My quick answer for him included good parental tag lines like “it’s your job as an adult”, “we vote for things like schools and roads so we can learn and go places” and “its a privileged to have a say in who our leaders are”.  But it was really only the last line that caught his interest. In his preschool class, each day the kids take turns being the leader and each day I get a full report of who was the leader and if they did a good job.  Perfect! I’ll teach him about our voting system according to preschool terms.  Seems simple enough, right?  I wish it were.  If only it were as simple as “we vote for people to run for office because they are a good leader and will do a good job”.

What I’ve left out of my simple story is that there is a mess of political parties that are more concerned with winning than doing a good job, donor money that determines which candidates we get to pick from, media outlets only looking for the juicy story (because, let’s be honest, if you want to watch real news anymore, you’d be watching BBC or PBS), that puts pressure on the candidates to be outlandish and extreme in their words, and the average American at home rolling their eyes wondering how these guys get paid for this.  The whole thing is quite maddening and leads many to give up on the system all together.

When I voted in a local elementary gym this morning, I did smile at some things that are still good about our system.  My lovely neighbors (many retired) were all smiles and happy to see us do our part.  I asked my son to stand quietly as I filled out my ballot, thinking of all the war torn nations who are under attack for this same act.  Or the many places a woman is still not able to vote. We have our problems, but I am grateful we are safe to have our voices heard.

As for the mess of our political system, I’m still holding out for a 3rd party candidate who will finally just run a clean candidacy on the issues!  Unfortunately, without the big party donors and a culture of a two party system ingrained in our heads, anyone silly enough to run a clean fair fight on the issues is quickly overlooked or dismissed.  But this optimist will continue to hold out hope for change!

** By the way, if you haven’t seen Buddy Roemer already, I like much of what I’ve seen from this guy recently.  He wasn’t on my ballot in Ohio, but I’ll be checking out his message a bit more**

So basically, Pinterest is a visual collage of, well, everything!  It allows you to follow your friends (who presumably like similar things you do), explore specific categories, or do a keyword search.  Pinterest popularity is evident, by my cousin, who openly claims she can not cook, making Santa hat brownies for our family celebration because she was inspired on Pinterest.  It also sparked most of my DIY crafts for this past Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I’ve also tried numerous recipes because you can see what the food is suppose to look like and most of it looks yummy!  Best of all, is that my Pinterest boards, like my health and fitness ones, can serve as a virtual vision board.

The one thing Pinterest doesn’t have (and I don’t blame them) is a feedback section.  There is a comment section, so for many of my crafts or recipes I try to go back and write a small review or comment on the results.  This has been helpful, but I wanted to share more than a keyword phrase.  So going forward, I want to share my experiences so you can tell me what you’ve tried too and how your experience turns out.  I’ve already taken pics from some of my escapades and will post soon in my new Pinterest category!

If I am being quite honest, I had never made a New Year’s resolution until I met my husband.  We were aspiring to be better in all aspects of life, but one year (just out of college) he suggested that we do SMART goals.  SMART stands for Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic and Timely.  Now, for many people this is old news, but for us at the time, it was earth shattering!  So we quietly went to different corners of our loft to ponder what our goals should be.

I, of course, came up with a smattering of various goals ranging from losing 5 lbs to getting a promotion.  My husband, the reader and follower of great historical men, took inspiration from Benjamin Franklin’s “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.”  From that year forward, we arranged our goals in those three categories of Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise.

So for this year of 2012, we each came up with some great goals!  Now that our son is growing and maturing, we are focusing back on ourselves as individuals more.  Of course we strive to be good parents first and foremost, but as the airline safety protocol says, “If the plane experiences a loss of cabin pressure, … please secure your own mask before helping others.”  In order to be the best parents we can be, we must be the best people we can be.

I won’t bore you with the litany of goals we created and some of them are just too personal to share, but here are some highlights that I’d like to make public and be held to by you, my family and friends

Healthy

• Drink 8 glasses of water a day – 1st glass must be within 15 min of waking
• 75 kettlebell swings 2 x’s a week
• Learn a martial art
• Complete 4 half marathons – 1 of them must be under 2:00
• Donate blood on a regular schedule
• Schedule “me” time each week ~ coffee shop, reading, pampering, etc
• Regain a sense of style – no more “mommy” looks ;0
• Begin a weekly gratitude journal as part of this blog

Wealthy

• Transition our family finances from “stop the bleeding” to “make some money”
• Continue to review our spending habits and cut costs where possible
• Put more into savings
• Sell Vitamix machines (please click here to support this effort!)
• Continue to blog on JuicingHealthBenefits.net

Wise

• Read 2 of the most influential books, 2 best novels, 2 best non-fiction, and 2 “trendy” books.  [This may look very easy to most of my friends, but for someone who is notorious for not finishing a book, this is a great goal]
• Complete German Rosetta Stone for beginners
• Create a calendar for cooking with new ingredients ~ based off my new book Starting With Ingredients
• Travel beyond US soil by 12/31/12
• Learn to sew with a sewing machine
• Grow 25% of our family food in our own garden

Wow!  I have a lot of stuff to get crackin’ on.  I’ll try to update this as I complete certain things.  It’s going to be a fun and eventful year!

