I'll sleep in my own bed tonight!
And tomorrow I'll go for a run on familiar streets, free from clouds of secondhand smoke, in an area where I *know* people. After that, I'll go to my own church with my own family, have lunch that (hopefully) doesn't come from a restaurant, not surrounded by hundreds of strangers, and restock my full-sized refrigerator with beautiful fresh produce from the grocery store a few blocks away.
Home, sweet home! It was a good trip, but man, it's nice to be in our own space again.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
With a little help from my friends...
I mean, Trader Joe's and the Marriott breakfast buffet, I was able to refuel with steel-cut oats topped with walnuts after my 4-mile run this morning. While I do appreciate having things I don't buy at home, like bagels and cream cheese, when we travel, having them fairly often for two weeks isn't very smart. Granted, I have been mixing it up a little--eggs and toast, English muffin and peanut butter, fruit and yogurt--but it still felt really nice to get back to those old familiar oats.
Today the little guy told me he's "done with Phillyadelphia" and wants to go back to Michigan now. When I mentioned that maybe he'd get to have his new big boy bed for his birthday and not his crib* anymore, he clapped and said, "Yeah, and not a couch!" Poor kid...he's been an AMAZING traveling buddy, as usual, but it's quite apparent that he's tired of the nomad lifestyle. We have one more full day here, ending with a laid-back pizza dinner with my friend and her family. Oh, and packing. Lots and lots of packing.
(Has anyone ever shipped their dirty laundry home to lighten the suitcases on the return trip? Anyone?)
*Yep, it's true. As of two weeks ago, we still had our almost-three-year-old in a crib. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, after sleeping very well in a queen bed, a toddler bed, and on a couch made up as a bed, we think going back to the crib especially when he is nearly potty trained, would make it broke. :(
Today the little guy told me he's "done with Phillyadelphia" and wants to go back to Michigan now. When I mentioned that maybe he'd get to have his new big boy bed for his birthday and not his crib* anymore, he clapped and said, "Yeah, and not a couch!" Poor kid...he's been an AMAZING traveling buddy, as usual, but it's quite apparent that he's tired of the nomad lifestyle. We have one more full day here, ending with a laid-back pizza dinner with my friend and her family. Oh, and packing. Lots and lots of packing.
(Has anyone ever shipped their dirty laundry home to lighten the suitcases on the return trip? Anyone?)
*Yep, it's true. As of two weeks ago, we still had our almost-three-year-old in a crib. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, after sleeping very well in a queen bed, a toddler bed, and on a couch made up as a bed, we think going back to the crib especially when he is nearly potty trained, would make it broke. :(
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
How to not feel like a boat...
after eating at the Hard Rock Cafe: order two shrimp skewers (total: 12 large grilled shrimp) and a side of "confetti rice" (mixed with pea pods, corn, broccoli). It was more filling than it sounds, but still way lighter than any of the other options. I love that HRC lists the calorie *and* sodium counts of each item on their menu. Too much salt in a day makes me feel gross. I was very happy with this lightly satisfying dinner after almost two weeks of meals-from-menus!
The H and I ground some of our Ocean City Blend (decaf) coffee after the little guy went to bed, and now I'm perusing some running routes for tomorrow morning. Philly is a really cool city, FYI. I just wish there weren't so many people smoking everywhere we walk... :z
The H and I ground some of our Ocean City Blend (decaf) coffee after the little guy went to bed, and now I'm perusing some running routes for tomorrow morning. Philly is a really cool city, FYI. I just wish there weren't so many people smoking everywhere we walk... :z
Monday, June 13, 2011
First day in Philly
After a whirlwind tour of the great state of Pennsylvania, we arrived safely in Philadelphia last night. Our hotel room is situated in a way that we have a great view of "dat building wif dat man on it" according to the little guy. He and I spent the morning exploring our surroundings, playing on the giant game pieces at the municipal building, and bumming around Trader Joe's. Yum. I picked up a few snacks for us to have around this week (string cheese, hummus, rice crackers, dark chocolate) and some breakfast options (bananas, steel-cut oats, gluten-free Puffins cereal) to have when the breakfast buffet gets wearying. We had lunch in our room before he went down for an early nap. Being pushed around in a stroller for a few hours is apparently very hard work for this almost-three-year-old.
