Choosing Joy: Smash Book Style
Posted: May 1, 2012 Filed under: Goals, Scrapbooking 1 CommentI bought the Smash Book a few months ago with intentions of keeping up with it daily and focusing on my “One Little Word”. Yeah, not so much. I was able to make the cover page and then it sat. Until recently. I like having a place to focus on my story, solely, completely. Not having to hold anything back. My goal for May: a daily gratitude picture and entry. Last month, I made an effort to take a picture a day, of something, anything that makes me smile. A few of the April entries/pages:
A smashy place to be feminine in a sea of boys. Finally, a chance to use up my girly embellies:
Happy moments from the first week of April, the boys’ Spring Break. They were truly partners in crime and completely inseparable. I, found joy in drive thru coffee. Why haven’t they made a drive thru everything for moms yet? Drive thru Trader Joes?
I like that the Smash book is forcing me to work with colors and papers out of my comfort zone. I had no idea what to do with this woodsy tree background. Stumped me for a few days. Ended up working out perfectly. Love the outdoors, love my boys’ love of the outdoors:
Yoga + running = my happy places:
My plan of attack: I made a collage of Instagram photos, printed it out at Costco, and plan to incorporate them into the book as a daily gratitude/smile journal. My April photos are printed, cut out and ready to go, just need to sit down and glue them in…loving the simplicity of the Smash book:
I Love Running, I Hate Running, I LOVE Running…
Posted: April 27, 2012 Filed under: Running 4 CommentsThere are many things in life I have a love/hate relationship with: mornings, jeans…RUNNING.
I hate the first five minutes. Without fail, every single run. It’s a struggle to get the legs going, get my head in the game. It is often at this point where the decision as to how far I’ll go is made. Or not made, in some cases.
I hate the sore, the pain, the aftermath of a particularly sucktastic run.
I hate the rebuilding of your base mileage after time off. Knowing what you CAN do, HAVE done, but not being ABLE to do it.
I hate that my thighs don’t cooperate with the super cute running skirts out there. Thigh rubbage + shorts = no bueno. For anyone.
I hate the stress and anxiety of sticking to a training plan.
BUT…
I love the twinge of jealousy I feel when I see someone running outside while I am driving in the car.
I love the confidence, self esteem, and sense of accomplishment gained from conquering 13.1.
I love and cherish my friendships made on the trails.
I love the example I am setting for my boys.
I love the ME that I am when running consistently.
Sunday was slated to be a typical long training run, the last before my May 6th Half. As always, trying to schedule anything with two other busy mammas proved difficult and I ended up on my own for this one. In the past, this would have done me in. I would have either ditched the run all together or powered through 8 or 9 and called it a day.
It may sound cheesy or completely cliché, but something happened on this run that has never happened before and I have no idea why. I wish I could bottle it up the awesomeness for future use.
Having run many training runs on this particular trail, I decided to run out and back 4, stop at my car, pick up my new handheld water bottle, and then head out for the remaining 8.
Throughout the first four miles, I still held out hope that one of my Best Running Friends would text that she was on her way. Meanwhile, I struggled to find my legs and had to reset the mind for a new game plan: 12 solo miles. I headed out for four, found myself back at the car, and picked up my water bottle. There are only two water stops on the trail and I knew I had to suck it up can carry my own. I haaaaaaated running with the water, but perhaps that made the difference?
Headed out for 8. Mentally telling myself I hadn’t just run 4 and only had 8 to go today. Four out, four back.
I purposefully left my g-mo at home. When running with the Garmin, I find myself obsessively checking the mileage and pace, pushing myself harder to reach a certain time. Instead, I ran with my iPhone and the Nike+ app LOVING the little applause that played each time someone liked the post. I wanted to track the mileage, but not necessarily the pace.
The miles weren’t flying by, but they were falling by the wayside nicely. My pace was surprising as I was running comfortably, following my find the JOY in running plan. I was grateful for my water. It as warm, even at 7:30.
I got back to the car and my mileage was at 12.44. I noticed a sub-2 was easily in sight. I threw my belt and water bottle in the car and headed out for the last .6 or so. If I did it, awesome. If not, okay.
