Alexander Hamilton's Guide to Life {Book Review}

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 ;)


I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own. 

Hello, Goodbye Snow

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 few run and yoga sessions this week as keeping a routine helps to work through the holiday season.

Winter has been oddly warm so far but I'm still dreaming of a white Christmas. The snow and ice will arrive soon enough and then it will be time to break out the ice skates! E said he is going to play hockey by himself this year.


My Workout #WeeklyWrap:


11/21 MON: (Treadmill) 4 mi, 00:34 @ 08:24 pace.

11/22 TUES: Runner's Yoga (25:28)

11/23 WED: 5.01 mi, 00:43 @ 08:33 pace. I increased my pace between light posts but kept it relatively easy. Too icy for speedwork outside!

11/24 THURS: Happy Thanksgiving!

11/25 FRI: 5.17 mi, 00:46 @ 08:48 pace. My sister-in-law and I "ran off" some of the Thanksgiving treats and enjoyed our visiting time :) We are both quality time people and that run and a coffee date later that day were the best!

11/26 SAT: Runner's Yoga.

11/27 SUN: Off.

Did you run a "Turkey Trot" race this week?
What was a highlight of your Thanksgiving?

 Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

Finding the Non-Training Rhythm

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)
  • Yoga/XT
  • Long Run (60 minutes)
  • Optional Run or XT Day

The plan is laid back with enough structure to motivate me.

If I said I didn't have the urge to run another marathon in the Spring, I would be lying. That 3:15 is calling my name but it will take time and higher mileage than my past 40-mile training weeks to get there. My gut feeling says that now's not the time.

For everything there is a season, as Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:1. While I'm sure he wasn't talking about running, there are seasons when you are able to do less and when you are able to do more.

When I feel antsy — I am turning 30 in 6 months! — I am comforted by the words of a wise, green little philosopher... ;)

Image Source

Patience, indeed! As I count my blessings this week, these two Yoda-sized people are at the top of my list. I am ecstatic for this "short" week, upcoming time with family and hopefully a large portion of pumpkin pie.


May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of family, friends, and food!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. PSALM 107:1


My Workout #WeeklyWrap:


11/14 MON: (Treadmill) 5 mi, 00:40 @ 08:00 pace.

 As weird as it sounds, I have really been enjoying the treadmill lately!

11/15 TUES: Runner's Yoga (25:28) while the kids napped AT THE SAME TIME. It was a miracle!

11/16 WED: (Treadmill) 3.61 mi, 00:30 @ 08:19 pace.

Speed and hill intervals of 400m with 400m jog after. I plan to work in one low mileage speed or hill session each week now.

11/17 THURS: Runner's Yoga.

11/18 FRI: Off.

11/19 SAT: 8 mi, 01:02 @ 07:42 pace.


11/20 SUN: Off.

What are YOU thankful for?
What goal are you chasing these days?

 Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

Maple Leaves & Helicopter Seeds + Academics' Choice Review

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 alphabet letters and sounds is right up our alley in this almost-four-year-old stage. E loves this book's "game show" style and asks to read this book many times a day. The sentences are indeed silly and the accompanying pictures prove to be entertaining. This is a board book which is great when you have little siblings around trying to destroy everything.

Along with the Letter Sounds Silly Sentences board book, Rock N' Learn has many other resources from Pre-K to 5th Grade & Up. I haven't checked out their DVDs yet but I would be interested in exploring their "Learn a Language" resources. The website also has some printable freebies.

Rock N' Learn's Letter Sounds Silly Sentences board book is a great resource for developing pre-literacy skills. We give it a thumbs up.


Sing & Spell the Sight Words DVDs


The kids and I tested out Volumes 1,2 and 4 of Heidi Songs' Sing & Spell Animated DVDs. Through singing, simple movements and repetition, these songs are designed to help children memorize the words and jumpstart their reading and writing skills.

Each volume that I review covers the words listed:

Volume One: and, are, can, for, go, have, he, here, is, like, me, my, of, on, play, said, see, she, that, the, they, to, was, with, you and I'm Done (the Period Song.)

Volume Two: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, white, gray, pink, an, at, big, do, down, has, in, it, no/yes, not, small, this, too, up, we, what, who.

