Wow! It's almost the new year.

I cant believe it, I know I have already said this a million times but I am serious! I am amazed how fast this year has gone by. It has been a super fast one. I would do a post on how to get through the season without inches being added to your waist line but I wont. There are so many blogs out there that are doing this post for me! I am waiting for a few products for me to receive so that I can do a review so no product reviews for you today! Instead lets just relax. I am in NEED of a vacation and looking forward to having a few days without anything on my plate. I have been going non-stop between my mom still not doing well (she has had three more incidents since I updated you last) and trying my best to attend the Christmas gathering that I had planned to. I still have a few gifts that I have got to get and wrapping to be done. What I thought would be a breeze this year has turned out to be quite stressful. I tried my best to get start early this year but with my mom and traveling, it has taken a back seat. This year I have decided...I have done everything that I can and I will just have to make due with what I have. My family this year just wants a awesome dinner together anyway. They decided this year that gifts are not important, because everyone has been to the hospital or at my mothers house I doubt that anyone had any time to do much. My grandmother was so very sweet to call me the other day and ask me "Heather, what can I prepare that would be healthy that you could eat." If there is one thing that my family is...it is Southern. Southern food is grease laden and totally not my idea of a "healthy meal." In fact, I bet you more than anything if I ate the ham, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, rolls, greens (with ham hock of course), sweet potato casserole and pies, I would be sick. I know that type of salty, greasy food would not sit well with me. My Nannie (that is what we call her) said that she would make some fresh green beans with no butter or salt and bake some sweet potatoes with nothing on them as well! Last year I had to bring a few things for myself and snuck around the kitchen so that no one would see and take offense. FINALLY, after three whole years of training the way that I have and eating the way that I have, they understand. Before, when I would wake up and run (I ran and will be running even on Christmas day) I would get comments. "Heather, your so thin why would you exercise?" "Live a little, eat a piece of pie." "I feel so sorry for you because you are missing out." I think my family finally realizes that I am not eating and exercising the way that I do for my looks (even though that is a big bonus) but more so for my health. With my mom only being 50 years old and having heart related problems, the whole family is seeing that making changes in their life style is necessary. This year, will be much easier for me! I plan on having a little pow wow shall I call it with the family. I want to teach them about portion sizes, foods that are clean and simple at home exercises that can make a real difference. I have done this MANY times but this year I feel like they are ready. That is the thing, you have to be ready to change for it to actually happen. If you are a outsider as far as food and exercise goes in your family, how do you deal with it?

I will be doing a wonderful post for the New Year. I plan on doing a year in review! 2009 has been a VERY event full year for me so it should be very interesting to see and read. I may even just do a photo post only and just SHOW you what my year looked like. It should be fun.

Something else that is going on with me is I am moving soon. While this may sound stressful, I am excited. I know that the perfect place will open up for me. I am actually going to look at a couple today. PLEASE keep your fingers crossed for me. I hope to get my own place and finally be in a good home with my own space. I am going to miss the house and my roommates that I live with now but I know that this is for the best. At least you can look forward to me posting about my finds and what I end up with!

Lets get to the eats, shall we!

Times this by 2.

about two hours later I had fat free cottage cheese and blueberries.

This is one of my favorite combo's. Cottage cheese and blueberries.

This held me over until lunch. Today is 45 minutes of lifting and I focused today on Chest and back with some legs in the mix. It was a quick but tough workout. I got back to the office and had some curried chicken, avocado and greens with sliced cucumber and bell pepper. I am a bad blogger...I have no picture. Tonight I have dinner plans with a few lady friends so who knows what I will be eating. I am going to do my best to stay on track. I want to enjoy my Christmas holiday and allow myself some much needed PUMPKIN PIE! You better believe that I will be eating some.

Well, folks I gotta run. I have a ton of things to do. I will see you tomorrow!

Question of the day:

What will you be doing at the stroke of midnight?

Heather ;)

One week left!

It's Friday my friends and boy am I glad! This weekend is going to be packed for me. I have Christmas parties, a party at my place and presents to wrap. I cant believe it but we are a week away! I better get movin! I am so excited for this New Year. I dont have any real plans as of yet to bring in the New Year but I can say that I am ready for some BIG changes. I want 2010 to be the best ever and I am going to do whatever I can to make that come true. Before that, I have to get through Christmas!


Last night before bed I used a new facial product that I got and it was wonderful! What is it? Well, take a look!



Cattier’s alcohol-free Rosée Florale beauty lotion completes cleansing and gently awakens the radiance of the complexion.

