30 days of lists

Edit: My blogging app seems to be delaying publishing so here are the weekend lists!

[Saturday]

Essentials for Running in the Rain
1. hooded windbreaker with cinchable hood!
2. hat with a bill to keep your face dry
3. thin shoes - they will get really wet and pretty fast, but will also dry quickly and not feel so heavy when they take on water
4. close fitting wool socks - cotton will result in blisters
5. capri leggings - long pants soak up and hold water, shorts are too cold but capris are juuuuuuust right
6. gloves
7. zippered pockets for halfway through when the gloves are too hot
8. close fitting running tank - keeping my core warm is a must!
9. moisture wicking tee - water will get through the windbreaker but I won't be soppy wet
10. a warm shower waiting for you when you return!

[Sunday]

Snack I love
1. pretzels
2. popcorn
3 most things crunchy and salty
4. carrot sticks
5. apples and cheese
6. cuties!
7. bell pepper and hummus
8. roasted pumpkin seeds
9. pistachios and dried cranberries
10. yogurt with granola

30 days of lists

Why I Run

1. For health

2. For my pretzel addiction mentioned earlier

3. To destress

4. I have a great running buddy

5. Goal setting keeps me looking forward instead of dwell in the present

6. To tap into my competitive side

7. It's free!

8. So I can listen to music and podcasts

9. Makes me feel strong

10. I love a good challenge 

30 days of lists

Weekend Dreaming

1. wear hoodie
2. go for a run
3. drink coffee
4. knit
5. laugh with a friend
6. take a nap
7. read a book
8. clean the kitchen
9. change the linens
10. make a meal
11. draw or color
12. watch a show or two
13. take another nap
14. eat popcorn
15. sip tea
16. bake something yummy (granola maybe...)

30 days of lists

My Sunday morning...

1. wash dishes
2. take out the trash
3. go for a run!
4. laundry
5. weave in the ends of my knitting project
6. season the cast iron skillets
7. oil the butcher block island and cutting boards
8. email a friend
9. tidy the living room
10. make scripture sunday post
11. meal plan
12. sip tea
13. drink water
14. ponder my one little word for 2016
15. clean the bathroom
16. clean the stove
17. clean out my car

What did you do with your extra time?

may goals

As we dive into May I've decided to set some new goals that both stretch my previous goals and also help me try new things

Run 60 Miles

This month I want to try and run 60 miles. Last month was close but with an 11 mile run already in the books and a holiday weekend toward the end of the month, I feel confident that this is both attainable without being unreasonable.

Finish Two Books

This was a great goal for me a few months back. I liked the challenge and I have since discovered a good system for listening to audiobooks. I have three that I'm in the middle of or just started and could use the extra motivation to pick up a book instead of turn on a show, looking forward a book report soon!

Memorize Scripture Each Week

I have wanted to work on memorizing scripture for awhile. Everytime I make this a priority I am blessed by the ability to call up scripture when needed. I have recently been following this site which offers devotionals, journals, and art inspired by scripture. I've been meaning to support them and realized that they have monthly download packages with digital calendars and printable files. Included in the package are monthly scripture cards. So I decided to give it a try. I printed them on cardstock, cut them apart, and hung them by my bed. The verses are short and simple and powerful. So far I'm doing pretty well with verse one and I hope to find success so this can become a habit!

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april goal - update

Wow! I'm not really sure where April went. It was a doozy and in some ways flew by. Here is a look at my goals for the month:

Run 50 miles
This seemed to be going so well, especially when I clocked a 6 mi. PR and then a 10 mile run. Then suddenly it was the 22nd and I was still 19 miles away! I had to really work to get the last few in but I'm even more proud of myself as a result. Mom and I ran a fast 5K on her birthday followed the next day by a 6 mile run. On Tuesday the 28th I realized how little time was left (due to many after work commitments) so I got up at 5:30am and hit the pavement for an early run. This was so awesome because it made me realize that I can go for a run in the morning and be ready for school with just a little extra patience. Double bonus: I got mad props for my hair that day! All in all it was harder than I expected but totally work the challenge.

