365 Fresh Starts

A Blog About Life

We've been conditioned to expect things to be all or nothing. We make dramatic resolutions on December 31st that we break by January 2, and then feel terrible about ourselves. We think that we can't change at all because our annual, dramatic attempts at change just don't work.

We get 365 fresh starts each year.

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What Would Betty Do Logo Cuban Black Beans with Beer

Written on May 18, 2012 by Alisa.

Frijoles Negros I’ve tried a lot of recipes for black beans, and while they’re all tasty, it turns out that this one — prepared on a whim — is the most flavorful that I’ve come across. It’s loosely based on the frijoles negros recipe from 3 Guys From Miami. Their cookbook is one of my […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo This is Your Captain Speaking: Coordinating a Fundraising Raffle

Written on May 17, 2012 by Alisa.

I have a really hard time asking anyone for anything. I’ve always been a self-sufficient, fend-for-myself kind of person, which is why fundraising for Team in Training has always been a challenge. Don’t get me wrong: you’ve all been very generous about supporting me and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s mission. But first I have […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Change: I’m Really, REALLY Impressed with Skechers GOrun

Written on May 14, 2012 by Alisa.

A while back, I was contacted by someone at Skechers. They had seen my quest to find the right running shoes and asked if I would be interested in reviewing a pair of their new GOrun minimalist shoes. I have to admit, my first thought was, “Skechers? Really?” No offense to the brand, but I think […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Training: My IT Band is Angry

Written on May 13, 2012 by Alisa.

Last week, I went on my usual Monday morning hike with two friends. On the way back, my knee started getting very unhappy. By the time I got back to the car, I emailed a fellow runner and described the pain as “stabby.” While it felt more isolated in my knee while I was hiking, […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Lasagna Roll-Ups

Written on May 11, 2012 by Alisa.

So there we were, on a Saturday night. It was already 5:00 and I’d given zero thought to dinner. So I polled the boys. The Tiny Kitchen Assistant requested pasta. My husband groaned. “It’s Saturday night,” he said. “I don’t want a quickie, throwaway dinner.” I was more than a little bit annoyed because maybe, […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Betty Says: Just Talk

Written on May 9, 2012 by Alisa.

Over the past few months, I found myself repeatedly crossing paths with a woman who looked like a serious runner. She had the gear, the KT tape… she was definitely a “real” runner. Naturally, I thought that she was completely out of my league. And then, one day, as I slogged away on the elliptical […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Change: Giving Acupuncture a Try

Written on May 7, 2012 by Alisa.

With everything that’s been going on in the past few months, I decided that it was time for a change. While I’m still a Western medicine girl, born and bred, I decided to step outside the box and give acupuncture a try. Why? Because my conversation with the acupuncturist was the first one of the […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Training: Remember When I Used to Post About My Training?

Written on May 6, 2012 by Alisa.

Ok, I’ve been a bit of a posting slacker lately, but really, there wasn’t much to report for quite some time. But last Sunday, I ran the Race to Stop the Silence 8K in Washington, DC. I had many things to talk about after that, but seeing how I was traveling and tired… well, it […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper Pasta)

Written on May 4, 2012 by Alisa.

There was a time when I believed that Cooking (with a capital C) required two dozen ingredients, preferably ingredients that were difficult for mere mortals to find. Over time, I came to understand that simpler combinations of ingredients often merged to create more satisfying results. This pasta came about when the Tiny Kitchen Assistant requested, […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Betty Says: Life Lessons Learned While Traveling

Written on May 2, 2012 by Alisa.

I just got back from a week-long combination business/personal tour of the east coast, and I came to a few interesting revelations that seem obvious in hindsight, but gave me those “a-ha!” moments at the time. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities trump everything else. I was in New York City on Thursday, the day after my presentation at […] Read More