
LIVING LIFE AND LEARNING ALL I CAN ALONG THE WAY

This week, I turned 34. It’s hard to believe how quickly the years are starting to go by. One of the challenges I find in life is to not get bogged down by negativity. I’ve been talking with a couple of friends recently about recapturing joy and focusing on the simple things in life. I’ve…
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. As we sit around the table with our turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes, many of us can think of a thousand things to be thankful for — but that clear liquid in your glass is one great gift that is often overlooked. Water. Clean water. Did you know that one in…
My husband, Tom, and I recently returned from an 8-day trip in Iceland. Iceland? “Why Iceland,” you may ask. Iceland first came on my radar as a potential vacation destination four years ago when we were planning our trip to England, Wales and Ireland. There are several airlines that have layovers in Reykjavik, the capital…
I was introduced to chimichurri a number of years ago, and immediately loved it. At its core, it’s a bright green sauce, made with herbs (typically parsley and oregano) , garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar — looking akin to a pesto. I don’t make it often, but I should! There are so many…
Spring is officially here — hooray! My crocuses are up, the robins are back and I’m ready to come out of hibernation. Spring is my favorite season. Don’t get me wrong: I love summer and fall, but spring has the distinct honor of being the first season that is classified as “not winter.” And “not…
You guys: this is important! This is exciting! This is not an ordinary book review! This book review is special in two regards: 1) it was authored by a dear friend, Kelly Young, who worked tirelessly and put countless hours into creating this powerful and compelling resource, and 2) it conveys the most important information…
A few weeks ago, I came across the #MakeoverMonday challenge on Twitter — which is a weekly data visualization challenge put out by Eva Murray and Andy Kriebel. The aim is to rework an existing dataset and visualization (viz) into a new creation — as a way to learn, grow and think about how to communicate data…
Last year, Tom and I took an amazing trip out to Colorado. After visiting with some family in Denver, we rented a car and drove in a big circle clockwise around the state, stopping in several little towns along the way. My favorite was Ouray. This little mountain town booms at 4th of July —…
So, I have this thing where I’m not a big fan of cooked fruit. At least, I have claimed that as my basis for not liking most pies. Now, I’ve come to enjoy berry pies (especially when they include fresh berries), and I’ve always liked blueberry muffins. But recently, I’ve been getting into more cooked…
W June 16, 2017 marks our ten year wedding anniversary. Crazy. A whole decade of life, lived together. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has always been worth it. There is something about two imperfect people coming together and committing the rest of their lives to one another that is at once beautiful and…