Dana Burland

What’s life without its simple joys? Fuzzy slippers, holding the remote control, the rare occasion when someone else gets the mail—instant smile creators, I tell ya. Lately I’ve been on a kick with a few different joy inducers. Nothing is groundbreaking, but if you’re looking for something to add a little spice to your life, start with this Dana approved list. OMG yum: Jif Whips Peanut butter (or chocolate peanut butter, in my case) in a light whipped consistency? Yes, please. Upon hearing about this from a coworker, I quickly picked up a tub of my own. The chocolate/PB version was a perfect companion to sliced apples, graham crackers and (oops) fingers. Rumor has it the PB version has a lower calorie per serving ratio than regular Jif PB, too. Ouch, ooouch: Cursty squats Squats are boring, curtsy squats are not. I like the balance element this exercise adds and that it’s more dynamic than its standard squat cousin. When I do add weight to this move, it’s usually 5lbs and i...

It’s been downright fall-like ‘round here. Where my hot apple cider, brown puffy vest and lavender homemade candles at? Last week had me in a comfort food state of mind. Instead of balking at the red bean and quinoa chili a food blogger I follow posted, I quickly grabbed the ingredients and made it for myself. Friends, family and blog stalkers—this chili is where it’s at. I love that it’s fast. The whole pot comes together in about 30 minutes. I love the depth of spices. They’re not so unique that you don’t have them in your kitchen already, but they make a bowl of this stuff taste like it’s been simmering all day. I love that it’s meatless! Trust a fellow carnivore—you won’t have a second to miss the meat while scarfing down hearty red beans and filling specs of quinoa. It’s still a bit early to move this dish into my regular meal rotation, but as soon as the first leaf falls, you can bet your pumpkin spice lattes I’ll have a container of this in my fridge at all times. Yum-may....

Ben and I just returned from a spontaneous weekend trip to Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes . It was a lovely weekend. We booked, I kid you not, the last hotel room open in Leelanau County (more on that later) and made, I kid you not, zero plans before showing up 2.5 hours north Saturday afternoon. We ended up wine tasting along the Old Mission Peninsula, exploring downtown's shoreline and shopping district, catching a movie at a historic theater and hiking the dunes. Did I already say it was lovely? By the time we made it to the hotel Saturday night it was late. I did hear the hotel manager briefly mention ‘Jacuzzi’ while picking up our room keys, but I didn’t really register it until we walked into the room. BAM. A heart-shaped Jacuzzi. In the middle of the room. With a full-size mirror over it. Talk about killing all attempts to forget about what goes on in hotels pre-your stay. Ewww. Ew. The hotel provided weekend giggles, but hiking the dunes provided a year’s worth...

Oh my worn out rollerblades, is this what I think it is? It looks like a smoothly paved trail. A new trail. Right around the corner from my apartment. I already considered myself lucky to have access to a lovely paved trail system down the street that lets me run or bike to my gym and beyond with ease. I was thankful to live close to an awesome independent grocery store/nursery with produce that makes Family Fare's selection look like swamp mush. I was thrilled to unearth some of the city's best Mexican, Chinese and Thai places all within walking distance from me—not that one is able to do much walking after downing fajitas fundidas. Me thinks Mr. Rodgers' hood has nothing on mine.

A bun, a yoga mat and a whole lotta pain Mornings. That's what's up. I’m finally forklifting myself out of bed early enough for pre-work workouts. It’s nothing intense, just enough time for a 30-minute AM sweat. Sometimes I run(/walk), sometimes I do circuits and sometimes I show up sleepy eyed at the gym and jump on a bike. I’m never excited to start; but I always, always feel ready for the day afterward. After work, I try to find a little time for a less intense round two. Sometimes that’s a few yoga poses (which—ouch), sometimes it’s planks and push-ups while watching Chopped , sometimes it’s P90X Ab Ripper in which case I spend the rest of the night whimpering while rewarding myself with ice cream. Hey, just being a honest blogger up in here. What helps is the unavoidable black bin in the living room. Most of our workout gear is stored away but a stretchy band, some light weights, my foam roller, massage stick and yoga mat live in this bin by the TV. It's...

I could almost hear my grandma’s mind blow during this conversation a few weeks ago: Grandma: “When you start your new job, let me know. I want to buy you an ink blotter or something nice for your desk” Me: “Grandma, I won’t have a desk. I’m a mobile worker.” All I really needed for my new role was a sturdy bag to carry my life around in. No one on my team has a permanent set-up-my-picture-frames-here desk—my boss included. We all sit in a large open space called the ‘mobile neighborhood’. For the most part we congregate at an office version of a dining room table, but single use work cubes and stand-up work stations are also available. We have a few take-your-conference-call and make-your-doctor-appointment enclaves (i.e. enclosed offices) for use, too. These options make mobile working successful, I think. Mobile working is a different experience. It’s not for the employee who needs silence, a faint smell of lilac and a glowing happy light to focus. It’s a highly collaborat...

Halp! I’m drowning in vegetables! It’s been a few weeks of CSA pick-ups and…I’m kind of overwhelmed. I love picking up my bag of farm fresh goodies, but I hate that we can’t eat everything before it a) goes bad or b) is time for next week’s pick-up. I’ve sent a depressing amount of browned produce down the garbage disposal—along with dreams of kale chips , a handful of my monies and a little piece of my heart. Sigh. This is why I ordered a half share! A half share, people! Ben and I just can’t munch our way through all this greenery fast enough. Honestly, you should have seen how ridiculously veggie packed the scrambled eggs I made last weekend were—you could hardly spot an eggy glob. The good news is as the season rolls on the produce should get less fragile (lettuce, chard, spring onions) and more hearty (peppers, beans, potatoes), thus lasting a bit longer. The bad news is I’m thinking this is my first and last CSA venture—for a while, anyway. I could split the half s...