Enjoying January

Why is it always so depressing to take down Christmas decorations?  It's like the fun part of winter is over and now we have to hunker down and survive the blah-ness that is January-March. So, for me, this is the perfect time to write a list, reminding myself of all the things I enjoy about winter...

1. SOUP! (some of my favorites: Carrot, Truffled Cauliflower, and Teresa's Easy Taco Soup)

2. Sweaters, slippers, tea, candles and all other things cosy and warm. 

3. Fires in the fireplace. Even though it's no longer Christmastime, this still makes things feel festive.

4. Not feeling guilty about wasting a day by curling up inside with a good book (I just started this one...). If it's rainy and grey, you might as well be inside! 

5. Award Season. Each year Teresa makes a goal to watch all of the Academy Awards Best Picture nominees. 

6. Great TV! The Sochi Olympics start in February and Downton Abbey is back on PBS and it's a great time to catch up on shows you might have missed. I have no idea how I missed the memo on Orphan Black (BBC America)  and Bletchley Circle (available on Netflix). I'm starting those now.

7. Healthy living. Whether it's on Pinterest, Facebook or even emails from my favorite yoga studio, inspiration to be healthier abounds in January. It's a great time to jump on the bandwagon and make positive changes. Lets face it, we have no real excuse to eat an entire box of chocolate in one sitting until Valentines Day. 

Cozy Cat PJ's

I've been wanting to buy all sorts of cozy things lately with the cold weather settling in. I linked these adorable cat slippers on the Friday Roundup last week. How cute are the above cat pajamas from the latest Nordstrom catalogue? I want them. The leggings and sweatshirt are made by Cozy Zoe. These moccasins and bunny pajama pants are also super cute from Anthropologie. What do you like to wear when the weather gets frigid?

Winter Flowers: Hyacinth

Over the weekend my mom dropped off a fun treat at my house, hyacinth bulbs in adorable glass vases. Seattle has been in the midst of a torrential downpour all week so it's wonderful to have these quick-growing, gorgeous-smelling flowers waiting for me at home. Have you ever grown them before? I think this is going to have to be a new January tradition for me. The only downside is Rafa thinks they are his new play toy. :)

PS. I had wanted to take photos of my own plants but it is like nighttime all day here so the lighting just isn't working out. Sunshine please come back to Seattle!

(first Image, second image)

Winter Workouts?

What do you do to stay fit in the winter? I don't have a lot of motivation to go jogging in the dark/rain so I'm trying to find alternatives to my regular routine for the winter months. In the past I've done Julianne Hough's dance workout DVD's and used the Nike App for my iPhone (which are both good but you really have to be self motivated!). Any recommendations for other indoor workout programs that don't involve expensive gym memberships? I used to call my gym membership a donation because I never went. :/

I tend to be far more motivated to keep up with my yoga in the winter though. The warm, low-lit studio calls to me and it's great to have someone else motivate me through a routine. Also, my yoga "guru," Melina Meza, has a fabulous series of books and a DVD that have actually gotten me to do a bit of a home practice in the fall/winter over the years. Check her out, she's great!



(Top photo and Melina)

Bottle of Sunshine

As most of my friends and family have heard in the past week, I am not a fan of the autumn daylight savings time change. To me, "falling back" just means I never see the light of day. I leave for work in the dark and get home in the dark, and not to be Debbie Downer but around here it's usually raining too. Which means that many people in Seattle have a vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sun exposure. One study found that 75% of Americans are vitamin D deficient, which can lead to depression, flu, bone weakness and diabetes.

Thankfully, this deficiency is easy to combat by taking daily vitamins. I'm totally addicted to "Sunny Gummies" which are packed with 1000 IU of vit D and taste like delicious sour lemon candy. Check them out, it's an easy way to combat the winter blues. D is also found naturally in some fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks and fortified dairy and grain products.

PS. This is not a sponsored post (I wish!) just a little tip on one of my current favorite things.

Drink of the Month: Rooibos Tea

I’m a tea lover. On an average day I drink between one and five cups of tea (or more at work!).  I enjoy all types of tea: green, earl grey, jasmine, peppermint, Irish breakfast, calming, medicinal. But my very favorite tea is rooibos. This tasty, caffeine-free red tea is grown in the Western Cape province of South Africa and is now popular all over the world. Patrick and I spent six months in Pretoria, South Africa in 2010 and it seemed like nearly everyone drank rooibos all day long. Most people there drink it with lots of milk and sugar but it can be sipped plain, with honey and lemon, or iced. Some places in South Africa are now even offering Red Cappuccinos made from rooibos.

Lucky for me, rooibos is also an antioxidant and said to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems. In South Africa, rooibos is used as a traditional medicine to alleviate allergies, asthma, colic in babies, and dermatological problems. What types of tea do you enjoy? Would you try a rooibos tea cocktail?

Cute photo taken by Jenny of her rooibos tea steeping in a cute mug from one of my favorite stores.

