Happy Day Friday!

It's Friday! Congrats to all our friends who got up this morning to run the Disneyland 5K!

We however, are beach bound!  As most of you know, My mom, sister, and I will all be running the Rock n Roll VA Beach Half Marathon this weekend.  We will be headed down to the beach later today, possibly going to the  race expo at the VA Beach Convention Center, and hopefully visiting a Sweet Frog. 

A Day in the Amusement Park ( with your dog)!

Our Yellow Labrador Belle had a birthday this week. She is now 6! Our family is crazy about our dogs, so of course we had to let her celebrate!

How do you celebrate a dog's birthday?  I'm so glad you asked.......


1. Take her to her favorite Theme Park

 

2. Let her ride her favorite rides

We're on the train and this thing actually goes faster than we thought!

She must be looking for bunnies!

3.Let her have her favorite treat! Vanilla Ice Cream ( because you know dog's shouldn't eat chocolate)

 

 

Yum, I am a happy dog!

After this afternoon, she was one Dog-gone tired dog!


Thanks for reading our fun little post!  But shhh, please don't tell Baylee we went to the amusement park!

Do you celebrate your dog's Birthday?

Dallas: A City, A Show, A Legacy! ( Where in the World Wednesday)

                              

One of my favorite cities in the US ( besides Orlando of course),  is Dallas Texas! I lived in Texas when I was younger and have been able to go back and visit several times since I’ve been married.  

The first time my husband and I visited we did the touristy things in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We walked through the downtown, ate a Hard Rock Café Dallas, visited the stockyards and the Opry, ate at the Cattleman’s Club, and toured the Sixth Floor Museum in the Book Depository which chronicles the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  Since I enjoy history, I of course liked this. However, the highlight of the trip (for me anyway) didn’t start until after we left the book depository.



President Kennedy was shot from the 6th floor window of this building.

 


This was the street where president Kennedy was shot while riding with his motorcade.

 

While we were in the gift shop of the book depository, I was looking at brochures of other attractions to visit in Dallas. I came across a brochure for ‘South Fork Ranch”  Does that name ring a bell for anyone?  Southfork is the home of Dallas, the TV show.  I of course was not old enough to watch the program at the time it originally aired, but I vaguely remember my mother watching it and I remembered the opening scenes.  I was intrigued. I wanted to visit Southfork and see how this piece of TV history was made.

The property of Southfork is just as beautiful in real life as it is on the TV Show.  We toured the studio museum, the barns, and of course the iconic Ewing residence. I was surprised to find out that for several years while they filmed at this residence, a family still lived in the home.  The production company paid the family just so they could use the outside of their home.  All the inside scenes where actually shot in a studio in California!

As we toured the house, the guide was telling us bits and pieces of the legacy that would be the Ewings.  I of course had no idea what he has talking about because I had never seen the show. I knew who the main characters were, but didn’t know what their relationship to each other was.  It’s a good thing that I had seen the show before this tour because I probably would have been disappointed.  Afterall, the inside of the house we toured looked nothing like the inside of the house on TV.  If I would have seen the show before the tour, I would have thought things like, “That’s not what JR’s room looked like, “That’s not the same kitchen”.  I’m that person that pays attention to detail!  Here are just a few of the rooms.

Ewing Living Room




Ewing Kitchen

Bobby Ewing's Room



Lucy Ewing's Room

So after our visit to Southfork I had this bright idea that just maybe I would be able to find this series on DVD.  Afterall, they were bringing a lot of the old shows back on DVD.  What were the chances that I would find Dallas?  Well, I hit the jackpot.  I found that season’s 1,2 and 3 were out already.  After that, I had to wait several months ( sometimes years) for the following seasons to be released!  I can now say I am the proud owner of Dallas Seasons 1-13.  I have watched all 13 years of the Ewing’s life.  Wow, what a journey it has been!

So now, of course I am a fan of the “New” Dallas.   I often wonder if the writers of this new series have actually sat down and watched all 13 years of the original Dallas. There are certain things and pieces of information that I feel have been forgotten from years gone by.   Maybe things will be cleared up in the next season of Dallas on TNT. I am just sad that I have to wait till January 2014 to find out!

Have you ever become hooked on an older TV series that you've discovered much later?

Be Nice To Your Flight Attendant ( It Could Be ME)!

Many of you may be traveling this week for a race- cation so I thought this was a perfect time to give you all a little reminder about being nice to your friendly flight attendant ( because it might be me)!

