Sporty Sunday

I hope you all had fun watching the Super Bowl last night!!! My sports day actually started a little early....I went to the gym and did the elliptical and SB ran 9.5 miles in the snow! Then we watched the Caps vs. Penguins game together. There is a great rivalry between these teams....fueled by two of the sport's greatest players: Ovechkin and Crosby. The game totally lived up to the hype...and the great part is that the Caps pulled out a win in overtime! Classic!

After the game, I did a little baking, a little napping - and then we headed next door to watch the Super Bowl with a bunch of our neighbors. The game was great, the food and conversation were fantastic....but the pictures of Drew Brees and his son after the Saints' big win are just beyond priceless (photos courtesy of Getty Images):Next up? DUKE VS. UNC this Wednesday! GO Duke!

Wispy Remedy!

The other day SB and I were in a running store, and I saw these adorably-patterned headband thingies. Turns out they're called "Sweaty Bands," and they're all the rage on the running scene. Click here for their web site, but basically they're cute ribbons with some sort of material on the back that helps control sweat, and stretchy elastic at the bottom to make sure the thing really stays on your head. I should probably buy a couple for my nieces - but I wonder if I'd like them too for tennis and running. The only thing is I have a really high forehead, so I'm not sure they'll look quite as cute on my head! Here are some pics of the "Sweaty Bands" in action, and my fave patterns:

(The green one has a reflective strip....perfect for runners!)

(all photos from the Sweaty Band site......this is not a solicited posting.....I just think the product is cute and could be very practical!)

Valentine's Day Gifties

I love Valentine's Day. I think it's a sweet holiday, and serves as a good reminder that we need to tell the people in our lives that we love them. That said, SB and I traditionally don't really give each other material gifts for V-Day. I mean, don't get me wrong - we will celebrate by going out to eat, cooking something fun together, running, or doing things like that....and maybe there's a mixed CD here, or a Reeses peanut butter heart there....but nothing super big. That said, if that tradition were to change (ha! I know it won't....especially given my current "shopping hiatus"), here are a few little goodies I have my eye on...Banana Republic SweaterRunning Outfit (Athleta) Potted Gardenia.....I just love the scent! (Red Envelope)Why, hello sweet tooth! (Vermont Brownie Co.)I can't wait to watch this movie....I really can't believe I haven't seen it already!!

Jeans and Boots

I'm a little late to the whole "jeans in boots" trend. I always admired it on other people, but I thought it was a look reserved only for the stick thin girls. Well it turns out (with the right balance of top and bottom) that's just not the case! A couple of weeks ago, I spent the weekend in Chicago with my best friends from high school. Well, EVERYONE there was wearing super cute boots with jeans tucked in. After a friend raved and raved about the "Intyce" Steven by Steve Madden boots, I bought a pair and have been learning to love the look! Here are a few looks I threw together on Polyvore:
(PS -- I'm on a self-imposed "shopping hiatus" for the month of February! AND of course I'm already dying over a few items that I just want to snap up. Must.use.some.self control...ugh!!)

Small ears? Who knew?

The traditional iPod ear buds have never worked very well for me. They pop out whenever I run, do the elliptical, or just turn the wrong way, and really they simply aren't comfortable. I figured they just weren't for my ears, and continued to rock the 90's style Sony Sport headphones (much to SB's dismay). Well (and I'm probably way late to this discovery) it turns out that people's ears are sized differently, and now there are lots of ear bud options with small, medium, and large sized buds! I picked up a pair of the Sony EX buds -- pictured above. The result: so far so good! I've been wearing the smallest buds, and they work well while running, they're comfortable, and I will continue to wear them!

New Music!

After several months of not being able to access iTunes on my old laptop, I'm excited to be able to finally update my playlists! There's nothing like running with new music to keep things fresh and interesting. Here are a few of my favorite new (to me) songs:

1. American Honey -- Lady Antebellum
2. I gotta Feeling -- Black Eyed Peas
3. Hey, Soul Sister -- Train
4. Fallin' For You -- Colbie Caillat
5. Cowboy Casanova -- Carrie Underwood
6. Alright -- Darius Rucker
7. Fearless -- Taylor Swift
8. Just Dance -- Lady Gaga
9. Perfect Day -- Lady Antebellum (ok, basically I heart their whole album)
10. Learn To Live -- Darius Rucker (yep, his whole album too)

I have some music-themed Valentine's Day presents in the works for my nieces and nephews. I'll post more about that later! Hope you all had an awesome weekend!

PS -- my amazing husband competed in his 1st ever triathlon today!! He did an absolutely outstanding job, and plans to compete in some more in the future. Maybe his enthusiasm will get me in the pool to give a triathlon a shot!

Happy Birthday to Daisy!

This little puppy is 3 today!!!!(picture taken in Atlanta after her first bath! she clearly no longer fits in the sink!)

It's one of those days...

I am CRAVING these right now.....
....too bad that I can't exactly run down to Georgetown Cupcake these days (or maybe that's actually a good thing)!!

PS - All this sugar makes me think about the commercials about partially hydrogenated corn syrup on tv. Have you seen them? They're super preachy, and defensive about the substance's current bad publicity. Kind of a harsh reaction if you ask me!

Weekend Recap

I had a GREAT weekend! SB and I stayed in town, and just had a blast. Here's a little recap:

• Friday night -- I played my first match with my new WTT (World Team Tennis) team. I won both my matches and had fun meeting the new people!
• Saturday morning - SB and I ran a 4 mile race in Forest Park. SB ran ridiculously fast (he finished 9 minutes ahead of me....helloooo that's like 2 and a half minutes faster per mile than me)! But I was still pretty happy about my time (38:52 -- which I know I can improve), and the highlight was when SB ran back to find me, and finished the last 1/2 mile by my side! He's a sweetie.
• Saturday lunch -- we tried the famous Pappy's BBQ. The line was waaaay out the door - probably about 45 minutes long, but it was soooo worth it. Their bbq is just delicious. I'd definitely do it again. (and I highly recommend the pulled pork sandwich, and sides of green beans and apple sauce. They were all sooooooooo good.)
  
• Saturday afternoon I bought a new macbook! It's been several months since my laptop stopped working altogether, and since it's 7 years old, I figured it's time for a new one. SB is a big Apple fan, so he convinced me that this is the way to go. So far I'm loving it! (and the fact that I can finally plug in my iphone for updates)
• Sunday -- I played tennis again! This time it was a USTA match. I played doubles, and won a pretty tough one 6-2, 7-6 (8-6). There's nothing like a tie-breaker to get that fun feeling of playing under pressure.
• Football, football, football. I'm so happy the Colts will be playing the Saints. I'll be pulling for the Saints. It truly is amazing to think of the state of the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.....and now look at it! (and oh-so-gratifying to this Packer fan that Favre lost....call me bitter, I don't mind - but I'm still happy he's not in the Super Bowl!)
  

A pop of color!!

I'm always attracted to bright colors. From clothing to art, I think that "happy colors" really help boost my mood! After stalking these prints for ages on Ballard Design's site, I finally took the plunge and purchased them for our kitchen! (and two stools too...thanks to the 15% off coupon from my sister!)