Half Nuts!

I feel the need
The need for seeds-


As I mentioned before, I go thru little food obsessions and this week is no different.
This weeks food focus:
sunflower seeds


I'm going NUTS for Seeds!!

While Tiger(blood)
{this is my bike for those of you who do not know this}
was visiting Josh at Freeman's Bicycle for a tune up, Lola and I spent the afternoon at Joker's (a kids indoor playhouse/amusement park with all kinds of stuff to do!)

Down the slide

Jumping around

and then hit Trader Joe's for some staples.

While checking out the nuts-love nuts!-I saw all kinds of different sunflower seeds. Raw, roasted, salted, unsalted, tarmari seeds etc. so I picked up several bags. Once I got home the question became "what am I going to do with so many bags of nuts and seeds?"

The fun was finding different ways to use these little gems!
The A+ winners?

 a toasted Ezekiel cinnamon raisin english muffin with almond butter and sunflower seeds
veggie stir fry over buckwheat noodles then topped with sunflower seeds and spicy sesame oil

Im telling you, the stir fry was AMAZING! Maybe it was the ginger sauce that Lola made for it but the sunflower seeds added a nice nutty flavor and crunch that just worked. And worked really well.



Apple cider vinegar, some Kikomans



lots of grated ginger and stir

gotta taste it

of course, there is the standards of putting them in salads, yogurt, cottage cheese etc. but I am going to be trying all kinds of new ways to use them!
Do you have a special sunflower seed use??

Since we were in the area we also hit up Whole Paycheck Foods and picked up some lovely produce and other unique items that is not at my "corner grocery store". I have heard about Kombucha but have not tried it. The lady in line in front of me (a very, very long line) had many, many bottles of Kombucha so I decided to ask her about it. She went on and on about how fabulous it makes her feel. Not only does she buy it by the caseload, she also makes her own at home. Judging by her smile and her beautiful skin--she is doing something right. So I picked up a bottle to try and we shall see.
Do you Kombucha?

Getting (half) Naked

There is a term often used to describe running without "gadgets"-
It's called Running Naked

NOT this kind of naked running


you know what gadgets I mean, the iPod or the Garmin 
running without one of these things is called running half naked

99.9% of the time, I am running with my ipod and my Garmin or Polar HRM
(I don't like my Garmin for running on the TM).
I find that music really compliments my running!

-if I am doing speedwork, I make sure the playlist is loaded with rock, some "angry" music or songs that really stoke up that internal fire
-for long, endurance runs I like to listen to a bit of softer music or pop stuff-Ke$ha and P!nk certainly have a way of bringing out my "dancy" side when I am out there a long time. I have been known to bust out some sic dance moves while running.
-podcasts are a relatively new addition to my iPod--there are so many quality programs to listen to and these are also great "company" on those long runs and even long rides on the trainer. Of course, most of my podcasts are about triathlon and there are several local triathletes that are on my subscribe list.

When I run road races, I do run with my iPod and create race pace playlists that are well thought out. I have my goal time in mind when I create the playlist and will put two power songs at the end. So cliche, but the Rocky Theme (Gonna Fly Now) is usually one of those last songs. Something about that song tells me it's GO TIME!
Or there is the even present Right Now by Van Halen or Lose Yourself by Eminem that are a guaranteed push for me.

Triathlon, enter stage left.

Hello Jen, welcome to the wonderful world of multisport. For your endurance pleasure, the USAT Rules do now allow for any kind of headphones, MP3 players or iPods on the race course.

I often wonder how this rule came into play and I am certain it is a safety issue.
I have no problems running 3.1 miles without music and have raced just fine without it.
Heck, even 6.2 miles should not be that much of a challenge for me to race sans music.
BUT
Now that I am going to tackle half-iron distance it's time for me to get half-naked with my running and start training my brain to run without my friends Eminem and Van Halen
and
still be able dig deep to push on thru and hit GO when need be.
Brain Training 101

Monday's afternoon run outside was just that-my first Brain Training run with no music. It was actually quite nice. I focused on my form. I thought about my breathing. I listened to the sounds of gravel crunching under my Fastwitches. I heard the strong winds blowing right through me.
But I was still able to run my run,  I was still able to hit those negative splits (8:31, 8:25, 8:21, 7:56, 7:13) with just the sounds of nature and my mind to guide me.
Granted, this was only a short run and the real tests will come later on in my training-those long runs and bricks but I am sure I will be just fine. I think I will also take advantage of finding more training partners to run and bike my days away.

