How NOT to give something up...

So, I've been running a lot more lately.  By some standards, I may as well be sitting on  the couch eating Better Made Barbeque chips, but by my standards, I've been running a lot more lately.

Not my bag....my bag's in the garbage...uggg...source  If you like chips, then you'd better check these babies out.  If you don't live in MI, then you can have them sent to your home...to your front door step.  Then you're in real trouble.  Go ahead.  Try them.  They're gooood.

I won't bore with details about my runs, but I will say this if you can somehow wrangle in a workout partner, it will help motivate you to workout.  This is a tried and true, age old legendary tale that I just believe to be true.  Two pairs of running legs are better than one.

Otherwise, this scene would have sent me straight back to bed.  Instead, we got a nice 7 miler in!

But...the running details are these:  1.  I've been throwing in a couple of "tempo" runs.  I'm not all technical, but just trying to run harder than normal.  Totally uncomfortable.  It's harder, but I like it.  And, it makes me enjoy my longer "easier" runs more.  2.  I have horrible running fashion sense.  Really bad outfits, and shorts that look more like diapers.  A real bad look.  3.  I'm getting sick of what's on my ipod and need a major revamp.  I asked for suggestions before, and now I'm begging.  Begging. 4.  The Half that I "said" I was going to run is in October, and I am still not sure if I'm running or not.  It sounds like fun, but I'm worried I won't be ready.  Do I really need to be "ready"?  Can I just run for fun?  OR do I need to compete with myself... I haven't decided.

Green on green...grass green on pea green.  Why didn't I crop this?

Cropped, but awful-er than the green one!  How did I get my arm to go backwards?

 Other totally random stuff swirling around in my head:

Bad running outfits.  Just because both items fall under the category of green, doesn't mean that go.  Or is it color blocking?  That's trendy.  See above pictures.

I've really been trying to totally give up cut back on candy and sweets in general.  You know how if you're trying to not do something, or not eat something...you should probably try to stay away from it, right?  I need serious help...

On my kitchen counter.   I'm an educated human being.  You don't have to tell me what a dumb move that is.

Kid who doen't eat baked goods...can't waste a cupcake.  Especially with sprinkles!  

Pink donut for the Pink Princess.  Of course she only licks off the pink, then guess who finishes the rest of the slobbery confection.  Even spit won't stop me.  

 Why doesn't every restroom have one of these on the wall?  Huh?  I am so sick of making a "birds nest" on every public toilet, only for it to get knocked in the bowl when Sweet J hops on!

Love me some Scott Personal Seats.  

I guess I have more of a food issue than I first let on to...I found the best. butter. ever. today at Krogs.  Check it out.  Here's the ingredients in case you aren't a sick junk food sicko like me.  This stuff is heavenly.

Look, 0g Trans Fat...per serving.  What about if you double quadripple the serving?  Still 0 for sure.

Hello cinnamon toast!  I can't believe I just found you today!  Where have you been all my life?

I love catching my kids doing hilarious things while they're playing in a world of their own.  Sweet J's nap time.  She was mad I "woke them up" when I took the picture.  Sorry.

Since I can't put coffee on my coffee table or it will end up on the carpet in 2 seconds, why not wrap dolls up in Kleenex and put them on there instead?

I finally arranged the "junk" drawer.  The straw that broke the camel's back was when I stabbed myself on lose thumb tacks while shoving away the batteries  and shoelaces to try and find a pen.  This should be the answer to our prayers for a good week.  Give or take.

I will come arrange your junk drawer for a small fee.  Book now, because my time is limited and space is filling up.

I plan to keep up the running until school starts on the freaking 4th or September.  Then, it's back to the grind and back to a strict schedule that will take some getting used to.  BUT...I LOVE a schedule.  LOVE it.  And I'm excited to have to jam everything into one little day and get it all done.  Real freaking excited. :)

I have been loving my Shakeology every morning this summer.  I LOVE it.  I have an extra bag somehow.  I must have missed a day or 2 here and there.  I'd love to have someone give it a try at my cost...which is 25% less than the list price.  Email me if you're interested in trying it.  A 30 day supply at 25% off...not a bad deal!  I'd love to give you more details about the benefits of Shakeology too...email if you're interested in more info!

