Protein Powder Giveaway + A Grad Party

Last night was. the. bomb. I love parties! The whole day was fantastic! A day we had looked forward to for weeks, but in reality- years as it was representative of a lot of hard work and sacrifice. I'm so proud of my little sister! (to enter giveaway, see end of this post)

{Getting ready! Homemade chicken salad with croissants and pizza pinwheels.}

{A blurry picture of us filling trays. The kitchen is a hoppin' place at our house when there's a party.}

{Bamboo fruit skewers. An excellent healthy choice!}

There was TONS of good food, organized by my aunt Rhonda and Mary, of course, seeing as it was her party  :) The rest of us pitched in with the cleaning and attacking the to-do list once the menu had been decided upon. The party itself was beautiful, but I'd have to argue Mary was even more so :-) 

I love the colors! Red, white & black are so classy, southern. 

Lots of yummy food!

This party had attitude!

Fun with friends :)

We had a total of SEVEN homemade pound cakes. The flavors included lemon, cream cheese and chocolate. I tired a taste of each, of course- why not! It was heavenly.

{And this is the grad, Mary, lovely as always!}

Okay, so another very important factor that I need to mention is working out, since this is a fitness blog :) I started the day (Friday) with biking, just 2 miles and as I'm learning to brick, I hopped on the treadmill and logged 3.1 miles at a 6.5 pace with my time coming in at 28:30. Not terrible for a beginner, but I definitely want to see myself get stronger :0) It was such an invigorating way to start the day! Since I went out early, the weather was slightly chilly during the bike ride but it felt so good and refreshing. 

{Green smoothies are an awesome way to start a work day! I tried to stock up on nutrients so I could enjoy all the party foods:) } 

Today, Saturday, we had voice lessons for 1 hour this morning. I know, unusual for a Saturday, and especially since we didn't hit the sack till past midnight last night with the party and everything (so fun!). Anyways, my sisters are singing at a Memorial Day picnic in honor of the WWII veterans who sacrificed so much so our country could be free. That's coming up in just a few weeks so we've been working to pull that together. I think we all feel better after today's practice :-) 

After voice and lunch, I went bike riding in a neighbor with lots of hills. Ouch! The challenge was a nice and welcomed one. Biking across grass pastures can be hard, depending how bumpy it is, but there is no substitute for a real hill! I'm not sure exactly how far I went, but my goal was 15 miles and I think I at least came close to that.

Interesting experience, included being chased by a wild very protective neighborhood dog. He just wouldn't leave me alone and it was on this killer hill, too. There were some guys working on a house not too far away and as the dog kept coming after me, I wondered how fast I could get over there for backup! {Bet I could have done it in "record" time. :P} Anyways, I was thankful to know that when dealing with dogs you have to be "the top dog" and act like it. It eventually worked and I finally got away- scary, though!

After biking, I ran out and bought a Mother's Day present for my mom. I was still in my workout clothes, and hope I didn't smell too bad... ahh! But then, workout out clothes are some of the cutest! Homeward bound, one fast mile on the treadmill, a few squats and lunges and decided I was done for the day.

We had delicious leftover party food for supper and I feasted upon the broccoli and celery sticks. Delish! I then had a small serving of pound cake and the night felt complete. I'm tired, but I love this feeling as I know it's my body getting stronger. How about you? How have you pushed your body to the "ouch"?

So, now onto the fun part! The protein powder giveaway!!! Thursday morning, I opened a delightful package of samples from Sun Warrior. This is one of my most favorite protein powders on the planet! I love the chocolate version and I'm excited to try the vanilla :-) Here are just a few reasons why I love it:

• Gluten Free
• Soy Free
• Dairy Free
• Hypo-Allergenic, and
• Non-GMO!!! 

The winner of the giveaway will receive the flavor of his/her choice of Sun Warrior Vegan Protein Powder in the 500g bag. 

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment telling me what you would like to see more of on this blog (more running posts, recipes, daily living info, you name it!) If you link to me on your own site or tell a friend- I will enter you twice, but please be sure to tell me when you comment so I know :P 

Okay, folks! There you have it! I'm excited to announce a winner this coming Wednesday, the 16th! Wishing you the best!!!