TOL #1 Snapchat vs Instagram

In an effort to write more frequently, I came across this prompt from blogger Amanda at Running With Spoons. The concept of getting thoughts down isn't a new one but, after reading her post, the notion resonated with me. 

For my first go, it's hardly deep and has already been hashed out to death...but it's been on my mind:

Snapchat. 

I had an account several years ago when it was a newish app, but I felt scummy about it; I read an article that the original intent of the platform was to send nude and lewd photos that supposedly 'disappeared' after the recipient opened them. I was disturbed by this since once a photo is out on the Internet, it's there forever. More recently, I heard a story on NPR about how young girls are bombarded with requests for 'noodz' from male classmates. As a parent of a teenage daughter, this is enormously disturbing. 

While I'm sure a fair amount of that still takes place among consenting adults, it has evolve. It's a medium where I can have a quick interaction with my kids or catch a glimpse of a day in the life of musicians, actors or my fellow social media acquaintances. I freaking love Snapchat. 

It's become my favorite social media platform because it's all the fun with none of the drama (I'm looking at you, Facebook). And the other social media sites (who will remain nameless but the first letter starts with Instagram) keep updating their app to the point where it's killed the fun. 

I feel a rant coming on...

WTH, Instagram?? First, the site is ruined by a ridiculous algorithm: instead if chronological posts, accounts appear in your feed based on what it 'thinks' you want to see. If that wasn't bad enough, IG created a Snapchat-style 'story' within the platform. Unless it has to do with animals or someone whose content I'm very interested in seeing, it's pretty ridiculous...especially when it comes to oversharers. Anything beyond 5 stories within one account is excessive and I'm skipping past it entirely. The final straw was changing to a GINORMOUS FONT with ads that 'stick' and don't let you easily scroll past. #lamesauce

Besides, who can compete with those filters and stickers? 

What is your favorite social media platform? If you like Instagram, what do you think of the changes?

If Girls Ran The World

Disclaimer: I am partnering with FitApproach and If Girls Ran The World this October for a 'one of a kind adventure to collectively and virtually run around the world to benefit charities that empower girls globally.' 

My daughter played club basketball beginning in 5th grade through junior high and high school, and her team was unable to find a court for their practices. The local Girls, Inc. offered our girls use of their court at their beautiful facility. The impact of providing the facility was far reaching and most of the girls, including my daughter, continued to play basketball throughout high school and several even into college. Working as a part of a team, our girls literally learned to think quickly on their feet and to act selflessly to benefit the team as a whole. It was invaluable life skills that my daughter carries with her today.

I am committing raise $250 and to run 50 miles in October, adding to the global goal of running 24,901 miles equalling the world's circumference. I'm inspired by the work of Girls, Inc. and wanted to support them by raising money as part of my participation in If Girls Ran the World. Please visit my fundraising page and help me support my goal. Any amount is appreciated!

Kauai 2016

I haven't written much. That's probably obvious. I love blogging but it takes so long because I'm such a perfectionist. I decided to get over myself and just write. If you find typos or redundancies here, you can do what I do; choose to see the writer's humanity or feel smug. Either works. 

I thought I would ease back into it by sharing photos of our trip. We are spending our last night on the island, and jump back into our respective lives immediately upon our return. My boy starts his sophomore year of high school (two days late) and my girl moves into her dorm this Saturday. Mr. Doll leaves Thursday to see friends and music for the Labor Day weekend. As for me, this summer flew by. I'm dreading returning to adulthood and responsibility 😒

We have spent 8 days on Kauai. It is truly paradise and my favorite place to be on the planet. It's impossibly beautiful here. 

Plumeria is one of my favorite scents.

Truly paradise

Even the garden snails are beautiful here.

I explored the garden daily at the house we stayed at, looking for
geckos and other island critters. 

Star fruit! It tasted a lot like a cross between a green grape
and a pear, except a little crunchier. 

We have spent our week snorkeling, relaxing and eating. We enjoyed an afternoon on ATVs, seeing the picturesque interior of Kauai where movies such as Jurassic Park, 6 Days and 7 Nights (I adore Anne Heche) and Tropic Thunder were filmed. 

