Yogurt, Gas, Housewives, and Moms

The other day I read Tara’s post about Yoplait Greek yogurt.  I’ve only tried Chobani so I was very interested because I heart Greek yogurt!!

I went to Safeway and lo and behold, there were about 4 different brands of Greek yogurt, including Yoplait! Because Chobani was on sale, I had to grab a few.  Then I grabbed a few Yoplait’s for good measure. 

Yesterday I had the Strawberry Chobani for breakfast and it was delish, as always.  Have you tried Greek yogurt?

Greek yogurt had more protein than regular yogurt... But the sugar is still kinda high. Today I tried Yoplait's Greek yogurt with honey and vanilla.  It's tasty, but a bit more tart than what I'm used to.  And it's not as smooth as Chobani.  I'd probably still buy it, if it was on sale, but nothing to get excited over.

Work was super busy so I ended up eating at my desk, which I try to avoid.  Friday was a State Holiday for us but since the museum is closed on Mondays, we take our holiday on Monday.  And because Monday was a holiday? All my deposits and PO’s got pushed to Tuesday and I was SWAMPED!!

I went for a walk to clear my head.  We have a gas station across the street so I frequent that convenience store, a lot (hence, frequent). 

I picked up a bottle of water and some Gatorade for my run after work and almost fainted after I saw this:

CRAZY!!

Back at my desk, my brain just wasn’t working and I felt all sorts of lost. Which culminated at the end of my work day, when I was about to change into my workout gear and realized I left half my outfit at HOME!

Which meant I would have to go home and get my clothes, and might as well work out there since it would be prime traffic time and super inconvenient to drive anywhere in Honolulu.

So that’s what I did.  Warmed up on the elliptical, toned my arms, shoulders, back, and abs, then back on the elliptical for 45 minutes.  I feel the elliptical is the lesser of the two evils when choosing between that and the treadmill.  However, after awhile my feet get numb and it just gets boring. Thank goodness I was able to watch this as a distraction:

After my workout, I got caught up on another distraction (don’t judge me):

The hubby and I got really into it and stayed up late to watch the finale.  I really wish I could get those 90 minutes of my life back!

And today? I’m dragging.  I can’t wait for this day to be over with so I can go to sleep at 9pm. 

What TV shows do you enjoy as a distraction, or just plain guilty pleasure?

What are the gas prices like in your area of the world?

Housekeeping is a necessary evil...

Ever felt like you were trapped in a box?

I do.  Sometimes.

I put myself in a box.  I try something new and set up all these rules of how it’s going to work.

I’m going to blog every day, have cool themes for some days of the week, talk about running like I’m obsessed. 

But the hard part is, that’s just not how my brain works. It sometimes burns me out.  I always do that to myself, so you’d think I would have learned that by now.  I just can’t set “rules”/guidelines of how this thing is going to work.  I just have to write.

That’s why in school my favorite part of writing classes was the brainstorming.  I loved/love to jot down ideas, uninhibited. Just let the ideas flow and ignore the hows/whys/is-that-even-a-good-idea thoughts that come up.  When I put rules around my brainstorming (and my blog), I feel boxed in and limited.  I hate that feeling.

That being said, I felt like I needed a little housekeeping with my blog.

I’m throwing the themes to the wind.  I’m just gonna write what I wanna write.  I want to be more focused on my running and training for my first 5K, not get caught up in boxed limitations.

So if you miss seeing something that was featured before, or you’re wondering if my brain has a multiple personality disorder (it’s my brain, not me), then feel free to email me at islandstylerunning@gmail.com

Family time is always a good time...

I'm back!!

It's been a whole weekend with no posts... But it was a GREAT weekend with my amazing family!

We left Honolulu on Friday night and as soon as we landed on Maui, I went straight to the Lahaina Civic Center (the hall) to help set up.  We were lucky enough to get access the night before the party so my cousins were able to set up the tables and stage area.  It was an easy night and we left early back to our grandparents' house for dinner and great family time.

The day of the party, we had to get an early start.  There were lots of things to get done: put the food together, finish decorating, plate the desserts, blow up the balloons.... so much that it's still a little hazy.

