Bosom-Buddy Guest Post #2

While I'm on vacation in Mexico, I'm leaving you in the trusted hands of my July Bosom-Buddies.  I only accepted 6 Bosom-Buddies this month in hopes of really promoting them and their blogs, because they deserve it oh so much.  While I'm all vacation, you'll hear from every single one of my July Bosom-Buddies! I asked them to write about something was "typical" of them so that you'd know what you're getting into by following them.  I hope y'all enjoy their posts & make some new friends while I'm away! 
Also, I'm being featured on Brittany's blog today!  Make sure to check it out here!
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  Something amazing happened to me today, March 27th 2012. I need to share it. I feel at peace. A different kind of peace than I've ever felt in my life. I've never really had a relationship with God. I've never sat down and talked to Him about myself, my life, or my troubles. Sure, I pray when OTHER people need Him. But never when *I* need him. Since 2007, my life has definitely been a tumultuous roller coaster ride. I was with a guy for 4 years that destroyed every piece of me he possibly could. He destroyed my self-esteem. My relationships. Everything. The past 2 years, I've been in a really emotionally charged, complicated, relationship. And you can't even really call it that. I've made mistakes. I'm not proud of them. My mind has been swimming recently with all that I've experienced. All the failed relationships. The failed friendships. The tears. The heartache. The need and want just to be loved. 100%. No strings attached.

So today, more-so than any other day, I turned it all over to God. And the peace.. that sweet peace, that washed over me once I'd given it all over to Him, is something that I'll never forget. My mind is no longer swimming with how to make people love me. My mind is no longer swimming with how to fix things that are wrong with my life. My mind is no longer swimming with the concern that I'll never be good enough to find my prince charming. I've given it all to Him. He will lead me now. And, I think that is the one piece of my life that I have always been missing.

I find myself in friendships or relationships that do nothing but tear me down. I find myself struggling with so much depression on how to fix the friendships that have gone so terribly wrong. Or how to fix a relationship that is at this point, absolutely lost and not what I need in my life. He has been pulling me to Him more so than I could've ever imagined. I can't help but find myself thankful for the situations and hardships that have lead me to begin this new journey of discovery.

The majority of my life, my friends shoved religion down my throat. Getting mad at me for not following their rules. For not going to bible study or church with them... essentially shunning me. They failed to realize that each person finds God in their own ways. I am not someone that gives into things just because others want me to, ESPECIALLY such a close, personal relationship with God. I am not a perfect woman. I will never be a perfect woman, nor will I ever live a perfect, sin-free life. But finally, at the age of 25, I have realized that the only way to continue to live my life, is to have a relationship with the one who ultimately created me.

The changes going on inside of me are humbling. I feel like I'm rediscovering, or newly discovering, parts of me that have been long gone, or that I never knew existed. I've spent many, many years fighting with myself. Picking apart the pieces of me that I felt were wrong, or ugly. I've spent many many years carrying baggage and heartaches... wondering why I've never been good enough, strong enough, pretty enough. But here, now, in this moment.. I realize that I've ALWAYS been good enough, strong enough, pretty enough... in His eyes. I will never be a perfect woman and I certainly haven't lead a perfect life, nor will I.. But in His eyes, I will always be perfect. And amazing. And I need to grow in my relationship with Him, before I can grow in my personal relationships. He has been hitting me with hurricane force lately, with the situations I've found myself in. He has been talking to me... even when I wasn't listening.

I am humble on my knees tonight.
I have found the piece of me that was missing. Not a man. Or a best friend. Or food. Or a car.
God. and only Him.
It only took 25 years.   *************I absolutely adore Miss Desiree!  I hope you've learned a little about her and her sweet soul.  Go check her out and let her keep you company while I'm away.  :)  And more importantly, offer her some encouragement.  If you're a Christian, you know how hard it can be when you're first starting out & you know how much she'd love some extra kind words.  Have a great day!! 
~ Desiree's Blog~ And don't forget to check out my guest post!

