Miscellaneous Little Projects, part 1

Back before Christmas I worked on a couple quick projects. One was putting a curtain in front of the cupboard over the refrigerator. I built the cupboard years ago (it was just open space with no shelves when we bought the house), but haven't been able to find cupboard doors that would match our current cupboards, so I left it open. Well, that was an eyesore that I finally got tired enough of to do something about. The curtain is actually an IKEA pillowcase that was too big for any of our pillows, so it's been sitting in my stash. It was just the right size and all I had to do was unpick three of the four seams, remove the zipper, and hem the top and bottom. A tension rod in the top hem holds the curtain in place.

Such an easy fix that makes a huge difference. Now we need to caulk the crown molding and fix the door trim.

Another project was filling these planters. I built the planters a couple years ago, but have not been able to find plants that would thrive on the north facing, shaded porch. I saw some fake outdoor plants on a blog, so I decided to go that route. I found these on Amazon, and "planted" them in some dirt with some mulch on top. Up close, you won't mistake them for the real deal, but from a distance they look fine. And I don't have to worry about killing them, so that's a huge point in their  favor :)

This was a simple fix that makes the porch look much more finished.  

Weekly Mileage #47

since I've barely left the house for the last two weeks, I haven't been taking many pictures, so here's a couple from Christmas that I never posted. The boys are finally cooperating better and this year's Christmas pj pic was much more of a success than last year's, and the year before (since I never posted last year's because it was so bad).

I spent last week recovering from the flu, which didn't leave room for getting any mileage in. I'd feel better one day, do too much, then feel even worse the following day. Much too reminiscent of the days when I was feeling awful and had super low energy levels before going gluten free.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I was super careful about what I did because I had certain things that had to be done each day, but by Sunday evening I was feeling worse again and my lungs are not happy.  I'm really hoping I don't have bronchitis or pneumonia, and I'll be going to the doctor tomorrow to get checked out.

The most frustrating part is that I had some running goals (the 10 miler and other races I talked about last week) that I really don't know if I can achieve if I don't start feeling better really soon. Being as sick as I have been has sapped my energy and endurance and I don't know how fast I can build those back up.

I'm not sure how Ocean ended up with Sunshine's nanny, but he was sitting quietly, so she didn't complain

On the other hand, my period snuck up on me without turning me into a cranky ogre that everyone runs and hides from. Since that has been the norm in recent months, I'm super happy (as is everyone in the family) for the change. I credit Plexus (I mentioned it in this post). Not only are my PMS symptoms disappearing, but my cramps were much more manageable this time around as well. This is super encouraging, as it indicates that my hormones are becoming more regulated, which means that I should hopefully start losing weight soon (I'm 98% certain my current inability to lose weight/steadily increasing weight issues are because of my PCOS, which is a hormonal problem).

As a side note, I've signed up for various direct marketing companies over the years for the products, but have never talked about them or tried to recruit others. Plexus marks a distinct change in that pattern. I haven't reacted adversely to the products (which has happened with other companies' products) and I've seen significant improvements in only a month and a half while taking the nutritional supplements and can't wait to see what happens as I continue those products and add the weight loss supplements.

* * * you can find more info about Plexus on my site here * * *

One of the things I worked on over the weekend was cleaning, fixing a few issues, and sprucing up the RV so we can rent it out. We recently found a couple sites where people can post their RVs and travel trailers for people to rent, like AirBnB for RVs. While we love our RV, we just don't have the ability to use it all the time, so why not make money renting it to others when we're not using it?

We have a couple coming to look at the RV around noon today to see if it will be a good fit for the road trip they're planning for this summer, so we wanted to make sure the RV was looking its best. This included getting a foam mattress topper for the super firm rear bed, new sheets and quilts for the rear bed and over cab bed, and towels for the bathroom. We also took care of a few little things we've been wanting to do, but never quite got around to: installing a paper towel holder, fixing a couple trim issues, adding tap lights to the interiors of some of the cupboards, buying a dust buster and finding a spot to install the charging station, and so on. Oh, and doing a good cleaning, since we're always tracking gravel and leaves in since we don't have a paved driveway.

