The Happiest Place on Earth

A year ago, I was in the happiest place on earth...Disneyland.  I had a four year old daughter and twin two year old sons.  Hubby and I decided, that with the help of my parents, we would take our very first family vacation.  Watching my children experience Disneyland for the first time...well, it brings tears to my eyes a year later thinking about it. 

Today, I decided I would share some photos from our vacation with you.  FLASHBACK!  I enjoyed going through them so much, I hope you enjoy them as well!  I am only doing Disneyland, so I'll save California Adventure for another day.  Enjoy!

 

The castle all lit up at night.

 

My dare-devil daughter, hands up on the ramp heading to the big drop on Splash Mountain. 

 

Pixie Hollow

 

 

Partners Statue with the Castle in the background

 

You definately achieved this, Walt!

 

Trains station with flower bed out front.

 

Afternoon parade

 

 

Snow White's Grotto....#1 place for proposals in Disneyland (or so I'm told)

 

 

The sign as you leave the Disneyland Resort, walking toward the hotels on Harbour Boulevard.  Thank-you for the great memories!!  Hope you enjoyed my photos. I tried to include pictures of things that are different or don't exist at Disney World so anyone who hasn't been to Disneyland can see some of the differences. 

Question of the Day: Where did you take your first family vacation (either as a parent or a child?

Tasty Tuesday

When life gets hectic, I find I turn to my slowcooker for meals more often than not.  Before I leave the house, I throw my meal in the slowcooker, and when I get home, supper is already cooking.  It's relieving to take the pressure off of trying to make something to eat for my family when I get home from work or a day away from the house.  Today, I'll share a family favorite recipe that works great in the slowcooker.

Barbeque Beef

2 cups celery
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 pkg beef bouillion (powdered)
2 tbsp onion flakes (dried instant minced)
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp prepared Mustard
1/4 cup vinegar
2-3 lb roast of beef (any cut of meat works)

Combine all ingredients and cook in slowcooker for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low (or until fully cooked).  When cooked, use two forks to "shred" meat. 

Serving suggestion: Serve in buns as "Beef on a Bun" or serve over rice or mashed potatoes.  I always serve this with buns and a fresh tossed salad, or raw veggies.  Everyone in our house loves this meal, including my children, who don't usually eat beef. 

Time-saving alternative: I often will purchase a larger roast (5-6 lbs) and slowcook it in the slowcooker without the sauce on a day when I have other supper plans.  When it's cooked, I shred it all and then divide into 3 ziplock freezer bags.  Then, I make the above sauce 3 times and divide into the three beef-filled ziplock bags.  I freeze all three bags and then have 3 suppers ready to go.  I find people don't eat a lot of meat when it's put on buns, so each portion often serves 2 meals.  Whohoo...two meals from one slowcooker...that's my kind of recipe.  :)

Question of the Day: What's your favorite slowcooker recipe? 

My Week in Review: February 24, 2013

Here's my week in review.
Monday - 30 minute walk
Tuesday - 30 minute walk
Wednesday - 30 min stationery bike
Thursday - 30 min stationery bike
Friday - Rest Day
Saturday - No real "exercise" but 4 hours of volunteering and being on my feet running back and forth in my community
Sunday - Rest Day

My first week back blogging has been a success in my mind.  Thanks to everyone who has stopped by for a peak!  I am getting very excited about getting to know everyone better and becoming more active in this amazing community.  I'm looking forward to reading everyone's race recaps from this weekend, and even though it will be a long time until I have recaps of my own, I'm getting excited thinking about it!  Have a great week!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!

In the spirit of doing "more things for me", I am taking the afternoon to run errands and pick up things that would take me twice as long with my kiddos in tow.  Tonight, hubby and I will be going out for supper to celebrate 7 years of marriage.  Wow..time flies!  I'm incredibly lucky to have married such a wonderful man and look forward to an evening out celebrating that. 

In other news, as many know, this weekend is the Disney Princess Half Marathon.  Good luck to all of you running this weekend!  I look forward to reading your race recaps and hearing your stories!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Inspiration

With the Disney Princess Half Marathon days away, I felt there was no better time than today to talk about everyone who has inspired me.  I have been planning this post in my head for months and months...and months.  Back in September, when many of you ran the Disneyland Half Marathon I was planning a post where I linked to everyone’s race reports.  I planned a post about the bloggers who inspired me to become healthier, to take charge of my life, and to make goals and strive to achieve them (that’s a whole other post).  I decided to combine the ideas.
 

