Fun Run Weekend

Wow, these weeks are going fast! I have 7 days of school left (crazy, right?!) and I've been busy with end of the year activities, summer plans, and looking ahead to next year.

This weekend I took a break from it all and took part in my first Fun Run--the Cincinnati Beer Run--with my friends Kristen and Liz.

Since we were running for beer, it only seemed fitting that we dress the part--frat party that is. Neon tanks and fanny packs.

The run was not quite a 5k at 2.5 miles and had a beer tasting station every .5 mile. We sampled Wiedemann's, Shock Top Lemon Shandy, Woodchuck, and Goose Island 312. At the end of the race you were able to choose 1 of the 4 and get it in a special 16 oz. glass.

The weather was a bit cloudy and breezy, but the rain held off which was perfect! We had a blast running, sampling, dancing, and sampling some more.

 

The race was all said and done by about 10:45 AM so we had the whole day to spend hanging out in Newport/Downtown Cincy. The reds were in town which made the atmosphere so much more fun!

Fun Run, Success! Liz, Kristen, and I have already declared this to be an annual event for us!

What Fun Runs have you participated in before?

The Newest Littles

My extended family has grown! My aunt and uncle have adopted 2 girls, Jaline and Marie Line, from Haiti and they are now a family of 7. My mom, sister, and I traveled to Michigan this weekend to see my cousin Shelby perform in her last high school production and visit the newest littles!

Unfortunately when we arrived Saturday afternoon, Marie Line was feeling under the weather so I didn't get to spend as much time with her as I did Jaline. But, I introduced myself and read Fancy Nancy to her as she drifted off to sleep. She is such a sweet girl and was being a trooper with so many new people in her house.

After warming up to us, we spent some time playing outside with Jaline which seems to be her favorite thing to do next to doing her baby dolls' hair.

Jaline is a silly, giggly little girl and it was so much fun getting to know her and play with her. After playtime we went to see my cousin perform as a "Doo-Wop" girl in Little Shop of Horrors.

You can always count on little cousins for silly faces!

I had never seen the show before and it was a lot of fun. My cousin can really rock a blonde wig! ;)

Today we got up, had some of my aunt's delicious baked oatmeal, (in her anthropologie dish-so cute!) and spent more time playing.

Jaline loves to be silly! 

As weekends with family always are--it was grand and too short! I can't wait to see everyone again at the next family event--a wedding!

If you're interested, the girls' former crèche (adoption center) is run by the organization Chances For Children which you can check out through the link and you can read about their family journey by following their blog here.

You Can't Compete With What You Eat

I saw that quote on an Instagram post this week and it couldn't be a more perfect mantra for me. As much as I work to keep up with good food choices and my workouts, I can honestly say it is so hard for me. Some people make it look so easy avoiding that cupcake or opting out of the gourmet, melty 5 cheese macaroni. I am not one of those people.

That is me. (Except whiskey--who puts whiskey on that list of goodness?) I try really hard to eat the "good stuff" in moderation, but food is my greatest weakness. 

I hate the saying "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" Yeah, thanks Kate Moss for starting that one because I'm here to tell you that no matter how hard you try to make the modification like the original, some foods will always taste better in their full fat, pile on the cheese state.

That all being said, I truly believe in a mostly clean diet and can't believe the amount of chemicals we unknowingly consume in processed foods. I want to be proud of my body and that starts with deciding what to put into it. Like my new mantra says, you can't compete with what you eat! A bad diet cannot be undone by exercise.

To be perfectly honest, I do a pretty good job already and about 60-70% of what I eat in a day is good. But, I'm a snacker and I love rich, filling foods and candy. It's a lifestyle change and a big work in progress for me. It doesn't come easily. So this month I'm participating in Bobbi McCormick's 30 day shred. Hopefully following a 30 day clean eats meal plan and HIIT workouts will put me on track and help make it become more routine for me to eat clean at least 80-85% of the time. (I don't believe in depriving myself of anything--all in moderation) It will also help set myself up for when I start training for my September half-marathon!

This month I'll be swapping these...

for more of these...

I'll be sure to share my results at the end of the month!

**By the way, it's May! Don't forget that my Raise Your Brush coupon is good for $10 off thru the end of the month!**

What tips do you have for eating clean?