Happy Birthday Momma!

Today is my moms birthday and I wanted to wish her the best day! Wish I could be there to celebrate with her, hopefully next year! I can't for our next visit! And now for some great pictures! 

 When my mom was a baby with my grandma! 

 Me and my mom when I was a baby! 

Last mother's day with my momma! 

Happy Birthday Momma! Have a great day!

Finding the Time

I will be the first to say that I really enjoy running, but it is not always easy to find the time to fit a run in. There are days where I will make excuses to not run: "its too dark", "its too cold", "I'll just hit snooze one more time". Then I will say I will do it after I get off work, and that doesn't happen. Dinner needs to be made, dog need to be taken care of, I am sleepy, whatever the reason, it usually doesn't pan out.

I am sure we have all been there, and it doesn't do anyone any good. There were times towards the end of last year where I would go a few weeks without getting a run in, and I don't want that to happen this year. So, this year I have vowed to stop making up reasons to not get out there, and I am hitting the pavement!

I know people who have no problem getting up and running a few miles at 4am, I am not one of those people. I do no like running when it is pitch black out, mostly for safety reasons. And also because at 4am it is usually well below freezing in my area and that isn't enjoyable for me. Whats the point if you are dreading every step?

So, now I have started running on my lunch break! That is one of the perks of working from home, I can sit in running clothes all day and its doesn't matter (and my husband will attest to the fact that this regularly happens).

I have 30 minutes for lunch, and that is the perfect amount of time to get in some miles and make it back home for work again. I usually come in, decompress for a minute, make some Nuun, and then its back to work for me. That afternoon run makes the rest of the day go by faster and I feel better. I always feel better after a run, so I don't know why I ever make excuses not to do it. Silly me.

Do you have trouble finding the time? When do you fit in your run?

Jawbone Up24 Review

A while ago I did a post on the FitBit Flex vs the Jawbone Up. I knew I wanted one, but didn't know which was best for me. Well, on Christmas morning my husband surprised me with a Jawbone Up24! This is the newest version, it wasn't even out when I did my comparison. I was so excited and have been wearing it every day since Christmas!

The Up24 comes in two colors, onyx (black) and persimmon (orange). I got the persimmon and love it, I am a bright color kinda girl! They also come in three sizes, so you get just the right fit. I got the large and it is great, a little lose but fits just fine. I think the medium would have been too snug and would bother me throughout the day and night.

That's right, you wear this baby all day and night. During the day it tracks your steps and activity, and also allows your to log your food/drink intake and your mood throughout the day. Then, at night you set it for sleep mode and it tracks yours sleep. I love both modes because it makes me much more aware of what I do during the day and how I sleep. You can also view your trends and see your most active/inactive days and sleep.

Lets talk more about the two modes.

In awake mode your step and fitness get tracked throughout the day (most people should strive to hit at least 10,000 steps a day). It is great because it gives you real time updates since the Up24 made the improvement and it now syncs directly to your phone instead of plugging it in, as long as you have an iPhone. This was one of the drawbacks of the Up so I was excited for this feature. You can set it to vibrate if you have been inactive for too long. I have mine set to buzz me if I have been inactive for an hour. You can also set it for the start and stop of a workout that way you get credit for those more active times (even if it not a walking/running based activity). It is great and it really makes you aware of how active or not you are during the day.

In sleep mode it will tell you when you fell asleep, when you woke up and how you slept. It shows your deep sleep and light sleep along when when and how long you woke up throughout the night. I really like the sleep tracker because I find myself going to bed earlier because I want to hit my goal for the night, which is much better than staying up until midnight watching crappy TV. You need enough sleep to be able to function well the following day (about 8 hours a night for most people) and I want to be able to hit that goal every night (and I usually do!).

Needless to say, I am in love with this little gadget! I think everyone should have one because it helps you live a healthier lifestyle, and who couldn't stand to be a little more healthy? It makes you more aware of the little things throughout the day and makes you want to strive to beat your own goals which is great in my book!

The Big Move!

I know in my last few posts I have hinted at a move coming up. When we moved to Oklahoma in June, we knew it would only be for a few months. Andy was sent here for school which would last about 6 months. They started in the middle of July and he will graduate in early February. Then, exactly one month from today we will be on the road again!

Andy received his orders a few months ago, but I didn't want to say anything because the Army changes stuff like that all the time and I didn't want to jinx it. But, now that it is only a month away, I can officially say that we are moving to.... Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, CO!!!!

We are so excited about this next step! When Andy received the list of options for his next post, it was a long one. He asked me where I wanted to go, and I told him I didn't really care, it was whatever was the best opportunity for his career. I am very easy going and would live anywhere. Plus, I work from home and can work from anywhere within the continental US, so I was good with anything. He had to submit is top three choices, and Fort Carson was his number one. We were very happy that he got his first choice!

I am soooo excited that we are moving to Colorado Springs. It is supposed to be beautiful and there is so much to do, between shopping, dining, museums, outdoor fun, and lots of chances for running races! (I have tentatively added a few to the calender for when we get there).

Have you ever been to or lived in the Colorado Springs area? Do you have favorites of the town? I would love to hear from you if you do, or if you just want to say hi!