Spring break is for . . .

It was very hard to drag myself back to work today, after the fabulous spring break! I even got up at 5 to run, & my body was not excited. At all.

Spring break is for:

• Hanging out with the family on the beach.
• Bike rides to the candy shop in town
• Drinking margaritas with my lovely husband
• And running! Last was my highest mileage (ever, I think, but definitely in the last year). I did 35 miles!!!

And because I'm a slacker & haven't posted in forever, here are some pictures from Easter:

My boys!

Me with my lovely sister:

Typical dorkiness:

Nick, playing frisbee on the beach

I did an 11 mile run on Saturday, & uploaded my MP3 player right before I left the house. I foolishly didn't check it before I took off for my run, so guess how many songs I had? Two songs. For 11 miles. I'm pretty sure it was karmic retribution for my poor taste in music that I listened to Nicki Minaj "Starships" & Pitbull "Give Me Everything" on repeat.

More to come - my first half is in less than one month! So excited/nervous!!!

Are you taking any spring trips? Watching the Boston Marathon?

Recycling

Quick recap for you - I did not get to run in my 15K on Saturday, because my hip & leg were in no shape for that. Instead, I got a deep tissue massage. It's possible that a few tears slipped out during the actual massage, but it helped *tremendously*. The massage therapist told me that my right side is incredibly tight, so I've been foam rolling & stretching like it's my job. I managed a quick 45 minute elliptical workout on Sunday, & felt good.

 

Last night, I ran 2.5 miles on the treadmill (I know, look at those crazy miles ;-)), & felt good, although a little tight in my right quad. My training plan called for five miles, but I figure at this point, it's much more important to fully heal, rather than worrying about missing 2.5 miles. I got up at 5:00 am (I know, I know, hold the applause - I feel like a hero for dragging myself out of bed :-)) this morning & did 45 minutes on the bike. Depending on how I'm feeling this evening, I may run a little on the treadmill. We shall see.

 

In other news, I bought a new top on my fun girls day on Sunday. I'm met a friend for lunch, a little shopping, & pedicures. My toes are SCARY. I would post pictures, but I don't want to make you sick, so I'll save you the pain of looking. Let's just say that I went with a hot pink color, & it still wasn't dark enough to cover a few of the bruises.

 

 

Black sweater - Gap
New top - Limited
Dark rinse jeans - Rock & Republic, courtesy of Costco
Black mini wedge shoes - Anne Klein

 

Excuse the awesome facial expression, but a better picture of the top. . .

 

And, this morning! I'm once again trying to get in some of my spring clothes, but the weather is not cooperating. So I just recycle my summer clothes - add my running tights & boots & call it a day. Minus the sweater, tights, & boots, this is one of my favorite summer dresses, although I've discovered that it's huge on me. Progress! I added the belt to tighten it up a bit.

 

 

Coral sweater - Nordstrom
Dress - BCBG
Black mini belt - Jcrew
Black pants - Lululemon Wunder Unders
Black boots - Anne Klein/Macy's

 

 

In fabulous news, it may actually be sunny on Easter! I hate to get my hopes up, because Easter is a notoriously rainy holiday in the northwest, but if the weather goes as predicted, we may be able to do an Easter egg hunt outside with the kids. Without rain boots, umbrellas & coats! Who would have thought? :-) This is exciting stuff, people!

Training plan/workouts for the week

I'm rejoining my training plan at week 3, which gives me 5 weeks of solid training before my half on Mother's Day. Here's what the week looks like:

• Monday - ran 2.5 miles (training plan called for 5)
• Tuesday - cross train. Did 45 minutes on the bike
• Wednesday - 3 speed repeats (total of 4 miles)
• Thursday - Cross train
• Friday - 7 mile GPR
• Saturday - 9 mile run
• Sunday - rest (Easter)

And with that, what's your favorite kind of Easter candy? I love Robin's Eggs, Starburst Jelly Beans, & those little brightly colored eggs made of Whoppers. . . Can't remember their official names.

