Penguins + Cider

   

This Weekend, I had a blast with Christopher in Pittsburgh! It was great to visit with friends and just relax for a few days!

We arrived pretty late on Friday night, but I still managed to get up fairly early and go for my run on Saturday morning. I was scheduled to run 10 miles, but due to a little later start than anticipated, I only ended up running 8 miles. I did the run at the lake in North Park. It was remarkably enjoyable. And I felt pretty good afterward...which was good because we still had lots of fun on the schedule!

And my super sweet boyfriend even surprised me with a yummy cupcake when he picked me up after the run! YUM!!

After I got showered and ready, we headed out to the National Aviary.

This was a real fun time. Our friends suggested we go there for the penguin feeding. They know me too well! I loved checking out the penguins. Such cute little guys!! Trey even managed to find one his own size! Adorable!

On Sunday, we met up with my friend, Michelle, at Arsenal Cider House. Chris and I were able to do a sampling of all the different ciders they serve before we decided on Archibald's Ado (Apple) cider for our growler. We had fun catching up for a bit while sipping on some cider. Then Michelle and I headed off to find a bakery!

The one she wanted to take me to was actually closed for the day when we arrived, but we managed to track down some yummy cupcakes anyway. I tried a lemon meringue and a cute little decorative one. They were tasty!

This morning, Chris and I flew back to NYC. I managed to sneak in yesterday's scheduled four mile run before I dashed back over to the airport to catch a flight to Charlotte for work. Needless to say, it's been a whirlwind Monday! Hope yours has been a little more calm!

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

Andrea :)

It's Football Friday!!

It is truly hard to believe that football season is FINALLY here! I can't believe the first pre-season game is this weekend! Unbelievable how quickly this summer flew right by me!!

Bengals helmet being tested at Riddell.

I'm going to take a break from the predictions on the upcoming season today. (Although, I do anticipate a favorable year for the men in orange and black! WHO DEY!!) Instead, I want to share with you how I came to be such a HUGE football fan.

Me and Jordan - Georgetown Tigers :)

One reason - my brother, Jordan, joined our high school team. Before that I wasn't a fan at all. In fact, I kind of thought the whole thing was a little ridiculous. I mean, they run around chasing each other and then all end up in a pile at the end of it. No thanks! Well, until someone I cared about joined in the fun...

Me and McKinley after one of his high school games!  Go Cougars!!

When Jordan began playing football, I began learning more about it. I learned about the rules first. This was clutch. Things make a LOT more sense when you know the rules. After learning the rules, I learned bits and pieces about the strategy involved. As it turns out, it's a LOT more complex that I originally thought. After I had the basics down, I started to really enjoy it.

Coach Owens getting after the Tiger Defense!

Over the years, I have continued to learn and grow in my enjoyment for the game. I was probably most in love with football during college. I seriously couldn't get enough! I still really love the game, but working for the NFL has jaded some aspects of it. After all, it is a business at this level. That always makes everything a little less fun, right?

Me and Jordan at Super Bowl XLVI in Indy

Whether you live for the game or just watch it casually, I really hope you have a great season cheering for your team! Big thanks to the ladies for hosting the link-up today! Would love for it to continue throughout the season!! Can't wait for my favorite season to kick off this weekend!!

Andrea :)

10 Easy Steps to Celebrating the Big 3-0

Now that I've been 30 for a full week, I figure it is about time I let you guys in on all the fun I had celebrating it!!  I might be biased (maybe just a little), but I did it pretty darn well!!  And lucky for you, I've outlined some easy steps for you to follow...

10 Easy Steps to Celebrating the Big 3-0

Monkey Cake from Amy's Bread along with some Sprinkles minis

1 - Celebrate early, late, and often. 

I began my celebrations nearly a week before my actual birthday!  On the Thursday before my birthday (July 24 - for those interested in keeping track), my best gal pal in Kentucky went to great lengths to make sure I had a fun time at my first 30th birthday celebration!

The next night we ventured to a play (The Search for Tinker Doyle) at an outdoor theater - the Pioneer Playhouse - in Danville, Kentucky.  It was SO much fun...even though the mosquitoes really managed to gobble me up during the first act!

2 - Celebrate with family.

