I realized over the weekend that I am ALWAYS reading other people's race recaps, so why not start documenting my own? So here's how it will work! I will give highlights of a race as well as some suggestions for future improvement and tips that will help me should I repeat a stop on the race circuit in 2018!
I'll award starts for the following categories:
Scenery
Organized
Swag
Bathroom availability
Extras (including post-race snacks, water stations, parking, route marked properly, spectators if applicable, etc.)
So let's get started!
Today's review will cover the GRA 5/10K in Grayling, Michigan.
I chose to run the 10K, my stepdad completed the 5K. The start time was perfect at 9am but we did start about 10 minutes late due to some issues with runner bibs not matching up to chips. An understandable delay that everyone wanted to see properly worked out, so no grumbling there. The 5K did a loop through town and back to the start line at the Hanson Hills Recreation Area. The 10K first went south on Military Road all the way to Camp Grayling, looped through their circle drive at the entrance (big plus for the guys in uniform with large guns making me feel extra safe!) and then routed back to pick up the 5K route for the remainder of the race. It was very "northern Michigan" feeling with a lot of green and trees, but not much shade. There was one water station that I recall and that was on the 5K route so I was glad I carried my own because it was hot!
A note about this race: the race coinides with the Au Sable River Marathon (canoe race) so it drew some out of town participants. If the National Guard or Army is training at Camp the same weekend, there will be a considerable amount of military vehicles rumbling up behind runners on several long stretches of the race. This was both amazing and frightening.The tanks and trucks are loud and are loaded with men in uniform and artillery, It's not for the faint at heart! It was awesome though to wave to those guys and think that I can run in this great country because of our brave men and women in the military.
The race is organized by local teachers (I believe) and they did a nice job. We were able to register the week of via mail with no issues. Check in was organized and ran smoothly. They had just enough race volunteers that I never felt lost when the route would change direction. Finish line results were available quickly and they announced awards in a timely fashion. I was also able to get a race route map from the director before the race which I really appreciated.
We got cool tees for participating and medals were awarded to the top three total for the 5K and top three in each age group for the 10K. A little unusual that more awards weren't given in the 5K but the entry fee was cheap so it wasn't a big deal. They did have bananas at the finish and bottled water. An extra star for the cute Girl Scouts that not only worked the water station and cheered for racers but also waited at the end to sell finishers their famous cookies. Cute.
There were two Port-a-Johns available at the start and bathrooms inside the building where registration was. I never had to wait so that was a bonus too. Parking was ample and close to the start.
All in all, it was our first time and we really enjoyed this race. I would love to see more medals next year (finisher medals would be awesome!) but we'd run it again.
Scenery 4
Organized 4
Swag 3
Bathrooms 4
Extras 4
(including parking, route marked properly, spectators if applicable, etc.)
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
The final countdown!
Yikes... I pushed too much with Old Girl this weekend. I was committed to getting five miles in on Saturday before it got too hot. Old Girl and I set out at 9am and I figured we'd be fine. I was taking it slow and kept telling myself that I was going for distance, not speed. It's a good mantra.
About 2.5 miles she slowed down a little. I thought that was her signaling she needed a drink so I ran down to the lake and let her get a drink.
At the 3m mark she was behind me, and I was careful to run in the shady spots on the road. Still not enough. I used Siri to text Hubs to tell him to come and get her, and gave him my location. He showed up when we hit 3.5m and she was ready to get in the car.
I finished my 5 miles literally at the end of our dock. I think the water temp is still in the mid-60s but I didn't care and I got in up to my waist. I figured it was the equivalent of icing my legs. I felt pretty good but when I walked home they said the dog was about passed out on the floor. I felt horrible. No more runs for her unless they'll be under 3 miles and the sun is not out yet. Too hot for an old, black dog.
I plan to do 2-3 miles today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. I'll likely walk on Thursday and take Friday off completely. We'll see how D-day goes on Saturday!!! Fingers crossed no one has to drag me across the finish line.
Distance over speed...
In other news, I've been using my new compression socks for post-running relief. Here they are:
They are custom-made to fit each leg and do seem to help with my horrid vein disease and run recovery. My shins have felt better too. Tough to get on, but that means they're working, right??
About 2.5 miles she slowed down a little. I thought that was her signaling she needed a drink so I ran down to the lake and let her get a drink.
At the 3m mark she was behind me, and I was careful to run in the shady spots on the road. Still not enough. I used Siri to text Hubs to tell him to come and get her, and gave him my location. He showed up when we hit 3.5m and she was ready to get in the car.
I finished my 5 miles literally at the end of our dock. I think the water temp is still in the mid-60s but I didn't care and I got in up to my waist. I figured it was the equivalent of icing my legs. I felt pretty good but when I walked home they said the dog was about passed out on the floor. I felt horrible. No more runs for her unless they'll be under 3 miles and the sun is not out yet. Too hot for an old, black dog.
I plan to do 2-3 miles today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. I'll likely walk on Thursday and take Friday off completely. We'll see how D-day goes on Saturday!!! Fingers crossed no one has to drag me across the finish line.
Distance over speed...
In other news, I've been using my new compression socks for post-running relief. Here they are:
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Our little Etsy shop is coming to life!
I am still amazed at how people happen upon our Etsy shop by chance and search results.
Click here to check us out!
What started as a way to make "Royalty" mugs for our former queens and princesses has become a fun way to be creative and make a buck or two.
So far, we've had pageant tumbler orders from as far away as Maine.
We've had sports tumblers, including a male gymnast (he is amazing by the way) in Indiana, and my cousins who play tennis for their high school team.
We had a large, 23 tumbler order from a big high school in our state recently. This one was our best custom order to date, with us incorporating their signature "D" into the design.
