thoughtsday :: 6.6.2013

1. First and foremost, can we all just agree that these shorts are the bomb? I don't know if it's the reusable grocery bag material or the serious creases, but I need to buy these in bulk like Hanes socks.

I sported those at the doctor's office yesterday, where I got an actual diagnosis for this knee biz. After having zero pain with all the pulling, pushing, (hit it! Bop it!), the doctor seemed pleased to say that it's just inflammation. SCORE.

I'm going to have two weeks of physical therapy, followed by another doctor's visit, followed by rest, followed by...run? Yeah, let's hope so.

2. In the meantime, I'm trying to adhere somewhat to the "anti-inflammatory diet" to try and heal up from the inside out. This has involved a large amount of smoothies, cherry juice, almonds, and dark chocolate.

Yes, there's a hunk of life-changing bread in there. Carb me up, baby.

Something you might already know that I wish I had known when green smoothies were first born into the universe as nature's cure-all: tart cherry juice 100% cancels out all vegetable taste, making your smoothie taste like dessert, and sometimes almost too sweet. The first time I got a little heavy-handed with it and ended up not using any milk, which was a little too much for me. I get mine at Trader Joe's every week and drink it pretty much every day.

3.  I'm the co-co-chair of a little event my friends (AKA my fellow co-chairs) and I are hosting on Saturday called BEER OLYMPICS. So what if this makes me sound like I'm still a sophomore in college - there's beer and sports and sun involved! Bring on the debauchery!

Oh, and I plan on bringing this little guy to really get the party going. There's nothing like a good fruity shark to get everyone wanting that W.

Courtesy of Taste of Home

What do you typically put in your smoothies to make them oh-so-delectable?

thoughtsday :: 5.30.13

Happy Thursday, friends! I just returned from a two (yes, 2) mile run. I had 5 miles on the calendar for today, but one mile in I could tell my legs were d-e-a-d. Turns out, my body lost some fitness after not running for 7 weeks - who would think?

On a serious note, it is a little disheartening realizing this when I'm supposed to run a marathon in 3 days. I'm going to take it easy these next couple days and hopefully these leggies of mine will be fresh and ready for 26.2 miles come Sunday.

Onto some thoughts!

1. "Running the Sahara" is one of the most inspiring documentaties I've ever seen. I started watching it halfway through at a hotel, got sucked into it the hour I watched it, and then had to checkout of the room before I watched the end. The suspense! As soon as I got home I looked it up on Netflix, where it was available. I definitely recommend it.

2. Well, now that we're discussing inspiring documentaries, Nicole over at Pumps and Iron has a post today listing my other three favorite movies. These were the main influences for me changing to a vegan diet, and carried a lot of weight with me. If you want to ball your eyes out (not that I did or anything...), watch Vegucated.

3. Now that we're finished discussing documentaries (sorry, that was an executive decision), I want to hear where you guys eat meals. At your kitchen table? Chained to your desk? On the couch?

Recently, I've been feeling guilty about how mindless I eat most of my meals. Breakfast and lunch are mostly consumed while I'm on the computer, either at home or work. Dinner is always in the living room while watching TV. When Scott and I were first married, we ate dinner at the kitchen table about half the time, but these days it's a formal black tie event if a table is involved.

I figure that it will change and we'll adapt to different habits once kids are in the picture, but right now it's what works for us. It's so tempting to multi-task, especially in the morning when there's a "rush rush rush" sense, to just eat breakfast and check e-mail all at the same time. I definitely want to make meals "family time" once there are littles running around, but it's funny how that principal gets brushed off when it's just two of us since we already catch up with each other so much throughout the day.

Are you going for a run today?

What documentary have you seen that made you change your ways?

thoughtsday :: 4.4.13

1. Washing my hair - when did it get so complicated? Lately, I've been hearing a lot about this "no-poo" method, which is a fancy way of saying you don't wash your hair with shampoo. The most popular substitution I've been seeing is using apple cider vinegar and baking soda instead of shampoo and conditioner. After reading about Tsh's and Heidi's experiences I'm quite tempted to test this out, too.

I hate washing my hair every day, which is pretty much a necessity after running 6+ miles 6 days a week. I'm thinking this might be a practical, cheap solution for my dried out hair (which is also extremely greasy by the end of the day, how does that work?). I'll let you know how it goes.

