Things I am Loving

Happy Friday! Will you be doing anything super fun this weekend? Staff training starts up here at camp and I am so excited. This week is one of my favorites and the weather in Michigan is simply beautiful right now... Except for three days ago when it sounded and felt like the world was going to end. That thunder storm was beautiful, but quite a bit intense! 

It seems like it has been f-o-r-e-v-e-r since we did a "things I love" post, and with all the things to love this summer, today seemed like the perfect day to do it. Do you have anything you are currently obsessed with? This will not be on the list, but I think I have worn this pair of jean shorts five out of seven days this week. Surprisingly, they look and feel freshly cleaned! 

My new favorite running app I am soooooo excited to be doing this with all of you and am LOVING logging my runs to see my little avatar move along the route. It is so much fun and has gotten me back running again after a few weeks off. 

Outdoor running One of my favorite parts of being in Michigan is running outside on these country roads. Being up here does not feel official until my first run. Then, jogging in the crisp, clean, refreshing air is a better start to my day than all the guilty pleasures in the world! To log runs, I have been using the Nike+ Running app and loving it! 

Graze We talked about it on the blog yesterday, and I am still loving it. Yay to snacks and yay to yummy snack popcorn that does not leave me feeling like a buttered-up turkey after eating it!

This article My sister-in-law wrote it, so, I may be a bit biased since she is one of the coolest people I know, but it is great! Our whole family has gotten into running this past year and the article is all about it. Yay for having a family of fitness enthusiasts and writers, gotta love it! 

My iPad mini case I love this case. It was bought to second as a clutch when needed and works great as both clutch and case. I have also recently discovered that it is [somewhat] water proof. Since my iPad was in it at the time, I will forever be grateful for this little guy! 

This shirt The hubs found this shirt and showed me it telling me that it is the perfect description of me on a shirt. It is nice to be so known by a person; he was completely right. After seeing it, I did the most mature thing a 27 year-old who sees something they like can do... I jumped up and down and begged him to buy it for me by simply singing "buy it for me, buy it for me, pllleaaaassee" over and over. Yes, I know, my maturity is far beyond my years ;)

Good Snacking

Sometimes I feel like food hoarder. There are those days when I absolutely forget to eat anything until 4 pm or so. Then, the to-go menu is my oyster and there is no amount of fries in the world, nay universe, to satiate my hunger. Those are bad days that are usually followed with the most bloated feeling ever. 

What I have noticed, along with most other dietitians out there, is that my body works waayy better when I eat plenty of small meals throughout the day instead of a couple of big ones. I stay fuller longer, have more energy, and restaurants do not confuse my order for one as an order for four. Really, I think all restaurants should make a rule to only give a max of two plastic forks or sets of chopsticks per order. There is no reason to feel judgment from your cutlery, restaurants. 

Thankfully, there are plenty of easy, healthy ways to snack that do not include food hoarding or way more chopsticks than I could ever use. One of my absolute favorite snack combos is nuts and dried fruit. Nothing is as filling for me and it combines that sweet and salty taste that I cannot get enough of. Having easy to eat, easy to get to snacks around is one of my secret weapons for staying on a healthy track, both physically and mentally. 

It is pretty obvious then, that I was psyched when Graze told me about their yummy, healthy subscription box that sends me snacks whenever I want them. Even better, all health and nutritional information is on the site and we get to choose what comes in the next order. Yea, its kind of the best thing ever. 

Snacks range in health benefits from being low carb to high protein. All snacks are easily categorized into types of food and health benefits so no matter what you want, you can find it and get it quick. And, if you get something that you love or hate, you can add a note to that item. Yep, Graze will learn your preferences and keep them in mind for choosing your future snacks. 

There are two types of boxes you can order from Graze, the nibble box and the calorie counter box. So far, I have tried the nibble boxes and love them. My favorite snacks have been the Banana's Foster and Apple Cosmo. So good! I am also dying to try the Cheese Board and Veggie Sushi Plate from the Savory Selections menu. 

Since Graze hooked me up big time, all links here will take you through my personal site. For every three friends I refer, Graze sends me one free box. The awesome news is that this perk is available for you as well when you start up your Graze account. Be sure to let your friends know and get those noms for free! 

Each box has four snack packs that are one serving each and cost a total of $6. Depending on where you live, you can get snack packs delivered once a week or twice a month. The boxes are quite small, so they will also fit into almost any regular mailbox.