Month: February 2014

Big Bear Ski Trip

Last weekend I went to big bear with a huge group of 11 friends! Southern California got a “huge storm” so we were hoping for a nice dump of powder, but to our surprise, the “biggest storm of the season” brought about 1 inch that melted when we arrived! The weekend was so much fun, great memories and countless laughs! I brought my GoPro along and videoed a bunch of runs on the mountain, there are so epic falls and hilarious commentary that I can’t get over. Oh, and my skis were stolen. GOOD TIMES!

Big Bear 28These gift with purchase Victoria’s Secret duffles are the best weekend bags!

Processed with VSCOcamMy go to travel snacks:
Peanut Butter & Jelly Larabar  //  Tarragon Dijon Kale Krunch by Alive & Radiant  //  Apple & Pear That’s It. Bar  //  Chobani Simply 100 Pineapple Greek Yogurt  //  Trader Joe’s Roasted Coconut Chips  //  bkr glass bottle  //  Banana  //  Apple

I love all of these items because they’re shelf stable (minus the yogurt that I ate right when I got in the car), but not overly processed or junk. There’s something for every type of texture, sweetness, or savoriness that I may crave. I’ve been addicted to these Roasted Coconut Chips from Trader Joe’s lately. They are really similar to the Dang Foods Toasted Coconut Chips that I discovered a couple of weeks ago. Not only are these snacks portable, easy to eat while driving/traveling, but they’re also great for you. Each snack is made from whole natural ingredients which are full of nutritional value.

Big Bear 31Half of us on our way to Big Bear for the weekend. Guess who drove? Yours truly!

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Big Bear 27View from our cabin.

Big Bear 6Off to go skiing the next morning!

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Big Bear 24Kat, Beth, & Jessica getting ready to walk to the mountain.

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Big Bear 10Julio and his sweet Dr. Pepper board.

Big Bear 11Chiristia and her natural swagger.

photo 6About to take the GoPro down the slopes!

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Big Bear 5Josh and I on the lift. We were the only 2 skiers out of 11 people. I’d like to say that we are WAY cooler than the rest of the gang. jkjk. But really, skiers are so much better!!! hahaha. “Skies for life” -Johnny Tsunami

Big Bear 13Christia & Corey gearing up.

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Big Bear 25This little one was too cute!

Big Bear 14Corey, Beth, Josh, & Steph taking a ski break.

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Big Bear 16Steph & Charity getting their grub on.

Big Bear 17Jess getting pumped up for snowboarding.

Big Bear 3Christia and I being snow bunnies. This was right before my skis were stolen. As you can see, they are right behind me in this photo. The short little white ones to the left of my head!!! Ughhhh. Everyone stayed at our table while Steph & I left the group for 10 minutes, came back, and my skis were gone and replaced with someone else’s! Rrrrr! I was actually pretty calm but bummed more than anything because all I wanted to do was ski! I went to the Bear Mountain Rental Shop and they actually loaned me a free pair of skis for the rest of the day! Thanks Bear!!! You saved my day!

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Big Bear 21Christia, Corey & I on the chairlift.

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Big Bear 26Packing the car up at the end of the weekend to head home. We had so much shiz you would’ve thought we were going on a 2 week trip haha.

What are your favorite travel snacks?

Snickerdoodle Green Smoothie

Hi snow bunnies!

I just got got home last night from the best ski trip! A big group of us rented a cabin in Big Bear and drove up on Friday for the weekend. Although the conditions on the mountain weren’t perfect, we had SO much fun! I’m doing a post tomorrow about my trip for anyone who is interested! I’ll be posting my fav travel snacks and lots of fun photos from my GoPro : )

Yesterday I drove home from Big Bear to celebrate the 1st birthday of Full Psycle!
I love being a part of the amazing family that Shelly, Paul, and Kris have created. I’ve met so many incredible new friends and actually ENJOY working out for the first time in my life.

