Good Riddance, 2011!

I don't know about all of you, but I'm pretty over 2011 and can't wait for 2012!  I wouldn't be exaggerating to say that 2011 was the worst year of my adult life.  I don't need to get into all the gory details, but let's just say, 2011 blew.  But, I'm optimistic about 2012 and of course I have a few goals for the new year!  Let's get to the list...

1.  Finally finish my PT cert., I should be done in the next couple weeks.  I'm almost done with the course work and then I just need to get my CPR/AED certification.
2.  Get my new website up and running (and in the process master Dreamweaver).
3.  Give myself a break once in awhile, I expect a lot from myself.
4.  Finish Jamie Eason's 12 week Live Fit Challenge (I start Monday!).
5.  Have a baby.  (I realize at this point that I have little control over this, but I do still hope it happens in 2012!).
6.  Stop biting my nails!
7.  Make my house look like a home.  We've been living in our house for over 5 years and it almost looks like we just moved in, besides all the crap everywhere.
8.  Get organized.
9.  Pay off the rest of my credit cards.  I managed to pay off a couple in 2011 and I'd like to pay off the rest in 2012.
10.  Leave the country.  It's been a couple years and it's about time.

Check out my pink sparkly nails for NYE!  I figure if they look pretty I won't bite them.

New Curtains!!!

I recently purchased these curtains after eyeing them for months on Urban Outfitters website.  They were on sale, which made it even better!  You would think I ordered a new Macbook Pro or something with how excited I am!  My kitchen (which we totally redid) still has these old blind things from when we moved in 5 years ago because I'm awful at buying window treatments, so these curtains will be a vast improvement.  Plus, my walls are a Tiffany blue, so these should be perfect, right?  We're also going to change the window moulding to white, all the window and door frames are currently a dark brown wood.  Maybe I'll post a photo of my kitchen soon.  I finally finished grouting the back splash a few weeks ago.  It only took me like 2 years to finish, but we won't get into that!

Urban Outfitters

When did my arms get fat?

I got my pink Zara blazer in the mail today and all I can say is, "When did my arms get fat?"

Is it me, or do I have fat arms?  I ordered a medium blazer and it's definitely tight in the arms.  I'm pretty sure the biceps I once had just went straight to fat.  It's gross.
I didn't start the Jamie Eason 12 week Live Fit program yet, due to the kidney stone and a cold I'm still fighting, but I'm hoping I'm recovered enough to start by next week.  These fat arms are not working for me!

Zara Double Breasted Coat

While looking for the pink blazer I came across the double breasted coat.  Love.  Unfortunately, the only sizes left are XS and LG!  Bummer.

Zara

Zara pink blazer

I saw this blazer on Pinterest a few months ago and loved it but wasn't too keen on the price (I'm cheap, what can I say?).  Then tonight I was roaming the internet and came across it again.  It's not on the site, so I googled it and found it on Ebay for $17.99, I paid that plus $16 in shipping.  So, I got it for half the price I saw it for on the site a few months ago.  This is my first time purchasing clothing on Ebay, so let's hope I actually get what I paid for!

Cute, right?

Kidney Stone

Disclaimer:  I'll be posting a photo of my stone, so if that grosses you out, I'd close your eyes!  Or don't read this. :)


So, to review, I woke up Sunday night in crazy pain and it just got worse from there.  With the blood in my pee, I assumed it was kidney related and I had kidney stones back in like 2003 and only passed one, so I figured it might be a stone.  Monday I went to the regular doctor, they gave me Percocet and told me to get an x-ray.  My sister took me for an x-ray at the hospital that night and the stone was still up in my kidney.  I called a urologist in hopes of a quick appointment and the woman literally laughed at me, luckily I didn't take no for an answer and she gave me another branch to call.  I found out later they have TWENTY doctors at that location!  But, I'm glad it worked that way, because I ended up seeing the doctor I did and I love him.  He's nice, helpful, smart, and he dressed well.  Seriously, I'm in love.  Anyway, I saw the doctor Wednesday.  He told me to get a CT scan Friday and then see him again with a plan to do that sound wave surgery to get the stone out next Thursday.  But, when I saw him Friday my CT scan showed that the stone was now very close to my bladder so he could no longer do the sound wave surgery.  He thought I'd pass the stone this weekend if I drank lots of fluids, but if not, he'd laser the stone out Monday which would give me a little window to possibly still get pregnant this month!  See, he's awesome.  But, no surgery needed because I passed the stone last night!  It's pretty freakin huge and I am so happy it's out!

