Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Wild Workout Wednesday + Fitness Gear Review +Stroller Running Day Launch


Happy Wednesday!  Are you ready for another Wild Workout Wednesday Link up?  Every week I link up with Annmarie, Amber and Upala to bring you some great posts about fitness, running, nutrition, motivation and much more!  Be sure to check out the blogger who are linking up, I have found a lot of great blogs I enjoy reading from this link up, I know you will too!  Also, if you are a blogger, we would love to have you link up with us as well.



Today I want to share with you some fun fitness gear I have been using and loving.  I am a total fitness gear lover!  I want it all, haha! Recently I saw a fellow fitness blogger Ivanna of Petite Heartbeat post a picture of her Jawbone UP on Instagram.  I had been thinking about getting one since it looked less bulky than some of the other ones.  I did a search on Google and found one at a good price on a discount site for a color they were getting rid of, score for me since I love the color!  I got it over this weekend and started using it Monday.  It syncs up with your phone app by plugging it in to your phone.  I love this, because I am not constantly checking my app.  I upload twice a day, once in the morning to see how I slept, and once after my workout so I can log what I did.  I really love it!  I thought that I wouldn't like to have the band on all day, but it is so lightweight that I hardly know that it is there.  It is easy to take off and put on with no clips or snaps.  I take it off to shower, otherwise it am wearing it.  I don't even notice it at night when I am sleeping, which is great, because I don't like to have jewelery on while I sleep.

Here is my summary for my sleep last night and my activity from yesterday.  I love that it knows how well I slept, those 2 orange lines in the middle are the two times I woke up, once because my dog was barking and I didn't want her to wake up my daughter so I got up to go get her.  The second was when my daughter woke up and wanted to come in my bed.  It's pretty cool to see my sleep patterns.   I also love that it tracks my steps, I set my goal at 10,000 steps not knowing how many I take.  I am happy to see that I am able to reach my goal during the day.  The UP also knows when I am performing my activity, it showed I had 30 minutes of active time, which was my treadmill Couch 2 5k training.  I was able to choose my activity and it posted how many miles I did, which was totally accurate.  I also did some strength training, but it didn't pick that up as activity.  I could add that in if I wanted too.  It is so user friendly and easy to use, I would recommend it to someone looking for an affordable fitness tracker.  The other thing I love is that I set a reminder for the UP to vibrate if I have been inactive for more than 30 minutes.  It is a great reminder to get up and move around for a bit.  In fact as I am writing this, it is buzzing at me...time to do a few laps around the house!



Okay I am back!  Now I want to share about he cool shirts that are in my photo above.  As you know I am a FitFluential Ambassador.  They posted a fun offer for us ambassadors so I ordered my tank and got my FitFluential tee free!  They are both from Viewsport.  These shirts are fun because they contain a message in the back of the shirt when it gets wet with sweat!  How fun!  I wore my Burpees Don't Like You Either one yesterday and apparently I don't sweat as much as I thought because only a little of the message showed up!  It is now my goal to get that whole message to show up!  Viewsport has a great offer of 20% off the Limited Edition FitFluential Tee or any item in their shop, just use the code SPRING20.  Since I think these shirts are so fun, I wanted to be sure to share with you!

I want to share how my Couch to 5k training is going.  As I shared I am doing my first 5k in many years, on May 2nd.  It is now fast approaching, and even though I got sidetracked by illness, I was able to pick right back up where I left off and do more so I could catch up.  I downloaded the free app for my iPhone and I love it!  It gives you what you need to do for your run each day.  It is set up so you do the same workout three days in a row.  I love this because as I progress in the week I try to up my speed a little each day.  I am now in week 4, and will finish day 3 today, then finish out week 5 the rest of this week.  I am still playing catch up from what I missed then I will double up next week as well.  I am hoping that the warm weather comes back so I can get outside for at least one 3 mile run before the race day.  Yesterday, I had an amazing workout and I pushed myself to run faster than I had been.  I highly recommend this app if you are getting back into running after being out of it for a while.  So far I am progressing and love how I am reminded to get my workouts in each week!


