Today feels like a good day to catch you all up on some things that have been going on around here, although none of it is related to running. One of these days I will start talking about running again; this is supposed to be a running blog after all. Until then, we can talk about the holidays a bit because that seems to be on everyone’s mind!
-These are the new obsession in our house. Last week Rob snuck two bags into our cart at Trader Joe’s, but how could I argue that? One bag a week is just not enough for two people. However, they have gotten me in the mood for homemade peppermint bark which is now on my list of things I want to make before the holidays.
-Speaking of the holidays, Christmas is only one week away and my traveling begins on Monday. So if I want to make that peppermint bark, I better get to it this weekend!
-I have finally gotten around to doing my holiday shopping and am about 95% done. Now I am just waiting for everything to get delivered so I can wrap it all- which will probably takes hours.
-So here we are talking about the holidays, but its like 60 degrees out. I’m not complaining, but I just don’t want this to mean that we are still going to be getting snow in March and April.
-It was really foggy on one of my recent runs, and I felt like my headlamp was failing me. I literally felt like I couldn’t see the ground in front of me at times. Not a fun feeling.
-I got in the holiday spirit on Sunday by paining my nails. I haven’t done them on my own in a long time and they actually came out pretty good. I feel like this is a one time thing though and I will never be successful at this again, no matter how many times I try. 
-To match my nails I went ahead and burned my hand. I was making eggs and somehow touched the burner. It was actually really clumsy because I lifted the burner with one hand (wearing an oven mitt) and then went to grab food that had fallen under there with my other hand, unprotected. It actually looks worse than it felt. 
-Totally unrelated to anything else in this post- I subscribed to jasyoga after hearing wonderful things and tried it out yesterday morning. I did 3 short videos, one being called “Quick shoulder and upper body strengthener”. We basically stood with our arms out for the entire 5 minutes, and OUCH. Yea, that was a tough workout and it barely involved any movement. 
Well that is all for this week! I hope everyone else is surviving the holidays so far. If you’re feeling stressed, you should totally write a thinking out loud post to vent, you will feel much better after. Thanks Amanda for allowing me to do just that!
Have you finished shopping/wrapping gifts yet?
Are you able to see on dark, foggy runs?
Have you ever done something clumsy in the kitchen that resulted in a burn?
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We’re doing our final baking this weekend after Danny gets home from college (already have done two small rounds). It is exciting getting him home – at the holiday choir concert last night several of his friends were there where we’re already on break …
As for the fog, my headlamp rotates, and I definitely make use of that – on really foggy days I point it more towards the ground. And even though it is still not great, I remind myself that it is making me more visible to cars as well!
That is exciting to have Danny home for break! That first long break during freshman year is so nice. I hope you enjoy your time together:)
My headlamp can be angled towards the ground as well- I’ll have to make sure I am doing that, but like you said it probably still won’t be great. But yes, the visibility is very important too!
I have been running a lot on the treadmill so I missed that foggy run you are talking about! I could barely see on my short jog over to the gym. I can’t deal with the dark mornings, I don’t like to run in the total dark so the treadmill has been it until it starts to get a little light. I can’t believe you did your own nails, I am very impressed! lol
I really wish I had a treadmill option that I didnt have to pay a gym membership for. And you know how much more expensive it is here to get a manicure- it would be great if I could learn to do my own!
The fog/headlamp thing is terrible! There’s one run I remember I couldn’t see the ground in front of my at all, and didn’t know what to do since I was probably 3 miles from home. Even on mildly foggy days the headlamp creates a weird glare where you see a bright foggy blur. Not fun at all.
Not sure what the solution is to the dark/foggy mornings. I have just been trying to stay closer to home where I can run in the street without cars and avoid the sidewalks (because I think I am very at risk for tripping over an uneven sidewalk!)
I can’t even tell you how many bags of those pretzels I’ve dragged home! And then the vat of peppermint bark from Costco. It all needed to stop. Shopping/wrapping is DONE here!
The warm weather is gone too as our high today is 35. Windy as hell too. Ugh. Happy travels! I’m heading to FL soon!
I just finished all my wrapping and its such a good feeling to be done!
I still have scars from a couple of kitchen burns. I actually think I burned my hand in the same place as you (TWINNING SO HARD). I’ll consult my scars… yep. LOVE those pretzel slims. I won’t buy them because that would be asking for trouble. And we have so much food at the office that I just don’t even need to go there!
I have an old scar from an iron burn in almost the same place- what is it with that spot? I guess if I have to have scars they might as all be in the same place.
Peppermint bark is so ridiculously easy to make! I looked at those things in TJs, but knew I’d get into big trouble with them. I could always make my own if I really wanted to (but I won’t because I have a few pounds to lose, not gain!).
