Archives for July 2015

Coming Soon: The Henderson

July 15, 2015 by

Destin Florida has been a favorite vacation spot of mine for many years. I have great memories of staying in a condo steps from the sugar white sands, staying out in the sun all day and playing board games with my family at night (I know, I was a super cool teenager).

As I got older and then got married, our tastes and wants in a beach vacation changed, and we quickly fell in love with Henderson Park Inn, a wonderful adults only bed and breakfast right on the beach that is a part of the Southern Living Hotel collection. We have been guests of the Inn for the past three summers, so you can imagine my surprise when an email hit my inbox at the beginning of the year outlining a new hotel to be built right behind my beloved Henderson Park Inn. I had a moment of panic, followed by several questions.

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We went to Destin for our annual stay last week, and I am happy to report that the Innkeeper, Ryan Olin, put my fears to rest, and actually got me..dare I say….excited about the great things coming to the property. I sat down with him one afternoon to discuss the new resort, and I had quite the list of questions. Thankfully, Ryan had a great answer for every one of them, and then some. Follow along as I tell you about the newest addition to the beautiful Destin skyline…The Henderson.

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The Henderson will open in the summer of 2016 as a five diamond resort managed by Salamander, who is known for amazing dining and spa experiences. It will boast 171 rooms, a spa with 11 treatment rooms, two pools including an adults only area, a lazy river, a bar, restaurant, and beach access.

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This beautiful upscale resort will also include amenities such as free shuttle service to and from the airport, complimentary cars to take you around Destin, and tram service to the beach walkway 24 hours a day. Every room will have a balcony, and a smart TV. This place is going to be so nice! Think of it as a “beach club” experience. There will be chair and umbrella service, a pool bar, water and beach recreation, and lots of attention to detail.

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On top of all of this, the Henderson will be home to 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, something that is lacking in Destin. There will be private ballrooms, boardrooms, and 30,000 square feet of outdoor space to host private parties, weddings, and corporate functions. (Hello vow renewal?!?)

Guests of the Inn like myself were concerned about what that means for the adults only establishment that I consider one of Destin’s best kept secrets. I was assured time and time again that great strides will be taken to ensure the tranquility of the 35 room Bed and Breakfast remains intact. The guests of the new hotel will have beach access, but not free reign of the Inn itself, but instead designated areas and walkways (however, guests of the Inn will have use of the pools at the new resort!).

Ryan showed me exactly where the walkway will go along the side of the Inn’s property down to the beach, and we talked about gates, security, concierges, and making sure everyone remains happy at the Inn, and at The Henderson.

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I know some people have a large family, or prefer to do some of their own cooking on vacation, so there is something for everyone coming! Ryan told me about a condo building that is in the works as well to be completed at the end of 2016. There will be  one and two bedroom units near to The Henderson, with beach access as well. These condos will be available for purchase pretty soon from what I hear.

The news of the new resort is exciting not just because it’s going to be gorgeous and fancy, but because this is something that you won’t find anywhere else in Destin. This place will be the nicest new hotel you will find from New Orleans all the way to Tampa, and the most grand hotel built in all of Florida in the past five years.

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I personally cannot wait to see everything come to fruition from renderings to reality, and hopefully enjoy The Henderson for myself in the future.

Be sure to follow along on their Facebook page for updates!

QOTD: What do you look for in a beach hotel?

Filed Under: family, Mental Health, vacation Tagged: , , , , , ,

Road Shark

July 14, 2015 by

Hi friends! First of all, a huge HUGE thank you to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes! Between the blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope, texts, and calls, this girl feels loved. I may have been a little misty eyed when the clock went from 12:50 to 12:51, ushering in my 30’s, but I’m ok now. Smile

Ok, so several of you mentioned that you hated to miss the Gone for a RUN virtual race that was held over the 4th of July. Well, you are in luck, because there is another one, a 5 miler this time!

The Road Shark Run Virtual 5 Mile Race is taking place between July 31st and August 2nd.

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(women’s version)

I find sharks quite fascinating, and since shark week just ending, and so many beach-goers this summer, I am loving this theme!

