December 21, 2016

Yikes! (a nine-day catch-up)

Wow, I thought maybe it had been three or four days since my last post... I just signed into see that it's actually been NINE days! I didn't intend to take such a long break; time just seems to fly by this time of year. I haven't been extraordinarily busy or anything, but it seemed that the longer I didn't write, the easier it was to wait one more day.

Anyway, I think a bullet-style post will be best for playing catch-up!

  • I signed up for an RRCA-Level 2 class that will take place in March. I'm already an RRCA-certified running coach (remember when I took that course in 2013?). That was a Level 1 certification, and they now have Level 2 certification courses. I was thrilled when I saw that there is a class in Detroit in March, so I signed up right away. I'm super excited to learn more about coaching! Since I haven't been working on my blog as much, I was thinking about possibly taking on a few running clients next year. My friend Caitlin (who was just here last month) signed up for the course in Detroit, too, so she'll be visiting again--woo hoo!

  • After the vegan challenge, I was dying to get a chocolate orange. I love them, and I get one every year at Christmastime. I bought one a few days after I ended the challenge, and then counted out my five wedges to eat. After eating a couple of them, I noticed in the third that there was something weird in the chocolate. I have no idea what it was (and the tweet to the company went without reply), but it pretty much ruined my love of chocolate oranges :( So gross.

  • I am WAY TOO EXCITED for Becky (my brother Brian's wife) to have the baby! I don't think I mentioned it here on the blog yet, but they found out that it's a boy :) I was honestly about 51% hoping for a boy, and 49% hoping for a girl--it really wouldn't have mattered, but of course I'm slightly biased toward little boys. So, I will have a nephew in a few months, and I couldn't be more excited! This baby is already spoiled beyond belief, because as I've been Christmas shopping, I keep seeing things that I want to get for the baby ;)
  • I decided to (finally) try out using Snapchat. I still just don't understand the appeal! Playing with the filters was really fun, but I haven't really gotten the point of the whole Snapchat concept yet. Instagram is my favorite social media. I don't know if I'll use Snapchat much, but if you'd like to find me, I'm "runsforcookies"--surprise surprise. I do love how pretty some of the filters make me look though! haha.

  • Noah's seventh-grade science class dissected pigs' lungs last week, and it was mandatory that the kids each have a parent there. I guess there have been several students over the years that have fainted during dissection, so the teacher wanted the kids to have someone there in case they went down. So, as a stay-at-home mom, that was my job ;) Nobody fainted, thankfully, and it was actually really interesting! When I had to dissect things in school, I was never very interested in it (who wants to dissect a CAT? That was horrible...). But I was very interested in the lung dissection. The boys at my table were, too.

  • I haven't been counting calories since I ended the vegan challenge. I've really been listening to my appetite, and I've been monitoring my weight to see what happens. My weight has stayed very stable, even though I'm eating what/when/how much I want. I will get back to counting calories after the holiday (or if my weight starts climbing). But it's been really nice to take a break from it--and to not feel guilty for it! I haven't binged, either... actually, I can't even remember the last time that I binged. It was before the vegan challenge, and before my friends were visiting, so it's been a while.
  • I've been doing really well with the no-alcohol challenge, but I did make a couple exceptions (so I guess it would be considered a limited-alcohol challenge?). Once, I went out with my friend Andrea, and Jerry was driving, so Andrea and I had a few drinks. Also, Jerry and I went out to dinner for a date night last week, and I got a martini with dinner. For situations like that, I don't mind making an exception. Interestingly, though, I haven't really had a desire to have nightly wine at home--goes to show that it was more habit than anything else. I also wonder if maybe I've been able to stay binge free because I haven't been drinking--even one drink makes me want to eat, so laying off the alcohol has probably helped.
  • As far as running goes, I was doing really well getting in a extra miles for a couple of weeks, but then we had lots of snow, ice, and a super cold front come through. It was -13 degrees on Thursday! I've noticed that the treadmill gets sluggish when it's that cold outside (the treadmill is in the garage, which isn't heated). And even though being in the garage is better than outside in these temps, it's still -13 degrees! ;) It's supposed to warm up a little to the 30's this week, so hopefully I'll get out there more. I would love for the ice on the roads to melt! I fell twice just walking from my car to the house. It's crazy slippery!

  • I caught Monica licking Joey's face on my bed, and it was SO cute that I grabbed my phone to take a video. It ended up being pretty funny at the end...


Poor Joey! He looks so sweet in this video, but he does his share of annoying the cats, too ;)
  • Today is my kids' last day of school before their Christmas break. I'm really looking forward to less chaotic mornings :) And I'm super excited to give them their Christmas gifts! Whenever I have a gift for someone that I think they'll love, it drives me crazy to have to wait to give it to them. Five more days! We did most of our shopping on Amazon this year, and it was a million times easier. Plus, who doesn't love getting package deliveries?
I will try and write more over the kids' break, but it's been kind of nice to take a break from writing, too. Hope everyone has a great holiday and safe travels if you're going out of town!

13 comments:

  1. I have no idea about Snap chat, but I think the top right filter with the red lipstick is a great look for you!! Merry Christmas, stay warm! We are forecast for a balmy 59 degrees here tomorrow!

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  2. I love chocolate oranges at the holidays too. My son has already gotten one for me. I'll be vigilant as I eat it this year, however.

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  3. Poor Joey!! Haha that video was adorable. I love snap chat!! The MyStory is the best part. I don't know why, but it's addicting. I'll have to find you on there. The filters are totally the best part too. Bad hair day? Just slap a filter on there! Good to go :) Lol. Hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

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  4. I'm sure you've mentioned this in a previous post, but do you have a "formula" for how many calories you allow yourself each day? You're very active so I'm sure it's higher, but for someone just starting, I'm not sure what to allow myself.

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  5. Thank you for your Blog I am nearly 60 year old personal trainer who has BED from 16 and like yourself manage it but suffer from anxiey and depression it heartens me to know how wel you have done x

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  6. I love chocolate oranges. I bought several hoping to stretch them out into the year!

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  7. I'm with you on snapchat. Every once in a while I open it but I like instagram and can't get on board with another social media outlet!

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  8. Kind of looks like an open orange seed. At least that's what I would tell myself. :)

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    1. Carly, that's exactly what I thought it was too. I've never had one so I don't know if they use fresh oranges to flavor the chocolate or not but if they do it would make sense that weird looking thing is a seed or pulp from the orange.

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  9. I've missed your posts, but had no idea it's been nine days! I guess I've been busy too. The video literally made me laugh out loud. It's as if Monica slaps Joey at the end to say, "And that's for all the times you've pestered me!" Hilarious! I love pets!!!
    Isn't it funny how you can crave something for so long and when you finally have it, it's not as good as you remember? But that piece in your chocolate orange--EEWWW! I need to find one of those in all the chocolate I've been eating to turn me off it too!!

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  10. I am lucky to even half understand instagram... and I am still not so sure!

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  11. I use snapchat to irritate my kids, particularly my 7th grade son. Bitmoji is fun and is linked, I suppose(so not techie), to snapchat. I text those to my girlfriends and again annoy my kids with them. :-)

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