I am now a BULU Box Brand Ambassador!!

I have tried out a few different subscription box companies and I have cancelled a few too.  I have tried the beauty ones, I have tried a few health/fitness ones and none have even come close to the love I felt for Bulu Box.  It is a health/fitness themed box subscription that is filled with samples from companies that cover all sorts of products.

I am currently subscribed to Bulu only because the products that I have found in other boxes just weren't things that I found to be useful.  I also love the actual box that Bulu sends, it is covered in inspirational and motivational messages! Who doesn't love that?!

I reached out to Bulu Box to see if I could become a brand ambassador because I really do love the company so much.  They accepted me!!  I am so excited to help them spread the word on their amazing company and subscriptions!

Luckily, it doesn't just make me happy.....it will make YOU happy too because I have a link that will allow you to subscribe and get a 50% discount!! Yes, I said 50% discount!! Now you, too, can get the great orange box in the mail and try out product samples from companies that you may not have heard of otherwise.




You can simply click on the ad or click on any link in this post and you will automatically get the 50% off discount when you sign up for a subscription!  It's really that simple!  What are you waiting for?!  Go now!!

Race Recap: 5K Foam Fest

Well, I did it!!  I got messy, I got wet and I had a blast!!  My husband and I had a few setbacks that had me so rattled but it ended well and we laughed about a lot that day.

Our wave was at 9:40am and we were meeting friends there to do it together.  We got a late start because Chuck was sick and slow moving.  He decided that he wasn't going to do the race because he was so sick and it would be hard for him to breathe.  However, he was going to walk the course with me and take pictures. He was not happy about this and neither was I but at that point, he was wheezing and coughing so much, it was much smarter that he not run and do the obstacles.

So we were running late, our directions took us to the wrong place and we ended up driving around for a bit looking for the right place. We finally saw a bus that was a shuttle bus and we followed it to the parking area. Then we had to wait for around a half hour for the shuttle bus because the line was long.  We made it to the event area and had to wait in line again for registration and waiver signing.

When we were finally in and set up, we were put in the next wave which was starting in five minutes.  The horns went off and we started walking.  The course was set up on an ATV dirt trail through the woods.  It was pretty and the trail walking was a good workout in itself.  A lot of people didn't do last year's event so they had nothing to compare it to.

If I were to compare last year and this year I would say a few things:

1.  The parking was different.  Last year, the parking was right at the event area so no shuttles were needed and I really liked that.  We were able to drive through and get it much faster, no lines, no shuttles, no confusion on where we needed to go.

2. The course was much different.  I enjoyed the trails this year.  I liked that the course itself was a workout and the hills and rough terrain allowed the crowds of people to space out and we didn't have to wait in a large group to get through the obstacles like we did last year.

3.  The obstacles. Last year, it just seemed like the obstacles were much closer together than this year.  There were parts of the course this year that it seemed like we were walking forever until the next obstacle.

4.  The afterparty.  The area after the race had some pros and cons over last year.  The shower and changing area this year was superb.  There was plenty of space and privacy for everyone.  Last year, people were changing in their cars, myself included.  However, last year there seemed to be more vendors and it was better set up.

I had a blast and I had no problems with any of the obstacles.  They were fun and I got messy, wet and foamy.  There was even a portion of the course where we walked through a real mine.  I would recommend this race to everyone as a fun run. I think it's a great event for groups of family and friends to do together.

Here are some of the official photos of me:

Have you ever done the 5k Foam Fest in your area?  If not, consider this one as the fun run you've always wanted to do!

Foam, Mud, Water and Fun, Here I Come!!

I am so excited about tomorrow's fun run for the 5K Foam Fest!!  I am very happy that my husband has decided to do this with me, he was there last year following us and taking pictures and he decided that it would be more fun to join in with us.  We have our same group as last year so we can say it is officially our second annual Foam Fest together!

Chuck has been sick for the last week so I was really anxious about whether or not he would be well enough for the run but he assures me that he will be fine.  I told him that it is fine if he needs to walk (he has a chest cold and congestion so running may be out) that I will walk with him. It's really not about your timing in this event, it is about having a blast and doing the obstacles.  I can't wait to see the obstacles because there are some different ones this year.

