It's back. The Candy Cane Concrete.

Did I drive from the gym to the custard shop tonight?  Yes.

Do I feel like that was a good decision?  Yes.  

Will it happen again?  Yes. 

What is possibly my favorite part of December?  Andy's Candy Cane Concretes. 

 

November Favorites

Feel like I have some strong November stand outs! 

 

First the beauty items.  I love the Beauty Blender. I didn't think it would be that much better than the Real Techniques sponge which is a lot less expensive...but it is.  Blends much better.  Maybe I am being fooled with the Smashbox Primer water because I wonder if it's really mostly just that, water, but I really like it! It smells really nice and since I started using it I have gotten several compliments from the kid that she likes my make up looks better. She is pretty picky about make up looks so I think that's a win.

One of my current favorite fall blushes is Rapture from Urban Decay. Love this color!

 This is the crushed shadow I mentioned I received and decided not to return. I am glad I didn't because it works just fine and I am obsessed with it. It's Rose Gold from Ardency Inn. Glad I gave it a shot before returning. Just because something is broken doesn't mean it isn't beautiful. (Deep thought stemmed from make up)  I've been pairing it with I Heart This from Color Pop.

This lip crayon also from Ardency Inn in Delancy.  Loving it and putting a dent in it already. 

 A great nude.

Onto food. I discovered Wholly Guacamole products and they are delicious!  This photo is blurry because I wanted to take the photo and get to eating. 

Peppermint Mocha creamer...mixed in with some Tazo Chai and milk over ice and it is almost like I am drinking a Sleigh Ride chiller from Gloria Jeans.

This Olive Garden light dosing is just as good as it is in the restaurant...and a lot less costly in price and calories than a full sit down meal at OG.

For clothing I am obsessed with my new Live Fit hoodie. So amazingly soft and comfy!

Netflix has been Jessica Jones.  I read a review saying it was better than Daredevil.  I disagree with that but it is still a very good show and a strong female lead!  A lot of good finds this month.

Indicators my stress level is code red

I guess I have a few "tells" when I'm really stressed.  So I hear from others telling me so.  I asked the kid to contribute her thoughts on my tells as well.  
1. I say the f word. Multiple times.
2. I bring home alcohol
3. I sit on the floor. For extended periods of time
4. I make a Facebook post. (Lol...had to laugh cause the kid yelled out this one). 
5. I eat a whole box of chocolate covered cherries.

6. I download Adele's new album. (I kinda love it) I just heard from the other room "Are you listening to Adele?"  I said yes....the kid replied "add that to your list."  I had already typed it, haha. 

Could be worse tells I suppose! 

The bright side?

Well in the year and a half I have owned my new car I have chipped my windshield with a rock and now driven over some sort of nail like thing.  Both which I never did in my Pontiac. However, in my Pontiac I had a huge door ding and had been hit head on (luckily at low speed) so I will take the chip and nail. When my system warning came on last night saying my tire pressure was low I assumed it was the change in temps and said to myself they will check it at my oil change which I need. Then I pulled into my garage to hear my tire hissing like a snake. Well that's not good. I figured I was doomed by morning but on the bright side my insurance covers roadside assist and the fee for a tire change. When I woke up to see my tire was indeed flat I thought "bright side is I am in my garage and not by the side of the road." I have been procrastinating on an oil change so another plus was this got me into the shop to get my oil change along with a tire patch today. And you know what the bright side is of all this happening Thanksgiving weekend? Everyone is shopping and I am the only person at Ford where I typically have to wait 2 hours for an oil change. I would say considering a flat tire is a bummer overall, the timing was perfect. If I have to have an annoying flat tire, I can at least find several silver linings in it. Ironic I guess since there is literally a piece of silver metal in it.

Turkey Trax 5k

I love it when a plan comes together...

This morning was the Turkey Trax 5k and it was one of the best races I have done in a long time.  Ideal running weather and I even got too hot in a long sleeve top...in November.  There were 1,200 people running this one.  It is one of the biggest turnouts for a race in town I have seen. The course was hilly but I felt great and could tell I was keeping my pace the entire run. I went without my watch because I tend to stress out more and focus on my time wearing it versus just running based on feel without the watch.  My training runs have been going great lately and I have been running faster during training than ever.  I know I always run faster on race day than I do during training so I was hoping for a new PR.  Today I was 10 seconds away from a PR but am still excited with how I finished.  I felt great the entire race even when sprinting an uphill finish.  When Glenda told me the course was the hardest we have ever done (we do a lot of the same races) I wanted to jump for joy since it felt easy to me.  By easy I mostly mean at no point did I see my life flash before my eyes while thinking I was on the brink of death by hills. 

