A Testimonial

Two pregnancies
Zero stretch marks on my belly

Thank you, Annie's Handmade Skincare!!


My friend makes her own lotions and creams (as Nacho Libre would say). And she makes soap and lipgloss and other delicious-smelling treats for the skin. She uses natural ingredients and does not use mineral oil (it's very difficult to find a lotion at the store that doesn't have mineral oil, which, she told me, doesn't really moisurize because it just sits on top of the skin instead of being absorbed).

My personal favorites for pregnancy were the sugar scrub and the hand & foot cream (extra-thick lotion) that I rubbed on my belly daily. Her fragrances smell so good, I feel like I could lick myself!

Here's what she says:

All of Annie's Handmade Skin Care products are made from scratch with high quality ingredients that won't dry out or damage your skin. You can customize them with any fragrance or combination of fragrances you choose. Wow, what a deal!

Check her out:

http://handmadeskincare.biz/

Feeling Victorious

Are your running buddies as cute as mine are??

So I ran a 12-miler last week. Big deal. I've done that distance dozens of times. But this time I did it pushing a double jogger. We were not fast. I had to stop to let my 2-year-old pee. I had to keep handing out cheerios and water and bread. I pointed out red cars and white trucks and bicycles and ducks. I even sang primary songs to quell the boredom. And we made it! I was so proud of my munchkins for being such good sports about it all.



I remember feeling victorious last month too. I only ran 7 miles that day, but it was my first long run in preparation for my BIRTHDAY HALF MARATHON on February 7. I had been waiting for the perfect day when D could be home with the kids while I went running, but that day never came--he had to work every Saturday (and every weekday too). I finally decided it was up to me. I picked a day, got up early, and after an hour and a half (including breastfeeding, getting all of us dressed for the "cold" in AZ, getting us fed, packing snacks, changing the last-minute poopy and taking care of Squeaks potty needs, etc.) was able to get on my run. Gone are the days when doing a long run just means setting aside the time! Then, less than a mile into my run, I realized my Baby Jogger was getting harder to push. I looked down. Flat tire. I'd been runing with it for 8 months and had never gotten a flat tire! I briefly considered just pushing through the 7 miles with a flat. What a dumb idea! So I turned around and ran back home. I fixed the flat (Pip was screaming at this point), went back out (Pip calmed down once we started moving again) and finished my run. YEAH!

These photos were taken during a short run, not a long run!

Oh, the mockery!

Let us all vow together, right now, to stop eating Crisco from the can.

Thank you all for your great ideas. Not only did they help me with this year's choice, but now I have so many ideas for future years. Yeah! So I decided to try something a little bit different this year, because the comment above got me thinking--I have a real problem with eating Crisco from the can. I see the glossy, beautiful, white paste and can't help sticking my whole head in the can and having a big lick. Mmm! Just kidding. But I do have a problem with eating peanut butter from the jar and chocolate chips from the bag. So that's what I decided to give up this year. If chocolate or peanut butter has been prepared in something, it's OK (and surprisingly, I don't really have a self-control issue with prepared stuff, but I've been known to down a lot of PB or chocolate chips straight from the jar or bag). So happy new year, folks!