Weekly Therapy: …but maybe we should.

the week:
I feel as though I haven’t had a chance to think this week, let alone PACK (or, you know… run). Every night I had something on my calendar and to be honest, I’m looking forward to a couple hours in the car by myself tonight.

weekend:
Heading over to O-hi-O for some running (participating) and roller derby (observing). I have the Rock Hall Half Marathon on Sunday, and the WFTDA D2 Playoffs at the Public Auditorium throughout the weekend. Should be a kick-ass, hot-ass weekend.

52 books in 52 weeks:
#29: Seeking Ultra by Paul Klipp – I feel… a bit disingenuous including this in my list, given that it’s about 50 pages long. But I had no idea going in, and was, frankly, disappointed that I was duped into reading this book that’s not really a book (via Kindle). Moving on…

seven things, seven days:
1. Randomly won a $250 visa gift card for taking a survey about healthcare (which I’ll be ironically using to pay a stupid doctor bill; WHYTF do I even have insurance if it covers nothing?).
2. There was a wellness fair in Market Square this week, and I finally got to try some Gluten Free Goat Bakery baked goods (chocolate chip cookie and a cider donut, if you must know). I know that she uses potato starch in her ingredients, but I had already failed at my attempt in having a non-contaminated, nightshade-free lunch (which was so much FAIL), so… YUM.
3. Excited about crossing a few of these cool places to do yoga off my list soon. {via NEXT Pittsburgh}
4. Speaking of yoga, 1600 (SIXTEEN HUNDRED) people signed up for OM in the Outfield next weekend (I am one of them). More like OMG in the Outfield, amiright?! #anxiety
5. I feel like I was reading something that my daily internal monologue posted with this: …Or Maybe, I Don’t. {via Wit & Delight}
6. The psychological obstacles holding you back at work {via The Book of Life}
7. ME, in sum: “If being watched while you undergo a task, even something benign as eating, makes you highly uncomfortable, then you have social anxiety.” Social anxiety and 7 ways to cure it {via A Daring Adventure}

Weekly Therapy: Is dissatisfaction the direct opposite of satisfaction?

the week:
I’m done with this heat and humidity and feeling as though my eyeballs are sweating every time I go outside (and even knowing wtf a dew point is, but know every day that it’s terrible). I miss laying out in my hammock a lot. The cover hasn’t been off the thing since early June when my sister and niece visited. Gross.

weekend:
It’s FURRIES WEEKEND — and probably one of my favorite weekends in Pittsburgh! This year, Anthrocon is doing its annual parade outside for the public on Saturday afternoon, and I intend to be there. I’ll also be gathering with some friends on Friday for Happy Hour to help welcome them into town.

Saturday night is the Deutschtown Music Festival, and I’ll be bar-hopping a little that evening as well. Sunday, I’ve got a long run (7 miles) on the schedule and MUCHO homeworko. Or something.

52 books in 52 weeks:
In the middle of a couple books, but didn’t finish anything this week.

seven things, seven days:
1. Started my week off with a 90-minute massage — with someone new and also a man, which is beside the point — I’ve been having difficulty with my usual therapist’s schedule fitting mine, so I might have a new go-to because I feel amazing. (And I’m not waiting two months to go back again.)
2. My friends (who we traveled to Costa Rica with two years ago) sent me some coffee straight from Guatemala and I just want to hoard it. SO DELICIOUS.
3. Blood work this week to check on how my Vitamin D levels (and everything else) are doing. Having a late morning appointment when having to fast is something awful. And then I almost passed out on the nurse. :-/
4. …and the results are already in by the publishing of this post: I’m now back on prescription D. Again. UGH.
5. How do you find time for more reflection every week? Asking for a friend.
6. This post from Ash Ambirge STOPPED. ME. IN. MY. TRACKS. I can’t get her/this post out of my head. Kick in the ass needed. {via the middle finger project}
7. Speaking of which, Yes & Yes also has an amazing post about change. This one resonated with me so much, especially with recent events of which I’ve vague-posted. {h/t to Nicole at Life Less Bullshit for emailing out this article}

10 Things: List of ten posts that I have saved in drafts

This post idea came from a Blogger, May I? prompt for List of Ten Things (of 10 Things). Guys, I have three PAGES of drafts in my wordpress dashboard — 51 total unfinished or unpublishable posts.

Some notable randoms as I scroll through — with comments about each added (without even reading the drafts themselves):

Where did I put my glasses? — well isn’t this just the epitome of random. Is this an actual post or should it have been a google search? Either really perplexes me. Perhaps it’s a metaphorical reference to memory complications that start as you get older? Hilariously, this scenario played out in a HomeGoods store just a couple weeks ago when I left my sunglasses somewhere in the store. If you know HomeGoods, you know what a crap-shoot it is to find anything in that place, let alone personal belongings left behind. I found my glasses on a stack of towels in the linens section, by the way.

