Couch to 5K: My Progress Journey
There’s a reason why I only made two goals for the entire year. One goal was to write 52 blog posts in a year (notice I did not say I will write one each week;) ) and the other was to run a 5k in its entirety. Running a 5k has been on my radar for more than a decade. While I have participated in 5k races, I have yet to run the full distance of a 5k. Read along as I chronicle my progress journey.
Why a 5k?
I played sports from middle school through high school and then participated in intramural sports in college. After college? Nothing. I have dabled in working out here and there but nothing consistent. When I attempted a 5k about 10 years ago, I liked the thrill I experienced from running. Fast forward a few years to 2021 and I really tried to completely run the 5k distance (I quit training just shy of actual completion – ahh!). It is difficult to describe the breakthrough I had mentally while running. Ever since, I have been wanting to push through and actually run the entire 5k distance.
Running is a healthy habit I enjoy adding to other healthy habits that I have been trying to incorporate in my life this year. You can read about some healthy snack ideas I am eating here.
How’s it going?
In a word? Slow. To be honest, my body feels different at 45 then it did at 42 and 35. I have aches now in places that I’m not sure if I should or if that is just middle age. Currently, my left hip hurts while running. I’m using the C25K app (Couch to 5K) and very much appreciate the prompts it gives me to alternate between times of walking and running. I need that prompting to keep going. Left on my own, I’m not sure I would follow through.
Another support I have realized is crucial for my completion? My dogs. Taking my labradoodle and poodle along with me on my walks/runs helps me ignore any pain or discomfort I might have while I pay attention to them.
These are similar to the running shoes I wear.
*As an Amazon Associate, I am eligible to earn commission on any viable links.*What are the benefits?
Even if my body has pain or discomfort, I truly feel better physically and mentally when I complete a C25K session. My dogs also get the benefit of multiple times a week exersise. I’m halfway through my training and feel like completing my goal is a real possibility. I like that I have given myself the whole year to complete this goal.
Here lately my kids have joined me on my “walks” and I love having their company. We usually go out in the evenings and while it is still hot, it is better than in the heat of the day.
Stay tuned for my updates on this goal! Do you have a similar goal for this year? If so, it’s June – how are you progressing? I would love to hear from you 🙂
Top Graduation Gift Ideas to Celebrate His Big Achievement
May is the time for celebrations! And graduations are one of the main reasons to celebrate. This year our second son is graduating high school and I wanted to curate a list of top graduation gift ideas to celebrate his big achievement.
It seems like all of our first day of school pictures accumulated way too quickly. You can read about our first day of school preparations and traditions here. Now that we are at the end of our son’s senior year, I am thinking of his fun celebrations and not only him, but other graduates. What makes great graduation gifts?
Practical gifts
Entering a new, independent chapter of life requires a few practical gifts to ensure success and comfort. For Father’s Day, I had given my husband a classic weekender duffle bag that he could use for quick, overnight trips. My son’s girlfriend saw my son’s dilapidated duffle bag and asked me for the link to the one I had recently purchased. She made the purchase for my son’s graduation gift and I felt it was a wonderful gift for him!
Another area to consider in practical gift ideas are: items for future dorm or apartment rooms. Hanger organizers, collapsible laundry baskets, closet organizers, bath towels, hand towels, and kitchen towels all are useful gifts.
You can shop for this travel duffel bag, here.
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links.Fun gifts
Of course, everyone loves a fun gift! For guys, think of what they love. Do they love sports? Maybe an indoor Nerf basketball goal is a good idea. Even 18 year old Lego fans still love a Lego set. Try to think of hobbies and/or sports your graduate enjoys and buy a gift accordingly. If all else fails, everyone can use an Amazon gift card.
Memorable gift
Oh the Places You Will Go! is a fan favorite. Personally, I think you cannot go wrong with this book. Another graduation gift idea is to give a book that meant a lot to you. Are you a C.S. Lewis fan? His books are amazing.
One gift my son received this year that he and I both loved was a set of monogrammed cufflinks. This gift immediately upgrades a dress shirt and makes one feel special.
