I am a Runner.

I am a Runner. Who would have ever thought it? If you knew me growing up, you would never expect that I like to run...

I ran the 4 x 200 relay in middle school. We were not necessarily good. I've never been a long distance runner either. However, in early 2013, I started a couch to 5K program and I was hooked. Embarrassingly, after I had been running for over a year, I decided to get fit for some running shoes at the Manhattan Running company. I had been running in $40 Nikes from Pennys! Yikes! That just proves that I'm cheap and that running and working out like that was not what I had typically done up to that point!

One of my favorite moments was when I was shopping for shoes, I told the lady in the store that I am kinda running on a regular basis. I'm not necessarily a runner but I do run about betweeen 1-3 miles about 3 times a week. She looked at me and said, "Honey, you are a runner. If you run that much a week, you are a runner." That moment really blew me away. I am a runner. I am a runner!

Since that moment, I've since ran several more 5Ks. I've ran in every city I have traveled. Running outside in a new and different city is such an awesome experience... a little frightening sometimes, but awesome. Currently, I'm training for a half marathon. Crazy. Today was my longest run... 7 miles... I ran for over an hour! I was super proud of myself! I walked in the door and told JM - I made it! :) He was proud but not quite as excited as me.

Right before I started off on my run tonight. Isn't my KSU headband cute? 

One thing that makes the running bearable is my playlist. I have the iTunes app on my phone and it is the best money spent each month. I've decided to share my prized playlist below. And btw - JM listens to country when he runs - who does that?!?

I run this playlist on Shuffle

• Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne
• I'm not a huge Avril Lavigne fan, but this is a quick, fun song. 
• I Like That - Richard Vission & Static Revenger feat. Luciana 
• Hum... I actually don't love this song either. But - I think So You Think You Can Dance did a routine to this a few seasons ago. It keeps me going. Nevermind. I just YouTubed the dance and its clearly not the same song!
• Work B**ch - Britney Spears
• This song always seems to pop up when I'm wanting to slow down or quit. But Britney telling me I have to work to get there... apparently that works. 
• Titanium - David Guetta feat. Sia
• Roar - Katy Perry
• I don't love Katy Perry. It's a good run. Added bonus... David loves this song so I run through it thinking of him singing to it! 
• Fireball - Pitball
• Oh man. I love this song. It makes me want to Salsa. And I may have dancing arms a bit when in comes on. 
• Lose Yourself - Eminem
• I have a secret. Eminem is one of my guilty pleasures. 
• Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
• This makes me think of my Jodi who I taught in dance.
• Stand Up (For the Champions) - Right Said Fred
• So many things to say about this song. I love the 2003 K-State Football video to this song. It is awesome. I can't find it on YouTube... what's up with that? When I added this song to my playlist I couldn't believe Right Said Fred sings it...Doesn't he sing I'm Too Sexy? 
• WTF (Where They From) - Missy Elliott
• My Missy. Love me some Missy Elliott. 
• Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
• I want to see Bruno Mars in concert. I hear he puts on a great show!
• Wake Me Up - Avicii
• A little slow... a balance song. 
• Come Get It Bae - Pharrell Williams
• This is another one of those "kick in the butt songs." It also used to be my ringtone. :)
• Good for You - Selena Gomez
• I like this song. My friend doesn't like this song because it paints a picture of making yourself look good specifically for a guy. I totally get what she's saying. When this song comes on I always feel a little guilty. I tell myself... looking good for me, looking good for me. :) 
• Love You Like a Love Song - Selena Gomez
• Same Old Love - Selena Gomez
• Have you caught on that I love Selena Gomez. 
• Glam - Christina Aguilera
• And my girl Christina. 
• Wild Wild West - Escape Club
• Much better than the other Wild Wild West
• Talk Dirty - Jason Derulo
• Want to see him in concert! NOW! 
• Wiggle - Jason Derulo feat. Snoop Dawg
• This song wants me to run of my big fat butt. 
• Want to Want Me - Jason Derulo
• Have you seen the Jason Derulo and Luke Bryan sing off of this? HOT!
• Lips Are Movin - Meghan Trainor
• Better When I'm Dancing - Meghan Trainor
• Probably my favorite song of 2015. LOVE! It's everything better when you are dancing? I may have some dancing arms during this one as well. 
• Cake by the Ocean - DNCE
• This is my Dilly's favorite song. 
• Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) - Us3
• I swear this was a opening number song from when I was younger. 
• Remind Me Who I Am - Jason Gray
• I love an eclectic range on music.  
• Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
• Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• Another kick in the butt song. 
• Work It - Missy Elliott

