It’s Lemon Month! Time to Run, Walk, Ride.

A few days ago, my friend challenged me to log some miles for ALS. I’ve already done the ice bucket thing; most of my friends and family have. Isn’t the power of social media amazing? To date, the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS awareness has helped to raise $100 million and counting, and raised our collective consciousness about a disease that affects so many people, including a few of my friends. As with any internet thing, there are naysayers, but as someone with the inside scoop on charity workings (my husband serves as board president of a local nonprofit), raising awareness for your cause works. The proof is in the dollars- see that big figure up there? You never know who might be watching, who has funds to give, who has been personally affected or knows someone who has, and suddenly- they care. They want to make a difference. They want to give their money. And maybe it’s a one-time thing, or maybe they can afford a recurring donation, but either way- awareness matters.

Back to my friend’s running challenge- well, I had to decline. This month is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and all of my miles belong to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. That’s right, it’s time once again to log one million miles for childhood cancer, and this year, we can run, walk, or ride our way through September. Check out this video:

We participated in the inaugural Million Mile Run last year, and were thrilled that so many of our friends joined us. If you would like to join Team Scoot A Doot this year, we would LOVE to have you! Fundraising is encouraged but not mandatory- what we really want you to do is log your miles with us and make some noise on social media. Let’s paint the month yellow for childhood cancer awareness!

BUT WAIT. There’s more! If you join our team, here are some things you can look forward to:

#onwednesdayswewearyellow Mean Girls wear pink, but Nice Girls (and guys) wear yellow. Show us your yellow every Wednesday on Instagram and Facebook, and help me prove that it really does look good on everyone. Team members will be entered into a random prize drawing at the end of the month, for every Wednesday they participate. (That’s one prize but four chances to enter! Time to start planning your outfits.)

We love our team so much that we have two other prize opportunities!

One prize for the most miles logged by the end of the month. Now, some of us our in marathon training season, and some of us are cyclists…who will win? Start moving, post your miles, and let’s find out!

The other reward is for our top fundraiser. Raising money isn’t a requirement for our team, but every dollar raised will help fund more research, and one day, hopefully, a cure.

We have a few other surprises in store for our team, and of course we’ll be posting lemony goodness all month long, in the form of recipes, outfit ideas, and more.

Let’s get this party started! Join Team Scoot A Doot for #alexsmillionmile and give us a shout on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. Start running, walking, or riding and let’s make a difference together. The #journey2amillion starts today!

http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1117658

Already joined our team? THANK YOU! Are you walking, biking, or riding? Do you love yellow as much as I do?

I’m doing what? When? How? Where?

I realized last Sunday night that I am running a half marathon THIS Sunday morning. Directly after that, I realized that I have done nothing (other than training) to prepare for this. I have a vague idea of when my flight leaves the Bay Area and arrives in Orange County. I kiiiinda know where we’re staying (what’s the name? No idea.) I semi-know that the weather is probably going to be pretty warm. Sort of. I definitely do know that Meridith and I will be watching Outlander together, because we are both obsessed. But that is one of the few things I unequivocally know. Otherwise?

I am just Not. Prepared. At all.

unnamed-3

Paralyzed by Idontknowitis. Very serious.

So, I started freaking out a bit. Making lists. Making plans. Making playlists. Painting my nails (very important.) I’ve gone on a couple short runs, but is this the right thing to do? I don’t know. I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING.

And it dawned on me: I don’t know what to do because I’ve never done this before. I mean, truly, this is like new frontier type stuff for me. And realizing that helped take some (not all) of the panic away.

That said, I am still completely in the dark about what my week-before-running-my-first-half-marathon-oh-god should look like. I want to know. I want to make sure I’m not missing anything. Should I be running or not? Should I be taking it easy? Eating a lot of carbs? Eating no carbs? Stretching? Upping my water intake?

I know I always ask you lovely people for advice, but…well, I’m doing it again. Because so many of you have done this! And I want to do it right. I like doing things right.

