Showing posts with label MIMM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MIMM. Show all posts

January 18, 2016

Things I'm Loving This Month

I'm still really been enjoying my break and either have been spending my days at work or sleeping in and running errands so life hasn't been too exciting, which is fine by me. Here's some of my favorite things from this past month so far. 

1. I still have one week before school starts again. It's been marvelous having so much less stress plus work to do while I've been on break. I'm still working some but am really not on as strict of a schedule as I will be which has been nice. I'll miss it for sure. 

2. I've been going to Corepower Yoga since I've had their two-week free trial and really like it. I can't really afford their month to month rate, especially because I just joined another gym, but I'd love to buy a class pack and do yoga at least once a week. I'm also a Momentum Jewelry ambassador again for 2016 and just got some sweet new goodies from them like this bracelet. 


momentum-jewelry-yoga

3. My boyfriend finally sealed up the windows in your apartment with plastic so that it no longer feels like an icebox. I'm still always in a hoodie and wrapped in blankets, but it helps SO much. 

4. When it's a rainy Friday night and you decide to stay in to watch movies and order pizza (which you have been craving). I re-watched Wild and of course I want to go hiking and exploring the PCT as soon as possible just not by myself (because of snakes, bugs, and creepers). 
pizza-slice1
Fancier pizza with prosciutto,olives, and roasted red peppers on top. Salty goodness. 
5. I have been slowly adding more races to my spring race schedule including the Disney World Star Wars Half Marathon in April. I'm a bit of a Disney race hater because I feel like it so much more expensive than it has to be and part of me feels like the attention is really on the swag and less so the running. However I LOVE Star Wars and am also using it as an excuse to go visit my sister who will be working down there through the spring  I'll definitely be writing more about it afterwards and how I feel about the whole RunDisney experience so stay tuned!
Run-Disney-Darth-Vader

6. I've also been getting ready to coach my first training group with Charm City Run. Last year I volunteered as an assistant coach in the spring for the Baltimore Women's Classic training group, but now I'm going to be head honcho. I'm so nervous and excited!

I'll be training a 5K group that runs from January to March and then the BWC group from May to June. The info session for my training group will be this Saturday, January 23rd at 9:30 AM at Charm City Run-Baltimore. 

If you are in the Baltimore area I'd love to see you or your friends who have a goal of running your first race or just want some support in training for a spring 5K.  Be sure to check out all of the awesome Charm City Run training groups at all of the store locations. 

Charm City Run Winter 5K Training

7. I bought my boyfriend a pasta maker for Christmas, and it's also turned out to be a gift for myself in disguise. While everyone is all Whole30 or New Year's dieting, I''m over here just eating lots of fresh pasta because #carbloadingforlife. The fact that it's homemade makes it better for me than boxed pasta, right? 

Things I'm Loving This Month-homemade pasta

This post was linked up with MIMM ,Weekend Snapshots, and Weekly Wrap #24 with HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin.  
What are some of your favorite things this month? Any favorite workouts, meals, or plans for spring? 

December 28, 2015

Why Being Home for the Holidays is Marvelous

Don't forget there is still a couple days to enter my lindsay.withlove Instagram giveaway

I finished my last final for the semester on last Tuesday and then it seemed I spent every night for the rest of the week going out for drinks or dinner. I'm not complaining-I had a lot of catching up to do from the semester when I had no free time. In a blink of an eye after surviving the semester with good grades (WOOHOO) it seemed I was catching an early morning train to Philadelphia to head home. Being home for the holidays with no work and no schoolwork and no obligations was really weird after being all GoGoGo for 4 months . However doing absolutely nothing and spending lots of time with my family was oh so marvelous

-getting my first present on Christmas Eve which was these amazing fleece Princess Leia onesie pajamas my mom snagged from Target. Once it gets cold, this will be my hanging out the apartment uniform. 


princess-leia-onesie

-It has become a holiday tradition for my sister and I to decorate a gingerbread house every year. It came out pretty great this year!

gingerbread-house-2015

-My family went out of town for a night so I was in charge of Elf on the Shelf for my mom and sister. I had a whole rainy day with nothing to do so I worked hard on these, haha.

