Caroline Peterson

Do what you can, Caroline.

January 14, 2015 By Caroline Peterson

I ran 4.5 miles this past weekend.

Real talk: I walked about the last 1.5 of it.

And I was pissed.

I’ve honestly been battling a nasty respiratory virus for the last 3 weeks. Including an infected tonsil. (Did I mention I had my tonsils taken out as a kid? Don’t ask…) The week before that, I had a nice stomach bug. So, basically, I’ve been sick for a solid month.

Urgent Care Selfie! (Infected tonsil not shown.)

After 2 doctor visits – I’m on the mend. I only want to hack up my left lung for the first 5 minutes of the day as opposed to every hour. But, I started coughing a lot during mile 3 and knew I needed to pull back and give myself a break.

Side note: Why don’t I have rock hard abs after weeks of coughing? It’s a cruel, cruel world.

My half-marathon training has taken a real hitÂ with this plague I’ve been blessed with. And I’m scared shitless. In reality, I’ve still run more than I did this time last year during training. And with my 9.5 mile run this upcoming Saturday, I’m actually right on target for the long run trainings from last year, when I completed my first half, but was technically behind on my training.

So, what am I bummed about?

I wanted to do better. I wanted more long-runs logged prior to my half-marathon this year. I wanted to feel confident going into the race when my head was full of doubts last year. I wanted this year to beÂ different.

Reality: it probably won’t. I have 1 month left until the half-marathon.

<sigh>

But, you know what I told myself on mile 3 when I started coughing and wheezing and wanting to punch the next person I saw gliding by on their morning run?

“Do what you can, Caroline. Do what you can.”

I could only walk. But that’s what I did. I did what I could. (Plus, I had to get back home somehow. Minor detail.)

So often we look at something as we’re either all in and succeed or it’s a total failure.

NOT TRUE.

That’s how most diets work in the New Year too, right? You’re either 100% perfect and the first time you take a nibble of that ooey-gooey brownie? “Well, I’ve done it. I’ve totally messed up and ruined it. Now pass me those fries!”

After a long Friday night (don’t ask…) I decided to sleep in Saturday and get up early Sunday morning instead toÂ run. But when I looked at the forecast on Saturday, it was solid rain all day on Sunday. So I laced up my shoes, put on my bullet-proof vest ofÂ a sports bra and walked out the door for my long run at 10 a.m.

It was only 72 degrees, which I’ll take any day of the week. But being sick, taking a week off from running, usually running earlier in the day when it’s less sunny, not being prepared mentally to run and hitting a wall only at mile 1.5, I knew I had to make a decision. With sweat dripping down my blotchy red face and doubt creeping into my head, I had to decide to turn back now or keep going.

So I sucked it up, blasted some Lady Gaga (don’t judge) and ran as far as I could until I knew I’d be doing more harm than good.

But, you know what, I did it. I completed it. Not in a great time. Not feeling that runners high that I’ve been missing for so long. I did it. I have to remind myself of that.

There’s a great health movement by one of my favorite bloggers, Roni’s Weigh:

#wycwyc

What you can. When you can.

Just simmer on that puppy for bit. No, really. Let it roll off your tongue with clarity and inspiration. What if you treated all obstacles in your life like that? You do what you can, when you can.

“Well I don’t have time for a full half hour of cardio, so I’ll skip it today.”

No way, turd.

Do what you can. If that’s 10 minutes of walking around your office, do it. Ate too many left over holiday cookies yesterday? Cool. Join the club. Have a healthy breakfast and lunch today.

The key is to move on. Keep doing what you can, when you can.

No pressure for perfection.Â Do you know how liberating that is?

As I looked at my Garmin and hit mile 3, I knew I wouldn’t be breaking any personal records. I was really starting to get pissed when I reminded myself of #wycwyc. And believe it or not, I calmed the eff down, backed away from the cliff, turned up my tunes and actually enjoyed a nice 1.5 mile walk. It was a gorgeous day and I can’t remember the last time I just…walked.

I wouldn’t have had that mindset even a year ago.

“Do what you can, Caroline. Do what you can.”

My lungs thanked me later.

Now get out there. Forgive yourself for not being perfect. And do what you can, when you can.Â

Help Choose our Next Adventure for July

January 11, 2015 By Caroline Peterson

Med school complicates everything, including having any control over our schedule.

