Does Free Taste or Fit Better?

Oh my heavens I have not blogged in 3 months! To sum up what's happen in the past months:

1. Advocare challenge was awesome- I lost some pounds but unfortunately work took over and my skinny self became unskinny again. I need to work on that thing called self control.

2. This stylish chick had to drastically curb her spending in an effort to buy a new car. My car that I had been driving since high school finally bit the dust and it was time to buy a new one. Nothing like the threat of having to take the loser cruiser to work everyday to help you save for a new vehicle. 

A friend of mine told me today they thought my blog was funny and said they were thinking about doing a food blog. Oh yeah...blog...that thing you started and just like most of the other hobbies you begin, you hit hard at first and then the enthusiasm goes up and vanishes like a fart in the wind.  Another person actually left a comment just 3 days ago and I dawned on me that yes, in fact, people are still looking at this thing (thank you Pinterest) and I should keep writing.

As you may have read before, The Hubs and I frequent Chipotle at least twice a week.  Somehow Chipotle thought it would be a good idea to put a contest on for free burritos. Little did they know that The Hubs + Free Burrito = MUST DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO ACCOMPLISH AT ALL COSTS.

So as I was forcing myself to eat my free Burrito tonight followed by a Birthday Cake Oreo (who in God's name created those? They need to be high-fived/ punched in the face) I kept saying to myself, "mmmmm, free burrito."  Now- did the burrito taste better because it was free? Probably not but I think in my recent penny pinching days in an effort to have a car with a working air conditioner and All Wheel Drive, I have trained my brain to automatically think the better deal is...well...better.  

The burrito doesn't taste any different though. If anything, by this time it should not taste like anything since I have it all the time but for some reason I couldn't help but force myself to eat it and enjoy it.  I think most stylish deal hunters out there can relate that when something is relatively a good price, you think, "OMG! A must have and it's only "x amount" of money!"  However, say that sweater you're holding up is half your rent payment for that month, probably not so cute....until is goes on sale 60% off, then it's perfect!

My friend with the initials KT put in perfect terms for me the other day when I told her I really wanted to buy this TOPSHOP dress that was about $100 the other day, "Seriously, calculate how many burritos it would cost you to buy that dress and then tell me if its worth it." A. She knows me too well and, B. she knows me too well. I may not have the best math skills but I have an excellent knowledge of food costs versus fashion costs.

Thinking about it though, if that same dress was to be $19.90 tomorrow, I'd probably snatch it up.  Why is that? If it didn't think it was cute enough at $100 why is it all of a sudden amazing at $19? Is the power if the better deal always the deciding factor? I think for me the answer will always be yes!

For reference, I will post a picture of me and the new ride. You can see where all my cash is going these days instead of fashion.

Advocare 24 Day Challenege: Days 3, 4, 5, and 6

So I decided to lump all these posts in together because I have been doing pretty much the same thing everyday. I am SO EXCITED that when I get up in the morning starting since day 4, I don't have to drink that fiber sludge. I can just drink my little energy drink and take my supplement and be done with it. The fiber drink and I will meet again starting on day 8...yippppeee :(

Variety I am finding is key when doing this cleanse. I keep having to get creative with how to make eating veggies fun.  I seem to like tuna in a can even without all my Best Foods mayonnaise slathered all over it. People at work think I'm ridiculous when I bring my green polka-dotted can opener to work with me but I don't care.

On day 3, I actually made the Hubs go get me a burrito bowl from Chipotle, however, I didn't cave and get the normal stuff on it like I usually do. Day 3 had been a very hectic day at work and I just did not have the energy to cook myself something. Yes, that burrito bowl was a lot different then the one I made on day 2 but each tasted good in their own way. I was starting to notice that I am actually able to taste my food and different favors better. I consider myself a major food person and have a good palette but I think when you cut out crap, whole foods just taste better.

Day 4's dinner was not planned out and I had to get savvy quickly. The Hubs brought home McDonald's. I have to say it was absolute torture. There the bag was, staring at me and I think it even had a smile. I knew there was delicious salty and fatty foods in there but I wasn't going to cave I had to be strong. Instead, like a crazy person, I went over and grabbed the bag of french fries out of Hubs' hand and just began to sniff them passionately. I think I took enough wiffs to get me through to the end. That night I make taco meat out of lean ground beef and served it over lettuce and added some bell pepper and black beans.

Day 5: I can't believe how salty I used to make my foods. When presented with either a cookie or a bag of chips, I would take the chips. I've never been one to like sweets very much but I love salty snacks.  I had a grilled chicken breast for lunch that had great seasonings on it but I found I wish it had more ooooommmph. I added some lime juice to it but really what I wanted to do was douse it in sodium! Why have I been doing this to myself? On the flip side, who knew sweeter things like peanut butter could taste so yummy and sweet as well.

