Friday, January 21, 2011

5 For Friday

1. Yesterday Michelle Obama joined executives from Wal-Mart at a Washington, DC community center to announce the behemouth's initiative to make their in-house brand healthier and fruits and vegetables cheaper... by 2015. Yep, it's going to take them 5 years to make the changes. I really hope they do reduce the sodium, sugar and trans fats in their foods, but I'm not so sure I like the idea of them moving into food deserts to 'solve' the access to food problem that many areas face. It's a problem that needs to be solved, but not necessarily by them expanding their empire. Maybe this will spur other companies to make changes as well.

2. Woody and I signed our lease and handed over the checks, so it's official. We will be in our current apartment through June 2012! We're definitely excited to know for certain that we won't have to look for a new apartment for at least 17 months and we are really enjoying life in FiDi. There's definitely a lot more to explore down here and now we'll have some time to do it. After that, we'll just have to wait and see!

3. Money Saving Tip of the Week: Woody and I have found several easy ways to save money over the past few years, one of which is to buy in bulk! It's really simple and can save a good amount of money over time. We buy everything from rolled oats, to dried fruit, nuts, and grains and recently Woody became hooked on wasabi peas. He'll get a 1lb bag for like $3.99 and munch on them like they're raisins! I can handle some, but I stay away from the super-coated ones! In any case, you can find just about anything in bulk, but you have to look for it. Most Whole Foods stores have a bulk section, not all and they're not always very big, but you can also look for health food stores and last time I was at Meijer there was one.


4. We are starting to plan our trip to Seattle this summer, but first we have to decide when to go! It definitely has to be between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but that still covers a lot of time. If you live in Seattle, or have visited, when is the best time to visit? And do you know any great places to run?

5. I LOVE "Friends." You know, the sitcom from the 90's? I can still sit and watch hours of reruns like some people can watch hours of "Seinfeld." Have you heard about the new sitcom starring Matthew Perry and Allison Janney (who was in another favorite show of mine, "The West Wing") "Mr. Sunshine"? It premieres on ABC Wednesday February 9th and I can't wait to see it! I'm going to an event that night that will thankfully be over at 8pm so I can get home and watch. For all of the other Matthew Perry fans, here's the preview!


Good luck to everyone running the Manhattan Half Marathon tomorrow! It definitely takes a lot of dedication to get up early on a Saturday morning and go run 2+ loops of Central Park in 20 degree weather!

What was your favorite show of the 90's?
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today's workout -
4mile run
3x10 cable push down
3x10 leg press
stretching

13 comments:

Rose @ Eat, Drink, and Be Meiri said...

I love buying stuff in bulk. It allows me to test out new things in very small amounts.

My favorite show from the 90s? Tough. I really loved News Radio.

misszippy said...

The question is..will WalMart customers buy the healthier food? It will be interesting to see!

Lisa said...

Rose, I loved News Radio too but had forgotten about it till your post! That was definitely a good one.

Rhubarb said...

From Seattle here. Run around Lake Union (around 6 miles), run along Lake Washington to and around Seward Park, run on the Burke Gilman trail. Have fun!

Lisa said...

Rhubarb, thanks so much for the tips! I'll definitely hit up at least one of them!

Cynthia said...

I was going to suggest Seward Park as well. I'm from SW Washington, but was just up in Seattle visiting a friend last weekend, and we walked around Seward Park two days and I loved it and would have loved to run there and the rest of the paths along Lake Washington.

The Hungry Runner Girl said...

GREAT WORKOUT!! Friend's is my absolute favorite!! I love buying in Bulk too! Hope you have an amazing weekend!

Lindsay said...

figures there was a 'catch' to that walmart news! 5 years? only because people have to meddle. the us is so unproductive sometimes, and the govt always...

but hopefully good things will come of it. hopefully they will make better food and not just add some new chemical right?

Anonymous said...

I think what Walmart is doing great, I'm just worried about how they're going to make it more affordable. Thanks for letting me know that they'll cut back on their profits but I don't believe it! Either way, it seems weird to me that a big box chain is able to supply food in mass quantities. It just seems unnatural. But I guess change comes in small steps. If this is one step closer to lowering obesity and educating people about whole/good foods, then I'm all for it.

mandy said...

i lived in seattle for a summer and it was still chilly in early june when i arrived. july was, by far, the best for weather!

there are already great running ideas posted above....greenlake is nice too. short and with a lot of people, but still nice. :)

Unknown said...

Seattle is awesome in the summer! I love the Pacific Northwest and would live there if I wasn't a wuss when it comes to cold weather. Definitely check out the Olympic Peninsula. There are some sweet trails out there and if you have a rental car it's an fun day trip on the ferry.

Gina; The Candid RD said...

Congrats on signing the lease!! What a great feeling that must be.

And, I love what WalMart and Mrs. Obama are doing. While I don't necessarily shop at WalMart, I say good for them for taking the first leap for good health and nutrition for all!!

Mel -Tall Mom on the Run said...

Come Labor day and run the Super Jock N Jill Half with us. September is nice in Seattle. Email me if you have any questions. Would love love to show you some running paths but most of mine are outside of the city..