Cattier Rosee Florale beauty lotion is enriched with organic rose and camomile waters and organic calendula extract, it soothes, refreshes and softens the epidermis. Moisturising and nourishing wheat proteins tone and firm the skin. Enriched with a subtle combination of essential oils, this beauty lotion releases a delicious fresh and delicate fragrance.

Long a favorite of French “yummy mummies,” Cattier has been a leading organic baby care brand for 40 years. It’s recently branched out into award-winning skincare for women, and is loved by the cognoscenti in Paris, including top models. You can take a trip to Paris to buy it in the hip new Naturalia natural beauty stores, or you can buy it from us!

Cattier's products are certified natural and organic by Eco-cert of France. Cattier also adheres to the Cosmebio charter which ensures that 95% natural ingredients are used, and that 95% of all plant materials are organic. No petrochemicals, parabens, synthetic colors or fragrances.

Beautorium is delighted to be the exclusive retailer of the Cattier brand in North America.

Products selected by Beautorium are not tested on animals.
How to Use:After cleansing, spray the lotion all over the face and throat then delicately wipe with a piece of cotton, smoothing the skin from the center outwards. In the morning, spray to lighten up the complexion. The skin is soothed, radiant and perfectly prepared to receive subsequent care.



I did just as the directions said to do. I washed my face and sprayed the lotion. Then I took a cotton ball and wiped the excess off and let it dry. The first thing that I noticed was the small. It has such a light, fresh, clean smell. After letting it dry my skin became soft and radiant. I then put on my moisturizer and I almost felt as though I got a mini facial! I LOVED this product. Let's take a look at Beautorium as a whole.


Beautorium brands are selected according to 5 demanding criteria:
Natural or organic. Most are certified natural, organic and/or vegetarian by the world’s most reliable independent third party organizations.
-Not tested on animals, cruelty-free
-Effective ingredients with proven benefits
-Professionally and beautifully presented
-Compelling brand and company personality



Trying to avoid a particular substance? We include a full list of ingredients for every product so you can make an informed choice. Want even more info? View certifying organizations and descriptions.
We explain how each of our products meet our criteria using a unique Good to Know system which summarizes the information we know is important to you. Are they certified natural or organic? What are the effective ingredients? How does the company give back to the community or the environment?


Try our products first with Beautorium’s Sample Program. Beautorium knows sometimes it’s hard to choose which product is right for you. That’s why we’re pleased to offer our sample service. Choose any four samples from a collection of our most popular lines for only $10.00 to cover postage and handling. Better still, we’ll give you your $10.00 off on your first order. So you’ve nothing to lose by trying before you buy! To discuss your personal sample recommendation, call us toll-free at : 866- 557- 2243 and ask for Advice.


Shopping Beautorium is pretty, simple and smart. Our home page is easy to use, clean and uncluttered. Our brand pages give you an honest, straightforward overview of the benefit, why you should believe it, and the personality. We want to help you to “get-it-at-a-glance”. No excess packaging!

When you see these symbols, you know you have yourself something good!



You have got to go to their site and see just how many amazing products they really have. I am not kidding. When I first came across this site I took a peak and wanted EVERYTHING! You could pretty much pick anything from them and I bet it would be amazing! How can you go wrong with a company that cares so much! Go to their site!





www.beautorium.com



You wont be sorry you did! If you are looking for a Christmas present and really want to wow them with a great product made with ingredients that you can trust, this is the place to go. I want to try a moisturizer so bad now! I give them two thumbs up! Thanks Gwen for being the best and sending this my way. I think that I am hooked now ;)




Anyone that signs up at www.beautorium.com/offer receives 15% off their first purchase at beautorium. Now that is great!


Let me know what you think!


Moving on to my morning...

After waking with my soft clean face I got ready (it was so cold this morning!) and headed to work....Not without something new to try of course! I was excited to get in doors and warm up with something special.




You may be saying "whipped cream in the morning???" Well peeps, I knew just what to do with my container when I picked it up with my coupon from TRUwhip. Take a good look!


TRUwhip is manufactured by Peak Foods
Peak Foods, LLC was formed in September 1999. Its location was specifically chosen to be close to ingredients, close to packaging, and located in a major transportation hub.
Premium Quality
Our facility uses the latest state-of-the-art processing equipment and has earned an AIB Superior Rating. It is a temperature-controlled plant environment with computerized product tracking. TRUwhip is the only all-natural frozen whipped topping on the market.


Take a closer look....
That's right! I made my normal cup of coffee but made it SUPER special this morning....I added TRUwhip and what is usually a plain ol cup of joe became a fancy delicious sweet treat. I sure needed it this morning. I felt so cozy at my desk drinking this. It was even better than hot coco! With the amount of calories in TRUwhip (30 cals for 2 tablespoons) I loved every single sip! I could eat this stuff buy the spoon full!!! I put mine in the freezer and I kid you not...I have not only the best whipped topping for almost anything I want. I also have ICE CREAM. That's right! Put your TRUwhip in the freezer and you have the most amazing thick whipped ice cream. For only a few calories, you cant beat it.

