April 29, 2016

Reading Lately- April

I mentioned yesterday that I'm 5 books behind my book challenge on Goodreads. While I don't really care about the number of books I read, this upsets me because I hate that I've become that person who doesn't have time to read. I'll write my April recap and May goals this weekend and I can promise you that reading more will definitely be on that list!


This month, I read one book. I'm almost finished with "Animal Dreams" so it will actually end up being two, but not in time for this post! That means that I get to spend a lot of time talking to you about this month's book club pick, "It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War" by Lynsey Addario. If you're new around here, my good friend, Carolann, and I host a book club through Goodreads. Each month, we take suggestions for books and everyone votes on what they want to read and has the option to discuss on their blogs each month!


I have really mixed feelings about this book. It's been on my reading list for several months now. I even listed it as one of the 5 Books to Read Before They Become Movies (starring Jennifer Lawrence) before I even read the book!

I'll start with this. I think this is a book that should be read. I think that it's an important story to tell - the risks that journalists take to let us know what's going on around the world. That being said, I think that some of the risks that Lynsey Addario took were unnecessary. I think that she put a lot of people in danger, including US military, and I think that her need to get the perfect shot no matter the situation was desperate.

Full disclosure: I went to college for Journalism. Midway through my 3rd year of school, I realized that my professors' lectures about the need to get the perfect story or perfect shot AT ALL COSTS wasn't for me. I didn't want to be the person sticking a microphone in someone's face minutes after a tragedy. I think that doing that with a camera is even worse. It's important to tell stories, but I don't believe it's important to exploit people's pain.

In one example, while in Iraq, she says, "We parked our cars along the road near a checkpoint as we tried to get information about the situation in Khurmal and to photograph their fear." The next page shows a pretty graphic photo of a severely wounded Kurdish soldier with his brain showing through his hair. That sentence, 'photograph their fear,' really bothered me.

At one point, Lynsey goes on a mission with American troops. The troops are basically on patrol and there isn't a lot of excitement. She says, "A part of me always quietly hoped for a brief gun battle; there were only so many pictures I could take of troops standing guard with their guns and talking with villagers." Later, a gun battle does ensue and one US soldier is killed.

Later, in another example, while she's following US troops around, a soldier breaks down. He falls apart and says that he can't do it anymore. The scene is very powerful. This soldier is in the middle of the dessert. He's at war. He's away from his family and friends. He's seen his friends die. He knows that he can be next, and when he falls apart, she says that she was relieved that it was one of the soldiers who broke down and not her. She didn't feel sympathy or compassion, she was just happy that it wasn't her. There is so much of this book that didn't sit well with me but what bothered me the most was this particular passage about her work in Sudan,

"It seemed paradoxical to try to create beautiful images out of conflict, but I found that my more abstract images of Darfur provoked an unusual response from readers.Suddenly I was getting requests for fine art prints of rebels in a sandstorm or blurred refugees walking through the desert for several thousand dollars. I was conflicted about making money from images of people who were so desperate, but I thought of all the years I had struggled to make ends meet as a photographer,and I knew that any money I made from these photos would be invested right back into my work."
Wow. She's justifying making thousands of dollars off of people's pain and struggle with the fact that she struggled financially. She's talking about shooting in one of the worst countries in the world, in an area that hosts one of the worst humanitarian disasters in global history.

I don't have a problem with the fact that she made money off of her images. I really don't. I do have a problem with her justification of it. If she had said that she felt conflicted but that ultimately, her photographs led to widespread media attention that demanded intervention in Darfur, I could accept that, but I don't think it's right to say, "Hey I struggled so I can take pictures of people's struggle and make money of of it."

I think that her goal is that her images will be used to affect change, that by showing images of civilians in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Lybia, wherever, that people might be compelled to change things. I do think that Lynsey wants to make the world a better place, just in a different way that I do, but I also question a lot of her thinking.

That being said, I appreciate her candor and I'm glad she wrote the book she wanted to, without fearing repercussion.

Have you read "It's What I Do?"
Do you think you'll read it or see the movie? 
What have you read this month? Link up with us and let us know!










April 28, 2016

Currently...



Feeling... happy.

Reading... "Animal Dreams" by Barbara Kingsolver. I'm 5 books behind my Goodreads Challenge and it makes me sad! I did manage to read this month's Beyond Words book club book, and tomorrow is the link-up!

