January 2013 Favorites

I can't believe January is already over!  Time just goes by way too fast.  Here's the list of things I've been loving for this first month of 2013.

Health:

• Vitamins- As a part of my health kick in this new year, I've started taking daily multivitamins and a Super B Complex.  And, I love it.  I have a lot more energy than I used to.

• "Q&A a Day" journal- Falling under the mental/emotional health umbrella, I've really been enjoying using this journal as a tool for self-reflection.

Food:

• LUNA Bars- These nutrition bars come in a variety of flavors, and they're all delicious.  These aren't meal replacement bars, just a healthy snack bar.  The packaging says they're specially formulated for women, though I have no idea how.

• Mueller corner yogurt- Finally, a kind of yogurt that I don't dread eating.  My favorite is the granola variety.

Fashion:

• Scarves- A cold weather must! They can add the perfect amount of warmth to an outfit in addition to be snuggly and cute! My scarf collection has grown exponentially in the last few years...

• Skinny jeans- I know I'm a few years behind on the skinny jeans trend.  However, I haven't really felt confident enough in my body to pull them off until now.  At least, I hope I'm pulling them off! Haha

 Beauty:

• Batiste Hint of Color Medium/Brunette Dry Shampoo-  This stuff is AWESOME.  Most dry shampoos leave a white, powdery film in my brown hair that can sometimes make 2nd day hair feel even worse than it already does.  BUT, this product is tinted to blend in with dark hair. AND it has a faint caramel corn scent. AND I found it on sale at TJ Maxx.  Need I say more?

• Cover Girl Clump Crusher mascara- While not as volumizing as some of my favorite mascaras, this new addition to the LashBlast line has really impressed me.  It seriously leaves your lashes with no clumps and very natural-looking.  Thumbs up.

• Cover Girl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm- Another new Cover Girl product and the latest in the new beauty trend of jumbo lip pencils.  Sheer color and a silky, smooth texture. My favorite shade is "Blush Twist".

Music:

• "Come On" by Ke$ha- Not a huge Ke$ha fan, but this song gets me singing along.

• "Up Against the Wall" by Fiction Family- I heard this song on the radio a few weeks back and just KNEW I knew the voice. Surprise: It's Jon Foreman, formerly of Switchfoot. Love.

• "Nancy From Now On" by Father John Misty- I can't really explain why I love this song. I just do. It just hits me in a good place.

• "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis- How can you NOT dance around like a fool when this song comes on?? (Video is below, and it's not censored. Just a heads up!)

 

Hope y'all had a great January!

My Television Addiction

Like most people in this technology-driven society, I'm kiiiiiind of addicted to television.  I've narrowed it down to 5 of my favorites to discuss a little bit.


Pretty Little Liars- My love affair with PLL was instant from the very first episode back in 2010.  What's not to love?  Beautiful people involved in an intricate mystery.  Love!  Death!  Intrigue!  Way more dramatic than my high school years ever could have hoped to be. 

Nashville- A new series, but that doesn't make me love it any less.  Yes, I love the different story lines, but I love the music more!  I've already bought a lot of the songs in the iTunes store.  If I spend my hard-earned money on something, you know it's a big deal.

Parks & Recreation- I'm just going to go ahead and put it out there that Amy Poehler is a comedic genius.  Granted, I already knew that from her years at SNL and in several movies, but I seriously love this show.  And, I love that a really funny woman like Amy (first-name basis because I wish we were besties) is having so much success.

Parenthood- Here's a show that makes me cry with each episode.  While a huge, dysfunctional family is something with which I can't personally identify, the situations these family members have faced are very relatable and are portrayed in such a real way.  Team Braverman!

The Mindy Project- Another really funny woman with her own successful show!  I've been reading Mindy Kaling's book, and her personality definitely comes through in her writing.  I hope this show stays around for a long time. 

Other favorite tv shows of mine include: New Girl, Saturday Night Live, The Office, 30 Rock, Bunheads, Revenge, Smash, and Modern Family.  Hm.  Just realized that almost all of these are either female-driven or comedies.  Guess I know my genre of choice, now!

What are some of your favorite TV shows?

Gettin' Crafty!

I've started a new project!  

