My First Stitch Fix

Everybody in the world has jumped on this bandwagon already, I'm amazed I made it this long tbh! In case you've been living under a rock though, Stitch Fix is a personal styling service that sends you clothes in the mail. Items are hand picked by a stylist for you based on your profile and notes/requests. The styling fee is $20 per box and that cost is applied to any items you choose to purchase. They make it super easy to return any items you don't love by including a pre-paid envelope. I always thought it was a monthly subscription but it turns out you can choose to have boxes - or Fixes - sent less often depending on your needs. You can even choose just one shipment like I did if money is tight and/or inconsistent.

I went back and forth quite a bit, trying to decide whether I could really justify paying for a Fix right now. I signed up for an account but didn't schedule my shipment. A few days later I received an email promo code to waive the $20 styling fee. I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and used that code to get this box for free, planning to only buy an item if I really, truly loved it.

Have I mentioned before how much I love getting mail? Packages, letters, cards. So long as it's not a bill, I'm happy. When my Stitch Fix box arrived, I was beyond happy! I think you can peek ahead of time with your tracking code but I didn't do that. In fact I don't think I ever got a tracking code... Anyway, when it arrived I tore it open and saw this:

I'm a sucker for cute packaging and I have to admit, I just love that blue geometric theme they've got going on. You can see the return envelope there on top. Folded up inside it I found a note from my stylist, Harley, a price list for each of my pieces, and a little styling inspiration: 

Before we get to these photos, I need to apologize upfront - I'm in no way, shape, or form a fashion blogger. I didn't style cute outfits for you. I didn't even think far enough ahead to polish the mirror. So, sorry if you're offended by my yoga pants and Target tee, or the spots randomly floating in some of these pics... But if you are, you're on the wrong blog buster! Okay, onward.

Steve Madden Donndi Sandal - $60.00

I'm pretty meh about these. They're cute in a very basic way and if I didn't already own some basic brown sandals I might have been more enthused, but at $60 they were a no-go for me. I tried them on to be able to give feedback about the fit but didn't even bother to snap a picture.

Gilli Adalea Knit Dress - $64.00

I knew right off the bat this was not for me. I'm not a big fan of short sleeve dresses and I don't like my flowy skirts to be any shorter than maxi length. Trying it on proved me right, I hate what it does to my waist and stomach... Maybe if I were in the early stages of pregnancy this would be something I'd go for, but I don't need clothes that make me look pregnant when I'm not.

Papermoon Kalan Woven Detail Knit Top - $54.00

This top was also underwhelming on the hanger, but I liked it quite a bit when I put it on. There's a cute detail ribbon and black panel on the back - sorry for not getting a better shot of that - but the black was not jersey knit like the rest of the top. I don't know my fabrics well, but it was crepey and a little scratchy and kinda ruined the vibe for me. Had it been jersey knit, I think I would have had a harder time sending this one back, but $54 for a tee is a little beyond me these days.



41Hawthorn Abrianna Longsleeve Knit Cardigan - $48.00

Now this is my jam! I love cardigans and this is one of those cozy, drapey styles that's also office-appropriate. This color is great, a beautiful burnt orange/red that really makes me long for fall. I agonized over this a bit... As much as I love it, I don't think I can justify spending money on it when I have no less than three nearly identical items in my closet right now. I don't think $48 is a bad price for this and with the $20 styling fee applied, it's a steal but I returned it anyway. I'm definitely keeping the info on this one though, when I do have more clothes money to spend I'm gonna find it and make it mine!

Kut From The Kloth Dayna Colored Skinny Jean - $78.00

I also really had a hard time sending these back. I sold a ton of Kut jeans when I was working at Nordstrom and I love their products. This teal color is beautiful and although they are "Toothpick Skinny" they are surprisingly comfortable. I know that photo makes my thighs look massive but trust me, it's camera angle. In person these jeans are very flattering. But with a few pair of blue denim skinnies in my closet I just couldn't see spending $78 (or even $58) on these. However, I did mention that I'd love to see them in a warmer or bolder color in the future. I'm all about colored skinnies and loose tops right now!

