One Year Ago...

It has been exactly ONE YEAR since I got the BEST Valentine's day gift ever!!!!!!!!

Ben and I drove on the 13th to go pick up Perry. I was SO excited!

He has been the best puppy to train and I couldn't love that little fluffy face anymore!

 I can't wait for many more years with this cute guy.

As Ben likes to call it, Perry's the "Valentine's gift that keeps on giving" and I am perfectly OK with that :)

We're heading to get sushi tomorrow night for our Valentine's date and I CANNOT WAIT!!!

I hope everyone has had a great Monday and a great Valentine's Day tomorrow! 

TAGGED - Facts of Life post!

Emily, over at All You Need Is Love , tagged in the Facts of Life post! 

And here are the questions from Emily:

1 - Are you more a "chick flick" gal, or do you like "action and adventure" movies?

Defintely chick filcks!!! I LOVE Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, The Notebook, etc! Anytime they are on cable, I always stop and watch part of them!

2 - What is your favorite city that you have traveled to?

Probably, Charleston, South Carolina. I love going to see my mom, and just love the city in general!!! Especially King Street shopping. 

3 - What is your go-to weeknight dinner?

A restaurant in town called Drakes. Sports bar like atmosphere with GREAT food. Favorite entree would be the Chicken Nachos or Lexingtonian Salad and sushi
 

4 - What are you scared of?

I'm totally a little kid when it comes to sleeping in the dark. I have to make sure doors to closets are closed. I also hate waking up in the middle because every little noise freaks me out!!!
 

5 - Who is your favorite actress/actor?

Reese Witherspoon (hence why I love all of her chick flick movies!)

6 - What is one of your favorite childhood memories?

Hmmm... I loved traveling to Sanibel Island, Florida for Spring Break throughout grade school! We would always go to Bubble Room or Mucky Duck. The whole town of Upper Arlington would go down there for spring break. It was so fun!

7 - Where would your dream vacation be?

Some place warm - Maybe somewhere like St. Lucia

8 - You're at the Starbucks counter - what are you ordering?

Grande non-fat vanilla latte OR Grande Soy misto with 1 pump (peppermint, pumpkin spice, vanilla, etc. whatever I'm in the mood for/whatever season it is!!!)

9 - What's your favorite make-up or beauty product?

 I'm currently in love with Bobbi Brown products! And my Urban Decay Naked Palette

10 - Is there a fashion trend right now that you are loving?

Bringing the inner-child out and wearing headbands/bows/flowers in my hair

11 - What celeb do you wish you could trade closets with?

Lauren Conrad - love her style

 Here are my questions: 
1 - Where did you grow up?
2 - What is your favorite city that you have traveled to? Or want to travel to?
3 - What is your favorite meal to cook?
4 - Who is your style icon?
5 - What's your favorite make-up, hair or beauty product?
6 - You're at the Starbucks counter - what are you ordering?
7-Do you have any pets?

8- What is your favorite type of clothing?

9- What is your dream job and why?

10-What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

11- Have you met any blogger friends in real life?

So here is what you do:

Post 11 fun facts about you  I slacked and just answered the questions, ha!
Answer the questions that the tagger set up for you, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag
Tag 11 new bloggers and link them on your profile
Let those 11 bloggers know you tagged them!

I'm going to tag anyone that wants to do this!!! I would love to see your answers!

Half Marathon Training - week 7

I've been training for a half marathon for the past 6 weeks. 

It has been hard to stick to a schedule of running Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. Sometimes I have to change it up, but I'm just trying to get two 30 minute runs during the week, and one long (or whatever is on the schedule) run on the weekend. 

Two weeks ago, I had a 6.5 mile run on the schedule. I've never done more than 5 miles, so I was nervous for 6.5. Ben and I ran it together. Well, we started out running together. We ran around our neighborhood towards a park close by that has a 2 mile loop. I felt fine until about mile 3.5 where the hills started.... And then my hips were killing. And then my knee started to bother me. But I was determined to finish!! 

Ben was so sweet and waited for me at certain points through the park. I think I started off running too fast to stay with him, and it killed me for the rest of the run. By the time we made it back home, we had gone 7.02 miles. I couldn't move the rest of the night. I haven't run outside in months, and then to run 7 miles, with hills.... IT HURT!!!!

Last week, I had an easy weekend run. Just a 3 miler. 

But this weekend, we had 8 miles on the schedule. I figured I would run out at Keeneland near the actual half marathon course. 

I work up from a nice Sunday afternoon nap around 2pm and Ben wanted to be out the door by 2pm so he could watch football. He ended up just running around our neighborhood again. I took my time getting ready and stretching, and then headed towards Keeneland. 

While I was looking up the map of course online, I saw they had scheduled training runs out at Keeneland today! They started at 2 pm, so I obviously missed them, but I was hoping to see some people out there. 

It really is a beautiful course!!!! I stopped to take pictures along the way and loved seeing the horses, farms and beautiful houses out there!

