This week, Natty Boh returned to Baltimore bars on tap. I went to Brewer's Art with Susannah, Kathy, and Kara for their first tapping. It was a lot of fun, and definitely crowded. We had some delicious rosemary garlic fries, and we were actually there for a looong time. We had a lot to talk about I guess :) Nick was out with Nick M. and Eli, so eventually we met up with them at Maisy's. It was definitely a fun night, and I'm glad that I agreed to go out instead of my usual routine of sitting at home watching tv. I also got some cleaning done and did workout two of the Couch to 5K program. I'm still not sure I'll ever be a "runner" but I do feel good while I'm running, and I really want to do the Race for the Cure. Overall, it was a great, productive day!
Over the past few days, Nick watched Food Inc. on Netflix. Unsurprisingly, he was pretty disturbed by it and decided we should do our groceries at Whole Foods. Sounds good to me! Today I made tuna salad (with the hardboiled eggs I made yesterday) the way that my mom used to make it. I haven't had tuna salad that way (with celery, eggs, and some other random things) in a loooong time, but I'm excited to have it for lunch this week. I also finally got around to making oat bars, which has been on my list for a long time. They came out well, but I'll definitely be tweaking the recipe a bit next time (like maybe adding some brown sugar and cinnamon to add complexity).
My push-up plan is going well. I already see an improvement in my strength. Today I did 16 regular push ups! Also, before I could only get up to 20, even on my knees, but today I went all the way to 25. At this rate, I might need to increase my goal for my birthday! Hopefully :)
Overall, this was a great, productive weekend. Goals for the week: WORKOUT and DON'T SPEND MONEY and READ.
I realize I need to be better about photos to make this blog more interesting. I will work on that.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Polar Bear Plunge!
Yesterday I met one of my goals and participated in the 15th Anniversary Polar Bear Plunge. Water temp: 33 degrees. The event production was a little disappointing. After checking in (with my handy freeze-e-pass) and getting my new sweatshirt, there wasn't a whole lot to do. Nick and I got pit beef sandwiches and shared some fries, and other wise stood around pretty cold. Here's a video of us waiting around:
It took a while to finally find Susannah and her friends, but we managed to meet up literally minutes before going in the water. I'm so glad I didn't have to do it alone- having someone else in there with me made it much more fun! Not going to lie, the water was cold. Really cold. My legs felt like bricks from a total lack of feeling. But it was amazing. I was so proud of myself for setting this goal and doing it. It's so out of the norm for me to voluntarily jump into cold freezing water, but I did it! It was awesome to be a part of group doing something together.
Afterwards, I realized that running in a race would give me that same great feeling. Plus, I know that I would be more fit by training for a race, and it would it give me a great reason to work out. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in DC is June 4. That gives me roughly four months to train for it, which is totally do-able. I have to keep reminding myself of how great I felt yesterday as my motivation to run and train. Annnnd it would allow me to cross a few more goals off my list!
More videos of me at the Plunge can be found here.
Up next, a list of things I want to cook/bake/make in the coming months.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Gorgeous Snow, Yummy Food
The past two dinners I/we have made have been so good. Last night we made pizza with bbq sauce, shredded pork, caramelized onions, and gorgonzola cheese (inspired by this) It was really simple but quite good. We bought the dough from Whole Foods. It was really good, and comes with two dough balls in a package. Next time I want to try making our own dough though.
Then tonight I made Bethenny's stuffed peppers (recipe here). So yummy! (Picture to come?)
Today was yet another snow day (making it the second one this week). I went over to watch Alex for a bit in the afternoon and give grandma a break. In an effort to break him away from the wii, I took him out to go sledding. Apparently we weren't the only ones with the idea! About five other neighborhood kids were out there too. Their area has the most amazing hill for sledding- I was so jealous! At one point Alex asked me to join him, but I was in the absolute wrong clothes for sledding. Next time, I'll be prepared.
The snow covered trees were stunning. The iphone 4 really takes great pictures.
It's really a great community asset to have this field. It's good for dogs, sledding, playing in the snow, bonfires...