First was Hotline Bling Elf  with Noelle 

drake-hotline-bling-elf-on-the-shelf

December 1, 2015

Things I Was Thankful for this Weekend


I can't believe that Thanksgiving came and went and now it's already Christmas. I have finals and then it's a sprint towards the holidays. It was really nice doing not much of anything but eating and lounging around.  I already posted about my Thanksgiving gratitude. but here is more gratitude from me. 

This weekend I was thankful for: 

My health and the fact that I'm injury-free. It's always something to be thankful for!

That there are so many online sales that if you want to buy gifts (or gifts for yourself) I can literally do it in my pajamas whenever I like.  

A holiday that includes many many pies. I literally ate pie 3 days straight. 


Pre-holiday shipments from Nuun. I'm happy to be stocked up with some before the winter! 
(Save 30% + free shipping with code hydrationmonday through 12/2) 


I love getting new teas and snail mail thanks to the #HLBTea swap through the Healthy Living Blogs community. I've finally mostly made it through my large stockpile of tea so I'm glad to have  some new flavors to test out.  

Time spent with family for the holidays. Things were really low-key and fun, which was just what I needed.  

Running in shorts!!!! It was 65 degrees on Friday and Saturday in NJ. This is going to make winter so much harder for me. 

Plans in the work for some fun trips and races in the spring.  

Finally catching up on my laundry! The important things.  

This post was linked up with Weekend Snapshots and MIMM

How was your holiday weekend? What are you grateful for?

August 10, 2015

Weekend Updates featuring City Sports Baltimore, Blogger Brunch, and Minor Training Snags

I had a super busy weekend and am definitely feeling sluggish this dreary Monday morning. More coffee, please?

Friday I got in a quick run followed by ice cream from Harbor Market and then ran some errands.

 I stopped by City Sports in Harbor East to grab a few things from their closing sale. Unfortunately that location is closing up (not relocating!) and everything was 20% off with sale prices marked. I got a Nathan water bottle waist pack that I had my eye on for a while and stocked up on more fuel including Honey Stinger vanilla waffles and energy gels.  Check them out and stock up on sports and running supplies while they are having the sale through the rest of the month! 

city-sports-harbor-east-closing-sale

Saturday I headed down to DC for a fabulous blogger brunch.  I popped into SculptDC for a 45 minute AM cycling class that definitely had me sweating.  It was my first time there and liked it because it was easy to get to from Union Station and had a $15 first-time drop in fee along with showers.  

After getting cleaned up I headed over to Matchbox Chinatown for a nice blogger brunch hosted by the DC Trifecta ladies.  I was a little tired but loved chatting with local fitness bloggers and meeting new people. It was also awesome to finally meet hosts Mar and Courtney in person for the first time as well as see my fellow ZOOMA Annapolis ambassador Cynthia again! 

matchbox-DC-blogger-brunch-group

Follow all these ladies if you aren't already! 
From back left : AnnaColleenKylie,Sharita, Courtney, DiattaCoCoAlexisMarSue, ME!CynthiaChaitali, and Bri

I had a lovely watermelon lemonade cocktail to go with my crabcake eggs benedict. Thanks to Matchbox for taking such good care of us! On my way to meet up with a friend I treated myself to a little red velvet cupcake as well. 

August 3, 2015

MIMM {Food & Family in Hashtags}

This weekend I got to spend at home with my family in New Jersey. It flew by, and I really did not do much besides eat, which is the BEST.  I wanted to blog but ended up just relaxing and unplugging a little bit. Considering it's already AUGUST (WTF!?!?) and school starts for me in a few weeks when I'll have no life, this weekend was marvelous . I decided to do this recap with accompanying hashtags because I love that they are short and sweet. 