We're listed on two sites and have a landing page on one of them (Outdoorsy). If you make a reservation from our landing page, we get a commission, regardless of whose RV you're renting. You can also use our landing page to list your own RV or travel trailer, which we would get a commission from as well.

Sunday Funny

When you lick your plate like a puppy dog and come up looking like a puppy dog with food stuck to his face. Sunshine says he looks like Rudolph the Green Nosed Reindeer.

On a side note, check out that bed head curl on the side. Too bad it's gone already- we trimmed his hair since this pic was taken.

Cold Weather, Illness, and Motivation

December snow

I got sick just before Thanksgiving, and while the worst of it is long gone, the lingering crud, well,  lingered, long past New Years. Add in some unseasonably cold weather and it has been a struggle to get outside for hikes or to just spend time outside at all.

I'd forgotten how much harder it is to get outside when I'm not feeling well and it's cold. My health has improved so much in recent years that it's easy to forget some of the things I struggled with in the past.

Honestly, I think the worst of it is that my health issues seem to coincide with the times we actually get snow. It snowed in December while I was sick and it snowed last Wednesday, right at the height of the flu I'm currently dealing with (though I'm on the mend now). I like snow, so it's discouraging not to be able to enjoy what little we do get.

I don't have such a hard time when it's warmer and I'm not feeling good, but it's definitely been a challenge with the colder weather we've had. Hence the reason we're three weeks into the new year and still no hikes.  I know this will change, but it's something I've been thinking about.

Weekly Mileage #46

ice along the edge of the river we walked over

As I mentioned last week, C and I are planning on running a 10 mile race at the end of March. Over that weekend I did some googling and found a 10 week 10 mile training planning. Coincidentally, there was exactly 10 weeks until the start of the race, which made it a perfect fit. I adjusted it a bit to fit my weekly schedule, but I think it should work well.

Unfortunately, our first run on Tuesday turned into a walk because I was feeling so crummy. It was bad enough that I wasn't sure I'd be able to do our Saturday am run, and I wanted to get some exercise in.

I felt reasonably well after our walk, but the next morning I felt truly awful. There's been enough scary stories on the news this winter that I opted for "better safe than sorry" and had Mr M take me to the doctor. The nasal swab (so uncomfortable!) tested positive for influenza A, so after dropping me back at home, Mr M spent the afternoon coordinating with the pediatrician to get Tamiflu prescriptions for the boys, and then going to four different pharmacies to track down five doses of Tamiflu. Apparently supplies are running low, which is not surprising. The doc suggested everyone take it to try to keep from getting sick.

It was too late for Mr M, though, as he woke up sick Thursday morning. The meds tempered his symptoms, so he hasn't been as sick as I was, though of course that's all relative- the flu is the flu.

Needless to say, while I started the week out right, there was no more exercising after Tuesday's walk. Friday I was feeling a bit better, so I spent some time vertical, but I was back in bed and feeling worse again after just a short time.

It snowed Wednesday, but that was the day I went to the doctor and I wasn't feeling up to doing anything. Though we only got an inch or so, so we couldn't have done much anyway. I had planned on tapping our maples on Thursday, but that sure didn't happen. This week's weather forecast is a bit too warm for optimal sap flow, so I'll have to keep a close eye to see if I can still get some sap. I'm really hoping I didn't miss out.

As I start to feel better, I can already tell that the trick will be not jumping the gun on what/how much I'm doing so I don't relapse and get sicker. I've been down this road too many times before, so I know what will happen if I do. On the other hand, I have so much to get done that I know it will be very tempting to push myself too hard, too soon.

Weekly Mileage

Mon- 10.00 miles on my bike

Tues- 2.28 miles walked with C

    total miles- 12.28

0 hikes towards #52hikechallenge

22.03 foot miles towards #365milechallenge

25.00 bike miles towards #365milechallenge

Sunday Funny

It's hard to hike when your hat won't cooperate :)

