You know how I mentioned the unlikelihood of me making a green smoothie on vacation? Well, I lied. I lasted until yesterday and then I wanted to whip out the blender. I wanted to taste the power of green for myself and convince my family that spinach can blend into a satisfying, refreshing, and taste-bud thrilling concoction.

At first, they seemed a little uncertain on what a spinach smoothie would taste like. Then, they said cheers and drank up!

Verdict: I have converted two more to the green smoothie ways. Muahahaha! The world shall sport green mustaches from here on out. Or, at the very least – my family will. 😉

I love showing others not to judge healthy options until they try them. I know the blog world has opened my eyes to trying a wide range of foods and has converted me into a lover of many things. Although Kombucha won’t be one of them. I draw the line at fungi floating in my drinks.

Alright, now I must dive into something a little more serious. That’s where the “my butt” part of the title comes in. Yes, that qualifies as serious conversation because I more specifically mean body image, the beach, and my butt.

On any given day, I feel great about my body. I think I look fit, strong, and healthy – which is all I hope for my body to look. I have confidence in what I have accomplished. I take pride in the way I care for myself and the dedication I take to my goals. I appreciate all my body can do, like rocking a 10K race and delivering my children. I can feel super self-confident, especially when put together in a cute outfit highlighting my favorite body parts, such as my legs and arms.

Then you put me in a bikini with my butt, about which I always feel most self-conscious, out in the open and I become a little more self-aware.

It will bring some of those old inadequate feelings back to the forefront. Having my body exposed in a bikini all day long will leave me critiquing myself and getting negative in my mind. Something about the beach, a location where I have many times in the past participated in some of the worst fat-talk, will have me longing for appearances and physiques of my past and feeling unsatisfied with my present. I’m not perfect. I still struggle with body image from time to time. I still sometimes wonder, “what if I had been tighter with my eating?” or “if only I looked more like I did X years ago”.

The key is to recognize those moments. To recognize them as the evil they consume and the lack of truth they possess. Instead of allowing those thoughts to consume me, I paid attention to them and thought about what triggered that reaction.

Then, I replaced the negatives with positives. And told myself to suck it up and rock that bikini. My body can do pretty fabulous things. And it doesn’t look half bad in the process either…because healthy looks hot on anybody.

• What moments/places trigger body image struggles for you?
• PS: Stay tuned for a giveaway sometime tomorrow!

I think I need a new Bondi Band.

Instead of “Will Run for Margaritas”, I need one that says “Will Putt-Putt for Food”. After all, that described my day yesterday perfectly. After a typical morning at the beach and lunch/naps, we decided to take advantage of a Groupon we purchased for some putt-putt action.

Take note: sign up for deals in the areas to which you plan to travel. You can score deals on fun activities for the trip without extra hassle. That’s what we did to score a great price on a round of putt-putt, or miniature golf as some call it.

We picked up our clubs, balls, and scorecard and began a super serious game of golf.

Makenzie dominated the game, of course. She decided that the start of each part of the course was about 1 inch away from the hole.

Smart girl. I could have used such handicaps for myself. I clearly do not have good hand/eye coordination and scored at least a 3, but usually a 5, on each hole. Somehow Peter knocked out more than a few hole-in-ones.

Oh, well. I still had a blast. How could I not watching this little one have the time of her life? Although, I think she got more excited over the pirate flag than the actual game.

Once we finished our round of putt-putt we got showered and ready for our family dinner for the night. We went to one of our favorite restaurants – Stonewood Grill and Tavern.

We love this place. They have amazing food and drink. We look forward to it every year.

Tonight I started with a rosemary infused blueberry martini.

Then, a group of us split a bruschetta appetizer that included a fantastically delicious balsamic reduction. I happily devoured my piece.

Once again, my sister and I decided to share a dish. For tonight’s dinner we went with the filet and portabella ravioli combo. Each of our portions included a 3 oz filet, ravioli “pillows” stuffed with a wine sauce and portabella mushrooms, a Caesar salad, and creamed spinach for a side.

I wish the pictures could do this meal justice because it tasted incredible. Splitting a meal created the perfect portions, too. I left perfectly satisfied, but not overly full. I love when that happens after dining out. I know I can easily eat a bit past my comfort zone when faced with an abundance of delicious food. So restaurants that serve realistic portions always win in my book. Hopefully we will get the chance to return again next year!

• Is it easy for you to eat more when restaurants serve a huge portion?
• Do you call it “putt-putt” or “miniature golf”?