Friday FAVORITES!!!!

I hope you are ready for an amazing weekend and that you have lots of running and delicious food in store for you! I thought I would share some of my favorites things lately!

-It was my sister’s bday yesterday (even though I am pretty sure she doesn’t age) and she wanted to celebrate with some good ol’ fashioned Cafe Rio salads.  It is pretty nice that my best friends are my sissy and my mom… it makes things real simple.  

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-My mom and sister both have the ‘prefer lemon desserts over chocolate desserts’ gene (I did not inherit this one) and so I brought her favorite Magelby’s cake for dessert.  

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-I think Brooke’s love for Target has surpassed my own love for Target… I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

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-Meg D sent this on over to me… best idea ever.  And now I want a nap. 

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-Toast/almond butter/apple afternoon snack.  All three ingredients are delicious on their own and then when combined… it just takes it to the next level.

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-It is kind of hard to see it in this picture but a nice veggie tray is a current favorite.  They make it so much easier for us to snack on veggies throughout the day because everything is already bite size, ready to eat and they offer a fun variety.  

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-When Brooke is wearing matching PJs with her doll.

Multiple choice question.  Who was more excited about her new American Girl Doll?

A)  Janae

B)  Brooke

Answer key:  A.  Definitely A but B was also pretty excited about it too.  I just have way too many memories with Molly and Kirsten when I was a little girl and I was stoked for Brooke to start playing with her own doll too.  

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-That I am enjoying strength training more and more.  After my run yesterday I was actually kind of excited for some squats.  Fake it to make it?

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-I swear every.single.day Brooke gets more and more fun.  We can joke around now, have somewhat real conversations and she is constantly surprising me with how smart she is…  It’s pretty great right now.  

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-A recipe blog that I just fell in love with… every recipe she posts makes me drool and Brooke and I will be making this turkey chili for dinner next week!

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-LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Jada and this interview was spot on.  I love how she talks about taking care of herself in order to take care of others… I think a lot of us run for this very reason! 

 -My main squeeze is back in town and that meant we went to celebrate with tuna tataki and sushi.  

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Sushi is one of those things I could eat every day of my life and be happy.

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-I hate that this made it to a Friday Favorite but somehow I am sucked back into this show again.  

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Let’s talk about some Fashion Favorites as of late!  I’ll include the items/links that I get the most questions/emails about!

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PS if any of the items are from Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, J Crew or Madewell… if they aren’t on sale right now, always wait a day or two to buy them until they do go on sale.  I don’t remember the last time I bought anything from these stores for full price because they always have 30-40% sales randomly.  

-Sweatshirts that I’ve been obsessed with—>  GapFit Breathe Hoodie,  Roolee You Need This Hoodie, Old Navy Go-Dry 1/4-Zip Pullover, and the Sparkle Sweatshirt!

-Sweaters and shirts—> Warmlight Pullover Sweater, Lace Sweatshirt (I wore this all of the time last winter and now it is on sale!!), lace-stitch crew pull-over and the Tippi Sweater.  I’ve been wearing this classic white button up once a week because I love it so much and my current favorite plaid.  Love this track tee too! 

-Pants—>  Moto Ponte Pant (comfortable and I love the detail at the knees), Moto Leggings in Olive and the Pixie Pant (my mom picked out these for a fancier dinner that I had last month and I love them)! 

-The most comfortable booties you will ever own.  My feet were having problems with plantar from wearing non-comfy shoes all day long so I made the switch.  These are cheaper in the store than they are online… they have one store in SLC and one in Newport Beach.

-The other shoes I am loving for looks and comfort these days are Vans—>  I’ve been sporting these ones all of the time and these or these ones are on my Birthday List (ahem… about a month until I am 30!?!?!)

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Anyone else prefer lemon desserts over chocolate desserts?  Or does chocolate always come #1 in your life?

Who else is watching The Bachelor this season?  

Have any Friday Favorites?

Any recipe blogs that you absolutely love?

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76 comments

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Happy birthday to your sister! She really does not age – she’s gorgeous. Love those big salads because I crave them all winter. I think for me chocolate always has to come first!

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I do really love lemon desserts but I don’t know if I love them more than chocolate. That’s tough. Happy birthday to your sister!!

I love Iowa Girl Eats. Everything I’ve made of hers is so good. I actually just shared one of the recipes of hers I made last night on my blog!

