Out With A Bang

Posted: November 1, 2011 at 6:57 am

As I’m sure you have heard by now – it’s November. We have only two months left in the year. Hard to believe, huh? At least October went out with a bang! Are you ready to read about a stellar new workout and get an overload of cuteness?

I kicked off my last day of October with a frightfully good workout. Since I knew we had plans for the afternoon ahead, I hauled my booty to the gym to spend some quality time with the treadmill again. But first – a new workout!

The compound moves in a continuous fashion really had me sweating. I loved the use of the resistance band in this workout too. Always fun to mix things up!

Since I had such a sweat going from the circuit (and a little ole thing called a half marathon this weekend), I kept things light when I hit the treadmill. I didn’t mess around with speed work to entertain myself on the treadmill. I just set the speed at 6.2 and kept on running until I hit four miles.

I’m happy to report that my foot finally feels completely normal again. You may recall the top of my foot feeling sore after a long run a little over a week ago. It would still feel a little tender at times, which had me worried. I looked into it and found numerous suggestions to tie my shoes differently.

I followed this guide on Runner’s World and laced my shoes up in a parallel fashion.

No more pain! Who knew such a simple change could work such wonders? I guess trading in my old shoes for the new pair I had waiting for me helped too. Winking smile

Most of the rest of the day proceeded normally – laundry, play time with the kids, getting work done during nap times, and so on. Then came the night and the excitement picked up considerably.

You thought I was going to dive right into the cuteness, didn’t you? Well, sorry to burst your bubble but excitement for me meant starting the night with a heaping bowl of chili.

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I made Kelly’s recipe for chili (because I know she does a good one) and loved every Frito and cheese topped bite. Some things just need the old-school toppings.

Now that you have waited ever so patiently, time for trick-or-treating…

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…and the corresponding explosion of adorable.

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This season is easily my favorite time of year because I simply cannot get enough of the many family activities.

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You can’t help but have some of the kid excitement rub off on you.

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Makenzie had an absolute blast trick-or-treating since this was the first year she fully understood the process. Which also meant Peter and I had to be a little sneakier about nabbing a few pieces from her stash. You know you would do it, too!

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Butterfinger, Reeses, and Twix make good race fuel, right? Winking smile

She obviously has plenty. Today I will be sorting through it all, pulling out a small stockpile of her favorites (Dum Dums) and our favorites (above) for special treats, then donating the rest to Makenzie’s preschool. They are taking donations to send to the troops to have for treats and also to pass out to kids where they are stationed. Isn’t that cool? And friendly to the whole holiday maintenance balance thing. Win win situation for all!

  • Favorite: Halloween candy? Costume? Holiday?
  • What’s a surprisingly simple fitness tip that has made a big difference before for you?

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65 Comments to “Out With A Bang”
  1. Khushboo says:

    Ahhh these pics of your kids kill me, can I adopt them?? EVen one will do! A simple fitness tip that has really impacted the quality of my workouts is to not always push myself to my limits with each workout…it’s okay, and actually beneficial, to take throw in a few ‘easy’ sessions!

  2. I could plow throw Reese’s like you would not believe. I almost think it would be worth it and be sick just to eat a few, but then I don’t think I would be able to stop. Favorite Holiday is a tie between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love the time right in between the two!

    PS – They’re too cute. Awesome outfit on B!

  3. Tina

    The kids look adorable!

    Sometimes when I read your blog posts I’m reminded of both the cultural differences (‘there’ and ‘here’) and also the fact that, due to the power of the internet I can share so many things that aren’t typical to / of our culture here in Oz.

    Chili isn’t a big thing here, but I love the look of yours and I checked out the recipe and thought, “I can do that!” I guess it’s a variation to a bolognese sauce, but I like the idea of skipping the pasta for a change!

    Also loved celebrating Halloween vicariously through you and your family (and others via Twitter, blogs etc)!

  4. Tina says:

    The kids looks adorable!

    A few of my favs are butterfinger, nestle crunch and 100 grand!

    I have learned how important streching is. Although this morning I ended up pulling a muscle while streching lol…only me!

