all good things: the final countdown

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie.

After a conversation on the phone earlier this week, we suddenly realized that Twitter is the perfect platform to carry on the blog! Don't be alarmed, if you are not on Twitter or don't understand how it works. You don't need an account to keep up with us; just go to our Twitter page whenever you want to catch up on our list, which we will update throughout the week. If you already use Twitter, follow us @10AllGoodThings and tweet your good things at us!

But for now, sit back and enjoy this final week of All Good Things on the blog!

1. Song of the week: Don't Stop Believing by Journey. A) because AGT has lasted and continues to last for so long. B) because I found my Soc/Anthro journey paper the other day and was cracking up about titling the paper after a Journey song. (Props to Tom for that awesome suggestion). - Cassie

2. Sleeping in! Melville has been waking me up at dawn for the past few months, but this weekend she's let me sleep in. You know you're living large when 7 am feels like sleeping in. However, now that I don't get to sleep past 6 very often I get to watch the sunrise almost everyday. I do enjoy more sleep, but sitting on a grassy hill watching the sunrise with a furry pup is a great start to my workday. - Cassie

3. Enjoying the little things. Most of my recent good things have been about my dog, and it's because she has made me stop to enjoy many things I take for granted. Car rides are so fun for her that they become fun for me, finding a shady spot to sit down is like winning the jackpot, and she always says hi to everyone. I'm a lot less focused on my small little world and more open to what's around me. - Cassie


4. Taking time to talk with neighbors. Now that we've moved (same neighborhood, closer to Lake Harriet) we have some nice neighbors that like to chat. I was annoyed at first because "I have things to do!" (See above). But now that I've stopped to take the time to chat with them I've realized how awesome people can be. There's Gloria who knows what's going on in everyone's lives, Larry who knows everyone by their pet's name, and Ethan the 3-year-old that likes to randomly knock on our door to say hello. - Cassie

5. Brew at the Zoo. Every Memorial Day weekend the Baltimore Zoo hosts a big beer festival, with unlimited samples from craft breweries, lots of food, and great summer music. And of course the Zoo is open so you can go see the animals. We tasted lots of awesome beers (some highlights: the jalapeno IPA from Jailbreak, Dirty Little Freak stout from DuClaw, awesome grilled cheese sandwiches, and everything from The Brewer's Art). J's friend Dae came up and met us there, and it's been awhile since we saw him so that was nice too. And the weather was perfect! - Clara


6. Fresh mint infusion. I took a sprig of mint from our plant this week and put it in a jar with a little bit of honey to make sun tea. When I took it from the fridge later in the week it was the most refreshing thing to drink, cool and fresh and almost tingly. Plus the mint sprigs looked so beautiful in the jar! - Clara

7. Sodastream. I get bored drinking plain water all the time, but we spend an extraneous amount of money on sparkling water. So when I was clearing out my email inbox this week, I noticed an awesome sale on Sodastream machines at Bed Bath & Beyond and we went out and got one. Now we can carbonate our own water, and we are excited to make homemade ginger ale and strawberry basil soda. Next on my list is to make my own tonic syrup! - Clara

8. Scrumptious. On Wednesday night as a reward for figuring out how to stream audio in a blog post, I decided I wanted froyo. So we went to a new place in Trolley Square that is super cute and had some nice frozen yogurt.

Other worthwhile eating happened this weekend at Golden West and the Red Canoe, both in Baltimore, and...

9. Grilling out. After Brew at the Zoo we went back to Lisa's to grill brats and pineapple with the gang. I totally forgot to take a picture of it, unfortunately, but it was DELICIOUS (thanks Dae and J for getting the grill going). And of course, even if it wasn't delicious, everything tastes better when you're sharing it with good friends on a holiday weekend. It was such a harmonious food prep situation too, which made it even better. - Clara

10. Bonus song of the week: Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root. I'm pretty sure this was our last song on KSTO, too. It's just such a perfect fit, and a hands-down classic feel-good jam.


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THANK YOU, readers, for being with us tonight and every Sunday for the past few years. Thank you for your support and your positive energy. It has meant the world to both of us to be able to keep this up, and to have a wonderful community to share it with.

A note from Cassie: "I've been so happy to be able to add my AGTs to this blog. This list has become so important to me. I take a good half hour on Sundays picking things to write about. Some weeks it's really hard: like the week my aunt passed away. Some weeks it's easy: marrying Luke was pretty nice :) But knowing I can always find good things for the list reminds me that I can always find good things out of every situation. I'm so glad this is continuing in another form!"

The Good Things will keep rolling on Twitter @AllGoodThings, so be sure to join us there and share your happy moments and favorite songs with us there!

Also, don't forget to be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile every day :)

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: let's get together

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie.

Cassie and I are talking about how to keep the good things rolling after the blog ends. So far we've thought about using a Facebook page or group, but we're definitely open to other ideas! If you think of anything (or any good things!), share it with us in the comments.

But for now, sit back and enjoy this week's top 10!

1. Song of the week: Sleeping With A Friend by Neon Trees. Is this the most catchy song on the airwaves right now or what?

2. My brother got married this weekend. It was at Gustavus as that's where he met his wife. The ceremony was really pretty and everyone had a great time. I'm pretty tired after the long weekend, but I'm glad their weekend went so well. - Cassie

3. Grandmas. I'm bringing back an old AGT from the radio days! Grandmas are the best. I stayed in a room with my grandparents this week and before I went to bed she tucked me in and kissed my forehead. It was adorable :) - Cassie

4. The new Beck album. It's really calming, and I've enjoyed listening to it while I work. His music is always best when he's been sad and this isn't different. So don't listen to it to cheer up! - Cassie

5. The new Gmail tabs. I changed my Gmail settings to automatically categorize my emails as they come in, so I don't have to weed through everything to find important emails from friends and family. I might actually start checking my email again now that I can ignore mass emails trying to sell me something... - Clara

6. Snapchats of cheesy singing and dancing. This week I sent a snapchat of myself singing Prince's Kiss and in response I got one of my favorite snapchats ever from a teacher friend dancing in her classroom to some wild dance music. So I've decided to send more of them and see what I get back! - Clara

7. We surprised one of J's old friends with a birthday dinner at Red Robin last night. It's been over a year since we've seen him, and in that time he got engaged and we hadn't met his fiancee yet! So she got in contact with J's brother and they set up a surprise dinner for him. We could tell by his face that he was really surprised and really happy to see the guys. And his fiancee was super sweet. We were all glad to meet her. - Clara

8. Hearing stories from a new perspective. On Monday night, at my Grampa's request, my family had J's family over for dinner, and I overheard Grampa and J's dad exchanging versions of the "how the kids met" story. Specifically, there was one time before J and I ever went out that I stopped into the coffeeshop when his parents happened to have also stopped by... And while J and I have told the story tons of times to different people, I haven't heard anyone else tell the story before. It was a new perspective and it was really funny to hear it from a different angle.

