5 Fantastic Things | May

Every month that passes means we are one month closer to meeting Denning Beta and in the words of my midwife, “it’s starting to get real”. I didn’t post very much this last month, but that was because we were so busy living life and getting our ducks in row before everything changes. We’ve been working hard, spending time with friends, tackling projects around the house and enjoying the start to a long, hot summer. May was a pretty great month.

5 FANTASTIC THINGS I want to remember:

1. The perfect weather we had for the entire Memorial Day weekend. We took full advantage of it by walking through the neighborhood, catching a Reds game, attending a baby-wearing class, and strolling through Washington Park and we wrapped it up with a neighborhood cook-out under the stars. Perfection.
2. Splurging on a delicious meal to mark the occasion of our friend’s visit home.
3. Enjoying the view in Great American Ballpark for not one, but two impromptu Reds games this month to kick off the season.
4. Sitting on the porch with my sister, drinking Izze and catching up like old times.
5. Experiencing a sense of accomplishment when we figured out a not-so-basic DIY project for our office shelving. Even though it was hard work, it was worth it.

5 FANTASTIC THINGS I’m looking forward to:

1. Seeing friends and family and celebrating Denning Beta at a our baby shower.
2. Making good use of our first grill (just purchased this weekend)!
3. Learning together about childbirth as we attend a series of classes to prepare (as much as one can for something like this).
4. Visiting with my dad and step-mom who will be here for the first time since Christmas!
5. Spending lots of time at the pool cooling off.

Past “5 Fantastic Things” posts:
April // March // February // January // December // November // October //
September // August // July // June // May

Yes Man

Did you ever see that Jim Carrey movie several years ago where he was under a curse and he had to say yes to everything? There were some scenarios of course where saying yes got him into some pretty awkward and undesirable situations, but overall I think the moral was that it’s good to branch out, try new things and say yes to different experiences.

I’d like to think that’s what my friend and I did the other weekend when we said “why not?” to an invitation to attend one of those painting parties. Neither of us had done anything like it before, and while we had our own ideas about what it would be like, we went into it with an open mind and figured if nothing else it was an excuse for a girls night out. Wouldn’t you know we had fun! And whether or not our Starry Starry Night paintings become the new focal point of our living areas, that wasn’t the point. The point was to get outside our comfort zones and outside of our routines and say yes.

Typical Katelyn style would be to turn this into a new goal or challenge for myself where I commit to trying something new each month. I honestly don’t know if I can add anymore goals to my life right now without starting to fail at some, but I am definitely going to keep this in mind the next time I see an interesting event happening around town or the next time I receive an invitation to do something that might be outside of my normal routine. Why not say yes? Regardless of whether it turns out to be the experience of a lifetime, you’ll probably learn something new and have a great story to tell.

What new experiences have you said yes to lately? Isn’t it refreshing to do something different for a change?

5 Fantastic Things | January

As I’m sure most anyone who lives in a region that experiences winter will agree, January has been a brutal one this year. But sharing my 5 fantastic things for that month can only mean that it’s over and we are one month closer to spring.  It wasn’t all bad though. There were plenty of good moments and plenty of time to relax and do the things that we wish we had more time to do the rest of the year, like read, watch movies and dream.

5 FANTASTIC THINGS I want to remember:

1. Brainstorming and sharing our words of the year as part of a New Year celebration with my sister and brother-in-law. I love that we are all so focused on setting goals and being our best selves. Their energy is contagious!
2. Using the snow as an excuse to spend hours of weekend time reading rather than cleaning or other chores. It’s such an indulgence but one that I hope I continue.
3. Seeing movies in the theater! The Academy Awards are always a good reminder that great movies come out almost every weekend during this time of year. I saw Frozen and Philomena, with many more on the to-see list.
4. Buying our first new vacuum cleaner! I know it might not be exciting to everyone, but after using hand-me-downs for years (don’t get me wrong, I am very appreciative mom), opening a brand-new Dyson was pretty amazing. And even more amazing was all of the cat hair that we never knew was getting missed before! Yikes!!
5. Trying several new recipes this month, including some for the slow-cooker (I’d never owned one until Christmas this year). It’s often hard to motivate yourself to try new things in the kitchen during winter when the produce seems to look the same week after week, but it really is a great way to spend your time indoors and the extra heat from the oven never hurt a cold kitchen! (Corn Chowder // Stuffed Bell Peppers)