See, isn't it huge?!  That thing has been hanging out inside of me for like 8 years!  Crazy.  Okay, now I have to go bathe before my husband gets home.  Stinky me doesn't help my cause.

Jamie Eason plans thwarted by kidney stones

I was planning to start the Jamie Eason Live Fit 12 week program on Monday, but Sunday night I started peeing blood and in the middle of the night, the pain came.  Pain that brought right back to that night in college when I thought I was going to die.  I literally thought I should keep the bathroom door unlocked so my roommates could get in if I died.  Turned out to be 2 kidney stones.  I passed one of them and as of this March when I was in the hospital for other reasons, the other one was still there hanging out.  I was told it was rather large so it probably wouldn't move.  Ha, guess they were wrong!  I went to the doctor yesterday and of course they were barely helpful, gave me a prescription for percocet (which is not really helping the pain and only causing me to vomit) and Flomax to loosen my urinary tract and help me pass the stone more easily, but apparently my insurance company thinks only men get kidney stones and need Flomax, so I'm still waiting on special permission for that one!  I also went for a stomach x-ray yesterday.  Not that anyone told me what it showed.  Tomorrow I go see a urologist.  When I called to make an appt. the first woman on the phone actually laughed at me when I asked for an appt. today and told me that they are a specialist so I won't be getting an appt. for 2-3 weeks! I told her that was ridiculous and by then I'd probably no longer have a problem.  She gave me the number of another of their offices.  Funny how when I called there, that woman was helpful and personable and got me an appt. for tomorrow!
I'm pretty amazed that this kidney stone has decided to move this week of all weeks.  This is my week for baby making after my last month of Clomid before I see a specialist!  How I'm supposed to make a baby in this pain, I'm not so sure.  Maybe this is my body's way of telling me a baby is just not in my cards right now or maybe it wanted to get rid of the stone before the baby.  Because I definitely would not want a kidney stone while pregnant!  So, I'm trying not to get too upset about the timing of it all.
The pain is a lot better today so far, so who knows, maybe I'm about to pass it!  I'm going to drink lots of water today and hope it helps!
And Jamie Eason will have to wait until next week!

P.S. I'm super grateful for that woman at the Delaware Valley Urology Mt. Laurel office, she was helpful and nice!

My hair

I change my hair style and color pretty often.  I started with two face framing highlights at like 15 and have been going ever since!  Whenever I feel the need for a change, I change my hair.  If I don't like the color I can just dye it again and if I cut it, it'll grow back.  Currently, I'm growing out this cut:

Ginnifer Goodwin

I cut it at the end of July and it's growing like a weed.  I think I'm going to wait until next week and then get it cut into an angled bob.  And dye it red (it's currently blonde).  I'd LOVE to do something like the pic below, but my stylist will charge me a fortune for all those colors.  So, I might go for just red or maybe I'll do it myself, it wouldn't be the first time!

From here.

On a side note, I want to start noting things I'm grateful for every time I post in hopes that if I make a conscious effort it'll eventually be part of all my days.  Sometimes life gets in the way of the way you want to be and it's easy to forget.  Today I'm grateful for my body.  It has it's faults, but it has gotten me this far.  I have Cerebral Palsy, but it could be so much worse.  I can still walk, and ride a (stationary) bike, and lift weights like anyone else.  Essentially, I can do all the same things as someone without a disability, I just limp a little while walking.  In fact, I 'd say that my disability is the least of my problems! :)