So, on to who has inspired me...if you’re reading this, it was probably you.  I have been reading Healthy Living Blogs for a long time now.  I have been lurking on Disney message boards (www.runningoftheears.com and www.disboards.com) and have been reading all of your blogs.  Some I read at the beginning and have lost track of now (before I learned to favorite them or follow them).  Some, I have followed all along and some I just stop by to read a race report or two, grab a recipe, and check out what’s going on.  But, EVERY one of you has inspired me.  I hope you remember that everyday somewhere in the blogiverse, someone is reading your blog, not necessarily commenting, and you are changing their life for the better.

Without further ado, here is the list of blogs I love.  Many of you will already know each other, but maybe some of you don’t.  Please take the time to stop in and say hi to each other.  You are an amazing group of people!  For those of you who have found me from somewhere else, welcome!  By checking out this list of fellow bloggers, you are about to be inspired!

Running With Sass

Eat Sleep Run Disney

Running Toward the Prize

Running At Disney

A Dr. Mom runs to Disney

We Run Disney

Running Thoughts

Running Halfway Around the World

Travel With Emily

Running Through the Castle

2princessesontherun

Elbowglitter

The Unlikely Competitor

...Just Me & My Running Shoes...

For the love of Disney running...

Runner's Tales

Pumpkin to Princess

Running Toward the Prize

One (Officially) Goofy Mother Runner!

Live, Run, Grow

C Talley Run

Menubyvicky

This list doesn’t include every incredible blogger, and it doesn’t even include everyone who’s inspired me.  I know I have missed some of you, and I am sorry for that.  This doesn’t include all the Race Reports I have read on the running sites...you inspired me too! 

Question of the Day: Was there a blogger who inspired you to start your healthy living or running journey?  I’d love to hear about them! 

 

Valentine's Day - The Day of Love

 

So, I wrote this post on Valentine’s Day and then wanted a picture to add to it...and never got it posted. Until today....because I’m serious about what I’m about to say.  As you may know, I was training for Disney’s Tinkerbell Half Marathon this past January.  Between October and November, I had a series of events occur that derailed my training: injury, family tragedy, financial changes, and overloaded by community involvement.  I had to defer the race and walk away from my dream.  Now, I want to get back on track to realize a goal I have had for a long time.  Today is the day it starts.

Valentine’s Day is a day loved by many, hated by many, and completely irrelevant to a few.  Valentine’s Day: aka the Day of Love.  I have always used this as a day to celebrate the ones I love: my husband, children, parents, brothers, friends, etc.  I agree that it is a commercialized money-grab from the card companies, flowers shops, etc in the world.  But, quite frankly, I don’t care.  No, we shouldn’t need a day to remind us to tell the people around us how we feel, but unfortunately, sometimes we do.  Sometimes we get so wrapped up in life that we forget to say how we feel and tell those around us that they are important.  It’s nice to have an excuse and I like to think that after Valentine’s Day I remember to try and make an effort every day, not just on “special” days.

This year, Valentine’s Day means something else to me as well.  Today is the day that I will learn to love myself again.  So many times, we neglect ourselves and put ourselves at the bottom of the priority list.  I am guilty of this.  So, so guilty of this.  And I’m really not that out-of-the-ordinary, as wives, mothers, women, husbands, fathers, men, employees, etc, we often put ourselves lower on the priority list than everything else.  It’s simply life and it has been easier to not look after myself in the short-term.  I have given up doing the things that I enjoyed (like blogging), quit exercising because it was easier than fighting with my husband to get up and watch the kids, stopped reading because there’s always something more important to do, and haven’t been taking the time for myself that I know I need so much.  Recently, I came to the conclusion that although I am putting my family's and community's needs in front of my own, I am really not doing anyone any good.  By putting my children first, they may be getting an extra bit of time with me, but is it quality time?  No.  I would be better off taking time for myself and being a  happier, more well-rounded mother than this basket of crazy I am right now. 

So, today that all ends.  Today, I celebrate my love for those around me.  But, I also celebrate my love for myself and I start back on the path to finding me.  I already feel like a haze is lifting and I am so, so excited for this.  It’s snowing and blowing outside, but soon spring will be here and the earth will be starting fresh...just like me.

I hope today is a day of love for you as well!  Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question of the Day:  What do you do to take time for yourself?