She Runs By Faith

The snow. It's here! Today is a whopping 0°F but I can't complain. The snow and cold are just a reminder that I do in fact live in northern Minne(snow)ta! I was starting to wonder on those 40 degree November days. Besides Monday and Tuesday morning last week, the weather has been too cold to play outside with the little ones. We have managed to keep busy and burn their energy while indoors. Our basement is what I call the "rec room". We run, play hockey, have ball wars and run some more. Anything to burn off toddler energy. We have baked TWO batches of "birthday cookies" for Jesus (you know, because I only have birthday sprinkles in the house!) and the sugar rush is running strong here. Pinterest rejects on the left. Pretty cookies on the right. I ran on the treadmill during the blizzard days last week and only made it for one outdoor run. As boring as it may be, I'm thankful to have the treadmill as an alternative to freezing my tail ...

December is here, snow is flying and the days 'til Christmas are counting down. Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year! I love making memories with family and friends, reading stories to the kids cozied up by the Christmas tree and remembering to be thankful for these special relationships and for the ultimate gift of all, Jesus Christ. We've been baking "birthday cookies" for Jesus this week and the kids love it! Maybe you have all of your Christmas shopping finished OR perhaps you're scrambling for a creative gift idea. Wherever you are in that broad spectrum, finding the perfect gift to bless someone special can be a daunting task! Today I want to share a list of my favorite Swanson Health products to help you on the "perfect gift search". I love Swanson Health's variety of health products and their affordable prices. Simple, thoughtful and health-minded gift ideas that don't break the bank! Plus,  Swanson Health is spr...

It's a wonderful surprise when a package shows up on your doorstep. Especially when coffee is involved! A couple weeks ago I had my first taste of Tayst Coffee. Tayst Coffee Roaster is a monthly subscription coffee service that offers a wide variety of products for Keurig and Nespresso machines. Check out all of blends they have available  here . What sets Tayst apart is their 100% compostable Purpod100™. I was really impressed! It has a unique look but functions just like the standard k-cup design... only better. On their website, Tayst states, "Our Mesh is special! Unlike the punch hole most single serve cups use, our mesh filter allows for even water filteration producing fuller flavors and smoother mouth feel." I tried a few different blends and the  Bold & Brazen and Medium & Magnificent were my top picks. Could I "Tayst" the difference with this mesh design? Yes. The Tayst coffee has a deep, full flavor and makes Keurig c...

I have some exciting news for the upcoming year: I have been selected to be a 2017 BibRave Pro Ambassador! What's BibRave all about? "BibRave is a running community that connects runners with the best races!  It's the place to research races you’re considering signing up for, and a place to leave feedback on races you’ve completed. BibRave is also a way for races and running brands to connect with socially savvy runners - through our popular weekly Twitter chat, #BibChat, and our large ambassador network - BibRave Pros." Bibrave.com The BibRave Pros are a team of “socially-savvy individuals who LOVE to race!” Be sure to stop by Bibrave.com to share your own reviews and check out my reviews by  clicking here . A few perks of being on this team are the community, the FREE race entries and the FREE running gear! For 2017, I will be sharing my usual training log and race reports along with new gear/product reviews and great discounts as a BibRave Pro . I...

The week after Thanksgiving has been a blur! I still don't feel caught up but we have jumped back into a "normal" routine again. Monday was a shock to the kids' system after 5 days at Grandma and Grandpa's farm! Here are a FIVE highlights from this (actually the past two) week: What We Did " Qwirkle " went from a boardgame gathering dust in our game closet to a new favorite, thanks to Leah's Qwirkle preschool learning ideas ! She has great suggestions for sorting and other fun activities with the Quirkle game squares. (Sorry, I don't have any pictures!) A little clothespin reindeer project turned out really cute and I will share more next week - see picture above :) We spent time outdoors searching for Oak trees, the Outdoor Hour Challenge 's topic of the week, and building forts in the woods over the past two weeks. Though we couldn't find a single acorn (fat squirrels!!!), we DID find oak leaves and some other treasures! ...

W wore a "man bun" while reading about Mr. Hamilton (must have been the style back then!). Besides being the face of the $10 bill, I knew very little about Alexander Hamilton until reviewing Jeff Wilser's book, Alexander Hamilton's Guide to Life . This book is a comedic biography that gives the reader a look into the personality, personal life, and attitudes of our first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Each chapter is broken into topics from self-improvement and career advancement to romance and leisure. Alexander Hamilton's Guide to Life paints a picture of this arrogant, assertive, and brilliant man's life and puts the fun back into biography reading. He sounds like a pompous jerk but he knew his stuff. And, no, he wasn't one of our Presidents ;) Learn more about Alexander Hamilton's Guide to Life . I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own. 

Our first snow finally showed up! I made the first footprints down the sidewalk on an early morning rainy and snowy run. The roads were slick and slushy but it was a refreshing change of season. I like snow in November and am quite sick of it by March. Christmas lights are here and there around town and I'm definitely listening to Christmas music every day. Our lights and mini tree are going up this week, too! The kids and I made a snowman and enjoyed the fresh snow "crunch" under our boots but soon after... Our snow was gone. The happy little snowman is now a lonely single snowball surrounded by green grass. The time with my family was wonderful and my mom even managed to herd our entire group for family pictures. My husband and I took a rare picture together as just the two of us. It was like engagement pictures all over again. We're just 5 years older, that's all ;) I ate too many slices of pumpkin pie but 'tis the season. I snuck in a...

Parts of Minnesota were nailed by snow last Friday (2 feet in some areas!) but we ended up with nothing. Not even an inch! I'm thankful we missed the big stuff and didn't lose power — I feel for those who are still without — but secretly I am excited for our first snow of the winter. Looks like it's coming tonight and just in time for Thanksgiving. A non-training routine has formed in my running/cross training and finding a rhythm again feels awesome. That first month after the marathons made me feel like a chicken with my head cut off. Do I want to workout (Um, no)? How far should I run? What pace? An easy run again? AHHH Where is the training plan?! Transitioning from the training plan to "free running" feels awkward. It's a process. For the sake of fitness, and without anything of the competitive sort in the near future, here's the rhythm I'm sticking to: Easy Run (30 to 60 minutes) Yoga/XT Speed or Hill Intervals (30 minutes) Yog...

We were on the hunt for Maple leaves and their helicopter seeds (or "samaras") for this week's Outdoor Hour Challenge . Maple by Lori Nichols was our book of the week. This is one of our favorites about a little girl named Maple and her baby sister, Willow. We collected leaves of many different colors on our Fall walk two weeks ago: When we went out on another walk last week to check our leaves, the soft and colorful leaves are now mostly brown and very crunchy. And it was quite cold and windy! Finally it feels like November. We had a great time searching for these leafy treasures and will be on the lookout for Oaks and Acorns  in the upcoming week. The kids love going "hunting" for the perfect leaves! This week I also reviewed three learning resources for Academics' Choice. Here are my thoughts on these products by Rock N' Learn, Heidi Songs and Oceanhouse Media: Rock N' Learn Letter Sounds Silly Sentences Learning the alpha...