Wednesday, October 26, 2011

TJ's never disappoints

By now you know how much I love Trader Joe's, right?  Well, as if I couldn't love them anymore, I discovered this, last night:

I needed a new toothbrush anyway (especially since I missed my dentist appt. on Monday) and why not buy a toothbrush that is made from recycled yogurt cups, right?  Seriously, you have to check out their site to see all of the different types of products this company makes from recycled plastics.  What I especially love about the toothbrush is that it comes in a mail back packet (above) with a pre-addressed/stamped label on the back that you can send your toothbrush back in.  It will be re-recycled.  Awesome!  The style is simple- no fancy gum massager things or tongue scraper gadgets, but if you brush and floss properly you shouldn't need that stuff anyway.  I purchased two gave it a go this morning. Works great!  And the angle is perfect for  brushing.

Check this out from their website about their process and how much it conserves:

How much of a difference? Preserve plastic requires:

  • At least 54% less water than virgin polypropylene
  • At least 64% less greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than virgin polypropylene
  • At least 75% less oil than virgin polypropylene
  • At least 48% less coal than virgin polypropylene
  • At least 77% less natural gas than virgin polypropylene
  • At least 46% less electricity than virgin polypropylene
Isn't this awesome?!?!  And, they sell many of their products from personal care to kitchen ware at TARGET!!!  Target and Trader Joe's are in a tie for my heart. I love them both. 

Back to another day of work and craziness. I like being busy, but this is getting a little wild. I'm hoping for a break in the madness soon. 

Happy hump day, everyone!

-whitney


Monday, October 24, 2011

A case of the Mondays...

I would say "happy Monday" except that this Monday is already proving to be a sign of another manic and frustrating week.  Why?, you might ask?  Allow me to take you on a little trip through Whitney's morning...

I woke up every hour last night, nervous that I had forgotten to do something or wasn't prepared for something at work today.  That's after not even getting to sleep until after midnight because of this feeling.  I sprang out of bed at 6:50am (a few minutes later than normal), and went straight to brush my teeth.  Ding ding ding... I was supposed to be at the dentist at 7am this morning for my cleaning. I live 20 minutes away from the dentist and it's now 6:55am.  And, although this dentist's office is lovely, they will charge your behind $100 if you miss an appt. I raced downstairs, looked up their phone number online and called in a panic to explain myself. (Really, I was trying to avoid the $100 fee.)  "I'm so sorry, I had a rough weekend, I don't feel that well- sniffle sniffle- I'm so sorry. I can rush there if you want me to, etc..."  Luckily, Judy, on the other end of the line, was very nice and said I could reschedule, with no mention of the $100 fee.  Let's hope that doesn't magically appear on my credit card (which is on file for exactly this purpose).

So, back to getting ready.  I burned my forehead and ear with the curling iron.  Really?! I'm 31 years old and apparently still haven't figured out how not to burn myself. Sigh.  I rush through the hair prep, throw on some makeup so I don't look quite as bad as I feel, and then scour the closet for something to wear.  Mind you, it's now about 40 degrees outside (cold enough to see my breath) so I've got to dress for warmth in addition to professionalism. Sigh, again.  I slip into pants and a sweater, heals on, and out the door I go.  I'm in the car, listening to NPR and trying to prepare for the day ahead. Ding ding ding... Low Fuel Light comes on. Dang!  Whip in to the pilot travel center, fill up $15 worth of gas (duh, I'm rushing) and off I go. 

I hit Nica's for my coffee and some veggies to snack on and end up talking with the owner, who's wife had a baby last week, about all of the chaos involved with the delivery.  I love the people there, so I'm happy to hear this and listen.  Our conversation grows larger, more people join in standing closely to me. We laugh, we exchange congratulatory hugs, and I depart.  Alas, I do actually have to work today.  I whip in to my parking spot, grab my lunch and do my best mall walk to my office.  I'm passing people left and right on this walk; I'm late and on a mission.

I get to my office, settle in, chat with both of my bosses, sip my coffee and catch up on the trail of emails that awaits me from the weekend, and I notice something. How could this have happened.  All of a sudden, my morning replays in my mind.  All the places I've been, people I've talked to, unknowingly standing right there as they were likely judging me in their minds...