Volume Four: A (word), all, am, as, be, by, came, dear, did, friend, from, good, had, his, I (word), if, love, made, nice, now, out, over, put, some, then, very, will, and your.

E and even W were enthralled by all the action on the screen but they preferred to just watch rather than imitate the motions for each song. I thought the Sing & Spell DVDs were very busy, certainly repetitious - and quite annoying. They were fine to review but I would not buy them myself.


One Fish Two Fish Read & Learn App


This was one of my favorite Dr. Seuss' books as a kid and I still love reading Dr. Seuss to my kids. As I mentioned in my review of The Lorax app, I am not a fan of putting cell phones or iPads in front of my children. Children enjoy working through this interactive book (doesn't every kid obsess over smart phones?!) but it doesn't compare to reading the actual book with your child.

The One Fish Two Fish Read & Learn App is well-designed but we prefer the real book reading experience. I'll pass on the Read & Learn apps.

(Screenshot Source)

Have you gone on any nature adventures this week?

Joining up with Preschool & Kindergarten Community Weekly Link-Up, Homeschool Blog and Tell, and Mommy Moments.

Disclaimer: As an Academics' Choice Advocate, I was sent these products free of charge for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Embracing the Race {Book Review}

Running and the journey of life have so many parallels.

Life is full of uphills and downhills, depressing rainy days and perfect sunshiny ones, painful chafing and runner's highs, walls and second winds, agonizing disappointments and surprising victories. It really is a marathon!

Lisa Preuette is a follower of Jesus, wife and mom of two and she shares her insight into running and faith in her book, "Embracing the Race: 40 Devotions for the Runner's Soul".

An avid runner, she’s completed multiple races from 5K to full marathon. Actively involved in women’s ministry at Southeast Christian Church, she thrives on encouraging others in their faith. She resides in Taylorsville, KY.

Lisa sent me a copy of her book and it has been such an encouraging read. Even better — Embracing the Race was released TODAY!


Each day in this devotional book starts with a key Scripture followed by insight into the life of a runner and the relation to our walk with Jesus Christ.

One of my favorites was about embracing the hills on your run as well as in the journey of life. Hills are tough (oh yes they are!) but they are a very necessary tool to gain strength.
"Running hills breaks up your rhythm and forces your muscles to adapt to different stresses. The result? You become a stronger runner." Eamonn Coughlin, 3-Time Irish Olympian
Lisa related Coughlin's quote to the hard times in life that threaten to kill the soul and squash the spirit. Even in the hardest times when going on another step doesn't seem possible, she shares that we can praise our Lord Jesus Christ who walks with us every step of the way.

The Lord equips us with strength for the steep hills in life and, through His promise to never leave or forsake us, our faith is strengthened.

Lisa does a wonderful job of describing the walk of faith through a runner's eyes and her writing is so relatable for runners and non-runners alike. I have enjoyed her writing so much!

As I mentioned before, today is Embracing the Race's release date so stop by Amazon.com to check it out for yourself and read more of Lisa's writing on her blog, www.reststopforthesoul.com.

My Workout #WeeklyWrap:


MON: Runner's Yoga, 30:29

TUES: (Treadmill) 4 mi, 00:34 @ 08:24 pace. Election day treadmill run while watching "The Hungry Caterpillar" on Netflix with the littles.


WED: Runner's Yoga.

THURS: 5.24 mi, 00:49 @ 09:24 pace. So much WIND!!! Ran to the grocery store and back with the kiddos.

FRI: (Treadmill) 4 mi, 00:34 @ 08:25 pace. Some 400m intervals with 400m jog.

SAT: Runner's Yoga with sidekick 2.0.

A photo posted by Amy W (@creativeaim87) on

SUN: Off.

What is your favorite running-related book?

 Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

Exploring More Bugs - Our Stink Bug

First off, happy Veteran's Day and THANK YOU to all those who serve or have served our country! It's important to remember that this freedom came with a price.

On a much lighter note than all of the election buzz, let me share our latest bug with you:

E found this little bugger and had him crawling all over his coat. We did our research (or wikipedia'd it) and found that it was a brown marmorated stink bug.

