Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts

12.23.2011

Healthy Girl! Fridays: Happy Holidays!!

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Heyyyy Brickhouses!!

TGIF!! And happy pre-Christmas Eve!!Two days till Christmas! Wooohoo!!
Wanna know what got me just a tad bit more into the Christmas spirit? Two things...

#1 Standing in the long procrastination last-minute shopper line at Best Buy with Jam and Mia..

Jam and Mia

The rushed and panicked look of shoppers makes me chuckle! Jam and I took Mia WITH us to pick up her presents (except for Buzz Lightyear, which she's been asking for since we got Toy Story 3 on DVD in July). She knows about the concept of Santa but also knows that "Ma-Daddy"( her name for us when we are all together LOL) are in charge of the WHOLE Christmas operation!

#2 Trader Joe's Eggnog Almonds!!

OH-EM-GEEE!! Yess Joe! Yesss!!

Instant merriness, jolliness and good cheer! NO. JOKE. I love chomping on legumes (peanuts, almonds, cashews, trail mix etc) for healthy snacking purposes but add my favorite seasonal beverage and it takes it to a whole nother' level!! Kudos to Trader Joe's for being visionaries and Kat for being an impulse shopper!!

Tonight after work and choir practice, I will be wrapping gifts! My mommy (never graduated to Mom or Ma) sent a package with me and Mia's presents as well so that filled me with an extra dosage of good cheer!

I know the title says "Healthy Girl Fridays" but I am giving Kyla, who got a 3.77 GPA this semester by the way, another break! In the New Year you can expect consistent Q&A from our resident pre-Med/Exercise Science major! Here is some tumblr gold I found on her blog which if you have never visited, can check out here.



Kyla, her BF Bri-Guy and their penguin child wish you a Merry Christmas!

Are you in the holiday spirit yet? If you aren't what activities/experiences help with that?

-KEF
xoxo

P.S. The almonds I mentioned above are 230 calories for 1/4 cup. Enjoy at your own risk!

My blog is a part of a Fitness Friday blog hop! Click above to check out other awesome fitness bloggers!!

12.22.2011

It's Christmastime in Nashville!!

Hey Brickhouses!

On Sunday I was feeling pretty crummy. This always happens to me about a week before Christmas because I start stressing about everything that needs to be done, and I worry if I will make Christmas for Mia a memorable one. I went over to Kat's,  Mia's paternal grandmother, after work and she could tell something was on my mind.

Somewhere along the way, someone suggested that we go to Gaylord Opryland  to look at the lights and decorations. Even though I wasn't feeling hot and it was already 8pm, I went. I thought that if I could give Mia a Christmas memory it would all be worth it!


The crew! (l-r) Jamal, Mia, Imani, Sam, and Kat

I will probably be talking about these folks more in the new year as they are my Nashville family, so let me introduce them!

Jamal- Mia's father! We aren't together but remain super close friends and even better co-parents. I realize that is a rarity now days so I am truly blessed!

Mia- That's my baby girl! She will be four in February and is just as social, theatrical, bright and busy as she wants to be!

Imani- This is Jamal's brother, Mia's uncle! He is the closest thing I have to a brother in every way. Check out an example here.

Sam- Here is a young lady I hope sticks around! She is Imani's "boo thang" (their words...lol) and a joy to be around! Demure, witty, and most of all confident enough to deal with Imani's teenage angst/mood swings! LOL

Kat- Jamal and Imani's mom, Mia's grandma! My second mom! Culinary legend! People all over know about this woman's amazing cooking. She inspired this recipe and pretty much any other recipes I attempt to cook! She is also part inspiration behind the name #operationbrickhouse! She has kept her body in shape and maintained it her entire life and has taught me a thing or two!


My camera sucks!! All I want for Xmas is a better one!!

Sam, Mia, and Imani

This tree made of lights was HUGE! Even after moving back I couldn't capture the whole thing!

Mia, Me and Jamal (being a goof!) the best co-parent anyone could ask for!

Nativity Scene! It had a audio re-enactment playing

Horse and Carriage! They are all over Nashville. I WILL ride in one one of these days!

Mia pointing at someone or something lol

Beautiful decorations!


The lovebirds <3


Lovebirds again!

Overall I had a great time walking around looking at the decorations, spending time with the fam, and getting back into the Christmas spirit. I definitely am going to visit the Gaylord again in the future! I can't even explain through pictures or writing how fabulous that place looked but you can check more out here.

What Christmas season memories have you been able to make this year? What are some activities do you do every year?

-KEF
xoxo

12.02.2011

LGI Healthy Business Spotlight: Positiffitea

"Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things." -Chaim Potok

Hey Brickhouses!!

We are a week into the Christmas holiday season and I am in an extra festive mood!! Yesterday Mia and I baked cookies and decorated our tree!! And for the first time in my adult life, its a  REAL tree!!!