I’ve created a Guy Grad Gift guide on my Liketoknow.it page. You can check it out here. For more of my blog posts, check out the carousel below.
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Moving our son into college was a fun yet frenzied experience. We focused on planning…Mindful Eating: Creating a Meal Plan
Oh what a loaded topic I have on the blog today! Food, meal plans, healthy lifestyle choices are loaded subjects for me. While I was not a large child, I would have never considered me skinny either – which is strange because looking back, I really was in a healthy weight range throughout high school and college. As an adult, after children, my weight has crept on. Issues like insulin resistance and polycystic ovary syndrome complicate the weight issue even more. My plans for 2024 have been to make healthier eating choices to help with not only my weight but also the hormonal changes that come with middle age. This post will focus on mindful eating: creating a meal plan.
Focus on your main goal when creating a meal plan.
For me, my main focus is reducing the amount of sugar in my diet. When my sugar intake decreases, my overall health increases. I see multiple benefits of limiting sugar in my meal plans.
Focus on what your main goal is and create a meal plan that moves towards that goal. One of the easiest and most consistent changes I have made is switching out how I prepare my morning coffee. Instead of a sweet creamer which I would give a heavy pour into my coffee, I now add a scoop of collagen (protein and joint benefits), a touch of Stevia, and a little half&half.
In my meal planning, I try to do the same thing – look for little changes I can make that will reduce that sugar intake. I have incorporated more sweet potatoes into my diet as they are a healthier veggie than a basic baked potatoe. I’ve really cut back on the amount of bread served with our meals. Little changes can contribute to healthier long term lifestyle choices.
Know the basics when creating a meal plan.
It is helpful to understand the very basic food categories to help you create a nourishing meal plan. Foods have carbohydrates, proteins, and/or fats. Understanding that keeping carbohydrates paired with protiens and fats paired with protiens while keeping carbohydrates and fats separate has been a tremendous help to me. Trim Healthy Mama has been a big resource in guiding my mindful eating habits. With this knowledge, creating a meal plan is easier.
I love finding healthy recipes on Instagram that I can try. The Galvaston Diet book has also been an asset for understanding this new season of life and I am in. It is amazing what power and medicine is in the foods we eat. In this book, I am learning the value of protein and fiber in my diet as well as the benefits of weight lifting for overall body health.
Create One Week at a Time Meal Plans
It is easier to be mindful when there is a determined number of days. Seven days of creating a meal plan is a doable amount for me. As I have shared before here, I function best when I eat every 3 hours; therefore, I have three meals a day and 2-3 snacks a day.
I’ve recently found an account on Instagram where the mom shares meals that she makes for her family. The ingredients are purchased from Aldi’s. Now, next to having a good plan, I love saving some money! Alison Havens is the mom’s name and here is one of her weekly meal posts. For whatever meals I plan, I can always tweak them to a healthier version if need be. Honestly though, my suppers are not my biggest health concern – my mindless snacking is. Another resource I have discovered that does provide healthy snack and meal options is The Peachy Spoon. A friend sent me this recommendation and I am grateful!
Incorporate your favorites into your meal plan.
I’m uncertain why I buy into the lie that I need different healthy foods each and every day. When I eat horribly, I go to the same foods over and over again. Why can’t I apply that to my healthy food choices. Love a great chicken salad? Fix it everyday if need be. Found just the right treat to satisfy your sweet tooth? Keep it on hand.
You can incorporate favorite meals and snacks again and again. Just about any type of roasted vegetables are amazing to me. No matter what the main course is, adding some roasted veggies are always a healthy choice for me.
So go ahead and create a meal plan following these tips: focus on your main goal, know your basics, plan only a week at a time, and incorporate your favorites! Please let me know how your meal planning goes.
DIY Home Decor: Creating an Accent Wall
The older I get and the more Instagram reels I view, the more I believe I am capable of my own DIY home decor. We are two years into our home remodel and still have about 6-12 months left of work to do. If I’m being real honest, I feel as long as you own a home, you have work to do. In this blog post I will share our latest DIY Home Decor: Creating an Accent Wall. An accent wall is a great focal feature of any room.