About Vitamin D — a few years ago, before a diet elimination proved an intolerance or sensitivity to gluten, my Vitamin D levels continued to drop, despite prescription supplements. Because of my previous skin cancer diagnosis, my sun worshipping days were numbered, but I continued in an every-six-months cycle of high dosages of D3 and more blood work to increase by numbers. When both of my D levels fell into single digits, I found myself at the office of a naturopath, trying to find answers to a myriad of troubles. That morning, over a year-and-a-half ago, I hadn’t yet eaten breakfast and have been gluten-free ever since. And six months later, my Vitamin D levels were FINALLY measured in healthy levels.

Have you ever read the symptoms and risks for Vitamin D deficiency? Scary.

Loss of self and reliance on other people — Oof. That’s heavy, right? Before I found this job a few months ago, I was really struggling with feelings of self-worth and the various dependencies that I had on the boyfriend (I mean, he’s basically the reason why I eat a balanced dinner every night and not nachos and cereal). I’m actually really interested in reading this one, given my distance from those feelings and the return of my self-esteem.

Holiday Hate: A lesson in loving Christmas — As a child of divorce, I hate Christmas. In recent years, and with much warmth and thankfulness to my boyfriend and his family, my black heart has grown to love the season. I mean, I already LOVE winter, how can I hate Christmas? Well, that feeling was so deep-seated, and it’s taken me some soul-searching (and some couples therapy) to get past some of my anger and disappointment. I’m sure this post was about why I hated the holidays so much, and how this past Christmas was something really special.

A plan to reduce stress and increase relaxation — I remember exactly what this post was about, and I really need to finish to publish. What started out as a project in one of my Psych courses, actually was a powerful tool for my personal development.

An interview with yourself — What’s ironic is that I’m working on a behavioral 360 assessment/group project in another Psych course… but that’s present tense, so this can’t be it. I have issues with interviewing, specifically with behavioral interviews, and this class has been an eye-opening experience. Hey, maybe it will help me to interview better! Still though, this post… I’m not really sure I like its tone.

My first APA Convention — Oh man, I’m so mad that I didn’t post this, especially as I’ll be soon attending my second APA Convention this summer — and there was SO MUCH good info gleaned from attending. Also, I was selected for a second time to the APA Twitter Team. Randomly, I’ll be connecting with a former high school classmate who is studying in my same field of interest while I’m in Toronto.

Finding Therapy: A Weekend in Nemacolin — This draft is from my birthday LAST YEAR. Again, really disappointed in myself that I didn’t capture and post how amazing (and how necessary) this weekend was. If I could buy a timeshare at Falling Rock, I would basically live there.

Word of the year: Identity — Yep, I have some resolutions for the year, and identity was the word that I pulled out of a lot of goals and intentions. It’s been something on my mind a lot recently, so I’ve got a post (yes, another draft) for next week that talks about this very thing.

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training: By the Numbers — #weaksauce I didn’t even do a half marathon training wrap-up? Embarrassing mileage or not, I need to get this posted so that I can better assess my plan for my second half and my first full (training starts this weekend… ACK!).

List of Ten Things (of 10 things)

Today’s Blogger, May I? prompt had me all over the place this morning. I was in serious “two birds-one stone” mode trying to figure out how I could incorporate something from my to-do list into a post (and then get on with attacking that list). Then I realized the potential this post had for brainstorming future posts so that I can keep up my blogging game in June. This month has been incredibly fun to sit every morning and crank out something just completely at random — by prompt of course, but with little editing, rewriting or even a lot of deep thought. To be honest, I miss writing like that. And lists are my jam.

So here is my list of 10 things of 10 things (for future posts in June):

    ten packing tips for a yoga retreat

    list of ten things I do every morning

    list of ten things that I have saved in my email

    list of ten intentions for June

    list of ten posts I have saved in drafts

    list of ten things that currently need fixed/repaired/completed in my home

    10 things every 30-something should know

    10 things in my bag right now

    list of ten schools to explore/research for grad school

    10 things that make me happy

Looking forward to keeping this new blogging energy alive.

Blogs You Will Love

Admittedly, I follow a LOT of blogs via my Feedly (RIP, Google Reader, you were the best). Most posts I scan briefly and quickly mark as read. Others I have lost interest from over the years and immediately delete, and OMG I need to clean up my feed. Still others I get COMPLETELY ANNOYED BECAUSE I HAVE A READER FOR A REASON! My biggest blog peeve are those who only post the first sentence or paragraph, forcing you to click through. Anyways. I have categories for house stuff, more for food stuff; I read gluten-free blogs, running blogs, and keep in touch via blog to my friends in Cleveland. I geek out over a lot of psychology and science blogs. And then I get inspired over in my “Fuzzy Feelings” folder.

