Sambazon Energy Drink Review

Remember the days of chugging Red Bull before an early class in college? Yeah me too. I thought my days of energy drinks were behind me, but I was wrong. 

Enter Sambazon. I tried the acai berry flavor of this carbonated energy drink after a late night of travel on the morning of leaving for a work trip on a hot summer day (yes, I was as crazed and exhausted as you might imagine). The flavor is delish! Rich in sweet berry taste without being overly sugary. It was wonderfully refreshing on a warm morning, and the bubbles definitely perked me right up. 

Can't wait to try more flavors! 

Products were provided by Sambazon, but all opinions are my own. 

BlogFest AmazingFest!

In case your Instagram feed wasn't blown up by @lizwilsonyoga and @FitApproach, I was at BlogFest last week! BlogFest is a part of the larger IDEAWorld fitness convention that's specific to bloggers. We had our own sessions on Thursday and Friday, our own networking events and meals, our own keynote speaker, but still got to attend the urban party, opening ceremony, IDEAWorld sessions, and expo hall booths of the larger convention. IDEAWorld is the world's largest fitness convention, with over 230 presenters (including Beto Perez, Jillian Michaels, and Jenna Wolfe), 300 exhibitors, and over 12,000 attendees from the international fitness community. 

It was everything I could have asked for, and so much more. I had only a tiny idea of what to expect, and the reality totally blew that out of the water! Returning home exhausted and sore pales in comparison to what an amazing experience it was! 

Here are some highlights!

1. Gabby Reece

Gabby was the keynote speaker for BlogFest this year! I'd always known who Gabby Reece was, but had no idea how amazing she is! She started her "speech" with a solo talk and then sat down for a Q&A session lead by Jill Brown of the Huffington Post. Hearing her story (hitting 6' tall as a pre-teen can't be easy! And how does she balance her career, her husband's career, an active lifestyle, AND three daughters?!) was truly inspirational. But most importantly, it was REAL! She was a real person; she made you want to sit out on the beach with a beer and girl talk the night away. Or, in +Jamie King's case, SUP off into the sunset with her. Luckily I did get to chat with her a bit. After her HIGHX workout session, there was a long line of girls waiting to take selfies with her. So I ducked out to clean up and get ready to work the next session and later returned to the expo hall to her booth. She was just hanging out, so I got to sit and chat with her for like 5 full minutes! Such a sweet, badass, and balanced lady! 

Two of my favorite tidbits during her talk… 1. When teaching your kids about nutrition, teach them the difference between the food that serves you and the fun food. Rather than a soda, which would equate to like 7 cookies, have a cookie and a glass of water (rather than drinking your calories). Teach them how to make smart choices. 2. When a fellow Sweat Pink Ambassador asked Gabby how to deal with pressure from other moms to enroll her 4-year-old in a ton of activities, Gabby responded that you know what's best for your kids, and to not let helicopter parents dictate what's right for your family. Then she commented that Katie, the SPA asking the question, looked strong. So when in doubt, put the bitchy judgy mom in a headlock. !!!!! Love it! 

2. The workouts

On Friday, we had three, yes three, workouts. Gabby's HIGHX Training workout definitely kicked my butt! Like, couldn't walk normally for the next two days. How do I know it was her workout? Well, we had about 3 minutes of circuits at 15 different stations. There were kettle bells, ab rollers, resistance bands, and ladders. And the lunges, oh the lunges. That's why. 

We also had a private session with Beto Perez, the creator of Zumba. Such a fun class! I LOVE dancing, but struggle with the late nights going to the club means. This was a great way to get a little booty shaking in at a decent hour! Plus, it was awesome hearing Beto's story! 

The morning actually started with a 7am workout with Kaia FIT, including a dance-esque warm-up to Uptown Funk. Such a fun, upbeat way to start the day!

3. Beto's photobomb

I normally hate photo bombs. This one, I'll allow. 

4. Twitter hashtagging 101

I LOVE hashtagging, most of you know this. But it was definitely something new to learn that the really vague and popular hashtags may not be the best fit for your post. If you hashtag #fitness, or even #yoga for that matter, it dumps your post into a huge well of content. It may get lost. So have a hashtag strategy! Research what you're hashtagging; check out the number of posts and types of followers to see if it's the right fit for your content. 

5. Hula hooping!

Our booth was adjacent to a hula hooping fitness booth. So on Saturday, we started off a full day of booth-babing with some hula hoop fun!

