Best Shopping Day of the Year

I hate how they ruined the Black Friday fun by opening up on Thanksgiving. I was always so excited to wake up early with my Mom, stop at Starbucks for coffee, and plan our route for the best day of shopping! The excitement always starts the holiday season off and we enjoy our day together. My Mom actually has to work on Thanksgiving because it's not a holiday in Canada and I feel like we miss out on the best deals by not going when they open.

Oh well, we still plan on getting up early and shopping til we drop!

1. Target - Beat By Dre $97 bucks!

2. Academy Sports - Nike clothing 25% off I also saw Nike Free's are priced from $100 to $70

3. Macy's - They always have a huge boot sale! Also go online and print off a few of the coupons to save yourself $20 bucks off every $50 << check out separately to save yourself some bucks!

4. Kohls - Get $15 bucks in Kohl's Cash for every $50 spent and these kid headphones need to happen for Madison even though she'll just sing out loud anyways.

5. 5 Below - Best store for stocking stuffers, mini puzzles are always a hit with my 5 year old!

6. Old Navy - 50% off the entire store, these girls plaid tops are 10 bucks!

7. Ulta - Lots of great makeup sets on sale, I'm going to swing by for this Lorac one. 

Find more Black Friday deals here - I'm still waiting on Gap's to come out.

If you are buying for that person who is so. dang. hard. to shop for I highly recommend something personalized because a personal touch is always thoughtful and appreciated! My favorite place to shop is Personalized From Me to You and they are offering 20% off orders of $50 or more black Friday through cyber Monday.

Another great deal is for those pregnant people in your life, I loved my girdle so much after Aiden and it would be a fantastic gift for an expecting mother. You can check out the different type at Bellefit.  

I'm a little stuck on what to get Madison, I really don't want to buy her any toy's because she rarely plays with the ones she has. She loves to dress up and play pretend, but we have almost everything she could need for that. I would be open to more education type things, like flashcards or something like that. Any suggestions from veteran Mom's are much appreciated! 

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22 Miles and some French Toast

I did it, I finished out the run that has been looming over me since I signed up for this marathon - 22 miles. I've been stressing about this run for, oh, like 4 months now. All last week the forecast was 100% downpour rain, in preparation I got online and did a little research. I came across a great article that said to put Aquaphor all over your feet, then socks, and then bags to keep your feet dry as long as possible.

I also made sure to wear all dri-fit clothing, carried a trash bag in my Camelbak, and put my phone in a Ziploc baggie {no headphone wires!}. Got to the meeting spot, checked the forecast, all rain chances were gone! I sure owe someone up there big time!!! 

 I guess the Aquaphor made my feet really soft and I started to feel blisters around mile 6. I ate my regular protein bar before I started, but I really started to get hunger pains around mile 8 and I only had Skittles and my Advo Gels with me. I hoped if I drank enough water it would go away, but I just got hangrier and hangrier. Lo and behold someone left us sweet lovely bagels at our water stop on mile 14!! I have never been so happy for a piece of bread in my life!

I had a renewed sense of energy even though my feet were hurting, we continued on. Mile 18.5 we passed the parking lot where I was parked and I started to feel the wall coming at me. I started to feel tired and a little bit angry, why I feel anger I have no idea, this is something I choose to do. Everyone around me starts to really annoy me, but a lot of people in the group were hitting that wall too so the happy ones started to cheer us on, which kinda only served to annoy me more. haha. They tried though. 

Two friends of mine texted me around mile 20 and 21 and I almost started crying, when you are pushing your body this hard the emotions seem to be right under the surface. I had a lump in my throat, but I told myself, don't be a wuss no one else is crying! I sucked it up and shuffled though my playlist for some good songs. I don't listen to headphones, but I will turn my phone on out loud and the girls in the group will have a little karaoke sing a long which can make the miles go faster. 

I have never been so glad to stop running in my life! I've been asked a lot why we go past 20, well the point of the long run is to be on your feet for the full time you will potentially be running the race. We are training to run the 26 in 4:40 so the 22 miles is our training pace, 11:40, for 4 hours and 40 minutes. I don't know if I have a 10:40 in me for 26 miles, but it won't be from lack of training or trying I can tell you! 

