Moving On

I decided to take this blog in a different direction and while I may post here from time to time, I will mostly be posting on my new blog, Making My Way to Healthy.

I hope you'll check it out and give your two cents!

Half Mary

A couple of days ago I signed up for my third half marathon. This may sound like I'm an experienced runner, but I'm not. The first one I ran/walked with Team in Training. It was a fantastic experience and probably would never have done a half marathon without them. I walked a second one and experienced blisters like you've never seen and it was miserable. So, enter apprehension. I REALLY want to run the entire thing. I'm in full on Couch to 5K training mode to prepare myself to actually try to run the whole thing. I'm excited about this because one of my best friends is doing her very first half marathon with me. Another friend (a more experienced runner who claims she won't be faster than us) is also joining us. We decided to to the Rock'n'Roll. It is the first year one has been held in St. Louis, so I'm excited to have a little musical motiviation each mile.

Hopefully, stating my intentions on this blog will motivate me to keep up my training. Look forward to many more posts about running and how I'm doing. I think that is the only way I may make it through this!

Cut and Keys

Sunday when I arrived home from my "roughing" it adventure, I started doing laundry. While doing so, I lost my balance (because I am a complete klutz) and stepped on something and cut my foot. It wasn't super deep, but being on the sole of my foot it bled. a lot. And now it hurts like a son of a gun. In fact, after running and walking about 3 miles, I was limping last night.

To make matters worse, somehow I managed to lose my car key. I think it fell off my keychain while I was running. I had to call my mom in a panic to drive me to work. After work, we found the spare key but now I have to get another key made.

Ah, the drama of my life!

Cabin Fever

Ugh. I've had a terrible summer cold for the last week. Seriously, it's like I can't breathe through my nose and am coughing. I feel so much better than last week, but I'm not completely over it yet!

In spite of not feeling fantastic, I went away with one of my best friends, Alison, and some of her friends from a previous job for the weekend. We went to a bed and breakfast that allowed us to have a cabin all to ourselves but delivered breakfast AND dinner. Oh, and stuff to make s'mores. This place was AWESOME and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone. The owners were so nice and the place was beautiful. Since I'm not planning to take a vacation this summer, this was just the relaxing getaway from home for the weekend trip I needed! Here are a few pics from the weekend:

(view of the cabin from the "front" door)

(view of the lake behind the house-Alison gives it the thumbs up!)

(Saturday it rained in the morning so starting a fire Saturday night was difficult. Here is Alison ripping apart a phone book to feed the fire.)

(Here are the firestarters. I let them worry about starting the fire.)

(While the others started the fire, Erica sat on the porch patiently.)

Great weekend overall!

Blind Dating

One of the "perks" of being the only single person in most friend groups is the set up. And by perks I mean terrors.

It is usually a multi-step process for me:

1. Excitement: OMG!!!! I can't wait to meet the guy _______ thinks would be great for me! They sound SO awesome! This could be THE ONE!
2. Anxiety: o.m.g. this could be THE ONE. and then proceed to put complete pressure on myself.
3.Fear: What if he doesn't like me? What if I'm not what he expects? What if he's not what I expect? What do I wear? Should I look them up on facebook?
4. Acceptance: Ok. This will be whatever it is. (Usually I've ended up asking for as much info as I possibly can and then finding them on facebook to glean even more information.)

Then, the date happens. Which is usually bad, if it even happens. If it isn't bad, it is isn't good i.e. date is condescending, doesn't show up, tells you he acts 21 when he is 32, meets you once and months later (and clear fb stalking) asks about you...

Most of the time, I end up thinking...Really? This is who you think would be a good match for me?! Why?

Of course, you can't ask your friend that because it is most likely their friend/family member/friend of the family/husband that they set you up with. You can't offend. So I sit, offended and confused. And without a date.

So, dear friends, think this through a little more. Just because two people are single doesn't mean they make a good couple.

UPDATE: Within one hour of posting this, a friend who I know doesn't read this blog called and asked me if I was interested in meeting the brother of a friend of a friend. And I can't see him on facebook. Let the games begin!