6. Nutrition info

Melissa Burton, a dietitian and SPA, busted an important myth: that all sugar is bad for you. Sugar is key, but to try to consume natural sugars because they are necessary for the body to function! Two other important takeaways from her talk (other than the many many many ways to say "sugar"), that we are an overfed but undernourished nation and that our bodies detox for us (focus on a healthy lifestyle instead). Powerful.

Chris Mohr also dropped a truth bomb or two on us during a General Mills-hosted tweet break: we're not intaking protein at the right time during the day. We're eating too much protein too late in the evening. Oh, and healthy grains can help digestion. Yes!

7. Urban party

After a BlogFest dinner (which felt so VIP behind a red velvet rope divider), we convened with the larger IDEAWorld convention for a chance to get down! So fun to dance with all these wonderful people, and document some photo booth silliness!

8. Opening ceremony speakers

Jenna Wolfe, an anchor on the Today show, was an awesome speaker at the IDEAWorld opening ceremony! She was clear, concise, and funny, admitting as a busy working mom of two that she wasn't entirely sure she was wearing a bra at that moment and that she wasn't sure if she wanted to be or date Gabby Reece back in the day!

Anthony Robles, an award winner at the ceremony, has to be one of the most inspiring people I've heard of. He was born with one leg. After overcoming countless amounts of disbelief and negativity, (at first people didn't think he could do it with only one leg, then went on to say he had an unfair advantage because of his superior upper body strength…wtf) went on to win the NCAA championship in individual wrestling in the 2010-2011 season. He also won that same year the Jimmy V ESPY Award for Perseverance. Side note: the ESPY's were happening in the same complex where our conference and hotel were! I got to see Jenny Finch!

9. Sweat Pink team, ambassadors, gear and booth

This last one is key! It was so amazing to work with the entire Sweat Pink team (together, in-person for the first time!), to be decked out in head to toe Sweat Pink gear, to share the Sweat Pink message, and help coordinate BlogFest with the amazing people at IDEAFit. It was also so incredible to meet even more of our Sweat Pink ambassadors, and to reunite with the ones I met at FitBloggin' last month.

It was absolutely such an amazing experience this week! I can't wait to do it all again next year. But even better, to interact with all of my amazing new friends regularly online! Love!

#LJInspired: More MadLib Fun!

Fill in this blog prompt mad lib for a chance to win a copy of Lorna Jane’s new book, Inspired and other fun prizes! Copy and paste the mad lib below, fill in the blanks with your own answers, and make sure to share your link, tagging @LornaJaneActive @FitApproach and hashtag: #LJInspired #SweatPink in all of your shares!

The new Inspired book by Lorna Jane made me feel happy [adj] and creative [adj] and now I want to share the joy and motivation [noun] I feel with all of you which is why I’m hosting, along with #SweatPink and Lorna Jane, a 4 week #LJInspired Instagram Challenge.

I’ll be sharing everything - the who, what, where, when and why’s - of what inspires me to live a happy, full, and balanced [adj] life and hope you’ll join me. With this challenge, I am vowing to continue to live life to the fullest [adj] and work [verb] towards my dream of having balance between fun, travel, and a career that challenges and fulfills me [your dream].

Yes, my biggest dream is to find balance with the things I need and love [your dream] and I’ll get there by hard work and trying new things [verb] and [verb] and of course leaning on others who inspire me like +Jamie King and +Alyse Mason Brill  [person] and [person].

Did you get your copy of Lorna Jane Inspired yet? Order yours today: http://www.lornajane.com/INSPIRED/Inspired.

This post is sponsored by  Lorna Jane. All opinions are my own.

ColoRADo!

This past weekend I got to visit my old stomping grounds: Colorado. In the 6 days I was there, I visited 3 (well, technically 4) cities, had countless friend dates and local run-ins, played tourist, saw a show, went on numerous hikes, did tons of mountain yoga, went dancing, and had 2 wildlife sightings! It was hardly a restful trip, but was AMAZING! 

Wednesday: Denver 

After arriving at DIA, I booked it to Cherry Creek to go for a run in the gorgeous neighborhood there before going to my favorite Denver yoga teacher's class: Billy at Pura Vida.

After lunch at True Foods, walking around, and running some errands, my normal Denver day, I posted up in my favorite coffee shop to do a bit of work. Then headed over to Highlands to meet my best friend. We had a rainy walk (stop drop and handstand included) to Linger to enjoy some yummy tapas while overlooking the city. 

