First Coffee of New Year

Happy Friday!

Oh my goodness while it was a short work week coming off the holiday break it has felt oh so long – why is that always the case? I’m more than ready for the weekend! I’m kicking off the first Fit Five Friday of 2024 by linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. So let’s chat.

First Coffee of the New Year

Over coffee, I would tell you that I took the final 10 days of the year off from work and thoroughly enjoyed the downtime. Despite having to pack up the kitchen and other spaces before the demo, the days were lazy and relaxed. Just what I needed!

And speaking of demo, over coffee I would tell you that renovation life continues, and dare I say things are going relatively smoothly. Our kitchen officially bit the dust yesterday, but I am excited to see the new spaces taking shape.

removing kitchen walls

Over coffee, I would tell you that one of the upsides of packing for this renovation has been the purging. Given that I have gone declutter binges before, I’m a little shocked at how much we’ve still been able to throw out or donate. It’s been very freeing.

Over coffee, I would tell you that the new Fit Five Friday calendar is up and ready to go! As always, you can write about whatever fitness topic strikes your fancy. We had a lot of fun with the suggested topics for 2023 so decided we would give it another go – of course, we’re still planning to continue to link up for both coffee and Marcia‘s Runfessions – I hope you will join us!

What would you tell me over coffee?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Five Things Over December Coffee

Can you believe it’s December 1st?!

The final month of 2023 is laid out before us and it’s a great time to catch up over coffee with friends before the holiday madness sets in! So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab your favorite beverage and let’s chat a little.

Five Things Over December Coffee

Over coffee, I would tell you that November was a very hectic month! Work life has been crazy stressful and by the time I reached Thanksgiving, I was feeling fried. Now that it’s December I’m looking forward to cashing in on some PTO.

Over coffee, I would tell you that our home renovations are rolling right along! More of the new structure is starting to take shape and I’m getting more and more excited to see it all come together.

And in the same breath, over coffee, I would tell you that living through a home reno is not for the faint of heart (IYKYK) – it’s a constant state of chaos and I’m counting down the days until my kitchen is unusable. I remind myself it will all be worth it!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m already at the halfway point of PT. It’s beyond tedious but I’m very happy that the therapist is a runner and has also done some coaching. We talk shoes, races, and all things running and it helps to make the sessions more bearable.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m drawing a blank on Christmas gifts this year (especially for my boys) and the clock is ticking! If you have any unique ideas, please share – and if you need an idea for the runner in your life please check out my gift guide.

What would you tell me over coffee?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


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Catching Up Over November Coffee

Once November 1st hits I feel like the sprint is on toward the end of the year. As we welcome a new month it’s a great time to catch up over coffee with friends – so for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab your favorite beverage and let’s chat.

Catching Up Over November Coffee

Over coffee, I would update you on my renovation adventure! We now have the basement for the new addition set and framing will begin in another week – progress!

Over coffee, I would also share that picking tile and fixtures for two bathrooms might prove to be more challenging than settling on all the things for the kitchen. But, I am still loving the whole design process – it’s proving to be a nice distraction from the chaos that is work-life.

Over coffee, I would tell you that we’re in the thick of the college application process and all I have to say is that there should be a better way to do this!

What would you tell me over coffee?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!
Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.

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Five Things Over October Coffee

Happy October!

I’m enjoying a few days off to make this an extra long weekend! And, of course, a long weekend is a great time to catch up over coffee with friends – so for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab your favorite beverage and let’s chat.

Five Things Over October Coffee

Over coffee, I would tell you that I have a huge hole in my backyard and I couldn’t be happier! Yes, the long-awaited remodel is officially underway.

Over coffee, I would also tell you that after agonizing over so many options and staring at more slabs than I’d care to count, my hubs and I finally settled on the choice for our kitchen countertop! So aside from knobs and drawer pulls, all the major kitchen selections are done. On to the bathrooms lol!

Over coffee, I would tell you that the TC 10M that I was supposed to run last weekend ended up being canceled! I runfessed last week that while I wasn’t happy to be out due to injury, I was not sorry to be missing the heat advisory announced in a pre-race email. Well, it turns out things went from red flag to black flag, and both the 10M and marathon were canceled. I feel so bad for the runners but also for the race organizers – social media has not been kind!

