Tag Archives: kids crafting

Surviving + My Spectacular Water Bottle

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I’ve been on the treadmill the last 3 days. Not because of the cold – Jeff is out of town and that’s my only option. I know I could hire a babysitter, but I haven’t hit that level of parenting maturity. I’m proud of myself for hiring a babysitter so Jeff and I could both race at the end of 2012. That was a big step for me. I haven’t gotten to the point where I’m ok to do it for a training run. The time will come, just hasn’t happened yet. So, I’ve been surviving on the ‘mill. Here’s how it went.

  • Day 1: PBS kids on TV. Craft table set up. Sketchpads and markers on the floor. Currie happily played for just over 30 minutes. I got in 4.1 miles easy. Currie could’ve survived with her activities longer, but I was looking for a way out on my first treadmill day. 4.1 was enough.
paint project for toddler

Thank you Michaels for cheap little ceramic items that can keep Currie occupied for 30 minutes, sometimes longer. Also, thanks to my in-laws for lots of washable paint!

  • Day 2: PBS kids on TV. I made a Twitter vow (@jenbigham) to run at least 5 miles. I set up one notebook and Currie sketched for awhile, then decided to play with her Wheelies Rampway and Garage which I thought she totally lost interest in until recently. Whatever works! I made it 6.27 miles, starting at 7mph and ended at 9mph. I counted it as a speed day.

treadmill workout

toddler draws people

Currie drew a picture of “a family” while I ran.

  • Day 3: PBS Kids on tv. And… when I was done running on Day 2, Salty tweeted me to listen to music. Well, there’s an obvious answer I didn’t think about!
So I added some music today and the run was more enjoyable. I kept a steady pace the whole time and made it 10k, pretty easy breezy. I was fueled by my “Boom Boom Pow” Pandora mix. Got some motivation from:

and…

and…

I made it through 3 days on the treadmill! Yes! Jeff gets home tonight (hopefully) and tomorrow should be back to outside running.

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In Spectacular Water Bottle News check out my newest prized possession!

aquavation water bottle

Yes, that’s a 22oz. water bottle adorned with a picture of Currie! It’s made by a local company called Aquavation. I love the high quality picture (better than it looks in this iPhone photo!), slim bottle that’s easy to grip, and the leak-proof lid (since my water bottles always end up sideways at some point during the day). Some more cool features of the bottle:

  • 20% of the purchase price goes to a charity you choose during the creation process. (very cool)
  • Creating the bottle is quick and very easy – just 3 steps.
  • BPA free. Dye free.
  • Detachable wrist strap.
  • Can customize picture and add text
  • Production and shipping were incredibly fast. Not sure if this is always the case, or maybe since I’m a local customer, but I made this on a Tuesday around 10pm and it came in the mail on Thursday morning. Thumbs up!
aquavation bottle

The text on my bottle includes cues from my Believe I Am Journal

My only gripe with the bottle is it’s hand-wash only. I’m lazy and don’t like hand washing dishes or laundry! Other than that, I love this bottle and have been using it daily. I heard of these bottles through a friend who is doing PR for the company. I received a complimentary bottle, and will be purchasing a few more. The bottles are $20 plus $3 shipping. I just saw on their Facebook page that you can get FREE SHIPPING using the code WinHearts now through Valentine’s day! You can buy a spectacular Aquavation bottle here.

How has your running been going this week? What’s the most boring treadmill entertainment you’ve ever used? Tell me about your favorite water bottle! I don’t run with a water bottle in my hand but I carry one around all day!