Giveaway Archives -

You Grill Girl {Giveaway–CLOSED}

Post author:Melanie
Post published:June 29, 2015
Post category:Dinners / Fav Products / Giveaway
Post comments:31 Comments

I’ve never been much of a fan of hot dogs. I would eat them every so often wayyyy back in the day, but once I found out what they were made of, I had a hard time getting past that. I had heard of all beef hot dogs but didn’t really give them much thought. That is until Applegate reached out to me recently.

They wanted me to try their all natural hot dogs, along with Sir Kensington’s natural ketchup and mustard. They also sent me potato buns and a ton of other goodies!!

Check out the loot!

I agreed to try their hot dogs because Applegate’s natural hot dogs are made of only grass-fed beef, water, salt and spices. THAT IS IT! No artificial ingredients, synthetic nitrates, or antibiotics in these hot dogs.

Naturally, I had to wear the apron they gave me while “womaning” the grill.

Side track, let’s talk about Sir Kensington’s for a sec. Why I do I love their products? Let’s start with the ketchup. It has less sugar, less salt and real recognizable ingredients: Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Organic Sugar, Onions, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Lime Juice Concentrate, Green Bell Peppers, Allspice, Citric Acid

Their yellow mustard is just as delicious and made up of: Mustard Paste (Water, Organic White Vinegar, Mustard Seed), Water, Mustard Seed, Organic White Vinegar, Salt, Organic Sugar, Chablis Wine

They also have mayo which I would love to try!

I promise there is a hot dog underneath those condiments! I LOVE ketchup. I love ketchup on my ketchup.

Because I’m a dietitian and love looking at the nutrition label, I thought I would share the hot dog stats with you guys. These were their natural uncured beef hot dogs.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving Size 1 hot dog

Amount Per Serving

Calories 70

Total fat 6 g

Sat fat 2 g

Sodium 330 mg

Sugars 0 g

Protein 6 g

So besides making me happy nutritionally, they also made my belly happy. These babes are tasty! I would love to cook these over a campfire! They have so many hot dogs to choose from like turkey hot dogs, chicken hot dogs, beef and pork hot dogs, and more. How could you get bored with all of these varieties available?

And guess what? Now is your chance to try them yourself! We will be giving away this pack of goodness to one lucky reader.

Enter to win (up to 2 entries):

1. Tweet: “I want to win @applegate and @sirkensingtons goodie box from @nuttymelanie http://www.beautifullynutty.com/you-grill-girl-giveaway/” and make sure to comment on this post telling me you tweeted!

2. Comment on this post telling me which Applegate or Sir Kensington product you definitely want to try this summer!

GUYS, you can enter too of course!

One winner will be chosen on Friday, July 3rd!

My New Favorite BBQ Sauce {GIVEAWAY!}

Post author:Melanie
Post published:May 25, 2015
Post category:Dinners / Fav Products / Giveaway / Product Reviews
Post comments:20 Comments

Happy Memorial Day to you all! We remember all of the heroes who have served and who are actively serving for our country. They are the reason we are free. God bless each and every one of them and their loved ones. Their bravery should never go unnoticed.

************************

Switching gears….

Did you know that May is National Barbecue Month?! Austin, Texas-based Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q reached out to me to see if I would like to help them celebrate the kickoff of BBQ season. Of course I would! We are all about BBQ’ing all year round over here.

Craft-made Stubb’s, the leader in authentic BBQ sauces, rubs and marinades, is the only nationally available BBQ sauce brand (available in 85% grocery stores) to carry the Gluten-Free Organization Certification seal and contain no high fructose corn syrup (the first ingredient in most national BBQ sauce brands.) The company is also working with the Non-GMO Project to verify its line!

I have seen Stubb’s sauce on the shelves but have always reached for the brands I recognize, not even minding the label very often which is something I normally read! After buying the Stubb’s sauce and comparing the labels between the two, my mind was blown. I am convinced I will never buy any other brand. Besides the above mentioned nutritional details, Stubb’s BBQ sauce also has HALF of the sugar grams in their sauce! I mean comparing 16 grams to 8 grams! That’s a lot!

