Ding..Ding.. Ding... WINNER

The winner for the Yoplait giveaway goes to Mel with Tall Mom on the Run

Congratulations and thank you all for entering. Now Mel shoot me an email at nikesandponytails{at}hotmail{dot}com with your address

Blueberry, blueberry where are you?

The blueberries are in my breakfast, I have blueberry muffins (photo x2 they are small) and a blueberry Steaz Organic Iced Teaz following up with a wonderful Babybel, these bad boys are so yummy. I was in Costco last night and saw a pack of 24 for $9.59 and I normally pay two arms and a pinkie toe for them so I was all in, I purchased them on the spot, so I will be enjoying these come morning, noon & night!

Have you guys ever tried this Steaz tea? It is quite flavorful, its green tea sweetened with blueberry pomegranate acai and its such a delicate flavor. I really enjoy it. The whole thing is 40 calories per serving with 2 servings, but really, who is going to drink half? Not me, I am going to drink the whole thing and enjoy all 80 calories worth.

Look I figured out how to add the date to my pictures, oh small step for bloggy photos, one giant step for me!!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway I will announce the winner about 1pm MST tomorrow afternoon.

Today I am wearing a dress similar to this from Old Navy, well okay the only thing similar is the lenght of the dress and the sleeves, otherwise its gray with a black plaid print down the front center and I LOVE it, I paired it with some black cable knit tights and some black wedge boots with buckles up the side and I really love it. I feel trendy and sassy! So wierd how much an outfit can affect your mood, don't you think?

What is your favorite outfit that makes you feel sassy?

"Don't tie your dog to a leash of sausages."

I was lucky to get to try some of Organic Valley's products and I chose the Brown and Serve Pork Link Sausages, the yummiest bacon and some organic chocolate milk. I was to try the eggs, but man that chocolate milk was calling my name and I had never had organic milk before.

I chose the sausage because my mom told me when you go on your cruise you have to order sausage for breakfast it is out of this world, well I did and let me say it sure was out of this world, as in should have been left out there, it was soggy, flavorless and tasted like it had been microwaved. (see pic below, reheated and still delicious)

Now I get home and try this (yes, I tried this about a month and a half ago) Organic Prairie brand sausage (it is Organic Valley's meat line) and I tried it two different ways: in the microwave and on the stovetop, wanna know the results? Well this is quite honestly the BEST sausage I have ever had, it snapped when I bit into it, it was tender and juicy and had an amazing, smoked sausage flavor. When I buy sausage you can bet your butt I will be buying this brand and that is it. I wish I could really explain to you how heavenly it was. And I dipped it in sugar free maple syrup for added kick and both ways truly was divine. I loved it!

Now the next thing I got to try was the bacon, it was pretty delicious, I can't say it was the best bacon I have ever had, but it was up in the top 5 for sure. When I sampled this I took it over to my parent's house so the whole family could try it and while some of the family declared it the best bacon ever, others couldn't completely agree. It definately cooked up well, but the biggest turnoff about this bacon was the fat. There was quite a bit of fat on the bacon, I am an avid crispy bacon eater and the sight of soggy parts of the bacon will only give it 1 thumb up from me. But what I did enjoy about this bacon was that it tasted very maplely (is that an appropriate word?) it had a substanstial amount of flavor and had I gotten a package with less bacon fat my opinion might have easily been the best I have had, but until next time. I will not give up on this brand of bacon, until we meet again in the grocery.

Have you ever had organic milk? Maybe I am the last person on the planet to try it, but I finally did. I have to tell you I do not drink regular white milk, its the flavor it makes me gag and sometimes even hurts my belly. I am equally as skeptical around chocolate milk because I am super picky, I don't enjoy that watery, purplely looking chocolate milk, but decided to give Organic Valley a try and I am glad I did. The milk was creamy without being think and chocolatey without tasting like I was sucking on a hershey's bar. I can't say I could taste the difference between organic and not organic, maybe that is the point, but alas, if it is better for the animals, my health but perhaps a bit more for the pocketbook, I am willing to pony up.

