Channeling my inner warrior

What an odd title to a blog post, you may be thinking... right? 

Well it is kind of an 'odd' thing. 

I'm sure you all know that I enjoy running. Scratch that: truth be told, I enjoy the feeling after finishing a run. The positive endorphins and the feeling of accomplishment. I, in no way shape or form enjoy the: getting my butt up off the couch part, or the gasping for air on the start of mile 2 part. Nope-- just the finish line. 

Anyway-- I had been hearing lots of talk about fun things like The Color Run, and Mud Run's and Adventure Race's. They all sound like SO much fun. Sadly though none worked with my schedule... until alas! I came across the Warrior Dash! 

Please watch this video before I even explain any further...

Yes friends, thats right, jumping over fire, climbing under barbed wire. This is my idea of a good time! 

You can find out if there is a Warrior Dash near you by going to this link!

I CAN'T WAIT!!! 

Ever done an adventure 5K or a Mud Run? Please share your stories! I can't wait to hear from someone who has done something like this. 

The Truth About: Canada ?

Thats right ,you read me correctly... I said the truth about Canada.
Didn't know I'm a Canadian did you, ay ? 
Well.... I'm not. 
BUT my blog friend Liz is, and she's here to share with you a bit about the Country of Canada. A place which I knew very, very little about until reading her post! 
A huge than you to Liz for today's post! I hope you all enjoy!!
xo
Leigh Anne 


--------------------------------------------------------


The Truth About ... Canada!!

Hello!!

I am Liz and I blog over at Liz's Lovely Life.

When I first read Leigh Anne's series "The Truth About..." I loved it.  First I really didn't know much about the things she was talking about (namely Alaska, or the American Military) ..So I was pretty excited when we agreed that I would guest post for the series about the great country where I live..that is Canada (if you hadn't realized!)!!

Canadians share a lot of the same culture as Americans so I can tell you with confidence that there is a pretty big difference between the way Canada and Canadians are portrayed..Especially in How I Met Your Mother and 30 Rock.. 

I am here today to share with you the truth about our lovely northern country!

First I will start by confirming some stereotypes/things that people wonder about...

-We LOVE our hockey..in a big, sometimes incomprehensible way..and it DOES matter who you cheer for..and the summers are empty during the off-season..

-It does get VERY cold here and it is not uncharacteristic to have hot spells in March and then snow in the last week of April..or May even..but our summers are beautiful and rival some of the most beautiful Florida days!

-Moose and Beavers are our national animals..and we see them all the time..well, not me personally, but there is a good reason that they are national symbols.

-We still run under the British monarch, although it is mostly symbolic.  The upside to this is that Will and Kate came for Canada Day (July 1st) last year to celebrate!!

-We are quite polite people..which is nice..however it is not always niceness above all...

-Mounties are real..enough said

Now I will shoot some down...

-We do not say the word ABOUT any different that Americans do (this is, i think, my biggest pet peeve about our portrayal)

-We do not say Eh! all the time..I do, but I am not typical!

-I do not live in an igloo, I have never seen an igloo and i don't know anyone who does or has...

-We are not lumberjacks..not even Quebec residents..

Time for some fun facts!!

(I can hear your loud, enthusiastic cheers from up here!)

-The capital of Canada is Ottawa.. but the most well known cities are Toronto and Vancouver. Many movies are starting to be produced in these cities (like Twilight)

-Canadians speak French or English (I speak both)

-Famous Canadians include the Biebs, Jim Carey, Mike Meyers (Austin Powers, Shrek), Michael Buble, Pamela Anderson, Alex Trebek (Jeopardy) and Seth Rogen.. among many many others! Not a bad list.

-We Canadians have invented some great things too- like the telephone, insulin, the zipper, the snow blower and snow mobile (pretty fitting).

- Our culture almost mirrors that of the States with a few exceptions.

-Almost every Canadian lives within an hour and a half drive to some part of the United States..personally I am 20 minutes from Ogdensburg, NY (Google map it!)

-Stores that are American that come to Canada...are not that great..they usually are months behind and get the excess of what is not sold in the US and this my dear, dear friends..is a shame..I may have started to tear up a little bit.

I hope you can tell that I have a lot of pride in my country.  I have truly enjoyed telling you some facts and setting the record straight on others.  

If you have any particular questions, feel free to let me know!

I want to thank Leigh Anne for having me today!

I love her and I love her blog and hope you feel the same too!!

Happy Saturday!

High Five For Friday

Oh Friday... we meet again, and surprosingly so soon!

The 20's of every month go so slowly. Yes, I just referred to the end of the month as the "20's" .. you know, the 21st through the 29th? I swear, slowest days of every month. 

