Days 21 & 22

Days 21 & 22:  HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!

Since Chris had to work this weekend, we didn't have much of a celebration but I did what I could to bring the festivities home.  Saturday night we had Corned Beef and Cabbage.  The Corned Beef slow-cooked all afternoon long in a brown sugar, beer, and whatever-the-seasonings-are-that-comes-with-it.  It was delicious!  I threw some carrots in towards the end and they, too, were yummy.  Since my Mother-in-Law's Crock Pot is not as large as mine, I couldn't get all of the cabbage in with the roast and ended up sauteing it with olive oil and salt and pepper.  I added some of the juices from the roast and it was delicious!

Today at Kroger, I fell into a trap of using the self-check-out.  I have been avoiding those as part of my no drive-throughs. The cashier's lines were backing up and a lady came and got me (with my three items) and said she would check me out "Over here."  I was skeptical that she just wanted me to use the self-serve line but she started scanning my items herself, so I was relieved.  Then she said, "You can pay here," and walked away.  I was left to complete my check out on my own with only the computer as companion.  It did not tell me to have a nice day.

On another note, the Reubons we made tonight were amazing!  We used the left-over corned beef, some sauerkraut warmed in white wine, swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing on Rye bread (yes, we did have to buy more) and used a panini press to melt it all together.  Thanks to Alli for the quick recipe!

Hope you all had a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Days 17, 18, 19, 20

Day 17: Snacks
Once again, there was no need to forgo a drive through today.  I have found that since we no longer use drive-throughs, we have to plan for snacks to hold us over until we get home to eat our meals.  The best snack for such a time is definitely a Cutie.  Those things are so stinkin' yummy, we have to bring at least 3 anytime we are planning a snack: I can easily put two of them away on my own.  Fiona loves them, too, and they are healthy!  Check out your Smart Source 2/24 coupons for 50¢ off (doubled to $1 at Publix).  You know you wanna!

Day 18: Chase Bank
Banks were what I dreaded most in forgoing drive-thoughs for my 100 Days of No Drive-Throughs Challenge.  I have to say that it has surprisingly not been as big as a burden as I imagined.  Since drive-throughs and ATMs are so easily accessibly, there are hardly ever lines.  Not even one today, when I popped in before heading to the grocery store.  Today as I walked in and was greeted, I noticed that several of the people noticed me.  I have been using this bank since the branch opened several years ago and have never been noticed.  I've been going inside for less than a month and guess what?  They notice me.  Talk about a good feeling!

Day 19: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwhiches on Rye Bread
My grocery shopping this week consisted of items that were intended for our St. Patty's Day celebrations for the weekend.  One of the items that I only buy in March every year is rye bread and I don't know why this is: anytime it's in the cabinet, we use and love it!  Today I made bacon and fried egg sandwiches with muenster cheese on toasted rye bread with sliced strawberries on the side.  It was delicious!  So delicious, I have a feeling I'm going to need to get another load of it before our Reubon sandwiches this weekend!

Day 20: An Apology to Starbucks
I wanted to offer a sincere apology to whomever it is at Starbucks who's reading my blog and obviously got upset when I didn't write for a while.  Today when I went to get a latte, there were no parking places.  Note: NO parking places.  Not like, "Aww man, there are no close places," but like, "Dang.  There are NO parking places at all."  And since I couldn't go through the drive-through, I had to forgo my espresso indulgence and head home for a K-Cup with Irish Creamer.

Days 13, 14, 15, 16...

So, good news.  The reason for not blogging is not because I fell off the no drive-through wagon.  Things are busy and I am the type of person who couldn't just pick up at day 17 without having days 13, 14, 15, and 16 complete, so I took a little break.

While I haven't cheated and have been continuing to forgo Drive-Throughs, I may not be able to remember every day between now and last week, so please forgive me if some of the days get left out. :)

Day 13: McDonald's
I know, I know.  Eww, right?  Well, I have to say that I do like McDonald's Breakfast.  Especially their sausage biscuits.  Mmmm... So, last week, Fiona had her 2 year doctor's appointment and was so brave during her shots that we decided to go to McDonald's afterwards for a treat.  We rushed in, breathless, at 10:29 to find that yes, they were still serving breakfast.  Once again, there was no line.  And the lady taking my order was so pleasant!  She could tell we were rushing and trying to catch out breath and told us not to worry, and take our time.  They would still have breakfast food.  And, of course, they did.  We got a sausage biscuit to share and 2 hash-browns for a little of $2!  Can't beat that!


