This or That

Is it strange that I find this to be the start of the most lovely Sunday morning?

Of course, it's lovely because blogging is involved.  Were these gadgets on to do school work, I would certainly change my tune.  But, this morning, the windows are open, the birds are singing, the coffee is--well, unfortunately, was--delish...might as well do a survey!  :)

Got this one this morning from Katie over at Peace, Love, and Oats.

Coke or Pepsi?
Amy: I'm not terribly picky about this, but Diet Coke I would say is the way to go.  I will say that McDonald's Diet Coke is pretty much the most amazing thing on Earth...what do they do that makes it soooo gooood?

Ashley:  Coke for sure!  I'm with Amy voting McDonalds to be the best.

Lemonade or fruit punch?
Amy: I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of either, but I'd probably go with lemonade.  Fruit punch is a little too sweet for me.

Ashley: My answer would be very simular to Amy's,  Lemonade.

Caramel apple or cotton candy?
Amy: Caramel apple, for sure.

Ashley:  No thank-you on both. 

Butterfinger or Snickers?
Amy: Snickers is clearly the better choice here.

Ashley:  Hungry? ... Grab a Snickers!

Pudding or Jello?
Amy: Not a huge fan of either, I'd much rather have some carbs, haha.  But, I suppose I'd go the pudding route.  Definitely vanilla though, no chocolate.

Ashley: Don't really like either, but I do like desserts that have pudding in them.

Turkey or chicken?
Amy: Hmm...tricky.  I suppose chicken.  I just bought some chicken lunch meat because they were out of turkey, and it's crazy good.

Ashley:  Chicken, there is more you can do with a piece of chicken.

American or Provolone cheese?
Amy: Provolone...although I only ever get it at Subway.

Ashley: American

Crackers or cookies? 
Amy: Crackers...I can have more of them.  haha...

Ashley: Crackers, they seem to be more available in my house at least.

Pretzels or chips?
Amy: Definitely pretzels, I almost never eat chips anymore.  Pretzels dipped in frosting is pretty much the most amazing dessert ever.  Try it.  You're welcome.

Ashley:  I 2nd Amy's answer.. I was with her when we discovered Pretzels in frosting... delish!

Mexican food or Japanese food?
Amy: I'm shocked to see myself typing Mexican food.  I was on an anti-Mexican food kick for awhile, but lately I have had a Chipotle craving that I just cannot get rid of.

Ashley:  Neither but if I make it myself, i'd vote Mexican food.

Chinese food or Italian food?
Amy: Italian food.  Although it has been quite awhile since I've had Chinese, and it sounds really good as well.

Ashley:  Italian! I could live on it daily.

Ice cream or cookies?
Amy: Cookies for sure.  You know me and my carbs!

Ashley:  Cookies

Pasta or pizza?
Amy: Pizza.  The crustier the better.  Is crustier a word?  Yep...I'm an English teacher.

Ashley: Pasta! mmm

Soda or juice?
Amy: Soda.  Although everyone knows it's pop, not soda.

Ashley: Pop!  = )

Chocolate bars or chocolate truffles?
Amy: I suppose chocolate bar, although I don't often have either.

Ashley:  I'd have to agree with Amy, i'm more likely to eat a Chocolate bar

Apples or bananas?
Amy: Oh, tough one.  I have at least one of each of these every day, literally.  I think I'll go with bananas though.

Ashley:  Apples

Salad or soup?
Amy: Salad.

Ashley: Salad

Cauliflower or broccoli?
Amy: Broccoli.  Cauliflower is one of the few veggies I just do not like.

Ashley: Broccoli as well.

Onion rings or french fries?
Amy: Rarely eat either of them, but I'll go with fries.

Ashley: Fries

Blizzard or McFlurry?
Amy: Another toughie.  Blizzard wins simply because there are more options.  McFlurry ice cream is better though.

Ashley:  Don't usually eat either one.

Fried or poached eggs?
Amy: I don't think I've ever had a poached egg, so fried it is.

Ashley:  Not a fan of eggs.

Crepes or pancakes?
Amy: I'm not sure I've ever had crepes, so pancakes it is!

Ashley:  Pancakes

Hash browns or roasted potatoes?
Amy: Roasted potatoes.  I like 'em chunky.  :)

Ashley:  Both!  I LOVE potatoes.

Oh, Spring Break, how I miss you and your delicious restaurants...

Oatmeal or cereal?
Amy: Oatmeal.  Easy.

Ashley:  Cereal
Your turn!!  Have a great Sunday!

Breaking Point

I, in no way, shape or form want to be a blog complainer.  I don't want to make anyone NOT enjoy reading this blog therefore even though I'm at my breaking point I have got to make the best of it.