Here is a little more info on the race features:

  • Virtual race will be held July 31st – August 2nd
  • Virtual race packet includes race shirt (either a Women’s Everyday Tee or a Men’s Lifestyle Tee), gorgeous finisher medal, real race bib (no downloads!) and a car magnet
  • Must order by July 21 to guarantee on time packet arrival
  • No returns/exchanges
  • This item is non-eligible for any additional promotions/coupons
  • Use code SHARKHEATHER for free shipping until 7/17 (usps first class shipping only)

LOVE the medal, and move the car magnet! (There are also some other add on’s you can choose to purchase at the time of registration, just check out the event page for details.)

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(men’s version)

I will be running the roads for this race, and I hope you will consider joining in! There aren’t many local races around here in the summer, so this is a fun way to still earn some bling! Don’t forget to use code SHARKHEATHER for free shipping!

QOTD: Have you done any racing this summer?

Disclosure: I received a free race registration for this virtual run

 

Filed Under: fitness, health, running Tagged: , , , , ,

Thirty and Flirty and Thriving

July 13, 2015 by

One of my favorite chick flicks has got to be 13 Going On 30. Growing up, I often felt the same way as young Jenna Rink. Being a 13 year old was like, SO totally hard, and if I cold JUST turn 16 and get my license, I would have FREEDOM. I would be all grown up and running the roads and doing whatever I wanted to do.

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When I turned 16 and got my first car, I was very happy. But the grueling demands of being a high schooler got to me, you know, boys, and grades, and basketball practice, it was all so JUVENILE, right? If I could JUST graduate high school and go to college, out on my own, I would be happy. I would be FREE, and I could do whatever I wanted.

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Soon enough, I went to college, and writing papers at 2 am was TOUGH STUFF. Going to a 9:00 class, seriously? Ug. my life is over. I was dating this guy and if we could JUST graduate college, get married and have our OWN house, adult jobs and the like, things would be GREAT. To be a grown up would be AMAZING, right? No one telling me what to do, where to go, or to pick my clothes up off the floor. Like Jenna Rink, I too wanted to be thirty and flirty and thriving. It seemed like a good age. Young enough to not be ancient like my parents, but old enough to be well established and “going somewhere” of course.

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Well my friends, today I turn 30. At 12:51 pm to be exact, I will leave my 20’s behind and head into the big 3-0. Looking back on how badly I wanted to leave each stage of my life gives me a good chuckle. What I wouldn’t give to be zooming around town in my green VW bug, or playing basketball in the big game on Friday night, or hanging out in the dorms with my friends in college until way too late even though I had an early class. Time moves so quickly, and it’s funny how badly we all want to move onto the next thing, because surely it will be bigger and better than the stage we are in.

These past few months as I prepared to turn thirty, I thought several times about how much of my life I have wished away. I realized I can choose to think of life in two ways: I can either say “oh MY GOSH, I’m THIRTY! UG!” or I can say “I am ONLY thirty, I have so much potential, and so much more to give, let’s not waste any time living in the present RIGHT NOW!”

I no longer want to be like Jenna Rink, wishing away life. I want to ENJOY my 30’s, enjoy my family, and enjoy this stage of my life. There will never be a “perfect time” in my life…God tells us we will face many trials…so I am going to stop trying to wait for the next big thing. I have an amazing family, a home, friends, a loving church, and my health. I am so grateful for my life, and it’s time to LIVE. Each day. The hard days. The days I want to get back in bed. The days where I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s all a gift that can be taken at any moment, and I am thankful to have celebrated 30 birthdays thus far.

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So, yes, today I turn THIRTY. Thirty, and flirty, and thriving. I have a feeling the best is yet to come, but even if it’s not, I have a good thing going RIGHT NOW.

Cheers to thirty.

Filed Under: blogging, family, holidays Tagged: , , , , ,

Beach Trip 2015: Day 1

July 10, 2015 by

We woke up early Sunday morning to drive down to the beach. We had thunderstorms and heavy rain most of the way down, which is not something you care to drive through on your way to the beach. We finally arrived after lunch and my parents were already there. We checked into the Henderson Park Inn in Destin, Florida, and our room was ready.