Go to their site and see what they have to offer. I am telling you right now...Cool whip has got nothing on these folks.


www.truwhip.com





You better believe that I am going to be using TRUwhip on a pie for Christmas...that is if I can keep my spoon out of it ;)

TRUwhip gets a 10 from me! Thank you Allison for making my day and sending me a coupon. I fear for the freezer section mow at Earthfare. I will have a hard time not picking up a container every time I make a trip to the grocery store!


After my cup of amazing coffee breakfast needed to be had! I should have paired my coffee with my breakfast but I just couldn't...I wanted the whipped coffee alone, all to myself!

After though this was what I fixed for my grumbling tummy. I went with a simple but amazing breakie. Rudis Bakery organic english muffin with PB2 and sliced apple. MMMMMM good! I love this duo. Today is a cardio day for me so I needed the carbs and the fruit to get me through my run. I am going to go for a 40 minute run outside today. It is going to be great to get some fresh crisp air into these lungs!

Well folks, that is about it for me. I will be having pretty much the same food as I have had the last couple of days so I wont bore you with the same pictures. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Time is a tickin, you better get on the Christmas wagon....it is taking off!

-Heather

A great night's rest makes all the difference.

Good morning puddings! As one of my favorite blogger's would say.

I went to bed last night and slept the whole night through!!! YAY for me! That is a rarity these days so when it happens it is amazing. I wake up at least twice sometimes more through out the night. I drink a TON of water (my medication makes me have dry mouth and I also try to drink a gallon because of exercising). I drink water through out the night and sometimes that can cause me to make frequent trips. Not last night. I slept like a baby. Speaking of...I want to steal that baby in that picture, I am just sayin.

When you get a great nights sleep does it make you in a great mood? I haven't been able to touch much on food and moods here of late because I am trying to get these reviews in before Christmas so that people will have some great gift ideas.

This morning I started out with a different type of breakfast. I got some great things in the mail yesterday and decided that I would have a great combo. Get ready, this is a double review (only because I had them both at the same time.)

Morning eats!
I had cashews and gogi berries!

Health Tips

1. Cashew nuts, like all nuts, are an excellent source of protein and fiber.

2. They are rich in mono-unsaturated fat which may help protect the heart.

3. Cashew nuts are also a good source of potassium, B vitamins and folate. They contain useful amounts of magnesium, phosphorous, selenium and copper.


Grown in the vast Himalayan Mountain region, these natural dried Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum) - also known as Wolf Berries and Western Snowberries - have long been known for their medicinal purposes in Far East medicine. These 100% natural berries are known among many other things to help enhance the immune system, better your eyesight, and help protect the liver. They are also extremely high in Vitamin A. Delicious added to your cereal or yogurt. Some folks like them reconstituted with hot water first...try it for yourself and let us know! These are a real Himalayan delight!

What I decided to do was do a trail mix so that I could munch on this all day. The finish product!

Raw cashews, gogi berries, sunflower seeds, crystallized ginger and raisins. Oh so good and SUPER filling. I was so glad to get the raw casgews and gogi berries from:

www.onlinenuts.com

Let me tell you about them first and then we will move on to the second part of my breakfast!

In 1929, on the brink of the Depression, our father and grandfather “Poppy” Sol took a bold step. 22 years old, he had already worked full time for 10 years to support his family. Yet he was ambitious, and wanted to live the American Dream and make the lives of everyone around him better. So, donning his best of suits and an assured smile on his face, Sol walked away from the bank with a loan to start his own business, the Newark Nut Company. The rest is history. That is so cool! I love it when I hear about young people having a passion and going for it! So very impressed!

Try all 2010 yummy snacks. They have WAY more than just nuts!

I LOVED the cashews (of course!). One thing that I noticed about this bag was that not one cashew was broken. Every one that I pulled out was perfect! The gogi berries were SUPER fresh and sweet. This combo was amazing and probably my favorite to day. All the flavors mixed so well. I say to to their website and get a variety and make your own mixes! With a few bags of products you could make a huge amount of healthy trail mix. What a great holiday treat. The gogi berries really added some holiday color! online nuts gets a 10 from me! Go see for yourself! You wont be sorry you did! Thank you Melissa for sending me these goodies! They are being enjoyed as I write this. Mmmmmmm.

The second half of my breakfast was this bar! A Element Bar!

