Who is inspired by her momma!

My momma is my biggest fan!

Momma cheering me on at the Boston Marathon

She always makes me feel so loved and so special and is probably the best listener in history (and she has to listen to me blab a lot).

She is so selfless and would drop anything to help one of her kids or grandkids.

She is also a great role model when it comes to fitness. She has been active her whole life through tennis, walking, swimming and more. She used to wake up at 5am to walk around our neighborhood with a friend when I was little  ... and now I am following in her footsteps!

She does not let getting older hold her back either - she actually uses it as a motivator to stay active to keep her healthy. As she has gotten older, she has really started focusing on swimming and she has really excelled in it!

In 2009 she went out to San Fran with her best friend from College and they completed the swim from Alcatraz Island through the open waters of the San Fran Bay (shark filled by the way...). She and her friend were the oldest women to compete and they kicked butt!
My mom swam the 1.5 miles of wavy, currenty (that is an invented word) and cold water in 1 hour! So cool!
After the swim, my Mom won an award for her accomplishment and was featured in a huge article in her Alma Mater's magazine.
Here is a link to the well-written article - http://issuu.com/bgsuflipbook/docs/winter_mag_2010/10

We get to switch roles this weekend and I get to be her support system and cheer her on as she completes a 1.2 mile open water swim at a lake nearby Ann Arbor.

I am so proud of her and hope to be as active and fit as she is when I am her age!

Love ya Momma and kick some butt on Sunday!

Always include a Yosey pic =)

Who vacationed to Northern Michigan ...

Imagine Tim Allen's voice inviting you to explore Pure Michigan!

Last week, B and I and his family took Tim Allen's advice and fully immersed ourselves into Northern Michigan.

The whole group - B's parents, sister and her boyfriend

We left Wednesday morning and arrived in the KOA RV Campground in Petoskey right around lunchtime (4 hour drive from Ann Arbor). B's parents have an amazing RV that was our home for the week. We were "camping" ... but the RV may be nicer than some parts of our condo!

We hopped on our bikes right away and took the Little Traverse Wheelway bike path to Harbor Springs. The Little Traverse Wheelway is such a cool resource and amazing way to explore the area because it connects Charlevoix to Petoskey to Harbor Springs. We biked a lot on the trip - the area was so bike friendly, so we had to take advantage... it was also a great way to stay active!

On Thursday we drove about 30 minutes north of Petoskey and hopped on a ferry to Mackinac Island. We took one of the slower ferries and it was about 40 minutes to the island, but you had gorgeous views of the Mackinac Bridge the whole time.

As you can see - it was a bit chilly with the wind, but we layered up!

Mackinac Island is a small island off the coast of Mackinaw City and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There are no cars allowed on the island ... this blew my mind! There were bikes everywhere and horse carriages everywhere. UPS even delivered their packages with a horse! If you plan to go to Mackinac Island, either bring bikes (way cheaper!) or rent them, because biking is the best way to get to see the whole island. There is an amazing bike path that goes all around the island and is 8 miles long - it has impressive views the whole way!

Amazing clear, blue water!

While on Mackinac - you have to go see the Grand Hotel! It has the world's largest front porch at 660 feet. It is also the world's largest seasonal hotel. We did not go into the hotel, but even when you are walking the grounds you feel like you are stepping back in time. They even have a dress code - after 6pm men have to have a coat and women have to be in a skirt or dress! I would love to stay at least one night there in the future!

One of my favorite adventures of the trip (and something I recommend to anyone!) is biking the Tunnel of Trees  - which is Highway M119. I know, I know ... all I am talking about is biking ... but it is such a fun way to see such a gorgeous area and sneak in activity!
Just north of Harbor Springs, we jumped onto M119 and followed it along the coast of Lake Michigan to this fun restaurant called Legs Inn. I cannot begin to describe how beautiful this bike ride is ... a forest lined road with cliff top views of Lake Michigan on one side of you and fun, huge vacation homes on the other side.

