Friday Favorites from Reno and Lake Tahoe

If you've never seen the sunset from South Lake Tahoe, book your flight right now. Seriously.

What were your favorites this week?

Don't forget to enter my Pure Via stevia GIVEAWAY!

Pure Via Summer Fit Kit GIVEAWAY

Summer is here which means that I general switch from hot to colder beverages, especially with tea. I like to brew fresh tea and let it cool in the fridge and then drink it on my porch. Of course, iced tea tastes much better when it's sweetened and I'm always looking for healthy alternatives to processed sugar. So, I was excited when Pure Via sent me some of their stevia products to try along with Lipton iced tea powder. I never make teas from powder but I will say it is much easier and this Lipton powder dissolves well in cold water.

Pure Via makes a liquid and a powder stevia sweetener. There are some differences between the two but they are both all-natural made from the stevia plant. The liquid is easy to take on the go and one squeeze is as sweet as a teaspoon of sugar. I really liked it in the Lipton tea and also tried it in green tea. The taste is good and I like that there is no after taste. The powder can also be used in liquids and in any recipes calling for sugar.

Lucky for you, Pure Via is providing one HFG reader with a Pure Via Summer Fit Kit giveaway including the following:

• Box of Pure Via® non-GMO packets
• Bottle of Pure Via® stevia liquid
• Bottle of Pure Via® vanilla stevia liquid
• Container of instant iced tea
• Pure Via mason jar & straw
• Pure Via pedometer
• Pure Via SPF 15 lip balm

All you have to do to enter to win is comment on this post telling me what you would sweeten with your Pure Via. Then, just fill out the rafflecopter app below so I can keep track of entries. If the app isn't working for you, tell me in your comment and I will be sure to enter you manually. You can also follow me and Pure Via on social media for extra entries.

Contest closes on Thursday, June 26, 2014 and is open to U.S. residents only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Pure Via provided me with the summer fit kit in exchange for this review post and giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Friday Favorites

The Color Run in Chicago

Stand-up paddle boarding on Lake Michigan

WOD at Cheetah CrossFit

Walking around Lincoln Park Zoo

Denim day for kickball

What were your favorites this week?

CTF Paddle Boarding with Chicago SUP

It's official, my new favorite sport/outdoor activity is stand up paddle boarding! Betina at CrossTown Fitness invited me to check out her paddle boarding class and of course I had to do it. I'm enjoying every bit of the warm weather and #summertimechi before I move to France.

CTF's paddle boarding class is every Saturday this summer at 8 am at Chicago SUP on North Ave. beach. Included for CTF members as a regular class, which is normally $25 per class or less with packages. There are also great specials for new clients, like $30 for 3 classes or only $80 for the whole first month. You can purchase classes and sign up here.

We had a pretty big group show up on the beautiful Saturday morning. We got our paddles and life vests and then headed to the water to pick up our boards. After a short lesson, we were ushered to the water and on our way out to sea! I mean, the lake. I've never paddle boarded before so I really didn't know what to expect and was sure that I would fall in the water immediately when I tried to stand on my board. I hesitated at first, but once I got up, I was really surprised at how easy it was to keep my balance. However, I could definitely feel my core working not only to stay upright but also to paddle.

We were on the water for about an hour. We paddled north along the beach and then back. It was work, but fun work and just felt like a stroll along the water. My arms were definitely sore the next day! My favorite part was how peaceful it was out on the water and the incredible views of the city. The pictures really speak for themselves.

You can wear a bathing suit or workout clothes while paddle boarding but it's better to wear something you can get wet in case you accidentally or purposefully fall in. I'm wearing my new Mika Yoga Wear in the picture, more on that later! Also, don't bring your phone on the board (I had my waterproof camera strapped to my vest).

Stand up paddle boarding is so fun and a great way to kick off your Saturday morning. Sign up on CTF's website and check out Chicago SUP to learn more about other paddle boarding programs.

Are you trying any new outdoor activities this summer?

Friday Favorites from St. Louis and CrossFit Nucleus

Happy Friday! Last weekend, Grace and I drove down to St. Louis to celebrate our friend Jill getting married. With lots of food and drinks at the wedding shower and bachelorette party, we of course wanted to start the weekend off healthy. When searching for crossfit boxes in the area, I found one called CrossFit Nucleus and it was just down the street from our hotel in Belleville, IL! I'm a nuclear engineer so of course we had to check this box out. The head trainer, Mike, was kind enough to let us WOD with them on Saturday morning, and we had a great (hot and sweaty) time. It is way warmer and more humid down south! The workout included med ball runs, push-ups, V-ups, broad jumps, and KB swings. The atmosphere was great and everyone was welcoming. If you're ever in the St. Louis area, be sure to head across the river from downtown and check out CrossFit Nucleus!

Coming into STL!

Grace and I pre-WOD.

What a great outdoor area!

The crew after working out.

Purdue friends at Jill's wedding shower.

Checking out the Cardinals game from Ballpark Village.

Bachelorette Party!!

Selfie with Jill after a long night of bachelorette fun.

What were your favorites this week?

What's your favorite bachelorette/bachelor party destination?