Week(end) In Review: Perfection

It's hard to believe that only a week ago I was on my way back from the beach. It feels like so much longer. I'm sure some of that has to do with a super long week at work followed by an amazing weekend.

Work:
It's registration time again at work and that means the office has been super busy lately. The busy-ness will not end until after graduation which is in like 60-something days away in May. I have at least three students from the yoga class I'm teaching this Spring graduating which is so exciting! Many of the students I work with are non-traditional meaning most are adults who work full-time and have been pursuing their degrees half-time. I was incredibly thankful to be done with four years of undergraduate education, but I can't imagine finally finishing something that has been 8 years in the making! Trying to think of something special to do for them during our last class.

Something I love about working in higher education is always having easy access to research, scholarly presentations, and inter-library loan. I checked out a book from inter-library loan (I've been trying to read more in my free time) and had a book come to me from some obscure tiny college in Pennsylvania. When I opened up the book cover, I saw the message "You are fabulous" written on the ILL sleeve. This week was also rough at work due to finally going to the DMV to register/title/everything my vehicle and to switching health insurance plans, so I was so grateful for this message of encouragement. I wonder if it was an intentional Operation Beautiful note?

Friday:
With the time change, Mike and I were able to take a sunset run after work on Friday! Though there was this scary moment when Mike decided we were going to do interval training (sprint for 8 sec and jogging for 12), I'm so grateful when our schedules align. Running together reminds me of summer.

Saturday:
I had to work on Saturday and, because the Rock and Roll Marathon and metro track work apparently shut down half of the city, I really appreciated living 5 minutes from work. Mike and I went to Costco after and were reminded to never take Florida Avenue on a weekend.

That night, we had a double date adventure with Jeff and Sara. Sara wanted grilled cheese, but 'the grilled cheese place' was closed so we settled on roaming H street for grilled cheese or suitable food. We then proceeded to zig zag across the length of H street reading menus and then not being impressed. Mike tripped Jeff in the road once? We finally settled on The Big Board which had no grilled cheese, but drinks and burgers. At that point, we just wanted food. It ended up being the best decision ever. The Big Board operates its drink prices like a REVERSE stock market so the more of a drink or beer you buy, the more the price drops. There is even a ticker on a TV screen giving you live price fluctuations. The burgers were phenomenal and the sweet potato fries were addictive. Our bartender was sweet and even told us this sweet story before we left about a couple who had crashed the stock market with their engagement party. Mike's eyes lit up at that information and Mike has since decided he may want to celebrate his birthday there.

Sunday:
Sunday I had to feed my landlords' cats since they are out of town and I asked Sara to accompany since she has really been wanting to meet Rupert. I realize that, by living so far away from the heart of the city, the only people who have been to see my apartment are my sisters, Mike, Kelly, and now Sara! Rupe was on his best behavior to impress Sara and I feel like I should have people over to my apartment (and will hopefully then be forced to clean it!) more often!

Sunday night, Mike and I had plans to use the Living Social (that Kelly got me for my birthday) at Tony and Joe's Seafood on the Georgetown waterfront. The restaurant was literally on the waterfront. I remember walking here last summer when Mike's internship was in Foggy Bottom. Our table was near the windows and we had an awesome view of the Kennedy Center lit up in blue and green. The living social was for two hot drinks and two desserts, but we also got an appetizer to make it feel meal-ish. We felt it was appropriate to choose the Irish coffees with Baileys and Frangelico since it was St. Patty's after all. Everything was amazing and I can't wait to come back to the waterfront in the warmer months.

Two Irish Coffees, Brownie a la mode, and Key Lime Pie with the Kennedy Center in the background! The pie lasted about 10 seconds.

Jurassic Park 2013

Last week was Spring Break for the law students and Mike had a week reserved at his grandparent's beach house in South Carolina. Because I was magically able to use my vacation time during the middle of the semester (of course, this means no break during the summer), I got to attend the full week! Other attendees included: Dan, Absi, Brian, Kay, Josh, Mike, Beau, Sara, Jeff.

