Random

I don’t usually write “random” posts this often, but I just have more random things I want to share with you all! Before I do, I just want to say thank you to everyone for reading update and for your kind words. If the post rang true for even just one of you, then I’m glad I wrote it.

Now, time for more #randomness!

Stir Fry
I was in St. Louis for work Monday and Tuesday, so I didn’t go to the grocery store on Sunday to stock up for the week as I typically do. With dinner plans tomorrow night and probably at least one night this weekend, I decided I could get by with just a quick stop to buy bananas and apples (fruit is a must!). I was planning on making some eggs or heating up a can of soup for dinner, but then I remembered the huge prepared foods section of my local Giant Eagle Market District, and cooking dinner didn’t seem so appealing anymore (even if it was just heating up a can of soup…). I knew I needed some veggies in my life (I had buffalo chicken wings and a beer for dinner at the airport last night – who am I?! It hit the spot!), so the salad bar would naturally be a good option – if I hadn’t eaten that very thing for lunch today! (seeing a trend here?) So instead, I opted for the make-your-own stir fry: fill a bowl with noodles / veggies, select a protein and a sauce, and a chef stir fries it for you on the spot – all for $7.99. Not bad if you ask me!

I didn’t realize that the stir-fry came with rice, so I filled my bowl with some noodles, a ton of bright veggies (cabbage, broc, carrots, sugar snap peas, peppers, etc. – even pineapple!), half tofu / half chicken, an egg, and the chili garlic sauce. The chef stir-fried it on the spot, and since I was taking it to-go (there is a nice cafe on site), packaged it up for me – stir fry in the big guy, brown rice in the little!

I threw all of the stir fry and half of the rice into a bowl and topped it with some peanuts and sriracha. It was good! My only complaint was the sauce – it was a bit too sweet for me and a bit too saucy, so next time I’d opt to go light on a different sauce. But all in all, a nice way to get some veggies without having to dirty my wok!

Zappos
Sometimes, a girl just needs shoes (especially after a breakup). I don’t know about you, but finding the perfect flat that is comfortable and doesn’t fall apart in two months (hello, Steve Madden) is a tall order. So that’s why, when I ordered this Nine West flat below in medium gold and discovered how comfortable they are, I ordered a second pair – credit card, beware!
I bought these flats from zappos.com. Zappos is far from being a discount site – in fact, I think their prices stink – it’s certainly no DSW. But what makes Zappos worth the money is their selection (DSW doesn’t have these), and more importantly, their impeccable service. Shipping is free both ways on Zappos, which means I can order up lots of shoes in different sizes (I ended up getting these in a 7.5, which is a half-size smaller than I normally wear), and then I just return the shoes that I don’t want, at no additional cost to me. And the best part? The shoes arrive the VERY NEXT DAY! Free next-day shipping? Worth every penny. I use Zappos mainly for shoes, but also for triathlon gear – I bought my one-piece workout swimsuit there, as well as my sweet tri suit. I always order multiple sizes and ship back what doesn’t fit. To quote the Barefoot Contessa – “how easy is that?” Made even easier when you have a UPS drop-off location in your work building…

Lululemon
While we’re chatting material things, let me tell you about something bad that happened tonight: my favorite workout pants ripped! I was doing squats with my trainer, and all of a sudden I noticed a small hole in the seam of my left inner thigh. The horror! Luckily, the hole didn’t turn into a huge workout-ending tear, but it’s significant enough to say bye-bye to my favorite pants.

To be fair, these were the very first pair of pants I ever purchased from Lululemon. I have worn them weekly (ok, twice-weekly) for years – at least four? Even well-made products fail at some point, and for these pants, that night was tonight. The good news is, that means I have a real excuse for buying new pants! Maybe these….
Now, before you go lecture me about “how can you spend $90 on workout pants?!”, trust me – they are worth it. Especially if you teach spinning classes! For years I purchased cheap workout gear at Target, and for years I ended up hating that gear a few months later. Those days are over. Now, I don’t buy Lulu for everything – in fact, I prefer to run in “cheap” shorts (I love the ones I found at TJ Maxx) and lighter t-shirts / tanks, but for spinning / lifting / yoga, the extra $$$ is worth it. So long, favorite capris – to Lululemon I go (bonus – I get a 15% instructor discount!)

Birthdays
My old (old, as in previous – and, also old!) boss turns 50 tomorrow! Jason was my manager for four years, and we still work closely together along with a tightknit team of about eight. I love office birthdays – we always take the birthday person out to lunch (the person whose birthday it last was pays for the birthday person), and it’s just fun to have something to spice up what otherwise would be just another day in the office. And since Jason is turning the big 5-0, we are doing this one up right!

A women with whom I volunteer at Girls on the Run told me about a surprise her co-workers recently did for her. They decorated her desk with 40 things they liked about her. She was so touched, she kept all 40 things in a scrapbook that she refers to when she’s feeling down. What a great way of celebrating a milestone birthday AND making the person feel all warm and fuzzy inside! So for Jason’s birthday, I copied the idea and asked my co-workers to write down 3-5 “Jason-isms” on post-it notes, which we scattered all over his cube at the end of the day (he was out of the office this afternoon). Phrases like, “you have great taste in red wine” and “you are an excel guru” should make him smile tomorrow (along with “you look like a Ken doll”). 50 going on 25!