Book Club Friday

TGIF, riiight?!

It was a fast moving, but long week. Anyone feel the same? My Monday-Thursday is just craziness all around so it tends to fly right by for me.

I don't have a lot planned for this weekend except for Books 'n Bars tomorrow (time to discuss Lolita! Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts...) and then Saturday and Sunday - ?? No plans! Besides taking a client to Zumba. Yes, you read that right. She wants to try Zumba! I jumped right on that. ;)

So, today I'm linking up with Heather again for her Book Club Friday and talking about Jane Green's newest novel, Another Piece of My Heart.



I'm a fan of just about anything Jane Green writes so I was waiting for this one to come out and devour it. I think I read this one in the span of two days (which is impressive for me considering how busy I have been!). I loved it!

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Andi has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at thirty-seven, she's finally found him.  Ethan--divorced with two daughters, Emily and Sophia--is a devoted father and even better husband.  Always hoping one day she would be a mother, Andi embraces the girls like they were her own. But in Emily’s eyes, Andi is an obstacle to her father’s love, and Emily will do whatever it takes to break her down. When the dynamics between the two escalate, they threaten everything Andi believes about love, family, and motherhood—leaving both women standing at a crossroad in their lives…and in their hearts. ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART is a novel that illuminates the nuances and truths about relationships and is Jane Green at her absolute best.

As soon as I read the synopsis I knew I was going to love the topic! It's always refreshing to read about a main character that is a woman that waited to get married. Living in Iowa we just don't have that. So many people are married early in their twenties. It's definitely easy to feel like an outcast among all your married friends. 

That being said, I also really enjoyed learning how Andi and the family she married into handled the change. There were some twists that I was not expecting, and really ended up enjoying reading about, but some things I felt were a little over the top and unrealistic, but then again... I have never been in the situation so who am I to say that?!


Overall, this was a great JG novel and I'm already anxious for her next one! 

Dam to Dam training update

 Source

Hey everyone!

This week is literally FLYING by. I cannot believe it is already Thursday!

I'm halfway through my second week of training and I thought I would update you. You can find my training schedule here. I'm running three runs during the week and one long run on the weekends. So far my biggest concern is not running long distances during the week, but if they were longer, I honestly don't know how I would fit them in because I'm not fast at all. I can't dedicate much more time to this so I'm going to try not to worry about it!

Other things I have learned:

• Synthetic socks are a godsend. Both my feet have blisters on the bottom in the middle and the synthetic socks and body glide work wonders. I can't feel them at all when running. Now, if I accidentally forget and wear cotton.... then I'm in trouble. (Did that on Sunday, it was awful). 
• The Spibelt/fanny pack thing is awesome. I'm so glad Emily suggested it. 
• My new favorite place to run in the Des Moines area is the Clive Greenbelt (which I keep accidentally calling the Grainbelt. lol). Grey's Lake is an old standby and I will always love running there. 

My last concern is the mental mind game that I am having a hard time getting past. I know I can run longer than 10 minutes consecutively, but at 10 minutes I think I just have to stop and I do. I'm hoping that in the next week I can get past that and by next weekend be running 15-20 minutes consecutively. It seems so silly, and I go into the run so positive, then after 10 minutes I just wimp out! When I walk it's only about 3 minutes, but still... I want to be able to keep going and build up my endurance.

Well, that is it for me! Hope you're having a fantastic week!

A girl can never have too many clothes...

Do you agree with that statement? I do and I don't. If I had a bigger closet, I would 100% agree! :P

On Sunday I organized my closet so that my spring/summer clothes were right up front (can I collective, "YESSSSS!" ?) and I was struck with the fact that I own so much of the same thing.

Here is what I have too much of and am not allowed to buy this season*...

• Ribbed tank tops. You know, the ones from Gap and Old Navy that are perfect for layering, sleeping in, working out in...etc, etc, etc? Yeah, I have a bajillion of them. An entire drawer full of them. 
• Anything in black or grey. I need to add some color asap. 
• Dresses. I've got an addiction to dresses. There were lots of them hanging out in the back of my closet. 
• Flip flops. Don't. need. any. more. PERIOD. 
• Cardigans. I think my favorite outfit is the ribbed tanks mentioned above and a cardigan. You know, right after dresses. ;)
• Jeans. I have a lot of these. 

Do you tend to buy the same things over and over? What do you own too much of? 

*We all know that is not going to happen. I will probably buy all of this stuff again because I cannot resist a good deal.

Finding your passion

When I was 22 and landed my first job post college, I had no idea that I was going to fall in love. But, I did. I fell in love with a company that was so amazing. A company that's mission statement was "to make every little girl feel special." I spent years trying to do just that in every state that this company would send me to. That mission really ignited a fire in me, and I couldn't wrap my head around anybody not understanding it. 

