February Favorites: (Alcoholic) Beverages

I did a favorites post on my favorite non-boozy bevs, so its only right that I talk about the good stuff too, right?

I'm a beer/wine kinda girl, generally, rarely foraging into the (to me) mysterious world of hard liquor.  As far as beer goes, my absolute favorite would have to be Guinness, with a "black and tan" coming in a close second.  

NOMnomnomnomnomnomnomnom

If on a budget, however, I genuinely love Pabst Blue Ribbon.  Or as we call it, PEEber.   (Get it?  PBR...Peeber?)  I know, I know.  I think its more nostalgia than actual taste, since we drank gallons of the stuff during my punk rock days. 

Wine-wise, I prefer red over white regardless of what's on the menu (scandalous, I know!)  I especially love a good Malbec .  I go by what I like, not how much the bottle costs and as a result, some of my favorite wines are super affordable.  Which is good, as I enjoy a glass several times a week.  Ahem.

If pressed to drink something with more bite, I always order a whiskey (Pendleton if they've got it, but I also like Crown Royal as an old, familiar standby.) on the rocks with a splash of water.  I've learned from experience that fancy, sugary drinks spell NASTY hangovers, so I steer clear of the "girly" stuff.

If pressed to order a mixed drink, however, it would have to be a Moscow Mule.  But just one.  :)

As you can see, pretty simple, if not the most sophisticated tastes.   What am I missing out there??

February Favorites: Family

Yeah.  Duh.  I love my family.  But, truly they are my favorites (as I am forever reminding them) and I had to include them.  I mean, really.

The handsomeness!!!  (is that a word??)

This picture was taken yesterday, after a family trip to snowshoe/ski.  It was a crystal clear, sunshiny day...you know, one of those days where the snow looks all glittery?  No wind, not too cold.  Bliss.

February Favorites: (Non-alcoholic) Beverages

Ha!  I love me some beverages, people.  I drink water all day long and feel kinda naked without access to a water bottle at all times.  (A related favorite:  my favorite water bottle is a big, wide-mouthed Nalgene bottle with a little sip-guard thingy in the top to keep me from spilling it allover myself.)  Water helps me feel good, my skin glow and generally keeps my body running on all cylinders.   I carry water with me on any runs over an hour long and always glug several ounces after any workout.

Aside from H2O, my day usually involves some coffee with organic half n' half in the morning, a cup of tea at lunch (black or green depending on mood) and another cup of tea (herbal- chamomile is my fave) at bedtime.

Treat-wise, I've recently begun drinking Almond Milk.  Holy shit, people!  How did I not know about this before?!?  It is SO GOOD.  Otto loves it too and we've been known to argue over who gets the last bit in the carton. 

February: A Month of Favorites

You guys know how I like to make a list of favorite things to cheer myself up?  Let's do it all month!!  I'm a'gonna post a favorite thing as often as I can this month (every day would be ideal but...you know.)

Today:

My favorite book:  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

I've read this book several times, seen numerous screen adaptations and I love it more and more.  Jane!  Mr. Rochester!  I love it that Jane has real problems i.e., dead parents, a super shitty guardian (Mrs. Reid), suffers abuse, the death of friends, etc. and comes through it intact with a strong sense of self.  She fucking rocks.

I saw the most recent film version of Jane Eyre and completely loved it.  Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska were pitch perfect and I loved the emphasis on light, heat, and the consuming possibilities of both.  So good.   Oh! And Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax totally clenched it.

Favorite Things: Cold-ass weather edition

From my last post, you may have gathered that the weather is making me a bit cranky.  Time for some favorite things to make me feel better!

1.  Apple cider.  While I usually go for tea or coffee, I've been on a cider kick lately and can't seem to go a day without at least one cup of the stuff.  I like it spiced, hot, and preferably imbibed under a quilt reading something dark and amazing like...

Source

2. ... The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.  While Silas and Bod and the Owenses etc. are wonderful, my very favorite character is probably Liza Hempstock.  I always cry at the end.  If you haven't read it, I don't even know why I'm talking to you.

 3.  "Night-time walks."  Otto and I have been doing this thing lately where we bundle up after dinner and put our headlamps on and walk around the dark neighborhood.  We imagine that we see caves, bats, tunnels, and other spoooooky stuff just outside our lights' reach.  Instead of holing up inside, its like we're venturing out into the dark and cold and saying "we're not afraid of you!!!" 

4.  Smartwool socks.  I love any sort of wool socks, really, but these are soft cushiony tubes of "everything's-gonna-be-ok."  Folks that know me have learned that Smartwools are ALWAYS a good gift for me.  I love them and wear a pair nearly every day.

