Sushi celebration

Happy Sunday everyone!

Yesterday was our last day with the kids, and it was not easy. My husband had to work, I wasn't feeling 100%, I picked the seven-year-old up from gymnastics 5 minutes late because I had trusted the girl herself to accurately remember what time practice ended, and then I arrived home with both kids and realized the door was locked and no one had a key. And they were both hungry, and it was almost nap time for the four-year-old (and me). So my husband called a locksmith, who charged us a ridiculous amount of money to do nothing more than pick the lock open. At 4 pm on the dot, my husband and I were finally relieved and set free. We returned to our clean and quiet apartment and I snuggled with my own baby.

It was dinnertime, and we celebrated the fact that we don't have kids by going out for sushi at the place across the street. 

I don't remember what everything was, but it was the best plate we've ever gotten there. 

Dinner tonight was a little more random. I wanted to do a bowl like Emily's, but I didn't have the energy to cook quinoa for it and I couldn't find broccoli at Joe's. 

It's Joe's pre-made lentils, roasted cauliflower and half an avocado, drizzled with white wine vinegar and truffle-flavored olive oil. With sea salt. And a lemon wedge. It was easy, delicious and filling, even though the ingredients don't really make sense together. 

I'm going to clean the kitchen and head to bed. I don't have to wake up so early for work anymore, but I still like going to bed at a toddler-appropriate time. 

Have a great Sunday night!

xo

Kids, man.

Agh. I've had a few crazy days, and the craziness isn't over.

We were asked to babysit my husband's cousins, ages seven and four, from Wednesday night until Saturday afternoon. Both parents are out of town.

Lemme tell you, this life is not for the faint of heart. Overnight I got two kids, a dog, a cat, two cars, a house, and a full time job. Remember when I thought the job alone was tough?

Yesterday morning I woke up at 5 am so I'd have time to shower and wash my hair, since I had an interview an hour after work and knew I wouldn't have time to shower in between. Like a DUMMY, I took my sweet time in the shower, lurked Pinterest for a good 40 minutes and sipped coffee while I waited for the kids to wake up. They got up at 6:00, and for the rest of the hour I was running around getting them dressed, fed, hair and teeth brushed, bags packed, shoes on and ready to go. I raced to work with 10 minutes to spare, ran to the gym, changed, straightened my hair and ran to work, where I was greeted with news that we had had a catering for 50 the night before after I left that no one had known about, plus an understaffed and depleted kitchen to start the day with.

Work was work and we were swamped all day, and a meeting that was supposed to start at 2 pm didn't start until 2:30 and ran late. Already running behind schedule, I sprinted back to the gym and had just enough time to change and run a brush through my hair before hopping back in the car and driving to the interview.

 After fighting traffic across town to pick both kids up from afterschool, we arrived home and had 40 minutes to kill before my husband would be coming home from work with pizza. I kept them busy by giving them my computer, straightening their hair (upon their request) and letting the little one eat an entire bag of Trader Joe's orange-flavored dried cranberries. The only picture I have of the day is this one of my dinner:

Yeah, that's wine in a coffee mug.

Today has been significantly less frazzled. The seven-year-old is in school, and a friend's nanny graciously offered to watch the four-year-old in the morning. We dropped him off with the nanny right after we dropped his sister at the bus, and we used our precious alone time to see our cat, do a load of laundry, hit the gym and grab Sweetgreen afterward. I was a salad repeater:

The seasonal salad is just so good. 

We picked the little one up right before naptime and all three of us fell fast asleep. I woke up first and ventured out to Starbucks for some sugar and coffee. 

The little one is still asleep. I'm like, do I wake him up? Or continue to enjoy the peace? I've already gone upstairs to wake him up twice and chickened out. 

I'm a little scared for tomorrow. My husband has work most of the day and I'll be alone with these two. Wish me luck!

xo

All my ducks in a row

Hey :)

How was your Monday? My new schedule took effect today, so I woke up with the rest of the world. The sky looked like this as I walked to my car:

I'll take it. 

