Gretch Runs

Hi everyone and welcome back to my third Garden Update (check here for the others)! Today we're getting into the fun stuff - harvesting all those yummy veggies and herbs that I worked so hard to plant and keep alive. Things have definitely been growing like crazy lately, and I've been in produce heaven!

I'll be sharing some of my favorite ways to use all of the veggies that I'm growing- some are preservation methods, and some are actual recipes. I hope this helps give you some inspiration if you're also growing any of these. I would also love to know how you're using your veggies as well!
Before we start, I want to share the products that I'm using. I didn't have anything when I started this, so I was happy to find that Ball offers a starter set for preserving. This has everything you need- 4 half Pint jars, preserving rack, real fruit classic pectin, jar lifter, headspace/bubble remover tool, jar funnel. These are all working great for me and was reasona…

Is it really August? If you told me it's still May I would believe you- when people say that time is a construct I think that this is exactly what they mean. While the days go by and the sun rises and sets, it doesn't actually feel like any time is changing. And those are my Monday morning thoughts 😅
As far as my highlights of July - it felt like a month where nothing really happened. I found myself struggling more than usual - it seems like in most places (including Pittsburgh) cases of Covid are getting worse and worse, yet I see friends and people going out and traveling like this is just another year. As a rule follower, this is something that's really been upsetting me...I feel like the kid waiting for recess and all my classmates keep acting up and we have to stay inside.  But- I did have one day where Dan and I went kayaking and then biked to two different outdoor breweries. That was a day that I could relax, enjoy the weather, and just be...in a socially responsible…

Good morning everyone! I don't know what's gotten into me during the lock-down, but I've gone into project overdrive. Not sure if it's because I feel like I need to be doing something or I'm filling the void that social interaction and having plans left, but I've used this time to cross off all the things I've been putting off in our house. 

Dan and I sat down and made a list of everything we had to and wanted to do before we would think of selling the house, and I've been checking things off like crazy (and adding more as I go, naturally). Some things are not glamorous like patching holes or deep cleaning the kitchen, but I've had some fun makeovers as well! This is just part one, because I'm already working on some bigger areas (hint- kitchen and bathroom!).  Let's look at what I've done so far!

GardenThis was definitely our biggest project of Quarantine, and the gift that keeps on giving (you can follow the monthly progress here!). We s…

Happy (late) Monday! It's honestly been kind of an up and down week for me- some days were great while others I had zero motivation. I've been getting waves of this during the quarantine lately and just go with it and listen to my body. I did have some fun workouts and some fun marathons (from Netflix) so let's look at my week-


Monday1 hour SUP Best start to the week for me is to be on the water! It was so beautiful out this morning and super quiet (only a few people were at the park, awesome!).
10 min Yoga Flow : Hips with Aditi Getting started with the week 2 Pelothon challenge- taking two live classes. A friend suggested this class and it was really great- just some nice hip opening stretches with one of my favorite instructors.

Tuesday5.25 mile run Apparently the days are getting shorter because this was the first sunrise I've seen heading to a run in a while. I felt really good on this run- it was one of those where I felt like I had to keep holding myself back. At the …

Hey everyone and happy Wednesday! Today I wanted to bring back a post that I've done in the past- Day in the Life. These are always fun for me to share and to look back on to see what was a normal day for me. This will definitely be one to remember with Quarantine happening!  I'll be sharing what yesterday looked like, which is pretty typical nowadays.  Let's get into it with my morning alarm.

5:45 - Alarm goes off, snooze it till around 6:00 and begrudgingly get out of bed. I set up my Amazon Echo to play "spa meditation" station starting at 5:45 so that helps lure me out gently.
6:15 - Head out the door after having a glass of water, some apple sauce, and taking Selma out. I'm running at the lake by my house and get to see a beautiful sunrise. Days are starting to get shorter :(

7:15 - Finish up my run with a little over 5 miles. Felt great and the park wasn't crowded at all as a bonus. Drive home and head down to the garden to pick some tomatoes, kale, an…