June 25, 2013

Taste Test Tuesday

The Mayflies are still pretty gross around here, so I've been running on the treadmill the last few days. Yesterday, I was doing a four mile easy run, and my hair was driving me crazy. Putting it in a bun no longer worked for me, because my hair was so heavy that it would bounce up and down and then the bun would come undone. So I started wearing it in a ponytail, but that got on my nerves, too--it would bounce on my back.

So during yesterday's run, every slap of my hair against my back just made me a little more annoyed. While I was showering, I thought, "I'm going to cut all of it off!" And as soon as I got dressed, I told the kids to get their shoes on, because we're going to get my hair cut.

I just drove to the nearest salon that takes walk-ins. I wanted it done now. When the woman asked what I wanted done, I just told her that I wanted to cut eight inches off. She was a little taken aback, and said she wasn't expecting that, but she started snipping. I almost immediately regretted it, but I knew it would feel a million times better.

It ended up being a lot shorter than I thought it would, and I'm not thrilled with how it looks; but it's definitely lighter, feels healthier, and more practical when I run. I don't have a good picture, because I haven't styled it yet, but here is a pic to see just how short it is:


This morning, I pulled it up in a bun, and it actually stayed put through my run--it's been a long time since I've been able to do that!

I was nervous about this morning's run, because I was going to do 1600-meter (1 mile) repeats for the first time ever. I've always been intimidated by those, because 400-meter repeats are really tough; so I just assumed the 1600 meter repeats would feel the same, only 3 times longer.

I started with a 1-mile warm-up, and then did 2 repeats of 1 mile at 7:41-7:53 pace and half a mile of jogging. I expected to be totally miserable during the intervals, but they weren't nearly as hard as I was imagining. I did the first interval in 7:51, and the second in 7:49.


Next time, I'll either add another repeat at the same pace, or pick up the speed a little. I have to say, I actually like the 1600's better than 400's or 800's. I wish I hadn't waited so long to give it a try!


This is kind of random, but I tried out a few new-to-me products this week because they were marked down, and I thought about starting "Taste Test Tuesdays" on my blog. Basically, I'll just buy and taste something I've never tried before, and write what I think. I always love to read food product reviews on blogs, because I'm used to just buying the same old things when I go to the store, so it gives me ideas for new things to try (or things NOT to try...)

While at the store, I saw these bars, and considering I'm addicted to chocolate and peanut butter, I decided to give them a try. I wasn't expecting much, because they are only 110 calories, and usually the 100-ish calorie snack foods aren't very good.


I thought they would be teeny tiny, but they were a decent size for 110 calories!


One bite, and I was in love. They are VERY peanut-buttery, which you know makes me happy. They remind me a lot of the Nutty Bars by Little Debbie (although it's been YEARS since I've had one of those). They're very light and airy, so they're not a filling snack; and, they're still "junk" food. But if you're craving a candy bar, and looking for something lower in calories, these hit the spot (for me, anyway).


Funny story about Eli: I let him ride in the front seat, which he thought was cool. He asked me, "Mama, is it dangerous to ride in the front seat?" And I told him, "Not really; it's safer in the back seat, but you're old enough to start riding in front if you want. And I'm a very safe driver."

In my mind, I was thinking of the fact that I don't drive with distractions (texting, radio fiddling, eating, etc) and I'm always very aware of my surroundings. When the kids are in the car, I make sure to be even more careful than usual. So after I said I was a very safe driver, Eli said, without hesitation, "No you're not! Remember when you almost ran over those three baby kittens?!"

I had to think for a minute what he was talking about, and it was actually a few years ago; he must have been four years old. It was nighttime, and I was driving slowly down our street, when a cat darted across the road, followed by three of her kittens. Thankfully, I was going slow enough that I was able to stop before hitting them. I never thought about it again until this conversation with Eli. Apparently, he thought I was trying to hit the kittens in the road, and therefore, I'm not a safe driver ;)

It's been thunderstorming on and off all day, and the boys' baseball game just got canceled. Bummer!

38 comments:

  1. Those Skinny Cow bars are great. I haven't tried the nut clusters because peanut butter wins me over every time! I'm pretty easy to please, so diet-y food doesn't bother me so much. Another good pb/chocolate fix are the Fiber One protein bars.

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    1. And I love your hair! You know I'm a fan of short!

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  2. I think your hair looks great! You definitely have the right face shape to rock it :)

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  3. Your hair cut is cute - and I'm sure it feels much better running!!

