Yearly Archives: 2014

16 posts

Starlight Half Marathon and Mount Dora Half Race Recap

Healthy Living

Hello Friends!

I’m finally ready to talk about my husband and I’s double half marathon weekend! If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that for our 6th wedding anniversary we decided to complete two half marathons in 1 weekend.

Our Schedule:

12/20 – Happy Anniversary!!!!

  • 10a – drop off Little Lady
  • 10:30a – drive to Palm Coast, FL 
  • Lunch time – Panera Bread, and a quick trip to Kohls for a car charger
  • 4:30p – Packet Pick up! 
  • 6:00p – Starlight Half Marathon!!
  • 9:15p – Starlight Half Marathon completed
  • 10:00p – McDonalds Cheeseburger
  • 11:30p – Arrive in Central Florida 
12/21 – Half Marathon 2
  • 4:30a – Alarm goes off…
  • 5:15a – Leave for Mount Dora
  • 5:45a – Packet Pick Up!!
  • 6:00a – Meet some AWESOME RunDisney people from an Online RunDisney Forum (shout out to RtD) 
  • 7:00a – Mount Dora Half Marathon
  • 11:00a – Mount Dora Half Marathon completed
  • 11:20a – The biggest serving of iHOP food I’ve ever eaten… 
  • 12:00p – Shower / Stretch / Nap
  • 3:00p – Drive to Disney
  • 4:00p- Check into Allstar Music
  • 4:30p – Explore Disney
  • 9:00p – Dinner at Beaches and Cream 
  • 11:00p – Goodnight Moon 
Okay, now that you’ve seen the schedule here’s my recap! 
Starlight Half Marathon

The Course:
  • I loved it! It was so lovely, and there were so many Christmas Lights, and other festive decorations throughout the course. 
  • The only negative was the course was VERY dark at parts. … VERY dark. 
The Amenities:
  • Shirt (long-sleeved)
  • Medal (large size)
  • Beer / Hot Chocolate
  • Snack after the race
The Volunteers / Directors:
  • Fabulous! Honestly, there was a great support system from the local police, and just locals. Everyone was so positive and encouraging – it was wonderful! 
Considerations for next year? 
  • more bathrooms (this preggo was in desperate need of a potty!)
Would you run it again? 
  • I think so, I really enjoyed the course and the support from the volunteers and coordinators. 
Time: 3:18:50 (~15:00 min mile pace)

The Mount Dora Half Marathon

The Course: 
  • Really pretty
  • Too many hills 
  • Seriously… like Florida MOUNTAINS
The Amenities:
  • Tech Shirt
  • Snacks
  • Fuel Station 
  • Water Bottles at the finish
  • Advil at the finish (if desired)
  • Nice medal with spinning rocking chair
  • Bag with race logo 
Volunteers / Coordinators:
  • Wonderful! 
    • I truly felt that the people organizing the event truly enjoyed watching others run, and were so encouraging throughout the race. There was also a lot of support from the local police station, also very encouraging! 
Considerations for next year?
  • Couldn’t think of any… 
Would I run it again? 
  • If I was in the area, i’d do it again – but NOT after 3 hours of sleep…. 
Time: 4:00 hours (~18 min mile)
What went wrong? 
Well, due to the lack of sleep, lack of proper hydration and food I got a cramp. Since I’m pregnant, I’m really sensitive to any discomfort (especially in my side or abdomen) so we decided to walk for the first mile or so. 
That’s not a problem, but… it was a little chilly out and with already sore muscles and hills – we got cold and tight. Therefore, it was near impossible for us to get warmed up. I finally got my stride for a few miles, but I was cold, stiff and not feeling very well so it was tough. 
In tears I turned the corner towards the finish line – I’ve never felt worse approaching a finish line and hope to never make such poor choices again. 
Half Marathon #4 is in the books, and I’m looking forward to sharing some of the lessons learned and how I will manage the hit my pride took as I prepare for the Goofy Challenge next weekend! 

