Color Me Rad 5K - Los Angeles {Giveaway!}

I've always wanted to do a color run. 

One where you start with perfectly white clothes and end looking like a pack of exploded gushers (anyone else remember loving those as a kid?).

One where you don't see anyone who doesn't have a huge smile plastered on their face having the time of their life. 

Color Me Rad is just that kind of race - it takes something that's already fun and turns it into something even more. It's a "tsunami of color that'll make colored tears of joy run down your cheeks and will renew your will to live". Basically, the 5K is a food fight without the food and lots of color instead. And we all know I love crazy colors! 

{I've always wanted to get a photo like that. Except that I miiiight just fall on my face if I tried. One day, I will master the heel click. One day.}

Check out what they have to say about the race:

"After a 5K of color bombardment, we guarantee your outlook will be brighter, your boyfriend will be more affectionate, your girlfriend will be less needy, the hair on your head will grow back and the hair on your back will fall out, your black and white TV will turn into 720p HD (I know you were hoping for 1080, but we organize races, we're not miracle workers), and your gray outlook will turn green like a spring morning."

These guys are hilarious, and it makes me love them even more! 

When the folks over at Color Me Rad contacted me about the Color Me Rad 5K in Los Angeles on June 22, I was STOKED. I couldn't wait to sign up for the race (and color party that ensues afterwards)! It looks like so much fun, and doing a race like this is something that's definitely on my fitness bucket list. Not to mention that a portion of the race proceeds goes to support Special Olympics of Southern California. 

Unfortunately for me, the race is just a week after I finish finals I move back up to NorCal for the summer. But lucky for you, that means that I have two entries to the race to giveaway to you guys! The race is on June 22 at the Home Depot Center, and it starts at 9am. When you enter, you're entering to win both entries - one for you, and one for a friend to bring along for the fun!
Enter the giveaway below:  
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Winners!

Thank you to everyone who entered my one-year giveaway! I love you guys so much, and wish I could send you all boxes of yummy snacks!! Here are the two winners: 

Congrats, Carly and Kimberley! Email me at juliannabananna@gmail.com with your info and I'll get your boxes sent out asap!

On another note, exactly 1 week until I graduate high school!! I am unbelievably excited!!! :) This next week is going to be packed full of fun, hanging out with friends, and soaking up this {hot} summer sun! I also still need to find a dress for baccalaureate (which is tomorrow- eek! hope i find a dress today!) and the graduation ceremony itself.

Any suggestions for cute, semi-formal, inexpensive dresses? I'm planning on hitting up Forever 21 and a couple of other places today. Fingers crossed!

Have an amazing rest of your weekend everyone!

Julianna Bananna Turns One! {GIVEAWAY!}

as I mentioned in my previous post, Julianna Bananna turned one this past Tuesday! I feel so lucky to have discovered the amazing blogging community, and I know my senior year of high school would have been SO different had I not started this blog. one of the fun perks, too, is that I basically have my entire year documented on the blog, which will be so much fun to look back at in the future!

anyway, as my way of saying THANK YOU for continuing to read my posts (despite my putting sprinkles on everything, posting way too many pictures of my kitties, and being crazy in general!), for commenting, tweeting, liking my Facebook page, and for being YOU, I put together a little giveaway to celebrate! I love you guys so much!

there will be TWO lucky winners!!

each box includes:

• 2 packets of my favorite TJ's trail mix (almonds, cashews, and cranberries)
• 2 mini Luna bars
• 1 oatmeal cookie Zbar
• 1 big Luna or Clif bar 
• 1 packet of Justin's nut butter
• 2 homemade peanut butter cookies from yours truly
• 1 bar of dark chocolate
• 1 bag of pop chips

how to enter:

• MANDATORY: leave a comment on this post telling me what you like about my posts or what you would like to see more of in the future! 
• optional extra entry: like my Facebook page and leave a comment telling me you did so

the giveaway closes Saturday, June 9 at 12pm PST. good luck!

Giveaway Winner! [My Saturday Five.]

hello everyone! i hope you're having an amazing weekend so far. mine has been off to a pretty good start!

i am loving writing these weekend countdown posts - here we go!

5 Things That Are Making Me Smile 

1. Getting my first college acceptance from a school here in California - UC Irvine!

2. My mom surprising me with a little "Congratulations" package for getting into UCI. She got me flowers, TJ's apple butter, TJ's dark chocolate sea salt covered almonds (go get these now. i mean it.), and a tangerine Hansen's soda. I love my mom!!

the flowers are gorgeous!!!

3. Getting home from a super sweaty workout at the gym (the stairclimber never fails to challenge me!) and finding Ginnie Mae sleeping on the table. She is such a prima donna! but it's impossible to ignore her cute little face so i let her stay there for a little bit ;)

gimme a belly rub!

4. Stopping at the grocery store on the way home from the gym and getting both pink lady and honey crisp apples to try! 

The rest of the loot: 

• 2 vanilla chobani
• 2 packages 2% shredded cheese and 1 block 2% sharp cheddar
• 2 bags romaine lettuce
• 1 jar peanut butter
• 1 box Special K Protein Plus Cereal
• 1 Cashew Cookie Larabar
• 1 lemon-lime powerade zero as a post-workout treat!

