clear the air

I don't know about you, but I am in love with salt lake city, utah. it's proximity to everything you'll ever need in life {minus an ocean shoreline} is ridiculous. the skiing alone is the reason we will most likely never leave. but as I look around this beautiful valley of ours, with its pristine mountain backdrop, I can't help but be sickened and discouraged. the air we breathe is right up there with some of the most polluted cities in the nation. if you've ever come down one of the canyons and descended into the soup, you know what I mean. actually being able to see hazy, polluted air is not a good thing. and we're all breathing that stuff!

my work formed a team for the clear the air challenge and I'm really excited about it. I already try to take public transportation as much as I can anyway, so this isn't going to be a huge lifestyle shift for me. but maybe I'll start walking more on my errands {too bad biking is out of the question right now} and hopefully others will join the fun too.

the point of the challenge is to get people using their cars less and doing alternative forms of transportation more. just the act of getting fewer cars on the road will greatly affect the air quality in this place. that's something I want. for me. for my little guy {and big guy}.

so go sign up today. the official challenge starts june 01 and ends july 10. prizes are even involved if that's your incentive. for me, I'll do it for cleaner air and the chance to join thousands of others in trying to make a positive change in our community.

all it takes is one or more of the following:
a little less driving
more carpooling
walking
biking
taking public trans {bus, trax, frontrunner}
linking your trips
stop idling your car
telecommuting
compressing your workweek
being creative

rock the vote

my fabulous place of employment, youth ed, was nominated for best day camp in salt lake city. I seriously believe that club u is the best day camp in the state. our program is engaging, enriching, and exceptionally fun. it is experiential education at it's best. and as a testament to that fact, I leave you with the words of an eight year old camper as screamed for all to hear one day in our morning circle: club u rocks harder than bon jovi! see? how could we not be the best if we rock harder than mr jovi?

go exercise your power to vote. {and exercise that power daily until july 15th!}

mercury overload

one thing I love about having a house is the fact that we have a backyard to grill in. at the old apartment our neighbor would often grill on his little hibatchi and the smell of briquettes and smoke would make their way into our apartment... not so fun. if we wanted to grill we would have to pack all of our stuff and head over to the local park. not a bad deal, but this is so much better.

now that the weather is getting warmer {I think it should at least wait until june to hit ninety degrees, but whatever} and it's not as fun to cook inside our own home, the grill is going to be our best friend. we've already used it a bunch.

today, in an effort to venture from the traditional chicken or beef, I made some killer salmon burgers. I'm sharing the recipe for your summer barbecue delight. next up, I'm going to tackle the homemade veggie burger!

* * *

salmon burgers, via real simple magazine

1 1/4lb skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 scallions thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper

Heat grill to medium-high. Oil the grill grate. In a food processor, pulse the salmon 3 to 4 times, just until coarsely chopped (the mixture should still be somewhat chunky). Add the scallions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pulse to combine. Form the mixture into 3/4-inch-thick patties

Grill, turning once (do not press or flatten), until opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Serve on rolls with the desired toppings.

* * *

as pictured, I topped the burgers with avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime and served them on a wheat ciabatta role. delish.

{this afternoon I had a tuna fish sandwhich for lunch. obviously I forgot what was on the menu for tonight. two fish in one day, I don't know if my pregnant self can handle that much mercury! oh well!}

fire drill

we had the ever-so-fun fire drill at work today. unfortunately we all knew it was coming in the near future, so it wasn't a total surprise or anything. that would have added to the excitement level. but I guess anytime a loud bell goes off in your office excitement is bound to ensue.

well, I'm only mentioning this fact about my day because I noticed a funny thing about myself. (and this funny thing will be a total no-brainer to anyone who knows me) if I was faced with a dire, you-could-die-if-you-don't-get-out-of-the-building-fast situation my main concern would be:

I don't know how long I'll have to stand out there... do I have snacks? I need snacks!

and then I would take some precious escape time and rummage through the mini fridge in the office for some baby bell cheese and carrot sticks. yeah, I've got my priorities straight. (but in my defense, I knew there wasn't an actual fire in the building... who knows how I would have really reacted if there was. I'm sure I would still grab the snacks.)

he's back!

