Fifth Third River Bank Run in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Today I ran my first 5K of the year! It was a great experience (aside from waking up before 6 AM on a Saturday). I love the atmosphere surrounding races. I feel like I'm at home, and I'm always brought back to my days as a high school runner at cross country and track meets. This event was the largest I've ever run in, and is in fact the largest 25K road race in the nation. There were over 5,000 runners in the 5K and over 6,000 in the 25K.

I finished 4th in my age group, which was much better than I expected. I do think the better runners in my age group went for the 25K though, so my goal is to run the 25K next year. I think that's a good goal, and I'm looking forward to preparing for it.



Image from: http://interactives.woodtv.com/photomojo/gallery/7343/1/53rd-river-bank-run-2013/53rd-river-bank-run/

Recharge and Detour Protein Bars Review

Are you in need of a quick pick-me-up during the afternoon or a low calorie, high-protein snack to fuel you after a workout? I have a couple options for you!

I was recently sent two different types of protein bars for review. The first was a Recharge sample pack, which is actually on sale right now for only $5 AND free shipping.

Raspberry + Apple: 9.5 of 10. The bar was firm, chewy, and a bit sticky. I loved how sweet and fruity it was. It also didn't taste like whey protein despite that being an ingredient. It was satisfying for a little bar! 

Chocolate + Caramel: 10 of 10! This was my favorite flavor! This bar was so delicious with a sweet chocolate coating and a gooey caramel inside that reminded me of a milky way (though it's been a very long time since I've had one!). I couldn't believe there was only 1g of sugar and whey protein in it since it didn't taste at all like a protein bar. I enjoyed recharging with this!

Caramel + Peanuts: 8 of 10. This bar had a nice chocolate coating and a sweet, gooey caramel inside with a little peanut pieces. I could taste the whey protein with this bar though, so it wasn't as reminiscent of a candy bar like the other flavors.

Detour Bars are another whey protein bar option for you. I was sent a complimentary sample of their new lower sugar neapolitan flavor pictured below.

Lower Sugar Neapolitan Detour Bar: 9 of 10. This bar has a lovely chocolate coating and a sweet combination of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. You can taste the whey protein in this bar, but I couldn't tell that it was low sugar. This bar definitely provides a nice amount of protein and can be a great post-workout snack or breakfast on the run.

What types of protein bars do you enjoy? There are so many options out there! I tend to enjoy a variety depending on how much protein I'm looking for, what flavors I enjoy, and so forth.

Inbru Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to all who entered my Inbru Giveaway! The lucky winner is # 3 - Karen!

Stay tuned for more reviews and giveaways! I have some neat products to share with you all.

Hope you're enjoying summer! This squirrel sure is - picnic lunch and all!

Inbru Review and Giveaway

Inbru is the sugar-free, fat-free, calorie-free, carb-free way to flavor your favorite coffee, and I am so happy to share it with you! "Simply select your favorite coffee - dark roast, light roast, decaf - and add Inbru to the ground coffee in the filter basket. Inbru releases its essential aromas during the brew process, creating a deeply aromatic and incredibly delicious flavored coffee experience. Each 24 gram jar of Inbru includes a handy measuring scoop and enough Inbru to flavor 80 servings of coffee at home or in the office."

I have an AeroPress, so I used Inbru with it AND it worked perfectly. I chose to review the Chocolate Fudge and Butterscotch Drop flavors from among 19 flavors total!

9.5 of 10 for both flavors. The chocolate fudge added just a hint of chocolate flavor to my coffee and made me smile. :-) The aroma is wonderful, and the butterscotch drop aroma was my favorite. Also, I did experiment and try adding a small scoop of Inbru to a smoothie once. It did add the flavor, but the little flakes weren't filtered out as they are with the coffee grounds. Still, I think they're safe to consume and the added flavor was tasty.

Interested? You can purchase your own jars here and for the month of April you'll get free shipping if you buy 6 or more jars!

Inbru Giveaway

Inbru is sponsoring a giveaway for 1 lucky reader! You'll win two jars of your choosing. In order to enter this giveaway, comment below with the two Inbru flavors you'd choose if you win. Please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. 

For additional giveaway entries, tweet about the giveaway - Check out the @InbruCafe giveaway @cygirl88 http://foodfotosandfun.blogspot.com/2013/04/inbru-review-and-giveaway.html (leave link to tweet as comment), blog about this giveaway (leave link to post as comment) or follow my blog.

This giveaway will end on May 2, 2013. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

Best of luck!

* Inbru sent me two complimentary jars for review. My comments are my own.

Sibu Beauty Review

Sibu Beauty offers "premium skin care products made from the Himalayan sea buckthorn berry. Known as the “beauty berry” across Europe and Asia, sea buckthorn contains over 190 bioactive compounds that restore, revitalize, and protect youthful beauty – from the inside-out AND outside-in. These hardy berries help nourish skin, hair, and nails with powerful antioxidants and essential fatty acids." You should definitely check out their product line!

I was sent a complimentary Sea Buckthorn Face and Body Bar to review. Read more below!

