12.22.2012

Saturday Things

With the mister off work and no school, I'm forgetting what day it is lately.  We've been busy with holiday preparation and family activities; it's been a really wonderful week.  I've even seen TWO movies: the last Twilight film with friends and my husband and I snuck out to see The Hobbit the other night.  On the flip side... it's been an awful week that I'll never forget.  I am still having a hard time with what happened in Newtown; it's difficult for me to articulate.  Thankfully someone did it really well in this Huffington Post article as did as one of my teammates, Lisa.

I have a LOT of anger about this situation and it's been exacerbated since the NRA "press conference" and the fact that I know someone who lost her nephew. (click on the link to learn more about helping the Pozner family directly)  It's a happy coincidence that I had been planning to take a week off from the social media world next week (guess I'm making it more like two weeks), as I ought to just keep my mouth shut to avoid going off the rails on a crazy train rant...

Soooooo, I'm enjoying the smell of butter and sugar with a touch of almond extract (oh yeah) while the cookies cool and the kids take a rest.  I'm sure the house will look like a bomb went off after we're done decorating them tonight - it's my favorite annual activity. 




Here's some of what we've been up to/holiday fun recommendations 'round the Seattle area:


This was the first year we decided to swing by Swansons to meet the Reindeer, and it was a hit.  Lots of stuff for the kids to enjoy and the most exciting was petting the Koi fish.  Ew.  Those things freak me out, but the kids love 'em.




This was the second year we visited the Winter Wonderland house in Woodinville and this pic just doesn't do it justice, it has to be experienced live with all of the coordinated music, etc.  It may even be worth the drive over from Seattle.  Same goes for the Bellevue Botanical Gardens:





Speaking of fun in Seattle, here's some Friday funny:

 
source
 
Friday playlist song is just a song I've been loving lately, not necessarily a running song, as I've been taking a bit of a break this month and I'm now realizing I haven't updated Daily Mile in over 20 days!  I've been running, I swear! 

Wild, by Royal Teeth.
 
 
 
 
Happy holidays all - I hope they are filled with love, laughter and relaxation.  I'll catch ya after the new year!
 
Friday playlist:
Years by Alesso featuring Matthew Koma (12/7/12) 
Walls by Sultan and Shepard (11/30/12)
Don't Wake Me Up by Chris Brown (11/23/12)
In My Mind by Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl (11/16/12)
Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia (11/9/12)
Castles in the Sky by Ian Van Dahl (11/2/12)
Sanctuary by Gareth Emery, featuring Lucy Saunders (10/26/12)
You Are My Diamond by Tiesto - featuring Kianna (10/19/12)
Numb by Usher (10/12/12)
We Are by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone (10/5/12)
Chorus by Erasure (9/28/12)
Cinema by Benny Benassi (9/21/12)
Take a Walk - Passion Pit (9/14/12)
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (9/7/12)
Space Invaders - Mark Norman (8/31/12)
Beautiful People - Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi (8/23/12)
Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes (8/23/12)
The Veldt - Cover Pop tribute to Deadmau5 & Chris James (8/23/12)
Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher (8/23/12)
Good Time - Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen (8/17/12)
Addiction - Medina (8/3/12)
We Run the Night - Havana Brown feat. Pitbull (7/27/12)
The Night Out - Martin Solveig (7/20/12)
Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells (7/13/12)
Sun is Up - Two Times (7/06/12)
Steam Machine - Daft Punk (6/29/12)
Arguru - Deadmau5 (6/22/12)
Now or Never - Outasight (6/15/12)
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns Remix (6/08/12)
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous remixed by Tiesto (5/18/12)
Call me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (4/6/12) 
 

12.16.2012

This Week's Eats

I'm amazed that I haven't gained at least five pounds in the last two weeks, with the way we've been eating and slothing.  Alas, I probably have illness to thank for it.  Ah well.  I'm finally out of the woods, but my poor son hasn't really had more than a few bites of food since Wednesday!  I'm thinking that he might have still caught the flu, even though we all get the vaccine every year.  Blargh.  Well, here's hoping that we can all eat well this week...


Check out the menu love over at Mommy Run Fast and Jill Conyers; as always, click on the links for more weekly eats!



