Mug Cakes (The Best Ones)

Mug cakes...they're not exactly photogenic, but they're fun. I get to try something new every day (yes, I've been making them daily!). There are some flops, but investment of resources in one serving is low. I do not really make any of the recipes as written, so maybe one day, I will post some of my adaptations, but for now, here are some recent faves:

Blueberry muffin in a mug (Best Mug Cakes)

Carrot mug cake (Chop Notch)

Gooey chocolate mug cake for one (The Healthy Toast)

Healthy chocolate mug cake (Creekline House)

Hot chocolate bomb cake (Best Mug Cakes)

Microwave cornbread muffin (Shaw Simple Swaps)

Snickerdoodle crazy mug cake (Sweet Little Bluebird)

*Yes, the mug in the photo says, "Does this ring make me look engaged?" I am married, but kept this memento from engagement days because a friend gave it to me and it brings back special memories.)

Friday Fun (Last One!)

Is it the last Friday in February? Already? Yes, I guess it is. This little experiment of mine went fast. It's been helpful though, to recognize fun. As the month is ending, I am asking myself why things are fun, and how I might incorporate more such activities into my life. With as much sorrow and struggle as there is in this life, there always seems to be room for more fun, not to take away the sadness, but to add some levity, because we have to stay afloat to survive. Also, as Ben Stuart shared on a recent podcast I heard, "If you don’t prioritize positive fun, the enemy will always introduce destructive fun.” I don't want any more destruction. There is already enough of that in the world. I want to build myself up. I want to build others up. Fun is necessary for this. God doesn't make accidents. He does things on purpose, so if we can have good, clean, healthy fun, let's do it!

Fun for this week:

Celebrating-My mom pointed out that I like to celebrate everything. Yes, I guess I do, because it's FUN!

Cooking from cookbooks

Curating our own assortment of herbal teas

Making more (yes, even more!) mug cakes

"Playing tennis" with my husband (we don't really play games, we just well, play) 

Scouring stores for new Reese's varieties (see my post from last week)

--

As I review my list, I notice themes of celebration, creation, and newness. I live a very structured life (on purpose), but fun provides a little adventure now and again (hence the name of my Instagram account). Life isn't all about fun, but fun does make me a little more about life, and that's worth doing. So here's to fun, and having more of it, blogged about, or not!

Reference:

Downs, A. F. (Host) (2022, January 27). Ben Stuart + Rest & War [Audio podcast episode]. That Sounds Fun. https://www.anniefdowns.com/podcast/episode-360-ben-stuart-rest-war/

Afghan 69

Full disclosure: I made most of this afghan during a three day weekend training for work, so I did not exactly give it my full focus. A skein a day (partly used), and then a little more, and voila!

This is another afghan from the bucket list. I did use my ergonomic J hook again. The get in line granny afghan pattern from A Crocheted Simplicity suggested switching colors every two rows, but that was a bit much for me, so I just switched yarns when I ran out of a color. The pattern was easy once I started, just two rows repeating over and over again. I used all Red Heart yarn in colors amethyst, minty, and pale yellow. (The yarn was leftover from peacock coasters I made for a friend for Christmas.) All in all, for a blanket I made while doing other things, I am pretty happy with it! (Finished size was 32 inches square).

The Perspective Loss Provides

I am watching a lot of friends, family, and acquaintances lose loved ones. A lot of people are now living without their spouses. I see the pain they process on a frequent basis. Observing this loss gives me perspective.

If I am honest, I get frustrated with my husband way, way too often. I have very high (probably unrealistic and potentially unreasonable) expectations for myself, and by proxy, sometimes place those on him, which doesn't go well. While my husband is not perfect, he shows me a lot of grace. I, for so many of my own reasons, struggle to do the same. I am not proud of this, and I am also not ashamed to admit it. This is reality.