Source

5.  Downton Abbey.  What's not to love?  British accents, class-ism, sexism, stuff and nonsense, and Dame Maggie Smith!  Love.

6.  Soup, soup, soup.  Tomato, Chicken Noodle, Minestrone...I don't really care, just give me soup!!

Realizations.

1.  If I had one of those "I'd rather be..." bumper stickers on my ass today, it would say "I'd rather be thrift shopping."  I'm starting to compile my fall wishlist and on it so far:

-Minnetonka Moccasins:

(Delightfully Tacky totally inspires me...)

-Some pinstripe pants and a cute cardigan a'la Maggie Gyllenhal in Stranger than Fiction:

Image from powet.tv

-An infinity or circle scarf...I love this masculine print:

Remixed by Jacki's whole shop is totally dope.

Good thing my birthday is coming up!


2.  I think one of the reasons I've got fall on the brain is that I work at a university and the students move back in a week.  A week!!  At that point, the population of our town will swell, there will be more traffic, lines at restaurants (the good ones, anyway) and the whole feel of the place will just...change.  Going to enjoy this last week of true summer!



3.  I should really own some Belle and Sebastian.  There is no excuse.

My Favorite Things: Summer

The things that stop my heart, bring tears to my eyes, a smile to my face or just feel damn good right now:

1.  Ice cream.  So good after a long walk/run/car ride/sleep...YES, PLEASE.

Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone has the BEST ice cream.

2.  Finishing my 2nd half marathon.  Even though I was sick with sinus/ear problems, I busted out a 2:02:30 in my hometown's July 4th race.  It was a breathtakingly beautiful morning and the course took us over rolling hills through farmland and valleys with amazing mountain views.  Love.

Main Street, Lander, WY

 
3.  My better half.  He is my favorite person ever.

Sunset at the Madison river junction in Yellowstone

4.  Watching my son enjoy the same things I did when I was little. Like throwing rocks in a river with cousins and yelling so loud your own voice echoes off the mountains.

Love.

5.  Adding to my summertimelove soundtrack.  How is it that I JUST discovered the Wailin' Jennys?????  Beauty.



What's making your summer?

Things I Love Right Now

I am firmly in the doldrums of winter, I think.  Tired, cranky, all I want is bad-for-me carbs and sweets and the motivation to exercise is dwindling.  (But don't worry- I'm still working out 6 days a week- logging about 20 miles and 2 sessions of strength training- I just resent it!  Ha!)

We're doing our best to stay on the straight and narrow but I find myself trying to rationalize calling in sick, one more biscuit with butter, another chai...

And so, in my grand tradition of trying to pull myself up by my bootstraps and remember the good shit, here's a list of (healthy) stuff I'm loving right now:

1.  Classical music.  I listen to our local NPR station's classical frequency at work and I find that it gives a nice sophisticated calm to my day.  They play really great stuff.  Lately I've been pairing it with

2.  Green tea with local honey.  Nom.  I feel much better when I have a big thermos of this in the morning...its scary but I think coffee and I may have broken up for now...

3.  Avocados and blueberries.  These have both been on good sales at the supermarket lately and the nutrients and antioxidants really do give me a boost. 

I've been putting avocado in pretty much anything and everything or just eating them on their own, scored and salted then drizzled with lime juice.  Their (good) fat content satisfies my cravings for fatty fatty goodness.  (For the most part :) )

The blueberries have a place in my cereal bowl every morning and go after that sweet craving I've got going on right now.

4.  Books, blankets and rice bags.  Nearly my favorite part of every day is when I finally get to curl up under my down comforter, crack open a book (or turn one on, if I'm using my e-reader, heh) and snuggle in with a warm rice bag on my aching, stress-harboring shoulders.  Heaven.

5.  Soup.  I've been making this veggie-packed Minestrone (from my favorite cookbook)  and it is nourishing and filling and healthy- onions, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, chick peas, pasta...the only think I really do differently is use chicken stock or broth instead of water.  We've had this at least once a week for the past month or so and we're all addicted.

6.  Of course, my kiddo is a bright spot of color in this monochromatic landscape of winter.  I'm so lucky to be his mama.  We've been taking advantage of any sunny days that come our way by going outside for as long as possible, which seems to pay off in lifted moods.  I lurves him.

And hey!  Its almost February.  And we have a fat tax return headed our direction, which is always heartening.  See?  It's all going to be ok.

My Favorite Things: Simply

Here we are again, somehow.  Poised on the brink of the Season of Excess.  The Season of Want.  The Season of Shopping and Presents and Wishlists and Letters to Santa etc. etc.