My cousins and I decorated the stage area.  This is where Baby Michael's banner was displayed and the center of the party. 

While we set up the hall, our parents, grandparents, and friends helped to prepare the food.  And let me tell you, there was a lot of food!

Above is my dad cooking the chicken for a local dish called Chicken Long Rice.  It's a clear noodle dish with shredded chicken, chopped ginger, green onions, and chicken broth.  Delish! The other pic is of my cousin and I wrapping 200 Pigs in a Blanket... we are great multitaskers!

We also had lots of fish (lomi lomi salmon- traditional hawaiian food, black crab, poke- chopped raw fish with sea salt and seasonings), kalua pig (roasted pig cooked in an imu or underground oven), squid lu'au (stew made from taro leaves and coconut milk), poi (pounded taro mixed with water), pasta, salad, and probably other stuff I forgot...

When our family hosts a party, we work really hard.  Cousins and friends serve the guests, run the food from the kitchen to the food line, serve drinks, and mingle when we can.  I was able to sit briefly to enjoy a small dinner with my mom and dessert with my husband...

We had pineapples, red velvet cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, and haupia (coconut milk pudding, almost as thick as Jell-O but oh so much better!)

All in all the party was a great success!! I didn't get to go on a run like I hoped, but had a lot of exercise setting up and helping out my family.  It's a huge tradition that we do for first birthdays and graduations.  And honestly, I can't wait for the next one!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY MICHAEL!!

Happy Fried Egg!

Seriously? I got nothing.

But I'll leave you all with this little gem (<--- Sarcasm Font).

Today is Friday (or fried egg, as she says).  And tomorrow will be Saturday, and afterwards? It's Sunday.  I think she may be on to something.

Cute girl.  But as Steven Tyler would say, "You should go home and practice".

Human Kidds

Every time I was excited for something when I was a kid, I would count the # of "sleeps" I had until the big day.  It made more sense to me than counting days for some reason... I dunno, that's just how my brain works!

I work full time in an accounting/analyst position and pretty much work for the weekends. 

I live for the weekends, is more like it.

Every Monday, I am at the edge of my seat waiting for Friday to arrive.

But this week is a little bit more special. 

This little guy, had his first birthday yesterday, and we are having a HUGE party this weekend:

Baby Michael with his Mommy Trinity, Auntie Welo in the background

Baby Michael is my nephew, son of Trinity (my cousin) and Mike (her fiance).  Trinity and Welo are sisters, our dads are brothers. And that's just a small branch of our Redwood sized Family Tree.

Anyway....

Baby Michael also shares the same birthday as this special guy:

Me and my daddy

The party is going to be held on Maui, and I'll be flying from Honolulu to Maui on Friday!!!! I can't wait to see everyone and eat some really realy really good Hawaiian food.

I'm excited for the party, but I'm also excited because I get to see these kids:

I'm related to the human kids, not the goats

The boy on the left (Tayden) and the girl on the right (Teani) are Welo's kids.  The two in the middle? My baby brother (Josiah) and sister (Rachel).  Yes, we are 20 and 23 years apart.

Our family is pretty close and these kids just warm my heart.  I can't wait to cuddle and play with them all weekend long.  We do have a GINORMOUS (300+ guests) party to set up and host, but there's nothing I enjoy more than spending quality time with quality folks.

I'm an only child, but I grew up with Trinity and Welo, even living in the same house for about a year.  We were raised together, and I am so blessed to have such great people surround and support and love me.

This week has gone by pretty fast and I'm super stoked to see everyone!  Hopefully I'll be able to get some running in there but if not, I'll just pick it back up next week.

And of course, I'll be sure to post lots of pics!

As of now? Only two more sleeps to go =)

FREAK. OUT.

I've been digging deep into BlogLand... following link after link after link and officially "following" some super cool bloggers.

Came back to my dashboard, looked at my "Blogs I follow" feed and...

NADA.

"You are not currently following any blogs"

AHHHHHH!! I had over 20 on that list stupid blogger dashboard!

OK. Refresh.

And there they were.  All 22 of them.

PS. 22 is my fave number.  All is well, all is well.