Loss is also a reality. While I have no reason to anticipate losing my husband any time soon, I also have no guarantees of how long God will allow us both to live. That should inform my treatment of him. That should influence my appreciation of my husband. It should affect how hard I work at my marriage.

Fear is not a good motivator. Reality, however, is. The reality is that each day is a gift. The reality is that I may not get tomorrow with my husband, or anyone else. That reality reminds me to count my blessings, to give thanks to God and to others, to live right now. Reality gives me perspective, for this present moment, and hopefully for as many future days as the Lord chooses to give me.

Friday Fun (Edition 3)

Thoughts on fun for the week:

“It turns out, being myself is far more freeing and far more fun" (Wong, 2021).

“The peace that comes from having fun inside God’s will is far better" (Camp, 2013).

And specific to some of my fun this week:

“Running is hard but doing hard things is fun. We learn. We grow. We get stronger" (Derby, 2022).

“It’s supposed to be hard. If it was easy, everyone would do it (Tom Hanks, as cited in Q, 2022).

My fun for the week:

Mesa Marathon 10K

Touting my race swag (cup, tank, and socks) around all day

Completing the monthly baking challenge from Sally's Baking Challenge with my husband

Making breakfast tacos again for dinner Sunday night (though I know we need to Sabbath more...)

Some of you may have seen my Instagram photo, but my husband likes Reese's and were trying to find and taste test as many Reese's products as we can

--

Readers, please feel free to share your recent fun in the comments section!

References:

Camp, J., with Thomas, D. (2013). I still believe: A Memoir. Tyndale House.

Derby. S. [@steph.derby_fitness]. (2022, February 13). Mesa 13.1 [Instagram photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ4t8MUppIW/

Q., L. [@ontherunfit]. (2022, February 10). “It's supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it.” -Tom Hanks. [Instagram photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ15JsdL_bB/?utm_medium=copy_link

Wong, H. (2021). How (not) to save the world: The Truth about revealing God's love to the people next to you. W Publishing Group: An Imprint of Thomas Nelson.



Mesa Marathon 2022 10K Recap

 

Race: Mesa Marathon 10K

Time: 52:43

Pace: 8:30 min/mile

Place overall: 187/1583

Age Division: 8/114 (F 30-34)

If you want to know the stats, those are it. If you want to know the details, read on. (I am writing this re-cap as much for myself, as for anyone else. I am finding that re-reading my recaps helps me remember what works, and what doesn't as I prepare for the future.)

Training Plan:

I trained using Jenny Hadfield's Rock that 10-K advanced training plan. Three runs a week, two with speed intervals, and one long run (for the most part). I threw in Lea Gender's three strength exercises that every runner should do on Tuesdays. I tried Blogilates once for cross training, and didn't like it, so I skipped it. I did a concurrent 30 day yoga challenge in January, but otherwise did a three mile walk each day I didn't run. That was it.

Packet pick-up:

This race was a smoothly oiled machine! Pick up your packet. Pick up your shirt. Check your bib to make sure it's activated. Take pictures. Visit the expo! There is even an app that gives you points for expo booth visits! Race swag was good, too. There were the normal coupons and gimmicks, but also a nice double-walled tumbler, race ensignia socks, a heat blanket, and gloves for the morning (needed in the desert)!

The Night Before:

I don't remember exactly what I ate before my last 10K, but I know I had pancakes, so I did that again. Plus peanuts, a banana, hot chocolate (with peanut butter), a mug cake, and a few bites of granola. Yep, a lot of food, but I didn't want to be hungry. I tried to go to bed early, but landed at 9:45.

Day of (the prep):

I got up at 4 am, puttered for a bit, did PT for my arm, did my Lea Gender's warm-up, went up and down the stairs five times, and was off. I ate 1/2 cup of applesauce and took a few sips of water on the way to the busses. I intended to take the water bottle, but forgot it in the kerfluffle of leaving.

Getting on the busses was no problem! They gave us masks. We got seated. We drove. The busses definitely took the long way to get there, but maybe there was a reason.

