Road Tested: Cheribundi

July 8, 2014 by vfreile

I’m all over fruit juices from upstate New York farms.

Flavored apple juice from Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, Ontario County – I buy it every time I see it.

Freshly-squeezed Wegmans orange juice? Can’t get enough of it.

So when Cheribundi approached me about trying a sample of the tart cherry juice, I was all over it.

I love cherries, therefore I would love cherry juice, I thought. And I was right.

The juice is tart but refreshing, and the Geneva, New York-based growers boast there are 50 freshly-picked cherries in each bottle.

Lately, I’ve been hearing all about “superfoods,” which are foods supposedly beneficial to your health – like kale, broccoli, berries and lentils. Cherries, of course, are among them.

Cheribundi calls their cherries a “superfruit” since each is packed with phytonutrients, melatonin and vitamins including vitamin A, potassium, iron and calcium.

The original tart cherry juice (my favorite) is 90% pressed tart cherries and 10% apple juice, which sweetens the drink instead of sugar. Yep, that’s no added water or sugar.

Cheribundi teamed with food scientists at Cornell University (ahh, Ithaca, my old home) and researched the benefits of tart cherries, and also created a gentle juicing process to maintain cherries’ levels of melatonin, vitamins, nutrients and other antioxidants.

Rather than take part in Cheribundi’s 7-day challenge, I decided to test the juice each time I returned from what I deemed my worst recent runs, hoping the juice would work its magic powers.

Presto. Each time I felt better. (Not to mention, my hubby was entertained as I repeatedly tried to squeeze every last drop from the bottle).

And there are several types of juices, teas and even smoothies.

The juice is meant to support restful sleep, promote a healthy inflammation response and is deemed “the Ultimate Antioxidant.”

Personally, I love the benefits, but I drink it because its natural, local and darn tasty. A win-win-win!

Plus, I love that the Cherry People are headed up by a man named Pear. (Steve Pear, CEO). Little things just make me smile.

Have you ever had cherry juice? Do you love all things tart and tasty? Have you been to the Finger Lakes, were farmers grow the cherries that becomes Cheribundi juice?

Cheribundi provided the cherry juice for me to taste and review. Opinions and (attempts at) wit are entirely my own.

Summertime Fun – a little bit of this, a little bit of that

July 7, 2014 by Meridith

Can you believe that we are already halfway through 2014? I can’t!

I’m so grateful for summer – I’m much more a warm weather than cold, snowy weather kind of girl. Although I do have to say that I was grateful for the cool rainy weather we had this past Friday on July 4th here in New Jersey.

Earlier last week I’d signed Dude and myself up for a local hilly 4 miler, at the cajoling of our gym buddies.

Two years ago I’d run with my friend, Sarah, and it was hotter than the surface of the sun. I even have proof of me saying that I would never run it again on Facebook.

Those smiles are totally fake and we are holding each other up so we don’t crumple to the ground. Note the caption.

I held true to that last year; I cheered with my family at the three mile mark (which happens to be less than a quarter mile from our house). What I particularly love about this race is that there is great crowd support the entire time, people are out with signs and hoses and cowbells.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kBZSjZAHz8&w=640&h=480]

But this year I thought it would be an awesome idea to run with Dude. Peer pressure.

This was, of course, before I was sick. Wednesday my throat felt like a porcupine had taken up residence. Thursday I slept the day away (my parents had the kids – YAY FAMILY!). The urge to DNS (did not start) was great. But I couldn’t leave Dude in a lurch, especially after I talked him into it by saying that we’d run together.

Plus, that number.

So we ran. It rained. I considered bailing at mile 3. Dude said he’d run my bib in. I got mad and said, “F THAT”. I finished the race. And then, since I was already making dumb decisions, instead of going home and climbing into bed… I had a mimosa.

Why yes, that is a strawberry. We are very fancy.

Anyway, I am finally feeling somewhat better. Which is good because these kids are back in the hizzy and are ready to be entertained.

Let me entertain you! Let me make you smile!

Since I’m the cruise director of the S.S. Mommy Magic I’ve been trying to think of fun new exciting things to do. The pool club and library have been wonderful but I need to intersperse some other things into the rotation. However, a lot of the things they have in mind are not exactly on the cheap. Seeing as how we are trying to save money, I was racking my brain for a solution.

And then it hit me…

Hello sweetie!