So there you have it. Even though I didn't purchase any items, I really liked my Fix and I cannot wait to schedule another one in the future. If you want to check it out for yourself, you can use my referral link. Let me know in the comments what you thought of this Fix, and if you subscribe to Stitch Fix already tell me some of your favorite items you've received!

Til next time, my friends...

Craftiness

2016 has already been a year for big changes. I've moved a few hundred miles and plan to do it again in a few months, I'll be welcoming my niece to the world soon, and *hopefully* starting adventures in graduate school. So, I decided I need an epic project to help me chronicle this year. Enter the 2016 Temperature Blanket! Each day I will crochet a row reflecting the temperature of the day and at the end of the year I'll have a map of sorts of my year.

I didn’t decide to do this until March so I had quite a bit of catching up to do! I’ve chosen the Big Twist Value yarns at Joann's Fabrics because I know I’ll be needing a lot of yarn and it it the most affordable option with colors I like. I’m using wunderground.com for daily temperatures and because I’ll be spending the majority of the year in northern states, I’m using the daily high. After looking at averages, I’ve broken down the temps from 40 to 89 in increments of 5. I don’t expect to see much 90+ this summer but if I do, I may have to find some more red and pink options. I found the pattern on Ravelry.com, a Granny Ripple that I just love!! 

I'm almost at the end of March and the blanket is almost big enough to cover my queen sized bed... I'm debating whether to make a few different blankets for every three or four months or to just let it be and end up with one very loooonnggg blanket... we'll see!

Color Breakdown

January and February finished!

A Fresh-ish Start

Well, I've been away from it a while, huh? In May, I ended up having to put my precious Stella to sleep after she was diagnosed with cancer and honestly I just couldn't bear to look at this blog and see her name all over the place.

But, life goes on. I finished school, did a few awesome shows, and moved a few hundred miles. And now I find myself missing blogging. So, I've decided to get back into it. Who knows how regularly... who even knows what I'll blog about. I keep trying to pin it down, I thought maybe I'd start totally fresh with a whole new blog on a different platform. But I just feel like I want to write about anything and so Runs 'n Stuff seems appropriate for now.

So, dear reader, thank you for being here. Thank you for sticking around or for popping by, I hope you'll be back again!

A Stella Update

For any of you who don't see my Facebook posts, I thought I'd update a bit about Stella. She has been in the hospital since last Thursday with some sort of infection in her liver and gallbladder as well as esophageal problems. Because I'm still edgy and stressed and don't feel like making myself cry againsomemore, I'm going to be super lazy and just cut and paste from Facebook. Please don't be offended, I'll get back to real blogs once she starts recovering and I can think about things without losing it...

April 30: Stella is back in the hospital today. Blood work indicated possible liver damage so she will have an ultrasound tomorrow morning. Since she hasn't been able to keep down much food or water the past few days, she's staying there overnight on IV fluids. Your positive thoughts are deeply appreciated and if you've got any extra cash laying around I'd be happy to take that off your hands!

May 2: Stella is being transferred to an emergency clinic today as her condition is not improving. 

May 3: Yesterday Stella was transferred to the emergency clinic. She will be seen by the internist early Monday morning and in the meantime they're keeping her comfortable and hydrated. This morning they called to update me on her overnight progress - while they were sure to let me know she isn't dramatically improved, they were very pleased with her demeanor this morning and that she had been able to keep some food down finally!

May 4: Stella met with the Internal Medicine Specialist today and had another ultrasound performed. It looks like she may have two infections - one in her gallbladder and one in her kidney - and the doctors are unsure as of now whether or not the infections are related or not. We're waiting on results from blood work and urine cultures and hopefully will know soon just what has infected this poor pup.
Meanwhile, Stella is brave and strong and everyone at the clinic assures me she is being her usual well-behaved and sweet self! 