After years of living in the city and traveling for the holidays, we had not really done too much decorating for Christmas before. We would hang some lighted garland, put up a tree and set out the nativity set. But this year, our son was fully aware of Christmas, Santa and Prep & Landing! This is the first year we had the house, the family and the means to fully decorate with the Christmas spirit.

Decorating the outside of the house turned into a monumental event. I had sworn off all Clark Griswold notions of being the brightest on the block, but still found that the 200 LED lights I bought didn’t cover all my shrubs….and the lit garland I already owned was not enough to cover the front porch columns….needless to say, my “simple” ideas took multiple trips to multiple stores, but in the end, I loved it!

Inside the house, we celebrated every morning with a countdown to Christmas calender and an Advent calender. We moved Bernard, our elf on the shelf, every night and our son was delighted to find him in the morning. I also was thrilled with the bright crimson and silver I was able to decorate the house with. With each passing day, it seemed that we made a new decoration or family gift with love. That was the true gift this Christmas, spending time with my son, making stuff!

The piece de resistance was of course, the stocking I knitted for my son with love.  One of my fondest Christmas memories from my childhood was waking up before my parents & being allowed to open my stocking gifts in bed.  It was a beautiful stocking my grandmother made me (and all my cousins) with my name on it.

Here are some of the fun things we made and can enjoy year after year going forward!

Macaroni Snowflake

Ornament Wreath

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Christmas Card Display

Cookie Mix Teacher Gifts

Handprint Tree

Prep & Landing!

Knitted Name Stocking

Fortunately, my husband passed along some vital tips from a chef in Sonoma, Ca, “Brine the sh*t out of it and brine it again.” Ok, sounds simple, but how? We got a large food safe cooler, filled it with brine & ice cubes and placed the local (Ohio), organic, antibiotic free turkey in the cooler over night.  Using whole, quality ingredients I seasoned the bird, layered butter under the skin and stuffed it with some citrus fruits and prayed. When the moment of truth arrived, hungry family pacing by the kitchen to see if the food was ready, I was rewarded with a beautiful bird.  Thank God!

We had a modest gathering of nine people, which turned out to be one too many for my dining room table. But it was the right amount to make copious amounts of delicious comfort food, spread out comfortably with full bellies, and have conversation and laughter fill the home. Most importantly, no food poisoning!  Hurray!

I am very grateful that both sets of grandparents were able to share in this thankful holiday with my son.  We missed the family who couldn’t join us, but know that they were celebrating in their own ways and we are equally thankful for them!

As I continue to try to gain full Martha status, I tried a few home made items that I found on Pinterest.  With the success of this holiday celebration, I’m getting really excited for Christmas!

Hand Turkeys

Faith * Family * Love Table Cloth

Faith * Family * Love Runner

Each year I look forward to the cool breeze and warm sunshine, pumpkin patches, hayrides and apple orchards.  Yet over recent years this season has brought me more to think about.  I believe it is God’s reminder to me to cherish every day and be mindful of the greater life I am here to live.

My reflective journey usually begins around September 11th and the somber memories of what happened in 2001; a day which cracked my false sense of security and reminded me that life doesn’t always make sense.

My heavy heart is quickly lifted, however, with the celebration of life.  Each year I watch my son blossom and grow with great pride.  He brings us pure joy, laughter and love every day.  He is a daily reminder that we can not go back.  Things only move forward & I can’t get caught looking back over my shoulder too often or I’ll miss what is right in front of me.  I adore the moments I can still hold him and shutter at the thought that one day he will be too big to sit on my lap to read a book.

Soon after I am filled with love as my anniversary is also during this time.  My husband & I make such a good pair that we are amazed at the number of years that have gone by.  Our wedding day was a blast!  Even 8 years later we are still learning new stories about our special day from our family & friends.

September and October are a time that many of us celebrate the life and death of a dear friend.  My mind is flooded with fond memories of a larger than life laugh.  I am incredibly grateful to have known such a wonderful individual and that many of the friends I share these memories with are still my friends.  Miles may separate us, but by staying true to who we are, we still connect in a friendship that is hard to find these days.

October is breast cancer awareness.  While it may be fun to see the professional sports teams wear pink, more and more often, it’s for a mom, a sister or a wife.  Sadly, my network of family and friends has been touched by breast cancer for a second time this year.  Cancer itself has grown from a “rare” disease to personal.  Each time I learn of  a new diagnosis, I struggle through a grieving process starting with denial and eventually leading me to the final stage of acceptance & hope.

