Working from home and some much needed sister time.

I hope your Wednesday is off to a great start!  My day so far started off with an early 5 mile run outside with Josse followed by a lifting session with my sister at the gym.

Our only one-on-one time together is at the gym so when our schedules work out and we can go at the same time, it is the best.  Thirty seven minutes of talking was just what we both needed.  I’m sure my muscles appreciate this time too.

I’m still loving the Launch 4’s for each and every run that I do—>  you can read my full review on them HERE.

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PS Brooke saw the pink and purple version on my computer screen the other day and told me that she wanted these ones for her running shoes.   Maybe Brooks will make her a pair;)

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Still on the pink streak over here.  Holidays are always extended over here so she had some pink milk with her cereal.

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And then I went to pick up Knox from his mom’s house (she lives close which is so nice).  I love seeing their little reunions.  It had been almost five days since we last saw him, so happy to be back together again.

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I think we started a new tradition without realizing it… going to the bakery when we first have Knox home again:)

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Donut and shark shoes with a donut floor.

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Yeah, I think it might have to be a tradition followed by going to the library afterwards for a new book.

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Knox wanted a Civil War book and Brooke wanted a craft book.

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And we made sure to get some coloring in too.

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One of the very many things that I have picked up from Andrew is a love for really good ranch dressing.  This one is our favorite (it’s a Utah brand) and it made a great topping for my salad.  It felt so good to get in some nutrients again after all of the last few days of celebrating.

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This fruit makes me feel like summer is coming soon.

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Let’s talk about our current schedule over here for a second!  Our mornings are usually spent running, doing kid activities, cleaning, errands etc and then after we eat lunch… Andrew does school and I work.  Andrew even takes his tests at home which is awesome (they have a little camera that he uses during tests and I either take the kids somewhere or we do our best to be very quiet).

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And I usually listen to music while I am typing away with the kids behind me playing.

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Of course… this is what I am listening to.

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Random hugs while I am working are always my favorite… He either loves hugs or loves the space heater:)

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And they do pretty well playing while I work.  If Knox isn’t with us at the time then I do more of my work once Brooke is asleep, she has a play date, we turn on a show for her or I attempt to color while typing.  Since the day Brooke was born I was able to work at home which has been nice but also stressful at times (kids don’t always want you to work and they would prefer playing instead… especially when you have a deadline or emails you really need to respond to ha:).

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I’m currently working on a blog post to go up next week all about blogging… tips, things I’ve learned and I would love to answer any questions that you have!  Let me know if you have any questions and if not I’ll just write whatever my brain thinks of:)

Anyone work from home?  What do you do?

Work out at a gym often?  Best gym you have ever been to?

What was your lunch today?

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64 comments

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Everytime I see your Launches, I get so jealous. I need to get myself a pair of the 4. I honestly can’t imagine staying focused enough to work from home. I get sidetracked so easily!

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You REALLY need to try them. Seriously, they are amazing. I get sidetracked a lot… especially by grabbing snacks and scrolling. I need help!

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I work from home but don’t have kids. I do however have a needy dog. Lol. I give him a good walk in the afternoon and then he naps the rest of the day so I get lots done in the late afternoon :)

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Bahahah Beretta is needy too:) I bet that walk helps you too… nothing like fresh air and movement to help you with work!

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Where do you buy that eanc? Looks soooo yumy!

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Oops that was supposed to say “ranch” :)

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No worries! We get it at Walmart! I’m not sure if they have it outside of Utah but I sure hope so!!!

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I work from home and have since my kids were born. I’m a controller for a large poultry operation. I have to go to the office once a week or so and my parents get my kids on those days. This is the first year where they are both in school all day so I try to do as much as I can between 8-3 then help with homework and snacks while trying to finish working between 3-5. People think it’s awesome but there is definelty a level of stress that they don’t realize. I always feel like I can’t give my all to both things. But it’s worth the struggle.

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I love what you said Candy and it is definitely worth the struggle! I completely agree with you… I feel a lot of stress at times because I just can’t figure out the right balance. Thank you for sharing, It’s nice to know I’m not alone! So glad that your parents live close to help with kids on the day that you go into the office!

