Easy Street

I am starting to appreciate Stretch and Strengthen day more and more every week.  I did 21 Days Pilates Fix today and it felt so good to stretch some of my muscles... it also hurt so good to stretch others.  With only 6 weeks of summer break left, I am looking for easy street and this was definitely an easy workout.

Speaking of easy, I have been on the hunt for dinners that I can whip up quickly with a 1 year old running around my feet.  I appreciated @Influenster sending me a coupon for the new OreIda Easy Fries/Tots that you can quickly make in the microwave. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to find them in any store I routinely shop at.  But I did remember my love for OreIda products from my own childhood days, so I picked up a bag of mini tator tots and Lucas and I indulged in them along with Mickey Mouse chicken nuggets for a supper last week.  It was so easy to throw in the oven together and bake-- I left some of the neighborhood kids watching Lucas outside and it took me less than a minute to put on a pan and bake.  I am a child when it comes to food I enjoy, so we both loved this.
#OreIdaEasyFries +OreidaPotatoes. 

I wanted to share a review of my June Bulu Box.  For the price, I am enjoying trying the different products.  Because I got it through Groupon, I am on the Weight Loss box which if I renew I will probably switch because I am enjoying the previews of the regular box I have seen on other people's blogs.  This month I got the following products.

Skinny Me Tea:  While I enjoyed the flavor of the tea, I think I would have needed a whole case of it to see if it helped me lose weight.  And I don't believe in using a single product to help you lose weight- diet and exercise people!

RESCUE Pastilles:  Ha... a little chewy tablet that is going to help relieve stress.  It is SO chewy that trying to take one elevated my stress level a little bit more.  Nice idea, but I don't think I will be purchasing any time soon.  What I did appreciate was the size of this sample-full size sample!  Thank you Bulu Box!

UrgentRX Upset Stomach:  So this month both Mike and I got upset stomachs and neither of us could digest the thought of taking a powder orally when it was happening so this is still sitting in my medicine cabinet....

Movit Energy Gummies:  I used these for my 5 mile run a week ago and I really think it did help give me some energy.  And they tasted pretty good too!

Balance Bare Bar:  I love me a good bar and this one was no exception.

If you think that you would enjoy Bulu Box, please join through this link.  It will earn me some bonus points which you can use towards buying the products.

A weekend of celebrations!

Someone please make time stop!

This weekend was a blur. I can't even tell you what I did on Friday! On Saturday we played in the morning and then loaded up to head to Brookings for the wedding of my graduate school friend. This was Lucas' first time in a hotel so I was pretty nervous. 

He had a blast exploring the room.

Of course I remembered to pack a swimsuit for Lucas but both Mike and I forgot our suits so we headed to the dreaded Walmart to find one. I hit the clearance rack and quickly learned two things 1) I am definitely a medium on the bottom and 2) you will NEVER see me in a string bikini. Oh my Lord. I immediately threw it back at the sales lady and found myself a slightly more expensive but much more appropriate suit. I still shudder thinking about that experience.

We had a blast at the wedding, especially Lucas. 

Yes, I do match my outfit to my child's or vice versa when we have special occasions.

Although he was up super late, Lucas woke up at 5:30. Must have been very excited to wish his daddy a happy birthday. This led to a day of crabbiness and weird nap schedule.  We decided to go to Sioux Falls so Lucas would hopefully sleep on the way... No dice! But he did get in a better mood which got me a little cocky and thought we could make it through a sit down meal at a restaurant.

Don't let this picture fool you.... This mea was a disaster.

First, if a restaurant offers you a Super Duper, this is what they mean:

I was very confused when they offered us one. Lucas did well until our meal came and then he just wanted to happily scream and run around. I let Mike eat and hen handed him Lucas and I attempted to eat. Two minutes in and Lucas had banged the front and back of his head on the booth and lost his pacifier on the floor. I picked him up, told Mike to pay and pack my meal and I walked out with Lucas. After a few minutes of calming down, I did return but holy hell. Sometimes I forgot that life with a toddler is not all fun and games.

