Tag: Lifestyle

The casual marathoner and occasional foodie and fashionista.

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Disneyland Half Marathon

This past weekend I completed my first Disneyland Half Marathon. I was invited by runDisney to participate and signed up at the  last minute. I was a little worried that I hadn’t trained enough and because of that I would have a terrible race time.
All of those worries seemed silly as I ran past the starting line and saw Mickey and Minnie cheering on the crowd. Taking pictures soon took precedence over anything else. And there were so many pictures to take.

This was my race BFF.

We met coming out of our hotel rooms and soon realized that we were both running alone. This is what I love about races; you make friends in a minute. We ran together until mile 6 and then unfortunately I lost her. Hopefully she remembered my email address.

The first few miles were fantastic. There was so much to see it hardly felt like I was running.

Stopping for a picture

 

Running into California Adventure
Disneyland’s Main Street
Running into Tomorrowland
Frontierland where Winnie the Pooh and Friends posed for pictures
It was great running through the park. There were so many employees out cheering us on. And a lot of the Disney characters including Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, and a few Princesses.
A folklorico group entertained the runners
Once we got out of the park the sun started beating down on us, but luckily it was not very hot. And there was a lot to see along the way. Folklorico dancers, cheerleading squads, and high school bands were all along the route plus the runners costumes were so much fun.

Near the end of the race I got very competitive. I sprinted the last three miles while I searched for my husband and kids. I didn’t see them until after the race, but was very happy to see this!

I took the above picture later. My actual time was 2 hours and 36 minutes. Not bad. Next stop, the Tinkerbell Half Marathon!

 

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Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.

For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos.  I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

One of my favorite things to make my kids is smoothies and here’s why; they drink them. It’s that simple. They don’t throw a fit because they actually like them. They don’t ask for something else. And they love to help me put the ingredients in the blender.

So when the Clever Girls Collective asked if anyone wanted to review Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt, I jumped on it. Plain yogurt is a main ingredient in our smoothies (and a minor ingredient in a few of the baked goods I make). And I’ve been buying greek yogurt lately to help cut back on sweets and desserts. I’ve been trying to bypass ice cream or cookies and have greek yogurt because I find it so filling, rich, and delicious.

But the real test comes from my kids (I eat everything!). I made a fresh fruit smoothie this morning that started with plain Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt.

Oikos yogurt in the blender

Then I added fresh cut peaches, frozen banana cubes (one of my favorite new finds from Whole Foods), frozen strawberries, and Whey Protein Powder. I put in the protein powder (also from Whole Foods) in case it’s a day that my kids decide they are boycotting protein.

They loved it. For smoothies, I usually use plain, lowfat yogurt, but the greek nonfat yogurt made it so much more like a forbidden treat. It might taste forbidden, but it’s still good for you. The yogurt has only 6 grams of sugar. After I made it I realized I probably didn’t need the protein powder. The 5.3 ounces of yogurt has 15 grams of protein.

We also tried the nonfat blueberry fruit-on-the-bottom, which we loved, and the nonfat yogurt with honey, which was a little too sweet for our taste. My favorite was the nonfat vanilla.

If you’d like to try Dannon Oikos Yogurt visit Facebook for a coupon. 

Here’s the Peach Smoothie recipe.
1 5.3 oz. container Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt, plain
2 peaches, cut up 
1 cup frozen strawberries
Handful of frozen banana chunks or 1 fresh banana
Splash of orange juice
1 scoop of whey protein powder

Add all ingredients to the blender except for the protein powder. Blend until smooth. Blend in protein powder. If it’s too thick add more orange juice. Enjoy!

I have partnered with Dannon to help promote the Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt Series.  I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes writing about the promotion and product.  However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

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Six Years Old

Six and a half years ago, I peed on a stick. Five sticks just to be sure. I thought there was no way I could be pregnant because I was nursing a baby. And you can’t get pregnant when you’re nursing a baby.

Well, guess what? You can and I was. I thought back on the previous year and a half and said, No. There was no way I could do it again. I spent months on bed rest with preterm labor for baby number one. Bed rest. Pain. Hospitals. There was no way I could do that while taking care of another baby.

It wasn’t just logistics. I was not happy. Not unhappy or depressed, just not fun, pleasant, or good to be around when I was pregnant. Some women have morning sickness, others retain a lot of water. When I was pregnant I was humorless, stressed, and worn. I looked like a subject in a Dorthea Lange photo.

When I told my family that I was going to have another baby, the majority of the response was, “Oh.”
And the enthusiasm continued throughout my pregnancy. I was put on bed rest. Hated everyone but my 1-year-old. Ate as though I was feeding quintuplets. We even found out we were moving from Berkeley to Los Angeles. Loads of stress.
But then, 10 days after his due date, my baby was born. And what kind of baby is born under these less-than-ideal circumstances? The most wonderful boy. Happy from day one, sweet and lovable.

