Product Reviews

VEGA SPORT: Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Disclaimer:  I was given a free sample of this product from the company to give my honest, real reactions and thoughts!

When I got the opportunity to review this product I JUMPED on it!!!!!!  Being that in January I found out I can't have gluten and am dairy sensitive I was having trouble finding a protein bar for post workout or meals on the run that didn't bother my stomach.  Not only did it not bother my stomach but it was delicious!!!!!!  Not too heavy, no horrible aftertaste, the chocolate was not waxy tasting, I was sold.  Want to know what's even better?  My husband and son loved them, you know the true test on a food is whether the 10 year old will eat it!!!  These bars are also non GMO which is huge, I strive to fuel myself and my family with the best products out there!!  I can't wait to order more of these amazing bars!!  They were so  convenient to toss in my purse and go for they day, for those of you that don't know I work in a gym and teach a ton of classes so have a filling snack during the long days is super important!  I would totally recommend them to my clients! (can you tell I am super excited about these bars??).  

Customized Healthy Oatmeal!!!

Disclaimer:  I was given a free sample of this product from the company to give my honest, real reactions and thoughts!

I was super excited when I received the opportunity to create my own flavor of oatmeal!!  Anyone who knows me knows I love my oatmeal for breakfast everyday....I am totally a creature of habit but normally eat plain oatmeal with berries, I'm not that creative at 7am!!!!  So I went online and began creating....the first thing I noticed, so MANY choices!!!!  I wanted one of each LOL.....I decided to pick a flavor that I thought the whole family would like.  First choice was the kind of oatmeal (organic, gluten free, rolled, instant...the list goes on), then you pick a flavor is you want one (it says 100% natural flavors but I never found exactly what goes into the flavors), I chose oatmeal cookie (who doesn't love cookies)!  Next you get to pick what you want mixed in fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.  Then you can pick a sweetener, which they recommend if you add a flavor, so I used monk fruit, I wanted something natural.  Lastly you can pick how often you want your oatmeal to arrive at your door, once, monthly, etc....my favorite part, you get to name your oatmeal!!!  Each batch is made to your order.....AWESOME, I placed my order and waited...within a week my oats were at my door!  Now the taste test....dun, dun, dun......for me personally it was a bit sweet, next time I try it I would leave out the sweetener!  My husband and son were not fans :(  They also said it was a bit sweet for them.........that's when lightbulb!!  Why not make it into granola and then next time order unsweetened.....well, amazing!!!  I mixed in some peanut butter and baked it, can you say yum??  OMG this was amazing!!!  And now I am getting ready to place my next order, just plain organic oats with nuts and fruit!!!!  Overall this was a fun experience!!!!!!

#VegaOne #OneChange

I had the opportunity to try #VegaOne as part of their #OneChange campaign for the New Year.  I admit I am a weekend splurger!!!! I do really well all week and then the weekend comes and dun, dun, dun I snack like a mad woman!!!  Well, that’s where #VegaOne and #OneChange come in….when I got snacky over the weekend and wanted something sweet and filling I grabbed my blender and made a smoothie.  I am absolutely not creative when it comes to smoothie making…I always go with the good ole standby, almond milk, cocoa powder and peanut butter.  I did try it with some spinach this time but wasn’t the same for me, I need my chocolate peanut butter!!! LOL  I love that #VegaOne doesn’t not contain any form of milk, most of my smoothie powders contain whey or casein which make me a bit gassy LOL.  I was surprised how easily the powder blended into my drink, there were no chunks lying around in the bottom of the blender.  I also tried some #VegaOne in my oatmeal pancakes; they gave them a bit more flavor, yummy!!!!  Ok so the one thing that caught me off guard was the color of the powder…..I’m super used to using chocolate powders and my Vega was vanilla…I was expecting a light fluffy white powder but low and behold it was GREEN!!!  It makes sense though being it contains plant proteins. I have replaced my weekend snacking with #VegaOne and my snacking is down and my energy is up!!!  What do you have to lose??

Vega One Nutritional Shake is #OneChange you can make to help you stride through your busiest schedule, knowing you’ve got your nutritional bases covered—quickly and deliciously. You can simply mix it in a smoothie or shake and go or even grab a Vega One bar!

 I highly recommend that you check out #VegaOne, so click this link and find out what kind of snacker you are http://myvega.com/onechange?utm_campaign=FAOneChange&utm_medium=link&utm_source=blog&utm_content=FAOneChange0

Check em out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vegafanpage

And Twitter @VegaTeam

VegaOne Recipe – Yummy Peanut Butter

1 packet of Vanilla VegaOne

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

½ cup cold water

1tbsp unsalted peanut butter

5 ice cubes

Put all in a blender and drink, yummy!!!!