Lucas slept the whole way home of course :) We woke him up, thinking he would have a late bedtime but after getting screamed at for 20 minutes we put him in his pajamas and put him to bed.

I had a 5 mile run on the books and I had a raging headache at this point and was exhausted. I popped some Advil and took some cleansing breaths and did some cleaning- always makes me feel better. 

I decided that I should just get the stupid run done so I could enjoy a relaxing Monday. I picked up some Cliff Shots so I can start experimenting with what type of energy I want to use during my half. I picked up the Strawberry flavor and it was actually pretty good. I downed 3 of those and a cup of water and headed out the door. 

I literally clomped out the first 2.5 miles. I felt so slow and was running straight into the wind.... Or so I thought. I turned around and either 1) my blocks kicked in or 2) the wind died down or there never was a wind. Because all of a sudden it was quiet and I was flying home. I literally danced and sang the last half mile. What the heck ?!? The world may never know.... Maybe I finally went delirious.

After all the junk and drinks this weekend, I am looking forward to some healthier choices this week. But not too many because we are going to visit Mike's parents at the lake for a couple days and also I am taking Lucas to see my mom this weekend for the 4th so not a total sugar cleanse.... Balance :) 

I have found the why....

I've been pondering the past few weeks why I've been gaining weight and I have found the reason why.... I'm NOT pregnant. I know that's where you all went immediately.

Nope it's because of things like this:

I went to our local Farmer's Market last night and I walked away with peach jam and root beer cupcakes. 

Or these little gems from the Edgerton bakery that I found at W2 Meats when we picked up beats for supper:

Just so you know, if I lived in Edgerton I would be fat- the cupcakes came from a lady from Edgerton too. 

Come on, life is short right?

Not that her life was short by any means, but my sweet step-grandma passed away yesterday just two months short of her 90th birthday. Since my stepdad passed away 8 years ago this June, I only saw her a few times a year but she always sent cards and had gifts for me- plus cookies. One thing I will always remember is that she would always bake several kinds and put them all in the same container but one always had peanut butter so they ALL tasted like peanut butter! The first time I met her was my first vacation to Florida I remember (I did hit Disneyworld at age 4 but no real memory). She was so sweet and introduced me to the finer foods in life- oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, lamb with mint jelly. Yum yum. And to use sunscreen as I got so burned I literally couldn't walk. I am sad but definitely not as torn up as when my mom's mom passed away a year and a half ago (I literally slept in her hospice bed with her 16 weeks pregnant).

I used that and my poor aching body as my reason to skip workouts yesterday. That and I got caught up watching True Blood and making Shutterfly albums- I got 7 of them made and am all caught up. It was one of those things that had been on my to do list for MONTH and it felt so good to get done! Other things on to do list were accomplished today by Mike with Lucas supervising:

Built in garbage cans are fun until the plastic can breaks and you can't find a can the right size to fit in the hole (we looked at Shopko, Kmart, Target, Dollar Tree and Kohls... We don't do Walmsrt) so Mike had to cut the hole bigger and then it wouldn't slide back into place. He got the lawn mowed while I snuck in a T25 Cardio workout from Beachbody On Demand which I will be canceling soon. I liked trying all the different workout styles but I didn't fall in love with any of them. I will probably purchase 21 Day Fix Extreme and just alternate that and regular 21 Day Fix. I enjoyed T25 but there were several moves that involved alternating my legs and arms and I SUCK at that. I have no eye-hand coordination and you can really see it when I do aerobic type activities. My brother has T25 so if I ever want to try the other ones, I will just borrow it.

I still want to try Cise, Insanity and P90 3 before I cancel. And hopefully I will get the motivation to try them soon. I am trying to convince myself to strength train again more. 1- my body is getting flabby again since I quit. 2- I think that's part of the reason my body hurts so bad. My husband says I'm not eating enough and while that may be true (and I wish it was because I would love to eat more!), I think it's more about eating the right things. But I also have been reading a lot about the things that prevent injuries and strength is a big factor. I really only strength train once a week right now since I do Yoga on my stretch and strengthen day. Putting miles on my tennis shoes alone is not going to be  enough to get me across that finish line!