On being superwoman

Lately, I've been struggling with this feeling that I can't quite fit everything into my life - time with the kids, time with Michael, time to myself to see friends, running, work, the random things like doctor's appointments, & just the miscellany of life. I'm a perfectionist. Completely a Type A person. I have a color-coded, highly trackable, and measurable list of priorities for each month, & the year. I create reports for myself based on how I'm progressing against the month. The goals for the month vary, but typically include: financial goals, spending goals, work goals, fitness goals, getting together with friends, & a date night with Michael. It seems silly to create goals for such personal things, but if I don't have those items on my list, despite their priority in my life, I find it hard to make it happen.

We are in a phase of transition in our house, & I'm having a hard time feeling successful - like superwoman who can single handledly manage a household, a family, work, & a training plan. I'm exhausted, stressed, & probably not the best mother/wife/employee I could be. Michael is in the midst of a job switch, which comes with its own stresses. I am hopeful that after his work situation is ironed out, I can figure out my own job, because my work is getting less flexible by the day. And my life? It needs maximum flexibility. As my job gets less flexible, & my hours increase, I feel this huge weight - can I leave in enough time to pick up the boys and take them to baseball practice? When will I see Michael? He's home for one day before he leaves again. What about running? What about just 30 minutes to myself? Who am I disappointing today?

I know this is a hugely long & rambling post, so please forgive me. I'm really trying to come to terms with not being able to accomplish all that I want in my life right now, & that's a very foreign feeling for me. And, not something that I'm handling terribly gracefully at the moment. So, my apologies to my lovely & fabulous husband & kids, because I am working on it. And, I'm also working on being kinder to myself on days when I feel like a failure, because those days happen more often than I care to admit, & it doesn't do me any favors to reflect back on them & get angry with myself all over again.

At the end of the day, I know that I have to make time for me - time to work out, time to run, time to treat myself well. I'm in a period of adjustment & change, & I will get through & adjust to waking up at 5:00 am & running, or squeezing in a run during baseball practice, or at 8:00 pm, or whatever works that day. I'm trying to remember that I just finished a race on Sunday, & having a few lighter running days (okay, honestly - days when I'm not really running) is not going to kill me as I try to find creative ways to make this work. It's just not. But, eating like crap compounds the problem & only makes me feel worse. Let's hope I remember that tonight. ;-)

I thought my outfit looked cute when I left the house, but I'm pretty sure the trouser cut jeans + flats just doesn't work, so I'm skipping the full body shot. I promise that you're not missing out.

Navy ruffle front sweater - Loft
Striped tank - Forever 21
Blue drop necklace - Tiffany & Co
Transformer phone - courtesy of my kiddos

My goal? To figure out a way to manage our household & our lives differently, so everyone has less stress. That plan is still in motion, but I'm strongly considering cutting back my hours at work. I've always been a very career driven person, so this has been a hard thing for me to wrap my head around. But at the end of the day, if there aren't enough hours in the day for all of your priorities to happen, something has to give.

And now, please share: your best stress relieving tips. I need them. :-) Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to put it all out there, because it is so helpful. I promise that my next post will be more inspirational! :-)

I think I've found a new hobby

Because, this running races thing is A BLAST. :-) Finished the Portland Shamrock 15K & hit my first goal (just finishing), second goal (under 1:50), third goal (under 1:40). . . I came in at 1:39 & change & felt amazing. I ran with my sister's boyfriend, & the two of us were a good team - he was pushing me on the hills, & I was doing the motivating in the final stretch.

The course was much hillier than I'd expected. . . see below

Let's just say that the incline was solid & lasted for miles between 3 & 6, I think. Although, honestly, that part is a blur. It's like child birth - I've already blocked out the super difficult part, because it was all 100% worth it in the end. The great news? once we peaked, it was downhill for the final miles & I felt like a million bucks. The smile on my face when I crossed the finish line lasted *all day*. :-)

Before the race:
Backing up a bit, I woke up at five to eat a package of oatmeal mixed with almond butter that I'd brought (surprisingly good), a package of Starbucks VIA  instant coffee (not so good, but did the trick) & hydrate, as the race started at 7:45 am. Well, it was supposed to. Unfortunately, a train was running behind, & the course goes over the train tracks, so we had to wait. It was incredibly cold, so the 40 minute delay was sad times. My fingers were swollen, & my lips were purple until about two hours after the race.

