Jules' Rules of Running

After the last few races I have been to, some things have stuck out in my mind that I have developed into a set of rules which kinda of sound like rants- feel free to add your own!

• If you are smoking near a race I (and most of the other runners) want to punch you in your throat. I find it hard enough to breathe while running so please get your pollutants away from my lungs k thanks.  Nothing against people who smoke at all I have lots of friends who do, they just have enough manners to not smoke by people who are struggling to breathe.
• If you are a man and choose to wear running tights (especially nude colored ones) please wear shorts so I don't have to see your man bulge. Yes I seriously saw someone wearing nude running tights and (his balls) this weekend. If I wanted to see dudes weenises, its called the internet and its for porn.
• Please do not put on craploads of hoesauce before a race. Once again its hard enough to breathe, I don't need to be suffocated by your CK ONE knockoff from Walmart. Everyone is going to stink, even you, except you will smell like sweat AND cheap perfume.
• Don't put jingle bells anywhere on you unless its a jingle bell run.  Really?! Is it necessary for you to jingle all the way home in March- no! Save it for the jingle bell runs!
• If you are walking, move to the back of the pack at the starting line! I run pretty slow (12ish min miles) so if you are in my way I am passing you like 3 seconds after the start you should realize that maybe you should start at the very back of the pack.

Show & Tell Tuesday!

Its Show and Tell Tuesday with Mrs Yellow Ribbons- head on over and link up!
This week we are to share something we recently discovered that you can't believe you lived without!

Well I didn't recently discover this but I got one about a year ago for my wedding and I wanted one since I was about 16 ha...... my KITCHEN AID MIXER!!!

I love it soooo much and it makes everything so much easier.  We do a lot of baking for FRG and for me to send overseas to friends. Its a fierce beast and mixes my double batch of chocolate chip cookies with nooo problem. I have used to to grind nuts for nut roll and whip up homemade marshmallows.  Hopefully I will get to use more attachments this year!

15 Minimum Pieces of Flair

Before I start this I just wanted to say I received my winnings from Jayme @ The Cherry Chronicles giveaway- Thanks! Cant wait to try it out for breakfast! It even came with a cute little note :)

Does anyone have anything to spice up their cube?  I have what I call cube flair (you can see my coworkers south park dolls in the background ha). I get a fun magnet from wherever we travel and add it to the flair.

 I also have a section of flair for the half marathons that I have completed :)

Starting with the guitar and going clockwise: Virgina Beach, San Fran, Grosse Ile Michigan, Houston, Lincoln, and Philly

Do any of you keep any special race mementos besides the medals to commemorate your runs?

PS I hate having magnets on our fridge at home so this is my place to put them all

Just A (Not So) Short Run Race Recap and Sunday Plans

    This one will be short and sweet.  Yesterday the hubs and I did the Just a Short Run. There is a 5k, 8.1 mile, 1/2 marathon, and  a 30k for this race.  I did the 8.1 mile and the hubs did the 30k and it is one of his fave distances to run.  The weather was freeeezingggggggg and I swear even with gloves on I was going to have frostbitten fingers. We were both intersted to see how we would run being that we just did the half on Sunday.  It actually turned out well for both of us! I knocked 6 minutes off my time from last year and finished in 1:40:40 and the hubs knocked about 4 mins off his time from last year and finished in 1:59:37 and came in 5th place OVERALL! This was his first overall placement so I am super proud of him :)
    The race ended kind of rough for him though. I was cheering him on about 100 yards from the finish like "Good job babe- bring it home" ( anyone else feel really lame cheering for people? I always feel like i say dumb stuff lol). He crosses the finish line and I run over to him continuing to embarass cheer for him. Then I see him bend over (maybe he just cant breathe- oh no this is taking a bad turn). "Good job babe-oh... let me know when your done puking!"  He felt better after that and we stuck around for the awards- he won a whole 15 bucks ha. I told now he just needs to get 5th in a big race and win like 10 grand kthanks. 
    Our race bibs have a 10 bucks off any Asics purchasae of 100 bucks or more coupon on them and I spotted these shoes at the Houston Expo and I still want them very badlllllyyyyyyy. So I'm hoping I can get these soon even though they are technically for triathletes. I am a triathlete- I try LOL.

