11 May 2012
By Amber
In 2012, Aspirations, Family, Running
Last weekend I fulfilled a dream of mine, a recently added dream, but a dream none the less. Once I got the idea in my head it was stuck and I wanted to do it. Lucky for me my parents agreed to my crazy plan!
We ran a Duathalon Relay!
My Mom started us off, I have to admit I was a little nervous her goal was to “not be last” and looking at the field I saw we had a pretty serious looking group. We were just doing it for fun, but I desperately wanted my mom to accomplish that goal….and she did! On a hilly windy 5k she ran 35:07!!! When she came around the bend to the transition zone I was crying, hence the slightly blurry picture I wasn’t really paying attention…
Next up was my dad he was biking 20 miles, I wasn’t worried about the distance at all, he is a biker and does 100 mile rides during the summer (crazy) but the route had good hills and sharp turns. Turns out he was the 4th fastest in our group!! He rode it in 1:07:27
I was the 3rd leg of the relay another 5k. I’m training for distance so haven’t been focusing on speed at all. So my goals were to be sub 30 and without stopping. I’ve talked about it before but my training for a long time included 4 long stop lights (2 out and 2 back) so I was used to stopping and recovering. Therefore I’ve never completed a race w/o stopping. Until now! 28:53 (PS I caught them by surprise so my pic is also a little blurry, mom had to run to get my pic!)
Thanks Mom and Dad for doing this with me it means so much to me!
Aspirations 2012, Family, Running
10 May 2012
By Amber
In Marriage, Thoughts on Thursdays
Don’t forget about the giveaway, its live till May 15th!
Let me start by saying there are some reasons for divorce that unfortunately for all involved are not ‘good’ reasons per se (meaning bad things are happening) but very valid reasons. For the sake of what I’m writing below I’m not referring to those valid divorces.
So lets get on with my point, I believe that the idea of divorce has made marriage more of a game than a commitment. You know ‘ We will try it out and if it doesn’t work we can always get a divorce.” Really?!? NO, I’m sorry (OK no I’m not) in my world and my beliefs marriage is a commitment to your spouse “till death do you part.” I’ve lived “till death do you part” it wasn’t always easy but its one of the best things I’ve ever done.
Dating is when you get to see if your compatible, test the waters. Find out each others beliefs, views on money, what you do for fun, how you get along. Marriage is when you know all of that is good and your ready to be together forever.
I don’t believe that when you, just don’t get along anymore, or the spark is gone. You just get a divorce and go look for the next guy. That is when you work it out, you change something up, go to counseling, talk to each other again. You work for it. Marriage doesn’t have to be easy to be good. In fact some of the best examples of marriages I have had VERY rough patches. But they worked through it and are better in the end.
Honestly this is one area when I think Hollywood has far too much impact. We see celebrities married one week and divorcing the next. Its a joke when they get married to see how long it is before they divorce. We have records and stats for the shortest celebrity marriage, the biggest payout for alimony. Those are our examples? No wonder The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41% (According to enrichment journal on the divorce rate in America.)
Fight for your marriage!
Here are some great resources for your marriage:
Marriage Matters
Focus on the Family
A Weekend to Remember
Marriage, Thoughts on Thursday
09 May 2012
By Amber
In Green
Here are just a few articles I’ve read lately with a little added commentary by me!
“Natural” Fingernail Polish may not be
“When nail care products claim to be free of unsafe chemicals, despite how the label reads, just the opposite is often true,” the report finds, noting that the greatest concern is not for women wearing nail polish but salon workers repeatedly applying nail-care products to customers for hours a day, day after day. DBP and toluene are known to the State of California as developmental toxins. Formaldehyde is recognized as a carcinogen by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. By Dan Shapley on The Daily Green
My Opinion:
I’m so sick of green washing, I just don’t understand how companies think its OK to claim they are ‘green’ when in fact they are not. According to this study some of the nail polishes even had higher concentrations of on of the chemicals (
toluene.) This is honestly just ridiculous. Regular people like me have to trust those labels (ie list of ingredients) I don’t have a lab at home to test on my own. This honestly just makes me mad.
Chicago University Bans Bottled Water and Adds Refill Stations
After several educational campaigns led by the Student Environmental Alliance and the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy over the last few years, a majority of students voted last week to phase out the sale of disposable water bottles on campus in 2013, according to a university release. Huffington Post Green
My Thoughts
I think this is great, I’m already in the habit of always having a bottle with me and I would love it if there were more ‘fill stations’ or water fountains around for me to use. Many business are now taking this step so why not start in collage?
Green, Green in the News
08 May 2012
By Amber
In Giveaways, Running
Do you remember a few weeks ago when I wrote the post Run Like a Girl? One of the questions I asked was “How do you keep your hair up?” Boy did I get a great answer, with a BondiBand!
After the glowing recommendation from my friend Jaci at Those Fabulous Running Shoes I just had to check them out for myself. I sent off an e-mail and it was my lucky day, they said they would send me one to review and one to give away!
So here are the facts, headbands just don’t stay on my head. I’ve tried those ‘no slip’ ones with the gel on them even and lost them all when they just fall off the back of my head. Yesterday I tried to wear a ‘cute’ one and had to pin it to my head… These however stay! I was so excited when I got back from my first run with it.
Cooper wanted to be in the picture too.
I’ve literally worn this for every run since. In fact I just ordered 5 more…well 3 were for the hubby 2 for me so we each have 3 that’s fair right? Not to mention last Sunday I ran pretty late in the day and when I got home it was time to leave for Mac’s softball game, I just wore it out and got a lot of complements honestly.
There are lots of designs but they are not only for runners, think biking, yard work, baseball, soccer….you get the idea. Anything active and sweaty 
My Parents and I after our Duathalon Relay race this weekend. (More on that later)
So now you all want to win one right? Well you can a really cool evergreen one with reflective squares to keep you safe when its dark out. But first I want to tell you about a few coupons.
BondiBand Coupon Codes
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MOM~Special for Mothers Day ~ FREE Bondi Band Armwarmer (black) with purchase of 3 or more headbands! (You must have 3 regular priced headbands in your cart along with a black armband. then use code MOM. Expires May 31st)
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FIVE~Buy any 5 regular priced headbands for $25.00 this saves you $15.00!!!
Want to win one?
Here is what your playing for boys and girls, this headband in hunter green with light reflecting squares.
Giveaway widget removed since the winner has been announced!
10k Training, Giveaway, Running
07 May 2012
By Amber
In Experiment, Food, Gluten Free
For my birthday last week I decided to make strawberry- rhubarb crisp into work. However for one reason or another quite a few of my co workers don’t eat gluten. So I combined a few recipes and made up a few things with the help of my local Trader Joes employees and ended up making a pretty good Crisp. So good in fact I didn’t have time to take a shot of it completed it was gone so go ahead and try it!
Oh and here are the gluten free gingersnaps I used:
Experiment, Food, Gluten Free
