Oh baby I like it raw!

Shout out to ODB! If you're in my age group and a fan of hip hop, you know what I'm talkin' bout! 

Day 29 and day 30!
Woohoo, I just finished drinking my 30th green smoothie and I am quite proud of myself. I don't know if it's a coincidence or what, but I had THE best rest last night. I think I slept an entire 8 hours and I woke up feeling 100% rested and ready to tackle the week. In addition to the fabulous slumber, here are some other benefits I noticed throughout the month:

• I am regular - this is HUGE!
• My endurance is stronger during the cardio portion of my cross training. I still have some work to do with the area of strength training, but I can definitely run longer and faster. Yesterday during cross training, I was sprinting at 7.5 mph on a 12% incline. Go Jenny Go! 
• My belly is flatter. It's not FLAT, but is definitely less puffy. I feel like my thighs are smaller too. I didn't weigh myself or take any measurements because I wasn't doing this for weight loss, but I put on a pair of slim, black pants yesterday that were definitely fitting better then when I last had them on in the winter. 
• I like greens! All types of greens. I eat kale almost every day now. That's amazing. 

Overall, it's been a good month for sure. I just realized that I also blogged for 30 days about the challenge so that is a side accomplishment! I guess I can officially call myself a blogger :)

Will I continue to drink the green smoothies?

Of course! They aren't just for breakfast anymore. You can drink a green smoothie at any time of the day or night and reap the benefits. 

On Sunday, I furthered my raw food curiosity and visited All the Way Live, a raw food restaurant in Philadelphia. The ratings were really high on yelp.com so I asked a colleague to meet me there. The food was fantastic! Here is a photo of what we shared. 

The upper left corner is lasagna. The upper right corner is a tasting of quinoa salad, soulful greens and BBQ mushrooms. The bottom is the apple cake - woohoo! Everything was absolutely delicious. I definitely will be going back and I may even purchase a week of raw meals from there. 

Sunday was a great day and I feel like the entire day was FUN! Here is the drink I created on Sunday before going to bed. I used extra water so it was more like a green drink than a smoothie.

1 c chopped kale, stems removed

1/3 c organic frozen blueberries

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass

1 1/4 c water

1 serving Stevia Kal

Day 30

Today's green smoothie wasn't that good, but I chugged it down because I know it was good for me. Note to self. Do not add wheat grass and the cacao powder in the same drink without sweetener  I tasted it and had to put it back in the blender with some stevia because the taste was not pleasant. I guess I could have added some more fruit as well. 

2 c chopped kale, stems removed

1/2 frozen banana

1 tbsp Cacao powder

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass

1 tbsp natural peanut butter

1 serving Stevia Kal

Cheers!

The September 30 day challenge is complete! Now, on to the October 30 day challenge...

Just drink it.

Day 28 of 30!
I almost didn't make the day 28 smoothie! It was Saturday and I was out ripping and running as usual. I didn't get home until after 10 pm and the only thing on my mind was bed. However, I received an encouraging reminder from my boyfriend who told me, "Just drink it."

Uh, yea...good point.

So I put on my pjs and headed to the kitchen to make my green smoothie. I guess it's never to late to flood your body with nutrients!

1 c chopped kale, stems removed
1/4 organic cucumber
4 frozen organic strawberries

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat 

1 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 serving Stevia Kal

Cheers!

Ditching the diet mentality (or at least trying to)

Day 27!
I'm in the home stretch for this challenge. My Facebook friends are already talking about a new 30 day challenge for October. I have to put some thought into what my next challenge will be. Stay tuned.

Anyhoo...

Yesterday, I mentioned that I was hanging out with my favorite photographer and friend, Karise Allen. Here is a photo of us last night at happy hour looking very happy :)

Happy hour is one of my favorite things to do! There was a time when I would go every week. Now I go once every 4 - 6 weeks with friends when our schedules allow. Last night we started at the Cheesecake Factory. Now you know there is nothing half way healthy in that restaurant and certainly not on the $5 happy hour menu at the bar! I indulged with the Tex Mex Eggrolls. 

