What's on my grill? healthy vegan meals (and a giveaway) {CLOSED}

This Giveaway has closed.  Check our most recent posts for other great giveaways.

Through my affiliation with Fit Approach, we got the opportunity to try out Sunshine Burgers. 

"made with certified organic, verified Non-GMO whole food ingredients, free of gluten, soy, corn, canola, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy or eggs.”

As a lifelong vegetarian, recently transitioning to vegan, I was very pleased to read this.

I want to quickly mention mock meats.  They are very popular food items to those seeking to transition to vegetarian diets.  Many of these are crafted to resemble meat in color, flavor, and texture.  Many 'veggie' burgers out there do this.  Sunshine Burger does not.  There is no attempt to make it something it is not.  You can look right at it and see the bits of veggies.  Mock meats have their place, but if you want to enjoy and appreciate veggies in their own right (and you want the pleasure of grilling up a tasty 'burger'), then this is the one for you.

There are many delicious recipes in  the recipe section of Sunshine Burgers’ website, but we were encouraged to create our own dish with our review.

The case I received contained two boxes: Southwest and Garden Herb. I selected the Garden Herb and then looked to our own backyard garden for inspiration.  There are many other flavors I can't wait to try out.  But right now, this one has become a household favorite.

Garden Fresh 'cheeseburger'

• Sunshine Burger Garden Herb patty (grilled)
• Go Veggie 'vegan cheese' - I used Cheddar / Jalapeno)
• Fresh salsa (from homegrown tomatoes and jalapenos)
• Romaine lettuce
• pickles (of course)
• Spicy Mustard
• Bun of your choice (I used Pretzel Buns)

Served with oven-fries and vegan baked beans.

And banana-maple 'ice cream' for dessert. (Made by blending frozen bananas with a drizzle of maple syrup. That's right, dairy-free and delicious!).

A very tasty and satisfying summer meal.

We're in Florida, and Sunshine Burgers are readily available at Publix and Whole Foods.   You can checkout the Store Locator section on Sunshine Burger’s website to find their products near you.  If you sign up for the Sunshine Burger newsletter, you can even get a coupon on your next purchase.

I'm giving away Sunshine Burgers for you to try at home.  You can enter using the rafflecopter below. 

Terms of the Giveaway

1) No Purchase Necessary.

2) Giveaway begins Thursday July 3, 2014 and ends Wednesday July 9, 2014 at midnight. Winner will be announced on the Facebook page and this blog post.  He or she will be notified Thursday, July 10, 2014.

3) Must be 18 years or older to enter. Must be a U.S. resident. 

4) One (1) winner will be selected. The winner will receive a variety of Sunshine Burgers. The product will be shipped to winner by the sponsor.

5) Sign in through Rafflecopter below to enter. With your first entry, the app will capture your e-mail or facebook name. This is so we can reach you if you win, in accordance with sweepstakes terms. Your contact info will ONLY be used to contact you if you win.

6) There are additional opportunities for multiple entries.

7) The winner will be chosen at random using the rafflecopter app below. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.

8) In the event winner does not respond to contact attempts via e-mail or facebook name provided within a one week period, another winner will be selected at random.

9) Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Disclaimer: I received Sunshine Burger product to review without monetary compensation. All opinions are my own. I was given the opportunity to review through the Sweat Pink Ambassador community.

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Review & Giveaway: Running Duds {CLOSED}

This Giveaway has closed.  Check our most recent posts for other great giveaways.

 

 

I'm back! And sharing another cool piece of running gear: Running Duds.

What are Running Duds? 

Glad you asked...  They are comfy and crazy running shorts.  Available in both 'dudes' and ladies cut, these shorts are a colorful alternative to your basic black running shorts.   

The Running Duds crew is made up of a 'diverse mix of running enthusiasts' based out of South-East Queensland, Australia. These guys also just happen to have 'collective skills as experienced designers, manufacturers and web nerds'.  

If you start following their blog or social media, you will quickly discover these are a fun bunch of runners with a quirky sense of humor.  Further, they believe real men wear bright colors!

 

Yes, there are many runners that still wear plain, solid dark colors. When I started out - I think I had one pair of navy blue basketball shorts I wore on all my runs.  But that really doesn't do anything for your visibility.  Bright, light colors on the other hand, get you noticed - in a good way.

Selection

Running Duds features nine different shorts for men and they offer the same prints in a women’s cut. 