Donate a Bag a Week
So we kicked off this goal during spring break with NINE BAGS. Felt like cheating a little but it was a great way to start. I technically took this last week off only because I didn't pass the donation center. There are two bags in my car and tomorrow is looking like the day I say goodbye. This challenge was great since I had spring break to dive into organizing. It also inspired us to go through some boxes from moving (2 or 6 years ago?) and we started to realize that consolidating was definitely an option. Many boxes had been mostly emptied and just had a few remaining items. I also was inspired to try a capsule wardrobe and packed away some wintery clothes in hopes for an easier time getting dressed in the morning. So far our quest for a tidy house is going wonderfully and we feel like we have more space to live in. Success!

Send 2 Cards a Week
Okay, maybe I set myself up for an easy month, but I blew this one out of the park as well. I think I averaged more like 3 or 4 a week. This is definitely a trend I want to continue. I still have quite a collection from my HappyMail deliveries and also have been using up some simple "thank you" cards I got from target. Love sending notes in the mail. Sometimes I feel like I can say things better in a few short words.

What's in store for May? Not sure yet. I want to keep it simple like April and will probably continue with a running goal since it's getting to be the time of year where being outside feels so good! I'll probably need to set a food goal since we sort of lacked in that area the last week of April (how many days in a row CAN you eat breakfast for dinner?). April - you were hard but you were successful. Onward!

fitness friday

This month one of my goals is to log more miles.

To get started with that goal I got a brand new pair of running shoes. Nothing like a fun pop of color to inspire me to hit the pavement!

At the beginning of the year I decided to revisit a tracking method I used a few years ago. Inspired by a goal tracker I saw online, I created this calendar for the year. I used a font that has numbers inside of circles with the intention of coloring in the circles for the days I work out. One reason why I love this method is because it gets back to the main reasons for working out: healthy living and feeling good.  Sure, I love going 7 miles or beating my PR, but I also love canoeing, snowboarding, hiking and yoga. There was a stretch of time where I was so focused on my milage as a runner that I lost sight of the enjoyment.  I love this tracking system because it helps me see patterns - Tuesday and Thursdays are long - and focus on variety (yoga, weights, running) and enjoyment. Did I miss an entire week? Maybe I traded my running shoes for a yoga mat for the winter.  Do I have a streak going? Is there a day a way to get more movement into my week?

For my milage goal this tool isn't quite as useful. I often use my RunKeeper app but lately have been ditching the phone and using the timer on my UpMove band. Typically I run in the same places and now my distance, but this doesn't keep specific track of miles nor is it always accurate. So I began the hunt for something simple but fancier than a post-it. Why? The visual and creative side of me likes to be able to my goals, the growth and progress. I read on this blog that she uses a $1 daily planner to write her milage. It reminded me of watching my dad log his miles in a runners world planner. Now he uses an excel document which is great because it keeps his yearly tally up to date.

So I went to this site, where I get a monthly desktop image for my computer. She also has phone versions and printable versions of her monthly calendars. I printed off the april calendar page and away I go!

I'm a little behind if I'm hoping to hit 50 miles but I'm not yet worried. A 5k on the calendar and a possible upcoming 8k and I should be good to go!

How do you track your goals? Do you have a favorite app or system?

april goals

Alright April, here I come!
I'm just setting three goals this month. They feel lofty so it seems appropriate.

Cleaning/Organizing
We've talked for awhile now about how best to purge and organize our house. Yup, 2 years into living here and we're finally getting around the a big overhaul! In December we did a Music Studio Overhaul and it has been an amazing space for Seth's studio and practice. We also started hanging art on the walls so it is beginning to feel more like a home. That being said, we are both overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that still exists in our small house and are motivated to do something about it. We're looking at a few different methods for how to best tackle this major project and since I can't set goals for other people on my blog I've narrowed it down to this. Once a week take a load of things to the donation center. Whether it's clothing, books, kitchen supplies etc doesn't matter. My main goal is to get things out of the house then out of my car and to a place where they can be more useful. Sundays are my goal day for this to happen because I can put it in the car before church and swing by the donation center on my way home.

