That Time it Rained All Weekend

Remember this: All great weekends start with a Friday night workout. 

No, I don't have any crazy mountain-tops or blue sky photos to impress you with today. Portland saw nothing but rain this weekend and as a fair-weather hiker, this girl stayed inside. That doesn't mean I was a lazy panda though, it actually means that aside from the work-work I had to do I actually had a crazy productive weekend.  

Here's some of the wonderful I got myself into.

Workouts

+ Heated Yoga at Yoga Pod Pearl (my most challenging yoga class yet)

+ Headstand Practice: 15 seconds in the air, personal best!

+ Twerk Practice: 1 Hour, still never enough time

+ Barre Class at The Bar Method

+ Restorative Yoga Class at Yoga Pod Pearl

Home

+ Laundry, fresh sheets, dishes, cleaned fridge & freezer, grocery shopping.

+ Removed everything I don't wear ever. <-- this is refreshing!

+ Meal prep: Chicken, Ground Beef, Kale, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower Rice, Sweet Potatoes

So Much Lazy

+ Four hours cozied up in my favorite coffee shop

+ 150 Pages of Eleanor and Park for Plucky's Book Club

+ Entire Netflix Season 1 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt thanks to Melissa

+ 2 Hour Sunday Nap

Things I Love

+ Google Hangout with Melissa!!

+ Scheduled a 75 Minute massage for next week

+ Scheduled my week of ClassPass workouts

Weekends like these make me happy. Doesn't this all sound wonderful?

To add on to the first sentence of this post, I also obviously believe a mid-weekend sweat and a Sunday night sweat are essential to keeping balance, but the Friday one is the most important of them all. 

Believe in Your Goals

I feel so inspired after reading everyone's March goals yesterday. 

I saw some incredible things floating around blog-world that were more than the usual Monday weekend recap and round-up. 

I saw ladies focused on fitness. I saw ladies focused on reading. I saw ladies focused on organizing their homes, offices and lives. I read about women who wanted to save, to be more present, to live more, to drink more water, to drink ALL of the water until there's none left.  Most importantly these beautiful, honest and vulnerable words were centered around you ladies loving yourselves more. 

And what I loved most from what I read? These ladies believed it. 

You reading, you believed it too. 

You wrote it and you read it and you said "yes!" the same way I did. 

You shared in comments how you felt the same way as the blogger you were visiting and how you wanted to do these same goals, be partners in crime, encourage each other to reach, leap and bound beyond your wildest dreams. 

That's pretty dang cool. 

The amount of support we get from our internet world should be the same support we expect in our real life world. It's the same support we should ask for of our friends and families. It's the support and love we should give to others. It's the same kind of confidence, support, cheerleading and motivation we should be giving ourselves. 

Giving ourselves this love every day, not just the first Monday of March. 

Every day. Not just January 1st and not just when we feel like "spring cleaning". 

We have the opportunity every single day to make these goals and to check in with ourselves. To check in with each other. To love and share and constructively craft the lives and the habits that we crave. To be the people we've always wanted to be but have found ways to put up barriers that ultimately separate us from our current state and our craziest dreams. 

If this post felt like a brain dump, it was. It was a fly-by no-edit rough draft of honest feels about the wonderful I witnessed yesterday and the kind of wonderful that fills my heart. The kind of good I seek daily and the kind of good I expect of myself. 

Thanks for reading. Thanks for writing. Thanks for sharing. 

A 15 Year Anniversary

After responding to close to 60 comments yesterday (between my two blogs) I feel a little spent today. 

Guys, that's not a humblebrag - that's a holysh*t my blogs were humped hard yesterday thanks to Kathy. I'm surprised I can walk type today. No wonder Wednesdays are my favorite in all of blog land. Each week I get more and more happy to see some ladies link up for their very first times and love it as much as I do. 

However - today is a crazy exciting milestone that I need to share with you wonderful people! 

Today marks 15 years since I had my last soda. 

For those of you who drink one or two a day (or 64oz like you, dad!) this sounds like an impossible feat, doesn't it?

It didn't start for a diet or for a dare - it started in 7th grade at a softball practice where we were tasked with giving up something for a week to work on our mental toughness. A friend and I could have gone the easy route of no TV (or no homework!), but we decided to really challenge ourselves and chose no soda. 

The great thing was that after the week was over I continued the competition and after about 3 weeks I no longer wanted any. Weeks turned to months turned to years... and now here I am - 15 beautiful years later with no soda cravings to be noted.

Of course you're going to say "what about in mixed drinks!" - no, I don't order anything with soda as the main mixer (i.e Jack & coke is off limits - also vodka & soda sorry Kathy). However, I'm sure that negligible amounts have gone into my system as a splash here and a splash there - I'm quite okay with this. It's not about the accidental traces, it's the "sobriety" and will power that matter to me. 

