back to reality.

after spending 2 full months working from home, today is my official day back to reality. although i've enjoyed logging onto my laptop in my pjs for the past several weeks, i have to say i'm actually looking forward to some day-to-day structure. either that or i'm super bored of the countless CBTs. but at least i got to take FULL advantage of our company's "bench" policy for consultants between projects...in my 3 years with the firm, this is an absolute first.

fortunately for me my upcoming project is a mere 10 minute walk from home. and my role should be all the more interesting... it entails some immigration-related strategy work for the department of homeland security's US VISIT program. really, it's quite exciting! at least i'll stay challenged over the next 6 months. bonus: my new team seems super sharp AND cool. i'm pumped.

so in the spirit of getting back into the grind, i thought i do a quick post on the contents of my "commuting bag" - repacked with all the essentials. y'know, because my 1/2 mile walk is so unbearably long. :)

contents (l-r): longchamp bag (from mom via paris), heels & crocs combo, stick of deodorant (for icky muggy days), go-to water bottle, 2 mini cases for cosmetics and such, diva sunglasses, airborne (life saver), daily planner, favorite parker pen, pink ipod nano (vday gift!), keys with self-defense mace & gym card, aquaphor tube (obsessed.), mini brush, cellie, metro card, change purse/flip wallet/card holder, duck umbrella (april showers...), badge.

green cleaning.

happy earth day!

as many of you know, i'm quite the clean freak. but over the past few months i have been increasingly bothered by the types of products i use... what chemicals i spritz about the house and the resulting fumes i breathe in. slowly i've been going through my cleaning arsenal, trying to figure out what i need and what i can replace. i started to "go green" by picking up a clorox greenworks bottle the other week, but even then, i was left questioning - what exactly is in these products? yes, it does have epa's design for enivronment seal and claims to be 99% natural, but what does all this really mean? needless to say, as one not liking to be duped by a slick "green" marketing campaigns - which we are now constantly bombarded with - i decided to heck with it all; i'm making my own products!

that's right - i'm embracing good old fashion vinegar, baking soda, and the like. if it was good enough for my grandmothers and the generations prior, it should be good enough for me. so after searching online and finding some great resources on thedailygreen.com, MSLO's site and a select number of blogs, i put together a comprehensive list with SIMPLE ingredients. time to phase out my cleaning cabinet from mass-produced to home-made.

here's my list (if you want quantity ratios, just ask):

1. all purpose cleaner (vinegar, borax, washing soda, castile soap, water, lemongrass oil)
2. window wash (lemon juice, club soda, peppermint oil, cornstarch)
3. gentle powder scrub (indian clay, baking soda, lemongrass oil)
4. laundry detergent (indian clay, lavender oil, baking soda, borax, sodium percarbonate)
5. carpet cleaner (castile soap, water, vinegar rinse)
6. carpet freshner (baking soda, lavendar oil)
7. shower spray (water, tea tree oil)

first up, i need supplies. after a 5 minute drive down wilson blvd, i got to clarendon's market common to jump start my new project yesterday. after returning some not-quite-right throw pillows at c&b and pb, i used the returned funds to get my gear. stop #1 - whole foods. i found dr. bronner's castile soap (on sale too!) and picked up some essential oils in lavender, lemongrass, tea tree and peppermint. stop #2 - the container store to pick some of my favorite casabella products - supply caddy/bucket and 2 spray bottles - as well as some hermetic jars and powder shakers for the dry materials/mixes.

then i had to make a trip down route 50 to the pet store to pick up some more food for our "ravenous wolves" - recently nicknamed by one of our friends after spying both f&w scarfing down their kitty kibble like a hungry pack. ha! lucky me, target was right next door, so after making even more returns (i'm picky), i filled my cart with the essentials - baking soda, vinegar, borax, club soda, etc - and even grabbed a few method products that i just didn't feel like making right now - wood polish (alternative: olive oil & lemon juice), floor wash (alternative: castile soap, vinegar, water, essential oil), toilet bowl cleaner (alternative: castile soap, baking soda, vinegar, water, essential oil), & dish soap (alternative: ?)

