Weekend Wear: Cowboys & Crocs

I have a pair of Crocs flip-flops that I wear whenever I know I'm going to have to do a lot of walking, like at the state fair or at Ikea. They're not stylish at all, but they are so very very comfortable. So when I was given the opportunity to try out a new line of shoes from Crocs, I jumped at the chance. They are now making cute flats, boots, and tennis shoes.

I picked out a pair of white tennis shoes - the Hover Lace Ups. These are basic canvas, lace-up sneakers but with a hidden, special touch. The soles are made from Crocslite, which is that cushioning material that Crocs is known for.

My first thoughts were that they were very difficult to get on because the back of the shoe wouldn't stay up while I put my foot in. But they are super cute! And I have that problem with shoes sometimes because my wide feet really have to be shoved into shoes, so I didn't let that deter me. I love the retro vibe of plain white canvas shoes - they remind me of shoes I wore back in the 80s.

But looks alone are not enough, so I gave them the ultimate test - I went back to Ikea! I have a hard time finding simple canvas shoes like this that are wide enough but the Crocs were great for my feet. And the cushioning in the heel is everything I would hope for - super squishy and soft on my heels. I walked all over Ikea without any heel pain or tired feet.

Unfortunately, it didn't take too long before I noticed a different problem. The insole of the shoes is made out of the same material as all Crocs and is not covered in any sort of material so it made my feet start sweating profusely and there wasn't anything in the shoe to absorb the wetness, so my feet got slippery and shriveled. Not fun. Now to be fair, I wasn't wearing any socks, but I really think that the shoes should have some lining in them so that they absorb sweat like normal tennis shoes.

My final thoughts are that the shoes are a great look, and comfortable, but only if you are going to wear socks with them.
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Crocs sent me these shoes to review free of charge. The opinions expressed are my own.

Store Review: T.J. Maxx

I was recently invited to drop by my local T.J. Maxx for a little info session. I've shopped at T.J. Maxx and its sister store, Marshalls, for 15 years so I was pretty sure that I didn't need any tips on how to shop there, but I like shopping and it had been a little while since I had been in T.J. Maxx so I decided to pop in. I have to admit that I was wrong. I learned so many new things. Let me clear up my biggest misconception, b/c I think it's a pretty common one.

T.J. Maxx does not sell last season's clothes nor does it sell items that are left over b/c they didn't sell at a department store. Did you think that? I did. But really, everything is current season clothing, accessories, etc that you can buy full price at other stores or you can buy the same things for 30-60% off at T.J. Maxx.

Some of my favorite pieces in the store 

So after everything I thought I knew about T.J. Maxx was thrown away within the first 60 seconds I was there, I decided I better pay very close attention to what I was hearing about the store.

Tip: Shop different stores to find different items.

The buyers shop for each store individually so what you will find in St. Louis could be completely different from Tampa and what's in the store 5 miles from my house is completely different from what's in the store across town. It all depends on the demographic of the store.

Tip: Look for the purple price tag to find the higher end designer items.

Want to pick up something a little special? Most of the tags in the store are white, but all the top designer items have blue/purple price tags (I think they're supposed to be purple, but one store I was in was using blue ones). When I was there, my local store had a Calvin Klein dress, Anne Klein blouse, a DKNY top, and a Tahari jacket that I was drooling over. I picked up the dress because it was perfect for work*.

Accessories

Tip: Designer clothing and on-trend accessories will be on small racks 

bordering the long racks of clothes and purses.

Check out the smaller racks before delving into the long rows of racks. While I was browsing I spotted Nine West, Jessica Simpson, and Tahari shoes; sterling silver jewlery; Anne Klein, Ed Hardy, Badgley Mischka watches; tons of scarves; and fur and pony hair purses that would be perfect for fall. I picked up a snakeskin print Jessica Simpson purse* for $50 rather than the $100 retail price. Nice!

Tip: Get your holiday decorations and home decor!

T.J. Maxx offers a lot more than just clothes. They have small furniture items (I really want that teal shelf. I think I am going to go back and get it for my bedroom), housewares, luggage, seasonal decorative items, and even gourmet food. I've always been hesitant to buy the food b/c I assumed it was old, but it's not! It's all brand new, current items just like the clothing. So I grabbed a small bag of ginger candy and some gourmet spices!

