Pantry Makeover – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
     
Happy Election Day! If you have not voted, I hope you are able to get out an vote today. As I have studied the election process with my sons this fall, I know that each voice and each vote matters. I am not going all political on you with this post, but I do want to encourage you to use this as an educational opportunity with your children. I have been giving little homeschool tips for you to share information about our electoral process with your children. I hope you have done that. Keep track of who gets the popular vote in each state. The way the electoral college works, most of the time the person who wins the overall popular vote in the USA wins the election, but there have been a few cases when this did not happen because of how the electoral college works. It is worth the research and discussion with your children.

Moving on to our zone mission of the week, we are in the kitchen this week. Today, let’s spend 15 minutes decluttering the pantry. Check your spices. Write down the ones you are running low on. If you are making pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, make sure you have Pumpkin Pie Spice. I make a Orange Cranberry Bread every year during the week of Thanksgiving, so I need to check my ingredients.

Keep an eye on your calendar for November and December. Only commit to the things that bring you joy and help you celebrate the season. Pray about family celebrations now.

Have a wonderful day!

 

Zone Mission: 15 minutes decluttering the pantry

Weekly Home Blessings of the Day: Quick Dust and Vacuum

Menu Plan for Tuesday: Taco Tuesday, beans, and salad

 

If you need more help with organizing your home and homeschool, you can download  The FlyLady’s Homeschool Teacher and Homeschool Student Control Journals for free.

Set your timer for 15 minutes for the Home Assignment and 15 minutes for the School Assignment
 
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Clean out your refrigerator. Toss the science experiments.
  • Spend 15 minutes loving movement.

School: Watch the election results with your family.

 Afternoon Routine: 
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Write up a menu plan for the next 7 days. Check your pantry and freezer and make a grocery list. This habit will save you time and money. Try out some new recipes with the slow cooker. It will save you time once you start back to your school schedule.
Family Fun: Take your children for a walk.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Getting Your Kitchen Ready for the Holidays

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

      

If you have followed The Flylady for very long, you know that she has Holiday Missions to help you get ready for the Holidays in Baby Steps. Since we are in Zone 2, the Kitchen, this week, it is a great time to assess what you need to do to get ready for the Holidays in the kitchen. I will have specific missions, but I want you to think about a few things, too.

1) Are you hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas meals/events/parties in your home?

2) Do you have a Holiday menu plan?

3) Do you have a baking list?

4) Have you started buying ingredients a little at a time?

5) Do you need to wash serving pieces, bowls. platters, etc. that have been in storage?

6) Do you need to pre-order any food?

As you are reading this today, I am in the process of baking a whole Turkey for our homeschool group’s Thanksgiving celebration that is today! I had to pre-plan for this. I bought the turkey and allowed enough time for thawing. I cleaned my big roaster pan that was in storage. I bought extra milk to make turkey gravy. There were several steps that went into this process, and I am thankful I was able to write this and schedule it to send out automatically. I did not want to think about technology while cooking early in the morning.

The Habit for the Month with The FlyLady is Menu Planning. This is a great time to practice this skill. Keep your November meals simple. Double some of your cooking, and freeze the extras. Put a note on your December calendar to thaw that meal and warm it up.

You can save money by menu planning and cooking simply. This will help you stretch your Holiday gift budget!

Zone Missions: The Kitchen
Monday – Declutter Kitchen Counters & Wipe

Tuesday – Declutter in the Kitchen Pantry

Wednesday –  Clean out the Fridge

Thursday – Declutter 1 Kitchen Cabinet

Friday – Check Serving Dishes for Holiday Parties

Menu Plan for Monday – Hamburgers and Tater Tots

Weekly Home Blessing – Wash the Sheets

Daily Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Daily Movement for 15 Minutes

School: Print out a blank US map to keep track of Electoral Votes tomorrow


Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
Family Fun: Take a nature walk today.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Group Running – Getting Fit

Group Running

 

group-running

 

Finding a group to run with can be difficult as you try to find a group of runners who meet your pace. If you are a fast runner, this is usually not a problem. Most group runs average a 10 minute mile down to a 9 minute mile, depending on the leadership of the group. One running group leader told me that they run at a conversational pace of 9:30 per mile. That is not a conversational mile for me. That is a breathing-heavy mile. So I had to look for a group with a slower pace.