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I had a turkey burger, broccoli and sweet potato with BBQ sauce for lunch today….pretty sure I learned that combo from reading your blog :)

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Well that makes my afternoon:) Sounds like the perfect lunch to me!!! Do you get your turkey burgers at Costco?

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My boyfriend has given me a love for good Ranch dressing, too! I don’t think you have Jets pizza there? But it’s super popular here in Michigan, especially for their homemade ranch. And my boyfriend is dedicated and found out the recipe and makes it for us at home all the time now (and is always so proud it’s so cute). :)

I recently started my blog and one of my main questions is how long it took you writing before this could be a full-time job for you and a couple of the most important steps you took that got you to where you are today? I love writing and would love to make a career out of this if I could and kind of do what you did, where hopefully by the time I have kids in a couple years I can stay home with them but work, too.

I workout at LA Fitness, but used to go to LifeTime Fitness. That’s the best by far, but the monthly membership is just so expensive.

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GREAT questions Allison and I will make sure to answers those next week! I need some Jets pizza and their ranch… sounds amazing! We need your recipe! Also, just read your latest post and your noodle dish looks amazing!!!

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Thank you! It was super tasty.

I just asked and all he does for the ranch is 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup mayo (he said whole-fat is necessary; was very specific about this haha), and 2 tbsp of the hidden valley ranch packet spice thing. I hate mayo like by itself, but this ranch really is the best I’ve ever had.

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You are the best! Thank you Allison! We are going to have to try this!

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No problem! Let me know if you like it or if I’m crazy and it tastes like all other ranch….haha

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Love that Ranch! It’s available here in Idaho too :)

I recently switched my blog over to self-hosting and definitely have some questions…

-What is your prime revenue source?
-How did you/do you get sponsors? How much do they pay you/how much could a new blogger expect to get paid?
-What are your favorite plug-ins to manage your site?
-How do you get more subscribers?
-Do you have an email list? If so, what do you do with it?
-What’s the best way for a beginner to break into the scene?

Love your site! Been a long time reader but first time ever commenting :)

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That song is THE BEST. I had a Cobb salad today for lunch from my fav AZ salad drive through. Yes, it’s a thing and it’s life changing.

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I live in a very small town, and our gym just opened this past December. It’s small but effective. I’m really liking it. Changes up my routine a little.
I work form home too. I do paperwork for a small car dealership, that’s been working out but it’s sporadic work, not something I can count on. I have a blog, but I don’t have a ‘thing’ or an expertise, I do reviews, but mostly it’s real random stuff. Lot’s of useless information. Learning as I go, so I’m excited for your next post. Hoping for some tips for a beginner like myself.

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Thanks Michelle and yay for the gym in your town now! Random stuff is definitely my favorite, that is for sure! Thank you for your comment and I’ll have that post for you next week!

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I am a part time preschool special ed teacher. I travel to see my students in daycares or preschools. If they are not in school they come to my office. The thing is, part time is never part time and if something happens during my morning then I need to call a parent, send emails, etc. I have reports that need to go out, etc. so I do often need to work from home. This year I feel I am doing a better job of not bringing work home but I am falling behind. I often do work after 8:30 when everyone is in bed ( hubby too).
I work out at the Y and love that they have wifi!! Love that on Thursdays I work out while my youngest has gymnastics at the Y instead of my usual 5 am workouts!!!

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Carrie! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me! Oh I bet that part time work turns into so much! You are such an incredible help to so many people:) HAVE an amazing work out tomorrow at the Y (not at 5 a.m… yay for Thursdays)!!

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I’d be curious to know the steps you take to turn it into a job with associated revenue and how you maintain this, especially in the beginning. I love writing and have thought about starting a blog as a side job to make extra money (have a full time job) but not sure how to go about it and would love some tips on how to create and grow this. Were there any books you found helpful? Love reading your blog and am excited for your recommendations!

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Absolutely!! Great comment and I will do my best to answer it next week April! My brother did send me a book at the very beginning and I’m going to see if he remembers it because I forgot (that was almost 7 years ago). Thank you SO much April for your comment, I really appreciate it!

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Sounds great! Can’t wait to read it! I thought of one more question along the same lines. When you are just starting a blog, what is the list of things you would have in place before trying to make money from it? I’ve sometimes wondered how much of a web presence you need to create, what type of blogs you should be offering, how many followers, etc. What makes your blog more appealing and marketable to potential sponsors/revenue sources? Thanks again!!