We started our bike ride in Petoskey and it was 30 miles to Legs Inn (we had someone pick us up at Legs ... our legs were not feeling 60 miles). It was a hilly ride, but it was sooo worth it. We all felt very accomplished after the ride, and the beer at Legs Inn tasted especially good!
Also, I loved that the road was not very busy ... it did not seem very touristy (it probably gets busier in the Fall with the leaves changing).

If you bike the Tunnel of Trees, you have to stop at Pond Hill Farm! It is a store, brewery, winery, restaurant, working farm, and flower garden all in one place! We tried some of their beer and wine, and it was all pretty good. I loved their cider! 

Random side note - if you stop at Pond Hill Farm, you should try the squash rocket! They sell their old, inedible squash at "ammo" and you can launch it into this field ... sounds so silly ... but it was so much fun! 

On the food front ... We had most of our meals around the campfire, and things just taste better when you eat them outside! It was vacation, so I definitely splurged on ice cream, s'mores, and some drinks ... but overall we ate fairly healthy (and limiting your meals at restaurants is always healthier).

The rest of the trip was filled with campfires, exploring all of the little towns, card playing (B and I were double deck euchre champs!), and eating ice cream! 

It was a great trip and I enjoyed soaking in the time with family and being able to unplug and just "play" outdoors. As a newbie to Michigan, I was constantly blown away by the beauty of Lake Michigan.

If you get the chance to explore Northern Michigan - jump on it! I would love to pass along any other advice or details too if you have questions.

Do you have any summer vacation plans?

Who is hungover from the weekend ...

Happy Monday!

I feel like I always comment about Mondays ... but Mondays after vacations are rough ... full catch up week ahead of me - just keep swimming, just keep swimming!

First, I wanted to thank Watts for stepping in while I was on vacation and I can't wait for her next pop in post! She is a pretty motivational person and lives what I like to call "fake life" on the California coast, so she has tons to share!!

Second, I want to say I accomplished what Watts mentioned in her second post ... I am hungover (not literally)  from the week - we jammed a lot of activity into our short vacation up to Northern Michigan!
I am already working on a whole blog post about it for later in the week, and I am excited to share ways to sneak activity into your vacation!

When I start to dread the upcoming work week ... I always try to think of all of things I have to look forward to and as Watts likes to say sometimes ... "live for the weekends!"
Here are some of the things that I can look forward to coming up!

• My momma is coming up to Ann Arbor to do a 1.2 mile swim in Michigan (yes, my mom is a stud!)
• I am going to visit a good friend in Chicago and spend time with her kids!
• I am going to Indy for my nieces baptism and get to see a lot of family and friends!!
• My birthday month is coming up =) (I love birthdays!)
• I booked a trip to CALI to visit Watts with my other best friend Lizzy ... I should add a countdown on the blog! I am soooo excited! 
• B and I are going to the Michigan vs. Penn State NIGHT football game with my brother and his wife Carrie! 
• Detroit Marathon! 
• Homework ... wait? Nope ... not really looking forward to homework, but excited for classes to start! 

Basically I am one lucky girl and I have a lot of fun things to look forward to! 

What are you excited about??

I will leave you with a picture of Yosey girl because I missed her while I was gone!!!

To being hungover on Monday…

Good you’re back for more… another blog post from Watts while Julie is (hopefully) having an amazing time up in Northern Michigan.

It’s the end of the week, but just the beginning of the weekend!! Now, I realize this is an obvious statement, but recently (since I’ve moved to California) I can almost feel my body bracing itself when I think about my weekends. And, I’m not bracing for bad reason – I’m bracing because feel like I have to hang on to life a little tighter on Saturday and Sunday.

I have to hold on so tight that my knuckles turn white as try with every muscle in my body to remember the smallest of the most memorable memories. All the laughs, all the bike rides, all salt from the ocean and the soft bark from the skinny Redwood trees. I have to buy gelato in Triburon in the middle of that take-your-breath-away-type of bike ride. I have to appreciate my cracked lips from the cold wind that blows a little colder under the Golden Gate Bridge when I’m sailing for the very first time. I have to sing out loud at the outdoor concert, proudly wear Mickey ears and jump into the sunset. I have to brace myself for the weekend. And all the fun that comes with it.

