figuring out 40

project life : week thirty-one

And so the catch-up posting begins. I've finished volume 2 - May - August, with the exception of the Costa Rica weeks. Still need to tackle those. I'll likely go back and print a few blog entries to add as inserts. I decided to cut this album off at the end of August, even though I could likely fit more inside. I wanted to stick to the 4 months per album routine. For the record, I still think that this project is SOOOO worth the effort. 

week 31 full. the key to catching up? keep it SUPER simple.

w31 left - pretty much all about a trip to Ikea.

w31 left. super, super simple.

simple = text + graphic + sticker

KP taught me the phrase "get it girl" - I love it's spunk! (and I love her stamps)

More weeks coming soon!

new find : I AM products

A few weeks ago, I was about to order a fave powdered energy/vitamin product from Amazon. A sponsored ad caught my eye - I AM enlightened nutrition. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for good package design. I did a little research on the company & products, and liked what I learned. I run in the same circles in the naturals industry, so it felt as though I'd found a friend of a friend. 

From their website: 

I AM is a next-generation liquid nutritional supplement brand dedicated to meeting the lifestyle needs of the evolving consumer in an ethical, sustainable and holistic manner.

The company was kind enough to send me several to try - I AM Sleepy, I AM Energized, I AM Focused, and I AM Happy. I've tried them out over the past week or so, and I'm definitely a fan of most. I will say that I wasn't thrilled with the taste of I AM Focused (I am nothing if not honest about reviews!). I was particularly pleased with I AM Happy....I'll be stocking up on that one for our long winter months. I AM Sleepy was a great help on a stressful night. I tried out I AM Energized today, and had the bonus of it getting rid of a headache. Yay! 

Want to try out I AM for yourself? Let's do a giveaway! Three ways to enter -

1. Leave a comment on this post by finishing the statement "I AM ______" 

2. Like I AM on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/IAmNutritionSupplements?fref=ts (be sure to comment to tell me that you've done this - I'll use the honor system!)

3. Tweet this giveaway & comment with a link to your tweet. Please tag @IAM_Nutrition! 

Giveaway will end at midnight EST on Sunday, October 21st. Winner will be drawn at random, and posted on Monday. Good luck! 

Disclaimer: I rec'd product from I AM for this review. I am not being compensated for the review, and the opinions expressed are my own. 

thankful thursday : october 18

today I am thankful for friends who laugh & cry with me | today I am thankful for new beginnings | today I am thankful for people who understand that change is growth...and that it's good | today I am thankful for yoga | today I am thankful for allowing myself to cry w/o judgement | today I am thankful for kind words 

what are you thankful for?

ventage tuesday : we live like this.

Aaaccckkk! It's Ventage Tuesday, and I'm the last one posting. I had these grand plans to take well thought out photographs, and ended up snapping quick photos with my phone this am (hence the weird purple cast). Sigh. Will I ever get my act together?

 

The theme this week is where we live. None of us live in a Pottery Barn spread...and all of us wish that we had a maid. That being said, I feel guilty posting these pics. I no longer have little ones running around (although, a 16 year old boy is challenging in it's own right). I have also shifted some of my habits in the past 6 weeks in an attempt to make all thing domestic a bit less stressful. So, I decided to focus on 5 areas of my house that are making me happy...

The upstairs living room, and my meditation altar. I don't use this fireplace for anything but candles (real fires happen in the downstairs fireplace). Not that you can see it in this photo, but I love the way the light falls in the morning. After years of rarely using this room, it has quickly become the place where we read, chat, and do homework. 

When I took a Mondo Beyondo class a few years ago, we talked a lot about making a clearing. One of the analogies was "clearing the table." That idea has really stuck with me. A clean, clear table makes me feel calmer at the end of the day. Austin & I (and Hope when she's home, obvi) eat dinner at the table every night. Real plates. Real silverware. Cloth napkins. If I had to make ONE suggestion to you moms of littles? Clear the table.