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The Phone, The Finger and The Fall

Currently I a typing this from my brand new... Wait for it... iPhone! Oh yes, I somehow finagled my way into a nice little one just the other day. It's kind of annoying typing on this tiny little keyboard, but this is just plain principle now. Anyway, I. Love. It.  And, it's a skyscraper up from this.

This is a nice little snapshot of my run this morning.  So awesome that I can do this!  I'm sure everyone already knows about the coolness of the App...but it's new to me.  For now, this will take the place of my Garmin watch that I want too.  I mean, I'm on a roll with gadgets now!  AND...let's try and not pay too much attention to detail...as in the slowness.  I was pre-occupied with my new GPS, you know?  

I've been back at it, running, in the wee hours of the morning. Like day 9 or something. What a difference it makes to get up and get it done! Just knowing that a nice cool run is under my belt is enough to brighten my day just a little bit!  My total miles now, is over 500...is there any way I'll be at 1,000 in mid January?  I mean, yes, right?

I'm not dreading getting up, in fact, I look forward to it. It really helps that I meet my early bird partner down the block and we go from there. I can not be the lame-o lady who flakes out!

So the other day, I was cutting up a nice juicy watermelon, like you do in the summer...only to find that it was infested with tiny little black seeds! How did people ever survive without seedless watermelon? In the midst of my dismay, the melon slips out from under my knife and I slice my finger clean off! Not really, but with the fact that I lost sight and hearing...I may or may not have passed out...you would have thought that was the truth.  I, personally thing I handled the situation quite well, seeing as though I've never really ever been hurt before.  Not even in sports.  Swimming and running, you really don't get too banged up.  Really, I'm surprised, with my luck that I didn't find some way to make those sports way more dangerous. Anyway, turns out everything is fine and all digits are in tact. Dumb seeded watermelon.

Maybe I should have warned of the graphic nature of this photo.  But then again it would be uncertain if I was talking about my wound, or about my complete abandon form nail care.  Either way, the crappy watermelon is in the bowl.  Seeds.

It's high school football season.  Yes it is.  Every year, this day marks the last day of summer and the first official day of fall...in football life.  In real life we still have a good month left.  But...around here, it's "Football 4 Life".  One must just learn to love it.  It has been an acquired taste throughout the years of living with my FB coach hubs, but now it's just the way it is.  It's what we do!

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Not that football ever really has a starting date or ending date...it's just pretty much a year round thing.  Almost like a 5th person in the family.  Kind of like a 5th person consisting of a great group of guys who love football and love teaching kids about the game and life.  It takes a lot, lot, lot of time and energy to do what KDog does...Go Marauders!  CS!

DMan's got Safety Town class going on last week and this week.  He loves it!

Police safety day!

And Sweet J has got the sass down pat, while riding her bike.  Multi-talented,that girl!

Check out my Instagram shot!  How cool am I?!

When You've Got Your Seasons Backwards

I find, that often times, if there is a natural order of things...like a way that most everybody and everything operates, then I've somehow found a way around it.

I'm speaking here of the natural way that people tend to harbor an extra little pound or two during the winter months.  It's cold out, people are feeling cozy and warm inside.  Munching on holiday goodies...all that good stuff.  It's winter time!  Let's just hide those cute little muffins with a sweater and call it a day!  Throw on a scarf and it's like, hey, what double chin?  As long as you've got jeans with a little give, you can hide most anything!  It's the perfect season for deception.

Right?!  Who knows what she's got going on under there!  Could be anything.  

