Bio: Welcome to Fit for the Soul! My name is Ellie and I write this blog to document my healthy recipes, workout routines and the quirks of life. I am an avid baker, exercise-er, language learner, and amateur photographer. I don't excel in any of those things, but I have so much fun doing them. Follow me on this journey to discovering true joy and health, which first starts from the inside out! If you have any inquiries you may contact me at elliemhkim(at)gmail(dot)com.
Posts by fitforthesoul:
- Add the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and chia seeds into a food processor or a Magic Bullet. Pulse it until the chia seeds are pulverized.
- Add the banana, egg, yogurt, and milk to the flour mixture and pulse it while stopping a few times to scrape the sides. Add more milk if you want a thinner batter.
- Immediately heat up a large skillet on medium heat and spray it with oil. Let it sit for 30 seconds and start to pour the batter onto the skillet. I prefer to spoon them with a 1/4 C measuring cup, but the size is up to you.
- Top, drizzle, and enjoy!
- All you really need is a yoga mat, 2-5 lb. dumbbells, and a sturdy chair or a waist-high bar or stand.
- The total routine is about 75 minutes long and each segment is broken up so that you can choose what you want if you’re in a hurry: 20 minutes of upper, core, and lower body. There’s also a great 10 minute stretching segment.
- The movements transition rather quickly so the workout seems shorter than it really is.
- The upper routine is very challenging and contains a variety of push-up and plank inspired movements. The dumbbells are used to mimic swan arm type of movements.
- The lower routine is comprised of plies, releves, and countless of pulses. It does a great job at working the hips, glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, and more.
- Instruction is not voice-over like the other DVDs. Leah actually instructs and gives alternative modifications as she performs each exercise.
- Great for beginners because it contains so many eclectic movements, so long as they go at their own pace and fitness level.
- Makes you one sweaty dancer (wannabe) at the end of the workout! It provides a good amount of cardiovascular benefits.
Lengthen & Tighten+Group Exercise
May 18th, 2013Before I talk about exercise, I first would like to thank all of you for your amazing and encouraging comments on my last post! It truly made my day knowing that there are plenty of people thinking about us and praying for our well-being. Plus, knowing that you’re so excited to meet Selah makes me that much happier! And with that being said, I’d like to share some things that entail well-being and maintaining a healthy mind, body, and spirit.
Today has been a rather relaxing day for the most part, and that allowed me a chunk of free time to hang out at the gym to bust out some sweat on the elliptical machine. As you may all know, I usually tend to lean towards the treadmill and stepmill because they’re such fun ways of getting in my cardio at a high intensity level without spending hours at the gym. If you’d like to read my post on why I love the stepmill so much, you can click on the link right here.
This afternoon I was in and out of the gym within less than 45 minutes thanks to this challenging interval workout on the elliptical. If you decide to give it a try, keep in mind that you can keep it as short or as long as you want. The workout format that I’m about to show you is only a piece of what I performed today, so in actuality I went for almost 30 minutes on the elliptical.
I know that the format is a bit on the wordy side, but I didn’t know how else to make it specific enough. Let me explain a bit of how this is supposed to work.
One of my main fitness philosophies is that in order to be balanced and truly in good shape isn’t to just look like an athlete or someone on the cover of Oxygen magazine—but most importantly, we need to make sure that we target all the muscles in our body—especially opposing muscle groups. For example, if we perform 50 pushups then we need to work our backs and rear delts as well, and whether that happens on the same day or some other time during the week is up to the individual, but it is essential that we don’t neglect other muscle groups. That’s why when I do elliptical intervals, I often try to keep my feet straight forward and then switch it up by turning them outwards because that targets a different type of muscle in my lower body. In addition, I like to do half of the routine by pedaling forward and then pedaling backwards for the latter half. This way we can work our quadriceps as well as our hamstrings! 
Healthy Mind+Spirit
Now I’d like to touch upon the importance of having a healthy mind and a healthy spirit. It is far too easy to fall into that trap where all we focus on is our outer appearance, physical health, choice of career, and all those things that are actually good for us. However, we need not forget that the most important aspect of health and life in general is a sound mind and a sound spirit.
I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten busier and more “flustered” over the past few weeks over little details regarding Selah’s birth, my focus on relationships and God has been slowly dwindling as well. Due to my lack of focus as of late, it’s been a lot harder to just let go of burdens and things that have been weighing me down. I’m so grateful though, because without this epiphany I would have continued on that same road that leads to confusion and frustration, and I’m reminded that it’s okay to veer off the path once in a while, because if we trust in God we will always end up on the right place. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him, after all.
