Archives for March 2019

Monthly Favorites | March

March 29, 2019 filed under: monthly favorites

It’s time for monthly favorites again. At the end of each month, I share things that have made me happy, new discoveries, or recommendations that I find worthwhile. Enjoy.

1. My bike*! Obviously. It’s been so fun to be able to ride my bike to work and around the neighborhood. I can’t wait for the weather to be a little bit more stable (aka dry!) around here.

2. We made Sauerkraut twice this month. I love it mixed up with mashed potatoes (go ahead, try it!) as a side with bratwurst or goulash.

3.I finally got my hands on the trial size version of IT Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50+* (which is only available online and seems to be out of stock a lot!). I had wanted to try this CC cream for the longest time and I must say, it was worth the wait. I really like it. I might even splurge on the full size version next time.

4. I’ve been trying out this Love Beauty Planet Refreshing Coconut Water Deodorant* and I actually love the smell and so far it’s been holding up quite well, too.

5. A MUST in my March favorites list: Marble Cake.

6. My new running shirt, which I got for my birthday. Don’t you love it? :)

7. My friend Susi gave me a HydroFlask Water Bottle*, which I had been eyeing for a while, for my birthday and I LOVE it. It keeps my beverages cold or hot and it looks pretty doing so!

What was one of your favorite things this month?

* #notanad, This is not a sponsored post. I have not been compensated by the brand or anyone else for linking the websites.

Tuesday Topics: What are your favorite non-running or non-fitness hobbies?

March 26, 2019 filed under: Tuesday Topics

Let’s talk about all the things we like to do when we’re NOT running. I, for one, have a lot of non-fitness related hobbies. Too many, if you ask me.

I’ve always been someone with tons of hobbies. As a kid/teenager, I wanted to try EVERYTHING (and I also tend to not be a quitter, so instead of dropping one hobby for another, I’d usually just pile them on.)

Boredom? What dis?

I probably have about 3-4 competing interests at any given time and often can’t decide which should take priority at that particular moment. Sometimes I will start one thing, only to switch over to another half and hour later.

In no particular order, here’s what I love to do in my free time:

Blogging – surprise! If you’ve been around for a while, you know that I’ve been blogging for a long time and I am not intending to quit any time soon.

Traveling – I love to travel, even though I don’t always get to travel as much as I want. (Who does?) I still count it as a hobby, because I do try to get out exploring whenever I can.

Reading – I’ve been that kid that always had a book attached to their hands. I went through phases where I didn’t read as much as I wanted to, but I am happy to say that I’ve established a pretty solid reading habit in recent years.

Knitting/crocheting – I learned to knit/crochet when I was young and I am so happy about it. It’s such an awesome activity to relax and wind down.

Crafting/Card-making – I’ve always loved making stuff with my hand and I’ve been making cards (for all occasions) for years and years. You might know that I did turn my hobby into a little side hustle a few years ago (but it really is just a hobby, I don’t rely on that income by any means).

Baking/Cooking – Is there anything more satisfying than creating something delicious to eat?

I am sure I could come up with more things I like to do, but those are the things I’d consider my main hobbies. So many things to do, so little time. Am I right?

What are your favorite non-running hobbies?

I am linking up again with Kookyrunner and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

Currently | March

March 25, 2019 filed under: currently

STOKED | that I finalized my travel plans and booked my flight to Germany. I’ll be heading home in about a month and I am so excited.

FEELING LUCKY | that I scored a sweet hotel deal for my July half marathon weekend in San Francisco. San Francisco hotels are notoriously expensive and it’s really hard to stay anywhere downtown for less than $200, but it makes attending the race so much easier when you’re not driving in from far away. I do keep my eyes open on deal websites and sometimes I get lucky.

EATING | marble cake. I bake one every year for my birthday. It’s my favorite pound cake.

DRINKING | peppermint tea. I am still on the peppermint kick.

