This year for my birthday, I got one of the best gifts of all.

The day started out wonderfully thanks to hubby waking up early to cook our current fave breakfast – eggs and a carb.

For this morning, we had a fried cage-free egg and toasted whole grain English muffin with an orange on the side. Oh, and I got flowers, too!

I painted my nails this fun hot pink color in honor of the special day.

And as for gifts…?

The best gift of all was having my health back. After taking two months away from Zumba thanks to that back injury, I am finally back to teaching Zumba! Seriously…best gift ever. You don’t realize how many things you take for granted until they’re taken away from you. So, to have the ability to dance freely again, after two months of sometimes pain and sometimes frustration, was wonderful. I’m not 100%, but I’m almost there!

But, if that wasn’t awesome enough, a couple thoughtful class participants even gave me cards (and one gave me a gift!). And then…another fabulous thing happened to me. At the end of class, the whole class sang Happy Birthday to me! It was a total surprise and so touching.

After class, I went out with some friends (Shamecia, Sarah, Talicha, Maria, and Megan – not pictured) for a sushi birthday dinner at one of my favorite sushi places in town. Dinner was excellent, as always…as was the fun conversation with my friends.

Reader Question: What’s the best birthday gift you’ve ever received?

I’ve been taking baby steps back from my injury.

The other day, I decided to spend a few minutes before work doing some simple yoga poses.

Please forgive my poor form. I haven’t done real yoga since Kath’s last day in Charlotte, so I was going off of rough memory.

Let go and feel your body slooowly sinking to the earth.

I stuck with simple things that I thought would be easy on my back – lots of downward dogs (trying to not overstretch/overdo anything), warrior poses, standing with raising arms and bending (very carefully) over. I even listened to this song and laid on the ground just focusing on my breath. One of my favorite parts of yoga, back when I was a yoga-holic, was when the instructor would tell us, “Let go and feel your body slooowly sinking to the earth.” I always had a hard time with that whole letting go thing, but by the end of the class, I always managed to do so.

I felt a lot better after my mini session. Yesss. I think I’ll need to do that more. I’d love to sign up for more yoga classes, but they’re so darn expensive!

In the meantime, I’ve been super busy in the kitchen. I think I have more recipes now than I have time to share them! But here’s a preview of a couple I have coming up soon.

A new Individual Egg Bake flavor – Italian-Spiced Parmesan Egg Bake.

Italian Chicken Sausage Linguine with Tomatoes, Spinach, and Parmesan.

Chilled Cucumber Tomato Soup (perfect for this heat wave in the US!)

And perhaps my current favorite – Healthy Oat-licious Zucchini Muffins and Bread. Mmm.

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And for a Project Think Positive quote for the day, here’s one from one of your comments (via Ashley of Freckles and Spice):

“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” ~Marilyn Monroe

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Have you come back from an injury? What were the first types of activities/exercises you did first?

Which recipe do you want to see first?

It’s funny being a blogger sometimes because although much of your life is so public, not 100% of your life is typically published. Some of you may have noticed my hiatus from blogging a couple weeks ago. In fact, my sister noticed and g-chatted me to see what was up. Here’s what I’ve been hiding from you…

On Thursday, July 14th, I did something super stupid and jumped into a shallow pool at a pool party. Everyone was doing cannonballs into the pool, so I figured it would be ok for me to jump in, too…also cannonball-style. What I didn’t expect, and what ended up happening, was that my back actually hit the bottom of the pool. It didn’t hurt when I hit, but my back did start to feel like it was stiffening up soon after. I kept calm at the party but couldn’t wait to go home. On the car ride home, I called hubby crying and freaking out on the phone. I am a naturally paranoid person, so I was certain I had done something bad. It was everything I could do to not rush to the hospital right away. Luckily, hubby is completely non-paranoid and talked me into coming home instead.

Long story short, I spent the entire weekend freaking out and wondering what on earth I could have done to myself. I could move, but my back felt super stiff, so I was trying to not move around too much. On Friday, I worked. Then, I spent most of Saturday trying to rest and lay down. On Sunday, I tried to move around and get out and about for a bit. Finally, on Monday, I saw a doctor and got x-rays. I was worried, but the doctors had good news – they didn’t think anything was broken. He said he didn’t even see any cracks in any bones (though he did say they could be there) on the x-rays. The doctor also did some checks to see if I had a herniated disc, which he said he didn’t think I had either. He said it could take a couple days or even months for me to feel better. He said I could try to do some low impact exercise, and just pay attention to my body (and not do anything that hurt). Not exactly what you want to hear when you’re a group fitness instructor, or even just an active person, in general.