2. Composting! I started my bin in January, and have kept up with it since. Everything is starting to break down, but it's definitely not useable yet. I can't wait until I get to put it to work in our garden!

3. Interrupting my marathon training plan. As I previously mentioned, My sciatic nerve has been rearing and flaring = angry eyes. Last night at the end of my 8 mile run at marathon pace, my knee pretty much broke down with searing pain. Luckily, it was at the end of my run and I was close to home, but I really don't think it would have been wise of me to continue running after that. So, I decided to make today a rest day and see how things look tomorrow. I might do my planned speed workout on the treadmill, or I might just hold off until my long run on Saturday.

Injuries are totally frustrating, no? I'm hoping this mini break will build up my motivation again and remind me what I love about running - the release, the thinking time, the sweat (holy buckets, the sweat). My day felt off today without running; I didn't know even know when I should start making dinner, since that's typically the first thing I do after I get done running.

Do you have a compost bin?

How often do you wash your hair? I find this requires some forethought, depending on my running and work schedule.

thoughtsday :: 3.28.13

Hi there! This has been quite a weird-o week that I haven't been able to get a good grip on. Between myself being sick, our furnace deciding to give up on life, having a slumber party at my parents, and then my husby getting sick it's all just been a little slippery around here.

Just when you think you have complete control of a situation (which we never do), the blindfold is pulled back over your eyes and you're wearing your mom's snuggly socks taking Nyquil on your parent's couch.

But honestly, it's sort of a good time to have our routine switched up a bit. Sometimes I feel entirely too calculated and type-A with my actions, so it's a nice reminder that I can go with the flow and actually embrace it.

Plus, ain't nothin' got somethin' on mom's fuzzy socks.

Onto some thoughts!

1. Homemade pho: it's the only thing I want when I'm sick, and it is so easy to make! All I did was boil 6 cups of water with one cube of Pho broth, which I found at an Asian store. Once that got to boiling, I added in cellophane noodles, but I'm sure you could easily use any kind of rice noodle. I also added in broccoli and a white onion, cut in thick slices. Once the veggies were done, I stirred in kale and turned the heat off and seasoned it with tons of Siracha.

It soothed my throat like no tea can, and the spice helped make my clogged nose start running, which I actually appreciated. Plus, my woozy stomach was a happy camper because rice noodles are so plain and the broth helped fill me up without making me feel overly stuffed. And now, this is all I have on the brain for dinner. Focus, focus, focus...


2. GARDEN-PLANTING! I have all sorts of big plans for planting a nice-sized garden using both our small entry-space plot of dirt and containers on our back porch. It's a little elaborate but I'm really hoping to pull it off. I read Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" last year and it really resonated with me. I definitely recommend it if you're interested in learning more about eating genuine, salt of the earth, locally-sourced food.

3. Marathon training: I'm hoping it's because my health hasn't been the best the best this week, but I have had zero motivation to go running. Surprisingly, despite being sick I have kept up with my runs, but it definitely required a strong positive mindset and a good dose of caffeine. I feel almost back to normal today, so hopefully tomorrow I will be ready and raring to go. If not, I suppose lack of motivation is another trait of marathon training that I'll have to push through.

Do you exercise when you're sick?

What is a meal or dish that you would rather make at home than go out for?

thoughtsday :: 3.21.13

1. Homemade salad dressing is the BOMB! Last night, I mixed a zesty concoction of Siracha, BBQ sauce, and apple cider vinegar up and poured it over roasted sweet potatoes, beets, cilantro, sunflower seeds, butter lettuce, nutritional yeast, and broccoli. My taste buds were siiiiinging.

Here are some other salad dressings I've got my sights on:

Ginger Orange Dressing

Fig Balsamic Dressing

Lemon Sesame Dressing

2. Laughing so hard it can be considered my ab workout. Note that I said "my," because my abs are weak as sin.

These will do the trick.  Some of these will work, too.

3.Feedly, my new bloggy assistant. I realize I was a little dramatic when I found out that Google Reader was done for. I love the simplicity of it, and the fact that it's directly attached to my Gmail account. But then, there were some recommendations for Feedly (thanks, Kim!) and I think my heart has been revived. I've only been using it the past 24 hours, but thus far it's easy to tell that Feedly is sleek, user-friendly and -the best part- snatched all my Reader subscriptions over to it, including all my "starred" posts. I'm excited to go in and create new categories for the sites I follow, which is something Reader wasn't capable of. Ohhh snap, Reader.


