Friday Fun & A Giveaway!

Hey guys!

Whelp, it’s FINALLY Friday! You guys have any big plans for the weekend? BB is on his way home THIS minute so the only plan I have this weekend is to get my fill of snuggling!

Cheesy, mushy, “gag-me”, I know…but it’s true! 🙂

So I thought I’d have a little fun with this post before I get to the second half of the title…yes, a giveaway…but you can hold on to your britches for just a couple of minutes can’t you?

No scrolling down to the end now! 😉

You see, sometimes it feels like I have TWO blogs…one on here and one on Instagram. Every now and then they merge, but I thought I’d do a post to kinda fill in the gaps as of late and show you a few of my latest uploads!

So here goes!

Remember that spinach pasta I picked up from Whole Foods waaaaaaay back when? Well, I finally ran out of arugula this week and was sadly left with no greens the other day when I was craving a huge salad beast…

So meet my “pasta” salad! 😉

I know a few of you were interested in how the pasta tasted, so I’ll tell you…

It tasted like nothing…Not good. Not bad…just nothing! Lol

But my salad sure was delicious! I threw in some crumbled tempeh, raw okra, carrots, red bell pepper, and some tomatoes and topped it ok with a bit of nooch…

Ok, a LOT of nooch!

I took my first spin class in over a year today…I was totally siked when I realized my favorite trainer, Claudia, was teaching the class and she quickly reminded me why she’s my favorite…

Because she totally kicks my butt!

I’ve recently become obsessed with self manicures…

My first try at a variation of the “gradient manicure”

And my most recent, what I’m calling “summer fun” 

I may or may not have done this one while on the clock…spread out over my shift, I’m pretty sure it was the longest manicure ever! Lol

Speaking of the night shift,

For the first time in over TWO MONTHS, I had my second cup of coffee today.

I have been SUCKING in the sleep department recently…really hoping I can find a good plan soon so that I don’t become super dependent on caffeine to keep me awake or pills to keep me asleep! :-/

On a more positive note, I went shopping with a friend yesterday! She took me to Ft. Campbell where we stopped by the GNC before heading to the brand new Commissary (grocery store).

And I scored some pretty awesome goodies that I can’t wait to try!

I also picked up a new Camelbak bottle…you know, because the four I already have isn’t enough! But check this, it has a built in water filter! I bought one for BB for Christmas and he loves it!

I managed some restraint at the Commissary since I’m mulling over the idea of doing Lindsay’s Survive on 35 Challenge next week…

Seaweed seasoning, mango coconut pepper sauce, chocolate mocha coffee (which is deeeeelicious btw), PB2 (whoop whoop!), and Soy Joy bars for 50 cents each!

Oh and I also snagged a fresh spring roll from the sushi counter!

Which I devoured in the car, but not before proclaiming it’s deliciousness to my friend at least a dozen times!

Then I decided I wanted to make my own so we stopped by one of the Asian markets on the way back home.

Rice paper x TWO, a roasted seaweed snack, and some ginormous puffed wheat cakes!

Once home and settled in for the evening, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to munch on:

Mutant puffed wheat cake, meet my new casein protein, chocolate, cinnamon, bananas, and SPRINNNNNNNNNKLES!

And it was even BETTER than it looks! 😉

I’ve been looking for a good casein protein powder for a few weeks now. After 15 minutes or so of comparing labels, I decided to go with the Re-Feed from GNC’s line of protein powder because it A.) had pretty good stats and B.) had the least amount of ingredients and NOW I can add a C.) tastes AMAZING!!

And lastly…

I’ve been a bit of a tease…

On more than one occasion.

But, you’ll just have to wait until Sunday for the recipe to my latest creation…
Cha Cha Cha Chia Pancakes!

Until then, how about I tide you over with the dream of owning this bad boy:

Stainless steel with a locking lid AND a spoon holder!

The lovely people over at SlimKicker recently contacted me explaining that they are looking for some fresh ideas for health and fitness challenges for their website so much so that they are willing to give one lucky commenter this amazing slow cooker for FREE!