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It was still cloudy, but not raining, and the forecast looked good for the rest of the trip, hooray!

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We were in an executive suite on the second floor. They have so much room, and of course a great view (beach photo above was taken from our balcony).

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When we entered our room, there was music playing, and roses, grapes, and wine on our bed.

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We unloaded the car, caught up with my parents, and soon enough it was time for happy hour! Henderson Park Inn has daily happy hour from 4-5 for the guests in it’s 35 rooms. It’s up on the deck overlooking the beach.

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After hanging out at the tiki hut, Bobby and I went down to the beach to take some pictures in my new shoes ASICS sent me. The Gel Quantum 360 comes out July 15, and I wanted to get some shots in t hem to share on social media and my blog since the “gel” shoe is “jellyfish” (jelly =Gel-y) themed.

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We decided we didn’t feel like getting all dressed for dinner, so we ordered pizza and had them deliver it to the deck. We sat outside listening to the waves eating pizza. It was perfect! Later, we went for a walk on the beach.

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We were all tired from traveling so we hit the hay. Bobby and I managed to watch about half of a movie before I fell asleep. I needed my rest for a big day at the beach the next day, of course.

QOTD: What is your favorite beach to visit?

Filed Under: family, running, running gear, vacation Tagged: , , , , , ,

Easy Honey Broth Chicken and Roasted Potatoes

July 8, 2015 by

Please enjoy this yummy recipe/guest post by my friend Lesley!

Before I get started on the recipe I want to say a huge hello to all of Heather’s readers, and a big thank you to Heather for the opportunity to share a guest post with y’all!

Heather and I have been “blogger friends” for a couple of years. We finally got to meet at runDisney’s 2013 Tower of Terror 10 Miler.

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I blog about weight loss and running (among other things) at greaterfitness.wordpress.com Stop by the blog or say hello to me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! My username is @greaterfitness

An old friend of mine actually shared this recipe with me a few years ago. I cook it pretty frequently because it is now a favorite of mine, and it is super easy and not too bad for you. Because of its simplicity, this recipe is definitely one you can get your kids involved with. The leftovers are great as well! I suggest using any leftover chicken to toss in a salad or thinly slice the chicken and put it on a sandwich. The best part about this recipe is that it only requires two ingredients that you probably always have in your kitchen:

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Yep, that’s all you need! You’ll need 1 cup of honey and 2 cups of chicken broth.

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of the broth and ½ cup of honey. In an oven-safe dish, combine the remaining ½ cup of honey and 1 cup of broth. Stir both.

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Set the saucepan aside. This will later become a sauce. Place chicken breasts or tenders in the oven-safe dish with the honey and broth mixture. This will cook in a 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes. You’ll know it is done when the chicken has a tender, white center. Once the chicken is done cooking, let it cool. While it is cooling, put the saucepan containing the remaining honey and broth mixture on medium heat. Cook until it just begins to boil and then back the heat down to simmer. Once you are ready to serve the chicken, spoon the sauce over the chicken. This keeps the chicken very moist and gives additional flavor.

I actually prepared the side of roasted potatoes before the chicken. They will cook at the same temperature, but will need an additional 15 minutes. I will usually get them ready and in the oven then start to prepare the chicken. Once the chicken is ready to go in the oven the potatoes have already been cooking for the extra time they require. This way both foods are done at the exact same time. You can use any type of potato that you like.

Simply clean the potatoes, cut into small bite-size pieces (I leave the skin on for extra flavor) and spread onto a baking/roasting pan. Liberally coat them with olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Put them in the oven and you are all set!

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Usually I serve the chicken and potatoes with a salad. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any lettuce when I made this recipe last week so I steamed some green beans as a substitute.

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This meal is so yummy yet so simple to make. I hope that you give it a try and like it just as much as my family does!

QOTD: What is your favorite way to cook chicken?

