Survey of Five

A few weeks ago, Julie over at PBFingers posted a little survey, and since my posts have evolved into a rather monotonous pattern of rehashing our weekends and a few meals, I thought I'd mix it up. I changed some of her prompts, deleted some that I have no business answering (you don't want to know what music I listen to, trust me--unless you, too, enjoy a super random assortment of country, musical numbers, and Britney Spears), and threw in an extra or two for fun.

Places I’m Dying to Visit

• Alaska (maybe on a cruise, but I’d be happy with a land tour, too)
• Norway/Denmark/Sweden

(Source)

• Scotland and Ireland
• New York City and Boston (we’re in the early stages of thinking about planning a trip here, perhaps in 2017)
• Florence, Italy (I took a few art history courses in college, and most of the art I studied is in Florence. Plus pasta.)

Five Foods I Eat Every Day

• Eggs, in some form
• Chocolate (only dark chocolate over here)
• Milk
• Tea--black tea with maple syrup and milk is my favorite
• Greens--I’ve gotten much more in the habit of incorporating greens every day

Five Exercises I Love Most (“Love” is a relative term)

• Jumping lunges--these get my heart rate up super quick every time
• Push ups/planks--always a challenge, plus lots of varieties, and you can do ‘em anywhere
• Overhead press--there’s something empowering about lifting something heavy straight up over my head. I feel super badass.
• Clams--my friend Heidi taught me these and I still do them at least once a week. They work my glutes/hips in a way no other exercise does.
• Walking. It’s simple, it’s awesome to get fresh air, and it is so versatile. Walk fast uphill for more of a challenge, or take a stroll around the block to unwind at the end of the day. Something for every mood.

Five Talents I Wish I Had

• Drawing anything more advanced than a happy face, which, thankfully, is Marshall’s only request when we play with crayons (for now).
• Interior design. I love Pinterest, but I have trouble translating what I like in other people’s houses to my own space.
• Baking. I think I’m a decent baker, but I’d love to do fancier stuff.
• Running. I really like running, and I think anyone who runs any distance at any speed is a runner, but I wish I had a little more natural running talent--it’s always been a truly challenging workout for me.
• Remembering stuff? I feel like I have a terrible memory. Is that a talent?

Five Chefs I Wish Could Cook for Me Every Day

• Julia Child

(Source)

• Ina Garten
• Gordon Ramsey
• Deb Perelman from Smitten Kitchen
• Michael Pollan (not technically a chef, but I’d love to see what he eats every day!)

Five Things I Wear (Almost) Every Day

• Walking shoes with my prescription orthodics to walk to and from work (yup, I look super cool in my work clothes + walking shoes)
• Workout clothes, lately long yoga pants and a long sleeve shirt because our house is freezing at night when we work out!
• Socks, all the time at home. I hate stepping into the kitchen without socks.
• Makeup--I say this because for a long time (when I stayed home with Marshall) I skipped makeup often. I didn’t mind, and of course my husband gave me the cliche that I look beautiful no matter what (awww), but I really feel more put together and more confident when I wear makeup, so it’s nice to be back in that routine. (Of course, I totally sympathize with people who don’t wear any makeup normally; I’m just one of those people who looks better with a little somethin’.)
• Work clothes. New (or renewed) for me since starting work in November, but I have enjoyed adding to my wardrobe and dressing up a bit when I go to work.

Five Movies I Can Watch On Repeat

• The Sound of Music
• The Sweetest Thing
• Father of the Bride
• Easy A
• Crazy, Stupid, Love

Five Books On My Current Reading List

• Currently reading: The Rest of Us Just Live Here, which is cute but not as good as I had hoped
• The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
• All the Light We Cannot See
• Prep (I’ve seen this book in bookstores for years, picked it up, put it down, and finally I bought it at GoodWill for $2)
• Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, which many friends have recommended, especially now that I’m a working parent.

Five Things I Ate This Week

• Lots of oranges! The tiny ones (I guess they have different names, but these were the little ones from Trader Joe’s); they’re easy to peel, perfectly ripe, and great for throwing into lunches.
• Costco Spinach Salad--My coworker texted me to ask if I wanted to share because he had a huge salad (he wasn’t kidding; that thing was gigantic), so I gladly accepted an excuse not to pack a lunch!
• Smoothie bowls! I took a long break from smoothies for a few months, but this week I brought ‘em back in bowl form with sliced fruit and granola on top.