Run More Miles!

print by Elise Blaha Cripe

My participation in the Big Climb last month meant I was hyper focused on circuit training and strengthening my legs and abs. Not a bad thing but it meant my milage shrank. I did run a 5K in March and was pleasantly surprised by my time. After running 7 miles with my mom last week I realized how much I miss hitting the pavement. So with my new kicks and Spring Break to get started, I'm ready to rack up the miles! I'm think about the 50 mile goal that mom and I used to aim for when we were first starting out. It feels manageable without being too lofty. I already logged 2 today, so I have 26 days to get 48 more miles!

Send 2 Cards a Week
I already started this goal on April 1 and just love the feeling of sealing up an envelope and putting on a stamp! I'm pretty set with cards between a resent "thank you" card restock and my HappyMail deliveries. I'm hoping to spread the love a little outside of my normal circle but it's hard since address sharing is kind of retro. I feel like I'm spoiling the surprise when I ask people for their address, but really, who doesn't love a fun card in the mail :)

I am excited to see how these goals pan out. Spring Break always gives me a boost so here's to hoping it will inspire me to finish strong! Happy April!

//get to work print found here//

run better, better run

This was my motto today.

Im choosing to move as much as possible this week and hoping I can get back to the point where it's no longer a choice, just a normal part of my day; an expectation.

one little word wednesday

As August approaches I am working staying positive. It's hard to thinking about saying goodbye to slow mornings, fresh food and lots and lots of friends and family time.

So instead of saying "goodbye" to these things, I'm trying hard to choose a different attitude. So I choose gratitude. I am grateful for:

The next season brings back work, meetings, students, families, lessons, grading and much more. I hope to spend August looking at ways to incorporate my summer activities into daily life. I realize that knitting all day while reading my nook is not really an option come September, yet I know there is a way to make time for knitting and reading. Waking up early is usually my go to when I want to add things to my schedule but I rethinking the evenings a bit and wondering how to better utilize my time.

What activities do you make time for during your busy seasons so that you can stay sane?

currently - July 2014

learning the song above as a jazz tune inspired by Sara Gazarek
eating variations of salads such as this one and this one
enjoying fresh berries and the resulting sorbet
organizing, cleaning and clearing out. nothing. is. safe
reading this and this
listening to this song on repeat
working out using these three apps 1/2/3
enjoying the last bits of summer!

one little word Wednesday

I have really enjoyed running these last 5 years. I never thought I'd say that but it has become a large part of how I stay healthy and calm and let's be honest, sane.

That being said these last few months have not been great running months for me. Between rain, illness and long work days I have chosen relaxation over running numerous times. 

Good news is that very recently I've been running with some new people, chatting more about running and getting really motivated to choose running. 

Today, when the sun came out and a student had a soccer game at a great area for running I knew what choice to make. 

No jacket, no music just sunshine and the rhythm of my footsteps. Best choice all day and it gave me a great feeling about this new season of running. 

list no. 3

  I Am Looking Forward To...

1. Knitting more on my shawl tonight
2. Drier weather for running more miles
3. A road trip at the end of the month
4. A trip to Hawaii at the end of the school year
5. Planting
6. Cycling
7. Making homemade lattes
8. Reading. Reading. Reading.
9. Starting a new sewing project
10. Eating berry crisp when I get home from work!

What are you looking forward to?

*the idea for this post came from here and is part of the 30 Days Of Lists Project

Currently - April 2014

returning to blogging!

wearing my new shawl (see above)

eating goat cheese & apple slices

packing for  Hawaii - trip isn't until June, but it's good to have something to look forward to!

listening to Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Gazarek, the husband's jazz piano from the next room  

searching for a new audiobook to listen to while I wash dishes and knit 

reading A Causal Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (lots of characters with interesting connections and a steady pace)

choosing to move: running and yoga a few times a week with shorter core and toning exercises on "off days"

browsing A Beautiful Mess projects that I don't necessarily make yet always inspire me to try new things no matter after how daunting and Lining Up My Stitches for inspiration and accountability to keep doing the things we love regardless of life busyness

enjoying  the wall of our living room which showcases a small quilt I finished last year, a fun and dynamic paper art project, and an old bingo board from my Grandparent's house. Each has a certain faded, antique quality that I find cozy and relaxing.

watching most things PBS and "Chuck"(we just began season 1)

sipping americanos - hand ground and homemade

knitting any chance I can get!