12.14.2012

Heartbroken

My Friday Things posts are about fun, random things and I'm certainly not feelin' it today.  I feel sick to my stomach.  After I got back from my run, I could see everyone at the gym just gaping, and openly weeping, at the TVs.  I couldn't help it either, thinking of those children and their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends... 

So many of those parents had this moment earlier this year, watching their Kindergartner get on the bus for the first time.  I just can't even...


Yes, there's enough anger and sadness on the Internet and I don't want to add too much to it, but how can you NOT be angry?  I mean, how is this legal for citizens to buy???

Embedded image permalink
.223 caliber rifle
I'm not saying that people shouldn't have the right to own a gun or rifle, but it seems too hella easy to get them.  Just as we have free speech, we also have laws against slander and libel.  I dunno, I certainly don't have all the answers, but I think that it's definitely time to start asking questions about gun control and mental healthcare.  A friend said on Twitter today: we don't need metal detectors, we need MENTAL detectors.  Good food for thought...
 
I was just having a conversation with that same friend the other day about how awful it is that our kids are growing up in an age where they have to have Lockdown Drills because of stuff like this.  Just this week my five year old came home to tell us they had a drill on what to do if a 'bad person' got into their school.  He was obviously affected by it, saying he was scared of 'bugs' getting into his room that night.  My heart just broke; and it's breaking all over again into a thousand more pieces today.  Here I thought that bullying was my biggest worry.  How to talk about 'bad people'??  Here's a jumping off point from our school district's email regarding the situation:
  • Turn off or monitor the television. Endless news programs are likely to heighten anxiety, and young children cannot distinguish between images on television and their personal reality.
  • Maintain a normal routine.
  • Stick to facts. Answer questions factually.
  • Remember to filter what you say to a child. Avoid graphic details.
  • Remain calm and reassuring. Children take their cues from their parents and adults.
  • Be optimistic.
  • Be a good listener and observer. Pay attention to changes in behavior.
  • Take care of yourself. You are better able to help your students if you are coping well. If you are anxious or upset, your students are more likely to be so as well.
 "Talking to Your Kids About Natural Disasters, War, and Violence" is a Scholastic article that offers advice from a child-development expert about how to talk with kids about violent, disturbing news."Talking to Children About Community Violence" is a tip sheet from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry about how to handle discussions with kids about violence in local communities

Also, there is a bit of decent role playing suggestions from this video from Seattle Children's:


 
 
 
I know that this is an isolated incident and one of those pieces of advice from the district was to keep the normal routine.  So, after hugging him a just bit closer today (because, really, aren't we all hugging our kids daily and telling them we love them??), I just put my own Kindergartner in a time out for hitting his sister.  Just keepin' it real here. 
 
 
 

12.13.2012

Choosing a Marathon Plan



I'm very much enjoying the slothing and overeating during my favorite month of the year.  Although, I am still getting outside and to the gym for my usual 4 workouts a week (well, maybe 3 times a week with all of the sickness that keeps hitting our house) the antsy feeling to get back on a plan is creeping up on me.  It's time to choose one for my next goal: 26.2 miles in Eugene.  *gulp*  There are SO many schools of thought on how to prepare for such a crazy enterprise and I'm going a bit crazy myself thinking about how to approach things.  I have no high expectations on finishing within a certain time limit.  I really and truly just want to finish without a) puking, b) soiling myself, or c) getting injured.  According to the McMillan calculator, I could run a 4:17 or so based on my half marathon PR.  Hahahaha!  Yeaaaah, I'm giving myself lots of leeway on that prediction.  I suppose my 'A' goal would be to get 'er done in about 4:30 and my 'B' goal would be sub 5:00. 

I've ruled out the Hansons method which I've been hearing a lot about and is growing in popularity.  It's something I'd maybe be interested in trying one day - ya know, if I ever decide to run a marathon AGAIN.  But a big part of this plan is high weekly mileage and running daily.  Making the time to run decent mileage every single day would be tough for me right now with two small kids not in school full time and not to mention TIRING, which is the idea: "Our program teaches your body and mind how to run your goal pace, no matter how tired you are." But... just, no.

