Sharing Saturday - Pura Vida + Unlock Hope

If you know me (or you follow me on social media and have seen pictures of my wrists), then you know I LOVE me an arm party. As I type this, I have 10 bracelets [plus 2 hair ties] on my wrists. One is my Garmin vívofit® 2 (activity tracker), three are from Bali (Ryan got them for me when he was there for work) and the other 6 are a current variety of Pura Vida bracelets.

In case you are unfamiliar with Pura Vida, let me give you a little background information on the company (paraphrased by yours truly of course).

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Two SoCal buddies went to Costa Rica for a few weeks after graduation. While they were there, they met two guys selling some pretty awesome (yet simple) bracelets. They asked the bracelet makers if they would be able to make them 400 to bring back to the States. The guys were stoked on their big sale, so said of course (never realizing it would turn into a full-fledged partnership). The SoCal friends put the bracelets in a bowl at a local boutique and were astonished at how quickly they sold out. The two bracelet makers went from selling a couple a week to now over 25,000 a week (with the help of about 85 other friends now staffed in the Costa Rican store).

**Feel free to read the FULL story (in their words) here if you are interested.**

And just in case bracelets on their own aren't cool enough, Pura Vida teams up with charities for their Charity Line and gives a portion of the proceeds back to the group (and the organization can even pick the colors of the bracelets!). In 2013 alone, they worked with 190+ charities and were able to donate $140,000 to the causes and it has only grown since then.

One such charity (and one that I LOVE to support) is Unlock Hope. Unlock Hope's mission is to give girls in Uganda a chance at education. Often times, without education, the girls will marry young, have large families they are unable to care for, and are forced to work jobs for very little pay. Unlock Hope partners with Thunk Humanity, an organization that runs a hostel in Hoima, Uganda for young refugee girls from all across Africa, many of whom are orphaned. Every purchase at Unlock Hope gives these girls​ quality healthcare, healthy food to eat and a safe place to live, ​enabling and supporting ​them in their pursuit of an education.

With that said, I gobbled up as many of the Unlock Hope Pura Vida Bracelets that I could when I saw them on the Unlock Hope shopping site. (You can still see the posting for them on Pura Vida's site here, but they are currently showing as OUT OF STOCK.)

**Note: The bracelets are the colors of the Ugandan flag.**

Since it's SHARING SATURDAY, I thought I'd offer a couple of them up for YOU! Entering is easy peasy, just use the Rafflecopter widget below. Some entries can be done daily, so make sure to enter early and enter often!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway runs through Friday, October 2nd at 11:59pm PST. Five winners will be selected and notified using the email address listed with their Rafflecopter account. Entries ARE verified, so please make sure to complete the task or a new winner will need to be selected. U.S. residents only. **PS This giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated with either Unlock Hope or Pura Vida, I am simply sharing some of the extra bracelets I have purchased to support a cause I believe in.**

Bzees x Athleta /// Sip + Style

Last night, I got to partake in a super fun evening down at Athleta UTC. It was a Sip & Style Shopping Event with Bzees. I had only heard amazing things about Bzees, so I was stoked to learn more about the company and product!

The AMAZING Smitha has been talking about Bzees for a while now, but I have never had the opportunity to try them out. She always says how comfy of a shoe they are and when the opportunity presented itself I knew I had to give it a go! If you know me, you know I am ALL about comfort (seeing as the only shoes in my closet are my running shoes, Reef sandals or TOMS).

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I am so thankful I was able to attend the event. Our Growth Groups (aka small group / Bible study) was supposed to start this week, but got pushed back to next week so at the last minute I was able to hop in my car and head down to La Jolla.

Athleta UTC always welcomes us with open arms! LOVE THOSE LADIES!

The fabulous Melissa, giving us a run down of the evening

Oh my goodness. Remember when I said Smitha always talks about how comfortable these shoes are?! Well, I TOTALLY understand why! Like the website says, IT'S LIKE WALKING ON CLOUDS!