We all wobbled back to our cars for a little celebration drinking. Just a little bit of alcohol can make the difference between hobbling and walking like a normal human, with that said I'm going to need someone to love me enough to find mile 22 and be waiting for me with a beer around Noon on Dec 14th. Here's a map to make it real easy for you to find me!

I have 2 more weekend training runs - 17 this Saturday at race pace and another 12 the weekend before the race. I'm still running shorter runs during the week -  today I did an easy 5 with negative splits {meaning I got faster with each mile}.

I had just enough time to make some amazing french toast before work  and still wash and curl my hair while jamming out with Madison and Aiden in the bathroom to Taylor Swift - #winning

Dip that yummy bread in some egg white and fry up, top it off with cream cheese mixed with Walden's syrup and some caramel morsels {I also added in a few dairy free chocolate chips too} OMG> yes.

I typically cook it, put in Tupperware, and then eat it when I get to work around 8, it took me maybe 8 minutes to get it cooked and packed up.

14f/49c/18p

Plus it keeps me super full until at least 11.

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Annual Cookie Party

My weekend pretty much consisted of two things - eating cookies and a sleeping Aiden. Thank God I had macros x infinity this weekend after my long run.

Big fan of the Zippadee Zip

The Cookie Party was so much fun this year, if you haven't heard of a cookie party you can read about past years here and here.We missed doing one last year because my Mom was moving and I was pregnant - and lazy. It's a great way to get to try so many delicious cookies without having to bake them all yourself.

I had to make 6 dozen cookies after work on Friday, I had to enlist the help of the live in ballerina. A co-worker gave me the easiest recipe:

1 pkg cream cheese

1 pkg sugar cookie mix

pecans

chocolate for drizzle

You mix the first three ingredients and form into a roll, cut, and cook at 375 for 9 minutes. Finish it off with a drizzle of chocolate. 

 

The ballerina is also in charge of the fat baby while Mommy cooks, sorry buddy.

I let my Mom borrow my white tree because we held the party at her house, she found the head at Home Depot and it's so dang cute I kinda want to leave it like this at my house! I wish I had room for two trees, but sadly I don't  and I even wanted to buy a smaller more narrow one this year, but the one I loved is pretty expensive so I think I'll forgo that this year since we just bought a couch.

Sunday while we were out to lunch at our favorite place Madison spied an old friend, the elf.

Which kinda works in my favor because I bought tickets to Disney on Ice this weekend and I'm going to send them in a special package from Santa in the mail - Santa thinks she deserves an early present for behaving so well this school year. Mommy thinks that spending hundreds of bucks on princess tickets should be included in her Christmas presents!

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W.O.W Shoulder Supersets

Just popping by really quick to share a quick shoulder workout - the video shows the moves, but do them slower than I did, I'm used to rushing for IG vids // 15 seconds ain't nothin'!

Shoulder Supersets //

1 bar with a weight you can bust out 8 reps fairly easy.

8 pull-up

8 shoulder press

**do not rest between sets do 8 pull ups and 8 presses back to back.

***Repeat that 4 times!

1 set of dumbbells {pretty heavy} for 4 reps

4 around the worlds

4 shoulder press

**same as above do not rest between and do 4 sets

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Running off the Pooch.

Cold Weather Running Wish List 

It's so dang hard to get yourself out of bed and into your workout gear when it's 25 degrees outside! My flannel jammie pants were so cozy and I was sleeping so good, but it has to be done. 26 days. 

I put together a wish list of some items I could possibly want, you know, in case someone wants to buy me a Christmas gift coughOlivercough.

I was highly impressed with myself for running my last mile at a 8:44 pace, I think I could even do better if I pushed myself a bit. Honestly I can barely run a 10 on the treadmill, gah, I just HATE that thing so much. Hate it! I have a friend, Jodi, she live in ND and is training for her first marathon. She had to run 16 miles ON THE TREADMILL. Bless her heart, rockstar status for life right there.