Day 6: Today was the true test, would I be able to get through a weekend off without caving and going out for chicken wings and beer? I am glad to report that I was successful.  I learned today, however, that consuming 8 egg whites is a bit of a challenge. I could only muscle through a little bit of my breakfast. For the first time while being on this cleanse, I wanted to gag.  Well, aside from that fiber drink.

The Hubs and I went for a run and I couldn't believe the energy I had. I am getting better at running and hopefully will be able to make it the whole way around the track without having to stop like I do now. That energy I had kept me going so much, we went out again this evening and played tennis.

Ok so for dinner: The Hubs' favorite meal is spaghetti a and meatballs. I can't have real spaghetti right now so I decided to roast a spaghetti squash and make my sauce with ground turkey instead of meatballs. OMG!!!!! MIND BLOWN. I can't believe how good it tasted and more importantly, I couldn't believe the Hubs went for seconds! I will show pictures of the roasted squash and the finish product. I think I might need to go back to Fred Meyer and buy more squash because this is going to be a weekly special.

Advocare 24 Day Challenge: Day 2

I don't know if I am feeling super sluggish today because I couldn't sleep well last or what. It's hard to get a good night's sleep at my house in the spring and summer time. We don't have air conditioning and can't have the sliding glass door to the balcony open. The reason being, my giant baby, i.e. my kitty, likes to pry the screen door open with her claws and go out and party with her other kitty friends. That's not allowed. It could have also been that the Hubs took snoring to a new level last night and I felt like I was sleeping next to a freight train. I already wear earplugs at night and I couldn't figure out what more to do last night for comfort. I decided to just kick him and poke him until the snoring stopped.

Anyway, the alarm went off and the was the massive trek down the stairs to go drink my favorite fiber drink...not. For some reason it did not go down as easy this morning and I kind of wanted to gag. I still felt sluggish and could not move quickly enough to get a good breakfast going so I decided to drink a meal replacement shake again. I think tomorrow I will drink a Spark energy drink in the AM too, in order to avoid anymore crankiness.

Snack was the same again, hard boiled eggs and some mandarins. The whole day I had been dreaming about tonight's dinner...I was attempting to make my own Chipotle Burrito Bowl. I found a bunch of copycat recipes and could not wait to give them a shot. I will post pictures of tonight's creation below. 

At lunch, I had to get fancy again with tuna. I decided to just eat it cold out of the can and mix it with a little pepper. It wasn't as bad as people thought...I know, I just wanted to slather it up with some Best Foods but that will have to wait. I found out today also that there is only so much celery one can eat. I was supposed to eat a cups worth of a veggie with lunch and I had to finally push it away. No wonder skinny models are so...skinny, with the amount of time if takes you to chew up one fibrous piece, you're already tired from all the work you've put your jaw to.  Bitches.

So dinner: I am quite pleased with myself. I marinated the chicken over night so it would be flavorful and ready to grill when I got home. I made black beans, some sautéed peppers, and even the brown cilantro-lime rice they make! Hubs was quite impressed with my creation and it tasted decent. I am excited for tomorrow's lunch because I'm taking left overs.

After day two I am not really feeling deprived or like I am on any type of strict regimen which is good for me. I do not, however, feel any skinnier right now but I'm hoping that will come in time. I will report on Day 3 tomorrow!

Advocare 24 Day Challenge: Day 1

Ok so I decided that I will blog about this cleanse adventure. If anyone else out there is on the fence about trying it, maybe this will help them either make the decision for, or against. All in all, today was a good day, I didn't keel over, and surprisingly enough I am not ravenously craving chocolate chip cookies or anything like that. The Hubs, however, did a really mean thing and brought himself home a nice big, fat, juicy, tasty, yummy, slutty...ok I'm sorry, enough adjectives... Chipotle burrito and it looked so good! I think if I could handle watching him devour every bite without trying to eat my own foot I should be good for the next 23 days.

So here's how it went:
Wake up: I had dreamt the night before that I had done everything wrong, I had taken the supplements too early with the day and in the wrong order, causing me to blow up into a big purple ballon like Violet Beauregard in "Charlie in the Chocolate Factory." Who knows why that image decided to come into my mind.

Lucky for me, it was just a dream and the nice fiber drink was waiting for me downstairs. After typing this out, I don't think "lucky" is the term most people would use when I'm about to describe to you what I got to consume pre breakfast. Aren't you just so excited to hear about it!? I bet you are.