All-Natural, The Way You Like It.
At Element Bars, we invite you to pick and choose the elements (or ingredients) that you want (or don't want) in your nutrition bar. We want to make nutrition personal again by letting you customize your bars to your liking. We are also committed to using unprocessed or minimally processed elements for your bars, in order to retain the maximal nutrition for you.
Our promise to you:
Premium Ingredients - The highest quality, all-natural, minimally processed ingredients
Deliciousness - Our Taste Guarantee
Freshness - bars fresh out of the oven to your doorstep
Personal Care - we will make your ElementBars experience perfect.

This company is awesome! They are kinda like my mix granola in the way that you go to their site and they allow you to pick your ingredients that go into the bar. I wasn't able to actually make my own but the one that I got was great! I loved it! Chewy, sweet, and filling.

Go to their site and see how much fun this company really is. I want to make my own so badly! Thanks to Christopher I was able to try one. I give them a 10 as well. It is not everyday that you find a bar that has exactly what you want in it. This company really gives you a ton of options to get the p-e-r-f-e-c-t breakfast or snack.

www.elementbars.com

I was so impressed by all three products and since they were eaten together I thought that I would tell you about both companies. So there you have it folks, my breakfast in a nut shell (no pun intended ;)

Needless to say...my trail mix and bar with a cup of joe was just what I needed. I felt great all morning and this REALLY held me over. Today I am going to lift weights for a hour, focusing on chest and back and will more than likely get in a walk with my girl Karen. Last night because I didn't feel so hot I took it easy. I usually do cardio on Mondays but it just wasn't happening. I listened to my body and decided to take a rest day. I did get in a nice walk though! That is a must as soon as I get off work.

Well beautiful people, I am off to do some work! I will be back tomorrow (FRIDAY, woooooo hooooo!) I am looking forward to some fun this weekend for sure.

See ya!

-Heather

Recharged!

This morning coming back in and getting settled was tough! I swear that yesterdays post was suppose to be up for Monday morning but for some reason it didn't post! I went through all the trouble to get a great post up for you all and it didn't happen. Oh well, it is up now but for Tuesday instead.

Enough about Tuesday! It is Wednesday and I am SO glad. This week is half way through and I am looking forward to a packed weekend. I have Christmas parties to attend, a wedding and craft shows! I am excited. Both of my roommates will be having guests staying with me as well so I should have a full house! I think that we may be having a party as well...who knows! Anything could happen.

I have so many things as I know that you all do too before Christmas is here. The traffic yesterday was hideous and people seem to be in a rush everywhere I go. I had to return a pair of pants at the mall yesterday and I had to stand in a line that wrapped around the whole department. It is times like this that you have to remember to breathe deep and be calm.

Something did happen REALLY great on my day off. I am getting one of these!!! That's right! I am getting a soda streamer...If there is one thing that most of my friends and family knows, it is that I am a fizzy water addict. I probably drink a liter and a half A DAY of the stuff. I contacted this company as soon as I found it and asked if there was anyway that I could try it out. Luckily for me, they agreed. I literally jumped for joy when I got the response. This is the best Christmas gift EVER!!! So I am going to be posting a full review of this item as soon as I get it. Keep your eyes pealed, it will be up before Christmas. It would make a fantastic gift if you need a idea. The possibilities with the soda streamer is endless. I cant wait!

Something else that happened to me on my day off is I lost my phone. If you know me, you would know how unlikely I would loose something. I NEVER forget anything and I NEVER loose anything. It is just not me. I swear I have been so forgetful this past week. I dont know where my head is! Without a phone I have no contact with friends or family and I have no alarm clock. THANKFULLY, I have a wonderful friend that dropped this off for me late last night.

John brought me a alarm clock so that I could be up on time this morning for work. Thanks John, your the best ;)

I got to work and immediately called the phone company to freeze my account and then had this for breakfast.

Rudis bakery (best bread by the way) organic English whole wheat muffin with chopped banana and PB2. I usually have a side of 3 egg whites (for the protein) but I forgot the carton at home...

I am going to have some fat free cottage cheese right before my walk today. Something else that was GREAT about my day off was this. I went swimming! First time this whole winter. I don't know what it is about the cold weather but getting in the pool is not something that appeals to me. I decided to go to the weight room and lift first. I got very warm and then headed over to the pool. What a great idea that was! I am totally getting back into the swing of swimming. It made me feel SO good. My knee wouldn't allow me to do it before but now that I have fully recovered it is a great way to get in some low impact cardio. After lifting heavy the water made my muscles relax. I LOVE swimming because it allows me to think. Does anyone else feel this way? If I need to mull something over....I swim. One thing about swimming though is it wears me out! I wasnt use to the effort so all day yesterday I was tired. It will take a little while for me to get use to it. I plan on adding swimming to may routine at least once or twice a week. More than likely on Saturday or Sunday.

