Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Favorite Things–May 2011

Running/Training:

Let’s talk dollars and cents (or sense). When you train you spend the big bucks on fueling. Gus, chomps, blox, gels, sport’s drink, etc. I cut costs where I can.

Instead of chomps or gels, I’ve been using Welch’s fruit snacks. They are a fraction of the price ($.13 per serving vs. $.75 per gel/chomp serving) and the nutritional info is comparable.

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Fruit Snacks:

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Chomps:

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Keep in mind, the serving size of Chomps is 30g, the fruit snacks are 25 g. Also you get two servings  in the Chomp bag, but the price for the snacks is still 1/4 of the Chomps. You do not get your electrolytes with the fruit snacks, so if you want ‘em, you’ll need those from sport’s drink or electrolyte tabs. Carbs, sugar and calories are comparable.

It’s easy to grab one of these between a bike and run or to carry a couple with you on a long run. I get the jumbo 80 pack for super cheap at Costco for about $11.

Brain Food/Reading:

I’ve been so busy lately I’ve had a tough time getting into books. I’m a huge reader. One of my favorite things is getting so absorbed in a book I can’t think straight. I picked up this one, since it seemed like lighter summer reading, not expecting much. I’m only half way in, but am loving the story of friendship and “coming of age.” (Amazon $8.79).

fireflylane

I’ve always got a non-fiction book on my night stand, just to keep me balanced. This month I’ve been loving this one. It reminds me to stay centered in my running and to remember why I like to do it. (Amazon $9.56).

zenandtheartofrunning

Aging/Health

Over the years I’ve neglected my skin, now I’m playing catch up. I’ve gotten very disciplined about washing and moisturizing my face at night. I  can’t afford all these fancy creams and such, so I choose one good quality item to mix in with my Oil of Olay routine. My friend Erika turned me onto this while we were in Vegas dehydrating and damaging our bodies.

This one is “a moisturizing antioxidant serum that protects your skin from damaging environmental pollutants. Helps fight free radical damage that causes visible aging while hydrating and smoothing skin.” Maybe I’m high in crack, but I swear I noticed a difference right away. Smoother. Radiant. (Amazon $36.00)

bioelements

Family Health/Nutrition

I’m lucky on this one. Many of you will not have access to this gem. I was visited this week by a wholesome gentleman in an unpretentious and simple blue truck. He is from our local dairy: Royal Crest (okay, this was not the exact man who showed up).

20070130_ROYAL_CREST_DAIRY_MILLER

He talked me into getting weekly milk delivery. I spend $6/gallon on hormone free (bovine growth hormone) milk at the grocery store. Royal Crest’s is hormone free and is $3.49/gallon. When you receive it in the cooler on your doorstep, it is only 2 days old. Fresh off the cow’s teat. Best part? Tastes amazing. Comes in chocolate too. They also deliver cookie dough, so it could get ugly.

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Clothing

Cute Running Shirts offered to send me a couple of their shirts. I am loving the ones they sent. They both say “Tri Hard” – one is a tech shirt and one is a regular t-shirt in the softest of cotton. (both shirts $34 each).

The tech shirt (looking a tad possessed here):

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T-shirt:

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What are you loving this month?

SUAR

Please note: I recommend these products without any incentive. I was not sent items to review or paid for my reviews.

49 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tip on the fruit snacks. I had been trying fig newtons for the same reason - CHEAP! They get a littly crumbled though after boucning around for several miles. I will have to give the fruit snacks a try!

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  2. This month?? That summer is coming!!!!!!!! BTW do those have HFCS?

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  3. How cool that you get milk delivery!

    I love mint foot cream. I don't have any right now, but I love putting it on hot tired feet. The last stuff I used was from Body Shop, but I'm not sure what other places sell it.

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  4. We do the fruit snacks thing at my house too. The only problem is that I love to eat them even when I'm not working out and the cheap price doesn't stop me from doing that. I would never crack open a Gu Chomps as a snack because they're too expensive. But 3 or 4 bags of fruit snacks...Right down the hatch baby!

