I May Have Experienced A Runner's High Today. Or, I Could Have Just Been Running Downhill.

Happy Friday!  I don't want to sound too 'yay me!', but I did a three-mile run this morning and did not feel like crying afterward.  As you may recall, I'm aiming to participate in the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot here in Denver.  Originally, when I came up with this plan, I was under the impression that this run was a standard 5K, which sounded plenty intimidating to a non-runner like myself.  Lo and behold as soon as I made the commitment to the race, I was informed this is actually a four mile run.  Say what?

I wanted to back out of the event, thinking my decision to participate was based on bad information, but I forged ahead anyway.  I've been attempting to train somewhat regularly for the last couple months.  It's not been easy, but it has been eye-opening.  For the first time ever, I bought a Runner's World magazine.  I hid it in my purse and I'm not sure why exactly.

I didn't buy the magazine for the articles about how to survive marathons and the like (FYI the key to survival is to drive), but because there was an article in there about how to look cute in race day pictures.  It wasn't as long or informative as I'd hoped; it mostly featured tips from NBC reporter Natalie Morales who said she likes to wear a ponytail or braids to keep her hair stylishly out of her face when she runs.  I just don't think braids are gonna do it for me (can you imagine?).  Also, my sunglasses tend to slip down my nose and I always end up with the sniffles while I'm running.  I look less like a cute national news correspondent and more like Lisa Loopner.  Maybe we'll hold off on pictures this time.

I have put a little thought into my race day ensemble.  I bought myself a pair of grey compression pants at Old Navy - you know, where all serious athletes buy their gear.  I like the pants and they squeeze my thighs into a pleasant shape - like Spanx for your entire lower half.  I'm not sure what top I'm going to go with - the temperature in Denver on Thanksgiving could be 70 degrees or below zero, so I'll need to wait for an extended forecast before I make a final decision.  I was shopping the other day and saw one of those cute workout tops with a peplum that I considered for a very, very brief period.  Then it occurred to me that peplum workout tops are best worn by someone shooting for a personal record in a run, not by someone looking to merely survive it without crying.  Or quitting.

I'm wearing this today.

It's pretty warm today, so short sleeves are not out of the question.  A cheapo black blazer from Forever 21 will be the perfect second layer should things cool off.  I like this low-budget blazer because it's very thin - you get the blazer effect without the added heft that comes with higher quality materials.

gratitude:  my run today, champagne-based cocktails on the horizon, a color plan for the house, baked potatoes

thanks and love.

We Have Not Been Good To Our Mud Room, But Things Are Going To Change. Like The Scene In Cinderella When She Gets Invited To The Ball - The Tide Starts Turning At That Point, And She's Just One Fairy Godmother Away From Greatness. I Hope Our Mud Room Has A Fairy Godmother. I Could Use The Help.

I would like to issue a formal apology.  To our mud room.  I was checking out a design blog this morning and came upon an article, with tons of pictures, featuring Aerin Lauder's (Estee's granddaughter) home in Aspen.  It's a lovely abode, as one would expect, but one photo stopped me dead in my tracks.  The caption read, "Aerin's perfectly appointed mud room."  I couldn't take my eyes off it.  It was stunning.  Now, I've worked in the biz, so I know this whole thing has been staged to look fantastic, but seriously, I never imagined a mud room could look that good, even with a professional snapping the shots.

Our mud room is not stunning.  Nor, is it well-appointed.  I know there is a bench in there along a wall, but I've not confirmed that visually in months.  I trust it's still there because without it, the Everest-sized wall of stuff that sits on it would be levitating in mid-air.  My logical mind tells me that's impossible, but when we bought this house I would have also felt that the level of disgust the mud room has achieved was also impossible.  I have been proven wrong.

In our old house, we had no mud room.  All the things people left behind as they stepped into our home ended up in a small hallway off the entrance to the garage.  Because this area was considered part of the main house, I made a mild effort to keep it somewhat in order.  But now we have the luxury of a mud room and, instead of treating this hard-working space with the love and respect it deserves, it has become a room-sized equivalent to a junk drawer.