Day 14: Jimmy John's
We had quite an eventful Friday what with Fiona's new Kindermusik class, a picnic at Will's Park with sweet, adorable cousins, and finally errands all over town in preparation for my student's festival Saturday.  Our last stop was to Jimmy John's.  While the sandwich place smells amazing, I have to admit I was a bit bummed that our group had voted to use Jimmy John's again.  My previous experiences with them were always of too-doughy bread and way too much sprout filling.  That was until I ordered a number 16: the Lulu.  My mind is changed- I am a convert.  That sandwich was absolutely amazing- every bite had me wanting more- I couldn't shove it into my mouth fast enough!  I ate both halves in one sitting and was sorely disappointed when it was gone.  If you're not a believer in Jimmy John's, give them another chance with the Lulu.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

Day 15: Main Street Cleaners
One of the places of business where I (used to) frequent the drive-through was our dry-cleaners.  I'm a stickler for following washing instructions on clothing (the best way to keep your garments looking their best for a long time, I believe) and have been a regular at the dry-cleaners since I was 18.  This particular Saturday, I was very happy to see they were still open on a Saturday at 6:00 as I was in desperate need of the dress I had dropped off several weeks prior.  While paying for my clothing, I recognized a man who had stopped through the drive-through.  We caught eyes and the recognition was mutual (don't worry- I'm not going into some goofy love-story ;).  He was the father of one of my former students and my student was actually in the car with him!  She was so grown up and it was great to reconnect!  Her father even took my information and said he'd be giving me a call to get her re-enrolled in lessons.  After that conversation I went back to paying and the lady who owns the shop said that happens all the time: people will see someone they hadn't seen in forever driving through the drive-through and will reconnect after years have gone by!

Day 16: Dr. Denmark
While I did not get a chance to forgo a drive-through on Sunday, I did have time to travel the roads of years past and visit a place I used to not hold so dear: Dr. Denmark's old house and office.  I suppose I was feeling nostalgic after attending a bridal shower for a friend from high school.  After the shower, I took a road home that I don't normally take and thought it was the road where Dr. Denmark used to live and operate her practice.  I called my mom and discovered it wasn't, but also found out where her old place was.  Since it was several hours before Fiona (who had fallen asleep) and I needed to be anywhere, we made the trek over to Mullinax Road.  It was super easy to find and looked exactly how it had when we were last there.  For those of you who do not know, Dr. Denmark was a pediatric doctor who practiced well into her 100's.  When she died last April, she was 114 and the 4th oldest person in the world.  She aided in the development of a vaccine for whooping cough in the 1930's and received a Fisher Award for her work.  You may know her book, "Every Child Deserves a Chance," or perhaps the easier read, "Dr. Denmark Said It."  I highly recommend either of them for a good dose of common-sense parenting advice.

Day 12: Starbucks

Sunday was a good day aside from the fact that Chris had to work.  One of the nice things about him working on Sundays is we are guaranteed to get to church on time!  The bridge that was recently constructed for North Point Church actually connects the church's parking lot to the parkway where Chris' job is located.  

We were so early Sunday, Fiona and I decided to stop by Starbucks before heading into church.  I was going to let her pick out a sweet danish for a breakfast treat, but she saw a banana sitting there and wanted one.  She showed me that rejecting drive-throughs can lead to making better decisions.  If we had gone through the drive-through, she never would have seen the banana and would have been satisfied with a sugar & carb filled pastry.  

And once again, thanks to the Starbucks workers reading my blog: I got an up-front parking spot again!

What good decisions has forgoing drive-throughs lead you to make?

Day 11: Jilly's Cupcakery!

Saturday we had Fiona's 2 year old pictures made!  I can't wait to share them :)  She is getting SO big!

Because we were busy with pictures and make-up lessons, there were no opportunities to say no to drive-throughs.  So I figured I'd talk about something else that everyone loves more than drive-throughs: Cup Cakes!!!