I have two different shoes on!!!!!!  And, it's not even like that's a dark brown shoe!!!!!  Are you kidding me?!?!?!  (yes, my skin is really that pale!).  Sigh, a third time. I look like a total fool. Black wool pants, cream sweater, beautiful scarf, and two different shoes. Moron!

I hope your day is going better than mine.

-whitney

Friday, October 21, 2011

TGIF...times two!!!

Whew, this day did not come fast enough.  After an action packed weekend last weekend and a manic week at work, I am looking forward to some relaxation, visiting friends who live far (kind of) away, and catching up on housework, cooking, real housewives of New Jersey, and so much more.  Yes- I like the housewives shows... they are my guilty pleasure. You'd like them too if all of your other TV watching consisted of flipping, unwillingly, between all of the History Channels.  And, yes again, there are multiple History Channels, despite what you may have thought. Sigh.

Dang. This month is going by too fast for me to enjoy it. SOOOO... tonight we are carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds and drinking cider and appreciating Fall. I heart you, Fall, I do, even if my mums all died on my front steps from too much rain and high winds. (This morning I found them out of their pots (pots totally missing) and blowing down the sidewalk with the wind). 

Given the aforementioned manic work week, I'm going to take a page from my sweet friend, Amanda, and borrow the fill-in-the-blank-Friday from yet another great blog




1.   Nothing says fall like      Crunchy leaves and pumpkin flavored everything. See previous post about Treat Yourself Tuesday...

2.   My favorite autumnal tradition is   in its 2nd year- Mike and I driving up to B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill for hard cider, apples, and fresh baked pumpkin goodies. It's also a nice car ride through rural CT complete with a few history lessons along the way.

3.  My favorite fall treat is   Pumpkin Bread, with some pumpkin butter spread over it .

4. Fall makes me think of    my life's journey    because    I grew up in Florida without many changing leaf colors, a very slow transition to cooler weather, and no apple orchards or real pumpkin patches to pick from. It's a reminder of my journey from FL to NC to CT and the many memories along the way.
 
5.  Autumn free form word association, go!    bright, crunchy leaves, smell of sweet spices, baked goodies, fresh fruit and squashes, my favorite color (orange), almost Thanksgiving.

6.  My go-to outfit in the fall is     This year, dress, tights, saddle boots/ stand by- sweat pants, furry flip flops.
7.  My favorite fall holiday is (Halloween or Thanksgiving)    100% Thanksgiving.  Despite being away from home, it always reminds me of family and friends and being thankful for so many blessings in my life. And, recreating the comfort foods my family makes each year helps keep them close at heart despite the distance.
 
Happy Friday, everyone!  Have a great weekend. Soak up the fall weather while you can.
 
Yours in pumpkin face design thought mode,
Whitney

Thursday, October 20, 2011

They were running...

My heroes: 

This past Sunday, the crazy kids above ran the Newport (RI) Marathon and Half Marathon.  They were awesome.  Trust me. I'm not that easily impressed when it comes to athletic feats given that my parents are marathon runners (Miss Susie) and Ironman Triathletes (Mr. Kevin and Zsuzsa) so running a marathon is nothing new to me.  BUT (big but) watching these three train over the last few months, overcoming injury, work stress, and intense heat, they were awesome. 

In case you aren't up on your running knowledge, a marathon is 26.2 miles.  Yep. That's farther than my round trip drive to work each day.  That's about 1/3 the distance to New York City from Milford. And they R-A-N it.  Craziness.  This was Carla's (in red above) first marathon, although she's a seasoned half marathon and 20k-er.  She pushed herself to tick this one off the bucket list and she did just that.  For Molly (in brown) this was #3 (right Mol?) and she's dealt with foot injuries for the last two years but pushed through them.  For Mike (guess which one above) he did the Half Marathon after only starting back to running a month ago.  The longest Mike ran before the race was 7 miles and he PR'd his half marathon time by several minutes!  Again, awesome.


It was a cool 50 degrees and about 15 mph winds at the start, which is at first beach in Newport, RI.  They clung to their sweats as long as they could until the national anthem wrapped up and it was GO time.

3,2,1 GO- this is right after the gun went off

My partner in crime, Brenda, and I stuck close by the course to catch glimpses of these running beauties throughout their race.  The looks of determination, pain, pride, and exhaustion on all of the passing runners' faces was intense.  I kept thinking that I could never do that.  There is no way I could mentally push myself through the pain and monotony to finish 26.2.  Hell, I can barely run a 10k without a walk somewhere in there.