Measure, measure, then measure some more
Our room of choice for the accent wall is our daughter’s bedroom. We wanted to have 1×2’s spanning vertically across one wall. Our challenge was that the ceiling is at a slant and all but two of the slats of wood had to be cut to the appropriate length then also cut an angle to fit the roof line.
Sight of future accent wall. I may or may not have miscalculated the length of three boards. Thankfully, Lowe’s allowed us to return three of the untouched boards and purchase the correct length. I cannot stress enough how often to measure then measure some more!
To achieve the look we desired, we set the 1×2 boards every 17 inches along the wall. We have a total of eight 1×2’s going across the room.
1×2’s create the board and batten look for the accent wall. Focus on the outcome for the space.
Our current home is smaller than our previous home and my desire is to create a space that feels as large as possible. In our children’s rooms, the ceilings slant so I want to focus on decor that brings the eye up. For our daughter’s room, she desired an accent wall and we both liked the look of board and batten slats.
We have slowly been updating our daughter’s room. We have removed extra shelving, painted the dark gray walls a bright white, added a new area rug, and also expanded the closet door to double doors. You can read about the closet update, here.
An accent wall can create such an eye-pleasing view of a room. Select paint that will connect the entire room.
Originally, I thought we would keep the wall color White Dove to match the rest of the walls; however, after my daughter selected a lovely bedding set that had some pretty blues that would match her current rug, we chose to paint the accent wall a lovely shade of blue.
We purchased this rug from Boutique Rugs. 
Here is the bedding we will order. This bedding will tie in the blue of the wall and her rug. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any viable links. While we have not received the updated bedding as of yet, I still feel the outcome of the accent wall has made a significant impact on the overall space. What are your thoughts? Do you like the accent wall? I would love to hear from you.
How to Start a Blog: Tips to Make it Happen
In today’s fast paced culture, one would think a blog is antiquated. However, blogs are a thriving mode for communicating with a mass audience covering any topic of interest. Read along as I share how to start a blog: tips to make it happen.
Family photo at Rosemary Beach 1. Select a niche.
I almost hate using this phrase for a subheading. If you spend any time at all online, you will hear the buzzword, “niche”. Honestly, sometimes it is stressful when I hear, “select a niche” or “niche down”. Take a deep breath and do not fear, selecting a niche might be easier than you think. What is it that you want to share? What perspective do you have that you want the world to know? For me, I like sharing about my home and family – our lifestyle. I have selected the niche of “Lifestyle Blogger”. When creating your own blog, select a niche ideal for you.
Much of my blog inspiration comes from what I share on my Instagram account. 2. Utilize a host site.
It is almost comical that I have a blog when being tech savvy is not my forte. The good news is, there are YouTube tutorials that can walk you through a step-by-step process for setting up your blog. These tutorials do a great job of helping you understand the ways to begin to monetize your blog. I decided to use WordPress to create my blog. WordPress has a wide range of templates to use when designing your blog.
Over and over again as I started my blogging journey, I saw information about bluehost.com. This is my host site for my blog. It allows me to own the name of my blog and its place on the internet. I pay an annual fee for the website name and site upkeep.
3. Determine a schedule.
Once you have hammered out the nitty gritty of a niche and have taken the time to set up and create the look of your blog, it is time to determine a schedule. Admittedly, this last one has been my weakness. For the 2024 year, one of my two goals for the year was to write 52 blog posts. I wanted to consistently show up on my blog in a way I had not previously done. Notice, I did not say I would post once a week – ha! I know myself too well and wanted to give myself grace in the event that something happened one week and I could not generate a blog post on a specific day of the week. Currently I am targeting releasing a new blog every week. A bulk of my blog posts have been released on Wednesdays with few exceptions. Determine a schedule that works for you and stick to it!
My hope is that these tips are just the motivation you need to start your own blog! Please let me know in the comments if you have a blog and what its name is. I would love to check it out!