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I loved that the Bzees ladies compared our feet to our curvy bodies ;) "Think about women. We all have curves. So do our feet." And they made shoes to fit those curves perfectly - with air infused outsoles, dynamic stretch uppers, free foam footbeds and they are even machine washable!

Inspiration boards for this line

And let's be honest, the hardest part of the night was picking out our favorite style. (Oh yeah, we were each gifted a pair of Bzees just for coming to the event - how amazing is that?!) I had a much harder time than I was expecting (and I only tried on three of the styles). I really wanted the Black Sashay Slip Ons, because who doesn't love a ballet inspired shoe, but hoped the straps came up a little higher on the ankle. I loved the bit of a heel on the Blue Warped Print Flawless Slip Ons, but as Smitha pointed out, they would probably go with less outfits. I ended up deciding on the Grey Warped Print Lifestyle Sneakers and can't wait for them to arrive.

Asia and I were having a hard time deciding, so we wore one of each for a while ;)

As always, we were spoiled rotten! Not only did we get to try out the shoes, but we were able to eat, drink and be merry! Not to mention, a percentage of the sales went towards Autism Tree Project Foundation. Shopping for a cause?! Don't mind if I do!

Although I don't eat meat, I only heard amazing things about the sushi that was provided by Blue Ocean!

I'm normally not a wine drinker, but the stuff from California Fruit Wine Co
was DELISH! And you know I love to support my local companies!

And truffles from Frost Me?! How lucky were we?! I had the hazelnut one and it was delectable!

And as amazing as the events are that I am invited to go to, what makes them FANTASTIC are the friends (both new and old) I get to see. Who doesn't love seeing their blends (blogger + friends) more frequently?!

So lucky to know all of these lovely ladies!

Who doesn't love a photo booth?!

I have to say, I am extremely proud of myself. I told myself I wasn't going to buy anything (even though the shopping went to a great cause) and I actually stuck to my guns. There were quite a few things, however, that I put on my "must have" list - because COLOR! Oh, Athleta, you know how to entice me!

Have you heard of Bzees before? Do you think I made the right shoe choice? Which would you have picked?

Mixing It Up

Wednesdays are my cross-training days. I normally go for a bike ride (anywhere from 15-20ish miles) on my hybrid beach cruiser (meaning it has gears).

Today it was pretty breezy (which turns into me riding directly into the hellish wind for 8 miles of my ride), yet warm out (yup, you guessed it, we are heading into yet another weekend with a HEAT WAVE). I decided, instead of fighting my way through a bike ride, I would head down to our pool for a workout.

Let me tell you, I am NOT what some would call a swimmer. Sure, my parents put me in swim lessons at the Y when I was a baby, but I don't think I got much more advanced than that. Although I love going to the pool, my time is spent laying in the sun NEXT TO it, NOT in it! My preferred stroke of choice is the doggy paddle. 

Just in case you were wondering the "professional way" to enter a pool... THIS IS NOT IT!

I decided I would do 45 minutes of a pool workout (notice, I did not say swimming because I am not sure you would call what I did "swimming", but hey, it works and I am alive to type about it).

For the first 5 minutes I "swam" laps - and by swam laps I mean I did 3 laps of the breast stroke without using my legs and then 3 laps of the back stroke without using my arms (I tell myself it is working specific muscles, but it is probably more that I don't know how to swim the strokes properly).

After my "swimming", I followed it up by 5 minutes of treading water. I always hear what a good workout sports like water polo are because of how much water they have to tread, so I should probably do it, right?

Then I made my way over to the corner of the pool to do five triceps dips (Don't laugh! My upper body strength is pretty non-existent so I thought 5 was better than none.).

I did this little 10 minute circuit 4.5 times (the last set I didn't do the treading water portion). 

Now I obviously wouldn't suggest this as a swimming workout to someone else (I am honestly a little embarrassed even to share it since I know it is like swimming floating for beginners), but I think it did its job for me. I was able to mix up my workout a bit, keep cool, and have a little fun - so I think it was a WIN-WIN-WIN!

And I had a nice view while I was trying not to drown!

Are you a swimmer?