Once at Fitch Park, I found water. (Praise the Lord, they had some, along with Gatorade, bananas, extra heat blankets, and extra gloves.) I stretched some, then went to the bathroom. I texted my husband. I went to the bathroom again. I jogged for five minutes. I went to the bathroom. I turned in my drop bag and wrapped myself in the mylar blanket while I waited for the anthem at 6:20. I wadded up my blanket, threw it to the side, and set up Runkeeper.

Goals:

A goal: 54:00 minutes

B goal: PR and/or negative splits

C goals: Catch an elite (watching!)/enjoy the run

The Race:

It took a while to get started. There were over 1,500 people, after all. (The announcers said the youngest was 8 or 10, and the oldest was 81. Over 70% were from out of town.) I had to weave a little bit, but not too much. I set my sights on a 9:00 minute first mile. I didn't quite make it, but close. If I wanted to get to my A goal of 54:00, I knew I needed a 8:43 minutes/mile pace. I figured if I could run at least half at 9:00 minutes/mile, I could shave the rest off at the end. Then I realized it wasn't really hard to run faster, so I clocked mile two at 8:34 minutes a miles. I told myself not to consider working hard until at least halfway. Miles three came in a little slower, 8:37. Then I told myself to start working. I wanted to leave it all on the line, but I was also fearful of working too hard and losing it. So mile four was 8:34 again. I got down to 8:17 for mile five, and a record breaking 7:57 for mile six, with 7:30 for the last two tenths of a mile. The end was hard! I was not tired, and thought I could/should go faster, but I didn't. 

Post-race:

This race takes care of you! There were lots of cheerleaders at aid stations along the way, and at the finish line. The finish line was smooth. There was water, chocolate milk, Gatorade, fruit, Chik-Fil-A, and ice cream all in the runner's area. Outside, there were massages and rapid reboot compression. At the results station, volunteers printed out times for runners. Volunteers helping runners reclaim their drop bags were super courteous and polite. There was free pizza and beer. (I claimed none.) There was also live music that could be heard a ways out. Hubby and I headed over to the finish line to catch Molly Seidel win the half, and then headed home. I was ready to stretch and have breakfast! We live near the marathon course, though so technically, we kind of listened to and watched the race the rest of the day.

Conclusion:

I am going to say that I met all of my goals. Should I maybe have gone harder? Maybe. But then getting another PR in my life would be even harder! I kind of like working, and still leaving some room. As for the race, I definitely want to do it again. Although racing an event of this caliber made me nervous, it also provided the upsides of organization and a very clearly marked course. I really enjoyed running and hope I do get to do that half in the future.

10K Number Four (The Backstory, and a Love Story)

Let's start with the basics. The Mesa Marathon is an elite course. Lots of people run it trying to BQ (Boston Qualify). I really want to run the half-marathon here someday, but I knew this year was not my year. Too many health issues. Too much stress. Not enough time, etc. The race postcard came and went, and I wasn't going to do anything about it. 

Somehow, though, my husband got the mail and showed me another one. "I thought you might want to know," he said.

"Yes," I replied. "I know. I want to run the half sometime, but not this year."

"Are you sure you don't want to do something, at least the 10K?" He asked.

I hadn't really given it much thought. It seemed like a "waste" of money when what I wanted to do was run the half. His support, though, made me ponder. I like running. The 10K could be fun! So I signed up.

--

Fast forward to race week. I've been really trying to stay well, but I had potential COVID exposure. I got tested and was negative, but still felt fearful. All week, I tried to eat well and go to bed early, but that did not really work out, or at least not according to my perfectionist standards, because life.... I did get to bed at 9:45 pm the night before the race. Wake-up was 4 am, though.