...if you and i had some drums and some horns and some horses

if we had some hats and some flags and some fire-engines
we could be a holiday we could be a celebration
we could be a whole parade...
--i like you, sandol stoddard warburg

it hasn't even been three weeks and he's already back on the bike, braces and all. it does my heart good to see him back in the saddle, a grin on his face.

lovin' the cruiser bike, oma. I think you're going to start a trend.

I'm a lifer

I just took the pledge.

"I, anna jo, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of LIFE. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings!
Signed, anna jo."

I figured I might as well jump right in and become a lifer. I mean, how often do I buy new clothes anyway? in the recent months my commitment to thrift + reconstruction has spilled into every aspect of my life. I don't want to buy new. I want to re-use the resources we've already got floating around this world.

I'm excited to start my adventure in refashion.


{do you want to pledge for two, four, or maybe even six months? read the rules here and jump in on the fun! and don't worry, if you screw up you can use your get out of jail free card}

blessed.

thank you one and all for the kind words + support given to me and my small family over the past few days. peter and I have felt the love + and know that prayers have been answered on our behalf. we are so blessed.

every time I think of how things so easily could have turned out differently, I get emotional. every time I think of the blessings and the support of family + friends I get emotional. maybe it's all in the hormones.

but honestly, it is in moments of tragedy that you are reminded of the fragility and simpleness of life. how it can all be taken away at any moment. my heart aches for those who have gone through that. I was given a gift on tuesday morning: continued time with my husband here on this earth. how precious that is. I know he has been watched over on more than this occasion. for this I am grateful.

he is the lucky one. he will heal. it is his quiet strength and good attitude that have helped him this far. he is home. he can get around for the most part. this is not a chronic condition. he is lucky.

and we are blessed.

{for those not aware, my husband was hit by a car while riding his bike to work on tuesday morning. the person driving fled the scene and thankfully because of witnesses the paramedics were called in. he spent the next 36+ hours on spinal precaution in the hospital. he was released earlier than I ever expected possible from an accident such as this with a fractured skull and a compression fracture on his back. he is home now and confined to life in a neck brace + a back brace for a while, but his spirit is not confined. especially when the meds are kickin' in.}

spoon!

I won my very own cake for easter
brought to you by the lovely spoon!

it was layer upon layer of yummy
red velvety goodness
my favorite
peter's favorite
plus there was a nest on top
best easter cake
ever

produce the way god intended

a few weeks ago we discovered that if you keep your cilantro in the salad spinner, it stays fresh for so long without getting all wilty and pathetic looking. it was like problem solved for the cilantro crisis.

but I can't just keep my cilantro in the salad spinner all the time. what if I need to spin, you know, salad? and not to mention the fact that it takes up so much room in the fridge, all for a little bunch of herbs. I knew there had to be a better way. a smaller salad spinner perhaps?

well, when pete and I were on our target shopping spree last weekend, we came across this: the produce saver, from rubbermaid. the secret is the airflow.

so far it seems to be doing the trick. I'll keep y'all posted on the status of my produce.

one, two three, ready... type!

seriously. didn't I have some sort of resolve at the new year to blog more frequently for myself? instead of all the consumption I'd start producing a little more? man, I totally suck.

it seems that--as often is the case for many--I sit down to write and then I don't feel like writing anymore. even with all this excitement of a new babe in our lives. so I'm sitting down and writing.

here goes.

my mind has been pretty occupied with all things growing in my uterus lately. I'm now safely tucked away into the second trimester. my energy seems to be returning, I don't feel so gross all the time. luckily I haven't really had any morning sickness. I am so grateful for that because I don't know what I would have done otherwise. it does not sound fun.