Post-nap found us in search of the Bath & Body Works I found on Google Maps (I need more lotion! It's all on sale!) and killing time waiting for The H to get back from work. For dinner, we ended up at a teeny little non-chain place called Giorgio on Pine. And that is where we wish we could spend the rest of our week.
Service was friendly, attentive, helpful, and fun. Portions were massive. They were *great* with the little guy, who wasn't so sure about this "fancy" place. It's a BYOB restaurant, but we didn't have any B (or W, actually) so that didn't matter. The owner, Giorgio, who recognized us from the phone call The H had made asking about a kids' menu, included a complementary creme brulee for dessert, after making sure The H was aware of all their (delicious) gluten-free options. Once he knew The H was gluten free, Giorgio brought The H his own package of crispy GF breadsticks so he could enjoy the garlic-infused dipping oil, too. We plan to go back, even if it's just for a splurge dessert or cappuccino later in the week.
Tomorrow, the little guy and I are off to visit a friend, whom I haven't seen since roughly 1999, and meet her little boy! Wish us luck on the train. I'm a big fat chicken about handling my impossibly wiggly monkey child on public transportation.
Post-nap found us in search of the Bath & Body Works I found on Google Maps (I need more lotion! It's all on sale!) and killing time waiting for The H to get back from work. For dinner, we ended up at a teeny little non-chain place called Giorgio on Pine. And that is where we wish we could spend the rest of our week.
Service was friendly, attentive, helpful, and fun. Portions were massive. They were *great* with the little guy, who wasn't so sure about this "fancy" place. It's a BYOB restaurant, but we didn't have any B (or W, actually) so that didn't matter. The owner, Giorgio, who recognized us from the phone call The H had made asking about a kids' menu, included a complementary creme brulee for dessert, after making sure The H was aware of all their (delicious) gluten-free options. Once he knew The H was gluten free, Giorgio brought The H his own package of crispy GF breadsticks so he could enjoy the garlic-infused dipping oil, too. We plan to go back, even if it's just for a splurge dessert or cappuccino later in the week.
Tomorrow, the little guy and I are off to visit a friend, whom I haven't seen since roughly 1999, and meet her little boy! Wish us luck on the train. I'm a big fat chicken about handling my impossibly wiggly monkey child on public transportation.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Eatin' on the cheap...on vacation??
Usually when we travel with The H, we've on the company dime. We try to use some of his daily food allowance to buy us ingredients--healthy meal/snack options--so we're not forced to eat out every night. But this week we're on our own, and I don't want that to mean all restaurants, all the time. First, because it can be expensive, and second, because I don't want to rely on fat- and salt-laden meals all week!
The past two days we've spent nothing out-of-pocket on food until dinnertime, and one of those days included a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo.
We're fortunate to be staying at a hotel that sets out a fantastic continental breakfast spread every morning (included with the room rate). If we eat here, and bring a few extras back to our room for later, we can easily do lunch on the cheap. This time we took advantage of the little guy's insulated lunch box--previously filled with airplane activities-- and the icemaker in our room, and were able to pack a lovely little picnic for (nearly) free.
Here's what we had at the zoo:
The H: a few hardboiled eggs, gluten-free pretzels, and hummus (from our small grocery trip Monday), plus an apple and yogurt from breakfast.
The little guy and I: PB&J on wheat with peach yogurts (all from breakfast); he also had pretzels and hummus and some bites of apple while I had cantaloupe from breakfast.