How to Create a spring Capsule Wardrobe
I like the simplicity of a capsule wardrobe. I am not a big shopper and enjoy utilizing pieces that have more than one function. Read along for my ideas on how to create a spring capsule wardrobe.
1. Pull everything out.
While we did create a walk-in closet in our current home, it is still not a large space and I must utilize each square inch carefully. Having 2-3 times a year where I pull everything out, is beneficial for keeping an organized space. The benefit of pulling all items out of your closet serves as a visual reminder of what you do wear often and what you have forgotten about. Also, this is a perfect opportunity to seperate your clothing items by season. If you have available space, store your off-season items in another location. (Shhh! Don’t tell my husband, but I put my off-season clothes on the backside of his half of the closet 🙂 )
A closet organizer like this one makes seeing your wardrobe a breeze. This one has over 12,000 reviews! *As an Amazon Associate, I am eligible to earn a commission on any viable links.* 2. Cull unwanted or unused items.
In 2022, I attempted to wear a different outfit for every day of the year. You can read all about it , here. From that time on, I have really tried to focus on only keeping items that I enjoy or serve me well. Getting rid of unused or worn out items is essential to keeping a well curated wardrobe. Donate items you longer want or if you are like me and wear things until they fall apart, throw them away. Having a closet that is crammed with items tends to make you overlook what you actually have. A closet that allows you to easily see your clothing options creates an environment where you can choose your outfits with little complication.
3. Coordinate pieces and seek inspiration.
I happened upon Clothed in Grace on Instagram and am grateful for the guidance and inspiration she provides. Her site guides me in how to curate a seasonal collection. Below is her latest spring capsule wardrobe. When I have fewer items – tops, bottoms, dresses – then I am able to determine if what I have coordinates with my other clothing items. There is a cool website, combineclothes.com , that allows you to type in how many tops, bottoms, solo outfits, and extras you have then it will calculate how many possible outfits you can create from those items. With my current spring wardrobe capsule, I have enough items to create 1,450 outfits! I think that is plenty to get me through these warmer months.
This is a great site for inspiration and guidance in creating your wardrobe capsules! The benefits of following these tips for how to create a spring capsule wardrobe are: ease of outfit selection, ability to identify what items need to be added to your wardrobe, and a streamlined closet! Enjoy and let me know if you put these tips to use.
Maximizing Space: What Changing a Closet Door Can Do
Where to start
When we moved into our house two years ago, the room we had chosen for our teenage daughter had dark walls and a hole where a closet door used to be. From the look of the hole in the wall, one would think the closet was extremely small; however, we discovered the closet ran the length of the wall. Reaching the back of the closet was a challenge with the single existing opening. Maximizing space through adding double doors allowed us to utilize all of our daughter’s closet area.
A starting hole in the wall. Gathering material
In order to maximize the available space we needed to brainstorm ways to expand this space. Adding double doors seemed to meet our needs. Our upstairs has slanted ceilings. The slant of the ceilings impacted the height of standard closet doors. We determined that a height of six feet would allow our daughter to access the top shelf of her closet as well as the rack that holds her clothes.
In order to accommodate the height of the closet doors, we purchased solid wooden doors that could be cut down to the correct size. In addition to the wooden doors, we needed to purchase the appropriate trim for the door. To save on material costs, we shopped for these doors at Southeastern Salvage. When trying to budget for a remodel project, look for local supply stores that are not your typical box store. ReStore is a store created by Habitat for Humanity that carries overstocks or materials leftover from large construction sites. Stores such as Southeastern Salvage or ReStore could save you money. Just remember, you may have to be patient when shopping for your materials.
We used wooden doors for the expansion. Finishing touches
We used the same paint colors we have used throughout the house to finish the doors: White Dove for the interior walls and Simply White for the trim. Both colors are from Benjamin Moore.
