What will you be celebrating today?

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving with their family and friends. Did anyone get that mile walk/run in (right after you ate that pie right?)


While this is a day of shopping for most people, I try to stay far away from the stores on this day. Getting up early and being in all those crowds does not excite me!  Truth be told, I play a little game with myself where I try to get as much of my holiday shopping done BEFORE Black Friday. I still have a few things I would like to buy online and I am hoping that I can find some deals on "Cyber Monday" ( That shopping day I WILL participate in)! And a little FYI, if you are on the computer for Cyber Monday too, stop on by the blog for a little giveaway!

So while I happily keep myself at home, I always use this day to decorate our house ( both inside and out), and wrap a few of the gifts that I already bought. I will be celebrating a little bit too because today happens to be my girl's birthday!
Yup, she is eight!
                         ( Apparently she's not all too happy about being a year older. I don't blame her!)

I can't believe we have had her for that long. What a joy she is. I hope God gives her AT LEAST eight more good years!  Because I love my dog and am a sentimental person, here are a few favorite pics of Baylee I wanted to share.
                                     This has got to be my favorite picture of all times.

                                            She has always been a good little poser for pictures.

It really cut down on our water bill having her wash our dishes ( just kidding)


She thought just for a minute that she might run the Disney Princess Half, but then she realized she just liked wearing the costume instead.

So what are your plans today?  Are you a decorator? Are you a shopper ( You can say, I won't judge). In fact, I'd love to hear what kind of deals you got!

Blessings and Holiday Challenge are in the MIX

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hopefully everyone is off spending time with family and not spending too much time online today ( I admit I actually wrote this post before hand because I am off with family today too)!

Here is a treat I wanted to share and I thought it would be appropriate for today. It's called Blessings Mix. One of the Supervisors at my school made them and handed them out to us at one of the faculty meetings. I of course had mine ate before I could take a picture. But here is what it looked like.
                                                                    (source)

I did however save the card that was attached. This shows everything that was in the mix and what each item represents.

Isn't this clever?  Feel free to print this card out and use it on your own bag of Blessings Mix.
 
What a great little snack to have on hand during the holidays.
 
I was thinking about making my own version of this but with more of a Christmassy theme to it. Come to think of it, if I look on Pinterest, I'm sure someone already has one posted!!!! But sometimes it's nice to come up with ideas on your own, right?

In other news, don't eat too much pie today because today starts the Holiday Run Streak! I'm participating in the Running Streak with Karen Loves to Run!  The goal is to run at least one mile per day from Thanksgiving to New Years! That seems more than manageable and guess what, there are prizes too! So go check out Karen's page for more details.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Are you participating in any challenges over the holidays?

Celebrating My Birthday In Montego Bay, Jamaica. ( Where in the World Wednesday)

While my sister was heading to Disney for the Wine and Dine Weekend of events, I was heading out to celebrate my birthday!
 
 
Since it's beginning to get cold everywhere I knew I wanted to go somewhere warm. The place I decided to go was the RIU, an all inclusive resort, in Montego Bay Jamaica. The resort is very convenient to the airport,  just a short cab ride away.  


I couldn't ask for more beautiful weather.  It was in the 90's during the day and did not cool off much at night. Clear blue waters and a white sandy beach. 
 

By doing an all inclusive its so nice to know that everything is taken care of when you arrive so you don't have to carry around any money with you.  With so much to choose from between buffets and sit down restaurants you will never get bored with you food options. With all the eating and drinking you do it's nice to know they even have a fitness center you can take advantage of.
 
 
 In addition to the gym there are other activities that are included such as kayaking and wind surfing. You can meet friends and playa  match of volleyball as well.
 
 
Or just relax on the beach or swim up pool bar. When your afternoon activities are over and the sun begins to set, the fun continues with evening shows after dinner.

The one thing that is not included is the spa. But you can not go on a relaxing vacation and not take advantage of the spa. With so many different treatments offered you will sure to find one that suites your needs.

The resort reminded me a lot of being on a cruise, but on land. By having all the food and activities included. I highly recommend trying an all inclusive if you haven't. It was a great way to spend my birthday weekend!