May 6: Stella is going in for a gallbladder removal now and will have a feeding tube inserted as well. Your prayers and positivity are very much appreciated as we wait for news from the surgeon!! Update: The surgery went well and she is resting comfortably. Fingers and toes crossed she is finally on her way to recovery.

If you are able to help, any donations you can make would really mean the world - #SaveStella! So far her bill is at $9500 and that's not including the almost $8000 we already spent on her knees. And if you would help me spread the word to your friends and family it would be so deeply appreciated!! 

Stella's TPLO Adventure Part 3

2.5 weeks post-surgery: Well, poor Stella was back in the vets office last night.

She had her staples taken out Saturday morning, it was traumatic - lots of shivering, big eyes, but she was a champ and didn't squirm or cry. We drove through McDonalds on the way home for some french fries - one of her favorite treats - and then she took a very long nap. That night I gave her some rice with her kibble. She gulped it down but then puked it back up a few minutes later, it was hardly even chewed so I didn't think much of it, just figured she had eaten too fast. I gave her some water and left her a little bit of plain rice which she never ate.

Sunday she ate and kept down some kibble mixed with canned food and seemed totally normal other than her poop being a little sickly looking - kinda green/yellow and slimy, nothing too out of the ordinary for a dog with an upset tummy the night before. Monday however, she didn't eat any of her food, just a few treats and some chunks of bread from my lunch. That night she woke me up around three gag/coughing up water and spit all over the carpet. Again, not totally out of the usual for her. She's not a big fan of dog food and often goes a day or more without eating in hopes of breaking me and scoring some people food, and if she goes too long without eating she'll spit up water and stomach juices. But Tuesday afternoon I gave her some canned food again which she loved. Then fifteen or so minutes after eating, she drank some water and puked everything onto the carpet. I cleaned her up and took her out back in case she had any more to spit up. When she peed, I noticed her urine was very dark, almost an orange/brown color and that got me a little nervous.

I called the vets office to ask their advice and they said to go ahead and bring her in, just in case. They checked her vitals, listened to her eating/puking history and the vet gave her an anti-nausea injection and sent us home with a few meds. We've got Sucralfate that dissolves in water to a chalky, cloudy mix that she takes two hours before any food. The vet says this is to coat her GI tract. Then we have an antacid, Famotadine, and a pain killer. She had been taking Metacam for the pain in her leg but it apparently commonly causes GI issues so I had stopped that one on Monday and the vet told me not to resume. Instead she gave us Tramadol in case Stella is still experiencing pain in her leg, in addition to any pain she may be feeling from her tummy.

She told me to give it a day and if Stella's not feeling better by this afternoon to come back in for some blood work and possibly an x-ray. I'm trying to stay calm, but we may be looking at ulcers or liver problems which is totally terrifying. I decided to stay home from my classes today to keep an eye on Stella, and also because this two-hour gap between meds and food is really not compatible with my classe schedule. So far today she's had a little water, a very little canned food with rice and no puking. She pooped for the first time since Sunday, it was very runny but normal colored, and her urine looked less orange, more dark yellow today so I am hopeful this is a stomach bug and she's on the mend! My fingers are permanently crossed for the day, this poor pup has been through so much already I don't want her to have to deal with any other major injuries or illness!

April 2015 Birchbox - Mad Men

Birchbox is probably my favorite subscription box of all. It's only $10 a month, less if you pay for multiple months at a time and they frequently have special offers to either reduce the cost or earn more points (points = money to spend in their shop). For that $10 you get 5 or 6 sample size products, things like makeup, hair care, cleansers, and more. I consistently get great boxes and I was so pleased with this months box that I just had to share it!

