July’s Eight Great Goals

It’s finally summer in Portland! Wahooo!

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As I mentioned in June there was a lot that I didn’t get to last month and that includes being the worst at keeping up with other blogs. Every Saturday morning I wake up to the last week’s 200 blogs I didn’t get around to reading and felt like a jerk commenting back 5 days later. Apologies, ladies – I’m still reading!

What’s July got in store?

How about beautiful weather, grill magic, work travel, kitten playtime, 100 more running miles, sangria, instagram video and hopefully some getaway time at the coast!

What else will I be doing? Take a look!

1. Take a Hike.

There’s plenty of amazing locations in the Northwest to take a hike and we don’t even have to go that far. Portland Area hikes are an escape from the city for an afternoon and a great way to get out of the house in the summer.

2. Hit a golf ball 100 yards in the air

My Daniel is amazing. A week ago I came home to pristine set of brand new golf clubs and golf shoes in my favorite color. And they match(!!!) This past weekend I went through putting, chipping, hitting and driving school and my best shot was just past the 75 yard marker. I have a long way to go until I can actually play on the course but I’m looking forward to learning more about the game my guy loves.

3. Visit the Portland Zoo!

Dan hasn’t been to the Portland Zoo yet, even though we drive past it twice a day and would love to see all the big kitties!

4. No Ice Cream for the next 31 days!

I already know that this will be torture! Ice cream is a staple in our home and with temperatures in the high 80’s I’ll have to resort to frozen berries and lemonade to get that warm weather fix.

5. Not be this guy.

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June work surprises brought a lot of this personality out of me. Rather than showing my emotions on my face and in my eyes I should get up, take a walk, fill my water bottle and return with a smile and willingness to help out.

6. Write 3 posts for the following week on the weekend.

This goal is measurable, this goal is possible and this goal will be a game-changer for me and my home life on weeknights. There’s plenty I can do ahead of time (even down to coming up with headers and importing images) that will cut down on the strict deadlines I set for myself.

7. Rock my Work Travel.

I have the privilege of travelling internationally in a few short weeks and my goal is to train my co-workers on everything they need to know while I’m gone and then go and really make an impact with our friends to the North. When I took this job the opportunity for travel was 0%  so I feel flattered and I feel a responsibility to make the time worth it.

8. Schedule Time Off From Work.

I didn’t follow through with this one last month so I think that after my travel I’ll be set up to take a day… or two, or three?

Wish me all the luck in the world with my short and crazy week at work.

June Summary

Buh-bye June!

When it began, June had promise of easy work days and relaxation at home. Just a few days in, this month turned gloomy and has proved to be one of the most consistently stressful months at work I’ve been a part of.

New responsibility, more work with less resources and shorter deadlines don’t get me down though, these factors force me to work smarter, involve my teammates and get plenty of support from the people around me. This includes family and friends.

Here they are, the Top 5 Moments from the month!

1. I’m still very proud to be a second-time Tough Mudder and I owe you the official Oregon 2013 video so you can get a taste for how hilly the course was!

2. Dan and I love our little Holly girl and we’ve been so impressed with her personality. She’s had no accidents, she’s adventurous, she sleeps all the way through the night, she likes both her wet and dry food, and she hasn’t taken a swipe at our Betta fish (yet).

I only wish she’d hold still for iPhone photos like this more often, but we’re working on that!

3. This TED Talk about Power Posing has really changed my outlook on the way I carry myself at work and how I’ve managed to boost my confidence in difficult situations. I feel it paying off and can see how it can help anyone out there.

4. I still have 21 miles to run to complete this month, which is only 7 per day and an easy goal to hit in comparison to many end of the month gaps to close I’ve had in the last 3 and a half years of running 100 miles a month. It’s been a miracle so far to get 79 and I contribute my success to my Morning Routine.

5. I can’t write this post without remembering that it was just this month that I met Dan’s parents for the first time. It doesn’t seem possible that it was within the past 30 days, but time flies!

Thanks for sticking around this month, I’m thinking July will be just as crazy with work travel (!!!) and watching Holly get older.