During the run:
I took a couple of shot blocks during the run, & only walked through the water stops, making this by far the best run I've ever had. Ever. Talk about bringing it on the right day. The weather sucked - it was raining/snowing/sleeting for about 75% of the race, and the sun came out right as we started heading downhill. All of the stars aligned for that final stretch to be amazing, & it was!

Post run:
We met up with my sister, mom & nephews, who were doing a 5K walk. We walked about another 3-4 miles total hooking up with the crew & retrieving the car, so that served as a nice cool down.

Don't ask why I have that awesome look on my face. I know, super cute. And no, I didn't run the 5K in that outfit. I took a "car shower" (baby wipes) & changed before we met the larger crew.

I may have possibly cried in the bathroom at Deschutes Brewery, because I was just so happy & thrilled with finishing. A year ago, I was trying to complete a 5K, & today was such a milestone. I'm thrilled. I've never considered myself a runner, so this just feels like I'm in new territory. . . And, I'm trying to convince Michael that I should sign up for another 15K at the end of the month. Just because it sounds so fun. :-)

The lunch at Deschutes was amazing - beer, a slice of walnut/pear/goat cheese pizza, part of a cheeseburger, & a little salad, just to health things up a bit. Again, the beer. Yum. Just what was needed after the race.

And, because I can't resist a couple of pictures of Nick's 5th birthday party yesterday . . .

Sam & Nick - brotherly love :-)

The birthday boy, giddy with anticipation for his party:

Me with my crazy boys

Mommy & the birthday boy

All in all, this weekend rocked!

Now, questions. . . I'm really not sore yet, but my abs are crazy sore? I've never gotten sore abs from running before? I also got a side ache about half way through the race? Is that generally caused by gulping water too quickly?

How was your St. Patrick's Day??

Nervous for my race!

I've had a pretty easy running schedule this week (ran 4 miles on Monday, two days of cross train, & running 4-5 easy miles today). My 15K is on Sunday, & I'm nervous. The weather is making me crazy. Looks like it's going to be between 34-36 degrees, with a snow/rain mix. Fun times. :-)

The good news is that I've had a few long runs that had similar weather, so at least I'll know what to expect. As long as it's also not windy, I think I can survive. Maybe the cold weather will be my motivation to finish as quickly as possible, and have that nice steamy bowl of clam chowder. . . I kid - there will be no clam chowder consumption at 10:00 am, after my run. Guaranteed.

The weather has sucked in Seattle, so I'm back to boots & sweaters. So jealous of all of you with warm weather! I miss sandal season.

Wine colored sweater - Gap
Purple/wine paisley tank - Gap
Skinny jeans - AE
Boots - Anne Klein

And, today, with bad hair, because I'm hoping to run soon:

Camel sweater - Loft
Pearl necklace - Jcrew outlet
Pearl earrings - gift from my grandmother
Cream tank - Loft
Skinny jeans - Gap
Cognac boots - Vince Camuto, gift from Michael


Nutrition has been pretty good, with some chocolate mixed in. One of my coworkers brought in 12 pounds of chocolate earlier in the week, to celebrate his 12 year anniversary. Yum . .. chocolate.

And, my baby is turning five tomorrow! Can't believe it. The time has gone way, way too fast. Nick is a ridiculous ham, & the funniest person I know.

We'll be having a big birthday celebration for this cutie tomorrow.
What about you? Anyone racing? Running? Celebrating St. Patrick's Day with green beer? :-)

Best treadmill run & giveaway results!

Lots to say this week! First up, I had my 11 mile run on Friday, & there was a minor shoe problem. It turns out the my shoes were too small, and after I warmed up & my feet expanded, my toes were bumping against the shoes. Three toes on each foot are bruised, swollen, & so mother freaking painful, it's unbelievable. The good news is that I finally went to a running store & got fitted. They bumped me up a size, and I waited a few days for the swelling to go down. (No running after the crippling 11 miles on Friday).