The bad 

Being delayed on the train heading to my Philly because the train in front of us broke down. No bueno.  #getmeoffthistrain

Monday mornings on work days. #seriouslywhereisthecoffee

No solid workouts besides my long runs.  #restdayvibes

The good 

Dooby's avocado toast (recipe here) for breakfast with a side of coffee. It is amazing and has tons of avocado on top of soft sourdough bread. 
#gimmeallthefats


doobys-baltimore-avocado-toast

My sister has just returned from 6 months with the Disney College program, and it was fabulous to give her lots of big hugs.  

Being greeted Thursday evening with a Philly cheesesteak from Geno'sI had a provolone, wit (that means I had mine with provolone cheese and onions on it!).  It's been SO long-it was amazing, and I ate every last bite. #onlyinphillyfoods

Receiving my prize from a Fitfluential CALIA by Carrie Underwood giveaway for this beautiful top that is ridiculously soft and feels like pajamas (along with a pretty headband.) I've been dying to try out her line.  #workoutclothesarerealclothes

July 20, 2015

{MIMM} A Humid and Artsy Weekend

This weekend I did so much yet not enough. Seriously weekends fly by. More fun and less chores, which is a good balance for a change.  That means I have another busy week ahead of me though.  I'm glad to report that this mid-summer weekend had many marvelous parts. 

The bad 

Hottest day of the year so far? Check. 

Humidity makes for a really sweaty run and a post-long run smiley face of sweat coincidentally on my "Run Happy" shirt. Ending a run drenched is a bit unpleasant. 

run-happy-sweaty-smiley1

Still having a huge to-do list after the weekend is over. 

The weekend only lasting two days. I need at least three!

Feeling really tired from a busy week led to two rest days this weekend. Good for my body, bad for my training because I wanted at least another easy run in this week. 

The good 


New cell phone FINALLY. Went from the Samsung Galaxy S3 to the S6. Huge difference and my camera looks fabulous! 

Thursday I took an awesome barre class with REV on the Four Seasons pool deck with a post-class cocktail and some pool-side relaxation.  Look at that view!

rev-four-seasons-baltimore-barre-cocktail

June 15, 2015

My Weekend-The Good, The Bad, The Ugly {MIMM}

This weekend was a mixed bag. I was kind of feeling in a funk from being in a weird mood, having a to-do list where 2 things are added every time I cross one thing off, and the weather. Today I'm ready to get things organized and have a fabulous week. 

Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly recap from the weekend.  I'm one of those people who likes to hear the good news last so we'll follow that pattern-luckily there were many marvelous parts!

The ugly: 

My race on Sunday was maybe my worst ever and some of the worst I've ever felt. More on that when my recap goes up. 

The humidity was also really ugly this weekend. 

The bad: 

Working late on a Friday. Seriously should be illegal!
That it's already Monday. 

Signing up to take out more student loans. (::sad trombone sound plays::)

That my stomach has been feeling crappy from all the food I gorged on this weekend. #carbcity

That I didn't get to spend more time with my family this weekend. 

Going to bed super late on Friday after one or four glasses of wine which lead to a lazy, foggy Saturday morning.

That I haven't decided on a marathon training plan yet and my training starts this weekend. Oops. 

The good: 

Wine with neighbors on a Friday night. 

Iced coffee in the summer. 

Philly soft pretzels and a cold beer in the shade after aforementioned crappy race. 

oddyssey-half-marathon-post-race-2015-1

Homemade blueberry waffles and sausage for breakfast on Sunday.

Naps on the weekend. 

Cuddling with my cats at my parents' house. 

Finally getting to use my groupon for a gel manicure that I meant to use right before my birthday. Getting my nails done is so relaxing. My bubblegum pink nails make me really happy. 

bubblegum-pink-gel-manicure

Getting a gelati with my family in New Jersey. It's been forever and this one was amazing. Vanilla soft serve with honeydew water ice (that's what people from the Philly area call italian ice FYI.) The photo doesn't do it any justice. 

water-ice-gelati-1


How was your weekend?  What was your favorite part? 

