Tuesday Tangents!!!

We decided that with all of the new fresh snow that we needed to at least play in it for a little while.

Snow angels occurred.

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And of course a little bit of sledding did too.

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It brought back memories of when school was canceled for snow days growing up and I spent the entire day on one of these little saucers.

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Andrew put together a perfect little run for us.  He stood at the bottom to make sure we didn’t zoom off the yard and onto the sidewalks.

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I also got a few snowballs thrown right at me that ended up going down my shirt which felt so nice… nothing like frozen water running down your back to wake you up.

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Once it got dark we went into my parents’ house.  They had some thick bread from the bakery that was screaming to be made into french toast for dinner.

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And then our drive home took us 4 times longer than it normally does because of all of the snow and ice.   We drove about 10 mph the entire way home.

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I’ve got a few tangents for you this Tuesday morning!

*Brooke has joined in on the best way to interrupt Andrew when he is working on school.

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*Do you need Christmas cookies?  These are a MUST.  I make these yearly and people always love them!  They are Hot Chocolate Cookies and this year I added red and green chocolate chips which colored the marshmallows a bit.

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*Snuggles with her bff before bed.

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*Another one of our traditions that we do around here this time of year is that we read a little bit from this book each night before bed.  It always brings me back to what matters the most.

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*I wonder how many times these kids could watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer without getting sick of it.  I’m guessing at least 100 times.

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*I remember that same feeling of happiness that Brooke experiences anytime a new American Girl Doll catalogue shows up.

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*My mom sent this one on over to me ha:)

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*Another awesome gift idea for yourself or any runners in your life.

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*Brooke proving to me that she is a lot faster than I am.

*My MIL made this beautiful pan of cinnamon rolls for Thanksgiving and I wonder if you can guess who took the middle piece out so perfectly;)

Andrew:

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*A lot of Twister happened over Thanksgiving break.   Turns out my lack of flexibility did not help me in this game.

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Center piece of baked goods or the outer edge?  Anyone else love their baked goods to be undercooked?  

What is your tangent for the day?

Favorite holiday cookie to make?

How do you keep track of your mileage/running/training?

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55 comments

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I actually just received one of Lauren’s training journals and once I am back to running after I give birth I am going to be using it as I prepare for Boston in April! There is just something to me about tracking in a notebook that I always like better than doing it online. It just feels more personal :)

I am jealous of your snow! I didn’t think I would ever say that since we used to live where it snowed 6 months out of the year minimum BUT it keeps going from cold to 80 degrees here and when it’s near Christmas I want it to be cold!

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Oh that is awesome that you just got one of her journals. That is so exciting and I’m stoked for Boston for you next April! That is awesome Sara! Oh that is hard… I like it to be cold for the holidays, especially Christmas and then for it to return to perfect weather again ha. Why can’t we just control the weather?

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Always the center and yes slightly underdone works for me! Mmmm!

I track my runs with Runkeeper. I also manually enter into my calendar for quick reference as well.

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Where have I been? I had no idea there was a Believe Logbook! I love how it’s just about the perfect length for a training cycle. How cool would it be to create a library of Logbooks in your home/office from each training cycle to look back on in the future. I think I’m going to need to do this!

I like baked goods from the outside — crispy/crunchy end bits are my favorite! :)

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I made a sand angel once, not the same thing I guess. Brooke is fast!

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Close enough;) I wish I was making a sand angel right about now ha. Hope you are having a great Tuesday Flower!

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I LOVE when cookies or muffins or really any baked goods are undercooked a little bit. SO good. And I’m going to need to try that cookie recipe–thank you for sharing it! I usually love making (and mainly eating) sugar cookies over the holidays, but I think other people will really like those hot chocolate ones.

Tangent for today: I’m about to give a really big presentation at work, so I’m hoping it goes well! I need some positive things in my life right now.

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AHHHH I hope your presentation goes well (or if it already happened that it did go well). YOU’VE GOT THIS NATALIE!!

