(shirt, shorts, socks, shoes)

I had to keep reminding myself during my run yesterday that my best races in the past have happened after a week full of runs that felt terrible leading up to the race.   I prefer to get a bunch of bad runs out of the way before the race so that I feel great on race day.

I always love finding random things on the side of a trail while running.

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We went in to see Dr. Bennett for my plantar fasciitis.

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And this picture made me very happy.

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This felt good.

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I love this pumpkin mix so so much.  Not only does it taste amazing but it makes your house smell like heaven.

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Let’s talk about some tangents!

*A running pic from our hike last week.  Once upon a time Andrew and I ran this trail (Battlecreek) but hiking it felt like quite a workout last week.

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*I now have a 9-passenger vehicle!  My car history—> Almost four years ago, I was hit and my car was totaled.  It was one of the scariest days of my life because Skye was just a few weeks old and she was in the car with me!  I needed a new car and we bought a Highlander, which we loved.  The only problem was that I didn’t realize how big my kids were going to get so quickly, and we were bursting at the seams in that car ever since we had Beck (especially whenever we had Beretta in the car too).  We’ve been talking about getting a bigger car for a while now and were planning on getting one in the next year, but we stopped to look at a really good deal on a yukon on Friday and it was just what we needed.  The thing I love the most is that we can now have space for nieces/nephews/kid’s friends with us in the car too.  I am very excited about it.

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*Skye loves it when it is my hair washing day because it means she can style my hair with bubbles before I shower.

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*Did you see this?  The Ironman World Championship has been held in Kona for the last four decades, but in 2022 it will be held in St. George!  We will have to go and spectate!

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*The other day Brooke was out running with me when the moon was still out.  She told me that she could see why I love running at that time so much—> The world is just so peaceful and calm at this time of day.

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*I cannot believe how social Skye is… She will gladly ditch Andrew and me in a heartbeat to go with a friend.  She remembers the details and names of all of Brooke and Knox’s friends, and it always amazes me that she can form a strong bond with friends at three years old. 

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*Kim posted this the other day, and I just love it so much.  Sleeping isn’t lazy, it’s taking care of ourselves!  

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Give me your car history.  What have you found that you love/need in a car?

-SPACE and something that drives well in the snow because I am terrified of driving in the snow.

What are your thoughts about adding chocolate to pumpkin baked goods?

-Andrew is against it and I strongly believe that adding chocolate makes everything better.

Give me a tangent today!

Random question of the day—> do you make your bed every day, sometimes or rarely?

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44 comments

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I have never used that TJ pumpkin mix for muffins, I always make bread! Luckily I have a box and can try it as muffins with choc chips now haha.

Enjoy the new car!! Agree about needing something that drives well in snow! I have a Honda CR-V and I got it because it’s higher up and has all wheel drive, which is better for bad weather. And I scoured reviews to find something that was safe and lasted a long time.

I make my bed every day. Starts my day off feeling accomplished :)

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Yes, I hope you love the mix for muffins. I absolutely loved my CRV (that is the one I had in my car crash and kept Skye and I safe when we were stopped and hit from behind by someone going pretty fast)! I miss that car a lot, so happy you have one… it really is such an awesome car. I am right there with you on how making your bed feels:). Have a beautiful day!

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Congratulations on your new car!! I love it!! Do you name your cars? I always have!
My car history: I got my Dad’s 1998 Toyota Camry in 2000 and drove it until 2014 (I named that car John/Juan)! I got my first new car ever when my daughter was born in 2014 and drove that until 2020 (it was a Mazda 3 that I named Serenity). Then in 2020 I realized that I hardly ever drove and my husband and I work at the same place and my daughter’s school is on our way to work so we have sold my car (so many places wanted my used mazda!. Haha) and we have been a one car family (our car is now named Kit- like from the old show Knightrider) for more than a year. I totally love it. On days when I work from home I just walk to places if I really want to get out but I mostly feel happy not going anywhere. Aside from saving tons of money, I find that I am better at planning trips/groceries/meals because I can’t just zip out whenever.

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Now I need to come up with a name! I love that you guys are a one car family, that is so awesome that you walk so many places. I really need to do better on that and the planning! Have a beautiful day, Nadya!

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My car seats 8 and I love it. The newer models only seat 7. I hope to keep this one for many more years. It’s also paid in full which makes it even better!
I don’t make my bed every day. My husband does. If he’s not home, it doesn’t get made.
I’m not a big fan of pumpkin. I would say that the pumpkin ruins the chocolate.
Have a great Tuesday! Don’t let your taper make you crazy.