So please, tell me: is there anything special I need to do before the race on Sunday? Is there anything special you do before your races that I should adopt? And finally (maybe most importantly?), what songs should I add to my half playlist?! 

The Skin You’re In

The summer is sadly winding down and my boys and I are getting our “lasts” into these couple of weeks before school starts. Don’t get me wrong, we are all super stoked for the start of school but we’ve got things to do! Water ice treats, visits to the library (while it’s not crowded), last visits to the pool before it closes… all super important experiences.

Recently, as I was slathering sunscreen on my little guy’s body before a “last” visit to the pool, he promptly chirped up to remind me that it was “Mommy’s turn next”. I’ll admit that with my darker complexion, I sometimes skip the sunscreen.

Total mom fail! I’m super diligent when it comes to my children. They wear sunscreen and hats. I make sure that they sit in the shaded areas as much as possible. I’d walk behind them with a parasol, if I thought I could get away with it.

Why then am I neglectful when it comes to myself? I spend so much time placing importance on my health and well-being and I’m not taking care of my skin as well as I can be. My dad has had numerous bouts of skin cancer! I know better! We know better.

This video has been making the rounds on social media but in case you haven’t seen it yet, check out How the Sun Sees You.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9BqrSAHbTc&w=853&h=480]

Of course, knowing and doing are two separate processes. I know that I need to wear sunscreen and I need to make an effort to put it on every time I leave the house. But it’s easy to forget while you’re hustling the kids out the door, carrying towels, juice boxes, snacks, table tennis paddles.

A couple of weeks ago I ran out of facial cleanser so I’ve been washing my face with soap and water in the shower, after the gym or a workout. If I remember to put on moisturizer, I consider it a significant win.

flowerface

Why can’t someone just paint flowers on my face daily? So much easier.

Jess is my expert advice giver, especially when it comes to skin and makeup because she works in the beauty industry (AND SHE IS BEAUTIFUL and looks like angels kiss her skin on a daily basis); naturally I asked her for help.

Jess: “Wait, are you washing your face with SOAP SOAP?”
Me: “Well, what do you consider SOAP SOAP? It’s artisan!”
Jess: “But is it body soap?” (Sounding as horrified as one can in an email message.)
Me: “…” “Maybe?”
Jess: “For the love of Pete, Meridith. How have you survived life this long?” (Okay, she didn’t actually say that part but you could tell she was thinking it.)

I ask Jess for her opinion about practically everything in my life. And I hate disappointing her. Thankfully, she gave me some good advice in regards to daily facial routines and since sharing is caring, here’s my game plan!

1. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen.

2. Cleanser. Okay, so soap isn’t technically a cleanser and can apparently be a bit harsh on the ol’ face. Burt’s Bees has always been my go-to cleanser and Jess also mentioned Cetaphil and Aveeno because my skin is “normal”. Jess has sensitive skin so she uses Fresh Soy Face Cleanser.

3. I worry about dark marks. I have freckles and uneven skin tone so it’s a concern of mine. In regards to this, Jess recommended Clinique Even Better. I also recently got a sample of Elizabeth Arden’s Flawless Future Serum from Influenster that I’m going to try. I’m not too concerned with wrinkles… yet. But hey, can’t hurt to be proactive!

4. Moisturizer. See! I’ve got this! I ALREADY HAD ONE OF THE STEPS. *pats self on back* Personally, I use Neutrogena. Boom! Most moisturizers have SPF too so I suppose that I’m already a little bit protected from the sun, so long as I’ve moisturized.

5. Eye cream. Now this is something I would NOT have thought of, which is why Jess gets paid the big bucks! Suggestions were Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye Cream or Fresh Black Tea Eye Cream. I have yet to invest in this, primarily because I’m cheap but my face is worth it! (Why is everything so expensive? Seriously, man.)

