From the Farmer’s Market to Your Table

April 10th, 2017

Is anyone else as excited as I am for Farmer’s Market season?  Here are some favorite Farmer’s Market inspired recipes that I’ve gathered.  Check here to see when your local market will be open for the season.


From Michel Nischan, chef and author of Sustainably Delicious:

Instant Tomato Sauce

Chop overripe tomatoes and cook with a small pat of butter and fresh herbs until soft. Toss with pasta.

Raw-Corn Salad

Cut fresh corn kernels off the cob and toss with cilantro leaves, shaved white onion and fresh lime juice.

Tomato-Avocado Spread

Coarsely chop varied heirloom tomatoes and smash in a bowl with a ripe avocado and sliced scallions. Season with salt and spread on crusty bread.


From Southern Living:

Strawberry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese Croutons

Ingredients

  • 2 (4-oz.) goat cheese logs
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 5 ounces mixed baby greens
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • Strawberry-Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
  • Garnish: dill sprigs

How to Make It

  1. Cut each goat cheese log into 4 rounds. Gently press each round to 1/2-inch thickness on a baking sheet, and freeze 20 minutes.
  2. Place the flour in a small bowl. Whisk together the egg and milk in a second small bowl. Combine the panko, salt, and pepper in  a third small bowl. Dredge goat cheese rounds in flour, dip in egg mixture, and dredge in panko mixture until coated.Place on a plate, and chill until all goat cheese rounds are breaded.
  3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium until hot. Add goat cheese rounds to skillet, and cook until golden brown on each side, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
  4. To serve, arrange salad greens on a serving platter; top with strawberries, cucumber, onion, and goat cheese croutons. Drizzle with vinaigrette, and garnish with dill sprigs.

From Southern Living:

Green Bean Potato Salad with Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette (Wade’s Potato Salad)

Ingredients

  • 2 (12-oz.) pkg. fresh green beans
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt, divided
  • 1 pound petite red potatoes
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

How to Make It

  1. Cook green beans and 1/2 teaspoon salt in boiling water to cover in a large saucepan until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop cooking process; drain and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Bring potatoes and cold water to cover to a boil in large saucepan over medium-high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until just tender, about 20 minutes total. Drain and let cool 30 minutes. Slice potatoes into 1/4- to 1/2-inch rounds.
  3. Gently toss together green beans, potatoes, bell pepper, red onions, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette, and gently toss to combine. Transfer mixture to a serving platter, and top with mint, almonds, and sesame seeds. Serve room temperature or chilled.

How to pack like an expert

April 3rd, 2017

When I pack bags to travel I always pack like an expert. An expert in indecision. It starts innocently, I set all of the necessities out. Once I feel organized anxiety takes over. What if it rains while I’m there? What if I’m being chased by a pack of wild dogs? Certainly, I’ll want to go out for a fancy dinner? PS-I’m the least fancy person ever.

A few years ago in invested in an Osprey Porter 46.  It fits everything I need for almost any solo trip I go on.  It was designed to be the maximum carry on size for most airlines and it’s easy to lug around.  Travel cubes help keep me organized.  The small ones work better for me.  I use them to hold cords, prescriptions, my passport, and boarding passes. I have a friend who organizing her clothes in large travel cubes.  All joking aside, less really is more.  Less to schlep around, less items to worry about, and less clothes eliminate unnecessary decisions and stress while traveling.

Once I’ve gotten over the panic and have a respectable amount of items set aside I pack. This video is one of the quickest, most informative I’ve found.

 

We can do hard things.

March 27th, 2017

Banff Mountain Film Festival visited Boone for the 21st year in a row this week. It was in Charlotte on Sunday.  I was lucky enough to get tickets and a babysitter for Saturday.  We saw several smaller adventure films and one longer one. They were all inspirational. The films that spoke to me were about a young climber who is expected to be one of the best in the world.  The other was about four people who took up rowing around the age of 50. Within three years they were rowing 3,000 miles together across the Atlantic. They are all women.

Ashima Shiraishi will soon turn 16 and she is a force. At a young age she broke records in climbing, not just for women.

The next story is about four women who met in the school drop off line. They became friends and started working out together, that led to rowing, which naturally led to rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. Their team is called Yorkshire Rows.

