Category: Fun

joanna's morning affirmations

Posted on by jplatt27

Have you seen Jessica’s Daily Affirmations on You Tube? It makes me smile every time.

I love this little girl’s excitement over life.  She’s so energetic and full of love.

I’ve actually been feeling pretty full of love recently so I thought I would do my own.

Here’s my version:

I love my sisters.

I love my life.

I love my hair.

I love my body.

I love my husband.

I can do anything good.

I love my apartment, and my bed, and the windows.

I love my co-workers.

I love my mom.

I love my dad.

I love my brother.

I. love. everything!

I love my friends.

I love my kitchen.

I love my clothes.

I have everything I need.

I love my bus and the sun and my neighborhood.

I. am. happy.

And powerful.

I am enough.

I am strong.

I am beautiful.

I love me.

Geez, imagine I woke up each day and recited these to myself in the mirror with the same gusto and enthusiasm and authenticity as Jessica.  How powerful would that be?

I invite you to join me by sharing a few lines of your own in the comments or on the Things After the Rings Facebook Page. Bloggers, I’d love to see you post your own on your blog.

Imagine if we all woke up each day and said things similar to this to ourselves in the mirror.  Wow, there’d be a lot of a happy women walking around.

the worst part of being an adult

Posted on by jplatt27

The real world.  We’ve all got to enter it at some point.  It includes bill paying, work, finding a new identity that’s not student, and while all of that has its challenges, none of these are the worst part of being an adult.

Let me explain…

….

It’s about noon on Sunday and my best friends from college and I are sprawled across two beds in the hotel room we shared after LEM‘s bachelorette party wishing we could all go back to sleep for about 4 more hours.  We were out til 4am, drinking and dancing up a storm.  Our heads hurt and we’re so tired. But as I cuddle and chat with my best friends, all 6 of us together, this warm loving feeling spreads over me and I say “isn’t life just so good right now?” They all laugh because it’s ridiculous–we’re exhausted and the room is spinning a bit–but I know deep down they all agree.

….

It’s a Sunday breakfast that turns into three hours over coffee and crepes, a lunch date that leaves you bouncing into your office, a happy hour that turns into dinner and a bottle of wine and not getting home until 10:30 on a Monday.

….

It’s a text message telling you about a DC pizza place on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives or an email mid-day Wednesday asking how the week is going.

….

Yes, these are some of the best things in life.

But they point to the worst thing about being an adult: there’s never enough time for friends. 

And maybe the flip side of that is realizing how valuable these people are.  And finally learning to shift your priorities to make time for them.  Because they are everything.

 

Talk to me: what do you think is the worst part of being an adult?

an honor and a privilege

Posted on by jplatt27

One of the best things in life is witnessing, sharing, and celebrating the love and happiness of people that mean the world to you.

I spent the weekend doing just that at my friend Lauren’s wedding. Alongside our best friends from college, I had the privilege to be a bridesmaid and partake in all of the wedding festivities.  It was truly an honor to share this special day with my friend and see the love and joy that surrounded her up close. Thank you, LEM, for this very special experience.

 

PS–I’m guest posting over at Perfection Isn’t Happy today while Emily is on her honeymoon! Check it out!

 

 

what i'm up to…

Posted on by jplatt27

In my post on having a baby last week, I mentioned that I’m pretty much not ready to have a baby because I’m really enjoying focusing on myself right now.  Here’s what I’m up to…

Things After the Rings

Obviously.  I love writing and often find my mind wandering to potential blog posts.  I’m having fun with my blog and have so many things I’d like to do to continue to improve it.

Prepping for life coach training

I start a life coach training program at the end of July (can. not. wait!) and I’ve been busy doing some pre-work for it including a 27-page questionnaire about my life and a book report.

Business course

I’m enrolled in Ramit‘s Earn 1K course about making money on the side through freelance work.

Starting a business

The reason I’m enrolled in Earn 1K is because I’m in the process of starting a life coaching business. In addition to learning more about business and reading a lot about life coaching and personal development, I’m also spending significant amounts of time brainstorming ideas for services and packages, ways to find leads and clients, and working on branding.

My day job

I’ve actually become much more engaged in my day job over the last few months and find my mind brainstorming ideas on my own time.

And then there’s life…

In addition to all of these great things, I’m having fun being married, spending time with friends, exploring DC, and just relaxing and enjoying weekends.

 

Creating lives we love

Posted on by jplatt27

Yesterday I hosted my first vision board party.

