Items I Would Buy Again

Today's Friday Five Theme is: Items I Would Buy Again.

When I first heard today's topic, I began thinking of items that pertain to me in my everyday life right now - so anything from running to baby and holiday related.

Here's my list!

#1 BOB Jogging Stroller

I sure do love this jogging stroller and so does Brayden! The ride is super smooth and the handlebars are comfortable for holding on to. The BOB sure comes in handy for days when my only option for a run is to take my little guy along with me!

#2 Baby Brezza

I was first introduced to the Baby Brezza by my friend Heather when we visited her last year. This thing is amazing and reminds me of a Keurig for babies! If you are planning on formula feeding at all, the Brezza is a LIFE SAVER! I highly recommend it!

#3 Legend Compression

I know I've discussed my love for all things compression in the past - and although I am a Legend Compression Ambassador, I have to say that these are by far the best compression socks I've ever owned. I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it. The compression is just perfect to fit my needs and I love the wide variety of colors available. If you're interested in a pair, check out my referral link - it will save you $15 on your first order! These are great for Christmas gifts, too!

#4 Fit Bit

I love love love my fitbit! When deciding on a type, I went with the fitbit One (clip on style) - that way I could wear it at all times no matter the outfit! It's fun to see how many steps I've taken each day and it's motivating to look back at the end of the day and see if I need to take a few more steps.

#5 Garmin

Although I have asked for a new one from Santa, I can't run without my Garmin! This watch has been with me through marathons, lots of races, and many training runs.

Bonus: #6 Operation Christmas Child

Although none of these items were purchased for myself, I did help put them together for a great cause! Operation Christmas Child grants Christmas "boxes"/gifts to children in other countries who wouldn't otherwise receive a gift. I love this cause and they were fun to put together!

That's all! I hope you have a great weekend!

What's one item you would buy again?

6 Months, Pixie, and Walking Spree!

Another week has (almost) come and gone...yay Friday!! I know I've been absent a bit this week, but it's been a busy week with little time for the computer. Here's a thoughts for this Thursday!

#1 Brayden had his six month pictures on Friday. They were taken by the same photographer who did his newborns and she wanted to do a few "look back" pictures. Brayden was a little turkey during the shoot - he would smile for a few minutes, then I guess all the attention was too much....so the pouty lip would come out and he would start to cry. After a little consoling, we would move on to the next thing and get a few more pictures of him smiling...then the pouty lip would come out. It really was kind of funny and I'm glad he at least cooperated and smiled a little bit! I think he was overwhelmed by both of us trying to get his attention and get him to smile. She also has a Nikon and he lovvvves the sound of the shutter on mine...but he wasn't having it with hers. Silly kid. 

I just saw this preview this week...here's the "look back" of his Mickey and Friends set! 

It's AMAZING to see how much he's grown and changed in just 6 short months. And see...he's smiling! YAY!

Where his newborn shoot lasted a good three hours and he slept the entire time, this shoot lasted maybe 45 minutes (if that) which included a few pouty lips and some consoling! Haha! I'm interested to see what comes of the 1 year session and cake smash!

#2 Remember how I asked for prayers for Pixie last week? Well, she had her teeth cleaned on Thursday of last week which included an X-ray due to her coughing fits. My fears were confirmed - she does have a collapsing trachea. Apparently it's super common in Yorkies and it's a genetic disposition. The vet wanted to see if we could control it the least invasive way after the taper off her other meds (with benadryl), but the benadryl is not doing the job. I'm going to have to bring her back in today to see their thoughts. I honestly don't know much about this except the little bit I was told and some I've read off the internet. Has anyone ever had a dog with a collapsing trachea and how was it managed?

#3 The company I work for is doing a big push to encourage healthy behaviors. One of the newest is the introduction of Walking Spree. Basically, you connect the Walking Spree app to your fitbit (or other fitness devices) and it also keeps track of your daily steps. The challenge begins on October 17th and runs through November 17th. If you average a daily step count of either 6,000 or 8,000 steps, you get a certain amount of points added to your "bank". This bank is like a rewards program where you can pick and choose items/gift cards/watches/purses/tickets/etc depending on your point value. I have enough for an apple watch, but I'm waiting to see if they add the 2nd generation watch and how many points that one will be! YAY for easy points!! :)

Any ideas on Pixie? What's your favorite way to track your steps? 

Sharing The Love Of The Fitbit

A Fitbit - how many of you have one? These electronic devices have taken the fitness world by storm and I am happy to say that yes, I did jump on that bandwagon last Fall. I love my Fitbit. Recently, my running group joined the Fitbit madness, too....it's so much fun to follow and encourage each other! I love it! 

I chose the Fitbit One in burgundy. This is also available in black which is the one my dad and husband have. Fitbits are available in a WIDE variety and assortment which range from a slender bracelet to wear on your wrist to a runner tracking device (similar to a Garmin)!