after getting home, i surveyed my materials and started to clearing out the under-sink cabinet full of cleaning supplies. i really really hate to have things go to waste so i am planning to use up everything i have first. if i've survived this long with toxic household chemicals, i don't think a few more weeks are going to kill me. so this effort will be a phased approach, but i did want to have everything ready to go whenever those products do run out. at this point, the only thing left to get is bentonite (indian) clay which i'll probably have to order online anyway... i also plan to design some nifty labels/instructions on the mac and personalize my custom collection. one step at a time though. :)

till then, i'm looking forward to truly loving my home the safe eco-friendly way. yay for green cleaning!

money honey.

maybe it's because tax day was this week...or that april is financial literacy month...or just this state of shock hit single stuck in my head - whatever it is, i've got money on the brain.

as the numbers-oriented one, managing our personal finances has become my practical contribution to the marriage. not that i mind...after all, my father set a great example of a household CFO. but sometimes finances just get jumbled, illusive and let's be honest, annoying. and with all the identity theft risks out there from online shopping, credit card swiping and the like, it can be a little scary as well.

so today i decided to check in on our financial status. first, it was time to pull our credit reports. i try to do this 3x a year - april, august, december - to take full advantage of the free factor. for me i found it to be a good ritual to get into, not only for our financial security but also peace of mind. well this month it was transunion (my least favorite of all the providers). fortunately no major surprises this time...only a few minor errors to fix, as usual with transunion - uggh. i even coughed up the money to see our credit scores. i can't tell you how much it burns me up to have to actually PAY to see something that i'm judged by others on my fiscal worthiness. it doesn't seem right. oh well - i still paid - out of dreaded curiosity.

and since i was firmly in finance mode, i also decided to tackle the balance sheets; y'know, to ask the age old question: just where did our money go?? well this is where i get frustrated - not with the transactions but with my software. as a long-time quicken user, i was quick to buy and setup intuit's mac version when we bought our macbook last year. the problem? it's super buggy - especially on the one key function i rely on weekly...budget reporting. no joke, the program has the budget v. actual formula reversed, so when i spend UNDERbudget, the report marks it in the red and when i go OVERbudget, it's in the black. simple fix, you think? apparently not for quicken.

anyway, today i got fed up. for the past year or so, i've just retrained my thinking when reviewing reports, but it's confusing, it's static and it takes manual effort - in short, not worth it. yeah, it is over.

so when considering my financial management options, i decided to try out the unique online solution - www.mint.com. i have to confess...i'm smitten! not only is it web-based, FREE, and automatic, but you can link in all your accounts to see your full asset/liability ratio, receive email alerts when you go over budget and compare your money spending by category to other americans by state/city. it's definitely innovative, and more importantly, intuitive. and that's a first for this industry.

now, it's probably not for everyone. i know my dad would probably balk at its simplicity as he expertly manages all his investments and accounts, but then again, he's not your average personal finance guru. however for the rest of us, i think it's brilliant.

check it out...and know where all that money really goes.

back to class.

tonight's my last free evening till who knows when... so why not blog? right.

actually first, stephen and i took advantage of our gold's gym membership and went to a spinning class tonight. last time i took one of these classes was back in my senior year in high school! stephen was a complete newbie so we decided to go to the intro class that started just before the actual class. very informative. then the lights went out, black-lights on and the music pumped on high - whew, what a workout. my butt is already sore; tomorrow is going to be bad news for these legs!

after we got home, stephen was so sweet and poured me a nice hot bath to soothe the aches and also so i could finally use the lush happy pill he surprised me with a few weeks ago! i love that he works in georgetown and likes to remind me of his love though all the fun little gifts he has at his finger tips. i'm such a gifts person anyway - he certainly knows my love language! surrounded by a cheery citrus scent with some candlelight and classical music, i truly felt pampered.

then dinner time - extraordinaire. first time ever at home...surf and turf. while i fixed up the lobster tails, he prepared the steak. very yum. of course the championship game was paused during the actual meal itself but that just makes viewing time that much more enjoyable - bye bye annoying commercials.

so here i am, sitting on the couch next to hubs, watching the last few minutes of the kansas v. memphis game (go jayhawks!) and using my evening's high to prepare for the week ahead...

well, first, i start class tomorrow night! class, yes, class. my good friend friend d'ann had to take some econ prereqs for her graduate program at gw's elliott school, so i jumped at the opportunity to take them with her. i had been thinking about it for awhile but couldn't find any classes that were conducsive to my schedule or budget. but when she mentioned USDA's graduate school - i was very suprised. i've only been sort of exposed to their academic offerings through those ubiquitous blue GS totes i see people carrying around everywhere... but i never could figure out what "graduate school" this was. well, it's the government's - and it's conveniently located in l'enfant plaza (just a few metro stops away) and for under $400 a class, it was cheap. so here i am, i have my samuelson microecon book in hand (thanks to half.com) and i'm ready to be a student again! i'll keep you posted on how things go, but at this moment i'm super excited...if not equally as anxious!