That Saturday, my family made sure I felt super special by celebrating again!  This time with a trip to a local steakhouse - Malone's - and a cookie cake!!  It was all SO yummy!!

And, for good measure, we ended the night with some sparklers!!  Yay for July birthday fun!

 3 - Sneak in a celebration at the monthly Girls' Night.  

Ok...so maybe girls' night didn't completely revolve around my T minus 2 day milestone birthday, but we did find a way to work some of Reba's yummy birthday fudge into the occasion.

 4 - Take the day off from work.  

This is a MUST do task.  Seriously.  And if it happens to fall on a weekend, you've just saved a vacation day so thank your lucky stars!

5 - Start your day with a run.

Ok...maybe only do this if you are trying to be a good girl and follow your marathon training schedule :)  Or if you feel the need to prove to yourself that you can still do all the things you did in your 20's. 

6 - Relax.

Eat some mini-cupcakes, watch TV, fix your favorite meal for lunch, read a book, go shopping, open gifts.  Or...if you are me...do it all!!

7 - Find some festive treats, preferably sticking to a central theme, for all the awesome friends that show up for birthday drinks.

I decided to go to Flute Bar because I wanted something fun and sophisticated!  Flute is a champagne bar.  I had a great time seeing lots of friends - both old and new!

It only made sense to me that I bring some macaroons from Laduree for everyone to enjoy :)

8 - Celebrate with your significant other!

Chris took me to dinner at Bobby Van's Steakhouse...which was SUPER tasty!  Then we came back to my apartment and celebrated with some yummy cupcakes and a movie (Identity Theft was our pick for the night)!

9 - Thank all your FB friends for the birthday wishes!  

After all, they did remember your special day...and all on their own accord, too :)

10 - Celebrate with friends!!!

The weekend after my actual birthday, a group of friends helped me celebrate by participating in Accomplice: New York - part game, part theater, part tour!  Everyone had an absolute blast!!  We loved it!  I don't want to give any part of it away in order to not spoil the fun for others, but it was a scavenger hunt of sorts that started at the south street seaport.

We walked all over downtown Manhattan seeking clues and having fun.  I would definitely recommend it to absolutely anyone!  I really don't think it is possible to be disappointed!  The actors were fabulous, occasional food and drinks were included, and we solved the mystery!  Doesn't get better than that for a 30th birthday adventure!!

Afterward, friends came back to my apartment for cake and ice cream.  It was such a wonderful afternoon with amazing friends!!

I did manage to squeeze one more day of birthday fun in with a home cooked meal from Chris' mom after church on Sunday!  But then, unfortunately, the celebrating finally ceased.  

I feel extremely blessed to have such wonderful family and friends that helped me celebrate this milestone birthday!! I had the absolute best time celebrating this year!!  Can't wait for all the fun that my 30's are sure to bring!!

Andrea :)

Bringing Hope via Clean Water

Bringing hope through providing clean water.  So necessary.  So scarce for many.  And fortunately for you and I, so easy!  This month, I am supporting my favorite via her fundraising efforts as she gears up for a fall marathon!  She is running for World Vision in order to raise money to provide clean water to communities in Africa.  

A couple of interesting facts Tarra included in a recent email:

1 - Just $50 can provide clean water for one person in these villages.  You can easily help one of these precious people access something we take for granted every single day.

2 - Only 0.5% of the US population completes a marathon.  Since I am also on the heels of my first marathon, this fact forces me to truly realize HOW crazy impressive it really is to complete the task.  Best of luck to Tarra (and Evan) as they continue to journey toward their goal of running 26.2!  

Tarra and I after the Diva Half back in the fall of 2010.

Please take a moment to check out Tarra's donation page here.  All donations are much appreciated by not only her, but also the individuals in these less fortunate communities.

How are YOU making a difference in the world?

Andrea :)

Book #11 - A Friend Like Henry

Happy Friday!!  Hope everyone had a great week!  Mine was fabulous because I turned 30 smack dab in the middle of it!  Looking forward to more celebrations this weekend before I recap all the fun for you!  But today, I want to tell you about a book that is one of the most insightful and moving I have read in quite some time!

