Post Workout Routine

I thought I would take you through my post workout routine. It can be a bit different depending on the time of way I workout and what I have going on. But for the most part this is how my post workouts go!

First thing I do post workout is be thankful that it's over! After that I take my selfie! I gotta prove that worked out.  Did I mention that it usually takes me 10 pictures to get the "perfect" selfie? Yep!  I take some funny ones, serious ones, and all different angles.  Here is the "my booty is on FIRE" selfie. 

Next up is my post workout shake/smoothie. I like to get protein & water in my system ASAP!  So here is what I use!  First I start with about a half a cup of this berry blend from Costco.  I would highly recommend it if you haven't tried it before.  It is great for snacks or shakes or anything else you want to use it for.  The kids ask to have bowls of it, frozen, for snack and I've often done the same.  But I mostly use it in shakes and I love it!

Then I put in a scoop of protein powder.  This is the one I prefer.  It is a plant based protein shake.  I am by no means a vegetarian but I love the way this tastes and how it treats my body.  I would definitely recommend it!  They also have a vanilla chai flavor if you are just going to drink it with water that is AMAZING!  You can find it HERE or at a local health food store.  I actually get mine at Earth Fare. 

I have to blend mine in two batches because I use the little ninja chopper.  I also throw in a banana as you can see.  So I throw all of those things in with some water and blend away. 

I pour my mixture into a quart jar and put on a lid. I also need a straw so I throw one of those in.  It's not hard to make or rocket science.  That's just how I make mine. After I make my shake I take my shower and get on with life! That's pretty much how my post workout routine goes.  How about you?  Do you do the same thing each time? Do you have things that you HAVE to do post workout?

Love, Lacey

Favorite Bloggers

I LOVE reading blogs. I also LOVE watching vlogs. I guess I just like to see what other people's lives are like and how different they are from mine. I thought it would be fun to tell you some of my favorite blogs!

First up is an awesome blog from a girl named Jillian! She is the author of ReFashionista. She refashions clothes.  What does that mean?  It means that she goes to her local thrift stores and buys clothes that no one else would probably buy.  She then takes them home and completely changes them into something really cool that you WANT to wear!

Would you wear this?  Go see what she does with this dress!  I promise you WILL want to wear it when she is done!

Next up is a running blog I follow religiously (and have mentioned here before) by an amazing runner named Janae! She writes The Hungry Runner Girl. She is an awesome runner and mommy!  She loves to eat (one reason I follow her) & always shows the amazing food she is eating.  She is really funny and I think we would be BFFs if we lived closer and she knew I existed. LOL

See!  Running clothes & food! How can you NOT love that?!?

Next is someone I actually know in real life!!  Ryan is a friend of a friend that I have met and hung out with a couple of times.  He decided a few years ago to sell everything, quit his job, & hike the Appalachian Trail.  He did the whole thing and has gone on a few other AMAZING adventures. Like hitchhiking across America?! But his latest adventure is him hiking across Ireland & now the UK.  I LOVE reading his blog and seeing his pictures.  He is REALLY talented and has a knack for meeting the most interesting people!   You can find him at A Backpacker's Life List.   

Because who doesn't want to see pictures like this as often as possible?!

I think that's it for now!  I have some other bloggers that I like and follow but these have to be some of my absolute favorites!  I'm not sure how you can feel like you know a person from their blog but I definitely feel like I know each of these people!  Go and check them all out!! You will NOT be sorry!!

Love, Lacey

June empties 2014

How can it be the end of June already?! Didn't I just do May empties?! This year is over half over and it is absolutely FLYING by!  So here we are to looking at my trash from this month!

Maybelline the falsies volume express in blackest black. I have had this mascara FOREVER! I finally used it up this month or it dried up?! Either way it's done! I liked this mascara.  The color was definitely blackest black and the brush was nice.  It gave me good volume and length and I liked the formula. I would repurchase this again. If you want a mascara to give you natural looking lashes this is NOT it! It's called falsies for a reason.  But I would recommend if you like long thick lashes! 