I wanted to leave you with one last photo. I can't believe that I didn't pick one of these fancy mannequins up. How awesome would one look with some jewelry draped around the neck, tucked into the corner of my room? sigh.

* I've got an outfit photo coming showing off my new purchases.

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T.J. Maxx provided me with a gift card to go shopping while I was in the store. Plus I went shopping with my own money too b/c I found so much stuff I wanted. Plus I went back and bought even more stuff. And I think I am going to go back and get that shelf and a mannequin. LOL. Anyway, what I am trying to say is, as always, any opinions expressed here are my own and have not been influenced by the giftcard I received. I've been shopping at T.J. Maxx for years and I definitely suggest you check it out.

Unwrapping The Online Shopping Spree - We Love Colors

Featured In This Video:

• Plus Sized Nylon/Lycra Fishnets, turquoise
• Plus Size Nylon/Lycra Tights, charcoal

Additional Info:

I spoke with We Love Colors and they told me the currently the fishnets only come in one size, so that explains that! I think that they would fit a wide variety of sizes. Just so you can relate, I am currently wearing a size 20 and am 5'6" tall. So if you are that size or smaller and/or that height or shorter, they should fit you

Curvy Girl Contest:

Just for fun, We Love Colors has a Curvy Girl of the Month Contest, where every month one lucky person receives 3 pairs of We Love Colors hosiery and is featured on their Facebook page. I am definitely going to submit my photo! You should too.

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We Love Colors sent me both of these tights to review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I would like to say thank you to We Love Colors for giving me the chance to review their tights, especially since I have been wanting to try them out!

Product Review: The Body Shop Rainforest Radience Hair Butter

The Body Shop recently contacted me to see if I wanted to review the upcoming line of makeup and beauty products. I don't claim to be an expert in makeup so I passed on that, but one thing in their new line really caught my eye - Rainforest Radiance Hair Butter. I have really dry hair, and I am always looking ways to add shine, so I said I would love to review that one product.

My package arrived on Saturday while we had company over so we all decided that it would be fun if everyone tried the hair mask. We set down our margaritas, trooped over to the kitchen sink where everyone dampened their hair, then one by one we applied the hair butter before picking our margaritas back up and going back to our Scrabble game.

Rand rinsed his hair out first. After his hair was dry, we all proclaimed it to be nice and soft. I left mine in longer for a little deeper conditioning and headed to the shower to wash it out about an hour later. When my hair dried a few hours later, it was sticky and gross, so I assumed I hadn't gotten it thoroughly rinsed out. So the next morning I took a proper shower and washed my hair, even though the directions said I only needed to rinse it. As I sit here now, my hair is still sticky and gross feeling. It's really hard to get a brush through my hair and all my natural shine is gone.

The third participant in our hair butter experiment had one too many margaritas and went to sleep with the mask in her hair. She also gives it a thumbs down, but since I doubt the product was meant to be left in for 12 hours, I don't know if we should count her review. Even discounting her assessment, I will be passing on the Rainforest Radiance Hair Butter from The Body Shop when it shows up in their stores. The Body Shop has some amazing products, but unfortunately this particular product did not work for me. I will however be buying more Satsuma Body Butter the next time I am in the store. Gah, I love how that stuff smells. I just want to eat it!

Do you use any deep conditioning products in your hair?
________________________________
 I want to say thank you very much to The Body Shop for providing me with this product for review before it even came out in stores. The Body Shop contacted me to write this review and provided me with the hair butter free of charge. I did not receive any additional compensation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Product Review: CaciqueBody

You may remember that Lane Bryant and Cacique have expanded their offerings to include a new bath and body line of products. I recently reviewed two of their products and I am back with a review of 3 more.

Good As New in Citrus Fresh:

Good As New is a 3-in-1 bath product that cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes all at once. I'm not generally a fan of exfoliating body washes primarily b/c I usually take baths rather than showers and the little exfoliating beads are hard to get rinsed out of the tub. But I stuck by bottle of Good As New in my shower and used it twice a week for 3-4 weeks. I must say that I really liked it. I'm not sure an exfoliator and a moisturizer coexist in the same product but it definitely does both of those things.

The Citrus Fresh is my favorite scent so far in this new line. It's light and bright without being too tangy smelling.