Have you ever been to an all inclusive resort? If so which one and what did u think?

The Perfect Winter Socks

Sunday was probably the first day it has been really cold around here. I don't even want to guess at the temperature but I know it had to be the coldest day of the season thus far!  I decided to stay in the house ALL Day! My husband on the other hand ventured out to the grocery store and to do a little shopping at Dicks Sporting Goods.  When he came home, he surprised me with two pair of the most wonderful socks! He knows how much I like fuzzy socks, so these were just perfect!

I think this is a cute pattern for the Christmas season!
 
These are called Cabin Socks by Yaktrax.  They say they are aloe infused.  They have got to be the softest "fuzzy socks" I've ever felt.  The package says they are "designed to rejuvenate tired feet".  Yes, these will be perfect to throw on after I come home from a very cold run!


The outside feels like a sweater type material and the inside is all fuzzy ( like those spa socks). They are made of nylon, acrylic, polyester, and spandex (No Cotton here: So actually I could run in these socks if I HAD to, just sayin)

Are you like me, do you LOVE Fuzzy Socks? What is your favorite pair?

(Truth be told, I love soft and fuzzy anything)

Friday Favorite Photo Dump- Orlando Version

In preparation for my new Blackberry tomorrow ( sorry i-phone users, I'm still a loyal fan of the Blackberry) I decided to clean up my memory card in my phone.  That was the inspiration of this "Photo Dump" post. I decided to keep it some what themed, so these are all photos from Orlando.


I was in love with this coat hook that was on our wall at Port Orleans. I made sure to hang my jacket and purse up on it every evening when we came back to the room.  I definitely need to find someone to make me one of these! Come to think of it, I should have checked how securely this thing was attached to the wall: JUST KIDDING!

 
This was my favorite thing from the Food and Wine Festival in Epcot! It is the Coconut Silk Ice Cream Ribbon from the China pavilion.  ( the thing on the side is a fortune cookie)
 
 
Isn't this bag too cute! Makes me want to "tweet" about it! I found this adorable bag in Epcot inside the Japan pavilion.
 
 
 
I have to admit, this picture was an accident. Have you ever accidentally taken a picture and then found it later while you were scrolling through? This was taken while we were waiting in line for Packet pick up to open up at ESPN Wide World Of Sports.  I love it because it looks as if the gal on the right just got an astonishing text!
 

I had to post another food picture!  This was my Dessert one evening at the Rainforest Café. It is Mango Sorbet.  If you are ever on the fence about ordering dessert next time you go to RFC, you should order this. It was amazing!


Last but not least, this was my favorite view. I'll post more about this later!
 
 
So when I heard there was a new Blackberry coming out the summer of 2013, I knew I had to look into because I LOVED my current Blackberry.  I  am an over analyzer and try to get all the information I can on things before I make a decision. So after 5 months of research and convincing myself that it was time for an upgrade, I finally did it. (Well, I think my husband was sick of hearing me debate over it so he just ordered it for me).  So now I say good bye to my little pink blackberry.
( I sure wish these new ones came in cool colors) I am certain the new Blackberry will take better pictures than this one though!
 
~M
 
So tell me, what kind of phone do you have? Are you an i-phone lover?  A Droid users?
 
 

Thirsty Thursday

I've been wanting to do a "Thirsty Thursday" post with some fun drinks for a while now, so I guess today is the day!

Even though the temperature is dropping in most areas, who says you still can't enjoy a frosty beverage or two ( maybe while sitting in front of the fire place)!

Here are some fun Pinterest Finds ( cause who doesn't LOVE Pinterest)?

In the original post, these milkshakes where made for Valentines day, but change out the heart shape sprinkles for Christmassy ones and now it is a Christmas drink!  This recipe from Pizzazzerie can be found HERE.


Why not skip the pumpkin pie by next Thursday and make these pumpkin shakes instead (or just have both)!  This recipe from Mom On Time Out can be found HERE



The ever so yummy Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothie.  If you haven't seen this one yet from the Runner's World cookbook, you're really missing out. So simple to make and it's healthy too. Win-Win! You can find that recipe HERE.

