Almost Goofy

If you follow me on Twitter, you already know that I didn’t complete the Goofy Challenge this year. But let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

Just like last year, we planned to arrive early on Friday morning to give ourselves enough time to head to the Expo and relax before getting to bed early. By the time I was in bed on Friday night (well, let’s be honest, Friday evening), my feet were a little sore. I figured it was just from all the walking we had done, and went to bed. I woke up on Saturday morning and noticed my foot was a little sore, but continued to get ready. As time went on, though, I started to realize things weren’t looking good for my foot – it wasn’t just tired from the moderate walking we did the day before, but instead there was a dull pain very similar to the pain I had ignored when my foot first started bothering me. After walking back and forth to my room multiple times while asking my husband what he would do, I realized it wouldn’t be smart for me to run the 13.1 miles that morning. As tears welled up in my eyes, I told my husband to go on without me. At the time, nothing could have been worse – I hobbled back to the hotel room at 3:30am, alone, with the hopes of getting that coveted Goofy Challenge medal gone. I iced my foot, and prayed to the running Gods it would be okay for Sunday’s 26.2.

The decision not to run on Saturday was hard, but I think in the end proved to be the right one. I figured between the two races, I would much prefer completing another 26.2 to another 13.1, and knew if my foot wasn’t well on Saturday, there would be no chance for a run on Sunday. I took it easy on Saturday (with a trip to EPCOT I’ll recap in a food related post later), and stopped by the KT Tape booth at the Expo to get taped (I figured it couldn’t hurt). When I woke up on Sunday morning, my foot was still a little sore, but in much better shape than it had been the day before. I told my husband that I didn’t care how long it took us, we were going to finish and I was going to get at least one medal out of the weekend!

Because the race starts so early it means I have to wake up super early, which causes problems for my oh-so-temperamental GI system. I have a pretty decent routine on days when I have to wake up at a normal time (typically anytime after 6am), but when I have to wake up super early, I run into issues, despite being diligent with my pill taking in the days leading up to the race. Since I didn’t get to empty the tank before the race (just like last year), I knew we’d be stopping along the way… I just didn’t know it would be 3 times! Because I didn’t know how my foot was going to be feeling, I wasn’t worried about the stops and it slowing us down; I assumed the race would be more of a hobble than anything else.

As the race started, the first few miles were interesting – some steps were pain-free, while others were a little worrisome. After about 5 miles and an energy pumping run through Magic Kingdom, my foot pain was no longer a concern, and I took my first bathroom break. Unlike last year, the race took us to MK early, but instead of taking us on a long trek to Animal Kingdom, we ran to the Speedway and around the track there, where I took another bathroom break. Once we were out of the Speedway and en route to Animal Kingdom, we were already halfway, which we crossed in about 2:18. At this point I was feeling pretty good, despite the rising temperature and nearly 100% humidity. I’m SO glad I decided to wear a hat!

After the halfway point I decided to break up the remaining miles based on what I knew was left – 4 miles to Animal Kingdom, 3 miles to and in ESPN Wide World of Sports (and hitting mile 20!), 3 miles to Hollywood Studios, and then just 3 within HS and EPCOT to the finish. I knew that I wanted to save a little energy for those last few miles in the parks, because they really are electrifying and fun to speed through! As we made our way into Animal Kingdom, I realized that at that point, I was feeling the best I had ever felt during a marathon… even with all the drama from the day before. With just about 8 miles to go, I knew I’d be able to finish and started to slowly pick up the pace.

By this point the sun was beating down on us, and I was soaked. I’m talking to the point where my shorts were dripping on the back of my legs – so delicious. We made sure to stop at every single station, oftentimes taking Powerade and water, so I knew I was at least hydrated and the cold sponges they handed out around mile 18 were glorious. I took my third and final bathroom break before leaving ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, and enjoyed a lap around their track and all their fields. By this point it was the home stretch, so I started to pick it up, realizing I could *almost* PR if I kept going. By this point we realized that if I hadn’t taken THREE bathroom breaks (!!) I would have definitely PRed, which helped hammer home that I made the right decision the day before. I ran into Krissy at this point and we chatted for a bit before I continued on my way. She was in such great spirits and having a great time just running and stopping to take pictures with the characters – her attitude was infectious and helped me get through those last miles! I soaked up the miles in Hollywood Studios, down past the Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk Hotels, and finally into EPCOT. I skipped the last two water stations and powered through, crossing in 4:27:06 with the announcers reading off my name!