You Butter Believe It in Waterblossom:

You Butter Believe It is a body butter. I found it to be creamy and moisturizing without being too heavy. It definitely passed my "lotion test" - I know I've found a good lotion when I shower later and can feel the lotion being rinsed away. That means it was long lasting, which I like. You Butter Believe it is pretty standard as far as body butters go.

For me Waterblossum is a good scent for body butter. I generally apply heavy lotions at night right before I go to bed, so I don't like any scents that are too "refreshing" since that will wake me up rather than sooth me to sleep. Waterblossum is a mild sweet floral scent that was great for nighttime.

Keep It Smooth:

Keep It Smooth is an anti-chafing cream and was by far the product that I was most excited about in this new line. I've mentioned before that I have issues with chafing and I have lots of different methods for dealing with it. Sadly, Keep It Smooth will not be added to my arsenal. The product is touted as having a lotion to powder finish which seems like it would be exactly what you want. But on me it left a sticky residue that actually made my chafing worse than if I had used nothing at all. I tried it out under different circumstances and different outdoor temperatures. It let me down every time. So, it's not a product that I would recommend.

When I was at the Lane Bryant Blogger Conference during Full Figured Fashion Week, I was interviewed about my thoughts on the products I had already tested at the time. Lane Bryant just released the video of that interview.

Product Review: CaciqueBody Body Mist & Firming Lotion

Lane Bryant and Cacique have expanded their offerings to include a new bath and body line of products. It will be available in select Lane Bryant and Cacique stores, as well as online.

The collection includes the following items:

• Firm Believer *, smoothing body lotion
• Good As New *, 3-in-1 body wash
• Spray It Again *, hydrating body mist
• You Butter Believe It *, pampering body butter
• Keep It Smooth, anti-chafing cream
• Revive & Kicking, revitalizing leg cream
• Shimmer Time, shimmering body lotion

* In the following scents:

• Pinkberry
• Citrusfresh
• Waterblossom
• Nightbloom

Spray It Again in Pinkberry:

Lane Bryant sent me the smoothing body lotion and the hydrating mist in the pinkberry scent to try out. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't personally wowwed by the scent. Even though the pinkberry is described as a combination of cherry blossoms, raspberry, and peppercorn, I found it to smell more floral than fruity. I  love strong fruit smells, but I'm not a big fan of floral scents, so I was unconvinced. But the very first night that I used the body, Rand went into the bathroom to brush his teeth right after I got finished using the spray. And he immediately came over to me to ask what I had been using in the bathroom because he loved the smell. And if he likes it, then I like it because when I crawl into bed after my nightly beauty ritual, he is who I'm trying to impress. Sold!

I've never used a hydrating mist before. All I know is that you're supposed to use them on flights to keep your skin looking plump and moisturized.And I have really dry skin so that's definitely something I am going to start doing, esp now that I see how much Rand likes this spray.

Firm Believer in Pinkberry:

The scent of the body lotion was not as strong as the mist, which I really liked. Ingredients include seaweed extract, caffeine, and an antioxident blend all of which are geared to moisturize and reduce the appearance of lumpy thighs. I know that caffeine has been shown to have short term plumping properties, but my thighs have too much cellulite to judge how well it works.

But lotion is primarily to help keep moisture in your skin and to keep things soft and silky. And this lotion definitely fits that bill. I have a couple of tests for whether or not something is a "good lotion." Yes, I actually think about these things (currently my hand lotion at work is not a good lotion and I hate it.) First, how does it feel when I am applying it? Is it smooth and creamy? Watery? Oily? I only like smooth and creamy lotions and this falls firmly into that category. Second, how well does it stay on? I know a lotion is high quality when I wash my hands or take a bath hours later and I can feel the lotion having to be washed away because it is still protecting my skin. The Firm Believer lotion does that as well.

Final Thoughts:

So my thoughts are that I love the lotion. It's high quality and does it's job well. I would definitely buy it again and continue to use it. And I'm enjoying the body mist, but it's probably not going to make it into the normal rotation of personal products that I use every day. But that's because body mists just confuse me.

I can't wait to try out the rest of the CaciqueBody line.

Unwrapping a Package: Close 2 Your Heart

A few weeks ago, I was reading a post on Bombshell Beauty where she was wearing a necklace that really piqued my interest. I left a comment about the necklace and the next thing I knew, the maker of the necklace, Close 2 Your Heart, had sent me two of them! I made this video review with the one for me. Stay tuned to see how you can win the other one.

