A delicious salad mixture, a workout to try and a little blog change.

 

I have to tell you about a delicious salad combination that I took to our Easter feast last night.  Spinach, apples, blueberries, pecans, feta and TJ’s Champagne Pear Vinaigrette (aka the best salad dressing ever created).

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I had leftover salad with a grilled chicken breast (I use my George Foreman Grill almost daily), cantaloupe and deviled eggs (adding jalapeños is necessary).

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This morning I took a pump class and then Brooke and I went out to the pool for some pool running.   Brooke napped in the stroller and I turned on my tunes and got to work.

The workout went like this (this is a workout that could also be really fun on the treadmill too.  Just replace ‘hard’ for your 5-10k pace and the ‘easy’ with a jog):

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It was a great workout if it wasn’t for the fact that the pool was below freezing temperatures then I probably would have been sweating.

And just one more picture from Easter.

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We added a little heart button at the end of each post next to the comments.  We wanted to add that so that people could ‘like’ a post by clicking on the little heart so I could get a better idea of what you are most interested in.  So…. if you really like a certain post, feel free to click the heart to see what topics you are interested in!

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I also wanted to see if there is anything that YOU want to see in an upcoming post?  Any questions you have that you want me to write a post about?!?! 

What have you been up to so far today?

What kitchen appliance to you use the most?

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114 comments

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Great idea with the heart!

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Thanks Sarah! Hope you are having an awesome day!

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My bullet is my favorite kitchen appliance. My yonana is second.

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I really don’t think I could live without my bullet!! I still need to buy the yonana!

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Uh, how have you NOT bought it yet? It is the best thing ever :D

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Love the heart idea! I like them all though so what do I do about that ;-) Noah has had a stomach virus today so we have been trying to get him to feel better. The good thing is he is never cuddly except for times like these so I cherish them!

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HELLO BFF!!! I am so so sorry about Noah. That breaks my heart. Hugs from us!

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That salad looks to die for!!! Yum!

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Thanks Alyssa! You should try it!

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The Vitamix is my favorite kitchen appliance.

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I am so jealous of your Vitamix, I need one of those!

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I am also addicted to the George Foreman. It is just so convenient!

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It really is and it cooks everything perfectly.

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Is Rachelle still planning on posting her engagement story? I don’t remember seeing a post about that.

Today I have tried to work out some kinks in my IT band and stretch my hamstrings – got a little beat up during my 11 miler yesterday. Not so easy when you have a desk job and are chained to the computer 8 hrs/day :(

I think the microwave gets the most use in our house, followed by the trusty George Foreman.

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AHHHHHH I totally forgot! I am going to make her ASAP! Thanks for reminding me. I am so sorry about your IT band bugging you but GREAT job on 11 miles yesterday.

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Does the oven count as an appliance? No? Then lately it’s my blender, it’s warming up and I’m loving breakfast smoothies.
I wish I used my George foreman more, but I lost the drop pan so I have to get ghetto and hang it over the sunk. I try not to do it too often since it makes a mess and Grosses my roommate out

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Toaster. Most used appliance with three kids!
Today is my birthday and kids are on SpringBreak. I started the day with a quick 5 miles of speed interval run. It was great!

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I heart it all….so your data may be somewhat skewed….kitchen appliance? dishwasher!
Today is our first day of Spring Break…and we got dressed…that is an accomplishment!

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That salad sounds delicious!

I probably use my mixer more than anything. I love it so much!

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I think the appliance we use the most is the crockpot. It’s the best thing to make sure we have food ready as soon as we get home. Especially if we’re going to be home late

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What does that salad dressing taste like?? I’ve seen it before but I’m not sure if it’s sweet or dry or what!

Brooke looks SO cute in that Easter pic!

Today was my first day back to work from spring break. I know I shouldn’t complain, but I’m wiped!

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I LOVE all of your posts. I guess I’ll only ‘like’ the posts with pictures of Brooke ;)
Have the best day!!

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Bahahahaha thank you!

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I just got a George Foreman – can’t wait to use it!