Grateful

I initially wrote a post (that I didn't publish) on my second (third altogether) round of Clomid not working and not understanding why I can't get pregnant (or stay pregnant).  But, instead of getting into all that and dwelling on the negative, I want to talk about what I'm grateful for instead.
I managed to find the love of my life very early on in my life (we were 17 and in high school) and I'm so lucky I did.  He loves me exactly the way I am, he deals with my crazy on the regular.  He's kind, smart, giving, supportive, funny and let's be honest, pretty freakin adorable.  I really couldn't imagine my life without him.  I'm lucky to spend my life with him.
I also have an amazing family filled with a bunch of crazy people who I love so much and who love me just as much.  I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that any of them would be there for me the second I ever needed them.  I'm especially grateful for my mother.  I can only hope that one day I will have a child one day and have just as a good a relationship with my child as my mother and I have.  My mother always supports me and gives me the room to be myself.  She's more like my best friend than my mother, to be honest.  I didn't really grow up knowing my dad and my step-dad and I never got along so well, but my mother more than made up for all of that.  And my wonderful husband totally understands my need to spend so much time with my mother and never gets upset about it.  Just another way he lets me be myself.
So, everyday I get to wake up next to my beautiful husband and our puppy (and sometimes our cat) in our house that we live in as a little family.  There are a lot of things left to be done.  But for now, so far, we've come a long way and I'm a very lucky girl.  And if babies aren't in our future, I still have many things to be grateful for.  Speaking of my cutie husband, I'm going to go cuddle with him now...

Still going strong!

I went back to the gym last Saturday for the first time in months and I'm happy to say, I kept it up throughout the week!  I initially planned to do cardio in the morning on my spin bike and lift Mon.-Thurs., alternating upper and lower body and then do a full body workout Saturday, but then I spoke to a trainer at my gym and also a guy I work with who is in like super shape and decided to change it up.  I want to be effective as possible.  So, the new plan is:

Cardio in the AM (I ordered a GYMBOSS to help me with HIIT)
Lifting 6 days a week
Monday- Back, Biceps, Abs
Tuesday- Chest, Triceps, Butt
Wednesday- Legs and Shoulders
Repeat Cycle Thursday - Saturday
Heavy weights first cycle and lighter second to switch it up

I'm setting a goal to stick to this plan until Christmas.  By then I should see real results and then I can adjust things to keep from plateauing.

I even said goodbye to Chick fila for awhile, this is serious people!

First time in months

Recently, my friend asked me to keep her accountable for working out and this in turn, has motivated me to work out more.  It's been quite awhile since I've set foot in the gym, but I finally got back in yesterday.  The first thing I did was have my BMI and body fat measured, and let me tell you, it ain't good.  Let's just say, it's on the border between FAIR and POOR.  So, it's time to get back on track.  I've been Pinteresting lots of fitness tumblrs in an attempt to motivate myself and I think it's working!  Here's one from Healthy is the Way to Go.

That is pretty much my ideal body.  Especially the abs.  I've managed to get the shoulders and biceps in the past, but I could never get beyond the top row of abs.

This is what I did yesterday:

Leg extension- 3 sets of 15, 75 lbs.

Pec fly- 3 sets of 15, 30 lbs.

Abductor- 3 sets of 20, 55 lbs.

Adductor- 3 sets of 20, 70 lbs.

Leg press- 3 sets of 15, 90 lbs.

Heel press- 3 sets of 15, 90 lbs.

Bicep curls (dumbbells)- 3 sets of 15, 10 lbs. each arm

Shoulder flys- 3 sets of 15, 5 lbs. each arm

Chest press- 3 sets of 15, 45 lbs.

I tried to keep it pretty light since it was my first day back in awhile.  I'm slightly sore today, so I'll probably be worse tomorrow.  Plus, I went bowling for the first time in years today, so that probably won't help with the soreness.

And now I'm going to go make salads for lunch tomorrow (for myself and the husband) and go to bed so I can try to get up and ride my spin bike tomorrow before work!  Night everyone!

I am that person.

I'm perusing my email on my lunch, thinking about going to get a cherry coke from the vending machine because I forgot to bring a drink when I saw this ad in a sidebar on my email.