So there's the tried and true Higdon program which I used to complete my first half marathon last year. All the programs are free and tailored a bit more to your individual running level. As much as I love to run, just looking at the beginning weeks of the Novice 1 program have me wanting to gauge my eyes out. Day after day of 'sorta long' runs with no real direction (no intervals, pickups, or tempos) and one long run per week seems kind of boring.  I suppose I could spice it up a bit on my own, but I'd be questioning myself too much.

I sort of like the idea of the Galloway method (he's big on walk breaks) to get me through all those miles.  However, the plans looks to be 29-32 weeks long (!) so I kinda missed the boat on that and I'm also a wee bit scared of taking walk breaks after the Seattle half: if I start taking them I may not start running again...

I enjoyed using the Train Like a Mother for my last two half marathons; they have lots of variety, workouts that can be easily adapted to treadmills (lets be honest, we all have to get on the dreadmill every now and again) and certain workouts are denoted as 'essential' and 'non-essential' which is helpful with the unpredictability of life with rugrats, as I mentioned before.  So their Marathon 'Finish It' plan is definitely on the table, as well as:

The less is more plan.  This one is the highest on my list right now, as I'm keen on not getting injured along the way.  It's a (relatively speaking) low mileage plan and the three running workouts per week are specific: a tempo, interval and the long slow run.  Plus, I'll have more time in my schedule for cross training which also decreases the likelihood of injury and burnout.


I'm aiming to start on a plan by the second week in January; just in time for all the people with New Year's resolutions to start hitting the gym!  Gah.  Maybe I'll decide after the first of the year and spend some time thinking about what to gift myself after I finish the marathon... 




 


12.12.2012

One Word Wednesday - Ridiculous (aka "Clipped")


 
 
Informative and entertaining re: Crazy logo rules & restrictions by USATF/USOC/IAFF.  Also: 'poop nuggets' - gotta watch to find out...

12.11.2012

Baking, Lately

I love this time of year for so many reasons; one of which is the excuse to bake, even more so than usual.  I thought I'd share our favorite recipe for baking, as well as some other yummy things we've been gorging on lately. 

Our holiday essentials always include cranberry orange bread.  It's a recipe that my husband's grandmother used to make and is very similar to this one, although I wouldn't touch margarine with a ten foot pole and we use walnuts.

Cranberry Orange Loaf Recipe
Source

Cranberry Orange Bread
  • 1 cup walnuts (about 4oz)
  • 1 stick (4oz) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.  Place nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until very lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Leave oven on; coarsely chop nuts and set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand held mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg.  Beat 1 minute.  Gradually beat in juice.  Add flour, baking powder, orange zest and salt.  Mix until just blended. Stir in cranberries and toasted walnuts.  Spread batter into pan.

Bake until top of loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean,  50-55 minutes.  Let stand in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack and let cool completely.



I vary this bark recipe (use different chocolates, fruits, nuts, sea salt, etc), and it makes for great little gifts in a cellophane bag with a nice bow and tag, or in a cute holiday mug.  Now that I'm looking at the cranberry bread recipe above, I'm thinking of trying white chocolate with cranberries and a little orange zest for the bark...

chocolate graham toffee bark recipe, crack, candy, receipts
source

And these are sooooooooo good, from For the Love of Cooking: pumpkin cookies with browned butter icing.



I like to have this one with my coffee, I'm actually eating some right now...  It's an old Cooking Light recipe: autumn apple cake.
Autumn Apple Cake Recipe

source


Now I just have to tackle the other 200+ recipes of sweet nothings I have on Pinterest...  Tried any of these?  Any must have recipe to share?  I'm itching to try this and this soon!

12.09.2012

This Weeks Eats


We had a nice and relaxing/uneventful weekend and I must pass along a movie recommendation: Safety Not GuaranteedMark Duplass was already high on my list of favorite actors (Pete is my favorite character from The League "It is DECIDED!") and he just bumped up a notch with a hilarious and endearing performance in this movie.  Very cute, very awesome. 

Since I didn't have much of an appetite last week, I'm definitely making up for it with some indulgences this week...