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  4. AnonymousJune 25, 2013

    Very cute hairstyle! I'm always tempted to cut mine shorter in the summer too.
    I saw a box of assorted Skinny Cow bars at Costco yesterday. Now I'm sorry that I didn't get them. However, if you buy a big Costco box of something you haven't tried, you are taking a chance of being stuck with it for awhile. ;-)

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  5. I LOVE those Skinny Cow bars! The peanut butter ones are my favorite. They remind me of Nutty Bars as well!

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  6. I love your hair, I always have to play with mine when I get it cut before I actually start to like it. Funny about your son! you never know what will come out of a kid's mouth :)

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  7. Taste Test Tuesday is a great idea! Looking forward to future posts.

    On another note, I think your hair looks great.

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  8. I agree with everyone else about the Skinny Cow bars. And for just 3 points, it's not a bad dessert. I also really like their ice cream sandwiches....Especially the Strawberry Shortcake and the Snickerdoodles.

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    1. Just bought the snickerdoodles, but haven't tried them yet. Glad to read a good review!

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    2. I really hope you like them. I'd hate to steer you in the wrong direction ;)

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    3. I LOVE their ice cream sandwiches!! I ate one almost every day while I was losing weight.

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  9. I think your hair looks great!!If you open your pointer finger and your thumb all the way as far as they can go, thats six inches lol, sometimes its hard to picture how many inches.. then add an extra 2 inches! she may have gotten scissor happy and with your hair being curly its probably more like 10 inches she took off!! looks superb!!!

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    1. Ok so I couldn't resist measuring my hand like you mentioned- and my distance between my thumb and pinky is 8" lol! I thought "I must have man hands!" ha ha... though they are actually small.

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    2. My hand span is 8 inches, too! I had to measure after reading this. The hair stylist had to have taken off more than 8 inches. I bet 10 is more like it.

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  10. AnonymousJune 26, 2013

    Skinny Cow bars are total toxic junk! Have you ever tried Unjunked candy? You can find it at Target. Unjunked candy doesn't have any additives and have clean ingredients. And my long hair drove me crazy when working out too. Now I braid it though and it doesn't get in my way or fall out!

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    1. I've seen the Unjunked candy before, but haven't tried it. I read some (not so great) reviews of it. But maybe I'll get some and try it out for a Taste Test Tuesday soon ;)

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    2. AnonymousJune 29, 2013

      The candy bars are yummy! I mean, there is definitely room for improvement, but it does its job of satisfying my sweet tooth without compromising my health with toxic ingredients.

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  11. The length suits your face nicely! It's always hard adjusting to a shorter length, especially if you've always had longer hair. It will "grow on you" one way or the other - hehe!

    I have KNEE length hair. I generally wear it up when I run - I braid it and then wrap it in a bun and secure it with a tight hair tie. I also wear a very wide "headband" - about 6-8" wide so it helps support the braided bun and keep it from flopping in the even it gets loos (the extra wide headband also helps keep my earphones in place too).

    Occasionally I will wear it in a braid and leave the braid down (if I'm running at home on the treadmill - otherwise I'm completely covered when I run outside since I'm Muslim) - but given the length and weight of my hair - it usually doesn't flop around when I run (or if it does I don't notice it). I've worn it in other ways - but those are my usual go-to methods.

    The extra wide headband is wonderful though! In addition to holding back my hair and keeping my earphones in place - I love how it absorbs all the sweat from my head and I'm not dripping sweat everywhere. I sew my own from stretch jersey fabric - but I have a couple pairs of compression pants that are too big and plan on cutting them up and using that fabric as well - figured it would be even more supportive and a tad more cooling since the sweat evaporates fairly quickly from the compression pant material.

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    1. WOW! I can't even imagine how I would handle knee-length hair. Sounds like you've got it down to a science, though! :)

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  12. AnonymousJune 26, 2013

    Thanks for posting that workout - it came just in time! I wasn't sure what I'd run this morning and we were having thunderstorms (we're just east of you!) so didn't want to go outside, and I'm already bored with the treadmill ... so when I read the post this morning I thought to myself, this is a workout that I can do! And it was - with slightly slower fast mile times. Thanks~! I'm so glad that reading your blog in my inbox is the first thing I do every morning.

