#FridayFascinations - 5 Things I am LOVING this Week!

TGIF everyone!  Can't believe Rock n Roll San Diego weekend is here!  I am headed to the Expo today.  You will see me by the Pro Compression booth or the Pluggz booth trying on #AllTheColors! As I do every Friday, I am linking up with  Mar, Courtney and Cynthia - AKA the DC Trifecta!

I am also linking up with Nicole for Fit & Fashionable Friday!

And Jill for Fitness Friday!

So, in no particular order, here are the 5 things I am fascinated by this week!

1.  Recently, I was sent this Pack-A-Hat by Lipton Publicity to try out.  If you ask me, it is a pretty brilliant concept.  A stylish little wristlet with a giant floppy hat stuffed in.  One stop packing for the beach!  We have been in the throes of May gray so no real opportunity to head to the beach but you bet this will come in handy when we do!

It retails for $25 and you can order it here with free shipping!

2.  I also had the opportunity to try out this INSANE trucker hat from QTee!  It is a really fun website.  They have a bunch of hats, shirts, underwear and even shoes to customize.  You pick the print and then customize the colors.  I chose the pineapples because they are one of my favorite fruits.  They are so happy!  And I chose the colors to represent me and the SDKidz.  Yellow is my favorite color, pink is S's and blue is D's.  It is my me and my kids hat!

Check out their fun website!  Oh how fun!

3.  You know!  You know I love my OOFOS so when I saw they came out with a fancy "Chrome and Late" line, I had to have them!  These are a women’s only silhouette that is sleeker and more feminine than their unisex OOriginal thong.  This is just a sneak peek!  

Full review and GIVEAWAY coming soon!

4.  You know I am a Medi-Dyne ambassador right?  That means I get to give you awesome discounts for a lot of my favorite products.  It is no secret I love SportShield but this?  This is my new favorite Stink Free Sports Detergent!  You can sign up to get a free sample here.  You can also use code ASDM20 for 20% anything on the website!

This stuff really gets the stink out!  I have a few giveaways coming.  One for a gift card to the website and another for the StretchRite.

5.  Finally, I am so excited to tell you I have been asked back as a Spandits ambassador this year.  In honor of that, I designed their very first custom half and half skirt.  The front of the skirt is Aurora Borealis print and the back is Caribbean blue.  I love it!  Thinking about sporting it for the Rock n Roll 5K tomorrow!

You can use code SPANDITSLOVE for your first order to get 10% off.  You can design custom skirts and tights.  They are running a special on their dresses thru the end of the month at 20% off and you can stack codes.  #JustSayin And you can always check to see what they have in stock because those are always discounted.  Make sure to tell them Smitha sent you!

So those are the 5 things I am into this week!  Tell me something you found this week or are crushing on this week!  Wish me luck on my Remix challenge this weekend at Rock n Roll SD!

As always, I wish you Happy Feet,

SD Mom

#ThursdayTriumph - #AmericasFinestCity #RunMollyRun Jewelry Review & #GIVEAWAY

Disclaimer: I was sent a necklace from Run Molly Run jewelry for review and giveaway purposes.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are my own!

Welcome to Week 4 of the Thursday Triumph posts with me, Linzie and Carlee!  These are so much fun.  Did you read the intro post?  You can read it and get caught up HERE!  Please share your triumphs with us as we share ours with you!

Today is Thursday!  Guess what this weekend is?  Yup!  Rock n Roll San Diego.  And for the first time ever, there will be a 5K on Saturday and the Half / Full on Sunday.  If you do the 5K and the Half/Full, you get a special Remix medal!  

It is also the next stop on the #WeRunSocial train.  There are a TON of meet ups!  There is this one for Saturday.  

And this one for Sunday - post race!

Now why is this in the Triumph post?  Because one year ago, I would have NEVER considered running a 5K on Saturday and a Half marathon on Sunday.  Look how far I have come?!  And the other part of this TRIUMPH are the amazing friends I have made and the joy that running and runners have brought to my life.  You can read all about the We Run Social movement here.    

So now on to my giveaway.  It is no secret how much San Diego has come to mean to me in just 17 short years.  It is my home and my life.  So, when I partnered up with Run Molly Run jewelry for a review and giveaway, I chose the necklace that best captures my love for this awesome city!