The Bachelor. I do really love it. I think I just like all the drama because I have so little in my life. And I’d like to keep it that way!

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Happy bday to your sister! I am with you though, chocolate desserts over lemon desserts!

My Friday Favorite is that it’s Friday! After a couple of weeks off work at the end of last year this week was hard for me. My sleep schedule was bad which led to poor eating, poor running and more poor sleeping. I hope to reset this weekend!

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In the summer, I’m all about lemon desserts. They’re so refreshing and taste healthier to me somehow! Plus, chocolate just tastes too heavy and is too messy in the summer. That cake looks amazing :)

I’m also loving Bachelor so far! I stopped watching last season because the drama was too annoying for me. I’m hoping this season is a bit better, and I really like Ben!

Happy birthday to your sister :)

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I would just like to ask how you can be such a guru of running, good food/baking, parenting AND fashion simultaneously?! haha it’s really no wonder your blog is so successful :) As for recipe blogs, I am obsessed with Sally’s Baking Addiction. Never made anything from her site that wasn’t out of this world!

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I don’t like chocolate, so I would take the lemon desserts over them every single time.

Friday Favorite: I am playing the lottery for the first time in my life this weekend. I’m 31, but I feel like I might be an adult now.

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I’m excited for Her new American girl doll. My mom actually has a business making AE doll clothes, baby bibs and blankets. I used to love those dolls.

I want to try cafe rio. All of your food always looks so good. I actually like lemon cake myself but chocolate always wins.

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My Friday favorite is that I’m racing this weekend! I’m running a half tomorrow morning, my first race of 2016! I have no idea how I’m going to do but look forward to working hard!

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Happy birthday to your sissie! [So happy that I didn’t get the lemon desserts > chocolate desserts gene either ;) .]

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Happy birthday to your sister! I’m a chocolate dessert eater all the time—lemon never is quite able to satiate my dessert cravings.

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I’m allergic to chocolate so yes, lemon please ;-) Happy birthday Sissy ;-)

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Me, too. Lemon is happy.

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I love lemon or key lime desserts in the summer. In all other months chocolate comes first. I also like to mix it up and throw some raspberry in there every once in a while too :)

I immediately ordered the Moto Ponte pants from Gap. I’ve been looking for leggings like these and there’s a 40% off code for today! Thank you in advance for bringing them into my life!

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I have this lemon gene too!

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I love lemon cake over chocolate cake! But I am still a chocoholic. I just like my chocolate straight up as in a nice 60% cacao dark chocolate bar. :)

Just discovered that I like goat cheese, walnuts and cranberries on my salad after not wanting to ever try it.

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I’m both chocolate and lemon– and now I want to eat cake! Friday favorites are getting up early last time for the week and running, followed by work and then seeing some of my favorite people! TGIF! This first full week of January has felt very long!

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I like lemon desserts but I think chocolate still takes the cake!

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I love your and Brooke’s relationship! I hope I have that with my girl one day!

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Anything with the word dessert in it is my favorite. Chocolate, lemon, carrot cake…they’re all my favorites!

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Happy birthday to your sister!! Definitely prefer chocolate to lemon! Yes, I am currently watching this season of the Bachelor… not proud of myself ;)

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I’m not too biased when it comes to desserts ;) Ice cream must include chocolate though!

Friday Favorites: tonight is family date night! We are doing the couch to 5k with our kids to help them get ready for track season in the spring, so we’re going to jog to Riteaid to get ice cream and then walk back home. Yay!

My fav recipe right now is chicken and dumplings and I love using left over bbq’d chicken or rotisserie chicken. The recipe is simple: chicken stock, chicken, veggies, 1 can of cream of mushroom. Cook for 10 minutes, then drop Pillsbury rolls on top and cook for 20.

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I forgot that your sister and I share birthdays – Happy Birthday!!. Us Jan 7th birthday gals never age ;-)

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The chocolate always wins. But that lemon cake is a good contender.

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I got the lemon gene too although I love chocolate! I was addicted to these lemon coconut cupcakes in college from a bakery near by they were heaven on earth.

The Bachelor and Bachelorette are absolutely my guilty pleasures even though I HATE admitting it! I haven’t gotten a change to watch this first episode yet, but I’m sure I’ll be catching up this weekend!

http://www.theblissfulbalance.com/ is one of my favorite recipe blogs, everyone should definitely check this girl out!

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I don’t like fruits/veggies in my dessert! My mom loves carrot cake and I’ll always eat the cream cheese frosting off it and leave the cake for her.