I love Purdy paint brushes. (as an Amazon Associate, I am eligible to earn commission on any viable links) Adding double doors to this space allows our daughter to access all the items within her closet. She is able to see what clothing options she has on hand instead of being regulated to half a visual. Maximizing space lends help to organization and decluttering habits as well. Visually, I feel the double doors are a more appealing feature. Let me know in the comments what you think!
You can check out other DIY projects in our current home, here. I would love for you to follow along with us on this home remodel journey.
The finished product Healthy Snack Ideas
When making choices that are healthier for you, I’m surprised at how much (or maybe I should say how often) food you should eat. It is best to keep your body fueled every 3 hours. That could add up to six meals a day: 3 meals and 3 snacks. Read along for ways to add healthy snack ideas to your day.
Quick and Easy Healthy Snack Ideas
I did not think that I would like hummus. In fact, I really only like one flavor thus far – roasted red pepper hummus but the single serve containers of hummus with some sliced or chopped veggies are an ideal snack. Another quick and easy snack is the Lesser Evil popcorn. (As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links. This is at no extra cost to you.) This popcorn is AH-mazing! It tastes wonderful and is popped using coconut oil. My kids make fun of me because I am a firm believer that coconut oil can do anything. Another quick and easy snack idea – fruit! Dark berries are really good for you but I think you can’t go wrong with fruit in general.
High in Protien Healthy Snack Ideas
Costco carries a great protien bar put out by Genius Gourmet. Their peanut butter and chocolate bar is my favorite. 000 Greek Yogurt by Oikos is also a great source of protein. Both of these snacks are super quick to grab and go! Including a bit of protein with every meal/snack is important to staying healthy.
Something Sweet
I LOVE sweets and cutting out sugar makes my sweet tooth ache! Lily’s Chocolate Bars are my salvation. (as an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any viable links at no extra cost to you) My favorite kind is any that have sea salt in them. Lily’s Chocolate Bars use stevia and erythritol to sweeten its bars. Lily’s Chocolate also produces chocolate chips for baking.
Another great sweets idea is smoothies. I love a good protein smoothie. One of my favorites I call the Big Mama. I got the recipe from the Trim Healthy Mama book and it calls the recipe Big Boy smoothie. For some reason I could only remember Big Mama and it’s stuck! Ha! Place one cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk in a blender. Add in a scoop of whey protein, Stevia to sweeten, a dash of vanilla, a cup of ice, a dash of salt, and a few frozen strawberries. Blend to the consistency you like. This hits the sweet spot for me! You can find the exact recipe here.
If you are trying to make healthier choices in your food selections, I hope these healthy snack ideas have been beneficial. This year I am focusing on making healthier choices myself and have shared some healthy habits I am working to implement in a blog post, here. Check it out and as always, please let me know what you think! Here’s to healthy eating!
3 Levels of Date Night
Date night can be such an exciting time. It can also cause anxiety or stress in long term relationships. Date nights should not stop once one is in a committed relationship. In fact, as a married individual, I propose 3 levels of date night.
A while back I heard a man speak of advice he was given regarding date nights. He passed the information along and I took a shine to it and have incorporated his advice into mine and my husband’s date nights. His advice? Take your spouse on a date every other week; a weekend away every other month; and a week vacation every other year. Why is this important? Relationships, even seasonsed married ones, take time to grow and develop. To be in a marriage relationship, is to be a farmer tending the soil of your hearts. Read along as I give further explanation to the 3 levels of date night.
1. Local Date Night
Local date nights mean just that – they are local. I found a great blog post that gives some creative ideas for date nights in my neck of the woods (Birmingham, AL).
Oftentimes, mine and Jeff’s local date nights simply include a dinner out to a new or an old, favorite restaurant. For this reason, I love the above referenced blog posts that provides a variety of local date night ideas. I am definitely going to be using some of these ideas!
2. Weekend Date Night
The next level of date night is: every other month, spend a weekend away together. You can stay somewhere local or travel a little distance but the point is to get away from your daily distractions and spend time in special lodgings to enjoy one another. I recently found this beautiful weekender set on Amazon that would make packing for getaways so much fun! (As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links. This comes at no extra costs to you.)
