Weekly Therapy: got that new carpet smell!

August 28, 2014 - Mel

the week:
Carpet was installed in the guest space, and now we wait for the final finishes and touches (and a back-ordered pendant light) to complete the renovation. I have been MORE than impressed with the work from these contractors, and we hired them to start other projects in the house next month. Yep, we’re going all out for a master bathroom remodel! Which means I also get a (tiny) walk-in closet.

{check out the pics down there in the Insta-therapy sidebar!}

weekend:
Last regular season game (away) in Ohio! Then it’s time for Playoffs. Get it.

seven things, seven days:
1. I was super pumped to attend a session about sports psychology and CrossFit last weekend, sponsored by my box and given by a fellow athlete and almost-psychologist.
2. Found another gluten-free bakery just outside of the Pittsburgh area: Truly Wize. They also sell their sweet goodies at Naturally Soergel’s; boyfriend also found some packaged oatmeal cookies at Market District. I’m currently embarrassing myself over their version of a swiss cake roll (IT’S SO AWESOME).
3. Somehow in my sleep I purchased a case (a CASE!) of Figgies & Jammies, so says this Amazon email. They are the best, and I was traumatizing myself that I forgot to purchase at Soergel’s this weekend. So I will eat them.
4. Can you believe I have been gluten- and nightshade-free for six MONTHS!? I have my retesting next week with Emily Levenson (look her up if you’re interested in having sensitivity testing done).
5. REALLY looking forward to Britt Reint’s Conspiracy next month. In Pittsburgh? You should join the group!
6. West Elm Bakery Square is opening in Pittsburgh next week (YAY!!!).
7. Three tips to change your perspective on nearly everything. {via PsychCentral} I really like the idea of the heart-to-heart. We all need that perspective at one point or another.

Weekly Therapy: finding serenity in change

July 11, 2014 - Mel

the week:
Better late than never: THEY’RE FINALLY STARTING RENOVATIONS. Ahem. I have to admit that it hasn’t been THAT bad, but the construction is really distracting me from schoolwork (I’m doing most of the “important” concentrating things in the evenings, after they leave).

…and then they put a nail into a new pipe. SERENITY NOW.

furries anthrocon pittsburgh — Furries! (and me, in my awesome StitchFix dress)

weekend:
I have to work another night shift (for our big annual fundraiser); otherwise it’s all homework, all the time on this weekend to-do list. Although I’m hoping at least for Sunday brunch and a glass of champagne with my bestie who is visiting for the party.

seven things, seven days:
1. OATMEAL! Love oatmeal. And this is why oatmeal keeps you full. {scientific american}
2. Is being too nice a problem? {via daily times}
3. Hanging out with the Anthrocon “furries” last weekend was great.
4. Although TOO. MUCH. DRINKING.
5. Derby break is over, and back to regular practices! I both loved having a break and loved being back.
6. And now I get to use my derby organization in a research study for one of my classes. Kind of nice having 60+ people at your disposal for surveying.
7. Need a durable tote like this, in cognac leather color, to carry laptop and such. Suggestions? LL Bean confirmed the cognac bag was discontinued. For sad.

Weekly Therapy: So I said to myself, “Self….”

May 30, 2014 - Mel

the week:
wooooo… So much schoolwork before leaving for another weekend. I’ve also taken a LOT of assessments for an assignment, and I’m not sure if I know myself more — or less. Huh. I’ll let you know with certainty after I finish my analysis.

Does it seem as though all I’m doing is traveling this month? Because, yes.

weekend:
In Philly for a game, then off to NYC for a couple days to visit my sister and niece!

52 books in 52 weeks:
I’m going to give this thing a try again.
1. Gluten Freedom
2. StrengthFinder 2.0 – and additional assessment book recommended by my instructor for my Personal Development course

Yep. I finished two books in one week. And did an assload of homework. Where’s my cookie?

seven things, seven days:
1. Gluten-free pop tarts. GLUTEN-FREE POP TARTS.
2. I dropped my phone in the toilet… Thankfully, I remembered the RICE method, and it seems that I thwarted a drowned disaster.
3. Sooooo I’m going to be starting an internship some time in July. It’s not in Psychology, sadly (I’m still looking!), but hopefully I can pad my research and analytic skills somewhat in a marketing/non-profit setting.
4. A phrase of value this week: Self knowledge is the foundation of wisdom.
5. Achieving Happiness on vacation: the keyword is SAVOR.
6. I’m interested to know your thoughts about this article: I loved AA. Here’s why I left.
7. Oldie-but-goodie: a call for an introverted positive psychology. {Psychology Today}

Weekly Therapy: back and better (educated) than ever!