So after the run I started thinking "what have I been doing differently that would've made such a difference in how this run went, and even how much better training runs are going?"  

1. I have been drinking a LOT more water lately and made a real effort to drink more the day before the run. Hydration for the win. 

2. Ate steel cut oats an hour pre-run versus Cream of Wheat and I think the fuel stayed with me a lot longer.  

3. Telling myself the saying "I don't stop when I am tired, I stop when I am done" during training.

4.  Incline hill walking on the treadmill a few times a week.  

5.  More consistent running in general. 

6.  Picturing a new PR in my head. 

7.  Hard leg days at the gym equals stronger muscles to get uphill without my legs feeling like they are on fire.

Overall I think consistent training and proper fuel and hydration plays a huge part in helping me get better.  My old gym closing made me switch up my routine but it seems like it was overdue.  I needed to switch it up to get better. Tomorrow it is supposed to be much colder than today so I really am thankful for the great temps today.  Tomorrow is also Black Friday and the most exciting thing for me is discounted race entries for next year!  

Today I realized just how much I go into my own world when I run. Glenda and I were talking about the course after the run and I could describe a horrible hill or two but couldn't really say where they were.  I  ran to the finish line and heard some encouraging words but no idea where they were coming from. All I saw was the mat followed by the clock. I go completely into my own head.  Today my breathing, legs, and focus all came together perfectly for one of those runs that remind you why you do it.  All the pain of the tough runs, the hills, the leg presses....it is worth it when it all comes together and you get to discover the runner's high is real.

FitMiss and NLA For Her product reviews

I tried a few of my sample products out today and made note on how they compared to my regulars.

First up...for breakfast I tried the FitMiss Vanilla Chai protein.  I opened it up and if I were judging based on smells I would have thrown it away.  It smelled like tires.  This could be from the small sample packaging and maybe it doesn't smell like this in the tub? I mixed it with some ice and water and hoped it transformed from tires to something tasty.  It did...but it distinctly lacked any chai flavor at all.  Actually, it is straight up vanilla but I will say for vanilla protein mixed with just water it is actually really good! Most vanilla proteins I have tried require some fruit mixed in for me to get it down.  This one is a good, rich and creamy vanilla flavor.  No after taste and no chalky flavor. So overall, despite the lack of chai to the vanilla chai, I liked this and would gladly drink it again.  This is a winner.  16 grams of protein for only 90 calories, 3 carbs, and 1.5 fat.   Pricing online looks pretty reasonable too...in the thirty dollar range for 2 pounds.  A brief glance on Amazon shows a lot of positive reviews and people love the flavor.  A few reviews also mention the lack of the chai flavor as well. They have a banana cream flavor I would be interested in trying. (Btw, I held off on reading reviews until after trying so I didn't form any opinions up front)  I would buy this one in the future and enjoy mixing it with fruit or enjoy on its own.  I did notice the packaging says it is a vegetable based protein blend which appeals to me...but the ingredients say whey....so....I guess they are saying the vegetable based protein is based on the potato protein they list along with the whey isolate, whey protein concentrate, and whey hydrolysate.  To me that screams whey protein...not vegetable.  So not sure I like that part of their selling strategy, seems a bit misleading.  Update: as I finished the entire shake the more I realized it was really tasty and was probably the best vanilla I have had! Once I finish up some of the protein stash I have I will definitely look at buying this one. 

Later in the day I tried the FitMiss Ignite preworkout in strawberry margarita.  First the taste...no.  Dislike.  I can't put my finger on what it tastes like. Maybe a watered down strawberry margarita if you really stretch the imagination.  I don't taste strawberry at all. Old sweet and sour mix...I think that is it.  The flavor is not for me. 

I always use Spark from Advocare and it gives just the right boost with no jitters or tingles that a lot of preworkouts are known for. Some people are fine with those side effects.  I can't stand them.  So I consumed half of the Ignite and changed into my workout clothes.  16 minutes later (I watched the clock anticipating the effects) I start scratching my neck. My neck and feet felt like someone was sticking me with needles.  Yeah no.  Glad I only tried half of this. Can't handle that feeling.  Kinda felt like my neck was burning.  Not enjoyable.  The effect did wear off fairly fast.  I didn't notice any special extra oomph compared to my normal Spark.  I noticed my throat was incredibly dry during my run. That could be due to other things but it was noticeably uncomfortable.  Not something I would try again.  

