The Friday Five

1.  For the first time in my life, I have been battling dry, flaky skin on my face.  I have oily skin, so this has been a new challenge.  I was very skeptical of facial oils, but after lots of recommendations I finally gave them a try.  This BeautyCounter Face Oil has worked wonders for me!  I just add one drop of Lustro #3 Face Oil to my regular moisturizer twice a day and I’m happy to report that it hasn’t caused a single break-out and my flaky skin is under control!!

Here’s a great article on Facial Oils.

2.  Tis the season for juice cleanses…Sh*t Juicers Say cracked me up!

3.  Our sweet niece, Chelsea gave us monogrammed shoe tags as a Christmas gift.  My husband and I share the same initials and we now have matching lace pendants…such a thoughtful gift!!  Visit The Silver Loft’s Etsy store to order yours 🙂

4.  If you haven’t already tried the Sofritas at Chipotle, you’re missing out!  I add it to my taco salad and it’s SO good!!  BONUS: Order Sofritas on January 26th and get a free burrito!!  Read about it HERE.

5.  The oldest living member of the Grand Ole Opry, Little Jimmy Dickens, has passed away.  Click HERE to read an article about our Beloved Opry Member.

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  We played Trivia Crack for a lot of our car ride to Memphis for the St. Jude Marathon.  I love trivia.  It’s an iphone app and you can play with strangers or challenge friends.

2.  Boscia Luminizing Black Mask.  I’ve been battling dry, flaky skin this winter.  I started using this mask 2-3 times a week before bed, and it’s made a world of difference.

This jet-black, mineral-rich mask creates a unique peel-off effect that delivers powerful detoxifying, purifying, and brightening results. Made with a premier-quality clay, its deep-cleansing properties draw out dirt and oil. Other natural ingredients go to work exfoliating skin and refining pores. Powerful antioxidants shrink pores, firm skin, and reduce inflammation. Once dried, the mask strips away dead skin, impurities and excess oil to reveal immediate and visible results.

3.  I watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation every year…love it!  Buzzfeed created The Hardest Christmas Vacation Quiz You’ll Ever Take.  I scored 8 out of 14!!

4.  Developing an Elite Marathoner.  My coach, Mark Hadley, wrote a really interesting post about training a child athlete (his daughter, Alana) and her path to becoming an elite runner.  Alana just won the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon at age 17.  He tracks her training from 6 years old to 17.

5.  It’s a Grumpy Cat Christmas

The Friday Five

1.  The Asics Storm Shelter Jacket.  I bought this jacket at Fleet Feet a few weeks ago and wasn’t sure how often I’d really wear it.  I have lived in it!  Even through the recent polar vortex (slight exaggeration), I’ve worn it and stayed warm.

Seam-sealed, fully-lined, Waterproof zipper, Removable hood with adjusters, Zippered body vents, 360 degree 3M reflectivity, Thumbholes on Lycra wrist gaiters.  

I bought mine in white, but I didn’t know that pink was available…so cute!

2.  You Fresh Naturals Coco-Nut Butter– This is my favorite nut butter!

– Paleo Friendly
– Gluten Free
– Non GMO
– Vegan (except the added protein Coco-Nut Butters)
– Contain No preservatives or artificial ingredients
– Free of wheat
– Naturally sweetened

As you can see, I keep my pantry stocked!  If I had to choose, Maple Vanilla is my favorite flavor!

3.  I picked up my new Ultra Dirtbag Hoodie from The North Face today and I LOVE it!!!

4.  I’m getting so excited for Christmas!!

5.  Stop whining.  Monkey’s don’t whine.  The Flying Monkey Marathon is this Sunday…eek!!  I’m using it as a training run for an upcoming ultra, but it’s such a tough course and I’m getting nervous.  PLUS, there’s 100% chance of thunderstorms!  The RD sent this email today…

Thanks to Valerie Fowler for these soggy monkeys…

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year If you share my Real Housewives guilty pleasure, you’ll love this book.  It’s escapism at it’s finest and Andy is hi-LAR-ious!