 

1. Do not state the obvious.  We know when the plane is too hot or too cold. That's why you should always bring a sweater when the air is too cold.  Also lowering the window shades help when it's hot. The plane has a greenhouse effect. When the sun is beating in through the window of course it’s going to be hot.

2. We have no control of the weather! It is not our fault that we get delayed or have a maintenance issue.

3. We are on the plane with you so therefore we have no information about your connecting flights. We do not have an imaginary computer to look to see if flights are on time or delayed. Do not ask if the captain can call ahead to say you are coming.

4. When boarding do not ask if it is a full flight or if the boarding process has been completed when we walk down the aisle just so you can move to an empty row. You will know when the boarding process is complete when there are no more passengers boarding the flight.

5. After boarding, stow your luggage as quickly as possible and sit down. You don't want to be the one holding up the boarding process because you need to get things out of your bag.

6. Respect the seatbelt sign. We know that it may stay on for longer than what it should, but there is usually a reason, so please ask before you just decide to get up. Do not get up during the beverage service!

7. When asked if you like a beverage, say what you would like,” not what do you have?” It's easier to say that we don't have it then saying every option we do have.

8. During the beverage service let the flight attendant know if you do not want ice before they start to pour your drink. If you don't say anything we usually put ice in it automatically. Don't be afraid to ask for the whole can. It usually is not a problem.

7. Follow the portable electronic devices rule. Now we all know that a plane is not going to go down because a cell phone is on, but it is still the rule, so be respectful and follow it. So when you hear the announcement to turn them off...do it!

8. Flight attendants are there for your comfort but more importantly for your safety.  Please know there are many circumstances that are out of their control, so don't take it out on them. As long as you show respect you will receive respect.

So remember, the next time you step on the plane for your next race –cation or vacation, always be nice to your flight attendant, it could be me!

 

                                                              Have a safe flight everyone!

New Fall Races Announced!

I know in a previous post we said we didn't want to think about fall yet, but we have been notified of these really cool races for this fall!  These themed races look really fun.  I don't know if we will be able to do any of them because our fall schedule is filling up rather quickly, but maybe you will find one near you that you'll be able to fit in to your fall schedule.  For more information or to register for each of these races click on the (Source) link below the image.

Lets take a look!

 

NJ/Philly area: Oct 6, 2013 Source

(Save $5 off registration with code :MIDATLANTIC)

Last Weekend Before Big Races ( Including Rock n Roll and Disneyland Half Marathons)

School may be back in session in some areas but it’s still summer in our little part of the world!

After doing some yard work yesterday, we spent most of the day swimming and hope to do more of it today! 

 

I say it is still summer for us because we still have much to look forward to.  Next week at this time we will be at the beach preparing for the Rock n Roll Half Marathon.

 

At the same time, some of our friends will be participating in the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland in California. If that is you, best of luck to you!

Photo from RunDisney.com

Yet others will be participating in various races over labor day weekend.

Where ever you will be racing, we all have one thing in common. This is our last weekend to get our training in.  I don't know about you, but I'm kind of nervous!

I know I'll be doing a long run today, leg strengthening exercises on Saturday, and another long run on Sunday.

 

If you have a race over labor day weekend, how are you training these next couple of days?

If you don't have a race, how are you spending the rest of the summer?

The Stick ( and the Pin): Ways to Soothe Those Muscles

I was looking for something that would help get some kinks out and loosen my muscles for after my runs. Now I am a big fan of the foam roller, but that is not very portable nor suitable for traveling. When I was at this year’s Walt Disney World Marathon Expo, I discovered "The Stick." The Stick is like small plastic rings that rotate when you roll it on your body.  They come in a variety of sizes, but I got the medium one because it is large enough to reach all places yet small enough to fit in a carry- on bag if you are traveling. 

 

 

 

 According to The Stick, Here are a few of the benefits of using it.

-The Stick rolls knots out of muscle, providing myofascial release and trigger point therapy.

- This therapeutic procedure inactivates trigger points, warms muscles, increases circulation and blood flow

-It relieves pain, increases range of motion, promotes flexibility, and accelerates recovery

You can go as deep into the muscles as you are comfortable. The harder you roll, the deeper into the muscles you will feel it. It does come with a guide that shows what moves to get to certain pressure points. You'd be surprised how much you can do with The Stick opposed to just foam rolling the common arm and leg areas. If you really want to see how much the stick can do, go to an expo and they will show you all the moves that can be performed with it. It basically sells itself. I was sold the first time I used the product!