So, I of course clicked on it, because who doesn't want to look like that?  (And clicking on it will make me magically look like that!)  It took me to Smartwater's Facebook page.  Where I found a funny video, which of course made me want to drink Smartwater even more!

Unfortunately, the vending machines at my work don't have Smartwater (or anything even remotely healthy) so it looks like I'll be drinking that cherry coke with my Amy's organic burrito for lunch!  But, I will grab some Smartwater later, just in case it does work!

I want to move to Brooklyn

It's not new that I've wanted to move to NYC for years.  As I get older the dream gets less and less likely and the fact that we now own a house we'd need to sell or rent to move doesn't help either.  Last night, my husband mentioned moving to NYC again and of course that got me daydreaming.  I did a search for Brooklyn apartments and came across The Brooklyner and decided I need to live there.  Never mind that the rent is like 3 times the cost of my mortgage.

Rooftop deck

A little tiny, but I think I can deal.

Living room

Bedroom

Bathroom

Um, I could definitely write a book from that desk with that view.

Who needs a gym membership when there's a gym in your building?

Perfect tan, here I come!

Isn't it amazing?  Seriously, I don't think I'd ever move if I lived here.  Now I just need to find a job in NYC where I make about 5 times what I currently make so I can afford it.  A girl can dream.

Nikon 1

Can I have this please?

Thank you.

The Philip DeFranco Show

Yesterday, I updated my Iphone and Ipad to IOS5 and so today I was trying to watch Gossip Girl with Apple TV Airplay.  Apparently, Gossip Girl is not online to watch, which is annoying.  But after trying to search for it on YouTube, I came across a video of sxephil in The Philip DeFranco Show and I gotta say, I'm in love!  Yes, I know I'm married, but whatev, I love him (I also love mini apples, so don't get too excited).  He's cute, smart, funny.  I've only watched like three videos so far, but I subscribed to his show.  And here's one of his videos.  It combines my love for him and Steve Jobs and my desire to not do something I hate for the rest of my life!

Maybe We'll Just Move Away

I've talked about it a little on here, but not too much.  I'm never sure how personal to get on this blog, but whatever, here goes!  My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for over a year now and it just hasn't quite worked out for us yet.  I've basically been told by my midwife that I have 3 more months of trying (really 2 at this point) and if I don't get pregnant it's time to see a fertility specialist!  It's funny, you spend all this time trying not to get pregnant and then when you want to, it just doesn't work.  I'm not sure I can really handle this for all the years it might take.
Today,  I was reading an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about a couple who sold all their belongings and is planning to travel abroad for a year.  And I told my husband that if we don't get pregnant in the next few months we should sell our house (and everything else) and just move away.  I mean, at that point it'll be getting closer to two years of trying with little success and a lot of heart break, so maybe it'll be time to switch gears?  Neither one of us is in love with our jobs and our house is nice, but it's not our dream house.  Moving away and traveling would not be a bad thing.  It would definitely take our minds off of baby making.  The only thing that would be an issue is being away from family but we're only talking about a year.  I guess we'll see what the next few months bring!

Two Year Anniversary!

Today is my two year wedding anniversary!  Here are some photos from the day...

All photos by Alyssa Maloof.

Scheduling

I have a lot going on right now.  I'm working two jobs, which take up most of my time, but I have other things I need/want to get done.  I'm still trying to finish my personal training certification (I know, I know) and I really need to get back to working out.  Plus, I have a list of things I just want to do and of course I want to do them now, while I have no time.
1. Learn to actually use my camera for everything it can do, and maybe take a class.
2. Learn CSS and maybe Perl.  I can use Dreamweaver a little, but I'd like to learn more.
3. Blog more.  I'd like to actually get to the point where people read this.  Do people read this?
4. Hoist this freelance career off the ground.
5. Oh and I bought this month pass to a rock gym (a groupon or livingsocial deal, I forget) so I need to fit that in somewhere.
6. Meditate.  This kind of includes cleaning out my back room to make a space for yoga and meditation (there are definitely still wedding gifts back there and out two year anniversary is in a few weeks).