2.  Reusable Produce Bags– I think that most of us are in the habit of taking our reusable grocery bags with us to the market.  But, do you still use the plastic produce bags?  I bought a bunch of these Flip and Tumble produce bags and take them with me to the grocery store.  They’re machine washable and so much better for the environment than those plastic bags.

3.  Veronicas Health Crunch– I discovered Veronica’s at a farmer’s market while vacationing in Seaside.  I stocked up and then continued to order it online.  Now it’s available at Fleet Feet Nashville and it’s SO GOOD!  Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and unsweetened shredded coconut lightly sweetened with honey.  100% natural, non-GMO, and gluten-free.  I promise you will LOVE it!

4.  Nike Dir-fit Wool Women’s Running Hoodie– It’s a soft wool outside combined with the dri-fit technology inside.  I bought mine in Chicago when I was there for the marathon and I’ve been living in it.  Fleet Feet Nashville is also carrying in.  It snaps instead of zips and has thumb holes.  One of my favorite features:  “dropped hem for enhanced coverage” aka it covers your bum.  I don’t like short tops when I’m wearing running tights.

5.  Pope Francis’ 10 Steps to Being Happy

1. “Live and let live.”

2. “Be giving of yourself to others.”

3. “Proceed calmly” in life.

4. Have “a healthy sense of leisure.”

5.  “Sundays should be holidays.”

6. “Create dignified jobs for young people.”

7. “Respect and take care of nature.”

8. “Stop being negative.”

9. “Respect others’ beliefs.”

10.  “Work for peace.”

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  When the DJ Drops Your Jam

2.  How am I just now discovering this?!  Hot Apple Cider Tea and it’s caffeine-free so it’s perfect before bed!!!

3.  Marathons are fun…yes?!!

4.  Because 80’s Aerobics Outfits…

5.  I received an invitation to run Boston!

Happy Friday!

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  How cool is this Day of the Dead candy party tray?!!  Click here for a step by step tutorial on how to make one for your Halloween party!

2.  I have a deep love for the Saucony Kinvara 5, but I am super excited for the new Saucony Triumph release.  Here is the standard and the limited New York Marathon Edition.

3.  This Blog Planner from Heart and Arrow Design is really keeping me organized.  If you blog, check it out!!

4.  Purely Elizabeth Pumpkin Fig Granola.  First, it is SO GOOD!!!  Second, it’s gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, soy-free, and lots of goodness.  Thanks to Running ‘N’ Reading for sharing this brand with me 🙂

5.  80’s and 90’s sitcom stars “Shake It Off” parody.  

Happy Friday!!

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  Saucony Kinvara 5 Kona Edition.  If you’ve read my blog before, you know my love for the Saucony Kinvara 5.  I got an email yesterday, that Saucony was going to sell a limited amount of the Kona to us mere mortals.  I ordered a pair immediately!

2.  Garden of Eatin’ Sweet Potato Corn Tortilla Chips.  Salty/sweet perfection.  I’m not a ‘chips person’ and I am addicted to these!  Like…it’s a dangerous to keep them in the house.  I crushed them up and put them on my Tortilla Soup early this week.

3.  This video.

4.  I know Fall is here, because I’ve been buying way too many long sleeves.

Lole Glory Top.  I bought one in charcoal at Fleet Feet.  I love the material and that the cut is long enough to cover my bum in tights.

I Run This Body Hoodie.  I LOVE this mantra!

Run Far Girl.  I ordered the gray hoodie.  The Run Far Girl donates the profits to the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

Every Mother Counts.  I love a zip up hoodie!

Oiselle is proud to be the official athletic apparel sponsor of Team Every Mother Counts, founded by Christy Turlington Burns. Join us in supporting maternal health, 40% of collection proceeds go directly to EMC.

5.  The movie poster for Wild was released this week.  I LOVE the book (one of my favorites ever!) and was thrilled when I read that Reese Witherspoon is starring in the movie.  It premiers December 5th!

