Weekend Recovery

I have been the world's worst blogger this week..I am so sorry! I will make up for it with loads and loads this coming week, promise! Hope everyone out there beat the heat during this first official weekend of summer. It isn't too bad here yet, but I know we are getting there. 

As usual, this week and weekend absolutely flew by. Thursday evening kicked off our weekend activities with my dad's foundation's (UREF) annual dinner and lecture benefiting men's health and prostate cancer awareness. It was held this year at the Frontiers of Flight museum, and as usual there was a short talk by my father and grandfather followed by the featured speaker. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a glimpse of the mystery VIP... On this occasion we were all thrilled to have Colonel Joe Kittinger as the guest of honor. He has had many accomplishments throughout his military career, but you may have encountered his name more recently as an adviser and capsule communicator to Felix Baumgartner of the Red Bull Stratos project. 

 Dad, Grandpa, Kittinger

It was a fun evening catching up with family and friends and listening to some very interesting stories from Col. Kittinger. Trent stayed up a little past his bedtime but handled it much better than expected, and we are already looking forward to next year! 


FC Dallas came back home after being on the road and played Sporting KC on Saturday, and of course we were all there (including Mr. Giraffe) to cheer them on. Unfortunately we had to leave early to put the munchkin to bed, though, and we missed the big comeback. 

Other weekend highlights are few and far between. It was a pretty standard few days around here. We did a few errands today, and I got these fab new shirts that I am dying to wear. Loose-fitting racerbacks with a bright colored string-strap sports bra are my new favorite thing (for running, day to day, errands, anything), and I was in heaven when I came across all of these at the Adidas outlet for a great price plus an extra 30% off...I might have gone a little crazy, but 1) they are going to look amazing with my Mavi Bandz, and 2) I promised myself (and Matt) I wasn't buying anything else the rest of the day. 

 
But then..I wandered in the Carter's outlet and wouldn't you know it....they came out with a huge line of fox clothes, and I had to buy every piece..in multiple sizes. Credit card balance, we meet again. I just broke up with you, dangit!

And yes, I DO realize these are the world's crappiest pictures. I don't have a good excuse...just letting you know that I know. I will get it together next week.

We stopped by my parents' house and then to see my brother and sister-in-law, and here we are. Like I said...nothing too exciting to report. But I DO have a lot up my sleeves for this week, so stay tuned! Happy Sunday, everyone!

Weekend Recovery

After my first post-baby hangover, I titled my weekend recap post "Weekend Recovery," but I think I am going to stick with that for every weekend recap from now on. It seems like whether I have a hangover or not, I always have to recover from the weekend...physically and emotionally. Weekends are magical...you are on such a high and feel like you have all the time in the world...and then BOOM! It is Sunday night, you haven't done the laundry, and you realize you are down to your last K-Cup which is just not going to work for Monday morning. 

I hope everyone had a fab Father's Day weekend and did lots of celebrating and relaxing! On Saturday morning we ran the DadFest 5K, as we do every year the weekend of Father's Day. My Dad's foundation, the Urology Research and Education Foundation, puts it on for a great cause - men's health and prostate cancer awareness. This year the run moved locations and was just down the road from us which made it super convenient. Trent did fantastic, and we had surprisingly cool weather for the occasion. Sophie the Giraffe only took a few spills out of the BOB along the way...which is obviously why I ended up with such a slow time. Obviously.
 

Matt and Trent participated in the father/son look-alike contest afterwards (didn't win), and Trent did the diaper dash (also didn't win). However...since he could barely crawl like two days earlier, we were actually very proud of him. Our secret weapon? The iPhone. He totally went for it. 

 

We had a great time celebrating Dad & Grandpa at DadFest and are already looking forward to it next year!


 On Sunday we went to my parent's house for Father's Day lunch, and Trent had his first pool day! I know his swim outfit totally doesn't match, but he had already outgrown most of the swim stuff I had bought him a while back. He didn't seem to mind and had a great time splashing around. I see a lot more pool days in our future this summer!

