The Chatterbox

The Chatterbox

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June 28, 2010
Family Pets
My 17 year old dog passed away this past weekend. She died peacefully in her sleep, thankfully, and my family was spared the agonizing decision of whether or not to have her put to sleep. 17 is old for a dog, I know, but that doesn't make her death any less sad for me. I bought her in 1993 when I was 10 and she was 8 weeks old. When I think about how much time has passed and how long she has been a part of my family, it takes my breath away. She was there for it all- The transition from middle school to high school. My first boyfriend. Getting my driver's license. Proms. High school...
Death, Family pets, grieving
June 23, 2010
Layered Asian Salad
One of my favorite summer meals is a layered taco salad, with layers of yummy goodness, combined with crumbled cornbread or tortillas and a delicious dressing. Since it’s a treat to be able to get dinner on the table in the summer with as little cooking as possible, and it’s an even bigger treat when you can prepare dinner ahead of time so as to maximize your time outside in the afternoon, I present a creation that accomplishes both. I took my family’s love of layered salad and combined it with our love of Asian flavors. This recipe uses a simple, two ingredient dressing and layers it on...
Healthy Eating, Recipes, Summer Cooking
June 22, 2010
Having a Toddler is Like a Frat Party...Really!
If you are the parent of a toddler, you're probably looking at this title and laughing to yourself. How in the WORLD is having a toddler like having a party? Between the running around, cleaning up, comforting scraped knees and banged heads, and vainly searching for Mr. Fluffy-Bunny or any other of your child's current favorite toys, a frat party is probably the last thing on your mind. You may have already seen this circulating the web, but community blogger Brenna recently posted this gem of a post on her blog, Suburban Snapshots. Check out why having a toddler really is like being at a...
Toddlers and Preschoolers; Humor; Parties
June 14, 2010
Monday's Health Tip: The Importance of Stretching
I recently re-joined the gym in my office building, after canceling my membership to join another gym (that ended up scamming me out of money...ask me about that later!) Since I'm such a regular at the gym, many of the front desk workers and personal trainers recognize me...so much so that I don't think they realized I had actually left for almost a year, and only just re-joined last week. Anyway, perhaps it's because of my lack of regular gym time and my increased time running outside, but I haven't been lifting quite as much. I've been doing my kettlebell workouts, but as far as just plain...
Exercise; Health; Personal Training
June 7, 2010
Monday's Health Tip: Quick and Easy Grill Recipes
It's FINALLY summer here in Boston. I don't know about you, but summertime is my absolute favorite time of the year. There is something about the warm weather, and spending a lot of times outdoors that just makes me happy. In addition,I've been on a cooking kick lately. Although I don't always have time to prepare a gourmet meal, I've found I really enjoy trying out new recipes, or cooking foods I've never tried to cook before. Last night was one of those nights. Believe it or not, I've never really tried my hand at cooking fish. I love to eat it, but I've always let someone else do the...
Grilling; recipes; summer