I've been thinking about how I fall into these traps of wanting this or that, convincing myself I "need" that this or the other thing.   Convincing myself that I need a new coat or boots or that Otto needs this or that toy, that the dog needs such and such obedience class.   And you know what?  It's not true.  (Well, maybe that last one might be true.)

The point is, I have everything I need to be happy.  I, no...WE are already perfect.

And in that spirit, a list of my favorite SIMPLE things right now.  Things that I am grateful for, things that brighten my day, things that keep me centered.  "Things" that can't be bought.

 1. My kid's laugh.  Especially if its a result of something I did.  I love it.  That sound is like crack.

Also, his chubby cheeks don't go amiss.

2. A dark, clean house on a winter's evening with lit candles and a steaming hot cup of tea.  Ok, well I guess technically those things can be bought, but what I really mean is the delicious sort of  homebody tendency I feel after day light savings time ends and the darkness descends so early.   I just kind of embrace it and cocoon up in my little house with my little family, a good book, and some chamomile.   My interpretation of AskMoxie's Candletime.

The Danes have a verb for this sort of thing, "at hygge sig" which we don't really have an equivalent for in English.  The closest translation would be "to cozy oneself."   Too cute.

3.  A long, sweaty run in the cold.  I know this is weird but there's something about running in cold weather that makes it even more satisfying.   I pretend I'm in Rocky IV, you know where he's training in Russia and running in the snow?  Yeah.   I come home feeling even more badass than usual, high on endorphins.   EYE OF THE TIGER.

4.  And finally, a hot bath on a cold night. Preferably with a good book and glass of wine or bottle of hard cider.  Yes?

What are your favorite, simple pleasures?

Halloweener

Even though I'm not a super ginormous fan of dressing in costume anymore, I still love Halloween.  I love the spookiness of the season:  The increasing darkness, the dimming pallet of oranges, browns, golds and the thinning of sunlight all add to the overall eeriness of this time of year. 

I also love Halloween goodies and decorations.  Here are some Etsy finds I'm positively ghouling over.  Heh.

1.  A spooky painting:

Bat Tree Original Painting by jellybeans

2.  And more bats:

Halloween Bat Paper Garland by houseofclouds

3.  Mmmmm, pie:

You are my Pumpkin Pie Card by friendsagain

4.  Zombie Bunnies love treats:

Zombie Buns Attack Snack Plate by barbaradonovan

5. A vintage collage.  Adorbs.

Halloween Time Vintage-style Original Collage by summerroad

6.  And a super cute boogie-ing Batman, if I DO say so myself. 

Happy Halloween!!

Digging Myself Out

I did it.  Somehow, I made it through last week's Insane Work Craziness and came out the other side relatively unscathed.  There might be some delayed decompressing but right now I feel pretty fucking amazing.  I accomplished a lot, had many meetings, threw one enormous event (about 600 attendees) and am still almost not crazy.  You know what I mean.

Here are a few of the things that are helping me dig myself out of the stress-trench I've been trapped in the last 10 days or so.  I'm stoked that I have time to read books, play with my kid, cook, and surf the net again.  Life is...well...better.

1.  Donkeys.  OMG how I love looking at pictures of sweet little donkeys.  I've always loved them- they have such personality!  My grandma used to love to tell this story about a little Family Circus moment I had when I was young:  She and I were driving in the Kansas farm-country when we saw a sweet pasture of little gray donkeys.  "Those donkeys remind me of Jesus!" I declared.  Obviously, I was very young and smack in the middle of Catholic Ed. but even now...Donkeys kind of remind me of Jesus.  But in a good way.




2.  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a fucking fantastic book.  I loved Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride Predjudice and Zombies, as well.  Just totally awesome.
I especially love how he weaves the source material with the monsters so seamlessly...I'm simultaneously really interested in story while laughing my ever loving ass off.  Leave it to me to discuss Jesus, Abraham Lincoln and Vampires in the same post.

3.  This recipe for Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa.  We've made it once a week for probably the last month.  And none of us are sick of it yet.  Otto absolutely loves it.  Its wonderful "we wish it was summer" food.  (And no, it is not yet summer here.  Cold, windy, high temps in the 30's and 40's.  To paraphrase Steve Zissou, "Sonofabitch I'm sick of this weather." )

But seriously, you should make this dish because it is awesome.  The only thing we do differently from the recipe is we cook the burgers on our big ol' non-stick griddle instead of baking them- we like the crustiness the griddle provides and it seemed like baking them just kind of dried them out and made them fall apart a little bit.