Main Ingredient: R.I.C.E and Cellulite

I went for a run today after work around Ala Moana Park again... It's the closest park from my office and now that I'm leaving work earlier, I get better parking and better sidewalk space.

Today was the first day I tried out my new socks that I bought on Sunday from Runner's HI.  First impression? LOOOOOOOOOOVVVVEEE. They were all snug and what not around my feet... they had this nice tight feel.

That's not my foot (or lack of) by the way...

I was all motivated with my new socks.  I ran further than my usual landmark!  I even finished my first mile in under 15 minutes.  I've been hitting 15 minute miles because 1) I can't run for a full mile yet and 2) I walk to catch my breath, not keep my heart rate up.

My run felt good!! I finished 2.2 miles in about 31 minutes. OH YEAH.

And now? My foot HURTS.  The outside of my arch, specifically.  It hurt a little bit during my run but I decided to get through my mental block and push pass it.  As I drove home, it started to ache but again, didn't think much of it. UNTIL I had to walk hobble across the parking lot. OWWW-WEEEEE!

What's the best treatment for pain? R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).

No, that's not peas, that's a bag of frozen grean beens.

And Yes, our weather forecast for the week is 82-83, low of 72-70, partly sunny. Our standard Spring weather =)

In other news....

I had the best lunch today: corn chowder, a small salad, and a side of foccacia bread.  Not like I've NEVER had these items before, but they were really tasty! It was so beautiful I was inspired to take these pics:

It was all good until I remembered...

"Corn chowder. That's an interesting choice. You do know that cellulite is one of the main ingredients in corn chowder. "

JERK.

Whatever.  it was good! We have a cafe in our museum and this in one of my fave combos to get for lunch. 

Sorry for such a scattered brain post.  My foot hurts and somehow that affects my writing SKILLZ.

Until next time.... I'll be right here. RICE'ing.

I want FREE stuff... and I know you do too!

Two of the fantastic blogs I follow are having GIVEAWAYS!!!

WHOOP WHOOP!

Visit Runner's Rambles for a great giveaway of Headsweats Hats.  I heart hats and I heart FREE ones even more!

AND (YES!, There's MORE!) funny lady at SUAR (SHUT UP AND RUN!) is giving away a free shirt from TWIST.

 (No, not the shirt that she's wearing, you get to CHOOSE your fave!)

So check it out. DO. IT.

Manic Monday (OK, not so much)

This weekend was great!

We went for a run, ate, churched, ate some more, watched a movie (Just Go With It), ate again...

After the movie we went to Big City Diner, which my friend from JENNS ADVENTURES mentioned a few weeks back.  I had the salmon salad, which was HUGE by the way and came with 3 pieces of salmon! Needless to say, I ate till I was stuffed er, comfortably satisfied and it looked like I didn't even make a dent (probably because of all the popcorn I ate before)

After dinner we walked across the street to pick up frozen yogurt.  The hubby took a pass because he did not plan very well and had a HUGE burger AND a chocolate milkshake... he was stuffed! I on the other hand was comfortably satisfied, not full, so I got cake batter yogurt with red velvet cake pieces and white chocolate chips.  HEAVEN.

AND the hubby is back on the day shift this week which means I get to see him every single freakin day this week!!

AND on Friday we're leaving to Maui for the weekend.  My nephew is turning one and we are going to PAR-TAY! We do it real big out here. Think 300+ people at the town's recreation center.  OH YEAH.

It's only Monday, but like every Monday, I'm pretty ready for Friday.  Get excited, people. GET. EXCITED.

Weekend Special: FEATURED ARTIST

And it's back!

New post featuring a local artist... check it out:

Artist Name: Brandy Hampton/Henna by brandy

Check her out on Facebook at henna by brandy or email her at dakinebrandy@yahoo.com

She has been working with henna for 10+ years now

So what is Henna?

Henna is a plant actually. The leaves are dried and crushed up into powder. Oil and lemon juice is used to turn the powder into a paste which is applied to the skin like puff paint. Once applied the paste will dry up and flake off. The stain from the henna will be bright orange in color and will darken into a rich brown within 24 hrs. Henna, or mehndi, is 100% safe and natural! Fun for parties of all types!

What is your favorite henna designs? Feet? Arms?

