"Talk Like a Pirate Day!" Who knew?

As I dropped the bugaboos off at school this morning I was greeted by a whole crew of Pirates. No, the school hadn't been overthrown by "matey's" but apparently today is International "Talk Like a Pirate Day" Has anyone ever heard of this?  I certainly hadn't before this morning but apparently I'm in the minority.  In fact, my fun friends over at Mabel's Labels are offering 50% off their  Pirate Ship or Skull 'n' Crossbones Sticky Labels to honor this day. Plus, in case you missed the pirate bargains, on 9/20, Mabel's Label's is offering 50% off Plane Sticky Labels in the first ever Talk Like a Pilot Day created by Mabel's Labels. Don't miss your chance to shop these great offers! 
I have to be honest, I'm purchasing the Pilot Day set for my girls. I think they are totally cute!

So in the spirit of the day; Arrrgh me hardies! (or something like that)

Yep, I've fallen off the face of the planet.

Or at least it seems like I've fallen off the face of the earth.  I can't get my motivation kickin to do much of anything substantial.  For some reason running still feels burdensome to me and I'm grouchy at the 90+ degree days we continue to have here in Central Texas when the rest of the world is celebrating pumpkin season!
I guess I did drag myself up for a couple things recently.  On Sunday, I raced for Run Free Texas in their 80's 8k and scored a 2nd place win for my age group.  I was pretty happy with that .  I however decided that I need to either be older or younger because I was listening to the times of the winners of the other ages groups and I realized I would've smoked them!  Honestly, the 14-20 year old winner had a time of an hour and change (she was obviously walking).  I'm always proud to see people doing any sort of physical activity but I'm jumping on my hypocritical soap box here and saying that I think there should be a maximum time limit (depending on age) to qualify for a medal. Hopping off my soap box now, onto the darn burpee train!  I swear all my fitness classes recently have upped their burpee requirements and my poor neck an shoulders are screaming about it.

Aside from that, I finished a quilt I've been working on for months.  I'm running a 5k with my eldest this weekend.  Finished this book, 3rd in the Across the Universe series.....seriously you've got to read it. We are packing up for a family stay in the DC area.  And that's about it.



Don't forget to enter the CLICK Espresso Giveaway. It ends on the 20th and you've got a good chance of being a winner.

Suburban Homesteading : Canning Ideas & Pretty Labels

A while back I started telling you about my DIY addiction.  At that time I shared with you my recipe for sandwhich bread.  Today I'm going to continue with a few thoughts on canning/preserving foods and some great recipes.

Last summer I had a glut of tomatoes from my garden and an over abundance of strawberries that we picked from a local farm so I began canning.  I fell in love with homemade jams and jellies and found that simple water baths worked really well for fruit based jams/jellies.  I struggled with a salsa recipe worth preserving but I did learn that drying tomatoes in the oven (one recipe here) and then freezing them for later use in salads and pasta dishes was really wonderful. This summer I've had loads of tomatoes again and cucumbers galore so we've been making pickles like mad.
Here is a list of some of my all time favorites:

Slow Cooker Blueberry Butter from Food In Jars
Quick Strawberry Jam from Martha Stewart
Cranberry Ketchup from Ball
Pickles from NY Times
Canned Tomatoes from Better Homes and Gardens

So now that you've made some yummy treats it's time to label them.  You can of course use a piece of masking tape and skratch the contents and dates on it or you could go for a much prettier option.  I choose the later and use Mabel's Label's Wash Away collection.  These little labels are so darn cute. Wash Away Labels are dissolvable and perfect for canning, potlucks, frozen foods even leftovers.  When your done with the jar  simply pop in the dishwasher or under running water to rinse off.  Be sure to check out Mabel's Labels today. Happy Canning!

GIVEAWAY Friday Favorites : CLICK Espresso Protein Drink

Happy Friday!
I realize I am extremely behind this week but I do have some fun news.  A few weeks ago CLICK sent me some of their Vanilla Latte Espresso Protein Powder to try out and today I'm sharing my thoughts with you about the product and I'm also hosting a giveaway for one of my lucky readers.
Personally, I am all for speedy recovery and easy to use products.  So naturally protein and nutritional supplements are a good fit for me.  I also LOVE coffee.  So CLICK is nearly perfect for me!  I'll admit that the the drink is really tasty, especially when you whiz it up with a handheld blender to give it a little volume.  It also has a pretty good caffeine punch to it (there is a decaf version if you prefer).  What I like most about the drink is the 15 grams of protein.  One serving (which is about a cup and a half) has just 120 calories and considering all the nutrition packed into this one drink 120 calories is a pretty good bargain.  But if you don't believe me take a look at the comparison chart below:

So now that you are intrigued here is my honest opinion of this drink; try it!  It took me 3 or 4 uses to figure out how it would work with my body and my workout routine.  For me, the best time to drink CLICK is in the middle of an extra long workout (90 mins or more) or just after I've finished a workout.  Chugging it turned out to be a bad idea for me as it made me nauseous.  I also found that I REALLY liked using it as a breakfast supplement.  While I usually can't start the day without some yogurt with fruit, chia and flax there have been a couple days lately when time just wasn't on my side and CLICK really did the trick. So as you can see, there are several uses for this yummy drink so give it a try and stick with it until you find the routine that is best for you. Your body will be happy you did.

Want to try it for yourself?
One lucky Running Shoes and Bugaboos reader will win a canister of Vanilla Latte, a CLICK shaker and a couple individual sample of decaf.  Enter before 9/20/13 on the Rafflecoptor below.  Good Luck. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to school running shoes from Reebok

So Reebok just announced these really cool new kicks for kids.  They are customizable!  I don't know about you, but my eldest daughter would LOVE to design her own shoes.  I think these might be just perfect for back to school.

Here's a little more about the shoes from Reebok:

Now available for customization through YourReebok from Reebok.com is the popular back to school shoe, the kids ATV19! Have your kids design their own pair of ATV19s to start the school year off in style. With splatter print designs, and colors to choose from like candy pink, trust blue, sonic green and excellent red, your kids will have the coolest kicks in homeroom. Not only do the custom ATV19s look great, but this all-terrain running shoe features 19 large ATV lugs to help provide traction wherever kids roam. Customize your ATV19s from base to sole, and everything in between -- you can even add text for personalization! Let your kids stand out in their custom ATV19s and make a lasting impression this back to school season! Order your pair of custom ATV19s today!