Now it is time to link up!  Head over to the link up page for full details!




Friday, April 17, 2015

Fitness Friday- Finding My Why


Happy Friday!  I hope that you have had a wonderful week!  So far this week has been great.  I got all my workouts in, I've been eating really healthy and launched our #SpringFeverFitness giveaway.  Today I need to get my run in, and get ready for another class I am teaching tonight at a friends home.  We have a fun dinner planned with friends tomorrow night, one of our close friends is in from Florida so we will be spending time with him as well.  It is also so great to have some great weather so we can get outside and enjoy the sun!  That always puts me in a good mood!  What are your plans for the weekend?

Lately I have been reading and hearing a lot about finding your why.  This is not a new concept for me and I often say that I have found my why, but I think as I get older, and hopefully wiser, that my why has changed.  I have changed and so have my health and fitness goals.  I am a mom of a very active toddler, and I would like to have another baby at some point.  When I was younger my goal was always to be skinny.  If you have been reading my blog for a while then you know my story.  If you are a new reader (Welcome!) and you can read more about me and my story here.  I was always trying to find what the new quick way to lose weight would be and then going full force until I wore myself out.  I have changed that mindset to more of just living a healthy lifestyle and setting a good example for my daughter.  I don't want her to grow up having the same body image issues that I did.  I want her to learn what strong and healthy is.  I have seen a change in that direction in the fitness community that I am a part of and I can only hope that it continues on that way.


My WHY for living a healthy and active lifestyle:
My biggest why is my daughter.  I want her to have a mom that is her example of health.  I want to be around and active as she grows up.  I want her to know that healthy eating means lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein, but also that it is okay to have a cookie or some ice cream and that's totally okay.  The only "junk food" we talk about is fast food, and that for us is a never food.  Other than that she knows its okay to have a cookie after we eat our healthy dinner.  I don't want her to have a complex about food, I want her to just grow up with a good base of what healthy eating looks like. She has seen me workout or be active from the time she was just a baby.  We started with daily walks, well she was in her stroller, and she would sit in her little bouncy seat in my gym when I worked out.  As she has gotten older she is now starting to join in my workouts.  She knows that it is just a part of what we do.  We go for walks, we do yoga together, she joins in when I am doing planks or jumping jacks.  It is just a part of life.  I never talk about weight around her, and don't use negative talk about my body.  I love my body, it gave me my daughter, and for that I will forever be thankful!  I don't worry so much about my weight, I just want to be able to run, jump, crawl and play with her.  That is what life it about.  It's not saying that I don't have my own fitness goals, just that they don't control my life like they once did.  I just want to live happy. healthy and balanced.  That for me is my why, and I remind myself of that daily.



My WHY in my professional life:
When I started blogging it was just a fun hobby, and I love to write.  For me it was a personal journal.  As I have continued on with it, my hope is that I am able to help others find their love for fitness and healthy living.  I try to set an example and inspire others to workout and eat right because they love themselves.  I enjoy blogging and connecting with other ladies in the fitness community.  I also want to build a brand for myself and have my own business.  It is important for me to have my own identity and work (outside of being a mommy), and grow as a business professional.  My why comes from the need to create something and share my love of healthy living with others.  I am an entrepreneur at heart, I went to business school, and I know that one day I will be running my own business, whatever that may be. 

I think that really delving into what makes you do what you do is so important.  Defining your why will make it that much easier on the days that you are tired or lacking the motivation to get going.  I encourage you to take the time to figure out your why and write it down.  Put it where you can see it everyday.

Let's chat!  What is your Why?  Do you have more than one Why?  
What keeps you motivated on a daily basis?  I would love to hear from you! 

Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate having you visit my little piece of the internet!
Don't forget to enter the #SpringFeverFitness Giveaway, there is a HUGE prize pack!

Today I am linking up with Nicole from Fitful Focus, Jenn from Pretty Little Grub, Katie from Running for Cupcakes, and Clare from Fitting It All In.  Head over and check these ladies out!

Have a wonderful weekend!