Quick Hello

Sorry for not posting, but with summer school, I'm exhausted. These little kiddos are wearing me out! They are so funny and are quite entertaining with their questions about EVERYTHING!

Anyhoo, not much new going on...I went to a local tea room/cafe with my friend Sarah and her little baby Caroline where we pretended to be "ladies who lunch" yesterday. Today I got my hair trimmed and went to ZUMBA. Pretty low key day!

Clang, Clang, Clang went the trolley....

I belong to our local chapter of Junior League. When I was first invited to join League, I envisioned stuck up ladies who lunch. Couldn't be further from the truth. While most of the women are married with kids, a large majority are professional women.

Anyway, yesterday was the first meeting of the provisional class or the potential new members. Being a board member this year, I decided I should make an appearance. Part of this meeting was going over info about Junior League and the other half was a trolley tour of our town!

We spent two hours on the trolley enjoying the sights, history, and some mimosas! Overall it was a fun time and every time I go on the trolley tour I end up learning something new.

Our claim to fame is that we are the home of the World's Tallest Man, Robert Wadlow. He died at age 22 from complications of an infection in 1940. He was 8' 11.1" tall. This was the only time we actually got out of the trolley so it is also the only picture I have.

Today, I taught my first day of summer school. Instead of being the librarian like I usually am during the school year, I am teaching an orientation for incoming 6th graders. Boy, these kiddos have a million questions! I forgot how inquisitive they are and also how needy they are. It is nice to get to know these kids before the year starts, but I think I'll really appreciate my job after this!

Target Treats

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday, but I just didn't feel like anything exciting happened. I went to work for the morning to prepare for summer school and then had a Junior League board meeting in the evening.

Today I got the chance to have lunch with a great friend and meet her baby girl for the first time. Sarah and I went to elementary school together and kind of lost touch for middle school, reconnected in high school, lost touch in college, and then reconnected again. Isn't it crazy how you can leave and enter each other's lives and still remain friends?! Anyhoo, Sarah had sweet Caroline in April and I finally got to meet her today. I didn't get a picture, but trust me when I say she is ADORABLE! And has a FULL head of dark hair.

Then I moved on to Target. Ah, Target....my frenemy. I love Target and I'm pretty sure Target loves me if for no other reason than I seem to put a giant dent in my bank account every time I go there. I was on a mission to find a dress Joi had posted on her blog, but when I found it, it didn't fit me right.

However, I managed to find this cute dress instead:

Not completely sold on the dress yet, but we'll see. It comes in several different colors/patterns.

Also, I couldn't pass up this nail polish either.

(Sally Hanson Insta Dri in Jade Jump)

Insta Dri and in a cute color? In my basket it went. I just got a mani/pedi the other day, so I'll have to wait a few more days until the polish I have on starts to chip. I'll definitely take a picture when I paint them and let you know how I like it.

Enjoy your weekend!

Why Reading is Important

I've been holding off on this post since Saturday night, mostly because it upsets me so much.

The Wall Street Journal recently posted an article entitled "Darkness Too Visible: Contemporary fiction for teens is rife with abuse, violence, and depravity. Why is this considered a good idea?" Basically, it is saying that YA fiction is too dark and depressing.

And to that I say: Isn't being a teen often dark and depressing?

As a voracious reader, mostly of YA fiction because of my job, I find this a difficult article to swallow. Yes, a lot of YA fiction is darker than I remember reading as a teen. Heck, I loved the Babysitters Club books, Anne of Green Gables, and the like. However, controversial books were also my cup of tea. I remember the first time a book made me cry (A Taste of Blackberries, which has a similar kid dies of bee sting allergic reaction a la My Girl) and Are You There God? It's Me Margaret (still counted as one of my all time favorite books).

(We must, we must, increase our bust!)

For me and many teens reading is a form of escape. I can lose myself in a book and enter a world completely different than mine. And for even more teens, it is a way to seek help or understand that other people are going through the same things.