Yeah, those are gift cards. Lots and lots of them. We have an envelope full of gift cards we’ve gotten as gifts and well, not used. Or used partially. So we are going to couple those with these…

Coupons

Let’s see where we land by September, shall we?

Any suggestions or tips for fun summer activities with the kiddos or making a dollar stretch? Ever run a race (or do anything while sick) and wonder what exactly you were thinking the next day?

I’m Going to a Conference and I’m Going to Bring…

July 3, 2014 by Meridith

Throughout the years I’ve attended my fair share of conferences. Residence Life, sorority (Phi Sigma Sigma – LITP!), Stroller Strides… all awesome and inspiring in their own rights, though quite a few years ago at this point.

Disney Social Media Moms Philly Celebration was my first blogger conference; I chatted about the overall experience here. Leading up to the big day, there was a lot of discussion about what you should bring along and expect on the event’s Facebook page.

While this list isn’t the end-all-be-all, here are few things that worked for me and might help you out for upcoming conferences!

1. A BIG OL’ SMILE

Hey there, hi there, ho there! You’re as welcome as can be! – Valerie, Jamie, myself and Beth

many thanks to Beth of http://columbus.macaronikid.com/ for this pic!

First and foremost, a smile and an attitude of gratitude. With those two things, you cannot fail. Everything else in this post is secondary. I was fortunate enough to meet Valerie, Jamie and Beth at the start of the day, along with some other lovely attendees. They immediately put me at ease and gave me… confidence.

2. CONFIDENCE

For the Disney Social Media Moms event, you applied and then you were invited based on your application. Other conferences are done via registration. Whether it’s by invitation or registration, chances are you want to be in attendance, and conversely the conference coordinators want you to be there!

Nerves are natural and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t somewhat nervous at the start of the day. In fact, I’m always a bit nervous meeting new people. It must be a remnant from my shy teen years.

I’ve come to find that when I look good, I feel good. This is a common theme for most people, yes? I hemmed and hawed over what I was going to wear because I wanted to be comfortable, but adorable.

I landed on the dress (Modcloth) immediately but shoes are always a bit tricky for me because I live in running shoes. I took an Instagram poll on which shoes I should wear with my Ready, Wheeling and Able bicycle dress and the overwhelming response was the nude shoes.

Except the first time I wore them, I got a huge gash on the back of my heel. No bueno!

So I wore the red shoes to the conference and my tootsies were thanking me for it. Plus, people were thinking that I was going for the Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz look. Bicycles. Blue dress. Ruby red shoes. I TOTALLY DID NOT SEE THAT. (Pat pat, Meridith. Way to be observant.)

My point is that I totally love my bicycle dress. I adore my little red shoes with the kitten heels. I felt comfortable and confident and ready to take on the world. And the conference!

3. BUSINESS CARDS

Just as your smile and confidence present who you are in person, business cards are a big factor in representing you and your brand, especially after the conference is over.

Using the header from our blog on one side and the Scoot a Doot logo on the other side with our information, we tied our blog/twitter/Facebook and business cards together for consistency. We ordered a bazillion (or five hundred) from Vistaprint.

Trading business cards is nearly as much as fun as pin trading!

Some of the cards I collected along the way.

As you go around and chat with people, you share cards. That way you can stay connected post event and you’re not wasting time scribbling down contact info on scraps of paper. Additionally, many conferences have door prizes. How do you enter? Business cards, of course.

4. MAKING THE ROUNDS

The doors to the conference room opened at 8am and everyone rushed in to grab seats and explore. Being Disney, there was something to do or look at every which way.

Not going to lie, I was all over the place. I wanted to take pictures and I wanted to talk to people. There was so much to do, so much to see! AND I WANTED TO DO IT ALL.

This is very clever on Disney’s part because the picture opportunities are a built-in ice breaker.

Rocking My Disney Side with Disbroads Tania and Kristen

Give Disney fans props and proceed to party! This photo booth style set up was perfect for people who wanted to take pictures. Plus, you get to make friends with the people around you to ask if they’ll take your picture. Or heck, take a picture with you. Win win!

The bummer is that you won’t get to talk to everyone. I saw people I recognized from Facebook, Twitter, and past runDisney events who I would have loved to chat with in person but unfortunately there just wasn’t enough time to make all the rounds. There’s always next time! (Or later – hint, hint – check out number 6.)