Plus plenty of other stories, becauses both of our families have more than enough stories to fill the time. They're all great :)- Clara

9. Woodside Creamery. It's ice cream season again! Today we went to the local creamery, said "hey" to the cows, and got a couple scoops in pretzel cones. Yum. Very possibly the most delicious ice cream ever. - Clara

10. Yesterday was J's niece's first birthday, so I pulled out all my stuffed animals and we put party hats on them, and made them sing happy birthday (badly). So funny. - Clara


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Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: the art of living

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie.

Cassie and I are talking about how to keep the good things rolling after the blog ends. So far we've thought about using a Facebook page or group, but we're definitely open to other ideas! If you think of anything (or any good things!), share it with us in the comments.

But for now, sit back and enjoy this week's top 10!

1. Song of the week: Sing by Ed Sheeran. J has been suggesting this song for weeks now and I haven't really heard it 'til now. But it's definitely a feel-good jam for the ages!

2. Monday morning yoga. I always feel looser and more centered when I start the week with yoga class. Plus the group is really congenial, and there is a surprising number of men in the class. And not your typical yoga men: many of them are retired or close to it, and many of them only started doing yoga a year or two ago. They are doing yoga because it's good for them, and they are acutely aware of how important it is to do things that are good for them, mind and body. It really puts things in perspective for me, and it makes the class fun because nobody takes themselves too seriously!

3. African food. Last week when my mom was away, my parents' houseguest/roommate Smyle (who is from Ghana) made a traditional African meal for my dad and me. It consisted of seasoned rice pilaf, a spicy meat stew, greens, and fried sweet plantains. She made an enormous amount of food and forced me to take a lot of it home, so I finished the last of the leftovers this week and it has been a very savory time for my weekday lunches!

4. Open mic night at the Newark Arts Alliance. I've been meaning to go to this for easily over a year now, and finally Marina and I made it - late, of course (my fault), but we made it! The sign-up sheet landed in my hands and I spontaneously decided to read a couple of poems. I was in great company with some other very talented artists, and it reminded me how refreshing and important it is to be in community with people who create things. We will be going back.

5. Yard work. J has been doing a lot of work getting our backyard into presentable shape, and it's starting to show. He even got me out the other day and I must admit that gardening is a really rewarding activity.

6. Rhubarb cake. We got a big bunch of fresh rhubarb and some beautiful asparagus in our CSA this week - a combination that reminded me of Sunny V. So in honor of that first summer I got the Sunny V Rhubarb Cake recipe from Ann's grandmother, and it was just as delicious as it was the first time...with the added seasoning of nostalgia. I know it was good, though, because when I left for the weekend on Friday there was half a pan left, and when I got back it was gone.

7. The beach. So where did I go this weekend? We rented a little house in Ocean City, Maryland, for my friend Kristy's bachelorette party. The house was adorable, the weather was perfect, and the weekend was exactly what it should have been. On Saturday we spent a few hours lying on the beach, and even though I didn't bring my bathing suit I decided I needed to go in the water. Really, swimming in the ocean is one of the most cleansing experiences I can think of.

8. The Applebee's in OC. Our first stop on Saturday night was Applebee's for drinks and apps, because the Bride loves Applebee's. It was sort of a joke, but it really couldn't have turned out better. It was the biggest and nicest Applebee's most of us had ever seen, and you would have thought we hired our waitress specially for the event. As soon as we sat down she started cracking jokes and providing a running commentary on everything, like a personal stand-up comedy routine. Plus, the drink I got there won for the night. I forget what it's called, but it's new on the menu. It has Absolut Citron, fresh basil and strawberries, lime juice, and club soda. Super refreshing and delicious.

We also got a photo with the cardboard cutout of the Most Interesting Man. Win.

9. Families. Since it's Mothers' Day, I'll narrow it down to mothers. But I specifically mean the way families come together. This week's Sunday dinner was cooked by the kids in honor of the mothers, and of course the baby was there, and her mom and both of her grandmothers. It's a great group.

And tomorrow, we're having dinner at my parents' house, and J's family is coming over to meet my Grampa, so we will get to doubly celebrate so many moms and it's always good company!

10. Postcards. I came home to an awesome postcard from a friend I haven't heard from in awhile, and it reminded me that I have a bunch of blank postcards waiting to be sent. I love postcards because they are so simple and elegant: a picture, a short note that is not as big of a commitment to sit down and write, and a lovely way to drop a line to say "I'm thinking about you!"


* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: the men and women (and dogs) in our lives

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

Cassie and I are talking about how to keep the good things rolling after the blog ends. So far we've thought about using a Facebook page or group, but we're definitely open to other ideas! If you think of anything (or any good things!), share it with us in the comments.

But for now, sit back and enjoy this week's top 10!

1. Song of the week: Push the Button by Sugababes. This song was in the movie About Time, which was my obsession a few weeks ago. And since then, I've been hearing this song everywhere. It's just super poppy and catchy.

2. Melv learned to stick her head out the window this week. There is something about the complete joy a dog has while their head is out the window. It reminds me to enjoy the little things! Also, she is completely adorable and tries to eat the air. I'm laughing just thinking about it. - Cassie

3. Impromptu friend gatherings. Last night was one of those nights when you plan to do something, that falls through, and something else more fun crops up. Randomly had 3 good friends over for appetizers, wine, and card games. We had the best time. It also combined college and high school friends which is such a fun experience. - Cassie

4. New phone! I'm not much of a technology whiz (read: I depend totally on Luke for techie things). So when I got an iPhone 2 years ago it was a huge upgrade! I was pretty sure I'd always appreciate how wonderful it was. Fast forward 2 years: my phone is slow to access the internet, send texts, and make calls. I'm frustrated :) So my contract expired and Luke surprised me with a brand new phone this week! I'm using it to write this and loving every minute. - Cassie

5. Rooftop deck. My new apartment building had a rooftop deck. For some reason it's always vacant! On Friday evening I spent a few hours enjoying a brisk wind, warm tea, and Middlemarch up there. It's so rare to find an unoccupied, peaceful area in the middle of Minneapolis so I was soaking it up. - Cassie

6. New furniture! When we moved into the new house in November, and couldn't get the queen-sized box springs up the stairs, I asked my dad and brother to adapt the homemade wooden frame that was left by the previous tenants to fit on the headboard that I had. Instead, they designed a whole new modular bedframe/box spring that comes apart and can be carried piece by piece through narrow hallways to be assembled on-site. This weekend it was finished and they came over to put it together and it is beautiful and way more awesome than the old utilitarian frame we had before!