In no particular order, events that consumed beach week:

• Tennis
• Mike and I did get to play tennis while we were at the beach! We actually played a set and I lost 6-1:( OF COURSE Mike is good at tennis, too. For someone who is not into sports at all, the kid is pretty athletic.
• Starbucks
• With the only really stable wifi signal, I ended up hanging out at Starbucks a lot doing work gchatting with Kay. Bonus points when they played the Lion King soundtrack in the background.
• Running
• I didn't run all that much, but when I did, it was glorious and warm!
• Seafood
• We ate at Nance's and the Fish House which have become traditions of the beach trip. The Fish House owner wins the southern hospitality award. People from the South are all so nice even if all so not politically correct. He gave us free pirate eye patches and told us an elaborate story about a preserved Native American canoe that was hanging in his restaurant. See pics.
• Brookgreen Gardens 
• Saw all the statues, Mike pressed all the buttons. I pet some horses. Josh made friends with an Egret. Beautiful! Also, when we went back to see the labyrinth, I knew what to expect (having had to take a class involving meditative labyrints during my counseling program). Clearly, everyone else thought it was going to be a maze like from the Goblet of Fire and was a little let down.
• Grilling
• Brian is the best ever at grilling and Chicken Parmesan! Jeff also made hamburgers. Outside of the grilling, we still managed to eat like 5 casseroles that Mike's grandmother had provided for us.
• Shopping
• Went shopping at Tanger outlets and I found love in Banana Republic with this guy named Andrew who I asked for help with one skirt and he brought me back 5 different outfit options. Everything he brought to me was in my size. Crazy! He also helped me to break out of my matchy matchy comfort zone and Sara approved my purchases. Shopping in the South is soooo much better than further North.
• Bond/CardsagainstHumanity/Poker
• Casino Royale won at Bond, Jeff won at Cards against Humanity, and I won at Poker:)

Argh! Pirate Kay:)

Josh and the creepy Egret at the marshland aviary.

Getting the canoe at the Fish House explained to us! VIP!

Reflecting at the labyrinth.

Now....back to the real world.

1/2 Marathon of a Weekend

Sometimes I like to blog during my lunch breaks at work. Obviously I am procrastinating real tasks I should be doing, but whatever. I needed to get this written before I LEAVE FOR SPRING BREAK! IN ONLY 4 DAYS!

I needed to recap about the amazing weekend I got to spend with Absi and Zan and Megan and Mike in Williamsburg this past weekend! Oh, a trip to Williamsburg is NEVER long enough, but I do feel lucky that I get to hang out with Absi at spring break in less than a week.

Bowling and La Tolteca

When we got to Williamsburg, we immediately met up with Absi and Zan for dinner at La Tolteca. Um, did I ever go here before now? Where are we in Williamsburg? Was this place a secret no one told me about? I still don't know the answers to those questions, but the food was amazing and then we went straight the the bowling alley in Williamsburg where we drank awesomely orange-y blue moon and I attempted to teach Mike proper bowling form. Mike did not think bowling was a sport and I was offended because (fun fact) my great grandparents on my mom's side were actually professional bowlers, but then Mike took that back after he started bowling strikes.

Where I Survive the Half Marathon

I tried to sleep in because the half marathon was not until 1pm, but I got insane nervous butterflies at like 9am. I drank an entire water bottle and Absi/Zan offered me some coffee and oatmeal. I had to warn them that I might not be myself after the race, but that I would eventually recover. Mike dropped me off at the half start and I wandered around phone-less until Fife and Drum people escorted us to the actual starting line.  Oh, Williamsburg. I also ran into some people I used to work with who told me that this was, in fact, not the same course I had run in my first half marathon, it was much worse. I didn't think it was possible for a course in Williamsburg to be more hilly than the last one, but I was so so wrong. It was at this moment I started to have major regrets and to tell myself all I had to do was finish. At the starting line, I ended up finding two fitness instructors I used to supervise who were also running and had not trained that intensively! Yes, kindreds! We promised to meet up at the end and I was like: "Yay, we can drink our free beer together." I got a weird look from the boy and it was at that point that I remembered how old I was. "So, Rory, how old are you?" He said 19. And then I realized I was a full SEVEN years older than this kid. I'm still recovering from that one.

Anyway, the race was actually better than I had imagined it would be. There were NEVERENDING hills. Seriously. However, I think the hills actually helped my knee and foot issues when I ran. The downhills were actually worse. I finished 4 minutes after the time I ran during my first half marathon, but was in a lot less pain at the end and had a ton more hills. Cardio-wise I felt fine. My body just hurt, but I didn't feel like I was absolutely going to die. When I sprinted (just the last 50 ft.) across the finish line, I saw Mike waiting there for me at the end with flowers:) I'd never gotten flowers after running before so I had to give him a hug even though I was all sweaty. Then I made him hold the flowers while I got this picture with my fellow fitness instructors.

