Friday, May 31, 2013

Happy Friday:

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It's finally Friday! Come 5:00, it's time to kick off those work clothes and slip into some sandals and shorts! Have a drink; laze the afternoon away. It's officially the weekend! You can do whatever you like.

Got any exciting plans? We have been kicking the idea around to go camping this weekend. And A's birthday is Sunday so we will be celebrating with all his favorite things. This involves massive amounts of delicious food: Greek salad, quinoa tabbouleh, carrot cake, corn bread, and bloody Marys. Yum!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

St. Jude Memphis Marathon:


It's Marathon time! That's right. I signed up to run my first marathon. It's been a goal of mine for a while now (see here) and together with my lovely running pals, I've committed. We're in it now. 

We've chosen to do the St. Jude Marathon on December 7, 2013 in Memphis. And we've chosen to raise $500 each for the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. If you'd like to, you can support St. Jude (and me) here.

And in case you were wondering, here is how your donation helps:

  • Thanks to donors like you, no family ever pays for anything, including lodging, food, and travel
  • St. Jude's will continue to improve treatment of childhood cancer and other deadly diseases through its groundbreaking research
  • For every child treated at St. Jude's, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries
Take a look at what your donation could provide to the kids and families of St. Judes:
  • Infant care for 10 babies -- $50
  • Parties to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and "coming off chemo" -- $75
  • Toys for patients -- $100
  • Meals in the hospital cafeteria -- $210
  • One day of oxygen -- $447
  • Child-sized wheelchair -- $700
  • Airfare for a parent and child -- $1,000
Please consider joining me in support of the children of St. Jude's by making a donation. No amount is too small and every little bit helps!

Please visit my St. Jude's fundraising page to make a donation: www.heroes.stjude.org/meghansever.

Thanks for your support! And stay tuned for our training updates.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

We love:



Okay, so this is more of an I love: Beyonce's new single, "Grown Woman". I may or may not have danced around to it in my living room all weekend.

Give it a listen. And happy first-day-back-from-work-after-a-long-weekend.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Happy Weekend:

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Happy Friday, everyone! Can you believe it's Memorial Day weekend already? And May is almost over? The year is really flying by!

What are you doing with your long weekend? Any fun plans for Memorial Day? We are going to bike around town with a picnic lunch. It's my favorite way to kill a few hours. And I want to spend an entire afternoon browsing for vinyl at the record store near our house. But mostly, I am excited about an extra day of sleeping in! That's how I will be celebrating Memorial Day. Hopefully, there will be watermelon at some point.

Happy Memorial Day! Hope yours is a blast!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

This is water:


THIS IS WATER - By David Foster Wallace from The Glossary on Vimeo.

Have you ever read this speech by David Foster Wallace? It's brilliant. This visual representation of his speech is pretty amazing too. It's a condensed version, but still, well done.

Watch it. Then read the entire thing here.

It will change the way you think and in turn, your entire life -- if you let it.

Monday, May 20, 2013

I love:



bowls / platter / carafe

How gorgeous are these housewares? The small bowls would be perfect for sauces and spices. I would love to have these out on my counter while we cook up delicious concotions. A lot of the time, our cooking is very utilitarian. Most of what we use, we have because it serves a specific function. But these are so pretty! They would look lovely sitting on our counter.

And that gold platter! I would love to have it sitting on my desk at work. It would definitely pretty things up. And it would be perfect to corral all the things that seem to float around on my desk: lotion, lip balm, paperclips, etc.

I think that carafe would be perfect for a guest bedroom or kids' room. Whenever I see a cup sitting on a nightstand, it definitely looks out of place. This doesn't scream "this is from the kitchen!" And the cup sits on top of the carafe when not in use, so it keeps the water from getting all gross and stale. When I was a kid, I used to make my mom put a book on top of my water glass when she tucked me in so dust wouldn't get in it. I was kind of weird (still am), but I would have loved having one of these in my room.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Happy Weekend:

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Happy Friday! What are you doing with your precious free time? There is a library book sale that I really want to go to. And my nephew is getting his black belt in karate, so we are having a party to celebrate. We've got some major (late) spring cleaning to do. Not fun, I know, but such is the life of a grownup.