Cozy Orange Devi Hoodie - www.cozyorange.com

Cozy Orange Yoga selected me to review the Devi Hoodie in Heather Charcoal and I was super excited!!!!  I love Cozy Orange yoga tanks and yoga pants but I was nervous about a hoodie (new things make me nervous LOL) but I loved it!!!  I have worn it many times since receiving it, I actually put it on the day it arrived….I LOVE new yoga clothes!!!  Anyway back to the hoodie, first I wore it running and what I really loved was the side pocket.  It is large enough to hold your phone/iPod and had a flap over the pocket to keep your stuff from flying out!!!  I didn’t have to worry about carrying a running belt or anything else; I threw everything I needed in the pocket!!  The stitching down the front and the cut of the fabric give the hoodie a very feminine shape without being too clingy (I hate when I sweat and my clothes stick to me!).  Bonus, the stitching under the arms does not cause chaffing when sweaty!!!  I was also able to easily layer this hoodie for cooler runs as there are thumb holes at the bottom of the sleeves to hold them down and keep my hands warm!!  I then of course had to try it out in yoga class…..where else would you test yoga apparel LOL.  The fabric was a perfect weight for transferring from outdoor to indoor on a crisp fall day.  I was warm enough outside but was not too warm in class.  Again the thumb holes were advantageous, keeping my sleeves where they belong.  The length of the hoodie was perfect as well, it wasn’t too long but was long enough not to let anything slip out (you all know what I mean).  The only thing that bugged me during yoga class was the hood, but I guess it wouldn’t be a hoodie without the hood LOL…..it kept flopping up on my head when I shifted to down dog.  I would say yet again Cozy Orange has a win in the yoga clothing department!!!  This hoodie is so versatile, I wore it running, running errands and to yoga and Pilates classes.  And washing, ahhhh the most dreaded word when it comes to work out wear, I washed this hoodie at least 3 times in the week I wore it and it came out awesome (though I did not dry it in the dryer).  There was NO pilling from wearing it or putting it in the wash!!!  Can you tell by all the exclamations that I love this hoodie??

Chocolate....ummm, yes please!!!!

Any of you that follow me, know I am in LOVE with Island Boost…..all 3 flavors!!!  First of all Island Boost is a liquid, not a sticky, goopy, sloppy, messy gel so it goes down easy and does not upset the stomach!!  Well, now they are developed a NEW flavor….drum roll please…..CHOCOLATE!!!!!  I had the opportunity to try this new flavor and 3 letters describe my feelings OMG!!!!  The chocolate flavor is AMAZING, tastes like drinking Godiva chocolates….rich flavor but not too sweet.  Island Boost is made from the finest ingredients and the chocolate flavor has 70 calories!!!  There is no chemical aftertaste, so no need to chug the water down with it, drink it slow and enjoy J  I used one of my Chocolate Island Boosts before a shorter run to try to work for a PR but I had so much energy from the IB that I ended up running 6.5 miles and getting my PR!!!!!  And that is after I wrestled it out of the hands of my son when I gave him a taste and he took off with it…..that is the true taste test in the world when a 10 year old likes it LOL…..the second packet I tried frozen!!!  I used it before an intense workout and it tasted like a fudge bar!!!  What better treat is there??  Best part of all, no crash effect!!! I will NEVER use another fuel!!! Please help get Chocolate Island Boost on the market for you to try by giving to their IndieGoGo campaign here http://igg.me/at/IslandBoost/x/4020709

And be sure to show them some love on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/IslandBoost

Follow them on Twitter @IslandBoost

Cozy Orange Yogawear - www.cozyorange.com

I had the opportunity to try the Gemini Pant in white and tranquil blue and in one simple word WOW!!!  If you are in the market for yoga clothes these are a must ad to your collection…..I put these pants through the ringer!!!!  My yoga clothing is NEVER used gently!!!  So I will start with the fit of these pants….the waist sits just below the belly button (super flattering) with a band that does not cause a muffin top!!!!  Rouching on each hip adds to the cute factor.  The fabric is super soft and is opaque!!!   I know, right, when I heard white I was like…hmmm….VPL??  or worse cellulite??  But no, I was good (and I have some junk in my trunk)!!!  I even wore them to teach a class and no one saw anything they shouldn’t!!  At the end of the slightly flared leg…another cute little detail, a notch slit!!!!  Ok so now we all know I looked cute working out (oh, btw in one week I wore these pants running, to barre class and Pilates…so they were well used and washed) now onto the functionality of them.  Ok so you know when you switch from up dog to down dog and your pants shift/roll at the waist?  That did NOT happen even once during and entire Pilates class…every crunch, every twist, they stayed where they should be and did not dig in (plus added bonus no wedgie ride ups)!!!  The fabric was thick enough you couldn’t see every crevice but light weight and breathable and I love that I had a place to stash my key when running (there is a hidden pocket in the waist band).  The only problem I had is that I am a bit on the short side, okay more than a bit and they were long on me, which was fine for Pilates but when I went running I rolled up the legs to make them some cute capris.  They fit extremely well, fitted where thy need to be, comfy and very stylish…so stylish that after I wore them to class I threw on a cute sweater and went to our local festival and honestly didn’t look like I just rolled out of class….love yoga apparel I can transition from class to life!!!!  As far as washing, yeah I threw in the wash machine with my lights, no bleach of course and line dried and they came out looking like new….I washed them at least three times so far and they still look like new….great quality, great fit, I’m in love!!! 