Tell me about what's going on in your head these days!

thoughtsday :: 3.14.13

1. R.I.P. Google Reader...if this is true, then R.I.P. Brittani's beloved morning ritual.

and there goes my morning ritual. (Did anyone else take Philosophy in college, or did that just sound like the Pope speaking Latin to you?) I have until July to cherish my beloved RSS feed, and then all my bloggy updates will need to fit into a new home. Any suggestions?

2. Cracked, dry, and irresponsible broken fingernails. Thanks for that, winter. Hardly any snow you gave us, yet your chill is still managing to ruin my nails. I've been using this Sally Hansen business for probably, oh, 3 months, and not much as changed. I don't like it a bit, but I suppose there are worse things, like getting my head chopped off or running out of chocolate. So yeah, brittle nails aren't the absolute nightmare I originally thought when writing this.

3.Homie Homey Happy Hour: That is, a happy hour served at a friend's home. That is going down tomorrow evening, and I'm so ready. This is the first time we've done this, but I think it's going to be a hit. My girlfraaaands and I figured out that this could be the magical way to maintain happiness while still budgeting monies.

On the menu for tomorrow: wine, chocolate, fruit, dips, dippables, and wine.

What do you and your friends typically do for fun?

How do you keep track of blog updates?

Any ideas on how to manage bad nails?

thoughtsday :: 3.7.13

oh HEY! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week thus far. I'm currently sitting in my pajamas at 6:08pm and it's still light outside, which has me a little thrown off. It feels like the days were 8 hours long yesterday, when it was perfectly normal to start getting ready for bed at 5:30. Now I feel like a lazy scrub making dinner in flannel pants...a feeling that obviously doesn't affect me too terribly, since there are no intentions of changing.

If you need more riveting tidbits from my brain, here we go:

1. Commuting. I was a 3.5 hour a day commuter for 3 years until last August, and while it didn't feel too awful at the time, I had to do it again yesterday and almost scratched my eyeballs out. While 80% of the time I would say I really enjoyed my job, it got to the point where it was no longer compensating for the time I spent riding a ferry to and from work. Lindsey had a good post discussing a similar topic, and I was definitely on the "living to work" end of things for awhile. Fast forward to now, where I (mostly) make my own schedule with an organization 5 miles from home. Pure bliss, I tell ya.

 

 

 

Not a terrible commute...for one day.

2. Speed workouts. After five weeks of completing my speed workouts on a track, I realized that the treadmill is a sweet way to crank 'em out. While the track is a predictable, flat and distance-accurate place to get a speed workout in, I think it triggers a sort of "inadequacy" feeling for me. Despite frantically checking my speed every 2 seconds, I always feel like I'm not going fast enough and not getting the workout in like I should be. However, when I run on the treadmill, I feel like I'm hoofing it 80 miles per hour, which makes me feel pretty badass. I always know I'm going the speed I want, because I'm forced to. Magic!

Mom, there's a glimmering monster in your basement.

3. Bangin' vegan foodstuffs. I don't know how I can ever have kids, since I focus the majority of my energy at home researching, preparing and cleaning up meals. I feel like I've learned so much these past few months on how to live a quality, healthy vegan lifestyle that it completely both overwhelms and excites me.

Here are a couple links to recipes we've enjoyed this week:

Pasta Salad with Creamy Sundried Tomato Sauce (I suggest cooking the red onions, which the recipe doesn't say to do. I didn't, which was a mistake.)

Chickpea Salad Sandwiches (We eaten this on bread, apples, and spoons. It's pretty versatile.)

Did you test out any great recipes this week that you want to share?

What's your work commute like?

thoughtsday :: 3.1.13

This post was supposed to go up yesterday, on regularly scheduled "Thursday Thoughtsday," but I must have partied too hard at February 2013's goodbye party. This means I worked until 6, came home, and was promptly hinted at that we should take a trip to my parents to soak in their hot tub. After sitting in hot water for 45 minutes following a glass of vino and a long day of work does not a good Thoughtsday post come about. (No, I still haven't mastered the art of scheduled posts. That will comes with time...I have hopes.)

Onto those thoughts I promised...