NLA For Her Aminos in Watermelon- I have been getting pretty bored with my normal BCAA's so this was a nice change. I like actual watermelons but not so much watermelon flavored things. So I could only drink about three quarters of this before the taste was too much.  If you like watermelon flavor though, this was good. 

After some weights I went for the pumpkin pie quest bar.  It was just as tasty as I remember. I have a 5k on Thursday so tomorrow and Thursday I am sticking to my regular products.  My knee was telling me to take a rest after two miles today.  So tomorrow will likely be a rest day which is sounding good right now! 

New subscription box!

I have considered subscription boxes in the past.  Mostly beauty boxes like Boxycharm or Ipsy.  One finally caught my attention that I thought would be fun to check out.  It's called Super Gains Pack.  I always kind of cringe at the "making gains" phrase but the box looked great for the cost so I figured I can get past the name.  There are three levels to choose from ranging from $12 gains pack to the $28 super gains.  I decided to go big....

The box shipped Friday and I had it on my door Monday morning!  I was quite impressed at the shipping.  Shipping is included in the monthly price.  I had a coupon code for half off the first box so this one cost me $14.  I believe the shaker cup comes with your first box.  I am a shaker cup collector so I was excited to see that right off the bat. 

I thought it was a good sign there wasn't enough room in the box for the shaker cup as reviews I had watched all had the cup in the box.  I could tell the box was full by picking it up. 

I opened it to see the stash....

And discovered all these samples and products tucked in the box.  By the way the box is customizable and I had emailed the owner asking him to throw in some NLA for Her products for me to try.  He responded within an hour of my email saying he would make sure to do so and he came through.  So not only impressed at the shipping speed, impressive customer service for sure!  Here is what all is pictured.

- Crazy Richard's PB Burst performance peanut butter.  Serving size one packet. 

-FitMiss Delight Protein shake in Vanilla Chai...another brand I wanted to try and um...I love chai so this makes me happy. Serving size one packet. 

-FitMiss Ignite preworkout in strawberry margarita flavor.  Yay, another exact sample and flavor I wanted! Serving size one packet. 

-High Protein Coffee.  Not a huge coffee fan but I will give it a go. 20 grams of protein in one serving size packet. 

-Quest Pumpkin Pie Protein bar.  #winning I know I like this flavor and the stores have been sold out, at least where I have looked.  

-NLA For Her Aminos watermelon flavor one serving size packet....brand I requested so looking forward to trying this.

-NLA For Her Uplift Preworkout in gauva passion...sounds yum. One serving size packet.

-Satori Bio-Gro Protein Synthesis Amplifier...need to read more on what this does.  10 servings of chocolate ice cream flavor. 

-1Up Her Preworkout in fruit punch...heard of this brand but haven't tried it.  One serving size bottle but I would probably only try half at a time. 

-1Up BCAA's watermelon...one serving size bottle.  

-Nutrabio Super Carb performance and recovery in orange mango.  Looks to be an electrolyte mix. One serving size packet. 

-Prosupps PSWhey in Glazed Doughnut.  Excuse me...glazed donut?  Uh yes I am excited to try this.  One serving size packet with 24 grams of protein. 

-ABC Superior Recovery and Endurance in white pineapple strawberry. This looks to be BCAA's and the flavors sounds awesome. 

These next six items have "manly" packaging and seem geared toward men.  The wording on them are things I usually don't go for.  If I try these at all I will try at max a half of the serving size.  I need to really look at the ingredients.  I don't like preworkouts that make me jittery.  I am judging a book by its cover with these....

-Super Thermogenic Thermobombs...fat burner.  One tablet.  

-Nitrolyze-S caffeine infused preworkout in Mango. 500 mg creatine which I typically don't take. 

-N.O. matrix preworkout in pineapple.  Serving size is a half packet.  Again creatine. 

-Enrage preworkout in gladiator green apple. Not just green apple...gladiator green apple.  Sounds like you better get ready to get mad at those weights.  Creatine included.