6. Six? Yeah, I was aiming for five but this one is important. After I run or workout, if I don’t have the chance to shower immediately, I use these babies:

burtsbees

Salt and dirt, begone! Okay, maybe not GONE, but definitely less.

So, that’s the plan! Anyone who knows me knows that I like a good plan. I know I can’t erase time or years but I can be proactive and take charge today. Tally-ho!

yolo

What’s your skin care routine? Any good product recommendations for me? (Ones that won’t break the bank are always appreciated. You know, I don’t want crap but I also don’t want to waste $10 on something that won’t work instead of springing for the $80 of awesome.)

A Day in the Life: Jess

Welcome to my exciting day in the life! It began with waking up. Always a good sign. Some other things happened after I woke up, including:

  • My child woke up (ready to party)
  • My husband woke up
  • We all ran around
  • There was a little getting-myself-ready action
  • There was a lot of getting-Bug-ready action
  • There was a LOT of sweating from getting-Bug-ready action
  • No pictures were taken during this time because it was too hectic, but trust me, it all happened
  • As per usual, our morning routine ended with running for the cable car to get Bug to daycare!
An old picture of cable car cuteness.

An old picture of cable car cuteness.

Once I sweated my way down three or four hills with Bug and dropped him off at daycare, I headed down a few other hills (THIS CITY IS ONE VERY LARGE HILL) to wait for the bus.

2014-06-26 08.07.20

Dear MUNI, are you there? It's me, Jessica.

Dear MUNI, are you there? It’s me, Jessica.

 

 

Then it was off to the second day of a two-day off-site meeting for new managers, put on by my company’s parent company. Follow that? Me neither. It’s okay!

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Notes, an iPhone and coffee. Not much else a girl needs, am I right? I spent the first part of the morning learning about business-y/manager-y things, but there was the small matter of USA playing Germany in the World Cup, which NBD. EXCEPT VERY BIG DEAL. Thankfully, my friend Heidi was kind enough to text me updates throughout the game.

I got overstimulated by emojis.

I got overstimulated by emojis.

Also thankfully, our first break of the day coincided with the end of the game, so we crowded around someone’s iPad to see the last four minutes and confirm that – phew – the US was indeed going through to the knockout round! Victory! America!

It's okay, America! You still made it!

It’s okay, America! You still made it!

It should be noted that I had no idea I liked soccer until the World Cup. But it’s great. It makes me sweat and feel like I am on the verge of death due to stress whenever I watch it. What a time to be alive!

More business-y/manager-y things happened after lunch, and then we were lucky enough to sit through a presentation about the history and making of champagne (yesterday, the CEO of a beauty brand presented to us, as well as a luxury retailer. Kind of a jackpot situation). Did you know that champagne (champay-nyuh if you are French) can only be called such if it’s made in the Champagne region of France? It’s true. Fascinating stuff. I feel so lucky to work for a company that puts on events like this for their employees. I learned so much!

And drank champagne. I mean,whatever.

So delicious, I can't even.

So delicious, I can’t even.

After a networking happy hour, it was off to my humble abode to see my precious family, after a pit stop to pick up some dinner for myself. Had to absorb the champay-nyuh somehow.

Ah, the bus. We meet again. It was packed. Hopefully you can pick up the vibe here – I didn’t want to take a picture of faces because generally strangers frown upon that. Weird.

Was digging this girl's bag, too.

Was digging this girl’s bag, too.

Hello, family!

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Literally so excited to see me.

Literally so excited to see me.

Before I dug into my food, I picked up after said precious family, because that’s what moms are for.

The before:

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Surrounded by barbarians.

 

And the after:

Moms get stuff done.

Moms get stuff done.

FOOOOOOOOD from one of my favorite Mexican places nearby.

Me: "Hey food, be delicious." Food: "OKAY!"

Me: “Hey food, be delicious.” Food: “OKAY!”

Tried to shake off this little vulture, but he was persistent so I caved and gave him some morsels.