You are welcome. 

Marital bliss.We took off last Friday and had a great jog on the Konza Trail in MHK. It was a fun time together. 

Barefoot - Elin Hildenbrand

I've read several books this year already. I'm going to have to write about all of them at some point... but today is for Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand.


Barefoot was at the top of the bestseller list for quite some while. My expert opinion? It was okay. It had good character development and I was interested. It just didn't keep me wanting to read it. I love a book that sticks with you for days/weeks. A book that makes me question other things in life or at least jumps out at me in random times of the day. This book just didn't do that for me.

I laughed and cried at the appropriate moments and liked it just fine. But it was just that... a just fine book. I enjoy a good Sunday afternoon read, this book almost made that mark. The book was enjoyable, just drug out a bit too long to be considered that coveted "Sunday afternoon read" title.

I didn't do a great job in "selling" this book. But if you are interested... Amazon has it here. I vote getting it from the library. :) 

AM

What I Learn From Timehop

Who doesn't love Timehop? I first signed up for Timehop thinking it would be a fun way to reminisce and watch the boys grow. I knew I would have some sad moments remembering when the boys were little and would get some smiles from memories with friends throughout the years. What I've been surprised by is what I've learned about what I didn't see when it was happening.

I have close friends. I've always been a good friend and have been friendly with those around me. Because of that, I've felt like I have many friends and a few close friends. When I look back on my years in college, it's a blur. My time was spent working, dancing (both teaching and on Classy Cats), and going to school. Boys were a big part of my time too. But when I look back, relationships are not at the front of my memory.

Timehop tells a different story. Every day I'm surprised at the moments I forgot. The moments of friendship, quick stories and general hanging out that meant so much at the time. It still means a lot now. While some of my "remember whens" are with friends I've lost touch with, it makes me feel a connection to them, and that time, all again. Its like opening a present that generates a smile, feels a little sad/wistful and hold a whole lot of blessings.

My Timehop from 02.03.2016. 

Dillon the Villain - in front of the fireplace... who can resist a freshly bathed baby?!? 

The sweetest hug I've ever encountered. 

This must be the Day of the Dillon. What a precious little guy!

I still concur. Age 23 was pretty damn awesome. 

Dave still picks his nose... and wears Dillon's pants. They fit a little better now!

Gold Fork was Houlihans when I was in college. Does anyone remember $5 Long Islands on Fridays... OMG!

Nichole shows up on my Timehop on the regular. I miss her. A true friend who would stick up for you... and tell you when you had salad in your teeth! Honesty is such a great quality.

I wonder what my daily time capsule will bring me tomorrow? 

Finding Joy in Everyday Life

Life is not always butterflies and roses. Regular life is not trips or vacations, fun and exciting days or meals out on the town and days filled of the whole family getting along. Life is difficult and messy and not always full of pleasant things.

However, each day has a bright spot. Even in the most mundane or bleak day, there is a what my mom would call a "God Wink" that shows He's there with you.

Yesterday was a long day for me. It wasn't a bad day... it was just a day. I ran late, I dealt with issues at work... I got grumpy with my kids. But when I was pulling into town after working an extended day (and not making my necessary decompressing run), JM called me up and told me we had a new neighbor... our neighbors got a new Yellow Lab! It was definitely the bright spot in my whole day, and my "Joy" in the regular.