While planning this party and waiting for RSVPs to come in, I hoped I would get a good turnout and maybe worried I wouldn’t. But then I reminded myself that the women that everyone that was meant to be here would show up.  And I truly believe that’s what happened.

I had a wonderful group of 7 amazing, beautiful, creative women: two friends from work, my Girls on the Run partner, a friend from high school, a friend that’s dating one of my friends from high school, my little from my sorority, and another friend from college.

We spent the afternoon flipping through magazines and gathering images, words, and phrases that inspired us. Then we each organized our clippings onto poster boards to create a vision for our lives.

This is the first step in creating lives we love.

Each board was different: some were vertical, some horizontal; some all words, some all photos. But each board was beautiful and inspiring, and hopeful in its own way.

As we went around sharing key pieces of our boards, I was so touched by what each woman had to share. I’ve known most of the girls for at least a few years at this point and I was still surprised and inspired by what they included on their boards. It was awesome–as in I was literally in awe of the the women, my friends, that came out. The best version of each woman and what the lives the aspire to have.

My heart was. so. happy. Even recalling this now, my heart is swelling with joy.

Thank you again to the girls that came out to support me. You each have a special place in my heart.

I can’t wait to host my next party. Probably late August or early September!

But who knows…it could be sooner!

I’d love to know:

Have you ever made a vision board?

Sunday in the suburbs

Posted on by jplatt27

Sunday was a simple day and to some it may seem ordinary, but it was the kind of day I’d wished for for a while.

I spent the whole day yesterday with my friend Emily shopping in Rockville, Maryland.  I know, it sounds lame. Why am I writing a post about this?

Because it was wonderful.

Our husbands were playing golf and had an 11:30 tee time so we hit the stores while they hit the links. We stopped for Starbucks before starting at Michael’s and then heading to Ulta, Child’s Play, Buy Buy Baby, World Market, H&M, Target, and Ikea.  Ikea?? I know, right?? We were on a roll.

Reasons this was amazing:

  1. We were shopping for about 6 hours. We got everything done we wanted to do: supplies for a party I’m having this weekend, a gift for a friend’s baby, hair products and clothes for Em’s upcoming vacation, and a new piece of furniture for our kitchen.
  2. We were together one-on-one for 6 hours, just galavanting around.  As an adult how often does that happen?  And because we were together for so long, we were able to talk and talk and talk about topics both big and small—you know, girl talk.
  3. Being in the suburbs is a beautiful thing.  We went to more stores yesterday than I’ve been in the last 2 months. I’m not kidding you.  Part of the reason our apartment isn’t decorated after almost a full year is because getting to stores to buy things for my apartment seems like such a to-do. I know it’s not.  But it feels like such a production.
  4. Emily knew exactly where everything was and I was pretty much just along for the ride.  I said, I want to go here, here, and here and she took me there!  One reason shopping seems like such a production is because I don’t know where any of the stores are and if I’m going to go shopping in the suburbs I feel like I have go to at least 3 stores or it’s not worth the drive. But I would have to map out every stop beforehand and figure out the best route and that totally deters me from the whole thing.  It’s like when you go into a grocery store that’s not your usual store and you feel totally uncomfortable and lost.
  5. Shopping with a girlfriend is a wonderful thing.  So different than shopping with my husband.  When shopping with girlfriends, the conversation just continues as you move through the stores. You get actual opinions and pros and cons on your potential purchases. When I shop with my husband  he pretty much becomes a mute when we walk into a store and I feel immense pressure to get out of the store as soon as possible.

After our shopping marathon, we went back to Emily and Zach‘s for dinner.  We sat outside with a glass of wine while we waited for Mike and Zach to get back from golf and then Zach fired up the grill. It was a great end to a great day.

 

what's for dinner? wednesday: 2 for 1

Posted on by jplatt27

Saturday morning I put buffalo chicken in the crock pot. Isn’t making lunch on a weekend such an accomplishment?

After my favorite Saturday morning activities I went to the grocery store to get a few things for lunch and thought “we should go for a picnic!” I ran home, packed up everything for lunch, and called our friends John and Mindy to see if they wanted to meet us. They agreed! Isn’t calling a friend at the last minute and saying “hey-what-are-you-doing, do-you-want-to _____” and having it all work out just the best?

We had a picnic in Lafayette Park across from the White House. The weather was GORGEOUS. We had our buffalo chicken sandwiches, caught up, and then had a frisbee toss.

The next day was the 5k for Girls on the Run. When I got home we used the leftover buffalo chicken and made a pizza! Isn’t using leftovers in a different way so satisfying??