After listening to Jay Asher talk about how many students, parents, and teachers thank him for writing 13 Reasons Why, I can't believe people don't understand the power of YA fiction.

This realistic, showing the real world for what it often is, fiction is what my students beg to read. Every day I get asked where my "drama" section is located. What they really mean is where are the books I can relate to, help me understand my life, or escape into someone else's problem.

So, WSJ, next time you want to post an article about the dark side of teen fiction, why don't you actually bother to talk to teens. Find out why they are reading this stuff. Because I guarantee that if you did, you'd find out life is dark, not the YA fiction .

House Hunters

I've lived in my house for almost 6 years and it still isn't decorated. I may be able to put together a decent outfit, but when it comes to my house I've got nothin'.

Enter Joi. Joi and I went to college together and while she spends most of her time working as a high school teacher, she moonlights in decorating. In short, she is amazing. So, after begging her to help with my house for some time, we finally met up for some thrift shopping and brainstorming. (There may or may not have been some french toast involved as well.)

We had a great time chatting, shopping, and people watching. Let's just say that Goodwill and Salvation Army are a great place to see Snooki poofs, horrible clothing, and no teeth.

Here are the fruits of our scouting trip:

We found all three items, the little brass container, floral tin, and elephant, at the Edwardsville Flea Market.

Oh, and I got a pair of brand new shoes from the Edwardsville Goodwill.

All in all a good haul for my first time out!

Summertime

Ahhhh, summer break is here! Oh, how I have longed for summer and now that it is 90+ degrees outside I'm not quite sure why I was so excited. Sweating as soon as you walk out of the door isn't exactly my idea of fun, however not having to get up before Mr. Sun and going to work is definitely worth it. I think. Unfortunately, I am working summer school so my vacation is a little shorter but half days are better than nothing!

Summer is also a lovely reminder that I am single. I'd like to go on vacation but a solo vacation is not my cup of tea. And trying to coordinate get togethers with married or coupled friends is like trying to have an audience with the Queen.

So, I will be reading A LOT this summer, hopefully turning myself back into a runner, and losing a lot of weight. Summer of improvement has begun!

31

A long time since I last blogged. I'd like to say it is because I've been so busy I haven't had time. But that would be a lie. It is, in fact, because a) I haven't gotten the hang of blogging every day, or week, or even month apparently and b) my life is super boring.

I've written this post several times but here are the basics of what's happened since I last blogged:

I had a lovely relaxing Spring Break.
I found out I have a job for next year (hopefully longer).
I turned 31...not really depressing but I am totally having a why is my life nowhere near what I thought it would be moment.
I ran a GOTR 5K.
School's almost over. 71/2 work days left. I can't wait.

Fashion Passion

This weekend I was lucky enough to see one of my very best friends (and AH-MAZING decorator) Joi present at the Working Women's Survival Show. As if that wasn't exciting enough, I later got to see Clinton Kelly from What Not to Wear!! Several of my friends, including Joi, her husband David, and my high school friends Julie and Amy, and Amy's sister Sara, walked around after Joi's presentation and then stuck around to see CK. He is just as adorable as he is on the show. I've always loved clothes and knowing what is in fashion, but I've recently fallen back in love with it all over again. It was so fun to see him and hear what he had to say. My new obsession will most likely be tailoring.

My outfit for CK was a repeat of a previous outfit. Here is today's gem:

(cardi-NY&Co., shirt and skirt-H&M, tights-Vera Wang via Kohl's, shoes-Worthington via JCPenneys)

Please disregard the terrible hair...not the best hair day and it was windy outside.

Monday Finds and Family Visits

Yesterday and today I had the opportunity to visit both of my grandmas. They are incredible women and I love being able to spend time with them.

I also took advantage of my day off and went to Kohl's. I've had a gift card for a while and it was burning a hole in my pocket. So, I picked up this cute pencil skirt. While I'm attempting to not buy a bunch of new stuff, I really think this will be a versatile addition to my wardrobe!

