Highlights of the Week, San Diego Trip Recap

Hi Friends! How’s Your Weekend Going?  I had a blast in San Diego yesterday.  I flew there for the day and met up with some old friends and bummed around a few of my favorite places.  It was a total whirlwind and it took a lot out of this soccer mom to jet-set for the day…haha!  More on the trip at the bottom of the post.

What’s going on for you this weekend?  I am going to publish this post, hit the gym to lift, and then spend the day with Scott and Skylar.  And maybe get some pool time in!

For Last Week’s Highlights of the week, Click Here

This Week’s Highlights of the Week

I am absolutely loving lifting and what it’s been doing for my body, and it’s really only been a month since I started Training for Fitness Competitions!  I love feeling that rush when I lift (heavy) weights.  But the other side to it is that I am doing something that just a month ago, couldn’t have imagined that I would love so much!   And it’s been great for my confidence because I love the way my new found muscles look and I have a whole different set of muscles that have popped out compared to my decade’s worth of yoga muscles.

Unlike athletes and competitors who have to “cut” or “diet down” or drastically manipulate their diets, I don’t and I won’t.  I also don’t take supplements, am not big on the Protein Powders as Discussed, and so really, other than lifting and training like a maniac, I don’t plan to make any other drastic day-to-day changes.

The Secret as Discussed in my Post

Do You Believe in The Secret?  If you’re not familiar with it, I will paraphrase it by saying that the author suggests that what you put out is what you will attract.  Meaning, if I really want to do well in my fitness show, then I need to put out, I Will Do Well. I Will Succeed.  That type of thing.

And that if we put out negative energy that that’s what we will get back.  i.e. I am ugly and no one will ever want me.  And if that’s the energy you put out, you’re probably right, no one will want you.

I do believe that the power of intentions and energy is huge!  I put out a few things to the Universe the past week, and although they are not “big things” in the scheme of life, I offered them up, with great intentions and positive affirmations and thoughts, and I had some very cool and awesome results.   The mantra, ask and you shall receive?  It happened big time for me which was great!

However, I believe there are limits with everything and sometimes outcomes are just outcomes.   They have nothing to do with anything else and you just can’t read more into it.   I have posted Here on Luck as well as This Post.

I figure that since I am committed to taking care of myself and staying in great shape, so why not try to get paid in the process.  If I get paid work, great.  And if not, I would take care of myself anyway.  So it’s a no-brainer for me to give it a whirl.  Thanks again for the all the encouraging comments you all left me!

Dark Chocolate Coconut Snowballs

Stir with a spoon and no other appliances are needed.  And it’s a one bowl recipe that saves on dishes!

 Scott loves the Dark Chocolate Coconut Snowballs..

 

 

Either way, Snowballs are his favorite dessert and it’s a 5 minute recipe.  Truly.  Plus, the Snowballs taste a lot more “complicated” than they really are.  Maybe Scott’s impressed enough by the desserts I make to buy me a $500 bikini.  I mentioned competition suits are kinda pricey.

Green Food was an Edamame Salad

With Vegan Slaw Dressing using the Reduced Fat Veganaise

Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate

Chocolate For me…
Bars:
Chocomize with Dried Strawberries & Blueberries

And Balls:
No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls with Extra Protein Option

Goals

What are your Goals for the Week?  Do you set goals?  How often do you re-visit them?
I posted here about why I don’t set New Years “Resolutions”.  Rather, I set Intentions.  You can break a resolution easier than you can break an intention.  Subtle shift in thinking, but a nice one I find and it all ties in with that Power of Our Thoughts stuff.

I don’t usually write my goals down but I have a huge laundry list of things I need to do and get done and things I want to do.  I posted here about Always Having Goals.

I desperately need to do my Personal Trainer Studying & Reading and that is my Mission Critical Project this week and going forward.  And of course, now that I have a Show Date, it’s balls out at the Gym!

