This weekend, Mer and Vic (and their fams) met up at Hershey Park in PA for a little holiday cheer! While the weather felt more like spring than winter, we checked out the holiday light display, visited with the Big Guy in Red, and had a great time together!
Naturally, while we were there we discussed doing one of the races at Hershey Park. There’s a 10k in the spring and a half marathon in the fall. Have you ever run Hershey?
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!
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!
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!!
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!
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.
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.
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!
First things first… A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our very own Jess! We adore you and hope today is the best day yet with many more to come in the future.
Hotness – you should wear this always.
In other news, we have our Scoot a Doot shirt winner! We love how you were all so enthusiastic about the shirts and for those who asked, we do have some available for purchase but only in specific sizes (aka, we order a couple of extras and are out of S and L). If you’re interested, shoot us an email at scootadoot at gmail dot com.
Ready to meet our winner?
Big congrats to JenRessler1 who won via her tweet on Twitter! We hope you party like a rock star in your new shirt, Jen.
Feel free to wish Jess a happy birthday and congratulate Jen! Happy happy day!
There was a time in my life, not so very long ago, when I would have given anything to just have a “normal” body. I never dreamed of the oh so coveted thigh gap or the pronounced cheek bones; I had sense enough to embrace my size 9 feet and my big bones. I just didn’t want to be Extra Large. Why couldn’t I just have one of those metabolisms that lets me eat what I want and maintain a healthy BMI? Judging myself by an index devised in the 1800’s is completely logical, right? I abused my body and destroyed my self-esteem and it was a tremendous climb back to positive mental health. When I became a parent, I made it my mission to make sure my children never travel this path. I don’t ever want them to doubt their worth, not even for one second, because of some stupid standard society has dictated as beautiful or smart or acceptable.
My darling gems.
My childhood was filled with running and climbing and hiding and seeking. We built things out of wood and got splinters. We played catch and picked stickers out of our socks. We made mud pies and drank from the hose. We ate carrots straight from the soil and apricots right off the tree. During all this time, I never once thought to worry about my metabolism or my BMI. I was normal.
Oh, how the times have changed. Chicken nuggets, computer games, cell phones, youtube, Minecraft…this is the new normal. It’s normal for an 8 year old to have a cell phone. It’s normal for kids to have McDonald’s for breakfast. Normal has been redefined. This new normal, combined with my daughter’s severe asthma, my son’s hyperactivity, and my history of ADD and depression, makes family exercise not only a priority, but an absolute necessity.
My poor girl after her latest asthma attack.
Getting my kids to turn off the tablet is no easy task, but explaining all my reasons to a five and eight year old would only cause confusion and/or possible scarring for life. We’ve tried many activities. Some result in constant whining and misery for all involved. Others they beg to revisit week after week. So, as dictated by my children, Sophia and Alex, here are our Top 5 Ways to Exercise.
#5 – Organized Sports
The gang was a bit divided on this one. Sophie’s a big fan of cheerleading and gymnastics but we still haven’t found Alex’s sport yet. I wasn’t keen on the idea of my daughter getting into cheer initially. I’ll admit it, I’ve always thought cheerleading to be a bit vapid. I just don’t understand why sports teams need young girls in short skirts smiling and shouting in unison whilst flashing their undies to everyone. But Sophie likes it and the instructor promotes strength training and flexibility, making them do push-ups and yoga poses during their warm-up and cool-down. I’m still coming to terms with it, but I’m trying to be open-minded. It teaches commitment and responsibility to a team, which, unless Sophie plans on going underground, are great skills for the future. It’s a little bit expensive, but I consider it an investment in developing essential life skills.
#4 – Video Games
Yep, video games can be good for you! Sophie loves the Wii Fit. She likes the running and yoga the best. Occasionally, we’ll bowl together or play tennis. Alex enjoys to Xbox Kinect because he gets to pretend to use a lightsaber. For the record, his actual response was “lightsaber fights”. Also, you can pretend box. This is great for relieving family tension. My personal favorite is the dance game. I don’t know what it’s called, but I’m perfect on the easy setting. Video games give the illusion of gaming but it’s really good exercise. Like when you blend carrots in with your spaghetti sauce.
#3 – Hiking
My kids love nature and every couple weeks, we try to go on an adventure. Sometimes it’s the local trail, Sycamore Canyon, where we scan for foxes and coyotes. Or if we’re feeling more social, we head over to Mt. Rubidoux to climb our way to the cross at the very top. We’ll venture over to University of Riverside’s Botanical Gardens or we might just walk to the park down the street. Taking the time to enjoy the bits of nature in our concrete suburbia always turns into a learning experience.
#2 – Swimming
Living in Southern California is definitely a factor when it comes to this activity. We can swim pretty much 9 months out of the year and when my grandma belongs to the golf club down the street and can get us into the heated pool, the likelihood of us using said pool skyrockets. I have two little fish. They’ll swim anywhere, anytime: the beach, the pool, the front yard sprinklers, the fountain at Starbucks…if it’s even the least bit warm out, my kids are in their suits. We spent this summer at a local water park and pool. It was the best $120 I’ve ever spent. Not only were they occupied all day during summer break, but they were exhausted when they got home. Which means they slept well. Which means I slept well.