This all reminds me of a great post my friend Katie wrote recently called “And Everything Changes” (click to view full post). I think this sums up nicely how I relate to it given my current situation:

Whether you’re having a great day (or week or month or year) or a terrible one, it can all change in an instant. In one breath your world can turn upside down, for better or for worse. There’s really no stopping that. Breath and everything changes.

One minute, I’m dancing all day every day at Zumba Convention…

…and the next, I’m benched.

I think the worst part isn’t being injured…it’s not knowing when I’ll be better and if I’ll ever be completely back to my former self. On the one hand, I’m frustrated with being injured, but on the other, I’m also extremely thankful that things didn’t turn out worse, because they can always be worse.

But, I think I can use Katie’s other point going forward:

When things are bad, we can focus on our breath to move us through. By the end of it all, not only will the bad situation have changed to good but we ourselves will be transformed, too. In yoga you breathe through a tough posture and end up stronger and more flexible. In life you breathe through tough times and end up stronger and more flexible. Amazing how that works. Breathe and everything changes.

For now (and for the past couple weeks), I’m trying to focus on:

• Resting – my life a couple weeks ago was non-stop, so taking sometime to relax is probably good for me. It’s nice to not constantly be rushing from one thing, to the next, to the next, and the next. I really think sometimes God has his way of saying, “Hey, take it easy…relax a bit.”
• Changing my perspective/attitude – I’ve had plenty of my frustrations in recent months, but I’m currently trying to look at all my situations objectively. Should I be upset with the things I’m upset with or am I being ungrateful or unreasonable? I’m starting to think that a more positive attitude can take me further than I originally expected, even in the most frustrating of times.
• Eating well – I don’t know what to do to make myself feel better, so I’m doing the only thing I really know – eating well. Mostly, I’m trying to eat anti-inflammatory and healthy eats. Green Monster smoothies = my new BFF.

I’m trying to turn this into something positive, too:

• With my newly found “free time”, I’m trying to get organized (maybe a Project Organization for August? ).
• I’m trying to live more stress-free. I figure the stress won’t help me recover, so I’m working on not letting stress get to me.
• I’m taking more deep breaths.
• I’m watching Zumba videos – my company has recorded some new choreo, so while I can’t do it all-out, I can still learn it for when I make my triumphant return (hopefully sooner than later)
• I’m spending more QT with hubby and Bailey.
• I’m thinking about things, and I mean really thinking about what’s important – family, friends, and how to develop those relationships better.
• I guess overall, I’m sitting back, re-evaluating, and trying to approach things in a more positive light.

And if I can get one message to you, it’s that if you are healthy and able to exercise, then work it baby! Work it for all you’ve got! I remember in my early twenties, before finding an exercise I actually liked, I’d moan and groan about going to the gym, practically dragging myself there. I didn’t recognize and appreciate my good health and ability to work out. To have your health is a true blessing! It isn’t until you have something like your ability to work out taken away that you realize what a blessing it was before. So, if you can do it, appreciate and utilize that blessing. Do it for me, kay?

***

And for me – perhaps my new mantra will be “Just Breathe”? I’ve always liked that quote.

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Reader Questions…

How do you cope with an injury?

What’s your favorite think-positive quote? I’d love to collect a few to reference and use for inspiration.

Catching Up? Check out my other Zumba Conference posts here:

• Day 1 – Shopping & Cafe Tu Tu Tango
• Day 2 – Fitness Concert & Star Appearances (plus a must-see video!)
• Day 3 – Caribbean Hotness, Master Class, & Pool Time

And for my foodie friends, I do have some fun recipes coming at you soon!

***

By the last day of Zumba Convention, my body was feeling pretty tired. I had tried to conserve energy for the last day, but I was slowing down. lol

My first class of the day was Bollywood!

I am a big fan of Bollywood and bhangra styles of dance, so I was really looking forward to this one.

Class was super fun. There was one Bollywood instructor, two bhangra instructors, and 2 ZESs who were helping out with class.

I especially loved learning about the various hand positions for Bollywood dancing…

…oh, and this bhangra battle we did to Stronger by Kanye West!

So fun!

Great job guys!

After class, I headed towards the zumbawear shop one last time. Since it was Sunday (the only day the store accepted returns), I hoped I’d find a pair of pants that had sold out in my size by Saturday morning.

