Running the Distance

Now that I am equipped with a running stroller, our daily run will be so much better.  We are going longer and further than normal.  Now that I can go further distances, I need to know just how far I am going.  I think for Christmas I am going to ask santa for a running gps watch with heart rate monitor.  I love great gadgets, and this one is so useful.  I like to know where I have gone, how long it has taken, and how many calories I likely burned.  Of course, Garmin makes great GPS items, and their watches are no different.  They are the perfect mate for running, and they aren't too bulky.  I can't wait to have an accurate account of the distance that we have run in an easy to use gps watch.  What do you use to track your runs, walks or other exercises?  Do you prefer handheld devices or watches?  I would love to hear your feedback!  Gotta run, literally!

A little something for myself

With all the holiday shopping going on, I find that it is important to remember yourself.  In the midst shopping for family gifts, I did a little search for shoes for myself.  I enjoy browsing the internet for the perfect pair.  It is almost a calming venture when looking for a new pair of running shoes, or even some sandals.  I like knowing that I am carving out time for me now as I shoe shop, and time later to go running.   It is a great way to relax and also keep the holiday pounds at bay.  Of course, you can search for any kind of shoes you want.  That is not the best part.  The best part is you can narrow your search in many different ways, like my favorite price!  Depending on my mood I like to sort my shoe search by color.  That way I can see all the blue running shoes first.  How do you like to shoe shop?  Are you a brick and mortar shopper or do you prefer the solitude of online shopping?  I know that I prefer the online shopping, no crowds, no hassle returns, and I love to get packages in the mail.  It is a win-win situation for me.  The added bonus of  shoe therapy is that it is one way to calm my nerves, it is like the reset button.  Once I am done browsing, I can go back to the task at hand, in this case shopping for family holiday gifts.  Maybe I could get some shoes for a few people, two birds one stone!  Perfect!

No Fail Gift Giving

I think we have all given someone a present and watched them open it.  Have you ever seen the face of someone who did not like the present, but suddenly realized they needed to make it seem as if they did like it?  I am sure.  It is hard to find gifts for a person that has everything.  How about that co-worker that is new and you just happened to draw their name in secret santa. There are a few presents that are no fail, one of them being my eco friendly coffee cozies, the other being chocolate.  Except for the rare few that are not chocolate fans, there is something to be said for good candy.  First it is consumable, so it is not going to be sticking around until next year, secondly you can always share it with your friends!  I know that there are several people on my list that will be getting candy this year.  I have one or two friends that are not chocolate fanatics like me, so they will be getting a fun bundle of peanut brittle this holiday season.  If you can't find the perfect gift this year, try some candy, it might surprise you!

Just a big kid

Guest post written by Jeramy Sparks

When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was go outside and have some fun with friends. We would either have a pick-up game of baseball or basketball or make up a new game. It just all depended on who was there at that particular time and how active or lazy we were all feeling. The older we got, we all started to assume more responsibilities and our pick-up games started to decrease in frequency. College studies, new careers, marriages and finally having our own children sort of got in the way of our quality time with friends. Not long ago, I was stressed because of work situations and my husband losing some hours at his own work. We talked about it one night and decided that we were part of the problem. We redid our budget, cut back on a few things, and added fun back into our lives as well. We both joined our community's adult baseball league. Since not too many participated, it was open to both men and women who were above the age of 25. This was one of the best decisions we could have made. We would load the kids up in the car after we set the home security alarm from Home-Alarm-Systems.com/. Once we got to the field, a volunteer group of parents would watch all the kids while the rest of us practiced or played. We have been doing this for the last six years now and we couldn't be happier!

A place to reflect.

My garden is growing at a record pace.  Being that it is finally a place to hang out, I need a place to sit and relax.  I was thinking that on the path that winds through the flowers would be a perfect place for a few garden benches.  That way I could sit on the stone benches and watch the butterflies float by.  I love to just sit and reflect on the day during the peaceful mornings or in the late afternoon.  The mornings are cool enough to want a warm cup of joe while enjoying the garden.  There are many types of benches you could choose for your garden, I like stone garden benches.  I like that they don't require any maintenance and over time they get a great patina.  There are memorial benches at the park that are amazing.  They look like they have been there for ever, and they have this sort of greenish patina in the detail crevasses.  It is so earthy, and natural.  I would love form my benches to look like that some day.

