300 Days of Sunshine

As the weather gets warmer, I have the urge to freshen up my house and make space for spring!  There are few things that cause me more anxiety than clutter.  I can't stand junk on top of tables, I loathe a cluttered entryway, and miscellaneous crap around the house just makes me want to scream sometimes.  I am always seeking strategies for getting rid of crap, preventing the accumulation of more stuff, and more effectively organizing the things we have.  I believe that I am happier when I have less clutter and more space.  A couple weeks ago I completed the daunting task of reorganizing my  baking pantry, and now I feel empowered to accomplish anything! Here are a few of my goals for Spring Cleaning this year: 1) Get rid of stuff It is such a good feeling to clean out closets and drawers and take a car load of stuff to the thrift store.  My priorities are to purge clothes that don't bring me joy, books I don't plan to read again, decorations that just don't

Happy Easter!  We were blessed with a warm and sunny weekend in Santa Fe.  I took Ady and Kua to the park on my day off and went for a long, solo training run on Saturday morning.  We celebrated Easter with baskets of goodies and a family dinner at home.  I made Coconut Cake, one of my all-time favorite desserts (recipe below) and we opened a bottle of Gruet Blanc de Noirs after the toddler went to bed. This past week I have been reminded that the highlight of my day is often the thing that is totally unexpected, and that the moments that stick with me are those moments of connection that force me to pause in the unfolding chaos of the day.  Braiding a patient's hair after she got out of bed for the first time in the intensive care unit.  Listening to my toddler babble and practice her new words in the back seat while we're stuck in traffic.  Meeting a new friend while out on my run, despite my tendency toward running alone.  Observing the budding blossoms on the trees in the