  •  Monday - pizza from LOU MALNATIS! Woo! Got our one of our favorite x-mas gifts already from my mom.  Thanks, mom.
  • Tuesday - Mediterranean chicken pasta
  • Wednesday - turkey burgers (season the hell out of lean ground turkey with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, a finely diced garlic clove, and fresh cilantro. Add some breadcrumbs until they're just dry enough to form into patties. Throw some jalapenos on the grill with the burgers and then put them on top with a slice of cheddar to make them 'jalapeno popper' style, or even hide a mixture of diced chiles and cream cheese on the inside...)
  • Thursday - hot dogs from PORTILLOS! gonna make it an indulgent week of fun eats from home.
  • Friday - artichoke chicken and wild rice
  • Saturday - girls night out (finally gonna catch the last Twilight installment)
  • Sunday - Pasta e Fagioli soup

Check out the menu love over at Mommy Run Fast and Jill Conyers; as always, click on the links for more weekly eats!


12.07.2012

Friday Things

Such wonderful news to hear of Lauren Fleshman's announcement.  Oh, and yes, the Duchess of Cambridge, as well as Jessica Simpson!  BABIES!!  So exciting for all.  I'm a sucker for new baby pictures; especially new babies that aren't mine.  Huzzah!  Also, how awesome is this:




Totally one of those 'why didn't I think of that' things... 

Other fun random thing from the internet, Jay Z introducing himself to a lady on the subway:


I know, I know, more video; but, just in case you missed it:

 
I'm not a huge Mariah fan, but I love this song - it makes me think of Love Actually, which I'm getting a bit antsy for, since we only watch once a year on Christmas Eve after the kids go to bed (we watch Charlie Brown and The Grinch before bedtime).  Movies are such a huge part of the holidays for us; we watch all the usual suspects, but also on tap in the next few weeks: The Ref.  It's a yearly tradition.  I also like to catch While You Were Sleeping because it reminds me of home or Gremlins because I am nostalgic for my 80s youth.  Any other non-traditional flicks I should put in our queue? 

OK, enough about movies - here's my music for the week.  Happy weekend!

Years by Alesso featuring Matthew Koma


Friday Playlist

Walls by Sultan and Shepard (11/30/12)
Don't Wake Me Up by Chris Brown (11/23/12)
In My Mind by Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl (11/16/12)
Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia (11/9/12)
Castles in the Sky by Ian Van Dahl (11/2/12)
Sanctuary by Gareth Emery, featuring Lucy Saunders (10/26/12)
You Are My Diamond by Tiesto - featuring Kianna (10/19/12)
Numb by Usher (10/12/12)
We Are by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone (10/5/12)
Chorus by Erasure (9/28/12)
Cinema by Benny Benassi (9/21/12)
Take a Walk - Passion Pit (9/14/12)
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (9/7/12)
Space Invaders - Mark Norman (8/31/12)
Beautiful People - Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi (8/23/12)
Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes (8/23/12)
The Veldt - Cover Pop tribute to Deadmau5 & Chris James (8/23/12)
Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher (8/23/12)
Good Time - Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen (8/17/12)
Addiction - Medina (8/3/12)
We Run the Night - Havana Brown feat. Pitbull (7/27/12)
The Night Out - Martin Solveig (7/20/12)
Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells (7/13/12)
Sun is Up - Two Times (7/06/12)
Steam Machine - Daft Punk (6/29/12)
Arguru - Deadmau5 (6/22/12)
Now or Never - Outasight (6/15/12)
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns Remix (6/08/12)
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous remixed by Tiesto (5/18/12)
Call me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (4/6/12) 

12.06.2012

Books I Read in November

I meant to get this posted earlier this week, but I was struck down by some God awful virus that skipped over the kids and hit me out of nowhere.  Blargh.  There's nothing worse than having to manage two small, and highly active, kids.  Thankfully, my husband was able to get home early the other day so that I could rest.  Man, I miss having my own sick days...

Anyhow, November was a good month for reading, albeit with some rather heavy stuff; I'm now on to reading some chick lit to cleanse my book palate.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

A beautiful, yet haunting and sad, coming of age novel. "The sun kept on with its slipping away, and I thought how many small good things in the world might be resting on the shoulders of something terrible." OH, how I loved this passage. I felt so very emotionally drained after reading this book, but I did enjoy being thrust back in time (to the 80s) with June, the excellently fleshed out protagonist - an awkward and insecure teen, yet wise beyond her years. Tuck in if you like a tear-jerker.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I went and put this book on hold as soon as I got done with Gone Girl and I liked this one just as well.  Crazy intense and DARK, as the title implies. It was really hard to read about children being murdered, so I tried to quickly scan those parts because I'm not normally a fan of crime/thriller novels. But these books are so un-put-down-able. And her protagonist, Libby, is sort of horrible and sort of lovable all at the same time. But, (like Gone Girl) if you don't want to read a story about bad people doing bad things, with no good guys, no happy endings or real closure, these are not the books for you. Gillian Flynn creates some incredibly crazy complex characters and I'm in awe of her talent for writing stories that take you on a page turning ride of tension and suspense.