My FAVORITE is applying henna to a beautiful pregnant belly! I had henna done during both of my pregnancies and it's just so special♥

How did you get started with henna?

I got into the henna business when i was a senior in high school. A good friend of mine asked me one day in art class if I would like to apply for a job @ the henna shop she worked @. I LOVED it and have been creating beautiful henna designs ever since!

Where do you get your inspiration?

Everything is an ispiration! lines, colors, people, nature...art is everywhere!

And your favorite ice cream?

okay, my ALL time favorite flavor of ice cream is...MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP...mmmmmmmmm. cravings!

Where would you go on a dream vacation?

My dream vacation spot is New Zealand...so beautiful ^_^

Anything else you'd like readers to know?

Also, any mommies to be out there? I am looking for 5 bellies to decorate free of charge! Perfect for those maternity photos ^_^ I want to add more photos to my FB page and books...contact me @ dakinebrandy@yahoo.com or on my FB page @ henna by brandy

Thanks Brandy!

Not a Fat Head

Today I convinced the hubby to go to therapy (running) with me again.

The original plan was to go to Ala Moana Park, where you can see previous pics posted here

However everyone and their mom was at that beach. We drove through the park and decided to hit Kapiolani Park.  I didn't take these pics, but they give you an idea of what it looks like.  It's right next to the Honolulu Zoo.


View Larger Map

It was a great run. It's flat and the path just goes around the park.  We started along Kalakaua, up Paki (D), crossed Monsarrat and ran passed the Honolulu Zoo.  Thank God the animals were clean today.  I would have suffocated.

We made our way down Kapahulu Ave and looped back to Kalakaua (just a big circle, check out the map above).

I felt really good after our run.  I keep feeling like I can push myself further so I really need to figure out how to get over my mental blocks.  That will be my goal for next week.

After our run, we drove up to Diamond Head to admire the view, and of course take some pics:

Now the hubby is napping, I'm about to go find a place for dinner after church and we'll be out again soon. 

And I don't know why his head is so big in this pic.  He is not a fat head, I swear.

My take on the simple things...

I saw this really cute blog post by Lizzy at Food to Run For

She talked about the simple things in life that just make her all warm and fuzzy inside. Think of these things like the antonym of "pet peeves".

Here's my list of 10, in no particular order.

1) When I read blogs from my friends here in BlogWorld, I LOVE LOVE LOVE when people post funny pics of themselves.  I just LOVE it! So for your viewing pleasure:

2) When my hair gets all twisty and wavy and shiny, which is the complete opposite of when it decides to look like a frizzy rodent took residence on my head.  I swear it has a mind of its own.  This picture doesn't do it justice but I'm seriously considering not washing my hair so I can rock the shiny waves tomorrow. But that is kinda gross.  I'll wash it, I promise:



3) The feeling after a hard workout.  I love feeling strong! But during the hard workout? Eh, not so much.

4) When I come home and the bed is made.  Doesn't matter who makes it, either me or the hubby, but something about coming home and seeing the bed made makes me feel special:

5) The right combination of salt to butter on the movie popcorn.  I watch movies in theaters just to eat the popcorn. It is my one vice.  I can usually turn down the not-so-good-for-you foods any other time with a minimal internal struggle but movie popcorn? NO WAY. And when the movie folks make it with the right amount of butter (not too much to make me sick, but enough to where I can really taste it) and I'm able to find that sweet spot with the salt, it's pure HEAVEN.

6) Shave Ice (or Snow Cones) is a staple here in Hawaii.  I love it when the ice is really really fine.  So fine, that when the syrup is poured on it, the ice stays soft and instantly melts in your mouth.  The BEST feeling though is having Shave Ice after a hot day at the beach, before we head back home.

7) My chats with my dad and gifts from my mom.  I know that those are 2 things, but really the theme here is love from my loved ones.  I can chat with my dad for hours.  My mom still buys me Easter baskets and Halloween treats.  I'm 25.

8) Cute kids. And cupcakes. Nuff Said.

9) My hubby's jokes.  Most of the time they're lame.  But that's what makes them soooo funny! The best is when he jokes with a straight face.  Gets me every time.

10) Comments on my blog from friends and strangers alike =)