Lynds in Real Life

A Lifestyle Blog

Archie Events Races

Run for a Rescue with the Doggy Dashers Virtual Run/Walk + Promo Code

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If you follow me on social media, you’ll know how much I love my dog Archie. He’s pretty much my favorite thing in the world. If I have a chance to help him and his furry, four-legged friends, you best bet I’m going to!

Archie, my boyfriend, and I ran The Puppy Run 5k/10k a few months back, and Archie LOVED it! He loves running more than he loves toys, and he super loves toys. The Puppy Run was such a success that Gametiime decided to host the Doggy Dashers Virtual Run (Nov. 6-9) benefiting the Northwest Boxer Rescue (NWBR). NWBR’s mission is, “Every boxer deserves to live a happy life in a loving home.” Archie isn’t a boxer (he’s a toy poodle), but dogs are dogs, and we love them all!

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Not only do you get to spend quality time with your pup, family, and/or kids, but you get to help doggies in need. Plus you get awesome swag! Check it out:

Doggy Dashers Swag

 

Awesome, right?!

Let’s make it even more awesome with a discount code for 10% off your registration. Go to doggydashers.eventbrite.com and the code (lyndsay10) will already be applied! This discount is good for adult and kids registration. Registration is open from 8/25/15 to 10/9/15 or until they sell out.

Get 10% off the @doggydashers virtual run w/ code lyndsay10! http://bit.ly/1M5zlt1 #doggydashers #nwbr #rescue #race

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To register your dog, start the registration process for yourself. When you get to the page where you enter your personal details (name, address, date of birth, etc), scroll all the way down to the bottom. There, you’ll see options for adding a dog registration(s). Click to add one or more to your cart before checking out.

*If you already finished registering, but forgot to add your kid and/or dog to your registration, send an email to info@doggydashers.com and they’ll help you out.

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With registration you get:

  • Quality time with your pup
  • Family-friendly fun
  • The option to join or create a team
    • To register as a team, just select “create a team” when you register at doggydashers.com. It takes 2 minutes.
    • You can even set up this up before you register, so you can tell others to join it before you do.
  • Awesome swag
    • adults receive a super-soft custom shirt, bib, finisher’s medal, and sticker
    • kids receive a drawstring bag, folder frisbee, bib, finisher’ medal, and sticker
    • dogs receive a custom bandana, collapsible water bowl, and a doggy treat
  • Benefit animals in need (NWBR has foster homes in WA, OR, ID, MO, and CA)

I’ll definitely be running the 5k with Arch and my boyfriend; be on the lookout for us!

Puppy Run Family Photo

Follow Doggy Dashers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more info and updates!

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Lifestyle Nutrition SoCal

Giving Back Has Never Been So ‘Fresh and Easy’

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When I first moved to Pasadena, California, Fresh and Easy (F&E) became my all-time favorite grocery store. Healthy foods at great prices; what more could someone ask for? Now that I live in West Los Angeles, it’s a bit more of a drive, but completely worth it!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received monetary compensation in exchange for promoting Fresh and Easy’s giving back bags. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Fresh and Easy Giving Back Bag 3

 

The F&E Express in West LA

Fresh and Easy prides themselves on having healthier options (all F&E foods are free of high-fructose corn syrup, added trans fats, artificial colors or flavors) for less cost. They’re able to offer their foods at low-cost because all their stores are designed to save money! All stores use LED lighting and energy-efficient refrigerator doors. Plus their checkouts are all self-checkout, which means they save money by only hiring a few workers to help customers. It’s perfect because the shopper gets great products at great prices, plus there are just enough associates to help the customers!

My favorite thing about F&E is their prepared meals. I’ll admit cooking is not one of my hobbies. Between measuring the ingredients and the amount of time it generally takes, I am all for meals that just need heated up in the oven or microwave! F&E offers tons of options in the prepared-meal department; from Asian, to American, to Mexican, they pretty much cover it all!

Fresh and Easy Giving Back Bag 4

 

A few of the prepared meals at F&E

This holiday season, Fresh and Easy is giving back through their Giving Back Bag program. Here are the details:

  • Purchase a Giving Back Bag at any F&E for $10
  • Every bag contains 13 essential, non-perishable food items, such as cereal bars, canned tuna and canned green beans.
  • You can either leave the bag at F&E for them to donate to a local food bank, or you can take it with you and donate the bag to a charity of your choice!
  • The program runs from 11/5-12/25 (2014).

