Race Recap- Race on the Base

Last weekend I flew down to Southern California for the Los Alamitos Race on the Base. I was running on a Relay Tri team. Chicks That (my company) also had a booth at the expo. Going into the weekend I …

Barefeet, Boots, and Running Shoes

For months I have been trying to decide on a name for my blog. I have gone through so many different names trying to pick the right one. I wanted something simple that would sum up my life/my writing. I wanted something unique and somewhat catchy. I have google searched “blog names” and “coming up with a blog name” and so many other things. I have texted my mom (thanks mom) a million different names to see what she thought. All to still have a hard time deciding.

I realized recently that I am never going to come up with the “PERFECT” name. I realized that whatever I name it will become the perfect name. It’s not about what you name it but what you make of that name. So I have finally settled on a name. I introduce you to (drumroll)….

Barefeet, Boots, and Running Shoes

I was playing around with the idea of this name and decided I like and it’s kind of stuck. It sums up my traveling, my running/activities, and my loves. Let’s be honest don’t all women have shoes that reprent them? High heels, wedges, vans, toms, sandals, rainbows, boots? These three things are what I live in.

Barefeet: I love to be barefoot you can read about some of my barefoot adventures on my New Zealand Blog here. I went the entire month of May last year barefoot. Sadly, because I live in the US I can’t walk around barefoot everywhere so I wear sandals but I would rather be barefoot! (sandals just didn’t have the same ring to it as barefeet)

Boots: I also love boots. Every fall I look for a great pair of boots that I can wear while it’s too cold to go barefoot. Plus they look really cute! Also when I am hiking, hiking boots are essential.

Running Shoes: In case you don’t already know I also love to run and do all sorts of active things. For this reason I am in running shoes all the time.

When I travel I always bring my sandals, a great pair of boots, and my running shoes. These three are my go to items that I couldn’t live without! They sum up my blog through my traveling, my running and activities, my love for the outdoors, my love for life, and my love for the Lord.

So there you have it! Over the next week I will be revamping my blog a bit and hopefully getting a banner picture done. I have also created a facebook page you can find HERE. (like my Page) There I will be posting more about my running and activities, as well as other random things that go with this blog!

What shoes sum up your life? Are you a high heels type person? Maybe an army boots person? Or a simple barefoot person like myself?

(Photo from pinterest)

Why Valentine’s Day is Strange

Happy Valentine’s Day to you! Valentine’s Day is such a weird day. People get all excited to celebrate love. They go out to overly expensive dinners (if they can get a reservation). They buy each other random things in red and pink. We get weird cards that say things like…

So what is all the hype out? It’s basically just another day to buy stuff for the other person that will 1 die, 2 get eaten, and 3 get thrown away. I used to work at a flower shop and Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day were crazy! We were so busy we barely had time to breathe. It was crazy how much money people would spend on arrangements there were just going to die in a week. I even delivered $60 arrangements to a cemetery (crazy).

Now I am not saying this because I am single and therefore bitter. In fact I am not bitter at all. I love being single. I don’t have to think of anyone else and can just be me all the time (more on singleness in another post).

Shouldn’t we just celebrate the people we love and show love every day. Why not buy flowers and chocolate (when they are not crazy expensive) and give them to someone on a random day? Why not tell people that we love them today, tomorrow, and every day? How do we know that we are going to live to see Valentine’s Day? How do we know that they will?

Love is not just a word that we say. Love is not giving someone a box of chocolates. Love is unconditionally giving of ourselves and sacrificing ourselves for another. I love the way CS Lewis puts it, “Love is unselfishly choosing for another’s highest good.” Christ showed love by sacrificing himself for us even when we are turning away from Him. Knowing that we would reject Him and spit in His face, He still chose to lay down His life for us. That is real LOVE. How can we show real love every day?

My sister and I were talking yesterday about Valentine’s Day and what we have done in the past and we both realized that we have never had a truly romantic, memorable valentine’s day. It has always been a disappointment. My favorites are the ones where I get to spend time with friends and family. It’s just another excuse to be together.

So instead of taking one day out of the year to show love and say “I love you,” I choose to say it every day and show it every day!

Who’s with me? What was your best or worst valentine’s day?

Name it and Claim it!

I want to share with you a post that I wrote for The Chicks That blog! Our perception of ourselves has been really on my mind lately and I wanted to share with you the post so here you go!! I hope you enjoy and learn to love yourself too!

I have realized over the years that we as women are too hard on ourselves! We are constantly thinking we are not good enough! Maybe like me, you have looked in the mirror lately and thought, “ugh, this looks terrible.”

I constantly catch myself thinking that everything looks terrible on me, I am ugly, and fat. I think I can’t do anything, I’m not strong enough and I am not good enough for whatever. I think about running a longer distance and I think it’s not possible. Any time I think about a goal to set, I first think can I actually do this?? A goal should be attainable but it should also be a goal! Something that you have to put effort into and actually work towards! The dictionary definition of a goal is “the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim.” A goal takes effort! It is tiresome and takes work (a lot of work).

We need to start thinking more positively about ourselves. We need to set goals that take work because we can accomplish them. I am not saying we should become cocky or arrogant but we need to see that we are worth it and we are strong!

I watched this dove ad recently that was amazing and the whole point was that we see ourselves so much harsher than other’s see us! (watch the ad below)

How do you see yourself? Is that true? I love in the movie “The Help” when the nanny tells the little girl every day “you is kind, you is smart and you is important.” That should be our mantra! We need to remind ourselves that we are women (and men) that can do anything!

When we think of ourselves better we will be able to live it!!

Have you heard of Darling Magazine? It’s all about women and being beautiful as you! Here is a recent video they shot on perception and confidence!

I encourage you today to declare who you are! Or maybe who you want to be. You may not actually believe it yet but you will if you keep reminding yourself! Look at yourself in the mirror and declare who you really are!

You are strong! You are beautiful! You are tough! You are important! You are smart! You are a warrior! You are Loveable! You are fit! You are Amazing! You are worth it! You are _____!

Leave us a comment here or on the Chicks That Facebook with your declaration today and start living it!

I am Jessy and I am a Chick That is Strong!

Running in Snow

If this Southern California Girl can run in the snow and crazy cold temperatures anyone can. If you have read some of my previous blogs you already know that I am training for Ragnar SoCal! So that means a lot …