Updated on 10/3/2019: Tired of stale, tasteless, un-sweet tea? My DIY Citrus Ginger Mint Tea Bags with Honey Crystals are the perfect solution and steeped in “I cared enough to make them with my own hands,” that they make a thoughtful holiday gift. 
Read on to get the recipe and tutorial on how to make your own tea bags: Continue reading
Have you jumped on the bandwagon and purchased a fitness tracker? I resisted for a while, knowing I am more than active enough will all the running, sports and here-and-thereing I do on a daily basis. However these devices are handy little tools for accountability, have neat features like heart rate and sleep tracking, and even have a social aspect that can connect you with other like-minded movers (like Garmin Connect)!
So, I caved and snapped one on my wrist, the vívofit 2 by Garmin. Love it! In addition to tracking steps, two of the features I really appreciate are the sleep tracking and the heart rate monitoring – two important data sets that help me optimize my athletic performance. There are so many other features that you can see on the handy backlit display to see how many steps you’ve taken, distance traveled, calories burned, overall time and more.
Plus, with a 1+ year battery, it’s a no-brainer – you just put it on and go about living your life, no worries about charging up every couple days.
Oh, and vívofit 2 has a 5 ATM (50m) water rating2, which means you can jump in the shower or swim with no stress of ruining – isn’t that awesome?! And with different colored accessory bands, you can be fashionably fit and have a different look for all of your moods!
Here are five ways for you to get the recommended 10,000 steps in per day:
Walk your kids to school. Our elementary school is a little over a mile away. That means two round trip jaunts (morning and afternoon) equals 5 miles or 10,000 steps! Plus, the side benefits of walking children to school are more quality time spent together, a chance to chat with teachers and neighbors, and a reduction in the environmental impact (and just plain traffic jam nightmare) of being stuck in the carpool lane.
Walk your dog. Many of today’s pooches are couch potatoes, which is a shame considering our canine friends are innately designed to be working, moving and exercising. Depending on your pet’s age, breed and fitness level, vets suggest walking your dog for 10 to 30+ minutes while monitoring your pet for signs of overheating or fatigue. A brisk 30 minute walk will get you about 5,000 steps – so, twice a day and you’ve met your step goals for the day!
Schedule power hour breaks. Whether you are working at home or in the office, set a timer (or use the move bar feature on the vívofit 2 activity tracker) and take a 1,000 step “time out” – this approximate ½ mile break takes less than 10 minutes of your time. Do this a couple times in the morning and a couple times in the afternoon, in addition to the remainder of your normal walking and you should read a 10k step goal.
Take the Road Less Traveled. Take the stairs rather than the elevator, park in the back of the parking lot, take the long way to the park or leave your desk early for the morning meeting and wind through all the hallways on your way to the company conference room. There are many ways to sneak in extra steps towards your 10k goal – you’d be surprised at how fast they all add up if you are just a little bit for “inefficient”!
Go big with a workout. Tackle all of your steps and more with a daily workout that includes some running, walking or other aerobic activity. A 5 mile walk or run (broken up or in one chunk) gets you to a 10k goal, although with some variance for stride length. Check out this chart on “step equivalents” that shows you how many steps per hour for different types of activities and sports.
Do you wear an activity or step tracker? What are some of the creative ways you fit more steps into your day? Please share in the comments below, XOXO -Jennifer
This post was sponsored by Garmin through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about vívofit 2, all opinions are my own.
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Okay, and here’s the best part — I’m also giving away a free Spartan Race entry good for any open heat (non-confirmed start time) in any Spartan Race in the continental US. AROO!
GIVEAWAY CLOSED To enter, just follow the Rafflecopter app instructions — while the discount code Expires 12/2/15 11:59 pm ET my giveaway will be open another week! Good luck!
Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to refocus on the remaining festival of eating that spans now through the New Year! There is more noshing and nibbling packed into the next 30 days than perhaps in the whole calendar year! With invited (and quite possible uninvited guests) dropping by with holiday cheer and hungry appetites, I like to have a few simple yet show-stopping appetizer recipes at my fingertips so that no one is disappointed.