I’m looking forward to it!

June Accountability Check

When we started this month I was high on life. We had just ended a successful 4th quarter, I met Dan’s family and I was looking forward to getting after a lot of exciting work when life was supposed to slow down during the first quarter of our fiscal year.

Very quickly, I found out that the world doesn’t always work the way you hope it will and that being open to change is an incredible asset to have.

That being said, June’s Eight Great Goals are due for an accountability check…

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1. I’ve used up 4 of my 5 early work mornings (6am) and have done a great job at sticking to it even though work has required me to have a lot of tasks complete in just a short amount of time. 

2. My attempt at lifting weights hasn’t gone any further than holding hand weights during some longer runs. Starting today (no, really – today!) I’m going to hit the gym and get in front of some iron. Then I’ll pick it up, and I’ll set it down. My muscles feel good coming off from Tough Mudder and I want them to continue to feel the burn.

3. I’ve hardly called any friends and really have only talked to family on the phone for Father’s Day wishes. Work in progress.

4. No meal schedule for Dan and I – but I’ve been consistent with packing good lunches as always.

5. No, I’m such a snack fiend – more on that in tomorrow’s post.

6. Only daily doubles I’ve completed this month were on weekends, but with a run completed this morning and weights (as mentioned in #2) this afternoon I’ll be on a better schedule.

7. No time off has been scheduled and I don’t know if I’ll be able to make time this month.

8. I’ve been pretty good about eating lunch away from my desk, I just need to get better now about actually getting away from the office (conference rooms, etc) so that I can really clear my head.

Expectations lowered? Good!

I’m tracking to my running goals and I’m getting a lot of good sleep (from exhaustion, not relaxation!).

That counts, right?

Weekend Links: Tough Mudder Style

Tuesday morning those of us who are participating in the 2013 Oregon Tough Mudder received this photo with a friendly reminder to not worry because “if you’re scared…… you can pee yourself. Everyone knows you can’t see pee in the mud.”

Thanks Big Mudder!

This will be my second Tough Mudder event and I’ll be joining my wonderful friends Brooke and her man friend Brad, while dragging Dan along for the torture fun!

In the words of Big Mudder, the vents are “hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.”

I will promise to do my best, but can see something like this happening when I go to grab the monkey bars.

Last time Brooke went Beast-Mode on the same monkey bars and I am looking forward to being inspired by her once again.

Enough from me, here’s the links!

• Tough Mudder is for Crazy People
• How other Tough Mudder’s Train
• Okay, no, here’s the actual training plan
• The “Torture to Expect“
• Tough Mudder Supports the Wounded Warrior Project
• Interested? Sign Up for your own event!

Wish us luck, last time I came home bruised from head to toe!

 

June’s Eight Great Goals

I know you’re all excited to hear about how my weekend away went, but you’ll have to be patient as we work through establishing June’s Eight Great Goals and tomorrow’s informational and inspiring TED Talk Tuesday.

No song, no dance – let’s just get down to business (mainly because our flight was delayed and I’m running on fumes this morning!)

1. Earlywork only 5 times this month.

Since April 1^st I’ve been showing up to work at 6am for more time in my day to get work done, more concentration, more productivity and more output. While I wouldn’t change the progress I made it also lead to less sleep, less patience at home, less carpooling and less balance. I will use up three of these days automatically today, tomorrow and Wednesday – but after that I’m driving in with my baby.

2. Lift Weights.

Whether that means training club classes, in my room after a run or even body weight work (squats, push-ups, lunges, etc) I want to build up some muscle to turn it into a revved up metabolism.

3. Call (actually call) Friends and Family.

I have an aversion to making phone calls and I need to get past it. There’s something about awkward silence that makes me feel socially inadequate and I’d like to change that. I’ve really changed my relationships in business by being fearless over the phone and I could transfer that to my personal life.

4. Meal Schedule.

Last weekend’s purposeful food prep for a Dan-free week got me excited about having a breakfast, lunch and dinner already figured out without having to consult my partner. Two can still play that game, and the way we can synchronize is by planning together.

