Mighty nuts about Mighty Nut – recipe and giveaway!

October 16, 2015 by Meridith

Let’s take a moment to swoon over fall. The sounds of football games waft through the open windows from the high school and college down the street. The crispy leaves crunch on the ground as my kids play in the yard. Friends chat about PSL and how many Fridays remain until Christmas. And, of course, my running friends know just how special fall racing can be.

Fall cooking (and dare I say, fall in general) is my most favorite. I mean, I love cooking all the time, but there’s something about fall that makes it extra special. Oatmeal! Bread! Crock pot meals! ALL THE THINGS.

Surprisingly, my knowledge of powdered peanut butter is was somewhat limited. As in, I saw it at the store but never paid it too much attention. After all, what’s the point? Just get regular peanut butter and call it a day!

Silly me! Of course there’s a point, which I quickly learned when Fit Approach sent me the Flax & Chia and Original Mighty Nut Powdered Peanut Butter to try and review (and giveaway – more on that soon!).

There’s 85% less fat calories than traditional peanut butter and 1-1.5 grams of fat, depending on what type of Mighty Nut you try. And 5-6 grams of protein!

To kick off the powdered PB party, I decided to go with a tried and true recipe – Whipped Banana Oatmeal to which I added the Flax and Chia… along with sliced bananas, a few chocolate chips, and Craisins.

Muy deliciouso!

Not quite done with my peanut butter party (’cause the peanut butter party don’t stop!), I decided to get a bit more creative and step it up with a favorite of mine, banana bread with a nutty kick of the Original Mighty Nut.

My dear friend Anne shared her banana bread recipe with me a few years ago and it’s a family fave! I figured with a few tweaks, I could add a PB twist. Spoiler alert – I feel like it wasn’t peanut butter-y enough. Therefore I’m sharing the recipe that I’ll be trying the next time around. Pump up the peanut butter, dial back the banana (slightly).

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 very ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup butter at room temperature (I am never good about remembering this part!)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons Mighty Nut Original Powdered Peanut Butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the milk and lemon juice and set on the stove top near the vent to sour.
Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
Mix together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs and mix until creamy.
Add in mashed up bananas.
Add in the lemony milk mixture.
Add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder mixture.

You can also add chocolate chips, nuts, whatever your heart desires! I added chocolate chips because you can never go wrong with a banana/PB/chocolate combo!

8. Dump the mixture into a greased pan and bake for 1 hour.

9. Try not to eat the whole loaf. Or do. I won’t judge you.

You want to try it, don’t you? Lucky for you, the awesome folks over at Fit Approach and Mighty Nut have given me the chance to host a giveaway! Just click on the picture below and enter via Rafflecopter now through 10.22.15. US residents only.

Click the pic to enter!

One prize per person. If you win this giveaway, and have already won another prize from Mighty Nut through another blog, please disclose that you have already won so we can choose another winner.

Many thanks to FitApproach and Mighty Nut for this awesome opportunity. I’m provided the product and compensation but all opinions shared are honest.

I’m Swagtastic and I’ve Got the Swag to Prove It!

October 14, 2015 by Meridith

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but races these days are all about going paperless. The expos are about getting your shirt, your bib, and that’s about it. Gone are the days of race bags, filled with goodies to try and freebies. And while I’m all for being environmentally friendly, I really LOVE trying things before I buy a case, or at the very least, a box!

So I was pretty stoked when the Swagtastic Race benefitting Medals4Mettle reached out to see if we wanted to check out their virtual race. Yes and please! The race took place this past weekend and I was thrilled when I found the (heavy) box of swag on the doorstep.

My swag partner in running, Gemma.

I decided that the swag would wait until after our 5k. After all, I needed to work for my prizes! On Friday, while the kiddos were in school, Gemma and I took to the streets in our neighborhood and accomplished our 5k. It was a gorgeous day and we actually held a pretty good pace, going off my Fitbit calculations. (You know, when she wasn’t trying to trip me.)

Racer number 22 and her trusty sidekick!

After a busy weekend, I finally got the chance to check out the SWAG and I was NOT disappointed. Stalking the Swagtastic Races website gave me a pretty good indication of what was awaiting in the box but still, there’s something about opening a box of goodies that makes you feel like a kid on your birthday!

To give you an idea of just a FEW things in here that I’m super duper excited for… on with the pictures.

Using these right now – stupid cough! Good Ricola!

A few of these are tried and true, but most are new to me! And a few things I can even share with my running partner (okay, maybe a kernel or two of popcorn).

I have the Hershey Half coming up this weekend and the 5k at “race pace” definitely gave me some recently lacking confidence!

