Posts

Showing posts from January, 2015

Winter Running with a Stroller + Week 22 Update

Image
The end of January has been strangely warm with temps around the mid-20°F to 30°F's above zero ! After a little hesitation (it just seemed too good to be true), I brought the jogging stroller out of winter storage. Winter running with a jogging stroller is a little extra work but is definitely worth it to get some fresh air for you and the little one(s). This summer I wrote a post about tips for running with a jogging stroller and I am revisiting that today with a winter edition! 7 Tips for Running with a Jogging Stroller: Winter Edition 1. Check the Weather. Make sure it is in fact warm enough to take your little one outside in the jogging stroller and that there are no storms heading your way. My general rule of thumb is for the weather to be +30°F with low winds. Be sure to dress yourself and your child appropriately for the weather! 2. Use the Weather Shield. BOB makes an awesome weather shield that keeps the chilly wind off my toddler and keeps him a little warme

Conquering Unhealthy Food Cravings #dishthefit

Image
Cravings. They are a battle for non-pregnant people and pregnant women alike. It just so happens that my pregnancy with Baby #2 has been full of them!  My first pregnancy wasn't this craving-crazy. From mac & cheese to eggs with toast to popcorn, Chinese food and one day it was even Spaghettios (gross, I know...), I've been all over the board this time. Some view pregnancy as a free ticket to cave in to all of your cravings but that just creates more trouble when it comes to losing the baby weight. Plus, baby is eating everything you do and that is motivation enough to make healthy choices! The below Bible verse comes to mind when making food choices (and any choices in life!). I have the freedom to eat what I want and cave into cravings because, hey, I'm pregnant! But is it beneficial for the baby and myself? Is it constructive in working towards my fitness goals? Am I honoring God with my body by doing this? “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but no

Baby #2 Predictions + 21 Week Update

Image
We had Baby 2's ultrasound this week! The ultrasound tech gave E a mega-load of stickers for being such a good big brother. He sat relatively well, only broke one crayon and got stuck in the chair twice. We didn't find out Baby's gender but we can still have some fun making predictions! A little anticipation will help to pass the next months before Baby 2's arrival. The doctor said Baby 2 looks great and is measuring right on track! Baby 2's side profile, little feet and face I sent a mini survey around to my family and so far the general consensus is that we're having: Gender: Girl Eye Color: Brown Hair Color: Brown Weight: 6.5 to 7 lbs. Birth Day:  end of May As for me, I feel like we are having a girl this time due to my increased morning sickness, more intense pregnancy symptoms and being more tired than pregnancy #1. Then again, I also thought E was a girl and Leo guessed boy - he won a cheeseburger for guessing right. Baby&#

My 5 All-Time Best Health & Fitness Decisions #dishthefit

Image
It's Tuesday and that means we have our ultrasound for Baby #2 this afternoon! And it's time to #dishthefit with Jill and Jessica at the Fit Dish link-up. The topic for this week is to share your five all-time best health and fitness decisions. Here are my all-time best health/fitness-related decisions that I've ever made. Make sure to stop by the link-up to check out the other posts. This will be fun because everyone's list will be a little different! My 5 All-Time Best Health & Fitness Decisions 1. Waking Up! The 5:30 a.m. time slot is the best time for me to fit in time to read my Bible and run a few miles before the toddler tornado wakes up. It doesn't always feel good to wake up but I never regret starting my morning with God and a good run! 2. Just Signing Up. Having a goal race in mind keeps me focused and motivated to exercise on the days that I just don't feel like it. My love for running all started with signing up for a 5k

Blessed in the Mess + Week 20 Update

Image
This week went from routine to plain old chaos. I had started writing this post about our predictions for Baby #2 but that will have to wait til next week... Here's my attempt at making a long story short: Little E and I have been staying on Grandma and Grandpa's farm while Daddy is gone for training. Our Monday started with breakfast, visiting with Uncle Ry and a nice bath for E. During nap-time, I ran 4 miles on the treadmill and cleaned up the house (the aftermath of my toddler tornado). That evening, my mom and I went to Zumba together while Grandpa watched E. After Zumba, we picked up a pizza and went home to the guys. When we got in the house, it smelled like something electric was burning. I went upstairs to put on my sweats and the burning electrical smell was even stronger. My parents did some quick investigating in the house and heard crackling in the upstairs wall. Mom called 911 while I threw on E's winter clothes and ran him out to the van. E kept w

Enter the For Two Fitness New Year Giveaway!

Image
I am so excited to partner with For Two Fitness for an amazing New Year giveaway!. For Two Fitness has the most adorable maternity active-wear and they are easily my favorite maternity fitness apparel brand. For Two Fitness is running a phenomenal giveaway for the New Year. Read the details below. Happy New Year! We are so thankful to YOU — our community, customers, and friends. To express our thanks, we are hosting a huge giveaway this week in partnership with some amazing brands and our ambassadors. The Grand Prize is valued at $1000 . We have phenomenal prizes, including the newest offering from BOB - a Revolution FLEX jogging stroller - plus prizes from ASICS, Ergo and Maison Drake baby boutique, and For Two Fitness – all facets of your healthy mom lifestyle are in this prize pack! The grand prize winner will win everything you see listed here. Prizes have been furnished by our wonderful brand partners in connection with a sponsoring ambassador (Katie from Mom’s Little R

My Fitness Motivation Vision Board #dishthefit

Image
How are your 2015 resolutions going so far? We're nearing two weeks into January and in the coming week I'm joining up with the Tuesday Fit Dish link-up once again! We are sharing fitness related tips and the optional topic was to make a motivation vision board. Creating a vision board was a first for me and it was a blast. Basically my "vision board" is a collage of pictures that inspire and encourage me. Someday when E has more of an attention span for crafts, I hope we can create a hands-on motivation vision board to hang on the wall! Here's my motivation for keeping those 2015 resolutions: My Fitness Motivation Vision Board(s) My Faith: We are called to be good stewards of the bodies God has given us. My focus is to put Him first in my life and glorify Him in all I do - and that includes running and exercise! Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

Running in the 2nd Trimester + 18 Week Update

Image
We're back from church and all cozy at home now. The winter weather advisory from this weekend has passed and now it's just ridiculously cold. Prior to the blizzard weather, we have been blessed with some pleasant temps and sunshine. E got to play outside and he tried out his hockey skates for the first time on New Year's Day! I love making family memories like this! E's first skate at 22 months old! The next day I took our dog out for a 4-miler. The cold weather and our lack of playing outside has him a bit down in the dumps. A run cheers everyone up. These Yaktrax are the best invention ever for any of you cold weather-dwellers. It was very snowy and icy on our run. I definitely would have opted for the treadmill if I didn't have these Yaktrax! This is my second winter using them and I haven't slipped yet. Now if only they made them for dogs ;) Staying active in the second trimester has been good to me so far and helps so much with pregnan