It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Happy Holidays! I love Christmas. I love this time of year. We put our tree up a week ago and have enjoyed everyday since! We have NO SNOW here in West Central Minnesota (which is practically unheard of this time of year). I can't imagine a Christmas any other way than snow covered! But there is still time and I have faith it will happen....only time will tell!

I hoping to start posting more frequently. Anyone who blogs knows it is so hard to find time!  But I really do miss the blog world and look forward to upcoming posts I have in store....stay tuned. :)  It's all about BALANCE and I am learning how to balance EVERYTHING in my life while keeping my priorities in line.

I hope all of you take time to really enjoy the season and remember what it is all about.



                                       

What's on your playlist?

I'm a big fan of music. 

I get excited to run actually when I take the time to download a few songs and put together a new playlist.

My list is usually a random collaboration of songs I enjoy.

During a run I'll seek motivation in anything. That's why music can be so great. I don't have to give myself pep talks (which I use to do while training for my first marathon). Some songs are motivating because of the tempo other songs it's the lyrics. On more than one occasion I've been surprised with how the lyric hits me differently while I'm running. It's always fun to find new meaning in anything. Not all my songs are upbeat. Sometimes I like running to mellow music. But on the flip side, sometimes I discover that a song I really like just isn't meant to be a running song because it's too slooooow.

I'll share a glimpse of the songs I enjoyed during my 10k trail run:

• Just A Little While- Janet Jackson
• Life's What You Make It- Hannah Montana (Don't laugh! I love this one!)
• The Edge Of Glory- Lady Gaga
• Good Life- OneRepublic
• I'm Alright- Jo Dee Messina (fist pump, Kace!)
• Change- Taylor Swift
• If I Fall- Dixie Chicks (how appropriate as I'm running down gravel slopes...)
• Like A Prayer- Madona
• Behind These Hazel Eyes- Kelly Clarkson
• I Gotta Feeling- Black Eyed Peas
• Only Grace- Matthew West
• One Step At A Time- Jordin Sparks
• Amazing- Josh Kelley

I told you I'm random. My favorite hands down....Good Life. I don't know why, if it was just the day and the run/experience etc. but that song definitely came on at the right time. It was perfect.

What's on your playlist? Have any favorites?

If...

I'm 'borrowing' a post from a few other bloggers. Fill in the blanks...

• If I were to get pregnant again I would have a meltdown at first and then realize I would be okay.
• If I could have any job in the world I'd be a well-respected food critic.
• If I had a day to myself I would go for a run when it was still dark out, get a large vanilla-caramel latte on my way to a spa where I would spend the next several hours getting a pedicure, facial & full-body massage. Have lunch with a best friend, see a movie, go shopping, have wine and dinner somewhere ridiculously expensive and come home when the kids are sound asleep.
• If I could get married all over again I would do it the same. 
• If I could live anywhere in the US I would live on a lake in Minnesota.
• If Aubrey were a boy she would have been named Owen. If Stella were a boy she would have been Max.
• If I could have any talent in the world I would like to be a professional ballroom dancer. My dance background is in tap, jazz & precision/high-kick. I would love to have the skills of a ballroom dancer.
• If you met me in real life I think you would have fun. I laugh a lot and always try to have a good time.
• If I could go back to school and get a different degree I would major in Psychology.
• If money were not an object I'd travel a lot more & take family/friends with me. And have a second home somewhere cool.
• If I could meet one celebrity I think I would want to meet Ellen, love her.
• If I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life it'd be Nordstrom.
• If we got a pet I would want a goldfish. I have a husband and two young kids...I'll take whatever pet requires the least amount of work.
• If I could go on a trip, RIGHT NOW, I'd want to go to an Island in the Maldives.
• If I had to chose between a house cleaner and a personal chef, I'd pick the house cleaner. I love to cook, hate to clean. Although it would be nice to have a personal chef make 100% organic, low-fat, nutritious meals for every.single.meal. Does the personal chef do the kitchen clean up? If so, I will go with that.

Because I can.

Last Saturday I ran a 10K trail run. (It may easily have been the most challenging 6 miles I've ever experienced.) I guess I pictured a paved trail with a few hills. Not a gravel/grass/swamp/mud/trail in the woods with mountain peak highs and valley lows (okay maybe that's a slight exaggeration). But it had some definite extreme changes in elevation the.whole.entire.course. It was brutal. With only a weeks notice I jumped on board with my neighbors (who run regularly) and thought it would be a good idea. (This is when I was picturing the paved, much flatter course). Although I'd never ran a 10K I have ran much farther distances than 6.2 miles so I thought, I can handle this, right? Mind over matter? (insert laughter). I've been wanting to get back into running yet I have a hard time choosing to run. When I have a reason to run, I find it much easier to stay on track. I admire people who run on a regular basis. I wish I had it in me to be committed to running just to run. I've only ran a handful of times in the last year. None of which came easy. I quit running after my marathons in 2010 because I was pregnant and just didn't want to run anymore. Ever since then, running just hasn't been the same. I've forgotten the reasons why, if ever, I loved to run.

