In a word, YES! Yes, yes, and YES!

The fabulous folks at Earth Cafe generously sent me five flavors of their gluten free, raw, vegan cheesecakes to try* and they was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! The best cheesecake that I've ever had!

Traditional cheesecake is LOADED with calories and fat and is one of the most unhealthy things that you can eat. Just thinking about it makes my stomach hurt.

The Earth Cafe cheesecake, though, is hand made with natural ingredients like cashews, dates, and coconut and tastes amazing!

"Who's your Daddy?"

Strawberry Fields Forever

Cali Style Lemon

These cheesecakes get a big "thumbs up" from me!


(*I received free samples to try but did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.)

Until recently we were going through a lot of plastic drinking straws at our house. My four-year-old is going through an "I-can't-possibly-drink-this-withought-a-straw" phase, so we bought a bag of cheap and brightly colored straws to help keep the boy hydrated until this blows over.

I had seen other bloggers mention their reusable straws and I was intrigued. I don't like using plastic or the idea of disposable things, so I decided to give these stainless steel straws a try.

I recently learned that Gatorade has a new Natural product that no longer contains HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) or artificial colors. I'm so happy about this! I use sports drinks on occasion- usually on heavy training days, during races, or when I'm training in extreme heat.

The generous folks at the Gatorade company sent me a couple of samples of the new Gatorade Natural products to try and I like them! The flavor is good (the low calorie version is a little too sweet for me so I preferred the regular) and they don't give me the bloated feeling that I can sometimes get when I eat or drink things that contain HFCS.

What I especially like about Gatorade is the massive amount of research done by their Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). These people know hydration!

Right now Gatorade Natural is only available at Whole Foods Markets in select cities (see the website for locations). If you can get your hands on some, give it a try!

(Image from Gatorade.com)

I am not the type to put on makeup just to check the mail, however, I do enjoy my fair share of girly-girliness on occasion. I don't spend a fortune on any single product unless I'm totally and utterly in love with it. Usually, I seek out simple and natural products and steer clear of anything with a paragraph of unpronounceable ingredients. I am always on the hunt for simple and effective things, so I wanted to share this one with you!

I have been using Dr. Bronner's bar soap and liquid castile soap for a long time and I think they are fantastic. They clean well (for more than just skin!), are made of non-toxic ingredients, and are very affordable. Recently I discovered a new Dr. Bronner's product that I'm now totally in love with- the shaving gel. Seriously people, my legs have never been this smooth! This product can be used by men or women.

Whew, is it Friday yet? This has been a bit of a crazy week for me, although I'm not sure exactly why. I guess I just have more loose ends to keep track of than usual. Also I had another tough workout at tri training on Tuesday night (I love those!) and came home tired, hungry, and in big-time need of a shower.

Once I filled my tummy and took a shower, I remembered that I had a few lotion samples from Bodhichitta Botanicals that I picked up at a Whole Foods Market local vender fair over the weekend. These lotions are cruelty free and don't contain any icky, un-pronounceable ingredients (strict vegans: some products do contain beeswax). I decided to try the "Sacred Temple" fragrance first and, while the "Nurture the Goddess" is my favorite, "Sacred Temple" is a-m-a-z-i-n-g (so are the other scents)! "Sacred Temple" smells mostly like cardamom and I found it to be super moisturizing but not greasy. The comforting fragrance was the perfect accompaniment to my pajamas and a cup of tea.