REVIEW: Detour Bars

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by a representative from Detour on Instagram. They asked if I wanted to give their products a try and let me friends, family and followers know my thoughts. I am always down to try new things (especially when they are free, #RealTalk), so I said "YES PLEASE".

Last week I came home to a package on my doorstep. I was pretty excited to find out what was inside. It was recently my birthday (remember... the whole premise behind my #Carlees31 project was I was turning 31 ;)), so I wasn't sure if it was a late present or what.

With tomorrow being the 20th Anniversary of the movie
Seven, I just HAD TO use the quote, right?!

I opened the cooler to find a box from Detour (I'm telling you, my Fibro Fog has been pretty bad lately and I totally forgot they were shipping me some bars to try). The box contained six bars - three from their SMART line and three from their SIMPLE line.

Walt was rather disappointed when he found out none of the gifts were for him...

Let me stop you right there to address the packaging. First, as I am sure you are well aware (because I complain about it fairly frequently), we have been in the middle of quite a few heat waves here in Southern California. To send a package of protein bars in a mini cooler, especially with the crazy temperatures we have been having, is an AMAZING idea. Some of the bars, specifically the SIMPLE bars, are covered in chocolate, which melts, so to package them with that in mind is pretty great thinking. BUT (and this is a BIG BUTT BUT), I felt as though it was pretty irresponsible. The six bars could have easily fit into a mid-sized padded envelope. Sure, the chocolate may have melted, but the environment would have been MUCH BETTER OFF without the extra supplies (especially Styrofoam which makes me cringe). Thankfully my hubby was able to recycle the cooler at a local Waste To Waves event he was doing art at this past weekend, so I feel better about it, but still would probably opt out of that in the future if I had the choice.

Anyway, onto the meat veggies of the post - THE REVIEW!

Let's start off with the SIMPLE bars. I was sent three different flavors - Salted Carmel Cookie Dough, Chocolate Chip Carmel and Carmel Peanut. The bars I received were the "snack size", which have 10 grams of protein in them (they also have "regular sized" bars, which have 20 grams of whey protein in them).

I had the Carmel Peanut bar during a cross-training workout. I stopped about 15 miles into my bike ride (when my hunger was at its peak) and was able to enjoy the bar at the beach. I did carry it in my SPIbelt while riding, so it was a little melt-y, but it reminded me of a small (and healthy) Snickers bar. It was definitely my favorite flavor of the three.

And the views weren't anything to scoff at either, right?!

As many of you know, RUNGER is REAL! The other day, while working, I was hit with an afternoon hunger that I had to associate with my morning run. Since it was pretty close to dinner, I didn't want a huge snack, so the Salted Carmel Cookie Dough bar was perfect. I appreciated the chocolate chip chunks in it (rather than some protein bars which have a single consistency), and like the other bars in the SIMPLE line, contained whey protein, a healthy dose of fiber, nothing artificial, no GMO's, was low in sugar and is gluten free!

The Chocolate Chip Carmel bar helped me get through a recent strength-training workout. I was able to eat the bar prior to my workout, which helped keep me satisfied until afterwards when I could eat a hearty breakfast. This bar was a little too chocolate-y for my taste (I actually don't really like chocolate), but the carmel was a nice touch.

I was pretty pumped for the SMART line of bars. They are whole grain oatmeal bars and all sounded delicious! I was sent three different flavors (although they have five flavors in total) - Coconut Almond, Apple Cinnamon and Blueberry.

As I suspected, they are all scrum-didily-umpcious! The Coconut Almond bar was my FAVORITE, but who can go wrong with that combo?! As with the snack sized SIMPLE bars, the SMART bars also had 10 grams of whey protein packed in them. They are sweetened with Stevia and are just the perfect mix of healthy and yummy! (Apparently so good that I forgot to take a picture of it... Must have scarfed it down too quickly... #Oops #BadBlogger)

The Blueberry bar was a close second. I love that it had chunks of organic blueberries throughout it... And that Greek Yogurt Drizzle... YUM! Looking at the bar, I was worried it would be very dry and bland, but I was pleasantly surprised with the consistency and flavor. It was an easy snack to throw in my purse and eat while on the go.