A weekend away gives you a chance to not only enjoy one another’s company but to also rest and relax. Got a location or activity that you know your kids will not like? Save it for your weekend date nights. Honestly, on our last weekend getaway, Jeff and I did not do a whole lot of anything. We went to bed early and got some much needed rest. It was a good time together and our destination was only about a 3 and half hour drive from our house.
3. Vacation Date Night
The final level of date night is the Vacation Date Night. Every other year, take a vacation with just your spouse. This may sound scary, especially if you have small children, but you can implement this date night as you see fit. Why is this level important? Because if your marriage is successful, it will be the longest relationship you have and your spouse will be the one person who is most often in your life. While you have your relationship with your children, they will grow up, move away, and start families of their own. You and your spouse can maintain your relationship by getting away together for a vacation. A week is an ideal time period; however, work out what you can. Give yourself some grace. If your children are too small or finances are tight, you can spread out your vacations to a few years apart.
In full disclosure, this last level has been rare for my husband and I; however, this past summer in celebration of our 20th anniversary, we went on a 10 day vacation and it was wonderful. We savored the time we had together. We were reminded of why we picked each other and why we fell in love.
A word of advice…
Now, if while you have read this blog, you have thought, “How is this possible? Surely she doesn’t keep this kind of date night schedule?” OR, “That might work for her but my spouse doesn’t plan anything.” To answer both lines of thought: 1. We do not strictly adhere to the schedule of these levels of date night but we have implemented all three levels. 2. In our relationship, I am more of a planner. I could spend time bemoaning my husband’s lack of planning date nights or I could: communicate to him that date nights are important to me; appreciate that planning and organization are my strong skill sets; and take notice of the other contributions my husband makes to our relationship.
Each relationship is unique but incorporating these 3 levels of date night into ours has proven beneficial. Please let me know if you have tried these various levels.
3 Easy and Nutritous Breakfast Ideas
We all know breakfast is an important start to your day but sometimes knowing what to make leaves one stumped. Here are three easy and nutritous breakfast ideas to get your day going!
Eggs and bacon
Eggs and bacon are about as easy as it gets. Why is this considered a nutritious breakfast? It includes fats and protein. Our bodies need fats, protiens, and carbohydrates in a healthy balance. Consuming fats and protiens together in a balanced amount allows your body to take in nutrients and maintain a safe blood glucose level while keeping your body satisfied for the three hour time block between meals. I like my eggs fried and for convenience, I cook my bacon in the oven.
I learned from Martha Stewart a few years ago how to cook bacon in the oven. Lining a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place your bacon on the baking sheet in a cold oven and set the oven to 425 degrees. After 25 minutes, your bacon is ready!
THM Pancakes
Trim Healthy Mama pancakes are an amazingly wonderful, nutritous meal. As I have shared in a previous post, Trim Healthy Mama is a program that works to balance your blood glucose level in order to help with weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight.
Trim Healthy Mama has multiple offerings in print including an introductory book to their program as well as cookbooks with great recipes to incorporate into your meal plans. Here is the recipe for these energizing pancakes that are made with protein and carbohydrates as the main macronutrients. Combining these macronutrients creates a meal that provides energy for your day. For a sweetner, I use Stevia in my meals that call for a sugar substitute. Here is one type of stevia that can be ordered from Amazon. (As an Amazon Associate, I am eligible to earn commission on any viable link. This is at no cost to you.) Trim Healthy Mama also sells its own type of sweetner.
Sweet Potatoes with Avocado, Egg, and Cottage Cheese
Oh my goodness, I discovered this magnificent breakfast recipe by following Trim Healthy Mama on Instagram. This meal is considered a “crossover” meaning it has all three macronutrients involved. While a crossover meal will not help you lose weight, it can be a great idea for maintaining a healthy weight balance. For me, this meal is a choice that keeps me interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is delicous! You can see how easy it is to make in the video below.
Well there you have it! Three easy and nutritous breakfast ideas to get your day going in a healthy way. What are your go-to nutritous breakfast recipes? I would love to hear from you!