Of course as soon as I finished my quads started to scream, but I had no foot pain at all… go figure! I was able to spend the rest of the day in Magic Kingdom and enjoy dinner at the new Be Our Guest restaurant. The rest of the week included zero running (but LOTS of walking!), and I’m really looking forward to getting back to it this week. I’m in the process of figuring out what fall marathon I want to run since I went with the refund for the 2012 NYCM, and I’m focusing on some Spring half marathons in the meantime. So tell me…

Any fall marathon suggestions for me?
What are you currently training for?

Gearing Up

This coming weekend, I’ll be running my fourth marathon, and my fifth half marathon as part of Disney’s Goofy Challenge! If you remember, I ran this race last year; it was fun, but definitely harder than I had anticipated so I wasn’t sure if I’d be giving it a shot again. After minimal persuasion, I signed up. And just like last year, I’m hoping that my fall marathon training will help carry me through the weekend’s races (don’t worry, I’ve been running A LOT since then, but October marathon training is hopefully a solid base). Since this is my third trip to Disney to run, and my 4th trip there in the last 4 years (all in January!), I’m really excited for the familiarity as well as the new changes that I’ll experience both during the races as well as at Disney in general.

In terms of the race, the marathon course is different this year, including a trip to the speedway and ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. I’m looking forward to this for one very big reason – it breaks up the course! The old route spent so much time on service roads, which is not fun at mile 16 of a marathon… especially when it’s really your 29th mile of the weekend. Those service roads were what I like to refer to as “the dark times” of the race last year – I really struggled due to a lack of proper nutrition before the race… So I’m going to be sure not to have a repeat. Of course I’m also looking forward to the mile 20 party (since it’s the 20th anniversary of the race), the medals, and seeing all the ridiculous costumes and characters along the way! I’ll also be keeping my eyes peeled for Joey Fatone and Sean Astin (Rudy!), because you better believe I’ll start singing or chanting, depending on who I find!

For the parks, I’m super pumped to check out the additions to Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom. Since I’m an 8 year old at heart, Magic Kingdom is my absolute favorite. I was able to score a reservation at the new Be Our Guest restaurant to celebrate finishing Goofy, so expect a review on that once I get back! Aside from the update to Fantasyland, I’m just excited to visit all the parks and go on every ride – multiple times. Plus, I’m a huge fan of Disney dining, and have a few new restaurants I’ll be checking out as well as dining in Mexico because it’s my hands-down favorite. Disney food has never disappointed (me), so it’ll be fun approaching it as a vegetarian for the first time.

And, maybe most importantly, this will be my first race (well, first two) representing the Oiselle Team! I wound up sitting out the Hangover 5k due to foot pain and not wanting to risk the upcoming races and vacation, and based on the fact that it feels almost 100%, I’m happy with the decision. I have my racing singlet, Rogas, Lori shorts, arm warmers, and sweet temporary tattoo all ready to go for two days of racing… and lots of other Oiselle shirts packed for my days at the parks. Here’s to hoping I don’t stink up my singlet too much on day one (I’m only half kidding…)!

In addition to running for Oiselle, I’m really looking forward to hopefully meet up with a lot of people I’ve connected with online. I already have plans for a character breakfast with Krissy, and I can’t wait! We started chatting via Twitter after last year’s Disney Marathon, and I’m really excited to finally meet her. So for anyone that’s heading to Disney for this weekend’s races – let me know – I’d love to meet up!

I know that running races “for fun” and taking it easy isn’t for everyone (believe me, I have trouble with it sometimes too), but this is the one time a year I really take the time to enjoy running. I mean, what a benefit to being obsessed with running – a Disney vacation (or vice versa)! I already have my sights set on the Disneyland half in September since I’ve never been to Disneyland, so 2013 may be the year of Run Disney events. I can’t wait to share the race and dining experiences with you when I get back. But in the meantime, tell me:

Have you ever been to Disney (land or world)? What’s your favorite ride? Favorite park?
Do you ever run races “for fun”?

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Photography

It’s no secret that my blog pictures aren’t that great. Most of the time I snap them with my iPhone, and when they actually look somewhat decent, it’s because I’ve asked my husband to take it for me. Since I started blogging back in 2009, I always knew improving my photography skills (read: gaining any type of “skill” at all), was something I needed to do… but I never took the steps to actually do it.