It may sound like a cliche, but I didn’t think my jaded heart had room for any more love. But really, I had no idea how much love I was capable of. And I was not prepared to fall head over heels in love with my baby.

But 6-years ago today, I did. Happy Birthday, baby!!

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Mammoth

Last week, the family and I went camping at June Lake and Mammoth with my inlaws. I was nervous at first about being offline for that many days (okay, I did check email by phone and used my laptop one day). But other than that there was no technology, just nature and my wonderful family.

We started out our trip at June Lake and took a ride out to the Bodie Ghostown. It was a bustling town in the  mid 1800s thanks to the gold rush, and at one point there was a populaton of 15,000. For those 15,000 or so people there were about 50 saloons. And men outnubered women 100 to 1.

Once the gold dried up people started leaving the town until there was nothing but old buildings. (This article in the New York Times talks about the push to start gold mining in Bodie once more.)

After a couple of days we moved our tent trailer over to Mammoth Lakes, which was really pretty. We explored and hiked and, of course, ate too much. Great way to end the summer.

 

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Sears Back to School Party in Hollywood

It’s hard for me to believe that summer will soon be over and it’s almost time for my kids to go back to school. But last Sunday I got a taste of what back-to-school will look like. Sears held a fabulous event at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel to talk about the latest fashions.

Rachel Matos, Yvonne Condes, and Cat Lincoln

I co-hosted the event with the delightful Rachel Matos thanks to the Clever Girls Collective and the amazing Clever, Cat Lincoln. We welcomed about 30 bloggers to the penthouse of the Roosevelt for delicious food and an engaging presentation by Shannelle Armstrong, the director of public relations for Sears Holdings.

Brunch at the Roosevelt
Christina Duffy, Nicole Presley, Ericka Sanchez, Silvia Martinez
Liz Dwyer, Donna Schwartz Mills, Elise Crane Derby, Alexandra Anderson Bower

Shanelle talked about some of the fashions to look forward to this Fall. Preppy is back, which means the jeans are higher and the tops are lower. That all sounds good to me.

Sears Back to School

We also saw some other fashions for mom. I love these shoes, but don’t know how many minutes I could wear them before I fell down. My favorite are the booties on the left.

Shoes from the Kardashian Kollection

Shanelle also talked about an interesting program Sears has for kids who are heading off to college in another state. Parents can pick out something, like a bed or bedding, at the local Sears then put it on layaway at the Sears near the college campus. Then your son or daughter can pick it up at a store when they get to school. That way you avoid shipping charges and you can have the whole summer to pay it off. There is a $5 fee with layaway and no finance charges.

After our delightful brunch we explored the penthouse and went up on the roof. Beautiful views of Hollywood to end a lovely day.

This is a sponsored post. I was selected and paid to be a co-host and write about the event by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. 

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CorePower Yoga, CardioBarre, and Jillian Michaels

Running has been my go-to form of exercise for years. Whether I’m training for a race or just need a little exercise, it’s convenient, fast, and I generally feel good afterwards. But the downside to having your only workout be one where you primarily use just your legs is that the rest of my body suffers.

This came to my attention after looking at several summer pictures of my arms. After untagging myself from pictures on Facebook, I thought I should probably do something about the extra weight on my upper body. It’s not only unsightly, but it’s very unhealthy for women to carry extra weight around their middle.

It was about that time that I got two invitations to try new workout studios in Los Angeles. Plus I bought a workout video at Target called Jillian Michael’s No More Trouble Zones.

The first studio I tried was CorePower Yoga on Granville and Wilshire in West LA.  I like Yoga and feel that I should do it more often. I don’t like that I feel like I need to another form of exercise because I didn’t get enough of a cardio workout. Not so with CorePower Yoga. I went to a Hot Power Fusion class where the room was heated. It made the class more challenging and I definitely felt like I was getting a workout. I was sweating buckets and my heart rate was up. Absolutely no need to go for a run before or after. And I felt great.

Next, I tried CardioBarre in Beverly Hills on Robertson. It’s a take on the barre ballet-type workout classes that are so popular right now. I tried a barre class before, but it was like yoga where I felt like I wasn’t getting enough of a workout. This class was barre on steroids. It was fast paced with weights, barre exercises, and a lot of cardio. It was fun and I definitely felt like I got a good workout. Frankly, it kicked my ass.

Both CorePower Yoga and CardioBarre offer a free trial class. It’s worth it to try it out and see which one works best for you.

