Fitness Friday

I'm sure you guys are just as glad for the holiday weekend as I am, so I'll keep today pretty short and sweet.  This week was okay for me, although I definitely went out a few too many times.  I'm also going out of town this weekend, so I'm not sure how that will go, but I'm going to try and get in a workout or two and make decent choices.

Food

I made my weekly dinner frame thing (top left) and it's been working out really well!  I got this cheapie frame from IKEA for $4, so it was a really cheap project too.  I use a dry erase marker on it to list what we'll make for dinner, and it's easy enough to change if we need to.  Love it!  I've also been eating a lot of the old standbys, like wraps, carrots, and fruit for lunch, Green Monster smoothies* and cinnamon toast for breakfast, PB&J, and turkey meatloaf.  All decent, all easy.  Works for me.

* If you've never had a green monster smoothie, allow me to introduce you to the concept of putting spinach in your breakfast.  Don't be afraid, you really can't taste it!  Here's how I usually make mine:

- Blend 1 c. milk of choice (I use almond milk), 1 T almond butter, 1/2 scoop protein powder, and a few handfuls of spinach until smooth
- Add 1 frozen banana (I usually buy a few extra bananas to let them overripen, then freeze them for smoothies!  One tip - peel before you freeze, otherwise they're impossible to peel) and blend until smooth
- Drink! 

My husband can't get past the green color, but I promise you can't taste the spinach if you add the banana and almond butter.  You can switch it up and use peanut butter too, which is really delicious with banana.

I have to be honest though, I am not really losing pounds/toning up like I want to, and I know that it is because I have not been making the time to work out like I should.  Which leads me to

Workouts

I ran 4 miles on Monday and 4 miles on Wednesday, but that's about it.  I'm still hoping to get in my long run this weekend, so that's decent as far as running is concerned, but (a) I really need to do some cross training because my IT band is bothering me again, and (b) I really need to get back into strength training seriously for many reasons, among them that my IT band is bothering me again!  I know that my IT band issues stem from weak hips, so I really have to work on that if I want to run without pain.  I've been doing a lot of stretching and foam-rolling, which definitely helps, but strengthening my hips and other muscles is really the only thing that will fix it long-term.  Do you have any running/athletic injuries that you have to deal with?

This week's goal is to try and schedule my workouts, including strength training, at a specific time and with a specific workout so I have no reason not to follow through.  Do you schedule your workouts in advance, either timing-wise or content-wise?  If so, do you think it helps you, or do you find yourself having to reschedule for other priorities too?

Tell me how your week has been!  How were your workouts?  Have you made any fun new recipes?  And more importantly, what are your plans for Labor Day?  Have a great holiday weekend1!

August Budget & Buys

Since tomorrow is Fitness Friday and those get pretty wordy on their own, I'm doing the monthly budget wrap up today even though tomorrow is actually the last day of the month.  Don't worry, I won't spend any money today or tomorrow :)  I'm also linking up with Franishh for Budgeting Bloggers, so head over there to check out her great buys for August, see other budgeting posts, and submit your own if you're so inclined!

Since I was on a shopping ban for the month of August (previous updates here, here, and here), the goal was to buy nothing at all.  I didn't quite accomplish that, but hear me out.  Here's what I actually added to my closet for this month.

Left: Diesel gray skinny trouser jeans (via Gilt)

Top right: House of Harlow gold arrow necklace (via Gilt)

Bottom right: Gap perfect dot shirt

I ended up spending $8.50 on these three items.  So what happened was this:

I actually bought this exact House of Harlow necklace on Gilt awhile ago as part of my May budget (although I think I forgot to include it since I hadn't received it yet at that point).  It was listed on Gilt for $40, but I used a $20 off $40 purchase credit so it only cost $20 at that time ($25 with shipping).  They cancelled my order after a few weeks saying the inventory had run out and it was no longer available.  I didn't want to lose the $20 promo because of the cancelled order, so I emailed them and of course they were really great about it and issued a $20 promo to my cart for 2 weeks only (which would have been before the end of August - bummer!) plus an extra $10 off for the trouble.  I was all, "oh great, but I'm not buying anything this month, so it doesn't matter."  And I meant it.  But then I got an email a few days after that saying that this exact necklace was available again, so I went to check it out.  Same price, but since I had the extra $10 off and the $20 credit, it was actually going to only cost $15.  Since it was already part of my May budget, I obviously I had to get it because I had already spent the $ in May (not part of my August budget), and I was basically getting $10 back for buying the same thing.