I've got a beautiful wall with my own design for our H initial and "est. in 2006".
And our ideas keep coming! I have enjoyed the unexpected orders, like the Superman beer mug for a friend's boyfriend. I've also enjoyed combing through font after font to find the perfect one to portray the idea I have in my head.
It's a labor of love, but I am enjoying this little project of ours!
*****
Running update, for those of you following along! I took Old Girl out on Saturday morning near the lake. My plan was to run 4 miles even if we needed a walking break or two. Well, she hit her wall at 2.5m and I had to get her to the lake for a drink break. Good thing our lake is spring fed! She made it home but I realized those long runs won't be good for her.
This morning we did a solid two at a decent speed and she was fine.
Finally, I ran in a small 5K a week ago, and finished with my best time in 18 months. I was thrilled to finish at 32:38. It felt like a huge victory to me!!!
Click here to check us out!
What started as a way to make "Royalty" mugs for our former queens and princesses has become a fun way to be creative and make a buck or two.
So far, we've had pageant tumbler orders from as far away as Maine.
We've had sports tumblers, including a male gymnast (he is amazing by the way) in Indiana, and my cousins who play tennis for their high school team.
We had a large, 23 tumbler order from a big high school in our state recently. This one was our best custom order to date, with us incorporating their signature "D" into the design.
I've got a beautiful wall with my own design for our H initial and "est. in 2006".
And our ideas keep coming! I have enjoyed the unexpected orders, like the Superman beer mug for a friend's boyfriend. I've also enjoyed combing through font after font to find the perfect one to portray the idea I have in my head.
It's a labor of love, but I am enjoying this little project of ours!
*****
Running update, for those of you following along! I took Old Girl out on Saturday morning near the lake. My plan was to run 4 miles even if we needed a walking break or two. Well, she hit her wall at 2.5m and I had to get her to the lake for a drink break. Good thing our lake is spring fed! She made it home but I realized those long runs won't be good for her.
This morning we did a solid two at a decent speed and she was fine.
Finally, I ran in a small 5K a week ago, and finished with my best time in 18 months. I was thrilled to finish at 32:38. It felt like a huge victory to me!!!
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Running update
The 2017 race season is in full swing here in The Mitten. I ran a 5K in Florida over Easter weekend and wow, what a difference 40 degrees and humidity makes on performance! I was pretty mad at myself afterwards.
Coming up, we've got a local 5K for a small festival, and all the while we're training for that dreaded 10K I had signed the Hubs and I up for in June. Remember how mad he was? Turns out now he's protesting by not training at all. That silence was heard, loud and clear!
However, my birthday was recently, and my boys bought me a sweatshirt I had been coveting from the local running store for quite some time. SO EXCITED!
To assist in my quest to put the right foods into my body , I bought a spiralizer and my kid and I have been getting creative with our "zoodles" (this is zuccini pasta for those of you new to the Vegetti world!). Our first night, we used a jarred cheese sauce and mixed in diced grilled chicken (H said it was AMAZING) and last night we tried a peanut sauce. This was incredible. I'll make it again and post pics next time. The sauce was also really good on Barilla protein pasta.
I definitely feel a lot better with less carb-y, starchy food and more of a protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats focus. I have been running with the old girl at least every other day, if not every day, 2-3 miles or so. We did the full 5K on Saturday at the lake for practice, and yesterday did 2.75 even though we decided our legs were tired.
Ok, so I decided my legs were tired, but I kept repeating to myself, "Run until your legs aren't tired anymore!". Old girl did just fine. So we'll see how the weekend's race goes.
In other news, I have to travel for work and be gone ALL NEXT WEEK. This household will be in an uproar with Mom gone! It will also make training and eating well difficult. I'll do my best to stay on track and likely spend some time on the hotel 'dread'mill. Ughh.
10K soon, 10K soon, 10K soon...
Coming up, we've got a local 5K for a small festival, and all the while we're training for that dreaded 10K I had signed the Hubs and I up for in June. Remember how mad he was? Turns out now he's protesting by not training at all. That silence was heard, loud and clear!
However, my birthday was recently, and my boys bought me a sweatshirt I had been coveting from the local running store for quite some time. SO EXCITED!
To assist in my quest to put the right foods into my body , I bought a spiralizer and my kid and I have been getting creative with our "zoodles" (this is zuccini pasta for those of you new to the Vegetti world!). Our first night, we used a jarred cheese sauce and mixed in diced grilled chicken (H said it was AMAZING) and last night we tried a peanut sauce. This was incredible. I'll make it again and post pics next time. The sauce was also really good on Barilla protein pasta.
I definitely feel a lot better with less carb-y, starchy food and more of a protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats focus. I have been running with the old girl at least every other day, if not every day, 2-3 miles or so. We did the full 5K on Saturday at the lake for practice, and yesterday did 2.75 even though we decided our legs were tired.
Ok, so I decided my legs were tired, but I kept repeating to myself, "Run until your legs aren't tired anymore!". Old girl did just fine. So we'll see how the weekend's race goes.
In other news, I have to travel for work and be gone ALL NEXT WEEK. This household will be in an uproar with Mom gone! It will also make training and eating well difficult. I'll do my best to stay on track and likely spend some time on the hotel 'dread'mill. Ughh.
10K soon, 10K soon, 10K soon...
Mitten Love Mondays - vol. 3
Welcome to a Tuesday where I publish my Mitten Love Monday entry a day late.
It happens, right?
