I've been on a renewed kick to try out several meal delivery services. I just canceled my Blue Apron account, even though I loved it so much in the beginning. I also started Hello Fresh but feel like it's very similar to Blue Apron. What turned me off? Too many carbs. I don't want to pay $60 a week on meals that seem to always have pasta, rice or potatoes. That sh*t is dirt cheap at the grocery store and I like to eat those items sparingly.

So, now we're trying Sun Basket. 

(Note: If you want to try it and want a referral link, here ya go: sunbasket.com/3free/Michelle641235  I get some a credit, too, but I think you might get some money off)

I liked the options - paleo and gluten-free piqued my interest. I mean, if I'm going to pay $40 to $60 a week on something like this, I want it to be somewhat healthy otherwise I'd spend that money on damn good takeout.

Side note, I've recently tried to cut out a lot of gluten simply because my acupuncturist believes gluten may play a role in fertility issues. For now she says cut it. Anyway, I'll share that story some other time.

For now, I kind of dig Sun Basket. And not just for the food. I really dig the packaging. It's easy to unpack, and they've made it easy to recycle.

Note that the lining is recyclable and Sun Basket provides stickers to help you roll it up and put it in the recycling bin.

I also really like the ice packs. The ones that come in Blue Apron and Hello Fresh are ginormous and annoy the crap out of me because they're a pain to tear down or re-use. I like these from Sun Basket because I could easily re-use them in my picnic cooler! 

I also liked how everything I needed for one recipe was in one bag. Hello Fresh does this, too. Blue Apron does a minimal version of this with knick knack bags but I recall moments of fishing for my ingredients.

And another plus for Sun Basket -- the food was something I'd never make on my own. Blue Apron was like that for me at first, but then it all started to look the same. I could have this problem with Sun Basket, too, since this is only my first order.

The first meal I made from Sun Basket was gluten-free, vegetarian and soy free. And amazingly filling and delicious! Plus, it was a quick dish - I literally put in the tomatoes, eggs and pistou and walked away.

In the end, I didn't make a pretty dish but it was pretty good and a nice way to change up the work week. I won't try to speak in favor of it too soon but so far, so good.

And one quick note - we liked the dish so much that I adapted a version of this for our breakfast. I didn't have any leftover pistou so I just used fresh spinach, tomatoes and eggs. It was pretty good!

Krav Maga Seattle teaches self defense and fitness but they've really done a great job emphasizing self defense for women with special classes. They blew me away when they recently made a trip to our studios!

Krav Maga has been taught to law enforcement agencies and is even the official self defense and combat system of the Israeli Defense Forces. It's high intensity and emphasizes instinctive movements. 
 
Chau, Cat, Allie, and Angela put on a demo for us--it was intimidating and empowering at the same time. They had my full attention!

However, one thing we could all do right now to better protect ourselves is as easy as buying a tactical flashlight. I kind of forgot about it until Krav Maga sent us a bunch! 

These are Hausbell tactical flashlights and there are a number or reasons why you should consider getting one:

- Scalloped edges make them great for hitting someone
- The bulb is so bright that it could make someone see immediate stars
- They're TSA approved = you can take them on planes
- Great for hiking
- Inexpensive, around $5 or less for the mini lights

I mean, look at what happened when JVB tried to choke me out the other day! She was toast! 

All jokes aside, you can find a bunch of reviews on YouTube. I bet a lot of recent airline passengers wish they had one of these!

​

Also, I just want to give a special thanks to Chau, Cat, Allie, and Angela for taking the time, money and energy to send us these awesome flashlights. I hope I never have to use them for scary reasons but I am very grateful! 

Well, we couldn't take the crown... but we did wear itl!

Our KING5 Rowing Team didn't exactly surprise anyone by coming in fifth place but at least we looked #1! We should've practiced earlier than two days ago. But we don't take ourselves too seriously!

The Windermere Media Cup is a lot of fun -- teams from all of the stations get together and learn enough about racing to do a couple of heats. The winner gets a $500 check to the charity of their choice!

Five must've been the lucky number because Team KOMO won for the fifth year in a row. Those guys are dedicated!

It was such a great event! Big thanks to all the organizers, coaches, and volunteers. I wish I knew how to row! It was a lot of fun to be on the water on such a beautiful day. And it was awesome to see friends from other stations!

I really enjoyed learning rowing terms and trying to work as a team to get our oars in the water at the same time. It is such a great way to meet people and get exercise in at the same time. 

The real Windermere Cup is this weekend to celebrate opening day of boating season. More than 800 rowers will compete in the prestigious event on Lake Washington. I hope I can see it in action!