Not literally, figuratively!
The house is clean again!
Carpets vacuumed (we had so many dead bugs this week – eww).
Kitchen cleaned extra
Dusting complete
Laundry done
And wood floors cleaned…twice. They may look clean, but they’re not! I can never get them clean! I have come to the conclusion that my microfiber mop is just not scrubbing. I need the equiv. of a scouring pad on the bottom of a handle. Anyone have a recommendation?
I finished cleaning with plenty of time – getting up an hour earlier makes such a difference! I packed my bag and headed out for a swim.
And when I say pack my bag, I mean pack my LiveWell 360 Core bag! Sheila and I have been blog friends for a while, and she has just launched a new line of gym bags through her brand. I agreed to test one out and share it with you guys. The price is $129 – which is a bit more than I’d probably spend on a bag. But it IS a very nice bag. They are pre-ordering now and start shipping real orders the first week in June. There is, of course, a GIVEAWAY running through May 25! All pre-orders are entered to win bags full of tons of cool stuff.
And 10% OFF code: IAMAVIP
I have always been obsessed with POCKETS and this bag has lots of ’em.
One for shoes, which is probably the single most important thing I would want in a gym bag. This one is nice and spacious.
The shoe pocket comes out into the interior, but there was still lots of room for my towel and clothes
There’s a huge front pocket with more pockets for my keys and toiletries. Note the words on the lining – love the motivation!
And even more on the inside, including a fleece one that’s good for jewelry
The bag’s nice and lightweight and the strap is really smooth – it fits me well!
I have just one MAJOR complaint – something is missing….
Where is the water bottle holder?! I put my bottle in the front pocket and it did get things a bit damp. I suppose you could put it in the shoe pocket as well?
Other than that, the bag is really cool and I’m excited to keep using it while I pack up for the gym after work for the next few months.
Swim!
I’ve decided that when I put a little sumptin’ sumptin’ in my water bottle it takes the edge off of my hunger on the way home from my workout and I don’t wind up eating my whole pantry famished.
I’m still working through these ISO-5 coconut water sports drinks. I really like them! I just wish they had a cooler label! (And by cooler I mean I wish they didn’t look like they’re from the 90s). I liked the pineapple flavor a lot!
My bike ride to the gym was awesome. It’s breezy and sunny out there!
At the pool I swam for 32 minutes!!! I filled my ears with the water and just swam. No breaks. No counting. Just 32 minutes of steady freestyle. It went by so FAST and was just what I needed today to clear my head.
Showered –> Biked home –>
Lunch with Matt!
I made a Hugh Jass salad that was so filling I almost couldn’t finish the rest of my lunch!
- Half a head of romaine
- A carrot
- 1/4 green pepper
- Small head broc
- Pecans
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Agave
Organic Valley Yogurt drink in a Crofter’s Jar! [OVYDIACJ]
This was the BERRY flavor and I liked it a lot!! It did not have that artificial berry yogurt taste and was the perfect sweetness – as in, not very sweet! I topped it with chia seeds, a whole chopped kiwi (it’s in there, I promise!) and a quarter cup or so of Uncle Sam’s cereal I have from AGES ago!
[Note for those who wonder if I ever get hungry late at night: about 9PM last night I did and had a small bowl of Uncle Sam’s (hence opening the box!) with some milk. Hunger called!]
Seltzer + Genesis Today Guava juice. It was almost like Sunkist!
Notice the new FONTS? Just trying to keep things fresh!
Off to play with Matt.
Freya @ Brit Chick Runs says
I love swimming and not worrying about anything – it’s so freeing!!
And my gosh – your house is spotless!! Will you come and tidy mine!? It could sure use the treatment…
Have a good afternoon 🙂
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
That bag is SO cool! Unfortunately, I do not have that kind of money to spend on a gym bag. Oh well..
Yogurt in the crofter’s jar is SUCH a great idea!
mal says
i totally noticed the new fonts but wasn’t 100% sure until i got to the bottom of your post haha! but I like it and that salad looks diving! enjoy the rest of your saturday!