Those of you who are going the Disneyland Half Marathon real soon might want to make a plan to stop by this booth and try out The Stick!

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are hesitant about buying The Stick, a fellow runner has informed me that you can use a rolling pin!  That’s right a regular old rolling pin that can be found in the kitchen.  Check it out and see how it works!

 

Have you ever used The Stick? If so what did you think of it?

~L  

 

 

 

My International Run in Ottawa, Canada : Where in the World Wednesday

Another Where in the World Wednesday post!

 I arrived in Ottawa the other evening after a very long work day, but I still wanted to go  for a short run. Overnighting in Ottawa, I am fortunate to stay right in the downtown area, which is very close to the canal, a perfect place to run and bike.

 

 Ottawa is a very fit city. You will always see someone along the canal working out, whether it's in the 70s or in the 40s. Those Canadians are used to the cold weather!  In the winter the canal freezes over and you can even ice skate on it. Well it was the perfect day for a run while I was there, In the low 70s. I started out knowing that I only wanted to do a short run since it's been a long day and the next day will be just as long. I don't know if it's a mental thing or not, but I had my GPS watch on, and I don't feel I work out as hard when it takes forever to find the location. I don't know if it was because I was in Canada that it made my GPS watch enabled or what the problem was but it would not find the location, so I had to just go by my watch time.  I made sure I did 30 minutes, which for me would have been a little over three miles. During my run I passed other runners and bikers along with people walking their dogs or just relaxing reading a book and even a yoga class.

Here are a few more pics I took along my run.

 

Because of the lovely scenery around the canal, Ottawa is one of my favorite places to run!

 

Is there a certain place that you’ve had trouble getting a GPS location?

 

Take Another Look At Your Cereal Label....Is it as healthy as it could be?

 

Since I talked about a healthy cereal this weekend, I thought I would continue the discussion on what you should actually look for in a “healthy” cereal. Now I warn you, this post clearly shows the Nutrition Teacher in me!  In fact, I actually taught a lesson on this exact topic.

The Great Race Shirt Debate!

Disclaimer: We want to preface this post by saying that this is just for fun. You may or may not agree with the opinions we have posted and we are not saying any of them or right or wrong.

 

My sister and I were in discussion the other day about Race Shirts and what we’ve heard other people say about wearing them to races.

In any organized race (many of them anyway or at least all the ones that we’ve participated in) you get a race shirt. Sometimes is a cotton t-shirt, sometimes it’s long sleeved, and when we’re lucky, it’s a tech performance shirt!

Everybody has their opinion on whether or not this “race shirt” should be worn the day of the race and in some of the online running groups we frequent people have even asked what the protocol is on that.

Here are some opinions that we’ve heard online and from other runners we know in person.

You can tell who the newbie runners are because they are the ones that are wearing that day’s race shirt.

Don’t wear the shirt until you’ve completed the race.

The shirt is for finishers, you didn’t finish yet, therefore you shouldn’t wear the shirt. ( similar to the above comment I know)

With that being said, there are also plenty of people who think it is okay to wear the t-shirt on race day.

Personally, we feel people should wear whatever they feel comfortable in.  With that being said, Yes, we are those people that have worn the given race shirt on race day!  And it wasn’t just when we were “new” runners.

Just for fun, here are some of our opinions

We agree that if the shirt actually says “finisher” on it, then maybe you should wait till you finish the race to wear it, but keep in mind that if you are picking up your race shirt at packet pick up, you have been given the shirt for “registering” not “finishing”.  The medals are for finishing.

Most races are themed, and are for some type of charity or organization. When we wear our given race shirt on race day, we feel that we are doing it in support of the race, the charity, the organization, and the sponsors on the back of the shirt.  Plus it’s nice to look “uniform” with each other and what a great picture op, wearing the race shirt during that particular race.

If we don’t wear the race shirt during the race, we have very little opportunity to wear it again. We don’t go to the store, the bank, or to work in our race shirts. We rarely work out or do training runs in T-shirts either. We prefer tanks.

If we are given a cotton t-shirt for our race shirt, then we will probably not wear it since it is not moisture wicking.  However, we have always worn the cotton t-shirts that we were given for the Disney 5K races.  Our reasoning is that  1)it is only a 5K and at Disney it’s not like we are speeding for time 2) as adults, where else are we going to wear a t-shirt with Disney characters on it?