Bosom-Buddy Guest Post #1

While I'm on vacation in Mexico, I'm leaving you in the trusted hands of my July Bosom-Buddies.  I only accepted 6 Bosom-Buddies this month in hopes of really promoting them and their blogs, because they deserve it oh so much.  While I'm all vacation, you'll hear from every single one of my July Bosom-Buddies! I asked them to write about something was "typical" of them so that you'd know what you're getting into by following them.  I hope y'all enjoy their posts & make some new friends while I'm away!  

*************

Hello fabulous readers of Mrs. Robinson’s blog! My name is Lauren and I blog over at the merry mrs. mobley. I am honored, and oh so thrilled, to be here sharing a bit about myself at The New Wife Life!

 My sweet hubby and I have been married a little over two years, which I think takes us out of the “newlywed” category. Too bad because it still feels like we’re in the honeymoon stages of life:-) No kiddoes yet, but we do have a precious furbaby named Daisy who might as well be our child. Want to talk about attachment issues? You should meet the princess.

I am here today to talk to you about the importance of dates. Let me guess what you’re thinking, “Huh? Aren’t you already married?”. Why, yes, we are already married, but that’s why it is all the more important to go on dates with your spouse! When you start a new relationship you go on all sorts of dates to get to know the person; why does that have to stop when you get married? Far too often we allow outside stressors to enter our marriage and disrupt the flow of things. We allow ourselves to become too comfortable in our marriage, which in turn causes problems. Don’t get me wrong, comfort can be a great thing, but being too comfortable can have the exact opposite affect and act as a poison to your relationship. Instead of dipping into a rut, pursue your partner through dates!

David and I are HUGE proponents of date nights. Even though we don't have kids yet, there are still things that keep us busy (work, church responsibilities, volunteering, the list goes on and on!). Carving out that time once a week helps us continue to learn things about each other and get away from the day-to-day stressors that have the potential to bring us down. People never stop growing and changing, so why not make the effort to get to know them as that happens? Ask them questions, try something new, just get out of your comfort zone! I love knowing that I get to grow and change with my studly husband, and I am excited to get to learn these things as they happen.

Your dates don’t have to be anything fancy schamncy at the most recent hit restaurant. They can be so simple as turning off all technology and watching a movie together or a picnic and movie in the park. Here are some of our favorites:

• Breakfast dates: Panera Bread and Crack-o Barr-o (or Cracker Barrel for those of you over 4 years old) are two of our favorites. Breakfast is often cheaper than lunch or dinner and can be just as yummy!
• Fro-yo and the mall: Living as close as we do to the mall this happens quite often. Not to mention, with my sweet tooth dessert is a must!
• Dinner and a movie: an oldie, but a goodie. And, with Living Social and Groupon you can often get dinner at an uber discounted price! Try Restaurant.com for other good restaurant choices. 
• Pizza, beer, and a movie: You don't even have to leave the house for this one! Take it from a run-of-the-mill evening to a special night by turning off all phones and computers and just being. It can be just as wonderful as going out, I promise.
• Do you have a local brewery or winery close by? What about taking a discounted tour on a weeknight? A lot of times you can try some new brews by going on an off-night!
• Summer is a great time for movies or music in the park. Lots of local places have music and movies playing in the evenings. Grab your picnic basket and blanket and find a spot!

Everyone’s idea of date night can be different, but as long as you are making time for your spouse you are on the right track. I know this can often be difficult with budgets (I'm a babysitter, I know how much that can cost!) and schedules, but it's important to show your spouse that they are worth the effort. What kinds of things do y'all do on your date nights??

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

-Ephesians 5:21

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Thanks, Lauren, for all the great tips!  Mr. Robinson and I are not too great at remembering to plan for date night - but we'll have to keep in mind some of your suggestions.  :)  

3 Ways Slumber Parties Prepared Me For Marriage

Sounds interesting, doesn't it?  ;)  

Y'all just have to go over to sweet Alison's blog to read the post, though!  And make sure you snoop around and learn more about the SoKool's while you're there, because they're awesome.  