Around mile 6, it started to rain. I decided to take the next road back towards Keeneland and head towards the car even though I wouldn't finish all 8 miles. I was having a GREAT run and nothing was bothering me too bad, so I figured I better end on a good run than push myself in the rain. And, I was worried about having my iPhone in the armband with the rain! Haha. 

I ended up seeing two different groups of runners along the course. Everyone was so friendly!! When it started it rain, a lady who I'm guessing organized the training run, was driving around to make sure everyone was ok. She even checked on my even though I hadn't gone out with the crowd :)

The hills were NOT that bad! They were nothing like the ones I did 2 weeks ago. I think the hills today were longer, so it wasn't such a shock to my body. They were different, and I liked that, ha!

I ended up finishing at 7.5 miles. Which I was completely fine with. I was going to try and run the last 0.5 miles when I got home, but after the car ride, my muscles were so tight by the time I got out of my car. I would much rather end on a good run, injury free, than to push myself to complete 0.5 more and risk injury!

I came home and stretched. Perry even helped me stretch :) I'm going to ice my knees and then hopefully do a Pure Barre dvd later tonight. I love the PB dvd's because of the stretching we do after each muscle group. 

Today's run has me so excited for the half in March! Only 10 weeks away.....

Bootcamp

How is it already the 3rd week in January?!!! It's flying by!! I've been crazy busy with work, babysitting, training for this 1/2 marathon and a new craze..... BarreAmped Bootcamp! I heard about this bootcamp through Jill and after doing some research it was a great deal. Seven weeks unlimited for $100! If I go 3-4 times a week that makes it about $5 a class. Totally do able!!! I loveeeeeeee pure barre classes but they are so dang expensive for this girl, I had to take action on the BarreAmped deal!


The class is different than Pure Bare classes. It could just be the bootcamp part that makes it different, but i love how PB works different sections at a time and then moves on to another section. BA bootcamp does one movement after another a d throws in a TON of pushups and mountain climbers. Those things are brutal!!! And I def miss the awesome music they play at PB. But I'm just hoping I see a change at the end of the seven weeks!!! Have you all tried a BarreAmped or other barre class? Which ones your favorite?!!

Looking back at 2011

Shew, 2011 flew by for me! 

It was a jam-packed year though!

In January, I started my new and first job since graduating college! I was so excited and it has turned out great. (And we had LOTS of snow days!)

I also made a New Years resolution to stay organized throughout the year, which I have definitely been able to do thanks to my MomAgenda planner! (And of course, my trusty iPhone calendars!)

However, I have not stuck to the "attend hot yoga or pure barre once a week..." OOPS! Must work on this more next year. Maybe if I say 3 times a month, it will be more do-able!!! However, I have been LOVING my at-home PB dvd. I need to invest in a package so that I have no excuse not to go to PB class!

In February, I got the BEST VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT EVER!!!!!

Flowers at work....

and A LITTLE PUPPY!

I cannot even tell you how excited I was to finally have a puppy.... and a Goldendoodle! Perry is the BEST dog!! He rarely barks, loves cuddling with me, calm, loves riding in the car.

In March, UK rocked it out in the NCAA bracket and made it to the final four game....

I purchased my first pair of revas and I'm obsessed with them!

(March was kind of a slow and boring month, ha!)

In April, we lost the final four game to Connecticut.... UGH!

My sister ran her first 5K race at the Kentucky Horse Park!

We went to Isle of Palms for Perry's first trip to the beach!

And of course, the Royal Wedding I watched while I was getting ready for work in the wee early hours and later that night on DVR!

Had a party bus for Keeneland

In May, the end of the school year was in sight and my first 1/2 year of teaching was under my belt. 

In June, Perry gave us a HUGE SCARE and had an emergency trip to the vet. I've never be so scared to leave my puppy. SO SCARY!

In July, Ben and I moved into a condo together. 

And I love having a quiet pool all to myself at the new place :)

We ran a 5K in Columbus in memory of my Gammy (my grandma)

And Ben turned 25!! We celebrated at Melting Pot. 

And I found a new obsession with my Silhouette SD machine!

In August, I prepared for the new school year and having my own classroom!

In September, I apparently didn't do much of anything according to my blog! Haha! (Must do a better job blogging more next year!)

On Labor day weekend, we went down to the Lake for one last weekend on the water!

In October, we did the Buddy Walk at the Thoroughbred Center to support the Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky. 

And celebrated my sister and brother-in-laws birthday at Malones! So happy to have them in Lexington for their b-day!

And of course, Keeneland with everyone!

Dressing up as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story for Halloween

In November, Perry had his 1st birthday! 

And enjoyed lots of treats. 

I registered for my FIRST half marathon!!! Eek, so nervous!

And finally, in December, I became obsessed with Pinterest and made some of the things I had pinned. 

Celebrated Christmas in Columbus and Glasgow

Celebrated my 24th birthday!!!

Whew, what a YEAR!!!!!!!!! If you made it this far, I give you props! Haha

I hope everyone has an AWESOME New Years Eve!!

See you in 2012.....