Life After the Royal Wedding: My TV Appearance on Good Day Atlanta Dishing WifeSaving Advice

AFTER watching the Royal Wedding I high-tailed it down to Fox5 studios and discussed life AFTER the wedding on "Good Day Atlanta" this morning.

Here's my segment on learning how to live together - and like it.

Dealing with Emotions After Marriage: MyFoxATLANTA.com

Shameless plug ... my book makes a GREAT gift for new brides. Ahem.

Winks & Smiles,

Happy Bikini Day to Me

At the beginning of the year I decided that I would CELEBRATE turning 40 - not dread it. It's a momentous birthday and I'm looking forward to all the wonderful things this next chapter of my life will bring.

I set a goal to be healthier and happier; and oh, yeah ... to rock a bikini.

I came. I saw. I conquered.

Winks & Smiles,

Run Little Peach Run

"Mommy, I want to run again."

"Really. You mean like a race?"

I answered while doing three cartwheels and a back flip - with a twist.

"Yes, please."

My daughter, Milan, on Thanksgiving Day running the Mashed Potato Mile

On May 14 at 9 a.m. my little Princess Peach will be running the AJC Peachtree Junior. Ahem. She doesn't have to ask me twice.

Winks & Smiles,

The Best Birthday Gift … Running for More Birthdays

As I shared a few weeks ago I’ll be running the Chicago Marathon as a member of the DetermiNation team raising money for the American Cancer Society. I’m excited that my second marathon will have such purpose and promise for such an important cause.

Dedicate a Mile IN HONOR of Someone YOU Love. The first 25 people to donate $25 or more will have one mile run in honor of their loved-one. The first mile is in honor of my late father-in-law, Leon "Bullet" Robertson, a marathon runner who beat prostate cancer. I will share all the names and their miles here on Run Wifey Run.

My father-in-law 

More than half a million people die from cancer annually while more than 1.5 million new cases continue to occur. The numbers are staggering. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and must be stopped.

As I approach my 40th birthday this week, I can’t think of a better birthday present than to receive support to help save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

For more information or to make a donation you can visit my personal donation page here.

Because everyone deserves more birthdays …

Winks & Smiles,

Disclosure: I'm a member of the American Cancer Society's Blogger Advisory Council, however, I am NOT being compensated for this post and all of the money received goes to DetermiNation/American Cancer Society. I appreciate your support.  

Race Recap: Jelly Bean Virtual 5K

One of my goals this year is to run at least one race every month. April is almost over and my schedule has not been cooperating with this goal. I decided I needed to take matters into my own hands and do my first virtual race. Several folks on facebook recommended Run with Jess' Jelly Bean Virtual Race. Since I can't eat them this year (birthday goal) I figured I should run it.

I signed up yesterday and prayed for no rain so I could get my run on this morning.

Me in my Jelly Bean pink. Jess sent out these cute race bibs to personalize. Fun!

No rain but it was GLOOMY. I turned on my iPod, cranked up Jay-Z (it was that kind of morning) and made the best of it!

The sun actually tried to peek through the clouds for a minute. *insert organ music here* Doesn't it look all theatrical? Hmm, it is Good Friday. *ahem* I also almost mooned some poor guy. Or, maybe he would have been happy. My pants were falling down - Yay for my birthday goal! I feel a shopping trip coming on.

I finished in 34:30 and felt great - except I forgot my water bottle. Um, there's no water stops in a virtual race. Duh.

A big thanks to Jess for helping me stay on track (no pun intended) with my goal.

Winks & Smiles,

National Minority Cancer Awareness Week Chat

Cancer sucks.

That’s why I’m always eager to say yes to the wonderful folks at the American Cancer Society (ACS) whenever they call on me.

Tomorrow I will take part in their National Minority Cancer Awareness Week online chat with ACS’ Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Otis Brawley, at 1 p.m. EST. Dr. Brawley will answer questions about how cancer affects communities of color and what we can do to help reduce health disparities. The lovely Renee Ross from Cutie Booty Cakes will also take part in the conversation.

Cancer is huge problem in the African American community, but it affects ALL of us regardless of our color or ethnic background, so I invite all of you to come by this important chat as we try to create a world with more birthdays.

National Minority Cancer Awareness Week Chat, Friday, April 22, at 1 p.m. EST.

Winks & Smiles,

Wordless Wednesday: Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend

I think I would look FABULOUS rockin' some wings. I'm just sayin'. (runDisney announced their newest event yesterday, The Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend at Disneyland Resort, January 27-29, 2012.) Pixie dust, anyone?

Winks & Smiles,



Putting YOU First

That’s right, I said it. Gasp! Put YOU first.

