This & That 2

Well hey there blog. Long time no see. I kind of took a blog break because I'm awesome it just kind of happened. #notsorry I feel like everything and nothing is going on all at the same time. This just leaves me feeling all over the place and I don't like it one bit. And because my brain is all hopped up on caffeine I'm giving you a little of this and that.

I officially only have 4 more active weeks of school left. I think I can... I think I can... last until it's over. I feel like everything is due at once and I'm always forgetting something. I know I'm not, but it's the crunch. It drives me nuts.

Little Miss and I had one of our best weekends in forever. She is the smartest kid. And so funny. She has a pretty extensive vocabulary for two so it was fun to have small conversations with her. Her favorite thing? "Hi, how are you?" and "fabulous!" She also does the 3-knock thing that Sheldon does for Penny. I assure you it's too cute.

I had the most magnificent shopping spree this week. And the stuff I bought is just a testament to where I am right now.

On Tuesday I ordered my Polar HRM. It was my one allowance for April's Wallet Watch and I'm glad I finally bought it. I can't wait to use it tonight at the gym.

On Wednesday I ordered a bunch of goodies from VitaCost. Did I need them, no. Do they fit in with my lifestyle overhaul, hell yeah! Plus it only cost me $15. #win Chia seeds you guys, I bought chia seeds. Truthfully, I have no idea what they do, but I know they're good in smoothies and yogurt. Apparently they're more nutritious then hemp hearts, and I love me some hemp hearts.

This was what I bought at the grocery store later that night. Ok, I ordered it, they shopped and I just picked it up and paid. I can't wait to taste this rainbow.

Wednesday night I hit the gym for leg day. Seriously, it's my favorite day of the week. Leg day makes me feel like a powerhouse. I pressed 205. 205 freaking pounds.

So that's my week in a nutshell. I'm planning to cross of a 1001 task this weekend, catching up on homework and just relaxing. You have yourself a fun weekend and I'll see you all on Monday!

All The Happy Things

Since I'm notoriously late the fact that I'm participating in the 32 Things That Make Me Happy Link Up should come as no surprise to anyone. Really though, I find it to be a great excuse to take some time out to sniff those roses is you will. Although, I really don't like roses. Like, at all. Instead here's what I DO like.

1)  The ocean -- this is the definition of serenity for me. You'll hardly ever find me more at peace then when I'm on the beach.

2)  Fresh hot bread -- I have candle for Bath & Body Works that's called French Baguette. It smells like warm buttered bread.

3)  My niece

4)  Dogs -- they always want to play, and I am quite willing.

5)  Football

6)  A child's laughter -- I know this pretty much goes against, well, everything, but there's something magical about the sound of a child laughing.

7)  A great pair of jeans -- what's not to love. They fit like a glove and make your ass look like a dream.

8)  That post-exercise high.

9)  When I catch Looney Tunes on tv.

10)  Bargains -- these are different from sales. Bargains make our feel like you stole the stuff you paid so little for it

11)  Gift cards.

12)  Christmas -- Do I really need say anything? The lights, the sparkle, the smell in the air, searching for that perfect gift.

13)  Summer concerts

14)  Free stuff

15)  V8s (no, not the drink)

16)  Flirting -- when that cute guy gives you the look. Bring on the flutterby's

17)  Road trips

18)  Food that Mom made.

19)  Leaving work on a Friday

20)  Summer 

21)  Music

22)  When the scale says minus anything

23)  That first real snowfall

24)  Tiger lillies -- their look, their scent.... heaven.

25)  Nailing my makeup -- selfies all day!

26)  That delayed "leg day" pain

27) Waking up before my alarm #lifewin

28) Knowing that I will be 100%, forever done with school at the end of this year

29) Flying

30) My kitties

31) Crossing things off a checklist

32) My name

This & That

How 'bout that blog week huh? Nice of me to show up today. I'm not really sure what happened. Monday came and went and I forgot I was "supposed" to post until sometime late in the afternoon. Oops. Wednesday, I forgot to finish a draft and here we are at Friday which I've been waiting for all week. Even more than usual.

Since my brain is only focusing on the fact that I get to see Little Miss in T minus 12 hours I'm just going to keep it short and catch you up on a few things. 

School / I was able to get the schedule I needed for next semester so I'm all registered. Fall - The Final Semester. Halle-freakin-lluah. It still sucks but this semester is only a few short weeks from coming to an end. I'm trying to keep it together instead of going to my list of Plan B jobs.  

Fitness/ I'm not a weekend reader but that's exactly when I post my fitness updates - go figure. Either way I'm happy to say that this girl has lost 9 pounds. I'm hoping to turn that into a 10 tomorrow morning. I got in some leg press action on Thursday night. I'm pressing 190. And yes, I'm impressed with myself. To think that only 2 months ago I was starting on 50 pounds. It makes me giggle. 

