My Week, in No Particular Order

1. I think I may be becoming addicted to cappuccinos. I’m also becoming really picky about my cappuccinos. I like my cappuccinos like I like my humor…dry.

2. I was a good and bad daughter for Mother’s Day. Maryrose and I really did well in the thoughtful gifts category, but I also stayed out late on Sunday night and forgot to text my mom. I never said I was a saint….

Really, though, sorry Mom! My bad!

3. I planned out my classes for next fall. Registration starts next month and I like to get a head start. Rate My Professors and I are reunited and it feels so good

4. Maryrose and I tried Zumba! I personally can.not.dance but it was still really fun. I especially enjoyed learning the choreography to “Gangnam Style.” 

5. Good things come to those who wait! I’ve been eyeing this sweater for months and it finally went on clearance. Score! Of course I managed to cut my arm and get a bloodstain on it today…lovely.

6. May Sweeps was awesome! I have no problem admitting that I cried a lot during the finale of The Office. I have loyally been watching that show all along, when it was good and when it was iffy, and I couldn’t have asked for a better finale. It was great.

Grey’s Anatomy delivered as well. I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t watched yet, but there were a lot of great twists and turns, shocking moments, and of course tear-jerking scenes. The one spoiler-y thing I will say: perfect Baby Grey name choice. I approve.

7. I haven’t seen The Great Gatsby yet, but this song is really working for me:

Have a great weekend, lovely readers! 

Progress Report

I’ve talked a fair bit on here about my on and off relationship with healthy eating and fitness. Much as I want health to be a high priority in my life, I often find myself losing motivation and not taking care of myself as well as I should. I’m trying to get back on track this month, and so far I’m doing pretty well.

Eating – I am such a snacker/grazer. I’m in the habit of eating really small snacks /meals at odd hours instead of eating at set times. I know this works for other people, but I’ve found that my energy is a lot higher and more sustained throughout the day if I eat more substantially and regularly.

In addition to changing when and how much I eat, I’m also adjusting what I eat. I’m eating a lot more whole grains and protein to increase my energy. I’ve been consistent about eating five vegetables and fruits a day, but I want to get that number higher than the minimum recommendation. I’ve also been following a mostly vegan diet, which has helped me be more conscious of the impacts of what I eat.

It’s been pretty hard to cut back on certain tempting treats, especially at work. To avoid making a dinner of chips and a chai latte, I’ve started bringing food to work and ordering drinks with no added sugar. I still love my chai, but on most days I’m choosing a cappuccino or unsweetened tea instead.

Fitness – I’m actually using my gym membership on a regular basis. My favorite gym activites are spin class, the elliptical machine, and the rowing machine, but I want to branch out with some other classes as well. I’m even thinking about trying Zumba, which normally I would never do because I have no rhythm. None. At all. But whatever, it might be fun!

I’m also doing the Blogilates May Muscles calendar and really enjoying it. It’s split up into abs/arms, butt/back, and legs/obliques days. I really, really loathe the legs days – proof of what I need to work on! It’s funny, but I felt a lot stronger in spin last night than I did before I started doing Blogilates – thanks, Cassey!

Sleep Better, but not great. I’m working on it.

Energy – So much improvement! I haven’t needed to take a daily nap at all this week, and it’s awesome to have that extra time. A month ago I would have laughed at the idea of doing daily hour- long workouts, but now I look forward to them!

Anxiety/Mood Improving! I was close to a panicky moment at work the other day, but I was able to breathe through it and coax myself back to a calm state. I was so, so proud of this progress – there is no way I would have been able to do that a year or even six months ago. Learning to self-soothe my anxiety is a big goal of mine, and that incident gave me confidence that I am getting close.

I feel so good that I can’t see why I would fall back into my old habits, but realistically I know that I’m not perfect and I will make some mistakes. However, that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up. I deserve to feel strong and healthy, and as long as I do I will consider this a successful endeavor.

What are your health and fitness goals? How to do you motivate yourself to stay on track? Let me know in the comments!

What to Wear to Work: Coffee Shop Edition

Hey guys!

As many of you know, I work for a well-known coffee chain. If you’ve ever been to this coffee chain, you’ve probably noticed that the baristas follow a pretty strict dress code. Personally, I am all about color and fun prints during my free time – clothes are for self-expression, right? I’ve been really wanting to update my work wardrobe to reflect my personal style while still following my company’s dress code. Here are some ideas I came up with on Polyvore to spruce up my work wardrobe.

Shirts - I pretty much stick to the plain black polo shirts for work, but I’d really like to branch out to something a little cuter. There are plenty of black or white button-up, collared shirts out there that would be perfect and way more fun than a polo! The one I’m showing here is sleeveless, but that could easily be remedied by wearing a cute black cardigan or pull-over sweater over it.

Pants - I wear the most boring, plain, black khakis for work and I am so sick of them! A great alternative would be some cropped black pants such as the JCrew Minnie pants pictured here. Not only do they look totally professional, but they’re also really flattering and comfortable. Win win win!