Tonight - I read one of my favorite books, "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" with David. I snuggled him for an extra 5 minutes then ran upstairs to read, "Horton Hears a Who" and snuggle with my Dillon. Best. Part. Of. My. Day.

Book Review - More of the same

I love to read. Since my last book post, I've joined a book club. The ladies are awesome. It's a diverse group of ages, backgrounds and careers - with a very important tie... we love to read. My book club has helped me branch out into new books that I wouldn't have normally picked.

However, when in a book drought, I always lean back into my favorite author. Nora Roberts was one of my first "adult reads" and she has always been there with an easy read that takes me to another land. One thing I love about NR, she has a ton of books that have a magical, futuristic or a little "out there" twist to them. I enjoy the romantic story line with a little extra pizzazz built in.

Enter my latest NR read... and book one of 2016!

Buy it here. 

Stars of Fortune was great! I read it quickly and enjoyed it quite a bit. The book follows along a typical NR trilogy story line. Six people randomly find each other and form a group to fight whatever dark forces are that threaten them/society. Book one - the first couple hooks up (and so on and so forth). While it may be boring to follow such a predictable story line, NR changes it up each book with the magical. In this book we have a witch (or magician), mermaid, transporter, lycan, etc. Together they fight the evil Goddess that wants to take over the world and have eternal youth.

A quick, easy and enjoyable read - I always will pick up a NR book for lazy weekend at home.

Back in Action

I miss my blog. I miss the random diary entries that I feel compelled to share my opinion and our every days going-ons. Life changes and different things take priority. 2015 was not a year that I focused on me and what I need to be a great Amanda. I was a good mom, employee, wife, and daughter, not necessarily in that order, but I wasn't the best "me".

As you may know, I get a lot of passion in having a goal and working towards it or at least having an overarching narrative for what I want my life to be. I think this blog helps me be accountable to that goal or narrative.

So without futher ado.... I'm back. And here are a few things that have been happening over the past few months.

We had Christmas for my side of the family at our house. It was a wonderful day of yummy food (JM smoked a turkey!) games and hanging out with family. It really made my whole Christmas season to have everyone to our house to celebrate the holiday. 

I snuggled my Dilly by the fire. He seems to have me wrapped around his little finger. I mean - who could resist those eyes!

JM and I had season tickets to the K-State Football games again this year. And...we bought two more so we could bring our rowdy boys along. This game was pretty cold so the boys got to stay home. 

I took my Dave on a Mommy/Son date. We dressed nice, ate at a Japanese Steakhouse and went to a movie. It was an awesome Sunday date and I can't wait to take him out again. 

I got to be a Classy Cat again! And guess what? I still knew ALL the dances. Oh how I miss those days! It was great fun to dance with all the "old timers" and watch the band receive the Stutler Award. 

The boys fooled around at Christmas. :)

I'll be back soon with more words, diary entries and opinions. :)

Twiddling my Thumbs

Every time I start a blog post I think it should start...
"So it's been awhile since I've posted" or "I've decided to come out from under the rock that I like to hide."

I do, however, have a great reason (this time) as to why I've been absent from this online journal I call my blog... I have been studying for the last 4 months for the PHR (Professional in Human Resources) certification exam. I took the test on Tuesday and PASSED! I was so relieved, excited, and proud that all my hard work paid off! The passing grade was preliminary, I should get my official results in the mail within 2-4 weeks. The exam was not what I was expecting, so it should be interesting to see what my actual score for the exam was.

But now... I'm twiddling my thumbs. When I would normally have a book or flash cards out to study, I'm wandering around the house trying to figure out my next project. So... I'm gong to start working on my 2014 goals.

The picture I sent to my parents, Jeremy and a few friends to let them know I passed. :)

A couple of years ago, I worked on monthly goals that were all directed towards yearly goals. (In the HR performance planning world we would call these short term objectives and long term goals... obviously my mind is still stuck in my books.)