I ran 5 miles on the treadmill today (without stopping - which is HUGE for me!) & it was like running on cotton candy & sunshine, compared to the pain of Friday. A great workout on the treadmill, people! Life is so dang good! :-)

In other news, my 15K race is next Sunday (the 18th). Can't wait! I'm a super slow runner, so I always hesitate to set time goals. That said, here's what I'm thinking:

1. Only goal that I really care about - finishing the race.
2. Second goal - finish in under 1:50. This shouldn't be hard, barring a really horrific run, as I did 11 last week in just under that.
3. Third goal - finish in under 1:40. Maybe?
4. Fourth goal, and probably unlikely - finish in under 1:30.

I know, I'm slow. Feel free to giggle at my times. :-)

My nutrition has been . . . okay. Yesterday sucked. There has been a bunch of work drama on both sides (me + Michael) & that always causes me stress. I stuffed my face with a bunch of random crap yesterday, & guess what? It only made me more stressed. I need to find a better stress reliever.

Ugly bathroom photos make their return! I can't get my picture from today to upload, but it's just more of the same - boots, skinny jeans, & a sweater. It was snowing this morning. Groan. :-)

And, I have to recap my fabulous day on Sunday. We've been taking the boys (almost 5, and 6) skiing all season. There were potty accidents (being half way up a lift when someone tells you they have to go potty "urgently" is always fun), tears, days when we paid a boat load of money to ski one run, etc. It's a ton of work to go - all of the gear, the packing, the driving to the mountain, the MONEY. . . :-) But on Sunday, it all paid off. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. The boys were sun burned by the end of the day. And, everyone was on their best behavior. They listened, and my little guy skied a blue run without falling! And then, he skied it again & again. Sam, my six year old, bumped into a school buddy, and pretty soon I see them skiing over jumps & between trees. It was comical. He wanted me to take a video, but I'm sure I would have ended up on the snow if I had tried. Both of my kids are now officially way better & faster skiers than I am. At the beginning of this season, my youngest (Nick) wouldn't even ride the magic carpet or put his skis on, so this is serious progress.

This was the car ride home. :-)

Skiing is tiring for little boys. Check out the rosy cheeks, after a day in the sun.

Giveaway!
Christy, at My Dirt Road Anthem, you're the winner! Send me an email at runningikeagirl@gmail.com & I'll get you hooked up. :-)

Five things Friday

Oh yes, it's Friday! I'm so ready for the week to be wrapping up! :-)

Here are the five things that I'm loving this Friday.

1. Free chocolate milk. My office stocks this in the cooler, and it's my new favorite post-workout snack. YUM.
2. My new Fresh Sugar Rose lip balm. It was my free birthday gift from Sephora. What's not to love about free? It's been well established that I'm a lip gloss addict, but this is not too sticky. The sticky residue left behind from my lip gloss on glasses, etc is, shall we say, a pet peeve of Michael's. ;-)

3. Taquitos. Yes, taquitos. I missed National Margarita Day earlier in the week, but I plan to remedy that this weekend. And make some homemade taquitos. Make a giant batch & then freeze them. YUM.

4. I'm starting to think (okay, perhaps a more apt description is "fantasize" - it's a little cold & rainy here in Seattle) about summer trips. Our calendar is not 100% locked down, but I do know there will be another BFF girls Las Vegas trip on the horizon in July. No trip is complete without a cabana day:

Or, a trip to the food & beverage room for FREE CHAMPAGNE! And, the good stuff. ..  my favorite. Perrier Jouet. Drool.

Now I just need to con someone into watching the kiddos for a few days, so that Michael & I can also squeeze in a Las Vegas getaway. I'm willing to ship them direct to you. They are cute & reasonably sweet, as long as you have Legos, plenty of episodes of Scooby Doo, and gold fish crackers. And, they know how to rock a hat. . .

5. My little guy (Nick) is turning 5 in three weeks. I can't believe how quickly it's going by! I remember the day he was born VIVIDLY. :-) He's a St. Patrick's Day baby, so we're having a huge family bash at my parents house on St. Patrick's Day. Nick is seriously the most hilarious (and, wildly high maintenance) person I know. A day never goes by without him saying something that cracks me up. He is so excited for his birthday, & does not let me forget that it's coming up in less than a month! ;-) Some party planning will definitely be going down this weekend!

I made Michael take my picture this morning, & I'm pretty sure that I look like a balloon, so I took my own glam bathroom shot at work. Here are our two attempts. I swear that my sweater is not too tight, as it appears in the photos.