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

At first it was hard to get the rhythm of this book, due to the stream of consciousness writing style. But, it's well worth getting into this lovely post-apocalyptic story. That seems contradictory, but it's really quite beautiful and evocative. Yes, there is some gut wrenching stuff and rather macabre characters; but it was SO much easier to handle than reading The Road. I stupidly read that book when I was, oh, about 4 months postpartum with my first child; as if I wasn't emotional enough...  I'm still horrified when I think about it - Pulitzer, shmulitzer.  Anyhow, there are more hopeful themes and tender moments in The Dog Stars which made it more palatable, and overall enjoyable.




12.05.2012

One Word Wednesday - Lunch

and breakfast, and dinner... kids bringing on the pestilence again...

12.02.2012

This Week's Eats

Yay for a visit from Grandma this weekend!  So great to share some holiday fun with family...

Garden D'Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens
 

And yay for having someone else put the kids to bed: especially when it allows us to go out to a movie or to our favorite restaurant. 


As a Chicago girl (and also being a big fan of eating my way through Vegas) I've experienced my fair share of steak joints.  Daniels Broiler is our favorite - no question.  My brother came to visit a few years ago and took my sister in law there for dinner and they agreed that it's one of the best steak experiences they've ever had.  So if you're in the Seattle area, I highly recommend!



Chicken and Wild Rice Stew

3 cups quartered button mushrooms
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 leeks trimmed and sliced
1 cup uncooked brown and wild rice
2 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon dried thyme
32 ounces of chicken broth
1 10 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup

Place chicken on top of vegetables/rice and top with seasonings and broth. 
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4.
Stir in can of soup and cook for 15 minutes.

I'm joining the menu love over at Mommy Run Fast and Jill Conyers; as always, click on the links for more weekly eats!


11.30.2012

Friday Things

Since it's officially vacation time in our household with grandma (aka my mother in law) visiting, I'm linking to a couple of random things I've enjoyed from the internets lately. Happy Friday!


One of the other things that scares me about doing a triathlon (besides crashing on a bike) is open water swimming: there could be WHALES!

 
 
How I was feeling Monday through Wednesday after the Seattle Half:
 
 
 
 
Just in case you missed this one, it's a great story:
 
 

source
Playlist song o' the week: Walls by Sultan and Shepard
 
 
Friday Playlist
Don't Wake Me Up by Chris Brown (11/23/12)
In My Mind by Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl (11/16/12)
Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia (11/9/12)
Castles in the Sky by Ian Van Dahl (11/2/12)
Sanctuary by Gareth Emery, featuring Lucy Saunders (10/26/12)
You Are My Diamond by Tiesto - featuring Kianna (10/19/12)
Numb by Usher (10/12/12)
We Are by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone (10/5/12)
Chorus by Erasure (9/28/12)
Cinema by Benny Benassi (9/21/12)
Take a Walk - Passion Pit (9/14/12)
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (9/7/12)
Space Invaders - Mark Norman (8/31/12)
Beautiful People - Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi (8/23/12)
Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes (8/23/12)
The Veldt - Cover Pop tribute to Deadmau5 & Chris James (8/23/12)
Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher (8/23/12)
Good Time - Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen (8/17/12)
Addiction - Medina (8/3/12)
We Run the Night - Havana Brown feat. Pitbull (7/27/12)
The Night Out - Martin Solveig (7/20/12)
Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells (7/13/12)
Sun is Up - Two Times (7/06/12)
Steam Machine - Daft Punk (6/29/12)
Arguru - Deadmau5 (6/22/12)
Now or Never - Outasight (6/15/12)
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns Remix (6/08/12)
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous remixed by Tiesto (5/18/12)
Call me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (4/6/12)