Here's hoping that this will be a truly short week. I've got lots of plans for this weekend so I need to rest up and be ready to have some fun!

Weekend Wears

Happy Sunday! Two days in a row of blogging-oh my! I've had a great weekend so far.

Last night I went to a Trivia Night with some people from my church (including my incredible pastor!). We had a blast and I have to say it was one of the best trivia nights I've ever been to. The people that ran it were prepared and the catagories were fun. Plus I rocked it with all of my useless celebrity and movie/music knowledge. Here was my ensemble for the evening:

(cardi-Target, shirt and necklace-JC Penneys, jeans-Gap, shoes-Target)

This is my attire for church today. We had a great Sunday School class...it really made me thing about my family, my friends, and my finances. I've really curtailed my shopping habit and think that after today, I'm really going to focus on trying to remix my existing closet and when I do make purchases that I will make sure to be thrifty.

(card-JC Penney, tank-Target, pants-Gap, shoes-Olsenboye via JC Penney, belt-F21, earrings-Lia Sophia)

I'm really looking forward to my extra day off of work tomorrow! Thank goodness for President's Day!

Back in Action

This has been a long week. I left my camera at school last week so I wasn't able to take any pictures and then the cable line to my house was down, so I couldn't watch tv or surf the 'net or blog! I kept myself busy reading the book Beastly (which has been turned into a movie with Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer) and watching season one of Who's the Boss. I've found myself dying to either reference the Friends episode where Phoebe mistakes Tiny Dancer for Tony Danza or using Tony's catchphrase "Oh ay, ay oh!" I'm working one of those in to some conversation soon...

Anyhoo-here's my outfit for Tuesday. We had a local sportscaster come speak to the kids and I figured I needed to look professional. Or at least more professional than usual. This pic was taken after school so pardon the wrinkles!

(cardi-Target, skirt and shirt-H&M, Tights-Vera Wang via Kohl's, shoes-Worthington via JC Penneys)

Next up is Thursday's outfit. (I don't even remember what I wore Wednesday but I suppose it was a snoozefest, not that this one isn't). We were supposed to wear red all week, and I greatly dislike red on myself, so this was my way of compromising for Thursday.

(scarf-UO, sweater-Gap, T-shirt-GOTR from the Fall 2010 season, pants-Limited, shoes-Target)

I love how my dog is trying to figure out what I'm doing in this pic. And you can totally see WTB on the tv behind me. I really need to invest in a better camera or recruit someone to take my pics for me!

Crickets

I know it has been a week since my last post, but I've been really busy...and I left my camera at work so I've been unable to take pics. Just imagine mindblowing outfits...or not. I've not had a lot of inspiration this week because I've been stressed and busy. No excuse so I'll be back at it ASAP!

Baby Fever, Fashion, and Snow Days

What are the chances of having two baby showers in one day? Yes, I have TWO baby showers to go to on Saturday. I took advantage of my THIRD snow day in a row and went out and purchased gifts for the showers. It seems like everyone I know is pregnant or just had a baby right now. I suppose I'm reaching that age, but somehow I still feel 25.

So, our district had yet another snow day today. I hear it is because it is so cold outside (it was 5 degrees at 9 this morning) and that some or most of the parking lots were not plowed. So not happy about an extra day of school at the end of the year, but it gave me a chance to run some errands!

I thought I'd take a picture of what I planned to wear today:

Jeans: Gap

White T-shirt: Old Navy

Camel sweater: Gap

Blazer: Old Navy

Booties: Kohls

Necklace: J.C. Penney

And I have an extra layer of leggings on underneath the jeans to combat the cold. I'm pretending that is the reason why I look so chubby. What?! Let a girl have her dream!

And this is what I ended up wearing for most of the day:

Yep, nothin' says class like fleece pants and a fancy necklace!

Enjoy your day...I'm now back at home after getting out briefly and get to take the dog for a walk in the freezing temps! Yay!

SNOW-M-G!

I'm so sick of snow. I hate it. It sucks. Sure, it looks all white and innocent. BUT. It is like a bad relative or annoying neighbor...comes unexpectedly and doesn't know when to leave.
Annoying Kimmy Gibbler.




