Determined. To Be…

…a runner, a sister, a lover…living a fit and happy life.

Tag Archives: friends


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Oh, the blends I have met!

As I was lamenting on how I wish I was going to the BLEND Retreat, I started counting up just how many blends I have met over the years and how fortunate I feel to have met SO many! I thought it would be fun to go down ‘memory lane’ and share that very list here. These blends (blogger +friend= blend!) span everyone from fellow divorcees, to fellow daters (online and such!), to fit and fab, to any and all of the above. These blends are truly some of the friends that ‘get’ me most of all, that mirror me to a “T” in some cases, who have turned into some of my closest friends, and even, some that live closeby and I get to SEE them (relatively) often - the cherry on top, doncha think?

A trip down memory lane…oh, the blends I have met! (in no particular order!)

the amazing Lindsay Cotter - a beautiful soul, to say the least! (cottercrunch)

the amazing Lindsay Cotter – a beautiful soul, to say the least! (cottercrunch)

Momma Sunshine, Canadian Bald Guy, T! This was the most epic bloggy meetup in Maine EVER!

Momma Sunshine, Canadian Bald Guy, T! This was the most epic bloggy meetup in Maine EVER!

This picture cracks me up - also from the epic Maine bloggy meetup, Twister FTW!

This picture cracks me up – also from the epic Maine bloggy meetup, Twister FTW!

Meeting Lee (In my Tummy) a year ago this week, actually. SUCH fun (we met at a Digital Summit social media event, how fun!)

Meeting Lee (In my Tummy) a year ago this week, actually. SUCH fun (we met at a Digital Summit social media event, how fun!)
Tina Reale also happens to live near Lee, so I ALSO got to meet this beautiful soul (and AGAIN this year at the Chicago Marathon!)

Tina Reale also happens to live near Lee, so I ALSO got to meet this beautiful soul (and AGAIN this year at the Chicago Marathon!)

Marisa from the Immature Matron - she is such an intrinsic soul, and has turned into a good friend, too.

Marisa from the Immature Matron – she is such an intrinsic soul, and has turned into a good friend, too.

Meeting Shannon first at BISC in 2010 (??) to being honored to attend her wedding in October 2012 in Playa del Carmen. Love you friend!

Meeting Shannon first at BISC in 2010 (??) to being honored to attend her wedding in October 2012 in Playa del Carmen. Love you friend!

Meeting (again!) with Tina and Chelsey (Clean Eating Chelsy) at the Chicago Marathon - so fab!!

Meeting (again!) with Tina and Chelsey (Clean Eating Chelsy) at the Chicago Marathon – so fab!!

Meaghan, my beautiful kindred spirit, who lives not 10 mins away. We have so many similarities from our pasts, it's almost scary. <3

Meaghan, my beautiful kindred spirit, who lives not 10 mins away. We have so many similarities from our pasts, it’s almost scary. <3

BISC 2010 - blast from the past, much? Akirah, Shannon, and me!

BISC 2010 – blast from the past, much? Akirah, Shannon, and me!

Also from BISC? Meeting Erika (newlyweds on a budget), and fun fact? I get to see HER quite often as she lives in the same areas as my work!)

Also from BISC? Meeting Erika (newlyweds on a budget), and fun fact? I get to see HER quite often as she lives in the same areas as my work!)

For a second time? Heather!! SUCH a long time coming, and time flew by! (not pictured: Dorry! LOVED that surprise meet-up!!)

For a second time? Heather!! SUCH a long time coming, and time flew by! (not pictured: Dorry! LOVED that surprise meet-up!!)

Whew, I swear there are some that I am missing, but after scouring pictures, that is all I seem to have! (that is quite the list though already!)

Not pictured but met:

Amanda! BEST fact ever about our meeting? I got home from our coffee date and M proposed to me not an hour later…how’s that for an epic meet-up, and one we need to do again VERY soon!! Hell, if that happened when we met last time, can you imagine what would happen this time?!

Also from my weekend in Chicago? Snarkbutt Divorced (blog now defunct), MyHeartHasHope, IntrigueMe, NYSoonerGirl, and for a third time? Shannon! The best weekend of meetups ever! (oh and a kind of sort of meet up? I saw her running the Chicago Marathon but we didn’t get to actually chat, sad face! Heather!)

