Friday Five: Beach Day!

(I used the Rhonna Designs app on my iPhone to make this pic. I used this picture I took from my trip to Oahu in April.  This is Waikiki Beach, and I loved the color of those umbrellas).

1.  As soon as I finish writing this post, Sofi and I are hitting the road and going to the beach for the first time this summer.  I can’t believe I haven’t been to the beach at all yet this summer. I’m excited to beat the heat (it’s supposed to hit the mid-high 90s here today), walk along the beach with Sofi, and just enjoy the crashing waves. Look for pictures on my Instagram later.

2.For those of you with curly hair, you know how important it is to find the right products.  It’s only recently that my hair has returned to it’s normal curls. After getting my hair smoothed with the formaldehyde-free keratin treatment last December, my curl pattern was completely changed; it wasn’t curly anymore, it was barely wavy.  I’m glad that I got the keratin treatment, because my massive weight loss affected my hair terribly, making it thin, frizzy, and really difficult to manage.  But I’ve realized that I’m just not great at blow drying my own hair on a regular basis (I just don’t have the technique), so I’ve decided not to get the keratin treatment again (which costs $300), and instead treat myself to Dry Bar appointments now and then. But let’s get back to the products.  Now that my hair is back to it’s normal curls, I wanted to find a product that would keep them defined, control the frizz, but and not build up. After trying lots of different things, I found Curly Sexy Hair. I’ve been using the shampoo, conditioner, Full-On Curls, and the Curling Creme.  I like that these products are really affordable, and that they work. I’ve been enjoying lots of compliments on my hair lately, which I haven’t had in about a year.

3. I’ve had a few clothing NSVs this week.  On Sunday, I found the cutest top, but it as in the petite section.  I liked it so much that I decided to try on the petite Medium anyway, and it FIT! Then on Monday, I was shopping around Target and found a cute 49er tee that was a juniors Large (see Instagram photo). The week before last, I went online to Venus and found a bunch of cute tops, all of which were size Mediums; they came on Tuesday, and every single one fits great (see the turquoise, floral peplum top in my Instagram). Yesterday I was thrilled to finally fit into the Chase Infinite tank that I’d bought a couple of months ago (again, see yesterday’s Instagram workout post). Every time I buy clothes in these small sizes, I am amazed at the fact that they fit. Not only fit, but that they look good.  Shopping is such a pleasure now.  I’ve always loved getting new clothes, but now that I can walk into any store and find something adorable, I am loving it!

4. I usually love watching movies in the summer, but I have to say that I’ve been very underwhelmed at the offerings.  The last movie I went to was The Fault in Our Stars, which was very good.  In the many weeks since, there really hasn’t been much I’d be willing to see.  But suddenly there are a few that I’m looking forward to:

• 
• 
• 

5. I found this photo on Instagram awhile ago, and I love it.  Not only is “choose happy” the way that I try to live my life on a daily basis, but I also love the beach and the image of the sun.  Seeing this just makes me smile, and I’m going to put it up on my white board at school as a daily reminder.  Because no matter how stressful the situation, how disappointing the news, or how unfortunate the event – I choose my reaction and I choose HAPPY.

Happy Friday! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, full of fun and exciting adventures.

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Friday Miscellany

Happy Friday, Everyone!

It’s rainy and cold here (they’re saying we *might* get snow – the first time since 1976), and I thought it was time for a fun, this-and-that post.

Ouidad, Where Have You Been All My Life?!
As you guys may know, I have naturally curly, thick, somewhat-coarse hair, and I definitely have a love-hate relationship with it.  When it looks nice, it’s the best.  But when I’m having a bad hair day, forget about it.  A few weeks ago I was reading Stacey Ballis’ blog (she’s one of my favorite authors, and if you’re looking for a good book, read Good Enough to Eat) and she mentioned that her hair had never been better since she’d tried Ouidad.  (She’s got curly locks, too).

I’d heard of Ouidad for years and seen the advertisements in the magazines.  I just never knew if it really worked, because I’d never known of anyone who used it.  All I can say, is “Stacey, a million thank yous for mentioning this product!”  I went to the site, watched all the videos, and ended up buying some products to give it a try:

Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner.  They smell great, leave my hair really nourished and healthy.

Climate Control, which has won all sorts of awards.  This stuff is awesome!  It defines my curls but never makes them stiff or untouchable.  It leaves them completely frizz free and shiny.  I’ve tested this stuff in the rain, when my hair usually goes bonkers, and it stood up to the test.