Back to today. I plan on getting in some much needed cardio. I am walking on my lunch break and then will more than likely walking with Karen after work and then maybe go for a small run (30 minutes) at the Y at around 6:30. We will see. For lunch today I am having the same thing as last week (with only four days of work this week I didn't want to be creative). Simple but delicious!

Steamed chicken with tomato, avocado and cucumber. This was eaten after my hour long walk. I also had some raw bell pepper and spicy mustard for a light snack a few hours after.

Dinner this evening will consist of more soup and temphe with mushrooms and onion.

The addition of tempeh is amazing! It is so filling and I loved the rice noodles too. I am sure that this will appear at some point during the day. I still have one more bar of this chocolate. It is sooooo good! I will more than likely eat half of it tonight. I have a really hard time with chocolate...I love it!

Well, that is my day in a nut shell. I will have a fantastic review for you tomorrow....Get ready it is going to be GOOOD!

-Heather

Getting Closer!

Hello all! I am sooooo glad that I had a long weekend! I forgot to tell you that I have today off! I am going to enjoy this day more than ever. With only a couple of weeks left before Christmas, having a Monday off will be perfect to get some last minute shopping done. I have been non-stop this whole month and I know that it is not going to slow down until the end of the year.

This morning I started with a smoothie! I used a product that I LOVE and want to tell you about it.

My smoothie had:

-1/2 cup unsweetend Almond milk

-1/2 of mixed berries

-1 cup of organic, low fat, blueberry KEFIR

and ice.

Simple but great! The best ingredient in the smoothie was the Kefir! What in the world is kefir you may ask? Well, let me tell you!

Lifeway’s Organic Kefir is USDA certified organic with the same high standards and great flavors as Lifeway’s original kefirs. These organic kefirs are made with quality natural ingredients from animals that are not given growth hormones or antibiotics. The milk in our organic kefir comes from small family owned farms committed to a healthy environment and is produced without using pesticides. The cows at these farms are grass fed and allowed several hours to graze the pasture. Something that appeals to every taste and lifestyle!

Here is a little bit about Lifeway:

The Lifeway Foods story begins in 1986 with kefir, a milk-based cultured drink that is popular in Eastern Europe and is said to be more nutritional than yogurt. That year, Russian immigrant Michael Smolyansky began manufacturing kefir in his basement to bring the taste of his native country to the U.S. After Michael Smolyansky passed away in 2002, his daughter Julie Smolyansky assumed the role of President, while his son Edward Smolyansky assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Today, Lifeway is the country’s leading manufacturer of kefir, with multiple flavors and varieties that include low fat, whole milk and organic versions as well as a children’s line, and a provider of other probiotic natural and organic dairy products for health-conscious consumers.

Please go to their site and see all of their amazing products. Probiotics is amazing for your body.

www.lifeway.net

Trace the origins of the word “probiotic,” and you’ll find out that it means “beneficial to life.” Considering that it goes back 2000 years, Kefir is the original probiotic, long before it was ever a buzzword in the health community.Probiotics are not the easiest thing to explain, but here’s the basic lowdown. Probiotics are friendly bacteria that help strengthen your body. Once they are in your system, research shows evidence that they help boost immunity, promote better digestion, lower cholesterol levels and may even help prevent the development of cancer-causing toxins. They also may help aid with weight loss, ADD, lactose-intolerance and regulating the body after you take antibiotics. Quite an impressive list of reasons to consume probiotics on a regular basis, don’t you think?

Some of the potential benefits of Lifeway kefir:Lifeway Kefir is a fermented milk product which contains a unique mixture of ten (10) live microorganisms. It has all nutrients required by the body: proteins, minerals and vitamins.

Benifits of Kefir in your diet:
A.Lifeway Kefir is highly digestible and due to its acidity and enzymes, it stimulates digestion of other foods.
B.Lifeway Kefir contains a huge quantity of lactic bacteria, which inhibit putrefactive and pathogenic microbes.Lifeway kefir is a healthy food:
1.For children, who may benefit from digestible, nutritious, pleasant and healthy food.
2.For expectant mothers who often find it hard to take any other food.
3.For convalescents, aged people or those whose digestion is sluggish.
4.For persons treated with sulfamides or antibiotics, because their protective intestinal flora may be totally destroyed during such treatments.
5.For sedentary persons, who need a balanced and easily digestible source of foods.

