Walking With Nora

I’m sure I sound a bit like a broken record by now but it seems like just the other day that I posted about my June Obsessions. I can’t believe that there are only six weeks left of summer (we mark the end of summer as Labor Day, the product of having parents who were born & raised on the East Coast).

* Black Cherry Soda. I haven’t had Black Cherry Soda since I was six and lived in Charlotte. There was this great little deli not far from where we lived then and on the weekends it was a treat to get a hot dog and black cherry soda. I’m trying really hard to kick the carbonation habit, but when I saw that this soda (I found it at Whole Foods) has no high fructose corn syrup, is made with 100% cane sugar, no additives or food coloring, I had to try it. It is amazing.

* Watching my comfort shows: Friends, Gilmore Girls, Sex and the City. I know, I know, these are old shows but they don’t make TV quite like this anymore (funny, a little bit touching, a little bit serious, entertaining). (I’m not big on reality TV or competition TV.) I find myself laughing out loud at Joey in Friends, falling in love with Mr. Big all over again, and coveting nearly all of Rory’s outfits season 5-7.

* Downtime. Normally I come home from work, take Jack for a walk and immediately dive into helping with dinner and/or doing my homework. The last few weeks I’ve allowed myself an hour of downtime post-walk with Jack. I read, sort through the mail, or just stare out the window (aka, take a snooze) for a little while. It’s a bit rejuvenating and a lot calming. I hope to incorporate it into my normal routine going forward.

* Reaching out. It’s no secret that a lot of my friends have been going in different directions lately (marriage, babies, job changes) so we have been kind of hit-or-miss on when we catch up. Even if we can’t get together, I’m reaching out more. A “just because” email there, a phone call here, making plans for a few weeks out. Sometimes just knowing that your friends are there, even if you can’t see them much is incredibly comforting.

*Shine On, by The Kooks. I find this dude’s accent so swoonworthy and love everything about this song.

I don’t often do these kinds of posts, but the fabulous Jen tagged me because I “make her laugh,”  and I think I have some new readers (*hi new readers!*) so here we go:

 1. If you could spend the rest of your life doing only one thing, what would it be?

Only *one* thing? That’s not a tough question or anything. My first instinct is to say be a beach bum who does nothing but read, relax and swim but between oil spills, hurricanes and skin cancer, I suppose that’s a bad idea. I guess I’d have to say travel (with unlimited funds, a fantastic camera, and a great travel buddy). There are so many places I’m just dying to vist:  Prince Edward Island, Alaska, Italy, France, Greece, The Netherlands, Ireland, Hawaii, Mexico, and that’s just on the short list.

2. What’s the best thing you can bake/cook?

Based upon the reviews that I receive, I make a mean homemade brownie, amazing oatmeal carmelitas, and marble cake (with chocolate icing, of course). I’m always up for a challenge in the kitchen, but my top three favorites are chipotle chicken with risotto, lasagna roll-ups, and my baked mostaccioli.

 3.What household chore is your least favorite?

Well, I’m a little bit different in that I really love to clean, but my least favorite chore as silly as it is: taking out the trash. I think it’s the smell (especially in the summer) of the outdoor trash cans. Nothing grosses me out more.

 4.If you could bring three things to a deserted island, what would they be?

Jack. My book collection. Sunscreen!

5.What’s the next big thing that you are thinking about splurging on?

Short-term: iPhone or week-long trip to someplace warm and pretty as a graduation present to myself. Long-term: my own townhome/condo!

6.What would you do if you won the lottery and you only had one day to spend your winnings?

See question number one: buy as many plane tickets as possible, donate money to charity, buy a house, and adopt a whole bunch of dogs from a rescue shelter.

7.Post a current photo. If you wish to remain elusive, an abstract or close up will do just fine.

This is me modeling my new hat, which I love, my new dress (which you can’t see!) and my wavy hair which comes out to play in the crazy STL humidity. It was late at night, I’d had a few drinks so the photo is self-explanatory.

8.If you could have any pet ever, what/who would it be?

Jack. Duh.

While I was in DC, I was “Freshly Pressed,” which was (to me) kind of a big deal and the result? EcoSmart approached me asking if I’d be interested in reviewing (and giving away! Check back next week!) their all natural insect repellent.

This was kind of a no-brainer for me for several reasons:

1. My family and I are working towards being more earth-friendly and body-friendly (meaning, we are trying to avoid the number of chemicals and junk we ingest in our food, put on our bodies, use around the house and purchase).