Bugs of his kind are not well received as they accidentally arrived in the US and are considered to be an agricultural pest - and they like soybeans! They survive the winter by entering homes in the Fall and living there... Not in our house, please. (source)


Later we wrote on the sidewalk in "cattail fuzz" after a cattail sword fight with his brother (of course).


There is so much life to explore outside this Fall. The kids and I are trying to take it all in before everything freezes solid.

Coming up next week we are going to hunt for Maple leaves and seeds for the Outdoor Hour Challenge!


As for indoor time, we worked through a couple more activities from God's Little Explorer's Week 1, which focused on treasure hunting and the letter "X". E cut out treasure hunt pieces, we hid them around the house and he used his homemade binoculars on the hunt.

He also made an ABC notebook (with a lot of help from mom) using the stylish mustache duct tape he picked out the store this weekend:


Our Favorite Books This Week: 
  • Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
  • Lentil by Robert McCloskey (We have to read this one at least twice a day!)
  • Bearymore by Don Freeman
  • The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey
  • Peanut Butter and Cupcake by Terry Border


As for my "Mother Culture", I read in bits hear and there throughout the day. If you are new to Mother Culture, check out Karen Andreola's post here. Along with the Bible, I am working my way through a couple other books. Slowly but surely!

My Reading List:
  • For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
  • Embracing the Race devotional by Lisa Preuette - Review coming next week! 

What adventures have you been on lately?
Do you have Maple trees in your area?

We are using the free version of God's Little Explorers Preschool Curriculum from Motherhood on a Dime for activity ideas with our 3.5-year-old and the 1.5-year-old spends his time finding trouble or hanging on Mommy's legs. 

Joining up with Preschool & Kindergarten Community Weekly Link-Up, Homeschool Blog and Tell, and Mommy Moments.

Indian Summer and Teething Probs

November is here. Dare I even type this.... Where is the SNOW?!

We are enjoying a glorious Indian Summer in the northern parts and it has been in the 50°F for most of last week and today as well. The extra sunshine has been a blessing and I'm sure many deer hunters are overheating in their usual hunting gear.

Deer hunting, THE ELECTION tomorrow, more pumpkin spice coffee. Yep, definitely November.

The cold bug has been working it's way through our family but being outside seems to even help with that. The littlest is getting his first molars and teething has been rough for that poor boy! And mom, too... the fussing and lack of sleep is really wearing me out.

Teething probs aside, this 3.5 and almost 1.5 age combination is really fun (minus the bickering). The boys look so grown up walking down the sidewalk together! These two little ones are such a joy.


On Saturday, Daddy was out hunting all day so we went to a craft show and had friends over. The boys skipped their naps but we made up for it later in the stroller.

The world doesn't revolve around nap-time but it certainly is a better place when naps happen!


Won't be long before I need to break out the winter running gear again! Might as well enjoy shorts while I can :)


I alternated low mileage running and yoga this week again. Yoga and running has proven to be a really good mix for me. Not focusing on mileage has been a great opportunity to run by feel, enjoy each stride and just look around town. There is so much beauty on the run!

My energy is very low lately but I'm on the recovery from a sinus cold and should feel more rested soon (like when the little toddler's teeth finally break through?!).

My Workout #WeeklyWrap:


MON: Sick with a sinus cold/exhaustion sort of mess. I did manage to do some yoga with the littles though. Runner's Yoga, 30:29

TUES: 6 mi, 00:46 @ 07:43 pace. My husband got home, I whipped up a chicken dumpling soup, and took off out the door while they had daddy & sons time. I ran at whatever pace felt comfortable, and though I haven't ran in the 7 min pace area for a while, this felt relaxing and stress-relieving. How I love a good run!

WED:  Off.

THURS: 5.02 double stroller mi, 00:47 @ 09:18 pace.

FRI: Yoga.

SAT: 5.01 double stroller mi, 00:48 @ 09:34 pace. Dad was out hunting, kids napped in the stroller, I got in a run. Win-win-win.

SUN: Off.

What is your favorite workout combination?
Running, yoga, weights, swimming, etc.?

 Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

Thankful for the Journey | Five-Minute Friday

Five-Minute Friday, it's been a loooong time! (Though it's technically Sunday) I'm back for this week and the word is "Journey".

What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write!


00:00 START the timer!
______________________

Life is a journey that is meant to be enjoyed at times and endured at others.

