Valentine-y

However you choose to celebrate (or not)...

I hope today finds your heart especially happy.

Love,

 Meg

Wanted: Tropical Getaway

All the frigid temperatures and endless conversations about weddings (ours and everyone else's) this weekend have left me longing to bury my toes somewhere that looks like this...

with one of these in my hand...

Dan and I haven't talked much about honeymoon options yet, but my vote is somewhere warm, sandy, and quiet. Hopefully somewhere with a private balcony that looks something like this...

(Playa Mujeres, one of my top picks)

and food that looks something like this...

(I may be drooling at my desk right now)

Ideally somewhere where we can do a little of this...

and a little of this...

maybe even some of this...

and a whole lot of this...

(in case you can't tell: sitting.)

In all honesty though, I'm not too picky. I just want calm, quiet, warmth, and this guy...

for one whole uninterrupted week.

And goodness, if this weekend wasn't enough to make me need a vacation?

Coming back to work this morning certainly did the trick.

Happy Monday, everyone... if there is such a thing!

Love,

 Meg

Friday Favorites: Best of the Blogs

I know I sing some variation of the same tune each Friday: this has been such a long week, I am so exhausted, I need a weekend so badly I just can't stand it. Today, after 6+ hours of overtime work (on top of those 40 that I am oh-so-thrilled to spend here at the office every week), almost 2.5 days of (mostly useless) on-the-job training, more meetings than I care to go back and count, and 7 sessions at the gym (including running! twice!) in the past 4.5 days... I'm going to sing it again. It really has been such a long week, I really am so exhausted, and I really do need a weekend so very badly (which is lucky, considering the one looming just hours away).

So instead of filling up a post with my complaints or sleepy ramblings or half-hearted attempts at humor, I'm going to send you off to meet a few other people whose writings are much more impressive. These are just a few of the faces of the internet who inspire me, make me think, set me off rolling with laughter, warm my heart, and brighten my day. Go ahead: check them out. Love them as I do.

This blogger is the complete package: wonderfully entertaining writing, incredible photographs, and the best recipes you will find anywhere on the whole internet. Not only do I read every day, but her blog is the first place I go when I need a recipe for anything at all. Searching for a dinner idea? Look no further. In need of a clever dessert? She's your girl. Cooking for a crowd? Got you covered. And I can tell you that absolutely 100% of the recipes I've made from her site (and I've made a lot) have been so straightforward and amazingly, unbelievably, earth-shatteringly good. The number of compliments I have gotten on her recipes is just unreal. Also of note: she has cornered the market on adorable puppy pictures.

This blogger is one of the most dedicated, impressive, and inspiring athletes I don't-really-know-but-love-to-read-about. She is a crazy-fast runner, super-amazing triathlete, overwhelmingly-spirited cheerleader, and general sweaty motivator extraordinaire (and calling her sweaty is in no means an insult -- it's a trait she's pretty proud of). She is a fellow carb fanatic (whether it comes in bagel or beer form) and is the first blogger I look up when I need a little extra motivation to get myself out for a workout. I have run in her city a few times (when staying with our friends who live there), and one of these days I would love to run into her (no pun intended)... although I doubt I'd even have time to recognize her as she whizzed past.

Even though I'm not a mama myself yet, I still like to read the words and wisdom of a few, and this blogger has to be one of my very favorites. She is absolutely one of the funniest people I don't actually know, and her writing frequently has me stifling snorts at my desk. She is brutally honest and incredibly witty, handling the ups and downs of life with an admirable sense of humor. She is also one fabulous mom to two little guys with autism (a special need that is very close to my heart and a detail that led me to her blog in the first place) and provides a wonderful point of view on parenting, marriage, and life in general.

If you were to look up the word "adorable" in the dictionary, I am relatively confident that this blogger would appear in the definition. If not her, then at the very least her daughter would be in there -- there's no way you can tell me that this little one isn't the cutest thing in the universe. This blog is beautiful in every way: introspective and insightful, creative, honest and real. She is reassuringly normal, refreshingly down to earth and yet always whimsically dreaming. And then there's that adorable baby... it's hard to get enough. Also be sure to stop by her etsy shop: I bought this necklace as a tiny birthday gift to myself a few months ago, and it is fantastic beyond words.

Finally, I want to introduce this blogger (although I get the impression that everyone probably already knows and loves her). Her blog was a relatively recent find, and I don't think it would be exaggerating to say that her writing fills a void for me. Every little bit of her being spills over into her words as she shares the beauty and balance of motherhood, friendship, family, and time alone. Her passion for life is truly infectious and her pictures tug at your heart -- each one is perfectly captured and infinitely beautiful. Reading her posts is like snuggling up late at night for a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine) and conversation with a best friend: cozy, familiar, and satisfying. She is genuine and beautiful and determined to celebrate every moment as if it were something special (because, as she knows, it is). Her words have made me laugh and cry (sometimes in the same post) and always, always remind me of what is important. And if that's not reason enough to click over and get to know her, do it for little Nella, who is a beautiful girl and a fundraising powerhouse, all wrapped into one.