FUN FACTS!

-15 Years is more than half my life.

-15 Years is half the time my parents have been married.

-My favorite kind was Diet Dr. Pepper.

-The last soda I had was Super Size McDonald's Diet Dr. Pepper (and I chose to not finish it)

-I do wish I could have a root beer float.

-The money I save in soda is likely offset by the money I spend on gum. #gumaddict

Judge if you will, but I'm proud. May I also mention I'm approaching 13 years of no french fries?

Now, how am I going to quit you, Extra Sugarfree gum?

The Happiness Advantage

Let's slow it down, shall we?

I have a desire to get more intellectual, so that means you're going to be taken on the ride with me whether you'd like to or not. Lately I've only been feeding my brain with business details, spreadsheets and the occasional leisure-read of my favorite blogs - but there's a need for new thoughts to expand my brain and get my creative centers firing.

Today I'm sharing a TED Talk (love 'em) that was published 15 months ago but was recently brought to my attention. Shawn Achor, researcher and teacher of positive psychology, walks us through the first time positive psychology crept into his youthful mind and in the twelve minutes of footage had me convinced that my brain is capable of showing me any world I want to see.

In his humorous presentation, he inspires me to challenge myself to reverse the formula I've always used for happiness and success.

For many of us, our picture of success is measured as the following:

If you work harder, you'll be more successful | If you're more successful, you'll be happy

I don't know if it's the same for you, but when I work harder and am successful - I just keep placing the bar higher and higher. While I may experience short-term elation and pride, I'm never fully being satisfied with my accomplishments nor experiencing the "happiness" I'd expected in all the hard work placed into my goals.

Shawn challenges us to re-write the formula for ourselves by training our brain (as we train our bodies) to seek out the happiness and optimism in the world. He cites that your external world does not predict your happiness - but rather the way your brain processes the world around you can create happiness and boost productivity, creativity, understanding, clarity and attitude.

Afterall, perception is reality.

If you do anything today, please click 'play' below and engage in an inspirational conversation with your subconscious:

[ted id=1344]

The Happiness Advantage is also a book you can find on Amazon - I'll be downloading it for my Kindle on iPad soon!

Unwind

Thanks for not throwing things at me on Friday for lamely re-directing you to another post that explained how I was feeling - a quality post just wasn't going to happen.

Some things that did happen on Friday:

• Scrambled and flustered practice-round presentation


• A slap in my own face for revealing how scrambled I felt to my team and manager


• Twenty minutes to myself to get game-time ready


• A solid, composed and confident presentation when it counted.


• A celebration patio beer with the team Except they got lunch too


• A surprise work-birthday party... followed by not much other work.


• Supergoose IPA in the sun while waiting for Dan to meet me at the theater


• Iron Man 3 (great flick!)


• Crashed hard when we got home at 10pm

Saturday morning Dan and I woke up early and refreshed. We quickly packed a bag (that held mostly our electronic devices) and hit the open road to meet up with my parents and little sisters at the coast.

The sun roof open and our sunglasses on the entire trip made us feel like it was mid-July. While the temperatures crept into the high 70's and the rays of the sun soaked into our skin we felt nothing but joy, relief and a youthful nostalgia of summer break. We talked more in that two hour car ride than we've talked in the last few months, and even though a good majority of it was about work - it felt great to listen to his voice, talk about ways we can help each other and get inside of each other's heads more than the usual "what do you want for dinner, how was your day, did you feed Tiger" conversations.

Unwinding for the weekend was the best thing we could have done for ourselves and definitely helped me with my 'be spontaneous' goal. As you can imagine, no additional work for the week was done for this blog, no work was done, no food prep was accomplished and we'll have to save our Costco trip for another day.

And I'm fine with that, because nothing can beat a sunset like this one.

April Summary

Whoa - reality check, it's still technically April? I think we've got some confusion around here, the weather has been gorgeous in Portland and that's not normally until June July if we're lucky.

Really though, with the change of seasons, my work focus being on the month of May and all that has gone on in my world it's difficult to face that tomorrow is the 1st of May. No complaints, just level setting with my mind because so much has happened this month.

April to me meant change, maturity and responsibility at work. It brought overwhelming success and pride that I'll never forget. It propelled me into overshooting my running goal of 100 miles by 16 miles - which is unheard of during such a busy month. 

I'm looking back to my April's Eight Great Goals and I seriously missed the mark on 6 of 8. I didn't think reasonably what craziness the month would bring and sadly there were a few things that were out of my control and even out of my scope of importance. Where we did have amazing success was with limiting latte intake - I am looking forward to keeping that in mind in the months that follow.