Plus, my grandpa built me a dresser as a graduation present, but it's been sitting in his shop for three years waiting to be carted out here. When J and I got engaged, he built another matching one, so he drove out here last week with the two dressers in tow, and they have now also found their way to our home. They are also beautiful and all the drawers work great! (I'm not used to that anymore!) - Clara

7. The men in my family. So you pretty much got the gist of this one, but my dad, brother, and grandpa are pretty cool dudes. They all thrive on having projects and they all like helping me and other people out with stuff, and coming up with really creative solutions to everyday problems. Plus they are all very smart and interesting and it's really a treat to watch them work and talk to them about stuff. (Sometimes I try to help, but usually they are just running circles around me so I'm not sure how much of a help I really am!)

Also, it's cool to throw J into the mix and they all seem to get along and get things done together. - Clara

8. There's another Ole in the family! My baby sister (who is now 18) sent her enrollment deposit to St. Olaf this week! I do really want her to choose the place she wants to go, and not feel like she has to go to the same place as both of her sisters, but it has been so cool talking to Maria about St. Olaf and I'm excited to be able to talk to Asha about it too. I think college will be a good change for her. - Clara

9. The women in my family. I have to say, it's not just the men that are great. The women are also smart and interesting and good at a lot of things, so I'm glad to have my mom and Asha back from India safely. Plus now we can hang out!

I also think I'm allowed to count J's mom in this category now. She's also really smart and interesting and we went over to help in the garden yesterday, which was a cool experience. She was just telling us what to do and I actually learned a lot in just an afternoon. And then she bought us pizza!- Clara

10. Brunch, and meeting new friends over brunch! One of my friends recently won teacher of the month from one of the local radio stations, and the prize is a brunch for four at one of the country clubs. Now, this brunch is famous, and when you go in you see why. There are almost too many stations to count, and everything is delicious. The bloody marys and mimosas are excellent, and even the coffee is above par. And I met someone new, a friend of my teacher friend, who is smart and interesting and actually has a lot of shared interests with me. Great brunch, great company. Can't beat that! - Clara

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Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: two hands, one beating heart

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So set yourself up outside and enjoy this week's good things in the sun!

1. Song of the week: Girls Chase Boys by Ingrid Michaelson. This one's dedicated to my roommate Katy, whose birthday was this week. She has been playing the song on repeat all weekend, while we prepped for the party and then cleaned up after it. I already love Ingrid Michaelson, but this song is such a feel-good anthem, catchy, poppy, upbeat... and the video is so great too. Obsessed. - Clara

2. My dad gave up his whole Saturday to fix our faucet. The levers on our bathroom sink faucet have been missing since we moved in, which makes it incredibly hard to turn the water on and off when your hands are wet and soapy and slippery. We bought some knobs to try and screw on there, but it didn't work, so my dad spent his entire Saturday running around, finding parts, and installing a brand-new faucet for us. We already knew he was da bomb, but really. This is just beyond awesome. - Clara

3. Nora Lee's French Quarter Bistro. J took me out to Old New Castle for date night this week, and we went to this excellent, pretty legit New Orleans-style restaurant. We drank Abita and ate blackened cajun everything, salmon and tuna and jambalaya and hush puppies. YUM. - Clara

4. Sunday morning breakfast. Luke and I had a lot of moving left to do from our old place today so we decided to get up early and head out to breakfast. We went to Turtle Bread, our favorite neighborhood spot. I had some amazing french toast, and Luke had salmon scramble. It was such a relaxing way to start a day of moving. Also, I'm still full 5 hours later so that's never bad either. - Cassie

5. Rainy afternoons. Now that I have a dog, I'm not such a huge fan of rainy days. It involves lots of wet dog problems that are sort of annoying. BUT, there really is something about a rainy afternoon where the smell of the falling rain wafts in through the window while a Harry Potter marathon plays on ABC family and I sip a homemade latte. Hard to have negative feelings during those moments! - Cassie

6. Hosting family. Luke and I had his parents over to stay for Easter weekend. I was pretty stressed going into it. We have a one-bedroom apartment, Luke's mom doesn't like dogs, and we were also having everyone in his family over for dinner on Friday night. Despite all my anxiety, things went really well! Everyone had a great time, and I really enjoyed having them stay here. - Cassie

7. Having my books with me in the new apartment. During the move we decided books didn't need to be moved right away so we left them behind for the time being. We finally moved them to our new place, and I didn't realize how much I missed them! They add so much color and life to our apartment. - Cassie

8. NOT being on reality TV. My friend Marina and I discovered a terrible reality show this week called BridalPlasty, which gathers 10 women into a house and makes them vote each other out, one by one. That's bad enough, but what they're competing for is a full-body plastic surgery makeover and a celebrity dream wedding completely paid for. Along the way they get to have minor procedures done, and have Botox parties. The one episode we watched was full of lines like, "Who doesn't want to have a few nips and tucks?" Me. I don't. I'm good, thanks. And I'm super thankful that I'm happy with my body just the way it is. - Clara

9. Divergent by Veronica Roth. This is our latest book club selection (which I would have tried to read even if we hadn't chosen it for discussion) and I just finished it this afternoon! So good. Can't wait to get my hands on the second book... - Clara


10. Friends you can work with and play with. Last night we had a bunch of people over, people we met at different places and do different things with. Some we work with and/or work out with and/or hang out with. It was cool getting everybody together in the same place with some shared interests (food, drinks, and games) and when I went to church the next morning I saw some of the people that were there and we got to exchange knowing glances the whole time. Lots of good people in my life. - Clara


* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: i'm no superman

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. Cassie is celebrating Easter with her family this week, but will rejoin us next Sunday night.

So set yourself up outside and enjoy this week's good things in the sun!

1. Song of the week: Superman by Lazlo Bane. The Scrubs theme song: I've been listening to it all day, and I also think the words are a good reminder to me. I can't do this all on my own, / no, I'm no superman...

2. Chard sauteed in bacon grease. I made rainbow chard from our CSA twice this week, chopped up and sauteed with bacon grease and just a little bit of pepper. It is unbelievably good, and super quick and easy!