Group Classes
And onto the next subject! 
While I was doing my cool down on the treadmill today, I saw this huge group of lively members in the group fitness room. Supposedly they were having a “party” of some sort in honor of the company they work for, and man! They looked like they were having a blast! The music was blaring with crazy beats and tunes. I recall seeing a few of those members practicing in the past, but I’ve always wondered what they were up to, and it turns out that they’re part of the Body Combat class.
Even though I’m more of a lone ranger when it comes to working out, I have to say that this class is the only that has ever sparked some curiosity about group fitness.
Have you tried Body Combat before? What are your thoughts on group fitness?
-The only groups I’ve been to are yoga classes, and I love those. But I’ve never done anything at the gym.
In what ways do you need to take care of your spiritual/mind’s health?
Love,
Ellie <33
Life at 35 Weeks
May 16th, 2013Life has literally been one crazy whirlwind lately and I have an entire house to prove it, too! But for the sake of your sanity I won’t show you any pictures of the disaster that is my house right now. 
I do have great news though, and that is the fact that Greg’s parents are visiting us and already spoiling Selah like there’s no tomorrow. I probably screamed “eeeeeek!” about twenty times since I saw all the adorable outfits that Sharon got for her soon-to-be granddaughter. We’re still working on Selah’s room and all I can tell you for now is that the room is turning out exactly how I had envisioned it and then some. I will be showing you pictures once it’s more presentable—and that better be somewhat soon because I truly don’t know if I’ll make it to June 14! You probably don’t know how much I’ve been praying and hoping that she won’t come too early because of obvious health reasons, but also because our house isn’t ready for her yet.
Wow. Just wow, you guys. I have finally hit the 35 week mark and am already halfway through it. I feel like my belly is ginormous out of nowhere! I’m definitely feeling Selah’s movements as if they were earthquakes stirring up in my belly. I know for a fact that she dropped lower about last week because I suddenly felt her fingers grazing my pelvic bone and have been feeling them since, which was confirmed by my doctor as of yesterday. As you can tell from the picture, I’m still reasonably active and try to get my heart rate up as often as I can—so long as I’m feeling decent and somewhat energetic.
My eats have been kind of random lately because my appetite is too spontaneous, and usually I’m not craving much of anything and basically eat what I can just because I know I need to. However, there is one thing that sparked my appetite and woke up my curious inner foodista. I’ve been hearing so many rave reviews about Quest Protein Bar that I was really excited as soon as I laid eyes on them! I got the apple pie, cinnamon roll, and vanilla almond flavors but only tried the apple pie one so far. I really didn’t know what to expect since it’s mostly made up of whey protein and a rather concise list of ingredients. But that’s not always a bad thing, I’ll tell you that! Because I just loved this bar simply for the fact that the apple flavor is strong and nowhere nearly as sweet as some bars out in the market. Granted, you would still be able to tell that it’s a workout supplement because of the chewy texture and taste of the whey, but I think that out of all the whey protein bars this one takes the cake. If you would like to give these a try, I suggest that you pop into a Vitamin Shoppe, Nutrishop, or a GNC.
My feelings of apprehension for the birthing process have definitely been getting stronger these days, which I’ve read is quite common. Nevertheless, I’m getting pretty scared about the process of labor because I know what to expect, yet strangely at the same time, I’m starting to also let go of those fears because there’s not much I can do about it. I mean, it is what it is and God will take care of the rest, right?! 
I hope you have a great rest of the day!
Have you tried Quest Protein Bars? What did you think of them?
Do you have any suggestions to further prepare myself mentally/physically for the day of labor?
Love,
Ellie <33
Kat: The Person Behind the Blog
May 9th, 2013This morning started bright and early due to hormonal shifts preventing me from sleeping in, and right now I feel more or less like a zombie! Even though my appetite hasn’t been that great for the past two weeks, I always make sure to get some good food with lots of nutrients in my stomach. Today’s breakfast slightly broke away from the cold oatmeal cereal I’ve been consuming everyday this week, although I should have stuck to said cereal because that’s what my body really wanted in the end, I guess.
I mean, I was okay with this delicious looking bowl of oats and buckwheat porridge, but soon after I started to get queasy in the stomach. That’s a common occurrence nowadays as I’m getting closer to the due date (June 14th) and I need to research some on that—I thought that a queasy stomach was a symptom for the first trimester only, so go figure!
