Autism Awareness Month - Jewelry for a Cause

Hi friends!

April is Autism Awareness month and I'm ready to spread awareness and educate others about Autism and the impact it has on families.

I work in a clinic where we provide 1:1 behavior therapy services to children with autism. On a daily basis I see the struggles these families face as well as the smiles on their faces when their child does something for the first time, has an amazing day at school, or says a new word!

Did you know that 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls are identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder? Studies have found that these families have a harder time getting by financially, finding adequate child care, and are more likely to have poor parental mental health (Autism Speaks).

This morning I took Loyalty, service dog in training, to an autism walk in Orlando and she showed her support by wearing her new pin!

Working with these children and their families is truly life changing and I'm always looking for a way to support them.

When I heard that Stella & Dot is supporting Autism Awareness month by donating a portion of their sales to the HollyRod Foundation I immediately talked to my friend who is a Stylist for the company about hosting a jewelry party.

Stella & Dot has an "autism boutique" collection of bracelets and the proceeds from those pieces will go directly to the HollyRod Foundation to provide care to those living with autism and their families. How amazing is that?! And it's so easy to support this cause because who doesn't love shopping for new jewelry, clothing, and purses?!

If you are interested in shopping and helping me raise money for an amazing cause please shop THIS LINK and share with all of your friends! Stella & Dot just released their new summer line and pieces are going quick so be sure to check it out now so you are the first to get your hands on their amazing pieces.

Thank you :)

Saturday Morning Faves (Plus a K-Cup Tip!)

Saturday mornings are my absolute favorite.

While most people look forward to the weekend so they can sleep in, my internal alarm clock has me up bright and early so I take full advantage of it. And by taking advantage of it, I mean cuddling up on the couch with a warm blanket, a big cup cups of coffee, and my favorite FoodNetwork shows.

This morning I decided to change up my usual smoothie routine with a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of chia seeds. It definitely hit the spot.

In addition to the oatmeal, I had several cups of coffee in my Epcot mug! I have a small coffee cup collection that would be much bigger if I had the space to store them all!

I have a few handmade ones, gigantic ones that Jon calls a "bowl of coffee" when I drink from them, ones with cute little figures in the bottom, and mugs shaped like different animals. They are just so much fun to find and they always bring back memories every time I use them.

Side note: this photo shows my third cup of coffee from the same K-Cup pod! I have a Keurig 2.0 but do not have a carafe. I experimented a few weeks ago and found that I can get 2 really good quality cups of coffee and 1 weaker cup from the same pod. I drink my coffee black so this is fine by me! I am always sure to hit the "Strong" button on the machine when brewing cup number 3 to get as much flavor as I can.

Jon's dad and uncle are going to be in town this weekend so I am off to do a little bit of light cleaning, finish watching my show, and run a few errands before they arrive!

Question of the Day

What is your favorite thing to do on Saturday morning?

My New Toy

A huge THANK YOU to everyone that took the time to enter the Artisana Organics giveaway on the blog! The winner has been announced on the original post and contacted via e-mail. 

All weekend I have been playing with my new toy - the Silhouette Cameo. I am literally obsessed with this amazing device! Hazel is a little unsure of it and whenever I turn it on to work it's magic she has to come check it out. 

The Cameo is an electronic cutting machine that can do the most amazing things. I have been playing with it, watching informational videos, and reading craft blogs like crazy this weekend. When Jon left for work this morning he told me to do something productive today - I guess he doesn't know that crafting and reading informational blog posts is productive! Ha! 

I'm off to go create some fun holiday decor that I will share with you all soon!

Disclaimer: I did not receive this product for review. I purchased it myself and wanted to share because I love it so much! 

Treat Yourself Tuesday #1

A few months before I started blogging I came across a pin on Pinterest that led me to a blog. Well, one click led to the next and I was quickly immersed into the blogging world. After reading blogs every day and following along with the lives of others I was inspired to start my own! 

A little while after starting my own blog I began "meeting" other fitness and healthy living bloggers. One of those bloggers was Becky over at Olives n' Wine. I quickly fell in love with the way she wrote, her love for fitness, shopping, and all things chocolate and peanut butter! 

I honestly read every single one of her blog posts and feel like we would be real life best friends if we had the chance to meet! Anyways, for the past 100+ weeks I have been reading all of her Treat Yourself Tuesday posts and figured it was time I join in on the fun! I seriously can't believe I haven't done this yet because I treat myself on a daily weekly basis. 

So let's get started with a few of the things I've treated myself to lately. 