I hope you've met a few new friends today. I enjoy so many blogs every day, and it's nice to be able to share a handful with anyone who may wander across my little corner of the internet. Speaking of which -- if you do happen to find me here, and you have your very own little corner of the internet, please leave me a comment and share... I'd love to pop over and meet you too!

To all of the aforementioned bloggers: thank you for writing and making my day so often. I hope you're not too creeped out by the fact that I like your blogs as much as I do... I'm harmless, I swear.

Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

Stubborn

When I was in high school and college, I wanted so badly to be a runner. I wanted to have the stamina and strength that could carry me for miles. I wanted the sense of accomplishment and self worth that (I assumed) came with knowing I could run distances that would leave others wheezing and sore. I wanted the mental and emotional release of being outside, feeling the progress beneath my feet, putting distance between myself and my problems. I wanted (although it pains me to admit it) to be able to say to people, "Oh, sure, I got up super early and ran a gazillion miles this morning before your head even left the pillow."

Well, easier said than done. Every time I would actually try this running thing, I'd peter out faster than you can say "wannabe." Most days, I'd head home after only 30 minutes, a sweaty, exhausted mess. Sometimes, I would stick it out for a few days, focusing determinedly on that picture in my head of a tanned, toned runner gliding along some scenic route. Within the week, though, I was always done. Back to the elliptical at the gym, a few crunches here and there in a fit of ab envy, and avoidance of the fact that I doubted I'd be fit enough to be considered "in shape" ever again. Running just wasn't fun... in fact, it was so very not fun that even such lofty aspirations weren't enough to keep me going. I certainly wasn't a natural, and I couldn't imagine that it would ever get easier, so I did something that I rarely do with anything else in my life: I gave up. Again... and again... and again.

Until one day last winter, with no warning, it stuck. Something deep inside me clicked and there was no looking back. Running still wasn't fun -- it took at least six months before I would be able to even think about describing it with such a positive word -- but finally, I got it: the longer I stuck with it, the easier it could be. Each run would feel a little bit better than the last, until my muscles and lungs and head got with the program. Eventually, I realized, running could come naturally... or at least a little less unnaturally.

With this realization, something else subconsciously slid into gear and, at long last, locked. It was a mechanism that has driven me all of my life in so many situations, but one that had never quite fit with running until then: for lack of a better term, it was my overwhelming amount of sheer stubbornness. It was my just one more, my I am NOT going to let this get the better of me, my dogged, tenacious, bordering on self-destructive will to hang on tight and under no circumstances give in. It had served me well in swimming, academics, leadership positions, and personal relationships, but for some reason it had never quite engaged with running... until about the third run last winter. And let me tell you: when it finally kicked in, it kicked in hard and strong.

All of a sudden, I was running every day, determined to get out there and get it over with so that tomorrow, it would be that much easier. If I made it through three miles one morning, the next I would make myself do 3.25. If I could do it at a 10:30 pace one week, the next I'd be pushing myself to hit 10:00 (I started off slooooow). If I went to the gym thinking I'd run for 30 minutes, I would usually end up going for 40. Every day, I was determined to outpace, outdistance, outrun myself.

So before I knew it, I was the one running 5 miles every morning. Some days were tough, but generally it was easier than I had ever dreamed it would become. Double digit runs were no longer unfathomable: sure, they were brutal, but I knew I could finish. Races became realistic goals for which to train. $100 was finally a practical, necessary price for running shoes, and I didn't feel guilty because I knew that I was running them for all they were worth (and in many cases much, much more). I never used it as a bragging right, as I had always dreamed of doing, but instead found an inner comfort each day in knowing that it had either begun with a solid run or would end with one.

Eventually, gradually, it started to dawn on me: this was something I could do. I could run long, I could run fast. I could talk myself through 13.1 miles. I was the runner I had always wanted to be.

... And then I got shin splints. Which are, for the record, just terrible. I am dying to run again, but every time I do the pain serves as an irrefutable reminder of why I need to rest, stretch, and give my leg a little time to heal itself. I've pushed myself back into it too quickly, and every time it gets worse. Luckily, my new-found determination has served me well in the interim: 30 minutes on the elliptical has become 45, 50 crunches has become 100, and a minute and a half plank has now reached three.

There are times I question my sanity when I am struggling through that last mile, last minute, last repeat. Am I crazy to push myself this hard? Should I give myself a break? Should I be ok, just this once, if I don't break yesterday's record? I know the answer, though -- it's the same as it has always been, and will always be: I could never live with myself if I stopped pushing my boundaries. Even as I curse myself for this stubborn drive to be better, I love testing myself and finding that 9 times out of 10, I can do more than I expect. The whole experience has opened my eyes to the fact that I am stronger than I ever believed. And a whole lot more stubborn, but I choose to believe that's a good thing... just don't ask my husband.