Pregnancy # 2 Announcement

Mom Life
It is with great joy and excitement that I announce little lady’s promotion to BIG SISTER!  We will welcome our new little love bug home in April of 2015!! 
Now, the details! 
How / When did you find out?
During the Month of August I’d been feeling quite nauseated, tired, and just over all blah. I decided that I “couldn’t be pregnant!”  and figured I was over training. I had just started doing PIYO six days a week, and was running 3 days a week. Additionally, i’d just gone back to work full time So, I thought I was just plain tired. 
Well… There was about 3 days in Early September that I was physically unable to move. Every time I moved, I would be instantly dizzy and nauseated – thankfully it was a weekend so I was hoping I’d feel better enough for work on Monday, but when Monday rolled around and I was still vomiting and  I called in sick. By 11 a.m. I was so weak I called my husband and asked him to come take me to urgent care. 
The nurse asked for my permission to give me a pregnancy test and I agreed.
The doctor told me I was “dehydrated” and there is a bug going around. He said he could give me some fluids and anti-nausea medication and send me home, so we agreed that i’d go get some rest. 
Since he didn’t say anything about the test, I figured It was just dehydration and was happy to get some medication and be on my way. 
A few minutes later the doctor runs back in and says 
“THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED! 
YOU ARE PREGNANT” 
Now, at this moment in time I had a baby who wasn’t even 7 months old. … 
WHAT? 
I looked at him with a blank stare and then burst into tears. 
How close in age will they be? 

15 months. 
How are you feeling?

This pregnancy is far different than my first. I have been so sick. Zero appetite, Zero desire to even hydrate, I just feel blah. 
I’ve lost about 5 pounds, and am hoping the nausea will stop soon so that eating will stop feeling like a chore. 
Goofy Challenge?
After many conversations with my doctor, I have been cleared (for now) to keep running and training.   
It’s been a struggle to run because I’ve been so sick, but when I’m running, the nausea goes away… 
So, maybe I can just run all the time? 
As my pregnancy progresses we will see how I feel, but I am not too proud to walk if I have to or even wait for the bus if I feel its better for our baby. 
My doctor keeps telling me “don’t be a hero, just know your body”  So, that’s my new mantra… “don’t be a hero, don’t be a hero”… 
Cravings??
No. 
I don’t want anything. 
Except, the other day I wanted spaghetti o’s. … That was odd. 
Question of the day: Do you have a sibling or children less than two years apart? 

Packing for a Disney Race with a Baby.

Disney

As we approach Disney’s Tower of Terror weekend, my day planner is filled with checklists and deadlines to help get us out the door! Our original goal was to get out of town by 8:00 a.m., but my pediatrician called and said little lady needs a flu shot – so, looks like we won’t be getting our “runcation” on for a few more hours.

So sad.

When we were a Party of Two, life was much easier to pack for. We could throw everything in 1 bag and get out the door as quickly as we could wake up!

Now that we are a family of 3, that’s not the case. Here are three tips I follow to get out our family out the door!

1) Make a plan!
As a type-a person, this isn’t difficult for me.  Planning is pretty much my life, and a good plan always helps me stay focused and calm. What do I “plan for” you ask? well, it typically starts with a spread sheet, or some type of written document with ALL the things we want to do each day. This includes reservations, check in times, recommended outfits and anything that I don’t want to forget.

Once I have a plan, I start a list.

2) Household duties to accomplish before leaving.
I always start a list of things I want to accomplish around the house before we leave. This includes, laundry, items to buy, dishes and cleaning. I usually share this with my husband so he knows what I want to accomplish and he’s always VERY helpful to get everything done.

3) Over pack.
Have you ever traveled with a baby? Seriously, I never in my life imagined how much stuff it would take to keep your baby happy on a trip. For this trip we will be running the Tower of Terror 10-Miler and my wonderful parents are going to come hang out with little lady in our hotel while my husband and I go play! So, my plan is to pack plenty of clothing, diapers and wipes. I will also pack her sheets from home, and the pack-and-play she’s used to sleeping in at her Abuela’s house and a few toys from home to help keep her occupied.