Boots

Consider this a PSA for anyone like me who has spent hours unsuccessfully trying on every pair of boots at Nordstrom because their calves are not the uniform circumference as decided upon by the likes of Steve Madden and Frye. Duo is a British brand that makes boots in different calf widths. So you can get them as skinny or wide as you need. I stumbled upon the brand by googling "skinny boots" a few years ago and immediately ordered a pair. My Duo boots have held up really well and I still get compliments every time I wear them, so much better than walking around looking like a 5 year old trying on their dad's shoes.

"Sporty" on Skates

When the winter blues start to set in I know I should try to get outside more even if it is cold and rainy. I find something that motivates me is doing fun and different outdoor activities versus just trying to jog in the drizzle one more time. This winter I've already had the chance to go cross-country skiing and ice skating! For Jenny's birthday we had a party at the ice rink in downtown Seattle. We had so much fun sipping on hot drinks and pretending to be professional ice dancers that we forgot we were even getting exercise! We resolved to be  more active in the evenings and on the weekends instead of just hitting one more happy hour (our success rate is another story, but these pictures are reminding me of how great it felt to be outside and get the endorphin's flowing). What outdoor winter activities would you recommend for us?

PS. Did you dream of becoming an ice skater in the Olympics when you grew up like we did? ;)

Our hero, Kristi Yamaguchi, in all her 90's glory 

Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! What's everyone up to this weekend? I finally caught that nasty cold that has been going around so I'll be bundled up with my cutie kitty sipping on tea and OJ. I just got the Kindle Fire so I'm excited to play around with that and see what free books I can get my hands on-- any advice from Kindle owners out there?

Here's your Friday Roundup!


Famous authors predict the super bowl.

Smart addition to your refrigerator.

Sick of sitting at your desk all day? Workout at work. ;)


Why cats are not doctors.


Cute purse I want for spring.

Magical children's nook 

Delish Paella recipe to spice up your weekend.

Big news: Starbucks is expanding their beer/wine sales.


Also, Disneyland is finally allowing employees to wear beards! 

Seven days of hot toddies.


Gorgeous towels from Anthro.


If you're in Seattle, this would be fun to do over the weekend.


30 most anticipated movies of 2012. Which ones do you want to see?

(photo of Marilyn Monroe at ‘The Prince and The Showgirl’ Premiere, 1957.)

Friday Roundup

Isn't this photo hilarious? Oh, Seattle, we love you. 

Well the snow is finally melting around here and we're getting back to the usual 45 degrees and raining. Jenny made it out after a slight delay in LA and has arrived in Kenya! Can't wait to hear all about her and Jason's adventures taking photos for the next three weeks.

Here's your Friday Roundup my friends:


Need some comfort food this weekend? Why not whip up some of the World Most Delicious Mac&Cheese?


If you live in Seattle, don't miss the glassybaby Seconds Sale next week!

I'm inspired by all this great advice.

President Obama singing Al Green, enough said.

Can I please sleep in one of these FABULOUS bedrooms?

Cat or sociopath? :)

How to start drinking Scotch.

New favorite lipstick.

Fun cover of our favorite song from last week.

...when it snows

Straight from Seattle...Sh*t People Say When it Snows. Sorry if this is only funny to us Northwest Folk!

Snow Day!

Here in Seattle we've been hit by a "major" snowstorm! This is very exciting as winter around these parts usually means rain, rain, and more rain. I felt like superwoman navigating the snow covered roads in the dark this morning, listening to KEXP's fabulous snowy morning mix on the radio. Here are a few photos from Pinterest inspiring me on this cuddle-up-and-be-cozy kind of day:

Adorable Fox licking his lips...yum!

Quilt I want to sew

I like to think of this as an aunt hugging her little nephew...did I mention I'm going to be an aunt!?

Journal time in the bath

Calabria, Italy

Cluster of pictures

Gluten-free Chocolate cookies!

Leanne Shapton Painting

Sporty vs. Athletic

I have a confession. I've always wanted to be that athletic girl who wins sports trophies and can run a marathon (or just a 5k for that matter). I have never been gifted in this area and pretty much quit all organized sports in 7th grade when, at 5'4" and 70 lbs, I came in last place at my cross country meet (Sorry friends, I know you're sick of hearing about that one!). But as I get older and wiser, I have come to realize something that I wish I learned long ago....you don't have to be athletic to be "sporty!" There are plenty of individual activities that I can participate in to get my heart pumping, gain strength and limber up: Yoga! Zumba! Wogging (jog.walking)! Biking! Indian Dancing! Yes I look ridiculous doing most of these, that's not the point.

This weekend I tried out cross-country skiing for the first time since I was nine years old...and I loved it! Admittedly, I have a huge bruise on my knee from awkwardly loosing my balance and falling on the ice, but I had a blast taking in the beautiful, snow-covered hills of Northern Idaho. We spent a great weekend building fires on the beach, sipping hot cocoa and playing cribbage by the fire.

PS. Isn't half the fun of being "sporty" dressing up in the costumes? Cute stuff for winter activities here:

Joan of Arctic Boots by Sorrel

J. Crew Snowden Funnelneck Sweater-Jacket

Krochet Kids 'Bella' Hat