Without further ado... My May Goals

Since there is only 10 days left they are small but mighty...

• Read one book and write a review on it
• Have a garage sale - aka - get rid of our junk/clean the house/ORGANIZE!

Dave also had a big day on Tuesday... I should not let his graduation from preschool be diminished by my test taking... I didn't get any pictures on my phone, but did snap a picture of his "When I Grow Up" picture made with Aunt Boo, the preschool teacher. 

Dave's "When I Grow Up" dreams were: 

"I want to work at the new McDonald's in Topeka. I will probably make $101.00"

and

"I will be 70... that comes after 69. That is when I want to go to space, too." 

Yes - my son aspires to work at McDonald's then go to space. First, they must reinstate the space program. :)

 And just a few more pictures...

The boys love their Papa Sam. We are so lucky they have awesome grandparents (on each side) that love them and are genuinely interested in all that they do. 

Selfie Day at the park in AV

Stitch Fix Review #1

It happened. I took the plunge. I have been eyeing Stitch Fix for a while now and finally decided to sign up! It took about a month to get my first fix, but, it came in the mail yesterday!!!

If you don't know what Stitch Fix is, basically it is an online personal shopper/stylist. You fill out a brief survey with your measurements, sizing and answer style questions and then they send you clothes that meet your profile. Actually, it's as simple as that! I also took the tips from other blogs that I had read, prior to taking the "plunge", and referenced a Pinterest page that had my style preferences on it. Or at least, what I want my style to be. If you are interested in trying Stitch Fix, you can use my referral link https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3113982 to get to the website and you can sign up!

And here are my fixes!

KALEIGH ANKLE BITER SKINNY JEAN - $88

First of all... I am not a selfie taker. This is my first selfie in the mirror try. So I apologize. Next time, I'll wash the rug in the bathroom and maybe make the bed. :) 

These pants fit awesome. I LOVE the way they feel and fit. Super stretchy and I think I'd wear them all the time. There are two negatives though... 1. The color. These are a great blush color. I actually like the color, except it almost looks like I'm not wearing pants! 2. The color/tightness. Because these are a bit lighter in color they show EVERYTHING on the backs of my legs. I tried to take a picture of the back so you could see how it hugs my legs. Gross, but I think I could see a bit of hail damage through these pants. :)

STATUS - Returning

MONI STUD DETAILED 3/4 SLEEVE BLOUSE - $58 

 I love this shirt! Great material and hangs really well. Interestingly, this is the LAST item I thought I would keep from first glance. 

With jeans. Would be great for a date night, if we get one of those soon. 

Love the detail on the sleeves. I tried to get a good picture of the sleeves because they are so cute!

My stylist/the style card that came with the shirt indicated to wear it with a skirt (it had an emerald one) so I tried it with this orangy/pink one. It actually looks better in the picture than it does on. The skirt has a texture to it and I'm not sure I like it with the shirt. 

This feels a little "safe" to me, but I actually like this look quite a bit and would probably wear it to work as well.
STATUS - Keeping

 THOMSEN STRIPED PULLOVER SWEATER - $54

I am on the fence with this one. I really like the fit, color and material. The stripes on the arms are black and the stripes on the body of the sweater are blue, which makes it SUPER coordinatable. However, I don't know that it will wash well - and I am not the greatest at clothing maintenance in the first place. 

With skinny jeans and a polka dot scarf. 

Black skinny pants, long necklace and flats. This would be perfect for a day at the zoo with the boys or runny errands/shopping. 

 STATUS - Ho Hum... what to do? 

MILO BIRD PRINT PLEATED DETAIL SKIRT - $48

I love the print in this skirt. It's navy blue with birds on it. But, I don't love the way it fits me. My butt looks big. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's the material or the cut but I'm not feeling it. Five points if you can find my personal stylist (Dillon-the-Villain) sitting on the counter watching me. :) 

I may need a second opinion on this one. I do plan on taking it to work and having my friend Lyndse give me her two cents before making a final decision. 