Even though I'm managing through falling under the line, we still had a great month and plenty of wonderful memories to show for it!

Yummy Eats

So much amazing food was enjoyed this month from date nights to weekend food prep:

Torta-Landia

Sweet Potato + Quinoa Stir Fry

Saburo's

Work Related

I realize that I talked a lot about work this month, and really because I spend most of my day living and breathing my work with so many positive things to show for it.

I've promised Dan and everyone in my life that the craziness will be over starting once the fourth quarter is over - which means another month!

Still there were some good posts that came out of the craziness and want a collection of them here:

Under the Bridge

How High?

Desk Love

Keep Running

Running Love

I got after so many miles this month and it really impacted my happiness.

I knew that running was more than just about meeting my goal when I was lacing up after 8pm at night, or logging ten milers even after hitting my goal. The weather has been so warm I've even been breaking a sweat early on in the run, and there's no better feeling.

Running for Days

30 Mile Weekend

Countdown: Tough Mudder

My Handsome Daniel

The one person who got the least of me this month was my wonderful boyfriend. We stopped carpooling due to my schedule, we only went on two runs together, he had a golf tournament that I didn't make it to and he did nothing but try to fix the world and make things easier on my life. He's my everything and I'm so thankful he's in love with me.

Week 14 Cohabitation

Week 15 Cohabitation

Keep Running

Finally - Happy Friday!

Wednesday night I only had 4 hours of broken sleep and then last night my car battery died ... or it's an issue with my alternator. We aren't quite sure yet but I'm thankful for Daniel for always looking out for me, taking care of me, and even jump starting my car and following me in early this morning to make sure that all was okay. All was not okay and my car is parked just a few blocks from my house, but that's something we can figure out this weekend - nothing to stress about today.

This week my mantra unlike my car's was 'Keep Running'.

"Keep Running" to me means many things - 

• Keep a positive attitude through whatever comes your way


• Shovel manure and come out smelling like a rose


• Challenge yourself with physical and metaphorical hills


• Turn an obstacle or barrier into an opportunity to overcome


• Pour your heart into your work and don't look back


• Take time where time is due - with my Daniel, with my running, with my wildest dreams

When momentum is rolling, let it roll.

Don't force it but don't halt your energy and the energy of those around you.

Appreciate the world around you and influence the world within you.

Most importantly my friends - remember to Rise & Grind.

Today in History - 4.24.1999

Hello everyone!

There's so many things we could chat about, like the weather, the new clothes I've bought lately {on sale!}, my job, what motivates me, my man, etc.

It almost crept past me but something reminded me of a decision I made 14 years ago that has significantly improved my life and my health.

Today, April 24th, marks 14 years since I've drank soda.

I could harp and harp on why soda is bad for you, here and here for example - but instead I'll talk about what pushed me to the decision and the many reasons I've stuck to it over the past 14 years.

I was in Seventh grade, 12 years old and incredibly focused on softball and the things that I could do to improve my game. As a team, we were working on the 'mental game' to strengthen our minds and work out our discipline, so we were encouraged to choose something to give up for a week. Instantly I knew what I wanted to give up, but would have to enlist some help from teammates and my very own family.

See, my brother had given up soda a year prior and had always boasted about it - and being the competitive little sister I decided to lead follow my own path. I also was not such a light consumer of the sugary beverage. We would go to fast food restaurants for convenience after practices + games and I would consistently order the biggest Dr. Pepper or Root Beer I could get my hands on. No fault of anyone's, just the health concerns of high soda consumption weren't public knowledge as they are today - so it was more about the bubbly bite I'd experience from an ice cold soda rather than the taste of it.

I recall the 'last supper' like it was yesterday. My dad and I left the practice in Beaverton and headed to the East side, but not before a pit stop at McDonald's to order a #2 (Two cheeseburgers) No Cheese, Ketchup Only with a Dr. Pepper to drink. I remember slowly sipping out of the straw, calculating what I was putting into my body and ultimately feeling sick as a result. The cup sat overnight on my nightstand, half full and eventually poured down the kitchen sink.

Realizing that I didn't want to finish my last one, I knew I had an easy road ahead to look forward to both with this commitment and many others that followed.

Weeks passed, months passed. I noticed myself feeling better, my teenage pores were clearing up kind of and I was full of healthy hydration {water} like I'd never been before. Soon it was six months later and there was no way I was going back - I'd come too far to ever put a drop to my lips again.

Since giving up soda I have:

• Saved a lot of $$


• Avoided a lot of extra and worthless calories


• Encouraged others to quit/limit their bad habits


• Found the will to give up French Fries (going on 13 years)


• Nodded my head to every health conscious reason to give up soda


• Much less fast food dining


• ...Saved a lot of $$

I don't nag or judge those who drink soda now, but I sure am happy that I don't crave the stuff.

