NaBloPoMo For the Week of May 9th to 15th

Second week of NaBloPoMo Photo Theme.  The photos this week were a bit difficult for me.  But, here's what I came up with.  I promise I will be back soon with some new recipes and health & fitness related posts.  My mind has been blank recently.  If you have any topics you'd like me to cover leave a comment!

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Photo: Light

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Photo: Three

Monday, May 11, 2015

Do you ever secretly snap pictures without the subject knowing? Tell us about a secret shot you've taken.

Occasionally.  It's normally when I'm at the beach.  I take pictures of people who are doing something interesting.  Mo told me that she photographs people all the time without them knowing.  The last person I shot without them knowing was a few months ago, the fog was really thick at the beach and I took a picture of a person walking to me.

Photo: Close

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

What is the hardest subject to photograph?

People.  I have a hard time photographing people.  I did wedding photography for a while and hated it.  Loved the paycheck but, I had a hard time with it.

Photo: Far

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Do you sometimes make recipes due to the accompanying photo?

Yes, all the time.  You eat with your eyes first.  If it's pretty or appetizing, I'll read the accompanying recipe.

Photo: Bokeh

Thursday, May 14, 2015

What place do you want to visit based solely on beautiful photographs that you've seen?

Fiji.  It's so pretty!  The crystal blue water, the gorgeous scenery, I don't just want to visit I want to move there.

Photo: Sun Flare

Friday, May 15, 2015

Have you ever developed a crush on someone due to a photograph?

Nope.  That's just weird.

                        Photo: Black and White                      

NaBloPoMo For the Week of May 2nd to 8th

Every month I try to follow the prompts for NaBloPoMo.  If you've never heard of NaBloPoMo, it stands for National Blog Posting Month.  The goal is to write 1 post a day for the month.  NaBloPoMo assigns a theme for each month and gives daily prompts.  This month's theme is PHOTO.  Most months I can slide the prompt into my posts.  Other months, that plan doesn't work very well.  This is one of those months.  But, as an ex-photographer {do you ever REALLY quit photography?  I might not label myself as a photographer anymore but, I still love my camera and photography is one of the things I love}  I always jump at the chance to take a photo.  And I love it when I can get creative with it.  So, during May, I will be posting my prompt answers and the photos from the prior week (Saturday to Friday.)

For more information on NaBloPoMo click HERE

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Photo: Your Passion

Explanation: This picture is actually a collage of all my passions.  The camera and dumbbell for my love of photography and exercise, my girls in the pool for my love of my kids and the water and the ocean.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Photo: Your Feelings

Explanation:  Recently, I have been feeling very driven.  

Monday, May 4, 2015

Do you think one side of your face photographs better than another?

Nope.  I think both sides of my face photograph the same.  

Photo: Your Energy

Explanation:  My energy seriously comes from being home.  My house is where I gain my strength.  Being in public wears me out.  I come home to recharge.  I love my house, everybody, and everything in it.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

What is your favourite angle for being photographed? Head-on? Slightly above, below, to the side?

Not going to lie.  I have a photo stance.  Every time I pose for a photo I cock my head to the right.  I don't know where it came from or why I started doing it but, I do.  But honestly my favorite angle depends on the photo.  The head cocked angle is my favorite when people are photographing me.  If I'm taking a selfie, my favorite angle is slightly above.

Photo: Your Style

Explanation:  My style is alot like these pictures, childish.  I basically throw on the first thing I find.  

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

How often are you in your photographs?

Hardly ever!  I'm normally the one behind the lens.  Finding a photo of me is hard.

Photo: Your Love
Explanation:  My husband.  

Thursday, May 7, 2015

When was the last time you asked someone to take a picture of you?

When I needed a progress picture taken.  I had Ken take them for me.  

Photo: Your Time
Explanation:  Flying away, just like the bird.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Do you think you smile more honestly when you're taking a selfie or when someone else is photographing you?

When someone else is photographing me, definitely.  My "selfie smile" is more of a grin.  Actually, most of the time I don't think I smile at all in selfies.

Photo: Focus
Expanation:  Just like the fluff Buddie took out of the bear, my focus is scattered.  

Just Another Youtuber?

**Warning:  Shameless plug ahead**

Sunny, my 6 year old, has her life planned out.  She seriously has decided the rest of her life {to an extent.}  During high school she's going to do the culinary program that the school offers.  After high school she's getting a culinary degree.  When she's done with that, she's opening her own restaurant {she's going to be nice and give me a job there.}  On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays she's working at the restaurant.  On Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays she's going to teach dance classes.  OH!  And she's going to be a professional dancer.  

For now, she's obsessed with YouTube.  IhasCupquake, StampyCat, and Nerdy Nummies, are a few of her favorite You-tubers.  So, what's a child, obsessed with cooking and Youtube going to do for fun?  Make YouTube videos, of course!  She has her own YouTube channel.  She hasn't done much but, she loves making them and there are more coming.  

So please, go show her some love.  She works really hard on these.  The ideas are all her own, I just help with the recipe development {and really, I don't do much of that}  

Please, PLEase, PLEASE, click the link below.  

