Monthly Archives: October 2013

*My little Honey Boo Boo Dog got his teeth cleaned on Monday and had a little surgical procedure to biopsy his nose so we can see how severe his autoimmune situation is. You guys I WAS A WRECK. Both Garrett and I slept terribly the night before knowing that I’d be dropping him off in the morning to eventually get put under for a period of time, and man it was a dark time until our fluffy white dog was back home dominating the couch and providing snuggles free of charge. I’m so glad we did both procedures but I NEVER want to do that again. It was a long 8 hours to be away from our little pooch, not knowing his status and when they finally called to say that he was awake and groggy (but wagging his tail, YAY!) I felt like I had dropped a 100 lb sandbag off my back. Of course he has to wear the cone when we aren’t around until he gets his nose stitches out, which is the saddest thing ever. But we are just GLAD HE IS HOME AND OK!

*The other day I found myself longing for the days when I was reading the Twilight series. How sad is that, you guys? I’ve read some good books since, of course, but I have not been fully WRAPPED UP in a set of books since that damn Twilight series and I miss it. This is the perfect time of year to hang a “Don’t Bother Me, I’m Reading” sign around my neck and curl up under a blanket or in a piping hot bathtub. I want to read a cliff hanging series of books that I can’t put down! I’m all for suggestions.

*So the other night I had a totally spiritual moment while watching Dawson’s Creek. I KNOW. Bear with me for a second. So Garrett and I have been slowly making our way through the series for months now and we have officially reached the college years. Dawson’s Dad just…uh, well…you know if you have already watched it (the fact that I feel compelled to not spoil a 15 year old series is probably stupid, but I do) and Katie Holmes is off at college and there is this scene where her roommate walks in and is bitching about the boys who like her vs. the boys who like Katie Holmes and she makes the comparison that Katie Holmes has all these Tom Cruise type gentlemen who are into her.

You guys, it was 2001. How freaky weird is it that in 5 years she would be MARRIED TO HIM? I mean, so weird, right? She had no idea! Both Garrett and I kind of looked at each other like man, I bet it was not even a possible thought in her mind. So then of course I went down this giant rabbit hole of thought about what will happen to all of us in the future that we CAN’T EVEN FATHOM right now. Obsessive planners like me need to have these Dawson’s Creek moments every once in a while, just to give ourselves permission to just let life happen you know? It’s all unfolding as it should. Should we do a group Om or something?

Nah, let’s skip it. 🙂

*So on the opposite end of the spiritual spectrum, I need some good leggings, you all. I have some cheapy $8 Target leggins but they are flimsy and not that warm and sort of for looks only and seem like they are one wash away from completely unraveling even though they are not that old, so I wonder: Where does one buy some good, warm-ass leggings? You people who live in cold weather states have to have suggestions. I don’t even mind if it’s a bit of an investment.

*On the non-investment spectrum, you guys NEED NEED NEED these sweatpants. They are about the most comfortable, soft, awesome sweatpants known to man. There is my PSA. I am not even joking, they are PERFECT.

*If you don’t eat dairy, please disregard this message. If you do, please eat this Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili. I don’t eat beans and corn so I omitted those ingredients and then served it over a giant bowl of roasted kale and it was Tasty Town!

*Lame Technology Question Alert: We are looking into getting some sort of tablet, is this what they are called? Basically I want an iPad but I don’t want to spend a million dollars because I am primarily going to use it for looking at recipes while cooking in the kitchen. Also, I’d like to be able to read Kindle books. IMPART YOUR WISDOM ON ME PLEASE! Do you have one? Do you love it? Did you buy an iPad and want to convince me it totes worth the cash to just have an iPhone with a bigger screen? Let’s discuss!

*I have more down vests than a normal person should but I really want one with a fur hood and I just wanted to let you know so that you won’t be shocked next season when I show up on Real Housewives of New Jersey with huge hair wearing one. Where I would belong.

And how are YOU?

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This weekend it finally happened.

I don’t know if it was because I spent a lot of time outside and got in some great workouts. I don’t know if it was because I cooked good food and hung out with good friends. I don’t know if it is because I made time to read books in a piping hot bubble bath, or because I spent an hour doing a meditative yoga class. I don’t know if it has to do with the weather or the season or the fact that it was just my birthday so the lunar clock is starting all over. Whatever the reason, I am so grateful that this weekend my inspiration and feeling of renewal showed back up with a vengeance and as such I’m feeling the energy to take on some new things.

I’m changing up what I’m eating a little bit.

Well, I shouldn’t say that — I’m eating the same things, I’m just toying with my macronutrient ratios. I love a good food experiment, so I’m diving head first into this one. I’m not actually sure I’ll like it, it will work for me, or I’ll keep doing it so I am going to wait to blog about it, but it has me feeling a little creative in the kitchen.

A Year of Yoga

I bought a year of unlimited yoga classes this weekend as a birthday present to myself. I haven’t been doing much in the last, probably 6 weeks, and I’ve missed it. (And so has my hip flexibility!) There was a special going on at the studio I go to and I thought — WHAT THE HELL? You’re worth it, self! It was a bit of a hefty investment, but class for class it is dirt cheap. Plus something about the convenience of having it paid for and not having to look at my schedule and factor out the most efficient class deal just feels like a relief.