Oh my gosh, what kind of mother am I? I believe in making sure that I am healthy and happy so that I can raise healthy and happy kids. Yes, I’m being sarcastic, but in all seriousness it took me years to understand how important that is. As wives and mothers we so often put ourselves last and many times end up frustrated, cranky and the “f-word,” fat.

Oh no, I said "fat," too.

You can read what else I had to say on today's post, Finding Time for Fitness: Putting YOU First, over at My Atlanta Moms. Come on by, it's not just for us Georgia Peaches, we ALL need to top our lists.

Winks & Smiles,

Wifesaver Tip #141: Add an EXTRA Hour to Your Day

Last Friday I bitched complained about not having enough time. Today I did something about it.

I added an extra hour to my day. No, there are not 25 hours in my day now; I simply decided to reclaim one that wasn’t being used properly. Time is precious and if we don’t choose wisely how to spend it we’ll end up stressed, depressed and left behind.

Last night I went to bed a little earlier than usual so I could wake up at 5 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. I had an entire hour to myself. There was no one calling “mama” or asking me to do anything for them. Even the dog was sleep. It felt great to get up and have a jump on my day; and I’m looking forward to rising early again tomorrow.

What could you do with an EXTRA hour?

Winks & Smiles,

Running's Major: The Boston Marathon

When I woke up this morning I couldn’t help but think about all the people running in the Boston Marathon today.

Every sport has its major events. Baseball has the World Series, football has the Super Bowl, golf has the majors and so does tennis. Running has Boston. It’s as big as you get.

The oldest annual marathon takes place this morning. More than 20,000 runners will join an elite group of Boston finishers.

Becoming a marathoner is such an AMAZING thing; it’s not only a physical accomplishment but a mental one. You can’t help but view things, life, differently afterwards. I can only imagine the feeling runners get after running Boston.

While running Boston isn’t one of my personal goals (I’m slow as hell I’m not that fast and I’m good with that) I definitely respect its history and tradition and I’m excited to watch it today online. I’ll be cheering on Mel from Tall Mom on the Run, Katye from Long Legs on the Loose, all of the folks running from the blogosphere (Mel has a list on her site) and everyone participating in the running world’s most prestigious event.

Now, I'm off to sneak in a few miles of my own before the main event begins ...

Winks amp; Smiles,

Friday's Confession: I need more TIME

Friday's Confession: I need more TIME.

There are not enough hours in the day. I KNOW you folks can relate. Here's a snapshot of what my day looked like yesterday.

Me, after I dropped the kids off getting ready for my morning run. I've got my serious game face on!

After my run, my Nina (pronounced Nine-uh, like San Fran 49ners - yes, Husband went there), wanted to go out, too.

Then I kicked out a blog post, visited a few and got some freelance work done. I'm constantly on my computer so imagine this picture popping up after ever other one.

Had to do a little shopping trip to Super Target. For some strange reason my family seems to love it when I grocery shop. Go figure, they like to eat. 

After picking up the kids and knocking out homework I managed to squeeze in 30 minutes of Plyometrics. Got to love those swing kicks!

Next it was off to coach my little sunshine and 11 other 7-year-olds through a highly competetive softball game. We lost 13-12 but the girls gave a valiant effort.

Let's see, I left out about a million other things like cooking (yes, we did eat yesterday), washing clothes, and all that little fun stuff that adds up. I also didn't get to several things on my to do list which left me frustrated and wanting more TIME. I'm a big believer in scheduling, but I think I need to be a little more realistic about how much one person can do in one day.

Am I the only one who turns around and the day is over? I need more time ... or a wife.

Winks & Smiles,

Two Weeks Until My Birthday Goal: What the Hell Was I Thinking?

In two weeks I'll be 40. I’m happy about that. Seriously. I feel good about my first 40 years and I’m excited about making the next 40 even better.

I’m so happy that 3 & ½ months ago I posted this picture on my blog and said I would rock a bikini on my birthday. Gasp! What the hell was I thinking?

Clearly, I was still drinking beer at that point. Ahem.

Actually, I can tell you what I was thinking. I was motivated to change my life; to reach a goal that I’ve always wanted to achieve but have yet to stay committed to. Husband suggested that I share it on my blog to hold myself accountable and to hopefully inspire someone else to go for their goals, too. I’d like to believe that both of those things are happening.

What am I thinking now?

That this was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. Then I think I am going to crush this goal and be fabulous in a bikini. Then I switch back to what if it doesn’t happen. Then I normally end up thinking I feel great, I’m getting healthier and I absolutely can and will do this. I make sure to end my conversation with myself (What? You mean you don’t talk to yourself?) on a positive note, because if I don’t believe it can happen, it won’t.