I received these wipes in an ipsy bag awhile back.  I had read other reviews that weren't good but I always like to give things a try for myself. I threw these in my travel bag and have used them the last few trips that I went on.  I can tell you I would not repurchase these EVER!  The smell is odd.  I don't know if it's the flavor/scent I got or if they all smell overly fruity and something else.  I can't place the scent but it is not good.  As far as actual cleansing power they did ok. I use facial wipes to get my eye make up and foundation off before I actually cleanse my skin so I'm never really worried about how clean my skin is, just want to get the make up off so I can cleanse. I would NOT recommend these or repurchase! 

It's a little hard to read but this is Tom's simply white toothpaste. I had heard some good reviews on Tom's and specifically the simply white. So I decided to try it! I thought it did a pretty good job.  I wouldn't say it made my teeth any whiter or brighter. My mouth felt fresh and my teeth felt clean. But as far as anything special I didn't think it was.  It's a bit on the pricey side at around $5 a tube because it is supposed to be more natural and better for you. If the more natural toothpaste is what you are looking for this is a great option but if you just want something to do a good job I would stick with a crest or colgate or whatever you use. I probably will not repurchase this product. 

The Blackhead clearing scrub from Walgreens is a WINNER in my book.  It not only has a gentle exfoliate but also salicylic acid so it really cleans your face.  I bought this while I was trying to find the best drug store face wash and I will say I'm sad I ran out of it. I'm currently trying something different and I'm not as impressed.  This is a great all around face wash. It's gentle enough to use morning and night but strong enough to really get your face CLEAN!!  I bought mine at my local Walgreens for around $4!  I thought this was a great product and I'm sure I will be repurchasing it again!

Last but not least are these makeup removing wipes! These are the Up & Up brand cleaning towelettes.  They are comparable to Neutrogena Make-up Remover wipes.  I thought these were pretty good.  They were gentle and didn't sting my eyes. They seemed to get all my mascara and eyeliner off pretty easily.  They were around $5 or $6 at Target and I would definitely repurchase these! 

Question of the day!!

What product did you use up this month that you LOVED?! 

Love, Lacey

Happy 11th Anniversary Mr. J!!

On June 21, 2003 Mr. J & I said I do in a little stone church. The weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! This is my absolute favorite picture from our wedding.  I just love how fluffy my dress looks and how relaxed Mr. J looks.  I just can't believe this was 11 years ago! Who are those kids getting married?!

We had a wonderful honeymoon in Playa del Carmen in Mexico. This was one of our dinners out. We had so much fun minus tropical storm Bill that gave us torrential downpours for the last few days of our trip. 

Before we had kids we loved to take weekend trips together.  One year we got to go down to Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400.  We had the most amazing seats and went with some super great friends! It had to be the hottest day EVER and I have never sweat so much in my life but we made the best of it!

We also went to a LOT of weddings.  You know when you are in that stage of life when ALL your friends are getting married?  We went through that too.  This was a wedding in Minneapolis, MN.  Despite Mr. J's face I think it's safe to say we both had a lot of fun!

In 2008 we took a day trip to Chicago to meet a wonderful friend of mine. At the time we only had the boys and it was wonderful weather and great friends to share it with. There's Mr. J & I on Navy Pier!

Then we had Miss V and our sweet family is complete! This is picture was from a family vacation to Tennessee in 2010.  We were at the Ripley's Aquarium. We actually used this picture for our Christmas cards that year.  We had an awesome time on this trip and I loved spending time with Mr. J & his family. 

I absolutely love this picture.  This was from a friend of ours wedding reception. They had the most amazing reception & location.  We sent the kids to grandma's for the night and danced the night away.  We just both look so happy in this picture and it makes me happy every time I see it!

I love this picture too!  Last summer Mr. J's boss and his wife went with us to a local baseball game.  I'm not a huge baseball fan but it was fun hanging out with them and enjoying the weather!

And last but not least this picture was taken just a few weeks ago during our family pictures. I'm not usually a fan of myself not smiling.  I usually think I look mad or upset or something.  But this has to be one of my favorite pictures.  I told my friend that I feel like I look happy and safe and content and loved and just all the emotions I feel when Mr. J holds me.  I LOVE this picture!  