Watching... Gilmore Girls, Scandal, and Mindy Project. I'm obsessed with Gilmore Girls. Scandal has gotten weird, and I'm glad Mindy is finally back!

Listening to... "America's Sweetheart" by Elle King. This song might be 6 months old by now since I never listen to the radio, but I can't get enough of it! This, and her other song, "Exes and Ohs," I love them both! Did you know that she's Rob Schneider's daughter?

Thinking about... finances, real estate,

Working on... May meal planning (and posts related to it!).

Needing... to get my running groove back. I haven't run since I was in San Francisco. Ever since I came back from injury, my heart just hasn't been in it. I have no intention of giving up running, but I don't know how to get that back.

Wanting... to go for a hike but it's supposed to rain all weekend.

Annoyed... at the 2016 election. I'm so sick of it. I'm tired of the debates and town halls, the constant media attention paid to certain controversial candidates, all of it. I just want it to be November so we can all move on with our lives.

Excited... to start at a new office next week! My company is moving right up the street to a gorgeous office space  and I can't wait!

Hoping... that things will slow down at work next month so that I can reset!

Loving... life!

Hoping to get back to link ups next week with this post!
Until then, what's on your list?




April 25, 2016

Morning Coffee

Good Morning friends! Happy Monday!

It's been awhile since I've written one of these posts and since my posts have been less frequent than normal, I thought I'd update you all on what's been going on over a little coffee date!



So, if we were having coffee, I would tell you that:

I think I'm still jetlagged from my trip to San Francisco. A few really late nights at work this week didn't help. but I'm exhausted. I had the day off on Friday and I slept until 11. Saturday wasn't much different. I spent the day binge watching Gilmore Girls while doing laundry and a little bit of cleaning, but I really needed the weekend to just veg out.

I didn't run once last week...or any other form of exercise. I came back from San Francisco with a really strange soreness in my hip and I was exhausted, so I took the week off. I already feel better.

I still hate my haircut. Yup, the one I got 2 months ago? My bangs are growing out in the weirdest way possible and pinning them back isn't an option because of the way they were cut and I'm agonizing over the day that they fully grow back.

Monthly meal planning is working out wonderfully. I wrote this post at the beginning of the month about my meal planning epiphany to meal plan once at the beginning of the month and recycle all meals. On top of being wildly easy, I'm saving so much money by not having food go to waste and knowing exactly what to do with what's in my fridge. I wanted to test this out before I went into detail about it, but since it's working so well, I plan to share next month's meal plan with menus and walk you through the process week by week!

I need a serious reset on my work-life balance. I love my job but I have never been so busy in my life. Things will hopefully slow down a little bit in May before picking back up again in June, but I need to start making more time for myself - morning workouts, planned lunch breaks, scheduled time-outs in the evening, more time for reading, more time outside (if it ever gets warm enough to actually just be able to lay in the grass and enjoy the sun), etc.

My first year in Junior League is almost over. I'll finish the last of my requirements this week and then I'll be done! I liked my first year in the League but I'm excited for next year when I won't have as many requirements.

I'm on Season 3 of Gilmore Girls and I'm totally hooked. I don't know why I never watched this show when it was on, but I love it!

That's all I've got! I'm hoping to back to posting regularly soon!
What would you talk about over coffee this morning?

April 21, 2016

Currently...



Feeling... jet lagged. Every time I go to the West Coast, without fail, it takes me at least a week to recover. 

Reading... "Animal Dreams" by Barbara Kingsolver. After two months of reading books that I haven't liked, I'm reverting to Barbara Kingsolver, who has never steered me wrong. I haven't read this one before and it's slow moving, but in a good way, like a lot of her other novels. 

Watching... Gilmore Girls. I don't know how I never watched this show, but I really love it! I just finished Season 2 and goodness, I love it!

Working on... well, I hadn't responded to a blog comment in almost three weeks and I did that last night. Hopefully, I can get back to posting regularly. April is about as busy for grant writers as it is for accountants and this month is definitely the busiest I've had. I worked until midnight on Tuesday!

Needing... to sleep in and recover from jet lag. 

Wanting... a nice, relaxing weekend. Unfortunately, I feel like this weekend I'll be too busy unpacking from my trip, cleaning, and catching up  but I'm hoping to spend at least an inappropriate amount of time on the couch binge-watching television.

Annoyed... at millennial bashing. People have always complained about "kids these days," but for some reason, the fact that we have a "title" and that millennial bashing is so public is infuriating. 

