Festive for Friday...Not far and not fast, but enough.

I've felt a bit blah this week. Stress about an upcoming conference I'm planning at work, trouble sleeping [it's like my brain wouldn't turn off this week!], adjusting to some changes I've made in medication, the countdown until the N-boy gets home from Russia (13 days!) just lots of things. But I did have an aha moment on Wednesday.

I'm working really hard at keeping to a fitness schedule. Wednesday is a running day. I don't run very far and I don't run very fast, but running is good for me. It helps me clear my mind and I feel less stressed. But when I'm feeling blah it's sometimes super hard to get out the door and do anything, much less something that takes actual effort.

Luckily for me, BabyBrother has been super supportive of, well, pretty much everything lately, even though he's three time zones away. So we were chatting online and he kicked me off and said to go for a walk. So I shut the computer and walked to the front door and literally could not get myself out the door. I don't know what it was. Finally I realized this was silly and that if I didn't want to go outside I didn't have to, but that I could go down to the basement to Floyd the treadmill instead. Where I ran two miles at an 11:00 pace. Not far and not fast, but it was enough.

So this week my festive comes from realizing that I do have choices when it comes to my health. Festive is making healthy choices even when I don't always feel like it at the time, because I know it will make me feel better in the long run. Festive is know that I may not be fast like my new running shirt says, but knowing that putting on that shirt and going for a run is sometimes enough.

Social Media...my new frontier.

So I went to a conference for work two weeks ago where two of the sessions I attended were about using social media in international education. And they were amazing. I came back home with SO many ideas on how we can incorporate various types of social media into our office. I've literally been buzzing about them to every poor soul who makes the mistake of wandering into my glass walled cubicle. I seriously pulled up my Pinterest account to show off my "Flamingos are Festive" board in a meeting today to try and demonstrate the untapped potential that exists within the expanding world of social media.

Feel sorry for my coworkers.  

But in addition to that I'm just learning how much fun it is on a personal level. Last night, for example, I participated in a Twitter Party hosted by Tina of Carrots'n'Cake, one of the healthy living blogs I read. It was all about the new OikosFroYo. I love froyo. I love her blog. And I now love Twitter. So to me, this was super fun. I got to follow along and respond, working on other projects in other windows. 

I've used Facebook since it first came out , but now I'm getting comfortable with Twitter, too. I feel excited and relaxed and looking forward to finding more ways to engage socially with my every day life. 

What do you think about Social Media? Love? Hate? Don't really get it (I'm looking at you, coworkers!)

Starbucks Gold Card.

I reached a new high last week. Or a new low depending on how you look at it. I received my Starbucks gold card in the mail.

And I know you're wondering how I received this high honor. Basically it's a tangible demonstration of how I have been subsisting on skinny vanilla lattes, non fat caramel macchiatos and, my new personal favorite, caramel frappucinnos for the last nine months. It says, "Congratulations! You've been to Starbucks at least 30 TIMES!"

See. It literally says "Congratulations." And they gave me a gold star!

There are worse crimes in life than getting gold stars.

And I'm pretty sure that my Starbucks habit is what can be held accountable for me NOT continuing to lose weight at a highly rapid and unhealthy rate for the last six months. (That and my pizza rolls, of course).

Look at all the nice things they said! 

So now I'll get a free drink on my birthday, a free drink every 15 drinks and free refills on coffee and tea when I'm drinking in the store. Which hey, sounds like a reason I should take my computer and work on stuff in the store. So really, thank YOU Starbucks, for giving me inspiration to be more productive.

Or at least more caffeinated.

Raised Vegetable Beds

In this third year of home ownership I decided to again try my hand at a vegetable garden. We planted a garden the first spring we were in the house, and I learned some very VERY important lessons about reading and believing the information printed on seed packets.

Lesson 1: If the seed packet says that the acorn squash seeds need to be 3-5 feet apart, it is serious. It is not an attempt to deceive you. Do not plant the seeds one foot apart.

Lesson 2: If you fail to follow lesson one, you cannot use tomato cages to corral fully grown squash plants. But your husband will get a kick out of watching you try.

Lesson 3: Gardens have to be weeded, not just watered. That same water you give to the plants is also a favorite drink of the weeds. Your husband will not get a kick out of coming home after a week away for research and discovering that you have adapted the mindset that if you ignore the weeds they will go away.

Last year because of some crazy uncertainness about what our plans were (moving or not) we didn't do a garden. But this year we decided to give it another go, this time with raised beds. Our house sits on the side of an old railroad embankment, so even though the trains and tracks are long gone, a lot of bricks, glass and other debris remain in the soil. My friend Bob helped me build the beds [this adventure, aka Laura's Adventure with Power Tools, will be elaborated on in a separate post], and then the MomCat volunteered herself to fill them with soil when she was here for an extended visit.

Daddo started the seeds and then sent the seedlings out with the MomCat. Here is how they looked when I planted them on May 14.

Note the tape measure. Yes. I really did measure. 

Daddo sent me a several types of each vegetable, so I buried the cups next to the plant so I'll know what's what. 

I'd like to raid Pinterest for cute little plant markers. Maybe this weekend. 

And here is how they look on June 11. I can't believe how much they've grown in less than a month! 

I've got broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, eggplants and tomatoes. So far I've only lost one of the tomato plants, and he was sickly looking to begin with so it totally doesn't count.

What are you growing in your garden this year? Any tips for a successful garden?

Weekend Recap

This was literally the first weekend since April 19 that I wasn't traveling or entertaining. And it was glorious. I love how busy I've been this spring, but I was definitely ready for two days of hanging out at home.

Here are a few highlights of my weekend:

Used my grill and didn't catch the house on fire. 

Went to Target with Jane. 

Mocha Coconut Frappuccino. 

Took a long walk along the river on a beautiful day. 

Yes, these taste as good as they look. 

Add in sleep, a SUPER successful run, and reading outside in the sunshine, and I'd say it was a pretty darned good weekend. Here's to hoping this week is equally as good!

Farmer's Market Haul-June 9

We're full swing into the Farmer's Market season here, which means most of my weekly groceries come directly from there instead of the regular store. I don't get everything there, but do get as much as I can.

This week's haul included coffee, peppers, grape tomatoes, peaches, strawberries, baby spinach, snow peas and a steak!

Picture of the goods, minus one peach that I couldn't resist eating on the walk home! 

I cannot wait to eat these!

Now I just have to figure out how to cook the steak. I can try and figure out how to use our Weber grill (which involves a lifeline of either phone a friend or find a youtube video) or use the George Foreman (which seems sacrilege since it's a gorgeous summer day!).

Suggestions? Inspirations? Links to helpful youtube videos that tell you how to not set your steak on fire? 

Festive for Friday...Cotton Candy For the Win

Why, yes. It is Friday. Thank goodness.

A picture is worth a gazillion words this week. I bring you a one of my favorite coworkers from the university wide staff picnic this week. The theme was "Under the Big Top."  Cotton Candy for the Win.

What made your week festive?