October - aka the Month My Credit Card Companies Cried

I decided to do a little self challenge for the month of October. It's going to be a tough one, and one that requires a lot of self discipline and possibly at some point, restraints. I have decided that.. <Insert big dramatic sigh>.. I am not going to spend any money for the entire month of October. I know.. what!? I will keep my credit cards and checkbook tucked away in my new Tory Burch purse (said purse is part of the reason for my financial lock-down). 

Some people may not think this challenge would be that difficult. I applaud those people, and secretly despise them a little bit (kidding..sort of). I decided on this challenge because for the past few months I was spending money like it was going out of style. We went to Chicago a couple weeks ago, bought a lot (damn you, IKEA!) and ate out a lot. I also have a horrible compulsive shopping problem. I think I “need” things such as hair product, nail polish, makeup, etc when I have probably 10 years’ worth at home. What I really ‘need’ is this challenge to force me to stop spending money – even if it’s a few dollars here and there.  

This is much harder than I thought it was going to be. I work in an area that houses just about any store you could imagine. I feel like my lunch hour turns into a one-hour race of “how much you can buy”. I joke about power shopping, but it’s very real – and I am freaking awesome at it. However, my money isn't just being spent on ‘stuff’; there are also a lot of really good restaurants around work too. It makes turning down a lunch offer very difficult. The first day on my challenge I found myself daydreaming of where I would go for lunch – should I buy the new OPI nail polish? What about those new gym shoes? I opted for lunch in my car and I started reading a book that has been on my short list. Success. Day 2, same situation – knew I had to get my dad a present for his birthday (see fine print below) and thought that maybe I would pick up this hair stuff, I mean…what’s an extra $6? But, I fought the urge, bought the present only (not even a gift bag). Yay me. It’s Day 4 and well, lets just say there's been a few temptations   Yesterday, I caught myself thinking ‘what can I buy on November 1 as a reward for completing this?” Clearly I still have to grasp the meaning behind this challenge :) 

Okay, so the fine print: I get to still buy groceries and gas for my car (duh. I am not looking to waste away or lose my job here). There are also a few things that will require money, which I've already committed to this month. Those events have been grandfathered in to my challenge, but shouldn't exceed a total of $100. 

Florida Fun!

As mentioned in my birthday post, I recently got back from a trip to Florida. The main reason for the trip was our annual work conference, but since it was in Orlando I thought pairing it with a family vacation would be fun! 
My mom, brother, sister, 3 year old niece (Brooke) and I piled into our rented mini van to drive the 18ish hours from IL to FL (MapQuest says it takes 14.5 hours..big, fat LIE) It was a long ride, as in Painful, as in never again. We made it into FL on Sunday afternoon and met my dad at the hotel (he flew - smart man). We headed to Disney the following day. First of all, can I just say that Disney is SO freaking expensive! For an adult 1-day ticket it is $95. That part made me sad, how could an average family of 4 even afford to go? That's almost $400 in tickets, not to mention airfare, then you have food, etc. Anyway, I digress. 

To be honest, I wasn't sure how I would feel going to Disney, being a thirty-something childless woman hanging out at the Magical Kingdom seemed a little odd but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised!! Of course, my favorite part was seeing Brooke's reaction to everything. Brooke was able to meet Mickey and some of her favorite princesses, which was super cute. We went to Cinderella's castle, rode as many rides as possible, and of course shopped in the gift stores. My family and I enjoyed the boat rides; It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Ariel's Adventure. My sister and I braved Space Mountain (and I confirmed that I am a total chicken). We had great weather, although it did rain for about an hour pretty heavily, but during that time we just went back to the hotel and relaxed for a bit.  My mom, sister, niece and I all went back to the park after the rainstorm and stayed for the fireworks and parade. The following day I had to leave the family to attend my work conference (which was also a lot of fun) and the family did some more touristy-stuff. However, if you ask my niece what her favorite part of the trip was she'll say the Beach. Hmm..go figure..the one free attraction they went to :) Gotta love kids. It's a trip I know that I will remember forever, and hopefully one the rest of the family will cherish as well.

We made it!

Disney parade

The Fam (minus my sister)

Happy Birthday to ME!

