HIGH FIVE

1) to move or gesture in celebration or greeting in which two people slap each other's open palm with their arms raised
2) greet with a high five

Happy National Running Day! 

In honor of this day, it seems appropriate that I finally get around to talking about the 10k I ran recently: the Snohomish Women's Run. This was the first 10k in a series of three that we have planned before our half -- you know, to keep our training honest. This run was also the first 10k race I have completed and I must say, I really enjoyed it! Not as long as a 15k but not as short as a 5k...juuuuuuust right! It was during this run, I was reminded why I run...

I will be honest, sometimes I run for the goodies (cute bibs, quality shirts, medals, etc.) and I was initially drawn to this run because it had an awesome finishers' medal. But I am glad that I signed up for this run for so many other reasons. This was inaugural Snohomish Women’s Run and other than not having enough shuttles to transport people to/from parking/event locations, everything else seemed to go off without a hitch. A beautiful, flat course out in the country -- exactly what I was looking for!

This was my first all-women event and I really liked the atmosphere. There were super fit racers, moms, pregnant ladies (who ran faster than me), teenagers, grandmothers -- you name it! Seriously, it was quite the spectrum. But we were all there because wanted to push ourselves and we all joined together in this community of runners to do so. 

My all-time favorite moment was in my 4th mile of the race. The course was an out and back loop. As we were on our back route, we crossed paths with those in the beginning of their race. Someone stood out to me: a woman running alone, who was looking exhausted. As I watched her jog, I couldn't help but be proud of the hard work she was putting in. She didn't make excuses like "I could never run a 10k" or "I am tired" or "I don't have a workout buddy". It didn't matter how fast she was going because she was beating everyone who was on the couch at home. She put one foot in front of the other and didn't stop. She didn't over-think it, she just keep going. As we were getting close to passing each other I felt compelled to let her know I was rooting for her -- so I ran across the the course towards her, gave her a high five, and she gave me a huge smile.

I run because I believe in a life of fitness. 
I run because it strengthens not only my mind but my body. 
I run to encourage others -- because I turned "I could never do that" into "I will conquer that". 

Additionally, the Snohomish Women's Run's charity partner is Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County which is a cause that definitely is worth supporting. I had many sorority sisters that volunteer for the Domestic Violence Services in Hillsdale County, so it made me feel as though it was my chance to help the cause. 

All-in-all I had a great experience (I ran in 59:19). We had a blast exploring Mukilteo at our packet pick-up the day before and enjoyed an amazing brunch after our race at Arnie's (go there...seriously). This run makes me look forward to my next two 10k's and then my half! Until then I will keep running and keep giving HIGH FIVES!

DRIVE

1) to send, expel, or otherwise cause to move by force or compulsion
2) to cause and guide the movement of (a vehicle, an animal,etc.)
3) to convey in a vehicle
4) to force to work or act
5) to impel; constrain; urge; compel

Another year -- another President's Day weekend celebrated with a girl time. I can't even explain how much I love three-day weekends that include a mini-road trip. They are the perfect opportunity to explore somewhere close and get you out of your normal weekend mode. 

Despite the fact the weather (read: crazy pass conditions) tried to stop us from making it out to Yakima this year, we pushed through anyways. The drive was stressful and took double the amount of time it should have, but the trusty Subaru got us there in one piece. 

Weekends with my girls are always filled with catching up, laughing, and wine-ing -- and I wouldn't have it any other way. I truly hope that we can continue this President's Day tradition. And if we are keeping the wine theme -- maybe next year will be Napa (OK-- maybe just Walla-Walla or somewhere in Oregon)?

Also I have to share that while in Yakima, we tasted the BEST rosé I have EVER from Treveri Cellars. It was so good that our bride-to-be picked up six bottles for her wedding day -- and I bought one that I am saving for a special occasion. If you love sparking wine, everything at Treveri is good! Beyond the sparkling wine, we loved the food, service, atmosphere and the stories from our sommelier -- we stayed for hours just soaking it all in (or up?). If you aren't going to be in Yakima anytime soon but want to give these sparkling wines a try, we were told that Wine World in the University District carries Treveri Wines.

There are so many places to be explored right in your own backyard. So, next time you have a three-day weekend, back your bags and go for a DRIVE! 

PS. If you want to check out my post from last year's President's Day Weekend in Yakima, you can view it HERE. 

