Do You Compress?

7.31.2014


I've talked before about how much I love ProCompression calf sleeves in my post on "6 Tips for Faster Post-Run Recovery." It was tip #5: compress your calves. I've found this to be fantastic for recovery after a particularly long or tough run.



I am a Sweat Pink ambassador, and recently I was offered the chance to review a pair of ProCompression socks. As I said, I love my calf sleeves, but I was excited to try out the socks. Especially because (spoiler alert) Beka and I already bought a couple pairs to give away in a future Runners Tell All post! That's right. You're welcome.


Here's the deal: I personally don't like running in compression socks, but I know a lot of runners who swear by them, so it's just personal preference. I feel like they make my calves feel WAY too tight. However, these socks and calf sleeves make my legs feel awesome when I put them on after a run. Awesome.





ProCompression socks are a quality product. They are made in the USA and built for comfort with moisture-wicking material to keep blisters away. Which would be useful if you were the kind of person who liked running with compression socks.

If you want to snag yourself a pair, use the code PINK for 40% off your order at ProCompression. Seriously, these babies are usually $50, so you should get on this like yesterday. Consider signing up for their email list too. I know you probably don't want more spam in your inbox, but ProCompression has a "sock of the month" that is a fun color or design and is usually discounted. Holler.

Tweet: I #KeepItTight w/ @PROCompression! Use the code PINK for 40% OFF your entire purchase! http://ctt.ec/W2UDL+ @fitapproach #sweatpink


Do you run with compression socks? Love em or hate em?
Have you ever tried wearing them after a run for recovery?

We're Back From...

7.30.2014


Hello, friends! 

I know I was cryptic last week when I said I was off the grid. The truth is, Jordan and I left with 48 other members of our church for a missions trip to Nicaragua early in the morning on Saturday, July 19. We got back in the evening on Saturday, July 26.

We signed up for the trip way back in January, and we sent out support letters to friends and family and have been praying about this trip for months. I felt bad about keeping this a secret, but I did so for two reasons:

1. Not to be That Paranoid Person, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to share with the Internet that we were going to be away from our apartment for a whole week. I trust all of you, of course, but you just never know what kind of shady characters are out there, and I felt better not announcing our absence to the whole world.

2. The second reason is the main reason I didn't share about our trip. After we signed up and paid our deposit, I was really excited about going and getting to share this experience with Jordan. However, when we started telling people about the trip, I got this overwhelming feeling of self-righteousness about it. Whenever I heard about someone going on a fancy vacation or buying a house or a new car or whatever else, I couldn't help but think, Well fine you're going to Europe, but I'm spending thousands of dollars to go to a third-world country and help spread the gospel to poor people.

That's terrible, I know.

I began praying about my attitude and that I would be excited about this trip for the right reasons and also be able to be excited for my friends when they shared about summer vacations. I didn't feel right about blogging about this trip until I had my attitude under control. God was faithful and answered my prayer, and my feelings of self-righteousness went away. 

For the most part anyway. Let's be honest. I still do want to go to Europe. But who doesn't?

So that's the longish story of why I kept this trip a secret. But now we're back, and I'm excited to share with you all that went on during our week in Nicaragua! 

I picked a few pictures to share below, and later next week I'll have a few posts in more detail of what went on in the village. Telling you everything that we did and saw in the village of La Pintata would seriously take a month of posts, but I'll try to limit myself. If you have any specific questions about our trip, please email or leave a comment so I can try to answer those specifically!



^^^This is where we stayed Saturday night when we arrived in Nicaragua and then again on Friday night before we left to come home. The mission house in Managua, Nicaragua, hosts a new group every week. Below is the view from the balcony of the mission house.
^^^We slept here, in the classrooms inside this school. The students moved the desks and held school outside under tents. They have school all year in Nicaragua, with a break for December and January. This picture is of the middle "courtyard" area, and the classrooms are around the outside.