This post was linked up with Weekend Snapshots

June 16, 2014

Monday Updates and a Face of Fitness

Hello to another marvelous Monday.  I can't believe we are already halfway through June! I'm getting super pumped about Fitbloggin' and even picked up some sweet new Baltimore blue crab business cards via a Klout Perk with Moo using a photo I took with Instagram. I love how they came out and know they'll be a big hit at the conference.



After a fun filled but long afternoon/ evening celebrating Baltimore Pride weekend in my neighborhood on Saturday (along with many adult beverages!), I was happy to spend most of Sunday finishing up Season 2 of Orange is the New Black on Netflix.  It's so good, and now I'm sad that I finished it so soon! I also finished catching up on The Mindy Project's last season, which is such a funny & sweet show. 

Image from here
Now I'm lost since summer TV is pretty sparse. Anything I should check out next on Netflix?

May 12, 2014

Official Crazy Runner Lady and Birthday Recap

I had a marvelous weekend and am happy to say that for my dreaded anatomy & physiology II class I have my final today, and then I'm done! I'll have two nights of my week back and can't wait.  Here's a little birthday week and weekend photo recap! There was lots of food drinks, and smiles! Food and friends is pretty much all I need for a good birthday. 

My watch knows what day it is!

Yay for awesome balloons again

March 31, 2014

MIMM- Electric Rides and Rainy Runs (Love Run Philly Recap)

Ugh. I have so much I've wanted to blog about and so little time. Hopefully this week I can get back on track. I swear I'll update about my races two weeks ago and other random running things! Things have been stressful, packed, and less than marvelous lately, but hopefully that will turn around this week.  
MiMM

Friday I went to Rev Cycle Studio for an Electric Ride spin event with some friends. It was a 60 minute class with a DJ, blacklights, and glowstick gear.  The class was hard, sweaty, but fun. You bet I kept my glowstick tiara on the whole ride! 


RevCycle_ElectricSpin

Saturday morning my boyfriend and I trekked up to Philly in the pouring rain to pickup my race things at the Love Run Philly Half Marathon Expo. It's the inaugural year for the half marathon, also known as the race that loves you back (cute!), but still had around 10,000 runners.  The expo was in the Philadelphia Convention Center and was pretty well-organized.  I picked up my Love Run mug, shirt, and bib and pretty much got out of there. I loved the ideas of getting a mug and having a vanity bib where you got to choose what you wanted your race bib to say!


February 10, 2014

MIMM 2/10/2014: Note to Self

Well I'm pretty much the worst blogger ever. I had a pretty marvelous weekend but totally did not take any photos! So this is a little note to myself about this weekend. I'm going to keep it short and sweet since Mondays are my busiest days of the week from now until May. 


MIMM
Note to Self:

Don't regret lazy Sundays ever, they are the best.
Do not feel guilty for staying in your pajamas half the day, sleeping in,cuddling, and having brunch.  I watched a movie in my pajamas and then later some Walking Dead and Girls, which I love.  A lazy Sunday with nothing to do is becoming more rare-these are the days I love! 

Froyo dates are awesome.
I got some froyo with Sarah on Friday in honor of National Frozen Yogurt day, and it had been way too long since I had gotten frozen yogurt. I still love ice cream and cold treats even in the winter! It was great to catch up with Sarah and inevitably talk about running and our quickly approaching spring races too.

Don't drink two big cups of coffee before heading out for a run. It will feel awful.
I had to go out on a solo long run this weekend to stick to my training plan (which forces me to do something and not hibernate all winter) and had a couple cups of coffee with coconut oil and some food beforehand. Well the temperature wasn't too bad but after about 2.5 miles my stomach was not feeling well. I had to stop a couple of times and even popped into a Starbucks to use the restroom. I made it through 6 miles outside and then finished the run with 2 more on the treadmill. I had tummy troubles all through the afternoon- so yeah, won't be doing that again. 

