WELL DO I HAVE A DEAL FOR YOU.

I had seen the mountain of evidence accumulating that this little machine would change lives but I was still skeptical. Did I need another appliance in the kitchen?

Short answer: yes. yes I did. holy shit, did I.

Instant Pot: The Magic You Didn’t Know You Needed

This device has revolutionized my kitchen. I cook more often, from scratch and have less overall dishes. I feel more confident in the kitchen. It’s just so fast! And tasty!

Get Cookin

Ok, so now I’ve convinced you or you are one of these crazy people who have one and never opened the box. Now what?

Getting Started

This thing can be intimidating. I get it. The lingo is a little scary and if you recall a parent canning things in the pressure cooker as a kid like it was an unstable bomb, I get the hesitation. First, this thing is WAY safer. It locks and I feel better about this thing than most appliances I have. It regulates and isn’t jiggling on the stovetop. Also as a household that fears leaving things plugged in (slow cookers have not been looked upon kindly), this works while I am standing there quicker.

Next is the vocab. Here are some terms you will see when you start googling so I thought I would help you out.

6 in 1 or 7 in 1 or whatever – Once you decide on getting one, the next thing that baffles most is the number of models. Ultimately, you just need it big enough for your family and a manual and saute buttons. All the yogurt and fancy buttons mean nothing. Basically you always use manual for 99% of recipes (you may also want a steam button for things like salmon or veggies). For reference, I have a 6 qt for our family of 4 and an 8 qt at the vacation house for more people. I got the 6 in 1 I think because it was on sale but don’t I am basically saying, don’t worry with needing ALL THE BUTTONS. I never use them.

Manual and/or “high pressure” – I have the brand name InstantPot so there is no “high pressure” button that is in some recipes. No fear! “Manual” is high pressure. You can basically ignore all those different food buttons and use Manual. Steam, slow cook and Saute are the only ones that obviously are not high pressure.

Beginner Recipes

Throw “instant pot” into google or Pinterest and your eyes will bug out of your head. There are so.many.things.to.make. Soups and lasagnas and cakes will bombard you but, hang in there, you don’t need to come out the gate with these things. I suggest starting simple.

Rice

Fast rice with little room for error. Some pots have a rice button but ultimately follow the manual for water to rice ratio (depending on the rice type). One thing to note: rinse the rice before to remove some starch so it won’t stick.

Hard Boiled Eggs

I love hard boiled eggs but I hated baby sitting them and then ultimately play the “is that ice bath long enough” game. Then getting a batch of eggs that look like they were attacked by wild animals upon peeling. NO MORE! They cook super quick and the peels just fall off. I make 5 or so a week for snacking and breakfasts. So simple. All you need is a cup of water, however many eggs you want on the trivet that comes with it. Hit the Egg button or Manual for 6 minutes (check your manual for soft, medium and hard boiled times). BOOM. Quick release that bad boy when done (that means move that thingy on top to spew the steam out immediately).

Shredded Chicken

Here’s the game changer, folks. Do you forget to thaw stuff? You can cook meat FROM frozen. It just takes a little longer. So I keep a bag of frozen chicken breasts to make a variety of things from taco meat to just pull BBQ chicken. A loose recipe I would follow is…

• 2 lbs frozen chicken
• 1/2 cup water
• salt pepper, other seasonings as desired. Sometimes I put in BBQ sauce here or taco seasoning

1. Spray the Instant Pot insert with cooking oil (helps with sticking)
2. Place the chicken in the pot with seasoning or sauce.
3. Pour in water.
4. Place the lid on the pot and set to the lock or SEAL position.
5. Turn the Instant Pot to the MANUAL setting for 12 minutes. If the chicken is not frozen, 8 minutes will work.
6. When the timer goes off and the chicken is cooked, the pressure may be released manually by carefully turning the valve on top of the Instant Pot to the VENTING position (be careful to not position your face over the pot while steam is releasing), or simply allow the pressure to naturally release for about 10-15 minutes before removing lid.
7. Remove chicken from the pot, shred or chop and use as needed.

Ta da

Chicken Broth

Did you get a deal on a rotisserie chicken and have a animal carcass to dispose of? SAVE IT. Throw that bad boy in the pot with some aromatics (carrots, celery, onions, bay leaves, garlic) and  cover with a bunch of water. Put it on Manual for 30 minutes and got DO WHATEVER. NO MORE BABYSITTING FOOD! Strain it out and now you magically have cheap chicken stock!

The Big Guns

Lastly, I’ll share some of our favorite recipes. I LOVE these and can usually keep most.

Want to see all my pins? Here ya go.

Go forth and feed thy family!

Heck yes, there are affiliate links in here cuz I’m no dummy. 

On June 6th, my mom died suddenly from a heart attack.

So yeah…life got real different, real quick. For those of you new here, I am an only child and my dad passed away when I was 18. It was also semi suddenly from lung cancer (no, he wasn’t a smoker. Yes, that makes it worse). I really hate this trend. Being a 35 yr old orphan sucks balls.

As with these sudden deaths, I am slowly trudging through grief while doing ALL THE THINGS. Lucky for me (?), my mother was prepared. After my dad died, she knew all the things to do to make sure I wouldn’t be scrambling around looking for stuff. She made wills. She secured her money with me as beneficiary. She even paid for her own goddamn funeral. But it’s still a lot. (yes, I am formulating a post on how you should talk to your parents, and yourself, about these things.) There are realtors and death certificates and death glares at AT&T and CenturyLink <- Dicks.  It’s all a really shitty but effective diversion. Yes, I waffle around the anger and acceptance area of the grief chart. It pairs with a nice canned wine apparently.

