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!