Here’s What is baaaack!

| cheriarmour

Last friday, I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired, and didn’t feel like pretending I was obsessed with anything, so I skipped it, but she’s baaack!  I’m obsessed with more stuff!

So, now, if you missed the last few posts, here they are 🙂

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Okay, so onto my obsessions.

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1.  Kombucha.  I have been obsessed with kombucha for a very very long time, but I’m not sure I’ve ever written about it.  So prior to trying GTs Kombucha, I’d tried a few other brands after this girl at work told me it would magically fix a hangover, and it tasted terrible.  And then, someone introduced me the Cosmic Cran flavor of Synergy Kombucha, and I was totally hooked.  There is not a flavor I’ve had that I’ve hated, and the best day to describe it is that it’s kinda like a fruity carbonated drink with a little hint of vinegar.  It’s an ancient tea that basically feels like it works on your insides, kinda the same way that Activia does and resets everything to where it’s supposed to go.  The bottle I’m drinking, at 60 calories a bottle, isn’t hard on the waistline either!  So when I wrote to them and told them how positively obsessed I was with their product, they sent me a really nice note, plus a coupon for a free bottle.  Yum!  I’m enjoying it now!  If you can afford it, I’d drink one a few times a week and see if your tummy doesn’t feel magnificent!

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2.  Prior to running Rock ‘n’ Roll USA, I was at the book store at purchased Demi Lovato’s book, Stay Strong, which is a daily devotional type situation.  It’s not religious, but it’s inspirational, and it’s really cool to have a cool book that a beautiful, talented young woman has written.  I love it.

3.  The Positive Pit Bull.    I was in North Hills at the Starbucks, and walked around the corner to Woof Gang Bakery, where I get Coco’s treats from when I ran into the literal cutest Pit Bull lady I’d ever seen in my life.  As it turns out, the Positive Pit Bill, a Raleigh non-profit that works to change the image of pit bulls, and get pit bulls a lot of them who are at kill shelters here, adopted.  I’m promise you that for a second, I tried to take one of the dogs home until I thought of what my husband-to-be might say.  Check out some of the photos I snapped!

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This is the one that I fell in love with.  Hey, Postive Pit, if she’s still available, and you don’t think she will eat my little poodle mix, can you hook us up?  I can’t stop thinking about her!

Okay.  So what three things are you obsessed with this Friday?  

Loving on the Run!

| cheriarmour

Hi!  Head over to Sara’s spot at Loving on the Run to see my sweet guest post about the disaster that befall me in the Middle of the Greensboro Marathon.

Sara is actually a Carolina girl, and has been fun to email with.  Blogger besties?  Too soon to tell?  Am I being creepy?  Not sure.  Head over beautiful readers!

Nostalgia.

| cheriarmour

Superfruit, or Mitch and Scott from the incredible group Pentatonix have this incredible vlog.

Vlog is also a heinously disgusting world and I’m pretty sure I refuse to say it for the rest of this post.

I didn’t stop laughing this entire vlog. Ew.  Also Pentatonix are singing in Charlotte tonight and I won’t be there cause I’m broke from getting married.  Ugh.

And it got me thinking. What am I kinda feeling nostalgic for?

  • I miss high school choir trips.  Don’t let me forget to tell you about the trip where we stayed at the gross awful Innkeeper in Durham.
  • I miss when I was a kid, and it wasn’t creepy to hug your dad for a long time.  When you get old, you stop hugging your dad for as long, and it makes me sad.
  • I miss college Sundays when you’d wake up, and not really do anything the rest of the day, and then pull an all-nighter to get a paper done.
  • I miss being young enough to take all my laundry to my parent’s house when it was still appropriate.
  • I miss when my mom one time drove to Elon to take care of me when I was sick.  That doesn’t happen when you’re a grown up.
  • And I miss summer camp.  God I miss camp.

What are you feeling nostalgic for?  

I wish I had a picture for you today….

| cheriarmour

But I really don’t want to spoil how great my ink for the save-the-dates looks. So in its place, I give you this.
photo 3A picture of mah boo-thang on the cover of Rolling Stone.  I was gonna steal this issue from my parents’ house, but I forgot 😦  luckily I had this to keep me company.