So...if you want to know 3 ways slumber parties prepared me for marriage, you should click here.

Mr. Robinson's Favorite Meal

Today, you can find me over at Lo-Mo's blog, the merry mrs. mobley to share my husband's favorite meal. He's a picky eater who likes to feast upon cheese pizza, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, fruit snacks, and Kraft mac & cheese. Go visit Lauren's blog to get the recipe for his all-time favorite meal I cook for him...& make sure to snoop around here blog while you're there.  You'll love her sweet, genuine writing style!  

Happy Saturday! 

Three Hints The Honeymoon Phase is Over

Y'all know I like to keep it real.  I blog-all-about-it and today you can find "it" on Autumn's blog, Mrs. in the Making.  The post is about three ways to know the honeymoon phase if over...so go check it out.  =)   I'm an expert, after all, since I've been married for 9 months and stuff.

Also, the Color Run in Charlotte, NC is coming up in November and the registration is opening next week I've heard.  If you want to join our team so that you can meet some really wonderful bloggers (myself included, obviously) you should click here.  
And one other thing - if you want to be a July Sponsor on My New Wife Life {for free}, I have three spots left and one of 'em has your name it on.  Get the details here.  
The hubby and I are going on Date #6 of his Christmas gift - a comedy show!  =)  Super excited about that tonight.  Everyone have a great weekend!  =)  And don't forget to go check out my guest post!  

Our Love Looks, Tastes, & Smells Like....

{follow me on instagram, @mynewwifelife}

There are so many different faces of newlywed love, isn't there?  We've been married for 7 months and 6 days.  Sometimes we cuddle, snuggle, giggle, and hang all over each other.  Other times, we get into screaming matches about which kitchen cabinet is for glasses and which cabinet is for plates.  It's so fun, isn't it?  :)   

Today I'm guest posting for Bronwyn at Our Beautiful Blessings.  You can read all about what our newlywed love looks like, tastes like, and smells like.  Don't worry, it's nothing gross or inappropriate.  And while you're there, check out Mrs. Bronwyn's digs!  She is my newest blog friend and you may have noticed her button on the side of my page.  She was included in my April Bosom Buddies because she has a really cool name, her & her hubby are Christians just like us, and she has a heart for missions.  We have the best time e-mailing back and forth, discussing our faith, and getting to know each other.  AND she just opened a new Etsy shop!  

 ** So, go check out Bronwyn and my awesome guest post!  **

Try to have a good Monday!  :)  

Our Big Black Book

So, a while back Lauren (who just so happens to be awesome, beeteedubs) asked her followers to participate in a series about organization.  I told my husband I was going to do it and he laughed.  I'm not the most organized person in the world...but I'll share with y'all the most organized area of my/our life.  I did give her my guest post, and it was pretty successful if I do say so myself.  Since that lovely January day, that guest post has been sitting in my Draft box.  It's high time to share my sick-nasty organizational skills (I only have one, haha) with y'all, right?!  I mean...it's been three months.  

If you read my blog on the reg, you know that there is some weird gene in my body that makes me provide you with an introduction instead of just jumping into the thing I'm trying to talk blog about.  

The Introduction:

Meet my mom:

Isn't she beautiful?  I think she's the most beautiful woman in the world, and she is the person I look up to the most.  She's a wonderful person and I strive to be as good of a wife, daughter, sister, friend, and (maybe, someday) mother as she is.  Her name is Doremi.  Do-re-mi.  Do:  A deer, a female deerRe:  A drop of golden sunMi:  A name I call myself
I'm not kidding.  I can't make this stuff up.
Anyway, she is a very organized woman and taught me everything I know about organizing.  And when I say she's very organized, I mean that her spices are in alphabetical order, so are her credit cards, and everything she owns is color coordinated.  She's a freak.  I strive to have just one-tenth of her organizational skills.  Maybe it's a mom thing, but she just has a knack for always knowing exactly where everything is...and once I became an old married lady, I wanted to have that skill, too!  I wanted to never lose anything!  :)  How great that must feel.
And so the BigBlackBook was born.