Did you do the Swagtastic Race or any other virtual races recently? I want to hear about it! Link me to a blog post in the comments or just talk at me. 😉

Thank you to Swagtastic Races for the awesome opportunity.

East Coast Beat the Blerch 10k

October 2, 2015 by Meridith

In the past I’ve talked about the differences between North and South Jersey. Besides sports team preferences (don’t tell anyone but I give not one iota about sports), city preferences, and the way you say water, there is also a very vast terrain difference.

Which normally is not a big deal. A non-issue really.

Except if you sign up for a run in North Jersey.

When you’re from South Jersey, you’re used to all smooth sailing with the occasional bump that we call a hill down here. But if you sign up for Beat the Blerch at Lewes Park in Morristown you can expect trails, hills, and rugged terrain.

Which I knew when I registered because my dear friend Sharon hosts the Phillips 5k/10k Trail Run/Walk there each year. I’d seen the pictures.

But um, I sorta forgot.

Until we were driving up a deep winding road to get to the parking and the reluctant runner, Jay, turned to me and asked, “So, what do you think the course will be like?”

Not wanting to lie, I said, “Well, I think we’re in for an adventure.”

It’s like Jersey, only NORTH!

At that point we made our one and only race goal: don’t get hurt.

We want to LIVE.

Solid plan, right? We decided that we would run where we could and just try not to get hurt and/or hurt anyone else. We arrived early (because we are those people, always) and it’s a good thing that we did because there was a bit of a line for the buses to the race site.

This was the first time that Beat the Blerch came to the east coast, based on the popular comic by The Oatmeal (if you haven’t read it, stop reading this and go check it out. Seriously. Go. I’ll wait!) so we expected there to be a few snafus on the inaugural race. And there were, but we rolled with it. Because it’s so much easier and we were going to expend all energy on the course.

The 10k was slotted to start at 9:30 but from what I understand, there was an issue with many people getting there in time for the half marathon (which started at 9am) so they pushed the 10k start time back to 10am. A small wrinkle as a 10k runner, but one that if I were a half marathoner, I would have appreciated.

We used the extra time to hit the line of portapotties. Given the size of the event, they probably should have had twice the amount, at least.

Visiting with the Blerch was a must and he even offered us a seat on the couch. What a great guy!

All races should have free pictures! MAKE IT SO, UNIVERSE.

“Just go. I’ll catch up. Never.”

We somewhat reluctantly made our way to the start (those couches were really comfy) and soon we were off to the sounds of the Lion King and an announcer in a bacon suit. Mmmm, bacon.

Me = optimist
Jay = realist

Very, very quickly we realized it was survival mode. Game on. We ran when we were able to. We walked when it wasn’t possible (for us – I’m sure those who run trails regularly were just fine). I stuck to the right hand side, trying not to fall off any slopes and also making myself as small as possible as to not be in the way of those who were confident to run.

I watched the trail runners for tips, their toes pointed slightly out and their quick light feet, especially on the downhill. The trails I have run are compacted dirt and this one was filled with roots and rocks so the tripping potential was high.

The trail was gorgeous but I can’t really say that I got the full beauty feel of it because I was busy looking at the ground the majority of the time. It was also very narrow at certain points so unless you decided to run through the brush (some did, I did not), it was very single file.

How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?

While neither Jay or I got hurt, we saw people getting busted up left and right. We saw bloody knees, bloody elbows, sprained wrists, twisted ankles. There were emergency vehicles placed throughout the route and they were being fully utilized.

This was right around mile 3. After I took this pic I ran up the hill because Jay texted me that there was CAKE.

The day was gorgeous but I felt a bit dehydrated throughout. Thankfully it was cool enough and the tree coverage made it less of an issue, but the tiny cups at the water stations weren’t doing it for me. The volunteers were trying their hardest to keep everything filled but I don’t think they were prepared for the amount of people coming through.

You complete me.

We took a selfie at the stop, hitched up our boot straps and prepared for the second half of the trail.

Note: while I have the earbuds in, there was no tunes. I needed all my senses out there.

Here’s where things got a little (more) hairy, because the half marathon and 10k routes converged onto one path. I hugged the right as much as possible while walking and made sure to check behind me if I planned to hit the left to run.

I questioned my sanity multiple times. The miles dragged and while I was fine endurance wise, around mile 5 I was ready for the race to be over.

Soon enough, we came to a clearing and we had about a quarter mile to go. At least that’s what the volunteers told me at the bend. My watch lost signal while we were romping around in the mountains (I might be exaggerating slightly but it felt mountainous).

And the Blerch was there, right near the finish line! He quite obviously missed me.