Yes, ladies and gents, this is the highlights from Justin Bieber’s deposition video. For a really really good laugh, and if you’re at work, fast forward to 1:50, and have a laugh at Mr. Bieber’s quote. But really, watch the whole thing because it’s incredible.

Moving right along!

Okay, so I was really really disturbed by something yesterday morning when I woke up and checked the blogs like I usually do.

So I wake up, check the blogs, and one of my favorite mom-bloggers, Natalie Hodson, had revealed that she had been the victim of girl on girl crime, that another blogger had straight-up plagiarized her work by lifting a post, and changing one or two words, and I was shocked.

Yes, blogging is a job, but it’s a fun job!  Why on earth would anyone plagiarize?  It’s not school, you don’t get a grade for it.  And I got to thinking about how casual I am with my work.  I don’t watermark my photos.  I only google myself occasionally.  I’ve freely sent blog posts back and forth (and to some really really cool bloggers) without a thought.  And I’ve put my stuff out on the internet without a thought ant anyone would ever plagiarize.

Maybe it’s cause my writing sucks.

Or maybe I’m too trusting.

But either way, that realization that people actually do that really gave me the creeps.

Have you had any dealings with plagiarism?  How have you handled it? 

Shoe review – The Brooks Transcend (DIS FOR ALL MY SHOE NERDS!)

| cheriarmour

So, before you read, 100% understand that I have been team Brooks for millions of years.  And by millions, I mean for about 2 years, which is as long as I have been working for Fleet Feet in some capacity.  Originally, I was fitted for the Brooks Adrenaline, which is pretty decent stability, but my “princess and the pea” hoof was not having that stability posting.  From there I tried the Glycerin 10 which is what I ran my first half marathon and my first marathon in, and moved to the Ghost for my shorter runs.  My poor rugby knee seemed to really really appreciate the cushioning.

Knee InjuryOuch!

Okay so anyhoo, I actually called our Brooks Rep up on the phone, Chris, and had a really good chat with him about the Transcend, because honestly, I’m not sure I was getting the concept.

The Trance, which the Transcend replaced, was a pretty high stability shoe – felt like a dang dream on your foot, but had a really decent amount of stability in the shoe, so we “prescribed” the show sparingly.  Additionally, the steep price point would sometimes scare folks off who were, at the time, expecting to pay maybe $100.  (The shoe’s price soared to $150, and this was before that was pretty standard for a pair of high-cushioned stability shoes).

So anyhoo, Chris had great insight and great explanation for the way the shoe differed.

The shoe is still considered stability, but instead of there being a huge stability posting that your poor pronating foot slams into with each step, the shoe relies on “guide rail” technology that works to gently guide your foot into a more neutral position.  Still following?  The other big draw of the shoe is the cushioning, that Chris repeatedly described as “plush” but it’s referred to by Brooks as Super DNA, which is their original DNA cushioning, really beefed (or in this case), fluffed up.  Whereas the Glycerin or the Ghost felt a little more firm, a little more stable, the Transcend, out of the box feels straight up smooshy for lack of a better word.

Can you tell that I love my sneaks and that I love my job at Fleet Feet?

Okay, onto the review!DSC_0020

Cons (which I always start with so you can end on a positive)

  • I wear a size 10.5 in women’s which is already pretty big.  I felt like the Transcend made my hooves look HUGE.  You’ve got a skinny little chick in tights wearing giant pink shoes – not the most attractive.  In fact, I felt a little goofy.
  • Being used to the snug, foot-hugging Cadillac feel of the Glycerin, the shoe felt huge at first as well.  It took me so definite getting used to.
  • I’m used to the boat shape of the Brooks Glycerin and the Ghost.  The sort of flatter shape of this shoe reminded me of the Brooks Dyad, and threw me off a little at first.

But, after an initial test-drive….