Funny Foods With Carma

Do your kids know what they are going to do with their lives?  

Well, Hello There!

Hey guys!  Remember me?  The blog writer?  The Fit Beach Babe?  The girl who disappears for what seems like a week but ends up being a month and a day?  I'm sorry.  I truly am.  Hopefully the past month has been good to you.

April was crazy for me.  I started working with a few new clients, a local cheer and tumbling gym offered to let me run group classes out of their location so, I've been busy marketing and working on that.  For anyone who's interested, classes will start in May.  Tentatively, they will be Wednesdays at 9 AM in Daytona Beach.  If you're interested please contact me!

Easter was also great.  The girls had a good day.  Unfortunately we missed the community Easter egg hunt due to Mantha having a ballet rehearsal but, I hid eggs on Easter morning.  {Well, Ken hid them, I just filled them} We actually had Easter lunch so Ken could eat with us before he went to work.

The most exciting, {and kind of sad} thing about the month was that my baby girl turned 6. It's crazy.  6 years ago she was tiny and helpless.  Now she's an amazing, wonderful, little lady.  She's got goals and dreams and she knows what she wants in life.  {Those goals and dreams are to be a professional chef and dancer}  She has both her restaurant names picked out.  Her sushi restaurant is going to be name Su-shay.  Yes ladies and gentlemen, Sunny's favorite food is sushi.  She could it it 3 meals a day, 7 days a week.

So, where do you take your sushi-obsessed 6 year old for her birthday dinner?    A sushi restaurant, of course!  We took her to Sakura, the local Japanese hibachi and sushi restaurant.  This place was really nice.

They have one run dedicated to hibachi.  {That's a separate post though.  We're planing on going back for hibachi for Kaylee's birthday}  You can see the hibachi room in the top left picture.  If you sit at the bar you can watch the sushi chef making all the sushi.  That's in the bottom right picture.

We ended up getting 11 orders of sushi.  This picture is just a portion of them.  We stuck with the simple ones.  California rolls, spicy tuna, avocado, asparagus.  They were all delicious.  Prices weren't bad either.  For under $90 we were all stuffed.
For more info on Sakura check out their website:  Sakura Palm Coast

And of course we had to take some time for selfies.  I have 3 girls and they are obsessed with selfies.  I find new ones on my phone every time I get it back from them.  I don't totally get selfies.  I mean, I do but, I don't.  I take selfies only because I'm always the one BEHIND the camera.  According to my Picasa there are like 175 photos of me compared the the 400+ of the girls and Ken.  And 90% of those are selfies.  If I want a picture of me and the girls, I take a selfie {is there a term for a group selfie??}  If I want a photo of me in general, I take a selfie.  99% of them never get posted though.

Oh!  I almost forgot!  Look at this cute necklace I bought Sunny for her birthday.

She for some reason is in love with carrot cake.  I don't even know that she has ever tasted carrot cake but, every time we go to Publix she always asks me for a carrot cake.  I honestly think it's the carrot on top that she likes.  When I found this necklace in the Scrumptious Doodle Etsy shop I knew that it would be perfect for Sunny.  Scrumptious Doodle is awesome.  She has the cutest stuff.  I got Mo taco earrings for her birthday, and Kaylee is getting apple pie earrings for hers.  I'll post a picture of Kaylee's when I get them.  But, below is a picture of Mo's taco earrings.

Scrumptious Doodle is run by a lady named Mareesa.  She makes food themed polymer clay jewelry.   She makes everything from s'mores to cupcakes, tacos to cheeseburgers, and everything in between.  The turn around times and prices for her creations isn't bad.  My first two orders took less than 3 weeks and cost under $20.  I will be a very regular customer of Scrumptious Doodle.  I plan on ordering many more pieces.  My kids are food and jewelry fanatics     If you are looking for food related jewelry, magnets, or charms, click HERE to check out her shop.

I Love New Flavors

Okay, I'm a yogurt addict.  I love it.  I eat it ATLEAST once a day (unless I'm prepping then I eat it as my cheat meal).  Every time I come across a new flavor of Greek yogurt I pick it up.  When searching for new yogurt flavors, I've come to realize that Walmart is the greatest place.  My Walmart always has the newest ones.  Hell, they have a whole wall dedicated to yogurt.  Not just a section, a WALL.  Every kind of yogurt you can think of.  Full fat, fat free, Greek, regular, lactose free, ones that are aimed toward kids.....so many options!

First up, Yoplait's Greek 100 Whips.  These are actually in a whole new product line.  Remember the whipped regular yogurt that came out years ago?  Well, this is the Greek version of it.  I like to think of it as healthy mousse.  There are 8 flavors in this line.  I picked up the strawberry cheesecake, and vanilla cupcake.  {2 of the things I miss the most, cheesecake and cupcakes}  The nutrition facts aren't bad.

Calories-80
Fat - 0 grams
Carbs - 9 grams
Sugar - 7 grams
Protein - 12 grams

It is super creamy and really does have a mousse-y texture.  If they made a chocolate one you could fool anyone with it.