It feels like my birthday comes quicker every year! This year on September 1st, I turned 36 (I actually cringed when typing that) and I have to admit that officially being in my late 30's is a hard concept for me to accept. However, as much as I am going to bitch and moan about my age I am also very thankful that I am healthy. Recently, I got some routine lab work done to check vitamin levels and such and everything came back perfect! I also did some bio metric testing at our work conference last week and everything came back great on that as well. I attribute this to an active lifestyle (although I feel I could always do more and my weight is never where I want it.. :/ ) and a mostly healthy, mainly plant-based diet. 

Because it was my birthday (or close enough) I splurged and bought this Tory Burch Dena Bag!  I was in Florida for work last week and they happen to have a great outlet mall nearby so I headed there as soon as I could and bought her. Isn't she pretty?! 

My birthday present! To: Me.. Love, Me

The store was giving away free iPhone cases with the purchase of a purse, so I was happy about that since my old one had a crack in it. The purse is a very soft black leather with the gold TB logo on it. You can fold the top half down and remove the strap to use it as a clutch, or keep the strap on and use it as a fold-over cross body. My favorite look is using it as a longer bag (i.e. not folded..not sure what the technical term is? Bucket? it is what is shown in the picture)

I didn't have a new purse on my short list, and I still have a few big-ticket items I'd like to buy this year but I thought this was a good find. Also, it was about $65 less than the retail price..and the fact that you can carry it 3 ways makes it even more worth the price (look, I have to justify it somehow, OK?) 

More about my FL trip in a separate post, but when I got home from the trip, the H suggested we go to the Animal Protective Association (APA) in Missouri to look at this cat I had my eye on. So..needless to say we came home with our newest 4-legged family member, Pierre! I really wish I could take credit for his name, but it was given to him at the shelter. He is the sweetest cat ever and so far he is fitting in nicely with the other animals. 

Me.Ow.

He's so cultured

All in all, it was a great birthday, even if I am now in my late thirties (groan). I look forward to the next 36 years! 

-AJ

Um.. yikes...

Wow..it's been over 2 months since posting on the blog. I really have no good excuse other than the fact I am getting really frustrated with not being able to design this the way I want. I know it is going to take some time and some trial and error, but damn.. it can't be this hard! I have an IT background, for crying out loud! I have Googled, YouTubed and read countless articles/videos/etc on this but still can't get it to do what I want. 
I should just sit down one day and really dig into HTML, or really take the time to learn it. OR, perhaps I should just hire someone to design the look for me? I am way too stubborn to do that - after all, I love this stuff, right? Sigh.. 

Aside from blog design woes, I have been busy with my new fitness obsession..Crossfit! I've heard a lot about this fitness phenomenon so when a Groupon popped up in my area my friends and I jumped at the chance to check it out. At first, I'll admit I wasn't totally on-board with the idea...I mean, in the classes we flipped tires, we lift really heavy weights, we tear up our hands doing pull-ups and climbing ropes! But then something changed, and it became "Hey - guess what? I flipped a 300lb tire...10 times!" or, "look at how torn up my hands are from climbing the rope!"  I wear the bruises, cuts, callouses proudly like battle wounds. I can't wait to get into the "box" and give it all I have, then I enjoy the high at the end of the workout while telling myself, wow..you really just did that! I know it sounds corny but seriously, I have learned a lot about myself in the month or so since beginning the classes. I look forward to the day where we are pulling trucks with ropes (and we've been forewarned that is coming) 

-AJ

May Birchbox Review

Once again, I am posting a bit late on the May Birchbox. Upon opening this box, I was excited to see some brands that I have been wanting to try. 

Below are the contents that I received in the box for May: 

Kérastase Bain Chroma Captive - this shampoo states that it will offer protection to color-treated hair while keeping the color radiant. This was very timely, as I just got my hair colored and wanted to make sure I kept the color looking good as long as possible. I have been wanting to try this brand for some time, now but the products are a bit on the pricey side. I would say that I do really like this shampoo - it didn't give me Jennifer Anniston's locks or anything, but it did make my hair feel more smooth. The jury is still out on whether I'll purchase the full-sized version. Kérastase makes tons of other products so maybe I'll check out another line instead. 