In recent months, Birchbox has started letting subscribers choose one of their samples or choose a curated box (or do neither and be surprised). I really love the sample choice, I enjoy having a little control and a little surprise mixed together. This was the first month that I actually chose one of the curated boxes. There were two to choose from, both Mad Men themed - I guess the show is ending? I've never watched it so I had no idea what to expect in the boxes and was planning on choosing an eyeshadow trio as my sample choice. Then I saw the boxes! Guys, the Mad Men New York box was made for me! Check it out:

How cute is that print? Pink and purple are two of my favorite colors and I really dig the mod floral motif.

Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream in Blueberry | Full Size $20, Sample $2.93

I love having travel sized toiletries around to grab when I'm packing for trips and this is the first small shave cream I've received. I'll be visiting my sister and her family this summer and this is definitely coming with me.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel | Full Size $22, Sample Size $6.64

I have been wanting to try this forever! I've read rave reviews and have been hoping every month for ages that it might show up in a sub box. I finally got lucky!

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion | Full Size $25, Sample Size $8.33

I received a Liz Earle face scrub in a previous box and loved it so I'm excited for a chance to try something new from this brand. And let's be honest, who doesn't need a nice eye soother now and again?

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil | Full Size $25.95, Sample Size ???

This is hands down my favorite product in this box, maybe my favorite product I've received from Birchbox, ever! I actually chose it as my sample in my March box and was thrilled to be able to snap up another. This oil smells like heaven and tames my frizz so well. I use it 2 or 3 times a week and have only used about half of March's sample so a little goes a long way.

Cargo Swimmables Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos | Full Size $26, Sample Size $7.54

I received this exact blush in my May 2013 box and was perfectly happy to get another. I'm not a big blush girl but I do wear it from time to time, like when I'm in a show, and this is a great corally peachy color for me. I tried to swatch it for you:

While water resistant blush might not seem like a thing I need in my life, it actually is nice. Since working at Disney, my body has learned to sweat the instant I start dancing so it's nice to have stage makeup that can hold it's own.

What an awesome box right?! I can't give a good estimate of the value of the Beauty Protector sample as the mL are not listed, but even without accounting for that I received more than $25 worth of samples for only $10. Not too shabby!

Birchbox partnered with Rifle Paper Co. this month and the box they designed was just so beautiful! (I was disappointed the Mad Men themed box was different, even though it was pretty too.) Since I wasn't going to receive that Rifle Paper Co. box, I bought the tote bag they designed which is just too darling!

 

Doesn't that just make your heart sing?! If I've piqued your interest in Birchbox now, I encourage you to try them out! 

Stella's TPLO Adventure Part 2

Today we're 10 days post-surgery and I just noticed the best sign: Stella is scratching herself with her healing leg! You're like 'what?' In the past week that she's been home, she has hardly put any weight on that leg, won't let me touch it or look at it, and basically hasn't moved it more than totally necessary. So the fact that she's using it today is a great sign that she's on her way to recovery.

Another sign: she's completely fed up with her confinement, her e-collar, and her stitches. This afternoon she cried for 15 full minutes because I refused to let her pull out the stitches.

"It's a routine procedure Mom, I know what I'm doing"

We'll go back to the vet this weekend and if he says all is going well, the stitches will come out. With the last leg, this was when things got really frustrating for Stella. The fur growing back through the scar or something must have really itched because I was for ever catching her biting at her incision. So we're not going to be done with the e-collar for a bit, but once we are, we're practically home free!

Oh and yes, she did have a bladder infection. It's all cleared up now, thank goodness. I guess if she had to get an infection, I'm glad it happened when she was already on antibiotics and pain meds... less discomfort for her (and fewer expenses for me).

Stella's TPLO Adventure Part 1

Oh, hello! Guess I let this blog fall by the wayside a bit. Life got simultaneously busy and dull and I really felt like I didn’t have anything worth writing for the past few months. I’ve kind of missed it though, so here I am again!