 Mike finished in 1:50 and minus the salty sweat, he looked like he'd just been out for a quick jog.  I was half convinced he'd keep going and see how much farther he could stand to go.  After a few bottles of water he pulled the trigger and hit a nearby watering hole for a burger and a beer(s).  Somewhere along the way my swim goggles made an appearance (see below).


And we rushed quickly back to the finish line to catch Molly and Carla coming in.  They stuck together, caught up on weeks of gossip, and pushed each other to make it to that finish line.  For not having run more than a 20k before this, I'd say they kicked some marathon butt!




Another friend from our gym, Andrew, also ran, but alas, my camera died and I couldn't snap any pics of him.  It's a pretty incredible feat.

I was more than happy to assume my role as team photog, team cheerleader, and team snack carrier so as to not have to participate in this thing.  I think I found my calling as a race spectator- just as they did for me when we swam across the sound in August. 

Congrats to all who ran last weekend in the many races going on.  You are brave and insane people!

-whitney

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Treat Yourself Tuesday

Oh yea! Treat yourself Tuesday is making a comeback.  It's been too long and I've been caught up with all of this Fall, and Paleo, and Work, and stress talk that we really haven't treated ourselves in a while. 

Often the inspiration for Treat Yourself Tuesday comes from Trader Joe's for me.  And last night did not disappoint in the inspiration department.  (I'm sure that if you are without TJ's in your area, you can still find these gems).  TJ's has put out their fall spread and the store was jam packed with sweet little knobby pumpkins and squashes for decoration.  Yes, I bought several and Mike called them 'clutter.'  They are also sampling their delicious pumpkin flavored delights- pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin bread, pumpkin butter, pumpkin pie filling, and the pumpkin goes on.

One of these items nearly jumped its way right into my cart.... the Pumpkin Butter!!!

Photo courtesy of Tiny Muffins

I don't know about you, but when I was an youngin' I loved this stuff.  As a kid, I was so narrow minded in my usage of this delicious treat.  I simply spread it on toast or waffles or pancakes and called it a day.  That's not to say those uses aren't a-maz-ing, because they are. But, as a  real grown-up, I've discovered many new uses for this old stand by. 

For example, you can make a really great spread for pumpkin bread by combining pumpkin butter and some cream cheese to make a thicker, less sweet treat.  You can also combine the pumpkin butter with some cream to make a light version of pumpkin pie.  You can also mix it into Greek style yogurt, you can add it as a filling into baked goods. AND- you can roast up some fresh root veggies (sweet potatoes, carrots, etc...) and combine with a dollop of pumpkin butter as a glaze.  You could also use it as a topping for the TJ's pumpkin ice cream... mmmmm.  The list really does go on, friends.  And to my dearest 'Uncle Frank', who is an incredible cook, I'm sure you'll come up with your own concoctions so let me know what you make!

Last night, I took two pork chops, poked them with the fork, and them placed them in a Tupperware with a few tablespoons of pumpkin butter, some maple syrup and a touch of hard apple cider.  They are marinating as I type, waiting for me to come home and cook those suckers up!  I.Can't.Wait!

Photo courtesy of Eating Bird Food Blog

Photo Courtesy 'Cooking with Trader Joe's'- Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ pumpkin butter

I have really fond memories of being a kid and taking camping trips with my parents and Mema & Papa to the Smoky Mountains.  The #1 'souvenier' I always wanted to take home was pumpkin butter.  Mmmmm... there ain't a lot of pumpkins growing in Palm Harbor, FL so I needed my fix.  So, my affinity is 50% nostalgic and 50% delicious.

So go ahead, treat yourself.  You won't be sorry.  And the TJ's brand doesn't have any gross fillers or additives.  I'd also recommend stopping by a farmer's market or country store and checking out their pumpkin butter offering.  And get creative.  This stuff ain't just for spreading anymore!


Yours in pumpkin love,
Whitney

Friday, October 14, 2011

Rearview

Sometimes when you're in the thick of things you don't always realize how great those things are.  It takes a bit of reflection and a look in the rearview to realize how great they really were.  That's not to say that I didn't notice I was having a great time last weekend, but as I look at the pictures I realize that a trip away from CT with friends was much needed and over due.  Now if only the weather had cooled down a bit more to fully turn the leaves it would have been perfect... but nothing is ever perfect.