2. I spend a lot of my time poolside during the summer. See Exhibit A:

While I live in suburbia, we have a bit of land in our backyard (a mini-bamboo forest, a Mother-Nature-Made stream, and plenty of wildlife such as rabbits, deer, possums, chipmunks, moles) so insects are a-plenty especially just at twilight.

So, Sunday, the family and I tested out the organic mosquito repellent, which is arguably what bothers us the most poolside. The mosquito repellent is light, not oily, has a slight scent (but not one of those obnoxious powdery smelling scents) and it worked! The bugs did come up a little closer than they normally would but as soon as they got a whiff of the repellent, they did an about face and flew away. The entire time I was outside (about four hours), I was bit only once which is a huge deal considering the bugs usually chew me up. I also had the opportunity to try the Flying Insect Killer (moths just love to fly at the lights around the house and worm their way into the house), and it works quickly. For some reason I feel better killing the insects knowing that it’s an all-natural product rather than a chemical one.

We have a little “kit” that we take when we go outside: candles, outdoor speakers, toys for the dogs, towels and we’ve added to it the EcoSmart insect repellent. I’m excited that we can enjoy the sweet summer nights full of swimming, conversation and relaxation without having to worry about mosquito bites thanks to a chemical-free product which is safe for household use, children and pets.

What’s your favorite thing to do on a Summer Night?

Check back next week for an EcoSmart Patio Bundle Giveaway!

FTC Disclosure: I was not monetarily compensated for this review; EcoSmart sent me a Patio Bundle for the purposes of product review. All opinions are my own.

Who knew that after two plus years of being bloggy best friends, it looks like I’ll finally meet Ashley in one week, including a Hanson concert no less!

Who knew that today I’d be excited when I saw that my dad joined Twitter and that my mom hopes to do the same this weekend.

Who knew that at age 26 I’d be graduating with my MBA, feeling mixed emotions about being done with school “forever,” wondering what the next big adventure would be.

Who knew that my blog friends would no longer be called blog friends; they would be called real life friends. Real life best friends for that matter.

Who knew that after holding Jen’s adorable newborn baby so many emotions would well up in my heart, soul, and eyes as I walked to my car. That said emotions would result in an open, honest conversation with another fabulous friend who really gets where I’m coming from.  That I really *do* want to have a baby (or two) someday.

Who knew that closing in on my 27th birthday in a few months, so much of my life would be unknown; exciting, but unknown.

What about you, what is one “who knew” moment you’ve had lately?

Dear Harry Potter Series,

I *finally* get what all the hype was about. The books are imaginative,  the writing creative but not too flowery, and the plot is definitely a page turner. I’m enjoying the first book and look forward to the others.

Yours in Reading,
Nora

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Attn: Stork
From: Nora

I love that so many of my friends are having babies (I know a total of 15 people pregnant right now), but could you try to space it out a little bit more? I’m all for baby showers but about half these showers are in the next few months and I’m not sure my checkbook can handle it.

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Yo, weekends. I don’t know what the deal is. I get up early and stay up late so that I can enjoy and still you fly by. I don’t get it. Do what you can to slow the heck down in the future.

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Sunday Night TV,

I’m not sure why you decided it was necessary to schedule my two favorite shows at the same time. You know this girl doesn’t have DVR and thus I have to decide each week which show to watch. I’m hopelessly behind on one of them and would appreciate it if going forward you could be more schedule-friendly for me.

Sincerely,
Already Over Scheduled Nora

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To My Neighbors,

Would it be possible for you to ask your lawn service dudes to not come at 7am on a Saturday morning? Even if some of us are up and about, we’d rather not have the background to our breakfast be the sound of mowers. It would also be awesome if you could ask your lawn service dudes to refrain from blocking the entire road when they park.

With Respect,
The Girl who likes peace and quiet on Saturday Morning

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MTV:
You made a big, big mistake last week.
You know what I’m talking about.
I kind of hate you right now.
- Definitely no longer a fan

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Summer Nights,

There is sometimes nothing sweeter than sitting poolside, an ice cold beer in my hands, Jack at my feet, my family around me, just talking, laughing, enjoying. Thanks for extending your daylight hours for us and giving us these opportunities.

With Great Appreciation,
Nora

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Do you have any letters you’d like to write today?

The final installment is here! It’s been tough to come up with 30 things (well, things that are actually feasible and remotely attainable) for this little project but all the items have some sort of special meaning or have been on the ever-growing “to do list.”

If you’re interested or you missed the other installments, you can view them here. I’ll try to give periodic updates on how the list is progressing; I have started the Harry Potter series (finally, I know) and am loving the first book so far. Baby steps, people.