For today’s Blogger, May I? prompt I’m going to tell you about just a couple blogs that I LOVE, love.

The Financial Diet: Some of the stuff can get monotonous, but there is a LOT of good information here, especially for young 30-something ladies like yourself. Plus, the confessionals help put into perspective all your money problems. Unless you’re the person who just wrote it, then you very obviously learned your lesson.

Mark Manson: Oh, he of “subtle art of not giving a fuck” fame. Everything he writes — and I literally mean everything — is raw and insightful and straight from his soul. His soul is brilliant, btw. He really has an astute knack for posting something right when I’m feeling something similar too. tl;dr: He gets me.

Emily Cassel: Her web space is pretty. Her writing is pretty. Shit, she’s pretty. She has a way of making you feel as though you can get through every barrier holding you back — and that dreams don’t have to be just imaginary.

Life Less Bullshit: As the title of her post suggests, Nicole redirects the bullshit by using her life stories as a catalyst to connect humanly and honestly with her readers. Plus, like me, she has the history of killing a blog that no longer represented the person she is now. Lady’s got some real-deal balls and isn’t afraid to put out there that IT’S OKAY TO CHANGE YOUR MIND. It’s become something of my mantra lately, and she embodies what it means to be authentic to the self first.

Tell me about your favorite blogs in the comments!

4 Favorite Blogging Tools

Today’s prompt from Blogger, May I? is a topic that I’ve never really blogged about: the more technical side of blogging.

Happy Mother's Day!

1. WordPress
I’ve mentioned in a previous post that I’ve been blogging for over a decade. For those years, I’ve primarily used WordPress, but I’ve published via Blogger, TypePad, and if you want to call it blogging, Tumblr. WordPress is far-and-beyond my platform of choice. I do have a little experience with design and coding, so its capabilities are natural for me. I got frustrated with some of the limitations of other platforms.

2. Diptic
I have some serious aggravation with iPhone pictures and WordPress and WHY DO THEY ALWAYS SHOW SIDEWAYS?! I have to fix all of my photos in the Diptic mobile app prior to uploading. This app has the capability of making collages, resizing, and adding borders or text to photos too.

3. P-metrics
I use Performancing P-metrics for my site tracking and blog stats, since it’s easy to understand, puts the important information up front, simple tabs to gain more insight about traffic, and is relatively inexpensive at $9.99/month. Google Analytics are overly-complicated; WordPress stats are inaccurate. I wish I could even remember how I came upon P-metrics, but it’s one of those things that just worked for me and I kept using it.

4. Related Posts plug-in
You want people to read your content, then stay and read some more right? This is why I love the Related Posts plug-in; it’s easy to install on your WordPress blog, and the thumbnails from similar entries are populated right from the posts (I know, I should post more pictures). There are different customizations and settings to fit the elements of your blog and its design.

I can’t wait to read everyone else’s blogging tools (I already learned something new today.) What are your favorite tools?

Weekly Therapy: SPORTS and spring and all the things.

the week:
Happy First Day of Spring! And Happy International Day of Happiness! And Happy International Macaron Day (freebies at both Jean Marc and Gaby et Jules, by the way). And OMG Gaby et is setting up a location within the new fancy-schmancy grocery store opening in downtown next month). (I’ve had a lot of sugar today, including chocolate-caramel popcorn from Pittsburgh Popcorn Company.)

snakes

Oh yes… it was also my 6-YEAR anniversary this week! We celebrated by going for burgers at Benjamin’s (I drank almost a full bottle of wine, save for the glass that I knocked over and the glass I gave to my neighbor) and went to see Cold War Kids. Ah, blissful normal-ness.

weekend:
OMG does my house need some spring lovin’ (that’ll be me up on a ladder, trying out the new fan blade cleaning trick with a pillow case that I saw on Pinterest!) I also have to tweak the living room layout, clean the wood floors, lay down a new rug, replace my one off-sized window panel, vacuum EVERYTHING… I’m putting the boyfriend to work outside to clean up the courtyard. Because, SPRING!

seven things, seven days:
1. Registered for the Niagara Falls International Marathon in October. Half-excited, half freaking out.
2. Also getting more serious about training now, and signed up for coaching through Steel City Road Runners.
3. And so long as I make it through this year’s longest of long runs, I’m planning for Prague Marathon in 2016.
4. I also now have a mentor through AASP.
5. While we’re on the topic, The Sports Psychology of March Madness. {via Sporting News} FWIW, I’m in the “Sleepers” bracket category at work for only properly guessing 9 out of 16 in the first round. First prize is a free vacation day. GIMME!
6. Designer juice is for assholes. YES, THIS. {via The Financial Diet – add to your blog reader!}
7. The Methodology for Psychology Podcast gets me moving (and smarter!) in the morning. But as the days get nicer, I’ll be walking to work more, and I’m already going through more episodes than there are sunny days. Have any interesting psychology podcasts to recommend?