I have a lot of things I want to type here as therapy but they have no elegant segues. My prose is lacking and I’m pretty fucking exhausted so here’s a bulleted list of feelings I’ve had in the past month and a half.( I am pretty blunt. If you are offended, you must not really know me.):

• Being an only child is a real mixed bag here. I have no one to commiserate with but I also don’t have anyone to challenge me on decisions and apparently it’s making estate planning WAY easier.
• Bless having a librarian for a mom. Everything was so documented, filed and labeled.
• Sunday mornings are the worst as it was our weekly FaceTime sessions.
• Friends are the best. They’ve gone above and beyond in support. It’s amazing.
• I’m not a crier. I feel like everyone is looking for me to burst into tears at any moment. It’s really awkward for everyone. I am just throwing it out there that I am 99% not going to. I’m not dead inside…it’s just a thing.
• I should have…xyz. Over and over again. Then I resolve it to myself
• Cremation jewelry is a fucked up market.
• Related: as a child of one cremation  and one burial funeral. I recommend cremation all the way.
• My husband has hands down deflected every possible thing he could for me. So many calls and documents and arrangements. God, I love him.
• It’s a blessing and sucks learning about things about your mom after she’s gone. The humbleness is noble but it sucks you can’t talk to them about it.
• I’ve had 16 years of dreams about one dead parent. Now it’s gettin real weird.
• To say I am a hypochondriac would be pretty accurate now. I have literally called the dr to see if they can move my physical up.
• I didn’t ask enough questions. I didn’t explore more things about my past.
• I’m sure my mom is getting a good laugh at all the cleaning I am having to do.

Today is my first of the firsts. Today is my mom’s birthday. She would be 67. Shit, that’s too fucking young.

*it’s not…I’ll finish them because they are important in their own way…just not right now.

covered in my cozy dry fit running apparel…

in my custom fit running shoes…

while my husband watched the kids…

on my way to the grocery store for tomato soup to enjoy after sledding…

I let my mouth hang open. I caught mouthfuls of snow. I smiled like a little kid. For a split second I thought about how ridiculous I would look to passing cars. Then I realized it would just make them smile too. Snow is rare here (it’s usually ice crap). So I took a single moment to enjoy it. Appreciate it. Show gratitude.

I’m trying to do more of that lately. Not for a hashtag. Not for a clever instagram enlightening moment with a picture of a sunset. I’m doing it because gratitude breeds happiness. It’s science! In the paper “Grateful experiences and expressions: the role of gratitude expressions in the link between gratitude experiences and well-being” by by Steve Yoshimura and UM Communication Studies MA program alumni Kassandra Berzins, they found scientific evidence that saying “Thank You” and other forms of gratitude make you happier. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

“One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.”^[1]

Being grateful is easy…and should be more routine than it is. It’s not our fault though…our brains get into these cycles where it is easier to worry about the obstacles in front of us instead of really considering the ones we already overcame. There is even a name for it ““The Headwinds/ Tailwinds Asymmetry.” And they believe there is something to the research above…taking time to note those things that got you to where you are (tailwinds), you will ultimately be happier. Now what are some tailwinds? Your health. Your family….

“When you ask people what are you grateful for, the prototypical answer is: my parents, my family, my friends, my loved ones. What they’re missing is all these invisibles.” – Shai Davidi

Pay Attention to Your Invisibles

This is where running the snow comes in. In that moment, I can realize how great things are. Instead of thinking of nuclear winter…I can just…enjoy winter. Enjoy working for a company that allows me flexibility to work from home. Enjoy the smiles on my kids’ faces when they see it piling up outside. Enjoy the coffee when I get home.

There are my “invisibles” but even these are more obvious than some. Dig farther back into my tailwinds and I can find more.

I am grateful because I can go to the grocery store anytime and buy whatever I want because I have a good job and a supportive spouse.  Oh and I have little debt because my parents planned for me to have college paid for…giving me an advantage at a crucial time.

I am grateful because while some times my kids issues drive me crazy to tears, I know they’re head strong personalities will serve them well in other ways. Maybe just not in this fight over bathtime.

I am grateful for the education I got to help me make informed decisions from how the internet works to how to choose healthy foods.

You get my point, I think.

In the past 2 months, we have been working with both boys on their emotional development more and more. Turning the negatives into positives. The more we do it as a family, the better I feel. So the next time you feel like life sucks, maybe glance at your tailwinds…you might just perk up.

Notes:
I got this research from 2 of my favorite podcasts. One is actually my kids’ podcast Wow in the World, Episode 1. They focused on the health benefits of gratitude. In the later research mentioned, I got from Freakonomics episode “Why is my life so hard?“. I highly recommend both of these. 

My Top 9 Beauty Products of 2017

I focused a lot on skincare this year. To get a feel for me, I am fair skinned and more prone to dry patches. I don’t have problems with being oily or breakouts. I also have fine straight hair. I fight for body and curl. Just so we are on the same page. Starting from top left:

1. Rinse Bath & Body Lotion Stick

   As I type this, we are having the worst cold snap in a long time here in NC. I’ve used this stick as basically face chap stick. Those dry patches around your nose? BAM. Also this smells of lavender (they have other scents). I carry it in my bag at work for a quick lotion option without a messy tube of goo to deal with in my laptop bag.

