see what happens when, in life, you walk instead of run

a couple of weeks ago, i took a walk through a neighborhood close by, along a route that i normally run.  what was really interesting about this was how new it started to feel to me the deeper into the neighborhood i got.  i've run this particular route probably close to 50 times, but clearly i had never paid much attention to my surroundings.  sure, i took it all in from a general standpoint so that i knew i was on the right path and knew how to complete the route back home.  and i had thought this was enough.  but it was incredible to realize how much i had missed, and how little i really did know this place that i had spent a good amount of time at.  there were at least two instances during the walk in which a sense of panic overcame me and i thought that i was lost because all of a sudden none of the houses, cars, mailboxes, or even the cracks in the sidewalk looked like i had remembered them!  i had to hurry up to the next corner to double check the street signs, and only then was i reassured that i was, in fact, exactly where i was supposed to be.

like a lot of people, i usually run with an ipod, but i didn't use it that day for my walk.  not surprisingly, without the distraction of sound, i was able to better focus on my own senses - the sounds, sights, smells of what was around me.  it was very literally and ear-and-eye-opening experience.

i saw this as sort of a metaphor for life.  in this case, during my runs i was literally going too fast to really appreciate everything happening around me.  and i'm sure a lot of us feel that way about life: it can go so fast, and you just want to slow down and take it all in.  so i hope you find some time this weekend for your own inspiration; to get outside in this first hint of crisp fall weather and take in all that nature has to offer. 

dog eared jewelry

in the "pay day" spirit of it being the middle of the month and almost friday, i thought i'd suggest something to spend some of that hard-earned cash on!  we sweet snippets ladies just treated ourselves to a small piece of jewelry from dog eared, and got 10% off our purchase with the promo code "summer 2011".

alanna was looking for a pretty pair of "every day" studs.  these karma diamond gold dipped stud earrings fit the description perfectly!

i have a silver chain with a pendant diamond from my late grandmother's engagement ring that i currently wear every day.  it will likely continue to be my go-to necklace because of its meaning, but i was looking for a gold alternative.  when i came across this gold dipped new beginnings lotus disc necklace, i knew it was the perfect combination of simple, pretty, and inspirational.

what's the new beginning that i'm embracing and celebrating, you ask?  well, there are a few specific things...but really, every single day is a sort of new beginning.  here is a closer look at the lotus charm and the new beginnings description:

all images via dogeared.com

beauty tip: a resourceful way to moisturize your cuticles

looking for a cheap, resourceful way to moisturize your cuticles on the go? well the beauty product you need is probably already in your bag!

cuticle oils that you can purchase from a salon work wonders but they can be costly, greasy, and not always easy to apply - especially multiple times throughout the day or if you're on the go. as an alternative, a manicurist told me that you can use chapstick. chapstick can cost as little as $1 at a drugstore and you probably already own it! it also won't leave your fingers feeling greasy or slippery, so you can get back to whatever you were doing quickly without having to wait for oils to soak in.

see how the product label offers softening, protection, and hydration?  well your lips are skin, just like your cuticles so it has the same moisturizing effect.

even all natural brands like burts bees has lip balms for only $3 or $4, which still makes them a steal versus cuticle oils that can cost anywhere from $8 up. 

recipe: orzo salad with lemon, mint, and fresh ricotta

for my birthday celebration one of the dishes my mom made was an orecchiette and ricotta salad and it was phenomenal.  since then i have been slightly obsessed with healthy versions of pasta salads.  this one from dean and deluca looks both simple to make and delicious!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup very finely diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup very finely diced seedless cucumber
1/2 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (about 3 ounces)
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

Directions:

1. Stir together the olive oil, shallots, lemon juice, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the orzo in a large kettle of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta completely in a colander, running under cold water. Transfer orzo to a bowl, stir in the olive oil mixture, and let cool. Stir in the bell pepper, cucumber, ricotta salata, and mint until combined well. You could serve the salad immediately, but we think it tastes best if you let it stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.

recipe from dean and deluca picture from serious eats

the start of a new week

hello readers, and welcome to the start of a new week!  how was your weekend?  do anything fun, different, exciting?  it was a fairly low-key weekend for alanna and i.  we attended a friend's party on friday night, and we each spent the remainder of the weekend being productive in our own rights - alanna conquered another weekend of gmat studying, and i spent my time reading, writing, running, and reflecting.

here are a few things you need to know to get you through the week:

• the series finale of entourage was last night.  if you're an entourage fan (or not) and saw the finale episode, what did you think? if you didn't catch the show, but need some talking points so you can join the conversation this week, read a complete recap of the finale here.
• this weekend marked the opening of the 2011 football season.  if you're a part of a fantasy football league, or just want to engage in some friendly banter with your coworkers, check out all of the final scores.  and don't miss tonight's games - it's the only time during the season that there are two games on monday night (usually there is just one, but on opening weekend they have monday night football for an east coast game and a west coast game). 
• after a summer with seemingly nothing on tv, the fall shows are finally starting to premiere!  next week is the big premiere week for most shows, but things do get started this week.  one new show i'm particularly excited for is nbc's up all night starring will arnett and christina applegate.  catch the show's pilot episode wednesday at 10:00.  have you seen the previews for this show?  doesn't it look both endearing and hilarious?  let us know what you think!  and returning for its third season, parenthood premieres tomorrow night at 10:00 on nbc. 
• today is the last day for the signed design*sponge at home book giveaway.  the deadline is 3:00pm EST.  while you're at it, check out the design*sponge book tour schedule and see if there's an event in a city near you.  alanna and i are so excited to attend the cocktail party and book signing this friday in glen mills, pa.  
• as we make the transition into fall, it doesn't mean you have to give up the fresh fruits and veggies that you enjoy in the spring and summer.  here's a full list of what's in season for the fall.  some of my faves are brussels sprouts, butternut squash (especially in soups!), pear, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes. 