4.  Hangin' with my homies aka my family.  They are awesome.  Otto is super into cutting pretty much anything with his little green scissors these days so I put him to work on some coupons.  Heh.   And yes, that ad for tampons features a busty lady in a sports bra. 

 

My Favorite Things: Definitely NOT a Clustercuss

Readers of this blog may know that I have a little tiny, itsy bitsy crush on all things Wes Anderson. When I try to pinpoint exactly what it is about his films that attracts me so much its hard to zoom in on any one thing...I just love them. The tone, the stories, the visual aesthetic, the music...I love it all.

The characters are dry...but funny...but serious...but real...all at once.  The tiny details in each set fascinate me and I think that's one of the reasons I can watch his films over and over again- I'm always noticing something I've missed in past viewings;  the writing on a document in the background, a funny sign or a wardrobe piece that says something about a character.

We recently procured his latest, the stop-motion animated, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and none of us can really get enough of it.  As silly as this may sound, I love that an artist like Wes Anderson exists and I'm glad he made something appropriate for me to watch with my kid.  ("Are you cussin' with me?"  Haha!)  His movies inspire me to be creative, to read books I wouldn't normally read, and in some ways help validate the way I see the world.  I'm not saying I could be one of his characters, but I definitely identify with many of them.

Plus, have I mentioned how rockin' the soundtracks are?  Rolling Stones and The Kinks are some of his (and my) faves.

Love!

Inspriations

As a variation on a "My Favorite Things" post, I thought I'd share some stuff, people and music that I'm crushing on right now. This time of year, especially, I find myself needing just a little inspiration to stay motivated- not only for just the day to day stuff but also for the extras (knitting, journaling, getting dressed in the morning...) This shit is getting me through, people.

First up, Bill Murray and more specifially, this movie. I love it so much.

He was recently on an episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations (another crush) and it was so fun to see the two of them together, discussing food and other things...Sigh. Think I just might have a thing for older, ruggedly handsome and darkly humored men? Me either. :-)

Also, I'm still totally crushing on First Aid Kit (link to their MySpace)...I know the band name is silly but 1., English is not their native tongue and 2., they are so young! But OMG look at this gorgeous video! And I love, love LOVE how their stong, soaring voices blend together.




And, lastly, check out these adorable handpainted cards on Etsy...This broken hearted one's my favorite (of course):

I'm making a concerted effort to create more right now...I feel like its a great way to pull myself up by my bootstraps and dust the dirty old snow off my pants. I'm trying to journal more, do more art projects with my little dude and brainstorm re-decorating ideas for the house.

That, paired with a generous dose of Crown Royal might just get me through :-)


What's getting you through the hum-drums of late winter?

My Favorite Things

The bad: Its fucking freezing here (of course) (still): -2 degrees this morning on our way to work/daycare. Additionally, I live with a sick, complaining Husband. And also a sick, whiny, fragile toddler. I'm also still dealing with the emotional weight of my brother and his partner's miscarriage, my rift with my other brother, friends who seem to be disappearing down the rabbit hole of booze/drugs and/or on the verge of losing partial custody of their kids because they just can't seem to parent responsibly....sigh.

Its been a while since I've done a My Favorite Things post...but I need a little pick me up and thinking about things I'm loving is one of the best ways for me to pull myself up and dust off my pants.


First up, is my new toy: the Kindle 2.

Yeah, yeah. You've all heard about it. But truly. For a prolific reader like myself, it is kind of totally fantastic.

(Disclaimer: I am in NO WAY being compensated for reviewing this. I paid full price for the bastard.)

I've gotten over the buyer's remorse-type feelings that I always get when I spend any large amount of money on myself and have really started enjoying it. I've downloaded a bunch of free classics that I can't wait to read/reread: Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, Jane Eyre...and there are lots more where those come from.

I purchased one book, just to try out the whole shop/download wirelessly thing and I've gotta say, it was pretty smooth. Also, my custom made cover arrived just a day after the Kindle did and it turned out so cute! I'm officially smitten.

And while this thing won't completely replace books for me- If I read something that I truly love and know I will want to reread/share I'll probably eventually purchase it in hard copy form. But for guilty pleasure reading (which I, ahem, do a lot of), I just don't see how this thing can be beat.


When I'm able to tear myself away from the Kindle for a moment, I'm also really loving the simple things:

Chamomile tea.

Walking home for lunch in the bright (cold) sunshine.

Long, rambling phone calls with friends.

Snuggling with my kid under the down comforter while the wind whistles outside.

Good TV: like this, this or this.

Thinking about Spring, as far away as it might be.

What things are you loving right now?

