It isn't too late for YOU to make a "delicious change" - keep reading to find out more about the Water Way Challenge, my reasons for doing the challenge, and links to the posts I did for the two weeks i was on the Challenge:

I've been trying to become healthier recently. It started this past autumn when my nurse practitioner who always has an easy answer to my woes told me I had to lose weight. Huh, not such an easy answer. Through both diet and exercise, I lost weight. Of course, novelty wears off, and the tools I used pre-gluttonous holiday season became less attractive after the lefse and pumpkin pie. Fortunately, I didn't fall completely off the wagon, but various stressors like my eldest son's behavioral roller coaster and my youngest son's surgery have left me grabbing vending machine fare and perceiving that I don't have time to exercise.

Luckily, I've found some great camaraderie in the exercise department thanks to some online pals. Unfortunately, I still reach for my trusty diet cola before, during, and after my workout.

I'm not a coffee gal. Nope. First thing in the morning, I grab a soda. About twenty minutes later, I grab another. Bored at the computer? Hey, let's have a soda! Driving my kids to gymnastics or soccer practice? Better pack a soda!

It isn't funny how much soda our family goes through.

In my mind, I reason "Better to drink a calorie-free soda than to munch on chips!" and yet I know that my dentist would tsk-tsk the carbonation and my nurse practitioner would tell me, "Hey, caffeine dehydrates you - so not only are you making your workouts less effective, but that whole peeing problem you were telling me about... yeah." And then there is that little thing about all those aluminum cans that pile up in our recycling bin.

I've had great success with powdered drinks that I can add to my water, stick in my favorite aluminum bottle, shake, and take with me. I was doing great with drinking more water until I realized my powdered drink had expired several months ago. Oops! And so, when I learned of the Crystal Light Water Way Challenge, I was eager to get back on the powder and cut down on the pop.

For the next two weeks, I'll be reporting back here on my progress. You'll learn what flavors I received from Crystal Light, and which I like the best. You'll watch to see if I end up drinking more water (of course I will because you'll cheer me on!) or whether I'll stick by my more-than-a-six-pack a day habit on the cola.

The best thing about the Water Way Challenge is that you can be a part of it too. Join the conversation by joining the Crystal Light Water Way Challenge Group at BlogHer. I'll be posting there too, so say "hello" over there as well as right here. Head on over to Crystal Light to make a delicious change. Test your "water wisdom," create your own Water Way Challenge Widget (like mine above) and even register to win a prize.

Join me - it is going to be a great start to the summer for us all to stay hydrated and healthful!

--

* Crystal Light Water Way Challenge
* Blogher's Water Way Challenge Group
* Crystal Light official site

It is time to reveal the first flavor of Crystal Light that I received for my participation in the Water Way Challenge -- pomegranate lemonade!

Doesn't that sound delicious?

Last week I received four flavors in the mail - two are canisters that make entire pitchers of Crystal Light, and then two boxes contain individual packets that can be used "on the go." My original plan was to try one of the "canister" flavors first, because I wanted to travel from the flavor that I thought I'd like "fine to good" up to the flavor I thought I'd like "great to excellent" and also "use up" the canister flavors in favor of the little on-the-go packets.

I'll touch on "canister versus on-the-go" later during the Challenge as I actually try out both types, but my initial reaction to on-the-go is that it seems easier by a longshot (carry one or seven in your purse!) but of course the environmental impact of the packaging is greater, and likely the cost is higher. Meanwhile, the canister would be useful for a party, but maybe not as useful if I am preparing a single drink.

And so my plan was canister today - and then on-the-go a little later in the week. But, best laid plans tend to go awry. I had quite a challenging day today, so when I came home I wasn't in the mood to measure out the proper amount of canister-powder to complete my drink. I was craving a diet soda (or yes, maybe even something stronger) but definitely wanted to stay on-task with the Challenge. I went directly for the flavor I thought I'd like the most, the pomegranate lemonade. (Yes, I am an emotional eater, and thus, an emotional "drinker.")

Over at the Blogher Water Way Challenge group, some participants were discussing using Crystal Light to make popsicles. (And that there are pre-made Crystal Light popsicles available in some grocery stores.) Indeed, this is a fabulous idea, which made me think of both ice-cubes (mini popsicles, really) and jello.

I don't have any snazzy popsicle molds, but I do have some pretty cool (ha, get it?) ice-cube trays, such as stars and triangles. I thought it might be neat to make some little red stars that I could then put in cold water. (I used already-mixed Crystal Light and just poured it into the molds.) My hope was that the stars would stay red against "clear" water just long enough for me to snap a photo, but they melted extremely quickly. I am not sure whether the melting point was altered by the Crystal Light, or whether the stars just naturally melt faster. After all, the points of the stars create more surface area for the warmer water to act upon to melt, yes? And the stars are much smaller than regular-sized ice-cubes.

