Healthier Lifestyle Ahead

I recently started a new job that is closer to home, meaning I moved back in with my mother. Normally I would judge people who do this but my mom lives alone, as my parents are divorced, so moving in with her was more like moving in with a roommate than a mother. I still pay rent and bills and help out with the cooking and cleaning so the arrangement is working out really well for us.

One thing that is not working out so well is my waistline. I have never been a super skinny girl, but neither have I ever been truly fat. I usually describe myself as curvy and soft. I don't have a thigh gap (which I think is kind of a stupid goal) but I am not obese either. In fact my weight falls towards the middle of the appropriate weight for my height, or at least it has pretty much my whole life. Recently though I have found that my weight is increasing. This can be blamed on the fact that I now live in the country so I don't have the motivation to get up every morning and walk my dog around the neighborhood, I can just let him out the door and let him roam. I also don't have as much free time as I once did as I spend a lot of time hanging out with friends after work or just enjoying some time with my mom. Also when I lived alone I did not keep sweets in my house, this prevented unhealthy eating my mom however does not have the same rule.

Add this to the fact that me and my boyfriend eat out way more than we should and it's not hard to figure out why I have gained some weight. Again I am still not obese and I am still at a healthy weight for my age and size however it wouldn't hurt to tone up and shed those few extra pounds.

Let me also say that I am not a fitness rep of any kind. I took one nutrition class in college and found it tedious and couldn't imagine having to think of healthy food for other people my whole life. I am not working for any fitness company nor am I getting anything from anyone for this review. I just want to make sure I stay honest about my fitness routine and decided that blogging it out would be the best way to keep me accountable.

My first step was to get more active using MyFitnessPal I used it in the past when I was trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle and I found that it is very helpful when it comes to logging my food. Their database is awesome and includes almost anything you can dream of. Plus I love that I can access it both via computer and my phone making my food and exercise logging super easy.

I also just started wearing a Jawbone and using their UP system. I like that it syncs with the MyFitnessPal so I don't have to learn a whole new logging system, plus it keeps track of things like how well and what kind of sleep I am getting and provides movement reminders if I am sitting still for too long. This is especially nice while I am at work since I work at a computer and forget that sometimes it is helpful to get up and move around, even if it is just walking to the restroom or filling up my water cup.

The last thing I invested in is a new weight loss system called 21 Day Fix. It is by Beach Body, the company that came up with Insanity and P90X and is both a nutrition plan and a workout program. I had a friend try it and love it because it really makes you take a good look at the food you are eating. I have yet to receive the program yet (it should be deliver sometime this week) but the basic premise behind it is that you get these containers and each container is a different color and is designated towards a specific food group. Based upon what your goals are you use those containers to make your meals. It doesn't specify why types of fruit or protein or carbs that you eat, only that you can eat them as long as they fit within the designated container for that meal. It is a nice and simple way to determine portion sizes without weighing and measuring every little thing. Just fill up a container and go.

I will try to make regular posts on my progress and let you know which things I find the most helpful! Here's hoping those extra pounds come off super fast!

#FoodTruckFriday Part 2

So I must say that my first #FoodTruckFriday experience was a huge success. It was such a cool experience and very different from a normal night out. I can't wait for the next one to go again!

Here are some things that I realized need to happen to make the visit a huge success.

1. Get there early. For the one held at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, MO it was almost treated like a festival. Everywhere you looked people had coolers and Frisbees and other outdoor travel games. Coolers were packed with yummy drinks and it was just a relaxing day in the park. It almost had a festival feel to it. So although you could just eat and run (which is what I ended up doing since we get there with only 10 Minutes left of serving time) in the future I will make sure to get there plenty early and make an evening out of it. With the right group of people I would find no problem sitting there for hours tasting everything.

2. Try something new. I couldn't believe the number of trucks that were present at this thing and most of them are very unique and put their own spin on whatever theme their truck serves. Although I saw a lot that featured tacos or more Mexican type food none of them offered the same spin on it. This is a great chance to eat a little of everything and maybe try something you have never had before!

3. Bring something to sit on or put your food on. One flaw in our plan was that we just walked up and ordered food. This is fine and we made it work however if you want to set your food down or eat multiple items it creates a problem. This could be solved by coming early and bringing some chairs or a folding table or cooler that you can use.

4. Have fun! Everyone I saw seemed to be having a great time so go out and enjoy the beautiful summer weather.

#FoodTruckFriday

Since the start of my new job I have been on a huge food truck crave. This is mostly because one of the best parts of my job is that I get to schedule food trucks to visit my office, meaning I get to try them out a bunch of them without ever having to really leave work.

Tonight however, I am excited because there is a local event called Food Truck Friday and I am going! Basically it is a bunch of food trucks that stay at one park for a few hours. Thankfully you can also buy beer and wine making this one of the best ideas ever!

