Tag Archives: cold weather

food, holidays, home, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts

‘Tis the Season – of Indulging Your Taste Buds!

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During the month of November, I’m participating in NaBloPoMo, where I try to write and publish each day.

I don’t know what it is about this time of year that makes me abandon any sort of diet or food regulations I might normally have going for me. Perhaps it begins with Halloween and the amount of candy that enters the house. Or it might have to do with being inside more often… which typically leads me to baking a lot. Or maybe it’s just that the holidays are full of sugary treats and fatty, sharable sides. Who knows. But what I DO know is that I LOVE food that tastes good.

Now, for me, saying “food that tastes good” covers a multitude of sins. I love fancy meals. I love farm-fresh eggs and meats. I love organic fruits and veggies. I love cuisine from all over the world (here’s looking specifically at you, Italy and Thailand). BUT! I also love a good slamburger (the term coined by my husband for a greasy burger from a no-name burger joint). I love a late-night hotdog from a street cart. Coldstone ice cream creations can cheer me up any day. My kids don’t have to beg to get me to eat at Chick-fil-A. To me, they taste good. And that’s what matters.

But this time of year, I lean in to those home-baked cookies, the cinnamon-sprinkled drinks, and the heavily-buttered breads or potatoes. I want large cuts of fatty meats (hey there, prime rib!) and richly-flavored, creamy soups (butternut squash soup, anyone?). And who can blame me?! It’s getting dark at 5:00pm and I’d like to have some compensation for the stealing of my daylight.

So today, I celebrate the pumpkin muffins with maple-pecan drizzle, the eggnog spiked with bourbon, and ramen from the Bahtmobile (our local Asian food truck). I celebrate shortbread cookies, King’s Hawaiian rolls (why are they so good?!) and 18-pound hunks of prime rib – if you’re having Thanksgiving lunch at our house, anyway. I celebrate good ol’ GBC (if you’re from around here, you should know that’s green bean casserole) and mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and Honeybaked Ham. It’s going to be a good couple of months, y’all, in the world of flavors. Indulge. ‘Tis the season!

faith, health and fitness, mommyhood, My Big Jesus, pregnancy, Run Away.

A Time Out for Mommy

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My lungs are burning, I thought.  Whether from cold or effort I don’t know. 

That was the first real thought of what might have been a hundred during my first mile.

It’s been too long since my last run… especially since I’m pushing this double stroller.

Why didn’t I pack tissues?! There was room in the stroller for goodness sake!

If my fingertips are this numb, how are my kids doing? Why didn’t I make them wear gloves? Worst mom ever!

Gosh, I have to pee. I know. Pregnant with my third kid and I have to pee. Big surprise.

How many times is EK gonna drop that blanket? I’m never going to make it for three miles if I’m stopping every ten feet.

This is just a sampling of how my mind rambles while I’m running. It’s extremely silly sometimes, how my mind will come up with anything to think about besides the work it’s doing. And the truth was that even though it had been awhile since my last run, I wasn’t even working that hard. What was hard was the cold, my runny nose, and the fact that I always have to go to the bathroom.

But I needed the time out. Time outdoors. Time out in the sunshine (which has been hit or miss these days). Time out for my kiddos – not like a punishment, but a total removal from their current situation (sitting inside, toddling along after me, asking to be picked up). Time out of my normal laundry-dishes-picking-up routine. Time out from my “feed the kids, change a diaper, clean, repeat” routine. A mama can only put together 2732 puzzles before she needs a time out.

And y’all, when I tell you I need a time out, I’m serious. I get frustrated easily. Call it hormones, call it a generational curse, call it whatever you want. But I do. I work on it all day, every day. I pray about it. I have others pray with me about it. But I’m human, and I lose patience and lose resolve. So when I need to get rid of some frustration, I like going on a run. Winter is the worst, because my time out can’t happen if it’s below about 45 degrees (yes, I’m a weenie and I hate the cold). But when it’s 45 or above, my double jogging stroller is my best friend, who understands my venting and my struggles. Okay, fine. “Understands” is a stretch, but you get the idea. At least the stroller doesn’t struggle back.

Sometimes, I’m in need of more than just a run. I’m in need of a run to Jesus. I pray harder every mile. I pray for myself, I pray for my kids, my Hubby, my friends, my family. I pray for grace as a mama. I pray for patience and a clean heart. I pray that the 25 minute nap that J got in the stroller will last him till bedtime. I pray that I won’t collapse going up the last hill before I’m home. I pray because I need Jesus so much. I know that he’s the only one who truly understands, and can cleanse me and mold me into a more perfect woman in his sight.

health and fitness, Run Away.

Running in the Cold

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Up until these past couple of weeks, I’ve always thought working out or running in the cold was terrible… hurting lungs, hurting ears, hurting skin… oh yeah, and runny nose. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t do more than 5 minutes of exercise in the cold without these things plaguing me SO MUCH that I quit right then.

However, the last few times I’ve gone out for a run, it’s been chilly, but I haven’t been miserable! Maybe I’m getting used to it, maybe I’m growing up, or maybe I was just dressed appropriately for once. But I really enjoyed my cold work outs all three times! Here’s what I did that I might not normally do:

Layer. I wore my favorite exercise leggings, and one of my Champion sleeveless workout shirts, then added a thin fleece pullover and an ear band. My ears getting cold is the WORST, so the ear band was a necessity, which leads me to…

Head gear. I don’t really like my entire head to be covered (when I get hot I want some of the heat to get out) so I wear a band to cover my ears. Specifically, I’ve been wearing Hubby’s 1994 “turtle fur”. Weird, I know. It’s neon green. At least I won’t get hit by a car?

You don't need to tell me how attractive that head band is.
You don’t need to tell me how attractive that head band is.

Music. I know, I know… most people listen to music when they run. But 1. I have weird ears that HATE headphones, and 2. I’m terrified of being hit by a car that I didn’t hear because my music was too loud in the headphones that I can’t wear. So I used my iPhone armband, and just blasted the music out loud instead of wearing headphones. I guess everyone could hear me coming from a quarter mile away, but eh, who cares?

Chapstick. And. Hand lotion. These things are essentials. I hate gloves, so hand lotion keeps me from getting chapped hands, and lip balm of some sort (I’m digging Rodan & Fields Lip Shield) keeps me from licking my lips and causing cracks and splits.

Blow your nose. I know this isn’t practical for everyone, but I am close enough to my neighborhood Lowe’s to incorporate it into my workout. So I’ve been running there, and I can pop in and blow my nose! That way I don’t have to carry anything with me, or blow snot rockets in people’s front yards. And, while I’m there, sometimes I also do a little bladder emptying as well. You know, because, I’ve given birth twice and I pee a lot. (TMI. Sorry.)

So those are my tips. You might already be doing those things, and if you are, why didn’t you tell me about them?! I know, I should’ve known.

Happy Running!