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I use the stove and my Vitamix the most often :) And the toaster.

I have been sketching painting ideas and listening the Giants game on the radio. Working right now.

Your salad looks so yummy!

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Love the heart button, as well as the picture of your adorable smiley daughter :D

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I would love to see a post about what it’s like to be a blogger with a large following. I don’t have a blog and I’m always curious how bloggers feel about documenting their life on a daily basis. I’m not sure I could do it. It’s almost like being on a reality tv show! Do you ever feel like you’re doing things just for the sake of blogging? Do you ever get tired of blogging? How do you decide what to share and what not to share? Does blogging feel like a job or still just a hobby? It seems that when a hobby becomes a job it can take some of the fun out of it. Sometimes I think blogs are narcisstic, but then I catch myself because I enjoy reading them and I think it’s just jealousy talking.

Sorry for the serious comment/suggestion. I’m just really curious about the life of a blogger. I absolutely adore your blog and your enthusiasm! Keep up the great work.

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KATE!!! Seriously, LOVE this idea. Thank you so so much for your questions, this will be such a fun post to do. Thank you so much Kate! Have an amazing day!!

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You are my favorite blogger so I guess the way and what you write is working for me! I like the mixture of delicious foods, workout regimes, and Brooke updates.
You got me hooked on that TJ’s champagne pear dressing-definitely my favorite! I love that picture of Billy and Brooke, it really looks like he doesn’t mind the interruption ;)
I started a week long sugar detox today and I already have a headache-it’s going to be a LONG week!

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Thank you so much Monica!!! I am so happy that you love that dressing too… it is the best! OH NO…. I hope the headache goes away asap!

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I’m so jealous that Brooke is a good napper. I feel so defeated in getting my daughter to nap. And then she’s fussy all day because she won’t sleep and I’m a frustrated mom. You’re lucky! ;-)

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Laura, I am truly so so sorry about that. Crossing my fingers that your little one starts taking better naps ASAP! Keep me updated on how it is going:)

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My first did not nap from age 1 month to 8 months, howevr was rarely fussy. But I did get some quick naps by babywearing. Not sure how old your little one is but I made great use of the moby wrap, ergo, and sleepy wrap. I lovd the moby with my first and the sleepy wrap with my second. My second had some medical issues, primarily very severe GERD and she would immediately stop screaming in the sleepy wrap. With both of them I could often wear them until they were asleep for a bit and then transfer them somewhere else. As they got older I could wear them and then put them down when they were about to go to sleep. Just thought I would throw that out there. At least if sleep did not come I could get things done and have my hands free!

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but I {heart} ALL of your posts (well, I don’t always love the recipe posts but thats only because I don’t cook).

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I use my oven almost every day!!

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I love the look of that salad! Yumm!

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I have a feeling I’ll be liking every single post haha. I love how your posts range from training, fun, babies, food etc.. you seriously have the best blog out there Janae- I always look forward to your posts.

Brooke is adorable in her Easter outfit- she is getting so big!

My most used appliance has been my blender- i’m obsessed with my smoothies for snacks.

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I couldn’t imagine ever getting any work done with an adorable distraction like Brooke around. And I love the idea of the heart at the end of the post! Do you mind me asking what plugin it is?

I have the day off today, so the whole day has been pretty much devoted to doing groceries (yay for discount Easter candy!!) and getting a bunch of random errands done. The weather is absolutely gorgeous today, so it makes running around a lot more pleasant :)

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Hi Amanda! It’s based on a plugin called WTI Like Post.

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Haha I can barely do law school homework with myself in the room, I can’t imagine trying to do it with Brooke there!

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I was given a George Foreman not too long ago but just started using it. It is my new favourite thing!

Today is a rest day for me, the last day of my Spring Break, and the day before I take over a gr.4 class for the remainder of the school year, so I’ve had to force myself inside out of the beautiful sun to do some curriculum planning. *sigh* At least I have a big window in my new classroom and I’m about the only one here so it’s nice and quiet!

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That salad sound’s awesome! I’m gonna have to try it!