This is my first time going to an even like this and I am super pumped to be able to just try out a bunch of different trucks at one time. I am even making rule with all my friends that are going that none of us are allowed to go to the same truck and we all must get multiple items to share.

I will be sure to update this once the visit is over but I highly suggest looking for similar offerings in your area as it is a great way to get out and enjoy the outdoors, and hang out with friends in a new and unique way.

If you are in the St. Louis area, here is the info for this weeks #FoodTruckFriday
http://www.saucemagazine.com/foodtruckfriday.php

Vinted: A Handy Little Site for Making Some Extra Cash

A few month ago my friend turned me on to this site Vinted. She described as an online Plato's Closet meets Ebay, and that is pretty much correct.

For those of you who don't know what it is here is an overview. Vinted is a site where people (mostly women that I have seen but I bet guys can post things too) add pictures and descriptions of items from their closet that they no longer want. Other people can than view these items and purchase them for either the posted or a negotiated price, if the seller is willing to negotiate. All the payments and shipping labels are done through Vinted making the process super easy.

The hardest part is getting people to actually purchase items. You see Vinted also has this great option to swap clothing. This is exactly what you would think. When you agree to swap with someone you mail them your item in the hopes that they will mail you their item in return. Personally I would be petrified to do this because how can you guarantee the other person is going to actually mail it! They also have this forum where people talk (mostly about dumb things, I avoid that area as much as humanly possible) where posts pop up all the time about how they got ripped off because they sent someone an item and than they never received anything in return. So not only are you now without your clothes, but you just paid to send something to someone for free!!!

I guess some people have success with this as people are forever asking to swap instead of buy but personally I say no way!

I have also been able to find some really reasonable things to buy on it. Granted it stinks because you can't try on items and you won't be able to return them so you kind of have to know how you fit in things, but most people do post what brand it is and you have to include a size so that helps. You might also find that some people on here think their stuff is absolutely amazing and try to charge a lot for it but don't be discouraged, message them and ask if they will negotiate on price
and if not move on. There are tons of great items on there I am sure that you will find something equally fabulous for a much more reasonable price.

Regardless it is a great way to get rid of some of the old, but nice things in your closet that you don't want to donate and can't sell at a retail shop like Plato's Closet.

If you want to check out Vinted's main page go to:
http://www.vinted.com/

For my closet go to:
http://www.vinted.com/members/996799-mhoman/clothes

Happy Shopping!

The ongoing struggle of keeping your sunglasses organized

Summertime is the greatest. You can wear cute sandals and dresses and shorts and enjoy all the green trees and grass and sunshine. With the sunshine comes the added accessory of Sunglasses. These nifty face covers help to keep your eyes from squinting while perusing the local outdoor mall. I'm sure there are some great health benefits as well but mostly I just like that they are big and cover most of my face so makeup doesn't have to be a worry until you take them off.

The only downside to sunglasses are storing and keeping track of them. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I have a huge tendency to leave them places or put them on my dresser at home and somehow they magically disappear. So a storage solution was needed.

Luckily I had some fabric and a leftover canvas from another project just laying around so I did not need to make a special trip for materials. But if you do not have them you will need:

Canvas (whichever size you choose)
Fabric (enough to cover the canvas and drape over the sides)
Scissor
Staple Gun
Wire or strong ribbon.

Necessary supplies gathered

 

 

Once you have everything you need it is just a matter of measuring and stapling.

 

Cut the fabric so that it covers the front and edges of the frame, leaving just a little to wrap around the back side

 

Pull the fabric tightly over the canvas and staple to the fabric to the frame on the back side. Do this all the way around the frame until the fabric is securely fastened.

 

Cut your Wire or ribbon so that it goes horizontally across the from and staple the ends to the back side. Do this as many times as you can, ensuring there is enough space between each wire to hand sunglasses.

 

Cut off any excess wire and fabric and you now have a cute place to store your sunglasses when not in use.

Beer Can Trophies....Not as easy to make as you would think

Recently the boyfriend was taking part of an Alumni Gold tournament and he came up with the brilliant idea to not only provide the winner with a trophy but to award the drunkest team there with the same honor. However, a trophy for the drunkest team can't just be any old boring trophy it has to stand out and be different.

Thus the John Belushi Memorial Trophy was created to honor these men who just can't help but go out and get crazy.

Now if you don't know who John Belushi is, crawl out from under that dark, cold, sad rock and rent Animal House immediately! Now that you are educated we can proceed.

This project went through many different drafts and variations in my head before anything was even created, but some things always remained the same:
1. beer cans needed to be incorporated into the design in some way
2. A bottle of Jack Daniels also needed to be included
3. The words "John Belushi Memorial Trophy" also needed to be included somewhere
4. I had to work on a short deadline
5. It had to look awesome! This was going to a fraternity alumni event and my name was going to be associated with it. I couldn't be sending them something trashy that I just threw together last minute and hoped it turned out ok. This was something the boys wanted to keep for years so whatever I came up with needed to rock.