3. New toilet seat! The hinge holding our toilet seat onto the toilet was cracked when we moved in, and it finally snapped all the way off last week... Which means the seat would randomly fall off when you were sitting on it. Not cool. So like adults we went out, bought a new one, and put it on. Seriously one of the most worthwhile things I have done in awhile. It only took about 5 minutes to switch and it makes all the difference.

4. Union Jack's. A pub in Manayunk (Philadelphia) that I've been hearing about for years. It's got a great ambience, great beer, great service, and great company. Apparently the wings are so good no other wings can live up to them, but I'm not a big fan or expert in chicken wings so I'll just pass on the recommendation on that one.

Plus, you can control the jukebox using an app on your phone. Our group definitely took advantage of that.

5. Safe travels. This is something I try not to take for granted ever, but especially now when there have been so many big transportation disasters lately. My mom and sister are in India for spring break right now, and they arrived safely at their destination.

6. Projects. My dad texted me on Saturday morning to ask for help putting together a presentation for the Easter Vigil that evening. I made a version of a Creation story PowerPoint for him sometime in high school, but since then it's deteriorated and the slides got out of order. So I spent a few hours on Saturday putting it back together, and while it wasn't all fun and games, it did feel really good to help my dad in one of the biggest weeks of the church year, and to do something creative like that.

7. Being taken care of. I have felt awful all day today, with a persistent headache and stomachache that laid me out on the couch for most of it. J kindly, and without complaining, gave up his Easter Sunday to camp out in the living room with me, make sure I didn't pass out from dehydration, and keep me company.


8. Lemon honey ginger. This is my drink of choice this week, with the big changes in temperature and feeling sick for most of today. I shred some ginger into a pot, boil it in water, stir in a teaspoon or so of honey, and then at the last minute add a splash of lemon juice. It's so delicious and it has cured many an ill.

9. Scrubs. This is one of the shows J likes to watch in his spare moments throughout the week, and this morning when I set up shop in the living room that's what he had on. So we watched it for most of the day. It's just so good. There are some dumb parts, but the show actually touches on some real human issues, emotional vulnerabilities and the nuances of relationships that keep us all on our toes, even in the real world. And it's pretty funny too.

10. Spending time just focusing on people, and being flexible. This week I spent a little while hanging out with my sister and talking about college; spent time talking with my friend Jess about a whole range of different big-deal kind of things in both of our lives; worked on a project with my dad (that's our quality time); had two date nights with J, one of them spontaneous; went out for dinner spontaneously on Friday night; and I forgot my phone at home when we went out last night, so I couldn't pull it out to distract myself even if I wanted to. I feel like my time was well-spent.

* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: enjoying the baby steps

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So set yourself up outside and enjoy this week's good things in the sun!

1. Song of the week: On Top Of The World by Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons - On Top Of The World (Official M…:. Another gem from the Walter Mitty soundtrack: completely uplifting, perfect for sunny days and springtime and a convertible, if you're lucky.

2. Witnessing other people's cute moments. While waiting at a red light on my way to work on Monday morning (running late, of course), I noticed the driver in front of me twisting around in his seat, making a really enthusiastic face and raising his hand. I thought he was waving at me... until I saw a tiny hand reach up from the backseat and high-five him. I smiled so big all the way to work , and I think that guy and his baby did too. - Clara

3. Peppermint tea. My go-to. When I'm tired, it perks me up; when I'm stressed, or if I'm wired at bedtime, it calms me down. It calms my stomach when I feel sick, and tastes delicious if I just want a cup of naturally non-caffeinated tea. - Clara

4. The Franklin Institute. Only 40-45 minutes away, the Franklin Institute has all kinds of awesome science exhibits, plus it's a beautiful facility. We went up yesterday with J's siblings to see the Pompeii exhibit (which was not as good as the Titanic exhibit last year, but still cool) and got to spend some time checking out the other parts of the museum. My favorite part was Nat Geo's 50 best photos ever taken.

Plus, I got a 10% discount off membership, which is only $65 a year for me and a guest! I only have to go up once more this year to make it worthwhile. I'm excited to have an excuse to go up to Philly more often! - Clara


5. Finding out that you can get take out from a favorite restaurant. This weekend I wanted a Reuben super bad. A restaurant we frequent (Tavern on France) has a great one, but I didn't want to go out. I bet you see where this is going! Anyway, I was pretty happy to be eating a Reuben in the comfort of my own home. - Cassie

6. Melvie is learning so fast! She learned to sit, sleep through the night, and she finally will go for walks. For a while I was pretty sure we owned the only dog ever who refused to go for a walk. I think we're through that stage now! - Cassie

7. Packing books. Luke and I are finally almost moved out of the old place but have books and shelves left. We started packing them today. I really enjoy going through our book collection. There's so many I have yet to read, and I get excited. - Cassie

8. Engagements and pregnancies! Many of my friends are going through the next stage in their lives. I'm really enjoying chatting with all of them and hearing what their thoughts are and how excited they are. Happy times for good people! - Cassie

9. Tengo Ganas De Ti. My friend Marina has been talking about this movie for weeks, and we finally got together this week to watch it. It's a Spanish romantic drama, and we watched it with wine and without subtitles... I know I missed some of the dialogue, but it was still a great movie and I'm reminded that even with a language barrier, there are plenty of human experiences that are shared no matter where we come from. - Clara

10. Warm weather! After the winter we've had, I can't take sunshine and warmth for granted. Today it's forecast to be 82 degrees and sunny, so J and I took our porch chairs out back and spent most of the morning in the sun. I am the happiest girl right now, and I'm looking forward to sprucing up our backyard so we can have a rip-roaring summer! - Clara


* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: when the world is new

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So settle in and get ready for this week's batch of good things!

1. Song of the week: Ain't It Fun by Paramore. J has been singing this song all week, and it's a pretty feel-good jam if you ask me. Also, it seems relevant to the theme of the blog: "Ain't it fun / Living in the real world..."