#1 – Trampolines
By far, the activity that they beg and beg for is to go to Sky Zone. Located in a warehouse, Sky Zone is a big room filled with trampolines. You purchase time on the tramps and you just jump. The first time we went, we purchased an hour and by the end of our time, we were pooped out. There are different sizes and shapes, and some fully enclosed for dodge ball tournaments. They have a pit of foam blocks that people can dive into, which my kids like the best. I did it once but trying to climb out of the pit zapped my energy like no other. They even offer a fitness class. It’s stunning that something so easy as jumping on a trampoline can work your body so hard. Trampolines are no joke.
There you have it, Sophie and Alex’s Top 5 Ways to Exercise. My children are fairly adamant that these activities will be loved by all your families and that you all try them. (That was verbatim, btw). Reject those unrealistic standards and normalize being unique. Make family fitness the new normal.
Back when Jay and I got married, we got a recipe book as a gift. Now, back when Jay and I got married, my cooking skills were… well, how to put this?
Nonexistent.
I could make a mean grilled cheese and boxed macaroni and cheese with the best of them. But my skills were fairly limited and the main chef in the house was Jay.
Ten plus years later, I’m the head honcho in the kitchen. This recipe was one of the first ones that I was really able to master and still remains one of our favorites.
Bow Tie Pasta with Asparagus, Sun-dried tomatoes, and Boursin
1. Put the pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium heat. Shake constantly until evenly toasted on all sides, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
2. Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook until tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and asparagus, reserving 3/4c of the cooking water.
3. Set the same saucepan over medium heat and heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the pasta and asparagus to the pan then add the reserved cooking water. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, Boursin cheese, dill, and the 3/4tsp of lemon pepper and toss to combine. Stir in the pine nuts. Season with kosher salt and lemon pepper, to taste.
4. Divide the pasta between bowls and serve! Makes 3-4 servings which equals leftovers. Sweet!
From Bride and Groom: First and Forever
Enjoy!
A little Schoolhouse Rocks! to start off your Tuesday.
Each Tuesday and Thursday morning, I make my way to the gym at 5:30. Last Thursday, my trainer had my partner and I do something new. And it was a killer, which I’m still feeling the aftereffects of now (writing this on Saturday), so naturally I have to share it with all of you. After all, sharing is caring and if I’m suffering feeling the burn, it’s only fair that I pass it along!
We call this one “three is a magic number” – and when I say “we”, I mean me. My trainer doesn’t have cutesy names for things and I’m pretty sure my partner would make some ménage à trois comment.
To start, we each got a barbell with no additional weight. This is always a bit disconcerting because immediately I’m clued in to the fact that while the weight might not be great, the amount of reps will be. I used a 30 pound bar for this round of exercises.
Each exercise is repeated for three minutes with a minute rest in between. Fair warning, the three minutes last forever and the minute feels like fifteen seconds.
We started with clean and press. One might think that clean and press with a 30 pound bar is easy peasy lemon squeezy. And it is. For about 30 seconds. But for three minutes? Holy Hannah, does it burn.
Minute break? I’ll take it.
Next up is three minutes of barbell squats. Now I’ve got to say that my upper legs are a definitely ones that I need to work on so going into this set, I knew I’d be feeling it quick. And sure enough, I was. My quads and glutes were shaking in anger (and fatigue); they were so not impressed.
Another minute break. Sweating profusely!
Finally, three minutes of deadlifts. Again, one would think this would be a piece of cake. That would be a big noperooni. It wasn’t as challenging as the squats or even the clean and press, but I was feeling it throughout, probably because my muscles fatigued from the prior six minutes.
This was only a small segment of my workout – less than 10 minutes total. Yet it was good stuff and one that I hope makes its way into the rotation in the future! I found that the key to this is to really take it nice and slow (not with breaks but to do a count with each – I always do a one, two, three and four); get into a repetitive motion and try to zone out mentally, yet stay engaged physically.
And because I know visual breakdowns are always fun…
Tell me about something new you’ve done at the gym recently.
Happy Monday, dear friends! Jess and Brooke here, to discuss a very important topic.
Earlier this month, Pantone named “Radiant Orchid” the IT color of 2014, and as two Chicks who love to mix trendy with our classic (okay, sort of preppy) style and who love to shop – for ourselves, and for YOU – we had to seize the opportunity to scout out some new fitness attire in this vibrant shade of…is it pink? Is it purple? Who cares; it’s fabulous. Happy shopping!
What’s your favorite color? What do you think about Pantone’s choice? And, perhaps most importantly, what’s on your Christmas list this year?
We here at Scoot a Doot are all about acceptance. Of each other, of ourselves, and of everyone else. Some of us struggle with the self part more than others (ahem), but we’re working on it, and that’s all that matters. We celebrate beauty, whether it be external or internal. We know that smart, strong, loving women are the most beautiful ones in the world.