So in "cleanse phase," the first 10 days of the challenge, you have to drink this thing called fiber drink in the morning before your first meal right when you get up in the morning as a way to get the body ready to start digesting. So you mix this packet of what looks like finely ground oats with 8 oz of water and there is your beverage. Seems easy enough. I had done some sleuthing pre cleanse on Pinterest for some tips and tricks on the challenge. Most of what I found involved this fiber drink. Someone suggested mixing it with a bit of Crystal Light to help it to go down easier. Another couple of people and even my friends (thanks JB and Mizzle) just said to chug that beast quick or you'll be sorry. So I mixed it up with a little bit of fruit punch powder and down the hatch it went. It tasted like eating straw with a hint of fruitiness. I had to stop mid gulps because I was starting to choke, I now understood why phrases like "chug it like you're chugging a beer" and "don't stop till you reach the end of the glass" came into mind, I could see it start to thicken and seize up, kinda like Jell-O mix coming to life and being gelatinous. I stirred it up some more and finally polished it off. It was probably the most unappealing part of my day but I got over it. I decided tomorrow's flavor of Crystal Light mixed in is going to be cherry pomegranate.

Breakfast/Lunch/Snacks:
I won't bore you with every detail of my eating. Basically, you have to eat every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism burning up the food. It's amazing though, after 2 hours would pass I would need to eat and once I did, I immediately felt better. The other thing I don't like about this cleanse is I can't have coffee. Yes...it sucks but I am finding its not a total deal breaker. In order to not have a massive headache today I started weening myself off it on Saturday.

I also won't forget to put in that you need to drink at least a gallon of water per day. I should just become the janitor in the ladies lounge at work so I don't have to keep sprinting from my office every 20 minutes to the facilities. That or I should move my desk and computer into the bathroom this week, but that might get awkward for some people. Just think of how efficient I'd be though! Well, maybe not. Don't think about me in the bathroom please.

Finally we came to dinner: my most favorite meal when it comes to normal food and the true test tonight for my ability to stick with it. Here I am face to face with Hubs eating his luscious burrito and I get to have for dinner, a protein, a vegetable, and a carbohydrate...sounds absolutely riveting doesn't it.

After debating for what seemed like hours but was only 5 minutes on what to have for dinner, I remembered a thing I saw someone post on Instagram about Paleo Egg salad. I had a can of tuna fish which sounded decent but of course, couldn't slather it with mayonnaise and make all delicious like normal. On Instagram, someone i follow used avocado as a way to bind their hardboiled eggs instead of using mayonnaise. It was worth a shot and at this point, my foot was also starting to look really good so i had to act fast. Yes, avocado, which is considered a healthy fat here, was not in the list of ingredients for dinner but this chick just couldn't figure out what to do instead. If anyone is reading this and starting to judge, I made it up to myself by jogging 3 extra laps around the track tonight. It's all good! Once my tuna mix was all yummy, I sliced up some bell pepper into wedges and spread my tuna salad on top. I was shocked at how much food there was on my plate and it actually tasted really good. I will post a picture of my creation since I was damn proud of myself.

So that's all for today. I have everything packed and ready to go for tomorrow. Something tells me, however, I'm gonna be dreaming about burritos tonight.

Thinking about doing a cleanse

I'm finally coming out of hibernation mode and feel like the springtime air makes me want to eat more healthy. Some of my other motivation happens to come from the glittery, shiny beacon showing itself from my closet. Her name is Trina and she's a mini skirt that I haven't been able to wear in ages. Trina's gold and black chevron patterns sparkle and shine and make my ass look fantastic. The only problem is, Trina has a nice little 8 under her name tag and she's massively outnumbered by double digit named tagged friends. I want to show her off, her place in being on me, not in the closet!

So I bit the bullet and bought the Advocare 24 day challenge bundle. Usually I don't do we'll with massive calorie restriction diets but I need a big jump start. I have seen others be successful with it so I hoping that I can be too.

Along with my intent to be healthier, Hubs and I have tried jogging nightly. I keep getting teased by him though because I barely pick up my feet and I don't know if the jog/ hop I do around the middle school track by our house counts even as exercise. My heart and lungs seem to think so since I stuff huffing and puffing after only a minute of this little number. Yes...I'm probably the most out of shape person you've met in your life. I just have to keep remembering the words my friend JB tells me all the time, "Fit not fat! Fit not fat!" However, the fit-not-fat mentality that I repeat in my head gets muscled out by "MOTHER OF GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?" At any rate, my legs and butt hurt like an old lady's so I hopefully am doing something right.

So here's to being fit, not fat, this summer!

Why Can't My Outfit Be as Cute as My Video Game Character's Outfit?

True story: When the Hubs and I first started dating, he confessed to me that he loved playing video games. I said I liked playing them too, thinking that we were talking about the same type of game. Turns out "Super Mario Brothers 3" was not the type of video game he was talking about. Hubs was obsessed with "World of Warcraft" or WOW as most people call it and played in something called a guild and wore a funny headset with a microphone so he could talk to his cyber buddies.

