Pep talk

I like early in the morning before I get up and have to go to work, to sit and snuggle my sweet puppy, to catch up on all the riveting news on facebook (or really any type of internet surfing), reading a few blogs, crocheting, and picking up my house before heading into work. I love my morning routine. Seriously. I also highly value sleep (true true true story). Yes, some days I do make time to get in a workout later in the day but then I always feel like it is rushed and hurried between this that or the other, it isn't fun, I don't like feeling rushed, and it is time to change my routine.

Lately I must confess my training for my upcoming half marathon has slipped a bit and I am not happy with it, it is long over due to kick it in high gear, seriously, time to stop making lame excuses and get to the gym or get outside running. It's go time. I have gotten in a few good swims and a few good runs, but nothing amazing or ridiculously challenging. I forget that you don't get good or in shape or well trained without working for it. I won't improve my times unless I work at it, unless I put the miles under my belt, unless I get out of my house and train. Seems simple, but I love my morning routine.

I secretly dream of completing and Ironman 70.3, I don't think I have it in me to ever do a full but a half, is sooo tempting, however it means it is time to get serious, time to stop making lame excuses, time to put myself to bed earlier, time to get out of my house and get to the gym.

Yes, you all just read my pep talk to myself.

Now to step up and do it.

Favorite Websites

I love the internet and can't fathom life without it any more, for one reason or another I have decided to post a list of my favorite websites. The websites are listed in no particular order.

• Shutterfly - I LOVE making photobooks! At one point in life I thought I would actually scrapbook like everyone else in the world, when I realized that would not happen! I am not creative enough and far too much of a perfectionist when it comes to certain things to actually scrapbook - however I have found great freedom in digital scrapbooking and love the quality of these books! I have also used them to make Christmas Cards, post cards, journals for work, and several other projects. I LOVE shutterfly.
• Facebook - I know it maybe totally cliche, but I love facebook to a certain degree, yeah the petty stuff and the complaining gets annoying, but I love that I am able to easily connect with friends, see pictures of friend's kids, and connect with some people that I haven't talked to in forever. Granted nothing replaces actual phone calls, skype meetings, handwritten letters, and actual visits - facebook works well for me in the digital world.
• Pintrest - LOVE IT! I love all the ideas that I am able to pull off of here and make happen. There are lots of things I will never have time for or will never actually make but I have actually used quite a bit of stuff off this website. It has ideas and everything! 
• Raverlry - This website has lots and lots of crochet patterns (knitting too but I have no clue how to knit, so am only interested in crochet patterns). It has some for free and some you have to purchase for a reasonable price (usually). I have found lots of patterns that I love on this website, I am thankful for the ability to see other patterns and see people's pictures of how their item turned out to know what a certain project may look like
• Pandora - How brilliant! I love the ability to create radio stations and tailor them to my liking. I have lots of different stations all for different moods and things. I love not needing to haul around cds or my ipod and just being able to play pandora whenever I want.
• Oremus - I love having an NRSV version of the bible available online, one that I can pull scripture off of to put into documents or whatever the need may be. The NRSV is my preferred version of the bible.
• All Recipes - This is my go to for trying new recipes after pintrest, of which I have discovered many of the pintrest recipes I have use are originally from allrecipes.