The triangles, however, are larger. But since I only filled the stars with Crystal Light today, the "stars versus triangles" or "ice made from Crystal Light versus water" experiment will have to wait until another day. For now, the verdict on the stars is that it is cute, but won't necessarily hold too long. Perhaps if the water was chilled prior to adding the ice, the effect could last long enough for the desired response from the kids.

After all, the Fourth of July is coming up, so it might be fun to have some red ice-cubes around.

I've been happily slurping up the Crystal Light jello I made yesterday - yum! It is really tasty, and I love how I could eat the entire pan and not feel guilty. It is a fun snack that fills me up without costing me calories. (Only five!)

But I admit that the REDness of the jello is a bit strange for me. Just as I was surprised by the rich color of the pomegranate lemonade when I first made it, I am not used to artificial color.

Our family stays away from a variety of artificial and petroleum-based products. I changed my diet when I was a child for hyperactivity-related issues and started it with my older son when it was clear that he is also a live-wire.

I'm not going to pretend that we're 100% organic and that I create my own yogurt or churn my own butter. After all, if we didn't have convenience foods in our house and if I were completely against chemically-enhanced food I wouldn't have signed up for this challenge. It is no secret that powdered drinks contain artificial flavors and artificial colors.

But I've got to be honest - I was surprised when stains started showing up in my sink and on my drinking glasses. I'm just not used to these bright colors.

I'll admit, when the box from Crystal Light arrived, I was a little disappointed to see a big canister of Iced Tea included in my assigned flavors.

I shouldn't have been worried - I really liked the taste of the pomegranate lemonade, but I like the peach iced-tea even better.

Usually iced tea tastes yucky to me. Although I have particular types of tea that I like to drink iced, the instant variety usually leaves something to be desired. Initially, I didn't see the "peach" so was expecting the "straight up tea-tasting" stuff. These varieties can either be too flat - with that taste that the tea was overbrewed - or over-sweetened (especially when "lemon" is involved - yuk!)

But this peach iced-tea tastes just sweet enough to be pleasant, but not too sweet. It is refreshing rather than heavy like some other tea-flavored beverages.

When my mom called me late Friday evening, she asked if we wanted to come over to "do something" for Father's Day. "Oh, of course!" was my reply, but then I told her how our eldest son had a soccer game at 12:30 so we'd have to leave before then.

Oh no, I'd want you over late - for things like burgers!

Mother's Day we get a brunch, or tea. But Father's Day we get to bring out the meat and beer. Not Fair.

And so I began to think about how a pitcher of iced tea is perfectly fine for a book club or ladies luncheon, but somehow not "manly" enough for the fathers. Granted, there are tea drinkers out there who happen to be male, but the stereotype is that men drink coffee while women drink tea. The women (allegedly) want fru-fru brunch, but the men want spice and substance.

What does this have to do with powdered beverages such as Crystal Light?

Well, Crystal Light is most certainly marketed to women. I understand that. I remember the beautiful ladies of the eighties showing how a flavored drink could avoid damage to one's figure, quite the opposite of many other refreshments of the time.

The interesting thing, though, is that now there are powdered drinks out there that are marketed to men as well. And then there are some that are rather gender-neutral. Look in your supermarket and you'll find products that are essentially alike, but in vastly different boxes.

Strawberry juice is something not really found in nature, unless you are talking about a nice sauce over pound cake created with the tiny bit of juice that can be eeked from a strawberry, plus a lot of sugar. Nonetheless, I must admit that the wild strawberry flavor of Crystal Light is really tasty. It is refreshing, not too sweet, and absolutely smooth. (After all, with real strawberries, I end up with black-dotted teeth.)

I've had a blast filling up my sports bottle with the Wild Strawberry Energy Crystal Light because it really is a treat. I have little strawberry candies that I like, and now it is as though I am drinking them - but without worrying about the caloric impact. Interestingly, I just learned that there is such a thing as Wild Strawberry Energy Sugar-Free Crystal Light Hard Candy. I think I know something I'm going to be purchasing soon.

This particular flavor is part of the "energy" line, which contains B vitamins plus caffeine to boost energy. Yes, I said caffeine - so the energy line isn't what you should look for if you are trying to cut down on caffeinated beverages or if you are looking for a drink before bedtime.

By way of comparison, the diet soda that I have in my fridge is 34mg caffeine per 12 oz soda. Wild Strawberry Crystal Light has 60mg caffeine per 16.9oz water (or more if you dilute it a bit.) Huh, no wonder I had enough energy to do my running intervals today.