Our Little Adventurers

on a recent hike River decided I needed to take a picture of him hugging a tree

then Sunshine decided they all needed to hug the tree, though Ocean really didn't understand what was going on

~~~~~

while on another hike, we stopped to play on a large tree trunk (taller than me), and Ocean immediately wanted a boost up so he could climb to the top, just like his older brother

the lighting isn't great because of where I'm standing (even when I lightened the pic), but look at his smile :)

Weekly Mileage #45

There's a nice wide bike path along a new road that was recently built, which makes for some nice running, though we found all the passing cars annoyingly loud on the wet road. It was misting for most of our run, but towards the end the mist turned to actual rain and we were pretty wet by the time we got back to the car.

This week was warmer, but instead of taking advantage of the warmer weather, I still hibernated more  than I'd have preferred. I'm still feeling under the weather, though Friday I finally realized the sore throats I keep waking up with might be caused by sleeping with my mouth open. Since then I've been sleeping with the humidifier on high and the diffuser loaded up, and I'm finally feeling less crummy when I wake up.

I even managed to wake up Saturday morning and go for a run with C. We wanted a shake-out run after running hills Thursday evening. We missed a few weeks because of the holidays, but we've decided to run a 10 mile race at the end of March, so we need to be more consistent with our training. It's a hilly course, so we're focusing on distance and hill work.

Weekly Mileage
Mon- 10 miles on the bike
Thurs- 4.19 run with C
Sat- 3.30 run with C
    total miles: 17.49

0 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
19.75 foot miles towards #365milechallenge
15.00 bike miles towards #365milechallenge

Sunday Funny

Ocean's new thing while hiking (beyond collecting all the leaves and sticks and rocks) is to sit on all the rocks. Even if they're not sticking that far out of the ground.

Quick and Easy Neighbor or Teacher Gift

I don't have a lot of time for making things right now, but just before Christmas I took some time out of my regular packed schedule to make a couple things. This is one of the projects I made.

I wanted to make an easy gift for our neighbors, and when I saw something similar online I realized I could easily replicate the project. The longest part was putting together the designing to cut out with my Silhouette.

a pot holder with a pocket, $1 at the dollar store

iron on vinyl, cut backwards 

(if you look on the plastic backing, you can see that I cut it wrong to begin with)

vinyl ironed on and festive tag tied to the loop

I really like how the vinyl adhered to the potholders- 

so much better than the last time I used iron-on vinyl (different brand though)

combine with a cookie mix and a spoon (4 for $.88 at wally world), and you're ready to go

I really like how they turned out!

And now that the design is done, I can quickly make more.

2018 Goals

I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions, but I do like to set goals, hence the name of this blog :)  Some of this year's goals will be more challenging than others (or challenging in different and new ways), but I do feel that they are achievable. Last year's goals were fewer in number, but they set the stage for several of this year's goals.

Yearly Mileage
In 2017, my goal was to complete 365 miles. I biked 20 miles and walked, ran, and hiked 500.3 miles, for a total of 520.3 miles.

In 2018, my goal is to bike 730 miles and walk, run, and hike another 730 miles, with a stretch goal of 1095 miles. I also plan to throw some kayak miles in for good measure. If I do 14 miles a week, I will hit 730 miles in a year, so the real challenge here is just making sure I'm more consistent with my workouts.

Hiking 
In 2017, my goal was to complete 52 hikes, which we did, completing the 52nd hike two days before the end of the year.

In 2018, my goal is also to complete 52 hikes, but to make them a little longer than a lot of the hikes we did in 2017. The average in 2017 was just under 2 miles per hike, so I'd like to get that average up to 2.25 miles or 2.5 miles per hike.

   *** want a 10% discount when registering for the 52 Hike Challenge? ***

*** use this link, which will also give me a 10% discount ***

Races
In 2017 I finished my 40 by 40 50 by 40 goal by running my 50th race on my 40th birthday. I then ran one race a month for the remainder of the year. All told, I ran 13 races, including two half marathons.