April 20, 2014 - Mel

the week:
Hey there, missed you. I’ll catch you up in another long-winded post, but for now… Riding high off a big derby win last weekend.
Life is not parallel though with wins-and-losses. And I can no longer find comfort in my favorite comfort foods.

hammock relaxation — All the relaxation.

weekend:
Went to the hockey game last night (boo!), and I had to work all Easter (whatever, double pay — woo!). Going home to lots of homework and hrutka.

seven things, seven days:
1. No biopsies at my yearly skin cancer screening! What a relief. I got an ugly mole removed just for shits-and-giggles…
2. Received my first Blue Apron shipment, and I’m so excited about the service — especially when the boyfriend is traveling!
3. Two weeks left to go in my first semester back to school. LET’S DO THIS.
4. Disappointingly, I couldn’t have the gluten-free meatball at the new Meatball restaurant. I was *so* looking forward to its open. SIGH.
5. Random LOFT sale: 50% off everything?! I love spring shopping.
6. The Crossroads of Should and Must really spoke to me. On that note I’m really enjoying finding heartfelt essays like this on medium.
7. The irrationality of irrationality: The paradox of popular psychology. Ooooh, where was this article when I was doing an assignment a couple weeks ago???

Weekly Therapy: ho Ho HO

December 6, 2013 - Mel

the week:
We had our Christmas tree delivered, and while tall and beautiful, I don’t know what to do with it. I hate the white LED lights we had on our tree last year (the boyfriend put them on anyway), and I don’t want to put bulbs up knowing that I’m leaving the cats alone for a couple days (especially given that half of them are vintage… the ornaments, not the felines). The cats have been mostly ignoring the tree, but I’m convinced (even from last year) that our smallest cat hides up in it somehow. She’s sneaky! The boyfriend (lazily) put up lights and garland outside, which looked like a six-year-old threw them up… and the lack of vision or thoughtful end result really irritates me (especially when asked for my opinion, and the response is all “it looks fine!”). He’s in such a rush to decorate and wrap presents all the sudden, and… I JUST WANT TO GO ON VACATION.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

We definitely decorate with completely different styles in mind.

weekend:
Pittsburgh Ballet’s Nutcracker on Friday night marks the beginning of my ballet season package (amazing birthday gift from the boyfriend). We’ll probably have dinner at Proper Brick Oven & Tap Room again too. NOM.
Saturday, work. Meh. But then we can hang out with our out-of-town friends who are visiting Pittsburgh for the football game.
And SUNDAY is our annual Toys for Tots charity scrimmage. #teamGrinch

seven things, seven days:
1. Malley’s Pumpkin Pie Truffles. Mmm-hmm, that’s right.
2. My Ortho follow-up was uneventful. No MRI needed at this time, since my foot seems better.
3. Reading The Wolf of Wall Street in anticipation of its Christmas Day movie release! There’s a lot of eye rolling on my behalf, but it’s a quick, fun read.
4. Started receiving my Graze snack boxes*. First one was mostly uninteresting; second shipment was SO much better! RIP: Foodzie and SprigBox.
5. Packing for a vacation that is more winter than current winter IS HARD.
6. Cat sitting for friends is fun. I just can’t resist the fur babies! See also: CAT KARMA.
7. The 13 Best Psychology and Philosophy Books of 2013 {via brainpickings}

*My Graze friend code is: MELIND3TP — use this to get your first box free!

Weekly Therapy: it’s the holiday season, so whoop-dee-do!

November 22, 2013 - Mel

the week:
Is it odd that, last Friday, for the first in the longest of times that I felt “pretty”? Maybe it was just my new eye makeup, or that the boyfriend and I had a really good date night, or maybe-just-maybe I am finally coming out of this stupid depressive, apathetic hole. I’m getting excited about coming back to derby within the next couple weeks too (hopefully this dang foot cooperates).

weekend:
Light Up Night! One of my favorite nights out in Pittsburgh. Also, one of the worst hangovers every year, so working ALL WEEKEND will be interesting. And then there’s Friendsgiving on Saturday…

There will be the usual carriage rides and gingerbread houses and the opening of the Christkindlmarkt in Market Square (People’s Gas Holiday Market) and fireworks (natch, it’s Pittsburgh), but this year’s celebrations also include FOOD TRUCKS. Get your nom on.

seven things, seven days:
1. I won a free piece of jewelry from local shop Jupe Boutique in a twitter contest — how nice is that?!
2. Trying not to think about my half birthday passing recently. How does this keep happening?! Age: What a bitch. The title of my memoir.
3. Ordered new skate boots for roller derby. And yes, they will be hot pink.
4. And then I had to order new boots from Splendid to offset my bank account being used solely for derby.
5. We spent three HOURS with an architect talking about possible renovations/gut job in our house (the second level needs help; and we need a real guest room).
6. My transcripts are complete, my transcripts are complete! Now if I could only get my advisor to return my emails.
7. It’s time to get Christmas Crazy! {via BurghBaby}

Don’t forget to hang up your sock!