5. YOUR THINKING CAP

The clacking of keys from laptops, the quick and nimble fingers flying over Smartphone screens, the scratching of pens and pencils on paper… there was no doubt that it was a social media conference. For me, one of the big questions was: How do you par down what you choose to share and where?

For me, I tried to tweet information on Twitter that I thought were interesting and different. Fun little tidbits which would interest people who weren’t at the conference. I also didn’t want to be so absorbed with being on social media, that I missed what was going on around me (it’s been known to happen). Therefore, I stuck to pen and paper for most of my notes – occasionally hopping on to Twitter/Facebook/Instagram to share things during down time. Find what works best for you and roll with it!

And remember, bring all your electronics juiced up and ready to go. Electrical outlets are a hot commodity!

6. TIME AKA HOOKING UP BEFORE OR AFTER THE ACTUAL CONFERENCE

If you have the opportunity to spend time before or after the event with attendees and feel comfortable and safe doing so, it’s a great opportunity to extend the experience. Attendees and hopefuls of the Philly event created a Facebook page to connect prior to the event. A few opportunities were set up prior and post the conference with nearby vendors, thanks to Aunesty.

Since I was local to the event, I didn’t have too much time to spend sans mom hat, so sadly I didn’t get to partake in those. However, Destiny, Jamie and I were able to make Cheesecake Factory happen!

Like I said earlier, I was a little nervous going into the day but by the time the conference was over and I was ready for lunch, joining up with these ladies seemed like the fantastic idea. We were able to prolong the magic, chat about the conference and life. I felt like I’d know them forever!

There you go! Just a couple of little tips and tricks that I found to be helpful during my first social media conference. Did I miss something? Have you found something helpful that you’d like to share with me and readers? Please comment!

Take a Hike

July 2, 2014 by camoozle

While I was recovering from my divorce, I read this book, Wild by Cheryl Strayed. It’s a true story about a woman who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, an 1,100 mile trek completely alone. It was a soul-searching journey, the heroine literally pushed herself to the brink of survival and she was surprised to find what she was capable of. When I finished the book, I craved this journey. I wanted to see what I was capable of. I wanted to push myself to the brink to ignite that appreciation for life and self that this woman found on her trip. I wanted to feel the exhaustion and muscle soreness and blisters and raw pain that she described. I wanted the solitude and time spent in my own head in complete silence, free of distractions and petty worries and facebook and calorie counting. I wanted to get back to my true self. I had a list of people I wanted to forgive: my ex-husband and his girlfriend, my parents (for perceived injustices I sustained as a teenager), my friends who were no longer my friends, but most of all, myself. It’s at the top of my things to to do before I die list. (Both the hike and the forgiveness)

The Whole Pacific Crest Trail

The part of the trail I may actually get to hike some day.

I’m a momma so taking off for three months to hike isn’t feasible. But since reading, I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for the therapeutic benefits of communing with nature. It offers me the humble reminder that I am not the most important thing on this planet and that humans haven’t produced anything that can compare to magnanimous structures found in nature. The Pacific Crest Trail is sectioned off into smaller hikes that are more realistic for someone like me and I’ve got my eye on the John Muir Trail which runs from the Sequoias to the Redwoods.

I want to go to there.

In the meantime, I’m getting to spend some time on some other trails. I recently hiked The Narrows at Zion National Park, with my kiddos and my extended family. Five and a half hours of rocky water trail through a canyon surrounded by walls of slate and sandstone. It was magnificent, there’s just no other way to describe it. Also, I’m a total Geology nerd so I was lost in striation heaven.

Look! A Deer!

We also spent some time in Bryce Canyon. We hiked the Navajo Loop which connects to the Queens Garden trail. The hike was a little over three miles, but there was a steep descent and a steep climb out of the canyon. My little ones stuck it out for this too. I had to literally push my son up the last few hills, but he did it! I think I was more proud of his accomplishment than he was.

I’m also very interested in doing some trail runs and overnight backpacking hikes. Ragnar has an overnight trail relay series and I want in. The only question is…who’s going with me?

Do you trail run? Have you read this book? Did you know they’re making it into a movie? Do you want to hike the John Muir trail with me? How do you get back to your true self? Let us discuss!

Like a Girl?

July 1, 2014 by bec2point0

To start off, if you haven’t already seen this video that’s been circulating the internet the last few days, give it a watch now. I promise, it’s worth the 3 and a half minutes. And then, we’ll tell you what we think it means to do things ‘like a girl.’