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel - This organic line has been on my 'must try' list for a while now. I like the idea of using organic products and I've read good things about this brand. This peel is an alpha and beta hydroxy acid complex with apple, lemon, grape, raw sugar and willow bark. 

I really loved this peel! It goes on creamy like a moisturizer, and tingles a bit (which I love..makes me feel like it's working). You leave it on for 15 minutes and then wash it off. It left my skin feeling really smooth and tight. I am looking forward to doing it again (probably tonight!) I would like to buy the full-sized sample but it runs around $45 so I'll use up some of my other products first. This was definitely my favorite item in the box! 

Cargo Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos- I wish I would have taken the picture with the cap off to show the color but it's a deep coral and very pretty. I have used it a few times, but it tends to go on a bit darker than I'd like so I have to rub some off after applying. There's a slight sparkle to it, but it's not too bad - you won't walk around looking like someone threw glitter on your face :) 

Coola Organic Sunscreen SPF 30 - I have my HG sunscreen (Elta) that I use, but I have used this a couple times so far - it smells delicious, like cucumbers. It goes on smooth and isn't greasy at all. I like the fact it is organic, but I love my Elta so much that it would take a lot for me to use something else. 

Hail Merry Macaroons - These vegan, gluten-free and raw treats came in the chocolate almond flavor. I love anything that is chocolate, and these were pretty good for being so healthy. :) I just had an actual macaroon for the first time (in Paris!) and they were like little pastel colored bites of heaven. These weren't bad, I guess I was just expecting something sweeter. I do like that these are vegan and gluten-free - if I had a bag of these at home I would totally eat them but I don't think I would buy them. 

So far, my three favorite products have been the Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel, Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Mask (I just bought the full-size from Ulta last week!) and the Marcelle BB Cream I reviewed in the March post. I should also mention that I received my first issue of Women's Health magazine that was offered in April's box and it was such a great issue! I'm really looking forward to my June box, which should arrive this week..whoot! 

-A

2013 Short List Update

We are almost 1/2 way through 2013 already...EEK! Where did the time GO? As I often do, I blame the weather...winter seemed to last well into the spring months which is going to lead us directly into the hot, humid summers of the midwest which is making the year just fly by. 

I thought I would do a quick update on my 2013 Short List.  Unfortunately, I am not making as much progress as I would have hoped at this point but I still have 6 months, right?

There are a couple items that I have started on (that counts!) Let's start with those and then finish with the ones I've actually completed. That will make me feel a bit better about myself. 

Items started: 

#4 Create a blog header I like: So, if you look at my blog header you might be thinking "is she for real?" Yes, I am. I like the simplicity of my header so far. What I don't like are the stupid buttons across the top that aren't evenly spaced and just plain boring. So..it's still a work in progress. I'm getting there, though. 

#13 Get a chemical peel: well,  I didn't exactly do this but I found a new dermatologist and she recommended a few things. I've been using these brightening pads on my face every night to try and help with the melasma (I think it's working). Then she also prescribed a Retin-A for the scars (and it also helps with wrinkles..holla!) She told me that if I wasn't happy by the fall then we can do some chemical peels

#21 Do the Color Run: This was a semi-fail because I waited too long to sign up (did I mention I am a horrible procrastinator?) but it worked out because I did the March of Dimes walk instead. I was able to support a friend of mine, and to be part of a very wonderful and touching event.  

#23 Eat brunch at Lola's: My friends and I went to Lola's last Saturday, the 11th. We had been talking about it for a while and were so excited to eat there. We walked in the door only to find out it was closed that day for a private party..WHAT?! We were floored... it ended up well because we had lunch at a nearby place called Blondie's that had the most AH-mazing banana french toast. 

Items Completed (YEAH!)

#19 Be introduced to something new every month: In March my friends and I had the best sushi ever at Tsunami in Baton Rouge, LA. Definitely a first for all of us! In April, I read a book called "Greyhound" by Stephan Piper. This book was a wonderful, feel-good story about a young boy who sent to live with his grandparents. His mom puts him on a Greyhound from CA to PA (his mom is definitely not mother of the year material). Along the way he befriends a young ex-con, and together they encounter a lot of interesting experiences in their journey together. It is an easy read, and one that had me hooked from the first page. I can now cross that off my list of books to read! In May we went to Blondie's for brunch (was supposed to be Lola's) still yummy nonetheless.