    Anyway I'm off to a Pilates class and I am making Chicken and Biscuits in the crockpot for Dan and my parents tonight. My parents finally got a new end table so they are bringing us their old one that matches our coffee table so my family room will almost be complete soon! Oh and I can't wait to see what happens on Army Wives tonight! eek!   Hope everyone has nice relaxing Sunday!

I Nailed It # 12

Sally Hansen #8 deep purple and an Oreo stuffed chocate chip cookie!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Rock CF Half Marathon Recap

A Day late but here we go :)

"I take driving very seriously"

 We drove about 4 hours to Grosse Ile, Michigan, but first we stopped at Beef Jerky Unlimited and tehy seriously did not allow pictures inside!

Elk, Buffalo, Alligator, Kangaroo, and Antelope

We got some exotic jerky to try and then just a few more miles until we arrived at the Grosse Ile High School for packet pickup!

A map of where all of the runners came from

course map around the island

After that we went for lunch at Sharkey's where we got Saginaki which is a Greek flaming cheese- it was delish!

 We asked our wonderful waitress what there was to do on the island and she mentioned there was an alpaca farm right down the road.  So off we went!

I got some yarn for my gay husbands

 Then they showed us all the alpacas they had.  I asked to pet one and the guy picked one up and handed it to me! They are  a lot lighter than I thought- all fur.  They are SO soft. 

"this one is still nursing- put your pinky out and she will suck on it"

this is the alpaca that the cream yarn came from

 Following that we drove around the island to get a feel for the course and headed to our hotel. We went to sleep pretty early and we were up at 5am to head to the race.  It was very cold but other than that the first 7 miles were super flat and the scenery was amazing. Canada or Michigan on one side, mansions on the other.  From miles 7-11 the course was pretty hilly and very windy. Luckily Dan finished his run and found me about mile 9/5 and kept me motivated for the last few miles :).  Both of us were very close to our PRs but no such luck! I finished in 2:43:53 (about 2 mins off) and Dan finished in 1:22:05 (5 seconds off).

finishers medal

 I'm going to share a little post race specialness with you all- my ass cheeks rubbed together and managed to chafe this race.  Yeah wtf I know.  Sorry if that was TMI but I was like really Jules how did this happen. 
After the race we got all cleaned up and headed home but we wanted to stop at a winery first.    The Pentamere Winery was the closest to us so off we went! 

They have their own fermentation tanks in the store!

It smelled amazing because they just emptied this one

We ended up going home with 6 bottles- 1 for my parents for puppy sitting

We also found out this is just off the road that we take to my in- laws so we will be back :)

we saw this gem on the way home

Whoa 50 followers! And some ramblings

Thanks for reading everyone! I'm going to have to think of something special to commemorate this- kinda caught me by surprise!

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. I am feeling soooo much better and glad my issue got sorted out.


For my craft ladies... I got an email from my girl Martha and noticed this site on it. Like project runway where they get to design their own fabric! The site is called spoon flower and while it seems pricey I think it might be a little something cool to treat yourself too :)

Oh and I promise race recap tomorrow!