2. Yoga and craft beer at the Queen. Now that the weather is warming up everyone feels like doing stuff and making plans. I found an event at a local venue that includes one hour of pretty serious yoga, plus beer, wine, and snacks afterward... All for $15. All good things! - Clara

3. Roomie game night. On Friday night the three of us got together with a couple of guests, pizza and drinks, and played Bananagrams and Cards Against Humanity. It was a nice, low-key but fun way to spend a Friday night. - Clara

4. The Blue Parrot. My roommate and I have been trying to go out for dinner for weeks now, if not longer... Finally this week we made it out to the local cajun restaurant, where they make some of the best drinks I've ever had out, and also delicious New Orleans-style cuisine. Great food, great drinks, and great company? Can't go wrong. - Clara

5. Day trips to the beach. This is a major perk of living in Delaware: J and I drove down to the beach on Saturday for the day, and walked around barefoot in the sand for awhile... We also visited the Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum, which I thought was interesting (and only $4 admission), and the eternal favorite Dogfish Head brewpub. I tasted their Jin gin for the first time and it was life-changing. Overall it was the most centering, contented days I've had in awhile. - Clara

6. Homemade ravioli. This recipe took us literally over three hours to make, and since we don't own a rolling pin we used wine bottles to roll out the pasta... but it turned out delicious: spinach mushroom ravioli. So cheesy, and there is always something satisfying about eating something you made totally from scratch. Plus, it used up everything we had left in our CSA from last week: fresh spinach, mushrooms, and chives. - Clara


7. New puppy! Luke and I got a new puppy a week ago. Her name is Melville, and she's a Bernese Mountain Dog. She's a little scamp right now and likes to munch on everything. But I love her already and wish I could quit my job to spend all my time with her. This also leads into my next good thing:

8. Puppies bringing people together. I have met so many people this past week that I would have never met if I didn't have Melvie. People love coming up to me to ask about her, pet her, and get a puppy fix. I can't blame them since she's adorable! It's nice to meet so many people with smiling faces all due to my little Melvie. - Cassie


9. New apartment. As if getting a puppy wasn't enough to do this week I also moved! I live in the same neighborhood as before, but live in a way nicer place (example: we have full size appliances in this place. Our old place had an oven that could barely fit a sheet pan the long way). Moving was stressful, but now that we're settling in I can tell we'll be way happier here. - Cassie

10. April snow storms that melt the next day. This past week Minneapolis had a large snow storm. Everyone was crabby about it, but I enjoyed it! It was really warm the next day and melted right away. There's nothing like a late winter snow storm to make me enjoy springtime even more :) - Cassie

* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: not fish, but friends and food

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie.

Cassie's moving this week, so look for her list next Sunday. But don't worry - there are plenty of good things to read about right now!

1. Song of the week: Butterfly by Crazy Town. In honor of my girl's 25th birthday this week, our first karaoke song (which reminds everyone of the movie Orange County).

2. Hosting. This week we had our second book club meeting, and it was my turn to host. I actually had a lot of fun coming up with little snacks and making sure everyone had what they needed! It's been a long time since I really put some effort into having people over.

3. Sister dinner. My middle sister was home for spring break this week, so all three of us girls went out for dinner together. We are so cool.

4. Having good friends close by. Last night was the second time this month I went down to Baltimore to see Lisa, this time for her birthday. It's really nice that she is so close, so we get to spend a lot of time together.

5. Laughing. Lisa knows a lot of great people, and I spent a ton of time last night just laughing hysterically with people I didn't know very well, but really liked, and some people I know and like and haven't seen in awhile. Laughing really makes life worthwhile.

6. My friend Kristy's bridal shower was yesterday, and it was a really nice afternoon. The decorations were simple but really pretty, and it was fun to hang out with everyone and play silly games. Plus, she seemed so happy to have us all there and to be getting married. It was heartwarming.

7. TJMaxx, Marshall's and Home Goods are dangerous but delightful. I got a bunch of great gifts there this weekend, and some stuff I've been looking for but haven't found for a reasonable price. On the other hand, I always leave with a ridiculous amount of stuff, way more than I meant to. But it's all great!

8. We got our first farm share this week! I've been meaning to buy into a CSA for awhile now, but only just got around to it. It's so exciting to wait and see what will be in it, and figuring out what to make with it is like a game. This week we made roasted sweet potatoes and onions: so easy and so delicious!


9. Pizza. This week has been full of pizza. On Monday we had Barcelona Pizza for dinner, because they have a Monday night special and its still a treat to get takeout on family night. And then we had build-your-own pizza for Lisa's party and there were so many delicious creations: one big, square, Italian flag pizza with a pesto base on one third, cheese only in the middle, and red sauce on the other side; an apple, goat cheese and prosciutto pizza; a four-cheese spinach artichoke pizza; two dessert pizzas with chocolate, peanut butter, bananas and jam; and tons of other combinations. So delicious, and also super fun.

10. A friend of mine started a business that opened this week! It's called Le Macaron Nashville and basically she just bakes and sells French macaroons. She's always been a pretty stellar baker, and the photos on her Facebook page of her finished piles of different colored macarons are mouthwatering. Props and good luck to my girl!

* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: something new every day

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So get cozy and get ready for this week's batch of good things!

1. Song of the week: And We Danced by Macklemore X Ryan Lewis. My officemate has been taking care of the music for the past couple of weeks, and every time this song came on I would ask her what it was. Finally figured it out this week before I had to ask her... And when I put a name to the song I realized that it makes me feel goofy and devilish and carefree... Which is just what I need at work a lot of times.

2. Irish soda bread. This has become sort of a tradition over the past 2 years: soda bread for St. Paddy's Day. It's got a quick prep time and it's dense and delicious. - Clara

3. Accountability. The women I swim with are a source of great inspiration to me. A lot of them are older than I am, and understand the importance of fitness on a much larger scale than I do. And this one woman in particular is so perceptive and thoughtful (without being overbearing) and humble, and says something to me every week that lifts me up and leaves me thinking. Last week she said, "I watch the people in the other lanes who are faster than me, and I learn from them. I learn something new every day and I get faster and faster." - Clara

4. FROZEN CAME OUT IN STORES THIS WEEK. I didn't get it yet, but just knowing it is now available to me is a constant source of excitement. - Clara

5. Getting our families together. Family is a big thing for both J and I, and this afternoon we got both of our families together for an engagement dinner at an Indian buffet we like. It turned out greater than I could have hoped - everybody got along great, and even the baby liked the food! We laughed and talked and ate for hours until (maybe even after) they closed for lunch, and my mom brought in ladoo (traditional celebratory sweets) and shared it with the whole restaurant! Definitely a highlight. - Clara

6. About Time. From the people who did Love Actually, I should have expected nothing less. It's billed as a "romantic drama" but it's really comedic and British and beautiful and it just says a lot about life, and family, and how we use our time, and what is important. Definitely recommend. - Clara

7. Well-deserved vacations. My parents headed off to a resort in Mexico this weekend. They never go on vacations (their last one was in 2004) so this is huge! They both work so hard, and it's so great to see them finally spend some time away to relax. - Cassie

8. Picking out paint colors. Luke and I are moving into a new apartment in a week or so. Our new landlords are painting the walls for us and are letting us choose the colors! After living for 2 and a half years in an apartment with all white walls I am so excited to be surrounded by color. Being able to choose our own colors is really going to make the new place feel like home so much more quickly. - Cassie

9. Membership at the local co-op. A couple years ago I became a member at the co-op in my neighborhood. Every time I go there to buy produce or organic products I leave feeling great! The people that work there are so friendly, and it feels like I'm part of the community. They also have amazing produce so that doesn't hurt. - Cassie

10. Going with the flow. I'm a planner by nature so sometimes when things suddenly crop up I have a hard time. However, when I'm forced to be more flexible things inevitably end up going well. Though it's hard for me I'm always grateful when things pop up that force me to be more easy-going. It's never good to have everything planned out all the time - even a planner can admit to that :) - Cassie



* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things of earth and sky

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So get cozy and get ready for this week's batch of good things!