I didn't want to run tonight but after we got Lucas to bed (at 8:30- who is this child of mine who used to be in bed by 6:30?) I told myself to just go out and get it done. We have a wedding tomorrow night (first time staying in a hotel with Lucas) so I need to cross train in the morning and I didn't want to have to run too.

Felt good to get it done and beautiful sky after the rain- no pic because I took my regular iPod since I knew my 3.5 mile route. 

I must need a shower because the fly ice been hunting landed right next to me... Luckily the swatter was on the other side of me so cross that off my to do list ass well!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Ow... Ow... Ow.

There is a reason why there is a day in between my long run and the next run.... Because my body needs that day to recover. Oh man- I feel like I am broken even today. I usually take Lucas for a few walks each day and taking him out last night was torture because my body hurt so bad. We had a rough night all around- I had a stomachache and killer headache and Lucas decided to play from 12-2 a.m. This morning continued to be rough as we were both a little cranky from lack of sleep but we took a 3 hour nap this afternoon so we are back on track.... Except my body still hurts. I decided to do 30 minutes of cross training tonight instead of 2 miles- I like options in training. 

I am trying to keep motivated by this lovely gem that Map My Run sent me yesterday:

Did it once.... Will do it again!

I think part of the energy drain is just trying to figure out our finances now that we have a fence to replace. I really wanted to pay off a student loan this month but I'm getting a little gun shy now that I see how quickly big financial situations can occur. We are thinking about canceling doing our landscaping and replacing the fence instead and just ripping out the landscaping that we were going to fix and opening up the backyard... Have I ever mentioned that I HATE grown up decisions? I do.

Tomorrow is a 3.5 mile run and then REST day.... Hopefully I can find the motivation to get it done and not take my rest day early. We will see what sleep and Advil do for my pain.

Week is halfway over- where did June go? Seriously! Summer please stop going so fast. I have so much I want to get done with you. 

P.s. I had a co- worker contact me today because her friend was just diagnosed with breast cancer at 31! So every time she gets a chemo treatment, Jacqueline is contacting 5 people to check themselves... I think it's a great cause and also want to remind you all to give yourself a check! 

Monday is not a funday!

So apparently the severe storms that were predicted WERE severe. The wind and thunder woke me up at 5 and I laid in bed imagining all the damage that was being done to everything outside... And then at 6, I held Lucas in the rocking chair and imagined all the damage that was being done. I also tried to memorize every detail of his face because that little boy is growing up way too fast!

So here is the main damage to our house: 

Could have been a lot worse as someone down the block has a tree smashed into their porch but MAN.... This one is going to be an expensive fix. Hopefully insurance covers most of it! The washer also broke today and water ran all over our basement. When it rains, it pours. Literally?? 

After all this disaster, I dropped Lucas off at daycare and came home and made myself a 21 day fix approved breakfast of eggs and oatmeal with strawberries. Gaining weight one week- ok. Gaining more weight two weeks in a row equals get back on track before it's too late. I had coffee and sat down to watch TV to let my food digest before I tackled my long run... And fell asleep until 10. 

Which means it was hot hot hot by the time I ate an English muffin and motivated myself to get out the door.. I hate when I do things like that to myself. I just kept telling myself I could stop and walk at any time if I needed to. 5 miles in 52 minutes and the only time I stopped was to take my shirt off and tie it around a bench so it wouldn't blow away and I stopped to retrieve it on the way home. Whew! No amount of deodorant could outlast the amount of sweat that I endured out there. I'm still hot 3 hours later! 

I took a break to help my husband clear up the washer mess and eat lunch and then I did Yoga Fix for my stretch and strengthen day. Hoping that it helps me not be terribly sore tomorrow. I already know I'm going to have blisters because I didn't have any running socks left (note to self; buy more!)