Deep fried greasy goodness. I tried just to eat the inside of the egg roll and avoid the fried flour tortilla, but honestly, that was the best part! They were pretty tasty, but I woke up this morning totally regretting eating that appetizer. 

Ugh.

As a person who is constantly working on ditching the diet mentality, it was really bugging me that I was so bummed about eating the stupid eggrolls! As a person who is NOT on a diet and eats pretty healthy 90% of the time, I should have just enjoyed the splurge just as much as I enjoyed hanging out with Karise. But no...I could not shake the guilt and shame of that splurge.

How many calories did I consume last night?

Oh the amount of fat on the plate!

I want to check the nutritional values online...

This was the record that was playing in my head all morning until I just STOPPED, took a deep breath and consciously switched my focus away from what I ate. No use in lamenting over what was consumed. Also, I know that as I was stressing about what I ate, my body was absorbing the stress which can result in inflammation. We no likee inflammation. 

I turned my focus to what was good instead of focusing on what was bad (or so I thought). I started to think about all the things I was grateful for. 

My feet that move me around all day.

My gut that digests the food I consume.

The sweatabulous workout I completed this morning.

The paycheck what was just deposited in my account.

The gorgeous fall weather.  

Pretty soon, I started to feel better. I just wish I remembered to focus on the good as soon as I started to feel bad. 

Baby steps...

Now, on to today's green smoothie recipe. 

2 c dandellion greens

1 c frozen organic blueberries

1/2 tsp matcha green tea powder

1 tbsp hemp seeds

1/4 organic cucumber

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat 

1 scoop Super Collagen powder (my newest addition!)

1/2 scoop Jay Robb Egg White protein powder (unflavored)

Cheers!

Whew! Running out of smoothie steam

Days 25 and 26!
I have to be honest, I'll be glad when this challenge is over. The fall season is upon us; it's 50 degrees in the morning and I don't necessarily feel like drinking a cold green smoothie in the morning. However, I committed to 30 days of green smoothies and I am going to finish this challenge strong!

Yesterday (day 25), I was out most of the day and grabbed a green drink while I was shopping at Whole Foods. Unfortunately, they were all out of the yummy Evolution Fresh green drink which I reviewed earlier. I tried a new brand by suja elements called Green Charge. After my first swig, I was like "darn this is some good green juice!" I kept on drinking.

Wait a minute. 

This beverage is making my sweet taste buds a little too happy. I looked at the sugar contents and read it has 33g of sugar in 1 bottle! Holy moly! I stopped drinking it immediately! I knew if I continued I would have a serious sugar crash in an hour. Even though the sugar came from fruit, it was too much for my body to process at one time. 

I've mentioned this before, but I think it's worth repeating. When drinking green smoothies, you really have to be careful with your fruit to greens ratio. Ideally, it should be 2 c of greens to 1 c of fruit. Even though this drink had spinach and kale listed on its ingredients list, it was mostly fruit - mango, kiwi, pineapple, apple and banana.

So Day 25 was kind of a bust, but today (day 26), I'm back on track. 

2 c organic baby spinach 
1/2 tsp matcha green tea powder

1/2 frozen banana

1 tbsp natural peanut butter

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat 

1 packet Jay Robb Egg White protein powder (chocolate)

You may notice some ingredients that I haven't used previously. I cleaned out my cabinet and found my beloved matcha green tea. This stuff is SO good for you! I don't know why it fell out of my daily rotation. Read the 8 Wonders of Matcha Green Tea and I'll bet you go out and purchase some. I haven't seen it sold in groceries stores yet. I usually get it online or at Teavana. 

FUN FOR THE DAY 

Yesterday, I went and got a manicure at my favorite nail salon. I always leave there super relaxed. Yesterday I decided to get a 15 min chair massage in addition to the manicure since we did a TON of upper body work that morning at Unite Fitness Studio. My shoulders needed a little TLC. One thing I have to remember is that the manicurists at this salon are just that - manicurists. They are not trained in massage. Although relaxing, it wasn't exactly what my upper body muscles were aching for. 

This afternoon, I have plans to meet my neighbor and favorite photographer, Karise Allen, for happy hour. #goodoldfashionedgirlfriendtime

Cheers!