Can’t get enough of The Bachelor. Love Ben H. Not that impressed with any of the candidates though!

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I love lemon desserts but also chocolate too. Depends what I am in the mood for! Fruit is my JAM so anything fruity is hard for me to say no to.

Also watching the Bachelor. It is such a show that sucks you in and then you cant stop watching haha. Half the time I just laugh at how crazy it is!

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I love lemon bars and lemon sandwich cookies. My boyfriend thinks I’m crazy/gross for loving them, but I totally do.

I’m not a big fan of the Bachelor. I’ve watched it a few times halfway through. I think it’s kind of fun to try to pick out the “storylines” that they edit in, but I’m never interested enough to keep watching.

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I don’t prefer lemon over chocolate, but I love both! Sometimes I think it depends on my mood or the rest of the meal.

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Happy Birthday to your sister! I hope she had a great one. Thank you for sharing your fave gear. That striped hoodie is really cute and I was kind of shocked at how inexpensive it is. I’ll be getting that one for sure.
Chocolate is always #1 for me.
I usually only watch one or two episodes of The Bachelor and then I stop. I love reading their professions (Dog Lover, Pizza Entrepreneur, Free Spirit, etc.) though because they are usually so ridiculous and sound completely unpaid.
Friday’s are the days that my fiance comes back from school so that is always my favorite day!
I really love the Six Sisters Stuff blog. They have so much stuff on there, and I love that you can choose from a variety of stuff and they are pretty descriptive.

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I NEVER watch reality tv, because it makes my blood pressure skyrocket; but my friend told me I had to watch this week’s episode of the Bachelor with her because she needed my commentary. Frankly, if the guy gave the rose to the horse, I think I’d be more inclined to continue watching. ;) And those Moto leggings!! I need a second pair of leggings, and these will be perfect!

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I like lemon bars but chocolate is my favorite. ChocolateCoveredKatie.com is a good site for healthier but tasty desserts. Many of her recipes are for one or 2 people, which I also like.

Today is my husband’s birthday so there is some celebrating going on.

I cannot bring myself to watch the Bachelor. Why would a grown woman wear a unicorn head?

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I love both lemon and chocolate desserts. I used to not like chocolate but then I came to my senses ;-)
Great fashion picks! I have the GapFit Breathe Hoodie (thanks to you) and LOVE it! I will be keeping an eye on the grey going on sale!
Happy birthday to your sister! I love being so close to my sisters as well. There is nothing like it!

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I love http://www.BudgetBytes.com , all her recipes use normal ingredients & are budget friendly! And tasty too. Yay!

While I love a good lemon thing. I don’t feel like lemon is really a dessert flavor. I would eat lemon pound cake for breakfast (or a lemon square too for that matter) but never dessert. Chocolate is #1 in my dessert book!

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Chocolate is always #1 :) although I pretty much will take any and all sweet treats!

Not watching the Bachelor, but always watching my favorite HGTV shows like Fixer Upper and House Hunters.

Love when you link to your favorite clothes — so many cute choices!

Have a great weekend!!!

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Chocolate always wins unless it contains nuts…then it automatically loses all credibility as a dessert.

I always try to watch The Bachelor because my sister loves it, but I get such second hand embarrassment that I usually never finish an entire season!!

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Lemon over chocolate!?!? It’s just wrong, WRONG!

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My Friday Favorite is that I officially got back to blogging again! Well, Todd and I got back to blogging and managed to post every day this week. I really love the way it makes us feel connected to the running world, because ultra running can be sort of lonely sometimes!

I do NOT like lemon desserts, so with you on that one!

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Chocolate all the way!!!
Brooke and her American Girl Doll is the cutest thing ever! I had Molly :)

Happy Friday!!

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Aaaaand now I want lemon cake! I don’t discriminate when it comes to desserts- I love them all. Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting isn’t my most favorite, though- sometimes it’s a bit too much for me.

Right now, I’m loving all the after-the-holidays sales on winter clothes!

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I LOVED my American Girl dolls! My sister and I would spend hours and hours playing with them. I never want to get rid of them haha.

I also am super guilty of watching the Bachelor. I met Chris Soules from last season and that was shamefully way too exciting for me haha.

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Haha sorry, I have to side with your mom/sis on this one! Lemon FTW!

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I’ve never been a wife or a mom but this video was great! So informative!