I got up, and got coffee for hubby. He was up, making the bed by the time I got back in the bedroom with the coffee. I didn't quite make my go-time, and when we got to drop off, I didn't know where to go, either. Hubby had known where to take me, but hadn't looked at the bus map. I thought he knew it all. We quickly tried to pull up the map on our phones, but the internet was slow (probably because of all of the people using it). Hubby figured it out. I kissed him and bolted, speed walking to the bus.

Once at the start location, I had to wait about an hour. I texted hubby while I waited. He replied, reassuring me that I did not need to worry, and that he hoped things would go well. (Did I mention that I was pretty anxious, and quite overwhelmed?) 

Then we ran. I texted hubby as I got near his watching spot. I waved at him a bunch as I got close. It took awhile for him to pick me out of the crowd, but eventually he did. I kept going. He got in the car to go pick me up. I finished, with a shiny new PR. Before I could even call hubby, he had replied to my finishing text. He found me as I wandered about. He helped me pick up my drop bag. He watched Molly Seidel win the half. Then he made breakfast for us when we got home. Can we say support staff?

--

I will write later about the actual race, but I think it is important to share the backstory first. There is really so much to racing: the finances, the training, the logistics, etc. Running is different when married, too, because it requires some sacrifice on the part of the spouse, sacrifice maybe he or she didn't sign up for. I am blessed that my husband has been SO supportive, and I have to attribute gratitude where gratitude is due. So thanks, my love, for all you do! Here's the more adventures, and hopefully more racing. Maybe, just maybe, I'll convert you one of these days, and if not, I'll love you just the same, because you love me, funky running and all.

Friday Fun (Edition 2)

As promised, here's my fun Friday post for the week....

Some thoughts on fun:

Fun almost implicitly requires some novelty. It's hard to be a professional at fun, because then you're trying too hard and the fun isn't fun anymore. There is pressure. It is better to be an amateur when it comes to fun (Downs, 2021; Mills, 2020).

“But if you hang around just waiting for it all to turn perfect, you’re going to miss out on all the fun parts. You’ll still get in on the not-fun parts, though!” (Miller, 2016)

Things I found fun this week:

Colored pen doodling during my weekly prayer time

The menu planning blog community at This Week for Dinner

Sorting and cataloging boxes of records for a family member (Discogs is the bomb!)

Following a local race on Instagram

Waffle tacos for Sunday night dinner

References:

Downs, A.F. (2021). That sounds fun: The joys of being an amateur, the power of falling in love, and why you need a hobby. Revell Publishing.

Miller, K. (2016). Big girl: How I gave up dieting and got a life. Grand Central Publishing.

Mills, E. (Host). (2020, July 20). The flaws of perfectionism. Delicious Ways to Feel Better. [Audio podcast]. https://deliciouslyella.com/podcast/the-flaws-of-perfectionism/

Real Life Marriage: Marriage Keeps You Humble

"One day, some day," I thought to myself, "I will have a day when I don't lose it on my husband." And immediately afterward, I thought, "But maybe I won't. Losing it keeps me humble." 

I love my husband. I really do. I want to be a good wife. And I try, sometimes. But other times, I just lose it. I really do. I snap at him because I'm running late. I get onto him when he's not perfect (even though it's really my expectations that are the problem, not his). I get frustrated because he fixes dinner late, when I am late making dinner almost every time. I see flaws in him and point them out, even though I have those same weaknesses, and probably worse. I am not trying to make myself sound like a bad person. I am a sinner. That's just that.

God has blessed me in that he has given me a husband who shows me grace time and time again. That grace also humbles me, especially because it's another thing I lack. Day by day, though, it reminds me of God's grace, of his goodness. It reminds me that though I will always be a sinner, there is always grace to cover me.

Do I want to be a better wife? Yes! Do I hope that God will continue to conform me to his image and root out more and more sin? Yes. It is about progress, though, not perfection, and that process keeps me humble. Cognitively, I know I will not be a perfect wife, no matter how hard I try. Maybe one day, I will reach my goal of not snapping at my husband for a day, but even then, I will probably do it the next day, or soon after. 