I also made a yogurt mess for Greg because that’s still his favorite breakfast. In the mix I put some maple syrup, cinnamon, banana, strawberries, and walnuts. That right there is turkey bacon along with a piece of toast smothered in coconut butter and blackberry preserves. Although there’s not much variation in Greg’s breakfasts and usually tend to involve yogurt in some form or another, he really loves this combo. So I figure, why change it if it’s somewhat healthy and he loves it, right? We have to make up for the lack of greens in his diet through sweet alternatives instead. 
After getting some errands done around lunch time, I headed out to the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to meet this beautiful lady.
Oh my gosh, it’s Kat! I was beyond excited to meet up with Kat because it was about time that we set up a date for the two of us! As “fate” would have it, it turns out that we live only about 15 minutes from each other and thought that this was the perfect opportunity before things start to get even crazier with Selah. As soon as saw each other we started blabbing on about how strange it is to see and hear the voice of the blogger. All I can say is that Kat has a beautiful soul full of life and energy. Aside from her sweet personality that I was already anticipating, she has the prettiest, brightest eyes ever! It’s quite random I know, but I just couldn’t help but notice how green they were…You can say that I’m jealous, and I sometimes wonder why I couldn’t have been born with colored eyes. Oh yeah, perhaps because I’m a full blooded Korean?
But that’s besides the point.
After having a long (and sometimes deep) conversation about everything we could possibly think of, we agreed that this wouldn’t be the last time that we’d be seeing each other. It was a lovely time to say the least, and I can’t wait for many other meet-ups to come!
Also, stay tuned for a new vegan recipe that I’ll be sharing on the blog very soon. It involves chickpeas.
And it also involves bread. Oh yes I went there, alright….Mmmmm fresh bread for you carb-lovers…
I hope you enjoy your day and I’ll talk to you soon!
When was the last time you met another blogger you’re very fond of? Was it strange hearing their voice and seeing their little quirks?
-For me it’s always a surprise to hear how they talk, but it’s such a cool and unique experience.
What breakfast combos would you recommend that I try? Do you have any recipes you love?
Love,
Ellie <33
Baby Shower #2
May 6th, 2013This past weekend was a crazy one, and I mean that in the best way possible. Our entire church prepared a baby shower for me and Greg and as Filipino culture would have it, we had an endless amount of food and fun for the whole family. The baby shower consisted of mostly women and the men just joined us for the eating part as well as the funniest, most embarrassing game ever!
The game was a relay race in which the men had to wear Depends diapers and a straw in their mouth, and while balancing the nipple of a baby bottle at the tip of the straw they had to walk across and around a chair. When they were back to their respective lines they had to pass the nipple onto the next person’s straw, but the challenge was the fact that they couldn’t pass them on with their hands.
Yup, I think you get the point of just how hilarious they looked! Granted, Greg got a bit silly and started walking like a duck. He said that this was so embarrassing that he might just as well embarrass himself some more. 
The decorations and the food were so amazing. Amazing would be an understatement though, because the nacho ground beef was probably one of the best Mexican versions of meat that I’ve ever tried. The food was a mixture of Filipino and Mexican food since it was Cinco de Mayo.
Sorry for the blur!
And these are just a few of the amazing ladies that God has blessed me with.
The baby shower came together so perfectly thanks to this crew pictured above. Sometimes, Greg and I don’t know how to show our gratitude to all the people involved in our lives, as we’re left speechless for the love and care that they show not only to us, but others around us. After all, isn’t that what life should be about? To bless others and be blessed in return?
What’s the funniest baby shower game you’ve ever played or witnessed?
Did you do anything special for Cinco de Mayo?
Love,
Ellie <33
Nursery Picks from HomeGoods
May 3rd, 2013Have you ever had one of those moments when you go into a store and slap yourself on the head thinking, “dohhhh why on earth have I never been here up until now?”.
That was my main reaction when I paid a visit to HomeGoods a few days ago, as my frustration quickly subsided (too quickly if you ask me) and I carried on to oohing and aahing at every item I came across. HomeGoods is a chain store that brings in items from all over the world at a much cheaper price than the original. It’s sort of like the Marshalls and TJMaxx of interior design—perfect for those who love cute stuff on a reasonable budget, and perfect for the culinary lover who simply wants a good bargain on some cooking and baking tools.