^^^ (Note: I did not take this picture.) Jordan is in the middle with the hat and sunglasses. He was on the vet team and spent the week administering vaccinations to the animals of local farmers. They vaccinated horses, pigs, and cattle. Their group also shared the gospel with the famers they saw. In the back in the red shirt is Miguel, the translator they took with them all week. And get this: the Nicaraguan veterinarian's actual name was Dr. Nicaragua. That just kills me.

^^^ This is Jordan and I with Jordan's dad and mom. Jordan's mom has gone every year for five years, and Jordan's dad went to Nicaragua last year. It was truly a blessing and a great bonding time with the in-laws for us all to be in Nicaragua together. Bumgarners for the win!



I know I've been a sporadic blogger lately. I still haven't even blogged about what we did for my birthday yet! (Three words: summer bucket list)

Over the next few weeks, I plan on getting caught up with all the things that have been going on in my life lately. I hope you'll stick with me! I really do love sharing about my adventures and general life happenings with all of you.

Also coming up over the next few weeks is my Project 12 post for July, a review of compression socks, and two giveaways! The Lady Okie Blog is gonna be hoppin', so watch out.

PSA: I'm off the Grid

7.22.2014

This is a public service announcement.

I will be off the blog/social media grid for the next week or so, and maybe until August 1 depending on how I feel. If you linked up for Runners Tell All yesterday, thanks so much! I hate to leave you hanging, and I promise I will come by and check out your post when I'm back from my hiatus. Pinky swear cross my heart hope to die. (Anyone else remember that crazy rhyme? Stick a needle in my eye! Who even came up with that, and why did we like to repeat it?)

Also, I feel like I should say no, I'm not pregnant.
Also x2, please try not to miss me too much.
Also x3, don't forget about me either.

Your friend,
The Lady Okie

P.S. If you need something to amuse yourself in the meantime, you can watch my vlog again. Or read about my process of blogging.

And DEFINITELY watch this music video and read the story behind it, because I've watched it at least 72 times* since I saw it last week, and it's pretty much the best thing ever.

Also, watch this if you love girl power, which obviously all of you do.

Last but not least, you can start getting excited about a giveaway I'm hosting from her shop in August.

*slight exaggeration

Runners Tell All: Don't Listen to Anything I Tell You

7.21.2014

"Runner's Tell All" is a monthly linkup for runners of all ages, skill levels, and experience hosted by Sunshine to the Square Inch and The Lady Okie. Each month we'll have a different topic, and you can find all the topics listed here. We are accepting two sponsorship spots for each month, who will receive a sidebar ad on both blogs as well as entry links in the giveaway. 100% of your sponsorship money will go directly toward running-related giveaways. Find more information on sponsorship here. 
We have 2 spots available for August!
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This month's topic is: nutrition and fuel while training

To that I say, if my cover image of cupcakes is any indication, you should not be listening to anything I tell you about nutrition and fueling while training. You know those people who run with belts wrapped around their waist with tiny water bottles attached and tubes of GU strapped to their sports bra? 

I am not those people.

My "strategy" for fueling while training is to make laps around my apartment complex and stop in to grab a drink of water if I feel thirsty. Or, alternatively, I leave the apartment and run three or four or five miles away, and then get thirsty and keep going until I'm home, wherein I collapse on the ground. While Jordan stands over me concerned, I mime motions for "GET ME WATER NOW" because my mouth is too dry to form actual words.

I need a more legitimate plan. I have problems.

I do have a Pinterest board titled "Fitness Foods," so at least there's that. And actually, I covered the topic of fuel & nutrition during part 5 of my "how to start running series." Click on the picture below for the full post! 

While you're at it, check out the entire 7-part series if you haven't already. I cover a bunch of topics from getting started to gear to setting a training schedule to some running FAQs.

One thing I always do after a run is make sure I eat some protein within the first half hour. This helps muscle recovery. In case you're interested, I reviewed 4 different types of protein bars in this post. Basically you want to find something that provides a good amount of protein without too much sugar or calories. Which is why all the best protein bars taste like candy and are loaded with sugar. [Insert sad face emoticon.] Anyway.

