Working on Fitness

ok. i am not as dedicated as staying healthy as i need to be. i admit that i'm pretty good at finding reasons not to work out and i tend to serve myself that second helping more often than i should. but i have exercised every morning this week!

since it's so dang cold outside, i've had to find ways to get my cardio indoors. one of my favorites is doing sets of jumping jacks while holding light weights. also, boxing while holding weights really works up a sweat.

this morning i tried the circuit workout from Lauren Conrad's  7 Days to Skinny Jeans plan.

• 100 jumping jacks
• 20 crunches
• 20 squats
• 10 pushups 
• 25 bench dips (i couldn't do these because the chair kept sliding on the hardwood floors)
• 60 second wall sit
• 60 second plank 
• and repeat!

this was harder than i thought it would be, but i felt so accomplished afterwards and it only took about 20 minutes!

since the living room is the only area large enough to exercise in, i watched How I Met Your Mother while i worked out, but i generally prefer to listen to music. here are some of my favorite workout songs.

• Hey Boy Hey Girl - The Chemical Brothers
• Nightmare - Avenged Sevenfold
• Hella Good - No Doubt
• The Boys are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy
• Mambo #5 - Lou Bega
• Knockout - Lil Wayne & Nicki Minaj
• Wannabe - Spice Girls
• Dirty Little Secret - The All American Rejects
• Mony Mony - Billy Idol
• What The Hell - Avril Lavigne

i realize that working out is futile without the right diet. i eat a healthy breakfast (and lunch and dinner) most days. dinner is when i mess up and always get seconds when i'm not still hungry; i just want more. starting tonight i'm going to make a conscious effort to stop myself before i get that second helping of noodles. 

i eat dinner with the family every night, but breakfast and lunch i eat alone, so tomorrow morning i think i'll try this breakfast quinoa recipe (also part of the 7 Days To Skinny Jeans plan)!
*a note - this recipe, though delicious, takes quite a bit of time. to boil milk you have to use medium/low heat and stir pretty often to keep it from scorching. the whole process takes me 30-45 minutes. so if you work in the mornings (i don't), this might be a breakfast best saved for the weekend.

happy Tuesday!

this morning i made Moons Over Miami (or nest eggs, or egg in a basket, or a multitude of other names for the same dish) for breakfast. you take a piece of bread and cut a hole in the center with a biscuit cutter or glass. then you butter both sides of the bread and place it in a frying pan over medium heat. you crack an egg into the hole (careful not to break the yolk!), salt and pepper the bread and egg to your liking. after a couple minutes when the is golden and crispy, flip it over (this is the tricky part) and cook till done! i put shredded cheese on mine. i ate my toast with a cutie and English breakfast tea. delicious! i wish i had taken a picture. i think i'll try it again tomorrow (:

this candle from Target is bamboo and water lotus scented, with eucalyptus and coriander. it smells so great. really fresh and invigorating. 

i discovered this dress today at  Olivine. i love how simple, yet elegant it is. you could wear it with some great tights and chunky heels, or a fab pair of flats!

i love this Why Don't You? list. 

Frustration

something frustrating happened today. i won't go into details, but it (on top of other things) left me a little upset.

luckily, Pinterest stepped in and reminded me to:

so. letting it go. i'm going to enjoy the rest of this weekend and continue job-hunting on Monday. that's really all i can do, and staying upset won't get me employed, will it?

24 before 25

i got this idea from a beautiful mess (i love this blog, in case you hadn't noticed). it's a list of goals to accomplish before my next birthday. my birthday was over a month ago, so i'm a little late on completing my list. it's harder than i thought it would be. most of my goals were grandiose statements like, "try new foods," and "push my boundaries." this list contains goals that are all quantifiable and can clearly be crossed off. SO after a month of consideration, here are my goals!

1. move to a new city
2. get a writing/editing job
3. discover a new band/musician (that i'll keep listening to)
4. make new friends (which, as it turns out, is harder to do as an adult)
5. go to a music festival
6. take a class (such as cooking, photography, something creative!)
7. take a road trip
8. take a blog tutorial or e-course
9. learn how to French braid
10. try Dutch food
11. try fried chicken and waffles
12. make at least 5 Julia Child recipes
13. learn how to apply eyeliner well
14. have a spa day with mom and sister
15. go to Vegas with friends
16. cook lobster
17. plan a trip with Brittany
18. take a zumba class
19. live on my own
20. go to a concert or play in a foreign language
21. learn how to ride a bike
22. get a dia de los muertos tattoo
23. make cute jewelry
24. make an outfit for K-lee

there you have it! my 24 things to do before i turn 25. i may not do them all, but i'll damn well try. and hey - i already accomplished #1!

Sparkles

what's one thing that always makes me smile? that's right: sparkles! sparkles have the ability brighten up even the gloomiest days.

a simple, yet charming way to add some shine in your life. throw some sequins in water!

i'm a sucker for glittery heels.

the only thing better than glittery shoes? glittery shoes that you make yourself!

my day-to-day makeup is pretty simple but i like to wear dramatic makeup for special occasions.

this skirt is just perfection. you could dress it up for nighttime or make it casual for daywear.

a chandelier is a great way to add sparkle and shimmer to any room. and is a must for my dream home.

fireworks! duh.

i love this combination of matte and glitter polish.

unfortunately i'm not that gifted when it comes to doing nails. but i did give myself a simple pedicure to brighten up my day!

More Words of Wisdom

i especially like #6 ;)

Coachella!

last year i went to Coachella, an annual music festival in Indio, CA. it was the  best experience of my life. 

3 days of music and friends and dancing. pure joy.

i learned more about the friends i went up with. i met Kyle, who is now one of my closest friends. i made new friends. there's something about a road trip and music festivals that brings people together. 

this year, i wasn't planning on going to Coachella again. why, you ask? not because i didn't want to. because i want to experience as many music festivals as possible. while i would love to go to all of them, it's just not possible. they're expensive, for one thing. and taking time off is another issue. i plan on getting a "grown-up job" soon, and i can't just take off for mini vacations with friends like i could with my old job. 

this year, i was thinking about going to Sasquatch, or Bonaroo or Lollapalooza. Lolla would be the most realistic since it happens in the city i currently live in. 

but today... today, the Coachella lineup came out.

Florence. Snoop. Calvin Harris. Kaskade. Beirut. Black Keys. Andrew Bird. AVICII. First Aid Kit. Azealia Banks. SBTRKT. Swedish House Mafia. Morgan Page.

it goes ON & ON & ON

conundrum.