2. Trader Joe’s Nourish Antioxidant Facial Moisturizer 

   I know…moisturizer from the grocery store? Yes. I saw this on a list somewhere as an underrated moisturizer for dry skin and I LOVE it. In the winter I am mixing it with coconut oil at night and #3 during the day. It goes into my skin so well, adding a layer of sunscreen on top if no biggie.

3. Shea Moisture Sweet Almond Oil

   As stated above, I add an oil with my moisturizer to help lock in the oil because of dry skin. Almond oil is usually used more for massage and baths but it works nicely for me. There are a ton of GOOD oils. Do you research for your best options.

4. Benefit Watts Up Highlighter Stick

   Truth: I love Benefit and pretty much everything they make. This highlighter took a top 9 spot for it’s lovely gold shimmer and ease of use. I can wear no makeup and slide this across the tops of my cheekbones and I always get “your skin looks so fresh and dewy!”. It’s lightweight and seems to last a long time (I bought this in 2016 and still have plenty). Again, another nice packaging to allow to throw in a bag easily.

5. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

   I have spent the year trying new mascaras…and I still love Roller Lash. The brush is key. It has good grip and not too fluffy to cause smudging. I have long lashes so fluffier brushes will hit the tops of my eyelids. This brush doesn’t. I curl my lashes and this formula holds it.

6. Tarte Hybrid Gel Foundation

   This stuff is like butter on my face. Again, the dry skin thing…this is like another moisturizer layer with flawless coverage. I put it on with a damp beauty blender and don’t need much at all. Here is me in it (paired with Tarte Shape Tape)
   

7. Not Your Mother’s Texturizing Dry Shampoo

   I’ve tried a lot of dry shampoos. This one isn’t the best dry shampoo I’ve used overall BUT I found the texturizing part to the best of them I have had. I used this a lot in summer because of the toasted coconut smell. It gave my summer waves texture and smelled luscious.

8. JAPONESQUE Pro Performance Lipstick (Shade 04)

   I had been looking for my RED lipstick. I stumbled into Ulta in Chicago and 2 employees both picked this one. The texture and moisture are great. The color is so red. See*Alicia’s is NYX Liquid Suede in Pink Lust

9. BaBylissPRO Curling Iron 1.5 Inch

   I got this on an amazon deal randomly for like $14 but quickly loved it. It has variable temp and not a super tight clamp. I like using a wand but I’m also lazy. This meets in that middle I don’t get clamp lines with it.
   I get nice loose waves with this iron.

10. BONUS: Reminder…Diva Cup…go read that old post

So there ya go. 9 10 things I would highly recommend. Now your turn! What do I need in 2018?

Full disclosure: with some products, I may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. It has no bearing on their rank…I just wanted to make quick links for you.

For reference, my boys are currently 5 and 8 but a lot of these gifts could swing to younger and older. That is part of how I chose these because they are long lasting on the play scale.

Garmin Vivofit jr. – Activity Tracker for Kids

If I had to pick one gift to recommend, it would be these smart watches for kids. Landon has had one for almost a year and Oliver got his as he started Kindergarten. After both of us parents got Apple Watches, there was some interest from the kids about Fit Bits. We asked around and these Garmin Vivo Fit Jrs were hands down the best for kids. The basics:

• It’s a watch! – So you don’t have to tell them the time!
• It tracks fitness! – This is by exercise minutes and steps. The default goal for the day is 60 minutes of exercise (it’s not a perfect science as it is basically just a pedometer but it’s pretty good)
• They can set timers! – “We will leave in 20 minutes” doesn’t have to be a constant reminder!
• You don’t need a charger! – It has a 1+ year battery life; no recharging needed
• It’s waterproof! – Yup, they can wear them all the time (less chance of losing it)

But here is the real magic…there is an app for parents to monitor it all AND create a points/rewards system for chores. The boys have a list of chores available for a set number of points. They can use these points to redeem for a few different things including screen time (we cut screen time WAY down in the summer and now they pay me for it), movie nights, parent dates and straight cash. It’s a great way to keep a digital scoreboard when you are out. You can also arbitrarily give (and take) them points too for whatever.

Now they just came out with a new line of Disney licensed ones for this Christmas season. They seemed to have a color screen now as well.

Snap Circuits

I get asked about STEM toys a lot. Naturally I gravitate towards them but I also notice EVERYTHING is trying to label itself STEM. Oliver got a starter set of Snap Circuits for his birthday last year and both boys have a great time putting them together. Landon understands the science part a bit more but it is a great building block of understanding electricity. There are a variety of different kits you can get:

• Snap Circuits Snap Circuit Beginner Electronic Discovery Kit
• Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Discovery Kit
• Elenco SCL-175B Snap Circuits Lights Electronics Discovery Kit
• And for the older kids: Snap Circuits Extreme SC-750R Student Electronics Training Program

This is a great SAFE way to teach kids circuits. Yes, you can got to Radio Shack and get circuit boards but, let me tell ya, you can burn the fuck out of your self on a resistor REAL quick. #professional

KEVA Plank Set

Landon got his first set of KEVA planks years ago and they have been timeless and simple. Since then we have accumulated more and more with new contraptions to build. Simply, they are just identical tiny blocks of balsa wood. The KEVA website has the best description:

“Every piece is the same. KEVA planks are about 1/4 inch thick, 3/4 inch wide and 4 1/2 inches long.

You build structures by simply stacking the planks. No glue, no connectors. They can be stacked upright which looks like it would be unstable as a house of cards, but even this type of structure is surprisingly stable.