Dinner last night was a production, but well worth it - I made the Thanksgiving-y recipes I'd been wanting to try. Mashed sweet potatoes, vegetarian gravy and green beans with truffle-flavored olive oil (I wanted real truffle oil but Joe's was out). 

Not a very photogenic meal, I know, but it all came out really well. The cranberry sauce is store-bought from Joe's, and it's so good I've been eating it with a spoon as a snack. The roasted cloves of garlic, still in their papery skins, are there because I'm trying to not get sick at all this season. Among other things, extra roasted garlic is one way I'm attempting that. I have no real evidence that it's working, but I will say that almost everyone around me at work has been sick except me. Knock on wood. 

In other exciting news, I started my nursing school application today (!!). I've been waiting and checking the website every day for weeks, and it finally opened. I have a first choice school, which is a reach, and two other schools I'd like to go to but can't apply to until next spring. While I'm glad I have a couple options, I'd rather not wait an extra semester to start. It's kind of funny - I've never considered myself to be "Type A" or a perfectionist, but I do have a tendency to become attached to a plan and afraid to veer off course. There are certain things I want to happen in my life in the next few years, and I don't feel like I have any time to waste. If nursing school gets pushed back, so will everything else. I'm not 18 anymore, and I don't have all the time in the world to mess around and get things done whenever. I want to have all my ducks in a row.

Are you rolling your eyes Liz Lemon-style upon hearing my angsty self-imposed timeline panic?

(source)

I don't blame you. But let me feel my feelings! 

I'm going to attempt to get a late-night workout in before bed, since I don't have to be up early tomorrow. I was going to hit the gym after work today, but I decided I'd do a Pilates DVD at home instead ("Pilates DVD at home" is a lie I tell myself when I don't feel like going to the gym after work). 

Have a great night!

xo

Something had to give

Hello! Happy Friday night!

So, I'll jump right in. I had an uncharacteristically great week at work. Well, Tuesday through Thursday were great, but I have reason to believe that the change will be relatively permanent. The past two months have been brutal, you guys. It was one stressful, exhausting, defeating week after another. Many, many times I considered quitting. But I didn't quit. I stuck it out for a whole host of reasons, some of which were valid and commendable, some of which weren't. I'm a big believer in changing your situation if you're unhappy rather than sticking it out, yet I was unable to pull the trigger and actually leave this job because it was, oddly, easier and more comfortable to stay put than to leap. The job was intense, but I was good at it, I understood it, and it was familiar. Starting from square one in the job world intimidated me. But that's not to say that I was content to stick around and suffer in silence. If there's one thing I can't do, it's keep my unhappiness to myself. So, I had a frank discussion with some higher-ups, and things changed. I was given a title I can work with, some new responsibilities, and perhaps most importantly, a different schedule, which will have me starting my day at a more respectable hour (driving to work in total darkness is no fun). I also grew to love the people I work with. They keep me smiling, even when I'm grouchy. Something had to give, and knock on wood, it finally did.

To celebrate my career success, I stopped by GT Cupcakes after work on Thursday and grabbed two treats: caramel apple and chocolate banana. We went to dinner at the sushi place across the street and enjoyed the cupcakes when we got back home.

For the record, I eat my cupcakes by separating half the cake portion so there's an equal ratio of frosting to cake. Try it, but it's my idea, so don't steal it and make money off it, mmkay? Copyright Elizabeth Horst 2013, or whatever. 

Today was totally perfect. Due to my husband's new job at the gym, I was able to attend two group fitness classes this morning - spin and "shred". The spin class was out of this world amazing. The playlist was awesome, the instructor was hilarious and the energy was sky high. There's been a void in my life that group ex classes used to fill. When I was going to school in New York, I went to one almost every day. I belong to a gym here, but the classes didn't fit with my old schedule. I'm hoping with my new schedule I'll be able to get more group ex in my life. 