During the holidays, my dog Stella tore the ACL in her right knee. The surgery was waaaay out of my price range so I did my best to lower her activity level until I could find a way to pay for it. Then in January, she tore the left ACL and couldn’t walk at all. My poor baby! Lucky for us, my parents are wonderfully kind and generous and gave me the money for Stella’s surgeries. She had the right leg repaired in January and the left leg this past weekend.

The surgery is called TPLO, or Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy. The surgeon breaks the tibia, turns the proximal, or top, piece around, and screws in a metal plate to reattach the pieces. This changes the knee joint angle and negates the need for an ACL (or technically CCL in dogs). The recovery can be long and frustrating, have you ever told your dog not to walk for days? In preparing for Stella’s first surgery I found a few websites and blogs that gave me a good idea of what to expect plus a sense of security seeing so many success stories. I intended to blog about Stella’s journey, my way to give back or contribute, but got sidetracked somehow. So now that we’re going through it again, I thought I’d blog my way through this second surgery. She survived the first one with grace and I’m hoping this second one will be even easier. Last time, she had a broken leg and an injured leg, now she’s got a broken leg and a leg that’s three months post-op.

So, for those of you who may be interested, here is Stella’s TPLO adventure… (Squeamish readers beware, discussion of bowel movements included)

Stella had her second surgery Saturday afternoon about 2PM. The vet called me about 4:30 to let me know all had gone well and said that Stella was already starting to wake up.  Their office is closed on Sundays but I stopped by to visit her Monday after class. She seemed a little less agitated than last time; although she did cry once I sat down next to her. I scratched her ears and back, frequently itchy spots for her, and that seemed to help. She stopped crying, drank some water and just really relaxed. I think the frustration of not being able to scratch due to the e-collar was her biggest complaint.

Tuesday I picked her up after work, she was already walking albeit with quite a limp. I put her in her pen when we got home, took the e-collar off, and she took a nice long nap while I worked on homework. Later I moved her to my bed and she conked out right away and snored loudly for almost an hour. I guess she didn’t sleep very well at the hospital because she was exhausted! She went out back twice that day, peed both times and pooped once – a small gooey, orangey-brown glob, nothing like her normal poop. For dinner she had white rice with a little shredded cheese and dry dog food mixed in, plus her evening painkiller and antibiotic hidden in a glob of peanut butter. She drank plenty of water, no more or less than usual, and all seemed well.

Tuesday night I slept on the couch to be near her. She fussed a bit when I first put the e-collar on but settled down quickly. Around 3:30AM she started whining so I took her out and she peed again, then came back in and went right back to her pen to sleep. I don’t remember noticing this during the day, but when I took her out at night she peed once, sniffed around as if she was looking for a spot to poop but instead peed again, just a few drops the second time. She did the same thing Wednesday morning and afternoon when we went out, but again no poop.

This evening (Wednesday) just before six, we went out and she did the same two pees, but I noticed that her urine looked red, kinda rusty colored. I panicked of course, I’m no doctor but I know blood in urine is never good. Unfortunately our vet closes at 6PM so we can’t go in right away, I was able to catch them and make an appointment first thing tomorrow morning though. After I hung up, I started Googling, like you do, and I’m a little less freaked now. It looks probable this is a UTI or bladder infection, not fun but not something that’s going to keep me up all night tonight. And since she’s already on antibiotics and painkillers for her knee, I can hope she’s not terribly uncomfortable. Stella is very stoic so it’s hard to tell when she’s in pain, but overall she’s acting totally normal – besides babying her leg a bit. Keeping my fingers crossed the vet gives her a clean bill of health in the morning!

Love With Food Unboxing July 2014

I've got another unboxing video for you today. This is pretty much my favorite subscription box, so check it out and let me know what you think!

Use this link to try a box for just $2! http://lovewithfood.com/invite?m=r&ref=LWo

I promise someday I'll get back to blogging about running. I've been thinking about re-starting Couch25K for a while now but the weather is fighting me with these 100+ temps lately!

