three things: march 2018

March was in like a lion – complete with a few inches of fresh snow – and it definitely didn’t go out like a lamb (feels like 4F this morning… ugh). Extended forecast temps in the 30s?! C’mon, Minnesnowta! So over winter and everything that comes with it (long down jackets, hats, boots, the cold…).  

As for training this month, a couple blips – including bombing a bike test and taking a week completely off from running. My left ankle started bugging me during a long-ish run, starting from my Achilles and moving to my posterior tib tendon. So after chatting with my coach, we agreed to shut it down for a few days. It worked, too. And a week later, it felt good as new. Lesson learned: Always listen to your body and don’t be afraid of taking some time off. 

Four things this month because I couldn’t narrow it down to three! 

1 – organizing iPhone pics  

You guys, there are 6,300 photos on my iPhone, dating back not even two years (to July 2016). How does that happen?! Digital is how it happens – it makes it far too easy to snap 17 versions of the same thing. (Side note: remember the thrill of getting a roll of film developed?! I miss that.) That many pics are overwhelming, so I’ve been slowly been going through them – only during easy trainer rides! – organizing them into months and events. And once that’s done, going through each month and deleting the duplicates, keeping only the best version. 

Some helpful tips as you organize your pics:

• Delete blurry or duplicate images
• Create albums based on year, month or event 
• Choose your favorite pics (tap the heart!) for sharing, printing or creating a photo book 

And one more thing. Did you know you can rearrange the order of albums?! Neither did I until recently. On the albums page, simply click Edit in the top right, and then you can delete or move albums around. 

2 – Trello

I’m all about organization this month! Have you guys heard of Trello? A friend introduced it to me a few years ago, but I never really used it – until last year. Now I use it all the time. It’s an online visual tool to manage projects and organize pretty much anything. I use it at work as a way to collaborate with two of my project teams. And I use it at home as a way to track my goals, home renovation and projects, and general to-do.

Here’s how Trello works. You create “boards” and within those boards you create lists. Under each list, you add individual cards that have more detail. For example, in my 2018 goals board, I have a list titled “I read 24 books.” And under that list, there are cards for each book I’ve read so far. Each list and card is moveable across the board, and you can add details to each card (like a due date, label or even an attachment). Anyway, it’s super slick. And there’s an app so you can access anywhere. 

3 – composting

One thing (among many) I love about living in Minneapolis: organics recycling. We had no idea this was a thing until we saw small green bins lining our alley (also awesome, we have an alley!). Turns out, all you have to do is request a bin from the city, and voila – they drop it off by your trash and recycling bins. How awesome is that?! Since we’ve started recycling organics – all food, coffee grounds and even tissues, to name a few – we throw out so much less in the regular trash. Check if your city offers it! A no-brainer if they do. 

4 – Parachute Home bedding  

Back at IRONMAN Wisconsin 2015, we lucked out and stayed at friend’s neighbor’s house while they were out of town. It was amazing for a couple reasons. One, it re-introduced us to the Bialetti, which is how we’ve made morning coffee ever since (with full-fat coconut milk + Vital Proteins FTW!). And two: linen bedding – and I’ve been lusting after it ever since. 

So when we moved into our new place last fall, it was the perfect time to upgrade to the linen Venice set from Parachute Home (and a king bed!). This bedding is luxe. It’s not cheap, but considering you spend a third of your life sleeping, your bed and bedding should be comfortable and amazing! A couple other things I love about it – the linen gets softer with every wash; and, you can get the set – duvet cover, fitted sheet and pillowcases – without a top sheet (we aren’t top sheet fans!). Now I just need to get my bum to bed earlier…!