I think this is going to be the LONGEST week of my life. Here's to keeping myself busy, hoping the time flies by...and hoping I can find a way to relax.
Here's how I tried to keep myself busy this morning...
...seriously, who bakes cookies at 7:44 if the morning?! This crazy girl! I used this recipe for flour-less peanut butter cookies and they were GOOD!!! It was actually my sneaky way of getting rid of the peanut butter that I keep finding myself snacking on. Keep an eye on the mail, Miriam...you've got some yummy cookies headed your way.
We also took a little trip to Big Lots this morning. We were on a mission to find some goggles but all we ended up finding were some banana chips (one of the boys' favorite treats)...
...and this spray aloe...
...seems pretty cool if I do say so myself. I picked up some of the sunscreen by this brand last week, since it was super cheap and didn't contain oxybenzone and was impressed. I hope the aloe spray follows suit.
Since the weather looked like this before the boys were even awake...
...I decided to take my run to the dreaded treadmill...
...I'm learning to tolerate it a little better, especially now that I keep my headphones in my purse so I can't forget them. Along with watching a little Kathie Lee and Hoda as well as a bit of Rachel Ray on TV, I threw in some hills and a few sprints to keep things interesting. I finished up my workout with some upper body weights. I was hoping that would take care of some of my anxious energy but I'm still a basket case today. Oh well...
We spent the rest of our pre-nap time the best way we know how when its 90 degrees outside...
With sweltering temps like we've been having, these special treats for my favorite man are starting to look pretty darn tasty to me too...
...all in good time. I'm sticking to water for now :-)
Time to try to get some reading in before the boys are back up. I'm really enjoying this month's book club choice so far...
Yesterday was a bit of a crazy day and I'm not sorry that it's behind us...crabby boys, crazy produce day, rain, forgotten phone calls, you know, the works. I'm thankful things are looking up today.
We kicked off our morning with some playtime ...
and some Preschool Praise...
...we hadn't been in forever and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. What's not to love about playtime and music??!!
While we were out and about, I decided we might as well tackle some errands including a quick stop at the gym for a little over 7 miles on the dreadmill....I mean treadmill. One hour of cardio...check!! I finally remembered my headphones and being able to watch Rachael Ray and the news, which I NEVER watch these days, helped the time pass a little bit better. It was definitely better than running in 90+ degree weather. I'm SO thankful for my gym membership which includes childcare...good for all of us!!
I had a empty bag of starbucks coffee beans, which is like a coupon for a free tall coffee, so we stopped and picked up an icy jolt of caffeine for me and some chocolate milk for the boys before we headed home for the day...
...we love Starbucks! Just wish it was a little more budget friendly.
Speaking of chocolate, we've been digging these yummy treats we found at Target...
...as well as guacamole made from our abundance of avocados compliments of Annie's Organic Buying club...
...at least my finicky eaters haven't given up all the things they used to love. They keep me guessing, that's for sure!
Once I get the vacuuming done, the rest of our day is dedicated to relaxation, hopefully including a dip in the pool and some reading and puzzles with the boys. I'm hoping for an early bedtime for the boys so I can fit in time to watch the movie I grabbed from Redbox with my 50 cents off coupon today...
I hope it lives up to the hype. I may or may not enjoy a glass or two of wine while I watch it. It's the weekend after all, right? Happy Weekend!!!!
It's 3:00 and I have yet to shower....yuck!! I earned every bit of this stinky body with a fantastic morning. We kicked off our morning with a chat with Mickey while we ate our breakfast. Then we were off to tackle the morning.
Our first stop was the gym where I got in a fantastic workout using the treadmill and a pair of 20# dumbbells. I started off with a one mile run to get warmed up before alternating one minute of running with 30 seconds of a lower body exercise til the clock on the treadmill said I had completed 45 minutes of exercise. My lower body exercises included the following:
squats
deadlifts
lunges
curtsey lunges
weighted jacks
I think I got in 4 rounds of each exercise...I lost count. Woops! It was a fantastic workout that kept my heart rate up, kept me from getting bored, and left me a sweaty mess. I'd call that a success!!
After the gym, we met up with a friend at the park for a play date...
...it had been a LOOOOOONG time since we'd seen our friends and it was great to catch up. Can you tell it was HOT outside??
Next, we took our sweaty selves to the library to grab some books I needed for story time tonight. We took advantage of the A/C and browsed a bit while we were there. We love the library!!
Our last stop of the morning was to Kohls for a return. The boys were quite helpful with the shopping cart...
...I had no luck there on my dress finding mission. I am on the lookout for the perfect "welcome home" dress and am having ZERO luck! I need a personal shopper...it's just not my strong suit. Grocery shopping I can do, but clothes shopping never seems to go my way. Oh well...
We returned home with growling bellies and filled them quickly with a yummy lunch...