Anyways, glad the month is almost over. I'll take a high five for that. 

Speaking of high-five's ... today I'm linking up with Lauren, From My Grey Desk for

High 5 for Friday! 

Top 5 things from this week: 

1. My 'custom orders department' from my Etsy shop has been literally flying off the hook. So much so that I haven't had a chance to get new items posted (it's on my weekend to-do list)... but incase you are interested, here is some cuteness! Headband created by me, amazing photography by Kristen with Impact Productions. 

2. The most amazing shoes are now mine. I kid you not when I say that these shoes are heaven on your feet. I came across them at Marshall's and decided to check out the website once I got home. Umm Aerosoles... everyone needs a pair NOW. I've never had a pair of wedges that are this comfortable. 

can be purchased -- here. 

3. I've been obsessed with an app called " Sleep Cycle" lately-- it is making me realize, I seriously get a horrible night'ts sleep. Something has got to give! But  the app itself is amazing! 

4. Tuesday I had the bright idea to do P90X Plyometrics with 5LB Ankle weights on each leg.... 

I felt the burn. Oh my word. If you're looking for a good leg workout try that! 

via. 

5.  MAY IS ONLY 4 DAYS AWAY!  That's all I have to say about that =D 

Happy weekend everyone! 

O-H..... I-O

I feel like "O-H....I-O" is an appropriate title to this post. 

I sit here and ponder how I will be spending my last few months in Ohio...

Wow, am I really coming down to the last few months already?

It is true-- End of July I am outta' here, and this time it's for good. 

Of course I will be visiting for Christmas and holidays but it is weird to say that 

 these are the last months I will ever be living in Ohio. 

Weird. 

I didn't say sad -- I said weird. Note that. 

I have always had a love-hate relationship with Ohio. 

I love my friends and family ... but the state itself is

n't my favorite. I don't know if I would actually ever choose to live here. Is that bad of me to say? Are you all frowning and shaking your heads at me?

Oh well... I keep it real. Anyways, the older I get the more I realized I need to appreciate what I have been given and the situations I am put into. Therefor I really have tried to appreciate Ohio for all it's worth and not dwell on the bi-polar-ness of the seasons and the lack of beaches/bodies of water around me. 

Ohio does have some great things to offer. 

Via. via. 

Now the point of this post that I'm trying to get to, is to say that I have 'met' some awesome bloggers who are from Ohio! Like 3 maybe 4 to be specific... now Ohio isn't a teeny state so I know that there are more of you out there!! So here is what I am envisioning:  I see in the future that all of us Ohio bloggers come together for a meet up... which will involve tasty food and lots of shopping. 

I mean, what else would we do ? (; 

Columbus seems like the most ideal location for a meet up. Everyone seems to live " an hour or so" away, so why not?!  SO... if you live in Ohio and are interested in a potential meet up during the month of June or July ... comment here, e-mail me, or send me a smoke signal! 

This will probably be my last opportunity to get involved in a Buckeye State meet up, so let's make it happen !

SO excited! 

Sponsor Spotlight: Emmy June, Framed Frosting, The Thing About Joy

Seriously? It's the 4th week in April already?! ... PRAISE JESUS! 

Sponsor Spotlight Wednesday! Today it's Emily from Emmy June, Danielle from Framed Frosting, and Breanna from The Thing About Joy.

Stop by their blogs and tell them I sent you (: They are three amazing ladies! 

Hi everyone!  My name is Emily and you can find me blogging at Emmy June {born in May.}  I'm a Michigan girl, moved to California, moved to Sydney, Australia!  I write about our life in Oz, including the funny lingo, and getting attacked by kangaroos . Please stop by, say hi, and follow along :)

Blog//Twitter//Facebook

About Me: My name is Danielle and I am the blogger behind Framed Frosting. My blog started as a way for me to document my new adventures as I began my first year of college. I mostly post about fashion and beauty, but I do enjoy DIY projects and trying new recipes too. Those are just some of the things you'll find over on my blog. Take a look and enjoy!

 Blog// Twitter// Facebook

 Hey readers! I'm Bree, and I blog over at "The Thing About Joy..." A life style blog where you'll find things like:

-a college student trying to become a graphic designer
-ups and downs of life and how to always be thankful, no matter what!
-easy tutorials every Friday. Because you can make beautiful things the easy way!

I like to learn new things. Probably too much. If you asked my family they would probably say I try to do do many things, and want to learn to many things. But... that's what makes me, me! 
So if you're interested, I would love to have you stop by my blog and read more! I love to get to know my readers, and since my blog is still
pretty small, it makes it easier for me to do! :))

Thank you, Lovely Leigh Anne for sponsoring my blog this month! You are wonderful! <33 

Blog//Twitter

telling it like it is ...