5 FANTASTIC THINGS I’m looking forward to:

1. Seeing old friends.
2. Tackling a home improvement project, though I haven’t decided yet which one. Maybe painting the kitchen or half bathroom?
3. Watching the Bill Nye debate (online) taking place at the local Creation Museum.
4. Picking up my stashed sweater and re-learning the pattern I selected over a year ago.
5. Learning some new music on the piano thanks to the music books that my sister and brother-in-law sent me.

Past “5 Fantastic Things” posts:
December // November // October // September // August // July // June // May

Large Amount of Gratitude

While Thanksgiving has never been my favorite holiday, I can certainly appreciate a day that allows us to pause and think about how much we really have to give thanks for. We’ve never gone around the dining table sharing what we are thankful for (maybe this year), but I like the idea of saying it out loud. It somehow makes it seem more important that way.  In case I don’t get the chance to share my list tomorrow, I wanted to be sure to say how grateful I am and share those things that are topping my list this year…

• The people who love me unconditionally – my husband, my family and my friends
• Our house and all the projects that come along with it – we are lucky to have a house even if it means lots of extra work
• A job that challenges me, provides for our needs and wants, and has given me some truly wonderful friendships
• My voice and our piano that allow me to fill our house with music
• A healthy, strong body that can run half-marathons, practice yoga, and do everything that I want to do

In addition to giving thanks tomorrow, I’ll be running a 10K downtown Cincinnati, preparing Thanksgiving dinner for my in-laws, putting lights on our tree, and watching White Christmas (an Osborne family tradition). Hope your day is filled with good things and that you find a minute to share what you are thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

8 Things…

I’ve seen this list on a few different blogs over the last couple weeks and have enjoyed reading the perspectives on each. I’ll admit that when I copied this list to answer the questions in my own way, I was reminded of those chain emails that used to circulate back in the day… “forward this or else”. Those usually ended with me. But this one is interesting enough that I’m going to keep it going, if for no other reason than it’s a fun and easy way to share some things about myself that you might not have otherwise known.

There is one thing that I want to point out before you write this off as a superficial activity, as the title may have led you to believe. This list is called ‘8 things a happy woman should have’, not ‘the 8 things that will make a woman happy’. Big difference. Now that we’ve cleared that up, on to the fun…

1. A Go-To Drink – Finding my signature drink is something that I’m working on as a part of my 30 before 30. (“Working on” is code for occasionally thinking about trying new drinks at times when it’s either completely inappropriate to drink or there’s no chance of finding the ingredients I need to mix said drink.) But when I walk into a bar and I’m not drinking beer (Bottingtons) or wine (malbec), I’ll order a gin and tonic…for now.
2. A Go-To Karaoke Song – I don’t frequent the karaoke bars to be honest. I’ve sung in front of many people from the time I was little singing at church to college when I was performing as a music major. But something about singing an unrehearsed song at a bar makes me nervous. If I had to pick a song on the spot, I would probably go for a Carol King song like “It’s Too Late” or Bonnie Raitt’s “Something to Talk About”.
3. A Uniform – This is a tough one as my style is always changing. For awhile now I’ve been gravitating toward button down shirts, well-fitted jeans and a classic pair of flats or boots. I can always dress it up with blazer or sweater, necklace or scarf.
4. A Hairstylist they Love – I have been fortunate enough to find great stylists in the last few places in which I have lived. Maybe it’s because I have a pretty easy haircut now, but either way, I have found Parlour here in Cincinnati and I’m not going anywhere!
5. An Exercise Routine – I enjoy weight training, spinning classes, swimming and many other forms of exercise, but I’ve found in the last couple of years that the two activities that do the most for me both physically and mentally are running and yoga.
6. A Hobby – Have you met me? I have so many hobbies I don’ t know what to do with them all. Those rounding out the top of the list – knitting, reading and blogging.
7. A Best Friend – I have been fortunate to have several best friends. Ones that have come and gone and ones that have stayed. And through it all, I’ve always had my sister, who I consider my best friend. She’s been around the longest and knows exactly where I’m coming from.
8. A Healthy Sense of Self – This will always be a work in progress, but I feel good about who I am at this point in my life and the best version of myself that I am always working toward becoming. I think that is all you can ask.