He tried to sideline me with the offer of a selfie, which I happily accepted. Because when you can take a selfie with the Blerch, even if the finish line is 300 feet away, YOU TAKE IT.

And then I politely said, “Excuse me, I have to go beat you now.”

And then I got my medal and my banana (which tastes really good with Nutella) and the aforementioned Nutella and cake and purple drink.

So the good? The medal, banana, Nutella, cake, and purple drink. And free race pictures! And the Blerch! Also the fact that I didn’t die, fall off a cliff, fall in any which way (and trust me, that was a real possibility for me, the girl who falls often).

The “needs improvement” category is basically just logistics. The Interwebs rumblings are that transportation company that was originally supposed to work the race backed out. There were 6 school buses that were making the rounds for a lot of runners to get to and from the parking lot to the race site.

The line to get to the race was a bit long but bearable.

The line to get from the race site back to the cars was much more tedious.

Additionally, there were just too many people out on the course for the size of the trails. If everyone were going the exact same speed, I don’t think it would have been a problem (or maybe less of a problem?) but it was tough with everyone at different skill levels – it felt very “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”.

But despite all that, I beat the Blerch. And for that I call it a win!

Have you Beat the Blerch? What do you prefer, roads or trails? North or South? East or West?

Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure – Team Jodi

September 18, 2015 by Meridith

I graduated high school 20 years ago, which feels like a lifetime at this point. I’ve changed a lot since then (who hasn’t) but something that remained steadfast are my friends.

Even prior to Facebook and the convenience of emailing every day, my friends and I write letters, met for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning, and generally made it a point to stay in each other’s lives.

Before too long there were college graduation parties, bridal showers, weddings, baby showers. We walked together through every step of life.

We were cruising through life, with the occasional bump in the road here and there but otherwise, I’d sum it up as pretty damn good.

My graduate school graduation party in 2001.

And I think that’s why it was such a shock when we received the news that our Jodi had an aggressive form of breast cancer at the very young age of 35. Our vibrant, thoughtful, smart redhead who has married to her college sweetheart, Brett, and had two young children was diagnosed right around the birth of her second child.

Six months later she’d passed.

Jodi was a pediatric cardiologist in Washington, DC and she was just good. She was a good person who played by the rules and did everything right.

It didn’t make sense, it wasn’t fair, and we were heartbroken.

That was two years ago.

We are still heartbroken. It still isn’t fair. And it still doesn’t make sense.

We decided that we wanted to do something about it. After months and months of preparations, group emails, t-shirt design decisions, travel plans, and FUNDRAISING (remember, professional philanthropist right here) some of Jodi’s high school and college buddies converged in New York City’s Central Park for the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure 5k.

Lindsay, Libbi, Cornelia, me, Amanda, Mel, Carolyn, Dahlia, and Brett (Jodi’s husband)

I expected possible tears from myself as I’m a bit of an emotional being and also, I’m an empathetic crier. In fact, my eyes did well up a little when we started walking but I told myself to pull it together or I might take everyone down the crying rabbit hole with me, if they too are empathetic criers. (I know a few who are, just from past experiences.) (Not mentioning any names.) (Tall girl in the middle.)

After taking a few hundred selfies, which I’ll spare you from mostly, we crossed the start line. Our unspoken goal? To get everyone with a microphone to give us a shout out by acknowledging Team Jodi. After we manically wave flagged down the announcer at the start and waved to Hoda, we were off on our 3.1 mile walk around Central Park. (No worries, we didn’t start with the runners.)

It’s odd because most of the 5ks I’ve done recently, I’m always trying to get faster. But this one? I wanted this one to last forever. The only reason why it didn’t was because we had brunch reservations. However we took our time, chatting about our lives now and our memories of then.

We raised over $4,000 for breast cancer research and honored our friend. We discussed plans for future walks together and who would join us the for upcoming events that weren’t able to make it this time around. Even though there were people missing, they were there with us because we talked about them incessantly.

All too soon we came upon the finish line, however we wouldn’t cross until we got our shout out for Team Jodi! Naturally!

And then it was finish line selfie time!

Totally need longer arms.

And it was find a firefighter in a tutu and take a picture time!

And then it was find a relative of Jodi’s time, which was a perfect and lovely way to finish our time in Central Park.

Now a word to cancer. Cancer, I’ve got to say, you suck. You’ve messed with my friends, my mom, my dad, my friend’s families, children… and I’m sick on your shit. I will gladly walk, run, and shout from rooftops if it will bring awareness and funds for research to finally find a cure.

Won’t it be an amazing day when we kick your ass to the curb for good?

It truly will.

Swagtastic Virtual Races for Medals4Mettle

September 9, 2015 by Meridith

Man, I love the running community.

