Hey guys! I get to do something really fun next week in Dallas (Arlington, specifically). And that is my first ever color run. I’ll be running the Color Vibe 5K next Saturday, thanks to Tum-E Yummies who have been nice enough to sponsor me. 

Truthfully, we’re a water, milk and extremely watered down 100% apple juice family. We don’t keep sodas or other sugary drinks of any kind in the house.

But we do let the kids choose something as a treat for special occasions or rewards. I honestly didn’t know anything about Tum-E Yummies before Emily contacted me, but once I saw that it had only 13 grams of sugar and 50 calories per 10.5 ounces plus a day’s supply of vitamins B6, B12 and C, I figured it was a pretty safe bet for that occasional “treat drink” (as my kids call it). Not too surprisingly, they were pretty thrilled at the prospect of getting to “test” all the different flavors.

tume yummies

They won’t be running with me next week, but in keeping with Tum-E Yummies bright colors and the the rainbow hues which I will be getting pummeled with, I put  together a list of color run race day “essentials” (I use that word very loosely as I’m sure you’ll see).

essentials

1. Colorful pouch for toting snacks, lip balm, Kleenex, sunglasses, etc.

2. Water bottle, natch.

3. Rainbow socks.

4. Colorful floral nail polish stickers.

5. Silly string. (If everybody’s getting blasted with color, they might as well get blasted with this too, right?).

6. Tissues. The better to blow paint out of my nose. Ew.

7. Tum- E Yummies. I’m not gonna lie. Mama thinks they taste pretty good too, but I doubt my kids will actually leave me any (P.S. that random headband was courtesy of the twins right before I took this pic, and I didn’t notice it until after I was already editing; hey, at least they stayed with the color scheme).

8.  Sour Patch Kids. These are a major guilty pleasure for me, y’all, and there’s no way I’ll actually need a sugar burst right in the middle of only a three mile run. But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared!

9. Pink shades. I’m pretty sure I will look ridiculous in these. But in every picture I looked at, the people running were wearing sunglasses, which totally makes sense after you see just how covered in paint they are. No fun to get it in your eyes.

10. Trail mix, with M&M’s, of course. Yes, more sugar, but hey, at least this version has nuts.

11. And just in case I come down even an inch from my trail mix + Sour Patch sugar high, I can always eat a chocolate chip cookie (using my favorite recipe). I substituted peanut M&Ms instead of the usual Heath bits, and they’re pretty great.

12. White top and shorts. The whole point of a color run (other than, you know, running) is to get absolutely blasted with every color in the rainbow. So, white is the best clean canvas for showing up all those bright colors.

13. Of course, I don’t really want my hair flinging color in my eyes, so I decided to make a DIY head-wrap.

I got 1/8 of a yard of this slightly stretchy, sequined fabric (the sequins are rainbow colored in the sun), since nothing else about this whole set up had anything to do with subtlety, and I figured it was best to just embrace the flamboyance.

I had a grand plan to cut my fabric up and sew a headband, tapering the shape to fit my head. And then I tried it on and realized…it needed no sewing.

All I did was fold the edges in a little in the middle and then a little more and a little more until I got to the ends, then wrapped it around my head, tied a knot in the back, and—voila!—a DIY headband that literally took 30 seconds to make.

As a busy mama of 5, I can emphatically say, that is MY kind of project!

IMG_0212-001

(See how the thickness tapers down on the ends? I didn’t shorten the length at all, so this is just an 1/8 of a yard wide X 44” long)

IMG_0220

Who knows? Those “tails” may bother me while I’m running. I’ll probably do a test run (ha ha) and cut them shorter if they do, but I still love how the stretch of the fabric and the width keep my hair in place (my head must be shaped like a bullet because it tends to shed headbands within 5 minutes).

IMG_0235-001

Just a quick knot in the back, and you’re good to go! Easy peasy!

I’ll make sure to post pics after the race to let you know how it holds up.

Don’t you love it when a project ends up being even easier than you expected (practically never happens around here!).

6 Comments

  1. Abby, Hi there! Where did you get the artwork that is behind you in the headband pics? I love it…one of me and my family’s favorite songs. God bless you girl! A beautiful and blessed Easter to you and your brood. Elise
    PS…good luck in the run! 😉

    1. Hi Elise!

      I got the Come Thou Fount art from Ross. Sorry. Not much help, but maybe you’ll stumble across one of your own?

  2. Little tip for your headband… not sure if it’ll work the same on your curls but might be worth a try. For Halloween two years ago I made Cinderella’s blue satin headband for slippery toddler hair and put a couple rows of hot glue on the underside to grip. It worked GREAT.

  3. I’m running a 1/2 marathon next weekend and trying to figure out what to do with my hair. During training, I’ve been using a cheapy plastic headband that has been serving me well. However, my hair is getting too long and sometimes it blows into my mouth despite the headband. It’s too short for a ponytail, though. UGH! Maybe I’ll try your idea.

  4. Have fun! I did the Color Vibe last year here in Salem, Oregon and loved it! The “paint” is colored cornstarch and didn’t have too many problems with it getting in my eyes or nose. I plan to do it again this year.

I love hearing from you guys!