• Chorizo breakfast burrito this morning at our farmers’ market. We met up with some friends who recommended the burritos, and OH MY GOODNESS were they not kidding about how incredible these burritos are. I can’t wait to go back for another one!
• Chocolate quinoa bites from Costco. About as healthy as I’ve found for a packaged chocolate-covered snack.

Don't worry, I'll be back with my usual "What We Did Recently" this week, too! Gettin' crazy with multiple blog posts!

First Days All Around

Before we get to Marshall's first days of day care and my first day of work, let's discuss Halloween. First up: pumpkin carving!

Daddy will be in charge of pumpkins in this house, but I had a blast taking pictures and watching the boys digging into the mess.

Later that night, our little Dalmation dressed up for a short walk around the neighborhood.

We enjoyed a mellow night with Jenn and Justin and their little bundle (one of these days I'll ask Jenn for permission to officially announce his arrival). We made a bunch of different pizzas and then took some hot chocolate around the block and called it a night by 7:30 pm. My kind of Halloween!

The rest of the weekend: a visit to the airport to watch planes take off and land.

Lots of meal planning and prep to get ready for the big week ahead.

Our mantle decorated for autumn.

Some bedtime reading--we borrowed the book Freight Train from the library, and whenever we read it Marshall races out to the living room to find his own train so he can hold it while we read. 

And then it was time to get ready for day care! We bought Marshall a backpack and let him try it on to get pumped for "school." He loved it!

 The morning of day care, I had slightly overpacked his backpack, and he fell over when he put it on! I laughed so hard, the poor little guy. We pulled out a few items so Marshall could carry his own bag into day care.

 Terry and I both dropped off our big boy, and I only cried a little in the car. He seemed so at ease and calm, and his first day went really well.

He ate and slept and played, and that's really all we're looking for, so good job, buddy!

I stopped at Jenn's to kill some time and try to help a bit. Jenn gave me a sweet goody bag for my first day!

 And my first day began today! I arrived to a giant bow on my desk (how cute is that?) and a sweet welcome banner.

The day was filled with paperwork, meeting three dozen people whose names I'm sure I've forgotten, learning some office procedures, and getting to know my coworkers. I missed my family, but I know I'm going to be right at home at this new job, so the transition is much easier than it could have been. We are working on our evening routine and hope to keep up this system of prepping everything the night before, spending quality time with Marshall morning and evening, and adjusting to the new adventures. 

Special thanks again to so many wonderful friends and family who have been so supportive and thoughtful as I've started work and Marshall has started day care. I definitely felt all the love! 

My Favorite Mom Blogs

It's funny to realize that a majority of the blogs I've come to love (most of which focus on health or general lifestyle) are also written by moms. I thought I'd share some of my favorites, and hopefully I'll get some new recommendations, too, because these blogs keep me company during those late night feedings, and I can't get enough. (Listed in no particular order.)

N Her Shoes
I met Bobbi a few years ago when I attended a blogging retreat, and she is awesome. I love her positive attitude, inspiring workouts, strong faith, and fun adventures. She's one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram! Bobbi and her husband struggled with infertility for a few years and decided to adopt an adorable baby girl, Riley Joy. I love reading about Bobbi's transition into parenthood and admire how she balances being a mom with maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.

A Cup of Jo
My friend Fay recommended this blog to me, and I LOVE it. Joanna is so chic and stylish; plus she lives in New York, so of course she's super cool. Her posts are generally short and thought-provoking, nonjudgmental and written as though she is your best friend, asking your opinion on something that interests her. Joanna has two little boys, but she also has a series called Motherhood Mondays, where she discusses various parenting topics. I especially love the series-within-a-series she did on Motherhood Around the World, where ex-pat mothers share differences in parenting as compared to the U.S. I love virtually everything about A Cup of Jo. Check it out.

The Fitnessista
I've been following Gina since she was about nine months pregnant with her daughter, and now I look forward to her daily posts. Gina is a fitness instructor and military wife with a two-year-old. I find her to be honest, funny, and open. She shares details about her life and provides a sweet look at being a mom to a little girl. I also love her fitness tips and workout ideas!

Daily Garnish
I don't even remember how I came upon Emily's blog, but I love it. She is a trained chef and posts excellent recipes, but she also now stays at home with her two little boys. She's an awesome runner, and I am amazed to see how she keeps up her running despite her husband's frequent travel schedule.

Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life
You've heard me mention Courtney before, but she's so sweet and writes about her cute little one-year-old Lucas. She keeps it real and shares honestly about the joys and difficulties of motherhood.

Hungry Runner Girl
This one's new to me in the last few weeks, but Janae seems super down to earth and incredibly inspiring. She's a single mom to a two-year-old and talks honestly about healing from her divorce and continuing her passion for running.

Delights and Delectables
Brittany's blog is new to me, too, but she seems so positive and fun. Brittany and her husband adopted an adorable baby boy, and their story is incredible!

Itz Linz
Lindsay has a baby boy a few weeks older than Marshall, and he is adorable! Lindsay shares a ton of details about pregnancy and parenting, and I feel like she takes a really honest approach. I know when I was pregnant I wanted to know exactly what to expect and what other people had gone through, so this kind of blog is right up my alley.

Any other suggestions for great mom blogs out there? Other blogs? Recommendations appreciated!

Fay's Bridal Shower

On Saturday we still woke up early to grab more boxes (how is it that you can never have enough boxes and packing material during a move?), but we were able to take it pretty easy the rest of the morning. Terry got a ton more packing done, I packed a little and napped a little (yep, I pulled the pregnancy card), and then we each got ready for our respective afternoon plans. I had a bridal shower in Culver City, and Terry represented both of us at a party for his coworker's three-year-old.

Fay's good friend Jen organized the intimate bridal shower at Bar & Garden, a cute wine, beer, and spirits shop with a focus on mostly organic alcohol. The back of the store has a small space for private tastings, and we had two staff members dedicated to our little party. Fay didn't know the details of the party, so she got to experience a little surprise about who was there (friends from out of town she wasn't expecting!) and what the party entailed.

Jen did an incredible job of throwing this gorgeous shower. Her style is chic, trendy, and totally "with it"--she kept the decor extremely simple (the key is to find an awesome venue that doesn't require much dressing up, like this one!), gave small vases of succulents as favors, and picked up mini cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake.

I was especially impressed by Bar and Garden's willingness to serve me some nonalcoholic beverages. The server was actually excited to create some fun concoctions for me! My first drink was a drinkable balsamic with sparkling water (it tastes like balsamic, but somehow it was perfect for drinking), and my second drink was a mix of Meyer lemon, cranberry, and Douglass fir. I was thrown off by that last one, but Shrub & Co. makes these natural extracts that work surprisingly well in combinations. I actually really enjoyed the Douglass Fir extract! I told the server it tasted like I was walking through a forest. Which was weird, but I think he appreciated the sentiment.

I had a wonderful time at the shower, and it was especially great to catch up with some folks I don't normally see. I chatted a lot with Fay, her sister Janou (who reads the blog! Hi, Janou!), and Molly, who is married to an old friend of mine. I especially loved getting new blog suggestions--I can't wait to check out their favorites! Here's what they suggested:

• A Cup of Jo
• Dinner: A Love Story
• Cupcakes and Cashmere

Molly also clued me in about Houzz, a decorating app/website, once I explained that I have no idea what to do with "so much space" in our new apartment!

Fay's birthday is today (Sunday), so Jen brought a candle for one of the cupcakes!

What a fun, beautiful day of celebrating the bride to be. I can't wait for the wedding in less than four months!

Congratulations, Fay! You're going to be a stunning bride!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! I've come down with a little cold, so I'm hoping to keep this week mellow. Fat chance, given that we're moving on Saturday, but I can try!

Learning the Tools of the Trade

I don't--never have, likely never will--consider myself an expert blogger by any means. I publish five times (ish) per week, and usually my posts take at least 45 minutes to write, edit, and publish. If I create some sort of graphic, like I did tonight, I can count on closer to 90 minutes to publish. Some days it takes all day to finally get a post up, and I don't find myself moving any faster even after almost two years.

I'm slow on my computer. No matter how many times I edit (usually using PicMonkey), I still feel like it takes me forever to create something I'm happy to post. And often times I'm not even that thrilled with the end result (tonight would be an excellent example), but I'm too tired to go back and make changes.

I'm also overly critical of myself, especially in my writing. I delete, revise, edit, and rework most of what I write. I take about 15 photos of each meal to get one I actually like (I imagine this number will change if/when we move to an apartment with some natural light). I am almost always too lazy to edit said photos, unless I make time for a collage or graphic. And often when I do edit photos, I hate the outcome more than the original.