Review: Fashion to Figure Ponte Knit Dress

A lot of you had some really lovely things to say when I posted a picture of me wearing this Fashion To Figure dress over the weekend. And I’m glad that you liked it because I did too. The fine people at Fashion To Figure provided the dress for me to review and it sat in my closet for two weeks before I got a chance to wear it, because I knew exactly where I wanted to wear it. I wore it to see Cirque du Solei. I wanted to be dressed up but still comfortable since I was going to be in a stadium for 3 hours. Honestly, it was perfect for that. It was super comfortable and non-binding (so important when sitting for long periods) and remained wrinkle free so I still looked great when I stood back up.

Pros:

• Super-soft and comfortable
• Well made
• Wrinkle-free
• Versatile style
• * enough stretch to be forgiving, but not skin tight (I don’t know about you, but my weight fluctuates and I like clothing that can accommodate that)

Cons:

• There is a side zipper and the zipper pull is at the very top under your arm and it poked me in the armpit all night. Not a deal breaker, but a little annoying.
• It’s a little shorter than I like, but that’s a personal choice (I think it would be great for someone a little shorter than I am (5’6”) or for a junior or someone who likes to show their legs) and Rand definitely approved of the length.

Conclusion:

FTF provided me with this dress, so I think the real question always comes down to “Would I buy it if I had to spend my own money?” And I am honestly surprised to say yes. Originally, I was concerned that the dress might be cheap (always a concern for me when trying new plus size lines online) and it was not at all. The ponte knit was nice and thick without being too heavy, and everything felt well constructed. YAY!! I love finding new plus size stores. I had hoped that I would be able to wear this for work as well as play, but it’s too short for my office in the summer. However, in the winter, I can totally wear it with tights to the office.

This is the only piece I own from FTF, but I am very pleased with the quality, so I am going to add them to the places that I shop online. In fact, I’ve got my eye on this dress next:

Do you want to buy this ponte knit dress that I reviewed or check out any other items at Fashion to Figure? They are offering my readers a discount:

Take $25 Off When You Spend $75 Or More: Use Coupon Code: FTF7525
Take $50 Off When You Spend $150 Or More: Use Coupon Code: FTF15050
Take $75 Off When You Spend $225 Or More: Use Coupon Code: FTF22575

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Fashion to Figure provided me with this dress to review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced. Fashion to Figure is also currently listed as an affiliate of T Minus, T Plus. I did not add them as an affiliate until after I tested the dress and determined that I will spend my own money on their clothing in the future. I am not willing to have affiliates on T Minus, T Plus that are not places that I shop on my own.

New Years Eve Eve?

My shoes from maurices arrived yesterday, so I thought I would wear them right away so I could let y'all know what I thought. Honestly, my first impression wasn't the best. The shoes weren't in a box - just in a plastic bag - which my mailman shoved into my tiny mailbox. So I was worried that the shoes would be all squished. They were not. The "leather" was soft and supple, and they were comfy all day long. There is no padding in the bottom of the shoe, but I found this to be comparable to all my other flats in this same price range. I would definitely recommend maurices shoes.

What I Wore While Road-testing Shoes:

• pink skirt (via Goodwill)
• purple tank (Lane Bryant)
• plaid wrap shirt (The Limited)
• purple harlequin tights (Target?)
• black flats (maurices)
• purple earrings (via Swap)
• purple necklace (vintage, hand-me-down from friend)

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maurices has offered me a $20 giftcard so that I can review their products. The item that I purchased cost more than I received. If you have any questions about giveaways or reviews of products on this website, please read this post and feel free to leave a comment there. I read and reply to all comments.

Info About Giveaways & Product Reviews

In the past week or so, I have received several emails from various merchants asking me to host giveaways of their products, or offering me a giftcard to their store if I will talk about what I bought on my website. I think most of you know from my previous concern about this, that I don't take this lightly. I started this blog as a fun and productive outlet for my own fashion, weightloss, and exercise goals. I am not doing this to get free swag or to be paid to hype up products.

