Good morning! Happy Monday and welcome to the start of a beautiful week!
I am in a fantastic mood. My Mom and I walked in the cool, humidity-free, 70 degree morning air and witnessed the most beautiful, pink and orange sunrise. Then, Ben text messaged me a picture of a million hot air balloons passing through the area (he left earlier then I did today.) See ‘em?
I HEART hot air balloons – they’re so mysterious. How does one get into hot air ballooning? How long does it take to learn how to fly one? Is it hard? Most importantly, how do I get in on that action?! 
I had the chance to go on one with a friend when I was in 7th grade, and for some reason I didn’t. I’ve been kicking myself ever since. Hot air ballooning has officially made my bucket list!!
Breakfast made my lovely morning even lovelier. I had a cool & crisp Cantaloupe Bowl.
That’s 1/2 a cantaloupe, seeded and filled with this Daisy Brand Low Fat Cottage Cheese that the folks at Daisy sent me to try.
With only 4 ingredients, this cottage cheese seems like a sure bet.
It’s THICK and creamy – definitely thicker than my beloved AE Cottage Cheese, which you know I am obsessed with. Not a good thing, not a bad thing, just different! It’s a little bit tangier too, which was actually really nice when paired with the super sweet ‘loupe.
Topped with some fresh strawberries – it was good! 
I’m packing more freshness with a big Kitchen Sink Salad and Peach Greek Yogurt for lunch.
In the mix:
- Mixed greens
- Spinach
- 1/2 cucumber
- Tomato
- Carrots
- Green onion
- Almonds
I was going to add dried cranberries to this baby, for some sweetness, but I plum forgot about ‘em! The Trader Joe’s Raspberry Vinaigrette from my in-laws’ care package will do the trick.
Chobani are STILL on sale – 4/$5 – at the grocery store. That might seem like an absorbent amount of money for yogurt, but trust me, it is SO worth it!
Oh, and a mini Tropical Fruit Tart Larabar for dessert.
This bar explodes with flavahhhh.
Time to get this party started – have a wonderful day, and start to your week!
See ya’!
~~~~~
What are some of the things on your bucket list? Have you been able to cross any of them off yet?
I really want to go hang gliding. Like, really, really bad. Someday!!
A hot air balloon is on my mum’s bucket list
Mine would have..swim with sharks, travel across America, and visit places like the Grand Canyon, go to Hong Kong/Japan, do some charity work in Africa, meet someone famous, run a marathon (crossed off in October hopefully!!)…I have loads!
I really want to travel to Greece and Italy. Those are the big ones!
i really want to qualify for & run boston! hopefully that will happen in may
So many things yet to do in my life! I will skydive for the first time this summer. I want to do the Athens and Great Wall Marathons. I want to take my kids to Greece to show them where I used to live. The list goes on and on…in August I get to check one thing off my list as i run a stage of the TransRockies run with none other than ultra marathon man Dean Karnazes!!
BTW, you can get Chobani (I think a 12 pack) at Costco for pretty cheap. Blueberry, strawberry, peach.
I know, I just can’t eat the strawberry flavor (chunks of s-berry make me gag!) otherwise, I totally would!!
Hot air ballooning is so cool! I would love to do that, too! On my bucket list – zip lining (preferably in Costa Rica
)!
I’ve flown a plane, parasailed, shot a gun, and sky-dived, but there’s still a lot left on my list. I’ve recently decided to axe swimming with sharks though!
On my bucket list….a few weeks in Europe, running a marathon, and getting my doctorate!
hot air ballooning is amazing! and so is your breakfast
Have a good monday girl!
It’s your lucky week – Indianola is hosting their annual Balloon Classic this weekend and several crews offer flights. I’m sure they would love to answer your questions about balloons.
I would Love to go to India again and see Germany, England, Scotland – see the land of my ancestors.
Greek yogurt is the bomb – I am in love with the Honey flavor.
I love hot air balloons too!! They used to have a ton of festivals around me when I was little and I would always go with my parents but now they seem to have less and less. Plus its super expensive to take a ride, but its once in a lifetime thing so its worth it!
Ooh I went hang gliding in Argentina and it was out of this world! You must must must do it! Most of my “things I must do” stuff is travel-based – not a bad thing I guess!
I think it’d be quite fun to fly in a hot air balloon! My bucket list includes visiting Ireland and New Zealand, running a half-marathon, and sky diving! So many fun things to do!
I think I would much prefer the mini larabars as a small treat after a meal. The full bars never fill me up for a snack.
I’ve never been hot air ballooning and it is certainly something I would love to do one day.
A few of mine are….
Hot air balloon ride (I am so with you on this, always wanted to go!)
Become a professional photographer
Visit Europe, New Zealand and Australia
Fly in a helicopter (never been in one!)
Visit the western part of the U.S. and hit all the big National Parks
Take professional cooking classes
As for hot air balloon rides, I know they offer them for a few. You can probably do an internet search for your area. My son is severely disabled in a wheelchair and we have a hot air balloon festival every Fourth of July in our area. They have one hot air balloon that is the First Accessible Hot Air Balloon and they give “tethered” rides for the kids, weather permitting. My son got to go up in there and loved it. They actually went up pretty high in the air but the weather conditions have to be “perfect”. No wind at all. It was exciting.
As for me, I’d love to travel and see the great flower and water gardens of the world.
Italy, Italy, Italy! I want to have wine and pizza for lunch at a small cafe
Heaven!