The Steel City Garden — gardening with Doug Oster and a book giveaway!

November 20, 2013 - Mel

Approaching winter, it’s hard to think about gardening. But it’s the time of year to plant and plan certain outdoor tasks (and clean up all those leaves before the snow falls). And I feel like we’re constantly making outdoor plans (and pinning… lots of pinning). Gardening is a year-round sport, what with our courtyard and community garden plot. Shade plants, potted flowers and herbs, veggies and fruit… for a novice gardener, it can be overwhelming.

I was not born with a green — or black-and-gold — thumb, which is why I was excited to receive a book specifically about gardening. Garden personality Doug Oster brings local pride into the garden with his recent book: The Steel City Garden: Creating a One-of-a-Kind Garden in Black and Gold.

Why black and gold? Pittsburgh is the only city in the United States where all of its major sports teams share the same colors (it’s a way of life). The Steel City Garden introduces readers to eye-catching vegetation, like black tulips and buttercup shrubs, and quirky garden décor that all fit into our prideful color scheme. My favorite black-and-gold flower? Sunflower.

black and gold veggies steel city garden

You don’t have to call Western Pennsylvania home to enjoy this book either — Pittsburgh natives all over the country can still be found cheering on their favorite black-and-gold teams, even in their outdoor spaces. This book is the perfect gift idea for any Yinzer or ex-Pittsburgher garden lover looking to embrace a whole new level of loyalty.

black and gold flowers steel city gard

Black tulips… how beautiful are those?!

“The Steel City Garden can be a tribute to a city, a way of life, your favorite sports team or just a beautiful place to sit and enjoy.” – Doug Oster, from the Introduction

The Steel City Garden includes a variety of flowers, fruits and vegetables along with planting advice, gardening tips and info on each: where it works best, pests and diseases, and plant partners to consider. I enjoyed the added personal garden stories and the decor section — and especially that the entire book is dedicated to organic gardening. I was EXTRA GEEKED after opening the book and seeing a photo of a Steel City Derby Demons t-shirt too!

photo (5)

Skater? Fan? Lover of black-and-gold gardening!

Giveaway UPDATED: Want to get your own copy of The Steel City Garden book? Leave a comment on this post, and I’ll select a random winner on ~~December 1, 2013~~ December 7, 2013 (retail value: $17.95).

About the Author:  Doug Oster is The Backyard Gardener for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. An Emmy Award-winning documentarian, he also won the Garden Writers Association (GWA) National Media Award in 2011 and 2013 for his work on “Digging with Doug,” a weekly video blog series through the Post-Gazette.

Steel City Flower image

Disclosure: I received a personal copy of The Steel City Garden book for review, and the publisher is sending one lucky winner his/her own copy. All opinions herein are my own. Read my disclosure policy for more info.

Weekly Therapy: if it ain’t broke… it’s probably ligament damage.

November 15, 2013 - Mel

the week:
How did this week go by so fast?

I had my first follow-up dermatology appointment since my MOHs surgery. Everyone keeps telling me the scar “looks really good!” or “they did a good job!” And why do I still feel, like, HAVE YOU SEEN MY FACE?! I know, I need to get that looked at… I did get a referral for another dermatologist in the area who can treat some of my other face “issues” — procedures they don’t do in my doc’s office (microderm, deep peels, laser). So, yay?

I also openly admitted that I’m all for Botox, just “not yet.” How you know you’re a 30-something.

weekend:
Date night at the Three Rivers Film Festival. We’re going to see the Lance Armstrong documentary, and then probably get some more bourbon and snacks at Butcher & the Rye. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been dreaming about that cauliflower dish since last weekend. Yes, CAULIFLOWER.

Saturday, my team is hosting a derby training camp. Which, meh, I’m off skates because my foot started bothering me again this week (I was actually starting to get excited about skating again). Scheduling an MRI as we speak.
Sigh.

seven things, seven days:
1. Took my few days off this week to binge-watch the first two seasons of Scandal. OBSESSED!
2. A day spa is opening in my neighborhood — I’m so freaking excited!
3. Also back on the Sprig box bandwagon.
4. Now that I know we’re hosting some family for Thanksgiving, I’m starting some Holiday Meal Planning Pinning. Leave me some ideas, please!
5. The coffee table I wanted from West Elm is DISCONTINUED. I’m so mad. SO MAD.
6. Running outside in the cold. Nope. Can’t get used to it.
7. We all have people like this in our lives. Energy vampires: how to avoid being drained (and a quiz!). {via Psych Central}

Week(s) of Therapy: take some time for reflection and relaxation

September 27, 2013 - Mel

the week:
With 3 wins out of 4 games in our Division 1 tournament in Asheville (whew, tough games!), our derby travel season for 2013 comes to a close. Bittersweet, knowing that some skaters won’t be returning next season. This was really an amazing (and long) year of roller derby. So proud to be part of this team and league. But also so ready to give my body a rest.