Last week my husband bought himself a new camera, and so I inherited his Canon Rebel T1i (he got the snazzy Canon 6D)… meaning it was time to finally tackle photography. I’ve always enjoyed photography, and oftentimes help my husband set-up shots. However, I lack patience and have never really been able to take the time to play with settings, let alone edit the photos after the fact. But I woke up on Sunday morning with the drive to get my picture taking on.

Despite the fact that it was 30 degrees out with winds making it feel closer to 20, I set out to take a few photos in the beautiful sun. They’re my first attempts at real photography, but since I was somewhat pleased with the results I figured I would share them. These were all taken at Rutgers University’s College Avenue campus. You can click on each photo to enlarge it.

I’m looking forward to learning more about photography (my head is spinning with aperture, ISO, shutter speed…), and not only improving the blog’s content, but taking pictures I’m proud of!

Sweet on Brunch

I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that brunch is a fabulous thing. I could wax poetic about how anything goes, it’s a great excuse to sleep in and still enjoy breakfast foods, etc., but you already know all this. So instead, I’ll give you a recipe for a super easy brunch dish that would be perfect for New Year’s Day… or any day for that matter.

While I may be one of the few and far between not doing a wrap-up of 2012 post or a pre-2013 post, I’ll share with you a few things that in just the last few days, I’ve decided will be my “to-do’s” of the new year. They’re quite simple: run more, cook more (recipe creation, really), complain less, learn to take better pictures, and practice yoga more… all while striving to be happy and healthy. I guess you could say there’s a trend of “more” for 2013, which I’m okay with. Since 2012 was far from what I expected, I have high hopes for 2013. Of course, the aforementioned to-do’s won’t happen without action from me, so we can say that I’m planning on making 2013 the year of doing. I’m pumped.

I’ll be kicking off my year of doing with a 5k on Tuesday, aptly named the Hangover 5k. I somehow hurt my foot on Wednesday last week, ran on it anyway on Thursday, and could barely walk by Friday. So, I haven’t run since then, making my goals for this 5k to just finish without foot pain. Goofy is just under 2 weeks away, and I have to make sure I can finish those 39.3 miles! The 5k will be my first race as an Oiselle Team member, and I can’t wait to rock the racing singlet, rundelicious top, and lesley knickers! And then after the 5k, I’ll probably make this fabulous brunch dish, again.

So next time you’re looking for something brunch-y to eat, you can give this a try. It isn’t really a frittata, or a strata, or a crustless quiche. I suppose it’s more of a Sweet Potato Egg Pie… so that’s what we’ll call it. Cheers to a happy and healthy 2013!

Sweet Potato Egg Pie
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 Tbsp milk
1/4 cup of shredded cheese
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat a cake pan or pie dish (I used a cake pan) with non-stick cooking spray. Layer the sliced sweet potatoes along the bottom, covering as much of the pan/dish as you can. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until combined. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
4. Once the potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes, remove from the oven. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the potatoes, and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

Buffalo Bill

Well would you look at that, TWO references to It’s A Wonderful Life within two posts this month (you know, when Mary and George are on their way home and they’re singing?). Must just be the time of the year! For those of you that were thinking about Silence of the Lambs and got freaked out, don’t worry, we aren’t talking about lotion or anything. Instead, we’re talking about Buffalo Stuffed Shells!

There hasn’t been much going on in my neck of the woods aside from working, running, and enjoying the Holiday season… which is more than okay by me! It’s definitely been interesting to navigate the Holidays as an “official” vegetarian, which I have been for almost 5 months now. I get asked the typical questions such as “why?” and “do you eat chicken? at least fish?,” and sometimes odd questions like, “you mean you don’t eat bacon?!” The easiest way I’ve found to combat the weird looks is to make delicious food that everyone can eat – then I don’t have to worry about eating just chips for dinner, or inconveniencing anyone with my dietary needs. Plus, it’s making me cook more which is something I want to do in the coming year. I’ve cooked a lot, but most of it has been things from Pinterest or things I’m comfortable making. I decided to start early with this recipe and hopefully I can keep it up!

Despite being on the vegetarian train, I still have cravings for things like cheeseburgers and buffalo wings, with my favorite substitute for wings to date being this buffalo cauliflower. I’ve also made buffalo lasagna and figured I’d try my hand at buffalo stuffed shells. I love stuffed shells (especially the Mexican variety), so I hoped the shells would work with a buffalo flavor – and they did. While I used ricotta cheese, this could easily be made vegan with tofu and a dairy-free shredded cheese. And if you aren’t vegetarian, you could definitely add some shredded chicken to the mix.