  

Guys, I know what you are thinking: these kind of look like boxer shorts or swim trunks.  I thought the same.  But that's because as guys we are used to wearing plain solid color dark shorts.  While DisneyBride's closet is bursting with over two dozen of those colorful, sparkly running skirts, my dresser is a sea of black and grey tech fabric.

So I was intrigued when Running Duds sent me 'The Florence' to try out.

Liner or No Liner? That is the question.

The men's and the ladies shorts are available with either a liner or no liner.  I went with the liner.  It comes up as an option when you order your shorts, so I think it is cool that the kind people of Running Duds give you that choice.

I've always considered myself to be a 'compression shorts under basketball shorts' - kind of guy - but if you've been following this blog, you can see I've ventured beyond my comfort zone this past year. In fact, the more I wear running shorts with a liner, the more I like them.  I may be a convert. 

From their website:

Duds Features     

• Light weight polyester fabric

• Optional fitted liner to hold everything in

• Water repellant finish

• Internal key pocket

• Machine washable (the only thing that should run is you!)

• Australian owned and Australian made

• Hot to trot

Experience with my Duds

I am definitely a fan. 

I wore mine on for a few beach runs as well as several trail runs. The shorts are perfect for the beach. The Florence is a fun flamingo print ideal for a Floridian, or really for anyone wanting to be reminded of tropical surroundings. 

This summer I started preparing for the Destin 50K ultra, which will be run exclusively on the beach in Destin, Florida.  My training runs are followed by a quick dip in the Gulf to cool down.   My Running Duds did a great job of not holding sweat and it quickly dried after my post run swim.   Unfortunately, I forgot to stand on one leg and look off into the distance.

On the trail the shorts performed just as well. The summers here in North Florida can get very humid, so I am always impressed when shorts help wick sweat away. They look just as good in the woods as they do on the beach.

 

The flamingos may not help me fly during my run; but they do make the run a whole lot more fun and comfortable. The more fun and comfortable the run, the longer the run will be, and the better prepared I’ll be for my next race. I look forward to wearing more Running Duds in the future.

I've listed some Pros and Cons.  Admittedly the Con is actually due to my lack of sunscreen, and not the fault of the shorts.  

Pros

• Fun
• Colorful (no fading after multiple washings)
• Extremely Lightweight and soft nylon material
• Great Selection
• Does not retain water/sweat
• Quality construction

Cons

• Unaccustomed to shorter length shorts, I sunburned my pasty-white thighs

Overall, you can see these shorts are a win-win.  And while the company is based overseas, the customer service to this US customer was excellent, and readily available through e-mail. Plus the shipping was surprisingly speedy.  The Australian dollar is pretty comparable to the US dollar, but on their webpage, you can select the appropriate 'Currency' at the top, to see the prices at the current exchange rate.  


And now, you can enter our giveaway and become a 'Dudder' too.

The awesome Running Duds team is allowing us to give away one pair of shorts.  So check out the terms below and enter for your chance to win.

Good Luck!

~DisneyGroom

Terms of the Giveaway

1) No Purchase Necessary.

2) Giveaway begins Wednesday June 18, 2014 and ends Tuesday June 24, 2014 at midnight. Winner will be announced on the Facebook page and this blog post.  He or she will be notified Wednesday June 25, 2014.

3) Must be 18 years or older to enter. Must be a U.S. resident. 

4) One (1) winner will be selected. The winner will receive one pair of Running Duds shorts. Retail Value: $46.63 (based on current Australian dollar to US dollar conversion as of June 18, 2014).

5) Sign in through Rafflecopter below to enter. With your first entry, the app will capture your e-mail or facebook name. This is so we can reach you if you win, in accordance with sweepstakes terms. Your contact info will ONLY be used to contact you if you win.

6) There are additional opportunities for multiple entries.

7) The winner will be chosen at random using the rafflecopter app below. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.

8) In the event winner does not respond to contact attempts via e-mail or facebook name provided within a one week period, another winner will be selected at random.

9) Void where prohibited.

  

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: No financial compensation was received. We  received product from RunningDuds.com in exchange for this review. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will be good for our readers. All opinions stated on this blog are our own. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Making Hydration a Habit and a CamelBak #DitchDisposable Giveaway! {CLOSED}

This Giveaway has closed.  Check our most recent posts for other great giveaways.

During March through May you might have seen our tweets and facebook updates on the #DitchDisposable campaign.  This was sponsored by Camelbak - a leading supplier of hydration products. 