Also, Asheville? What a strange, and beautiful place.

The Biltmore estate is incredible, however.

weekend:
I dunno… something about a Duck.

seven things, seven days:
1. Painful loss of a friend who had some struggles in recent years. I hope now that he’s found some peace. But it’s so tragic, and I’m still in shock.
2. Home & Garden tour in our neighborhood was a success! What we’ve labored over outdoors (and that will soon be covered in fall leaves and then snow) is completed and shown to hundreds of nebby strangers. 🙂
3. I had several emails about my submitted resume and phone calls from recruiters while I was gone. GAH! I can’t believe it, all at once.
4. Love, love, LOVE my new New Balance Minimus cross trainers; they are so light and comfortable (even with a weird food injury right now). They are made with Vibram style outsole, but without the separated toe thing. Maybe there’s something behind this barefoot running…
5. Completed my month-long CrossFit fundamentals classes (and did my first WOD with the regular class)! I’m totally pumped about it (and kinda getting used to the wake-up-at-5am thing).
6. As someone particularly interested in human sexuality, this Kinsey reporter app has incredible data about sexual behaviors. (And you can add your own!)
7. Do sexy breast cancer campaigns demean women? Short answer: yep. {via psychology today}

Want more group therapy throughout the week? Follow 30-something Therapy on Facebook.

Positively Awesome Cleveland Trip: Day Two

September 3, 2013 - Mel

My weekend trip to Cleveland had LOTS going on — read more about it here and here.

Before I started my day with the group, I headed over to Erie Island for a fantastic Americano. Sitting on the cafe’s outdoor patio on East 4th in the early morning was just perfection.

Day Two itinerary:
We started off with brunch at Lucky’s Café in the Tremont neighborhood (my favorite! yes, I have also previously been to Lucky’s). There was no swaying me away from my breakfast burritos either. I know how good those things are.

lucky burrito

Afterwards, we stopped by the Christmas Story House (we did not do the tour) and shopped its neighboring gift shop — leg lamps galore! The movie was on loop too, naturally.

leg lamp bag leg lamp cookie cutter

xmas story bunny outfits xmas story house

Our next stop was the Westside Market, which is probably the number one “thing to do” on a tourist guide to Cleveland. Every visit I find something new to see or eat. And I always leave with meat sticks from Mel’s Deli (which is now some strangely-named Tony Baloney’s or something). Man, do I wish I saved room for one of those giant apple fritters though. We also toured the neighboring City Farm, which has its own farm stand.

WSM

city farm stand

Still walking off all that incredible breakfast, we went back east to tour Lakeview Cemetery. This was definitely on my Cleveland Bucket List, and it an amazing place to explore. Garfield, the Rockefellers, Higbee: they’re all buried here. Garfield has a massive monument built here — he is also interred there with his wife and some family members — it’s a magnificent structure, really, with winding stairs up to a beautiful lookout point of the city skyline.

garfield monument

garfield monument stairs

Also within the cemetery is the historic Wade Chapel. You need to enter solely for its Tiffany-designed interior; it is breathtaking to see in person.

The rest of the group went off to the Cleveland Museum of Art for the afternoon (jealous!) and Hodge’s for dinner, while I had to get ready for a game down in Akron (we won!).

When I arrived back to CLE, the group was turning in for the night (they also had a nightcap at Society, which I need to put on the list for my return visit). I needed some grub (and still smelled like stinky, sweaty derby pads). Thankfully, Greenhouse Tavern has late-night food options (and a bar seat for a casually-dressed guest like myself). This hungry, hungry hippo ate up a local beef burger with pommes frites and a Mikkeller I Hardcore You beer. I also took a cheese plate and can of Dale’s Pale Ale back to my hotel for “dessert.” I usually get pretty wired after game days, so I knew I wasn’t going to sleep any time soon (Love it or List it marathon, what’s up?!).

take out hotel

There’s still more Cleveland! Day Three coming up in the next post.

Disclosure: Positively Cleveland provided accommodations, meals and admission prices for my participation in this socially-driven trip. All opinions herein are my own.