However, if it is a store that I already shop at (seriously, have you seen how much of my clothing comes from Target, Old Navy, Lane Bryant, Ross, and Goodwill??) then I don't feel like it is misleading to accept a giftcard and continue with my normal posting. And I would hate to turn down a great giveaway opportunity for y'all just because a product is new to me. So I've created some guidelines for myself. Want to hear them? Well I'm posting them anyway, so look away if you don't care. There should be a post with lots of pictures coming soon, or you can always go drool over my closet video.

Still here? Okay here we go.

Giftcards

If it is a store that I shop at already, then I will accept the giftcard as long as there aren't unreasonable strings attached. What's unreasonable? I don't know. Maybe declaring that I will never shop anywhere else again and neither should you? LOL. That's not going to happen.

If it's a store that I have not yet shopped at, I will go to their website and look at what they are selling. If they have things that I would buy even without the giftcard, then I will accept the giftcard. If their clothing or products aren't "me" then I will not accept the giftcard, even if the products might be great for other people.

Giveaways

This is going to be pretty similar to my guidelines for giftcards. If it's something I like and use, I'll be happy to host a giveaway for y'all. If it's a store that I shop at already, ditto.

If it's a product or store that I have not used, but think it looks like something my readers might enjoy, something I would buy for myself, or something I would be happy to receive as a gift, then I will host the giveaway.

Again, if there are unreasonable strings attached then I will decline to host a giveaway.

General Info

So, if I am wearing clothing from a store, or talking about a workout DVD, or even touting some new peanut butter that I am eating, it's very important to me that my readers know I am talking about it b/c it is something I support on my own, not something that I am being bribed to talk about.

I'll put at the bottom of a post if I've received any freebies, or if a giveaway is being hosted my a merchant, or if in any way any content on that post might be influenced by an outside source. That way you'll know all the details, b/c I have done plenty of reviews and one giveaway (so far) that were just on my own.

Feel free to leave comments if you have any questions or concerns.

Tina

Disco Diva

No fashion today. I had a quick interview so I had to throw on my interview suit, which you've seen before. But I did get some non-walking exercise, so you know I have to talk about that!

What I Did Thanks To Cranky Fitness:

I won a workout DVD from a giveaway on Cranky Fitness. If you are interested in fitness, you have to got to read this blog. It's written by two hilarious, well-informed women: Crabby McSlacker (best name EVA!) and Merry. I love them and so will you. So I finally got off my butt to try out one of the two DVDs they sent me. Both of them are So You Think You Can Dance workout DVDs. I selected the Cardio Funk. I did the warm-up (10 minutes) and then I selected the the Disco workout (as if you couldn't tell from my lovely pose above).

Here's what I like:

• nice long warm up
• very clear instruction
• everyone on the video actually seems like they're having fun and it makes you want to enjoy it too.

Here's what I don't like:

• most of the video is the instruction part (10 minutes per dance type) and that part isn't really a workout
• the only real workout part is only 5 minutes per dance
• I didn't really break a sweat

I'll do this video again, but it's really geared more for people who want to dance than people who want to get in a good sweaty workout.

Gifts in the Mail!

A few weeks ago I offered to send a workout video that I was bored with to the first reader that requested it. (evanadine, if you email me your address, I'm still happy to send that workout ball video to you.) In the comments to that post, LeShaune offered to send me some workout DVDs that she had. I got 3 DVDs in the mail. Is she awesome, or what? Thanks, LeShaune!!

What I Did Thanks To TexNYQueen:

This weekend I tryed out the first video - hula! Silly me thought she was sending me a hula hoop video. LOL. It was really Island Girl Hula Dance Fitness Workout.

I loved this video. It was totally different from any workout video I've ever done. It wasn't the hardest workout, but it kept me engaged and I definitely worked up a sweat. Plus, I got to work out barefoot. You can't beat that. Why is it such a pain to put on shoes?

Thanks again, LeShaune! You are one awesome lady!

Built Around a Brooch

I decided I wanted to wear this floral brooch today, so this outfit is built around that.

