2012...a year in review

Yes, I fully realize that it's now the 3rd day of 2013 and I'm just now getting around to doing a 2012 recap. I have good excuses (as usual). We had the stomach plague in the house. And I didn't feel like blogging. And I'm feeling rather "meh" about the new year so far. All valid reasons to not blog about last year. And really, this is so new still. It's almost like it's still last year.

So I did some "research" (ha) and it appears that I wrote 137 blog posts last year with my "wordiest" months being January, February and March. You know, those were the months when I actually attempted to write every single day thanks to "NaBloPoMo." Clearly I "failed" those attempts. :)

Anyway....here goes. 2012 as I remember it.

January started out rather 'blah' ... I was not in a good mood when the new year started (shocking, I know). I was feeling discouraged and disgruntled and I was trying to figure out where my professional life should go. You know, same crap different year. But on the BRIGHT SIDE my girls celebrated their birthdays (parties! cake! presents!). And I continued to "train" for my first 5K "race." Oh, I also instituted a lifetime ban on Girl Scout Cookies in this house. So don't try selling me any Thin Mints. Ever.

February was an OK month and not just because it is the shortest month of the year. I celebrated my 39th birthday (yes, that means I'll be FORTY next month...whatever) and birthdays are always a good thing. But the highlight of February was my #PrincessPartyCrew weekend with Kristen, Rebekah, Jackie and Tori.

We spent a weekend at Walt Disney World for the Royal Family 5K (part of the Princess 1/2 Marathon Weekend). We lived it up at a Global Resort Homes vacation home (thank you again Global Resort Homes!). We went to the Magic Kingdom and cried during Wishes. We at dinner at Via Napoli. We saw so many Disney friends. Oh, and we walked a 5K. And it was amazing. And it changed my view of a lot of things. And it empowered me to think anything was possible. Yeah, it was an amazing 3.1 miles. The ladies and I had such an incredible time together .. and we're already talking about a #PrincessPartyCrew "reunion" for the 2014 Princess 1/2 Marathon weekend. And this time, I might actually run the 1/2 marathon. Maybe.

I wrote a post that sums up what the Princess Weekend meant to me. Click here to read.

At the end of my Princess Weekend I was actually lucky enough to spend a few more days in Orlando with Kevin. And, I went to Hogwarts. And my wand chose me! (And if you're not a Harry Potter fan you have no idea what I'm talking about).

March was a somewhat slow month. The highlights included being invited to be a member of the Children's Clairtin Moms Crew. And then, there was the post about the absolute weirdness of job interviews.

In April I got a new job. And then it was May. And May was really cool. Olivia celebrated her First Communion. Emma danced in her very first recital. And I went to Atlanta to be part of the Conversations with Coca-Cola Social Media Conference. Let me just say when I received the invitation to this event I nearly fell out of my chair with excitement. This conference was an incredible event - I met amazing bloggers, learned a lot about myself (and social media) and had a great time thanks to Coca-Cola. One of the highlights of the event was creating my vision board. It still hangs next to my desk and I look at it daily for inspiration.

June and July...what can I say other than it was HOT. And I sort of sucked at blogging during those months. I guess I was busy. At the pool. I also started working for a congressional campaign in June, as the "social media person." More on that later. Oh and in July I was also offered a job that I thought (for a few minutes) might be a great job. Then they told me I wasn't allowed to blog without their permission. Or be involved in politics - at all, ever. And so I told them to take a long walk off a short pier. Or something like that.

In August we took a family vacation to the Outer Banks. It was a lovely relaxing week on the beach. I think I fell in love with the OBX. On the way to the OBX we spent a day in Washington DC and while I'm not sure, I think that was probably a highlight for Olivia - she loves her presidential history and she was able to see the Lincoln Memorial in person! At the end of August the girls went back to school .. Olivia started 3rd grade and Emma started Kindergarten (gulp!). Oh, and I discovered that my ongoing ankle pain was the result of a partially ruptured (but healed) Achilles Tendon. And that's when I realized I wouldn't be running/walking the 2013 Princess 1/2 Marathon for my 40th birthday.