1. Song of the week: Happy by Pharrell. This song is everywhere lately, and it just makes me want to dance! Clap along...

2. Cosmos. I didn't watch the original series, but I've been hearing about the new series in a lot of different places lately. The full-color back cover ad in the WSJ caught my attention, so we found Sunday's episode on Hulu and watched it on date night this week. The universe is so cool. - Clara

3. Chesapeake City. Yesterday my friend Marina and I drove down to Chesapeake City to check out a venue. We didn't realize they were about to have a St. Patrick's Day parade and pub crawl right when we arrived, so the whole town was covered in bright green and sparkles! Theweather was gorgeous, and everyone was in high spirits. The town is so cute too, you can see the whole thing from the bridge when you come in over the bay! - Clara


4. BuzzFeed Quizzes. I am obsessed with these lately (and the ones on Zimbio are pretty good too). What Hunger Games/Harry Potter/Princess Bride/Firefly character/mythological creature are you? Can't get enough!

(Also, if you were wondering, I'm Peeta, Dean Thomas, Inigo Montoya, Wash, and the Phoenix.) - Clara

5. Fresh baked granola. I usually take granola and yogurt for breakfast when I go to the gym in the morning, and my granola jar was getting empty this week. So I whipped up a new batch and it's so crispy and delicious... And it makes the whole house smell like honey and molasses and toasty oats! - Clara

6. Attilio's. This Italian restaurant is just a few blocks from my house, and it's legendary. Neither J nor I had been there, though, until this week, when we finally made it over there for some of the best Italian food I have ever had at a restaurant. Yummm! - Clara

7. Our radio show AGT! I was listening to MPR a lot this week at work, and I started browsing their DJ list. They have written bios of each DJ so I was reading each one. I miss AGT a lot, but I was so nostalgic after reading those bios! It reminded me of how much we got to share with our (small) audience. The songs we played and the good things we shared allowed me to start my week on such a high note. - Cassie

8. Bunnysitting. Luke and I are bunnysitting for my friends, Mitch & Kristy, this week. Noah, the bunny, can really drive me crazy sometimes--how does he always find a way under the loveseat?!?!?. But when he hops up to me and nudges at my hand letting me know he'd like some petting my heart melts like a Popsicle on a summer day. - Cassie

9. Thanks to our amazing friends and family members Luke and I were able to buy a cappuccino machine with some wedding money. We are HUGE coffee drinkers so though this was a large purchase we'll definitely get our money's worth. I was a barista in a former life, and it's been so fun to teach Luke how to tamp the grounds and froth the milk. We've been making lattes, cappuccinos, and miels every day! - Cassie

10. Double features. This Friday I saw The Grand Budapest Hotel at the Uptown theater at 9:30ish. It was a super funny and ridiculous movie. Also, the Uptown theater really did a great job remodeling over the summer/autumn, but I digress. Right after that the Lagoon had a midnight showing of The Royal Tennenbaums. It was so wonderful to enjoy 2 hilarious Wes Anderson movies on the big screen in one night. Also the midnight showing was nearly empty so I could put my feet put up and laugh as heartily as I needed to :) - Cassie

* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

here comes the all good things

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So get cozy and get ready for this week's batch of good things!

1. Song of the week: Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles. This is a plea for spring to come, and it just always makes me happy.

Also, one of my Facebook friends posted a throwback website she made in middle school this week, which featured a polytone .midi version of this song as the background music. So great.

2. Overcoming obstacles. Last time I drove on I-95 from Baltimore I had a panic attack and had to take the smaller U.S. Highway 40 the rest of the way, which is how I've gone since then. But it takes a little longer, so this time I gave 95 a try, deciding that if I started to feel really anxious I'd switch... But I made it the whole way on the interstate, in good time! - Clara

3. Reunions. This one makes the list a lot, but I saw my girls Mary and Lisa this weekend and it was awesome. We talked about lots of important things, cooked and ate good food, and cuddled. Talk about soul food! - Clara

4. Making a new recipe. I made a delightful quinoa Greek salad this week that had tomatoes, spinach, cucumbers, onions, and an awesome dressing. I find that during a long week I can easily forget to eat healthy foods, so it's a wonderful feeling when I make the effort and things turn out well. It was doubly good because it's vegetarian so Luke and I could eat the same meal that night (which doesn't always happen!) - Cassie

5. A new honey store opened up in my neighborhood! I visited this week and ended up with so much honey in my house. Raw honey, vanilla bean honey, and honey candy fill my cupboards right now, and I'm feeling good about it! - Cassie

6. Spring is coming! This is a bit premature, but it's in the high 30s here today which is an incredible feeling after having 50 days this winter where temps dipped into the negatives. I'm going to be one of those crazy Minnesotans who wears shorts outside today! - Cassie

7. Discernment. Today I actually went to church because we had some mission specialists coming from the synod. Despite my complicated relationship with The Church, I do have great interest in the efforts It makes to come up to speed with the world, so I went. I don't know how much progress we made, exactly, but it was definitely a step in the right direction, and I know I for one left feeling inspired and hopeful. - Clara

8. Bourbon in mimosas?! We had brunch at a place called Golden West Cafe in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood on Saturday, and they sell carafes of mimosas made with bourbon as well as champagne! Yummm. - Clara

9. Mardi Gras. I had made plans to go out for dinner with some girlfriends on Tuesday night, not realizing it was Mardi Gras... But we found 3 seats at the bar and had some drinks and half-price burgers and great conversations. Love my girls. - Clara

10. Unexpected smiles. I desperately needed some motor oil tonight, so we swung by Walmart. Our checkout clerk in the Express Lane seemed a little cranky, but when we left I said, "Have a good night," and looked over my shoulder to see her absolutely beaming like no one had ever said that to her before. It definitely made my night, if not hers! - Clara



* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: keeping cool

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So get cozy and get ready for this week's batch of good things!

