SimplyComplexJen

Does Santa Hide the DSi in the Hall Closet?

2011-02-02T20:55:00.001-06:00

I put off the conversation last year. I narrowly missed it this past Christmas skillfully distracting to other topics. Unfortunately, I was ambushed today. With tears. Real tears, the kind that usually accompanies words like "I think the fish is dead." or "remember that thing from India on the shelf you told me to never touch?". I don't remember this moment in my life. I do remember being

Drop and give me 20! if you can..............

2011-01-18T09:37:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile. I know. Nothing in particular. Summer of 2010 was full of injury and activities that weren't related to tris or running. It was my most non-running summer in years. Of course, it was full of lots of other good things, so no complaints here. Over the weekend, I set up my sprint tri-training for the next 4 months., I'm exhausted just looking at it! A twist from 2009 I'm

Swimming : you just need to relax

2010-06-28T11:00:00.001-05:00

. Just a quick note, if you're tired of trying to remember to keep your head down, turn, breathe, kick less, kick more, etc. (all of which can be overwhelming to a new swimmer), I have a suggestion. Don't think about it. Seriously. I was swimming laps yesterday at our community pool while my little one was discovering her newly found love of going off the diving board (first time!). Luckily

Friday Book Recommendation 25 June 2010

2010-06-25T09:10:00.000-05:00

Environmental hazards that are part of our everyday existence. It's not everyday that I can tell you about a book the profoundly changed the way I look at what I buy and the environment (self-made) around me AND how you can buy that book for $5 and change. I'm happy to be able to do that today (and frankly, bought 5 copies when I realized how cheap it was, hoarding for next Christmas season).

TI take 2. Day 1.

2010-06-16T09:36:00.002-05:00

. Tuesday June 15th: It appears that not swimming for 7 mos did not improve anything. (shocker I realize). So, I googled once again, "learn to swim". The google masters promptly took me to a post that I remembered reading in January(ish) 2009. http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/08/13/total-immersion-how-i-learned-to-swim-effortlessly-in-10-days-and-you-can-too/ I remember buying the

It's good to be back, right?

2010-06-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

My basil, rosemary, and tomatoes all doubled in size while I was on holiday. The broccoli is showing signs of edible parts, and so are my pepper plants. My strawberries did not survive (it appears), nor did my arugula. My inbox is overflowing and if you don't hear from me in 20 min, you might check out my office. I have over 300 unread emails in my box because I refused to be a slave to

Workouts and Your Period. Different Perspectives.

2010-06-10T09:19:00.001-05:00

. I realize this may not be the most fun topic to tackle, but it's worth a post in my opinion. About a year ago, I bookmarked an article so wittily called "Cycle Training". (insert groans here). There is no earth shattering news in this article, but gives a good breakdown of what your body may need during each phase of your cycle. A few days ago, I was reading in Yoga Journal about

Lunch Today. Goodness in a box. Yes, I said it.....

2010-06-08T11:11:00.004-05:00

Yes, Giraffy , I'll admit... Pacific Soups in a box. I guess I can't claim, "there's no good lunch that will come out of a box" anymore. The tomato soup is also good (and can be bought at Costco!). It's a little runnier than I make my black bean soup, but is still delish. -------- "Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air."~R.W.Emerson Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Friday Book Recommendation 4 June 2010

2010-06-04T09:11:00.003-05:00

. Today's Friday Recommendation. Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck To give you an idea, I refer to this book at least once a month. It's starting to look like it too. I'm fighting the clutter-bug urge to keep a "clean" copy around. Chapter Highlights: Chpt 1 - First Things First, Everything in Moderation (what I tell A on a weekly basis)Chpt 2 - The Kitchen: You Are What You Eat (

Maybe it wasn't as crappy of a run as I thought....

2010-05-27T13:18:00.001-05:00

.Photo by Ivan Sciupac Last night while cleaning house, and about 27 hours after my self-proclaimed crappy run of 2010, I noticed my bum muscles were a little sore. Maybe those hills, even at a slooooow pace did some good. To the commenters who said doing a crappy run was better than no run.... YOU WERE RIGHT! Thanks for your support. Now, off to my cozy 3 mi lunch time run on the

Crappiest Run of 2010

2010-05-26T14:13:00.000-05:00

. I love when I'm done with a run, and on the inside I feel like the girl in the picture. Free. Happy. Ready to do it again. Last night wasn't one of those runs. Up at 5:45 to start getting ready for the day. A to school by 7:50. On the road by 8:30 to visit a client. As a side note, if there was a highlight of the day, it was the fact I didn't eat any of the dozen Krispy Kremes in my

According to Amazon.... 100 Great Indie Albums of all time. Agree?

