Gretch Runs

I made it!  I blogged every day in November (this being my final post) and I survived.  It was tough at times, but really fun to challenge myself.  Here's a look back at all of the posts that I wrote, in case you missed any: ( 1 ) October Favorites ( 2 ) Let's Get Personal ( 3 ) What's New With You ( 4 ) Top Five Friday ( 5 ) Oprah's Favorite Things ( 6 ) Race Week ( 7 ) Let's Talk About Burnout ( 8 ) Dips ( 9 ) WIAW Election Day ( 10 ) Belize Part 4 ( 11 ) Top Five Friday ( 12 ) Currently ( 13 ) Week in Workouts ( 14 ) Weekend Highlights ( 15 ) Battle of the Stuffing ( 16 ) Getting Back to Running ( 17 ) Scrapbook Memories ( 18 ) Top Five Friday ( 19 ) Netflix Favorites ( 20 ) Week in Workouts ( 21 ) Veg Feast ( 22 ) Vegan Thanksgiving Menu ( 23 ) Lululemon Reviews ( 24 ) Happy Thanksgiving ( 25 ) Top Five Friday ( 26 ) Favorite Christmas Songs ( 27 ) Week in Workouts ( 28 ) Mental Health Helps ( 29 ) November Favorites ( 30 ) Wrap...

Happy Tasty Tuesday everyone!  Another month is coming to an end, and I thought it would be fun to look back on November and talk about some of my favorite new products that I tried out.  I've been doing a lot of experimenting in the kitchen, so I thought it would fun to share what I love each month!  Today I'm going to be talking about some foods, drinks, recipes and products. Food Tofutti Sour Cream This is kind of a weird food item to share, but I had to talk about it!  I was always a huge fan of sour cream and used it on so many different dishes.  I was really excited when I found a vegan sour cream alternative that tastes so close to the original that I'm not sure if they repackaged regular sour cream and just claim it's vegan.  It's that good!  To top it off, it's not much more expensive than the real stuff (which is not always the case with vegan alternatives!) Gardein Holiday Roast I was worried about my first Thanks...

Happy Monday everyone!  These are the final few days of NaBloPoMo (seriously, where did the month go?) and today I'm going to be taking one of the official prompts  and sharing my thoughts on it.  This was actually the very first prompt that was shared this year, and I've been waiting to share this post since then! The prompt is: When you're having a bad day with your mental health, what do you do to help yourself? Read a Book or Magazine I'm not someone who reads a ton, even though I really enjoy it.  I like to read on the bus to pass the time, but if I'm at home I feel like I'm wasting time or should be doing something else.  It feels indulgent to me, so whenever I'm feeling down or need a pick-me-up I'll settle in with a good book (usually something trashy and embarrassing) or work on my huge stack of magazines.  Right now I'm subscribed to Outside, Health, Runners World, Glamour and People Magazine (thank you airline miles) and can...

What a great week!  Sometimes I get distracted and don't stay very active during holiday weeks, but this was a great one.  The weather was perfect and I had some great workouts.  I even started timing my runs, and I think I'm ready to start following a more structured plan to get in shape for 2017 races.  I'm feeling motivated and excited to race again, which is a great feeling! Here's a look at the week: Monday 4 miles #NeverMissAMonday.  This was definitely the coldest morning we've had so far this season, and I almost stayed inside to run.  I toughed it out and ended up having a fantastic run outside!  It's so funny how quickly you warm up once you start running. Tuesday Rest Day! I got pulled into a lunch time meeting at the last minute, then went out to lunch for my boss's birthday, so I didn't make it to the gym for my normal lunchtime classes.  Decided to take a rest day instead. Wednesday 3 miles I got to...

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's finally an appropriate time to start thinking about all things CHRISTMAS!  Even though I listen to Christmas music year round when the mood strikes, I really go all out this time of year.  I listen to it in the car, at work, and turn it on as soon as I get home.  I just want to be surrounded by all the Holly Jolly songs I can find, 24/7! Here are a few of my favorite Christmas albums and songs (and if you want to here a playlist of all of these, plus a few extras, listen on Spotify !) Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas Listen HERE This is an album that I always listened to growing up.  I love how it's a mix of classic songs and new pop Christmas songs, all in Mariah's incomparable voice. Josh Groban - Noel Listen HERE If you're looking for more old-school songs- look no further than Josh Groban.  His voice is so amazing and gives me chills any time I hear it! Christina Aguilera - My Kind of Christmas Li...

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving yesterday and are ready for a good weekend.  I have a short list of favorites to share today, but I hope you enjoy! Play! By Sephora Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet : I loooove this moisturizer.  It reminds me of the gel moisturizer from Clinique , which used to be my favorite!  It has a great texture and works on my sensitive skin. GLAMGLOW YOUTHMUD Tinglexfoliate Treatment : This is one of my favorite face masks, so I was happy to get a mini size to use!  Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour : I was most excited to try this.  I love using cream eye shadow sticks, and I've heard this one is amazing.  I got it in the shade rose gold, and it's really creamy and a beautiful color that's perfect for work. SEPHORA COLLECTION Ultra Shine Lip Gel : I'm not much of a lip gloss girl, but this one feels like a gel once you apply it and isn't sticky at all!  It's pretty...