Stubb’s offers a variety of bar-b-q sauces, marinades, liquid smokes, rubs, cooking sauces, anytime sauces, and more.

So far I’ve only tried three of their products, but I am THRILLED to have learned about this brand and can’t wait to try more!

Along with providing coupons for me to try out their products, Stubb’s also sent me a bunch of great recipes to try! I decided to try their Cowboy Burger recipe first which included Stubb’s Smokey Mesquite BBQ sauce, their Beef Marinated, Mesquite Liquid Smoke, and Beef Rub.

Here is the recipe!

Stubb’s Cowboy Burger

Ingredients

2.5 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup Stubb’s Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q Sauce
2 Tbsp. Stubb’s Beef Marinade
1/4 tsp. Stubb’s Mesquite Liquid Smoke (optional)
1 tsp Stubb’s Beef Rub
1 large yellow onion, cut into slices
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon slices, cooked crisp
Onion Rolls or Hamburger Buns
Toppings of your choice

Cooking Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, Bar-B-Q sauce, Stubb’s Beef Marinade, liquid smoke (optional) and Stubb’s Beef Spice Rub. Use your hands to mix well. Once combined, separate the mixture to make six patties. Make a slight indent with your thumb in middle of each patty to keep it from swelling while on the grill.

Prepare your grill for direct medium-heat cooking. Lightly oil the grates and place your burger on the grill, indent side up. Cook burgers for 12-14 minutes or until preferred doneness (160°F) turning once during cooking. While burgers are cooking, add the onion slices to the grill and cook until lightly charred and soft, turning once. Also toast the buns.

To serve, top burgers with Bar-B-Q sauce, bacon, grilled onion and shredded cheese. Add additional toppings to your liking.

TIP: To cook the bacon for this burger, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay bacon on top. Cook in a preheated oven at 375°F for 15-20 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to cool.

K, so I forgot the bacon but would you believe that I hardly even missed it?! This burger packs SO much flavor! I was so excited about it I repeatedly said to Dana, “omg this is so good” and snuck in bites of extra burger once I was done with mine.

And another confession, when I thawed out the ground beef from the freezer, I accidentally grabbed one pack of ground chicken and one pack of ground beef. I realized it once I was pouring the sauces on the meat. I made sure to cook the burgers to well-done because of this.

It’s okay though because they turned out GREAT. The burgers just shrunk more than usual. They started off the size of this sandwich bun, and ended up like this…

I savored every bite of this baby.

YUM! I’m not kidding I am CRAZY about this flavor! No more boring burgers this summer!!!

Do you want to try Stubb’s sauce for your next BBQ?! Here’s your chance to win some coupons for free Stubb’s products!

To enter to win, write a comment on this post telling me your favorite summer BBQ foods. Bonus points if you share this post on Facebook or Twitter (make sure and comment on this post if you do so to get an extra entry!).

Giveaway will close Thursday, May 28th at 9 pm central time. I will choose one winner on Friday May 29th!

Let’s hear it!

Spread the Kindness & Giveaway WINNER!

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 6, 2015
Post category:Giveaway / Product Reviews
Post comments:2 Comments

Random acts of kindness day is coming up on February 17th, but you don’t have to wait until then to do something nice! Here are some ideas of how you can spread the kindness around everyday…

Smile and say hello to a stranger
Pay it forward
Bring treats to friends
Send flowers to a friend
Send a relative a hand-written note

Here are some more ideas! http://greatist.com/discover/february-challenge-kindness-2015 #28daysofkind

WINNER WINNER

Thank you all for playing along in the KIND bar giveaway! Random.org (random number generator) randomly selected….

Barbara Montag!

Congrats to you, Barbara! Please email me at beautifullynutty@gmail.com with your address by next Friday, February 13th so that we can get your Kind bars shipped out to you!