Then I also noticed that they left the original $20 credit on my account, and shipping is free for an hour after you buy something in case you want anything else, so I ended up getting a pair of Diesel skinny jeans (originally listed for $29) and a New Balance dri-fit shirt for my hubby for $12.  That came to $41, but I paid $21 because of the credit, so if you take out the gift I got for J, my jeans cost $9.  Less than the $10 I got back from my original purchase, so... basically I saved myself a dollar and got a pair of Diesel jeans out of the deal!

The Gap shirt was another serendipitous deal that was too good to pass up.  I went to Gap to return two tanks that shrunk terribly in the wash (these - definitely wouldn't recommend!), and I happened to have a 40% off one full-price item coupon on me.  I had intended to try on this oxford button-down to see if I wanted to put it at the top of my September shopping list, but I couldn't find it in the store I was at.  Instead, I found this adorable polka-dot top, which is really similar to J. Crew's button down, except not in "popover" style.  The Gap top is currently $50, but with the 40% off, it came down to $30, and then I had a $14ish credit from the returns I made.  I also had a $10 Banana Republic reward, so I used that, which brought the total to about $8.50.  I actually also had a $25 gift card which I tried to use so it would be free, but I had to use my Banana Card in order to get the 40% off.  I figured it was worth it.

So overall, I spent 8.50, which I will just take out of my September budget.  Thoughts on these items:

- Diesel jeans: I already knew that these run really small because I bought a pair in my usual size from Rue La La a few years back.  Big mistake.  They are destined to stay in my closet unworn because I can barely button them and don't have the patience to break them in.  I bought this pair 2 sizes up, and they fit but are still really sausage-casing-tight fitted in the legs.  They'll be fine once I wear them once, but man - be forewarned if you ever buy Diesel, they run small for gals with athletic legs in my opinion.

- House of Harlow arrow necklace: I do really like this, but I will say that it is definitely not even worth $40, much less $80 - that price is a total racket.  I'm happy with the $15 I paid for this, but I probably would have even been disappointed if I had gotten it originally for $25.  It is not very substantial and feels light and somewhat flimsy.  It is very pretty and I'll wear it for sure, but again, be forewarned on the quality of these pieces - I would not recommend paying full price!

- Gap button-down: love it!  Fits perfectly in my usual size at Gap, I didn't notice any gaping in the buttons, and it is lightweight but substantial enough for work.  Definitely recommend!

I also thought I'd mention that I returned the Madewell sandals from the last budget update - they were too big and just didn't fit as well as I would've liked for the price.  I did keep the Nike running top though - I need to be motivated for colder weather running and it fit so nice and comfy!

Since this was awfully wordy with so few pictures (not shopping is kind of visually boring, no?), I'm going to post a little outfit action for the day too.  This is literally what I am wearing at work today, so I had to snap a quick pic on the way out the door!

 

I'm Wearing

Gap v-neck white t - really old

 C. Wonder seersucker pencil skirt - $20 (trying to get one more wear before Labor Day!)

J. Crew Factory pink skinny belt - $15

Silver key necklaces - really old, don't remember

Michael Kors rose gold watch

Vera Wang via Kohl's sandals - old, $15ish

If you have a budget, how did it go in August?  Were you on a ban or trying to cut back?  If not, what did you end up getting?  I love to hear about others' budgets and buys too, so talk to me in the comments!

Grey Gardens

Today is the trend of the month challenge over at Marionberry Style, and this month's challenge is statement necklaces.  Along with approximately 1 million other bloggers, I have the bubble necklace, which is always a great choice.  Since I've done a few looks with that necklace already though, I wanted to stay away from that this time to see what else I could come up with.  I haven't worn it in awhile, so I pulled out this great Etsy find from the White Owl shop that I bought a few years ago.