Filed Under: food, Guest Post, recipes Tagged: , , ,

If I Can Be a Runner, ANYONE Can

July 7, 2015 by

Hello from Destin, Florida! We are having a great time relaxing and unplugging a bit. Please enjoy this guest post from Michelle and read about her journey from the couch to the runDisney Princess half marathon!

In the middle drawer on my chest of drawers, where I keep my jewelry, is a palm-sized silver medal with a purple ribbon. It says 2015 Disney Princess Half Marathon, and when I look at it, I smile. I smile because I’m proud of myself, and because I still can’t quite believe I actually did it. I smile when I think about how far I’ve come and all the changes I made to earn that medal.

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Between August 2013 and February 2014, I lost almost 30 pounds. Before that, I was about 60 pounds overweight with high blood pressure. I also suffered from arthritis in my hands, hips, knees and feet. When stress built up, as it often did being a middle school teacher, and 42 year old mother of two young children, I would find myself facing a day or two of fatigue so extreme that taking a shower was too big a task for me, and every joint in my body ached. In my life, though, with my children, taking it easy isn’t really an option. My husband’s job involves long hours and working on Saturdays. He often isn’t home much before bedtime. My kids are great kids, but they have needs to be met. And they deserve a mom that plays with them and pays attention to them. I began to resent those times of fatigue and pain. I resented my body that seemed to be rebelling against me. I resented the fact that stress made me want to do things like eat bags of Double Stuffed Oreos. A stress eater under stress. It wasn’t a pretty cycle. Feel bad, eat, feel worse about myself, eat some more. I knew something had to change. I just didn’t have a clue how to start it.

One day in March 2014, while surfing the time suck that is Pinterest, I discovered an interesting looking pin.

There was a picture of a lady in a cute running outfit in front of Cinderella’s Castle. “Disney Princess Half Marathon”, it said. I remember thinking, “How far IS a half-marathon?” A quick Google search got me to the answer…..Thirteen point one miles. I clicked on the pin, and read what others had to say about this race.

“Run through EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom……dress as your favorite princess…….run through Cinderella’s Castle…….pictures with characters…..and at the end, you get a big, pretty medal.”

On that day, sitting in my recliner, I KNEW I had to do this. I knew nothing about running. My personal philosophy on running had always been that if you ever saw me running, you might want to run also, because something big and hairy was probably chasing me. Not only was I not currently running, but I wasn’t engaging in ANY form of exercise. Prior to having two children, I used to enjoy the gym: doing the elliptical machine, weight machines and for a while, I regularly attended Body Pump classes. But in the last five years, nothing. Still, I was unfazed. I kept picturing Cinderella’s Castle and that shiny medal.

My wonderful husband’s reaction to what I had decided to do was pretty much what I expected. His brow furrowed, and he kind of stared into space while he chose his words carefully. “You know that’s for people who run, right?”

“Yes, dear. I know it’s for people who run.”

Again with the furrowed brow and the carefully chosen words. “You know you DON’T run, right?”

I looked him dead in the eyes and said, “I’m going to start.”

And start I did. I did an internet search for running plans for non-runners, and found a plan that suggested alternating walking for four minutes and then running for one minute, for a total of a 30 minute workout. The plan suggested increasing the running and decreasing the walking by one minute until you were running for five minutes. Reading over this plan, it seemed very doable. So, on the first of April, I began. I knew I probably looked really slow, but I really didn’t care. I just knew I had to change what I had been doing and do something different. I ran two days, then took a rest day. After three to four running days of doing the same interval, I would increase the run and decrease the walk. In June 2014, I ran my first 5k. It was hot, and I didn’t run nearly as much of it as I would have liked, but I finished with a pretty respectable time of 44 minutes.

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Training for the Princess Half began in earnest in late October. My sister-in-law jumped on board with me and we trained together for it. I’m so glad she did, because as we increased our mileage on weekends, I learned that long runs by yourself just plan stink. Throughout the fall and into the winter, we ran. Our training schedule had us running two to four miles on Tuesdays and Thursdays with longer runs on Saturdays. Days got shorter, and the air got colder. Before I knew it, I had to buy a new pair of running shoes, and we were running upwards of seven miles on Saturdays. Considering that I had only been running for a short time, racking up those kinds of miles was mind-blowing to me.