Leader or Follower

Do You Follow Directions & Rules?  Do you consider yourself a Leader or a Follower?
I can follow directions, and on things like putting together furniture or filing my taxes, I of course follow directions precisely.  Rules of the road?  Sort of follow those.  But in things that are subjective, shades of gray, and opinion-based, like what would taste good in a recipe or how to sculpt the perfect physique or how to be a conscientious parent where everyone has an opinion on the matter, I definitely march to my own tune and don’t “follow the directions”.   As I mentioned in This Post, I am no stranger to making non-mainstream choices and for standing up for what I believe, even if it Isn’t Popular, and that’s fine!

Tuesday: Mango Desserts, Pumpkin, Mailbox Finds, Memory

For Dessert There was Mango x 2:
1. Mango & Pineapple Chocomize

2. And I made a Batch of Mango BananaVanilla Softserve

I always tell people who are struggling with food allergies or trying to get to the bottom of their food intolerances or random symptoms that they should stop trying to “re-invent” the wheel, i.e. buying Gluten-Free Pizza Crust with Dairy-Free Cheese with Soy-Based “Pepperoni”.  No!!!!!   That’s a smorgasbord of allergens.  A food-intolerance nightmare!

Instead, Eat foods that are found in nature, grew on trees or in the ground.  Simple foods.

Pumpkin Butter from TJ’s that I stockpiledpurchased around Thanksgiving.

 The Pumpkin Butter is great for jazzing up Raw Fruit & Veggies.

Or in Banana Pumpkin Pie Oats

I should swap it into my Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn…

Or Into Pumpkin Pie Spice Coconut Oil Popcorn

 

Sprinkled with Chocolate Chips and Pumpkin Pie Spice and more

I think I need to make Pumpkin Butter Pumpkin Spice Popcorn.  Now, that’s an idea!

Dressed with Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing

New Cookbooks

In that post, I reviewed other books from Book Publishing Co
A Few of the books in that post Included…

Memory.  How Good is Yours?

(I talked about Childhood Memories and How Far Back Can You Remember in This Post)

As I mentioned above, my memory is great if I concentrate on the task or item at hand and “commit” it to memory, and sometimes certain things I read just really stick.  But I also am like most people that I can go to the grocery store wanting to buy something very specific and I go, shop, buy tons of things, but leave without purchasing the item I needed the most!  So my memory is not perfect.

Thanks for sharing your Childhood Memories!

I Asked if you prefer blunt even if it’s “tough love” or do you like things sugar coated?
The results were overwhelmingly: be blunt, tell it like it is, and don’t hold back!!!!
And I didn’t in My Abs Post!

Coconut Oil Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Commenting Glitches & the Full Moon, Brutal Honesty

Coconut Oil Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I put them to Great Use:  Coconut Oil Chocolate Sauce Covered Strawberries!

Quick Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate Sauce Recipe

Chocolate Math sent to me by Earth Mother

I’ve posted before about the Full Moon and How it Effects Us

Everything from insomnia, sleep disturbances, heated interpersonal exchanges, to computers and tech-related things going all glitchy and malfunctioning.  Click Here to Read Up On It!

I also posted a Full Moon List of Things to Do or Try, In This Post Here

Green Food: Brussels, Sugar Snap Peas, Tomatoes, Carrots, Mixed Greens

Here are some Aruba Pics I was looking atfrom my Christmas trip

For Newer Readers who Missed My Trip, Enjoy Pictures Here or Here or Here.  And for Older Readers who just want to torture yourself with gorgeous beach scenes, have at it!  haha!  It was an awesome trip and I am sooooo grateful to have spent the holidays with Scott and Skylar there.

Brutal Honesty vs.  Sparing People’s Feelings.  Do you Tell the Whole Truth?:  Thanks to everyone who told me yesterday that you want Brutal Honesty in This Post.

Also from Here:
Is there anything that you’ve been brutally honest with someone about even though you didn’t know if you should be or not? How did it play out?  Was the person resentful, hurt, happy, relieved?  How did you feel afterward?
In general, I try not to give unsolicited advice but there have been times I have been brutally honest, but only after I was asked.