The first step was taking the Ditch Disposable pledge.  During the official pledge period of March 17th - April 17th, we, along with many others, committed to stop using disposable water bottles, and to start carrying and refilling our Camelbak bottles each and every day.  (While the official period has passed, you can still take the pledge and commit to reusable water bottles.)

There are so many reasons to give up disposable bottles.  These are two screen captures from Camelbak.  The complete infographic can be seen here. 

from: http://greatist.com/health/why-you-should-never-buy-disposable-water-bottles-again

from: http://greatist.com/health/why-you-should-never-buy-disposable-water-bottles-again

This is in addition to the health and environmental impact of bottled water, which are far greater! 

So obviously this is a cause we feel strongly about.  We were very lucky to have been chosen as #DitchDisposable Ambassadors.  DisneyGroom was the Mentor - his job was to encourage me (the Partner) to honor my commitment. 

Camelbak sent us each a kit to get us started.  Here are both of our kits.

We each received the following:
1 Relay Filtration Pitcher
1 Groove Bottle
1 eddy Bottle
1 Chute Bottle
1 tube of Elixir electrolyte beverage tablets


Camelbak really gave us the tools we needed to succeed with this pledge!  Now that the period is over, we would like to share our answers to the campaign's follow-up questions.


DisneyGroom (Mentor)

How did you encourage your partner to Ditch Disposable? 
-  I have always been in the habit of having a reusable bottle with me.  The Ditch Disposable Ambassador Program seemed like a great opportunity to hopefully spark a new habit in my wife and others.

What did you do or what did you tell your partner that was the most influential reason to Ditch Disposable?
- I took time each morning to fill her CamelBak bottles for her.  I also reminded her that she dislikes the water at her office and bringing water from home was the best way to keep hydrated. 

What was the most inspirational or rewarding thing your partner shared with you about the experience? 
-She is actually drinking water!  She is drinking fluids throughout the day.  It is said a habit can be formed in 21 days.  Well, it took a bit longer for her, but the new habit was formed.  She fills up her bottles in the morning, and on weekends, she even reminds me to fill up mine before we head out to the beach or our trail runs.

Our puppy, Magnus, wants a drink!

DisneyBride (Partner): 

What was the greatest benefit you experienced during the challenge?

-I don't think I can pick just one. The most visible benefit was to my wallet.  I calculated that I saved between $15-18 per week.  Multiply that by 52 weeks in a year and you get... a scary number that I don't want to think about.  But now will be money in my pocket!

-A less visible, but perhaps greater benefit was that I reached for water instead of iced tea and other sugary drinks.

What was the toughest challenge to ditching disposable bottles?
-For me, it was when everyone around me is drinking soda.  I felt pretty boring with my water.  Then I remembered Camelbak sent me their "Elixir".  They are sugar-free effervescent electrolyte tablets.  So I get some fizz and color to make my water a little more exciting.

How were you able to successfully kick disposable bottles for 30 day?

-My mentor would have two bottles full and ready for me every morning.  I'd grab my lunch and my two Camelbaks before I headed out the door for work.  When I got to  my office in the morning I placed both bottles on my desk. 

By having water right in front of me all day, I did not have the desire to go buy other drinks.  On weekends, I carried a Camelbak bottle with me at all times. 

What did your mentor do or say that encouraged you the most?

- It was by example.  He carried his Camelbak Chute EVERYWHERE.  He took it to work, the gym, running errands.  If he could do it, then I surely could.

Okay... I admit it. Sometimes I made him carry my bottle too!

Also, as I mentioned above, DG would have two water bottles filled for me every morning to take to work.  To be adequately hydrated throughout my workday, I had to drink one bottle by lunch time, and the second bottle in the afternoon before 5pm.  I couldn't cheat, because DG would see my bottles when I came home in the evening. 

Drinking enough water was something I have struggled with for years.   Everyone knows the recommended minimum is 8 x 8:  eight glasses, each glass being at least eight ounces of water, per day (64 ounces).  But what about when you run or bike, or play tennis?

I used the hydration calculator on the Camelbak website to determine how much water I actually need.  It asks you a few questions and provides you with the amount you need.  So now, I try not to drop below that number when I go workout.



Proper hydration and using reusable bottles are good habits for the two-legged AND four-legged members of this family.  Here is our puppy, Magnus, taking a drink on the trail.  We carry a bottle just for him along with a collapsible bowl.   He drinks an entire 'Chute' (1 Liter) during a two hour hike.