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs&w=560&h=315]

Bec

I’ll admit, this video made me cry. Like a person who cries. Like a girl, but only because I am, in fact, a girl. I also cook like a girl, and dance like a girl and parent my kids like a girl. And yes, I run like a girl.

I think back to my younger years, and I can definitely recall hearing that I ran like a girl. And it was decidedly NOT a compliment. I distinctly remember thinking “but I AM a girl!” And the only thing worse than telling a girl that she ran like a girl, was telling a boy that he ran like a girl. Because girls are what? Slower than boys? Weaker than boys? Less athletic than boys? Men and women are inherently different in a number of ways, but none of those differences means that one is superior and the other inferior. They just means that we have differences.

Confidence is myself as a person has been something I’ve struggled with my entire life. I still struggle with it. And that started in adolescence, as it does for many people, male and female. I see those fears and insecurities in my own children, both in different phases of adolescence. So I’m teaching my son that it’s okay for him to cry, to talk about his feelings and to understand that just because someone is not athletic, doesn’t mean they are in any way lacking (we live in a VERY sports oriented town). I’m teaching my daughter that it’s okay for her to be good at sports, to be tough when the occasion calls for it (soccer field, defense) and to love her body and herself. I’m teaching them both that what determines their worth as people is their character and that they can do anything, and be anything, that they set their minds to. And through teaching them these lessons, I’m learning to love myself, to celebrate my strengths and accept my shortcomings, and to be proud of the GIRL that I am.

Because, you know, I’m pretty freaking fantastic…for a ~~girl~~ person.

Mer

It took me a really long time to find the confidence in myself that I so sorely lacked growing up. Until very recently (we’re talking three years ago) I was of the mindset that I didn’t and couldn’t run… unless I was being chased. And in the event that I was being chased, well, let’s just say it probably wouldn’t end well for me.

That was because I was raised hearing it. I wasn’t athletic. I didn’t do athletic things and I didn’t tap into my athletic side. I was pretty and somewhat smart, although my friends were smarter. In high school I had a friend, Erinn who could do a ridiculous number of pull-ups, like the boys, so naturally she was a tom-boy. Rather than a STRONG girl. Erinn was also the one lapping me and nearly everyone else during the mile, for the record.

Don’t put limitations on our children. And hey, while we’re at it, don’t put limitations on yourself either.

I can and I will! And you can and you will too!

Cam

Once a week I play dodgeball with a primarily male team. And when we pick teams, guess who’s last to be picked? Me. Every single time. I’m constantly finding myself trying to prove that I’m just as good as the boys. The truth is, I can’t throw as hard as them and my reflexes aren’t as quick. But I hold my own. I can catch pretty well and I play smart. I make good decisions when it comes to timing and positioning. So yeah, I play “like a girl” and I’m just as badass as any of those boys. I think as a woman, I have to realize that I have different physical strengths than men. But different isn’t bad. In fact, it’s downright necessary.

This video moved me to tears because I have a young daughter and she is strong and mighty and I don’t ever want her to forget the confidence she has right now. I know the world is going to try to tear her down, boys and girls alike. I already see her struggling to be a girl who loves karate and rough-housing and who also loves sparkly unicorns and nail polish. She wants to be a tough badass, but she doesn’t want to lose that femininity. And why should she have to? Gender stereotypes are suffocating our society. Think of the way we’ve hindered the growth of our world by keeping half the population at bay. What are we afraid of? Turn us loose. We’ll show you what kicking ass “like a girl” looks like.

Jess

When I stumbled upon the Always commercial the other night (on Tumblr, because I’m obsessed), I watched it three times in a row. With everything that’s going on in this country right now, all of the eyes on women’s rights (or lack thereof), the message felt especially timely to me.

Part of me is so relieved that I have a little boy, because, while there are many lessons I have to teach him about things like equality and feminism and consent, he won’t have to deal with the inherent, built-in issues that come with being a girl. There are so many ways in which society tells girls and women that they are less than. How do you bring up a girl in this world to know that she is enough? Especially when many of us women still struggle with this as adults? It’s a huge task. A daunting one. Such an important one.

That’s why I love this commercial so much – it is a quick, powerful tool to show that the stigma against females is hurtful and untrue and emotionally dangerous. Little girls need to see these positive reinforcements – they need to hear it, too, and believe it. They need to know the sky is the limit. Being female doesn’t dictate what you can and can’t do (beyond a few physiological things, of course).