I went in to purchase some nursery items and found these beauties:
The first thing that caught my eye was this chic yellow rug with a unique texture of frilly slash shaggy fabric. I knew that as soon as I laid it on the ground to check out the design, it would end up in Selah’s room.
Since Selah’s nursery will have a loose theme of stars and owls all over the place, I was so ecstatic when I saw these owl book ends! Not only is the color a soothing pastel periwinkle, but the owls make the perfect addition in the room because we have so many baby books to display on a shelf that Greg will be installing soon. Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to mention this bit on my baby shower post…on the invites we requested that the guests bring inexpensive baby books in lieu of cards, and if they wished to write a note on it, it would be even better because Selah would end up with “memories” linked to our loved ones. At first I wasn’t sure if that would be an extravagant request, but later I figured that baby books can actually come in really cheap prices depending on where you shop for them—sometimes they can be as inexpensive as $2!
I liked the whimsical and clean look to this storage bin, and I can’t wait to fill it with stuff in the future. What exactly will I be using it for? I have not the slightest idea, but I do know that it’s cute and will be useful when my little girl gets here. 
These hangers caught my eyes right away! I hadn’t thought about how baby clothes need clothes hangers that actually fit size of the baby’s outfit, so when I saw these I snatched them right away.
I also purchased this new-to-me snack when I was at HomeGoods. If you love edamame beans, the taste of baked chips, and some crunch in your mid-day snack, then I highly recommend these roasted edamame. In my opinion (but not Greg’s), they’re so delicious and perfect for a protein filled snack in the middle of the afternoon while you’re out and about. But be careful because they can get addicting. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
And our roses are starting to blossom like crazy! Although that’s fine and dandy, the weather has been scorching hot lately. My neck of the woods is a bit cooler than other parts of SoCal however, because Orange County was 100 F degrees all day yesterday…so you better believe that I’m thankful to be living in the South Bay instead of the OC now! Haha.
Have you ever been to HomeGoods? Which section of the store is your favorite?
What style would you adopt to decorate your baby’s nursery?
Love,
Ellie <33
The Best of Everything
May 1st, 2013There are so many happenings and good eats that I want to share with you on a daily basis, but for whatever reason (I blame time) I seldom seem to be able to make it and end up letting another day go past me without posting. Yesterday was one of those days because of a class that I’m currently taking and I was just itching to share about our Monday date-day. I have to admit though…I’m proud of myself for holding up on that and exercising some self control.
Like I just mentioned, on Monday Greg and I had a much needed time of just being together and relaxing in some of the ways that we most enjoy. We were beyond thankful for having taken the time to relax because we all need some time off from our daily routines. And besides, surprisingly on Monday everything that we did just went the right way. Let me explain what I mean by that… Although I don’t mention it on the blog, almost everything we do together whether that entails going hiking, eating, finding a fun movie to watch, it never seems to be an easy task. Either we can’t find the entrance of the hiking trail or we get lost out in the boonies and end up stressing out about dinner. Last Monday, however, was a completely different story! Yayyy.
My day started off with a cold oat “cereal” bowl.
As soon as I woke up I was experiencing a lack of appetite that is quite foreign to me because belieeeeeve me! I’m one of those people whose stomach grumbles the moment I open my eyes in the morning, but with pregnancy’s intriguing symptoms affecting my appetite lately, nothing sounded good—almost to the point where I was contemplating going without breakfast that day. So I did the next best thing I could think of! As soon as I got to the kitchen I read Kath’s blog for inspiration because her breakfast pictures never fail to make me hungry. Lo and behold, she featured a bowl of cold oat cereal that was inspired by Gina, and so I made my own version of it since I’ve been out of protein powder, which is one of the main ingredients that Gina used. Well, the verdict? It was amazing!!! I may sound like a freak for obsessing over a breakfast bowl, but when food is one of the few comforts you’ve got during pregnancy you just have to roll with it. 
On Monday (and everyday lately) I also made myself a cup of tea with this refreshing blend of green tea that Emily brought me from Granada, Spain! Since my stomach was being so finicky that day I figured that something minty and refreshing would do the trick, and it definitely worked its magic because I started to feel better. And as if things couldn’t get better, Greg had no problem finding this awesome 1 mile hiking trail just about 18 minutes from our home!
It’s called the Del Cerro Park which is located in Rancho Palos Verdes, overlooking the beautiful ocean and cool enough thanks to the sea breeze. This time around we had no problem finding the trail head which is a huge deal for this direction impaired couple!