Weekly Therapy: change is not a bad word

the week:
A lot can change in a week. As an adult, I think it is important to be able to change your mind, your answers, your direction, or the field — whatever and whenever necessary. I made some big decisions this week as result of my life (and career!) going in a new direction. I do not fear change; in fact, I needed a whole lot of it in my life! Because I suppose I fear complacency more.

Also in change: we bought some new living room furniture on a fun binge at West Elm. I’m getting a blue couch! SQUEE!

weekend:
Friday, joining the ladies for the 21+ night at the Carnegie Science Center, and then joining the Steel City Road Runners Club for a training run on Saturday morning! And then it’s back to my usual “all homework Saturdays!”

52 books, 52 weeks:
#3. Mindy Kaling’s “Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me?” A new fan (and binge-watcher) of The Mindy Project, I was hoping for continued hilarity, like her, but this book was pretty abysmal and pointless; while easy to read, I found myself skimming a lot just to finish. It felt really forced and… bluff. MEH.

seven things, seven days:
1. I have no idea how I got this subscription of Sunset magazine, but… somebody wants me to move out West? I was quite excited to see a gluten-free orange cake on the cover, however!
2. I WANT THIS HOUSE. And I’m REAL SAD that it is already contingent.
3. Stopped into my NEW JOB to meet my team and other employees, and do a little orientation. I am SO excited about this position, you guys! I start officially on January 28. AND I HAVE AN OFFICE!
4. I also completed my first peer coaching session with a classmate. This class is so hands-on and scary and intense, but the course and different coaching frameworks are so interesting.
5. We got to celebrate a little with brunch at Eden in Shadyside. I have dreams about their chickpea pancakes smothered in cashew butter!
6. No One Is Successful to Spite You: How to be Happy For Others {via PsychCentral}
7. I swear, every time I read Nicole Antoinette’s blog posts, an internal fire gets lit inside me (is that redundant?): What Makes Your Life Better, Easier, & Way More Fun? {via Life Less Bullshit}

Weekly Therapy: holiday detox

the week:
Recovery is the theme of the week. I still haven’t been motivated enough to play with all my Christmas “toys.” I wasn’t able to work out for a week because of the holiday and changed schedule implemented as result of the holiday week — and it was basically driving me crazy town. No runs because I’ve either been working during daylight hours or driving around from crazy town-to-crazy town. This is the part I hate about the holidays.

weekend:
Work (duh), but we have a game night planned with our neighbors.

52 books in 52 weeks:
Did I really only read 9 books this year? That’s embarrassing. Of course, that doesn’t count all the reading for my classes and corresponding textbooks. Alas… finished “On Top of Your Game: Mental Skills to Maximize Your Athletic Performance” by Carrie Cheadle this week in preparation of the new derby season and upcoming tryouts.

seven things, seven days:
1. New Year’s Eve: asleep by 11pm…
2. And an eye sty for good health!
3. YAY! My sister from Phoenix came to visit for a night!
4. Catching up with friends these last couple of weeks of break has been so valuable.
5. I finally went to the Cathedral of Learning and visited its nationality rooms! It was so beautiful — especially that the building was still decorated for the holidays.
6. This New Year’s post from TWLOHA was like a punch in the gut. In a good way.
7. 7 Psychological Tricks to Make Your Resolutions Stick {via Time}

Weekly Therapy: run for yourself… but also run for all the chocolate.

the week:
Holy recovery! All things considered, I didn’t feel too bad this week for running 10 freaking miles. My hip was really bothering me the day after the race, so I’ve been foam rolling all week and stretching between customers at work. I would also really, really like to get a short 2-mile-ish run in before the end of the week to “stretch” everything out.

weekend:
Race weekend is finally here! There will be all the hot chocolate with ALL THE MARSHMALLOWS.

seven things, seven days:
1. New gluten-free bakery in Columbus? CHECK. Gimme all of your Oatmeal Creme Pies!
2. Basically, I will be in a sugar coma until Wednesday.
3. Did I tell you that I signed up for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon? Yep. DOING IT.
4. MY MASTER BATHROOM IS ALMOST DONE. Up next: master bedroom walk-in closet. What.
5. Have any advice for how to manage extreme hunger during long runs? I seem to be an anomaly, whereas other runners don’t think about food for ALL THE MILES.
6. The age-old question: Can Money Buy Happiness? Well… kinda. But you’re probably doing it wrong. {via The Wall Street Journal}
7. The Psychology of the Supermarket. Don’t shop hungry, Phil. {via Bon Appetit}