You know something is wrong when you want to hide it (like when we stand alone in the pantry cramming a fun-size Baby Ruth in our mouth, or is that just me?).  We regularly shut the door to the mud room when we have people over and I've even been encouraging the children to bring their friends into our home through the front.  This is not how I envisioned life with a mud room would be.  But, now that Spike (God rest his soul) is no longer residing in the mud room, I have a good deal of new space to work with in there.  And before this additional square footage is overtaken by the tidal wave of junk heading straight for it, I'm going to step in (carefully) to add some style and structure.

I realize our mud room will likely never be worthy of a photographic spread, but at the very least, I no longer want to feel ashamed of it.  And, it'll be nice not to have people sign an injury waiver and show proof of an updated tetanus vaccination before they enter our home.  That's no way to live.

I'm wearing this today.

I want to be ready if the opportunity to try on a few pairs of boots arises while I'm out erranding.  Skinny jeans are required for a clear read on boot viability.

gratitude:  a clearer vision, taking action, twisting yoga poses, resources

thanks and love.

Calendars, Lists, And Wine. Right Up There With Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh When It Comes To Happy Holiday Celebrations.

I feel like once Halloween passes, the holiday race begins.  At this point, we're all lined up on the starting blocks, shaking out our arms and legs to keep them loose, and pressing our goggles into our face so they don't leak.  We're visualizing our desired outcome: joyful holiday gatherings, meaningful family moments, a lovely home, thoughtfully selected and beautifully wrapped presents, the sounds and smells of the season wafting from our home each and every day.  Right now though, we're working to stay calm and focused, but we know the gun will go off any second and then it's full-speed ahead to the finish line.

Holidays can be stressful - physically and emotionally.  But even if you're taking a minimalist approach to the season's events, you're going to need to make some plans.  I'm not a freak planner, but I have learned over the last year, that I'm happier if I've put some effort into planning ahead.  Even Santa made a list - and checked it twice!  Perhaps that added to his jolly attitude.  I never feel great if I'm constantly doing things last minute: things I saw coming, but for whatever reason blew off or delayed or completely forgot.  I'd rather enjoy a glass or two of wine in celebration of the season, not in an effort to drown out holiday fails.  I want to be fully present for the holidays - each year the season is a totally different experience and I don't want to miss a single moment of this one.

That said, I'm using this week to come up with a game plan.  I'm taking Benjamin Franklin's advice to heart:  "If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail."  As I was Googling this quote to make sure I had the wording and the author correct, I found another quote that carried a similar meaning, but incorporated a bit more feeling and, dare I say, holiday magic?

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

- Anatole France

So, get yourself some good old paper calendar pages for November and December.  I like the full month of squares on one sheet because I'm the person who sometimes believes December has more days than it actually does.  Print calendar copies from the computer if you have to, then mark dates on them for all the events and activities you'd like to or need to accomplish in the next couple months.  Back out the steps necessary to make those a reality, then follow your plan through the season.  Write in pencil, of course, because life requires an eraser from time to time.   If we do this, I think we'll all find we actually have more time to just soak in and be present to all the holiday goodness and eliminate the last minute freak outs, panic attacks, and general crabbiness that tend to take away a bit from the holiday joy.

On your mark, get set, go!

I'm wearing this today.

I am digging my taupe, suede boots.  They are a great neutral, and the suede adds a nice bit of texture.  I'd almost call them a must-have.

And for Meatless Monday, it's minestrone!  For what it's worth, I like to add a parmesan rind to the minestrone while it cooks and a spoonful of pesto before serving.  Flavor oomph.

gratitude:  stretchy black trash bags, Baby Ruth candy bars, soup, Whole Foods' Mediterranean Tapenade

thanks and love.

Since I Don't Know What To Do With Our Entryway Decor For The Thanksgiving Season, I'm Buying Some Time And Leaving Our Carved Pumpkins Out Until Trash Day On Monday. Nothing Says 'Welcome' Like The Scent Of Moldy Squash.

So yesterday, I was battling a bit of an unfortunate Halloween stomach bug.  Quite fitting really, because there are few things in real life much creepier than imagining how exactly I might have picked this nasty thing up.  We all know how these illnesses are passed along, so I don't need to get into the science of it here, but suffice it to say the unknown exchange of stomach contagion is the thing of nightmares.  