Don't get me wrong - I love a little caffeine boost. But it is probably best for me to not drink too many servings of Wild Strawberry in one day. No fear, though, because there are plenty of other non-caffeinated flavors of Crystal Light for me to drink once I'm done with my Wild Strawberry allotment.

I easily finished up my 8 glasses of water today on the Challenge -- several were Wild Strawberry, plus I had 20+ ounces of ice water right after I did running intervals. Minus a glass of wine (because alcohol dehydrates) and plus 2 diet sodas, and I'm still ahead.

What? You still don't have your Water Way Challenge Widget? See below and get yourself one - it isn't too late!

--

* My introductory post to the Water Way Challenge - which links all the posts I've done while doing the Challenge, and includes my Challenge Widget to show how much water I've been drinking.
* Crystal Light Water Way Challenge official site
* Blogher's Water Way Challenge Group
* Crystal Light official site

Well, I did it: I tried creating a carbonated beverage out of Crystal Light.

You see, I love carbonation. My attraction to diet soda is nearly all because of the bubbles. For awhile, I drank just club soda, but I do prefer some taste. I know my dentist would say that carbonation helps rot my teeth. And the doctor would say carbonation would cause tummy trouble. But I reach for carbonation when I'm feeling ill - I think it settles my stomach - and honestly, drinking tea has had more of a negative impact on my teeth than carbonation has, especially since the sodas I drink aren't the heavy sugar variety.

During the Water Way Challenge I've reached for soda less often than before, but I haven't gone a full day without at least one. I really crave those happy bubbles on my tongue and in my tummy. Interestingly, though, the taste of the soda has seemed a bit "off" recently since I am so used to drinking either Crystal Light or water. But, I chug it down anyway because the carbonation is comforting.

The next logical step was to see if I could create a Crystal Light "soda."

I used Pomegranate Lemonade for my experiment. I put the powder in my glass first, then slowly poured Club Soda down the side so the powder wouldn't explode. Sure, it bubbled up a bit, but didn't expand into a flurry over the side of the glass. After I stirred it up, I tried it.

Verdict?

Today I tried the fourth flavor in my Challenge Collection - Lemonade. Straight-up lemonade. Not raspberry-lemonade. Not mango-peach-lemonade. No flavor added to the lemon to make sure the taste doesn't fizzle. Actual it-better-taste-right lemonade.

Like the peach iced-tea, this flavor came to me canister-style, so I made an entire pitcher. (I discovered less than five minutes ago that the pitcher can actually fit in the lowest shelf of my fridge - I rejoice!)

Let me tell you about lemonade: it is usually too sweet or too sour in my opinion. Getting it right is quite difficult.

I am pleased to report that the Crystal Light lemonade made today tastes good. Initially I thought it was a little watery, but that could be my own fault for just filling up the pitcher rather than specifically measuring out the eight cups of water. But then I realized that after a run, in the midst of the summer heat, or in the car, I'd like something refreshing like this with no syrupy-sweetness. I may try another batch with less water to see if I can get the sweetness just right, but this slightly-over-watered version is perfect for today's weather and for drinking plenty of water!

As I made the lemonade, I realized what the wild strawberry Crystal Light reminds me of -- wine coolers. Of course, that got the gears in my head turning: Could I produce a sugar-free alcoholic beverage using Crystal Light?

One of my favorite treats is a lemon drop martini. And Lo! I had sugar-free lemonade right in front of me. Plus, I had fresh lemons on the counter. Perfect!

I created my sugar-free martini with the following:
3/4 oz Crystal Light lemonade
1 1/2 oz vodka (I saw that I have blueberry vodka in the freezer too, so may try that on the next round)
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
... and then I tasted it, and decided that it wasn't yet sweet enough - too strong. Since traditional recipes use triple-sec, I added:
1/2 oz freshly squeezed orange juice

On my next try, I'll create the Crystal Light with less water to begin with, perhaps half of the recommended amount so as to create a concentrated liquid that will probably work in the martini -- and on a separate try, will do the blueberry vodka to create a different taste altogether. For presentation's sake (and probably for flavor, too) I could try covering the rim of the glass with a sugar substitute.

I'm excited because a big downfall of many mixed drinks is the caloric whollop that the mixers (fruit juice usually) end up packing per drink. Even if I concentrate the Crystal Light, we're looking at 10-20 calories per drink versus hundreds.

Okay, so the truth is that drinking tons of alcoholic beverages doesn't help with the increased water intake promoted by the Water Way Challenge; however in the event that we do drink, it would be great to have lower-calorie versions of party drinks.