As many of you know already, I’m a latecomer to the idea of running (Ah, Adult Onset Running), however in the past few years I’ve been fortunate enough to pick up the addictive habit that I just can’t quit.

I’ve traveled much of the country to participate in a variety of events.

I’ve woken up to run when some people are just coming home from a night out (I think I might have been one of those people, once upon a time).

I’ve worn adorable costumes (that other people have made for me) (because they’re awesome).

I’ve run a 10k and a half the following day. On purpose! With a smile on my face!

I logged miles with Team Scoot a Doot for our #journey2amillion team.

And I’ve followed along as many of my friends have done the same, cheering the entire way. I’ve volunteered at races and handed out medals. I’ve texted my friends during their legs at Ragnar and I’ve woken up far earlier than I’ve had to, to cheer virtually. Because as you and I both know, the community that comes along with running isn’t mutually exclusive to proximity.

Surprisingly, one of the things that I haven’t done is participate in a virtual race. But when Swagtastic Races contacted us and asked if we’d like to jump aboard, I raised my hand with no hesitation. This virtual race benefits Medals4Mettle and that’s a cause that I can get behind!

I first learned about Medals4Mettle when Scoot a Doot was only a few months old and the unthinkable happened at the Boston Marathon. While searching for a way to make a difference and give back, I learned more about the Medals4Mettle program.

Medals4Mettle is a non-profit organization that delivers endurance athlete’s medals to raise people up who are fighting life-threatening illnesses. While the medals are donated, it costs approximately $60 to deliver the medal.

Each registration with Swagtastic Virtual Races assists in offsetting the cost of the Medals4Mettle ribbons that are placed on each of the donated medals. Good stuff, right?

And what do you get in return, besides the satisfaction in knowing that you’ve done good in the world?

SWAG, my friends. S-W-A-G. Check out the race sponsors that have contributed to the boxes:

Ricola
Trading Phrases
Manitoba Harvest
Vous Vitamins
BiPro
Shave Secret
Road ID
Bondi Band
Nordic Naturals
Mariani
EVL Nutrition
alternaVites
Dream Water
Acli-Mate Natural Sports Drink
Wholesome!
Volovitamins
Sqwincher
Celsius
Simple Squares
Cosmos Creations
Evo Hemp
SoyJoy

Additionally, Health Your Way is the online media sponsor and I’m a big fan of their Monday Twitter chats. Plus, there are raffle prizes that will randomly be selected and go out with the swag boxes; much like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. Thanks for that, Forrest Gump.

Yeah, I’m pretty stoked! Given that my foot has been less of a pain and more reasonable lately, my plan is to run my 5k but the option to walk is also available.

You can register for anything from a 5k to a full marathon. The sky’s the limit, or at least the marathon’s the limit. But if you want to run more, you go ahead. BE FREE!

October 9th to the 12th we’ll all get out there (or stay inside on the treadmill – your choice) and get it done. There’s about 4 and a half weeks until the virtual event, so don’t delay! I’m not really sure what happened to 2015 but it’s on super warped speed and it’s not slowing down. Hopefully our times will reflect the super warped speed effect too – you submit those once you’ve completed your race through the website.

So hey, sign up and let’s get PUMPED together for the Swagtastic Virtual Race benefitting Medals4Mettle. You can save $5 with the code SCOOTADOOT on the $35 registration.

Thank you to Swagtastic Virtual Race for including me in this awesome event. I’ll be following up after my 5k in October and once the swag box arrives.

Talk to me! Have you ever participated in a virtual race? What are some of the draws for you?

City Fit Girls – Fit Retreat PHL Jawn!

August 26, 2015 by Meridith

Oh my goodness.

GOODNESS. I think that’s really the best way to describe the Philadelphia Fit Retreat hosted by City Fit Girls.

It’s no secret that I’ve been sort of meh when it comes to my workouts lately. Dealing with an injury has kept me from running and while I have been going to the gym twice a week, I’ve been in a rut. But the goodness that was Saturday’s Fit Retreat really shook the cobwebs from my workout soul.

Before we go any further, I learned a word this weekend and that word is JAWN. Apparently it’s has been around awhile – at least in Philly. So please, just smile and nod. I don’t get out much. If you are like me and don’t venture out often, jawn is an all encompassing word that can be used for anything. If you take anything away from this blog post, let it be that.

(But I hope you take away more!)

Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you why this Fit Retreat PHL jawn was the best ever.

First and foremost: THE PEOPLE.

