Tuesdays with Kerin: Miles & Smiles

Welcome back to another Tuesday update... on Wednesday! I know I'm a day late, but I'm here. I did manage to publish two blog posts last week though, so yay for small victories! If you haven't already, make sure to check out my birthday post. Moving forward, I'm aiming to increase my posting frequency to twice a week. I'm considering Tuesday and Friday as potential posting days, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Additionally, I'm contemplating bringing back my newsletter. While I'm unsure about its content since I already provide weekly updates here, I recognize that not everyone follows me on social media and may miss out on new posts. Let me know your thoughts on the newsletter dilemma!

Last week marked my return to running after a necessary break due to a knee injury. Taking it cautiously, my running program has been progressing at a slow and steady pace. The longest distance I covered last week was 2 miles, a far cry from my previous capabilities. While I acknowledge the need for patience, my main goal is to regain my running form. Despite my pace being significantly slower than before, I remain optimistic that my speed will gradually return. I am eagerly anticipating the completion of my post-injury plan so I can embark on training for a half-marathon.

Tuesdays with Kerin: Along Came Beryl

Last week was all about Hurricane Beryl. The storm made its grand entrance on Monday morning, crashing in and disrupting our peaceful existence by knocking out the power at the cruel hour of 5:30 am. As fate would have it, I was wide awake to witness this chaotic event. The rest of Monday was a tedious affair, mostly spent lazing around, trying to keep boredom at bay while waiting for the power to mercifully return.

On Tuesday, the unbearable heat drove me to seek refuge in the office, where a generator powered one floor, providing a temporary sanctuary to cool off and recharge our devices. Despite not being productive in terms of work, those few hours of cool comfort were a welcome relief. Returning home, the heat was still unbearable, and within just half an hour, I found myself on the move again. Opting to visit the Star Cinema Grill, my brother and I watched Despicable Me 4, a movie I wasn't particularly keen on but served as a means to escape the heat for a couple of hours, even if the film turned out to be terribly ridiculous. Fortunately, upon arriving back home, the power had been restored, marking the end of our temporary ordeal.

Throughout the rest of the week, I worked from home as I was fortunate to have both power and internet connectivity. The new challenge I faced was sourcing food amidst the chaos. It became a task to locate a restaurant that was open or a store that actually had stocked shelves. Despite the hurdles, we managed to overcome the situation and ensure we had enough food supplies to get by.

Tuesdays with Kerin: Rest & Recovery

Hey there, remember me? I'm finally back in action after a brief hiatus. Apologies for leaving you hanging last time - I know I probably caused a bit of a stir among my loyal readers. But fear not, I didn't fall off the face of the earth, just needed a little breather.

Apologies for the lack of an update last week, as there wasn't much to report. I was absent from work for the entire week before last due to being unwell, which led me to attend two doctor's appointments. Although feeling sick is never enjoyable, I am grateful for the time off and the medical consultations as they provided clarity on the issues bothering me.  Stay tuned for an upcoming post diving into my recent diagnosis of PCOS and how I plan to tackle it head-on.

During my recovery period, I hit pause on my usual training routine, but I'm thrilled to announce that I've officially kicked off my 10K training plan again. It feels great to be back on the grind, striving towards my fitness aspirations.

Tuesdays with Kerin: A Rollercoaster Week of Work, Play, and NBA!

On Monday, I had the office all to myself as the sole member from my team present, creating a peaceful and productive atmosphere that allowed me to accomplish a lot of work. To kick off the week on a strong note, I embarked on a 3K Tempo Run, sporting my vibrant new yellow highlighter set from Hey Girl Run. Additionally, I was finally early enough to order one of the mystery Monday sets from Hey Girl Run, which arrived on Saturday. Anticipating a top and bottom duo, I was delighted to find that the package actually contained 2 tops and 2 shorts, resulting in a double dose of excitement and satisfaction. A definite win for the start of the week!

Tuesdays with Kerin: Sluggish Muse & Lazy Shoes

Last week was a bit of a rollercoaster for me, as I grappled with a persistent lack of motivation in both my creative pursuits and my training sessions. Despite the inner struggles, I managed to push through and churn out three blog posts - one for a Tuesday update and two reviews for Kerin's Kritiques. While these posts didn't demand a huge burst of creativity, I was proud of my consistency.

On the fitness front, I powered through three challenging runs and conquered both strength training sessions, refusing to let my wavering motivation dictate my progress. It was a mental battle as much as a physical one, but I embraced the challenge head-on.