BREAK

1) to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments
2) to infringe, ignore, or act contrary to
3) to fracture a bone of (some part of the body)
4) to lacerate; wound
5) to destroy or interrupt the regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of
6) to put an end to; overcome; stop
7) to discover the system, key, method, etc., for decoding or deciphering
8) to remove a part from a set or collection
9) to exchange for or divide into smaller units or components
10) to make a way through
11) to open or force one's way into
12) to better (a given score or record)
13) to disclose or divulge personally in speech or writing
14) to release (a story) for publication or airing on radio or television

When entering into 2013 -- I had no idea I would end the year assisting with two new records in the Guinness Book of World Records!

If you recall -- the first record I was part of was back in January with the Largest Snowball fight. According to Guinness: "The largest snowball fight was achieved by 5,834 participants at an event organized by Seattle Snow Day (USA) at Seattle Center, Washington, USA, on 12 January 2013. Each participant threw at least one snowball during the attempt, with proceeds benefiting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Seattle."

The second record was set this December when the 12th Man RECLAIMED the loudest crowd roar record. We originally held the record but then the Kansas City Chiefs beat us out -- so in true Seahawks fashion, we fought back. According to Guinness: "The loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium is 137.6 decibels and was achieved by fans of the Seattle Seahawks, aka "Volume 12 - The Seahawks 12th Man" (USA), at Centurylink Stadium in Seattle, Washington, USA, on 1 December 2013.The record was achieved with 12 mins 29 secs left to play in the second quarter during a 3rd down Seahawks defensive stand."

How fun right?! Both of the events were a blast and memories I won't forget!

Have you been part of any world records? What record do you want to BREAK?

EXCLAIM

1) to cry out or speak suddenly and vehemently, as in surprise, or strong emotion

May 4th made my heart swell. 

On May 4th, one of my very best friends got engaged to her knight in shinning armor. Shannon was given the day she had been waiting for, and it manifested itself on a pier in New Port Beach, CA. I am so thankful there were family members planted nearby who caught the most priceless pictures -- because Shannon, your smile is one of the most beautiful. 

I was elated to hear news of her engagement and LOVED talking to her right after it happened. I could hear a smile on her voice and I could hear her heart laugh with excitement. A new chapter is beginning, and it is destined to be a wonderful one. 

A few weeks ago Shannon made it home for a visit, and she told me she had an important question for me...

"Will you be my bridesmaid?", she asked. "YES!", I exclaimed. 

Shannon, I am beyond thrilled to be one of your bridesmaids. I cannot wait to proudly stand by your side and bear witness to the love that you and KK share. You two have been through fun times and hard times, laughter and tears and I know each moment has made you stronger as a couple. I love the playful nature you and KK share, and most importantly I trust him as a provider and life partner for you.

As you prepare for your wedding day, here is my wish for you: 
"Love, be true to her; 
Life, be dear to her;
Health, stay close to her;
Joy, draw near to her;
Fortune, find what you can do for her,
Follow her footsteps the wide world over--
And keep her husband always her lover." -Anna Lewis

I am here for you every step of the way as your best friend and bridesmaid. The countdown is on for your big day when you EXCLAIM, "I DO"!

DREAM

1) to see or imagine in sleep or in a vision
2) to imagine as if in a dream; fancy
3) to pass or spend (time) in dreaming

I am so glad that I started following the Seattle Met blogs -- I have found some awesome events, local happenings, and news this way!

One event I found through their blog is "Chateau Stay-cation" at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville. This event brought food trucks and exotic cars to the winery -- every "dude's" dream, right? And by pairing it with the beauty of the winery, the ladies enjoyed themselves too. 

We knew this is something SGT's dad would love so we brought him up! It was awesome to watch as father and son had some solid bonding time over some unbelievable cars (we are talking Maserati, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Tesla, Ferrari, etc.). It was also fun to talk to the owners about their cars and see their eyes light up as they shared their stories with us. 

Despite the questionable weather (and by questionable, I mean schizophrenic -- raining one second then clear and balmy the next), we were in good company and the wine was delicious. I truly enjoyed the taking an easy afternoon stroll, listening to music, looking at exotics cars and letting myself DREAM.