…KEVA planks have the broadest age range appeal of any toy we have ever seen. From preschoolers to architects, each person builds at his own skill level.  KEVA planks is the gift they never outgrow.”

We keep them on our screened in porch for maximum building area. You can follow along with instructions to build certain things like catapults and simple mazes or you can make up your own. They travel well (just throw a bunch in a bag for your next picnic) and honestly work for so many ages.

We may even add on this year with some of these KEVA Connectors to take it to a new level!

Little Passports 

This one is a great idea for relatives who want to spread fun year round! Little Passports is a monthly subscription service for kids. Not only is it educational but also kids just freakin love getting their own mail.

Little Passports has a variety of options as well as single purchase educational kits. We get the Science Expedition subscription. Each month we get a small box with a theme (this month was sound). There is a booklet about the unit and then a variety of experiments to do. For younger ones, you would probably need to do it with them but it has been perfect for Landon as he can read and do the activity independently (minus a few supplies depending on the unit). Landon absolutely loves it and I have to admit there are some cool things he learns. This month we used the box it came in to build a simple machine to see wave length with rubber bands. Super Cool!

Another option: The  Little Passports Global Edition is based around learning about other countries. From the site: “Every month, we send a package that helps your child “travel” the world alongside our characters Sam and Sofia, who travel by magic scooter and send goodies from each place they visit. Your child will receive a letter from Sam and Sofia describing their journey through the country, that inspires their imagination. They’ll also receive a souvenir that educates children about the country’s history, and activity booklets where your child will play learning games, recognize world geography, explore new recipes, and learn fun facts about the country.”

Be a dear and use my referral code? 

Personalized Clipboards with Storage

This one is a super simple one but we absolutely love these clipboards with storage. The boys take them anywhere. They travel in the car, accompany us at Taekwondo while we wait, provide entertainment on that random trip to a relatives. Fill them with some colored pencils, markers, crayons, coloring books, worksheets, plain paper, whatever! They are easy to grab on your way out the door. There is plenty of room for some legos or other small building things.

Take it up a notch and customize it with some paint pins (or take it to Learning Express and let them do it).

Legos

Duh. We have more Legos that we know what to do with. And while I want to curse them, I can’t. They literally play with them sunrise to sunset. Ollie sleeps with them. They build kits but then break them apart and build all kids of new things. You can’t go wrong with Legos in my mind. Hell, I get the Christmas village every year because I still love building Legos (and no they are not allowed to help me. IT IS MINE!). For any n00bs reading this though, here are some hot new sets for this year:

• LEGO Ninjago Movie Green Ninja Mech Dragon (544 Piece)
• LEGO Star Wars VIII BB-8 (1106 Piece)
• LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox 17101 Building and Coding Kit (847 Pieces)
• THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE Batcave
• LEGO Super Heroes Thor Vs. Hulk: Arena Clash (492 Piece)
• And if you wanna be the coolest ever: LEGO Star Wars Death Star 75159 Star Wars Toy

So what are your go-to gifts this season for school age kiddos? Now I need ideas too

So to do my part of #trypod, I am here to tell you, random reader, my top 10 podcast recommendations.

Freakonomics

You’ve probably heard of Freakonomics. They are a series of books written in the early 2000s about how econ is in everything. From how they uncovered cheating in Sumo wrestling to understanding the incentive schemes for kids to succeed in school, they really cover “the hidden side of everything”. A journalist and an economist delve into all kinds of topics and make them easy to understand and FASCINATING.

Episode to Try: This is Your Brain on Podcasts. Honestly trying to name my favorite was hard here. This is handsdown my favorite. I am a Stephen Dubner fangirl. I proudly sport my Freakonomics Radio mug at work daily. This episode is a little meta in how podcasts are awesome for the brain.

My Favorite Murder

I like true crime tales. I’ve mentioned this before. I didn’t really even realize it until I started listening to My Favorite Murder. They are 2 comedians/writers from LA that created a friendship (and then a podcast) about their shared fascination with crime stories. Each normal episode is about 50% babbling about whatever and 50% is them sharing 1 murder (or survival) each. There is humor and gore but through this weird mix, there is a movement to get women to learn more about mental health and safety. I have taken a self defense class because of this podcast and hope you consider it. Being aware is a mantra of the show and goes with their tag line…”Stay Sexy, Don’t Get Murdered”

Episode to Try: Murderous TENdencies – “This week’s topic is “weird murders,” featuring Who Put Bella In the Witch Elm and Richard Chase (The Vampire of Sacramento). Plus murder books and personal stories galore!” That vampire guy is INSANE. Also for more in-depth on the Witch Elm murder, you can check out a recent Unexplained episode (below).

FiveThirtyEight Politics

Tired of listening to the usual politics banter with bias? Do you like data and nerds? FiveThirtyEight is for you! You’ve probably heard of them or at least editor in chief, Nate Silver. They predict everything from elections to basketball scores. The crew has a weekly podcast to discuss ALL THE SHIT that happened the week before in this lovely administration…as data journalists. They interview rational people to explain things and look at it from a historical perspective as well. I have found it keeps me grounded when I start to lose my mind of the most recent news.

Episode to Try: Probably the latest one (they come on Monday evenings). This isn’t one to go back and start from the beginning really since politics changes by the minute. They did recently do a mini series within the weeks about how the parties are positioning now called “Party Time” that can stand along more.

