Hi Friends! What are you up to today? I have been having fun playing around with my new toy: A Garmin! You may remember awhile back I posted about wanting a Heart Rate Monitor and was undecided about getting a Polar vs. a Garmin. Well, the Garmin Forerunner 405CX is what I chose.
Why this one? Well, after doing tons of research and confusing myself, I was talking to Jessica and she mentioned that this particular Garmin model has: GPS that you can shut off if you don’t need it ( a bonus when inside a gym lifting weights), it tracks your heart rate, and it gives total caloric burn based off actual heart rate, not a formula.
This is important to me because as I said in this post, I want to fuel properly for what I am doing and my activity levels. I have no idea what I am burning in the gym, and if I don’t know, I can’t fuel adequately. I have a tendency to push hard, go-go-go, I don’t always feel hungry right after I work out, and so this will be nice to know what I am doing and expending so I can make adjustments to my workout intensity and my replenishing.
It’s just a tool, and I have lived for 3 decades without one, but it’s been fun having it so far! I won’t always use it because it’s nice to just unplug and do things old-school without gadgetry at times. Gabriela has mentioned that she likes to go for some runs with her Garmy, too. It’s finding a balance on any given day what I want: high tech or no tech.
It came with enough pieces and parts to overwhelm anyone!
I did manage to get it going, figure out some of the trillion functions it can do from satellite/GPS stuff to heart rate to virtual “training partner” to syncing trying to sync it with my computer. Wow. Have not been successful at computer syncing with my MAC/Firefox and installed new USB drivers and still not having luck. Not a huge issue and I’m sure I will figure that out. If anyone knows the finer points of Garmins and Macs, let me know.
Onto my other news! As I said yesterday, I was on my way to meet with the Tattoo Artist who previously I was told had a two-year wait for new tattoos.
Well, lucky me, I have an appointment for my almost half sleeve September 17, 2010! Yes, just a little over 2 months away (not two years!) I will be getting inked! I cannot tell you how excited I am!!! I have wanted to do a quarter/half sleeve for 5 years but knew back then that I was going to get pregnant, got pregnant, and nursed Skylar for 3+ years, and since needles don’t mesh well for those things, my tattoo was on hold. But it’s happening now!
The only reason that it’s happening so fast is because I am paying VIP Rates. Twice his normal hourly rate. Trust me, this is possibly going to be the world’s most expensive tattoo but I am going to carry it around with me for another half century or more, I hope, so I want it to be perfect. I am so happy to have found Aaron and love his work that it’s worth it to me. You know you have found the right artist when his coworkers ask him if he needs anything to drink and he replies by asking for a 5 oz shot of wheatgrass from the juice bar nearby. Love.It. It’s going to be a two-sitting tattoo and the second appointment will be about 3 weeks after the first one. Cannot wait!
Bright colored flowers, vines, the image of a beautiful woman embedded within the flowers. Crisp detail, feminine and beautiful, really colorful. This Post had some of my ideas.
And as I was leaving the tattoo shop, I realized it was right next to a sushi bar and a Marijuana Dispensary. San Diego has an abundance of tattoo parlors, sushi bars, and marijuana dispensaries for sure! The girl that was working the front desk at the dispensary had great hair. I walked in to ask her where she gets her hair done. And I think Skylar and I got a contact high from just being in there. I actually like the way it smells. So herby and green. If you missed my post on Medical Marijuana and other thoughts, Click Here.
From Yesterday…
I was pleasantly shocked at how many of you love thrift stores, have heard of Buffalo Exchange, and love to hunt for unique, vintage, or re-cycled finds! I think it’s great that you are into it! I got a ton of comments from a post I was kind of like, well, maybe this is boring but so glad you guys appreciated my thrifting finds and many of you are thrifty shoppers, too!
And as I said yesterday, it’s fun to score deals and buy unique stuff on the el cheapo, but I also love the cleanliness and order and perfect retail zen that is found in retail stores like West Elm for home furnishings with it’s very modern flair. And of course the conveniences that come with shopping for clothes in a retail store where you can swap out sizes and colors instantly. Not possible when thrifting because if it doesn’t fit or you don’t like the color, you’re outta luck.
And then there was hair washing frequency. I think most of you are every-other-day washers, but there were a few who said they push the envelope to 3 Days like I do, and some daily washers.
Working out with music and ipods. Since I was the victim of violent crime, it scares the crap out of me to block out my senses and surroundings and get into “The Zone” that we tend to fall in with music. I know most people love working out with music but I was impressed that many of you can appreciate nature, the birds chirping, the quiet and the peace that comes with an outdoor workout without music. Good to know.
Moving On…
A couple weeks ago I found this Coffee at TJ’s. Normally I buy their cans of coffee and grind it but this was so reasonable, like $2.99 for 12 ounces that I gave it a try. I’m glad I did.
Is it the most amazing coffee ever? No, but it’s bold and strong and honestly I can’t really tell a difference between this French Roast and the one in the can that’s nearly 3 times the price, so this is my new go-to for French Roast.
My latest creation is Chocolate Cheezy Popcorn!
Before I tell you the recipe, if you think that Nooch + Chocolate doesn’t go together, then you need to try These:
This recipe reminds me of my Chocolate Coconut Oil Protein Popcorn with 30 grams of protein per bowl.
Tip of the Day: Did you check and see who the Two Winners were for my 18 Rabbits Give Away?
Questions
1. Do you have a heart rate monitor of any kind like a Garmin, Polar, or gadget that you use for your workouts? What is it and do you like it? If you don’t have one, why not? Cost, just don’t care, something else?
As I mentioned in this post, I am sort of anti-gadget and definitely resist anything that I think could fuel my Type A over-achiever tendencies, but in this case, I think it will help me lots from an exertion/intake level and the fact that I like to run and power walk outdoors only (no indoor gym machines!) and the GPS will be so handy!
2. Heart Rate Monitor Straps. Can anyone tell me how to get an accurate reading with strap placement?
I finally figured out thanks to Jessica‘s and Heather‘s help that it goes under The Girls at brastrap level, not over the top. Sorry, how was I supposed to know that? haha! But I still don’t feel like I am hitting the perfect placement. The strap is sort of “competing” with where the base of my sports bras hits me. If I put my sports bra over the strap it feels kinda funky. Thoughts?
3. Do you have any flavor combinations that you love but were either skeptical to try, or that other people still think is just plain weird? Julie and Sarena both posted about this yesterday and this post was halfway already written so I thought I’d ask you anyway!
The life of a high raw vegan is ripe with comments from others about “weird food” but I don’t really care.
Never thought that zuccini makes great pasta? Think again! Click Here for the Raw Red Sauce & Raw Noodle Recipe. Perfect to make now since tomatoes are so abundant!
I love to pair sweet dressings with my veggies, I enjoy the taste of raw broccoli, I think chocolate + nooch is heavenly together, I use Coconut with Fennel…
These flavor combos may be weird to some but I love them so I will go on eating them. What “weird” combos do you love?
4. Any plans for the weekend yet?
I have a child’s birthday party to go to and some time with Scott will be great once he gets back from his business trip. He was supposed to be home tonight but due to a meeting being moved around, now he needs to stay another 24 hours. Ugh.
5. Splurge Purchase/Wish List. If you could splurge on something right now, what would it be? Or what’s on your Wish List? Have you gotten anything recently you’ve wanted for a long time?
Me = My Tattoo and My Garmin! And I found the Garmin on Amazon after major researching and link clicking for $100 LESS than what it’s going for on Garmin’s site. Search around for deals!
Stay Tuned For A Crunchy Give Away…
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