If you like apple pie, you are definitely going to like the Apple Cinnamon bar. Although I prefer my fruit fresh and not made into pies, I knew the flavor profile was spot on within the first bite. I grabbed this bar before going to work last week so that I wouldn't want to snack on unhealthy options throughout my shift. Mission accomplished!

I have to be honest, before being contacted by Detour on Instagram I hadn't heard of them or noticed their products in any of my local retailers. The SMART bars were definitely my favorite, but with a price tag of $14.85 for 9 bars, I think I would probably stick with my current granola bar options. I do know that there are a lot of folks that are gluten intolerant (I am not sure what the cost/ taste options are in that specific market), so if that is the category you find yourself in, maybe these would be an amazing option for you.

Have you ever tried Detour bars before?

#SundayFunday

I briefly mentioned it in last week's Workout Recap, but I ended up swapping my Saturday rest day and Sunday 5-miler because my Sunday quickly turned into a SUNDAY FUNDAY! Since it was such a great day, why not relive it a bit through pictures?!

The only thing that can rival a #SundayRunday is a #SundayFUNDAY!

Woke up around 3:45am (Is it just me or do others ALWAYS wake up before their alarms?! Man, it's like my body "knows" I have something to do and won't let me miss it by actually allowing me to sleep...).

Although I always set MULTIPLE alarms, I would say
99% of the time I am up before the first one goes off...

Made my way to Malibu to watch a friend KICK SOME BOOTY in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon (she was rocking the running portion on a relay team). Although early alarms are rough, sunrises ALWAYS make them worth it, #AmIRightOrAmIRight?!

No bad days, right?!

Spectated the triathlon (If I am not running a race, you better believe I will cheer my little heart out for each and every person that is!).

Jillian ROCKED the running portion of their relay!

Who doesn't love a triathlon sand castle?!

Most of the team members for the corporate Disney team that Jillian was a part of

Jillian and I decided to brave the triple digit temperatures and head to Disneyland for the day to celebrate her accomplishments (Isn't it THE BEST when Instagram friends turn into friends in "real life"?!).

HOLY HEAT BATMAN! Where is FALL?!

Pluto had on a vampire collar and a fun dog tag!

GIANT PUMPKINS!!

In an attempt to stay cool, we decided to hit up Splash Mountain (which neither of us normally go on because we don't want to spend the day soggy, but any type of splash was a much welcomed relief in the heat we were struggling through).

HOLD TIGHT!

One of the "MUST DO'S" on my list for the day was Haunted Mansion because Jack Skellington/ Sandy Claws had already taken it over and it is my FAVORITE during the holidays! And we had to welcome back the Hatbox Ghost, right?!

Have a VERY SCARY CHRISTMAS!

THE HATBOX GHOST IS BACK!

Who doesn't love singing pumpkins in a graveyard?!

We also hit up a couple rides that are normally skipped, like Winnie The Pooh and Casey Jr (which I don't think I had ever been on before, especially not the backwards seat in the caboose!).

Never been on it before now, but it was a great little ride!

You MUST ride in the caboose on Casey Jr... I THINK I CAN,
I THINK I CAN...

Then it was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (always a MUST in my book), plus a few more photo ops and it was time to head over to DCA (Disneyland's California Adventure).

Maybe I was scared? Or maybe the heat was frying my brain?

It's the WILDEST RIDE IN THE WILDERNESS!

What a DAZZLING castle, right?!

These backdrops are an AMAZING idea! 

We are HOT and HAPPY!

When Jillian asked if I had any fave rides at DCA, I didn't even hesitate to blurt out THE SWINGS! She chuckled and said she was totally down. We actually told all of the cast members on our way over to the swings and they were pretty pumped for us too!

Silly Swings!

Jillian caught me trying to FLY!

Then Screamin' was a MUST. I mean it has become a tradition for us when we hang out at Disneyland together... And who can turn down that AMAZING roller coaster?!

Didn't you know you could get your picture UPSIDE DOWN?!