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I always love reading your blogs and have always appreciated you responding! I have asked about treadmill workouts before and you have always been so gracious about breaking it down for me. I have a little suggestion for you. I realize that you are really an elite runner and that your average 5k/ 10k aren’t really what you train for. However as a cyclist that cross trains with running, I’m always looking for ways to become better. I would love to be as confident in my running as I am in my cycling. Have you ever thought about a post about training for a 10k? ( I think that will be my marathon.) I have done one 15k with my bestie and was praying that the Lord would just pick me up and put me at the end. ?I have read Jeff galloways methods and have used some of his run walk intervals to add mileage. I’m just interested in how you would plan a training for a shorter distance. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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THANK YOU Trish for your comment and that is an EXCELLENT suggestion and I appreciate it so much! I will definitely get working on this post asap and researching as much as I can (I have only raced the 10k one or two times so I need to learn myself better how to train for that specific distance). Thank you so much! Love it and please share any other ideas you have too!

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I’ve pretty much always worked from home. I had my daughter when I was 21 and still in college. I’m a CPA and worked for a great guy who allowed me to have a very flexible schedule. When I did go into the office my husband’s grandmother babysat our daughter, which allowed them to develop a very sweet relationship. My husband is a builder and as his business grew I became so busy helping him that I’ve done that from home for the last 18 or so years. I spent many years juggling the work/kid time. Now my kids are grown (my daughter graduated college last year and my son is a college sophomore) but I’m still home working to chat with them as they head off to work and school. Wouldn’t trade it for anything!

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My favorite gym was the YMCA in Ashland, OR. Seriously, so nice, friendly staff, clean, beautiful yoga studio, gym, salt water pool, lounge area, running groups. It was a very social place. I miss it so much! Our Y here is seriously lacking. Tiny, no yoga studio, no gym, pool is okay, no lounge area, no running groups. =(

Today I had Chipotle for lunch! It was a work party and I was really happy with their lunch choice.

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I don’t work from home but sometimes have to bring work home (I teach hs English), and I typically set the kids up with a movie or I wait until they are in bed before I grade.

I haven’t been to too many gyms, but I dig the set up in my own house ;) Today’s lunch was a grilled chicken salad from Deli Delicious. It was my first time there and I dug it!

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Cant wait to read your tips! I’m trying to get back into blogging after a hiatus :)

I’m a stay at home mamma to three and part time work from home mom (part time family photographer)

Lunch was my current favorite- quinoa with butter, some swedish spices and chunks of avocado! Don’t knock it till you try it ;)

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Both my husband and I work from home, we use different rooms to not drive each other crazy. He does back office work for commodities trading and I do social media marketing. He also teach he’s music but goes to his students homes. I do health and wellness coaching but meet my clients in neutral locations.

I loved when I belonged to Crunch. They had the best classes, the gym was spotless, and I never waited for a treadmill or elliptical. They also had decent amenities and towels. I visited Equinox gym which was pretty fancy but too expensive for me! Now I go to the Y and it suits my needs.

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The pink and purple launch 4’s are super pretty but I need something with a little more stability. Ravennas are my favorite. I have a pair on the way!

I had a brisket burger and mango corn black bean salad for lunch. I never ever thought I would like that comnbination of foods but it’s delicious.

Sisters are the best! I have five and I don’t know what I would do without them.

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I work at home–so grateful for the internet making that possible!!! I used to teach tech writing on campus at Purdue until my third was born and then I told my boss that I was going to quit because I just was so tired of getting up super early to catch the bus to campus (I taught 7 am classes) and he was like, well, would you like to teach online classes? So that’s what I do now and I’ve been teaching online for almost 8 years now! I also do a lot of freelance editing work from home (if anyone needs editing work done, I’m your gal!). It can be hard sometimes because there’s not a great separation between work/home. I try really hard to only work when the kids are asleep, but inevitably there are urgent emails or whatnot and then I get sucked in. :-(

