family, woodworking, photography, K-pop
Blarg, ugh, etc…
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve never been very athletic. In high school I successfully avoided taking any P.E. classes (and took extra photography and band classes instead, fun!) and I fulfilled my college’s P.E. requirement in part by taking bowling.
But I’ve decided to run my first 5k at the end of April. I know that for a lot of people running is no big deal. But before I started this weight-loss program I hadn’t run a mile since middle school, and even then I’m pretty sure I walked part of it.
My friend Linnie is already a runner (and an amazing artist!) so she’s helping me train. There are several training programs that promise to get you off the couch and in shape for a 5k; I’m following this one.
So far I’m on week 2–we do our long run on Mondays and then I do the two training runs on my own during the week. Yesterday I ran 1.5 miles (without stopping to walk) for the first time EVER!
It felt great. After months of working out consistently I’m at the point where I actually enjoy exercising which is both a bit baffling and highly gratifying.
This video for “Have, Don’t Have” by Dalshabet is another one of my favorites. The song is catchy (that chorus!) and the video is charming. For me it’s quirky in a sort of Wes Anderson-ish way and stands out from the ultra-polished K-pop videos other bands usually release.
When we were in Korea a few years ago we spent a day at a wholesale market like the one the video’s filmed at which makes watching it especially fun for me.
When I was pregnant with Mimi we visited Korea and my cousin gave us a hanbok (a traditional Korean dress) for the baby. If I had been on the ball about things when Mimi turned one I would have dressed her in it and taken pictures and had a little dol for her.
Mimi recently found her hanbok in her closet and now, being a lover of all things frilly, she begs to put it on whenever she gets the chance. It’s sized for a one-year-old but she can juuust squeeze into it.
My aunt is coming to visit this summer; maybe I’ll see if she can pick up another hanbok for our little blue-eyed, quarter-Korean girly-girl.
N made me another K-pop mix cd last night and I’ve been enjoying it as I’ve been driving around with the kids today. This song by Glam is on a previous mix cd but it’s a favorite of mine and one the kids request often.
I looked up the lyrics online. They’re kind of sassy. My favorite part is the first verse:
When I’m sitting alone at a BBQ restaurant
And ordering a 2 person meal and cooking the meat by myself
I’m alright – I like that, I like that
I’m alright even when I’m alone
Eating way too much at a kogi buffet is something that I can, embarrassingly enough, relate to. Now I just need another girl group to write a song about shame-eating too many Girl Scout cookies and I can make a themed playlist ^_^
On Friday Mimi and I dropped E off at preschool and then swung by N’s office to pick him up for lunch. As we headed towards the freeway we spotted the Waffle Love truck parked at the Alpine park-and-ride. Since E wasn’t with us (his food allergies make normal waffles off-limits) we decided that the opportunity was too good to pass up so I flipped an illegal u-turn and ten minutes later we had gourmet waffles in our hot little hands.
We took our bounty back to N’s office and ate in the break room there. I got a liege waffle with Biscoff spread, cream, and strawberries. It was delicious and very filling (and probably my entire calorie allowance for the day).
As we were walking to the elevator we ran into the CEO, a trim 40-somthing guy with premature grey hair. N introduced us and when he we got to Mimi she looked at the CEO, pointed at him, and clearly said “Pa-pa!” which is what she called her grandpas. There was an awkward moment (he did not look thrilled) and the CEO asked Mimi if Pa-pa has grey hair like him and N interjected that Mimi calls all good-looking men Pa-pa. And then we fled to the elevator as soon as politeness would allow. Yeesh.
I have two main weaknesses when it comes to impulse purchases: cookbooks and crafting books. I enjoy both types of books for the same reasons: lovely photos, clear instructions combined with personable narratives, and the chance to daydream of a world in which I create beautiful dinners every night and make heirloom quality crafts for all family and friends. And once in a while I even get off my butt and actually use them to cook or make something 🙂
Some craft books are definitely better than others. I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you so if you’re interested in a certain craft you wouldn’t have to waste your precious time scrolling through reviews on Amazon and waffling over your options. Benefit from my wasted time and money!