Excited... to be planning another trip to Paris this summer!

Hoping... to figure out what I'm doing with my running life soon. Spoiler alert plans have changed.

Loving... being home after a wonderful week in San Francisco and finally having spring weather!

No link-up this week, but what's on your list?





April 18, 2016

5 Days in San Francisco

A short week on the West Coast was just what I needed to give myself a reset after a miserable winter in DC and a spring that seemed like it was never going to come. 

The best part was coming home to warm DC weather, long walks with Peyton, and spending the afternoon soaking up the sun.

Let's talk about San Francisco though.


I left after work on Monday and landed around 11:30pm. My brother-in-law picked me up from the airport and took me to his and my sister's place where I promptly crashed before being woken up what felt like 5 minutes later by my nephew who wanted me to have breakfast with him before school. 

Tuesday morning, after dropping him off at school, my sister and I headed into San Francisco. She had to go to work and I was spending the next few days with my friend Stephanie. I picked her keys up from her at her office and headed to her place. I was working remotely while I was in San Francisco so I found a coffee shop near Steph's place in the Marina to get some work done. 

The Pilot got to San Francisco just as I was finishing things up for the day. We met Steph by her office on Embarcadero and hopped on the BART to make our way to Oakland for the A's game! I've been to San Francisco half a dozen times and the A's have never been in town until this week so that was exciting!  


On Wednesday, The Pilot and I headed out for a run. Later that night, I told Steph that I thought we had run up the three steepest hills in San Francisco. I waited for her to tell me that everyone says that but instead, she asked which three streets we ran up, and when I told her, she confirmed that yes, we did run up the three steepest hills in the city. Seriously, my legs are still sore! Yikes!

Do you SEE those hills? We ran up Lombard Street (the 'crookedest' street in the world) and this other street that I'm practically flying off of!
On our run, we saw all of the touristy things at rapid speed...or at least, as quickly as we could after running up those monster hills...Ghiradelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39. We headed back to the Marina and had a late lunch on Union Street in the Marina before grabbing ice cream sundaes at Ghiradelli and heading back to Steph's to get ready to head to the festival!

The Tiburon Film Festival had started the week before but my sister's film was premiering on Wednesday. Before the film, my sister invited the sold out crowd to a pre-party at a bar in Tiburon. I don't think Tiburon was prepared for an influx of loud Latinos but we had a blast.


I hadn't seen my sister's film before the festival and I absolutely loved it. It exceeded all of my expectations and I felt so proud and inspired by her!

We stayed out way too late celebrating after the film and I woke up way too early on Thursday morning to take a conference call that I didn't actually have! The Pilot and I spent the day in Golden Gate Park, seeing the Oscar de la Renta exhibit at the De Young, and wandering around the park. 


We met up with Megan for a phenomenal lunch at a Oaxacan restaurant nearby! Megan and I have been blog friends since I started my blog and it was so great to meet her in person! 


After lunch, we made our way back through the park and out to Haight Ashbury. We wandered down Haight Street all the way down to Steiner to see the Painted Ladies. After that, it was time to head back to Steph's and make our way to Fairfax (a SF suburb) to meet up with my brother-in-law and nephew for pizza and ice cream. My sister was at the Festival and we all met up at her place afterward for a long night of catching up. 

The Pilot and I stayed at my sister's on Thursday and we woke up, had breakfast with my nephew and then spent the day having lunch, eating ice cream, and playing baseball. The Festival's closing party was that night so we got all dolled up and headed to the party. We spent the night hanging out, talking to other filmmakers, and enjoying the beautiful night before heading to dinner with about a dozen people. We stayed out late into the night and on Saturday morning, The Pilot and I got up, packed our bags, and headed back to DC. 


It was a wonderfully long week and it was so great to spend time with my sister. I'm glad that spring has finally gotten itself together and arrived in DC and looking forward to a busy week of playing catch up!

How was your week?
Have you been to San Francisco?
What are your favorite things to do there?

April 13, 2016

Craving Cuba

Hello from San Francisco!

I just wanted to post a quick update and share a little bit about why I'm on the West Coast today! Tonight, my sister's documentary film, Craving Cuba, is showing at the Tiburon International Film Festival!

Her award-winning film has already premiered at the Gasparilla Film Festival in Tampa (where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary! and the Garden State Film Festival in New Jersey!)

Here's the trailer for the film! Tonight is going to be a blast!


Happy Wednesday!