-Pump Extrem preworkout in lemon lime...anything that warns about assessing tolerance leaves me leary. 

-Hyper Shock Rage in blue raspberry.  Have a feeling this one would leave me jittery.

-Super Gains pack sticker

Overall I am excited about the box and trying the majority of the samples out!  Aside from the last six I will likely read up on the rest and give them a go.  The protein samples are great since protein is so expensive and you just never know if "glazed donut" will really taste like "paper plate."  19 samples plus a shaker cup...worth the $14 this month.  

Reasons I dislike November and December

I disagree with this being the "most wonderful time of the year."  A few reasons why...

My absolute favorite candy is out.  For $1.47.  So obviously can't pass it up.  And today just became a "refeed" day based on the amount of carbs I have since consumed due to these stupid, delicious cherries. 

-The happiest time of the year equates to the rudest people ever while shopping. 

-I have grown to hate shopping

-Personal property taxes are due by Dec 31st.  And since I purchased a car last year my bill is a tad more than the one hundred bucks I was used to. Not terrible...but more.

-Daylight savings time

-It never fails this time of year someone uses my credit card number and I have to close my account.  Like I did yesterday. Wish I could pull a Lian Neeson on those jerks "I don't know who you are.....I will look for you...I will find you..."  Charges for Eharmony mind you....like really...make sure you put in your profile "too cheap to pay for this CHRISTIAN dating site so stole a credit card.  Good person. Loves animals, occasional liar and fraud." 

-It's always awkward when people ask what we are doing for holidays and I explain my only family member still actively in my life is my mom, (and kid obviously). And too long of a story to explain why.  

-My email is flooded with tempting ads

-Other reasons too but that's a few and the others are ones I don't want to get into

What do I like? 

-hoodies, sweatshirts, leggings

-starting to sign up for 2016 races 

-watching Christmas vacation 

-the hope a new year brings

I am all about everyone else being excited about their holidays...but I could just skip it.  There's a lot more that I dislike about it than I like.  It's all from personal history so it's just my own view obviously.  But I do get some weird looks and reactions when I don't jump for joy over the holidays.  

I will admit one year I legit tried to skip Christmas.  The kid wasn't home and I gave her gifts before she left town.  I had a tree up and ordered myself a new watch and wrapped it when it came in the mail before I could open it and see it in person.  I stuck my one gift for myself under the tree and when I went to check it out I saw all kinds of wrapped gifts.  I was 30 years old and Santa had come.  I was like "what in the actual hell..."  Then it hit me my mom had snuck over at some point and loaded up presents under the tree.  I had presents for her but hadn't even noticed anything else extra until Christmas morning.  That year I give credit to "Santa" because she lifted my spirits. 

I don't think I am a Scrooge as much as I am affected by seasonal depression.  I will still watch Elf and eat good desserts and all that.  I will also be glad when it is over.  That's just me being honest about me. I can't get excited about this time of year like others do.  But I did order a fun new Christmas sweater this year....and I will admit the ugly sweater parties I find a blast!  

Sephora VIB Sale Haul part 2

Mr. Delivery man brought two boxes for me today.  Both from Sephora.  It's always an exciting day when that happens!  

Not pictured are a few Christmas gifts. What I did buy was Bobbie Brown eye cream...I swear I notice a difference in reduced fine lines with this!  A beauty blender and cleanser kit.  I already had a sample of the cleanser and it is incredible so I thought for a few dollars more I would try the beauty blender too.  A Make Up For Ever 15 pan artist shadow pallet.  I have a 12 pan pallet and love it.  The individual shadows are pricey so getting 15 shadows for 48 bucks is a bargain.  Then I bought a duo of Ardency Inn shadows. Typically they run 21 each but two were sold for 29 plus I got 20% off that price. So almost buy one get one free.  

The Make Up For Ever pallet didn't disappoint. The colors are fantastic!  My other one is all neutrals so this will be fun. 

I was bummed though when I opened the Ardency Inn shadows to find one completely busted.  

The swatch on the right is the busted color and I love it actually...so I am considering using it as a pigment.  If I return it then I won't be able to buy the same kit (sold out) so I may try to make it work. As long as I handle with care it will work as a crushed pigment.  Although I seem to get broken shadows a lot recently!  I still have one more item to be delivered tomorrow, a lip crayon.  