I was going to add pictures of us, being awesome girls, but sometimes, the words are more than enough. Tell us what you think about this video. What do the words ‘like a girl’ mean to you?

7 reasons I shouldn’t have reached my 10th birthday

June 25, 2014 by vfreile

I was am a klutz. I own it.

I fall down the stairs, ricochet off walls and trip over air regularly. (Just ask my boss, husband or running pals.)

As summer officially started this year, I found my mind wandering back to how I spent my summers as a kid in central Pennsylvania. I was what you’d affectionately call “a spirited pool rat.” As I look back, I recall several “near disasters,” most of which took place in the summer months thanks to my impulsive personality.

So today, dear friends, I shall share with you my top 7 close calls. And let me say, this list in no way suggests poor parenting by Mom and Dad. It’s all thanks to my own curiosity and/or stupidity.

I fell from a moving car. Truth. I was 3 or 4 at the time and my dad was driving my sister and me to the pool when the incident occurred. Sissy and I shared the front seat of my dad’s Thunderbird. I was on the outside. Seat belts? We didn’t use them back then. I found myself wondering about the locked car door. I knew if it was locked it wouldn’t open from the outside and when unlocked, would open no matter what. But would the locked door open from the inside? I wondered. In retrospect. I should not have tested this theory when the car was still moving. I clicked the lock into place and pulled the handle. I tumbled onto the pavement and rolled onto a nearby lawn. The car screeched to a halt, my dad scooped me up and took me home. Aside from nasty road rash all over my body and screaming bloody murder when my mother applied the medicine, I was fine. More than anything I was peeved that I wasn’t allowed to go to the pool that day.

In the pool, where I loved to be

Stabbed with a dart. I was 9 when Sissy and I bought a dartboard at a garage sale. We couldn’t wait to use it, but mom kyboshed hanging it on the wall, even in our messy basement. She didn’t want holes in the walls, apparently because of our wretched aim. Our solution was not brilliant. We took turns holding the board while the other whizzed sharp darts at the target. Neither of us had great aim, but a few turns in, one dart reached its mark – in my upper left leg. Blood started spurting. I still have a scar. And I no longer play darts.

Head first into the shallow end. I absolutely knew better. But alas, no one was around to stop me when I dove into the two-foot section at our pool club when I was 8. I was new to swim team that summer and I knew the older kids started their long course practice from the shallow end. I wanted to be just like them, so I dove into the packed pool and landed on my head. I actually saw stars raining from the sky and thank God that I didn’t actually hurt myself. No one noticed, by the way, not even a lifeguard posted nearby.

Climbing the roof. This activity drove my mother nuts. She repeatedly told Sissy and me to stay off the roof of our house, but we rarely listened. Every chance we got, Sissy and I would crawl out my bedroom window and onto the roof. I realize now, had we fallen off the top of the back roof, we’d have fallen 3 stories. I slipped on the shingles nearly every trek, but never slid off the side of the house, thank goodness. A family friend jumped from the second-story one summer and hurt his arm. Mom kept a much tighter leash on us after that.

Underwater at a water park. I never admitted this story to, well, anyone, because I was so embarrassed it happened. On a family outing to a water park, I headed into the park’s huge wave pool. I was a strong swimmer, but somehow got caught in the underwater current and stuck in a cycle with the wave. I couldn’t get above water for air for what felt like minutes. (I’m sure it wasn’t that long, but it was far longer than I was comfortable with.) I panicked, underwater. I remember some kind adult grabbing the back of my swimsuit and yanking me up. I avoided waves pools for years after that. Once I finally ventured back in, I always stopped once the water reached chest high.

Reckless sledding. As the lone girl in most of my childhood playgroups, I became a bit of a tomboy. I often would try to keep up with the guys, even when I knew I couldn’t. One winter, we decided it was a brilliant idea to sled down a steep hill – and over a ravine at the bottom. I never made it to the ravine, as my sledding skills were weak. My friend landed in the ravine, injuring himself slightly. His neighbor, however, didn’t fare well at all. His sled jumped the ravine, but the boy landed on his head. His trip to the hospital ended our fun.

Walking pneumonia. This one was for real, kids. I was 5 and was laid out on the couch for months. I apparently spent time in the hospital and my mother tells me that she thought I was going to die. All I remember from this multi-month illness was a great aunt hovering over me for what felt like months on end, eating ice chips and wanting to play with my sister. Oh, and a celebratory trip to see E.T. in the theater once I was officially “on the mend.”