The key to a happy marriage, never-ending youth, and perfection is all inside the BBB.  
Not.
But we do depend on this book to keep our home a happy one.  We keep it locked in our fire-proof, flood-proof, locked gun-safe.  At. All. Times.  We are so hardcore.  :)

Source: d3uwin5q170wpc.cloudfront.net via Anastasiya on Pinterest

About The Big Black Book
Well, it's really very simple.  We purchased a 2" black 3-ring binder from Wal-Mart.  We also purchased one pack of paper, two packs of subject dividers, and one pack of clear page protectors.  We loaded all of our supplies into the binder and there it sat for a while.  We didn't use it at first.  I have a little secret....I'm never going to be my mom.  I hate organizing.  However, it seems like a kind of necessary evil if we want all of our bills paid on time.  So, eventually we bought a huge heavy-duty hole-puncher and got to work.
TIP:  If you have certain documents that are important, don't punch holes in them.  Just slip the special papers into a clear page protector.  (Ex:  Car Titles, Marriage License, Official Documents)    
The very first page of the book is a clear page protector that holds our marriage license.  The South Carolina ML is not very attractive, so it is not displayed anywhere in our home.  We also want to make sure it never burns up or gets ruined on accident.  So, it lives in the BBB, who lives in the armegeddon-proof safe.    
Then, we have all of our pay stubs.  There is a page divider labeled as Mr. Robinson's pay stubs and a page divider labeled as Mrs. Robinson's pay stubs.  We punch holes in the pay stubs and load them into the book in ascending order so that our most recent pay stubs are always on top.  This will come in handy if we ever get audited or if there is a mistake at the bank.  It's also good for helping us figure out our budget.  
After our pay stubs, we have our bank account information.  Mr. Robinson and I have a joint checking account and a joint savings account, so all of our bank statements are under one tab.  We also have the information needed to log into our bank account online, like the user name, password, and security questions.  If you and your husband have a different system (like separate accounts), it could still be helpful to keep your banking information in a common place.  What happens if you tragically and suddenly die?  Your spouse might need access to your financial information.  Some couples choose to create financial folders with this information in them, sealed and handed over to an attorney.  This is just another alternative. 
Behind our bank account information, we have a tab for each of our bills.  

• satellite television
• internet
• telephone
• cell phones
• health insurance
• car insurance 
• We keep our car titles and property tax information in clear page protectors under this tab.
• credit card
• We only have one credit card, and the only reason we have it is to earn sky miles.  So in this tab, we keep all of the statements we receive as record of spending but we also keep track of the miles we earn.
• leases
• When we got married, we moved into a house.  However, we were both still under leases for one bedroom apartments at the time.  My lease ended in November, and Mr. Robinson's will end in February.  We keep all of that payment information and records of the leases in separate tabs, organized by real estate companies.
• We have a tab where we store the credit reports and mortgage information we received when we applied (and were denied) for our first mortgage on a home in the city.  

Each tab is labeled according to what the bill is for.  Information in each section includes account information, account history, bills, payment information, and receipts.  Also in each tab is the information needed to log into the respective account online (user name, password, and security questions).  
So, this is just one way that we stay organized.  I'll be honest with you, though.  We do not pull this thing out every day.  We do not spend our nights punching holes and organizing things.  We are newlyweds, ya know.  ;)  So....what actually and usually happens is.....when stuff comes in the mail, we either throw it away because it's junk or put it in this basket in the kitchen.  

 When the basket is full, we pull out the BBB and file everything away.