On the plus side, I received an email from Ulta saying I needed to spend $140 more this year to keep my platinum status.  My first thought was "Sweet...that means that this year I just spent what I would have normally been spending at Ulta at Sephora instead to be VIB Rouge so that equals less guilt!"  And no Ulta is not getting my money...no platinum status needed.  Sephora won this year.  

Kettleworx

Saturday I tried out a new class called Kettleworx.  I wanted to compare it to Body Pump.  First off there was a lot less equipment required.  My mat and three kettlebells vs. my mat, a bench, a bar and a bunch of weights.  I definitely didn't feel like I got the same impact from this class though.  Body Pump gives you a set for each muscle group done until exhaustion and sometimes way past exhaustion.  Kettleworx had more movements of different kinds but not as much repetition.  Kettleworx also included burpees. Um, no?  Burpees require no use of a kettlebell and therefore should promptly be eliminated from that class thank you.  

There were a lot of deadlifts which I love...and I am sore today.  However, I had a real concern about accidentally letting the kettlebell go during a kettlebell swing and all I kept thinking about were Nintendo Wii controllers before they added wrist straps.  I did enjoy using the kettlebell during some of the moves but overall wouldn't say I liked it as much as Body Pump.  Just a different type of workout.  It'll be good for me to throw in my routine here and there to switch things up and not get bored though.  I probably just have a long ingrained love of Body Pump and need to give this class more time to grow on me.  The studio was very nice...especially compared to the gym I chose against.  It's really nice to have side mirrors to check your form and trying to do Body Pump at the "almost" gym without a side or back mirror was challenging and another thing I didn't like about the "almost" gym.  I won't even get into the process of trying to cancel at the "almost" gym since I had to cancel my membership that had been sold from my gym that closed. Another reason I was glad I chose not to go there.  Plus the idea of being forced to go there because my gym sold my membership irked me...I was lucky enough to not be under contract unlike many other unhappy members.  So I think I will be happy with my choice! Kettlebells and all.

Darn you Target

 Why do I both love and hate Target?  Because I can save a lot of money there with my cartwheel app and red card....and because I find things like this...North Pole Nutty Bars.  The normal Nutty Bars are delicious so I thought I would try these but they can't be that good.  Wrong.  They are.  Darn you Target. 

Do I ever buy Hershey kisses? No.  Do I feel I must buy them when they look like Santa hats?  Obviously.  Darn you Target. 

These gift boxes serve no purpose other than being cute.  I figured I can find a way to put them to good use.  Did I need them?  Rhetorical question.  Darn you Target. 

Oh then comes Sephora with their VIB sale.  Keep in mind prior to walking into the JCPenney Sephora I already placed two online orders.  Did I need to go in the store?  Technically no...but they did have something I wanted that wasn't sold online.  This bag was free though.  Not sure the look they are going for with it.  Looks like someone spilled gold paint on it and said "let's use it anyway."  I really do keep looking at it and don't get it. Maybe it's just me.  

My purchases...Well the in store ones.

This Sephora ombré face palette is straight awesomeness.  

I went in for the Sephora make up must haves kit.  It was about 32 bucks after my discount.  The eyeliner alone is 20 normally and is my favorite one so with everything else included this really was a steal.  The kid will get the red lipstick...that's so not me.  But the glittery Urban Decay eyeshadow...SO me. 

So I am checking out and the woman informs me "Congratulations you are now VIB Rouge!"  I said "Great that means Sephora has gotten way too much money out of me this year."  Who is the real winner here.  

Got this cute little box with a card pointing out "You've unlocked a special level for people with a serious beauty addiction."  Lol...maybe phrase it differently Sephora so I don't feel like I need a twelve step program for shopping in your store.  Something along the lines of "You are one of our most loyal customers."  Or "You spend way too much money here so here is this fancy red card and a red lipstick that won't flatter you." 

While it is a cute little lipstick...the kid gets this one too.  I would prefer one that's not literally rouge in color.  

On another note....the kid agreed to driving lessons and I was able to get a package deal.  That alone is the best holiday gift ever....me not having to try to teach her in my car.  The other night we made it about three minutes before I made her pull over.  Apparently when I instructed her to stay behind the blue car I was not specific enough as to exactly which blue car I meant.  This would be about the time I said "pull over into this gas station, we are done."  Teaching driving is not in me. Paying for someone else to do it is much more my style. No shame. 