The clips above are not the same ones shared at Banff Mountain Film Festival. I would encourage everyone to watch those.  The film festival came at a very important time for me. This coming Saturday I’m traveling west to run my first half marathon. I’ve spent the past two weeks riddled with anxiety and guilt. I’m worried about leaving my family for an adventure of my own. This is entirely self-induced.  What I took away from watching the movie about Ashima was the importance of not only having a goal, but to have a quiet mind and soul while reaching that goal. What a powerful lesson to learn from a teenager.

The Yorkshire Rows team was just awe inspiring. While my goal of running a half marathon can’t compare to rowing across the Atlantic, I felt connected with the four women.  Pushing yourself to the limit, no matter your age, is life changing. I’m not a runner, but setting this goal and accomplishing it (hopefully) is a reminder that I can do hard things. It has taught my child that while I’m his mom, I’m also my own person with my own dreams. I hope he learns that he should never feel guilty for following his heart and doing things that make him feel alive. And that he can do hard things, too, even if they seem impossible.

Wish me luck in beautiful Zion National Park and tell us about any adventures you have on the calendar!

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It’s farmers market time!

March 20th, 2017

Well, technically it’s farmers market time for the Charlotte area.  Those of us in higher elevations have to wait a little bit longer. Yesterday was the Vernal Equinox. It’s officially spring! I’m ready for some warmer weather activities such as hiking, exfoliating, and buying fresh produce.  Here is some information about just some of our local farmers markets and their hours.

Farmers Market

Charlotte Area

Davidson Farmers Market

Saturday 8am – 12pm

Located in the Jackson Street parking lot

https://www.facebook.com/DavidsonFarmersMarket/

NoDa Farmers Market

Saturday 9am – 12pm

3221 Yadkin Avenue, Charlotte-located behind Smelly Cat Coffeehouse and NoDa Company Store

http://www.nodafarmersmarket.com/

7th Street Market

Monday-Thursday 7am – 7pm

Friday 7am-8pm

Saturday 8:30am – pm

Sunday 8:30am – 7pm

224 E. 7th Street, Charlotte- located at the base of the 7th Street Station parking deck, between 6th and 7th streets and adjacent to the Lynx Blue Line’s 7th Street stop.

http://www.7thstreetpublicmarket.com/

Charlotte Regional Farmers Market

October – April

Tuesday – Saturday 8:00am – 5:00pm

May – September

Tuesday – Saturday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Sunday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

1801 Yorkmont Road, Charlotte-

http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/charlotte/

Atherton Market

Monday – Saturday 9:00am – 6:00pm

2140 South Blvd, Charlotte

http://athertonmillandmarket.com/retailers/mill/atherton-market/

Matthews Community Farmers Market

Saturday 8am-12pm

188 North Trade Street, Matthews

http://www.matthewsfarmersmarket.com/

Kings Drive Farmers Market

Hours beginning April 7th

Tuesday and Friday 6am-6pm

Saturday 6am-3pm

938 S Kings Drive, Charlotte

 

Hickory/Lenoir

Hickory Farmers Market

Beginning April 16th

Wednesday 10am-2pm

Saturday 8am – 1pm

http://www.hickoryfarmersmarket.com/

Caldwell County Farmers Market

Beginning in May

Saturdays 7am-1pm

Located behind the library in Lenoir

https://caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu/caldwellcountyfarmersmarkets/

 

High Country

Watauga County Farmers Market

Beginning in May

Saturday 8am-12pm

591 Horn in the W Drive, Boone

http://www.wataugacountyfarmersmarket.org/

Ashe County Farmers Market

Beginning April 16th

Saturday 8am-1pm

108 Backstreet, West Jefferson

http://www.ashefarmersmarket.com/

Can spring cleaning make winter go away? I say yes!

March 11th, 2017

We’re going to take a quick break from North Carolina Spring Break options to talk about spring cleaning! How exciting! A few years ago I started slowly phasing out toxic store bought cleaning supplies and replacing them with homemade natural options.  I’m pretty lazy so I don’t make anything that takes up too much time or requires bizarre, hard to find ingredients.  I spent the snowy weekend stocking up on my homemade cleaning supplies and thought I’d share some recipes with you. Most of them are variations of things I found on the internet. So, thank you internet people.

Granite safe kitchen cleaner

1/2 cup rubbing alcohol

2 cups water

6-8 drops dish soap/liquid Bronner’s

3-4 drops essential oil

I use vinegar all over my house, but it’s not safe to use on marble and granite.  I love this recipe so I mix it in a bigger bottle and just use the same proportions.