All of our training and hard work paid off, though. We completed the 2015 Disney Princess Half Marathon in three hours, thirty minutes and some change. Considering the fact we stopped for a half a dozen character pictures, and I had to walk a bit between miles 7 and 10, I was really pleased with the time. Crossing the finish line and getting my medal gave me such a feeling of accomplishment.

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I’ve stuck with it, too. Since the Princess Half, I’ve done a couple of 5K’s, a 10K and another Half. I’ve already planned the events I’m going to do for the rest of 2015, and making plans for 2016. I’m studying designs to make my own medal hanger. I’m sure at some point my body won’t be able to do this anymore. But that day isn’t here yet.

Deciding to run the Princess Half, going through the training and then completing the Half is one of the few times that I’ve ever set a goal for myself and actually followed through and attained it. It taught me that truly, my body is capable of WAY more than I would have thought. I’ve told plenty of people my story of how I got into running. I’m hoping that someone who hears my story will be inspired to do something like this for themselves as well. If I can do it, I know that anyone who wants to can do it as well.

QOTD: What was the thing that made you start running, and realize that you could do it?

Filed Under: fitness, Guest Post, runDisney, running Tagged: , , ,

All 4 Run: Virtual Run Recap + 4th of July

July 6, 2015 by

I completed my “All 4 Run” virtual race this past weekend. Gone for a RUN put on yet another fun race with a great shirt and medal included. I ran on Friday July 3rd because I knew the 4th would be pretty busy!

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It was a hot morning and I didn’t get started until mid morning. I’m really not sure why I thought this time frame was a good idea.

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I ran one of my favorite routes in a nearby neighborhood and tried to find some shade. It was tough and hilly, but I got it done! Of course I had to dress the patriotic part, too. While my time didn’t reflect a race pace, I am glad I had a fun event of my own to participate in.

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I really enjoyed doing this run. I decided not to run our local 4th of July 5k because it’s very hot and very crowded, and we had two parties to attend that day so this worked out better for me. I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and that you were able to get a race or a run in!

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On the 4th of July, we had two fun parties to go to. Our life group at church had a lunch get together, and our neighborhood had a dinner potluck plus fireworks. It was fun to have a full day of hanging out with friends and meeting some of my neighbors (we have a pretty big neighborhood so a ton of people I don’t know).

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Emma Kate’s shoes stayed on for about 2.5 minutes. Oh well. I got to wear my flag sandals that I wear exactly one time per year.

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QOTD: Have you ever participated in a virtual run?

As a Gone for a run Ambassador, I received free entry into the virtual race.

Filed Under: fitness, Race Recaps, running, running gear Tagged: , , ,

4th Recaps + My Favorite Party Recipe

July 3, 2015 by

Hey everyone! Happy holiday weekend! I know a lot of people are off work today (sadly I am not one of them), but I just waned to hop on and wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July. I will be running my virtual race this weekend and reporting back on that next week, and on Sunday we head to Destin!

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Don’t worry, I will be sharing lots of photos and such (make sure you are following me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and the newest, PERISCOPE!) I am @HeathersLG. I plan to do some live broadcasting from the beach yall!

Check out my 2013 4th of July recap here, and my 2013 4th of July recap here. I also have two 2011 recaps here and here. Clearly I enjoy being festive and celebrating holidays!

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I also wanted to share my “go to” BBQ/picnic dessert recipe, chocolate éclair pie. It’s SUPER easy to make and always a big hit. Have fun, shoot fireworks, and don’t point roman candles at people. Happy Independence Day!

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QOTD: Any fun parties to go to this weekend? Do you dress up?

Filed Under: holidays Tagged: , , ,

Tips for De-cluttering Your Home

July 2, 2015 by

About a week or so ago, I randomly came to the conclusion that we have too much stuff. The things we have aren’t particularly expensive or fancy…just…STUFF we have accumulated over the past 10 years of knowing each other. Also, we have been in our house almost a year now, and there are things still in boxes that I haven’t touched. I mean really, if I haven’t needed it in a year, there is a good chance it should be tossed anyway.