Along with over-packing, I always pack a baby first aid kit because you never know when your baby is going to start teething and run a fever, or get a runny nose etc. My biggest lesson learned is – just take it.

We live fairly local (about 5 hours away) so we can drive ourselves and “over packing” isn’t really a problem. If I had to fly, I think I’d still take the extra diapers, food, etc – but something large like the pack and play would probably have to stay home.

So, we are so excited about this vacation and I can’t WAIT to run the Tower of Terror 10-Miler with my love!

Question: What are your packing tips?

Run Disney Goofy Challenge Training.

Healthy Living Run Disney

I am just days away from officially beginning goofy training!

excuse me for 1 tiny second.  GOOFY?

Yes. Goofy!

I feel like I talk about Goofy like its a common knowledge, and I understand that for those in the RunDisney world it is. However, for those regular Disney fans who when they think “Goofy”, they picture this guy… I will explain the challenge.

May 2013, Before we knew about Little Lady… 🙂
The Goofy Challenge is hosted by RunDisney each January during Marathon Weekend. It consists of running 39.3 miles over 2 days. 
On the first day, you run 13.1 miles (Half Marathon hosted by Donald Duck)
On the second day you run 26.2 miles (Full Marathon hosted by Mickey Mouse)
At the end of the two races, you have officially run 39.3 miles, and through all 4 parks (some of them twice)! As a reward you get 3 fabulous medals and of course the satisfaction of knowing that YOU have run a Marathon!!! 
This year is the 10th anniversary of the Goofy Challenge so there is a special medal and everything! 
I’m SUPER excited, and SUPER nervous! 

You can read more about the challenge on the RunDisney website.  
QOTD: Do you RunDisney? – What’s your favorite race? 

Clermont 12k on Lake Minneola, Race Recap

Healthy Living

In order to get a proof of time for the Tower of Terror 10-miler, we needed to run a 10k or longer distance, and when we found the Mineola 12K, we knew it was the right one for us. My parents live not too far from Clermont, so we had someone to watch our daughter and a place to stay!

Here is a breif recap of our experience at the Minneola 12k.

The course was beautiful, we started in the park and ran completely around the lake – which was nice because at times you could feel the cool breeze.
Miles 1-2 I held up a 4 min run / 1 min walk routine. 
Mile 3 – I started to feel really dehydrated, so I switched to a  3 min run / 1 min walk 
Mile 4 – choked down some GU, made me more nauseated. 1 min run / 1 min walk 
Mile 5-end – finally feeling better!! 2 min run / 1 min walk 
I genuinely felt great! I was super nervous with only 1 hour of sleep the night before and I was also feeling nauseated (nerves always get me) – but, it was a great race! 
I’m proud to turn in this pace for my upcoming Run Disney events!!

3 Reasons Pregnancy Made Me a Better Runner

Healthy Living
Add 

Last May when I found out I was expecting, I was undoubtedly excited. I couldn’t wait to be a mom.

Only thing, I  was in the early stages of training for my First Marathon… Actually a 39.3 mile, two day challenge at Walt Disney World. 
My pre-pregnancy plan was to keep up my base mileage, and work on strength training. I’ve read so many articles that encourage a strong core for better running form, so I was going to work on my core, and building my base from April – July. 
In July, I was going to start the Jeff Galloway training plan for the 2014 Goofy Challege. Since I was expecting, I couldn’t train for the race but with my OB’s consent (and constant supervision – seriously, she was always checking in on my mileage) I continued to run until I was 36 weeks pregnant. 
Becoming a #pregnantrunner helped me in many ways, here are three of them! 

1) Proper Form
When you are carrying a child, your balance is different. In order to compensate, I took shorter, more focused strides and was sure to keep my head up.  By focusing on proper form, and taking slower runs during pregnancy, I’ve seen a change in my current running. 
I’m actually paying attention to the details of the run, not just pounding the pavement gathering miles! 

2) Nutrition 
Running for two requires attention to your water and calorie intake! 
It’s easy to get focused on the need to run and forget to make sure you are properly hydrated, and have a snack before the run. 
Now that I’ve gone from #pregnantrunner  to #breastfeedingrunner the same applies! 