So, I figure to get all these things done and stay sane, I need a schedule.  I'm not too keen on having my life totally scheduled out, but I don't see any other way.  And I'm pretty sure a schedule is the only way I'll be sure to sleep.  Last week, I was up past midnight every night and that can only last so long.

First, I'm going to have to start preparing for the weeks on the weekends.  Meal plan and grocery shop (the slow cooker is going to become my new best friend), maybe I should even start planning my outfits for the week (have I ever mentioned I am not a morning person and pretty slow moving in the AM?).  In spite of this, I think I might have to go back to AM workouts.

Okay, let's write this out.

5:50 am - wakeup
6:00 am - get on the spin bike and spin, spin, spin!
6:45 am -shower
7:00 am - dress, eat breakfast or make it to go
7:30 am - leave for work
8:00 am to 5 pm - work job 1
5:30 pm - stop at Starbucks on the way home to get other work done and avoid some traffic
7:30 pm - drive home
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm - more work and dinner
10:00 pm to 11 pm - write or study

Ok, so that's a pretty full schedule and really not that exciting.  Maybe I should work more on the weekends to free up some time in the week?  Ugh.  I'll be happy when I'm only working one job again.  I'm aiming to work 40 hrs. at job 1 (because I have to) and 20 hrs. at job 2.  That's 4 hours M-F or maybe I can do 4 hours Saturday and Sunday and 2 to 3 hours during the week?  That sounds like a better plan.  Ha, I've lost it.  I need to add about 5 more hours to each day!  On that note, I'm going to bed.

Writing

Recently, I've gotten this urge to really put my all into making writing my career.  It's always been my goal as a career, but it's also always been on the back burner of my life for the most part.  But, something shifted, and I've decided I'm only going to do things to move toward that goal.  I went to a writing workshop at my local library the other day and the author teaching the class was the same age as me and this really just made me feel like a loser, but it also made me realize I need to get it together and write.  It's like I'm trying to get someone to buy a painting I haven't painted yet, as my boss put it the other day.  And when you put it that way, it sounds ridiculous!
Today, I read this post on Orangette and it's exactly how I've felt through the years.  I don't have this urge to write all the time (probably that would change the more I wrote) so sometimes I wonder if I should just let it go and do something else with my life, but then I remember that when I am writing, I'm feeling the most challenged and happy.  When I went on my interview a few years ago for a freelance position at a paper (that is now defunct) it was the best interview I ever had because I was interested in what we were talking about and I knew what I was saying!  For the most part, I've always taken jobs to pay the bills and except for that freelance job, they've been boring and meaningless to me and quite honestly, they've made me feel crappy on a regular basis.  That's not how I'm looking to spend my life.  Which is why I'm now only taking steps towards the life I want.  That doesn't mean I can just quit my job tomorrow, but it does mean I can start laying the ground work to eventually write full-time and that's exactly what I'm doing!
Of course, there's quite a list of other things I'd like to be doing along with writing, but I'll get to that in another post!

Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All book review

Since we've gotten rid of cable (I think we're breaking down and getting some sort of digital convertor soon) I've been trying to read more.  I currently have about 10 books from the library and 15 samples on my Ipad.  I just finished reading Russell Simmons' Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All and really liked it.  I read his first book Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success a few years ago and found it to be very helpful.  It helped me get my first paying freelance writing job!  So of course, I had to read his second book.  I was a little caught off guard with what the fact that it was mostly about meditation and yoga, but these are two things I've been wanting to get into.  I did yoga years ago, but stopped and I've always been curious about meditation.  For some reason, I found myself in tears for a lot of the book (hormones? who knows) but there were also some funny, refreshing parts with the way Russell explains things.  The book really drove home the idea that you should work on being a giving person and not worry so much about what your getting.  That once you don't dwell on the material things, you'll have everything you need.  Russell also speaks about Transcendental Meditation which is something I remember hearing Howard Stern talk about.