I really didn't eat anything yesterday so today I'm reintroducing food to the system and unfortunately, even though my intentions are to begin my nibbling with healthy and nutritious items, the only things that sound good to me are the remains of the Cheetos from JD's party last night and the five Baby Ruths I hid away before trick-or-treating started.  In the spirit of full disclosure, I already snuck one Cheeto, just to see how it would sit and, for the record, we're all good.  Let the healing commence.

And now that it's November, we'll be inundated with holiday advertising.  I just saw my first Christmas based TV ad this morning.  It was a Petco commercial introducing their new Martha Stewart collection of holiday pet toys.  I'm sure the dogs and cats on the receiving end of these new chew toys will appreciate the fine workmanship and tasteful detail.  Our dogs ate through a Diaper Genie, a table leg, and some refrigerator magnets.  Connoisseurs, indeed.

And finally, tomorrow is my sweet boy, J.D's, 14th birthday.  He is a truly wonderful person and I am entirely grateful to be his mom.  I love you with all my heart, J.D.!  Happy, happy birthday!

I'm wearing this today.

Black is very easy.  And, honestly, all I have clean.

gratitude:  a caring family, happy kids, birthday weekends, the time change

thanks and love.

I Don't Mean To Toot My Own Horn, But For The Second Year In A Row, I Managed To Send In Our Car Registrations Before The Bonus Month Expired. I'm Kinda Kicking Butt And Taking Names Now When It Comes To Time Management.

Sometimes I feel like I could be getting a lot more done in a day.  It's not so much when I have a staging project to work on or a writing job -  maybe I focus more when I'm getting paid? - but it seems like when it comes to just the day-to-day life maintenance activities I could stand to step up the urgency a bit.  I'll occasionally have one of those days where I'm firing on all cylinders, checking things off my list, and running at full speed.  But for the most part, I find I'm easily distracted by the computer - I've already Googled Nancy Meyer movie sets, funny last-minute Halloween costumes, and found myself a new running back for fantasy football today.  It's barely past 8 o'clock in the morning.

While this lack of productivity can be irksome, I also feel though, that down time can be very valuable. I couldn't possibly be one of those people who go go go from dawn until dusk - and I accept that about myself.  But one thing I know I could do better is to take care of things before they become a problem that stresses me out.  I read somewhere recently (on a distracting Google search, perhaps?) that the calmest and most peaceful people are the ones that take care of things before they become problems.   They aren't necessarily at peace because they handle stress well: they manage to avoid as much stress as possible in the first place.  Ah!!

So, because each journey begins with a single step,  I'm ordering a water filter for our refrigerator as soon as I post this blog.  Last night the message to "Order new H2O filter" scrolled across the screen on the fridge.  In years past, I'd see that note and think to myself, "I need to remember to do that.  I'll make sure I order one when I get a chance."  Well, clearly I could never find the time to squeeze that task in, which is weird because I'm sure there was plenty of time to price compare over-the-knee boots or research the best way to brine a turkey.  I'd put off ordering until the message eventually changed to, "Replace H2O filter." It probably should have said something like, "You haven't even ordered it have you?  Prepare to enjoy the taste of contamination."  Because of my inaction, our filter was rendered useless and I was left to ponder whether or not the water tasted funny until the new one arrived.  This added unnecessary tension/guilt/mineral deposits to my life.  But no more.

The water filter will be on its way by end of day.  Mark my words.  Then I'll be able to get around to scheduling my annual physical exam if I can mange to find the reminder postcard they sent to me two months ago.

I'm wearing this today.

I found these new grey skinnies yesterday at Old Navy, of all places.  They have a new mid-rise fit in their Rockstar jean and it's perfect for those of us who prefer zippers slightly longer than an inch and a half, but not anywhere near Mom Jean length.  A nice stretchy skinny in a great color for a cheap price.  Score.

gratitude:  amazing fog, creative pumpkin carving, toasted English muffins (Rudi's Multigrain with Flax), staplers

thanks and love.