3) Enjoy each run, and be thankful. 

At 37 weeks, my baby was full term and I had started to lose weight. Baby was healthy but my OB was concerned for my health and asked me to stop running, and only walk a few times a week. 

I was bored. The 8 weeks I wasn’t permitted to run I missed it… 

My lesson was learned. Even on the rough days, I try to be positive and thankful that I was able to run! 

Question: did you / would you run while pregnant? 

Reminder: I’m not a health professional, prior to running while pregnant be sure to get clearance from your doctor! ❤️

First pregnant running event! (June 2013)






Organization Hack for when babies outgrow clothes

Mom Life

Babies grow really quickly, they are in and out of sizes faster than you can blink! Here is how I am keeping things neat and tidy in my daughters room.

I have a small basket on the shelf by her crib and if something doesn’t fit, I put it in the basket. Once the basket is full, I go ahead and box it away to either donate or keep for future babies.
Easy and convenient. 
Since I’m still losing weight I’ve taken this tip and incorporated it into my fitness life. 
I have a bag next to the dryer of clothes, as I fold clothes and find things that are too big, I put it in the bag to donate! 
Question: how do you organize clothes that don’t fit? 

2014 – So many transitions

Mom Life Uncategorized
2014 is a year of transition in our Storybook Life. 
Our hearts expanded in mid January when we welcomed a beautiful princess into our family. 
I transitioned from pregnancy to motherhood, and Prince Charming was an instant super dad. 
On Tuesday our Princess will be 3 months old, so the next transition for us will be moving from bassinet in our room to the crib (a.k.a. Big girl bed) in her room. 
Here are 4 things I’ve been doing to help transition baby girl to her room. 
1. Tummy time!
All tummy time is done in her room. I’ve moved all her toys into her room, (re-claimed my living room) and we just have a fun time exercising our muscles and playing with toys. 
2. Diaper changes. 
I’ve moved all of the diaper changes to her room. 
3. Feedings. 
I’ve started feeding her more in her room. Associating comfort with her new space. 
4. A.m. Nap 
I’ve been successful a few times with getting her to take a long nap (30-45 min). I stay in her room and fold clothes, or rest for a few minutes while she sleeps. I think it gives me piece of mind to be in the same space, and also I love watching her wake up from her morning nap – seriously, check out these smiles! 
Anyway, we are still transitioning and the process isn’t fast, but we are moving in the right direction. 
Question: when did you transition your child into the nursery? Any tips? 
P.s. Afternoon naps (if she naps) look more like this, and I really don’t mind one bit! 

3 ways to get fit during tummy time

Healthy Living Mom Life

Yesterday we had a beautiful day with just the family! Little Lady had her 3 month check up, and ears pierced. She looks adorable, by the way! In order to celebrate, and spend some time outside of our condo, we bought zoo passes!

We LOVE the zoo, and now I have a place to walk around with Little Lady. Saturday we are going to go meet the Easter Bunny at the Zoo. So fun!

If you’ve had children in the last 20 years, you know the importance of “tummy time”. Ever since the “back to sleep” campaign, which encourages care-givers to put babies to sleep on their back, infants have needed additional time on their tummy. This helps them to build neck control, and build up the upper body strength needed to crawl and eventually walk.

(Disclaimer, not a medical professional – just a mom)

Anyway, since little lady and I have been spending a lot of time on our tummy I thought i’d share a few ways I’ve incorporated fitness into our tummy time.

Note: Always monitor your baby, and keep his/her safety your number 1 priority!

1) Planking.
With your baby on their tummy, do a plank (or a few planks) in front of them. Talk to the baby while you plank, this will help pass the time for you and encourage them to look up at your funny face for a few seconds.

2) Super mans.
Baby’s on their tummy kind of look like they are doing super mans. I will mimic her action, causing her to smile and well, I’m getting some core work done.

3) Squirms.
Same concept as super mans.