It’s kind of overwhelming when I think about purging things from my home, and to be honest, I have to be in a particular “mood” to get this done, if that even makes sense (hopefully someone knows what I’m talking about so I don’t feel crazy? Well, at least not crazy in this instance.)

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I decided to just do a little at a time as I felt like it, and start where I felt I could do the most damage…I hit up our bonus room and guest bedroom closets and just started pulling things out. I ended up with a couple of huge piles of things and I already feel better and cleaner. I wanted to share a few tips that I used to help me decide what stays and what goes.

What Stays and What Goes:

1.) Pick a room: Pick a room and focus on it until it’s completely done instead of hopping all around your house. This will help you feel more accomplished once you get a complete room done.

2.) Make multiple piles: I like to make a “donate”, “sell” and “maybe” pile as I sift through my stuff.  Sometimes I end up going through a room and will have a huge maybe pile of things I’m just not quite sure I want to part with. At the end of it after going through everything and having some time to think about the contents of the maybe pile, I can usually go back through and get rid of a large portion of it.

3.) Pick a price: I sell a lot of things locally on Facebook yard sale groups. My rule is if it’s going to sell for under $10, it gets donated. I am not going to sell an item and then spend an hour conversing back and forth with someone about a time and a location to meet, then wasting my gas and money to go meet someone in the Wal-Mart parking lot to sell a stapler for $2. I sell a lot of baby clothes to the local consignment shop so I don’t have to waste as much time handling it myself. Also, my parent shave a used bookstore by their house that you can trade in books for money to use in the store to buy other books. I love it, so I always send my mom books I don’t want so she can go get some different ones. Search around and see what you can find!

4.) Pick a good cause: If you do some searching, you will find lots of places that will take donated items that you may not have even thought of. Find somewhere you really want to help, and that you believe in. It may soften your heart and make you more willing to give up some of your possessions for those truly in need.

5.) Do the wear test with clothes: Turn all your hangers facing a certain way. Then, as you wear an outfit and hang it back in your closet, turn the hanger facing the other way. At the end of the season, anything with a hanger turned the first way (meaning you haven’t worn it all season) pull out of your closet and sell or donate.

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6.) Get rid of multiples: Yes you may need more than one ink pen in your house, but do you REALLY need 50? (guilty.) Do you have 5 of the exact same sized pot? Are you really going to be using those pots all at once to cook, wanna-be Martha Stewart? Consider maybe keeping 2. What about your cups/water bottles/glassware? Yall, I had so many water bottles before we moved last time, it was a sin. I got rid of about 10 and still have too many. I do dishes constantly, so it’s not like I run out of clean ones. GO through your house, especially your kitchen, and consider ditching things you have multiples of.

7.) Get a file cabinet: If you don’t have one already, get one. Yes you, the one with five different stacks of mail, magazines and papers you don’t know what to do with sitting on your kitchen counter. Sit by your file cabinet with a trash can, and make folders for bills, receipts and other important paperwork, and trash anything you will never read again (or won’t read once!)

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I spy a stack of papers!

8.) Clean out that pantry: When we moved a year ago, I was embarrassed at some of the things I found in my pantry that had been expired for a YEAR. a year yall…just let that sink in. The truth is we probably all have food in our pantry that is expired, we didn’t like and never threw out, or we just plain forgot about. Clean out your pantry and stop hiding things in layers behind each other so you can SEE everything in there. The same rule goes for your medicine cabinet. Get rid of expired meds and get a basket for each person in your house to put their medicine in so it’s easy to grab when needed.