In an effort to have him think I was truly interested in his game playing, I would go over to his place and sit there and watch him play. This was before the use of a smartphone was the in thing and you could easily check your email or check Facebook while trying to seem interested in what your significant other is doing at the same time. I could only play so many games of bejeweled on my hot pink Motorola Razr before it crapped out and died. It just so happened that the same year we started dating, my sorority had a Halo 2 tournament to benefit our Choose Children philanthropy. We stacked TV's in the living room of the sorority house and created teams. To be honest, I don't remember what the winning fraternity took home for a prize, perhaps it was just the title of "Massive Ownage."

Oh look, video games, something I should show interest in! I thought to myself since I was dating a walking, talking Gameboy. Once after everyone had gone home after the tournament, I decided to take a seat on the couch and take a crack at Halo 2 for myself. What seemed like 30 minutes turned into 5 hours and the sun was coming up, I may have even had a test in one of my classes that day too...My God, what have I just done? After telling Hubs about my all nighter of playing the MasterChief I think he may have realized he found the perfect girl for him and he needed to keep me forever. "What'd you think?" I remember him asking me? My reply was, "I liked it but I don't like that you can't customize the MasterChief's ensemble, I need more choices to make it my own." The look I got accompanied by an instant face palm led me to be sat in front of a computer and the WOW icon was double clicked to start.

"Here, you can make a character on here and start playing it." I don't think Hubs realized the Pandora's Box he opened after that. "Ooooo I could be an Elf with a pretty dress, or a cow with a jeweled nose ring! Look at this Orc! She can wear a purple loincloth!" I think I may have spent an hour trying to figure out what character I would be and what dress and shoes she was going to wear. Shockingly enough that's not much different than how I get dressed in the morning now. Once I decided what to be in the game and what to wear, fashion choices didn't stop in the virtual dressing room, no! The more quests or missions you did, the more chances to get new clothing and shoes you had....Ahhhhhh! Fashion!

If any of you have seen the "Big Bang Theory" there is an episode where Sheldon introduces a WOW like game to Penny to try out. I'm not going to say I got as bad as finding Cheetos in my hair and then eating them, but I may have not gone to class for a whole day and needed an intervention...sorry to any UW professor of mine who may be reading this right now.

Sometimes I wish I could quest more in life in order to get new items and trinkets to adorn myself with. Most people would categorize that as working but I choose to see it differently. I guess I am presented with a new quest each day that I go into work: try not to buy anything and navigate safely through all the fashion. The fantastic outfit you have on right now gives you all the strength and stamina points you need to survive this day.

For those of you who didn't realize how much of a gigantic nerd I am...you're welcome.

Sun Drunk

Something has me in an odd mood lately.  I don't know if it's the changing of the seasons- all of a sudden the weather is warmer and people have a reason to wear cute sun dresses and shorts sans tights and hosiery.  Or if all this great produce is coming into my grocery store which makes me want to actually eat healthy and not just pig out on chips and wine.  This oddity, while it's not necessarily a bad thing, is something I realize comes around every time around the Spring and Easter.

I think what it boils down to is I grew up in So Cal  where the weather was perpetually warm and sunny and rarely did I ever have a reason to own a pair of rain boots.  I remember wanting to wear my sweaters and boots that I had bought during the summer for back to school, only to be discouraged because it was usually still 80 degrees on the first day of school.  Being the stubborn bugger that I am, I chose to wear a new wool sweater and trousers on the first day of school even though the forecast called for sunshine and a high of 90.  My Mom warned me but I was determined to wear my outfit which was my interpretation of something I had seen in an issue of Teen Vogue.  Needless to say, I paid for my bad decision by sweating to death.  I think I may have even chose to wear my gym shorts and red school shirt from PE and gave up on changing back into my sweat box for the rest of the day.  I'm sure my outfit choice choice for the latter part of the day looked great with my black Mary-Janes and argyle socks.  If by chance someone owns a picture of that look, do yourself a favor and burn it.

After living in Seattle for 7 and a half years (as I type that I can't believe it's true!) once the sun begins to shine in Spring, people, including me get what I like to call "Sun Drunk."  If I were to put the term, Sun Drunk into the dictionary it would have this definition-
Sun-Drunk: 
adjective
1. Being overcome with giddiness and happiness for no reason but for the sheer fact that the sun is out and shining.  Actions that might occur from being Sun-Drunk include: smiling even when someone cuts you off on the freeway, being excited about the day-even if it's a Tuesday, and going to a store such as Home Depot or Lowe's to buy your gardening supplies for the season even if the next sunny day isn't until 3 weeks from now.
2. This emotion is usually felt by those residing in the Pacific Northwest or somewhere where one does not ever see the sun.

