SPI Belt Review and Giveaway

We have been so excited to do this review since the day we found out that we were getting this amazing chance. SPI belt stands for Small Personal Item Belt. That makes sense, right? For runners this can be an essential piece of your running attire. Many times when attending a large race you have to have your id, keys, phone, etc. Where do you put that stuff? A lot of races have places where they can hold your stuff, but why not just take it with you? SP belt has so many awesome products including the belts you will see below, spibands, and even items for kids! Make sure you read what we, Big Sis and Lil' Sis, both thought of the Spibelt ... and see what is in it for YOU! 

The belt on the left is Big Sis' and the belt on the right is Lil' Sis 

(Yes, they come in cool colors too)

Big Sis' Review:

I have always seen runners wearing belts around their waists, but they always contained water bottles. They always seemed big and bulky and I never thought it would be something I could run with. I remember when I ran the Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon and I saw so many runners with these, I thought it was genius, but I knew it would bother me. 

 I was beyond excited when I opened the package and saw my little black belt! It was perfect. I was a bit worried about the pocket- but man, it holds so much! It is so small but stretches to meet your needs, which is perfect for any runner. I have worn it on several runs, but the run that it mattered the most was in a 5K that I did. I was able to wear it with my credit card, ID, keys, and money! AND... best part, I completely forgot the belt was on me. It did not irritate me at all. Actually I didn't even notice it was there! I did not feel/hear money jiggling nor did my keys bother me. I was also so excited when I realized that the belt had not moved at all. 

The SPI belt could be used by anyone! It isn't just for running. It is a great asset to any athlete. It could be used for walking, bike, running, hiking, etc. My mom recently purchased one and she even mentioned using it on motorcycle rides...what a great idea?! There are always times when we miss the days of the ol' Fanny Pack, right??? ;) SPI belt is the answer! You can also put it under your shirt and no one will even know it was there! I recommend this item to anyone! 

Lil' Sis' Review:

 Now for my turn! I too have also been very excited to review the SPI Belt! 

When I received the SPI Belt in the mail, I was first very excited to see how cute it was! Mine is a black belt with a turquoise pocket. I loved that it was handy and stylish. I was definitely excited to use it to run with. The first night I ran with my new SPI Belt I hit my highest mile goal so far of 6 miles.

I honestly did feel that the SPI Belt helped me achieve that goal.  The reason for that is because usually when I run with my Nike+ app I am constantly looking at my phone to see my current distance.  With my phone in my SPI Belt, I didn't look at it until mile 4, so I felt so good and just kept going.  It was great. Along with not looking at my phone, it helps just to have a place for it.  Plus the pocket is sleek and small so it isn't in the way or bothersome at all. 

Another thing I like about the belt is the way it fits and how comfortable it is. 

It is adjustable and so you can fit it to the size that you want.  

When I first wore the belt I wondered if it would be annoying and move around a lot.  I was very surprised to find out that it stayed in place perfectly.  I didn't have to readjust the belt through my run at all, and that was great.  Because when you are running and tired you don't want to be worrying about adjusting a belt, so it is great that stays in place. 

Also, it is just such a handy tool to have for any sport.  You can wear it for anything, running, biking, yoga, anything.  It is so handy to carry your phone, keys, credit cards/cash, any of those things that you may have to hold or carry with you. 

All in all the SPI Belt is a great investment! I will suggest it to all of my friends from now on, and I will definitely continue to use it throughout my future runs and workouts.  

I would like to add that each of us did our own review before putting them together. Many of our comments are actually the same, but they were totally done separately. That shows you how AWESOME of a product this it. If anyone has ANY questions, PLEASE ask us. We would be glad to try anything out with it or send pictures of certain parts if you are interested. 

NOW FOR THE AWESOME GIVEAWAY!

The great thing about today is that not only do ya'll get to hear what we like about our SPI Belt, but you also get the opportunity to WIN your very own SPI Belt! No purchase necessary. We think it is awesome that the people over at SPI belt is going to give our reader a FREE SPI Belt too! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mud Madness

Oh man, I attended my first Mud Run a couple of weeks ago and it was a BLAST! I knew I would love it... but I didn't know I would love it THAT much! So much that I am signed up for one again later this month with a girlfriend and then again in October with a group of girls! 

In every run I do, I always get a before and after of my boy. Just so happens this time the husband was with me, with the camera-- and I have no pictures. How is that possible?! I was so excited though when I rounded the last corner, gearing up for the last mud pit to see my two boys on a bench rooting me on. Because this was a smaller, more family oriented run-- my boy got to go through the mud with me. I was so happy. 

My first post in this blog talks about how my boy is my BRF! My Best Running Friend. I would not have the dedication or determination without my 2 year old, that is for sure. So to have him go through that Mud Pit and then run with me through the finish line made me so happy. 

I may not have any pictures to share of this amazing time... but I do have a fun video of the ending portion of me and my boy. I am so proud of him and his determination and eagerness when running with his mama! 

It is funny because I knew that I would get nasty, dirty, and muddy... however, I had NO clue that I mud would be falling out of places it has no business! I had no clue that the sports bras that I wore that day would be forever stained a brownish color from those amazing mud baths pits. I was so happy to be part of this Mud Run as it supported a great cause. 

