Category Archives: Fun stuff

Chick Chat: Scoot runs DC

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For the second time in less than a month, several Scoot a Doot chicks (and honorary chicks) are gathering for a weekend of food, fun and fitness.

That’s right, three short weeks after we ran the boards in Atlantic City, the chicks are headed to our nation’s capital for yet another 13.1-mile jog, the Nike Women’s Half-Marathon.

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So it’s been months since we learned we’d be heading to Washington D.C. to run with about 20,000 fierce women. Brooke, Meri and I will be joined by a slew of amazing friends. (honestly, too many to name but we’re excited to see each and every one of you!)

Anyway, here’s what we three chicks are looking forward to this fine spring weekend:

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I can’t believe this weekend is finally here. When we agreed to try the lottery for this race, my back-up plan if we didn’t get in was to go for the Broad Street 10 miler, and I was already attempting to convince my husband to run it with us- I was that certain that we wouldn’t get in. Needless to say, I am more than a little excited to be heading up to DC in a few days.

My plan for the race is to run at a comfortable pace and enjoy the sights. I’m not feeling any pain during my runs this week, but I’m not up for attempting a PR either (which would be unlikely anyway). It’s a nice flat course with lots to see- I’ll definitely be carrying my camera.

Beyond the race, I’m really looking forward to a weekend away with my husband, doing some shopping and seeing my girlfriends. Oh, and THE FOOD.

 

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Having lived so close to Washington, D.C. my entire life, you would think that I would have visited there more than a handful of times.

That would be false.

I’ve driven through (on the way to and from Florida) quite a few times but haven’t actually spent much time in our nation’s capital. Therefore, I’m really looking forward checking out the sights while running and hopefully I’ll be able to do a little sightseeing besides the race, too.

The biggest challenge of the weekend won’t have anything to do with the race (I hope!) but rather being able to see everyone I’d like to see. I’m driving down on Friday evening. On Saturday we’ll be heading into the city. Sunday the race begins bright and early, and I’ll be back on the road on Sunday afternoon.

Whirlwind trip, for sure! With a race this big, there are so many friends running and I hope to be able to connect with them all. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to spend time with everyone!

victorianameplateRace plan? You chicks are funny. I just learned yesterday what time the race starts (7 am for you kids following along at home.) I know the course starts and ends in the same spot, that there’s some sort of tunnel and lots of landmarks on a route that friends keep telling me is flat and fast. More than that? I really haven’t thought that far ahead, which is incredibly unlike me as I AM A PLANNER.

As a kid, my family went to DC all the time as my eye doctor was there. (Yes, I’m blind as a bat. Yes, I’ve had five eye surgeries. Yes, there’s so much scar tissue in my eyes that Lasik surgery or contacts are both bad ideas. And yes, we really drove to DC several times each year to see my eye doctor.) But as a result, we spent a lot of time visiting DC landmarks, including all sorts of monuments, museums and of course, The National Zoo.

You may know I was just in DC last month to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA marathon and 1/2 with my friend Traci. We had a blast but spent little time on the sights outside our mileage.

This weekend, I’m sure some sightseeing – and LOTS of eating – will occur and I am itching to wander around the Mall and amidst some cherry blossoms, the weekend will hopefully include lots of quality time with a few of my favorite chicks.

Might we be seeing you in DC? What’s your favorite thing to do in our nation’s capital? What can’t we miss? And good luck to all the runners!

 

Those Pants Cray

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Last week, we chatted about warmer weather and this weekend I’m heading
up to DC to run in temperatures below 50 degrees. Again. It didn’t occur to
me that I might want to wear pants for this race (It’s 80 degrees
today in Florida) but now that I’ve checked out the weather, I’m wondering
how quickly I can have some new pants shipped to my house.

Wildly patterned pants are having a moment and I’m really enjoying it.

First, I bought these capris during my holiday run streak:

Floral pants! Had to have 'em.

Floral pants! Had to have ’em.

Then one of my running buddies gave me these for Christmas:

Will my Chicks still run with me if I wear these this weekend?

Will my Chicks still run with me if I wear these this weekend?

(Speaking of Ariel…she’s not my favorite princess or even in my top three, but I really want this shirt. Cracks me up.)

And now I’m calculating shipping fees and weighing the pros and cons
of wearing something completely new during a half marathon.