Happy Anniversary Mr. J!  I can't believe it's been 11 years!  We have certain had our ups and downs but I'm so glad that we stuck together and fought for our marriage.  I can't imagine anyone else I would rather be with.  You are my rock, my love, my encourager, and protector.  I love you more today than I ever have and I can't wait to see what the next 11 years bring!  I love you!

To Give Anything Less . . .

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine 

I found this quote when I was looking for motivation for my upcoming race. I have been working with a running coach and training hard for a PR (personal record) in a race in July but talking to my coach last week he wants me to really push it and see what I can do in my June race. So I've been doing all I can to get pumped up for it. I have been giving my all in my training, I have been eating and drinking what I should, and I have even been using visualization to help me "see" myself crossing the line strong & fast! I've always loved a good quote so I googled running quotes or something like that and came up with this Steve Prefontaine quote.  

If you don't know who Pre is you can read about him HERE but basically he was an amazing runner and has become a legend in the running community. I bought this book about him but have yet to get a chance to read it. 

ANYWAYS!!  I found this quote and thought that it a great quote.  I even wrote it on my bathroom mirror so that I could remind myself of it daily.

But the more I thought about that quote the more meaning it seemed to take on.  I'm assuming Pre was talking about running.  That if you give anything less than your best you sacrifice the gift of running.  But to me it took on a whole different meaning when I really meditated on it. The first thing I took note of was the word "YOUR". He didn't say be the best or have the best time or always win. He said give YOUR best! As I've said before I'm not the fastest runner.  I don't have any delusions that I will ever win a race. But I always try to give 110% when I run. I give MY best! He also called running a gift. I have said many times that I am blessed to be able to run. And have often said that I was running for those who can't.  But then I started thinking about this quote a different way.  I started to look at it in the context of life.  With the word "gift" being the gift of life. I really started to think about giving my best in life. What does that look like? I started thinking about what is most important to me in life and what are goals. This simple quote has made me really evaluate life and what am I doing for God, my husband, my kids, my family, my friends, even for strangers.  Am I really giving MY best in this gift of life!? 

My race is Saturday morning and Mr. D is also running a 1 mile kids run.  I'm proud of him for getting out there and wanting to run.  I'm thankful that I have instilled in him a love for running and being healthy.  I love that this kid has an apple for an after school snack EVERY DAY!  It's something he just loves! I can't say I love apples that much but I do have a love for fruit and try to have healthy snacks.  Seeing him (and the other two) make healthy snack choices makes me feel like I'm doing something to not sacrifice the gift of being their mama!

Question of the day!

What are you doing to make sure you aren't sacrificing your gift?

Love, Lacey

My New Running Shoes

In the last few weeks it has become apparent that one pair of my running shoes is nearing the end of its life.  In case you don't know, running shoes are good for around 300 miles and then they start to break down and can start to cause you pain and injuries.  I have never been good about writing down my mileage so I usually just go on how my legs are feeling.  And while I haven't had any injuries yet (knock on wood!) my knee has been giving me fits when I wear a certain pair of shoes so I'm guessing they are just about at the end of their life. I knew I would have to pick up a new pair of shoes sooner or later but I wasn't expecting to get ones last week!  I went into our local running shop to look around and say hi to everyone.  I happened to look at the shoes and then someone mentioned that I got a discount and that was all the excuse I needed! I tried on my normal shoes and bought them!

I introduce you to the Asics GT-1000. I absolutely LOVE the color combo!  I'm a sucker for pink but I think the orange really makes them look nice! I always run these shoes. I have tried other brands from time to time but just always seem to end up with the Asics GT1000 or 2000.

But it's not about the looks it's about the running.  And about the laces!  I ALWAYS use Bungee laces! These aren't the exact same but pretty similar.  There are a few different brands out there depending on what you want.  I had one race where my shoes came untied 3 different times and I vowed I would NEVER use laces again.  I know, I'm a bit dramatic!  My local running store sells these so I grabbed a pair while I was there.