The “Stuff That Makes Me Happy” List

This weekend I sat down and made a very simple list — Stuff that makes me happy. It’s not specific, it includes things like “Learning new things” and “Listening to podcasts” plus “Walking the dog” and “Time to browse pinterest for recipes.” Stupid things, really. But I put it up where I could see it, and I’m going to start using during the zoning hour. Do you have the zoning hour? For me, it’s right after I get dinner on the table. After we eat I’m just so damn happy to be sitting down that I end up watching some crap television for way too long and then lamenting about how I never have time to do the things I want to do. So I thought a few times a week I’d try and pick something off the list each night — something I obviously enjoy doing — and then do that instead. Like an advent calendar of fun crap!

I’m happy to have the energy and drive to get excited about some of this stuff! Hooray fall!

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*Well I have taken an intermission from freaking out about my age, thank god. I think I just needed a moment, a pep talk (thank you to all who contributed to that) and a bit of perspective. I worked out with some awesome folks last night and I’ll tell you what, I am always inspired at the gym. I work out with so many people who make me say “DAAAAANG, I hope when I’m their age I’m that fit!” Ok, ok also, I did some retail therapy and that didn’t hurt one bit (Lululemon and Athleta LOVE ME right now.) The upside of retail therapy at 35 vs retail therapy at 21 is that you can afford MUCH cooler stuff, right? 🙂

*Speaking of cool stuff, I still love my Fitbit One. Hot damn, that is a fun little gadget! I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a longer review of it because it is rad and I’m finding it useful for a number of things besides being a glorified $100 pedometer, but I don’t know if you guys are all like “Snooze, I’ve had a Fitbit for 20 years already, no need to review it.” If you are interested let me know, otherwise I’ll just go on talking about it at random.

*Speaking of Fitbit awesomeness, I am absolutely obsessed with the sleep measure function and I have made it a game/mission to get more than 8 hours of sleep every night because of it and I totally broke a 7 days streak last night by only getting 7+ hours! WOMP WOMP

Bar graphs, I LOVE YOU!

*So I know I am late to the party on basically everything and this is news to no one, probably – but I hope you all are enjoying the website awesomeness that is Inspiralized. When I was in Des Moines recently having cocktails (and FREAKING AWESOME poutine!) with Jillian we were discussing how inspiring this website is and I totally impulse purchased a spiralizer. It’s a bit of a clunky kitchen gadget so I wasn’t sure I would like it but it is FUN AS HELL! Friday night I’m making butternut squash pasta, and I am already thinking about it!

*Since we are talking kitchen adventures, I’ve been cooking through Well Fed 2 this week and it has been so fun! Last night we had Tod Mun Chicken Cakes and they were THE BOMB! I mixed up the chicken before our workout, cooked em up after and it was such a fun, exotic weeknight dinner. I’d show you a picture, but we ate off of paper plates in our workout clothes while watching Dawson’s Creek on Netflix. (OMG, we are into the College Years and man, that show is so much less realistic than I remember! haha) Luckily, Michelle just posted some GORGEOUS photography of her cooking adventures and talked about that exact recipe. Go check it out! More to come on this cookbook. It makes me so happy when my friends make awesome stuff!

*And now we have come to the very important question that is on my mind every winter: Do I cut bangs? OH, THE HAND WRINGING!!! 🙂

Happy Hump Day, Y’all!

I can’t believe I turned 35 yesterday and you know why? Because I can still so vividly remember my 23rd birthday.

I went out to dinner with friends and wore a black and white striped tank (my style choices have clearly remained consistent, ha!) that I hemmed and hawed about in my mind because I thought my arms were too flabby. Ultimately I talked myself into it because “I was too old for this body shaming bullshit.” Ah, yes. Much too old!

My hair was dyed some wonky reddish color, as was the norm in those days, and Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American album was blasting on repeat in my car. I had picked a Cuban restaurant because I was feeling oh-so-very worldly in all of my 23 years, but was shocked when the Pollo Asado I ordered showed up and and was CHICKEN WITH A BONE IN IT!

The horror!

We all were sort of underwhelmed by the food, but mostly I think because it wasn’t Tito’s Tacos or In-n-Out.  I hadn’t really learned to cook yet, you see, or rather I hadn’t learned to cook things that didn’t come out of a box so my palette was limited. But truth be told, in those days I’d rather drink my calories anyway, so no big deal.

It was a good night, with fun folks, but it was also a weird time. Weird because I was living 6 hours from most of my friends and family and had only sort of found my tribe. Weird because it was a month after 9/11 and our entire country was still so confused. Weird because I was super unhappy in my job but hadn’t the slightest idea on what to do. Weird because I was so unhappily single. Weird, because 23 is right smack in the middle of your twenties and there is nothing NOT weird about that entire decade as I look back on it in my rear view mirror.

I am so, so happy to be in my 30s. I want to shout that from the rooftops all day long. But 35. Something about 35 just has a certain sound about it that I am not quite used to just yet.

“Your butt starts to sag when you’re 35, you know” said my hilarious co worker.

“I had an 11 year old when I was 35, you know” said my mother.

“I hope you don’t want to have kids at that age” said a SUPER RUDE person in an elevator recently.

It seems to be an age with so many expectations and yet disappointments waiting around every corner. I’m not quite sure yet what to think, but usually I feel super renewed on my birthday and ready to see what comes. While I had a SUPER FUN birthday weekend, and a great day on my actual birthday shopping with my mom, I’m not quite feeling the zest I usually feel. Am I crazy? If you have a birthday pep talk, I’m all ears.