I finally made zucchini noodles and I gotta say, I'm hooked!!! There's no guilt in that bowl but it sure is full of nutrition. I love my new julienne peeler which made it a breeze to prepare. I'll try my next batch with some marinara sauce. YUM!!
Looking forward to seeing all my story time friends tonight. We sure wouldn't mind a nice breeze to help cool us off a bit while we dance around. One can hope, right??
Apparently yesterday was spouse appreciation day. Who knew? I got this lovely message in an e-mail and I was quite moved by it...
The military spouse is a unique being - it's independent, able to act as both mom and dad while the other is away, has a kiss that cures everything from a child's torn teddy bear to a Soldier's weary day, and has the patience of a saint. The military spouse has a heart that swells with pride, can sustain the ache of separation, says "I understand" even when it doesn't and says "I love you" regardless.
SO true!! And I wouldn't have it any other way. I am SO incredibly proud of my soldier. What an awesome role model for our boys, too!
They've changed SOOOO much since that photo was taken.
We kicked off our day with a chat with our superhero before heading to the gym. The boys now say "mommy needs her exercise" when we pull into the parking lot. They get it!! I kicked my own butt with some full body weights and some intervals on the elliptical. It felt GREAT!
After that we headed off to meet up with a friend for a play date to Chick-Fil-A. Would you believe it was our first visit to that place? An air-conditioned play area was the selling point for me. I tried to convince the boys to just eat some fruit, but when they saw their buddy eating those delicious waffle fries, I caved and ordered some for them to share as well before they tried to eat all of his. The boys were happy to trade fruit for fries...worse things have happened.
I was glad I remembered to pack a protein bar...
This one wasn't too bad. It got the approval of all the boys too since of course they have to have a bite of anything I'm eating. Less calories for me, right? Haha!
We played outside for a bit when we got home. The boys did an excellent job of hunting down the stray coconuts with me so we could put them on the yard waste pile...
The heat got the best of us all though and we had to call it a day. Gotta get out there earlier next time...summertime takes it toll fast on my little guys.
I'm gonna have to find some good shade to plant our little seedlings so they don't melt from the summer heat as well. Aren't they cute??
The boys have been having fun watching them grow.
We hit up the park in the early evening...
We're getting better at the "big boy" swings but can go SOO much higher in the little ones. Both have their perks and are equally enjoyed by the boys.
Colton was taking climbing tips from the big kids too...
This was waiting on the porch for me when we got home. I have some pretty amazing, thoughtful friends.
I don't know what I'd do without them. It seriously brought tears to my eyes. So did this video another good friend posted on my facebook page...
We ate a late but delicious dinner, including the boys favorite food, roast chicken, and some overcooked broccoli they let me have all to myself...love them!
This one might have been one of the best I've made yet. It was a hit!
I have to agree with them that it's pretty darn good.
I called it a night right after I put the boys to bed since I knew I had plans to get in a run this morning. It was HOT out there so I changed my plans a bit and made a detour to the gym after the first two miles...
I quickly got bored with the treadmill...
...so I hopped on the elliptical for a couple of miles...
(The clock is a countdown from an hour, not how long it took me...lol.) Then we headed home, braving the heat one last time...
...for a total of only 3.5 miles outside. I guess I did cover about 8 miles total, though. It felt good to get it out of the way. I gotta get started earlier if I want to keep up my running this summer. Now I just have to get the boys on board with that plan...wish me luck!!
After we cleaned up at home, we headed downtown for the Family Fun Fest. I'm so glad we went. It really was a fun events. The boys got to paint flower pots wearing cool Home Depot aprons...
Once they were painted, they got to put a flower in them. Look how cute they are in our yard now...
They also made butterflies at the Macaroni Kid table...
They were a little nervous about the fire truck and wouldn't even go near the ponies, which surprised me...oh well. As usual they wanted nothing to do with the bounce houses either. Saved me $2...thanks boys!
Of course we couldn't leave without some balloons...
We parked ourselves in the shade for a bit while we enjoyed this view and I sipped on an iced coffee while the boys ate bagels from Osceola Street Cafe using the money I saved from the bounce houses, haha...
It was a FABULOUS morning.
We came home to a package waiting on our porch. The boys' backpacks arrived and they're even cuter than I hoped...
They are perfect for the boys to carry some snacks, books, toys, etc. on the plane. They wore them around the house saying "these are for the airplane." We're getting excited for our little trip.
With dinner already made, my new nap time ritual I'm totally digging, I can now kick back and relax for the rest of the boys nap. Afterwards, we're hoping to have some poolside fun for the rest of the day.
It's a good thing my family does not live in Seattle. We get so tried of rain are so over rainy weather. We have found some ways to entertain ourselves inside, however.
A box was delivered yesterday, so that provided at least a half hour of entertainment.
We went to Family Place at the library again. Thank goodness they were open even though the schools were closed today. Mason was really into the markers and the easel today while Colton stuck to his favorites, balls and vehicles.
