Tangents and I’m Not Sure Why?

That’s so cute that Skye wants you to leave! My three year old is the same way, if we’re at grandmas and I’m talking to them he’ll be like, “ok, mom, you leave!” Or if he’s planning a play date at my sisters he’ll ask me 400x if I’m leaving. haha so independent.

Looking like spring weather!! Can’t wait!

I like the strawberry pop-tarts! I know they aren’t anything fancy or even amazing, but still enjoy them occasionally haha.

I switch between cups and water bottles at home. But when I was in the office, definitely team water bottle.

It was 60 degrees yesterday by me too! It was heaven to run in a tank and shorts. And funny that you asked about gear that makes us feel faster-that would be my compression shorts. Wore those yesterday and had a great speed workout. By the way-your running posts have been totally motivating me lately. Normally, I’m not a big fan of speed workouts/pushing myself out of my comfort zone-but seeing your posts have given me some great ideas for workouts and that extra push out the door. Thank you so much!!

Good morning!! Always a highlight when I login and read your daily posts – thank you!!
I have always believed that the brighter colored my running shoes (especially the soles), the faster I run. No irrefutable, scientific proof, but I still believe!
I love pop-tarts to the point that I cannot have them in the house. I only let myself have them when we go camping! My favorite is strawberry without frosting – they were hard to find for years, but seem to have made a reappearance in recent years.
I am very afraid of spiders!! I have matured to the point that if they or outside, I let them live. Once they cross the threshold though – I become a spider killing machine. When I lived on my own for many years, I had to get brave enough to kill them for myself, but prefer if someone else does it – ha ha!
Team Cup at home and Team Water Bottle everywhere else. Have an awesome day and enjoy all that warm weather and sunshine :o)

I can’t remember the last time that I used a glass for anything; re-usable water bottle all the way!

I love the part about the pop-tart! Those things are better than any dessert sometimes. One thing that I really appreciate about your blog is that you don’t hide the fact that you “normal” food! Most running/fitness blogs that I’ve seen seem to be written by people who live solely off of green smoothies and tons of crazy supplements. Not that there is anything wrong with those things themselves, (love me a smoothie) but I personally find blogs such a those to be damaging and very unrealistic, so thank you very much for writing posts that show that we can be healthy athletes while eating a BALANCED diet that can include nachos and pop-tarts. Social media needs more of that! <3

Mouthpiece: That mouthpiece is supposed to be pretty awesome. I listen to a podcast (Crossfit-related) where the 2 hosts have been using it and they say it significantly has improved their performance. They also had Dr. Garner on the program to talk about it – sounds pretty legit! I am very interested in trying it (apparently the code DG25 will get you 25% off too – so even more of a reason to try it, right?).

PopTarts: I love some poptarts. But, unlike my kids who like all the sweet flavors like chocolate sundae or birthday cake ones, I like the traditional strawberry or blueberry ones (unfrosted) – heated up with a little bit of butter on them. So good.

Wow, that mouthpiece sounds interesting! I read the article- the woman shaved 15 seconds PER MILE off her marathon time??? I wonder how much of that was from the mouthpiece. It seems like it’s definitely worth looking into- and it’s not that expensive either.

I am absolutely terrified of spiders. I think the hardest part of becoming a single mom after my divorce is that I now have to be the one in the house to deal with spiders. ?

My daughter has a severe anxiety disorder called selective mutism (she is honestly the bravest kid I know). I have had to learn so much about anxiety. We now gently push my kids to get past their fears (with in reason). What works best for these things is exposure and rewarding being brave. I agree with the other person that commented about reading about insects. Read about hornets and bees. You can also read about what to do if you get stung, how it is treated, etc. Your response is also important because if you are comforting her then the signal comes across that this is something to be worried and scared about at the time. So in our case, my response all those years to talk for her when she couldn’t signaled to her that this was a scary situation and Mom needed to rescue her. This is a little tricky though because they can sting so giving her options like walking to a different spot and letting her know that you feel safe, etc. You do want a healthy fear to remain but not so much that it interferes with what she was doing at the time. But the more she is around situations like it and does well or receives a reward from you (sticker chart, special treat, etc) the more she will relax. You can get the two older kids involved too and make a HUGE deal about how brave they are, etc. Even pretend play scenarios. Role modeling is great because it helps train the brain to deal with the situation!

I can’t even remember the last time I had a PopTart. I remember liking any with chocolate in them though and my husband would eat the cherry flavor. When we were first married PopTarts were sometimes our supper :)

My daughter, 4, had a play date last week and she wanted to make sure that I was just dropping her off and not staying and telling me she’s ‘got this’.

I have been wanting to get a new water bottle that I’m hoping will help me drink more water and can’t decide if straw would be best. Recommendations for any kind?

I always drink out of hydro flask. Never use a cup!

I’ve had that same pasta maker for years and I LOVE it! It makes the best pasta. I use Bob’s Red Mill Semolina flour (I buy on Amazon) and just follow the instructions. http://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/2012/01/friday-foodie-pasta-making-process.html One tip I’ve learned is to put a little flour on the pasta after rolling it to the desired thickness and before cutting it. Otherwise it’s going to stick.

Spaghetti or Alfredo noodles are simple and delicious, but my favorite is ravioli. Not sure if you got that attachment or not. https://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/2012/01/friday-foodie.html

I LOVE making pasta! Look on YouTube for the pasta-making tutorial by America’s test kitchen, it works perfectly.

I see a potty book. Are you starting to potty train Skye? I need all the tips. I just had 2.5 & 3.5 year old foster girls placed with me over the weekend and neither are potty trained! Send help!

Half italian over here and my mom has been making homemade pasta for at least 20 years. The biggest game changer is getting a drying rack. There is a ‘nest’ method to trying the pasta but getting a drying rack (little wooden rack you can find on amazon) makes all the difference.