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I love seeing your workouts (especially the pool ones as I need more ideas and plans for swimming and pool running routines.). Also, maybe more on how you fuel for yournworkouts when injured vs normally. It seems like you have had less desserts and candy lately?

But the number one (2?) thing(s) I love seeing are your desserts and cute little Brooker!

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Hey Mo! Thank you and great questions! I have been lame on the dessert front! I think when I am not running I am not quite as hungry as when I am running (which makes sense because my body isn’t burning as many calories and so it doesn’t get as hungry) so I just eat as much as I need to feel full and then eat again when I am hungry. As for the sweets I go through phases ha. I have really been craving more salty things lately until this last weekend dessert has come back again and I think about it all the time ha.

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I have a question: we’re moving to a new town and I want to join a gym but I’m kind of intimidated. Do you have any suggestions for finding a gym, or how to tell if a gym is right for you?

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Hey Christine! I hope your move goes smooth and that you love the new town you are moving too. Most gyms will give you a guest pass so that you can try out their gym a few times for FREE. I would recommend to try out gyms that are closest to you (the closer the drive is for me the more likely I will go hahaha) and tell them you want to try out their gym before signing a contract. Take advantage of the free pass and take different classes and really spend time getting a feel for the gym and if it works for you. My top three things I look for in a gym are: 1. it is CLEAN 2. awesome CLASSES 3. it is close to my house. Good luck!!!

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I must say, Janae, I could certainly stand some more of those baller playlists you come up with ;) but really just keep up all those pictures of Brooke, because she is adorable! Mark and I literally use our Ecogreen pans for, like, every meal. So at least 3 times a day. They are the best non-stick pans EVER and you can buy them at Wal-Mart :)

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Brooke’s dress. Precious. I love the heart idea!!

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I like your blog topics just the way they are, its a good balance of your workouts, foods, family life, and other stuff… I seriously look forward to reading your blog every day. Is that weird? lol

The heart idea is cool though, but I will probably click it on every post you do so I think it might defeat the purpose :)

PS. I need to try pool running because my knee is s-o-r-e, how much did you pay for your inflatable belt thing?

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Thanks girl!!! Yes try pool running for sure! I think it was about 30! Let me know how it goes!

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That salad looks amazing! I’ve never tried that TJ’s dressing before – it looks delicious! And Brooke is just darling! :)

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I was honestly just thinking about the appliance question today! I use my Ninja, my rice cooker, and my oven the most… My day is also almost over, so it’s dinner time and I’m stressed out so it might just be time for bed after dinner.

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The heart is such a cute idea! Any post with Brooke is a “like” so all of them :) You have a great blog, I love the mix of fun easy going posts with your move informative stuff too. You completely opened my eyes to Friday long runs and seriously I think you might have saved my sanity, THANK YOU for that! :)

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Haha I would guess we use the microwave or dishwasher most… I’m not much of a chef!

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The magic bullet and baby bullet are my faves but I wish I had a vitamix!

Love the heart button. How’d you do it? I would love to add something similar to my blog.

I would love to see more parenting posts and how you manage to do everything with a baby. I struggle to get it all done some days!

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Love the heart!! I would love for you to do some post about blog tips and increasing readers.

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that salad looks yummy! i love fruit in salad. i made one yesterday with pear, sunflower seeds, red onion and shredded carrot. i would have added feta (love) but i have some lactose intolerant family:(

i’ve been using my blender a lot lately to make protein shakes but otherwise it’s the toaster oven. love that one.

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That salad looks delish!

I think the kitchen appliance we use most is our Magic Bullet! We are constantly making shakes and smoothies. :)

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I really need to try that salad dressing…but I know that anything from TJ’s is good :) I love fruit in my salads…so I will be adding your combo to my next one! Today I went to lunch and shopping with my Mom (and I’m the owner of two more pairs of shoes…holla!) and got some grocery shopping done.

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I tried a pool workout today too! I just did scissor kicks and regular kicks holding a kick board out in front. I got a great leg workout.. I just did that for 30 minutes down the lap lane and back.