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

 

Then we moved on to the Get Bug to Sleep portion of the evening, which typically includes a bath (not pictured for obvious reasons), some playtime, milk and PJs and then crib city.

2014-06-26 19.08.15-1

2014-06-26 19.08.29-1

 

And that brings us to now, when I’m stretched out in bed, and will be ending the evening with some intense reading.

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And that’s all she (I) wrote! I wish I could share the noise of the ambulance that seems to be driving right through my bedroom right now, but alas. You will have to imagine it.

So! Are you Team USA or Team USA? Who’s tuning in for the match against Ghana on Tuesday? Who’s your favorite player?

*chants* I believe that we will win! 

 

Back in the (Running) Saddle

After a several-week hiatus due to some asthma ridiculousness, I’m back to training for the Disneyland Half Marathon. What whaaaat.

No, seriously, WHAT WHAT?!

I’m so behind in training that I’m a little paralyzed about how to get back on track. I should have run 8 miles this weekend in order to be up-to-date, but instead ran about 2. The good news: Mister Jess and I are signing up for a gym so I won’t have to drag myself up the hills of San Francisco, muttering expletives to myself the whole way. The bad news: …hmm. Yeah, I’m still behind.

I have 65 days left to train, people. 

Now, I know this doesn’t seem like a super dire situation, but since I’m running with Cam and Mer, I want to make sure that I’m not going to be holding them back (I can hear them saying, “no no no, you’re not going to hold us back, it’ll be fun no matter what, yay team!” right now). And I definitely don’t want to have a miserable time along the course because I didn’t get my ess (that’s shit in short-hand) together. Also, I’ve never run a race longer than a 5k, so I am kind. Of. Freaking. Out. Here.

Part of me thinks I should just try to quickly catch up to the longer weekend runs I’m supposed to be doing. However, I’m enough of a running novice to know that I’ll probably end up injuring myself doing that, and then my whole fun weekend and half-marathon-finisher status thing is a moot point.

So, here I am asking you all for advice once again. In times of question, I either run to Google or you super-smart peeps. How can I get back on my half training track by August 31st? Talk to me in the comments! 

Seniors Rule!

This time of year, there seem to be graduation related events every weekend. Driving around town, I see all the cars decorated in blue and white proclaiming that “Seniors Rule.” Clearly, the Class of 2K14 is the best ever! Hail the graduates!

We’ve all been there. And we’ve got the pics to prove it! So, Throwback Thursday style, may we present to you the Scoot A Doot Class of 2014!

Bec and her hair were quite a pair!

Name: Rebecca

Nickname: Becci, Speckles

Year of Graduation: 1992. Hair was big,  Bill Clinton ran for President and won, MTV changed the face of television with the introduction of The Real World,  90210 was on every Thursday night and my prom song was the epic “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men.

School Mascot: Pirate. Arrrgh.

Activities: Yearbook, newspaper, Peer Leaders

Sports: Ahahaha. You’re funny. No.

Favorite movie: Wayne’s World. This came out February of my senior year and I lost count of how many times I saw it in the theatre. And Pretty Woman. And Dirty  Dancing. And, as always, The Breakfast Club.

Theme song: Baby Got Back (Oh my God, Becky, look at her butt.)

Favorite subject/class: English, Government, Psychology

Favorite high school memory: Any time spent with my friends. Whether we were taking the train into Boston, making late night runs to Taco Bell, hanging out in my friends’ den watching Breakfast Club or seeing how far we could get the car to coast from my house, I loved my friends  so much.

Senior Superlative: Best Mom? I totally mommed everyone, so probably that. Or Tallest.

Dream job: Writer, Interior Designer, Speech Therapist, ASL Teacher, Hairdresser. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’m still not.

Quote:  I had to look mine up, I honestly couldn’t remember. I was going to use the oft used Helen Keller quote about letting things go, but a good friend of mine wanted to use it, so I went with this.  “Only as high as I reach can I grow, Only as far as I seek can I go, Only as deep as I look can I see, Only as much as I dream can I be.”