September was slow according to the blog. We did spend a day on Put-in-Bay and that was a ton of fun. And I got bronchitis. Again. That was not fun. In October, Kevin and I celebrated 10 years of wedded bliss. And I blogged about workplace bullies.

November. Ah, the start of the holiday madness. We had an extra furry and fat house guest during Thanksgiving ... when Emma brought home the classroom guinea pig. For six days. Yeah. I learned that (1) I'm allergic to alfalfa hay and guinea pigs love the stuff and (2) Emma wants a guinea pig for her birthday. (Shhh..don't tell her this but she's getting one). And then my third grader started learning about how babies are made.

The biggest thing from November though wasn't the guinea pig or the sex education in third grade. It was the election. And the end of my friend's congressional campaign. I spent six months as part of the campaign and it was an incredible, life changing experience. I met some great people. We had some laughs. We shed some tears. And even though my friend lost, I would do it all again.

And that bring us to December and if you're still reading this you get a gold star. And you're in luck, because I didn't blog much at all in December. Except when I talked about ugly plus size clothes and how unfair that is to women with curves. And then December 14th happened and I tried to process the unthinkable. And then the world kept turning and it was Christmas.

And then poof! Just like that it was the new year.
So here we are. Another year to do amazing things.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year and to everyone who keeps coming back to read this blog...thank you so very much.

Team Mom's Everyday Victories - My first 5K ... but not my last

So, what's an "everyday victory"?

Last fall I bought my first pair of "running shoes" ... purchased with every intention of getting down to business and completing the "Couch to 5K" program and running my very first 5K race earlier this year.

I had really good intentions.
I was going to be a RUNNER!
And then, real life got in the way.

I was slowly working up to the actual "jogging" part of the C25K program and then BAM! I got sick with bronchitis. And then I lost my motivation due to some nagging "real life" issues that weren't going away. However, at the same time I was attempting to plan a weekend trip to Walt Disney World with some friends ... and we were going to participate in the Royal Family 5K during the Princess Half Marathon Weekend in late February.

And yet, I still wasn't finding the motivation to get moving.
I was in a funk.
I was content to sit on the couch and watch reality TV.
This mom wasn't in a training kind of mood.

My running shoes found a comfy spot in the closet, where they stayed for most of December and January. I told myself it was "too cold" to walk. Or I was too busy. Or it got dark too early. If there was an excuse to avoid walking, I found it. 

By the end of January my trip to Disney was booked, airline tickets had been purchased, and OHMYGOSH I was really going to participate in my very first 5K race. What was I thinking?

My friends and I went into this with a "we're all in this together" mindset - we promised that no one would get left behind and no matter how long it took, we would all finish the race and get that medal.

I had no idea how motivating and inspiring those 3.1 miles would be.

Before the race even started, my pulse was racing with anticipation (and nerves) but in the back of my head was a little voice say "it's just a walk...what's the big deal?" That voice would be the cynical part of my brain. I tried to silence it repeatedly that morning.

As we walked the first mile our group was separated due to the pace we were keeping but we kept walking. And that first mile - even though it took me 28 minutes to walk - was a good mile. As we started mile two I started to feel a twinge in my ankle (which had been giving me issues for months) and it was around mile 2.5 when we started asking "are we there yet?" ... but we kept on moving.

And then it happened. I saw the sign marked with Mile 3 and the strangest thing happened. I was suddenly overcome with a moment of clarity that to this day I still cannot fully explain. It was as if all the bad stuff from the last 12 months was washed away. Like a curtain had been peeled back and I could see clearly for the first time in a VERY long time. I heard my friends cheering from the sidelines and I got all teary-eyed. I knew at that very moment that ANYTHING WAS POSSIBLE.

And I knew that what I was doing was a lot more than "just a 3 mile walk" - it was renewing me as person and as a mom. The "old me" was back and she was stronger, smarter and I was fierce.