So much of being successful relies on your thoughts. It’s OK to have doubts, everyone does, just don’t ever let them take over.

I'm off to go workout. I've got a goal I need to CRUSH ...

Winks & Smiles,

Wordless Wednesday: Running ... Out of Gas

I spent the better half of my morning RUNNING around after these damn tennis balls and now my legs are shot. Dead. I'm completely out of gas. I'm guessing I got in at least 3 miles. Yup, I'm going with that. (Disclaimer: This post is technically still a Wordless Wednesday post since all the words are in the photo caption. Yes, I just made that up.)

Winks & Smiles,

My Atlanta Moms "Good Day Atlanta" Debut

I'm excited, happy, and relieved I didn't embarrass myself on television this morning. Just kidding. Sort of.

Well, see for yourself ...

MyAtlantaMoms.com: Join the Conversation: MyFoxATLANTA.com

I'm thrilled to be a part of MyAtlantaMoms.com and look forward to lots of great things to come.

Winks & Smiles,

Plateaus Suck: Three Ways to Push Past Them

I’ve been battling the same plateau for the past few years. Yes, years. Whenever I would attempt to lose weight I could shave off 10 pounds and then I would find myself stuck. I’d keep it off for awhile, get frustrated, gain it back then start the whole vicious cycle over again. Well, I’m happy to say I stepped on the scale this weekend out of curiosity – my goal is not a number, well sort of, it’s a TWO piece bikini – and I was ecstatic to see that I plowed right through that plateau.

Getting stuck happens to the best of us, but armed with the right tools we can all get things moving again. Here are three ways I pushed past my plateau:

CHANGE Something Up. For me it was food. I THOUGHT I was already eating really healthy but once I made a commitment to eat clean for 28 days I discovered that extra unnecessary calories and processed foods were keeping me from reaching my goals. Examine your diet or workout and switch some things up; and see what a difference it can make.

Watch Out for the WEEKENDS. “Well, I ate clean all week, so a keg of beer and a large pepperoni pizza is fine right?” Um, NO! It’s easy to undo all of the hard work you put in during the week if you splurge all weekend. Those calories add up quickly so enjoy a treat but don’t over do it.

Keep Your Eyes on the PRIZE. Literally. I keep my goal in front of my face. My clean eating book stays on my kitchen counter right next to my Runner’s World and Oxygen magazines. Staying focused and determined will help you when times are tough and you don’t seem to be making any progress.

While I haven’t reached my birthday goal yet, pushing past this plateau has given me an extra boost of motivation and confidence to battle the next one. I bet YOU can do it, too.

Winks & Smiles,

Friday's Confession: Lights, Camera, Secrets

Friday's Confession ... I've been keeping a secret.

GASP!

And, I still can't tell yet.

Double GASP!

But, I will on Tuesday morning when I'm a guest on ...

My Atlanta folks, please tune in during the 8 a.m. hour of Fox 5's Good Day Atlanta this Tuesday, April 12. I will make sure to post the video here for everyone else.

*Insert big sigh of relief here*

I'm so glad its almost time. I'm ready to share the fun.

Winks & Smiles,

Summertime Family Fun: A Chance to Win a Funjet Vacation to Mexico

My family and I just enjoyed a fun-filled vacation at Walt Disney World Resorts last month. They had such a good time we didn’t even make it home before the kids were hounding me about where we are going next.

I want to ride on a plane.

I want to go to the beach.

Can we go tomorrow?

Ugh.

Don’t get me wrong I LOVE traveling with my kids but it can also be a logistical nightmare challenge and quite expensive. I was truly excited when the lovely ladies at TravelingMom.com asked me to be a panelist in their upcoming Funjet Twitter Party on Monday, April 18, 9-10 p.m. EST. Funjet Vacations is giving away some Funjet swag and a Grand Prize Funjet vacation to Mexico for a family of four, including airfare and four nights at Azul Beach Resort.

Ooh, I see a spot for me in my new bikini, ahem, right under one of those palm trees.

Yup. You read correctly. A Funjet vacation for four to Mexico. Hello. You can join in the fun and RSVP at TravelingMom to ENTER to WIN here. Coincidentally, one of the first vacations Husband and I went on was a Funjet trip to Mexico. We had a BLAST. Hmm, if I win do I have to take the kids? Just kidding. Sort of.

I’ve been traveling a lot running destination races and attending conferences. It’ll be nice to do a summertime getaway with the entire family. What are your plans for the summer? Margaritas anyone?