The grand finale of this emotional mindful journey is of course my own birthday.  My own reminder that from the day I drew my first breathe I have been challenged to live in God’s image so that when I take my final breathe, I will be reunited with him in heaven.  Have I lived according to His will?  Have I taught my son to be a good and moral person?  Have I inspired my husband to be a better person every day?  Have I made my parents proud?  When I am gone, what legacy will I have left?

What legacy are you leaving?

A child has the incredible ability to take even the smallest things and see bright, new perspective.  From my son’s ability to think of what is possible instead of what wrong; to wake every day with a smile and fresh hope; to treat everyone (including pets) as his best friend; to telling people how much he loves them; to giving the best hugs a mom could ask for, at the beautiful age of 3 he has already started to show me a glimmer of the man he will one day grow up to be.  I pray that he never loses these characteristics as he continues to grow in the years to come.

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine how your life should look.  My husband, Dan often jokes about my childhood aspirations of being a hand model or backup singer.  I never really craved the limelight, but loved being a part of what was happening.  In such ways, I guess that is why I am often described as flexible and adaptable.  I generally don’t have a detailed picture of what I want as an outcome, just a vague idea.

So when we sat down to talk about our next move, I was surprisingly detailed.  Because we had lived in so many places these last few years, I didn’t just wonder what I wanted, I knew.  Some of the top factors were:

• Simplify & focus on family
• closer to family/friend support
• near an airport for Dan’s work travel
• a yard!
• lower cost of living
• quality preschool/grade school

And that is how we ended up back in Ohio!

Having lived in Santa Monica, Albuquerque, and Chicago recently we have gained a wealth of perspective and fun experiences.  Yet something about the good old Midwest feels so much like home.  Wish the Buckeyes were better this season, but it’s way more fun to cheer in Ohio than anywhere else.

Some of my friends have asked me why I chose this subject?  Quite simply, it is killing two birds with one stone.  I myself have enjoyed juicing, whether it has been a juice fast, eating a raw diet or just a simple way to get more nutrients into my diet.  I believe in what I’m saying.  Fortunately, there is a micro niche out there of people who want this information and are under-served.  Good news!  I’m here to serve it up in a clean, simple format.

As luck would have it, I’ve stumbled upon another way to expand my business already.  I’m now an official Vitamix affiliate.  Check out Juicing Health Benefits and you’ll see how much I am loving my Vitamix.  The amazing juices and smothies that I am able to whip up are only the start.  We’ve also mad a delicious guacamole, hummus and herb butter to try it out this week.  Check back to see what we do next.

To get your own Vitamix click here or call 1-800-848-2649. Please mention my affiliate code 06-006574 to get free standard shipping ($25US/$35CN).

Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

Another half marathon is in the books with a new PR! Yesterday I completed the Chicago Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon with a time of 02:05:58. That’s an average pace of 9:37 minutes per mile. Not bad, but not exactly crushing my previous PR of 2:06:08.

I’ve flipped flopped on how I feel about missing my goal, but it wasn’t a real surprise. There were a number of race day glitches that made my race harder (which I’ll post about soon), but reality is that I just didn’t train hard enough or smart enough. My weekday training runs were often dismissed when the weather wasn’t perfect or other commitments took priority.

This realization hit me in the middle of the race. I was running for people who had fought or survived cancer. They didn’t get to quit because it wasn’t convenient or just didn’t feel like having cancer that day. Who am I to think that I always get to do what feels good?

So now I am already to take this challenge on again and do it the right way. I’m ready to sweat, heave and possibly puke without complaint until I beat that 2 hr mark. And here is how I’m going to do it:

1. Make a real commitment and stick with it. Not just deciding to do something, but a real commitment. That means committing early enough to set myself up for success and executing.
2. Work on my mental game with meditation & positive imagery. I am typically a headcase 24 hours prior to a race. This one was pretty good though. I had given up all alcohol 7 days before and dairy 3 days before race day. I drank plenty of fluids leading up to race day and stopped about 1 hr before the start to avoid bathroom incidents during the race. My downfall was a lack of training, which led to a lack of confidence in myself to race harder.
3. Lose weight. I’m not a terribly large girl, but my composition is not in peak performance. According to Runner’s World you can shave about 2 seconds per mile for every pound you lose. To help lose the stubborn baby fat (you can still call it that after 3 years right?) and excess baggage I’m carrying my husband and I have started a juicing fast. For more on our juicing see my site at juicinghealthbenefits.net.
4. Train smarter, not harder. My training consisted of mostly long runs. This meant that my body had the ability to run 13.1 miles, but not fast. My legs needed more speedwork to practice getting my legs in a faster cadence. I also need more strength building focusing on core to aide support around my back and relieve some strain added by pore posture. I’ll be adding in more yoga to help with this and flexibility too.
5. Set a better plan. I need to pick the right race at the right time and set training according to my schedule to avoid skipping runs. The more I am able to stick with a training plan, the higher my confidence will be. Come race day, I’ll be more than ready to run!

For now, I’m off to ice my knee again. Then I’m off to find the next half marathon that will be mine to conquer!