1. Learn how to knit; make myself a blanket. I’ve had knitting needles and yarn for almost a year now and I haven’t touched them which is kind of pathetic. I am big into blankets: reading under blankets, snuggling up in one for a mid-day nap, and of course using them for the requisite by-the-fire-in-the-winter nights, so it’s only natural that I’d want to knit a blanket.

2. Finish the cross-stitch baby blanket that I started… five years ago. Yes, I cross-stitch. No, I’m not an 80 year old woman. I love being able to see instant results on the project. At this rate I’ll have it finished before I have a kid of my own. Ideally I’ll finish it and be able to gift it to a family member.

3. Read all of the books that I own today. There’s a lot of them but I’ve made a list so I know what I have, know what I need to read. I figure once grad school is over it should be no problem.

4. Get back to my goal weight and stay there. (As of this post, I’m about 6 pounds away from my goal weight.)

5. Take one each of the following classes: Dance Class, Cooking Class, Baking Class, Writing class.

6. Meet at least 15 bloggers I haven’t met before. I’m thinking a road trip or a series of small trips over the next few years. Also BloggersInIndy and Vegas of course!

7. Buy all Christmas presents for friends and family from only local companies and/or Etsy. There are so many adorable shops around town with unique designs from local designers and Etsy, well, I love everything on Etsy. I’m a big fan of supporting local/independent companies, as is my family, so it just makes sense that I do this, finally.

8. Get involved in an election. Any of the following would count: Campaigning, making phone calls, working the polls, etc.

9. Treat myself to a weekend at a spa. I’ve always dreamed about a weekend in the mountains at some sort of secluded spa with just me, a comfy bed, my thoughts, and a stack of journals.

10. Start my own charity. I have a few ideas (Darling and I have been plotting the beginning of one for a few years now).

Today’s post is part of yet another wonderful collaborative “Bloggers Unite” effort; it’s all for the lovely, fabulous, beautiful, about-to-be-a-mom, Erin. If you’ve never met Erin,  you’re missing out. I suggest you take a trip to meet her immediately.

If you weren’t already aware, Erin is having twins (soon!) and her baby shower is tonight; since most of us can’t be there in person (insert sadface here), the equally as lovely Renee suggested that we share a vlog on our blogs to commerate her special day, talking about our favorite things that come in pairs.*

So, Erin, without any more jibber-jabber, this one’s for you. (I’m sorry it’s so short but I started to get all emotional at the end and didn’t want to cry on camera. I wish there was a more eloquent way to say this but I’m so freakin’ excited and happy for you, Ted and what’s going to be your family!)

I rummaged around my head trying to come up with some great words of wisdom as you embark on your journey as a mom, but not being one, I don’t have much. Fortunately I stumbled (or Googled, either way, right!?) upon this poem recently which made me think not only of my mom but also what I have no doubt in my mind you’ll be over the coming years.

What is a Mother?
by Unknown

A mother can be almost any size or any age, but she won’t admit to anything over thirty. A mother has soft hands and smells good. A mother likes new dresses, music, a clean house, her children’s kisses, an automatic washer and Daddy.

A mother doesn’t like having her children sick, muddy feet, temper tantrums, loud noise or bad report cards. A mother can read a thermometer (much to the amazement of Daddy) and like magic, can kiss a hurt away.

A mother can bake good cakes and pies but likes to see her children eat vegetables. A mother can stuff a fat baby into a snowsuit in seconds and can kiss sad little faces and make them smile.

A mother is underpaid, has long hours and gets very little rest. She worries too much about her children but she says she doesn’t mind at all. And no matter how old her children are, she still likes to think of them as her little babies.

She is the guardian angel of the family, the queen, the tender hand of love. A mother is the best friend anyone ever had. A mother is love.

Wishing you, Ted and The Girls nothing but the happiest of days, fullest of hearts, and scrapbooks filled with memories and soul-warming moments. Enjoy your Baby Shower Day!

* This is my first Vlog so apologies for the severe lack of technically savvy-ness!

Seinioritis: I have it, in the worst way.

I don’t care that I’ll be done by October 15th, or that I have only a total of 11 weeks of class between now and then. Oh no, instead, I come up with every possible way to procrastinate, such as:

1. Browsing the stream-able movies on Netflix, reordering my queue and finding new TV shows to be addicted to.

2. Real Estate Classifieds. There’s nothing like dreaming about what color I’ll paint the living room, hosting dinner parties, and sitting on my patio drinking wine with Jack by my feet.