 

For those who run a 13 minute mile or more, it is very difficult to find a running group that meets your pace. I recommend you look for a group with a pace similar to yours and try it out. Do not be discouraged if you cannot keep up with the group. Just know that might not be the group for you, and you can look for a different group.

 

Elite runners usually do not think about the middle of the pack or back of the pack runners when they set up group runs. If you can’t find group that meets your pace, ask your running friends who have a pace similar to yours and make your own group. I know I push a little harder when I am in a group run.

 

It is not essential to your training plan if you do not enjoy running with a group. I will say that it is good practice for running in a race, if that is what you want to do.

 

Pictured above is a group of runners I train with from RunTimeRaces. We try to set up group runs once a month or so. We try to meet the pace needs of those who participate. We won’t leave anyone behind on a course.

 

Take a look around your running community and try a group run.

 

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Finishing Up The Dining Room – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

 

Happy Friday! Today is the last day in Zone 1 for this month. Keep in mind that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. What do you need to do to make it easier for you to prepare for Thanksgiving?

If you need to clean under your Dining Room table, let’s work on that today. If you have a china cabinet or hutch in your dining room, detail dust it. If you need to get serving platters and bowls washed and ready for Thanksgiving, work on that. If your dining room looks ready for company, then check the entryway and other areas where you entertain. A little work each day will make it less stressful for you to have people over for the Holidays.

If you are cooking for Thanksgiving, start your menu planning and list making today.

Have a great week-end!
If you have any questions or tips, please email me. I enjoy hearing from my readers.
Zone Mission: Spend 15 minutes Detail Cleaning in the Dining Room

Weekly Home Blessing: Take out the trash, Sweep, and Mop

 
Menu Mission: Rotisserie Chicken and a salad

 

Routines:

 

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Round up this week’s paper. File what needs to be file. Purge what needs to go away. Check your lesson plans for next week.
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Loving movement for 15 Minutes

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Dining Room Rescue – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Today’s Zone Mission is to declutter your Dining Room. This might be a quick task or might be a bigger task. If it is the latter, use your timer and set it for 15 minutes. I want you to see improvement in the Dining Room, but I do not want you to burn out. If your dining room table is a catch all, it will take a couple of 15 minute sessions to take care of it. That is okay. Start in one area and work your way through the clutter. After you declutter the table top, put a nice table cloth on it and some flowers. That will help keep it from becoming a catch all again.

Have you worked on a menu plan yet? Spend a few minutes jotting down some menu ideas on your calendar. Keep it simple!

Have a great day!

.

Zone Mission – Spend 15 minutes decluttering in your Dining Room

Weekly Home Blessing Task: Declutter Paper, Magazines, or Newspapers for 10 minutes anywhere in the house.

 
Menu Plan for Thursday: Baked chicken and salad

Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Do a fun hands on science experiment today.
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • 15 minutes of loving movement

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Entry Into Our Homes – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

When your family members walk into the main entry of your home, what do they do first? For most of us, our family members drop whatever is in their hands beside of the entryway. For some, there are shoes dropped there as outside shoes are taken off and indoor shoes put on. The entryway to our homes can become cluttered quickly. First, establish places for your family to put shoes, coats, and hats. Then take a look at the things that are dropped near the entryway. Establish places for those things. When your children come into the door, teach them to put their things away where they belong. As you are establishing this habit with them, praise them when they do it. Gentle reminders will work. Set your timer now and declutter the entryway.

Enjoy your day!

Zone Mission: Declutter the Entryway

Weekly Home Blessing Task: Windows and Mirrors (I use my FlyLady purple cloths for this and no chemicals.)

Menu Plan for Wednesday: Spaghetti and Sauce (spaghetti squash for mom) and salad
 
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Clean out your refrigerator. Toss the science experiments.
  • 15 minutes of loving movement.