If you haven't done this event yet, I encourage you to sign up and join in the fun.  You will not regret it at all.  You may just find out that you are tougher than you thought! I know I did!

Making the Tough Calls

As every other parent on the planet, I am always trying to do the best for my kids.  We all do.  It is a tough balance between doing what is best and allowing them to learn on their own.  This year has been a roller coaster of highs and lows.  Teetering on that edge of what is right and what you feel in your heart. Kids have this knack for making you question your decisions sometimes. Little stinkers!

Lincoln is our youngest and you would think that by the time you have your third kid, you have this parenting gig down. That is not the case.  The lovely thing about it is, each kid is different in so many ways.  That is what makes parenting more of an adventure. Not always the fun adventure but an adventure nonetheless.

Lincoln has been quite the adventure since he was born.  Each day is exciting and fresh and well, unpredictable.  He has a way of bringing a smile to anyone and everyone.  I'm not sure how he does it but he's a charming little guy.  Chuck will always take the credit for that.

During this school year, Lincoln has been pushing and plodding along but as the lessons got harder and the words got longer, he started to lag behind.  His teacher and I noticed it and talked about it a lot.  We kept our eyes on his progress and talked about how we can work to keep him where he needs to be. The gap was getting bigger and we finally made the decision to have him evaluated to see if there was something that the special education office and school psychologist could find that would explain this gap. I was nervous that they would wait until next school year to get the series of tests done.  By law, they have 60 days from the day they receive my permission, to test him.  There were less than 60 days left in this school year.  Thankfully, they did the testing right away and they were gathering the information from several sources for the results.

He does have what is being labeled as a learning disability.  There is no specific name for it, it means that there is a discrepancy in his results.  In a series of tests, all pertaining to reading and comprehension, he tested "high above average" in some areas and "well below average" in others.  This means that he needs some help in some areas of reading with the special education staff in order to bridge the gap.  The director of special education feels that it is very likely that with this intervention, he will be able to close that gap and may not even need help in the future.  He may "catch up" to his peers and be fine as he gets older and uses the learning tools they give him to do it all on his own.

The director was saying that they would create an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for him and they would make sure he would have the appropriate teacher for second grade.  I immediately looked at his teacher because in our previous conversations, we decided it would probably be best if Lincoln repeated first grade.  We decided that before we had this meeting though, so does that change things?!  I felt like I had already made the decision so am I again faced with making the decision based on the new information?  They felt that he could go on to second grade now but I thought we had that cleared up.  Shoot......I didn't want to have to decided again.

And then, the director gave me advice........

"Listen to your mom gut."

Isn't that what we all usually rely on?  She was spot on.  There I was sitting there second guessing my decision thinking, well, it would be nice to not have to explain why he is repeating first grade and he would be happier just going on to second grade.   No!  Stop it, you made the decision.

Repeating first grade will essentially help him bridge the gap much more easily than to send him to second grade where the benchmarks and expectations are higher and he has an even bigger gap to close in on.  It just makes sense for him to repeat.  He is also young, he isn't going to turn seven until the end of July so it's not like he is going to be so much older than his classmates in year number two of first grade. He will fit right in, age wise.

He has no issues with making friends and his teacher this year is going to be his teacher again next year since she is an inclusion teacher (classroom with children with IEP's, special needs, etc.) He told his class that he is going to be repeating first grade next year and the teacher started cheering and waving her arms, his classmates starting booing and saying they wanted to be with him next year.  It's really bittersweet.

It wasn't an easy decision but we are looking at the future.  Do we really want to send him on and watch him struggle and get frustrated?  No, I cannot handle another year like that.  It may not be an easy year next year but he will be getting help where he needs it and we are hoping to build a great foundation for his educational future.  The director also said that through the intervention, it is our hope that he gains more self confidence and feels better about himself.  Who can argue with that?!  No one and certainly, not me.