I had some extra rest days last week and ran a pain free ten miles on
Saturday. I hope this means I’m on the mend, and ready or not, I am
excited to run the streets of DC. We have restaurant reservations, we
have plans to see some friends. I think I have a racing buddy. Now I
just need to figure out what to wear.

Those Pants CRAY

Patterned pants (or shorts or skirt) or plain? Who is your favorite Disney princess? I loved Cinderella as a child but grown-up me prefers Rapunzel (She saves the day and also- hellooooooo, Flynn Ryder.) and Belle (The songs. The books! Also, France.) Anyone running DC? Mer, Vic and I will be there!

Mother Runner Giveaway Winner and Spring Break Fun

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Hey runner friends! Last week, I told you about the Mother Runner event in Orlando, and how I purchased some pretty sweet goodies for one of you. This morning, I picked a winner-

Congrats to Nicole, who won via Facebook entry! Check your email, Nicole, so I can send you your prize! Thank you to all who entered.

It’s Spring Break here in the Babbles house and our days have been packed with fun, fun, and more fun. This mother runner is very tired, but I adore having all of my babes at home with me. Here are some of the things we’re enjoying this week:

The Disney Infinity game. We all have our favorites, and Rapunzel is mine. (Shocking.)
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Movie Mornings in our pajamas. We don’t watch tv during the school week, so the opportunity to watch tv while eating breakfast is a welcome change for these littles. (Did Disney pick a good week for the Frozen dvd release or what?)

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Speaking of Frozen, of course we picked up our dvd yesterday! We stood in a pretty long line at the Disney Store, where I also bought this adorable coffee mug-

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The bowling alley and arcade, and time with their Uncle and soon-to-be Aunt. These girls love air hockey!

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These crayons. My older girl and I sat for over an hour and colored with them. The glide on the paper like an oil pastel, and then once you brush with water, you get the watercolor effect AND they sparkle brighter than Edward Cullen.

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I also love that nail polish (Deborah Lippmann She Bop) and the treadmill, because that’s the only way I’m getting to run this week. One thing we don’t love is sleeping in. The kids are all still a little off from the time change. Or they’re just early morning people like their mother.

Anyway- Happy Spring Break if you’re on one, and Happy Wednesday if you aren’t. Time to go pack lunches for today’s outing.

Any Disney Infinity players out there? Favorite Frozen character? Favorite arcade game? Favorite Spring Break activity? Talky!

Scoot a Doot’s blogaversary (and a giveaway)

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What a year our first has been!

The Scoot a Doot chicks have known each other for years – decades, even – and last winter came together to share our love of fitness, friendship and life.

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We’ve shared the joys of our children, including two handsome newborn sons.  We’ve also shared the loss of one beloved family dog, and the addition of several new fur friends.

We’ve celebrated new beginnings, such as new jobs, new relationships and new challenges and goals. We also shared how sometimes we fell short.

Together, with many of you, we raised more than $2,000 to fight childhood cancer as Team Scoot a Doot logged more than 1,750 miles last September for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s Million Mile Run.

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Together we watched the unthinkable unfold in Boston last April, as bombings abruptly ended the 117th running of the nation’s oldest marathon.

Together, we encouraged each other to do our best, even on days when we felt our worst.

The good, the bad, the unfiltered. We are blessed to share our lives with you, our readers and friends.

As a thank you for reading, we want to share a few special treats for our anniversary giveaway.

Giveaway 1:

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We adore PocketFuel and have a great working relationship with them within our first year of blogging. When we reached out to them about joining in on our blogaversary giveaway they were eager to join forces!

In addition to the ten packets of PocketFuel we’ve also got an awesome pink tech t-shirt (large), compliments of herRochester.com .

And, of course, because we like to spoil you all, we picked up some things to go along with this giveaway! A Sparkle Athletic visor, frame and Cinderella picture, and Scoot a Doot t-shirt (x-large).

But wait, there’s more!

Giveaway 2:

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image from Oiselle.com

We picked up these Oiselle Podium PJs (medium) because they are super comfy and way cute.

Giveaway 3:

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image from Swirlgear.com

Are you ready to run? These Swirlgear shorts (large) are perfect for warm weather running.