Pros

  • Out of the box, the shoe is obviously a well-engineered, quality-manufactured running accessory.  I don’t need to name names, but sometimes that is not necessarily the case.
  • I got a lot of compliments on the look of the shoe – maybe I was being a little overdramatic on how big they looked on me?
  • My feet usually cannot stand to have any stability within their vicinity.  The Guide Rail technology was very very comfortable to me, and seemed to really do some guiding.  I’m interested to see what my wear pattern might look like after a few hundred miles.
  • Need cushioning?  Bad knee, sore hip?  This is the shoe for you.  You feel virtually nothing as you’re cruising, and that’s so weird, but so cool.
  • The forefoot of the shoe kinda felt like the Ghost used to.  As in, there was a ton of room up there.  In a good way, not in a weird way.
  • The shoe is very smooshy.  I’m trying to think of something to compare it to in real life, but it’s sort of like running on….sorta of like a firmer marshmallow.  A regs marshmallow would be really weird, it has more structure than that.

Overall, I liked the shoe, and I’m glad that working at the store, I was given first dibs on a pair of these shoes.  Had I not been so intrigued and wanted to try them, I may have just stuck in my old habits.  I’m interested to race in them and kind of see what we think in a race situation.

Anyone else tried this shoe?  What do you think?  

[Full disclosure – FF Ral was seeded a few pairs, and I was a lucky FIT Specialist who got a pair.  But all opinions are strictly my own!]

The finances #weddingwednesday

| cheriarmour

I started this last Wednesday when I previewed the March of the Brides with Diamonds Direct Crabtree, and I’m keeping it going!!!  I’m essatly 149 days away from the big day (eep) and it’s time to get serious.  I think I officially got serious last week when I kind of looked at the official wedding countdown and realized that no, we weren’t throwing a Superbowl Party, but that we were throwing a wedding.

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Anyhoo, let’s move along to talk about something that’s not so fun.  And something that I probably need your help with.

The finances. 

So regardless of how you guys choose to do the money after you get married, whether you smoosh it all together, or keep it completely separate, there’s going to be some merging because you probably want to be on the same cell phone plan.  You might want to have both names on the deed when you buy a house.  You might want to buy an SUV together.  You get what I’m saying.  And then the issues of who makes how much will arise, and if you’re like me, you’ve talked about it already.

I am a social worker by day, and Austin is an engineer.  Social workers generally do not make a lot of money, and engineers make a little more.  And though Austin has never in the least made me feel this way, I fear, in the tiniest spot, hidden in the darkest corner of my brain, that because I make so little and he makes a good bit more, that I’m considered the “dead weight” in the relationship.

I know with my brain that it’s a silly thing to think, but sometimes, usually when I’m feeling self-conscious about other things, my self-consciousness about money will creep back in, and I feel the feverish need to find some crazy job, completely unrelated to my field that will make me lots of money so that financially, Austin and I will stand on equal footing.

I know that’s crazy.

But does any one else ever feel this way?  How do I push these nasty feelings away and focus on my skills, rather than my self-perceived shortcomings?

Wedding Wednesday

LINK UP!!!!

#1800 Minute Challenge

| cheriarmour

I saw this on Living in Yellow yesterday, and I totally hope you don’t mind I borrowed your awesome image, but I was totally so excited about the challenge, I had to tell you guys all about it.

#1800MinuteChallengeYou guys know how much I love a good challenge right?  I love a streak during the fall months where there isn’t a whole bunch of racing going on, and this thing proves as no exception.  For this challenge, I (and hopefully you guys when you get into this challenge), we will be doing 1800 minutes of activity between the April 1st through May 31st.  That math kinda filters out to about 30 minutes of activity today, so in my mind, with my training for my two half marathons in April, I am totally ready for this, and totally read to make sure that after my half on April 27th, I don’t fall into a lull where I don’t want to do anything anymore.

Plus, Mama is getting married in August, gotta make sure I’m looking good right?

Head over to Living in Yellow and check out this challenge!

5 most memorable moments in life. (Part I)

| cheriarmour

Firstly, I’m having a blast of a time with the new camera that my future mother-in-law got me.  Seriously, I don’t think that you will be hearing any horror stories from me, she’s awesome.  I made sure to play with some filters, and took photos of brunch on Sunday morning with a friend.