Do you ever get black toe nails from running? Or have any weird foot issues? I have yet to find running shoes that don’t cause toe nail issues! Do you only wear Brooks or have you tried other running shoes?

Love all your post. Food is great! and so are all the baby pix.. you must include Brooke in every post. She is growing up so fast!

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I use my toaster the most. Oh and my blender! I use on or both of them daily.

Your salad is my regular salad must-haves! Spinach (sometimes w/ spring mix, too), fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts and stinky cheese. I have to have those five things on every salad I make! Always a winning combination.

I love the look on Billy’s face in that photo. He looks so happy with life!

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Ooh I “like” the heart! (See what I did there?) Also, I wanted to thank you for recommending that TJ’s salad dressing, because I bought it and OMG I am in love. SO good!

xo

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I absolutley LOVE that picture of you and Brooke on Easter in the last blog post. You look absolutely stunning, and of course, Brooke looks super cute! ;)

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I AM MAKING THIS SALAD. Omg it looks perfect! Cool idea with the heart! I use my microwave for every meal.

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Have you already done a post on you as a teenager? I think it would be fun to see what you were like back then! :)

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The heart like button is a great idea!

I don’t think a day does by that I don’t use my oven. I don’t have a toaster so I even toast bread in it… I bet I could lower my energy bill quite a bit actually …:)

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Your blog is a perfect mix of family, daily life, workout advice, and recipes. Does my coffee maker count as a kitchen appliance?! ;-) I love my crock pot and pressure cooker–I use each of those multiple times a week.

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Looks good.
We use our vita-mix machine almost daily to make healthy smoothies and ice cream
Art

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Ahhhhh!!!! I am so excired! We are having a mother daughter banquet at my church and I needed to find a good salad to make….totally gonna do this one! Looks awesome!
I love reading about your workout routine. It is a great way to get ideas! I would love to see updates on having a coach and some of the workouts he has you do (not sure if you can disclose that) and how it is helping or if not that much(not sure if you would want to disclose that!) I kinda come up with my workouts on a day to day kinda thing. I try to do a speed and a Friday longer run and a tempo sorta run but I am pretty casual about it.
I LOVE your blog and want to start my own every time I read yours….just intimidated! I need to come over for an afternoon and have you just get me started and I would be fine…..too bad you are a whole plane ride away!!! Brooke is beautiful!
Today was school with the kids (I homeschool), an 8 mile run…2 mile warm up 4 mile repeats under 6:48 and a 2 mile cool down, a post office run and a walmart stop and that’s a day :)!

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I haven’t commented on your blog before but I’ve been reading it for months now and I love your little family and reading about your exercise and eating adventures!

I’m curious if you’ve ever read Born to Run – I just read it and LOVED it!!! If you have read it – what did you think?? I thought that the more “natural” running concepts like barefoot running and getting back to our running roots as humans were all super interesting and seemed pretty legit according to the various scientific sources he quotes. But it is definitely an extreme point of view and I know the author/the book have received some criticism (which I think is inevitable in these cases). Either way though, I thought the story itself was awesome and it was really hard to put down and included a lot of amazing runners in it. So if you haven’t read it – I would highly recommend it and then would want to know what you thought of it!!

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HEY SOPHIE!! Thank you so so much for commenting! I have read that book and I also loved it! I could not agree more with you. I loved the concepts but it was a little much for me. I took a lot from it but don’t think I’ll pick up barefoot running anytime soon! Thank you so much, you are the best.

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I use my blender and panini press the most. I use each of them almost daily.

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Do you have this problem as a blogger, when I start to talk about something I’ve blogged about in real life, I’m not sure if the person I am speaking to has read the blog and thus ‘heard’ the story or not.

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Yessssssss!!! I do that all the time!

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HI! ok so mine might be tmi but I wanted to know if you are still b-feeding and how you balance that with running; my eleven month old still b-feeds and i have issues when running (decreased supply, figuring out when to feed/run, etc.)….sorry if this is tmi but kinda dying to know ;) I totally trust your opinion with running and your kid is darn cute so…just wondering!