It's a process, a time of preparation and sanctification for each life season and for eternity. I feel tempted to speed up this journey at times or to skip steps but I'm trying to slow down and savor each season, each step and each day.
Imagine trying to run a marathon after only one week of training.

Jumping from the birth of your first child to potty training them the next day.

Skipping from preschool to 12th grade Calculus.
Life's journey is a very necessary process as each part is preparing for the next.

Today I'm thankful for my journey and I trust this is right where God wants me to be.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. PSALM 118:24
______________________

05:00 STOP the timer!



Love Unending {Book Review}


This book was written for me.

Okay, maybe not for just me, but for all wives and mothers who are navigating this life season.

With little ones running around the house, endless tasks needing to be done, lack of sleep and life pulling in all directions, marriage will fall by the wayside if we allow it to.

Love Unending is a 21-day challenge to rediscover your marriage by looking back to the very beginning. Back to how you first treated your husband and treasured each second you had together.

Author Becky Thompson shares her father's secret to living in that new love every day... but I won't share it with you in this post! You will have to read this book for yourself and I assure you it is totally worth it.

I enjoyed reading Thompson's Hope Unfolding and I have loved this book even more. Her writing is so relatable and each daily challenge is encouraging, not condemning, and a baby step to intentionally treasuring my relationship with my husband.

Becky gets it! She has walked in these young children years before and knows how to spur women on to respect our husbands, to forgive frequently and to keep that fresh love.

I would love for every young mom to read Love Unending. Be intentional in your marriage relationship to keep it from drowning in the dirty diapers, endless laundry piles and To-Do lists.

Marriage is a gift from God and I don't want to take it for granted. Sure the "honeymoon is over", as people often say, but that isn't an excuse to let your relationship die. Marriage takes work and pursuing that love unending is eternally worth it.



I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own. 

This Precious Growing Time

The Fall weather has been beautiful this week!

Isn't it funny that everyone is in a better mood when we are outside?

When I think of the preschool years (or pre-preschool in our case), Charlotte Mason's teaching on "quiet growing time" and the value of spending time outdoors always comes to mind. There is so much pressure to send kids to school sooner, do more worksheets, compare to others, learn this or that and so on. That  "growing time" can easily become anything but quiet.
"In this time of extraordinary pressure, educational and social, perhaps a mother's first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life, the waking part of it spent for the most part out in the fresh air. And this, not for the gain in bodily health alone - body and soul, heart and mind, are nourished with food convenient for them when the children are let alone, let to live without friction and without stimulus amongst happy influences which incline them to be good"." - Charlotte Mason (Vol. 1, p.43)
Children love to learn. They do it all the time even when we're not intentionally "teaching" them.

How wonderful would it be if that love for learning lasted a lifetime? That's my hope for them (and for myself as well!).


This week we gathered leaves of all different colors on a couple walks. I'm pretty sure I enjoy this more than the kids do, as E spends most of his time looking for fighting sticks and W is simply thrilled that he can walk on his own.


Along with the beautiful Fall leaves, we collected bark from the Birch tree in our yard. After flattening the bark in a book, E used it as his "writing paper".


We certainly don't meet Mason's recommendation of 4-6 hours outside per day but we do our best :) And while indoors, we manage to keep busy. More so I try to keep the kids busy to prevent them from fighting constantly! Sibling probs...

Our Favorite Activities Week: 
  • Making "homemade" binoculars for a treasure hunt
  • The letter "X" activities
  • Line tracing on the dry erase boards
  • Eating fresh apples off our tree
  • Pouring and splashing in the kitchen sink while mom baked
  • Our new habit: Making the bed


Our Favorite Books This Week: 
  • The Big Black Horse by Walter Farley
  • Jesus Story Book Bible by by Sally Lloyd-Jones
  • Meet Me at the Moon by Gianna Morino
  • We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
  • Corduroy by Don Freeman
  • A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

Oh yeah, these two little people brought home a load of candy on Monday night, too!


I hope you enjoyed a peek into our week!

We are using the free version of God's Little Explorers Preschool Curriculum from Motherhood on a Dime for activity ideas with our 3.5-year-old and the 1.5-year-old spends his time finding trouble or hanging on Mommy's legs.