Now it's your turn! Link up below with your nutrition and fueling tips and tricks. I'm sure anything you say is going to be better than the nonsense I just said.

*I am not a dr. or dietician. This post is not meant to offer medical advice. But it is telling you to eat more cupcakes. Amen.
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NEXT MONTH'S TOPIC 
(Thursday, August 21)

What is your training routine?
Give us the scoop on your day-to-day running. 
Are you a social runner or do you like to take it solo? Do you run in the morning or evening? How often do you run? Maybe take your camera on your next run and snap some pictures to share!
Pass along any handy training tips or advice about how to make sure you get up in the morning or how to safely run at night.



This month we're giving away 1 Runner's Box gift box. This is a monthly box subscription filled with snacks and fuel for runners. The winner of the giveaway will receive a 1-month gift box. There is also a gluten-free box option! Unfortunately, they only ship within the continental United States, but if you're international, feel free to enter. If you win, we will work with you to get you a prize of equal value. We don't want you guys to feel left out! Once the giveaway is closed, we will email the winner. Entries will be checked, so play fair.
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Runners Tell All Linkup Rules


  1. You MUST leave a comment on the person’s blog who linked up directly before you. This is not a linkup for the sake of linking up. This is a linkup to build community and spread the love and encouragement to your fellow runners! Don't be lame.
  2. Do not share links to unrelated running posts or to your blog’s homepage, or we will have to delete your link. (I've done it before too, so I'm not joking.)
  3. Please link back to either Beka or Amanda in your post so others can come here and join in! Or grab the button below and add it to your post.

Ain't No Place Like It

7.15.2014


Would you like to go on a walk with me?

As you probably already know, last November I started a new job that is located in downtown Oklahoma City. It's been over 8 months now, and I absolutely love working downtown. 

An abundance of tasty restaurants are within a five-minute walk, or there's always a food truck handy. The library is less than two blocks, which is great because I can check out tons of books ("only" 30 at a time, I was told). There's also a lovely park and the general hustle and bustle of the city, which is new and fun for me to see on a daily basis. 

Oklahoma City in particular, I think, is great because while it is our capitol and a generally large city population wise, it's nothing even close to the kind of busy you would see in a place like Chicago or New York. Basically it's city without too much city.

A few weeks ago I decided to take my camera to work and go on a little walking tour during my lunch hour. I wasn't sure if my pictures would be interesting enough for a blog post, but then I remembered Charlotte's "Around Town" series and how much I enjoy looking at her pictures, so I figured I'd give this a shot. Granted, Charlotte lives in Europe, so her pictures are guaranteed to be more interesting than mine, but still.

Just pretend we stopped at the local smoothie shop, Crave, for a delicious drink, and now I'm taking you on a little walking tour around the downtown area. Just make sure you bring a water bottle or five, because it is hot outside.



^^^ I really need to try out our bike system. There are bike racks throughout the city, and you just rent a bike in one location and return it to any other location. It's like Netflix for active people.


^^^Everyone in my office says Coney Island is really good. It's on my list!

^^^There are painted windows like this everywhere all year round. When your state only has one professional sports team, they really get into it.

^^^I don't know what the deal is with that multicolored building on the right, but I like it. 

The picture below is a fuller shot of the Myriad Gardens. This is where everyone and their mom goes to take maternity, engagement, wedding, etc., pictures. It's really a lovely area. In the summer there are free movies and concerts on the lawn, and in the winter there are pop-up shops and lights everywhere.

There are so many other things I could have taken pictures of, but in case you didn't know, it's dang hot at noon in Oklahoma, and I was dripping sweat and trying to walk fast, so I only made one quick loop and didn't detour much. 

Not to ruin the illusion or anything. But seriously. I had to paper towel myself off in the bathroom after this little walk, which is, not surprisingly, exactly what it sounds like.