I decided to get a head start on dinner after torrential downpours stalled our Wal-Mart outing (I was hoping it would provide entertainment for all of us and allow me to accomplish something as well...) and the boys decided they wanted to get in on the action, so they pulled their chairs over to watch me. Gotta be careful where I put the knives now...
Maybe they can start helping me make their smoothies. Today they chugged down smoothies containing:
spinach
banana
avocado
yogurt
orange juice
For these guys, smoothies are where it's at when it comes to eating their greens. I'll take it!
I can't say I've gotten a whole lot accomplished today but I did manage to fit in another early morning workout at the gym. I could get used to these mornings to myself. Hope my husband feels the same way :-) I feel more ready to tackle the day after taking a little time for myself before taking care of everyone else the rest of the day. Thank goodness for treadmills in this rainy weather.
I did a cool down for half a mile after I snapped this photo but the first 4 miles looked like this:
Mile 1: Gradually build up speed starting at 6.5 mph and working up to 7.5 mph
Miles 2 and 3: Alternate quarter mile speed work at 8.5, 8.6, 8.8, and 9 mph with quater mile recoveries at 7 mph
Mile 4: Alternate tenth mile sprints at 9 mph with tenth mile recoveries at 7.5 mph
It was an excellent workout! I always get nervous going into speed work but end up being so glad I did it. I am really hoping it helps me to get a PR in the half-marathon.
Well, it looks like the rain is letting up so we're going to go see what we can find to entertain us at Wal-Mart. Wish us luck! Make it a great, active day!
Today has not gone how I planned AT ALL but that has not stopped it from being a fantastic day and it's only halfway over. I'm getting better at this bump and roll stuff! My original plan was to take the boys in their stroller for the first long run of my training plan but the torrential downpours encouraged me to take my run to the treadmill at the gym. It was a little more boring that way but I still got in my 7 mile run and was pleased with my ability to maintain an 8 minute mile pace and even threw some "hills" in there by playing with the incline to keep things interesting. Week one of half-marathon training is in the books. Bring on week 2!
Gonna try to beat my time of 56:36 next time I do a 7 miler.
After a quick stop at the bagel shop, I came home to whip up some egg sandwiches for us. Gotta love a jalepeno cheddar bagel, scooped, with a laughing cow light cheese wedge, canadian bacon and a fried egg with an extra egg white thrown in. It hit the spot.
After breakfast it had cleared up and we were able to take a quick family walk downtown and only got drizzled on a little bit on the way home. I love getting outside for bike rides and walks with my family.
Instead of our orignal plan to take the boys to the fountains, we opted to hit up Brooks Day at Fleet Fee. I scored 10% off my running shoes which they have to order since I have the biggest, flattest feet you've ever seen and I also scored a free pair of awesome running socks which I can't wait to try
out...they look fast!
I do have one question for Brooks though...Why do shoes for flat-footed people have to look like shoes my Grandma would pick out? Just cause I have flat feet doesn't mean I wanna look like I'm wearing orthopedic shoes. I mean look at these things...
I'm a decent runner and would love to look as stylish as all the other non-flat-footed runners out there. I want a pair of these...
Come on Brooks. I know you've got the materials. Now, lets make it happen! I can even be your spokesrunner PLEEEEEEEASE! I know being injury-free is better than looking "cool" but I'm tired of having the dorky shoes. Help a girl out!
While I was waiting in the long line to score free socks and a discout on the best running shoes ever, Mickey took the boys to Michaels and found them these dinosaur puppets for $1. He's my kind of shopper! Look at Mason, he LOVES to wear that hat! And Colton is such a lover. LOVE them!
Target is practically next door to Fleet Feet so we couldn't skip stopping in there for some "necessities" like this wine cube. Have you tried these things? OMG! It's the size of 4 bottles of wine for $15.99 and it is seriously delcious stuff. If you haven't already, I suggest you check it out. It keeps for over a month--I tested it and was genuinely impressed. (I know it's hard to believe it lasted that long here...I did go out of town for part of the month, but I digress... )
and spinach pizza which might have been the best frozen pizza I've ever had in my life. I love the grocery section of target...I love everything about Target. We did really have some necessities to get as well other things to get as well but these were the real winners in my opinion. Oh, and we scored some clearance organic mac n cheese. Don't waste your time going to stock up yourselves, I took ever box that was left. My boys are mac n cheese LOVERS!
While the pizza baked, I whipped up a recipe I found on Stuft Mama's blog for doughtzels. Her recipe calls for powdered sugar, which I left out, and I also subbed oats for the almond flour. They turned out deliciously! Good thing we pay our wonderful babysitters with cookies so I can get most of these out of the house tonight before I eat them all. They are basically peanut butter cookies with pretzels and chocolate chips. YUM YUM YUM!
I'm off to read my book and relax a bit before date night with my favorite man in the world. Thanks to our awesome friends for babysitting so we can go out. What would we do without them??
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