 

We have a gorgeous whirlpool tub. I'm determined to use it this winter - water bill be damned. Oh, those photos on the wall make me happy, too - I took them at Pismo Beach a few years ago. One of my favorite places. 

Pretty sure that I've posted a similar pic before. I make my bed now. :) I marvel at the fact that I shared this bed with another person for so many years. It now seems far too small to share. 

And...my office. Let's call it creatively messy, shall we? I never quite get it organized. It's never quite clean. For the most part, the office works for me.  

Be sure to visit the other Ventage girls - Barb, Em, Angie, and Steph - and please leave some love! 

a amazing day : his holiness the dalai lama

Yesterday, I had the honor & privilege to attend a talk given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I had no idea how amazing this event would be. I mean...I knew that it would be amazing, but I wasn't exactly prepared for just how amazing it was. 

A bit of backstory first - 

About 6 weeks ago, a co-worker (Brian, who I have worked with for 14+ years!) told me that the Dalai Lama was coming to Middlebury College to speak. He knew that I'd be interested. There were 2 events schedueld - one for faculty/staff/students and one for the public. I set a reminder on my phone for the day that the tickets went on sale. I got up at 5:30am, and had my desktop, laptop, AND iphone ready to go. I don't always have reliable internet service, so I wanted to be prepared! The tickets were set to go on sale at 6:00am. At 5:59, the site would not load. I spent the next 30 minutes trying to reload the site with no luck - I'm not sure if it crashed completely, or what. Itried calling - 20 times - and got a "circuits are busy" message every time. I was completely bummed. 

A few days later, Brian was on the phone confirming his staff tickets (he's a part-time coach at the college). I gave him a hard time (teasing, of course) about that fact that he was able to get 2 tickets. We had a lot of laughs over it not being very Lama-like to be mad at him for having tickets. 

A few days after that exchange, Brian came over to my desk FIRST thing in the morning. The conversation went like this: 

B - So, Katrina, who is your favorite guy? 

me - Can I have some framework? 

B - Just, you know, right now - who is your favorite guy?

me - My standard answer is Bradley Cooper

B - (pulling an envelope from behind his back) Do you want to change that answer? 

me - Why? What's that?

B - (dramatically pulling a ticket out) Perhaps it's a ticket to His Holiness. 

me - What???? Brian!!! What??? Are you serious?????

B - I would not joke about His Holiness. (laughing) 

me -Brian!!! Bradley is dead to me. You're going to make me cry.

B - Don't I get a hug??

me - DUH!!! 

So, the fact that I even got to attend the talk is the result of an amazing act of kindness. Brian gave up his own ticket so that I could attend. (yes, of course I made cupcakes for him!!)

Yesterday, I had a lovely breakfast downtown (more on that in another post), and headed down to Middlebury to get in line. I was pretty happy that I was in the first hundred or so people to arrive. That resulted in a seventh row seat - amazing.

I don't even really know where to start in describing His Holiness. Dude, he is FUNNY. As the Chaplain of the college was introducing him in a very eloquent speech, HE SNUCK UP BEHIND HER. As the crowd started to giggle, she turned slightly, jumped about a mile,& yelled "OH MY GOSH!!" - that was the first of many times that we heard his amazing laugh. I told Becky last night that his laugh can only be described as what pure happiness sounds like. Throughout the speech, he told jokes and cracked up - and I hope that I never, ever forget the sound of his laughter. 

He spoke of kindness, compassion, and hope. His words hit home in a way that will likely bring me to tears for a while. His thoughts on wholeness - needing both the mind and the heart - to be truly happy were so simple, and so true. His thoughts on religion - encouraging people to honor & practice their own religion, but RESPECT all other religions - resonated in a huge way. His advice to students - to listen & read, but investigate to find what they believe to be true - is a lesson that I hope that I have taught my children. His wisdom about parenting - that showing children affection and love daily will build the foundation for a lifetime of happiness - made me feel proud of how I've raised my kids.

