Archives for June 2017

June Favorites

June 30, 2017 filed under: monthly favorites

1. I got this flavor of Sorbabes Sorbet for free at Safeway a couple of weeks ago. It was one of those ‘free items’ to try (through the Safeway app) and I usually pick up the free items, whenever they offer one, because WHY NOT? It’s free and you can try new products! Well, this was a winner. This sorbet is so yummy and refreshing. I might have to purchase it again (but only on sale, because this stuff is expensive. Naturally.)

2. I had my Bernardo Maverick Sandals for quite a few years and I probably should replace them soon, because I wore the crap out these shoes, but I still love them so much. I’ve gotten so many compliments on them, too. Not exactly cheap for a pair of sandals, but they’re leather and I’ve had mine for at least 8 years!

3. Have you done Fitbit challenges? I don’t know about you, but I love them. I love knowing that my friends are active and it does motivate me to go for a walk on my lunch break or in the evenings (especially on the days when I don’t run) knowing that other people are counting their steps, too.

4. I am (forever) on the search for a really good mascara (a makeup-whiz, I am not) which is easy to apply, gives length and volume for my scanty lashes, doesn’t clump and holds up well throughout the day without flaking or rubbing off. I recently picked up the Covergirl Supersizer Fibers and I must say, it’s really pretty good (once you get the hang of working that weird brush). What’s your go-to mascara?

5. I’ve finally been going back to our local Farmers Market on Sunday mornings and I love it. The Farmers Market is open year-round, but I especially love going in the summer when it’s bright and sunny early in the morning and people are out and about. It’s such a cool atmosphere. Not all produce is cheaper at the market, although some definitely is, but I just love knowing that the food that I am purchasing was grown locally. Do you go to a local Farmers Market? What do you love most about it?

6. Have you tried Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil from Trader Joe’s yet? It’s a great snack to have on hand.

Thinking out loud

June 29, 2017 filed under: linkup, Thinking out loud

It’s my first time, but I am participating in the Thinking Out Loud linkup today, because I’m itching to write, but haven’t had time to work on a full blog post.

I don’t know how you usually run your blog or if you draft blog posts in advance or how that all works for your posting schedule, but I mainly aim for three posts a week and I constantly have a ‘draft document’ going where I jot down all my blog ideas, write and re-write my thoughts, and keep links that I want to share at a later point.

It so happens that I’ve been unprepared for the last couple of days, none of my drafts are ready to publish, but I want to post something and I do have some random thoughts I might want to share with you. So, Thinking Out Loud Thursday seems to be a good opportunity, yes?

+ I’ve been watching the news during my workouts on the mornings when I go to the gym. It’s a sick little habit, because these days, 99% of the time, the news aggravate me, but then I am on the treadmill blowing off steam at the same time, you see. It’s like the only way I can consume news right now, if I want to stay informed (which I do!).

+ Staying on the topic of news, the way some Republicans argue healthcare (or lack thereof) makes me so mad. I tweeted this HuffPo article yesterday “I don’t know how to explain to you why you should care about other people” and I can relate to it so much. If I hear one more Republican talk about “access to healthcare” (NOT actual coverage, because that would mean that you have to be able to afford the healthcare you theoretically have “access” to) and giving people choices to “tailor their health insurance to their needs” (which means people (women!) who undeniably will have more health care needs than others will ALWAYS be disadvantaged), I am going to scream. Why is it so difficult for people in this country to understand that creating a support system for ALL, a system that is supported by everybody and that supports everybody, is the way to go? What is this ‘me, me, me’- mentality? (Please, if you have any solid argument, enlighten the ignorant European in me, because I can’t for the life of me understand that mindset!)

+ I had this splendid idea back in April to not only get a long-overdue hair cut, but also throw some color in the mix. Switch things up a little bit, you know? It seemed like a good idea at the time, but you guessed it, now the color has faded and is growing out and while I am not in need of a trim yet (I usually go quite a few months between trims), I do want to cover up these darker roots that are showing up, or better still, get my hair colored back to my original color so that I don’t have to deal with these root issues. So, do I go to the hairdresser to get my color changed back or do I consider a home-coloring attempt to fix this?