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Lee, that is so so awesome that you paid in full for your car! HAHAH to the pumpkin ruins the chocolate! I can’t wait to tell Andrew what you said. Thanks Lee, I’m going to try really hard to stay sane;). Have a wonderful day!are

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Andrew is wrong. Chocolate and pumpkin are great. I make some great pumpkin brownies. If they shipped better, I’d send you some to prove him wrong.

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He really is. Pumpkin brownies?! I must try those! I STILL HAVE YOUR CANDY IN MY PURSE TO MAIL TO YOU. I hope you are on cloud 9 still after your amazing weekend.

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Yay for a new car! I have a Yukon XL and love it! I’ve had it for 5 years now. My kids are teens now and don’t fit in the very back that well anymore, haha! But we still love it!
Chocolate in pumpkin baked goods is a MUST! Sooooo good!
I make my bed everyday, it just makes me feel better and makes our space look better!
Have a great Tuesday!

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SO good to hear that you still love it! I hope you get some pumpkin/chocolate baked goods asap! I totally agree with you, making my bed each day just helps me to feel put together:). Thanks Brandy, you too!

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I’ll spare you the whole car history, but I had a minivan that I totally didn’t like from day 1 but drove for 13 years. It was useful. My Ford Expedition XLT is the best–3 full-size rows of seats, extra length for valuable packing space, and 4WD. So nice for travel, especially with 2 kids out of state and college moves going on.
Chocolate+pumpkin=delightful!
Tangent: I’m thinking about starting to journal because of reading your blog. There are so many moments that you capture here with/about your kids, and I feel like that’s important. Sorta ironic, now that mine are mostly grown, but 1) I feel like I have the time and mental space to do this somewhat regularly, and 2) the moments and occasions we interact now are at a level I find really compelling for me.

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I LOVE that you have the perfect car now for you guys. You definitely need those things… sounds like you guys do a lot of travel! I have never been so grateful to have packing space now ha. It makes life a lot easier. I fully support your journaling plans. DO IT! Before blogging I was very diligent with my journal writing and I love looking back on my blog and my journals. Let me know how it goes!

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I bought my first car in college, a used red Kia Rio and I had it until about 3 years ago! That’s a long time haha.
This is so random but I think you’ll appreciate as a true crime podcast person–I went to college in the northeast during the same time the serial killer Israel Keyes was targeting the same area. When he would travel he would get rental cars, and there are records of him driving Kia’s (a typical rental car). Well, my used car was previously a rental car…and I’ve always wondered…..freaky!
My husband and his friend buy, fix and sell Toyota Land Cruisers as a little side business and we currently have, and I’m NOT lying, FIVE at our house (in various states of disrepair). He promised he would have them out before he had to leave for his orders and here we are. :)
I hope you enjoy your new car!!! It’s so awesome you can take the whole crew comfortably now! :)

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You must take amazing care of your car! That is awesome, Mollie.
Okay, I got the chills reading that! WHAT IF?!?!? And that is really scary that you were there in the area at the same time he was!
Hahaha you guys have so many cars right now. I love the Toyota Land Cruiser! Thanks friend, have a beautiful day and your race day is so so close. Tomorrow’s post might be helpful!

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NINE SEATS!! Janae that is amazing!! I feel like I need a bigger vehicle with the 2 kids, 100 lb dog, stroller and everything else we need to pack!! Congrats on the new car!!

Zach is EIGHT weeks today!! Already. Had to keep Allie home today for the sniffles… sigh. It’s that time of year!!

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How in the world is he already eight weeks old?! Zach is just growing so fast. I hope that Allie starts getting feeling better asap and that you all get in some amazing snuggling. I think you need a bigger vehicle too… your dog counts as an adult! Thanks Andrea!

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You are going to do amazing at the race, I know it! Enjoy the new vehicle!! I agree you definitely need something spacious and good in snow, especially with kids. I have a Honda Civic but my husband has a truck so if it’s really bad out i can use his truck:)
I make my bed everyday!! Even when I work I come home and make the beds. I function and feel better when my house feels tidier.

Have a beautiful day, Janae!

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Thank you so much Ashlea, I am so so excited to be there racing again. So glad you can take the truck when the weather is bad, driving in snow is the worst. I am with you… it makes me feel whole:). Thanks friend, you too.

