Two summers ago I was on a popsicle kick trying out new recipes every week but slacked off last summer. Well I've decided to pick it up again because it's such a refreshing low calorie treat. Have you noticed that strawberries lose some of their rich flavor after you put it in the fridge? I made these popsicles with the strawberries as soon as I brought them home from the grocery store. You also want to use freshly cut watermelon. The combination of the two flavors create a spectacular taste!

Ingredients
Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender. Taste to adjust sweetness.
2. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

Makes 6 popsicles


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Watermelon Kiwi Popsicles
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I read the New York Times bestseller book and couldn't wait to see the movie last weekend starring British actors Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones. The movie really did the book justice! A few spoilers here if you read the book, otherwise it won't matter. Will's sister isn't in the movie but she wasn't missed. Will's father isn't seen having an affair. At the racetrack you don't see Will being kidnapped by a bunch of drunk men for fun. lol Oddly enough they don't say where their vacation is to, it's an unnamed country. It's not mentioned in the movie that Louisa's grandfather is housebound which is another reason she's stuck there. You might recognize that actor as Bates from Downton Abbey. Louisa's boyfriend Patrick was Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter.

While reading the book I truly got invested in the characters and learned some touching, heartbreaking lessons. I finished the book in 3 days because I couldn't put it down. This was one of those books that I wish could wipe from mind so I could have the pleasure of reading it again for the first time. 

The book takes place in the British countryside with Lou, a small town girl caught between dead-end jobs and Will, a high-profile, successful man who becomes wheelchair bound following an accident. Will has decided his life is not worth living until Lou is hired for six months to be his new caretaker. They are two people who wouldn't have met and who didn't like each other at first. But Lou was determined to prove to Will that life is worth living as they embark on a series of adventures together while Will shows Lou that her life is too boring and encourages her to chase her ambitions and not settle. Neither of them realize how much they are going to change the other. The writing was amazing, the characters are real and the emotions the book makes you go through are incredibly moving. Here's my favorite quote from the book:





After You (Me Before You #2) 
Last year the author released the sequel to the book. If you loved the first book like I did, you wanted to know what happened to Lou afterward. Unfortunately, I have to say I didn't like it as much as the first book, isn't that what usually happens with sequels? But definitely check out the movie Me Before You. I took my mom to see the movie and afterwards she said she couldn't stop thinking about it. Here's an article from the author explaining the differences from the book and the movie.

Have you seen the movie? Did you like it?

I love making lists from to-do lists, seasonal bucket lists, vacation bucket lists, blogging goals, style goals and grocery lists.  You can see my previous summer bucket lists here and here. At the beginning of the year, I posted my list of goals which included some fitness goals. This summer I decided to do something a bit different and create a fitness bucket list to help keep me motivated and to create a sense of accomplishment when I’ve achieved them. I’ve set up a few new challenges this season to mix things up for my body. The first half of this year I pretty much had the same routine rotating between Orangetheory with at-home fitness dvds, but at least no two classes at Orangetheory are the same.

This summer I signed up for Dancetrance 3x a week which is so much fun! See I used to do Zumba, but didn’t always like or know many of the songs. Dancetrance is a cardio dance class set to popular pop and rap songs. As an avid Dancing with the Stars watcher, I think it’s fun to learn all these dance moves and feel like a backup dancer in a Beyonce video!  I’m adding some barre classes to the mix as well. My company offers on-site yoga classes so I'm doing that once a week as well. On the weekends, I have some hikes and bike rides planned. I bought an exercise ball and have set a goal to do crunches on it daily.  Just getting it out the box and pumping it full of air was the hardest part. lol

I also want to exercise my feet since I’m always having off and on foot pain. I heard that just walking barefoot on the beach is one of the best exercises you can do for your feet to strengthen them. I also made an appointment for a foot massage/reflexology and acupressure. I've been getting facials every other month but neglecting my feet.

Since I know weight loss is 80% diet I’ve made a commitment to drinking the Glowing Green Smoothie every day this summer as a snack. I’ve got a few recipe variations so it won’t always be the same. I really like the GGS because I make it in batches of 3 and it stays fresh in my fridge over those days. I’m making an effort to eat salad for dinner and this week I’m doing one of my favorite arugula salad recipes. I plan on making my own salad dressing soon using this Cilantro Lime Dressing. I bought a water infusion bottle and have started brewing fruit infused water. I started making popsicles again, here's a list of my favorite recipes. This week I'm eating my Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats.

I’m also exercising my brain as I signed up for Toastmasters.  It's an organization that has been around 90 years and in 135 countries around the world that helps you develop public speaking and leadership skills through bi-weekly practice at their meetings.  I thought it would be a great way to boost my communication skills, meet new people and gain more confidence.

Do you have a fitness bucket list? Have you done Toastmasters?

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