Thursday, April 16, 2015

Orange-Kale Green Smoothie Recipe from Daily Burn + My Perfect Post Workout Protein Shake


I love smoothies and shakes.  So when I was contacted by Daily Burn to join in the #ShowUsYourShake campaign I was excited to share my love of smoothies and shakes!  I have been making green smoothies for me and my daughter for quite some time and try to at least make one a week for her and I.  It is a great way to increase your vegetable intake and especially since little ones can be picky about vegetables, it's a great way to sneak them into their day!  I usually don't add protein powder to my smoothies, they are usually just fruits and vegetables, so when I say this recipe for the Orange Kale Smoothie that includes vanilla protein from Daily Burn I was interested to try it!

Orange Kale Smoothie From Daily Burn
*Gluten Free
*Vegan

This nutrient dense orange and kale protein drink stars fibrous kale, anti-inflammatory spirulina, and sweet, juicy oranges.  This is a great smoothie for your post-workout fuel, it's loaded with iron, beta-carotene, vitamin C and fiber.

Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 Packet (scoops) Daily Burn Fuel-6 Protein in Vanilla *or your favorite vanilla plant based protein
1 cup water
1 cup raw chopped kale
1 orange, peel and seeds removed
1/2 tsp spirulina powder
1 pinch grund cinnamon
1 pinch ginger powder
Combine all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth.

Are you a smoothie and shake lover?  I have one every day after my workout.  For me it is such a great treat, and I always look forward to it.  Protein shakes are a great way to re-fuel post workout.  I am such a creature of habit and I usually make the same shake everyday!  I should change it up here and there, but like they say why mess with perfection?
Here is my Perfect Post Workout Protein Shake!



Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 scoop Vega Sport Chocolate Protein Powder (I use Vegan protein because my stomach doesn't like whey)
ice 
1 1/2 cup water
1 whole banana
1 scoop BodyTech BCAA's
2 tbsp Spectrum Decadent blend (Coconut, Chia and Cocoa powder)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Enjoy!

Do you have a recipe for your Perfect Protein Shake Recipe?  If you do please share!

Don't forget to enter the #SpringFeverFitness Giveaway going on now until 4/29.  The prize pack is huge and you don't want to miss out! 

I also want to share something that I received in my e-mail from FabFitFun.  One of their fashion bloggers is figthitng a disease and needs an expensive medication to help her live.  She is so young!  After reading her story I felt compelled to donate and share.  You can read her story here.  If you feel compelled to give, every little but helps, or if you can't maybe just share to your social media page(s).  Let's help save a life!

I hope that you have a womderful day!  I will see you back here tomorrow for Fitness Friday, I have a great post about Finding My Why.



Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Wild Workout Wednesday + #SpringFeverFitness Giveaway Launch


Happy Wild Workout Wednesday!  Today is a special edition of the Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up.  I am launching the #SpringFeverFitness Giveaway with some amazing ladies and some awesome prizes.

I am also so excited that it has finally warmed up outside.  I have been getting out for walks, playing outside with the little one and just been more active over all.  Now that I am feeling better I am getting back to my normal workout schedule and catching up with my Couch 2 5k training plan as well.  I highly recommend the app if you are getting into running and want to train for a 5k.  It really keeps me on schedule, and right now I am catching up from what I missed.  I am also getting my strength training workouts in too.  I always just feel so awesome after my workouts.  I am really working on my goals and have been thinking more about my "why".  I have a post planned to talk all about finding your "why" and why it is so important to reaching your goals.

Now for the details for the #SpringFeverFitness Giveaway! 
Here is the rundown of what ONE LUCKY WINNER will receive:

Angelena Marie: Happy, Healthy & Balanced- 15 ml Young Living Grapefruit EO & HIIT E-book (co-written with Katie)

Nikki from Badass Bracelets- One Awesome Badass Bracelet

AnnMarie from The Fit Foodie Mama- Nathan Waterbottle and No-slip headband 

Katie from Fit Life by Katie- HIIT E-book (co-written with Angelena Marie) & one set of Jamberry Nail Wraps

Molly from Strong Girl Fitness- 2 Week Personalized Strength Training Plan 

Jackie from Pretty Fit Athletics- One tank top of your choice

Plus a $60 Gift Card to Vitamin Shoppe 

Be sure to enter for your chance to win, fill out each of the entries to increase your chances and come back daily to enter!