What are some other ideas of alcoholic drinks that might be augmented by using Crystal Light instead of a high-calorie mixer?

--

* My introductory post to the Water Way Challenge - which links all the posts I've done while doing the Challenge, and includes my Challenge Widget to show how much water I've been drinking.
* Crystal Light Water Way Challenge official site
* Blogher's Water Way Challenge Group
* Crystal Light official site

When I first got the package of Crystal Light products, I figured I would have to run out to the store for a refill. After all, they arrived in a small box. Just samples, I thought, thinking of our bulging cabinets and overflow area in the dining room corner where we keep our drinks.

Surprisingly, even though I drank a lot of Crystal Light during these past two weeks on the Water Way Challenge, I still have plenty of powder left. I am close to being finished with the on-the-go packets (because they are so easy to just grab and go) but the canister-types (peach iced tea and lemonade) both have several powder tubs left, each tub the equivalent of a whole pitcher of drink. In other words: a little powder goes a long way!

Most notably, for the equivalent number of drinks the Crystal Light creates, I'd have huge stacks of soda sleeves in my living room (nope, not enough room in the fridge or kitchen cabinets.) But instead, the powder takes up mere inches of my cabinet space. Carrying around two tubes of on-the-go powder is certainly not as heavy or space-hogging as two bottles of pre-made beverage. While I frequently tote a single large sports bottle with me in my car, I certainly wouldn't want an entire cooler in my car. But with some powder in my purse, I can refill the bottle whenever necessary. This potentially can cut off the "Oh, I need a drink so I'll just go to this drive-thru and spend a lot of money on a fountain drink. Hey! While I'm here, I might as well get a high-calorie snack as well." The motto Be Prepared can be extended to Be Prepared with Powder.

In a way, I am a little disappointed that I didn't use up all the powder -- it would have given me an "excuse" to try some additional flavors of Crystal Light. But, even though my two-week Challenge period is coming to a close, I am not going to stop drinking Crystal Light and more water. I can try out some of the other flavors, special enhancements, and other Crystal Light products as I find them on the shelves of my grocery store.

As for the "volume test?" Well, the amount of space the Crystal Light takes up in my kitchen is significantly less than my previous drinking habits - so that is a big positive. And the amount of water I'm drinking now is significantly more than when I was solely drinking diet soda throughout the day - this is the result that the Water Way Challenge encouraged us to achieve.

Even though my two weeks is up, it isn't too late for you to make a "delicious change" by using Crystal Light powder to dress-up water to improve your hydration. Just see the links below for more information. Especially with Fourth of July picnics coming up, consider serving a pitcher of Crystal Light iced-tea, lemonade, or punch. Or try some Crystal Light jello with fresh fruit inside.

Thanks for supporting me on my Challenge!

--

* My introductory post to the Water Way Challenge - which links all the posts I've done while doing the Challenge, and includes my Challenge Widget to show how much water I've been drinking.
* Crystal Light Water Way Challenge official site
* Blogher's Water Way Challenge Group
* Crystal Light official site

Wow, so this is it! I've been drinking Crystal Light for two weeks. I must admit it went by quickly, and I was surprised at how I was able to cut down on soda. I not once went a day without a soda, but I certainly didn't have as many in a day as I was used to.

Typically I would have a soda beside my computer as I write; but instead I have a huge red sports bottle next to me, filled with Crystal Light. Making the switch was definitely not "painful" as I had anticipated. I thought I'd be drinking the same amount of soda, but then adding a bunch of Crystal Light on top of it. But indeed, I cut down on my need for soda because the flavored water satisfied me. As an added benefit, my skin has looked terrific now that it has been hydrated instead of pelted with caffeine each day.

The trickiest thing has been forgetting to update my widget. It seems that I'm drinking so much when I'm away from my computer (in the car, at the gym, outside) that I forget to record my intake. But since I have to refill the sports bottles, I am aware of how much I'm taking in - lots!

Even though my two weeks are up, you can be a part of the Water Way Challenge - the summer has just begun. Join the conversation by joining the Crystal Light Water Way Challenge Group at BlogHer. Head on over to Crystal Light to make a delicious change. Test your "water wisdom," create your own Water Way Challenge Widget (like mine above) and even register to win a prize.

Thank you to BlogHer, Crystal Light, and the fun gals at the Challenge Group - these two weeks have been fun!

If you haven't been reading along during these two weeks, please visit my introductory post to the Water Way Challenge. This explains a bit about why I agreed to do the challenge, and links all the posts I've done these past two weeks.

Other Helpful Links:

* Crystal Light Water Way Challenge
* Blogher's Water Way Challenge Group
* Crystal Light official site