Shine On With The Color Run! #WeShine

Shine On With The Color Run!

By Erin

*Disclosure: I was offered complementary passes to The Color Run in my city, however I have always been a fan and supporter of The Color Run. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

The Color Run

There’s a colorful, shiny, glittery event full of happiness coming to town that you won’t want to miss, The Color Run Shine Tour 2015. Not all that long ago, my good friend Melody and I decided to run in one to celebrate our birthdays as our birthdays are one day apart (Mine is May 3rd, hers is May 4th). We were birthday princesses, so of course we had to wear our tiaras. 😉  I love anything with a little bling, and if it’s something to get me outdoors and moving, then that’s even better! 😉

Wether you prefer to walk or run, The Color Run is bringing the community together to participate in the “Happiest 5k on the Planet”.  As the original paint race, they have created a completely new genre of running events that continues to grow exponentially. It is the single largest event series in the world, The Color Run has exploded with more than just color; with 300 events in 50+ countries in 2014.

So WHY should you enter?

I Love Color Runners

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Skinny Jeans & Pinto Beans at La Sandia in Santa Monica Place! NEW! Latin Light Menu!

Skinny Jeans & Pinto Beans at La Sandia in Santa Monica Place! NEW! Latin Light Menu!

By: Erin

Disclosure: I was invited out to try the new Latin Light Menu at La Sandia. I was not compensated for this post and all thoughts and opinions remain my own.

Do you LOVE Mexican food like I do, but worry about the calories? Then you have to try La Sandia Santa Monica at Santa Monica Place in beautiful Southern California. They have teamed up with Chef and Dietitian, @dhenderiks to bring you a healthy menu full of awesome new flavors. The  Latin Light menu consists of all items being 500 calories or less. A Latin Light Margarita is under 150 calories! Latin Light fits in seamlessly into into the Los Angeles dining scene. Salud!

La Sandia  

La Sandia Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar is serving up authentic Mexican cuisine with flare and style for your enjoyment. Chef Richard Sandoval is internationally recognized as the Father of Modern Mexican Cuisine and he authentically reinterprets classic Mexican dishes. The presentation, freshness, and flavor of his dishes is remarkable. The beverage menu is vast and is based around Latin favorites such as Margaritas and Sangria. This compliments their very expansive collection of tequilas, over 200 fine tequilas and spirits to quench your thirst and to pair up with your meal.

La Sandia is in a prime location and boasts a very welcoming, open and spacious place. I love the outdoors, and I enjoyed how La Sandia was able to bring the outdoors in to us as we dined. The gorgeous decor transforms a coastal Los Angeles space into an exotic and relaxing space in which one can enjoy Sandoval’s innovative Mexican dishes. Wherever you end up sitting at you will feel like you are dining outdoors in a beautiful setting, far away from the city.

La Sandia

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Got Strawberries?

Oh Strawberries! You are luscious, sweet, soft and juicy. There’s NOTHING that can keep us away from you! Not even an over heated car beeping for us to pull over…

This past Friday evening, Mary & I had the pleasure of attending an event put on by the California Strawberry Commission that was held in Newport Beach at TrueFood Kitchen, a restaurant I have long wanted to check out since I heard rave reviews about this place when it first opened from a friend. Mary and I both agreed, that we cannot WAIT to return to one of their locations (in Santa Monica, Newport, San Diego or in Arizona). There is something for everyone on the menu; whether you’re Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan or carnivore they are sure to have something that will tickle your fancy. BUT before we could enjoy all this strawberry and fresh amazing food fun, we had to get there first!!

Of all the times for a radiator hose to decide to pop off & cause Mary’s car to overheat & throw poor Mary into a huge scare, it HAD to be on our way to the strawberry fun?! Apparently, it did! But, we kept our cool and tried to make light of the situation and hope for the best that we would make it (since we had a scare that the radiator had either blown or the hose was leaking, which meant we would have had to been towed somewhere!) Luckily all it took was some coolant, water and a hose to be put back on and then we were on our way again an hour later! Thank goodness for social media, I was able to notify through my iPhone on Facebook, e-mail and twitter to a few who were attending and in charge of the event our whereabouts and dilemma. Everyone was so welcoming & gracious to us despite our major delay.

As we arrived we were greeted with food & drinks galore, opting for the Strawberry Mojito as it WAS a strawberry event!! It was delicious. I love any fruity drink, so this one was right up my alley. The appetizers were all amazing as well, with many strawberry goodies. Besides strawberries galore, there were several items from the TrueFood starter menu we got to enjoy including the; Shitake & Tofu Lettuce Cups (very light, crisp and refreshing with a zangy sauce that I loved), Thai Spicy Shrimp Dumplings (which we could have eaten all day given the chance), a Kale Salad that was marinated in lemon juice and wasn’t overcooked and soggy nor was it too hard and chewy. It was just right! There was also pizza that was fresh right out of the oven that really hit the spot. My favorite though has to be the steak tacos! Freshly baked tortillas with tender steak and topped with a generous amount of avocado (another favorite of mine!), tomato, cabbage, with spices and sauce. They were breath-taking. I loved every morsel of those things!

While we were munching & mingling, we had the pleasure to listen to a great lecture on the health benefits of strawberries from Illinois-based Nutrition Expert & Author, Mr. David Grotto. He explained the many benefits of a healthy diet in a fun and humorous way as he mentioned the 2 most important staples: Alcohol & Dessert! (In moderation of course). He then went on to explain the true meaning of “WTF?” for us: Where’s The Fiber? With year-round availability, California strawberries are a healthy and versatile fruit to enjoy every day that are PACKED with fiber.

Being a total book nerd I was excited that in our “swag bags” we were all given copies of his book, 101 Optimal Life Foods, which covers many of the ailments we deal with day in & day out; many of which can be reversed by simple changes in your diet and/or lifestyle. Diets that can help us treat each of these troubles as well as recipes to go with them are discussed in great detail. Here is a picture of me with David Grotto, the author of this life-changing book.

Here are some fun facts I learned about Strawberries!!

*A serving of strawberries is equal to about eight whole strawberries.

* A serving of strawberries has more vitamin C than an orange and is packed with beneficial antioxidants and nutrients including potassium, folate and fiber.

*Are naturally low in sugar- one serving has only eight grams

*Strwaberries may help reduce the risk of heart disease, fight some types of cancer and lower blood pressure!

That’s one powerful super fruit if you ask me!! 😉

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What about DESSERT?? You may be thinking? Of COURSE! What kind of strawberry event would that be without some strawberry desserts? 😉 They had strawberry cupcakes, strawberry rhubarb a la mode (my favorite!), and a choclate pudding with strawberries.

So to put it lightly, Strawberries have it going on! Along with David’s book, we were also treated to a yummy recipe book with beautiful photos of each dish. I never knew that there were so many amazing things you could make with the strawberry, but this book will give you countless ideas that will make your mouth water just looking at the pictures. What are some of your favorite recipes that call for strawberries as one of the main ingredients? I’d love for you to share them here! 🙂

Even my cat MOE approves of strawberries!! He gives them 2 paws up!!! 😉

*Disclosure: I was invited to be a guest at this event hosted by CA Strawberries. All food & drink I had the pleasure of sampling was complimentary, as well as the gift bag provided to me. All opinions are my own & I had a wonderful time!