I'm Wearing

Gap white tee - really old

Etsy by White Owl necklace - $34

Mossimo (via Target) jeans - $20, old

Talbots black suede pumps - $58

Since the necklace is so intricate and amazing on its own, I wanted to wear a really pared down outfit so the necklace would stand out.  What's your favorite way to wear a statement necklace?  And don't forget to stop by Marion's blog to check out the other great posts and submit your own!

Edited to add: totally forgot to link up with the Pleated Poppy earlier, so linking up now!

Work Work Work

These outfit pics were actually featured in a guest post on Bri's blog, Work Clothes, I Suppose, awhile back but just realized I never actually posted them here!  Since I'm wearing essentially the same outfit today due to tons of meetings at work, I thought I'd share them here.  Sorry for the weird sizing... these were taken back before I was actually decent at resizing my own photos.  Also, these curls are courtesy of the headband curl technique, which I haven't done in awhile - definitely need to get back on that train, I kind of like them!

 

 

I'm Wearing

 Victoria's Secret white blazer - $25

Gap black top - old

J. Crew cafe trousers - $20

Anne Klein snakeskin pumps (via Piperlime) - $32

Fossil teal "Stella" watch - gift

H&M snakeskin bangle - $4

J. Crew aqua rhinestone bracelet - $11

H&M pastel bangles (from a set of 6) - 46

 Black & white bangle (via Lord & Taylor) - $10

I really cannot wait for this week to be over, work is crazy right now!  I think people get all anxious about the holiday weekend and try to cram as much crap in as possible before Friday, so things are a bit ridiculous at the moment.  How's your week going?  Are you already waiting for the weekend, even though it's only Tuesday???

Mani Monday

It's been awhile since I shared what I'm wearing on my nails, so here's a little mani Monday action this week.  It has been stormy and gray here yesterday, which put me in the mood for a dark and brooding fall-ish mani this week.

 

 

 

 

 

This is OPI Lincoln Park After Dark, part of the Chicago collection they put out ages ago so, I kind of had to have this one (even though it's not even named after my neighborhood).  I've actually had this color in my stash for a long time but have never used it, so I was sort of expecting it to be old and dried out or goopy, but it went on really smoothly and dried surprisingly fast.  My topcoat was giving me some bubbling issues, but this polish seemed fine to me.  It's actually purple, I swear, but you can really only see the purple on the edges in some light - it actually comes across as a deep, vampy, bloody purple tinged black in most lights, which I kind of dig.  What's on your nails this week?

Also linking up with Glitter and Gloss for Mani Monday and Molly at YOLO Monday.

Fitness Friday

Ugh.  Not a good week for me.

Food
I'm not even going to do a rundown or pics of my meals this week because they basically went like this: the usual for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and then ridiculous dinners because I was out at happy hours and either ate there or was starving when I got home.  Plus there were definitely a few beers in there too.  Overall, this was a majorly lazy week with too many exceptions.  Not happy with it, but I can always do better next week.

Workouts
I've been really tired this week (allergies plus little sleep due to said happy hours), so my workouts have been awful.  I ran 6 miles on Monday, did a pathetic excuse for a strength training workout on Tuesday, and then Wednesday/Thursday did nothing (again, see said happy hours).  I'm going to try for 4 miles after work today, hopefully some kind of strength training workout tomorrow, and 7 miles on Sunday.  But... I have a bachelorette party to go to on Saturday, so we'll see what happens.

The one decent workout I did this week - 6 miles.

I figured today would be a good day to talk about the things I'm really bad at problem solving considering this was not my best week.  If I'm not losing weight, I can guarantee that these 3 things are the reasons why.  Let's try and come up with solutions, shall we?

