't wait to see ALL that you have planned for this month :) We'll cheer each other on!

Code for linky tool:

Monday Mingling Hop! {co-hosting}

If you're not already in the "know" let me introduce to 

Monday Mingling!

Hosted by Logan and Tarole, two gorgeous and fun ladies :) 

Get to know them, you don't want to miss all FAB-ulous in their blogs 

or another week of Monday Mingling!!

Logan and Tarole are taking it from here...

Welcome to the sixth week of Monday Mingling! Please take the time to introduce yourselves to our co-hosts! If you are new to this blog hop, please leave us a comment letting us know you are following and we would be happy to follow you back. Thank you for joining us this week, and don't forget to link back to us by grabbing our button. Happy Mingling!

<center> <a href="http://www.southernsunflowersandcoffeebeans.com"><img border="0" src="http://i47.tinypic.com/2ii7sye.png"></a></center>  

Kristine @ Heart Shaped Sweat

Blog |Twitter| Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Wendy @ Blush and Barbells

Blog |Twitter Hi! I'm Wendy and I blog about beauty and fitness. My blog is a bit new and I'd love to learn to expand my readership.

Rules:

1. Follow both of your hosts via GFC.

(first 2 links below)
2. Follow your co-hosts via GFC
(next 2 links)

3. Link up your main blog URL, not a specific post.

4. Link back to us by grabbing our button.

5. Tweet, Facebook, and Pin this blog hop. 
The more you spread the word the more people will link up, and the more success you will have! 

Tweet

6. Be sure to visit other blogs! Don't just link up and wait for others to find you. 

Let's get this party started!!...

Crushin'

Linking with an all time fave of mine....Erin for her fab idea to host a blogger crush link up...

Let's just start with the fact, that I LOVE you all!!! And, if you aren't yet -you should catch up with these...


momma crush....
The Anderson Crew (emily)
this woman has grace. an open heart and home. and an incredible eye for candid shots of life.

fitness and health crush....
Nutritionella and Lean Green Bean (elle and lindsay)
sorry it's a tie. these two are dynamite together. they rock my world with workouts and meal plans.

style crush....
Cara Loren (cara)
are you kidding me? this girl is beautiful. her style is all over. it's awesome. love her fearless fashion sense and seemingly, effortless styling.

best 5 minutes....
The Daily Tay (taylor)
she's pretty much brilliant. always has me laughing. always makes wonder how does she do it all?
and
Don't Quote the Raven (raven)
really, I don't even have the right words for how awesome her spins are. she's raw, real, and hilarious.

the sweeties....
perception is everything (janna)
excuse the hottness over there, she can't help it. fellow mil. spouse that is simply living//loving life and spreading influence to define your own perception of life.
and
because shanna said so (shanna)
she can dress herself, her kids, and you all within minutes...meanwhile, I'm still staring at my closet. down to earth kind of gal with a bubbly spirit.

and for the newest of crushes....
the kinch life (aubrey)
ok, a little new to actually "following" her, why did it take me this long? but I'm onto the coolness radiating from her space. and am still smitten with this homescreen and currently rocking this one.
and
max out (maxine)
she's spunky and determined. proven and kind. I'm a total newbie to her, I may or may not spend half of my Saturday reading her every single post, she's that funny and that good.

trust me, there's many more. but we'll stop here...

So tell me...who are you crushin' on? 
Are you smitten with any of the above?


 

Whats On Your Salad #4

Have you had your salad today?
Salads are cool. Salads are crunchy. Salads are fun.

They're the perfect way to be sure of healthy eating. Salads are an option at practically every restaurant, as cheap as one buck-a-roo at the drive thru, and take less than 5 minutes to throw together in your own kitchen. They offer a bang of fiber and can satisfy one serving of fruits and veggies, add nuts, meats, or seafood for a boost of protein then pick the right dressing to pull it all together.

In last week's salad post I promised to share with you some easy home made dressing recipes.
Here's what you may have missed up to this point...

Thai Peanut Dressing - paired with slaw mix, every veggie in the fridge, and nuts
Sweet Asian Dressing - paired with Napa Cabbage, ramon, and almonds
Citrus Dressing - paired with spring lettuce, asparagus, red onion, and mandarins

Tahini Dressing - paired with spinach and chickpea

1/4 c. lemon juice
2 tbs red vinegar
pinch cayenne & salt
1 clove garlic
let sit 5-10 minutes then whisk in...
1/4 c. tahini
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced

Orange Zest Dressing - paired with scallops and oranges on arugula

3 1/2 tbs sherry vinegar
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
pinch of salt
let sit 5 - 10 minutes then whisk in....
1/2 c. olive oil

I recommend trying any one of these 5 dressings. It's too hard to pick a favorite, they are all seriously that good. Each one is healthy...a little olive oil does the body good. Home made dressings are easy to make and more tasty than store bought, since you can alter the ingredients to your own liking. You could even take the simple route of filling a jar with vinegar and infusing it with your favorite herbs like dill or cilantro or peppers and Italian seasonings. get creative!