A place to reflect.

My garden is growing at a record pace.  Being that it is finally a place to hang out, I need a place to sit and relax.  I was thinking that on the path that winds through the flowers would be a perfect place for a few garden benches.  That way I could sit on the stone benches and watch the butterflies float by.  I love to just sit and reflect on the day during the peaceful mornings or in the late afternoon.  The mornings are cool enough to want a warm cup of joe while enjoying the garden.  There are many types of benches you could choose for your garden, I like stone garden benches.  I like that they don't require any maintenance and over time they get a great patina.  There are memorial benches at the park that are amazing.  They look like they have been there for ever, and they have this sort of greenish patina in the detail crevasses.  It is so earthy, and natural.  I would love form my benches to look like that some day.

Rusted!

We have been holding on to our car, not wanting to buy a new one.  We bit the bullet and took it in for repairs.  We were prepared, or so we thought, for how much it was going to cost.  After it sat in the shop for a day they called back and told us they could not fix it.  Everything they needed to do required bolting something to the subframe, which really doesn't exist anymore.  I guess that is what you get for living in the snow belt for 10 years.  So we have driving the car literally into the ground, there is no hope.  They said it would take  10,000 dollars to fix everything that was wrong with it, and frankly it is not worth it.  So our car hunt continues, as we limp along with one vehicle for a few more weeks.  This, if you have read previous posts, has been going on for sometime.  We are always on the look out for the best car for our needs.  We knew this day would come.  Now for some decisions, do we go high with the Cadillac Cts  or do we stay on budget with the more affordable Hyundai Azera.  I am not sure what car is best for the sonatas replacement, do you think we need more seating, or something cute and fun like the VW Jetta.  Since we are doing ok with one car for now we will do some research, I need more info before I can make the correct decision.  

Catching Up

Guest post written by Ann Helsing

My neighbor and I both have daughters around the same age, so we like to give them ample time to play together when we can. WeÕre old friends (I've lived on the block for years we both have, even before we both got married and had kids!) so we appreciate the time to get together for ourselves, too. Well, last night Sherri came over and brought her daughter, as usual. We had a great time catching up as the girls played house.

As we got to talking, Sherri mentioned that she and her husband had been up to a pretty intensive redesign over at their place. She said they'd been going to sears home improvement nearly every day! Their project sounds pretty fun, though, they're hoping to give their home a whole new, sophisticated feel. I told her that sounded like a great idea, and that I was kind of jealous! I'll have to start working on Peter to see if he'd want to do something similar. Either way, sounds like a fun project!

Snackin'

What is your toddlers favorite snack?  I am on the search for some good snacks for a 1 year old.  In the beginning he was the best eater ever.  He would eat avocado, squash, zuccini, cauliflower, peas, carrots, and hummus to name a few.  Then in the last few weeks he has gone from trying everything and liking it to snubbing almost everything.  Applesauce is our go-to food right now, but we really want him to branch out.  So at each meal time we try a few different items, if he "says" no (with his crazy head turning) then we move on to apple sauce, which he eats until we stop giving it to him.  I am convinced he would eat an entire jar in one sitting (we don't try that though).  So we want to try some new things, any suggestions?

Video Troubles

We love to shoot video of our almost 1 year old to share with the out of town relatives.  However, sometimes we have a difficult time converting it to a format in which everyone can view.  Everyone has different technology when it comes to watching the videos.  Some on Macs, some on PC, netbooks, and some just have a good old DVD player.  So I will have to try out a video converter so that I can make videos and movies easy for everyone to watch.  Since most of the computers our families have are mac's I will look into a video converter for mac, and make all these precious moments viewable for all!  I also want to try the iPad video converter, I think the iPad would be great for storing, editing and bringing along all my favorite videos.