I only managed to get 3 runs in before the 10K. During those dreadful runs I found myself searching for answers. How did I ever run a marathon? Is it even possible to enjoy running? Have I ever? Why does this suck so bad? How do people commit to running regularly? What motivates people to run? (Hence my last post.) What for? What is it about? The simple act of "being healthy"? Effort to achieve or maintain a certain size? To have "me" time? To set a good example for my kids? While all of these are good reasons to run, I wanted more from running. For me personally, the reasons listed above are interchangeable with things other than running. Things that require less effort preferably. 

It was a Friday night when I made the decision to run the 10K. I thought 8 days of training was doable. I would run 4 miles on Saturday, 3 on Sunday, 4 on Monday, rest on Tuesday, 6 on Wednesday, 3 on Thursday, rest on Friday. Good to go. Race on Saturday. After my 4 miles on Saturday I was hurting. My body felt sore. My hips ached from running outside on an uneven trail. I pushed through and ran 3 miles the following day on my treadmill. Again, not really enjoying it, but it hurt a little less than the day before. Sunday I got a call that a close friend lost his fight with cancer. The next couple days I was consumed with making arrangements with my dance classes so I could leave town. I went back to my hometown for three days to be with my family and friends and attend the funeral and wake. I didn't know if I was going be participating in the 10K or not. I didn't have the energy to care that much about running. Even though I have a hard time backing down from things I commit to but I just didn't know how I was going to get through it. I got home late on Friday night. Despite my week, in the early hours of the morning of the race I decided to participate. I looked at it as an opportunity. Not a race. I knew the race was in honor of someone but I didn't know the story behind it. The morning of the race, the director explained that 7 years ago his best friend, Pat died competing in a triathlon. He said some wonderful things about his dear friend and offered words of encouragement and gratitude to all of us runners. Then Pat's wife spoke. She thanked us all for coming and shared with us a story about Pat and what he told her every time she went for a run. "Go out there and spin the world hun." My eyes stung with tears. I felt a sense of purpose now being a part of this race. I was moved. I was inspired.

Somewhere during those treacherous 6.2 miles it occurred to me: Why I run. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I run because I can. This may come across sounding corny, but I realized I run for life. Because there are people who can't run. People who are no longer with us. I am here. I will run. Because I can. And somewhere during those miles I sensed a community of runners who all have their own reasons. But at the end of the day we experienced something greater than words can explain. A sense of purpose. A sense of accomplishment. A sense of life. Because we can.

Why do you run?

Anyone have an answer for me? If you run....I wanna know why? This isn't a trick question. Moreso just a general thirst for insight. My answer changes as often as my mood. But I'm curious to know and be inspired by other runners out there. Please share!

Back to work!

The last two weeks I've spent "up north" at my parents lake cabin. We got home Sunday night. Yesterday was a difficult day. I felt depressed adjusting to life outside of vacation where Banana Monkeys were normal any time of the day and the sound of summer and all things happy filled the air. I love cabin life. Reminds me of my childhood. Not so much the banana monkey part....that's a new addition to vacation. (Banana Monkeys are a delicious smoothie-type alcoholic beverage discovered in Ixtapa at my brother's wedding. I'm going to have to post the recipe because it seriously tastes like a vacation in a cup). I love cabin life for so many reasons beyond adult beverages. The lake all around me. The sound of a screen door slamming, loons calling, wind in the trees. The feel of the sun on my face, a pine needle path under my bare feet. The smell of campfire smoke. Sandy feet. Summer air. I love it all. It was my little paradise. No TV. No internet. Just outdoor adventures, imagination and board games. It was wonderful. It was perfect. Or as my step-son Mason would say, it was AWESOME. But now it's back to reality and today I've spent several hours working on registration, schedule planning, organizing, updating, preparing, returning calls and basically playing catch-up. I'm back to work-mode and have gotten a lot accomplished thankfully. This morning I had to explain to Aubrey that "Mommy had to work on the computer for a little bit." "Work?" she responded, a little puzzled. And I could tell why. Whenever she asks where Daddy is, the response is usually "Working." So I think she was confused that I was "working" but still in her plain sight. "Yep. Mommy starts teaching dance pretty soon so I have to get stuff ready for my dancers." I went on to say that I work for Just For Kix. She looked at me and asked, "Daddy Kix?" I had to laugh and try and explain what Daddy does. I told her he works in an office with people and helps them with money and numbers and counting. And that's not my watered down version for a 2-year old either. I'm not even sure I know what an accountant does. Something with numbers and money and counting. Right?