9.) Buy some bins: You know those big storage bins with lids? We have a bunch of them in our attic. I prefer the clear ones so I can see the contents, but any will do. Anything in my house that I want to keep but I haven’t necessarily used in the past year like photo albums, keepsakes, etc. go into the bins and into the attic so they don’t junk up the rest of the house. You can even keep an inventory sheet of what is in each container in case you forget or are looking for something. (Keep the sheet in your file cabinet, NOT on your kitchen counter. Smile)

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10.) Get rid of excess toys: Kids rooms can quickly become a breeding ground for toys. I don’t know where they come from…they just kind of…appear… I think a great rule (and this is one we plan to implement when Emma Kate is older) is that when it is Christmas or birthday time, she has to get rid of a few toys before she can get more. It makes sense really, because a lot of the things they were playing with last Christmas they will have outgrown or will be too “babyish” the next year. If you are saving toys for a younger sibling, put them in a bin in the attic, and get them out of your child’s room. Less mess for mom and dad to have to “help” clean up when there aren’t as many toys to make a mess with! I would involve your kids in this and not just take toys form their room if they are old enough to understand. If you are donating, explain that there are other kids who don’t have toys that would so enjoy the ones that they don’t even play with anymore. A great learning experience and lesson on giving!

QOTD: What is your best tip for de-cluttering your house? Ok I’m off to put some of my tips into practice!

Filed Under: blogging, motivation, tips Tagged: , , , , ,

Half Year Wrap Up

July 1, 2015 by

WOW, we are already halfway through 2015! Did you blink? It’s July my friends. JULY. I dug back through the depths of my archives and found my post about my 2015 goals and gave myself a good chuckle. Some areas I am doing great in, and some not so great. Let’s take a look at what I wrote back in January:

1.) Read my Bible every day: B+ On the days Emma Kate is at daycare and on the weekends, I do very well with this. But on the days I am home with her all day, I will admit it doesn’t always happen especially because she wakes up at unpredictable times in the morning. It’s kind of hard to focus when your nine month old is trying to eat your hair. I need to remember to read in the evenings on those days, or just you know…get off of Facebook and Instagram for a few minutes…

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I have been reading Jesus Calling along with my Bible in the mornings. Love it!

2.) PR in any race distance: A- DONE! I PR’ed at the LA marathon back in March. So why the A-? Because the only other marathons I have run were Disney marathons where I stopped to take photos along the way, so being that I ran this one straight through with no character stops, I figured a PR would happen. However, I have to give myself a little credit. When I was asked by ASICS to do the race, I was only up to about 5 miles and had less than 3 months to train post baby, so it was definitely still a challenge!

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3.) Foam roll and stretch: C+ I ended up at the physical therapist due to my hip and knee issues form running and not strength training after pregnancy (smart move Heather), but after some diligent work and lots of squats and lunges, I haven’t really had too much of an issue. Granted I am running really low mileage right now and will need to be careful as I ramp it up in the fall. I am happy to report I ran the LA marathon pain free!

4.) Find a good work/life balance: A- Bobby and I did a lot of talking about this at the beginning of the year after he saw that what we were doing just wasn’t working. I was working late into the night and all weekend and it was wearing me out. We decided when Mother’s Day Out ended at church in May to put Emma Kate in daycare part time, and it has been a lifesaver. I am able to get the majority of my work done on the days she is at daycare, so when she is home we can play and I can focus on her and just work during her naps. I love that her daycare has a webcam so I can check on her during the day. It makes me slightly less productive but oh well. Smile

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5.) Eat more healthy foods: B+ I am doing MUCH better at this, but it has been a very recent development. When I was marathon training, I was hungry all the time so just ate whatever. At the beginning of May I realized this wasn’t helping me lose the last of my baby weight, so I got serious about my eating habits. I have been drinking a lot of homemade smoothies and even eating a few salads (!!!).I am not buying junk food to have a home except for the rare occasion, and am trying to be MINDFUL of what I snack on mindlessly. (Think: am I really hungry? maybe thirsty? DRINK MORE WATER!)

So, now that we are stepping foot into the second half of 2015, I have a better idea of what I want to continue to do well at, and what I need to improve upon. Things change so quickly around here that sometimes it can be hard for me to keep up, but I’m doing my best! I have also run 300 miles the first half of the year, would love to run another 300 by Christmas!

QOTD: How are you doing with your 2015 goals? Want to share one?

Are you on Periscope? My name is @HeathersLG. 🙂

 

Filed Under: baby, blogging, Faith, family, fitness, running Tagged: , , , , ,