Zero

Zero. Nada. Zilch.

This is where I'm starting my running/weight loss blog portion. Instead of documenting my weight each week, I'll just do it in +, - or 0 depending on how many pounds I've gained, lost or stayed the same. So this week, being the first week, is obviously 0. There are some things I ought to keep secret and this is one of them. However, it is 5 pounds less than I was at 2 weeks ago, so that's gotta mean something.

I'm working on portion control more than what I eat exactly. I don't overload my plate and I'm trying to eat more slowly. I also try to eat all the green leafy veggies before anything else since they fill me up first and I don't feel so bad for not finishing all of my meat, starches, etc.

I've also been a little better with consistency about running. I've stuck to my assigned running days, although they are super short runs compared to what I was doing before injury (less than 3 miles a day). BUT I figured this is better than nothing, and I'll be increasing mileage before I know it. My pace is faster than it probably should be - it's around a 9:55 right now and I should be keeping it at 10:30 or so. But it's so hard to run slower when I know I'm only a mile away from the finish. The only slip up I've had in the last week is my lack of a morning run so far. Monday I was too drained and Tuesday was a hurricane-like downpour. So the run happened Tuesday evening instead. I made myself get up this morning for yoga to practice the morning ritual that is so difficult for me. Marshall The Cat decided to participate in my yoga this morning, and he crawled under me as I did downward dog. He's a funny cat.

Corey has also taken to making our home a full-fledged bakery. We have too much bread to fill our bread box, and he's giving it away at this point because there is no humanly way we can eat that much bread before it goes off. We'll try though!

Tonight I'm going to try to make biscotti. It seems so simple and would be nice to have a little treat like that around, particularly for an after dinner sweet with a cuppa tea. I'm thinking I'll start with a basic chocolate almond variety. Mmm.

Adios!

Progress

There has indeed been progress on my massive list!

1. Hang shower curtains in guest bathroom and get rug and towels in there.

2. Add height to the master bathroom shower curtain.
3. Nightstand lamps - find old cheap lamps to DIY.
4. Repaint bedroom furniture to white-ish.
5. Make a DIY headboard for master.
6. Recover headboard for guest room to match decor.
7. Find a small desk for sewing/crafting.
8. Find and/or create artwork for master bedroom.
9. Hang curtains in both guest bedroom.
10. White frame gallery wall in half bathroom downstairs.
11. Patio bistro set and grill - this must happen soon with the impending spring weather.
12. Figure out lamp situation in living room and downstairs office area.
13. Update (read: paint or stain) C's desk downstairs.
14. Update guest bedroom nightstand and chest of drawers.
15. Get some doors on the DVD shelf.
16. Baskets for media center and side tables.
17. Stain accent tables in living room.
18. Update the coffee table.
19. Find an area rug for the downstairs office area.
20. Figure out bookshelf by media center.
21. Create hanging fabric for empty space above the TV.
22. Figure out something for cookbook shelves.
23. Make roman shades for bay window in dining area.
24. Get some more greenery throughout the entire house.
25. Hardware on kitchen cabinets.
26. Hardware on vanities in all bathrooms.
27. Organize entryway coat closet.
28. Organize cleaning/cat closet downstairs.
29. Organize upstair hallway closet.
30. Find area rugs for bedrooms.
31. Find a nice runner for the downstairs hallway.
32. Hang framed Colorado map on stairway wall.
33. Find some chairs or rockers for the front porch.
34. Put up the valences on the kitchen window blinds.
35. Complete the bedding in the guest room.
36. Throw blankets for each bed and the couch.
37. Decorate memo board for upstairs desk area.
38. Find/create artwork for guest bedroom.
39. Accessorize both upstairs bathrooms.
40. Find a small bench for entryway.
41. Find a bench for the master bedroom.
42. Figure out the TV stand situation in the bedroom.
43. Accessorize the bedroom, including bookshelf.
44. Oganize upstairs desk area.
45. Organize and decorate downstairs office area.
46. Plant an herb garden outdoors for the summer (and can be moved indoors).
47. Install bike hangers in outdoors shed.
48. Replace showerheads with low-flow ones.
49. Get a deadbolt lock for outdoor shed.
50. Have fun!
 
8 1/2 for about 14 days? Not too shabby. Granted, some of those were necessary considering my father came to stay with us last weekend. It would have been difficult to be a decent host without giving him towels.
 
I was planning on making this a running-inspired post this time around, but I haven't been able to run much in the last couple of weeks. I've been in more of an allergy-induced stupor. I really love Kentucky sometimes. After I get back in gear over the next couple weeks, we'll see about that running post. There may even be a cooking post somewhere between these.
 
Until next time!

50 in 150

Since I'll be starting law school in August (only 5 short months away... eek!), there's quite a bit to do around the new casa. I definitely will not have much time to devote to these little projects when I'm up to my eyes in CivPro and ConLaw.

I've created the following list for things that I'd like to finish in the 150 days before embarking on this ridiculous notion of higher eduation. Let's call it my "50 in 150" list. You know I love my lists. There are probably at least 50 things I want to do. They may or may not be prioritized at this point.