Tonight Will Feature Pumpkins, Power Tools, And Pinot Noir. A Trifecta Of Halloween Fun.

Welcome to Monday!  I missed posting Friday as I was knee-deep in the final phases of our staging project, then afterward decided that a few glasses of wine and dinner out was required.  I also (re)learned that wine consumption is best done on a full stomach and if one throws back a glass on nothing more than the remains of the toast she ate at 7:00 that morning, regrets are possible.  Alas.

I'd hoped to have everything completed with the big project by today and this morning would be the kick-off to a recovery time of sorts.  But, as is the case in so much of life, the Universe likes to mock our silly planning efforts and we'll be heading back up to the flats today to tie up a few loose ends.  It's been quite an experience to exist with an all-consuming work activity.  Not much outside of staging has been accomplished in recent weeks.

For instance, Halloween kinda snuck up on me.  Unfortunately, that means I was among the pathetic group of people scrounging for carveable pumpkins this weekend.  Trust me, at this point in the season, those pumpkin bins outside the grocery store are not for the squeamish.  It's humiliating to have to dig through them in front of everyone only to end up with misshapen, stemless pumpkins that have several disappointingly soft spots.  Although, the moldy areas do make for easier carving, so there's that.

It's Meatless Monday and we'll either be enjoying egg salad sandwiches or a simple pesto pasta.  Sometimes if you let your family make the final decision, they are happier with the results.  I will do whatever it takes to make Meatless Mondays more palatable for my loved ones - literally and figuratively.

I'm wearing this.

I am, once again, a walking tribute to the power of Pinterest.

gratitude:  a gray day, leopard print, Vanity Fair magazine, black pens

thanks and love.

Lunch Has Its Own Challenges - Not The Least Of Which Involves Ordering Without My Glasses. Why Are Those Menus Behind The Counter So Far Away?

It's been a busy week, and I'm glad I've made an effort to stop for a quick lunch while I'm moving through each day.  I function better if I've eaten something - no one needs a stager with low blood sugar.  Can you imagine? Oh the horror.

I've come to realize that the act of disposing of your lunch remains at some restaurants can be a nerve-wracking task.  I think the trend toward recycling has added new elements to "disposal" in general.  I'm a recycler.  I'm even making a concerted effort to do a better job of breaking down boxes so they lay flat in my recycling bin and also to rinse things out before I toss them on the pile.  I get it.  Recycling is good.

But now that recycling is becoming the norm, we don't just toss everything we have left over into one big trash can.  Now we need to sort things: trash, compost, paper, plastic, silverware, plates, trays, etc.  They all need to go in a specific place when we're done with our meal.  I get a little anxious if there's a line behind me pressuring me to get my tray cleared quickly - you have to really think about where things go.  I'll even wait at my table until it looks like the trash station is clearing out just so I can sort my paper and plastic in peace.

The worst place for this kind of sorting has to be Whole Foods.  They started this trend I think, but they've also made it the most difficult.   Whole Foods has their trash system broken into no less than five sections and each section comes with a handy framed example of what each particular piece of trash should look like for its associated disposal zone.  But sometimes the examples they provide become outdated and don't match what the Prepared Foods department is using to serve food.  I end up holding my empty container up to the framed examples and guessing to myself the chemical make-up what my Sonoma chicken salad came in.  Is it recyclable?  Would it dissolve on a compost pile?   Maybe it's just plain old trash?  I think it's made out of corn.  Did my food taste like corn?  Could I just eat the container? The stream of consciousness alone takes quite a while.

Sometimes I just cram my plastics and papers in my grocery bag and dispose of it all at home.  It's easier and that way I can practice my speed sorting skills on my own.  After a little private practice, the next time I dine at Whole Foods,  I plan to amaze the other lunch-goers with my flawless execution of trash disposal.  Little victories mean so much.

I'm wearing this.

I've had this vest for three years and could never find a way to work it into my rotation.  I bought it at Anthropologie when I was feeling extra funky, then got it home and wondered what in the world I was going to do with a long, knit vest.  I don't know why I didn't think about using it with a t-shirt and jeans.  Duh.

gratitude:  the smell of roast chicken, simplicity, lamps, yoga

thanks and love.