Sometimes... you do things that you would classify as being 'not one of your finer moments in life'. 

I'm a real person like all of you and I do everything I can to let my readers get to know the real me! 

So I have to share with you the fact, that when I began this fitness journey I had urges to take shortcuts to get myself looking they way I wanted to. There is so much 'hype' in the fitness world about supplements and things you can take to "lose the extra pounds" ... "gain the extra muscle".... etc. etc. 

via.

I'll admit that I fell to some of the hype and invested way too much money into different products from GNC and Vitamin World. I'm not going to name the products because I don't think I need to bash brands or companies. Just let it be known that I waisted a lot of money during the first month of my journey on products which claimed they would help shed a few pounds here, tone me up there or gain some muscle here. 

In February is when I began associating myself with ACE (American Council on Exercise); the company in which I am hopefully soon to become a personal trainer through. Quickly I learned that once I am a trainer I am prohibited from endorsing, recommending, or selling nutritional supplements. 

Well heck if that wasn't enough to stop me from taking all the supplements I had been, then I don't know what was.  Many people buy/sell/promote brands of products as a means of extra income. I applaud you for wanting to put some more cash in your pockets, but I really do want to urge everyone to take a step back and say to themselves, "Why do people REALLY need this product?"...."Is this something they could get the benefits from, a food or something more natural?" 

via.

 It's just a thought folks! Personally I can say, I tried plenty of supplements-- reaped the side affects, and didn't get any benefits. The time I saw my body change/transform into what I want to look like and become, is when I began eating right. I always love the quote "Abs are made in the kitchen" -- SO true. 

I have since stopped taking any extra supplements other than generic things like a multi vitamin, vitamin C, Vitamin B, fish Oil, Biotin -- those type of things I do suggest everyone incorporate into their daily routine just because we don't always get enough in our diets. 

via.

So as I step off my preacher pedestal I just want my point to be made when I passionately say that I truly believe that you can achieve your fitness/weight loss goals without extra 'enhancer'/ 'shortcut' supplements ! Don't waist your money or time! 

Note* for those of us interested in 'body building' and feel the need to take a protein shake after a workout-- I highly suggest you look for something that is made with 100% WHEY, has all natural ingredients, no artificial sweeteners and no artificial colors! (: 

It's the final countdown...

So the past couple weeks my posts haven't been very 'fitness' related. Quite honestly it's because I've been studying my butt off and reading about fitness 24/7. I've been getting burnt out!

But I'm in the final countdown of several events however today I'm hear to chat about the single most important event which sparked my interest in running 5k's 

A little history lesson for you: 

"The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon is a 42.194988-kilometre (26.218750 mi) race run the 1st Sunday of every May in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was first run in 1999. It is the 3rd largest first-time marathon in the United States, and had nearly 5000 finishers in 2008. An official time from the Flying Pig Marathon can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon. While the course usually varies from year to year, it generally involves running through downtown, Northern Kentucky, and eastern suburbs along the Ohio River. In recent years, it has included a 5K race, a 10K race, and a half-marathon in addition to the traditional marathon race. The 5K and 10K run on the day before the marathon."

via. 

via.

So..... I may not be running the marathon but I am participating in the 5K -- I registered for this 5K all the way back in January. I made it my goal for this event to be my fastest time. Well.... here we are quickly approaching the Flying Pig 5K... it is literally next Saturday! 

Woah-- where has time been flying? 

Huge set back. My time decreased by 30 seconds to a full minute. So this week and next I'm in full training mode. Lots of running and lots of speed training. I have full intentions of kicking the flying pigs butt (: 

Oh and do you know Erin? She's another Ohio Gal who will be running the Flying Pig 5K and I am SO hoping we get to meet up! (Preferably pre-race, so I'm not a sweaty, disgusting mess!)

Regardless, I am looking forward to running this race which I have been anticipating for a whole 5 months now! 

Are any of you training for an upcoming event? Have any fun 5K's you are preparing for? I'd love to hear! 

The Truth About: My First Date... I mean 'Blate'

The term 'Blate' is still growing on me, 

but I felt compelled to tell you all about my first meet up with another blogger! 

I was flipping through my blog comments last week and saw a comment from the lovely Lauren, who blogs over at Wifestyles! So I went to her blog and instantly fell in love with it-- it's so 'me'! Why haven't I been following it all along?! 

Then totally discovered that we might as well be next door neighbors.. okay not really but pretty darn close. 