(1) I am terrible at dinner.  It's my least favorite meal of the day, and I usually end up scrambling to put something together after I'm already starving, which sometimes leads to bad decisions.  I like to cook when I have a lot of time available, but I find myself thinking of it as a chore during the week when time is tight. I have about 3 go-to meals (turkey meatloaf, grilled chicken, and spaghetti), but it gets really boring when that's all we eat.  We end up doing fast meals instead, like Boca Chicken or hot dogs.  Not good.  What do you guys do for dinner?  I'm going to try a weekly meal planner for dinners so I already know what to make (and hopefully have planned ahead to have the ingredients available).  I'm going to print out one of these awesome printables below, put it in a cheapie frame from IKEA, and use a dry erase marker on it to make dinner plans each week - I'll definitely include a photo of my version in next week's Fitness Friday post!  I'm also planning on going through the amazing recipes I've pinned and pulling out a few to make this week so I can get out of the rut we've been in for months now.

top left

top right

bottom left

bottom right

(2) I struggle to enjoy (and therefore be consistent with) strength training  I have plenty of workouts saved, but I'm trying to find a way to do more than go through the motions.  I end up skipping these workouts more often than not, and when I do them, I feel like I'm half-assing it and not being productive.  I know I need to make more of an effort in this area because it's so important (and it really does help with running/daily activities), but I just can't seem to be motivated to do it.  What are your tricks or tips for this one?  What kind of strength training or workouts do you do?

(3) I typically work out after work, so if events come up (happy hour, dinners, etc.), I have a hard time fitting in workouts at other times.  This one is tough.  The solutions I can think of are (a) work out in the morning before work, (b) work out in the evening after the event, or (c) take that day off and try to limit events to 1-2 times a week.  Working out in the evening would be tough, since sometimes you can't control when the event lasts until, and even if I could, I'm typically more tired when I get home from these things than usual.  I think what I need to do is be a little more organized and use a combination of (a) and (c) - take 1 day off max and plan other workouts around that, and then work out in the morning if necessary if other events come up.  How do you handle weekday events with workout schedules?

And last but not least, a few of you mentioned that you would link up a Fitness Friday post here, so I'm officially announcing that we'll do the first Fitness Friday link up on  Friday, September 21 - that gives us a full month (and gives me some time to figure out how link ups work, haha).  I can't wait to hear what you guys are up to!

Nautical. Again.

Are you tired of it yet?  Good, me either!

I'm Wearing

J. Crew anchor print blouse - $39

C. Wonder seersucker pencil skirt - $20

Banana Republic Factory necklace - old

Michael Kors gold watch - gift

J. Crew & C. Wonder bracelets - $15 and $9

Gold espadrilles - don't remember the brand, these are so old (the last time I wore them was on my honeymoon!)

There's really nothing new here, I've worn all of these pieces before (a month long shopping ban will do that).  I wore the blouse here and the pencil skirt here, and I just noticed that both of those looks and today's outfit involved mixing prints!  I think these pieces are really versatile because of the colors (classic navy/blue), the simplicity of the prints (stripes/small repeating patterns), and the classic shapes (pencil skirt/streamlined blouse), so it makes them really easy to mix with other prints in a way that's not obnoxious.  And since summer is quickly fading away and I love both of these very summer-specific pieces so much,  I'm trying to get as much wear out of them as possible before it's officially over.  In other words, brace yourselves for more seersucker and anchor print outfits coming your way.  What's your favorite way to mix prints, or do you usually stick with one pattern per outfit?

Band of Feathers

I'm Wearing

Ella Moss Band of Feathers tank - $40

Victoria's Secret Blazer - old, $25ish

Gap jeans - old, $35ish

Kate Spade gold aviators - $100

Michael Kors watch - gift

J. Crew (via Ebay) and J. Crew Factory bracelets - $11, $15

Steve Madden (via DSW) gold glitter flats - old ($30ish)

Here's a little story about this Ella Moss top.  Sometime last winter I saw it on Nordstrom's website and instantly loved it.  It was too expensive (I think it was around $100 originally), so I did not buy it.  Then it went on sale for $60, but I still did not buy it.  Then $40.  Then $20.  Yes, $20.  However, that was right before Christmas and I was not buying things for myself, so I emailed my mom and said "please tell Santa I want this for Christmas!" (Lame and juvenile, I know, but I really really wanted it!).  I excitedly waited, but when Christmas morning came, there was no Ella Moss top.  It was a hard lesson to learn - don't wait on buying things you love when they're literally 80% off (and perhaps also that I'm a little too old to beg my mom to buy me something for Christmas).  Obviously the top was no longer available at that point, so after an extended a brief period of mourning, I moved on.  Then sometime in February or March this year, I was randomly browsing a Shop It To Me email and lo and behold, there was my top!  On sale!  Directly from the Ella Moss website!  With free shipping!  I ended up paying $40 for it, but I was glad to pay at that point - it literally took me less than 1 minute from seeing it in the email to completing the online checkout process.  Thankfully I loved it just as much in person as I did in the photos.