I looked into a place in NYC to learn it back when I heard it from Howard Stern (the same place Russell apparently went to) but it's not cheap to learn ($1500 I believe), luckily Russell offers some tips in his book.  I decided to give it a try for the first time today and unfortunately, I fell asleep.  But, before I fell asleep I did feel like things got very quiet around me as I was humming in my head.  I'm not really sure what's supposed to happen with meditation though, so this might have meant nothing.  I'm going to keep doing it though.  I'm sure I can get better.
The other things that Russell talks a lot about in the book is yoga.  As I mentioned, I did yoga a few years ago.  I loved my instructor, but I wasn't so great at the yoga.  I'm not a very flexible person, so yoga kinda just stresses me out with all the things I can't do.  I also have a metal rod in my big toe, making things like Downward Dog not very comfortable. (Though Russell mentions a woman he met at yoga who did the entire class on her knees because is missing one of her legs, so things could be worse.) Anyway, my instructor, Paris, was very good about modifying things to help me and he even did some Thai stretching with me sometimes at the end of class.  He seemed very interested in helping me get better.  And as the weeks went on, I did get better.  But then I moved and just sort of stopped going.  A few years later (he'd since closed his studio) I found him subbing at another studio and so we started again, but it didn't last long and now I'm trying to find him again.  I would love to get started and this time stick to it, just to see what I can do.  The last time I took a yoga class was at my gym and I was hating it the whole time.  I've definitely gotten worse in the time that's passed.  I'm hoping to find Paris, but either way I do plan to start yoga again.  We have a spare room that currently houses junk and I'll be turning that into a yoga/meditation/relaxation room.  The idea of becoming a calmer, clearer, more flexible person really appeals to me.
The book also talks about the idea that you can change your life, that it's like a Subway car, if you were going the wrong way, you wouldn't just keep going, you'd get off, cross to the other car and start going in the right direction.  This has really opened my eyes and and me realize that I can change my life if I want to!  I recently have been looking for more freelancing work as well as other job opportunities because I'm just not happy at my current job and the other day a temp agency called me for an admin assistant/office manager job that pays more than what I make now, but still has nothing to do with what I want to do.  I almost went on the interview, but that's exactly what I've always done, taken the first job to come along even though it's rarely been something I've wanted to do.  I decided to give myself a chance to find something better.  Taking that job wouldn't have put me any closer to where I want to be in life.  I read a quote recently that said something about how if it's not moving you closer to your goals, it's pushing you farther away.  And that's the truth.  So, it's about time I started moving closer.  And Super Rich helped me to see that even better!

Babies

A friend of mine had a little baby boy the other day and I got to meet him for the first time today.  He might just be the cutest newborn I've seen to date.  It's possible this has something to do with his full head of dark hair, I have a thing for babies with lots of hair.  In fact, I'll pretty bummed if my own baby doesn't come out with a full head of hair!  I was born with red hair and it fell out and grew back in white blonde.  I'm not sure about my husband, I should ask his dad.  But, based on the fact that we both have thick hair now, I'm willing to bet our baby will have hair from the womb!  We both think it will be red because I was born with red hair and he has a reddish beard (but dark brown hair) and also my dad has red hair (not sure if that matters).
Getting to meet RJ today, hold his tiny little body and have him look at me with his big eyes, just reiterated my desire for my own baby soon.  I mean, really, it can't be soon enough!  Not to mention I also found out today that the new hospital delivers food to the patients like room service and it can be ordered from like 7 am until midnight!  I'm not gonna lie, that sort of thing totally appeals to me!  Ha.
I've always wanted to have a baby (or 2) even before I was sure I wanted to get married.  In fact, I used to see my future with a baby, but never a husband.  Now, I'm happy to say I have a wonderful husband who will make a great father and I can't wait until that happens!  The idea of teaching a little baby how to be a good person really appeals to me.  It's pretty much the main appeal, but the fact that babies are so cute doesn't hurt either!