Many of these also come in a variety of colors (other than the once shown here).

Since the device I own is the One, that's what I'm going to focus this post on today.

The FitBit One is small and fits in the palm of your hand. I like the clip device on the back because it allows you to wear it throughout the day and no one even knows you're wearing it! As a nurse, I need a watch with a second hand so that's one the reasons I didn't choose a wristband option. I also like the One because it matches EVERY outfit (aka, no one has to see it)!

 
The Fitbit One tracks steps, distance, stairs, and calories. The button on the end (near the footsteps) allows you to see your stats, simply by scrolling through...

The Fitbit app is another thing I love about the Fitbit! It allows you to see all of your stats on one screen! You can even connect with, follow, and encourage friends along the way!

Yesterday's stats...

Sometimes, the Fitbit even sends like messages such as "Move It", "I'm Ready", "Woot!", etc.

Another thing I love about the Fitbit is the sleep tracker. See the black band shown above? That's where the Fitbit is worn for sleep. The Fitbit slips into the little pocket shown above and the band is worn around the wrist. A "sleep mode" setting is available on the Fitbit which you hit when laying down to sleep. When you wake up in the morning, hit the same button to let the device know you're awake, then the stats appear in the Fitbit app! 

May 19th was a REALLY good night of sleep...I must have been super tired! 

Unfortunately, this is what most of my sleep stats look like! :)

For Christmas, I also received the Fitbit Aria as a gift which is the scale that connects to the Fitbit (so it automatically sends your weight and stats to the app)! 

To add to the madness, the Fitbit also connects to My Fitness Pal and many other calorie tracking apps - this makes it super easy because it adjusts your daily calories for you! I LOVE it!

Just for fun, I looked back for my highest step count to date and coincidentally, it happened to be in Walt Disney World!

Hello, Princess Half Marathon! :)

Well, now you know all you need to (or ever cared to...or didn't care to) know about the Fitbit! It's important to mention that I DID purchase this product and I did not receive compensation for this review. I simply love my Fitbit and I love to connect with others! 

If you're interested in joining me, send a friend request to: kren2700@juno.com (yes, that's juno not gmail...it's my old email account, I just haven't switched everything over yet)!


Do you own a fitness tracker (of any type)? If so, which one?

Christmas Fitness Favorites Take 2

Last year, I shared several of the fitness/running specific gifts I received for Christmas. Well, Santa was good to me yet again….and I received several items that will assist with training for my upcoming half marathons (and might help some of you), so I decided to share with all of you! Here they are….

KT Tape


I’m relatively new to the KT Tape world, but I’m not new to IT Band injury. After wearing a neoprene knee sleeve for (what felt like) ever, I finally bit the bullet and tested out a roll of KT Tape this past fall. I can honestly say it makes a huge difference - I love the support the KT Tape gives to my knee. I also love that their website has a ton of at-home-self application videos to watch which makes it easier on the beginner. The fun colors are really nice, too! I’ve never tried the PRO tape (blue roll on the top), but I’m interested to do so!  Side note: I sure hope they bring back the Red polka dot Minnie KT Tape at the Princess Half Marathon Expo! I missed out on them at the Wine & Dine Expo because they sold out…whomp whomp. 

Mizuno Wave Inspire


Ever since the Mezamashii project, I’ve been hooked. I love Mizuno’s and the Wave Inspire’s are my go-to shoe! You know when you find “the shoe”, the one that just clicks and everything feels right – you just know it was meant to be? That’s these shoes for me. I love the colors, too!

Lock Laces & GU

Somehow, Santa knew ALL my favorite GU flavors (ok, maybe it wasn’t Santa, but my sister in law is just as nice)! I’m a fan of GU with caffeine, so these are perfect! Lock Laces are a new thing for me – I’ve had a friend who used them but I’ve never owned a pair myself. I’m definitely interested to try them out! If you aren’t familiar, Lock Laces are shoe laces that basically always stay tied! Sounds pretty cool to me! 

New Balance

Soooo, I kinda received these shoes at the Wine & Dine Expo, then they got wrapped and placed under the tree as soon as we arrived home…. :D I love these runDisney inspired New Balance shoes! They are only available at the runDisney race expos and I hear that New Balance is bringing this Cinderella style/pattern back for 2015! Also, stay tuned to New Balance’s website/social media for updates on the new additions to their current models!

Fitbit Aria


After receiving the Fitbit back in November as a gift, I knew right away that I also wanted the Aria (scale) to go along with it! This scale not only tells your weight and body fat percentage, it also recognizes up to 8 people in your household. My husband received a Fitbit One for Christmas, so he’s also synced to the Aria and it knows the difference between the two of us! Pretty neat, huh? I had a little bit of trouble setting it up, but once I got going, it was fine and all works well now! My poor dad – he thought I wrote down the Fitbit “Ana” and he couldn’t figure out what in the world I was talking about… lol Whoops!