I used to go to the gym on campus three days a week with my best friend–it was the best I have ever been about getting my strength training in along with my cardio! But then I got a treadmill and I stopped going…and stopped doing much strength other than yoga DVDs. Oops! I know I need to be better at that but running is just so much easier and I hate doing strength stuff without the machines! (Please tell me I’m not the only one in the world who seriously hates pushups so much!) Mostly my problem is that I have such a hard time fitting in my miles (trying to maintain at 40 per week right now since I don’t have a marathon until fall) that the idea of cutting miles to get ST is just no bueno to me. :-)

Lunch today was leftover mushroom and tomato carbonara and 32 oz of spinach smoothie–it’s my standard night-before-the-race dinner and I even thought hmm, this will be good fuel for my run today! (Too bad my treadmill belt finally gave up the ghost and died very very dramatically 3.5 miles into my speedwork…huge tear right down the middle! I knew it was going out on Saturday so I ordered a new one Monday, but it’s so cold here that I went ahead and ran another 31 miles on it anyway. I figured if it was toast I might as well really kill it!)

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regina spector is perfect while-you-work music. i also love spotify’s “totally stress free” mix

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Thank you for the recommendation Nicole… I’m going to check this out right now!

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I have a little work from home job that I have absolutely loved. I don’t necessarily do it for the money (although the pay is nice, which is a perk), but I just wanted to do something that would still allow me to be home with my kids. I teach English to Chinese kids online. It’s with a company called VIPKID and I love it. The hours are nice, because it is when I my kids are asleep (I do it in the earlier mornings and at night when they go to bed). They don’t even know that I have a job because they are never awake when I am teaching. It really is the best thing ever (and pays well) and the kids I teach are seriously the cutest ever. Did I mention I love it :).
Cafe Rio sent me a BOGO salad coupon today, so I called the hubby up and we met there for lunch on his lunch break. Best ever.
I am definitely a workout at home type. I hate going to the gym, so I do all of my workouts at home. We have treadmill, bike and I do BeachBody workouts too.

I hope you have a great night!

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Oh man I’ve totally heard of this! I wish they would make exceptions for not having a Bachelor’s — I’m only 30 credits away, I’ve been a substitute teacher for a few years (including long term subbing where I write my own lesson plans) and I’ve studied 5 different languages…but sadly it’s a few more years before they’ll consider me. It’s good to hear it’s as good as it sounds though!! :)

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I’d love hear your take on blogging and tips, etc. I’ve been reading your blog for probably 5 years or so and only somewhat recently started one myself. You were definitely the main inspiration for that, which I’m sure is true for so many others as well. I am a CPA and so I don’t have much time to devote to blogging this time of year (tax season … ugh), but during the summer I only work part time and I get to write much more then. I have a home office setup that’s nice, but I rarely use it for actual work stuff. It’s harder for me to focus at home as opposed to being at my office. As far as the gym, I have a membership at our local YMCA, but I RARELY use it. It’s a wonderful facility, but I just don’t have (or rather make) time to actually go and do weights, etc. I know I need to!

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Those pink and purple shoes are everything I want in life right now.

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Thats a pretty awesome schedule you’ve got! I work from home on days when I’m just writing or reading, etc on my computer. Otherwise i’m in the lab or sampling in the field. I’m a researcher and I have a lab space but no office right now haha so I’d rather just do that work from home.

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I’m super curious about the $ side of blogging. Without divulging your personal finance information (of course), I would be interested to hear about how it is possible to make a living (and supporting a family of 4 to boot!) off writing a blog. I think you should be super proud of yourself.

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Thank you so much Alyssa! I will definitely be answering this question for you next Wednesday!

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And on another note, since I always love your style, and your sis, details on her super cute white vest?
I’m dying for a good ranch! I tried the cilantro avocado you suggested at one point and loved that, still on the hunt for ranch though!

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However much you are comfortable sharing obviously – but I would love to know how one makes a living from blogging :)

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A bakery and the library sounds like a great tradition to have – even as an adult I would be excited about that!

I’d love to hear your blogging tips, although I’ve been blogging for a few years there’s always more to learn. I’d love to hear about how you grew your readership.

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Maybe the grass is always greener….I don’t work at home and wish that I could. My kids spend a lot of time without me and I hate that. Being home would provide me with the comfort of knowing that they are safe and taken care of. Waiting for phone calls every afternoon is difficult, they get home and are supposed to call me. When they don’t, I worry.

