I Still Have One Follower?

Wow. I haven't posted on this blog since 2009. And I still have a follower! Crazy.

Well, let's see if I can catch myself up to now. Since 2009, I:

• Got pregnant and had my [now 10-month old] daughter


• Changed jobs


• Stopped exercising (just for now, I hope)


• Became a huge advocate for breastfeeding and making my own baby food (though, I am buying jarred, organic meat-based foods for quick consumption and less waste)


• Said goodbye to our long-lived, long-loved pet, Michelle (the wonderdog) *tear*

And since 2009, I have discovered all kinds of good finds that I hope to relay to my one trusted follower in this post (as my initial intention for starting this blog was to talk about the good things that I've discovered).

Because my priorities have shifted, many of the recent good finds I have found are now baby-related (apologies to all my non-breeder or DINK friends). Bear with me, kid-less folks; you might actually find some of these good finds useful.

OneStepAhead.com

Holy-effing-useful products, Batman. This website sells so many incredible baby and kid products that it would take me several blogs to encapsulate it all. Some of the more surprising items sold on this website are eco-friendly, reusable products such as these sandwich wrappers and lunch containers. From toys to clothes to safety products, you can't go wrong with this store.

Ariake Restaurant

Ahh, Japanese restaurants in the suburbs. You usually leave us wanting, but not this time. Ariake Restaurant in Reston, VA, tucked away behind foliage across the road from an unassuming strip mall, is barely noticeable from street view. In fact, I've probably driven by in a million times without so much as a glance in its direction until a former co-worker friend introduced us earlier this year. From then, it was love at first bite.

Inside its small but cozy interior, the servers and sushi chefs exude friendliness. The simple menu (teriyaki, bento boxes, and sushi, mostly) reassure the skittish 'Merican-folk that they won't be venturing too far off the beaten palette. However, their specials will really wow even the super-critical foodies. They have high-chairs for the kiddies and our server even accommodated our request to heat our daughter's food-from-home in the microwave (total plus in my book). The prices are reasonable, and if you go there for lunch during the work week you probably won't have to wait for a table (at least, in my experience).

CustomInk.com

I discovered this website while trying to think of creative and funny Father's Day gift ideas for Josh. To date, I've created and bought 5 personalized t-shirts with my daughter's pictures on them. Yes, I'm one of those parents. Don't hate.

Basically, this website allows people to upload pictures and personalize clothing such as long- and short-sleeved t-shirts, athletic wear, hats, mugs, etc. It's very simple to use and the staff at Custom Ink will contact you if they fear that your design might encounter some snags (such as poor pixelation due to picture size, color issues, and the like). I had to pay sales taxes on my purchases because Custom Ink has a store location in VA (Alexandria, I think). You can customize on name brand apparel such as Hanes and American Apparel, to name a couple. You can choose your brand of clothing from their list, though beware-- depending on brand and color, you may have to meet a minimum item requirement (e.g. "you must buy at least 6 of Brand X shirt in this color"), but if you're not too particular it'll work out fine.

Here are some examples of the shirts I've made:

That's all for now. Hope you are still awake.

Good Finds Part II

1. Nathan's Dairy Bar in Manassas, VA

Off of Route 28 in the heart of Manassas sits a modest ice cream stand called Nathan's Dairy Bar. It offers only outdoor seating, with front row view of Manassas' many strip malls and auto parks, but its dedicated patrons (and their dogs!) are often seen congregating under the multi-colored umbrellas well beyond Nathan's Saturday night closing time of 10pm.

I've only been there once, but it was memorable enough to add it to my Good Finds post. Their expansive menu and flavors seem to constantly be changing, save their old standards. I had a simple vanilla cone (soft serve; all the cones are soft-serve), but the dips make ALL the difference (I had cherry). Delicious! I remember seeing a sour apple ice cream flavor and a butterscotch dip flavor. The next time I go--and I hope the next time is soon--I will try this combo.

Best. Soft Serve. EVER.

2. Mediterranean Charm, by China Glaze

Every girl needs a great red nail polish and I think I may have found mine. China Glaze is quickly becoming my favorite brand of nail polish. Their colors, for one, are AMAZING and fun and so varied, but the staying power of the polish is what keeps me going back to it again and again. They come out with new collections pretty frequently and their finishes range from matte to shimmer to downright sparkle. I haven't bought this color yet but I have a feeling that if I find any free time this weekend, this will be added to my ever-growing nail polish collection. I will also buy the China Glaze base and top coats, as right now I'm using Orly's 2-in-1.

3. Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise

I tried this recipe a couple of weekends ago after catching the episode on the Food Network while waiting for my carpets to be cleaned. Fan-tas-tic! *If* you like rosemary, that is. If you don't, stay as far away from this recipe as possible! The flavors of the garlic and fresh rosemary just pop when combined with the ground chicken, and the mayonnaise holds it all together. One suggestion: don't grill these burgers unless your grill has very small spaces between the grates. Because the mayonnaise is incorporated into the chicken meat before cooking, the texture of the chicken changes, softening, and causing the meat to fall apart easier. I grilled them on my first attempt and about a third of the meat fell through the grates whenever I flipped them. I pan-fried them on my second attempt and they stayed in tact. The taste is almost sausage-y; very fresh yet hearty and fulfilling.

4. Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce

I have made at least three homemade pizzas so far using this sauce and every time I do Josh asks, "What kind of sauce is this? It's GOOD." And it is.

If you're like me, you like your tomato sauces more on the tangy side than the sweet side, and you like your sauces a bit chunky. This sauce is both tangy and chunky with just the right amount a sweet in there for good measure. Goes with any topping. Last night I used some leftover fresh spinach and whole-milk mozzarella.

Trader Joe's pizza sauce comes in a small plastic tub and is located in the refrigerated section near the prepared foods and veggies. It's usually placed next to the Trader Joe's fresh pizza doughs (ya think?), which are also very good. One container is enough for a 16" pizza dough.

Good Finds

I've been searching lately for good finds in all categories: health, beauty, gadgets, restaurants, recipes, you name it. This weekend was an interesting one for good finds, as rather than me seeking them out, they found ME. And the best thing about discovering good finds is sharing them with people, so without further adieu...

1. The Creative Habit, by Twila Tharp.
What's this? A book made the top of my good finds list?! Whatever is the world coming to? :)

Seriously, this book is incredible. I can't stop reading it, absorbing it, thinking about its contents, and despite the assumption that it should only be read by people in creative careers, the suggestions and exercises included in the book will benefit people in all fields. For those who don't know, Twila Tharp is a renowned choreographer who has worked on countless ballets, movies, and Broadway shows. She even conceptualized and created Movin' Out!, the Tony Award-winning show based on the works of Billy Joel, something I hadn't known before reading the book. Josh checked out this book from the library over the weekend after hearing about it over a year ago, and after reading the first two pages I was hooked. I really need to post some of the questions she includes in her "creative autobiography," which is supposed to help the reader discover their creative origin and personality. Very, very interesting stuff. I've already discovered so much about my own creative personality that I didn't know before, and I'm only on page 95.

2. O'Connell's Restaurant in Old Town, Alexandria.
A friend of mine and I decided to grab a bite over the weekend in Old Town, somewhere I hadn't visited for pleasure in a very long time. Because we are both incredibly indecisive people, it took us a long time to choose a place and stick with it. Thanks to a bit of happenstance, we landed at this delightful Irish pub. I tend to order unusual stuff at restaurants, just to try it. Lucky for me I have pretty good epicurean instincts because the meal I ordered was simply divine. It was called, "chick pea and wild mushroom casserole," and it was cooked in a creamy Parmesan sauce. But before our meal came out, we ordered an antipasto (something I didn't know they had in Ireland, but whatever). Delicious! I let my friend eat the pork items (as I don't eat pork or beef), but the Irish wine cheese and the chevre were so incredible, and the haricot verts in vinaigrette with mustard and pear jams were so flavorful topped onto the Irish soda bread. Giving the meal a perfect finishing touch was the Irish hard cider (damn, I wished I had caught the name), which tasted more like a light and crispy, appley champagne. Very, very good restaurant.

3. Light Blue Eau de Toilet, by Dolce & Gabbana.


I had just finished my bottle of perfume from a Christmas gift from my parents, so I was casually looking for a new summer scent when I found one that sounded interesting on Ulta.com. It had notes of citrus and flowers (right up my alley) and the reviews on Ulta.com were all favorable, so I decided to give it a squirt while I was running errands yesterday. WOW. This will be my summer scent (and possibly my fall scent, my winter scent...). Even Josh--who is not a fan of perfumes and colognes--nearly toppled over after smelling my wrist. It's fabulous. What's even more fabulous is I found it on Perfumania.com for 10 bucks cheaper-- hey!

4. Yankee Candles at JC Penney.


Yes, I admit, I am a fan of the Yankee Candles. Typically I buy them at either an official Yankee Candle store or, the next best thing, Bed, Bath & Beyond. Much to my surprise, JC Penney sells them at reduced prices. They can be found over by the catalog order area. They were having a special on selected scents through May 31st, so I picked up a huge jar candle in the Garden Sweet Pea scent for less than 20 bucks (ordinarily they're close to 30). The only downside to this is their selection is small, but if you're there and they have what you want, it's a steal.