Meal prep is worth it. 
Spending 3 hours meal prepping and making dinner on Sunday afternoons is worth it. I'll be thanking myself later this week when I have so many grab and go snacks and meals and some for my boyfriend too. I am having Sunshine Burgers (review to follow!) with butternut squash mash and coconut oil roasted green beans for lunches. I also prepped some overnight oats, quinoa breakfast bars, hard boiled eggs, and protein cookies for the week.  This week is looking especially busy so it's one less thing I need to worry about!

Some people actually read this blog you post on the world wide interwebs.
This weekend I had a few people surprise me by saying they read my blog and/or support it.  Most of the time I post all these random things and don't expect many people to read it. It is nice to hear that people peruse it every now and then and sometimes even come here for running advice! 

Catching up with friends is great-do it more often. 
I spent most of Saturday afternoon hanging out with my friend who was selling her geeky themed crafts such as etched mugs and coasters (check out her Etsy store) at a coffeeshop/art space up the street from me. It was nice to catch up and talk not in the midst of an event or with lots of other people around.  Life gets really busy now and sometimes people miss out on just talking and catching up with each other, especially when it's easy to see updates and photos on social media. 

Grocery shopping Sunday afternoons is a bad idea. 
The only negative consequence to my lazy Sunday was being forced to hit the grocery store around 4 PM on a Sunday. I like to take my time grocery shopping, and it stresses me out when the store is crowded.  There were lots of people with carts and lots of things were slim pickings, like the bunches of broccoli on sale. Also the Justin's nut butter shelf was pretty wiped out, sadface.  I either need to go past 10 PM when it's dead, or try to get my butt out the door in the morning so that it's a more enjoyable experience. 

Did you have a great weekend? How do you get yourself ready for the week on Sundays?

January 27, 2014

Uneventful Weekends

Lately I have a lot of great posts swirling around in my head that I need to actually plan out to type up.  It's even been a while since I participated in the Marvelous Mondays linkup, mostly because my weekends have been slightly boring. Guess what, I like it that way. I'm in that lull between the holidays and spring where I'm not too busy yet. My calendar is getting quite full starting in a couple of weeks and starting my last grad school pre-requisite class this week on top of working  full time is going to be hectic. Boo. I probably should have just gone to bed earlier last night instead of watching the Grammys. They were quite underwhelming so I should have just tuned out after Beyonce performed and been more well-rested today. At least there are some great benefits to having an uneventful weekend.

1. Sleep.  I am still awful about getting to bed early so I caught up on some rest and sleep this weekend. It's even better when cuddling is involved. 
Sleep_pooh_gif
Sleeping in is the best. 
2. Cooking. I like having time to leisurely cook a nice big breakfast or fancier dinner.  Yesterday even though I was short on time due to sleeping in late, I prepped my lunches , set up a beef stew in the crockpot for dinner, made those red velvet cookies I talked about for dessert (SO yummy), and got a whole chicken in the crockpot later for dinner tonight. Winning. 

3. Mindless TV watching and Netflix. Saturday after a freezing run I showered, ate, and spent a few hours in the same spot on the couch watching Netflix and some random crap that was on TV. Some may call it wasteful, but sometimes you just need to veg out. 

4. Going out for coffee. Besides the occasional coffee I pick up at work when I'm in need of a little pick me up, I usually brew my own coffee in the mornings or forgo it.  I like the experience of grabbing an americano at one of the local coffee shops leisurely on the weekends. It's the little things, ya know?
latteart_gif
I effin love latte art too. 
5. A nice long run and stretching followed by a big meal and a long nap. Enough said. 

6. Brunch. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day so doing it leisurely on the weekends with others is the best. Even if mimosas aren't involved, but as long as there are pancakes!
Parks and Rec gif
Yes, I've been watching Parks and Rec on Netflix. 