Birchbox and Boxycharm Unboxing June 2014

Watch on YouTube

Here are the referral links if you're interested in either of these subscription boxes:

Birchbox referral link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/lcqps
Boxycharm referral link: https://www.boxycharm.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/5353/

Please leave me any questions you have and I'll answer as best I can, and let me know if you're interested in more unboxings, more videos, whatever!

Almost Summer

Summer is almost here!! I have one last week of regular classes and then finals and then I am free for three glorious months! And because the finals gods love me, my classes are actually split with the two easiest ones having our last quiz (but no final) next week, leaving me with only my two harder classes to worry about in finals weeks. This is great because, although I don't usually stress about tests, my physiology grade is right on the cusp and so I really need to buckle down.

I'm also working on writing a proposal for a special major. Those of you who read my last entry know that I've been stressing over this for a while. I finally decided to write a major in dance kinesiology (or kinesiology of dance, I haven't named it yet) since it looks like grad school is inevitable anyway. I'm pretty excited about it because this is giving me the opportunity to mix two things I'm really passionate about, I just hope that I can write my proposal in such a way that gets the various Deans on board.

And lately, I've gotten totally sucked in to YouTube. I'm borderline obsessed with watching makeup how-to videos and subscription unboxings. I recently subscribed to another beauty box and I'm thinking I might do a video for you guys when it arrives, just for the hell of it! I've also been watching Hipster Shore by familysandwich which I discovered via the Adult Wednesday Addams series. You should check them both out because they're hilarious!

Hipster Shore Promo

Adult Wednesday Addams - Ep 1

Hope you all had a great weekend and a happy Mother's Day! And to any of you who are also gearing up for finals, may the odds be ever in your favor!

Life Post-Gypsy

Gypsy has finally come and gone! I feel like we've been working on the show forever and I'm frankly relieved to be done with it. I was getting very tired of spending all my free time sitting around the theatre watching people rehearse. I think this is the first time I've had a role with so little to do, and been a part of so few scenes. There was a LOT of hurry up and wait going on. And the show itself was loooong... like 3 hours plus intermission long. That's a lot of down time!

Though I'm glad to be done with the show, I am sad to say goodbye to the cast. I mean, most of them I still see on campus often and some of them I will be in classes with next year, but one of the most wonderful things about theatre is the deep relationships you forge in a very short amount of time. Suddenly, after being forced to hang out so much, you're best friends and you can't imagine a day without an hour or so of gossip, sing-alongs and general silliness in front of your makeup mirrors.

Its always bittersweet, but I try to focus on the sweet, and look to the future. I'm already excited about next years season and classes. And of course, I'm ready for summer vacation!

In other news, I'm registered for a 5K on the 1st of May and haven't run in months... oops! I'm going to try to fit in a few easy runs before then but it looks like I'll be walking this one. Luckily it's not timed, just a for-fun fitness event so here's hoping it's actually fun and not a big mistake...

Friday Five

Last week was just crappy! I got some frustrating news, I was busy, I was tired, and I did a terrible job of keeping up with my workouts. This week has been spring break. I went home for a few days and totally vegged out, spent a lot of time with my younger brother, and enjoyed some delicious food that I didn't have to cook. Win, win, win! I'm trying to end this week on a high note because I need the endorphins to get me through the next few weeks of tech and opening for Gypsy (can't believe it's here already!)

Anyway, here are my top five workouts from the last two weeks. If you try them out, let me know what you think! (Sorry, I can't track down the original sources for a few of these.)

From Pinterest

From fitsugar.com

From Pinterest

From Pinterest

From backonpointe.tumblr

#TBT - The Eyes of March

I drew a bum hand in the genetic lottery. I love my parents, but it's totally their fault. I was born with strabismus (crossed eyes). My right eye was a lazy bum, didn't bother focusing on what I wanted it to and the turn got worse as the muscles relaxed. I had a lazy eye.

