Holiday Weekend

We're enjoying our long weekend thus far.  A cook-out Saturday with family, and another on Sunday with friends.  Monday we're planning on staying home, doing a few household chores, and then spending the remainder of the day relaxing and gearing up for another hectic week.

But lets not forget the reason for my post...to honor the servicemen and women who have died for our country.  Let us take a few moments this Memorial Day to reflect upon the meaning of the day and be mindful of the sacrifices of others before we go and enjoy the freedoms they fought so hard for us to have.

Putting it out there...

It's gone from unseasonably cold temps to hot-as-hell temps in the matter of a few days.  Yesterday we got above 90 and I was miserable.  Too hot too soon!  Give me 80 and sunny with a slight breeze and I'm a happy camper.  Sweltering heat, high humidity and zero air movement does not make me a happy girl.  At any rate, the warmer temps obviously require a change in wardrobe, which I will admit that most of my Spring/Summer wardrobe is still packed away in storage boxes at the top of my closet.  I've been putting it off.  Going through all the clothes I haven't had on my body in about a year is not going to be fun, it's not going to be pretty, and it's probably going to produce a few tears.  Bottom line: I've gained weight. 

We keep a small notebook on our scale and everytime we weigh ourselves we jot down the date and our weight.  We don't do it on any sort of time frame, just when the mood strikes.  We do however try to stick to the same time of day: morning.  Today I got on, closed my eyes, said a quick prayer, then opened them to see an ugly number staring back at me.  How did this happen?  Well, I can tell you how it happened...too many sweets and snacks.  I also think another factor was my husband being unemployed for a year.  No, I'm not looking for excuses, I'm just keeping it real.  We used food for comfort.  We didn't "do" much as far as activities just because we didn't have the extra cash to spend...so most times we'd stay home, which led to being bored, which then led to snacking.  Yes, we could have done free activities like biking, walking, hiking, etc., but to be honest I think we were both dealing with a bit of depression (my husband more than myself) which really didn't help to motivate us.  It made us crave wanting to be home and comfortable.  At the time we just did what we wanted to do to keep a balance of sanity.  Obviously, in hind sight, getting "out there" probably would have been the better thing to do.  It would have pushed those depressing thoughts away and definitely would have helped our waistlines.  Now that the hubster is back to work (yesterday marked his one month anniversary!  whoo hoo!) and morale is a bit higher...AND we're hoping to actually take a vacation late this Summer...we need to tackle this problem.

So today I weighed myself and wrote it down.  Today I'm making a vow to really do it this time.  I'm going to eat better and exercise more...or I should say we.  WE are going to eat better and exercise more.  My handy-dandy weight notebook tells me I was 10 lbs. lighter on May 24th of 2008.  That is my goal, to get back to that weight.  No, I'm not going to admit to everyone out there in blogland exactly what the number is, I just know that for me it's a good weight for me to be at.  Some may be saying, "10 lbs.?!  That's not horrible over the span of two years."  For me, it is.  I'm barely 5 foot tall, even an extra 5 lbs. is too much on my frame...10 is just taking it to a whole new level. 

If I can lose 3 lbs. per month I can meet my goal by the time we head to the beach.  That's do-able.  It's all about watching my calories, upping my water in-take, and being more active.  I CAN do this.  I WILL do this.  Blogland, hold me to it.

I will update in one month :)

This is the End

Are you ready?  I'm not.  While I am excited to see how this whole thing ends, it's going to be bittersweet.  Even though it's given me some sleepless nights and headaches from trying to figure out just what the hell was going on, it's been a fun ride and I'm probably going to shed more than a few tears tonight :(

To all my fellow LOST fans out there in blogland, enjoy the finale.  Namaste.

Wishin' and Hopin'

Friday began the month-long countdown until my birthday...my 30th, take two ;)  Last year my birthday sucked, not super horribly, but I think the reason it sucked as much as it did was that for my real 30th, I had an idea in my head of what the occasion would be like.  I wasn't hoping for a big party or lots and lots of gifts, I just wanted something special.  A nice dinner with people I cared about and those people actually going out of their way to spend the time with me to mark my 30th year of life.  I pictured a nice, long meal full of laughter and smiles, a drink or two (or ten), and our waitress carrying out a cake full of candles and everyone singing Happy Birthday to ME.  Ok, and maybe a cool gift or two as well ;)  But alas, that wasn't what happened...at all.  Sigh.  I really have no clue how this year's birthday is going to be better than last, I think the fact that there are no expectations will help.  June is already shaping up to be a busy, busy month too...not much time to squeeze in anything spectacular.  Here's hoping the hubster thinks of something fun despite the time constraints!