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Megan, that is incredibly hard. I am truly so sorry about the worry and stress that comes along with your situation. I hope you have a beautiful weekend with your kids this weekend… I am sure you look forward to the weekends big time!

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I do work from home! At my last job, i was working as an account executive, so it was flexible enough to work from home most of the time (or be out on the road).

When my daughter was born, I wanted to get out of sales but still work from home ideally. When job searching, I did keep my options open for normal employment, but tried to focus more on remote positions. I landed a great remote job working under support as a Customer Success Manager. My mom comes over to help watch the baby for most of the weekdays and my husband is off on Thursdays so watches her then. I have remote meetings and conference calls all throughout the day, so I could never NOT have help watching our kiddo. but…its awesome not having to commute and also being able to see her whenever I want to since I’m just in the next room :) I feel very lucky to be in the position I am in!

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I’d love to hear more about working from home with Brooke. I work from home 2 days a week with my now 3 year old and we have another on the way. It’s tough, but I wouldn’t give up my time with her and it saves us so much in daycare (she currently goes to preschool 2 days a week while I’m at the office). How do you balance most days?

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The highest of fives to Wild Coyote Ranch. Life changing stuff right there!

Also, the Regina Spektor/Ben Folds version of “Dear Theodosia” is my absolute favorite off the Hamilton mixtape, followed by Sia’s “Satisfied.” Everyone talks about “It’s Quiet Uptown,” but I think the other two have it beat. So, another high five to you for that. :)

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I think one of my biggest questions/concerns I’d love your take on is safety. I know in a previous post you mentioned you have gotten letters from time to time that you have had to turn over to the police. I’d be curious what you think is the best way to share your daily runs, routine, etc. and make sure your being safe and not sharing too much information. I know that’s not a very fun topic haha but I have thought a lot about starting a blog and I am a solo runner mostly so I don’t want to feel unsafe about sharing pictures of where I go, running routes, etc. It’s important!

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Hey Lindsey! Great question!!!!! Go ahead and email me so I can answer you:)

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Do you (and if so how do you) track email subscriptions and people who follow you on a platform like Feedly? I am in the process of making my blog more public and find that I get caught up on numbers, but I would like to know how many people are subscribing by email etc.
I read all blogs through Feedly!
Thanks!

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Does Andrew not work at his job anymore? I am sorry, I missed your blog for a couple of months now due to work.

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No worries at all Cathy! He doesn’t currently work, he is going to school for a nursing degree and then he will be working again! I hope work is going well for you!

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Y’all really are the cutest family! Would your sis share details on her jacket?? :)

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Hey Lindsay! It is actually one that I have her from Lululemon a few years ago:) I hope you have a beautiful day!

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I have a few blogging questions for you. :)

When did your blog transition from being something you did on the side to a full-time gig, and how?
Do you outsource your web design and maintenance?
How do you attract followers?

I basically want to know the magic recipe to have a blog as awesome as yours.

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I wish I could work from home. But I’m in scotland, it’s harder to find genuine work at home jobs here.

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I work from home doing Environmental Compliance (reports, permitting, etc.) for a company. I go into an office once a week, and then work from home the rest of the time. When my first child was born, I asked if I could cut back to part-time (20 hours/week) and work from home. It’s been amazing to be able to raise my babies and still maintain a professional career all of these years! It is hard at times. I totally relate to the comment about the kids wanting to play when there is a deadline!

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Hi Janae! I would love to know more about what you do in the rest/recovery department. With the frequent running (you go!), I’d love to know more about how you fend off chronic aches/soreness/tightness. I know you foam roll and stretch but it would be great to get a better sense of your routine when it comes to staying injury-free and are able to keep up the frequency of your runs. I’m an avid runner but also live in SF so walk everywhere, and I find my muscles are always so achy (thanks, hills). Love reading your daily posts, thanks for all you do!

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HEY BRI!! Thank you so much for your comment! I will definitely write about this soon! Achy muscles are not fun! I hope you are having a beautiful weekend in SF!

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I’m sticking to my launch 3’s – not loving any colors of the 4’s yet. I work from home and it is amazing! My kids are teens but I still love being involved! I work in the Medicare field in marketing.

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