Happy weekend to you all! Do something KIND today!

My KIND of Giveaway!

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 2, 2015
Post category:Giveaway / Misc. / Sweet Treats / Workouts
Post comments:41 Comments

So here’s what happened…I wrote up this post on Friday to link up with Katie’s Friday Favorites but neglected to post it. I realize it’s now Monday but you know what? I’m still going to post because there is a serious treat at the end of the post!

My “Monday” Favs:

1. My family. My family is ALWAYS on my favorite list because they are incredible day in and day out.

2. My first postpartum outdoor run. On Thursday, I bundled up and hit the pavement for a 2.25 mile run! I was kind of nervous about it because I hadn’t run for over a year and I was afraid I would be disappointed with how out of shape I am, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it went! Moose was my motivator through it all. Plus, the frigid wind got me running faster too—it got me home faster! To think that this run was about 30 degrees warmer than this one…

Polar Dash 2013

I have some toughening up to do!

3. Supportive moms.

4. Caribou Coffee. K, so really this may be a least favorite to my wallet, but a favorite to my tummy and to-do list. So delicious. I’ve actually informally vowed to myself not to buy any signature ($5) drinks from any coffee shops for the whole month of February.

5. The KIND Snacks company for sending me these delicious bars! They are the perfect on-the-go snack.

They sent me:

Kind Fruit and Nut bars: whole nut and fruit bars
Kind Plus bars: whole nut and fruit bars plus a nutritional boost
Kind Nuts and Spices: made with whole nuts flavored with delicious spices
Kind Healthy Grain bars: granola bars made with five super grains: Gluten Free Oats, Millet, Quinoa, Amaranth and Buckwheat

Talk about spoiling me, right?!

What I love about these products is that I can pronounce all of the ingredients and they are absolutely delicious and healthy.

And you know what else I love about them?! They are offering all of you 15% off and free shipping on a case of KIND using the code KINDNUTRITION! You have the entire month of February to use it (limit one per customer)!! Don’t miss out on this!

And if that weren’t enough, they are also going to give away a prize pack of 10 BARS to one of my Beautifully Nutty readers!

Enter to win by :

1. Like Beautifully Nutty on Facebook

and/or

2. Tweet “I want to win @KINDSnacks from @NuttyMelanie! http://www.beautifullynutty.com/kind-giveaway/”

Do both for two chances to win! Just make sure you comment on this post telling me what you did!

You have until Thursday, February 5th to enter. On Friday I will randomly select one winner!

Have fun, be KIND!

Disclaimer: I received free products from KIND but all opinions expressed on the products are 100% my own!

Non-Caffeinated Energy and a Giveaway Winner

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 20, 2014
Post category:Giveaway / Health / Moose
Post comments:9 Comments

Happy Thursday!

I’m over here trying to ward off this congestion/runny nose situation I have going on. It’s disrupting my sleep and this girl needs her sleep. I’m staying positive though that I’m going to kick this thing to the curb asap!

Since I’m off of caffeine while I let my gut heal, I have to look to other modes of fuel for energy…

… like vitamin-packed smoothies. In this one we have a clementine, blueberries, raspberries, almond milk, and amasai probiotic. I’m hoping to write a post more about amasai and other beyond organic products in the future. I just started the amasai and will be starting the terrain, and I want to wait until I’m more familiar with the products and see how they work for me before I share with all of you!

And I definitely want to chat with you all more about Young Living Essential Oils! I have fallen in love with the oils so much that I’ve decided to become a distributor!

To help rid this congestion/runny nose I am diffusing Thieves and Lemon essential oils. I’m also sipping on some raspberry leaf tea. Does this not sound like the recipe to wellness if you’ve ever heard one?! I’m not going to let a little congestion get me down!

I’m going to kick this thing. Water, tea, balanced meals, rest, essential oils and I’m thinking soup for lunch is in order. Bring on the liquids!

Question: Any natural remedies that you swear by for clearing up congestion?!