Then there's summer.  Ah, summer.  Golden skin, lightened hair, and...a lot less clothes.  Whatever you'd been hiding all winter is either going to come out and play, or you'd better do something about it in the spring!  That's what spring is for, everybody!  Prepping for the season where we let it all hang out.

Here's where the breaks start to squeal and the wheels come rolling off the wagon...the summer is clearly the best time of year.   Don't get me wrong here...not complaining about the bliss of these 3 months out of the year...but I NEED PRESSURE.  I can't thrive in an environment where I have free time.  Where I have the option to just "do it later".  Where I can sit outside and snack and snack and snack until we eat all the snacks...then I go make some more!  I need limits!

If every day is a Tuesday, and there is no end to the week, and the days go on forever, and hot dogs never tasted so good, and it's just too hot to run today, and I've found waaaay too many treats to make off of Pinterest...things are going to go bad wrong here.

Even this blogging bit.  I'll put anything off until "tomorrow" if it's summer!

It goes back to the old theory in college.  Stay with me here...I have a semester to write my research paper.  It's half of my grade.  I do a little here and a little there.  Nowhere near enough.  Then, all of the sudden, it's the night before the paper is actually due on the Professor's desk.  It's a mad scramble.  Nobody better get in my way.  Nobody better even think of ganking my computer in the "computer lab".  Nothing will stand in my way of writing the most epic research paper ever in the 10 hour span of time I have procrastinated allotted myself.  It gets done.  I get an A.  Or a B+.  Whatever.  It's done, and I can slap it on the fridge.

"Some things never change" is crap.  It's August tomorrow and I'm going to kick it into high gear.  No more procrastination here.  No sir.  I love to run.  I do.  I really do.  That's my motto for August.  Plus, I have a half marathon to run in October, and at this rate I'd probably just have to have someone roll me to the finish.

I log how many miles I've run since January of this year.  I want to say I started on January 21st.  I wonder if anyone (if there is anyone out there) who reads this goes, "I bet this lady says she runs, but she's probably just sitting around licking Dorito Cheese off of her fingers to type this bull!"  In the spirit of that...here's a picture of me running.

I can not say in full disclosure that I was "on a run" at the time, however.   I had KDog snap a picture of me so that I could "blog" it.  He rolled his eyes, but did it anyway.  If I were actually "on a run", I went 2 seconds after this, then I probably would look very similar.  More sweaty, more slumped over, but very similar.

Anybody, is there anybody, who drops the ball a little in the summer?  Am I really the only one who's the the seasonal extra 5lb. thing backwards?  Either way, drop a line!

Love Me Some Nuun!

Since I've been running regularly, I've been on the lookout for ways to replenish after a long run.  Even for something to take along with me for a little extra electrolyte pick-me-up.  I never have been a super huge fan of the popular sports drinks mostly just because of the sugary after taste that stays with you.

Looking around at other blogs, mostly of ladies who really have the clout to call themselves bona fide runners, I came across this product called Nuun more than once.

Of course I thought, "Hey, these sweet runner girls are drinking it, how about I give it a try!?"  So, I emailed the awesome Nuun peeps and they sent me a sample!  I tried the Tri Berry and the Citrus Fruit.

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Source  Each tube comes with 12 tablets for 12m 16 oz. refreshing and replenishing drinks.

I got them in the mail, and was super excited to try it out right away.  I filled up my water bottle, and dropped 1 of the tablets in.  The water started to fizz, the tablet dissolved and I gave it a taste.  The one thing I like the most about this drink, is that it is very light, and has no sugary after taste.  It's not heavy in your stomach if you decide to take it with you on a run or to the gym (note: I have not taken it to the gym, unless you count my sweet basement makeshift sort of workout area).

The package I got in the mail to try.

I haven't found this product in any store locally, here in the Detroit area, but, of course, you can order it online.  I know I will be; there are tons more flavors to taste test.  These little tubes are obviously easy to bring along with you to pop into a water bottle on the go.