  5. Heather says:

    The kids look SO CUTE!!!!!!
    And what a great idea for the candy!! Colin got 400+ pieces of candy last night and I have no idea what to do with it all (except freeze it!).
    The peanut butter m&m’s and milk duds are my favorite. I had my fair share last night. 🙂

  6. oh my gosh, they’re SO SO SO cute!!! as for fitness, this should be a no-brainer and i would hope that no one would workout without knowing this, but proper alignment in strength training makes all the difference in the world. that and stretching!

  7. Lee says:

    The kids look cute! We had NO trick or treaters last night. I’m kind of bummed.

    I think my favorite candy is either peanut m&ms or snickers.

  8. oh that’s so neat that they are donating the candy to the troops! What a good idea! Haha no kid needs that much candy.

  9. Lori Lynn says:

    I’m a teacher, and I have dressed up previous years (I’m at 2 schools, and one celebrates it. The other does not, so to make things easier, I just haven’t dressed up the last 2 years.). One year I dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood. Another year I was Raggedy Ann. As a kid, I think my costumes were mostly home-made type ones- a princess, gypsy, etc. Funny how they’re more exciting as an adult!

  10. Adorable! We didn’t get too many trick or treaters, but the ones we did see were very cute. Super hero, lion, and all that good stuff.

    The tradition at my house was to eat chili on Halloween. (Good Tradition!) However, due to Chipotle’s Boo-rito deal last night, I went for that instead. It’s still beans n’ spices, right? 🙂

  11. The kids are just too stinkin’ cute! What dolls. I may have to check out the lacing article. Though mine don’t ever seem to really bother me, but might not hurt right?

  12. Favorite Halloween candy would be twix and kit-kat. And a tip that works well for me is not starting out too fast in a race. I just did a couple blog posts about that. And I finally got a new half marathon PR on Saturday after almost 5 years thanks to that tip and a few more from Run Less Run Faster.

  13. i love their halloween costumes:) especially the little pumpkin! so darn cute!
    my favorite halloween candy is a tie between snickers and reeses

  14. Love the costumes! How cute!! Haha I like peanut m&ms the best, then snickers 🙂

  15. Your kids look adorable, as always! 🙂 My old favorite was Twix, now I love Take 5s – but I’ve never seen them in minis!

  16. jobo says:

    Your kids are soooo cute in their halloween outfits!! of course, you know I love candy corn/pumpkins but I also love dots for some strange reason. So sugary and gummy! Haha. Haven’t had either this season though! I am even impressed with myself lol! Good workout tip that surprised me? FOCUS. Makes all the difference!

  17. Mellissa says:

    So cute! I wasn’t home on Sunday to see any trick or treater’s so I missed seeing all the cute costumes. Snickers and butterfinger, so darn good.

  18. Cutest. Pumpkin. Ever.

    Glad y’all had a good Halloween!

  19. Rebecca says:

    I definitely have had the whole sore top of foot thing, but I never thought to tie my laces differently! Deff. going to give it a try!
    Cutest pumpkin baby ever!!!!

  20. I am definitely going to try the lace trick! I experience pain often on the top of my foot but never wanted to tie my shoes any looser because of them feeling uncomfortable that way…I can’t believe I never thought to tie them another way!

    And…of course, the kiddos are completely adorable!

  21. cheryl says:

    love the pics.

    i use a heel-lock lacing and it def helps….i have a narrow heel and wide toe box so would end up with black toenails and horrid heel blisters. it stopped the slippage pretty well.

    i actually learned it from a hiking guide and just moved it over to my sneakers. my boston PT was impressed and said he tells a lot of his runners (he’s nice and still called me one despite the long time i’ve been on the bench) to do the lock but had never had a client who already came in tied that way.

  22. Emily says:

    Your little ones are so cute!
    Donating candy is such a great idea! I used to feel so guilty when I’d throw the bulk of it away come Christmas time. I’ll definitely check into how to make a donation. Thanks for the idea!!

  23. Lindsey says:

    The costumes are adorable! I didn’t get any trick-o-treaters so I amused myself by looking at my friends’ kid’s photos on facebook and twitter and eating candy as if I was giving it out. So, for every cute duck, pumpkin, princess or Buzz Lightyear photo posted, I got a reeses peanut butter cup. It was the best halloween ever!

  24. jen b says:

    To continue w/ the theme….
    Your children are SO ADORABLE! It should be illegal to be that cute!