Then there's the gifts.  Already I have my MIL asking me what I want this year.  She's so great about birthdays, she really tries to make them special.  So I've compiled a small wishlist, emphasis on wish ;)  The hubster better take hints from this list too.

#1 this year is a white watch.  I'm normally not a watch wearer, in fact I don't even own one at all (besides my great-grandmother's antique Bulova, but it doesn't work, so it doesn't qualify).  I'm not a jewelry wearer either (I wear my wedding rings, a small anniversary band on my right hand, and studs in my ears, thats it) but for some strange reason I'm drawn to these watches and I've been obsessing over them.  My first choice would be the Fossil Stella followed by the Stella White Topring.

#2 is the Copco To Go Cup travel mug I saw at Bed, Bath & Beyond during our last shopping trip.  I have a few other travel mugs already but this one is dishwasher and microwave safe...my other mugs are not.  Plus it's super cute and it makes me smile.

 

#3 is the VacuVin Wine Saver.  I've (well, we've) been wanting one for a while now.  We enjoy a bottle of wine here and there, but we don't always finish the bottle the same day we open it.  Our favorite wine shop introduced us to this gadget when we went to stock up before the holidays.  They depend on the VacuVin to preserve their wine between sample pours...can't really expect to gain new customers if you let them sample poorly preserved wine!  They also have a champagne/sparking wine preserver...ooh, add that to the wishlist too :)

 

#4 is an item I ask for every year - Calvin Klein's Eternity Summer perfume.  This year's version is literally Summer in a bottle for me.  They change each year's limited edition Summer scent ever so slightly, and up until this year my favorite version was from 2006, but it's getting harder and harder to find from online retailers.  It may still remain my favorite, but 2010 will come pretty close, plus it'll be easier to find if the next few versions don't wow me either.  Isn't the bottle pretty?  Makes me want to dip my toes in the ocean!

 

I think that's about it as far as actual gifts are concerned, of course the usual Target and Sephora gift cards are always added to the list too.  Sorry for the greedy and selfish sounding post, I just get excited once the birthday countdown starts.  But I'm not only looking forward to the day that I become one year older (insert eyeroll here), my birthday signifies the official start of Summer, yay!  And I love that MY birthday is the longest day of the year  ;)

Shop It Out continued...

Almost two weeks ago I blogged about a little shopping "spree" of sorts at Old Navy during their 30% off sale.  I bought a few things in store then ended up placing two, yes two!, online orders.  I know clothes fit different people in different ways, but I still wanted to rant and rave about a few key pieces in case someone out there had their eye on any of them...or perhaps you're looking to pick up a few new items for your Spring/Summer wardrobe and could use a little push ;)

First let start with the rants.  Considering all I bought, there were only a few, luckily.  Sometimes Old Navy really doesn't make sense to me be the way some of their clothes fit.  I know I shouldn't complain...they're cheap clothes after all, and let face it, most times you get what you pay for.  But sometimes I'm just stumped and am left wondering just who the heck can fit into some of these things comfortably.  I ordered 3 of the Lightweight Scoop-neck Tees in a small (my "normal" size at Old Navy) and the top half was so darn tight I got a little claustrophobic just trying them on.  The bottom half was loose, bordering on too loose.  It was bizarre.  I thought after the first tee that maybe, just maybe I got a badly sewn tee, but every single one fit the same.  Sad.  I thought these would become my go-to basic tee for the Summer.  I have a bunch of the Ruched V-neck Tees, and love the way they look and fit.  I was hoping these would be similar.

GOOD:                                                  BAD: 


Next rant is over their bermudas.  As I shared previously, I bought a pair of their Perfect Khaki Bermudas in Truffle Brown when I shopped in store.  Obviously I tried them on and they fit great.  When I went to order another pair - the Oxford Bermudas in Maritime - I went ahead and ordered the same size.  Silly me!  When they arrived, they were easily two sizes too big.  Total bummer because they were really cute in person and I loved the length.  I'm hoping to see these in store when I go to return my dud items...I'll laugh if I really do have to go down TWO sizes.