I haven't started putting it together yet, but I think I'll be calling it an "inspiration book".  I've never been the scrapbooking type; I don't take very many pictures.  But, for a little while now, I've been wanting to put together a book of pictures, quotes, words, etc. of things that catch my eye or inspire me in any way.  So, I've gone through a bunch of magazines, cut things out, and bought some scrapbooking materials.  I guess it'll be sort of like a real life Tumblr or Pinterest.  Call me old-fashioned, but I just like tangible things.  And besides, this book is for my personal use--not for everyone else in the world to see what inspires me.  Anyway, I'm excited to get started putting things together! 

Hope anybody who's reading this has a great weekend!

Anxiety

I like plans.  I like when plans work and come to fruition.  I am NOT a fan of when plans change.  Even little things.  All these years, I had always thought of myself as laid-back and easy-going until I realized that I, in fact, was neither.  When had I become so uptight?  What had happened to me?  I don't think there was a single occurrence that caused my anxiety but rather a lot of changed plans that built up anxious feelings until I felt like I just couldn't take it. 

Starting about 3 years ago, I noticed that I get really bad anxiety, though it should be noted that I have not tried to seek out professional or medical help.  I never thought I had a problem with it until I had a bit of a nervous breakdown, complete with a drastic haircut that looked AWFUL, in the spring semester of my senior year at college.  My classes were super stressful with tests, busy work, and group projects being thrown at me left and right.  My position on the executive team for a student organization required much more free time than I had anticipated.  I'd just found out about my spine problems and was freaking out about it.  My grandfather died.  I was dealing with a less than stellar score on the GMAT...caused by a lack of studying...caused by a lack of direction...because I just had no clue what the future held for me or what I even wanted.  To be concise, I was overwhelmed, and that's an understatement.  I wasn't used to being overwhelmed.  I had always been an honor student and able to balance activities, but this time was different.  Even thinking about that time period causes my chest to get a little tight because it was such an uncomfortable few months for me.  I was just trying to graduate.  That was the goal.  And, it was a goal that I achieved.  But, then came the questions of, "Now what?"  Unfortunately, I'm still kind of in that stage of my life. 

But, it is no longer a stage that I fear.  It's been a time of self-discovery, of learning who I really am, and of trying to grow my hair LONG--how I like it :).  I'll admit that I still have plenty of work to do, and I still have my anxious moments when I feel really overwhelmed by certain situations.  If I'm somewhere really loud where there are a lot of different TVs on or a lot of different loud conversations, I can't concentrate on anything and get panicky.  If you've ever seen me in a public situation where I look like I'd rather be ANYWHERE else, now you know what's to blame.  I'm trying to figure out what I'm comfortable with and how to deal with what I'm not.  It's a process.  And, there's a difference in my approach to the future between now and a few years ago.  Now, I have hope for endless opportunities, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds for me.  I feel like I'm on a journey to happiness, and I could not be more thankful. 

Birchbox: January 2013

I think I mentioned this in my December 2012 Favorites post, but I absolutely love being a Birchbox subscriber!  My January box arrived on Tuesday, and I've been busy testing things out.  For anyone who doesn't know what Birchbox is, it's a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service that sends out 4-6 samples of products each month.  You can review the products on the website and earn points, which add up to discounts on full-size product purchases if you happen to fall in love with something you sample.  Learn more here!  They also have a men's subscription, for any guys reading this out there (doubtful).

So, here's what I got this month! *Warning....This will be a picture-heavy post.*

                            

Alessandro Nail Polish

 Alessandro nail polish in Blue Lagoon

Wouldn't you know that I would get the only box variation this month that contained nail polish?  This is a European brand of nail polish that is sold in the United States exclusively through Birchbox.  The formula is great--thick, but not goopy.  And, the cap is super easy to hold while painting your nails.  The color is beautiful, although it's not terribly unique.  I have a bottle of Sinful Colors' Rain Storm (see picture below), which is very similar, that costs $1, whereas the full-size version (I received a sample size) of this polish is $12.  Silly Europeans.

Not identical, but similar enough that you probably don't need both.

Harvey Prince Skinny Chic Perfume

Harvey Prince is a relatively unknown fragrance brand.  I've received a couple other Harvey Prince perfume samples in previous Birchboxes, but this particular scent was new to me.  The notes in this fragrance--crisp, green apple; sweet mint; and warm amber--are supposed to help with appetite control.  While trying to quiet the feminist-leaning questions rising in my mind (Is Birchbox trying to tell their subscribers something? Why does this kind of perfume even exist?!), I think the concept is pretty cool!  Especially with the majority of the world resolving to be healthy in the new year.  It smells good, too.  Be careful of using too much though--a little goes a long way if you're scent-sensitive.