All Purpose Cleaner

1 tablespoon of dish soap/liquid Bronner’s

1 tsp tea tree oil

Water

I add the first two ingredients to a 32 ounce spray bottle, shake it up and I’m done. This is my go to cleaner for the bathroom sink, outside of toilet, non-granite counter tops, table, you name it.

Bathtub Cleaner

1 cup of baking soda

5 drops of essential oil (I usually use something lemon)

I use this in place of Ajax.  I make this in a batch of 2 cups and keep it in a glass jar.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I sprinkle in bathtub cleaner and add 1/2 cup vinegar to make it fizz!

Window Cleaner

1 part vinegar
1 part water
Mix it up in a plastic spray bottle. It doesn’t smell great, but it works like a charm!

Hand Soap

This one is fun!  I reuse Method or Bath and Body Works foaming hand soap pump.  I mix water and liquid castile soap (Bronner’s AGAIN!) at a 5:1 ratio.  Add your favorite essential oils (optional).

Dry laundry detergent

2 bars of shaved bar soap

2 cup of borax

2 cup of washing soda

This is the recipe for a big batch, it’s pretty easy to cut it in half if you’d like to try it out first.  There are several bar soap options.  I like to Ninja up a bar of Kirk’s Castile and a bar of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint for this recipe. To save on cost you can use two bars of Kirk’s Castile and add peppermint essential oil. I like to add tea tree oil due to its antibacterial properties as well.  Helps get the extra stinky work out clothes smelling fresh.  Lemon and lavender are all other popular oils you can add to your laundry soap.  I use one tablespoon for small loads of laundry and two for large loads.

Another laundry tip- I just figured this one out this week. I was running one day and as I began to sweat I noticed this awful sour smell.  After momentarily panicking, thinking I reached my expiration date like a jug of milk, I realized it was my shirt. Either I left it sitting in the washer for too long or it had too many workouts.  When I got home I soaked it in the tub in a warm water/vinegar solution with a few other stanky workout items. I washed them an hour later and they were fresh as a summer’s eve….errrr breeze.

 

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Have any other cleaning supply recipes to share? Happy cleaning!

 

 

 

 

 

NC Spring Getaways: Beach Edition

March 6th, 2017

We’re so fortunate to live in North Carolina.  We’ve got beautiful mountains, endless beach options, and several unique cities.  This week we’ll look at North Carolina beaches to visit in the spring.

There are over 300 miles of beaches along the coast of North Carolina.  They can be broken down by region, each with it’s own character and appeal. With lighthouses, small towns, state parks and aquariums you just can’t go wrong.  We’ll explore some of the many options from north to south. Keep in mind that while North Carolina beaches may not be as warm as Florida in the spring, they will be a lot less crowded!

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Northern Coast and Outer Banks

The 100 miles of Outer Banks shoreline are diverse and offer something for everyone. There are beaches with great public amenities such as parking, shops and restrooms.  Then there are primitive beaches that allow you to explore nature in solitude such as Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Corolla is located in northern Outer Banks. It’s known for it’s 12,000 acres of animal sanctuary, including Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, that is home to feral horses. There is a golf course, skate park, putt-putt, trails, and plenty of options for exploring with a kayak. There are a couple of hotels in Corolla, but most visitors stay in upscale rentals.

Duck is a smaller, quirky town that is a vacationers favorite. The housing options in Duck are vacation rental homes and one small inn.  Privately owned unique shops are a favorite in Duck, along with the Duck Town Park and Boardwalk.

Kitty Hawk has fantastic beaches, shops, restaurants, and nature preserves all in close proximity. That’s what makes it one of the more popular vacation destinations on the Outer Banks. Kitty Hawk offers more hotel options than it’s neighbors to the north, along with vacation home rentals.

Kill Devil Hills is a popular beach town rich in activities and history. You can visit the Outer Banks Arboretum and Teaching Garden, Wright Brothers National Memorial, and 700 foot Avalon Fishing Pier. Kill Devil Hills as privately owned inns, national hotel chains, and vacation rentals.

