2. We’re celebrating at the office with POTUS Chocolate PB Fudge Cake: a layered double chocolate chip fudge cake with layers of peanut butter buttercream and vanilla peanut butter frosting.

Savvy Julie: What makes it POTUS?
Heather: It’s President’s Day.

Turns out POTUS Chocolate PB Fudge Cake also works pretty well as Mom’s Belated Birthday Cake when shared with Nicholas and the parents over the weekend

3.  Not exactly anything Presidential, but speaking of Savvy Julie, guess who is coming to visit this weekend? Last week, Julie found out she has a meeting out this way, and she’ll be so much closer than usual that she’ll be driving the extra hour to come by for a little visit.  HOORAY!  Put on the tea kettle and get out the crafts – it’s time for a girly weekend up in here.

4. This one is a favorite, and must be shared again, even though it’s Monday:

5. Five Favorite Presidential Fun Facts:

• President James Buchanan quietly but consistently bought slaves in Washington, D.C., and then set them free in Pennsylvania.
• After President Bush Sr. vomited on the Japanese Prime Minister, a new word entered the Japanese language. Bushusuru means “to do the Bush thing,” or to publicly vomit.
• James Garfield could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other hand simultaneously.
• Every so often, Calvin Coolidge would press all the buttons on the President’s desk and hide and watch his staff run in. He would then pop out from behind the door and say that he was just seeing if everyone was working
• Gerald Ford was both vice president and president without being elected by the people. He was appointed vice president when Spiro Agnew resigned and he succeeded to the presidency when Nixon resigned.

6. Six things I’m doing to celebrate President’s Day 2012:

•  Tweeting our #presidentialfunfacts
• Reading Citizen and Chief: The Second Lives of the American Presidents
• Sending a letter to the White House
• Watching The West Wing on DVD
• Collecting quotations by Presidents for my journal of inspiration and motivation

• Listening to my Presidential Playlist, which includes this favorite diddy from the Animaniacs [oh, lookie! the lyrics scroll on this video so you can sing-a-long!!]:

More fun presidential posts you may enjoy:

Adorable 4-year old Presidential Expert

Delicious FDR Cake for Presidents Day

One of the very best books I’ve ever read 

47+ Days

Celebrating Lincoln’s Birthday with Blends

THS Reader Submitted Presidential Mad Libs

Some words and thoughts I stumbled across are new – fresh ideas and perspectives I never put together before.  Others are simply ideas I have already owned in the past or lessons I’ve learned prior which had accidentally slipped from my memory, and somehow found their way back this week.  These are some lessons learned, and some lessons remembered.

1. Balance is not about making it all fit. It’s about fitting in what matters most, in appropriate amounts based on priorities.

2. If something bothers you enough to think about it twice, it’s time to do something about it. -inspired by Miz

3. Do you long for HAPPINESS? It’s truly up to you. TRUST.

4. In an effort to get to the place where you can choose happiness, sometimes it is necessary to allow yourself 2 minutes of temper tantrum. NECESSARY, I tell you. [this may or may not include - throwing whatever you are working on down the hallway, screaming at the top of your longs, a short ugly cry, self-pity, saying NO! one million times, or just angry dancing it out.]

5. Things will work out. Just as what you worried about five years ago has worked out in one way or another, whatever your worried about now, in time, will not be worth the worry.  STOP WORRYING. START EMBRACING.

6. Every so often, embrace procrastination.  Creative energy, new thoughts and inspirations often hide in the places where you should “really should be doing something else”  according to a plan, schedule, or expectations.

7. Running is supposed to be hard work. Hard work is good for you.

8. “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” -Albert Einstein. Take away: if you take the time and make the effort, you can do it/create it/learn it/understand it/get over it.

9. About that…. sometimes, you just need to GET OVER IT.

10. There is no right way for everyone.  Your way is not the right way. It is YOUR way.

11. Want to feel “better” in general?  Increase the amount of fresh produce you are consuming.

12. The moment is already here. You are in it. Celebrate the moment. When adding things to your “to-do” dreams, 5-year plan, bucket list, or overhearing yourself say “I’d like to do that sometime!”  – recognize and ask yourself WHY NOT NOW!?

13. Oh- and this post, and probably more so – the comments section, is worth your time.  Other favorites that had me nodding, clapping, cheering, or spiralling into deep thought this week: from Jenna. from Rachel. from Miz. [<-that's the post that inspired me to adopt #2] from Tracy. from Ashley Ann. from Katie. More from Katie. and even more from Katie. [I really love what she's doing over there, clearly.]

•  I’m slowly putting together a 2012 race calendar. Emphasis on the slowly.
•  The first race I plan to run is the Shamrock 2 Mile in Kingston.  Remember when I ran it last year with Jen?  Remember when I declared it the best race ever?  $10 entry fee, almost 100% downhill, tons of spectators, and tons of celebrating – before, during and after the race.
•  And that’s less than a month away. BOOM!
• Thinking about running your first race this year? Here’s a post that has the answers to many of your questions.
• Love love LOVE that as I was prepping this post, I came across this recent post from my biggest running encouragement, Jen is Green.  Then Things I Love About Running.