I enjoy reading currently posts from a variety of bloggers. It is a fun way to document the little and big things happening. Here are some links to other ways of recording what is currently happening:

Elise Blaha Cripe

Stephanie Howell

Ali Edwards

reflection on running

I think I've felt this way for over a week. It's hard in the winter months, when the daylight hours are few and far between. The career side of me could use an hour or two more at my desk, but the rest of me is dying to jump into my running shoes and hit the pavement.

This morning I debated how to spend the 2.5 hours before I needed to leave the house. The laundry and dishes were calling to be finished and a few other projects were whispering my name. I checked the weather and realized that my chance for a dry, longish run was limited. I quickly dressed and hit the trail before my brain could produce any excuses.

The first few miles were rough, so I paused to stretch out an aching hip and a stubborn quadricep. But I was determined to run for 50 minutes so I pressed on. After mile 3 I finally felt like I was getting into a rhythm and by mile 4 I was cruising! This is what I missed and though I was completely exhausted by mile 5, I had achieved the good mood I was wanting needing so much.

As of Sunday, I have 41 miles, so I am making a decision to create more opportunities to hit the pavement this week and break 50 before February.

more project life prep

today i searched around some more blogs to get inspiration and ideas for making project life happen in 2013! Cathy Zielske has some great templates to help with cropping and prepping photos to be printed at home. After playing around with the templates and watching her videos i created some template additions of my own!

Cathy has some nice digital projects available (as do many other scrapbookers that I follow) and i loved her idea of using hashtags from twitter to overlay on photos that she uses for project life. I took a few of my current faves and made .png files out of them so that i could easily drop them on top of photos before printing.

here is an example after i dropped the .png file onto the photo, made it white and adjusted the opacity.

 

it is so simple and adds just a bit of fun to the photo :)

here are a few other tips i picked up along the way:

1. have everything easily accessible!
2. choose a day that you are regularly available to sit down and work on the week's layout.
3. organize your photos when you import them into folders by week, quarter and project life (or what ever system makes sense for you)
4. do what works for you, not necessarily what others are doing.
5. precut cards and have them ready to grab and go!
6. enJOY the process (i am REALLY looking forward to this part!)

july 25

perhaps a looming to-do list increases speed?

july 24

not completely accurate

but a great motivator!

a pseudo sister adventure

last weekend was full. like, more than full than i should have allowed it to become and while each event was important to me, one stood out among them all: cheering amy on at her first 5K!


a few years  ago amy started running. for her birthday, taylor and i wanted to support her newest hobby and gave her a nike+ watch to track her runs and document her running journey. i also began running, around the same time and remember viewing amy as my running inspiration. in the last year we've run together a handful of times, one time even meeting up with taylor and her pup, and though each of the three of us has had ups and downs in our individual journeys with running,  i've always admired amy's dedication and intentional effort to choose running. to choose a healthy hobby.

this photo of the three of us, sisters at heart, made me realize how much we inspire each other. my heart was so full on that morning. our lives have been intertwined for fourteen years (more if you count the years before we "officially" met) and through so many facets of life we have supported each other, cheered each other on and inspired one another.

just before the race began, with the sun beaming down and the pre-race energy swirling around us, I requested that Taylor (hold-your-arm-out photographer extraordinaire) snap a shot of us. it took a few tries to get us all looking glam (not to mention in the frame) and now, when i look at this picture, i think of this bond. i see that we are quite different in many ways, yet i know in my heart how well we compliment each other.

thanks ladies for always picking up where we left off, for pushing nudging me and cheering me on, and for letting me in on the fun times! i can not wait for the next adventure! 

Slice of Life 2012 - 27

"I am fine setting my run, mind, and body on cruise control and relishing the fact that 4 moderate miles provides me-time, an endorphin rush, and a chance to recalibrate my the-world-sucks meter back to neutral." - Train Like A Mother 55/1575

Mission 'positive attitude' is going steady. Too early to call it a success but I'm feeling confident and noticing the little things that help me refocus and reboot my perspective. Running, reading and helping others are currently topping the list of joy-boosting activities!