Nags Head is arguably the town in the Outer Banks with the most to do. You spend the day lounging on the beach, or you can visit Jeanette’s Pier, Outer Banks Pier or the Bodie Island Lighthouse. A favorite attraction is Jockey’s Ridge State Park. It has an education center, mountains of sand dunes, and offers views of Nags Head along with hang-gliding.

Hatteras Island is a barrier island that contains the unincorporated towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras. It also is home to Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  Long stretches of beach and access to nature make Hatteras Island a great place to vacation.

Central Coast

Atlantic Beach was named one of Coastal Living Magazine’s best beaches. Along with a gorgeous beach with easy access, Atlantic Beach offers fishing piers and the historic Fort Macon State Park.  This laid back beach town has hotels, motels, condos, rental homes.

Emerald Isle has 12 miles of gorgeous shoreline and views of the Atlantic Ocean and Bogue Inlet. It is a family focused town with plenty of options for fishing and other water sports.  Emerald Isle offers condos, small rental cottages, and large beach homes.

Southern Coast

Topsail Island is located south of the Outer Banks and Bogue Banks.  It’s a 26-mile long barrier island that is home to North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach. Topsail Island is known for it’s gorgeous beaches and for being a  refuge for sea turtles. Topsail Island has a few hotels, but most vacationers rent a home for week. The island does not allow high rises.

Wrightsville Beach is conveniently located just east of Wilmington. It’s known for it’s easy accessibility. surfing competitions, and kids treasure hunts and surf camps. Wrightsville Beach offers about 10 hotels, some of the national chains, along with plenty of vacation rentals.

Carolina Beach has its own unique vibe. Full of high rises condos, bright colors, bars, restaurants, live music and a boardwalk, there is always something exciting going on in Carolina Beach.

Kure Beach is quite different than it’s direct neighbor Carolina Beach, it has a small town vibe with the oldest fishing pier on the Atlantic Coast.  It has an oceanfront park, Fort Fisher Aquarium, and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. Kure Beach has a few restaurants and several vacation home rentals.

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The world’s most adorable dog, Maple, on Kure Beach.  This was less than a week after she escaped her long stint in a shelter in Tennessee.  Dogs love Kure, but I think they’re supposed to be on a leash!

 

 

 

 

Bald Head Island is beautiful, upscale and is only accessible by ferry.  No cars are allowed on the island, so everything must be access by foot, bike, or golf cart. There is virtually no commercialism on BHI, it’s a dream for nature lovers or those looking for seclusion and privacy.

Oak Island has 10 miles of wide, uncrowded beaches. Plenty of public beach parking and access points, two fishing piers, access to championship golf courses, putt-putt, ice cream, and great restaurants makes Oak Island a vacation dream for the entire family. Oak Island also offers a wide variety of vacation home rentals, there is something for almost every budget.

Holden Beach is very similar to Oak Island, but perhaps even slower paced. A wildlife haven, at Holden Beach you can kayak the Intracoastal Waterway as see loggerhead sea turtles. Spot dolphins in the surf and watching fishing boats as they come in at night.  Holden Beach offers plenty of vacation home rentals, but no hotels.

Ocean Isle Beach is the place for family fun.  Along with gorgeous miles of beaches, families can visit The Museum of Coastal Carolina to learn more about sea life or the Shallotte River Swamp Park for ziplining or a swamp boat eco-tour. Ocean Isle Beach is home to North Carolina Oyster Festival, Silver Coast Winery, and plenty of delicious restaurants.

Sunset Beach is the southernmost beach in North Carolina. It’s quiet and beautiful, the perfect place to reconnect with your family and nature.  Sunset Beach has some of the most untouched shoreline in North Carolina. From the beach you can walk to Bird Island or go to nearby Ingram Planetarium to learn more about the sun, moon and stars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NC Spring Getaways: Mountain Edition

February 27th, 2017

We’re so fortunate to live in North Carolina.  We’ve got beautiful mountains, endless beach options, and several unique cities.  And guess what?  Spring break is just around the corner. Here are just a few ideas of mountain adventures not too far from home.

Hike the Appalachian Trail

96 miles of the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail can be found in North Carolina.  An additional 225 miles hug the North Carolina/Tennessee border. If you’d like to be super adventurous and spend the week hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail that is in North Carolina you’ll need to find your way to Bly Gap.  Bly Gap is where the trail leaves Georgia and begins to wind its way through North Carolina. It will end that stretch in North Carolina at Fontana Dam where the trail then enters Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There is also a great option for a 29 mile hike in the Nantahala Mountains. You can find a description of this option at wilderness.org.