Inside one of the bunkers from WWII

Taking it all in...

Impressive height!

Who is even this photogenic?? 

This will be featured on our Christmas card,
so act surprised when you open yours.

The valley is absolutely breathtaking. 

We came from Poipu to the north side of the island near Princeville three nights into our trip. On our second day snorkeling, my boy took off his booties coming out of the water and cut the bottom of his foot. We spent the afternoon trying to find a clinic and subsequently ended up at a fire station. They wrapped my boy's foot and gave us directions to the closest emergency room. 

Obligatory emergency room visit. Let's not do this again...

He received four stitches that were well-documented by yours truly. My BFF is fascinated by all things medical and she simultaneously sent odd photos and memes to my son during his procedure while intermittently texting me requests for pictures of his cut. I'll spare you the gruesome photos and extensive video that I sent to my best friend. Although it made the time pass, seeing my son writhing in pain during his lidocaine injection was unbearable. If I could have traded places and done the pain for him, I would have in a second. That must be the mark of a being a parent; I never would have considered stepping in and taking one for the team, like some sort of masochistic stunt-double, prior to having children. He dealt with it like a champ. With strict instructions to stay out of the water because of the 'high probability of contracting a staphylococcal infection' and prescriptions for topical and oral antibiotics, we were on our way. 

Thankfully, it didn't happen at the beginning of the trip and it forced us to slow everything down and totally decompress. I may not be psychically ready the school year to start, but at least I'll be well-rested. 

I love you Kauai!

Smarty Pants Review

Back at it again, Daniel! Yup. I was selected as a reviewer for Smartypants Vitamins. 

His and Her gummies. Happily ever after...

First, the pitch: The website calls their product the 'galaxies best tasting gummy vitamin.' They provide an excellent source of vitamins A, C, D (D3 instead of D2, btw...which is the form your skin produces when it's exposed to light), E, B6 and B12, plus zinc and folic acid. It contains no high fructose corn syrup or synthetic colors, flavors or preservatives. Non-GMO, too!

****

Most multivitamins are the size of a horse pill in order to 'squeeze' all the nutrients inside them, which are too big for me to swallow. Even after purchasing a pill cutter -- I don't play when it comes to my gag reflex, y'all -- I still was unable to swallow my multivites.

Okay. I don't look like this in any way, but you get the point.

So, yeah. I pretty much have to rely on a gummy vitamin if I'm going to take any kind of multivitamin. Besides, why do kids get to have all the fun? These gummies are REALLY GOOD. They have a multivitamin for both men and women (prenatal and kids, too). I was sent several samples of both -- and despite the fact that I'm not a guy -- I broke all the rules and tried the men's multivitamin; I really liked the sugary coating. They are just like tasty gumdrops! The women's version are more along the lines of Jujubes, but just as yummy as the boy version.

I asked my son to try the men's vitamin as well, and he liked them. Here's his contemplative pose:

Blueberry pancakes, milk and #smartypantsvitamins
Start yer day right!

This blogger's review is two thumbs up! They taste delicious and are a great way to make sure you get your daily vitamins. You can track them down on Amazon's link: http://amzn.to/1SWPLKx 

Manitoba Hemp Heart Bar Review

As an ambassador for Fit Approach, I was recently selected to do a product review of Manitoba Hemp Heart bars. As an expert snacker, I'm well-qualified and equal to the task. #allthesnacks 

First, the pitch: Hemp is considered a 'super plant', and every part of the plant can be harvested for a multitude of uses ranging from clothing, paper, rope...and food. Manitoba Harvest is passionate about their products, which are all non-GMO project verified and they are the largest hemp food manufacturer in the world. Each 45 gram Hemp Heart bar contains 10 grams of plant-based protein and 10 grams of omegas. 

Other fun facts about hemp: although untrue, the Declaration of Independence was rumored to be written on hemp paper, which is sturdier than tree-based paper.

Fun mail days are the best! 