Vegetarian Buffalo Stuffed Shells
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
14 jumbo pasta shells
8 oz. low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot buffalo sauce (or other “wing” sauce)
1/2 cup smoked cheese, shredded (I used applewood smoked gruyere)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella or a cheddar mix works)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the pasta shells according to the package. I like to throw in a few extras in case some fall apart/break while cooking.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup of the Frank’s, and smoked cheese.
3. Once the shells have cooked and cooled enough so you can touch them, fill each shell with 2-3 tablespoons of the cheese and Frank’s mixture. Put the shells into a greased 8×8 dish.
4. Top the shells the remaining 1/4 cup of Frank’s and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Sweet Success

I’ve tried my hand at cake balls and cake pops a few times before, and I’ve never been completely satisfied with the result. For whatever reason, no matter what I do (aka follow the recipe exactly), I can’t seem to get the cake balls to stay intact long enough to coat them in melted chocolate or candy melts. After giving up on the cake ball phenomenon, I decided to give truffles a try. I started with the basic chocolate truffle, and graduated to the (barely more complicated) Oreo truffle. After feeling confident enough in those attempts, I decided to try something new.

The biggest problem I’ve had with the cake mix and frosting mixture, as I’ve said, is that it just doesn’t stick together. The frosting is sticky, but it just isn’t sticky enough. I’ve only had success when ingredients like cream cheese or peanut butter are involved. So, after thinking long and hard about what I could use as a bonding agent, I realized there was a simple solution: sweetened condensed milk! Not only would it add an extra sweetness, but it’s sticky enough to hold everything together without being over the top sticky, like some syrups. Enter the cake truffle!

On Wednesday at work, my (new) department decided to celebrate Festivus. This meant a White Elephant, an ordered lunch, and of course, treats! Since I’m known as the resident baker and food provider in the office, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to try my truffle idea. You only need four ingredients, and everything comes together quickly. Sure, you have to spend some time waiting for the cake to harden so it can be shaped into balls and coated in chocolate, but I don’t mind the down time… it lets you do other things!

These are a perfect last minute dessert to take to a Holiday party, or something just to enjoy for yourself! These were such a success, I’m thinking I may have to make a few more batches to share before the year is up.

Vanilla Cake Truffles
– makes 30-40 truffles, depending on the size –

Ingredients:
2 cups of vanilla cake mix (I used French Vanilla)
½ cup + 1 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
8 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Combine the cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl. Make sure everything is well combined; the mixture should easily stick together.
2. Refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes.
3. Using the chilled dough, shape them into balls, placing them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. My truffles measured out to be about 1.5 teaspoons each. Of course you can make them smaller or bigger – it’s up to you!
4. Freeze the dough balls for another 15 minutes.
5. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in a glass bowl. Your time may vary (I like to do 1 minute, stir, and then do another minute).
6. Using two spoons, drop each dough ball into the melted chocolate, being sure to coat every side, scraping it along the edge as you finish. Lay them back on the baking sheet with parchment paper. Freeze for at least 15 minutes, and then refrigerate to keep intact until you’re ready to eat them!

Treat Yourself

This post was supposed to be published on Friday morning. However, after sitting down to my computer to put the finishing touches on it, I was immediately distracted by the awful events that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. Now I’m not one to talk about politics, gun laws, mental health issues, etc., but a horrible event such as this cannot go unmentioned. It wouldn’t be right for me to post about delicious chocolate covered strawberries and how you deserve to treat yourself every once in awhile, while ignoring current events. My heart goes out to everyone that was affected.

—–

A few weeks ago I was asked if I would be interested in trying some Harry & David chocolate covered strawberries. Never being one to turn down chocolate, I happily accepted and was thrilled to find a pretty teal box waiting for me when I got home from work last week. I’ve been so wrapped up in buying gifts and being in the spirit of giving, I haven’t taken much time to do anything for myself. So these strawberries were the perfect treat!

I’m always fascinated when perishable foods are shipped – I expect them to arrive in less than stellar condition, but I’m always pleasantly surprised. They always come with reusable ice packs, which are always handy in a household of runners. After admiring the box (which I absolutely plan on re-using for gifts!) and the pretty bow, I tore into the strawberries. Each strawberry had its own compartment, and was surrounded by foam to keep it in place. I imagine this helped keep the strawberries fresh and bruise-free, which brings me to my next point.

