Coastal Living

Hey Y'all!

         How was your weekend? We had a pretty fun weekend, because we headed down to the coastal town of Astoria, OR, and Long Beach, WA.  We stayed got a condo for the weekend because my parents are in town, and they wanted to drive over to the coast. Here are a few pictures from the "beach". It makes me laugh that we all are standing in waves crashing beside us, while all bundled up in our winter coats. To a girl from the South, this feels completely unnatural!! It was fun anyway. :)

This is giant seaweed!!

New Kicks and Karma...

Hey Y'all!

      Check out my new running shoes! Sorry about the crummy picture, but I left my camera's battery charger in Idaho, so I had to use my phone. :( Anyway, Here they are!  I usually only buy one pair of running shoes a year.  This year I wanted to start off with a new pair, because I plan on crushing my pathetic mileage from last year. I am coming up on the 1000 MILE mark on my Nike running app, (Woohoo!!!) and nearly every one of those miles has been run in Nikes. I love the look of Nike, and they have been good to me, but I needed a change. I have an old foot injury that has been sneaking up on me, and I feel like I needed different support. My sister, who also loves to run, swears that the Asics Kayano have been great for her. I thought since we have a similar stature I should give them a try, and also have heard that many other avid runners love them as well. I am so excited about these shoes, but I'm afraid that they may come with a little bad karma. We'll see, but I'm going to air it all here in hopes to avoid any bad juju.  I don't know what is out there, but I am a very firm believer in some sort of  "what goes around comes around" balance in the universe. Here's why I'm worried...

The Asics Kayano run a price tag of around $150, so I have just been waiting for the right time to buy.
I knew with the new year arriving, that last years model (Gel Kayano 18) would be going on sale. I was watching Nordstrom online for that to happen, and it did. They went on sale for $99. Nice! I thought before I went into the store at the mall, I would try my luck at Nordstrom Rack to see if by chance there would be any there. Yes! Nordstrom Rack had them for $89.90 in three different colors. So I tried on a pair of pink and grey Kayano 18's in a 5 1/2 (my usual running shoe size), and found that they felt good. Then I remembered that the reviews online said they run a little small, and recommended that you order a half size up. I hesitantly walked around to the size 6's, and found that they only had white and turquoise, or dark grey and purple. I didn't like those colors as well, so I decided to grab the pink ones and be on my way. Then while walking away, I noticed a white and turquoise pair thrown in back of the size 7 shelf. I just grabbed them down to look. I saw that they were actually a size 6, and had been priced wrong at only $49! The same price as the less expensive Asics they had on the shelf.

I stirred guiltily over whether or not to say anything at the register when they actually rang up $49.  I didn't. :( I just paid for them and went smiling out the door. I saved $100 from the original price tag!  Now I feel a little bad about it, but I also feel like Nordstrom has gotten PLENTY of my money over the years. I also love the shoes. They feel great!  What do you think? Have you ever done anything like that before? Is it wrong to get a deal that you KNOW is the wrong price?  Well, I guess if I roll my ankle, or fall on my face running next week we will know! :)

                                         ~Betsy

Remember This?? Anyone???

Hey Y'all!

         Does anyone out there remember this video that used to play on MTV and VH1? Not to give my age away to you youngsters out there, but MTV used to play music videos. Once upon a time...
Anyway, the New Year had me thinking about this video. It's a really random video, but I love the advice. It has stuck with me for years, and I wonder if anyone else remembers it.  Enjoy!   ~Betsy

Happy New Year!

Hey Y'all!

       I'm back from all of my holiday festivities, and SO happy to be home. I am missing family like crazy already though. Here we are with Hubs family. I have heard that the older you are, the more you need people around that you knew when you were young. Well, I think that must totally be true. We totally miss having our families around, especially now that we all have kids and our own families. This means that I'm super excited my Mama and Coach (my stepfather) are coming this month on the 11th. Yippee! I'll get to see family again soon. :)

How were your holidays?  Mine were crazy busy, but even more crazy fun!  We went from Portland  to Idaho, to Las Vegas, NV, and back to Idaho again for skiing. It was a blast!  I wish I could wake up tomorrow and do it all over again...  Oh well, on to 2013!