Bath & Body Works Candles - I am obsessed with candles and I always have one lit! The baking scents are my absolute favorite as I love how home-y they can make the house feel! There's nothing better than walking into a house and smelling fresh baked goods (well walking into a house with actual fresh baked cgoods would be better ;) ). BBW had an amazing sale on their candles this past week and I snagged up a few.

I spotted this Burt's Bee's cuticle cream in Old Navy for an amazing price the other day. I had never used any of Burt's Bees body products before (just the chapstick) and figured it was worth a shot - and a nice little treat! I am so glad I picked this up because it has done wonders on my hands plus it smells amazing! I will definitely be treating myself to this more in the future. 

A few posts back I asked your advice on joining a CrossFit box or a regular ol' gym/home gym. I opted for the home gym option and bought my first kettle bell! I've already used it a ton and am now realizing that I still need to buy some chalk for my hands as they get so sweaty working out inside!

There's nothing better than enjoying a nice hot cup of tea in the evening to unwind. Recently I've been on a huge tea kick and when I passed Teavana in the mall the other day I couldn't stop myself from going inside! After talking to the super sweet Tea Expert at the store I was able to figure out exactly what I needed to make myself 1 or 2 cups of hot or iced tea at home. If you are looking for something small and easy to use, I highly suggest looking into the Perfectea Maker!

Question of the Day

What have you treated yourself to lately?

My Favorite Kitchen Gadget

Following a paleo lifestyle makes it hard to eat out. While it is possible, you never know if the waiter is actually listening/writing down all of your modifications and allergy restrictions. Plus, in the end you never really know what is going into your food unless you are cooking it yourself. As a result I find myself in the kitchen a lot and to keep things interesting I like experimenting with new gadgets every now and then!

My current obsession is the Spiralizer. This thing does wonders and you can do so much more with it than just make zoodles. 

My inspiration for meal ideas stems from Ali, the Instagramer behind @Inspiralized. She just came out with a new cookbook and has a website full of delicious recipes. 

Did you know that you can spiralize almost anything?! Apples, beets, squash, cucumbers, radishes, pears, onions, potatoes... You can even make spiralized desserts! Check out this recipe for Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Noodle Muffins. Talk about delicious.

So if you are looking to spice things up in the kitchen and haven't used a spiralizer yet, I highly suggest you add it to your list of "Must Have Kitchen Gadgets to Try!"

Question of the Day

What's your favorite thing to make with a spiralizer? 

Fall Favorites - Recipes

Fall is officially here! Well it has been for almost a week but to get in the spirit I am sharing a few of my favorite fall recipes from Pinterest.

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Seriously, who doesn't love anything pumpkin during these chilly fall months? Invite a friend over and enjoy these while sipping coffee! (P.S. these only take TWO ingredients!)

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Popcorn Mix

Sweet, salty, and pumpkin-y! What better snack to enjoy while watching a movie this fall?!

Low-Fat Pumpkin Waffles

I don't know about you but personally I would love to wake up to these waffles on a brisk fall morning.

Question

What are your all time favorite fall recipes?

While I Was Away

Hey strangers. Or am I the stranger here? I haven't blogged in... awhile.

While I was gone I seriously debated on whether or not to keep this blog alive and active and then it hit me - I love blogging when I can. So that's what I'm going to do, blog when I can.

It was stressing me out being away from the blog and not posting anything but I've realized that life comes first. I need to focus on my classes, work, and training (I'm going to start training for another half very soon!) and will definitely update you on that!

Anyways, the only fun and exciting thing that happened when I was gone was my 21st birthday! My mom took me to Chicago for my birthday and some of her best friends tagged along! We went out to eat at a fun Italian restaurant, went to several bars (some were very interesting!), and did a little shopping on Navy Pier. It was definitely a great trip.

Speaking of trips, I'm leaving for Cali on Monday to visit family and I couldn't be more excited! I love it out there. I will share pictures when I return!

For now, enjoy some pictures from Chicago!

Question

Any exciting vacations coming up for you?! 

 

Stop Trouble Before It Starts®

Ever find yourself stopping earlier on a run than planned because chafing and blisters are making it unbearable? Do certain materials or hot weather make you chafe? Have you tried countless products and remedies to eliminate chafing and blisters but nothing works? Well I'm here to tell you that I have found a product that really does work - and it's BodyGlide.

I personally find chafing to be at it's worst when I am running inside (because of how hot it gets), when I am running in the summer, or when I wear certain pairs of running shorts. Now when I run in tights or in the cooler months I don't have a problem with chafing at all but it's not realistic to run in tights in the middle of June nor is the weather always going to be perfect for running.