Have you ever missed out on a purchase only to find it (or something even better) later on?

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for WIWW and Real Girl Glam!

Shopping Ban Week 3: A Lesson in Gratitude

I've officially made it 3 weeks into this month's shopping ban!  Last week I mentioned that being busy really helps with the temptation to buy.  I wasn't quite as busy this week so there were a few moments of weakness where I almost purchased something, but I managed to resist.  I'm starting to realize that not filling that free time with browsing, shopping, and spending is a little unsettling since it's become such a habit (boredom shopping is bad news), but I'm trying to be more aware of that and consciously choose to do something else that I know I would rather be doing!

One thing that really helps me resist those impulsive feelings is to remember all of the great things I already have.  When I'm lusting after clothes, I focus on the great items I've added to my wardrobe recently and the fact that I'll barely even have time to wear all of those this year without adding new things into the mix.  Even more than that, though, remembering the more important things in my life helps put shopping, material desires, and even this blog into perspective.  After being inspired by Lovely Little Things, I've been thinking of all of the things I'm grateful for having in my life this week.

1.  My family & friends

My mom, my husband, my two sisters, my brother-in-law, various aunts, uncles, cousins, my late grandparents who still influence me everyday, new friends I just met this year, old friends I've known since 1st grade... I know how lucky I am to have even just a few such wonderful people in life, and I'm so grateful that I have a group of them!

2.  My job

Sometimes work is boring no matter what you do, but I am so grateful to have a job in the throes of this awful economy.  When I went into law school, the job market for lawyers in Chicago was abysmal and it never really picked up like everyone thought it would.  I am lucky enough to have a great job with great benefits and people that I really enjoy working with.

3.  Where I live

My kind of town, Chicago is!  I hate on it sometimes because of the various pitfalls of urban living, but the truth is that I really love living in this city of neighborhoods where I can be close to so many things at the same time: amazing skyscraper views, one of the best city parks in the world, the beach, the lakefronth path, biking trails, broadway plays, insanely delicious restaurants, outlet malls, my family, summer concerts, a short drive to some really great nature parks... there are just too many things to keep going, but I am honestly lucky to be able to call this area home.

4.  Running

My marathon finish!  My hat is pulled down so low because I was a blubbering crying mess from pain, pride, relief, and just from being overwhelmed in general.  One of the proudest moments of my life.

Running really gives me so many things that it's hard to put in words.  I had terrible self-esteem and body image when I was younger, and running gives me more confidence and pride in my body and what it can do.  It gives me health and peace of mind that I am doing right by the only body I'll ever have.  It gives me the completely indulgent opportunity to shamelessly blast Flo Rida, New Kids on the Block, Sir Mixalot, and any other ridiculous pop song I want and sing along.  Most of the time, it gives me joy, and even on those days when it doesn't, it's given me faith that things will get easier even when they seem hard.  I'll always be grateful for the life lessons and humility that running has given me.

5. Great books

I have always loved reading - one of my favorite things to during summer breaks as a kid was the family outing to the library to get a new stash of Sweet Valley Twins, Babysitters Club, Fear Street, and Judy Blume books.  Sadly I wasn't able to keep up with it very much during law school because of the intense workload I already had, but I've been so thrilled to be able to spend my free time reading again since I've been done with school!  I recently finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (really liked it), I'm currently reading Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, and next on the list is an older one I've had borrowed from my sister for years months, The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb.  What was on your reading list this summer???

6.  Coffee

Homemade or Starbucks, iced or hot - no matter, it's all a little bit of joy every single day.  I just love it.