Super cute, but try on in person:

Now for the raves! I ordered two more of the Raw-Hem Jersey Dresses and I LOVE them. Super duper comfortable, perfect for those warm weather days when you want as few layers as possible. I now have one in Bear Hug (brown), Black Jack (black, obviously, lol) and Heather Gray (you guessed it, gray!). These would also work well as bathing suit cover-ups for the beach or pool.

I also got the V-Neck Jersey Dress in Black Jack too...although I think I'm going to order one in Kiwi Kiss (pictured below) and return the black since I have a few other black cotton dresses.  But this dress fits like a dream!  The v-neck is so flattering and even though it does show some cleavage, the cut makes you feel secure, if that makes sense.  I wish they offered this one in more colors.

Last dress...the Cross-Front Cabana Sundress in the Black/White print (yes, I agree, I need a color intervention).  This has a definite "baby-doll dress" styling.  It flares out starting just below the chest area...almost gives the illusion that it should be a dress for someone expecting.  In fact, I'm sure this could work great for someone with a baby bump!  At first when I put it on I thought it would give people the wrong impression and elicit a bunch of questions, lol, but the more I wore it, the more I liked it and at this point I think I'm keeping it.  The print is fun, it's really comfortable, and it even has hidden pockets along the side seams.  It definitely requires a tank of some kind to be worn underneath otherwise you'd be showing more than you'd probably prefer.  I tried it on with the ON Jersey-Stretch Tank and it looked great!

The Crochet-Hem V-Neck Tee is sooooo cute!  It's very comfy, and the tiny bit of crochet at the bottom is just enough to keep it interesting.  I ordered an XS in this and it's still roomy...so it definitely runs big, just a warning.  I also got both the petite and the regular length because the reviews said it ran big AND long...I'm torn between the two and will have to try it on with a few different bottoms before I decide.  I wish this came in more colors too because I would order more.

Lastly, I got two pairs of the Wide-Leg Walking Capris, one pair in Carbon (a dark charcoal gray) and one pair in New Black.  New gym attire!  I ordered these in a small and I'm wondering if maybe the medium would have been better?  The small fits fine, I just think the medium may give me more room to move (and fit more like they appear in the pic below)...although knowing how things usually work for me, the medium will probably be too big and all this wondering will be for nothing.  I plan on keeping the small, but trying on the medium in store if I can find them.  I guess if nothing more they may motivate me to lose a few pounds, which is kind of the point of the new gym attire in the first place, right?!

So those were my hits and misses... with more hits than misses for once!  I have my eye on a few more items on their website which I hope to check out when I make my returns/exchanges.  And even though it's not officially Summer yet, I'd say I'm pretty set with my wardrobe now.  In fact, I'm sure I can get rid of a lot of things...too many clothes, not enough closet space.  Isn't that always the case?

10 Products I Can't Live Without

I have a bunch of relatively inexpensive "health & beauty" items that I can't live without...items that I use everyday (or almost everyday) that I would probably cry a river over if they were ever discontinued.  I'll probably jinx myself by mentioning these items now, but oh well, it's bound to happen anyway.  Everything I ever really like ends up being discontinued.  By now I'm used to it.  Not ever happy about it, but used to it.  At any rate, on with it...

Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Lotion, which they now call HandiBac...um, ok.  I actually haven't purchased any of this for myself in a very loooong time, hence not being aware of the "new" name.  I usually get a bunch as Christmas gifts or birthday gifts, so I tend to have a little stash built up.  I always have some in my purse because I need hand lotion a lot throughout the day, especially after washing them, otherwise they feel like sandpaper...not a good feeling.  So I mainly use it for the moisturization factor, but the anti-bac feature is great too since you never know if/when you won't have hand-washing facilities near you.  My favorite scent is the cucumber melon because it's pretty universal, I'd say, and not super "girly" so the hubster can use it if he wants/needs to.  I feel like these are always on sale, at least 2 for $5 if not better.