This American Life

This American Life stays in the top 10 on iTunes for a reason. You may have even heard it listening to NPR on Saturdays. Based out of Chicago public radio, the stories have been ongoing for more than a decade. They are the true OGs of podcasting. This is where Serial came from and is just great journalism. The show consists of a few “acts” of stories usually around a theme. Occasionally a story will that up the whole episode. I’ve laughed to tears and poured real tears from the work done on this show. The production quality is top notch and even the music segues are genius.

Episode to Try: The Problem with All Live With Part 1 and The Problem with All Live With Part 2. I realize giving you 2 HEAVY long podcasts together is a lot but there is good reason. I listened to this early on in my podcast love affair while running. I had to stop and cry. This is a look at education in the US from different angles. Its heartbreaking and uplifting and just so fucking good. If I could honestly pick one podcast episode (ok 2) from this entire post, it would be these. Everyone should hear this. Everyone needs to know how it works. (Also shoutout to Wake County schools in episode 2)

Planet Money

Another NPR enterprise, Planet Money looks at all kinds of stuff. Don’t think it is a boring financial podcast. It looks at weird economies you didn’t know existed (did you know aquariums can’t buy fish so there is a giant trading market?). They go really hyperbolic to see what would happen if…(you let an economist design the perfect candidate). And all kinds of just really cool things.

Episode to Try: Dear Economist, I Need a Date. This was a look at a guy that wrote an advice column in the Financial Times. The questions and answers are very analytical and interesting. It made me look at time management more than anything and how much time is worth to you.

Unexplained

Remember “Unsolved Mysteries”? Did you love the intrigue? Do you also enjoy a crisp British accent? Unexplained is for you. It’s all about Unexplained tales of disappearances, ghosts, and more. “A show that explores the space between what we think of as real and what is not.  Where the unknown and paranormal meets the most radical ideas in science today…” Richard MacLean Smith has such a wonderful voice coupled with spooky dead air and creepy music to go along with it. The production is just awesome. He did a live show once and he even did all that live. It was wonderful.

Episode to Try: When the Light Fades -Featuring the mysterious disapperance of the Eilean Mòr Lighthouse Keepers

Note to Self

“Your weekly reminder to question everything.” Is your phone watching you? Can gaming make you smarter? Manoush Zomarodi hosts this short podcast she claims “the tech show about being human”. How is technology affecting us all. She talks to a lot of people in tech but also brings a devils advocate approach to life in tech with it all. She is a mom and is open to explain her weaknesses to find a solution. I find her very relatable even if we don’t always agree.

Episode to Try: The Four Tendencies: How to Feed Good Habits This one is based on a book “The Happiness Project” and how there are 4 basic personalities when it comes to forming good habits and sticking with them. It’s a great reflective episode to make you look and see how your brain processes incentive and goal setting.

Criminal

MORE TRUE CRIME Criminal is based out of Durham, NC and looks to tell stories around all parts of the criminal justice system. Some times is great murder tales from 100s of years ago. Some times it is a story about the K9 department in the Hillsborough police department. Or the sketch artist in the John Wayne Gacey trial. They are usually shorter than a lot of podcasts and just tell fascinating stories. Also Phoebe’s voice is so soothing.

Episode to Try: Brownie Lady “Shortly after Meridy Volz moved from Milwaukee to San Francisco, she received a phone call from a friend asking her to take over a small bakery business.  Meridy agreed to run the bakery, but she only wanted to sell one thing: pot brownies.” The tale of this old lady in CA making pot brownies for DECADES.

Head, Heart & Hustle

“Anyone with a side hustle or creative outlet can feel isolated from friends, family, and others around them who just don’t get their passion. That’s why Head, Heart and Hustle exists – to help you feel motivated, learn, and get a pick-me-up of creative energy from other people like you. Every episode we interview a creative individual who doesn’t just pretend to be creative. They’ve rolled up their sleeves and are producing great things because they need to. They know that being creative is part of who they are.” I met the creator of this podcast last year at a conference. It’s a great look at how creativity can be found everywhere. These are great interviews about just that.

Episode to Try: Brandy Mann. A little biased here. Allen came to talk with me last year for this podcast. I talk about creativity in writing, teaching, STEM and everything in between.

What’s The Point?

Data nerd alert. I work for an analytics company so I graivatate towards cool ways data is being used. This podcast comes again from FiveThirtyEight mentioned above. They look at numbers and how they tell a story. The topics range wildly but Jody’s curiosity makes for an excellent listen.

Episode to Try: The Guy Who Predicts Whether A Movie Will Bomb, Months Before It’s Made  Host Jody Avirgan teams up with Grantland’s Andy Greenwald to talk about how the Piedmont Media Research in Hollywood is using data to forecast movies…even before they reach full concept and beyond. Josh Lynn has come up with an algorithm to help film executives figure out how well a movie will do based on some key factors on paper.

So what are you podcast favorites? Are you just starting? Scared to start? I am here to help!

But then the Gen 2 watch came out and my ears perked up. GPS on the watch, you say? SOS calling ability, you say? Well, ok then!

So for Christmas I opened this rose gold glorious piece of technology and I have only taken it off to sleep (yeah, it’s waterproof too!). Since then, oddly, I have seen a lot of people asking “should I get one?” or “What all can it do?”. So here I am today sharing 10 things my watch can do that make my life easier.

#1: Motivate Me to Workout

As of me writing this, I have worked out for 65 straight days. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED. I leave my watch face on the Apple Watch “rings” concept. It tracks 3 main things:

• Exercise: This is when you move beyond your everyday movements. The goal is 30 minutes a day.
• Stand: This is to get you to stand and move once an hour. The goal is 12 hours a day.
• Move: This tracks your movement, heartrate combined with your stats to see how you are burning active calories. My goal started at 400 and I have shifted to 450 a day.