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  5. GREAT idea with the fruit snacks. I'm going to look for those - or something similar - and give it a try.

    I spend a fortune on gels & chomps.

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  6. I meant to comment the other day when you posted your playlist - it looks eerily similar to mine. My favorite thing right now is running to "2 Legit 2 Quit" by MC Hammer.

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  7. No kidding. I use that exact same fruit snacks!! So funny. I thought I was being cheap. Glad to read someone else thinks they are nearly the same thing too!

    Love that burntout tee. So cute.

    I am loving the extra daylight hours!

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  8. I've gotten Royal Crest since my kids were babies four years ago. Best thing I ever signed up for in a sleep-deprived infant-twin get-the-salesman-off-my-back haze! And not only do they do cookie dough, they do egg nog at Xmas, which means it gets ugly around here sometimes too.

    Enjoyed your BB race report! You are FAST. Wish I could catch that instead of my kids' colds. :^)

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  9. I am loving being off school (I'm a dental student) and getting to spend time with my family AND all to myself. I've been doing tons of reading. I read non-fiction, but fiction is my True Love.

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  10. Ooh man, cookie dough delivered to the door? That would be a disaster in my life.

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  11. I am loving the apparent appearance of summer. Crossing my fingers I'll be complaining about the heat very soon!

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  12. I've used those fruit snacks during races too! Mainly because Gu doesn't agree with me so I had to find something comparable that did.

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  13. We have milk delivery as well, from Longmont Dairy. And boy can you get hooked. We were on vacation last week and had to use regular store milk at my in-laws place and it tasted so weird. Glad to be back on delivered milk! You will ENJOY!!

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  14. My kid LOVES the chewy fruit snacks, and I bring them on runs. BUT you can find an even cheaper version. Our local grocer carries some generic version of the welch's fruit chews that are more like $4 for 52 of them. Delightful!

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  15. I love the Tri hard shirts!

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  16. Firefly Lane is an enjoyable book. Thanks for the advice on the fruit snacks. I will have to try it.
    So far this month I am loving the pool and popsicles....however that is spelled.

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  17. Wow! Royal Crest has come down in price, I gave it up last year when it skyrocketed to $5.99 a gallon. There's some brand I get at Whole Foods for $3.59 (last week anyway). I may have to call RC again.

    The books look great, I am on summer mode after today's last day of work so will check them out.

    Happy June!!!

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  18. Beth, fruit snacks, any sort of soft candy like red licorice, jelly beans, whatever is a better alternative than spending big bucks on marketed running products. You are primarily after carbs in the form of sugar.

    Karen mentioned fig newtons which are a great alternative as well, 60 calories per cookie. I used to carry a whole row/stack of them on my 36 mile training runs. There are also a lot of different types of individually wrapped fruit/cookies that also work well. Just look at the calorie count on a lot of this prepackaged stuff in the store. You'll be amazed what you can find and it all works great.

    Dana

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  19. Jill - I know, they got expensive, but now they are offering 1.5% milk and are the only ones that offer it. They say they will keep the price at $3.49, so I am in for that.

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  20. I always eat fruit snacks as my running food, I cannot wrap my head around a 1.39 for a gu when I can get an entire 10 pack box of fruit snacks for the same price. My friend gave me Firefly Lane, I haven't read it yet, guess I should start!

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  21. I found silicon poney-tail-holders at Walgreens. NO SLIPPING AT ALL. Love em. They're made by scruncci

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  22. I ate fruit snacks during my marathon a few weeks ago. i forgot my Gu's, and so out of desperation dumped a couple little bags of fruit snacks I had brought for the kids into my fuel pouch. I did end up getting some gu from a running partner before the race and one out on the course, but I still munched on the fruit snacks during the race... i liked them!