I still got a medal! MJ is just holding it.

Race Results: http://thecolonialsports.com/filemanager/cms/retrieve/1361803400/300/halfcomp.html

My Results:

456th overall      Hutcheson, Kelsey   Time: 2:09:21.84    Pace per mile: 9:52      26F    

Mike and I loved Jennifer Lawrence before you loved Jennifer Lawrence

I don't have pictures yet from Absi's awesome Oscar party YET, but there was Chanello's, formal wear, themed drinks, and Jennifer Lawrence so how could you go wrong?! Favorite moments: Channing Tatum's ballroom dancing, Jennifer Lawrence's trip and speech, Adele's win, Shirley Bassey singing Goldfinger. I think Silver Linings Playbook should have won more awards because it was awesome and refreshing, but oh well.

My favorite Jennifer Lawrence Oscar moment:

DC again, already?!

Mike and I ran errands in Williamsburg (I had to get an oil change and new tires) on Monday thend headed back to DC AFTER a quick stop by TJ's for essentials (duh). I returned home to enjoy the rest of my day off which involved being Rupe's pillow. It's Love Your Body Week this week so I'm linking to one of my favorite quotes by Tina Fey: http://themetapicture.com/tina-fey-on-body-image/ Read it and pin it and spread some positive body image this week!

Beach this weekend! Oh wow, I just realized I've been blogging for over a year!

Kelly's Brunch/ Valentine's/Mock Trial

So I know I did a poor job of updating the past couple of weekends. This is my attempt to rectify that and catch everything up.

• Babysitting
• I've been doing some babysitting on the side to try to make some extra money. A lot of my jobs are last-minute and have been pretty low maintenance (the kids are already asleep and I just watch the baby monitor and play with the animals). This little guy kept me company a couple of weekends ago.

I just love this picture.

• Kelly's Birthday Brunch
• I got to see my sister a couple of weekends ago when she came into town for Kelly's birthday brunch. Kelly's birthday brunches are always epic and Mike and I went last year. This year, Kim came too and she managed to get there before I did and then I got called out for her beating me to the event. This past week, Mike and I had dinner with Kellex and cooked fajitas. The real treat of the dinner was getting to see how the pictures on Alex's camera turned out from this event and, let me just say, most of them will not be posted on facebook. However, the ones that make it will be priceless. Happy birthday person! <3

Brunch at Lavagna for Kelly's Birthday!

Kellex.

Typical.

• Valentine's Date
• Although Valentine's was during the week this year, Mike and I did a late dinner after work at La Tasca to celebrate. We split sangria and small plates (as is typical) and apparently I was so hungry that I didn't take any pictures. Our waiter was awesome and brought us samples of sangria before we ordered (otherwise I was about to make a huge mistake and not order the mango blackberry!) so Mike left him a good tip. I also got a rose after dinner. As much as I love just staying in and watching Netflix and cooking, it was nice to get out and get dressed up and not have to worry about anything else.

• Steak & Ice & Silver Linings
• I've been meaning to make Mike go on an adventure with me for a while, but he's been very busy being awesome at mock trial (I'll explain #mikejohnsonproblems later on in this post). Last Saturday, I tore him away from work for a little to go to Costco (because no one can say no to free samples). Afterwards, we went to Steak & Ice, a new place on H Street by the Taylor Brothers that we've been meaning to try. It was awesome! Suggestions: Get the loaded fries and split a sandwich. They are huge.

Someone got artsy with signs around H Street. I made Mike take this pic for me.

Loaded fries, sauces. The only pic I have from Steak & Ice before we ate everything.

A meal we later made with our Costco bundle. 

• Mock Trial
• I make fun of Mike sometimes, but it is out of love. He has had a very busy February semester and all for awesome reasons. For the past four weeks, he was in a mock trial tournament for school and just kept winning so he'd had to do more work in later rounds. His team ended up being 2nd overall! (For those of you not in law school who are reading this, it is a VERY big deal, no matter what he tells you.) Anyway, I never know how he manages to do more on top of more on top of being boyfriend to this high-maintenance girl, but he does. He also inspired me to start using the hashtag #mikejohnsonproblems when describing a situation that is bad only because you have to choose between a good option and a better option or a situation when you keep getting more work because you are so good at something. Example: "Sometimes all you get for 4 weeks of work is making the 11th-ranked mock trial team in the nation and a 2nd place coffee cup."  I know, I know. I'm not that funny. Regardless, there is still a twitter account for this pending.

