A Fresh Kitchen!

We've been here three months now, and we love our new place.

The house is great and suits us perfectly - three bedrooms, open floorplan, two-car garage! But it was built in 1998, so it definitely needs a little cosmetic updating {I'm looking at you... BRASS FIXTURES!}. The kitchen has been updated with granite countertops, stainless appliances and laminate flooring {which I hope to replace with hardwoods someday}, but the walls were still the original paint from 1998! Really flat, grimy, dinged-up plain white paint.

{Excuse the mess - I snapped these right before I started prepping... also notice the aqua patch - we didn't love it, especially once I realized that half of my office is that color}

Vertical blinds - yuck.

We like to refer to those as our "Mexican Restaurant Arches" - not our favorite, but I guess they add some interest

I LOVE having an island! So much room for food prep.

So much better {and neater}!

We have barstools now {$10 garage sale find!}

Walls = Glidden Duo in Dusty Miller

Gratuitous Valentino shot - prior to painting :-)

One room down... several more to go. I just finished painting Valentino's room BLUE today. So, so BLUE.

More house shots to come...

Mommy and Son Day, In Pictures {and a few words}

Valentino requested a planned long-weekend, so it was time for mommy to deliver one. I told him that today would be all about him -- no housework, no errands. Just whatever he wanted to do. Here's our day, in pictures:

6AM: Spin on the bike before the beast awakens

6:30AM: Bedhead and a happy boy

7:00AM: Epsom salt bath while the boy eats breakfast

8:00AM: Getting started on our painting project

9:00AM: Hard at work on a rainy morning

10:00AM: MASTERPIECES!

11:00AM: Being a boy

12:00PM: Jet's Pizza for lunch

1:00PM: Iced Hazelnut Macchiato w/skim for Momma, Birthday Cake Pop for the boy

2:00PM: Museum of Natural Sciences

3:00PM: Dem Bones

4:00PM: Sun shining, sno-cone in hand {yes, he's spoiled}

We came home, made and ate dinner, then he and daddy played with a paper airplane out in the yard. Later on, he helped me price items for our garage sale this weekend.

Such a wonderful day that I hope he remembers - it was nice to immerse myself in his world and his thinking, and to enjoy him at this age. Visiting a museum is SO much different now that he is so inquisitive and in to learning!

2012 North Carolina State Fair

We spent Tuesday {Valentino's Birthday} at the NC State Fair. It was a gorgeous day - high 60's, not a cloud in the sky - and we had a great time together. We were there from about 11am to 6pm, and Valentino was a trooper the whole time {no doubt thanks to the stroller that lugged him around!}.

The State Fair is one of my favorite events of the year - we haven't missed it yet since moving to NC {this was our third time}. The atmosphere is great, there are a lot of free performances {a ventriloquist, jugglers, sawmill demonstration, and the BMX/motocross stunt show to name a few that we saw}, endless food and rides for everyone, lots of animals to see, and the weather is almost always perfect. Valentino is so lucky that he gets to celebrate his birthday there!

Some highlights:

His millionth time meeting Smokey

A pony ride for the Birthday Boy

Milking a cow!

Riding the kiddie roller coaster alone

Waiting in line for the Ferris wheel

Riding the Ferris wheel

Saying "Hi!" to Stormy

Family photo at the National Guard booth

Vic climbed the rock wall at the National Guard booth

Waiting in line for the big roller coaster

About to take off!
{He did great - he was scared the whole time, but got off with a huge smile on his face!}

Family photo

Getting squeezed by a giant walking tree

I can't wait to go back next year! Valentino and I really want to go at night to see the fair all lit up - we'll definitely plan to do that in 2013 :-)

Quick Mid-week Update

Today is one of those days where you wake up feeling fine, and as the day goes on, the area you worked out yesterday gets more and more sore.

Sunday and Monday were active rest days, then I ran 4 miles on Tuesday evening {funny that 4 miles feels like NBD nowadays!}, which felt awesome.

Last night I did a workout referred to by Vic as the "world's strongest man workout" - I once again marched up and down our very steep driveway holding a 35-lb weight plate... but this time, Vic gave me instructions on different exercises to do - sometimes I had to shoulder press the weight up, or hold it over my head, or go further down the street, or do squats while going down the driveway, or walk backwards up the driveway. My hamstrings, arms, upper back, shoulders and even my core are *sweetly* sore today - I love the burn! I'm hoping to repeat this workout several times a week, as those are definitely my problem areas. I'm feeling more toned and I've lost some weight, so I feel very motivated right now.