I moved to a new gym I think I will be super happy with.  The gym that bought the memberships from my prior gym just didn't feel right.  It was unreal the drama I witnessed there.  Also, how the trainer left the "personal" part out of personal trainer. (Did I mention this already?  Sorry if I am repeating). I went in for a free fitness test and part of it was crunches and push ups, as many as I could do in a minute.  He immediately told me most people don't make it a minute so don't feel bad.  Ok first...don't assume I will not be able to perform and second...challenge accepted.  He stopped me when it was obvious I wasn't stopping anytime soon. I was on the verge of talking smack during crunches but all I went with was "all that this hurts is my neck."  Then he told me he input my age wrong...I said fine if it's lower.  No, he input 45.  45!  More points deducted for you trainer.  He measured my body fat...then informed me where I store it all.  Don't get me wrong, the guy was nice and probably had intentions of trying to sell me his training...but I walked away thinking about my fatty areas vs. how I killed the physical part of that test.  Then I realized as a trainer the things I am taking away from that experience and what it helps me see as possible gaps out there in the industry and how I want to use that to help me help others.  

Speaking of that...I applied for my business license this week.  The ball is rolling in the right direction for doing some fitness training on the side!  

Car ride

So we all know by now that I am very protective of my car.  I am willing to walk a half mile to ensure nobody parks next to me, I have left work early before due to a chance of hail...I want to take care of a car that I enjoy so much.  So the thought of little paws scratching my seats didn't thrill me.  Most of the time I have my vet make house calls since Magnus can't quite climb into the car anymore.  However, this visit was for Jazz and she doesn't really need a house call.  

So, not only was I concerned about scratching up my seats but Jazz is a terrible car rider.  She loves to get right in my lap and all up between me and the wheel.  Not exactly safe.  I found the perfect solution on Amazon.  The pet hammock seat. The thing is brilliant!  I looped two handles around the front headrests, two around the back and not only are my seats protected but now I have a barrier between the front and back seat. Worked like a charm!  She attempted to navigate to the front once or twice but the tone of my voice shut her down.  She was able to look out the back window like any normal dog on a car ride. 

Once we arrived to the vet she was mostly happy. Until I put her on the obviously, very scary scale.  Mood ruined.  She was over it.  Now when the vet makes house calls for Mags all she wants is his attention.  She will screech for it. Not so much when she actually has his full attention in his office.  I got the death grip, paws around the neck "pick me up and get me the hell out of here" response.  She stayed in that position while they gave her shots and took blood. The nice Dr. attempted to give her a treat.  I told him don't bother since she is a treat diva...even if she liked you right now she prefers chewy treats.  I did bring it home for her to bury in a secret hiding spot in case she needs an emergency snack one day.  I wonder if that is the dog equivalent of finding a dollar in your pocket when doing laundry.  "Found a milk bone, day is looking up!"

October Favorites

October brought along some fun favorites.  First off...an amazing photographer, Bri.

Memories by Bri

Bri takes all sorts of photos from family, weddings, seniors, boudoir, and more. She is so talented and so reasonably priced!  By the end of the year I will have had four sessions with her...in only three months.  That speaks a lot about how impressed I was with her!  She is going to help me with creating some wonderful shots for my business that should be up and running by January 1.  More details on that later!  Oh did I mention Bri has a pet pig?  It isn't any wonder I clicked with her so much upon meeting her!  

I didn't buy much in Hawaii but I had to have this fun tumbler from Starbucks!  Loving it. 

This steel cut oatmeal....the best I have found yet.  SO delicious.  I have long forgotten my old Cream of Wheat.  Kind of like a relationship where you thought you just couldn't live without them...then you miss them for a bit when you are without them....then you find something better and realize what you thought was so great really wasn't.  That's what this oatmeal is.  Made me forget my love of the Cream of Wheat.

My new purchase from Hobby Lobby.  I had talked myself out of it a few weeks ago but kept thinking about it...so I went back for it.

And this new lamp as well...I had been searching for the perfect new lamp.  Found it.

I had been hooked on the Dannon Light n Fit Greek yogurt for a bit but found this Yoplait on sale.  It is super yum!

