Just wanted to pass along this Web page which has a great plan for working up to a 5k run in two months: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml I’ve actually done this plan twice (because after working up to 3 miles I didn’t run again for two years so I had to backtrack) and it’s really effective. I still don’t enjoy running, but at least I feel a a sense of accomplishment that I can do it!
Archive for April, 2009
How to work up to a 5K run
Thursday, April 30th, 2009Wedding dresses for $25 …
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
… are on sale at the American Cancer Society resale store in the Westgate Plaza (is that the right name?) on West Market Street, across from West Point Market. I saw 4 or 5 in the window and they had potential! I actually got my wedding dress at a consignment shop (it still had the original tags – I don’t know what happened to that bride-to-be’s dreams of wedded bliss!). Anyone who knows me knows I consider myself to be on the frugal side, and the thought of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a wedding dress makes me cringe. Anyway, if you need a wedding dress for a wedding (or even a Halloween costume) $25 is quite the deal!
Chocolate and peanut butter …
Thursday, April 30th, 2009why oh why does it have to taste so good together???????????
If you love books, you MUST go to a library book sale!
Sunday, April 26th, 2009The other day I went to the Stow/Munroe Falls Library Book Sale and got 40 books for $14!!! Really, really good books for the kids – most just 3 for $1! There were tons to choose from, but I had to stop after 30 minutes otherwise I would’ve needed a truck to bring them home! The best part was how excited my kids were when they saw them and how they’ve been poring through them ever since. I sure love to see that! Anyway, I’ve only ever been to the Falls and Stow library book sales (Falls is coming up in a couple weeks) – they’re held in the fall and spring – but really, these are fantastic places to buy books on just about any subject, puzzles, music, etc. for next to nothing. Even better, a woman at the sale said she buys books there then donates them right back when she’s done reading them. Now that’s recycling for a good cause!!
$10 Smart Seats for Cirque show a steal!!
Saturday, April 25th, 2009$10 Smart Seats at Playhouse Square was another hit for us! Yesterday on a whim, I bought five tickets for our family to see the Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy for this afternoon. It was SOOOOOOO good!!! Really mesmerizing!!! And only $10 a ticket!!! My husband and I really enjoyed it, and although it’s geared for all ages, our young children didn’t quite “get it.” And who could blame them? It’s hard to understand the incredible athleticism and talent of the performers, from the contortionists to the man who plays drums with juggling balls to the woman who swings from a ring by her hair. Then there was the violinist playing on stage throughout the show, the clever and colorful costumes and scenery, the entertaining prologue … a show that just came off a run on Broadway … all for just $10 a ticket!! That’s what I call a bargain!!
Why don’t they have street-style waffles or fries here?
Friday, April 24th, 2009
So in Brussels, Belgium, you walk through the big touristy area and every third spot is a little place that sells Belgian waffles or fries. These aren’t just any waffles or fries, my friend. We are talking indescribably incredibly, incredibly, incredibly delicious. Like, I had six waffles in two days because I wanted to see how they varied from place to place. Six!!! Plain or covered in Belgian chocolate (which is another story altogether!!) or with a multitude of toppings, they are like nothing you’ve tasted before. The fries, too — I’ve never had any that tasted like this anywhere else, yet they’re all over Brussels. It’s the same story with creperies in Paris or gelato stands in Rome. Why do you have to go across the ocean to find these treats rampant? I know, you can get gelato in Little Italy and there’s a creperie in the Westside Market in Cleveland. But both are 45 min. from Akron — and — one here and there isn’t the same as oodles of them in a row. Trust me, even with a zillion of these waffle and fry places to chose from in Brussels, each one was packed (and trust me, Brussels in January is not peak tourist season!!). But I won’t be greedy, I’d settle for even just one waffle stand (no offense to Wally Waffle, which does have delicious waffles, but it isn’t the same) or crepe stand or gelato stand or fry stand in downtown Akron. (My husband has been searching the Internet in vain trying to find a similar recipe he could make at home but we’ve had no luck so far. Sigh! But if I find one, I’ll be sure to pass it on!)
FREE Art Workshops
Friday, April 24th, 2009I love art … and I love free … so the free art workshops at Summit Artspace (on East Market Street in downtown Akron) are just perfect for me! They are offered to adults from 1 to 3 p.m. a couple Saturdays a month. The workshops tie into the theme of the gallery’s current exhibit. I went to a collage demo last fall and a workshop last Saturday showing two ways to turn photos into art. For the workshop all the supplies were provided so we could actually complete a project from start to finish. Visit their Web site and ask to be put on their mailing list so you can receive notices about upcoming events. By the way, it’s free to see the exhibits and to park, too!
Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet’s “Empty Pot”
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Author Demi signed copies of "The Empty Pot", the book which was performed as a ballet at the Akron Civic Theatre.
Don’t let the “youth” in the troupe’s name fool you — the “kids” who perform in the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet (CVYB) are good — really, really good. In fact, I’m always amazed by how well done, in every respect, their shows are. This year my family and I went to see “The Empty Pot”, which is based on a book by Demi. I actually took my nieces to see the premiere of this performance at the Civic in 2000, so it was very special to take my own children to see it nine years later. This work was preceded by the premiere of “At My BEST”, created by Tom Evert and performed by music by Bobby McFerrin. That was a treat in and of itself. I give the ballet’s artistic director, Mia Klinger, a lot of credit for making her shows so entertaining and professional. I think they only(!) put on two shows a year – one in March and one in December, and I certainly hope I can attend “Nutcracker Swings” in December!
Metroparks’ Daffodil Trail
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
If you ever get a chance in mid-late April, take a short (.6 mile) hike on the Daffodil Trail, on Brush Road in Richfield, part of the Summit County Metroparks. There are nearly 40,00 daffodils planted there and it’s a real treat! A hike there is actually part of our family’s Easter Day tradition. Depending on when Easter falls and the Northeast Ohio weather, we can have a foot of snow and spot only a few dead daffodils or, like this year, we can have perfect weather and daffodils at their peak!
Some favorite children’s books
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009If you’re looking for books for your children or for gifts, these are some of my favorites!
About manners:
“Please Say Please … penguin’s guide to manners” by Margery Cuyler
About unconditional love:
“The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein (I cried every time I read this aloud for the first 600 times)
About conception:
“Where Willy Went” (the big story of a little sperm) by Nicholas Allen (this book is so funny and clever)
About non-traditional families (through adoption or other circumstances):
“The Red Thread” by Grace Lin
“We Belong Together” by Todd Parr
“Little Miss Spider” by David Kirk
About being okay with yourself/others/reassurance:
“It’s okay to be different” by Todd Parr
“My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss
“The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn (our family’s official book for starting kindergarten)
“The Little Bit Scary People” (Emily Jenkins and Alexandra Boiger)
Just fun to read:
“Is your mama a llama?” by Debbie Guarino
Educational:
“Color” by Ruth Heller (a great explanation of the printing process)
“A is for America … an American Alphabet”
“Henry Hikes to Fitchburg” by D.B. Johnson (one in a series of books about Henry David Thoreau; I love the message in this one)
Philosophical:
“The Three Questions” by Jon J. Muth