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My husband and I have discovered that we’re car leasers for life…we bought our first few cars and have had really bad luck for them so we leased our last one and it went so well! When we moved states we just started a new lease and the process was so much easier than updating registration and plates (and saved us some money as well). I just like having new tech and safety features..plus having space to store all of my gear and outdoor toys :)

Tangent for today- Just want to encourage anyone who moves to a new place to try out MeetUp. I’ve made some great friends already and tried some awesome activities (yesterday I played Disc Golf for the first time!) that I never would have done on my own! It’s definitely scary trying something new but I promise it’s worth it..and if not just chalk it up to a learned experience and try something different next time!

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I have always wondered about doing a car lease… that sounds absolutely perfect. I’m with you on always wanting the new tech and safety… maybe I’ll try that next time.

SO awesome to hear about your experience with MeetUp! Would you mind if I share what you said on a Friday Favorites post? Sounds like something that could help a lot of us. Have a beautiful day!

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Yes please do! :)

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Andrew is a great guy but he is sadly, sadly wrong in this matter- chocolate and pumpkin are AMAZING together!!!!
That is crazy about Ironman- you totally have to go spectate! Sounds like it’s just for this one year, then it will be back in Kona.
Enjoy your chocolate chip pumpkin muffins!

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Hahah I agree! I mean, he is almost perfect but the pumpkin/chocolate thing is just a major flaw. Should we all meet there to cheer on the athletes?! Thanks Jenny and I hope your day is an amazing one.

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Congrats on the new vehicle. It’s so nice. Definitely looks like a spacious vehicle, great for road trips. I have a car now but I always had SUVs. I plan to go back to an SUV for my next vehicle, I like being up high.
Do you have a link to your hoodie? I really like the neck on it. :)

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I remember when Hope told her kindergarten teacher her mom’s hobby was napping. At the time I was like, oh geez, and now I look back on that and am like, yep a mom who knows what it takes to be the best version of herself. 20 minutes to shut off all stimulation is magic.

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AMEN! Naps are not lazy, they are a way that we can take care of ourselves. You are such an amazing example to Hope in SO many ways. She is so lucky to have you and Chris. Happy Tuesday!

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I love all things pumpkin and I have an amazing chocolate chip pumpkin bundt cake recipe that’s on repeat all fall!

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SEND ME THE RECIPE:) I hope your day is a great one, Sloan!

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Ok, I’m glad you said you want to spectate Kona because I was just talking to my sister yesterday and I told her I wanted to come and spectate St. George marathon (she lives in st g) – she thought I was such a weirdo! I was trying to tell her it’s totally a thing.

Pumpkin everything and yes with chocolate. I’ve been craving kneaders pumpkin bread so bad, and those muffins make me want it even more!

Good luck at St. G this weekend. I know you’ll rock it. :)

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Tell your sister I fully agree with your plan to come spectate the St. George Marathon. It’s the best! Let’s meet to watch the Ironman to cheer people on:). We will go to Kneaders afterward! Thanks Tess, I hope your day is off to a great start.

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Hi Janae! Congrats on the new car!! I love that new car smell. When I moved here from California I looked for the same thing in a car- a four wheel drive for the snow (and I live on a big hill). I had an SUV when most of my friends had sedans and I have been called to help move things many times. Now that my friends are having kids they all have SUVs too!
Good luck with Dr. Bennett and hope your foot heals fast!

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Thank you so much Amy! I am really hoping that the new car smell lasts for a while ha… I’m worried it won’t with kids/dog though;). That is so nice you were able to help out your friends so much with your car. I hope we can do the same! Thank you and I hope you have a great day!

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I am still driving our Toyota Sienna minivan that turns 19 this year.it won’t die! I sort of want a new car but there is something freeing about driving a vehicle that is paid off and is so old I dont stress about what happens to it.

Best wishes in your race!

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IT WON’T DIE–> you must take amazing care of your cars. That is awesome and having it paid off is so nice. Thanks Molly, have the best day!

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Chocolate goes with (almost) anything – including pumpkin! Add those chocolate chips!!

We have 2 kids so we don’t need a ton of room but I’m beginning to see that having a bigger vehicle would be nice when they want to have friends, plus the activity bags and chairs for watching said activities, and groceries!! I’m thinking our next vehicle will at least need to have a 3rd row option.

Must make the bed every day. Must. I don’t know why but I do. It feels so much better getting into bed at night if it’s been made.

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I was going to make pumpkin muffins yesterday but the store didn’t have any pumpkin. I substituted canned sweet potatoes and they turned out great (https://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/2010/09/friday-foodie.html)

We bought a brand new Saturn in 1992 and still have it. The odometer quit working over 10 years ago just before it hit 300,000 miles, so we assume it’s well over 400,000 now. It’s still a great little beater car, but we also have a Porsche Cayenne (SUV). We must have a car that’s big enough to put 2 bikes in!