Fresh and Easy Giving Back Bag 2 Fresh and Easy Giving Back Bag 1

 

In the F&E Express

It is that simple! Giving back has never been so easy. F&E does all the work for you, and you get to help people-in-need this holiday season!

Fresh and Easy Giving Back Bag Details

In addition to my love for F&E, I love donating to people who need it. I’ve been donating my clothes to a community that’s less-fortunate for as long as I can remember. So of course I needed to head to my nearest F&E store and purchase a Giving Back Bag!

Fresh and Easy Giving Back Bag 5

I went to the F&E Express in West LA. The express store has fewer items, but it still has everything I need! They even have organic dog treats and food, which is perfect for my puppy Archie. They had a great deal on coconut water (which is my favorite drink ever), but I settled for coconut flavored water because I wanted to try something new!

Fresh and Easy Giving Back Bag Dog Food   Fresh and Easy Coconut Flavored Water

The Giving Back Bags were at the self-checkouts, and were already packed with goodies. F&E truly made it as easy as possible for people to donate. So we purchased our dinner (prepared fried chicken and garlic bread- SO good!), coconut flavored water, and a Giving Back Bag! All for under $25.

 

If you live near a F&E store, I definitely recommend getting some (if not all) of your groceries there, and purchase a Giving Back Bag (or two!) to donate to a local food bank! It truly is a fresh and easy way to give back. You can find store locations on their website here.

You can find Fresh and Easy on their website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!

Share your photos of your Giving Back Bag on social media by tagging @freshandeasy!

 

So tell me,  

  • Do you shop at Fresh and Easy? If so, what is your favorite F&E product?

  • Would you purchase a Giving Back Bag? Who would you donate it to?

Thank you for reading my blog! If you want to receive new posts by email, subscribe here:

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XO

Lyndsay

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Nutrition Reviews

Superfoods Made Simple With Skoop Nutrition + Discount Code

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The past few months have been so crazy busy, it’s been challenging keeping up with my social media life. From being sick, to BlogFest, to being sick again, to babysitting, and now my new puppy, it’s been nonstop. Don’t get me wrong, I love being busy! It can be stressful, but it actually helps to keep me stable and happy. During this time, my nutrition was put on the backburner. I didn’t completely fall by the wayside, but it’s harder to eat healthy when I am always on-the-go.

Lucky for me, I was contacted by Skoop to try out their products and provide my honest feedback. Full disclosure, I received a free sample of B-Strong and B-Lovely, plus a full-size of A-Game. No monetary compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Healthy Skoop Superfood Logo

What Is Skoop?

“Skoop is a line of powdered, whole-food sourced super nutrition. We created Skoop to be a real solution to our national nutrition problem. For everyone. Not just those who can afford a personal nutritionist or have ready access to organic farm land. We needed to make it simple to use, quick to prepare, and affordable, too. Thanks to plant-based phytonutrients, we found our solution. Skoop blends are all whole-foods derived and full of the nutrients missing from our standard diet” (website).

Skoop Nutrients Absorb

They have three amazing products! B-Strong, B-Lovely, and A-Game.

  • B-Strong, is a plant-based protein powder that promotes a three-stage process for manufacturing strong, lean muscles and all-over health. It’s designed to help your body absorb nutrients, build muscle and recover quickly. Unlike most protein powders, B-Strong also contains prebiotics that promote a happy belly, as well as amino acids such as essentials, non-essentials and BCAAs, and even Mediterranean fruits. It’s gluten, dairy and soy free, and it contains pea and brown rice protein.
    The fatty acids aid hormone function, healthy skin and cellular repair, but they also help the gut absorb macro and phytonutrients throughout your day. The BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) keep your muscles strong and happy throughout your daily activity or workout, so that you recover quickly and efficiently.
  • A-Game, a superfood formula, which is loaded with 41 organic and non-GMO ingredients, probiotics, adaptogens, and antioxidants.
  • B-Lovely, a beauty blend, that fights oxidative stress in the skin and promotes healthy cellular development.

Skoop A-Game Superfood Skoop Superfood A-Game Skoop Superfood Blender Bottle

They can be mixed with almond milk, coconut milk, water, in a smoothie, or however you want!

I really enjoyed all three products! A-Game is perfect for making sure I get my nutrition in the morning (I mix it with almond milk). I’ll admit the taste takes some getting used to, especially because I am not generally a plant-based type of person. The great feeling I have after drinking my A-Game is well worth dealing with the taste. I will say, though, that it’s much better than other superfood powders I’ve had! B-Strong was really good, and great as a post-workout. I love that it contains prebiotics and is safe for most people with food allergies/restrictions! As a woman in her late (gasp) 20s, B-Lovely is a saving grace! I definitely need to fight oxidative stress for better skin.