1. Brooks Ghost 5: meet my newest running shoes. I sucked it up and went out to Poulsbo Runners yesterday, with my $30 gift certificate in hand from my 3rd place spot in the Poulsbo marathon. I tried on these and the Mizuno Waveriders, and took them for a couple spins around the block. While both are extremely comfortable and fit my feet well, the Mizunos felt like they were slipping around my heel, which happened even when I tried on a smaller size.

out with the old - New Balances :: in with the new - Brooks Ghost 5

2. Spring! The fact that March has arrived has to mean that the promise of the next season is right around the corner...riiiiight? I actually saw tulips I had planted in the Fall coming out of the ground yesterday, and was stoked. It's weird - you plant something and don't really think it will come to fruition, but lo and behold, there they were. My husband was all "what are these? They must be weeds, and they shall be slaughtered" (or something to that effect) and I was like "NO!! Those are my baaaabies." Crisis averted.

Yeah, they're hard to see. You wonder why Scott thought they were weeds...

3. Birthdays! I get to celebrate one of my best's tonight. There will undoubtedly be food and libations. I can hardly wait.

How long does it typically take you to break in a new pair of shoes?

Are you a big fan of celebrating your birthday, or do you opt for a more low-key day?

thoughtsday :: 2.21.13

I love the fact that it's Thursday, when technically it should be Wednesday. Thanks again, George (Washington) and Abraham (Lincoln).

Here are some things that are rocking my world this week:

1. Lettuce prep: It's the small things, no? This is actually a semi-weekly occurrence, but I realized last night how nice it is to have fresh romaine on the spot. Romaine that you didn't pay an arm for by buying the pre-shredded bag that costs double a head for half the food. Romaine that stays crisp and green longer than yo mama. (Yeah, I don't know. My husband remembers his very first Google search being "your mama jokes." That must be on the brain.)

It's so nice to have quick and easy access to a healthy meal. If I'm feeling especially motivated, I'll prep a bunch of veggies and beans to toss in whenever I feel like I need to amp up my nutrients for that day. If I'm feeling unmotivated, I'll buy the stuff in the bag and call it a day.

2. Plastic tumblers: I don't know why it took me so long to jump on the bandwagon and get one of these suckers, but I am so glad I did. I drink a ton more water (seriously, like one ton) with this vs. the standard water bottle I used before. I guess the screwing off of the lid was just toooooo much work?

More water = better runs. Hallelujah.


3. A new blog for my reader, Pumps and Iron: I'm a sucker for quick-ish, at-home workouts that I can do with just this here body. Nicole has some great workouts that focus on full body circuits to just abs or arms. I've been trying to incorporate more ab and upper body workouts into my daily routine, since I am w-e-a-k. I appreciate her workout and photo layouts, as well as the fresh and clean graphic design of her blog.

I did this workout both last night and this morning, and my obliques and upper arms are feeling it today. Which is probably a really bad sign, considering this was not an arm workout:

Source: http://pumpsandiron.com/2012/06/25/12-minute-ab-workout/

Do you strength train? I need to get into a more consistent routine with this. I start it, keep up the habit for a couple weeks, and then put it on the back burner.

Are you good at hydrating? How do you ensure you get enough water throughout the day?

thoughtsday :: VALENTINE'S DAY EDITION

Hey, guys! Happy Valentine's to you! Typically, I'm not a very lovey-dovey person, but this year I decided to get into the spirit a little bit more by making cookies for mi familia and...well, that's it. I liked the idea of giving out cookies, because it meant that we got to drop them off around town to the recipients. House calls are awesome, maybe because I just love surprises and chatting with people I don't get to see all to often.

However, a piece of house call advice: If you are going to invest some time into dropping off cookies around your hood, make sure you do this during a time that you know your target will be awake. Bless my Nana's heart for her going to bed at six o' clock in the evening. She is a busy woman, that is no doubt, and it was my mistake to overshoot her bedtime by an hour.

Also, when you walk into an assisted living home and say that you're there "to see Nana," be more specific. Chances are there will be more than one Nana, unless your Nana is the Queen Bee in a beehive, which sounds awesome, like Nana would get her own fortress in said home.

Onto the thoughts:

1. Coffee. I gave it up for a bit, and yesterday I realized how super crazy fantastic it makes me feel and that a fool be the girl who wants to give that up. What's not foolish is trying not to spend a ton of moola on the stuff, which is why I try to make it at home.

I have a Bialetti esspresso maker, which works wonders, but the taste it always a bit off to me. I've also been using almond milk, which I realized does NOT taste good with coffee. I think it's gotta be soy, which I keep forgetting to get from the store. While I'm there, maybe I'll also invest in some sugar-free syrup flavors.