Over coffee, I would tell you that once again I’m on the hunt for a dress for my organization’s big fundraising gala. I’ve got just over a month until the event and no time to hit the stores so it looks like I’ll be doing a lot of online ordering and returning.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’ve decided to spread some of my vacation time out to create multiple long weekends for myself and it’s been a game-changer – Sundays hit differently when you have a Monday off.

What would you tell me over coffee?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!
Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.

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Coffee Chat – Labor Day Edition

Happy Friday!

Today kicks off an extra long weekend as my office is closed today for our last “Summer Friday” of the season! I’m ready to kick back and relax and what better way to start off a long weekend than with a catch-up over coffee with friends? So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab your favorite beverage – I’ve got an iced coffee — let’s chat.

Coffee Chat – Labor Day Edition

Over coffee, I would tell you that my house is a sea of samples – cabinet doors, tile, countertop, paint, flooring, etc. We’re getting closer to finalizing our kitchen design and appliances have been ordered!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I decided to start a new Instagram account (MyRenoAdventures) to help keep a photo journal of the renovation process.

Over coffee, I would tell you that with school starting next week, I’m looking forward to settling back into the rhythm of the Fall. While these last few weeks of summer have been fun, I’m craving some routine.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I didn’t realize just how much vacation time I still have for this year until I got a call from our HR manager. She was actually concerned that I hadn’t taken more time off! Honestly between the hectic pace through most of the Spring and getting my team in place (interviewing and then onboarding) it’s been hard to see where to take days off. Looks like I’ll be enjoying some additional time off during the fall!

What would you tell me over coffee? 

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!
Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.

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Five Things Over July Coffee

And just like that it’s Friday again – these weeks are just flying by! It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday and since it’s the first Friday of the month I’m I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date.

Five Things Over July Coffee

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’ve been enjoying a lovely stay-cation this week. My office has an org-wide shutdown for the week of July 4th so I’ve been blissfully logged off my computer since last Friday afternoon! It’s been a fun week of catching up with friends and family, time reading and lounging on the deck, and generally just recharging. I was feeling fried and this mid-year break couldn’t have come at a better time!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m knee-deep in design decisions and I’m loving every minute of it 🙂 We’re anxiously awaiting our appearance before our town’s conversation board but with lead times being what they are we need to work on parallel tracks to settle cabinet/appliance/countertop etc. decisions.

a wine dispenser sounds like a necessity, don’t you think?

Over coffee, I would tell you that once again I did not get into the London Marathon. Can’t say I’m surprised, but I always hold out a little hope. Maybe it’s the Universe’s way of reminding me that, at least for right now, I have no interest in running more than 10 miles and that I have too much on my plate to take on marathon training.

Over coffee, I would tell you that we’re 3 weeks away from our family vacation! I’m looking forward to seeing the glaciers, wildlife, whales, and all the amazing landscape Alaska has to offer.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’ve momentarily jumped on the Threads bandwagon. I’m pretty sure I don’t need another social media app but admit that curiosity got the better of me. So far it reminds me of the early days of Twitter but there are features missing that would help to control what shows up in your feed. Apparently, more features are coming…we’ll see if it lasts on my phone.

Will you join Threads? Any vacations or staycations planned? 

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!
Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.

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An Iced Coffee Chat for June

Happy Friday! I’ve got both today and Monday off and am looking forward to having another long weekend! And, since it is the first Friday of the month, for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. It’s going to be another warm one today so I’ll be having my coffee iced, how ’bout you?

An Iced Coffee Chat for June

This post contains affiliate links.

Over coffee, I would tell you that last weekend I ran Boston’s Run to Remember 5 Miler. I still haven’t gotten around to writing a recap, but I will say it was a lot of fun to be back at a race – my last race was in November! I finished thinking about what I might run next and I’m pretty excited I’ve decided to reconnect with Coach Marc again.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’ve been enjoying spending time in my garden. It’s one of my happy places and I’ve been loving seeing the colors start to pop!

Peonies in full bloom!

Over coffee, I would tell that my husband and I started watching Succession and we’re completely hooked! This family is a train wreck and we can’t stop watching.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I recently joined my office book club. It’s been a fun way to connect! So far we’ve read Woman in the Library (meh), Lessons in Chemistry (loved!), and Black Cake – definitely our best selection yet! Black Cake is an amazing story of a family’s history shaped by the secrets of the matriarch.