From the co-creators of City Fit Girls (Kiera Smalls and Takia McClendon), to the top-notch instructors (Diva Richards, Mark Donohue, Rachel Rubin, Veronica Dilzer, and Brittany and Gillian from Grace and Glory Yoga), to the 150 attendees… this was a quality group. I felt comfortable, welcomed, and appreciated from start to finish.

My dear friends: Sue, Maureen, and Jen. It's always nice attending an event with friends. By the end of the first session, I felt like I was surrounded by new friends!

These are my people: Sue, Maureen, and Jen. It’s always nice attending an event with friends. By the end of the first session, I felt like I was surrounded by new friends!

We were greeted as soon as we arrived and because of the small amount of attendees, we were always able to find a familiar face.

During the introductory speech we were encouraged to test our limits and also cheer for each other. And I promise you, it was not just lip service. The good vibes were flowing through the Philly Impact Hub; the space was fantastic and, even more importantly, the people were fantastic. The cap of 150 people was perfect for the space and for each session (two-three were going on at any given time).

While chatting with Kiera toward the end of the day she said that City Fit Girls are excited to work with a variety of brands to introduce the women in our network to new and exciting products.

Therefore, they don’t just stick with one way of doing things; they’re presenting new and different workouts constantly. I appreciated the concept and from chatting with other people there, it gave them warm fuzzies too. No ruts to be had! Plus New Balance sponsored this year’s FitRetreat and that, in itself, was pretty amazing.

Awesome is the watchword. (You know, besides jawn.)

The VIP ticket for the event was less than $40! The way I figure it, that is about 10 cents a minute of AWESOMENESS. Worth each and every cent and then some.

After posting about it on my Facebook page and recruiting a couple of awesome friends, Jen and Sue, we were quickly planning our trip to and from the city’s Impact Hub -a really awesome co-working space in Fishtown. Thanks to City Fit Girl’s agreement with Lyft, we were able to get in and out of the city for mere peanuts and not have to worry about parking (and honestly, I do worry about parking – cost of parking, parallel parking, not hitting other cars while parallel parking – I could go on).

The cost included an awesome shirt.

It also included an awesome lunch from Sweetgreen. (And awesome MIMOSAS – YES, PLEASE.)

And an awesome massage (which I skipped but Jen didn’t, so I know it was awesome – she said that it actually released her emotions!).

Did I mention the very awesome workout sessions? I was able to participate in three workouts and a few informational sessions including healthy eating tips with Whole Foods and skin and facial care.

Dear Whole Foods, we love you. Please come to south Jersey!

You know how you sometimes you don’t realize what’s missing in your life until you experience it? That was the case with ALL the sessions at the Fit Retreat. How often can you say that?

Work it out!

The main reason for the day (at least for me) was to hit up some amazing workouts and try things outside of my comfort zone bubble. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to a group fitness class like the ones that were being offered at the Fit Retreat.

Diva Richards at the start of the session.

Diva Richards at the start of her session.

Unfortunately a time turner hasn’t made its way to Philly yet so I had to choose a few sessions that really spoke to me. I went with Killer Kardio with Diva Richards, Mid-Morn Workout Jawn (there’s that word!) with Mark Donohue, and Vinyasa Yoga with Brittany and Gillian.

Jen during the Kettlebell Kundalini session – this was limited to 50 participants because kettlebells were provided and Jen got the last spot! Score!

The sessions were no joke. I thought that they might get progressively easier through the day but nope. They did not. The intensity was strong from start to finish but the words were encouraging and we were reminded to do our best and to think of where we are in our own journey.

There was everything from kickboxing moves to burpees to oh, approximately one billion squats. Mark Donohue played Flower and with every “down” we had to do a squat and hold it until the word “up” was said. I might have been cursing.

We did planks, planks, and more planks, and in between the planks, since we were down there, we did pushups.

The biggest surprise for me was how difficult the yoga session was for me. Because, hello, YOGA. I can handle yoga, right? But my foot was already tired from the rest of the sessions and didn’t want to ground itself.

It made for a wobbly experience and there were a few times I had to chill in Child’s Pose rather than take part in all the poses. It made me angry. Yoga isn’t supposed to make you angry, I know. But it did. I think it’s mainly that I’m so used to reminding myself “I can and I will” and I couldn’t, right then and there.

However, thanks to the gentle reminders from Gillian and Brittany, I was able to focus on what I was able to do within those moments and let the rest go.

I’m sure I’m forgetting something or many things. Oh, like the vegan Watermelon What What drink from Gangster Vegan Organics that was pretty gosh darn awesome.

The entire day was so good for me and my soul. Every event should flowed as well as this one did. The sessions reminded me of my strengths and also gently nudged me to forgive my weaknesses. And it was good. So very good.