I would love to hear from those of you who are logging the miles without music!
Tell me what keeps you company when you are out on the road all alone?

For those of you who prefer musical motivation, what's rockin' your playlist right now??

You entered my RoadID giveaway, right?
I'd rather be running totally naked than out running or biking without it!

The Sign Said>>Seven Dee Dot Three

I have often said that I believe that things happen for a reason.
The GOOD and the BAD
Sometimes the universe speaks to you-you just have to listen.
I have been listening very closely and I heard what it had to say
Jen.
It is time.
If not now--when?

After a series of serendipitous events that occurred coupled with some things that I interpret as "signs", I have made a drastic change to my race schedule for 2011- some races have been eliminated include AG Nat'ls in Burlington, VT.
And I am perfectly fine with this. Excited about it actually...
because something a little bit bigger and better (as far as I am concerned) has been added.
When the moment of commitment came I felt a bit of apprehension and anxiety
not fear
NOT a question of IF I could do it
I know I can
put up or shut up
right?


I kept the registration page open for a few minutes before I hit the send button


I scrambled out a quick email to a fellow triathlete friend. I needed that little push and I knew that this person would have the right words for me.

No doubt...Honestly I would be shocked if you didn't do it...(it) is another step on this journey.
Hit send

So I hit SEND and thought
put your money where your mouth is, girl $$$


so as the title of this post suggests I am now locked and loaded for 

70.3

The Pumpkinman Half

7:00 AM on Sunday, September 11th, 2011

The finishes shirt from 2010-I'll be sporting the 2011 version 

So the training plan has been adjusted accordingly.

Mentally I am prepared, excited and ready to tackle this. 

I have actually had this post written for some time but thought I would discuss this with my husband before "announcing it" anywhere. Yes, I did this BEFORE telling hubby. Bad...bad but of course, he is supportive about my decision. He says he looks forward to the day he has an IronWife. Because, yes...we all know that the big one is on my radar as well.

Just not right now.

So did you enter my RoadID giveaway yet?

What are you waiting for...a sign??

Happy Tuesday

Dang scale...

Grrrrrrr.....
So it's Friday morning and this is the day I usually weigh myself and get my body fat %. I have not hopped on my trusty Tanita BC-1000 for the last 2 Friday's for whatever reason and decided that TODAY was not to be skipped.
Yeah-
Maybe I should have waited until tomorrow.
Not happy with today's report:
up 3.2 lbs and 1% body fat.




Granted, this week I have been sick with a head/chest cold and skipped two days of training (Sunday and Monday).

My nutrition has not been on point the last two weeks (hmmmm-could THIS little factoid have to do with the fact that I have been skipping the Friday check in???)
Not that it has been terrible, just not as clean as it usually is. I also added back some grain based carbs to my diet. Maybe those need to go?! I can also admit that my nut butter obsession did get the best of me this week and we all know how easily THOSE calories can add up.

Funny thing though, I am very in tune with my body and if I had gained 3lbs of fat I would certainly feel it/know it. A small gain is enough to add some padding to my abs...and just yesterday I was admiring the new acquired definition starting to show up on my VMO's so I guess a portion of this gain could certainly be water weight. It's certainly not 3lbs of lean muscle gains.

But regardless, it is time to once again become more accountable to myself with keeping on track to reach my body composition goals. I wanted to drop about 8-10lbs and bring my body fat percentage down to about 15% for racing season. Now with some new races on the schedule, this is even more important to be in "racing shape".

Starting today, each Friday I will be reporting in with my progress. Feel free to yell at me if I don't :)
______________________________

Now for some fun stuff!
There are some amazing giveaways going on all around bloggyland!

Check this out:

DC Rainmaker is giving away a Garmin 310XT~now, by telling you about this I am actually reducing MY chances of winning but...heck, it is an amazing giveaway and I think you should check it out!!

Setting You Free is doing a Runningskirts.com giveaway. I miss running in a skirt...I am SO sick of snow. Maybe I'll run in one this weekend anyway....

Another Mother Runner is doing a jogging stroller giveaway, a Mountain Buggy!! Yes, a it's pretty awesome!

Of course, I hope you entered MY RoadID giveaway...even if you already have one, enter and pass along the gift of safety to an active friend or family member!

Celebration Cupcake & Giveaway!

