Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving internets! Today we will be spending time with lots of family and friends after just getting back from a vacation to California where we got to see lots of family as well. I am super excited for some fantastic food eating today, and of course, seeing all those people that we only get to see at special times of the year.

This year I am extremely thankful for wonderful family, great friends, and this little blog. Funny how writing about fitness can make a person so happy, but somehow, it does.

While we were in California I came to two realizations 1) we must move to California and 2) my cousins are some of my closest friends. I am so very thankful to have friends and family who get my goof ball personality and go along with it. Having great relationships is something I have been working a bit harder on this year. Let's face it, relationships can be difficult and finding people who get you can be a crafty game. I am so crazy thankful for all the amazing people that have chosen to be part of my life. Especially the hubs.

Our anniversary falls right before Thanksgiving, which works out pretty great- we get two reminders of why to be thankful for each other twice in one month! Plus, travel is something we both love to do, so we make sure to get away for a few days every anniversary. Yes, a pre-holiday trip is the best  thing ever and I completely recommend it. That trip is another thing I am incredibly thankful for. It was fantastic! Hopefully, I will be able to get some of the pics from the hubs in the next few days and share them all with you. Yippee!

Pre-Thanksgiving Workouts

Tomorrow will be Thanksgiving which means lots of family, fun, and eating. Yes, we are one day away from the time of year when glutony is not only accepted, it is encouraged. To help keep you (and me) on our fitness goals, I have found three great workouts that are all ten minutes or less. Working out within 30-minutes of beginning the feast will kickstart our metabolism and and reduce calorie retention. Even something as little as 100 quats in the bathroom can make a big difference to weight retention when eating.

Depending on the amount of free-time you have, these workouts could be done together, or seperately. Whichever way you do it, you can rest easy knowing that you worked out on a day when most people take off. That, my friends, it something to be pretty darn thankful about!

For the Bum

This is super short and oh-so great for the bum! You also need no equipment and very little room.

For the Abs

We all need some ab exercises to help with all that extra yummy goodness that will be going there tomorrow! This one is 10-minutes of sweat that just might leave you feeling it tomorrow!

For the Arms

This is conditioning for all those forks full of food we will be lifting to our mouths tomorrow. Also, I'm a bit excited about Thanksgiving and those noms that come with it!

Great Holiday Cards from Etsy

Last year the hubs and I hired a photographer and took plenty of holiday pictures to last the whole year long. Even though we are young(ish) and child free, we thought it was a great thing to do since we had never sent out pictures of our home, had a new home party, and we had gotten two new cats that many people had not yet seen. So, we sent out the cutest holiday card ever made in the history of existence. Two words, kitten tie. Boom.

Since there is no topping last year's epic cuteness of a card, we decided to go the more traditional and less expensive route of finding adorable semi pre made holiday cards. Enter Etsy. This may sound odd, but the hubs is the one who got me started on Etsy for cards. Every card he gets for me is unique, adorable, and perfectly fitted for me... All of them are from Etsy.

Here are the ten cutest holiday cards that I have yet found on Etsy, all for $2.50 or less each! Hehehe, there is also one that I could never send out but is, hands down, my favorite... Can you guess it?

Meat Free Mondays: Vegetarian Thankgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year but it can also be one of the hardest for a vegetarian. Food comes by the tons over Thanksgiving, but very little of it is meat-free. That is where some tasty meat-free dishes that will please everyone come in quite handy! These yummy dishes are sure to be great sides, and one or two have been known to steal the spotlight all together. Sorry gravy, maybe next time.

Brussel Leaf and Baby Spinach Saute

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Love for Brussel Sprouts, check. Love for spinach, check. Love for yummy things that are also health, big check. This Brussel and Spinach Saute not only sounds amazing, it looks absolutely incredible as well. The green color of the, well, greens, mixed with the light brown almonds makes me want to jump into my laptop and eat it all right now. Must Thanksgiving be two days away?

Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Quinoa and Chickpeas

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This one seems to be a bit more work that your usual quinoa or potato side, but it also looks to be more than worth it... Really, this guy is worth the work for the pictures of your beautiful table alone. The fact that it is a healthy and vegetarian friendly option just makes it all the better.

Cranberry Sauce

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Who says cranberry sauce is for the turkey alone? This lady has made a cranberry sauce that can be eaten as a side dish on it's own. This stuff is filled with fresh ginger, frozen cranberries, and cloves. Yes, yes, and yes!

Roasted Squash Toss

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Mmm, nothing says fall like acorn squash and Thankgiving. Combine these to fall staples with this incredible looking acorn squash and veggie medley. Sure, it looks great, but really, all I want to do is eat it!