Normally my first stop with these kinds of projects is Pinterest since there are lots of different craft ideas and how-to posted there. Unfortunately  this search was not very fruitful. I found a few that were posted but no descriptions on how to accomplish these majestic feats of beer glory.

Next stop Google. There I did find one amazing how to, however the person making this was obviously better set up for the job since they seemed to have tools that could create amazingness!
You can find their instructions here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Peacock-Making-of-a-Trophy/?ALLSTEPS

Not everyone is blessed with all their technological magic, but if you have some sort of saw, an electric drill and some ingenuity you too can make something that looks amazing. Maybe not as great as above but that was all I used and I don't think mine turned out too shabby.

Let me also make sure I mention that I in no way finished this trophy alone. My mother and boyfriend both helped with a lot of the technical aspects that I was not very knowledgeable with. So use your resources, ask friends, family members or websites about things you don't know cause it could help to make your project that much better.

Now that you are thoroughly bored with the backstory behind this project lets get to the how to.
I am very sorry that I did not take pictures of the process of creating my beer can trophy but most of the work was done late at night and I was more interested in getting it done on time than documentation this time around.

First make sure you have an idea of what you want to create and gather your supplies. In my case I wanted a two tier trophy, with beer cans as columns and the Jack bottle as the centerpiece on the top tier.

Now to gather supplies. I started at Hobby Lobby and bought some unfinished wood planks. The best part of these is that they come in all kinds of sizes and shapes so you can give your trophy some character. I choose 2 large ones for the bases of my tiers, a medium sized one to use as a pedestal for the Jack bottle and a small one to use as the plaque for the name of the trophy. Also if you don't have any felt it would be a great idea to pick some up. I had some on hand from a previous project so I didn't need to buy it, but you will need it for the bottom of the trophy. Also grab some beautification things. For mine, I got some white fabric, gold ropelike ribbon, a small piece of fake leaves. Photo paper and a printer are a plus for the letters, or you could always stencil them on. Finally some tough epoxy and a glue gun to attach some smaller parts.

Next head over to a hardware store and pick up some sort of hardening agent to fill up your empty cans. I choose a putty, but you could also use cement or anything else that you are comfortable working with. Also if you want to make columns I used white duct tape and pvc pipe and parts of those free paint stirrers they give you. Some white strap paint and wood stain are helpful as well. Lastly you will need to get 4 nuts and bolts. Choose your size by measuring the height of your cans plus the two bases. For mine I choose 10 inch bolts. These were about 4 inches longer than I needed but I wanted to use the height achieved for some extra customization.

Once you have all of your materials it is time to assemble! Start by cleaning your cans and bottle in some bleach water and allowing them to completely air dry. This will help to prevent mold or anything else growing in them.

Cut the tops off of your cans so that you now have a nice hole in which to pour your hardening agent.

Attach the cans to your base. This is the tricky part and one that is greatly helped with power tools. Place your cans (or measure them if you want to be exact) on the base and top of each of the four corners and mark the approximate center of each one. This will be your drill point. Drill a hole in the base and top at these points that are large enough for your bolt to get through. Repeat this for all four sides. Be sure to drill a hole through your can as well.

Next mix your hardening agent. The putty that I used just required me to add water and mix. So using an old plastic bowl and spoon that is what I did till it was the right consistency. Next I attached my can to my base by putting the bolt through the newly drilled holes in each. Now pour your hardening agent into each of the four cans. I filled each one to at least 3/4 and tried to coat the walls for the last quarter. This is bit tricky and messy so don't wear anything nice. You could also fill the cans more or less depending upon your preference. Personally I prefer more so that way they are solid if people grab them but depending upon what it is being used for you may not need to fill them as much.

Let them dry. I left them alone for 24 hours to make absolutely sure they were solid. Depending upon what hardening agent you used you may need more or less. Following the directions on the packaging for more specific instructions.

Now comes the fun part of making it look pretty, or you know manly. Whatever look you are going for. I wanted to do more of a classic trophy look. Start with the hardest part of staining and painting. I stained all the wood with a wax based stain from minwax. This dries quickly and is very easy to apply. You can also paint the wood or leave it unfinished depending upon what look you are going for. While you are painting/staining take your spray paint and give the washers and nuts a little white color. They will probably show so it is a good idea to make them not stand out quite as much.

Once everything is dry attach the top tier to the cans by placing it over the bolts and lining it up with the previously drilled holes. The basic construction of your trophy is now built! Using your painted washer and bolts attached the top tier firmly to the bolt.