Tuesday morning, 9:15 am
It was a late start to the day for me but I was battling a head cold and poor sleep habits since Sunday. I slept in until 6:30 am-yes, that is WAY late for me. Not only was I dealing with this congested head but my tummy was not feeling too happy either.
Today's training plan called for a bike time trail with Charles, Evil Bike/Triathlon Guru at 10:00am followed by a 3 mile run. There was little doubt that I was going to back out of the TT and Charles understood once he got a good look at me.
It became a date with the treadmill. I knew I had to log 5 miles to finish up my miles for The Cupcake Marathon and even if I had to run those miles at a 10 minute pace today, I was gonna finish this AND sweat this cold out of me.
Now to add a little twist to the mix-due to the previously mentioned tummy ache I did not eat anything this morning before going to the gym. Nor did I have anything besides coffee to drink.
I jumped on the treadmill, popped on some motivational music and pressed GO! A slow start but about 7 mins in I could feel my run rhythm coming along. I was feeling pretty ick by 4.35 miles and could have easily called it a day there. I was definitely feeling the lack of calories and fluids now. Luckily, I had some HEED with me and plenty of water! Drink it up girl and get your backside in gear. At this time, I threw on my favorite song of the week (I Need a Doctor by Dr. Dre and Eminem) and this pushed me thru the miles. I finished this run at a 7:47 pace and ran for 6 miles.
I then felt a bit of nausea and took an easy cooldown on the bike...until Miss Mara from the Kids Klub came to get me on behalf of Lola. Who then all of a sudden did not have to go potty anymore. Instead she wanted to "ride the bike" next to me-Lucky for you, I had my camera handy.

I don't get it Mom? This is EASY! Why do you sweat so much???

The Cupcake Marathon miles are done and here is my official recap:
3/14: No pictures I forgot 3.1 miles in 24 mins
3/15: Again, no pictures, dang it! 2 miles (off the bike) in 17 mins


3/16: picture attempted, fail! But witness by fellow my friend, fellow Cupcaker and blogger, Andrea. For details on this amazing attempt you can always catch it here.  5 miles in 41 mins

3/17: no pics of this either 2.24 miles (off the bike/cooldown) in 20 mins but I did a double run on this day which I totally forgot about! Ran 3.25 miles with Dawn in 30 mins outside that afternoon and I took a pic of my Garmin!

3/18: no run


3/19: Running in Boston! Pics of me on Storrow Drive AND my Garmin! 8.85 miles 

3/22: I remembered my camera again! And I did not shut off the TM before I took a picture! 6.02 miles

Total Miles: 30.63 miles

Total Time: 4:34

Avg Pace: 8:56

This was a fun virtual race and I look forward to the Fall Edition. I also hear rumors of a Pizza Triathlon!! Yay for pizza...

This brings me to the celebration part!

Spring is in the air for most of you-this is what I woke up to on Tuesday morning...

With the Spring weather comes more outside activity like running and biking outside.

I pray to God that each and every one of you will never need it but each and every one of you should have it:

A RoadID!!

Last year I finally got myself a RoadID-sweet little pink WristID Sport at the Maine Marathon Expo and I love(d) it! That is until I could no longer find it. I suspect that little fingers (aka Lola) got ahold of it and it is sitting on the bottom of her toy box or one of her play pocketbooks as we speak.

I definitely needed to replace the missing RoadID especially since I am getting outside now. This time I decided to go with the Wrist ID Elite and picked orange to match my new bike colors. Orange is the new pink right??

The Wrist ID Elite just might be the sexiest ID in the Road ID lineup. With its rubberized band and watch-style buckle, this sleek ID has you covered on the bike, in the boardroom and everywhere in-between. It's perfect for all of your outdoor activities and knows how to play it cool at formal events.

This time I also decided to make some changes as to what info I would put on the ID.

I actually read the little hints and tips that popped up while creating my RoadID.

Last time I put my full address-this time I did not!

Last time I did not put any motivational saying or words-this time I did!

I put my name, year of birth, emergency contacts and then the last two lines read-

...BELIEVE...

BE FEARLESS

The package arrived perfectly protected

Lola could not wait to open the pretty silver box!

Pretty, can I have it Mama??

Everything I needed to set up my new Road ID Elite

The first attempt at finding the right size was a tad off-too big! But that's ok-there is plenty of space to make adjustments. I do suggest being conservative when cutting. Remember what my father-in-law always says "Measure twice but cut only once. You can always cut more but you cannot add more!"

Second "fitting" was a success! I love the fit and feel of the Elite ID and it'll match Tiger! It'll also match the theme of my new "A" race of the 2011 season but I'm saving that for another post!

Here it is! The Cupcake Celebration

It was super easy to fit, I love the style and comfort of the Elite model and hope that you like it as much as I do!