*********************

Popchip Winner

Enough about me, let’s talk about you, and Moose.

I asked Moose to give me a number between 1 and 44. He continued to stare blankly at the television like a teenager so I had to take matters into my own hands. Random number generator helped me to pick the winner of the one-month (24 bags) supply of pophips and the lucky winner is….

JORDAN!! Congrats, Jordan!

Please email me at beautifullynutty@gmail.com within 48 hours with your mailing address and popchips will send you your box of goodies!

Thank you to all who entered!!

**********************

Have a great day!

xoxo

A Crispy Healthy Snack and a GIVEAWAY! {giveaway closed}

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 18, 2014
Post category:Giveaway / Moose / Snacks
Post comments:50 Comments

Haaaaaapy Tuesday!

Have you all ever heard of popchips?!

I first stumbled upon them in my college years and was blown away by the healthy (and incredibly delicious) chip.

They are natural potato, tortilla, and corn chips that aren’t fried or baked; they’re popped! They use heat and pressure which makes for a crispy and delicious snack!

Their pledge: “No fake colors, no fake flavors, no preservatives, no fluorescent orange fingertips, and no wiping your greasy chip hand on your jeans. They leave out the bad stuff like hydrogenated oils and msg. Popchips have no preservatives.” source

Are you enticed yet? You should be.

When I was first introduced to them, there were only a handful of flavors, but now they have a whole lotta’ flavors…

Potato popchips flavors:

original
barbeque
sour cream & onion
sea salt & vinegar
cheddar
salt & pepper
chili lime
sweet potato
thai sweet chili

Tortilla popchips:

nacho cheese
ranch
salsa
chili limón

The newest addition to the popchips family is katy perry’s signature flavor, katy’s kettle corn popchips

I hope I’ve intrigued you enough because I am teaming up with Popchips and Jillian Michaels to help promote healthier snacking! There’s an awesome giveaway to come at the bottom of this post, so keep reading!

What Jillian Michaels has to say about popchips:

“my kids love popchips and i love that they are not only delicious, but chemical free with no artificial ingredients of any kind.”

“popchips are my go to afternoon snack. delicious and with half the calories of fried chips and none of the chemicals, they won’t slow you down.”

Here are some healthy living tips from Jillian Michaels that I totally agree with!

1) this new year have more fun with your fitness. staying healthy and in shape shouldn’t be about foods you have to cut or spending hours in a gym, getting healthy can still be fun! instead of working out in a gym, get outside and mix it up during the week. go for an outdoor hike, bike ride, try skiing or take your friends with you to the gym and try a new class like my new Bodyshred!

2) it’s not about completely eliminating food groups or opting for famine in the new year. enjoy foods that taste great and are better for you.

3) it’s not just about the cardio training. many people believe if they run for an hour they are shedding the pounds. the reality is your body gets used to this type of activity. strength training is a great way boost your metabolism. if you do strength training four times a week, you can increase your metabolism by 6-7 percent! taking a fun weekend boot camp class gets you outside and meeting new people who are trying to accomplish the same goals. plus switching up your workout keeps it fun.

4) making wiser eating choices doesn’t mean you have to skip the fun traditions like taco night. when picking out your main dish options, always go with lean organic meat whenever possible. lean turkey and grilled chicken are great options. and if you love beef in your taco, just make it half lean grass fed organic beef and half turkey meat for a better option that still tastes great. having a burger night? instead of piling on the condiments, which are full of calories and high fructose corn syrup, try adding sliced avocado. they are full of healthy fats that are good for your body and skin!

5) when making dinner for your family, you don’t need to skip out on the fun and nibble on salad – just eat it first! start your meals with the healthiest thing on the table like a rainbow salad or steamed vegetables. that way when you get to the bad stuff you won’t need as much to feel satisfied. also, with better options on the table, your family is more likely to eat them and reap the benefits with you!