When I contacted BodyGlide and told them about my chafing problems they quickly offered to send a sample of their product. I was sent the BodyGlide For Her Stick and BodyGlide For Her Pocket Size. Immediately I wanted to go on a run and test it out. Once I did I was extremely happy with the results.

I thought the Pocket Size ones were adorable! Perfect for throwing one in your gym bag and another in your purse.

Some info about BodyGlide For Her from BodyGlide:

Bodyglide® For Her provides comfort in sensitive areas such as with bras and on thighs, it’s resistant to perspiration and water, but it lets skin breathe even as it holds-up in heat and humidity.

Added Vitamin F Forte helps to hydrate and smooth skin, along with aloe and Vitamin E. 

The long-lasting formula is ideal to maintain skin comfort all day, in any weather, and under all conditions. 

Like the original technically advanced formula, it’s invisible, dry, fragrance free, and never oily or greasy.

It’s also ideal for feet, protecting against raw skin and blisters caused by footwear, from athletic shoes to everyday and formal wear, flats and strappies, boots and heels.

Seriously, this stuff is awesome! I 100% agree with everything above - from it being perfect in any condition to letting skin breathe even in humidity. If you have problems with chafing, bra straps becoming irritating, or blisters you need to try this stuff out! They have products for men, women, runners, swimmers, work, blisters.. the list goes on, so go check it out now!

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for free however all opinions are my own.

Question

Do you have problems with chafing? Have you ever tried BodyGlide?

Favorite Pinterest Finds: Memorial Day

Are you having a small get-together or a large celebration to celebrate Memorial Day this year? No matter what your plans are here are a few fun Pinterest finds that are sure to please!

Red, White & Blue Parfaits

Patriotic Strawberries

Red, White & Blue Mocktails

Fruit Flag

I hope these Pins help to inspire some of your party favors and recipes!

Question

How will you be celebrating Memorial Day?

Favorite Easter Pins: Treats & Decor

Time has been flying by so if you didn't realize that Easter is less than a week away until you came across this post then you're in the right place for some Easter inspired ideas and recipes that are sure to make your guests "ooh" and "ahh". Here are some of my favorite Easter pins from Pinterest! Also, if you don't follow me on Pinterest already click on this link so you can.

Hand Drawn Easter Eggs

 

A fun twist on the normal hand-dipped Easter egg. A tutorial can be found on Confetti Sunshine Blog. I love how the design possibilities are endless with these! Another fun idea would be to write your guest's names on the eggs and use them as name plates at Easter brunch.

Easter Basket Cupcakes

 

A chocolate cupcake topped with vanilla icing, colored coconut, jelly beans, and chocolate Twizzlers are just what the kids need after a day full of candy, right? :) Directions to make these adorable treats can be found on A Night Owl's Blog.

DIY Easter Sign

 

If you haven't started decorating for Easter, it's not too late! This sign is cute and easy to make and would be perfect on your dessert table or to have next to the front door! Check out the full tutorial on A Little Tipsy Blog.

Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

 

Everyone loves chocolate and peanut butter so why not surprise your guests with these homemade eggs? Your guests will think they took you forever to make when in fact they are so simple and easy! Find the complete recipe on Texanarin Baking Blog

Easter Flower Arrangement

I love this flower arrangement! It makes such a cute centerpiece and is so easy that anyone can put it together! Find out what you need on Craft-O-Maniac Blog.

Question

What are some of your favorite Easter treat recipes?

Three Great Things to Start Off Your Weekend

* This giveaway is now closed *

Are you ready for the weekend? I know I am! I've spent so much time in the library this week (I'm actually there right now) because I have a research paper that I have to write. There isn't really a due date because it's for an online class but I'm trying to get it done sooner rather than later.

Now for the fun stuff! I have three fun things for you guys in order to get your weekend started off right. An awesome website, a workout and a giveaway!

The Clymb

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon this awesome website called The Clymb. They seriously have everything from running shoes to fishing gear and energy bars to cycling helmets. If you are an outdoorsy person, an athlete, or just want some awesome workout apparel then this is the site for you! They have amazing prices on some of the best brands and the deals are constantly changing so you have to get them before they're gone. Today through Saturday you can receive an extra 20% off! I think that this site is so great that I am personally inviting all of you to join it! Just click on the following link to join!  

Personal invite from Danielle to join The Clymb

Workout

I did this workout the other day and it really got my blood pumpin! Right after it I did one set of each exercise from the Superset Arm Workout and used heavier weights than I normally do for a quick and effective arm workout.