LOOKING FORWARD TO | some girl time with my friend Tanja next weekend! We’ve been talking about meeting up for months and we’re finally making it happen!

WEARING | sandals for the first time this year (but we also still got quite a bit of rain this month!).

READING | A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.

WORKING ON | some new small crochet projects.

TRYING TO | finish my triangle scarf before I go to Germany, so I can have my knitting needles ready for a new color-gradient yarn cake.

LOVING | my new coffee mug, a birthday present from my bff! (It reads “you’re more than a friend, you’re a part of my life. You’re the best”.)

ENJOYING | riding my new bike. OMG, I forgot how much fun it is to have a bike and to be able to go places without a car that would take forever to walk to.

What’s going on with you currently?

On sleep

March 21, 2019 filed under: about me

Photo by @dannyg on unsplash.com

My friend Stephany recently blogged about a really fun topic: sleep! It’s something that we all have to do (at some point), but that nobody talks about, but I always love to learn random things about people. So I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and tell you a little bit about my sleeping habits.

How Much I Sleep

I think I fall right into the recommended sleep group for adults. I am pretty happy with around 8-9 hours of sleep, but can get by with 7-8. Anything less than 7 hours is doable, for a short amount of time, but it usually means I’ll crash at the end of the week and then sleep 10 hours on the weekends. I know they say that you can’t really “catch up” on sleep, but my body definitely will take any little bit more on the weekends that it can get.

What I Sleep In

In the winter, I need to sleep in long pajama pants and a long sleeve shirt. Sometimes, I wear my socks to bed (*gasp*), because I dislike nothing more than cold feet (oh, maybe I do, ‘hot’ feet are the worst!) and I often have cold feet in the winter.

In the summer, I wear a tank top and shorts to bed.

How I Sleep

I’d say that I am a side sleeper (with my hands tucked under my chin). Sometimes, I will sleep/lie on my back as well, but I am probably 85% side sleeper.

Pillows, Blankets, & Sheet

I sleep with a fitted sheet, a duvet (we have a winter and summer duvet) and two pillows (a flatter, firmer one on the bottom, a fluffier one on the top).

That’s it. Nothing fancy.

Top sheets (I know, a topic of contention) have never been a ‘thing’ in Germany, so I didn’t grow up with them and I find them useless. The only time I’ll sleep with a top sheet is at a hotel (because top quilt by itself = gross!), but I have to make sure it’s all untugged from the mattress, because I can’t have my feet restricted like that. Usually, unless it’s really cold, I’ll routinely stick one of my feet out for temperature control.

Oh, and I always need a blanket even in the middle of summer. I cannot sleep without anything covering my mid-section. I will opt for a sheet, when it’s really, really hot, but I usually prefer a little bit more weight to my blanket.

How I Fall Asleep

Luckily, I don’t have problems falling (or staying) asleep at all. Reading a chapter in my book before I turn off the light will usually put me right to sleep. When I do have the odd night where I toss and turn and can’t seem to quiet down, I get really upset, because regular insomnia must be the worst (form of torture!). I feel bad for people with sleep problems, I really do.

Napping

I generally like the idea of naps, but I nap very rarely. I must be really tired to take a day-time nap. Usually, I am much too “busy” with other things to take naps and much rather opt for an earlier bedtime instead.

Do you have trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night?

Tuesday Topics: What do you bring along on a run?

March 19, 2019 filed under: running, Tuesday Topics

I am (trying to be) a minimalist when it comes to bringing stuff along on my runs. I don’t really like carrying anything in my hands (although I do bring my hand-held bottle of water for longer runs sometimes), but some other things are non-negotiable for safety and convenience. I came up with a list of ten items that I always take along. That seems like a lot, but you’ll see, many of them are rather “small”.

Here are my top 10 items:

1. I carry most of the items in this Amphipod running belt*. I am kinda hoping to replace this one sometime… the belt is pretty worn out, but it has served me well for the last three years.