I’m becoming a true strength training convert – today was my 63rd session this year. I have never lasted this long, but I am feeling great and getting faster when I run.

I typically don’t make my bed because I’m usually up and out the door while Les is still asleep. I might straighten the covers mid-morning, but it’s not something I feel guilty about if it doesn’t happen.

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Congrats on your new car! We have the Yukon too- the AT4 model and it is super nice :) However, we only seat 7 people instead of 9.
I’m a little sad about the Ironman leaving Kona- I felt like Honu and Kona always belonged on the Island of Hawai’i but that will be great for you since you can go spectate next year!
Good luck on your race this Saturday! We have our half this weekend too. It will be our first at this high altitude so we’ll see how things go! I’ve been training pretty hard so hopefully, it will all pay off :)
Sleep is definitely important!! I justified myself on that today by taking a short nap this morning. haha!

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Chocolate chips in a dang good pumpkin muffin (or pumpkin bread, or pumpkin pancakes) is AMAZING. Pretty much every year Whole Foods does chocolate chip pumpkin muffins right around now, and every year I need to get that at least once. They’re so good. Tell Andrew he’s wrong. ;)

Congrats on the new car! It would be nice to get a new car of my own–mine now has over 131K miles on it–but more fundamental things like getting a job (got treated in a very disrespectful and inappropriate way by one of last week’s job opportunities and today I got the rejection from the other big opportunity…so…back to the drawing board) need to happen first. I also want to boost my savings a bit more and feel really solid and stable in my job (instead of worry that a few months in I will get laid off again…) before I even consider it. I do like my car–a VW Jetta–so MAYBE I would look for a newer version of my car, or something similar. I need comfy seats, good gas mileage, easy repairs that are not likely to be overpriced. Not too much, really.

YAY for a good run after a few sub-par ones! You’re going to kill it this weekend. I just know it!!

My own tangents:
Why is crappy frozen pizza sometimes the most amazing thing in the world?!?
I wish I could afford to take a vacation–it could be the beach, it could be London, I’m not picky–and I wish that I could just shut my mind off and unwind.
I’m not keto, but tonight this is what’s for dinner–it’s just REALLY good, and Tom and I love it. It’s a few too many steps to keep in regular meal rotation, but every 2-3 months we make it and it’s the best: https://www.noshtastic.com/keto-low-carb-creamy-tuscan-chicken/

That’s all! The sun is shining here, and the temperatures lately have been glorious. I hope that the weather is nice out by you and that y’all have such a good dal!!! :)

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Bottom line: we already know Andrew is special because he doesn’t require 8 hours of sleep/ night. So, he’s chocolate averse, too? Ok. His magnesium is fine, fine.

You do snow tires, right? IMO they contribute to more confidence on winter roads.

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Thank you so much for sharing about having less satisfying runs in the lead up to a race. I am going through it now with Chicago marathon less than 2 weeks away. It’s my 5th but I feel so anxious this time
Congrats on the new car!

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Hello! I am currently out with a stress fracture. In an old post you mentioned to work out videos you always use. Two women you follow on Instagram. One of them is Amanda with muncher cruncher but who is the other one? Thank you so much.

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Congrats on the new car! We just upgraded to the Highlander! We have two teenagers who fit fine in our CR-V, but just got a second greyhound. There wasn’t enough room for two dogs in the back to fit comfortably! (We realize that buying a car for our dogs is a bit ridiculous, but it’s really not :-) )

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— I’ve been driving my Toyota 4Runner for 15 years (on December 1st). I love it and seriously might keep it for another 5 yrs. I got it for 1) 4WD in the snow, 2) the kennel (75 lb yellow Lab size) plus camping gear fit in the back for family trips (3 kids, 2 adults), and 3) it has 3rd row seats so I can fit 7 for carpooling/neices&nephews/etc.
— Chocolate does not belong in pumpkin, banana, or apple baked goods. Nope! Partially because I don’t like chocolate with cinnamon/nutmeg/clove spices and partially because I think it overwhelms the wonderful pumpkin/banana/apple flavors.
— My goal is to make my bed every day but #truth it averages every other day.
— Random tangent: I fractured part of my ankle and tore ligaments coaching little boy soccer 5 weeks ago. CAM boot switched to heavy brace yesterday and I can walk/leg weights/yoga now but still no running or high impact exercises for 4(!!!) more weeks. (I am not a fan. Not at all.)

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