As I said earlier, I hope and pray that you never need to use you RoadID but I think each and every active person should have one-it does not matter if you walk around the block or run double digits daily.

1. If you can’t speak for yourself, Road ID will speak for you.

2. Road ID enables First Responders to immediately contact family members and friends.

3. Road ID enables family members to provide additional details about your health or give consent for potentially life saving procedures.

4. Road ID enables hospital staff to locate vital medical records.

5. Road ID can communicate medical conditions or allergy information to medical staff.

6. Road ID can prevent serious delays in treatment by saving crucial time during the “golden hour” of medical treatment.

7. It’s far better to have Road ID and not need it than to need Road ID and not have it. It’s not just a piece of gear, it’s peace of mind.

8. Accidents happen far more than you think they do. Each year approximately 450,000 of us are taken to hospitals unconscious and without identification.

9. Road ID looks good on and makes a statement about your athletic lifestyle – not to mention that studies would probably prove that people that wear Road ID are considerably smarter than those that don’t.

10. Road ID can save your Life. Period.

So how do you enter to win a RoadID of your own?
Leave a separate comment for each entry:

1) MANDATORY Visit RoadID and tell me what model and color you will pick if you win. I also want to know what motivational word or phrase you will have put on your RoadID
2) MANDATORY Be a follower of this blog.
3) follow RoadID on Twitter and tweet this:
@milesmusclesmom wants you to be safe-Spring into action, enter the @RoadID giveaway today! http://bit.ly/hgbk5K
4) like RoadID on Facebook and write on their wall that Jen from MilesMusclesMommyhood sent ya!
5) Are you a participant in The Cupcake Marathon? You get an extra entry!!

I will take entries until 3/31/11. The winner will be selected by Random.org or names will be written on pcs of paper and picked at random by my 2 year old daughter, Lola. I will announce the winner on April 1st!!

Disclosure: I was given this RoadID to review by Outside PR and was not compensated in any way, shape or form for my positive reivew. The opinions expressed here are my own.

~Cupcake Miles~

One week ago on Monday, March 14th, The Cupcake Marathon kickoff started. I have now seen many, many bloggers taking part in this virtual race and I am so happy to see it getting so much support!

Here is my week one in review:
3/14: 3.1 miles (24 mins)

3/15: 2 miles (off the bike in 16 mins)
3/16: 5 miles (41 mins)
3/17: 2.24 miles (off the bike/cooldown)
3/18: no run
3/19: 8.85 miles (1h 28 mins)
______________________________
Total 21.19 Miles

Certainly a very conservative week mileage wise-but I am sticking to my training plan and my promise to Jared!

Early in the week, I forget to get pics as "evidence" of my mile achievements and even sent Jason a tweet about it.

Then on run day two, I actually brought the digi camera to the gym with me to take pics of the TM readout-I did get a couple strange looks and a couple laughs. I can just imagine some of their thoughts! Now, mind you some of the members who don't KNOW me think I'm crazy anyway. This is an example of what thoughts cross their minds about me:

• Who's that crazy girl running around doing all these jumpy things? (that would be plyo)
• Does that chick know she is running BACKWARDS on that treadmill? (umm, yup!)
• Why is that lady dripping wet with pool water and riding the bike like that? (it's called a brick workout people!! lol)
• What is that gosh dang beeping contraption that keeps going off every 20 & 10 seconds? (that would be my trusty Gymboss interval timer during Tabata)

So yes, camera in hand, dripping in sweat trying to take a picture of the treadmill readout.
I logged 5 miles in 43:10 and felt fantastic! My picture-proof was a TOTAL fail-see for yourself:

A great shot of my HEART RATE!! Where is my 5 miles????

Then the thing shut off. Dang it!!

Thank goodness my friend and follow Cupcake Marathoner, Andrea was there as a witness to my fantastic 5.

Running Highlight of the Week:

On Saturday, I spent the day in Cambridge MA at MIT for the Multisport World Expo and we went for a run all over Cambridge and into Boston. What a day! Ripping winds but this was just a fun and fantastic run. The time just flew by...

8.85 miles of fun!!

So I still have a couple miles to get in to finish up my 26.2 for The Cupcake Marathon. Sunday was a rest day and I am taking today off since I am not feeling well. I think I will actually go lay down with my baby girl and take a nap.
Luckily, it was an easy training day today and I can just add those miles into the rest of the week.



