Tag Archives: hair

June 1-30: No Candy Challenge

Posted on June 2, 2011 | 13 Comments

Yesterday was National Running Day. Did you celebrate? I intended to, but I slept terribly and didn’t wake up in time to run before work. I had my hair appointment after work (I’m now blond!), and thought I might get a short run in afterward. No such luck. When I walked outside it was pouring like crazy and there was lightning flashing across the sky.

No thanks.

Today I have to be at work by 7 to get some necessary items checked off my to-do list before my 7:45 meeting, so running will be pushed to the afternoon yet again. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. It is JUNE after all. Fourty-five degree weather needs to go away.

Speaking of June, it is time for my annual no-candy month long challenge. Sometimes I do this challenge bi-annually, sometimes for Lent, and others when I need a detox after the intense deliciousness of the holidays.

Twenty-eleven calls for the month of June, for two reasons: 1) I’ve eaten far, far, far too many skittles lately…

Beginning of the night…

and the next morning. I did have a LOT of help with this…but still.

and 2) I really notice the difference in my sleep and morning runs/workouts when I’ve eaten candy the night before.

So I’m challenging you to join me! Strength in numbers, right? I know this is going up on June 2, so you can discard yesterdays candy consumption, (and possibly today’s if you’ve already eaten some-no judgment). The rules are simple

No candy between now and June 30

Ok, that is only one rule. I think you can handle it. Baked goods are okay, unless you add M&M’s to your cookies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I guess I should post the blond update

side-view (one shows color better, one shows cut better, so you get both)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, are you with me? Check in here, or via twitter

p.s. anyone want to teach me how to make a button? I’d love to make a no-candy challenge one…

→ 13 Comments

Posted in regular

Tagged hair, No Candy Challenge

Yoga feet

Posted on June 1, 2011 | 13 Comments

Today I have Three (3) W’s for you. Watch out, I’m a triple threat.

(source)

W #1: Weigh In Wednesday

Yoga and I do not get along. I’m sure I am doing it wrong. The first time I attempted yoga I brewed a pot of coffee, (after hearing how relaxing it was), popped in the DVD, and got to work. A mere five minutes in and I was sweating away, pushing pause, and cursing myself for attempting to drink coffee while working out.

The second time happened not too long ago. I had a brand spankin’ new (and very cute) yoga mat rolling around the back of my car for months and needed an excuse to get my butt in gear. I found a 40 minute free class on On Demand and got to work. It was tollerable, but not enjoyable. I haven’t done it since.

I know yoga will help my running stamina and will help prevent injury, (I am prone to shin splints, rolling ankles and pulling muscles). The videos aren’t working, and I know I need someone to physically show me how to do the moves properly. And even though Groupon and Living Social keep spitting up yoga studio deals left and right, I just can’t bring myself to bite the bullet and sign up for a class.

Maybe in the summer I’ll explore the yoga offerings at the Y, (none of their classes work with my current schedule). Until then, I’ve got (brand spankin’ new) flip flops made from yoga mats.

Thanks, Ali, for introducing me to these fancy feet enhancers.

In related news, I went shopping in my closet again. After a lot of trying on, sorting clothes, banning sweaters to basement containers and washing loads of laundry, I am happy to report quite a few things from years past fit.

Now that the weather is improving, these beauties may need to come out and play.

Also exciting, these cute slouchy pin stripe (size six!) pants *almost* fit. They zip and button, and don’t look half bad. But sitting and breathing are still an issue. I purchased these slacks back in 2007, and they didn’t really fit me then either. But they were on clearance, and I am a sucker for a sale. I figured one day they would fit. It appears that one day is right around the corner.

Maybe they *almost* fit because on Sunday I pulled on my big girl panties after Saturday’s whine fest, (not to be confused with a wine fest, which would have been a lot more fun), and hit the pavement for 10.11 miles.

*Not true. My legs were swollen sausages Sunday evening.

And I ran through Riverside State Park, passing the Bowl and Pitcher along the way. I can’t believe I live less than 3 miles from this gorgeousness.

Oh my God. I ran ten freaking miles. Me. Inhaler girl. Shin splint extraordinaire. I ~~ran~~ wobbled downstairs a few hours after my run to ~~gloat~~ ~~brag~~ tell the hubs how proud I was of myself. Only five and a half weeks and I can proudly call myself a half-marathoner!

W #2: What I ate Wednesday (WIAW)

Below is really what I intend to eat today. Last night I was simultaneously cooking dinner and packing my lunch. Why not take nice photographs (well nicer than quick working snapshots) while I already am snapping away at my newish recipe creation?

Breakfast (too ugly to photograph) will be oatmeal made with 2%, cinnamon and dried cherries, (pre-made on Monday, I was out of Almond milk – waahhh – situation remedied tonight). Since it is so ugly, I’m sharing oats made this weekend instead (with cinnamon, vanilla, half a nanner, blueberries and pecans).

Snacks will include watermelon, fage plain Greek yogurt + thawed (unsweetened/frozen) pineapple, and some tomatoes + yellow bell pepper.

Lunch will be an orange with some leftover curry chicken salad from our backyard BBQ potluck this weekend.

Dinner will be leftover taco pie. Mmmm cheese.

And it is very likely that Skittles will be consumed at some point.

W #3: What will I do with my hair?

If you’ve been reading a while you may recall I am somewhat obsessed with my hair. But I’ve been attempting to grow it out, and have subsequently avoided just a trim appointments over the past few months. The reason being, just a trim can easily turn into me chopping all my hair off. So I have a few ideas in my mind, but I’m not sure what I will do when I arrive for my appointment later this afternoon. What do you think I will do with my hair?

Cut option

Cut option – yes this goes against growing it out…

Bang and color option

Color option

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you practice yoga? If so, how often? DVD’s or in studio?

What is the most exciting thing you ate today?

What do you think I should do with my hair? I’m bored. Again. (always)

→ 13 Comments

Posted in regular

Tagged hair, weigh in, WIAW

Fashion Friday: I need new clothes.

Posted on February 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

Since October I’ve dropped two sizes(!!). While it is fun to realize I need to purchase new pants, it is not as fun to realize I need new, ahem, undergarments.

Monday - Red, pink, purple and white day at school, (because it was Valentine’s Day). At first I struggled with what to wear that would include all colors. Then I remembered I owned a pair of white pants (ok, “winter cream”). Perfect. Until I packed them in my gym bag and pulled them out the next day only to realize I went from the too tight phase, skipped the fitting phase, and right to the too big phase of these pants. Sigh. I broke the rule of “Don’t wear white after Labor Day,” and I didn’t even do it well.

Tuesday

I recently purchased these boots on super clearance at DSW. They have stretch in them, which means they fit over jeans and the calves nicely, without any tug. Plus they are platform, which means I could wear them to work without feeling like I was wearing heals. I was in love!

Wednesday (I am a total sucker for skirts/dresses with pockets)

Thursday (This is my “interview” top and I haven’t worn it since my interview. At the time I could barely zip it and had to tuck it into my skirt to get it to look decent. Now it is too big! Enter cute gold skinny belt to give it a semblance of shape.)

Friday = no work day! Today was the last of our built in snow days, (we didn’t actually use any). I spent the day gymming and shopping. When shopping I always wear flats and comfortable clothes that take almost no effort to put together, otherwise the multiple changes in the dressing room are a pita.

So to keep my straight across bangs int tip-top condition I need to trim them every two weeks. This is a pain in the bootay, and they never stay in place unless I attack them constantly with a a comb. But I do love the way they look when they cooperate with me. So, the question I ask of you, dear readers,

should I keep them straight across,