2010-05-24T10:51:00.006-05:00

. Whether you agree with the sum of the list or not, let's agree that there are some great choices on this list. I'll admit a few made me scratch my head puzzled, and a few I was embarrassed I wasn't familiar with. A quick trip to both iTunes and the Amazon music store fixed that. 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums of All Time I was happy to see Magnetic Fields rank as high as 11, but

Friday Book Recommendation : Happy Back by Dr Scott Fuller

2010-05-21T14:35:00.004-05:00

I read the book, HAPPY BACK, based on a recommendation. I loved it's simplicity and real life applications of simple exercises. In fact, I recognize a lot of the daily stretches from my yoga classes. The product summary from Amazon summarizes it best: Happy Back is a self-help, how to book about caring for your neck and back on your own. Neck and back pain books typically focus only on

Another Race Paid For. Hospital Hill 10k

2010-04-30T09:34:00.001-05:00

. Through the power of Facebook feeds I haven't blocked (sorry Aunt J!), Hope House reminded me that tomorrow was the last day to sign up for the Hospital Hill run under their team. I had been on the fence about it, but Hope House is an organization I can get behind, so getting off the fence was an easy choice. Then came the hard choice. 5k? 10k? Half? I love running a 5k. It's quick,

Overwhelmed and spinning plates.

2010-04-28T11:59:00.001-05:00

. Overwhelmed. It's a word that has such depth, but is seemingly simple. I know we (I) bring a lot of it on ourselves. So much to accomplish, so little time. There's so much I've been trying this year (much to the detriment of my triathlon training) to make our lives simpler and more organic. What I didn't plan for in all my planning for our garden and hiking and other activities is what

Triathlon Musings : Arm Sleeves

2010-04-22T09:46:00.001-05:00

a Repost from : http://www.zentriathlon.com/home/2010/4/21/on-test-moeben-arm-sleeves.html Arm sleeves are a great invention. Thinner ones warm in the Winter and cool in the Summer. They stop sunburn and bright ones can help you be seen in traffic. They are a fast way to do all of the above because they go on and off in seconds, even while you ride. And don't call them arm warmers. The thin

Urban Homesteading Musings : Backyard Beekeeping

2010-04-21T20:57:00.003-05:00

. A twitter feed today caused my ADD to itch. Combine that with industry mags I get at work telling the woes of how the bee populations in our country are slowly dying and you have my google time suck of the day: Backyard Beekeeping I don't like bees. In fact, I have a strange suspicion based on a sting reaction when I was 11 that I am allergic to them. Did I let those two facts stop me from

Peeling Off Your Labels

2010-04-21T14:49:00.002-05:00

.Sometimes I come across an article or blog post that will stop me in my tracks. This is one of them. I haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet, but I can't get it off my mind today. I hope you enjoy as well. Peeling Off Your Labels A few years ago I did this crazy thing and walked a few hundred miles across the Indian countryside, looking for the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi. And

Board Game Challenge.

2010-04-20T09:49:00.003-05:00

. We used to have a habit in our house that somehow we slid away from. It wasn't that we just stopped cold one day, but you know how it is. Let's skip this tonight, there's too much homework. Or there's laundry to do. or Mama is mentally exhausted, so I make up a lame excuse and let her watch iCarly You know how these things go. One thing leads to another and before you know it, you're out

Like Seventh Generation goods? A green deal at Ecobunga!

2010-04-19T23:33:00.004-05:00

Drugstore.com is offering savings up to 40% off on a variety of Seventh Generation's earth-friendly household cleaning products and paper products. The best deals are on their bathroom tissue, facial tissue, and paper towels. Free shipping on orders over $25 for first-time Drugstore.com shoppers. End: 04/23/10 a green deal at Ecobunga!

Thoughts on Turn off the TV Week (aka Digital Detox Week).

2010-04-19T10:30:00.001-05:00

. Turn off the tv? No problem. I probably only watch an hour a night, and Bebe is only allowed 30 min a night during the school week, IF she has all her homework and household duties done. So, I sat here for a moment thinking how well we are doing. But you know what they say about pride..... Then it hit me. My vice isn't TV. I could care less about the media-created "American Idol" (

Food for thought: The Lie Many Parents Believe

2010-04-12T16:34:00.002-05:00

. I was recently turned onto the site, Simple Mom. Love it. The following article, The Lie Many Parents Believe, made me stop. Literally. Push back from the laptop a bit and think. From the article. We are much more responsible TO our children than we are FOR them. Our children have been granted the same power of choice as us. Interesting food for thought. Read the article and let me

Constance McMillen's "Fake Prom" (Mississippi Goddamn indeed)

2010-04-06T15:53:00.003-05:00

. In 1963 Nina Simone wrote a song called "Mississippi Goddamn". Even today, it's an in-your-face political and social statement on the sad, pathetic state of affairs in the South. Racism. She was tired of it, and let you know. The (partial) lyrics below do not even begin to describe the depth and strength of her song. In my opinion, it is well worth your time to catch it on YouTube.

Another Step Towards Bonnaroo 2010 (and adding a plan B)

2010-04-06T14:24:00.004-05:00

. 4 nights of camping with Bebe. Seems a little daunting, so for the sake of argument went out to find a hotel. (see my first Bonnaroo 2010 post HERE). I knew it's be somewhat booked up, but I was surprised by what I found. 1 hotel. Ok cool, we can deal with whatever Super 8. Not a hotel snob and it's part of the experience. I'm cool with that, I just want clean sheets, a place to sleep,

House Projects 101 - You'll always underestimate time and cost. Always.

2010-04-05T14:54:00.001-05:00

. It's true. Every time. Whatever you estimate for time and money on a house project, you'll underestimate. I always say figure in 20% more money and 30% more time. Today though, it turns out 50% more money and lord only knows how much more time. I have 2 fence projects. The first is extending to the front of the house what is now our back yard fence. The second is fencing in the second