What about you? Have you done a Mud Run before? What is your favorite obstacle? Do Share, Do Share!! 

Plugs or No Plugs?

Plugs or No Plugs?

Do you listen to music when you run or workout? Do you have an iPod or MP3 player that you turn on and enjoy your workout with the plugs in your ears? OR are you one of those people that enjoy only the noise that is around them? I am really curious to see what it is that you like.. 

I personally enjoy both... When I run outdoors ALONE, I don't like music. I enjoy listening to the cars going by or the birds. We ran pretty late last night and though I was with some other ladies and we were chatting-- it got dark and you could hear the bugs and everything. It was so peaceful. However, when I run with my son... we love to put on Pandora and go at it. He has so much fun clapping and trying to sing along. I tend to put it on Toddler Bop and there are many of the same songs that I have on my MP3 player. 

So.. when I DO put the plugs in... what do you think I listen to? I AM VERY interested in what you listen to as I am trying to build my running music... I also wonder if anyone at all has random music like I do? If you know me personally some of this music will probably be like.. WHHHAT! But remember, this is workout music and for the most part, I don't even listen to it! On a regular day my radio is on KLove and my CD of choice is worship music or kids praise... 

My Music List Includes:

Carrie Underwood

Simple Plan

Reba

Casting Crowns

My Chemical Romance

Mercy Me

Christmas Music

Now isn't that the most RANDOM mix EVER? I have this random mix because sometimes I want to hear hardcore, other times sweet worship, then other times some good country, and let's not forget those nostalgic moments when I really crave me some good Christmas Music! 

Is your list as odd as mine?

Please share!! 

-Cassey

Keeping my life simple!

Being a Stay At Home Mom who runs a daycare it is vital that I find ways to make things easier in our day to day lives. Being able to be home is a dream come true for me and it is important to me that my husband and son have hot meals most days/meals of the week. I have taught school the past five years and being home is something I never saw myself doing-- until I had a baby. 

I have many outlets to making life simple in our house and they include LISTS, no TV until baby is asleep, gardening, routines, oh and did I say LISTS? I have lived by lists the past few months as they are the only way I can even keep up it seems. But today I wanted to talk about something that is a bit newer in my house and something I am loving!! 

Batch Cooking! 

Somedays finding the time to ensure that all of my kids in daycare have a healthy, home cooked meal can be difficult. Though I plan our meals each weekend for the next week... there are some days that life takes over and I am not able to make our meals the way I do on all days! Also, with the schedule my husband works I am able to cook him a hot breakfast, but I have to pack his lunch and dinner... and to be honest, there are some days I am lacking a meal to pack if not two. What better answer to this than batch cooking? It did take a little bit of preparation and time on my part... but after the initial day of doing the batch cooking... I have had lots of quick meals that are frozen. So what did I do?

I spent one day preparing pizza muffins (similar to pizza bagels), pizza hot pockets, ham and cheese pockets, and burritos. After I cooked and prepped each of these meals, I packed them up individually and froze them. It is awesome because if I am in need of a quick meal for anyone in my family all I have to do is walk to the freezer and pull out one of these meals... pop in the microwave and BOOM! We have a meal. 

It seems about once a month I will spend a day batch cooking. I usually do it during Daycare so the kids can help.. they have a lot of fun. It is one of the best things I have ever done.... and I am quite addicted to it! I always try and make an extra 'whatever' to freeze... it is great for daycare, my family, AND for when I need to cook for someone in need... I like to cook for the families in my church who are sick, have had babies, or just need the extra help. 

If you have any other questions about this- please ASK! So far I have batched cooked:

-Pizza Muffins

-Pizza Pockets

-Ham and Cheese Pockets

-Pie Crust

-Pigs in a Blanket

-Salsa

-Lasagna

-Bread

-PotPie: My FAVORITE 

-Cheesecake

-Muffins

-Enchiladas (I will let you know how that turns out, I have read mixed reviews online)

Happy Batch Cooking! 

-Big Sis

Weekly Chase #2

If you haven't heard about the Weekly Chase that my friend over at Live, Love, Run does each week- you should really go over and read about it. Even if you don't blog, it is an awesome way to keep weekly goals and try and reach them! If you want to know more about the Weekly Chase go HERE.


In last weeks Weekly Chase, I gave myself 4 goals. I have to be honest with you though and tell you that after the week started and some of my goals changed... I went back and changed them. I only changed my fitness goals... but I worked hard to make sure that I did complete the goals I had set for myself.. So for last week my goals were:

1. Batch Cooking: To cook and freeze-- another pack of Pizza Muffins and 4 full size Chicken Pot Pies and 4 individual pot pies. --I did it!! All on Monday, too. Someone asked that I blog about my batch cooking and I hope to have that blog ready for Tuesday! :) So make sure you come back!  I might add that I canned 14 jars of salsa too! 

2. To run 20 miles. - DONE! 

3. To do 30 Day Shred 2 times this week. -DONE! 

4. To cook dinner each night the husband is off! (I have really, really been slacking on this lately and I do not like that) - DONE! I did this each night except for Monday night and Sunday night because we ate at a friends' house! 