Giveaway

I have had this giveaway stashed away for awhile and was planning on doing it awhile ago but completely forgot! I can't believe I did because I'm sure some of you will love it! Goodbelly has offered to give one lucky reader a 12-day supply.

Goodbelly has a full line of probiotic drinks that are good for daily digestive health. Their drinks have special active cultures that survive the stomach's acid so they can reach the intestinal tract. Goodbelly probiotic drinks also deliver your daily dose of multivitamins and calcium.

If you don't like juice they also have some other options such as their Goodbelly StraightShot which allows you to get your daily probiotic without having to drink a huge glass of juice.

Also, all of their drinks are dairy-free, soy-free and vegan! They can be consumed by children as young as 1 to adults older than 100 making Goodbelly drinks safe for everyone!

For those of you who want to try Goodbelly out for yourself, they are having a 12 Day Challenge right now. You just have to head on over to their site by clicking here and then sign up! They send you a coupon to get you started and then on the 12th day they send you more coupons! They also check up with you during the challenge to see how you are liking it and to answer any questions.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

How to enter

Mandatory: Check out Goodbelly's website and then comment telling me why you would like to try it
Optional: Tweet about this giveaway "I want to win a 12 day supply of @GoodBellyDrink from @trufflesntread Check it out! http://bit.ly/Yic8Mi" and comment saying you tweeted

I will choose a winner on Tuesday!

What I'm Looking Forward To

I hope you all had an awesome weekend. On Saturday I had a long run of 5 miles scheduled. I did it on the treadmill and made the first 3 miles of it an interval workout. I did .5 miles at 9:00 minute pace then the next .5 miles at 8:30 pace and kept alternating back and forth until I completed 3 miles. I then ran the last 2 at random paces from anywhere from 8:00 minute pace to 10:00 minute pace to cool down. I seriously can't wait until it starts to get into the 40's so I can run outside more.

Alex and his dad are big into fishing, hunting, wildlife, etc. and his dad got me a shirt for Christmas from their friend's fishing tackle company. I wore this shirt on Saturday for my run and it is perfect to run in because it's made with moisture-wicking material and is really light. The fish on it reminds me of summer too.

Alex and I spent last summer by going fishing on several different occasions and it makes me look forward to this summer and all of the fishing trips we are going to take. Here are a few pictures from last summer.

Yep, you are seeing this right.. I caught two fish on one lure! It was pretty exciting to say the least.

Be on the look out for a LARABAR giveaway this week!


What are you looking forward to most this summer?

Roommate Bonding

* This giveaway is now closed *

I feel like I hardly have any time to fit in blogging lately with this new job because before it I was always writing my posts at night. Now I am trying to do everything when I get off work at 9:30 so it feels pretty hectic. I think that if I do them earlier in the day I won't feel as rushed at night with studying and blogging so we will give it a run for it's money this week.


On Saturday Jancee and I went to the mall and then to AT&T so she could get a new sim card for her phone. At the mall we spotted a few great deals at GAP. Alex's sister told me they were going out of business and everything was 50% off! I couldn't let this deal slide by so we went in and checked it out.

I picked up a running jacket, sunglasses, and some socks for me and because I couldn't walk out of there without something for Alex, I got him a plaid long sleeve shirt. As soon as I got in the car I immediately put on the new sunglasses I bought.

After all of the shopping we did, we were pretty hungry. If you follow me on Twitter you probably already know what we ended up picking up... Pita Pit! This was my first time going to this amazing little restaurant. Jancee recently got a job there and has been talking about it a lot so I had to try it.

I got the Gyro, which is seasoned beef strips, and I added green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and their Tzatziki sauce. The sauce was good and this combo was delicious. I will definitely be going there often to try out more combinations. Since it was my first time I was afraid to go crazy with the combos but I am sure next time I will change it up!

It was definitely a fun day with Jancee! Even though we live in the same tiny little box of a room together, we hardly get to do anything together very much with our busy schedules so it was much needed.

I actually wore the jacket I bought at GAP on my run today and it was super comfortable. It didn't bounce around even with heavy things (ie. keys, ID) in my pockets, kept me warm, and it even has thumb holes! My run today was my first official run of my half-marathon training! I will post my full training schedule soon.

It was nice outside and in the high 40s so I took advantage of it and ran 3 miles outside. I'm pretty sure that it is supposed to drop down into the 20s by the end of the week. It felt good to be outside but it was super windy and I felt that no matter which direction that I ran in that I was running into the wind.

Giveaway

It seems like it's been awhile since I've had a giveaway on the blog so I think it's time for one! I still have some awesome stuff to giveaway as part as my New Years Resolutions Blog Giveaway!