DRIZZLE

1) to rain gently and steadily in fine drops; sprinkle
2) to fall in fine drops
3) to pour in a fine stream

One of my favorite annual events its heading up to Mount Vernon, WA to see the Tulip Festival. Since I have graduated from college, my sisters and I have tried to turn this into an yearly day-trip. 

This year, in true Washington Style -- it rained. Well luckily, it was not a full on rain, more like a drizzle but it did require an umbrella and rain boots (good thing I just invested in some new rain boots!). My sisters and I took this opportunity to embrace the spring rain and pull out our rain boots and jackets. 

In the process of exploring the tulip fields, we enjoyed taking wonderful photos (I might have over 100 photos of tulips...) and some cute sisters pictures that functioned as a great Mother's Day gift! 

On the way home we stopped at a small taquiera called Calle. We found this edgy, family owned restaurant last year and have been excited for the opportunity to go back ever since. The "street-style" food does not disappoint and I love the dia de los muertos decor. If you ever happen to be in Mount Vernon, I highly recommend it (it definitely made me miss Mexico!).

If you have the chance next April -- head up to the Tulip Festival and maybe even stop at Calle. It is more than worth the drive, whether in the beautiful sunshine or in a light DRIZZLE.

EXPLORE

1) to traverse or range over (a region, area, etc.) for the purpose of discovery

2) to look into closely; scrutinize; examine
3) to investigate into
4) to search for; search out
5) to engage in exploration 

Every year I use January as my "ramp up" month, where I flush out all the ideas, wants, hopes, needs, and dreams I have for the year ahead. The aim is to "have it altogether" by my birthday...the beginning of "my year". Today I looked back at my New Year's resolution post (you can read RESOLVE here!), and I recalled how my focus for January was to keep things simple. January was used to set the precedent for the year: life is simple, savor the day, the joy is in the journey, etc. After a month of focusing on my "be here now" mantra, I let myself use February to EXPLORE. 

Here I am at 24 with so many amazing experiences in my memory's catalog -- and so much in front of me that I can't help but jump out of bed each morning with excitement. In February explored hot yoga, aerial arts, painting, new relationships (did I mention HMG hired two new girls?!), Yakima, sleeping in, new blogs, the rave scene, new books, pushing myself, new firsts, new recipes, old traditions, and more. I let exploration manifest itself in big and small ways, which was a good challenge in keeping an open mind. 

One fun way I explored February was with my Instagram app, capturing my life one small frame at at time. So here is a visual look at my EXPLORING. 

February photo challenge daily topics (L to R, top to bottom):

Day 1: lockscreen photo - a favorite photo from our first time at the batting cages (yes -- that was a Groupon!)

Day 2: best friends - my sisters are two of my very best friends. 

Day 3: outfit of the day - the outfit I wore to my first aerial hoop class

Day 4: role model - my cousin Deanna, as well as Malone women in general 

Day 5: current favorite song - I really cannot get enough of the contrast of Calvin Harris' dance beat and Florence Welsh's haunting voice in Sweet Nothings   

Day 6:  food - this is my daily breakfast at work

Day 7: selfie

Day 8: pet - I miss the best dog ever, RIP Draven

Day 9: smiles - with the beautiful smiles of my sisters

Day 10: quote - this was a gift from my little and it says "though delicate they may seem...your wings are much stronger than you know... SO FLY"

Day 11: black and white - the hounds tooth pattern from one of my dresses

Day 12: screen shot - while this term generally applies to phones, I was slammed that day and I had no time for my phone...

Day 13: someone you love - this OF COURSE is my momma bear

Day 14: my valentine - 5 years running

Day 15: handwriting 

Day 16: something new - I loved this stained glass window panel (although I did not actually buy it)

Day 17: weather - we truly lucked out with warm weather and stunning blue skies while we were in Yakima

Day 18: breakfast - complete with my NEW favorite mug that was a birthday gift

Day 19: mirror pic (ah! you caught me wearing a blazer...again)

Day 20: outside - this was the view from under my new umbrella (thanks sister!)

Day 21: fashion - I keep up on fashion trends by watching the ever-changing downtown storefronts 

Day 22: special moment - is ADORABLE gender reveal was for my coworker (and FAVORITE blogger)  

Day 23: family - this picture quality may not be the best, but the memory from my shore-side dinner in Laguna Beach with my cousins is perfect

Day 24: celebrity crush - this really requires no explanation 

Day 25: jewelry - this statement piece was a gift from my mother 

Day 26: bedroom - just a peak into my sanctuary 

Day 27: night time

Day 28: favorite candy - I miss Reeses because I gave up candy (among other things) for Lent! 