In a related note, I really need to get some snow boots. Last December, after Blizzard #1, I thought to myself "You should get snow boots". And then I thought, "No, that's silly. It never snows that much here." Lo and behold, two months later, we have Snowmageddon, and I cursed my lack of snow boots. Fast forward to today. My b.o.c. boots leaked in water (through the toe stitching) while walking in the city. I wore my uggs outside with Alex, and they quickly started absorbing snow. My feet didn't get wet, but they definitely weren't warm! Last year I wanted to get these Merrell boots...maybe it's time to commit for real. Hmm...
Then tonight I made Bethenny's stuffed peppers (recipe here). So yummy! (Picture to come?)
Today was yet another snow day (making it the second one this week). I went over to watch Alex for a bit in the afternoon and give grandma a break. In an effort to break him away from the wii, I took him out to go sledding. Apparently we weren't the only ones with the idea! About five other neighborhood kids were out there too. Their area has the most amazing hill for sledding- I was so jealous! At one point Alex asked me to join him, but I was in the absolute wrong clothes for sledding. Next time, I'll be prepared.
The snow covered trees were stunning. The iphone 4 really takes great pictures.
It's really a great community asset to have this field. It's good for dogs, sledding, playing in the snow, bonfires...
In a related note, I really need to get some snow boots. Last December, after Blizzard #1, I thought to myself "You should get snow boots". And then I thought, "No, that's silly. It never snows that much here." Lo and behold, two months later, we have Snowmageddon, and I cursed my lack of snow boots. Fast forward to today. My b.o.c. boots leaked in water (through the toe stitching) while walking in the city. I wore my uggs outside with Alex, and they quickly started absorbing snow. My feet didn't get wet, but they definitely weren't warm! Last year I wanted to get these Merrell boots...maybe it's time to commit for real. Hmm...
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Money, money, money (or the lack thereof)
I know I said the next post would be about cooking; I will get to it! But right now I want to focus on money. One of my most crucial goals is to be secure financially. I know that I won't be truly secure until I have a career with a salary, but I can get myself to a "safe zone" until then. Simply speaking, I have been living a lie for the past few years. I have been pretending I could afford things that in reality I couldn't. I wanted to live a certain lifestyle that I simply couldn't afford. Was I being extravagant? No, but I definitely was spending a bit too freely. Suze Orman says you need to live below your means but above your needs. I will say that this month I have been good about not spending money on clothes. That has definitely been a downfall before, but I haven't bought a single item of clothing this month. I also have only used my credit card for gas and Nick's birthday dinner (which I'll get to), rather than using is to pay for things I can't afford. But I have been no saint!
It's only January 26, but here is the analysis of my spending so far:
Dining Out: $293 (ouch!)
- this includes Starbucks, along with things like Panera, Baja Fresh, etc
- it also includes $165 for Nick's birthday dinner. Under normal circumstances, this would be totally unacceptable, but it was his 30th birthday! I felt the extra expense was justified. Without this b-day dinner, dining out spending goes down to $128. This is a little less painful, but still ridiculous, especially when you consider...
Groceries: $98
- this is not communal groceries, this is money spent on extra things I got at whole foods, etc.
- clearly, I like spending money on food! So if I am spending so much on groceries, why I am also spending so much on dining out? This is definitely my biggest weakness.
Home goods: $25
- those necessary expenses (a new mop, cleaning stuff, etc) that Nick and I split. Not much to do with this one, we do a good job overall I think.
Transportation: $4
- parking at the library, valet,... again, not much to do with this.
Entertainment: $18.25
- Nick and I went to the movies. A worthwhile expense, but half of that was food! If we are going to go the movies, we need to make more of an effort to bring our own snacks, or at least get them cheaper from Rite Aid
And of course, the elusive "etc": $91.25
- $30 of this was on magazine subscriptions. Again, I consider this a worthwhile expense when you break that down month to month. I know I would buy them on the newsstand anyway, and at least this way I'm saving a significant amount.
- I spent $24 at Jo-Ann. Yes, I want to learn to sew and pursue that hobby...but did I need to go buy those things right now? Nope. A fail on this one.
- that leaves about $40 spent at target. Another downfall. Some of it was needed, like a new moisturizer, things for the book club, etc. But I'm pretty sure there was a good amount that I could have done without.