April 12, 2016

Weekly Workouts

Remember last week when I said I was a fair weather runner? I definitely proved that last week when temperatures dropped to the 20s in the mornings and I woke up on Saturday morning to snow. 

Yes, snow. 

In April. 

I had an awesome week of training through Friday...and then the temperature dropped and I just didn't run. 


Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: 4 miles

Wednesday: Yasso 800s: 4 at 4:00, 3:59, 3:57, and 3:55 with 10-minute warm-up and 5-minute cool down. This run felt awesome. 

Thursday: Spin at Fly Wheel 

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: Skipped 3 mile run 

Sunday: 0.1 miles. Yup. I headed out the door for 8 miles, made it two blocks and turned around and went back inside, where it was warm. 

So that was my week. I don't know how I feel about it. I love running but I hate running in the cold. I think I'm the only runner in the world who doesn't hate the treadmill. I don't ever run with music, except when I'm on the treadmill, so maybe that's why, but I don't mind the tredamill at all. This weekend, I had to do some work and pack for my San Francisco trip so getting out to the gym wasn't happening. 

I just hope it warms up soon so that I can actually start training the way I want to...and enjoying it. 


April 7, 2016

Currently...



Feeling... waterlogged. It is pouring in DC today.

Reading... "It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War." I have a lot of feelings about this book.

Watching... I'm in that situation where I haven't watched anything because I'm either too busy or because The Pilot isn't home to watch the shows we watch together.

Working on... marathon training. I'm having an awesome week.

Needing... absolutely nothing. I'm feeling great right now.

Wanting...
The Pilot to get an extra day off next week.

Annoyed... at the new Bloglovin'. I hate that it now includes suggested posts in my feed! The appeal of Bloglovin' for me has always been that I can just hit "next" and read all of my posts on one page. Now, there are so many extra posts from bloggers that I don't follow that I have to open each post individually and it takes so much more time to read posts than it used to!

Excited...
 to head to San Francisco next week for my sister's film!

Hoping... that it's warm and sunny in the Bay Area next week!

Loving... the client event I went to last night. I had so much fun meeting awesome young high school kids in DC who are doing really great things!

I've been wanting to change the picture for this link-up, but since it's still fuzzy socks weather...it'll have to stay!

What's on your 'Currently...' list?






April 6, 2016

We Need to Talk About Harry Potter

When I was a kid, my favorite books to read fell into the fantasy genre. One day, in the 7th grade, my mom brought a book home about a boy who finds out he's a wizard and heads off to wizarding school in London.

I was hooked. Harry Potter became a defining piece of the next 9+ years of my life. I was in 7th grade when I read The Sorcerer's Stone and in my third year of college when "The Deathly Hallows" was released.

The first film adaptation of "The Deathly Hallows" came out the night before I ran my first marathon and I booked tickets in a theater in Philadelphia so that I could see it right away.

I followed the books and films religiously, desperately speculating on what would happen next to Harry and his friends.


Lately, though I'm tired of it. I've been wanting to reread the series for awhile now but I can't bring myself to because J.K. Rowling is ruining it.

It seems like every two months, J.K. Rowling comes out with some new, world-changing "fact" about the series and it's getting old.

She needs to let it go. She needs to stop tweeting new ideas and theories and let the audience speculate on their own. I'm thrilled that "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them" is becoming a film. I'd love to see more spinoffs from the film. I would love to see her write a prequel series about the original Oder of the Phoenix. There are so many ways that she can keep the Wizarding World alive without, well, ruining it.

Buzzfeed did an article last year about "new things we've learned" since the final book was released five years ago. So did Time Magazine. Some of those things don't bother me...like Moaning Myrtle's real name, or that Harry's son was sorted into Gryffindor. I appreciate that J.K. Rowling takes the time to respond to readers' questions, but some of the things she says are ridiculous.

For example:

  • Why is Dumbledore gay? Dumbledor's sexuality isn't something that my 12- or even 21-year-old self ever considered. It isn't relative to the story...at all. I don't have a problem with it...but why?
  • Her regret and apology over Fred's death are bullsh*t. She made the decision to kill him. OWN it. She can't come back years later and say that she's sorry about it.
  • On a similar note, her 'confession' that Hermione and Ron shouldn't have ended up together...well, we all felt that way, but again SHE is the one who made that decision. Undoing it now just puts the whole end of the series into question.Why did they all have to marry each other anyway? 
  • Harry became "an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic." Great. Thank you for turning this fantastic wizarding world, which was so more exciting than my childhood could ever be, and telling the world that Harry's adult life is about as exciting as real adult life. I hated the Epilogue of the 7th novel and thought the atrocious film adaptation of it merited how terrible the epilogue actually was, but for her to come out and say that Harry had this tremendously scary and exciting childhood and that now he's just an overworked government employee...well that sucks. 
  • J.K. Rowling played a very heavy hand in the film adaptations. So, why is she now telling everyone that we've all been saying Voldemort incorrectly?