Today will be a 4 mile run again, then I'm scheduled for 10 - yes 10 - miles on Saturday morning. Wow-wee. Wish me luck!

In other news - I finished up my first MyPublisher photo books. They're gifts for my mom and grandma {we're going to give the books to them when we visit MI}, and I'm so excited to see what the final product looks like. It seems like there are a lot of cool features to MyPublisher - some of which I learned/used - and I want to learn more as I begin to make our family books. I love making things like this, but it's SO time consuming - going through all those pictures, picking out your favorites...

Work is busy. Life is busy. Trying to button up details for our MI trip... still need a dog sitter. Any takers?

The Best and Most Rewarding Job in the World

What a weekend!

I had a lovely half day off on Friday, which began with an intense four hours of work in the morning. Once I got home, Vic and I grabbed a quick lunch then took off an intense {for me!} 25 mile bike ride. It felt great to be out there on the bike, working {sweating} hard, and enjoying one of my favorite activities with one of my favorite people. As a bonus, the weather was spectacular - perfect temperature, amazingly crisp, blue skies, and not a cloud to be seen. Truly a perfect-weather day.

Side note: From the time Valentino was about 7 months old until he was almost 3, we used to ride our bikes together a couple times/week {Valentino was in the trailer behind Vic}. Last summer, when Valentino was 3, the time finally came - it became a struggle to get him in the trailer, and alas, our "family rides" came to an end {and consequently, the lbs started creeping back on my body...}. Now, most of our riding is done individually or when we have a week-day off together.

Saturday was pretty close to a "perfect" day for me. The weather was pretty amazing once again, and I started the morning with a 6 mile run around the lake. It was pretty cool {about 53*}, so there was some fog on the lake:

Early morning fog on Shelley Lake

After I finished {1:06... not too horrible for me, especially since I walked a bit due to sore legs from the bike ride the day before}, Vic took off for a mountain bike ride and Valentino and I hung out at home. Valentino was very cranky, so I set him up for some "quiet time" in our bed with cartoons on. This gave me a chance to peter around the house a bit, cleaning and straightening up. Vic came home and surprised me with an early Mother's Day gift {he works Sundays, so we were celebrating the day on Saturday}:

A Nathan hydration belt!
{Now I don't have to run w/a bottle or stash a bottle someplace while I run!}

Then it was off to Porter Farms for strawberry picking! We had a great time, and the berries are SO delicious. NOTHING beats fresh picked NC strawberries! They are better than candy, I swear!

Vic and Valentino in the strawberry field

Our bounty - they are truly that red and shiny in person!

After dropping the berries off at home, we headed over to one of our favorite parks, where Valentino played and we went on a hike {side note: I was wearing flip flops, since the hike was not planned whatsoever... I will now be sure that I always stash shoes in the car on the weekends!}.

Hiking!

There was a birthday party going on at the park and this stormtrooper was there.
{Ignore my closed eyes... I love this picture because Valentino is clinging to me for dear life - he is usually very outgoing and loves costumed things. Although, those things have always been animals, now that I think about it. This guy was a little intimidating!}

Sunday {Mother's Day} was much like any other Sunday - Valentino and I mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors, did laundry, vacuumed, ate lunch outside at Panera, then went grocery shopping and to the library. I had big plans to bake some strawberry muffins and to make kabobs for dinner, but the impending rain put a damper on my mood and ambition... so once Vic came home from work, we headed to Five Guys for dinner {mmm... health food!}.

 Now that I type all of this out, I realize that it was truly a non-stop weekend, full of activity - just like we like it!

Since Friday was a whirlwind of a day, I didn't get to post my usual "Friday Love." Instead, in honor of my fifth Mother's Day, I bring you four reasons I love being a mom:

1. Experiencing a tiny miracle every day. That little miracle grew inside of me, and now I get to watch him grow, learn, and experience this world on a daily basis. I ask myself all the time what I did to deserve such an amazing child, who, despite his faults, is absolutely perfect in all of his being.

2. Bringing childhood back. Not only do I get to act goofy, watch cartoons, and play with toys, but I get to see birthdays, holidays, and new experiences through the eyes of my child. His excitement and innocence about these events brings me as much, if not more, enjoyment as he gets out of it. It brings a whole new meaning and love for special events.