Tuesdays with Kerin: Grapes & Cool Ranch Doritos

Happy Tuesday!

First things first, before we get into anything else, I'm just gonna come out and say it. I didn't do my long run last weekend. Truth be told, my training efforts were lackluster last week; I only hit the pavement once on Tuesday. But fear not, this week, I shall endeavor to do better.

Tuesdays with Kerin: Work, Run, Sleep, Repeat

Happy Tuesday!

Can you believe it's already the last day of my 30-day wellness challenge? Time really flew by, and we're about to step into May! Reflecting on these past 30 days, I'm feeling pretty satisfied with how the challenge went. It wasn't flawless, but I believe I achieved what I set out to do. Considering doing it again sometime soon. If you haven't given it a shot yet, I highly recommend challenging yourself. You might just surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.

Transitioning into the fitness realm, last week marked the kickoff of my 8-week 10K training block, and it started off on a good note. I managed to squeeze in 3 runs, although I did fall short of completing my long run over the weekend. I've been struggling a bit with finding the motivation to exercise on weekends; the temptation to lounge around in bed all day is real. But, I'm determined to tackle my long run this upcoming weekend. It's a 6K, the longest distance I'll have tackled in a while, so it's crucial for me to push through and continue progressing towards that 10K goal. While I don't have any races lined up until Memorial Day, there's a Cinco De Mayo race this weekend that I'm still pondering whether to sign up for or not.

Tuedays with Kerin: Sleep & Relaxation

Happy Tuesday!

I'm feeling absolutely fantastic this morning! I had a restful 6 hours of sleep last night, with a solid 90 minutes of deep sleep – a rare feat for me that I'm over the moon about. Lately, I've been hitting the hay earlier, and it seems to be doing wonders for my sleep quality. While I've been relying on my trusty melatonin gummies, I'm contemplating giving them a break tonight. As we dive headfirst into the sleep segment of my 30-day wellness challenge, I'm optimistic that my sleep patterns will only continue to get better from here on out.

Reflecting on last week, it started off a bit lackluster, but things took a turn for the better towards the end. A last-minute online early screening of  The Idea of You on Wednesday night brought unexpected joy to my day – Anne Hatha-slay truly never fails to impress! The resurgence of romantic comedies has me excited! Speaking of, I've got my sights set on catching  Anyone But You when it hits Netflix this weekend.

Tuesdays with Kerin: A Sleepy Update

Happy Wednesday!

So, I'm a little tardy to the party with this update, but life happens, right?  I hope you're all doing well! Apologies for the delayed update; I've been a bit under the weather lately, dealing with a touch of melancholy and some rough bouts of sleep paralysis. It's strange how these episodes come and go in waves. If anyone has tips on managing sleep paralysis, I'm all ears. It's been adding to my sleep anxiety, which isn't ideal.

Speaking of sleep, I've been popping these melatonin gummies like they're candy. They're like a little slice of sleep heaven, but I'm trying not to get too hooked. I mean, who wants to be dependent on gummies for shut-eye, right?  They've been a comfort, though, and I feel like they've been doing wonders for my rest. Last week, I actually surpassed my sleep goal, averaging a solid 7 hours per night! As I gear up for the sleep phase of my 30-day challenge, I'm realizing the importance of establishing a more consistent bedtime routine.

Tuesdays with Kerin: 9 Days In

Happy Tuesday!

So, here I am, 9 days deep into my 30-day wellness challenge, and I must say, things have been going well – pun totally intended! The physical health challenges were a piece of cake, and now we've transitioned to focusing on nutrition. Admittedly, I did have a little slip-up already. The goal yesterday was to incorporate a serving of fruits or vegetables with every meal. While I managed to have a hearty serving of cabbage during lunch yesterday, I fell short because I didn't eat breakfast and dinner. Nevertheless, it's all about progress, not perfection, right?

I got back into the swing of things with my training last week. Four runs, two killer training sessions for both upper and lower body, and even squeezed in a 30-minute mobility session. Ah, it felt so good to be consistent again! On the running front, I conquered my longest distance yet - a 7K, which is equal to just under 4.5 miles. Surprisingly, I completed it in nearly an hour, surpassing my own expectations. Who knew I had it in me? Just gotta triple that distance, and boom, I'll be ready for a half-marathon!