7. Throwing back a few beers. I haven't had too much of a chance to hang out and have a few drinks these past couple of weeks (that's what happens when you're an adult, boo) so it was nice to have a night to try some craft beers and see some friends.

I'll just leave you with dose of truth from me, speaking of good days: 
eecards_nutbutter
#nutbuttersanonymous

Did you have a lazy weekend? What's the last good thing you watched on Netflix or TV?

December 9, 2013

MIMM #18- Elf4 Health Gratitude List

This weekend was pretty great. I had a quiet night in on Friday. Saturday I slept in and then had a killer workout at Crossfit and picked up a little 2 foot Christmas tree from Whole Foods.  Saturday night involved a fun Christmas party and meeting some new people. Sunday was a snow day where I stayed in my pajamas all day, made juice and pumpkin bread, watched football, had the fireplace going, and relaxed.

Sunday's Elf4Health challenge was to make a list of 20 things you are grateful for. I participated in a challenge in November in which I wrote one little thing I was grateful for each day and found it a nice way to reflect before bed. Reflection on what you are grateful for in your life is important, not just at this time of year. I am grateful for so many things in my life, but here's 20 I could come up with off the top of my head, in no particular order. 


I'm grateful for...

1.My parents-They have always been there for me and are so supportive and loving. I know I am always welcomed home with lots of love and food, and they always make the holidays really special.

2.My siblings- they are both so different but so loving and funny. They have grown up so much in the past few years, and it makes me proud.

3.The boyfriend- He drives me insane most of the time, but I'm grateful for having a genuinely caring, friendly, and silly person in my life. Anyone who accepts a hobby where I'm up for races at 5 AM on weekend mornings is amazing in my book.
postBaltimoreMarathon2013sign
post Baltimore Marathon 2013
4. Health-Health is one of those things you aren't really grateful for until it's compromised. Volunteering at a hospital has especially made me feel lucky to have my health which allows me to go about my daily life, run, and do all the things I want to do.

5. Baltimore (aka Smalltimore)- Just last night I was talking with people about how special Baltimore is. I can't imagine living anywhere else right now. It has the perks of a city, but still a small-town feel where I still bump into people I know all the time.
BaltimoreWashingtonMonument1















6. Chocolate - Need I say more?

7. A job- In this economy I'm lucky to have a job at all, let alone one with some good people at it and lots of flexibility.

8.Sunny days-There is nothing that makes me happier than being outside with the sun shining on my face. I especially love those first beautiful days of spring when everyone spends time outside to enjoy the weather.

9. Christmas decorations and trees- Christmas is my favorite holiday probably because of all the decorations and trees that are everywhere. I LOVE Christmas lights on houses and buildings and how magical everything looks . I understand how easy having a fake Christmas tree is, but my heart belongs to real trees.

ChristmasTree1
my little two foot tree this year

























10. Having access by foot or a short drive to a bunch of awesome restaurants, the arts, and places to explore- I love living in a city with so much going on and so many places to eat!

11.Running-It has given me so much these past few years and has shown me I am stronger than I ever knew.

NikeWomenDCHalf1

12.  Music-It can be fun. It can be powerful. It can transport you back to a place or time in your life. It can bring people together, even in the most surprising ways.

13. My ambition- Although I am filled with self-doubt, I am grateful that I take chances and continue to dream big. I think my mentality of refusing to settle and accept things that are making me unhappy is important.

14. Animals- I'm more of a visitor to my family's cats now, but it's true that there is something calming about being with an animal.  Cats and dogs in particular bring me lots of happiness each day because they are so darn cute. Hopefully soon I can get my own little pet!

15. Nut butters- They are delicious and my go-to snack or fuel. I eat it everyday.

Trader-Joes-Almond-Butter











16. Old and new friends-This weekend I spent some time with old and new friends and realized how fabulous it is to have people you can be yourself with and who become part of your network or community.  Connecting with people is the best part of life.

