Planning for Spontaneity

Posted by Marie Williams on June 10, 2010

As I get older and discover more about myself, I’ve learned that I love to be spontaneous.

I love to have moments where I randomly decide to meet up with a friend, or attend an event, or cook a meal. Light a candle, take a bath, or book a massage in the middle of the day.

I find that some of my favorite posts for this blog are ones that were written on the fly from an idea born out of a quiet moment. What gets in the way of that spontaneity is the other demands in my life. Career demands, social commitments, and other responsibilities often book up all of my free time so there’s no room for spontaneity left. Continue reading →

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Celebrating Terry’s Birthday

Posted by Marie Williams on June 9, 2010

Terry at Brothers, our favorite place to get Korean BBQ in San Francisco

Today is Terry’s birthday. I’m so happy and lucky to know him. Every day, he pushes me to be a better person and supports me in my quest to live a more remarkable life. In his honor, I’m going to tell the story of how we first met.

Continue reading →

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A Vacation By the Sea

Posted by Marie Williams on June 8, 2010

I went to Mendocino for Memorial Day weekend, where I soaked up the sun and made the rounds at various wineries and breweries in the area. I had been incredibly excited leading up to this trip, since it was the first destination vacation I have had in quite a while. It was so nice to take a break from everyday life and unplug for a bit.

I have so much I’m trying to do it’s hard to spend quality time taking photos, so this weekend was a perfect opportunity to take hundreds of shots. Here are some of my favorite photos from the weekend, many of which I’m very proud of. The full set is on Flickr.

This is my favorite shot of the bunch. I was so pleased to have captured the seagull flying through the air.

Continue reading →

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Window Shopping for iPad Cases

Posted by Marie Williams on May 28, 2010

Instead of plunking down the cash for an expensive designer bag or $200 jeans, technology is where I spend the big bucks. So don’t give me any crap when I tell you I bought an iPad, because I love it. It has simplified my life in so many ways by acting as a multi-use device. I use it for so many activities: reading, gaming, research, movie watching. It has been worth the investment so far. And while I already have a solid iPad case (a gift from Terry when he bought a prettier, more functional case) that hasn’t stopped me from eyeing what’s out there.

Here are my favorites found from roaming the Internets and getting the heads up from cool sites Terry came across. Continue reading →

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Rediscovering My Love of Water

Posted by Marie Williams on May 27, 2010

Glass | Water | Light | Shadow by tim.perdue on Flickr

When I was a kid, my favorite drink was water. I’m not kidding. Grownups would ask me what my favorite drink was and I would shout, “Water! I love water!” I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, and given my mom’s profession as a nutritionist, water was just what I drank instead of other sweet drinks like soda (the latter beverages weren’t really allowed in our house, and my Mom even used to dilute the fruit juice my sister and I drank with water; thanks, Mom!). It tasted so sweet and refreshing to me, and I’m so glad that’s how I was raised.

Fast forward to today and my relationship with water has definitely soured quite a bit. Continue reading →

Posted in Health & Fitness | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Taking Back the Weekend

Posted by Marie Williams on May 26, 2010

I did a back-of-the-envelope calculation of how much time I have during the week, how much time my base commitments take up out of that time (including sleep, work, meals, grooming/showering/prep, exercise etc.) and then how many hours I have left for free time and going after my personal goals.

I ended up with 37 hours left to spend on the projects of my choice. It seems like a lot, but it’s actually not, because my weekends are often a huge waste of this free time because I don’t plan appropriately. If Saturday and Sunday are just lounge days, that’s 14 hours per day – and 28 over the entire weekend – that is getting taken out of my free time bank. Continue reading →

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A Post-Yoga Snack

Posted by Marie Williams on May 25, 2010

I’ve started taking Bikram Yoga classes for the first time. The warmth of the room has been great for my muscles, and I always emerge from class exhausted, incredibly sweaty, and famished for some good wholesome food.

For these post-yoga meals I gravitate toward fresh vegetables and slices of my favorite cheese, like Jarlsberg, for a little protein. One recent evening I added some makeshift bruschetta from a loaf of french bread and pico de gallo with fresh tomatoes. It’s always nice to be able to whip something up really quickly when you’re beat from exercise and need some healthy nourishment. What are your favorite post-workout snacks?

Continue reading →

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The Soothing Aroma of a Good Candle

Posted by Marie Williams on May 7, 2010

I love candles. When I was living with my parents just out of college, my dad used to get after me for burning them in the house since he thought they were dangerous. He may have had a point, but nonetheless there were few things more comforting to me than burning a lovely smelling candle in my room at night. It was the perfect way to relax into the evening and prepare mentally for sleep. Continue reading →

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Banana Bread, a Tasty Morning Snack

Posted by Marie Williams on May 6, 2010

As a result of living the Food Matters lifestyle, I am often left with a few pieces of rapidly spoiling fruit I need to dispose of. I had been watching my bananas get brown at an alarming rate, and quite serendipitously I read a recent post by Mark Bittman about his delicious banana bread recipe. Which is perfect for overripe bananas.

I took it as a sign that my nearly inedible bananas were destined for another life as banana bread. Continue reading →

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