Click here to Tweet about the giveaway:
Tweet: I entered the #SpringFeverFitness Giveaway go to: http://ctt.ec/I0C36+ for your chance to win too! #sweatpink



a Rafflecopter giveaway



Make sure to link up after you finish entering the giveaway!
Visit the Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up Page to review the link up rules.  

I am also linking up with Running with SD Mom for #WinAllThePrizes Giveaway link up!  If you are looking for giveaways be sure to check it out! 

So much excitement for one post!  See you back here on Friday for my post about Finding Your WHY, and how I am working on defining mine and my goals!



Friday, April 10, 2015

Five Things Friday 4.10


Happy Friday!  It is so good to be feeling somewhat back to normal after being really sick all week.  I am still hacking up a lung, and I sound like Kermit the frog, but I am at least able to get out of bed and get a few things done around the house.  I am hoping to have this thing kicked by the end of the weekend and be back to normal on Monday.  I really miss my workouts and I need to get caught up on my couch 2 5k training.  I saw my Nike's looking at me yesterday, I know they are wondering where I have been!  I can't wait until I can get back to my weekly workouts, I feel weak!  I am excited to get back to normal next week.

Today I decided to join in with Clare from Fitting It All In for a Five Things Friday post and join in her link up.  It's such a fun idea!

Five Fitness Things I Love (ie: want):

Squats, Weights and Protein Shakes tank from PrettyFit Athletics


 I am a PrettyFit Girl Ambassador and have a few of her tanks and they are so soft and comfy.  I love all the cute designs and sayings on them.  Jackie does a wonderful job with the quality and I always get my order really quickly.  I have had my eye on this one for a while, I think it might be time to order a new one.  Since I am an ambassador you can use the code Angelena10 for 10% off your order at PrettyFit Girl Athletics

Jawbone Fitness Tracker
I have been wanting to get a fitness tracker, but I can't seem to decide on one.  I tried a FitBit before, but it was too bulky to wear all the time and it bugged my wrist when I was trying to sleep.  This morning on Instagram my friend Ivanna from Petite Heartbeat posted a picture of her wearing the jawbone tracker.  I really like how small and sleek it is.  I love this blue one!  I am really considering getting this one to try out.  I like the features it offers and it connects with an app on your phone.  If I decide to get one I will let you know what I think!  You can get yours here:  Jawbone Fitness Tracker (affiliate link)

Soybu Lona Crop Pant

I have been eying these super cute Lona Crop Amaryllis capri from Soybu ever since I saw a review on another bloggers page.  I love capri pants to workout, run and do yoga in, but most of mine are black.  These are so cute with the pop of color and the heather grey.  I think I may need to add these to my spring workout collection.

Nike Free 4.0 Flyknit Shoes

Okay, okay I know I just got new pair of running shoes since I am training for my 5k.  It was really hard not to get another pair of the Free's because I love them for cross-training, but they were not giving me enough support on the treadmill, so the ones I chose have more support in the ankle and arch, which is where is need it most.  I love these Nike Free 4.0 Flyknit and I love this color...I may have to add these to my mothers day list!  Thanks Nike for always making such cute shoes!!

 Airabella Active Striped Tank

I found this super cute company, Airabella Active on Instagram.  I love all their cute tops, but this one stands out because it is cute enough to wear in and out of the gym.  It looks super comfy!  Now that spring is here I like to find tanks I can workout in, throw a light jacket over and head out to run errands.  The bonus....they are having a sale right now and this tank is only $6.99! 