Full Psycle first birthday
You know a cycling studio is good when you have to set your alarm for 5pm every sunday when the schedule goes live so that you can actually get into your desired classes for the week! One year later and classes are still full with a wait list. Like seriously? Unbelievable!!! Actually, it’s totally believable because Shelly, Paul, and Kris are the most amazing human beings you will ever meet. They remember EVERYONE’S names in class. And I mean EVERYONE! They’re encouraging, funny, loving, and so passionate about their studio and students. It’s their encouragement that has gotten me where I am today. I cannot believe how strong I have become since my very first class at FP.


Yesterday was such an emotional day for me. Yesterday on the one year anniversary of FP, I celebrated my new personal record of 518 kilojoules (compared to my first class of 158kj) which I would like to dedicate to my friend Ryan Eaton who I lost one year ago today. As I pushed through class, I couldn’t hold back the tears as this rush of extreme happiness and sadness took over me. In the last minute of class, I put my towel over my head and bawled my eyes out. I was so proud and happy of what I had just accomplished, but at the same time I was remembering this day exactly one year ago. I am so grateful to be surrounded by the most incredible family, friends, Full Psyclists, and readers! Each day you guys inspire me to become stronger mentally and physically. The past year has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, and I cannot imagine the past year without all of you.

Today’s recipe is surprise surprise, a green smoothie! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’m addicted to green smoothies and juices recently. There is no hiding it, I loveeee them!!! I love my smoothie extra thick, so I have been throwing avocado in the mix! This smoothie is extra creamy, and when blended with vanilla and cinnamon, it actually tastes like a snickerdoodle cookie! Strange, but true. Just check my Insta for comments from readers that have tested it out!

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Snickerdoodle Green Smoothie
Serves 1

1 handful spinach
1 frozen banana
1/2 small avocado
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Blend blend blend until creamy and smooth!

Note: If you don’t have a high powered blender, you can use 1/2 cup of almond milk!

Dole Dippers Giveaway

Snacking  just got sweeter with new DOLE Banana Dippers!
The goodness of bananas comes together with the rich, indulgent taste of better-for-you dark chocolate.

DOLE Banana Dippers are fresh frozen banana slices covered in 67% dark chocolate.
Each portion-controlled individual pack contains 4 slices, at 100 calories per pack (DOLE Banana Dippers with Almonds contains 120 calories per pack).

Simply pull from your freezer and enjoy anytime, anywhere.
These are the ultimate healthy dessert when your sweet tooth hits!
*Recommended thawing time is 5 min. for best taste.

Look for DOLE Banana Dippers in the frozen fruit aisle!
You can also check the DOLE product locator on their website to find exactly what stores near you carry Dippers!
1. Simply go to the DOLE Product Locator
2. Under product select “Banana Dippers” (also available in strawberry!)
3. Choose the regular Dipper or with almonds
4. Type in your zip code.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

One lucky RFFMBT reader will win 3 boxes of DOLE Banana Dippers!
Contest ends on Thursday, February 6 at 11:59pm PST.
Winner will be announced on Friday, February 7!
*Open to US residents only.

2014 So Far

I feel like I haven’t done a personal update for a looonnngggg time, and I realized this when someone left a comment asking if I went blonde. Well… yes I went blonde at the beginning of January! I had been wanting to go lighter for a while and finally went for it after the new year. I’ve posted multiple photos of my new locks on Instagram but completely neglected to post my array of selfies on my blog haha. So for those of you who are interested in my new hurrr and what I’ve been up to, here it is!