Today I'm featuring another food company I adore:
What do I love from there? Better question, what don't I love. Short back story, I came across this store downtown Traverse City once. The door was open and the enticing smells pulled me in. They have a kitchen in-house, and were making their famous chili. This isn't just any chili. This chili features two of their best products:
Stay with me, I know this sounds weird.
They also use ground turkey in their recipe. And cocoa powder. Yes, you read that correctly. It is such a unique and delicious flavor in chili. It is one of my go-to recipes now so I always have two jars of the salsa and one jar of the chipotle sauce on hand. There are never leftovers when I make this chili!
Lately, we've also been hooked on this product:
So delicious on burgers and chicken sausage, just in time for summer grilling. You can't beat any of their preserves either, with our house favorites being Early Glow Strawberry, and Blueberry Lime.
I love that you can sample their products too, because I always end up liking something new and buying a jar of it. With locations around Michigan, you'll leave with your arms full and your belly happy.
Leave a comment if you'd like the chili recipe. It. Is. Amazing. Would I ever let you down when it comes to food? Of course not. :)
It happens, right?
Today I'm featuring another food company I adore:
American Spoon Foods
What do I love from there? Better question, what don't I love. Short back story, I came across this store downtown Traverse City once. The door was open and the enticing smells pulled me in. They have a kitchen in-house, and were making their famous chili. This isn't just any chili. This chili features two of their best products:
Cherry Peach Salsa and Pumpkin Chipotle Grilling Sauce
Stay with me, I know this sounds weird.
They also use ground turkey in their recipe. And cocoa powder. Yes, you read that correctly. It is such a unique and delicious flavor in chili. It is one of my go-to recipes now so I always have two jars of the salsa and one jar of the chipotle sauce on hand. There are never leftovers when I make this chili!
Lately, we've also been hooked on this product:
So delicious on burgers and chicken sausage, just in time for summer grilling. You can't beat any of their preserves either, with our house favorites being Early Glow Strawberry, and Blueberry Lime.
I love that you can sample their products too, because I always end up liking something new and buying a jar of it. With locations around Michigan, you'll leave with your arms full and your belly happy.
Leave a comment if you'd like the chili recipe. It. Is. Amazing. Would I ever let you down when it comes to food? Of course not. :)
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Mitten Love Mondays vol. 2
Ahh Cherry Republic. You had me at "sample". If you've never been to a Cherry Republic store, you are in luck if you're visiting the Mitten. They now have stores in great locations other than Northern MI! Don't get me wrong, I love my TC however I can't always make a three hour trek just for Cherry Jam. An hour to Frankenmuth is much easier! So yes, confession Wednesday, I have gone to the 'Muth just to go to their store before. I stocked up while there on my favorite classic Cherry Jam, but we also got some Imperial Pretzels, Cherry Mustard, and Cherries on Fire Salsa, my hubs' new favorite. Confession Wednesday again, I've never walked in and not spent at least $60. Ever. But their stuff is THAT GOOD. I promise. Best PB&J you've ever had? Good bread, and the items below. Boom!!
My son loves that there are samples at every turn, beckoning you to try something new so that the full size jar or bag can end up in your shopping basket. And it works. My son loves the Sour Cherries and you cannot go wrong with plain chocolate covered cherries (White? Dark? Milk? Imperial? I must try them all! So many choices!). What else do we love... let's see, Boomchunka cookies, cherry tea, spicy cherry BBQ sauce, white chocolate cherry peanut butter (coupled with their cherry jam, which we only buy in the large jars, it makes the most divine sandwich ever), Cherryaki sauce, umm... yeah. I might have a bit of an obsession.
The only thing I am sad to say I regret I haven't tried yet is their breakfast line. They have pancake mix and syrup that I really must get on my next visit to stock my pantry. The best part about the Republic (besides their amazing products) is that they've gotten shipping down to a science. It is an annual tradition that I ship my baby brother (who is an adult now living in Miami on his own!) a box of their treats for his birthday. The end of April can get a little balmy in South Florida, and his box always arrives perfectly. Shipping rates are reasonable when you order a large quantity of items. Plus they pack a little bit of the north country in every box - a sprig of green, a piece of birch bark, a pinecone. Ahh home.
Oh, and the company itself comes from humble roots and has blossomed (get it, cherry blossom, ha...) into this big company with multiple locations, tons of products, and who knows how many employees, but it doesn't FEEL like that at all. It feels like family when you've been enjoying their products for so long. And the amount of money they put back into the communities they're in is truly awesome. Sign up for the newsletter just to hear tales from Bob, the founder (he's a unique guy for sure), about his life with his wife and two boys. You'll be part of the Republic in no time.
Life, Liberty, Beaches & Pie!
My son loves that there are samples at every turn, beckoning you to try something new so that the full size jar or bag can end up in your shopping basket. And it works. My son loves the Sour Cherries and you cannot go wrong with plain chocolate covered cherries (White? Dark? Milk? Imperial? I must try them all! So many choices!). What else do we love... let's see, Boomchunka cookies, cherry tea, spicy cherry BBQ sauce, white chocolate cherry peanut butter (coupled with their cherry jam, which we only buy in the large jars, it makes the most divine sandwich ever), Cherryaki sauce, umm... yeah. I might have a bit of an obsession.
The only thing I am sad to say I regret I haven't tried yet is their breakfast line. They have pancake mix and syrup that I really must get on my next visit to stock my pantry. The best part about the Republic (besides their amazing products) is that they've gotten shipping down to a science. It is an annual tradition that I ship my baby brother (who is an adult now living in Miami on his own!) a box of their treats for his birthday. The end of April can get a little balmy in South Florida, and his box always arrives perfectly. Shipping rates are reasonable when you order a large quantity of items. Plus they pack a little bit of the north country in every box - a sprig of green, a piece of birch bark, a pinecone. Ahh home.