Chris treated me to Jilly's Cupcakery Saturday night and we were able to try some of their Irish Car Bomb flavored cupcakes!  The cake was made with a dark Guinness chocolate and the frosting was Irish Cream.  OMG- they were fantastic!  

One of my favorite things about Jilly's is the mini cupcake options that they offer in every flavor!  I also like this (feel free to jump to 1:00): 

Day 10: The Dreaded Bank.

Friday was the day I was dreading most in the "100 Days of No Drive-Throughs" challenge.  If was the first of the month and time to deposit checks from my piano students and pay ourselves out of that account.  

For whatever reason, Chris and I are still at two separate banks.  Normally it is not that big of a deal as both banks have many branches and Fiona and I are able to easily swing through the drive-throughs during our morning errands.  With mobile banking it's become even easier by simply taking a picture of the check front and back and remotely depositing the money into our accounts.  A while ago I decided to stop using mobile banking when a check from a student got deposited for $1000 over the written amount.

Back to Friday.  Fiona and I dropped Chris off at work early and made our way to the first bank.  It was nice going in early as there was barely a line.  Someone greeted us at the door and assisted us to the counter where Fiona got a sucker we saved for later that day and our endeavor to a consignment sale.  I was even able to switch over our address to our current residence which I had been putting off.  It literally took 2 minutes.

After the first bank, there wasn't time to go to the second before my Zumba class.  We went to the branch in the Kroger after Zumba and again, even at 11:30, there was no line.  We were in and out on a Friday!

On a side note, after the consignment sale we went to go get Fiona's hair cut!  She likes Pigtails and Crewcuts in Roswell so off we went!  This time she chose to sit in a "Thomas Choo-Choo."  Her haircut was in preparation for the pictures that we did on Saturday.  Look forward to seeing those in the future :)

       

Day 9: McDonald's & Arby's

This Thursday was a super busy day for us.  So busy, in fact, that we had fast food not once, but TWICE!  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that.  However, I am proud to admit that both times we went inside to order our food.  And let me tell you- we were in and out way faster than had we gone through the drive-though.

Even at McDonald's, where two drive-through lines were in operation, we beat the Audi that had pulled in to the parking lot ahead of us by at least 7 minutes.  I was quite amazed!  The people inside were so nice and friendly, too.  It really made parking and going inside worth the effort.

At Arby's this evening I was able to crack jokes with the crew while waiting for Chris to text me his order.  It was fun and reminded me of being in college and being able to turn anything into a joke.

Another thing this evening that reminded me of college was North Point Church's Night of Worship.  Leaving there, I felt like I was 19 again and leaving 7:22- like I needed to go to Starbucks and hang out for another hour or so.  

What a great day of connecting with other human beings and a great evening connecting with the One who made us.  Feel free to share some of your interactions that have occurred through giving up drive-throughs or even through other means. :)

Day 8: Week One and the Outdoors

I love the outdoors.  The past few months have been pretty rainy, so any time we have a day of sunshine, I like to take full advantage of it!  The view from my studio windows is quite beautiful.  Since Georgia no longer experiences the full-on winters it did when I was little girl, the trees take longer to loose their leaves.  Oh, they turn beautiful shades of orange, red, and gold.  But here in February, there are still some trees holding on to their souvenirs of last year.  

I have fallen in love with this golden-tawny color and tried to capture it against the gorgeous blue sky today.  I even used one of my app finds: "Colors" to try to match the color exactly.  It got pretty close, but you can see in the picture below that it does not quite get the brightest part of the leaves.

 What would you call that color?  I think it's funny how I saw basically gold and blue but the Colors app picked up hues of purple.

Today marks one week since I have chosen to give up drive-throughs.  Looking back on the past week I would have to say the biggest difference is the lack of feeling rushed.  Since I'm no longer going through drive-thoughs, I really have to plan into my day the times I go out.  There has also been no fast-food in my past week, which I noticed not only in myself, but also in Chris as this morning he was starting to loose his pants due to the loss of a few pounds :)

How has your week been?  Did you take the challenge to forgo drive-throughs for 100 days?  Thank you for your comments!  Also, I am interested in doing a give-away to my readers.  If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!