Hot Diggity Dog

If you follow my Instagram, you may have seen that we had one of my favorite dinners on Friday night, and as promised..here is the full report!

I don't know where my love of hot dogs began, but I know it really set in when we were living in Chicago and going to Cubs games at least weekly. They had the MOST amazing hot dogs at Wrigley field. I am always on the lookout for a great dog, and I often can't have just one. Example..here, at Pink's in Vegas a few years ago. Where, by the way, they also serve jello shots. Just FYI.

Several weeks back, I posted about how much I was looking forward to summer and grilling out season, and all the sudden it arrived! Once I realized the beginnings of summer were upon us, I decided that we needed to kick it off with a bang - a hot dog party, immediately! So on Friday morning I texted Matt and said "clear your schedule...hot dogs tonight." And then I watched the clock the rest of the day. Trent was in the spirit, too, even though the action didn't start until after his bedtime.

 

Hot Dog Onesie

Because it was very impromptu and just the two of us, I tried to limit the toppings so we wouldn't have a ton of food leftover, but choosing which dogs I wanted proved harder than I thought. Ultimately I settled on a quasi-Chicago dog, a Cobb salad dog (to make use of the leftovers from the night before), a "Texas" dog (Matt's name...it was really more of a Tex-Mex dog) and a BLT dog. 

Food Picks/Cupcake Toppers

Sauces/condiments are my weakness, so I brought out just about everything I could find..and I think we actually used them all. The Nutella, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and sprinkles were for the dessert banana hot dogs which didn't get photographed somehow...what?? Guess we will just have to have them again asap. PS how cute is the little patriotic hot dog DOG on the bar? I waited (impatiently) for him to go on sale for MONTHS, and it was so worth it.

Then it was time for drinks. We love candy in this house..almost as much as we love margaritas. So I decided we needed both. I felt slightly bad impaling the gummy bears but quickly got over it once I saw how cute they were hanging out in my drink.

We had these straws left over from our baby shower BBQ last summer, and I decided to dress them up a bit for the occasion.

Star Straw Toppers

Finally....the hot dogs! When I was pregnant I was missing hot dogs almost as much as I was missing a good night's sleep, so I was beyond excited when my sister-in-law, Renee, brought me these nitrate-free Angus hot dogs. They are still my favorite even now. Matt got some different kinds of chicken sausages from Market Street, and we grilled up way more than we could possibly eat.

 

I went for a Cobb dog with all the fixins followed by a plain dog with mayo and ketchup. And I have to say...as much as I love all the fancy schmancy hot dogs and creative toppings, I still think there is nothing better than traditional. Just call me old-fashioned. We threw in some Sun Chips, of course, and chowed down. 

 

 Baskets and Liners (in stores at Target)

One last quick tip before I head out. For some reason, our neighborhood is like fly central. There are so many flies. We have tried a ton of things, and this is by far the best at keeping the flies away. Just slice a lemon, stick some whole cloves in, scatter the slices around the table, bar, back yard, etc...and I kid you not, no flies. I could not BELIEVE how well it worked. I was totally skeptical, but Matt insisted that we try it..and I have to say he proved me wrong 1000%. And they can actually look pretty, too, as opposed to some of the other contraptions out there. Perfect for a summer party or wedding!

I am already craving some dogs again. We are headed to my parents for Father's Day this afternoon, and of course I already put in my hot dog request. Hope everyone has a great Sunday and end to their Father's Day weekend! Up next...weekend recap with several firsts for Trent Fox.

Amazing Product Alert + Sponsor

Keep reading for a super duper BOGO offer!
 
I have so much to say today, but one of the things I am most excited to tell you about is our new sponsor, Mavi Bandz! If you are a loyal reader, you already know of my obsession with Mavi Bandz, and it is even stronger now that we have partnered up with the lovely Jordan, creative genius extraordinaire behind the idea and company! 