What I Wore Because of a Brooch:

• brooch (Target)
• brown slacks (Lane Bryant)
• magenta blouse (Target)
• cream stretch belt (Dots)
• rafia shoes (Bandalino)
• bug ring (Dots)
• champagne faux pearl necklace, extended by me (charity shop)
• champange faux pearl earrings (thrifted new, Goodwill)

What I Ate At the End of a 10 Day Food Bender:

• breakfast: alternative bagel, greek yogurt w/ honey, watermelon
• lunch: 3 huge slices of pizza (but not the salad b/c it had honey on it - gross)
• snack: chocolate donettes, reeses cookies
• dinner: didn't eat b/c stuffed from donettes

What I Did on a Ball:

Another workout video from the library: Quick Fix Stability Ball. It's 3 ten minute workouts. I've come to realize that stability ball workouts are pretty lame. I think I am going to give up on them. This video is going back to the library. I'll take my stability ball to the office to use as a chair. And that just leaves this workout tape that I should just give away. Does anyone want it?

Babies & Cookie Cakes

Rand's Daily Outfit Assessment: "You look like a pirate. That's one puffy shirt. Those are puffy sleeves." Thanks for paraphrasing Seinfeld at me, Rand.

Today a coworker received this cute cookie cake and she set it out for everyone to enjoy. Did I succumb to the instructions to "Relax and Pig Out!"?

As soon as dinner was over we ran to the hospital to see some friends and their newborn. I'm not gonna lie. I think I was a little jealous. :)

What I Wore While Looking Like a Pirate...ARRRRGGG:

• redviolet/black/white blouse (a.n.a., thrifted Goodwill)
• black slacks (Lane Bryant)
• grey vest (Lane Bryant)
• skinny black belt (Nine West)
• earrings (Target)
• magenta snakeskin kitten heels (Steven by Steve Madden)

What I Ate Before Rushing Off To See a New Baby:

• breakfast: 1 c. Fiber One Honey Clusters, 2 oz blueberries, Almond Breeze
• lunch: beef buddig sandwich, baby carrots, mexican zucchini slices, cherries, 10 pop chips
• snack: small banana, SoyJoy, lite string cheese, 1 oz of cookie cake *
• dinner: faux chicken parmesan, spaghetti squash, roasted broccoli
• dessert: WW english toffee crunch ice cream

* After looking at everything I had scheduled to eat for the day, I did a little adjusting and found out that I could have a small piece of the cookie cake. It was good, but the small piece was plenty.

What I Did Because TV Influences Me:

Last week I requested that my library reserve a couple of DVDs for me. One of them was a movie but the other was a workout video. I watch The Biggest Loser, so I thought I would try The Biggest Loser: The Workout. I really like that I can just check this out from the library b/c it's not anything I would have ever purchased. It wasn't really like any other DVD I've done. There are 4 different workouts, which is great. And the people in the videos are real people - various cast members of the Biggest Loser. As a result they weren't always on tempo with each other, and sometimes they had a hard time keeping up with what they were supposed to be doing.

My assessment: it would be great for someone who has never really done much exercise, but the moves were too basic for me to enjoy. Having said that, I did get a workout. The sheer number of repetitions of movements really made some of it difficult. I'll check out some of the other workouts on the DVD, but it's not something I really would want to add to my video library.

Total for the Day: glasses of water, 28.5 points (1631 calories), 30 minutes of exercise

Harry Potter & Stretching

Rand's Daily Outfit Assessment: None. Rand woke up right before I walked out the door and he was too groggy to even see what I was wearing.

What I Wore While Listening to Harry Potter on CD:

• dusty rose graph shirt (via JCPenny)
• brown/white skirt (Target)
• brown leather belt (CK Jeans)
• brown leather heels (Manolo Blahnik, thrifted Goodwill)
• button ring (Etsy Dallas fair)
• goldtone earrings (?)
• goldtone belt, worn as necklace (thrifted Goodwill)

What I Ate While Following WW for the First Time:

• breakfast: 1/2 c. low fat granola, 1 c. unsweetened Almond Breeze, 2 oz blueberries, Monster
• lunch: almond butter & sugar-free blueberry preserves, carrot, red bell pepper, 1 c. cherries
• snack: string cheese, SoyJoy
• dinner: hammered chicken sandwich, edamame & zucchini salad

What I Did On a New Level:

My first day of Level 2 of The 30 Day Shred. Even on the wimpy level - Yikes! After that I did the P.M. workout on this A.M. & P.M. Stretch DVD that I got from the library. I really liked the stretch DVD. I felt like I got a good stretch, and it was relaxing without being too "new age-y."