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Yep, that salad looks amazing. I’ve had one pretty similar and definitely need to make it again soon! I use my coffee pot the most, but I’m a bit blender and crockpot fan as well.

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I would LOVE to see a day in the life post or a breastfeeding post!

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I need to try this salad dressing ASAP! The salad looks delish :) Love the new heart button!

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Love Brooke’s Easter dress! So cute. Is a coffeemaker considered an applicance. I can’t live with out mine. Someone had commented about blogging; that would interest me as well. I have only been blogging for almost 1 month and don’t post daily but, have been thinking about. I average 2-3 posts a week. I just don’t know if my readers would get tired of seeing daily posts from me?
I love your blog!! I look forward to your daily sometimes twice daily posts!!

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I didn’t read your notes, but my thoughts on the heart..I love what you write on a daily basis, because it is what is important to you. If it is for advertising/readership building/money making, then I understand. If you blog because you love to log what is important to you, then who cares what the others like.

I like to come and see what you write, because you are passionate about it. I don’t come because you are giving something away, or getting a PR, or writing recipes, etc. Please understand this is with love, I don’t want you to change.

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Hey Girl!! You are so sweet! Thank you so much and the hearts are definitely not for advertising reasons:) Just interested to see what people love reading the most. Don’t worry, I will never change my writing about running/dessert/brooke/treadmill! Hope you are having an amazing day!

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Yum, the salad looks delicious! My ideal situation would be to have a personal salad bar with a million different topping options haha

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I also am really curious about the COACH! I would love to hear more about the advice he is giving and what the overall goals are and training plans. (assuming its ok for you to share that info, as mentioned above).

Other things: I really love the update posts about Brooke, like all her little milestones and what she likes (with lots of pics!) I dont have any children yet, so I am living vicariously through reading about Brooke. It really does brighten up my attitude to see the adorable pics.
A guest post from Bangs Friend, with some of her recipes (i.e like that carrot cake!) would be great, esp after getting teased with all the pics to drool over!
I also would love to hear little tips on how you manage with money…not that we need major details of your finances, but just little things and tips for saving like with groceries or buying kids stuff or whatever. I’m trying to live on a smaller income, and was on student loans, but now trying to pay them off (groan), so money issues are always on my mind.

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These ideas are PERFECT!! I love them all! Thank you so so much. I might have to have Billy write the tip about managing money… he is a lot better than I am at that. I go to Target a little too often. Student loans= I understand!

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Your salad looks amazing! I went to TJ’s to pick up that dressin,g and then I saw their Cilantro dressing, and got it, too. It’s delicious! Have you tried it?

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We probably use our coffee grinder the most, but that’s a lame answer.

Second place goes to either the rice cooker or the bread maker. Apparently, we like our carbs around these parts… :)

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The heart idea is a really good one :)
I think anybody who sees a picture of Brooke in your post is going to “heart” it no matter what!
I love my Chopper (I don’t know what the real name of it is) from Pampered Chef. We use it constantly to chop up carrots for salads.

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Honestly, I’m sure I live off of my convection oven, whether it’s chicken or muffins, I love how it’s faster and it doesn’t heat up the whole house (though that is a benefit in the winter months).

I love the heart button too, but I might end up “liking” every single post!

I’m teaching my friend Beks my treadmill ways today =) Can’t wait!

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( I got an error the first time so trying again)

You may have already written about this – I’m interesting in the psychology of running, the mental aspect of long-distances. I regularly run 5-10km but I’m training for my first half (I did 14km yesterday at 6min/km which is AMAZING for me!). I don’t struggle with giving up etc but I’d love to know more about getting my head in the right place for long runs.

Love your cute blog, cute baby and cute family!

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First of all, I have read your blog from the start and have enjoyed its evolution. Your gorgeous personality is the star of this blog and as long as it remains you will continue to reach people with your warmth and enthusiasm for life.

The one thing I miss though is the CANDY, ICECREAM and CAKE mentions! There seemed to be more delicious (unhealthy) eats to covet earlier on. I especially miss all the gorgeous Yogurtland cups!