I MUST “close my rings” every day. It has become part of my life now. I find myself doing squats while I cook and jumping on the trampoline with calorie goals.

Also the watch is “smart” in that the more you workout and your heart rate acclimates, you have to do more to burn those calories. It’s not just a simple pedometer…it learns YOU and optimizes activity to that.

Bonus: I am sharing my rings status with others and them with me. We have accountability to each other. Kevin and I both egg each other on to close them.

via GIPHY

Sidebar: If you are not listening to Missing Richard Simmons, GO NOW. It is so freaking fascinating. 

#2: Set Timers Vocally

Now this isn’t groundbreaking, I know. Alexa can do it. Cookie Monster can do it. But I haven’t been able to do this until now and it is revolutionary while cooking. I can quickly set a timer while my hands are covered in eggs or whatever. It’s quick and simple. Then I get a gentle vibration on my wrist when it goes off, not bothering anyone else.

#3 Control My Running App

This one is very specific to me but, as I mentioned in my last post, I have been keeping data in RunKeeper for YEARS. One annoyance I’ve always had was when running along main roads, I pause a lot for stop lights and such and want to pause my run. Doing this from my arm band was a pain. Either I kept the app open the whole time and killed the battery or had to stop, unlock and pause. Now I can simply tap my wrist and it stops. I can also quickly glance at what time it is to get back as well as my pace and other metrics. See my last post for more about Runkeeper.

#4 Remind Me to Do Things

“Hey Siri, remind me to get the clothes out of the washer in an hour”

“Hey Siri, remind me to take my vitamins at 8pm every day”

“Hey Siri, remind me call the pediatrician on May 27th to schedule well visits for the kids”

“Hey Siri, remind me to start the dishwasher at 9:45pm”

You get my point.

#5 Take Phone Calls

Yup. I can take (and decline) phone calls right from my wrist like Star Trek or some shit. What I really like about this is that I don’t feel tethered to my phone around the house and such. I always keep my phone on silent because #grouptexts but I have missed calls accordingly. Now I can go play outside with the kids and not worry about taking my phone with me. I can call from right there! Note: You still need to be within some distance of the phone for the main calling feature to work.  Read

#6 Pay For Stuff Like I’m From the Future

I know Apple Pay is old news at this point but man, do I love it. I have been getting the boys to do long walks with me where we walk up to a little shopping center. One day they were thirsty and I was like “CRAP” I have no money. But then I walked into Jersey Mikes and they had Apple Pay! Not only did we have water, we had lunch too! Now that can be done of the phone but using my wrist to pay in a drive thru is never going to get old. The kid at the movie theatre was fascinated. It still feels cool every time I do it.

#7 Check The Weather

Again, I can do this with the phone but I have the current temp and conditions right on my watch face so I can see if it is cool enough for a jacket to walk to lunch or raining. Then I can just click that to see the forecast for the next few hours. It’s way more handy than I thought it would be.

#8 Keep Me Safe

With watchOS 3, you can show your Medical ID and make an SOS call. This effectively will call 911 and alert your emergency contact plugged into your phone. The Medical ID will allow someone to know basic facts about you if you are found unconscious. Even if you don’t get the watch, knowing how to find this information on someone could save their life. To access, press and hold the right side button until the screen appears.

More about the SOS feature.

#9 Not Being Dependent on My Phone

I mentioned this in the other ones but wanted to call it out. I often put my phone down in the house because I just don’t feel tethered to it. I’ve been working on not mindlessly checking apps and such but even still, I would feel like “i need it near me in case…”. With being able to get texts and phone calls on it, I feel less attached. I even forget where I put my phone for hours around the house. No fear though, there is a feature to allow me to ping my phone with this high pitched sound and I can find it immediately!

#10 Control My TV

While I am still new to using this consistently, it is pretty big. Apple TV remotes are tiny and get lost in the couch often (or where little hands put it!). With my watch, I can forgo it. I can also voice dictate what I want to search. This is the ultimate parent trick to turn off the TV from your person and your kids think you are a sorcerer!

Cmon…you know you wanna buy one…

Pause for the Gentlemen: You don’t have to read it all…it’s gonna get “icky”. But I do encourage you to pass this along to at least 1 woman in your life. For your reading pleasure, here is a time I went on and on about Thomas the Train. 

So let’s get started. Menstrual cups have existed for 80 years and you haven’t known about them. Crazy, right?! Around 3.5 years ago, I switched from using tampons (gag) and pads (harf) to a menstrual cup (hooray!) based on this recent boom in awareness (social media). My particular one was the Diva Cup. After a friend mentioned using hers and loving it, I figured what the hell. The rest is history.

So How Does This Work Again?

The concept is a flexible silicone cup like this one:

“The cup is worn internally and sits low in the vaginal canal, collecting rather than absorbing your menstrual flow.” So you insert just like a tampon but it “pops” out kinda like an upside down umbrella and catches everything. The site claims 12 hour protection but I have gone longer (while camping!). Once it is full, you can kinda tell and just dump the blood in the toilet. I wash it once a way in the shower with all natural soap (they make a specific one but I’ve never used it).

Fun fact: I actually use it turned inside out for comfort. I hate that stem.

Isn’t It Gross?