5. Wait For Dinner.

A horrible habit of mine is to get home and immediately open all the cupboards, drawers and fridge. Terribly impatient for dinner, I mindlessly put away 100-200 worthless calories that would be better served through fro-yo after dinner or a soothing glass of wine while writing my blog.

6. Daily Doubles.

This goal and goal #2 go hand in hand, as I’ll finish a long 5-10 mile run and no longer have the need to do additional activity through the day. It’s okay to work out twice in one day and will encourage that second session of the day to be strength or balance focused.

7. Schedule Time Off.

Enough said. I’ve earned it.

8. Eat Lunch Away From My Desk.

Eating lunch at my desk is an activity I’ve become used to. Easy and productive aren’t good enough reasons to find myself wolfing down a salad, fitting more than I can into my mouth and allowing my grilled chicken to get cold while my lettuce becomes room temperature. I’m going to grab my Tupperware and head out onto the patio this month. Watch me!

Come back tomorrow for a TED talk about something Dan and I did way too much yesterday travelling across the country.

May Summary

As we close out the month of May I look back and I’m thankful for everything that’s come my way.

First of all I’m thankful for all of you new readers that have come my way thanks to Brooke’s recommendation to join a Portland Bloggers group full of lovely like-minded ladies.

Second, I’m thankful for such a successful month at work. I remember how it started and can see how far my team and I have come in the last 30 days.

We had beautiful weather to start the month and I got to goof around with these girls on the beach:

I’ve exceeded my monthly running goal of 100 miles by just a few over, and I don’t plan to run on vacation (even though I brought clothes in case that mind of mine changes). I do plan do dance up a storm at the wedding and run circles around Dan (if that counts!)

This will make me really ready to hit the pavement com June 3rd when I’m back home. It rained on a few runs, but I don’t mind!

This month I really enjoyed the start of something intellectual with TED Tuesdays: Happiness Advantage, 30 is not the new 20 and the Power of Grit.

Getting hit by a bus was a bad day for me and my car, but the joys of my Half Birthday and a blog make-over outweigh any mirror damage!

Finally, it was so refreshing to finally speak about the Truth behind Cohabitation, and I really appreciated everyone’s warm, heartfelt and encouraging comments. I’m not proud of what once was, but I’m thankful it happened and that I learned how important my Daniel was because of it.

Before midnight tonight I’ll step off an airplane and into the arms of my boyfriend who I’ve missed all week. I can’t think of a more perfect way to end May!

Happy June!

Bachelorette Weekend

Dan left for Chicago on Saturday and since I dropped him at the airport it’s been a beautiful bachelorette weekend.

I do miss him dearly and the three terrifying motion alarms in the middle of the night didn’t give me much opportunity to rest, but the waking hours are exactly the way I’d draw up the perfect three day weekend.

Hours at my beloved neighborhood coffee shop, Lumineer’s Pandora station filling the house, no shame walking out of the house in my glasses, chambray + leggings + lace up boots…basically I turned into a hipster overnight.

Other musings included:

• My monthly 90 minute massage to get all the running and weight lifting kinks out
• Sleeping in until 11:30 – which is unheard of.
• More running to get to my 100 miles for the month (only 4 remaining!)
• Delicious recovery meal of Dave’s Killer Bread, 2 Eggs, 1/2 Avocado, Sriracha and Pepper {below}
• A refreshing strawberrita or two while catching up on weekend reading
• Finally watched Silver Linings Playbook – since Dan didn’t exactly want to see it

It also looks like I have developed a signature pose with my coffee, head tilt and eye position. Help us all.

I’m going to take advantage of the 90% rain forecast here in Portland and continue to pamper myself with a facial, a bubble bath and maybe even a manicure if I’m feeling wild.

I finally see the finish line at work for the end of the fiscal year and I can’t be stopped now!

Carpe Diem, friends!

Weekend Blog Makeover

Do you notice some changes around here?

I finally had some down time this weekend while Dan was volunteering with Caddies 4 Cure as a driver for the celebrity guests Rough life, Dan. I could have spent my time working, cleaning, shopping, playing, running (17 miles wasn’t enough, Jessi?) but instead I devoted a good amount of time cleaning up my blog image.