Finances

Okay, I admit it, I'm bad with money.  I'm not awful, but I could certainly do better.  And recently, my husband has been working less overtime and we're starting to feel it.  So, I thought it would be a good time to start cutting back on our Whole Foods visits, cutting coupons and packing lunches (Brown Bag Challenge anyone?).  We also got rid of cable tv and our house phone.  We have cell phones, Apple tv, and Netflix, so we should be fine.  We watch too much tv anyway.
I've definitely never had money to burn, even growing up and I just don't want to spend my life broke and in debt.  So, before it gets too out of hand, I want to get rid of the debt and stop living paycheck to paycheck (living off credit cards in college, may not have been the best idea), I long for the day when I have one credit card that I never carry a balance on!  I applied for the Citi Simplicity card to transfer all my balances to a 0% interest for 21 months.  Citi card was my first ever credit card, I applied for it on campus just to get the free t-shirt for my now husband, BIG MISTAKE!  If only I knew then, what I know now.  But, I was hoping since I've been a customer of theirs for so long and I always pay my card on time, they'll approve me for this new card.  We'll see.  It would definitely help me get my finances in order.
In the meantime, I also got a second job to help get back on track quicker.  It actually sounds pretty good and I'll be doing some writing and editing, as well as editing video.  Which I've never really done but am excited to learn.
I realize that at my age and with the idea of starting a family on the horizon, it's time get things under control!
I was inspired by this blog post as well.  And I even put The Total Money Makeover on hold at the library.  We are also in the process of switching to an ING electric orange checking account.  I've actually had the savings and checking accounts for years, but I never used the checking account.  So, I ordered a new card with my new last name and added my husband to my account.  There are no fees, unlike our current bank that charges us to use our debit card and take our money out of the bank and the overdraft charge is substantially lower than the other banks.  When you're not rolling in it, sometimes you overdraft your account and most banks like to just kill you with fees if that happens.  Basically, banks steal from the poor.  It's no secret.  For now, my ING account still needs to be linked to a regular checking account to deposit checks, but I'm hoping they figure out a way around that very soon because quite frankly, I hate my bank.  And when I do finally start making some real money, I'll be sticking with the bank that didn't try to steal from me when I was broke!

Brown Bag Challenge- Day 1

On the way home from vacation, I was perusing Twitter and I came across the Brown Bag Challenge.  I have a tendency to eat out for lunch pretty often and it's not always the healthiest (Chick Fil a nuggets may be real chicken, but they're still deep fried!), plus it starts to add up in cost after awhile.  Even if I only spend $5 a day that's $25 a week and let's be honest, it's usually more than $5 a day!  So, I figured this would be the perfect challenge for me.  And then I got home from vacation and kind of forgot about it.  BUT, I happened to remember today when I looked at the date and saw it was September 1 and luckily I brought PB & J today!  True, not too exciting, but it was quick and cheap.  I'll try to make it more exciting once I go grocery shopping.  Tomorrow it'll be egg salad though because my husband just bought a gazillion eggs.
I can't wait to see if I lose pounds and save dollars!

Vacation!

On vacation, trying to get a little sun and plan my next step in life. Fall will be here soon and I've always thought of it as a new start. I have some new ideas in mind. Talk to you all in a bit!

My Body, My Temple.

A couple weeks ago my husband and I watched "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and we just HAD to do the  juice fast afterwards.  Fast forward a few weeks and a rather expensive juicer and today was the first official (we juiced a little Friday as well) day of the five day fast we decided to do.  By about 4 o'clock I was starving and wanted to hurt somebody.  I almost gave up and ate eggs, but instead I opted for a smoothie made with greek yogurt, strawberries, banana, spinach, peanut butter, protein powder, chocolate soy milk and oats.  Not juice, but not too bad.  It kinda curbed my hunger.  We'll see how tomorrow goes.  I was thinking earlier today that I wish I didn't worry so much about being fat.  I wish I could just make the right food choices and enjoy them instead of trying all these extreme things to lose weight.  I usually end up giving up in the first few days (or day) and then feeling bad about it.  Why can't I be one of those girls who has a good balance of diet and exercise going and a flat stomach?!  Sucks.

Boots for Fall

I went shopping with my mom today, I didn't really buy anything since I'm currently broke, but I did file some things away to buy for Fall.  Here are some shoes I'm eyeing for Fall:

Ferrise from Aldo

These were super comfortable, cute and not narrow like some other styles I've tried on like these.