I got that runner's high

Day 24!
I can't believe September is almost over and there are just 6 more days left in this month's challenge. Time flies when you're feeling healthy.

Speaking of feeling healthy, I saw this post on Facebook this morning and it reminded me that this journey to healthy is not about weight loss or fitting into a size 2. It's about being the happiest and healthiest person I can be. 

Today is my "off" day from Unite Fitness. I usually decide in the morning what my workout will be. Sometimes I don't work out at all. Other days I will walk outside or on the treadmill reading a magazine (yes, I am one of those people). In the past few weeks, I've had the urge to go running. I may have mentioned this before, but I don't consider myself a runner...at least I didn't before today's run. 

Let me explain. 

Right after I read this post on Facebook, I saw another post from a friend at 6:15 am. She was FINISHED her early morning run (3.2 mi in 36 minutes)! Wow, this mother and wife made the time to get up and out. What's my excuse?

As I got ready to go running in the park this morning, I was overcome with gratitude that I had legs that moved and feet that carried me. I had running shoes to put on and cute workout gear to wear. I thanked God for the air that filled my lungs with each breath. This mindset made a HUGE difference in my attitude this morning.

Not only did I actually get up and out to go exercise, I ran. 
And I ran. 
And I kept running. For 3.89 miles. 

I usually tend to walk more than I run, but today, I was working off of some other energy. Even when I stopped to walk (out of habit), I realized that my body wanted to continue to run.

So I ran. I kept running until I completed the loop at Cooper River Park in 45 minutes. 

When I got back to my car, I was like wow, I feel good!  Is this the runner's high that has been so elusive? If so, I liked it, and I want it again.

I imagine if I invoke a spirit of gratitude before any workout, I can expect the same high. I'm going to test my theory out tomorrow. 

#runhappy

When I returned to my abode, I prepared the following smoothie:

2 c dandelion greens

1/2 organic bosc pear

1/2 frozen banana

1 tbsp walnuts

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat 

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Cheers!

FUN FOR THE DAY

I ran and I liked it!

Juicing it for the day

Days 21, 22 & 23!

Saturday was a busy day full of errands and social events. After eating an omelet for breakfast, I headed out the door to tackle the to do list. While I was out, I ran into Starbucks for a bottle of water and I found this green goodness in a bottle. 

Intrigued, I picked it up and read the label. 35 calories and 6g sugar per serving. 

All the things I love! I purchased it, but I was taken aback by the cost. $5.95! At that point I was all ready to experience it so I handed over $6, cracked it open and took a swig. 

Total deliciousness!

I'm so tempted to buy a juicer for the house now. Thanks Starbucks for providing a healthy green option to drink. Evolution Fresh. 

(Saturday) FUN FOR THE DAY

The boyfriend and I went to a birthday BBQ birthday celebration at a friend's home. Always a good time! Here's a photo of us at the event. 

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Day 22

On Sunday, I created a quick basic smoothie. Sometimes simple is best. 

1 c chopped organic kale, stems removed

1 c dandelion greens

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass

1/2 organic Fuji apple

1 c sweetened vanilla almond milk

(Sunday) FUN FOR THE DAY

After church, I chilled out on the couch and watched a movie which I very rarely do. This was my first time seeing Couple's Retreat and Vince Vaughn had me laughing out loud!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Day 23
When drinking a green smoothie, it's important to have the correct ratio of greens to fruit so you don't overload your system with sugar and experience a blood sugar spike.

Unfortunately, I think I overloaded on the sweet fruit today because a few hours of consuming the smoothie, I totally crashed! I was so sleepy, I had to put my head down on my desk and close my eyes for a few minutes. After my quickie nap, I got up and decided to eat some lunch even though I wasn't really that hungry. I ate protein to balance out all the carbs that I consumed this morning. As soon as I ate a few bites, I felt back to my normal self again. 

Here is today's recipe. If you decide to follow it, I highly suggest using less fruit. 