As your baby ages, you spend more and more time during tummy time, and you will find ways to incorporate yoga poses, or other workouts into the routine.

My goal is to make tummy time fun for both of us, and show my daughter that living an active healthy lifestyle can be fun!

As I said, always be sure you are watching your baby and considering his or her safety!

What are some ways you’ve incorporated fitness into tummy time with your baby?

THIS moment…

Mom Life

As each day passes and I see Tiny Princess develop I must stop and be thankful for the moment.

Yes, I want her to have her vaccines and for flu season to be over so we can return to church, or go to a crowded place. 
Yes, I want her to be strong enough to hold her head up. Every mom wants that, it would make it easier for me to allow people to hold her anyway… 
Yes, I want her to nap in her bed. But not really because she won’t want to be in my arms forever. 
Yes, I want to eat a full meal in one sitting. 
Yes, I’m looking forward to her first trip to Disney.
Yes, I think about all the adventures we will have when she’s old enough to remember them. 
Yes. The answer is probably yes, I’m looking forward to [insert milestone here].
But for now, I will remind myself to enjoy THIS moment because all too soon it will be a memory. 
All too soon she will be independent.
All too soon she will no longer be my tiny princess, but a full grown princess. 
To my readers, may you live in THIS moment, because if you stop and look around it’s probably beautiful. 
Typed on my phone as Tiny Princess naps in my arms, please excuse any typos. 

The Return to Fitness After Baby

Healthy Living Mom Life

One of the best parts of being a mom is that I get to watch Tiny Princess discover new things ALL the time. Her latest discovery? …fingers! We were sitting on the couch during our afternoon “sing-song time” (where I sing basically every song I know very loudly in all different voices for about 15 minutes) and as I was counting with my fingers, she reached her hand up and pointed a finger, then quickly inspected it.  Now, I might be a little crazy – but it made my whole day. She’s been mesmerized by her fingers ever since.

Life is one grand adventure, and on the days where it seems the laundry is piled far too high, or we don’t have a single clean dish I remind myself that someday I will remember these as “The Good ol’ Days”. So, in celebration of “The Good ol’ Days” we set out on a family adventure on Saturday.

Last Monday I was given the okay by my OB to resume fitness, and reminded that my body has changed so I need to 1) be careful and 2) take it slow, and re-introduce myself to my body.  Soooo, this week I’ve been “taking it slow”, but yesterday I just HAD to go on a “long run”. (more than 1 mile currently equals “long run” status). So, I did. and… WOW! … my hips feel huge!

Moving onward. 

After a lovely run in 78 degree Miami Sunshine, our family loaded into the car to go for a walk at Matheson Hammock Park and search for a few geocaches.

What is Geocaching? 

Geocaching is basically a treasure hunt with a GPS. You go online, and look up coordinates to a location – plug them into your GPS and when you get there, you’ll find a little log book. Log your username, and the date then go back to the internet and log that you found the spot.

I’ve geocached off and on for the last several years, and always enjoy it. One of the coolest things about it is that you will find little hidden trails, or beautiful spots that you never knew about RIGHT in your own city!

More information on this –> website!

Now that we have a Tiny Princess, we’ve started geocaching again. It’s a fun way to be active together, and build family memories.

What adventures do you go on as a family, do you geocache?

Photographer Review: The LXA

Family fun

When I found out I was expecting, almost immediately I mentioned to my husband that I wanted real professional photos of our baby.  I mean, what mom wouldn’t want fabulous photos of their precious gift?

About 2 months before my due date I reached out to a couple photographers, and ended up going with The LXA, and I’m so glad that I did!

Things I loved about working with Vinny and LXA!