If we are given a tech shirt then yea, we may wear it to that race.  But of course there are always exceptions. Sometimes it’s just more comfortable to run in a tank.  I doubt you will be seeing us at Rock N Roll VA Beach next month in our tech shirts ( because it will be so hot) and we probably won’t be wearing the race shirts at Disney either for the Glass Slipper Challenge next year.  But the wonderful thing about not wearing the shirt on race day is that you can wear it later on in the day ( to the parks, the beach, around town, etc) and proudly show off your accomplishment!

So there you have it. Moral of the story is ( in our humble opinion) it’s okay to wear the race shirt if you want to. We’ve done it!

Now all in good fun, what’s your opinion on wearing or not wearing the race shirt on race day?

                                                      

The Yumminess that is Gluten Free Vanilla Chex

Have you tried the new Gluten Free Vanilla Chex?  We’ve just discovered them earlier this summer and are in love!  Neither of us are on a gluten free diet, but the vanilla flavor is what enticed us to try them.

I normally don’t eat Chex cereal ( unless it’s in Chex mix or that yummy puppy chow treat we make during the holidays…who knows what I’m talking about?) but I’ve been buying this stuff two boxes at a time!

It’s been a staple for my summer breakfasts before a run, a bowl of vanilla Chex with some vanilla Almond milk…yum! This cereal has the most vanilla flavor of all the "vanilla flavored" cereals I have tried.

Cereal is usually my go to snack. I’m not big in to pretzels, crackers, chips, etc. I put about a cup of cereal in a small Rubbermaid dish and I’ll just snack on it dry.  Normally I have been known to eat the not so healthy cereal like Reese’s Peanut butter Puffs ( hey, at least they are whole grains).  I have now replaced the peanut butter puffs with the sweet taste of Vanilla Chex.

I can’t wait to use the Vanilla Chex in our Puppy chow recipe this year.  I think there was even a recipe for that on the box I bought this week!

What’s your favorite recipe for Chex cereal?  Have you heard of “Puppy Chow”?

My Alaska Adventure

For today’s Where in the World Wednesday post, I thought I would share a little bit about the activities we did on our adventure to Alaska.

 

We did a seven day cruise leaving out of Seattle.  We stayed at the Hotel Crown Plaza the day before the cruise and I highly recommend that hotel if you are planning on cruising from Seattle.  It was located  within walking distance to all the major Seattle attractions ( including Pike Place Market) and had great views of the water and the Space Needle. We visited Pike Place, but didn’t really tour the city as we were only there for a day. This was my second time visiting Seattle. The first time I was there for a longer period of time and may do a post on that visit later.

We traveled in June and the temperature in Alaska was between 60’s-70’s. Some days it was warmer than others because the sun was shining, and some days it was a bit breezy.  I stayed comfortable in pants and long sleeves.

Our first stop was in Ketchikan. It was a bit rainy the day we stopped here. Ketchikan is a tiny fishing village. We spent the afternoon exploring the shops, watching wood carvers, and learning about totem poles and other Alaskan artifacts. One of our friends we traveled with was brave enough to try zip lining here, but not me, I couldn’t bring myself to do that.

 

The next stop was Juneau.  Here the main attraction was Mount Roberts.  If you are not afraid of heights, you might want to take the tram way the 1800 foot ascent up the mountain.  Once there, Mount Roberts has trails for every level of hiking ability, A cultural center,  shopping, dining, and wildlife.

 

We also sailed to a glacier this day.  Our friends we traveled with flew to a dog mushing camp on top of a glacier to ride on the dog sleds.  Since I like dogs I of course thought this would be fun, but as soon as I heard the only way to get there was in a helicopter, I was out!

My favorite Day in Alaska was the day we spent in Skagway.   The village of Skagway is literally on one touristy street. The town even closes when tourist season is over.

 

This is where I had my first sighting of Sarah Palin! haha 

This is where we also road the White Pass and Yukon Trail Rail Road. 

 

 This was so much fun!  I liked it because I am a history buff.  If you like learning about history, you would like this too.  We boarded the train in Skagway at elevation 0 ( because we started at sea level) and traveled through Coast Mountains Tongass National Forest and up to the White Pass Summit, elevation 2,865 ft.  In addition to seeing some of the most beautiful scenery and wildlife (we stopped to see a bear cub), we also were told stories about the Gold Rush. This was the main route for prospectors searching for gold to get to Klondike (where all the gold was suppose to be)!