3. Getting to do things my way: This only partially applies to being able to be "the boss" ;-) Mostly though, I love being able to create new traditions for our family and to do things that, as a kid, I would've wanted my parents to do {which pertains to everything from how we eat, how we speak in front of him, discipline, and how we talk about certain subjects, to traditions and letting him do certain things}. I grew up in a pretty "open" environment {meaning, I had minimal supervision at any given time}, and Vic grew up in a very rigid, old-fashioned environment. We're trying to raise our children in a traditional home {so somewhat in-between to conservative}, so it will be interesting to see how our kids turn out.

4. Feeling complete and full of purpose. In my young twenties, I wasn't sure I wanted children ever... I wanted to do whatever I wanted to do, whenever I wanted to do it. Now, I can't imagine not having a child. Sure, there are times when it would be nice to have the extra money, time, and energy {and to not have the responsibility!}. In reality though, all of that seriously pales in comparison to having this little person in my life who reminds me of my purpose on this Earth and who makes my heart feel so completely full and thankful.

Better late than never...?

Workouts since last post:

Friday = 9.5 miles of hills on my bike after work
Saturday = 8 mile (!!!) run first thing in the morning

Totally dropped the ball on my Friday Love post... so here it is... LATE {aka, story of my life}:

4 Things I love{d} about the {last} week:

1. Sticking to it! I'm happy to announce that I did, indeed, complete Hal's training plan last week! I didn't necessarily follow the correct order nor do the exact mileages, but I did the right number of runs vs. cross-training. I also stuck with my mindful eating plan all week, and I didn't have any nighttime snacks in front of the TV, even when I could've consumed my arm due to hunger.

2. Sore muscles. I love the feeling of sore muscles to remind you of an effective workout {note: I'm not talking about the "you obviously have an injury" type of sore/pain}. Due to #1, I spent most of the week with a nice reminder that I was workin' it ;-) It's addicting!

3. Having plans. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that having plans to do something - whether it's big {a trip! a baby! a half marathon!} or small {plant flowers! de-clutter! take a day off!} - really keeps me going. I've felt very apathetic lately, but between training for this half marathon and dreaming up plans for the summer {a la my summer to-do list}, I've been able to keep somewhat focused.

4. Return of the warm evening. It was so hot all week {90* +}, which meant steamy, balmy evenings. Aside from the skeeters {and accompanying bug spray stench}, I LOVE that time of night. It's so comforting, and it reminds me of summertime when I was a kid. Fun. Limitless. Carefree. :-)


And just for fun, 4 things you probably don't want to know about me:

1. I'm wearing a dress today, but I totally forgot to shave my legs. I realized this fact after getting dressed, and frankly, I could care less. Thankfully, I have light-colored, fine hair, so I don't think anyone can tell. Plus, I hardly see anyone all day, so - SO WHAT.

2. Since we're talking about shaving, I'll confess that I don't remember the last time I changed the razor in my shower. I will tell you that I've had the same 12-pack bag of razors for years, and there are several new ones in the bag. I'm guessing it was last summer when I last changed that razor{?}. It works though, and does a fine job - my legs are always smooth afterwards! I'm pretty sure that whole razor life-span thing is made up for marketers anyway... right?!

3. I don't wear makeup, nor do I dye my hair {probably no shock to those who personally know me}. On makeup: I don't know how/care to know how to do it properly, I don't want to spend money on it, and, I'm not saying I'm just naturally gorgeous or anything, but I don't feel that I need to wear it. Yes, I'll admit that I probably look more tired and plain than I would if I wore makeup, but it doesn't bother me enough to start doing so. I have fairly healthy/even skin {albeit oily at times}, so I guess that helps.  On hair dye: I like my natural color {caramel-y brown? light brown? some-have-called-me-blonde?}, and frankly, I don't want to have to maintain the dying cycle.

4. I'm kind of a creeper/on-line voyeur. If I meet you out and about, I will probably later google you/find you on FB/find your blog. Embarassing, but true. I did this once to the wife of a guy Vic started riding with, and Vic mentioned a fact that I found online to the guy... the guy was like "how did you know that?" Errr... needless to say, I hope to never have to explain this!

Progress on my challenges:
Smoothie A Day in May fell apart over the weekend. This morning I hopped back on, and I made one with almond milk, a scoop of Optimum Nutrition 100% whey protein, 7 fresh strawberries, a small handful of spinach(!), and some ice. This was the first time I used spinach in a smoothie, and I have to say that I DID NOT taste it. Hooray!