cute accessories holder

i feel like i never have enough storage space or the best solution for all of my jewelry, spare change, keys etc.  when i stumbled across these bowl sets on etsy, i knew they were the perfect solution.  not only are these bowls the perfect size, they are so pretty.

i think they would look great on my dresser and they are reasonably priced too!  check out all of up in the air somewhere's selection here. 

storycorps: the stories of 9/11

i will be the first to admit that i am a dork - as such one of my guilty pleasures is listening to NPR...one of my favorite features is when they feature a story from storycorps.  storycorps is a non-profit that records, shares, and preserves the stories across the nation. their stories are really well executed and you feel immersed in the storyteller's lives during the short clip.

so today when i read an article on NPR.com about storycorp's initiative to honor the 10th anniversary of 9/11, i was very intrigued.  in honor of the victims of 9/11, they are setting out to record one story for every person who died that day.  so far they have 1200 stories recorded from widows, children of deceased parents, firefighters who were there that day, etc.  i checked out a few of the stories on storycorps.com and they were extremely moving to say the least.

i definitely recommend watching their animated versions of these stories (i once spent a whole night just watching animated versions of different stories on storycorps!) - they are amusing and add a fun element to traditional storytelling.

there is a full hour long special that they are currently airing that features many of the stories...you can check that out here.

plus if you are as moved as i was and want to support a great initiative you can donate to their 9/11 project over here!

happy friday! hopefully we will have a few more uplifting posts today as well...

a ice-cream date outfit

our little jessy may or may not have a hot ice-cream date this week...because i am so excited for her  (maybe even more excited than her??) i thought it would be fun to put together a few date suggestions from jcrew. what's even better is that they just announced their $8.95 flat shipping, holler!

first up - 30% off outfit...in case she doesn't want to invest too much money, here is an outfit exclusively from their final sale section.

and a pricier option in case she decided he is her true love already.

all images via jcrew

hbo documentaries

i had a good amount of down time this weekend with the holiday (and day off from work!), so i finally got around to watching some of the hbo documentaries that i always wish i had more time to watch.  here are two that i've seen so far and highly recommend.

hot coffee made its sundance debut this year and premiered on hbo on june 27, 2011 as part of their documentary film summer series.  i first read about this documentary on rosemary brennan's blog, ro ro ro your blog and made a mental note to add it to my netflix queue.  unfortunately, it isn't available on netflix yet...but fortunately, hbo kept it on demand for quite a while so i was able to catch it!  (as of last night, it was still available on demand)  this film documents tort law (and tort law "reform"),  the civil justice system in america, big business interests, and consumers' access to the courts.  here's the trailer for the film:

dvds of the film aren't available until november 1st but you can pre-order your copy here.

"we'll never know all the heroes. we know our uniformed people were heroes; they went there and they died and they gave up their lives bravely trying to save the lives of other people.  but what we don't know is all the individual stories of the person who gave up the elevator for another person, the person who calmed someone and got them out of the building.  the person who organized their floor so that everyone could evacuate.  the person who, maybe at the last moments, comforted people when all of them knew they were going to die." - rudy giuliani

this documentary follows rudy giuliani, then-mayor of new york city, and his staff from the first moment of the september 11th attacks through the tragic days and weeks that followed.  i highly doubt you will be able to watch without crying or feeling intense bouts of anger - i certainly wasn't able to.  it is incredibly graphic, so please watch at your own risk.  the emmy award winning film was released back in 2002 so it's available on netflix, and for purchase through amazon.com.

with the 10th anniversary of the attacks just around the corner, you can donate to the families of september 11 or the 9/11 tribute movement.

other hbo documentaries that i plan to watch in the coming days and weeks (hint, hint: keep an eye out for these on future sweet snippets posts):

• love crimes of kabul
• nine innings from ground zero
• paradise lost
• sex crimes unit (because i'm a huge law & order: svu fan)
• wishful drinking

fitness tip: jumping rope

lately, i've been supplementing my workouts with five minutes of jumping rope.  it burns up to ten calories per minute and i feel like it's really helping to build my cardiovascular fitness.  it works your core and your upper (arms and shoulders) and lower (glutes, quads, calves) body simultaneously.

image via waist hips and thighs

the best part about it is that this workout is totally affordable.  most jump ropes are about $10 at sporting goods stores, and you can sometimes find them even cheaper by checking discount stores like marshalls, target, and walmart. 

and because a jump rope is small, light weight, and flexible, it's super easy to pack in a suitcase when you travel to make sure you can squeeze in a quick workout on the road. 

you'll soon find - if you haven't already - that it's incredibly difficult to jump rope for long periods of time.  that's why this type of exercise is best used as interval training.  here's an example of a jump rope workout from fitness consultant and expert, rusty moore:

• Stand in front of a clock or timer of some sort
• Jump Rope for 3 minutes to warm up
• Rest for 30 seconds
• Jump rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
• Rest for 30 seconds
• Jump Rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
• Rest for 30 seconds
• Repeat this alternating pattern for 15-20 minutes

you can customize the workout for your fitness level, by reducing or increasing the time of each interval.  personally, i can only do two minutes of straight jumping right now before i start to feel tired.  so i would start with a two minute interval instead of three, and hope to build up to the three minutes.