Rupe being annoyingly cute as I pretend to do work on my computer while Mike actually does work on his.

A video from the Java Hut talent showcase that Mike hosted.

So much to look forward to in the weekend ahead!

My Favorite Blogs

MY FAVORITE BLOGS

So I don't know if you assumed this or if this is a totally normal thing for my age group, but I read a lot of blogs (like blogs other than my friends' blogs) on topics related to finance, fashion, fitness, cooking, writing, God, etc. There is a lot of blogging and social networking going on that actually isn't that healthy and I believe has a negative effect on women (thinspiration blogs or tumblrs, healthy living blogs that promote restriction, basically anything that makes you feel like shit). Thankfully, I think I am pretty good at wedding out the negative blogs and have found some true gems in the world online blogging.

Here are some of my favorites and why:

• Shauna Niequist (Perspective, Grounding, Hope, Feeling Connected)
• Well, you had to know this one was coming, but there are some days when Shauna's words are like medicine to my soul whether from book or blog.

• Mama Pea at Peas and Thank You (Laughs, Vegan Recipes, Family Shenanigans)
• This former lawyer, now stay-at-home mom to two young girls is hilarious! I have her first cookbook and she has another on the way. She is vegan, but makes kid-friendly meals. Also, did I mention she's hilarious?

• Oh She Glows (Vegan Recipes, Cat Shenanigans, Positive Body Image, Fitness)
• Angela at OSG was the first blog I read regularly. I think I've been following her blog since mid-way through college. She is sweet, an awesome baker with her own business, has a hilarious cat named Sketchie and she is ALL about loving and listening to your body which is just another reason I love this blog.

• Kath at Kath Eats Real Food (Carnivore-Friendly Healthy Recipes)
• I have a friend who actually met Kath, like, hung out with her on a winery tour, and we both thought it was the coolest thing ever. She's been offering less recipes as of late

• Cara at MaskCara (Hair & Makeup Tips, Positive Body Image)
• This is a makeup/hair blog, but Cara emphasizes that she sees intense, natural beauty in everyone. She goes without makeup on her own blog plenty of times and emphasizes loving and treating yourself.

• LearnVest Daily (Financial Tips for Women)
• You have to sign-up for this daily email, but there are some awesome articles for women related to money: everything from curbing spending to how to ask for a raise to how to save for retirement.

• The Fitnessista (Carnivore-Friendly Healthy Recipes, Fitness, Fashion)
• Lots of archived free workouts to do at home or at a gym.

• The Bitches at Bitches who Brunch (Restaurant/Brunch Reviews in the DC area)
• My person, Kelly, was the first person to tell me about this blog. I've gone to two brunch places they ranked highly and both of them were awesome so now I trust them. (Side story: I babysat the other weekend for a couple and was talking to the mom about restaurants in DC and we both found out we read this blog and had a moment together about how much we loved it.) 

Now on to President's Day weekend!

Update: I wanted to add two sites that I wasn't sure were blogs, but that I read regularly like blogs.

http://www.xojane.com/ : I go to this website when I need to laugh. The writers have awesome Downton Abbey re-caps (RIP Season 3) and they make me feel like it's okay to be imperfect. xoJane makes me feel like it's okay to not always make excuses for myself, to be bitchy sometimes, and to not be afraid to look at things realistically.

and

http://www.raptitude.com/ : Guilty pleasure for the counselor and sociology nerd in me. I'm still not exactly sure what his site is all about, but I love it all.

The youngest sister introduced me to both of them proving, once again, that she is way cooler than I am.

New post coming soon!

Last Weekend's Re-Cap

WEEKEND RECAP (Pictures to come!)

I would like to remember what happened last weekend before moving on to this weekend, especially since there were so many noteworthy events!

1) First, I attended Georgetown Law's talent show put on by their residence life staff. As someone who has substantial experience in student programming, I was really impressed with how well attended this event was, especially since it was a Friday night. There was tons of food and themed decorations. Mike was asked to emcee the show and did a wonderful job! I sat with Selena and Emily Goo for most of the show and, while waiting for the show to start, Selena and I succeeded in getting Goo to let us make a pinterest board for her wedding!! My favorite performers in the show include: a guy who could solve 5 rubix cubes in like 2 minutes ONE-handed, a guy who covered Adele's "Someone Like You" who I subsequently stalked in the elevator, Will's (Selena's boyfriend) band, a spoken word poet, and a cover of Country Roads by John Denver (complete with harmonica solo).