What do you think? I love them! They are REALLY comfy and just from the quick 4 miler I did the other night I can tell how worn out my old shoes are.  These felt like a dream to run in! 

So my best tips when buying new running shoes? 

1. Go to your local running store.  I'm not talking about your big box do it all sports store.  I'm talking your local running store.  A store that specializes in running and triathlons. They know their stuff and will help you find the right shoe for you.  I'm convinced many people get injured or have unnecessary aches and pains because they try to run in the wrong shoes.  I can't tell you the pain I had with shin splints because I tried to run in cheap "running" shoes when I first started. I bawked at paying $100+ for shoes just to run in, but I GUARANTEE they are worth every penny!  Go to a store that will watch you run!  Our local store has treadmills they will watch you run and can point you to the best shoes for you.  Then you can try them on, take a quick run, and see what you think.  My running store even has a great return policy because some times you don't know how a shoe will run, until you run it! So go to those who know running and running shoes! 

2. Get a pair that feels good not looks good! This has been the hardest for me to understand.  I still try to go with a shoe I like the looks of but I will go for comfort over looks.  I even bought a pair of plain white ones once.  Not my style but they got the job done and are now retired! 

3. Go in with an open mind! If you are a runner and like a certain brand of shoes then by all means stick with them, but don't just pick a brand based on a friends pick or someone you know runs a certain brand.  Every runner is different and likes a different shoe.  Even if you think you don't like a certain brand, try them!  They might be your new favorite!

Question of the day

How many pair of running shoes do you own?

I actually own 6 but 3 are currently retired! So I still have 3 in normal rotation!

Love, Lacey 

Mother/Daughter Weekend May 2014 - Part 3

If you missed part 1 or 2  of my Mother/Daughter weekend you can go read them here! and here

The whole reason for my mom and I staying the night in South Haven was an amazing B&B called Martha's Vineyard .  This place is a gorgeous old house made up into a B&B. The owners, Lou & Ginger, are very kind and thoughtful people.  Mr. J and I actually stayed here last year for our 10 year anniversary! We loved it then and I loved it even more this time!  My mom and I picked a different room to stay in than Mr. J & I did so that we could see more of the rooms.

And the best part about going in the middle of May was that it was still chilly enough that they had the fireplaces on!  We turned it on and left it on the entire time we were there.  I loved hearing the fire crackle and feel a little warmth!

The bed was so pretty! The whole room was done in shades of purple and I loved it.  The bed had a very heavy down filled duvet cover on it which would have been perfect the snuggle under in the winter.  It was pretty luxurious! And the bright light that looks like a window there in the right of the picture is actually a door to a gorgeous patio area. I went out there at night to call Mr. J and I could hear a symphony of frogs singing to me!

One of the best things about Martha's Vineyard is the amazing breakfast!  When the weather is warm they serve breakfast outside on the big wrap around porch.  But being the middle of May in Michigan it was a bit chilly for that so they served us in the dining room.  Nothing like a chandelier at the breakfast table!

Beautiful gold chargers mixed with delicate real silverware and of course cut crystal, made for a very elegant way to start the day.  The other thing you should know about this amazing breakfast is that it is 4 courses.  Yes I said 4 courses!  The breakfast is different each day too, so if you stay multiple nights you won't get the same breakfast two days in a row.  Also I must mention that when I booked the room I asked if it was possible to have a gluten free breakfast and Ginger was kind enough to make that happen.  I was very very excited! 

The first course is a fruit plate.  I took a bite of the pineapple before the picture but before that it looked like a beautiful butterfly! 

The next course was a delicious yogurt parfait.  Ginger used gf granola for mine but for everyone else she used their homemade granola.  They have bees on the property and use the honey to make their own granola.  I had it last year before I was gf and it is delicious!  Gf granola isn't too bad either so I gladly gobbled this up! Notice the OJ in the wine glass! FANCY!

Next is the main course.  A gorgeous crepe with warm apple filling topped with whipped cream and nuts.  Also a side of sausage!  This is actually a picture of my mom's plate because the non-gf crepe looked prettier than mine but mine tasted AMAZING!!  It was like eating apple pie for breakfast!