The book really does help us out, because when we are looking for something, we know exactly where to find it, whatever "it" may be.  If you decide to do this, make sure to keep your BBB in a very safe place.  A book like this would be every identity thief's dream.  Which is why, like I said, we keep ours in a fireproof, flood proof, bad-guy-proof, locked gun safe with all of our our loaded weapons.  :)  
Don't forget to come back Wednesday ~ in two days ~ for a really awesome, blogger-meet-up-opportunity + linky-party AND all of the amazing details!  =) 

{Guest Post} Tiffany from All Because Two People Fell in Love

Happy Wednesday!  By the time y'all read this fabulous post by my bbff (that's "blog bff"), my hubby and I will be on our way home from our amazing road trip and dreading going back to work tomorrow.  BUT...the good news is that I can't wait to get back to blogging and sharing our vacation with y'all!   Tiffany is telling her amazing love story as it's stretched across Texas, Hawaii, and now South Carolina.  Enjoy!  =)
...

ALOHA Y'ALL!!! 

I'm Tiffany, I blog over at All Because Two People Fell in Love.

I enjoy blogging about anything and everything from cooking, baking, work, DIY projects, pretty much my life as a Army Wife.

Yup you are reading that right, I'm PROUD to say I'm a Army wife going on almost 5 years now. 

The husband and I met over the phone in late 2006 while he was in Hawaii & I was in Texas. To make a long story short we met randomly through a mutual friend, that he was stationed with whom I happen to grow up with.

Not even a whole month had gone by and we both already new we wanted to spend forever together. He planned a trip to come see me in Texas over his Christmas leave, which pretty much sealed the deal.

20 days shy of a year later on November 9th, 2007 we tied the knot at The Dallas World Aquarium in downtown Dallas, TX. It was my / our dream wedding and it couldn't have been more perfect.  We had all our family & friends there, over 300 people.

We skipped the honeymoon & went to the Valley, aka Arizona, to spend a week with my now In~ Loves. You see in less than 2 weeks I would be on a plane making the 8 hour trip out to Hawaii to send the love of My Life off to the sandbox for 15 months. We spent the week prior to him leaving falling more in love than ever before and enjoying Paradise together. Exactly a month later on December 9th we said our "See You Soon's" and my world changed forever.

Jump ahead 14 months to January 2009.  I moved out to Hawaii (during the deployment I stayed home in TX), got settled in our first home on base, and awaited the arrival of my Soldier.

February rolled around & it was the 2nd best day of our life together at that point, having him home safe in my arms & out of harms way was breathtaking. We spent the next year & a half vacationing living the fairytale life in Hawaii. Of course we both had jobs and it wasn't beach & sun all the time but we took full advantage of the Island life, indulging in every aspect the island had to offer.

That brings us to June of 2011 when the Army called My Love back to the Sandbox for another 12 months. This time I opted to stay in Hawaii, that is where our life was and I wanted to keep things as normal as possible. We made it through, but deployments AREN'T easy by any means and I don't wish them upon my worst enemy.

I had a fabulous group of girls to help pass the time, as well as work, of course a few random trips around the island, and way to many Staycations down in Waikiki to count. Even though my husband was gone and not there to enjoy those moments with me, those are memories that I will carry with me forever.

June 2011, the 3rd best day in our life together, was when we were finally reunited after a long gruelling 12 months apart. Being able to share that moment with my Spouse, aka best friend (Sarah), was awesome. She was there for me from the beginning so it was only fitting.

Falling in love all over again, a different kinda of love. Deployments bring you closer together rather than farther apart, there's just something about it that's hard to explain.

A few months after we settled back into our daily routine of life together, we received orders for Ft. Jackson South Carolina.

Leaving Hawaii to move to the South was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, (besides send my husband away to fight in a war).  Not just because it is beautiful & breathtakingly amazing, but also because Hawaii is everything to us. Its how we met, we were spent the first years of our married life and we have made some of the most amazing life long friends there. Leaving the Land of Aloha was heart breaking and hard, I know in my heart we will be back again but for now we are living life in the South. One day at a time learning the area, meeting new people, adjusting to the COLD weather again. (talk about a killer wake up call, Hawaii seriously ruined me lol)

That's our love story in a nut shell, let's meet come over & take a peek in my little world of random thoughts.