This morning, I was trolling through Facebook, as you do, and I came upon a video that a dear friend had posted. It was regarding National Eating Disorder Awareness week, and a newswomen was asking women to post pictures of themselves without makeup on social media with the hashtag #barefacedbeauty. The intent was to raise awareness for eating disorders, body image issues and self-acceptance.
Cool, right? RIGHT.
I am not a daily makeup wearer, but I do NOT allow pictures to be taken when I’m in bare face. (I honestly avoid the camera altogether, but that’s another post for another time). But I did it. And it felt good.
I personally have suffered with self-esteem issues most of my life. While, I know I am a good mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and person, sometimes it’s hard to see HER in the mirror. But I’m trying. It’s important for me to pass self-acceptance down to my kids, and to do that, it has to start with me.
Then, Mer followed suit, and I thought ‘hey, let’s rally the chicks and post our sans makeup selfies for all the world to see.’ I was feeling brave. And, of course, my Scoot chicks were all in.
Funny thing about the internet. It can be misleading if you’re not careful. Before I posted, did a quick Google search. Apparently, THIS is not National Eating Disorder Awareness week. It was in Feb/March of this past year.
Whoops. My bad.
And then a bunch of my friends did pictures, too. So, I was feeling like kind of a dork. But then really, is it ever bad to bring awareness to something so many people struggle with? Is it ever a bad day to say ‘today, I love myself and I think I’m beautiful just the way I am?’ This may NOT be National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (although, awesome that one exists!), but does that mean we can’t talk about self-awareness and self-acceptance?
Nope.
So, in all our bare-faced, beautiful glory, are me and my Scoot a Doot sisters.
Bec
Mer
Vic
Brooke
Jess
Cam
And we all think you are very beautiful, too!
Grateful.
If there’s one word that I’d use to describe my feelings toward this year, that’s what it would be. And yes, it might sound cliche but I promise you it’s anything but that.
This year has been a really good one for us Chicks. We started this blog back in February and through it we’ve met so many new and good friends, as well as feeling the love and support of established friends. We’ve spent time together, run races together, acted like fools together and picked each other up when we’ve been hurt (physically and emotionally).
And for that, we are grateful.
If we could gather you all up in our arms for a great big group hug, we would. Because we are huggers. (We know, we know, there are some people who aren’t. And to those people, we give you a punch on the shoulder or a big ol’ thumbs up). Since we can’t hug you all, we are giving away one of our Scoot a Doot shirts as an extra special thanks.
This one specifically!
We got these shirts back in the summer and they’ve made their way across the country and even internationally!
credit: Jog ‘n Hog Boss Hog
Anya
If you’d like a chance to win an awesomely orange Scoot a Doot shirt – click the pic!
Clicky clicky!
Contest ends Wednesday, 12/18 at midnight EST – winner will be announced 12/19. So what are you waiting for? Scoot on over! Happy Thursday!
I’m almost 30 miles into this running streak and not quite halfway through. As someone who typically runs four times a week, this has been a challenging exercise. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
Running every day means not waiting until Christmas to buy new running attire. (Side note- did you know that Anthro carries activewear now? Shame on you for not telling me. I’ll take one of everything, s’il vous plait.) New shorts, new socks, new long-sleeved shirts- thanks, Vic, for introducing me to Oiselle– you name it, I’ve bought it. If I’m going to live in my running clothes this month, I’m going to do so in style.
These pants! Had to have ’em.
I’m so glad that messy buns are still a thing. (If they aren’t, don’t tell me.) Who wants to blow out their hair only to throw it up again the next morning for a run? Not this girl. I’m rocking a bun and headband all over town. Stylish and a time saver= winning combination.
Does that “Messy Hair, Don’t Care” shirt come in my size?
If I know you’re a runner, I’ll invite you to run with me. On Thanksgiving morning, I looked at my husband and said, “You know what would be fun? If we all went on a run together. Doesn’t that sound like fun?” Never mind that it was the coldest day we’ve had here all winter (like 40 degrees. Typically it’s 85. Yes, right now.). We bundled up the children and took everyone out for a quick run around our neighborhood. Last week, my oldest girl rode her scooter while I jogged next to her. This morning, I took my friend out for a birthday brunch and when I invited her, I totally gave her the same spiel I’d given J on Turkey Day. “You know what would be fun?…” Running play dates are the next big thing.
Post-run on Thanksgiving morning.
Running every day means more holiday cookies, right? Because I’m using this streak as an excuse to eat all the candy cane-flavored things (except the peppermint yogurt raisins I saw at Target because that just sounds gross. And maybe a little too healthy anyway.)
These or the candy cane Oreos? Kidding, you know I got both.
All in all, I’m having fun streaking. It’s been good for me to switch up my routine a bit and run with different friends and in new locations. Some days are a challenge- I had to squeeze a mile in on a full stomach right before I left for carline one afternoon last week and I thought I was going to be sick. I’m also already planning my rest days. But there are plenty of proud moments too- that I’m pushing myself, that I’m making it work during a busy time of year, and that I’m taking time for me.
Roll call, Streakers! How’s it going? Favorite holiday cookie?