 {2007, My store in Myrtle Beach, SC}

{2007, Downtown Disney store where I spent two weeks training for Myrtle Beach. Anaheim, CA}

One of my favorite things about the five years I spent with Club Libby Lu was running into girls that were regulars at the stores I worked at, or girls coming in to see me when I worked. They would run in, hug us and usual shriek about how we pierced their ears or danced with them on their birthdays or painted their nails and poured glitter over the wet polish. It never once got old. Never. Those kids are what kept the job lively, kept it fun, entertaining and simply, amazing. Each time I felt myself falling into a rut, I knew a 6 year old would probably be the one to pull me out of it, and you know what? They did. Each and every time.

After the holidays in 2009, and the company closed it's final door at the end of January 2010, I didn't start grad school like I planned. Instead, I was recruited by a different children's retailer, also for girls but this company was all about sales. Gone was the importance of providing an experience a child would never forget. The two years I spent with this company taught me a lot about business and managing people, but it didn't give me that same satisfaction and feeling of knowing that I made a child's day, week, month or even year! Rarely did I have kids come running into the store to see me like I did with CLL and during those two years I really missed that.

{2010, my last visit to my very first store. Overland Park, KS}

Now that I have been subbing for about a year and I'm regularly at certain schools, the kids know me. They remember me. They remember what we did the last time I was there. Maybe it's because I look young. Maybe it's because when they ask me if I like a certain rapper and when I know who it is they laugh hysterically (seriously, always rap). Maybe it's because I actually teach and I speak English and can understand their Spanish when they refuse to speak English. (yes, that has happened to me).

I don't know. All I know is that I think they like having me around, and you know what? I like them too. A lot.

Saturday night I was out with a friend at a really small restaurant in the Merle Hay area, which happens to be in the area that my favorite middle school to teach at is. As we were eating dinner the busboy was coming around and clearing dishes and filling waters. On his second trip to our table, he faces me and goes, "I know you!" I kind of choked a little, and was like, "really??" He goes, "Yeah, you're my teacher sometimes."

I could tell he was trying to be all tough and not smile or act at all excited or humored by seeing a teacher outside of school (middle schoolers. They're so big and bad, right?).

I didn't recognize him at first and I instantly felt terrible. Luckily, my instincts from CLL kicked in, and when little girls would come in super excited that I was the one that pierced her ears- OMG! I always knew to pretend, and just grin real big and check out her sparkly new earrings and pretend that I remembered every last detail of that extremely important rite of passage for a girl. You know, make her feel special.

Doing this always made me feel special too of course, how can you not?!

I had that feeling again when he recognized me and brought it up. It felt really good to have that feeling again. I always knew that being in the classroom was going to be special to me like working for a company as special as CLL was, but I was kind of waiting for something like that to happen. Nothing can ever replace CLL for me, but I know that teaching is going to come in as a close, close second.

I don't have any pictures of teaching. I wish I did. If there were students in the pictures I wouldn't be able to post them, so in the meantime, you can enjoy some of my faves from CLL. :) 

Out of all of the jobs you've held in your lifetime, which job has been your absolute favorite, and why? 

 

{My favorite picture from my years at CLL. That was my boss at the time. ;) }

Book Club Friday!

 This week I'm linking up with Heather for her Book Club Friday!



Heather is about to have a baby (!!) but has recently been put on bed rest so I am sure she will love all of your wonderful recommendations on books if you have them!


If you remember, a few weeks ago I did BCF about The Bungalow by Sarah Jio, so when Emily's book club at The Many Thoughts of Reader chose Sarah Jio's first book, The Violet's of March for their March read (convenient, no?) I was really excited!

I devoured this book in a about a day (just like The Bungalow!) and absolutely fell in love with the story and the way that Sarah Jio tells a story!

From Goodreads:

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch.

This book was almost as much about the island it was set on as it was the story and since reading this book I have not been able to stop thinking about visiting this place! It sounds like the perfect place to just relax and do pretty much nothing for a week! Between the mystery of the story and the allure of this island I was hooked by the first chapter and after both this and The Bungalow, Sarah Jio is among one of my favorites! 

Definitely look into this one if you want a fast, engaging read!

What is your go-to book that you recommend to everyone?

Wine & Love

This week has gone by way too fast. I can't believe it's Thursday.

Yesterday I was talking with a friend that is in my program at Drake (Hi, Anna!) and we both felt that Spring Break was just even more stressful because we felt guilty taking time off.

Isn't that ridiculous?

Although I haven't really taken time off because I have been working, I still get a lot of downtime at work and I have spent it reading the first Stephanie Plum book and re-reading The Hunger Games. Instead of doing those things I could be doing for class. Like, reading chapters for class, working on 1, 2, 3 grad projects that are basically research and synthesizing said research, working on several lesson plans, writing a history paper, or reading articles for my science methods class.

