Gretch Runs

I'm joining Elle once again for the Story Behind the Pic linkup!  This is such a fun linkup where you get to talk about some random pictures on your phone.  Today I'll be sharing three, and I hope you'll join the linkup as well! This weekend, Dan and I were supposed to meet up with some friends for rock climbing.  We woke up super early to go to the store, do our shopping and have some lunch before going.  Everything was fine until Dan tried to open a package of cheese and sliced his thumb!  He's fine now, but he said it hurt so badly and he was bleeding for a while, so Selma came over to comfort him.  She stood there for a while, then laid down and put her head in his lap until he was ok to get up. Does anyone else have a dog like that?  One that always knows when something is wrong and just sits by your side until you're ok?  Selma always takes care of us, whether we're sick in bed or hurt or just feeling blue.  She's like a mind r...

Happy Thursday! Today I'll be joining in a linkup with one of my new favorite blogs- Elle Sees !  I've been loving Elle's blog and all of her amazing beauty reviews, so be sure to check her out.  The linkup is "Story Behind the Pic" - so I'll be sharing a few random pictures and giving you the story behind them.  To learn more about the linkup click here ! I've been to Prague twice so far.  My first time was right after I graduated from college, and I was there during my 22nd birthday.  I found this little spot right outside of the castle ( Prazsky Hrad ) and loved the view of the city!  When I went back in November a few years later with Dan, I had to find the same spot and get the same picture.  Who knows- maybe I'll be there years later and have a third picture to add!  Prague definitely tops my list of favorite cities in Europe. In case you don't know, Dan and I are attempting to visit every MLB stadium in the United States.  For ...

Hi everyone and Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  Mine was so great and filled with all of the best things in life- family, friends, food, and fitness (alliteration was unintentional there!).  I'm linking up with Katie to share my Marvelous Monday! This was such a great and busy weekend that I have to back it up to Thursday. On Thursday , Dan's work had a picnic at a big park in the Pittsburgh area.  We had a lot of fun and tons of great food and drinks.  We brought orzo salad , which is one of my favorite things to bring to potlucks.  Easy, delicious, and can sit out for hours without going bad! We also brought Selma along and she was a huge hit!  There were tons of kids there and they kept running over to pet her.  She just sat there wagging her tail and soaked up all the attention.  She didn't even mind when some of them pulled her tail.  Best dog ever! On Friday , I ran the Riverview 5k!  This is a race I used...

Hi everyone!  Today will be a short post just to share some pictures from the weekend.  I'll be writing more about the race and my experience tomorrow, but for now here are some pictures! The expo was really small, but past Biggest Loser contestants were there.  I was there when Rob from the most recent season was talking. I think I need this shirt: For dinner, we went to la bella in Erie - great pasta and salads.  All of their dressing is homemade and tasted great! I got the Ragu Bolognese with meatballs (unnecessary because the sauce was SO meaty!) We also made sure to stop at Tim Horton's for a double double..my favorite! Beautiful sunrise over the lake at the start! The race course was beautiful but brutal for me (it's completely flat and I'm used to tons of hills!).  Here I am at mile 12!  (Thanks to my mom for the picture!  Unfortunately Dan hurt his back and couldn't make it so my mom skipped a party she was suppose...

Happy Monday everyone!  This week is going to be a bit different on GretchRuns: it's Travel Week !  All of my posts this week will be centered around traveling: what to pack, what apps to use, and travel guides for the rest of my trip.  I hope you'll all enjoy it! How was your weekend?  Mine was a lot of fun! Here are a few highlights:   I finally visited the second level of Sienna Mercato (Mezzo) for lunch!  I've been to Emporio and Il Tetto a few times, but this might be my favorite.  The food was delicious and we got a great window seat.  Loved it! Lots and lots of walks in the park with Selma!  She's loving the warm weather, and I'm so lucky to have beautiful parks within walking distance of our apartment.  I just take her 50 foot leash and some music and let her run around! Stopped for an early dinner at Independent Brewing Company .  This place is so cool- most of their menu and all of their beers are from l...

Happy Thursday!  How is everyone doing?  This week is absolutely flying by.  I'll be leaving soon for Europe, so I've been trying to get ahead of my tasks at work.  I love being busy, though, so this has been a terrific week for me! Today for Thinking Out Loud Thursday with Amanda , I decided to do the 20 question tag that I've seen on tons of blogs.  The questions are fun, and its a good chance for you all to get to know me better!  Make sure to answer some questions in the comments below!  I'd love to get you know all of you better :) 1. What’s your whole name? Gretchen Braun (no middle name)   Baby Gretchen was very serious, especially about Easter egg hunts and ballet 2. Are you named after anyone? I don't believe so! 3. Do you have any siblings? One sister- Kirsten.  She's two years older than me and currently lives in California.  She'll be moving back to Pittsburgh this summer!  Her husband was in the A...

Hi everyone! Today's review is a bit different, because it's more of a travel guide (my first one!). This one is very special to me because it's where I got engaged! Today is Dan's birthday, so I thought it would be a perfect post for today. I'll be telling you about where we stayed, where we ate, and what we did, as well as our engagement story.  Since this was a beach trip, we spent a lot of our time relaxing.  Future travel guides will have much more information! It’s helpful to know when choosing a location that locals commonly divide the area into three main sections: the Northern Beaches, consisting of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head; Hatteras Island, consisting of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras; and Roanoke Island, consisting of Manteo and Wanchese.  For our trip, we stayed on the Northern Beaches. -------------------- sleep -------------------- Nag's Head Inn Oceanfront Hotel ...