                                           

                                                  (taken from Pinterest)

While it's a good quote makes me wonder how NOT to wait for better days.  I've often found myself wondering how far I can bend before I break and now I'm filled with that broken feeling.  Through all of the events that have dragged me down, caused me unstoppable tears and throughally exhausted me this week, I find myself thinking of the 5k I walked (Amy ran) with my family this past weekend and wanting to get back out there and do that kind of stuff. 

As stated in the post about it HERE , it was done as a research benefit for SIDs.  To that family when the unthinkable happened I can only imagine nothing was much worse for them...at that point things can only get better.... right?  So I've made the pact with myself that I can't just let the world and unfortunate events run my life , instead I have to let the good things in my life run the world.  Therefore, when things start to shift and I feel like it's spirling out of control I WANT to find beneficial causes like this to help the world of others becuase it helps me too.   It makes me feel better becuase it actually was a really good work out/walk for me and it made someone somewhere happy because now the research that is left undone can be started!  After how proud I was of myself for beating my goal and not wanting to crash afterwards,  I've even got Matt looking into things like this and wanting to help now saying "I want to do the next one with you!"    I may never be a runner like Amy is, and each day I'm more and more OK with that because really.... what does it matter, if you're there, you pride yourself in the reason you wake up and do good for the world that should really be what matters most. 

Time to pick myself up, dust myself off and

 



Photo Challenge:  Something you really don't like to do?

Photo result:

I really do NOT like to cook...I like to bake and I like to try new recipes but the whole process of chopping, dicing, measuring, mixing, scooping, pouring and planning the meal is just not my cup of tea! 

and NO I do not wear an apron when I cook...in fact this picture was only a joke becuase I had just spilled flour all over myself and had to find some way to laugh about the mess....

What do you do to feel better when you you are at your breaking point??? 

Carbing It Up

My half marathon is quickly approaching, and my plan this weekend calls for 12 miles-- my longest run.

So, I also use this run as a test-race.  I carb-load and test all the foods and timing I'm planning for race day.

If you know me, you know I LOVE bread.  I could basically live off of the stuff.  However, I know that there is more to carb-loading than eating a bunch of bread, and I want to do it right.

Lucky me, I stumbled upon a Runner's World article from the November 2011 issue called "Fill 'Er Up" as I have been reorganizing my office.  I figured it would be good to take a look at it today as I plan for my weekend.

For starters, the article points out that "proper carbo-loading...won't make you faster, but it will allow you to run your best."  This is certainly the goal, so here is what the article suggests:

Foods to eat: tortillas, oatmeal, bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, yogurt, juice, bananas, peaches (peeled), apples (peeled), pears (peeled), baked potatoes

Foods to avoid: cheese, butter, oil, cream

Begin carbo-loading two or three days before a race.

Eat about 4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight.  So, I'm shooting for about 520-540 grams.  I haven't been on a scale in awhile, so I think this is right.

So, here is my plan for Thursday and Friday:

Breakfast: Microwave Breakfast Cake with banana and PB (about 43g)
Morning snack: Apple and iced coffee (22 g)
Lunch: Tuna with cheese and rice, apple, and granola bar (74 g)
Afternoon Snack: PB Sandwich (34 g)
Dinner: Chicken Quesadilla with cereal and yogurt (64 g)
Dessert: Multigrain Cheerios (23 g)
Total: 260...uh oh..I need to re-evaluate this one!

Breakfast: Overnight Yogurt Oats (about 105g)
Morning snack: Apple and iced coffee (22 g)
Lunch: Turkey Sandwich with cereal, fruit, and yogurt (about 145 g)
Dinner: Retirement party (Pasta, please!)
Dessert: ?
Total: Not sure, but I think I'll be closer this time.

Looks like I need to go to the store for some Clif bars and Gatorade!

I also plan on ditching the calorie counts on this day, but not getting crazy and eating a ton.  I'll let you know next week how it went!  :)

Have you ever carbo-loaded?  Any tips?

First and Many

       Thanks to the input of our cousin, Amy and I were notified of a 5K benefit run for a baby in our area who lost his life to Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS) a cause that I have really studied up on and attended many conferences on.  When Amy told me about it I was very interested but knew I was not ready to run it.  She told me it was also a 5k walk and I was totally on board for that.  Needless to say it was a big morning for both Amy and I as I walked in my first 5k fun run/walk and Amy ran it (not her first as you know she has run many!)  Anyway, I asked Amy what goal she would set for the time I should finish this walked 5k in...she told me "I'd say like 45 minutes"  and I really, really wanted to stick to that and I knew I could do it.  I started off at a really good pace but drifted behind a little bit in the middle, and finished up strong.  I finished in 44 minutes, 1 minute shy of my goal and even though that is not much I was extremely proud of myself,  I still am!   My body felt really good while doing it and it seemed to go by fast, as the day has gone on my leg muscles are a little sore but still for the most part I feel good.  I felt that keeping up with the walkers, not getting winded and not wanting to give up are all very good accomplishments for me because I haven't gone the distance I went today in a couple of weeks.