School: Don’t forget to do the fun stuff in your school day. Get out the crafts!

 

Errand Day: Do your errands and grocery shopping this afternoon.

 Afternoon Routine: 
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Write up a menu plan for the next 7 days. Check your pantry and freezer and make a grocery list. This habit will save you time and money. Try out some new recipes with the slow cooker. It will save you time once you start back to your school schedule.
Family Fun: Take your children for a walk.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Fall and Front Porches

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
    
The fall of the year makes me want to nest. I enjoy the cooler weather and the change of the leaves. It has been a warmer than usual fall for us, but I am still enjoying it. Today, let’s sweep the front porch and do some fall decorating to usher in the new season. Pumpkins or mums look nice on a porch. If you live in a neighborhood, think of what you enjoy seeing and make your porch beautiful and welcoming. The front porch is one of the first things people see when they come to your house. Take a few minutes to sweep it and decorate it.

The new Habit of the Month with The FlyLady is Menu Planning. This is something that you either enjoy or avoid like the plague. I make a weekly menu plan, but I write it out in pencil. If something changes during the week, I can easily shuffle things around. I pick a main protein for each day of the week, and I serve a lot of salads as the side dish. Since I have growing boys, I also include some sort of starchy food (potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.). Having a menu plan helps me not have to think about what’s for dinner each day. I just check the menu plan on the refrigerator. My family knows where to check to see what’s on the menu plan, too.

Menu planning also saves me money. I make a grocery list based on what I need. I check my pantry and freezer each week before I make my shopping list. When I am grocery shopping, I am focused on the task at hand. I don’t impulse buy very often in the grocery store.

If you have not planned menus, start with writing down what your family has for dinner each night for two weeks. Then sit down and plan the third week based on what worked and what didn’t work. Consider cooking new dishes. We have studied the United States and cooked meals to represent all 50 states. We have done country studies and cooked cultural meals to represent the countries. Most countries have a “one pot wonder” meal that works well in a slow cooker. Have fun with meal planning!

Have a wonderful day!

 

Zone Mission: Detail dust the Living Room

Weekly Home Blessings of the Day: Quick Dust and Vacuum

Menu Plan for Tuesday: Roast beef, vegetables, and salad

 

If you need more help with organizing your home and homeschool, you can download  The FlyLady’s Homeschool Teacher and Homeschool Student Control Journals for free.

Set your timer for 15 minutes for the Home Assignment and 15 minutes for the School Assignment
 
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Clean out your refrigerator. Toss the science experiments.
  • Spend 15 minutes loving movement.

School: Have you voted yet? Check into early voting an take your children with you.

 Afternoon Routine: 
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Write up a menu plan for the next 7 days. Check your pantry and freezer and make a grocery list. This habit will save you time and money. Try out some new recipes with the slow cooker. It will save you time once you start back to your school schedule.
Family Fun: Take your children for a walk.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Finish October Strong – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

     

This is the last day of October. Let’s finish the month strong. I do not have a specific zone for you to rescue today. I want you to look around your house and see where Hot Spots developed over the weekend. Set your timer for 15 minutes and take care of those Hot Spots. If your children have left things laying around, ask them to put their things away, too. It is much easier to bless your home when it is picked up every day.

The Habit of the Month for October has been to get rid of paper clutter. Spend 2 minutes today getting rid of paper clutter. You can do this!

Tomorrow, we will have new missions and a new habit to practice!

Zone Missions: Front Porch, Entryway, Dining Room
Monday – Clear those Hot Spots

Tuesday – Sweep the Front Porch

Wednesday –  Declutter the Entryway

Thursday – Declutter the Dining Room

Friday – Clean Under the Dining Room Table and Detail Dust in the Dining Room

Menu Plan for Monday – Pork Chops and Salad (Chicken and Salad for Mom)

Weekly Home Blessing – Wash the Sheets

Daily Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Daily Movement for 15 Minutes

School: Have your children write a brief report about one of the Presidents


Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
Family Fun: Take a nature walk today.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Peak to Creek 2016 – Marathon Recap

On October 29, 2016, I ran my third marathon in the mountains of North Carolina.The Peak to Creek Marathon is a bucket list race for many runners.