On the way, I passed this impromptu Zumba class in the middle of the convention center.

Never a dull moment with Zumba peeps! I hope I have more time next time so I can join in.

I did make it to the Zumbawear shop and would you know it…they DID have my size by then! Woohoo!

On my way back to my last class, I spied yet another impromptu class starting up. I followed from the upper level for a bit because I liked an arm/step combination the lead instructors was doing. Hopefully, I can work it into a new song.

And for my last class of the day – African dance!

The instructors were hilarious and the moves were fun! I think we only have one African-dance song on our song list, so I’d like to see more…maybe with some inspiration from this class?

We even got to see a video on rhythm.

Picture time!

Say cheese.

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After class, I headed back to the hotel. Unfortunately, we had to check out that morning, so I didn’t have a hotel room to go to, but I got my bags from the bell hop and changed into some airport clothes (my new Zumba cropped sweatpants and an over-sized t-shirt). Soon enough, we were in a cab to the airport, and then on a plane to go home. Hubby picked me up at the airport with Bailey. Aww…

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Big thanks to Zumba for putting on such an amazing and well-organized event. Nice job guys! I already can’t wait to go to the 2012 convention!!

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Next time on TCL, a SUPER AWESOME announcement! Check back next time for details!! I can’t wait to spill the beans!

***

What’s your favorite style of dancing or signature move?

Catching Up? Check out my other Zumba Conference posts here:

• Day 1 – Shopping & Cafe Tu Tu Tango
• Day 2 – Fitness Concert & Star Appearances (plus a must-see video!)

We stayed out pretty late at the Pitbull concert, but I didn’t let myself sleep in. I was super pumped about heading out to my first class – Caribbean heat!

The class was led by the Z305 crew (based in Miami, FL – I am so doing a class with them next time I’m in their area). Most of the classes at Zumba Convention seemed to be led by two-three instructors, but these guys had one big fabulous team of members from all over the world. It was really neat to see all of them taking turns dancing on the stage.

Class was total hotness!

I took a bunch of notes for moves I’m hoping to incorporate into some new choreo.

So fun!

***

Post class, I headed back to the hotel to get lunch – half of the sandwich from yesterday, leftover hummus with Stacy’s pita chips, and a salad (all purchased at the hotel marketplace).

And then later, I headed with a handful of my instructor friends to a master class with a couple of the East coast ZES instructors.

Most of the rooms were gigantic, and my crew didn’t rush to get squished into the front, so we usually hung near the backs and sides.

Luckily, most rooms were equipped with two giant screens playing blown up pictures of the lead instructor, which made it much easier to follow.

Besides learning about various styles, and trying out new steps, I also really enjoyed just experiencing the different teaching styles of all the instructors.

Go East Coast ZES team! They rocked it out!

We decided to stay “in” for dinner and headed to the hotel pool for eats.

My fellow instructors – Lisa, Erica, and Gina.

We shared some yummy hummus.

And I had a Margarita Pizza. Yum!

And for dessert – a pina colada.

Post dinner, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the Glimmer and Glow party.

The costume theme was simple – wear white. I kept my look simple with some white shorts and a white tank top, but there were some really unique costumes.

Some people really, really get into costumes, ya know? Anyone else remember the dude in the white speedo with angel wings and glitter nail polish?

The main party was in one of the conference rooms (same room as where we had Reggaeton)…

…where they had tons of black lights going to make everyone’s white outfits glow. Fuuun! Next year I will have to plan a more interesting costume. I do love a good themed party.

What’s your favorite kind of themed party?

Day 2 of Zumba Convention started with a bang and ended with one, too. We had special guest appearances by 2 very famous people! Read on to see who I’m talking about…

Our second day (click here for the Day 1 post) at Zumba convention was really like our first, since it was the first day we actually had classes to attend.

We were really excited to get started!

First up – the fitness concert.

I wasn’t sure what to expect at a “fitness concert.” I’d never been to one before. And now that I’ve seen the craziness that is the “fitness concert,” I’m not sure I’ll see it again anywhere else…ever!

Conference Tip: If you’re reading this to see what to expect for a future conference, please note that – at least at the 2011 conference – you weren’t allowed to bring any personal items inside, so you may want to leave the purses and bags at your hotel while you dance away at the fitness concert.

I found this nifty video from the 2010 conference, and it totally captures the energy of the fitness concert. It’s only two minutes long…watch it! You won’t believe it, but it’s real and just like the video shows…promise. Thousands of zumba instructors dancing away in one giant room. It was so cool to see in person and to experience.

