one man’s junk is another man’s treasure

i think i acquired this bathroom organizer rack from someone, somewhere along the lines. it’s been sitting in my utility room collecting dust, amongst other items, for far too long

then the little tot – 1.5 years old now! – decided that climbing up the dog food stations to get a better vantage point on the window sill to play in mom’s flower pots was a really cool idea. instead of telling a toddler numerous times to leave the plants alone, sometimes removing the vice from the situation is a far easier battle to wage

enter some steel wool, a damp cloth and a can of spray paint. a couple of hours later, i had myself a freshly painted shelf that fit almost perfectly over my ginormous lily plant

i know, the lily needs some trimming. but it’s pretty cool, huh?!

seeing green

Never underestimate the power that one good workout will have on your mind. Keeping the dream alive is half the battle. 

Kara Goucher 

my RW quote of the day

this rang true to me last night. i had the need for speed running through my veins and wanted to hit up my favorite trail for a nice run on a post-rainy-day night. it was the perfect setting for a mind altering occasion.

a dense feeling of the rain’s aftermath in the air. an extra squishy feeling underneath from the water soaked earth. listening to the cadence of my breathing and the birds singing their goodnight songs. so much GREEN i felt like i was seeing double at some points. and the feeling of “i still got this” kicking my @$$ :0)

5 months to the day postpartum. it was weird getting back into running after the babes arrived. your bodies all weird inside and out. time is sparse, if not nonexistent. and i really felt like i was physically starting back at square one, but mentally so much further along.

i kept the dream alive and can say that after last night’s run, trekking my way through the trails that i feel like i can run with my eyes closed, it felt damn good to be back in the game.

now, who’s ready for a race?!

south paws UNITE!

my fourth email of the morning came in with the subject line “happy left handers day! 8/13”

WHATTTTTTT?!?!?!
HOW EXCITING!

seriously, righty’s, you have no idea how great this feels to a lefty. you have 364 days of the year, let us enjoy this one :0)

why is left hander’s day so special to lefty’s? unless you are one, you probably don’t understand the awkwardnesses that encompass a lefty’s life. to have one day of the year when maybe the righty’s could see eye to eye with us, that’s somethin’ else.

example 1
with your left hand, pick up a mug, pen, pencil, or any other marketing device you would normally grab with your right hand… notice the words are upside down or not even visible?

example 2
entire family is right handed. left handed daughter wants to learn to bat, golf, swing a hockey stick, play any sport requiring equipment. enough said.

example 3
your mouse, your keyboard, opening doors, the set up of sinks, COFFEE MAKERS, TOOLS, can openers, scissors, note pads… the list goes on. if you’re a righty, think to yourself today before you use pretty much anything, how would a lefty do this. i guarantee your brain will start to hurt. maybe even smoke.

with that, reach out to your upside down, south pawed friends, and give them a left handed high five. because today is their day!

SOUTH PAWS UNITE!

busy BEes

 

 

who is this?!

the sweet little ray of sunshine who’s been keeping me rather busy the past few months…

i’m trying to get back into the swing of things – recipes, adventures, and random facts to come.
BEE back soon!

friday funnies

because we ALL need it at the end of the week

… friday funnies …

these images will def warm your heart and brighten your day

a firefighter giving a kitten oxygen

a turtle the size of a grape

an embarrassed walrus

a pug with pug slippers

baby hedgehog at bathtime

Lily is a Great Dane that has been blind since a bizarre medical condition required that she have both eyes removed. For the last 5 years, Madison, another Great Dane, has been her sight. The two are, of course, inseparable.

~HAPPY FRIDAY~

restore the shore

faith in humanity = restored

if there was any doubt in my mind about the compassion that existed in others, it has been proven this past week, by leaps and bounds

it’s truly heart warming to see first hand all of this coming-together-ness going on

help has come in from near:
local families, friend and groups getting together to volunteer at shelters, collect donations, hand out a warm meal, clean up homes, or maybe just to lend a shoulder to lean on

and help has come from far:
troopers from 11 states were sworn in yesterday to assist the police force, power companies drove in/flew in from states all over the country, national guard and federal support, donation packages from out-of-staters who have family/friends in the area, and that’s naming just a few

it still breaks my heart when i see another slideshow or photo gallery of the aftermath of Sandy to our area.
the homes destroyed.
the families displaced.
the landmarks that will forever be tainted.

but at the end of the day, we all still have each other.
we WILL get through this.
and we’re getting through this because of the immense support system out there.

KUDOS to everyone who is making a difference and lending a helping hand!

~Mel

she came…

WOW… I’m a little bit back to reality today. I was able to catch a bus into the city to flee the no heat, no power, no cell service on the home front for a solid 8 hours today.

walking to the bus stop with a flashlight in the pitch dark + standing in the cold for 20 minutes with a wet head of hair = priceless, to feel the warmth of the bus once it finally came!

my heart goes out to the members in my community who lost so much in the wrath of Sandy’s path. they say “the Jersey Shore will never be the same”, but we true JS folk know what’s up. we come together and rebuild in ways that other parts of the country could never think as possible. it may take some time, but it’ll all be back, better than ever too.

if you are anywhere near the north jersey shore area and have clothes or supplies (or gift cards) to donate to families who have lost everything they had, inbox me on facebook, send me an email, or comment here. i know of many MANY families who evacuated their houses with a small bag of their belongings and now don’t have a home to go back to.

Stay strong New Jersey Shore and the other communities hit by Sandy!
We survived, we’ll rebuild and we’ll be telling stories about this storm for the rest of our lives.

~HAPPY FRIDAY~

she’s coming…

Sandy is still ~150 miles away from hitting us, the moon tide has yet to come, and our area already looks like its seen far better days

hang in there north easters!

dog shaming

~*friday funnies*~

dog shaming is making its way through the net like a wildfire… how could it not though?! these clips are hysterical and 100% relatable if you have your own mischievousness mutt at home! or two

HAPPY FRIDAY!

spud stud

i thought id tried every variation under the sun of cooking a potato… until i stumbled across a couple of recipes for hasselback potatoes!

they seemed kind of like a mix between a baked potato and scalloped potatoes. top em’ with some bacon bits and you could serve these babies up as your main course. they have the looks of being prepared by a skilled hand, but a pair of chopsticks will have you mastering this recipe in no time

HASSELBACK POTATOES

Ingredients:
russet potatoes, thoroughly rinsed
olive oil
bread crumbs (i used a GF version)
shredded cheese (i used daiya rice shreds)

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 450*. Place chopsticks on a cutting board on either side of the potato and cut thin slices all the way down the length of the potato. Be careful to not cut all of the way through it!

2) Place potatoes in a roasting pan coated with a thin layer of olive oil. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and bake for about 45 minutes.

3) Once they’re done, remove the pan from the oven. Mix some cheese, olive oil and breadcrumbs in a bowl (enough to cover however many potatoes you’re cooking) and spread onto potatoes, making sure to get the mixture into the cracks. Top with some salt and pepper and place the pan back in the oven until the cheese is melted.

~*ENJOY*~