 

This marathon is unusual, since it is mostly downhill.tami-peak-to-creek-2016-11

Who wouldn’t want gravity on their side in a marathon?

I started my training for this marathon in July. This is significant since I trained largely in the fall and winter for my previous two marathons. This summer happened to be a hot and humid summer. My long runs were difficult. Hitting my goal paces was difficult. There were mornings when I could not get up early enough to run and beat the heat and humidity. I also changed training plans for this marathon. I used the Hanson Method this time. It focuses on teaching you to run on tired legs, which is what you have at the end of a marathon. With 3 days a week of intensity running and 3 days a week of easy running. I learned a lot about my pace. I also used a Garmin 225 which tracks a lot of data, including my heart rate. It would show if I was pushing too hard on my easy run days.

 

Because this marathon was going to be held at a higher elevation than where I live, I also trained there a few times over the summer. I also trained in a few other mountainous areas of Western North Carolina. These training runs were often 10 degrees cooler than where I live, so it served a few purposes in my training plan (higher elevation and cooler). The first time I ran part of this course, I discovered I would have to learn how to land properly to go downhill for an extended period of time. I was sore for several days after that training run.

 

I have a great community of local runners. Most of them are race ambassadors with RunTimeRaces. I have known most of them for a couple of years, and they would run some of my long runs with me. It helps so much to have friends who encourage you and will run with you in the heat of the summer.

 

Leading into the race week, I cut back my miles and intensity runs. I had some slow, easy runs, and the weather had finally cooled off a little bit. When I started training, I had a goal finish time in mind. As I did my easy runs the week before the race, I figured out that I was going to be a little slower than I wanted to be, but I had to keep a pace that I could sustain for 26.2 miles. The big temptation in any race is to take off fast, but I really thought on how I wanted to run this marathon. I broke it down into the first 10K (miles 1-6) of the race, the second section (miles 6-16) being mostly downhill, the third section (miles 16-22) which was flatter, and the finish (miles 22-26.2) which was mostly downhill with a couple of little uphills thrown in for fun.

 

I decided on what to wear based on the weather report. It was going to be warmer than I expected. I also had to decide on how to hydrate and fuel. The course had 10 aid stations that provided various things, such as water, gatoraide, and gels. Historically, I have had issues with gel and gatoraide durng my long runs, so I planned on taking my handheld water bottle with Tailwind mixed into my water. Tailwind is made for endurance athletes, and it does not cause me stomach distress. I also packed two zipper bags with gummy bears to give me carbs and a little sugar along the way. I used the aid stations just for water, and I used the Tailwind and gummy bears for energy. I have learned a lot about hydration and nutrition since my first marathon.

 

tami-peak-to-creek-2016-9

 

The night before the marathon, I wrote with sharpie on my leg. I have a running friend who has overcome a lot of odds to run, and she inspires me every day to #nevergiveup. She has dealt with some serious health concerns this year, and I dedicated a lot of my training miles to her, and I dedicated this marathon to her. Check out her blog at Runner Unleashed.

 

The morning of the marathon, I had a really early wake up call. I had to be at the race finish area to ride a charter bus to the top of the mountain to the start line. The buses started leaving at 6:15 am. I had an hour’s drive to get there. So I left my house before 5:00 am. I had my usual pre-race breakfast: bullet-proof coffee (coconut oil and butter) and bacon. I also packed several water bottles and a protein bar to eat 45 minutes before race time. I made it to the area where we boarded the buses and enjoyed the stars.

 

The ride up the mountain took 45 minutes and was uneventful, other than the light not working in the bathroom on the bus. I tried to rest, but I was a little excited. So I just thought about what I was getting ready to do, and I was thinking about my paces. Mainly, I was thinking, “Do not go out too fast.” Some of my friends who trained with me over the summer were on the same bus, so we chatted a bit after we were dropped off near the start line. We had about an hour before race time, so we did the normal prep stuff — porta potties, stretching, warm up walking, view the sunrise, drop off our drop bags, etc.