Foodie Nightmare

    So I have been feeling crappy since last Monday night. Tight chest, hard to breathe and it kinda felt like my throat was closing. It didnt go away so the next day after work I went to one of the urgent care places. They said I could be having an allergic reaction and they gave me steroid shot.  It ended up not working so they suggested that I go to the ER.  LAME.  I hate going to the the ER but they said that I could have a bloodclot which terrefied me, so I obliged.  Six hours (and some crying) in the ER later "we couldn't find anything serious wrong with you so schedule a follow up visit with your primary care Dr" UGH. Good news though, but I would like to have those 6 hours of my life back k thanks.
  Some special moments from the ER included the nurse asking if she could pull down the front my gown in front of my husband to place the heart monitor on my chest. Me: "yeah hes seen them before".  Way to keep it classy Jules. She explained that her assuming the relationship of the people in the room led to some uncomfortable situations in the past. I had to get one of those IV ports put in and blood taken- this is what I hate i feel like that hing is going to poke right through the other side of my arm. As the nurse is putting this in my arm and trying not to cry or puke Dan starts tell stories of how they would put the IV ports in their arms before the would go on patrol during his first tour in Iraq and how lots of people would pop their veins because they were inexperienced at putting IV's in "yeah it makes a weird popping noise". "Dan, I'm going to vom on you."  Other than that my experience wasn't too bad just lots of waiting
    I had my follow up appointment yesterday and it turns out I have acid reflux but hopefully not forever maybe just a flare up. The put me on Prilosec and a strict "anything that is delish you cant eat or drink" diet (super sad face) and I have to go back in 6 weeks. I took my Prilosec today and I already feel lots better so that was reassuring and I can breathe again!


Anyway Dan and I (as long as I can still breathe) are off to run the Rock CF Half Marathon in Michigan this weekend! Race recap to follow :) Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I Nailed It #12 and Friday Fill In

Sephora for OPI: "Mightnight Mambo" 2 coats


FRIDAY FILL IN :)
Link up at Wife of a Sailor

1. What are some  of your ideas for staying connected with family…you know, those people we moved thousands of miles away from? submitted by Live it. Love it (or not). Write About It.
We don't live too far away from my family at all but we are an 8 hour drive from his. Weekly phone calls and we visit when we can.

2. What’s the most romantic gift you have GIVEN? submitted by Painting My Canvas
I guess that would be his wedding band. He is more the romantic one ha.

3. Would you encourage your child, if they came to you and wanted to join the military?  submitted by Perfectly Imperfect
I would ,I know it can't be easy, but if that is what they wanted I would support it.

4. What is your least favorite bill to pay and why? submitted by A Little of This, A Little of That
The mortgage because its the biggest.

5. What is the proudest moment you’ve had as a military spouse?  submitted by Our Okinawa Life
Oh geeez there have honestly been so many. He makes me proud everyday really. I am proud of him in genereal for just serving our coutry.

Flashback: Charm City Cakes- 1 Year Ago Today!

    The hubs and I are big fans of the "Ace of Cakes" TV show.  Last year while planning our wedding I knew I wanted to do something for him since, lets face it, the pink reception wasn't up his alley ha.  

    One day something made me check out the website and I saw they had our wedding date available.  I was pretty excited so I called and Mary Alice called me back and we set up an appointment to come up with an idea and to get the tasting flavors. 

    This was going to be surprise for Dan so I told him that wasnt going to be home on this date and he wanst allowed to check my credit card to see where I was lol. I asked some of my bridesmaids to join me on the trip since I wasn't too keen on making a 5 hour road trip by myself.  We left after work on March 16th and drank tequila spent some time at MEX in the Power Plant which is big complex with lots of clubs and bars and restaurants.

Erika, Me, Emily, Mandy

    The next morning we spent time time around the harbor and had some delish seafood. Then it was cake time! If you all watch the show we did eat at The Diz which is the restaurant across the street and they actually had pieces of cake they were giving away so that was cool.  All of us were pretty geeked (especially Emily because she has a crush on Duff).  My consultation was with Anna but Lauren actually made the cake. Duff was there and drinking a beer ha. We came up with something to incorporate his two favorite things besides me- running and the Army!

box of nums!

    My ladies and I ended up choosing the banana caramel flavor because it was amazing and Dan loves bananas and then the beurre noisette flavor which tasted like a sweet cake donut :) Two weeks before the wedding Dan made the National Guard Marathon Team so I had them add a banner to the cake for that. The cake was a surprise for Dan and I just announced it for him after the speeches at the reception.