I wear it ALL the time!

And...

And even in my pajamas!  (Yes, those are snowflakes.  Back off!)

Because I am.  I am a San Diego runner and the carefully crafted necklace captures it perfectly!  They have a ton of different options that pair up nicely with all the Rock n Roll races.   You can add a city charm with a run charm and add a distance or even a gemstone.  Like this San Diego package.  

The quality is amazing.  I wear the necklace with everything from suits to pajamas.  I am so happy with the workmanship.  Best part?  They are based in Portland so NO sales tax!  And shipping is free for US orders over $100!  But OF COURSE I have one to giveaway.  Choose one of these 4 charms on the chain of your choice!  1 lucky winner!

Contest runs 5/28/2015 to 6/3/15 at 11:59 P.M. PST

No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited. 1 winner will be selected via the Giveaway widget.  Open to Residents of the US 18 years of age or older.  Must have a non P.O. Box mailing address.  Winner must have a valid email address.  Winner will choose 1 of 4 charms.  Chain type will be specified.

Winner will be notified via email (if available) and/or blog post, and will have 24 hours to claim prize.  If original winner does not claim prize within 24 hours, an alternate winner(s) will be selected.
Contestants must enter on the Giveaway widget in order to win.
All winning entries will be verified. If a winning entry cannot be verified as completed, a new winner will be drawn.  Winner will be provided the prize directly from Run Molly Run.  Substitutions unlikely but may apply.  SD Mom not responsible for failure of Run Molly Run to deliver product.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you will all share your Triumph posts every week with us!  Use hashtag #ThursdayTriumph so we can find you on social media!  Use the link tool below.  For this week, there will be no rules and you can link up all your posts.  But going forward, here are the Rules:

1. Linzie, Carlee and I will start the LinkUp Post every Wednesday night by 11:59 EST. It will be hosted here, on SharpEndurance and on CarleeMcDot. You can link up your posts any day of the week but the most common day to do so is Thursday. The post can be about any TRIUMPH in your life! Each linkup will be open for one week only.

2. Entries that are not associated with a POST or just linked to your homepage will be deleted. 

3. Link back to Running with SD Mom, Sharp Endurance & Carlee McDot so others can add their link up and find others too! You can use the above graphic if you'd like! Use #ThursdayTriumph so we can find you.

4. MOST IMPORTANT: You MUST visit the person's blog who linked up directly before you and leave them a motivating comment and share their POST. This is the most important part of the linkup. We want lots of links and we want to help each other out. This is MANDATORY! 

5. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!  What is your favorite city?  Have you become a part of We Run Social yet?  Have you ever run a Rock n Roll race?  Did you check out Run Molly Run?  What is your favorite piece?  

As always, I wish you Happy Feet,
SD Mom

An InLinkz Link-up

Wednesday #GIVEAWAY Roundup - #WinAllThePrizes

Happy Wednesday that feels like a Tuesday!  Holiday Monday weeks always throw me off!  Hope you had a great weekend!  As with every Wednesday, Erica and I are bringing you the Wednesday GIVEAWAY Roundup!

Today is your LAST day to win this visor from Sofibella Wear!  You can enter to win here.

Also, in honor of May being Skin Cancer Awareness Month, I am partnering up with Blue Lizard Sunscreen to giveaway a prize pack as pictured below.  Enter to win here.

Make sure you come back here tomorrow for the #ThursdayTriumph post and link up with me, Carlee and Linzie.  And I also have a SUPER special GIVEAWAY in honor of Rock n Roll San Diego this weekend!  Celebrate my CITY!  Here is a hint!

So I hope you will link up your GIVEAWAYS with us.  If you need a refresher on the rules, you can check them out here.  And I hope you enter all of them and win all the ones except for the ones I want to win!  #kiddingnotkidding

Good Luck!  And as always, I wish you Happy Feet,
SD Mom

An InLinkz Link-up

#BlueLizard Sunscreen Review & #GIVEAWAY - Melanoma Awareness Month

Disclaimer: I received Blue Lizard sunscreen to review and giveaway.  But all opinions are my own.  I wasn't compensated in any other way.  This is serious!

I don't know how to start tactfully so I will just start with the fact that May is the start of summer in California but it is also, appropriately enough, Skin Cancer Awareness Month.  Skin CANCER.  Yes, the C word.  I hate that word and all that it stands for and everyone it has hurt.  