Post high schools plans: Undecided. (Literally, I left high school with no idea what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go, knowing only that I wanted to go somewhere and do something. And I did.

 

camseniorYoung Cam has serious curls!

Name: Camille

Nickname: Cam, Camoozle, Mo, Mojo potato, Camel, Cammyzoo (and those are the nice ones.)

Year of Graduation: 1998 – Grunge is God!

School Mascot: The Steeler Man (So lame, I know)

Activities: Drama Club – I participated in every theater production my school had from 1994-1998.  I was also Historian.  My senior year, I had 3 out of 6 classes in the drama room.

Sports: Um, drama club?

Favorite movie: Playing by Heart.  And Good Will Hunting.  And Romeo and Juliet…And like 50 others.  I was really, really into movies.  Also, I was a HUGE SNL fan.

Theme song: Creep by Radiohead

Favorite subject/class: Literature and Set Design

Favorite high school memory: Ditching class to play hide and seek at Target. Also, we would toilet paper houses a lot.  This one time we papered this guy’s house.  Then came back the next night, took the paper out of his outside trash can, and toilet papered his house again. At the time, it was the most hilarious thing I’d ever experienced.

Senior Superlative: Most Dramatic

Dream job: Writer, archaeologist, marine biologist, theater actress, psychologist…I changed my mind daily

Quote: “Try not, do or do not.  There is no try.” – Master Yoda

Post high school plans: Riverside Community College, here I come!  But first, the best summer ever.

Jess isn't really camera shy. We just come from an era before all pictures were digital.

Jess isn’t really camera shy. We just come from an era before all pictures were digital.

 

Name: Jessica

Nickname: Kiki

Year of Graduation: 2001. Boy bands were hot, fashion was questionable, and I drove a yellow Mustang.

School Mascot:Thunder (how is this even a mascot? It’s a sound)

Activities: Hanging with the BFFs, flirting with boys. This took up most of my time.

Sports: HAHAHA.

Favorite movie: Ocean’s Eleven

Theme song: Anything by *NSYNC

Favorite subject/class: English was my jam

Favorite high school memory: really anything involving my best friends. I can’t pick just one! Mainly because those memories are too incriminating.

Senior Superlative: I was voted Best Eyes, but if I’d had my druthers, I’d have been Best Booty.

Dream job: I’m pretty sure it was to be a writer. That’s always been my dream job.

Quote: I don’t think we did these. Mine would’ve been “after the show it’s the after party/and after that it’s the hotel lobby.”

Post high school plans: community college, mainly because I was so scared of germs that I didn’t want to live in a dorm room with someone and contract bacterial meningitis (this is a true story). But it all worked out because I decided to go to fashion school instead!

 

meri seniorMid-90s Meri

Name: Meridith

Nickname: Mer or Meri

Year of Graduation: 1995 (O.J. Simpson case, Forrest Gump won best picture, All Sheryl Crow wanted to do was have some fun.)

School Mascot: Braves

Activities: choir (sang The Star Spangled Banner in four-part harmony at graduation), band (flag squad captain), flute, theater (The King and I… I was a wife in the harem. Yep.)

Sports: um, no.

Favorite movie: Empire Records, open ’til midnight

Theme song: I don’t think I had one… but I just watched this best songs of 1995 video!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J6IgrOU8bM&w=420&h=315]

Favorite subject/class: Favorite subject was English and favorite class was Peer Counseling

Favorite high school memory: Dancing in car headlights with friends, playing on the playground instead of going to prom, eating lunch in the hallway between the theater and music rooms with people who made my high school experience so much more fun (and not having to go to the cafeteria).

Senior Superlative: Mostly likely to grow by leaps and bounds once she gets to college

Dream job: Broadway performer

Quote: I swear to the Lawd, this was mine. “People of the earth listen to the warning. The prophet he said for soon the cold of night will fall summoned by your own hand.” – Queen

Vic Senior

Vic, looking classy and classic

 

Name: Victoria

Nickname: Toria by my family (this I love) and Vicki by my friends (this I hate.) Seriously, if you call me Vicki, expect retaliation. I loathe this name, but am usually too polite to tell people.