Each purchase also comes with a “life instruction manual”. It’s pretty awesome!

Skoop Instruction Manual Skoop Protein Superfoods Directions

Buy One, Give One

“We partnered with The Chef Ann Foundation, a non-profit that provides real, fresh fruits and veggies to public school lunch programs all over the country – programs that currently need to classify french fries, tomato sauce, and ketchup as vegetables in order to meet FDA standards. For every serving of Skoop sold, we donate one serving of free, fresh fruits and veggies to a school lunch program. You buy a serving, you give a serving” (website).

Skoop Buy One Give One

 

Discount Code:

You can use code BALANCE10 for 10% off your order at healthyskoop.com!

 

Interested in trying out Skoop for yourself? You can purchase it online here, or become a seller here!

You can find Skoop on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

  • Have you tried Skoop products?
  • Do you follow a plant-based diet?

Thank you for reading my blog! And thank you Skoop for allowing me to sample your products!

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XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Fashion Fitness Reviews

Chase Infinite Inspirational Fitness Tanks + A Discount Code

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I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and came across an account that really stood out to me: Chase Infinite. Chase Infinite is a fitness apparel company that makes inspirational workout shirts for women and men. Women’s tops are tanks, and men’s tops are tee shirts. We all need a little inspiration during our workouts, right?!

Their website gives a description of who they are:

“We believe in people. Tall people, short people, women, men – everyone. We believe all people can change their lives for the better each and every day. We believe in chasing dreams… but we believe more in catching dreams and living them. We believe in underdogs, long shots and last hopes. We believe in the extra mile, the last rep and digging deep. We believe in following your heart, sweating like crazy and pushing yourself past your limits. We believe in honesty, commitment, dedication and loyalty. We believe the most important step is the first one. We believe in motivation. We believe in hard work. We believe in setting goals, achieving them and then setting new ones. We believe you should chase the good things…and that the chase never ends.”

Chase Infinite Workout Tanks 1  Chase Infinite Workout Tanks 2

(Images Courtesy of Chase Infinite)

I had a really hard time choosing which tank I wanted to get, because they are all SO awesome! I decided to go with the SWEAT: She Will Endure All Things tank. I love the colors and the saying. I feel I made the right choice!

Chase Infinite SWEAT Workout Tank 3   Chase Infinite SWEAT Workout Tank 2

It was a a little challenging trying to get a good selfie, but hopefully this gives you an idea! Here’s an image sent to me by Chase Infinite showing off the SWEAT tank a little bit better:

Chase Infinite SWEAT Workout Tank 4 This chick definitely rocks this tank!

The tank is super comfortable, and fits really well! I have a hard time finding tops that fit comfortably because I am a triple D cup (it’s not pleasant haha), but I was able to wear this tank while working out and also while sleeping! It’s THAT comfortable.

Another awesome thing about Chase Infinite:

“Chase Infinite believes it’s about more than just motivating athletes and our company can help change lives. You’ll notice each of our shirts is connected to a charitable organization working to improve lives and the world. We’ll donate a $1 from each shirt sold to a relevant charity. We’re currently working with the American Heart Association, Freedom Is Not Free and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and hope to grow this list. Chase Infinite is about more than shirts and motivation – it’s about making people’s lives healthier, better and more fulfilling.”

Isn’t that absolutely amazing?! It’s one thing to make great fitness apparel, but it’s another to donate proceeds to charity. I am all about companies that give back.

Chase Infinite is obviously super giving, and they have offered all my followers a discount code to use!! You can head over to chaseinfinite.com and use promo code STRENGTH to get a tank for $20 + free shipping!! Each tank is regularly $26, so you’re saving $6 plus the shipping cost. Amazing, right?!

 

Don’t forget to follow and tag Chase Infinite on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Tell them Lyndsay from The Balanced Brunette sent you!

You can check out my Instagram too, where you’ll see my picture of my SWEAT tank + the hand-written note Christopher from Chase Infinite sent me (always chase your “dreams” relentlessly… and strive to be awesome in all that you do). Seriously LOVE this company!!

Chase Infinite SWEAT Workout Tank 1

  •  Have you ever heard of Chase Infinite? Do you own any of their apparel?
  • Is it important to you to buy from companies who give back to the community?

XO,

Lyndsay

Disclosure: I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review. I received a 30% discount on a tank from Chase Infinite, along with a discount code for my followers, in exchange for an honest review on my blog. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you Chase Infinite for the opportunity!