Days 6 & 7: BP and Starbucks

Day 6: BP

Yesterday morning I woke up expecting the weather to be just as warm as it had been the day before (mid 60's).  As I walked out of the gym in my flip-flops, the wind screamed a big, resounding, "WRONG."  Fiona and I quickly hopped in the car, only to realize we needed gas.  

We mozzied on over the the BP, the whole while dreading getting out of the car again to go inside to pay.  I parked up front, locked the car up, and ran inside.  It was lunch time and the sweaty scent of workers filled the gas station well-known for more snacks than you can imagine.  When it came my turn in line, the lady behind the counter raised her eye-brows at me after hearing me answer, "no, that's it," to her question of "and what else?"  It reminded me of how radical an idea of forgoing pay-at-the-pump service is.

Side note: I always thought BP stood for "British Petroleum."  Wrong: It stands for "Beyond Petroleum."  While researching BP for this blogpost, I also found this lovely picture:

Day 7: Starbucks

So, someone from Starbucks must have read my blog, because today when I pulled up:

FRONT ROW PARKING, BABY!

This was a big deal for me, as I chose to test my commitment to the challenge and visit the Starbucks that did, in fact, have a drive-through.  Not only was I rewarded with the closest available parking spot, I was welcomed and enveloped by that heavenly scent of rich espresso and frothy cream.  Well worth the trip inside.

Days 4 & 5: The Farm

Saturday and Sunday proved to hold no temptations for drive-throughs.  Saturday consisted of having my hiney handed to me in yoga, thanks to Jackie at Atlanta Fitness. Sunday was much most fun as we spent the day at the farm riding horses. 

For those of you whom have been to my parents' farm, you know what a slice of heaven it is.  Angela lead the horse brigade, giving all the babies free rides.

March's Birth Flower is the Jonquil. Other sources say it is the flower of Pisces (February 20- March 20).  The Jonquil (also known as a Daffodil or Narcissus) stands for friendship and happiness.  They were in full bloom at the farm!

Day 3: Starbucks

After the gym today, I actually found myself debating on which Starbucks to go through based on which one had a drive-through.  I quickly remembered my 100 day challenge and reminded myself that either one I chose, I would be going inside.  

I decided on the one without a drive through so that I would not be tempted in case there was no parking.  On a quick side-note/rant: is Alpharetta the only city that NEVER has parking available for any Starbucks? The only one I can think of with ample parking is the one at the Barnes and Noble on North Point Parkway (I don't count the Target ones since they do not have a separate entrance), but that's really not a fair comparison because they're sharing with a giant bookstore.

So, there I was.  Dripping with sweat, red-faced and greasy-haired, walking into Starbucks to get my coffee.  And I got to meet the barista who made the most beautiful latte foam in the world.  I commented on how perfect it was and she exclaimed, "Well, God made the Heavens and the Earth, but I make the best foam in the world."  Quite a bold statement.

Have you taken the 100 Days of No Drive-Throughs Challenge?  Please comment to tell me about your experiences forgoing drive-throughs!

Day 2: Broadwell Cottage

Day 2 of 100 Days of No Drive-Throughs

Broadwell Cottage is nestled in the heart of Downtown Crabapple.  A historic little white house with an inviting garden in the backyard beckons you to look around at local artisans' ware.  It is here that the iCelebrate seminar, lead by Carolyn Graham, is taking place. 

Most of the rooms in the house are filled with funky-fresh and shabby-chic clothing, jewelry, decor, crafts, and pottery.  These are not the room where the seminar is held.  A special room exists here that is unlike the others.  Its calming blue walls, comfy sofas and chairs invite you to slow down, sit a while.  And breathe.  

While no drive-throughs were visited or resisted today, Carolyn did touch on an important subject that I instantly knew belonged in this blog: We need human interaction.  Just the act of coming together can do wonders for our mood.  We yearn to connect with people and when we take the time to do just that, wonderful things can happen.

Like the Broadwell Cottage on facebook and if you're ever in the area, definitely go in and check it out!

100 Days of No Drive-Throughs: Day 1

What could be finer than simple human interaction?  The subject is finally gaining popularity what with the solitude we are creating for our generation through the use current technology and "social networking" sites available to all.  People have numerous ways to stay connected (email, texting, facebook, twitter, blogging, skype, etc), but are we truly connected to the people around us?

