Punk Monkey: Giveaway!!

Hello everyone!  Please, don't forget that I am no longer posting on this blog.  I've moved!

I'm over here

And, I'm going to be doing a giveaway on this, adorable Punk MOnkey, soon.

Be sure to go to my new home and check out how to win her!

Updating my blog

As most of you know, this is only one of THREE blogs I write and keep up.  I know, I'm a little nuts.  But the past two months I've been secretly working on conglomerating them all and now, it's a reality!  I've had some wonderful help in this process and I'm endless grateful. 

Now, I'm a little worried that the readers I've gained on this blog will not follow me over :(  I worked so hard to make this a great blog full of smiles and info.  My BIG blog will be more of the same, just everything all in the same spot. 

I will have my running updates, photography, sewing, food/recipes, thoughts and adventures with my kids organized so it's only one click of the button instead of three.  I really love my new blog and I know you all will too.  Please join me over there!

I have Facebook page with cute updates and info on up and coming posts, if you have a request for something you'd like me to write on or do so you can see how it's done, you can post it there!

Mommy Hobbies on FB

Hop on over to my new home and let me know what you think!  I have a goal to reach 400 readers by the end of this year.  And I want each of them to be people like you all who enjoy what I do and follow me because you want to, not because someone begged you. 

The New Mommy Hobbies Site!

Writing is my passion and it brings me such great joy to write and read the comments, or notes sent by people who were touch by my sharing a particular story.  Don't leave me now!  We're only getting started :)

Thank you all so much for your support!

Of Food and Love: This Weekend: Be Free

Of Food and Love: This Weekend: Be Free: Catch the full post over here... Be Free

Of Food and Love: Papa & Mama

Of Food and Love: Papa & Mama: I posted on my new blog today...the differences between D and I and how we... Papa & Mama <~~~ click to read the post

A new home

Hey...if you haven't visited me yet, please do

Pretty soon all of my posts will be here:

Mommyhobbies.com

That's right...I'm a .com now!  Follow me on FB (Mommy Hobbies), grab my button ~~~>  right over there

Show some support to another mother :)
Thank you all!  You really have encouraged me with your comments, and reactions (checking those little boxes below) to my posts.  It means so much!!

Running: I have a crush

There is good news and there is better news.  I have better news.  

My new shoes came in the mail.  I have been waiting for them for what seems like an eternity.  The advertizement on their site said "VIPers get their orders shipped within two hours!"  I was so on that.  PAid $1.99 to become a VIP member.  Saved myself $20 off my shoes plus $16.99 on the shipping.  Well worth the $1.99 if I say so myself.  However, I don't know what two hour time frame they were talking about.  Two hours before a natural disaster, or two hours before they knew I was going to call and cancel my order after waiting close to TWO WEEKS.  Yeah, not cool.  But I can say, that my shoes are A-mazing.  Hands down the BEST foot ride, ever.  My feet felt like they were running on little clouds.  Puffy little white pillows.  My legs felt good, too.

I have a been a die hard Puma fan for a while...but my friend, Terry, told me about Mizuno and highly recommended them.  And she kept recommending them until I finally took the bait -- AND the test.  Yeah, I went online and they have this nifty little test I took to assess, as best they can, what style and type of shoe needed for my gait. 

Monday, I took them for a test run.  1.39 miles in 11:24.  Lapped an 8min mile, too.  I was in a hurry that day so I had to cut my run VERY short.  boo.  But I want to go again, and again and again. 

I'm a happy woman with my Garmin and my shoes. 

Oh, and I'm crushing on my Garmin.  He's so stinkin cool.

I just registered for another 5k and he's coming with.

Silent cheerleaders.  The weekend is coming, what's in it for you?

Running: The Juggle

There are a few moms I follow, here in this vast world of blogdom, and admire greatly.  They seem to have it all together.  Seriously.  They are running half-marathons, full marathons, 197 mile relays, you name it.  Some of them have upwards of four children, too.  I don't see how they can do that and balance their home life.  But, I am not them and they are not me, so here is my life:

To be honest, I don't have it all together.  Some days I do and some days I don't.  That hurts.  There are days when I am barely hanging on to sanity because there is so much on my to-do list and it's already after lunch.  No bueno.

For a while I had a fabulous routine going and I was able to hit my goal of twenty miles per week.  Now, I'm down to six miles.  If I'm lucky.  Yeah, my routine took a major hit.   Just recently, I identified the culprits and I'm sad to say that it's Body Pump and the gym.  They take up too much time.  If I plan on going to the gym, I must have dinner started by 3pm.  No later.  Dinner is ready and left warming from 4:30pm until around 6 when D gets back from work and picking up the kids from the gym.  I get back around 7, we have family time then settle down for the evening.  

That was happening two days a week.  Two days, too much for me, anyway.  The rest of the week I was sewing Punk MOnkeys, cleaning, going to church, going to prayer, doing other various churchy things and otherwise.  Eventually, I had to admit to myself that it wasn't working and something had to give.  And it's going to be Body Pump.  It's not worth the stress for me.  My family doesn't deserve that at all.  So, I'm only going to do Body Pump once a week, if that.  I might even quit the gym.  I'll miss it, but my family is more important.

Nothing more discouraging than an unorganized schedule and a stressful day.  So, I'm taking back my weeks and my days and my miles.  I'm reorganizing myself and starting over again. 

 As much as I love running, I love my family more.  The End.