I feel like my belly is starting to round out. peter keeps telling me that I don't look pregnant. so I guess I just look like a girl with a big belly. I can still fit into most of my clothes. some pants are out of the question, though. I did buy my first pair of maternity shorts yesterday. complete with the wide stretchy band around the waist. now it just needs to warm up a bit more. I can't wait until I'm into the panel.

okay, that thought actually scares me.

but seriously, I have some hopes of reconstructing some clothes into pregnancy friendly stuff. like jeans I find at the DI for cheap. I had a really hard time justifying my purchase last night, let alone a whole new wardrobe that will only be worn for a short period of my life! luckily I have some sewing skills and will be attempting a few minor alterations on some jeans. and I'm sure I'll be living in skirts over the hot summer months.

I have so many things to share with the world. lots of ideas rolling around in this head of mine. lots of ideals that need to be voiced. so be ready.

{my computer is now about to die. goodbye.}

you + me make three

I'm sure you all wondered what could possibly top last year's anniversary present.

well, this little person just might do the trick. {now next year, seriously, will not be so exciting. I swear.}

***

00. european honeymoon extravaganza

01. surprise costa rica adventure

02. the new house

03. a sweet babe

{background image}

it's official

I know in my heart it's been spring since march 01, but now it's official. go outside and celebrate the vernal equinox. the days are getting longer. this weekend their getting warmer too. life is starting to grow again. it does my heart good.

{photo credit}

my man needs his temperature control

from quarter to full: comfort assurance

peter is very particular. especially about his comfort. he needs to be able to control the situation. if he's too hot, he needs to take a layer off. if he's too cold, he needs to put a layer back on. this all sounds pretty basic, no? well, as it turns out he doesn't like to pull anything on or off over his head. so quarter-zips? out of the question. from now on, the full zip option, or nothin'. there is at least one more transformation project lined up to meet his new requirements. {sorry quarter-zip burnt orange north face fleece, you're going under the knife!} and then in the future? must remember full zips only.

thirty: the real deal.

I'm old.
but not really.
sometimes my body feels old.
like it did when I turned 21.
there was a noticeable difference.
maybe there's something to these milestone years.

at least I had some good surprises in the mix:
surprise early birthday bagels via the coworkers
not so surprise bowling {almost. next year don't tell anyone about it until the moment of... no chance for slip-ups} with the bffs*
super surprise super cool cake! {made specially for me by carrie of carriescakes.com, brought specially to me by the raddest kid in town}
and an arm-load of birthday goodies + well wishes.

::I am loved, it's no surprise::

* * *

I leave you with one of the best birthdays of my thirty-year-old life. numero eight at the lion house, circa 1987 {which coincidentally, was the best year for parties}. this was a biggie, my friends. and as you can see by my rad eighties "pixie" cut {aka boy hair} I was a super tom-boy and as I recall I hated wearing dresses. this was a real fight, I'm sure for the fancy birthday party at said lion house. but as you can clearly see, I made a total compromise.

oh yeah, the multi colored punky brewster high top sneakers with the tights and the dress!

*if you are a bff and were not invited to the secret bowling party, don't feel sad. it just means that pete does not have you in his phone. take no offense, I still love you.

the rule of six

one: go to your documents/pictures
two: open the sixth folder
three: find the sixth photo
four: blog about your cuteness
five: tag six other people: {I tag the six whoevers want to do this}
six: wonder why there is no sixth rule
{thanks, seester, for tagging me and letting me play into my narcissistic side}

okay, so as you can see I totally cheated. well, the truth is there wasn't a sixth photo in my sixth folder {the sixth event in iphoto, that is}. there was a fourth photo, and this is it:

my total favorite photo from my bridal shoot -- I heart pepper nix. she is amazing.

so I went to the sixth grouping of photos in iphoto's photo section {as you can see I was trying really hard to get the magical sixes} and there were only two photos! so below, is said second photo:

again, an awesome shot from the bridals.

so then I tried to do it backwards. go to the sixth newest folder of photos... and there was only four! so here is that one:

pete firing up the snowblower for it's maiden voyage in our driveway.
he loves him his snowblowing, it's pretty cute.

and if you haven't given up on the whole idea yet, this is the sixth photo listed on my desktop.

love, love, LOVE this photo from the mud run. possibly one of my most fave photos EVER.

