It's the little things

It's the little things.

It's a phrase we've all heard over, and over. A cliche. Something you really don't pay any mind to because it's lost it's meaning from all the repetition. It's those kinds of things you learn to appreciate though, when they somehow find a little more meaning in your life.

In the process of taking a year to focus on me, I've also paid more mind to the other little details in life, one place to surprisingly note is in my running. One thing that was hard for me while training for my half marathon was I got so bored with the scenery. My challenge to myself as I begin to train again is to look for one new thing I hadn't noticed on my run last time. It's crazy how different your course can be, even though it's the same one you ran 4 times in a week, when you change your mindset. Instead of thinking about the fact that I have to run past the same stuff everyday, I start picking out the small details. Like how many cars are parked in a driveway, noting the actual number on the mailboxes even though I've lived on the street for 21 years, seeing the way the flowers have changed and blossomed, noting the blow up pool that appeared in one of the yards once the weather warmed up. you know, the little things.

Speaking of running. I was always hesitant to note on some tips and tricks I've learned along the way, thinking, any veteran runner will read this and just laugh, thinking, isn't that obvious? but for those of us not training to be Usain Bolt, it might not be so obvious. For those of us who are learning as we go, any little bit of advice helps, the little things.

During my training for my half marathon, I made the mistake of having overly high expectations of myself, expectations that caused me to be way too hard on myself, and kind of ruined the experience. What's the expression they use, Rome wasn't built in a day? Well I am very hard headed, and not surprising, very impatient. I tend to learn things as an aftermath rather than in the moment. A learning experience perhaps? So as I get myself back into running shape, I've had a much more open mind. And from my point of view, the results are already speaking for themselves.

Between the midst of packing, moving, and just generally figuring life out... well let's just say running definitely got put on the back burner. When I finally had some time on my hands, and started to make myself go for runs again, I was extremely put out by how out of shape I had gotten. While I was never extremely fast, I was actually downright disgusted to see my mile pace rise back up into double digits. All that hard work for what? But then I made myself realize, if I want my time back, then the only way to get there, was to get my feet dirty. So I took off running.

I started running again about a week after I moved home, so a little less than a month. Let me just tell you, it was a rather excruciatingly frustrating process at first. While I once finished 13.1 miles like it was nothing, I couldn't even finish running 3. I never used to let myself stop and walk, I wouldn't allow it. And now? My runs consisted of more walking than running. Talk about A LOT of steps backward. But you know what? I kept getting up and running. I dreaded it, oh did I dread it. But I went. In a little less than a month's time, I have gotten my time back down to around where it was at my prime, which I must say, I'm impressed with myself ,especially because I have no set training schedule, I'm literally just going with it. It's not just the time though. I've realized my running in general has become stronger. My body doesn't feel as heavy when I run, I can feel how much stronger my legs are. I'm slowly but surely mastering taking longer strides, which is already reflective in my miles. When I trained for my first half, my fitbit would buzz around 3 miles to say I got my 10,000 steps. I've been a bit discouraged when I log into my fitbit dashboard to see my weekly step count a lot lower than usual, despite running at least 3 times a week. But then I told myself, quality, not quantity. Because now, when I go for my runs, my fitbit doesn't buzz for the 10,000 until closer to 5 miles. That means I'm getting almost twice the distance in half the steps. I'll take it.