I have never in my life had such an amazing 13.1. Certainly, NEVER during a training run. I knew that I would be running Divas for fun. I have never looked at that race in any other way. My two BRFs will be taking some time off and it will be our last hurrah together. I have every intention of crossing that finish line WITH both of them, something we have never done in our three years of running together.
I am certain that the cross training has paid off.
I am thrilled that my body knows what to do.
I am less than thrilled that it appears a handheld water bottle seems to be the way to go. Any tips on how to carry this without hating it?
More than anything, I LOOOVE how this run made me feel. Kick ass. Strong. Confident.
I LOVE RUNNING.
Project Life 2012: Weeks 12 and 13
Posted: April 16, 2012 Filed under: Project Life 9 CommentsWEEK 12
Wanted to keep things super simple in an attempt to catch up. LOVING Instagram for Project Life. I always have my phone and have started to rely on it far more than the DSLR, I need to make more of an effort to pick up the camera now. Most memorable event of the week: registering my oldest for KINDERGARTEN. Ack.
Trying to incorporate more of my story into Project Life and having a lot of fun with it…
Instagram madness. LOVE:
WEEK 13
An Instagram heavy photo week, did some experimenting with photo size and placement:
Insta-collage of a super easy activity (sticker dot tracing) I did with Jake, journaled below. Liking the simple date cards: easy and quick. I nearly died when I discovered washi tape at TARGET!! My two loves, combined, swoon.
Inspired by a library book, I not only broke my never buy a book for more than $2 rule, but I baked a WHOLE chicken. Crazy. And deserving of a prime PL spot, heh. Photo of finished chicken on the library card that can be slid out of the pocket.
Ty’s FIRST handwritten letter. To Grandma. Swoon. Had to include it. Makes me smile every time I see it:
Week 14 progress shot. Working on two inserts: a page of instagram shots and a 6 x 12 photo from one of our Easter egg hunts:
Thought I’d share how I am printing out my Instagram photos. I bought Collage Maker on the lap top. I upload the Instagram photos to iPhoto, then put them into a simple 2 x 3 collage. Save. Upload to Costco.com and order either 4 x 6, 5 x 7, or 8 x 10 depending on where I want the photos to go and what I want to do with them. SUPER happy with the quality and you can’t beat the price. All of the photos in my Spring Break page are from various 5 x 7 collages.
For 6 x 12 photos, I ordered an 8 x 12 print from Costco and trimmed off two inches…
For a perfect fit in a 6 x 12 pocket…
Week 15 photos in place, ready to go:
Thanks for visiting!!
Will be linking up here:
The Year I Put the JOY Back in Running…
Posted: April 10, 2012 Filed under: Running 1 CommentRunning is hard.
It’s hard on your body. Your mind.
Some days, it’s the perfect retreat that allows me to refuel my sanity tank. Some days, it’s a lonely, mentally challenging battle.
Some days, the miles fly by. Some days, the miles draaaaaag.
For the first time, ever, I couldn’t finish a run. My run Sunday, ten miles on the books, sucked. I can list a number of reasons why, but in the end, it just wasn’t one of those glorious, Nike-commercial-esque, sweat free, no jiggle endeavors. It was a funky, sweaty, plodding, grimacing affair.
And I began to wonder why…
I’ve done the train to finish thing.
I’ve done the train to PR thing.
Yes, PR’s are indescribable. You train hard, you sacrifice, and you meet your goal, hopefully.
But you are often ALONE.
Crossing the finish to your own applause.
To this day, my PR races are memorable, but the MOST memorable are those run with friends. AND finished with friends.
There was a time not so long ago that training and running was my number one. I ran at all costs. But I didn’t foresee the burnout. The effect on my body. I didn’t understand how people could train for 13.1 and NOT race. Heh.
Much like everything, you don’t understand until you do.
Nearly every hat I wear in my life: mother, sister, daughter, wife, friend…presents a multitude of challenges everyday. Some are won, some are lost. Some set aside for another day…
This year, my runner hat will only present me with JOY. I will not let it get me down. If I miss a run, I will not feel guilty. If I run a personal best, I will feel proud. If I don’t run a personal best, I will feel the joy in the process, in the moment, in the being there. If I enter a race with friends, I will ENJOY the moment, cherish their company, and thrive in their presence.