There are few things more traumatic in elementary school than being the weird one. I was supposed to wear a patch on my eye all day long, which just made the problem more noticeable. Around third grade, I started sneaking extra patches into my backpack, I'd put one on in the morning, take it off as soon as I got to school and then put on another in the afternoon right before my mom picked me up. I got a purple scooter for wearing my patch for an entire month, but I still feel a tiny bit guilty cause I cheated… (sorry Mom and Dad!) Unfortunately, being that kind of different never becomes cool, so things didn't get easier as I got older… people just started saying things behind my back instead of to my face.

As a kid, I couldn't see 3-D. I remember seeing Captain EO at Disneyland and thinking everyone in the theater was mental. Why on earth were they trying to touch the screen? Didn't they know it was far away at the front of the room? I asked my dad and he explained to me that for everyone but us, the movie looked like it was coming out of the screen (my dad can't see in 3-D either, although because of a slightly different issue). I never really thought I was missing out, having been born with this disability I had learned to work around it without realizing it.

While working for Disney, my eye came up pretty frequently. I had really great health coverage so I started researching my options. Surgery seems obvious, but alone it is only a cosmetic fix. So I spent a year in vision therapy, very similar to physical therapy with a focus on the muscles controlling the eye. We had to teach my right eye to pull its weight and work as part of a team. Eventually, my therapists decided I was ready for surgery! Because the right eye hadn't been doing much, the outer muscle had stretched too long and the inner muscle too short. We had to detach and realign the eye, so 5 years ago, on St. Patricks Day, I paid a man to cut out my eyeball and sew it back into my head. Very gross, but also really cool, right?

Two days post-surgery

The recovery was painful, the muscles in my eye were sore for days and each little twitch gave me the most intense headaches I've ever experienced! Luckily I had a few wonderful friends help take care of me, two weeks off work, and lots of pain meds.

When I finally recovered, the very first thing I wanted to do was watch something in 3-D! Captain EO was gone at the time, so I headed to the Magic Kingdom to watch Philharmagic. I cried. I wept like a tiny little child because it was magic! This simple, "normal," thing that most people do every day without even knowing it was finally available to me too. That day is still one of my happiest memories.

To be honest, that surgery has hardly changed my life at all… but it changed me profoundly. I look just a little different, I can see just a little better, but I feel overwhelmingly more confident. I don't panic when I meet new people or get my photo taken. I don't worry (as much) when people whisper behind my back. Most importantly, I'm not ashamed anymore. Somehow, having the courage to change my "flaw" gave me the courage to own it too, and that has made a world of difference!

Butts and Guns: Move it March Check In

Last week was super busy and this week is shaping up to be the same! Gypsy is really moving and I think it's gonna be a great show, thank goodness. Even though it was busy, I made time to workout almost every day… Saturday I gave myself a much needed rest day and just binge watched The Magic School Bus on Netflix. Don't judge, it was an awesome show!

So, here are two of my favorites from last week:

A quick and easy butt shaper

Great for arm jiggle

I also tried of the Barre Pilates class on campus and loved it! I will definitely be going back to that one. And by Thursday, my knees were getting a little unhappy so I pulled out my foam roller and worked out some kinks in my quads. If you don't have a foam roller, you need to drop whatever you're doing and head to Walmart! Seriously, I never tell people to go to Walmart, but you need one and they've got it for cheap.

Well, I'm off to another rehearsal! Leave me a comment and let me know what workouts you're loving these days!!

It's Here! Move It March

Move It March is here and I started out strong! Saturday I decided to try out the 11AM yoga class at school. It was a little advanced for me but just enough to be a fun challenge, I'm pretty sure I'll be going back. When I got home, I was still in the groove and decided to do some extra ab work before starting the housework. I didn't follow any specific plan, sorry, just did a few reps of every type of crunch I could think of. Super organized, I know! But it must have worked because today I'm feeling sore… but it's the good sore.