Friends can listen to 'Endless Love' in the dark

My favorite things today:

Handmade Holiday Gifts: OMG y'all. Took a little trip to the local holiday market today and TOTALLY SCORED. It was some ninja fuckin' shopping. Handmade wooden domino set for Grandpa, recycled angel pins for Grandmas (and Mom), earrings for sister-in-law, scarves for daycare teachers, handmade wooden puzzles for kids...All at great prices and its not the same old shit you see in every Target. So super stoked to give everyone their gifts!!

Date nights with the Husband: We have one scheduled for tomorrow night and I am SO EXCITED. Its been a while. The plan is going out for Indian food and then ice skating. How fun does that sound?!? Squee!

Speaking of ice-skating, I got new skates! They are used hockey skates, very nice and much better than my 20 year old figure skates. I'm pretty sure I'm on my way to becoming a total badass on the ice. But I have to confess that every time I'm on the ice I have to fight an uncontrollable urge to pretty much recite every ice skating scene from Happy Gilmore.

The Holiday Season: Yeah, its commercial. And yes a lot of it is super annoying for many many different reasons. And I hate that not everyone can enjoy it because of layoffs, illness, poverty, you name it. ...But I can't help it. I love this time of year. I love the snow. I love planning surprises for people I love. I LOVE cutting down our own holiday tree. And then comes the decorating with Christmas Vacation playing in the background. Plus. PLUS. Our jobs give us from the 24th through January 4th off. Paid. Its kind of totally awesome.

Things I'm not so fond of?

BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURES. Effing brrrr. It was -17 this morning. -8 when I drove to work. THAT IS TOO COLD, PEOPLE.

I AM bringing sexy back.

Time for some pimpin', my friends. We all know I love lists and I figure its time for another My Favorite Things. I go through phases, like I'm sure most of us do...(except for my husband who has such fierce brand loyalty that it borders on some form of OCD) but right now, these are the things that are rocking my world, putting a bounce in my step (and hair) and keeping me slightly saner. Enjoy!**

1. Lush Ultimate Shine Solid Shampoo. I was dubious, at first, at the idea of a solid shampoo. I was addicted to my little coconut scented puddle of goop. But. I bit the bullet, found some of this stuff on Ebay (discounted, but new of course) and I don't think I'll ever look back. This shit IS the shit. Easy, lasts forever, no wasteful packaging, smells nice and my hair seems to lurve it big time. Win. Next, I think I want to try their solid Jungle Conditioner. I know! I'm so adventurous.

2. Puffs Plus Lotion with Vicks. OMFG, y'all. How can one of my favorite things be freaking tissues you ask? Because I've had a seriously heinous cold followed by hay fever these past weeks and THESE THINGS HAVE SAVED MY LIFE. They are so soft and something about the mentholish scent is so comforting...ahhhhh.

3. Tenacious D. Because of the awesomeness.

4. My Ipod Shuffle. Don't get me wrong. I love my Zune (I have an older version of the 120): its great for audio books, long car rides and was my VERY BEST FRIEND when I was pumping milk twice a day, but for running, and just throw-in-the-purse-ability, the shuffle is rockin' my world right now. In addition to the copious amounts of D (see #3), I'm also rockin' to: the new Green Day, the Hives, Screeching Weasel, and strangely enough, JT's Sexyback. SHUT UP! I JUST LIKE THAT SONG OKAY? ITS FUN TO RUN TO! I DON'T HAVE TO DEFEND MYSELF TO YOU! *blushes and clears throat.*

I'm looking for more high tempo, motivating guilty pleasure music to add, so if you have suggestions...I don't care how dorky it is, if its fun and good to work out to at 5:15 in the am.

5. The MayaWrap Sling We had kind of taken a break from babywearing much there for a while...the little dude is SO independent- he had been wanting to walk rather than be worn or carried, so I had gradually phased out even packing the sling on most short trips. We never seemed to use it. Recently, however, the good ol' sling has had a bit of a renaissance and we're both back into it for short trips to the store, walks to the park, etc. He doesn't stay in it the whole time, but asks for it often enough that its worked its way back into the mix. This is good as we are going to fly to TX in a week and it will be nice to wear him at the airport. Its so handy to just throw him in it and go, as opposed to having a bulky, unwieldy stroller with buckles etc. Viva la babysling!!

6. Warm weather and charcoal grilling. The in-laws gifted us with a new charcoal grill as an early anniversary present and when it hasn't been raining (and even when it has) we've been having a blast cooking good food and spending time out of doors. Yay summer. Finally.

How 'bout you? Any "stuff" rockin' it for you right now??

**I don't get paid for pimping any of this stuff. God, I'm a sucker.