Details:

Cream tank - Loft

Brown sweater - Loft

Pearl necklace - Jcrew

Dark wash skinny jeans - Gap, Always Skinny (or, in this picture, not so much)

Boots - Vincent Camuto

I've finally managed to bring my eating back on track, and I had a moderately painful treadmill run last night. It was 30 minutes of chest burning & mild coughing, but I survived. Today I managed 4 miles of hills & felt much better. Hopefully that means that the cold is receding, because I'm hoping for a long run tomorrow!

And with that, go enter the giveaway if you haven't already! You know you want some running fuel & fun other assorted stuff. :-)

What are you up to this weekend? Are you thinking about summer vacations yet? Anything fun planned?

Highs & Lows

I ran 5 miles on the treadmill today, & while I was cooling down, I started crying. Like, serious crying, not just a few small tears. Let me explain. . .

We bought a new car a few weeks ago - a fabulous Audi Q7. It's sparkling & new, & I am a clumsy driver (always hitting the curb & parking too close to other cars, etc), so even though it was intended for me, I haven't driven it yet. My other car is in the shop, so today was my maiden voyage with the new car.

This morning, I walked the boys to the bus stop, and noticed that Sam brought a basketball. Of course, he's not allowed to have a basketball at school (he's in Kindergarten), so I told him to go back & put it in the garage. I stood at the end of the driveway so I could watch our youngest, who was standing at the bus stop, and keep an eye on Sam. He rolled the basketball into the garage, but it got stuck under the Audi. He went to retrieve it, and had his head & arms under the car. At that moment, I realized that Michael was in the car & was going to back it out for me to warm it up, since it's been cold in the mornings. The reverse lights came on, and I was frozen. I started shouting for Sam to move, and freaked him out, he got up & darted the other way behind the car, and at the last second, Michael stopped. The new car has a rear view camera, and when Sam moved, the car started beeping wildly.

On any other day, and Michael would have been backing out our other car (no camera in the back, no beeping if there is an obstacle behind you), and would have had no idea that Sam was behind him. I can't stop crying today. I'm at work, and the tears won't stop. I just keep thinking about how very close it was. So, my PSA for you is to double/triple check when you're pulling out of your own garage or driveway. Michael assumed we were at the bus stop, and I assumed he was in the house.

What I ate yesterday, what I'm wearing, and how I finally managed five miles for the first time in months doesn't really seem very relevant today. I went to the gym at lunch to get my mind off of everything, and it helped. The treadmill is a wonderful thing for erasing all rational thought from your head. . .

This gorgeous boy is turning six in ten days, and I'm so grateful today.

Five things Friday

I was too lazy to do a Three Things Thursday, so I'll go for five today. :-) Today is the official start of the weekend, & I'm giddy! Cabin fever is officially over & we can leave our house. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!

1. It has *finally* stopped snowing. And, we didn't lose power. I'm feeling lucky.
2. I made it to the gym today - I did 75 minutes of cardio (60 minutes on the elliptical, since I was kind of treadmill-ed out from being trapped out my house this week, & 15 minutes of running, because I didn't feel like I was sweaty enough at the end of the elliptical session. I also lifted did arms + abs. I feel like a million bucks after my workout. I also took the kids to lunch & the pool - trying to get the wigglies out, after the cabin fever we've all had this week.
3. I'm obsessed with playing Bejeweled. (If you've never tried it, go here.) My eyes are nearly crossed from playing so much. Must.Stop.
4. I've been cooking a lot, being trapped at home and all. Here are a few great recipe suggestions - banana wheat germ muffins. Kid friendly, & relatively healthy. No butter involved. Who doesn't love pizza? Our traditional after skiing meal is pizza. We buy the 8 packs of Boboli pizza crusts from Costco, and everyone gets individual pizzas, customized with the toppings of their choice. Sam likes pepperoni & cheese, Nick prefers plain cheese, & I always make this Chicken, Red Grape, & Pesto pizza for the adults. Sounds weird, but it's fabulous. And, I wanted to make a kid-friendly pasta dish yesterday that was healthier than a standard macaroni & cheese, & tried this White Cheddar Chicken Pasta. Yum! It was a hit all around.
5. Tomorrow Michael & I are having a date! We try & squeeze one in once/month, and it's never enough. No clue what we're doing, but it will be child-free. Yay!!!!