So there ya go! Tales of my klutziness, stupidity and curiosity that could’ve ended it all well before my 10th birthday. I share this with you, so when your kids act up this summer you know you aren’t alone.

We all make bad choices. We all have had at least one close call. And we all have some pretty spectacular memories as a result. Just be sure to learn from those mistakes.

Were you impulsive like me? Did you flirt with disaster? Tell me all about your brush with death as a child. Don’t have a such a moment? (Good for you!) then please share a favorite summer memory from your childhood.

Back in the (Running) Saddle

June 23, 2014 by writeitdownjess

After a several-week hiatus due to some asthma ridiculousness, I’m back to training for the Disneyland Half Marathon. What whaaaat.

No, seriously, WHAT WHAT?!

I’m so behind in training that I’m a little paralyzed about how to get back on track. I should have run 8 miles this weekend in order to be up-to-date, but instead ran about 2. The good news: Mister Jess and I are signing up for a gym so I won’t have to drag myself up the hills of San Francisco, muttering expletives to myself the whole way. The bad news: …hmm. Yeah, I’m still behind.

I have 65 days left to train, people.

Now, I know this doesn’t seem like a super dire situation, but since I’m running with Cam and Mer, I want to make sure that I’m not going to be holding them back (I can hear them saying, “no no no, you’re not going to hold us back, it’ll be fun no matter what, yay team!” right now). And I definitely don’t want to have a miserable time along the course because I didn’t get my ess (that’s shit in short-hand) together. Also, I’ve never run a race longer than a 5k, so I am kind. Of. Freaking. Out. Here.

Part of me thinks I should just try to quickly catch up to the longer weekend runs I’m supposed to be doing. However, I’m enough of a running novice to know that I’ll probably end up injuring myself doing that, and then my whole fun weekend and half-marathon-finisher status thing is a moot point.

So, here I am asking you all for advice once again. In times of question, I either run to Google or you super-smart peeps. How can I get back on my half training track by August 31st? Talk to me in the comments!

A Day in the (Thug) Life – Cam

June 20, 2014 by camoozle

Welcome to the jungle! I am currently on summer break so you’re going to see a lot of boring pictures in this post. But I thought you’d all might like to know what a teacher does with her summer vacation. I know it’s supposed to be ONE day, but I kept forgetting to take pictures. So I have many days rolled into a synopsis.

Mon-Fri my alarm wakes me up at this god-awful time.

And I usually look like this…

And I am usually met with this face. Sookie likes to sleep on my chest. Because she’s trying to suffocate me.

I head out to my first workout, Body Back. After my divorce, my parents added on a suite to their house so my kids and I could live with them. In-house babysitting is awesome! Of course, everyone is still asleep at this time. This particular day we were doing circuits in the studio with a one mile run. I fuel before the fun with banana and almond butter on an English muffin. And I sweat. A lot.

Look at my new, new shoes! Skora Core are the love of my life right now, thanks to the recommendation from one of our readers, kylejkranz .

I come home to find this…I don’t know about you other parents out there, but my kids are obsessed with watching YouTube videos of other people playing video games. They don’t actually want to play the video games, just watch other people do it.

Summer break is off to a monumentally boring start.

After we lounge and eat breakfast, I’ll head out for my second workout of the day.

This day, it was Cardio Barre. Some days, it’s yoga.

That yoga mat towel is one of the best investments I’ve ever made. Without it, my mat is like a slip and slide.

After I get home and shower, I try to work on homework. I’m taking classes to earn a Professional Certificate in Common Core instruction.

I usually start off working and end up reading YA fiction.

On this day, my kids had karate so we headed on down to the dojo. After my hammock nap, of course.

Kicking ass and taking names. They are very excited they both earned a stripe today. After karate, we went to Islands for dinner. They have amazing veggie tacos!

After karate, I had some new patio furniture to put together so I broke out the power tools.

Bitches get shit done.

My day usually ends with me fighting my kids to get in bed.

And then I drink a bottle of wine whilst watching Orange is the New Black. Like a boss.

Life After Body Back

June 16, 2014 by camoozle

I’m wrapping up my second session of Body Back. With 2 more weeks to go, I’ve been involved with this program for about 14 weeks now. I’ve lost almost 20 lbs on the program and I couldn’t be more pleased. But I’m starting to worry about what happens next. I’ve already signed up for another session but I realize I can’t do this for the rest of my life. And the truth is, I’m scared to death.