Parenting is definitely not an easy thing, but it is so far beyond rewarding.  I wouldn't trade my silly, loving, crazy boy for the world's riches. 

What's Your Why

A few weeks ago, I was in the car with my son after one of his lacrosse games and he asked me what my why is.  I told him that it was a very good  question.  I'm not sure if someone asked him that or he heard it and decided to ask me.

I often tell other people that I am doing this health and fitness thing for several reasons.  It is so true.  It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I am trying to be the best me that I can be.  I feel like there isn't just one reason. 

• Me.  I am trying to be my best because for many years, I have been doing so much for others, I have put myself on the back burner in an effort to care for others and make other happy.  I don't necessarily think that it is a bad thing that I have done so much for others.  I do enjoy doing things for others.  However, it is my time to put myself first.  The time that I spend working out or running, I get my thoughts out, my frustrations out and stress is lessened.  I am able to relax when I need to relax and I am able to have the energy needed to keep up with my family.

•  My family.  My husband and my kids are my number one in life.  They are what keeps me grounded, what keeps me going everyday.  I need to be able keep up with them and I want to be able to stay active with my kids, playing in the backyard.  Run with them, ride bikes with them, play baseball, catch and frisbee with them. We love to be active so I can't do that if I am not healthy. 

• To help others.  It is in my nature to help others.  I want to help people in any way I can.  I love that some people have remarked that because of me, they have started to exercise more.  It is so good for people to get out and move, to find that one thing that makes them feel good about themselves.  I love to help others find that thing.  To see that they are worth the time and effort it takes to be healthy and active.  

So, now I'm asking you, what is YOUR why?!  

Finding the Right Plan for Me

If you are a runner and have looked for a distance running training plan, you know that there are several out there to choose from.  I have pinned quite a few on my Pinterest page over the last year or so.  Each one seems to have its benefits and I can usually tweak them a bit to fit my schedule.

Then, I found this one:

It is just perfect for my weekly personal schedule.  I can get my runs in on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning before I go to work because those are the days that I don't work at the gym.  The stretch and strength on Mondays and the cross training on Wednesdays I can either do at home or do at the gym.  I really like that Fridays and Saturdays are rest and recovery days because those tend to be days when I want to do stuff with my family.  The Sunday long distance runs are perfect because I can get up and go for a morning run to finish my weekends and get ready for the new week.

I am hoping to run at least two half marathons this year so I need to start training now and building up my strength and stamina.  My half marathon isn't until the fall but if I start now, I will be good to go by September, October and November.  I can't imagine doing a half marathon in the heat of the summer so I decided to wait until the cooler temps of fall are here.

It is always hard to find the time for running and exercising with our busy family schedule but as the school year winds down and we have more free time, I can make the time for more running.

Have you found the perfect training schedule that fits your needs?

It's Going to be Wonderful

In less than three weeks we are leaving for an out of town wedding then heading to the coast for a few days at the beach.  I am both excited and stressed.  We have had a few unexpected expenses pop up and so I am less financially prepared than I was planning on being but we are still going.  I will make it work.

We are going to our nephew's wedding in Virginia and then the following day we are going to Ocean City, MD for four days/three nights.

We were in the car yesterday for a short road trip for a lacrosse tournament for Jada and I was sitting there thinking about how much I love being in the car with my family.  Sometimes the kids are annoying and I want to choke them (don't worry, it has never happened) but I love to be in the car with the people I love the most in life.

Our car ride won't be as long as our drives down to North Carolina and they will be broken up into two drives but I am excited.  We laugh, we talk about memories, we make memories and we sing our hearts out.  There is nothing I love more than my husband and kids and even though it can be a long road, it is worth it.

This will be our first family vacation.  Yes, we have been on vacation before...a few times to the beach.  However, this will be our first time with just the five of us.  We have always gone with other families or our extended family for our beach trips and hopefully we will do that again soon.  I am looking forward to a trip of our very own.  Just the five of us.  There may be more fighting, bickering and annoyance but that's okay. We are making memories of our very own to share with only ourselves.

I am planning on it being a wonderful trip.