Softlips!  Oh my word, how I love Softlips.  The vanilla is by far my favorite flavor.  I used to love and use the mint too, but I haven't been able to find any in a very long time...and now as I look on their site I see it's not listed...must have discontinued it, see, story of my life.  The reason I love these is because they go on so nice, feel amazing, make your lips look super soft and it tastes good.  Plus, the tube is super skinny and I can tuck one in my back pocket and you'd never know it was there.  They always come in a two-pack and they're around $3-$4-ish?  It's been a while since I bought any of these too, I usually buy a few packs at once (sometimes I find coupons!) and they really last a long time.

Next up, Blistex, regular old Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment in the white tube.  I put this on after I shower in the morning and after I wash my face at night before bed.  I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to it.  If I don't have it with me (when traveling or what have you) it throws my whole "routine" off, really.  This blurb is from their website:  Beauty professionals also routinely use Blistex Lip Ointment to return a smooth texture to lips before applying lip color. When using as a lipstick base, apply liberally and leave on lips for five minutes.  So after I brush my teeth and moisturize my face, I slap some of this on and let it sink in while I put on my makeup or while I sleep.  Love this stuff!  Again, I typically use a coupon and get two for a few bucks.

Another lip product, this one I use as my everyday lipstick/lipgloss, neither of which it's actually classified as.  It's Avon Slick Tint for Lips in Glossy Opal.  I love, love, love a frosty pink and this is just about perfect for me.  And they're only 99 cents!!!  I have a few of these in my purse, a few in my makeup bag, and then a few stashed away.  It doesn't give much, if any, moisture to my lips, but I usually put it on over my Blistex in the morning or my Softlips while I'm out and about.  Like I said, I use this as my "lipstick" so it's more about the color over moisture.  I'd really be lost without it.

 

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment...whew!  So the title is long-winded but the actual product is awesome.  The active ingredient is 2% salicylic acid, and I credit it (along with the Clinique 3-step, and my new BFF the Clarisonic) with keeping my skin clear, or clearer I should say.  I love that it treats my breakouts (and stops others from forming) without having to dry out my skin, it gives the perfect amount of moisture for overnight and makes my skin feel so soft.  I've noticed it being a bit harder to find as of late...I pray they're not discontinuing it!!!  This varies between $6-$8 depending on where I find it, sometimes I get lucky and it will be on sale at CVS.

CoverGirl Clean Pressed Powder...this is another item that's always in my purse.  A must-have for any touch-ups needed throughout the day, and they just introduced an oil-control version which I'm planning on picking up ASAP.  Cheap, and does the job.  About $6 or $7 I think (it's been a while since I had to buy this too), but CVS and Rite Aid frequently have BOGO free sales on CoverGirl products or you can almost always find a coupon.  I'm sure you all know what this compact looks like (although they did just redesign it I think, still pretty much the same though) since it's a classic.

St. Ives Naturally Clear Blemish & Blackhead Apricot Scrub is my go-to exfoliator.  Actually, just the regular St. Ives Apricot Scrub was my go-to, until I discovered the Naturally Clear version over a year ago.  The new version contains 2% salicylic acid to help with blemishes, and any help I can get in that category I'm all for.  I use this towards the end of my shower (best to give the pores time to open up) about 3-4 times a week.  Now that I'm using the Clarisonic, I'll probably try to cut it down to 2-3 times a week, but I kind of just know when I'm due to exfoliate by the way my skin feels so I may just do it as my skin dictates.  Between $4 and $5.

Dove Ultimate go fresh Cool Essentials in cucumber and green tea scent is my deodorant of choice.  It smells clean and works great...and I sweat...a lot.  TMI, probably.  I find this scent stays with me all day too, which is nice.  It also doesn't transfer onto my clothes, a HUGE selling point for me.  I know a ton of other deodorants out there claim to not get all over your tops, but I find this one truly delivers.  Another plus is it doesn't dry out my underarms as much as others I've tried.  So... super effective, non-irritating, doesn't get all over my clothes, and smells great.  Check, check, check and check.

This next product I don't use everyday, sometimes not even once a week, but it's still a product I can't live without: Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo.  I have oily hair and I also use styling products every day, over time it can build-up and weigh my hair down.  When it starts to feel gross I'll use this shampoo and it gives me new hair ;)  I love the smell too.  Because I only use it once a week or less, it lasts forever...I think it's about $8 for the larger sized bottle.