STATUS - Leaning towards NO.

LANETTE ENAMEL BOW EARRINGS - $28

These are Kate Spade earrings but are very similar to the ones that were in my fix. These earrings can be found here and are $39. 

These earrings are actually quite a bit out of my comfort zone but I really like them. I've been wanting to stretch a little out of my comfort zone, especially in the jewelry arena and I think this is a great first step. 

STATUS - Keeping

So there you go... my first stitch fix. A few things I didn't mention above... When you receive your fix, they also send styling cards that give you several ideas for how to mix and match your fixes with what you already have. This is AWESOME for me because I struggle with pairing with new things or thinking "outside of the box." Also, you get to give feedback when you check out with your purchases. So the fixes are supposed to get better each time. Woo hoo!

Dark Witch: Book One of The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy

As I've mentioned, I LOVE to read. My mom has pictures of me as a young girl sitting on the floor of my room with a bag of potato chips (my other true love in life) and a book. I would just sit and read for HOURS if I could. A good friend's mom was posting on Facebook earlier this year about her goal to read so many books in a week. I seriously think she was wanting to read seven books in seven days. That led me to one of my resolutions/goals for this year. READ 52 BOOKS IN 2014!

Here is my brief snoypsis of book 1:

Book One: 

Dark Witch: Book One of The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts

Buy it here

I'm a big fan of Nora Roberts. She writes a wide variety of books within the romance genre. She writes a "warm fuzzy" quartet of  "The Bride Quartet", some graphic/creepy novels, like "Montana Sky" and even a futuristic/murder mystery series by a psyeudomen, J.D. Robb. I absolutely love the J.D. Robb books and usually read the newest book within a month or so of when it is released. 

If you liked the Twilight books, Nora Roberts writes a series that I find very similar in the fact that I believe there are vampires, warlocks, etc., and still a great love story. It is called "The Circle Triology." The "Dark Witch" is the first of a triology and somewhat reminded me of "The Circle Triology". It is similar to all of Nora Robert's books in that there is a family type of setting, some drama, and a love story. In this book, the drama encompasses the fact that the main character is a witch, a good one, and is just finding herself. She moves to Ireland to find more about her roots and finds her two cousins, who are also witches. The three of them, and three of their friends, conspire and take on a evil witch who wants to steal their power.

Really that sums up the book. I like an easy read, and this was it. It was good and I'm waiting for the next one to come out. However, it doesn't have ANYTHING in it to make you think about it later on in the day, week or month. Basically, it's like a reality tv show. It's a good mindless way to spend your time. Which is something that I actually want every once in a while.

-AM

New Year, Improved Me...

Each year I like to make New Year's Resolutions. Usually I like to do it on MY new year, my birthday. However, that did not happen this year. Since I was apparently too busy in September for thinking of "improvements" to my life, I went ahead and made some resolutions in 2014. 

On the way home one day shortly before the end of the year, I was feeling quite upset. If you asked me now, I couldn't tell you what I was upset about, but at the time... it seemed BIG. Maybe it was something that happened at work, or Jeremy and I were in an argument, who knows? That unhappy drive home from work led me to exactly what my focus is for 2014.... I'm sure there is a direct quote out there in the universe that says this much more eloquently than me but all I could think was, "No one can create your happiness, it comes from within." That thought lead me straight to my 2014 Resolutions, that were set completely around what makes my smile bigger. 

