Sigh. So I had a nice little post planned for last night that I planned on working on after getting home from a lovely birthday dinner for one of my friends.

Unfortunately instead I spent the night in bed with my eye swollen a la Will Smith in Hitch. I’m bringing sexy back.

This eye thing (along with shortness of breath and feeling like I might hurl) have happened once before a few months ago. And I was reminded that both times I was around shrimp. So with the power of Facebook, Dr. Google and of course Hitch, I have determined I am allergic to shellfish.

Thankfully this isn’t much of a bummer since I don’t, in fact, eat shellfish. Shrimp totally gross me out. They are the cockroaches of the sea. But since both times I had the reaction I didn’t actually eat any, I am thinking I need to be careful even being around it. And I REALLY should avoid picking them up and rubbing them on my eye.

So no shrimp for me. Thankfully I have no reaction to chocolate, ice cream wine or Novella. Actually I have been noticing some major swelling around the waistline. Not sure it that is related…….

Remember the story of the girl who came in last in the “running club”? Well that was before this:

please click over to watch the video if you can’t see it. It is so cool!!

I gotta admit, before Nike I never really paid much attention to my kid’s shoes. Like my own personal shoe collection, they were far more about fashion than function. And my girls really don’t want to wear tennis shoes under any condition so when it came to gym shoes I just went to Payless and bought whatever was cheapest.

I learned so much about feet at Nike. A learned about a ton of research that they use to develop the shoes that bear their logo. I found it interesting because I am a research nerd and it brought back all of my physical therapy days. So I could write paragraph after paragraph about how awesome their shoes are. You however might tune out around paragraph two.

BUT. But the truth is I loved my new Nike free shoes they minute I put them on, way before I knew one lick of research. They were a tennis shoe that felt like a slipper. Truly. And my tennis shoe hating girl? Well I can hardly get them to take them off (it certainly doesn’t hurt that they are hot pink).

mine are a rocking bright green

The week after Lily and I went to Portland, she laced up her new shoes and headed out for track again. I kind of drifted off as I watched them run the 2 mile because I knew Lily would be at the back of the pack, but suddenly I noticed she was smack dab in the middle of the runners, not walking way in the back. Better yet she had a huge smile on her face.

And of course so did I. I trotted over to her and said, “Look at you!!! You are running so well!! What happened?” She looked at me like the answer was the most obvious one around. “Mom, it is the shoes.”

Is it possible the shoes made a track star out of my Lily? Well who knows? But I do know the cheap shoes probably weren’t helping. And I do know that she suddenly loves to run and told me her Nike’s were the comfiest shoes she has ever had. And since I pretty much feel the same, I tend to believe she is telling the truth and it isn’t just the fact Nike lavished her with attention, fun and sugar. Although let’s be honest, that can’t hurt.

Kids Nike FREE Run: If your feet flex, shouldn’t your shoes flex too? Must-have flexibility for young feet.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Nike via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Nike.

In about a month I will turn 37. I had to do the math in my head before I typed it because apparently when you get my age you lose track of how old you are unless it is a big one.

I have never been one to freak out about my age. Turning 30 didn’t phase me in the least. I have no fear about 40 nearing (mainly because 40 is the new 30). I haven’t paid much attention to a birthday since I turned 21.

I came into my own in my 30s. I am confident as a mom, confident as a wife, confident in my self. Do I still question my parenting decisions? Well if you read my blog you know I do. But I don’t dwell on it like I used to. It doesn’t paralyze me.

I am fine with the fact that I am not a crafty mom. Cause I can play a mean air guitar in our family band. I am not the mom who serves her kids warm cookies when they come home from school. But I do rock at hiding kale in their smoothies without them noticing. And I’m not the cool mom who lets her kids stay up late watching whatever they want on TV. But I hope I’m the mom who will listen when my kids need to talk.

In a week I will celebrate 11 years of marriage. We are in our groove there too. Marriage takes work, for sure. But we have learned that staying on top of our marriage, checking in with each other frequently, and making sure we stay connected in the craziness of kids, work and our schedule is the key. I am comfortable in my role as Ryan’s wife and thankfully have a husband who lets me know I am appreciated.

When I look in the mirror I am getting better at making peace with what stares back at me. This belly birthed three of the most gorgeous babies on the planet. These wrinkles around my eyes are from a life spent smiling. And the gray hairs. Well screw the gray hairs, that is what a good stylist is for.

So as I stare down 40 which is just around the corner I say bring it on. I wouldn’t go back for anything. And anyway, I make “old” look good. (I hear humility comes in your 40s……..)