Alright time to shower and de- stink and then pick up little man from daycare. Just want to leave you with the perfect remedy if the stomach bug hits your house soon:

I received this complimentary in my Influenster box for reviewing purposes and thank goodness I had it for this weekend. This combined with Immodium will save you when you have stomach issues- trust me! I'm also sharing it with my brother who travels regularly and uses it on flights :) 

Happy Monday everyone! 

The truths of my current state...

I listened to a lot of Suze Orman and she always tells people to stand in their truth. Well although my financial truth is pretty good this month, here are other truths going on right now.

1. Am I the only person that gains weight in the summer? I know most people lose weight because of the access to fresh fruits and veggies but their is also access to ice cream... And farmer markets with chocolate chip banana bread.... And 24/7 access to food at my house. At least at work I can only eat what I have brought unless I go scavengering (or go to the teachers' lounge) but at home I can grab anything anytime. I swear every day this week I have vowed to eat healthy and do 21 fix guidelines. And then I end up at Sanaa's in Sioux Falls with my husband for a date lunch. I can't even tell you what this is but there is such a thing as a Mediterranean diet right? 

We may have stopped at Cherry Berry after too... No pictures because I couldn't wait long enough ha ha! 

2. Karma is a b!tch. My husband got a stomach bug yesterday and I made fun of his moaning and groaning... And today I have a lesser version of it. Ugh! 

3. Because of stomach bug I did not get my cross training in today... I will bump it back to tomorrow and do my long run (5 miles... Gulp) on Monday when Lucas is at daycare so I can do it in early morning because...

4. I cannot stand running in the heat. I did 3.5 miles on Thursday around 2 and it sucked the life out of me. When I got home and realized I was supposed to run AND do strength I wanted to cry. I sat down to stretch and watch an episode of Pretty Little Liars and then I was going to do it before I had to pick up Lucas but then Ford called to tell me my car was fixed so I had to go deal with that fiasco (it wasn't fixed yet.....). So I skipped strength with the intention to do it Friday but with his stomach bug Mike couldn't watch Lucas for me and all day with a 1 year old had me exhausted and I just didn't want to do anything but sleep which elads me to the final truth...

5. If I don't get some serious energy and motivation, I am worried I won't be able to do my half in September. My last run left me feeling broken. My legs were heavy and I felt slow even though my pace was normal. And it wasn't even a long run. I am hoping it was just heat and not being properly hydrated but there is always that fear after a bad run. Watching Lucas learn to walk and thinking about how much he must have to build his muscles too... Maybe we can do it together! 

We had crazy storms last night. Hopefully they don't hit again tonight so I can sleep. Two of our neighbors lost entire trees.  This picture doesn't even begin to capture it.

Imagine the hurricane pictures they show on TV... That's what it reminded me of! 

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think

Book #3 on my list:

By: Laura Vanderkam

The first chapter was a hefty dose of reality about how we all have the same 168 hours in a week- it's how we USE them that makes the difference. One shocking statistic is that the average mom only spends about 15 minutes a day playing with their kid- what?!? A stay at home mom only averages 17-18 hours a week of play time. Remember an average means some were more and some were less but STILL! I'm not up for mom of the year but I get in more time than that making Lucas pose for selfies with me!

She gave an example of a woman who does it all and it definitely gave me a "you need to get your shit together" feeling. She also discussed changing language from "I don't have time" to "It's not a priority" with the example of saying she doesn't have time to sew her daughter's Halloween costume.... She has the time, she just doesn't want to spend the time to do so because it's not a priority. But if someone paid her $100,000 to do it, it would probably become a priority. I thought this was a good point! Made me think of making baby food- absolutely I could have done it but I said I didn't have time. Not true. I had time. I just thought buying baby food was a lot easier and since we could afford organic, it was probably the same nutrients as if I had made it. But it's all about the language of it. Food for thought and just done with chapter 1!  At the end of each chapter, she has a little activity. Chapter 1 was to log your time for at least a week to see where it goes. I did a mental log since anything I do right now would change in 2 months and I definitely want to decrease time on TV and my phone after Lucas goes to bed and spend more of that time reading OR sleeping! 

