No, but really, what's for lunch?

I know we've all read the book, or at least heard the maxim, about how no one really cares about what you had for lunch.

I mean, duh, in general that would be a terribly boring thing to write about. Unless you were a food blogger in which case it would be totally appropriate and would probably make me hungry.

But right now, right here, I want to know what you're having for lunch. Especially if you hang out at home all day, working, not working, whatever. If you're home between the hours of 11am and 1pm, I want to know what you're feeding yourself.

See, I have a problem. I'll find something awesome for lunch and make it, once, twice, three, fifteen times. I'll stock up, pack the fridge or freezer full of my new favorite meal, and then, overnight, I'll become overwhelmingly bored with my lunch options.

And that? Is when I start snacking instead of eating.

It is amazing how much crap I can ingest when I'm not sure what I'm craving.

So, since this whole having-lunch-at-home-pretty-much-every-day-instead-of-going-out thing is relatively new and since I'm almost over eating avocado and grilled cheese sandwiches, I'm turning to you for inspiration.

Avocado Grilled Cheese. YUM. (For now...)

Source: aturtleslifeforme.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Do you make a big batch of soup every weekend? (That's what Kelly of TheCentsibleLife.com does.)

Do you always cook enough dinner for lunch left-overs? (That's what Tonya of www.tonyastaab.com does.)

Do you find ways to jazz up a salad? (That's what Katja of www.skimbacofood.com does.)

Or do you just forage in the fridge for hummus or an errant yogurt and carrot sticks? (That's what Julie of Just-precious.com does.)

Help me people! Don't make me go back to the frozen burritos that have been playing hide and seek with the frozen peas!

Come Tweet About Essential Luxuries with Acura

This morning I went for a walk. A lovely walk in the warm California winter sun. A lovely walk all by myself, just me, my podcast, and the hills.

These days between buying a home and selling the other, between caring for the husband and packing up the house, between driving the kids to one school and the other, and between work calls and meetings, taking a walk feels like a luxury.

But like my morning coffee, my post-lunch bite of chocolate, and my never-ending book habit, walking is an essential luxury. I need those things to get through the week with my smile firmly in place.

I'm not the only one who thinks essential luxuries matter. The newly redesigned Acura RDX was designed with essential luxuries in mind. It has everything you want without going overboard. A spacious cabin provides uncompromised comfort, and the most intelligent features were chosen to reward you with a robust, yet efficient, performance. The necessities have never been so smartly appointed. And even better, the RDX crossover SUV is expected to get best-in-class fuel economy. (You know, so you have left over cash for that massage you so badly need.)

So, what are your essential luxuries? And how would you like to use them to win a luxurious weekend away?

Create a video to tell Acura about all of your essential luxuries. Then enter for a chance to win the RDX Essential Luxury Challenge, where you could win a luxury weekend in Arizona to experience the Acura RDX before it goes on sale! Winners will also receive a MacBook Pro.* For more details and to submit your video, head to the RDX Challenge tab on the Acura Facebook Page.

Join us Wednesday, February 1st from 9-10 pm ET (6-7 pm PT) for a fun Twitter party, where we’ll discuss the contest, the new car, and of course, life’s essential luxuries.

It’s easy to join the party. Simply follow the hashtag #RDXContest.

Hosts:
@JustPrecious, @CentsibleLife, @TechSavvyMama, @GraceDuffy

Please also follow:
@Splash_Creative and @Acura_Insider

We’ll also be giving away prizes that will help you experience luxury in your everyday life!

Prizes include:

• $25 Barnes & Noble gift card
• $25 Starbucks gift card
• $50 SpaFinder gift card
• $50 Restaurant.com gift card
• Grand Prize: Nook Simple Touch (valued at $99)

How to Enter:
RSVP below for a chance to win! Enter your name and Twitter handle. To be eligible to win you must RSVP and participate in the party using #RDXContest. All winners will be chosen by random drawing and must have a mailing address within the United States. Official rules can be found on the Splash Creative Media site.

*MacBook Pro is a trademark of Apple Inc. Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.

Embarrassed

I live in an amazing area. It's gorgeous here. Gorgeous as in sometimes I want to stop on the side of the road just so I can gawk at the scenery. The weather is amazing -- never too hot or too cold. There are no bugs. (No, really, no bugs.) And even better, the people here are awesome.

This place, that I never expected to live in, is amazing in every way possible... except one.

