Build-A-Bear Workshop A Great Experience! #BuildABearFriend Review

Last week was my 3 year old's first week of Preschool and I wanted to reward him with a special treat for doing such a great job. I had received a free $40 gift card from Smiley360 to try out Build-A-Bear and knew this we would be the perfect opportunity to try them out without having my 5 year old son wonder what was up. :)

It's so nice to have just my 3 year old with me a couple mornings a week so with Friday being one of those days, it was just me and the little guy. On the car ride to the mall, I told him that we would be going to Build-A-Bear and that he would be able to choose any bear. He was so excited! 

I had never taken my boys to a Build-A-Bear Workshop but have heard good things. The store is great! Definitely a bright and happy place! My 3 year old immediately saw the bear he wanted in the window. He saw his favorite superhero Spiderman! He definitely knew what he wanted right away so it was easy from the get go. 

Half Marathon Training Week 9: 9/8-9/14

Here's a recap of last weeks workouts:

Monday 9/8 - Rest
Tuesday 9/9 - 5 mile run on the D&R Canal Trail.

Influenster Vitality VoxBox #VitaVoxBox

Last month I received the Influenster Vitality VoxBox! It was my first free box from Influenster and it is pretty cool! I get to try out these products free, in exchange for sharing on social media and blogging about them to you. Pretty neat deal! If you want in on the fun, you can check out their website here. 

Here is the box I got.

TBT Hiking Post from Hubby - Snoqualmie Mountain

It's Thursday!! That means another Throwback Thursday post from Hubby. Today's post is our hike to Snoqualmie Mountain. I remember on this one we got lost at the beginning and wasted a lot of time trying to find the correct route, and ended up having to turn around. We lost time, but ended up finding the right way and pressed on. It turned out great and were rewarded with cool views.

Snoqualmie Mountain, June 25, 2007

Foreshadowing our (mis)adventure to follow, a last minute change of plans sent us to Snoqualmie Mountain after a check of weather made us leary of the originally planned trip up north.  I thought this would be an easy trip without much planning because we could just follow the trail/boot path.  I programmed the way points from 75 scrambles into my GPS, grabbed a map, and off we went.  We found the trail easy enough to start but before long, we were following a creek that seemed decidedly untrail-like.  We obviously couldn't keep following when we hit this waterfall.

My First Outdoor Yoga Experience & Happiness Day

On Saturday, I experienced my first outdoor yoga session. A friend of mine, let me know that they were offering free yoga sessions in Palmer Square in Princeton for Happiness Day. I told her I was definitely interested, especially since after starting PiYo, I have been becoming more interested in yoga moves. Not sure if it's from all the pics I see on Instagram or on Facebook, but my interest for PiYo and Yoga has definitely gone up. 

I for one, have never really been a yoga fan. I remember trying it probably 7 years ago and not liking it. I didn't think it was a great workout. I was more into cardio and running. If I didn't break a good sweat, I didn't think it was worth it. But after trying PiYo recently, my views have definitely changed. 

Half Marathon Training Week 8: 9/1-9/7

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 9/1 - 4.5 miles on the D&R Canal trail.

Tennis and A Day at the US Open with Kids

Tennis...I grew up watching and playing tennis. I remember being in awe of players like Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi. My second date with Hubby was even a tennis date. 

It is a sport that I have enjoyed for a long time, but lately masked by my love for running and hiking. It is something that I wish we could play more of, but haven't really had the time to especially after having the kiddos. However, since last summer, my eldest son has taken an interest and we had him take lessons and so far he has really enjoyed them. 

Castle Point Trail Family Hike

Last Saturday we headed out to the Ramapo Mountain State Forest in Northern Jersey to check out the Castle Point Trail. I saw it on this list of top 10 family-friendly hikes in New Jersey and New York. It is described as a 3.2 mile loop that includes a walk along Ramapo Lake, a climb to an abandoned mansion, and a view of the Wanaque Reservoir and surrounding mountains. 

We got to the trailhead before noon and headed out. We followed the trail according to the description on this website. I suggest putting it in your phone or printing the trail description out as there are lots of turns and different colored markers to follow.

In the beginning we were in the trees for quite a bit.

TBT Hiking Post from Hubby - Dorothy Lake

It's Thursday!! That means another Throwback Thursday post from Hubby. Today's post is a hike to Dorothy Lake. I remember it being a rainy day, but that didn't stop us. We still had fun! :)


Dorothy Lake 6/10/07

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Sunday's forecast looked gloomy just about everywhere.  Sharon and I considered heading to Teanaway, but since we were planning to go there Monday, we just accepted our fate for a wet hike and tried to choose something suitable for the weather.  Dorothy Lake it was.  It was raining as we drove up the Miller River Rd, and rained on us on and off all day.  No problem taking my Corolla on the road, although there are a few spots near the trailhead with largish rocks where I had to take it pretty slow.  The trail follows the Miller River to Dorothy Lake. 

Half Marathon Training Week 7: 8/25-8/31

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 8/25 -Rest
Tuesday 8/26 -I was planning to do 4.5 miles at they gym in the morning, but when I got to the gym it was closed due to a small fire. As a backup plan, I tried out PiYo for the first time at home. I did PiYo's Define Lower Body workout. It wasn't bad. I wasn't sure if I was doing the moves right, but it's a good start. I did get my 4.5 miles later in the afternoon and I felt pretty strong running.