2. I rarely run without my Garmin*. I know, sometimes it’s nice to not be a slave to our watches, but I just love recording my exercises. I am a numbers nerd.

3. I feel like a little motivational arm bling always helps, so I usually take along one of my Mudlove* bracelets,

4. … and one of my Momentum Jewelry* Motivational wraps…

5. … and my Road ID*. That one is more for safety than for motivation. It has my name, phone number and emergency contact information on it and it’s always a good idea to wear that.

6. I also carry my ID and a visa card for emergencies. You never know if you get stranded somewhere or if you need to stop and buy some water or snacks (or a post-run coffee treat).

7. I always need tissues somewhere along the way, so a pack of tissues is a must.

8. My house key is always one of the items that I obviously have to carry.

9. Well, and then I bring my iPhone for safety and for listening to music/podcasts on my run. I always tell someone where I am planning to run, but I also sometimes use eCrumb Tracking via the Road ID app*. It basically alerts your person of choice when you stop for 5 minutes or more, and it gives them updates via text about your progress.

10. Last but not least, wireless headphones are a given. But I always just use one ear bud, so I can still hear what’s going on around me! Stay alert, guys!

What items do you take along on a run? Any items that I am missing?

I am linking up again with Kookyrunner and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

* #notanad, This is not a sponsored post. I have not been compensated by the brand or anyone else for linking the websites.

March Link Love

March 18, 2019 filed under: link love

Around the Interwebs

30 Interesting finds on Google Earth. My nerdy little heart loves this.

A $700 kitchen makeover. Oh-so-lovely.

The modern trap of turning hobbies into hustles.

Life before the internet. Do you remember it?

How to streamline every area of your life. I do some of these, not all of these (clever) suggestions. You?

Deliciousness

This seeded soda bread looks soooo good!

How to harvest & preserve herbs from your garden.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Bowls. That sounds divine.

Share a good link with me in the comments!

On my birthday

March 15, 2019 filed under: about me, birthday

As previously mentioned, Sunday was my birthday.

I don’t know in which camp you fall, if you dread getting older or if you embrace and celebrate it. I belong to the latter. I think every day is a gift, getting older is a privilege, and we should make the best of each and single day we’re given.

I started off my 43rd birthday with a 4.3 mile run in the morning. I’ve taken up the habit of going for a run on my birthday, the mileage appropriately “reflecting” my age (I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep this up, or if I have to come up with a different scenario eventually, but for now, it works.)

In recent years, I’ve subscribed to the belief: if you wake up on your birthday and you’re feeling good and don’t have any aches and pains, count yourself lucky and head out and get some exercise and fresh air!

Especially if, after quite a bit of rain lately, the sun is peaking out behind some fluffy clouds and I can see blue skies! What better way to start the day than heading out for a run?

And yes, this will inevitabely put a big smile on your face for the rest of the day (and who wouldn’t want that?).

My pace wasn’t too shabby either. Little birthday present for myself, eh?

After a FaceTime session with my twin sister and family back home, I was ready for a hot shower, coffee and birthday (marble) cake.

The highlight of my birthday happened in the afternoon. J said that had a surprise for me. Well, I honestly knew beforehand what the surprise was, but it didn’t diminish it in any way.

J took me bike shopping!

I didn’t have a bike for years. In fact, I hadn’t owned a bike since we lived in Davis (“the bicycle capital of the world”, or maybe the US, at least), which was back in 2005, but you must know that I had wanted a bike for a long, long time. Back when I lived in Germany, I did everything with my bike. It’s practically mandatory to own a bike in Germany (just kidding).

Anyway, this had been a long time coming.

We had talked about getting me a bike as soon as we started thinking about selling our house and moving to a neighborhood closer to my work. It would be safer for me to ride a bike there, also easier because of the shorter commute, and J could have the car available more often. Basically, a win-win situation.

