Well, here is my first go at sharing a recipe.  Nothing fancy, but it is an awesome salad dressing.  I have to admit, I stole it from a friend.  So, if you read this Susan, thank you for sharing your recipe…we have used it and shared it often!

Equal parts of the following:

Tahini

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Soy sauce

Mix well.

home is…sharing a good recipe.

So, I’ll leave you with this…

If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven’t done much today.  ~Author Unknown

home is…knowing tomorrow is a new day.

…it’s Monday!

As I wrote in my last “get moving…it’s monday!” post, I am training for an 8K in March (after that I will run a 10K in April). I have always been active…skiing from the age of 4, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, field hockey, lacrosse, rollerblading, and lots of other outdoor activities.

I was inspired to get in shape again after my 1st baby. I quit work (after going back to work for 5 months after the little guy was born) and was BORED! I decided to give Stroller Strides a try.  It was the Friday before Mothers Day 2008.  I loved it.  I started out a bit slow, but as I got into it and felt more comfortable it became more than just exercise. It was a way to meet new mommies, make new friends (for me and the little guy), and get back into shape!

Once I was pregnant with baby girl it had become a habit…maybe on only 2-3 times a week (sometimes less), but I craved getting out to exercise. I went to Stroller Strides until I was about 30 weeks pregnant with baby girl (I wish I could have made it until baby girl was born, but I wimped out). As soon as baby girl was born I wanted to get back to it, but I had to wait until 6 weeks after my c-section…I was counting down the days. Since then, Stroller Strides is a part of our weekly life.  It’s good for my kids to see me exercise, they get to play with other kids, I get to interact with other moms, and we all feel better!

baby girl and the little guy at Stroller Strides this morning

I don’t know what I would have done if I had not found Stroller Strides.  I believe that exercise is a huge component in our mental and physical health. On the days that I don’t go to Stroller Strides (or do some other kind of exercise) I am in a funk. Especially in the gray, rainy winters here in the Pacific Northwest, I find that exercise is a critical component of keeping the winter doldrums away.  If you are a mom, find a Stroller Strides franchise near you and challenge yourself!  It will be worth it, I promise!

So, get up, get moving…it’s Monday!

home is…Stroller Strides!

Yesterday I researched airfare for some travel we have planned this year. Nothing exotic, romantic, or crazy…just trips to visit family in Colorado and New York. It has been over 2 years since we visited either place, so it is about time we get our butts on an airplane and fly!

I have been fearful of flying with both kids since I had an uncomfortable experience flying back from Colorado alone with the little guy almost 2 years ago. The little guy was sick, cried almost the entire flight, and we had an asshole in the seat behind us. Needless to say, both the little guy and I were crying by the end of the flight. So, the thought of getting on an airplane with two kids has had me paralyzed.

I had a conversation with a dear friends mom on Christmas Eve, and she doesn’t let 6 weeks go by without seeing her grandchildren!  She either travels to them, or they travel to her. I don’t want our kids to miss out on experiences with their grandparents and extended family, so I need to start traveling. We have chosen to live away from family, which makes it more difficult to foster those relationships, but this year I am going to try my best.

Colorado is pretty easy. 2-1/2 hour flight. Fares that don’t change much from month to month. In fact, I may fly there over spring break…just me and the kids (gotta bite the bullet)!  We need to work with family schedules (like we had thought we would visit Colorado over Memorial Day Weekend, but found out that my parents are going to Hawaii for their 40th anniversary…I guess they deserve that trip), and I may travel alone with the kids (which is very scary to me), but it’s a lot easier to get there. No matter when I look at fares (from March through October) they are within a few dollars of each other and a direct flight is easy to do with two kiddos (with or without my hubby). I just have to get over my fear and fly!

New York is a different story. It’s a full day of travel. Timing is everything. Meaning, we need to base our flight selection on duration and time of day. We used to fly a redeye to New York on occasion. Not anymore. No way am I going to take a chance that my kids do not sleep overnight and get to New York with overtired, cranky kiddos. Like visiting Colorado, we have to work with other family members schedules (travel, school, work, etc.) and Ryan’s work schedule. Of course, the ONE week that seems to work for the majority of us is the week that the airfare is 2x as expensive as any other time during the summer! Of course, we could use the millions of miles that Ryan has with Alaska…if they flew to Rochester. Yikes!  I am just hoping that the airlines decide to have a fare war before the summer. We will make this happen!

I’m also trying to space our travel and visits out through the year. Travel to Colorado in March, in-laws visiting in May, my parents visiting in July, New York in July or August, and travel to Colorado in October (for the Ducks vs Colorado game).  Not to mention, we would like to get to Central Oregon to ski in February, March or April, and possibly take a trip to Eastern Oregon or Idaho in September.  Then the holidays hit and we STAY PUT!  If you want to see us in November or December…come visit us in Oregon!

If you live away from family how do you plan your visits?  How often do you visit?  How often does family visit you? Any tips for traveling with two young kids?

home is…finding a needle in a haystack.

It’s Monday!

Usually I don’t like Monday, but today it feels like a good day. I think in 2011 I am going to give Monday a chance to show her stuff.

I am going to try to have a regular “get moving…it’s Monday!” post because as most of us know it is hard to get moving on Monday!

Here is my motivation to get moving…

In September I RAN my first 5K race.  It was the Portland Race for the Cure.  I ran this race for my mom, who is a breast cancer survivor, and all the other women that have battled, are battling, or will battle this disease.  I ended up being one of the top individual fundraisers for the Portland Race for the Cure!  I also ran my first 5K in under 30 minutes!

In December I ran my second 5K.  It was the Jingle Bell Run for the Arthritis Foundation.  As some of you know, my husband was diagnosed with arthritis at the age of 18, but most of you would not know this because he never complains about the daily pain that he deals with. The morning was cold, but I also ran this one in under 30 minutes. This is your forewarning, in 2011 I will be fundraising for the Arthritis Foundation.

In March I am running my first 8K.  This race is for ME!  I will be running in the Shamrock Run here in Portland. I have officially started training for this run in addition to my regular Stroller Strides classes.  I will keep you updated in “get moving…it’s Monday” posts.

home is…motivation to get moving!