I know that I'm a happier person because of this commitment and the endless personal strength I gained in experiencing success will serve me well for a lifetime.

Like I said, happy:



Just try it for a week, see how much better you feel!

Throwback Thursday: Desk Love

Happy Thursday! We're one day closer to the weekend, the sun is rising early and yesterday was the start of sunsets occurring 8pm and later. #happygirl

I've been fielding the same few questions lately at work and feel that they are worth sharing in this space since you're probably wondering the same things:

• "What time did you get here?"


• "What time are you leaving today?"


• "Have you stepped outside yet?"


• "Do you stay the night here?"


• "Do you have outfits / shower products at the gym for when you're here early/late?"


• "You were here before me and you're staying after me - are you okay?"


• "How do you fit everything in?"


• "Why do you think about work things outside of work?"

I think you can get the point. I'm at my desk ALL day long, headphones on, smile on my face. When I'm not standing at my desk (cheers for a high desk!) you can find me strutting to the printer, sharing, collaborating, microwaving my lunch, refilling my water and doing everything I can to make an impact on the world that I live in.

Of course I'd love to be running around to meetings, working out at lunchtime and catching up with old friends over long lunches - but not now. The more work I'm getting involved in, the more I'm learning, the more people are noticing the work being done by my team and the more my ego gets a nudge from the positive feedback coming my way.

Like I said last week, it's like a runner's high.

Today's Throwback Thursday is brought to you by a young lady who experienced love at first sight with this very thoughtful Christmas gift:

Countdown: Tough Mudder

Today marks 2 months to the day until we embark on another Tough Mudder adventure.

Tough Mudder events are 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces that test your strength and stamina while forcing you to work together as a team and to finish strong, despite electric shock, freezing cold water and plenty of mud to go around.

Last year Brooke, Brad and I headed up to the Whistler Olympic Park in June to experience our first event and somehow we felt foolish enough to sign up and pay again to participate in a venue closer to home - Fossil, OR. This time around we were able to sucker Dan and a few other poor souls into facing the certain blood, sweat and tears waiting for us in Fossil this summer.

To give you a taste of what we're up against, watch the latest hype video shared on Tough Mudder's Facebook Page.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azQbiz2vm_Q&w=560&h=315]

Quoting the site, we are supposed to "expect a hefty dose of mud, ice, fire, and electric shocks to test whether or not we’re tough enough to earn the coveted orange headband and an ice cold Dos Equis at the finish line."

So far we've been doing the usual training, including long runs, body weight workouts and a #dirtyhairdontcare attitude, but this training schedule will ramp up significantly to prep for the next 60 days.

I guess first we need to find a hotel, don't we?

If you want to check out my take-aways from last year, visit one of the very first posts ever written on this site.

Wish us luck with the rest of training!

30 Miles + Many Smiles

Another weekend come and gone, and everything about it was time well spent!

Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and my mister was home all weekend - not working, not playing golf and not sleeping in. Bliss.

{Credit to my neighbors, beautiful flowers!}

More Running for Days

If you remember that last weekend I ran 20 miles you'd call me crazy for the goal I set for myself this weekend.

20 miles in two days was a worthy challenge, so I decided to shoot for 30 from Friday - Sunday to put myself where I need to be for the month.

• Friday 7:20 pm - 7 Miles


• Saturday 8:40 am – 11 Miles


• Sunday 9:20 am – 12 Miles

 Why would I set my goal at 30 miles in three days?

1. It reaffirms that I can do anything I set my mind to.

2. I've been worthless at getting mileage during the week and I see that trend continuing through the end of May.

3. Why not?

Eats

After my Saturday morning run, this is what I had waiting for me on the counter, piping hot:

{Eggs + Avocados + Jalapenos + Mozzarella}

{Poor Man's Mimosa: Light or Wheat beer topped off with Orange Juice}

Dan is becoming quite the contributor to the magic made in the kitchen and I couldn't be happier. The rumors are that he's been known to live off of Mac n' Hot Dogs - which proves that he's had to really step up his game to keep the woman in his life happy. Thanks, dear!

Special Visitor

We had a special visit from Tanna (Happy Birthday week!) and Olive on Saturday and they were happy to meet Dan for the first time. It wasn't the usual girl-chatty catch up sessions Tanna and I are used to, but we are looking forward to some warmer weather where we can get take walks in the park and take adorable photos of miss Olive feeding ducks at the pond.

Onto the Next

Sorry, Tiger Woods - you didn't reclaim the green jacket but I hear you've still got years and years ahead of you before you retire. Next time. We're still happy to have a son named after you.