Photo A Day:

Day four: Fun!
{LATE - Taken during my 8 mile run on Saturday morning}

Day five: bird.
{A charm from a broken necklace - I didn't want to throw this guy away!}

Day six: you.
{Taken by my son on the carousel at Pullen Park on Sunday}

I had plans to get up and run this morning, but I couldn't get out of bed this morning. My legs are still sore from Saturday, and I wanted to sleep. Hoping to squeeze in a run or bike ride after work.

Summer lovin'

Tuesday = 3 hard, sticky, sweaty (but slow-ish) miles after work.
Wednesday = rest. AH.
Today = ~3.5 miles a 5:45am, which felt harder than the 7 I did last Saturday.

Tuesday's run sealed the deal for me - I need to run before work. It's been near or just above 90* most of this week, and I'm not enjoying running after work. With the heat, I feel more sluggish and like I cannot move. On top of that, I hate that my evening runs cut into time with my family and makes the whole evening rush even more "rush-y." I'm now newly committed to getting up early (5:15) and punching out my mileage first thing.

Today was day #1 of early morning running, and it was pretty tough to get out of bed. On top of that, my legs were definitely feeling the burn right from the start. Afterwards though, it was nice to know that my mileage for the day was done and as a bonus, I got to *feel* the achy muscles all day (a feeling I love!).

Although I'm only about 5 days into it, I'm feeling proud of myself for being more mindful about my eating. I have been very, very hungry at times, but I haven't caved. I've learned to distract myself instead of eating something, and even if my body isn't showing signs, I feel better and more svelte.

Progress on my challenges:

Today was day #1 of the Smoothie A Day in May challenge - I made a delicious smoothie for breakfast that had skim milk, a scoop of Optimum Nutrition 100% whey protein, half a banana, 4 fresh strawberries, coconut, and some ice. It was filling, but by about 10:30 I was really, really hungry! Tomorrow I plan on having a similar (smaller portion) smoothie as an afternoon snack.

Photo A Day:

Day two: skyline
{of my cozy little rancher on the hill}

Day three: something you wore
{a ruffled dress and wedges - it was hot today!}

So far so good, eh? It's fun to take part in these - it gives me a little extra mission for the day!

Good reads for today:

Clean eating for dummies {via Lindsay's List}: Makes it sound so do-able!

Just because you make money doesn't mean you know what to do with it {via The Thousandaire}: Reminder to get on that budget/money saving bandwagon!

May Day! May Day!

I love May! Here in North Carolina, it signifies the beginning of summer - and, judging by the 90* temperatures due to start tomorrow, we're right on schedule! Our family loves summer and {almost} everything it brings - long, warm days, trips to the beach, bike rides, being outside, playing in the pool. We have a lot planned this summer, and the fact that Valentino is at such a fun age means this summer will be one of the best ever. By the end of the week, I hope to put together our "Summer To-do List" {I refuse to call it a "bucket" list - to me, that's what you do before you die, not what you do on a normal, day-to-day basis!}.

I'd love to make these {all found on pinterest}:

Source

Source

But in reality, our list will look like this {but handwritten}:

{This from the land of nod blog, but the link in pinterest didn't work}

I have a rough draft in progress, and I bought myself some Crayola markers, now I just need to get 'er done.

4.5 miles was on the dockett for last night's run, and I did 4 {~44mins}. It was sticky out and I was starving, so the effort was hard and sweaty - my running started out strong, but petered out at the end. Today calls for a 3 mile run or cross-training, and I plan on doing some cross-training by doing the ZWOW #1 workout - more on ZWOW in another post :-)

May GOALS:

1. Stick to my training plan. Like I said in my April wrap-up, I am sticking to the long run, and usually to the 2 shorter mid-week runs, but I'd like to adhere to almost entirely. So far this week, so good.

2. Lose at least 10 lbs. This is totally acheivable in one month, so I'm aiming low in hopes of blowing past that goal :-) I plan to keep up my running {see goal #1}, incorporate HIIT workouts {via ZWOW workouts!}, and stick to better eating/calorie counting.

3. Complete the Photo-a-day Challenge. I LOVE instagram, and I love this idea. I've started out the challenge a couple times, but then forgotten about it. I hope to keep it up this month, and post my daily photos here on the blog. {BTW, gramfeed is awesome for quickly and easily saving your instagram photos to your computer!}

Day one: peace

4. Plan a cookout at our house! I've wanted to do this since we moved in, and I think we're finally ready to host a gathering at our home. Yes, our house is small and not really set up for entertaining, but our yard is good-sized, so if it's mostly outside, we can handle it. I have lots of ideas for food and activities for the kiddos, and I'm really looking forward to putting it all together.