I do believe INRIS was one of the first bloggers I met! Great great guy :)

LiveLoveRunYoga - LOVE her, she’s awesome, AND another local!! :)

These Happy Miles – another fab local runner! we still have yet to meet up again, but we must…barre and running ;-)

Westford Mommy – yet ANOTHER local fab runner! She came to barre n9ne once, which was so much fun!! Also needs to happen again :)

Poise in Parma – gah, another fabulous meet-up – her brother lives in Boston, and it was suuuuch a fun meetup with Jess (somewhat!) recently. Redo needed :)

Adding all of these up, it’s kind of crazy how many I have met, and how many I *still* want to meet. So SO many. I am fortunate I have a job that has taken me to many locations where I have blends in, so I have been able to meet so many that way. And I have my bucket list of blends I still am dying to meet (Sarena, Spabettie, Christine, Naomi, Rachel - this one is in the works, must happen!, City Girl, Booshy (fun fact! I was in her town and we didn’t get to meet up in the 24 hours I was there but she left me a gift at my hotel. sweetest.thing.ever and the list goes ooooonn and onnn!)

Have you met a blend before? Do you have any on your list you would love to meet? And if you have met a blend before, doesn’t it almost feel like a blind date at first? ;-)  


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Affirmations.

“Believe in yourself and all that you are…Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”

…even when you have doubts.
…even during moments of self image weakness.
….even when it scares you.
believe in yourself. always.

“There’s no need to be perfect to inspire others…let others get inspired by how you handle your imperfections“

…perfection isn’t realistic.
…perfection isn’t happy.
…inspiration comes from happiness, overcoming, and perseverance.
…quietly inspire someone today, or BE inspired today.

“If it scares you..it might be a good thing to try.”

…unseat comfort zones (this means me, too!).
…stick your neck out, you’ll never be dissapointed that you did.
…do LIFE differently.

“You cannot change the people around you, but you can change the people you choose to BE around.”

…CHOOSE your friends.
…step away from those don’t meet you halfway.
…draw a line in the sand, because there’s no sense spreading yourself so thin you don’t enjoy living.

“Someone is thankful for less than YOU have”

…hi, humbleness.
…house? it’ll come.
…able bodied? check.
…imperfections? We all have ‘em.
…live blessed, happy, gracious lives.

“I have no time for your negative bullshit.”

…no words needed. universal.truth.

Just some thoughts swirling today…these happen to be my universal truths walking around as affirmations I need to hear more often than I sometimes want to admit. But at the core of it? This life is meant to be a challenge, so choose it, it is meant to be lived, so shrug off the negativity, it is meant to be learned from, so stare straight at it and grasp what it’s telling you. 

Cheers friends!

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An update and tidbits.

Today’s an update and quasi random post kind of day.

An update on the knee. 

Well, it’s not much of a surprise to me, but after my first PT appointment today, it is indeed IT band syndrome that is affecting my knee when I run.   What was a surprise is that it is BOTH IT bands that are uber tight, yet, only my right knee is bothering me. The loose plan is for me to foam roll the crap out of my IT band (on both sides) between now and Friday’s appointment. At that appointment, she will have me run for a few minute and watch my gait (side note: I am ridiculousness excited to run, even if it is just for a few minutes!) and prescribe some strengthening exercises that we will work on for the next few weeks. I cannot run for at least a week, maybe two, and then she will have me slowly ramp up running again (yay!).

I actually feel really good about this and think, per today’s She Reads Truth, it all has a point. I am meant to learn from this – already, learning – I don’t stretch enough, nor foam roll (barely) at all, and I could only stay un-injured for so long, in my opinion. I am grateful to catch it early and fix it now. Now, to make this a habit, long term. I WILL. I MUST. It also tells me I need to continue to cross-train, keep my legs strong, spin, walk, work on stronger hamstrings (suggested exercises for the ole hammies welcomed!). 

Branching out, of the food variety.

It’s no secret that I have a love affair with oatmeal for breakfast. And wraps for lunch (of the Joseph’s, Flatout, and Fiber One variety!). Love, love, LOVE them. But lately, I have started to wonder if I need to branch out a little. Try some new options and intersperse them with my standbys. I will alternate lunches and do up some loaded salads (tuna, chicken salad, hard boiled eggs etc), but I always go back to wraps. And oatmeal for breakfast? Forget it, I never change this one. Hardly ever. Maybe eggs and toast for breakfast on a weekend day. But beyond that, not much.

I started a new board on Pinterest on all things Greek yogurt, because I want to play around with alternate breakfasts, like yogurt and fruit bowls, maybe a smoothie if I can find one that is fueling yet not uber caloric either. My mind is a little all over the place here. Because I like my go-to’s. I LOVE them. But I think change is good. So I look to you, friends, for your latest and greatest finds and suggestions! Please share :-)

Travel upcoming.