 
 We tool long walks out in the country. We went to cider days in Belmont and I got a handmade apron from all fo the lovely people selling their wares.  Apple pressing was happening and cider was being made fresh, and unpasteurized in front of us.

We drove through Okemo Mountain to see the beauty of ski runs without the snow.  The leaves had begun to change, but given the storms and warmer weather, they weren't fully there yet.


We watched UConn Football and discovered new brands of hard cider.

 We witnessed real glass blowing next to the Harpoon Brewery


We discovered that Harpoon BrewFest was also hosting a strong men and strong women competition that Molly and I tried to enter, but sadly missed out on.  We totally could have done the event below.


The boys, of course, bee-lined for the keg bowling to find out what the prize was this year and to assess the slope and angle of the 'course' this year.  They made some friendly wagers and the keg bowling commensed.  

 

 

 

Some people won prizes for strikes and others... well, they stuck their tongue out instead and demanded a do-over.

Commence 'Do over' for another chance at the coveted bottle opener.  Remember, last year, Mike won two prizes in his first turn for 2 strikes. This year, it was more like one prize for 4 turns. But he 'won' nonetheless, right?


Prizes in hand at last.

We had a great time and enjoyed some of Harpoon's finest offerings. It was great to catch up with far away friends and to spend a day in the sunshine surrounded by good beer and German themed fun.


And on the way home, Jeremy discovered this gem laying beside the road.  There was no way we were driving by without stopping to check it out.


And on the next day, I awoke to this, right outside my bedroom window.  The leaves had turned slightly more. Beauty.  We hiked and went to Long Train brewery and thoroughly enjoyed our day.  It was peaceful and relaxing and included so many of our favorite things.






Life is good.

Yours in fall love,
Whitney

Thursday, October 13, 2011

This one's for the ladies... :)

Hi Friends,

I've been swamped at work this week, again. It makes for a tired and blank mind when I get home and thus, no blogivation.  But, I did want to share one quick conclusion I reached this weekend and I think many of you ladies will back me up on this.

While at the Harpoon BeerFest in Vermont (swoon!), I had a realization. 


Now, this may cross over to a place that you'd rather not discuss and for that I'll apologize in advance.  But I wanted to talk about Port-a-jons.  Yep. Porto-Potties.  Formally known as Portable Sanitation Units, according to Wikipedia, these things are an equal split of lifesaver and horror show.


When faced with the porta-pottie option I find myself going through the following thought process:
1) limit all liquid consumption
2) loosen any tight fitting clothing for less pressure
3) how long can I wait without risking an accident in the line?
4) are there any port-a-jon banks that are a bit further, and possibly less used than the ones here?

Alas, I usually end up in desperation, hand sanitizer in pocket, doing the pee-pee dance in line waiting for that little handle to turn from red to green.  Yep. This happens at races, concerts, special events, beer festivals, town fairs, construction sites, parks, and the list goes on.

SO- on to my big revelation...
The port-a-jons with handles inside are A-Maz-ing!!! 

These suckers are definitely built for a woman's use.  Those little handles are so helpful in preventing your derriere from touching the germ infested seat and surrounding splattered plastic.  The handles help you balance when you're tired, cold, at beerfest, and so on.  Brilliant invention, port-a-jon inventor people!!! 

This handle invention definitely tops the port-a-jons with the hand sanitizer, because as previously stated, I always have my own anyway. 

Thank you for thinking of the ladies on this one.  Your forethought doesn't go unnoticed. 

More on Vermont tomorrow... we had a great time!  I hope you week isn't as hectic as mine.

-whitney

Friday, October 7, 2011

Let the Fall Festivities Begin

I'm so excited to be heading to Vermont this weekend with our friends. At 4:30pm this afternoon we will take to the highways and make the 2.5 hour trek to the mountains, cooler weather, and crispy leaves.  This weekend is also Cider Days in the little town of Belmont which means fresh pressed cider, town folks selling their wares (which I will buy!) and the Harpoon Oktoberfest at the Harpoon Brewery.

I know, you're thinking "But, Whitney, beer isn't paleo" and I'm saying "I know, and for tomorrow I don't care"  I'm going to maintain my paleo food plan but I am going to treat myself to some tasty beer and keg bowling and fun for one day.

