Hooray!

My favorite farmer's market is apparently a lot of people's favorite! The Falls Church Farmer's Market was just named America's Favorite Medium Market!

I constantly talk up the greatness that is this farmer's market, and it's paid off. If you're close by, check it out - I promise it'll be worth your while!

It's Not the Heat, It's The Humidity

I'll take cold any day.

Last week was hot. So hot, in fact, that when the power went out on Wednesday, we ended up getting sent home early. So far this year, we have missed one week (plus a half day) due to snow and another half day due to heat. I think that means that snow rocks harder than heat.

Nothing new has really been happening, but things are rolling right along. Summer (aside from the heat) is nice - but mostly due to the lack of traffic.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

Here it is - a new nail polish review. I know you've been waiting for it!

I have use Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Presto Pink a few times. I first got it because I was in need of a fairly hideous pink to go with my bathing cap when I did my Polar Plunge. It was good in a pinch. But I didn't care for it.

Here are the unique features of Insta-Dri:
1. One-stroke application - the brush is wide and flat. If you're used to regular brushes, this will trip you up. It's hard to control the application until you get used to the brush.
2. One-coat coverage - I don't buy it. If you have enough polish on the brush for one-coat coverage, it will end up all over your cuticles and fingertips because the one-stroke applicator is so wide.
3. Dries in 60 seconds - Yes it does. But this makes it tough to use more than one-stroke for application because it becomes tacky almost instantly.

Overall, it's not worth the $4+ for this nail polish. I will stick with my Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear.

Silver Diner Goes Local

Who would have ever thought that that Silver Diner would be a pioneer in the local foods movement? Certainly not me! But it's happened - Check out the article in the Washington DC Examiner.

Not only have they gone local, they are also offering several new gluten free options as well as a menu of unfer-600 calorie entrees.

And finally, Farm to Table has reported that Silver Diner is also partnering with Action for Healthy Kids and Virginia Food System Council to help raise money for better school lunch options and more physical activity programs between now and June of Next year.

If all of this wasn't enough to get you to start eating at Silver Diner, consider this - according to DCist, even with the cost increases associated with going local, most menu items are still priced under $10.

Pretty Nails!

I was raised with a love for eccentric nail polish. It started with my great-aunt Margie. In the summers, we'd visit her at her summer house on Silver Lake in Maine. She would paint her toenails blue because it attracted the minnows when she was soaking her feet in the lake - and she liked how they tickled her feet.

I am a little more sensitive (read: ticklish) when it comes to my feet - but the fascination for brightly colored nail polish stuck. For a while, I spent a lot of time keeping my nails in tip top shape. This was mostly by way of home manicures. I even mastered the self-French manicure!

I gave up on the nails when I started my long commute - mostly due to lack of time and energy. Recently, however, my volunteering has brought me back to thinking about my nails. I volunteer at the Northern Virginia Training Center, a state-run regional residential training center for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The ladies who live in the home I volunteer in love two things - purses and nail polish.

I've been trying to keep up with these ladies - and have been wearing different colors on a weekly basis at their suggestion. I had gotten rid of most of my old nail polish from college and was in need of new polish - on a budget.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear fits that bill. They offer a variety of colors for approximately $2.00 a bottle. Best of all, the colors are fun! So far, I've tried about 6-7 different colors (color shown is Blue Me Away!). It goes on smoothly, and stays for days - I haven't noticed any differences in quality between the expensive stuff and this.

So much fun, I did it twice!

That's right - this past Saturday, I finally plunged into the Potomac River to raise money for Special Olympics Virginia.

I raised $1,000 for Area 26, which covers the northern Virginia area, including Fairfax and Arlington Counties, and the cities of Fairfax, Falls Church, and Alexandria.

Don't believe me? Check out my picture in the paper! I'm the one in the pink bathing cap!

Not much on the brain

Obviously, since I haven't posted in a while, there's not much on my mind. That's actually not true, and I've really just been crazy busy since the holidays.

I spent the weekend after New Years on The Rock Boat. Aside from hurricane force winds, rain, and twenty foot waves, a good time was had by all. Returning favorites included Gaelic Storm, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, and GRO. New discoveries were Evan McHugh and Augustana.

The day after returning home, I started my new job in my old department. I actually look forward to go to work everyday! I did love working for my supervisor over the last six months, but was bored out of my mind by the work.

I've also been busy with Special Olympics. This is the last week of bowling, followed by Winter Championships and an FAS fundraiser. I'm looking forward to February and March - two months off before the Spring season begins!