SlimKicker is a calorie counter and game that turns your diet and fitness goals into a level-up game with points, rewards and challenges. You level up by tracking healthy calories and exercises, and completing challenges such as quitting soda for a week. They also have recipe suggestions for many diets such as Medifast and Weight Watchers.”

You guys know that I recently started tracking my calories and I’ve checked out SlimKicker’s site and think it’s a fun way to help motivate and support people through their weight loss journey. And now we can have a bit of fun too!

All you have to do is leave a comment with an fun idea for a fitness and diet challenge. 

Here are a few examples:
The Green Meal Challenge: Eat something green in every meal, no matter how small the portion size is.
Exercise before Facebook: For the next week, you can’t check Facebook or your favorite website unless you did 15 minutes of exercise (a short walk if it’s a rest day)
Stress Relief: Find a way to relieve stress 10 minutes a day.

And the best part is there are examples and ideas inside each challenge to help get people going! Neat, huh?

Whoever comes up with the best, most creative idea will be selected by SlimKicker as the winner!

Only open to US residents. Giveaway will run until next Thursday (11:59pm CST) with the winner announced on Friday’s post!

Good luck!

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49 Responses to Friday Fun & A Giveaway!

  1. Laurel C says:

    A health challenge that would be challenging for me would be to foam roll and/or stretch after you run or exercise for at least 15 minutes every single time! It really helps with muscle soreness and performance, and most of us don’t stretch and foam roll enough!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Ugh, guilty as charged! It’s funny, because whenever I take a class, there is always a cool down and stretch period worked in at the end but if I do a routine on my own, I rarely EVER think to stretch afterward…and then I regret it later!

  2. drink 8 glasses of water a day!

  3. I totally agree with instagram being another blog!
    What a great giveaway!! Hmmm.. This is a hard question, but I love the Facebook one ha ha. How about, find a way to move instead of sitting. If you work in an office, find a space to stand up at. If you’re brushing your teeth, do some calf raises. If you’re on the computer, stand in tree pose with your computer propped up. Basically, just ways to get moving and not sitting on your butt for hours a day!

  4. Lol Brittany, I actually stood in tree pose while flat ironing my hair this morning! 🙂 I propose a challenge where we attempt to eat six natural rainbow colors everyday…like yellow banana, green spinach, purple grapes etc…

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Nice! If my tree was better, I’d attempt that, but lately my balance has been so off…I’d probably end up burning my ear or something! Lol

  5. When you wake up, turn on any favorite song and just move until it stops. Play a song 3x a day and morning, lunch, dinner and do the same thing–but change up the moves!. Who can’t resist moving to their favorite song! Dancing is more fun then exercising anyways 🙂

  6. LOVE your nails with the silver streak!

  7. Angela says:

    Those wheat cakes you bought at the asian market are actually puffed rice cakes! I’m korean btw, and I used to eat them all the time when I lived there (they’re called “ppong tui gui”). Just thought you should know 😉

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Actually, these ARE made from puffed wheat. The only ingredients are wheat, water, and salt. I’ve had puffed rice cakes before, but I don’t know, these taste a bit more “buttery” to me. Love em!

  8. 1 month straight of yoga was probably one of the hardest but also best challenges I’ve ever completed. It challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally. And it’s something I’m thinking about starting again in the next month or so. 🙂

  9. So I’m curious… what exactly do you do with rice paper? And how in the hell did you get your nails painted so perfectly with the glitter stripe?! I can’t even manage a single coat.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      You make spring rolls! I had no idea how easy it was until I stumbled across this video a couple of months ago…step.by.step tutorial!

      And thanks doll! The glitter stripe was a nail art pen. NO WAY I could’ve managed it with a regular bottle of nail polish! 🙂

  10. jodie says:

    Instead of grabbing my book and glass of water to go outside (example), ill get the water and bring it outside and then grab the book and go outside. The extra trips add up!

  11. jodie says:

    Also, work with toddlers. It never fails. I recently saw a diagram comparing “traffic” of age 16months to 4 years and I had to laugh at the 16-22 months. It was a hyperactive scribble. It is true. They don’t stay put which means I don’t either. I lift so many 20lb toddlers each day…I have to wonder how much weight I lift over each shift..