Not so favorite of the month...my gym closing with a week notice.  It's thrown off my whole routine.  Finding a new gym that I feel comfortable in and learning where everything is, not to mention how to use some of their machines, has made me anxious!  I like my routine.  I will get it back but it's taking a bit of time.  Wish I could open my ideal gym which would be one whose mission is to be non-intimidating.  Even though I went to the gym all the time...new gyms with new people and unfamiliar machines are intimidating.  I would love to be able to open something up that combats that as I know a lot of people struggle with feeling intimidated.  I may not be opening a gym but what I hope to have running by the end of the year will have a very similar approach and mission! 

Maui recap

So I left off on the itty bitty plane heading to Maui.  The ride offered incredible views.  One of the locals asked the pilots to swing by the waterfalls.  She said she flies the route all the time.  

She said they were some of the tallest waterfalls in the world.  Breathtaking views. 

Our resort property in Maui was great.  Pool was great and the beach was beautiful.  Our room was another story.  I called the front desk after the first night and said we would need a different room due to the overwhelming mold/urine smell.  She didn't seem surprised.  We moved down the hall a bit.  It was better but still not great. To get "great" would cost me another eighty bucks a night which I was not willing to do.  So we made it work with the so so room and enjoyed the rest of the resort.  For those of you who know about my special shower flip flops...never have I been so glad to have those and I made the kid wear her flip flops in the shower too.  For the price of the hotel I was surprised that even the older rooms were in this state.  

10-number of times we had ice cream in some shape or form.  The shave ice (no d on the end...it's blatantly obvious you are a tourist if you call it shaved ice.  Perhaps also when you say "hola" instead of "aloha.")  The shave ice people suggested we add ice cream to the bottom and man oh man was that a good idea!  We also had cookie dough ice cream from Lappert's and I kid you not the cookie dough pieces were the size of a Lego.  #heaven

The view on our walk from our resort down to Whaler's Village.  An easy walk to shops and food.  The resort also provided a free shuttle to three different areas which was awesome. Old town Lahaina is like Main Street USA except on the beach. Cute, quaint little shopping area and restaurants. Loved it.  Notice the rainbow.  Weather was perfect the whole time.  We were laying by the pool one day and I said "is it raining or is that mist from the pool waterfall?"  It was a light rain.  Pretended like it was waterfall mist and proceeded to enjoy the pool.  Maui was considerably more expensive than Oahu.  I was glad we had packed some snacks and breakfast food.  We were able to greatly save on food this way.

Our first tour in Maui was the Sunrise Crater Tour through Roberts Hawaii.  We woke up at 1:30am to get our shuttle.  Another couple was waiting with us when a shady looking van pulled up and the couple hopped on for their sunrise tour.  Except they were biking down the volcano after.  No thank you.  That sounded like a terrible idea.  We proceeded on our tour with our guide Steve who was impressingly energetic for it being 2am. 

We weren't sure at 2 in the morning what kind of sunrise we would get to see...if it would be clear or cloudy.  We had hot chocolate and delicious pastries while we waited before going out in the freezing cold.  But boy was it worth freezing for.  Stunning.  We were above the clouds and saw the light start to burn through.  Suddenly I heard one of the park rangers say "not everything worth seeing is always in front of you."  I wondered what she meant so I turned around and witnessed the moon set.  The picture below is exactly the colors I saw...shades of white to pink to blue to purple.  I think that part of the sky may have been even more beautiful than the sunrise.  That's something you just don't get to see.  She said that the blue/purple color we saw is actually the shadow of the mountain.  Amazing.  

The sun started to peek above the clouds.  

And it was just stunning.  Hands down my favorite part of the trip.  

The Silversword plant grows only on top of this crater, nowhere else in the world.  

We were up over 10,200 feet at the summit.  After a bit more time we drove back down the mountain, passing the people on the bikes who looked cold and wobbly, and stopped at Kula marketplace.  Here we sampled pineapple snow, which is white chocolate covered macadamia nuts infused with pineapple, macadamia nut peanut butter, and coconut candy.  I left with all but the peanut butter.  (Oh forgot to mention in the Oahu recap the pineapple ice cream we had at the Dole plantation....SO good) As we left the marketplace one of the little older ladies on the tour was digging through her purchases and it appeared she forgot something...we all got a kick out of her calling out "Robert" like she was talking to her son...trying to get the attention of the tour guide.  The tour guide named Steve.  But the van DID say Roberts Hawaii tours so...logic would have it Robert would be driving! 

Speaking of ice cream....Hula Pie.  Filled with mac nut ice cream covered with fudge, whipped cream, and mac nuts.  Worth every dollar of that 10 dollar price tag.  Heavenly. 