Source

Turns out, skin cancer is serious.  There are 3 common types of skin cancer and melanoma is the most deadly.  Melanoma kills an estimated 9,940 people in the US annually.  In March, SD Dad was diagnosed with melanoma on his arm.  It was found during a routine dermatology screen.  Thank goodness for the routine visits because it was found early and he had to have a pretty good size chunk removed from his arm.

My cousin's sister in law is a pretty awesome dermatologist who cares about ingredients, is a mom and cares about SD Dad.  She recommended Blue Lizard as the sunscreen we MUST use on ourselves and our kids.  The SDKidz are only half Indian so they need sunscreen all the time too!  So, before I even contacted Blue Lizard about working with them on a review, I was already using their products.  We have bottles of this stashed EVERYWHERE in our house, our cars, my purse and our gym bags.  SD Dad is an avid cyclist and I am a runner.  With the amount of time we spend outdoors, sunscreen is a MUST!

These are a few of the major reasons why Blue Lizard Sunscreen is recommended by dermatologists and moms everywhere:

·         Originally created in Australia, where sunscreen standards are the strictest in the world. Blue Lizard is now made in the U.S., in Johnson City, Tenn.
·         Pharmaceutical-grade sunscreen made by Crown Laboratories with the highest quality ingredients.
·         Ranked as one of the top sunscreens by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
·         Five sunscreen formulas available: Baby, Sensitive, Face, Sport & Regular – All are broad spectrum UVA/UVB coverage (SPF 30+…all the coverage you need!)
·         Baby & Sensitive are paraben-free, chemical-free and fragrance-free; Face is also oil-free and all formulations are mineral-based containing Zinc Oxide.
·         Sport & Regular are extremely water resistant. These formulas meet Australian standards of staying on in 240 minutes of whirlpool water.
·         Blue Lizard’s patented PBA-free Smart Bottle™ changes color from white to blue (or pink for Baby formula) when it is exposed to harmful UV rays reminding you to put on sunscreen.

So on Memorial Day, me and some of my Moms Run This Town mommas headed out for a hike.  It was very cloudy and misty and not a day you would expect UV rays.

It was perfect tough hike weather though!

I wanted to climb out on to the "Potato Chip" but I was scared!  So slippery!

But I did stop to take a picture of the sunscreen and you can see that even fresh out of my hydration pack, the lid is a little bluish!

Then, when I got home, I decided to take a picture of everything I am giving away.  A 3oz Face, 3oz Sensitive, 3oz Sport, 2 Baby sachets and a color-change bracelet in blue bag (not pictured). (ARV: $ 44.17)  But look...after being in the open for just a few minutes, the lids are blue.  On a cloudy day!  The bracelet you see and the lids you see are specially designed to change color when exposed to UV rays!  This was a HUGE eye opener for us!  Even on a cloudy day with no sun, there are UV rays looking to cause damage!  (You can read more about Blue Lizard here)

Blue Lizard has very generously agreed to sponsor a GIVEAWAY for you.  They have also given me a code to share with my readers: Use code P20SDMOM for 20% OFF orders over $35. (Expiration 8/31/15).  My family uses this sunscreen everyday.  This is a staple in our house which is why I reached out to them so I could share it with you!

Contest runs 5/26/2015 to 6/1/15 at 11:59 P.M. PST

No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited. 1 winner will be selected via the Giveaway widget.  Open to Residents of the US 18 years of age or older.  Must have a non P.O. Box mailing address.  Winner must have a valid email address.

Winner will notified via email (if available) and/or blog post, and will have 24 hours to claim prize.  If original winner does not claim prize within 24 hours, an alternate winner(s) will be selected.
Contestants must enter on the Giveaway widget in order to win.
All winning entries will be verified. If a winning entry cannot be verified as completed, a new winner will be drawn.  Winner will be provided the prize directly from Blue Lizard.  Substitutions unlikely but may apply.  SD Mom not responsible for failure of Blue Lizard to deliver product.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As always, I am linking up with Sara at Lakeshore Runner for Tried it Tuesday!

I am also linking up with Tuesdays on The Run with the awesome Patty from My No-Guilt Life, Erika from MCM Mama Runs and April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere.

