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Summer Days, Drifting Away….

August 31, 2010 by

Apple in a tree

Tomorrow marks the first day of September and there’s only 5 more days left until the unofficial end of of summer. Where did the time go? Although I will miss swimming in our pool, I am truly looking forward to many things about the Fall:

  1. Pumpkin spice lattes and toffe mochas from Starbucks
  2. Big Ten Football
  3. Apple and pumpkin picking
  4. Donuts from the cider mill
  5. Crunchy leaves
  6. Listening to James Taylor’s Greatest Hits, Tori Amos, and Sarah McLachlan (their music reminds me of Fall for some reason)
  7. Watching “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”
  8. Cooler temperatures so we can finally turn off the AC!
  9. Thanksgiving – when I get to go home to Michigan and see my parents and family
  10. Fall running – you knew I couldn’t leave that out!

What are you looking forward to most about the Fall?

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Vacation Dreaming…

July 12, 2010 by

I am back at work after 10 days of vacation. And, what am I doing? I am sitting at my desk thinking about when I’ll be able to take my next vacation!

On the first day of my vacation, I mentioned that there were several things I wanted to do, including:

  1. Spending time in our pool with a frozen drink – I did spend a LOT of time by the pool which was extremely refreshing. And, I did have one or two frozen drinks, but who’s really counting?
  2. Shop at my own leisurely pace – I did shop at my own pace, which is just heavenly when I’m used to carting around 2 impatient kids
  3. Trying a new restaurant sans kids – Scott and I did meet for lunch one day, although it was at Wildfire, a restaurant we’ve been to several times.
  4. Attending my first Hot Yoga class – Didn’t make it to hot yoga, but I did attend a fantastic hatha yoga class on Saturday!
  5. Going to Great America with the kids – We did do this and it was so much fun! Makes me want to go back to Disney, hence the vacation dreaming….
  6. Eating tart frozen yogurt – I’m bummed I didn’t get to do this. It’s on my list for this weekend though!
  7. See Letters to Juliet before it leaves the theatre – I didn’t get to the movies at all. Letters to Juliet has been out for a while so it was very hard to find an accommodating show time that was near my house. Ugh – guess I’ll wait for the video!

Now, I am really looking forward to the Healthy Living Summit – it’s just a few weeks away!

OK, back to work for me…

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Wavepools, Sunburns, and Migraines, Oh My!

July 8, 2010 by

(Photo source)

Yesterday, I spent most of the day at Six Flags Great America in its water park. Since I’m technically on vacation, I tried to make this excursion into a relaxing day away from home.

When you really think about it, there’s practically no way to relax at a water park when you have a 2 and 5 year old in tow. I spent most of my time chasing after my little one, walking up and own countless flights of stairs to the slides, and fighting back the waves. For five hours, I was nearly completely drenched from a combination of the wave pool/slides and the intermittent sun showers. Thank goodness it was so HOT, otherwise I would have been freezing!! Yet, somehow seeing the kids laughing and playing, and hearing them shout over and over “look at me mommy” made it all worth it.

After a very long day, I went to bed with a migraine then woke up with a nasty sunburn. Yes, I did apply 30 sunblock, but I omitted to apply enough on my back – not a good move. I also felt slightly hungover (sans alcohol) and as if I had run a 1/2 marathon. I was so sore I actually took tylenol and had to cut my run down to 4 miles – that was all I could do! Plus, it was at least 80 degrees when I went out for my run. And, as my former running coach (who happened to coach the national women’s running team in the 70s) used to say, heat is a sprinter’s best friend and a distance runner’s worst enemy. He wasn’t joking either!

Sunburn + Morning heat + Sore muscles = Lousy run.

Even after getting ready for the day and taking the kids to daycare, I still felt “off” and even a little sick. I was hoping a little retail therapy at the Gap and Banana Republic would help, but I could only walk around for about an hour before I had to head back home – now that’s telling you something! I ended up getting a quick burst of energy later in the afternoon so I was off for a 40 minute walk. And along the way, I picked more mulberries! I really have to find an easy recipe for raspberry/mulberry jam – any suggestions?? I have about 1 1/2 cups and I don’t want them to go to waste!

For all of you who are counting – only 3 more vacation days left! I better get movin’ if I want do maximize my time off!

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Happy and Healthy 4th of July

July 4, 2010 by

Happy 4th of July everyone! Hope you’re outside enjoying a BBQ instead of inside reading this post 🙂 I’ve had a packed weekend so far. It started on Friday with another trip to Arlington Park for the horse races. This time we were in box seats in the grand stand courtesy of Scott’s uncles. The box seats were so comfortable and super relaxing – a much different feel than being on the main level.