I spent most of today finishing up my application for the Athletic Training department clinical program. MAJOR thanks to Carrissa, you are an angel!!! Then I figured it was time for some leg work. I chose the Dancer's Legs Workout, from backonpointe:

Check out her tumblr for tons more! Or check out my I Work Out board cause I'm in love and have pinned bunches of them.

Hope your March has started out on a high note too! What workouts did you try this weekend? What should I try next?

Move It March - Lets Get Fit!

Confession: I’m addicted to Pinterest. I spend hours every week browsing recipes, fashion, geekery, and of course fitness. In my defense, I do make a lot of the crafts I pin and have had lots of success with recipes I’ve found. And yes, I have a wedding planning board even though I’m not in a serious relationship (though, to be fair Monica Geller and I have been doing that since before it was cool). 

Now, I’ve decided it’s time to try out some of the hundreds of workouts I’ve been pinning. I’m calling it Move It March and I’m going to try a new workout every day for the next month. Most of them will come from my Pinterest board (you can check it out here), but I’m also looking forward to trying out some classes at my schools fitness center. I’ll be posting about my workouts here in case anyone wants to follow along and if you do, I’d love to hear about it! Even if you’re doing your own thing, let me know. I’m excited about trying different workouts and hoping I’ll find something I really love and want to continue even after March is long gone.

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating Move It March,  lets get fit friends!

I Needed A Reminder

I've been stressing a LOT about my weight and my body lately... but I have to remember not to go overboard. Some of you may know that food and I don't have a great relationship (remember the Ice Chip diet leading up to Halloween the year of the Batman clan?). So sometimes I need to see it side by side, the bad and the not-so-bad-but-not-yet-great. It keeps me motivated and reminds me that no matter how much I think I want to weigh 120 again, it really wasn't that cute:

On the left, I look sick and emaciated, on the right I'm just damn chubby (that chick next to me is 17weeks pregnant and I'm almost the same size!) I'm trying to land somewhere in between and I want you all to know how much I appreciate you reading along. I felt compelled to share these pictures so you can help me be accountable, both in my quest to get more fit, but also to not get obsessed and over shoot it. So, I guess I'm just trying to say THANK YOU!!

PS: In case you care, these pictures were taken about 4.5 years apart, but also only about 4.5 miles apart...

Monday Quick Bits

I've been terrible about writing regularly, I'm sorry (I'm so, so sorry)! I've got a few posts floating around in my mind and haven't had time to sit down and write them out properly, but I will someday, I swear! Till then, here are a few random thoughts for your Monday evening:

• Went to the health center on campus today, got lots of shots and poking and prodding... I've been medically cleared for the Athletic Training program and my knee "issues" have been downgraded to chronic patellar tendonitis. The positive to that being I now have a free pass to play it day to day in my activity classes and can participate when I'm feeling good and legitimately sit out on painful days.
• I got my tax return, woo hoo!
• My baby brother turned 28... which makes me really old. Thank goodness for the other brother who will always be older than me.
• I'm trying out yoga for the first time tonight! I have a friend who has been going and loving it so I'm finally getting my act together and tagging along. I'll let you know how it goes...
• Gypsy can not open soon enough! This (self-imposed) ban on sweets and junk food is really getting to me. I have a feeling the day after we close I'll be in a sugar-coma from all the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs I've started hoarding!

Happy Monday!

We're one day closer to the weekend...

Pop Quiz: Superbowl Edition

My Athletic Training teacher gave us a pop-quiz this morning. The extra credit questions were something about the Superbowl score at halftime and something else about the game. My answer:

"As un-American as it may be, I don't like football. Instead of watching the birds and the donkeys give each other concussions and luxations yesterday, I discovered a new favorite Christmas movie starring David Tenant, caught up on Glee, took my dog for a very long and leisurely walk, and designed a baby blanket for my Etsy shop. However, thanks to Facebook I do know that Seattle won and some people are not very happy about it."

We'll see if I get any points for that one...