Kudos to the City Fit Girls and all the sponsors of the Fit Retreat Philadelphia! You hold another event and I’ll be there, no doubt about it.

Plantar Fasciitis – I’m Just Not That Into You

August 19, 2015 by Meridith

“Ouch, ouch, ouch.” Those are my first words every morning when I get out of bed. I hobble around my room, attempting to ease the pain shooting through my foot.

Not that you follow my every move (unless you’re my mom – hi Mom!) but you might have noticed that I’m not posting a whole lot about running lately.

Truthfully? The last time I actually ran a race was Sunday, May 1st, The Philadelphia Broad Street 10 Miler. That is a long 3.5 months ago. I’ve been running sprints at the gym but never more than a mile or two at in total and I usually pay for it for the rest of the day.

I’ve been hurting. Seriously hurting. Plantar fasciitis is an old enemy; it shows up from seemingly nowhere and totally messes with my mojo.

Praying, wishing, and hoping that time and babying it (along with my custom inserts, rolling it on various products promising relief, massage, etc.) would fix the foot has proved to be futile. The best way I can describe the pain is that my heel felt like it’s been stabbed with a rusty knife.

No me gusta.

Thanks for letting me know just how much I’m not moving, Fitbit.

In the interest of not just “waiting it out” any longer, I decided to finally take action. You know, three months later. Since I’ve visited my podiatrist quite a few times this past year, it’s time for something different.

Enter the chiropractor’s office.

My visits have been twice a week for the past two weeks. They’re guessing I have about two more weeks to go of treatments but they are confident they are going to cure me.

No, really! They said that they are going to CURE this. For good. I’m skeptical but if they can actually fix the foot permanently, I might have to do something drastic, like get the name of the practice tattooed on my foot in appreciation.

So far, it’s going well. Really well. SURPRISING WELL. Dare I say that I’m actually starting to feel an improvement? (I’m scared to say that out loud, no jinxing!)

The plan of attack:

1. Aleve for a week, three times a day to take the inflammation out of the foot. CHECK

2. NO RUNNING. (My trainer wasn’t pleased when I told him this but the chiropractor actually goes to my gym so he only grumbled a little.) CHECK

3. Twice a week of torture. Oh, I’m sorry, I meant to say massage, ultrasound, and adjustments. WORK IN PROGRESS

These massages are like nothing I’ve ever felt before. You hear the word “massage” and you think good thoughts. You can erase those thoughts.

Guys, I gave birth to my second child with no drugs. After having a c-section with my first. I’m pretty sure these massages hurt worse. (But after it feels really good. I think that’s their plan.)

Like I said, I’m halfway into the treatments and I think this might actually be it. Is my optimism showing? Fingers crossed, pajamas inside out, stroking a lucky rabbit foot… I’ll keep you posted.

Ever have plantar fasciitis or a niggling injury that just wouldn’t quit? What did you do to finally get rid of it?

In Search of Eternal Optimism

August 7, 2015 by Meridith

My older son is the eternal optimist. He is perpetually looking forward to the next great thing on the agenda and then thoroughly enjoying it from start to finish.

Like what, you may ask?

Oh, EVERYTHING.

Picking Aunt Victoria up from the train station? SO FREAKING EXCITED!

Getting his first pair of glasses? EXCITED!

Getting his first pair of glasses? TOTALLY EXCITED! (He got really excited for the burger he had for lunch this day too.)

First summer youth band concert and his grandparents coming to listen? OVER THE MOON EXCITED!

Yes, he totally loves and embraces each and every single day. And recently I’ve been thinking that I need to take after him.

It’s not that I’m having a particularly bad life right now but I have been more stressed than usual. Things that I used to find fun or exciting? Well, right now they sort of feel like a burden, and not for any particularly good reason either.

I guess I’m just overwhelmed with life lately. And I know that’s okay and you can’t go through the daily routine feeling one feeling all the time (we saw Inside Out earlier this summer so feeling all the emotions is fresh on my mind).

There are changes, potential changes, and injuries that are holding me back from having that happy-go-lucky feeling lately. But I don’t like feeling overwhelmed so in an attempt to change that, I’m trying to refocus, redirect, and remind myself of a few key things.

1. Live in the moment, or at the very least, in the day!

Man, this is a tough one for me because I’m such a planner. My calendar has subsets and categories and while I know that this is important to keep my family running, the planning ahead makes it difficult to enjoy what I’m doing in that very moment.

I would be lying if I told you different. Right now I’m writing this blog post but I’m also thinking about the other things that I should/could/will be/would be doing. Laundry, I’m side-eyeing you.

Yesterday I was able to go with my kiddos on a trip to a local amusement park. It reminded me just how much fun that can be and for a few hours I was able to shut off the little voices reminding me of what I “needed” to be doing at my house.