I love autobiographies...and this one is certainly no exception!  The author, Nuala Gardner, chronicles her efforts and exhaustion with raising an autistic son.  The book is mostly centered on her son, Dale, and how the friendship of a golden retriever, Henry, at a very young age had a profound impact on his development, but the book also focuses on Nuala's personal struggles and victories as well.  Not only does she and her husband, Jaime, have an autistic son, but they are trying to overcome secondary infertility for much of the book as well.  That being said, this wasn't an easy read, but it was a remarkable story particularly if you have exposure to people in your own life in similar situations.

I enjoyed so many things about this book, but particularly her writing style.  She gave so many details and examples that you thought you were right there with her trying to teach Dale the lessons yourself.  I also loved that it chronicled multiple struggles - Dale's autism, infertility issues, and the difficulties of aging parents as well.  It really provided a true picture of the whole spectrum of her adult life...and it wasn't all upbeat and happy either.  It was very honest and insightful.  I also enjoyed the section in the back of the book with Dale's adult reflections on the various stories that his mom wrote about from his childhood and youth throughout the book.  Those reflections along with a reading group guide with questions proved to be a perfect way to end the book.

I would suggest reading this book to anyone...especially if you have an interest in psychology or autism.  It is one of the best I have read!  Let me know your thoughts if you check it out!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Andrea :)

30 before 30 - Month Twelve Recap

Yay for being 30!!

write letter to family or friend

This month I decided to write a letter to each member of my immediate family.  The four of them are such very special people to me!  I just wanted to let them know how much I love them and how happy I am that we are a family!

3 monthly goals

1) Execute the National 7-on-7 Tournament and Lineman Challenge.

Done.  And done extremely well.  Quite proud of how smooth and efficiently things ran this year!  YAY!

2) Have fun celebrating my birthday in Kentucky with my best friend and family!
Done.  Birthdays in Kentucky are always great :)  Recap to come soon!!

3) Start my marathon training program.

Done.  And realizing everyday just how difficult this whole running a marathon thing is going to be, but I'm gonna keep on truckin along.

facetimes with Brinley

We had a short facetime in the airport on July 4th before Chris and I headed off to Chicago.  Mom and Dad were up at Jordan and Jen's house so they were chasing her around.  It was pretty brief, but she was showing me her toys and taking things off her shelf to show me.  She is getting to be such a big girl now!!

Since we spent a handful of days together in mid-July, we didn't end up doing a second facetime.  But I did get to have a fun facetime with little Landon when he was still in the hospital and right after I got back from being home for a few days.  He's so little that he didn't really do much besides sleep and squirm around, but it was still fun to see him.  He's a little doll!

Date NightChris and I had a fun date night in Chicago when we went to see The Second City improv show.  You can read about our trip to Chicago here.  

Girls' Night
For girls' night this month, we were supposed to go see one of the Bryant Park movies - for free - but it rained.  So we met at my apartment for a catch up session instead.  Reba even made some yummy pre-birthday fudge for us!  Strawberry Shortcake flavored, too!  DELCIOUS!  She shared the recipe over on her blog which you can find here.

I marked 3 items off the list.

Full 30 Before 30 Review to Come SOON!

1 - read 12 books: 1) The Water Giver 2) Breaking Back 3) Four Perfect Pebbles 4) Gone Girl 5) Eat, Pray, Love 6) The Time Keeper 7) Semi-Sweet 8) Mind Gym 9) Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead 10) Before Ever After 11) A Friend Like Henry 12) 102 Minutes

4 - prepare (at least) 10 new dinner meals: 1) sliders and tator tots 2) ham and sweet potatoes 3) grilled cheese and soup 4) loaded baked potatoes 5) cheeseburger pasta 6) penne alla vodka with chicken and broccoli 7) roast beef and carrots in crock pot 8) turkey bacon pizza 9) french toast 10) pumpkin alfredo ravioli

22 - sign up for improv classes (one day class in August...still planning to do a 6-8 week classes sometime)

Andrea :)

Happy 30th Birthday...to ME!!!!

I can't believe it is finally here - my BIRTHDAY!!  I've been waiting ALL year for this day!!  It is pretty surreal to be turning the big 3-0, but I am way too excited about all of the fun I have planned to really have given the thought much time to sink in quite yet!  I'm sure it will hit me at some point today!  I'll be sure to recap all my fun celebrations in the next few days!  For now, I'm just going to have fun being the birthday girl!!   

Andrea :)