I had my try-on ballet shoes and jazz shoes in a box next to the table. Aubrey kept playing with them and trying to wear them. She always wants to be involved with whatever I am doing. I really have no idea how I was even able to get anything done today. Including having time to post a quick update on my blog! Anyway, she wouldn't leave the shoes alone and they were organized and ready for registration so I brought her into her room and we found her own dance shoes. Which led to putting on tights (ballets on tiny sweaty bare feet are a guarantee blister). Which led to putting on a dance leotard. Which led to dancing around for Stella. She refused to pose for a picture for me, so the best I could do was snap a few as she was running away from me. It was a full-out dance mode in this house today. Glad to have my little mascot help me get into the spirit and remember why I love doing what I do! The excitement. The love. For dance.

 Today Aubrey reminded me of this poem I once came across.

There are little eyes upon you
And they're watching night and day.
There are little ears that quickly
Take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager
To do anything you do;
And a little girl who's dreaming
Of the day she'll be like you.

You're the little girl's idol,
You're the wisest of the wise.
In her little mind about you
No suspicions ever rise.
She believes in you devoutly,
Holds all you say and do;
She will say and do in your way
When she's all grown up like you.

There's a wide eyed little girl
Who believes you're always right;
And her eyes are always opened,
And she watches day and night.
You are setting an example
Every day in all you do,
For the little girl who's waiting
To grow up to be like you.

 

View from my office:

Aubrey was just at my feet trying to put on dance shoes saying "C'mon Mommy! Dance!" 

My office setting may not be ideal for optimal productivity. But I do what I can. And I wouldn't want to be working with any one else! :) Love my girls. Love my job. Love my life.

homemade pizza

We love pizza in this house. During certain times of the year (tax season) we eat pizza more than I would like to admit. Even though not all frozen pizzas are created equal and you can actually find some pretty good-tasting ones it's not an ideal meal. Frozen pizza is expensive and let's face it, it's crap (even if it tastes good). Anyway, we haven't bought frozen pizza in months. Here's why:

We were out of pizza one night and I didn't feel like running to the store so I decided to attempt my own crust. I googled pizza crust recipes and chose the easiest no-rise pizza dough recipe I could find (to save time). My expectations were not high at all and I assumed it would be a one time thing to get the job done. We were pleasantly surprised. We've probably used this recipe a dozen times since discovering. The only thing I do differently is add more water. I also season the dough before baking. I've used everything from Italian seasoning; basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, & garlic powder, to chipotle seasoning all depending on what I'm planning on using for toppings.

I'm hooked on making homemade pizza because there are so many possibilities to explore with flavor. And it's a great way to use up veggies & fresh herbs. We usually just start pulling stuff out of the fridge and throwing whatever we can find on there until it looks good.

One of my favorite combos we tried was an Italian-style and included fresh garlic, roasted red pepper, fresh mozzarella, spicy venison sausage, & fresh basil.

So good.

Barbecue Chicken pizza turned out pretty good too. We used chipotle seasoning in the dough, barbecue sauce instead of traditional pizza sauce, shredded grilled chicken, red and yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes & fresh cilantro.

Margherita is one of my faves. I love the fresh simplicity of the flavors. Although I strayed from the classic version and used pizza sauce instead of olive oil and added red pepper, it was still delish.

Now that we make our own pizza I don't feel like I'm eating junk when we have pizza. And it's a meal we can make without having to run to the store for something because you can be flexible and creative with how you make it. The basics (flour, water, oil, salt, baking powder) are always on hand. The rest of the ingredients are interchangeable. I try to keep a jar of pizza sauce in my pantry at all times. Someday I would like to attempt to make homemade pizza sauce. Someday. But even if you don't have pizza sauce on hand you can use olive oil or make a white sauce, or any kind of sauce for that matter. We once mixed ranch ressing with barbecue for sauce and used that instead of pizza sauce and it was surprisingly good. We usually have some kind of cheese in our fridge or freezer (I've actually made pizza without cheese before and believe it or not it's still delicious). Garlic is a must and I always have fresh garlic on hand. Thanks to my mother in law who gifted me with an herb garden for my birthday I always have fresh parsley, cilantro & basil on hand too. Fresh herbs will take your pizza to a new level of deliciousness so I highly recommend using them! Thanks to my hunter husband we always have plenty of venison sausage in our freezer. (I've never been a fan of venison sausage, but I must say it's awesome on pizza.) You really can make pizza with whatever you have on hand! Try it! :)

It's easy enough, cost efficient, & a healthier alternative to the pre-packaged frozen guys. Plus it's fun to make. You can even get the kiddos to help!

mixing the dough

floured surface for rolling out the dough

ready to roll

rolled out and transferred to a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

ready for toppings

Aubrey loves pizza. (As I was working on this post she saw the pictures she asked, "Pizza time mom?") She's always eager to help when I'm cooking and with assembling a pizza it's easy enough to let her. She liked placing the toppings and shredding basil. She was a good little helper!

missed a spot...

Ready to bake!

How about you? Do you make homemade pizza? What are your favorite topping combos?