With that knowledge I look at my friend Rebekah and said "let's RUN!" ... and so we did. We ran across that finish line and got our medals.

And that was MY victory for this year.
Next year....the half marathon!

Do you have an everyday victory you want to celebrate?


Thanks to P&G and Kroger for celebrating "Team Mom's Everyday Victories!" 
Hurry in to Kroger and Kroger Banner Stores for P&G’s big sale event, June 10–23!

At Kroger and its banner stores, more than 30 of your favorite P&G brands are at HOT sale prices through June 23, including Tide, Charmin, Cascade, Pampers, Crest and Olay. Look for tags with special prices throughout the household needs and health and beauty aisles, and be on the lookout for even bigger offers – like getting serious dollars off when you buy a bundle of products.

Before hitting the store, visit P&G’s event page on Kroger.com: http://bit.ly/KG6dw5
You can play games like basketball, track and gymnastics to win money off your next Kroger trip, download digital coupons, print a shopping list, and learn more about P&G products!

And as part of this event, consider trying one of these fab products from P&G:
Vicks Nature Fusion, Charmin Basic, Downy Unstopables, and Swiffer Duster Extenders!


Disclaimer: I was selected for participation in this campaign as a member of Clever Girls Collective.

My stay in a luxury vacation home

One of the many "firsts" I experienced during my Princess Half Marathon weekend trip was staying "off" Disney property at a luxury vacation home. Normally when we visit the Walt Disney World resort we stay "on property" at Disney. But this time, the ladies and I had the chance to stay in a Global Resort Homes vacation home in the gated community of Windsor Palms .. and it was amazing !

our house - 8016 King Palm Circle

The house was a 5-bedroom, 3.5 bath, two story house and it can sleep up to 12 people. As there were only five of us in the house, we had more than enough space...but I could see my entire family (the "party of 10") staying there and never stepping on anyone's toes. There was one "king" bedroom, two "queen" bedrooms, and two "twin" bedrooms (each with two twin beds, and one of those rooms was Mickey Mouse themed!). There was also a sleeper sofa, so everyone had their own space for catching up on some much-needed sleep.

 foyer

The house was light and airy and beautifully decorated. We all loved the kitchen and spent quite a bit of time one morning musing about where the pictures and other decor might have been purchased - because we all wanted to replicate it in our own homes! The picture up above shows the entryway as you walk in the front doors - the steps lead to the upstairs bedrooms (the two "twin" rooms) and one of the three full bathrooms. Through the archway on the right is the kitchen area. The kitchen had a dishwasher, coffee pot, AND a Keurig coffee machine - and enough dishes and coffee cups for everyone.

living room with the most comfortable red chair EVER!

The living room area had vaulted ceilings, a flat screen television and very comfortable seating areas. One of my favorite details in the living room were the huge (empty) frames hanging on the walls. I had just seen something like that on Pinterest and thought it was a genius decorating idea for larger walls. And that red chair in the photo? Yeah. It was the best chair ever. I wanted to take it home, along with the very cool clock in the foyer. 

 the frame decor...love it!

As great as the inside of the house was (and it really was!)...my favorite part of this house was the screened in lanai with the pool and hot tub. Yes, we had our very own pool, complete with an alligator (fake, of course...we named him Gary the Gator because no pool in Florida should be without gators, right?). If I had the time, I would have spent at least an entire day sitting poolside, sipping fruity cocktails. As it was...we were super busy and only had minimal pool/hot tub time. 

ah, paradise

The hot tub was the favorite spot for all of us that weekend - even when we arrived home at 11 p.m. Friday night and had to be awake at 4:30 a.m. for the Royal Family 5K ... we still decided it was time to take a dip in the hot tub and rest our weary feet. Sadly, we were all too tired to sip fruity drinks at the time. But the next day, after finishing the 5K, the hot tub was the destination of choice once again. And ... once again we were all too tired for tropical cocktails!