Last time I touched the burner like that it scarred pretty good, but it wasn’t as painful as the time I got hot butter splattered all over my hand (which didn’t scar, go figure — that was REALLY painful).
I’m really, really, really hoping for a mild winter because of course I picked this winter to train for a March half (usually I want til May or so to do my first half).
It would be wonderful if we have a mild winter! Crossing my fingers for you and your training schedule!
Ouch, I’ve definitely been there making eggs and then burning myself. That’s what happens when you make breakfast before you pour your coffee (or at least it is in my case)! 🙂
Sixty degrees sounds like great december weather! Yesterday it was 84 degrees here so I’m really struggling to feel like winter is here and Christmas is right around the corner.
I can’t believe its still in the 80s there! We are planning to go to Florida in January so I am hoping it is still warm then:)
Burns like that are the worst! I hope it’s feeling better. I got one in a similar spot at one of my waitressing jobs by slamming my hand into an oven door and it was so painful. Thankfully I don’t have too many gifts to buy because my Secret Santa for my family is easy. My mom just wanted me and my brother/SIL to take her to dinner but I bought her a bunch of stuff on vacation. Oops!
I kind of wish we just did a secret santa thing! It would definitely be easier to just shop for 1 person.
Ugh burns are the worst. I have such a habit of going for dropped things with an unprotected hand. My last baaaad burn was from hitting the broiler on my way our of the oven. It was still on. Ow.
Ouch! That sounds really painful.
Those Trader Joes pretzels are so yummy. I bought peppermint extract last year with plans to make peppermint bark and then never did. I finally opened the extract this year for a different recipe but still want to make so peppermint bark. Maybe next week before christmas. On a different note, I used to attend a zumba class that the instructor had us focused on arms for an entire song. The song was so hard keeping our arms up!
Holding your arms up for a long time is so challenging! You don’t even need to use weights to get a good workout:)
I’ve never had those pretzels…but they sound delicious. And honestly, if I picked up a bag of pretzel crisps I think I could replicate them at home fairly easily. I’ve got melting chocolate, peppermint extract & candy canes…weekend project perhaps!? Thanks for the inspiration!
Great idea to make them on your own! I would love to try that too.
I burn myself like that all of the time in the kitchen! It’s amazing that I don’t have scars from how many times I’ve accidentally touched the oven.
It can get so foggy here that I can barely see more than 200 meters ahead of me during daytime. I can’t imagine how poor visibility there must be on morning runs in the fog!
I have a feeling this burn will scar, but I am also surprised that many of my others didn’t leave a mark!
It was so foggy around the Central Park reservoir yesterday you could barely see the buildings on the other side (just lights from the windows) but I was able to see the path so all was well!
That’s crazy! But its good that you were able to see the path.
I have burned myself several times in the kitchen and have scars to prove it. Not fun. I am also about 95% with Christmas shopping and have some wrapping to do! I am feeling bit overwhelmed with it all quite honestly. I am going to have to try that TJ treat! I try me best to see during dark/foggy runs. Street lights help a bit!
I think I am all done with my shopping/wrapping now and its such a good feeling!
My friend made peppermint bark, but I’ve also been enjoying Ghiradelli’s chocolate peppermint bark squares. I gotta take advantage of them before they’re gone for another year.
Mmm I love those chocolates!
I’m just about done wrapping gifts, but still feel like I have so much to do! And I need to get those peppermint pretzel slims (in addition to the chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joes) next time I’m at TJ’s. What I really need to get a move on with is baking! I’m making two butterscotch pecan pies and a carrot souffle and haven’t gotten any of my ingredients yet!
Those dishes sound like all of work, but I am sure they will be amazing!
Your third question would take me hours to answer because there are so many things to list. Me and cooking just do not get along. Everyone is posting stuff about those TJ peppermint slims and I’m so jealous! I wish we had a Trader Joes in Canada!!!
I am always doing clumsy things in the kitchen! I am lucky I don’t have more burns than I do.
Ouch! Burns are seriously the worst, and I can’t tell you how many mishaps I’ve had in the kitchen that resulted in one. I won’t even take things out of the oven if I’m not wearing long sleeves anymore because of how many times I’ve burned my forearms. And I’m about 80% done with my Christmas shopping. Wrapping is a whole other story though 😆
Thats smart to wear long sleeves while cooking- I should probably just wear some kind of protective gloves all the time too:)
My family decided to do a secret santa type thing this year, so I only have to buy 1 gift. It has actually been great to not have to worry about the stress of buying a ton of gifts. Hope you guys have a happy holidays!!
Thats a great plan! I hope you have a happy holiday as well:)
oh man the struggle with nail polish is real! i had a perfect mani done saturday, then i got dressed for a party and it got all messed up. boo! trying to be a responsible adult and save money by doing my own nails and bam! mess them up. being a girl is hard lol
It’s so hard! Guys just can’t understand the struggle:)