The word for next month is TACKLE. February pulled a fast one on me as I enjoyed exploring it's days, and now I have many things that need accomplishing before this month's end.

GLAMP

1) To camp in style, comfort, and/or luxury while still experiencing the great outdoors; to go glamping 

Photos (clockwise L to R) — 1: Tally, our little watch dog 2: The camper 3: American Lake 

4: Hobo Pies, because steaks would have been pretentious 5: Luxury s’mores, 

named so because we upgraded from Hershey’s to Dove (OK — that got a little pretentious)

OK — admittedly this definition comes from UrbanDictionary.com rather than Dictionary.com but the word “camp” does not truly describe my latest adventure.

As the end of September came to a close, my family realized that we really should take advantage of the record breaking “indian summer” we were in the midst of (we almost made it to 50 days without rain?! shhhh…don’t let that get out!).

The challenge was to coordinate five busy schedules and in the end we figured a quick overnight/weekend trip would do the trick! In order to get the most time possible in the great outdoors, we chose a close location. American Lake was perfect for our needs: close enough to start our stay-cation early on Saturday, yet the peaceful lake made as feel like we were worlds away from the daily hustle and bustle of the Seattle-Tacoma area.

We had a great weekend full of family, sunshine, relaxation, food, games, football, and laughter — all in the comfort of my sisters luxurious camper (bathroom, shower, memory foam mattress, electricity, you name it! oh wait…I forgot to mention the flat screen TV! We were, after all, going to be “glamping” on a Sunday when the Seahawks were playing!)

Camping is no longer “in tents” (read: intense), but rather plush and all-inclusive. I must say, once you glamp you never go back. I highly recommend that next time the sun comes out you head out for a weekend and…

GLAMP!

STAY

1) to spend some time in a place, in a situation, with a person or group, etc.
2) to remain through or during (a period of time)

This weekend was the opposite of last weekend — this time the focus was a “stay-cation”. If your hometown area is anything like mine, then there are endless treasures that you have yet to enjoy (even if you have lived there for 23 years)! In order to indulge in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, we planned a “stay-cation” weekend.
 

We started off early in the morning heading off to Rattlesnake Ridge for a day of hiking in the Snoqualmie Pass Region. Compared to when I hiked Mount Si last summer, Rattlesnake was an enjoyable hike. It only takes about one hour each direction to complete, and it is only 4 miles total to reach Rattlesnake Ridge. Once you are at the top the view is stunning! And we lucked out, having amazing weather complete with clear blue skys and puffy white clouds. Quite the reward!
 

Rattlesnake Ridge has additional paths for further exploration, East Peak and Snoqualmie Point. Although we chose to linger on the ridge and enjoy our pb & j sandwiches in the sun instead of hiking further, we enjoyed ourselves enough to know that next time we will tackle the East Peak.
 

After hiking, we headed to the Falls City area to Tree House Point where we would be staying for the night. THP is off of Preston-Fall City Road and despite the fact it is only about 40 minutes from my home, it feels like worlds away. I fell in love the minute we drove into the parking lot and I already knew I was going to dread having to leave the next day.
 

The grounds are tidy, quaint, and natural. There are ponds, little waterfalls, bubbling brooks, and green everywhere. The tree houses are works of art, nestled unobtrusively in the tree branches. We stayed in the Nest which is just a room with a bed and a small balcony that sits above a waterfall. Despite being so small, it provided everything we needed (there is a community wash area with bathrooms and showers, in cause you were curious). THP provides such a peaceful atmosphere, it would be impossible to not relax here. And relaxing was just what I needed after last week’s jet-away, work, and the morning hike.
 

I HIGHLY recommend staying at THP. If fact, I plan to stay there again. Also, the room rates go down in the winter — I could not think of a better place to cozy in, drink hot chocolate and read, than here!
 

The next time you are thinking about planning a get-a-way, think again and…
STAY! 

Photos (clockwise L to R) — 1: our Tree House, the Nest 2: the start of our hike 3: the view of Rattlesnake Lake
4: the view from the top of Rattlesnake Ridge 5: Tree House Point, Temple of the Blue Moon 6: THP, Trilium
7: THP, Bonbibi 8: map of the THP grounds