Ojon Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum

Yes, Ojon, please make my hair look like hers!

Until the past couple of years, I never understood why people used hair oils.  I've always had oily skin and scalp, so the thought of putting more oil or moisture on any part of me grossed me out and just seemed counterproductive.  However, as I've gotten a little older, I've noticed that my actual strands of hair look parched and sad.  Yes, sad.  Ojon is supposedly a nice brand, so this will be fun to test out.  I've already used it once, focusing on the ends of my hair, and I think it was just O.K.  Maybe next time, I'll try to work it in a little higher into the mid-lengths of my hair.

theBalm Cosmetics "Put a Lid On It" Eyelid Primer

Eyeshadow primer is another life-altering discovery of mine within the last year or so.  Having oily skin means you have oily eyelids, upon which eyeshadow doesn't like to stick for long periods of time.  The resulting effect is that of a hot mess minus the hotness.  To help my eye makeup stay in place, I've been using Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion since early autumn, and I love that.  I think this primer from theBalm works just as well.  It's a little more of a wet formula than the Urban Decay, so make sure you let it dry completely before putting on your eyeshadow.  After that, you're good to go for hours and hours.

Size comparison. Tiny tube, but you only need a very small amount!

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream

I received two foil packets.

The use of moisturizer is definitely important in the winter months to avoid dry skin.  Even if you have oily skin, you're supposed to moisturize.  I use an oil-free one with SPF in the daytime, and I've been testing this sample out at night.  Generally, I like the Fresh brand.  Its lip balms are amazing and unfortunately expensive, but I'm not a huge fan of its skincare.  I have a very small bottle of the Soy Face Wash, and even though it claims to be fragrance free, ......well, it smells like you're washing your face with edamame.  It just does.  Since this lotion has the word "Lotus" in its name, I thought it would have a floral scent.  Nope.  Veggies on your face.  Luckily, the scent fades.  Aside from that, it's a nice consistency.  I can't speak for the "youth-preserving" properties, as I'm only 23. *shrug*

So, this month's Birchbox was exciting and full of stuff I'll definitely use!  Are you a subscriber?  What'd you get this month?

PS: It SNOWED here today!!! :)

This was taken around 8am, but it didn't stop until about 11am!

Dreaming of a Dream Vacation

I don't know what the weather's like wherever you are, but here... It's just straight-up gross. It's freezing and raining, and the gloomy weather from my previous post is deciding to stick around for several more days. It's days like today that I daydream about vacations. I think I'm going to the beach again in late April with my family, but there are several other places I'd like to visit someday (if money were not an issue, of course.)

First, it would awesome if I could go literally anywhere in California. I wouldn't care if it was a rundown gas station in the middle of nowhere Inyo County; I would just be so excited to be in the land of Tupac and tanning. Of course, visiting the Hollywood/Los Angeles area is on my bucket list, but I would also really like to spend some time in both San Francisco and San Diego. I don't know what it is, but I just get really good vibes from both of those places. 

All right, so, who wants to pay for me to have a European adventure? Any takers? Oh, come on! It would be a blast! We could see the sights in London, climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and take leisurely gondola rides in Italy. Also, I'd want to take a Scandinavian detour to Sweden and see if I have any living relatives there. I bet I do. It was about 90 years ago that my family members immigrated to the United States, after all. Surely some of them that I don't know about stayed behind and started families of their own.

Next, I've always wanted to go to Australia. Always, always, always. My friend, Morgan, is getting the opportunity to live there for about a month soon for work, and I'm beyond jealous. I'm going to make her send me 100 pictures a day. Count on it.

Finally, I want to start taking some small road trips to Nashville, the big city with the southern charm. It's where I would like to live someday in the somewhat-near future, and seeing as I've only been there once briefly, I feel like I should become more familiar with it before I make any decisions.

Looking outside my window into the cold, dreary weather only makes me want to "get up and go" even more. Maybe I should just look up pictures of these places and pretend. Sun, if you're listening, please come out soon! We miss you!