Shoes - They may have to be non-slip, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be cute! These ballet-flat inspired shoes are cute and safe for work – I may have to get a pair!

Accessories - Why not really have fun with the coffee thing and go for some adorable coffee-themed jewelry? One of my coworkers has a pair of coffee cup earrings and I think that’s such a cute idea! Etsy has lots of great options. I’m really loving these pink coffee cup earrings and coffee cup ring.

Hair - I get really lazy with my hair at work and usually just throw it up into a plain bun or ponytail. Why not make things a little more fun with a trendy sock bun, intricate braids, or a cute ribbon?

Well, there you have it – my ideas for sprucing up a coffee shop uniform. Do any of you work as baristas? What do you like to wear to work?

Have a lovely day!

Things I Love Right Now

Hey guys, happy May! I’m going to have a pretty crazy weekend at work because it’s Frappuccino Happy Hour – wish me luck! Anyway, without further ado, here are this week’s Things I Love Right Now.

1. Maxi dresses. It took me a while to hop on this trend because I originally thought  maxi dresses were kind of weird and dowdy. I was wrong. I finally bit the bullet and got a maxi dress on Thursday and I am in love. I went with a basic black tank dress with a high-low hem (also another trend I didn’t like until recently) and it is perfect.

I’m also pretty into this one

and this one.

2. Silver Linings Playbook. I finally watched this the other night and it was so excellent. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence were both very impressive – her Oscar was definitely well-deserved! It was also a great story of healing and the redemptive power of love. Go watch it if you haven’t already!

3. This upper body workout. I want to get back into Pilates this month, so I’m following the Blogilates May calendar. If you’ve never heard of Blogilates, it’s an awesome blog/YouTube channel made by a fitness instructor/inspirational human being named Cassey Ho. Her workouts are crazy difficult but really fun – her energy is really motivating! Give this video a try and check out the rest of the Blogilates site.

4. May Sweeps. I’m pretty dedicated to a select handful of shows, and I am really loving all the plot twists and new developments that have been going on lately, especially on Glee. Is it just me, or has that show been really good the past couple of episodes? I am loving the song choices lately (Stevie Wonder week? Awesome!) and can’t wait to find out who’s tricking Ryder, if Rachel will get the Funny Girl lead, and what will happen with Glee‘s many star-crossed lovers. I’m also really looking forward to the Grey’s Anatomy season finale. Some may critique Shonda Rhimes for her often melodramatic story lines, but you’ve got to admit she does season finales like no other. I can’t wait to see what disaster strikes Seattle-Grace-Mercy-Death Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital this year.

5. Self-improving reads. I’m personally of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with reading self-help books – what’s bad about wanting to work on yourself? I’m currently reading 20-Something, 20-Everything by Christine Hassler and Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. I might do individual reviews of them later on, but for now I’ll just say that they’re both really interesting and helpful reads – I’m picking up a lot of useful advice!

6. Indulge me for one more Glee-related item. This song is awesome. It was really cool to see the cast do an a cappella number and I thought “For the Longest Time” was a great choice for this group of performers.

Cute, right?

Okay guys, have a great weekend!

You Are More Beautiful Than You Think

Things I Love Right Now

1. Cheerful Weather for the Wedding. I have such a weakness for English period movies, and Cheerful Weather for the Wedding was no exception. The music, set and costuming were totally gorgeous of course, and I thought that the film was very well cast. I also really appreciated the subtlety of the story and can’t wait to read the book the movie was based on! Check out the trailer:

2. Greek Style Cold Greens. I am so, so addicted to these right now. I make them using the Mark Bittman recipe and they are divine. I could eat them multiple times a day because they are that delicious. They’re also really easy to make and good for you too – hello calcium!

3. Target C9 by Champion Women’s Ribbed Tank. I bought the white one for my color run and ended up wearing it to sleep in for most of the week before the race! It is so, so comfortable and fairly cute if I do say so myself. I only have the white one now (and it is currently covered in paint), but I think the gray and pink one is super cute too.

4. NYX Rouge Cream Blush. Summer is coming, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of heavy makeup in hot weather. I’ve been really into this cream blush in Boho Chic lately. It’s such a lovely pink that looks great on it’s own but also blends really well with a powder blush or bronzer for a stronger effect.

5. Thought Catalog. I didn’t start reading it until a few months ago, but I’m hooked! Sometimes they make me laugh, sometimes they make me think, but either way they are always entertaining. Here are some of my recent favorites:

Critiquing Wes Anderson Movie Posters.

The Game of Life: 20-Something Edition.

The OKCupid Inbox of Every 23-Year-Old Girl.

I Like Awkward Hot Guys the Best.

What Your Favorite Disney Channel Original Movie Says About You.

Have a great weekend!

Color Me Rad!

2. Run a 5K. Completed April 7, 2013.