First, Books & TV:
Skylar had to find some things to do.  I don’t put on the TV or videos for her.  Books baby.  Open them.  Read.

Thank you to everyone who wrote in and commented on my Abs Post!  IT WAS THE MOST POPULAR POST IN LOVE VEGGIES AND YOGA HISTORY TO DATE!

The comments are amazing to read, I responded to tons of you in the comment field, and I am so glad that the post that I cringed about publishing actually was such a “winner”!

And thanks for telling me that as bloggers, you’ve had cringe-before-hit-publish posts, too!

I am not a Personal Trainer…yet.  But I’m Studying!  However, I am living and breathing physical fitness with my Bodybuilding and Fitness Show training.

 No, I didn’t always have ripped abs.

I shared my Diet Tips

And my response to The Number One Thing I Hear from Friends and Readers:

“But I feel like I’m doing everything right.  I eat right, I exercise, and I still can’t seem to see my abs.  Why and What Can I Do?”

Exercise Tips
Such as

Pull Ups and bring your legs up and down, and side to side

And What I Do to Get my Abs to Pop.  It’s All in This Post!

Take Home Message:
I hope this was helpful.  It’s what I do, and it’s what works for me.  I don’t expect all of it to work for you or be 100% applicable for you.

Our physical bodies are just one aspect of our total being and self.  For me, I am competing and being judged based entirely on what I can sculpt my body into and for me, at this time, this is important.

Thank you for all your encouraging words, compliments, for telling me I inspire you, for telling me you can see my enthusiasm and zest for life.  Your words and comments were super kind and sweet, and wonderful to read!    It’s posts and comments like the ones I received on my Abs Post, keep me blogging, help keep me keeping on documenting, sharing, giving, and being part of this awesome community called the blogosphere!

We also Talked about Airbrushing, and Your Thoughts
No Tattoo on the Cover

 But on the interior spread and article, she has a Tattoo

And I asked What Body Parts You Love, and are Learning to Love.  And Why!  Thanks for telling me all this great info, gang!

I am so glad The Abs Post was such a hit, was well-received and if you want to read some really friendly, fun, happy comments that will put a smile on your face, check These Out.

In This Post, I told You I was Going to San Diego for the Day on Friday


Since moving to Phoenix 8 months ago, I haven’t been back and I miss San Diego dearly!

I didn’t take tons of pictures because quite honestly, I sometimes need to take a break from whipping out my camera incessantly!  See This Post for What Blogging Really Entails!  And yes, bloggers are slaves to the camera, at all times!  So I kept it tucked in my purse for much of the day.

But I did take a few Pics of my Old Favorite Shopping Plaza complete with Regular Grocery, Trader Joe’s, and a Starbucks and Two Blocks Away is the Whole Foods.  All within walking distance.  Miss that!

 And I went into American Apparel and tried on a few Tshirts but didn’t buy anything

And drove by my old house.  Ahh the memories I have of when Skylar couldn’t even crawl when we first moved into that house.

Then I met up with some friends and had a ball and then it was time to come home.  It was super fun day despite being a whirlwind!   But in a great way!

Yoga Today is Letting Go of Feeling I “Have To” Post a Picture

Gym & Weights Workout Today: A Few New (from a few days ago) Pictures in My Gym Workouts Tab!

And I just came in from a Workout Session and the Pool.  95F outside.  Excuse the heat stroke look.

And I will do a Full Body Workout as soon as I hit Publish!

Tip of the Day:  My NuNaturals Stevia Give Away for 4 Winners!!!!

Questions
1.  What’s the best thing you’ve done or ate so far today?
Me = kissing Skylar and giving her a huge big hug when she woke up today!

2. What’s something new or unique that you’re doing this weekend?  Challenge yourself to do something new, fun, unique, or out of your comfort zone!
I am more than likely attending a Raw Vegan Potuluck and Picnic tomorrow with 100 people I’ve never met!  I have to think of something fast, easy, and delicious to bring to share with some of them!