I've never been a quitter; I don't let being sore or tired be an excuse. But I've been taking a few extra steps to ensure it doesn't become one. When I first got home I spent some time running at the gym. I was amazed at how fast my mile times were, but then was extremely disappointed to see the huge gap in my mile times outside. Then I thought to myself, why waste your time and energy inside? When will you ever find a race that is hosted in a perfectly temperature regulated environment encased in 4 walls? That would be some pretty freaking boring miles if you ask me. So that's when I decided, no more running inside. Running outside definitely has it's perks. 1- If you run outside, you have no choice but to come back. On a track, you can just stop whenever, walk back to the stairs or gate and call it a day. Outside? Whether you're running a loop, or running to a destination and turning around, once you're out, there's literally no turning back, until you're headed home. So think, even if you only get, say a half a mile down the road. Well, you have no choice but to run the half mile back if you decide to be done for the day. That's a half mile longer than you'd make it on a track. Do that everyday, and it starts to add up. Without realizing it, you've pushed yourself that much further. Because I can assure you, the more you run, the further you'll find yourself going before you turn around. 2- You're forced to train in the elements. And this is where people might call me crazy (which I myself do too at times because normally if it's not sunny and 75, I HATE the climate and elements) but I've taken to running in the most extreme elements I can. I did in Georgia too. Because let's face it, when is race day ever sunny and 75? (which, even for race day, 75 would be way too hot for me) So chances are if you haven't encountered it before, you won't be equipped to handle it when it comes, and believe me, it'll come. Prime example- it had been in the teens the weeks leading up to my first half, and I definitely skimped on my training... I got to race day, and it was mid 40s and drizzling, and I thought, I've ran in the rain before, I'll be fine, I've got my gear to stay warm, I'll be fine. WRONG. I sweated my ass off the whole time. I know I overheat easily and sweat like crazy, but my pansy self hates being cold and couldn't stop thinking about possibly being cold. Lesson learned. I digress.. anyway, instead of getting up early in the morning to run when it's cool (which, closer to my next race I will switch to doing simply to get prepared to run at that time of day since that's when my race will be), I run in the hottest part of the day. I know, I know, you're probably thinking, she's lost her mind. But guess what? Slowly but surely, I'm becoming acclimatized, and it's actually improved my running. As much as I hate the cold, I also HATE getting extremely overheated when I run. I''m not one to stop running and call it quits, but if I get hot enough, I will walk. I hate the feeling. Only one way to get over that though, and it's to find a way to get rid of it. Speaking of walking though (yes I apologize for my mind being everywhere, this is what happens when your mind wanders on your runs and then you have to try and compose the thoughts later), I decided to break my one rule  I said I never would- I've been walking on my runs. My reasoning- I've been treating it honestly as interval training, especially in these hot weeks. I figure, when I do my long runs, I tend to slow down to a pace that is just a few seconds shy of walking anyway for a bit until I catch a second wind, so why not actually walk, catch a breather, and go for round two? I push myself as hard as I can for 3-4 miles, which gets me quite a way up the road. I will actually "pause" my workout on my app, keep moving, catch my breath, cool down a bit, and turn around and take off running home. While I used to see a steady decline in my speed on my long runs, as I attempted to trudge on, when I actually stopped, I saw that my speed increased a lot in my return miles. I always used to tell myself if I stop I know I won't keep going, but this defies all of that. I've found a ground breaking new way to push my fatigue threshold, and it makes me extremely excited. I'm waiting until I pick my next marathon to actually set my new goal, but I smell a PR in the making. While I trained for my first half, I could only see the big picture. But now that I've gotten rid of tunnel vision, I'm realizing, it's the little things.

While everything else in life is falling into place, I've also taken advantage of finally having some leisure time for the first time... ever? haha.  I've always been an avid reader, but when life tends to happen, and boy does it for me, I tend to lose time for it. I've gotten better over the months, but I've told myself I would like to finish a book for every month I've given up social media. I'm already on my second one. Most people would probably say at this point, why, of all things, would you make a goal to read books in your spare time, when you could go out and do something instead? Because, my friends, for me, it's all about the little things.

Now, that's not to say I don't plan on getting outside my comfort zone. I just haven't found where it is I want to push the limits of it yet. We are only 11 days in, I've got plenty of time to cook up my next big adventure.

Wandelust. I think that's what they call it. Or for the ignorant, young and indecisive. Whichever you choose, doesn't effect my expectations of life and how I plan to fulfill them.

I think that's enough rambling for one night. I also think it's safe to say, this is going to be quite the refreshing year.

Some quotes to dwell on (as if I don't have enough to share on my Project 365)
"Out with the old, in with the new."
"A wise friend once told me, you do you, and everything else will fall into place."

All you need is love...but a little jewelry never hurt anybody ;)

I would like to admit 2 things:

1. I normally HATE people who invite me to groups, events, etc. on Facebook that appear to be just another advertisement, scam, etc. HOWEVER. I have a new appreciation for this feature on facebook. My reason- The fact of the matter is, our society today lives through social media. It's how we communicate. Which, isn't always a bad thing. Why you ask? Because I can post something, such as a charity that benefits cancer research, and it can spread like wildfire in just a few short days. I don't even need a million followers, to be "super popular", etc. Things circulate social media whether you like it or not. While this can be dangerous, in my case? It is definitely working to my favor.