Thank God for his goodness and grace. Thank God for a husband who shows me the same. Thanks, God, for a marriage that keeps me humble, even if I don't like it, when I don't like it. I want to keep growing in my marriage, and if humility is what it takes to do that, may I rely on God's strength to keep walking in it. Amen.

Move: 30 Day Yoga with Adriene Challenge Review

Yep! Finished another 30 day January yoga challenge from Yoga with Adriene. Quite frankly, I had forgotten about the yearly challenge and did not plan to do it. I subscribe to the weekly Yoga with Adriene e-mails, though, and learned about Move that way. I am currently training for a 10K and did not think I would have time to do both that and this, but then I started. Once I started, I wanted to finish. So I made it work. How? Read on for more.

Scheduling

The first work day, I woke up early and squeezed in the challenge before work. Most of the rest of the weekdays, I did it after dinner and before bed. Yes, I know yoga after eating, particularly inversions, is best at least two hours after eating, but this small chunk of time was what I had. On weekends, I preferred to do the yoga mid-afternoon, as it was a good way to invite both energy and calm into the later part of the day. Enough about timing, other than to say that my husband supported my yoga journey which was important, because completing it took a chunk out of my day.

Pacing

This challenge seemed a little more intermediate than I remember some of the years. There was quite a lot of chatarangas, moderate core work, and the opportunity for advanced poses like crow. Let's just say there was some actual exercise involved, but that's okay. In past years, and other challenges, there have sometimes been entire sessions dedicated to meditation, and that really is not for me, at least not for me in a yoga challenge.

How It Worked

Yoga is meant to be a mindful practice. I will be very honest and say that I did most of my practices distracted. Sometimes I read on my phone. Sometimes I started and stopped. Only a few times did I really sink in and engage. I found the latter easier as the challenge went on, though. I wanted the time to be mindful, and that says a lot about movement through this program.

How it Ended

The last session of the Yoga with Adriene challenges is always a free practice. In the past, I have either 

1) Turned it off and chosen to do another guided practice

2) Obsessively followed Adriene and hurt my neck from staring at the computer screen

This time, I found myself actually practicing. It was effortless and I was in the flow, until I caught myself, and then I felt self conscious and struggled. I finished practicing, though, and I only watched Adriene for a little bit. Maybe after all these years, the Lord is helping me be myself and actually live intuitively, rather than comparing or externalizing. I am at least moving in that direction.

Take-Aways

Adriene always sends daily e-mails during her 30 day challenges. Some provide session notes. Some provide guidance about how to think. Some provide insights that wow. Some of these included for me:

Day 13: If you want to fly, you can’t be afraid to fall.

Day 15: "What do you want to move closer to?"

Day 19; “The process is the candy.”

--

I thought at one point during this challenge: I don't love this. I want to give it up. Then I was glad I finished. I don't have time, or maybe rather, I don't want to make time, to do 30 minutes of yoga a day every day. I honestly experienced quite a wave of relief the day after the challenge when I realized I did not need to find (aka clear) 20-30 minutes of time. Yoga, for me, isn't all the time.

I always question if I will do another yoga challenge. I don't know. January 2023 is still almost a year away. I will see how I move through this year and go from there, because Lord willing, I will keep moving and learning and growing, as the challenge showed me I have over the past few years.

February Fun

February is kind of a slump month. January is over. Resolutions have faded. Real life has begun. Last February, I essentially started Lent early, fasting from activities I deemed "fun." I hoped living the ascetic life would promote more productivity, more focus, more regulation. Spoiler alert. It didn't. So this year, I am trying something different. I am trying to overcome the February slump by adding fun. In that vein, I'm planning to post things that have brought me fun each Friday. These could be activities, events, fun articles, etc., just whatever brings me fun.