Annie@stronghealthyfit says
Glad you got to blow off some steam during your swim! I had a big salad for lunch today too. Have you seen that episode of Seinfeld where all Elaine wants is a ‘Big Salad’ at a restaurant? Hi-larious.
JessicaE says
I LOVE the new font!
Natalie @ Keep It Sassy says
From what I can see of it, I love your house! Especially the vase with the peacock feathers.
Gym bags and I have a love/hate relationship. I love to look at them, I love to buy them, but I usually just throw stuff into my purse or my school tote-bag and go.
caronae says
I love that bag. Looks like the perfect gym bag; I always use crappy backpacks! MY workouts are the best when I let go and just go, like yours today. No counting or clock-watching or whatever. It’s so nice to do that once in a while! Have a happy Saturday!
Food Makes Fun Fuel says
Have a fun afternoon! It’s been dreadfully rainy around here so your sunny photos cheer me up.
Laura @ youngDCliving says
I was JUST about to ask whether you had changed your fonts…I was wondering if I was going crazy, haha. Nice!
Diana says
Ah, I knew something was different! The font! 😛
I usually just throw my gym stuff into my leather backpack, I don’t even have a gym bag! That one looks good though.
ShrinkingGirl says
LOVE the bag! Ingenious the space for shoes…. sheer brilliance!
Run Sarah says
I used to love swimming and just getting lost in the laps! Love the idea of yogurt in a Crofters jar, how fun!
Katie@ Two Lives, One Lifestyle says
I like this font! I never feel like my floors are really clean unless I get down on hands and knees to scrub them with a sponge or rag. Thanks for that lesson in being a clean freak, mom!
Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter says
Wow Kath! You have such a gorgeous house!
Simply Life says
I bet it feels great to have had such a productive day already!
Melissa @ For the Love of Health says
I usually get on my hands and knees to wash my floors- nothing beats a good old scrubbing with a sponge or cloth by hand!
nice bag- pricey though
Heather says
we have been cleaning all day too! My parents ahve wood floors and to be honest they get down on their hands and knees and scrub with rags and some kind of cleaner. I just remember my ad would always have burns on his knees after!
that bag is cute, but way to steep for a bag. I get so many free bags from things that work just as well.
Veggielady4life says
That salad looks wonderful! I have a question for you… are most of your veggies fresh? Or do you use any that are frozen? I’m curious… because sometimes I use frozen broccoli and nuke it and add it to salads… but the fresh is always tastier…
Kath says
Most are fresh. I will normally say if they are frozen. Peas and corn are the only ones I always keep frozen. And sometimes okra.
Amy Kundrat says
Hey Kath, ever consider a steam mop? We have wood floors throughout the entire house and after a quick vacuum, we use our steam mop and I swear they’ve never been cleaner. Plus there are no chemicals involved, just water so I feel much better using this especially since we have two dogs. Now I’m off to clean my house, thanks for the inspiration!
Kath says
I’ve never heard of a steam mop! Must research. Which brand do you have?
Amy Kundrat says
We have this model, the Haan Slim and Light Floor Cleaning Sanitizer: http://www.haanusa.com/products/index.php?fuseAction=item&categoryID=1&catalogItemID=3
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
Haha, I have an empty jar of Crofter’s in my fridge waiting for me to fill it with oats or pudding! I have been waiting to put something in it. Your salad looks PERFECT! Love your pocket fetish! My husband has a thing for cubbies! At least that is what I call it. He collects ’60s steal case furniture…lots of drawers! Enjoy your time with Matt!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
New font?!? Aghghg!!! 🙂
Yogurt looks delicious!
marie says
I love the new font, but is it smaller or am I going crazy?
Kath says
It’s the same size but the font itself is a bit smaller
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
i like the compartmet for shoes – that would get even me to the gym!
Jenn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
I noticed the new fonts immediately, lol.
Your house looks spectacular. Sell, baby, sell!! 😀
Jenn
Jenny says
I cleaned today, too! I love your peacok feathers!!