Speaking of 2013... Do you have any goals for the New Year?  I do! Some of mine are personal, but I will tell you a few.

1. Increase running mileage for 2013!  I hit a total runners rut in 2012. I was tired of training and running in the rain, etc... Well, Suck it up Sissy!! I'm going to be lacing them up and running a lot this year. What's the first race I should sign up for? Hmmm....

2. Learn to Bake!  I love to cook, and I dabbled in a little bit of baking over the holiday season, and realized that I really love to bake as well. I would not say that I am the best baker though. I want my kids to grow up loving something that I bake besides cookies, so I need to hit the kitchen.  Oh,  and now that I know about soy carob flour, it can hopefully be done a little healthier. We'll see!

3. Get Certified!  I have been wanting to get certified in group fitness for quite sometime, and it's time. I am hoping to get certified by spring, because I have fitness plans for summer. Stay tuned!

4. Clean up my Mouth!  I tend to let a few profanities slip when speaking with friends, but I'm getting to old for that. After all, I'm going to turn 35 this year! Gasp! Time to be a lady. ;)

5. Get Organized!  I have a serious problem with organization. My house may be clean, but watch out when you open the kitchen cabinets!

Whether or not I achieve any of these goals; I was extremely blessed in 2012, so more of the same would be just fine with me. :)    ~Betsy

Clothes and Vegas...

Hi Y'all!

       We are leaving for Vegas soon, and I am SO excited! Last night, I decided to go through my closet to see what I am going to wear at night when we go out while we are there.  What did I find???  NOTHING!
Let's be honest...  I am a stay-at-home mom, so other than the gold shirt I got during my Thrift Store Wardrobe Challenge, I don't exactly have the Vegas type wardrobe.  I also live in Portland, OR, where it's acceptable to wear jeans and a sweater to nearly everything from getting married to getting buried.

Now with it being the holiday season, and all of the expenses that come along with that, I am on the hunt for glitzy garments on a budget. Besides, I like to spend my money at the roulette table! (Holler back Lucky #33 Black!) Here are a few things that I have my eye on. I will be going shopping this evening to see what I can find. Hopefully I'll find some great holiday sales! What are you wearing to your festivities this season?
            ~Betsy

Forever 21 

metallic top - $17.80

(with jeans)

Forever 21

sequined sheath dress $32.80

color color color!! This will be awesome with my boots!

Nordstrom

h.i.p tunic champagne tunic tank 

$19.90

Old Navy

sheer seamed yoke top

$19.97

I need jewelry and heels to dress this one up.

Target

Mossimo crocodile embossed clutch 

$16.99

Helllloooo!!

Target

perforated grey clutch $29.99

I really love this one because it fits nicely on the edge of a black jack table. ;)

I'm Back!

Hi Y'all! I'm back!

         Sorry for the looong pause in blogging, but this time of year has me so busy! I feel bad about it, but sometimes blogging ends up being just one more thing that I have to do. :(   Bad Blogger??  "Present!"
Anyway, I will try to be better this week. Promise! :)

Now... What do you think of this?!? I was out holiday shopping yesterday, and came across this "beauty" at the store? My first thought was Only in Portland... (eye roll)  I don't think so though. My guess is that these type dolls are for sale all over the country. This "My First Baby" is supposed to be "trendy". I think she looks  a little Britney Spears meets punk rocker, but I also think that she's a little riske' for a First Baby Doll. Maybe I'm just getting old... I just hope my 3 year old daughter doesn't want eye makeup with dramatic hair streaks anytime soon, and I definitely don't want her to think that being pretty means purple lipstick!  Thoughts anyone?

Holiday Giveaway on Dot Dot Dot...

Hey Y'all!! Friend over at Dot Dot Dot... is having an amazing holiday giveaway!! She is a giving away a lot of great things to add to your holiday swag! Head on over, and you just might get lucky!!

~Betsy