1. Song of the week: Rocky Raccoon by the Beatles. This song came up a bunch of times this week, under totally different circumstances. The most important of them is in tribute to the raccoon stuffed animal that greeted us as we entered our vacation rental for the first time. We named him Rocky, of course, and he danced to his theme song at least once this weekend... (Video can be found here.) Miss you already, li'l Rocky!

2. Skipping town. Both Cassie and I have a serious case of cabin fever, and both of us got to skip town this weekend. We both just went over state lines, but even making a point to go to the next town over can make a huge difference!

Cassie was still on the road when this post was being written, so for the rest of the post, if it says "I" or "me" it means Clara!

3. America's Coolest Small Town. Also known as Lititz, Pennsylvania. Seems to fit the bill, even after just 3 days, and even in the cold when there's not much going on. Made me realize how much I miss small towns...

4. Good music. Do you ever have a week where there is good music playing everywhere you go? That was this week.

5. Trains. I went on a work trip this week and got to ride the train back from D.C. to Wilmington. It shaves at least an hour off the trip, and there's some good scenery along the train tracks. Plus, I can usually read on the train without getting motion sick.

6. Good tea! When I was in high school my mom and I used to go to this tea shop in a town twenty minutes away. The kind of place that has loose tea in jars or boxes for sniffing out your chosen brew. Since we left Amsterdam (New York), though, I haven't really found a good tea shop... And the first thing we did in Lititz on Friday was have two pots of tea in a place called Cafe Chocolate. Satisfied.

7. Speedwell Wolf Sanctuary. Wolves are incredible, majestic animals. Yesterday J and I got to see them up close when we took a tour of Pennsylvania's wolf sanctuary. This place rescues wolves that are sick or have been mistreated or confiscated, and keeps them safe in large enclosures. We learned a lot and got to meet a few inspirational wolf packs.

8. Local beer culture. When we leave DE, J and I tend to gravitate toward the food-and-beer type of attractions around our destination. We got lucky with Lititz, and enjoyed two separate brewpubs within blocks of each other and our vacation rental: Sturgis Haus and Appalachian Brewing Company.

9. Google Hangouts. You can do more with Skype, but Google Hangouts is becoming one of my favorite ways to easily chat with friends on my phone. It's a relatively light application for a video chat. This week I used it to chat with Cassie!

10. On Tuesday night, for the first time, J and I met with my dad, who is going to marry us. It feels more real now, and I for one appreciate the perspective I left with about what's really important about the whole thing and how to approach the planning - not just planning a wedding and reception, but planning our lives together as a married couple. Pretty cool.



* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: warm and fuzzy

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So get cozy and get ready for this week's batch of good things!

1. Song of the week: Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake's Histor(ies) of Rap. There are at least five of them (all of which I've watched today) and they are awesome. Also, it took me twice as long to love J.T. as most of the rest of my generation, but I am 100% on the boat now. So, if rap is really not your thing, try this: 100 Miles, from Inside Llewyn Davis.

2. Major hair cuts! I got my hair cut even shorter this past week. It took some major getting used to, but I'm loving it! I realized that I wasn't getting it cut because I was worried I'd look like a boy or a soccer mom. Then I realized I could make it my own, and I went for it. I've had a few Bieber moments (yikes), but I'm learning! - Cassie


3. Big snowstorms. MN had a huge one this Thursday night. Luke and I went for a wintry walk. We got completely soaked with snow, but had an amazing time. I built a snowman for the first time in years and had a snowball fight. Driving to work on Friday sucked, but I got to think about my snowman which made me smile. - Cassie

4. Puzzles. Sometimes I just like to have a chill weekend with some wine and a good puzzle. I get wrapped up in them for hours at a time and suddenly it's 2 in the morning. - Cassie

5. Night Circus. We're reading this for book club and I'm hooked. I swear, it never gets old reading a book that completely sucks me in and gets all muddled up with reality... Also, the author's name is Erin Morgenstern, which gives me hope that S. Morgenstern (of Princess Bride infamy) might actually be a real person. - Clara

6. Siblings. I talked to my sister and my brother on the phone this week, and we talked about how awesome we are. It is so great being related to people who get you, that you want to hang out with for fun and not just because you're forced to. - Clara

7. Get togethers with old friends. Some old coworkers and I have been trying to get together for months now, and we finally worked it out to have lunch together yesterday afternoon. They're good, smart people and it's nice to catch up. - Clara

8. Lums Pond is a legendary Delaware State Park south of Wilmington, but I hadn't ever been there until this afternoon. J and I drove down and walked around for a couple of hours, around the lake which was frozen and is now covered in a weird icy slush, through squelchy muddy paths. It is beautiful though. We'll be back to train for the Spartan when it gets a little warmer! - Clara


9. Warm days. Got some real sun the past few days, not just fake daylight lamps. We could go outside without a jacket, and we even had to wear sunglasses! I feel all toasty. - Clara

10. Homemade bread. J got a pound of yeast for a special dinner last week and it has inspired him to bake lots and lots of bread! His bread is delicious and I usually get the second taste, right after it comes out of the oven! - Clara

* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: luck, love, and lava cake

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So get cozy and get ready for this week's batch of good things!

1. Song of the week: Get Lucky sung by the Russian Police Choir. I may be a little late with this one, but I saw the video this week and it is excellent. These guys obviously had so much fun with it.

2. Love letters. My great-grandparents wrote each other love letters while Grandpa Arvid was in the war in Europe. This year, one of my dad's cousins found letters her dad (my great uncle) wrote to Great-grandma Clara about a woman who became my great-aunt... And they are a beautiful testament to the power of love! - Clara

3. Canelazo. This is an Ecuadorian hot alcoholic drink made from cane sugar and cinnamon. I've been itching to go back there for awhile now, but for Valentine's Day we decided to cook Ecuadorian instead... and made canelazo at home! It was so tasty and hot and definitely reminded me of going out in Quito. (If you want to make it yourself, here's a recipe - but I would cut the sugar in half.) - Clara


4. Car sing-a-longs. Luke and I were driving home from the mall this weekend, and I was in charge of the music. We ended up singing aloud to Teenage Dream, Shakira's Wherever Whenever, and Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton. There's nothing like singing "Without you I just can't go on!" at the top of your lungs! - Cassie

5. Brussel Sprouts. Ok, so I know some people hate them. But there are great ways to eat them! I had a salad with roasted brussel sprouts, yams, sweet potatoes, and greens this weekend at Common Roots. So good! - Cassie

