Thursday Things + 10 things to do for your running this month!

I’ve got a new pregnancy update HERE for you today—>  39 week update and I have a favor to ask of you:)

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Josse and I were planning on getting in a run yesterday morning together but she was more than okay with meeting me at the gym for the miles instead of the roads.  18 degree weather (back in the day when we would meet DAILY at 5 a.m. that was a warm morning… we’ve lost some of our cold strength) + the inversion has already kicked in a little bit =  we were both more than happy to chat side by side on the treadmill.  I hit 6 miles yesterday and felt great.  This is the closest I’ve felt to feeling like my normal self since I got pregnant… it’s weird but I’m loving it!  Finishing things up on a high note.

Pre-treadmill = the school drop-off routine with the Brookers.

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And after the gym, Knox came home!  Brooke LOVES Wednesdays because that means Knox is at home waiting for her to finish up with school!

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Salmon (especially when cooked in butter) is a big deal for me right now and those pistachios were so good too.  I just get the frozen salmon at Costco that has each piece individually wrapped so you can just make one piece at a time and I cook it on the stove.

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I was hungry an hour later so I got out my current favorite cereal combination!  Cinnamon toast crunch with fresh raspberries.  Basically I am just adding fruit to absolutely everything I eat.

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Later on in the day I had some errands to run and stopped for hot chocolate.  Somehow I left the house without a coat!?!  But the hot chocolate did an excellent job of warming me up.  PS errands by myself… this might not happen again for a very long time.

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One of my absolute favorite treats at Trader Joe’s = Smashing S’mores.  PLEASE try these if you get a chance.  They are so good.  PS am I the only one that ends up leaving TJ’s with more treats than normal food… I swear I leave that place with at least 10 treats each time.

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We made it to what might be our last doctor’s appointment.  We might have one next week but who knows… I just kept telling myself it is our last.  Our kids are pretty happy about that too because they are over waiting around there ha.

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Because fish and chips (ehhh onion rings) sounded like heaven after our appointment.

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Andrew can’t understand how I can go an entire day with one sock inside out and then I remind him that touching my toes is pretty near impossible right now and you just learn to deal with it;)

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I’ve been telling him to try one of the TJ’s dark chocolate covered peppermint joe joe’s for a few days now because they are so delicious but he didn’t believe me based on their appearance.  And then he tried one and said after just one bite, ‘Like usual… you are ALWAYS right Janae and I’ll never doubt your opinions again.’  (Okay, those probably weren’t his exact words but they were pretty close;)

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Game night happened with a lot of Jenga concentration.

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And it is quite amazing how long each game of Uno lasts for us.

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PS I had a calf cramp (it’s been a few months since my last one… random pregnancy side effect for me) last night from heck and luckily the tiger tail made it feel a little bit normal after that!

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Last night’s Shark Tank watching fuel.  I need to get my dad (he is an inventor for his job) to come up with an idea so we can go on the show together.

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Baby, we are seriously so beyond ready for you… absolutely EVERYTHING is set up now.  Everything.  Feel free to join us.  Anytime.

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We are in the final month of 2017!  I’ve been thinking a lot (I mean, a lot) about my goals for 2018 while at the same time really enjoying my last miles of this year!  I came up with a list of things you can do for your running this month and I’d love for you to add any too!  Let’s finish off 2017 strong!!!

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1.  Take a minute to sit down and write about your running this last year.  Write down your biggest accomplishments, how you’ve grown as a runner, the lessons learned, the highs and the lows, what gear worked well for you… really, whatever you want to remember about your running this year.  Take some time to reflect and think about the things you want to carry over to 2018 and some of the things that you want to leave in 2017 (i.e. self doubt or an injury).

2.  Type in ‘holiday races near me’ into google and find a fun holiday race to randomly sign up for.  Run it for fun, race it, make your sibling run it with you… I am a big fan of holiday themed races and it might be a really fun way to end your year of running.  Think of race registration as your Christmas present to yourself!

3.  Put together some sort of holiday run for you and your friends or family or anyone:)  End your run somewhere that has your favorite coffee or hot chocolate or brunch.  There is a run that I usually do yearly right before Christmas where everyone dresses up in Christmas colors etc and we end at Kneader’s for french toast.  It is the best and one of my favorite ways to end the running year!