Little Miss/ Bratty pants is my most favorite little person on the entire planet. She can do no wrong, she always makes me laugh and she's criminally cute. She turns 2 on Monday. TWO! I can hardly believe it. I just want to keep her pint sized forever.

Car/ The car has passed on much to my disappointment. Apparently I have heavy cross-contamination between my radiator and transmission. In short, I need a new motor. Since that's not happening I'm relying on mass transit to get to from work, school, and anywhere else I need to go. God help me...

And that's that! I'll see you all on Monday... maybe. 

 

#UniVoxBox

I get this weird enjoyment out of reviewing things. Restaurants, products, services. If I've experienced it I enjoy sharing my experience. This makes being an Influenster member ideal for me. 

A few weeks ago I was selected to receive the #UniVoxBox. It came with an assortment of goodies perfect for a mid-semester pick me up. 

I opted to do a vlog instead of just typing about what was in the box. Kathy, I expect you to watch this ;) But, for those of you who can't/don't, I'll give you a brief synopsis below. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation in Soft Beige
I am not beige. I'm more like hazelnut latte... at least until summer gets here. Then I'm all toasted almond. The foundation is silky but it's way too light for me. Anyone want it? 

Pilot Acroball Pure White

We all know I'm a pen hoarder so I was pleased to have a new member of the collection. This one writes incredibly smooth and I've been using it ever since.

Red Rose Real Tea Premium Water Enhancers

I was excited for this. I try to drink 32+ ounces of water a day and after a while it can get kind of boring. I received the Black Currant Raspberry flavor and these have helped me stay on track with my water intake.

Playtex Sport

I was surprised to see a full box of these but they'll come in handy. 'Nuff said.

NYC New York Color Expert Last Lipstick in 
This came in pink. Like, Disney princess pink. No. Just no. Don't believe me? This is the actual color I received. Yikes!

  

Broadway Nails imPress Manicure in First Date

I really liked the color so I was excited to try these. The downfall is that they are narrow, which means they're too small to even try out for my fingers. If anyone wants these, just let me know. You can have them and I'll send them on over. 

Operation Get Fit: ReEvaluating

Remember back when I posted about my 30 x 30 plan? I'm disappointed to say that I haven't been as successful as I hoped I would have been by now. In fact, it's been rather difficult. I've been doing the yo-yo thing and it gets me so incredibly frustrated.

Janna suggested I read The End of  Overeating. Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. It's by Dr. David A. Kessler and it has been quite eye opening. There are a lot of key concepts in this book but I will tell you what I took from it.

1)  American food is designed to make you gain weight. There are some foods engineered solely to make you eat more.

2)  If you truly break down what you're eating it's most likely some combination of salt on sugar on fat. Ex. Bacon Cheese fries are fat on fat on sugar. 

3)  The foods that we eat are effectively rewiring our brains.

That last one really resonated with me and made me think a lot about what I choose to eat. For the past two weeks I've been trying to eat clean and drastically reduce my bread intake, even if it is whole wheat. Some days are a little harder than others, but overall, it's not difficult to do. It's a huge 180 to go from "eating to eat" to "eating for fuel", which is what I'm trying to do. Our bodies don't need food nearly as much as we think they do, they just need the right kind of food. 

As of yesterday I'm down a total of 9 pounds from when I first weighed in on January 4th. Now only that, but I hit my 5% target. 

It's been an up and down struggle but I refuse to give up. I've been keeping up with my workouts and have been adding and replacing where necessary. The best part about it is that I personally feel good, stronger, and healthier. 

I Feel Home: Then & Now

Thursday (the 1st) was a big anniversary for me. It was the 5 year mark for holding the same address. I still almost can't believe it. I have lived in the same apartment for 5 years.

Not much has changed in my space and yet everything is different. And to celebrate that I give you

Boyfriend:
When I moved into my place I was kind of in the midst of a quarter life crisis. I was breaking every dating rule I hold. He was 5 years younger than me, I was taller, and we lived in different states (NJ and VA). What the hell?! Back in February K and I celebrated 2 1/2 years. ♥

Pets: This apartment had everything I needed, and they allowed pets. My lease had a write-in for two, but all four kitties and I moved in with no problem. In October 2012 I had to let Bug go. She was incredibly sick and I wasn't going to try to drag things out for my benefit. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done.


Job: When I moved in I was working at a job I loved with a boss I hated. I had no benefits, Now I'm working at a job that looks great on paper that I can't stand. I'm still looking for the happy medium.


School: In April 2009 I was finishing up my first semester back in college. Graduation seemed light years away. Now I'm finishing my final spring semester for my Bachelor's degree. I'm looking at one more and keeping my eye on finally being graduated in December.

Priorities: Before I was only focused on finishing school. Although that's still a priority for the rest of the year, my health has also become a big priority. I want to be in my best shape for my 30th birthday and beyond. No one is going to make that happen but me.


So here's to 5 years at the same address. Hopefully in another 5 my address will have changed!