2. Now a little more specifically onto my event. It's great how the world can be such a wonderful place. How a complete stranger can offer you their help. Never did I imagine that help would come in the form of jewelry. But what better way for it to come? Let's face it, every girl likes to get dolled up every now and again, and jewelry is always the finishing touch. Silpada has a GREAT selection for any time, place, season, age, outfit, you name it! And you know it must be impressive if I can say that, because I am not typically a jewelry girl. If you haven't already, you need to check out the site. That's my challenge to you, at least open the page, because chances are, you will thank me later for it. AND the proceeds benefit cancer research, I would call that a win win situation in my book!

https://mysilpada.com/shop/party/invite?rep=jean.kajko&localeCode=en_US&partyId=751940&partyKey=57F2DEEAC77F411E8D0F9402A450A084&partyInvitationType=CATALOG&visitorId=l53QVOp1xGg6Xsow5kc6ZPp_c73CD4iZsT8U66x0241-

https://www.facebook.com/events/846065438820680/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/780417112062951/

Silpada event- funds raised benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network! *Pay it forward

hey friends ! awesome news! as you know I've been working very hard to fundraise for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in honor of Joseph M. Ferencz , and one of my friends Jean Naimo Kajko has so graciously offered to host a Silpada event to help me reach my goal! check out the page and share it, and definitely check out the awesome products ! Remember the money raised will help benefit my charity!

https://www.facebook.com/events/846065438820680/

https://mysilpada.com/shop/party/invite?rep=jean.kajko&localeCode=en_US&partyId=751940&partyKey=57F2DEEAC77F411E8D0F9402A450A084&partyInvitationType=CATALOG&visitorId=zkmunjIOEDc6ea2q7zxQVKnER4Hq9us1Iqz2T_ZzSxSW

Even if you aren't a jewelry person, I urge you to check it out! There's something for everyone on it, and of course it always makes a great gift :)

A breath of fresh air, a 365 day cleanse

Every lent, I give up my social media for 40 days. And let me say, it is the most refreshing 40 days of my life. I feel like I get a chance to focus on me and I stop constantly comparing myself and my success to other people. I get a chance to accomplish things that I keep putting off. It overall has been a great experience every time.  I have been kicking around getting rid of my social media for quite some time now, but unfortunately our generation is so wrapped up in it, that it's been a struggle. So I've decided to take the same approach my mom told to take when I wanted to get a tattoo. She had told me if it was something I really wanted, to have the saying I was getting somewhere visible on me, like a piece of jewelry,  for a year straight and if come after a year I still wanted it, I could get it. Not quite the same, but I've decided I don't need Lent to give up social media, or anything else for that matter. So instead of deleting everything cold turkey, I'm going to start with a "31 day cleanse". For the month of July, I've taken on the challenge, with my friend Sara, to delete all my social media apps off my phone, and to stay off of them. If after July I don't feel a need to open them, I plan to expand that cleanse another month... and so on, until a year is up, and see where I stand. It's going to be a challenge, but I know it is doable. It will give me a chance to focus on me, reconnect with important people that I feel I have lost touch with because of social media, and most of all to really live my life instead of painting a picture of it on social media. With this challenge though, I have made some exceptions, only because as I have said, social media has indeed become a big part of our lives, but I would like to point out that it is not all for bad. I have used it as an important tool in sharing my fundraising for charities. Since I am currently in the middle of a fundraiser until mid-July, I will also utilize my social media for that, primarily Facebook. I have also decided to make an exception for Facebook in that I am going to do another photo project 365, posting a photo a day for a year. I will have all notifications turned off, but it will take a lot of self control to not browse as I log on to post the picture, but I have faith in myself. Of course my blog will be an exception as well, but I don't group it with social media for the simple fact that it's more for my personal use for others to read. It's not here to paint a fake picture or to get attention. It's just here for me to share some stuff, whether people actually read it or not. I really think this is going to be a great experience, and I can't wait to see the things I discover along the way.

It's the thought that counts

Even before Pinterest got big, I was into making creative, thoughtful gifts rather than buying another pointless item. I normally need some kind of idea to spark my creativity, but once I think of it, I'm normally on a role. My most recent idea came when I was home visiting during my high school's spring break. I was helping mom unpack boxes, and saw all of her jewelry just stacked in a haphazard pile on her dresser. So my thought? She needs a new jewelry box. My mom owns a decent amount of jewelry, and especially pieces that might not necessarily fit in your standard jewelry box. So instead of hunting for one that would work, I decided to just make my own!