I assumed we would just go to a couple of bike shops and look around. I hadn’t really made up my mind what kind of bike I wanted. Maybe a cruiser, like I had in Davis, but cruisers, more often than not, don’t have gears and have to be upgraded with fenders, lights, reflectors, etc..

Since I wanted to commute with the bike, I needed it to be “street ready”. I thought we would look around what was available and then think about what makes the most sense, but J was more determined. He wanted me to go home with a bike.

Well, and what do you do when you walk into the bike shop and there it is: YOUR bike. A “City Bike” in black with teal accents, equipped with 8 gears, dynamo-powered lights, fenders, front and rear racks, a bell and a frame lock.

It basically had my name written all over it.

I took the bike for a quick spin around the parking lot and when I came back and saw J’s big smile on his face, I knew “this is the ONE!”. Isn’t she pretty?

I am so, so excited to finally own a bike again! It’s going to be a great summer, riding my bike to work, along the river, and to the Farmers Market. (Now, if I can convince J to get a bike, too, everything would be perfect.)

For dinner, we went out to “Ernesto’s Mexican Restaurant” because I had a craving for nachos. It was a huge plate with asada bites and lots of cheese and jalapeños and it was delicious!

And just like that, my birthday was just about over again, but I had a really, really fantastic day!

Do you own a bike? What’s one of the most exciting birthday presents you’ve gotten in the past?

42 favorite moments

March 11, 2019 filed under: birthday, my so-called life

My birthday was yesterday. I am borrowing a post idea from Elise for my birthday celebrations this year. I have previously done a similar post, but haven’t been consistent over the last couple of years, but I enjoy looking back on my birthday and reminisce about the moments that made the last year great.

So, without further ado, my favorite – some big, but mostly small – 42 moments.

coffee from my big mug

when I get a notification that someone ordered something from my Etsy shop

running my fastest half marathon (yet)

a warm zucchini cheddar scone

when I come back from a run and have my first cup of coffee

cutting into a fresh loaf of bread

the last pages of a good book

closing out the month in YNAB

a warm summer breeze

visiting the giraffes (at the zoo) on my weekend runs

wandering through Michaels

knitting a few rows before bedtime

blue California skies

sweet yeast bread for New Year’s Day

The Red Sox winning the World Series

Thai food

a hot shower after a hard workout

rewatching an episode (or two) of FRIENDS.

sunrises on J Street

grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s

dinner with friends

a bowl of soul

a trip to Washington, D.C.

meeting a URL friend IRL

coffee shop visits with J

finishing a knitting project

girl time with Susi

our weekend morning routine

lying down on the bed with crisp and clean, fresh sheets

spontaneous date nights at the local brewery around the corner

BBQ in our back yard

Running the SF half marathon again

apple pancakes

early mornings at the Farmers Market

evening French Press coffee @ Temple

when I win a giveaway on Instagram

getting to go on field work trips

fall foliage

exploring new running routes

walks to the park with J

remaining in “child’s pose” for an extra 20 seconds after my workout

that moment when something works on the first try

What I read in February

March 4, 2019 filed under: books

Well, reading was kinda slow this month, as you can tell. I only finished one book in February. I don’t know, I just didn’t find much time to focus on books and then the one I was reading started to drag. Here’s my review.

This must be the place by Maggie O’Farrell (★★★☆☆)

I really wanted to like this book more, damnit. But the fact that I had a hard time pushing through it, tells me that there were problems with it. Some chapters were so, so good. O’Farrell is a talented writer. But she was jumping between different narrators and time periods and even writing styles, and some chapters felt disconnected and some superfluous to the story, really. The book seemed to meander and I got lost repeatedly. It totally broke my “reading streak” and I hate when that happens.

When I have to start flipping back and forth to keep track of people and events, and then the author drops characters into the story that end up being tangents that are never resolved, but abandoned, I lose interest pretty quick.