Cheryl says
I personally like the line from Don Aslett for hardwood mops. It used to be called the Scrubby Do, but I’m not sure now. I wet the cloth and mop away. It usually takes me 2-3 rinses and mops to get the water to run clear. QVC sells them and he has his own catalog called the Clean Report. Hope you find one that works well.
Tammy @ Saddlescoop.com says
The absolute best way to clean wood floors is hands and knees, wash cloth and murphy’s oil soap. My own hands are the only thing I trust to really scrub.
And that bag is KILLER.
Runeatrepeat says
Boo 🙁 I cannot believe how bad your bruise is. Sorry, take care of it somehow?
lisa says
Do you find that salads with smoothies or yogurt fill you up as much as either a salad or smoothie/yogurt with a sandwich? I tend to eat sandwiches for lunch, but would like to change it up a bit.
Kath says
Yeah, I do. I think salads and their bulk are key to filling me up.
steph-exercise physiologist and artist! says
that is such an awesome bag!! it has everything you could ever want in a bag!
Your house looks especially picturesque in these photos. I love it!
Nicole, RD says
That is a lot of a gym bag, but it is cute! I think I’d want a pocket for my water bottle too! It always sweats everywhere!
Sarah says
I love Bruce Hardwood Floor cleaner, you can get it at Home Depot and it comes with the cleaner and a mop. It makes my hardwood floors gleam! First I sweep or use the Swiffer vac and then use the Bruce cleaner, my floors have never looked better.
ashley says
Love the new font 😉 The house looks gorgeous!! Looove the yogurt in a jar…hilarious! That is crazy that the bag does not have a water bottle holder. ANY bag these days must include a water bottle holder that can hold the 32oz nalgene bottles! I am totallllllly addicted to coconut water + regular water for my swims and bikes now. I had tried the coconut water a few months ago and hated that slimy texture. Mixed with water it’s perfect…so far my favorite is one of the Vita Coco flavors..mango something? Don’t you love how fast swimming goes? It’s crazy…biking is the same for me too…1hr20min flew by yesterday…soooo different than running!
Heather says
Sounds like a great day! Just wanted to let u know I made the sweet tater lentil stew you posted…thanks so much! Yumm-O 🙂
Cynthia (It All Changes) says
I love gym bags that have a shoe pocket.
Mel says
A couple of people have told me that they love the steam cleaner called Shark. I have not tried it, but it’s listed on Costco and the reviews are pretty good.
Kelley says
Kath, I meant to tell you that I recently learned that the froth in your coffee cups can actually predict the weather! High air pressure associated with fair weather will cause the surface of the coffe to become sightly concave so the bubbles will gravitate to the middle. For foul weather, you’ll find the bubbles drifting to the edge.
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/blog/2007/09/21/what-does-coffee-have-to-do-with-the-weather/
I wonder how true that is!
Kath says
Oh cool!! I’ll have to pay attention!
runnerforever says
I LOVE that bag, it looks perfect! Your house looks not only clean but very organized, well done!
Michelle says
Hi Kath!! No need to let your ears fill up with pool water my dear…that’s what makes you most succeptible to ear infections! I’ve been a swimmer for over 10 years and i ALWAYS use Speedo swim ear plugs!! They go in easy, come out easy, are CHEAP, and don’t completely block out sound though they block out all the water. You’ll feel like a pro in no time. 🙂 hehehe
Kath says
No – not literally! I didn’t really have water in my ears.
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
1) Love the new fonts.
2) What an AWESOME bag! Pricey, but definitely handy for working out.
3) AWESOME salad. For the dressing, do you remember how much agave/olive oil you put in??? I can never seem to find the right consistency???
Kath says
Thanks!
I usually drizzle about half a tsp each?
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
Gorgeous fonts! They look so quirky.