I'm tired of snow days. Really, as much as I love being home, I am getting annoyed with being stuck in my house. Alone. With a dog and no fenced in yard. I want to be able to go where I want, when I want to do it.

I'd love to be able to move somewhere warm.

And as a side note, my outfits have left a lot to be desired so I haven't posted them lately. I'm going to use the snow day to get together my 30 in 30.

Friends and Fashion

I just have to say I have wonderful friends. In the last week or so, I've been able to see so many of them (unfortunately for my diet, it has been while eating)! I had lunch with one of my best friends, Joi, and her husband Dave on Sunday and tonight I got to catch up with my friend Sarah, who I've been friends with since elementary school. So exciting and lovely to have good people in my life.

After reading some fashion blogs, I've decided to take some photos when I feel like I've got a good ensemble going. Today was one of those days. It is usually freezing in the library...like I need a space heater freezing. I decided to chance the temps and wear a dress today. Pair that with my snappy black blazer, black tights, and fun new shoes and we have a winner! I apologize for the poor quality of photo-I have to use a self timer and my camera is a hand me down! Here is the look:

Dinner and a Movie

Last night some of my great girl friends and I had our first Girls Night. We decided to do dinner and a movie.
Dinner and conversation was great because we went to one of my favorites-Stir Crazy! Stir Crazy offers a Market Bar option where you can build your own stir fry. It is AWESOME! I opted for the chicken stir fry with brown rice and loads of veggies. It was super yummy!
Then we drove across the parking lot (hey-it was very cold so we felt justified) to see No Strings Attached. That's the new Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher movie. I had very mixed feelings about the movie because I feel Ashton gets a little out of control sometimes and Natalie is so serious in most of her roles that I didn't think I could relate to her being in a romcom. My verdict-it was cute and funny, and quite inappropriate at times. Definitely don't see this if you don't find cursing and slight vulgarity ok.
I can't wait for the next Girls Night. We've decided to make this a monthly occurance so we are looking for ideas for next month!

Snow Day(s)!

Well, today is Friday and my second snow day in a row. This picture pretty much says it all if you are wondering what I look like on snow days:

Ok, so perhaps that is slightly exaggerated, but I feel like because this was an unexpected day home I shouldn't feel obligated to do anything.

I know I should be more productive, but eh. I don't feel like it. What do you do on your snow days? Or do you even get them?

Yesterday I managed to get two loads of laundry done, unloaded the dishwasher, and caught up on some tv. This morning I did day one of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred

Jillian isn't messing around. Between yesterday's shoveling extravaganza and Jillian, my arms are sore!

I am so excited for tonight-some of my friends and I are having Girls Night! We are heading to a great restaurant called Stir Crazy (I love, love, LOVE this place and their make your own stir fry) and then to see the new Ashton Kutcher/Natalie Portman movie No Strings Attached. I can't wait to see the girls and have some fun!

30 in 30?

So, I suck at resolutions.

So far I have not followed through with a single one of them.

Being more healthy? Nope. I will say I've done more exercising but nada on the eating better.

29 Gifts? I've had to start and stop so many times it is ridiculous, however I am more aware of what I am doing and am better at going out of my way to help others.

Running? Not even once. I'm going to blame this on the weather.

Volunteer? Not yet, but I'm working on it.

Masters? Haven't even started that yet. I need to go take the GRE first.

Long story short-I fail. I think that while I haven't done a great job at being consistent, I'm making more of an effort than before.

I've been following a new blog lately http://www.kendieveryday.blogspot.com/ and one of the things she does is the 30 in 30 challenge. Basically, you vow to not shop and pick 30 items of clothing and remix them for 30 days. I'm a compulsive shopper and always feel like I have to have something new for every occasion. I've been looking at my closet lately and am not happy with what I see. So I've decided to kind of take this challenge. I'm not sure I'm going to make a full 30 in 30 but I'm going to give it my best shot. I'll start on Feb. 1st with everyone else that is taking this challenge and see how I do. It has been interesting feat to try to find 30 things I like enough and feel confident enough to mix and match. So far I've only found 20 items.