I'm so serious, I literally want to gauge my eyes out after 1.2 miles on that thing, I find running outdoors so much more rewarding. Hence the reason I will still get my ass out there when it's freezing cold.

These two pictures were taken 27 days apart and only about a 3 pound difference! My pooch is getting better, I have a pretty bad one due to not only having two kids, but losing over 100 pounds. I have no plans to get a tummy tuck, I'm ok with just getting it to shrink as much as I can with diet and exercise - and before you all email me asking for the gym moves to get rid of it hear me now - you can't spot reduce! It's all just diet and exercise, losing fat all over is what you have to do. I actually have been slacking on my ab workouts lately, oops.

I'm on a lower fat higher carb macro plan - via Paige - and I'm usually left with carbs and proteins at the end of the day. Found this Fiber One 90 Calorie Instant Pudding the other day, so so satisfying! Made with skim milk, cool whip, and a few mini Reeses Oreos 47c/3f/12p

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Sniffles

 Pretty much the worse thing ever happened, I left my entire bag of food at home on the counter. I've had to resort to eating whatever I had left in my office - in whatever I could find to eat it in. I also left my Spark in the fridge, I was thinking about how cold it was outside and how much I didn't want to get in my car. Obviously I did, cause I ain't no wimp, and even went and had a fantastic workout! 

 Friday I started to feel a little sick, the sniffles have been running rampant in my house and so far I had avoided them, but my luck ran out. My run was in the 30's and because we run at a slower pace for the long distance I was pretty cold the entire 3 and a half hours. I came home and Oliver had cleaned the entire house, done laundry, and even washed the sheets -- life doesn't get much better than that!

After I took a super hot Epsom salt bath I rounded up the kids and headed to the mall because I needed some new long tanks from H&M. Madison was pretty upset that Santa was there 'but it's only NOVEMBER Mommy' -- see even she knows it's not right to have Christmas pushed so hard before we eat our Turkeys.

My Mom wants to buy me a new coat for Christmas and I finally found one I love love love {and was in my price range - she laughed when I sent her this one}. I'm glad I looked in store, just seeing it online I probably would not have picked it, but it's super flattering on. 

 We happened to go to the mall with our favorite play area, Aiden's first time, and he loved it! He's not a big fan of screaming and loud sounds, unlike his sister, and I was worried it would be too much but he was so good just climbing and even getting knocked over by another baby his age. Makes me sad he's growing so quickly. 

Madison has been begging all week to get a mani/pedi and I was WAY overdue for sure, so we dropped off the baby to Daddy and picked up Mimi for a little girl time. Yes she is wearing overall's with a tutu, I give up with this one.

Sunday I spent the day feeling pretty crappy, watching movies, and playing with the kids. I managed to go the grocery store - freaking 282 dollars later. Ughhhhhhhhhh. I don't care what we don't have I'm not buying a thing for the next 2 weeks at least. Madison's out of school next week so I don't have to worry about packing a lunch. 

This one must be hitting some major grow spurt because he's sucking down 12-14 oz AT NIGHT. I'm like, come on little dude, let's just sleep and eat when we wake up - OK? But seriously, how can I say no to that face? #suckerforabaldhead

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Don't Ask Me.

If you walked into my house you would probably hear one of these phrases;
"Madison, don't pick up your brother'
'Yes, you need to wear underwear'
"Madison don't squeeze him so tight'
'Madison be gentle he's just a baby'
'Yes, you can hug him - gentlyyyyy'

This girl loves him so much she can't contain it and is all over the poor boy, it's a wonder he's crawling at all. I have two younger brothers myself and apparently I would talk for them all the time, just my bossy nature I guess.

 

This little chunk is sure she hung the moon, he finds nothing funnier than her blowing her nose, or listening to her off key singing in the car - which she records on her iPad for playback at anytime. 