Let’s get this straight. Periods happen, period (yuk yuk yuk). It is something us women-folk have to deal with. Currently you may be jamming a wad of cotton (and other stuff) up your coot-coot or sitting on a pad filled with blood. Is that gross? Ya damn right it is! So lets replace that idea with a silicone cup that you can sanitize and reuse. You are still “putting something up there” but now with just seeing blood not soaked in cotton. Read more about the “ick” factor here.

As for clean up, if I RARELY have to empty out in public I just put it right back in. I save washing and rinsing for home. This works just fine.

Got other questions? DivaCup has a lovely FAQ page to help you answer  those.

5 Reasons I Use a Diva Cup

1. Saves Money – At a one time cost of around $32, I am covered for YEARS. It’s the obvious reason.
2. Better for the Environment – 3.5 years ago we moved to a new house in the “country” where we have a septic tank. I was told “don’t flush tampons” (also you really shouldn’t ever do it no matter your sewer situation). The idea of throwing those in the trash REALLY grossed me out so I landed with the cup. Plus ALL THOSE PRODUCTS add up. “If the average woman menstruates for forty years and uses approximately 20 tampons per cycle (240 tampons each year) how many will she use during her entire menstrual life cycle? Answer: 9,600.” HOLY CRAP. Stop throwing toxic stuff in the trash!
3. No leaks – After getting it in correctly (if it’s leaking, it isn’t in there right), you never leak. I swear. It’s magic. Once it is getting full, you can tell because…gravity. It isn’t that you see a murder in your underwear.
4. Easier Periods – I have no real science to back this up but personally my periods are lighter and have less cramping. I tell people that the one day where you feel like gravity is KILLING YOU just doesn’t seem to happen anymore. I am blaming the toxins in those devil tampons. I have heard other people site this as well.
5. “Out of Mind” Factor – Once my cup is in correctly for the day, I honestly forget about a period all day. No leak checking. No worrying. It’s honestly great to be able to know I can just go on about life without slipping a tampon in my shirt sleeve. I’ve been camping, skiing and in all day conferences with no worries. That’s huge.

 Got more questions? Leave a comment and I will answer.

Testimonials From Converts

Here are some quotes from folks that made the jump:

“After the initial learning curve, the Diva Cup became my best friend. Being able to travel, go out with my kids or even spend the day at work without having to scope out bathrooms or worry about bringing enough supplies is really liberating. You still have your period but you get to fundamentally ignore it.”

“Having a Diva Cup gave me an ability I’d never had before: the ability to temporarily forget I was on my period. I can put in the Diva Cup & just live, without the discomfort of pads, the fear of tampon malfunction or the general anxiety of running against the clock.”

“I’ll admit, it took me a while to even consider trying the Diva Cup. The whole idea of it kind of weirded me out. But after a couple of days of my first cycle using it, I was a believer. I became not only a believer, but an advocate, after starting my period while at hunting camp with a bunch of guys. Using the Diva Cup during that  trip made a potentially awkward weekend a total non-issue. And I even shot the biggest deer that weekend!”

GIRL POWER!

Helping Women Around the World

Happy International Women’s Day! As I thought about all the sutff going on today, I wondered if there was anything I could contribute with having a largely female audience. While a DivaCup can save you some money and help the environment, one thing I love about the concept of menstrual cups is that it can help women around the world. Getting your period can be annoying to us here but in other countries, it is LIFE ALTERING. Some girls have to miss school and work (or even quit) due to lack of products to help. Stocking pads and tampons in relief is something people often forget and many women are hurting. 1 simple cup can change all this for them for up to 10 years. Having 12 hours of protection allows women to go about her life without having to worry about locating latrines, worrying about people knowing and so much more. You can read more facts in this Huffington Post article:  How Menstrual Cups are Changing Lives in East Africa.

Please considering donating a cup to a girl in one of these countries. 

So you made it through January working out but sometimes it was hard to get to the overcrowded gym or you just didn’t want to be amongst all those people. You want to keep up working out but not be bound to the gym or equipment. You also know how to workout alone but lack motivation, get bored or just don’t want to think so much.

Does this sound like you?

Well do I have a deal for you! Today I am recommending some workout apps I use on my phone to help me get in a workout any ole time.

RunKeeper

Available: iOS and Android, Apple Watch and Android Wear

I am a runner so this one is pretty obvious. There are a variety of running apps out there that people love. I’ve done Map My Run before too and it’s really nice as well. It tracks you via GPS to know your distance and pace. I go with Runkeeper because honestly I have been using it ever since I got an iPhone so I have years of data in there. And I am a data nerd. I can see highs and lows, set goals and compare workouts.

One thing I am using more lately is the interval ability. Nadine, my Runkeeper voice I named because that is perfectly normal, chimes in to let me know when to sprint and when to slow down. I am burning more calories now!

You can also use the website to edit routes after you ran in the case your GPS got wacky (it happens). You can also plan out routes ahead of time which I do pretty often.

Check out my review I wrote years ago for more details on the app. Want to start running in general? Here is my post about getting started running.

Sworkit 

Available: iOS and Android, Apple Watch and Android Wear

To define it, I will quote their site:

“Sworkit (derived from Simply WORK IT) is a fitness app that takes you through 5-60+ minute strength, yoga, pilates and stretching workouts requiring no equipment. We strive to provide the simplest way to get a workout in anywhere, anytime, with no room for excuses. SWORKIT is available on iOS, Android, and Amazon. “

The app is a quick way to work a certain area with no instructor annoying you with chit chat or just have “gym brain” and can’t think of something to do. They give you simple circuits of moves with little GIFs to show you the move. You can do them at home or even just pop in your ear buds in the gym and work in a corner. It doesn’t require any equipment but I’ve found I just know if I want to add weight to some. I’ve used this app on a weekend when I am getting sleepy after lunch. I can do a simple 10 minute workout and get some energy back.