Our wedding? The hubster had to move mountains toÂ find out the schedule for the following semester so we could, you know, plan our nuptials. We never got a final answer and took a guess. A good guess! (Not joking…)
Honeymoon? Didn’t know what his break schedule would be until, you know, theÂ week the Fall semester began.
Holidays together? HA. Hahahahahahahaha.

So, when we actually knew he would have a break in July 2015, my type-A-planner-little-heart burst with joy! WE CAN PLAN OUR NEXT ADVENTURE NOW!

This is where YOU come in.

In general, we know we want to head back to SE Asia. We fell in love with Cambodia. We liked Thailand as well, but something about Cambodia pulled at our hearts. So, I think we want to head back and explore another city and then more countries in SE Asia.

My intention is to use miles toÂ flyÂ (hopefully in ourÂ first lie-flat seats). Nearly all our major miles are withÂ Delta and it has a pretty good hold on the Asian region for flight options. I also want to use my points for hotels and spend as little as possible in other off-the-beaten-path guesthouses. Read: $5 a night. Nope. Not joking.

All thatÂ said, I’m not opposed to hearing from you about otherÂ places to explore.

South Korea. China. Japan. Hong Kong. Australia. Colombia. South Africa. Morocco. Czech Republic. Turkey. The Netherlands. France.Â MyÂ list goes on…

Ultimately, the decision will be ours. I gave my husband a deadline of mid-January to let me know where we should go and I’ll make all the plans and arrangements. That’s the fun part!

But I want to hear what YOU think.

Keep in mind we’re not luxury travelers. We like a nice combination of “roughing it” and splurging on an exotic day-trip or a nice night in a hotel with a great bar on the roof overlooking the night skyline. We probably won’t travel with more than a carry-on/backpack. We ideally would have 2 weeks to work with.

Now it’s your turn:

What other countries do you think we should consider?
Where would you recommend to goÂ in SE Asia?Â
Where have youÂ gone and would you recommend?Â

Once our decision is made, I’ll post it here to begin the planning festivities. Grab your partyÂ pants and get them ironed, you guys. This is going to be fun!

More smiling pics like this to come! Railay Beach, Thailand — More smiling pics like this to come!
Railay Beach, Thailand

How to: Valentine’s Day Wreath

January 7, 2015 By Caroline Peterson

Apparently a Valentine’s Day wreath I made andÂ uploadedÂ on Pinterest over 2Â years ago is making quite the rounds this year. Over 1,750 repins so far! So, as I put in my goals for 2015, I’m going utilize Pinterest more on my blog.

Hello, Pinteresters!

Thanks for stopping by!Â My name is Caroline. I’m a rad gal without much of a filter. (Lucky you.) You can find out more about me here. I’d love to have you stick around as a reader. We’re fun people ’round these parts. Plus, we drink good beer!

You can also follow me here:

Now, since I uploaded this picture over 2 years ago and didn’t have the intention of writing step-by-step instructions, I only have a picture of the final product, rather than each step.

But, never fear! This is so easy that even my cat, who lacks opposable thumbs and often coordination, could still whip this pretty thang together.

You’ll need:

Wreath foam of any size that you’re feelin’ (get at any craft store)
Grey Yarn
Red & Pink Felt
Big spankin’ Ribbon of any color you desire (you’ll hang the wreath from this)
Hot Glue Gun

Instructions:

Place a small dab of hot glue anywhere on the wreath foam.
Take the end of the grey yarn and place it on the hot glue to secure the yarn.
Start wrapping the yarn, line-by-line so there are no gaps, around the wreath until you’re back where you started.
Cut the yarn and dab hot glue on top of that piece to secure it.
Cut an equal amount of hearts from the red and pink felt (I needed 7 and traced each heart from the original heart I cut from the felt.)
Place hearts equal distance from each other in alternating directions around the wreath.
Secure each heart into position with hot glue.
Use the same gray yarn and wrap it around the wreath acrossÂ each heart, going clockwise, and then hot glue the end once you’ve made it fully around.
Next, go counterclockwise with the yarn, and make sure you make an “X” over each heart around the wreath one last time.Â Hot glue the endÂ again.
Grab that big spankin’ bow and hang it for all to see!

‘Das it!

Again, I wish I had step-by-step pics, but I never thought this little guy would take off like it did. Tip of the hat to RemodelaholicÂ who inspired this wreath. You can find her wreath here.

Any questions or want to shower me with compliments? (Is itÂ fishingÂ for compliments if you just ask?)Â Â Give me a shout in the comments.Â

Thanks for stopping by!

