I'll take you in my backpack

2/7/18 I've been meaning to write this post for a really long time. I've had it drafted in various forms, notes on post-its, memos in my phone, reminders set. I'll be honest, things just got away from me and I slacked! I always have people asking me for recommendations or seeing things on my Instagram story and asking me about them, so I decided to compile a list of my FAVORITES, my must haves! I try to travel carry on only, so these are all items that I have found either essential, or helpful in one way or another! I'll list them in no particular order! **Ebates. First and foremost whenever you're shopping online you'd be foolish not to use this! It's free money for some shopping you're going to do anyways! Sites offer various percentages back on your shopping trip. The sites change their percentages and sometimes offer bonuses so check back often! Just to give you a little idea, I've gotten $656 (don't judge I like to shop!) back from ...

6/2/13 Wow, so it's been a little while since the last post. Whoops! Didn't mean to let that happen! Since my last post: I've had a birthday...I'm dangerously close to mid-thirties, I've had a great week in the gym (PR's in back squat, front squat, snatch, and clean & jerk!), I've made some pretty delicious recipes...in my hotel room (that has no kitchen!), and I've spent time with some amazing people in my life (including supporting a friend who was doing a surprise (not so surprise) flashmob! I guess there's no need for more writing since I summarized it all in one sentence. I'm impressed! So, let's start with salmon. I made a delicious Herb Crusted Salmon from one of my favorite paleo sites,  PaleOMG . I did all of this in a hotel room with no kitchen so trust me it's easy! I used a toaster oven to bake it! Here's my finished product, it was delicious! Moving right along, the flash mob. This was wonderful and so exciti...

11/10/12 Barbells for Boobs is an amazing event that utilizes Crossfit to raise funds for mammograms for young men and women. We did Amazing Grace. 30 Clean and Jerks (135#/95#) for time. This exact time last year I was really getting started on my Crossfit adventure. In 2011 I used the 35# bar and added a 5# plate to each end. I struggled through the event, but finished with a time in the 6-7 minute range. Today, in 2012, I did the WOD prescribed, 95#. Wow, what a difference a year makes. Instead of struggling to put 45# overhead, I had doubled the weight. Yes there were struggles, but I never once overlooked the journey that I had gone through to get there. I couldn't have been happier to do this event again at Shogun Crossfit...some of the faces have changed, but the underlying spirit has not. It is like nothing else. As a team we did an amazing job fundraising, but it's not too late...we can still continue to raise funds...there is no limit to our goal and every...

10/9/12 Just as I did last year, I will be participating in a fantastic event, Barbells for Boobs. I don't use my blog as a means for begging for money but for this non-profit I will absolutely make an exception. Please please please donate! It's an amazing cause and helps cover the cost of mammograms to those who can not afford them (men and women). I will be competing in an event to help raise funds for Barbells for Boobs held here at Shogun Crossfit on Okinawa, but you don't have to do the intense workout with me, nor do you have to travel all the way to Okinawa, I'm making it simple for you...link below...donate. Please! Donate Here!

9/19/12 That's right, it's that time again. Back to the land of paper cranes, perfect pedicures, fantastic people, and beyond amazing food. In the last two years, I have spent more time living in Okinawa than I have anywhere else. Crazy. I remember preparing for my first trip there. There were so many things going through my head. I was determined to see each and every landmark that I had so proactively researched online and in my travel book. I brought that same travel book with me in my carry on and referenced it throughout the flight. Bound and determined to leave no stone unturned in my upcoming adventure. I was squished in a coach seat for the entire duration of the trip, got minimal sleep (a product of discomfort and excitement), and was miserable for the first two weeks due to jet lag. I anticipate the jet lag being the same, it hasn't failed me yet, but the rest of the trip will be much different. This will be my third time to Okinawa, fourth time to Japan. ...

4/6/12 It's been almost 3 weeks now of doing the Paleo zone diet and I can honestly say that it works! I was a complete non believer, I even said the words "I'll never do that, I don't have time, who weighs and measures their food?!". This girl does now...and this girl also has dropped some weight (fat) as a result. I feel much better and definitely feel stronger. Within the first week of zoning I was able to get a kipping pull up, something that I've struggled with for 5 months. I also was able to hold myself in the rings when before I jumped up there and my arms flew in every direction, but certainly didn't maintain any stability or hold me up. I can pull myself up on the rings to about armpit level, again, something I definitely couldn't do before. Perhaps this is all coincidence, but I tend to think that a tuned in diet is more to credit for these small successes in my CrossFit journey. Here is an example of my 3 block breakfast. Breakfast is a...