2.  Cars. We need to buy a new one, since mine decided to bite the dust a couple months ago. It's been fairly easy to share one between the Hus and I, but I'm thinking that will all change when I go visit an out-of-town friend this week. Stranded City.

We're looking at either the Toyota Rav4, a Honda CR-V, or a Honda Fit. Something that can accommodate a (future) family while not guzzling too much gas.

3. Instagram! (Sorry, that should have started with a "C"...Cinstragram it is.) I'm sorta in love with this app. I love visually connecting with people instead of just reading what's going on, which is probably why I've severely neglected Facebook. I also like that you can search certain hashtags, likes "vegan" or "funfrogjump" and BAM, you have someone new to follow to stay inspired (or just waste away 4 hours).

I've started following 10x as many people as are following me, which I'm cool with. Stalker City.

I want to know! 

Do you make your own coffee at home? How so?

Any car recommendations?

What are your thoughts on Instagram?

thoughtsday :: 2.7.13

This week has been very sloooow. On Tuesday, I woke up and thought it was Thursday. Talk about disappointment.

I consider a Thursday a good day. It's not quite Friday, so it doesn't have all the "OMG, it's Friday, what are my plans? I don't have plans? Why don't I have plans" shenanigans, but it still has the "I'm going to hang out and have a glass of wine or 3 because HEY, tomorrow's Friday so who the hell cares" vibe.

Also, I get to watch his lady in action, whom I adore:

Has anyone else heard that this is the last season of Park and Rec? I know I heard it a couple places, but would really like it to be confirmed so I can continue to prepare myself for such a tragedy.

Here are some other thoughts of the day, because believe it or not, I do ponder other things besides wine and Ms. Leslie Knope.

1. WEIRDO WASHINGTON WEATHER. Seriously, Steve Pool is not coming through for me. Check it out:

Tuesday. all day. Wednesday. all day.

 

 

Thursday. all day.

Now, I will happily take Tuesday if it leads to Thursday, but it was a pretty wild transition. And please tell me that picket fence up there isn't overkill. And the sailboats in the background? It's too much. Except yes,  please I would like more.

2. Vegan and gluten-free recipes - they truly can be the bomb.

Exhibit A: Buffalo bean soup with dumplings and cashew cheese. Minus the cashew cheese (ain't nobody got time for that!). The dumplings are key in these bowls of spicy Frank's heaven. Instead of whole wheat flour, I used 1/2 cup sweet rice flour and 1/2 cup almond meal. The recipe tells you to roll them golf-ball sized, but I would roll them smaller so they're easier to get in one squishy bite. Unless you have a big mouth, of course.

Recipe: http://theveganpact.com/2013/01/buffalo-bean-soup-with-dumplings-cashew-cheese/

 Exhibit B: Buffalo cauliflower wing pizza with tofu blue cheese. This right here is where it's at, "it" being my taste buds being blissfully satisfied with 2 days in a row of Frank's. The BBQ sauce was also a great flavor. I had some caulis leftover as a lunch salad topper for the next day and it was great that way, too.The tofu addition was fantastic, except I had to leave out the miso and kelp granules since I'm lazy and didn't have them on hand. Make sure you squeeze out all the tofu water possible, or else your crust might get a little soggy in spots.

Instagram: brittawebb

 Exhibit C: Are there words for these? All I know is a disturbing drooling sensation whenever I remember these are in the kitchen. I think about telling myself to stop after 3, but then I counteract it with "but they're vegan, so God must have put them here for the vegans. Let the vegans eat!" Yeah...what she said.

#3. Valentine's Day. We are not a corny, lovey dovey couple. We love each other to pieces, but there is definitely no elaborate V-Day extravaganza going on in my household next Thursday. However, we do both like to eat, and making food at home is ruled out because I would at least like to be treated by someone else making me dinner since it sure isn't going to be my husband.  So, Thai food it is, and it shall be gastro-mazing.


Do you have any Valentine's Day plans? 

Are you a condiment/sauce lover on all things food?

thoughtsday :: 1.31.13

Holy WHAT. How did it become the last day of January already? I still feel like the holidays are right behind the corner. We have Christmas candy lying around (which sure as heck wouldn't normally be the case had I been eating dairy products the past month) and sugar cookie candles that need to be burned. I don't think those two things can wait to be used until next holiday season. Someone help.