In addition to the great decor, pool, and hot tub the house also had a full size washer and dryer - perfect for washing the bathing suits and towels after a day of swimming, or doing a full load of laundry so you can go home with clean clothes! And, we also had wireless Internet ... a great thing when you have a house full of bloggers and social media geeks.

the kitchen/dining area

The Windsor Palms Resort is one of the nine Global Resort Homes communities in the Orlando area. We were just 2.5 miles from the gates of the Walt Disney World property and the drive was easy, even when traffic was a bit heavy (early in the morning). Windsor Palms has a 7,500 square foot clubhouse complete with a community pool, sundeck, and hot tub. There's also a playground area for the kids, a fitness center, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, and a 58-seat movie theater.

my room

The thing I enjoyed most about our stay with Global Resorts - other than the hot tub! - was the feeling when you came home at night, tired from walking all day at the parks, that you were HOME. We walked in the front doors, dropped our things in our rooms, and gathered in the kitchen area and it felt like home. It was a great feeling. And then in the morning, we had our "coffee talk" time before heading out for that day's adventure. I was definitely sad to say "goodbye" to our house when I left. 

For more information on Global Resort Homes, visit their website.

Disclosure: I stayed with Global Resort Homes as part of their Global Blogger Program and our stay was complimentary. I received no monetary compensation for my stay or for this review. All opinions and photos in this post are mine.

Wordless Wednesday - BoardWalk

 A view of The BoardWalk

 A different entrance on the grounds

 Our balcony

 The garden view from our room

 A quiet pool (also viewed from our room)

 The room

In one of the sitting areas

A weekend fit for many princesses

After months of planning, my "girls weekend" finally happened last weekend ... and quite honestly it was more fun than I had even anticipated.

To begin with, we had amazing accommodations! Thanks to a great partnership with Global Resort Homes, Jackie, Kristen, and I hosted a giveaway at the end of last year and in return, Global sponsored our stay at one of their luxury vacation homes (more on that in another post).

While I'm going to be blogging more about the house in another post, let me just say this - it was so much fun rooming with my friends! Kristen, Jackie and I have "coffee talk" every morning via Twitter and it was great to finally be able to have coffee together in person! Tori (Kristen's daughter) and Bekah rounded out our five-person "Princess Party Crew" and for that one weekend we really WERE the "Fab Five."

After a very lengthy flight delay last Thursday (thank you so much Delta), I finally made it to Orlando two hours late and practically RAN through the airport to meet the ladies. We made it back to our house and I managed to get a few hours of sleep. Yes, only a few hours. I was wide awake at 5:30 a.m. ... typical for when I'm near Disney property.

A 'business breakfast' on Friday was followed by a trip to the "Fit for a Princess Expo" at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex - we needed to pick up our race packets and bib numbers.

 That was when it really hit me - this wasn't just some random three mile walk ... I was participating in a REAL RACE. The expo was incredible - Cinderella's carriage was there, as was a glass running shoe:

It was during the expo when I had my first thought of "I think I need to run the Princess 1/2 Marathon next year." Yes, it seems like a crazy thought...but the energy inside that expo was enough to make anyone want to run 13.1 miles. And yes, even now...a week later...I still want to run the 1/2 marathon in 2013.

After a lovely day and evening at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom last Friday, we were up at 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning! Yes. 4:30 a.m. It's an ungodly hour...even more so when you know you're going to be walking 3.1 miles very soon. Once we made it to the "waiting area" near the start line, it was unlike anything I've ever been part of. There were 5,500 runners and walkers in one place - dancing, laughing, warming up, and getting photos taken. There was a DJ playing music, people were doing the Electric Slide, and the adrenaline was definitely flowing!

The crowd was pumped up and finally....we were ready to go. (And yes, I was wearing a tiara!) We lined up in our corral ... way at the back with the other walkers and then BAM! the starting fireworks went off and it was time to.....walk really slow. Imagine 5,500 people all trying to move at once. You don't move fast at all. It was more of a shuffle for a few minutes. And then, the crowd spread out and we were really doing this thing.