Tuesdays With Kerin: The Return

Welcome back to another edition of Tuesdays with Kerin! I know, I know, you've been eagerly awaiting my return, right? I'm thrilled to be reconnecting with all of you for our weekly catch-up session. For my loyal followers, you already know the drill, but for those new to the scene, this is where I spill the tea on what's been happening in my world each week.

So, this week has been pretty chill for me. I laced up my running shoes and tackled another 5k race because apparently, I just can't get enough of them. It's my fourth one this year, if you count the virtual race I did to make up for oversleeping on the Lucky Charm 5k. Whoops!

I've been trying to get back into my running groove after taking a little hiatus. It feels like I'm starting from scratch, but hey, I'm determined to push through and get my endurance back. It's probably a good idea to reincorporate strength training into my routine to enhance my stamina for those long runs. Back when I achieved my personal best, I was diligently hitting the weights. Fortunately, my home gym is decked out with all the necessary gear, so I can sweat it out without stepping foot outside.

I've got about 4 weeks left in my 5k training block, and my goal is to conquer a 34-minute 5k. Then, it's on to 10k training. The grind never stops!

From Frustration to Freedom: Why I'm Finally Giving Up on Growing on Instagram

From now on, I'm stepping away from the crazy rat race of trying to grow my following on Instagram. It's become such an unnecessary source of stress, and, honestly, I’ve had enough. You might have noticed that my blog posts have been dwindling. That's because I've been spending an inordinate amount of time figuring out what to post on Instagram. What will attract more followers? What do they want to see from me? And the truth is, I don’t really know. But I've reached a point where I don't care anymore. 

When I first launched Kerin's Korner in 2017, my goal was never to amass a huge following, especially not on Instagram. I wasn't even an Instagram user back then. I simply switched my personal account to a business one to promote my blog content. However, as my followers began to grow, so did the pressure to create Instagram-exclusive content. I remember hitting the 500 followers mark and feeling so thrilled. They were genuine followers, real people who truly cared about what I had to say. 

Now, my follower count hovers around 1800, but it dips a little more each day. I question the authenticity of most of them. I reckon about 500 of them are genuinely interested in my content. I toyed with the idea of starting anew with a fresh Instagram account to better engage and grow my audience. I even did some research on how to go about it. But, after much contemplation, I realized that's not the real problem. The issue lies in my reluctance to create content purely for Instagram growth. 

Tuesdays with Kerin: Gardening, Basketball & The O.C.?

 Hello World,

I'm back with another Tuesday with Kerin. Did you miss me?

It's been a while since I've done one of these, and honestly I don't have that much to update you on.  Last we spoke, I had a thriving herb garden, and today I can report that everything is dead - well not everything. I replanted my cilantro, so it just recently sprouted, but everything else is dead or dying. Even my sage, which was doing so well. I have no explanation for it. I continued doing all the same things, but they're just not surviving, but hey what are you gonna do? But I'm not giving up. It's almost Spring, which will a great time for reviving my garden. The last frost of Spring in Houston is February 17th, if you were wondering. That's also Ash Wednesday and my brothers' birthday. So I'll going to buy some more seeds and my raised garden this week or next week, and then I'll start these seeds outside, so I don't have worry about transitioning them, and since it won't be cold anymore, they should be fine. But I will keep you updated. 

But let's see what else? I've been working, working, and um... yeah working. So all very exciting. But really I'm trying to think, but I don't think I've done much of anything in the last 2 weeks. I feel like I've just sitting in on the couch on my laptop (I work from the couch now) watching TV.  Getting dressed has become a event for me. 

Growing from Seeds: Beginner Herb Garden Tips

 Hello World!

I'm writing this on MLK Day, so Happy Belated MLK Day! I had to work on MLK Day, which is blasphemous, so I didn't do anything to celebrate. But work is back in full force now. When I said work was picking up last week, I was not kidding. I literally have so much work to do, after basically two weeks of doing nothing. Fortunately, I'm still working from home, which makes things a little easier. 

So garden update - last week I was going on and on about how I excited I was for my garden,  and how great it has been. Well, this week things have taken a turn. My cilantro is not thriving as it once was, but it appears to recuperating now. Here are some tips and things I have learned in my herb garden journey:

 

Tuesdays with Kerin: Christamas 2020

 Hello World!

Welcome to Kerin's Korner 2021. If you haven't already, please go check out my post for my 2021 intentions for Kerin's Korner. My overall goal is to be more intentional this year. I don't have high hopes for 2021 as a whole - I'm thinking 2022 will be the year, but for me personally I can be better in 2021.  But 2021 just needs to be than 2020 - so just not bad.

