Dopey Challenge Training Week 20!

Week 20!! How and when did that happen? We are SO close to January, it's kind of scary. This week went well as far as training goes and I'm excited for this weekend - I have two really long runs left and Saturday's will be one of those!

 
Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA

Saturday - Relay Weekend/Travel Day
Sunday - 10 mile run
Monday - Rest Day
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - Squats/Lunges/PT with cross training
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - Squats/Lunges/PT with cross training


This week, I've been incredibly diligent with my squats/lunges as I want Saturday's run to go as smooth as possible. The weather forecast is calling for temps in the 80's on Saturday and the 40's on Sunday. There's no possible way for me to switch my long run day to Sunday, so I'm just going to roll with it.


On Sunday morning, I woke up early for my 10 mile long run. It was warmer than I thought and I honestly should have gone back inside to change my outfit but oh well. I've been doing this a while, but it's almost as if my brain forgets how to dress when the weather starts to change. So crazy.

I made it through the first 8 miles alone, then stopped by the house on the way back to pick up Brayden for the final 2 miles. Jason is in our church orchestra and has to be there by 9 a.m. for rehearsal, so I usually hang back around home until we leave for church around 10 a.m.

After I began my run with Brayden, my watch started beeping at me because it was about to shut off due to low battery. I snapped a quick picture of it before that happened...

In total, the run ended at 10 miles. I've adapted a run/walk on my longer runs where I walk for 2 minutes after my watch beeps that I've reached each mile. It's worked out really well so far!

Somehow, this week has been so crazy that I missed out on taking pictures from my other week day runs....oh well.

I'll leave you with something fun my class did on Wednesday night at church!

I asked our entire department of kids (4 years old - high school) to donate items for Operation Christmas Child and they showed up big time! This is the second year our church has participated in this project and our department put together five boxes! Operation Christmas Child collects "shoe boxes" full of goodies and distributes them to kids less fortunate throughout the world. It's such a neat organization!

Those boxes were STUFFED! After our boxes were made, we prayed that they would be a blessing to the lives they touch this holiday season. I can't think of a better way to start off our Thanksgiving week.

We have so many fun holiday things planned this weekend, I'm looking forward to sharing them with you!! Have a fabulous weekend!

Operation Christmas Child

This year, my church assisted with the distribution of Operation Christmas Child boxes. I've been intrigued by OCC in the past but never participated...until this year!

Source

On Wednesday nights, I direct a program of girls, ranging in ages from 4 to high school and thought it would be fun if every class participated. There are five classes in all, so I asked the kids to bring items to pack five boxes total.

When I say I was blown away by their (and their parents) generosity, I couldn't believe it! We ended up with enough items to pack SEVEN boxes!

After googling for a bit of information on items to place in the boxes, when they were due, how to drop them off, etc. I came up a little short. So, now that I've been through the entire process, I decided to share it with you guys today!

For starters, Operation Christmas Child is an organization that is run through Samaritan's Purse. They accept donations of shoe boxes filled with gift items and distribute them to kids in other parts of the world who more than likely wouldn't receive a Christmas gift. 

The list of suggested items to to pack in the boxes included such things as toothbrushes, coloring books/crayons/markers, puzzles, small game items, stuffed animals, hair ties, a "wow" gift item, etc. I found a sample list here with lots of great ideas and that's what I handed out to the kids/parents at church.

With each OCC shoe box comes a few instructions and also a form for your child to fill out saying where they're from and a spot to include a picture of themselves! (We included group pictures of each class!)

Also, please note - the OCC website states that if you'd like to participate or donate in the future, the box doesn't HAVE to be one of their official boxes - a cardboard or plastic shoebox from home works just fine!

We were able to donate 6 girl boxes and 1 boy box!

You can even choose the age range that fits each box!

Along with the items inside, they ask a donation of $7 is given to cover the cost of shipping each box. To make it easier, I went online to donate and discovered that if I covered the cost of shipping online, our boxes would be trackable! What a fun way for my church classes to see where their gifts were shipped and sent to!

If you choose not to donate online (my parents did it this way), each box comes with an envelope so you can place your check/cash/credit card information inside. When you arrive at the distribution center, you simply hand the envelope over to them.

After completing the online process, I printed new labels with the tracking numbers included. As of now, the box isn't showing up as delivered anywhere, but the website said it could take up until mid-December to show.