Batter Up!

Baseball season is officially here. Yesterday was opening day for the Yankees and since I'm begrudgingly trying to pay more attention to this sport, K is on the blog to answer everything baseball.

How did you come to be a Yankees fan?
Through my dad. He used to let me stay up late watching the games. Before that I used to sneak out of my room and lay on the floor watching while he was on the couch.

Why do they play so many games? I feel like there's a game every single day.
It used to be 10-15 less but there's always been so many. It's what makes the game so great, you can play 162 games and still have it come down to the last week.


Where are the best seats?
It depends on the opinion of the fan. The bleachers are great because your with a lot of people who care about the game {not me, I'm in it for the sun tan} and not in the boozy press box. Mid level is nice too, down the third base line.


Who's your favorite player, why?
Legendary Mickey Mantle because the things he did were unfathomable. Dave Winfield in the 80s because he swung with such aggression. Line drives all day long. Even his outs were impressive. From the 90s to now, Jeter {ugh, get off the bandwagon already} and Mariano. They are everything that's pure about the game of baseball. {Should I get you a tissue?}


If you're such a big fan, who won the 1992 world series?
The Twins or the Blue Jays I think {dammit!}

What's the deal with the Red Sox?
There's a long history of hate. You know Babe Ruth played for them before the Yankees right? The Red Sox sucked for so long, Yankees were king. {Anyone else notice that he said WERE} Then there was the "Boston Massacre" of '78. Just a lot of hate. {I had to Google this because I immediately was thinking of the Valentines Massacre... little different}


Do you think you'll ever get Michael to like baseball?
If she gives it a chance. {Like I said, I'll go to games. Just keep feeding me beers and make sure I'm in the sun}

If you had to pick another team who would it be?
The Baltimore Orioles because I love Buck Showalter. He used to be coach of the Yankees. {Fun Fact: my first ever baseball game at 12 was an Orioles home game. I hated it even then.}


There you have it! A day of baseball with K. I suppose I'll try to indulge him this season and pay attention a little more. Just don't ask me to start remembering stats because that's never going to happen.

Fool Hardy {April Goals}



Way back in 2012 I played a lovely joke on K. I was in the middle of my evening commute and I was texting him saying that we needed to end things because it was all just a phase for me and that I wasn't in love. Little did he know that Enrique and Kelis were feeding me lines. It got to the point where he called me asking where this was all coming from. Being the asshat that I am, I couldn't keep my laughter to myself. Needless to say, he wasn't amused. The point of all that? No idea really. But it's April Fools Day and

Moving on... let's set some goals!


Stay focused on school
This should kind of be a given but I need to remind myself to stay focused every now and then. I've had senioritis for... a long time, and the fact that this is my final year is just intensifying it. The semester is over in a little over a month so I need to finish strong.

Spending Freeze
I've never done this before but I'm going to do my best to watch my dolla dolla bills y'all. For one, I know I spend way to much money on food. Impromptu trips to DD, a snack at school - it all adds up and not in my favor. Right before the end of the month I noticed a fun link up for Wallet Watch with Steph from Life According to Steph and Marla from Luck Fupus. This works perfect with my goals. It fits because you make the rules on your freeze.

"Whatever goals you set for yourself, be realistic. Make changes to your spending habits for the next month that can work for you so you don't hate me and yourself by April 30. Once you set your rules, live by them. Write down any expenditures that aren't in your budget, grab the button below and report in on your experience on Tuesday, May 6. Bloggers, link up your posts. Non-bloggers, prepare to share your list of wallet watch victories, failures, and reflections in the comments here or on Facebook or twitter."

My Five Wallet Watch Rules
1. No buying snacks at school. Bring them from home.
2. No shopping while home in NY for the weekend of April 11-13.
3. My allowable splurge item for the month is a Polar watch.
4. Stay within budget for groceries for the month. This doesn't count shampoo, cat litter, and non-edible items.
5. Spend no more than $50 for the month in misc. "shopping".

Clean out the DVR
This seems ridiculous since this is exactly what it's for, but when you have shows from the middle of January that you still haven't watched, there might be a problem. By month's end I'm hoping to only have shows no more than 1 episode behind. The thing about this is that if I just sat down to actually watch the shows I'm DVRing, I wouldn't get so far behind.

Refocus with Weight Watchers
I'd be stopping, dropping and rolling all over the place if I said I was doing good here. I'm not. I've been slacking hardcore with my food choices, tracking and generally just following the program. If I want to make my 30 x 30 goal a reality, I need to stay focused.

Be a Better Bookworm
Every year Goodreads prompts its users to participate in a reading challenge. This year, I challenged myself to read 40 books. My to-be-read list is always growing but my read pile isn't moving.

Argue Less
I'm not going to elaborate on this but just know that I need to work on my temper and patience.

Being the first of the month, you should know what that means...... it's time for a little Man Candy!

Here's April's hottie!