The first mile was probably the hardest just because there was NOTHING to see. We were on a service road behind Epcot and the most exciting scenery was abandoned trams from the Backlot Tour and a discard Jungle Cruise boat (wth?). Yeah, real inspiring, right? Mile two had us entering World Showcase at Epcot and then it felt a bit more magical! As we neared mile 2.5 it was like "Oh. My. God. Are we there yet?"

But then we saw it: the 3 mile marker:

 

And at that point, we knew we were going to make it! Bekah, Tori, and I RAN across the finish line...just so we could say "yeah, we ran a 5K!" It seemed like the right way to finish the race. And man, did it feel good to finish! I finished the race in a little more than one hour ... not too bad for my first walking 5K. And really, for me it wasn't about the time. It was more than that. (To read more about my feelings during the race, read this post).

 

The rest of the weekend was spent touring the parks, eating amazingly delicious meals (Whispering Canyon Cafe, Ohana, Boma), and having more fun than should be legal. We saw "old" friends and made new friends. We cried during "Wishes" (OK, I cried during "Wishes"). This weekend was all about friendships both new and old and it really was the BEST. WEEKEND. EVER. 

At this point, I want to talk about my amazing friends - the women I spent the weekend with. I've known Jackie and Kristen for a couple of years, having met them both via Twitter in the "Disney community" that resides there. I adore them both ... we all love the same thing (Disney) but have connected beyond that too. I just met Tori and Bekah last Thursday, but couldn't imagine the weekend without them. (And, I think perhaps Bekah and I were friends in another lifetime - it really felt as though I had known her for years.)

And as for the ladies of the Princess Party Crew, for four days from Thursday night when I arrived, until Sunday night when I left them in front of Cinderella's castle, the five of us laughed so hard we cried and we cried so hard we ended up laughing. The connections formed over the course of just a few days go beyond the words "awesome," "amazing," or "incredible."

I saw so many friends last weekend that I can't begin to name everyone, but know this: I consider myself a very lucky lady to know such amazing people.... the Princess Party Crew, Maria, Aurora, Megan, Kristin, Tiffany, the rest of the "Sparkly Moms", Amanda, Zanna...I adore you all and am so happy to have you in my life.

And now....I'm looking to 2013 and the Princess 1/2 Marathon. We all said we'd do the BIG race next year. We said we'd start training now. We know it can be done. We are strong enough and fast enough and we can do anything!

A tale of 3.1 miles

See that photo over there? It was taken .1 miles away from the finish line of my very first runDisney event (and very first 5K race) - the Tangled Royal Family 5K. I'm smiling from Mickey ear to Mickey ear because I'm just so darn happy. (My finish time was around 1:11:00, give or take a few seconds).

I didn't run the race. I walked. My pace wasn't the greatest (heck, the first mile took us 28 minutes!). But you know what? I finished the race. And, I RAN across the finish line. And I got a medal for my hard work.

And it was all worth it.

To me, this race wasn't about how fast my miles were, or where I finished in the group of 5,500 runners, walkers, and stroller pushers. No. It was about ME and feeling good about myself.

The last year has been rocky to say the least. You know this if you have been reading my blog for a while. I left a toxic work environment and an abusive boss. I spent months at that job feeling useless and worthless. It truly broke me as a person.

But as I passed that 3 mile marker on the course I had this moment of clarity that's really hard to explain. It was as if all the crap from the past year was suddenly washed away and I was ME again. I was stronger. Smarter. Faster. And the evil green polyester trolls no longer had any relevance to me at all. They were also washed away in a tidal wave of empowerment.

And then, as the finish line came into sight, out of the corner of my eye I saw some friends standing on the sidelines and suddenly they were cheering for me! It was that last little boost I needed. I looked at my wonderful (new) friend Rebekah and said "Let's RUN!"...and so, we did. We ran across the finish line. And then we hugged each other. And cried.

At that moment I really felt like anything was possible...I was stronger and faster.

And, I was OK.

Wordless Wednesday - I did it!

That right there is the bib from my very first 5K race.

I did it. 

I finished in a little over an hour.