Check out the article below, it is especially awesome to me because this is happening in my neighborhood, okay well a few towns over, but still. What a great thing!

Got Organic Milk?

Boulder School Kids Go to the Head of the Class!

Organic Valley Milk is a Building Block of the District’s School Food Project and Integrated Nutrition/Wellness Policy

"LA FARGE, Wis. – Sept. 21, 2009 – Organic Valley Family of Farms, the nation’s largest cooperative of organic farmers, and the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) today announced that Organic Valley is now the official milk supplier for the 28,000-student school district. The milk will be bottled and delivered by Sinton Dairy, a producer of premium dairy products based in Colorado Springs.

“School lunch programs across the nation need to make fundamental changes to improve the health and well-being of our children. Unfortunately, public schools are one of the last places where organic milk is usually found,” said Chef Ann Cooper, the “Renegade Lunch Lady” and interim BVSD nutrition director. “Not only is organic milk produced without antibiotics, synthetic pesticides and hormones, making it healthier for growing children, but Organic Valley milk is healthier for our local community because it’s produced by local family farmers.”

“We give the Boulder Valley School District an A+ for its commitment to ensure its students are served the highest-quality food from local, sustainable sources,” said George Siemon, one of the founding farmers and chief executive officer for Organic Valley. “Organic Valley has been a pioneer in helping reform school lunches, and our farmer-owners are excited to be partnering with a forward-thinking school district that’s redefining traditional school lunch programs.”

The “School Food Project” is a public-private partnership whose goal is to improve the health, nutrition and taste of school lunches. Organic Valley began providing its milk to BVSD on August 18, 2009, where it is available to students via lunch line dispensers.

The Benefits of Organic Valley Milk

Organic Valley farmer-owners graze their dairy cows according to strict standards that allow the cows plenty of access to pasture. Research has shown milk from pasture-fed cows to be nutritionally superior with higher CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and antioxidant levels compared to milk from non-pastured cows. These nutrients may help prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer in both children and adults.

The cooperative employs a regional milk production model, which means Organic Valley Rocky Mountain Pastures milk comes from certified organic cows pastured in Colorado and Wyoming. The farmer-owners of Organic Valley believe the best-tasting and most nutritious milk is produced in harmony with nature. Moreover, Organic Valley’s regional model builds local economies, and preserves family farming culture and the environment for future generations.

In addition, Organic Valley farmer-owners farm without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones or pesticides. Their organic farming practices promote healthy plants and animals that produce high quality, delicious organic products for a healthy planet and people.

Organic Valley Family of Farms: Independent and Farmer-Owned

Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and is one of the nation’s leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents 1,333 farmers in 32 states and one Canadian province, and achieved $527.8 million in 2008 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces a variety of organic foods, including organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce and juice, which are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide. The same farmers who produce for Organic Valley also produce a full range of delicious organic meat under the Organic Prairie Family of Farms label. For further information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop, www.organicprairie.coop and the cooperative’s farmer website, www.farmers.coop. Organic Valley is also on Twitter www.twitter.com/organic_valley and Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Organic-Valley/20674850824"

Organic Valley offers many products such as the mentioned above as well as eggs, butter, string cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, milk, ham, sausage and half and half, when you get a chance check out the products, eating organic is a great way to eat more consciously.

What do you eat organic?

Have I lost it?

I am seriously considering driving 5-6 hours and approximately 400 miles to go to the Trader Joes in Santa Fe, do you think I have lost my mind?

When I look at some many other foodie blogs I see most of you guys shop there and the frozen foods and everything look so appetizing! Even after my swap with Danica I am more in love, I ate the best granola bars on the planet, the thickest most fruity flavored leather strips and I have a few more goodies to try but its the packrat (though not disgustingly so) in me that doesn't want to eat the best stuff yet I want to keep and savor it.