Chapter 2 focused on core competencies. The author encourages you to define the things you do best and that others cannot do nearly as well and devote your time to those things and to let go of the things that other people could do or do better. The core competency that is #1 in my life is being a good mom to Lucas. #2 that I need to work on is being a better Christian, wife, daughter and friend- I'm ok at it but I want to be better. And #3 is being a good school psychologist. I feel like since Lucas I have gotten better at outsourcing things to other people that I can so I will have to think if there is anything else I can do. She also encouraged the reader to make a list of 100 dreams, which can include big things you have already done like graduating college, getting married and having a baby. Definitely want to do this and will post it when I do. What's on YOUR list? 

I'm going to lump the next chapters together as Part 2 of the book: @ Work. I'm not going to lie, it took me a long time to get through this part of the book. Lots of facts and since I am off for the summer, I really don't want to think about work. But I will share some highlights and things I will think about come the middle of August. Find the right job for you- love what you do and do what you love. If you aren't doing that, make a plan of how to get there and the steps you need to take can you create your dream job where you are at or do you need to change jobs? Find something that intrinsically motivates you and challenges you. If you think you are IN the right job, ask yourself if you would stay if you got a ton of money and didn't have to. Another section dealt with controlling your calendar- YOU determine when you do things. Don't mistake things that look like work for actual work (guilty!). Get rid of things that don't relate to your core competencies- ignore, minimize, or outsource them. And boost efficiency by getting better at what you do! And know what the next level looks like... And this is where my wheels started turning. Where do I want to go with my career? BIG question to tackle. But not during the summer :)

Part 3 deals with @ Home. My favorite part! The first chapter dealt with the changing home economics and how women just aren't doing the type of home activities that ladies in the 1950s did. Hello grocery store cupcakes. But despite this, we still aren't spending the time on our core competencies like spending time with our kids but we are wasting it on Facebook and watching TV- guilty guilty guilty! The author talks about blocking out time where you are solely focusing on your kids and what THEIR list of 100 dreams are and what activities are important to them. How do you do this? Don't do your own laundry she says. Outsource it. If you don't enjoy cooking, cleaning and doing the laundry- don't do it. Vanderkam talks about how you will make up this money elsewhere by putting the saved time into your job or because you are less stressed you will be better at your job. Or just do it because you have the money. I already outsource my cleaning and it's the one of best decision I ever made after having Lucas. I am not stressed about getting the house cleaned on the weekends and I'm not nagging at Mike to do it when he was off.  Now to figure out how to outsource the cooking... I don't mind laundry. 

The final chapters are about a full life and success stories of people who did their time log and made changes. The author gives the following suggestions:

- choose a small number of activities that bring you the most happiness- one of these must be exercise!

- create blocks in your schedule for these activities

- commit enough time, energy and resources to make them meaningful

- use the principal of alignment to build in more time with family and friends, or for leisure in general (by alignment she means play date at park with a friend, exercise with kids, watch a movie as a date night)

- use bits of time for bits of joy- make a list of activities you can do when you find yourself with an extra 10 or 30 minutes 

So obviously in the summer my schedule looks very different but here is what a typical schedule will look like for me come fall:

6-7 Get up and get myself and Lucas ready

7-7:30 commute

7:30-4:00 work (I could leave at 3:30 but with meetings usually end up at work until 4 so I wanted to give myself a realistic view)

    Note: over my lunch I am going to check social media and blog so that I don't spend time doing this at home

4:00-4:30 commute home and pick up Lucas

4:30-8:30 Family time- supper, play with Lucas, put him to bed

8:30-9:30 Work out/shower

9:30-10:00 get ready for bed, read if extra time

Now the biggest thing I need to cut is watching TV which will be difficult bc I love my shows but Vandenkamp gave a lot of arguments for choosing reading as a leisure activity. This doesn't mean I won't watch on weekends when Lucas is napping or if I have extra time, but I do need to narrow down the shows I watch to about 7 or less.... I see you rolling your eyes as you read this Mike... I can do it. I will do it. And yes, I did read the part about finding time every week to spend with your significant other and will work in that too... 