As hard as it will be for me, I will not let the numbers dictate my love of running. Instead, I will put the time spent with friends and memories made first.
Bring on the happy, BRFs.
The Day I Conquered My Fear of The Whole Chicken…
Posted: March 31, 2012 Filed under: Goals, Mommy Notes 1 CommentI don’t think I am a terrible cook. I am most definitely NOT a fearless cook. I am good at following directions, the teacher in me still lives on. I am the kind of cook who follows a recipe EXACTLY.
When it comes to meats, I don’t venture out of those falling into the plob-able category. Otherwise known as meats packaged in such a way as to be plopped into a pan, crock pot, cooking contraption without being touched. By me. With bare hands. We eat a lot of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ground turkey, lean ground beef…
And then I started reading The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Ten Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks by Kathleen Flinn.
And I was inspired to conquer a lifetime long fear: the whole chicken.
Laugh if you must, but there is something about touching a whole chicken, CLEANING a whole chicken, giblets…that totally skeeves me out. A lot. But I figured it was time. I have paced my culinary kitchen endeavors throughout my marriage to where roasting a whole chicken would be a big day. And a new milestone, elevating me to a new culinary status.
Armed with a recipe, I shopped for the goods. Picked up my soon-to-be nemesis and prepared for battle:
“Are those gardening gloves?” Oh, no she didn’t.
Oh, yes I did.
I broke out my apron, because isn’t it like a super hero’s cape, infused with magic and super power traits? Meant to protect me from bodily harm from a fowl experience gone foul.
I prepped the garlic. Cut the lemons. Had everything ready to go and started to read the recipe:
“Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.”
HOLD THE PHONE. FEATHERS?!@#
I quickly re-evaluated: I could drive to Costco in about ten minutes, spend a third as much on a rotisserie chicken, PLOP that bad boy on a platter and no one would be the wiser. No giblets. No FEATHERS.
Intent on conquering the fear and showing my boys I could be all apron-y and cook-y in the kitchen, I powered through. Nearly lost my lunch. The feeling and textures and cavities…were NASTY. No lie.
But I did it.
Me: 1, Chicken: 0. This day could also be known as the day I broke the hand washing world record…
I jacked up some of the skin removing the bacon half way through roasting. Another yuck, touching bacon. Blech.
I was crazy proud of this damn chicken. Hence, the numerous photos. Proof.
The house smelled amazing. The husband LOVED it and was shocked. I am certain he didn’t really believe I had cooked it myself. Yet further proof of my culinary pacing success, heh. Just imagine if I had done this years ago, I’d be stuck cleaning and de-nasty-fying chickens on a much more regular basis.
Whole chicken: roasted, eaten, in the books. Holla.
Big day.
Project Life 2012: Week 11
Posted: March 26, 2012 Filed under: Project Life 12 CommentsEverything just came together this week, I am really loving the outcome. Fun, matchy, but not too matchy matchy:
Kept it all super simple this rainy week. The boys had fun making their own forts in the playroom and playing hide and seek…I enjoyed a peaceful morning, in a quiet kid-free house Tuesday, it’s the little things:
More indoor fun while it rained. Cutting, pasting, painting. Trip to the library, included the receipt from the checkout. Friday was St. Patty’s day, Ty wore every single green thing he owned, down to his undies and soccer socks.
Simple title card, one of the boy’s book orders (loved the colors of it), and a fun way to tie together three of the middle journal spots:
Thanks for visiting.