...

Oh, I just love her!  I'll be meeting her and her hubby in the Fall, hopefully, and I am just too excited!  I love our e-mails and texts, she's a great friend (even though my husband thinks I'm crazy because I haven't "met" her).  Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed learning a little about her & I hope you've been enjoying some of my FAVORITE bloggers this past week while I've been away.  Mosie on over to Tiffany's blog and make a new friend.  =)  

{Guest Post} Meg from Mr. C & Me

Today's special guest is Megan.  We've determined that if we lived much closer together, we'd make great friends.  =)   She's a hoot, she's bossy, she's got oldest-child-syndrome, and probably as many opinions as I do!  Oh, and she's got quite the interesting accent.  Enjoy!

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 Hello My New Wife Life readers!  I'm Meg and I blog over at Mr.C & Me, a lifestyle blog that features the day-to-day life of my husband and I. We are newlywed high school sweethearts who have traded in Illinois cornfields for cold Minnesota winters and are always on the look out for the next fun adventure.

Before we begin - I'd like to thank Mrs.Robinson for letting me (attempt) to fill her shoes while she's off vacationing with that husband of hers. When she invited me over for a guest post I immediately RSVP'd even though I didn't know what I wanted to write about...but then it hit me!

 Mrs. Robinson has been doing a great job of eating healthy (props to her on that for sure!) & has even shared a few recipes with her readers in hopes of getting the rest of us on track to eating right...but some of us just aren't on board yet.

 Alright, alright, so that's a nice way of putting it. Let me rephrase.. while Mrs.Robinson's eating all awesome+stuff, some of us are still gettin' down with our bad selves! hehehe And while I'll be the first to admit I need to start eating better, this torrid love affair I have with good food (okay okay, so it's really food that's bad for you but tastes oh so good!) just isn't ready to let me go over to the
dark healthy side yet.

 So, on that note, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite recipes with you, in case you are feeling a bit naughty + indulgent today. After all, while Mrs.Robinson's away we bloggers will play. :)

 To start off - the ultimate BBQ pulled pork! It's insanely easy to make and absolutely delicious. It's an instant crowd pleaser, great for picnics, family get togethers, or quiet nights at home after a long day at work. Since it uses a crockpot/slow cooker you can set it in the morning & come home to a mouth watering meal.
 
  Recipe is as follows - Place a pork tenderloin in a slow cooker/crock pot, pour a 12-oz can (or bottle) of root beer over it and cook on low for 6 hours or high for about 4. You basically want it to be easy to shred. Then discard the juice, shred the pork into tiny pieces, smother it with 1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce and heat until sauce is warm. Serve on buns.

 Next up, are roasted brussels sprouts, something I believe even Mrs.Robinson might try! Again, I'm all about easy+ tasty.
 
  Recipe is as follows - Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place brussels sprouts (they can be fresh or frozen) in a ziplock bag with some olive oil, pepper, and salt (kosher salt/sea salt is best but not required). Seal tightly & shake it up! Then pour onto a baking sheet (or put in a baking pan of any sort really) and place on center oven rack. Roast in the over for 30-45 minutes. Brussels sprouts should be dark brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

 Of course now that we've had our meat & veg, it's time to add in a little fruit. I am an apple fiend, eating one almost every day, and some times I like to change things up by dunking my slices in peanut butter, nutella, or, on special occasions, this hard-to-pass-up decadent apple dip. With brown sugar and cream cheese, it's so sinfully scrumptious you won't be able to resist!
 
  Recipe is as follows - 1 package of cream cheese, 1 cup of brown sugar, and a dash of vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon until smooth. Serve with apple slices.

 Ha! Easy right? Well my next fruit-centered dish is even easier (if you can believe it!). To some people these are "dessert oranges" while in Greece it's known as Portokalia me Meli...and in my house, well, it's known as just plain yummy. So, grab some fresh orange slices, drizzle a little honey over it, add a sprinkle or two of cinnamon and you're done.