Overall a very thought provoking read once I got past the stats :) 

What are you doing with your 168 hours? Where do you need to spend more time? Less? I challenge you to make one change in the next week so you are spending more time on your core competencies... Or just figure out what those are! I'm going to make a Post- it of nine and put it in my office! 

Things I Tried Tuesday

Hi gang! Happy Tuesday. Today was a Mama day since Lucas is at daycare and Mike went to the cabin to help his parents put the boat in. I got some things cleaned up and got the checkbook balanced annnndddddd got my 3.5 mile run in. I did 2 miles out and back and then ran out a mile and back in .5 mile and walked the other .5 mile as a cool down. I made a friend along the way.

I love cats but Mike is highly allergic to them so I befriend them where I can. It even followed me for a little bit.

Feels good to have it done for the day. My legs were feeling very heavy and tired- still recovering from Sunday maybe. 

Here are a few things I've been trying lately! 

Ahhh Yes to Coconut products.... This is the Cooling Lip Gel. I want to love you so much. And one of my favorite bloggers recommended this as a great summer product for chapped lips. And it's ok but definitely not something I will buy again.

Boom Chicka Bites: Sweet and Salty Nut. Yum yum yum! Pretty sure I ate half the bag in one sitting.... 

And I love when my food gives me good advice "Personally, I think marathons are overrated. Let's go for a walk" Does this advice apply to half marathons too?

Project 7: Birthday Cake Gourmet Gum. Bonus that this gum donates money to a charity with every purchase. UNbonus.... It does not taste good. I actually threw it away after chewing on one piece which is a big deal for me because I hate wasting things. 

Quest Protein: Chocolate Milkshake 

A friend had let me know about this awhile ago but I forgot about it until I saw it at Hy- Vee. I am on the fence.... It was REALLY thick when I drank it but I had the same experience the first time I tried Shakeology so I think I need to add more milk. It would also be really good texture for a smoothie.

Last product is ATTITUDE Hair Detangler for Little Ones #ATTITUDEliving. I got mine free from @Influenster for reviewing purposes but you can get it at Target (#ATTITUDEatTarget). I love this stuff! I need to use detangler a lot because of my baby fine hair (especially on days when I use my John Frieda 7 Day Volumizer) so even though this product is for little ones, this big one used it too. Lucas did enjoy having it sprayed on his hair and if Mike ever lets me grow his baby curls back out, he might need it too. What is different about this product from others I have tried is that it comes out in a fine mist so it's almost like a hairspray whereas others make my hair feel wet again. Love it and would definitely purchase it. 

Be The Seed

This post would have been much better suited for a Sunday which is when I intended to write it, but Lucas didn't go to bed until 8:45 and I still had to get my 4 mile run in.  Normal Kayla would have just put it off until the next day and that was my plan BUT the bedding was still in the dryer so I wouldn't have been able to go to bed anyways... so I laced up my shoes and headed out.  I did a one mile out and back with the dog and saw some lightning headed our way.  Old Kayla would have used that as a very good excuse to just call it quits but New "I want to feel the glory of running across the finish line of a half marathon" Kayla turned around and headed back out for the last 2 miles.  The lightning was a little bit closer than I thought, but nothing like some lightning headed at you to put some speed in your step.  I had my old iPod (much better music selection that I can't transfer to my new computer because it's so old) so I don't have an official time but I know it was under 40 minutes-score!  Week 2 of half marathon training in the books!

So I hope this post doesn't offend anyone, but my blog does have the word FAITH in it and I don't think I have ever done a faith-based post.  Shame on me.   Definitely something that I should do more often so that's a personal goal of mine.  I am a Christian but I definitely am not as good of one as I should be.  I don't go to church on a regular basis, I don't tithe 10% and I am definitely a judgmental person.  Always room for personal improvement right?  Anyways, there's the explanation.