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  23. ummmmmm.
    duhhh

    YOU!

    ok - and my body oil now being sold at Costco. HUGE $$ savings. YAY!

    Now if they could just sell woodway treadmills.

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  24. Wow, your milk is expensive? Are you getting organic too? Did you know that Costco's milk (at least in MI and KY) is hormone free? It is not organic, though.

    I do hear you on getting fresh milk. I love it, but have been cutting back on dairy. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Calder Farms chocolate milk. It comes in the glass bottle with no info on it other than Calder Farms, so you know it has got to be super fattening. So good. I think I am going to have to get some first thing back to MI tomorrow to have it waiting for me after my half IM on Sunday (crap!)

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  25. I am loving my Clarisonic Mia. You MUST get one of these for your face. Makes a HUGE difference. Our skin just doesn't turn over as we age. Boo.

    Also love my Avene Retrinal .1 cream along with my Mia. Stuff is awesome.

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  26. I didn't even think of fruit snacks and your the 2nd person who has told me about Bioelements... Definitely going to try it! My favs.. summer!!!

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  27. you are one smart shopper ... can you tell me where I can pick up some cheap snacks for running here? Shot bloks cost me about $2 a piece.

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  28. Their chocolate milk is addicting! My friend gets their milk and always orders me an extra chocolate milk when I visit...so yummy!!!

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  29. I am jumping on the fruit snack bandwagon! GREAT idea...your tummy does fine on them too? I'm all about saving $$...race entry fees aren't cheap!

    You are looking tri-fit in your shirts!

    HOpe you had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend Beth!

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  30. I want that awesome milk delivery thing at my house! I might actually drink milk again! Something about 'fruit snacks' reminds me of 'dog treats' so I have never really been able to get into them... but my kids love them.

    I'm loving some new friendships this month and that crazy bike I managed to disentangle from the garage and that caipirinha I made last night!

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  31. This month my favorite thing is wine. Red. Italian. Yum.

    And OH! How I miss milk! Lactose intolerance STINKS!

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  32. Firefly Lane...LOVED it! Loving that my marathon is Saturday and I'm feeling good.

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  33. I am so jealous of your fresh milk delivery. Hope that catches on again!

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  34. Thanks for the fruit snack suggestion - I will definitely try it. I would love to have fresh milk delivered to my door....the cookie dough delivery could be dangerous!

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  35. Having hormone free milk delivery is such a great idea! Send them over my way here in Phoenix!

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  36. Cool info on the fruit snacks!

    We have Royal Crest here, too! Love it! Except that I have wooden box and not a cool insulated cooler. Little jealous!

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  37. Love your favorite things lists. Here are some of my current favorites. Running song: Pit Bull "Give Me Everything". Nutrition: Coconut Water (purchased at Costco). Aging: Retin A (normally by prescription but not in Mexico!). Book: "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" by Aimee Bender. Clothing: Tuff Athletics (rumored to be affiliated with Lulu Lemon) capri yoga pants (purchased at Costco). It's fun to be Oprah...

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  38. I've been getting milk delivery for a couple of years now and love it. My husband whines about the price of it, but it's worth it.

    I am chomping at the bit to try James Frey's new novel. Have you read any of his (controversial) stuff?

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  39. I am loving that there is still a milkman that delivers. How awesome is that.

    I am loving that Welch's Fruit Snacks replace GU Chomps but I don't use GU Chomps so I guess it isn't that exciting.

    I am loving that Kristin Hannah is a client of ours....hilariously small world.

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  40. Loving the fruit snack idea! I am definitely going to try that since I'm a poor college student ;-)

    This month I'm loving that I am "this close" to my first marathon - so nervous, but I can't wait!

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  41. I LOVE NUTELLA! Great on rice cakes, or mixed with almond butter on a sandwich. If I'm really evil, eaten with a spoon directly from the jar:)

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  42. great idea on fruit snacks! i'll have to try that. during my last marathon i had a hard time getting down gu...maybe this would be better.

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