2014 So Far 1
My obsession with green juice and green smoothies is still going strong. My favorite juice is the Greenie from Nekter Juice Bar! Parsley, spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, lemon and apple.
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Fav green smoothie recipe is still my RFFMBT Simple Green Smoothie.
2014 So Far 4
I did my very first back-to-back spin class at Full Psycle!!! I came out of my 6:30pm class, ran into my friend Blake and he said “do the hip hop class at 7:30 with me!” In my head I was like no way Jose, I just finished pedaling my heart out for 45 minutes, I am d.o.n.e. but then one of the founders/instructors, Shelly overheard Blake and I and said “Catherine, if you take the next class, it will be the first sold out hip hop class of 2014!” So of course I gave in, grabbed the last open bike at the front of class and gave it my all! I actually did BETTER in the second class! I think it’s because my legs were warmed up, and I had tons of endorphins and energy after class #1! I kept my Polar HRM going and burned 1,879 calories between both classes! DAYUMMM! For anyone who may ask, my watch is a Polar RC3 with GPS. I have a full review of the watch here.
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Earned myself 2 Full Psycle Raglan shirts for those 2 back-to-back classes! Great milestone in my workout journey!
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I took advantage of the CA heat wave and went Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) for the first time with my friend Blake! We had SO much fun, it’s a great core, arm, and back workout! Of course I had to sport that FP Raglan shirt that I earned the day before! My bow bikini bottoms are by a local company called LOlli Swim. They were limited edition Minnie Mouse themed, but LOlli has some other beyond adorable bow bottoms in stores and online!
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I also took my very first Pilates class at Core Reform in the beginning of January. I started taking a few semi-private lessons with my friend Taryn so that we could learn the proper form on the reformer. I highly recommend doing this. Reformer Pilates classes might seem intimidating, but if you take a couple of private lessons (or at least one) to understand how it works, it makes the classes much better! I was hooked after my first class, bought a month of unlimited classes and have been going 4 times a week! My abs hurt so good!
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Of course I’m still obsessed with spin at Full Psycle and go 6 days a week! I’ve been loving alternating spin and Pilates throughout the week since my legs get pretty stiff from cycling. Pilates has really helped!
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Last month I also took Teddy to Corgi Beach Day in Huntington Beach!
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Last week my friend and fellow health & fitness blogger Kayleigh (Okay Fitness) and I took her adorable little munchkin nephew to Disneyland! Taking a toddler to Disneyland and pushing a stroller around the cobblestone streets in the park is a workout in itself. Mad respect to all of the mommas out there who do this!
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Other obsessions in 2014: slouchy beanies and lipstick. Bright bold lips that give you confidence and make you feel girly! Sorry I’m to sorry for all of the selfies! February is the month of self love! I guess it’s less awk than asking my friends to take photos of me? haha.
Processed with VSCOcamAbove Lipstick: Lime Crime Velvetine in Red Velvet
Lip Liner: Mac lip liner pencil in Cherry
Top Coat: Covergirl Natureluxe gloss balm in Anemone 225

Processed with VSCOcamAbove Lipstick: Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Fuscia 030
Lip Liner: Covergirl Lip Perfection Lip Liner in Splendid 235

Last night I had a serious moment! I made a new PR in spin at Full Psycle. #1 out of all of the girls, #4 all around, and 2 away from 500 total energy!!! This was a huge huge accomplishment for me and I still have a smile on my face today! My very first class on 7/8/13, my total energy was 158 kilojoules and my average power was 69! HOLY GUACAMOLE, that’s an enormous difference. I cannot believe how strong I have gotten!!! I’ve noticed a huge change in my mood, overall happiness, and body composition since starting spin and Pilates!

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So far, 2014 has been all about stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying new things! Have you tried a new workout or healthy recipe since the beginning of 2014? Let me know!

Health & Happiness
xo Catherine

Super Bowl Smoothies

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!!
Who is going to win it this year?!

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DENVER BRONCOS SMOOTHIE

Broncos Orange
1 small orange
1/2 banana
1/4 cup mango
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup pineapple
1-2 strawberries for color

Broncos Blue
1 cup blueberries
1/2 banana
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup coconut water
small handful of spinach

Blend each smoothie separately and layer with equal parts of each.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SMOOTHIE

Seahawks Green
2 smal oranges
1 banana
large handful of spinach
1/2 cup of ice

Seahawks Blue

1 cup blueberries
1/2 banana
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup coconut water
small handful of spinach

Blend each smoothie separately and layer with equal parts of each.

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