13.1 Thursdays–Juggling Life with Training for a Half Marathon

Welcome back to another week of 13.1 Thursdays!  If you’re new here, this is my weekly recap of my journey to 13.1 miles (my first half marathon in November!) – welcome!

These past couple of weeks have been challenging on the training front.  I’ve mentioned before that I work full-time outside of the home, have church commitments and two girls in activities, and my husband works long days rendering me a single parent (essentially) 3-4 days a week.  I’m not sharing this because I feel that my plate is more full than anyone else’s nor am I wanting your pity (I love my full life!) – I’m sharing this because one of the hard facts of training is that it is time-consuming, and 45 minute – 2+ hour training runs are time away from my family, time that is (many weeks) limited anyway around all of the other life “stuff” going on.

Do you get me here?

I find myself envious (a lot lately) of my husband’s schedule because during the week, he basically has free time while the girls are at school to do whatever he needs to do (work out, laundry (yes, be jealous), yardwork).  Now he would be the first person to tell you that I have a fair share of free time to get things done, but by free time, I mean time that is not shared with anyone else.  I don’t have that.  And that means that when I need to train, I pretty much have to ask permission or get advanced clearance or whatever you want to call it because I have to excuse myself from whatever’s going on with my family to do so.  I would love to even have one day a week where this wasn’t the case.

Now I know I signed up for this, so I pretty much asked for this… but it doesn’t make it any easier.  And come November 11, if I don’t figure out how to make it work it’ll be a painful 13.1 miles.

So, how’d I do, you ask?

Friday: Rest (thanks to some heavy downpours… yay rain!)

Saturday: 5 miles (treadmill secondary to aforementioned rain and that’s about all I could stand on the treadmill…)

Sunday: Rest

Monday: Cross-Training DVD

Tuesday: 3 miles (treadmill – one of those husbandless nights – kids played on the neighborhood playground while I ran; such troopers with mama’s training!)

Wednesday: Rest

I’m going to have to figure out how to fit in a long run tomorrow since the hubs is pulling four 12s this weekend (unless I find a babysitter I guess).  Wish me luck!

Running Gear I Can’t Live Without:

Adidas Climalite Cush Socks

I’m sure you want to know this, but my feet sweat a lot when I run, making my feet slip around and giving me blisters.  Ouch!  These thick socks wick away the moisture and cushion my feet really well – they make a huge difference, believe me.

My Pick-Up-The-Pace Playlist:

Good Time: Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen

Train: 50 Ways to Say Goodbye (love the part about the crappy purple Scion!)

Cher Lloyd: Want U Back (love going ugh!)

 

So another challenging week, but I’m not giving up.  I can do this!  If you’re finding it hard to stick to training or exercising because of all the life stuff, leave me a comment.  I’d love to send some encouragement your way!

38 days to go!

Fall Mantel Reveal

It’s the first day of October… so I believe it’s time I finally shared my fall mantel with you!

You can see my Moss Pumpkin Topiary flanking the left end, and do you recognize the little countdown sign in front of it?  Yes!  It’s my Back to School Countdown Pallet Board!

  I really liked it but wanted it to be a little more multi-purpose, so I removed the chalkboard apple and replaced it with a framed chalkboard (purchased in the unfinished wood section at Hobby Lobby and painted).  I also painted over the word “school” with chalkboard paint so I could easily write in whatever countdown was currently upon us.  I added a ric rac trim to mimic the scalloping on the frame.

I’m all about the neutral fall palette this year… moss, grey, brown, ivory, and silver.  Mmmmmm.

I gilded some cheap styrofoam pumpkins with silver Liquid Leaf… it came out so smooth and so much prettier than the funny orange color that these pumpkins used to be.

I replaced the crayons in my apothecary jar with a mixture of cinnamon sticks, moss, and burlap.  The cute mirror was stolen from my daughter’s room as she slept, blissfully unaware of the thievery taking place!

Another silver pumpkin and some moss are nestled in my antique Rose Point china creamer cup, and one can never go wrong with a few strategically placed pinecones.

I’m enjoying the simple, natural beauty of my fall mantel this year… I have plans on transitioning this mantel through Halloween and Thanksgiving with just a few minor changes - and I might just figure out a way to ease it into Christmas… who knows?