Winks & Smiles,

Disclosure: I am being compensated for participation in the FunJet TravelingMom.com Twitter Party; as always, my thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Clean = Lean: Three Things I’ve Learned After a Week of Clean Eating

Last Wednesday I decided to ride out the last month before my birthday on a clean (natural, unprocessed foods) eating plan. After one week on a fairly limited but very healthy diet (I’m using Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet Stripped as a guideline) I have to say my eyes have been opened – wide. Here are three things I’ve learned since I started eating clean:

I Can SURVIVE without Beer or Wine. No, I’m not an alcoholic, but on the weekends and sometimes after a long weekday, ahem, I enjoy unwinding with a little drink. Husband and I went out to dinner on Saturday night with some friends and I initially was nervous about what I would eat and drink. I’m here to tell you this gal’s got will power. I had an awesome, custom-designed salmon salad and a sparkling glass of club soda with fresh lemon and lime. Score.

I Can CONTROL My Portion Sizes. Something that has continually been a problem for me has been EASY all week. I have a plan and I’m sticking to it. Plan is the key word here. Mapping out my food is making a HUGE difference. I’m eating enough so that I’m not hungry until its time for the next meal – and my plate is full. I LOVE that.

Clean = Lean. This shit thing really works. Seriously, I’m shrinking and most importantly I feel great. It really is simple, the food that you put into your body determines how you look and feel.

I thought I was already eating pretty healthy, but I really wasn’t taking into account all of the crap hidden in even proclaimed “healthy” food. While I’m sure I won’t stay this strict after my birthday, I’m also sure I won’t go back to eating the way I did before. Thank goodness for organic beer and dark chocolate.

Winks & Smiles,

DetermiNation: Running for More Birthdays

I believe that some things are really meant to be. About a week after I told Husband that I decided to run the Chicago Marathon and want to fundraise via DetermiNation the wonderful folks at the American Cancer Society invited me to lunch and to tour one of their Hope Lodges. Coincidence? I think not. That day I happily accepted their offer to join their Blogger Advisory Council and help champion for a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

According to Cancer.org, half of all men and one-third of all women in the U.S. will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Those numbers are stunning, heartbreaking and need to change.

I’m in the process of getting registered with DetermiNation now and will make sure to share my goal once I have it. My health is a blessing. My ability to move, jump and RUN is also something that I don’t take for granted. I’m thrilled to know that every step I take during my next Marathon will raise money to help fight cancer. I’m a big birthday fan, ahem – mine is at the end of the month – ahem, and look forward to helping the American Cancer Society create more.



Y'all know I love me some Usher.

Winks & Smiles,

Marathon #2: Let the Training Begin

I never in my wildest dreams thought there would ever be a marathon #1, let alone a marathon #2. Yikes! I’m super excited to start training for the Chicago Marathon and couldn’t wait for the kickoff run with Get Fit Atlanta this past Saturday morning. The good folks at Get Fit got me through my first 26.2 and I’m counting on them for the next one.

My early morning pre-run pic. Cheese!

They’re having sign-up runs all month so we officially don’t start training for a few more weeks, but it still felt good to get back out there with everybody.

My former pace group coach, Barbara (r), and her speedy companions.

Me and my new yellow coach, Karen, after running 3 miles.

I was a bit torn between moving up to the next pace group or staying where I am. While I plan on getting faster, I also plan on doing the Galloway run/walk method for the marathon, and the faster pace group doesn’t do it. I like to run the shorter distances and use the run/walk for longer ones. I just simply enjoy it better and to me that’s what’s most important. Fortunately, I have the flexibility of mixing it up and going back and forth between the groups – as long as I can keep up. Gasp!

Speaking of keeping up, I missed my morning run today due to an on-camera interview I had for an exciting new project I’m working on. Shh, it’s a secret that I can’t wait to share soon. I’m off to catch up on my workout. Twenty-three days until my birthday goal, not that I’m counting or anything. Ahem.

Winks & Smiles,

Friday's Confession ... I Quit.

Friday's Confession ... I Quit.

Frustrated doesn't describe it. I'm done with eating right (pass the BEER), running (my legs are TIRED), and blogging (I just don't have anything else to WRITE). If I had a full-time job I'd QUIT that, too!

Um, yes you know its coming ...

APRIL FOOLS!

Seriously, I'm know y'all didn't really fall for that. Quit is just NOT in my vocabulary, maybe "change in plans" but not QUIT - especially after seeing "My Run" last night.  Talk about determination. It wasn't so much about running - he wasn't a runner or an athlete - but more about love, dedication, awareness, passion, and did I mention determination? This man ran 75 marathons in 75 days and never quit.



The movie had a special showing in theaters last night. I'm not sure when it will be released but I definitely recommend seeing it. It's motivation at its best.

Winks & Smiles,