Oh, and his jokes about his gallbladder surgery?? I will be laughing about those for YEARS.

I watched the documentary - 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama - last night on Netflix. I definitely recommend it. 

Such an amazing man. Such an amazing leader. Such an amazing day.

ventage tuesday : what we wear.

What's this? A blog theme? Why yes, yes it is! The Ventage Girls (me, Barb, Angie, Em, and Steph) decided to do a little group activity. No promises on how long we keep this up (hint: leave us lots of comments & we'll be super motivated. we're easy like that.). The basic premise? One question, five blogs. This week's question comes from our resident fashionista (& makeup advisor), Angie - 

What are your 5 wardrobe must haves? 

I am most definitely NOT a fashionista. I'm a pretty simple gal when it comes to clothes. I'm fortunate that I have a very casual job (most days), so I don't really need to have a separate work closet. It's all the same. My musts: 

1. My Gap denim jacket - I've had it for years, and it's like a security blanket. I wear it with lots...but never with jeans. I am not a fan of the denim on denim look. Not at all. 

2. Skinny jeans - a newfound love. My current fave...from Loft, in teal. Note: I am not skinny. 

3. Scarves - a minor(major) obsession. Love, love, love. 

4. Bootcut jeans - yes, I'm counting jeans twice. Gap & Loft curvy denim bootcut are a girl's best friend. 

5. Cardigan - for my inner librarian (like that Tracy?). I'm always cold, so sweaters are an almost daily thing for me. Bonus - they look cute with scarves & jeans! 

One quick note - We didn't exchange posts in advance, so any similarities in style are just part of the reason why we're friends!

 

hello monday : october 8

Hello to a incredibly frustrating sleepless Sunday night. Insomnia is not fun. 

Hello to a back pain flare up - likely related to the lack of sleep.

Hello to falling off the low-carb wagon - HARD - this weekend. It's possible that I just wrote "off the rails" in my food journal. Pasta. Cheese. Red wine. Oh my. 

Hello to a four day work week. I'm taking Friday off to attend a presentation by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. For reals.

Hello to anticipating good news this week. Positive thoughts welcomed.

Hello to craving kale (see note above about carb overload). 

What are you saying hello to this week?

$20 off True Scrap 4 : This weekend only!

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this boy : sixteen.

(re-using this photo b/c it is just so him)

this boy is incredibly funny...he makes me laugh on a daily basis.

this boy is currently sporting a 4.2 GPA...while juggling tough classes, football, and student government.

this boy has shown grace & resilence in the face of our family changes...and has flourished.

this boy finds me in the crowd after every football game, and leaves the team to give me a kiss. Every time.

this boy asks "how was your day, Mom?" over dinner, and listens while I answer. 

this boy tries just about every weird/hippie recipe that I try - and was overheard telling a friend "Don't stress if you don't like it. She doesn't mind. We just try a lot. Some of it works, some of it doesn't."

this boy asked to take a "yoga for snowboarders" class series before the season starts (and got his wish, obvi)

this boy prefers documentaries to sitcoms. 

this boy loves his sister fiercely.

this boy makes my heart swell with love & pride. 

Happy 16th Birthday to my handsome boy. 

 

10/03/12 : wednesday on the web

Oh how I love Starbucks humor. 

Can't get enough pumpkin this fall? Might I suggest this (which I just applied after digging it out from a pile on my desk) - yummy! 

I dare you.

Apparently people named Lisa were given EXTRA style sense. People named Katrina? Not so much. Love both Lisa and Lisa for their style & color combos.

Inspired by Lisa L, I think that I'm going to buy these shoes. In orange. 

Iphone wallpapers make me smile.

This list web/app is making me very happy.

I made this hot cocoa mix recipe the other night. It was yummy, despite the fact that the only bar of bittersweet chocolate that I had was suffering from a serious case of fat bloom. Oh, and this makes a ton of mix - I cut it in half, and still filled 1 and 1/2 mason jars.