Year of Graduation: I graduated in 1995, when my hometown band Live was dominating the national airwaves and flannel shirts were all the rage. Heck, front-man Ed Kowalczyk even picked out one of my fave flannels at our local mall.

School Mascot: Blue Streaks. Yep, I’m talking about a blue lightning bolt. And our rival school had a mascot that was a Tornado.

Activities: I played the tuba and was in marching band, concert band, orchestra and loved to sing. And (surprise!) I was on the school newspaper staff, literary mag staff and was a photographer for the school yearbook.

Sports: I was a competitive swimmer through high, middle and elementary school (and on two winter teams in high school). I also ran cross-country my senior year.

Favorite subject/class: English, photography, ceramics and sewing. I took four – count them FOUR- English classes my senior year (including two AP-level classes). I loved to read and write and even voluntarily wrote a term paper on school uniforms for a creative writing class my final semester.

Favorite high school memory: There was no feeling like walking across the stage to receive my diploma at graduation. That’s a milestone that remains sharp in my mind. I also fondly remember gathering with friends before school each morning in a random stairwell, literary parties with my favorite high school English teacher and classmates, and running (barefoot and dripping wet) into the snow with some swimming friends after a practice one winter.

Senior Superlative: Klutziest. I kid you not, I trip over air.

Dream job: I didn’t have a dream job but knew I wanted to write, in one form or another.

Quote: “Never cut what can be untied.”

Post High School Plans: Graduate from college, (preferably the biggest college I could find – I wanted to get lost in the crowd.) Also – become a writer, have a family.

We hope you enjoyed this walk down our memory lanes. And we would very much like to encourage your to share your senior pictures with us. Especially if you have really epic hair! 

See Jess Run: Volume 3

Okay, admittedly, perhaps this playlist should be titled “See Jess NOT Run.” Unfortunately, I’m having a wee bit o’ the asthma flare-up, so I haven’t been training. With any luck, that will be turning around this week, but I have been feeling pretty guilty about my lack of running.

In that vein (and also since I don’t have much running-related things to share this week), I decided to make a guilty pleasure playlist. You know what I’m talking about: it’s the reason you’d tackle someone if they tried to steal your iPod and browse through your downloaded songs. This playlist includes the kind of songs where, the first time you hear it on the radio, you say to yourself, “Ugh, what IS this?” But by the fourth or tenth or twentieth listen, you’re singing along to lyrics you didn’t even know you knew. For any of you who have seen Easy A, it’s the playlist equivalent of “Pocketful of Sunshine.”

Please note that my sharing of this playlist required a lot of courage on my part.

[8tracks width=”300″ height=”250″ playops=”” url=”http://8tracks.com/mixes/4222098″]

P.S. Please ALSO note that it took everything in me to include Backstreet Boys in this playlist, because I am strictly *NSYNC. But I mean…As Long As You Love Me is really good. I guess.

So now you know my musical secrets and shame. In return, I want to know what your guilty pleasure song is. Tell me in the comments! 

I Like Good Books and I Cannot Lie

“She had always wanted words, she loved them; grew up on them. Words gave her clarity, brought reason, shape.” 

The above quote is from The English Patient, but I’m convinced Michael Ondaatje wrote it about me.

This is, perhaps, the most important thing you should know about me: I love words. I always have. As soon as I grasped language and  reading, as soon as I understood the enchantment of books, I was lost to them. I read voraciously as soon as I was able: Dr. Seuss books (all of which Bug now has in his room. Vintage!), Shel Silverstein, Lois Lowry and C.S. Lewis and the list goes on and on and on. I loved diving into different worlds. How cool was it that one minute I was me, a super-cool kid with kickin’ style, and then the next I was a girl in search of dragons? That is the absolute magic of  books: that through the power of words and imagination, you can be whoever you want to be.

