High Five Friday!

Guess what, it's Friday!  Here's five great things about my week that deserve a high five! And... it's Friday, so you get one anyway.  Please share your own high five in comments!

1. END OF FINALS.  So, I still have one more in about an hour, but that's okay because one more final, two more choir performances and it's Christmas Break!

2. 360 Chocolate Flavored Vodka.  Wow. Got to try it last night and YUM.  That could be dangerous for me this holiday season.


3. I got some presents wrapped, finally.  Boyfriend is going home for Christmas so I let him start a little early... he got to open one last night and he loved it :) My family has a tradition of Hallmark ornaments every year so I got him an Indiana Jones figurine.


4.  I got to the gym three times this week! YAY it feels so good. Can't wait for a little break time so I can whip myself back into shape!

Me and my better half :) It was cold!

5. Christmas lights :)  More and more going up around the city and I love them!  Also got to go to Botanica for Illuminations last weekend and it was so beautiful.  Reminded me almost of Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. Almost.

Give me your high fives! Happy Friday and Merry Christmas :)

My hair savior - The Small Things Blog

Sometimes you just find a blog that is fantastic.  I've got to share this one with you!  While browsing through Pinterest the other day, I stumbled upon The Small Things Blog and I am absolutely IN LOVE!

Kate, the author of The Small Things Blog offers loads of great hair tips and style ideas. I watched one of her videos and used what I learned the next morning.  I haven't had so many compliments on my hair in awhile!

The number one tip I found through her site (this is going to blow your mind) is that you're supposed to put bobby pins in zig-zag side DOWN.

I simply do not understand how I made it through 21 years of doing my hair and never learned this little thing.  This little thing makes a BIG difference!  I've never before been able to get my hair to stay up in a messy bun using just pins.  By simply turning them over, I got it to stay all day with just FOUR!

Find her latest post here.  I found out about the bobby pin trick through reading some comments on a previous post, and then ironically a couple days later she wrote a post about it! Take time to read some hair posts and watch a couple videos, she really has some great ideas!

Party Survival Guide... for holiday fat prevention

There's sugar everywhere.  Cake in the office.  Chocolate in class.  Cookies on the counter because of that night I had a craving to bake... and made a double batch.  Good thing there is a boyfriend to eat all those up...

Sugar sugar sugar, it's holiday time and I can't get away from it.  This week I have five (yes, five) holiday parties to attend.  How am I going to keep from wrecking my my whole Don't-Gain-Weight-In-December plan?

Here's some hints, for me AND you!

1. Eat before you go - always works.  Even if I cannot resist the goodies completely, if I have a good meal before I head out to a party I know I've already had as many calories and proteins as I need.  Anything else I eat (or drink) is just extra to burn off.

2. Get up in the morning (or sometime) for some exercise!  The last think I feel like doing is pulling early mornings when I know there are going to be some late nights, but it makes a difference.  Even if all I'm accomplishing is maintaining my weight where it's at, that's better than gaining the average 2 or 3 holiday pounds!

3. Stop and evaluate before you put it in your mouth.  Look the whole table over. Pick three things you really want to try and forget the rest (and make it reasonable portion sizes).

4. Bring your own healthy snack to the party that you know is a go-to when you have a craving.  Every time you really feel like you should be munching on something, there's your low calorie healthy snack waiting to occupy your hands and mouth instead of the Oreo bon-bons and chocolate-by-death cake.

5. Drink a lot of water, and cut down on everything else.  Not only will it make you eat less, it will make you drink less worthless calories.

6. When all else fails, gum.  If you keep some minty gum in your purse for emergencies, you won't be tempted just to grab something from the table when you're walking by or just take a sip of someones eggnog.

Good Luck! Don't be too hard on yourself, just remember it's about having fun, not being sick of sugar and too much to drink!

My Finals Wisdom (a beer to relax is usually a bad idea while cramming)

Finals week. A time of late nights, terrible junk food, procrastination, and finally relief.  Having spent hours on papers and projects, pressing the submit button on my Philosophy final felt fantastic. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Funny how I've had more time in the past two days to get to the gym than the whole semester!  Yep, I went two days in a row.  I can see a wonderful picture of me in a little black dress on New Year's Eve already...

FINALS: WHAT TO AVOID

For those of you still in the midst of finals, here are my best cramming tips I've learned throughout the years.  They do not involve alcohol, so don't look for it (these are for if you actually want to do well on your tests) ...

1. Keep healthy snacks near you.  You are going to want food, and munching on carrots, nuts, or grapes will keep your mind much more focused than sugar or worthless carbs.
2. Do it in sections, and take a lot of breaks.  There's only so much time you can stare at one page or computer screen.  Taking little breaks can actually cut down on your time because you are more productive when you come back.
3. If you can, move around during those breaks!  Go to the gym for half an hour, take a walk, or just do jumping jacks in your bedroom if nothing else. Moving will help you think clearer and memorize material more quickly.
4. Sleep as much as you can... then get a good breakfast and a lot of coffee.
5. Do not, under any circumstances, log onto Facebook.

Good luck! 
P.S. I just joined Pinterest and I'm obsessed.  More to come.

I've spent hours trying to find a new blog template/background that I like, and so far I just haven't.  You might see some changes and experimentation... I want something better!

well that was easy - How to Follow Me

Hey readers, did you know you can follow me from my blog so that updates are sent to you and you don't have to spend time looking for them? 

1. Look to the right, under the "About Me" section. 
2. See the button that says Join This Site? It's blue. 
3. Become a follower by signing in with either your Gmail, Twitter, or Yahoo accounts.
4. YAY get updates delivered to you

Don't have a Gmail, Twitter, or Yahoo account?  You can also follow me by email.  Just type it in the box a bit farther down and press submit!

well that was easy

Shopping Sobriety

Money Saving Monday - (This was supposed to go out yesterday so sorry it did not get published!)

This blog entry by Lafemmeroar called Five Money Saving Tips This Holiday Season cracks me up.  Check it out!

My favorite is...

2. Tell people that you’re in the 12-Step Program for shopaholics. Shopping would not be conducive to your sobriety.

Thanks to Lafemmeroar!

Get Fit Friday - Just One Morning!



Because this is how I feel right now. Damn you Christmas goodies!

 I live five minutes from the gym, and it's still hard to get there.  I'm paying for a membership, but when was the last time I used it?  Probably about a month ago. Don't judge. When was the last time YOU got there?

While a month is better than four months, or six months, it's still too long for me.  So here is Get Fit Friday Challenge!

I'm challenging myself, and you, to get to the gym at least one time by next Friday.  Can we do it?  Yes, it will be the week before finals.  Yes, Christmas is in 24 days (as my room mate was kind enough to point out to me around 12:30 am).

24 Days. I haven't started any shopping, planning, or even crash dieting to look better in pictures.  I haven't even had time to decorate a tree! But next week, I'm picking a morning to get up early, and I will get myself to the gym!

If I never start, I'll never get there. One step at a time back into a fitness routine!  Who's with me?