Visit Asheville

Asheville is a funky town that has something for everyone.  The town is known for excellent food and craft beer.  Visit Asheville Ale Trail to find self-guided brewery tour maps and for a calendar of events.  River Arts district has 22 working galleries along the French Broad River.  While walking between galleries you can frequently see kayakers and tubers floating down the river.  Looks across to the other bank and you’ll see some very happy people hanging out on New Belgium Brewery deck. There are endless hiking options in the Asheville area. Visit Romantic Asheville to see the area hikes with a view.

If you’re interested in history visit the beautiful Biltmore Estate. Built in the late 1800s, the Biltmore is still the largest privately owned home in the United States.  When visiting the Biltmore you can wander the beautiful gardens, have a glass of wine at the winery, or book a romantic room and live like royalty for a night. Another beautiful site to visit is the Omni Grove Park Inn.  Built in 1913, the Grove Park Inn has views for miles, a golf course, and a world renowned spa with an underground grotto.

Visit Boone

Boone is a great place to spend your spring break. It’s the heart of the North Carolina high country and is surrounded be endless outdoor activities. You can spend your vacation fly fishing in the beautiful New River, biking or driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of America’s most scenic routes, to see the breathtaking mountain views.  You can make a stop at one of the trailheads and go on a hike.  If you’re feeling really wild visit High Gravity Adventures or Hawksnest Zipline. Depending on when your break falls you may be able to ski at Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, and Appalachian Ski Mountain.  Don’t forget to stop at an area winery or brewery after all of your outings.  The High Country is home to Grandfather Vineyard and Winery, Banner Elk Winery, Lost Province Brewing Co., and Appalachian Mountain Brewery.

Mountain Lakes

Lake James is located about an hour east of Asheville.  Along with gorgeous private homes and rentals, there is Lake James State Park. The park has boat ramps, a waterfront campground, a beach, hiking trails, and mountain biking trails.  The lake, along with the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, is a breathtaking spot to have a relaxing getaway.

Lake Lure is 45 minutes southeast of Asheville. Lake Lure has everything you could in a getaway to the mountains. You can hike at Chimney Rock State Park and horseback ride at Cedar Creek Stables or Riverside Riding Stables.  If you’re a wine lover you can visit Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards,  The Parker-Binns Vineyard, and Overmountain Vineyards.

There is so much more that the mountains of North Carolina have to offer.  Check out Brevard and Pisgah National Forest, Black Mountain, Hot Springs, Bryson City….the list goes on.  Where is your favorite mountain escape in North Carolina?

 

 

I’m so fancy.

February 21st, 2017

Every week The Chaney Group gets at least one phone call from someone saying, “show me the most expensive house you can find!” Well, here they are! Click on the picture to see the listing then give us a call. One of our agents will gladly schedule a showing. Don’t worry, this is the perfect investment of your tax return!

CharlotteCharlotte7330 Baltusrol Lane, Charlotte, NC 28210

5 bedrooms 6 full baths 3 partial baths 13,898 square feet

$6,750,000

 

High Country

High Country

224 Chestnut Trail, Banner Elk, NC 28604

4 bedroom 4 full baths 3 partial baths 10,000+ square feet

$5,500,000

 

Hickory/Lenoir Area

Hickory House

4456 3rd Street Lane NW, Hickory, NC 28601

5 bedrooms 5 full baths 2 partial baths 8,753 square feet

$1,379,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Could be Scarier than a Bear?

February 13th, 2017

There’s not much that scares me.  I’m not afraid of spiders, snakes, confrontation, traveling, heights (ok, maybe a little).  I’ve survived a bear attack and I’m not afraid of bears.  The one thing that terrifies me is sketchy people.  Now there is some shady stuff going on in my neighborhood and I’ve become a bona fide coward.  I’ll spare you all of the details, mostly because typing them out make me feel a little sick to my stomach, but let’s just say I’m thankful for my pit bull and for my fearless homebody husband who is always on alert and aware of home protection.