But the truth is, I still enjoy this blogging thing, learning a new trick or two along the way. It will never be a full-time job (or even a part-time job), but it's fun and challenging, much like my book project, and I'm going to keep on doing it.

To show my lack of talent but bountiful willingness to publish imperfect graphics, here's the workout I designed for Terry to complete in his hotel room tomorrow. It looks pretty challenging--I may try it myself while I'm out visiting him!

It's pure chaos, right? Oh, well. It only looked chaotic when I got to the last ones, and by then it was 10 pm. I actually have plans tomorrow (shocking!), so I'm going with it!

Some notes:

1 min 180 Jump Squats + 1 min Pendulum Lunges (complete 2 times)

25 crunches of choice--choose something challenging, like legs up or bicycle crunches

1 min Star Jumps + 1 min Tricep Dips (complete 3 times)

2 min Side Walking Planks -- in a plank position, "walk" sideways, moving right arm and leg together, then bringing left arm and leg back to a plank, continuing as far as your space will allow, then reverse the other direction

50 Jumping Jacks + 1 min Down Dog Split Switches (complete 3 times) -- for the second exercise, start in Downward Facing Dog, lift right leg straight up into the air, hold 2-3 seconds, then lower and switch

1 min Wall Sit -- aim for right angles at your ankles, knees, and hips, with your full spine as flat against the wall as possible (to increase the challenge, place a stability ball behind your back and against the wall)

25 crunches of choice

10 Wide-Arm Push Ups + 10 Tricep Push Ups (Complete 3 times)


Let me know what you think!

What's your hobby? Do you work hard to improve, or is it just for fun?

Sprouts Farmers Market

Happy May to you! And happy May to West LA, because we have a new grocery store!

Today I (along with a few other local bloggers and media) got to tour the new Sprouts Farmers Market, located on Westwood Boulevard, just north of Sepulveda. Surprisingly, I've never shopped at a Sprouts, though they've popped up all over Southern California in recent years.

The tour today provided a sneak peak at the lovely store and a chance to ask some questions about how Sprouts stocks its shelves.

First, Sprouts is called "Sprouts Farmers Market" because they try to emulate a sense of shopping at a local farmers market, hence the wooden crates and fairly natural light.

Sprouts emphasizes that their specialty is produce, and they certainly do host a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Our lovely "tour guide", Lauren, offered tons of fun facts about the rest of the store too...

Tomorrow the store is hosting a huge grand opening and has crazy sales throughout the store.

Sprouts, like many grocery stores, has their own brand of some foods. We each received a goodie bag today, and these wafers were delicious!

Lauren called this label the "three Nos" - No artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. 

Perhaps my favorite part of the store: a bulk spice section, so if you don't want a full jar of a spice you can just grab what you need.

Tons of coffee options, including free samples.

The bulk section truly impressed me--especially the bulk whole wheat flour! Have you ever heard of such a thing?

LOVE this idea--small blocks of cheese to try something new!

A refrigerated bread section for specialty breads and sprouted breads.

A culture I can definitely agree with!

A deli and soup section, complete with Boar's Head meats.

A HUGE Vitamins section--I'm already eager to head back and buy some daily multivitamins, because they have such a wide selection.

(I included this sign partially for an inside joke--my family and our family friends always tell this silly joke about a guy named Arty who murders three people and is paid a buck for it, and then the paper the next day says, "Arty Chokes Three for a Dollar").

Other highlights:

• A bakery, a meat counter with custom-cut meats, and alcohol (coming soon).
• Foods for every lifestyle, from gluten free to vegan to carnivores to splurges.
• A wide range of options for most foods so you can select the brand you like.
• NO loyalty card required--same price for everyone (hallelujah!).

And my honest opinion, based only on my first impression: I love it! I am thrilled to have another grocery store close to our home, and I really can't wait to go back and scour the shelves for all the foods I really love. I already noticed some of my favorite brands, which I can normally only find at specialty stores or Whole Foods:

Overall, I'd say Sprouts is a cross between Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. It has the wide selection and variety of Whole Foods but the awesome prices of Trader Joe's. I imagine I'll still frequent the actual farmers market for most of our produce, but I'm excited to make use of Sprouts' packaged goods that I normally can't find at Trader Joe's.

Our swag bags! So generous of Sprouts to offer some samples. :-) 

Scout had fun with that one...

To find a Sprouts Farmers Market near you, check out their locations. I had a wonderful experience today and look forward to sharing about future visits!

What's your favorite grocery store and why?