Today I had a dose of being Sun Drunk.  The Hubs suggested we go on walks now that the weather is starting to come around...again, it's the first sunny day in a month and we're not supposed to have another sunny day for a couple more weeks.  We may have been a little over-zealous and walked a total of 4 miles, my hips and legs are killing me right now.

Along with making ridiculous plans about fashion choices for the weather and figuring out new dishes to create, I start to reminisce about my friends and family.  For me, I want to all of a sudden go out to brunch and enjoy their company more.  Not that I don't like to in the other 7 months of the year, but the lack of sunshine and overall gloom in the sky puts me in a crappy crabby mood where all I want to do is hibernate in my bed and not be bothered until it's time to eat again.  I am a pissy pants during this season and I feel bad about it.  I am the first to admit that I flake out easily and make excuses...for that I am making a public apology to friends and family about it.

The best of the best on my wedding day

My two absolute faves from college!

Love her!

JB- One of my greatest friends and mentors

My Mommy

All the people in the above pictures are people I treasure and care about deeply.  They've impacted me in many forms and I am fortunate to call them either friend or family.  They've been there to tell me when I had makeup on my face that needed blending or a shoulder to cry on. So in honor of Easter and new beginnings, I am saying I'm thankful to have all of them in my life and hopefully all of them know that.

Happy Easter and Happy Spring to all.  I hope the warmer weather has you planning what you're going to be doing with your favorite people this season too! Maybe get a little Sun Drunk as it can only be good for you.

What Makes Me Feel Better? Carbs

Today I wasn't feeling so hot so I decided to stay home. After sleeping for most of the day I thought I would take a stab at a French Bread recipe I found on Pinterest. I don't know what it is about bread but I love it and all its different forms.

Hubs and I will be enjoying it as garlic bread to go with spaghetti...if we can stop eating it plain.

I have pictures of my bread making journey. You'll see with the finished product I have two loaves, I took the one pre-oven brad picture when another loaf as in the oven. One of them also got bent funny in the pan so it looks like a weenie to me ;)

Post a comment if you want the recipe. It's super easy!

Man Repelling: I'm Not a Fan

Urban Dictionary's definition: outfitting ones self in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls, shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry, and clogs.

I follow @ManRepeller on Instagram.  It's interesting to see what this chick can come up with when it comes to her clothing.  Sometimes I think she looks cool and other times I think she looks like she put a bunch crap on herself and called it good.  Whenever I look at her pictures, however, I immediately think it's weird and ugly, but then I get that there is a sort of, "Back of chick, you can't step to this" vibe that she's trying to emit.  I think if I were to meet her in a dark alley, I wouldn't be able to fight her off.  That is, unless I sat on top of her and pinned her down because I'm bigger than she is.

Why is this a thing right now? I don't like to or want to repel men.  I do like to wear boyfriend jeans and sometimes a good palazzo/harem pant calls my name and I need to figure a way to make them look cute.  I don't think this qualifies me as a Man Repeller though. Living in the Northwest you see a lot of clogs...I hate to admit that I own a pair of Dansko's but I don't wear them anymore.  At the time I bought them, I insisted that they be black patent leather because "patent leather is more stylish than plain leather."  I don't know how you can make a clog stylish but that's what I was ok with telling myself.  Yes, at that time when I was wearing those I am willing to admit I was Man Repelling before it was a thing, what a trailblazer I am.  I'm surprised I didn't get a comment about them from the Hubs since he hates all shoes that look like Crocs, Birkenstock, TOMS, and clogs. 

In my realm of fashion, I ache to be able to wear a fabulous Chanel jacket or a long Oscar de la Renta gown all the time.  Those "whose a pretty girl?" pieces are what make me weak at the knees and my checkbook scream, "DON'T DO IT!"  If I had my way, I would still wear "Mad Men" esque clothing, a big flowy skirt with a massive slip underneath and have matching gloves and hat.  I would sip my martini stylishly while lightly patting my beehive hairdo, admiring my alligator pumps.  My love of things like this led me to this gem- Meet Baby Prada:

Baby Prada is my new pair of sunnies that I recently had my prescription put into.  No need to be blind with the sun soon peeking out in Seattle, I plan on rocking these everyday.  I might even don a big poof hairstyle to show off my inner Audrey Hepburn.

This is my answer to Man Repelling- I don't care for it and plan on doing everything in my power to be cute and feminine. SO THERE!

You Want Me to Wear That?