If you have been following us on Facebook, you may already know that I am highlighting amazing fitness products that will be beneficial on anyone's fitness journey and included on my personal wishlist. (*Hint hint*) I am calling it the "25 Days of a Fit-Christmas." Some of them will be included as a giveaway so check back daily!! Yesterday, I highlighted the MOTOACTV Fitness tracker and today for our second day of  the "25 Days of a Fit-Christmas", the tea company,  Positiffitea. 
HEALTHY BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT




A couple of weeks ago on my birthday Muffin gave me an AMAZING gift basket. It had some all natural products, a book, and beautiful canister of Chai tea! 

My Birthday Basket! He is so thoughtful :)

Muffin gave me an explanation of everything in the basket down to the color of the tissue paper and the bowl (made of a melted record) my gifts sat in! He explained to me that he had met, Tiffany, the owner of the tea company, and that this was "healthy tea." I had always thought that all tea was healthy and wanted to know more.

After tasting the tea that night and the next morning, I reached out to Tiffany. I gushed to her about the Chillin' Chai's spiciness on FB, we exchanged messages, and she invited me to a tea tasting where she would be showcasing her new holiday blends. 

The tea tasting was going to be at a coffee shop in Murfreesboro, TN, called JoZoara's Coffee Shop. I had passed it a couple of times as I ran errands in the shopping center where it was located but never went in. It looked like an eclectic hometown coffee shop from the outside, and when I got inside that is just what I found! 

This picture doesn't do JoZoara's justice! This place is BEAUTIFUL!!
JoZoara's has excellent lighting, vaulted ceilings and gives off a modern yet rustic feel! To sum it up, the shop, atmosphere and staff were so inviting!!

Tiffany and some other tea tasters were nestled in the back, seated at a large table with an array of Positiffitea products. As soon as Tiffany saw me she gave me a "Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!! Nice to meet ya!" and made me feel instantly welcome! Just from the couple of seconds I was able to see her in motion, I knew where "positive" came into play for the name of her tea company. The woman oozed it!!

Tiffany, a tea taster, and me

Positiffitea goodies and another tea taster
Throughout the hour and a half I spent with Tiffany we talked about yoga, writing, art and painting, fitness, school, rock climbing, Muffin, marathon running, Mia, blogs, finance, food, networking, small businesses, social networking, vision boards, weight loss, finding your niche and POSITIVITY! And somewhere along the way we talked tea ...

So how did Positiffitea come about? What made you start this business?
Well, for the past five to six years I had been researching and studying teas and their health benefits for myself.  I was studying the roots, flowers, herbs, barks and plants and their benefits by way of Chinese medicine and their naturopathic methods. When my friends would have headaches for instance, I would research natural ways to combat them. My friends would tell me how they worked and that I should go into business for myself, so in 2010 I did!

So because of the healthy benefits Positiffitea is a healthy tea company. Cool! I never knew that teas could be unhealthy!
Every tea that I make has no artificial sweeteners, no artifical flavoring, no NOTHING added! This is not the case with a lot of the teas that we buy and drink. All of my teas are simply the herbs, leaves, and the actual tea. I am trying to make the teas taste really awesome so no one has to add milk, sugar, or anything to them, and they can just enjoy the tea!

Posing! And tasting some tea WITHOUT sugar!! Yumm!!
(So I tried my beloved Chillin' Chai without sugar and milk like I normally have it, and was surprised that it was still tasty without anything added!)

So what did you put in it so that it would be sweet?
I used licorice root in the Chillin Chai' and, depending on the flavor of the base tea, I research sweet roots or herbs to make the teas taste awesome!

Brewed Tea- Loose Style!!


Loose Tea ... its what's in your tea bag!!

(Pointing to huge jug of tea) What is this for?
This is how I brew loose leaf tea! Anyone can do it; you don't need any special equipment. Just get some hot water, put some loose leaf tea in it and allow it to steep just like you would with a tea bag. Steeping tea this way allows everything to absorb and freely expand in the water. With a tea bag it is not as thorough or full but you are still getting health benefits either way!

What do you suggest for people who aren't comfortable with loose leaf tea?
You can buy a strainer anywhere food ware is sold, and soon, I will be providing strainers for people who buy loose leaf teas! I sell all of my teas in tea bag form so people have a choice when they buy.
Check out strainers online here, here, and here (cheapest).
TEA!!!
Tell me about the art on the canister. Was this specifically for cover art or are you an artist?
Yeah, I had actually  painted this and wanted to use something that evokes positivity, so I  chose this. In everything I like to incorporate a  positive mindset. I like to take everything I find valuable in life that I find good for balancing and lifestyle and use it for this company! I want people to pick these up and smile.

How do you feel your teas can make an impact on someone who is looking to have a healthier lifestyle?
To have a healthier lifestyle you have to have a positive mind, which is key. It's all in your mindset. The concept of this is to pass on positive vibes and energy and really enjoy life.  You don't need to add any sweeteners or anything that is harmful to your body. My teas are natural, give you energy, make you feel good when you drink them and helps your brain (depending on the tea). The health benefits of the teas plus a positive mindset is what these teas and this company is all about. I just took the things that I was passionate about and made a business out of it, and I LOVE IT!!