3/31/12-4/1/12 March was a crazy month, I went home for a week, came back and the the next weekend was in Ft Worth, then this weekend I went to my CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certification course in Tomball (outside of Houston) TX. I can't say enough positive things about the whole experience. It really was amazing. A lot of information and movement tied into two days, but at the end of it you really were left feeling good about the task at hand. I learned more than I ever imagined I would, and I had the opportunity to meet and work with some really fantastic people. This week I add Matt Chan to my CrossFitter collection that I have unintentionally started in the last two weeks! I look forward to many more opportunities like this, it really is amazing learning from some of the best in the industry! The training consisted of two days of classroom lecture, small breakout groups, large breakout groups, some WOD's (Fran and a partner WOD), and the final piece a test that wa...

3/24/12 So things have gotten a little behind and my dear blog has suffered as a result. The long weekend is a perfect time to catch up on all of the things that I have neglected! Including my sleep! So the CrossFit Tour. I feel pretty fortunate to have been able to attend such a rad event with some of the coolest people I know! Coach Glassman was there to give a speech, he made a lot of great points, and also some disappointing comments with regards to the military community and focusing his attentions on children outside of the US rather than the millions within the US who also need and deserve the help from those willing to give it. Aside from there there were definitely some highlights...Great company, being among people who eat breath and sleep the same crazy life that you do, and Rich Froning and Dan Bailey The evening was spent at Billy Bob's in the Stockyards listening to some country artist who people seemed to enjoy. I have no idea who he was! All in all a fa...

2/25/12 This is how we crossed the finish line! So in true bad ass spirit, this weekend was jam packed with bruises, burpees, and most importantly my CFBL family who I love dearly! A group of us went to Austin to do the Metro Dash. Metro it was not, perhaps suburban dash or park dash would have been better names for the event. Regardless it was a blast and I wouldn't have traded that time for anything! We competed in groups of 2, Teresa, my fellow fierce b*tch, and teammate, Jess and Stephanie, Eric, Becky and Adriana, Jack and Cody (who won the Heros heat!), and our huge support team Ben, Ashley, Baby B, Chad, Anthony, and Jack's wife! After already doing the Crossfit Open 12.1 WOD twice, I was not looking forward to any burpee penalties (10 burpees per obstacle that you could not complete), so T and I decided that we would make it our mission to get through the course. We almost made it! A couple of obstacles got the best of us and we gave in to the burpees! Next up...

2/26/12 It's everyone's favorite...taco night! Super easy (and quick) recipe for tacos...paleo style. I used grass fed bison because that's what I had but any meat would work. Paleo (bison) tacos: Ingredients two pounds grass fed bison (I used one pound because I'm cooking for myself, it left plenty for leftovers!) 1/2 onion 3 TBSP paprika (I used slightly less) 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp crushed red pepper 1 tsp fresh cilantro Romaine lettuce hearts salsa/pico/avocado/bacon/whatever taco toppings you want! Directions cook up the onions and the meat separately. When the onions are finished cooking, put them aside When the meat is browned add the spices Stir in the cooked onions Assemble and enjoy!

2/19/12 Reason 239402394802 why Paleo isn't that hard...you can make modifications and make just about anything that you used to eat before :) Being a bit of a fat kid at heart, paleo pizza is right up my ally! I choose to subscribe to the paleo school of thought that lets me eat bacon and pepperoni (I could read the few ingredients listed on the label, knew what they were, meat, so bam, paleo!). If you do not subscribe to this thinking...I'm sorry. Your loss. Just don't add it to the pizza! Dough before cooking Pizza w/toppings before baking Finished Product. Yum! Paleo Pizza Ingredients: 1/2 cup coconut flour (crust) 1 cup almond flour (crust) 1 tsp baking powder (crust) 4 eggs 3 TBSP oil (I used coconut) 1/2 cup coconut milk (the stuff in the can) pesto or your favorite tomato sauce (topping) Other topping ingredients (I used onions (lots!), peppers, and pepperoni) Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Start by making the dough. In a...

2/19/12 Before even starting to make my breakfast I was getting this heap of deliciousness ready! It does have to cook all day in the crock pot after all! Really how do you go wrong with beef (grass fed of course), coffee, and cooked onions?! You don't, that's the answer! Paleo Coffee Pot Roast: Ingredients: 3-5 lbs of chuck roast (I used 3.5 and it fit just right in my 4qt crock pot with the other stuff) onion sliced (I used two, I really like cooked onion!) garlic cloves peeled and smashed (I used 6-8, I will NOT be eating these, they are just for flavor!) Sea salt, pepper, and any other seasoning that you want to use for the meat brewed coffee (I used Starbucks VIA because it was what I had, I added 4 small coffee cups of it, it almost came to the top) 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar Directions: put sliced onions and garlic in the bottom of the crock pot. Season the meat (sea salt, pepper, and anything else) put the meat in the crock pot pour the coffee on t...