6. Galentine's Day! On Parks and Recreation (awesome TV show that should probably be a AGT itself!) the main character, Leslie, has a lady's version of Valentine's Day on February 13th. My gal, Emily, had a get together and it was so fun. We listened to music, danced, decorated cookies, dressed up for funny photos, and had sparkling apple juice. Lady times are the best times :) - Cassie

7. Finishing a long, classic book. I just finished a book I've always been meaning to read and a long one to boot: Moby Dick. It was challenging but really lived up to my expectations. I'm also just proud of myself for reading Moby Dick. It feels like a small sort of accomplishment. - Cassie

8. Getting the push you need. On Friday I couldn't get out of my parking space because my wheels were spinning on a sheet of ice... So J came out and gave an extra shove to get the car on pavement, and I got on the road! - Clara

9. Having something to look forward to. Cabin fever is starting to eat me and I haven't had an actual day off from work where I wasn't doing something else... So I'm taking a long weekend at the end of this month and just the thought of having a few days to chill out is getting me through the weeks. - Clara

10. Lava cake. Seriously the best thing ever. 'Nuff said. - Clara

* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: make love, stuff, food, and friends... not war

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

So get cozy and get ready for this week's batch of good things!

1. Song of the week: Let It Go/Let Her Go (Frozen/Passenger Mashup) by Sam Tsui. Is it cheating if these two songs have been the song of the week within the past 2 months? Well, if so, I'm sorry, because I'm still obsessed with them. And this is an exceptional mashup.

2. Last Vegas. J wouldn't watch this with me, but I knew my mom would when I told her who's in it (Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline, and Morgan Freeman). We laughed SO hard. - Clara

3. Iron Hill's two-pizzas-and-a-growler takeout deal. On Friday night I really had a craving to try this out (it's been on my radar for months but we've never done it). It's a great deal, great pizza, great beer, and we didn't have to wait for a table like everyone else. - Clara

4. My office-mate came back from vacation on Friday after being gone for a week. I know she is less happy about leaving Florida's 80-degree weather, but I am a lot less lonely at work now. - Clara

5. At dinner on Monday my family talked about the Super Bowl while eating spaghetti and meatballs. This is funny because it is so atypical: we normally have curry or stew or rice and beans while telling stories about strange experiences and quoting bad movies. - Clara

6. Plans that turn into other plans. I went to church with my friend Abby this morning, and afterward she came over for lunch and we spent awhile looking through my baby names from around the world book (which I probably haven't looked at since high school), and then she took me up to Charming Charlie's in PA to go shopping. It's nice being flexible, and great things usually come of it when you are with good friends! - Clara

7. Getting in touch with your creativity. A couple friends, our moms, and I went to a painting studio a week ago. We had the best time letting our creativity flow! It was also fun to see how much our paintings matched our personalities. - Cassie

8. Settlers of Catan. I got this board game for Christmas and recently started playing it. The game reminds me of a combo of Risk/Oregon Trail/Monopoly. I'm a bit behind the times (it came out a while ago) but I'm really into it! - Cassie

9. Learning something new. Luke and I started learning French via Rosetta Stone. I can say simple things like "The girl reads" or "the man cooks." My accent needs some work, but I'm enjoying the challenge! - Cassie

10. Looking back through old photos. I found one of us (Clara and me) in the KSTO studio and a few from our AGT fall photo shoot. The memories came flooding back and definitely made me wish we were still on the radio! - Cassie


* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid

all good things: food for the good life

All Good Things started as a one-hour Sunday night radio show on KSTO St. Olaf radio, featuring feel-good music and 10 highlights from the past week. The show, and its current written form, is brought to you by Clara, Second Set of Baby Steps creator, and my radio co-host Cassie. We both contribute things to the list, so I'll tell you who said what to avoid confusion.

Sometimes the list, and the good things on it, are tempered by tough times and difficult things that happen. What Cassie and I have found, time and time again, is that these difficult things often make us see or appreciate the good things more, and emphasize the deeply beautiful and important things we have.

We write the list every week, regardless of our circumstances, to remind ourselves of that. We write this list in hopes that it can remind you, our readers, when you need it most.



1. Song of the week: The Cave by Mumford and Sons. Last weekend at the Roadtrip talent show one of the guys sang this song and his voice was indistinguishable from the actual singer. Amazing. And then I randomly heard it again later in the week. It's a feel-good jam.

2. Spending time with family during tough times. It reminds us we are loved and not alone. - Cassie

3. Luke. Since my aunt passed away he's been so amazingly supportive and helpful. I'm a lucky lady. - Cassie

4. Good conversations. Last night we went to a co-ed baby shower and I got into a conversation with a cousin's girlfriend about Wilmington's social conditions and about making a difference and about how we end up in the places we end up. It was a really solid conversation with substance, and I always like meeting smart, interesting people with something to say. Plus, big family gatherings are not exactly my element; the one-on-ones are what I'm really into. - Clara

5. Book club. On Thursday my mom and I went to the first meeting of a new book club with some really great women. I think this is going to be a lot of fun. - Clara

6. Watching wedding movies, looking at bridal mags, and drinking girly drinks. Now that I'm engaged, even though I'm not actively planning anything, I'm enjoying at least being able to talk about planning. I had a girlfriend over on Friday night who is also taking a slow engagement, and we just got to be typical together and it was fun. - Clara

7. Once Upon A Time. Now that we have Netflix we have been getting into this show. I've always liked fantasy-reality fusion and this is no exception. - Clara

8. Puns. I just love them. Buzzfeed put out a list of puns this week that definitely made me laugh out loud, and that was just one example of punny hilarity this week. - Clara

9. Getting back in the pool. I got out of my swimming routine back in October when I got a perforated eardrum, and went back for the first time this week. I'm definitely out of practice, but it still feels good... And the regulars remembered me and asked where I'd been. It was like old times :) - Clara

10. Puppy Bowl. I love this. So cute. I just left a house full of dog-lovers who were all over this show, which just makes it better. The kitty halftime show leaves something to be desired, but it has potential too.

Mainly I love even these commercialized holidays because they bring people together to laugh and eat and drink and be merry. I got a lot of hugs today, and ate so much good food. Talk about all good things!

* * * * * * *
Thank you, readers, for being with us tonight, and for giving me reasons to write, and things to write about.

And thanks for joining us every Sunday night! Join the Baby Steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBabyStepsSaga for good things every day, and updates on new posts. Come back next week for another reminder of 10 more things to be thankful for!

Until then, be kind to each other, and find a reason to smile!

posted from Bloggeroid