Besides learning about the health benefits of tea, I had a BLAST talking with Tiffany! It is small business owners like Tiffany, who make you feel like an old friend instead of a potential client, that I love so much! I have no problem purchasing from someone who is not only passionate about her product, but also aims to help people in the process--and that is just what Positiffitea aims to do! 

Goofing like old friends!!

Tiffany is partnering with us for the "25 Days of a Fit-Christmas"  first giveaway!! Two lucky people will receive a canister of tea (bagged or loose leaf) as well as a sample of her holiday tea blends! To qualify you must do the following:
  • Check out the Positiffitea website here to get to know the blends.
  • Like both Positiffitea and LGI Fitness by KEF on Facebook.
  • Tell Tiffany we sent you by writing "LGI Sent me" with your favorite flavor on the Positiffitea's FB wall.
  • Winners will be chosen Friday, December 16, 2011, by 5pm (CST).
You do not want to miss out on this giveaway so LIKE, LIKE, SHARE, SHARE!!! LET'S GET IT!!!




Have a fit-abulous weekend!!

-KEF
 xoxo
 #operationbrickhouse
#healthyholiday
#positiffitea

11.27.2011

Holiday Weekend Recap!! [Picture Heavy]

Heyy Brickhouses!!

Hope your holiday weekend was enjoyable! I had and continue to have so much to be thankful for! My Thanksgving was amazing! It started out fit-style with a Turkey Day 5K! I originally was going to do the Two River's Ford Turkey Trot but ended up changing locations since Kat wanted to join me. It turned out to be much better and more organized, as there were photographers, we got our shirt THAT DAY, and there were plenty of beverages and an amazing carb table afterwards!


Waiting in line for our Turkey Day 5K!!

Both of our GPS's showed that we ran over 3.1 miles [3.71 to be exact]  and I remember the specific curve we turned that said 30 minutes, 3.0 miles. So yes, we hit a 31 minute 5K! Victory!!!

Afterwards, we went home and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, played some football, showered, took pre-dinner nap, ate, and played Just Dance for Wii which was sooo much fun!!!

An obscure football pose!!

 


Yummy!!!

So thankful!!! The spread and the fellowship was absolutely fabulous!! I tried to keep it moderate but I failed horribly!! This week I am kicking my butt into high gear. Tonight, I freeze the yummy sweet potato pie Muffin made me with graham cracker crust!!! I do NOT need those fumes hitting me in the face!!

-KEF
xoxoxo

11.21.2011

LGI Food! : Feta Pizza and Sweet Potato Souffle

"Let us be grateful to friends who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." -Marcel Proust

Morning Brickhouses!!

Hope everyone had an amazing weekend!! I definitely did!! Church was amazing as usual and the message really spoke to me. I will leave it for another post but I have some decisions I need to make. Saturday night Muffin [Editor's Note: Muffin is My Favorite Negro or MFN for future references...] and I had a chance to hang out! We don't get to hang out that often with his jobs and school plus my wacky work hours, so we were both excited at the chance to have an evening of jazz, good food, a book discussion and amazing conversation!
MFN Feta Pizza - 185 calories
At one point in my life, Saturday nite was synonymous with pizza. I still like to indulge once in a while but I can't take the greasy sauce,cheese, and  bread! I am always looking for healthy alternatives so when I found this recipe on a blog recently I had to make one! By using feta in place of mozzarella, we were able to shave off  95 calories!! Building the same pizza at Domino's still has our pizza lower in calories with a 40 calorie difference. Amazing!!!

 You will need everything shown here: 


  • 1 Pizza Crust [Whole Wheat if you can find it]
  • 1/2 container of Reduced Fat Feta Cheese
  • 1/4 cup of Marinara Sauce [Tomato Sauce shown but was too soupy to use]
  • VEGGIES!!!
[I wish I had used a whole wheat crust but my local Food Lion has not gotten into better healthy options as of yet. ]

Chef KEF!!!

Muffin's favorite toppings
1. Preheat Oven to 425 degrees. Spread marinara sauce

My Sous Chef!!
Applying the Feta!! I heart Feta!!!

2. Spread the Feta

3. Add your favorite veggies! Ours was a great combo!

4. Put it in the oven on the lowest rack. Bake for 15-18 minutes

Enjoy!! And yes, I am KEF...I burnt it!
The 185 calories is per slice and this pizza made six servings so all together Muffin and I ate three slices each for an amount of 555 calories. Definitely not something I would want to make all the time!  Take in to consideration that it would have been 840 calories at Domino's I'm thinking we did pretty well!Not to mention we had a BLAST making it! I had the best Sous Chef EVER!! 

What is your favorite Saturday night meal? Have you tried any healthy alternatives or variations of your favorite meal?