Five Pins

YUM //VIA//
WANT NOW//VIA//




FOR THE LITTLE ONE//VIA//
WORKOUT//VIA//
LOVE THIS//VIA//

Five Bloggers

I have been joining in a lot of link ups and have also been finding a lot of new blogs from our Wild Workout Wednesday Link up as well.  It is so fun to read other blogs and connect with other bloggers.  Make sure to head over and check these ladies out!
Here are five of my favorites lately:
Working Mom Magic 
The Fit Foodie Mama
Running In A Skirt
Fitful Focus 
Hello To Fit 

Five Things Making Me Happy

The fact that I am almost back to my normal self and should be able to workout again starting Monday!  I really do miss my workouts!

My weekend Plans with my family and friends!  I am hoping that it warms up a bit so me and the little one can get outside and play.  We are excited for bubbles, sidewalk chalk and bike rides.  Then we are celebrating my sister in laws birthday, so it's always fun to get together with my family.


The fact that today is National Siblings Day!  I am the oldest of 4 kids and I love my brothers and sister!  My 2 youngest siblings will be getting married soon, so I am looking forward to those family weddings!

Being organized!  I bought a cute planner and it is helping me to stay on track with my blogging and link ups.  It feels good to be organized!

Sharing is caring...tweet about today's post:
Tweet: 5 things Friday! Fitness, Pins, & http://ctt.ec/ka6qW+ #sweatpink #fitfluential

Today I am linking up with Clare at Fitting It All In, Nicole at FitFul Focus, Jen at Pretty Little Grub and Katie at Running For Cupcakes!

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!

Let's chat!
Do you have siblings?  Where do you fall in the mix?

Has an illness taken you off your workout track before? How did you get back on track?

Do you have a list of favorite fitness things?




This post contains affiliate links.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Wild Workout Wednesday- Strength Training for Runners

Hello!  Happy Wednesday, it's time for another Wild Workout Wednesday Link up.  So sorry I missed you last week, my little sweetie caught the flu that has been going around so I was taking care of her.  It's so hard when they are sick and miserable.  But she is back to her normal happy self.  I am happy to be back for another great Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up!  If you are new, be sure to check out the guidelines for the link up then add your link and be sure to share with the #WildWorkoutWednesday on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  It is so great to link up with so many awesome bloggers each week, and I love reading all the fun and motivating posts.  If you're not a blogger, no worries, sit back and enjoy some great workout posts, recipes, motivation and much more!  Thanks for joining!



My 5k training has been on hold last week and this week, which is a bummer!  I was doing so well with getting my workouts in.  Last week like I mentioned my little one was sick and I was spending all my time getting her back to her happy, healthy self.  Then we had to prepare for Easter, we had family over, so I was busy shopping, cleaning and cooking.  Then Sunday night, I got sick!! Ugh!  I am just starting to feel better, but its my sinuses and a head that are killing me so I have to wait until  I am feeling better to get back to my workouts.  I just picked up the toys in my living room and it wore me out, haha!  It really is the worst being sick.  So, once I am feeling better I am going to double up on my runs during the week until I get caught back up.  Today I want to share a strength training workout for runners.  I have still been getting my weights workout in, well I was until the sickness hit our house.  It is important to still workout with weights when training for runs as well.  You want to stretch out after a quick warm up then get your run in then do your strength training workout in.  I usually do the opposite of what I just mentioned, but since running is what I am focusing on I want to use my energy for that first then get my strength workout in.




I hope that you enjoy the workout!  Are there any moves that you would add?  I am hoping to get back to my workouts by the end of this week!  I have to get back on schedule with my couch 2 5k program!
Do you have any races coming up? 



Now it's time for the Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up! 
Here are the rules to join in:
1)  Follow your host and co-hosts in any way you can!





2) Link up with a fitness or healthy living post.  It can be something you just posted or a favorite from your archives as long as it is fitness or healthy living related.   Feel free to link up to 3 posts.

3) Snag our awesome Wild Workout Wednesday Button to make sure to link back in your blog post:

grab button for Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up
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5) Visit at least 2 other blogs in the link up and leave a comment!

6) Share the love...post with the #wildworkoutwednesday on your posts to share this awesome link up and spread the word.  Sharing is caring!  You can also tag @angelenamarie1, @boldfitmom, @pretty_in_pink_fitness and @fitfoodiemama on social media sites.