What do you think? Do you have responses for each of these 8 things? I know it’s not all-inclusive, but it’s a fun list nonetheless.

Resolution Review | Friendships

I’ve been making steady progress these past few weeks in reviewing each of my mantras for 2013 and putting a small change for each into practice. So far, I’m working toward a more simple life by reducing my inbox and learning that I don’t have to do everything in a day – just 3 things. Next up is the mantra…

“Life is Better with Friends”

As life continues to change and friends come and go, I am reminded that friendships are relationships like any other and they require dedication, nurturing, and sometimes even a little work for the ones that are worth it. It’s easy to get distracted with daily activities, work, house projects and hobbies so that weeks will go by before I realize that I haven’t done a thing to invest in my friendships.

If you search ‘how to be a good friend’, you’ll find plenty of articles with advice like listen with an open mind, be honest, challenge each other to be your best selves, call to check-in, etc. Those are all true, but how do you be a good listener or challenge a friend that you don’t see often? Sometimes just providing a little reminder that you’re thinking of someone and you’re there for them if they need you, can be all it takes.

My action item for this next week is to write 5 letters to those friends that I think about but don’t see or haven’t seen in awhile. Just because we can’t grab a drink after work or brunch on Sunday, doesn’t mean I don’t consider their friendship to be an important one. Now, letter-writing is easy for me. I have a huge collection of stationary and I’ve always loved hand-writing letters. But if that’s not your thing, pick up the phone, write an email or send a Facebook message. Everyone needs a reminder now and then that they have great friends and people who think they’re pretty great in return.

Cooking with Caitlin

I know, that’s not how I spell my name, but it is how Caitlin spells her name – Caitlin of Cooking with Caitlin. She’s a local Cincinnati chef and every third Thursday Caitlin hosts an event where guests get the opportunity to experience a 9 course sampling of her amazingly inventive culinary creations. And in June, I was there. I went with several of my co-workers and we had a great time.

It was pretty hard to stick to my many dietary “guidelines“, but well worth the evening of indulgence. Here are a few of the treats we tasted. (all photos courtesy of Cooking with Caitlin)

I can’t even begin to describe the flavors, but I’ll relay what Caitlin says about the ingredients. Top – cucumber, shrimp, avocado and scallions. Bottom – homemade dough, bacon marmalade, pickled peppers and crunchy red onion.

Left – a twist on the breakfast sandwich – served between waffles. Right – burgers with jam (AMAZING) and smoked gouda.

Left – cheesecake with a grilled blackberry. Right – chocolate marshmallow, peanut butter and salty crackers.

Did I mention that she did all of this outside, on a patio, with a grill? The girl has talent. If you’re in the Cincinnati area, definitely try to check out one of the Third Thursday events, and if you’re not, check out her website for recipes and give it a try at home! The best ingredient though? Enjoying great food with friends – there’s nothing better.

5 Types of Friends

In last month’s issue of Real Simple, there was an article titled “5 Types of Friends Everyone Should Have” that got me thinking about friendships and my close friends. Now I realize that it is just a magazine article and not the end all be all when it comes to friendship advice, but I found myself thinking about which one of my friends would fall into which friendship type. And then I wondered what type of friend I am. I think I am pretty sure which “type” comes most naturally to me, but I’m curious to know what you think! What type am I to you?