I had an epiphany the other night: SHORTS ARE COMING! BIKINIS ARE COMING!!! DRESSES WITH NO BACKS TO THEM ARE COMING!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!  Am I ready for these fashions and this beach wear? HELL NO!  When you're as pale as I am and perpetually always look preggo with the food baby I carry around (maybe I'll name the baby Buffalo Chicken Wing with Blue Cheese Dip?) the words, shorts, sundress, bikini, mini skirt, and tube top aren't in my style vocabulary.  Throw in some veiny looking legs thanks to working years in retail and you have one awesome looking HOT MESS, i.e. ME

The Hubs and I are planning a trip to Vegas in September to celebrate our anniversary.  My goal is to be able to comfortably wear a bathing suit by the pool and look cute among all the other bikini-clad, big boobed women there.  So how am I going to do that?

I've become obsessed with hot yoga.  It's going to be my only hope at exercise to try and get skinny, that and trying to follow my Weight Watchers program, trying  being the operative word.  In my very first class of hot yoga I laid on my mat the whole time and thought I was going to die.  The look on my face was something reminiscent of Troll Face combined with a look of complete agony, lucky for you I have copied a picture for reference.  I wondered, as I was laying there, what the heck is everyone raving about this for? This is terrible! That night, however, I got some of the best sleep I've had in months thanks to total relaxation and exhaustion, maybe this is worth another shot?

I'M GOING TO DIE!

Now, I enjoy going to hot yoga and try and frequent it 4 times a week.  I've tried to push myself more when it comes to the apparel I wear as well.  When I first showed up I was wearing my Zella Live in Leggings and a Nike Dry Fit Tee.  That was way too much clothing, now I see why some ladies and dudes are practically naked when they are in there.  In an effort to push myself and be more comfortable with the skin I am in, I decided to just embrace it and wear some Nike booty shorts and a Target sports bra.  Yes, it was awkward at first showing so much skin and having my food baby hang out, but then I realized that everyone probably feels the way I do about some part of their body.  Good thing about hot yoga is, A. the number one rule is no judgement, whether it's with others or yourself. B. you are so frickin' hot just trying to get through it that you don't have time to be checking out other people to see what they're wearing. C. I have to take my glasses off during hot yoga anyway and am pretty much blind without them so lucky for me I don't know if anyone is checking out my cottage cheese thighs or not...winning :)

So this is going to be my challenge- I'm going to step outside my comfort zone and be just like everyone else in class and wear scantily-clad shorts and tops to yoga.  Maybe by the time I have overcome my fear of showing myself off around others, I'll be ready to rock a new swimsuit when the time comes.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: Have you ever done a crazy workout routine or diet in an effort to get ready for a vacation or the beach? Post your comments below!

Fast Fashion...What's the Rush?

This week on NPR (yes, I listen to NPR...religiously I might add) they had numerous stories about the world of "Fast Fashion."  In this economy, it's difficult to justify paying lots of bucks for right-this-second styles that you may only wear for one season.  It's like my obsession over those elastic waist pants- I finally found some by the way, thank you H&M. Yes, they were $34.95 but the material made me sweaty after wearing them and they are probably not going to last long.  Factoring in "cost-per-wear" though, should I have paid the $238 for the silk Eileen Fisher pants? It would probably be a good investment (hope the Hubs isn't reading this post).

That essentially, is the problem with fast fashion.  On the one side it makes style accessible to the masses, however, the materials that stores use to manufacture these clothing items are so cheap, is it worth even paying that small amount of money for something you know is only going to make it a season?  To me it depends on what it is.  Great little black dress-yes! Sneaker wedge-NO!

I was having an "Alexander's No Good, Very Bad Day" moment on Tuesday when I decided to skip my Weight Watchers weigh in and pass on the hot yoga class.  Only one thing was going to make me feel better...a beer and hangers full of clothes!  The girlfriends and I headed to Forever 21 to see what gems we could find among all the polyester and spandex.  JB spotted some Rag and Bone knock offs and bee lined it for them while I found some palazzo pants that had a jungle print on them...don't know what I was thinking with that style choice.  KT nabbed an alligator tank that said "OH SNAP!" on it with big jaws ready to take a bite out of you.  I asked her, "where are you going to wear that?" I had to know since I just wouldn't have picked that top for myself.  KT exuberantly shrieked, "I gonna wear it while out walking the dog!"...don't know if that's what the designer had in mind when they made that shirt...

Cramming myself into the tiny dressing room with all my picks, sweaters, tees, tops, and those jungle pants, I shimmied off myself what I was wearing to see if I could find a new treat for myself.  Between the 3 of us, you heard moans of, "what the heck is this?" and "oh god, this was a bad choice."  I just like to grunt and whimper in agony.  The tag in those pants said Large when I picked them up but I think Forever 21's version of Large and my version are 2 different things.  I had to force them over my hips (I should have just hung the back up) and was determined to get those suckers on.  When I came out of the dressing room to show my friends, it was all sorts of wrong.  This is why I only buy jewelry from F21, to avoid moments of admitting to myself in their dressing room that I have a food baby, and its name is Pink Frosted Sugar Cookie.