An incredibly intriguing recipe using cheddar potato popchips and almonds to crust chicken breast!:

Almond-Crusted Chicken Breasts

Crusted with cheddar potato popchips for added flavor

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted almonds, toasted
½ cup of cheddar potato popchips
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon salt
4-to-5 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
In the work bowl of a food processor, place the almonds, popchips, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, garlic, and salt. Process until coarsely chopped; the mixture will be a thick paste.
Arrange the chicken breast halves in a baking dish. Divide the almond paste and spread on the breasts; pat down to cover each breast completely.
Roast in the oven until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165 deg F to 170 deg F, about 10 minutes. Loosely tent with foil and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Real quick: I’m not saying that you can swap popchips for your fruits and veggies, because that is a no-no, but you can have popchips as part of a balanced diet. Say it with me…ALL IN MODERATION.

Woooooooofta! That was a lot of fun info, right? It gets even better. Are you still with me?

Enter to win at www.popchips.com/bringthefun…

“No resolutions required”. Popchips are asking snackers to tell them how they will bring the fun (not the fat) to 2014. They can enter their “bring the fun” ideas @www.popchips.com/bringthefun for a chance to win the following:

a round trip for two to jillian michaels maximize your life tour
a 1 year subscription to fitfusion
a 1 year supply of popchips!

Saaaaweet!

A giveaway to my readers NOW!: One lucky participant will win a one-month supply of popchips (24 bags)!! Yes really!

To enter to win one month supply of popchips: leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite popchip flavor or the one you would be most excited to try if you’ve never had them. Earn an extra entry by tweeting, “I want to win a month supply of @popchips from @NuttyMelanie! http://wp.me/p2J5VV-2FS.” Be sure to leave another comment on this post so I know you tweeted!

I will announce a winner this Friday. Good luck! (No P.O. Boxes—-sorry).

Disclaimer: I am teaming up with Popchips to help promote healthier snacking. I was not compensated for this post but was given free popchips to sample. All opinions expressed in this post are opinions that I agree with and/or are my own.

Winner, Winner

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 6, 2014
Post category:Giveaway
Post comments:0 Comments

Hello, hello!

I’m keeping it extra short and sweet today and simply announcing the winners of the grocery card giveaway!

Congrats to…

Elena

and

Laura J.!

Email me at beautifullynutty@gmail.com with your shipping info and I will get your gift cards sent out to you asap!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Happy Thursday!

Peanut Butter Popcorn Snack GIVEAWAY! {giveaway closed}

Post author:Melanie
Post published:January 28, 2014
Post category:Giveaway / Gluten-Free / Snacks / Sweet Treats
Post comments:44 Comments

You all know I have a deep love for peanut butter, right? Peanut butter bananas, peanut butter toast, peanut chicken, peanut butter off a spoon, on a date, the list goes on. I love the stuff.

A couple of weeks ago, the kind folks at Smart Balance asked me if I’d like to sample a new product of theirs; one they were sure I would enjoy. One that involves peanut butter. I was totally game.

The product is: Smart Balance Peanut Butter Popcorn Nuggets

Popcorn rolled in peanut butter, crunchy peanuts, and oats. For real. The second this beautiful bag arrived at my door I tore into it.

Ahhhhhhhh….

My face lit up upon first bite. These little babies are spectacular! They’re crunchy, they’re sweet, and they have the perfect amount of peanut butter hugging each popcorn kernel. Holy cow.

These are dangerously good!

I learned quickly that portion control is a must as I kept going back for more and more nibbles out of the bag. Enter: the ramekin. I began to pour the perfect snacks into a small ramekin to keep my portions within reason. My waist line thanks me.

They are the perfect anytime snack! I have been enjoying them especially as my dessert after dinner.

These nuggets can be found at Costco stores around the U.S. but guess what?! You don’t have to go to Costco if you win a bag from me here! Well, you will probably want to go to Costco anyway and pick these up in the meantime while I select a winner. You won’t regret it.