4.  Use some Christmas candy for your fuel for your long run this month… I mean, it is only December once a year and I see nothing wrong with some red/green Haribo gummy bears or a Reese’s PB Christmas tree for a little fuel (unless you have a sensitive stomach… then this would not be a fun thing to do;)!

5.  Donate some of your running shoes this month!  I LOVE the Soles 4 Souls program and it is so easy to give back any of your gently worn shoes and apparel!  You can find where to donate near you—> HERE!  PS Brooks just gave 8,000 pieces of apparel and 8,000 pairs of shoes to hurricane relief efforts.  I love it!  We are going today!

6.  Do something COMPLETELY NEW with your running to end the year great.  Run with new people, try a new route, go musicless/watchless, wear something that you wouldn’t normally wear… end 2017 with something outside of your usual because you might find you’ll want to add that to your running routine for 2018!

7.  Listen to a podcast with people that really inspire you in any way of life.  Pregnancy has given me the biggest love for podcasts while I run and listening to inspiring runners makes my run feel that much better.  I have a list of my favorite podcasts here!

8.  It’s not November anymore but we can still throw in some extra gratitude right!?  Dedicate different miles or runs over the next few weeks to the things/people you are most grateful for and really think about those things during your miles.

9.  End 2017 on a high note and do a workout that normally scares you a bit or something that is out of your normal comfort zone.  Take the route you usually avoid because of the hills, hit the track for a tough speed workout or run with a speedy group of runners.  Go out with a bang by doing something new and exciting for your running!

10.  Do a night run with some friends (wear your reflective gear) where you run around a neighborhood that has some amazing Christmas lights up.  We have a few around here and while it is fun to drive around to see all of the lights… I think that running around to see all of the lights would just make it that much better!

Also, I don’t know how I haven’t talked about this yet but HUGE CONGRATS to all of you amazing CIM finishers!  So many incredible PRs happened on Sunday and I am REALLY wanting to do that marathon now!

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One last reminder about the new PREGNANCY UPDATE HERE (maybe this will be the last one?!?)

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Do you keep track of your mileage each year?  If you have, TELL US!!!  

-I’m really wishing I did at least with this pregnancy to see how many miles I ran but I am guessing that I hit somewhere around 1,300 miles of running while pregnant with this little girl.  We’ve had a lot of time to bond out on the roads/treadmill!

What is something new that you have tried with your running/training lately?

What have you been listening to during your runs lately—> nothing, music (any new songs for me to get), audiobooks or podcasts? 

Have a favorite card game… PLEASE SHARE so we can get it!

-PS in junior high my mom would play Skipbo with me EVERY SINGLE AFTERNOON when I got home.  It was our date and I’d like to think we both got pretty good at it.

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46 comments

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I have a little black book I have been recording miles in since 2013! I usually get somewhere between 1000 and 1500 a year, and I am thinking it is going to be around 1150 this year?? Haven’t totalled it all up yet…And I also track miles on my shoes…….I keep them in the box and write dates and miles on the box, then I know when to retire those shoes!

This time of year I love running to Christmas songs………..NSYNC’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays”, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana “Rockin’ around the Christmas tree”, and Monique Coleman’s “Christmas vacation” (from the Disney channel Christmas cd) are some of my favorites! No shame loving Hannah Montana!! Ha!

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Oh good call… I need to start listening to some Christmas songs on my run. I love it and there is no shame in loving Hananah Montana! Loribeth, that is AWESOME with your mileage… huge congrats! I hope you have a beautiful day!

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I LOVE going on night runs through neighborhoods with great Christmas lights—one of my favorite holiday traditions! :)

I’ve been trying to add more weights/core workouts after my runs, and I hope I can end the year strong in keeping this up. I’ve never been that great about getting into the gym, but I do know how important having more strength (especially in the core) can really help your running. And I didn’t really keep track of my mileage this year (mainly because all of those kidney surgeries kept me from running much), but lately I’ve been getting somewhere between 30 and 40 miles each week, and I’ll take that for now!

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I want to go with you on a night/Christmas light run! Way to go girl on rocking the weights/core and you are rocking your weekly mileage right now (after such a crazy year too)! I hope your Thursday is a great one Natalie!

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I hope one day to make someone’s list of favorite podcasts! I listen to the Extra Mile Podcast Galloway Edition and I have also been listening to Meb’s book Run to Overcome, which is very motivational during a long run!!

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I’m going to listen to yours !!!! Thank you Aimee! Oh Run to Overcome is so good… great idea to listen to it while running!

