#whatsbeautiful Redefining the female athlete

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Under Armour and FitFluential.  Nonetheless, all opinions are my own.

What’s Beautiful? Under Armour is at it again.  Back in April 2012, I first heard about the #whatsbeautiful Under Armour campaign from my friend Meghann.  I signed up and listed “finish a triathlon” as my goal.

#whatsbeautiful Under Armour

I must admit, I was a bit intimidated by the other women on the page.  However, I remember going back to the website and seeing all of these “real-life” women putting it all on the line.  It was very motivating to read about all of the great things these women were doing.  Later that June, I completed my goal of finishing the Dunedin Sprint Triathlon.

#whatsbeautiful

Whether you are a fitness instructor or someone who wants to start an exercise program, I encourage you to check out this community.  Think of it as a place to come together, look for motivation and help others reach their goals.  Think of it as a fitness diary journey.

#whatsbeautiful

We are all beautiful.  Beauty is not just a pretty face.  Being beautiful is being strong.  Being beautiful is being courageous.  Being beautiful is shooting for the stars, never giving up.  Getting up after falling down.  Over the past couple of years, I’ve finally been able to keep somewhat of a “workout schedule”.  I’ve carved out some “me” time and although it may seem selfish to some, sometimes it’s the only time I have to clear my head.  Because with two little ones at home, sometimes even going to the potty is a public event.

What’s in it for you? Do you still need some motivation? Well, every week Under Armour will giveaway “swag bags” to women who are working towards their goals despite what life might be throwing their way.  Not enough? How about after eight weeks, Under Armour will choose the top 10 women who gave it their all making their story the one to follow.  Out of those top 10, three will be chosen for a 4 day trip to Costa Rica to attend the Under Armour yoga and surf retreat.

#whatsbeautiful

Now that I have your attention, all you need to do is follow this link and set up a goal.  It can be something short term or long term.  Remember this is your journey.  Join some teams or create your own team.  Invite your friends or family members to join for a little friendly competition.  Once you’ve set your goal, show Under Armour how you are achieving this goal.  Show the world what you are made of! #IWill.

My goal is to complete the Disney Wine and Dine 1/2 marathon in 2:00.  What’s your goal?

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Strawberry Cookies at Yelptucky Derby

Do you Yelp?  Yelp is an online community where customers can leave reviews of their experiences at almost any business.  Whether you are looking for a new place to eat in your town, or you are visiting a new town, Yelp has tons of helpful reviews to stir you in the right direction.  We were invited by Yelp Tampa Bay to their Yelptucky Derby event on Friday April 26th at the Winthrop Barn Theatre in Riverview.  Amy and Chef Gary, owners of Wimauma in Tampa, hosted the event.

 

winthrop barn theatre, strawberry cookies

Winthrop Barn Theatre photo courtesy of yelp.com

This was our second visit to the Winthrop Barn.  In early April, Amy invited us to Chef Gary’s French Country Dinner at the Winthrop Barn.  The dinner consisted of four courses: fresh green salad with a poached egg, Pork sausage with wilted spinach, grits and feta cheese, a second main course of red wine braised duck leg with lentil Brussels sprouts, apples and L’Orange sauce and a pickled peach clafoutis with basil Chantilly.

Winthrop Barn, strawberry cookies

French Country Dinner


Every dish was perfectly executed.  Just amazing.  The braised duck leg with L’Orange sauce and the basil Chantilly were my favorite.  I will never forget either dish.  I almost licked the sauce off the plate with my finger.  That Basil Chantilly, so delicately sweetened, is what I would imagine a cloud would taste like.  They are hosting another theme dinner at the Winthrop Barn this Wednesday, May 1st at 6:30pm.  Here’s a link for more information.  If you are available, you should really check them out.

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Along with Chef Gary’s offerings, other local restaurants were sampling their food: Pelagia Trattatoria, Hula Bay, Eats, Fred’s Market and the corner store.

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Hula Bay had some amazing ceviche and my favorite sushi roll made with cucumber instead of rice.  Fred’s Market was sampling their grits with salmon and field green salad.  I didn’t get a chance to try the dish, but everyone was raving about it.

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Parkesdale Strawberry Cookies

And you know what other people were raving about???? Our Strawberry Cookies!!!! Most people at the event had never heard of our famous cookies.  I almost felt like the cookie fairy.  These people would take one bite and immediately smile.  They couldn’t believe how fresh they tasted.  By the end of the night, people were coming back to our booth to get some cookies to go.  Mission accomplished!

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If you are still on the fence about our strawberry cookies, you better hurry.  We only have the cookies seasonally and we’ll probably have them for another week or so.

Have you used yelp before? 

Have you had our cookies?

 

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Looking for a u pick blueberry farm?

Looking for a u pick blueberry farm? It’s that time of year were blueberries in Florida are at is ripest.  This is the time most farms begin their u-pick period.  Blueberries have been on the media lately as they’ve become a member of the “super foods” group.  According to the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, blueberries are full of cancer fighting anti-oxidants and anti-aging/memory enhancement nutrients.

Here’s a list of local blueberry farms who are now open for U-picks.  Remember to dress comfortably when visiting these farms, wear a cap/hat and bring sunscreen.  Also, bring cash and please call ahead to make sure they are open.  But most of all, have fun!

Big Bear Farms

u pick blueberry farms

Big Bear Farms is located at 7606 Kinard Rd, Plant City, FL.  Big Bear Farms will be open April 26 from 1pm to 6 pm and April 27 from 9 am to 6 pm.  In addition to blueberries, they sell elderberries and un-gassed tomatoes.  Please remember to bring cash and call before heading out there.  Big Bear Farms can be reached at (813) 986-1152 or via email at bigbearfarms@verizon.net.

 

 Keel and Curley Winery

u pick blueberry farms

photo courtesy of www.keelandcurley.com

Keel and Curley Winery is located at 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road in Plant City, FL.  Their Winery is open year around, but their fields are only open for U-pick during their Annual Blueberry Festival.  This year they are celebrating their 6th Annual Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival on April 27 and 28, 2013.  Entrance to the Festival is free, but they charge a $5 parking fee.  For more information, please contact them directly at (813) 752-9100.

Update: Keel and Curley will be open for U-pick Saturday, May 4th and Sunday, May 5th from 8 am to 2 pm.  They’ll provide buckets for you to use.  Blueberries will be $4/lb.

Kirkland Farms

u pick blueberry farms

Bucket of blueberries courtesy of www.kirklandfarms.net

Kirkland Farms is located at 2632 Old Medulla Rd in Lakeland FL.  You can check out their Facebook page for u-pick information.   We had some of their blueberries last week and they were amazing.  If you sign up for their email newsletter, they will send you an email Saturday night with u-pick times for Sunday.

 

Blue Youth Berries Farm

u pick blueberry farms

photo courtesy of www.orangespoken.com

I found this farm through my friend Steph at Orangespoken.  She’s a Parkesdale frequent shopper and a friend.  Her enthusiasm for u-pick farms borders on fanatic. 🙂  Blue Youth Berries Farm is located at 8201 Cosme Rd in Odessa FL.  For more information, follow this link to their website.

Are you ready to go blueberry picking?

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