Madison still refuses to wear pants so I've ordered a million pairs of warm tights for the winter and then realized that she didn't own one long sleeved collared shirt. So far wearing a uniform has not been cheaper or easier, she still argues about WHICH dress she is going to wear, and I just spent another 75 bucks ordering long sleeved shirts and sweaters. 

I have to admit it's a bit stressful having a Kindergartener because all I see on Facebook is how kids her age are reading, doing math, and winning the Nobel Peace prize {slight exaggeration}. She gets good reports daily and I know she's keeping up with her class, but I wonder - is it enough? I feel like all my friends are teachers and have some knowledge on how to teach their kids, I'm over here like - what's a sight word?? 

Dress from Lolly Wolly Doodle

It can really make me feel like a crap parent some days. As much as I tell myself not to compare myself to others I have to remember that goes for parenting too. Sometimes I can't even go to the Mom online groups I'm part of because they make me feel insecure, some of these Mom's can tell you about anything concerning children, how in the heck do they know so much? Did I not get the manual? I'm more of a wing it and see how it goes kinda Mom. 

I read an interesting article about the 'Perfect Husband' and it really got me thinking about my own situation. Oliver is totally the 'where is she' Dad, his first and foremost thought when he gets off work is Madison. In fact we are in a temporary situation where he is getting off work at 2:30 every day so he can pick her up from school and then he has both her and Aiden until I get home from work at 6:30. He's used to being able to play and do whatever he wants with her, but with Aiden being a crawler now and more needy, he can't do as much. We actually had to have a discussion about not putting Madison's needs before everyone else. My friends are always envious of the close relationship they have, but adding another child has been harder on him than anyone else. I won't say he puts me last on his list, but I guess in all honesty he might. It really doesn't bother me though, I feel loved and I feel secure in our marriage. He supports me in everything I do and still tries to grab my butt when I bend over ;) I just thought it was an interesting point of view, maybe a lot of Dad's actually feel this way about their wives?

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Running Go Bag.

Whew - Fall has hit and it's chilly! We had some nice weather for our long weekend run, 16.3 miles, with this good looking bunch. We've also decided to make a 'snack' schedule for beer after the rest of our long runs, a little something to get us through those 22 miles. I'm not a fan of beer most of the time, but God bless nothing tastes sweeter after running for hours.

My Arrosti guy told me I HAVE to ice bath, ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Y'all this kills me, it's so freaking hard to sit in ice cold water for 8 minutes. One of my super runner peeps told me to get some neoprene socks, a hat, and a trashy magazine, so that's my plan for the next one. Madison was really looking forward to putting the ice in the tub once I was in, one by one, finally after about a minute I told her go get Daddy cause I need it to happen faster. hahha. I will say it did help my knees feel less stiff for sure. 

 One thing that I really struggled with was rewarding myself too much after a long run, you just can't stuff your face with junk for the rest of the day no matter how much you feel like you deserve it. I mean you can, obviously, but not if you are trying to lose weight. I allow myself to eat whatever I want for lunch and then get my macros in around it for the rest of the day.

 With the weather being unpredictable and with the amount of miles I'm logging I've started keeping a Go Bag for running in the back of my car at all times. It's come in super handy and makes getting up at the crack of dawn easier because I don't have to run around looking for my supplies.

1. ASICS Thermopolis Lite Arm Warmer - these were recommended to me and are so great for days where it's chilly, but easily taken off and carried if you get hot. Love! Plus they have thumb holes ;)

2. Under Armour Visor - I hate wearing glasses I prefer hats also a must have in the rain!

3. Extra shirts - tank and a warm weather running top

4. Face wipes - feels amazing to wash off that dried sweat when you are done.

5. Bondi Bands - sweat bands that are big enough to cover your ears if need be, I really like the weight of these.

6. Camelbak Pack - a fuel/water belt is a must for long runs, water is sometimes not available, but is so crucial! This one was the biggest size water bottle I could find and the pack holds a ton of food/keys.

7. Bodyglide Original Anti-Chafe Balm - always around your bra to prevent chaffing.

8. Nathan 5K Runner's Waist Pack - this sucker is huge and I only use it for my phone if it's raining or I'm just doing a short run and don't need that water bottle.