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Love baked goods in any form! I’ll take the edge or the center!

I used Strava to track my runs. Before I got a Garmin, I liked strava because I could use it (for free) on my phone. Now my Garmin automatically syncs to Strava so I continue to use it.

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I love the gooey centers of cookies and also love the center brownie for the same reason! my favorite cookies are always warm chocolate chip cookies, no matter the time of year.

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I’m definitely adding one of those log books to my Christmas list.
You have to take the edge on baked goods – especially if there is frosting or icing involved.

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Center pieces ALWAYS! My favorite cookies are gingerbread..I could eat them year round :)

I started my blog as a way to track my running and stay accountable! Now I use daily mile for each one, then sum it up in one blog post a week.

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I believe he probably cut the center piece out so that it could “kind of” look like a doughnut for you or the shape of a track…maybe he was giving you a secret hint that he wanted to hit up a track and go running?…..Guys always think like that right?? HAHAHAHA

(I know, I know…it was all the gooey goodness!)

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BAHAHAHAHA so I read your comment to Andrew this morning and he said, ‘that IS what I was trying to do.’ I don’t think he was but it was a good try for him ha! Thanks Kathy and hope the rest of your Tuesday is a good one!

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Brooke’s giggle is everything. My favorite Christmas cookies aren’t actually cookies. Every year I make fudge–peanut butter, pistachio, peppermint, and chocolate. So good.

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I can’t believe how much snow y’all got! Looks like you had fun! My favorite holiday cookie is a peanut butter blossom. I make them at least 5 times during the holidays either for parties or as gifts for co-workers. They’re super easy and delicious!

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I keep failing at cinnamon rolls. Mine deflate after I take it out of the oven but your pics always make me want to try again. I keep meaning to try that cookie recipe but keep forgetting! You are obviously beautiful but the joy in your face these days makes it even more so! You should dry doing dough ornaments with your kids! Mine love it! There’s a great allrecipes one that I used. Have a great day, Janae!

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I used to get so excited about the american girl doll catalogue when I was a kid too!! that’s so funny!! those cinnamon rolls look ooey gooey and delicious. perfect winter weather treat. it’s crazy that it’s so snowy there because over in NJ it’s rainy and 60! I’m kind of aching for actual winter, but I know once it comes it’s not backing down anytime soon haha.

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Haha I laughed so hard at the cutting out the center. My husband does the same thing…but it’s actually fine because I like the outside pieces anyways.

I swear it was just warm in Utah and all of a sudden snow. That’s the opposite of us…yesterday it was 25 and today it’s 50 degrees and pouring rain.

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Okay, that is bizarre! Who knows what is going on with the weather everywhere. HAHA glad he does that too;) Hope you are having a beautiful day Hollie! xoxox

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I am the centre piece, every time.

In Ontario, the weather was almost tshirt weather yesterday! Crazy how much the temperature varies.

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Brooke looking at the catalog is adorable. The girls I nanny do the same thing. The other week they had a pen out and were circling everything they wanted to ask Santa for. I love looking with them but they give me funny looks when I tell them there were different dolls when I was little.
I didn’t track my mileage this year but I’m doing a half marathon next year and need to look into one of those journals.
My tangent for the day: it’s cold and windy here and it needs to go back to being nice.

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i can’t believe its such a snowy wonderland there already!!! looks lovely. also please send me a cinnabun bun. thanks xo

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Undercooked center pieces for life. Or just straight cookie dough. That works, too. For favorite holiday cookies, I LOVE chocolate chip and peanut butter burst (the ones with the Hershey’s Kiss in the middle).

I’m legitimately awful at keeping track of my mileage. Awful. BUT I just started a new half-marathon training cycle today and need to run to Staples later to get a 2017 datebook . . . so maybe I’ll turn it around this year?! Here’s hoping!

Janae, I just love seeing day after day how committed you are to making Brooke’s (and now Knox’s, too!) childhood beautiful, no matter the circumstances. Your whole family is so lucky to have you, and you consistently seem so grateful to have them.