Skydiving is on my list, which I did in Vegas a couple of years ago. Every August/September there is a hot air balloon festival in Council Bluffs. Not sure if you can do rides or not but might be worth checking out. I rode in one once in Colorado when I was really little but I don’t remember it. My mom took pictures so at least I have those
Your salad looks so good!
That cantaloupe bowl looks delicious!!!
I am kind of a scardy-cat so nothing like sky-diving or bungee jumping is on my bucket list – however, Trapeze is! I really really want to take a trapeze class!!!
I was out on the National Balloon Classic website a couple days ago and saw that you could sign up for hot-air balloon rides. You might want to give that a try.
I really don’t have a lot on my bucket list. I feel pretty happy with where I am in life. But every year, I have the itch to go on RAGBRAI, just for a 1-day ride. I’m just too cheap to buy a good road bike, and I don’t think my 15-year old Huffy can get me through the ride
I really want to visit every continent. I’m currently 2/7 of the way there and still trying to figure out an excuse to visit Antarctica! You should make a page on your site about everything on your bucket list!
I love cottage cheese, too. Do you ever put it on your salad? Yum, I’m telling you!
My grandparents just crossed this off of their budget list a year ago with their final continent being Antarctica — they went on a Antarctica cruise and had a blast!
Chobani’s were on sale at the grocery store near my parents’ house – 10 for $10!!! I felt like I hit the jackpot
I want to zip line~!
Aww your good mood on a monday is such a nice thing to hear. Hope it lasts all week!
Random, but I want to stand on the stage of th Grand Ole Opry
hey this website puts out pretty good coupons that i thought you might like. http://earthfare.com/HealthySavings/Coupons.aspx
Oh and id like to take a hot air balloon ride in africa, i saw one on youtube and it looked like quite the experience.
Are you going to the National Balloon Classic in Indianola this weekend?
I want to finish the Boston Marathon, visit Australia, sky dive….so many things to do and see! My bucket list is always growing and changing.
The first two items off the top of my head I can say I’ve crossed off my list are becoming a mom, and kissing the Blarney Stone. I have a lot of other things I want to do, although most involve travel!
this is so random that i know this but i wouldn’t advise kissing the blarney stone. i’ve been told the locals go out at night and pee on it! sooo gross!
I’ve heard that too–I’ve also heard it’s one of those urban legends…Even still, I like being able to say that I’ve done it!
parasailing, traveling to europe, & learning to ride a bike…yes, no one bothered to teach me as a kid.
Whale watching!
A cottage cheese with only four ingredients?? I’m sold! I hate the ingredient lists of cottage cheese!
On my bucket list is to make a real quilt. I love real quilts and my grandmother made beautiful ones…I never knew her though and wish I could have learned from her.
I’ve actually been in a hot air balloon…it was tied to the ground the whole time, but I can truthfully say I’ve been in one
I got the most reading points out of the entire fifth grade class at my school. LOL.
How do you get all of your free samples? Do companies just randomly send food to you or do you have to email them?
This might sound..weird..but, since you shared your breakfast of cantaloupe and cottage cheese, I thought I would share one of my breakfast faves: parfait of blueberry/raspberry yogurt, cottage cheese, and blueberries (or other berry). The sweetness of the yogurt & creamy, salty tang of the cottage cheese really go well together. You should give it a whirl!
Oh, and I haven’t started a Bucket List. A good idea
I love the ‘loupe, it looks good!! So glad that you are upbeat on a Monday, it takes a lot to make me happy on the first day of the weok week!
Mine would include running a 1/2 marathon (I hope to do this next May) and hiking in the mountains with my sister and her husband.
YUM! I got so inspired by you that I had a giant salad topped with TJ’s dried cranberries the other night…so I totally cracked up when you mentioned you had forgotten them today. My bucket list includes learning how to snowboard AND skateboard, two things I’ve been totally afraid to try, ever since I was a kid. I had chances to do both (of course!) back when I was younger and everyone was trying it, but I never went for it and have really been kicking myself when I see what some of these whipper-snappers can do these days (okay, I’m not THAT) old. I’ve thought about taking lessons? As for hot-air balloons…I’m way-terrified. I’ve had nightmares about falling *out* of a hot air balloon many times…NO WAY! But go for it! By the way, if Ben and you need something fun to do, go see ‘Inception’. It was SO good!
I always wanted to go sky diving – and I did it a few years ago! So exhilirating and wonderful
I love Hot Air Balloons because where I used to live had a huge hot air balloon festival and always wanted to ride in one.
One of my big things is to take a cruise. I was supposed to go on one for my Honeymoon before I got injured and we haven’t been able to go since.
Going on a Hot Air Balloon ride is on my bucket list as well!
Chobani.com – print out 3 coupons to buy 2 get one free! Just can’t find the pineapple here.
Hello. I thought I’d try and help answer some of your questions on hot air ballooning. My parents bought a ride for their 10th wedding anniversary (YEARS ago) and befriended the pilots. We started helping them and became a part of their balloon “crew”. (The people that help get the balloon up and then “chase” it while it flies and then picks them up when they land. I’m from Cedar Rapids and the balloon company that we worked with is called Buzzards Glory. http://buzzardsgloryballoons.com/ I’m sure there are balloonists in your area. Anyone can buy a ride (which is amazing and completely worth the $) but you can also find them giving tether rides as others have mentioned at the balloon festivals. To get your pilot’s license you have to find someone with a current license to work/fly with (think apprenticeship) and then log a certain number of hours flying with them and then solo. I’m guessing there are classes or a test too but I’m not sure about that part. Anyway, hope this helps!
Love your blog and keeping connected to Iowa! (I live in Chicago now.)
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