Can’t believe we are already 12 WEEKS into 2012…
Linking up here:
50 in 2012: Book Thirteen
Posted: March 25, 2012 Filed under: Book Review Leave a comment
The Love Goddess’ Cooking School by Melissa Senate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Known as the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Camilla Constantina’s cooking and fortune telling was the talk of the town. Her recipes were not only delicious, but it was believed that they could also save marriages. Born with the ability to see things, her visions caused a great deal of pain and hardships for her and her family. Yet, somehow, she is gifted a close bond with her granddaughter, Holly. A bond, that eventually brings Holly the strength she needs to move forward with her life. And love. Nervous about teaching her first set of cooking lessons, Holly is happy that four students have still agreed to take lessons in spite of her grandmother’s passing, among them, an absolutely adorable, and lovable little spitfire named, Mia. Little does she know, that she will learn far more than she ever expected from her students. Something magical happens in the kitchen classroom as students add Camilla’s infamous “last ingredients” (1 wish, 1 true statement, 1 memory): souls are opened up, secrets are shared, and missing life ingredients are found. A true feel good book. Perfect for a rainy day…
50 in 2012: Book Twelve
Posted: March 24, 2012 Filed under: Book Review Leave a comment
Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A chance meeting at a USO dance the night before Morgan McClain is to ship out to war, leaves Liz Stephens questioning the life path she has so ardently traversed. Having only shared a magical glance and a few hours of conversation, Liz feels a connection with Morgan she has never felt before. As she begins to wonder if this unplanned fork in her life’s path is worth traveling, misunderstandings and a series of circumstances answer for her. Together with her roommates Betty and Julia, Liz begins a life altering journey in search of answers, closure, and true love.
Three roommates. Three different journeys. One moving, poignant love that transcends tragedy, misunderstandings, and war. Written in alternating chapters, the struggles of war time separation is beautifully illustrated. Hanging on to each written word, the letters help Morgan accept the brutalities and tragedy of war. At home, the letters help Liz make life altering choices and decisions. Ultimately, it is the written words that make this book so memorable, stories told through letters, souls opened and secrets shared; especially poignant in a time where internet connections, text messages, and e-mails have all but phased out the magic of a handwritten letter. A true testament to the power of the written word, absolutely loved this book.
Kid Shoe Shopping: How I Roll…
Posted: March 21, 2012 Filed under: Mommy Notes 1 CommentShoe shopping with both boys: a necessity that ranks on the “fun scale” right up there with having a tooth pulled or going to the DMV. Jake no longer willingly sits in the stroller and is strong enough to will himself as straight as a board rendering all my attempts to get him into a stroller useless. He wants to walk. Promises to hold my hand. Ty doesn’t want to go. At all. I have usually broken a sweat before even attempting to make the journey from the car into the store…
Once in the store, it’s a lot of “please don’t touch that”, “no, not those shoes”, “how about THESE shoes”, “you’ll LOVE these shoes, just try them on”, “just sit for one minute”, “please let the lady measure your foot, just put one foot here”, “no, HERE”, “just one MINUTE”, “no, no, no…”
SO, one day it occurred to me to cut out the challenge. Save myself some trouble…
THIS, is how I now go shoe shopping with the boys. Gloriously, quietly, EFFICIENTLY alone…with their paper-cut-out equivalent. I trace their feet, cut them out, write the date on the back, and throw them in my wallet, in case I come across a steal of a deal or find myself with the chance to escape to the shoe store solo. The paper feet don’t complain. They don’t whine. They don’t tell me they want to go home. They sit, quietly. In my wallet.
And it saves me from having to play the “what size shoes does he wear, I can just return them” game.
A rare stroke of mommy genius that has been priceless in the make-things-easier category…
Expectations
Posted: March 20, 2012 Filed under: Running 2 Comments
It only takes one…
One missed run to throw you off track.
One sick kid to throw off your routine.
One traveling husband to throw off your training.
One bad run to throw off your mental game.
The truth: I am not where I had hoped to be at this point in training. Mentally. Physically. Pace wise. In all honesty, I am nowhere near where I had hoped to be. Between our family travels, sickness, and the husband’s travels, I just don’t have the long runs under my belt to realistically hope for a PR. Funny, I assumed as the boys got older, finding time to run would get easier. Not so much.
But I won’t give up. I need to let go of former expectations and embrace new ones. Easier said than done, but running has taught me that much. Sometimes merely getting to the starting line is the victory. In every race I have run to date, the starting line is more emotional for me than the finish.
It only takes one…
One laugh to make you smile.
One good run to get you back in the game.
One good run to make you see the possibilities.
One good run to make you remember why…
Ran 9.1 on Sunday after a horrendous week. My first long run of the season.
Grateful that my body remembered how. Grateful for the reminder that 13.1 is possible. Grateful for the newfound outlook towards the May half.
Old expectation: sub 1:50. New: embrace the journey. Take pride in the journey. ENJOY the journey.
mom.run.craft 