Michaels has (dangerously) been my best friend during my creative kicks. It was a one stop shop this time. I simply found a box that would be big enough for her jewelry (which was a bit of a challenge), a few pieces of thin wood to make the dividers on the inside, some classy dark expresso stain, staining brushes, and then my favorite part, all the fun stuff to decorate with! I've fallen in love with mosaic, so that's the route I chose to go. I picked up some mosaic pieces in two different color sets, sea glass, some craft glue, and then grout. I wanted to go with a beachy theme because there's nothing my mom loves then sitting in the white sand by the beach in Mexico.

The assembly wasn't that bad either, just some timing to work out. I stained the box and the dividers on our back patio, and let it sit for 48 hours to dry. I took a day after it dried to set up the pieces in a pattern I liked and glued them down, let that dry as well. A day after I did the grout, and then finally once that was dry I glued down the inside dividers. I was sure to get extra pieces for the dividers in case they get broken. And just like that mom had a new jewelry box that was one of a kind!

Now we can't forget about my very pregnant sissy. We recently had her baby shower, and I went back and forth of whether I wanted to get something off her registry or do something a bit more thoughtful and creative. Naturally, I ended up going the creative route. I figured everyone thinks of the baby during the shower, but what about Mommy? She needs some pampering too!

So I decided on a mommy survival kit, basically all the little things she would need for herself after the baby came that she wouldn't think to get herself or may not have lying around. This was a fairly easy creative task as well, the most time consuming part was buying all the stuff and then labeling it all. Here's a list of what I included in the survival kit. You can pick other things, add to it, etc, these were just the things I thought of myself. I put cute, witty notes on them to explain their "rationale" in the basket. I found cute chevron patterned ones that matched her theme to write on. For the basket I just got one at Target in the colors for the nursery. 

The contents:

Kleenex- for all the tears, happy and sad

Piggy bank- because it's never too soon to start saving for college ;) I went with Ninja turtles, because, well they are awesome, duhhhh

face masks- since mommyhood ages you

maxi pads- from what I hear, mother nature  HEAVILY blesses you after that 9 month grace period... I also was educated on what a mommy padsicle is and what wonders they can do lol

chocolate- kind of self explanatory

flushable wipes- I hear they come in handy post partum

special K protein bars- for a healthy, almost hands free snack 

tea- to have a cup while Auntie Chrissy comes over to clean and take care of the baby ;)

deodorant- because showers are a thing of the past when you have a newborn

dry shampoo- goes hand in hand with the deordorant

bubble bath- for when you finally get some "me" time... i got spongebob kids bubble bath to remind her while shes enjoying herself that she is a new mommy

candles- to set the mood for the bath

nipple cream- because breastfeeding does its fair share of wear and tear on mommy

nipple protector pads- goes hand in hand with the cream... for these two items I got Lansinoh because I heard great things about it

good smelling handsoap- for everyone to use before snuggling the baby

a notepad and pens- to either document feedings and sleep schedule, write out her feelings, or whatever else new mommy's need

pony tails- to keep the mane out of reach of the grabby baby

aveeno baby lotion/cream- safe for baby too, and extra moisturizing for all the hand washings

starbucks expresso energy drinks- because new mommy's need a pick me up

hand sanitizer- germs are mommy's worst nightmare

a bottle of wine- 9 month hiatus... need I say more

snickers- again... candy...chocolate...need I say more?

gum- for when you don't remember the last time you brushed your teeth

chapstick- everyone needs some good chapstick

Now onto the actual shower.. we had some cute things up our sleeves. Mom picked the games, I'll give her credit for that, I did the creative work.. Designing borders to match her theme, setting them up, etc. And I had "elephant duty"... My sister picked elephants for the theme for the nursery. So, we thought of a cute idea for a party memento from the shower. I designed/shaded an elephant to hold onto balloons. At the shower we had everyone sign one, (The balloons, by the way, were the hardest part to find. I ended up finding gift tags at Hobby Lobby to use) and I went to work strategically placing them to make balloon bundles for the elephant to hold. I just used different colored strings cut and pulled tightly to "attach" them to the elephant. I think it turned out rather nicely :)
I also had "diaper cake" duty. I had already made one for her birthday so this one was a breeze. We got a 96 pack of pampers swaddlers size 2, and I set aside 40 for the "midnight diapers" shower game, and used the rest for my cake. I used little rubber bands to roll all the diapers. I put an empty paper towel roll in the middle of all of them and then just began placing them in a circle. I don't remember how many I used per layer, I just kept placing them until the spaces were filled in and it was rounded. Then I used a giant rubber band to hold them all in place. Once all the layers were in place, I used cute ribbons to cover up the rubber band. I had a thicker safari animal print I used and then bordered it in the gray. Once the ribbon was done, I just used gift ribbons and crinkle paper to fill in the rest. and of course it had to be topped with an elephant.
The shower games were fun... we did "the price is right" where the guests had to guess the prices of the baby items, and the closest to the actual total wins, "baby bingo" where the guests filled in their bingo cards with items they think mom would get and checked them off as she opened gifts, "midnight diapers", which wasn't actually a game, but something cute and funny. We had the guests write messages to mom and dad on the diapers, and we designated the box to be used for the 2 am night changes. Just some cute, easy ideas to keep it interesting!