Hope you’re having a beautiful start to your October!

Linking Up here:

Savvy Southern Style, Transformation Thursday, Fox Hollow Cottage

Moss Pumpkin Topiary

I’ve finally completed my fall mantel, but before the full reveal I wanted to share my Moss Pumpkin Topiary (a complement to my Simple Fall Moss Wreath).

This topiary, in its previous life, was a felt circle topiary that I made for Valentine’s Day three years ago.  I had originally planned to make a felt circle pumpkin like Clean & Scentsible, but changed my mind once I remembered how long it took me the last time!  Instead, I decided to use some of the moss left over from my wreath.

Using the same technique as the wreath, I arranged the moss on the foam topiary and secured with florist pins/stakes.  Some teal velvet ribbon was pinned in place to mimic pumpkin grooves.  The final touch?  A cinnamon stick stem, placed on a floral pin.

The bucket was pink and covered with hearts from its formed Valentine décor life, so I covered it with burlap (hotglued into place so I can easily remove it and reuse it later) and added some lace ribbon trim from my stash.

So simple and pretty.  I love it.

Full mantel reveal coming soon!

 

Linking here:  Jennifer Rizzo

13.1 Thursdays–The Mud Run

Welcome back for another week of 13.1 Thursdays, where I chronicle my half marathon training adventure… the good, the bad, the ugly, and this week, the dirty!

I told you last week that my Saturday run was a mud run – some friends and I ran the Lozilu mud run in Austin.  It’s a combination of a 5k with an obstacle course and a few mud pits, which makes for some messy fun.  The event is also all women, most dressed up in some uniform or costume, so it’s a chick power kind of event.  Here’s our team before (that’s me on the far left):

We were the Red Hot Divas, although we got quite a few pirate comments.  Whatever.  Arrrrgh, matey.

We ran, climbed walls and giant fish nets, took mud baths, jumped off ramps, and then crossed the finish line together…

And then, of course, found the nearest cold beer!

It was awesome.  And just so you know, we’re already thinking of costume ideas for next year.

How I did this week:

Saturday: 5k Mud run

Sunday: Rest

Monday: Rest (gymnastics and homework interference!)

Tuesday: Ran 3 miles

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Rest (yes, again…)

So not that great this week.  Life sometimes has to come before running when you’re a mom and wife and work full time.  Planning on a morning run tomorrow and a long run on Saturday…

Running Gear I Can’t Live Without:

Say hello to my new little friend… the Sweaty Band.  I actually got one as part of the Lozilu swag (mine’s not giraffe, but I’m crushing on this one) and I loved using it this week.  I can’t stand my hair in my eyes while I run, and with short hair, most head wraps don’t fit right along the nape of my neck.  This one, with the skinny elastic, worked great.  And for reals, it doesn’t slip ya’ll.

My Pick-up-the-Pace Playlist:

Lights – Ellie Goulding

Titanium – David Guetta

Everybody Talks – Neon Trees

 

So even though this was one of those weeks where the training didn’t quite go as planned, I’m keeping the faith.  My run on Tuesday really felt good, strong… and I felt pretty strong on Saturday too.  My running confidence is slowly building, I think.  I’m still scared of the big 13.1, but maybe not quite as much?

So you think I can hit SEVEN this weekend?

{Fall Baking} Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

With the slight dip in temperatures, the weekend background noise of football, and the falling leaves that are starting to cover the ground… it is clear that fall is finally here.  Hallelujah.

I don’t know about you, but as soon as it’s fall, I always get the urge to fill my home with the scent of cinnamon, pumpkin, and nutmeg and of course, it’s always better if the scent is coming from my kitchen!  The best part about baking is that not only does your home smell wonderful, but there’s also a delicious treat for you to enjoy… this weekend, it was this scrumptious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread.

This bread is the perfect blend of pumpkin and cinnamon – and the chocolate chips complement the rich fall flavors so nicely.  Just when your mouth is filled with pumpkin and spices… bam!  There’s a little chocolate for ya!

Yum.

Bonus point?  The kiddos approved too!