#20 Finish the Couch to 5K program: this was HUGE for me..beyond huge, actually. I am not a runner. In fact, I really dislike running - especially running for extended periods of time (which is anything over 3 minutes). However, I completed the program and ended by running 30 minutes straight! I didn't stop one time! I was so proud of myself. Do my legs still hurt from that run last week? Yep. It was worth it, though. Oh, and guess what? Running isn't so bad after all! I think I will continue with it at least a couple days a week. It does really help to clear your mind.

#26 Do Brazil Butt Lift - completed this program. By the end, I was so DONE. Not because it was hard, but I got so sick of doing the same 4 or 5 workouts over and over. It is a fun program and a good one, but I was burnt out. I had been doing P90X, Insanity, Chalene, TurboFire, so i was ready to be free for a bit. 

#28 Take a Les Mills Body Pump Class - My friend and I bought a 5-class card for this class and I love it! It's hard, but I am happy to be incorporating weights into my routine again. I like the class so much that I am looking into being a BP instructor. We'll see -- at this point it might be lip service but I would like to follow through with it if possible. 

So much for the "quick" update :) I feel pretty happy/proud of the progress I am making. It's funny because the things I would like to complete the most (the artsy stuff) are the things I haven't started on. Interesting. Hopefully by the next update that will change! 

-A

April Birchbox Review

I'm a bit behind on this post, but I wanted to make sure to do a review for April's Birchbox. As mentioned in a previous post, I subscribed to Birchbox back in March as a way to get a monthly gift of makeup, skincare and hair products (because who doesn't love getting 'fun' mail?). So far, I would say the small $10 per month price tag has been worth it. I do have to admit that I have been bad about using the products that I get but I am trying to get better at that so I can report back on what I liked/didn't like.

Below are the contents that I received for April: 

Caudalie Divine Oil - I feel like I am up to my eyeballs in different types of oils. I use olive oil to remove eye makeup, coconut oil for my lashes/eye area, Josie Moran oil on my hair so I have to admit that I haven't used this oil too much. When I have used it, it's been on my hair which is super dry and wouldn't look smooth even in if poured a whole bottle of oil on my head. Nothing miraculous happened after applying, unfortunately. However, I will keep using it in my rotation because it does have a good smell and is light enough where it doesn't make me feel greasy.

Nexxus Youth Renewal - I love hair products...maybe a bit too much. As mentioned above, my hair is super dry from all of the heating tools, coloring,  products, etc. This product is a shine-boosting serum that will revive dry hair and fight against the aging of your hair. I have to admit, I was really excited to get this sample because I've had some good luck with Nexxus products lately. This was just mediocre at best.. I did not see any difference in the way my hair looked or the amount of shine. :( However, I will see the sample out until it's gone.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Anti-Shine Mattifier - It wouldn't be fair for me to say anything about this product since I've never used it. My face tends to be on the drier side than shiny, so for now it's in one of my makeup drawers waiting to be used. 

StriVectin Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles - I do like StriVectin's products, and I especially love any product that is going to promise the reduction of fine lines and puffy circles. I have used this a few times, it goes on smooth and isn't too thick - I can't really vouch for the diminishing of fine lines and wrinkles yet but I'll keep at it. The sample is a good size that should last quite a while! 

Welda Body Lotion - I'm not a huge body lotion fan (I know) so I haven't opened these yet. I am pretty intrigued by the different scents and I bet they smell really good. In my box I received Pomegranate  Wild Rose and Sea Buckthorn. 

Women's Health Magazine - I think in the April box, I was most excited to get this! It's a free year subscription to the magazine. I love magazines, although a lot of mine seem to go unread for a while. :) I especially love Women's Health so I'm anxious to get my first issue! 

As you can probably tell from my "meh" reviews, this wasn't my favorite box so far. I actually just received my May box yesterday (I said I was behind) and I was excited about the contents, so I am looking forward to that post which hopefully will be coming up soon! 

Update on a product received in the March box: 
I used the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask and it is AWESOME. It makes your hair feel so soft and silky, not to mention the smell is like a vacation. I will definitely be purchasing the full size of this product! 

-A