 Sometimes it's nice to get out, breathe in a little fresh air, and detach from all of the stimulus of real life.  We'll be near Okemo mountain in VT and will be taking long hikes, getting our breakfast and coffee from the local country store in the center of town, and just relaxing.  I can't wait!


In other news... I've taken a bit of a break from the gym to nurse this case of tendinitis I seem to have developed in my hand. 
Just when I started feeling good about being back at the gym so regularly and getting back to lifting heavier weights and having better WOD times... I end up with this.  It's tolerable as long as I'm not carrying or lifting anything and I haven't tried to do any of the major weights at the gym after Monday this week. Time to lay off of the Power Cleans for a while and recover. 

When I went to the Yale Health Plan to have them take a look at it, they were like kids playing doctor with all kinds of new gadgets.  Apparently they have seen a lot of colds and flu recently so when I came in sniffle free, they jumped at the chance to break out the x-rays, the orthopedic stuff, and this fancy brace.  The just kept shuffling me around from department to department to share in the excitement.  And now here I am with my new lovely arm piece.

Here's to hoping for a quick recovery and no further injury.  Sometimes it is best to just rest and heal.  I'm praying for patience.

I hope you all have a great weekend and that you get a chance to enjoy the new fall weather. 

all the best,
Whitney

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Why I heart CrossFit

I've been in a bit of a topic slump the last few days.  There are so many things going on that it's hard to find time to focus on just one and write about it.  But, seeing some amazing pictures and experiencing a great day at the gym with my team and friends this past weekend lit a spark. I LOVE CrossFit.  I know a lot of people will say they love running or they love to swim or they love riding their bike, and those things are very nice, but I seriously love CrossFit and I'm so thankful to have found it a year and a half ago. 

Here is a link to my crossfit gym, CrossFit New Haven.  This place is awesome and has become a second home of sorts.  For those of you who don't know much about CrossFit, I'd highly recommend that you do a little research for gyms in your area and check it out.  This type of workout is not only some of the best physical activity I've ever done, but it's totally motivating. 


A few key points to know about CrossFit are:

  • It's a group style workout- you are never working out alone without support; you work out in a class style format with people of all walks of life with the same goal of being healthy and fit. 
  • There is always at least 1 coach who is monitoring your movements and giving you one-on-one advice and support throughout the workout.  It's like working out with a personal trainer amongst all of your friends.
  • The workouts are constantly varied so you never get bored and you don't have to keep track of which day/body part you are focusing on today.  The workouts (called WODs) are set up to build and strengthen specific movements and modalities.  There are days where we focus on one thing at a time, or days where we do a 20 minute workout that includes 3 modalities together.
  • There is weightlifting involved, but not in a greasy, vein popping out, body builder kind of way.  Each person is free to work with a weight that suits them and allows them to perform the movement safely and properly.  It's tailored to each person specifically so there is not competition for who is lifting the heaviest or most.
  • Each gym is a unique family- it allows you to get to know people in their times of struggle and need, as well as in their times of triumph and glory.  We create a family dynamic where all are welcome and we support each other through goals and challenges.  Hence, my paleo challenge team that I'm sacrificing my beloved carbs for.  Team Kick JurASSics, I love you guys.
 My favorite part of CrossFit is getting to workout with my friends! They push me, I push them, we set goals together and discuss parts of the workout that might be challenging or feel good.  We are accountable to each other.





Not only do I feel stronger, healthier, and ready for anything, but I also have a great time every time I'm at the gym.  Sure, I curse the workout the next morning when my quads are screaming at me while I descend the stairs at home, but it's all worth it.  I get as much peace of mind from this place and the people in it as I would sitting on a quiet beach reading a book.  There's something soothing about heavy metal or hard core rap music blaring so loud you can't hear yourself breathe... sweat dripping all over the place leaving a trail of the work you've already done, and blisters on your hands after the 100th pull-up.  You won't know the feeling I'm talking about until you try it. 



 Don't be afraid.  Check out a CrossFit gym near you by visiting this website.  Also, the 2011 CrossFit games have been playing on ESPN2, which is a great way to see what hard work, dedication, and eating right can do.  Those people are incredible!

Mike and I met at a competition a year and a half ago... nothing but love for it.

Yours in xfit love,
Whitney