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Your fish and onion rings look awesome! I need to start getting frozen salmon — I’ve never tried buying it frozen but it sounds so perfect. I definitely track every single mile on my Garmin as well as a spreadsheet! It’s fun to look back at years of training — so many memories!

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I’m sure fresh is a million times better but sometimes the frozen is just convenient. Oh I love that you track your mileage so well.. teach me your ways. I always make it through January and then forget to track every single day so I have more of a guess;) Way to go Dawn! I hope you have a great day!

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I was just telling someone that I think I’ve lost a lot of my ability to run in the cold weather this year. I’m just not in the mood to do so!

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I am right there with you. Good thing we love the treadmill Hollie:) I hope you are having a great morning so far!!

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My RunKeeper app keeps track of my runs and I can see data YTD. So far I have 516 miles this year – last year I had quite a bit more, but this year I did a combo of running and cross training with weights or other workouts while I was training for my half marathon, and I had wayyyy fewer injuries and felt better/stronger. My average pace per mile this year is 20 seconds faster than last year though, and my number of runs is higher! So I must’ve had more shorter, faster runs this year. I’m pretty pleased with that!
Going to new workout classes has been amazing for me – I forgot what it’s like to have the camaraderie of a class/group setting. I think I prefer running on my own but workouts are fun with other people, and I get a lot of encouragement from them. I’ve been focusing on correct form and a lot of core engagement – its tough but I can see the difference already!
I recently got into the Alli on the Run podcast, so I’ve been listening to old podcasts of hers. I really enjoy them! It’s amazing how these super fantastic athletes seem so… normal? It’s also really encouraging to listen to people talk about running while running.

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Well, RunKeeper sure sounds handy… WAY TO GO this year on your mileage! And most importantly, huge congrats on fewer injuries and getting faster with all of your strength training. That is inspiring to me! Group classes really are the best… keep enjoying them Rhiannon! Ali, is the best! I am on her podcast next week!

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Janae, where did you get Brooke’s quilt on her bed? We will soon be moving my girl into a big bed and I am always looking for cute affordable bedding. Thanks

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Hey Julie!! Oh that is exciting!! So I got it at Pottery Barn (so not a great price… but I bought it when it was just the two of us and I wasn’t a great budgeter ha)) and we have loved it! I hope you have a great day and good luck on the transition, so great!

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I love this list of running ideas! Especially the one about taking time to write and reflect on the year of running. I learned so much this year and definitely want to remember what a successful year of running felt like and the specific things I did along the way.

I haven’t done this yet this year, but usually I do a holiday lights run either with friends or alone while listening to holiday music. I live in a city and there are a few big Christmas light displays so I make a route that runs to each one and I stop along the way if I see something else cool. Such a fun and peaceful way to end the year.

Something new I’ve been doing with my training lately is… not running! But doing a bunch of non-running workouts instead. I did a few runs after the marathon but they didn’t feel great so I decided to give running a break for a few weeks and do all of the other workouts that I enjoy/ have wanted to try but can’t fit in during serious training. I.e spinning, boxing, boot camps. It’s been fun to switch it up and try new things!

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Thank you Diana! Huge congrats on your awesome year of running! Enjoy your holiday light run this year (and I wish I could join you)! You are so smart to try out other forms of exercise after your marathon and to find some new loves:) Boxing sounds like a blast! I hope your day is a great one!

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Try the Trader Joes mini dark chocolate mint stars! They are amazing! Also, the fresh salmon at Costco is 10 X better than any frozen salmon. I cook the whole tray of it and put it into small containers to last 3-4 days.

I don’t listen to music while I run, I always run with friends, and we talk the whole time! We discuss food, kids, and solve all the world’s problems!!!

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THANK YOU for the TJs recommendation and I’m totally going to try the fresh salmon… thank you! I am going through a lot right now so I need this. Running with friends is the best and we too have solved many of the world problems going on too haha! Thanks Sara!

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Hi Janae! So far this year I have run 640 miles – would love to hit 700 for the year but we will see. With the holidays and having stuff going on everytime I turn around sometimes I have less miles in December. I am just happy to run when I can, so I will take that as well :)

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PEGGI!!! That is amazing! Huge congrats on your mileage this year and awesome job keeping track of your mileage:) Enjoy this busy and fun December!