9. Advocare Catalyst and O2 Gold - I take 3 of the catalyst and 2 of the gold before every run, if you take any supplements as a runner it should be BCAA's

10. Nuun All Day Hydration - little tablets you can drop in your water, great for those hot running days, the flavors are very light and enjoyable. The little bit of fizz makes me happy.

11. Sunscreen - duh - always. I prefer a sport in a SPF 50 - also lip balm!!

12. Advocare Rehydrate Fuel - these are my preferred running fuels, the GU did a number on my stomach and these are lightly flavored which I prefer. Also - I carry some Skittles for those last miles when I'm dying - the sugar rush really really helps in a bind!

13. Extra water.

14. iPhone 6 Armband - I have to say this is my favorite band I've tried - easy in and easy out!

15. Gloves - preferably ones that are compatiable with a touch screen.

16. Knuckle Lights - always take a light when running in the dark, I'd be pissed if I stepped in a hole and hurt myself!

17. A towel to sit on afterwards and a bag for your sweaty nasty top {I usually change my shirt before driving home}

I keep all this in a cute  31 Utility tote in the back of my car, I LOVE their bags for everything! If I need to take it out to make room it's easy to just grab and put in the garage.

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Pancakes and Clean Babies.

 We had another crazy busy weekend, just never enough hours in the days to get it all done. I don't give enough credit on here to my husband who seriously helps me out a ton, I get asked all the time how I do it all and I couldn't do half of it without his help. With marathon training and a baby we have to really logistically work out what we need to do all weekend ahead of time, hence the reason I get up at the crack of dawn to run. Oliver works every other Saturday too and he likes to try to get in a game of golf so we both have to work well as a team to make our family run ;)  Add in a 5 year old with soccer games and the random party here and there and those 48 hours in between working just fly by. Lately I've not been able to fit in my of my own friend time, so to all my friends out there - I'M SORRY! I miss y'all and I promise to make a couples night out when I'm done with this race!

I promised Madison that we could get a donut after my run, pretty bummed that Dunkin stopped making the Oreo ones because they were the best! I had a regular glazed and it was totally not worth the carbs. 

My car was overdue for an oil change and my inspection sticker so I had to spend an hour and half at the dealership getting that done. Aiden was obsessed with this toy, Anatex Deluxe Mini Play Cube , putting it on his Christmas list for sure.

We have this set of books that are kinda like Encylopedia's, but for kids, and Madison loves them. She will flip though and ask questions like, 'Is Lava real or fake?' or  'What is Fungi?'  We always are telling her things, like dragons, are not real and when she see's pictures of stuff like lava she's just not sure if it's real or not. Poor kid, we are messing up her learning!

Jacket via PinkSlate Boutique

I made the mistake of telling Madison she could get her own tree in her room this year, then we turned the corner and OF COURSE they had a ton of Frozen Christmas stuff. Thank you Hobby Lobby.

Sunday I woke up starving, the bald baby was done sleeping at 6am, so we made ourselves so delicious pancakes. I used Flapjacked Protein Pancake Mix and mixed together Greek cream cheese with Walden Farms Calorie Free Dip Caramel then spread it between each pancake topped with mini chip - ohhhhh so good!

17f/68c/42p

1 cup Flap Jacked
52 grams Greek cream cheese
2 Tablespoons WF Caramel
15 grams Enjoy Life mini chips

 I cleaned the house and the baby, he loves the Inflatable Baby Bathtub I got off Amazon. Both of my kids are lover's of bath time thankfully, it comes in handy when the bathroom needs a good scrubbing. From the day he was born Aiden has loved to be bathed or even in the shower he would smile when the water ran over his head.

 I had just enough time, after Oliver took the kids to his parents house, to bust out my lifting program before my soccer game. I just got this jacket in from Fabletics and I freaking LOVE IT. It's lightweight, kinda like a windbreaker, but has some zippered pockets big enough for my phone and thumb holes which are always a winner in my book!

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