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Chocolate will always be #1 – I don’t even want additions like cake or pastry or even nuts to get in the way of it!! JUST CHOCOLATE, please! lol

Oh dear, I’m trying REALLY hard not to get sucked into the Bachelor…but the struggle is real…if I catch one minute of it while flipping channels, I’ll be sucked in. So far, so good though!

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i would definitely take lemon dessert over chocolate and that cake you posted looks divine! you have me drooling over that tuna sushi its so beautiful and probably tasted delicious as well!!

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As far as Brooke getting more fun the older she gets- it only gets better. :). My daughter is 16 and the time we spend togther is the best part of every day. The love u r investing in her life and in ur relationship now will b paid back “pressed down and shaken together”. Don’t let people discourage u that when Brooke becomes a teenager that sweetness and fun will end. They change over time but that is GROWTH and as we grow with them, our lives become more rich! At least that’s my unsolicited opinion. Lol!!

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Your comment made me so happy! You always hear about how hard the teen years are but your perspective makes me SO happy! Can’t wait to grow with her:) I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me this Misti!

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I will always always watch the Bachelor!! I can’t help it- it’s the best! I even write down the funny things my hubby and I say while watching each week: http://www.katiedidwhat.com/the-bachelor-man-quotes-are-back-2/ if you want a little chuckle ;)
Annnnnd that picture of sushi is so beautiful, now I want sushi. Cooked of course, cus #pregnant!

xo

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I am watching the Bachelor! I love the fact that Ben wants to get to know the girls before kissing them. He seems to be taking it very seriously… and he’s really involving his family, which is neat to see. :)

I could never take lemon over chocolate. Is it “really” dessert if it’s fruit? Haha. I’m always about the chocolate!

Love Jada and the message she has in the video. I am a new mom and can relate to what she is saying.

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I am with your sister on the lemon! I hope we can still be friends after I say this but chocolate is third in the category of sweets for me.

I am going to sushi tomorrow night and I have been counting down the hours since I made the plan to go.

Guilty – I love the Bachelor. My husband claims the TV is broken every Monday so we don’t DVR it.

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Is it worth watching the Bachelor this season? I haven’t watched a Bachelor/ette season since Sean… they haven’t seemed to be casts worth bothering with.

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So….. I really like Ben this season so that is why I started it but I don’t think I like any of the girls. I agree, after Seans’s season the show has been going downhill. Confession… I follow Sean and Catherine on Instagram because I loved them so much!

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Maybe I’ll check it out… I’ve been hooked on catching up with Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix so maybe not… I follow Sean and Catherine too! It totally threw me when she became his front runner because we didn’t see much of her in the beginning, but they’re such a cute couple. JP and Ashley are my other faves <3

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I think my favorite recipe blogs are Iowa Girl Eats & The Pioneer Woman!! I’ve just started my own food/recipe, running (+other fitness) blog and hope to be a fraction as successful as them! it’s super exciting to see my page views go up though :)

My Friday Favorite is definitely my Garmin! I got it for Christmas but got the most use out of it this week so far. It’s so fun to see how far, how fast, how long you’re running. I love seeing the splits too!

Chocolate will always be my #1 love!

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I love lemon desserts, but I’ll always pick chocolate if given a choice between the two. No contest. Also, must be real lemon; the fake citrus stuff leaves the worst taste in my mouth for hours. Ick. Chocolate doesn’t have this problem. :)

Friday Favorites- no work tomorrow. Spending my free moments thinking of what I will eat for dinner and dessert b/c it’s just me and my two girls tonight and I had a killer long run this morning and nothing fun to eat yet today.

I second Budget Bytes for great recipes- love her recipes and she lives in my city!

Bachelor = nope.

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Friday Favorites is my new pair of Converse shoes! I saw a post you did when you went to Disneyland and wore them. They looked so cute! I received a gift card for Nordstrom at Christmas and bought a pair. Great for Friday casual at the office :)

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/ has some great recipes and food pics.

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Happy birthday to your sister! Depending on the day, I dig the lemon desserts, but I’m usually more of a chocolate chip cookie gal myself. Nom. Also, Brooke with the American Girl doll = the cutest ever!

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I actually like to combine chocolate and lemon. Then I get the best of both worlds! It may sound gross, but I actually think its pretty complimentary.
I don’t really follow any recipe blogs, I actually wish someone would just make all the food decisions for me because I detest meal planning/grocery shopping/cooking, but I like to eat :)

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I am going to have to try the combination, I bet I would love it! HAHAH come over to our house for dinner and I’ll make all of your food decisions for you:)

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It makes me happy to see you so happy with Brooke and your new guy, Janae! Glad that things are going well for you right now.