Botanical Boost is another product that I cannot live without (now that I know about it).  Because my hair is curly and thick, I only wash it 2-3 times a week.  It used to look it’s best only on the “shampoo day,” and then I’d have to get creative the other days until the next wash.  Not anymore.  I wake up in the morning and spray on the Botanical Boost and my curls really are revitalized.  It’s like magic.  The other day I’d had my hair back in a low ponytail, the curls all pulled back and smoothed out, then I sprayed some of this on it, and it was as if I had just styled it.  Awesome!!

For those of you with wavy or curly hair, I cannot recommend Ouidad highly enough.  I’ve spent my life on a mission to find THE product that would tame my tresses and make my hair look its best. I can’t even begin to calculate the amount of money I’ve spent on the “next big thing.”  And now I’m so happy to report that my search is over.  Ouidad is my Holy Grail of products for my hair.  And because my hair has been looking so good since I’ve started using it, I’ve decided to let it grow again.  I want to be able to show off my curls more.  (And I also miss being able to put it in a high ponytail now and then).

Cuddly & Cute

As I mentioned, it’s been cold here, and yesterday I was at my computer writing a couple of blog posts (which you really should read, if you haven’t already) when I looked up and saw Minnnie (LC’s dog) and Lulu all cuddled up together in Lulu’s bed.  I gave Minnie Lulu’s extra (pink) bed, but she never seems to want to use it, and now I know why.  It’s so sweet to see them all cozy like this, because most of the time they can be found running around after each other or wrestling like it’s WWE up in this joint.  Plus, who doesn’t love cute shots of Lulu, right?

Ladies’ Night Appetizer Cooking Class
It may seem odd that I’m going out tonight to learn how to make appetizers at this really cute kids’ cooking school near my house, especially since I’m on Medifast.  The cooking school offers adult classes in the evenings sometimes, and tonight they have a Ladies’ Night Appetizer class, which is going to be so much fun.  I planned this event for my alumnae wine club a month ago, before I joined Medifast, and I’m really looking forward to it because these events are a time for me to get together with friends I’ve known since high school.  And the thing is, I’ve learned that moderation is the key to any successful weight loss attempt, and this is no exception.  So, every now and then, probably on a Friday or Saturday, I’m going to allow myself to have a glass of wine or two and some non-Lean and Green food.  (I’m going to make sure to pre-burn calories today with a “new” workout I’m looking forward to trying.  More about that in a future post). The last time I was doing Medifast I became very hermit like, and I don’t want to make that same mistake this time.  I should do fine, because I’ve made a plan and I know how I’m going to fit it all into my food program.

Update 2/26: We had so much fun at the cooking class!  You can view the photos, if you’d like.  I’m so glad that I decided to just enjoy myself and not worry too much about going off the Lean and Green.  I used moderation (except maybe with the wine ;)) and this morning the scale was only slightly up.  Definitely worth it. 

Get Free Stuff, Courtesy of Scale Warfare
Did you know that Scale Warfare is celebrating her 500th post with an awesome giveaway? She’s got some great stuff for you to win, so you should definitely go check her out.  Lots of ways to enter, too.  I think it’s so generous of her to mark her 500th post that way.  I told her that I’ve passed my 750th post some time ago without any fanfare at all.  She inspired me to do a giveaway when I reach 1000 posts, so stay tuned for that later this year.

`

That’s about it for me.  I’ve got to squeeze all the fun I can out of this last Friday of my week-long break.  Have a great one!

Read Full Post »

Beauty Day! (after a minor set back)

All week I couldn’t wait for Wednesday to get here because Lulu had her first grooming appointment and I had my own styling appointment to get a new hairstyle.  Lulu is adorable even in her scruffy state, but I knew she’d be even cuter after a grooming session.

The groomers that were recommended to me is right in my neighborhood, which is so convenient.  Little did I know that it was going to become important. You see, after I strapped Lulu into her car seat, I went around to my side of the car and turned the keys in the ignition, like always.  Only instead of hearing the engine purr to life, it made a weird half clicking sound.  It wouldn’t turn over!  I was flummoxed, because I had no idea what was going on.  My car isn’t an old car, so why would the battery die?  Then I remembered that yesterday after I got home from running errands, I was so concentrated on Lulu that I left the keys in the ignition. I actually didn’t realize that I left them in there until I went looking for the keys and realized it.  I still don’t understand why this would drain the battery, but it did.