The Wintertime Blues

Today's question in my Q&A A Day journal is "What inspired you today?"

I had THE hardest time coming up with an answer for this question. Unfortunately, this is my least favorite time of the year. It's like everything just comes to a screeching halt. The holidays are over, and the weather is miserable. It's like everyone's just trudging along until it gets warm. Let's brainstorm ways to stay positive and happy, shall we?

Creative hobbies are always a fun indoor activity. This may be a little too girly, but I've really been into painting my nails lately. I don't do the crazy amazing nail art designs, but I do enjoy a good DIY mani. Whether you paint nails or canvases, write/play music, or blog like yours truly, being stuck inside doesn't have to be so lame as long as you have something creative to keep you from going insane.

Speaking of music! While gloomy, sad songs have a certain cathartic effect (if that's what kind of mood you're in), I firmly believe that more upbeat tunes help me get through the winter months. I don't know if I'm psyching myself out or what, but fun and happy music tends to put me in a more fun, happier mood. It almost makes me want to get up and dance...

Which brings me to the subject I ultimately wrote about in my answer to today's question: exercise. As much as I loathe it, I think I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that exercise is an absolute necessity to being a healthy human being, both for physical and mental reasons. Lately, I've been having a bit of anxiety, a topic which I'll revisit in a future blog post. Whether the weather is causing these feelings or just stress, the best way to get rid of it all is, you guessed it, exercise. I'll admit that after exercise I feel great and so proud of myself. However, DURING exercise? The list of things I would rather be doing is infinitely long. I'm closer to accepting that it has to be a priority, and that's that. Besides, one of my New Year's resolutions was to be healthier, and there's no better time to start. Now, excuse me while I go dust off my sneakers...

A Case of the Mondays

Without going into too much detail, my "Year of Yes" is off to a great start! Here's to spontaneity and the exhaustion that follows. Thus, this will be a quickie.

Some recent thoughts:

I finally have all of my apps back on my phone. Helloooo, world!

Non-SEC football games can feel like high school football games. Not cute.

Speaking of the SEC, the BCS National Championship game is tonight! 

ROLLLLL TIDE! Beat the Irish!

Currently tempted by a really good Zoya nail polish deal. MUST RESIST.

When two people mean so much to each other, it's nearly impossible 

 for either to let that go. (From a conversation with a dear friend.)

LUNA Bars, while delicious, are not that filling if you're in a hurry. 
Spent the majority of this morning trying to quiet the growls of my stomach.

Ok that's it, hopefully I'll be inspired for Thursday's blog! 

Have a good week!

New Year's Resolutions

Happy 2013! I'm so ready to see what awaits in this new year. As always, I've made a few resolutions/goals for myself. I don't remember if I've ever actually stuck with a new year's resolution...which probably means that I haven't. But hey, there's something to be said for trying!

• Lose weight. I know I'm not alone for setting some health resolutions. I would like to lose a considerable amount of weight this year. I'm tired of feeling uncomfortable in my clothes and my own body. Also, my back doctor always tells me that losing weight will put less stress on my spine. So, for the sake of my overall health and well-being, I'm going to try to exercise more regularly and eat less fast food. 

• Journaling. I bought myself a neat Christmas present that I am going to try to use everyday this year. It's called the "Q&A a Day 5-Year Journal". There are 365 pages with a question and 5 spaces for answers on each page. The idea is to go through the entire journal in one year answering the different questions, then repeat it for four more years. Some example questions are: What's your favorite television show? What's in your fridge? What do you think is your biggest shortcoming? What is your mission? I just thought it would be a really cool way to keep track of how much life can change over the course of a few years, whether it's pop culture trends or personal growth. 

• Openness. Speaking of personal growth, I would really like to have a more positive outlook this year. I want to be more inclined to say "yes" to opportunities that come my way. I have a habit of not letting people get to know the real me, and you know what? Not only am I doing myself a disservice by acting this way, but the world is also missing out on this really awesome girl in the mirror. I would like to be more open in 2013.  

• Blog. Last, but most definitely not least, I want to make sure I keep up with my regular posts for this blog! I know I haven't been doing this for very long, but I have been sticking to my twice-weekly posts. I'm enjoying it. :)

 

Bring on 2013!!!

 

PS. I just realized most of my posts have been this in this bullet-point style. I hereby resolve to change it up in the near future. :)