Sea Buckthorn Face and Body Bar: 10 of 10! I love this bar! It has a very unique, strong, and pleasant aroma. It has a smooth texture except for the berries, which provide a soothing exfoliation experience. I really do feel like this bar revitalizes my skin cells. I also like that this bar is paraben-free and cruelty-free, and contains NO dairy, wheat, gluten, sodium, yeast or preservatives. This means that almost anyone should be able to and want to use it. :-)

Check out Sibu Beauty on twitter, facebook, pinterest, and their blog!

And now for some good news! The winners of The Skin Regime giveaway were Melissa and Christine! Thanks to all who entered!

The Skin Regime: Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin Review and Giveaway

Earlier this year I was sent a complimentary copy of Dana Ramos' The Skin Regime: Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin along with a sample Glycolic Acid Peel.

This book covers all you need to know about skin care. It's an easy read with straightforward directions. Dana recommends an affordable skin regime that actually works! I'm impressed with the results and am excited to continue following the book's recommendations. I especially loved the peel. I was a little nervous to try it since I've never done a facial peel before, but I followed the directions, and afterwards my face felt like a load had been lifted from it. It felt like new baby's skin, just like the book said. I also had no negative reactions like red skin, so I was especially pleased.

If you're sick of using a cabinet full of skin products with limited results or if you're at a loss for how to care for your skin, this is the book for you. It is a small book, but it is packed with great advice and information.

Still not convinced? Check out the first 30 pages for free here!

You can also check out The Skin Regime on Facebook and Twitter, and you can buy the book at Amazon.com.


And now.... for a Giveaway! Two lucky winners will receive a copy of The Skin Regime along with a sample Glycolic Acid Peel. Giveaway ends on March 31.

To enter this giveaway, email giveawaywinner007@gmail.com and state why you're interested in trying The Skin Regime.

For additional entries, comment below if you post about this giveaway on your blog, if you follow my blog, and/or if you add my blog to your blogroll.

Thanks and best of luck!

Wholesome Meal Snack Bites Giveaway Winner

Thank you to all who entered the Wholesome Meal Snack Bites Giveaway! Random.org has declared #1 the lucky winner, which is Vera! I'll be emailing you shortly!

Stay tuned for more reviews and giveaways!

Wholesome Meal Snack Bites Review and Giveaway

Do you snack? Do you ever eat breakfast on the go? Then I have a great product to share with you today: Wholesome Meal Snack Bites! Snack Bites are "nutritious balls of organic nut butter with a one of a kind packaging that’s super healthy and great for on the go." They are made from organic and all-natural, gluten free ingredients with top shelf Non-GMO proteins, and they come in 5 great flavors (Peanut Butter, Vegan Cran Almond, Nutty Monkey, Chia Chocolate, and Sunny Honey).

Nutty Monkey: 9 of 10. These were a bit dry, but they miraculously held together and melted in my mouth. They were chewy and crunchy with rice crisps, nuts and a great peanut taste. They were actually fairly sweet for having so little sugar. I love the cute container too!

Chia Chocolate: 10 of 10! What a delicious and fabulous, rich chocolate flavor. I'd take this over a chocolate kiss! The crunch is great, and it is so pretty with chia seeds speckled in. Absolutely delightful!

Sunny Honey: 9.5 of 10. These are very rich with a sweet tangerine and honey flavor. These were smoother and creamier than other flavors, but still had the crunchy rice crisps inside.

Vegan Cran Almond: 9 of 10. These were a bit dry, but sweet with crunchy crisps and tasty cranberry pieces.

Peanut Butter: 9 of 10. I enjoyed the peanut butter taste and the other flavor that I couldn't quite figure out. It was strong and I liked it though. These were a bit dry as well, but still held together and the organic rice crisps added a satisfying crunch.

Aren't these snack bites cute?! Would you like to try them for yourself? You can purchase them online here! You can also enter a 5-pack giveaway below!

Snack Bites Giveaway

In order to enter this giveaway, visit and like Wholesome Meal Snack Bites on Facebook.

Leave a comment with your Facebook name and email address so I can contact you if you win.

It's that simple!

This giveaway, generously sponsored by Wholesome Meal Snack Bites, will end on March 4, 2013. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

AeroPress Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered my AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker Giveaway. Random.org has named lucky number 5 our winner, which is Karen! Congrats! Since Karen didn't include an email address in her posts, I'm going to ask her to comment on this post within 48 hours with an email address so I can contact her about her prize. After 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. Don't delay!

I don't know where you all live, but below is a picture of the snowy weather we're having in Michigan right now. Brrrrr!

Homemade Sugar Cookies, Pumpkin Bread, and Granola

Today I'm going to share a few recipes I've made recently. Also, I want to remind you that I have a giveaway for an Aeropress Coffee Maker going on now. You should check it out!

Easy Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll spoonfuls of dough into balls and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Easy Pumpkin Bread 

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cups sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin 

1/2 cup olive oil 

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar. In a separate bowl combined pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and spices. Combine with dry ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a toothpick poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack. You can also use this recipe to make pumpkin muffins. 

Maple Nut Granola
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups fruit and seed trail mix

Mix all ingredients together except trail mix and place on baking pan, which you can cover with aluminum foil or parchment paper to make the clean-up easier. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, stir, then bake another 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Mix baked granola with trail mix for an even more robust granola treat.