Is it weird that I was excited to get to my desk this morning? I have a suspicious feeling that this is going to be another quality week for myself and my team.

Throwback Thursday: How High?

I remember summer days of my youth quite vividly. As soon as the sun was out and the first pour of lemonade made its way into a glass, I could be found outside - twirling, flipping, jumping and flashing my biggest ear-to-ear grin from the surface of our family trampoline. What bliss came from cranking the music to classic hits like The Macarena, Mambo #5 and the likes of Now That's What I Call Music - Volume 2 while bouncing the day away without a care in the world.

Days like this could only be described through the rush from reaching the highest heights, the adrenaline from successfully landing a front flip and the wild sensation from doing secret 'double bounces' with my brother when mom wasn't watching.

Believe it or not - this is how I felt yesterday at work. Is it possible to get runners high from having a conversation with some really bright individuals? Because I experienced it... and it was magical.

The past two weeks I've been getting into the office unbearably early to be sure that my morning work is taken care of in time for my new teammates to get settled in. The hope is that in doing this I'll be present, peaceful and pressure free when they have questions and need my help to take their learning experiences to the next level.

In having to rise up to be a leader I feel like I'm finding my edge - my voice - and my influencing skills come to life. I'm working harder than ever, but have so much to show for it in the trust of my teammates and the feedback I've received from everyone who's noticing.

Today's Throwback Thursday is brought to you by a little girl who knew how rewarding it was to jump even before she was asked 'how high?'.

Accountability Check

Well how did that happen?

We are 10 days into April and I can't help but notice that I've been slacking above and beyond with my Eight Great Goals.

One of the main reasons I love blogging is that I have the opportunity to share and speak my mind - and also that I have an outlet to get my goals, thoughts and passions down on paper out in the open via the world wide web. Since those thoughts and goals are out, how's about a little Accountability check?

Let's begin with the fitness goals:

• There's only six more NTC classes I could make it to and my goal is to be at six. There's some serious pressure on me now to go when I'm able to go rather than try to fit a square peg into a round hole. Wish me luck.


• This week was the time where I was supposed to knock out many of my morning runs, and have opted to go in early to work instead. While my mind feels great about the work I can accomplish in the dark morning hours before the morning rush comes in, I still crave those morning workouts and the way they leave me feeling afterward.


• Dan and I have not gone for a walk after dinner yet - not even once. Weather isn't an excuse either because we both have wonderful jackets that support the pesky Portland rain.


• I'm only at 23 miles for my 100 miles/month running goal - but that was achieved from only three days of running. I've got the energy and I've got the time!

On Food goals:

• I've written down maybe three full days of what I've eaten, and not always immediately or thoughtfully for the purpose of learning. This changes today.


• I'm at 3 (of 7) latte's consumed, once was free, one was with Dan in the morning and one was an evening surprise from Dan.

Feels like Spring goals:

• I've been okay at having flowers in the home and at my desk. There's plenty out in the garden and apparently I'm supposed to expect a "surprise" delivery on Thursday! 


• Landscaping at home will take place the first weekend day it's not 70% + chance of rain.

Dan goals:

• After the Masters tournament this weekend I can bet you that Dan and I will be heading to the driving range to get my goal of hitting a ball 50 yards in the air out of the way. I'm going to shock him and accomplish it on my first try.


• Still working out what I can get and do for my Daniel to make his golden birthday memorable. I want to make his day special!

Phew - that feels so much better to own up to my dirt and non-progress toward these goals. Us bloggers aren't perfect.

Thanks for listening - try this honest cleansing for yourself!

April's Eight Great Goals

If you were anywhere near Portland this weekend you already know how great I'm going to say my Easter weekend was. So that's a story I'll save for a different day - Tomorrow if you're lucky

Today our focus here is on April and looking forward to what it may bring.

First of all, it definitely will bring a lot of smoothies.

The trick? Toss any fresh fruits or veggies into a blender, add protein, sample, pour and watch that smile on your face grow! Some pinspiration for other smoothie drinkers here.

More pressure will be on us at work, coming upon the end of the fiscal year in 60 days and needed to be on my A game non-stop. This hustle at work will make the days go by faster and clearly will make the weekends more valuable. I plan on spending a lot of time doing what I enjoy and making certain that Dan and I are having fun together when he's not out teeing it up on the weekends and whenever the sun decides to poke out from behind the clouds.

Eight Great Goals

1. Always have fresh flowers in the house and at my desk. There's beautiful daffodils in my backyard that I've been clipping and looking at in my home - so I want to make sure that I am always changing it up, keeping it fresh, and getting signs of spring everyday of the month.

2. Keep a food diary where I write down every last crumb that I consume - I've heard that can help to keep you more aware of what you're putting into your body and ultimately help you to make better choices in dire moments of snacking and hunger.