Between the 5k and eating a heavy pizza, I was kind of a zombie after that.  Regardless, the pizza was delicious and the sandwiches the day before were yummy!

Here are the recipes for both. (Do I owe you because it’s been so long since my last what’s for dinner wednesday? post?)

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Make this buffalo chicken recipe in the crockpot.

When the chicken is finished, put it on some nice big rolls.  Sesame seeds add a nice touch.

Serve with pickles, blue cheese, and maybe some potato chips.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Make this buffalo chicken recipe in the crockpot (or use leftovers from the sandwiches above).

Saute some about half a red onion, chopped.

Make a Pillsbury pizza crust according to package directions. After you pre-cook the crust it a bit, top with blue cheese dressing, onions, buffalo chicken, monterey jack cheese. Cook until the crust is done.

Top with watercress for a pop of freshness. Some chopped celery would add a nice crunch too!

Let’s chat:

What do you usually do for lunch on the weekends?

Have you turned leftovers into something special recently?

To see what we had for dinner tonight, like Things After the Rings on Facebook!

Where I've been

Posted on by jplatt27

I’ve been away from the blog for the past few weeks.

Though nothing major has really happened, I feel like a lot is going on and I’m on the cusp of something big.

Here’s what I’ve been up to…

I’ve been soaking up as much information as I can about life coaching and starting a business. Literally all I want to do is read more. Though I’m technically “working” or “studying” when I do these things, it feels like I’m just reading for fun on a Sunday afternoon. This is how I’ve been spending most of my free time. I’m hooked and I just want more.

My best friends from college came to visit DC last weekend with significant others in tow. This is how I feel when I see these girls.

We had a full day Saturday–breakfast at The Diner in Adam’s Morgan; a walk through the Zoo; a picnic in Rock Creek Park with pizza, frisbee, and a round of stickball; delicious dinner and dessert at Kramerbooks and Afterwards; drinks at James Hoban’s. I loved playing stickball.  I was so impressed with myself during my time at bat and I think Mike was too. Sunday we had brunch at Founding Farmers (highly recommend) and some headed back to NYC while the rest of us went down for a walk on the National Mall. It was so fun for all of us to spend time together.

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about ABC’s new show Scandal. I’m absolutely obsessed.

source

Kerry Washington is a rockstar as Olivia Pope, a crisis manager for high profile/high scandal situations in Washington, DC. Created by the same woman behind Grey’s Anatomy and inspired by the life of a real Washingtonian, this show is a combination of drama and mystery that leaves me wanting more every. single. week. This is our new go-to show. Check it out.  It’s free On Demand on Comcast.

We’re home for the weekend for early Mother’s Day. We’ll have dinner with Mike’s family tonight and I’ll spend the day with my mom tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to seeing my mom.  I just want to give her a big hug.  And drag her to the mall.  Hope you have a great weekend!

I’d love to know:

What have you been up to?

Have you seen Scandal? I literally talk about this show all the time. I actually had a dream that I was telling someone about it last night.

A Wonderfully Ordinary Wednesday Evening

Posted on by jplatt27

Last night was a really good night.  It may seem like it’s nothing special because it was just a Wednesday night at home but these kinds of nights are kind of out-of-the-ordinary for me. So, this ordinary, run-of-the-mill Wednesday night filled with normal things and with a blend of relaxing and productivity is very special to me.

Warning: this post is full of digressions and small details.

I got home from work and immediately sat down at the computer to do some writing.  I even sat there with my jacket on for a little while.  Usually I come home and change my clothes first. thing. But I was motivated and wanted to jot my ideas down while they were fresh so I did.  I wrote for about 20 minutes or so until Mike got home.

I greeted him: “Hello! What are you doing?”

He responds: “Just walking in the door.”

Me: “Why are you laughing?”

Mike: “Because I just walked in the door, that’s what I’m doing.”

Riight.

Usually we get started on dinner right away but I suggested we get in bed for a bit. I took off my skirt and cardigan and climbed into bed in my underwear and blouse. It was one of those ahh, this bed is soo comfortable feelings where you just melt into the bed and your stress falls away. Mike changed out of his work clothes and joined me and had the exact same reaction until he said “can you move over? I’m not liking this…” I readjusted.

We basked in the glory of our comfortable bed and our little reprive. Mike said “My feet are cold, let me get in here” as he put his cold feet between mine.  We snuggled in together.

I was about to doze off when he asked me how my day was.

