The Fabulous Life of Stefanie

Last night after work the three of us stopped by the YMCA that is just a few blocks from our house and re-signed up for a family membership; while inside Maddie ran after some kids her age, watched the women in the cardio room working out and asked to go in the pool, all of which solidified that this was a great decision, even if me and the hubs are still a little begrudged by the whole idea. Maddie is going to be able to meet some other kids, see more examples of how fun it is to be active and get her little diaper butt back in the pool with Mama. Awesome! But for me it means that I am throwing in the towel and agreeing to get on a dreadmill in these cold winter months. It also means adding in cross training and taking swimming lessons and preparing for an as-of-yet unregistered tri, but it was more fun to just glare at the treadmills and blame them for being back in the Y. But hey, Maddie is going to have fun! And Matty is going to be able to lift weights that aren't a toddler...

If I could live anywhere else in the world it would not be Paris, Hawaii or some other wonderful, warm city other than Boston it would, honest to God, be the great city of New Orleans. Full disclosure: I had never been to New Orleans before I went there as a volunteer a year after Hurricane Katrina got her ugly paws all over the city, but I fell in love despite (or maybe because of) the way that the city was getting itself back together. That first trip came at a very difficult time in my own life and it literally changed everything for me; I have since been back for two service trips and am awaiting the next time I can get down there. Whenever anyone tells me they are going for a visit I literally burst at the seams with all of the things I want them to see, eat and drink. It has been a few years since I have been, but this is my own little guide to the Big Easy. Note: I have not  yet traveled there with a kiddo, so this does not take that into consideration; I promise to upd...

Is it really Monday already? I feel like this weekend just flew by. The good news is that we made it through our first weekend with Matty back in classes, but nap time was not a successful endeavor either day and is something that we really need to work on if I am going to make it through this semester. Maddie is still doing two to three hours on the weekdays and I really, really want to keep that up as long as possible, including on the weekends because a two year old with no nap is about the scariest thing I have even seen. and it makes the evenings not so fun. I think I need to make sure that I am getting her to the indoor play space or the park (weather permitting) Saturday mornings so she can run around and tire herself out. I am also going to try and get up really early before Matty has to leave and get on a spin bike at the Y so that I can be nice and stress free when it comes time to make nap time happen. Saturday was full of errands and checking off to-do lists and Matty ...

Although I recently declared my anti-kale status, I've already contradicted myself and begun a relationship with the 'kalelicious' smoothies at Whole Foods. Let me explain. I eat healthy on a regular basis: lots of whole wheat and grains, most everything made from scratch, no corn syrup or artificial grossness and a wide variety of foods but I feel like I'm lacking in the fruits and veggies department. In the summer it's so easy, all the yummy fruits everywhere and a preference to a salad on the back porch over dinner cooked on the stove. But winter is hard! I get fruit for the kiddo, who eats a ton of berries and apples on a daily basis, but I have this weird aversion to cold foods when it's -8 outside. I know that it's not good for me, especially as I train for this next marathon and so I decided to get on this green smoothie bandwagon. All the fruits and veggies I need in one easy to drink smoothie? Perfect! I even planned it out well; I can take the trai...

Once upon a time when I was a very punk rock teenager, I decided to become a vegetarian purely for reasons of ethics. I thought eating meat, supporting the meat industry and destroying the earth to do the latter two was a terrible thing. It had nothing to do with diet or nutrition, which can be seen in my preference for tofu in ramen noodles and potatoes cooked every which way when I moved out on my own. This is me dressed as Jem for Halloween and has nothing to do with this post but it made me laugh. Brooding pre-punk Stefanie. I stopped being a vegetarian in my very early twenties, but I still agree with the teenager in me about the ethics of eating meat and I try to make an attempt to buy "better" meats and not turn a blind eye to the industry. I love a lot of meat dishes and I don't see myself ever stopping partaking again, but that doesn't mean I don't still eat and make a lot of meat-free dishes. It doesn't hurt that 1/3 of team best friend, my...

Having some banana and beeboos at the MFA.  The MFA , Boston had their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Open House, which allows everyone to visit for and enjoy the galleries and special events for free. Since I had the day off and Matty didn't, I decided to make it a Maddie and Mama day to enjoy the museum together. Maddie has been to the MFA before but we have added art museums to the list of places we try to go with her when there are special events or family friendly days so that there is not so much pressure to keep her quiet and worry about ruining the experience for other people. Luckily, today was a day that there were kids bursting out of every gallery and no one had to pay to get it, so they couldn't be too sore over an excited toddler who hasn't quite perfected her art gallery whisper. We waited in line about half an hour to get in but Maddie was really patient; we passed the time discussing the art outside of the museum, chatting with ...

I'm very excited that it's only Saturday night and it's part of a three day weekend (for me, at least). This weekend is a good balance of fun things to do and recharging at home before Matty starts classes again next week, hence the blog post on a Saturday night. We had a generous friend come over to put Maddie to bed last night so we could go out and celebrate a very dear friend's birthday. It was super fun to catch up with a couple of ladies I have knows through a lot of great phases in life and Matty and I got to sit back and eat dinner at a very leisurely pace! We even made it for a post-dinner excursion to a nearby bar, even if we did only have one drink before we were pooped and ready to relieve the sitter. I'm incredibly thankful that we always have people willing to hang out with Maddie so we can keep up with our social calendar. Matty and I were talking on the way home and I really don't feel like I've had to sacrifice my social life or abili...

I used to think that my plan b if this whole human services/non profit career didn't work out would be for me to go to school to learn how to run a funeral home. I mean, I like to make people feel happier and I have a love of the macabre, so I would be great at it.  However, I think I want to make my plan b to be a tour guide, because I sure  love telling people all about my favorite places to eat/drink/shop/stay/look when they go anywhere that I have been long enough to have an opinion on it. Granted, this career thing is working out pretty great, so maybe I will make it my retirement plan; anyone that has been to New Orleans with me knows how great I am at touring people right into Tropical Isle and getting a hand grenade in their hand, amiright??? Circa a very long time ago, with a famous blogger behind me! Whenever we have visitors from out of town I love to take them around Boston and show them all the wonderful things my city has to offer, and I am always the friend...

As you have probably figured out, we like to cook in my house, and much prefer to spend our weekday evenings making dinner and hanging out in the kitchen after work instead of doing take-out or suffering through meals made of processed foods. Sure, it takes more time and energy, but I love being in the kitchen, listening to music,watching Maddie play and dance around while we make something delicious for dinner. It is our end-of-the-day family time and I hope that it helps Maddie to grow up with a healthy attitude around food with happy memories of hanging out together as a family. I thought that I would start a new weekly routine of sharing a recipe that we have made during the week so that perhaps you can be inspired to turn up the Hank Williams, put on an apron and get down and dirty in the kitchen! So here is the first installment! Enjoy! During the winter months I love soup like nothing else and since Maddie has decided this is one of the foods she will (sometimes) eat, I a...