Bye Bye Boobage

WARNING: the post you are about to read contains many a reference to breasts aka: boobage, boobies, tata's, Grand Tetons, thanks for the mammaries, angry toddlers, melons, the girls, the twins, etc. If this topic is disturbing to you please skip this post and move onto the next blog listed on your Google Reader.

It occurred to me today that I still carry around a "fat Jen" habit.

When I was rocking a size 20+, not only did my butt blow up to an overly ample size, my formerly teeny-tiny boobies did as well. The girls went from a barely there 32B to an outrageous 40DD -- now they are nearly back to their previous size. Disclaimer: after losing 100+lbs and nursing Lola, they do no resemble the same boobies they did when I was 25 but this is another boobage post all together!

Anyway--When I was heavy, I would double up on the sports bras, wear a tight tank top over that and then cover the whole deal with a tee shirt. At the time, I needed that extra support to keep things in place. These days, not so much.
Today was the same as any other day I was dressing for my easy bike, easy run then let's go swim day I put on the sports bra THEN the fitted tech tank and a tech tee over that. While changing out of all this sweaty gear and into my swim suit it dawned on me that the twins did not require all of this layering anymore.
What am I trying to do? flatten 'em out even more?
There is nothing there to support so why am I wearing so much?

So today as I dressed up for my afternoon run date with my bestie, Dawn and I only put on my sleek tech tank with the built in shelf bra. That's it. Nothing else (well, bottoms of course! and shoes) but I don't need to wear all these tops that are just restricting my movements and making me uncomfortable.
Today I will run in just this tank. I am considering it a celebration.

Do or did you ever do some crazy layering??

Speaking of boobies, go check out Running to Health! Stephanie is doing a Moving Comfort bra giveaway!! Keep your boobies happy!

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Yesterday Lola asked for a PB & jelly sandwich for lunch--this is not a strange occurrence.
What WAS a strange occurrence it the fact that I decided that I wanted a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich too.

Now let's back up a bit...
I have been mostly following the Paleo for the Athlete style of eating for the last couple of months, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is not the ideal food choice, even if you eat it after a killer workout.
The last couple of weeks I just don't feel like I have my normal strength and power. I have also been struggling with carb binges and cravings. This has been playing with my head a bit. I even confessed to Dawn on Sunday's bike ride that I think I need to change things up a bit.

So back to yesterday. I made Lola her PB&J-all natty PB, quality strawberry jam on whole wheat bread. And then I made one for myself.
And it was amazing. Delish. Wonderful.
I love peanut butter and I could eat an entire jar easily in a week (but I don't).

Yesterday afternoon I had a couple wheat crackers with hummus.
Last night after dinner, I had a graham cracker with honey on it.
This morning I had steel cut oats for breakfast.

Today my training plan was a run followed by a swim.
I felt fantastic too.
My legs were strong even after a big week of workouts.
I am wondering if it is the fuel. The way I feel today leads me to believe it made a difference.

While I think the basis of the Paleo for the Athlete makes sense, I think I am going to add some grains back into my nutritional plan and see how things go. I don't know if it is a mental thing for me but I do know that my usually strong legs have been feeling a bit lackluster lately.

I have always been a big advocate of eating clean foods and of course, I am going to stick with those basic principles and keep the garbage out.
But I am going to add back in some oats and some whole grain breads.

The volume and intensity of my training plan kicks up next week AND on top of adding in some other classes and workouts for work, I really need to be able to keep strong.
Nutrition is such a personal thing and everyone responds differently so...
Let's see what happens!

Decisions, Decisions

Ahhh, Decisions.

Thursday was my last PT session.

Jared gave me the "all clear" and  I am now free to roam-well, run.

And on Saturday, I chose to run. A very quick 3-miler with a 7:40 avg pace. When Jared said we could easily shave a minute off my mile, he was not giving me false promises. This was a moderate effort run off the bike and I thought my Garmin was kaflooey when it kept flashing 7's at me.

But...
Remember THIS conversation with Jared about limits and training plans?
Well, I did take his words of advice to heart and sat down to make some decisions about this season.

Decision #1:

Pick a focus: triathlon or marathon.

Triathlon won.

Duh. (winning) Of course it did.

Why just run when you can:

swim  bike  run

Decision #2:
Develop a training plan that focuses on building a stronger bike with more time in the pool. The running? well, less junk miles and more quality workouts: speed skills and hill work, so running 3-4x per week.
Less "vanity" lifting in the gym-you know, the "pretty muscles" like bi's and tri's?? I am still going to be doing my fair share of strength training-heck! I am proud of my arms- but I am going to incorporate more balanced-based and skill building exercises? Who can fault me for doing bicep curls on the Bosu ball?? :)

Decision #3:
Stick to my training plan and don't overdo it. I am a classic example of someone who will and can over train if allowed. I think having a "schedule" will help me bring balance to it all. Embrace the recovery weeks and take a day off.

