August 2011

These pretty flowers are bloomin’ all over what I thought was a simple, boring bush hidden in a back corner of my yard.  Surprise, surprise!   Another fun surprise was seeing this article in the Charlotte Observer about Operation Beautiful and the Operation Beautiful book!  I forgot it was coming out today until my landlord [...]

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again – the key to regular exercise when you have a variable work schedule is planning out your workout the day before.  Otherwise, you always miss the window of opportunity!   I was up bright dark and early for a 30-minute walk with James.  The rest of [...]

Nicole texted me around 5 and asked if I was in the mood for a walk.  I texted back, “Of course!” right away.  Walking breaks are good for the soul.  Especially when you’re writing on deadline.  Sometimes you’ve got to step away to end up more efficient and creative in the end.  Know what I [...]

You know what’s coming… But first – lunch!   This meal was a twist on my Creamy Dreamy Roasted Chickpeas.  I didn’t have any chickpeas on hand, so I subbed in pinto beans.  I also used orange juice instead of lemon juice. The changes were nice.  The beans still had that sweet but citrusy flavor, [...]

‘Tis a wonderful day for a run. My last race was the extremely epic Lake Logan Olympic Triathlon on August 6.  Since that weekend, I haven’t given much thought to training or racing.  No logging of mileage.  No weekly plans.  I’ve just been aiming to move a little bit every day, run three times a [...]

We were busy bees today! I’ve had two fabulously productive work days in a row.  So nice.  I think it was all about an attitude shift – I decided I was going to be productive and stop slackin’ off (I’m talking about you, Twitter…).  And guess what?  Suddenly I’m productive.  Who would’ve thunk it?   [...]

You may be asking:  what the heck is teff? Teff is a wheat-free grain alternative, native to Northeastern Africa.  It's is packed with nutrients, including iron, calcium, and thiamin.    The grains are teeny tiny and taste nutty, like hazelnuts.  Just look how small teff looks next to to a grain of rice! I’ve been [...]

There are many reasons that I love being a dog owner.  One (slightly selfish) reason is that a dog is a built-in walking buddy.  James gets me out of the house and on my feet.  A few months ago, I made a commitment to James that I would walk him for at least 15 minutes [...]

A very productive Monday, indeed.  I played super secretary at the clinic, wrote my little heart out, and finished off my plans for a blog redesign (happening in two – three weeks!).   And I bought a new camera lens.  A very good Monday, all around. (For the fellow photography nerds:  I got the Tamron AF [...]

It’s hot and humid out there – I could feel the heat radiating off the pavement throughout my entire run.  I was drenched by the time I finished 3.0 miles. Since it was so unbearably hot outside, I took lots of walk breaks.  So many people think you can’t take walk breaks and be a [...]

After a whirlwind weekend of travel, fun, food, and meetin’ and greetin’ at the Healthy Living Summit…   (Source) …It sure feels good to be home!   The question on all my blog friends’ lips this weekend was, “How do you like Charlotte?”  The answer:  Charlotte is amazing.  I’ve lived in four major cities (Miami, [...]

When I left for Philadelphia on Friday, the Husband promised he’d pick me up from the airport on Sunday and take me out on a dinner date.  I think he knew I’d be sad to leave all my blog friends at the Healthy Living Summit.  Kristien had a busy weekend while I was away.  He [...]

The last 24 hours of the Healthy Living Summit was all about Philly’s Finest.   Philadelphia Finest Fun: And Philadelphia’s Finest FOOD! After wrapping up the conference, a group of us headed out for a night on the town.  We started off at a swanky cocktail bar for drinks and appetizers: A Pink Tickle  - [...]