And remember when I said that breakfast was 4 courses? The 4th course is always dessert!  According to Lou every meal should have dessert, including breakfast.  Today's dessert was a delicious lemon tart! A great way to get our morning started!

Mom and I spent the whole day shopping and enjoying South Haven before we had to head home.  Spending time with my mom never gets old.  I love that we got to have this special weekend just the two of us.  Because while I love sharing her with my kids, I also love being her kid! I'm so thankful for the fun time and great memories that we have of this trip.  And I know neither of use will soon forget South Haven or Saugatuck. 

I love you mom! And I hope we can take another trip together soon!

Love, Lacey

Mother/Daughter Weekend May 2014 - Part 1

WARNING!  This will be a picture heavy post!

Some time around Christmas I decided that I wanted to take a weekend away with my mom. We don't get enough time together just the two of us and I wanted to take her to my favorite B&B in Michigan because I knew she would LOVE it.  We decided that the weekend after mother's day would be a great time to get away.  I booked the room and we set off for the mitten!

My mom busted out the Rand McNally (insert Miranda Lambert song here) even though I knew where we were going it's always fun to look it up the old fashion way!

Our first stop was a quaint little town called Saugatuck. This place is adorable! Lots of art galleries, clothes stores, a wonderful coffee shop and SO much more! And all the streets look like this! Tree lined streets with shops on both sides of the street. A great place to wander for hours on end!

We found a fun little shoe store called "For the Love of Shoes". How could I NOT go in?! They had some of the most unique shoes. These were a healthy $200 or they would have come home with me. and I would have worn then every day forever!  LOVED them!

While we were walking around we stopped into one of my favorite vineyard's tasting rooms. Fenn Valley Winery is a gorgeous little winery in Fennville, MI. Each year they put on a great summer festival in June. Mr. J and I went last year and it was WELL worth the $10 entry fee.  You can get more information here. If you are in the area or are going to be near it is a great time!  Food, music, and a tour of the most beautiful vineyard! So my mom and I stopped in their tasting room in Saugatuck and had a little sample.  I only bought 2 bottles so I don't think that is TOO bad!

This picture does NOT do this piece of art justice.  The "leaves" are made of copper and the flower itself is a hand shaped piece of glass.  The artist had so many of these in a garden. They were absolutely stunning.  I tried to take pictures but the pictures don't even come close! The artist had names for each one and told us stories of where she gets her glass and how each is formed.  It was VERY interesting!

Lunch was at a place called "Mermaid Bar & Grill"

I was hungry but didn't really know what I wanted so I went for a burger! It was just a cheese burger with pepper jack cheese but it was pretty tasty! Obviously I had to get mine with no bun but a knife & fork worked just the same! 

 

And the view from my our table!!  We were right on the water. We got to see people kayaking (even though it was 60 and a bit breezy!) and this GORGEOUS house across the way.  I tried to get Mr. J to move but he said no! 

Posted outside the restaurant!

And then my FAVORITE store that we found in Saugatuck! It is called the Pink Patio! Find them here on Facebook.  This store is like a little bit of everything for your yard.  It had decor, kitchen stuff, coffee, food, you name it, it might be in there. They had lots and lots of cast iron little yard art. They also had a sign that says "PARTY!!!"  The guys that run this store are the BEST! They are super funny and nice.  This is a definite must visit! 

After a fun day in Saugatuck my mom and I headed down to our B&B. Just a preview for Part 2 my mom and I go to South Haven! Get ready for even more pictures and a review of THE BEST B & B around!

Bloglovin

Do you know about Bloglovin?  Do you use bloglovin?  Well you SHOULD!!  It's an easy way to follow not only my blog (plug plug) but any other blog you follow.  Simply sign up HERE and then tell it what blogs you want to follow.  You will get an email (if you chose) each time the blogs you are following post.  There is also an awesome iPhone app that you can log on and read the blogs from your phone.  This is great for your morning coffee!

I don't have much else to say I just wanted to share this website because I really do love it!  I have many blogs I follow and it would take me all day to "check" them all each day. But with bloglovin' I can simply sign in and read all the updates!