Store locator: Where you can fin Smart Balance Popcorn Nuggets

But seriously, want to win a bag for yourself?! ENTER HERE!

To enter to win one bag of Smart Balance Peanut Butter Nuggets, simply leave a comment on my blog telling me your favorite snack. Receive an additional entry by tweeting “I entered to win @SmartBalance Peanut Butter Nuggets from @NuttyMelanie http://wp.me/p2J5VV-2BQ.” Just make sure you leave an extra comment telling me you tweeted.

Thanks and good luck! Giveaway ends on Sunday, February 2nd at midnight central time. One winner will be announced Monday, February 3rd!

Mmmmm snack time!

Disclaimer: Smart Balance provided me with one free bag of Smart Balance Peanut Butter Nuggets to sample and review. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions expressed on the product are solely my own.

Four Bean Quinoa Chili & GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

Post author:Melanie
Post published:August 30, 2013
Post category:Dinners / Giveaway / Gluten-Free / Recipes
Post comments:30 Comments

Well, hello there! Happy Friday!

Who wants some of this?

I have LOTS of leftovers around here! This always winds up happening to me…I have the intention of making a small pot of chili, or soup, or anything really, and it turns into a humongo amount. Lucky for me soup freezes well and I have an extra freezer in the garage.

I know some of you out there probably think I’m totally crazy for making chili on a 95+ degree day, but it’s not like I slaved over it in kitchen. I let the crock pot do the majority of the work for me.

Here’s how I did it…

I chopped up the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and lightly sautéed them in a small amount of olive oil on the stove top for 5-7 minutes (more detailed instructions below). I then transferred the veggies to the crock pot along with all other remaining ingredients except the beans. I used canned beans and I didn’t want them to get too soggy and/or mushy by adding them too early.

I actually let this whole concoction sit together overnight only because I knew I wouldn’t have time to throw this together in the morning, but you could most definitely do this all the morning of.

Since I did let this mingle overnight, it allowed for my quinoa to soak for a long time before cooking, which can aid in digestion. Again, this is a step you can skip if you would like.

The next day I gave it all a stir and turned the crock pot on low at 12:00 pm (this is still without the beans and chiles). This mingled in the crock pot for four hours.

Then I added the beans and the chiles (you could add the chiles to the ingredients that were already in the crock pot, I just kind of forgot/got too lazy to open up the can I guess!

Three hours later when we arrived home, I did some final taste testing, added some additional seasoning, and gave it one last stir.

I chopped some cilantro and fresh avocado to top off the chili.

I got’er all served up!

And I devoured.

You can add any other toppings you like—cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, green onions, etc!

So pretty, right? Call me crazy but I can eat chili any time of the year no matter how hot it is. Now, if I didn’t have air conditioning, we would be talking a whole different ball game.

Four Bean Quinoa Chili

Serves: 12

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
3 cup chicken broth**
2½ Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ tsp smoky paprika
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of garlic powder
**you could substitute vegetable stock and make this recipe 100% vegan
sprinkle of onion powder
1-15 oz can black beans
1-15 oz can chili beans
1-15 oz can red kidney beans
1-15 oz can white kidney beans
1-4 oz can of diced green chiles
cilantro (optional topping)
avocado (optional topping)

Instructions

Lightly saute onions, garlic, carrots, and celery on the stove top for 5-7 minutes.
In a large crockpot, add the sautéed vegetables, quinoa, broth, and all spices. Stir, cover, and turn crockpot on low. Let this go for 4 hours.
After 4 hours add in the beans and chiles and stir. Recover and let cook for another 2-3 hours.
Give it one last stir and taste test to make sure seasonings are spot on. Add additional seasonings if desired.
Serve in pretty bowls and top with cilantro and avocado!
Enjoy!

What do you think? Am I crazy for making hot chili on a super hot summer day? Do you ever eat soup in the summer?

*********************

Now, to those of you hanging around to find out if you are the winner of the Dara Torres meet and greet, spin class, and free ear buds, your wait ends here.