So what do you have to do to enter? Simple! Click on the pics below to get to the Rafflecopters for each giveaway. Cool? Cool.

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Click to enter giveaway #1

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Click to enter giveaway #2

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Click to enter giveaway #3

These three giveaways end February 23, 2014 and we’ll announce the winners next Monday! Thanks again for a terrific year and we’ll see you real soon.

What have you done that you’re proud of this past year?

These Are a Few of My Favorite Shoes

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I enjoy crafting and creating. One of my favorite things to volunteer for at my daughter’s preschool is decorating the classroom door. I typically choose to do something detailed. Something hand-drawn with a lot of writing and cutting. Something that forces me to use many curse words. It’s all worth it in the end though- my daughter is proud and happy, and I get a little flutter of smug mommy feelings when I drop her off at school each day. Last April, I made a Lorax-themed door.

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This year, I chose February. I knew I wanted to do another book; a popular book that the kids enjoyed, and I wanted it to tie in with Valentine’s Day.

Enter Pete the Cat. Pete loves his white shoes. They change colors but does Pete care? Goodness no! “It’s all good,” says Pete.

We’re big Pete fans in our house- those books and anything by Mo Willems are a must-read- and when I emailed my girl’s teacher to ask for some help, she was pretty excited about a Pete door.

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Like Pete, I’m also a fan of white shoes. Well, no. Not white shoes, per se. I don’t think I’ve owned any white shoes since my sorority days. But shoes? Yes. I love those. It may sound cliche (A girl who likes shoes? No way.) but my email is shoe-related and so is my voice mail message. My birthday and Christmas gifts are usually shoes. It’s all very Carrie Bradshaw.

Sharing is caring, my friends, and today, I’m going to share some of my favorite shoes with you.

First, my running shoes- the Nike Pegasus. I’m basically married to these shoes. I can’t tell you if they are low to the ground, or have a lot of padding, if they are snug or have lots of room. I have nothing to compare them to, because they’re the only shoes I’ve run in for the past four years. I love them. They come in so many beautiful colors (right now I’m sporting an ombre purple pair) and they just feel good to me.

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This next pair just makes me happy. Who doesn’t smile at Hello Kitty? As my girls and I like to say, “What will they put her cute face on next?”

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These shoes are stylish and functional. They’re rain flats! Florida is way too hot for Hunter boots- trust me, I have some and I’ve worn them twice. I keep these babies in the car during rainy season and I get so many compliments on them.

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Going back to Carrie Bradshaw- there’s an arc in one of the seasons where Carrie goes to write for Vogue. She visits the accessories closet, finds a pair of Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes, and exclaims, “I thought these were an urban shoe myth!” They’re not so elusive now, but they’re still amazing. So beautiful and surprisingly comfortable. I got these a few years ago for my birthday and I love fall and winter because I get to wear them.

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I’m a girly girl. I love sparkle. These were another birthday gift and they’re perfect for holiday parties or New Year’s Eve.

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I only wore gold for a long time, and then only silver and now that gold is back in style, I mix metals. My wedding set is white gold, so I have no choice if I want to be on trend. My watch is rose gold, my arm party of bangles is usually gold, my favorite ballet flats are silver and my favorite sandals are gold. So I just go with the mixing. I bought these last summer and I love their femininity.

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Josh and I visit NYC a few times a year. He goes to work, I go to see shows, visit museums and shop. One of my best friends lives there, so I try to persuade her to skip out on work and join me for some retail therapy. We both bought these two years ago and I just adore them. They have a little kitten heel, so they’re very comfortable, and I will never be over the polka dot trend. They make me smile.

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My next big shoe purchase will be a pair of red heels. My brother got engaged on Christmas Day and his fiancé wants her bridesmaids to wear red shoes. I’m already searching for the perfect pair.

What’s your favorite running shoe? Do you collect shoes? Share your faves with me!

Tink, sickness and an upcoming trip

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Last week, I only ran once.

I wasn’t feeling the best all week and decided it was smarter to lay low and relax rather than push it. I had just run the Tinker Bell Half Marathon on the west coast, and I think flying cross-country for a long weekend after an insanely busy work week ultimately took its toll.

victinkMe after 13.1 miles!