If she really wants to keep the series alive, go backward. Tell us more about James and Lily, Sirius, Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Personally, I would love to read that story, but as for the original 7, I'd prefer if they were left the way they were.

I really don't know if I'm going to read "The Cursed Child." The Pilot and I are thinking about a trip to London this summer and seeing it isn't high on my priority list. I'm just not that curious about it.

What do you think?
Are you a fan of Rowling's frequent introductions of new story lines?
Are you planning to read "The Cursed Child?"

April 5, 2016

Weekly Workouts 14

I'm pretty happy with the way this week went. I've been feeling a little lost in my training plan because I never mapped it out, so I wasn't actually following it.

I took time to do that this weekend. I mentioned last week that The Perfect 10 plan is divided into cycles. There are 3 cycles that you repeat 4 times each. I've only half done the first 2 repetitions of the first cycle, but it's so early on, I'm not terribly concerned. Cycle 1: Repetition 2 started Sunday and I'm committed to making it through the full cycle and really kicking training into gear.


Monday: 75 minutes of yoga. I went to a class and it was just ok. I've been to this class once before with ClassPass and didn't feel any burning desire to come back but it's close to home and at a convenient time. I don't like it when instructors don't do hands-on assists.

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: 3 miles.

Thursday: 5 nice, easy miles on the Mall.

Friday:  1-hour yoga. This might have been the worst yoga class I've ever been to (except for the one where, you know, someone came crashing down on me and I blacked out). I went to a studio in Eastern Market that I had read mixed reviews about, but I really wanted to get to a class on Friday and the timing was right. I got to class 15 minutes early and set down my mat. There were a few other students in the room and the instructor was practicing and didn't say a word to anyone. When it came time for class to start, she never introduced herself or asked if anyone had any injuries, she just launched right into the practice. It was the hardest, most discouraging class I've ever taken! She led the class into the full expression of every pose, without any guidance on modifications and then kept telling people to stop looking at their classmates. There were so many poses that I just stood/sat there not doing anything because I didn't even know how to begin and knew that I couldn't comfortably or safely get into some of those poses.

Saturday: 4 miles, easy. My legs just weren't feeling it today.

Sunday: 6 miles with 4 at marathon goal pace (9:05) on the treadmill. With 30 mph winds outside, temperatures in the 30s , and the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler blocking city streets (with modifications due to wind), I took things inside and rocked out to my new favorite Pandora station and had an awesome run.

How did your week go?

April 4, 2016

Meal Planning: An Epiphany

I've spent hours combing through blogs, websites, Pinterest boards, etc. trying to find an easier way to meal plan and I haven't found anything that works for me.

In the month of January, I was so efficient at meal planning, that I had 4x more money in my bank account at the end of the month than I had ever had before because I wasn't spending money on food. That quickly went the wayside and I desperately need to get back on the wagon.

This weekend, I did what I always do. I sat down with Pinterest, cookbooks, and magazines all open and I started meal planning. I came up with 8 dinner recipes, four of which will give me leftovers, three lunch recipes, and two breakfast recipes with a handful of smoothie and overnight oat recipes and my favorite, go-to recipe for breakfast cookies.

I made my grocery list, decided what I would need to do on Sunday to prep for the week, and went shopping. I had a plan and I felt good about it.

The entire process of coming up with the meal plan took 2 1/2 hours. Add an hour and a half for grocery shopping (at two different stores with a trip to Trader Joe's planned for this evening) and about 4 hours of prep work and I basically lost an entire day to the process.

So why should I do that every weekend? What's the point? Here's what I decided.

This is going to be my meal plan for the entire month.


Yup.

My grocery list for the entire month is made. My meal plan for the entire month is made. Every weekend, I'll know exactly what prep work needs to be done. No thinking, no planning, it's all done!

