MCM Mama Runs

MCM Mama Runs for Beer and Bling

Five fun things to do with kids in Wisconsin

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Wisconsin is truly my home away from home. My parents moved back to their hometown in Wisconsin when Jones was a baby. Since then, I've been coming home 2-3 times a year with the kids. Each time we come up, there are always a few things we repeat, but I try to find a couple of new stuff to try. Go to the zoo - There are quite a few zoos in Wisconsin, plus it's possible to make a weekend trip to Chicago or Minneapolis. Jones' favorite is the Milwaukee Zoo, but the Henry Villas Zoo in Madison is free and it's just enough to entertain for a morning or afternoon. (Perfect if one of your kids is not as big a fan as the other. Fly at the EEA Aventure in Oshkosh - My parents took the boys here while Beer Geek and I were having fun at … [Read more...]

Five outdoor things to do in Washington DC

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It has been unseasonably warm the past few weeks in the Washington DC area which means time for outdoor fun. I'd like to say that is unusual, but Washington DC likes to throw a few beautiful days at us each winter. I think this year is unusual because it's been more than a few days. It actually feels like we've had more warm days than cold days so far in December. When these days happen, it's important to get out and USE them. Many of the activities that are crammed full of people in the summer and on spring break are EMPTY in the winter. In fact, a beautiful winter day is the best time to visit the city as far as I'm concerned. Here are my top five favorite outdoor activities in Washington DC on a beautiful winter day... Visit … [Read more...]

White House Holiday Tour + rest of my weekend

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This is one of those weeks where I totally need a weekend to recover from my weekend. And I have a crazy busy week ahead of me, so going into it exhausted pretty much guarantees it's going to be a rough week. Did I mention that last week I was chosen to be an Altra Ambassador again? You know I love the shoes, so I'm excited to be working with them again this year. (Yes, those are all my shoes... but not all OF my Altra shoes. #obsession) We started our weekend with a holiday party with Beer Geek's office. It was walking distance from our house, so I elected to wear cute boots for the walk. Yes, I'm stupid and I don't learn from my mistakes. Also, I'm pretty sure that LLBean didn't worry about how much beer could fit in their kids' … [Read more...]

Connect with family over the holidays with Cricket Wireless

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Cricket Wireless sponsored this post, but all opinions are my own. It's hard to believe that we are approaching the end of the year!  Soon Thanksgiving will be here, quickly followed by Christmas. I love the holidays, but I struggle every year with the fact that most of our family does not live near us. As you know, we live on the East Coast but we have family on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, in Wisconsin, and on the West Coast.  Yes, we are about as scattered as we can be. Growing up as a military brat, we used to send letters in the mail to family members when we couldn't get home for Christmas. Times have changed! Now my kids video chat or send emails or texts to their grandparents in different states. Occasionally, my kids will … [Read more...]

Weekend Wrap Up

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I'm pretty sure I need a weekend to recover from my weekend. I feel like I ran a marathon and I ran exactly 2.5 miles. Friday, Shoo and I got up super early and headed to his school. The buses were leaving for Jamestown at 6:45 am! It's about 2.5-3 hours each way, depending on traffic.  Thankfully, the ride there went smoothly and the kids were all well behaved. We spent the next 5 hours touring Jamestown, which I either have never been to or was there as a child. After a long day at Jamestown and a surprisingly smooth bus ride home, I was ready for dinner out and a beer.  Mostly the beer. Saturday morning we all got up early and headed to Richmond for a soccer tournament. We were lucky that Shoo didn't have to be there … [Read more...]

Top Ten Reasons Moms Make Good Ragnar Teammates

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I had to miss out on Ragnar DC this year due to an overloaded schedule, but "my" team rocked the heck out of Ragnar DC and came in second in the all women category. Obviously, moms make the best Ragnar teammates! Sleep deprivation doesn't scare them - Ragnar has nothing on a cranky newborn. They've learned how to sleep anywhere and in any position. Moms can go from dead asleep to running in minutes. Showering is a luxury and they are used to putting clean clothes on a body that's not. Moms carry baby wipes with them wherever they go. Moms can park a minivan in a spot that's only two inches bigger than the car. Snacks. Moms never leave home without them. Moms are used to having no personal space and no privacy for … [Read more...]

My least favorite part of fall: fall allergies

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Disclosure: I received promotional consideration for this post. All opinions expressed are solely my own. I love fall. The weather is cooling off and running is becoming easier. Virginia puts up a gorgeous display of leaves. Soup returns to our menu and dark beers re-appear on the grocery shelves. Every weekend there are options for fall festivals and activities around DC. As a topper, both of my boys have fall birthdays. It really is my favorite time of year. Except for the allergies. I always forget each year that the cat and I suffer from fall allergies. (Yes, the cat.) Every year I think I'm coming down with a cold and then I realize that colds don't usually make my ears itch, so allergies it is. A few doses of my favorite … [Read more...]

10 ways marathon training is like having a newborn

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Trained for a marathon? Had a baby? Then you know how similar the two experiences are! *This post was sponsored by Vocalpoint and Dick's Sporting Goods. All opinions are my own.* Google will be your best friend. And your worst enemy. The laundry will be never-ending and often gross. Everyone will have an opinion on whether you are doing it right. Especially those who have never done it. You will able to fall asleep anytime, anywhere. Including in the middle of a sentence. (OK, maybe I'm stretching here, maybe I'm sleeping...) You will be hungry all.the. time. You will second guess your decisions several times each day. Your choice of bras may be the most important decision you make all day. You will occasionally … [Read more...]

Gazing into the future: 2020

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The time: Year 2020. The place: probably still DC. The reason: Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia asked. Five years from now is kind of a big year for us. Here's why: 1. I'll be turning 50. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this one. I don't feel like I'm 5 years away from 50. Didn't I just turn 21 a few weeks ago? How on earth has time passed that fast? 2. I'll have finished racing in all 50 states. I've already done 33 states if I count all distances of races and 18 states if I count only half marathons or longer.  I'll be adding 3 totally new states and replacing two shorter races when I run the 6 half marathons in 6 days at the beginning of September. (Bonus: I will hit my 40th half marathon AND my 45th half marathon … [Read more...]

Going back to school with CVS Minute Clinic

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Disclosure: I have received promotional consideration from MinuteClinic and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. All opinions are my own. Have you noticed how late Labor Day is this year? It's the latest possible date it can be in September. Know what that means around here? It means my kids get an extra week of summer. An extra week of sleeping in, an extra week of laid back schedules, an extra week of bickering with each other, an extra week of driving me crazy (oops, did I say that out loud?) Despite the late start to school, Shoo starts soccer practice as soon as we get back to Virginia (yes, I'm hiding out in Wisconsin where the weather is cooler.) And guess what I forgot to have done before we left? Shoo's sports physical. … [Read more...]