We actually came a bit late (people were coming and going as we arrived – it was pretty casual, which I liked), and only danced for a short period of time to save up our energy for the rest of the conference. And boy was I glad I did by the last day!

Back outside they were interviewing people left and right.

I headed back to our hotel with the girls to grab a quick bite to eat before classes started.

You may be wondering what to eat at the Zumba Convention. At the Peabody Hotel, there were lots of cash bar tables set up with eats and drinks.

They were pretty pricey, but certainly convenient.

The convention center had a few food booths, as well (Asian, crepes, Cuban coffee/pastries, giant pretzels, sandwiches).

Since we were staying at the Hilton, I got food at the Marketplace in the lobby of the hotel. This tasty turkey sandwich was only $5! A steal compared to prices elsewhere.

After lunch, Erica and I headed to our first class.

But not before seeing Wyclef Jean in the booth area! I happened to see him standing at the Yele Haiti booth. Yele Haiti is the charity Wyclef founded with Jerry Duplessis (click here to read more about the charity). Erica and I were just sitting on a wall in the Peabody lobby waiting for them to start letting us into the conference room for our class when I saw him.

Me: Um…is that…Wyclef over there? (said nonchalantly)

Erica: Where?

Me: Right there (pointing to the man standing only about 20 feet away from us).

Erica: *immediately and wordlessly gets up to go wait in the (short) line to take a picture with him*

We only had to wait for about 15 other people to take photos with Wyclef before it was our turn! So cool! We even made a little donation to the charity – a really great cause. (You may recall I hosted that online bake sale in January 2010 to raise money for Haiti. We raised just under $3,000!! Click to read about the bake sale.)

After our star-sighting, we headed to our first class of the day and of convention – Reggaeton.

This class (and pretty much all the classes) started with some cardio, followed up by breakdown and powerpoints, and then a little more cardio/choreography to go over the powerpoints in action.

Except, we had a little surprise in store for us…a LIVE performance with Wyclef himself! What?!?!

It was so cool!

Yea Wyclef!

By the way, class was led by two ZESs, including Loretta Bates who did a master class with us recently (click to view). And did I mention they had a live DJ! Yup. They all did a wonderful job, and we took notes from some cute moves to hopefully put into some choreo back home.

After the cardio and the impromptu concert, it was time for the breakdown. After another quick stint of choreo, class was over. One down, more fun to go!

I headed back to the hotel for a snack – hummus and pretzels. It was very welcome.

Convention Snack Tip: I also snacked on several Larabars over the course of the weekend, but I didn’t take photos of them all. They made a fabulous snack, if you’re interested in portable snack ideas for convention.

And then it was back to the Peabody again for the last class of the day.

And I may or may not have stopped by the Zumbawear Wonderland Superstore. Honestly, I went in and out of both the superstore and clearance store so many times, I lost count. Luckily, I did not lose count of the Zumbawear I actually purchased (yay for not being a total shopaholic). hehe

Anywho, the line for the 4:15pm class was way long. Why? Because it was with Tanya Beardsley!!

I had warm-ups and cool-downs for my last class of the day. I’d heard so much about Tanya’s amazing dancing and teaching skills, I was really looking forward to seeing her live and in person. She totally lived up to all the hype. Tanya rocks!

Did I mention that our hike from the hotel to the convention was forever-long? I named it The White Mile because all you see is white columns and railing for what felt like a mile of walking.

Actually…scratch that. I mapped it. And it is a mile. Ok, it’s only just over a half mile, but still…that’s a lot of walking when you go back and forth multiple times.

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After classes ended, we went back to the hotels to get ready for dinner! We headed out with some of our friends in Roanoke, VA for a fabulous dinner at Maggiano’s. Nom. I figured the dinner room would be pretty dark, so I left my camera at home. I had a great dinner and even shared some Rigatoni D with a fellow corgi lover (hello Ashley and Rhett – her tri-color corgi).

And then we came back to the hotel to change for a special concert with…Pitbull!! That’s right.

It was so fun to do some of our Zumba dances in the audience with Pitbull live!

In fact, I think we choreographed at least two songs while we were at the concert. Woohoo!

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And that pretty much wraps up Day #2. Phew! Busy, but wonderful day!

Have you ever been surprised to see a celebrity really close to you? Who was it?