Anyhoo, what do you think about the tour? Should I try it again sometime when it's a bit cooler outside and I can go farther? Do you like Oklahoma City?

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*If you liked this post, you might also like my "Keep It Local" series about delicious local restaurants: S&B Burger Joint (home of the peanut butter burger) | Kaisers Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Shop

4 Ways Shared Faith Appears in Our Marriage

7.13.2014


*When you guys filled out my blog survey last month (see results by clicking here--there are pie charts!), a few of you left comments for post topics you would like to see on this blog. Today's topic of the role that our shared faith plays in Jordan's and my marriage was one of those.

I'm linking this post up with Community Brew with Madison & Rachel!
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I don't know about you, but I really enjoy reading articles and blog posts on the subject of faith. It's so interesting to me to read about what other people believe and how they came to that belief. If the writer/blogger happens to share my opinions on the subject, I find a kindred spirit. And if they believe something opposite of me, I use that as an opportunity to consider an alternate viewpoint and really solidify the reasons behind why I believe what I do.

With that said, marrying someone who was not a believer in Jesus Christ was never an option for me. My faith is such an important part of my life that I could not imagine going through life with someone who didn't feel the same way about faith. 

Of course, in a marriage there are obviously going to be things we don't agree on, and that's completely normal. The food we like to eat, the hobbies we enjoy, the books we read. All those things are individual desires that Jordan is not always going to love as much as I do. 

I mean, seriously. I've tried as hard as I can to get him to love avocado. It ain't happenin'.

But while Jordan and I definitely don't agree about everything, we do agree about the one thing that counts: the superiority of crunchy peanut butter over creamy

No I'm kidding, the one thing that counts is faith.

I took this post down a few different roads before deciding you really can't go wrong with the classic list format. Following are four ways that our shared faith manifests itself in our marriage:


1. We have theological discussions

I promise this sounds a lot more legit than it really is. 

All I mean is that after church on Sundays or at random points throughout the week, we end up having a discussion about some aspect of faith. We've talked about women's role in the church, our spiritual gifts, evangelism, tithing, homosexuality, God's providence, and many other topics. Because we both have a background of church and weekly study of the Bible either in church or personal devotions, we are able to have interesting conversations and challenge each other by practicing apologetics (a Greek word meaning "defense of the faith").

What's good about sharing the same faith is that while we can have good discussions about these topics, we ultimately agree fundamentally with each other on most things, so the discussions don't end with an argument. Always a good thing in any relationship.


2. We pray together

Back in January I mentioned my goal of 365 days of prayer for 2014. While I have to be honest and tell you that I definitely haven't been consistent in this every single day, I do pray for Jordan (and for my friends and family), and Jordan and I take time and pray together too.

We try to pray every night before bed (even though it doesn't always happen), and when one of us is hurt or feeling stressed, we pray about it together. I love hearing Jordan pray.

3. Jordan prays for me

Parts of last year were extremely difficult for me, specifically working at a job I absolutely hated and then getting fired. Low point.

One night in early February 2013, I had a terrible, terrible night. It still stands out as one of my lowest points in my life so far.

The next morning when I woke up, Jordan had covered the bathroom mirror from top to bottom with sticky notes, and each had a Bible verse on it. It was one of the sweetest things ever, and it meant so much to me. I still have the stack of notes with verses on them. 

When I'm feeling sad or overwhelmed, I ask Jordan to pray over me, and he does it right there. I also know he prays for me every day. It's so comforting to know he is doing that.

4. I submit to Jordan's leading of our family


I know there's a lot of controversy over the verse in Ephesians about wives submitting to their husbands [Ephesians 5:22-23 "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church."]. I actually read a blog post just the other day about someone who thinks that view is old fashioned, and she said she couldn't understand why the Bible was so degrading of women. 

