Yoga + Sushi = Monday

First, THIS:

clinomaniac. raise on up, cori's hand.... 

^ On. The. DAILY. Haha ;)

So.. Rob and I determined today that we have something of a tradition in the making. It's so clichè, I know, but it's becoming one of our things to do now: 

Mondays when we don't have Sydni have seemingly consisted of work, yoga... and sushi. 

1.

modo.

2.

mango tree.

And that's a fact, Jack! ;)

I'm a lucky girl to have this guy. 

Date night > Blog Night. 

xo | cmd

Progress Reports ;)

I'm on day 2 of my 2014 Lent commitment, and I have to say this is one of the best things I've ever done for Lent. I thought about this on the way to work, and consequently found myself preparing my heart for the words I wanted to speak to the person I would randomly draw from the jar. I prayed that I would find the best set of words to convey my appreciation for that person in the short space I've given myself in each little note card. These, after all, are not lengthy letters, but rather just simple notes.

jar of ♥s

^ Yes, this is my own little jar of hearts. This is only day 2 and I'm in love with the idea of doing this.
So there's that update.

Another mini progress report would be a tiny little victory shout that I have not fallen off this balance ball chair yet! Instead, I've put the daggone thing to work, and every spare second I have [which really isn't many, thankfully] is spent doing some sort of exercise. I stretched my back out for a bit today as well, and easily could've just stayed in that moment of bliss for the entire day.

this thing... is the best.

Yes, I occasionally find myself literally upside-down at work. Luckily for me, nobody can see me in my little corner without giving themselves away on the approach. Also, I'm not alone in my obsession with combatting office lethargy: Elisa is now using the other exercise ball I bought originally before I found my chair. Her desk sits lower than mine, so the height difference isn't as noticeable. Lizzy has a pedometer, and spends most of her in-office time marching in place while doing computer and phone work. Nancy does pilates every week, and Dave... well Dave is probably glad he's not a weirdo like the four of us ladies. Haha.

So far, so good.

Last update for today: I think Rob & I finally found our in-town sushi destination. We had made Se7en in Belleville our little spot when we were still living there, but we've been thus far up in the air about a decent dive here. Tonight we ventured over to Mango Tree in Mariemont, where I used to always order carry-out Pad Thai when I still lived in Fairfax. I'd never tried anything from their sushi menu, but we figured it was worth a try.

appetizers: edamame & spring rolls

 Our sushi arrived:

fried rice & top to bottom:
ultimate california roll, philly, spicy california, california

I am now a big fan of this place, and sure, here's a free plug for Mango Tree in Mariemont: GO THERE! Nom nom nom nommmmm...

Oh, and guess what. Tomorrow is FRIDAY.
THAT MEANS...

omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg.
...they're coming... tomorrow. omg... o..m...g.

I can't wait. I just can't.

I think we'll sleep well tonight (:

xo | cmd

Happy Birthday, Elisa!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELISA!!!!

happy birthday!!

Elisa's birthday is TODAY! I have the pleasure of working with this girl, and I must say she's pretty awesome. Coincidentally, I knew her brother from college, long before I ever met her, and then when I did finally meet her, we realized both of us are part of adoptive families. Pretty cool. (:

Anyway, birthdays are great excuses to indulge on things that otherwise have no permissable justification. Erego, meet the box of cupcakes from The Sweeterie that Nancy brought to help us celebrate Elisa's birthday and our blatant disregard for healthy eating.

hello, ya gorgeous thing, you!

I assumed that, since it's also Michael Jordan's birthday today, that anyone sharing such a momentus birthday would be watching this gem to celebrate:

boom.

^ We discussed this movie here at the office today and how, when we were kids watching it, it was one of the classics of that time. However, to watch it now means realizing that MJ really just... isn't a good actor, nor is this movie nearly as entertaining as it was when I was what, 10... 11? If anything else, it's almost more creepy than anything else, but even then I still relish this as one of those staple movies from my middle childhood years.

That being said, happy birthday to both MJ and Elisa!

I still feel behind from the weekend; tonight's supposed to be producing some nasty weather again, so instead of heading to the gym like I was supposed to, I'm here at home working out in my living room and avoiding any extra time on the roads. It's nuts out there.

Happy week, blogbots!

xo | cmd

Movie Night with Sydni

We ran into some last-minute scheduling yesterday that postponed our movie date to tonight, but it actually worked out just as well. I'm not sure who was more excited, me or Sydni, to go see the newest Disney release, Frozen.

I snagged Sydni after work and we headed home to pick up Rob & Becky before landing ourselves in an otherwise completely vacant theater for the movie. I may be an undying fan of the classic Disney flicks, but I do have to admit that the satirical humor and creativity of the newer releases are still adorable.

While Syd's favorite character was one of the humans [I'm trying to omit as much spoiler stuff as I can!], I think mine was definitely the snowman, Olaf. I found this clip online that is more of a trailer introduction than a spoiler... so enjoy ;)

I very much appreciated the fact that we had free reign over the seats in the theater tonight; Sydni did such an awesome job of staying put during the movie that I couldn't resist letting her have some self-expression time during the closing credit reel. I give you a regrettably grainy rendition of Sydni's interpretation of the closing credits ("Let it Go" by Demi Lovato):

It also included a grappling match in efforts to get her shoes back on.. haha.

[sorry about the quality!]
miss becky, syd & mama - wrestling match!

From the theater, it was on to Graeter's for some ice cream to round off the night. Yumm!!

goofin' around with my loves... & a free sundae! [yiiie!]

ice cream monsterrrrr ♥

fun times with miss becky!

.. And now we're home, safe and sound. Sydni's tuckered out and I'm sure it's going to be a quick, painless request for bedtime ;)

G'Nite!

xo | cmd

2013 is Halfway Over?!

Firssssssssssst....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HILARY!!!

♥ you hillsy!

This girl.... haha. I love her and I hope she has a fantastic birthday. Hills, you've earned nothing but the best for your birthday and I hope you and little Julian [okay, so maybe he's not so little anymore] had an amazing time today. Say hello to another girl I've known since middle school, fought with like sisters in high school, and made up after that to get back to being friends (:


ouch. ouch. ouch. :(

And now we're all grown up. Happy birthday, beautiful friend! I promise I'll make it back to Mt.V and see you, soon soon soon.

As for me, well, this has been another day of rest and relaxation, and a few chores... and a bajillion mosquito bites. If I've learned anything around here, it's that this is a safe haven for those little critters and in the process of line-drying my laundry, they pulled a sneak ambush and got the best of me.

Mosquitos - 1. My poor legs - Zilch.

So.... that was fun...

I spent the rest of today tidying up the house, installing the rest of the shelves to the units in the living room, arranging all of my arts/crafts stuff into a manageable, searchable system, and just reveling in the beauty of the day. There was even a little visitor on my mailbox that I paused to photograph, since I don't see many of him around these days... 

hi!

Yep. A paced and relaxing yet productive Sunday. I even managed to squeeze in a short jog before the weather reared its mane for a thunderstorm. I'm settling in now on the couch with every intention on not lifting a finger for what's left of today. It's going to be a short week with a hectic weekend, so I'm absorbing this downtime while I can (:

See you tomorrow for the week!

xo | cmd