3. It is a little sad that we have anxiety about setting this goal and it might sound like too many for you - but Dan and I like stopping for latte's in the morning on the way to work... really like. This month we are only going to have seven latte's each and hopefully can save a little money in the process.

4. Landscaping fun at our house to get everything beautiful and groomed for the summer. There's old plants to uproot, weeding to be done, raking of leaves that have fallen and plenty to keep us busy.

5. After dinner in the evening if the weather is dry Dan and I are going to put our walking shoes on and go count puppies in the neighborhood rather than watch re-runs or the 5th inning from our reclining chairs.

6. For the 6th goal, I'd like to run at least six times in the morning before work. Pack my outfit and lay out my clothes the night before, get up early, drive to work, run, shower, and be well prepared for my day. This should be easy to do next week especially as Dan won't be carpooling with me due to his 9 day vacation - so that's why the goal goes above and beyond what I can accomplish in one week alone. I also need to go to six NTC sessions this month - it's been a few weeks since I've attended.

7. Dan's birthday is coming up this month and I'd like to make his 28 on the 28th a special one. He will be representing his golf league on that day thanks to his victory last year so I'll have to find ways to work around it. However, I don't think he can imagine a better way to spend his day on the course hitting the links!

8. Oops - Dan chiming in here... "Your last goal should be to hit a golf ball 50 yards (in the air)". Looks like we're going to the driving range!

April is normally one of my favorite days of the year to get my prank on, so we will see what I get into with my family, my co-workers and of course - Dan! I expect to see several "fake" engagements on my facebook feed so just know that I'm ready for you!

Thanks for hanging around another month - look forward to hearing about the sunny weekend tomorrow!

Sometimes Better is Best

Is Tuesday the new nap day around here?

The last two weeks Dan and I have arrived home, dropped our bags on the counter and followed each other to the place I think we both like the best in our home - the bed! No fuss, just sleep - and we find ourselves woken by the bustle of traffic leaving the neighborhood in each other's arms and wishing we could just sleep through to the morning.

I remember a point in my life where that was an option - a time after college when I no longer had homework due, a time before I brought my work home with me, a time before blogging (no offense!) and a less stressed version of me. That Jessi was motivated by success and development, but she also knew that having the perfect balance of work and life was where she could find and create happiness. The Jessi today is over the moon in her personal life, but feels like the world rests on her shoulders all other hours of the day.

Let me share a little bit about me - I take three steps backwards by being the worst critic of my own handiwork. I stress and plot over work that needs to be done to make sure that I've thought of everything rather than jumping in and being okay with enlisting others who have knowledge to share. I'll over-work myself while striving for perfection when often the end product is viewed as only a fraction of the importance I placed on it. Was working late worth missing my run? Was it worth staying up late, or responding to an email over the weekend? Probably not - but every time I do hit a home run I make people happy, I prove my value and I get an ego boost that just can't be expressed in words.

When my expectations exceed reality of what I can do while remaining happy, that's a sign for me to take a deep breath and do the best I can with the resources that are in front of me. Time is a resource, energy is a resource and even lately patience has become a resource. Time is non-renewable and patience wears thin over time.

My point is that sometimes we strive to be the best; we try to have the greatest photos, the best workouts, the prettiest clothes, the most exciting blog content, the fastest response, the best weekend, the biggest story and the happiest relationships.

Let's all stop trying to be the best and instead - be better.

original

Trying to be the best can create insecurity within ourselves that immediately makes us vulnerable and sets us up for failure. With my March Goal of finding the strength to say "no" when it's necessary has allowed me to see a different side of myself that understands that I can't do it all and won't be able to sustain a healthy emotional state by signing up for it all.

Dan and I had a heart to heart this weekend about how we can help one another around the house to alleviate stress from our time together. We've already resolved to partner up on laundry, rely on the food we made over the weekend for dinner and he's even offered to help with blog photography & staging to make it a shared process (especially since I talk about him so often on here)!

Whatever you do, do it better. Stop worrying about being perfect and especially don't place your worth in the same bucket as others' opinions of you.

March's Eight Great Goals

Ah, March - what do you plan to bring?

More responsibility, more puppy fun, more photos, more love, more smiles, more silliness, more laughter, more improvement, more sleep? I honestly hope all of the above!

Daylight Saving time will have an amazing impact on my outlook. Look at the Sunrise/Sunset times for Portland! With the sun out later in the evening it means that I won't be as grumpy leaving work late, won't have the urge to hibernate, will want to run longer and will be able to take more photos with the beloved natural light! If this isn't reason to celebrate then I have my priorities all wrong.

What are my priorities you ask? That's a great segue into March's Eight Great Goals - see, easy month already!