+ My sister had a pretty crappy month of June. First she had her bike stolen (on her anniversary, of all days!), then her husband was in a (minor) car accident. My nephew had a minor concussion and was in the hospital for two nights, then my niece got sick with gastrointestinal issues and then last weekend her kitchen flooded and caused a short-circuit (which probably ruined her dishwasher). Ugh, I mean, it’s really enough for one month, don’t you think? I am really hoping July will be a much better month for her! As always, I feel guilty for not being closer and able to help out. Sigh.

+ Do you also struggle with the fast passage of time? I can’t believe we’re halfway through 2017. I am trying to stay mindful and in the moment, because I know that this is where perception of time slows down, but I also know that I want to do more, see more and make more memories and planning for all that is hard sometimes without getting lost in all the possibilities, but also restrictions (financial, time, commitments). Maybe I just need a proper vacation?

What’s a random thought on your mind today?

(Still) Hangin’ Tough

June 26, 2017 filed under: love, music, nostalgia

A few Saturdays ago, it was that time again. Time for some love, peace and good old nostalgia! I had tickets to the Total Package Tour with Boyz II Men, Paula Abdul and – most importantly – NKOTB!

I mean, they played 5 miles from my house, so it was absolutely no question that I HAD TO GO (but I also totally would have driven to the Bay Area again to see them, as I have done in previous years, of course!)

I went to the concert by myself. Again. But honestly, I didn’t mind. I mean, I invited J to come with me (and he has gone with me on various occasions in the past), but I had absolutely no problem whatsoever doing this for myself, by myself.

J dropped me off downtown around 6:30 p.m. and I made my way to the new Golden 1 Center. The new arena is huge and some seating is way up there under the ceiling (if you recall, I had seats there with my parents for Paul McCartney last fall!), but this time I had a great seat down on the lower level (not super-close to the stage, but close enough!) with a great view of the stage. I was so excited.

I was excited to see Boyz II Men (again!) and Paula Abdul as opening acts. They did a great job getting everybody warmed up, but of course, we were all there for NKOTB (ok, minus the guy in the row behind me who was clearly there for Paula! He kept screaming her name and I do admit, I enjoyed her performance more than I thought I would.)

Finally, 9 o’clock rolled around and it’s time for NKOTB. Yay! It had been too long.

The show started out with their new single ‘One more night’. Typical pop stuff. Yaddah, yaddah. I don’t think their music is the GREATEST (never have), but I do enjoy it and it’s ear-worm material for sure. Overall though, I am much more a fan of these five guys, who have come so far, and what they stand for: loyalty, love, and peace. They’re all about giving back.

The show was amazing. I said it before, I think they have become better entertainers with age. Everybody was just in such a good and positive mood, even though the terrible attack at the Ariana Grande concert in London had just happened! But what else can musicians/entertainers do but carry on and keep spreading their music and positive attitude?

They performed all five of their new songs and then a nice mix of more recent songs (from the last decade) and also some very old songs, some dating back all the way to 1984! It was awesome!

They also played a couple of songs from lesser known albums like ‘Dirty Dawg‘ (from their 1994 ‘Face the Music’ album) and even ‘This one’s for the children‘ from their Christmas album (in the middle of June, ha!), which I had never seen performed on stage! Very cool!

There was a woman in front of me, probably my age, who never had the opportunity as a teenager to see NKOTB in concert and this was her first time… after 25 years! I mean, you can’t beat that kind of ‘dream come true at last’-joy that she exhibited! It was amazing!

If you made it all the way down here to proceed and judge me, to roll your eyes and tell me that you think that NKOTB are stupid (wouldn’t be the first time I hear it) or that it’s embarrassing that they’re still touring or anything like that, I am just going to tell you right now that I DON’T FREAKIN’ CARE ONE IOTA.

I hope that you have something in your life that brings all the smiles and joy and all the good feelings to you because boy, do we need them in this day and age.

Now, where are my fellow blockheads?

5 favorite summer treats

June 23, 2017 filed under: food, Friday Five, link love

Hey, it’s 9 am and it’s 80 degrees (28°C) out already. We’re just coming off a week-long heatwave here in the Central Valley, with temps reaching into the TRIPLE DIGITS for multiple days in a row. That must be a near-record and let’s just say: I am not really cut out for this kind of weather, but I do try to embrace summers here as much as I can.