If I’m being honest…I’ve learned this aggressive weekend lifestyle from Julie. She is the best damn planner I’ve ever met; and she’ll be damned, if we let one second of the day slip away without fun. I admire that quality. I admire that she brings adventure, and farmers markets, and long runs and dinner parties, and pillow talk and cupcake frosting wars into my life. Julie taught me that it only takes a little bit of planning for the rest of the adventure to unfold. My California lifestyle is largely credited to Julie and how she taught me that adventures are  anywhere you want. So, regardless of whether you are in Indiana, or Michigan, or California seek out adventure. Diverge from your typical Saturday and Sunday. Do as Julie would do… plan an adventure! 

I can’t wait for this weekend -- I have many plans waiting to unfold and a new bike route to conquer, but I do hope you have a few plans for yourself. And, if you don’t… that's okay! It's only Friday –  plenty of time to plan just one little fun to-do,  and I guarantee you….. the fun will snowball all weekend long! 

Here’s to having everyone having a fun hangover on Monday! Post your pictures and your weekend stories in the comment section below. 

Who participates in Foodie Pen Pal ...

Surprise Thursday POST!

 I am posting today to tell you about the coolest food program on one of the best blogs!

This month I participated in something called Foodie Pen Pal. It was my 4th time participating, but this is the first time I get to share about it on my blog!!

So - What is Foodie Pen Pal?
It is a program that Lindsay from the blog The Lean Green Bean started back in 2011.

The general concept is that once you sign up on Lindsay's site - you get connected with a "pen pal" from anywhere across the United States and you communicate a bit over email to get to know each other and then you send each other a package that can include homemade baked goodies, local delicious food items, and/or just some of your favorite products! It is such a fun way to meet someone new and try new products from across the US! You do not have to be a blogger to participate (I did when I was not a blogger), but it also a cool way for fellow foodie bloggers to connect.

Here are some of the detailed rules taken from Lindsay's site:

• On the 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
• You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
• The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
• You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
• Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.

So ...if you are interested in participating click on the image at the top of this blog to take you to Lindsay's site to sign up! Or click on this link - http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/

BUT, let's dive into my foodie pen pal experience this month!

I got paired with Celia Finfrock ... it is such a small world, because when you signed up you are  randomly paired with your partner, and when I got Celia's name, I briefly checked out her blog  and realized that I KNEW her! She went to my high school in St. Louis and we took French together. Crazy small world that I was randomly paired with someone I already knew!

This was Celia's first time doing Foodie Pen Pal, so I was excited to send her a great box and see what she sent me!
She had been traveling in Disney World, so I got a lot of goodies from there!

• Mickey Mouse Pasta (how fun is that!)
• Mexican Praline Peanuts from the Mexico pavilion at Epcot!
• French shortbread cookies that she fell in love with when she lived in France. They were so tasty! I am actually typing this in an airport and wishing I had one right now!
• A fancy, french recipe that would be perfect for when we have company.

I always try to send one homemade baked good - so I sent Celia banana breakfast cookies and then included: my favorite cinnamon almonds, the tastiest dried mango from Trader Joe's, and a lot of local cherry stuff to represent Michigan =)

In the past I got spices, olive oil, baked goods, dried jerky and more! One time a lady from Florida sent me this Everglade spice mix that was TO DIE FOR, and I added it to everything. We just ran out of it too, so if anyone if reading and has that locally ... let me know! 

It is such a fun a fun experience - who does not LOVE getting packages in the mail.

Thank you to Celia!

What do you think about Foodie Pen Pal?

While Julie's Away..... Watts will play!

Good Morning, Good Morning!