To this day, you’re more likely to find me with my nose in a book (or a Kindle, despite my fervent belief that it takes away from the purity of reading. Where’s the book smell?!) than glued to the television. Being in a library or book store borders on a religious experience for me. Growing up, I spent many a weekend curled up in the corner of either. Ain’t no party like a library party, ’cause a library party won’t STOP.

You’re probably starting to understand just how cool I am. But that’s what being surrounded by books does to me. I’m taken in by the smell of bound paper, by row after row after row of books, all of them teeming with their own lives, with unique worlds that are just waiting to be discovered.

All the books hanging out at the famous City Lights Bookstore. This place is magic.

All the books hanging out at the famous City Lights Bookstore. This place is magic.

THE SHELVES ARE ALIIIIIVE, WITH THE SOUND OF WOOOORLDS (I tried).

THE SHELVES ARE ALIIIIIVE, WITH THE SOUND OF WOOOORLDS (I tried).

The community bulletin board, where people shout out their favorite poets. I loved this one.

The community bulletin board, where people shout out their favorite poets. I loved this one.

The past couple of weeks, I’ve been caught up in the voracious kind of reading that I used to do pre-Bug. The kind where I’m sneaking off during my lunch break and hiding in bathrooms just so I can get through a few more pages. The kind where I’m staying up late just to finish this page – well, the chapter’s almost over, can’t stop, won’t stop – oh, this is an odd-numbered page and I hate odd numbers, gotta keep going – wait, how is it MIDNIGHT? That kind of reading. The swept-up-into-a-world kind of reading. The BEST kind of reading.

Meri, Brooke, Bec and I have been texting constantly on this subject lately. And the bonus to all of this reading? It inspires my writing. It gets me daydreaming while I’m running, which is an awesome distraction on those brutal hills (there, now this isn’t completely off topic).

I might not be naughty by nature, but I’m a sharer by nature, so for all of you fellow bookworms, these are the books I gobbled up recently. Note: I have book boyfriends in each of these.

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

This is the second book in the series – the first is Daughter of Smoke & Bone. Let me tell you: this is one of the most gorgeously written, inspired and creatively told series I’ve ever read. The world Laini Taylor built, the sheer magic of it, is just beyond. I’m not usually into fantasy, but this is the stuff right here. It transcends genre preferences due to sheer perfection.

Book boyfriend: Akiva

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

The third and final book in the Smoke & Bone series. My heart! Seriously, READ THIS SERIES. And then let’s talk about it.

Book boyfriend: Akiva (again and forever)

We Were Liars by e. lockhart

This was a recommendation from Brooke. I blazed through this one in a few hours. It reads effortlessly and is super brilliantly written. I can’t say too much about it without giving things away, but read it. Read it. Read it.

Book boyfriend: Gat

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This is the first in a three-part series and, again, sort of in the fantasy realm. Also again, a very engrossing and beautifully written start to the series. The second book, called The Dream Thieves (book boyfriend: Ronan), is also top-notch.

Book boyfriend: Gansey

Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (a re-read)

It’s set in San Francisco, so I had no choice but to like it. The reasons for loving this book were A) Cricket Bell (book boyfriend) and B) Lola’s dads, whom Stephanie Perkins wrote as beautifully well-rounded people rather than a rubber-band ball of stereotypes.

There were some fluffy romance novels mixed in there, too, but these have been the ones to stick with me recently.

And now I’m left yearning for more words to gobble.

So! Recommendations for what to read next (I promise I read books that aren’t young adult, too)? Have you read any of these books and want to discuss? My part of the discussion will probably involves ALL CAPS. Let’s talk in the comments!

In Pictures: Disneyland Half Training, Day 1!

