More Spartan Training

So today, my fellow Fire Ninja Josh, and I went on our second big Spartan Race training field trip. Today we tried Parkour. Figured it would be good practice for jumping, scaling, climbing, etc. Here is a video montage I put together.

If you're bored by the "Epic Intro" (The voice over is Monkey BTW) you can jump to 1:09.

YouBar - Custom Nutrition Bar

I’m sure we’ve all been here. Pushing our cart down the “food bar/nutrition bar/energy bar” isle, faced with a wall of options. First you weed out the ones that are basically candy with crappy protein and fiber thrown in to make it “good for you”. Then, you pass by the ones that have things you’re allergic to, or try to avoid, like soy or artificial sweeteners. Then, you’re left with a handful of vegan, whole food bars that will do… you surrender.

Seems like no matter what, you end up sacrificing, or holding a cultist allegiance to one particular brand until your grocery store stop carrying the one flavor you like best. Then, you start all over in your quest for a bar that will do. Sound familiar?

What if, instead, you could choose exactly what you want in your bar and customize it right down to the sugar content and type of protein? Now, there’s YouBar. Go ahead, do your happy dance. This is kind of perfect. It’s very easy and, honestly, kind of fun. Like a mix and match game of nutrition.
My biggest problem with most food bars is that almost all of them have nearly 30g of sugar. That’s your entire day’s allowance. And if I happen to be trying to lean out, that’s more than a day’s worth of sugar. So it was my personal challenge to make a bar that fit my personal goals for a meal bar.

The process is easy. First go to YouBars.com and click on the big red “Build-a-bar” or “Build Your Bar” button. You’ll jump directly into the easy to use order form. The most difficult part for me was choosing! I ended up patterning mine after another bar that I knew I liked but I wanted to tweak.

First, choose your base. Choose from 9 different Organic and Non-GMO options.
Second, Choose your protein.
Then, Nuts and seeds.
Dried fruits are next.
Followed by a few more options to make the bars your own.

The whole time there is a nutrition facts box in the corner, automatically updating with the current state of you bar’s fats, sugars, calories, etc. This was especially helpful to me as I was aiming for a specific fat to carb ratio. I was a little off so I was able to go back and remove some of the fruit to get my mixture just right.

When you’re done, you get to name your custom bar anything you want and it comes printed on the wrappers. A nice touch.

Your bars come in custom wrappers with all the nutrition info and ingredients right on the label.

Mine ended up tasting a bit like oatmeal raisin cookies. A tasty success. I loved my bars, but if I didn’t they have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If you’re aren’t satisfied with you order for any reason, they will make you a new order completely free. They encourage you to call or email if you’re not completely pleased with your tasty creation.
They even make it easy to re-order. Your box comes with a code that you simply plug in to the site and you get just what your ordered before.

Ready to make your own bars? (Or you can just play around without ordering) Go to http://www.YouBars.com  

>> Now through June 16, 2013 use promo code DAD2013 for 10% OFF

Because you all are the only people that will think this is as ammusing as I do...

One of the thermostats broke, so one room in our house now has a heater that wont turn off. It's roasting in there, and racking up our electricity bill I'm sure.

OK, but that's not really the story. Here's the story:

So, I'm calling heating service centers all in a calm panic and I get one really nice guy who demises that it's the thermostat and they can't help me because that's something that an electrician needs to instal. (First off, explain to me WHY a heating specialist can't install a thermostat...anyway) So, he very kindly suggests that in the morning, my husband could install a new thermostat for me... Oh silly helpful man, you see... there's a slight problem with this plan.

Luckily for me however, Gene (the guy on the phone) was very helpful and assisted me in locating the breaker for the heat after I explained vaguely why that wasn't really an option. So, at the moment I have no heat, but at least it's not a million degrees in here. Hopefully we don't have some random cold snap and I'll just have to deal with chilly mornings for a couple days.

Also, our home warranty was the best thing we've ever purchased. $60 flat fee to have someone come out and fix it. Freakin' yeah! I almost forgot we even had it until my dad said something jokingly about it and I was like "Oh my gosh! We have one of those!"

Well, maybe that was more amusing in my head. But, I figure if group of people was going to get it, it would be you guys.

This is actually my first encounter with Murphy's Law, Deployment Edition. Yea home ownership! :D

Ok, see you 'round!

I suppose this calls for a post.

Howdy, ya'll. I suppose it's been a while. Things have been quiet on the Navy front. They've just been chuggin' along in refit for ever and a freakin' day. They've finally taken the boat and just left for an adventure yesterday. So, after 9 months, I'm back to being full-on Navy wife again. We don't have an FRG at the moment so there will be no halfway box. I'm kinda bummed. I was going to make one on my own to send with him, but they kept changing the date and I didn't think I would have time, then I did, then I didn't... long story short, I didn't send anything with him. At all. I feel like a lame wife. I even made him something the last time he was only gone for 10 days.

But on the up side. Unless he gets short cycled. THIS IS THE LAST ONE! Wahoo!

He gets out in November and we will take on our new adventures into civilian life. I have a million things to say about that, but that is for another post.

On an unrelated note, I've signed up for Spartan Race again this year. This time with a Friend. Monkey's knee has been bothering him for some time so he's not in training shape at the moment. We're actually going to do a vlog series around the training for my fitness blog. You can follow that on the blog (soon), the blog's facebook (soon), twitter new, pinterest now, and YouTube, now.  Just search for the hashtag #TeamFireNinja where applicable.

Well actually, here's the video. All the info is in the stuff below the video if you click through to YouTube.




Sooo that's should about catch you all up on things. Like I said, nothing every exciting. Life has kind of been in a holding pattern. Wait, I did mention we bought a house? I think so. Well, we bought a house, cute little ranch with a cute little yard for the cute little future monkeys and duckies.

:) Leave a comment if you want a whole post about it.

Anyhoozle, see you later.