Aly Raisman. Michael Phelps. Hope Solo. Usain Bolt. Andy Murray. Ashton Eaton. As we near the end of the 2012 Summer Olympics, these are all names we’ve become pretty familiar with – and rightfully so; they’re all gold medalists! Thanks to countless hours of practicing, training, working, and improving, these athletes are capable of incredible things. As talented and impressive as these folks might be, though, there’s another athlete I’m just starting to learn a little more about. Maybe there’s already been lots of chatter about him or maybe he’s just been under the radar, but I think 25-year-old Oscar Pistorius is my new favorite person. Both of his legs were amputated below the knee shortly after birth, due to the fact that he’d been born without a fibula (“long, slender bone running along the outside of the leg from below the knee joint and down to the ankle”) in either of his legs. He grew up to become an athlete, anyway, and ended up at the Olympics (for more on his story, check out his <a href=”http://www.oscarpistorius.com/about”>website</a>). No big deal, right? Ohmygosh. Seriously?! He may not be a gold medalist yet, but I can’t stop watching videos of him competing. The next time I feel tired after work and don’t want to get up and move, I’m going to think of Oscar and I’m going to get inspired. “You are not disabled by the disabilities you have,” Oscar says. “You are able by the abilities you have.” Unreal.

Tell me – have I been living in a bubble the last two weeks? Does everyone <em>but</em> me already know about this guy? Is it strange that I’m so moved by what he’s accomplished (not that I care if you think it is – just asking)?

Whitewater rafting on the Kennebec River!

A couple of weeks ago I was part of an 8 person group who rafted the Kennebec River. Our rafting guide was Northern Outdoors( http://www.northernoutdoors.com/), based out of The Forks, Maine.

Our day started at 8 AM for training and instructions, and then we proceed to load onto busses and make the 30 minute drive to the start of the river. Right off the bat there are a couple of class III and IV rapids, let’s just say that will wake you up!

We proceeded down the river for about 3 hours, and then stopped for lunch prepared on a private beach by our guides. The offerings: Sirloin steak, teriyaki chicken breast, or grilled salmon accompanied by fried rice, pasta salad, ice tea and a cookie! Not too shabby considering we were half way down a river on a rafting trip.

The second half of the river calms down, so you can actually jump into the river and just float down wearing a life jacket. The second half of the trip is filled with class I and II rapids not to mention a bunch of horse play among friends.

Once you arrive at the end of the river you load up the gear and make the short trip back to camp, and relax in front of a big screen and watch a slide show of the days rafting.

This is a great time for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful sights of Maine while adding in some thrill.

Check out http://www.northernoutdoors.com/ for more information.

I found this fabulous recipe on The Proud Italian Cook’s blog, and have now made it twice with a few variations. It’s the perfect way to take advantage of everything that’s good and fresh at the farm stand or farmer’s market right now. It’s quick, delicious, and makes two generous servings.

<strong>Summer Salad</strong>

1 ear of corn
A few handfuls of mixed greens or baby spinach
1 zucchini or summer squash, peeled, white part made into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
¼ red onion, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
10 – 12 heirloom cherry tomatoes quartered, or grape tomatoes
¼ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Italian dressing

Cook the corn in the microwave for 3 minutes, then grill to char over a gas burner, or under the broiler. Cut the kernels off the cob and let cool.

Toss all ingredients and enjoy!

I’m always telling myself I need to make an effort to read more; the problem, though, is that I don’t listen to myself as often as I probably should. There’s always something I <em>need</em> to watch on TV or a game I <em>have</em> to play on my iPhone (Scramble with Friends, anyone?!), so I end up letting my books collect dust. I’ve thought about joining a book club – but I get nervous that it’s going to feel like homework. <a href=”http://shine.yahoo.com/”>Shine from Yahoo!</a> may have a solution for me, though! I was losing myself in internet clicks the other day when I discovered that they’ve created an <a href=”http://shine.yahoo.com/at-home/welcome-shine-8217-book-club-143200540.html;_ylt=At4voY8rCxjVlR6zOfZTzVdZbqU5;_ylu=X3oDMTIwdGIycTgwBG1pdANib29rIGNsdWIgZmVhdHVyZWQgcG9zdHMEcG9zAzUEc2VjA01lZGlhRmVhdHVyZWRSb2xsTFBDQVRlbXA-;_ylg=X3oDMTFlamZvM2ZlBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3″>online book club</a> that gives you a new book to read each month. Once the four weeks are up, you can check back to the site for a discussion with a “notable female author” (the same one who makes the book selection) and other members of the club. No meetings to rush to. No participating in the discussion if you don’t want to (lurkers, I’d imagine, are more than welcome). A new & interesting book every month. Sounds good to me- <a href=”http://shine.yahoo.com/book-club/”>check it out</a> for yourself!

This recipe is so easy and great for entertaining! It will look like you spent a lot of time preparing for your guests and it only takes a few minutes to put it together!