2 c organic baby spinach

1/2 c fresh pineapple

1/3 organic cucumber

1/2 organic fuji apple

1 tsp Maca powder

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass
1/4 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 c water

Cheers! Cheers! and Cheers!

Switch up the greens

Days 19 and 20!

I may have missed writing about it, but I didn't miss drinking it. "It" would be my yummylicous green smoothie. Today's post will have recipes from yesterday and today.

I recently read an article, WHY YOU SHOULD ROTATE YOUR GREENS, which explains why it's important not to drink the same concoction every day. For the past 18 days, I've pretty much been using spinach and kale. After reading this article, I decided to switch it up a bit. I had some leftover romaine from my chopped-salad-everyday-for-lunch obsession so I used that in Thursday's drink. I never would have thought to use romaine lettuce, but I read the following on Simple Green Smoothies:

"Romaine lettuce is a nutrient rich leafy green that is good for your heart and low in calories. The vitamin C and beta-carotene content help to lower cholesterol and prevent build up on artery walls, which reduces the risk of heart attack. Being low in calories also helps you lose weight while keeping you full."

I mixed romaine lettuce with kale and it was pretty good. 

1 c chopped kale, stems removed

1 c romaine lettuce

1/2 beet

1/2 c fresh pineapple

1/2 banana

1 tsp Maca powder

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass
1/4 c chopped walnuts 
1/2 c carrot juice
1/2 c water

FUN FOR THE DAY

Almost forgot about this but yesterday, I had an evening event to go to with the beau. Rather than putting on dress pants and top, I put on the cutest, sassiest dress I own; a new addition to my closet compliments of the stylists at Stitch Fix. Unfortunately, I don't have a good photo with me in the dress, but it's so cute! It's very retro (not my usual style), but feminine. When I wear it again, I'll be sure to get a photo.

Day 20

Today I tried a new green - dandelion greens. A bunch of organic greens cost $2 at Whole Foods so I figured that was worth a try. According to Simple Green Smoothies, dandelion greens are bitter but high in calcium. I made sure to add a banana and stevia to counteract the bitter taste. 

1 c dandelion greens

1 c chopped kale, stems removed

1/2 beet

1 tbsp hemp seed

1 tbsp walnuts

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 organic bosc pear

1 serving Stevia Kal
1 c unsweetened almond milk

FUN FOR THE DAY NIGHT

Date night with my boo! The weather is great and we're headed to center city for dinner and whatever else comes our way!

Cheers!

Learning to listen

Whew! Day 18 folks and I'm still movin' and groovin'!
Right now, I am movin' and groovin' in slow motion. I had another kick arse workout this morning at Unite Fitness Studios. I was running on endorphins all morning until...3 PM. 

BAM!

I felt like I just had to lay down and take a good nap. But I didn't. I had errands to run so I kept moving. I got home around 5 and I didn't stop. I still had to put my groceries away and prepare dinner and do a load of laundry.  

Ironically, this morning in class, the coach told me (when I finished running suicides in the stair well of the building), that this type of intense workout would give me tons of energy this morning and I would crash around 2. I didn't believe him because I eat really well and my energy is usually sustained throughout the day. 

Well, since I was out all day, lunch was just a KIND bar and some water at the hair salon. A light lunch + a kick arse workout (where I burned almost 600 calories), = an energy crash. 

Not only am I pooped, muscle soreness just kicked in. I almost didn't crack open this laptop to write today's post. 

I'm no physical fitness expert, but I do know that I need to let my body recover before I do another intense workout. I was planning on going for a run tomorrow and back to Unite Fitness Studios on Friday, but I think I'm going to rest tomorrow and do a light workout on Friday. Unite Fitness Studios will see me again on Monday. 

Sometimes you just have to listen to your body. It knows best. I'm constantly trying to stay in tune with my body when it's time to eat. My goal is to eat when hungry and stop when full. That can pretty hard to do, but I know if I keep at it, eventually it will become second nature. 

So tell me, are you in tune with your body or are you on autopilot? 

FUN FOR THE DAY 
Today, I had an appointment for a wash, blowout and trim at Topper's Spa with Albert. I love getting my hair done there. He gets me in and out within an hour because he works on one client at a time. I get the BEST scalp massage and I can sip on fun beverages while I'm getting my hair done. Definitely worth the extra $$ for a little pampering and a precise trim. 