Wordless Wednesday - Disney....here I come

The bags are packed.

I'm heading to my happy place.

Tomorrow!

The excitement is building!

I apologize in advance for what might be a lack of blogging over the next few days. As I mentioned a few posts ago....I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD on Thursday. And that means I have to finish packing. And make a few lists. And get the house organized for when I'm out of town (because we all know the husbands cannot survive a few hours without us!)

When I woke up today my first thought was ONLY FOUR MORE DAYS! Four days until I have to endure a 2 1/2 hour flight (ugh...I really don't like flying...all the germs on the plane. Forget snakes on a plane. Be afraid of the germy, nasty people). Then, I am going to literally RUN through Orlando International Airport to baggage claim. People get out of my way! I have friends to hug and drinks to be consumed in the hot tub!

There are so many things I'm looking forward to ... seeing old friends, meeting new friends, my first runDisney event, the vacation home from Global Resort Homes. Oh and did I mention that on Sunday I get to transfer to The Boardwalk to spend two nights with my husband?

Oh....yeah...I forgot to mention that part, didn't I?

Well it just so happens that my husband has a work-related trade show AT Walt Disney World from Sunday through Tuesday and so my trip was able to be extended a bit. So....four days with my girlfriends and then two days with my husband....and no kids in sight? Yeah...I'm just a wee bit excited.

I'll be blogging during my trip (if I can find the time) - I can't wait to share photos of the vacation home with all of you! And I'll be tweeting the trip too - including pics from the Royal Family 5K and some of the amazing meals we're going to be enjoying!

See you real soon!

Walking. And water.

No.
Not walking ON water.

I'm talking about walking.
And water.
Two things I'm increasing in my daily life.

See, in exactly 48 days I'm walking in my first ever Disney 5K race. Yes, I actually get a medal at the finish line thank you very much. It's a race.

The Disney Royal Family 5K ... during Disney's Princess Half Marathon weekend.

I was "training" for the race in the fall - I bought running shoes and downloaded the C25K (Couch to 5K) app on my iPhone. And then ... well, then I just stopped. I had been walking and getting my pace up there and was close (but not too close) to adding the jogging in to the mix. And then I lost my mojo. Or something like that. I stopped walking. And got all down in the dumps and blah about things.

Well, new year new me.

I'm walking again (with my sister!) and I'm drinking obnoxious amounts of water every day and darn it all I WILL own those 3.1 miles on February 25.

Oh and my goal from all of this?

I'm telling myself that I will run a half marathon before my 40th birthday in 2013. That gives me about 13 months to get in shape, lose weight and run/walk 13.1 miles. There's a 10 mile race I'd like to aim for in September ... but the half marathon is in November. At Disney, of course. (I mean really. What is the point of running a race if you're not at Disney? At least that's how I see it.)

So for now....I'm going to finish the 5K.

And thanks to Mother Nature and this gloriously mild winter, I'm still able to "train" outside ... without freezing to death.

Here's to walking. And water. Two things that will get me to that finish line.

New Day. New Year. New Beginnings.

Well, nothing like a "clean slate" to start the new year off right, I suppose.

But is my slate really clean?
I suppose it is.

I'm sort of at the beginning - looking for a new job, trying to follow my passion, starting fresh...you know...all the things you're supposed to say and do on January 1st. 

And so I figured, why not start fresh with blogging too? By that I mean posting more than once or twice every few weeks - really focusing on the writing aspect of it and remembering why I started blogging in the first place.

Because I love to write.

So, I'm going to begin with January's NaBloPoMo "challenge" - one blog post every day for the month of January.

Other things I'm "beginning" anew in the next few days....

My job search. Or at the very least figuring out what I want to do.

"Training" for my first Disney 5K.
Which is in 53 days.
I need to keep a 16 minute mile pace...walking or running.
I must get my butt in gear.

I'm sure I have other things I need to "begin"....like another load of laundry .... but those will do for now.

Happy New Year.
I'll be seeing you here quite a bit this month....I hope.