Hope you check it out! Hope you love it as much as I do.  And let me know if you need some blogs to follow! I follow a little bit of everything!!

QUESTION OF THE DAY!
What blogs do you follow?  What is your favorite and that MUST read every day?!

Love, Lacey

*Disclaimer!!  I did not get paid by bloglovin' or get anything special for mentioning them!  I just really do love them and want to share my experience!  

April Empties 2014

Welcome to the April addition of my trash empties!  If you don't know what an empties post is, it's basically where I show you what I used up over the month and what I thought about it.  If you use ALL of something, even if it's trial size, I feel like you have a pretty good opinion of the product.  So I'm going to show you the product, where you can buy it, and what I thought about it.  Ready? Here we go!!

First up is this Jojoba Charcoal facial scrub by Michael Todd True Organics. I received this sample from my Ipsy glam bag (you can sign up here) a few months ago.  I had heard a lot of hype about Michael Todd and his True Organics line and so I was excited to try it.  I will say this is a nice face scrub.  The scrubbing beads are not harsh, the smell is nice, and it's black so you really get the feeling that the active charcoal is doing its job.  Here is the link if you are interested in buying the full size it is $18.50 for 3.4 oz. I did like this product.  I probably would not purchase it for myself because there are other scrubs I like more. But this would be a special treat if you need a mother's day present for your mama!

It's a 10 miracle leave-in product is our next empty.  I have owned this for over a year.  It's a spray and leave in conditioner.  You apply it when your hair is wet and simply brush it through and style your hair as normal.  It's supposed to do 10 things instantly! 1. Repairs dry, damaged hair, 2. Adds shine, 3. Detangles, 4. Control frizz, 5. Seals & protects hair color, 6. Prevents split ends, 7. Stops hair breakage, 8. Creates silkiness, 9. Enhances natural body,  10. Flat iron spray & thermal protector. That's a LOT to promise out of one bottle but I can tell you I really like this product.  I do think it's helped my hair grow stronger and just generally seem healthier.  It's not a cheap product but it lasts a LONG time because you only use a little bit. You can buy it off Amazon here. But I will say I have seen it in CVS & I bought mine for cheaper from my stylist so ask yours about it! I am currently trying out a different leave in condition but I will most likely be repurchasing this product!

Next up is a shampoo from Suave Professionals. This is the sleek shampoo which is suppose to help with dry or frizzy hair. I loved this shampoo.  I don't think it worked any miracles for my hair but I do think it helped with my frizziness (is that a word?). It lathered well which I like and rinsed away easily. I will probably repurchase this product in the future.  It's not very expensive around $3 for 28 oz.  I'm sure there are more amazing shampoos but I did like this one!  Here is a link to Target's website if you want to see what all it claims to do! 

Up next is a Deep Cleanser with red clay by First Aid Beauty. I received this sample size through my ipsy bag (thank you ipsy for all the fun samples).  I absolutely LOVED this cleanser!!  The smell is very light and it seems to be gentle on the skin but really does get deep down and really clean the skin. I felt like my skin was clearer using this product.  You can purchase this online (here) or at your local sephora.  This is another that I don't think I would purchase for myself because it's $24 for 4.7 oz. But this would also be a great gift for some one that loves skin care! 

And last but NOT least are these makeup remover cleansing towelettes.  These are the Up&Up (Target) brand.  They are comparable to Ponds Clean Sweep.  I am a big fan of makeup remover wipes.  I feel like they help get off all the makeup so that my cleanser can do it's job and cleanse my actual skin! I have tried a few different ones but these have worked so well. They take off all my makeup, they don't irritate my skin, and don't burn my eyes!  I think they were pretty cheap (around $4?) and I will DEFINITELY be repurchasing these! Here is the link to Target's website where you can read about them but they are not sold online. 

Well that seems to be all I have emptied this month in the way of beauty.  I will be sure to add in any running related empties in the coming months too!

Disclaimer: I do NOT make any money for you clicking on these links.  They are just to help you find the products.  I will always give you my honest opinion and tell you if I'm being compensated for a link or product. 

Love, Lacey