    I supplement my workouts daily with the Preschool Teacher Workout 😉

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh girl, I hear ya on that one! I worked at a school-aged daycare when I was in high school and it’s amazing how much running around I did with those kids! And I learned QUICK that you don’t just pick up one child and swing them around unless you want to commit to picking up EVERY child (even the hefty ones) and spinning them around too! Lol

  12. this may sound simple, but eat a rainbow. so many times i find myself going to the same veggies. the same fruits. try something new and different. have an apple one day, banana, the next, then maybe an orange, or a pear. switch it up with your veggies too. eat broccoli, then eggplant, then red bell pepper, pumpkin. add some variety. it is amazing the food ruts we get into and it’s amazing the wonderful types of foods you never knew you enjoyed you actually do enjoy you were just too scared to try!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Such a great idea! I too am guilty of “living off” one fruit of vegetable for weeks at a time. It’s so good to remind ourselves to switch things up…not just to keep us from getting bored, but to make sure we’re getting all the nutrients we need too! Love it!

  13. i’m sure i could look online, but maybe you could give me a quick answer, whats the difference between casein powder and say whey protein powder? is it just the ingredients? i’ve always used a 100% whey protein powder, because I heard it’s one of the “best” sources of true protein. but i’ve been real curious to try other kinds. i’ve seen people use casein and recently the 100% egg white protein powders. just curious if you knew the different other than ingredients.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Casein is a whey protein, but it’s just absorbed differently in our bodies. It stays in the stomach longer and breaks down slower, allow us to absorb/utilize more of the protein than from a regular whey source. I’m not sure about egg white powders since I haven’t done any research, but like you said, I’ve always heard whey is the best source for human absorption. Hope that helps doll! 🙂

  14. Carly says:

    What flavor is that casein protein? I’ve been looking for a good one too because I heard you were supposed to eat it before bed (it’s slow digesting I think?). Your manicure looks amazing! You have skills(: haha I can’t believe you did that during your shift. Okay so my tip is= every time you look at your phone you should take a sip of water (especially with camelbaks, I feel like I drink so much more through a straw) because I know that I am constantly checking my phone. On the that note, can you taste the difference between the “filtered” water in your camelbak and normal water that you get out of your fridge? (just wondering if I should try one out)

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I picked the “vanilla ice cream” flavor…it’s a bit sweeter tasting than a normal vanilla protein…a bit of an aftertaste, but I’m used to protein powders, so I don’t really mind it. I’m thinking about trying it with some unsweetened cocoa added to it next time. Bet that would be good! That’s a pretty good tip for Instagram junkies like us, huh? And I’m so with you on the Camelbak straw! I seriously drink more water out of my bottles than I ever would a glass! And yes, there’s a HUGE difference in the taste of the water with my new filter bottle! So good!

  15. I do a circuit workout before I shower! 10 squats, 10 jumping jacks, 10 push ups, and a 1 minute plank! Haha it’s short and simple but it’s a little extra movement in the day!

  16. I have a few! 1 – drink a tall glass of water *first thing* when you wake up in the morning. 2 – everytime you walk through a doorway, tuck your tummy and fix your posture <–love this one.
    Also, I *adore* spring rolls! Must make more…

  17. I LOVE your nails!! So cute! I’m so glad to see okra in your salad. I love okra but no one up here eats it. Must be a Tennessee thing. 😉

  18. For every one hour of sitting do one minute of an exercise (squats, push up, etc)!

  19. amy marantino says:

    i always take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator

  20. Molly says:

    the health challenge that i do already is the commercial calorie crunch! 🙂 During commercials when I watch tv I get up and do jumping jacks, crunches, or another fitness move so my rear isn’t planted on the couch the entire time I’m watching my “show.”

  21. Geneva says:

    I have a stressful job that requires me at my desk all day long. Not too healthy, so my mom and I came up with a way to deal with stress and get in a quick bit of exercise. Anytime work gets to be a little too much, I make myself get up, out of the office, and start walking. I walk the first block and think about all the stress, but at the end of that block, I have to let it go and relax. The next few blocks I think about positive things and change my outlook. It actually works!