Nuun has Gluten Free and Vegan and Vegetarian products in their line of Active, Natural and All Day Hydration Tablets.

Nuun is also a partner with Susan G. Komen and offers ways for you to get involved in the fight against cancer by donating to the Foundation with every tube with a pink cap that you buy through December 31, 2013!

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I say, "Check this product out!".  And let me know if you like it as much as I do!

I'd Wish...

I couldn't wish for more...but if I had to, here's what I'd wish for...

I'd wish...

...we had one of these babies in the backyard when I was growing up.  Although, we did have a pool, so I can't complain, and I'm not, I'm just saying.

Not my backyard.  Lucky we have friends that have backyard water toys that last more than 30 minutes.

...I were better at horseshoes.  I was part of the runner up team in our neighborhood tournament last weekend, based entirely off of beginners luck and this awesome concoction of Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade, Sprite Zero and a splash of adult cocktail mix.

A friendly game of horseshoes is apparently no laughing matter.

...I could just enjoy time at the park like kids do without feeling hot, sticky and itchy.  How are they never too hot to run around like maniacs, when I'm sweating bullets and getting eaten alive by yellow jackets while pushing them on this tire swing?

Notice the fancy rig in the background.  That's mine.

...this was me.  I wanted to swan dive off of that pontoon so bad!

Thanks for the awesome time and perfect picture, Reeves Fam!

...the scenery in my basement for 20 miles on the stationary bike was the same as being outside.  And that the walls were painted and tons of motivational posters were hung up on the walls in my own personal gym.  For now I'll just settle for, it's free.  And it's not 102* down there.  Oh, that there was a treadmill down there too.

Working out to Around the World in 80 Plates on the Food Network is my kind of hour well spent.

...I had a backyard garden.  But...thanks to my awesome neighbor's zucchini plants, I was able to make these tasty muffins and fry me up something good today :-)  Love the veggies!  :-)

Not cooker, baker...don't claim to be.  Not a food blogger either.  Just an eater.   That's about all.

...I was there with the guys when Prince Fielder tossed my DMan this ball.

Now that is one happy kid.  And a happy Pops too.

Is summer really half way over!!??

I refuse to buy Back To School stuff until at least August  1st.  Target, what are you doing to me??

How's your summer going so far?

Doll Hair and Mall Hair

I've been attempting to document life's happenings on my Verizon LG Crapster 5.0 phone for far too long. It's time to get a new camera.  Stat.  If I have to say it one more time, I'm going to...say it one more time.  Dang it.

Stupid phone, Texas hair and broken camera.  In that order.    All in one picture.  

Every time I want to take a picture, I have to erase all my text messages, and cross my fingers that I have enough memory to capture the moment that has surely already passed by that time anyway.  So it's all about getting a 3 year old to re-do the cute pose, or get a fuzzy action shot or  forget to turn on or off the dumb flash.

I brought my phone on my run the other day, and had a stupendously naturistical and movingly perfect photo opp that I couldn't get texts and pictures erased and everything safely coordinated to capture.  And, at the side of the road with cars whizzing by, I just said poo to it and kept going.
Anyway, there were a little family of butterflies (the irony of the story is that I really don't like butterflies.  But, I didn't mind these ones.  Maybe since I was outside and not in a stinking tent) fluttering around me as I trucked down the road for at least half a mile.  They were circling around and around on my left and they just kept right on until they finally all buzzed in front of me and flew away.  I can't help but think that was just a little sign.  I'm not huge into "signs" and all that, but it's nice to kind of be reminded that things are looking up...just maybe.

On the subject of hair.  Strangely enough, I was dabbling around on Pinerest...which I rarely always do, and found a way to untangle doll and Barbie hair.  Remember giving your friend the Barbie with the nappiest hair to play with while you kept the one with the nice sleek pony tail?  Nobody wanted to play with the one who looked like she had a rough night before or after she back-combed her hair to death.