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Caitie! Your comment means the world to me. Thank you so much:) I hope you are having an amazing day and that you get some cookie dough ASAP!!! You are right about pb bursts, those are amazing!

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I used to be solidly in the ‘edge’ camp of baked goods, but recently I’ve been finding myself taking center pieces instead. What’s happening to me?! I have always liked cookies to be slightly undercooked so they are chewy. :) I made these sugar cookies (http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/melted-snowman-sugar-cookies/91c4a274-78a1-4cba-b890-52563d6cd670) one year that look like a snowman is melting on top and they were a hit. I’m not a huge fan of sugar cookies, so they weren’t my favorite to eat, but they were super cute. :)

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Okay, that is so beyond adorable. I just showed Brooke the picture and now she wants to make them! Thank you for sharing! I’m happy for the change you have gone through from the edge to the center;)

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Those hot chocolate cookies look delicious!! Favorite holiday to cookie to make are probably basic cut out sugar cookies with pretty icing and cute decorations.

I use a simple google doc to keep track of my mileage!

And most importantly: Center piece, undercooked, and slightly heated up :)

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I use Map My Run and a google doc to track my mileage. I also blog about my training once a week (if I follow my schedule). I’m pretty casual about my running so my logging is casual too.

Not really a cookie but I love making pretzels with the Rolo melted on top and a pecan stuck to it. They are just so easy and delicious. I love eating the butter cookies but someone else has to make those. ;)

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Wow! I cannot believe how much snow you guys got. And those cookies look absolutely to die for.

I have been using Believe Training Journal for tracking my mileage and training. A dear friend from Oregon gifted me this training log as a goodbye gift when I left in August. I love it. Love logging down my mileage, getting inspired by quotes, reading training tips, and just feeling supported by the running community. The author Lauren Fleshman also has a blog that is highly enjoyable and informative. Definitely recommend!

Here’s a link to the recipe for my absolute favorite cookie to make. Literally takes 15 minutes because they don’t require baking! Soooo good!
http://josiegirlblog.com/2016/05/27/no-bake-chocolate-deliciousness-to-the-max/#more-19077

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Uau! Those cinnabuns look so good. I have never tried one because they don’t really exist around here but now that i’ve seem yours I’ll probably try to make some. Wish me luck.
Also here there isn’t a Christmas cookies tradition but I always make some because any holiday is better with cookies right?
Once again thank you for sharing pictures of your snow adventures. I love seeing those.
Have a great day!

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I actually prefer the edges. Crispy edges of anything for the win!
Favorite holiday cookies: either candy cane cookies (basically short bread cookies twisted into candy cane shape. Red hots make the dough red!) or Gingerbread men.

I love that picture of Brooke with the American girl doll magazine, that brings back such good memories!

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Edges all the way! I love making peanut butter blossoms :)
I love the videos of Brooke

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Thanks Karlie! Okay, peanut butter blossoms sound soooooo good right now!

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I’m the center piece of baked goods kind of girl. The more under cooked for me, the better. Actually, when I was a kid I used to eat all the remaining cake batter out of the bowl.

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It’s all about the center! I’ve been known to only eat the gooey centers out of the cinnamon rolls :)

I really love any cookie with chocolate or peppermint (or both!)

I use an app to keep track of my mileage/feels/speed.

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Oooh hot chocolate cookies – that sounds so perfect for snowy days! I always make a white choc. chip pistachio cookie – that i found on a blog a few years ago – so good and easy to make!

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mmMMM i love my baked goods undercooked! Middles all the way!!

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Yes to the middle cinnamon roll or brownie and to it being slightly undercooked! My favorite holiday cookie is sugar cookies with lots of frosting. And I have a little black book where I write down my weekly miles. I also keep my shoes in their box and write the miles on the box after each run, so when they near 500 I know to start looking for more to buy. I usually have 2 pair in rotation at a time, and this helps me keep everything straight. Jealous of some snow, although we just biked almost 10 miles and the weather is 70 and sunny! Kind of nice:)

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BRILLIANT IDEA to write the mileage on the shoe’s box. I might have to copy you on this one! Love it! Sounds like the perfect bike ride today!