The strawberries were so fresh! These weren’t just your average grocery store sized strawberries – they were big, plump, and juicy. Though I love strawberries, I usually shy away from them at the grocery store for a few reasons; they go bad so quickly, and they are generally just not impressive. So cover some plump and juicy strawberries in chocolate, and you have yourself a winner. These strawberries had a mixture of white and milk chocolate and made a surprisingly thick coating. Admittedly I couldn’t wait and dug right in. While I love strawberries, the chocolate definitely stole the show for me – it wasn’t just chocolate simply used to cover the strawberries, it was delicious in it’s own right. I would absolutely purchase these for myself, or a friend!

So in this time of giving, make sure to take a time-out for yourself, too. You deserve it. And don’t forget… Life is for one thing – living.

Disclaimer: These chocolate covered strawberries were sent to me free of charge, in return for my honest feedback. All opinions are my own.

Getting Wings

It’s a Wonderful Life; the perfect Holiday season movie, with a new double meaning for me. Of course one of the most memorable parts of the movie is about Clarence, the wing-less angel that saves George Bailey. As we learn during the movie, every time a bell rings, it’s a sign that an angel got their wings. Eventually Clarence gets his wings, and everyone lives happily ever after. While I’m no angel (I won’t even pretend that I am), I did find out that I will in fact, be getting my very own pair of “wings.”

For those of you that are scratching your heads, let me explain. No, I’m not getting literal wings, learning how to fly a plane, or anything of the sort. Rather, I’m one of the newest members of the Oiselle Running Team! If you’re wondering just what that is, they recently did an excellent blog post explaining what exactly it means to be an Oiselle team member. To make a long story short, I will be racing exclusively in Oiselle gear, essentially as an apparel ambassador.

A little background: Oiselle (pronounced wa-zell) is a women’s apparel company started by Sally Bergesen that makes functional (and cute!) women’s running gear for the everyday runner that wants to, as they say, go fast and take chances. The name is French, and means “bird” (hence me getting my ‘wings’). I first stumbled upon Oiselle about a year ago on Twitter. I was immediately taken by their involvement in the online running community, quickly replying and engaging with followers. I even participated in their #FastFriday and won an Aero tank – my first piece of Oiselle gear! I immediately fell in love (hello shirt pocket!), and knew the brand was something special. It wasn’t until this past fall, though, that I realized they had a racing team, and that I could potentially be a member.

I’ve always been drawn to individual sports that have a common team goal, hence my 12 years of swimming. I was always competing with myself, but at the end of the day that competition was just a small part of a bigger picture; a team. While I’m an introvert by nature, I’ve always strived and thrived in team environments; there is just something special about a group of people that share the same passions and work towards the same goal, while ultimately bettering themselves. So after being team-less for 4 years, I was itching for that same feeling I had grown to love. Since I’ve hung up my swimming goggles for running sneakers, I was thrilled when I learned about Oiselle’s team. Just following the team interactions on Twitter had me enamored by the camaraderie and support the teammates provided one another. I knew deep down that it was just what I needed to take my running to the next level – that extra push to get me out the door when I don’t want to, and to confidently toe the line on race days.

Finding out that I made the team was the perfect way to end a tumultuous, but PR-heavy running year. I’m so excited to represent Oiselle at my upcoming races, and equally pumped to connect with and get to know even more awesome runners. I’m ready to go fast and take chances, with my wings out!

More Than Bread

When I was in middle school, a Panera Bread opened in town. I remember spending multiple half-days downtown, wandering in and out of shops, and most lunches were enjoyed at Panera. You could usually find me with a bacon turkey bravo sandwich, or a bread bowl filled with creamy chicken and wild rice soup. And you can’t forget about the chocolate chip bagels – I had never encountered such a treat before! It was the first place I went after I got my braces off sophomore year of high school, and where I went for lunch after getting a cast for breaking my finger. It’s a place I was very familiar with, but over the last few years, fell out of favor.

So, when I was asked if I would be interested in taking a trip to review their soups, I was more than happy to reacquaint myself with Panera. One thing I remembered, and really like, is that their soup selections change depending on the day. Since it’s listed on their website and it’s the same each week, it’s easy to keep track and visit on your favorite soup days! One of my best friends from high school was obsessed with their baked potato soup, so I remember we always had to go on Fridays so she could get it. As a serious planner, I appreciate that knowledge ahead of time!