In order to beat the heat, here are my five favorite summer treats:

1. Smoothies. Is this considered a treat, because it’s actually healthy? I don’t know, but I love smoothies in the summer (especially with all the fresh fruit available!).

2. Ice-cream. That’s a no-brainer, right? Who doesn’t love ice-cream in the summer? I don’t discriminate, by the way. I take ice-cream, gelato, popsicles, sorbet…. anything that comes out of the freezer… but chocolate chip is my favorite!

3. Ice-cold Arnold Palmer. There is nothing more thirst-quenching than a nice big glass of iced tea sweetened with lemonade (I like two parts tea, one part lemonade).

4. Iced coffee. I usually drink my morning coffee hot year-round, but I really enjoy some cold-brew coffee over ice in the summer. My favorite add-ins are milk and a splash of vanilla syrup.

5. Watermelon. I am not a fan of cantaloupe or honey melons, but give me watermelons all (summer) day, every day! They are my favorite. Preferably chilled. So juicy and good.

What’s your favorite summer treat?

I am linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 Linkup

Currently | June

June 21, 2017 filed under: currently

looking forward to a long 4th of July weekend.

feeling sad (and helpless) about all the bad news lately. When will this stop? Can’t we just all “disagree with each other peacefully”? (Quote from Shadi Hamid, author of the book “Islamic Exceptionalism” which I immediately put on my to-read list!, heard on NPR the other day.)

enjoying my Sunday morning trips to the Farmers Market. I just love the atmosphere, the fact that people are out and about on a Sunday morning and shopping local, and all the the fresh, local produce, of course.

eating a bunch of new light and tasty summer dishes. We’ve adapted our meal plan to the scorching temperatures that we’ve been getting here lately. Hit me with your favorite healthy summer recipes in the comments! Any good food blogs you recommend?

drinking smoothies again. It’s totally a summer thing for me, but I enjoy them pre- or post-workout. Good way to start your day!

hoping for my running mojo to come back a little bit. Every mile felt unusually hard the last couple of weeks.

watching baseball. Mostly. The Red Sox are doing well this year (SF, my second favorite team, not so much!). I miss Big Papi though. Dustin Pedroia (he’s from Woodland, CA — around the corner from here, by the way!) can never leave or retire. Just sayin’.

celebrating the Golden State Warriors’ NBA Championship win. They battled the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third year in a row. They won in 2015, were defeated last year, but earned the title again this year. J and I used to watch a ton of basketball way back when the Sacramento Kings were still somewhat successful. We are more focused on baseball now, but we still usually watch the NBA finals.

reading A world without you by Beth Revis.

mourning the death of my former piano teacher. My sister informed me last week that she passed away on June, 9th at the ripe old age of 103 (← I know, right!?). Of course, I knew that this day was coming. I mean, she wasn’t getting any younger. I had kept in touch with her by writing cards a couple of times a year ever since I moved to the US and I did visit her one last time a couple of years ago. I knew that I was probably not going to see her again, but still, the news of her passing did fill me with sadness and a whole lot of nostalgia. I took lessons with her for many years and at the end, she didn’t even charge me anything anymore, because we mutually enjoyed each other’s’ company. She was a very lovely lady and she’ll always have a special place in my heart. Apparently, she talked about me the last week before her death, because she always mentioned to everyone that one of her former piano students still sent her cards from America! That made me smile.

anticipating the harvest of all the little tomato buds that are growing on a ‘stray tomato plant’ in the backyard. I hadn’t gotten around to planting my (potted) vegetable garden yet, when I discovered that a lone tomato plant had ‘planted itself’ in a patch of dirt behind our house. I don’t know how it got there, but I am definitely taking care of it now. It seems to like the spot that it has picked out.

My time back home

June 19, 2017 filed under: family, Germany, home, travel

I am finally getting around to do a little recap of my Germany visit. My trip home was short and sweet. I mainly went to be there for my niece’s first communion and I am not that mad that it was a pretty short trip overall. Ideally, I go home for a visit when my sister and the kids are on school break to maximize our time together, but unfortunately, the communion didn’t overlap with a school break.