My recipe for Blue Cheese, Pomegranate and Quinoa “Caviar” is an easy yet elegant addition to any gathering, whether you need sophisticated snacks to headline a cocktail party or as a prelude to a full-scale dinner party. Or, perhaps as an “I’m not cooking tonight” mini meal to enjoy with a bottle of wine in your fuzzy slippers after everyone heads home!
One of the treasures of this holiday hors d’oeuvres recipe is pomegranates. Pomegranates on their own are a quite festive fruit, the little arils inside resemble ruby-red jewels and taste decidedly more precious. When paired with a pleasingly pungent blue cheese and the almost nutty texture and taste of quinoa, you get a taste experience that I can describe no other way than Manheim steamroller for your Mouth – a modern orchestra of fa-la-la flavor!
While this holiday appetizer looks like it spent all day getting ready for a food glamour shot, it’s actually embarrassingly easy to make. All the ingredients are just tossed together in a bowl and then molded into a standard 6-ounce ramekin dish. If you’d like to do individual servings, mold with a mini melon baller or cookie dough scoop.
I’ve served this Christmas and New Year’s Eve party recipe on one of my favorite cracker; the nearly paper-thin wafers from 34º Crisps. However, you can use the cracker of your choice or even serve a dollop atop an apple or pear slice.
If you have leftovers, a big spoonful or two of Blue Cheese, Pomegranate and Quinoa “Caviar” is fantastic on a steak salad – especially with the Pomegranate Blueberry Vinaigrette. Enjoy!
PS – Need some other easy cracker-topping ideas? I’m your girl, I have a gazillion combinations of goodness. Here is just a sampling of my madness — 10 Easy and Elegant Ways to Top a Cracker.
So, what are your favorite things to put on a cracker? See if you can surprise me! Share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer
I’m just sharing a day from my Thanksgiving – it’s all good and I’m giving thanks and feeling blessed! The morning started with a run – the Thundercloud Turkey Trot (5 miles) in downtown Austin. Well, let’s back that up, it actually started with a worm – The Original Worm. The Original Worm is a massaging body roller that provides trigger point release to combat stiffness, pain and stress in muscles and joints – I’m hosting a giveaway and one of you will win your very own — so keep reading on!
So, why might I need to worm? Ha, have you looked at my Instagram profile! On Tuesday I was at the gym, and after my workout I thought I’d wind down with some yoga – it didn’t go as planned. While up in a forearm stand variation, I was taken down my a writhing, hideous calf cramp – I was trying not to howl and cry in public and after it passed, it felt like I had pulled the muscle. Plus, my hammies and glutes were still super tight from an 8 x 800m marathon workout two days prior.
The early bird gets the worm –and I’m not kidding. I’ve been putting my way-too-early mornings to productive use with this therapeutic tool – it’s like cross between a foam roller and tennis balls wrapped up in neoprene (pink or black). At first I was a little freaked out I wouldn’t be able to run the Turkey Trot on strained calf and tight glute. But, after rolling, whacking and a little wiggling, I was able to get rid of all my kinks before lining up on the start. In the end, the Turkey Trot went pretty well despite some rain and muggy conditions – out of a field of 20,000 participants, I trotted away with 7th overall female and 1st overall Master – and my calf kink is gone.
Of course, The Original Worm is a great recover aid too, and worming after a race or intense workout is a preventative measure for stress out muscles. It comes in a carrying pouch and both sizes are small enough to stick in a gym back, but big enough to get the job done. Just look at all the things The Original Worm can do!
So, if you run, Crossfit, yoga, rock climb, parkour, obstacle course race, play basketball, soccer or football, you definitely need one of these WORMS – it’s like having a massage therapist on hand at all times. Also perfect for travel – I use it for relief on plane flights or when stuck at a standstill in my car during rush hour! Oh, and this company is Austin-based which makes me love it even more!
Enter to win your own Worm via the Rafflecopter app below. Also, check out The Original Worm website to get the specs on the two sizes, colors, care instructions, more uses and such. Enter by Dec. 11, 2015! In the meantime, order a few to give as holiday gifts to your fitness friends!
Also, I have another giveaway going on right now for a $25 Visa Gift Card, check that out too – that one ends December 3, 2015.
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