Plus, today the weather was absolutely gorgeous and perfect for window shopping in Rittenhouse Square. As I walked down the street, the wind was just blowing through my light and fluffy hair. Definitely the highlight of my day. 

DRINK OF THE DAY
2 c organic baby spinach
1 c frozen organic blueberries
1/2 beet 
1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass
1/4 c chopped walnuts and pecans
1 serving Stevia Kal
1 c unsweetened almond milk

Cheers!

Counting calories is not for me

Day 17 of the 30 day green smoothie challenge!

After having a love hate relationship with My Fitness Pal (online calorie tracker) for years, I finally realized that counting calories won't work for me long term. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a few folks out there who are die hard calorie counters. I have a good friend who is one. She's kept a daily online food journal for YEARS and it works for her.

I can't do it.

PROBLEM #1 
I question the validity of some of these online food databases. Why are there 18 different entries for the same food? 

PROBLEM #2
You have to be precise with your measurements. Scales, measuring cups, measuring spoons...yawn. If you have to calculate the nutritional value of an entire meal without a recipe you're in trouble! Oh and don't even get me started if you want to eat 3/4 of a serving. How the heck do you calculate that accurately?

PROBLEM #3
It's extremely time consuming. When you're not entering your food, you're thinking about entering your food. It's a vicious cycle. You never really stop thinking about food. All day. Food is the main thought of the day.

A SOLUTION
Have fun instead of calculating!

Yep, have fun. 

Sarah Jenks, health coach extraordinaire  recently challenged me to drop the diet mentality and focus on having fun every day. When you're focused on doing fun things, you're NOT focused on food. When you're not focused on food, you're not focused on eating. And when you're not focused on eating, you don't eat needlessly. Amazing, right? 

I truly believe all that time spent focusing on food calculations (and not seeing immediate results) was putting my body in a constant state of low grade stress and we all know what stress can do to the body. 

Now, having fun on a daily basis is a lot harder than it sounds. I had a daily routine that did not include having fun. Wake up, workout, eat, work, eat, work, eat, drink, sleep. 

Repeat. 

It's taken me a few months to really into the habit of doing something fun each day. Going forward, I will include my fun for the day (FFTD) in addition to my drink of the day. That will be a challenge for me, but I'm up for it.

FUN FOR THE DAY 
Gave myself a steam facial at home with my new sample of Glamglow Mud Mask. I read a review of this miracle mud by Nadege and I had to try it. My skin definitely felt tighter and cleaner after the first use. It's SUPER SOFT! Can't wait to see how it does after more applications.

Oh, did I mention I had a glass of Merlot while steaming? :) That was a fun facial for sure! 

This morning's green goodness was comprised of:
2 c organic kale, stems removed
2 tbsp goji berries
1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass
1/2 frozen banana
1 c organic carrot juice

Blend. Enjoy. Cheers!

Poop Perfection!

It's day 16 of the 30 day challenge and I want to talk about poop. If it's TMI, feel free to scroll down to today's recipe.

My digestive track is very happy these days. I've suffered from undiagnosed extreme digestive discomfort in the past and it's no fun. When I have a good level 4 poop (as explained by Dr. Oz), I am a happy camper. 

As I'm consuming all of this green goodness everyday, I am grateful that my bowels are functioning well. 

With that said, I am even more motivated to drink my green smoothies. However, it's very important to drink lots of water during the day. This weekend, my water consumption dropped and I didn't go. Last night I drank a few cups of water and suddenly, things started moving again. 

Ahhh. Poop perfection. 


Now, on to today's drink...
2 c organic baby spinach
1/2 frozen banana
Handful frozen organic blueberries
1/2 beet (yes the beet is back!)
1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass
1 tsp Maca powder
1 serving Stevia Kal
1/2 c Synergy Mystic Mango Kombucha
1/2 c carrot juice


Cheers!

Blogging about the challenge is challenging!

Day 15!
Blogging every day about the green smoothie challenge is also a challenge!