2/19/12 So it's Sunday again, the designated cooking/baking day for the week! Today I was really ambitious and had a list (way too long) of things to make! I decided that I needed some variety in my meals this week rather than eating the same thing every day for lunch! So for this blog entry I'll start with breakfast (my most favorite meal of the day, no questions asked!)...paleo pancakes! Amazeballs Paleo Pancakes: Ingredients: 3 ripe bananas 1/4 cup of creamy almond butter 3 eggs coconut flour (I added some to thicken up the mix, if you don't need/want it, don't add it! Directions: in a food processor/blender (or by hand if you're really ambitious) mix ingredients (sans coconut flour) if the mix is really watery than add some coconut flour to thicken it up (I didn't measure, just poured a small amount at a time) add any desired fruits to the batter for really tasty pancakes (I used blueberries!) Enjoy! I recommend doubling this recipe, ...

2/17/12 So it's really no secret among my family that I am a complete choco-holic. I love chocolate! So it should come as no surprise that I have been trying to find ways to incorporate paleo approved chocolate into my life! Tonight's recipe was a huge success (despite the major possibility for culinary failure!). Now, before I even include the recipe, just trust me. What sounds gross, and looks gross as you're putting it all together, actually all works really well together and makes a nice little cave-lady dessert! So, here it goes Choco Paleo Pudding: Ingredients: Avocados (I used 2 large) 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/2 cup honey (buy local!) 1 tsp. vanilla 2 TBSP coconut oil Directions: Put all of the ingredients into a food processor (or if you're living on the road and in suitcases, a magic bullet or similar device (I have a Cuisinart version of this that actually has a blender sized canister that fits on it, yes I travel with this thing!). Blend t...

2/11/12 After a weekend of tough WODs for the RokFit Cyber Series! So this post is about a week late, but I required some recovery time...and it took forever to upload the approximately 1 million photos that I took! The competition was my first and it was a blast! I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to have by my side through the experience! I placed 42nd overall and 16th in the scaled. I am currently wrapping up my third week of the Paleo Challenge and to be honest I don't feel any different than when I was doing my modified paleo (incorporating limited amounts of dairy, usually in the form of a Greek Yogurt). I've been told that I am slimming/toning but it's hard to tell when you see yourself daily. It's also hard to know if that's attributed to diet or hard work, or both. I'm certainly working out more here in Texas than I ever have, largely due to the Crossfit Box that I belong to, it's become family. Rather than dreading going...

1/30/12 Current Crossfit Shoes So I've been crossfitting for about 4 months now...I'm in no way any kind of expert on the subject matter that I'm about to discuss, just thought that I would give my honest opinion on some of the shoes that I have used/currently use for Crossfit in the hopes that it will help others when making such important decisions. With that being said, the important decision shouldn't be which pair of shoes should I get, it should be how many pairs of shoes should I get?! I should also say that I have had a lot of problems in the past finding good shoes for exercise (not just Crossfit) because I have really high arches and often get plantar fasciitis. None of the shoes that I currently have have resulted in any plantar fasciitis. When I first started Crossfitting I was using Vibram Five Fingers (Komodo Sports). As much as I like these shoes, I found them to be my least favorite of all of the shoes that I have/have used. There is absolutel...

1/22/12 Ok, so tomorrow is the big day, the start of the 2 month Paleo Challenge Crossfit Beyond Limits (best place on earth). I'm going to utilize my blog to keep track of my progress, meals, recipes, and other Paleo/Crossfit related stuff (since I haven't been doing much travel related blogging lately...my apologies!) I'm super excited for the challenge and definitely look forward to watching myself progress through the 2 months. The diet portion of this isn't too difficult for me since I already eat (mostly) Paleo...just have to cut out the Greek Yogurts that I have been eating as part of breakfast (a matter of convenience) and reduce some fruit intake...Let the games begin :) In preparation for the start tomorrow I spent today cooking/preparing for the week. Because I go in and do the WOD at 5am, I have almost no time to prepare/eat breakfast before leaving for work so I made a nice batch of Bacon Wrapped Eggs (I added spinach and onions to the mix) Bacon ...

11/3/11 So this is how my Thursday evening went... After a Crossfit WOD (workout for you non-CF'ers) on Tuesday that included handstand push ups, toes to bar, and ring dips I was left very disappointed. First of all I seriously haven't done a handstand since, well, I was probably 10. The thought of it scared the crap out of me. Seriously. What if I collapsed and broke my arm, my neck, my face, my nose (again) the anxiety was building in my head. I tried a couple of times but had completed psyched myself out so I modified the workout and did incline push ups instead. After finishing the WOD I was left feeling a little bummed. I hate not being able to do something. Granted, I don't expect a handstand push up to come over night, or even in the next month or two, but being able to do one in the next year would be nice! So, tonight (Thursday evening) I rearranged my hotel room, finding "the perfect" wall. I practiced those handstands until I was almo...