Using your epoxy, attach the medium sized wood pedestal to your top tier. Place it as close to the center as you can get. Next, attach the bottle to your pedestal also using the epoxy. I used a gorilla glue epoxy for this and so far it is still holding strong. The one I used required you to mix the two tubes and apply with a popsicle still and allow it to dry. Follow the instructions on which one you use to ensure that it is used properly to get the best results.

While the bottle and pedestal are drying, start to work on your plaque. I used Microsoft word and Google image search for a bronze plate. I copied that image to Word and used word art to create the typing. This I printed on photo paper and modge podged onto the small wooden plaque. Using the epoxy again I attached the edge of this to the bottom tier between two of the beer cans. You may have to get creative on how to keep it up until it dries i.e. tape it down or something, but again when used right the epoxy works great to keep it in place.

Your bottom tier is now complete! Wait and little bit to allow all the epoxy to dry and harden, ensuring that everything is securely attached where you want it.

Once all that is complete it is till to create your top tier! I started with the bottle since that took the longest amount of time to get perfect. For this I would just recommend playing around with it. I tried several different folding and wrapping styles before I got it right. I would highly recommend using some scrap fabric or buying extra that you can but into different sizes to play around with until you get it right.

How I ended up completing mine is I started by taking a small long scrap and twisting it. I attached one end of the strap to the front right corner of the bottle and glued the other end to the left back corner of the bottle. For the fabric there is no need to use epoxy unless you really want to. Your glue gun should work just fine. next take a rectangle of fabric and glue one of the corners to the right front corner where your twisty piece is attached. Wrap this rectangle all the way around gluing the fabric to each corner of the bottle to ensure it is securely fastened. Adjust the draping and glue as needed until it looks the way you want. Take your gold robe and tie it around your bottle. I put a little hole in the draping for the rope to go through so that it would not tie it down but you do whatever you think looks good. Decorate the top of your bottle by hot gluing some more of the gold rope and little sprig of leaves around the rim. Your bottle is now complete.

The final step is the columns. Cut your pvc pipe to the desired height to cover the remainder of your bolt or really as high as you want them to go. Cut a small piece of your paint stirrer to create the top of the column. Cover both of these in white duct tape to create a more uniform look. Hot glue and/or epoxy this to the nut and washer and voila your trophy is complete!!

This is the completed trophy!! Again sorry I don't have step-by-step pictures but hopefully these written steps help you to make your own!

The only thing I think it is missing is some glitter but it was made for a bunch of boys and they didn't really like that idea. Maybe this means I will have to make my own and girl it up a little!

Happy Independence Day!

Remember to be safe!

Merica Marley Lily Style

One of the greatest ways to spice up an outfit is to add a monogram, so why should an Independence Day (or really any day you feel like it) outfit not be the same? Thank goodness for Marley Lily for having the most adorable selection.

They had a flash sale that included a ton of American Flag inspired clothing, and adding in a free flag croakie well I was sold! I purchased a pair of running shorts and a tote bag and I could not be happier with the results. The standard shipping was surprisingly quick and the monograms look amazing. All in all I have zero complaints about my purchase. Now all I need is for it to be July 4th so I can debut these babies!

 



#waterrevolution

So while browsing (aka buying everything that looked even remotely cute and useful) at Target I decided what I really needed was a portable water bottle with the filter already in it. I mean what could be better than filtered water without the extra step of having to pour it from a container or use a disposable water bottle? NOTHING!! It is arguably one of the greatest inventions since sliced bread.

At first I figured I would go with Brita they are a good company and their water jug has yet to steer me wrong. But while perusing the area surrounding the Brita's I came across the bobble water bottle.

Most of you are probably not unhip graduates like me and have probably seen these things all over the place but I fell in love at first sight with these adorably plain little bottles. I love that the filters are a while different mouth piece, thus eliminating the concern of what could be growing in all those little crevices. The hard yet pliable material makes carrying it so much easier. Not to mention its curvy like the shape of a woman. This should instantly say "hey I was made to look like an hourglass to help you attain that hourglass!" But seriously if that is not one of their slogans it really should be.

The only draw back to these marvelous creations are that the mouth piece is really small so getting a normal sized ice cube in there is kinda hard, but luckily the amazing geniuses who invented this gift also made special ice cube trays to make ice that fits perfectly! While those are still waiting to be delivered and tried out, I will say if you like to drink refreshing, filtered water I highly recommend getting one of these. They are cheaper than a Brita and come in way better colors that you can change up whenever you change your filter!

So look it up and try one out for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed!

 

Right now I just have a clear one with the black filter but I bought some hot pink filters to replace it so in two months time the black part will become hot pink!! I think that is awesome considering I am constantly changing what color I favor. This way I don't have to commit to just one for very long!

 

To buy your own check your local Target or go to:

http://www.waterbobble.com/