Here's one for the Vegans out there. This Avocado Banana Chocolate Milkshake with Vanilla Bean Coconut Cream from This Rawsome Vegan Life, can be found HERE.

Which one of these Yummy Drinks do you think you would want to try?

Do you make milkshakes or smoothies at home or are you more likely to buy them pre-made?

Why you should visit Trails End at Disney's Fort Wilderness

 
 I wanted to try to at least 5 new things on this trip to Disney. One of those things was a visit to Fort Wilderness.  I have read other posts about how the meals at Trails End were such a good value for what you get, so we decided to check it out.

The Pre-Race Taste at Disney's Wine and Dine half Marathon


Friday night we participated in the Pre- Race Taste Party at Hollywood Studios.
I was a little worried when we arrived that it might rain. The sky got dark and it was really windy. Fortunately it did not rain.

 I had been to the Pasta in the Parks party before previous races and figured this might be something similar.  Since this was the first year for the Pre-Race Taste Party, nobody really knew what to expect. Even the Disney cast members whom I talked to on the phone before I decided to purchase the tickets didn't know anything more than what was on the website. One person told me that it was going to be at the Lights Motor Action stage but we wouldn't be watching a car show ( which I was hoping not to because I don't really get into those car shows) and I had another cast member tell me that we would be watching the car show.


Alas, we gained access to the park at 6:00pm. When we entered Hollywood Studios, guests were all waiting for the annual lighting of the Osborne Spectacle of lights to begin. I had never seen these before, so we decided to stay and watch as well. I couldn't believe all the lights!




This reminded me of being in NYC at Christmas time!

The crowds were pretty thick with people watching the lights, but we finally made it to where the party was.

Since the party was held at  Lights, Motor, Action cars set ( which originally came form Disneyland Paris), I believe the party was suppose to have taken on a French theme.


                                          We were greeted by this lovely couple!

The other entertainment included, mimes, jugglers, and characters from Disney's Ratatouille movie.

We got to taste several dishes from the Food and Wine Festival in Epcot.
The taste from around world showcase included:
 Florida grass fed Beef Slider : American Pavilion
Seared Mahi Mahi: Singapore

Not picture: Lemongrass Chicken Curry: Singapore
                    Crispy pork belly: Brazil
                    Aulani Sunrise featuring Ocean vodka: Hawaii

  There were also kettles of black beans and dishes of guacamole.  I'm not sure what those two items were suppose to go with, but I was content eating the guacamole right off my plate!

For dessert, Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake cups: Dessert & Champagne- Showcase Plaza



My overall opinion of the Pre-Race Taste Event:

Like I mentioned earlier, I wasn't really sure what to expect since this was the first year this event was put on. I probably wouldn't do this event again if everything stayed the same as it was. Disney is constantly trying to improve upon things, so maybe it will be different next year. The event was lacking any real entertainment factor. Yes, there were "entertainers" walking around, but it would have been nice if there was something to get the audience involved in as a whole. Maybe a DJ, maybe a speaker, maybe have something interactive for us to do. On the plus side, some of the food that we tasted I would not have chosen to try if I had to buy it over in World Showcase, so it was nice that I did get to try some new things.   We also enjoyed being at Hollywood Studios for the evening and it was great that we got to watch the lighting of the Christmas lights on this night ( something we've never seen before).

Have you ever seen the Osborne Spectacle of light? Where you one of the runners who got to run through them during the half marathon?

Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular: The Rockettes

 
There's nothing quite like a walk through New York City at Christmas time to put you in the Christmas spirit ( unless of course you are walking down Main Street at the Magic Kingdom)!

To get in the Christmassy mood, we've decided to share a few photos from our trip to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular.  The 2013 shows started yesterday and will run through December 30!



If NYC is too far for you to travel, no worries!  You can experience the Rockettes tour in these other cities: Nashville, Atlanta, and West Palm Beach.