1. Hang shower curtains in guest bathroom and get rug and towels in there.
2. Add height to the master bathroom shower curtain.
3. Nightstand lamps - find old cheap lamps to DIY.
4. Repaint bedroom furniture to white-ish.
5. Make a DIY headboard for master.
6. Recover headboard for guest room to match decor.
7. Find a small desk for sewing/crafting.
8. Find and/or create artwork for master bedroom.
9. Hang curtains in both bedrooms.
10. White frame gallery wall in half bathroom downstairs.
11. Patio bistro set and grill - this must happen soon with the impending spring weather.
12. Figure out lamp situation in living room and downstairs office area.
13. Update (read: paint or stain) C's desk downstairs.
14. Update guest bedroom nightstand and chest of drawers.
15. Get some doors on the DVD shelf.
16. Baskets for media center and side tables.
17. Stain accent tables in living room.
18. Update the coffee table.
19. Find an area rug for the downstairs office area.
20. Figure out bookshelf by media center.
21. Create hanging fabric for empty space above the TV.
22. Figure out something for cookbook shelves.
23. Make roman shades for bay window in dining area.
24. Get some more greenery throughout the entire house.
25. Hardware on kitchen cabinets.
26. Hardware on vanities in all bathrooms.
27. Organize entryway coat closet.
28. Organize cleaning/cat closet downstairs.
29. Organize upstair hallway closet.
30. Find area rugs for bedrooms.
31. Find a nice runner for the downstairs hallway.
32. Hang framed Colorado map on stairway wall.
33. Find some chairs or rockers for the front porch.
34. Put up the valences on the kitchen window blinds.
35. Complete the bedding in the guest room.
36. Throw blankets for each bed and the couch.
37. Decorate memo board for upstairs desk area.
38. Find/create artwork for guest bedroom.
39. Accessorize both upstairs bathrooms.
40. Find a small bench for entryway.
41. Find a bench for the master bedroom.
42. Figure out the TV stand situation in the bedroom.
43. Accessorize the bedroom, including bookshelf.
44. Oganize upstairs desk area.
45. Organize and decorate downstairs office area.
46. Plant an herb garden outdoors for the summer (and can be moved indoors).
47. Install bike hangers in outdoors shed.
48. Replace showerheads with low-flow ones.
49. Get a deadbolt lock for outdoor shed.
50. Have fun!

Ok so that last one was kind of a toss-away. But in all seriousness, whew. That list exhausts me just thinking about it. Of couse, all of these range from incredibly small projects (see #1 and #49) to quite larger ones that will take some more time (see #13 and #23). I do think that this is a manageable list though -- most likely with a little assistance from the boytoy.

I'm struggling with the whole "decorating in stages" thing, but I think having a tangible list will truly help me with this. I *really* enjoy crossing off items on a list.

By completing this list (or at least  most of it), I should be able to focus on my schoolwork come August. Naturally, I'll want to update things with the seasons and change up the styles every now and again. It'll be much easier to do that once I have a good foundation rather than piecing everything together like I feel like I'm doing now.

Rachael

Consistency

This is my biggest hurdle with this blog project. I'm not sure exactly what I want this to be about, and since I can't seem to manage that little thing called a "theme," I have no incentive to blog on a regular basis.

So this is it. I'm going to figure this out. NOW.

I'll be posting a series of different types of posts and see what I like best. My biggest debates are between household/decorating/DIY/etc., foodie things, and running/weight loss. I'll be working through these a bit to see what comes most naturally and go from there.

I don't know if it will work, or if it will even stick. But I want this to be something worth committing to. Readers (whether they be family, friends, or perfect strangers) won't read this if they know I can't be consistent.

I'll be going through some big life changes in the next few years and if I can get into the habit of documenting this all now, it'll be easier later on. They (as in those people who repeat things from people who repeat things) say it takes 21 days to make a habit of something. Maybe 21 posts from now it'll be a normal thing to post on here.

Let's do it to it.

State of the Resolutions: First Edition

It's about the end of the month and I figured I ought to check in on my progress for my yearly resolutions/goals. (I don't actually have much to report otherwise - life is busy but normal.)

1. Half/Full Marathons

I have not yet run my half and full marathons yet. Waayyyy too early for that. However, I'm officially signed up for Run the Bluegrass half (www.RunTheBluegrass.org) and on a training schedule for the full marathon. The current battle is figuring out which one to do. I'm between a late June one in Michigan or an early July one in Vermont. I think some of it will depend on who I can drag with me.

I may also be doing a Warrior Dash in early June. I've seen these crazy obstacle races before but this one seems more interesting with the addition of jumping through fire (literally) and lots of beer at the end.

2. Household projects


I've done a little bit (like recovering an old lampshade) and scouted out more than anything for things to makeover for the new digs. Not much progress on this one as of yet but there are a bajillion ideas swirling around in my head. I really just need to be patient and get into the space before I embark on most of these things. Big project for the spring will be figuring out what to do with the hideous laminate kitchen cabinets.