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  Gone Girl.  I loved the book and I’m so excited to see the movie this weekend!  (In an effort to avoid taper tantrums, I have plans to see a few movies over the next week.)

2.  I found this Coconut Almond Quinoa Crunch a few weeks ago and I’m putting on my lunch time salads and on my oatmeal.  So good and healthy!

3.  I’m baking these cookies right now.  Recipe coming soon!!!

4.  I like early morning runs.  I don’t always feel like brewing coffee.  That’s where the Illy Issimo Cappuccino comes in handy.  I keep one in my fridge and can take a few sips on my way out the door.  This is the first cold pre-made coffee I’ve found that doesn’t taste like syrup. (Nashville folks: I buy it at the Fresh Market.)

5.  If Google Was a Guy from College Humor

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  I’m really particular about my pumpkin candles.  This Pumpkin Chai from NEST is my favorite!!  I bought mine at The Iron Gate in Franklin, TN…gorgeous store!!

2.  Do you get excited when the new Fall TV Shows come back?  Here are a few of my favorites and a couple of new ones that I’m watching!

3.  I know that we are all about pumpkin in the Fall, but it’s Honeycrisp Apple Season and they are heavenly.  Go and buy some right now!

4.  This week I pre-ordered Lauren Fleshman’s new Believe Training Journal.  If you order it through the Picky Bars website, you get 6 Picky Bars with an autographed copy.  My fan girl is coming out!

5.  This list from Ultra Runner Joe cracked me up!  I picked a few of my favorites to share…

How to Tell a Trail Runner from a Hipster

*Due to the athletic, muscular build of their legs, a trail runner cannot fit into skinny jeans.
*A trail runner showers in the creek or with baby wipes; a hipster showers at the YMCA or not at all.
*A trail runner drinks whatever beer is available at the finish line, but will wax poetic about craft beers on non-race days. A hipster will wax     poetic about craft beers, but will drink PBR at any given time.
*A trail runner has a well-groomed beard; a hipster has a…who am I kidding, their beards are equally out of control.
*Hipsters only eat free range organically grown food. Trail runners eat whatever you put within reaching distance.
*Hipsters wear tacky sweaters to make a statement. Trail runners wear tacky sweaters because they forgot how cold it is on the top of a mountain and that’s all they could find in the abandoned shed.

What Fall TV Shows are you excited about?

What are you up to this weekend?

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!!!

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day…ARGGHH!

2.  The Unspoken Rules of Being a BADASS: A Runner’s Guide.

RUN IT FAST is a running club with some incredibly inspiring endurance athletes. It’s open to all and will definitely inspire  you to push yourself. When you join, you get a shirt, race discounts , but most importantly you become a part of the community with some amazing ultra runners. The founder, Joshua Holmes wrote a blog earlier this week called The Unspoken Rules of Being a BADASS: A Runner’s Guide. To read the full list, click HERE, but these are a few of my favorites…

• First rule of being a badass. A badass does not talk about being a badass. Period.
• A badass does not try to be a badass or look tough. A badass simply is a badass. A badass stays true to themselves, always. This means being themselves for themselves, and not being fake to impress others..
• A badass never takes him or herself too seriously

3.  Speaking of badass, Oiselle decided to bring some moto chic to running with the Portman Pants.

4.  One of the first running blogs I ever subscribed to was The Hungry Runner Girl.  My girlfriends are also hooked…check it out!

Welcome to The Hungry Runner Girl. My name is Janae and I kind of really like running a whole lot. My blog is all about running, fitness, food, family and anything else that I feel the need to tell you about.

5.  Johnny Cash’s 11 Coolest Cover Songs from Rolling Stone.

He was the coolest man in country music and as this list shows…he wasn’t just country.  I was surprised by the wide range of artists he covered.  Here are a few of my favorites.  Check out the full list HERE.

‘One’ (U2)

‘I Won’t Back Down’ (Tom Petty)

‘Hurt’ (Nine Inch Nails)

#choosejoy