My sister had to work and the kids had school, so we had to steal away all possible hours during the week to spend as much time together as possible. As you recall, I had a bucket list for my trip and I was able to check pretty much everything off my list…

… spending time with my niece and nephew

I tried to spend as much time with them as possible in the short time I was there and it was wonderful. I always miss my two munchkins and they just grow up so fast. Someone — anyone! — slow down time.

… spending 24 hours near Munich with my best friend

I already told you about that here. I am so glad I got to visit her and see her new home. We had the best time.

… my niece’s first communion.

I blogged about that day earlier last week. I don’t get to be home for a lot of family celebrations. I have missed many birthdays, a few Christmases and other joyful occasions, but I am extra thankful that I was able to be there for the communion.

… sleeping in my childhood room

I love coming home to my parents’ house and sleeping in my childhood bedroom. It’s almost a little bit of time travel right there. Love the view from my second-floor window.

… going for a run with my cousin

Yes! We only went out together once, but it was awesome to run with my cousin Basti. He’s pretty fit and it was great to have someone “push” me along for our 15 km run.

… working out with my Dad

I also got to go to the gym with my Dad. I took him to my gym here when he and my Mom visited last fall and I wanted to go work out with him at his gym when I went back home. I wish I could work out with my Dad more often. He’s the reason why I love sports.

… having a sleepover at my sister’s house

I only stayed over at my sister’s house once. As I mentioned, my sister had to work during the time I was home and so I stayed over at her place on the weekend after we had a nice BBQ with sausages, steaks, baked potatoes, salads, bread and herbed butter.

We got super lucky with the weather, so we could sit outside in my sister’s backyard.

It was nice to be at her house and just hang out. After the kids went to bed, we even had a bit of time to talk and catch up, which was super nice as we sometimes go a couple of weeks without talking on the phone (but we do text!)
The next morning, I loved ~~waking up~~ being woken up by the kids and then all have breakfast together — as if we do that every Saturday. I mean, at least it felt like that… even if in reality, it’s such a rare event.

… having brunch with a friend in Köln and shopping with my Mom and sister

I got to see my friend Ilka in Köln for breakfast and we had some uninterrupted girl time to catch up on each others’ lives. I wish we could do that more often.
I also got to go shopping with my Mom and sister that day.

… spending Mother’s Day with my Mom (and rest of the family!) hanging out in my hometown

We walked around at the park downtown, took some pictures and then went out for ice-cream. It was such a fun afternoon!

In the evening, we had dinner at my parents’ house. My Mom made white asparagus (see below!), which I had requested for my last dinner at home. May is ‘asparagus season’ in Germany and you’ll see it everywhere! I am not really sure why white asparagus is not so popular over here, because it’s delicious!

… eating all the food

I already told you about all the delicious food we had for my niece’s communion, but besides that my Mom also tried everything to satisfy my cravings for (mostly) German food.

White asparagus with ham and potatoes — coffee and strawberry tartlets — Mettbrötchen

German BBQ — Italian Antipasti — Sauerkraut and pork belly

Belgian fries — ribs, mashed potatoes, and cucumber salad — Apricot tart with whipped cream

Not pictured: Heringsstipp (pickled herring in cream sauce), gelato from my favorite Italian ice-cream shop and ALL THE FRESH BREAD + ROLLS.

So yeah, in case you can’t tell, I had a horrible time…. hahaha! [\sarcasm off]

5 Summer running tips

June 16, 2017 filed under: fitness, Friday Five, linkup, running

This morning, I had planned to do a 1-hour interval run, but it was already 90°F at 10 am. Summer running can be pretty brutal here in the Central Valley, so I have to be flexible. I decided that I’ll hit the gym later today for today’s workout. I will do some summer workouts outdoors because it’s good to train in different environments, but if I have the choice, I am definitely a cool weather runner. I don’t do well in the heat, I have problems with swelling and overheating, but oh well, I live in a place that gets pretty hot in the summer, so I have to adapt.

Here are 5 summer running tips (in case it’s hot where you are, too).