Pond's Cold Cream is what I use to remove eye makeup residue.  I know it's bad to not use a specific "eye makeup remover" before washing my face every night...but I just can't get into that routine.  I own a Clinique and a Mary Kay eye makeup remover, and they both work great, I just prefer to use the Pond's.  After I wash my face, I use a q-tip with the slightest amount of cold cream to gently remove any stray eyeliner or mascara left around my eyes.  It doesn't irritate at all and it slightly moisturizes.  It's also great to have on hand to correct any makeup mistakes during application.  A small jar is around $5.

So those are probably my top 10, can't live without them, inexpensive, mostly available at a drugstore, products.  There are probably more, but I won't bore you.  Do you use any of these?  Any tried-and-true products you want to recommend?

Cinco de Mayo

Our evening will consist of margaritas, chips and salsa, margaritas, queso dip, margaritas...and more margaritas.  This year we're staying in and celebrating at home as opposed to last year when we closed the bar... muy divertido, but no bueno the next day :(  If you're heading out to celebrate yourself, have a blast, but stay safe!

Shop It Out

We had a pretty rough Friday last week (hello, stress!), so Saturday we felt the need to kind of regroup and do something nice for ourselves.  The hubster wanted a new baseball cap and a few things at Bed Bath & Beyond... I wanted to take advantage of the Old Navy 30% off sale.  The weather was pretty awesome too, so what better way to spend the day then to do a little shopping :)

First stop was Aeropostale.  Now, before you go nuts and think we're thirtysomethings trying to pull off the teenager look, we just went in to look at hats because he likes the way they fit.  But I did happen to find something too, a new Spring/Summer purse!  I prefer to switch out to a "lighter" bag for the warmer months, something easy and breezy ;)  I got this bag for only $12.99, only in a tan canvas, not the teal pictured:

Next we headed to Old Navy where we picked up two new polos for the man (good for work and weekend) and found just a few things for me too:

Yeah, that's a whole lotta brown, but I love everything.  The dress is my favorite thing and I think it will become my new uniform this Summer.  I also ordered some more things online because the selection really sucked in the store:

So two more dresses (told you they'd become my uniform), some t-shirts (I got a few other colors as well), and a second pair of bermudas (which I'm kind of expecting they'll need to be returned).  I wasn't really expecting to buy that much, but with the sale we bought 11 pieces of clothing plus two pairs of flip-flops for a grand total of $135.  Not bad.

Then we headed to BBB and we each got one of these reuseable to-go cups for when we make our iced coffees during the warmer months, only $7.99:

And I got one of these trunk organizers to help wrangle all the crap that floats around the cargo area of my SUV:

Lastly we hit up Target just to browse (picked up a few things from the Dollar Spot), Barnes & Noble to buy a few compilation CD's (some classical, some new age - music to relax to!), and then a quick run through Ulta (the snotty sales people turned me off and we left with nothing).  To finish off the night we had dinner at Buca di Beppo's.  We usually visit this place with a big group since the food comes out family style, so this was the first time we went as just the two of us and we really enjoyed it.  We shared a small Mozarella Caprese and small Margherita Pizza...and I even had a $10 off $20 coupon ;)  Overall a great day. We went at our own pace, bought some fun things, and enjoyed spending time together most of all.  Exactly what we needed.

Goodbye April, Hello May!

April, you started off relatively good to us.  You brought my husband a sweet job, which he is LOVING by the way!  You brought us some beautiful Spring days, cool nights on the front porch with adult beverages, and freshly mowed grass.  But you ended pretty sucky, April.  You brought us some cold-ass days after that warm weather tease and made me pull my fleeces back out after I had thought they were packed away for the season.  You brought me a three day long stomach bug and feeling like poo.  And lastly you brought my husband a horrible car accident just to round out the month.  Thankfully he is ok, but April, you owe us next year! 

May, you're starting out pretty awesome.  So far you've given us wonderful weather, even the quick moving rain showers are a welcome sight.  We enjoyed your opening weekend with a shopping trip and dinner on Saturday, followed by a day of rest and movies at home on Sunday.  This Wednesday is one of my favorite holidays, Cinco De Mayo, and we're ready to celebrate you!  Your upcoming weekend will bring us our annual family cookout to celebrate Mother's Day and Dad's birthday.  Hopefully you don't dissappoint in the weather department, May, and you continue to dazzle us!