Over coffee, I would tell you that recently we had a great meeting with our contractor. Fingers crossed we’ll break ground on the new foundation by the end of July. I can’t wait to dive into all the choices for flooring, tile, cabinetry, and appliances! Just another excuse to watch HGTV 🙂

What would you tell me over coffee? Do you have any good advice for surviving a remodeling project?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please share the link-up love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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April Coffee Chat

As we ease into a new month, this is the perfect time to settle in and catch up over coffee. For this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave beverage, and let’s chat.

April Coffee Chat

Over coffee, I would share how excited I am to have my college boy home for an extended Easter weekend! He got home last night and with the way his class schedule lines up with the days off, he doesn’t need to be back on campus until Wednesday!

Over coffee, I would tell you that once again I’ll be volunteering for the Boston Marathon. I’ll be working bib pick-up on Friday afternoon so if you’re running come see me!

After sharing my contractor woes over the past couple of months it seems only fitting that over coffee I would tell you that we have finally received some bids and have settled on a contractor. Now we need to get past the town’s conservation commission – sigh. Please send me some patience…

Your turn…what would you tell me over coffee?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please share the link-up love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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March Coffee Catch Up

February went by in a blink and just like that we are ushering in a new month! It’s the perfect time for a little coffee catch-up, so I’m linking up with Deborah and Coco for the Ultimate Coffee Date. And, of course, it’s Friday so that means another Fit Five Friday link-up! So grab a mug of your fave hot beverage and let’s chat. (This post contains affiliate links).

March Coffee Catch Up

Over coffee, I would start by giving you a quick update on our contractor saga…we have found two more contractors who have actually returned our phone calls…wish us luck! Moving on…

Over coffee, I would tell you that I just finished a galley copy of Des Linden’s book, Choosing to Run. This was a fantastic read! This book provides not only a great look at Des’ career, her willingness to gamble on herself, and the mindset and tenacity it took to gut it out in the crazy tough conditions of the 2018 Boston Marathon. I’m a huge Des fan and this book did not disappoint!

Over coffee, I would tell you how blown away I am by the welcome kit Brooks recently sent out to the Run Happy Team – so much goodness from tights to tops to bras to socks to hats…and of course, shoes! My favorite items are the Run Happy Team half zip and hoodie – so cute!

This photo doesn’t do the welcome kit justice!

Over coffee, I would tell you that we broke down and revived our Netflix subscription. Since then we have binged Wednesday which we both really enjoyed. I took advantage of my husband’s business travel this week to catch up on The Home Edit. So now to figure out what’s next.

What would you tell me over coffee? Any streaming suggestions? Any fun new run gear?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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February Coffee Chat

It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday! We’re also rolling into the first weekend of the month which means Coco and Deborah are hosting the Ultimate Coffee Date. I’ve got my mug of coffee, so let’s chat a little.

Over coffee, I’d start by mentioning the weather. Winter has hit hard this week! Temps today will hit a balmy -4 degrees and this weekend will be even colder with windchills of -30. The weatherman is giddy about breaking records and I’m trying to embrace my treadmill runs.

Speaking of the weekend, over coffee I would tell you that I’m headed to the Run Show Boston this weekend and am looking forward to being immersed in all things running!

Over coffee, I would tell you how frustrating it is to try to hunt down contractors! I shared last month over coffee that we’re planning a remodeling project this year – we’ve got plans we love but are having no luck landing a general contractor. The one contractor we really liked, announced plans to retire and the others on our list don’t seem capable of returning a call in a timely manner – which doesn’t bode well for what it would like to work with them!

Despite the slow progress on getting the remodel off the ground, over coffee, I would tell you that the “great purge of 2023” continues. Bags of clothes have been donated – though there’s still much more to do. The big undertaking will be tackling the “mini man cave” – my boys’ hangout room. While the room has all the trapping of a teen boy cave, it still also has oodles of toys, Legos, collectibles, etc from their younger days. It’s time to be ruthless and get in there!

What would you tell me over coffee? Is winter hitting hard where you are?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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