January Favorites

Post by Christine

Soooo I wanted to do a really fun post on an outer space themed party my roommates and show you my really fun shooting star costume buuuut I can’t find my camera cord at the moment so I’m pretty sure that’s not an option for today. Hopefully that'll come next week

Instead I’m going to let you in on my January favorites! My monthly (or bimonthly) favorites are a roundup of all of my favorite products, websites, or just anything I love. I love monthly favorites because it’s always a fun way to find out about new things!

1. Jennifer Aniston's Perfume

This used to be my "summer perfume" but as the cold set in and the distance between us grew I decided to go back to it for a few days. A few days turned into about a month and a half and now I don't want to wear anything else! It's a bit sweet, a bit musky, and yes, it does remind me of the beach with notes of sandalwood.

2. The Daybook

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I cheated, The Daybook is an everytime favorite of mine. I love everything about this little blog (okay, maybe not so little) like Sydney and Tyson, their new addition, Everett, and Sydney's AMAZING sense of style. You guys need to check them about because, as my sisters know, I have a serious crush on them and usually base my life off of them. Just kidding... maybe

3. Nars Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Happy Days

Ever feel like slapping something on your lips before you go out so you don't look like death has crept up on you and took your soul? Well here ya go! I love love love Nars Velvet Gloss Pencils because you can put them on with no fuss or worry that your lips will get dry throughout the day either. They have a touch of color and a gloss that looks more juicy than anything. Plus, I think the pencil is super fun to use :)

4. Dip-Dyed Hair

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Who doesn't love cotton-candy hair? It's just so fun and whimsical that I can't resist it! I use pastels to color my hair and The Beauty Department has great advice for if you plan on chalking your hair here. I bought some pastels on Amazon last month and I like to put together some fun color combos every once and a while. I'm thinking whipping up some full out pink locks very very soon...

5. The Avid Appetite

Beauty related? No. Biased? Maybe... Still amazing? Yes! Pluse where else would I go to get all of my Super Bowl eats?I can't wait to make this fun popcorn and pizza dip really is as wonderful as it seems

P.S. Go Giants!

What have you been coveting in the month of January?

Scaredy Cat

Post by Kimberly

So it's about time I fessed up to something I have been hiding inside for quite some time.  That is, I am scared to take on most workouts I read about in fitness magazines or healthy living blogs, I am terrified to try new classes at the gym that seem too hard, and when it comes to running I am plain terrified. You see, I have a strange love/hate relationship with fitness.  WHile I LOVE working out, playing soccer, and feeling great, I hate the anxiety and pressure I put on myself to get a workout in, which is why in the last 3 years, since leaving college sports, I have shyed away from workouts that seemed very difficult.  It's not that I am afraid to fail or afraid they will be "too hard".  99% of the time, they won't be too hard for me.  I played soccer in college at a Division I school.  I competed at an Olympic Development level throughout high school and have played against or with almost half of the Women's World Cup starting lineup, I've competed in the NCAA tournament.   But when it comes to a treadmill, boot camp class or circuit workout, I am scared. 

umm yeah that would be me, 3rd one from the left on the top. awkward.

As part of my new year's resolution, I vowed to not be afraid to take a class or try an exercise routine just because it seemed difficult.  I am not sure what has been holding me back, whether it be laziness or fear of not being able to move the next day? I survived triple sessions in pre-season in sweltering heat and weight lifting trials of up to 200 lb per squat, so why wouldnt I be able to do a fast paced circuit or a speed workout on the treadmill.  

soccer team relay for life sophomore year

Realizing that I was actually scared was the first step in moving towards conquering these workouts (I sound like I am in AA....step one: admitting you have a problem).  The next step was trying to erase the many tears shed over timed trials in college and the idea of being "forced" to work out a certain way from my memory.  I think it is hard to put into words the amount of pressure and anxiety that comes with playing a sport at such a competitive level, which is why my memories and hangups with fitness always relate back to that time in my life.  But once I stopped and really thought about how these workouts made me feel: it was hard for me to see past the tears and drama of hitting the gym or track for a scheduled workout.  Once I did see that the build up of anxiety is ALWAYS less than the pay off of how amazing I felt with an endorphin high after a hot shower post-workout, I remembered why it is I love competitive sports so much. And so, I vowed to get back on the "kicking my own butt" train with no competition but with myself. 

I am happy to report back that after trying some new workouts, specifically those stolen from here and here, I am still alive and I feel great. They weren't even THAT hard, the entire time I kept saying "if other people can do this, so can I".  Now that I have one or two behind me, I am ready to see what else I can tackle over the next few weeks.  I am compiling lists, in my fitbook of course, of some serious kick-ass circuit and strength training workouts that I hope to share with you guys soon!  

In the meantime, please send me some good workouts!  I have been scouring Pinterest and fitness blogs for some serious kick ass workouts!

So tell us, have you guys have any fears when it comes to working out? Or any fears in general to challenge yourself with something new? 

{Obsession With} Ball Jars

Hi, I'm Rachel.

...and I have an obsession with Ball jars.

I found that Ball jars have so many fun uses. They are so inexpensive. And, my personal favorite, they class up just about everything...especially messy, disorganized cabinets.

My ball jar obsession started a few months back. I had purchased a dozen of them at Wal-mart for a mere $6. I filled them up and bought some more. I heart them.

First, I use them to wrangle my baking supplies. I hate that most baking supplies come in bags - chocolate chips, coconut, nuts - and I rarely use the entire bag in one item. So I'm inevitably left with a bunch of half used bags of baking chips or sliced almonds. Not only do they look messy, but they are airtight - inviting staleness and bugs. Yuck.

This weekend, I cleaned out my kitchen cabinets, and into Ball jars everything went!

I used a few in my baking cabinet. I wrangled butterscotch chips, semisweet chips, diced walnuts and shelled walnuts.

Behind that, I organized mini marshmallows, sliced almonds and shredded coconut.

In my baking cabinet part II, I use them for brown sugar. The jar on the left contains Splenda brown sugar blend. I just taped the conversion chart right to the front of it. Handy AND cute.

In my savory cabinet, I used some Ball jars to minimize space. I filled them with old fashioned oats, quick oats, bread crumbs and quinoa.

I even used them to house dried cranberries and raisins.

My kitchen cabinets felt instantly better, cleaner and prettier. I may have even opened the cabinets 5 or 6 times over the last day or two just to take a glimpse.

Oh and lastly, I've even used Ball jars as centerpieces! I filled them with water, popped in a floating candle and lit it up. Instant glam.

What can't these jars do?!

Questions of the Day:

Do you have any little obsessions like this?

Once I get something in my head like this, I just can't get it out!

Any projects taking over your life lately?

I'm on a crazy organizing & purging kick!