I'm leaving you with some pictures of the snowfall we've had here at home. I got 7.5" here at my house. Needless to say shoveling this was a bear. Enjoy!

29 Gifts Day 1 Do-over

I haven't been very successful in my resolution to give 29 Gifts in 29 days. Part of the 29 Gifts movement is to intentionally give a gift each day for 29 days in succession. I missed some days so I'm starting over.

Yesterday, I made a recommittment. I went to freerice.com, an awesome site! Freerice.com has many different games you play and every time you get an answer right, they donate 10 grains of rice to help end hunger. I donated over 1,000 grains yesterday in just a very short amount of time.

After reading more about freerice.com, I found that they have donated to places like Uganda, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. Each person receives 400 grams of rice a day (there are about 48 grains of rice in each gram). This is enough for them to have two good meals.

Please go to freerice.com....I have a couple of links on the side of the blog...have fun and do some good!

29 Gifts-Day 1-Nothing But Nets

I read the book 29 Gifts quite a while ago. It was written by a woman named Cami Walker, who in the midst of her own debilitating illness, was perscribed a month of giving by one of her spiritual teachers. Mbali, the spiritual teacher, assured Cami that remembering that she is part of a greater universe will help heal her. Cami finally accepted this challenge and it changed her world. While some of the book is difficult (and irritating) to read, it was definitely something that has left an impression on me.

So, after attempting to take on this challenge myself a few times, I am committing to do this as a NY Resolution.

Day one did not start off the way I planned. I had this wonderful idea to give my first gift to my mom. She visits my grandma, who has Alzheimer's, almost daily and I know it takes a toll on her. My mom retired from teaching last year so that she could spend more time with my grandma and now often helps take care of my dog as well. One thing she has said she wants more than anything is to spend the day in her pj's and not have to go anywhere. Well, I planned to do this for my mom today, however my grandma was pretty sick over the weekend and my mom didn't want to not visit her.

My family with my grandma.

Plans revised, I have chosen to donate to nothingbutnets.net instead. Nothingbutnets.net raises awareness and accquires funding to combat malaria. With a $10 donation, a net is sent to a family in Africa and saves lives. According to the net-o-meter they have sent 3,537,008 nets. As soon as I clicked that last button to finish my donation, I felt a little sense of happiness. I may not have much money, but my measley $10 is helping to ensure that a little kid in Africa survives.

Please consider making a donation to http://www.nothingbutnets.net/ and saving a life with me.

I wonder what day 2 will bring...

New Year, New Me

As I'm sure most bloggers are doing I'm evaluating the last year of my life and making resolutions for the new year. I've decided to not reflect on the past and look to the future.

Here are my resolutions for 2011:

1. Truly embrace the 29 Gifts movement and spend my January focusing on others and not myself. I read 29 Gifts quite a while ago and attempted to try it and failed. My aim is to blog everyday about each of the gifts I give so that I hold myself accountable and share what I'm doing with others to inspire them.

2. Get healthy. I refuse to say lose weight. I truly hope that getting healthy means that I lose weight (at least 40 lbs), but I really want to make sure that I'm focusing on the right thing here. I went to the chiropractor about 3 months ago and have promptly NOT followed most of his advice for me. I'm going to resolve to follow the Page Diet and get myself together. Finally.

3. Run at least one more half-marathon. And by run, I actually mean run one and not walk most of it. I'm looking at either the Go! STL (April-which means I better get my buns out there and run!!!) or the Rock'n'Roll in October (better but means I have to run in the dreaded hot summer months).

4. Get into school and start my MLS degree!

5. Volunteer more. I love to volunteer, but have found my lack of time, motivation, or a cause that is near and dear to me keeping me from doing it more often. So, I vow to find time, motivation, and a cause and get busy.

I feel like all of these resolutions are definitely doable.

Cheers to the New Year and keeping resolutions!