I had left just enough time (3 minutes) to get to the groomers, so I quickly gave them a call, letting them know what was going on, and Lulu and I headed there on foot.  It’s about 4 blocks away, which wasn’t too bad at all.  The thing is, it’s on a really busy street, so I was concerned how Lulu would do on the leash with all the traffic whizzing by.  She was such a little trooper!  I think she must’ve picked up on how stressed out I was, because she stayed right with me when we were walking, and she didn’t even try to pause to smell anything.  I picked her up when we had to cross a huge intersection, but other than that Miss Lulu really impressed me with her leash skills today.

When I dropped her off at the groomers they all remarked at how calm and subdued she was.  She’s such a good girl!  She loves being around people and dogs, so she’s an ideal grooming client.  After quickly consulting with the groomer about the type of cut I was looking for, I left Lulu in their expert hands, and made a call to my dad to help me with my car so that I could make it to my noon hair styling appointment.  (I canceled AAA when I got my new car because VW had 24-hour roadside assistance, but since I had no idea how long it would take them to get to my house, I figured I’d call on my dad, because he lives only 10 minutes away).  Thankfully my dad and I were able to move the car into position so that he could jump it.  It took the charge right away, and I was on my way to the hair appointment.  (My dad is so cute – he followed me to the salon and had me turn the car off and on again, just to make sure I’d be able to get home.  He truly is the greatest dad (and person) ever!).

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I really wanted a change from my normal hair style (or lack there of).  As you can see from this picture, when I wore it down, it didn’t really have much style, and I always had to make a little “poof” to get it to look halfway decent:

(This was taken a few weeks ago, with my mom, in SF).

More often than not I’d wear my hair up in a bun, like this:

(I took this one with LC after we finished the See Jane Run on June 5).

As you can see, neither style was very stylish.  I was looking for something sassier for summer.  Plus, I’m turning 39 in about a week, so I wanted to do something new for my last year of my 30s.  🙂 I was concerned that a shorter cut would make my already chubby face (re: double, double chin) look even fuller, but then I realized that it would be better than when I wear it up in a bun.

When I headed in to see Dez, my stylist, she was so excited to do a “big girl cut” as she calls it whenever I do something drastically different to my hair.  We talked about the look I wanted, and I am really pleased with the way it turned out:

Here are some shots from different angles:

I think it’s really fun, and perfect for summer.  It is going to be weird not being able to just put it up into a bun when I’m working out, but I think investing in a few good headbands to hold it back when I’m exercising will do the trick nicely.  (Any suggestions for great online sites for barrettes and headbands?).

Next, it was time to pick up Lulu.  The groomer went on and on about what a good girl she was, and I felt like a proud mommy.  When I first saw her I was a little shocked, because she looked so different with the new cut.  I felt like maybe I should’ve had him leave a little more on the top of her head, but the more I see it, the more I like it.  Plus, her hair grows fast, just like mine does.  (In fact, we both have follow up appointments on the same day in 6 weeks). See what you think.  The left is her “before” and the right is her “after”:

She is still completely adorable, but as one of my friends said, “she looks so grown up.”  I think once I get used to it, I’ll really like it.

All in all, today was a great day – full of changes for the better:

Read Full Post »

Summer of Changes

The key to change…is to let go of fear.” ~~ Rosanne Cash

I’ve decided that this summer is going to be the summer of changes.  Summer always brings with it change – a break from the daily routines and obligations, a change in weather, a new variety of fruit and veggies available, a different wardrobe, etc. But this year I want summer to be filled with some other, positive changes in my life.

This summer brings with it a new birthday – the last birthday of my 30s (yes, I’m turning 39), and I want to make this the year I make significant changes to my lifestyle.  Turning 39 is freaking me out a bit – it means 40 is just around the corner, and 40 just seems too mature.  No offense to those who are 40 or above – I know you’re fabulous, but to me, people who are 40 are grown-up, together, and know where their lives are going.  All of those things are true for me, but I also feel like I am just beginning to figure out what living as an adult is all about.  I’m definitely young at heart, and I think part of that is because that I get to work with teenagers every day.  I’m able to stay up with the trends.  I listen to much of the same music they do.  Well, those who have good taste that is.  (I’ve listened to the same radio station since high school, and the format (adult alternative) hasn’t changed in all these years).  Beyond that, I think the fact that I only have obligations to myself (not being married or having kids) affords me a level of freedom that I don’t normally associate with someone my age.  Then again, they say 40 is the new 30 (here’s hoping), so I know that I still have a lot of life ahead of me.

Which leads me to the changes that I foresee this summer.

