Week Love

Here are some random things I'm loving this week:

Jar salads! - In theory, I try to avoid being wasteful. In reality, I throw more vegetables away than a kid tosses under the table to its dog at supper. My partner (Jeff) and I always intend to eat fresher, healthier foods, and I even figure up a weekly meal plan before we do our shopping each weekend. But somehow (Oreos), the fruits and veggies in the crisper usually deteriorate before we get around to enjoying them. We're almost always lucky enough to find them before they liquify. Anyways, so I made four jar salads on Monday and I'm hoping the freshness will last until Friday. Today is Wednesday, and the tomatoes and cukes and carrots taste like they've just been chopped. So woo! So far, so good with the jar salads.

Fitocracy - I heard about Fitocracy a few months ago on a blog I read regularly, Zen Habits. (I'm also loving his post this week on living without goals.) I've used a ton of websites that let you track your exercise, and I usually just use the tool for a few weeks and then forget about it. Fitocracy is different. I have no idea how the "points" I'm rewarded are determined, but I know that I MUST GET MORE POINTS!! There's a strong, open community and I love the folks I'm following there. Fitocracy is mainly focused on strength training and weightlifting, but there are still lots of options to log other activities, and being a member has really increased my focus on strength training. Which leads to...

CLX (ChaLean Extreme) - I freaking love Chalene Johnson. TurboJam was the program that really got me started on the long-term fitness change. I'd done a ton of different programs, regimens, videos, classes, but the fun in TurboJam kept me coming back to the living room, and eventually led me to branch out and try a few other DVD rotation programs. Jeff scored CLX for me a few months ago, and when I finally tried it out, I was hooked. I'm doing the first phase and I'm on week 3. The program focuses on work with dumbbells (though you can use bands or create your own imagined resistance) and low reps - super slow reps. Super slow, TOUGH reps! I feel pretty badass when I finish up a workout. Breaking each move down and logging it in Fitocracy gives me a bajillion points, too!

Jeff's homemade strawberry jam - Wish I had a link to give you on this one. He's just magic and he just makes magical yummies. This batch was made in our breadmaker. Nothing but strawberries and sugar, mmm!