Call me crazy, but I just might have to take a drive down during my Christmas week break! Yep, I will admit full nuttiness, I want to wander the depths of a flipping grocery store to try new things.. wow.. all I can say.

I love yogurt, do you? Get ya some!

Remember a few weeks ago when I waas telling you all about those heavenly yoplait delights I was lucky enough to try? Well now it is your turn, Yoplait would love to send you out this great sampler with a cute travel jewelry holder, a coupon for a free pack of Yoplait goodness and a cute either bracelet or key ring depending on how you want to work it.  They have these amazing flavors, Chocolate Raspberry, Lemon Torte, Triple Berry Cream or Creme Caramel with only 100 calories per serving. Also remember Yoplait does a wonderful job with their Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives program remember to mail in the pink lids to help raise money for Breast Cancer Research.

If you would like to win this great prize pack please leave a comment letting me know what you have done to give back to the community or a friend or stranger?

I will announce a winner on Wednesday afternoon, but pay attention that day because I have to get the winners address to them by Friday in the am!

Have a good day lovelies!

I hope...I hope... I hope..

Keep your fingers crossed for me until hmm about 5 pm tonight, which is when I will find out if I won a chance to be in a project I really want..

mmm'k thanks ya'll

*Edited to Add: Didn't get it but I won't let it slow me down.. Moving onward to bigger and better things.

I don't plan on kicking the bucket anytime soon...

however, I do feel like sometimes I ought to write a bucket list so here is my working list, which I think I may add to my side bar.

I am dying to write a book seriously, even though I write this blog in an exactly what I am thinking, when I am thinking it type of format, I do love to write. I have always wanted to write a book about a 20 something girl navigating through her adult life and a book on personal finance by someone who doesn't speak money terms, but actually thinks about money like most people. Since starting this blog over a year ago I have become more interested in writing about food, health and cooking, though I need to get a wireless card so I can write more thourough posts about such things.  

Based on the above realization by 2010, I want to find a way to make a substantial income from writing my blog, perhaps some magazine work and online publications. A woman should always have three sources of income in my opinion, I am working on getting the other two, I guess that means I need to step up my writing so I can get noticed, huh?

Spend a month abroad; France, Germany, England. Technically, I did live in Germany for 2 years when I was younger, but I want to go back now to experience the culture and the lifestyle. The shopping and food I just imagine to be incredible.

I love managing money and since July, I have decreased my debt load by 1/3 and plan to have it all paid off by March 2010, so my next money goal is to fully fund both my traditional and Roth IRA.

Be deliriously happy. I am a happy person, I know I have alot of wonderful things in my life, but I define deliriously happy as no stress. I dont know if that is quite possible, but I think no worries about whether I am in the wrong job, the wrong love life and things like that. I just want to be estacticly happy. And I think in order to achieve this I need to evaluate myself. I need to determine what I want and need without any regard for others. And I say that not in a hateful, uncaring way, but rather in a way where I can focus on myself. Does that make sense?

I guess this is pretty general, but I want to make a difference in someone's life. I have already noticed through the Junior League that I am making a difference, but I would like to do something so thoughful and needed that I know without hesitation that I really helped someone.

The idea of being a vegetarian permanently is not for me, I know that now, because I love chicken and an occasional steak, however I would like to spend an entire month eating no meat.

I want to run an ENTIRE 5k without stopping. I plan to seriously start my couch to 5k plan when I go on vacation, I think for me this will be the best time because besides the wedding and Thanksgiving I am not bound to any time deadlines or plan to spend the whole time sightseeing. Hopefully this will allow me to be on my way to creating a new habit.

There are many more things I want to do, honestly a lot of things, depend on how my life turns out in forms of marriage and family, but I plan to add on to this list once a month, I think that is a good time table to look, re-evaluate and adjust.

What is your biggest bucket list item?

TGIF

Seriously, could the day get any better, its Friday! I have so many exciting things planned for the weekend that I am just chomping at the bit for that clock to change to 5pm.