I have been pondering this topic for a while as it was first brought to my attention by reading books on French lifestyles.  The French value human-to-human connection and can often be seen going inside of banks, completely foregoing fast food drive-throughs, and walking inside to pay for gas.  As I read, I thought to myself, "I don't really fall under the category of a 'Lazy American' who doesn't get out of their car to do anything.  Surely not..."  Suddenly I was aware of how often I do rely on machines rather than interacting with humans to complete my daily tasks and errands. I was shocked.  

So I decided to present myself with a challenge: "100 Days of No Drive-Throughs."  

I started today.  Not by choice, but out of inconvenience.  The gas pump would not read my card and I was forced to walk inside (gasp!) to see the cashier (and have a human interaction).  Walking back to my car, I decided today would be the day.

Please let it be noted that I am not saying that anyone who uses a drive-through is lazy.  There have been plenty of times as a new mother that drive-throughs have been a necessity.  There was many an errand that would have been avoided all together had it not been for drive-throughs.  

Now that my daughter is 2 and can easily be loaded in and out of the car, I am ready to accept the challenge of no drive-throughs for 100 days.  Feel free to take this challenge with me!  Please comment on your human interaction experiences as you forgo this amenity-turned-necessity. 

   

Tiger Eyes and Judy Blume

Every year in December, The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival releases the next years dates and films to be shown.  This year marked their 13th anniversary, and the 4th year my mom and I have attended.  

We receive our 129 page bulletin (which has grown tremendously compared to the 5 page flyer I first picked up from Regal Cinemas 5 years ago) and eagerly begin to dog-ear pages of movies we want to attend.  Every year we get pickier and pickier: "I really like LeFont, let's try to go there," "I don't like subtitles.   Which ones are English?" "I really don't want to see another WW2 movie." "This one looks good!" "Boring..." " How about this one?" "I'm busy that day."

Finally, we narrow it down to 2: Jerusalem on a Plate (complete with a food tasting!) and The Rabbi's Cat.  Tickets go on sale January 3!  We get online to order them on January 7 and both are sold out.  My mom then begins to process of just trying to figure out which ones are not sold out on dates that we can actually attend.  We decide on Tiger Eyes.  She says its based on a Judy Blume novel, so I figure it can't be that bad.

When we arrived to the theater, mini-wine bottles stowed in our purses (LeFont tickets were sold out), there was already a line.  We ended up having to sit in the front row.  AJFF does such as nice job at these events and introduces every movie.  During this particular introduction, we find out that Judy Blume IS ACTUALLY HERE, and that the Q&A after the movie will be with her and her son, Lawerence, who directed the film.  I can hardly believe it!  

The film was done quite nicely, and it occurred to me while watching it that Stephenie Meyer probably read Judy Blume books as well.  It told the story of a teenage girl who moves with her mom and brother to New Mexico after the passing of her father.  She meets a guy who shoes her great friendship and is finally able to say goodbye to her father.  

During the Q& A, Ms. Blume commented that the main actress was actually from Gossip Girl, and The O.C. (probably why I passed right by it when reading through the film descriptions the first time).  She also noted that she was relived when they chose a New Mexico local (comedian Tatanka Means) to play opposite Willa Holland instead of Mr. Lautner (adding a quick, "No offence").

After the Q&A, ticket holders who had happened to know that Ms. Blume was attending AND those who had remembered to bring their books were invited to have them signed.  I shot my mom a desperate look and told her we had to go to Barnes and Noble, RIGHT NOW.  We managed to get out of the theater, to B&N,and back within 10 minutes, just in time to be the last in line to meet Ms. Blume.  Of course, when it was my turn, all of my calm and collected-ness vanished and I went silent.  Regardless, it was still a treat to meet the woman who shaped my and many others' adolescent years through her thoughtful and funny books.  

The movie comes out this summer and I would highly recommend grabbing your daughter, niece, sister, and mom to check it out!  Also, to received future mailings from AJFF, check out their website: www.ajff.org.  "Like" Tiger Eyes on facebook! Tiger Eyes