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  23. I love, love, love your nails!:) I think a healthy idea, especially if you are very busy, would be to take a half hour every week or two to prepare about three of your healthiest and beloved go-to meals, and then freeze! That way, you wont get stuck having to eat fast food or make unhealthy choices just because you are short on time. Some ideas are cooking quinoa or lentils to have on hand, grilling some organic chicken strips, or even making burritos! Then just freeze and wait until you need a healthy meal asap! Great giveaway!:)

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Thank you Sunnie! That would definitely be a good challenge for me! I rarely ever use my freezer to it’s full potential…heck, I joke that that is where my food goes to die…and I’m only half joking! I actually found some fro-yo in the back the other day and was surprised to find that it wasn’t freezer burnt. I of course polished off the rest of the container to celebrate! 😉

  24. Love the manicure! As for my healthy idea… Pick a distance, 1 mile or 5, and try to do an activity every day for that mileage. Walk the dog one day, swim another, bike the neighborhood (or on a spin bike!). Challenge yourself with new activities and get that mileage done!

  25. katie says:

    Such an awesome giveaway! I think a good challenge would be for fitting in exercise whenever you can! A lunch break, commercial break, etc.. have a challenege for who fit in exercise during the most random break!

  26. Sarah says:

    I’m so glad I found your site!

    My fitness idea is this:
    Long distance buddy plan: Make a biweekly commitment with an out of town friend to do a certain amount of exercise. Twice a week after doing your exercise (ex. running 2 miles), you’ll check in with each other on the phone. Not only will you hold one another accountable, but you’ll also get to catch up with a friend you don’t get to see or talk to very often.

  27. Instagram IS like another blog. Sometimes I forget that I haven’t blogged because I feel like I’ve been updating everyone on Instagram. 🙂

    LOVE crumbled tempeh. It makes everything better.

    I want that crazy puffed wheat thing. I miss the giant Asian market in Austin…there were always such fun things to discover.

    This is such a spastic comment. I should probably enter the contest. Let’s think…challenge…

    Awake + Break: We all know you should stop using social media and gadgets before you wind down for the evening, but what about when you are winding UP for the day? Challenge yourself not to check your phone immediately upon waking up, and instead take a 10 or 15-minute ‘wake up’ moment to stretch, breathe… (or run to the bathroom…whatever).

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  29. L says:

    Love your nails! And those pancakes look to die for, your blog is the best pancake resource around 🙂 I think it would be cool to do a fitness challenge that involve your friends too, that way there would be built in support as well as making everyone healthier. Each day of the week a different person in the group of friends could make up that days “workout move of the day” that everyone would do, like one day would be “Polly’s Plank for an entire song”or “Cathy’s commercial break crunches”. The leader could send text on their day with the “workout command” and everyone could check in with one another, it could really make exercise more creative and incorporate friends or family too.

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  31. Lena H. says:

    One of the best self-challenges I ever did was centered around eating as many different colors of produce a day. The goal was 5 different colors a day — not shades, but actual different colors. For every color I missed, I had to do 10 pushups, 10 crunches, and 10 jumping jacks before bed. And then do them again, first thing in the morning. I pushed myself to do this for one full month. By the end of the month, I was hitting all 5 colors AND still doing 10 of each every morning and evening.

    Another fun challenge was my farmers’ market challenge. In order to expand my eating/cooking horizons, I challenged myself to find one new-to-me ingredient each week at the market. I’d buy it, research it a bit, and try it out in at least 2 different recipes over the course of the week. I managed to keep this going for over 4 months, getting over my aversion to almost all squashes, sweet potatoes, and peppers — as well as trying things I would normally pass up because it just looked too weird. Gee — if only I had been blogging back then… I may have to start that challenge over again 😉

    That challenge also helped me add to my fitness routine, since my market of choice was about 1 mile from my office each way and I’d only get to go on my lunch breaks.

  32. anth says:

    Challenge: get off one stop early from hour bus/train and walk a little more. You might discover some cool stuff too off your beaten path.

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