This flavor was really spot on.  It actually tasted alot like strawberry cheesecake!  My favorite.  Sweet from the strawberry flavor, and a bit tart like cream cheese.

The vanilla cupcake was disappointing.  It didn't taste like a cupcake and it really didn't even taste like vanilla.  This was my least favorite.

Now on to the Dannon Light & Fit.  Dannon actually makes my favorite flavor of yogurt.  The toasted coconut.  The nutrition facts are alot similar to the Yoplait.  Sugar and carbs and calories are a bit higher and protein is lower but, not by much.

Calories - 100

Fat - 0 g

Carbs - 15 g

Sugar - 12 g

Protein - 9 g

I debating on trying to salted caramel because I actually hate caramel.  But, I've learned that not many flavors of yogurt actually taste like the thing they are trying to taste like so, I bought it.  

This flavor was better than I expected it to be.  Not too caramel-ly.  Not too salty.  If really, REALLY love caramel, it will disappoint.  But, I personally though it was delicious.  I'd definitely buy it again.


So, in order from most to least loved:  Yoplait Strawberry Cheesecake, Dannon salted caramel, Yoplait vanilla cupcake.

For more information on Dannon
Main Dannon Website
Oikos Website
Light & Fit Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

For more information on Yoplait
Main Yoplait Website
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter

Tell me, is there a food you always pick up the newest flavor of?  

Tax Time Toys

Last month I got my tax return back.  Every year I treat myself to something.  Normally it's a new gym outfit and a piece of equipment for the house.  This year I decided I wanted a pair of wireless headphones.  I bought some for Ken a while ago and I wanted to get my own instead of having to borrow his all the time.

Have you looked at the price of most wireless headphones?  $70 and up.  Wanna know a little secret about me?  I'm cheap.  Yep,  I refuse to pay $70+ for a pair of headphones.

The ones I bought Ken I found on a discount website.  They are really nice but, they took almost a month to arrive.  Unlike him, I'm not a patient person when it comes to new toys.  I want my stuff as soon as I pay for it.  I only mail order things if I have to.  I will drive an hour to buy something just so I can have it that same day.

Picture from:  Walmart.com

These are the wireless headphones I found at Walmart. They are made by Straight Talk Wireless.  They cost me under $30!  Yep,  The ones I have linked are only $15.24 but, the ones I bought in the store I think I paid like $25 for.  I'm not certain if the website is wrong or, if there's a slight difference but, no matter which price you pay, it's a steal.  

They are really nice.  They come with 3 different ear buds, regular, short and long (I successfully lost 2 sets within a few days of buying them.)  The sound quality is great and they are easy to use.  They come with 3 different ear buds, regular, short and long (I successfully lost 2 sets within a few days of buying them.)  These headphones are not just headphones, they are also a bluetooth microphone for your phone.  {Try saying that 5 times fast!}  I haven't used the microphone yet.  I don't get many calls.  But, I will update you when I do.

I definately give these 2 thumbs up.  So, if you want a cheap toy after you get your return back {or at any time} head to Walmart or Walmart.com and pick these up!

Have you bought yourself any toys this, or any other, tax season?  Tell me about it!

Lovely Leftovers

The other day I looked in my fridge and realized that I had a bajillion leftovers.  I had reheated them all a couple times and I assumed that the kids were getting tired of having the same things for dinner.

Kaylee is a huge soup fan.  Like seriously, she could eat a different soup (or stew, or chili) every nite.  She never gets tired of soup.  So, when I saw I these leftovers I realized that they would be great in a soup.

You can honestly use whatever leftovers you have.  As long as you have at least 1 complex carb, 1 veggie and a protein.  Here's a quick list of possibilities:

Complex Carb
Rice (white, brown or wild)
Potatoes (white, purple, sweet)
Quinoa
Couscous
Beans

Veggies
Carrots
Mushrooms
Onions
Celery
Corn
Peas
Green Beans

Protein
Chicken
Shrimp
Fish
Ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, buffalo)
Turkey

My soup was made for the kids so, it was rice, chicken (I took the skin off fried chicken and used the meat), mixed vegetables and carrots.  If I was making it for myself I probably would have used the shrimp from  THIS recipe or THIS recipe.

The Recipe Redux theme this month is " Two for One", cooking once and eating twice.  So, my Chicken Rice Soup is the perfect fit for today.

CHICKEN RICE SOUP

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients
12 cups stock (I used vegetable but you can use any kind)
1 onion, diced (omit if using it in your veggies)
3 cups leftover carbs
3 cups leftover protein
3 cups leftover vegetables

Directions

1. Saute onion.
2. Add stock and bring to a boil.
3. Put in all your leftovers
4. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until everything is hot.

So freakin' simple!!!  Just boil and dump.  It's quick, too!  From start to finish this recipe takes under 45 minutes.  It's great for a nite when you need a meal that is quick and hearty.  It's also good after a holiday.  

Easter:  Ham, peas, and rice

Thanksgiving: Turkey, sweet potatoes, and green beans

Christmas: Ham, potatoes, and corn

How does you family feel about soup?  Love it?  Hate it?  How do you use leftovers in a unique way?  Let me know!

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