  25. awww your kiddos look SO cute!! i can’t wait til we have kids to take out trick or treating and such! and that chili looks amazing, perfect for fall – definitely going to need to add that to the recipe rotation next week (fritos and all!)

  26. Your kiddos are so adorable! I love their costumes. That was one of my favorite parts about last night – seeing all the cute trick-or-treaters come by in their costumes.
    My favorite Halloween candy is definitely Reese’s PB Cups, Snickers, and Butterfingers! No costume for me this year…just handing out candy.
    My favorite holiday is probably Christmas. I love Thanksgiving too, but Christmas is the winner. I love the music, Christmas cookies, and everyone’s joyful spirits.

  27. M’s adorable, but Braedon won my heart in that pumpkin costume – he’s going to be a heartbreaker, as I’m sure you already know!!

    • Tina says:

      So funny because at least 5 people told us he’s going to be a heartbreaker last night. I alraedy see it too! We’re in trouble with those baby blues.

  28. Kimberly says:

    your kids are adoraboooo! 🙂 Fave candy is Snickers hands down – however, Reese’s is a close second

  29. The kiddos look adorable in their costumes!

  30. How freaking cute are those babies!? 😀 And I love your running shoes! So cute! What kind are they?

  31. Oh my gosh, your kids are sooooo adorable!!!! I love their costumes! My favorite halloween candy is definitely reese’s pb cups :). And my favorite holiday is Christmas!

  32. Amy Lauren says:

    I love the pics of your kids! They are so adorable :). And they got awesome candy for Halloween too!

  33. I love Halloween because cute kids are even cuter in their adorable costumes. I bet M loved being a little Belle! And B is just a cuddle bundle!
    My stepson got a on of candy this year. Hitting 4 yrs old meant he had more energy to keep going this year and hit more houses. My husband and I had a few pieces last night, but will likely donate the rest as well. It’s such a good cause!

  34. The kiddos look so cute!!!

    I have never heard of doing the laces parallel – I might try it!

  35. Your kiddos are adorable!! 😀
    Favorite Halloween candy, definitely 100 Grand…which is why I don’t buy them. And is it just me, or was Halloween super quiet this year??

    Favorite holiday would have to be Christmas!

  36. Oh my gosh explosion of cuteness is right. Your kiddos are beyond adorable!!! I’m glad y’all had a fun Halloween!

  37. M and B look adorable!!

  38. Lisa says:

    I love the kids in costumes! Best part of Halloween. 🙂

  39. Sara says:

    I agree, M & B look adorable 🙂

  40. Kiah says:

    Your kids are so stinkin’ cute! Our Halloween was officially cancelled by our mayor…because of the snowstorm. Craziness.

  41. Glad your foot is feeling better! I love Reese’s and Thanksgiving:)

  42. Awww they are so so adorable! 🙂
    I miss being able to open the door to all the cute little trick or treaters!
    My favourite holiday is definitely Christmas for the traditions, the family time, the preparation, the atmosphere and Midnight Mass 🙂

  43. Oh my gosh. Too much cuteness is right!! Favorite holiday probably has to be Christmas but I love Thanksgiving too. The entire months of November and December are just so “jolly” to me. I love it. Great workout!

  44. Hilary says:

    I love twix and Reese and skor. I just discovered an awesome treadmill workout where you do side shuffles that I LOVE but then was informed that it is ” dangerous” and I’m not allowed to do it at my gym without a spotter…wicked bummer!!!

  45. RunEatRepeat says:

    Fave Halloween candy is Reeses!!!

  46. you have some adorable trick-or-treaters. aaand how have I never heard of that shoe-tying adjustment?! I’m so glad you taught me something new.

  47. Kelly says:

    Yay1 Glad you liked the chili!! I agree that adding fritos and cheese is a must!

    Braeden is adorable as a pumpkin…I knew you would be posting pictures of the kiddos in Halloween costumes and couldn’t wait to see the pictures. I thought yesterday would be a hard day for me but really it was a lot of fun and I found myself smiling all night at the kids who came to the door.

  48. Oh MY! How cute are these little ones of yours????? SO cute!!

    Ugh, I ate so much “naughty” candy yesterday. I love the reeces peanut butter cups!!!!

    xxoo

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