If you haven't heard of Mavi Bandz..let me just fill you in. You know how annoying it is when those elastic headbands slip off your head five minutes into a run and you end up having to hold back your bangs for the next 30 minutes until the sweat kicks in and sticks them to your head? Well...Mavi Bandz solves that. Seriously. Over the years I tried every freaking elastic headband out there, and whether I was exercising or just sitting around the house (usually the latter), they would always slip off and end up around my neck. I was sure I had a weird shaped head or something, but the more I talked to other women, the more I found out that just about everyone was having the same problem. 

Then came Mavi Bandz. I ordered my first one a few months ago, and you rarely find me not sporting one these days. They are the only non-slip, adjustable headband out there...so they fit perfectly (no headaches!) and will not, I repeat..WILL NOT...slip off of your head! Plus they are actually cute and come in a zillion styles/designs that are good for a ton of different occasions...not just athletics. My current faves are this red, white and blue chevron one (hurry up Fourth of July!)...perfect for FC Dallas games...and this gray quatrefoil print...great for everyday with jeans and a cute top. The best part? They totally make up for the fact that I never have time to actually blow out my hair anymore. Okay...maybe that isn't the best part, but it is certainly a huge plus! Here I am a few months ago with my first band..and when the addiction began!

Anyway...I could go on for hours about their greatness, but I will let you find out for yourself. You can just go ahead and thank me now :) Speaking of thanks...a huge thanks to Mavi Bandz for giving Sweet Orange Fox our very own coupon code to pass along to y'all! Use the coupon code FOXBOGO for buy one get one free. Yep...you read that right! Get a couple for yourself and a couple of FREE ones as a gift (or just keep them all for yourself). I didn't even know they had this neon reflective running band yet, but I am going to buy it RIGHT now. And I think I'll have to get the orange one as my BOGO.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Father's Day weekend so far! And don't worry...it's not too late to put together a few of these gifts for Dad!

So...which Mavi Bandz are you going to be rocking this summer??

Fit Friday

I was out for a run the other day, and I went a different route just to get a change of scenery. I ended up passing by the neighborhood pool and had to do a double take when I saw it hoppin' with people! What?? No...this couldn't be! It couldn't be SWIMSUIT season already, could it??  How did this happen? I swear it was just Easter. I ended up running an extra mile with that new sense of urgency on my mind. I had to get in shape ASAP!! I did stop to take a picture of Huey, Dewey and Louie as they crossed my path, though. They are seriously there every day...same time, same place.

I remember after having Trent thinking I was so lucky to have had him at the end of October because I had "all the time in the world" to get back in shape before the summer. It is crazy how fast it actually crept up, though, and I am totally not ready at all! SO many people told me the pounds would just melt off with no effort at all because I was breastfeeding. And I was constantly hearing the stories of women who had lost ALL of their baby weight within a few weeks after delivery. Well...I was NOT one of those women. The weeks went by, and the pounds just..stayed. I swear I was the same weight after three months that I was the day I left the hospital...even with working out and breastfeeding! WTF?? So in February I decided I was going to stop waiting around for a miracle and start getting my butt into gear. When I really made a commitment to some hard work and discipline (and of course a few new accessories), I started seeing a change almost immediately. I still have about five pounds to go, but some days (when I want to have that extra margarita), I convince myself that those five pounds are just muscle. Here are some of my tips and finds for getting fit or just maintaining a healthy lifestyle this summer! 

1. BOB Revolution SE - You already know about my love affair with the BOB. I never have the opportunity to go for a run on my own anymore, so I have to take Trent with me...and this is such an awesome jogging stroller. I can't say enough good things about it. Look out for sales, especially when they bundle in the tray and handlebar caddy.

2. KettleBells - I didn't really buy into the whole kettlebell thing..I mean how good of a workout could it really be?? But it totally is. You can find a ton of good routines on Pinterest, like here.

3. Healthy Eating (Cobb Salad) - Of course healthy eating is just about at the top of the list of how to get/stay healthy and fit. We try to go meatless at least a few times a week with some veggie-packed salads and minimal dressing. I used to be nuts about counting calories and eating low-fat everything, but now I just go for the healthy fats (nuts and avocado) and use full fat products (instead of substitutes) just in moderation.