My favorite workout of all was the one I did in my own home. Another reason I love running so much is the convenience. I can just get up and go. The few times I did Jilian Michael’s video I had planned to go do a class outside in the world, but there was too much work to make the time. Instead I popped No More Trouble zones in the DVD player and got a great workout. The goal is to eliminate “muffin tops, love handles, and wobbly arms for good.” It’s a really tough workout and the week I did it consistently, I feel toned and strong.

If I did all of these exercises, I would be superfit. But like everything that’s good for you, it’s all about making the effort. Let’s hope I do.

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Peanut Butter Flan and a Pie for Mikey

There are so many things I take for granted. But the most obvious lately is my smart, kind, adorable husband. Even though he’s pissing me off right now, I know that he loves me and our kids more than anything. I know that he means everything to me and I want him to know it, too.

I want him to know that I really do appreciate everything he does for us. That I miss him when we’re not together and that when we are, I love his company. I want him to know that I love him more every day.

The reason I’m focusing about how much I love him and not how much he’s pissing me off (which is my usual MO), is because of a horrible thing that happened last weekend.

The blogger, Jennifer Perillo, whom I met only once and whose blog I follow, became a widow. Her husband of 18-years passed away suddenly of a heart attack. I can’t imagine how much her heart is breaking. Or the sorrow she must feel for her two daughters.

So today, I joined many people across the country to make a Peanut Buttery Pie for Mikey, his favorite dessert.

It’s not really a pie, it’s a flan, because I didn’t have the ingredients to make a gluten-free pie crust. Hopefully my dear and wonderful husband will know that I made it just for him and I made it with love.

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The Help

I started the book “The Help” on tape during a roadtrip to see my sister in Northern California. We almost made it the entire way without stopping, but my kids needed to go the bathroom. I was so engrossed in the story that I bought the book so I could read it while at my sisters. The book had it’s problems – predictable, read like a screenplay – but I couldn’t get enough. When my sister complained that I needed to put down the book and go get some exercise, I only went out in the freezing Berkeley air so I could listen to my book on my ipod.

When I heard about the movie, I was not surprised. The book was so clearly meant to be a movie. I didn’t have high hopes for it, but I’m happy to say I was so wrong. The cast alone made it worth seeing. Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, and Emma Stone and the rest of the amazing women were perfectly cast.

The book and movie are about a Mississippi woman in the 1960s who comes home from college after getting a journalism degree and goes looking for a story. She finds it in her home and the homes of her friends when she begins interviewing the black women who work as their housekeepers. She uncovers secrets, finds romance, and empowers herself and the women around her. If it sounds like a tearjerker, that’s because it is. But it’s also really funny, well acted, and very entertaining.

 

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Blogher11 – Back at Home

There were a lot of very cool products on display for bloggers at this year’s Blogher11 conference in San Diego last weekend. But I have to say, my favorites were the most practical.

My #1 favorite product was the one I most needed yesterday morning. My older son woke up very sick with a bad cough, wheezing, and runny nose. So thank you to Walgreens for this handy thermometer.

He only had a cold and no fever, which was a big relief and he was much better today. That did not stop me from taking a few Xigo chewable immune defense tablets to fight off any impending cold.

If you’d like to read about products that my MomsLA colleagues and I loved you can read Blogher11 Swag Favorites. Or if you’re wondering how our Blogger Bash Happy Hour party went, you can read our post OC Blogger Bash Happy Hour.

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I'm 40!!! How the Hell Did That Happen?

Well, it happened. I’m 40. I know that everyone says they can’t believe it when they turn 40, but I really can’t believe it.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great. I have a wonderful husband, 2 fantastic kids, and a new career that I’m excited about. But I thought that at 40 I would feel differently, more mature maybe. Well, that’s definitely not the case. I spent most of Saturday making jokes revolving around the word “blow” after having my hair done at Blo Blow Dry Bar where their slogan is “Because You Can’t Blow Yourself.”

I don’t feel much differently than I did when I was 15 and hanging yvonne elise and sara yvonne and friendsaround my best friend’s Lara’s house watching Oprah. That same friend came all the way from Tucson to celebrate my 40th birthday with me last weekend. And so did three other of my closest friends. Maybe the reason why I don’t feel mature is because I have friends that make me feel so young. They are fabulous. Smart, incredibly funny, and genuinely good people. I’m so lucky to have them in my life.

And all of my friends really. My new friends in Los Angeles are also fabulous. Maybe one of the better parts of getting older is that you’ve gained the wisdom to pick great friends and stick with only the ones that are good to you.

Another thing about 40 that is shocking to me is how good I feel. I’m training for the LA Marathon and other than the days where we run 18+ miles, I feel pretty good. No, I feel really good. I don’t drink too much, or eat too much, or complain too much.

Basically, what I’m getting at is that 40 is ok. Whether it’s the new 30 or even the new 20, I’m kind of loving it.

yvonne and friend