I received two flavors of Hemp Heart bars to try: apple cinnamon and chocolate. The seeds of the hemp plant have a slightly nutty flavor is similar to pine nuts or sunflower seeds. I thought it would be fun to bring samples to my spin class for the members to try. 

This product tester came prepared,
including toothpicks for samples.

Apple cinnamon (top left) and chocolate (bottom right)

I'm a pretty adventurous eater; I likened the nutty flavor of hemp to sesame, similar to a Middle Eastern confection called Halvah that I used to enjoy when I was a little girl - although these bars are not as sweet. Unfortunately, most of the members in my class didn't care for the bars. Many people struggled with the soft consistency of the apple cinnamon bars, but everyone preferred its
sweetness over the chocolate hemp bar.

Want to see what all the fuss is about and judge for yourself? Use code hhbarlaunch1015 for 15% off your order (expires 4/31/16). 

Join the conversation: If you're photographically inclined, you can also post a photo on social media for a chance to win your favorite Manitoba food product. Tag @manitobaharvest and use the hashtag #fueledbyhemp with a photo of your favorite hemp product. No purchase necessary!     

Star Wars Half Marathon Recap

Last weekend I ran the Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland. Needless to say, given my love for all things Disney, running and Star Wars, this was truly a trifecta made in heaven.

Trifecta of awesomeness:
Running, Disney and Star Wars

Originally, I was supposed to run this race with three friends; one friend apparently registered but never received confirmation, and the other two decided that 13 miles isn't half of anything and was just too far to run. [Grammar nerd alert: I just used two, too and to all in the correct context within the same sentence...booyah!] 

A friend of mine since childhood, who is not a runner but shares my deep love of Disneyland, had planned her vacation around this event and we were going to share a hotel room in Anaheim. As we got closer to the holidays, it was apparent that she needed to use her vacation time to visit her aging father. We decided postpone visiting the Magic Kingdom together until the spring.

This left me in a serious quandary about trying to find accommodations three weeks before the race. My sister-in-law lives 20 minutes away from Disneyland, but she wasn't sure if they would be in town that weekend or not. I considered staying with my bestie who lives in Ventura the night before -- so I was at least a little closer to Los Angeles the day of the race -- but it still meant I would have to leave by 3:30am to make the 5:30am start time. It seemed foolish and impractical to drive in the middle of the night. 

This is where I got a little maudlin. None of my plans were panning out, and for a moment I considered scratching the race. 

Mind you, I said, 'for a moment...' Anyone who knows anything about Disney races knows this: they sell out hella quick and they are probably one of the most expensive races on the planet. Plus, if I was undertrained for my last half marathon in November, it paled in comparison to my training for this one: I hadn't run one day since then. 

Uh, oops. 

Running a half marathon untrained?
Arnold don't play.

It is stupid, Arnold. I can only rely on teaching spinning and past running experience for so much, and it's not like those miles stay in the proverbial fitness bank. It is a recipe for injury, and I should know better.

As luck would have it, my sister-in-law called me to say I was welcome to stay with them. I invited my niece and nephew to come with me to pick up my bib and they were completely onboard to check out the expo, which didn't disappoint. 

I had to snapchat this...because obviously.

Future 10k runners at next year's event!

This was probably one of my favorite photos of the
whole weekend: BB8 at the expo...and he was PISSED.

The force is so strong with these two :)
I adore being their aunt!

And of course, the obligatory Flat Babydoll the evening before to post on social media:

I thought I was clever in obscuring my race number
with a mini slot machine. I can't even believe
counterfeiting bibs is a thing. #lamesauce

I set my alarm for 3:30am to eat breakfast and give my body plenty of time to digest my food. I had brought a small tupperware filled with my tried-and-true oatmeal for race day. Believe me, one does not 'change up' the pre-race fuel unless you want to have it repeat on you over thirteen miles, or worse yet...frequent port-a-potty visits. 