5. Not having to work either Saturday or Sunday this weekend. it's been long time since i've had both of those days off! 

4 Favorite Pins of the Week

(sources one, two, three, and four)

3 Current Favorite Meals/Snacks

• a egg, cheese, and raspberry jam sandwich. OH MY GOSH. how did it take me so long to try this????? if you have not tried the egg/cheese/jam combo go make it now!! 

 this. was phenomenal. 

• plain greek yogurt with TJ's honey apple butter

• huge salads with turkey, cheese, and hummus

2 Favorite Posts This Week

• My Tips On Getting Your Butt Out the Door (to workout!)
• The Latest (recipes i've tried, eats, workouts, and outfits)

1 Giveaway Winner! 
Thank you to everyone that entered my Thank You Giveaway - you all mean the world to me :) 
Annd the winner is: Lily at Eating For Excellence - congrats! email me at julianna.m.foster@gmail.com with your info so I can get the goodies sent out to you asap! 

what have you been loving this week? 
favorite current meal?

My Thank You GIVEAWAY!

i still can't believe that a little under a year ago i started this blog. just for fun, for ME, for my love of nutrition and fitness. and i can't believe that i've discovered so many other wonderful bloggers, tried out a ton of new recipes, challenged myself physically WAY beyond what i expected, gotten involved in social media (twitter, my NEW Facebook page, Pinterest), and spent hours and hours making this little bloggie into what it's become.

so i decided to do a little thank YOU giveaway to all my readers and the amazing people that i've met in the blog world. all of your comments and tweets seriously make my day, every day.

and lemme tell ya, i'm super excited about this giveaway. why? i filled a box full of goodies that i love, right out of my own pocket.

here's what's included in this package of foodie heaven:

• 3 Clif bars: chocolate chip, crunchy peanut butter, and chocolate chip peanut crunch
• 1 Caramel Nut Brownie LUNA Bar
• 1 Peanut Butter Cookie Larabar
• 2 Nature's Path Chewy Pumpkin Spice Bars
• 1 bag Barbara's Snackimals Chocolate Chip cookies
• 2 packets Justin's Nut Butter: 1 Chocolate Almond Butter, 1 Chocolate Peanut Butter
• 1 packet Barney Butter
• 1 bag of my favorite trail mix: raw cashews, raw almonds, dried cranberries
• 1 bar Lindt Sea Salt Dark Chocolate
• 1 packet Trutein vanilla protein powder
• 1 bag freeze-dried apple slices (love these!)
• 1 bag Nature's Path Millet Puffs

there are 4 ways to enter this giveaway:

• MANDATORY: leave a comment on this post telling me something you're thankful for today! 

Optional:

• Like my NEW Facebook page and leave a comment telling me you did so
• Tweet something like: "@JuliBananna is having a Thank You GIVEAWAY full of lots of goodies! http://goo.gl/fb/VzfSL" and leave a comment telling me that you tweeted
• Add me to your blogroll and leave a comment telling me that you did so

The giveaway will close on Saturday, February 4th at 3pm PST.

Good Luck! 

xoxo,

Julianna

Giveaway Winners!

These three won my Duncan Hines Giveaway (thanks to Foodbuzz!)

• Tara at XC Foodie
• Liz at A Tablespoon of Liz
• Alexandra at Lift Weights. Savor Food. Love Life. 

Congrats you guys! Email me your addresses and I will put your two coupons for free Duncan Hines products in the mail asap :)

In other news I've really been enjoying my return to the gym. After 18 weeks of running 6 days a week I got pretty burnt out - I have only run one short mile since the cross country season ended a little over a week ago.
I am really excited to be back lifting weights and incorporating more strength training into my routine since I haven't had time to hit the weights since last August.

can't wait to get these babies back! :D

November 27th - December 4th 2011
Sun Nov. 27:  BodyPump + 10 mins elliptical
Mon Nov. 28: spinning class
Tues Nov. 29: 20 min elliptical, 10 min stairclimber, 1 mi quick run (7:30 pace), 20 min weight machines
Wed Nov. 30: BodyCombat + CXWorx (both classes were 30 mins)
Thurs Dec. 1: BodyPump + 10 min elliptical
Fri Dec. 2: BodyCombat + 20 min elliptical
Sat Dec. 3: Day off
Sun Dec. 4: BodyPump, 40 min spin class, Zumba (<-- not the greatest workout but the most fun class ever!!!)

I am really proud of last week and how balanced everything was. I think that for my first week back at the gym, that 3 full-body strength classes, an ab class, two combat classes, and two spin classes is pretty freakin awesome! Not to mention the fact that I got up early 4 times to go to the gym.

5am wake-up calls on a school day are pretty rough but being on an endorphin high for most of the day is pretty great. There's something super satisfying about walking out of the gym being done with a workout when everyone else is still sleeping.

This weekend I had 3 shifts at work (aka a lot) but I also squeezed in a trip to the mall with my mom. I finally got my ears pierced after seventeen years of no piercings! I never was able to because of all the sports I used to play and the past few years I have been oogling lots of pretty earrings in stores. Getting them pierced did not hurt near as much as I expected and I love the earrings that I chose (which is good since they're going to be in there for 2 months!)

Questions of the day:
Early or late workout?
Favorite pair of earrings?