I'm thankful for: - My family , who is always there for me and has always supported me - Dan , the love of my life and my best friend - Selma , who is the best dog and can always make me feel better - My health , and the ability to run - My job , and amazing coworkers that make long days bearable - My friends , who make life more fun and inspire me daily - Each and every one of you , for your encouragement and support I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone!  Today I have lots of reviews to share from a recent trip to Lululemon.  I was in need of some winter running clothes and was excited to try on all their new items.  I found some amazing pieces, and was also disappointed by some others.  I'm going to share all of my thoughts, so I hope you enjoy! Speed Tight V *Brushed in Darkest Magenta $108 Size 6 Made for running, Medium Rise, Reflective Cuffs, Side and back pockets, Hugged sensation Wearing the leggings with the Rush Hour LS (not online) I've never owned a pair of Speed Tights before, but everyone raves about them.  I couldn't believe how comfortable these were!  These have plenty of compression to hold everything in, but aren't restrictive at all.  The length is great for me, and the fit is absolutely perfect!  I love how these look and there are always new colors coming out in this same cut. I picked these in the "brushed" version because they're supposed...

Happy Tasty Tuesday everyone!  Today I have a special post planned- a vegan Thanksgiving menu.  I've been getting questions lately about what I'm going to eat for Thanksgiving, and to be honest, the possibilities are endless! This weekend I went to a vegan feast that gave me a lot of inspiration for a savory, decadant dinner without any animal products.  Today, I'll be sharing my own menu of what I would make for a vegan Thanksgiving!  I have some appetizers, entree, drinks and dessert.  I hope I can give you some inspiration for your own dinner! Appetizers "Cheese" Plate Who says you can't make a cheese plate that's vegan?! It's time to get creative and make an interesting platter- with a mix of store-bought spreads, yummy crackers, pickles, olives, and crudites. Hummus Black Bean Salad Two of my favorite dips!  Pair with some carrots and tortillas Deviled "Eggs" Your guests will be shocked at how creative and tasty th...

Hi everyone!  I hope that you all had a great weekend.  I'm excited for this week because it's going to be short thanks to the holiday. I can make it through three days! Yesterday, Dan and I went to an event called Veg Feast with a few of our vegan friends.  This was a full feast of all vegan foods, made by some local restaurants.  There was also a band playing and some other entertainment, and ended up being a great night!  Here are some highlights: Rachel B Music was the band playing the entire night.  She was a great singer/pianist who did a mixture of covers and original songs.  She also played with a guitarist/drummer/background singer, and together they sounded great! There was so much amazing food!  My favorites were the Field Roast Phyllo Casserole from Onion Maiden and the Mac and "Cheese" from Chip and Kale .  There was also a big cookie table, because this was a Pittsburgh event ;) Everything was SO good though....

Another great week of workouts!  This week I tried out a new workout class and had my first snowy run.  I also decided on a goal race for next year (more on that in another post), so overall I'm feeling excited and ready to dive back into training! Monday 4 miles #NeverMissAMonday.  It's definitely starting to get cold outside, and this was a chilly morning run!  It felt great once I got started, so I'm glad I ran outside. Tuesday PiYo / 60:00 I usually do yoga on Tuesdays, but my instructor was out of town.  I decided to try PiYo instead (which is a combination of pilates and yoga).  I took a similar class at my old gym and loved it, and this one was great as well!  I might switch things up and go to this class on Tuesdays instead. Wednesday 3.5 miles Another chilly morning run.  It's so calm in the morning before all of the craziness of the day starts!  For some reason, it seemed to get really bright out w...

Oh, Netflix.  I have such a love/hate relationship with you.  On one hand, you give me unlimited hours of happiness and joy, learning about new subjects or getting inspired.  On the other, you make staying in bed all day seem perfectly normal, and can make hours mysteriously disappear.  And don't even get me started on your "Are you still watching?" pop-up.  RUDE. Today I'm sharing a few of my favorites from Netflix, from TV shows to movies and a few documentaries that I love.  Please share your favorites as well, because I'm always looking for something new to get into! TV Shows Chopped (2009-present) American reality-based cooking television game show series which pits four chefs against each other as they compete for a chance to win $10,000.  The chefs must attempt to incorporate unusual combinations of ingredients into dishes that are evaluated by a panel of three judges. Black Mirror (2011-present) British televisi...

Happy Friday!  Here are my favorite things from the past week: Food Processor Out with the old and in with the new!  I've had the same tiny food processor since I moved into my first apartment (I ordered it off of Hautelook for about $15!).  Even though it works fine, it's super small and I always had to blend up small batches of ingredients.  I finally decided to upgrade to a larger machine that also has a slicing and chopping insert, as well as an opening in the top to add in ingredients without shutting off the machine.  I picked up this food processor from Amazon and it's affordable and works so well! ATP World Finals I'm sad that the tennis season is ending (for a few weeks, but still), but I've been loving the Finals this week!  For the first time since I started to follow tennis, Novak Djokovic is not number one in the world.  This sets up an intense competition with everything on the line.  I can't wait to see what ha...