(Side note – click here for my Tink Half recap)

For once, I was responsible about what I was convinced was an ear infection and went to the doctor to get medication. Turned out – not an ear infection, but I did have a fever. (what? I never have a fever. My average body temp is actually a squeak below 98.6 degrees. what was I doing pushing 100?)

So I left the doctor without any medication and an invisible creature who was repeatedly stabbing me in my left ear. Fabulous. Lots of advil, sudafed, vitamin C drops and tea were my staples for the week.

For several days, I sat on the sofa and snuggled with my cat. I cleaned the house, until I couldn’t stand that either. I read two books (mind candy) and organized receipts for my hubby’s business. I ignored shoveling snow until the weekend and on Sunday, I went on a baking spree.

bananaMy banana bread had babies

It was freaking cold out to boot. Not helping the ear pain.  By Saturday, I felt far better but with subzero wind chills, I decided to head to the treadmill. Not my best run, but I managed three 10-minute miles and some ab-work.

So now, I am looking ahead at what’s next. As many of you may know, I am headed to Orlando (again) next month for runDisney’s inaugural Glass Slipper Challenge (that’s a 10K race and a half-marathon over two days during the Princess Half Marathon weekend.) 19.3 magical miles!

But alas, another running adventure will take place one week earlier with my friend Kristin! 

And that means… I’m going to Alabama! Together, we will run the Mercedes Half Marathon next month in Birmingham, Alabama! The race is one of Kristin’s favorites — and a hometown event to boot!

I’ve never been to Alabama, it’s actually one of the few states I’ve wanted to visit but haven’t quite reached. (along with Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas – I seem to be missing several southern states on my US checklist.) I plan to eat my way through town and run may way through this historical city (not at the same time, of course.)

I love to travel, I love to run and I love visiting with friends. And what better way to do so, than to tackle all three together! Can’t wait to run with you, Kristin!

Have you been to Birmingham, Alabama? What should I  visit and eat while there? What should I add to my CAN’T MISS list?

Fit Club Fail

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Last Friday was the first meeting of my Fit Club and it was a total FAIL.

Let me back up- in years past, I’ve tried to make different “club” nights happen. It worked fine for actual clubbing in college, but once my circle of friends got jobs, husbands and children, it became harder to make a night out part of our routine. Enter the “club.” If it’s a club that meets monthly, you have to attend, right?

“Husband, you handle dinner and bedtime tonight, I have craft club!”

“Oh, be sure to schedule a baby-sitter, I’ve got book club.”

It sounds like a responsibility, rather than a night out with your best girlfriends, right?

To he honest, I really thought the wine club would be the one to survive, but none of our little clubs had staying power. Someone forgot to read the book, someone’s child got sick, someone made other plans…it just never became a regular occurrence.

Enter Fit Club. I rounded up my favorite workout buddies to do something we all do regularly anyway. It should have been foolproof.

Ready to shake it like a polaroid picture.

Ready to shake it like a polaroid picture.

Back to last Friday night: We arrived at a local zumba/aerobics studio to try a cardio hip hop class only to find that the class didn’t start until February. I had double checked both the website and the Facebook page earlier that day so needless to say, I was not a happy hip hopper.

The owner told us that the regulars knew it hadn’t started yet…so I guess they decided not to update the schedule elsewhere. What about the January Joiners, sir? WHAT ABOUT THE FIT CLUB? I mean, really.

So our January meeting was a bust. Next up is bikram yoga. Sara, Danielle and I love hot vinyasa flow but we’ve never tried bikram. I hope it’s more successful than hip hop.

On the plus side, Sara and I had an amazing long run the following morning, which might not have happened (the amazing part. The running was a done deal) if we had danced the night prior. My pace is getting faster- I’m not doing speed work yet, just focusing on the miles- which feels wonderful. And since we aren’t running together for four days a week anymore, we have a week’s worth of topics to discuss.

Speedwork will commence following the Glass Slipper Challenge and I’ll be asking for all of your tips and tricks. In the meantime, tell me what fitness classes we should try! Any advice for bikram yoga?

Yes, You Should Be Happy I’m Wearing A Backpack

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There’s a line in Swingers that always makes me giggle.

Okay, if I’m being honest, the entire movie makes me laugh- massive, clutch-my-stomach, tears-streaming-down-my-face belly laughs. But as someone who was a teenager in the 90s, a girl who dreamed of living in Cher Horowitz’s closet, this line takes me back to that time.