So I'm back at work this week full time - working from home still, but I have actual work to do again. At the end of the year work slowed down, and I was on vacation all of Christmas week, but being back at work just makes me miss winter break at school. We would be out from like the 2nd week in December until after MLK Day. That's just a month of doing nothing. I mean I like not being in school, but full time adulting is hard.  But I did have a good little vacation for Christmas, and had an enjoyable Christmas with my family. I recently got an indoor grill, and I used it to make jerk chicken. It turned out pretty good, but I'm not sure anyone else enjoyed it. I also made yams, which was apparently pretty good, but I don't eat yams, so yeah...  

But what did I get for Christmas? Why, thank you for asking.  I got not 1 but 2 super soft and cozy throw blankets, because I'm always cold. I have yellow one and a gray one.  Fashion wise, I got two essential items for any classic wardrobe.  I got a Winnie the Pooh Onsie and a Christmas Llama jumpsuit, which I wore on Christmas, looking baller. Anyways, I also got a trashcan for my car because apparently I'm a slob, some clay face masks, a waterless razor, a giant scrunchie which I basically live in now,  some chocolates, a Physician's Formula glow face palette, the Revlon x WW84 eyeshadow palette, Amazon echo buds, the Mr. Robot Complete Series Blu-ray box set and the Mr. Robot Red Wheelbarrow companion novel, which if you are a fan of Mr. Robot,  I would highly recommend. 

Tuesdays with Kerin: Movies???

 Hello World!

So I think when last we spoke, I was anxiously awaiting the Clippers vs. Nuggets Game 7 of the Western Semi-finals,  and it did not disappoint. Talk about a comeback. They tryna make me a Nuggets fan!  But now they have gone on and earned the right to play Lebron and his Lakers. And so far, no good. They almost had it last game, but then there was Antony Davis so... But the Celtics-Heat series, is just as great as I thought it would be. I can't even decide who to go for. I just like both of those team so much. I like how hard they play and how they play as team. They're just both really fun to watch. 

But that's enough about the NBA #ballislife. Well... hmmm... I don't really have anything else to talk about. I mean last week all I did was work in the call center, which was so awfully terrible.  Other than that, I finally did a little more unpacking, so my room in coming together nicely. I still need just few more things for my room and bathroom, and then I think it'll be done, and I can show it on here!

Tuesdays with Kerin: Yeah I Know

 Hello World!

Yeah I know, I only posted once last week...

Yeah I know, I said I would get back to my regularly scheduled posts...

Yeah I  know, I was supposed to write my review of New Mutants or Tenet

Yeah I know, I lied.

But hey, I'm back now. It's not that I didn't want to post last week or didn't think about it. I just didn't do it. But let's not dwell on the past. Today is a new day and a new week and new chance to do things right.  I already did my first makeup post since May 2018 yesterday, which if you haven't check out you should, so this week is already turning out better than last. 

Tuesdays With Kerin: I've moved!!!

 Hello World!

I bet you didn't think you'd be hearing from me again! I apologize for taking last week off, but I was working in the call center, and then I got sick, so yeah. Anyway, I'm working from home this week, so I can get back to my regularly scheduled postings. 

So what have I been up to these past 2 weeks? Well thank you for asking.  My time was mostly consumed with my sister and I looking for a new place to stay, and we found it! And omg did we get a steal! The day after we reserved our apartment, the price went up by $600! So yeah, I'm glad we locked it in when we did. Then last week was just packing up and then I got sick which wasn't great, but I think I was just exhausted and really needed to rest, but I'm feeling much better now. 

Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst

Tuesdays with Kerin: Welcome Back Tuesday

Hello World!

Happy Belated Kobe Day...Happy Pre-Hump day... hmmm... neither one of those really work, but today is Tuesday, August 25,2020, and I am back, so Happy Tuesday. Happy Welcome Back Tuesday! I don't know what I'm saying. It's been so long since I've done this. In fact it's been exactly 2 years. That's right, my last post was 2 years ago today. That's crazy. 

Summer's Over

Hello World!

I am writing this post from the airport before I board the plane to take me home - back to H-town! This means my summer is officially over.  And it's a little bittersweet. On the one hand, I'm excited to go home and see my family, but on the other hand I'm going to miss my friends and colleagues and the work I was doing. And then there's the fact that I start school on Monday, which I am never looking forward to. :(