After realizing it was already 5pm and we hadn't eaten all day, we made our way over to the Cozy Cone and grabbed some pretzel bites before deciding we would go watch Aladdin (they will be getting rid of the show soon to replace it with Frozen, so we HAD to say goodbye before it left).

Prince Ali!

Once Aladdin let out, we dropped by the Tower of Terror for a quick scream (seeing as our food had digested a bit) before heading back over to Disneyland.

HOLY CRAPOLY... I think the floor is gonna give... 

Although Ryan and I have season passes, we hadn't been up to the parks to see the new Paint The Night parade, so I knew I NEEDED to see it. Jillian hadn't seen it either (she actually said she was deleting SnapChats from people who were accidentally trying to ruin the surprise of the wonderfulness that is Mickey's imagination SET FREE :)), so we popped a squat on the cement (thankfully by this time the sun had gone down and the temps were a little more manageable... like 82*) and waited around for the show.

Nighttime is just so magical at Disneyland!

This was our "Paint The Night is COMING" face!

The parade did NOT disappoint. If you haven't seen it yet, YOU HAVE TO! I felt like I sat there in amazement, like a little kid. It was sooooooooo cool. My photos aren't going to do it justice (an iPhone picture of a light parade will never turn out amazing), so just believe me when I say you MUST go!

Tinkerbell led the parade!

Huge Genie and Lumiere

Mack! The back of his truck was ALL LIGHTS! 

Little Mermaid even had lights in her clam shells!

SLINKY DOG! 

The rose was STUNNING! As was Belle's dress!

Oh, Mickey, you've done it again! I love when you let your imagination
run FREE! What a show!

And then, as if the day/night couldn't get any better, we scooted a bit down Main Street and the firework show started (honestly, it was like we had perfect timing the entire day with very little to no planning the whole time). The only other time I had seen the new firework show was when Jillian was out to Disneyland in May and we watched it from her hotel room. They actually closed the parks early that night so that the executives could see the show before they opened it to the public so we definitely didn't get the full effect (we couldn't see Main Street, hear the music, etc), but at least we "saw" it. But, MAN OH MAN, this firework show is AMAZING!

I told a friend who was taking her daughters to the parks in a couple weeks that although everyone wants to get as close to the castle as possible (and who could blame them?), Main Street is WHERE IT'S AT! The new firework show is more than just fireworks! Main Street comes to life and it is FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC! I mean, it even SNOWS! (Just like with the Paint The Night pictures, these are probably going to be pretty craptastic, but I am sort of glad the pictures aren't great because that just means you will have to witness the magic yourself!)

Have your cameras ready... The FIRST firework is a Mickey!

I mean, it's just MAGICAL!

Some algae grew out of the Main Street shops during the Little Mermaid
and Finding Nemo sets

Can you see the "snow" falling from the sky?! 

I know our castle may be small, but it is fierce ;)

SNOW after triple digit temps?! And it even smells like cinnamon! 

Fireworks make my heart smile! And Disneyland's top the chart!

After the firework extraordinaire finished, Jillian and I were POOPED to say the least! She had run a race earlier that morning and I had been up since before 4am, so I was actually surprised we were able to rally that late! The weather man was predicting rain for this week, so instead of staying up in Anaheim and have to deal with terrible California drivers if water was falling from the sky, I decided to hit the road. I ended up making it home around 11:00pm. WHAT A FUN-FILLED AND ABSOLUTELY PERFECT DAY!

Oh, and just in case you thought Ryan was sitting at home crying that I was gone all day, think again! He had an awesome opportunity to screen-print some of his original artwork at an event at Patagonia in Cardiff.

Repost from @SkyeWalker_Art's Instagram

And then him and Walt the Wiener Dog took a hammock up to the park to snooze in for a while. It's a ruff life that we've got, but some body's gotta live it ;)

Source: @Ruggedwoodsman's Instagram

But in all honesty, we are BEYOND BLESSED (and we try our best to acknowledge the blessings poured out upon us daily so we never take any of them for granted). We are so thankful for all of the opportunities we have been afforded and try to enjoy every day as much as possible!

Was your Sunday a fun day? Or what about a run day?