I mentioned I would come back to seeing large waves....we saw them right in front of our hotel.  We were amazed and sat and watched the waves for almost an hour.  

That day we saw the sunrise, moon set, and of course the sunset to complete the day.,

Random Hawaii facts...there are no snakes in Hawaii-win, they have a Mongoose problem (brought over to take care of the rats....but rats are nocturnal and mongoose are dayturnal-fail), Honolulu traffic is the third worst in the nation, and housing prices are CRAZY.  Like really crazy.  My current house would probably be pushing a million or more in Hawaii, Public schooling is terrible in Hawaii because they can't keep good teachers but if you have money leftover after that massive mortgage payment you can spend another 25,000 a year for private schools.  

I was amazed at how quickly the water could change.  Nice and calm one minute to strong waves the next.  I was intimidated by it for sure.  But the first day in Maui we waded in the ocean and next thing we know the most ginormous sea turtle is swimming back and forth.  I went on to name him Simon.  Simon the sea turtle.  I have snorkeled with sea turtles before but Simon made those turtles look like babies.  I couldn't believe the size of him.  The rest of the week anytime we were in the water I was on a mission to find Simon again for a photo with the underwater camera. No luck. 

Our next tour took us on the Road to Hana. The tree above is a rainbow Eucalyptus tree.  Looks like someone painted streaks of colors down it.  So cool.

The curvy road I had heard much about.  I didn't think it was all that bad...until we reached the back half of the tour. 

We stopped at some beautiful places.  I don't know that you can travel ten feet in Hawaii and not run into something beautiful.  

Waterfalls everywhere we turned.

The state flower

This is a photo at the Pools of Oheo.  I was terrified to get any closer because they had signs up everywhere warning people how you can get swept out to sea. There were newspaper articles of people who had died and been swept away.  "Hold on let me get my ultra zoom lens out and I can just stay in the van."  Goodness.  

Soon we were on the back half of the road.  Where this totally sturdy looking, obviously trustworthy guardrail gave me peace of mind.  Mmhmm.  

I sat in the very back of the van so I kept turning around to take pictures of the road and turns we just made.  At the same time I prayed my motion sickness pills would do their job.  

After returning from the ten hour tour we decided to walk to the pizza place up the road.  On the way a bug flew in my eye which the kid just found hysterical.  But we also saw our favorite birds!  They may be a bit hard to see but these birds have pretty long legs and just mosey up to you.  The first day we were at the pool I turned the corner and the kid had set up our chairs, was lounging back and started talking to me and mid-sentence I hear "what...no."  Then I look to see one of these birds walking on up to her and she took off. I died.  I decided this bird was named Bert.  Later when I discovered the second one logically he became Ernie. 

Sunrise our last morning

Our final night we ate at Leilani's on the Beach which was where we had gone once and had the original Hula Pie.  This time we tried the seasonal Hula Pie which was strawberry for breast cancer awareness.  Not quite as good but the plate still went back empty. This place had some awesome nachos too.  As we sat here we watched a guy play frisbee with his dog on the beach.  That dog loved his frisbee.  After a bit they came over to the restaurant and must be regulars because the dog's owner walked up to the bar and they handed him a drink right away.  The dog with his frisbee plopped down right next to us at our table.  I heard the owner talking to another guy and I turned and said "oh this dog's name is Jack."  The kid replied "did you really just name someone else's dog.  First the turtle, then the birds...not the dog."  I laughed and informed her that was ACTUALLY the dog's name because I overheard.  

After ten days it was time to make the long journey home.  We hopped on the nine seater plane to head back to Oahu.  I thought it was interesting that there was no security check this time...is that safe?  Also...I hoped when people were asked their weight (because not only do they need your luggage weight they need yours too) that unlike the DMV everyone rounded up and not down. 

Then I had to wonder if one of the pilots could've used a booster seat.  He was propping himself up on his elbow and craning his neck the whole time.  I was glad nobody seemed to have pocketed any lava rock and a safe flight was made. 

10 days, 2.5 bottles of sunscreen, 7 pizzas consumed (we were eating cheap), 3 turtles purchased for the collection, 10 ice cream visits, 2 movies watched, 4 tours taken, 0 alcoholic beverages consumed, 4 swimsuits worn, 49 hours spent traveling, 7 plane rides all added up to countless photos and memories.