Onto the thoughts:

1. This vegan pasta/everything sauce is soooo good. I used cherry peppers instead of jalapenos, and the flavor was still spot on. It was delightfully creamy, without being too rich. I had a little left over that I blended with some water, which became my salad dressing for my kale salad the next day.

2. New hairdryers that don't fry your hair. The past month I've noticed little fried pieces of my hair falling off my head whenever I blow dry, and the culprit is the 8 year old hair dryer. Oh, that I inherited from my husband when I moved in with him (yeah, no questions there, right?). I got this Conair dryer from Target and am in LOVE. Mostly because my head gets to be warm again from the not-so-strange loss of hair.

3. Running clothes that were made for the winter rain. I bought the following green jacket at the REI garage sale circa 2006 and have recently fallen back in love with its waterproof protection measures. It's nothing special, really, but it does the trick when you're trying not to freeze when running. Around a track. In the dark. In the winter. AKA, my Tuesday night. Fun!

I want to know! What are your favorite articles of clothing to wear in the rain/cold? Have you discovered a new food you can't get enough of lately? aaaaand, what is your morning hair routine?

Thoughtsday :: 1.24.13

1. Today is a day of days.I ran my first track workout! In the rain and the wind and the cold! And I loved it. You're probably thinking "...um, what? Her first track workout? How has she survived?" And the answer is I have not a clue, because my butt was kicked and my muscles melted and my breath shortened in a very scary way, which are all things that I know will make me a better, more efficient, runner. My adrenaline was pumping hard, along with my new jams, which made me amped up all the more.

The motivation for me to try this new-to-me activity was that I realized I begin marathon training this Monday with the Hanson Brothers method. They  have me doing speed workouts every Tuesday, so I figured I may as well get down to business and see what all the fuss is about so I have somewhat of an idea what I'm doing next week.

I did four Yasso 800's, with a mile warm-up and a mile cool down for a grand total of 5 miles. Despite the crappy weather and that I was running faster than I have in awhile, it made me feel incredibly good. Holler at endorphins.

2. The Coachella line-up has officially arrived! For the past 5 months, Coachella blogs and discussion boards have consumed Scott's life, and tonight his baby finally arrived. We are both pretty stoked, even if I did have to research who The Stone Roses are. (It's typically a good sign of a bad lineup if you need to Google a headliner, but in this instance that thankfully wasn't the case.) This will be our third time going, and I am so ready for the desert.

3.  Speaking of good, quality music, Scott and his fellow teachers surprised their students last night by resurrecting the Backstreet Boys with an all new performance of a decade (plus) old song. He and his four band mates rocked the stage, making it a highlight not soon to be forgotten.

Track workouts - love or hate? 

Have you been to a great concert lately or are any on the horizon?

Thoughtsday (a day late)

Runs for the week: Have been slim. There were a lot of "life things" to take care of this week, so I pretty much squeezed in runs whenever I could, no matter the distance. My longest was only 4 miles (oh, heeey), but I would really like to try and get 10 miles in tomorrow morning.




One great revelation I had this week was that I can run 3 miles in the morning and still make it to work on time! I used to think I could only run when I was able to get into the office later, but I was wrong. So that's neat, except I still need to work on not being a baby when it's A. cold, B. foggy, or C. dark outside. My positive running mentality just got quite the hit.

Onto the thoughts!

1. CHOCOLATE. It's all I can think about. What are some good vegan chocolate chips/bars/fountains I can invest in? These need to happen - delicious and no bake? I'm there.

I have been fulfilling my sugar cravings via the heavenly bulk bin at WinCo. This is the haul I got the other day before a 2-hour work meeting. I accidently ate all the licorice, and was sick the rest of the night. The whole incident made me feel like a child.

2. COMPOSTING! I made my own bin this week and am sooo excited to feed my garden some nutritious food this summer. This list is pretty fun to read, although I shuttered a little when I got to the end about urine. I like my soil UNsoiled, thanks.

3. I need to update my running playlist! It's been a good 6 months, and I've found myself changing songs all too frequently lately. I just discovered Lord Huron, who sound a lot like Fleet Foxes, and am in love. They make for surprisingly good running music...I just imagine running through fields with deer. Typically though, my workout playlists are all about Britney, Girl Talk, Arcade Fire, etc. Bring on the beat!

What are some good songs/artists you've been into recently? I need some help!

Enjoy your Friday!