Decision #4:
Still in the works...but I do need to make some FINAL decisions about what races I am doing for the season, especially the end of the season. Everything so far has hinged on IF I can get hubby to agree to go to the USAT AG Nat'ls in August. I mean, seriously...what an experience! There are no guarantees I will qualify this season--no matter what my mother tells me. But we talked about it again this weekend and he seems to be warming up to the idea.
He did give a big green-light to my suggestion of a Black Fly Tri family vacation weekend in the White Mountains in July! I am really excited about this tri, not only because of the course and the event itself, but it'll be a fun family weekend. Also, I am happy to see hubby get excited about doing something around my race schedule! (I wonder if it was the lure of the biergarten at the tri that got him stoked about this race??)
We will be doing some hiking, some exploring and taking Lola to StoryLand!

So decisions were made. Registrations and reservations were completed. The new training plan is in full effect.  I am now off to do a 2-hour ride OUTSIDE with Dawn and I am stoked.
Happy Training and Happy Sunday!

How to be Tough and Save Money!!

First, thank you to everyone who entered my Tough Chik contest!

As a THANK YOU to all the Miles, Muscles & Mommyhood readers, Shannon at Tough Chik was generous enough offer up a 20% discount on your entire purchase!!

Just use the code: MILESMUSCLESMOM

at the checkout and you will see the savings add up!

but

the last day to take advantage of this discount is Sunday, March 13th.

That is tomorrow!!

If you have not been by the Tough Chik site recently, there are some NEW and exciting things!!

A visor?? (It's by HeadSweats, which I love!!)

I really, really like mine. I already christened it with a sweaty tabata workout today. Soon it'll be all salty and stuff but that's what I love about the HeadSweats--just toss 'em in the machine and they are good as new!)

How about a hoodie?

Nothing says Tough like a hoodie, right?

Not a visor kind of gal?

That's ok-

They have a baseball cap too!

I love the ball cap for the days I don't feel like doing my hair. Which is often.

A ponytail or a braid usually works for me!

Of course there is a huge selection of tees!

My newest TC tee: Run like you are being chased!





My favorite: Triathamom



...and with Spring right around the corner,

it'll be time to get out on our bikes right!?

I really like both of these:

Which one should I get??

Oh and don't worry, Our fun with Tough Chik isn't over-it's actually just beginning...

The Cupcake Comedy

Earlier this week my Mom called me with a fantastic idea.

She wanted to have Lola come over to her house to make cupcakes and then decorate them!
Wanna make Lola an even happier little gal than she already is?
Give her sugar in the form of frosting, anything to stir and something to decorate.

My little girl hit the trifecta of fun.

Lola doing her best bunny impression

The original plan was my Mom would have her quality cupcake time with Lola while I had some quality time with ME, running. Well the plan was altered a bit--I wasn't feeling that great and it was awful weather. I decided instead to join the fun and I am glad I did, even now as I type this with a belly ache and a sugar hangover...


Before the mess...

Checking the label for High Fructose Corn Syrup



Lola lined each cupcake tin, as she likes to say "ALL BY MYSELF"

Lola approved







Filling each cupcake neatly

Ahhhh, not so neat anymore

wow!

 

Oh no....



Oh yes...a BIG mess!

beeeeep! they're ready

A little frosting here....

and a little more there....

Ever since Lola's 2nd Birthday this fall, whenever there is any kind of cake there must be candles. And several rounds of singing Happy Birthday. It is actually my father-in-law's birthday but according to Lola, it's HER birthday too!

So the obligatory 97 rounds of Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles commenced. Several times while I was singing, she told me "STOP MAMA" (yea, I'm that bad) and would sing Happy Birthday all by herself.

Lola's planting her "jelly bean seeds" inside the cupcake

yup, this one is LOADED

Mom, please--NO MORE SINGING!!

Happy Birthday, Round # 57

The Sugar Fantasy

It was a lot of fun but the next time my Mom suggests a sugar fest late in the afternoon, I am going to think twice about it. Lola was unstoppable and spinning like a top until 8pm.

We did go next door to see my in-laws to deliver an second helping of birthday treats to Pappa-which he enjoyed! Happy (real) Birthday!!