The boxes were ready, then what?  Well, I found a local distribution center (which happened to be right next to my church) and my husband, Brayden, and I stopped by to drop off the boxes one Sunday after church. Also, distribution week falls during mid-November so if you participate in the future, keep an eye out for the dates and drop off locations for your area.

Interested in donating but missed the deadline? There's even an option to build a box online! 

The grounds were clearly marked and it was super easy to find our way around.

Everyone was so nice and helpful and even gave us a candy cane on our way out! The gentleman who helped us said they had received thousands of boxes already and were anticipating more to come.

This is such a cool organization and I love that they minister to children all year long but especially during Christmas time!

Have you ever heard of Operation Christmas Child? Have you participated in Operation Christmas Child in the past?

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?

Christmas, Football, and the Weekend

Last week was a bit crazy around my house. We had something to do outside of our home almost every night of the week last week and I had to plan a big church function that I oversee which took place last night. Needless to say, I was exhausted every evening and went to bed as early as possible (hence the sparseness of my blog posts last week). This weekend however, we had a blast!!

On Friday afternoon after work, I had a few tasks to complete. Brayden's 6 month pictures were ready, so I picked those up on my way home. I love them, especially considering how cranky he was that morning!

I also put together several Operation Christmas Child boxes to ready them for delivery. The girls group I'm in charge of at church sponsored these boxes with the kids bringing items to stuff them with. We have been teaching them about foreign missions and how it's possible to impact a life right here from home. I love this organization and the cause! We were planning on five boxes, but the girls brought enough items to stuff seven boxes! I'd say that's a win win!

My last task of the day was to help Jason get the Christmas items out of the attic. I know it looks like a lot of stuff, but it's stuff I've accumulated over 10 years and there's a few boxes in the mix that we no longer use. I definitely need to take the time to throw away, donate, and downsize. Maybe one day!

When Saturday morning rolled around, so did a COLD front! It was in the 40's for our run and I was at a loss on how to dress. It's been so long since I've had to deal with really cold weather! Yes, that's REALLY cold to me! 

My running buddy Heather and I ran our last really long training run before our next half marathon! We ran 12 miles and it was an amazing run...I'll tell you all about it later this week! :)

After my run, I stopped at Starbucks for my usual Saturday morning coffee. I'm so hooked on their new Chestnut Praline Latte. It's a Christmas beverage and oh so delicious! I might have also picked up a snack for later in the day. :) Yay for red cups, too!

Brayden has a few Thanksgiving outfits so he had to start wearing them early! :) This is one of my favorites. Well, I lie...I love them all! These pants are especially adorable - they have a little turkey on the butt and they have turkey faces on the feet!

I spent a good portion of Saturday afternoon and night setting up our Christmas stuff. This Mickey village takes a while to setup, so that was my first big task and I tackled it during Brayden's nap time. So far, the entire inside of the house is complete minus the tree...I'll get to that this week!

My dad and mom are season ticket holders for our local university's football games. Well, they were unable to attend the game on Saturday night, so they gave their tickets to us! Bonus: we all (my dad, mom, Jason, myself) graduated from this school! Fun times!

After dinner, we bundled up and headed to the stadium. It was SO COLD, y'all. Thankfully, I had a blanket, too.

Brayden LOVED the game. Jason and I took bets on how long he would last and we were both WRONG! He loved all of the movement on the field during the game, ate some puff snacks, then intently watched both bands during halftime (a total of 5 songs). Our band even played the theme from the Incredibles! How fitting for our little Disney guy at his first football game! :)

He started getting restless after halftime, so we decided to call it a night. I couldn't believe he lasted 2 quarters plus halftime - it was definitely past his bedtime too!

Remember that cold weather snap I mentioned? Yeah well, it was enough for us to turn on the heater AND I got to wear my hoodie footie pajamas for the first time! My dad bought this pair for me last Christmas and I love them!! :)

For our "Thanksgiving Sunday" morning, Brayden wore his fall/Thanksgiving outfit.

On Sunday night, we had a function at church for our girls program and I spent most of my afternoon working on last minute things for the program. We also dropped the Operation Christmas Child boxes off at a local church.

Whew. I definitely slept well last night!

Here's to another fun week! Hope you all have a great week! Happy Thanksgiving prep!