So tell me, have you had any experience in your life with skin cancer?  How about someone you love?  Be honest, do you use sunscreen now?  I would use Blue lizard whether they sent me the sunscreen or not.  We are loyal forever fans in this house!

As always, I wish you Happy Feet,

SD Mom

#SanDiegoSunday - Restaurant Review: Arterra Del Mar #DiningOutSD

Disclaimer: I was provided with the complimentary opportunity to taste the new menu with my husband.  All opinions are mine and 100% real.

Most Sundays, I hope to bring you a local post. About something to see, do or eat in San Diego!  A travel guide, so to speak, to my awesome City! 

When Arterra Del Mar (not really in Del Mar - it is in Carmel Valley) reached out to me thru their PR firm to try their new summer menu, I was EXCITED!  I had been there years before for a 7 course tasting menu with wine pairing and I remember overall LOVING the food.  Sadly, I don't remember much of the rest of the night after the 3rd wine pairing.  EEEEEKKKK!!!!

So SD Dad and I gussied up and headed out to the Marriott on a Thursday night.  I was getting over a sinus infection and I was nervous about whether I would be able to taste anything. Pro Tip: Bring your parking ticket with you. Complimentary Validation.

We headed in!

My first and only complaint?  Dirty salt and pepper shakers!  Is it weird that I even notice and care about stuff like that?!

That said, everything else was awesome. From Ken our server to Tracy our maitre de!  Awesome!  Here is a sneak peek at the menu. 

When Chef Cruz came out to ask us if we would like to order from the menu or to place our dinner experience in his hands, it was a no brainer!  Chefs choice please!

Chef Cruz is our new favorite person by the way!  We of course started with drinks. SD Dad had the Red Trolley from Karl Strauss and I had a Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Cellars. 

The first dish and one of my favorites was the strawberry market salad with a variety of blue cheese, gem lettuces and a citrus vinaigerette.  So fresh and delicious!  Have you ever had a baby gem lettuce?  It makes all other lettuce leaves taste BLAH!

The standard bread rolls with poppy seed and sesame seeds. Yum!

Next up was the octopus with paprika chili oil with prawns and calamari. This was yummy. It had a paprika shallot topping. I would have liked a little more citrus or lemon flavor with this. The oil overwhelmed the dish but the octopus and shrimp were perfectly cooked!

We also tried the Korean Chicken wings with scallion, chili and soy.  They were delicious and a little spicy.  Had the Korean red pepper paste throughout.  

The next course was an amazing treat.  We got to try Louvar.  You can read more about it here but it was like a combination between halibut and scallops.  Buttery and delicate at the same time.  So YUMMY with a carrot puree and a truffled graviche.  It is a super rare fish.  Even Chef Cruz said he had eaten it only 3 times in his ENTIRE life!

See what I mean about the restaurant looking like a hotel restaurant?  Not really romantic but thank goodness for the food!

Next up was our meat course.  Potato cake cooked in duck fat, Rib eye cap with smoked mushrooms and bone marrow with a gremolata.  The meat was cooked to perfection and the marrow was delicious once I braved up and tried it.  My dear deceased grandfather loved marrow so I tried it in his honor!  Meaty and fatty and delicious!

The richest dish of the night was this spring pea agnolotti with an oxtail ragu.  It was my least favorite but only because I was so full by then and the food was so rich.  

I had to take a picture of inside the pasta for you.  Such a pretty color!

We had to have some decaf before dinner to cleanse our palates.

And then there was dessert!  A s'mores style pot de creme and a lemon cake with lemon curd sauce and blueberries.  That spoon you see had white chocolate powder on it and the crunchy things were hazelnut brittle.

At the end of the night, you would have had to roll me out!

So the important question is: Will I go back?  Umm...of course!  Because the wedge salad sounds terrific!  It has oven dried tomato, walnut, feta and a buttermilk herb dressing!  And also for the chocolate chip cookie skillet cake!  And for that strawberry salad.  And because Chef Cruz does magic with the Louvar.  I want to see what he would do with any other fish!  

OOOH and almost forgot!  They are rolling out an all new sushi and Bourbon menu for the summer!  Go check it out.  You will probably see me there as well...enjoying the food and innovation of Chef Cruz!  Check out their menu and website here.

