6,999 Calories

I set my alarm 40 minutes earlier than usual.  Every workday Monday-Friday I got out of bed and used the elliptical in our basement.  I brought my iPad down with me and I'd stream an episode of Friends  or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.  I tracked how many calories I burned each morning on a calendar.

I burned 6,999 calories in April!  Had I of done the math earlier, I would have pushed myself for that extra calorie to get to 7k!

Now that it's warming up I want to start running outside again!

Project Sister Appreciation

I love Moleskine notebooks.  Seriously.  I look for this section at every bookstore I wander into.  I love the feel of the cover, the pages in between, and the fun colors and styles these notebooks come in.  I was first introduced to these notebooks in a Creative Writing class in college.  Since then, I've used them for personal projects and I've used them at work.  When I stumbled upon a Moleskine card, I swooned.  I immediately wanted to make something crafty for my sisters, which is exactly what I did.

To complement this project, I recently printed some of my instagram photos using Foxgram.  I was looking for a company that made small cute prints. Check them out if you haven't.  I was impressed with my prints.

For this project I dug into my scrap booking supplies to add the text to the covers and I decorated the inside pages with the instagram pictures.  The remaining pages of the cards were filled with notes to each of my sisters.

I was happy with the results and I'll probably buy more Moleskine cards and Foxgram prints the next chance I get!

Zentangle Garden

Yesterday I took a Zentangle class at a local university to brush up on my doodling.  The class was called "Zentangle Garden" and the instructor taught tangles that had elements of a garden.

The instructor had us tangle on different card stock and introduced a white pencil that can be used on colored card stock for shading.

I left the class inspired to tangle more often.  Below is my latest creation inspired by tangles taught in the class.  

March 2015 Highlights

I've challenged myself to take a photo every day of 2015.  I'm 1/4 of the way through the journey! Here are the highlights from March 2015:

I plan to add full documentation in a separate tab to this blog!

Visiting 4 New States

Confession:  I was mid-way through a business trip when I realized that the state I was in was the 4th new state for this 30/30 list item!  Cheers to Indiana - that trip was a whirlwind!!

One of my 30/30 goals was to visit 4 new states.  To catch up on my progress against all of my goals you can check out the full list here.

In my real-life job I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to travel.  All 4 of the states I have visited on the list below were for business.  For the most part, my business travel is very fast paced.  There isn't really any time for personal exploration of each area.  I do hope to re-visit these states someday for more fun in my personal time.

1.  Michigan - Lansing

Highlights from my travel:

• Successfully juggling events on site with virtual meetings.  Learning to become multi-tasker extraordinaire. 
• Braving the snow to walk to a nearby restaurant.

Things I would do if I were traveling for fun:

• Go to a Spartan football game at Michigan State University

via Google Images

•  Explore the Ann Arbor area

2. Tennessee - Knoxville

Shareable Highlights:

• Racing off the plane to a slow cab driver that introduced me to the timing of things in Tennessee.  His hospitality and kindness re-set my "go-go-go" mentality.
• Calling an emergency number at a large event for someone that fainted and directing emergency responders to the scene at a place I had never been before. 
• Walking downtown to Market Square for dinner.

via this website

Things I would do if I were traveling for fun:

• Check out the Sunsphere
• Spend more time exploring downtown Knoxville
• Visit Nashville to go to a concert

3. Texas - San Antonio

Shareable Highlights:

• Meeting and networking with professionals from all over the USA on my own
• Taking a San Antonio River Cruise

personal pic

• Walking River Walk area to get some sunshine
• Checking out the Alamo and the Tower of the Americas

Things I would do if I were traveling for fun:

• Visit the San Antonio Zoo
• Check out Six Flags Fiesta, TX
• Go to a San Antonio Spurs basketball game

4.  Indiana - South Bend

 Shareable Highlights:

• Received a beautiful surprise bouquet of flowers from Hubs at the start of a very busy trip!

• Cab driver asking if I was a student.
• Lots and lots of ironing.

Things I would do if I were traveling for fun:

• Go to a NASCAR race in Indianapolis

via Google Images

• Explore the Amish area Nappanee
• Visit Abe Lincoln's childhood home

I can't believe I've completed this goal just by working!  Next up on the agenda for work travel - California!  I have my fingers crossed I'll get to go to a conference on the west coast later this year. 

Tech Free Mondays

Lately I've been trying to get better about managing my time.  There are only so many hours in a day, you know? 

Last week we started hosting "Tech Free Mondays" at our house.  "Tech Free" means no phones, tablets, computers, or TV.  It means coming home from work and unplugging from every electronic device that lures us into a mind numbing place.  We are two weeks into this habit and it's one I'm going to try to keep!

Our first "Tech Free" night I wrote a letter to my sister in Africa.  Last night I put in extra time in the kitchen and baked brownies from scratch from a recipe I found in one of my cookbooks. I even sat down at the piano to try to learn a new song.

These last two "tech free" nights were interesting.  If there was a pause in activity or my train of thought my next thought was almost always, where's my phone/tablet?  It's like I am unconsciously searching for something to distract me or grab my attention.

Here's to reclaiming my free time and mindfulness of being present!

Slump Bust

It's time for some changes around here.  I've been feeling in a bit of a slump and I need to come out of it!


1.  Exercise: Time to get back in shape!  I'm craving a mix of cardio and yoga.

2.  Food:  It is too easy to eat poorly!  Remember when I tried 2 new recipes every month for a year?  Lunch and dinner haven't been very nutritious.  I can change that with better meal prep/planning.

3.  Create:  I love to create and I need to allow myself time to do more:  craft, scrap, write, knit, etc.

Ready. Set. Go!

Soundtrack for this evening:  Diana Ross "I'm Coming Out"