 Want an AMAZING yoga tank??  Well Cozy Orange has the yoga apparel for you!!!  I tried out the Libra Tank in ravens black and frost gray and it was everything I hoped for and more!!!  Let me start by saying it does run a bit smaller than the rest of their yoga tanks, especially in the chest area.  This piece is another piece of transitional yoga clothing, I wore it to teach, run, take classes and run errands (not all in the same day of course).  I wore it to teach my Pilates class and then when done I put on jeans and a cute jacket and went to dinner, makes life so much easier than always carrying extra clothes!!  This top is cute and feminine while being completely functional with is hard to come by in yoga clothes…you normally get one or the other!!  Anyway back to the Libra Tank, the fabric is giving and forgiving (love the way it gives a great silhouette)…there is enough stretch and enough fabric, the neck line scoops but you don’t fall out mid down dog.  The cut of this top is very flattering and the added color at the bottom is fun plus makes the tank a bit longer to prevent the embarrassing spilling between the pants and top.  There is a breathable mesh panel down the back, slightly see through but now too bad and has a cool pattern.  The top also comes with removable cup inserts…love the cup inserts…nothing worse than headlights during class ;)  The edges of the racer back lay smooth against the skin, didn’t dig in or cause chafing during my run.  Love that the back panel is so breathable, it dried super quickly while I was running so I didn’t have those sweat marks on my back.  Usually I have to wear a bra under my running tops but the built in bra with added cup inserts was supportive while running as well and I am a 34D!!  During my bootcamp class I didn’t have to worry about the shirt riding up/rolling up on the bottom either….it stayed exactly where I wanted it.  So impressed by the quality of the fabric and super soft!!  Now on to washing…dun dun dun, that is always the true test of a black piece of clothing!!!  I wore this yoga tank at least 5 times in the past two weeks and washed it just as many and GUESS WHAT???  It still looks the same as when it came in the mail!!!  It is not some awful shade of grey/black…..black is the one of two colors that makes me nervous to buy (of course white the first LOL) because it loses color so quickly but after 5 washes there is NO fading!!!  Can you even believe it??  Functional, fashionable and washes well….that is a TRIPLE THREAT right there!!!

Zola Coconut Water - www.zolaacai.com

I was a bit leery when I tried this product…normally the only way I drink coconut water is straight from the coconut, most packaged waters we a bit sweet and the pulp…ugh don’t even get me started on the pulp!!!  Zola’s coconut water was different…..there were two options with pulp and pulp free…..so, of course, I started with the pulp free.  It was quite refreshing, light, and not too sweet, actually tasted like when I buy a coconut and chop the top off!!!!  I truly enjoyed it and had to fight off my 9 year old to finish the can, that is the only problem, it comes in a can L  It was a large can and not resealable for later……now on to the pulp can.  The product was the same, great flavor and surprisingly the “pulp” was actually pieces of coconut, not slimy pulpy things!!  I definitely have to say I would recommend and purchase Zola Coconut Water (I’d buy it more in a resealable container LOL)

Island Boost - www.islandboost.com

Island Boost Running Fuel - I don't know about you guys but I HATE most running fuels....they are sticky, yucky, full of chemicals and worst of all leave me RUNNING to the bathroom instead of running my races!!!!  Well boy was I surprised when I had the opportunity to try Island Boost last month during a race (I know, I know, try your new fuel before a race but I honestly got it right before the race and was dying to try it!!!!).  I used the blueberry pomegranate (Renegade), it was easy to drink and did NOT leave the after taste that I have experienced before (I even got the husband to use one and he hates things like this).....our race was on a VERY hot and humid day and I can say for myself I didn't feel as awful as I did during humid training runs leading up to this :)  I could definitely feel that it was quick to hit my system, no delay in kicking in....when that gun fired I was off and didn't stop to look back, I felt good the entire race and after there was no excess crash effect (only the truly tired feeling you have after running LOL) Oh and the best part!!!  I didn't have to find a bathroom during the race, my super sensitive stomach handled it!!!!  Never had I made it home from a race and not had to run to find a public restroom!!!!  Strongly recommend that you try it :)