Then, after a ton cleaning, my sister arrived with her family on Saturday. So far we’ve spent hours in the pool, made a trip to the mall, and enjoyed some awesome food! Last night, it was Italian chicken, grilled veggies, and parmesan orzo. This morning, I made Ina Garten’s yogurt lemon cake -soooo good! I paired the bread with some super fresh watermelon and blackberries – perfect.

Tonight, it’s bbq pork, roasted corn, and grilled potatoes = oh my! Also hoping to see Letters to Juliet tonight – we’ll see 🙂

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Vacation is Here!!

July 1, 2010 by

(Photo Source)

Happy July 1 Everyone!

As of 5 PM today, I am officially on vacation for 10 days! Woo hoo! I can just feel the stress starting to melt away. I take vacation around this time every year because after the week of July 4, my world becomes even crazier due to work projects. Seriously, I am not a very friendly person from about July 15-November 1 – stay away! I do promise to be happy at the Healthy Living Summit!

The first part of my vacation I will be entertaining out-of-town guests (Yay, my sis is coming to visit!). We have plans to make at purse at 1154 Lill or at least take in the Chicago sites. But beyond that, I don’t have any hard-core commitments for my “staycation”. I have to admit, I’m a little apprehensive of staycations. For me, they end up being days to run errands, clean, make appointments, etc. Not very fun or vacation-like.

But this year, I’m going to try to make my July vacation different. Due to my out-of-town guests, all of my in-house cleaning and yard work will be done before my guests even arrive – fingers crossed 🙂 . So with all of my “house work” complete (although I’m sure I’ll find something to clean!), I’m left with just fun things to do, including:

  1. Spending time in our pool – Give me a frozen drink and plenty of sun and I will be just fine!
  2. Browsing at some of Chicagoland’s boutique shops – at my own leisurely pace of course
  3. Trying a new restaurant sans kids
  4. Attending my first Hot Yoga class – finally!!
  5. Going to Great America with the kids
  6. Eating tart frozen yogurt – just because it’s awesome!
  7. Going to the movies – I want to see Letters to Juliet before it leaves the theatre!

Many of these things may seem like everyday things to some of you, but for a person who has 2 young children, a husband, two blogs, and full-time job, actually doing any of these things will be a major accomplishment!

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It's Post Time! A Day at the Races

June 20, 2010 by

For the last 3-4 years, Scott and I head to the horse track with his family the day before father’s day. I used to think horse tracks were seedy places, where only bookies, gambling addicts, and the mafia hung out. And, I’m sure it was that way back in the day. But in Chicago, Arlington Park is a beautiful horse track filled with people of all kinds. Really, you can find fancy ladies (and not just in the box seats) with even fancier hats, families with kids in tow, and couples just wanting an afternoon of sun and fun.

So, after my regular Saturday yoga class – which just kicked my rear end – we headed off to the races. It was a nearly perfect day for horse racing. Although a tad windy – nearly lost my brand new hat several times – it was about 80-85 degrees and sunny. Because we go the day before father’s day, it’s never too crowded, which makes it much easier to find a seat, place a bet, and get a little food. Personally, I don’t go there for the betting – I’ve never made a bet yet. But I love seeing how happy the kids are when they see the horses. As you can see from the photo above, Miss. M was having a great time with her daddy!

I was having an incredibly good time taking all sorts of photos in my snazzy new Ascot-esque hat! And yes, that is a new Lucy tank. Lucy has such awesome running and yoga wear, and many of their pieces can be worn as everyday wear which I totally love!

Now, I have to get to bed. After a day of running, cleaning, and gardening, I’m beat!

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Tea Forte for Breakfast

June 2, 2010 by

Morning everyone! I missed yoga this morning. I literally walked in the door 5 minutes before class and the guy at the front desk told me they were full – blah! Come on people, it’s a Wednesday! Oh well, I’m on vacation. Relax and breathe.

Lack of yoga allowed me to get a jump on the home cleaning I need to do today. But first…breakfast! I had an awesome almond croissant that I picked up from fresh market last night – super light and fluffy. I also tried a new bagged tea – Tea Forte’s Forte Breakfast – good but not as good as Tazo Awake – but is anything? And, just because they filled with fiber and they taste good – I had a full cup of fresh blackberries – holy 8g of fiber!

I’m off to do more cleaning then trimming the trees and bushes.

Lumberjack Jen

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Mother's Day Conundrum

May 10, 2010 by

Happy Belated Mother’s Day everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful day. It was fairly chilly in Chicago yesterday, but I managed to get outdoors, go out to lunch, and do a little shopping – all by myself!