So, I guess you’re probably wondering where I’ve been all weekend, eh? Well, I’ve been crazy-busy all weekend long hanging out with 6000 other Zumba instructors at…

The Zumba Convention – 2011 in Orlando, FL!

I flew in with 3 other Zumba instructors from my company on the first day of the conference – Thursday. There were classes and certifications on Thursday, but we didn’t arrive in Orlando till 3pm, so we just used the day to get organized and check out the conference. It was nice to have the down time to get ready for the craziness ahead.

I’m not sure if you’ll see brighter colors and accessories anywhere else. Zumba instructors love fun colors!

Anywho, we took the long hike from our hotel to some of the other conference buildings to do some shopping soon after arriving.

Here’s a photo of the clearance store – discounted Zumbawear galore! The place was kind of crazy and yet also very organized at the same time. The other Zumba instructors were running around grabbing clothes and trying things on. You know how people get when they discount shop! The crew manning the store ran a tight ship and kept everything quite need and orderly, though.

Next, we headed to the vendor booth area.

There was a lot going on.

The main booth I wanted to visit was the Vita Coco booth. You guys know how I feel about coconut water. I sampled some of their flavored coconut waters (ok, I tried all of them), and though they were all tasty…I preferred the plain coconut water still.

After some shopping in the Wonderland Super store (the full price Zumbawear store featuring the latest styles), we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

We had reservations at Cafe Tu Tu Tango – a wonderful tapas restaurant in Orlando. (Psst…def make reservations if you want to go, or expect a 2 hour wait)

I love the restaurant because they feature local artists who actually work in the restaurant. The restaurant also sells artist artwork on the walls of the restaurant.

And they also have…

…live entertainment! Like this fabulous dancer. Ole!

We ordered dinner tapas style with lots of small plates. We started with some soup (the chicken/chorizo/bean one), which ended up being one of my favorite dishes.

We also had…flaming cheese

empanadas, tomato/goat cheese flatbread

potstickers, crab chop sticks

pork with sweet potato salad, mushrooms rockafeller (a mushroom dish I tried and actually enjoyed! woohoo!)

…and macadamian crusted mahi mahi

We also ordered this Rocky Road cookie pizza for dessert. Yum!

And on our way out, we checked out some of the paintings by one of the local artists in the restaurant that night.

We actually each ended up taking home a sign. Mine isn’t in the photo, but I’ll share it later. Any guesses what it says? Hint: it’s not in the photo.

Which sign would you most likely buy? (can be in the photo or a quote/line you make up)

This week has been such a whirlwind but in a totally awesome way, of course! I think I averaged coming home Tuesday – Thursday after 10 pm each night! Phew! That’s right…I left my house around 8:30 am…and got home nearly 14 hours later. Busy means good, though. I have lots of fun stuff ahead.

And as for the fun this past week, here’s what you missed…

I taught Zumba three days in a row this week! I subbed a class for another instructor who is on vacay. That’s a whole-lotta-Zumba, peeps! It was so fun, though. I had special guests show up to my Thursday class – my very first participants. As in, they were there the very first time I taught a whole class by myself. They were regulars for awhile but have had some personal stuff keeping them from class. I was SO excited to see them again, though! They made my day!

(photo credit – Healthy Tipping Point)

After Zumba on Wednesday, fellow instructor Sarah and I met up with bloggie friends Katy and Caitlin for froyo!

(photo credit – Healthy Tipping Point)

And then on Thursday, after Zumba, I ran into Caitlin again (along with two of my fabulous new participants – hello Carmen and Katie!) at the Ben Does Life event. I also had the pleasure of meeting the very cool Ben of Ben Does Life.

If you haven’t seen his inspirational video (about his 120 lb weight loss), here it is:

This is a MUST watch!

And since I haven’t shared any grocery shopping photos in awhile…here’s what I got at Trader Joe’s yesterday: yerba mate tea, Larabars, Soy corn dogs, feta cheese, vegetable broth, vanilla soy milk, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, honey and a special ingredient – chocolate cookies!

I have a bunch of cookies and cream themed recipes in mind…be on the look out for those!

I also got spinach, Canadian bacon, raspberries, organic hot dogs, baking chocolate, chocolate chips, yogurt, and brussels sprouts.

And in the eating arena, here’s what I had Friday night: a new recipe to hide vegetable servings – Potato-Cauliflower mash with fresh herbs. (nom!)

Salad

Tri-tip with a new dry rub recipe (perfect for when you have steak but nothing to go with it, sauce/toppings-wise).