We stopped at Sweetgreen for a post-workout lunch. The chocolate milk is from Whole Foods (supposedly the perfect recovery drink - it has calcium and magnesium, essential electrolytes, and the ideal ratio of carbs to protein). 

Another thing I used to do religiously in New York that I haven't done here yet? Plan out my week:

For the past two months my plan for each week has been to survive, but I want to use my new energy to get a better workout schedule and meal plan going each week. Some meals I'm planning: butternut squash bowls, green beans with truffle oil, mashed sweet potatoes and vegan gravy. Clearly I'm getting excited for Thanksgiving. 

I'll see you guys soon with another post!

xo

Question of the day: In tough situations, are you a stick-it-out-er or a make-a-change-er? 

Soccer practice and chocolate greens

Hi out there!

Hope your weekend is ending on a happy note. Mine is long gone - I was up bright and early to start another work week this morning. I had a great day yesterday, though. I spent the morning with my husband's 4-year-old cousin. He and his sister both had soccer practice in two different towns, and his mom couldn't be in two places at once. So I was in charge of breakfast and soccer for the morning.

It was his last practice of the season, so they had a surprise moon bounce. It was great...for about a minute, until every child tried to climb up the stairs at once to get to the slide and got so stuck that they couldn't get back out. Picture both coaches and two or three parents standing outside the moon bounce, trying to verbally untangle a pile of screaming preschoolers. Was I the only one who took one look at the slide and saw that coming? I could only watch, laugh to myself, and sneak pictures. 

After diligently cleaning our apartment, hubby and I went to Bethesda for a little date night. I finally scored the vest I've been wanting at Nordstrom Rack, along with some awesome sneakers (to replace the ones I trashed on my first day of work) and a small bottle of Philosophy Cinnamon Buns body wash for my gym bag. Hubby got the pants he needed and a new bag for work. We went to a new Indian restaurant for dinner, and everything was so good. 

I was pretty satisfied with the day. 

Today, I got to try a new seasonal product we're all super excited about:

Chocolate peppermint greens! Amazing Grass has two seasonal flavors - the other is pumpkin spice - and Whole Foods, our biggest competitor, doesn't have them! Amazing Grass made a limited quantity and offered a shipment to Whole Foods, who turned it down. After hearing that we had ordered it, Whole Foods changed its mind, contacted Amazing Grass and tried to place an order. TOO LATE, WHOLE FOODS! Amazing Grass had already sold the entire supply. Pretty cool for us. I added some to my brownie in a mug today, and while it was delicious, I don't think I'll use it for that again. It's better as a drink with vanilla coconut milk. 

After dinner tonight, I have to go back to work for two meetings, one at 8pm and one at 9pm. I'm really not a nighttime person, and I start to unravel around 7, so I'm not looking forward to it, to say the least. It's kind of exciting, though - the purpose of the first meeting is to roll out my new title of assistant manager, which should put an end to people asking me to do crap that isn't my job (in my dreams, right?). The second meeting is nothing exciting, and I'll be lucky if I can keep my eyes open for it. 

Have a wonderful Sunday night!

xo

A much needed day off

Hi world...

Sorry about the blog hiatus this past week. To be honest, it wasn't a very good week. I've had a lot of tough decisions running through my head, none of which have been resolved yet, and they've been weighing me down. I opened Housewife Glamour this morning and came across this post, which summed my feelings up exactly and gave me a little emotional boost. The fact that it's my weekend gave me an enormous emotional boost.

I came home after work yesterday and promptly gathered the ingredients for a brownie in a mug while simultaneously pouring myself some wine.

Said wine and brownie were followed by a long nap, which was followed by ordering pizza, which was followed by bed. It was that kind of day. 

This morning, I ate the breakfast cookie I forgot to take to work yesterday and did some yoga with the cat:

Hope I'm not disturbing you, kitty. 

I also ventured out to the University of Maryland campus for a nursing school information session. I'm SO glad I went. I got my questions answered, learned about the program and also discovered one path I hadn't ever considered - getting an associate's degree, becoming an RN and then entering an RN-BSN program. I'll have to look further into that option.

I needed some coffee after the info session and searched for the nearest Starbucks. What I found was so much better:

A Krispy Kreme where the donuts are baked on-site. LOOK at that donut conveyor belt. 

Cappuccino and glazed donut. Happy happy.

I'm about to pick up my husband and help him search for black pants, which he needs for work. Tonight we're having dinner with family. 

Have a great Friday!

xo

Yoga at home

Hi guys!

How was your Halloween? Mine was low-key and lovely. We went to Georgetown Cupcake and got some Halloween flavors, which we enjoyed on the bench outside the store. GT Cupcake is our "thing" - we have extraspecial love for their cupcakes. My husband proposed with GT Cupcakes last summer, and they made a return at our wedding:

So they were the natural choice for Halloween sugary treats. 

(Spooky cupcake pic, right?)

Today, I had the immense pleasure of going to an actual yoga class. It's been exactly two months - the last real class I went to was the day before my wedding (taught by my mentor and teacher trainer Chanel...and my sister, fiance and new aunt all came with me...an unforgettable class). Today's class was at the gym, and while I'm not a huge fan of gym yoga, it was everything I needed. My hips have been bothering me a ton lately, and #yogaeverydamnday is the only thing that helps. 

(my husband still hasn't quite forgiven me for dragging him to Circus Yoga)

Since I don't belong to a studio here yet, I've been doing all my yoga at home. Doing yoga at home, or "cultivating a home practice" as my pretentious wonderful fellow yogis sometimes call it, is a funny thing. Yoga seems like the perfect candidate for an at-home workout (all you need is a mat), but it's really not easy to derive much benefit from om-ing at home. Before I did my yoga teacher training, I never had the patience to put myself through a practice at home. A few things have made me better at it, and I thought I'd share them with you.

Note: these tips are for peeps with some experience doing yoga. If you're brand new to it, I'd recommend going to a live class. 

-Count your breaths. This might be the most important thing I learned in teacher training. Hold a pose on one side for three (or four, or whatever) slow breaths, and when you get to the other side, repeat for the same number of breaths. I used to count out the seconds in each pose - terrible idea. The minute you start counting the seconds in your yoga practice, it's over. It's one thing to hold a plank for 30 seconds at the gym, but that ish has no place in yoga. 

-Go into the practice with a body part (or two) in mind. I used to get on my mat with no idea what I wanted to work on, and I'd do a Sun Salutation or two and call it a day. These days my body will tell me what it needs, but take a second to brainstorm before you start so you don't get writer's block on your mat (or whatever the yoga equivalent of writer's block is).

-Play some music. I have a yoga playlist, but it gets old, so I use Pandora a lot. A real yoga class is never silent, so practicing in total silence can be weird, not to mention boring. Music helps me stay focused. 

-Forget about a time frame. For this one, you'll really get a lot of different advice. Some people will tell you to schedule it into your day, as if you were going to a real class, and commit to staying on your mat for the entire ___ minutes. If that works for you, do it. For me, I like to commit to only one thing - getting on my mat. In a real class, the teacher is keeping track of time. It's a very different experience when you're keeping track of it yourself. And if you get sick of it after 20 minutes and suffer through the remaining 40, you won't go back for more. I honestly don't know how long I usually spend doing yoga at home - I just do it until I'm over it.

Of course, YouTube has some great videos, and Yogaglo has been my BFF lately. Sometimes I'm not in the mood to do my own thing, and I'm glad for Yogaglo. Other times I stop the Yogaglo video because I'd rather be doing my own thing. Yoga is about going with the flow, literally, so don't put any pressure on it. 

Hope this helps any yogis out there!

I'm off to go to dinner with my hubby and dad, who just arrived for the weekend! 

xo