Going Pro

I bought the premium version years ago when it was on super sale. I can make custom workouts, change around the interval times and there are no ads. I like being able to take out exercises I just hate so they are never served up. It’s not a deal breaker to have the free version though. Your call.

There is a watch app so it can track your heartrate and you can fast forward or pause from the watch.

Fitness Blender

Available: Web & Youtube

While this isn’t technically an app, it is a great way to have a trainer in your pocket. Kelli and Daniel are a husband wife team that decided fitness should be available to anyone…no matter your income level. They have over 500 videos on their site to get you moving. Anything from yoga to HIIT to weights. You can go to their videos page and sort and filter to find the perfect workout for you. Got 10 minutes and a place to lay down? Abs! Up early and want to get a cardio workout without waking the house? They have quiet cardio! There really is everything you could want. What I really love about them is they are so…plain. I hope that makes sense. It isn’t some buff guy or gal chit chatting at you about whatever (21 day fix). There isn’t a room of people competing with each other (P90x). It is just Kelli or Daniel doing the moves in a white room. There is no music. There is often just dead silence as they move through a circuit. They tell you modifications when they can but it’s just so simple I love it.

Bonus: Times You Can Workout You Forgot About

One myth that somehow has gotten entrenched into our brains is when you workout, you have to go hard for an hour or something. Nope. Breaking up that hour (or less) into smaller chunks throughout the day still keeps you healthy. This can also restore your energy supply when you are feeling drained. It’s counterintuitive but it totally works. As a busy working mom of 2 (who has trouble saying no to volunteering), I have had to learn when there are breaks in my day when I don’t think there is. Now I am passing on that knowledge onto YOU!

• Bath time – My kids still love taking baths until they are freezing. They are having fun, so I can get a few minutes. I can use one of the apps right there in the bathroom to do squats, pushups, etc. when the kids were really little, we worked on counting this way as well with push ups or what-have-you. WIN WIN WIN.
• Extra curricula’s – When the boys are in Taekwondo, I have about 25 minutes to get in a parking lot workout. I go over in a corner and do walking lunges, step ups, and whatever else I can find. I know some places actually have a small area for parents just for this!
• While dinner cooks – You already have timers set, use em! Do jumping jacks while the broccoli steams. Do a wall sit while you melt butter.
• Get up earlier – Yeah yeah yeah. I know you’re like NO WAY but even with all these hacks, if I just get up and get it done before everyone is awake, I feel so much better. There are few excuses that early and it helps clear your head for the day.

When do you fit a workout in?

As some of you may know, I love podcasts. Some of you may know (if you are around me a lot, you definitely know) that I enjoy a particular podcast called My Favorite Murder.

::waits for that to process::

Yup. I enjoy the hilarious banter amongst the hosts and hearing of true crime. Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. Go look at any grocery store magazine rack or the dozen’s of Jon Benet specials, you know I’m not alone. But along with hearing these insane tales, there are sprinkles of how people escaped and survived. I’ve learned a lot about being more aware in public situations (put your fucking phone down), presenting myself with confidence and looking people in the eye and other tid bits to “Stay Sexy and Not Get Murdered”. One big thing I did was take a self defense class through the boys’ Tae kwon do studio this past fall. I referred to it more as “body physics” and learning where weaknesses are in the human body even when you are half the size of someone. It was fantastic and I HIGHLY recommend it to all women. Does it make you a ninja who can fight off every dude? Nope. But, again, it makes you more aware and prepared.

Along with this thinking, understanding the tools you have at your disposal are important. In the class we learned about pepper spray, batons and even the legality behind them all. We also learned of tools that aren’t weapons. One of those things is your phone. On all smart phones, there are emergency contacts available to be set. This will allow you to associate someone in your phone that can be contacted if you are incapacitated or, god forbid, your phone is found without you, it’s a clue.

How to Set Your Emergency Contacts (iPhone):

1. Go to the Health app.
2. Tap Medical ID.
3. Tap Edit.
4. Tap Add Emergency Contacts
5. Select people from your contact list
6. Turn on “Show When Locked”

Where to find it in an emergency:

1. Go to lock screen and tap Emergency
2. Then tap Medical ID
3. Then select the person you want to call

How to Set You Emergency Contacts (Android):

1. Go to Contacts
2. Choose the person’s contact you want
3. Tap Edit
4. Tap Groups
5. Select ICE- Emergency Contacts
6. Click save.

Where to find it in an emergency:

1. Go to lock screen and tap Emergency call
2. Then tap the person you need to call in an emergency

Another thing is to teach your kids this. Since we rely on programmed numbers, we are routinely teaching kids to remember phone numbers. Spend a few minutes explaining how to make an emergency call to your kids. You never know. I actually listened to another podcast where a little 2 yr old was able to use Siri to call 911 because her mom passed out and hit her head. You will never regret teaching them things like this.

Medical ID

Along with setting a contact, it is also good to store your medical information in case you are unresponsive. Allergic to peanuts? Epileptic? You can store that in your Medical ID so if someone finds you, they have more information. It can also note if you are an organ donor, what medications you take and even your blood type.

This is a great thing to program for your parents and grandparents. As the generation that is supposedly going to be raising kids and caring for parents at the same time, this is worth doing for both sides.

So set aside 5 minutes today and program your emergency contacts. Hopefully you will never need it.