Want to catch up with us? Here's what's been happening lately:

  1. I got my MRI results back: no meniscus tear! Only swelling, but I can deal with that.
  2. We finally got some Run 501 shirts from Go! Running. I have been stalking them for months.
  3. With the warmer temperatures comes my desire to suddenly fling myself into a bunch of adventures. We are planning our summer trips now and I am excited about all the fun we're going to have. Look for us coming to a city near you soon!
  4. I'm debating whether or not I want to attend my high school reunion next month. I've heard pros and cons for each side, I just can't seem to make up my mind. Anybody have any advice?
  5. It's National Bike Week. Hope you rode yours around and had magical bike adventures! There's still time if you haven't!
Have a great weekend, everyone! It's supposed to be lovely. Get out there and enjoy it!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I love:

[photo]
I have been knitting since I was ten. My mom taught me. And I was really into it. I made blankets for all my Barbie's beds. And then in high school, I tackled scarves. In college, I took on life-size blankets. Nothing fancy, though. In my post-grad life, I started learning more complicated patterns. It was a challenge for me, and I enjoyed it. Lately, I've been itching to start making sweaters. This desire stems partly from my need to indulge my creative side and partly from my disappointment with what most retail stores try to pass off as good, quality sweaters. I figure I'd start small; make some sweaters for babies/toddlers. I wanted to get the basics down before I jumped in over my head. You know, really understand how all the pieces come together to form something that you can actually wear and not have people stare at you like a crazy person.

But then. I saw this sweater and I kind of fell in love with it. It's the perfect hybrid of sweater and sweatshirt. I sort of need it in my life. So, I'm thinking this will be my summer knitting project. If I work on it diligently (and don't mess it up too badly), come fall, I will be able to snuggle up in it when the temperature outside starts to drop. I mean, picture this sweater paired with a red plaid shirt, some busted up old blue jeans, and a navy beanie. It screams fall, right? The perfect leaf-raking, cocoa-drinking, apple-picking uniform.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Camping:


We're taking a weekend camping trip with some friends this month. And of course, I've been planning, prepping, and making lists like crazy.

Here's what we're bringing with us on our adventure:


Friday, May 10, 2013

Happy Weekend:

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Happy Friday, everyone! This week sure did take its sweet time. I was home sick with a nasty bug Monday and Tuesday and somehow, the week felt much longer because of it.

Got any fun plans for the weekend? We are doing Warrior Dash this Saturday. After we did it last year, I told myself I wouldn't do it again but here we are. We're running it with Andrew's swim team as a team-building thing. So, okay. But after this, never again!

Mother's Day is Sunday. Don't forget to show your momma some love!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Skincare faves:


Last week I shared my daytime skincare routine. Today, I bring you my picks for pm. I use more products in the evening because as you sleep, your skin regenerates and heals itself. So I really pile on the products because I feel like this is when they are the most beneficial.


Monday, May 6, 2013

A knee story:


Check out that knee. Pretty impressive, wouldn't you say?

Here's the thing: I have no idea what I have done to it. I went to my doctor and he took x-rays and sent me to an orthopedist. So, I saw him last week and he ordered an MRI. Hopefully, that will be happening this week. Until then, this is what I'm working with because I absolutely cannot stand wearing a knee brace. I feel a little like Kerri Walsh.

I still plan on running all the races on my calendar though. Even if I have to hobble through them.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Happy Weekend:

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Happy Friday, everyone! What are you doing with your lovely weekend? We have no-fun grown-up things to take care of (read: cleaning, grocery shopping, and bill paying). But hopefully there will be some time to squeeze in a few fun things. I've been dying to check out the new dog park at McArthur Park and I still haven't made up my mind as to whether or not I want to run a 5K tonight and a Grand Prix 10K race on Saturday.

Here's a peek into our week:

  1. I saw an orthopedist about my knee yesterday.
  2. I signed up for the St. Jude's Marathon in December. So, it's officially happening.
  3. Ordered the cutest new flat sandals for spring
  4. We are planning a camping trip with friends that I am really excited about
  5. We totally had burritos for dinner three times this week -- don't judge.
Sunday in Cinco de Mayo -- drink margaritas and eat your body weight in chips and salsa to celebrate!

Have a great one! XO!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Skincare faves:

Last year, I did a skincare post with my favorite products to use. I thought I had my routine down. And then I read this book and it changed my life. And then I found this website and it changed my life even more. Since I last updated, my routine has changed completely. It's more streamlined and simplified. And in the morning, when I'm rushing to get ready and out the door on time, simplified is a wonderful thing.

Take a look at the break down after the jump:

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

We love:


I have a lot of races on the horizon (including a 14.2 miler and a full marathon!) so I was really pumped when I received a gift certificate for a Road Id. Road Id has a line of products designed for runners/cyclists/whoever to wear while out being active that help identify you in case of an emergency. I don't run with a cell phone or any identification (I know, it's dangerous) but I almost always run with friends and at least one of those friends has a cell phone on them at all times. Still, I worry about being on my own during a race or training run and something happening. Well, I don't have to worry anymore because my Shoe Id is making its way to me right now.

I went with the Shoe Id because I can attach it to my shoe and not worry about it ever again. I don't have to remember to put it on each time I leave the house. As long as I've got my running shoes on, I'm good to go. And I know I will feel safer on my runs (and Andrew will too).

If you are active and don't have one of these, I strongly recommend that you make the plunge and get one. It's wonderful peace of mind. And they have a lot of different styles and colors to choose from.