So I don't make it to church regularly because I don't want to go by myself.... so with Mike working every other weekend, that means we usually get there every other weekend.  Now that we have Lucas, I understand I wouldn't be alone but now my excuse is that I can't handle a 1 year old by myself in church-always an excuse right.  HOWEVER, this Sunday Lucas decided to fall asleep 20 minutes before we needed to leave for church.  I was already dressed and ready to go.  Normally I would have crawled back into comfy clothes and called it but I decided to put my big girl panties on and go by myself (No one was more surprised than my husband haha!)  And I'm glad I did.

The sermon was on Mark 4: 26-34 (Sorry for the font change-I am definitely too lazy to retype this!). 

26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

EDIT: this is someone holding s mustard seed... Not a worm or a pnis (this is not a typo it's a way around censorship lol) as my husband just asked me. 

What I really liked about this passage is that the message is that the littlest things have the biggest impact and I think that is SO true for multiple things in our life.  It's the little smile that you give someone that makes their day.  It's paying in cash and not using a credit card that changes your spending habits.  It's cutting out multiple desserts that help you lose a few pounds.  I think too often in life we have these BIG goals and we forget that it's the little steps that are going to get us to that big goal.  

I also enjoyed when the pastor called offerings "packets of financial love".  I thought Dave Ramsey would really enjoy that one.  

Today we took Lucas to the zoo.  It's great entertainment for him and a nice way to get some exercise in while spending time with him.  

Is it just me or is this rhea looking like it's going to jump across the fence and peck my eyes out?

Tonight's workout was "Stretch and Strengthen" which means I should have done Pilates but I just really wanted to do some Yoga after my long run yesterday so I did Yoga Fix from 21 Day Fix and it felt so good.  Lucas really enjoyed it too...his downward dog and Angle Pose are better than mine!

I also finally got to cross another movie off my list (see post here if you don't know what I am referring to).  Boyhood!  The movie was created over 12 years to that it could use the same actors as they aged...cool concept, LONG movie. 3 hours!  I had to watch it in 4 sittings.  I don't have time for that.  I also wasn't ever really sure what the movie was about other than just following their lives..seemed better fitted for a TV show.  Mike and I are currently watching Wild so hopefully I will have a review of that coming soon.

I hope you all had a Marvelous Monday!

All caught up...

Now I remember why I don't skip a workout- because making it up sucks more than what actually doing it that day would have.... Okay maybe not because I felt really really crappy but still.

Thursday I did Chalean Exteme Burn Circuit 1 from Beachbody On Demand for my strength while Lucas was at daycare... And it was not that difficult at all. I DEFINITELY needed heavier weights to have gotten anything out of that workout.  Because I felt so crappy and was having stomach issues, I didn't get my run in while Lucas was at daycare like I planned to so I had to do it after he went to bed.... And after we had gone to a loca restaurant for our anniversary dinner. Note to self: running on nachos, steak and Parmesan fries, and chocolate torte is not a good idea! I felt like I was going to PUKE after 1.5 miles. At least the scenery was pretty! 

Fridays are supposed to be my rest day but I had a 3 mile run AND stretch and strengthen to make up!

Lucas was home and we managed to keep him up so we could go to story hour at the library. 

Reading is one of my favorite things in the world and I LOVED the summer reading programs so I hope Lucas does too! Because I napped when he napped, I had to run after Lucas went to bed (his bedtime is getting later and later which means mine is too- I wish I could learn to live on less sleep!) 

I felt like I was moving so slowly, especially when I looked up and saw the turkey vulchers circling above me!

The entire time I was running, I told myself I just had to do Yoga Fix even though I wanted to move to doing Pilates for my S & S day but when I got home, I did Pilates Fix- who am I? Felt good to have it done and be back on track!

When I got done, I was only going to eat a few pieces of watermelon.... 3/4 of a container later ;)

Tell me this happens to someone else?

Today I had a bachelorette party for a very dear friend from grad school. Got my toenails prettied up and grabbed a turkey sandwich and sweet potato fries from the restaurant before heading home to meet Lucas and Mike for Lucas' first parade. 