The main story is about Daniel and Claudette, but we also meander into Daniel’s past and Claudette’s past and I get it, people’s lives are complex and often don’t fit into a neat box, and both of them had a bunch of baggage, but some parts were narrated in so much details that it felt unnecessary, while some parts lacked depth where I expected more. I don’t know, for me the book didn’t strike a balance there.

Have you read this one? How did you feel about it?

What did you read in February? Anything you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment, and then add me on Goodreads to keep in touch.

Monthly recap | February

March 1, 2019 filed under: my so-called life, review

READ

This month was slow going. I only finished one book, This might be the place. Woomp. Hoping to pick up my reading pace again in March.

COOKED

I found this Chimichurri beef and rice dish online and loosely followed it but substituted the ground beef with steak. It was delicious, fast and so satisfying. You need to try this.

WATCHED

Parenthood (★★★★★)

Gasp. I know. You all have probably finished that show a long time ago (twice over), and to my defense, I was totally on track to finish it myself, before I fell off the bandwagon, as things go.

As I mentioned, I don’t watch that much TV (except for news), so it’s hard for me to find the time to keep up with shows, even if I love them, even if I am invested in the characters. But I watched an episode (or two) this month and I am determined to keep going until I finish it, damn it.

Did you hear about the Morgans? (★★★★☆)

I took J’s advice and just “put on a movie” one Saturday night and randomly landed on this 2009 movie with Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker. Actually quite entertaining and just what I needed. Have you seen it?

Ratatouille (★★★★☆)

I am usually not a huge fan of animated movies, but I’ve come to appreciate some of the ‘adult’ wit and humor in some of them. It’s just nice to put one of these on in the background and get an occasional laugh out of it.

I also watched the Oscars last weekend (did you?). I was a little underwhelmed, some of the big actors/actresses were MIA and since I haven’t seen any of the movies that were nominated, I didn’t have any stakes in the game.

LISTENED TO

I’ve been listening to “Pod Save America“ and also downloaded a few episodes of “This American Life“, which I’ve enjoyed on and off in the past.

BOUGHT

Well, what did I buy this month? Not much. I bought a new screen protector for my phone, because mine cracked (but luckily protected the phone screen, as it was supposed to).

We also finally had to replace the filters in our Berkey water filter (after 3+ years! This is consistent with what they advertise) and they’re not cheap, but I gladly spend that money for years of clean, filtered water!

RAN

I ran 53 miles in February and I’ve seen a bit of an improvement of my paces, which is really cool to see. Sometimes it seems like progress takes forever, but discipline and consistency usually pays off. I took 204,769 steps, which is an average of 7, 313 per day. That’s better than last month. I’ll take it!

GOING-ONS

+ I finally went back to work on January, 28 because the president caved to Nancy.

+ I went to a workshop in Denver for a week at the beginning of the month and it was so, so good. We don’t get to do this nearly often enough. Every conference or workshop is a hassle to get approved when you work for the government (just ask me again about wasteful government spending, it’s not happening in our office).

+ We went out to dinner with the couple we saw for Christmas Eve and we had a great time. We hope to meet up soon again.

+ I got our taxes done, woot! And to my relief, we pretty much came out the same way as last year. We’re getting a few hundred dollars back (which actually showed up in my bank account today!), which is nice, but it’s not a big enough refund that would make me ‘rethink’ our withholdings. I think I got them pretty much nailed down.

+ I found out this month that I am probably – oh, only after 14 years of working here – will finally get my permanent position this summer. I feel like I’ve run a marathon at this job (and then some extra miles). Remind me again why I stuck it out? Oh yeah, because I (mostly) like what I do here.

+ I spent a day with my friend Susi in the snow in the Sierra foothills, which was fun!

+ Here in the Central Valley, it’s been a pretty rainy month. It’s good, we need the rain but it’s always like this: we get none or too much at once. Another flood warning was in effect the last couple of days.

How was your February?

* #notanad, This is not a sponsored post. I have not been compensated by the brand or anyone else for linking the products/websites.