This session, I’ve increased my workout frequency to 7-8 times a week. I know this sounds excessive, but a lot of this is yoga. I’ll admit, I haven’t been running as much as I should. But I’m lighter, I’m stronger, and I’ve pushed my body to do things I never thought I’d be able to do. I can do *almost* one pull-up. Just knowing that I CAN has made all the difference. Truly, I feel invincible right now. I feel like I could take on any physical challenge and complete it. I probably won’t be the strongest or the fastest, but I will finish. The Body Back program has not only strengthened my muscles, but has given me a much needed kick in the good old self-esteem.

I want to be successful in maintaining my fitness level. But I really suck at it. If I were any good at it, I wouldn’t need Body Back right now. It’s just so frustrating to know that I was exactly this size a few years ago and I blew it. I’ve been in this exact place before and I gained it all back. What’s it going to take to motivate me to stay on track? I’m a firm believer that I have to get my head in the game. I feel like it’s going to be 90% mental and about %10 sticking to my routine.

In other, more exciting, news…there’s this…

Yep, it’s that time of year. North West Passage Ragnar is rapidly approaching and I’m starting to get excited. I’m dusting off my megaphone and ninja stars and preparing to cart my various Ragnar supplies to Washington next month. I’m interested to see how my new training and new shoes (yep, I bought new, new shoes…more about those in a bit) impacts my stamina for this race. I haven’t ran a relay in quite some time, and NWP will be my only Ragnar this year. So I’m determined to make it the best ever.

How do you stick to your routines? How much of a mental challenge is fitness? Are my meme making skills epic or what? Share with me in the comments!

Running through my head

June 11, 2014 by vfreile

I don’t listen to music when I run, but rather, I let my mind wander.

And oh does it wander…. Today, I thought I’d offer a peek into my mind. Dangerous… I know. But here’s an example of my stream of consciousness while on a run long distance. (abbreviated of course, since you don’t want a 2+ hour ramble!)

Off I go. I always start out too fast. Slow down, woman. You’re going to need that little burst of energy later. Speaking of later, I need to clean the house for our dinner guests tomorrow. I guess I can always do that tomorrow though. I could vacuum today and oh man, I forgot about laundry. I don’t want drying laundry hanging on the rack or in the bathroom when our guests arrive. I mean, they don’t need to see all my clothes. Then again, will they really be looking at my running gear? On the second floor? (ahem, no where near the kitchen) Gosh, I hope not.

Drying gear. Note the Oiselle obsession.

How does it go? Pain is temporary, pride and prejudice. No, that’s not right. That’s definitely not right. But that’s a great book. Heck, I also love the movie. I need to get a new DVD player so I can watch it again. I can’t seem to remember much of anything these days. Good thing my job doesn’t rely on my memory. And thank goodness I have amazing friends and running partners to keep me sane. And yes, I know some of us can’t plan out the correct mileage to save our lives, (raising hand) and others seem to keep inserting hills in the middle of every single run. Eh, that’s OK, I am better for it and need more hill training to improve my base- and my time. I’m thirsty. Why did I drink all of my water already? Good thing I can swing past the library to refill, and refuel, and use the bathroom. But I do need a new water bottle, or I can keep hiding bottles mid-course to pick up later.

Am I done yet? One foot in front of the other. Why have I not finished and why have the new neighbors added that hideous trellis around their lovely wooden deck? The old residents would cry. They were so proud of that deck. I wonder how they are doing out in Utah. Or did they move to Idaho? I know it started with a vowel. How old are their kids now? Gosh I bet they can drive. Oh and a random dog-walker is waving. Hello ma’am, puppy! Did I say that out loud? I think I did. Maybe I didn’t though since neither batted an eye. Ah well. I’m back in my yard and am beyond ready to guzzle some water. 15-miler done!

Moments like this one, and many more, will be starting back up in the next few months as I start to train for marathon number 6, the Philadelphia Marathon! Philly was my first marathon (in 2010 – and this year will be Meri’s FIRST MARATHON – so I’m looking forward to heading back to the City of Brotherly Love for another 26.2.

Today’s stream of consciousness run was brought to you by my tired brain. I really do need a new handheld water bottle or belt though. Can you give me suggestions? I’d love to hear all about what you use.

Scootadoot

fitness, food, friends, fun

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