Total for the Day: 7 glasses of water, 28 WW points (1538 calories), 50 minutes exercise (5 points earned)

Brazilian Dance

What I Wore to the Dubliner:

• pale pink lace trim jacket (Lane Bryant)
• pink/red/green dot silk shirt (Nine West)
• blue wide-leg slacks (Gap)
• pink heels (Nine West)
• pink heart earrings (Xmas gift from stepbrother)
• pink bracelet (from a friend's mom)

What I Ate While Playing Dominoes:

• breakfast: 1 c. Optimum blueberry & cinnamon cereal, 1/2 c. Almond Breeze, 6 oz blueberries
• lunch: 1/2 turkey ruben sandwich, 1 c. steamed veggies, 1 c. french onion soup (Jason's Deli)
• snack: Z-bar (Cliff)
• dinner: 16 oz Julius Echter heffeweisen, 1/2 cheeseboard (I had about 1/2 of what you see, plus about 2 oz of brie YUM!!)
• dessert: microwave cake (1/3 c. reduced sugar cake mix, slightly less than 1/3 c. unsweetened Almond Breeze (or liquid of your choice) microwaved for 2 minutes and topped with 2 T of reduced sugar icing

What I Did with Free DVDs:

The lovely ladies at Fit Bottomed Girls (great blog if you exercise at all. Seriously, check them out) had a multitude of give-aways a few weeks ago and I WON!! I am now the proud owner of 3 Dance and Be Fit workout DVDs. I stuck the Brazilian Body one this morning and allowed myself 30 minutes to workout, even though it was going to make me later to work than normal. My arrival time is flexible, so this is fine with work, but hard for me to allow myself to do. I'm trying to teach myself that it's more important for me to get exercise into my life than to earn an extra 1/2 hour of wages each day.

Since I only gave myself 30 minutes, I couldn't do that whole workout, but it's divided into different dances, so I did the warm up, one dance section, and the cool down for 24 minutes of exercise.

To be honest, I didn't care for the instruction on this DVD. It's all voice over. And there isn't any explanation of what the moves are going to be. And quite often the voice over tells you that now should already be doing the new move rather cueing you to do it before the change happens. So I was perpetually behind the instructor. Obviously that problem will go away if I continue to use the DVD.

Anyway, I was sweaty when my 24 minutes was complete, so I feel like I got a decent workout for the time I had.

Total for the Day: 2019 calories, 6 glasses of water , 24 minutes cardio

Weekend Roundup

What I Wore While Having Girl Time & While Seeing Lysistrata:





















What I Did to Get Sweaty:

• The Wave - it wasn't any better the second time around. It is really too slippery to be safe. I've decided that one of those balance bubbles would be much better.
• Walking - don't you love this GPS application for my blackberry? I do! It tracks how far I walk, my average speed, my top speed, and how long it took. Plus I can upload it and see my actual path. I will say that the speed isn't very reliable, but everything else is really accurate as long as you remember to stop it when you stop (it is not accurate for walking interspersed with long periods of not moving)

Chains & a New Book

I stopped by the library on my way home from work today and picked up: The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl. I've mentioned this book before and I've been waiting for my library to reserve it for me. Shauna Reid is the author and she also has this amazing blog that I read that really helped motivate me to start eating right, exercising more, and to start a blog to hold myself more accountable. If you are trying to lose weight, or have travelled that road previously, I highly recommend visiting her blog. She's such a witty writer and she's so easy to relate to. Plus she uses all these great "foreign" words since she's an Aussie and she lives in Scotland. I love it! It makes me feel very international just to read them, even the crass words. ha!

I am super-excited to read her book, so you know I am going to settle in for a coze with it tonight. I love to read while soaking in the tub. Shhhh don't tell the library.

What I Wore While Hitting the Library Up for Dietgirl:


I didn't plan all my outfits for this week, so this morning I looked to Kimberly's Inspiation Calendar to get me started. So I did as I was told and made the main focus of my outfit be my jewelry.

