(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: The Ukelele Edition

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Coco

When my friend Maiyah comes to visit, she often brings things to play with.

Kristin wanted to learn how to play “Redemption Song.”

“Won’t you help to sing ….”

 

***Don’t Forget To Enter My ZippEarz Giveaway***

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Terrible Tuesday: Two Things We Don’t Need

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Coco

A true breakthrough in convenience foods! Why did it take so long for someone to figure out how to package a potato into a single serving size?  Brilliant!

 

 That’s right. Champion thinks we need to have “smooth tummy, hips, and thighs” and “smooth curves” when we are working out. And you thought Spanx® was just for special occasions! I permanently un-liked them on Facebook after I saw this ad in my July issue of Self Magazine.

What’s the worst new product you’ve seen lately?

Posted in Fitness, Food, Product Reviews, Venting | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Happy Father’s Day!

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Coco

Today I will be spending the day with this wonderful Dad, at our son’s lacrosse tournament.

Afterwards, we will all go out to dinner, although probably not at this fancy place.
(You can’t make a Dad wear a tie on Father’s Day!)

I’m sure I’ll spend lots of time thinking of my Dad, and wishing I had one more chance for a hug and an “I love you.”

I miss you, Dad. Happy Father’s Day.

Posted in Life | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

How To Become A Morning Person

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Coco

Sometime between my college days and today, I became a morning person. I used to be like my daughter, hanging around the house until it was time to go out with friends at 10 or 11 p.m. I used to sleep until noon on the weekends and not think I was being particularly lazy. But that’s not my life anymore. So, how did I become a morning person?

The birth of my daughter brought the first major change in my sleep schedule. No matter how late we stayed up, she always was up early the next morning. A 6:00 am wake-up call from the baby-monitor was a blessing. If it got to be 7:00 am, I’d bolt out of bed in a panic, and rush into her room to make sure she was still breathing. Back then, though, I never chose to be a morning person.

I started getting up earlier than my kids and/or work schedule required about 10 years ago, when I made exercise a part of my daily routine. I preferred to keep my evenings free for family time, and knew that my workout was much more likely to happen if I did it first thing, before anything else could interfere. At first I set my alarm reluctantly, but eventually I started to look forward to my early morning “me” time.

Still, there are times when I would like to laze in bed, especially when my husband is in a snuggly mood. There is something decadent about relaxing in bed and getting up at a leisurely pace.Daydreaming about my ideal morning made me realize that I would enjoy a “Groundhog Day” of just mornings.

  • On one morning, I could get up early and go out for a glorious sunrise run.
  • On another morning, I could stay in bed until the sun made it too bright to doze any longer.
  • On another morning, I could go for a walk with my husband, come back for coffee, and then go out for brunch with friends.
  • On another morning, I could sit on my patio in my PJs, sipping coffee and listening to the songbirds.

I think I am longing for these mornings because my morning routine is about to be interrupted. Between my son’s weekend lacrosse tournaments and a few business trips, I am not going to have much say in how I spend my mornings for a while, and I’m missing “my” time already.

Are you a morning person?

What is your favorite way to spend a morning?

Posted in Fitness, Life | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

ZippEarz Headphones (Product Review & Giveaway)

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Coco

When I lost my iPod nano after the GW Parkway Classic, I also lost my favorite set of headphones. Luckily, ZippEarz was promoting its ear buds on Twitter, and offered to send me a set.

I checked out their website, and their product looked pretty cool. They highlight these features:

High end  10mm speakers
Ergonomic design for ear comfort
Zippearz “zip up” wire for less tangling
Patent Pending adjustable ear loop for high activity listening

I was excited to get my set to try out.

It came with a storage pouch, instructions for using the detachable ear loops, and different sized  “ear cones” to customize the fit.

I didn’t want to wait for a run to try them out, so I selected one of the smaller sized ear cones and plugged it into my (old) iPod Nano. I immediately noticed a difference in sound quality. The sound was much richer than usual–very nice.

When I took them on a test run, it was a humid morning, so I put their stay-put-ability to the test. Other earbuds often fall out, but these stayed put. And, even though they fit snugly, I was still able to hear ambient sounds–very important when running outside!

A few days later I tried them on a treadmill run. I tried to use the ear loops, but didn’t really like them.  I wear glasses, and it was just too much going on around my ears! Since the ear buds stay in place on their own, I don’t need them anyway.

I’ve been using the ZippEarz ear buds ever since I got them, and really have no complaints. The sound quality remains high through my sweaty runs, and they don’t fall out! They were the only piece of gear that I didn’t have to fumble with during the Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon.

I haven’t seen them in stores, but you can order from their website ($24.95), or you might get lucky and win this ***GIVEAWAY***

This giveaway has ended!

That’s right, the generous people at ZippEarz have offered to give one set of ZippEars to one lucky person resident in the continental United States (with a non-P.O. box address) whom I shall select at random from the entries* received by midnight eastern time on Friday, July 1, 2011. This giveaway is void where prohibited and if not redeemed by Friday, July 8, 2011.

Entry is simple:

  • Leave a comment on this post telling me a song that always puts you in a good mood.
  • Follow ZippEarz on Facebook and leave a comment here that you did. 
  • Follow @ZippEarZ on Twiter and Tweet about this giveaway:
    Check out the @ZippEarz giveaway by @Got2Run4Me at http://wp.me/p131gw-tY 
    and leave a comment here that you did.

*one comment = one entry, maximum three entries per person.

Now, I just need a new iPod Nano . . . .

**FTC Notice: ZippEarz sent me the product that I reviewed with no obligation to tweet, blog or make a YouTube video about the product. The review provided here is my honest opinion of the product. Since I liked the product so much, I reached out to ZippEarz about a giveaway.

Posted in Fitness, Product Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 49 Comments