Wow! If those reasons alone don't make you want to go out and buy some, I don't know what will. I absolutely love this stuff. It is like a thinner version of yogurt. PERFECT for smoothies! Thanks LIFEWAY for sending me a coupon and allowing me to try and review it. I LOVED it!

Later today I am going to go get a oil change and then shop. I have already gone to the gym so I am done with my workout. I LOVE getting it out of the way early so that I can focus on what I need to do! I am off now! I gotta get out and enjoy the day!

See you tomorrow!

This week I can already tell is going to fly by!

-Heather

Tierra Farm

Good morning readers! I have a fantastic post to leave you with this fine Friday! It is the weekend and I am SOOOOO glad. I got a package in the mail from a awesome company and I had to wait a little while before posting because of the amount of products they sent me! I was flabbergasted to see what was in my box. I literally yelped! The ever so kind folks at Tierra Farm sent me a variety of nuts, dried fruits, chocolate covered goodies and a jar of the MOST amazing cashew butter that I have ever tried in my life. Not kidding there! Because I got so much I am going to just get started. I am going to show you what I got and then review after.
This is a little bit about Tierra Farm first!
Tierra Farm is a small, privately-owned, certified organic producer and roasting company in upstate New York. We maintain a diversified organic vegetable farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, but specialize in nut and seed roasting and dried fruits. At Tierra Farm, we strive for A+ quality in all of our products.
As true believers in organic foods as a way to nurture the land and the body, we only handle and sell certified organic products -- and we make no exceptions! All of our roasting, mixing and flavoring is conducted in-house, at our certified organic, peanut-free roasting and processing facility.
The nut, seed and dried fruit portion of the business was originally an attempt to create a source of income for the winter. That winter job has become a thriving year-around business, thanks to our tasty product selection and a reliable and energetic staff with an eye for quality.
Today, we sell wholesale to natural food co-ops, independent health food stores and direct to consumers over the internet.

Here we go, get ready...

First up, nuts!

Ginger Agave Cashews

Taste of the far east - sweet with a gingery bight! If you know haven't tried the agave ginger cashew then you're missing out on what all the Tierra Farm Fan's are raving about.
Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Whole Cashews, Organic Agave Syrup, Organic Ginger Powder.

I also got Curry Cashews too! They must have known how much I LOVE cashews! Flavored with organic curry powder and sea salt. Medium curry flavor, not spicy. Great for eating and/or cooking. Dry Roasted, Certified Organic.
Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Whole Cashews, Water, Organic Curry Powder, Sea Salt.

Maple Glazed Mixed Nuts:

Our mixed nuts coated with certified organic maple syrup and wheat free tamari soy sauce. More sweet than salty. Unlike anything you've had before. Party and kid pleaser. Dry Roasted, Certified Organic.
Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Cashews,Organic Almonds, Organic Hazelnuts, Organic Pecans, Organic Walnuts, Organic Maple Syrup, Organic Wheat-Free Tamari Soy Sauce (Water, Organic Soybeans, Salt, Alcohol [to preserve freshness]).

Unsalted Almonds:

Lightly roasted and crunchy. Unsalted, Dry Roasted, Certified Organic.
Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Almonds.

Pistachios:

Deluxe shelled pistachios dry roasted and lightly salted with sea salt. No shelling required. Certified Organic.
Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Pistachios, Salt.

and last but not least:

Raw Walnuts:

Delicious halves and pieces, mild flavor. Raw, Certified Organic. Origin: California
Ingredients: Organic Raw Walnuts.

These were the best nuts I have tried to date. I LOVED the ginger agave cashews. The curry cashews were so flavorful! The almonds and walnuts were just perfect and the pisatiochos was a real treat! A 10!!! A+!!! 4 stars!!! You get the idea ;P

Next lets go to the dried goods! The biggest smile came over me when I noticed this container.

Dried Mango:

Large juicy slices. Sweet and fresh mango flavor. Unsulphured, Unsweetened and Certified Organic.
Ingredients: Organic Mango.

Dried Cranberries:

Mildy sweetened with organic apple juice concentrate, great cranberry taste. Unsulphured, unsweetened and Certified Organic.Origin: Canada
Ingredients: Dried Organic Cranberries, Organic Apple Juice Concentrate, Organic Sunflower Oil.

Organic Hunza Raisins are truly golden. Golden in color and golden for your health. Hailing from the Hunza Tibetan Region of the Himalayas these raisins are fortified with antioxidants. Origin: Tibet
Ingredients: Organic Hunza Raisins

These dried gems made my day as well. I LOVED the mango! No sugar added is such a plus for dried fruit. The flavor was amazing. The cranberries and rasins will surely be in my breakfast bread this week and oats! I have to put a spot light on the raisins though. I have never tasted a better raisin. All the way from Tibet??? Absolutely amazing and infact, I have already ordered more! This is a fantastic find!