Also your posts that focused on eating issues, particularly your own struggles, were in my opinion those that gained the most reaction (in terms of comments from those who could relate) and touched me the most. I realise you’ve come so far since then, and I know you could help so many people still struggling in the depths of disordered eating. Only if you’re comfortable reflecting on that of course! I know you could help so many readers.

Overall though Janae your blog is unmissable :-)

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WOW! Thank you so so much Michelle! Your comment was so sweet, I really apprciate you:) GREAT ideas, it has been a long time since I have written about my struggles with eating issues and I have a lot to talk about! Expect a post soon!

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Thank you for “Weighing Yourself: The Scale”. Great post and one that obviously struck a chord with a lot of people!

Just wanted to say you rock Janae :) Look forward to more posts in the future.

X Michelle

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I’m a big fan of my juicer (I love the sound it makes when it chomps up veggies).

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It’s a tie between my coffee pot and my ovens – I love to bake. Now that I have a new appreciation for smoothies, my blender may be tailing them soon.

I like your posts as random as they are. It’s how life really is, so thank you for sharing pieces of yours with all of us. :-)

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This leftover salad looks like the most delicious salad I have ever had. I must print the picture and make my own! Wow. Now I`m hungry. Your blog always gets me, hehe.

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I love the heart idea. I use my ninja a ton! It’s a food processor, blender, and mixer all in one. It’s amazing.
I always wondered if there are any foods you don’t eat because they aren’t healthy? Like Trans fats, ect.

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I dig the cute heart app! That salad looks PERFECT. Love.all.of.that!

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I would love to see a post about half marathon/marathon training…talk about the good, bad and the ugly! lol :)

Hope you had a wonderful Easter!!!

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I definitely use my toaster the most! Nothing like a warm crunchy piece of bread in the morning! My day has just begun, I’m at work :)

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A post about how you find to be a mom and a marathon runner would be nice!

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Love the idea of ‘liking’… but I like all your posts :)

My vitamix is my favorite. It’s so great–and real easy to clean after whipping up a smoothie or some GUAC <3

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We use the oven a lot!

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I use my Kitchen Aid mixer a lot. I need to buy myself a Magic Bullet. I keep thinking about it and never do. Maybe I will treat myself for Mother’s Day. Have a great day. I love that picture of Brooke. She looks like a model with her hand just resting on the back of the bench!!! Then again, she looks like a model in every picture you take of her!! She is just adorable.

Sue

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That salad dressing sounds amazing!! I might have to head to TJ to pick up a bottle to try!

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Love the last pic of Brooke and that salad looks SO good (and I am not really a fruit-in-salads kinda girl)!

I can’t really think of anything in particular that you should post about — I really love coming here every day and reading your blog because of the positive attitude you always have and all the great food/baby/family pics! Keep that up and you will always have happy readers. :)

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WOW! Thank you so much Sarah! You are the sweetest!

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I was wondering if you ever run short distance races like 5Ks and 10Ks? You would be soooooo fast! Does Billy run those races ever?

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I love your blog just the way it is. You are just so positive and that is unfortunately such a rarity in real life or in the blog world. It also helps that I have a baby boy the same age as your adorable Brooke. For some reason I am drawn to blogs that have babies the same age as mine.

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Thank you so much Jill! Wish our kiddos could play together!

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Thanks for reminding me about the George Foreman! I have one, but never use it. I need to change that! My favorite kitchen appliance is my rice cooker. My mom is Filipino so rice is a necessity although I don’t eat rice as often as I did when I was growing up.

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Love the heart idea! I used your pool running Interval workout on the treadmill today and it gave me a killer run (fastest 5 miles in a while- 6:58 pace!!). Thanks for sharing it- it really helped break up the run! Love that picture of Billy and Brooke- she is so adorable! :-)

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Way to go!!! That is awesome!!!!! Speedy!!!

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i’ve never heard of putting jalapenos on deviled eggs but it sounds amazing!

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Love the ideas of yours, thanks you so much for this post….

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