In 2018, my goal is to run one race a month, except in September, when I will run 2 or 3 races. The current plan is to run the Great Smoky Mountains Half on the 8th and the Shenandoah Half on the 15th. I might also run the Great Smoky Mountains 5k on the 7th, though I'm still deciding on that one. These will be my only half marathons of the year and will be the shortest amount of time I've ever had between two half marathons.

Business
In 2017, I built my businesses and learned a lot. I haven't run my numbers yet, but I think I actually made a small profit, which was promptly reinvested in the businesses.

In 2018, I will continue to build my businesses while also increasing my profits (hopefully by a lot). My Glowforge is <finally> due to arrive at the end of February, and I anticipate having a lot of fun messing around with it and producing items to sell on Etsy. I'm still deciding which businesses will receive the most attention, since I can't focus 100% on all of them (there's currently four, with a possible fifth in the works), all the time. I think I know the answer to this one though. I will also focus on working smarter, rather than harder, and wasting less time (so easy to do when you sit down in front of the computer).

*** can't handle the coolness of the Glowforge and need one of your own? ***

*** purchase through this link and we'll both save $100 ***

Cub Scouts
In 2017, I was finally able to register for Wood Badge after missing the previous two classes (offered every other year in our council) because first River, and then Ocean, were tiny babies the last two times the class was offered. Unfortunately, the class was canceled at the last minute and I wasn't able to find an alternative location to attend.

In 2018 I will finally go to Wood Badge. It'll be in a different council, but I'll do it. I've already nailed down which course in which of the neighboring councils will work with our schedule this spring, and just need to register for it.

Health
Toward the end of 2017 my sister introduced me to Plexus, and I'm starting to see an improvement in the lingering health issues I've been dealing with.

In 2018, I will add in various products to help me get healthy, regulate my hormones, and finally start losing weight.

*** want to learn more about Plexus and how it can help you feel better and have more energy? ***

*** go to my website here, and then contact me for more info ***

Family
In 2017 we finally managed to reinstate family scripture study. We've struggled for years to make this a habit, and while it's a nightly zoo with the little boys making noise and running around, they're the ones to remind us to do it, and it's actually happening.

In 2018 we'll continue family scripture study and add in FHE, which I'm sure will be another zoo, but we'll do it anyway.

what are some goals you've set for yourself?

New Year's Day 5k

looking back at runners behind me as we run on a peaceful country road

I've run this race three times before (2016, 2015, 2013), but I didn't run it last year because New Year's Day was on a Sunday (I did this New Year's Eve Glow Run instead). This was my slowest finish on this course by far, but I was purposefully taking it easy and not pushing for a PR. It was also really cold (18* at the start and only slightly warmer at the finish) and I didn't want to risk making my lingering crud worse.

I do think I was slowed down a little by how I dressed. Because it was so cold I opted for my thick long sleeve fleece on top of a thin long sleeve fleece shirt and a long sleeve tech shirt. I ended up overheating a bit and taking the top fleece off, which left me left me vulnerable to the wind that picked up right about that time and cooled my sweat, making me chilled. If I'd worn a vest on top instead of the thick fleece I would not have gotten warm enough to sweat and then get chilled. Oh well. I'll try to remember that for next time.

3.08 miles in 38:11 = 12:24 pace. Slow, but hey, I'm still moving!
1st mile- 11:07
2nd mile- 11:58
3rd mile- 14:21

I like starting out the year with a race and logging some miles right off the bat :)

beautiful view!

Thursday I hit the treadmill to walk while I caught up on some blog posts --> multitasking for the win!

We usually hike on Thursdays, but I postponed it because it was cold (low 20s) and windy and Ocean's fighting some crud of his own and had me up at 4 am so I was too tired to get out in the cold and wind. I hate the wind.

I planned on hiking on Friday, but it was still very cold (teens and low 20s) and windy and I still didn't want to take Ocean out in it. Next week should be warmer (40s and 50s) so we'll double up so we don't get behind this early in the year.