After an awesome 7-mile run, Scott and the kids surprised me with a bag of mother’s day gifts. As you will see from the photo above, they gave me:

  • Conundrum Wine – A few weeks ago, when I was in Orlando for work, a senior staff member ordered a bottle of Conundrum wine for the table. The wine was a little more expensive than the wine I’m used to, but hey, I wasn’t buying! I normally like Chardonnay, but I loved this wine. It is a mix of a variety of green grapes – the makers don’t reveal the exact blend, just to keep you guessing. I mentioned to Scott that I liked the wine and somehow he remembered! Then again, it is wine we’re talking about. I would not be surprised if I drink one glass and he finishes the bottle. Classy.
  • Tea Cup – Yes, I’m a lover of tea cups. And the one above probably looks familiar. I was actually given this anthropologie tea cup for a Christmas present. However, it fell out of the cupboard two weeks ago and broke all over the floor – ugh! I was so bummed thinking it was probably sold out by now. But alas, Scott managed to find one hidden away in the store.
  • Ruffle Blouse – I also received a very cute lime green (although it looks yellow in the picture) ruffle blouse from Anthropologie. The material for this blouse is incredibly soft and very light – awesome for summer. Although, it is a little too big and the color is definitely not idea for my skin tone. No problem, I’ve already seen several other tops from Anthropologie that I like – guess I have to go shopping again!

In other news…I’m leaving for Washington, DC on Sunday for a 5-day trip. I was suppose to go with a colleague from work. However, I just found out that I will be going alone! Traveling to DC for a whole 5 days by myself – oh the possibilities!! I plan to fit in a few runs around the capitol, dinner at an awesome restaurant with a friend, and maybe, just maybe, a fancy cupcake or two!

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Birthday – Take Two

April 19, 2010 by

Just when I thought my birthday was over, my husband surprised me with a present! He kept asking me what I wanted but I never gave him a definitive answer. When I arrived home from work today, there was a big gift bag waiting for me on the table with wrapped presents inside. So what did I get?

Present #1 – A Gaiam travel yoga mat! I’ve been wanting one of these so bad!! I’m really trying to get back into the practice of yoga. However, since I’ve been traveling so much for work, I’ve been really inconsistent. Solution – take yoga with me on the road! I’m definitely taking this to Austin next week – yeah! I’ve already downloaded a bunch of Yoga Today sequences from iTunes (free video podcasts), including sequences for travelers, morning/evening, and for runners. Can’t wait!

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

And now onto present #2 – A Spa Day all to myself! This is a double delight – not only do I get the spa treatment for a few hours but I also get peace and quiet – and what mother doesn’t want that 🙂 I’m hoping I can find a day spa that does it all – facials, massage, nails, and yoga – wouldn’t that be fantastic!

Gotta run, I’m off to research day spas!

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Social Media-Free Birthday

April 18, 2010 by

Happy Birthday to ME!! Yes, today was my (add number here) birthday. For the last few years, I have spent my birthday away from home – in Orlando, San Diego, Key West, etc. But, because I’ve been traveling so much for work, I’m really glad I was able to spend this one at home.

Cupcake with colorful sprinkles

This morning, the kids woke up around 6AM and Scott so nicely got up with them, leaving me to “sleep in” until 7 AM. When I finally jumped out of bed, I was greeted by birthday wishes and homemade birthday cards – including one from Scott. Very sweet.

Birthday Run

Even though today was my birthday, I still went out for my normal Sunday morning run – this time, it was a 7-miler. For nearly an hour, it was just me and the road – which is precisely how I like it. The last time I ran 7 miles (I think on Wednesday), my legs were so heavy on the last mile. I really had to push myself to finish. Today, I felt much stronger, like I could have run another mile or two. I’ll soon see how I do with added mileage since I’m scheduled to run an 8-miler this week.

Birthday Treats

By the time I arrived home from my run, at least an hour had passed. When I walked through the door, the kids yelled “surprise” and presented me with an assortment of treats from our local bakery. Not the healthiest, but it’s ok once in a while, plus, it’s the thought that counts. The kids were so excited that they had picked out a chocolate coffee cake, a cherry danish, and a lemon bar for all of us to share. I have to admit, they all tasted really good, but I really can’t let myself get used to that type of breakfast. To offset the starch and sugar, I had some Dannon Strawberry Greek yogurt – high in protein, which is great for post-run fueling.

Birthday Fun

The rest of the day was spent with family – lunch, soccer practice, then onto the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Although the whole day could be considered a wonderful birthday, I think my favorite part was seeing the kids “dance” in their car seats to Birdhouse in Your Soul by They Might Be Giants the way home from the zoo. Mr. C even declared, “This is the best song in the whole world!” Not sure how much weight that statement has coming from a 5-year old who has only heard the song a couple times!

Because I was away from home most of the day, I had nearly a social media-free birthday, which felt SO good! Having a computer/Internet/Social Media-free day every once in a while can feel so liberating. When I do have the chance to do this, I have to admit, it’s hard to come back.

Ok, I’m off to get ready for work tomorrow. Have a great night!

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