We both agreed that this trail is hilly enough to give you a decent workout while being tame enough for pregnant women. The level of challenge was just the right amount and although the trail itself didn’t change scenery drastically, the view overlooking the ocean was enough to make us want to go back again. We’re so excited that we finally found a nature-filled place in our whereabouts!
And then…The best food happened….
Greg yelped for an Italian restaurant in the Rancho Palos Verdes area and ended up going to a little quaint eatery called The Appetizer. The atmosphere reminded me so much of the little Argentinean shops that I used to frequent as a kid, and the food tasted exactly like Argentinean cuisine!
Like I mentioned a long time ago, Argentinean cuisine has a strong Italian influence due to the country being mainly composed of Italian people. Aside from Baci where we visited a few months ago, this place has the best pasta I’ve had in 13 years. Yes, 13 sad years my friends. I started off with a simple salad drizzled with an herby Italian vinaigrette.
We had their famous garlic bread along with these two dishes.
[Sorry for the blurry picture—I was running out of batteries!]
I ordered the gnocchi dish with regular marinara sauce and two huge meatballs. These meatballs weren’t like any other meatballs I’ve ever had—these were extra moist and and super tender with the right amount of seasoning. The gnocchi was perfectly cooked and tasted really fresh, as if they had just finished grinding the potatoes and kneading the dough right before I got there. My dish took me back to childhood indeed!
Greg’s pizza was really delicious as well. Although it looks like a normal pepperoni pizza, it was anything but. The pepperoni was soft and didn’t taste burnt like most pizza pepperoni does. The cheese was so melty that I couldn’t cut if off as I helped myself to a slice. The meat crumbles are little pieces of sausage which added flavor to the meal, and the crust had a perfect texture because it was still crunchy, yet doughy all a the same time.
Phew! Too much good stuff if you ask me. 
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a blessed day!
If you blog, do you wish you could share or post more often? What times work the best for you?
Are there good hiking trails where you live?
What’s the best thing you ate this week?
Love,
Ellie <33
Baby Shower #1
April 28th, 2013Yowza! This weekend was packed with a whole lot of activities in our church ministry, and in the midst of all of those church related events there was one thing that definitely stood out in the ‘joyful’ department. I had my first baby shower on Saturday thanks to my awesome, faithful friends and sister. They’ve been working on this shower for the past few months and left me speechless because I practically feel like I don’t deserve this much love—and frankly speaking, I’m just wowed by the fact that their decorating skills and ability to put together such a lovely set-up has improved throughout the years. 
Thank you so much and great job, ladies!
I titled this post “Baby Shower #1” because I’ll be having another one with our church family next week!
Since I have a good number of pictures to share with you, I’ll try to keep my writing to a minimum. We’ll see if that happens.
This is the team that put together the baby shower. Fortunately, Emily (next to me in the leggings) lent us her beautiful home, so thank you Emily!
With green being my favorite color, I was tickled to see that Emily had changed her walls to green! I remember that in our high school days I used to spend the entire afternoon at her house every single day, and from what I recall all of the walls were white. Of course, she changed it to green a long time ago and not specifically for the shower, but I think that it makes for a beautiful backdrop at such a perfect time, wouldn’t you agree?
My sister made a diaper cake which came out looking wonderful. And then there was the food….oh man, the desserts were so delicious! But before we dug into the cake and the cupcakes, we feasted on some sandwiches from Corner Bakery and lots of light finger foods like crackers with dips, cheese, fruit, and salad.
We had a good mix of vegetarian and meat sandwiches.
You might think that these cupcakes were ordered from a cupcake store because of how pretty they look, but they were made by the one and only, Emily. Susan also made the marshmallow pops so that all the guests could take them home as favors. Marshmallow pops are basically big balls of marshmallow stuck on lollipop sticks and dipped in colorful chocolate. They look so cute that they’re Pinterest-worthy!
And to bring out the impressed foodie in me, Susan happened to custom order a cake from one of my favorite cupcake places in Orange County—Merely Sweets! I don’t think I’d ever told her that I liked Merely Sweets, but seeing that she knows my taste more than she realizes, she just happened to get this cute fondant cake. We all loved the sprinkle vanilla cake with vanilla filling because it had this fragrant and rich flavor that simply cannot be described! The texture was light and fluffy, while the vanilla bean filling made it extra moist and decadent. I’m a true cake fiend (always have been) so if you don’t take my word for it, then I guess you’ll never believe anything I say. Haha, just kidding. 
