Welcome to my new adventure! My name is Dianne and I’m a 30-something working Mom from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Caramel is one of my weaknesses, and I found a love for running back in 2009 when I ran my first half marathon with my husband in Las Vegas! Thanks for following me on my new blogging adventure! I thought for my first post I thought I’d do a little introduction by presenting some random facts about me.
#1. I love to write, which is actually why I decided to start a blog. I loved to write novels when I was in elementary and junior high! I don’t think I actually finished any as I always had too many ideas! When I was in high school, I was planning on going into journalism and going to school in a different province. Unfortunately at the time I found media very negative and it turned me off, so my focus shifted to business. I spent two years at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) completing my Business Administration diploma and five years after I graduated I decided I wanted to complete my degree part time. As of December 2017, I will officially complete the program for my Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Lethbridge with a major in Marketing and a minor in Social Responsibility!
#2. I have a 2.5 year old son named Kendrick. He’s a very active boy & one smart cookie…and is quite handsome like his Daddy!
#3. The only reason I signed up for my first half marathon was because of my husband’s new year’s resolution. We crossed the finish line together at 2:58 and as soon as I crossed the finish line something clicked. I can’t even describe the sense of accomplishment I felt and from that moment on, I was hooked!
#4. My long term running goal is to complete a full marathon in under four hours before I’m 40!
#5. This is actually my second shot at a blog! My first blog is at 13point1tocheesecake.blogspot.com. I originally started it to blog about running, but then got pregnant shortly after I launched! I’ve been brainstorming some ideas for the past year to rebrand, and this lead to Running on Caramel being born!
#6. I LOVE grocery shopping. I will probably never make use of the new services at some stores where they pick your groceries for you. I want to do it myself!
#7. I HATE sweeping. I don’t mind vacuuming, doing laundry, and most other household chores but sweeping is something that I dread.
#8. I’m a planner. I like to plan things out rather than fly by the seat of my pants.
#9. I was a gymnast until I was 20. I competed in artistic gymnastics until I was 18, and participated in a trampoline and tumbling competition in university. I enjoyed it, but was involved in a car accident which forced me to stop for about six months due to back issues. I found it hard to get back on track and didn’t compete after that. I’ve taken some adult classes here and there, and still love the sport like no other!
#10. My two major career paths have been in professional sports and aviation, both involving customer service. I love both for different reasons and had a hard time choosing which one I wanted to continue full time. I haven’t been at the airport for about five years now but I frequently contemplate going back on a part time basis because I miss the atmosphere.
My motive for rebranding and starting this blog is to share my thoughts and experiences with others about trying to juggle parenting, working full time, and trying to keep fit! I’m just your average girl with the same every day struggles as other moms – and I want to let people know that if you want to go out and bust your butt each morning at 6AM fitness classes, you are awesome! But if some nights you want to chill and eat a cheeseburger you picked up in the drive thru instead of cooking because you have no energy, you are awesome too! Sometimes we need a reminder that we’re doing the best we can and we’re doing a great job! As much as parenting can be stressful, there is so much joy and laughter along the way that it makes it all worthwhile.
Photo credit: Cheri Shaw Design (http://cherishawdesign.ca/)
I hope you enjoy reading! Please feel free to let me know your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below if you feel so inclined!
PS: Thanks so much to my friend Cheri at Cheri Shaw Design for creating my logo and helping me rebrand! If you are looking for some graphic design work done – Cheri’s your girl!