The It’s about a Girl Blog has officially been taken over!! Well, at least for this week! J Can you believe that Julie trusted me with her fantastic blog!? I’m feeling pretty darn lucky, but I must also admit I’m feeling a little nervous for my first “official post.” There has been lots of writing and re-writing and I’m finding it a little more difficult to write when I’m not speaking about bikes or triathlon. But, I suppose there’s nothing like a deadline be a friendly push to finally get something posted. So, here goes nothing…..

I’m Watts.

I’m Julie’s person. Her best friend. Julie’s been stuck with me since the great year of 2006.What a fantastic year.... our freshman year in college. I need not go any further in my explanation because everyone understands the epic-ness of their freshman year of college. It didn't take very long at all before Julie and I were the best of friends. Looking back, it’s probably fair to say we were pretty inseparable. Many miles as teammates, equates to many life chats and most importantly, many laughs. We shared all the good stuff. We were the very definition of friendship – and still are.

I grew up in Mesa, Arizona and believe with every ounce of my heart, that fate brought me to DePauw University. Fate also brought me to the same dorm and the same hallway as Julie – just a few doors down.  However, unlike Julie, I did not go to DePauw to be a volleyball player. I have extremely tender forearms. From the very beginning, I was a runner. My running career started in the 7^th grade and trust me… I can talk to you until I’m blue in the face or until you’re bored to tears about how wonderful it was to be a collegiate athlete. Amazing. I am who I am because of my experience as a DePauw student-athlete.

Post college I was looking for something a little different than putting one foot in front of the other. Fate struck again and I signed up for my first triathlon in 2010 and did pretty darn good. I’m a little competitive (okay… a lot competitive) so when I won my age group in the first two races I signed up for, I was hooked. I got bit hard and fast by the triathlon bug. And I LOVE IT.  Fast forward three years, I have close to 15 triathlons of experience and two of those triathlons are at the Ironman distance -  Ironman Wales and Ironman World Championship.

In summary, I’m a lot like the author of this blog. Like Julie, I’m obsessed with fitness and being outside. I take friends, family and health very seriously, and I strongly believe we are in charge of our own happiness. But, I’m grateful when fate steps in and surprises me. J Currently, I still spend much of my time with friends, family, and triathlon – but in the last 8 months fate has brought me to California to work at Specialized Bicycle Company. I miss my people in the Midwest something terrible, but for right now I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

To close this little mini introduction I’m going to copy Julie’s style. She likes to include quotes in many of her posts so as a true copycat, I too, would like to share a quote that has become somewhat of a personal philosophy as I've transitioned to California, “when was the last time you did something for the first time.”

Take a moment to think about what this quote means to you and know that the challenge has been thrown out......  Can you do something for the first time by the end of today?!

**If you’re successful in this challenge make sure share your story in the comment section!! **

Oh, and thanks for reading! Stop by on Friday for round two of Watts blabber! 

Who is on vacation (almost)...

Howdy!
I hope everyone is waking up on the right side of the bed this Monday! How was your weekend?

Our weekend was filled with a lot of fun social events around Ann Arbor and a little relaxation. On Friday, B officially started a vacation week - residents are assigned or choose certain weeks through the year to be "vacation" weeks. Therefore, he is off the whole upcoming week and gets to sleep in and enjoy some down time!
Vacation weeks are definitely worth celebrating, so on Friday we went to a place in Ann Arbor called Dominick's that is famous for their sangria ... yumm!

B was a trooper on Sunday and woke up early to run a local 5 mile race with me. It was a very small race, but a fun course that cut through some woods and stayed on smaller paved trails. In the middle of the race I found my "happy pace," which means I felt like I was pushing myself but also really consistent and not dying. Overall I really enjoyed the race and was happy with how I ran.

The rest of the weekend was filled with packing and preparing for a short little vacation we are embarking on this week to Northern Michigan! I am excited to spend time with family and see some new areas of Michigan. We have plans for a lot of bike riding and a little running too - active vacations are the best (and vacations with a lot of ice cream and some wine too ... all about balance =) 

I have some surprise guest posts for the rest of the week while I unplug and soak in family time. 

I will leave you with a picture that summarizes vacation week ...

Sunday nap time with Yosey!