Perfect day was perfect.

Every day can’t be as fun as this one and I realize this. But when these days do come around, I need to embrace them!

2. Establish a more solid routine.

Wait, what? Doesn’t that go against the “live in the moment” thing I was going for in the first point?

Yeah, it totally does.

However, during the summer the routine tends to go out the window and then when I do have things I need to get done it’s basically “OH! I have this! AND THIS! And crap, I have to get this done too.”

So maybe, at least for my own sanity’s sake, I could have a bit of a set schedule. My calendar is mainly for family events but not Meridith events.

I do a few freelance jobs and since they are done at home, I tend to do them whenever I think about it. Which is often because I can never turn my mind off. Perhaps if I had a certain time of day that I dedicated to these jobs, then I could live in the moment more during the other times.

See, that makes sense, right?

Additionally, I feel like while I have my two mornings a week that I always set aside for the gym/trainer, the rest of my workouts have been falling by the wayside, due to injury. If I set the rest of the days of the week up with different activities, I would feel better which would lead to more productivity all around.

3. I can be a leader, but I don’t have to lead every charge.

Okay, this is a tough, tough one for me.

I take on too much responsibility. And I spread myself too thin.

There, I said it.

There are things that I have to do and there are things that I want to do. But I tend to take projects on simply because I think that no one else will step up to do them.

And maybe no one else will. But I need to stop saying “yes” so much. I need to rely on others, who are just as capable. My way is right for me, but it’s not the only way (oh my gosh, it pains me to say that!) and if someone offers to help with something, I need to take them up on it! It will make me happier!

Even if it’s not my way.

I suppose.

Now to get my dog, Gemma, on board.

What things make you smile? Do you have any tips of the trade for looking on the bright side of life?

Jog ‘n Hog – Taking on the WHOLE HOG

July 22, 2015 by Meridith

Sometimes, okay… often, I succumb to peer pressure when it comes to races. The past two years, I’ve been a half hogger, which, in the most technically terms possible, means running a 5k while scoffing down a pint of ice cream smack dab in the middle.

I’m a half marathoner, after all. No need to rock the boat, or the stomach! However, this year when Boss Hog challenged me to go WHOLE hog (instead of a pint, you eat a quart), I was all “YEAH! I AM TOTALLY GOING TO DO THIS!”

I told anyone who would listen. And even some people who probably didn’t listen. I’m going to run! AND EAT A WHOLE QUART OF ICE CREAM. And run!

Never mind the fact that I’ve never eaten a whole quart of ice cream, in my life. Heck, it was a challenge the past two years to eat the pint size.

But I was committed! I was excited!

And then this happened the night before the race…

What is “this” exactly? Victoria and myself in my yard. With wine. And s’mores. And a dinner of popcorn. Oh, and frozen yogurt before that. Pre-gaming like CHAMPS.

And then THIS happened the day of the race…

TL;DR – the gist? HEAT WARNING. Grab your personal belongings and run to the nearest air conditioner unit!

The news said we needed to AVOID strenuous activity. So naturally the logical conclusion was to head out to Shady Brook Farm (I call shenanigans with that name, by the way. Not much shade!) and prepare for the Jog ‘n Hog.

I love races that have race morning packet pickup, in fact I vote that all races should. Stopped by, got our shirts and bibs, and said hello to the Brothers Smith, the co-creators of the Jog ‘n Hog.

Parking and the start are pretty much right next to each other and the “hogging” area is a roped off area with a local radio station providing fun tunes.

Vic and I brought sprinkles and cones this year and were trying to figure out the logistics of how we’d run (or walk – I’d already declared that I was going to be walking – my plantar fascia is still acting foolish) when we saw the hogging area lined with planters.

Could we? Should we?

Yes and yes. We figured that if anyone else stumbled across our toppings, they could use them too!

Soon after, we ran into the lovely Jes of Runs and Crafts! She’d done a triathlon the day prior (or well, part of one, the run got rained out!) and she was very cool hanging back with me while Victoria decided to take her jogging and hogging more seriously. She had her eye on the prize!

Exhibit A: The prize!

I give major kudos to anyone dressed up at this race because honestly, if nakedness were a viable option, that probably would have been the preferred choice of many.

We found a Spoon! She made her costume and said she had a plate in the crown to make it stand up. That is dedication!

We lined up near the start and about 10 minutes later, we were off. Note to the Jog ‘n Hog bros, we couldn’t hear you in the back with the megaphone. Nope. Not a word! But that’s okay because I know the drill. Jog. Hog. Jog.