Lean, Mean 2015

January 4, 2015 By Caroline Peterson

They say if you don’t write down your goals, they are merely just dreams that will never be achieved. Or something hokey and bullshitty like that.

I’m not a big New Years Resolution gal. Probably because by day 3 I’ve already broken one of them and by day 30 I’m right back in the comfort zone I was in the previous year. So I don’t like saying, “This is it. This is the year. This is the new me!”

I sort of like me and stuff anyway.

That said, there are things I’d like to achieve in 2015 beyond the typical “lose weight” goals.

2015 Goals

Blog

Join a blog network and start expanding readers. I wanted to wait 6 months after re-vamping my blog to do this, in order to have readers and an accumulation of posts. Now is the time.
Gain more followers on Twitter and Facebook. While I’ve mainly focused on Facebook, I want to include Twitter more. #hashtagsareyourfriend
Choose one medium for all my social networks, that can push blog posts to all of them. Any suggestions, friends?
Include more videos. You all can’t WAIT to see my pretty face. I’m looking for a good WordPress widget for videos. Any suggestions, friends?
Write more about “travel hacking.” Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? It is.
Gain more freelance writing work. I make a living as aÂ copywriter and want to put those skills to more use with freelance writing gigs beyond my blog.
Feature sponsored posts, guest writers and perhaps open up advertisements. I go back and forth with advertising on my blog, but it’s something to at least explore. I don’t want to take away from the authenticity of this site. It has to be a good fit.

Life

Travel somewhere new in July. The hubster has the month of July off. I gave him a deadline of mid-January to choose where we should go and I’ll plan it all. I’M SO EXCITED!
Read a damn book. I write for a living, so obviously, reading is a huge part of that. Sometimes the last thing I want to do is read a book when I get home after I’ve proofed presentation after presentation for Art Directors. Last year, I only read travel books. Â Lame-o.
Give up TV for one month. AHH! Even writing that makes me sad. I want to test it out and see how much or little it affects my life. I’m a huge boob tube fan. This is going to suck.
Learn more Spanish. I live in South Florida. I work with some amazing LatinosÂ who are always testing my Spanish. I bought Rosetta Stone and will pick it back up in no time. Wish me buena suerte!

Health

Lose 15 pounds. It’s doable for me. Baby steps. I don’t want to put out a high number into the universe and then beat myself up when I don’t achieve it. When I hit 15 and want to lose more, I’ll decide that number then.
Incorporate more lifting in my workouts. Right now it’s all running while training for the half-marathon. I need to strength train more, I feel so much better and my clothes fit so much better when I lift.
Allow myself to buy pre-packaged meals.Â I’m a stickler for making things from scratch, but if I need to throw in a bag of pre-packaged brown rice into the microwave in order to save time and not just “give in” and order out, I’ll allow it. Same with pre-cut veggies. Notice pre-packaged doesn’t necessarily mean pumped with preservatives and awful for you. Guys, I don’t allowÂ microwave popcorn in our household (because it’s AWFUL for you) so this is a big step. Balance, my friends. Balance.
Run 2 half-marathons. Yup. I’m putting it out in the universe. TWO. Last year after I completed my goal of running my firstÂ half marathon, I just stopped running long distances for months. Not good. I’m finding another one after my half in February.
Get up each morning at 6am. That used to be my norm. But lately it’s definitely taken a back seat to staying up late and “sleeping in” until 7:30. I want to start my day off right. Chill, eat breakfast, workout, read emails, update blogs, etc. etc.
Eat less meat. I used to be vegan, believe it or not. Sadly, I found it nearly impossible to maintain when we moved to Florida. I loved how I felt and want to capture that again by aiming to eat less animals.
Letting go of guilt. This may be a post for another time, but I’m a glutton for making myself feel awful about making a decision I know is in my or my family’s best interest but may hurt/offend/upset others. I have to move past it better.

That should do it. Not too shabby.

What do you think—any words of advice?Â What are some of your goals for 2015?

2014 Year in Review

December 30, 2014 By Caroline Peterson

2014 was the year I decided to take the reigns and revamp this here blog. In July, I hit “Publish” and I’m so glad I did. I want to take a brief moment and thank you for your readership and encouragement. RedesigningÂ the blog wasn’t an easy task, but writing, well, writing is something I love and having you as an audience made the redesign that much easier.

So, thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

Let’s review what you guys read, what you guys liked, what you guys said and also some of my favorite things fromÂ this year.Â Sorry, it’s not like Oprah. I’m not giving you thousands of dollars worth of my favorite things. Just some kick ass writing!