• The Comic Relief – the friend who makes you laugh and brings humor to the tough times.
• The Life Coach – the friend who invigorates you and makes you eager to achieve your goals or just tackle the everyday.
• The Risk Taker – the friend who introduces you to new ideas, philosophies and activities that you might not have explored otherwise.
• The Challenger – the friend who is brutally honest and challenges, yet educates you.
• The Loyalist – the friend who is at your side even when you’re at your worst.

I think it’s pretty easy to guess that I’m not your comic relief or your risk taker. I can challenge, but it’s not what comes naturally to me. I think I am a loyalist who moonlights as a life coach. Keeping up with friends, through good and bad times, being loyal, that comes easily to me. But in the last couple of years, as I’ve begun to know myself better, and actually, because of this blog, I’ve found myself enjoying the life coach role of encouraging and inspiring friends to set goals and continue to grow. Hopefully someone out there thought of me when they read that type.

And in terms of my friends, I have some who are several “types” to me and then there is a type or two that I think I am missing in my friends. Is that the end of the world? Of course not, I have great friends and this is just an article. But would having a comic relief, for example, make things a bit more fun? Sure. Though judging by the looks of these photos, maybe I’m not missing that at all!

So what about you – what type of friend are you? Do you think it’s important to have friends that span all 5 friend-types? Should we purposefully seek out friends to fill the types that we are missing?

A Weekly No Sugar No Flour Recipe

Remember the no sugar no flour challenge I started this past summer?  You probably assumed that by now the challenge had run its course and I am back to eating pasta, pizza and dessert.  Well, I’m happy to report that the challenge has turned into a lifestyle! I follow the guidelines about 85% of the time, maintaining my weight without being obsessive.   But whenever I mention my dietary guidelines in conversation, the most common response is, “So without sugar or flour, what do you eat?”, to which I always answer “Plenty!” And that’s answering as an lacto-ovo pescatarian!  In all honesty though, when I cut out sugar and flour, I found that my appetite was much more consistent and I don’t need as much to feel full.

To prove that you can still eat well without two very popular ingredients, I’m going to start a weekly series to share a no sugar, no flour recipe that I have tried and enjoyed myself. I’m not planning to turn this into a food blog – I’m no gourmet chef and taking pictures of food is not my forte.  So the focus will be on providing ideas for dishes (should you want to adopt this “lifestyle”) and motivating me to expand my own recipe repertoire and try new things.

Why not start off with a bang and share with you the full meal that Phil and I prepared for our monthly dinner party of 6? We tried all new recipes – major risk I know, but luckily they all turned out really well.  And yes, I know that bread has flour in it and yes, I may have had a piece (homemade by my husband – I could not refuse), but 1 out of 5 is pretty good if you ask me.  Click any of the images for the full recipe and give a no sugar, no flour dish a try!

No-knead Bread* by Mark Bittman
(served with assorted cheeses selected by Whole Foods)

Image via

Rainbow Chopped Salad by bon appetit

Winter Minstrone by Moosewood Restaurant

Image via

Roasted Harvest Vegetables with Quinoa by a couple cooks

Brussel Sprouts by Philip
(recipe created on the fly!)

Bon appetite!

*This recipe contains flour.

Let’s do this 2013

I go back and forth as to how I feel about New Year’s resolutions, and because of that I’m not very consistent year to year in creating any.  But frankly, I don’t need the new year to set goals for myself.  Have you read my blog lately?  It seems I always have a challenge or a goal in the works…diet, running, reading, 30 before 30 and more.

A friend of mine is writing a mantra for the year; something that he can repeat to stay focused on who he wants to be and what he wants to accomplish.  I think it’s a great idea, and admirable, but I struggle to consolidate my thoughts into a single blog post, let alone a mantra for the entire year.  But a variation of this could work quite well for me.

For 2013, I am going to focus on 5 priorities, each with its own mantra.  I will try my best to focus my time, my goals and my frame of mind to support one of these priorities and I will revisit each mantra regularly to remind myself of my direction for the year.

Life is Better | Live Simply | Know Your Limits | Be a Starter | You Can Do Anything

Do you have a personal mantra or a set of priorities that you revisit each year?