Doesn't look like it, but he did have fun! Note to self: white shorts are cute for a bachelorette party but not for a parade when your son is going to drool purple sucker all over you. Oh well- memories may be messy but I'm working to build a lifetime of fun ones with this little man of mine.

After the parade, we went over to a co- worker of Mike's... Why is it that a beer in the summer sun leads to the poor decision of ordering a Casey's pizza for supper?!? I've got a 2 month food baby going on ;) 

Ah well, tomorrow is a new day. 30 minutes on the bike to cross train, a hot shower to wash away the stickiness and bed! 

#NurtureVoxBox from Influenster

Sorry I have been MIA the past few days.  I'm not sure if I caught a bug or just got rundown, but any down time I have had was devoted to sleeping or resting.  My energy is at an all time low and I can't quite put my finger on why...  But after taking Monday and Tuesday off, I did get 2 miles in last night on the treadmill and am hoping to get out for a run and some strength training today but I still have zero energy so I'm not sure how that will happen.

I did want to get on and start to share about some new products you will be seeing reviews of over the next couple weeks thanks to Influenster sending me the Nurture VoxBox complimentary for testing purposes.  It came in the mail on Saturday but I am just now getting around to exploring the greatness that is inside (I told you guys I was tired...normally I would have ripped this thing apart by now!)

The following products were inside:
Hada Labo Tokyo Ultimate Facial Mask
a coupon for Uncle Ben's Flavored Grains
Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen Sensitive
Dramamine Non-Drowsy Naturals
Skinfix Diaper Rash Balm
Red Vines
A coupon for Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Easy Golden Crinkles/Tater Tots/Frieds
ATTITUDE Hair Care Detangler

Today I am reviewing the Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen Sensitive.  You can find details about their product here.  What you need to know is that this is a great product.  It's made from natural products and protects against UVA and UVB.

What sets this product apart is the BA-free plastic cap that is UV photo sensitive.  It changes colors in the presence of harmful UV rays, reminding you to cover up.  The deeper the blue, the more UV rays that you are being exposed to.

I took this out on our porch...our COVERED porch.... and it started to turn blue.  I was horrified that I have been letting Lucas play out there thinking he was protected from the rays and didn't know he needed sunscreen.  He will definitely be getting a layer of Blue Lizard from now on before he goes out!

The only thing I haven't figured out (and this is not product specific) is how to get a 1 year old to sit long enough to get the sunscreen rubbed in enough so Lucas is no longer white :)

More reviews will be coming as I get to try my products..... as always, reviews are 100% my own and honest!

On a random note, today is my FOUR year anniversary with my husband.  I cannot believe it has been four years since we were married (and 15 since we have been together) AND how much our life has changed.  I love the journey we are on and hope it continues.

#tbt to our 1 year anniversary 

First long run, sunburn and beer of the summer!

Happy Sunday everyone!

I am writing to you from the cozy cabin. Lucas has been a rockstar up here and is having a blast- if Mike and I didn't have to work on Tuesday we would stay up here all summer!

Lucas took a two hour nap in his pack and play this afternoon so I had a chance to lay out in the sun and read a few magazines... I forgot to put sunscreen on a few areas so I have a nice red color for the next few days!

Today was my first long run for half marathon training: 4 miles! I was a little nervous even though it was only 1 more mile than my usual runs. My legs have been sore lately from all the walking and running I did this week and they were still sore today even after a rest day. But it was a dream run.

I don't know what's up with my Map My Run... I definitely did not run 16.5 miles. Time is right and current pace was probably right but that's about it. I probably could have been a little faster but I stopped to take a picture of a turtle that scared the crap out of me!

Not exactly used to seeing those on my run. It's nice to have a different running path although this one has a lot more hills than anything else I run... Very proud I maintained about a 10 minute pace.

Decided to reward myself with a beer- sorry for the crappy picture. Not the best light in the living room.

Back home tomorrow and then my last day of work on Tuesday. Woo hoo!