1. I run early or late to avoid the hottest hours of the day for an outdoor run.

2. I adjust my pace. I know, I am preaching to the choir here, but if it’s hot outside, your pace should automatically be slower. I don’t care if my training plan calls for a tempo run at a certain pace. If it’s hot, I adjust my pace and run by effort. I’ve seen many recommendations online and I don’t’ think there is a one-size-fits-all approach, but Hansons Coaching has these general recommendations to adjust your pace when temperatures rise:

55-60 degrees = +5 secs/mile
60-65 degrees= +15 secs/mile
65-70 degrees = +30 secs/mile
70-75 degrees = +40 secs/mile
75-80 degrees = +1:10/mile
80-85 degrees = +2:00/mile
85+ degrees = DON’T DO IT (<–that’s why I am going to the gym!)

3. I wear light, breathable clothing and sunscreen. Obviously, you want to wear as little as possible when it’s really hot outside, but make sure that your skin is protected too!

4. I bring water (or make sure that there are plenty of drinking fountains along my running route) and I’ve been experimenting with salt tablets. It’s pretty much a no-brainer that you have to hydrate as much as possible when you’re training in a hot environment because you’ll be losing sweat and electrolytes pretty fast. Also, it’s nice to be able to splash some water on your face/head/hands when it’s really hot to cool down a bit.

5. If in doubt, I opt for an indoor run on the treadmill. I know, I know, a lot of people hate the treadmill, but when the temperature hits the triple digits (as it often does here in the summer), the air-conditioned gym is the safest place to exercise (at least as far as I am concerned).

What’s your number one piece of advice to run in the heat?

I am linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 Linkup.

June Link Love

June 14, 2017 filed under: link love

Around the Interwebs

Are you one of those people — like me — who always wonders on Sunday night where the weekend went and why it didn’t last longer? Here’s the secret to making your weekends feel longer.

10+ Brutally Honest Illustrations that capture what’s wrong with today’s society.

Food for thought. Why Margaret Atwood says ‘it’s a form of slavery to force women to have children that they can’t afford’.

The loneliness of Donald Trump.

This is…. sick. Pun intended.

Real things you can do to combat climate change.

Don’t trust photos that you see on social media. This is awesome and eye-opening, right?

Maybe it’s not all about instant gratification? If it doesn’t suck, it’s not worth doing.

Good reminders — we’re all heading there. ’Surviving and thriving’ in middle life.

Around the blogosphere

This is so, so important to read. A thin body doesn’t equal a healthy/fit body and a couple more pounds on the scale doesn’t mean you’re fat. Some thoughts on weight.

How to deal with jerk-y comments in a classy, adult way.

Craftiness

Look at this embroidery work!

Crochet potholders. So colorful!

Deliciousness

Plan your smoothies in advance.

Chimichurri goodness.

20 amazing salad recipes for this summer.

Share a good link with me in the comments!

My niece’s first communion

June 12, 2017 filed under: family, home

My niece’s first communion was the main reason I was traveling home last month. I am her godmother and wanted to be part of the ceremony.

I arrived home on Saturday afternoon and the communion was on Sunday. We had a small breakfast at my parents’ house before we got ready for the church service at 11 a.m.

I honestly can’t say too much about the ceremony, the church was packed and we were seated somewhere in the back and couldn’t see anything that was going on at the altar, but I assume it was a nice ceremony, ha. I heard some laughs and the pastor tried to make the service suitable for children.

If I dare say so (and I am sure you’re going to think I am biased), but my niece was the most beautiful girl that day. She wore a non-traditional white Dirndl-style communion dress with a light green apron. And just look at her hair! My sister really knows how to do perfect up-dos.

We headed back to my sister’s house after the ceremony and everybody got some champagne or mimosas. The weather was pleasant enough and we were able to be out in the backyard during the day.

One of the take aways for the day: there was WAY too much food. But who am I to complain? It was all delicious and I was on ‘vacation’, so I was not counting calories (not that I really do that on a normal day).

The lunch buffet was partially catered by our favorite local Italian restaurant. We had tomato soup, fish, pork marsala, grilled vegetables, rosemary potatoes and scalloped potatoes and as dessert, tiramisu, my dad’s homemade ice-cream with strawberries and whipped cream.

Every German celebration includes ‘Kaffee & Kuchen’ in the afternoon and there were 7 cakes and pies to choose from. I tried 5 of them, please go ahead and judge me now.