This is my issue with stores like Forever 21 and H&M sometimes- the garments are so cheaply made, you can either A: Only wear them once or B: not even be able to buy them because someone didn't take the time to actually figure out what a real size large would look or fit like for a modern person.  So what is the rush here? I understand that these retailers are trying to provide accessible style but why does it have to be so crappy? I wish there was a middle area somewhere.

Now, I own those elastic waist pants I had been coveting from a previous post but am now rethinking if they worth my hard earned dollars.  I wore them once and feel like I shouldn't ever where them again for fear they might disintegrate while I am wearing them, talk about awkward.  Should I have just caved and bought the silk Eileen Fisher ones? The world may never know.

Now It's Your Turn: I want to know: Have you ever purchased something from a Fast Fashion retailer that has actually lasted? I want to know if it's possible.

Whole Foods: A Place for TOMS?

Being a foodie fanatic, I love shopping at Whole Foods. Any crazy ingredient that a recipe may call for I will find there. Yes, I know it's more expensive than Safeway or Albertson's but I'm ok with that. Ever since that whole "pink slime" fiasco surfaced last year, I started shopping at a grocery store I knew ground up their own meat sans lean finely textured beef, ick.

There are all sorts of things you can find there. They carry any gluten free product you could want, their wine and beer section is out of this world, and they also sell...TOMS?

I get it, TOMS (or "peasant shoes" as the Hubs calls them) fit that whole, "eat clean, green, organic, and be one with the planet vibe." The funny thing is, TOMS have become way more of a fashion statement these days and cool to wear, rather than being strictly for the purpose for giving shoes to a child in need with every pair sold. I buy them for both reasons.

So back to my subject- I'm cruising down the frozen foods aisle when I hear this lady complaining they don't have any of the "cute ones" in her size. I'm nosy and like to meddle so I steered my cart over to inconspicuously try and see what was going on. It does suck, however, when you find something you like at a retailer and they are out of your size or it's the wrong color and you'd have to wait to have it sent. You want that instant gratification of taking it home with you right then, even if it's from a grocery store. The thing that struck me as odd was she said to the clerk at the store, "we'll if you're not going to get anymore in my size or style, I guess I'm out of luck." I had to pause a moment because, to me, Whole Foods would be the last place I would rely on for my next pair of TOMS. Not to mention I know a pretty snazzy retailer that carries them all year long and will even ship them to you...for free!

I chose not to tell her where else she could get them since she clearly did not seem to be dying over them and already was onto looking at capsules of evening primrose oil and cayenne pepper tablets, do I want to know what one takes those for?

She and I could never be friends. Whenever I meet a pair of shoes I like and they don't come in my size, I have ways of making them show up to my door...in 3-8 business days.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: What is the oddest thing you've ever purchased at a drugstore or grocery store? Please post your comments below.

Banks and Burritos

People who know me well know that I frequent Chipotle with my husband about once a week. Do they have stock you can buy? I think we'd only benefit from that purchase. Once in college I tried to figure out how many different combinations you could make for yourself. My graphing calculator ended up dying before I could calculate it myself and this chick doesn't do math so I will just say there are infinity combinations.

While in a meeting this week, someone had mentioned that they, are just as human as the customers who shop in our store-if you have a bad day, treating yourself to a new shirt or a pair of shoes or what have you can make you feel better-Retail Therapy is what my family calls it. Then there's me, not only do I like to emotionally spend, I also like to emotionally eat. Sometimes I like to spend first and then eat to cope with my spending. Maybe I should do it the other way so I don't spend because when any human trys something on after they've eaten a plate of food feels bloated and gross and then they don't want to buy..
.hmmmm eat then shop...NO STOP YOU'RE NOT HELPING YOURSELF!

This week, however, I was having a breakthrough. Hot yoga is not good to do right after a meal because you can feel sick from the full tummy. Hot yoga also does not make me want to eat after I do it either...shocking. When I received some bad news the other night about our rent check getting lost in the mail (thanks bank auto-bill pay) my frustration and angst about being late on a payment made me want to do what? Cope by eating. Oh look, hot yoga is done, and all this bill paying stress has worked up my appetite! Lucky for me, the burrito Mecca is just around the corner

Will I ever learn? Hopefully. I am trying to plan a trip to Vegas in September and will need to don a bikini to sit poolside. I've got to get in shape and tan my white legs before then, no time like the present! That means no more uncontrollable spending or eating- we'll be doing plenty of that in Vegas.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: Do you exercise Retail Therapy or food therapy or both? Please leave your comments below.