The Giveaway

So you saw earlier that Camelbak sent us several goodies as part of this campaign.   There were a few items that we set aside for the purpose of a future giveaway.  And now, we want to share the #DitchDisposable love and give away some our swag. 

Our fridge at home has an 'in door' water dispenser with a built-in filter.  All our family members and friends have similar fridges at home. So we will never use the Relay pitchers Camelbak sent us.  I have to say - they look REALLY great though!  I remember using other pitchers and you had to wait several minutes for the water to drain through the filter.  This filter works at 'the speed of your faucet'.  So you get your water right away.  We also received two Groove filter bottles.  I opened one and used it before I realized it had a filter on it.  But the other one is still new in the package.

So, we are giving away THREE Camelbak items. Yes, that means THREE winners!


1 Groove Insulated Bottle - has built in filtration. Retail: $25.00 (amethyst)

1 Relay filtration pitcher (blue) Retail: $36.99
1 Relay filtration pitcher (black) Retail: 36.99

Also, Camelbak is hosting a pretty cool contest to win all kinds of great swag.  They have launched a new Ditch Disposable video contest called “Make a Reel Difference." All you budding film makers, you can submit an original video and enter to win. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/1obzApN  


Thanks for checking out the post and good luck with the giveaway!

Run Happy,
DisneyBride


Terms of the Giveaway

1) No Purchase Necessary.

2) Giveaway begins Wednesday June 11, 2014 and ends Tuesday June 17, 2014 at midnight. Winner will be announced on the Facebook page and this blog post.  He or she will be notified Wednesday June 18, 2014.

3) Must be 18 years or older to enter. Must be a U.S. resident. 

4) Three (3) winners will be selected. The winner will receive either a Camelbak Relay pitcher or a Groove water bottle, at our discretion. Retail Value: $25.00 or $36.99

5) Sign in through Rafflecopter below to enter. With your first entry, the app will capture your e-mail or facebook name. This is so we can reach you if you win, in accordance with sweepstakes terms. Your contact info will ONLY be used to contact you if you win.

6) There are additional opportunities for multiple entries.

7) The winner will be chosen at random using the rafflecopter app below. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.

8) In the event winner does not respond to contact attempts via e-mail or facebook name provided within a one week period, another winner will be selected at random.

9) Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure of Material Connection: No financial compensation was received. We each received products from Camelbak as part of the #DitchDisposable promotion. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will be good for our readers. All opinions stated on this blog are our own. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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#WeHeartTrails! June 7th is National Trails Day!

The first Saturday in June is designated as National Trails Day.  That's right, National Running Day just passed on June 4th, and now we have another opportunity to celebrate the sport we love. YAY!

#WeHeartTrails!

We've made no secret of our love of trails, or off-road running.

• Trails are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than running on streets and sidewalks. I've noticed that through some of our woods that it can be up to 10-12 degrees cooler.
• Trails and their beauty provide endless distractions.
• Nature ensures that the trails are always different.  So channel your inner Pocahontas and explore!

Unsure about trail running?

Runner's World UK rated the Top 10 Running Surfaces.

The top three are no surprise to trail runners: Grass, Woodland Trails, and Earth (dirt trails). Easier on the feet and joints, and routes often accompanied by beautiful scenery, taking our runs 'off-road' is a no-brainer. 

We are fortunate that where we live in North Florida there are many trails to enjoy.  

Our typical weekends look like this. 

But wherever you may be, you can seek out a trail.  It may surprise you, even the most urban areas will have a few hidden gems lurking.

Fun for all

Hiking and running on trails is a wonderful family activity - so grab the kids, the dogs. If someone doesn't want to walk or run, they can bring a bike.  The point is to enjoy the trail together!


What do I bring?

You don't need fancy hiking or trail gear.  There really just two essentials:

1) Comfy shoes (ones you won't cry over if they get muddy)  
2) Water

Any other gear you bring is just icing on the cake: sunscreen, bug spray, GPS, etc. Me personally, I love to connect with my inner Pocahontas and bring as little as possible.  Now that we have a puppy though, we carry water, snacks, leash, and toys for him.

A few resources to check out

• Trail Runner Magazine (gear reviews, race info, training plans, more)
• Trail Running by Jeff Galloway (everything you need to know about run/walk/run off-road,  including comprehensive training plans from 5K all the way up through ultra distances, final chapter includes a state by state guide of trails recommended by other runners)
• Trails.com to find a trail near you (while this is a good resource, the trail listings are not very comprehensive)
• US National Parks (this page will allow you to search by state and activity - enter 'hiking' to find a federal park near you with trails)
• "Your State" Parks site - search online for 'your state name' + parks + trails (here is Florida's page )
• "Your city or county" Parks and Recreation - make Leslie Knope proud and go enjoy your city parks. Search your city or county government webpage and find some trail map.
• Your running store or local running clubs - Ask around and I can promise you there are a few, if not several trail running groups near you.  We live in a small city, but there are over a dozen weekly training groups of various distances and abilities with recurring 'group runs'. 