There’s a water stop along the way out (and again on the back) and decorations from both Halloween and Christmas.

I was sweating before we even started and let me tell you, salt in the eyes does not feel so awesome. Jes and I had a fast walk going on and we chatted the entire way. I’m sure this surprises approximately no one!

As we neared the hogging portion of our experience, we found Vic peeling out of there. She ate the WHOLE thing.

We grabbed our Uncle Dave’s ice cream (Jes wisely registered for the pint).

I stared at mine.

What am I going to do with you?

I figured that maybe sprinkles would help the cause.

Eating all the sprinkles, it was more like soup than ice cream. I would have done well drinking it except that there was still a solid mass in there too and I was afraid that it was going to fall directly on my face. I was melting. The ice cream was melting. We were all melting. MELTING.

Don’t judge me fellow Jog ‘n Hoggers!

So, I decided that I was going to take some ice cream for the journey to the finish in a cone. Because I was bound and determined to use at least one cone!

I felt bad throwing away so much ice cream. Because seriously, there are children starving around the world and waste not, want not and a whole slew of other saying that I could break out here. How much ice cream did I eat? I’m pretty sure it was less than a pint, which is truly pathetic.

Will next year be the year I actually conquer the whole hog? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

Thanks to Jog ‘n Hog for providing us with complimentary entries this year. You rock! No other compensation was given.

Video May Have Killed the Radio Star…

July 1, 2015 by Meridith

But it sure did help the bloggers. (That’s how the song goes, right?)

On a rainy June day I was lucky enough to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Conference in NYC. Remember? You saw me geek out and fangirl over the New Amsterdam theater tour.

Along with the incredible experience of the conference location, there was a lot of information shared at the conference. The speakers were experts, fonts of knowledge; I was able to not only glean valuable nuggets of blogging goodness but now I can share them with you. Win/win!

Let’s talk about pictures and videos. Meet multimedia goddess, Victoria Lim.

This was the second time I’ve had the opportunity to hear Victoria speak and each time has been a pleasure. She’s quite dynamic and knows her stuff when it comes to presenting on social media platforms.

We are very visually driven creatures, gravitating toward pictures rather than text alone. Here, check out these stats on the graphic (wink, wink).

Personally I feel like I’ve got my finger on the pulse when it comes to pictures, or, at the very least I can handle pictures!

Meanwhile, I’ve been working hard on learning the ropes with different video applications. Victoria had some great suggestions of apps to check out and each offers a unique set of qualities.

For example, for a quick little snippet of fun, Instagram video is a great way to record in real time and then automatically share. Check out this one of Jenn dancing during the 2015 Bolder Boulder.

Jenn has enough pizzazz to make that video up there entertaining on its very own.

However, sometimes we want a little bit more like the ability to incorporate pics, jamming music, and storytelling. And in that case, Magisto might be the editor for you.

Plug in your favorites, pick a theme and lickety split, you’ve got a video! The app does all the work for you.

The only thing that I’m not loving about Magisto is that picture placement is random so they might be a bit out of order. Depending on the story you want to tell, this can potentially work against you. (Although I think this one from the 2014 Disneyland 10k is super cute!)

Also a bit of Magisto fabulousness? Give them access to your photos and videos and they’ll randomly make videos for you. Just as a little treat! How cool is that?

Videolicious is perfect if you’re looking to do a voice-over with video. Put pictures where you want to and then warm up those vocal chords (and uh, make sure you know what you want to say. I was rambling a bit). This was my very first attempt and I don’t think it turned out half bad!

We weathered the storm AND survived a 36 hour power outage.

Videolicious allows you to pick a song to enhance your video; I think the one I picked sounds very Harry Potter-ish.

I’m just learning more about Periscope. As in, I was getting texts from Jenn who was learning about it at FitBloggin’. Anyone have any advice for us there?

One of the things I like so much about video is that it’s a way to really connect with others and show your personality! I know it can be a bit daunting to talk to seemingly no one at the moment or not get immediate response but don’t let that scare you away from video blogging.

As a blog reader I can say that I really enjoy when there are video elements within a blog. I gravitate toward them and find that they can really enhance content.

Generally speaking, there are some good habits to have when you’re shooting either pics or video. Fancy cameras aren’t mandatory but clear shots and shooting with intention should be!

So go forth and get clicky with it! And if you try one of these video apps, I want to see your creation! Tweet me at @scootadoot or find me on Facebook and share, share, share.

The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration was a free event that I was fortunate enough to be invited to. Other than a magical day, no other compensation was given and all opinions are my very own unless stated otherwise. Thanks to Victoria Lim for the invaluable advice!

Scootadoot

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Author Archives: Meridith