3. Naps. It’s amazing how “tired” I am when I have schoolwork to do.

4. Cleaning which probably makes me weird but I am convinced I can think better when I have fresh sheets, a dust-free and newly feng shui-ed room.

5. Mentally planning trips to Europe, week long beach vacations, and what it would be like to own a house in the Hamptons.

6. Sitting poolside, letting my mind go blank and enjoying the sweet summer nights.

7. Dreaming of all the things I’ll do when I’m done with school: Travel. Volunteer. Exercise More. Worry Less. Sleep in on a Saturday. More girls’ nights, baking and time with family.

Are you a procrastinator? What’s your favorite way to put off the inevitable?

So much to see in DC. So little time. Given my geeky political science background I traipsed all over town to see as many monuments and historical sites in just two afternoons: The White House, Washington Monument, Natural History Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Capitol Mall, Capitol Hill, the reflection Pool, WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Library of Congress. Not to mention the countless other buildings I passed like the Dept of Treasury, Executive Building, IMF, World Bank and so much more!). Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip:

Near the Washington Monument, enjoying the fabulous breeze on the super humid day.

The 4,000 stars at the WWII Memorial. Each star represents 10,000 lost American lives during the war. A somber  yet beautiful part of DC.

The view of the (long) walk alongside the Reflection Pool; at the end is the Lincoln Memorial.

I encountered these young kids as a few times along the walk to the Lincoln Memorial; not older than 16 years old, they were on a mission to educate anyone that would listen about the issue of human trafficking. I was impressed by their ability to speak on the matter, their candidness, and how passionate they were about the subject. I promised them I’d give them a shout out on my blog and you would have thought I gave them $1,000 each. Youth in action is a great thing.

Then on to one of my favorite places: The Library of Congress!

The entire building is decorated this ornately; it looks like a Cathedral and a bookstore merged, had a baby, and the end result is this Library.

(My new favorite quote, pictured above: “The true university of these days is a collection of books.”)

Any particular city that you would totally geek out in if you could visit?

(Congrats to Megan from Somewhat Voluble for winning the CSN Stores Gift card from last week’s giveaway!  Check back in a few weeks for yet another awesome, organic, giveaway!)

Once a year I get to travel to the Mecca of all Conferences for people in my line of work; it moves from city to city each year. (Previous cities include Denver, Houston, New Orleans and this year, Washington DC.) In addition to attending high-level meetings, networking, brainstorming sessions, keynotes, happy hours and other various parties that I’m required to attend, I try to get in a bit of sight seeing as well.

After meeting yet another fabulous group of blogging buds, I got down to the business of geeking out because, you see, I love things related to political science and history, of which there is plenty of here in DC. During my time here, I amassed some interesting knowledge based on my experiences:

* Don’t take a big purse or backpack into *any* of the museums. The guards will hound you to hold the purse/backpack in front of your body to avoid damage to the artwork, artificacts and statues.

* 33% of DC residents work for the Feds, with their average commute time a total of seven minutes.

* It’s nearly impossible to eat dinner in Georgetown for less than $30 a per person. It is, however appropriate to take photos of the food and introduce your friends to the concept of “food porn:”

{Antipasto tray at Fino’s, with a Campari & Orange Juice in the background}

{Tiramisu, also from Fino’s}

* It’s perfectly okay to spend $20 on a pair of Jackie O. style sunglasses at the National Portrait Gallery.

* If you go to a drug store (and presumably other grocery stores?) you will be charged if you use/take a plastic bag.

* It is perfectly acceptable to party on the Potomac River docks on a Sunday evening. Boats pull up dockside, blast music, movies, share drinks, tie themselves to other boats and the restaurants on the River? Jampacked. People watching is at it’s prime here and the entire area buzzes with energy which made my Sunday evening slightly less awful.

* DC is an active city; running/jogging/biking paths abound and every single time I was out and about, I saw a jogger & biker, no matter what time it was. On top of that the great sights to see are very spread out so do a bus tour or bring your walking shoes.

* For some amazing Italian food with authentic taste via Rome, make sure to check out Fino’s. The owner is onsite and will gladly speak to you in Italian if you know the language. Add to that the food is delicious, not mainstream and perfect portion size, it’s a lovely spot for a date or working dinner.

* Half the fun of taking pictures in front of monuments is doing silly (yet respectful) poses in front of them, like this:

* After seeing countless navy & white striped skirts, it’s evident I need to buy one. They look so timeless, classy, chic.

* If you’re interested in a tour of the White House, book it six months in advance. Yes, they really do fill up that quickly. I also suggest scheduling ample time for museums and other monuments/points of interest.