• Run 10 miles a week. 
• Last year, I made a resolution to become a healthier me. I started running. It was awful. Not pretty at all. Surprisingly though, I liked it. I felt better about myself and even lost some weight. It's hard to find time to run though. So I'm making a pointed effort to run (jog) every week and log 10 miles. *Note - It's 02.25.14 and I have not yet made it to 10 miles in one week yet. Fail. :(
• Read 52 books this year. 
• I LOVE to read. It is probably my favorite pastime. I love romance novels, murder mysteries, drama, science fiction, pretty much anything. I want to ready 52 books this year. I've already made it through four. I'm busy right now with work so I may have to do a catch up this fall in order to get a whole 52 books in before next year. I also fully intend to do a quick re-cap of the books that I've read. I have one written so I'll have to post it soon!
• Meal Planning
• Cooking is one of my favorite things, however, getting it done in a timely manner when we get home from work seems pretty impossible. I'm not one of those pre-cooker types, at least not yet. When the boys are playing sports I may be a super freezer cooker. But for now, just knowing what is actually for dinner instead of deciding about it at noon each day is a weight off my shoulders.
• Walk away when I want to yell. 
• Having two boys in our house at times can be a bit challenging. And this momma is not the most patient person. I truly want to be the most understanding and awesome mom in the world, but also want the boys to respect me. It is hard to find the right balance of being strict while still being the loving, snuggly mom I want to be. So, when I feel like I'm going to get upset and it's not warranted, I am trying to walk away. 

Honestly, the resolutions I set for this year have had me feeling a little selfish. The first two are things that actually may take me away from my family... I have a problem reading when the boys are up and nap times don't take very long anymore! And Jeremy is awesome and lets me take a run at night when we get home from work (I'll do this after the boys are in bed when it's light out in the spring/summer). But, that is just less time with the boys on an already short night. The last two resolutions are for our whole family. I don't feel selfish about those, at all. Such the life of a mom. Running and reading are not selfish things at all, but man is it hard to recognize that doing stuff for "me" is just as important as doing things for everyone else too. 

Oh yeah... keeping up with this blog thing is on the list as well. :) 

Revenge

My husband...

Do I love him more than anything in this world? Yes. 

Does he drive me crazy (on purpose) most days? Yes. 

Enter trip to Kansas City to the Royals game a few weekends ago. All I wanted was a nice picture of the two of us but the hubby was purposely being uncooperative. What I got is below... Warning - this is not pretty.

I give up. 

Big Boy Dave

Dave turned four two weeks after my Dillon turned two. It's so fun to watch him grow up, but yet painful to realize how fast time is flying by. For Dave's birthday party, we just did a low key cake and ice cream at our house. 

All David wanted for his birthday was a Mario cake. Mommy delivered... after crafting this amazing (ha) beauty into the wee hours of the morning. However, I will say that I used a marshmallow fondant recipe that I found here and it tasted pretty darn good and was easy to manipulate. 

After Dave blew out the candles I asked him what he wished for... "I don't know!" he replied. :)  - Photo taken by Papa Sam

Love this picture of the guys (that's Grandpa in the background) supervising.
- Photo taken by Papa Sam

 

PRESENTS!!!

Daddy gave Dave a tackle box.

I had been telling Dave that right after his birthday we would go to see a movie. I secretly and selfishly want the boys to love going to the movies so I have some movie watching partners. Jeremy is not one to go to the movies (we've only been to one since we got married!) and although I have some friends that like to go, it can be difficult to plan times out to do that. 

We saw Monster's University. It was good, not as good as Monster's Inc, but David was pretty good throughout the whole thing. I think if there wasn't 30 minutes of previews prior to the movie, he would have made it through the whole thing without any attention issues. 

Obviously we saw it in 3D. I wish we wouldn't have spent the extra money and would have just seen it in 2D because Dave wasn't that impressed and neither was I. 

The kid put away some popcorn. :) We have one of those popcorn buckets  (refills for $3.50) and I swear Dave ate 3/4 of it all by himself. Funny side note, he was a little bored towards the end of the movie and started freaking out because he had shoved popcorn up his nose! I had to use my phone to get some light so I could dig out a couple of kernels. I would have really hated to be the people in front of us!

The boys got these sweet bean bag chairs from Granny Lolly, Mike and the girls for their birthdays. They LOVE them.