The Bible is actually very pro woman, and it is clear in the gospels how much Jesus honors women (one example is how women were the very first to see the tomb and the risen Christ), so I think it's ridiculous when people say the Bible is anti-women. But that's another topic for another day.

What this Ephesians verse means to me is that while Jordan and I are yoked together equally as believers in Christ, ultimately I submit to his leadership of our family by trusting that he has been in the Word and communicating with God for guidance. 

That doesn't mean we don't get into arguments about what we should do about finances or house hunting and those big life decisions, and it does not mean that we always have to do everything Jordan says. But if we had to make a big decisions and it came down to me vs. him, I would submit to his leading. I don't believe that's old fashioned; I believe that is how God ordained marriage to work as a picture of our human relationship with God. Of course, I'm stubborn and sinful so I don't always do this well, but ideally this is how it would look.
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Hopefully that gives you some insight into how faith appears in our marriage. If you have any topics on faith or marriage that you'd be interested in me writing about, leave a comment or shoot me an email!

-Do you think it's important for couples to have a shared faith?
-In what ways does your faith present itself in your relationship?

Two Eight

7.10.2014


Today, I am 28.

Over the hill of my mid-twenties and quickly sliding down the slope toward thirty. Jordan's birthday is exactly a week after mine, so July is birthday month in the Bumgarner household. He'll be turning 29. 

Yep. Got me an older man. Rawr*.

I love birthdays! It's fun having ours so close together. We just have to make sure our kids do not have birthdays in the summer. Don't want no one raining on my month-long birthday parade. Amen.

Tonight I'm having a potluck dinner party at a friend's house (I may have asked her to host one for me. It's not lame.), and then on Saturday Jordan and I are going to this adventure park thing downtown. I've been wanting to go for a while, and so we're doing it for my birthday. Hurrah!

Have I mentioned I love birthdays? Well I do. They are the bomb dot com. 

When I was little, my birthday was the one day a year I didn't have to fight my brothers to sit in the front seat of the car. Now I have a car and sit in the front seat all the time, so that perk has lost its luster. But birthdays are still fun and will continue to be until I decide otherwise. So here's to 28!

Only two more years to cross everything off my 30x30 list! Clearly I have to get to traveling more. And buy a house. Lord help me, I do not want to be in this apartment when I'm 30.


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[Apparently I didn't blog about #26]
Skydiving for my 24th birthday
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*Rawr = "A word that means 'I Love You' in dinosaur" (According to Urban Dictionary)

What's in My Bag?

7.09.2014


I'm linking up with Kiki today for a peek into my purse. Not that I have anything interesting in there, but I guess now you can decide for yourself. 

I love my Vera Bradley purse because it has a ton of pockets, as will be evidenced by the photos below when I show you the Mary Poppins-like number of things I have in my bag. Seriously. Watch this.


1. Pouch: A present I was sent a few months ago by Samantha from her Etsy shop! See photo below for what I keep in the pouch.
2. Ann Taylor sunglasses + case. I got my sunglasses and case for Christmas from my mom at least three years ago, maybe more. If I lost them, I would cry.
3. Fossil wallet I bought from the outlet mall for $18! Holler.
4. Cell phone
5. Small Vera Bradley case that holds all my business cards and gift cards. Super handy.
6. Keys. Obviously. Although actually I keep these on the hanger next to the door not in my purse.

Now for the side pockets...

Pens. I collect them apparently. Plus a pencil so I can keep it real old school.
Floss. Because my teeth are giant caverns of food.
Hand sanitizer. It's just a good idea.

For someone who doesn't wear a lot of makeup, this collection of lip gloss and chapstick is slightly embarrassing.

Finally, I keep this pack of index cards in a side pocket. I'm not as good about this as I should be, but sometimes when I take a walk break during the work day or while I'm sitting in the car I flip through these and practice my verses.

So that's all I've got! 
Click below if you want to link up or see what other bloggers have in their bags.

Anyone else want to admit to having TEN tubes of some kind of lip goop in their purse? It can't be just me.
In Its Time
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