Change my approach to weight loss. Ever since I got the news that I may have high blood pressure, I decided that I needed to change the way I have been trying to lose weight.  You guys know that I’m a perfectionist, and while that’s not going to change, I can take some of the perfection out of the equation by giving the scale the summer off.  I think I mentioned before that I’m not going to post weekly weigh-ins, but I’ve decided to take this a step further.  I’m not going to weigh myself at all this summer.  I’m going to let go of the stress I always feel when my weight fluctuates each week.  Right now it seems that weight loss is alluding me, and I want to focus on fitness instead of pounds.  I’ll be able to keep track of how I’m feeling by what I’m able to do in terms of activity.  I’ll also be able to see how I look based on the way my clothes fit.  And of course, every time I step on the Wii to do the Fit Plus, I’m going to get weighed, so I’ll have a bit of a check-in that way, but I’m not going to obsess about what it shows.

Change my hair! This may seem like a small change, but the way I look (and perceive myself) has everything to do with my level of confidence.  My hair is a bit past my shoulders now, but because I have thick, very curly hair, it seems to be as wide as it is long.  I’ve been noticing that I wear my hair up in a bun most days, just because it’s easier to deal with.  So I figured if I’m wearing it off my face anyway, why not go for a bit of a dramatic ‘do?  I’m going to get it cut into an A-lined stacked bob.  Which will be a big change.  It will be short in the back – very short – but the hair will gradually get longer and the front pieces will hang down past my chin.  I’ve found some pictures online, and while none of them are exactly the same cut I want (with my hair type), they’ll give you a pretty good idea.

I picture it being as full as Hale Berry’s looks, and about that length in the front. My hair is actually even curly than hers is in that picture, but it’s about that full.  The photo of the back of the neck isn’t exactly right, but I am planning to get the back very short like that.  Here’s to exposed necks!  The nice thing about hair (especially mine) is that it grows back quickly, so if I’m not loving the ‘do, I can grow it out.  I think this will be a fun change for summer.  I’ll feel like my hair has more style, and it should be really easy to keep up with.  It will look good curly (which is how I wear it almost every day) or straight.  The one hesitation I have is about putting it up.  There are times (when I’m working out, cleaning the house, etc.) when I have to have my hair up.  I guess I can put it into quirky pigtails or back with clips/headbands.  It’ll be fun figuring out new styles.

Change my household habits. With the addition of Lulu comes some significant changes in how I’ll live in my house.  I’m talking mostly about the fact that I usually eat in the living room, sitting on the floor, using the coffee table as my table.  Once she gets here, I know that’s not going to be an option, because it will be easy for her to beg, jump on me, etc.  So that means I’ll have to take my meals into the dining table I have in my breakfast nook.  Which also means I’ll be spending a lot less time in front of the t.v., which will be a good thing.  I think I’ll entertain myself by reading a book or magazine (I’ve got stacks to catch up on!) rather than mindlessly turning on the tube.  The other thing that Lulu’s arrival means for my house is that I have to be much more careful about what I leave lying around.  I have a habit of leaving my clean laundry in the basket until I get around to folding it and putting it away.  With a puppy who will no doubt love to get into everything, I can’t do that anymore.  Which will be a great thing.  It will mean I’ll have to be more organized and not leave things undone.  This also means that I have to be fastidious with the floors and carpets.  My least favorite household chore is mopping the floor, and I try to spot clean it instead.  But now that she’ll be around, I’ll have to make sure that the floors are spotless, because I don’t want her to eat or lick something that would make her sick.  (Wow, that makes it sound like my floors are gross – they’re not).  I’m actually looking forward to have this ultra-clean requirement, because it will force me to keep the house tidy all the time. I’m a super-clean person, and like things in order, but there are those days when I let it all go.  Now that I’ll have this little being around, I’ll have to make sure that those days are gone.

Biggest change of all – LULU!!! Of course, the most exciting change this summer is getting Lulu.  She arrives this Friday at 12:35.  I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas to get here, that’s how excited I am to meet her.  I can’t wait for all the love and companionship that she’ll bring.  I know it’s going to be a lot of work (to put it mildly), but I also know the rewards that come with her are innumerable.  I’m looking forward to the walks, the activity, and the social aspect that I know she’ll provide.  I can’t wait to spoil her rotten!  Here’s a quick little video that the breeder sent me.  It’s only 5 seconds, and it doesn’t really show her face, but it does give an idea of how active and adorable she is.  (It also demonstrates that Miss Lulu is in desperate need of a trip to the groomers, which will be on her first week’s agenda).

What changes are you making?

Read Full Post »