The housing prices here are astounding. And not in a good way.

This past month, as we've visited countless homes in the hopes of moving to a town that would allow us to reduce the amount of time we spend commuting and that would bring us closer to our community, C has lamented the unfairness of the high price of homes.

"But we need homes. Why can't they all cost the same?"

So, after patting ourselves on the back for raising a bleeding heart liberal like her parents, we've explained to her again and again that sure, there are affordable homes, but if you want to live somewhere as special as we do, you have to be willing to pay the price.

This week we found the house of our dreams and one dizzying few days later, we're finding ourselves the new owners of this house.

And I am SO excited.

Seriously, it'll be like living in one of those spots I want to pull over and gawk at.

I keep wanting to pinch myself about what just happened.

And yet, I can't seem to allow myself to scream it on the rooftops.

Fact is, I think I'm embarrassed about what we're paying for this house.

For this area? It's a deal. Ok, fine, at least it's quite reasonable. And a great investment. And we can afford it. Which is astounding in and of itself.

But I have friends whose husbands have lost jobs this year. I have friends facing foreclosure. I have friends who live pay check to pay check. Sharing the listing with them to show off our new gem feels so... unfeeling.

Tonight as I was driving I thought back to the year we've just lived through. Everyone has their own burdens. Ours are health related, not financial (knock wood). As much as C wishes it were possible, we can't all live in the same homes, in the same towns. We've chosen this place because of family and roots. It is our home. I can't keep being embarrassed about the choice we've made in living here.

I'm excited about this new chapter in our lives. Yes, it will mean some sacrifices. Yes, it might be a little insane when you think about the actual numbers involved in the game. But when I wake up in the morning and I drink my tea in front of a view that makes my soul whole, I'll know there was a reason we found this place just when we needed it.

I'm making peace with my embarrassment. I'm embracing our choice.

On Loss, Love, and Connections

I went to a small high school. I had a handful of close friends and a handful of people I knew, but that was pretty much it. Other than the dude who would drink a 6-pack before homeroom and the guy with the drug problem, everyone was pretty much healthy and average.

I went to a huge university and attended two programs at once. Overnight the number of people I encountered on a daily basis grew exponentially. Suddenly I knew people, lots and lots of people. People with health issues, people with mental issues, people with family issues, and people who were absolutely totally average.

I finished school and went to work for a synagogue. Suddenly, I didn't just know people, I was actively involved in their day to day lives. I was the front line for every health or family crisis. And it was a big synagogue, so there were many, many crises.

And then, because apparently, I can't get enough of being in the thick of people's lives, I got addicted to the internet, where millions of people share snippets of their lives every day, weaving webs that entangle you in their ups and downs.

It's a wondrous thing being constantly surrounded by people. It means that you always have someone to pump you up when you're down, or someone to chat with when you need a sounding board. It means that you have friends all over the world. It means that no matter what you're going through, there's someone out there who can relate.

What it also means is that you know a million more people who are going through tough times.

When I had a handful of friends my life was pretty sheltered. I knew about the usual, run of the mill challenges that people face. As my social and professional circles have grown I've seen more and more of the horrors that life can bring.

Most days I love being hyper connected. I thrive on all that connectedness.

Other days the weight of what my friends face makes me want to shut off the world, curl up under a blanket, and never come out.

It was easier when I hardly knew anyone.

My friend Susan is struggling today. I've known Susan, first virtually and finally in the flesh, for over 5 years now. She's the only rocket scientist I can claim to actually know. She's wise, funny, caring, and a pillar of strength. She's fought not one, not two, not even three, but four cancers over the last four years. FOUR cancers. She has two little boys and loving husband. She has friends all over the globe. She's changed how I see science and how I want my daughters to see it. She's touched my life and improved it. And no matter what happens over the next few weeks, there will always be a little Susan shaped part of my heart. It'll glow when I show my kids a cool science trick or help them learn about a woman who has changed the world of science.

I know a million people (give or take a couple thousand) and in putting myself out there I've opened up my heart to a million heartaches. My heart breaks daily, but if I weren't putting myself out there, weren't opening myself to the possibility of sadness and horror, I wouldn't be opening myself to the possibility of meeting people like Susan.

And if I hadn't met Susan? Well my life would most definitely be poorer for it.

(One of my favorite posts by Susan: http://toddlerplanet.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/its-not-fair/, demonstrating that strength and wisdom I mentioned above.)