If you’re a frequent baker like I am, you’ll have most of the ingredients on hand.  The only thing I had to purchase was the canned pumpkin and some more chocolate chips (those seem to disappear around here for some reason…).  The recipe makes a LOT.  I made a 9x5 loaf and four small loaves in my Pampered Chef Mini Loaf Pan.

Ready to make some of your own?!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9x5 inch loaf pan or mini loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.  (I always use Pam Baking Spray with Flour)

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, canola oil, water, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until smooth.

4. Slowly blend in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Evenly divide batter between your loaf pans.

5. Bake for 60 minutes, or until browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove loaves from oven and cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. (My mini loaves took about 45 minutes – be sure to adjust baking time as needed.)

*** You can also use this batter to make some amazing muffins.  In that case, line your muffin pan with paper liners, fill 2/3 full with batter, and bake 18-20 minutes. ***

Original Recipe from Two Peas and their Pod

 

Hope you enjoy this treat as much as we have! 

Sharing here:

I Heart Naptime, Positively Splendid, Craftaholics Anonymous, Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, A Diamond in the Stuff, Savvy Southern Style, Shabby Creek Cottage, Craftberry Bush, Tatertots and Jello, Be Different Act Normal, It’s Overflowing

13.1 Thursdays–The Long Run

Welcome back to 13.1 Thursdays, where you can  join me along my half-marathon training journey…

I don’t know about you, but the thought of running anything over 4 miles has always frightened me.  I’m not sure why; maybe it’s because I’ve never run any further or maybe it’s because, where I grew up, the nearest town was 8 miles away and I can’t imagine ever running that far.

Ever.

Well, this past week, I got pretty close.  I conquered my first long run!

A glorious cold front hit our region late Friday evening, so we awoke to temps in the 60s on Saturday morning.  I laced up, planned my interval training on my running app, and headed outside… and not only did I complete the run, but I felt like I could’ve run a little more!

How I did this week:

Saturday – Six miles (yeah!!!)

Sunday – Rest

Monday – Cross Training

Tuesday – Rest

Wednesday – Three Miles

I overdid it on the squats with my cross training this week and my legs were hurting on yesterday morning’s run… but I’m happy to be off the treadmill and instead be running outside.  Yay fall!  I’ll get another run in tomorrow and then no long run this Saturday – instead I’ll be joining some friends for a mud run!  (Of course I’ll take pictures!)

Running Gear I Can’t Live Without:

This week, I’m sharing my favorite running app – Runkeeper.  I love it because it tracks my mileage by GPS and it has an option to have a “coach” while you’re running.  The coach feature tells me when to start my run/walk intervals, updates me on my distance and time and it lets me know how I’m doing with my pace.  It’s a godsend. (And free!)

My Pick-Up-the-Pace Playlist

Pound the Alarm – Nikki Minaj

Blow Me (One Last Kiss) – Pink

Whistle – FloRIDA

Still haven’t played with the playlist embedding tips you shared (thanks!), so this’ll have to do for now.  Love ‘em.

 

Hope you’re having a great week, and keep sending those tips my way… especially interested in everyone’s thoughts on energy gels/chews (Gu, PowerBar, Chomps).  Which to try?!

DIY Coffee Table Roundup!

I am anxiously awaiting Thursday to arrive as it brings a long-awaited piece of furniture... my new sleeper sofa for my office!  This would be the same office that I repainted almost a year ago in the house that I moved into almost two years ago... so sad, right?  *sigh*  Such is the reality of decorating a home while trying to live like no one else.  It was quite gratifying knowing that this was paid for with cash, all earned from selling various furniture pieces that I've redone over the past year.  (Remember that red console and the sweet duck egg blue vanity set?)

The impending arrival of the sofa has my mind reeling with decorating ideas, particularly DIY coffee tables.  Who doesn't love those?  This is the one I'm 99.9% certain I'll make (I remember seeing it in Country Living and knowing I had to make it!):

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Brigette on Pinterest

But here are some other great ideas:

Source: hgtv.com via Jillian on Pinterest

Source: heatherbullard.typepad.com via Kate on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via basia on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Aren't these all such amazing ideas?  I'm sure you can detect a theme of repurposing old pieces of wood and throwing in a little industrial touch with casters, but the most important theme is that they can all be made pretty inexpensively, which works just fine for this gal on a budget.

How has being on a budget influenced your decorating style?