Eight Great Goals

1. When laundry is done, fold it immediately. When dishes are dirty, scrub them and put them in the dishwasher. When mail is in the mailbox, bring it in, sort it and find a home for it. When something is deemed 'recyclable' - put it in the recycling area out of sight. You get the picture. The goal is to not allow things to pile up around the house. It only causes me undue stress and won't be good for the added stress I'll see at work over the next three months.

2. Create a blogging calendar and follow it. Keep drafts of posts, start collecting pictures, all of the things that I scramble to do the night before I publish a post can be taken care of days in advance and I should really force myself to get on that schedule. I know that I had a similar goal last month and failed miserably at it, but if I set my mind to it I will find myself enjoying the evening and getting to bed on time rather than always telling Dan, "sorry, I still have to write, edit photos, schedule, draft, etc". I feel like a broken record.

3. Eat at restaurants only five times. The entire month! Dan and I are going to Mo's for Chowder tonight in Newport to kick off the beach weekend with my family, so after that we had better plan wisely. We made it to Subway several times for Februany and we should really focus on eating the food we've bought from the grocery store and that we've prepped.

4. Can you believe that I still haven't met little miss Olive who is now four months old? Her mama and I have been in touch but haven't been able to make it happen yet. This month there is no excuse that can stop me from seeing Tanna & Olive (hopefully Greg too!)

5. Do. Not. Drop. My. iPhone. I have a terrible reputation for dropping my phone often and unfortunately Dan is the main witness of this awful mistake. Butterfingers? Unaware? Careless? Hands full of groceries and bags? I'm not sure what the reason is but this month and forever forward I will pay special attention to the way I'm carrying my phone.

6. Make my desk area at work a happy place. I've brought in my coffee maker and have a cute tray that holds all coffee supplies...  but what I really need are some photos, fresh flowers, personal touches and a space that brings me light in the darkest of times.

7. Allow myself to say 'no'. I have always been one to say 'yes' to show my commitment, my great attitude, my enthusiasm and my desire to make an impact. There will be times in my personal life and my career where I need to be comfortable with saying 'no'.

8. Drink 48 ounces of water every day before noon. This is a no brainer - if you drink water, your skin will look better, you won't overeat out of a disconnect between your stomach and your brain, and you'll flush out the bad toxins that plague your body without warning. If I get 48 ounces in before noon, it will set me up for success for the rest of the day.

I know that setting eight goals may seem like a lot, but each of these in their own way will bring me happiness, organization, preparation, and escape that I otherwise wouldn't be able to pinpoint and hone in on. It's a learning experience!

What are your goals? Do you set goals for yourself daily, weekly, monthly? How do you keep track of your accomplishments?

<3 JE

Throwback Thursday: Upside Down

Are there days or weeks where you feel like life has changed, like your world is different than it once was before and ever has been? Almost a feeling of being upside down? Left is right, up is down. Not in a bad way, but it does make you stop to take a look around and get used to your new surroundings.

How much my job demands of me is starting to sink in and I feel blessed to have experienced two whole months of ignorance before I came to this understanding. From a deliverable standpoint (meetings, reports, and emails) to a knowledge foundation (details, soundbites and insights) being an expert in what I do is not a benefit or nice-to-have, it's a demand. Being able to answer to anything and everything that a business partner could ask of us is commonplace and most often these questions are asked in a board room with many people documenting and relying on your word to be the absolute truth, then they hold you to it! I've always taken pride in doing a job well, on time and with an extra dash of awesome (and still do!). This trait and burning desire to succeed makes it hard for me to pull myself away at the end of the day or to not want to fire up my laptop at 2 in the morning when I wake up and can't get back to sleep. I'm so thankful that my work schedule is reliant on Dan's schedule too - if we weren't carpooling I couldn't be trusted to leave before 10pm or just make a blanket fort and stay the night.

Don't feel bad for me, I am learning quickly and feel comfortable with the road ahead of me. Mostly I'm happy to have this outlet in my life to free-write and share anything I want with the world and more often just let my brain unwind. I'm over my head happy to have Dan in my life who supports me and my career goals to no end. I'm lucky to have parents who raised me to believe I can do anything I put my mind to, and a brother who continues to amaze us each day with his accomplishments and plans for an early retirement.

I'm extra lucky to have plans this evening with mom, dad, Bailey and Dan for home-cooked lasagna... which, let's be honest, it'll look something like this:

I'm happy with the changes in my life and have a smile on my face about how much responsibility has fallen into my lap.

This Throwback Thursday is brought to you by the surprise, excitement and growth that takes place when your world turns upside down!

^ Mom & MattMan ^

<3 JE

January Summary

Since Throwback Thursday is tomorrow I will have to switch up the post schedule a little. I'm happy to share my month in review just one day early to keep on track with how much I love to share some photos from my past with you.