The dinner buffet was prepared mostly by my parents: a variety of pickled antipasti, salads, pickled salmon, turkey and pork, bread and herb butter. Delicious!

It was a wonderful day and I was so grateful to spend precious time with most of my extended family.

Happy Global Running Day

June 7, 2017 filed under: fitness, running

Today is Global Running Day again, an occasion to celebrate all the joys of running! Hooray! Over one million people from 185 countries have pledged to run today!

I can’t tell you how much running has become a part of my life in the last couple of years, but especially in the last year. And I can only reiterate: I would have never thought that I would become a distance runner. Like, ever! But, now I am and I am loving it.

So, today is a good opportunity to remind ourselves why running is awesome and why you should give it a try sometime.

As previously mentioned, I used to be more of a team sport person and running was always part of my exercise routine, but never my main sport. When you play other sports, running is often your warm-up exercise and then also — unfortunately — used as a punishment. It’s too bad running gets a bad rep this way. To be honest, it’s never something I truly hated, but I also didn’t embrace its potential. Now it has become something to keep me motivated, level-headed, challenged, balanced and on track.

I pledged to run 5 miles (which I actually ran yesterday, since that is how it came out with my training schedule and I have work commitments today. Sue me!). Go and pledge your own miles over here.

To celebrate today, I wanted to share 5 things I absolutely love about running.

1. You can run anywhere at any time, alone or in a group.

The main reason I started running as my main exercise is that once I moved to the US and didn’t have my team sports anymore, I had to find something that I could do independent of other people. Running was something I was able to do anytime and anywhere. I didn’t have to go to the gym, wait for a class to start or find other people to do it with me (like for so many other sports, where you need a partner. Although, it is pretty nice running with other people!).

2. The only one you are competing with is yourself.

Of course, it’s absolutely exhilarating to win a race (ha!), but in all honesty, this is not liklely to happen very often for most of us. We often compare ourselves to others, which can boost motivation, but in the end, it doesn’t matter how fast or far other people run. Instead, running is where we check in with ourselves and with our own goals and aspirations. Conquering this new distance or chasing this new PR is what it’s all about! And on most days, it’s just about getting out there and having fun!

3. Running is therapy.

I used to mostly run when I was upset or when there was something I had to work out emotionally. It’s amazing how much power moving your physical body has over the emotional state of your body. Running can clear my mind and make me feel better like no other thing. It’s like you can literally ‘run away’ from whatever was bothering you and come back with a fresh mind (and plan to tackle the problem).

4. Running teaches you a lot about your body.

Running teaches you what you pain tolerance is, what endurance looks like and you’ll get a very acute sense of when your body is telling you that you need to take a break and when you should push ahead. I used to think that when running got hard, that is when I needed to stop. Now, I know that sometimes it’s only your head telling you to stop and your body is ready and capable of so much more.

5. Running creates an invisible bond.

I feel extremely fortunate that I have found the running community (on- and offline) and I love how supportive and encouraging everybody is. In my experience, it’s mostly the people who don’t exercise who would make negative comments about runners/athletes, but within the running community, people are just positive and inspiring. It’s one of the best parts about running.

On a different note, I also signed up to be an officially Brooks-endorsed athlete today. Brooks is creating the biggest team of officially-endorsed athletes ever and I love it.

My Brooks Ghosts were my first official running shoes and I am loving the brand and what they stand for.

BROOKS BIG ENDORSEMENT

Starting June 7 (Global Running Day), we’re offering every athlete their very own endorsement deal.

This isn’t your typical “Big Brand Signs Big Personality” endorsement deal. This is all about finally giving you—and thousands of other runners like you—the superstar treatment you deserve. Why? Because we celebrate runners who put in the time, day in and day out. We support your morning miles, lunch break runs, sunset sweat sessions, and every single celebratory post-run beer.

The Brooks Big Endorsement is the biggest athletic endorsement deal in history, with Brooks signing runners of all speeds and abilities. We’re inviting everyone to be part of Brooks and get out and run—whatever that means to you. By signing up, you get to join the roster of endorsed Brooks athletes, and receive a grand payment of $1 (US and Canada only).

#runready #brooksendorsed

Want to know more? Click here.

Happy Global Running Day everyone!
What are you doing today to celebrate?