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  13. Your hair looks great. I know it is too late for you this time, but everyone should remember Locks of Love when cutting long hair. The minimum is 10 inches for the ponytail. I've donated twice, and yes, it is drastic to get your hair cut 10 inches, but knowing a child in need somewhere will benefit certainly makes it worth it!!!

    Amd Taste Test Tuesday is an awesome idea. Because of reading your blog, I am now in love with PB2!

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    1. I'm bummed that it didn't even cross my mind to donate my hair--I could have given up an extra two inches for that. I've donated to Locks of Love twice before... my hair grows super fast ;)

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  14. LOVE your haircut and that's saying a lot, because I'm a huge fan of LONG hair. I had very long hair for many, many years, and finally got it cut when I had lost 100 lbs., just before I turned 60. Then it got very very thin. So sad....but I guess if that's the worst thing that happens to me as I age, it's okay. I'm glad you were smart enough to have them leave it long enough that you can still "bun" it. Mine's too short for that now, and I miss those days of being able to pull it up off my neck when it's hot!

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  15. Your hair looks great! I'm not a long hair fan myself...it just starts bugging me and getting in my way once it's past my shoulders.
    I just wanted to add a note about kids and front seats in cars-I learned recently that children under the age of 13 should never ride in the front seat because of the airbag. The airbag can kill a child, even an older child. The laws in states don't always reflect this, but that is the safety recommendation. I was unaware of this myself until recently so I thought I would mention it. Here is the link I found with info: http://www.cdc.gov/features/passengersafety/

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    1. Thanks for the info! For some reason, I was thinking it was 8 years old, rather than 13, when they could ride in the front. My boys are going to be very disappointed!

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  16. AnonymousJune 26, 2013

    LOL - I'm always surprised at what my son (age 7) remembers. I have to remind him daily to do things like brush his teeth, but then out of the blue he'll mention some seemingly unimportant (to me, anyway) thing that happened a year ago and I wonder what else is tucked away inside that head of his.

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  17. OMG I love your haircut! It looks super cute on you!

    Hair can also be donated to Pantenes Beautiful Lengths...and you only need 8" for them...

    http://www.pantene.com/en-US/PanteneBeautifulLengths/Details/beautiful-lengths-make-the-cut.aspx

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  18. It's kind of scary the perceptions kids have regarding our behaviors, especially when you send them off to school and you know they just blab to the teachers! One thing my daughter said recently was how I always park in handicapped spots. I've never done that ever! But she was sure I did (I have no idea why).

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  19. I put my hair in a french braid or semi-french braid (just start braiding from nape of the neck) and it stays put through a workout, no bouncing, also makes it easy to wear a hat to work-out. Your haircut looks cute though, but just keep it in mind as it grows out.

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  20. AnonymousJune 26, 2013

    love the haircut.
    question... do you have to tap your quantum scale a bunch of times before it turns on? I just got one and I have to tap at lease 5-10 times

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    1. Yes! At first, I couldn't figure out what the deal was. But then I realized I wasn't tapping it hard enough. Now, I give it a good hard tap right in the center, and it comes on immediately. Took some practice ;)

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  21. I haven't had a Skinny Cow product that I haven't liked!

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  22. Love the new hair do....fun and flirty for the summer!!! I haven't tried any Skinny Cow products either but they are definitely on every end cap here in Canada!

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  23. I LOVE those skinny cow bars, but I have to be careful with them because I could easily kill the whole box in a day or two if I'm feeling really snack driven. Love the hair cut- it's cute and perfect for summer!

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  24. I love those skinny cow bars too, they don't last very long in my house, even the chocolate ones are heavenly.

    As for nearly killing 3 baby kittens, I killed the Easter bunny this year. I was driving home from work about 1am and a bunny darted in front of me, thought I could swerve to avoid it but instead he was flattened. When I had to drive by him the next morning he was completely one with the pavement. I figure it'll make a great story for when the kids are older.

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  25. I hopped over here from Run Like A Mother (great post!).

    I love that hairstyle! It's not short and also not too long! When my hair was longer, I would put it in a low pony, and then pull it back around through the center above the hair tie. Kept it from bouncing or slapping me in the eye! Have you ever tried Bondi Bands? I love those for running!

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  26. clmcormickJune 29, 2013

    According to CDC recommendations, and other groups, children should not be riding in the front seat of a vehicle until after they turn 13 years old. http://www.cdc.gov/features/passengersafety/

    The hair cut is super cute on you!!

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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