Shay’s Random Grab Bag #7!

You guys…

…IT’S HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

Eeeeeks!

I love Halloween!

This is truly one of my favorite days of the year, and I don’t know about you, but from breakfast until dinner, we’re going to be extra festive and fun over here.

Since today is a Monday AND a holiday…really…what does one make of that on a work day?  I have decided to use this time to answer more of your Q&A questions in another edition of Shay’s Random Grab Bag!

Now, you know the drill…I pull some of your random questions and answer them all here in one little post.

~If you missed Grab Bag #1, I covered everything from Kensington’s daily g-free meals, to where Andrew buys his clothes, marriage advice and more!  Catch it HERE.

~If you missed Grab Bag #2, I cover how I handle crappy days, parenting tips, how I started my travel agency, how I pack my toiletries and how I organize my closet!  You can read that one HERE.

~In Grab Bag #3’s post, I shared how I plan vacations for my family, more book suggestions, house cleaning tips and more #OOTD.  You can catch that one HERE!

~In Grab Bag #4, I answered questions regarding my kids’ quirks, Pinterest, what I wear on a plane and more!  That post is HERE.

~In Grab Bag #5, I chatted all things technology and kids, food items I always have on hand, our home buying process, details from our trip to Mexico and my relationship with Jesus.  You can read that post HERE.

In Grab Bag #6, I answered questions about McKinney, fitness, faith and more!

This time, when I randomly picked from your questions, here is what ended up in the grab bag…

I love, love, love my Peloton app!!  You can see my updated Peloton post for all the specifics, but from yoga to outdoor, weight lifting, stretching and, of course, cycling…it’s the only app I use for fitness.  You DO NOT need the bike to have the app.  The app itself is fabulous even if you don’t have their bike too.

I’m no expert, but these are my tips for a marathon (or divide it in half for a half marathon):
1. Run 2 to 3 short runs throughout the week (starting with 2 miles working up to 5 or 7 miles)

2. Run one long run once a week (with a recovery day built in after).  Do not miss your long run.  Run it every week and increase your mileage each time (4, 6, 8, 10, etc until you get to 26).  I think running a long run weekly is the key!

3. Stretch, stretch and stretch some more!  I stretch every single time I run.  If I run over 8 miles, I’ll spend at least 20 minutes stretching after.  Stretch as soon as you’re done running (don’t wait and let your muscles get cold).  Stretch!!

4. Cross train!  I think lifting weights and practicing yoga play a significant part of running longer distances.  Don’t just run.  Take days to cross train too.

5. Remember every little detail of sleep, food, water and shoes…and learn from it.  I always think to myself “did I feel better on that empty stomach or with the toast beforehand”, “did I need more water or less”, “how did my feet feel in these shoes”…think it over, write it down, tweak it based on your findings.

HAVE FUN!  Don’t do it if you’re not having a blast.

We like to do this…

…we are big fans of traveling with extended family!  Over the years, I’ve learned from my own experiences and those of my clients’ that it can be super joyous traveling with extended family but perhaps a bit stressful too.

Some of our keys are: Don’t necessarily do everything together.  It’s okay to give everyone time to do their own thing and have their own space.  Talk about food/budgets/clothing attire beforehand so that everyone is prepared/packed correctly on board with what you’re doing.  Be flexible!  If you’re going with other people, it’s not always going to be about you.  Be okay being flexible.

Honestly, I don’t think traveling with extended family is for everyone and every situation.  If you think it’s going to be stressful/expensive/not the way you want to spend your vacation, then don’t do it.  I think if you can be open about expectations/budget/etc and everyone is on the same page, then go for it.  The last thing you want to do is hurt your relationships over a vacation.  If you’re nervous and unsure, then start very small (an overnight trip!) or simply don’t do it.  Family is fabulous, but it’s not always ideal for traveling.

You do not!  In fact, most of our clients live in other states!

Hmmmm…I think you should invest in what you love the most.  I personally really love bags and shoes, so those are the items I invest more in.  I don’t mind picking up sweaters and tops on Amazon or at Target.  I think it’s fun to switch those out more frequently so I’m not as concerned about quality.  I do love a nice quality though when it comes to bags and shoes, so I invest more in those and keep them much longer.  If dresses are your thing, invest in those. Or jewelry!  I know a lot of people love jewelry and like to invest in that…you do you and enjoy it!

Andrew and I both use the Cozi app to keep our family organized.  It took us a bit to get into the groove of using it but now that we do, it’s been very helpful.  I still pull out my Erin Condren planner every single day though and handwrite out everything as I much prefer paper and pen. The app is great for our family, but the planner is better for my own brain space.

 

I am super organized…probably not always a good thing…but I am.  I’m personally not super sentimental, so it’s not hard for me to toss paperwork and things I don’t love/use/need on a regular basis.  For school artwork, my kids always pick a few pieces to have framed at the end of each school year and we keep those in our family room…

…and then other special things we’ll post on the fridge, around my office, in their rooms, etc for a bit too.  A lot of the time, my kids are happy if we take photos of their art and keep them on our phone.  My younger two bring home pages and pages of artwork every day, so I can’t keep it all.  Special things are more special when there are fewer of them, so we pick their most special pieces and keep those.

I don’t like clutter/paper mess/etc, so we use it, put it away or toss it pretty easily around here.  I actually get pretty overwhelmed when things are disorganized, so I try really hard to keep our home/my office/our life as tidy as possible.  I’m way more productive with less “stuff” everywhere.

Hmmmm…Nordstrom, Abercrombie, Target, Altar’d State…places like that.  She loves athleticwear so Lululemon and Athleta too.

Well I’m still in the process, so who knows if I’m really doing it right.  Andrew and I are raising our kids based on the Bible.  We are hopefully instilling in them qualities that the Lord wants them to have…a relationship with Jesus being first and foremost.  I think we both grew up in “fun” homes…but where there were rules and consequences, so we’re doing that too.  If Andrew and I say something, we mean it.  We also always support the other.  I have his back and he has mine.  If we disagree, we do that privately and always present a unified front.  Some days we’re complete failures too though…we’re doing our best.  That’s what we’re doing.  We’re praying a lot and doing our very best.

We love our air fryer(s)!  You can read all about why we love them/which ones we love (we disagree!) and see my recipes HERE.  We use ours every single day!

Oh you guys, you know I love talking about HRT!  I am still doing the same thing (three years now!) and LOVE IT!  I have honestly never felt better.  I’m sleeping great, my mood is stabilized, my skin isn’t breaking out, I have tons of energy…it’s all good.  If you’re new around here, I’ve been doing HRT for almost 9 years now.  I had a hysterectomy in December 2019, changed up how I do HRT (I’ve done it many, many different ways) and haven’t looked back.  You can read all about it HERE.  I am a huge fan of THIS version of HRT.  I’ve had mixed results with the other types, but this time that I’m currently doing is nothing short of miraculous.

Okay, I’m off to enjoy my holiday!

From my family to yours, here’s wishing you a safe, healthy, happy and fabulous Halloween! I’ll see you tomorrow!!!!! xx