January somehow has come and gone and I feel like so much has changed in my life in just the past few weeks. I've had to change my day-to-day routine and share my commute with Dan which has caused me to become aware of a few of my stress triggers I've learned to manage on my own time. I have been trying really hard to decompress before leaving work for the day but sometimes it carries over into our 'us' time and frankly ain'tnobodygottimefo'dat.  I'm beyond thrilled that the month almost over is a tiny hint of a few things that are making me smile. We can look forward to more daylight, less rain in my dreams and a short month full of  fun days including a baby shower, the super bowl and a lovely weekend with Dan for Valentine's celebrations.

If you've missed a few posts, here's a round up of a few key moments from the month you may have missed:

Accomplishments:

• Successfully moved Dan across town to what we now call our home.


• Still in my new job and enjoying the process of learning every day.. I even 'graduated'  (whoo-hoo)


• Started using my DSLR again and am making serious efforts to use it more often.


• Put together (sort of) my first outfit post.

Great Eats:

• South(east) scramble on the weekends.


• Mellow Mushroom with Brad & Brooke.


• Laughing Planet


• How to Meal Prep - a must for your inner time-saver!

Great Memories:

• Counting and cataloging the memories Dan and I have created in the last 3+ weeks of living together [Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3]


• Celebrated Grandma's 80th birthday and looking forward to celebrating many more!


• Shared a look back in time for mom and dad's anniversary that they loved!


• Celebrating Brad's Birthday, Thrift shop style - featured on Brooke's blog!

Takes the cake:

One of my most favorite unexpected memories from the last month was when my mom texted me and told me that Dad had a new favorite song, and even Bailey thought that it was F*%^&#$ awesome. They've been poppin' tags ever since:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes?feature=player_embedded&w=640&h=360]

Here's to February! A new month means new memories!

<3 JE

November Summary

Sad to say it but my birthday month is over. I've had so many great memories from this month that it will be difficult to re-capture all of them into today's "Happy Friday" post.

Yes, Happy Friday!! Let the holiday cheer begin!

The true highlight of my month was that my brother came home for two weeks from his European home and spent much more time with us than we could have ever hoped for. He did his best to disconnect from work - at least visibly - and we were able to have true quality time together. Unfortunately we never got around to playing pool - mainly because I think he wanted to make sure that I couldn't admit to beating him 3 times out of 100 as shared in my goals for November.

Accomplishments:

• Sweat almost everyday in efforts to Go Go GOvember! Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4.


• Encouraged Dan to get back into running and he's taken me for a few rewarding 5-7 mile runs.


• Made it through the midnight Halo 4 launch with Dan.


• Made a difference in a family's life for Thanksgiving.

Projects:

• Painted a masterpiece copycat at Vine Gogh with mom, cousin and aunt!


• Starting to brainstorm Christmas card ideas... more to come.


• Chalkboard spray paint DIYs - not pictured.

Great Memories:

• Getting our OMSI on with Brooke and Brad.


• Beach Storm 2012 complete with a power outage and Lincoln City fun.


• President Barack Obama being re-elected as POTUS #FourMoreYears


• Thanksgiving Feast + a long 10 day holiday weekend.


• Turning 25 and getting an extra dose of wisdom.

December could be a dark and story month for me but I am going to face it with a grin on my face and nothing but optimism in my heart. Get busy living.

<3 JE 

October Summary

Just like that, October has come to a close!

This was quite the busy month with a big and vague announcement at work, a long distance to run and several projects to keep me busy.

In Portland, summer ended and the rain made its comeback for the next 9 months. With its presence a fun new hashtag was born on instagram for PDX'ers to embrace the gloomy days: #WhenItRainsItPortlands (started by Gilganizer)

Drum Roll Please...................................

Accomplishments:

• I finished my first marathon on October 7th, 2012


• I Voted!


• Completed 21 Days of the OctNOber Challenge (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3)


• I didn't drink alcohol for 35 days - the longest streak since turning 21!


• Current Running Stats: 100.2 Miles


• My new best Nike+ FuelBand Day: 11,585

Projects:

• Watched all 54 episodes of Breaking Bad that have aired to date. Only 8 left starting Spring 2013!


• DIY Family Name Art for the beach house.


• Halloween Decorations (here and here) but no costumes.

Great Memories:

• A wonderful Beach weekend with my parents, Bailey and Dan!


• The Macklemore Concert with Brooke and Brad


• Seeing Dan after his visit home to Chicago


• Dan said "I love you" for the first time. I cried smiled, hugged and kissed him and said it back...about a hundred times. He took my breath away.

Thanks for coming back for the monthly recap series! Onward, November!

<3 JE