DG will be updating the blog in the coming months with recaps from the  Gulf Winds Summer Trail Series.  


So tell us:  
How will you celebrate National Trails Day?

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Ultras, Challenges, and Halfs, Oh My!!! plus a giveaway winner

Whew, it's been a busy morning at the Running Happily Ever After house. 

Registration for two February events opened just after midnight last night and so we jumped on those right away.

First up:

We spent Valentine's Day weekend this year doing a Spartan Race; but 2015 will be something far more insane.

DisneyGroom pulled the trigger and registered for his first official Ultra:  the Destin 50.

They have the following race options: 50K (100 runner limit), 50M (100 runner limit), 100M (20 runner limit), Team Relay (25 team limit), and a 24 hour race (20 runner limit).

As you can see, the field is capped very small on these events, so they are filling up quick.

He is really excited about this one.  And I just think he has officially crossed over into 'crazy land'.  As if the actual 50K distance... 31.1 miles was not enough, the course has multiple water crossings (knee high or greater) and is run almost entirely on the beach.  Running on sand is brutal!  So, I am happy for him, but also shaking my head at the madness of the whole thing.

And NO, I have no plans to do the event, any distance beyond a half any time soon. But I will happily be Support Crew to my DG.

Next up:

The following weekend is the Gasparilla Distance Classic in Tampa.  On Feb 21-22, 2015: there are 4 races over 2 days, with options for walkers, teams, and Challenges. 

I am registered for the Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus Challenge - that is a 15K on Saturday and an 8K on Sunday.

DisneyGroom is registered for the Michelob Ultra Challenge - back to back 15K and 5K on Saturday, back to back 8K and 1/2 Marathon on Sunday.  Yep another 30+ miles on back to back weekends. He is Cray-Cray, that man of mine.  And this week, he will set to work tweaking his Dopey Challenge training plan to include more time on beach/sand runs and longer distances.

Sadly, the Gasparilla events are the same weekend as the runDisney Princess Half Marathon, so while we will be at Walt Disney World Marathon weekend in January, we won't be back the following month.  We are still looking at ToT and Wine & Dine though, and perhaps the DisneyLand Half.

This last race I'm going to mention isn't next February, but this winter.  Yes, it really is #SignUpFrenzy today.

We have some wedding related travel again this winter, during peak race season here in Florida.  In fall and winter of 2013, we had to forgo a few events due to several weddings of friends, and even eat the cost of a race we had both already registered to run.

This time however, DisneyGroom was determined.  And with some digging, he found this:

The Holiday Half Marathon in Brooklyn is scheduled on the morning of his cousin's wedding.  DG confirmed that the ceremony and reception will be in the evening, and so we will get up early and  run on Dec. 13th, 2014 in the chilly temps of New York.  Then we must manage to get back and get cleaned up for an evening wedding.  I have a feeling we will be snoring facedown in wedding cake after 9pm. But I was the one that created this running/racing monster, so only myself to blame.  #NoSleepTilBrooklyn will be the theme of that weekend, I am sure.  Not to mention freeze our butts off... 

And yes - there will be costumes!  So there is that to plan: pirates and Christmas themes - so many possibilities.  

Last, but not least....

  

We have a winner in our Sport Kilt giveaway!  Thanks to all who entered.  Not surprising, but we had an uptick in entries from guys.  And the winner is:

 Nathan MacDonald is a blogger over at http://nathanalbert.wordpress.com/, and is known as The Fotographing Fat Kid.  This runner has an amazing weight loss story of his own, and we hope he enjoys his Sport Kilt at many upcoming races.  You can find his blog by clicking the blog button below.

If you didn't win, you can still get your own SportKilt, and we have a 10% off code for our readers:   RunHappy  is valid through June 30, 2014.

And we will get another cool giveaway posted up this week - so thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Run Happy,

DisneyBride

Have you run, or would you consider an ultra?

Are you running any of the Gasparilla events?

If you are in the NY area, let us know if you plan to run this Holiday Half.  Would be great to meet some other runners before the race.

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