His favorite racing flat and some army goodness

marathon sticker, flag, Combat Infantry Badge

look closely you can even see how they made the shoe look mesh

3rd platoon Vikings and Keystone patch which is also part of his tattoo

Commendation, OIF, Achievement, infantry rifles

Max and Jake

Overall the cake was just beyond words. The detail was incredible, it tasted great and if you ever want to splurge I totally recommend it!

Sometimes When You Fall...

pick yourself back up and great things could happen :)

The ABC's of Jules

 I saw that Peas and Crayons did this a few days ago and I thought it was cute!

A. Age: 25

B. Bed size: Full

C. Chore you hate: Dishes and laundry.  They are both two steps... I can do half of each ha

D. Dogs: love my pups Jake and Max. 

Jake-their first bath

Max- "HALP"

E. Essential start to your day: a Starbucks or a banana


F. Favorite color: Pink

G. Gold or Silver: I can do both

H. Height: 5″7'

I. Instruments you play: None

J. Job title: Insurance Accountant- ya a blast ha

K. Kids: not quite yet for me

L. Live: Pittsburgh, PA

M. Mom’s name: Debra

N. Nickname: Jules, Bear

O. Overnight hospital stays:  Just when I was born- I was in the hospital for a month whoops!

P. Pet peeve: When my coworker clips his nails at his desk..not to mention that he does it everyday and when Dan's alarm goes off 5648725692796 in the morning before he gets up.

Q. Quote from a movie: "Ms. Stoeger, my plastic surgeon doesn't want me doing any activity where balls fly at my nose."  "Well, there goes your social life"

best movie everrrr

R. Righty or Lefty: Righty

S. Siblings: Just me!

T. Time you wake up: 6:07..I'm weird

U. Underwear:  yes

V. Vegetables you don’t like: Brussels Sprouts and Lima Beans

W. What makes you run late: being warm in bed

X-rays you’ve had: chest, throat and teeth

Yummy food you make: Pad Thai, anything from my Martha Cookbooks or my girl Ina, and I love to bake

Z. Favorite zoo animal: anything that's a baby

Friday Fill In

1. During military separations (whether short or long) how do you keep yourself positive and motivated? submitted by Married/Single Parent
I just keep thinking that I am not the only person in the world going through this and everything will be ok.

2. What is your favorite concert you have ever been to? submitted by Young but Not (Completely) Dumb

Sorry I look like balls- the most epic hangover of my life that day

Ooooooo I love me some concerts. We tailgate pretty much every country concert that comes to our town. One of the best shows we have seen is Garth Brooks in Las Vegas. Toby Keith is a fave always and we just saw an acoustic Zac Brown Band show in December that was amazing. As I'm writing this more country concerts keep popping into my head soooo really any country concert that comes to Pittsburgh ha.

3. What do you miss most about your “hometown”?  submitted by A Florida Girl and Her Soldier
We are still in it. My hubby is a Chicago transplant and I think he likes it here better actually.


4. If you could run in any race, which charity would you choose to support? submitted by Wookie & Co.
We actually do this! We have raised about $6,000 dollars for Wounded Warrior Project, Cystsic Fibrosis Foundation, and St Jude Children's Hospital over the years and we haven't talked about which charity we are going to pick this year.

5. You find out Willy Wonka is your father, what 3 course meal do you INSIST he create in that stick of gum?  submitted by A{muse}ing Mommy on a Pink Park Bench
A Milkshake, hamburger and french fries, and a brownie covered in ice cream.


Don't forget to link up over at Wife of a Sailor.

I Nailed It #11 and GIVEAWAY WINNER

This week's I Nailed It was sent in by Emily from Fooding with Emily. Thanks for sharing Em!

OPI for Sephora- "On Stage"

AND THE WINNER IS


the hubs picked

 Kellee from You+ Me= Wii  Email me your address and Ill ship it out to you girl :)

I Feel So Loved!