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I’m not sure how many miles I’ve run this year yet…I’ll have to do the math ;)
Last year I had a goal of running 1000 miles, which I accomplished! This year I’ve backed off a little from running to deal with some nagging injuries, but I’m hoping to make a comeback next year.
Something I’ve done differently is putting way less pressure on myself to hit a certain pace or run a certain distance. It’s helped me so much mentally!
I’m listening to an audiobook right now and loving it – “Two Kinds of Truth” by Michael Connelly!

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I am so sorry for your injuries this year Erinn… 2018 is SO YOUR YEAR!! And running is sure a lot more fun when we take off all of the pressure on ourselves, it makes the biggest difference for me too! Sounds like an awesome book, I’ve got to check it out!

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1. Costco needs to be giving you a stipend because YOU more than anything make me want to renew my membership there. Pizza dough, fruit, other goodies, and now individually wrapped pieces of salmon…….OH, and I need a TJ’s run for those s’more things, too :)

2. It’s December 7th–my daughter’s birthday—where is your little girl?! She’s supposed to be born today! lol I’m sure she’s waiting to have HER OWN DAY. :)

3. What have I been doing different with runs? Well, I’ve been THINKING more about my training and talking with my coach about how I don’t want to kill myself anymore because I always end up injured. What’s the easiest I can be on my body and still meet my goals. I really loved Kris Lawrence’s post CIM blog entry because she talked about how she had to adjust her training/training definitely isn’t one size fits all!!!

Love your running ideas above!!!! I just signed up for two new half marathons this spring—Coastal Delaware (along the bay/ocean) and St. Michaels (along the bay)! They should both be pretty races!!!!

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Bahahah seriously though… they need affiliate links or something;) I am just so in love with both stores. TELL YOUR DAUGHTER HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR ME!! Who knows… maybe she will! I’ve been up for a while this morning pretty uncomfortable! Cross your fingers for me! I love what you are doing with your training right now. YES, I loved Kris’s post too where she talked about going from short speed and doubles to not doing them because it was not good for HER. I love it! I hope you have such a great day celebrating with your daughter and I am SO excited for your half marathon this spring… so fun to have a race to look forward to and this one sounds beautiful!.

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Playing Skipbo with your mom every single day after school (in middle school!) is SO AWESOME:) What a sweet, sweet memory:)

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Those Trader Joes treats look so good! My husband drives there on his lunch break (we don’t have one near our house) from time to time to get our stash and you’re right….it’s all treats! :) He grabbed a bunch of stuff the other day and I wasn’t allowed to look in the bags…there’s a bunch of wrapped stuff on the piano now (didn’t trust the dog not to get into it under the tree). I love Brooke’s tongue-out-concentration face. :) Ahh, I’m so emotionally happy for you with the baby coming…that sentence and the pic almost got me. Seriously, us moms can cry at the drop of a hat to anything these days! BTW, our favorite card game is Phase 10. Have a wonderful day, Janae!

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Oh I love that your husband picks up a bunch of treats from TJ’s…. excited for the bag of goodness you get to open soon (oh we don’t trust Beretta either)! Thank you so much Marie, it means a lot to me. Have a beautiful Thursday!

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For got to say Wig out, sleeping Queens, & Rat a Tat Cat would be great card games for your kids! Along with Old maid! I bought the best old made set off amazon…it looks vintage and I love it!

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Oh we got Sleeping Queens and the kids love it! Going to grab the other ones that you mentioned! Thanks Amanda! I hope your day is perfect!

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What do you have printed and hanging in your dining room? :)

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Hey Sasha!!! So they are things that I love from church… The Family A Proclamation to the World, The Living Christ and the Articles of Faith! I love having those reminders around our house to see throughout the day! I hope you are having a beautiful Thursday so far!

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I love that!! Such a creative idea and a great reminder for sure. Have a great Thursday!! :)

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My mom and I played boggle every night after dinner while my husband was on his mission. I loved that!

I really should be keeping better track of my yearly miles. Maybe I’ll make that a goal next year.

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I’ve been tracking my mileage for years. Currently I have 571 miles of running, 180 of walking and 1170 of cycling. Closing in on 2000 miles total and zero injuries! Almost 16,000 miles since 2010.

Because of the wind/wild fires here in So Cal, I’ve been staying indoors this week. I don’t have a treadmill so I’m using Les’ bike trainer and TrainerRoad. Today’s 60 minutes was killer!