Our aunts, cousin and mom participated too!

And true to Amy's "Post Race" style... we enjoyed a light breakfast at Starbucks after.

Why I love Home

Happy Friday to our readers!  This blog entry will be based around my photo challenge from last week. 

Amy gave me the challenge of "A photo of the reason you love living here"  and therefore I'll discuss why I love it here.  I love living in Illinois because we get all 4 seasons.  We get to experience all kinds of weather from REALLY cold to REALLY warm which is kind of a nice change (not that I LIKE cold or super hot weather I'd rather it be right in the middle but that doesn't happen much anywhere.)    I like living in the country because it takes some thinking to figure out ways to stay busy.  We do have to drive to many of the places we want to go unlike city life where you can walk, but there is also much more space to take a walk with out the hustle and bustle of a city pace. 

Who wouldn't love to see pretty sights like this every day!

I also love it here because my family is here, I've always wanted to stay close to my family and I think they appreciate that as well. 

For next week:  A photo of something you really don't like to do!

Routine Runner

I'm a routine kind of girl. I like consistently, I'm a planner, and I find comfort in knowing what's next. For me, running is no different. As you know, I plan my training WELL in advance. After a long day of teaching, squeezing in a run is not always easy, so I'm pretty routine about this as well. So, here is a little about my routine...at least on school days:

• Leave school at a reasonable time. Always a bit of a challenge, but I make running a priority. In a way, I treat it like a part-time job.
• Change into running clothes as soon as I get home.. If I wait, I start to find excuses to skip my run. Skipping my run will certainly ruin my night, as I would definitely feel crazy guilty.  Plus, I know how good I feel after a run, so it's not worth skipping.
• Put on compression sleeve (right leg only!), set phone workout (if needed), and head out the door.
• Walk for a minute or two, then get moving!
• Finish running, turn off RunKeeper app, and walk it off for a minute or two.

•  Stretch.. Always the same stretches, always the same spot.
• Head inside, shower, and make dinner.. Then, spend the evening relaxing!

So, my routines have gotten me to wondering if all runners are a little bit routine. So, I'd love to hear from you...what are your running routines?

The Joys of Homeownership

This week, I celebrated the one year anniversary of buying my first house.

This past year has FLOWN by, so I thought it would be a good time for Ashley and I to reflect on the "joys" of home ownership, both sarcastic and real.

The "Joys"

Getting locked out. Not once, not twice.  THREE TIMES.  Including once on my birthday...at 8 am...in PJ's.

Calling a repairman, only to find out you didn't need him.  And having to pay him over a hundred dollars just to flip a switch.

Having to replace the battery in a smoke detector at 2 am.  Might I add that this was the night before a field trip.

Ashley's "Joys"

The smoke detector going off anytime the oven was on for the first month we lived here.  Electrician determined the detector was faulty and replaced it.  Smoke detector still goes off anytime we bake something and it starts to burn (encourages me not to burn any food!). 

Being in the middle of a true blizzard and the sensor of the garage door breaks...winds blowing 50mph, snow coming down inches per hour SIDEWAYS, and its freezing cold...Fixed that problem by myself by taking the door apart while the blizzard raged on the other side of it.

Again with weather.... just last week we were clocked in at 52mph wind gusts and some crazy storms.  After we heard a sound that resembled an explosion I discovered the wind took our outdoor gas grill and pieces of it were everywhere.  After cleaning them up (at Midnight) I noticed the rain was pooling up on my window sills INSIDE.... So needless to say I never went to bed that night as I stayed up mopping up the water that was pouring into my house. 

its been determined that our windows are not properly installed on the house...ANOTHER repair call.



The True Joys

Decorating for Christmas.

Being able to open my home to celebrate some special events for some very special people.

Doing random projects, especially with help from fun people.

Going to bed at night with the feeling that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.


Ashley's True Joys

Bringing our families together.  Hosting holidays and fun gatherings.

Having a place to call "home."

Feeling a sense of accomplishment when people congratulate you or mention how much they like something you have worked so hard to have.

How about you, do you own your own home?
What are some of YOUR homeownership adventures?