As always, I wish you Happy Feet but this time, I also wish you Happy Bellies,

SD Mom

Friday Fascinations: 5 Reasons to Shop at a Local Running Store #GetMovinSD

Yes, the Friday Five official prompt for this week is Five Favorite Summer Fruits and Veggies but I couldn't.  At the same time, I still want to link up with the Friday Five gang: Mar, Courtney and Cynthia AKA the DC Trifecta!

I am also linking up with Nicole at FitFul Focus for Fit&Fashionable Friday!

And finally, I am also linking up with the fabulous Jill Conyers for Fitness Friday!

Okay, let's get right to it!  When Movin Shoes asked me to partner up with them to get the word out about their store, local programs and runs, I had no idea what a huge part of my running world they would become!  So because of my #GetMovinSD mission, I am inspired to bring you 5 reasons you should ALWAYS shop at your local running store rather than a multi state, multi city, mass produced store!

1.  STYLE!
Because I am me and because I firmly believe in the motto, "If you can't be the fastest, be the most stylish," this is my favorite thing about my local running store.  Movin Shoes ALWAYS has the cutest and brightest and latest styles from all my favorites.  For example, this cute outfit modeled by the awesome Jenny from Oiselle!

How cute is that orange Flyte tank you see in the background??  I always wanted to buy Oiselle but I wasn't sure about sizing.  Well, GREAT opportunity to try it out!  And what about these great tanks from Nike?

And they don't just have cute styles for women, they have all the latest gear for men too!  Like this whole outfit from New Balance.

Okay fine one more outfit!  This is New Balance for women.

So, you see why I would go to my local running store and get a HUGE selection of all the cute stuff!  Yes, I own that Runner's Republic tank.  And the Flyte tank in grey.  And I will be going back in for the orange Flyte.  

2.  SHOES!

This one may seem obvious.  But it isn't.  You go to a running shoe store to buy shoes.  But what about the person that sells you the shoes?  The good thing about stores like Movin Shoes is that the people that sell you the shoes also wear the shoes and run in the shoes in the SAME places you wear the shoes and run in the shoes.  They are local runners too!  So when you want to have your husband buy Hokas, you take him to your favorite running store and let the awesome runners there talk him into a pair too.

Or if you tell your favorite shoe guy that you want to hike Potato Chip Rock or run Daley Ranch, he knows what kind of trail shoes to put you in.  He KNOWS that trail!

He tries on the shoe for you, watches you run in them and then makes sure they are perfect!

He knows you love Hokas and are loyal and so tries to find you a pair of trail shoes that work for YOU and for your city and local trails.  (These are the new Challenger trail shoes by the way!)

3.  CHARITY!
When the store is local and they are committed to your community, they are more likely to GIVE to the community too.  When Movin Shoes agreed to partner up with me to raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County, I was THRILLED!  They were so generous with their time and money!  Because they care.  They care about their customers, friends and neighbors.

They raffled off items from the store and gift cards.  They arranged everything.  Why?  Because they are local!

4.  RUNNING FRIENDS!
Another reason I love the idea of a local running store is that you can make lots of running friends thru them.  You run as a group every Monday at 6 or Saturday at 8.  It becomes a family and everyone is local.  You get a sense of community pride in developing these relationships and traditions.

I would love to go to more of these but I know every one I HAVE been to has put a huge smile on my face.  This IS San Diego!

5.  WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME!
This is not an anonymous store.  You walk in and they know your favorite designer, your favorite shoe and your upcoming race.  They entertain your kid's 1 million questions about plantar fascitis.

They let your kids play with rollers while you are looking at shoes.

They become your running family!  They help motivate and keep you injury free.  They encourage and support with ideas for races and training.  After all, they are a all local runners too.  They have insight on the best time to head to the Pacific Crest Trail and what shoes to wear.

So there you have it!  5 reasons why your local running store is the place to develop a running relationship and family.  They care about their community.  If you are ever in San Diego, I highly recommend checking out Movin Shoes in Encinitas or Pacific Beach.  You will notice right away what I see when I walk in.  Runners who love running and want you to love running!

This post was sponsored by Movin Shoes but all opinions and words are strictly my own and come from a sincere place!

Do you have a local running store?  What do you love best about it?

As always, I wish you Happy Feet,
SD Mom