What exactly does that mean?

I love the clean and simple themes I see daily from Brooke, Meghan, Justine, Jenni so I shopped around and even considered spending some money – but concluded that I’d find one that worked for me. Nailed it.

The font, the clean background, the date stamp, the banner – all of it. Okay, maybe not the pink accents – but it was Free. When it was all said and done, I was thrilled with the aesthetic, but felt a little like I’d put lipstick on a pig. Like I got my hair cut and colored but hadn’t paid my eyebrows any attention for weeks yeesh.

• My pages (top bar in black) hadn’t been updated since February.
• I had no organization or reason behind my Categories
• The Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and social media links were amateur at best.
• The formatting was all. over. the. place.

I kicked my slippered feet up, grabbed a hot cup of coffee and got to work.

My Action Plan:

I re-named and created new categories so that posts could be labeled for easy searching.

I revisited every. single. post. that I’ve ever written on this blog and did two main things:

1. Justified the Text (important, fellow Bloggers!)
2. Re-Assigned the Categories that made sense (What the heck was ‘Day to Day’ supposed to help anyone find?)
   

Looking back to every post made me realize some of the amazing things I’ve shared on here over the last year and how I can be a better blogger going forward. Thanks for never criticizing, being an amazing community and having patience as I develop my space here on the internet.

Ahhh – Clarity.

The unfortunate part of working on my blog all weekend was that it was an afterthought to write a post for Monday.

Oh you mean I just wrote it? Solid.

May’s Eight Great Goals

It’s here. May. The month I’ve been waiting for to really show what I’m made of, kick the summer off right and to get down to business.

Last month’s goals were difficult to achieve with all of the craziness that came at me with work, so you’ll find that this month’s goals are a bit more aligned with taking care of myself, making plain times into fun times and appreciating some of the simpler things in life that otherwise could go overlooked in the shadows.

I know that this month will be even busier – so while I’m getting my grind on at work – I think it’s important to focus on me, my Daniel and my friendships.

Thanks for sticking around with me through the good times and bad times – it’s been a wild ride!

May’s Eight Great Goals

1. Be Spontaneous.

Too often my day, outfit, meals, workouts and spare time is planned out to the minute. I’d love to throw caution to the wind this month and let my hair down when the opportunity comes my way.

2. Spend more quality time with my Daniel.

This means knocking out writing my blogs ahead of time, inviting him for runs with me, paying attention to all of the things that prevent stress-free time together today and promote more happy times together tomorrow.

3. Run more during the week.

I graphed it – and close to 70% of my miles this year have fallen on weekends. That means that weekday life is out of hand and I need to get back to lacing up to decompress after a hard day’s work.

4. Sleep in on the weekend. 

Getting more runs in the week will lead into less pressure to wake up early on the weekend. Dan and I bicker with each other every Saturday & Sunday morning when I have an alarm set for 7am to beat the morning rush and get a peaceful neighborhood run in. “groan-sleep-murmur-grrr” While that’s just my style, it’s important to me to spend those mornings with my man as well.

5. Hydrate.

I have this goal on this list almost every month and it keeps coming back because I’m pretty spotty about meeting my daily water quota. 64+ ounces per day, no excuses – and maybe even more as the temperatures begin to rise.

6. Photography.

I have a great camera that takes beautiful photos and I can’t remember the last time I posted something on here that wasn’t from iPhone / instagram. It may be because editing/posting takes a lot of extra time, but I should take photos for more than just the purpose of this blog.

7. Pamper Myself.

More than just my monthly massage, I’m going to get my nails done, schedule a hair appointment and take care of my skin. I deserve it.

8. Leave work NO later than 6pm.

This is the maximum – I’ve made it a point to leave before 5pm both days so far this week and all of my co-workers are shocked. I think it’s a trend that I like and can make a point of keeping.

Wish me the best of luck this time around – these seem like more realistic goals than what I set for myself in April.

What are your goals for the month? Can you borrow a few of mine?

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