Oh, and the company itself comes from humble roots and has blossomed (get it, cherry blossom, ha...) into this big company with multiple locations, tons of products, and who knows how many employees, but it doesn't FEEL like that at all. It feels like family when you've been enjoying their products for so long. And the amount of money they put back into the communities they're in is truly awesome. Sign up for the newsletter just to hear tales from Bob, the founder (he's a unique guy for sure), about his life with his wife and two boys. You'll be part of the Republic in no time.
Life, Liberty, Beaches & Pie!
Friday, March 17, 2017
Tomorrow is Opening Day aka our first race of the 2017 season!
Tomorrow is our first official race of the season. I was able to run twice this week and give my legs a rest for a couple of days. On my most recent run, I was able to run sub-11:00 minute miles, which has been my fastest pace since last summer. The Old Girl was once again my best mate for running.
Let's see if I can keep it up under race conditions tomorrow! I did meet some friends for a beer last night (Lansing's Ozone Krypton Ale--will it help?) which I don't normally do, but I figured it was 36 hours pre-race and it should be okay...
I stopped at my favorite running store to pick up our packets. I was drooling over the new Saucony shoes as well as the Mizunos. I have no idea what shoes I should actually be wearing but I sure love looking at the flashy ones!
Here's the race gear (H is running the Kids One Mile with his BFF Emma):
Mother Nature didn't like my taunting last week. Here is our Mitten weather today (freezing rain, snow, sleet, ice pellet-y mix!):
I seriously hope the weather takes a turn for the better in the AM. Nothing like slick roads to blow an Achilles!
And finally, in the spirit of the holiday, here we are.
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2017! And may the luck of the Irish be with us and all the runners in tomorrow's Run for the (Ronald McDonald) House!
Let's see if I can keep it up under race conditions tomorrow! I did meet some friends for a beer last night (Lansing's Ozone Krypton Ale--will it help?) which I don't normally do, but I figured it was 36 hours pre-race and it should be okay...
I stopped at my favorite running store to pick up our packets. I was drooling over the new Saucony shoes as well as the Mizunos. I have no idea what shoes I should actually be wearing but I sure love looking at the flashy ones!
Here's the race gear (H is running the Kids One Mile with his BFF Emma):
Mother Nature didn't like my taunting last week. Here is our Mitten weather today (freezing rain, snow, sleet, ice pellet-y mix!):
I seriously hope the weather takes a turn for the better in the AM. Nothing like slick roads to blow an Achilles!
And finally, in the spirit of the holiday, here we are.
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2017! And may the luck of the Irish be with us and all the runners in tomorrow's Run for the (Ronald McDonald) House!
Monday, March 13, 2017
Marching in like a lion for sure...what a run today!
Snowing, blowing, cold. That sums up what we woke up to today after hitting 60 degrees last week. After hardly a winter at all here in the Mitten, I shouldn't complain. But outside runs are great, if and when breaking an ankle is not a distinct possibility.
I really was not going to risk it with our race coming up soon... but... my Old Girl looked at me with those eyes when she saw me throwing my New Balances on. Next thing I know, I am rigging up her harness and pulling on my Puma running hat and gloves. And she is dancing around in her own doggy glory.
I really didn't have time for more than 20 minutes before work but I figured if I could get 20 minutes in without face planting on the icy streets or blowing an Achilles, I would be happy.
Low and behold, once I couldn't feel my hamstrings from the cold I felt pretty good. I surprised myself by finishing a full two miles with a pace of 11:31. Considering the conditions, I consider this a big win for the week. Ice crystal mascara is really attractive, isn't it?!??
Come on, Mother Nature, you can do better than that!!
I really was not going to risk it with our race coming up soon... but... my Old Girl looked at me with those eyes when she saw me throwing my New Balances on. Next thing I know, I am rigging up her harness and pulling on my Puma running hat and gloves. And she is dancing around in her own doggy glory.
I really didn't have time for more than 20 minutes before work but I figured if I could get 20 minutes in without face planting on the icy streets or blowing an Achilles, I would be happy.
Low and behold, once I couldn't feel my hamstrings from the cold I felt pretty good. I surprised myself by finishing a full two miles with a pace of 11:31. Considering the conditions, I consider this a big win for the week. Ice crystal mascara is really attractive, isn't it?!??
Come on, Mother Nature, you can do better than that!!
Mitten Love Mondays vol. 1
I have decided that I need to share my favorite Michigan products with the world... now let's hope that shouting from the rooftops how much I love all things Mitten doesn't mean a shortage for me when I'm low on my favorite products!
This week, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I am featuring one of my favorite Michigan-made treats. Wooden Crate Popcorn Company makes the BEST gourmet popcorn. Ever. Seriously.
This weekend, we got our hands on two bags; one is Irish Stout, featuring beer from one of Hubs' all time favorite Michigan breweries, Shorts in Bellaire, Michigan. I have never, ever witness him try one of their beers and NOT rave about it. Ever. He loves all of their beers that much. He's visited the brewery as well and has declared it is a must-stop on the Michigan Hops Trail. Back to the popcorn! We tried to just have a tiny sample and save the rest for later, but alas, half a bag was gone in the blink of an eye. They actually poured bottles of Uncle Steve's Irish Style Stout into the caramel coating as it was cooking. Oh my GOODNESS. We did manage to save a few pieces more than 24 hours after opening the bag, but not much.
The other bag I was gifted with was their Peanut Butter & Jealous, which is peanut butter and chocolate covered caramel corn. Those who know me know my #1 food obsession is peanut butter in any and all forms. This popcorn is amazing. That's all I'm going to say for fear that next time I want a bag, my friends that make this confectionery delight will tell me they've run out.