My sweet treats!
Chocolate covered curry cashews:

A product found no where else, we mix chocolate, coconut flakes, and our curry cashews to give you a flavor that is so distinctly Indian that you'll be dancing bollywood style all the way home.
Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Curry Cashews, Organic Chocolate (Organic Cocoa Liquor, Organic Sugar, Lecithin, Organic Vanilla) Sea Salt, Organic Glucose Solids, Organic Confectioners Glaze, Organic Shredded CoconutContains: Cashews and Soy

AMAZING! I love coconut and this knocked me off my feet!

I also got...
Chocolate Covered Almonds:Our delicious high quality dry roasted almonds dipped in one of the fanciest Italian dark chocolates we could find. We never tire of the question here at Tierra Farm 'why did you have to make them so good?' .
Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Almonds, Organic Chocolate (Organic Cocoa Liquor, Organic Sugar, Lecithin, Organic Vanilla) Sea Salt, Organic Glucose Solids, Organic Confectioners GlazeContains: Tree Nuts and Soy.

Last but NOT least. My favorite thing in the whole wide world!!!!

Cashew Maple Butter:

Sweet and creamy some have described our butter as dreamy. But the combination of cashews with the slight hint of maple syrup is so delicious. A great alternative to Peanut butter!
Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Whole Cashews, Organic Maple Syrup.Contains: Tree Nuts.

GO TO THEIR SITE:

http://www.tierrafarm.com

You wont be sorry you did!

I am serious....IT IS TO DIE FOR!!! I have been telling everyone I know about this company. If you want a Christmas gift for someone that has everything, get. it. now. They have so many items to choose from and they really deliever the BEST OF THE BEST. I am hooked and now a customer of theirs! This is the problem with trying out new products. You fall in love with some of them and then cant live without them. The raisins and cashew butter alone has set standards that I dont think anyone else can touch. I dont think that any other brand will taste the same : (

I am so gratefull for this package and from the bottom of my heart I THANK YOU for sending me these goodies. You rocked my world!

Enjoy!

I hope you all have a wonderful relaxing weekend! I know that I am going to try my best.

Chao!

-Heather

It is almost over. The work week that is! I am feeling worn out I tell you...What do you do when you feel tired you may ask? Well, I MOVE. I know that sounds like the opposite of what you FEEL like doing but I tell you what, moving around can energize you and make you feel 100 times better. Try it next time.

Last night after a VERY tiresome day at work I walked with K for 45 minutes, relaxed a bit ate some dinner and then had a private yoga session. AKA, me teaching myself in my bedroom. Yesterday was GORGEOUS and when we were walking I didn't want to stop. I don't know what I would do without my little (yes, she is shrinking) Karen. Best friends are what makes the world go round. This weekend is going to be pretty low key as the next two weeks will be hella crazy. That is right...I just said hella! Never used that word before.

Let's get to it, shall we? This morning I woke up and jumped out of bed. I have no idea why but lately I have been passing out at 11:00 and waking up on the hour every hour starting at 3:00 a.m. This has happened to me almost every night this week. I blame the munchies. I have to admit...I have been eating right before bed AND I have even found myself snacking when I wake up and cant get to sleep. If there is one thing that makes me not sleep well it is food in my belly. I know that seems weird to some of you but for some reason I cant sleep if I have eaten within 3 hours of my bedtime. I think that my stomach just cant digest food while I am sleep. hmmmm. Something to think about. Last night I said "enough tummy, you are not hungry and I am not feeding you until the morning." It was 10:30 p.m. and it was just that. I wasn't hungry but I think because I had munched this whole week at about that time my stomach said "Give me a snack..." Nope, what I knew I REALLY wanted was SLEEP. So I didn't give in and I went to bed. Something that REALLY helped me was this:

That's right! I purchased a memory foam mattress topper. I was delighted to see it on my door step and couldn't wait to check it out. That with the most cozy comforter and I felt like I was sleeping at the Ritz Carton (best night sleep I ever had). I was expecting it to be much thicker but it really was perfect. My tired body needs something with a lot of cushion. With me sitting all day at work or working out like a mad women, lets just say a comfy, cozy bed is a must. Most guys would say "I like a firm mattress." You know what I say? "Well, I am so glad that you know what you like but I sleep ALONE and I am single so I get what I want." Just so you know....No dude will ever come between me and my bed. Nope. I have slept on some firm mattresses (even ply wood with a futon on top) and I will never do it again. If I ever did get married or had a boyfriend that couldn't deal, I would just get one of those sleep number bed and that way I would be able to have my side as cushy as I wanted.