Being new to the world of full-fledged vegetarianism, I’m always happy to see when restaurants label things as vegetarian (as well as gluten free and dairy free)… it helps make things easier. With their easy to spot labeling, I knew right away which soups I could (and couldn’t) enjoy. So I set my sights on the low-fat vegetarian black bean soup – the plump beans simmered in a mildly spicy broth was just what I needed. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that my expectations weren’t high, simply because most black beans soups I’ve had while dining out have been less than fantastic… they’re usually on the watery side and far from generous when it comes to the black beans. This soup, however, was a pleasant surprise.

I paired the soup with their Mediterranean veggie sandwich (I had to go with the “You Pick Two!”), and it was a completely satisfying and delicious meal. It was just the push I needed to make my visits to Panera more frequent. I’m hooked on that black bean soup! And, the veggie sandwich was just the right amount of crisp vegetables, dressing, and feta cheese. And besides, who doesn’t love soup in a sourdough bread bowl? I can’t wait to head back to try out more soup – their creamy tomato soup and new grilled cheese is calling my name!

Have you been to Panera? What’s your favorite item?
Soup lover? Share your favorite soups!

Disclaimer: I was sent a gift card to try Panera’s soup and write about it. All thoughts & opinons are my own.

Keep Reaching

This post is a total cheese-fest, so feel free to click away now if you’re not interested. But, if you’re looking for a little cheese to add to your day (not literally, though I’m always in the mood for some literal cheese) you are in the right spot. If not, you’ve been forewarned!

As fall comes to a close, the leaves are making their final decent to the ground, littering yards and sidewalks. Like most towns, mine offers to collect gathered leaves… but only if they’ve been neatly packaged into brown paper bags. While this makes the curbs look nicer, it’s proved interesting on my runs as most houses have them littered onto the sidewalks, making a fun little obstacle course for runners and walkers alike. There are a bunch of different bags; some provided by the town, some from Home Depot, some from Lowe’s, etc. Even though I’ve been running past them for over a month, up until recently I never took the time to read the bag’s text.

While running last week, I was finally paying attention and I read one of the Lowe’s bags. It read, “never stop improving.” At first I didn’t think anything of it – I mean, Lowe’s is a home improvement store so that’s a catchy little slogan that they hope will get you back to their store for more home improvements. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that little phrase is a perfect life mantra. I’m not usually one for catch phrases, mantras, or trendy hash-tags (I’m more of the #imgoingtowriteanentiresentenceasahashtagforfun type), but I really liked this one.

Of course with the end of the year less than a month away, everyone seems to be concerned with how they can wrap up the current year on a high note, and attack 2013 to make it “the best year ever.” I’ve echoed my sentiment on New Year’s Resolutions before (can’t hack it), and I’ve even tried little monthly goals (generally successful). But this “never stop improving” really got me thinking. Why do I have to create a concrete list of things I need to try and do this year? What if there isn’t even anything I want to do? Do I have to be specific? Will I fail if I don’t have it figured out by the end of the year? And most importantly, why do I have so many questions?!

At the end of the day, isn’t our goal in life to be happy? Whether that means signing up for and taking a class you’ve been eyeing for months, landing a new job, running a sub 4-hour marathon, or scoring a pair of Tory Burch flats… it’s all relative. There is so much uncertainty in life, and I just can’t get behind creating a list that I have to work on for twelve months. I have trouble deciding what I want for dinner – how am I going to know in December what next June will hold? Now I’m not saying New Year’s Resolutions aren’t a good idea; for a lot of people they are. For me, though, I’m not looking to work on 2013. I’m looking to work on life. Maybe that seems like a much bigger task – but for me, looking at the big picture is easier than breaking it down.

So what exactly am I saying? Really, I just thought the Lowe’s leaf bag was cool and worth sharing with you. And, if you’d like, you can join me to “never stop improving” your own life. If it means creating New Year’s Resolutions, go for it! If it means not creating them, but still forging ahead to have the best life possible, well then great – I’ll be right beside you. We only have this one life (unless someone knows otherwise, in which case, you can find me loafing it on the couch for this go-around), and we’re a big piece of the puzzle… some may even argue the puzzle. So I’m making a conscious effort to take the driver’s seat, and to never stop improving my life, and myself.

New Year’s Resolutions: yay or nay?
Any big plans or goals for 2013?