Check out their Etsy store here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/WoodenCratePopcornCo
You will not be sorry. They ship anywhere, but if you're in the mid-Michigan area, you can stop by Appletree Lane in Owosso and pick some up for yourself (and even sample their other flavors if you are lucky enough!). Pure Michigan deliciousness!!
This week, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I am featuring one of my favorite Michigan-made treats. Wooden Crate Popcorn Company makes the BEST gourmet popcorn. Ever. Seriously.
This weekend, we got our hands on two bags; one is Irish Stout, featuring beer from one of Hubs' all time favorite Michigan breweries, Shorts in Bellaire, Michigan. I have never, ever witness him try one of their beers and NOT rave about it. Ever. He loves all of their beers that much. He's visited the brewery as well and has declared it is a must-stop on the Michigan Hops Trail. Back to the popcorn! We tried to just have a tiny sample and save the rest for later, but alas, half a bag was gone in the blink of an eye. They actually poured bottles of Uncle Steve's Irish Style Stout into the caramel coating as it was cooking. Oh my GOODNESS. We did manage to save a few pieces more than 24 hours after opening the bag, but not much.
The other bag I was gifted with was their Peanut Butter & Jealous, which is peanut butter and chocolate covered caramel corn. Those who know me know my #1 food obsession is peanut butter in any and all forms. This popcorn is amazing. That's all I'm going to say for fear that next time I want a bag, my friends that make this confectionery delight will tell me they've run out.
Check out their Etsy store here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/WoodenCratePopcornCo
You will not be sorry. They ship anywhere, but if you're in the mid-Michigan area, you can stop by Appletree Lane in Owosso and pick some up for yourself (and even sample their other flavors if you are lucky enough!). Pure Michigan deliciousness!!
Monday, March 6, 2017
Training time! Let's do this.
So. My husband has been complaining incessantly that he needs to get back into shape, that he needs to start eating well again. I agreed with the getting back into shape part; it felt like we took the winter off from running, and it showed. It's so hard to get motivated to run outside when the weather clearly suffers from psychotic episodes frequently here in the Mitten. It can't decide if it's winter, spring, summer, or all three during any given week. He hates the "dread"mill even more than I do so he's done nothing over the course of the last few months.
But what's more motivating than knowing you've signed up for a race that almost 1000 people will be at?!
Not much.
We are registered for a race that benefits our local Ronald McDonald house in just a few short weeks. Knowing this, I've been running about 2 to 2.5 miles every other day over the course of the last few weeks. My lungs aren't very forgiving yet but I'll get there. I am amazed at what foam rolling does for post-run relief. I so wish I would've had my foam roller a year ago! It definitely speeds recovery time and helps to alleviate soreness.
Here's my beloved orange friend:
The TriggerPoint Performance "The Grid" model is fabulous for legs, calves, hip flexors, glutes, even shins. If you don't have one, run (ha!) to your local sports gear store and get one. Really.
{I've also added new compression socks to my routine; more on those and my opinion on whether they are worth it next week.}
<---Not me, but a perfect example of how I use it.
This is me, and how happy I am after rolling the crap out of my post-run sore muscles!--->
I also REALLY made him frustrated when I announced that I had also sort of kind of maybe definitely registered us for our first 10K in June.
"YOU WHAT!!!!"
"It'll be ok and we have 15 weeks to train and the route is beautiful compared to their 5K route and we can work together to up our mileage and we can start tomorrow and take H with us and it will be fun and...."
I lost him at "it'll be ok"; I'm quite sure he didn't hear much after that. I am convinced he will thank me later. Stay tuned!
But what's more motivating than knowing you've signed up for a race that almost 1000 people will be at?!
Not much.
We are registered for a race that benefits our local Ronald McDonald house in just a few short weeks. Knowing this, I've been running about 2 to 2.5 miles every other day over the course of the last few weeks. My lungs aren't very forgiving yet but I'll get there. I am amazed at what foam rolling does for post-run relief. I so wish I would've had my foam roller a year ago! It definitely speeds recovery time and helps to alleviate soreness.
Here's my beloved orange friend:
The TriggerPoint Performance "The Grid" model is fabulous for legs, calves, hip flexors, glutes, even shins. If you don't have one, run (ha!) to your local sports gear store and get one. Really.
{I've also added new compression socks to my routine; more on those and my opinion on whether they are worth it next week.}
.
<---Not me, but a perfect example of how I use it.
This is me, and how happy I am after rolling the crap out of my post-run sore muscles!--->
I also REALLY made him frustrated when I announced that I had also sort of kind of maybe definitely registered us for our first 10K in June.
"YOU WHAT!!!!"
"It'll be ok and we have 15 weeks to train and the route is beautiful compared to their 5K route and we can work together to up our mileage and we can start tomorrow and take H with us and it will be fun and...."
I lost him at "it'll be ok"; I'm quite sure he didn't hear much after that. I am convinced he will thank me later. Stay tuned!
Saturday, February 11, 2017
The Half Birthday Treat (Project)
At school, H's half birthday is celebrated since he was born in the summertime and school will never be in session on the actual date of his birth. I see all these other parents carrying in a package of store-bought cupcakes for birthday treats (we're very lucky there are no allergies in his class!) and so I was trying to mentally guess what character treat we'd be in search of the weekend before his half b-day. He came home from school a few days prior and announced he knew exactly what he wanted me to make. Cake pops. Not just any cake pops. Strawberry cake pops. With chocolate outsides.
Now, our family makes more of a cake ball, and we've never felt the need to put sticks inside; instead we prefer to eat them by the handful before the chocolate shell melts on our fingers. The stick element would be a new challenge for me, but I was confident I would figure it out easily.