Raw Threads



Santa hooked me up with Raw Threads this year! I absolutely LOVE these shirts and actually, I gave them as gifts to several (at least three different) friends for Christmas! (The shirts given as gifts are not pictured here.) Princess in Training, Snow, Minnie Bow, and Castle to Castle…I definitely can’t choose a favorite, I love them all! These shirts are made of a soft bamboo and organic cotton which fit incredibly well and are oh so comfortable! I’ve also worn these to run in and they are great! I love the Raw Threads “Disney”/race themed shirts and am so happy to add these to my collection! If you’re interested, check them out – their huge sale ends on 12/31/14!

As you can see, I now have several items to add to my running collection and I can’t wait to test them all out!

Did you receive any fitness related items for Christmas this year? Please share, I want to hear all about them!! :)

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Congratulations to Mindy, winner of the FitMas Week 4 giveaway (the Flip Belt)! Please send your info to kren2700@gmail.com and I’ll get it to them asap! :)

Fitness Friday–Disney Week!

Hey guys! It feels SO good to be home. I had a wonderful time on vacation but always love coming home to my two rotten fur balls….they missed us terribly and showered us with love as soon as we walked into the door. :) I also can’t wait to catch up on my blog reading!

It’s Friday again, so it’s time for another Fitness Friday! 

We spent the past week on vacation at Disney where walked, ran a few races, then walked, and walked some more. I thought it would be fun to share my fitbit stats with you!

Currently training for:
Louisiana Half Marathon
Rock ‘n’ Roll NOLA Half Marathon
Disney’s Glass Slipper Challenge (Enchanted 10K + Princess Half Marathon)

When we go to Disney, we like to enjoy the parks…we stay in them as much as possible. The only time I didn’t wear my fitbit was while I was running the Wine & Dine Half Marathon and during the after party (because it rained the ENTIRE time). We also had a few first timers with us, so we made sure to show them as much as possible…hence the large amount of walking during the week!

Friday – 7 miles walked (travel day plus Expo and Downtown Disney)
Saturday –  7.5 miles walked - plus a 5K, plus a half marathon and 2 hours of walking around Epcot at the after party – in total, around 25 miles! I didn’t obey the cardinal rule to take it easy during race day…whoops.
Sunday – 7.5 miles walked
Monday –  10.4 miles walked (Parks + Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at night)
Tuesday –  8.5 miles walked
Wednesday – 10 miles walked (we started early and made it to three theme parks and one stop at our resort during the day!) 
Thursday – 3.7 miles walked  (travel home day)

It’s no wonder my feet were sore at the end of each day! Exhaustion set in by Thursday and I definitely slept the entire three hour drive home from the airport…poor Jason.

Anyway, I have so much to share about the race and our experiences throughout the week! Despite the steady rain during the race itself, I had a BLAST running the race and goofing off with friends at the after party (yes, we stayed until four a.m.)…I wouldn’t trade a single moment of it! I also vlogged during the races, so stay tuned for those!

Have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!! I have a local 10K to run on Saturday and it ends on our University’s 50 yard line! Can’t wait!

Do you like to see and do when on vacation or do you like to relax? I think a healthy dose of both is a great combination!

A Weekend in Pictures

Hello, there! Happy Monday! This week is an exciting week for us because we will be in Disney World soon! I love the anticipation that builds up to a trip but I don’t love how fast the trip flies by. Ah well…I will attempt to enjoy every moment!

Over the weekend, a variety of things took place so instead of a super crazy blog post, here’s a photo recap of my weekend!

The fence is stained and complete…thanks to Jason for his help!

Total Hours: 21
Gallons of Stain: 10
Paintbrushes used: 3
Episodes of Gilmore Girls that were listened to via Netflix: 23

Our first really cold snap hit the area this weekend. It actually grew colder as we ran on Saturday morning! I completed 7 miles in my final long-ish training run for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. I was supposed to run six but my friends were running a 7 mile loop, so I tagged along.

First Peppermint Mocha of the season! Yay for red cups…they make me happy!

One word: Quelf. So many things were happening here…we had such a great time with our friends Melissa and Everett on Saturday night! Those Quelf blue cards are a trip. If you’ve never played this game and you like to laugh, get it! Trust me, it's worth it!

Sunday morning was Superhero Sunday for Children’s Church, so Kenzie and I dressed as Batman and Robin! (5 year old class) So much fun!

Kenzie’s mom (also our children’s pastor’s wife) dressed as “Nurse Karen” for superhero Sunday. This was by far the highest compliment I’ve ever received.

Remember that Sunday night ceremony I mentioned? It went GREAT!

The two ladies that were honored were beautiful and truly shined throughout the ceremony!

I also received a new toy to play with! Hello there, little friend! :)

Now I can truly focus on our upcoming trip and begin the packing process!

How was your weekend? Have you ever played Quelf?