 It's pretty tough to get some really good photographs in this building, unless of course you are a professional photographer!

Of course no visit to NYC at Christmas time is complete without a picture in front of an enormous Christmas tree. ( We found this one to be more aesthetically pleasing than the one at Rockefeller center)


Have you ever seen the Rockettes?

Do you kick off the Christmas season with some kind of show, performance or family activity to get you in the spirit?

Disney's Jingle Jungle 5k and Wine and Dine Races


Yes, this past weekend was all about the races! I won't go into detail about the expo, because after attending several Disney races, the expo was pretty much the same as it always is. The only difference is that this year I actually recognized people/vendors from previous races throughout the year and they remembered me too!
I did finally get to meet Jeff Galloway though. ( no line this time, honest!)

The Jingle Jungle 5K was the first race of the day. Just like the name implies, it's a Christmas themed race.

I was happy to have found this little elf and her mom!
 Photo courtesy of Christine from We Run Disney

The race started in the parking lot of Animal Kingdom. The course looped through the parking lot, entered the park from the front and than out the side of the park for about the last mile.

This was the first Disney race that I was running solo. My plan was to make it fun and still stop for pictures. Since I registered late for this race I was unsure which corral I was going to be in. It ended up I was in B. I believe there was only a 30 second delay between each corral start.  The first mile around the parking lot was pretty difficult because there were a LOT of walkers. Please note I am not saying anything bad about those who were walking because afterall it IS a fun run, it was just difficult to get in the groove to run because it was very crowded. I think maybe this part of the course through the parking lot was a little more narrow than the parking area we run through during the Royal Family 5K ( but then again, maybe not, I don't know).

After the first mile, the congestion cleared out a little bit.  I think this is because we were entering the park and people were  now starting to stop for pictures. People were stopping at the Animal Kingdom sign and in front of the Christmas tree at the front of the park. I kept running.  I planned to stop for character pictures, but to be honest, I didn't even know who the first couple character were, so I kept running. Looking back, I believe these characters were from the Jungle Book.  Chip and Dale, Donald Duck, and Pluto where the only other characters I saw that I recognized.


 I fully expected these characters to be dressed in Christmas attire, but they weren't. I guess they were in their "jungle attire".

I don't know if it was because I was running by myself or not, but this race seemed to go super fast. before I knew it I was out of the park and headed towards mile 3.  Before the race my husband told me to text him when I was headed towards the finish ( he was kidding of course because I don't think he thought I could text and run at the same time). Of course I had the text ready and when I hit the mile 3 marker I hit send!  I was running down the finish chute a few seconds later.  This is one of the pictures he took of me.

I guess you can say that I was really happy to see someone I knew at the finish line.  This was the first Disney race that I actually had someone waiting to see me!


Later that night was race number 2. We were merely spectators at the Wine and Dine Half marathon. Quite honestly after getting up at 3 am earlier this day I was ready for bed by 10 pm. I don't know how you runners who did both races survived! Kudos to you!  We had to wait outside of Epcot until a  bit after 10pm before they left us into the spectating area.


As we walked through the parking lot I spotted the Yum Yum cupcake truck. My only purchase was a bottle of water but had I not just pigged out at the Food and Wine Festival just moments before, I totally would have bought one of these babies!
The DJ's, Chef Mickey, and Minnie kept us entertained while we waited!


Before we knew it, Mickey was preparing for the first male runner to cross the finish line. We then waited for the first female runner to cross. The ladies holding the finishing tape are representatives from New Balance. They had to practice their job a couple of times. Funny side note: As they are rolling out the tape for the second time in preparation for the first female runner to cross, another male runners starts to run through it. Even though the race staff is motioning for him to run off to the side, he still runs through and breaks the tape!  He was about the 8th or 9th finisher at this point. I wonder if he thought he had won?

We waited a little while longer in hopes that I might see some of my friends that were running, but alas I couldn't hang in there. Sorry guys!  We had to call it a night!

Who all ran either of these races ( either previously or just this year)? 

Have you ever ran a night race?

 What do you think the biggest challenge would be running a night race opposed to a morning race?