And have you seen one of Bailey’s best begging tricks? It’s hard to not give him a bite of steak when he looks this cute.

Ah Monday…my dreaded foe. I often dread you, but today, you are my Friday. That’s right. I’m going on vacation for the rest of the week! I win! Booyah!

Although I WFH today, I was super busy!

I decided on a quick, no-cook bowl of vanilla Oikos with a sliced banana and almonds (Project Veg-Up fruit serving…check!)

Speaking of Project Veg-Up…I’m hoping these babies will help.

My squash plants are flowering!

I’m really hoping the critters don’t get to my future veggies before me.

And look what found its way into my garden – a cicada. Yikes!

And how about something a little less scary now – baby green beans!

I decided on tempeh for lunch.

I did another TCL-style noodle bowl, similar to this one.

I swear, these things are such lifesavers!

This time, I tried boiling the tempeh instead of steaming it, to see if I could prepare this meal with one less pot. It worked pretty well, so I may continue with my boiling method in lieu of steaming. PS boil for about 5-6 minutes.

Lunch dessert – orange! Project Veg-Up fruit serving numero 3.

I ended up working late today, which really screwed up my plans. I had a lot to do after work to get ready for my vacay, so I was hoping to leave early. Too bad I forgot I had a 5-5:30pm phone conference and then ended up on the phone till just before 7pm.

I ended up missing Zumba tonight *extreme sad face*

But I did manage to get a batch of these delicious, raw, dehydrated coconut macaroons prepped before dinner.

Hubby and I had something yummy planned for dinner.

BBQ chicken, made with the last of the homemade BBQ sauce from last week, plus whole wheat cous cous and grilled collard greens, using this recipe.

They were pretty good, but I love the flavor of my collards braised!

Post dinner, Bailey helped me pack for my vacation.

And these bad boys are going to dehydrate overnight. The smell of them in the kitchen is absolutely intoxicating! I can’t wait to dig into them! I’m thinking breakfast?

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Have you seen the latest Zumbawear??? Does this “Daydreamer” top look familiar to you? Hmm…

It looks just like my hip hop style workout tank! Click here for a tutorial on how you can make yours out of a regular ole’ unisex t-shirt. I feel so trendy!

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I bought my ticket to the Healthy Living Summit today! Are you going? I’d love to meet you!

***

Catch ya from the beach!

Reader question: What snacks do you like to take to the beach (for enjoying whilst chillin at the hotel or actually on the beach)?

Did you know Friday was National Doughnut day? I found that out on twitter and didn’t bother verifying with a google search. I mean, do I really need a valid reason to enjoy a doughnut? I think not.

After my lazy-man’s gourmet lunch, hubby and I split this Texas doughnut.

I really wanted to bake some doughnuts, especially considering I’ve now had a doughnut pan ready for baking for a couple months now. Maybe I’ll try it out next weekend?

Anywho, my friend Sarah came over for dinner.

Since hubby and I were going out of town, we didn’t do anything crazy – just tacos. But we did use grass-fed beef. And hubby had gotten an assortment of toppings from a salad bar a day or so before, but by the time we were ready to eat the tacos, it looked bad. So, we just enjoyed some fresh pieces of organic red bell pepper for our veg serving.

And Sarah and I split a banana for a last fruit serving of the day.

Project Veg-Up Score for Day #3:

• veg: 3
• fruit: 2

Woot!

Then, she and I headed out to a local Caribbean celebration – Azucar.

I signed up to do a demo with my Zumba company.

I had no idea there would be so many people in the audience. I think there were at least a thousand people there?! My stage fright kicked right in, but I was confident I’d be ok to dance on stage with eight other of my fellow Zumba instructors.

I was right. Everything went great, and I had so much fun! We did two of our most popular Zumba dances on stage and the crowd loved us! Maybe I’m getting over my stage fright after all?

Post demo, we were super hot from dancing under all those hot-hot stage lights!

We cooled off with mojitos. The mint was perfectly refreshing.

And then a group of us headed to Amelie’s for some sweets.

Sarah and I did a macaron tour by eating one of each flavor. We decided to go in order from what we thought would be the “worst” to the best: lemon, orange, mixed berry, and raspberry. The order was spot on. If only they had pistachio!

Macaron cheers! *clink*

Reader Question #1: Did you celebrate doughnut day? What kind of doughnut did you enjoy?

Reader Question #2: Have you ever done a “food or drink tour” like our macaron tour? What did you eat/drink?