First up, quilting. I started quilting about two years ago and while I love looking at quilting books for inspiration the book I keep going back to for its clear instructions and photos is The Practical Guide to Patchwork
The how-tos in this book are great; I still pull it out every time I bind a quilt to double-check that I’m doing it right 🙂 You can find tutorials that cover the steps of quilt-making online, but I like having a book that I can refer to again and again.
Besides the basics of making a quilt, Hartman includes instructions for 12 quilt projects. I haven’t made any of the quilts yet, but they’re modern and stylish and a great source for inspiration. I particularly like how Hartman includes alternate color schemes for each project.
If you’re looking for a book to help you start quilting, The Practical Guide to Patchwork
*This post isn’t sponsored in any way, but those are Amazon affiliate links.
Back in January I started participating in a weight-loss contest run by my local rec center. (I discussed the reasons why I joined this program here.)
Anyway, it’s been almost two months and things are going pretty well. I’m tracking the food I eat using an iphone app, MyFitnessPal, and stay around 1,400 calories a day. I try to eat mostly vegetables and protein mostly because I’ve learned that even though I love carbs with an undying passion (I’m looking at you–toast, bagels, rice, and pastries!) I don’t have the calories to waste on them right now.
In terms of exercise, I’ve been lifting weights for an hour with my friend Linnie twice a week, doing cardio for about 50 min twice a week, and cross-training with my slim-to-win team for an hour once a week. It really tires me out. Most nights, I could easily fall asleep at 9:30 but I go to bed around 11 pm (have to get my tv/movie/k-pop video watching time in with N!)
While the results haven’t been as dramatic as I would like, I have noticed a difference. In January I lost 4.3 pounds and my body fat percentage dropped from 37.2% body fat to 34.2%. I lost 2 inches around my chest and waist. I’m also getting stronger–I get a kick out of lifting a weight that was previously too heavy for me.
The best part of this whole thing is that it has helped me reshape how I think about my body. Even though I’m still overweight I feel much more positively toward my body. Before I had a tendency to write off my ability to anything physical but now I’m impressed by the things my body is able to do. My workouts usually leave me feeling at least a little sore but I like feeling little twinges as I go about my day because it means that I’m getting stronger.
This week is when we have our official weigh-in, body-fat test, and measurements taken for this last month. I’m nervous/excited to see my results!
It started out simply enough: N and I showed the Gangnam Style video to the kids and they loved dancing around to it and requested to watch it all the time. Then we started watching other K-pop videos on Youtube with the kids. Next, N made me a mix-cd for my birthday so the kids and I could listen to K-pop in the car. And then I liked it so much that he made me another, and another, and another!
Now, 8 times out of 10 you’re going to hear K-pop playing if you get in my car; N checks allkpop several times a day during his breaks at work; and we watch a few videos together every night, and lately E’s pretend-play centers around being the leader of his own “Big Bang squad.”
This is one of our favorite videos. It’s kind of epic and I love the operatic sensibility. Also, I have a wee crush on Top (the one with the blue hair).
I know that posting’s been light lately–I’ve been pouring most of my energy into working out and trying to cook healthy meals and in the evenings I just mostly want to crash on the couch and watch tv (and K-pop videos).
But I have some things I want to share so I’m going to buckle down and get on it. So please don’t give up on me quite yet 🙂
I hope you have a great weekend!
N really is the best. Yesterday he came home early from work to stay with the kids so I could go visit my friend Stephanie and her new baby boy in the hospital. And then when I got back N cooked dinner: salmon in a curry sauce with pasta. It was delicious–even E ate it!
Several of my friends have had or adopted babies in the last few months and they are all just the sweetest. I’ve already forgotten how teeny newborns really are (if you don’t have a crazy 10lb 11oz baby like Mimi). It’s kind of making me baby hungry 🙂
Do you have any plans for the weekend? N has Monday off so we’re going to get a sitter and finally go see Zero Dark Thirty and maybe fit in a quiet dinner without the kids. That and do lots and lots of laundry. The clean sock situation has become somewhat dire.
I hope you have a lovely weekend!