A Greener Birthday

March 8th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Vegetable Lovin' - (10 Comments)

My biggest gal turned 9 years old today. NINE! I guess that means I must have been 16 when she was born because I can’t possibly be a day over 25 myself.

(What?)

Ava’s birthday breakfast request was bagels, and so bagels it was.  After Deep Nutrition, bagels became more of a treat around here – this is why it was a birthday request. Bagels have been missed!

Some greens still managed to elbow their way into the birthday breakfast line up – a spinach and mushroom omelet with half a French Toast bagel (awesome!) and cream cheese.

Spinach and Mushroom Omelet  Read more...

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The Greener March Challenge

March 1st, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Vegetable Lovin' - (10 Comments)

It’s March 1. It’s time to start thinking spring.  It’s time starting thinking green.

In my post about choices leading to habits, I mentioned the role that green smoothies played in my journey to better, more enjoyable running.   Devann left a comment on that post about rounding up some friends to do a 30 day green smoothie challenge and she invited me to join them.

I like it.  Let’s do it.  Read more...

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Choices Lead to Habits

February 26th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (9 Comments)

Do you know the best thing about running on cold and dreary days?

Cold and Dreary

It makes running on the sunny days that much brighter.

(I know that sounds corny but it’s true!)

My weekend long run for Week 4 of half marathon training was seven miles. It was 30-something degrees and I wore all my usual winter running gear with the addition of a windbreaker over my fleece. By the time I was three miles in, I was starting to feel HOT and overdressed. Sometime around mile four I finally took off my neck warmer and mittens and shoved them in the pockets of my jacket before tying it around my waist for the remaining three miles home.  Read more...

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In the Long Run

February 18th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (3 Comments)

Let’s say you want to run a half marathon, but you take a look at a couple training programs and you’re worried that you don’t have time to commit to every single run prescribed in the plan or if you’re really going to be able to keep going through all these snow filled days.

Half Marathon Training  Read more...

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A Beet Broccoli Cottage Cheese Orange Juice and Strawberry Smoothie

February 15th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Morning Craziness - (1 Comments)

Yes, Really.

Crazy Smoothie Concoction

I’m not exactly sure where to begin with this one.

I guess I’ll just tell you that a reader named James has left a couple of comments on the Mama’s Weeds Facebook page about smoothies/health shakes he’s made. The first one was with sweet potato, banana, orange juice and cinnamon.

Sweet potato in a smoothie? I’d totally make that.

(But I haven’t yet.)

Then a couple days ago, he left another list of smoothie ingredients.

Beets. Broccoli. Cottage Cheese. Orange juice. Strawberries.

You’re kidding me, right?  Read more...

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Spring Training

February 4th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (3 Comments)

Flower City Challenge 2013

The Flower City Half Marathon here in Rochester is twelve weeks away.  I haven’t officially signed up for this race yet – but I unofficially signed up in my head yesterday, and that totally counts.  Read more...

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A Little Link Love: Productivity, A Healthier Gut and Kobe Bryant

January 31st, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Morning Craziness - (1 Comments)

I have a confession.

The kitchen is not always clean before we go to bed at night.

This has been especially true this week with a husband who was laid up with a man cold. I’m picking on him a little, but we really are a team when it comes to keeping this house clean.  His sick time was evident based on state of the house for a number of days here, I fell way behind on the house work.

Now that we are outnumbered in our parents:kids ratio, our former man-to-man combat plan has become more of a “zone defense” over these past 7 months.  Read more...

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Life of Pi

January 24th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Good Reads - (6 Comments)

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

I just finished Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I didn’t know much about this book before I read it, and for that reason I don’t want to share too many details here.  It was nice picking this up and knowing very little about it, simply believing it was going to be good.  I liked having nearly every part of the story being left to surprise, so I want to leave much of it a surprise for you too.

I will tell you what little I knew going into it though, in case what intrigued me might intrigue you.  Read more...

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Practice Staying Present

January 13th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Life - (1 Comments)

Two summers ago I was out for a morning run and passed a man running with a young boy who was probably 9 or 10 years old.  I guessed they were father and son, and that was probably a good guess because the boy looked like a miniature version of the man.  I was impressed to see a kid running a nice pace along side an adult, smiling and easily holding a conversation.  I felt a little twinge of something at that moment – a twinge of hope that my kids might take an interest in running with me one day too.  Read more...

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How to Dress for (Cold) Winter Running

January 12th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (4 Comments)

First, I must tell you that I did not go to school for graphic design.

How to Dress for Winter Running

Or fashion design.

Next I will tell you that this post comes just in time for it to be 60 degrees here this weekend and there’s a good chance I’ll be running in shorts and a t-shirt that says “Climate Change Scares the Pants off of Me.”  Read more...

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