17. The internet- It has lots of pros AND cons, but to focus on the positives, I'm grateful that it makes it so easy to stay in touch with family and friends and allows me to connect with people all over the world via blogging and social media.  It's pretty incredible.

18. Giant Pandas-Pandas are my favorite animal and for the past few months, checking in on the National Zoo panda cam online to see the baby panda and mommy makes me smile.

National-Zoo-Pandas
National Zoo <3 

19. Nature- I was going to say just the beach, but feel like I love being in all beautiful parts of nature where I have those feelings of amazement and instant zen.

20. The future- I'm grateful to know that I have a bright future ahead of me. Even though I hold myself to high standards, I can accomplish so much if I set my mind to it.


How was your weekend? What's something you are grateful for?

November 25, 2013

MIMM #17 and Breathe Deeply and FIND A GIFT!

MIMM

I don't really have much to say about this weekend-which is kind of great. I wasn't as productive as I wanted-I'm going to blame that on the freezing cold weather and my drafty apartment which made it difficult to move from the couch. 

Friday night I celebrated getting my first publication  from a work project (and first author at that!) officially published on the interwebs with drinks and staying up way too late. 

Waking up with a headache and far too little sleep made running in the cold Saturday morning not at the top of my list of things I'd like to be doing, but I couldn't let my peeps down and the run went by quickly! I definitely have my eye on a pair of Under Armour coldgear running tights because I can't survive the winter without some super warm clothes! The rest of the day included lots of coffee, naps,movies and ice cream! 

Sunday was a day of sleeping in and football. I also got a bunch of homework done and even trekked to Whole Foods-it's been a while. 
I managed to escape Whole Foods with a bill of less than $50 which is a miracle


I've got a fun weekly feature I'll be doing from now until Christmas on the blog called Breathe Deeply and Find A Gift! Each week I'll share a unique gift you can give someone (or yourself!) this holiday season.  There will also be giveaways  and coupons for these great gifts mixed in, to get you started on that holiday shopping! Today I have a great gift for co-workers, teachers, or friends. 

breathe-deeply-and-find-a-gift

I'm a big fan of candles, especially around the holidays with all the amazing seasonal scents.  I have most of my big family gifts bought or in the works already (go me!) but am always looking for a versatile gift-one that is great for a friend or to give to the host of a party.  However, I always feel like giving someone a candle from my go-to candle emporiums Yankee Candle or Bath and Body Works is a bit impersonal, especially when I know how many candles I receive and buy around the holidays.  I was excited to discover Prize Candle which makes for a fun gift! Prize Candles are all-natural, scented, soy candles and come with a bonus. Each candle comes with a surprise inside-a ring valued anywhere from $10-$5,000. It's the Cracker Jack of candles-except you are getting a much snazzier ring. I actually don't think Cracker Jack even gives out rings anymore, which is disappointing. 


Prize-Candle1
The candles come in a variety of scents including Pumpkin Spice, Mountain Sage, and Mulled Wine-which I received.  The Mulled Wine scent isn't as strong as I'd like, but the candle is  very long-burning because I haven't even gotten close to my prize yet! Once you can spot a prize in your candle, you let the wax cool and use some tweezers to pull out the prize pouch and unwrap your ring. You can type a code that came with your ring into the appraisal section of the Prize Candle website to find out how much it's worth! 

Prize-Candle2

You can order your Prize Candle here ! I burned the candle for most of the evening last night and still have yet to get my prize out but once I will-I'll be sure to update!

Disclaimer: I was sent a candle from Prize Candles to review in exchange for a review. As always, all opinions are my own!

Also I'm super excited for the Elf 4 Health challenge that started today. Today's challenge is to have a Meatless Monday. For me that means my usual oatmeal for breakfast, a smoothie and protein bar for lunch, and a sushi date night for dinner. Easy peasy. 

elf-4-health-2013

How was your weekend? Have you started your holiday shopping yet?