Did you know you can now get a e-mail whenever a new post goes live?  Just enter your e-mail in the bar at the top of the screen.  You will only get an-email when a post goes live and I promise you will never be spammed!  I would love to have you join my e-mail list!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  See you on Friday for Supplements to Help With Recovery (this was supposed to be Monday's post, but I wasn't able to get out of bed!)  It is a good one if you are struggling to recover after your workouts! 





Saturday, April 4, 2015

Ultimate Coffee Date April




The Ultimate Coffee Date


Happy Saturday!  Today I am linking up with Coco, Deborah and Lynda for The Ultimate Coffee Date!  I am excited to be joining these ladies for my first coffee date!  I have my coffee in hand, lots of hazelnut creamer.  How do you take your coffee?


If we were having coffee I would tell you that I am blogging instead of getting my house cleaned for my family to come tomorrow for Easter dinner.  We are having everyone over and I should be writing my grocery list!  We are going to make deviled eggs, roasted potatoes, roasted broccoli, copycat cheddar bay biscuits, and a chocolate chip banana muffins.  Yesterday I shared some recipes from my fellow blogger friends, if you are like me and are still planning your Easter list be sure to check out my Healthy Easter Recipes Round Up!  There are some yummy recipes for you to make for your family to enjoy!


If we were having coffee I would tell you that I am behind in my Couch 2 5k program for the week and I need to get my second run in today and my 3rd in tomorrow.  My little one was sick for a few days this week, so instead of getting my workouts in and my house cleaned we had a lot of cuddle time.  She is back to her happy active self so I can get my run in and my house cleaned.  I am really looking forward to this 5k.  I am hoping it warms up here so I can get some running in outside. Do you have any runs coming up?

If we were having coffee I would tell you that  I have really been enjoying connecting with my fellow Sweat Pink and Fitfluential Ambassadors.  I am working on being more active on Twitter.  At first I had no idea how to tweet, but as I spend more time on Twitter I loving how easy it is to connect with others.  I have found a lot of great articles and workouts!  I love that you can favorite and re-tweet posts that you really enjoy!  Are you on Twitter?  Let's connect! Follow me.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I can't wait to start wearing some spring clothes!  I can't wait to break out my sandals and maxi skirts.  I have been busy pinning cute new outfits on Pinterest!  I love Pinterest for finding cute new outfit ideas.  After a pinning session I always want to go shopping.  How about you?  What is your favorite board you pin to?

If we were having coffee I would tell you that my cup is empty and it's time for me to go get my house clean, run in and make a quick trip to get some cronuts for my husbands 35th birthday tomorrow!  He keeps asking me for them, and since it's a special day I am off to get some vanilla bean cronuts! I will be sure to share my first cronut experience with you all.  I'll post later to Instagram to tell you all about it!


Click Here to Tweet about The Ultimate Coffee Date:
 Tweet: Join us for the Ultimate Coffee Date for April! http://ctt.ec/307o1+

I hope that you have a wonderful Easter Weekend with your family. See you back here on Monday for my post on Supplements that help in your workout or running recovery!

You can now get Angelena Marie: Happy, Healthy & Balanced in your inbox every time there is new post.  Just enter your e-mail in the bar at the top of the screen!  I promise I will never spam you or share your e-mail.  There may even be some subscriber only giveaways in the future! Thanks for stopping by and spending time with me today!

Friday, April 3, 2015

Healthy Easter Recipes Round Up



Happy Good Friday!  It seems like the Lenten season just started, and now it is almost time to celebrate Easter.  We have decided to host Easter at our house this year, it will be nice to have our family over.  My husbands birthday happens to fall on Easter this year too, so we will be celebrating for him as well!  I was searching for some healthy Easter recipes on Pinterest and it got overwhelming, and I got hungry, so instead I decided to ask some of my fellow FitFluential and SweatPink Ambassadors for some of their favorite healthy and delicious recipes. There are some appetizers, salads, entrees, veggies and of course desert.  If you're not hungry by the end of this post, you will have to share your secret with me!  I can't wait to make a few of these to serve my family.

Here are the recipes with a yummy picture and description you can then click on the link to visit the blogger who shared their awesome healthy recipe with us.   