Sorry for the rant, I'm just sayin...

What is Heather eating these days for breakfast? Well, this morning I had a slice of quinoa bread with banana and pb2. MMMMMM, so darn good. Here she is before getting dressed with the nanner and PB. Ahhhh, I love a warm breakfast bread. I will admit, this is my "real" breakfast but often I am eating a hand full of cashews, almonds or walnuts as I walk out the door in the mornings. Here is a tip:

As soon as you wake, eat something. I mean it. I try to eat a little something (I know that it can be hard to eat right after waking) but really, just have a bite of something. This is a great way to get that metabolism going first thing. Often, I get to work and start doing my tasks and before I know it, it is 10:00 a.m. and I haven't eaten. Well, I am always saved if I stick by my tip because if I eat a hand full of nuts at 8:00 a.m. then by 10:00 it is perfect. I always try to eat every 2 to three hours if at all possible. See, if I waited until 10:00 a.m. I am dont more damage than good. Just by eating a tiny bit I am getting that furnace inside me going. Burn baby burn!

After a few hours I had this as my pre work out snack. I power walked with my fave co worker, Shelly for a hour. This beauty helped me keep up with her....Man, that lady can walk!

That is a terrific combo. The creamy cottage cheese (fat free obvi) and the burst of sweetness from the pom seeds and you have a wonderful snack. In the back ground you can see the cup of joe that I drank in 5 minutes and the sliced banana I had left over from breakfast. Sneaky little guys. They did not get eaten.

Lunch consisted of a simple baked chicken salad. Easy as can be. In the mix: Baked chicken, romain, avocado, onion and chick peas. After getting this in the dish I put a glob of fat free cottage cheese on top. I spared you that picture.

This is what I ate during the work day. I have to say, I have been trying my best to cut down on my food lately to get a few pounds that Thanksgiving has out on me. I knew that I couldn't up my workouts because I am already as active as a person can be plus I don't have the time. I successfully lost the 4 pounds that I gained and I did so in just two weeks! How? I decided that I needed to keep my 6 meals spaced out through out the day and I love the foods that I eat. So, I decided that instead of taking foods out of my diet or cutting one of my "meals" out. I would just cut a few in half. I decided on eating only a half a chicken breast a day instead of a whole one, cut my dinner in half and only added tofu and veggies to my soups and instead of eating at 3:00 and coming right home and eating yet another snack, I am opting to walk as soon as I get home. I find that when I get home from a stressful day at work I head straight to the fridge. In stead, I am walking the stress away and not feeding it. These very small changes worked! If you want to loose a few extra pounds during the holiday season start out small. Sometimes that is all you need. Hey, if you don't have to add another sweaty workout or cut your food, then I say go with what works. Usually it does take a little while for your hard work to show (I got results fast because it really wasn't that much weight and the stricter you are the faster the results.) So be patient and stick with it. It will come.

When I got home I walked (as stated before) and then decided that I would relax. Showered, pj'ed and hungry I knew that dinner was to be had. This is the soup of the day! This soup is SO comforting. I added broccoli soup to kale, onion, celery, tofu and a tiny bit of sweet potato and indian rice. Go ahead...get closer!

This was just what I needed on a cold night. It filled me up and I was satisfied. I think that soup is my new favorite meal now! Salads and fruit to me is a summer thing (even though I still try to get in at least a salad and two servings of fruit a day). When it is cold out I basically just try to make a hot salad!

I got into bed, checked e-mails and decided to watch a National Geographic documentary on Mecca. So very interesting. I love documentaries more than anything. I love learning.

Do you remember about my confession? I am snacking late at night and even find myself eating when I wake and cant get back to sleep. I have been getting some questions as to what I have been eating and as stated above, I didn't last night and don't plan on continuing this bad habit but this is what I would maybe eat during the night. Trail mix is the culprit. Now I dont wanna hear it. "Heather, you are beating yourself up over trail mix??!??" Well, times this by 3 and then you have yourself about 400 extra calories of nuts and dried fruit. Not good, and certainly not going to get me to maintain my weight. I am not going there anymore. I got some absolutely AMAZING products in the mail from a company called Tierra Farms. I told myself that I would open one container and when it was finished I would open the next. Well, that went out the window after only two days. I have dipped into all of them... :/

I am posting the review tomorrow morning on them all so get ready for a LONG post and a lot of info. This is going to be one of the longest and best reviews I have done to date!

My question for you today is:

Do you snack at night? Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night when you cant sleep and go for something? If so what?

I hope that your day goes well. I will see you tomorrow bright and early!!! I am glad that I was able to catch you up on ME and not just a review (even though I LOVE doing them and I know you love reading them;)

-Heather