Husband and dog aside, I’ve spent a lot of time researching home security tips.  Here is what I’ve learned:

Prevention

There are some really affordable things you can do to make your house less attractive of a target. Signs are a good place to start. You can find them at hardware stores and online. A couple of my favorites are “Beware of Dogs. You Have Been Warned. Not Responsible For Injury or Death” and “Beware of the Dog. The Cat Is Shady as **** Also.” Classy. If those aren’t your speed there are security system signs, just be sure it’s an actual company, and signs alerting people that they’re being recorded.

Additionally, you can make your home less of a target if you trim back shrubbery so that there are less places for jerks to hide, put lights on a timer while you’re out of town, install motion detector outdoor lighting, and don’t be shy about having a dog.

Monitoring

There are plenty of companies who offer monitored home security systems.  They frequently come with installation cost and monthly monitoring fee. Sounds priceless to me, but if that is beyond your means check out DIY systems. Camera technology has improved greatly and for under $300 you can buy a system that monitors your entire house.  There are also alerting systems you can buy and install yourself including door and window sensors.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a company monitoring that type of alarm when it’s triggered, but hopefully the noise alone would be enough to scare off a prowler.

Protection

Personal protection is the next piece of the puzzle. We all know the pros and cons of gun ownership.  I’ll leave that topic alone.  If you’re not interested in owning a gun or you’d like another option there is pepper spray. It can buy you time to get out of your house or keep an intruder at bay until the police arrive.  My husband wouldn’t agree to help me with any live action research, but rumor has it not every spray is created equally.

A neighbor mentioned that he was going to go out and buy a can of bear spray to use as protection.  Makes sense, right? If it can stop a bear it can stop a human. Not so much. Bear spray has the same active ingredient as human pepper spray, but not the same amount. Bear spray is made to scare bears off not incapacitate them.  They also have a stronger sense of smell and sight so they don’t require the stronger level of spray that would be used for a human.  Get the human variety.  There are sprays, gels, and foams, key-chain varieties and law enforcement sized cans. I’d just go ahead and get them all.

Favorite New Tip

Keep your keys next to your bed at night.  We frequently forget about the panic button on our car key fobs. Press it in the middle of the night to alert neighbors and scare potential intruders away.

Click here for a helpful infographic from the Washington Post shows some basics of home burglaries that some of us may not know.

See? Bears aren’t so scary after all.

BearPair

 

 

To all of my perfectly imperfect sisters

February 6th, 2017

A few weeks ago something hit me like a ton of bricks.  I was running with my friend who has a marathon or two under her belt, I’m in the painful early stages of training for my first half marathon.  She has graciously agreed to do my long runs with me outside in the winter. She does most of the talking during our runs because I’m too busy gasping for air, trying not to vomit, and feeling inadequate.  During our run there were several times she mentioned feeling guilty about things.  My friend is a total bada**.  She has a job that requires her to be a supportive ear to many, she has opened her home up as a foster parent, and she’s a wonderful friend who is always willing to listen.

After the run, I got home and checked my email.  A friend had sent me a document to edit. She introduced it by saying it sucked.  She is a strong, funny, and intelligent woman who is a mentor and leader. It didn’t suck. Later that evening, I ran into another friend.  We were trying to catch up, but she had five kids with her.  FIVE kids. It would have been impossible for anyone to have a meaningful conversation in that moment.  After we parted ways she sent me a message apologizing for being frazzled and overwhelmed.

I lost it.  I was so brokenhearted that these amazing women were being so hard on themselves.  Then I reflected for a moment and realized why it was affecting me so intensely. I saw myself in each of them.  The women I’ve surrounded myself are giving and compassionate.  They would never judge anyone as harshly as they judge themselves. I’ve leaned on them during times of heartache and confusion, but all of this has left me wondering how vulnerable we’re willing to be around others if we’re quietly, constantly criticizing ourselves.

I know this is not something that is unique to women, but I think we are far more likely to be critical of our bodies, conversations we have, our parenting, and whether we’re doing enough. I am quick to recognize and appreciate the strength of the women around me, but why don’t I do the same for myself?  I’m not sure of the answer to that question.  As girls were we praised too much for good behavior and taught to seek approval?  Maybe we learned that what others thought of us was more important than celebrating who we were.  Clearly I studied geography, not psychology.  All I know is that I hope as women we learn that we can still hold ourselves to high standards and replace self-flagellation with self-compassion. Life will always be challenging, but let’s not sell ourselves short striving for perfection.

 

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“I am a Woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal Woman, that’s me.” ―Maya Angelou

 



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