A Royal Themed Saturday

This morning I had an unexpected brush with royalty. I intended to give myself extra time to get to my friend Jennifer's home for book club but I overslept and had just enough time to make the drive to her part of town.  I am sure everyone knows, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are in Southern California for the weekend. Originally I didn't think it would affect me as long as I stayed in my bubble in the valley until I remembered I needed to drive through Hancock Park to get to Jennifer's house. They had mentioned on the news that there would be some street closures in the area near the British Consulate's home which is located in Hancock Park. As I drove through Hancock Park, I suddenly saw a motorcycle in the middle of the street just as I was coming up to an intersection with a traffic light. I suddenly saw a group of black SUVs driving past and realized I had just seen the Royal Newlyweds on their way to catch the helicopter that flew them to Santa Barbara for the Charity Polo Match. I couldn't have timed it any better if I'd tried! The traffic stop was very brief and I arrived to book club right on time :) .

Once I returned home, I finished watching Michael Jackson's This Is It. He truly was the King of Pop. I enjoyed seeing a more real, human side to MJ. It's hard to believe he's been gone for two years. Watching the documentary really made me sad for the musical genius that the world has lost.

Well, I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday. I'm now off to game night  to catch up with some friend's I haven't seen since the holidays.

Cheers!
 

Happy Friday, Happy July!

It's hard to believe that the first half of 2011 has come and gone. I'm really looking forward to the the next 6 months. Summer is my favorite time of year so I've been very happy for the past 10 days.

I took a Knife Skills 101 class at Cook LA and along with 6 strangers helped create a beautiful meal. The skills have already come in handy. I've since recreated the fruit salad and salsa we made in class.

To take advantage of the season's fruit I made ice cream with some of the baby donut peaches that are now growing in our back yard. They're super cute and tasty.

It was pretty hot so it started melting :(

Tonight I decided to bake two treats I've been anxious to make since I saw the recipes on two of my favorite blogs. The brownies are courtesy of The Naptime Chef and the cookies are found on How Sweet It Is .

Mat Pilates

I tried Mat Pilates for the first time today courtesy of Grace Anatomy Pilates Studio and my local Lululemon Showroom. I was a excited to try Pilates but a bit worried I wouldn't like it because I tried doing a workout from a DVD years ago and didn't like it. I'm SO glad I took this class because it was a challenging but wonderful experience (I have a feeling I'm going to be pretty sore tomorrow). Glad to know I can add another type of workout to my regimen. Definitely a great way to kickstart my activity level after a year of improper training, and all around not taking good care of my fitness needs. Thanks Grace, Jolene, and Lululemon Sherman Oaks!

Shadow Yoga

Tonight I returned to my yoga practice. Today as the Shadow yoga class began at InYoga Center, I experienced something similar to when I return to running after periods of non-triaining ... I asked myself why did I stop practicing Yoga?! Not only has yoga been a source of peace but it is also a great compliment to my running. As someone who is extremely tight in the hips and calves (and highly prone to plantar fasciitis), yoga helps me ensure I get a deep stretch in all my tight spots at least once a week (when I maintain a regular and consistent practice). I am new to the practice of Shadow Yoga but I can appreciate the benefits the class description states it helps to release our "shadows" where we are blocked or stuck in emotional, energetic or behavioral patterns. Given the stress of the past 3 years and the angst that presently resides in me I am confident I selected the right class to restart my practice. We were told after class that another bonus of the class is a great night's sleep... now that is something I am looking forward to since I've been battling a nasty case of insomnia for some weeks now :( Can't say I enjoyed the the class because there were some difficult feelings that I worked through but I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked on those "shadows." I did enjoy catching catching up with friends before and after class. Looking forward for the next chance to release more negative energy and eventually one day be able to sit somewhat comfortably in the half lotus. *namaste*

Make 2011 count!

Ever considered participating in a half or full marathon? Join the Largest Endurance Training Program while making a difference against the fight to end blood cancers.

Join me and members of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of Team in Training for the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half and Full Marathon Preview Party! I finished this event last June and had a great time.

Hosted by: Hard Rock Cafe– 6801Hollywood Blvd. on Wednesday January 12th at 7:00PM

•program overview• complimentary h'ordeuvres• giveaways•discounted TNT registration • free parking•RSVP to Courtney.Gush@lls.org

Go TEAM!