Thursday: Denver

I started the morning at a yummy new coffee shop in Jules's neighborhood with a cappuccino and an almond ricotta muffin (gluten free!). It was a good opportunity to catch up on some Instagram work, and play with a baby in the coffee shop! Some city yoga also started the day, and was definitely a highlight throughout it.

I then proceeded to meet Caitlin (yup, my roommate from Portland!) and her friend for brunch at Olive and Finch before heading to the Denver Art Museum. Gotta love playing tourist!

Back to Linger for dinner and then downstairs for yummy ice cream before...

Red Rocks! Even though it rained, it was so awesome being back at this amazing venue, with Caitlin and Rachel, and to see Neil Young no less! A rainbow even appeared...

I did make the dark, rainy drive up the mountain after the show so that I'd wake up in the mountains the next morning! Scary but worth it!

Friday: Breckenridge

I headed into town first thing for two reasons. 1. To see this view, and bust a handstand. Gorgeous, right?! 2. I was starving! I headed to Cuppa Joe's to meet my good friend Emily and for my usual cappuccino and granola. Mmmmm...

Then I hiked up Peak 10 with my best friend Ella. I'd gotten in so late, I hadn't seen her the night before, and then she'd fallen back asleep while waiting for me to wake up, so giving her a big giant hug finally was amazing! The clouds were a little precarious, so we stayed close. But it gave us a chance to hike up what we used to skin up, see the amazing view, and those wildflowers!

After lunch at Soupz On and some chill time, I went in to town for some quality time with the people at Hearthstone, the restaurant where I used to work (omg their reaction when I walked in was awesome!). Ella and Kellyn met me for some happy hour there and Twist. 

Saturday: Breckenridge (and Aspen)

After starting the day with a sweet potato burrito at Joe's with Ella, we set off for an unexpected adventure to Independence Pass. It's a gorgeous drive, and we found hidden pockets of waterfalls, raging rivers, and grottos! We capped it off with watching the boys show off their manhood by swimming in the cold River and lunch in Aspen.  

After dinner with my boss at Hearthstone, which gave me an opportunity to grill the new employees, I headed over to Southridge Seafood to hang with a bunch of friends from work. Such a great reunion! 

Then it was off to dancing with my ladies at Gold Pan! It happened to be a group of girls we new that came up from Denver with Jules for a bachelorette party. So fun! 

Sunday: Breckenridge 

I started the day off with a breakfast (oatmeal latte anyone?) and handstand date with Jen. 

Then it was off to hike Mohawk Lakes with Leslie. Not only did she take me up my favorite hike a different way, take yoga pose pictures all along the way, and get to the third lake (of five, but a first for me!), but we also saw a moose! We stopped to take a picture of a flower and I looked up, and there it was, 20 yards away just snacking. First I've seen in Colorado, and it happens when I'm visiting! It was perfect: blue sky, green (never seen this green in Colorado), wildflowers, snowcapped peaks, alpine lakes, yoga with friends, rare wildlife sighting... Love that hike!

Then off to lunch with Canaan and her Avery at Amazing Grace. So happy I finally got my hands on that baby! Oh, and to see Canaan too! 

They evening was spent with Kellyn. We hung out in her newly-planted garden while I loved on Cutty, headed into town to have dinner at Relish where Jordan joined us and Adam stopped by for a hug, and then had a chill night watching Sons of Anarchy while I caught up on Instagram and again loved Cutty. Serious cloud porn that night too!

Monday: Boulder

After a quick coffee with Kellyn, I set off for Boulder. I met Lindsey for a hike in the Eldorado Canyon. So beautiful! It was cloudy (and a little humid), which made for a unusually sweaty hike, but so gorgeous with all the wildflowers and the Flat Iron mountains. Another wildlife sighting got our adrenaline pumping at the start though. One more step forward and Lindsey would have stepped on a rattlesnake! Excuse me for being a bit girly, but ewww...

Rumbling bellies took us into Lousiville for sandwiches at the new and adorable Moxie Bread Company. Olive oil, greens, manchego, and prosciutto on homemade bread. Yummmm! Then it was off into Boulder to see the house Lindsey and her husband just bought, and to get some time with their 4 and a half year-old son! Man, my little guy has gotten big!

The awesome thing about a small town is getting to see people everywhere. I was told repeatedly, "Welcome home!" Well, it definitely felt like that! Even though I'm loving Portland, I had my thoughts questioning why I left. But of course everything is perfect and wonderful when you're on vacation, right? Breckenridge, you're amazing and I love you! I'll see all of you soon!