And, here are a few pictures of a walk Nick & I took in the snow yesterday. Why yes, I do have a cone-shaped head. I think that a snowflake made that strange streak on the bottom?

I fondly call this one Rudolph. Check out that glowing nose. . .

Okay, tips or suggestions for date night tomorrow? Normally I love making a fancy dinner at home (sans kids) & cracking open a bottle of wine. But, that's out. We've spent a bunch of quality time at home this week. We have about 4 hours alone. Also, any good recipes you've tried lately? I'm in the mood to try something new!

The First Day

I can't believe Sam is ready for Kindergarten! He was thrilled to ride the bus this morning. :-)

I was emotional. :-)

My baby attended his first day of "big boy preschool", and was less than thrilled. He was devastated that he couldn't ride the school bus, or have a backpack full of school supplies. Sometimes it's hard to be the younger sibling.

Me with Sam at the crazy school bus stop. He loved the excitement & energy, and of course, being with the "big kids". ;-)

My pants are a little tight, so I can tell that summer vacation is officially over, & it's time to focus on my fitness, losing the final 15 pounds, and getting back into the groove! :-)

The blue dress

I'm in love with this dress. I saw it at Nordstrom over Memorial Day weekend, & fell in love.

The hair is courtesy of the Encore salon - we all know I can't achieve that on my own.
My dress - Nordstrom
Shoes - Ivanka Trump (I only  have one pair of dressy shoes that I can wear at the moment)
Necklace - Jcrew

My mom's dress - Express
Shoes - Michael Kors

And, a close up of the hair, which I'll be trying to convince my sister to recreate next weekend. A girl can only afford so many salon visits, you know. ;-)

In this picture, it looks a little bit like the dress is holding on to my chest for dear life. . . it's not normally that low, I promise.

Fitness
I've been sticking to my 5x/week workouts, & my trainer is kicking my trash all over the place. I bought a trainer package a month ago, and have about two weeks of workouts left with her. It's been amazing to have someone push me so hard. We're currently meeting two times/week (one in the pool, one more focused on weights) & I've noticed a huge difference. I hope I can push myself as hard as she does once I'm on my own.

Food
Food has been good lately. I know I'm going to be wearing my bikini next weekend surrounded by a sea of hot 25 year olds. (Seriously, I swear every young woman with a 10 out of 10 body heads to the Encore pool in the summers).

Here's my recap from yesterday
Breakfast - fruit, coffee, spinach + egg on a bagel thin
Snack - dried fruit/nuts
Lunch - salad + protein smoothie
Snack - mini Luna bar
Dinner - Greek salad (ate just under 1/2) with gyro meat on it (heaven) + 7 fries. Seriously, I counted, because the Greek fries have shredded feta, lemon juice, & oregano on top, & I can eat the entire plate by myself. It's all about containment with those fries.

My weight is up about a half pound from my last trip, so I'm hoping to bring that down by next week's trip, which is totally doable!

What about you lovely peeps? Any big fun summer plans this weekend? We're taking the boys to soccer practice & a Star Wars themed birthday party. :-)

Anniversary Trip with the parents

I'm back, with pictures! We took my parents to Las Vegas for their 40th anniversary, & it was an excellent time all around. We stayed at the Encore, had amazing rooms, spent a day by the pool in the cabana, shopped (just the girls), did a full spa day (my parents first time!), & wined & dined our way through Las Vegas. Yummmmm. . .

Can you believe this beautiful couple has been married for 40 years?!

And, yes, my mom is wearing zipper heels . . . she's very trendy. :-)
Here are a few other pictures

My dad, mom, myself, & Michael. I'm wearing a black bandage dress (Express) + a Jcrew necklace & black Ivanka Trump heels. I have a BCBG clutch. My adorable mother is wearing BCBG & Michael Kors. I'm sure you're dying to know that both of the guys are wearing Hugo Boss suits.

The ladies, at the Wynn before dinner at SW.