We all brought our own water bottles, too. Having lunch this way saved us *at least* $30 (I think that's a conservative estimate) that we then had available for dinner. Plus, not having eighty zillion (unhealthy) choices in front of us, we all stuck to what we'd brought and that was that. No tantrums about this fried meal or that frozen treat! Love it.
Today's lunch was brought to us by "Kate's Tendency to Overpack and Plan for the Worst." Before we left MI, I tucked a few microwaveable soups and a box of GF mac 'n' cheese into my suitcase, in case we didn't have time to grab dinner at the airport between flights. My leftovers from dinner + macaroni for my boys + applesauce + more hardboiled eggs + chicken-rice soup = "free" lunch again! This was after we had breakfast in our room, which was a combination of grocery-store acquisitions and continental breakfast.
We even went so far as to bring our own coffee (and grinder...) on this trip, not really to save money, but because we're weenies.
Every time we travel with The H, one (or both) of us complains that hotel coffee "just isn't the same" as our freshly-roasted-from-a-local-roaster java at home. So yeah, it took us this long to figure out that if we bring our own, that's not an issue! SMRT, I tell ya. We've been augmenting it with half-and-half from the breakfast buffet.
How do you (or DO you?) look for ways to save money on vacation?
The past two days we've spent nothing out-of-pocket on food until dinnertime, and one of those days included a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo.
We're fortunate to be staying at a hotel that sets out a fantastic continental breakfast spread every morning (included with the room rate). If we eat here, and bring a few extras back to our room for later, we can easily do lunch on the cheap. This time we took advantage of the little guy's insulated lunch box--previously filled with airplane activities-- and the icemaker in our room, and were able to pack a lovely little picnic for (nearly) free.
Here's what we had at the zoo:
The H: a few hardboiled eggs, gluten-free pretzels, and hummus (from our small grocery trip Monday), plus an apple and yogurt from breakfast.
The little guy and I: PB&J on wheat with peach yogurts (all from breakfast); he also had pretzels and hummus and some bites of apple while I had cantaloupe from breakfast.
We all brought our own water bottles, too. Having lunch this way saved us *at least* $30 (I think that's a conservative estimate) that we then had available for dinner. Plus, not having eighty zillion (unhealthy) choices in front of us, we all stuck to what we'd brought and that was that. No tantrums about this fried meal or that frozen treat! Love it.
Today's lunch was brought to us by "Kate's Tendency to Overpack and Plan for the Worst." Before we left MI, I tucked a few microwaveable soups and a box of GF mac 'n' cheese into my suitcase, in case we didn't have time to grab dinner at the airport between flights. My leftovers from dinner + macaroni for my boys + applesauce + more hardboiled eggs + chicken-rice soup = "free" lunch again! This was after we had breakfast in our room, which was a combination of grocery-store acquisitions and continental breakfast.
We even went so far as to bring our own coffee (and grinder...) on this trip, not really to save money, but because we're weenies.
Every time we travel with The H, one (or both) of us complains that hotel coffee "just isn't the same" as our freshly-roasted-from-a-local-roaster java at home. So yeah, it took us this long to figure out that if we bring our own, that's not an issue! SMRT, I tell ya. We've been augmenting it with half-and-half from the breakfast buffet.
How do you (or DO you?) look for ways to save money on vacation?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Hello, New Jersey!
This is my first time in NJ, and the first week of our 14-day adventure with The H. I started the week with a lovely run from our hotel Monday morning. Although I started a bit fast, it felt GREAT to be running without a training plan hanging over my head! (FYI, the majority of that third mile was downhill!)
After I refueled (peanut butter toast, yogurt, melon) and got cleaned up, we set out for the Adventure Aquarium, where the little guy had a blast watching sharks, penguins, seals, and fish. He almost didn't stay awake through lunch, but lucky for us took a two-hour nap once we got back to our room. Whew!