Awesome yogurt in a jar too! 😀
Wei-Wei says
So efficient in the morning, Kath! 😀 It’s actually really cathartic to clean. That bag looks really cool! I can’t believe there’s no water bottle pocket, though. Isn’t it a bit… obvious that you would need one? :S
Haha the new fonts remind me of Allie (from Live Laugh Eat)! 😀 Have a great day! 🙂
Wei-Wei
Lisa C. says
Your house looks beautiful. So clean! I have the hardest time keeping our hardwood floors clean! It gets so dusty in the city.
thepinkpeppercorn says
All I’ve done recently is clean, clean, clean. But we did just move to a new house, so I guess it will take awhile. Not as organized as yours yet!! Love the salad 🙂
Sarah @ cocoanutshakes says
I LOVE the black table with black chairs!
courtney says
I THOUGHT I saw something different with the fonts… and then I thought maybe I was crazy. Glad to know my sanity is intact 🙂 Enjoy your evening!
Stacy Grows Healthy says
Swimming is such good exercise for clearing your head. No distractions, just movement.
That bag looks pretty nice! Something about having a fancy gym bag helps motivate me to get to the gym to use it 🙂
kate says
Ive seen Crofters everywhere & have really considered trying it, but its so expensive for a jam!
Kath says
I promise it’s worth it – North America is so chunky and fresh!
Terrie says
Hey Kath!
I’m trying to embrace this whole seltzer+fruit juice thing (after almost 4 years of living in Germany and always, always, ALWAYS ordering mein wasser *ohne* gas (no bubbles)! Oops!), especially since I’ve successfully weaned myself off of soda.
I followed your link to the Genesis Today site, but couldn’t find a product listing for the Guava juice. Can you help?
Thanks!
Kath says
Sorry sorry! It’s the Goji berry one!!
Me-Linh @ Sweet and Sweat says
That gym bag looks so cute!
Sara says
hey kath,
i guess i’m in the minority — but i really don’t like the new font — please go back to the old one.
Kath says
Sorry Sara. It’s honestly not my very favorite either, but I needed to change it.
Mara @ What's for Dinner? says
You must get a steam mop!!! We have one for the kitchen and bathrooms, and its fabulous. We have the shark brand which is the lowest end/cheapest one, and it rocks. I’ve heard great things about the bissel and Euro-pro brand too, but they were out of our price range.
Kath says
Oh good to know!!
Stacey@http://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/ says
I love that bag, it looks like the perfect size and style.
Hannah says
Is the major house-cleaning because you’re still having inspections, or do you just like to have everything super super scrubbed down? (I’ll feel very embarrassed if I missed a ‘we sold the house’ announcement, because I do read everyday!)
Kath says
It hasn’t sold 🙁 We haven’t had much traffic at all. I just love a clean house!
Anne @ Food Loving Polar Bear says
The bag looks great! 🙂
Anne @ Food Loving Polar Bear says
it’s just shame that the GIVEAWAY is only for US and Canda residents *sigh*, sometimes it’s hard to be a blogger from Europe 🙂
Sheila Viers | Live Well 360 says
Hi Anne!
We’ve recently opened the giveaway up to Europe and Australia as well. YAY! 🙂
Christie {Honoring Health} says
Is it just me or is the new font teeny tiny? My old eyes are strugglin’ ovah here!
Kath says
It’s the same font size as before. You can make your browser slightly bigger by holding control and scrolling your mouse wheel!
Bethany (Not Unless I'm Being Chased) says
Looking at that bag, I feel like I never knew how painfully insufficient my current gym bag is now! I love the shoe compartment and the fleece-lined jewelry pocket is genius. But, you’re right — the price is a little steep. I think I’ll just keep slugging along with my terrible bag. 😉
Jessica says
I got a mop from Norwex about a month ago and it is the best thing ever! All you use is water.
sara bostwick says
We have all hardwood floors — The Bissell Steam mop is great and worth the money. So easy to use and cleans the floors better than anything else I’ve tried, including scrubbing by hand…
Sabrina says
I can’t believe I have never heard of steam mops before. I will have to invest in one!
Lisa says
Have you tried swimming with earplugs? I cannot swim without them! I used to swim without any plugs and I’d have water in my ears for days. 🙁 No more!
Aelian Hingert says
Hi,
I am looking for an investor to partner me in a project to Tetra pack Coconut water (A premium variety from Sri Lanka) to the European market.
Would appreciate hearing from anyone interested.
Aelian Hingert
Aemar Trading
Sri Lanka
[email protected]