But I am a cake fiend.
This party was suddenly packed with babies everywhere! Such cutie pies they are, and holding them made me that much more excited to have a little girl coming into our family. Hey, even the fact that they were drooling all over my arm didn’t faze me.
And now Greg and I are left with this amazing collection of baby items. After leaving the shower, I was pretty excited to open all the gifts with Greg back at home and we couldn’t believe how much we were blessed with all these wonderful gifts.
All in all, I would say that besides the delicious food, decorations, and great company of my loved ones, the one aspect that left a mark in my heart was the care that they showed me by corporately praying for us and Selah. It just felt soooo good to receive prayer and re-live those moments with my girlfriends, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way! It was, indeed, a great way to wrap up a busy weekend.
Thank you all for reading and keeping up with me on this journey.
If you’ve had a baby shower before (or aspire to have one), what gifts were you super excited to use?
-I’m so excited about the Britax stroller! Haha, I think strollers are so much fun and this one is one of the lighter ones. I also can’t wait to dress Selah up like a doll.
Ellie <33
Pillowy Pancakes+Ballet Body: Total Body Review
April 25th, 2013As silly as I feel typing out these words, I have to admit that despite the curve balls that life has thrown at us lately there’s always something to smile about–even if they are the smallest things that we usually take for granted in our daily lives. Wouldn’t you agree?
Greg and I have been preoccupied with unexpected events that transpired this past week. Although the emotional side of it is not quite over yet because there’s still a lot more to take care of, the bright side is that we’ll have the opportunity to show love to some people who are very dear to us as they have been facing extremely difficult times. More than anything, we’re super thankful that we have God to lean on because without His help we would be trudging along on an empty tank, and an empty tank is something we do not want in times like these!
In the midst of all the busyness, however, I’ve been learning to take care of myself and still enjoy the simple, beautiful things in life! At least to the best of my abilities.
Take for example this stack of pancakes. They may seem like the overrated diner pancakes that you used to order as a kid (or maybe still do), but the fact of the matter is that they’re super healthy pancakes that are hearty yet pillowy-like-white-clouds. I think that these are a great alternative for those who need gluten free cakes. And hey…I hear that oats help in the nursing department so I’m trying to get them in my diet as much as I can. Yeap, that’s my excuse story and I’m sticking to it. 
Pillowy Oat Pancakes
Makes 2 servings or 1 large serving
Ingredients:
1 C oat flour (I processed rolled oats)
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 TBSP chia seeds
1 whole banana
1 large egg
2 TBSP greek yogurt
3 TBSP milk of choice (or more to thin it out)
oil spray for skillet
Directions:
Worth Mentioning
Lately I’ve been enjoying some foods that are truly worth mentioning—some of them being new and some of them making a comeback after a long hiatus.
Up until now I had only heard of the great benefits and taste of Hemp seeds. These hemp seeds by Manitoba Harvest are so chewy and soft, and they taste extra nutty full of good-for-your-heart fatty goodness. I’ve been using them as toppings on my morning oatmeal, yogurt and cottage cheese mixes along with the Kind granola that you see above. Now, I’ve always been a huge fan of Kind snack bars because of the ingredients and amazing taste, and I have to give them some recognition for succeeding with their extra crunchy granola recipe.
Cottage cheese has made its way back into my life, and so has PB&CO’s Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter. Mmmm.
Ballet Body: Total Body Review
Another thing that is worthy mentioning is Leah Sarago’s new Ballet Body: Total Body DVD!
I have said it before and I’ll say it again. Leah definitely knows her stuff and has such a creative way of going about fitness. I just cannot rave enough about her knowledge of the human physique because her techniques clearly rend results in building up “elongated” and graceful looking muscles.
Going back a few weeks ago when I was hosting the Ballet Body giveaway, I was pleasantly surprised when I tore open the package that contained the giveaway DVDs. Not only had she sent me a sweet hand written note, but she also sent me her newest Total Body DVD as a little gift of appreciation. As soon as I unwrapped it, I popped it into the DVD player and gave the upper body segment a try. Needless to say, I was instantly hooked and knew that this workout would be going into my weekly fitness rotation. Here’s a brief rundown of the routine.
So there you have it! I’ll be more than willing to answer any additional questions you may have so don’t be shy. 
What food or food products are new to you right now?
Do you actually like diner pancakes?
-Depends where it’s from and how hearty they are.
Love,
Ellie <33