Jessica over at Proud Life of a Chief's Wife gave me an award :)  Go check her out and you could be next!

I am a Winooooooo

In PA we have separate stores you have to go to to buy booze and beer.  They decided to discontinue some items and were having a clearance sale.....some of these bottles were 4 bucks and I didn't spend more than 8 bucks on any bottle.  Before you judge me we do have a little wine cabinet and I am sure it will take quite a while to go through all of them..I just couldn't resist!

So tonight I plan on enjoying some wine and trying out a new recipe!  Hope everyone has a nice lazy Sunday :)

My husband, My Heart, My Hero

Hey Ladies,
I just became an admin on My Husband, My Heart, My Hero's facebook page so please check them out :)
It a support page where people can ask questions, get advice, or just see whats happening with other milspouses or significant others.

Restaurant Review: BRGR

Last week it was one of my friend's birthday and his favorite restaurants are Mcdonalds and Wendys (no I'm not kidding ha) so we found this place while trying to find somewhere to take him for dinner!  I don't think anyone who lives in Pittsburgh reads my blog besides everyone who at this place with me ha but it was very delish! If you find something similar where you live GO!

We started off with Adult Milkshakes- yes milkshakes with booze in them <3



Salty Carmel Adult Milkshake

It was seriously one of the best things I have ever eaten.  Bourbon + salted carmel sauce + locally made vanilla bean ice cream = heavennnnnnnn

For the main course I got the "Fire in the Hole" Burger and the fries with truffle cheese whiz yummmmm

fries with parmesan and herbs

burger with guac, jalapenos, chipotle mayo, and pepper jack cheese

Everything was amazing and we all left with full, happy bellies. If you want to check out the menu here it is.

PS I wasn't compensated in any way for this, just sharing the love of nums!

Friday Fill In and Giveaway Update!

Dont forget to hear over to Wife of a Sailor to link up!!!

1. Do you or your {spouse} ever wish your {spouse} was in a different branch of the military? submitted by The Turner Family
No way he has had GI Joe birthdays since he was like 3 and always wanted to do this and I support him.

2. What duty station(s) are on your “No Way, Hell No, Not Going, Have Fun Unaccompanied” list and why? submitted by Every Branch
Well we are National Guard so that is not an issue.

3. If you could be one age forever, what age would you choose and why? submitted by Three Krakens
I like the age that I am at now (25). I feel like its a good age to experience life and I am gorwn up but can still not be grown up if i want ha
4. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be? submitted by the C.W.
Frosted mini wheats!!!!  They are like the reverse mullet of cereal...party in teh front business in the back!
5. What is your morning beverage of choice and why?  submitted by NH Girl Displaced
I'll ususally have one of my two fave drinks from Starbucks or water.

Ok so for the Giveaway update- it will end next Wednesday and midnight and the winner will be announced in the "I Nailed It" post for next week. If you still want to enter check it out!

Show me your Bling and I Nailed it #10

Today I am linking up with Mrs. Yellow Ribbon for her "Show Me" feature.  This week it was show me your ring soooooo I am going to show u my nail polish while I'm at it :)

OPI for Sephora- "Havana Dreams" 3 coats

Did you look at rings together?

We kinda looked around to see what looked good on my finger but I didn't know what he would pick or when he would propose. 

Do you like your ring? Did you from the beginning?...and be honest!

Oh yes I loved it and still do!

How often do you wear your rings?

I take them off when I sleep and clean and go to the gym. Other than that they are always on.

Do you clean your rings?

Sure do I try to do it every two weeks. I have cleaner I got at Bed Bath and Beyond annnd I got this guy off amazon who gets it so close to jewelry store clean its redonk.

Jewel Jet Steam Cleaner

What went through your mind the very first time you saw your ring?

I don't really remember much because the second he got down on his knee i started crying hysterically ha but probably that is was super sparkly and that I loved it :)