“I spend half the night talking to some girl who’s looking around the room to see if there’s somebody else who’s more important she should be talking to, and it’s like I’m supposed to be all happy ’cause she’s wearing a backpack, you know?”

Because we all had backpacks. I had a mini silver one, similar to the one Cher wore when she failed her driving test. (Purchased at Contempo, of course.)

90s fashion is making a comeback- flannel, overalls, docs and backpacks. Now, as a babywearing mom, I’ve carried a backpack for a few years. Don’t get me wrong, I love my totes, but it’s a lot more comfortable to have my things on back when I have a baby on my front, rather than carrying things on one shoulder.

As a runner, I know that a backpack can help save my core from unnecessary stress. It can help me maintain good posture throughout my day. And lucky for us, there’s a lot to choose from this season. Thank you, style gods!

My current backpack is the Herschel Supply Camo-dot backpack from J.Crew. It’s kid-size, so slightly smaller and just so cute. Below are some of my other favorites at various price points. I love the floral Marc Jacobs or the striped Baggu for spring, and the Pashli is just drool-worthy. My littlest just spilled cold “hot” chocolate all over my bag during a recent trip to Target, so if it doesn’t come out, I might be on the lookout for a new bag. Oh, who are we kidding? I am always on the lookout for a new bag.

Backpack, Backpack

Do you carry a backpack? Who was your teenage style icon?

See Jess Run: Volume 1

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A couple months ago, I told you all about my complicated status with running. And while I’m still not breaking down the door to go for a run, I have managed to dig up some inspiration. Or rather, I’ve dug up an old resolution. 2014 is the new 2013!

So, here it is for all the world to see: in August of this year, I will be running the Disneyland Half Marathon. Yep. It’s happening. It’s going to happen. 13.1 miles + me = one true pairing.

I am gritting my teeth as I write this, because I am a nervous wreck. I’m starting to sweat. My armpits are damp. The thought of running 13.1 miles seems so impossible at this moment that it’s almost laughable. It’s certainly sweat-able and teeth-grind-able. How am I going to do this? I have no idea. I know there’s training involved and I’m working on getting my training program in place, but mentally all I can think is, “holy shit, man. I’m going to run a half marathon.” And the jerk part of me is thinking, “don’t worry, you’ll think of an excuse not to do it.”

Guess what, Jerk Jess? No excuses, because not only will Meridith not allow that (we’re running it together), I’ve solidified this resolution by making a playlist.

That’s right, a playlist. In my world, when I create a playlist for an event, it becomes completely legit. Music is how I get ready: for meetings, nights out, exercise, life. I love the pulse of it, how certain songs strung together can create a feeling or emotion that lasts for as long as the playlist does. Finding songs that describe in beat and melody and lyrics what I’m feeling – or when it comes to this playlist, what I want to feel – is what gets me going. Music is my jam.

Despite my trepidation, I’m excited to share this with all of you. And I’m also super excited to share my half marathon playlist! I’ll be listening to it as I start the training process and maybe even on the big day. Yes, definitely then. It will be a reminder of the starting line as I’m hopefully crossing the finish. The music will take me back to this feeling of anxiety, hugeness, of “can I really do it?”, and I can tell myself, “you just did.”

[8tracks width=”300″ height=”250″ playops=”” url=”http://8tracks.com/mixes/3162090″]

What are your running/fitness goals for 2014? Are there any songs I should add to my playlist? 

Ho Ho Ho! Chick Chat: Secret Santa Edition

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We Chicks love a celebration, and usually, we don’t even need a reason to throw confetti and clink our glasses in cheers. However, with the most wonderful day of the year upon us, we decided to shout ’tis the season in the most jolly of ways: with a Secret Santa gift exchange! Read on to find out who gifted whom, and see if there’s anything that you want to add to your holiday wish list.

Bec:

I was super happy when I pulled my sister-in-shoe-love in the Secret Santa grab! When I started thinking about what to get for Brooke, two words came to mind: Mom and baker. I’m sure you’ve gathered from her posts that Brooke is this awesome mom, and we have long shared a love of baking, specifically with our kids. So I themed my gift around that, with a touch of running in the mix. I found a t-shirt that that perfectly captured how I see Brooke, as a mother and an athlete. And as for baking, I sent her a my great-grandmother’s recipe for Sugar and Spice cookies, which are a Christmas staple in my house. I don’t give the recipe out to just anyone, since it’s been in my family for decades, I was happy to share it with a member of my Scoot a Doot family. Merry Christmas, B!