if I had taken the time {as if I haven't taken enough time on this already--sheesh!} I would have come up with more combos to try and get some magical six combination... at least tried six different ways so there could be six photos. oh well, you can just imagine two more photos of me and/or pete in your mind. try to pick ones where I look cute.

biggest loser treats a la runner's world

a few weeks ago when the newest season of the biggest loser began, trainers jillian michaels and bob harper yelled at america.

you know, that we all needed to stop being so lazy, get off our butts, move, eat fruits and vegetables... you know, the stuff we all already know but for some reason most of america has a really hard time with...

and then bob yells: it's never going to happen if you're sitting on the couch eating ice cream!

pete and I looked at each other. we were both sitting on the couch eating ice cream. we just got the smack down from bob harper.

see, it sounds kinda ironic and all, but we love our treats when we sit down to watch this show.

so the next week I made these sinfully delicious red velvet cupcakes. but hey, I got the recipe from runner's world so they must be good for me, no?

no? oh, well at least I got rave reviews from peter's coworkers the next day. bake yourself up a batch for tonight's episode--you won't regret it! {but your thighs, might. unless you go for a nice long run. I'm just sayin'}

voluntary simplicity

do you ever wonder how our earth-home will be for the future generations? for your kids? for their kids?

are our habits sustainable? are we consuming too much? do our lives of privilege and convenience come at a cost?

is it possible to slow down? to take a step back? to realize it's not things, but people that matter?

{photo | 2009 eco-lutions}

follow your bliss

"if you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all along, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. when you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open the doors to you."

--joseph campbell

strengthening my resolve

I was told the other day that a person is 43% more likely to keep a resolution if it is written down.  I've been mulling around the things that I would like to do {or not do} as this new year rolls around.  the clean slate that january brings is always full of so much potential.  in all of us is the ability to change.  but we have to want it.  and we have to be willing to work for it.  

* * *

:: chew my food ::  I resolve to eat more slowly, to let the enzymes in my saliva break down the foods so they are more easily digested and the nutrients more readily available to my body

:: read books ::  I resolve to read more instead of wasting time on the computer or watching television just for the sake of something to do

:: blog more ::  I resolve to consume less and produce more.  there is a lot of inspiration and creativity out there, but I need to remember to document my thoughts, feelings, et cetera as well

:: eat closer to the source ::  I resolve to be more conscious of my foodshed.  where it comes from, how it was produced, how it got to me.  more whole foods.  more local foods.  more organically grown foods

:: be more social ::  I resolve to get out of my comfort zone in social situations.  I have a tendency toward non-social behavior.    I need to get over any awkwardness, which really just stems from a lack of self confidence.  I am an interesting person.  I just need to believe that

:: create ::  I resolve to make things out of sticks.  or fabric.  or paper.  or anything that my little hands can get on.  I have grand ideas and little follow-through.  those projects will become reality, hopefully in a timely manner

:: document my life ::  I resolve to put pen to paper and write for me.  I am losing the details that make my life what it is.  the personal things.  the thoughts.  the feelings.  the special moments.  the hard moments.  the daily decisions that lead me through life

* * *

if you're having trouble coming up with your own resolutions this year {come on, isn't lose weight and eat healthy so overkill by now?} check out this list I stumbled across:  fifty things everyone should know how to do.  pick one or two and resolve to learn some invaluable skills this year.

photo via.

returning to the light

...at winter solstice,
Sun is at its lowest point:
the longest night,
the most profound descent
into the dark,
and a subsequent turning
of the cycle,
a return to the Light...










one of my favorite days of the year is the summer solstice. the daylight is long and endless, leaving its warmth and slanted angles long into the evening. it is something to be celebrated. but I am always left feeling a little tinge of sadness; the light will soon fade into increasing darkness. my days will get shorter, little by little, until we are plunged into endless night.

but there comes a time where night is at its longest, and the light will be reborn. our days will become longer. and life will eventually start to grow once again.

how fitting that this event happens at this time of year. we need not despair, or be engulfed by darkness. there is Light.

we just need to turn to that Light.

it is a thing to be celebrated.

{photo | quote}