 

 

Another fun activity we did was the Whale Watching and Marine Life Tour. This took place on Prince Rupert Island which technically is in British Columbia, Canada.  Of course I would like this activity because I got to see animals.  It was amazing seeing the Whale breech. We got close enough to see several of them. My photography skills aren’t such that I could catch it at the time of breeching, so this is all I could get.

 

On one of the islands we saw sea lions. This was the first time I’ve ever seen whales or sea lions in their natural habitat. Of course I’ve seen them at zoo’s and other parks such as Sea World and such, but it was really cool seeing them like this.

 

I was surprised to see that some of them were tatooed with numbers on them. They must be under watch!

 

I admit I was not thrilled about going to Alaska. I’m a warm weather gal and would have preferred to go somewhere warm, but I knew my husband wanted to go so this was a birthday present for him.  I now have to admit that it was a really good time and the scenery (even while cruising) was just phenomenal.   ~M

Have you ever been to Alaska? Would you ever want to go?

Have you ever gone somewhere you weren't thrilled about going to and ended up really liking it?

A Different Kind of Botox

 

So I admit, I am a sweaty person. Not just your everyday sweat when you run or workout, but profusely sweat. I'm that person that you don't want to shake hands with when greeting or cannot wear a grey shirt without having wet marks underneath my arms. In the summer months, I'd rather wear socks and sneakers rather than sandals. Now I know what you are thinking, sandals are more comfortable and allow your feet to breath, but not mine. My feet end up black from wearing my flip flops and having my feet sweat. At least with socks and sneakers no one sees your feet sweat.

I've always had this problem since I can remember, even when I was in school, which could be quite embarrassing at times. It wasn't until a few years ago I was watching Good Morning America and they were talking about a procedure that was Botox injections for the excessive sweater. I knew right then and there that I was a candidate for it. I knew that it would be pretty expensive and wasn't even sure where I would be able to go to get it done. I didn't care how much it cost, because whatever it was, I knew it would be worth it to me. After seeing this I got right on the internet to see who does this procedure in my area. Luckily, I didn't have to look far, because the cosmetic/plastic surgeon at the local hospital does this procedure now. So I set up my first appointment. It is called Botox Neurotoxin.

When I arrived at the first appointment, I asked him if he does the hands and feet too. He told me that he has never done that before but he could if I wanted him to. He also said that I was pretty brave to get those areas done, since they are very sensitive.  The Botox is injected into the areas wear you experience severe sweating.  The Botox temporarily blocks the chemical signals that come from your nerves that stimulate the sweat glands, and the severe sweating stops ( at least temporarily)! It is not the greatest feeling, so if you are very sensitive to needles or pain, or just an average sweater, I wouldn't recommend it. However, I would recommend it if you are reading this blog and think to yourself, I have that problem too! Trust me, you won't regret it! In my opinion, the pain to me is very minimal compared to what the outcome is. This procedure is to be used only when other methods such as topical ointments and perscription deoderants or antiperspirants are just not getting the job done!  The Doctor says it's suppose to last up to 6 months. Since it is pretty pricey I usually only do it once a year. This is the third year ( maybe the fourth) that I’ve had it done.  By doing all three areas at once ( underarms, hands, feet) I even get a discount.

 

The nurse is applying the numbing cream

At my appointment yesterday, the nurse asked me if I wanted numbing cream for my hands and feet. I told her I didn't get any put on last time, but I'd try it, hoping that I may feel a little less pain this time.

 

While we were waiting for the numbing cream to kick in, the doctor started the procedure with my underarm area ( that doesn't get numbing cream).  He simply put the needle in and started injecting while the nurse holds a cooling hose over the area.

 

Then it was on to my feet ( since that was the first area to be numbed). Well even with the numbing cream, I still felt the pain! Maybe it just wasn't on long enough to soak in, but it hurt just as much this time as it did before.  The doctor injects the botox into each of my feet, as well as each of my toes.

The same procedure is done for the palms of my hands and for each finger.  It feels like little pricks, and you can see the little blood spots.

 

 

There are no side effects afterwards, only a little black and blue on the first day. The procedure itself does not take long at all. I think I was in the waiting room longer than I was in the back room having it done. I have been very happy with the results and would highly recommend it to anyone that sweats profusely like I do. It is money well spent! The nurse told me that they are wroking on a procudure for the future that may eliminate the needles and just use a laser. Hmm, I hope that is ready by my next visit!

 

 

 

Here is what my hand looked like a few hours after the procedure.  Can you see the black and blue marks?

 

So am I the only one who has this sweating problem?

Would you consider this procedure?

 

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