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Brooke:

I had a few ideas once I pulled Vic’s name but I hadn’t settled on anything specific. Early one morning, I was doing my daily “window” shop on the Anthro site (as one does) and came across this travel bag for fitness enthusiasts. Basically, the bag folds into a tiny pouch, taking up minimal room in your suitcase, and once you’ve run, yoga’d, hiked or whatever, you store your clothes and shoes in the bag for your return trip home. The lining of the bag keeps any stink or moisture from the rest of your suitcase. It took me about 30 seconds to decide that this was the perfect gift for Vic. She regularly travels for races (I got to see her for two of her three trips to Orlando this year and I’ll see her for at least two runcations next year) but doesn’t always get to do laundry on those trips. I hope she gets to use it a lot in 2014- come back and see me soon! Merry travels and Happy Christmas, Vic!

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Vic:

I was paired with the lovely Cam for our Secret Santa fest! I know I could have a blast here, as Cam is super-cool, laid-back and would be pleased with anything I sent her way. The pressure was off, so after consulting with another chickadee, I decided to get Cam something from Oiselle, the company I run for!

I love Oiselle and think everyone needs at least one item from the amazing Seattle-based company! So I picked a lovely indigo Runfinity scarf for Cam! (I really wanted to get her an orange one because Scoot chicks love orange – see our Scoot shirts – and Ragnar loves orange, and Cam loves Ragnar. Do you follow my rambling logic here? But alas, there were no orange scarves to be found… besides, indigo is far more versatile, right?!)

Anyhoo, I love scarves and wear them regularly in the winter so I knew Cam needed one too! Enjoy and Merry Christmas lady!!

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Cam:

I was given Meridith for secret Santa and I literally thought of about a hundred things I would have liked to give her. There were a lot of goodies in my various online carts but when I saw the Ragnar Pro Compression socks came in hot pink, well I knew they’d be perfect for my favorite future Ragnarian. 2014 is the year we shall Ragnar together!

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Meri:

Brooke introduced me to the Alex and Ani company back in September during our Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation running streak when she picked up on of the bangles for our top fundraiser, Megan. I was so impressed with their positive messages and great customer relations through social media (so important!); I love the idea of supporting them.

Jess and I share a love of words and when I saw this Alex and Ani bracelet, I knew it had to be hers. We’ve been through lots of together over the past three years and the message of this bangle What’s for you will not pass you and I feel like it really applies. She and I both have obsessive personalities and together I think we’ve learned that good things happen with time, persistence, and also patience. Finding that balance can sometimes be daunting and I think this quote is a good reminder in achieving that balance.

However, this whole message of what’s for you will not pass you is a bit ironic, as the USPS tracking on the priority package shows that it went from New Jersey to Virginia. Last I checked, Virginia isn’t exactly en route to California, land of Jess. So the bracelet hasn’t exactly PASSED Jess, it just hasn’t arrived yet. *taps foot impatiently* Fortunately, her birthday present made it there on time so you can check that out! I got her this super cute, Kate Spade wallet in Vivid Snapdragon, which I think is very close to the Patone Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid. Holla!

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Jess: 

For those who don’t know, Bec is a fabulous cook. I wish I could say that I’ve had the privelege of eating her food, but I’m certain I will someday. My stomach is counting on it!

Of course, when I pulled her name, the first thing I thought of was “cookbook!” But there are a bajillion (literally) cookbooks out there in the world, so I checked with some in-the-know friends and they pointed me to The Fresh 20. What I love about this one in particular is that it focuses on using organic, non-processed ingredients for easy, healthy, delicious meals. Plus, there are 20 ingredients in the entire book, so it’s not overwhelming.

Happy cooking, Bec! I will be at your front door at 5:30 tonight.

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Do you Secret Santa? I’ve (Brooke) been doing a gift exchange with my best girls for ten years. This year, we decided to scrap the gift part and keep the food and cocktails. I can’t wait! What’s your favorite holiday party drink? Cheers!