DSC_0141 DSC_0142The place was Coquette in North Hills, and in addition to some delicious french toast, they had bottomless mimosas for like $10.  I’m not mad at it, plus I got to hang out with a friend who I’d not seen in a while 🙂  that is the literal best.

Anyhoo.  

I totally stole this idea from Sara at Loving on the Run, but it got me thinking – what are the 5 most memorable moments in my life (thus far)?  This one is tough, but I’ll do the best to get a few of the biggies together.

1.  This is really dorky, but my senior prom was pretty awesome.  I was a big reader in high school and in middle school, and I’d always read about proms and stuff, so I really built the magic up in my mind.  Senior prom was sick awesome, and I think that was one of the most fun nights that I ever had in high school  (and I’m 26 now).  I honestly just remember that I didn’t stop dancing the entire time.

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I’ll leave that right there….

2.  My entire experience at Elon University.  I’ve talked nonstop about how much I fell in love at Elon, but I really learned so much there.  I had incredible classes, incredible teachers, and incredible experiences there.  Incredible incredible incredible.

3.  Years and years ago, I dated someone, who, when I told him about my plan to become licensed in Zumba and teach classes, told me “You aren’t even athletic,” and made fun of me for wanting to try to teach.  I think he apologized later, but it still hurts to think that someone that cared about you could say something like that.  Years later, miles later, and plans later, sometimes when I’m feeling lazy, or when I’m feeling like I don’t want to work  I think about this, and it pushes me through a rough time  I AM athletic.  I AM fit.  I AM strong.  What someone says shouldn’t determine how you live your life.  And I’m so happy I went through with the licensing process, because it was the gateway to all the running I do now.  And I feel like it changed my life.

4.  Us.  Our first date, our second date, the whole getting-to-know you phase, and us, all the way to our engagement. 

308199_738548441023_853436731_n-1We’ve been together for almost three-and-a half years, and the entire process has been fun.  He started out as that guy I kinda was interested in, and he moved to being that guy that we would go on beer dates with each other, to this guy I went on a date with and now we’re getting married and having 5 babies.  Just kidding (kinda!).

5.  Running my first half-marathon.  My first half was the Hallowed Half in Wake Forest.  There are not any pictures unfortunately because Austin was out of town at a funeral, and the entire time I ran, I just thought about Austin, how much I loved him, how I needed to get back home to him, and how bad my inner thighs were chafed at the time.

Okay, so I think I have a few more, so I might split this up into parts, but this is what I got for my 5 most memorable (thus far).  I have some more, but we will get more into those at a later time.  Give me one of your favorite memories!

Starbucks + Alcohol. Dream come true, or nightmare on Elm Street?

| cheriarmour

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard.  Starbucks, coffee behemoth, is going to start to serve alcohol nationwide.

Is this idea a good one, or is a total nightmare?

Well, as you know, I’ve been a fan of Starbucks simply for the fact that you can find one virtually anywhere that you are in the world, and their coffee is, at the very least, decent.  But when Starbucks announced on their website last week that they’d be serving alcohol, I definitely raised an eyebrow.  Here’s what they had to say about it. 

The place you love during the day now has more reasons to love it at night.

We’ve always been your neighborhood spot where you can take a moment to unwind, grab a well-deserved treat, and meet up with friends. But sometimes, you just want a glass of wine and a delicious bite to eat without going to a bar or making a restaurant reservation.

Say hello to a new way to enjoy Starbucks after 4 p.m. Drop in after work, with friends, after yoga, by yourself, after a long day or after a great day.

The food is amazing. The wine selection is simple and smart. The chairs are just as comfortable as they are in the morning.

We hope to see you soon.

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via Starbucks

My main reservation? The food at Starbucks is literally so bad, so how good could their wine be?  I love wine the same way I love scones – is Starbucks looking for a way to ruin everything that I love?

I’m interested to try the wine, maybe pair it with some food I haven’t tried before, and let you all know what I think, but suffice it to say that Mama is skeptical about the coffee giant’s latest additions to their growing menu. 

Oh P.S. wanna hear a new take on Starbucks?  Visit The Skinny Confidential and read on why she switched off her Starbucks addiction.  Really, really interesting!