3. Experiment in the kitchen


So far I've been very successful in completing my weekly experiment. I'll have to post more details about that later. I haven't been able to spend much time with the bread making, although Corey is a rockstar with it right now. I'm a little nervous about stepping into his artisan baker shadow, but there's hope yet!


4. Budget


I'm failing miserably at this. My biggest hurdle is that since we're getting ready for a move into a new place, there are just so many odds and ends that we need to take care of. I need to calm it down a bit with my excitement for getting to decorate and make this place my home for at least the next 3 years. My new mantra needs to be "decorate in stages."

I guess that's about it for now. Maybe at least one monthly check-in with these goals could be a good way to keep myself accountable.

More to come in a few weeks with the big move!

The Great Purge

There is something about this time of year that lends itself to fits of rampant cleaning and organizing. I think I hit a high today.

(Sorry about the poor quality - it's a cell phone pic)

I know it may look like a disaster, but it's an organized mess. Boxes that were full of junk are now empty so I can use them for the move, and the junk is now either in the trash or in a bag to Goodwill. In the process, I've also been able to pack up move of my office stuff and I realized I need to have a move effective filing system. So that was my project the other night.

Other projects have been sofa-hunting. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I also found out that I'm a lot pickier about these things than I originally thought I was. I guess there are some things that I think are worth investing in a bit more than others. I don't trust myself enough to DIY a couch. This is the one that I'm currently leaning towards the most:

Nich, eh? It's on the upper end of our price range but it just may be worth it for the leather (easy to clean and pet dander-resistant) and the warranty protection.

I've also been able to find some great deals on craigslist this week. Since we're lacking so much on living room furniture, I've been trying to keep an eye on the listings. You can't see them in there, but I snagged two nice Lane end tables tonight for only..... $15! These things just need a little love and some new stain. I typically don't like matching end tables, so I may end up using the other in the guest room as a nightstand to break it up some.

I also found some nice lamps and frames this week via craigslist and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Love those deals. I got some fabric from Hancock and I'm planning on recovering at least one of the lamp shades. The frame color is slightly hideous right now, but it's nothing that a little bit of spray paint can't fix!

So those will be my first projects of the year. They may or may not get done before the big move in February. That all depends on how packing goes I suppose. Right now, I need to make sure I'm just keeping an eye on things I'll need between now and then and get rid of what I don't.

I've also been able to keep up with my new recipe of the week. Granted, it is only the first week of the year. My experimental meal of the week was a tomato soup with turkey pesto meatballs and pasta. It was a winner, and I was even able to share with a few friends from college.

Delicious.

Unfortunately I didn't get my planned run in like I'd hoped for. Tomorrow I MUST sit down and get my training plans together for the half I'm already signed up for in April and the full in July.

I guess it's time to relax for a bit. It is the weekend after all.

Late Happy New Year!

...or something like it. As far as I can tell, 2010 was a pretty great year personally. I'm kind of sad to see it go.

Quick recap:
JANUARY - Skiing with friends and family.
FEBRUARY - Moved across town into a nice place/neighborhood.
MARCH - Completed first half-marathon in Lexington.
APRIL - Bought my brand new Mazda 3.
MAY - Met Corey.
JUNE - Big promotion at work.
JULY - Camping trip on the AT with Corey and taking him to TN to meet the family.
AUGUST - Personal record for 5K distance at 27:08 during the Midsummer Night's Run.
SEPTEMBER - Sweet weekend white-water rafting trip in West Virginia.
OCTOBER - Chicago trip with family/Ran Columbus half-marathon/Traveled to DC for the Rally to Restore Sanity.
NOVEMBER - Started training in vibram FiveFingers.
DECEMBER - Accepted into my top choice law school.

As you can see, it's been a good year. I'm going to try my hardest to make 2011 just as good, if not better. Instead of traditional resolutions (which I never could keep up with after about a week), I'm making goals for myself. By being able to achieve the goals, hopefully that will change some of my current behaviors.

1. Run two half-marathons and a full marathon.
Since the second half of 2010 was plagued with injuries for me, I need to focus on getting stronger and healthier for these races. I also need to pay attention to nutrition and consistency. Hopefully, I'll be able to shed some pounds and get leaner in the process.

2. Tackle household projects.

Since it looks like I'll be moving to a new place in February, I've been bit by the DIY bug. Between decorating and making a (town)house a home, I'll be keeping busy. It's also going to be doing it on the cheap, which may be the real challenge.

3. Experiment in the kitchen.

This is a two-fold goal. First, I need to learn to make a good loaf of bread. By hand, kneading and all. I've already tried once so far, and it was okay. But not stellar. It's a work in progress. The second part of it is to experiment with one new recipe or technique per week. Hopefully this will expand my culinary horizons a bit... and I know plenty of people who will be happy to help me test these things out.

4. Make a budget...and stick to it.

I've made up a budget and now the important thing is to stick to it as much as possible. I've even tried to account for the large expenses throughout the year. I need to be a stickler about this, especially when I'll be living off a limited income when in law school.

Those are the big ones. I think four is enough to make a difference in the way I live day-to-day and I'm looking forward to the improvements I can make to myself and my relationships.

I do believe 2011 may be a great year.