Farah from Fairy Burger created these yummy Honey Mustard Deviled Eggs.  These are one of my favorite appetizers and I remember eating them at my grandmas house at Easter.  These are healthy and easy to make.  It's been a while since I have had them, I think these will be on the menu. 




These cute little chick eggs were made by Coco from Got 2 Run 4 Me.  She attempted a Pinterest recipe and it was a win.  I think these would be super cute for the kiddos at the Easter party, I know my daughter would love them!




Next up is this healthy and very spring Thai Carrot Mint Salad from Sharon at SharonPalmer.  The ingredients look fresh and this salad would make for the perfect starter before the big meal.




Deviled eggs seem to be the popular starter of choice for Easter, which is a great way to make sure all those Easter eggs don't go to waste.  These next little eggs are Buffalo Ranch flavored and sound like they would be a fan favorite.  Vanessa from Plaid & Paleo even naturally died her eggs purple, so they are pretty and delicious.



I have always been a fan of the fluffy, cheesy Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster, so when Kaila from Healthy Helper posted her recipe for these lightened up version, I knew I would have to add these to the menu for Easter dinner.  I am sure these will be a hit!



Kaila also shared this super easy and healthy Gluten Free Mediterranean Salad.  This would be a big hit with my sister in law who is a vegan (I would leave the feta on the side), and my future sister in law who is Gluten Free and a vegetarian.  I am going to have to add this to the menu as well, it's light for a salad and can be part of a meal for my veggie loving sisters! 




This is a recipe that my lamb loving hubby would love (not so much my sisters).  He is in charge of the meat so I will have to share this one with him.  Vanessa from Plaid & Paleo shared this one as well, and while I am not a lamb eater this one does look tasty.  It looks like it takes a little extra time to prepare, but sounds like it is worth the work! 





These Rosemary Roasted Veggies from Celia at Chicago Jogger are the perfect compliment to any entree.  I always have a hard time deciding what kid of vegetables to make, I usually leave that up to my vegan and vegetarian gals.  This looks like one they would love.




Now it's time to move on to my favorite thing...chocolate!  These Healthy Easter Bunnies are full of super foods like hemp, maca and goji berries and are so cute I bet I could get my 3 year old to eat them!  Myra from The Happy Healthy Freak has the right idea when it comes to making your own chocolate...make it tasty and healthy!


Next up is this Vegan No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake.  I love no bake cheesecakes!  This one looks a little more complicated than the one I make, seeing as my recipe came from a cream cheese wrapper when I was 8.  I still make it every year for my brothers.  However, this one from Charlie at The Runner Beans looks much tastier than the one I make. 




Mmmmm....cupcakes!  These Best Vanilla Cupcakes from Purely Twins would be perfect to make since it is also my husbands birthday and he loves cupcakes.  I love that they only have 6 ingredients and only 8 grams of sugar!  They look so good that I really do wish I had one right now!  I am going to make these for sure!






Last up are these Jelly Bean Healthy Bites from Lindsay at Cotter Crunch.  I love that they are made with whole food ingredients and Jelly Beans that are organic and made with no artificial colors or ingredients, unlike most jelly beans out there. I am going to have to find these for my daughter.  I don't give her foods with dyes in them.  These would be a great alternative to other candies that make their way into Easter baskets!


Thanks so much to all my blogger and ambassador friends who sent me their recipes to share with you all.  Be sure to check out their sites and pin these yummy recipes!  What is on your menu for Easter?  Do you try to make healthy recipes for family gatherings?

If you want to see all the pictures that I share make sure to follow me on Instagram.  It is becoming my favorite social media site, with Twitter coming in at a close second.  I would love to connect with you! 


Today I am linking up with Nicole at FitFul Focus, Clare at Fitting it All in and Katie at Running 4 Cupcakes, Annmarie & friends for Foodie Friday.  Head over and check them out!  If you have a post to share be sure to link up!

I hope that you have a healthy and Happy Easter.  Take the time to celebrate with your loved ones and remember the reason we celebrate Easter.