The mini Ugg in Navy or Cactus Flower

I should say that I have a serious love for Uggs, it took me awhile to understand how people could spend so much money on boots like these, but I tried them on once and was totally sold.  I have pretty awful feet and I'm usually in pain, but my Uggs are so comfortable.  I'd wear them everyday if I could.  I even own the Ugg Gypsy flip flops (that I bought from DSW off the clearance rack for $22 with a coupon!).  I also own the tall grey ones (my first pair) and a pair of chestnut minis ordered from China when I found out they were no longer making the minis, but it looks like they changed their minds.  I'd love the two colors above and maybe a grey pair as well.  I'm not kidding about my love for them.  Really.

The big kid classic short in grey

These are between an adult short and mini.

The adult classic short in Pomegranate

I was serious about my love!

Steve Madden Miidori Buckles

Steve Madden Cablee

First Protein Shake with New Blender!

Recently, I've added two things to my To Buy list:

1. A juicer.  I've been eyeing this one.

The Breville Ikon Multi-speed Juicer

2.  A blender.  I had a gift card for Boscov's that still had $19 on it, so I found the cheapest blender they had on sale for $20.  It ain't no Vita-mix, but it should do for awhile!

My first smoothie with the new blender.

PB&J Smoothie

skim milk (I know I need to get some soy and almond milk)

frozen strawberries

vanilla whey protein from Whole Foods

a heaping spoonful of crunchy Trader Joe's peanut butter

a packet of Truvia

I have to say, it's pretty delicious!  Next, I'm going to try adding rolled oats.

Me & Ro Jewelry

Awhile back I found myself in the emergency room not once, but twice in one week and lucky for me I have an Iphone so I could pass the time and ignore the pain while roaming the internet.  One of the things I looked at was the Gilt mobile app I ha on my phone.  At the time, there was a Me and Ro Jewelry sale and I saw a buddha necklace I loved.  I think it was like $65.  Did I mention it was also the week before my birthday?  I should have just bought it because now I can't seem to find it.  I was just looking at the site (okay, I still am) and I came across a few other pieces that I like.  But, I still prefer that Buddha.  Bummer.

The elephant pendant

"luck and prosperity"

Thousand arms pendant

"Thousand Arms of Compassion"

Ganesha

"Remover of Obstacles"

Tiny buddha

CLA supplement

I just started reading, "This is Why You're Fat (And How to Get Thin Forever)" by Jackie Warner.  I'm not too far into it yet, but I did read about the supplements that Jackie takes.  I managed to pick up some CLA at Trader Joe's tonight.  The woman who rang up my groceries asked me why I was buying CLA because she noticed a lot of people buying it recently and I told her I read about it and it's supposed to help you burn fat.  Then she tells me her trainer friend takes it and it keeps the fat off her stomach.  Well, that sounds pretty good to me, since all my fat is on my stomach!  Really, all of it.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm hoping for some kind of fat loss miracle, but that's nothing new!  Anyone take CLA and think it really works?

Random post from starbucks on my iPad...

So, I stopped at Starbucks for an iced b&w mocha before I head over to Trader joe's for some peanut butter and jazz apples, among other things. I've been having one of those weeks at work where I'm constantly being reminded that I need to move on. There's nothing there for me really, sure my boss is great, but the work is not challenging and I certainly don't make enough money. I wish I was lucky enough to just quit and find my way into something else. But, that's not happening. And if one more person tells me I'm lucky to have a job, I might scream! I realize I am lucky to have a job, when so many people do not, but that doesn't mean I should just exist everyday. I didn't go to college to be someone's admin forever! Maybe I should just go to grad school already. If I had done that 5 years ago when I was first miserable my whole life might be different by now! I'm so afraid to make a decision about the future and choose the wrong thing, but instead I'm just wasting away. Yeah, I'm lame.
Photos of my b&w mocha and my lunch to spice this depressing post up!

Tall iced B&W mocha

lunch