Saturday I would have liked to go outside for a run, but it was still frigid, so I stayed inside. Instead I watched the Plexus Super Saturday Live stream while walking on the treadmill, then hopped on my bike to log a few miles for the week since I didn't manage any earlier in the week. Bike miles go so much quicker than treadmill miles.

meandering to the start line

we park in the field to the right and start on a gravel road. I love country races :)

Over the past month I've been thinking about my schedule and how to fit it all in, and one of the things I want to spend more time on is exercising. I've let that aspect slide too much lately and it's time to make my workouts more of a priority. I'm now working on getting on a consistent exercise schedule, which for now will look like this (though it will most likely change a bit over time):

Monday- bike (long)
Tuesday- rest
Wednesday- bike (short) + run with C if our schedules match up
Thursday- hike
Friday- walk (maybe run?)
Saturday- run (long)

For now it's a nice mix of running, walking, hiking, and biking, so hopefully I can build strength and endurance while also avoiding injury. The main issue, as always, is how to fit it in and still get everything else done that I need to do. I haven't yet found that optimal schedule, but I have hopes for this time around.

My goal is 14 miles on foot and 14 miles on the bike each week (more on that in my next post), but I need to work up to that since I've been doing about half that on foot and only gotten on my bike once a month for the last couple months.

Weekly Mileage
Mon- 3.08 miles run
Thurs- 4.40 miles walked on treadmill
Sat- 4.78 miles walked on the treadmill
Sat- 5.00 miles on the bike
     total miles- 17.26 miles
                       
0 hikes towards #52hikechallenge
12.26 foot miles towards #365milechallenge
5.00 bike miles towards #365milechallenge

Sunday Funny

Ocean loves sticks, and on a recent hike he found the best stick ever! Unfortunately for him, mommy didn't agree with that assessment, and wouldn't help him carry it home. He gave it his best effort, but ultimately decided not to drag it all the way back to the car.

December Mileage + 2017 Mileage

this little dude is getting so independent and grown up

I've been tracking my miles since early 2014, but I didn't start totaling those miles until 2016.
2016: 310.42 miles hiked, walked, or run
2017: 500.30 miles hiked, walked, or run + 20 miles biked = 520.30 total miles for the year

Most miles in one month: 94.37 (May)
Least miles in one month: 13.65 (July)

I ran 13 races that totaled 60 miles (and completed my 40 by 40 50 by 40 goal in June with the Glacier half marathon).
   9 - 5ks
   1 - 2 mile
   1 - 4 mile
   2 - half marathons

I completed 52 hikes that totaled 103 miles.
Sunshine completed 48 of those hikes, including Angel's Landing in Zion NP.
River completed 49 of those hikes, and he hiked all of them, except for one of the first, when he hitched a ride on the stroller the last half of the hike.
Ocean was on my back or in the stroller for part or all of 49 of those hikes.

Most hikes in one week: 5, which happened two weeks in a row, first at Zion NP, then at Glacier NP
Longest hike: 6.42 miles (Angel's Landing in Zion NP) with Mr M and Sunshine
Shortest hike: .54 miles (only two were under 1 mile, and those were early in the year)
Coolest hike: Kanarra Falls

December's mileage: 

1 treadmill workout + 6 hikes + 1 outside run + 1 race + 1 bike workout = 20.45 miles

52 hike challenge: 52 hikes

365 mile challenge: 520.30 miles

November's mileage:

1 treadmill workout + 3 hikes + 2 outside runs + 1 race + 2 bike workouts = 37.26 miles

52 hike challenge: 46 hikes

365 mile challenge: 499.85 miles

October's mileage:

 1 treadmill workout + 5 hikes + 0 outside runs + 1 race + 1 bike workout = 20.41 miles

52 hike challenge: 43 hikes

365 mile challenge: 462.59 miles

September's mileage:

7 treadmill workouts + 4 hikes + 2 outside walk/run + 1 race = 40.42 miles

52 hike challenge: 38 hikes

365 mile challenge: 442.18 miles

August's mileage:

5 treadmill workouts + 6 hikes +1 outside walk + 1 race = 36.66 miles

52 hike challenge: 34 hikes

365 mile challenge: 401.76 miles

July's mileage: 

3 treadmill workouts + 1 hike + 0 outside runs + 1 race = 13.65 miles
52 hike challenge: 28 hikes
365 mile challenge: 365.1 miles

June's mileage:

0 treadmill workouts + 10 hikes + 3 outside runs + 3 races (1, 2, half) + 2 walks = 81.25 miles

52 hike challenge: 27 hikes

365 mile challenge: 351.45 miles

40 by 40 goal: 50 races

May's mileage:

11 treadmill workouts + 3 hikes + 1 outside run + 2 races (1, 2) + 1 field trip = 94.37 miles

52 hike challenge: 17 hikes

365 mile challenge: 270.2 miles

40 by 40 goal: 47 races

April's mileage:

15 treadmill workouts + 4 hikes + 0 outside runs + 1 race = 73.58 miles

52 hike challenge: 14 hikes