Staggering Statistics

So as I recently mentioned, Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most deadliest forms of cancer out there... It's extremely difficult for people to have faith and hold onto hope when they know this fact going in. I firmly believe that a big part of this is lack of funding... as you'll be able to gather from the last two statistics on the list. So what better way to tackle this problem than head on? Donating directly to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network will ensure that funds go directly toward the research specifically for pancreatic cancer. The more we raise, the brighter the future looks.

PANCREATIC CANCER FACTS

An estimated 46,420 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the U.S., and over 39,590 will die from the disease. Pancreatic cancer is one of the few cancers for which survival has not improved substantially over nearly 40 years. Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. 94% of pancreatic cancer patients will die within five years of diagnosis – only 6% will survive more than five years. 74% of patients die within the first year of diagnosis. The average life expectancy after diagnosis with metastatic disease is just three to six months. Few risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer are defined. Family history of the disease, smoking, age, and diabetes are risk factors. Pancreatic cancer may cause only vague symptoms that could indicate many different conditions within the abdomen or gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include pain (usually abdominal or back pain), weight loss, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), loss of appetite, nausea, changes in stool, and diabetes. Treatment options for pancreatic cancer are limited. Surgical removal of the tumor is possible in less than 20% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Chemotherapy or chemotherapy together with radiation is typically offered to patients whose tumors cannot be removed surgically. Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death largely because there are no detection tools to diagnose the disease in its early stages when surgical removal of the tumor is still possible. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) spent an estimated $105.3 million on pancreatic cancer research in 2012. This represented a mere 1.8% of the NCI’s approximate $5.8 billion cancer research budget for that year. Source for statistics: American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts & Figures 2014 and NCI Annual Plan & Budget Proposal For Fiscal Year 2012. http://www.pancreatic.org/site/c.htJYJ8MPIwE/b.5050503/k.40C9/Pancreatic_Cancer_Facts.htm

Running for a Cause- check mine out!

Like I've said before, I don't run for me. Yes, it is therapeutic. Yes, it helps me run off whatever current overwhelming emotions or life happenings are occurring. But when I decided to start running big time, I knew I wanted to do if for something bigger. Running my first half marathon to benefit a child who hadn't even been given a shot at life yet was the most rewarding experience I think I have had to date. After that, I knew I wanted to keep running marathons, and moreover, to keep running them for charity.

My latest cause I actually discovered through my running app, MapMyRun. I noticed a while ago that they always have new "challenges" you can participate in. It seemed more like a bit of motivation, so I never participated in one before, until recently I had one catch my eye. It was called I workout beCAUSE, hosted by everydayhero. The motivation behind it? Fundraising for a cause. I knew this was exactly what I needed.

I recently lost one of the most important men in my life to Pancreatic Cancer. It was devastating, rather unexpected, and terribly frustrating. I will never understand why bad things happen to good people. I am so beyond blessed to be able to say I knew him. He played such an important role in my life for 23 years, and sometimes it is still so hard to accept that he is gone. When I went to his service, and even his celebration of life, I couldn't help but be amazed at how many people showed up and to see how many lives he had touched, though I shouldn't be surprised with how amazing of a man he was. I definitely wouldn't be who or where I am today without him.

 While I can't undo what happened, I do know I can continue to make him proud. I had said I was going to run my next half marathon through project purple to raise funds for pancreatic cancer awareness and research, but when I saw this, I thought why wait? I saw what this nasty cancer did to him and everyone that loved him, and I want to do everything in my power to prevent it from happening to others, and at the very least decrease the number. My fundraising will benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. While ya'll may not have known Joseph (Chip) Ferencz personally, I know many of you have experienced loss, especially due to cancer. I encourage you to donate to this wonderful cause, especially given that Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most deadliest cancers out there, and ironically, one of the least funded. Every little bit counts and makes a difference, pay it forward.

https://iworkoutbecause.everydayhero.com/us/chrissy-2