“It was good,” I said sleepily.

“Now’s not a good time to chat?”

“No, I’ll chat.  If I want to chat at all I better do it now since the Flyers are on tonight and you won’t be available then.”

I told him about my day, a small accomplishment at work. Then, he shared about his day.  Then…

“Do I still have that thing in my nose?” I ask holding my nose open and pointing.

“What thing? I don’t see anything.”

“Like right there. I can feel it, it hurts kinda.”

“Close your nostril.”

We stayed in bed for a while chatting briefly and cuddling.  This 30 minutes in bed was such a nice break from the usual.

I volunteered to make dinner while Mike relaxed on the couch. He was excited when I offered and I was happy to do it.

While making dinner I boiled some eggs, something I’d been meaning to do all week.  And when I cracked them for breakfast this morning they were perfect.

Here’s the method we used from Real Simple. Yes, we had to Google because neither of us knew the right way and when I called my mom she didn’t answer.

It’s funny–that’s the first thing that comes to mind when I imagine my mom not being here anymore and me wanting to call her for something. That I won’t be able to call her to tell me how to boil an egg. And I never wanted to Google it because of that. But as I was thinking about this last night I’m like I Google a million other things. It’s fine to Google things there’s a method for.  What will be really sad is when my mom isn’t there for me to call when I’m sick (like I did every day I was sick last week–she’s probably glad I’m better) or when I’m upset or need help with my future kids. It’s fine to Google how to boil an egg.

We watched an episode of Modern Family while we ate BLT’s.  We’re watching from the beginning on Netflix. It was the Valentine’s Day episode in the second season.

Then I hopped up to do my project: make chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter cups for book club on Friday. Mike did the dishes quick while I read through the recipe and collected the ingredients.

I worked happily on these little gems, squealing with delight as they started to come together. Mike was yelling in anger at the Flyers.

In between the three phases I wrote a blog post and did the dishes. I finished the peanut butter cups, finished the dishes, finished the blog post and got in bed to read.

Lights out at 9:55. Good. night.

I’d love to know:

What’s a great Wednesday night for you?

What are some things you call your mom for?

 

St. Lucia Recap

Posted on by jplatt27

I spent a fun-filled, sun-filled, week with my sisters and Sarah, Melissa’s girlfriend, in St. Lucia last month.

Now that we’re older and live kind of far from one another (me in DC, Melissa in Florida and Chrissy and Becca 3 hours apart in PA), it’s rare that we get to spend much time together.  Of course, now that we’re actually friends, we rarely see one another. So when Chrissy and Becca’s spring breaks fell on the same week this year, we took the opportunity to go on vacation together.

We had a really really good time.  We talked. We laughed. We laid on the beach and then by the pool.  We ate a lot.  Napped a lot.  Read a lot.  I emailed back and forth with Mike. I didn’t blow dry my hair or wear makeup the entire week. It was glorious.

Chrissy, Becca, and I shared a room for the week and it was kind of like a slumber party.  One night Chrissy plucked my eyebrows, making me bleed only once, and yanking a thick piece of skin one other time. I straightened Becca’s hair before dinner out one night. We talked about our relationships, watched the Bachelor finale. You know, girl stuff.

We went on two cool excursions off the resort. Mid-week we went SNUBA diving: a combination of scuba and snorkeling. It was amazing to see the schools of fish rushing by me…they swam so fast and so close to me.  Incredible.

On our last day we did a triple adventure: jeep ride, zip-lining, and hiking to a waterfall.

The triple adventure was awesome.  We rode in a jeep on the way there and the tour guide gave us some information about the island. He asked two questions and I answered them both right: 1) What is the best part about St. Lucia? The people! 2) Why are there so many bananas in St. Lucia? No monkeys!

The zipline was super fun.  There were 12 lines total, some higher, longer, faster than others.  It was so cool to be flying over the jungle. And it really wasn’t that scary.  Luckily we moved through the course pretty quickly.  I think if I had too much time to think about how high we were it would’ve been a lot scarier. But we were the first group on the course in the morning so we went right on each one.  After the zipline, we drove a short way and hiked down into the jungle to see a waterfall.  We brought our suits and climbed up onto the rocks in front of it for a photo shoot.  It felt very Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue like. Then we drove about an hour in the jeep back to the resort, caribbean music playing and the wind in our hair.  Good good times.

 

It was a good week.  A really good week. Did we get on each other’s nerves?  Of course we did.  We’re sisters. Would I vacation with all 3 of my sisters again? Definitely.