Post-nap = pool. The water was a bit chilly (it was kind of breezy out) but I bet in a few days when the temp hits 98* or higher we will find ourselves there again. For dinner, we gladly gave our business to Pizza Pomodoro, which advertises an extensive gluten-free menu. Yay! A bit of brief grocery shopping followed, then it was home for bed. Whew! Great first day--looking forward to the rest of the week.
I forgot the camera cable, so no pics until I figure out how to upload from my phone or 'til I have The H load the memory card into his laptop...but trust me, there will be some! (Think: little guy in a full-body rashguard/wetsuit, complete with built-in Superman-esque swim floaties at the chest and back...)
| Split | Moving Time | Distance |
| 1 | 0:08:34 | 1 |
| 2 | 0:08:34 | 1 |
| 3 | 0:08:03 | 1 |
| 4 | 0:08:31 | 1 |
| 5 | 0:08:23 | 1 |
| 6 | 0:00:23 | 0.05 |
| Summary | 0:42:28 | 5.05 |
After I refueled (peanut butter toast, yogurt, melon) and got cleaned up, we set out for the Adventure Aquarium, where the little guy had a blast watching sharks, penguins, seals, and fish. He almost didn't stay awake through lunch, but lucky for us took a two-hour nap once we got back to our room. Whew!
Post-nap = pool. The water was a bit chilly (it was kind of breezy out) but I bet in a few days when the temp hits 98* or higher we will find ourselves there again. For dinner, we gladly gave our business to Pizza Pomodoro, which advertises an extensive gluten-free menu. Yay! A bit of brief grocery shopping followed, then it was home for bed. Whew! Great first day--looking forward to the rest of the week.
I forgot the camera cable, so no pics until I figure out how to upload from my phone or 'til I have The H load the memory card into his laptop...but trust me, there will be some! (Think: little guy in a full-body rashguard/wetsuit, complete with built-in Superman-esque swim floaties at the chest and back...)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Well that flew by...
Has it really already been a week since we headed up to Traverse City for the marathon? Having a shortened week/long weekend to kick off this past week kind of messed me up. Here it is, Friday again, and I feel like it's only Wednesday. I suppose there are worse things...
Today is a whirlwind of laundry, packing, and shopping for me as we get ready for our two-week trip to Pennsylvania. Got any great "must-see" recommendations, or a gluten-free restaurant we should try?
Our meals for the past week were more or less cobbled together at the last minute, but pretty decent if I must say so myself. Last night we had grilled cubed round steak, corn on the cob, leftover potato salad, and fresh-from-the-co-op grilled asparagus. I used grapeseed oil instead of olive oil on the asparagus, which I don't recommend, but otherwise it was a good meal. We've also had one of my favorites, "fridge cleanout pizza." It was topped with mushrooms, green pepper, onion, and co-op beef pepperoni. YUM.
Tonight I'll probably throw some chicken breast on the grill, sauce it with Trader Joe's BBQ sauce, make some rice or quinoa as a side, and grab a green veggie at the farmer's market while I'm running errands. How handy that I just discovered a new market right near where I'll be shopping today!
Today is a whirlwind of laundry, packing, and shopping for me as we get ready for our two-week trip to Pennsylvania. Got any great "must-see" recommendations, or a gluten-free restaurant we should try?
Our meals for the past week were more or less cobbled together at the last minute, but pretty decent if I must say so myself. Last night we had grilled cubed round steak, corn on the cob, leftover potato salad, and fresh-from-the-co-op grilled asparagus. I used grapeseed oil instead of olive oil on the asparagus, which I don't recommend, but otherwise it was a good meal. We've also had one of my favorites, "fridge cleanout pizza." It was topped with mushrooms, green pepper, onion, and co-op beef pepperoni. YUM.
Tonight I'll probably throw some chicken breast on the grill, sauce it with Trader Joe's BBQ sauce, make some rice or quinoa as a side, and grab a green veggie at the farmer's market while I'm running errands. How handy that I just discovered a new market right near where I'll be shopping today!
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