And that's what it comes down to, realizing that there are things I can do without. I know it's healthier to bring my own food, and obviously cheaper. I don't need that green tea latte, it's just so tempting. Or I'm bored. Or trying to fill time. I need to make sure I always have a book with me, some tea, and my ipod. I need to ask myself, can I do without this? I need to think about the trips I want to take, and the stress I feel when I'm worried about paying the bills. I do think this month was better than I've been in the past, but I know that there is absolutely room for improvement.
It's only January 26, but here is the analysis of my spending so far:
Dining Out: $293 (ouch!)
- this includes Starbucks, along with things like Panera, Baja Fresh, etc
- it also includes $165 for Nick's birthday dinner. Under normal circumstances, this would be totally unacceptable, but it was his 30th birthday! I felt the extra expense was justified. Without this b-day dinner, dining out spending goes down to $128. This is a little less painful, but still ridiculous, especially when you consider...
Groceries: $98
- this is not communal groceries, this is money spent on extra things I got at whole foods, etc.
- clearly, I like spending money on food! So if I am spending so much on groceries, why I am also spending so much on dining out? This is definitely my biggest weakness.
Home goods: $25
- those necessary expenses (a new mop, cleaning stuff, etc) that Nick and I split. Not much to do with this one, we do a good job overall I think.
Transportation: $4
- parking at the library, valet,... again, not much to do with this.
Entertainment: $18.25
- Nick and I went to the movies. A worthwhile expense, but half of that was food! If we are going to go the movies, we need to make more of an effort to bring our own snacks, or at least get them cheaper from Rite Aid
And of course, the elusive "etc": $91.25
- $30 of this was on magazine subscriptions. Again, I consider this a worthwhile expense when you break that down month to month. I know I would buy them on the newsstand anyway, and at least this way I'm saving a significant amount.
- I spent $24 at Jo-Ann. Yes, I want to learn to sew and pursue that hobby...but did I need to go buy those things right now? Nope. A fail on this one.
- that leaves about $40 spent at target. Another downfall. Some of it was needed, like a new moisturizer, things for the book club, etc. But I'm pretty sure there was a good amount that I could have done without.
And that's what it comes down to, realizing that there are things I can do without. I know it's healthier to bring my own food, and obviously cheaper. I don't need that green tea latte, it's just so tempting. Or I'm bored. Or trying to fill time. I need to make sure I always have a book with me, some tea, and my ipod. I need to ask myself, can I do without this? I need to think about the trips I want to take, and the stress I feel when I'm worried about paying the bills. I do think this month was better than I've been in the past, but I know that there is absolutely room for improvement.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
My very first post. It had to happen sometime! This blog is dedicated to my fear of turning 25. Or rather, it's dedicated to overcoming that fear and replacing it with certainty. This year will not bring a quarter life crisis, it will bring the certainty I seek in all endeavors.
Along these lines, I created a list of goals that I would like to accomplish by D-day: October 7, 2011.
My Goals
Along these lines, I created a list of goals that I would like to accomplish by D-day: October 7, 2011.
My Goals
- Go to a city I have never been to before
- Try something physically challenging that I haven’t done before (On deck: Polar Plunge January 29!)
- Save enough money for an exciting birthday trip (Disney World?)
- Feel better about myself- physically and mentally
- Go on a road trip (trips to Michigan and Ohio do not count)
- Find an opportunity to volunteer
- Connect with friends (sans facebook, and hopefully sans technology in general)
- Take care of myself- mentally, physically, and financially
- Be active within my chosen career path
- Go to a music festival
- Relearn Spanish
- Work on a hobby/craft and become good at it (On deck: sewing? knitting? crochet?)
- Run a 5k race
- Be able to do 25 push ups
- Be healthier than I am now (cholesterol, BMI, weight, fat %)
- Work on happiness project goals
- Become a meal planner and cooker (See next post on today's success!)
**sub goal: get recipes on Kitchen Monki
- Have a routine for my days and weekends- ie stop wasting time!
- Explore Baltimore
- Make something from scratch that I normally buy (bagels, bread, crackers, etc)
- Learn to play Monopoly
- Take pictures in a photo booth
- Cook something that requires patience and a lot of time
- Tackle credit card debt
- Organize a party
- Get a great haircut
It's a long list, but many of these things can be accomplished pretty quickly and easily. Some of them are things I've always wanted to do, some of them are things that I feel I need to work on and get settled before the big day.
Here's to 2011!
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