After the show, Selena, Goo, and I headed to Dupont Circle for a GGSS party. Highlights of the party were homemade spicy guacamole and peanut butter cup martinis made with peanut butter vodka! Apparently the got the peanut butter-infused vodka in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware from here. It was an awesome girls night out even though parking in Dupont Circle is CRAZY and it was freezing out.

2) Saturday, Mike had a day full of interviews and everyone else seemed to be busy with play stuff so Jeff had the brilliant idea of he and Goo and I going out for brunch together in Eastern Market. Goo named the brunch #soroneryrunch because we all were "so ronery" and I think this will become a regular event. We went to a cute little italian place we had never been to and I ordered a salmon caesar salad. I've been on a caesar salad kick ever since and I normally am not into salads so I guess it was pretty good. After brunch, we got supplies for a paella dinner at the market. We also stopped at a new oil and vinegar shop that has the most marvelous olive oils, jams, pastas, and vinegars (ohmygawd the vinegars!). I have this thing for balsamic vinegar (in that I could probably drink it) so I loved the store. Later that night, we made sausage and chorizo paella and Jeff and Goo hosted an overdue group dinner.

3) Sunday, Kelly hosted a superbowl party and I talked Mike into coming with me even though he had to grade papers for some of it. There were some awesome dishes made by everyone there! Megan made peanut butter pretzel balls, Caitlin made bacon-wrapped tater tots, and Kelly and Alex made a gorgonzola, alfredo, and prosciutto pizza. We kept tabs on the game, periodically read Bleser's tweets about the game, and also kept tabs on the lackluster commercials. My favorite was obviously the clydesdale one.

What to Wear During an Arctic Blast

Over the course of the past couple of weeks or so, D.C. remembered it was winter and decided to make up for this by becoming unbearably cold. Part of me knows that there has to be somewhere colder in the world that exists. I know that, yet I don't really believe it.

To survive in this new frigid world, I've had to learn some strategies for dressing myself that maximize warmth out in the cold, but are easy to transition to indoors so that I don't burn up. Because of this, I have found a new appreciation for the following items:

• Knee socks. Wear over leggings/under boots for extra warmth. You can also layer ankle socks underneath.

• Leggings (fleece-lined). Once you wear fleece-lined leggings you may never want to wear anything else. 

http://www.bodybelle.com/Fleece-Lined-Tights-p/55793.htm

• Winter running tights. On a really cold running day, I will even layer these under normal leggings. 

http://www.golite.com/Ws-Rogue-Valley-Thermal-Tight-P761.aspx

• Running pull-overs with thumb-holes. Favorite brands for these= Under Armour, Lucy, Lululemon. It's a running top with built-in hand warmers! I'm also wearing long-sleeve shirts under everything. Don't make the top layer do all of the work.

http://www.thisnext.com/item/590CF09B/lululemon-athletica-Run-Alpine

• Ear-warmers. Crucial for runs.

The Reebok ear headband that Mike's sister got me for Christmas!

• Tea! Coffee! I cannot get enough coffee and tea these days, but since I don't want to overdose on caffeine, I've switched to herbal teas and hot chocolates after 2pm. This has really done wonders for my sleep schedule! I normally wake up a few times during the night, but almost always sleep perfectly through the night when I've limited my caffeine that day.

• Wrist-warmers. My sister got me some of these for Christmas and I couldn't think of how or why to wear them until this winter. Now I need them. They are especially good for when I'm driving in a freezing car that has yet to heat up (but I, of course, put the heat on full blast hoping that will help it warm more quickly). 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/107296624/crochet-wrist-warmers-fingerless-wrist

• Boots. Boots are all I've been wearing, especially my rain boots with all of this wet weather and snow. Because my rain boots aren't insulated very well, I'm sure to layer lots of socks and leggings underneath!

• Scarves and gloves. Mike has a friend who knitted him a scarf like this (but in a dark green shade) and I've basically stolen borrowed it for the winter. It is so comfy and I can scrunch it up to cover some of my face if things get windy outside. Also, my hands are always cold. Always cold. So in the winter they needs tons of love in the form of gloves and lotion.

http://www.loveitsomuch.com/stores/crochet-circle-scarf-infinity-scarf-in-dark-purple,58588.html

• Big hair. I've been embracing my big hair lately. It looks a lot like this girl's hair when I don't straighten it and let it air dry. I think my hair tends to get static-y if I attempt to tame it during the winter, but I've also recognized that my voluminous waves can also help keep me warm!

via Pinterest