Despite a lively discussion involving maps and where to park the night before, I decided to trust the wisdom that is Waze. While I can't say enough about this driving app (real time feedback with incredible graphics and directions), I am slowly learning that there is a difference between being impulsive and spontaneous - neither of which have their place in the predawn hours the morning of a race. Instead of following my brother-in-law's suggestion of how to get to the parking structure -- who patiently looked over the race book and used to work for Disney, for crying out loud -- I decided to enter the name of the parking structure right into Waze. 

Be ye not so stupid.

It steered me behind the structure and right into the employee parking entrance. You know, the one that requires a code to raise the arm to enter the parking lot? I had a small moment of panic that I would miss my race, but it wasn't going to be for lack of trying. I parked in a residential area and a hoofed it in the general vicinity of the Disneyland Hotel. A helpful volunteer at one of the crosswalks explained where I needed to be, 'It's a brisk 15 minute walk from here...' and I was off. This was at 5:35am.

The race officially begins at 5:30am, but because I'm not an elite runner -- we've already established that I hadn't trained for this race -- I was in the last corral. This was my third runDisney event; although I knew it was going to be close, I wasn't completely panicked because it takes a long time to release that many runners in waves. Fashionably late, I rolled in about 3 minutes before they released my corral:

Rolling in right before my corral is released.
It was actually kind of badass.

#represent

Me and Monstro. Storybook Land is my favorite ride in Fantasyland.

Another favorite: Pixar's Rex from Toy Story at California Adventure.

No, really: You da best.

I thought these droids were fixed to the ground, but I was wrong.
When C-3PO saw these two ladies dressed in gold,
he rushed over to them and mugged for a photograph. 

I need this window decal. 

Captain Phasma and Kylo Ren try to sway me to the Dark Side.

1970s Luke Skywalker

I heart R2D2

Best photobomb ever!

This dad carried his son on his shoulders
for at least a third of the race. So awesome!

Anyone who has done one of these races has heard about the notorious 'Balloon Ladies'; the 16-minute mile pacers who ensure the course is closed after four hours. Any runners caught behind them are 'swept' off the course and brought to the finish line. In the typical Disney grandeur, I envisioned princesses walking the course, wearing elaborate hoop skirts made from balloons; gracefully waving to the crowd and tapping on the shoulder of stragglers before being escorted off the course in Cinderella's pumpkin-shaped carriage. 

There goes my imagination getting away from me again.

Prior to the start of the race, I had seen a couple of young 20-something girls standing to the side of the course, each wearing a backpack with a single Mickey Mouse balloon tied to it. I didn't give it another thought, though. And at several points during the race, there were Disney race officials calling out times, 'Four minutes under pace. Keep it up!' 

Imagine my surprise when I dawdled too long mugging for photos along the course and the two young girls I saw at the beginning of the race came up behind my group shouting, 'YOU CAN DO THIS, EVERYONE. DON'T GET CAUGHT BEHIND US!!' I don't know if runners pulled from the course still receive a medal for their effort or not, but I selected this race specifically as my 20th half marathon and I wasn't taking any chances. The last picture I took on the course was, fittingly, of Darth Vader carrying is son on his shoulders. 

Next year, I'm hoping to run the 10k with my niece the day before the half marathon for a chance at earning a third medal. #rebelchallenge

My race review: Despite being my slowest pace ever, this was one of my favorite half marathons. The Star Wars franchise is a little piece of my childhood, and the nostalgia factor alone had me happy from the moment I set foot onto the course. The other two Disney-themed half marathons had long sections in the middle where there was little to see and the miles dragged. I don't know if it was the extraordinary Star Wars fan base or what, but there was always something to see: huge turnouts of costumed Star Wars fanatics passing out Red Vines, and incredible custom-painted cars that had mounted blasters and a R2D2 copilot. There was also a large high school band and cheer squad presence as well, with a half dozen schools represented and encouraging runners and giving high-fives. This was the first race greater than a 10k that I didn't wear my water belt. Although it's my preference to run without something around my waist, I'm always afraid there won't be enough water along the course. The water and aid stations were plentiful, and there were hundreds of volunteers along the course and in the finish area keeping things moving. Good after-race food and electrolyte drinks, too. Great work, Disney!