It’s that time again. More work travel abounds! A week from Sunday, I am off to California for my company’s sales kick off. It’s my third year attending, and while I hate leaving on a Sunday, I am actually looking forward to it this year…in large part because this girl is ALSO going to California for her sales kick off and it’s a town away from MINE (WHAT are the odds?!), so what did we do? Booked our return flight home from LAX together! That’s right, 6 hours of straight up FUN flying home. Probably the first time I will ever look forward to a long flight. We may have too much fun of the let’s have a drink (or 8) variety, but I think it shall be epic ;-)

And?

In April, M and I are going to Napa!! No, it’s not Healdsburg, BUT it’s a close second. He has a conference in Napa and of course I am tagging along. OF COURSE. Who wouldn’t!? So off we go in late April to Napa for a few days and then…to Southern Cali so I can go to work for a few days and finally – finally – show him around where I work, meet co-workers etc. I am REALLY excited about both parts of this trip!!

So, there ya have it, some random updates and tidbits on this Tuesday-can’t-believe-it’s-not-Wednesday post ;)

(PS bet you are surprised I didn’t write anything about barre n9ne in this post. Me too. Hehe. More on that later this week, I am thinking!) Don’t forget to share your latest foodie finds with meeeee! :-)

 

 


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2012…the highlights reel.

I almost didn’t write this post, because it is SO hard for me to wrap up a year that was truly one of the best years of my life, but I thought a fun post in ‘highlight reel’ fashion would be a fun way to recap some fun moments.

2012 in highlights:

 I unseated comfort zones, from work, to running, to becoming certified in barre n9ne

I traveled, traveled, traveled (to wine country, Mexico, and the Bahamas)

I experienced an unforgettable wedding

I lived the shit out of Maine, lakation-style

Met blog friends in Atlanta, Chicago Austin, AND Maine ‘bloggy meet-up’ style

I spent more time with my family and sisters, and the most beautiful niece in the world

And the biggest highlight of 2012 most certainly has to be when M asked me to marry him <3

2012 is a year that I lived, loved, and played hard…a year I truly lived the shit out of. And 2013? I’m coming for you, like whoa. Happy New Year, friends, and thank you all for sharing this year with me, it’s truly been a blessed, gratitude-filled year. <3

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Happy things Friday

It’s yet another FEF up in here people. Finally Effing Friday, for those that are just tuning in ;-)

Good GRIEF has it been a long long LONG week of travel. Let’s see, 4 planes this week, 3 planes last week, thousands of miles in between, and I am toast. While the first leg of two weeks of travel was for pleasure, this week was just.so.tiring. So I think I deserve to revel in the fact that I am home, I am in my own home, my own routine, my own FOOD.

So here are a few things that are making me happy – beyond the fact that I am home ;-)

Getting a promotion!! I had my review while I was in the office this week in California and not only did I get a pretty sizable raise, I got a promotion! I was floored. I was hoping it would be coming soon, but had no idea my boss had been working on this for months.

Feeling like a hugely valued employee. Combine the aforementioned with the nicest, most heartfelt, most complimentary email I have ever ever received from ANYONE and I am a very happy employee. My boss’ boss (who becomes interim boss for me when she is on maternity leave – again – next summer) sent me not only a Christmas card with a gift card inside, he sent me an email that said – in effect, this: Perhaps the most special thing about you and many won’t realize, is that you are making people around  you better than they were before they met you.  I can guarantee you that in their next job they will take the things you have taught them and they will look much smarter and accomplished than they are…some will give you credit, some won’t, but I will know they are improved because they worked with you.

Um, wow. Speechless. Utterly.

(with such a tough travel week, and feeling challenged by the time change and inability to choose my own meals 90% of the time, the aforementioned, plus feeling like I ate so mindfully this week and so peacefully felt like a huge accomplishment!!)

68176_10151285028751170_1225021644_nMeeting the one and only Lindsay Cotter (AND her dog AND her husband!!) While on my cross-country ‘tour’ this week (first in California, and then in Austin), I was extremely fortunate to meet Lindsay Cotter. Finally. It’s been years of following her blog, and really becoming friends – aka blends! (blog friends!), so I was thrilled to finally meet her. We walked around the lake, we talked, we met up with James and her brother in law and their cute as hell pup at the dog park, and then I got a treat by seeing the Whole Foods HEADQUARTERS store, oh em gee. I could spend all day in there. It was a perfect afternoon and capper to one long ass week. Thank you Lindsay!! SO much! (AND for the Healthy Bites treats you gave me for my flight!!)

And a weekend ahead that is almost planLESS. Yep, you read that right. An almost planLESS weekend. I. Cannot. Wait.

Happy Friday, friends, make this weekend a goodie!

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