tuesday nights...econ class - duration: 3 hrs, 10 weeks.

next up are my new golf lessons i just signed up for at capital city golf school - finally!!! my parent's wrote me a check for xmas to better myself on the green, and i've just now taken that step. starting on wednesday, i will be on my way to becoming the lady version of tiger woods. jk. but really, i'm so proud of myself of starting to really embrace something to call my own. especially now that the weather is warming up, i'm all about spending some quality time on the range with a bucket of balls and a good instructor to teach me to actually hit the ball right. sigh. plus i love east potomac park - the view alone is worth the trip.

wednedsay nights...golf lessons - duration: 1 hr, 8 weeks.

now this week of new beginnings and self-improvement was originally supposed to be capped off with my oh-so-anticipated lasik surgery friday morning (!!!), BUT unfortunately this had to be rescheduled to may. bummer. probably better on the finances since i'm really bankin' on using that stimilus check to help pay the balance. although insurance covers 25% (i'm lucky, i know), perfect vision never comes cheap. at least i have the confidence of having tiger woods' own lasik surgeon - dr. mark whitten. see, tiger and i, we really do have a lot in common :)

MAC addict.

yes, i admit, i have addiction... my vice? MAC cosmetics eye shadows.

they seriously are the most amazing things - ever. i'm a big fan of eye make-up in general, but i was constantly frustrated with how easily products seem to melt away after a long day - especially in the e/s department. but about a year and half ago, that all changed when my sister in law introduced me to the MAC counter.

at first i was little intimidated by their approach to make-up - i mean, they do have a reputation for going "artistic" with looks, but i guess that's also part of the appeal... you are the canvas, become the artist. but once i picked up my first shadow pot, i was won over completely. not only are the colors beautiful but they go on smooth and velvety, have great staying power and a little bit goes a long way so that one pot lasts forever. really, i have used one shade everyday for the past year, and i still haven't reached the bottom of the pan yet!

the only set-back is that these peeper pleasures are certainly expensive. so i've been slowly building my collection of both basic and play shades - usually through using macy's gift cards i have received by redeeming my company's "celebrating performance" reward points! ingenious. so now my collection has grown, so much that dealing with the individual eyeshadow pots is getting rather annoying, let alone trying to travel with them. uggh.

so i decided it's time to invest in a mac pro palette and depot all my shadows. having heard about this possibility but being clueless on how this was done, i turned to youtube, of course, for some helpful tutorials. after picking up both 15 slot and 4 slot palettes (one for home, one for travel) at my local MAC store in georgetown, i sat down last night and got to work. it was quite a labor-some ordeal but in the end, well worth the effort.

and the best part? their "back to MAC" recycling program which allows customers to redeem 6 of their empty original MAC packaging for a free lipstick. so i'll be due at least 2 new products by just simplifying my make-up drawer! a win-win all around.

check out my before and after photos... isn't it a beaut?!


BEFORE





















AFTER





















COLORS (left to right, top to bottom):
deep truth (frost), nocturnelle (frost), cranberry (frost),
club (satin), steamy (frost), juxt (satin),
silver ring (veluxe pearl), sumptuous olive (veluxe pearl), woodwinked (veluxe pearl),
seedling (satin), coquette (satin), cork (satin),
shroom (satin), naked lunch (frost), girlie (satin)

domestic diva?

ok - so i'm definitely borderline ocd when it comes to certain things... cleaning, list-making and maybe now magazines. for the past 3 years i have hoarded every single issue of martha stewart LIVING. my MIL got me my first subscription right before stephen and i were married in 2005, and i've been hooked since. maybe it's my subconsious desire to embrace my inner domestic diva or just the beautifully arranged glossy pages that capture my attention - i dunno, but i'm fan.

i guess i was first introduced the unattainably perfect lifestyle of MSLO back when i was planning my wedding - i threw out all my other bridal mags when i found how much better martha's were. they really are something. now here i am - 3 years later - with stacks and stacks of issues that i swear i'm going to reference but then never do. the problem is whenever i recall something i read in one of the issues, i can never remember just which one it was in...frustrating! so rather than pulling out all 36+ copies and flip through each one, i decided it was time for me to consolidate and organize.