I don’t really have loyalty to any particular flavor of dessert. I just care if it’s made well. That being said, I’m craving a good, homemade lemon bar now.

I get all of my recipes lately from smitten kitchen. She’s never failed me, and I’ve found some of my all-time favorite recipes there.

My Friday favorites: my classes all seem easy this semester, it didn’t rain on my run this morning… and I found MAPLE BACON POP-TARTS at the store. I couldn’t not impulse buy them. Turns out they’re actually pretty good.

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Which doll is that?! She looks so happy.

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It is Grace! She loves it so much!

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I am on my feet all day…always looking for comfy slip ons…the Madewell Vans seem to run 1-2 sizes larger than regular size according to many comments on their site….have you found this to be true too?

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That video is spot on. I’m not a mom, but I totally know when I get to that unbalanced spot. Work, building a company, friends, and managing chronic illnesses are so much easier when I make time for a run, whole foods hot bar (ha), or saying no to something so I can recharge.

You’re doing an incredible job!

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Recipe blogs are my favorite! I will have to check this one out. I love Picky Palate and Pioneer Women. Both have such good variety when it comes to recipes. :)

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Chocolate #1. Lemon close 2nd.

Happy bday to your Sis!

I like Marin Mama Cooks. Pretty simple, healthy recipes that are all tasty and kid friendly.

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I’m addicted to The Bachelor, too. (#hangshead) I think Ben is going to be great!

I LOL’d at that pic of Brooke in Target!

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I am also cross training with weights this year! I am super excited to get the muscle I lost last year.

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Bachelor!!! YES!!!! I wasn’t super excited about it being Ben, but now I’m realizing I totally missed how great/hot he was (probably cause I was in love with Sean last season:) I’m not really liking the girls that much. He definitely kept some of the crazies. Although, I do love Becca so I hope she lasts!!!

Brooke will only get more fun! While I miss having babies, my kids are so much fun now! I’ve started taking each one on a “date”, and it’s really awesome. I’m not allowed to call it a date, though, cause they think it’s gross (they’re boys that are 9 and 7 so it’s not cool/i’m their mom. HA).

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They took away our Cafe Rio here in Hagerstown, MD. Not sure how I feel about that, but since I am working on improving my diet, that may be a good thing!!!

My Friday (or more like weekly) Favorites are cashews, these leggings (https://ae.com/web/browse/product_details.jsp?productId=0424_7353_001&catId=cat7060019), and every single color of this shirt (https://ae.com/web/browse/product_details.jsp?productId=4373_4253_604&catId=cat6640003) which I own 3 colors now, and

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Those hypno hoodies are genius and hilarious! I may just have to look into purchasing one for a friend who tends to nap in the middle of courtyards on campus!

Hope you have a lovely weekend, Janae. :)

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I don’t know if you’re a pumpkin fan…BUT I do the toast/almond butter/apple thing, and then I add a sprinkle of pumpkin spice (like the cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, whatever else blend that you get in the spice aisle) right on top. HOLY MOLY IT’S A PARTY EVERY TIME.

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I like fruity desserts a lot, and caramel…and chocolate. I just like dessert :)

I am loving my new colorful running tights! They’re a fun change from my usual black bottoms.

I really like Pinch of Yum, everything I’ve made from there is delicious!

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I love citrus desserts, so I’m there with your mom and sister! But I also love chocolate. I like all desserts, no discrimination here!

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Happy birthday to your sister! And if she doesn’t like chocolate, at least that’s more for you right? haha!

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Bachelor…I think yes!! And I’m so excited it is Ben H.!! ;)
If anyone could check out my blog that would be super amazing!
https://sweetpotatoesrunner.wordpress.com

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I like cream desserts (creme brulee, tiramisu, and things like that) over lemon and chocolate. Mainly because I will never make them myself!

Friday Faves: I just got the Brooks Pure Flow 4, and am in L-O-V-E. Also, with you on weight training. My body feels stronger and definitely needed the different challenge it provides.

I LOVE Willow Bird Baking (a local teacher and blogger) and the Pioneer Woman. The first’s desserts are OUT OF CONTROL, and I love TPW’s comfort foods.

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