Who lets Spring Break stress them out?! Apparently, we do.

So, it's Thursday and that means Nora's Wine & Love feature! Let's get on with it, shall we?

This week I am loving...

• That training has gone fairly well and I'm not as sore as I was expecting to be! Pray for me that it stays this way. (we all know it won't stay this easy. Otherwise, everyone would do it, right?)
• That it's Hunger Games week! I have been so excited all week about this movie! I'm going to see it with a new friend from my grad program and one of my best friends on Friday at 6:45, then afterward we're going out to dinner to "discuss." Can't Wait!
• All this rain is turning everything green, green, green! While driving around (and running around!) I have had a hard time convincing myself it is March!  
• I had my first video chat with a blogger this week!! I finally "met" Molly and we chatted for almost 2 HOURS on Monday night! Time flew by and I loved every second of it! It was so much fun! I want to video chat with everyone! Big group chat, anyone?

What's making me reach for the wine... (or in my case, Leinenkugal's Summer Shandy)

• The above mentioned stress. Although, I should stop calling it stress, because it is clearly not stress. It is guilt. 
• All this rain. We're going on the fourth day in a row of rain. Yes, I realize this is in my love column too, but I do love that everything is greener. We couldn't have that without all this rain, but I don't like that it's affecting my running schedule. Boo. At some point I will run in the rain during the next 12 weeks, that point is just not now. 
• My lower back is killing me. I don't know why, or how or what to do. It is just uncomfortable and painful. It's not from running (I don't think) because it's been doing this for awhile. I'm thinking of getting a massage or heading to the chiropractor, of which I have not done either. (I know, I'm deprived. I've never had a massage). Next time I see a massage in a Groupon deal I'll snatch it up. 

As always, I'm glad that I have more loves than whines!

What are you loving and hating this week? Have you ever been to the chiropractor? 

12 in '12 update and I signed up for... a 20K!

One of my goals this year was to run 12 races in 2012. So far, I have only ran one race and I'm not sure if I'm going to make this goal.

But, despite the sluggish start this year, I did make a HUGE step this week (two steps, actually) and I'm really excited to share...

1. I bought new running shoes.

Pretty, purple Asics! I bought them at Scheels and the woman that helped me was so kind and thoughtful! She had lots of tips and I felt zero judgment from her! I am continuously blown away by the running community and just how encouraging they are!

2. I signed up for a 20K*. 

If you have to go up and read that again, I understand.

I'm a little shocked at myself as well.

12.4 miles?!

Am I insane?

Perhaps.

But, I do know that I don't have to run the entire thing (and probably won't) and that I CAN do it. My training started yesterday with a 3 mile run, and for the next 12 weeks I will be following this schedule:

 

My first training run went well, and I am proud to say that I have already put 8 miles on those shoes! (Wow, it feels weird to think in terms like that). Those miles weren't all running though, in fact, only 3 miles were running!

I'm not worried about my time for this race, and am honestly not running for time. I'm running to finish. I do want to finish within three hours though so I can get a medal, so I hope that is reasonable.That is my only goal in regards to time.

I will have to switch around the days I run to accommodate my schedule, but not by too much. I'm going to make sure I always do the long runs on Sundays and that I get two days in a row of recovery. So, that leaves very little room to change this schedule at all. It's going to take some dedication on my part, and honestly, that is what I am worried the most about. Am I dedicated enough? I sure hope so.

So, why am I doing this? Health? Weight loss? The T-shirt? Bragging rights? Yes, yes, yes and maybe.

I suppose also because I want to say I have ran a distance race. I want to train for something and then do it. I want to know if I really do like running. Maybe after this I will decide I hate it. Maybe I will catch the bug and love it. Who knows!?

I've always *dabbled* in running, but never took it too seriously. In high school I played soccer, but we never ran distance runs... but this was over 10 years ago, so... I think that it is pretty irrelevant :p

This is the first time I have actually bought quality, supportive running shoes. Why would I have needed running shoes before? The longest distance I have ever ran was 4 miles (until last Friday when I ran 5 miles... there were lots of walking breaks, but I still did it).

Yesterday when I ran the three miles in the new shoes I could feel a HUGE difference. Especially in my shins. I had virtually no pain in my shins, where as last week when I ran the 5, I had to stop because my shins hurt so bad, not because I couldn't run longer! That was ultimately what pushed me to go for it and get really good shoes.

Overall, I am really excited and can't wait to see how this turns out! Keep me in your thoughts! ;)

What is the furthest you have ran? Are you interested in running races or running at all? What advice do you have for me?

*For the locals, I am running Dam to Dam! Let me know if you are running it too!