In Ohio you live in 1 of 4 areas. A suburb of Cleveland, a suburb of Dayton, a suburb of Cincinnati or a suburb of Columbus . 

Well I'm out in no-mans land in-between Columbus and Dayton but closer to Dayton! I kid you not when I tell you that Lauren  and I live probably 5 exits away from each other on the highway. Small world? 

So we met up for a quick Cheesecake Factory lunch and basically realized we have everything in common.

• We're the same age. 
• We met our husbands when we were 15 and they were 19
• Meaning our husbands are the same age
• We secretly dated our older men' because our parents both disproved of the age difference
• Our parents love our husbands now!
• Our wedding dates are almost exactly a month apart 

Crazy. 

 It's rare you meet other young wives the exact age as you, who know what it feels like to feel disconnected from your friends who are still partying it up in college. Of-course we like to have a good time, but you won't find me at the bars on Thursday nights or at 'Ladies Night' at the club. I'm just saying -- once you get married your priorities change and you want to spend a lot of time with your sweet husbands(especially as newlyweds). It's hard for your unmarried friends to grasp that! 

I'll step off my soap-box now and just continue to say that I am so glad to have met someone as sweet and genuine as Lauren! 

I spent the whole rest of the day trying to put my finger on where I had seen her from before! Had we met in high school, did we have a mutual friend... ugh what was it?

Then it hit me!! I'd seen her on TV before... haven't you?

Okay maybe it wasn't her... but I swear she is Audriana Partridge's twin!! You know, from the TV show "The Hills"... haha hope she doesn't hate me for saying that. 

I challenge you all to meet another blogger in your area! You'll be amazed how much fun it is! 

Any other Ohioans out there? We'd love to do a big o'le meet up!! I think that would be too fun! 

I wish you all an amazing weekend! 

High Five For Friday

TGIF Everyone!
No really, thank goodness it's Friday because I am SO over this week.
Not a 'bad' week....just feeling the pressures of upcoming events that are weighing heavy on my shoulders. Reminding myself to stay focused on the goal and everything will go well!
(I'll go into more detail about this after said 'event' happens!)

As for today I'm  linking up with Lauren, From My Grey Desk for some High Five For Friday Action! 

1.  Early this week my Lilly dress arrived! Thank you UPS for super speedy shipping and the King of Prussia Mall for the cutest little thank-you note that they included. Love it!!! 

2. CPR/AED/First Aid Certification is complete. It was surprisingly the quickest 6 hours of my life. I was expecting it to drag on but oddly enough, I enjoyed myself! 

3.  My sweet sister-in-love from California and I finally got a chance to catch up! She sent me the most adorable picture of our niece! My husband and I have yet to meet her and we are literally dying to get out to California to see them (which we will be doing in December!!!!). I jokingly say that she will be a teenager by the time we finally meet her sweet face! 

4. Tonight my mother-in law and I are taking my twin niece and nephew to their first real baseball game! We're headed to a Dayton Dragons game-- its Minor League baseball and personally I think their games are more fun than Reds Games! 

I actually like the Dragons so much that back in '09 I made it on a game day ticket (: Yes I was a super fan! haha

5. I've been hunting down these shorts/sandals from Target in my size for weeks now... finally bit the bullet and bought them online! They came yesterday and I LOVE them! 

Enjoy your weekend! "The Truth About____" continues tomorrow!

Taking Care of Business

Today I am away-- for the first time!

I'm doing a pretty 'neat' guest post over at 

Chalk in The Rain

 Allyce is pretty amazing .... so you must go say hello to her and check out my DIY tutorial!

go. go. go. go.go <----

... in another sense, I am totally disconnected from the world because as you read this I am becoming CPR certified. 9AM -4PM! 

Pray that I am currently having the time of my life right now and not wanting to jump off a bridge (: 

THANK YOU! 

Sponsor Spotlight: Our Beautiful Blessings & Tales of Lace and Glitter

Have I mentioned that I love Sponsor Spotlight days? Well... I do! And I love getting to feature these wonderful bloggers! Don't forget to go check out their lovely blogs and say hello!

Today we have Brownyn from Our Beautiful Blessings as well as Courtney from Tales of Lace and Glitter. 

Hello there lovely readers! 

I'm Bronwyn & I blog over at Our Beautiful Blessings.

I am a lover and follower of Jesus Christ....&; my first priority is to serve Him in everything I do.

I married my best friend, Stephen, on October 9, 2011.

We were 19 when we got married!

I'm a sophomore in college, studying Bible & Teacher Ed. to be certified to teach K-12 ESL.

I work at Chick-Fil-A.

I can't wait to be a mommy someday.

My husband and I talk to each other in silly voices sometimes.