Wardrobe Malfunction? Or Just Another Reason to Buy a New Outfitt

Being this close to such great clothing has, unfortunately, gotten me into trouble at times. I have little self control when it comes to fashion and cave quite easily when I see something that is floral, animal print, retro, cashmere, a great price, sparkly....actually, I should just say I cave easily when I see anything mostly...even if I know in my heart it's hideous. For someone who used to be a salesperson, I am an easy target too and am ready to hand over the card at he sound of the words "in the latest Vogue" or "Rachel Zoe was seen wearing one just like it!"

A friend of mine at work once told me that her husband thinks there should be a therapy group for the husbands/boyfriends of the ladies that work in retail. My husband would probably be first in line to sign up. Some of my favorite sayings to him when justifying my fashion purchases have been, "but babe you don't understand, I HAVE to look stylish for my job, I work in fashion!" Or, "Just think honey, we are securing our future! When my company does well, we do well." For some reason, I have taken it upon myself to single-handedly stimulate the economy, one pair of Jimmy Choo's at a time. Luckily, the Hubs ain't no fool. Sometimes I have taken to coming home and telling Hubs, "something went wrong with the outfit. I needed to change," as a way to ease the sting from the checking account statement.

I actually did have a wardrobe malfunction today. It could have been prevented if I would have just listened to inner me saying, "no way man! That dress doesn't fit you." I have been compelled lately to plough through my closet and see if I have any hidden gems of yore in there. I found this great dress that I just had to wear with my new Truth and Pride black silk blazer I just bought-amaze. As I was shimmying this thing over my Chipotle burrito filled body, I heard the words of Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci speaking in "The Devil Wears Prada."

Anne: "oooo I love that, will it fit me?"
Stanley: "Oh sure, a little Crisco and some fishing line and we're in business"

Boy was I in need of A LOT of Crisco and I was not leaving the house until that dress was on my body. I was not at work for more than 5 minuets when I heard a loud RIIIIIP! Well, now I can't wear this at all. No need to fret, just outside I can pick a new dress and we'll be done, this shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to find a new garment for today on the less expensive side....or so I thought. 15 different outfits later, I finally found a dress. Now I needed shape wear so my ass didn't look like two hams fighting in a sack...if ya know what I mean. Maybe I needed a new necklace, and earrings, and maybe a big cocktail ring for effect. Ok, those last 3 items were not necessary, especially since I had perfectly good accessories on already.

So now, I am in the doghouse. I showed the actual rip in this morning's dress and while it may have justified the purchase a little, I'm still getting the look of, "where are you going to fit that in our tiny house? Me and the cat are gonna have to move out to make room for clothes and shoes." Thanks babe, love you too.

I've attached the picture of today's new outfit.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: Do you make excuses to buy a great piece of clothing? Please post your comments below.

The Work Appropriate Elastic Waist Pant

So here's the first blog post!

I work in an environment with some pretty awesomely dressed people. Outside my office door you find Diane Von Furstenberg, Trina Turk, Vince, and Kate Spade to name a few.  No, I don't actually work with these greats but their work is neatly displayed in my store. All of that beautiful merchandise looks great on the hanger and the mannequin! Clean lines, pattern, style- amazing.  The only thing I find discouraging, it doesn't seem to ever fit me.  Well, no that's not it.  It fits, just not the way it was intended too. Usually it looks a little off here, or needs some tweaking there. Why is that? I know the answer...it's called, I eat too many cheeseburgers and yes, I will have a side of bacon with my frosty mug of Rogue Double Chocolate Stout.

My brain thinks, I can fit into those skinny pants or that skinny skirt.  Then I actually try it on; Bacon 1/ Me 0. All is well though, I am not about to change myself drastically to be a slave to fashion. My wallet can't afford it and my closet is already exploding into the rest of the house. 

With that said, I have been trying, I will admit not as successfully as I would like, to loose a bit of weight since what my BMI is telling me is "borderline unhealthy." I have been motivated recently by people like Jennifer Hudson who have managed to loose weight by doing what I already love to do-eat. I've been on Weight Watchers on and off since college and am at times successful and other times, happy hour chicken wings take over.

So the question I am asking myself is, how does the hungry girl navigate the stylish world?

A good friend of mine posted on her Facebook status, "Work-appropriate pants with an elastic waistband: best trend ever."  I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, however, I can't find any that fit over my calves. We're not talking runner's calves or anything muscular, far from it. I have been into hot yoga for the past 2 weeks but the body can't change that quickly.   Would someone tell me please where I can find a pair of these amazing pants for someone like me? For once it would be acceptable for me to wear what I call "eatin' pants" to work and I can't find any that fit...probably because I eat too much.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: What is your favorite trend right now or style want that you can't ever seem to make work? Post your comments and answers below.