Here's my favorite salad of the week....can't wait to see what you've been chomping on!!!

Mix chopped Romaine lettuce with grilled chicken breast slices. Add almond slivers and wonton crumbles. Sprinkle sesame seeds and cilantro on top! Brace yourself for a yum, yum salad, the cilantro adds a punch!

Asian Sesame Dressing - Panera Bread Knock Off

1/4 c. vinegar

1/4 c. toasted sesame oil

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp sesame seed

whisk and let sit then add 3/4 c. canola oil

straight off the Panera site!

Co - Host w/ Fitness Fridays Link Up!

It's been a busy week on this little blog!

From the beginning of my blogging journey I have kept an open eye for fitness focused link ups. Just recently I've found a few and have met so many inspiring, beautiful ladies! One of these women being Desirae at Going with the Flow. She is on a mission to stay fit and be healthy. She's created this link up and host it each week on Fridays. It's a safe spot for us all to share our stories. We each have one. and, sharing is caring people. There's so much inspiration in each of our fitness stories and the motivation we can offer by sharing our experiences with each other is endless. From trials to successes there's much to be learned....not to mention the accountability factor that plays out each time we post our stories and goals for the upcoming week. So join us, won't you? 

<a href="http://goingwiththelastingers.blogspot.com/"> <img src="http://i49.tinypic.com/o5ncw5.jpg" alt="image" /> </a>

Whats On Your Salad #3

Emerald, Tender Shoots, Jade, Sunflower, and Poppy Red too!
Beautiful, fun colors breaking out this year into all realms of fashion and home design. Have you purchased a few pieces of these colors? Seen the latest trends flying off the shelves of Target's home section? I was just there hoping to score a few good finds. Thankfully, the section was sparse, keeping my wallet happy and full.
I walked on, sad face and all. Until I hit the grocery section. There I found the colors I was after.

I know, I know....weird twist but I couldn't resist. Work with me. Think about it. These bright, vibrant hues are found all through nature. And they should be showing up on your plate too.

All of our "stay fit" & "get fit" efforts will be washed away if we're eating wrong. If you're taking the time to eat properly, then in essence, you're rewarding yourself for all the hard work you've put in. Salads are, seriously, an easy choice in making sure to fill up on nutrition and healthy bites! When you take the time to fill your bowl with shades of green from lettuces, bright orange from carrots or tangerines, poppy reds of apples, and yellows of seeds and nuts...you've rewarded your body for all the *hell you put it through during your workouts.

What I learned this week....raisins on salads are like candy. scallops make anything fancy. there is a difference between sherry and red vinegar. tahini is expensive, I must make hummus asap. arugula is super rich in nutrients and a little zesty. #whatsonyoursalad is working, it even inspired the cashier. salads make me smile.

My week of salads.

Seared scallops?! uh, yes please! Hubs said it was like dining out. I highly, highly recommend trying this! You know I'm craving sweets when I toss apples and raisins into my salad, I'm always relieved at how this hits the spot. And, hello, new way to use chickpea's. Yum!

*I know some of you are concerned with the calorie count of store bought dressings. I try to stick with the 2 tbs rule but sometimes you just can't help it! One way to curve this is by creating your own dressing. I'm really impressed with the dressings from this month and look forward to sharing them all with you next week!

In the meanwhile, back to last week's Thai Peanut Slaw Salad...

Grab a bag of slaw and thawed frozen peas, plus handfuls of chopped cilantro, green onion, and peanuts. The original recipe also calls for chopped red peppers and mint. Mix all of these in a large bowl and toss with dressing. This is an excellent side dish or stand alone salad. It is amazing with chicken rolled up as a wrap.

Thai Peanut Dressing 

1 granny smith apple chopped

1 1/2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs seaseme oil

1 tbs white rice vinegar

2 tbs peanut butter (make your own like me!)

1 tbs water

pinches of garlic and paparika

Dump in blender then toss with slaw mix!

I've linked this with Work It Wednesdays and Wonderful Food Wednesday (archive linky below the break)