I think this will also help me stop throwing away so much food because everything will get used. I waste so much food, it's embarrassing. Half of the time, I'm only cooking for one. I've given up on buying kale because someone my size eating solo most of the time just cannot physically make it through an entire bag of kale. I've tried making kale chips, putting it in smoothies, freezing it, I still can't get through it all. I think this will help.

I used to slave over meal plans and write out 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners, 7 snacks...you get the idea...every single week. It wasn't sustainable. Ain't nobody got time for that!

As for snacks? Well, instead of making fresh hummus or guacamole, or homemade larabars, or whatever, I'm going to keep things simple. Fruit, cheese, and almond butter. Almond butter and cheese will give me added protein, and fruit is delicious and an easy choice.

If I do start getting sick of something, I can use the same ingredient base to make something else and, when May rolls around, I'll create a new plan.

I'm oddly excited for this and really hope that it helps me be better with meal planning. We all know that it makes life easier  and saves money, but the commitment is too much. I'm hoping that by putting in all of the work early on, it will pay off!

What are your secrets to meal planning success?
Does this sound like something that might work? 
I'll keep you all posted on how things go, and I'll share my meal plan next week when I have pictures!

April 2, 2016

How I Rate Books on Goodreads

I really love Goodreads. It's such a great way to connect with other readers, find out what they're reading, and get recommendations. Their website definitely needs a 21st-century upgrade but it does the job.

One thing I've noticed lately when reading reviews is that everyone's star rating means something a little bit different so I thought I would break down my ratings and what they mean!


5 stars: I only have a few books on GoodReads that I've ever given 5 stars. I reserve this rating for a book that I loved so much that I would absolutely read again. 5-star ratings are reserved for my all time favorite books, for those books that I've bought days after finishing a library copy because I need to have that book in my personal collection.

Recent 5-star books: "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet."

4 stars: I give books 4-star ratings when they're well-written, have strong character development, and a well-driven plot. These are books that I really enjoy and would highly recommend but aren't books I would necessarily read again.

Recent 4-star books: "The Martian." "The Telling Room." "The Nightingale." 

3 stars: Meh. I give three-star ratings to books that are pretty forgettable. They're weak in character development, don't tie loose ends up at the end, or drag on and then try to end too quickly.

Recent 3-star books: "Still Alice." "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"

2 stars: These are books that are well-written and have nothing else going for them. Character development is weak and they're plot-driven without anything significant happening to advance the story line. These are the books that could easily be cut down by 100 pages and take forever to read because you think something is going to happen and it doesn't.

Recent 2-star books: "Icarus."The Zookeeper's Wife." "Shatter Me."

1 star: If I give a book one star, it means that it's easily one of the worst books I've ever read. It's poorly written, is anti-climactic, and has poorly developed characters. 

Recent 1-star books: "The Eastern Stars."

Are you on Goodreads?
How do you rate books? 

{Note: Some links are affiliates.}

April 1, 2016

March Recap

I have no idea what went on this month. I said this last week in my Weekly Workouts... post. This month was a blur. I wouldn't say it went by fast because I feel like March 1 was a year ago, but I was so tied up at work and I feel like I have no idea what I actually did, so putting this recap together is going to require some thinking!



Here's a look at how my month went:

Miles Run: 44

Minutes of Yoga: 215

Spin Classes Taken: 1

Books Read: 3...and I didn't really like any of them. 

Trips Taken: 1
New Recipes Made: 1. I made potatoes au gratin for book club this week. I think it was the first time I cooked all month =/ I desperately need to get back on the meal planning wagon and find a way to make it easier!

Blog Posts Written: 17
30 Before 30 Items Completed: 2
  • Go to the ballet
  • Complete a 30-Day Yoga Challenge
Highlights:
  • Our weekend trip to Charlotte
  • Mom's visit for Easter weekend
Lowlights:
  • Generally being out of touch with everything and not taking care of myself. 
The Month Ahead:

Looking forward to: 
  • Baseball season!!!
Challenges to take on:

  • Last month, I said PT exercises and foam rolling every day and I didn't do that at all, so let's add it to the list again...only this time, with a more focused goal of loosening up my hamstrings.
To Do:

  • Relax. Do more things for me and don't get so overwhelmed. 
That's the month of March! It's officially spring (even though it doesn't feel like it) and baseball season starts on Sunday. I'm excited to log some serious mileage outside, for outdoor yoga classes to begin, and for delicious recipes with fresh spring vegetables!

How did your month shape up?
Do you ever have months when you feel like you have no idea how you spent it?
What are you looking forward to in April?
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