Spring Favorites

I know Spring won't officially get its start for another two weeks, but the last few days in Chicago have been a sweet reprieve from an arduous winter.  Mild mornings have coaxed me into longer runs as I get serious about training for my upcoming races, and the fresh air and sunlight have me feeling energized for the first time in months -- I really can't recall being so excited for daylight savings.

If you will allow me to waver from the normal thread of this website for a moment, I'd like to share a few things I am presently excited about.

I Hardly Know Her: A smart and simple design for Flickr photos.  You can see mine here.

The Publican:  Nick and I finally dined at this Fulton Market area restaurant and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Homemade Goat Cheese:  Nick has been making goat cheese for us at home with delicious results. A detailed post is in the works.

Quicken Online: I'm trying to get my finances in order and pay off loans and debt.  I've found Quicken Online to be a great, free tool to help me stay organized.  Mint is nice too, but I find that it has a longer lag time updating my accounts.

Baggu Produce Bags:  I'm a big fan of the Baggu grocery bags.  I always have one on me.  I was excited to see that they had added produce bags to their product line and I recently ordered one in both sizes.  I am very pleased with them and now I never need to use plastic at the store.

The Daily Mile:  As I continue with my new found interest in running, the dailymile has become a great resource.  I am able to track my distance, time, pace and upcoming races on their free site.  Please add me if you are a member, it will be a better motivator with friends!

Argentina: I finally cashed in all of my frequent flyer miles and Nick and I are heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina in May.  Needless to say, we are super excited.  We'd love recommendations of what to eat, drink and visit.

Other things that have me smitten: Sarah Haskins, Mad Men dvds, Scraping the Skillet's Dill Bread, and Orangette's new book -- Congratulations Molly!