• black penci skirt (George/Walmart, thrifted new Goodwill)
• grey stretch shell (?? it's ancient)
• black jacket (Newport News)
• black boots (Cloudwalkers/Avenue)
• black/silver chain necklace (Monet, thrifted)
• tortoise/silver chain (via Macys)
• silver belt, worn a necklace (?)
• silver necklace w/ black pendant (? via Ross)
• silver bracelet (jewelry party)
• silver earrings (Target)

What I Ate While Reaching Into Leftover Section of the Fridge:

• baked chicken breast (marinated in KC Masterpiece Honey Teriyaki sauce)
• leftover spaghetti squash w/ pasta sauce
• Alexia whole grain roll
• garden salad w/ corn, carrots, and yellow squash
• dessert - anglefood cake

Exercise That Was Split In Three:

Rand and I went for a walk this morning, but it started raining on us, so we only did one loop at the park. When I came home we went for another walk, this time twice around. Then after dinner we were going to play frisbee, but it was too windy, so went for our third park walk of the day, bringing our total to 2 miles. Not too shabby.

Total for the Day: 1624 calories, 6 glasses of water, 2 miles walking

Did He Really Call Me Fugly?

I was enthralled with Kasmira's take on Archibald Maximilion's scarf and necklace combo. Rand was less enthralled. The words frumpy, fugly, and detachable head were thrown around. A lot. He was still yelling "FUGLY" at me as I was pulling out of the driveway. LOL. I think fugly is a bit strong, but I agree that it's not the best result for me. I don't have Kasmira's long slender neck. You can't win them all.

What I Wore While Copying Kasmira:

• purple faux wrap dress (Old Navy)
• black/purple/blue/red/yellow paisley scarf (thrifted, Goodwill)
• goldtone large link necklace (via Macy's)
• goldtone multistrand oval link necklace (via Macy's) *
• goldtone wrap necklace (H&M) *
• red crocodile pumps (ann marino)
• maroon seed pearl bracelet (gifted from a friend)
• indian earrings (stolen from a friend)

* I did get things straigtened out at work so that these necklaces actually showed.

What I Wore to Gloria's for Dinner:

• blue plaid skirt (Target)
• pink T shirt (Target)
• blue flip flops (Old Navy)
• butterfly earrings (Dots, gift)

We went to Gloria's for dinner, since we still don't have a stove. I had corn tortillas, guacamole, black beans, and a pork pupusa. The picture didn't save. oh and 2 mojitos.

Today's Bar on Trial:


Bear Valley Meal Pack, sesame lemon. 205 calories for 1/2 bar. This baby was de-ense, and very thick, so don't be fooled into thinking that 1/2 bar was a rip. Also, I could pronounce and recognize all the ingredients; the most "unusal" of which was lemon extract, so obviously a nice natural bar. However it had very little fiber (only 2 grams) which makes me think that it wouldn't hold me over very well. I ate it with the rest of my afternoon snack/meal: an apple and string cheese. The flavor was okay. Every once in a while I got a nice ginger goopy spot, but not enough to keep the taste buds tingling. I would eat this again, but I don't know that it's my fave. At $1.65/bar, with each bar counting as 2, it's a much better price than everything else I've been eating.

The Exercise That Sleep Stole:

I woke up at 4:30 am and decided it was too early to get up, but that I would relax for a bit and then get up and do a 2 mile walk with my extra time. Of course what that means is that I fell asleep right before I was going to get up and had no time to walk at all. Of course.

Totals for the Day: 7 glasses of water, 2389 calories, no exercise.

Steel Magnolia

An old friend started reading my blog today, and the magnolia trees in my front yard are in full bloom. So this pic is for her --->

I miss you!! Come back to Texas!!

What I Wore While Missing Magnolia:

• purple skirt (Lane Bryant)
• short sleeve peasant blouse (Simply Fashions)
• black wooden bead belt (thrifted)
• teal suede heels (via Macys)
• emerald earrings (gift)
• brooch, worn as necklace (brensgemstonejewelry's Etsy shop)
• teal bangle (Lane Bryant)

Today's Bar on Trial:

Today's bar had a nice flavor. And I really liked the fact that the ingredients are all basic, no chemicals I can't pronounce. 200 calories.

What I Ate While Balancing Calories With Going Out:

CHEESE FRIES!!!!!!!

Don't worry. I didn't actually eat this. But these are my favorite cheese fries and they were on the table. I actually managed to avoid eating them, even after reaching out for them a few times. Instead I split a smoked salmon sandwich and had a cup of french onion soup (no bread or cheese, and no pic. oops). That gave me enough room to join everyone in a beer. Blanche De Bruxelles. Yum

Total for the Day: 4 glasses of water, 1850 calories, no exercise