4. Water, water, water! - Unfortunately you can't drink a bottle of wine every day if you are trying to lose weight or stay fit. Believe me, I have tried. But you should drink as much water as possible. There are just so many benefits of staying hydrated, and it is so important in the hot Texas summer, especially. I always keep a tumbler with me, and for whatever reason I end up drinking much more water this way than with a water bottle.

5. Insanity - Okay, okay. I know it sounds crazy...all those video workouts seem the same (aka total BS). But I got sucked into an Insanity infomercial during an early morning feeding and decided I had to try it. Don't spend the $160 right off the bat, though...ask around on Facebook, etc, to see if any friends have the set. I borrowed all the disks from a friend and was able to find the schedule/calendar online for free. And let me just tell you...honestly. I am NOT getting paid to say this (I wish, haha!), but Insanity is literally the ONLY thing that helped me lose the baby weight. Even running, working out and dieting didn't seem to do anything until I started Insanity, and within two weeks I was back into my skinny jeans. No lie. True to its name..it is a bit crazy, but once you get through the first three or four days, you will be fine. I highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

6. Nike Compression Sports Bra - One of my favorite sports bras out there. It was even good while breastfeeding, too.

7. ASICS Running Shoes - For whatever reason, ASICS seem to be the best running shoes for me. I tend to get shin splints and sore ankles/feet with anything else. Plus, they have some awesome colors/designs. Of course I found these melon orange and blue ones right after I bought my latest pair. Bummer.

8. Nike Running Socks - The best no-show running socks EVER. Perfect thickness, plus you know I can't resist these awesome Halloween-ish prints!

9. DadFest 5K - I've said it before, and I'll say it again...get out there and do some 5Ks! There are a ton to choose from any given weekend in any given city, and it is such a great activity to spend some time outside, do something as a family and be active! There is almost always an associated little festival, party or event at the end of it, too. And most of them start early in the morning, so you will be done running and partying long before lunchtime even, with the rest of your Saturday free and a workout out of the way. As we do every year, we are going to DadFest tomorrow morning. It will be Trent's first 5K..stay tuned for pics!

10. RunMonster App - If you don't already have this, download it NOW! It is my favorite running app out there that tracks and measures the route as you run (among other things). I love being able to set out for a run without a planned route, take as many twists and turns as I want...and still know exactly how far I went, how many calories burned, etc. And if I ended up really liking that route, I can look back and remind myself exactly where I went for the next time.

On that note..I think we will take the BOB out for a spin right now before it gets too hot this afternoon. As much as I am looking forward to being able to have a few drinks by the pool this year in a halfway stylish swimsuit, I have to admit I will miss my summer bump..just a little!

New Sponsor!

Happy Thursday (aka almost Friday)! We have some very exciting news over here at Sweet Orange Fox that I just have to share with you all.

 We are beyond thrilled to have a new sponsor and friend, Laine Santamaria, an independent consultant for Rodan + Fields Skincare. It seems like I can't go anywhere or read anything these days without hearing a mention of R+F, and since I am always on the lookout for a new skin care product, I was thrilled to bring Laine on board as a sponsor and try out some of the products. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my customized line/regimen, and you know I will review it asap! But...judging by Laine's amazing skin, I can already tell I am going to LOVE it. PS...isn't her family adorbs??

And I have to tell you...it was super easy and super cool...I filled out a short questionnaire in less than two minutes, and the two doctors at R+F put together a set of products designed specifically for my skin. I mean...I think I need one of everything, but I decided to leave it up to the experts. I can feel my pores shrinking already just from the anticipation! Stay tuned for a review, and feel free to contact Laine with any questions and read more about her story here.

Weekend Recovery

You know that whole thing they say about babies not caring if you have a hangover? Yea, it is totally true.