   Love,

    Meg

Portrait of a Monday Morning

This morning, all before 8:35, I:

 -- rolled myself out of bed after hitting the snooze button only once, vowing never again to stay up past 9 PM

 -- pulled on several layers worth of workout clothes and tied my shoes with only one eye half open

 -- assessed status of clothes that were put in the dryer to "dry" last night.... and restarted the dryer for another cycle

 -- sprinted down to the gym in approximately 20 degree weather, dodging icy patches on the sidewalk with moderate success

 -- busted my you-know-what on the elliptical for 30 minutes, burning either 455 calories (according to the machine) or something approaching 250 (a much more likely reality)

 -- cranked out 100 situps and 3 full minutes of planking (the kind where your abs feel like they might be on fire, not the weird/dangerous hanging-off-a-balcony trend)

 -- sprinted back home in approximately 21 degree weather (the sun was starting to come up, which I figure must mean something, even though it felt just as cold)

 -- allowed my fingers and nose a few minutes to thaw out

 -- located, measured, and dumped several ingredients into the crockpot

 -- crossed my fingers that said ingredients in the crockpot would yield an edible meal in 10 hours

 -- rolled my never-to-be-confused-with-a-morning-person hubby out of bed

 -- showered, dressed, put on makeup, tracked down matching earrings, dug out heels from under a pile of laundry, changed my mind and switched shirts, realized that said switch also necessitated a change in scarf color, located the correct scarf (3 rooms and one bathroom later), and tripped over the cat no less than 4 times in the process

 -- made myself a cup of coffee, packed muffins for breakfast

 -- looked at the clock and choked, coaxed my husband into agreeing to bring me lunch since there was no time to even think about what I might be able to take for lunch other than more muffins (which wasn't an entirely terrible thought)

 -- found a pair of matching gloves with surprising speed

 -- scraped the windshield of my husband's truck while he sat inside, toasty, grumbling about how warm he would be if he were still in bed

 -- flew into work only five minutes late, making it to my desk just in time to grab the first of what is sure to be dozens of phone calls today

All of this to say... would someone kindly let me know when it's time for my nap?

   Love,

    Meg

Friday Favorites

Considering the to-do list that is sitting next to me and keeps tapping me on the arm impatiently, today's favorites are going to be short and sweet. With the kind of week I've had, I think it's pretty important to make room for some gratitude today. I apologize for the lack of pictures and generally decent writing though... I think this list may be sprouting teeth.

I am thankful for casual Fridays, especially those that end 45 minutes earlier than normal. I don't care if it's just so that I can rush across town to make it to our little pup's first vet appointment, and I don't care that I got to the office over an hour early to offset the difference: I'm wearing jeans and my day ends at 4:15, and that's what matters.

I'm thankful for late nights and early mornings (just not back-to-back). A few nights ago I stayed up late finishing a fantastic book and realized that it was the first time in weeks that I had been conscious post-midnight. It was quiet and peaceful and everyone was snuggled up asleep, and I enjoyed the "me" time immensely. Also, as hard as it was to drag myself out of bed super early this morning, I loved that the world was still asleep even as I finished up my workout and headed home before the sun rose.

My husband is getting some rather adorable Valentine's Day gifts. That's right... adorable. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I am lusting after so many of the iPhone cases on this site. Especially this one, this one, and this one (and at least a dozen more). And gosh, do I wish I could get this one for my dad... Marvin was his favorite.

Let's pause for a brief moment of honesty: one of my very least favorite things on this Friday? My left ear, which has been stopped up for almost two weeks now. At first it was pressurized and painful, but now the ache has subsided to a dull echo. Every time I open my mouth, I feel like I'm underwater. I think I'm starting to understand what Van Gogh was thinking that fateful night...

Another very favorite thing about this week: the yummy food it has delivered. Dan made the best ribs for dinner on Monday, my mom and I went on a girls' date to Melting Pot Wednesday (one of the best restaurants ever), and I am having a serious internal struggle over the fact that I want to eat today's lunch (pearled couscous: please please go to the store and buy yourself a box, you can thank me later) right NOW. Also, the plan is to make breakfast for dinner again tonight... yum.

I am really looking forward to some free time this weekend to gather the supplies for this cute craft (found on this beautifully-written blog). I'm thinking of making one with just pinks and reds for Valentine's Day. I am also patiently waiting on the delivery of a final necessity for another deliciously crafty project, which I will share when it is finished!

Finally, another "favorite" from my wish list: this simple piece. (Can it be a favorite when I don't even own it? Good thing I get to make all the rules around here...) Actually, it's amazing that I even like this right now, since I'm especially bitter towards most-things-running at the moment. I am determined to get rid of this stupid shin pain before it ruins the spring races I want to run, but the hours this means spending on the elliptical instead of the road have left me slightly increasingly extremely frustrated. Maybe wearing this gorgeous necklace would help me feel better?

Ok, my to-do list is now swishing its (rather lengthy, rather spiky) tail and grumbling ominously, so I think I'd better give it some attention. Or perhaps a small rodent for it to munch on...

Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

Hump Day Humor

This week... hmm, let's not even get into it. Suffice to say, I am in desperate need of a rather large dose of happy. Thought I'd share:

(just one of today's problems)

(I think we need one of these at home)

(welcome to my life...)

A brief tribute to one of my very favorite cartoons...

(alot of snow... genius!)

And we conclude with some classic characters:

Happy Wednesday everyone... don't forget to smile at least once today!

Love,

 Meg