And, last but not least... in case you wanted a more traditional dessert, ie: instead of oranges, then look no further than these drool-worthy oreo truffles. Mr.C  & I have brought these to many a party. They are fun to make and people always seem to gobble them up. Plus they are good frozen which is perfect when you want a chilling treat.
 
  Recipe is as follows - Crush up 1 package of Oreo cookies. Add 1 package of softened cream cheese to the crushed up cookie pieces. Stir together well. Then melt 2 packages of semi-sweet baking chocolate either on the stove or in the microwave. Roll the crushed cookie/cream cheese mixture into balls and dip in the now melted chocolate. Place covered balls on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place baking sheet in the freezer or fridge for 1-2 hrs. Serve chilled.

  So there you have it! A few easy recipes from Mr.C & Me's cookbook. Sure they won't make you super model skinny or help you achieve a healthier lifestyle but hey, we figure if they put a smile on your face and a fork in your hand then we've done our job! After all, as Virginia Woolf once said,

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

It's been a pleasure visiting with you all & thanks again to Mrs.Robinson for having me!
 xo, Meg

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Isn't she great?!  Go on over to her blog, become her newest follower, and leave her some love!  Have a great day!  

{Guest Post} Tamera from T Times Three

Mornin'!  Hope everyone had a great weekend!  I'm getting ready to hit the open road with my daaaahling husband, so I won't ramble.  =)  Heeeeeeeeere's Tamara! 


...

Hey all of you MNWL readers!  My name is Tamara and I blog over at T Times Three.  I am a newlywed to my high school sweetheart and I blog all about our life together with our three fur-babies… come stop by and say Hi!

Through reading each other’s blogs and e-mailing back and forth, Mrs. Robinson and I have bonded over our love of running.  HA, let me re-phrase that … our love-hate relationship with running!   I didn’t always hate running.  It wasn’t until my freshman year of high – school that I came to hate it so much.  I was on the JV soccer team and as part of our “warm up” we had to run 2 miles in under twenty minutes.  And if you didn’t do it under twenty minutes, you had to do it again.  I don’t think I ever made it…  And we had to run an extra mile if we lost.  Running was used as punishment, and that forever scarred me!

Until now! 

For years I’ve longingly watched runners… I want their legs, abs and their determination!

Seriously, who doesn’t want that?!

Since January I have been working slowly but surely start running.  I don’t want to run a marathon, but I have a set a 5K as a goal for myself.  3.1 miles may not sound like much, but it is a big deal for me! 

I wanted to share three little words of wisdom for any of you who may be in a similar situation…

1.      Push yourself, but not too hard! 
Running and getting in shape is hard, it is going to hurt.  Push yourself out of your comfort zone.  But don’t push yourself too hard!  I’ve found that there are some days where I just don’t want to run… so I don’t.  I run when I feel like it and don’t feel guilty if I don’t… I will never use running as punishment again!

2.      Pump yourself up with music!
I absolutely HAVE to have music while I run… a TV just doesn’t cut it.  Maybe it is all my high-school marching band days, but I just can’t help but to run faster when the beat is faster! 
Let’s take a look at what I am listening to…

Talk about embarrassing.  Yes, that is Hanson, Miley Cyrus and Ying Yang Twins… I’ll admit it! 
What are your favorite workout songs?

3.      Set attainable goals and reward yourself!

I know I am never going to run a marathon, so my attainable goal is a 5K.  Mrs. Robinson and I will be meeting and running a 5K together in October! (More on that to come soon!)  I am also planning to run/walk a 5K in April.  Closer to time I will be rewarding myself with a new running outfit to wear for the race.  Clothes serve as excellent motivation for me, haha!  Don’t reward yourself with food!

So there you have it!
 Are you a runner?  What are your little tips to help a beginner?  I would love to hear them! 

Thank you, Mrs. Robinson for helping to motivate me… we will rock our 5K in October!  And thank you for having me guest post… I’ve had a blast!