  1. Enthusiasm
    1. Vinny has a contagious enthusiastic personality. Prior to the session i’d only emailed Vinny, within 5 minutes I felt like we were besties just hanging out taking fabulous pics!
  2. Client Guided Shoot
    1. When we arrived he took the time to bond with Riley, and walk us through his ideas.
    2. The temperature was set very warm so that Riley would be comfortable during the shoot.
    3. Riley set the pace – we were not rushed (at all), if she was enjoying a set, we just kept shooting. If she didn’t like it, we moved on. 
  3. Previews and Online Gallery
    1. The turn-around time to see some photos was crazy fast! (Riley’s shoot)
    2. The on-line viewing made it easy for us to share the photos with friends and family
  4. Professionalism
    1. Working with Vinny is the perfect blend of working with a friend and professionalism. You get the professional and artistic images without the stuffy studio feeling (not that studios are bad) 
I was completely pleased with my entire LXA experience! Vinny treated Riley, my husband and I like family. I would without hesitation recommend him to anyone looking for pictures! 

Introducing our first Daughter!

Mom Life

 “From Life’s first Cry…” Lyrics to a song I’ve always loved, but until 7:30 p.m. on January 14th, 2014 I could only dream of its beauty.

January 14th, 2014 after 22 hours of labor Ms. Riley was born. 
Weighing in at 6 pounds and 3 ounces, she couldn’t be any more perfect.

Photo Credit: The League of Extraordinary Artists

When Christopher and I found out we were expecting, we began the journey of choosing the perfect name. We knew that we wanted Baby Jimenez to have a name that had meaning, and we knew that we wanted the name to begin with the letter R. Actually we already had our “If it’s a boy” name picked out. In fact, while I was training for my half marathon’s I used to pray for my future baby by that name. So, naturally I thought it was going to be a boy – I mean, i’d been praying for peace with whatever the Lord had, and was ready to accept that maybe motherhood was not something the Lord had for me. So, on May 21st when I saw the words “Pregnant” on the screen I was so thankful for the answer to prayer and my prayers went from praying for baby by name to praying for Baby Jimenez.

A few weeks before my mid-pregnancy ultrasound Chris and I began thinking up a name for Baby in the event that it was a girl. It was a Sunday morning during Lords Supper, our Chapel had been focusing on the theme of “Bold Faith”. One of the brothers got up to give the announcements and encouraged the saints to “Be Courageous with our faith”. I remember just sitting there, after meeting was over and saying to Chris, that’s what I want for our baby… With a look of shock Chris said “I was thinking the same thing!” So, we were on a quest to find the perfect name that would go with our verse. 
Joshua 1:9 
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid nor dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go”
After we identified a verse, and prayer for her it didn’t take us long to fall in love with the name Riley. Not only is Riley a cute short name, but it wasn’t on the top lists and it means “courage” (How perfect is that right?) 
I’d like to say that her middle name was inspired by the “Code of the Elves” (Elf) where it clearly states we are to “treat every day like Christmas”… it wasn’t. I just thought it sounded really pretty together, and Chris agreed. 
So, Riley Noelle became our “if it’s a girl” name. 
On August 29th, when the ultrasound tech said “you guys are having a girl” I couldn’t help myself, I blurted out “Hi Riley!” and then, the journey of keeping it a secret began. 
So my dear sweet Riley. Our prayer for you is that as you grow, you would come to an understanding of your need for Christ as your Savior at a young age and that you would courageously follow Him. 
Photo Credit: The League of Extraordinary Artists

Special thank you to Vinny, with The League of Extraordinary Artists for capturing so many beautiful photos of Riley.

Inside my hospital Bag – First Baby

Mom Life

While my instagram, twitter and facebook feeds are full of images of costumes and packed suitcases for Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World this weekend, my bags packed for a much different reason.