-------------------------------------------------------

On to this week.. I am so excited to share that my Lil Sis, Brittany, is joining in on the Weekly Chase now too.. So you get to keep up with both of us and motivate us both... 

Big Sis! 

1. To attend Cross Fit 3x this week! Should be easy since I have someone going with me! 

2. To do Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Monday-Friday during nap time! 

3. To drink at least 1 gallon of water each day.

4. To run 21 miles this week. 

5. To get Sam's baby shower stuff finished before Friday! 

6. To continue with my NO DIET DR. PEPPER or Energy Drinks! 
7. To be in bed BY 11pm (this is huge) each night and set my alarm and get up at 5am! 

Lil Sis! 

1. Finish painting our blue walled living room!

2. Go on a date with my husband! 

3. Full clean my home before the boys come back!

4. Sew some more products for my etsy store!

5. Run 6 miles again in one setting!

6. Run a total of 20 miles this week! 

7. Stop drinking sweet tea and stick to just water and coffee! 

Wow! I have a lot of goals set for this Weekly Chase!! But we know we can do it. We feel great this week and will continue to be able to mark things off our lists!! YAY! 

I hope you will join in on the Weekly Chase with us. Tell us what you need help completing this week.. How can we help you??

You can find me here...

I was so busy yesterday I forgot to mention that I was guest posting on a fun topic over HERE! 

Head on over and take a look around Run Principessa... and tell me what you think! 

Happy Reading! 

GO HERE!! DON'T FORGET! HERE! 

5K and 7K in less than 24 hours!

Three weeks ago I attended the San Francisco Color Run... you can read about it HERE on Natural-Nesters, the blog I share with my sister.. (Have you checked it out.. you totally should).

Yesterday I had the awesome chance to do the Sacramento Color Run! I did the San Francisco Color Run because I was suppose to work yesterday... and then I ended up with the day off.. and a 1/2 off ticket fell into my lap. My boy had SO much fun at the first one, I had to take up that offer!!! However, I didn't put two and two together and didn't realize I had already signed up for a 10K that night! Eeek.. Oh well, it was awesome nonetheless! 

So I just wanted to share some pictures with you from our Color Run this round.. It was too much fun! 

I love this shot because it is me in action. The girls I went with had their husbands' taking pictures You can find me by locating the stroller! :) 

This picture is before it started and simply amazing. I love all of the runners in front of the California Sate Capitol. How beautiful is that?

Again, in action- AFTER some color! Once again, you can find me by locating the stroller and that cutie patootie! 

After the race.. This is my boy saying CHEESE! Oh, how I love him! 

This guy- he loves the color!! :) Precious, just precious. 

I love, love, love this picture of us. I feel fit, I feel athletic, I feel happy. However, when I see this picture I am in such awe, because this is not how I see me. YES, I have a lot of work left to do and I am not finished yet.. but this picture shows how far I have come... and makes me feel like a true runner. I love having my boy on my hip, because I would not have it any.other.way. I love running with him. 

My precious baby. He is my hero! He loves to run... loves to play... and loves to love! I LOVE HIM!

So in comparison.. I am SO glad I went to San Francisco for their Color Run too! Sacramento was awesome, yes.... but San Fran was CRAZY! There were SO many people there, people were soooo excited to be there (perhaps they were drunk)... and it was JUST a blast. The Sacramento one was more fun because I was with a group of people... and that made it awesome. But the San Fran is one that I am so thankful to have experience... it for sure makes me want to make more trips to San Fran to experience their races!! They are so energetic and so much fun! I love it! 

So that is what I did yesterday morning... Come yesterday evening I was to attend a Moonlight 10K. I was really excited about it. Before the race the kids got to race. It was awesome. That was the best part of my day, watching my 2 year old do the 1/2 mile. When he got to the turn around cone, he did NOT want to turn around. He got so upset... he kept saying 'no, that way, no that way!" he did not want to go back... in the end, he was a happy, tired little boy.

My 10K turned into a 7K. Maybe I am crazy but I expected it to be more lit up... But we went under the bridges in the river bottoms, where some people live... and I was scared out of my mind. When we were to go under another bridge and I could not see a soul or lights.. I chose to turn around. It was too scary for me. There are too many random people that live in the woods to make me comfortable and my cell phone had died! So my boy and I headed back. I was upset with myself at first for not completing the full 10K.. but today I woke up renewed, happy, and PROUD of who I have become!!! 

This is before our Moonlight Run.. AGAIN, I LOVE this picture of me... I feel awesome. I feel beautiful. This is not talking myself up.. because I don't really feel that way.. but in this picture when I see it.. I see a beautiful, happy, fit, GIRL! I love it! 

My boy became a TIGER "RAWR" for the night.. he was so proud of his face painting! 

After his 1/2 mile race.. getting ready for our 10K. It was so dark.. I didn't get any pictures of him running, but did get video! LOVE IT! 

I have a blog brewing about that 10K/gone7K.. so be on the look out. 

-Cassey