In my post last week, I asked for advice on half marathon training programs and got some amazing advice. Which, let’s be honest, I was totally expecting because you all are the shizz. So, thanks to your advice and specifically to Juliana for hooking me up with a runDisney plan that is perfect for me, I set out Tuesday night to conquer Day 1. I put Bug to bed at 7, laced up my sneaks, and hit the city streets!

As a runner (I use that term loosely) (for now), I love and hate training in San Francisco. Quite obviously, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Truly. I couldn’t ask for better scenery. But the f&%king hills, you guys! Oy vey. My runs are usually planned around avoiding the steepest ones, but inevitably I always end up having to climb at least one. Still, my run last night was more of a fast walk, so the hills were conquerable.

And because San Francisco is so stunningly gorgeous, especially last night when it was in the low 70s at twilight, I had to snap some pictures and share my route!

Ready to rock with Weezer!

Ready to rock with Weezer!

Excuse the blurriness of the above picture. I took it fast because I was afraid a neighbor was going to catch me selfie-ing.

Forget Weezer, Britney was the name of the game.

Forget Weezer, Britney was the name of the game.

 

These are the kind of hills I like: the ones that go down.

These are the kind of hills I like: the ones that go down. But seriously, look at this steep-ass hill. 

Runners! Hello, fellow runners!

Runners! Hello, fellow runners!

I love these houses. They could be mine for a mere something-million dollars.  I like to dream whilst I run.

I love these houses. They could be mine for a mere something-million dollars. I like to dream whilst I run.

 

Now, I will admit to making a pit-stop at two places: Walgreens, so I could get some water, and Bob’s Donuts, to pick up a donut for Mister Jess. I was wondering why he was so eager for me to go running until he said, “Hey, while you’re out…” But I am so committed to my training that I didn’t even get a donut for myself.

How stupid awesome am I?

Mmm, donuts.

Mmm, donuts.

 

A hill going the wrong way.

A hill going the wrong way.

Another hill going the wrong way. What's with all of these up hills?

Another hill going the wrong way. What’s with all of these up hills?

And finally, after about 40 minutes, I arrived home safe and sound from the streets of San Francisco.

Celebrating with my friend, the creepy cherub.

Celebrating with my friend, the creepy cherub.

I even had enough energy for a Katy Perry dance party in the elevator. Gotta love those endorphins!

My next run is tonight – another 30 minutes – and then Saturday I’ll run 2 miles. While 13.1 still feels incredibly daunting, I’m excited to have a plan in place. I’m ready to rock it!

Do you have a favorite route you run? Do you prefer out in the world or indoors? What’s your favorite donut? Tell me about it in the comments! 

Oh, Yeah, I Signed Up For a Half Marathon

I’m running a half marathon at the end of August. That’s four months from now.

Yes, I know you all know this. I just need to remind myself. I seem to have forgotten, just a little bit.

I’m a little stressed out. Being a full-time mom and a full-time employee leaves me very little time to do anything that is just for me. That includes, but is not limited to: eating at any speed slower than breakneck; sitting down; laying down; sleeping; and, of course, exercise.

I know I sound totally whiny. I feel whiny. I am whiny. But there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do what I need – and want! – to do.

That said, I spent a lot of money to participate in the Disneyland Half Marathon, so I need to set aside my lack of time and my stress and figure out a game plan. So far, my game plan looks like this:

1. Start running.

Look at me go!

Look at me go!

….

Aaaaaaand that’s it. It’s a little overwhelming in its simplicity, I know. In the interest of getting my butt in gear, Mister Jess has offered to create a training calendar for me so that I can see what I need to do each day in order to complete my ultimate goal. Which is, in case you’ve forgotten (because I have!), the half marathon. But that means I need to have a training schedule, and after doing an informal poll on Facebook as well as a Google search, I did gather some great information on what training programs have worked for my half marathon-finishing friends.

But, of course, in true me fashion, I want to throw it out to you Scoot readers, too, because you are a font of information! So here it goes:

What program have you used to train for a half marathon? Loved it? Tell me all about it! And give me a kick in the pants for motivation while you’re at it.