Ingredients:

Bread Crumbs
1 Package of Spinach
1 Package of sliced mushrooms
6 Boneless Chicken Breasts
6 Slices of Deli Swiss Cheese
Garlic Powder
Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1/2 cup White Wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a large baking dish (I use a lasagna pan) with non-stick spray and then layer the bottom of the pan with bread crumbs. Next, layer with the bag of spinach, mushrooms, chicken and swiss cheese. Sprinkle garlic powder over the cheese. Then, generously sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Pour the butter and wine over all of the chicken. (I find I use more butter and wine then what the recipe calls for so there is sauce to serve over noodles.) The layers will be piled higher than the edge of the pan but it reduces down as it bakes.

Bake for about 40 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

I serve this over fettucini noodles but it can be served on its own with various side dishes. Serves 6. Enjoy!

I came across this article that just made me smile. I love the title, ‘10 Simple Things To Make You Happier At Home.’ http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/10-things-that-will-make-you-happier-at-home-174151?utm_campaign=topblock&utm_medium=web&utm_source=main-entry
I love number 4. It’s not new, and Oprah refers to it as “the magic of gratitude.” Check it out. Which one speaks to you?

Did you make your bed today? http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/make-your-bed-it-just-might-make-you-productive-profitable-and-peaceful-173046

Gone are the days of chemical household cleaning. We are all shifting towards a greener way of life. However you may have noticed that the so called green cleaners you can buy at the store are a bit pricy and some are made by the larger chemical companies which makes me wonder how green they really are. The United States does not do anything to monitor terms like “biodegradable” or “natural,” so the only way you can find out if the natural cleaning products you are considering are truly natural is to check the label and be able to read between the lines.

Here are some great cleaning tips using basic items that cost pennies compared to the cleaners out there.

For an overall kitchen counter cleaner take a squirt of a degreasing dish soap like Dawn and add it to warm water. Put in a small spray bottle and give a little shake. It’s perfect for after dinner cleaning.

Forget the disinfecting wipes in a can. Not only are they quite pricy but just think of the trash they accumulate. A simple solution of rubbing alcohol and hot water. Add a few drops of lemon juice for a fresh scent and extra cleaning power.

The old fashion trick of vinegar and water makes your windows really sparkle. If you want you can add a few drops of lavender essential oil so it smells pretty. Just add two cups of water and a ¼ cup of vinegar to a spray bottle.

Plain baking soda sprinkled on carpets and vacuumed up will deodorize any room without that overly perfumed smell of regular carpet deodorizers.

Funky smell in your garbage disposal? Freeze vinegar and lemon slices in ice cube trays and pop into your disposal to clean out.

Just be sure to properly label the bottles you have. Since you are being green why not cut down on the paper towels used in cleaning. Old t-shirts make great rags and newspaper is perfect for cleaning windows. Happy Cleaning!

Interior Decorating Tips for Couples:

Recently, my husband and I sat down to discuss making over our bedroom from floor to ceiling. Like every woman, the wheels start turning on what colors, fabrics, and shiny new things we can get. I can already see the room coming together when he wakes me from my daydream and starts telling me his ideas. OH NO! I am slowly envisioning this man cave with sports memorabilia and other manly things throughout the room. This can’t happen! It will be horrible! I won’t be able to sleep! What will I do?!

I started to think about the simple things that we could most likely agree on easily and asked for his input. “So, what color were you thinking for the walls?” His quick reply was like music to my ears: “Oh, something neutral. What do you think would be a good color?” I mentioned gray and he seemed to be intrigued, so we looked at a few gray samples, one of which we both agreed would work- so on the walls it went.

Now for accent colors, which I originally dreamt would be teal, yellow, or both. So again I asked what he thought about those colors. I did get a little resistance, so I waited and then slowly introduced a few teal accents to the room. He didn’t like them, so I took them back to the store and purchased something yellow. I couldn’t wait for him to decide on a color he would prefer, so I figured I would give him some visuals of my idea. That worked like a charm, so now we have gray walls with yellow accents… and a little teal!

The bigger challenge was going to be incorporating his taste in bedroom furniture with mine. So off to the furniture stores we went – and those trips were painful! What he liked, I didn’t, and what I liked was too expensive. I started to do a little searching on line and, as I found things, I would print them out. I tried to print things that were a hint of what he liked and more affordable so he could see I was paying attention to his ideas and concerns. Once we were able to bring those photos of furniture into the room, it made it a bit easier to decide on the style and color that would be best.

I pretty much ended up with exactly what I envisioned for the room, without him ever feeling like I pushed it on him and he had no say.

So here are some tools I used to do it:

1. Have a specific budget
2. Ask for input and ideas
3. Be open to the suggestions
4. Have specific/clear ideas to share
5. Find or ask for alternatives to ideas you aren’t keen on
6. Introduce items of your choice into the room to offer a visual
7. Figure out which design elements you can easily allow the other to make decisions on.

Rum Sangria
I love all the exotic cocktails that can be enjoyed throughout the summer and think this unique Champagne and rum based Sangria is one of the best! This light and refreshing recipe will keep you hydrated and help make any summertime gathering extra special! You can cut this recipe in half- but why would you want to?!

1 bottle of Mango Rum
2 bottles of Champagne
1 Bottle of Sprite
1 bottle of white Cranberry and Peach juice
1 bottle of Club Soda

Add sliced fruits such as peaches, oranges and strawberries- enjoy!