My hospital bag is packed, the car seat is installed and I am so ready to have this baby! I procrastinated for far too long when it comes to packing my hospital bag. Most online forums will encourage you to have it packed by 36 weeks. That way, when you are full term (37 weeks) you don’t have to worry about running errands, and packing a bag should you go into labor before you estimated due date. I  didn’t finish packing mine until last Friday (just about 38 weeks). 
What’s in the bag? 
I spent a lot of time on google, and youtube putting together lists of items I might want. When packing, I took a few things into consideration.
  1. I don’t like clutter. Since I’m not a fan of cutter, I wanted to be sure that I didn’t over pack. 
  2. I hate to be unprepared. Since I hate to be unprepared, I spent quite a bit of time talking over the birth process, and hospital procedures with my OB. I wanted to be sure I was fully aware of what would be allowed in the hospital. 
  3. I wanted my husband to have everything he needed. I love my husband, he’s been my rock through this whole pregnancy. While working full time and completing his final semester of graduate school he has taken care of me and NEVER missed a doctors appointment. So, I wanted to be sure that while we were in the hospital HE would have everything he needed to be comfortable. 
So, after I internalized what I thought I might need I came up with the following list of items to take. 
For Labor:
  • Birth plan 
  • Small note book w/pen 
  • Focus cards 
  • Kindle with funny movies 
  • Ipod with calming music 
  • Paper fan 
  • Tennis Balls 
  • Chapstick (about 5 tubes in every pocket of the suitcase)
  • My Pillow 
  • Phone
  • Camera 
    • Batteries and Chargers 
For After Birth:
  • Pj’s – two different sets 
  • Going home outfit
  • Flip flops
  • Socks
  • Make up 
  • Toiletries
  • Hair Straightener
  • Dry Shampoo 
For My Husband:
  • Snacks
    • Meal replacement bars
    • Energy Snack mix
  • Change 
    • for vending machine
  • Gum
  • Water Bottle
  • Sweatpants
  • Socks 
  • Beanie Hat – He is always freezing! 
  • Clothing 
For Baby:
  • Receiving blanket
  • Hats
  • Outfits 
  • Socks
  • Mittens
For Nurses: 
  • Day 1 nursing staff gift basket 
    • Chocolate
    • Rice Krispee Treats 
  • Day 2 nursing staff gift basket
    • Chocolate 
    • Rice Krispee Treats 
Other:
  • Baby Book – in case my husband wants to start filling it out while we are in the hospital (*hint-hint*)
  • Guest Book 
    • We are taking a guest book for any visitors in the hospital to sign
  • Empty bag in case of freebies, cards or other things to bring home
I’m sure there are other things in our suitcase, I’m just not sure right off hand. 
What did you pack in your suitcase, am I forgetting anything? 

2014 Goals!

Healthy Living Mom Life Uncategorized

The calendar has flipped from December to January.
Our Holiday decorations have begun to be packed away, and we are all trying to get into a post holiday routine. Yep. It’s time for the New Year Resolutions to flood our newfeeds. Promises of “this is my year” and “I will lose weight” All well and good, but as one who has fallen in the trap I encourage you to make attainable goals.

My weight loss journey began with a simple goal of making a conscious effort to make the healthy choice. From January 2012 – May 2013 that simple goal helped me shed between 55-60 pounds, fall in love with running and complete 2 half marathons. So before you get discouraged over the scale refusing to budge – take a moment to change your perspective.

By the way, my own husband texted me his 2014 goals yesterday. Yes. They are weight loss / body composition related, and I encouraged him to set some smaller goal to accomplish his big picture
So, please don’t misread this – if weight loss is a dream of yours then CHASE IT!

So, with a changed perspective I bring you my 2014 goals!

I am literally DAYS away from giving birth to my daughter, and I absolutely cannot wait!! As you can imagine, 2014 is going to be full of lots of changes for our family. Not only will we welcome our daughter into our home in a few days, my husband recently graduated from graduate school and is on the job hunt.

If having a baby, and career hunting isn’t life changing enough… Since we had to defer the Goofy Challenge (Thanks Baby Jimenez), we will also be Marathon Training!

So, what are my goals for 2014?

As much as i’d love to do the 5 by the 5th with Mommy Run Fast, or the 14 races in 2014 challenge with Jill and Jen – I just can’t commit this year. I did complete it last year, and LOVED it! So, if you’re looking for a good challenge to keep you motivated make sure you check out their challenges!

I may participate in some of the 5 by the 5th runs, and perhaps a few of the virtual 5Ks in the 14 in 2014 challenge, but like I said… I have a new perspective.

In 2014, I’m going to take it 1 day at a time!
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