  

• Last year taught me a lot about running.  First and foremost being that I most enjoy a structured training plan to follow each week. I like the idea of knowing what is ahead of me for the week and adjusting my schedule accordingly. 
• Therefore, even though my first “race” is a fun run, and even though it’s only two miles, I still wanted to make a nice little calendar to follow in order that I feel prepared come March 11^th.
• This weekend I made a tiny little “no-pressure training plan” for the next few weeks.  Each week lists four running options, with the intention of skipping one due to schedule, weather, soreness, or whatever excuse I may have to skip a run each week. 
• I’ve done something different this time around. Instead of listing distances to complete, my plan reads in time and intervals.  Monday, for example, I completed 21 minutes total, of 2:1 intervals. [2 minutes speedy, 1 minute recovery].
• I’m searching high and low for a semi-local [within 90 minutes or so] 10K to run on my birthday, which falls on a Saturday.  So far, all I’ve found is a 40 years and up race, and I don’t know that I can pass as 40 on my 29^th birthday. I’m toying around with the idea of having my own 10K birthday race with my local blenders. [if blogger friends are blends, blogger friend runners are blenders, right?] 

  

• While I’m super proud of myself for completing training runs the past two weeks, I’m even MORE proud that I’ve taken some time to stretch afterwards.  It’s something I know is important, always say I want to do more of, and never actually make the time for. Until now.
• This just in: running without an IPod is…different.  The first time I did it, it was enjoyable. Maybe even the second time, too.  Now that I’ve misplaced my tiny little IPod Shuffle [yes, again] I’ve been running with no audible distraction.  No music. No podcasts.
• After Monday’s very short workout, I’ve decided I need to put a podcast or two on my blackberry and plug some earbuds in there until I bite the bullet and spend the $45 on a new shuffle. [it's bound to happen eventually.]  I am not as dedicated or anywhere near as hardcore as IPod free runners – lesson learned.
• Ever feel completely unmotivated for your run? Try this: read old race recaps or running related victory posts on your blogs.  Reading my running story works every time.
• I also keep a folder of favorite race recaps of other bloggers to read when I need additional “I want THAT feeling” pumping up before convincing myself to head out the door.

  

• Since I’ve spent so much time rereading old race recaps the past week, I’ve come to realize that 2011 was a REALLY great running year for little ole me.  I PRed my 5K and my 4 mile. I PDRed a bunch of races: a 5 Miler, a 10K, and a 15K, too. I ran 40 minutes without stopping, double digits, negative splits, and found my magic mile number.  All in less than a year’s time.
• I can’t wait to see what my running in 2012 brings me.  I’m already daydreaming about another 5K PR [I’m bound and determined to run sub 30 minutes] and the possibility of a half marathon is looming in the not-so-distant autumn. 

To all my blenders out there [see: i'm totally dedicated to making this word happen ] what are your current running day dreams? 

My mother also may be the reason I myself am so crazy about any kind of celebration.  She taught me to have a love for the small details that make things extra special – like lunch box notes, counting down in sleeps, a Christmas tree in every room, and oh so much more.  My mom knows how to celebrate each and every day.

Speaking of my deep desire to celebrate every little thing, my new friend Lisa heard all about yesterday, when I went off in a “don’t hate Valentine’s Day!” rant on her blog.  Oops…. perhaps I had faced a bit too many Valentine’s Grinches this past weekend and felt that “Super-Celebration Heather” had to stand up and fight for holidays everywhere.

Super-Celebration Girl to the rescue!!! [apparently, if I were a superhero, I would be Super-Celebration Girl.  Though, I'm sure I could make a pretty good case for "Crazy List Making Girl," "Can't Spell Worth a Damn Dame" or "Clumsy-Woman," too.]

Today, Nick and I will be making a time capsule.  We like to avoid spending money on material things for holidays [we set a $3 limit for gifts] and this activity seemed a perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day together! About a month ago, we were sitting in the living room and came up with a list of “rules & regulations” for our time capsule.  I’m clearly very excited to spend the evening together, collecting memories to store away, gathering items to add to the box, writing letters to Future Heather and Future Nick, and taking a moment to celebrate where we are in our relationship presently. 

Today I will also be doing some housework, organizing the pantry, and getting things in order before this weekend.  My parents are coming for a short visit and I couldn’t be more excited!  I don’t have much planned for their time here, other than hanging out with some adult beverages and delicious food, and enjoying one anothers’ company. 

Of course, I also plan on making an extra special belated birthday cake for Mom.  Add “find the best cake recipe in the entire world” to the list for today, as well. [I'm making sure to read through the directions and comments of any recipe I find online. Don't want to end up with another Cake of Death situation on our hands.]  Anyone have any favorite belated-birthday-for-the-best-woman-in-the-world-cake  recipes to share?