2014 Year in Review

Most Searched Terms

Slutty Costumes
Be soft do not let the world make you hard
Costume castle eskimo costume
Bear with me
Caroline Made This

I know. I know what you’re thinking. What in the…? You see, there was a funny post I wrote in 2012 around Halloween about the most ridiculously slutty Halloween costumesÂ and how absurd I found them.Â People still search for that shit. And people somehow still land here. Hi pervs!

Top Social Network Referrals

Pinterest was a surprise. I definitely should be adding more of my “How To” tutorials that I used to post here.

Top Countries Trying to Hack My Site

China
Ukraine
Brazil

Yes, nerd-jerks try to hack my site and put lines of code for malware. It’s not uncommon for anyone who has a site. I work hard to protect this here blog.

FavoriteÂ Comments

Great video from the TSA! I hope we don't have to start taking our ice skates off at security now thoughâ€¦ That would really slow me down. – Kendra onÂ Off to the Frozen, Cold Tundra

people seem to be on their worst behavior when they are in airports or airplanesâ€¦very selfish and irrational! everyone besides me of course. Â – kristin onÂ How to Survive Holiday Travel

Love that you are just so real. I'm patiently waiting for a publisher or screenwriter to snatch you up. xoxo – Judi onÂ You Will Always be Too Much of Something for Someone

You clearly cared enough to comment. Feel free to take your rude comments elsewhere. — care's actual friends who don't need to hide behind fake names – Jennie onÂ Lay Off Me I'm Starving

Bitch is the new black, baby! Don't ever change. Â – Emily onÂ The Bitch List

…I'm glad you read it and connected with me. I followed your link, found your blog and I couldn't stop reading. You are hilarious! Your hubby is one lucky man. I'll be following your adventures on Twitter and Instagram. – James onÂ Travel Woes: Delayed Baggage & Stolen Goods

The only real danger in wearing the dress is that you might start a fire. SMOKIN' HOT, GUUURL. – Rheyn onÂ When Weight Holds You Back

Obviously, flattery will get you everywhere with me. Thanks for all the comments this year, even those that didn’t “make the cut.”

Biggest Achievements

Running my first half-marathon

Traveling solo in Portugal for a couple days

Adjusting toÂ the hubster’s 3rd year of med school clinical rotations

Writing this here blog

Advancing in my job as a copywriter

(No picsÂ to protect the innocent.)

Favorite Moments

Shenanigans at Disney with theseÂ weirdos

Meeting this nugget

4th of July festivities

Meeting up with these galsÂ in Spain

When the hubster surprised me on Thanksgiving

8.5 miles with my favorite

Healthy Habits to Continue

Pushing the negative away

Getting out of my comfort zone

Being happyÂ with me

Letting go of unreliable friendships

Moving towards minimalist

Taking a different path

2014 was a pretty killer year, wouldn’t you say? During all of it (from July to December), I wasÂ happy to share my good times and (some) bad with you here.

Thank you for reading and thank you for sharing in my love of writing. Truly, thank you.

Here’s to another great year and more adventures in 2015!

Holiday Roundup

December 28, 2014 By Caroline Peterson

I’m not entirely sure why December is giving my immune system a run for its white blood cells, but I can only have so many green smoothies a day before I want to barf. I had a nasty stomach bug two weeks ago and thought I successfully avoided the plague going around the office.

Nope.

My immune system was probably pretty wrecked after the stomach bug and the day before I left for Minnesota, I knew I had a cold. Which has turned into a snotty infection, taking away my voice and, you know, actually tasting food.

I don’t “do” sick, you guys. I’m not sick that often. I’m about as healthy as they come, constantly pumping in vitamins, trying to eat right and obviously exercising. I have a history of getting sick right before I travel on big trips.

Our wedding in England. I’m sure stress didn’t contribute to that…
Our honeymoon in Thailand and Cambodia. Some people experience an adverse reaction to the typhoid vaccine. Guess who won that lottery?

Anyway, I’m currently sitting here typing this not feeling a whole lot better and hoping I can recover sometime soon back to my normal healthy self.

All that said, I’ve trudged through with antibacterial gel and Kleenex in-hand and enjoyed my Christmas in Minnesota. Yes, it was cold, but I actually was totally okay. Those 20+ years in Michigan did some good. I hope you enjoy the pics.

Had a lovely take-off.