Blogging is often weird. I struggle to find the balance between making money and selling out; struggle to keep my blog exactly the way I want it. The truth is that there's a bit more sponsored content than usual coming your way this month, and at times I feel uncomfortable with it. I want to write and I want to share my life, but I also want to work with sponsors that I love. Sometimes I do still wonder if I should just find a "normal" job, but then I get a taste of independence or positive feedback from people about what I do and I am instantly reminded of how much I love it. You can't beat that.

I've talked about this before. Today I have something to add.

The other day, I got an email asking me if I was interested in being in a video for Bayer CropScience. They're donating meals to World Food Program USA this holiday season and wanted me to help them get the word out. Several days later, we chatted on the phone to talk about details.

"Where would we shoot this video?" I asked them, "I live in Minneapolis."

"We can come to you," they said.

I was excited and oh-so-humbled that they had found me and chosen me and were willing to travel to work with me. So yesterday, we set up in my kitchen and we shot a video. I'm still sort of overwhelmed by how quickly and just how real this whole experience has been so far. And to be working to get hungry people fed this holiday season? Like I said already, you just can't beat that.

I'll show you guys the video when it's done. Until then, you can visit the Thankful4Ag campaign page here.

As always, I want to thank you, my wonderful and kind readers, for your support. I can't do any of this without you.

I received compensation for my work with Bayer CropScience, but all opinions are my own.

Spending two weeks away for Thanksgiving was really nice. It's great to be back in Minneapolis, though. I never realized how quickly Rob and I would just fall into life here, or how much it would feel like home in just four months. The snowy city was a wonderful site from my airplane window last night, especially after three and a half hours of delays.

So now I'm back, catching up on emails, cleaning, laundry, writing, and unpacking before I get ready to do it all again in a couple of weeks for Christmas. It's good to be home, but it was also good to be home.

  

 

I hope you had a really nice holiday.

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno.

 

Mizunos were a thing when I was running cross country in high school. My teammates--some of whom are still my best friends now--and I coveted them, always excited about the newest version of Wave Riders as we prepared for races; matching green uniforms and pink bows tied around our ponytails. They were bright and shiny and made us feel like we could do anything, and that, paired with a fabulous coach and summer two-a-days made us a team of pretty respectable runners.

 

A stress fracture kept me from running in college, but I have continued along since then on my own. Running has gotten me through every season of my life so far. Several of my high school girlfriends and I still run today, which always makes me smile to think about us in three or four cities across the country every morning, lacing up our sneakers and singing Disney princess songs in our heads. You never know what's going to connect you to the people you love later in life.

 

 

  



 I ran our annual Thanksgiving race--another running tradition that's dear to my heart--in these Mizuno Wave Rider 17s the other day, and they were fabulous. The 17 is the lightest Wave Rider ever, and it features a Seigaiha wave pattern outsole to provide optimal flexibility. They're light, bright, ultra-smooth, and fun--just the way I remember them.