Half way through the challenge and I have to say, it's been pretty easy to drink a yummy beverage every day. It's not always convenient to make them, but it is possible with a little planning. This morning, I went to 8 AM service and didn't have time to make the smoothie before church. I drank it for a late breakfast/early lunch later this morning. What did I drink?

2 c organic baby spinach
1 frozen banana
1/2 cucumber
2 tbsp Cacao powder
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass
Generous sprinkle of cinnamon

Cheers!

Blueberry Jam! Uh huh.

Day 14 of 30!

Today is Saturday and I had a taste for a non-liquid breakfast. However, that doesn't mean I'm not drinking my nutrient blast of green goodness. I ate a breakfast sandwich - gluten free bread made with brown rice flour, 1 pasteurized egg scrambled, 2 slices of nitrate free peppered bacon AND a slice of provolone to top it off. Delicious! 

After I consumed my yummy breakfast sandwich, I turned on the TV and a Nutribullet commercial was on. So today's drink was inspired by David Wolfe.

1 c organic baby spinach

1 c organic kale

1/2 organic cucumber

1/2 frozen banana

Blueberry jam (see recipe below)

A few raw pecans

1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass
1 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

BLUEBERRY JAM

A friend sent me this recipe and she uses it to make blueberry pancakes. It's Saturday, and I was planning on making blueberry pancakes this morning so I prepared the jam first. Then I realized that I tossed my old griddle and never replaced it. I had the jam sitting in a bowl looking yummy so I decided to dump it into my smoothie. That was a good decision!

1 c blueberries 

2 tbsp chia seeds

pinch of stevia to taste

Mash the blueberries or blend them in a food processor. Pour into a glass bowl. Add the chia seeds and stevia (or your preferred sweetener). Mix and let it set a few hours to gel. 

Cheers!

ENERGY BOOST THIS AFTERNOON
I'm continuing this post from this morning. It's 3:56 PM and I just came back from running. This may not be exciting for the average person, but I am not a runner, I don't workout on the weekends AND I'm usually chillin' around this time in the afternoon.

Not today!

This is the second weekend where I took advantage of the energy boosting benefits of my green smoothies. I decided around 2 pm, I was going to go for a run! Ha! I have to laugh at myself because that sounds so healthy...so fit...so not like me!

I tried running last year using a couch to 5K app and even though I completed the 6 weeks, I never liked running. I just didn't like it. I could do it, but I never got that runner's high AND I didn't lose any weight doing it (which was my primary motivation). Go figure. 

Knowing what I know now, I probably didn't lose any weight because I was so focused on losing the weight and hating running that my body was experiencing a low grade level of stress...all the time. Stress will make your body hold on to weight for dear life. 

Now do you see why I'm laughing at myself because I can hardly believe I decided to get up and go running, just for the heck of it. Well I ran and it felt good. I went to the local track and did 3.1 miles using Lolo BeatBurn Treadmill/Outdoor trainer app and tracking my distance with Map My Run.

I feel GOOD (in my James Brown voice)!

Off to the shower!

Moving', groovin', shakin', blendin'

It's day 13! 

I'm movin' and groovin', shakin' and blending!

Today's green elixir was yummy, yummy. 

1 c organic baby spinach

1 c organic kale

1/2 frozen banana

1/4 frozen organic blueberries

1 tsp Maca powder

1 serving Wheat Grass

Cinnamon

1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 c water

Cheers!

My stomach has deflated

Day 12!

I'M NOTICING A DIFFERENCE!
I am rocking and rolling with these green smoothies. Today, I felt like my stomach deflated a few inches and boy did that feel good. I also seem to becoming more regular. Not just once a day, but twice! Things are definitely moving through my system, which is great (cuz I ate a bacon cheeseburger yesterday)!

Today, I didn't forget to add a beet to my drink. I ALMOST added a whole beet, but decided to just go with the half. Here is what I drank today...

1 c organic kale (stems removed)
1 c organic baby spinach
1/2 organic fuji apple
1/2 organic beet
3 merijoel dates (for sweetness)
1 serving Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass
1 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Cheers!