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I’d love it if Andrew wrote a post about how nursing school is going! When I start school my kids will be 1 and 3 so it would be nice to see how he juggles everything. Thanks for sharing your lives with us!

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YES, I just asked him and he said he would love too! We might even make a vlog about that question. Thank you Megan for the idea! AHHHH You are a busy woman Megan. Are you doing nursing school online when it starts?

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I’m taking a prereq online (which helps with a 7 week old!) but starting in the fall it’ll be 2 years full-time at school. Should be interesting! But I’m hoping a nurse’s schedule and salary will benefit my kids in the long run ?

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Megan, that is so amazing… I don’t know how you are doing it all with a 7 week old, amazing! Yes, it will ABSOLUTELY benefit your kids in so many ways. That is so awesome. Andrew will be writing about this soon, thank you !!!

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I can’t wait to make your hot chocolate cookies. Would it be possible to get a recipe for those scrumptious looking cinnamon rolls? I love all the recipes you include, especially your taco soup!

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OH HEY VICKI!!!! Yes, yes yes… I just texted my MIL and she said she would send me the recipe tonight! I will post it on tomorrow morning’s blog post if that is okay. SO glad you love the taco soup! Enjoy the rest of your day!

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Hey Vicki!!! Could I email you the recipe actually? That might be easier!

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Last year I made your hot chocolate cookies for my son’s cookie exchange and they were a big hit!!

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Oh that makes me so happy Sarah!!! They are so fun because they look and taste so different than the normal cookies I eat all year round ha:) Hope your Tuesday is a great one so far!

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All about the center! I track my miles with a good old fashion journal. The Marshmellow Hot Chocolate cookies look yummy. I am going to make them for our Christmas Party for our homeschool co-op. Thanks!

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Snow days were the best as kid! It felt like so much fun to have an “unofficial” day off. In the house I grew up in we had a small hill in the backyard, but as kids we were light enough that it would send up all the way to the other end of yard. I’m sure my brother and I went down it thousands of time while we lived there.

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Holy snow!!!!!! It’s sooooo pretty and looks like you guys had so much fun. But….I’M NOT READY!!!!!!
That picture of the roads….totally stressed me out. I hate driving in the snow.

The tangent of my day…took an afternnon yoga class as I didn’t feel like:
a. Running in the pouring rain
b. Spending money grocery shopping
c. Cleaning the house
I have no regrets…..

My favorite holiday cookie to make is the classic pb kiss!!!

As far as mileage……I am soooo extremely old school. I run for time….or by neighborhood loops, kinda knowing how long or far I am going. And then I just look at my iPhone when I’m finished.

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Center piece all the way! My daughter-in-law likes the brownie edges so I bought her a special brownie pan that makes all pieces have edges. It’s perfect for anyone who loves edges!

I use the free Runner’s World log book that I get with my subscription to log my runs, strength training and yoga sessions, etc.

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It is no surprise Andrew would take the middle piece. It has the greatest chance of being under-cooked and doughy.

You are such a fun mom. I don’t go outside. I hate the cold. The only time I left my house today was to tak dirty diapers tot he garbage can. True story. And THAT a;most killed me. Yesterday my niece asked if we could all go outside an play and when I told her ‘no’, she bawled. #IWillNeverBeTheFavoriteAunt

Speaking of being a tremendous mom, I throw those American Girl doll catalogs away before they even enter my house. Otherwise my daughter’s Christmas list is full of $80 kayaks for a doll she doesn’t even play with anymore.

let me know when you want me to start writing a parenting book

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Your pictures of the snow makes me miss the beauty of Utah winters. It is finally getting a little chilly here in Dallas. Brooke is so darling :)

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