365 mile challenge: 175.83 miles

40 by 40 goal: 45 races

March's mileage:

3 treadmill workouts + 3 hikes + 2 outside runs + 1 race = 25.45 miles

52 hike challenge: 10 hikes

365 mile challenge: 102.25 miles

40 by 40 goal: 44 races

February's mileage:

12 treadmill workouts + 3 hikes + 3 outside runs + 0 races = 54.70 miles

52 hike challenge: 7 hikes

365 mile challenge: 76.80 miles

January's mileage:

4 treadmill workouts + 6 hikes + 1 outside run + 0 races = 22.10 miles total
52 hike challenge: 4 hikes
365 mile challenge: 22.10 miles

Potty Training, Week 3 & 4

he wanted a picture with this flower he found and his pipe cleaner glasses

Potty training continues to go pretty well, though there are ups and downs. I find it interesting that Ocean can stay dry all day while we're out and about running errands, but the next day he has multiple accidents while we stay home. I'm thinking it's a matter of distraction (him and me).

He's going diaper-less at nap and night more and more, on his insistence, though other times he insists on wearing a pull-up. He has had some accidents, but we put the potty chair in his room so he can easily get to it as soon as he wakes up, and that has decreased the number of accidents at nap time and bed time. He frequently wakes up dry.

He's done well at church, lasting the whole three hours without accidents and using the potty as needed. He stays dry while we're out running errands (we make a couple potty stops), and he's done fine while we're hiking as well.

At home his accidents are more tiny leaks, where he realizes he's waited too long and he runs for the bathroom rather than just peeing in his clothes and soaking everything.

At this point I'd say he's 90% potty trained, which we are very happy with.

Overall, he's progressed a little slower than when River potty trained, but still much quicker and easier than I was afraid it would be. River was such an easy experience that we were afraid we were doomed to have Ocean still in diapers at 4 or 5 years old. Thankfully that is not the case :)

Weekly Mileage #44

Last week I had to order a new Garmin since my old one died Christmas Eve. I was trying to retrieve the info from our hikes, but the screen kept fading out and the outer touch sensitive ring wouldn't respond to my touch. I eventually got it to work long enough to retrieve my hike info, but that was it. It will no longer hold charge or turn on.

RIP trusty Garmin 405.

I've had it just over 6 years (I ordered it at the beginning of Dec, 2011) and it's recorded a lot of hikes and runs over the years.

As a replacement I bought a Garmin Forerunner 25, but I can already tell that I won't like it as well as my 405. The 25 can do things my older 405 couldn't, but it doesn't do some things the 405 did. I guess my main complaint is that it doesn't show elapsed time, distance covered, and pace for current mile all at the same time, which my 405 did. That's what I get for cheaping out and buying a less expensive fitness watch. But it fit my budget, so it'll do for now, even if it does bug me.

My new Garmin was supposed to arrive Thursday, so I briefly debated whether to hike using a phone app (I have Strava, but never use it) Thursday morning since I knew it wouldn't arrive in the morning, or wait until Friday to hike so I could break in the new Garmin.

18* temps Thursday morning and slightly warmer temps forecasted for Friday had no trouble persuading me to wait until Friday. We ended up waiting until after lunch to hike because it was a bit warmer then, but that was a mistake since it put us hiking during Ocean's nap time. He was not a happy hiker. We'll brave the cold in the future, rather than mess with nap time.

This was our 52nd hike in 2017, which averages out to 1 hike per week and means we hit our goal for the year. We went to our local trails park to see what the cold temperatures have done to the river, and we found some fantastic ice crystals.

The week before last I spent a bit of time totaling up my miles for the year and realized I was only about 5.5 miles away from 500 foot miles for the year. After the hike I still needed a few more miles, so Saturday night I spent some time on the treadmill, finishing out my mileage for the year. I also did a few miles on my bike to bring my total for the year to a nice round number. Yes, my OCD is showing a bit stronger lately (I realized this while pumping gas and aiming for an round number of gallons).

I'll be posting my totals for the year in a few days, so stay tuned for that.

Weekly mileage
Fri- 2.20 miles hiked
Sat- 3.43 miles walked
Sat- 2.13 miles biked
    total miles- 7.76 miles

52nd hike towards #52hikechallenge
520.3 miles towards #365milechallenge (20 of those were on my bike)