I tend to be rather crafty & I'm currently in the process of opening an etsy shop...so stay tuned for that!

I like to sing in the shower.

I spent 6 weeks in Guatemala right after I graduated high school & absolutely loved it.

We are going to be missionaries after we graduate.

I am pinterest obsessed.

I like to be clean and organized, but I never seem to have the time to do either.

I blog to remember things, to inspire people, to write what's on my heart, to have a creative outlet, to remember just how blessed I am, and to document our young marriage.

I hope you come by & stay a while!

Blog// Pinterest//Twitter

Hi! I’m Courtney and I write a blog called ‘Tales of Lace & Glitter’- that's the title of my  blog because I find myself torn between the two on almost a daily basis.

I have always been an outgoing person, the first person to speak up, always walking around with a smile on face and a funny comment to make. THEN...I turned 30 and started to wonder if a serious number like that might need a more serious outlook (hence the lace). Should I tone down the pink desk accessories in my cube at work? Should I not change my hair color every other month? Do I need a more “grown-up” car? I mean I certainly recognize there is a time and a place for everything, and I get that it may not be appropriate to wear a top from Forever 21 to the office, but should I stop shopping there since I am no longer in the same decade as the store? I mean, no one wants to be Forever 30 do they?

It is this struggle between what I consider two different ends of the spectrum that you’ll get to read about in my blog:  my trials and tribulations of being 30, contemplating becoming mature, and just the everyday happenings of a girl (and yes, I said girl because I still like to say ‘When I grow up, I want to...” )

Tweet me!

Check out my boards on Pinterest! 

House Hunting Woes-- word vomit.

Remember how I chit-chatted about my compulsive planning earlier last week?

Oh...well you can refresh your memory here if you like. 

Well today my OCD need to plan everything is taking a real tole on me. 

I moved to Alaska last August 8th... 2011

and I'm going BACK July 30th (ish)... {Insert fist pump for excitement}

However our apartment where we lived before, is no longer our apartment. 

Why? because we packed everything up, put it into storage in hopes of renting a home when I return. 

(or living on base, if that falls through)

M and I (oh yes, husband will now be referred to as 'M'... because writing husband all the time was getting old to me) both like the idea of living off base and having some privacy, however we aren't at all opposed to it if it comes down to that. 

So.... being the planner I am, I have been searching the web/emailing real estate agents/compulsively checking Craiglist on my phone; for 3 months now. And let me tell you, home shopping from 2,000+ miles away is about as fun as getting your wisdom teeth pulled. How many people come back from that experience saying "man I wish I could do that every day?" ... none. 

This would be me... on move out day/ deployment day. Clearly overwhelmed with joy =./

I LOVE looking through houses, but Alaska/Anchorage is unique in the fact that it isnt uncommon to see a 2 bedroom 900 square foot townhouse go for $2,000 a month. I kid you not. 

We got lucky in our first apartment, but we knew it was temporary. It was within our budget and just the amount of space we needed for 4 months. 

However M and I have a lot of stuff, a car and soon to be 2 cars, a puppy that needs a back yard, and who knows how long we'll be in Alaska for. 

So we personally as a couple set some non-negotiables for our next place. We NEED our own garage... It's Alaska, there isn't any way in heck that either of us plan on digging two cars out from 10 feet of snow every morning during the winter... no, not going to happen. 

We NEED somewhere for little man (Gizmo) to run that is fenced in. He's a ball of energy and I have diagnosed him with early onset puppy ADHD. 

...and we would LIKE a 3rd bedroom. We don't need one but it would be very nice, considering we don't know how long we will be in Alaska for.... nor do we know what kind of 'surprises' life may throw at us.... nor do we want to move for a 3rd time if one of those 'surprises' is thrown at us. Catch my drift? Just trying to prepare ourselves. 

My frustration has set in. Finding a place that fits all these criteria and isn't in Palmer or Wasilla (where homes are priced normally) is few and far between. Oh and you might be thinking " Well, why don't you just wait and look for a place when you get there?"

That would be a lovely idea, however I'm not keen on the idea of sitting in a hotel for weeks at a time while I house hunt... AND my awesome dad is coming back with me, to help me move (Thank's Dad!!).  So I don't plan on waisting his time while he's with me! 

I am absolutely positive everything will work out, and we will find our perfect home weather it be off base or on... I just know it! Until then, I need to pray about it before I rip all of my hair out! 

Any of you military wives out there feel my pain? House hunting solo-- from the other side of the country? I'm sure many know exactly what I'm feeling! 

Until then positive vibes would be much appreciated (: 

 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Photos of our first Alaskan Apartment: