Goodbye

Today is a big day.


Today, we say goodbye to peaceloveandoats.blogspot.com.


"WHY!?!?!???" you might ask (wishful thinking).


Honestly, I have bigger and better things to do.


What could those things be?



Well....


PEACELOVEANDOATS.COM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep! I did it! I got my own domain and I am so ridiculously excited about it!

Head on over to my new blog to read about my workouts this week, and the delicious dinner that I made last night!

Sarah's Key - Book Review

Happy Monday everyone! Today started out GREAT! Yesterday for my workout I did a 30 minute Jillian Michaels Yoga DVD and then did a little over a half hour on the elliptical at the gym. However, my knees were bothering me and even on my walks with Molly, the bottom of my right heel really hurt! I decided to take one more day away from running and went to hot yoga at CorePower Yoga instead. 

I had gotten a Groupon to go there, and when I called to double check that it had expired, they told me I somehow had an extra couple of weeks... I'm not complaining! When I walked out the door to head there I saw it was raining and was afraid that it would make for a dreary mile walk to the studio, but for some reason it was very refreshing! (and yes, I had an umbrella).

The class was exactly what I needed today, it really calmed me down and the instructor would make a joke every once in a while, which normally I might find annoying but today it really made me smile. The class was pretty fast moving, which I like, and the instructor incorporated some push ups and core work, which definitely got my hear rate going! I also loved his music selection, it was all classical but not obnoxiously so. I left feeling great and ready for the day! 

When I got home I was STARVING! So I decided to try out an oatmeal recipe that I saw on a blog that I've just started reading: The Healthy Everythingtarian by Holly. I saw that she whisks a whole egg into her oats when she first starts to cook them on the stove top. I was fascinated by this idea so I gave it a go! 

In the bowl: 1/3 cup oats, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp ground flax, 1 whole egg, strawberries and a bit of natural peanut butter to top it with. I thought it might taste eggy, but I didn't taste the egg at all! I think it definitely added some fluffiness and fullness to the oatmeal though, and made the texture more smooth. I liked it and think this is a great way of getting more protein when I have oats for breakfast!

So as I mentioned yesterday, one of the great things about my weekend was finishing Sarah's Key! Half because I really enjoyed it, and half because now I've been able to start the next book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, Catching Fire! I really loved the first book!

Sarah's Key is written by Tatiana de Rosnay and the story centers around a young Jewish girl living in Paris in 1942, as well as a married woman and mother living in Paris in 2002, and the connections between their two stories. 

I loved the way the story switched back and forth between 1942 and 2002. Each chapter switched the time period, which made it easy to keep track, and each chapter was fairly short, so it was easier to keep up with each story and it felt more like one continuing story. As the reader finds out more about Sarah in 1942, so does the character in 2002. The two stories are very well incorporated with one another throughout the book, and eventually come together into one story. 

Although it centered around some very sad and horrible events that occurred during the holocaust, I didn't really find the book to be sad or depressing. Although it told Sarah's story, it also told the woman's story in 2002 and how learning about Sarah led her to make changes in her own life that left her much happier than before. I appreciated that the story ended very optimistically, and that a lot of loose ends were tied up. Although some was left to the imagination, it was good to see a lot of things resolved by the end. 

Sarah's Key was made into a movie this year, and I'll have to check it out sometime!

Although not quite as "thrilling" as the Hunger Games, Sarah's Key definitely kept me interested and dying to find out what had happened to this little Jewish girl! It's a really great, calm book (can you call a book calm?) that's perfect to curl up to on a rainy day! 

What kind of books do you prefer? Thrillers? Mysteries? Romances? 

I used to read a lot of those chick romance books, which I loved at the time, but now they just seem to bore me because I know what's going to happen after the first chapter! I definitely prefer books that keep me guessing, but I do try and mix up genres! 

Weekend Reflections

This weekend had it's great parts and it had it's rough parts. 

Great:

PRing at the Susan G Komen 10K (final time - 52:15 and I was 12th out of 107 women in my age division!!!)

Hanging out with Molly and watching  half of Parent Trap and Erin Brockovich on TV (yes, a REAL TV)

Trying out Peeled (see below)

Finishing reading Sarah's Key and starting Catching Fire!!!!

Getting to see Molly's beautiful face ALL THE TIME

Knowing I only have a 3-day week coming up!

Rough:

Letting my anxiety get the better of me

Cleaning up pee... all the time

Dragging Molly along on walks (it takes 50 min to go a mile...)

Anxiety-eating! (when I'm anxious, I eat)

Still not managing to clean Neville's bowl... poor fish. 

Leaving my Environmental Law and Policy book at school... oops. 

Ok, so most of the "rough" stuff was completely my fault. I allowed myself to get caught up in my anxiety, worrying about how I'm going to get everything done and what time I should do what, and in what order. Does anyone else do this?? I've been so good about it so far this semester, but this weekend I just let it overwhelm me! I worry too much... working on this (will take tips...). Hopefully tomorrow I can take a deep breath, know that I have everything under control, and just focus on the moment rather than everything else I have to do! 

So I mentioned one of the cool things that happened was that I FINALLY got to go try out Peeled! It's the only juice bar I've found in Chicago, right by the Whole Foods that I like to go to. I keep meaning to go in, and finally I made a plan to go get a drink and do a little reading! 

Life Support – A bloody brilliant synergy of minerals and vitamins, including green leaf, carrot, apple, beet, lemon and ginger

I actually meant to order the one above it... But it turned out really good! I ordered a juice, but they also make smoothies and they have a detox program where you can do a certain number of days only drinking juices that they prepare for you each day.

It was cool though to watch them make it right there. The girl in line after me ordered a drink that was hot pink; literally NEON hot pink! Very cool.

You know what else is cool? Molly. Most of my weekend involved this:

With way too much of this:

And this, which I wish I was looking at right now! Okay, okay, so she drove me crazy. But now I miss her! She's just too adorable! On our walk after dinner, she was on her best behavior, and it was so sweet to watch a little girl on a tricycle get so excited to pet her! 

Here's a picture from the night H&L brought her home (H&L = my brother and sister-in-law; much easier to type). She's grown so much! 

 Anyone in your life that you just can't stay mad at for long? Is anyone else a control-freak like me and gets anxious when you get thrown out of your routine? Haha, okay, that's just me.

Susan G. Komen 10K Race Recap

This morning I ran in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 10K in Chicago! I ran this same race last year, and it was my first race ever! Although I had made my goal of under an hour, it was a rough race for me last year - I don't think I was completely prepared!

One thing that I love about the race is that it's in downtown Chicago, with the start and finish in Grant Park! So cool to run with the city on side, and the beautiful lake on the other!

The race had about 10,000 participants, so there was quite a crowd! It didn't feel like it though running, I think most people were doing the 5K or the walk, or just supporting everyone! Since it's for breast cancer research, there were a lot of people there just to be a part of the event and raise money. I couldn't help but grin when I saw the Port-A-Potties! 

I ran the race with my cousin Allie. She's quite the runner, with half and full marathons under her belt! It was great to have someone there with me, especially since I was pretty nervous! It was very cold and after staying at my brother's and having to take care of Molly in the morning, I was a little thrown off my normal pre-run mind-set. I was just glad it wasn't raining before the race started, that held off until about mile 4! 

Like her shirt? She told me she wore that when she ran New York so her parents could find her! Apparently she wasn't the only one with that idea... The grassy area in Grant Park, where all the tents were set up, got very muddy because of the rain! While attempting to get all my food swag (don't even pretend you don't do this too), my shoes got very muddy! 

But I managed to get away with 2 bananas, wheat thins, string cheese, some kind of jello thing, 2 bags and half a bagel! Haha, I told Allie I wouldn't have to go to the grocery store today! 

I had to run back to my brother's to let Molly out and grab my stuff, and then I headed straight home to shower and warm up! I was so cold after my shower that I was walking around with a scarf and TWO sweatshirts on! 

I headed back to see Molly and after feeding her lunch, we went on a nice long walk! She kept trying to eat goose poop, so I had to pull her away. After quite a bit of this she finally sat down and pouted at me. Come on Molly, it's for your own good! 

But no worries, she found a great stick instead! She also made plenty of friends; people always love to stop and pet her and she loves the attention! Now it's time for Molly and I to have a relaxing afternoon... with a little reading for school thrown in. 

Oh I almost forgot, I finished the race in under 53 minutes! I'm not sure of my actual time, but that's definitely a personal record! I was really pumped about it! Races definitely make me push myself a lot harder, especially this one because there was a long narrow area where it was hard to pass, so I kept sprinting around people whenever I could! 

Do you ever get freaked out when you're about to run a race? Or any other activity that you've been preparing for? 

Before the Break of Dawn

Oh, you can't see anything in this picture? I wonder why that is? Was it taken late at night? No, no. It was taken at 5:30am while walking to meet my brother and sister-in-law. I miss the days of summer when I could see the sun peaking up at this time of morning... 

So why in the world was I up so early?? I went with my brother and sister-in-law to the airport so I could drive their car back, and then go pick them up when they return from their trip! They are off to Boston for the weekend and I'm so excited for them because I love the city! I actually almost went to law school in Boston! 

When I got back, I went into their apartment to check on my roomie for the weekend:

This is her "they left me all alone!" face. How cute is she??? For any new readers, Molly is my brother and sister-in-law's new golden retriever puppy! She used to be tiny and now she's so big! She even started puppy school this week, and, personally, I think she's a pretty smart dog and a quick learner! 

When I got back to my apartment, it was time for some coffee. I made myself some pumpkin spice coffee. It's a very simple recipe: put normal amount of milk into cup. Sprinkle in pumpkin spice. Add coffee. Tada! Perfect for a chilly fall morning. 

Since I planned on staying home a while and getting some school work done, I also changed into these stylish pants...

Anyone know when America's Next Top Model will be casting again?

I got them in 6th GRADE!!! I can't believe I still have them. I remember seeing them in Gap and insisting that my mother get me both pajama sets in grey and pink (oh yes, there is a top to these amazing pants, just wait until winter).

Since my stomach was feeling a little off, I decided to make a simple smoothie for breakfast. I had bought some tofu but never used it, so I thought now would be a good time!

Strawberry Tofu Smoothie
3/4 cup almond milk
1 serving tofu (this was 1/6 of the block I bought... I know nothing about tofu so this is as descriptive as I can get)
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 packet Truvia
1 tbsp Chia seeds
1/2 tbsp PB2 Powder (basically peanut flour)

It was delicious! I could taste just enough of the peanut butter in the mix and I enjoyed the texture of the tofu! I also had a little bit of Chex cereal on the side to try and mix in! (Just FYI, mixing things in when you're using a cup is much more difficult than my normal smoothies in a bowl...).

Since I am running in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 10K tomorrow, today is my rest day! Honestly,  I have a hard time with rest days because I just don't know what to do with myself! Haha, guess it means I have to do school work during the time I'd be running or at the gym! Or reading blogs... I'll of course be heading to whole foods later... Haha always brightens my day, especially since I got one of those LivingSocial deals!

Anyone else have clothes that they still wear (even if in the cover of their own home) from when they were much younger? 

Ask5for5

Happy Thursday everyone! In lieu of a normal blog post, I have my first guest blogger today! Sarah started the campaign Ask5for5 and it's a great cause! Please read her story and consider donating, or at least passing on the message! If a law student living on loans can spare $5 to help these children, you can too! 

Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5

Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography


Thank you Katie and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week.

A hungry child in East Africa can't wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we'll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps. 

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren't so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world's first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond--or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity's baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don't do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn't want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother's hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya--the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, "I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm." The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. "We don't have enough food now...our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues."

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.


That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on--in nine generations of 5x5x5...we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support,
healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.


I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I'm looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you're interested in participating this week.


A hungry child doesn't wait. She doesn't wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn't wait for us to decide if she's important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on...please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.


Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped--you are saving lives and changing history.


p.s. Please don't move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you're life is busy like mine, you probably won't get back to it later. Let's not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let's leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today!

 

What I Ate Wednesday!

First of all, congratulations to Clare at Fitting it All In on her 1 year blogging anniversary! She's having a giveaway, so be sure to check out her blog today (and everyday)!

It's time for another What I Ate Wednesday! This is my second time participating (I forgot last week...) and I think it's a fun idea! Especially since I don't usually put everything I eat on the blog!

But first - a recap of my Kappa Delta Alumni Dinner last night! When I first moved to Chicago, I immediately joined the KD Alumni group in the city. My sorority was a huge part of my life in college and I was hoping to meet some great women through the alumni group! We meet up every couple of months (we try for every month...) at different restaurants or events. Last night we had dinner at Market Bar & Restaurant.

I took the bus there straight from school and when I got off to walk to the restaurant, I passed Harpo Studios, where Oprah was filmed! I knew it was in the area but it was such a shock! Haha, I was grinning like a kid at Christmas, I just thought it was so cool to see somewhere that I've only seen on TV!

When I arrived at the restaurant, I was very impressed with the look. It was pretty urban, with great wood paneling and concrete and brick. Very cool vibe. I used the bathroom downstairs, and honestly, the whole walk down there was a little bit trippy! I should have taken a picture (didn't bring my phone with me) but the way the wood paneling was and the x-ray pictures along the wall - I almost got dizzy! And no, I wasn't drinking. Haha.

A couple of the girls ordered the popcorn shrimp as an appetizer. I was shocked to see it come out with real popcorn! It was a really cute way of serving the dish!

I tasted the popcorn, which was tossed with Parmesan, chives and truffle oil. I'd never had flavored popcorn (other than kettle corn) so it was really interesting to try. They had about a million options on their menu, I had such a hard time deciding! I ended up ordering the Ahi Tuna Salad.

The salad was absolutely delicious, however, it was VERY SMALL! I know it looks big, and along with an appetizer it would have been perfect. But since I had already eaten so little after not feeling well all day, it definitely didn't fill me up! I was hungry when I got home! The noodles that were mixed in with it were absolutely delicious though - and I loved the seared tuna.

This morning, I did a four mile run. I was up and out the door because I had to be back and ready to go early for breakfast with someone exciting!

I ended up running the 4 miles in 35:45 for an average of a 8:55 min/mile pace. My legs were a little sore and my knees hurt afterwards, so I'm going to be sure to stay away from running for the next two days before my 10K this weekend!

Mileage Breakdown:

Mile 1 - 9:18
Mile 2 - 8:31
Mile 3 - 8:50
Mile 4 - 8:58

After my run, I was off to meet my sorority sister, Katie (great name...), for breakfast! Katie was in the pledge class below me and was my "niece" if you will. Haha. It's confusing, but she was technically family. She happened to be in the city for 2 days with her mom and sister (she surprised her mom!). It was great to see her, especially since she's moved to Virginia since I last saw her!

We went to the Goddess and Grocer for breakfast. I had heard a lot about the place and knew I wanted to try it. Since it was right by her hotel, we decided to check it out!

It has a lot of prepared food, some grocery items, and then some sandwiches and breakfast items to order. It reminded me (and Katie) a lot of a place in Charleston called Caviar and Bananas, which I used to practically live in! I decided to get the breakfast burrito and it was pretty good! The eggs were really fluffy and the wrap was delicious. However, it came with black beans but I was a little disappointed that they were just spread out a bit in the eggs. I guess I was expecting a more dense showing of beans, haha. I do wish they'd given me a little more salsa too, it really added some flavor!

It was so great to catch up with Katie, and see a familiar face from college! It reminded me just how much I miss Charleston and all my friends there.

So, now that you've seen my breakfast, it's time for the rest of What I Ate Wednesday! Since I had to pack my whole meal, I can show you everything in the morning!

My snacks for the day (I plan on eating the apple right after my first class (since I have a meeting to run to) and then the cheerios whenever I feel hungry!

For lunch today (and all week) I have the butternut squash fries that I made this weekend, some tofu (that I cheated and bought at the Whole Foods salad bar) and a stir fry of squash and broccoli slaw. It looks gross, but it tasted soooo good! And a peach on the side!

For dinner, I packed a salad with Romaine lettuce, yellow pepper, some leftover wheatberries, 1/2 cup chick peas, and then some olive oil (healthy fat!) and balsamic vinegar for dressing. 

Does anyone else belong to any kind of alumni associations or groups like the KD Alumni Association? I love staying involved and hope that in the future I can get involved as an adviser with a local Kappa Delta Chapter!