Benefits of Having a Zoo Membership

We LOVE being members of the Memphis Zoo! As members, we can enjoy the zoo anytime and even parking is free. The membership pays for itself in about two visits (adults are normally $15, children $10 and parking is $5 I believe).

One great benefit to being a member is that you can take your time, and you don't have to rush around trying to make sure you see all of the exhibits. This past visit we went to Teton Trek, Northwest Passage, and the African Velte.

The little man is starting to really be aware of the animals, and it is so much fun to watch! This time was all about bears...he loved watching the brown bears splash and play in the water, and he was mesmerized by the polar bear swimming the same loop over and over!



Another benefit to not paying each time is that he and I can just run up there for a short outing before the morning nap or in between naps. As he gets older, it's not as easy to keep him busy at home!



He especially loves it when Daddy can join us!

In addition to these benefits, members get special pricing for zoo events and invites to members only nights four times a year.

I think we will be zoo members for life!



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Busy, busy, busy!

Well, hello! I feel like I have blinked and September is almost over! I haven't been blogging because I simply have not had one spare minute this month. Although it has been extremely hectic, it has also been very rich and rewarding.

The month began with a bang as I completed my first 5k. My good friend Jennifer and I started the Couch Potato to 5k training program around the Fourth of July, and the Chick-fil-a 5k was the exciting culmination to our training.



What a feeling to cross that finish line with my husband, my son, my mom, and my brother cheering me on! (okay, maybe G wasn't cheering!)



After a Labor Day cookout at my mother-in-law's house that same afternoon, Sean and I hit the road with G for our annual trip to Grayton Beach FL. We left at bedtime, so the little man slept all the way to Mobile where we stopped for the night. The next day, we only had a couple of hours to drive before arriving here...



Grayton Beach, one of our favorite places on Earth!

We return every September since getting married there in 2009. We go with a large group of friends. This year, we graduated to the "family" side of the duplex condo where we stayed with two other families with young babies and another friend and her fourteen year old daughter (prime babysitting age!).

Here are the boys...



And the girl...



The trip was amazing as usual! We arrived after Tropical Storm Lee and had perfect weather during our trip. Here is the fam...



We also spent time in Seaside eating some of our favorites like the Lobster Roll from the Shrimp Shack and a grilled cheese from The Meltdown on 30A.






After a great five days, we returned to the real world! I have started my practicum experience at Delta Medical Center, and I am taking my last class of graduate school! I will complete my internship in the Spring and graduate in May!

The craziness of September continued this past weekend with the Cooper Young 4 Miler


(which I finished in 44:54, just under my goal of 45:00!)
The annual Cooper Young Festival on Saturday



(G in front of our friend Billy Moore's folk art booth- you can view and purchase his art )
And the couples' shower for our good friends, Tommy and Candi, who are getting married in October



Oh, and did I mention that G took his first steps yesterday (with the help of a push toy!)

Whew! What a month! I will try to be more regular about blogging so that I don't have to write so much at once :)

Peace,

Ellen

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{this moment}

{this moment inspired by Soulemama}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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Easy Ethnic Cuisine!

Sean and I love all kinds of ethnic food- Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Japanese- you get the idea! The problem is that eating out all the time can be taxing on the bank account and the waistline. For this reason, I am always looking for easy ways to create our favorite dishes at home.

Without further aideu...I present the easiest way I have found to create yummy curries at home...




The company, Seeds of Change, sells a line of organic "simmer sauces" that make ethnic cooking a snap!

Two nights ago, I used this one with leftover grilled chicken breasts and lots of fresh veggies from our weekly CSA. It was delicious, and I utilized four items from this week's share (see my post, What is a CSA?, if you are curious about this!).

I started by sautéing a chopped shallot with olive oil and chopped red and green peppers. Then I added cubes of eggplant. I continued cooking until everything was tender.

Next, I added the sauce, the cut up chicken, and the green beans. I let this all simmer on low for about thirty minutes.

SO. EASY.



I heated up some brown rice from the night before, and presto, dinner was served!

(Sean even said he would order this again if we were at a restaurant!)

Bonus- I calculated a serving to only be 5 weight watchers points! *brown rice not included :)

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Breakfast of Champions

Sean and I are obsessed...

With Fage Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt from Costco! At 23 grams of protein per serving, it makes the perfect, quick breakfast that keeps us full until lunch. We are going through two quarts a week right now. We stock the house with fresh fruit to throw on top and voila...



A-MAZ-ING!!!!

The combos are endless. Yesterday was raspberries, blueberries, and clementines (pictured), and today I opted for dark, sweet cherries with clementines.

So delicious and healthy!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

{this moment}

{this moment inspired by Soulemama}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cheffie's Cafe

One of my new faves for lunch! This is a great little spot in the High Point neighborhood that has a simple and delicious menu. They have several sandwiches and salads to choose from or you can build your own from a long list of fresh ingredients.

For the second visit in a row, I ordered the nicoise salad. It is AMAZING!!! It is definitely my new favorite salad.







As you can see, it consists of a huge bowl of beautiful mixed greens, a nice scoop of Cheffie's lemony tuna salad, kalamata olives, hard boiled eggs, and tomatoes. This is finished off with the perfect amount of lemon vinaigrette! I am not a fan of tuna salad that has a lot of mayo. That is why this version is so delish! The lemon complements the tuna so nicely.

This is how my bowl looked at the end of the meal...







You think I like this salad just a little bit???

Cheffie's also has a great patio that is built around some wonderful old trees. Perfect for patio weather that is heading our way. Check it out next time you are looking for a new lunch spot!

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