First, what is fun? For the purpose of this project, I am just going to go with the definition of play. Gretchen Rubin (2018) defines play in her book, The Happiness Project as: “an activity that’s very satisfying, has no economic significance, doesn’t create social harm, and doesn’t necessarily lead to praise or recognition.” Brene Brown (2010), in her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, links in fun, writing that we play for the sake of play. We do it because it's fun and we want to" (p. 100). Annie F. Downs (2021) talks about fun in terms of being an amateur. Whatever it is, it is supposed to be lighthearted, not necessarily easy, but not arduous either. so without further ado, fun from this week:

-I organized pictures and made a sunrise photo album on my computer. Organizing things brings me joy. It's fun

-I ate lunch while walking around the park. Maybe not the best for my digestion, but it was fun!

-I took pictures of my overnight oats in a peanut butter jar.

(Are we noticing a theme here? I like taking pictures. This is no surprise to family and friends who find me constantly snapping away.)

-I made a list of different things I could do 52 of this year (you know, for 52 weeks). This started with the Taco Tuesday cookbook, and now I wonder what else I could do. I have to be  careful that this does not turn into another stress, but for now, it is fun.

-I took pictures of tea I have tried so far (the start of a 52 list?)

-I started walking on the treadmill. I have never liked treadmills, but for some reason, it has appealed to me lately. I don't have to go outside. I know how much time X number of miles will take me. I get on and zone out and just read books on Libby (the library app on my phone). It's calming, too!

-I bought new nail polish. Nail polish is self care for me. Picking it out was fun! I had wanted glitter, and glitter, iridescent is what I got.

--

I hope to continue the fun this next week. I will probably keep doing some of these things. Maybe I will add others. Lord willing, I will keep you updated.

References:

Brown, B. (2010). The gifts of imperfection. Hazelden Publishing.

Downs, A.F. (2021). That sounds fun: The joys of being an amateur, the power of falling in love, and why you need a hobby. Revell Publishing.

Rubin, G. (2018). The happiness project. Harper Collins Publishers.

The Power of a Praying Mom

Some of you may remember that I wrote a blog post some years back about the legacy of prayer that my mom lives out. Well, here's another story to prove it. Our washing machine has been making noises for an extended amount of time. Last week, my husband tore down the machine in an effort to fix it. After several days of wrestling, he came to the conclusion that the machine was defunct. That meant we needed to buy a whole new unit, washer and dryer. I had already made peace with the cost of a replacement, but then we discovered that we could not just go to the store and buy one. We had to order one, and the soonest we could get a delivery would be two weeks. Mind you, we already had overflowing dirty laundry hampers and I was running out of socks when we made the order. On top of everything else, that week, I lost my sunglasses. While trivial, these sunglasses meant a lot to me because my best friend me them and had our college logo on them. I had looked everywhere, and they were nowhere. Exasperated, I prayed, and with no apparent relief for distress in sight, I texted my mom asking her to pray as well. Things happen when moms pray, specifically my mom.

As my mind wandered while showering that night, I somehow landed on Costco. Does Costco sell washers and dryers, I wondered? I went and checked. Lo and behold, they do! And the unit we needed (a very specific one due to our space constraints) was a bit cheaper there than anywhere else, and a purchase included all the ancillary hookup equipment, and included free haul away of our old equipment. They could also deliver within the week. Wow! Totally a God-thing. We definitely pushed, "Pay now" almost immediately. I felt so relieved.

I still had not found my sunglasses, this week, and I was sad, but figured I could accept it given that the washer situation worked out. I had not completely given up when I went back to work, though, and sent an e-mail to the front office staff telling them I lost pink sunglasses, but did not know where. I got an e-mail back almost immediately that they had them! When I went to get them, the secretary explained that she had found them amongst trash in the parking lot, but thought that they were probably a kid's and picked them up and brought them back in, rather than tossing them. Another wow! As of today, our washer has been delivered and I have my sunglasses back. Big things and little things, God cares! And mom prayers, I tell you, get a praying mom (or mom figure) who loves the Lord because "the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:16, NIV).