I was able to get the cake mix and frosting on sale (strawberry is not always the easiest flavor to find!) and I bought three pounds of melting chocolate from Appletree Lane, which has the BEST chocolate hands down for candy making. Visit them here.
I also bought the 50-ct. Wilton sticks using a 40% off coupon at Michaels so that was a bargain too.
I was SO happy I thought to re-read the family recipe prior to being gone for part of the day--there are several steps that take a long time to complete! I started that morning with baking each cake (I made two) by following the box directions exactly.
While the cake was still warm, I crumbled it up into a large bowl, and then added the can of frosting and mixed well. It looks like dough at this point.
The dough has to be refrigerated at least three hours or even overnight. We were going to be gone for several hours so I knew that would be long enough.
Once we were home again, I balled up the cake ball 'dough'. I'm sure a melon-baller would've made this easier but instead I used a large spoon and my hands (tip: REMOVE YOUR RINGS!).
Critical step: cake balls must be frozen to retain their shape when dipped.
Critical error: putting the sticks into the balls before freezing. I am quite sure this was a big downfall of my vision of the "perfect treats".
Once frozen, I attempted to melt the chocolate (best tip: microwave a pile of the chocolates for 30 seconds, then stir, then 30 more seconds, and it will be perfect with just a few pieces of solid chocolate that will quickly melt when stirred again) and then dip each ball on a stick,
This is where I got mega-frustrated, to the point that I am pretty sure I yelled, "Don't ever expect me to make these again!!!". The sticks were falling out. The balls were spinning on the stick and not picking up the chocolate evenly. The balls would fall into the chocolate. I also spent $3 on what I thought would be a cool Wilton cake pop stand but that was a fail too. The balls would bump each other, or the base, when I tried to stand them up to dry in it. I ended up using it just to get them to dry, and then I laid them out in a Tupperware container to transport them to school.
My vision was gone and I was mad. I literally spent almost five hours (FIVE!) trying to turn a disaster in the kitchen into birthday treats. My Type-A personality was so disappointed these didn't go as easily as I expected, nor did they turn out as I had pictured in my mind. However, as messy as they looked, they did end up tasting amazing.
Next year around the beginning of February, you'll find me at the grocery store bakery buying ready-made cupcakes. I'll leave the cake ball making to my stepmom, who clearly is far better at this than I am!! Here is her recipe, better explained than I did above:
Now, our family makes more of a cake ball, and we've never felt the need to put sticks inside; instead we prefer to eat them by the handful before the chocolate shell melts on our fingers. The stick element would be a new challenge for me, but I was confident I would figure it out easily.
I was able to get the cake mix and frosting on sale (strawberry is not always the easiest flavor to find!) and I bought three pounds of melting chocolate from Appletree Lane, which has the BEST chocolate hands down for candy making. Visit them here.
I also bought the 50-ct. Wilton sticks using a 40% off coupon at Michaels so that was a bargain too.
I was SO happy I thought to re-read the family recipe prior to being gone for part of the day--there are several steps that take a long time to complete! I started that morning with baking each cake (I made two) by following the box directions exactly.
While the cake was still warm, I crumbled it up into a large bowl, and then added the can of frosting and mixed well. It looks like dough at this point.
The dough has to be refrigerated at least three hours or even overnight. We were going to be gone for several hours so I knew that would be long enough.
Once we were home again, I balled up the cake ball 'dough'. I'm sure a melon-baller would've made this easier but instead I used a large spoon and my hands (tip: REMOVE YOUR RINGS!).
Critical step: cake balls must be frozen to retain their shape when dipped.
Critical error: putting the sticks into the balls before freezing. I am quite sure this was a big downfall of my vision of the "perfect treats".
Once frozen, I attempted to melt the chocolate (best tip: microwave a pile of the chocolates for 30 seconds, then stir, then 30 more seconds, and it will be perfect with just a few pieces of solid chocolate that will quickly melt when stirred again) and then dip each ball on a stick,
This is where I got mega-frustrated, to the point that I am pretty sure I yelled, "Don't ever expect me to make these again!!!". The sticks were falling out. The balls were spinning on the stick and not picking up the chocolate evenly. The balls would fall into the chocolate. I also spent $3 on what I thought would be a cool Wilton cake pop stand but that was a fail too. The balls would bump each other, or the base, when I tried to stand them up to dry in it. I ended up using it just to get them to dry, and then I laid them out in a Tupperware container to transport them to school.
 |
| Ugly little things, aren't they?!!? |
Next year around the beginning of February, you'll find me at the grocery store bakery buying ready-made cupcakes. I'll leave the cake ball making to my stepmom, who clearly is far better at this than I am!! Here is her recipe, better explained than I did above:
Thursday, February 9, 2017
100th Day of School
We recently celebrated H's 100th day of school. His teacher makes a pretty big deal out of it, which was exciting for the kids. They had different activities planned, like counting 100 snack items (Goldfish, Craisins, Chex, pretzels), stringing 100 Fruit Loops on a necklace, sorting colored beads in groups of 10, etc. The homework assignment was to wear 100 items of your choice.
Thankfully we were given said assignment several weeks ago, and I had plenty of time to go on Pinterest and save several over-the-top cute pins of shirts that others had made with their kids. I was so excited to show my son my ideas but my excitement quickly faded... "...No, too girly. Too many stars (umm, aren't there supposed to be 100?). I don't like the gumballs. I need something ninja." He then took my phone and started scrolling through pins at lightning speed until he announced, "That's it! That's my shirt! Can you make that, Mom?"
He had found a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle made out of craft pom poms. I am over all things turtles, but he is not. But he was very clear on his vision, "But Mom, it needs to be Mikey, not Raph!"
I spent Sunday afternoon hot gluing pom poms to a cheap dry-fit style shirt I picked up at Wal-Mart for $3 on clearance. I was able to find the colors of pom poms I needed at Michael's after first checking JoAnn Fabrics. JoAnn's only had giant 1000-count multi-color bags that I would never use again so I was glad I didn't settle for those.
Some other cute ideas I saw at school that day--a girl had a baby blanket-turned-cape with 100 glow in the dark stars, a couple of kids had hats on with 100 gems or jewels, another girl had a tee with 100 little plastic peace signs glued to it, one had stuck foam flowers to hers, and one simply had a shirt with 100 tally marks on it. That mom is clearly wiser than I!
Our preschool had a bulletin board I designed (thank you, Pinterest!) that said, "This is what 100 looks like!" and we had each child bring in a bag with anything they wanted as long as the items totaled 100. We had pasta, Shopkins, books, stickers, coins, crayons, chocolate chips, popcorn, coffee beans, cotton balls, pencils and more. It turned out great.
So here it is, the "100 Ninja" shirt. Ideally, it would've said 100 DAY Ninja, but I had to have an even 100 on it! Not the easiest task. Was it memorable? It sure was.
Maybe next year I'll try to convince him to wear 100 Lego pieces on his pants. :)
Thankfully we were given said assignment several weeks ago, and I had plenty of time to go on Pinterest and save several over-the-top cute pins of shirts that others had made with their kids. I was so excited to show my son my ideas but my excitement quickly faded... "...No, too girly. Too many stars (umm, aren't there supposed to be 100?). I don't like the gumballs. I need something ninja." He then took my phone and started scrolling through pins at lightning speed until he announced, "That's it! That's my shirt! Can you make that, Mom?"
He had found a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle made out of craft pom poms. I am over all things turtles, but he is not. But he was very clear on his vision, "But Mom, it needs to be Mikey, not Raph!"
I spent Sunday afternoon hot gluing pom poms to a cheap dry-fit style shirt I picked up at Wal-Mart for $3 on clearance. I was able to find the colors of pom poms I needed at Michael's after first checking JoAnn Fabrics. JoAnn's only had giant 1000-count multi-color bags that I would never use again so I was glad I didn't settle for those.
Some other cute ideas I saw at school that day--a girl had a baby blanket-turned-cape with 100 glow in the dark stars, a couple of kids had hats on with 100 gems or jewels, another girl had a tee with 100 little plastic peace signs glued to it, one had stuck foam flowers to hers, and one simply had a shirt with 100 tally marks on it. That mom is clearly wiser than I!
Our preschool had a bulletin board I designed (thank you, Pinterest!) that said, "This is what 100 looks like!" and we had each child bring in a bag with anything they wanted as long as the items totaled 100. We had pasta, Shopkins, books, stickers, coins, crayons, chocolate chips, popcorn, coffee beans, cotton balls, pencils and more. It turned out great.
So here it is, the "100 Ninja" shirt. Ideally, it would've said 100 DAY Ninja, but I had to have an even 100 on it! Not the easiest task. Was it memorable? It sure was.
 |
| 100 Ninja shirt |
Monday, January 30, 2017
Valentine project for school!
H decided he wanted to make his own valentines this year, which I was totally ok with considering we're trying to cut costs anywhere possible! I happened to find these adorable rubber dinosaur erasers in bright colors, and they came in a package of six. After buying three packs for his class, I decided the preschoolers would enjoy them too, and I went back to the store and bought four more packs (I believe the packs were $1.50 regularly priced, and they were 25% off).
So far I was under $8.00 into this project and, insert self-pat, this valentine would not include candy of any kind. Fellow parents, you are welcome. I also wanted good, sturdy valentines to support the dinos so I used sheets of cardstock that I had on hand in my office. I found this adorable free printable on Pinterest, from our friend Kara over at Life With Fingerprints.
Check her blog out here!
My son wanted to take ownership of printing each friend's name on the card, signing his own on the back, and cutting them all out. Initially I had this perfect vision in my head of how these would look, and I had to step back and remind myself these are HIS cards to pass out to his friends, not mine. And it will be very obvious that he did these steps himself. When they were finished I felt nothing but pride for his effort.
I used a hole punch to make two holes on each, diagonal from each other, to act as anchors for the baker's twine I used to tie the dinos to the cards. It's hard to tell, but I did use pink and white baker's twine for the girls, and then red and white for the boys. H even made sure his teacher is a recipient.
Aren't they SO cute??! Love, love, love these.
So far I was under $8.00 into this project and, insert self-pat, this valentine would not include candy of any kind. Fellow parents, you are welcome. I also wanted good, sturdy valentines to support the dinos so I used sheets of cardstock that I had on hand in my office. I found this adorable free printable on Pinterest, from our friend Kara over at Life With Fingerprints.
Check her blog out here!
My son wanted to take ownership of printing each friend's name on the card, signing his own on the back, and cutting them all out. Initially I had this perfect vision in my head of how these would look, and I had to step back and remind myself these are HIS cards to pass out to his friends, not mine. And it will be very obvious that he did these steps himself. When they were finished I felt nothing but pride for his effort.
I used a hole punch to make two holes on each, diagonal from each other, to act as anchors for the baker's twine I used to tie the dinos to the cards. It's hard to tell, but I did use pink and white baker's twine for the girls, and then red and white for the boys. H even made sure his teacher is a recipient.
Aren't they SO cute??! Love, love, love these.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Big changes for 2017!
After a crazy fall and holiday season, I am back.