More to come tomorrow, but I'm back and hitting the gym hard to unwind the damage from the trip. I did manage to work out 2 of the 3 days we were there, so it wasn't all bad. And, of course, I have my last Las Vegas trip coming up next week (a girls trip - absolutely cannot wait!), so I still have heavy bikini incentive.

Question for you:
What is the best meal you've ever had? Be specific!

For me: we had the most amazing meal at SW. Steak, seafood tower (see slightly awkward picture, below), beet salad, asparagus, and a chocolate souffle. Add in a fabulous bottle of wine, & it was a.m.a.z.i.n.g. . .

And, the dessert at Botero? Died & gone to heaven. . . those are ice cream cake pops & a chocolate mousse "ice cream" bar

Or, if martinis are more your speed, I highly recommend the blue cheese-olive stuffed massive martini at Olives. It will knock you off your feet. ;-)

Viva Las Vegas! More pictures tomorrow. . .

Hot outfits

The hot outfits continue. Particularly annoying because there is a very short sandal/skirt/dress window in Seattle, & I'm unable to partake, due to my awesome shoes. :-)

Outfits:
Me, last week during training. Yes, I cheated and wore flats one of the days.

Details:
Navy tank top with small crystal beads - Gap
Sheer white sweater - Loft
Dark jeans - Dojo/Seven
Silver flats - Chinese Laundry/Ross

And today, I'm rocking *new* sneakers. I know, please try to contain your excitement.

Details:
Silver & white striped shirt - Nordstrom
Dark jeans - Dojo/Sevens
Black sneakers - New Balance
Tired look - courtesy of the weekend

And, for fun, here's a picture of the boys, after a bouncy house/swimming event.

Yes, Sam styled his own hair. :-)

Workouts:
And, on to the fitness element of this. Yesterday was my rest day, but I had a hardcore, 70 minute pool workout on Friday, a quick cardio workout on Saturday, & 30 minutes on the elliptical + weights on Sunday. Followed by a family bike ride. All in all, I'm on track for my 5/week workouts, which is my goal.

Food:
Eating was good, but not excellent. I was highly motivated by my looming vacation (we leave on Thursday), which helped keep me in check despite the holiday weekend. I had dinner with friends on Sunday, and we ate late, which means I'm starving & have less self control than if I eat at my normal, early-bird special time of 5:30. (My kids get hungry at that time, and starving children are like untamed animals.) I did super well yesterday, but then ate some completely unnecessary candy. I wish I would have blown the calories on something more fun, like a homemade strawberry shortcake at our street fair, but I'll survive.

I love reading random trivia on all of your blogs, so here are 10 things you may not know about me.

1. I'm a Washington (state) native. Except for one brief year of college in California, I've lived here my entire life.
2. My favorite candy is Starburst. Yummmmmm.
3. My kids are 13 months & 1 day apart. I found out I was pregnant for the second time on my first day back from my maternity leave. Yes, we were using preventative measures. No, they clearly did not work. My OB was shocked, as were we. :-)
4. I'm obsessed with salt & pepper pistachios.
5. We do 95% of all of our grocery shopping at Costco. The average weekly bill is around $100, and a typical list looks like this: spinach, mixed greens, grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, a melon, apples, pears, mandarins, cucumber, baby carrots, bananas, milk, eggs, and whatever other non-weekly items we're out of. We're produce freaks.
6. I'm extremely anal & list-oriented. For example, I have a running inventory of both of the kids clothing (how many shirts, shorts, etc) in my purse, along with anything they need (size, color, etc) so I can always be on the lookout for a deal when shopping.
7. I get pedicures year-round. I try to do it myself, & I'm tragic, so I shell out the money to have it done.
8. When I went back to work after having kids, I hired someone to help us clean the house. We cut other items out of the budget, and this is the best money we spend.
9. We have a beach house at the Oregon coast. Going there is incredibly relaxing, and my favorite thing to do.
10. I played the following sports growing up: soccer, swimming, tennis, volleyball, track, softball (one very sad & pathetic season). I grew up in a small town & you could be on any team you wanted. :-) I used to be referred to in my family as "Jack of all trades, master of none" :-)

And now, please share random trivia about yourselves. I love hearing more about you guys!