7.  Music

I know I'm not alone in feeling that music can have such an impact on your daily life.  A few old favorites for me are The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Sublime, Aerosmith, Weezer, Dave Matthews Band, and plenty more.  There is so much great music out there right now too - I really love The Black Keys, Florence + The Machine, Alabama Shakes, Iron & Wine, and Muse.  I've also always been a huge fan of motown and old r&b like Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Al Green, and The Temptations.  And of course I can always get down with a catchy pop tune too! :)  Who are some of your favorite bands and/or artists?

8.  The internet (and lack thereof)

Honestly, what did we do before it was such a daily fixture?  I'm old enough to remember when the internet didn't exist and the insane amount of time it took to use very first dial-up modems to connect (complete with 1000+ hours of free AOL! discs you would get in the mail on a daily basis), and it's crazy to remember those times when we weren't always connected.  As great as the internet is, there's also a something wonderful about completely disconnecting on purpose, isn't there?

9.  Arrested Development

via The Bluth Company

Solves any problem, answers any question, and forms the basis for 95% of the conversations I have on a daily basis.  But seriously, this cheers me up instantly anytime anything is wrong - I just can't help laughing even though I've seen every episode umpteen times.  If you haven't seen it, do.  Immediately.

10.  Summer softball

How can you not love this?  I've grown to really love the summer and fall leagues I play on even more than I did when I first started playing several years ago - it's such a fun after-work activity that gives a few carefree hours that remind me of being a kid again.

11.  Sunday Morning Breakfast

One of my favorite rituals ever.  Jason and I make breakfast together every weekend we can and read the Sunday paper while we finish our coffee.  It's such a nice break from everything else during the week and it's something we both treasure - we really miss it when we're not at home to do it!

12.  Good Beer

Okay, and sometimes wine...

Any season is okay with me, but I'm hanging onto the summer brews as long as I can - there will be plenty of time for fall.  My husband is a bit of a connaisseur, so I love sampling his picks and trying new crazy things - I usually pick them based on the name or label  :)

What are you thankful for this week?

Summer Days Driftin Away

This weekend was fast and furious - I definitely feel like I'm burning the candles at both ends right now.  I'm way behind on blog reading and responding to comments, but please know that I so much appreciate any time you guys feel inspired to comment - I read all of your comments and will respond as soon as I can!  I think the impending end of summer makes us sort of try to rush to get everything in, doesn't it?  I put together a little list of the things I wanted to do this summer and what's still left on the list to accomplish.  Summer technically goes until September 21, so I think I still have enough time to do all of it.  And there are so many great fall activities that I'm actually really looking forward to it this year!

Summer To Do

1.  Air & Water Show

2.  Go on vacation for wedding anniversary

3.  Indiana Dunes

4.  Cubs game & White Sox Game

5.  Blues Fest

6.  Ravinia

7.  Botanic Gardens

8.  Strawberry/fruit picking

9.  Lollapalooza

10.  Drive in theater

(went, but leaving it on the list because we still need to go to one of the throwback weekends - currently planning to go Sept 7 for ET and Jurassic Park)

11.  Go to the pool at our apartment building

12.  Go to Montrose Beach

One of the things I accomplished this weekend was to attend the Air & Water Show.  Jason and I have lived in Chicago for 6+ years (and I've lived in the area for most of my life), but we've never actually been to see it!  We hear the jets doing their fly bys every year and get mad that we made plans to be out of town, so this year we put it on the calendar and committed to going.  My sister and her husband came up too, and we all grilled food, hung out in the park all day, and watched the jets and plans - it was really an awesome day!  Also not on my list but accomplished this weekend - first and only sunburn of the year :(

And finally, I'm going to reluctantly post an outfit today... I wore this last week and decided I absolutely hate the way this top looks on me.  It's supposed to be drapey or something, but I think it really just adds 10 20 pounds and looks strange.  It's really cute on the hanger, but I just thought it was not at all flattering after I took these pictures (which naturally, I took after I had already worn the outfit all day).  Do you ever decide you hate things after you see them in photos even though they looked fine in the mirror?

I'm Wearing

Michael Kors buckle strap top - old

Tommy Hilfiger tan and white striped cardigan - old

Gap black pants - really old

Steve Madden nude flats - old

No jewelry?  Maybe I forgot... I don't remember

How was your weekend?

As usual, also linking up with Molly for YOLO Mondays!