Last month (on Cinco de Mayo), a few neighbors came over for some impromptu margaritas on the then-new patio, and someone threw out the idea of a progressive dinner. I had recently seen that episode of Desperate Housewives where they throw a progressive dinner, so I immediately jumped on it. Of course in that episode someone gets murdered...so I had to tone ours down a little bit...but still, same idea. I spent the past several weeks trying to coordinate via group email, and after a ton of back and forth, I finally got it all worked out. 

Our neighborhood is actually kind of sadly known for being not very social, and Matt and I have been trying to get everyone together for about a year now to change that. Miraculously this past Saturday evening worked for everyone. Originally there were four couples, and by the time the plan was set we were up to seven couples. Thankfully the eighth couple had last minute plans, because I own exactly 14 forks. It worked out that none of the couples knew everyone that was coming, so we all were meeting at least two couples for the first time. 

Even though everyone really wanted to host, we decided to keep it at five host houses maximum. I tried to work out a way to include all seven...but those two extra courses would have been pretty creative, and the night would have been even longer than it already was. So we stuck with five, and it worked out perfectly. We volunteered a neighbor known for his awesome cooking (meaning we just see him in his backyard constantly messing with all sorts of different smokers and grills...and it smells amazing) to do the main course, and he was a great sport about it. Because he had the most pressure, we let him decide the theme. Being in Texas, of course we went with Mexican/Tex-Mex/Southwestern. Can't go wrong with that. We drew names out of a hat for the rest of the courses. Here's how we broke up the evening, including what everyone served:

1. Cocktails - Wine, beer and some sort of mixed drink I didn't get to try + nuts and popcorn.
2. Appetizers - Chicken quesadillas, black bean/corn/avocado salad, individual 7 layer dip, queso, pico +     
                        margaritas, wine and beer
3. Entree - Smoked pulled pork street tacos with tons of fixins + mexican martinis

4. Dessert - Mini key lime pies, tres leches cupcakes + every drink under the sun

5. After Dinner Drinks - I lost track at this point. I was jumping on a trampoline and drinking something   
                                     that I was pretty sure was a Zima. At the same time.

And a few pictures of the night, start to finish. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the trampoline pics didn't turn out.

 

 

By the end of the evening we had all gotten to know each other so well, toured each others houses and had a ton of laughs. And because you are on the move every half an hour or an hour, it never gets boring or dull. There is always a change of scenery and something new to talk about. What an awesome way to meet your neighbors. It just so happened that the couple whose name got drawn for after dinner drinks has a huge kickass backyard complete with a fire pit and trampoline, so we were able to stay for several hours with tons of room to spread out and plenty of things to do. If you are planning a progressive dinner and drawing for courses, I would suggest maybe picking (rather than drawing) somewhere to end your evening that works best logistically and has a host that is willing to let you stay well into the night.

As promised, here is the black bean/corn salad recipe that will definitely be on the menu in my house at least once a week now. My cousin pinned something similar on Pinterest JUST in time for the party! I just eyeballed the quantities and taste tested as I went:

Dressing:

- fresh key lime juice
- olive oil
- minced garlic
- salt
- cayenne pepper

Mix ingredients well.

 Salad:

- black beans
- corn
- avocado, diced
- red bell pepper, diced
- tomato, diced
-  onion, finely chopped
- cilantro
- fresh jalapeno, finely chopped
-(you can sub ready made pico for the last four ingredients if you need a time saver!)

Combine all ingredients. Add the dressing, little by little, and toss. Taste as you go and add dressing as needed.

I served it in individual cups with some fresh cilantro and a lime wedge which was convenient for a mingling event, and the next day I topped some chips with the leftovers of it, added some cheese and threw it in the oven for a few minutes for the most delicious nachos EVER (awesome hangover cure, too). Or throw it between two tortillas with some cheese for some equally good quesadillas. Tip: I make mine on my second favorite appliance, the electric griddle. So quick and easy, and they get an awesome golden brown crispness on the tortillas.

We spent Sunday recuperating and cleaning up the house, and before we knew it, Monday had arrived. Back to reality! Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend...and if you haven't gotten to know your neighbors, consider a progressive dinner! I highly recommend it!