It is time for me to spill the beans about my big running goals. If I post it on the internet then there is no taking it back! I’ve been open about training for an October 2020 marathon. I want to run faster than my first marathon and finish under 3 hours 30 minutes.  However, this isn’t the finish line that my big goal is focused on. 4 Year Plan The real finish to my running goal is to go sub 3 hours and PR again to qualify to run in the Canadian Olympic Marathon Trials in fall 2023.  If I work my hardest, wear the fastest shoes, and have perfect conditions then ..read more

For those of you reading this (aka my grandma), I thought it was time I confessed and came clean about something you probably suspected all along. I suck at being a mom blogger. I don’t need to sugar-coat it or pretend it isn’t true. I suck and I’m ok with that. Just so we’re clear, I’ve written this lightheartedly and it is in no way vengeful to the amazing mom bloggers out there. I’ve narrowed it down to the top 5 reasons why I suck at being a mom blogger: I took too long to finally find my niche. I don’t enjoy the behind the scenes shit. I lack photography skills. I don’t want to monetize ..read more

Last month I etched my future running goals in stone [2020 marathon!!]. Now I’m re-thinking how I want to achieve my goals. I had assumed that after two pregnancies, my competitive running days were done. I thought I would never again set a new personal record in any race distance. What I have learned this past year is that I am stronger than ever. I have finally figured out my nutrition and lost the few extra pounds that had been hanging out around my midsection for most of the 21st century. I am focused and ready to take on a challenge and push my limits. The Little One that Runs Did you kno ..read more

Hi Friends, Sorry I’ve been MIA on this blog recently. My 18 month parental leave has come to an end and I have returned to work. I’ll share more about my return to work in an upcoming post, but I’m glad to be back because I really enjoy my career. I also love my kids, but I know they are in good hands at daycare. I’d love to hear from you about how you felt returning to work. See ya’, Shelby ~ Mouse House Mom     The post Back to Work appeared first on Mouse House Mom ..read more

2019 still has a few months to go, but I’m looking into the future at my next running goals… to infinity and beyond! In my last post I shared that I was contemplating a marathon. This would be my second marathon and I’d be running it with the goal of improving my time. Ideally I’d want 3:45, but I’d also be happy with a time of 3:58 just so I could have the fastest marathon time in my household. Yeah, I’m competitive like that. Today I’m sharing my future goals that took careful consideration and have been made with the support of my family. This isn’t my typical blog post – it won’t help you ..read more

I’m one of those crazy plan ahead people. For BIG goals, I like to have details worked out months (ok, it is really years) in advance. For the past month, I’ve been contemplating running a marathon. A marathon is a huge commitment as a runner and as a parent. I completed my first marathon in 2007 and even though I puked my guts from mile 11 until the finish, I still told anyone who would listen that it was the best day of my life.Life was different in 2007. I was single, living in a trendy downtown neighbourhood, and had landed my career job. Life was good. I could be selfish in my training be ..read more

I’m not big into “date night”, but a trip to the Richmond Night Market without kids is definitely worth while. My top 5 tips for a fun filled (and belly filled) date night at the Richmond Night Market are: Know you’re pre-Market options. Be early. Bring cash. Familiarize yourself with food options beforehand (if you’re reading this then you’re on the right track). Pack baby wipes or napkins. I’ve also included the Mouse House Mom food suggestions at the bottom of this post. Know Your Pre-Market Options My husband and I live about 40 minutes away from Richmond so aiming to leave the house aro ..read more

With my half marathon on Sunday, my race week rituals are underway. I’m excited to step up to the start line and see what these mom-of-two legs of mine have in them. My last two half marathons have been RunDisney races, where I run for fun photo ops instead of for time. This Sunday I’ve set a time goal of “under 2 hours”. I’ve had to rethink my time goals since having kids and maybe one day I’ll get back to speedier times, but that’s not my current focus. The week before the race isn’t when you decide you need to start cross training or overhaul your nutrition. However, I have a few race week ..read more

Hello friends. I have some exciting news to share on the blog today: I’ve made the 2019 Vancouver Mom Top 30 Bloggers. To say I’m thrilled is an understatement. For the last 10 years, VancouverMom.ca has conducted its Top 30 mom blogger search. In 2017, when I was in the early stages of developing and launching Mouse House Mom, the Top 30 list was announced and I remember reading each of the profiles and being inspired to carve out my little niche on the web. Two years later, I’m truly honoured to be included as one of the VMTop30. I’ve always wanted my blog to reach others, build connections ..read more

Some weeks are harder than others and for me this has been one of the harder ones. With my baby turning one on Wednesday it made me extra emotional. With a birthday comes a birthday party and we are hosting about 30 people in our house this weekend. Every day this week I tried to tackle a cleaning and reorganization task to get my house looking its best for the party. Of course, this is the week I have my 20 kilometre training run! I’m glad to say that while I’ve had late nights all week, I am no longer stressed about hosting. Last night’s late night was focused on making homemade donuts to se ..read more