All you do is mix water and fabric softener.  I only had dryer sheets, so I just got one wet and squeezed it in the water, poured it into a spray bottle and soaked the hair with it.  Combed it through and Poof!  Crazy, rough-night hair Rapunzel had a sweet Morocan Oil looking mane.  Not to mention the horse.

I know what you're thinking, and I am also somewhat creeped out by the fact that I've taken and published pictures of my daughters dolls.  But, try to picture poor Rapunzel in the before shot with her hair in complete shambles and knots so that it stopped at her creepy elbow instead of her creepy foot.  Thank you Pinterest.

Those weaves may need more than a spray bottle of Downy.  

Now Sweet J and her modeling crew, they have a whole other thing going on.  The weave.  The sass.  It works.

As for workouts are concerned...I have been a lot less hard-core with the running lately.  Getting up and the butt-crack of dawn has been less appealing as of late, and so running has been a 3-4 day a week  workout rather than a 5-6 day a week one.  Since running is my favorite by far in terms of getting the most bang out of my time, I've been a little bummed.  Which is obviously my own fault since I'm the one not getting up early to do it.  But, I've been doing other things instead.

Take biking the kiddies to the park and then doing a make-shift AB workout on the park bench.  A.  because I would just love to see an AB muscle.  Just one would make me happy.
And B.  The park bench was to hot for me put my legs down on.

Any pictures of my cuties playing in the park?  No, just of me trying to make it look like I'm not taking a picture of myself.  As if I didn't look like a wacko already.  

And, lastly, I will leave you with the ultimate in hair.

Remember Mall Hair?  This takes talent, skill, a bun day, a hat day, and few days worth of dry shampoo.

Since I've been a little lax with running lately, I've been trying to watch my diet just a wee bit more.  And I don't like it.  

Anybody out there...do you just feel like you have to watch it a lot less when you're doing more exercise?  If only I'd watch what I'm eating all the time, running a ton or not...thoughts?

Good Luck Book Club

Ok, so I've decided to broaden my horizons.  I'm in a book club.

If anyone knows anything about me, it's that the last thing I can do is sit and read a book.

It's a sad state of events, seeing as though I'm an educator of kids, and an adult whom has made her way through a degree in education and a master's degree as well.

I know how to read.  I have read before.  I've used to read the comics every Sunday in the Detroit Free Press and News.  I somehow made my way through the inner workings of all kinds of famous writers from crazy books and novels in college.

And now, I'm in a book club.  The book that was discussed tonight was called "Gone Girl".   It sounded like a book  I'd try to steer clear of.  From what I understand it had a lot of lies, completely psychotic behavior, deceit, and all kinds of death, murder and stuff that would make me have a hard time falling asleep at night.

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Having said that, I'm ready to delve in.  I've got this book on lock, and I'm going to go for it.  The ultimate summer read.  Why not?

In a world where I'm perfectly content with the big day where The Duncans decide what to name their new baby on "Good Luck Charlie"...I need to get a life, really.  Is this what actual adults do?

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I believe that branching out is going to be a good thing.  It will ultimately give me something to think about on my runs.  Today, I had a hard time.  It was like hearing myself breathe was making me irritated.  Um...sorry, but that's a must.  I've got to give myself some depth this summer.  Being off from school, must have given my brain the ok to stop al function beyond necessity.

I'm excited to see what's next on the list for this book club.  I'm calling it "Opperation Brain Stimulation".

It's been a rough week to say the least.  Pretty much running and most forms of formal exercise have been put on the back burner...but today was an inaugural run.  I felt good.  I felt "back".  And I felt ready.  Running is usually a time for me to think...a little...and maybe reflect and relax...but I was a little scared to be alone with my thoughts these past few days.  Today was ok.  There's no way to deny that running just kind of gets me back on track.  Whatever track that might be.  I love to run.  And, maybe, just maybe, I love to read too!?

What's the last book you've read? -- The Twighlight series.  holy crap, I'm serious.


What's your favorite book you've read?