Tomorrow I have the dress fitting for my cousin's wedding, my hair cut/color appointment at Toni & Guy, a family birthday celebration, volunteer work at the Fetal Hope Foundation race and lots of time with friends.

I also got a few goodies in the mail this weekend so I need to practice my photography skills using some tips I got from my new photography class I started on Wednesday and duh I have to eat some of the said goodies.. mmm.

I was also lucky enough to stumble across some Funfetti cake mix at 79 cents a box because it is Halloween orange color, but I know if I make it for the guys at work they won't even notice what color it is because it is already in their bellies! It is worth a few brownie points to the guys that work so hard.

Since I am totally in a baking mood as of late (I murdered a loaf of home in my bread maker..yikes) but I don't want to counteract my get my booty in shape mode that I am going to start here soon, so I will just make stuff for friends and family. So it is a win win I get to bake and everyone gets some goodies.

What fun things have you got planned?

My Feelers are hurting

Seriously, could this baby say it better? I don't think so. I am really struggling with my relationship, I don't know which way is up and which way is down. The boy and I will celebrate nine years together December 5th, that my friends is literally 1/3 of my life! Do I have a ring on my finger or even assurances that our life together is forever in form of talks? No ma'am I don't, yet here I am still exclusive to him. We talked briefly about what we would do when our leases were up around March and he said well probably getting a new place (him without a roommate- but not us together) and when I probbed a bit more he said "well I don't see us getting engaged in the next 4 months.." Holy Hell I nearly jumped flipped the table ala Real Housewifes style and beat him with my Coach, that funny enough he bought me.

I am 27 years old (yeah if you couldn't do the math above) and I have spent my ENTIRE adult life with this man who has not and will not commit to me, granted we don't see other people, etc, but in terms of a future it is gray or shadowy or whatever a fortune teller would say to indicate she can't see anything! Oh, maybe I should see a psychic. I am honestly still very much in love with him and would be estatic if he came to his senses and proposed, but I don't believe that is going to happen and I am thinking that it might mean it is time to pack up my stuff and call it a day.

I hate to even think of that but at what point does a girl say enough is enough? I want the fairytale, I want someone to want to be with me so much that they don't have to wait years to propose because they couldn't imagine losing me to someone else, I want a house to call a home, a person to raise a family with and spend the rest of my life with without wondering why in the world did it take so long. Is that too much to ask?

I think I will be using my upcoming vacation to really contemplate what it is that I need and what I want out of my life. I have lived many a years taking into account what was best for us, but I really must focus on what is best for me. So the month of November will be a time for me to understand what I want and need out of my life and whether or not he can provide that. What helps you make big decisions? Usually it is my family that helps me, but I don't need their help here because I know exactly what they would say.

None of my pictures are right!?! What is going on blogger!

Look how pretty my purple afternoon snack is. Thanks again to Danica, I got to enjoy this super delicious granola bar and a boysenberry fruit strip. So delish and I really loved the stripey, purple granola bar wrapping, it just makes it so much fun. Other companies take note, bright colors, stripes and patterns definately attract this hyper active buyer.!!  Finished product, great lunch! I can honestly say that I haven never made a lunch sandwich with pepporoni, but it was super good. It sort of overpowered the turkey so much that if I hadn't made it myself I wouldn't know that there was even turkey. Maybe tomorrow I will try the turkey alone, so I can really get a "taste" of it. The pepporoni was really num, num, nummy on a sandwich though. I also want to try it on english muffin pizzas because these pepporonis are the size of an english muffin. That would be really cool. What, I am easily entertained.

This month's budget is going well, I technically still have $16 dollars left to spend on groceries until December 1st, but I have a lot of great stuff to eat. The only thing is as far as fresh fruits and veggies I am down to my last 3-4 apples and I only have canned vegetables left now. But I do have some frozen veggies I can incorporate into smoothies and juices. The grocery budget challenge has been really fun. I will admit I have been out to eat twice since the 15th but that money came from my fun money budget.