First, a little recap, shall we?
We finally closed on our house and moved back to our old subdivision. So far, we love our new home. I wouldn't change a thing about it, and I always hear others say, "If I could go back I would change this and this.." Fortunately I do not feel that way at all!
I had started my new job, and as a reminder, had worked at my old company for over 13 years. My old company continues to spiral downward, letting yet another dynamite employee go that I consider a mentor and a close friend. He too is happy to be off the crazy train. It is a sad situation when all the good people are seemingly gone. At my new company, it was a lot of smoke and mirrors that I saw through pretty quickly. We had some raw discussions at home, and decided between my son's serious need to adjust to Kindergarten and my constant driving to downtown Detroit, it was time to make some changes. I quit my job before the end of the year. I felt like a failure only making it five months, but knew in my heart it was not a good fit for me or my current status in life.
My kindergartner--where to begin! He has been a mess starting school which I never would've anticipated in 100 years. He always did so well at his preschool, had a lot of friends, and was well liked by staff. Kindergarten has proved to be very challenging in all aspects. Multiple teacher meetings, phone calls, so many emails I lost count, and even a few trips to the principal's office have made the fall more than memorable. We have finally (I think!) reached a point where we are having more good days than bad and I'm hoping for the remainder of the year to continue going well.
Now, for the big change! I began working at H's school part time in the preschool (4s!) room in the afternoons. Before landing my corner-office-with-the-big-window corporate America job, I performed the exact same role for about eight months at a different school. It's been such a dramatic change for me in so many ways. Preschool stress is nothing like dealing with claimant attorneys, though there are some personality similarities. :) I go home at the end of the day, and I don't take work with me. I am able to truly be present for my son (no more "Mommy just has to make one more phone call, I'll just be another 5, 10, 20 minutes!") and we've been enjoying our extra time together. He's only little once, and it's been a great first month. I know I will look back at these moments and cherish them as long as I live.
HOWEVER. Let's be very frank here. We are a two income family. We lead a two income lifestyle. We've had to make major adjustments in our spending habits, and cut expenses where we could. I've also fired up my new Etsy business as a side hustle to try to make extra money for the things we're cutting out of our budget. This blog will illustrate how we're making this new lifestyle work for us in addition to the fun day-to-day things I'm attempting; trying to teach my son to cook, running a side business, creating more and upcycling what I'm able, making time for myself to run to get back in shape, and just enjoying life and the little things, all while spending less.
We're making sacrifices and so far, it's completely worth it. We relish our one night a week to eat out, and it turns out we have some lively discussions now in choosing where we'll go; if you could hear my five year old trying to negotiate when it's not his turn to choose but he wants to influence, heavily, where the chooser picks, you'd venture we have a little attorney in the making!
Come with me on this journey called life!
To close, here's a picture of the four legged children who are truly BFFs. Aren't they the cutest??!
First, a little recap, shall we?
We finally closed on our house and moved back to our old subdivision. So far, we love our new home. I wouldn't change a thing about it, and I always hear others say, "If I could go back I would change this and this.." Fortunately I do not feel that way at all!
I had started my new job, and as a reminder, had worked at my old company for over 13 years. My old company continues to spiral downward, letting yet another dynamite employee go that I consider a mentor and a close friend. He too is happy to be off the crazy train. It is a sad situation when all the good people are seemingly gone. At my new company, it was a lot of smoke and mirrors that I saw through pretty quickly. We had some raw discussions at home, and decided between my son's serious need to adjust to Kindergarten and my constant driving to downtown Detroit, it was time to make some changes. I quit my job before the end of the year. I felt like a failure only making it five months, but knew in my heart it was not a good fit for me or my current status in life.
My kindergartner--where to begin! He has been a mess starting school which I never would've anticipated in 100 years. He always did so well at his preschool, had a lot of friends, and was well liked by staff. Kindergarten has proved to be very challenging in all aspects. Multiple teacher meetings, phone calls, so many emails I lost count, and even a few trips to the principal's office have made the fall more than memorable. We have finally (I think!) reached a point where we are having more good days than bad and I'm hoping for the remainder of the year to continue going well.
Now, for the big change! I began working at H's school part time in the preschool (4s!) room in the afternoons. Before landing my corner-office-with-the-big-window corporate America job, I performed the exact same role for about eight months at a different school. It's been such a dramatic change for me in so many ways. Preschool stress is nothing like dealing with claimant attorneys, though there are some personality similarities. :) I go home at the end of the day, and I don't take work with me. I am able to truly be present for my son (no more "Mommy just has to make one more phone call, I'll just be another 5, 10, 20 minutes!") and we've been enjoying our extra time together. He's only little once, and it's been a great first month. I know I will look back at these moments and cherish them as long as I live.
HOWEVER. Let's be very frank here. We are a two income family. We lead a two income lifestyle. We've had to make major adjustments in our spending habits, and cut expenses where we could. I've also fired up my new Etsy business as a side hustle to try to make extra money for the things we're cutting out of our budget. This blog will illustrate how we're making this new lifestyle work for us in addition to the fun day-to-day things I'm attempting; trying to teach my son to cook, running a side business, creating more and upcycling what I'm able, making time for myself to run to get back in shape, and just enjoying life and the little things, all while spending less.
We're making sacrifices and so far, it's completely worth it. We relish our one night a week to eat out, and it turns out we have some lively discussions now in choosing where we'll go; if you could hear my five year old trying to negotiate when it's not his turn to choose but he wants to influence, heavily, where the chooser picks, you'd venture we have a little attorney in the making!
Come with me on this journey called life!
To close, here's a picture of the four legged children who are truly BFFs. Aren't they the cutest??!
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