 

With 5 minutes until race time, I made one more stop at the porta potties because I knew it was going to be a long time until I saw another one. We had the opening announcements, and then we were off!

 

I held onto my paces for the first 6 miles. I was a little slower than I wanted to be, but I knew that I needed to reserve energy. The air was still cool, and the sun was beautiful coming up over the mountains. I kept my sweatshirt on until close to the 3 mile mark. Then I dropped it at an aid station. It was warming up quickly.

 

After mile 6, we started the 10 mile downhill section. This is where you want to run a little faster, but you don’t want to go at top speed. I kept my paces very even through this section, and I hit a personal record for my time at the half marathon point. I was feeling great, and I was using my hydration and fuel as planned.

 

tami-peak-to-creek-2016-8

As I came off the steeper incline, I was still coming down the mountain, but it was much flatter. I still held the paces I wanted from miles 16 to 21. At mile 22, I could tell I was fatigued. A running friend joined me and helped me soldier on for the next 4+ miles. I was a little slower than I wanted to be on miles 22 and 23, but I knew I only had 3.2 miles left. So I dug deep and pushed my pace a little faster. I also hit a little bit more of a downhill, so I relaxed into the run and kept my breathing under control. I had run with my friend a lot, and she was encouraging me as we kept going. I was passing a lot of people in those last 5 miles. It was getting hot, and the dirt road was dusty.

 

tami-peak-to-creek-2016-10

 

I kept counting down the miles. I counted the songs on my iPod. For every three songs, I would finish a mile. At Mile 25, I was close enough to the finish to see and hear people. I also knew that I had to run the last mile looping through the parking lot and past my car. There is nothing harder than being that close to the finish and running by your car. (I went back later to take pics of these last mile markers.)

 

tami-peak-to-creek-2016-7

My friend took pictures along the last mile and at the finish of the race.

tami-peak-to-creek-2016-5 tami-peak-to-creek-2016-4 tami-peak-to-creek-2016-3 tami-peak-to-creek-2016-2 tami-peak-to-creek-2016-1 tami-peak-to-creek-2016 tami-peak-to-creek-2016-6

 

I finished the race in 4 hours and 37 minutes. I estimated earlier in the week that I would finish in 4 hours and 36 minutes. I was very close to my estimate. The second half of the marathon was only 2 minutes slower than the first half of the race. My pacing strategy paid off. I cut 28 minutes off my last marathon finish time, so I had a big, fat personal record for this marathon. I accomplished some really big goals with this race. I could not have asked for a better experience. I appreciate my friend, Kimberly, for coming out and supporting me and taking pictures. She kept me accountable to my training plan. There were several others who supported me and pushed me to keep trying. My family was supportive and was gracious to me as I put in long hours training. My youngest son kept up with my training plan and paces. He would always encourage me to try a little harder each time.

 

I highly recommend this marathon. It has a small field of 300 to 400 runners per year. It has a great race director who keeps you informed along the way. Peak to Creek Marathon, Jonas Ridge, NC.

 

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Decorate for Fall – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

 

Happy Friday! How does your living room look now that you have decluttered, dusted, and moved the furniture around? Today, let’s do a little fall decorating. I have silk flowers for each season, so I will put out my fall flowers until Thanksgiving, and then I will switch to my Christmas flowers. I also have some pumpkin spice candles that I will put out and a few pumpkin-theme items, too. Enjoy the beauty in your living room!

Have a great week-end!
If you have any questions or tips, please email me. I enjoy hearing from my readers.
Zone Mission: Spend 15 Decorating for Fall in your Living Room

Weekly Home Blessing: Take out the trash, Sweep, and Mop

 
Menu Mission: Rotisserie Chicken and a salad

 

Routines:

 

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Round up this week’s paper. File what needs to be file. Purge what needs to go away. Check your lesson plans for next week.
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Loving movement for 15 Minutes

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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