with my husband's skeptism in tow, i started going through each issue and ripping out pages of practicality or inspiration. as i tore each page from the binding i felt a mix of guilt - i'm destroying my pristine magazines! - and of progress - finally these things will be of use! although this took forever, it wasn't so bad when i combined the activity with watching march madness or whatever was on my dvr. yay for multi-tasking.

once i got all the pages free, i sorted them in categories, trimmed all the rough edges and strategically placed 1-4 pages in sheet protectors...depending on which pages i definitely wanted to see. with multiple trips to office depot, i was finally able to get all the page covers, binders and dividers i needed to complete the job...sigh.

after working on the project on and off for the past 3 weeks, i can say now that i'm FINISHED, and i'm oh so happy with the results!!! here's a glimpse of the end product:


4 binders in all, here are the breakdown of my categories...just in case any of y'all are as crazy as i am and want to pursue something similar

MONTH - 12 dividers - one for each month with relevant pages placed within (ie. valentines ideas in february, halloween in october, etc).

INSPIRATION - 5 dividers: good things/crafts - health - beauty - style - travel

HOME LIFE - 4 dividers: housekeeping (sub tabs - cleaning, laundry, tools, how-tos, resources) - organizing - entertaining

INDOOR/OUTDOOR - 2 dividers: decorating - gardening (sub tabs - flowers, arrangements, fruits/vegetables, how-to's, landscaping)

culinary adventures.

wednesday nights. usually i look forward to a nice relaxing evening at home, but this week it was about getting together with girlfriends, anna and kim. while stephen had a guy's night planned, consisting of smoking cigars and talking foreign policy, no doubt, i was glad to have as equally as interesting plans for the evening.

although i probably see kim on a weekly basis, it had been over 2 months since i last saw anna. considering that her boyfriend and much of her job in development at the FRC takes her out to colorado, she took advantage of overlap and spent 6 weeks out in colorado springs to grow her relationship and meet with current and potential donors. what a lucky arrangement but we're certainly glad to have her back with us for awhile :)

at kim's suggestion, we decided to try some wine-tasting sessions at local restaurants in dc. our first pick was bistro lepic but unfortunately tuesday nights just didn't work for us. so instead, we opted for vidalia which offered sessions every night of the week. after kim picked me up, we made our way into georgetown and spotted stephen on his vespa on his way out - so sexy, honey! we walked around m street for while, made some stops in MAC and sephora, and enjoyed the beautiful weather before making it down to 20th street to meet anna at vidalia.

upon entering, we made our way to the back of the restaurant where the wine tasting spread lay... tonight's wine was chardonnay - love it. with 2 california selections and 1 french, we chatted with the sommelier (and restaurant manager) about the nuances fine wine. i think i asked him a billion questions but really learned so much - everything from the effect of oak barrel age on taste to tannin levels causing headaches. apparently i should try a barbera d'asti or d'alba wine for a more drinkable red - who knew? it makes want to actually take an official wine tasting course - maybe during our upcoming trip to napa valley this summer!!

we had such a great evening together - especially with the very exciting news of anna's recent engagement to rick! july 12th, it is! initially we just started out with appetizers at the bar - split ceviche (we're talking mini octopus, scallops, crab here) and fried frog legs with garlic/parsley sauce. the head chef stopped by to make sure everything was a-ok with us ladies - very nice fellow. well, apparently, he was taken with anna and before we knew it, she was back in the kitchen with him making our own special entree! as she picked the ingredients he whipped together the pasta dish...commanding the respect of everyone else in the kitchen (yes, sir) as anna relished the unique experience! a few minutes later, out they come with 3 plates of anna's special dish - orecchiette with mushrooms, vidalia onions and bacon. even the woman next to us thought it looked so good and asked for it herself! it truly was amazing...especially it being on the house :) sometimes i really love being a girl.

after we practically licked our plates clean, we sat around and caught up on life together. between anna's wedding planning and kim's fun boy stories, it was a wonderful time with friends. however it wasn't long before we were surprised with yet another gift from the kitchen - this time a display of artful truffles! we devoured them so fast (so good) that they came out with yet another! we were beyond spoiled by this place - you bet we'll be back (and that they got a big fat tip).

so if you are ever in dc, looking for some great food and obviously great service, be sure to say hi to our new friends at vidalia!