The two winners are:

1. Katie @ Daily Cup of Kate

2. Stacy Elling

Congrats you two! I will get an email out to both of you with the details of the event!! Thank you all of you who entered!

HApppppppppyyyy Friday!!

Meet Olympian Dara Torres and Win Free EarBuds {Giveaway–CLOSED}

Post author:Melanie
Post published:August 26, 2013
Post category:Events / Giveaway / Workouts
Post comments:18 Comments

Happy Monday! Have I got a treat for you. I do have a lot to catch you up on from the weekend, but it’s going to have to wait til later in the week.

First, let me introduce you to Dara Torres…

To those of you who may not know Dara:

“Dara Torres is arguably the fastest female swimmer in America. She entered her first international swimming competition at age 14 and competed in her first Olympic Games a few years later in 1984.

At the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, Dara became the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympic Games. When she took three silver medals home – including the infamous heartbreaking 50-meter freestyle race where she missed the Gold by 1/100th of a second – America loved her all the more for her astonishing achievement and her good-natured acceptance of the results.

In total, Dara has competed in five Olympic Games and has won 12 medals in her entire Olympic career. Her impressive performance in Beijing and her attempt at the 2012 London Olympic Games has inspired many older athletes to consider re-entering competition, including cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Aside from her amazing accomplishments in the pool, Dara has talents on dry land as well. A composed commentator, guest host and strong interviewee, she has appeared on such shows as Fox News, ESPN, CNN, Piers Morgan Tonight, Today Show, Good Morning America, Kelly and Regis, and many others. Additionally, Dara was the first female athlete ever to be featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and in 2009, won the ESPY award for “Best Comeback.” To add to Dara’s accolades, she was also named one of the “Top Female Athletes of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated Magazine.

Now a top-selling author, her memoir, “Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life,” published in April, 2009 and was listed as one of the top 25 best-selling business books by June. Her second book, “Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program” hit stands in May, 2010 and is now a New York Times Best-Seller.

Olympian, author, mother, and role model, Dara Torres is many things to many people, but above all, she is an inspiration.”

source

Besides all of the aforementioned list of achievements, she has also more recently partnered with a headphone company called Koss.

The line she is working on is called Koss FitBuds and they are the smallest earbuds Koss has ever created. The buds are only six millimeters in diameter, making them 33 percent smaller than the average Koss earbud. The elements are surrounded by a dual-injected, soft-rubberized housing intended to fit perfectly in the female ear. The FitBuds feature a sweat-resistant coating and come in fun colors!

The FItBuds are:

Ideal for active women
Sweat resistant
Ultra lightweight
Extreme durability
Covered under the Limited Lifetime Warranty

Source: www.koss.com

Giveaway Time!

How would you like a chance to meet Dara?!

I am giving away two entries to Minnesotans or to anyone willing to drive to Minnesota to not only meet Dara, but also take a spin class with her, get a free pair of FitBuds and a free gift bag from Koss!

60 minute spin class taught by local instructors
A pair of Koss Fit Series headphones to use during the event and a pair to take home
A gift bag from Koss
The opportunity to meet and workout with Dara Torres, a five time Olympian and 12-time medalist.

The dates and times for the classes are as follows:

Option 1:

Tuesday, September 17
4:45 pm – 5:45 pm
Eden Prairie

Option 2:

Wednesday, September 18
11:45 am – 12:45 pm
Minneapolis

*Winner will need to inform me of option/location they would like to attend. Exact locations will be revealed to giveaway winners.

Doesn’t this sound like a blast! I plan on being there, too!

Enter to win!

To enter to win, comment on this post telling me why you would love to win this giveaway. Earn an extra entry by tweeting, “I want to meet Dara Torres! I entered to win at http://wp.me/p2J5VV-2dX.” Be sure to leave an extra comment on my post so that I know you tweeted.

I will announce the winner on Friday, August 30th! Edited: Contest closes at 12:00 am central time zone on Friday August 30th.

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