This week's giveaway is from Chobani. One lucky reader will win a variety box of Chobani yogurt!

If you have never had Chobani Greek Yogurt then you are definitely missing out! They have several different delicious flavors, low-fat options, dessert flavors, and fun squeeze tubs that are perfect if you are on-the-go. Chobani yogurt can also replace sour cream, butter, oil, and a number of other ingredients in your cooking to make it healthier. Check out some of these awesome recipes by clicking here and see how you can make your cooking a bit healthier with Chobani.

How to enter

Mandatory: Check out Chobani's website and comment telling me which flavor you would like best.
Optional: Like my Facebook page and leave a comment saying you did.
Optional: Tweet about the giveaway and make sure to include @trufflesntread and @nothingbutgood in the tweet! Comment below saying that you did

I will choose a winner on Thursday! Good luck and have a great week :)

Amazing People of the Blog World

Blogging has opened up a variety of things for me from meeting other inspiring bloggers, forming partnerships with amazing companies, and becoming more involved in health and fitness. It has also allowed me to share my daily musings with friends and family who are back at home while I am away at school. Having this blog has also made it extremely easy for people to donate to my Ovarian Cancer Awareness Fund that I have created in an effort to raise awareness and help my aunt who has been fighting the cancer since 2006.

I was extremely lucky to find Erica's blog a few months ago and have been following her ever since. She was super nice and mentioned my cause in her blog post today! She even donated toward the cause which makes me one person closer to reaching my goal of 100 people donating $13! I was extremely happy to come across her post today and it just shows how amazing the people of the blog world are!

Thanks again Erica!

If you want to donate just click on the PayPal link in the upper right corner of the blog! Thank you so much ahead of time for your donations! You are helping a truly amazing woman.

New Faves & New Years Resolutions Giveaway #3

* This giveaway is closed *

I can't believe how fast this week has flown by. You would think with it being the first week of classes, reading syllabi over and over, and working full time that it would have dragged on but it didn't! I am so glad it didn't. I still have one more class to go to this afternoon and work tonight but I have some fun plans for the weekend. Tomorrow my aunt is having the family over to celebrate her birthday which should be a blast!

I want to share with you guys 2 new products that I have tried in the past week. The other night I was craving some chips but instead opted for something a little healthier - PopCorners. They were delicious and definitely healthier than eating a bag of chips. They come in several other flavors like Kettle, White Cheddar, and Cheesy Jalapeno. I tried the Sea Salt flavor and thought that it tasted just like popcorn! They are also all natural and gluten free, so if you have a hard time finding gluten free snacks, this one is for you.

Some of you may know that I enjoy Naked juices. I never tried anything other than Red Machine, Strawberry Banana, and Berry Blast before today. I only bought those flavors because I knew that I would like them. I like berries so I knew that they would all be good but today the Green Machine caught my eye. At first I wasn't going to get it because I didn't think I would like it very much but I love it. It is made up of apples, bananas, kiwi, mango, and pineapple and is so tasty! I am so glad I went out of my comfort zone and tried it and think I will be trying many more flavors soon. The drinks are made of all natural fruit, no added sugars, and some even have extra boosts inside!

(Photo source)

It's giveaway time!

One of my favorite bloggers, Lindsay is the blogger behind Cotter Crunch. She is a nutrition manager, fitness consultant, and lives a gluten free lifestyle. In addition to blogging, Lindsay also runs her own company called Healthy Bites. Healthy Bites is a company dedicated to fueling all types of people in a healthy way by using mostly all-natural, gluten-free and organic ingredients.

(Photo Source)

She has created 4 main flavors and offers fun flavors of the month. The four main flavors she has each have a different taste and purpose. For example the Apple/ Peach/Apricot Cinnamon Vanilla bite and the Muddy Buddy Mocha bites are great for pre-workout fuel, the Whey Good bite is great for post-workouts and has added protein, and the Cookie Dough/Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bites are the perfect "I just want something sweet" bite and they won't ruin your hard work or healthy eating habits!

 (Photo Source)


Don't those Healthy Bites look delicious?! Well lucky for you, Lindsay has offered to give one lucky reader a box of her Healthy Bites. The winner will be able to contact Lindsay once the giveaway is over and tell her of any allergies you have or special dietary requests.

How to enter

Mandatory: Head over to Lindsay's blog and then comment on this post saying which Healthy Bite you would chose if you win.
Optional: Follow Truffles n' Treadmills on Twitter or Facebook and leave a comment saying you did


A winner for this giveaway will be chosen Sunday night!