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I totally need to get the chocolate covered joe-joe’s from Trader Joe’s! They look delicious!! I’m with you on leaving with way too many treats. I could honestly go for lettuce and fruit and somehow leave with ice cream, cheese, wine, and cookies. My wallet has a love hate relationship with the place ;)

I can’t wait for the baby to come! Your excitement is contagious.

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I’ve actually never kept up with my mileage for the entire year! I’d like to do that though in 2017! It seems fun to keep up with and make goals for!

Something I’ve tried new with running lately is trying to add in a ton more yoga for my post-run stretching! For some reason when I turn on a yoga video it’s more fun to me than just sitting on the floor to stretch out for a bit! Plus, I feel like I stretch more muscles and for longer when I commit to an actual video.

I actually was getting REALLY into all kinds of podcasts but just started making playlists again and it’s made a HUGE difference in my speed work! I was so surprised at what a difference it could make but it really works wonders! But, on my slow, regular runs I am a podcast addict! My favorite ones are Pursuit with Purpose, I’ll have Another, and Super Soul Conversations with Oprah (From your suggestions!!! They’re ALL amazingly good and make my run fly by!!)

We love playing 21! It’s just a super simple quick game, but is definitely entertaining! Card games are such great ways to disconnect from everything and go back to basics! I love it!

Have a fabulous Thursday!!!

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I’m probably an outlier here, but I actually don’t love sharing my mileage, neither monthly nor yearly – because it gets me caught up in the comparison game, and makes me feel like “less” of a runner than my peers on the blogs or instagram. I’m a 3-4 times a week runner, but low mileage – so my monthly totals are usually around 40 – 50. While I am not one to compare, I can’t help but let my mind wander there when I know some people run that in A WEEK! So the thought of sharing is intimidating, even though I am smart enough to know not to compare.

Also, those smores from TJ’s were in my cart on my last trip… and are deeeefinitely all devoured by now!!! YUM!

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Hi Janae!! I have run approximately 0 miles this year! I’m very consistent. This is like 40 years in a row now. Maybe someday in the next 40 I’ll pick up running. You never know. Okay…a fun game to play is Tenzi. You can get it on Amazon or at Deseret Book. It’s a dice game, but my 5 year old LOVES it! And she can play it without help. It’s really fun. So excited for you to have that baby girl!! Hope all goes well and hope she decides to come before your next appointment!!

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AHHHH MANDY!!! Hahaha you are way consistent… I love it:) THANK YOU for the game recommendation, the kids will love it. Ordering it now! Thanks!!

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I love Brooke’s starry coat! Where did you get it? Is it warm?

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HEY!! It is from Old Navy (and usually it is 40% off so it is a killer deal)!!! It is VERY warm (I mean it’s not like a North Face coat or something but still very warm)!

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Oh Trader Joe’s has the most yummy snacks. Luckily there is one about 15 minutes away but it’s not on my way to anything so I don’t go often or else I’d eat my weight in the chocolate covered, PB filled pretzels. Those things are unreal!

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Thank you so much for the extra motivation to end 2017 with a bang!! Still 24 days left to make it a great year!! I’m working To run faster and farther!!

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I have been trying to get back into running since my 4th baby was born (15 months ago) but I’m battling IT band issues, so it’s slow going! Hoping next year brings less injuries and more miles!

We love Sleeping Queens at our house, and two card games I havent played but have heard awesome things about are Sushi Go and Bold.

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I love the idea on reflecting on the running year! It’s so easy not to pay proper attention to what you *have* achieved, and how you can learn from things that haven’t. I’ve felt a bit down about my running since my injury put me out of my marathon, and the return to running has been hard (though helped by your lovely advice :) ). But when I thought about it more carefully after reading this post I realised that I needed to remember that in the first half of the year I trained really hard and got lots of PRs, plus I was so proud of how far I got with the marathon training. Even the injury has been something I can reflect on as having dealt with and now I’m moving on. So thank you for that :)

I love your fruity salads so much! Whenever I resolve to have one though, I get swayed by the fact that it’s cold! Maybe in summer I will actually get to it :) I’m writing down all these recommendations for family games too! I’ve got UNO stashed for a Christmas present, but at the moment it’s mainly about building Lego :)

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First of all, your mom and you playing skip bo every day after junior high is the CUTEST THING EVER! I got all teary-eyed reading that.
Second of all: Monopoly Deal is a very fun card game.

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