April 2013 Favorites

Am I the only one who felt like April just dragged on and on?  Here are my favorites for this long-ass month:

Food

• Progresso Light creamy potato and bacon soup:  SO delicious, and only 4 WeightWatchers points per can. 

• Lean Cuisine Paninis: I've been eating these like it's going out of style.

Beauty

• Self-Tanning: For fair-skinned people like myself, it's not so easy to get a real tan from the sun.  Usually, I just end up burning to a crisp, which is not good considering I have a family history of skin cancer.  So, I rely on self-tanning products during the warmer months of the year.  This year, I've been loving the Jergens Healthy Glow moisturizing lotion and Neutrogena mist. 

• Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Cuticle and Nail Moisture Treatment Pen:  This keeps my cuticles hydrated, and I do really think it helps make my nails grow.

• CoverGirl & Olay Eye Corrector: This yellow-toned undereye concealer helps hide darkness, and the Olay moisturizer swirled throughout helps hydrate. 

Fitness

• New Balance sneakers: I got these for Christmas, and I've been loving them for going on walks as the weather has gotten warmer.

Fashion

• Pointy-toed black flats from Old Navy:  I got these for my birthday back in March.  I had to wear bandages around my Achilles tendon/heel area for the first several times I wore them to break them in, but I'm getting to where I don't need to do that anymore.  I always love a good black flat, and these feel sophisticated.  Especially now that they don't make me bleed. :)

• Jeans: Since I've started losing weight (14 pounds so far!!), my clothes are fitting much more loosely.  I've even been able to fit into some jeans that had not seen the light of day in a LONG time. :)

Music

• "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake- I seriously JAM to this in the car when it comes on the radio.  Sure to get a lot of plays on my iPod.

• "If So" by Atlas Genius- Adam introduced me to this band a couple of months ago, and like clockwork, the local college radio station has started playing them.  Listen below! :)

• "Song for Zula" by Phosphorescent- I don't know why, but I love it. 

Love/Hate

I have such a love/hate relationship with dieting.  I love the idea of getting healthy and slimming down, and I love it even more when I see results (which I HAVE!).  However, sometimes it is pure torture having to resist the foods I love and crave.  Earlier this week, I walked out of my office to go to lunch, and the smell of burgers and fries from the restaurant just down the street wafted my way.  My stomach screamed "I want THAT!"--figuratively, of course.  My one saving grace that has kept me from being miserable is the weekends.  I do my weekly weigh-in on Friday mornings so that I can relax the diet a little on Friday and Saturday.  If I didn't have some cheat days thrown in my routine, I'd go insane.  I don't want to feel like I'm depriving myself, and let's be honest, everybody needs a french fry fix every now and then.  So, I get really excited about food on the weekends!  Haha.  I know I should be trying to have more of a "this isn't just a diet; it's my new healthy lifestyle" mindset, but purposely giving up pizza and Chinese takeout sure sounds like dieting to me.  It's really hard not to give into my cravings, but I've made up my mind to lose weight.  The taste of that Sonic Oreo Blast is not worth the future health problems or feeling crappy about oneself.

Since I don't weigh for the week until tomorrow, I can't give an exact number of pounds I've lost.  But, I can say that I'll be hitting the 10lbs-lost mark soon.  My clothes are starting to hang a little more loosely on me.  It's exciting!  I'm proud of myself, and I hope to continue the journey toward a healthier me.

February 2013 Favorites

February is such a short month!  Can't believe it's already over.  Here are the things I loved this past month:

Health

• "Dancing with the Stars" Fitness DVD:  Man, this is FUN. And, it's a great workout!  I don't think my body will ever look like that of the girls on the cover, but who knows? :)

• WeightWatchers:  If you've seen a few of my most recent posts, you'd know I started following the original WeightWatchers plan lately.  I'm already seeing results! LOVE IT.

Beauty

• amika Obliphica Oil Nourishing Hair Mask:  I've gotten into deep conditioning my hair lately, and this product is wonderful.  I first sampled it through Birchbox, but I've purchased the small size of the regular product.  Once I run out of this, I might need to purchase the bigger jar.  It smells so amazing, and it leaves my hair feeling soft and moisturized.

• CoverGirl 3-in-1 Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation:  Blends so easily, provides excellent coverage, stays on all day.  All without feeling heavy or cakey!  I'll be interested to see if this foundation still holds up in the spring and summer months when the weather is much warmer.

• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat:  Definitely should be a staple in any girl's nail polish stash. Makes nails super shiny, and it lasts for days.

• Coach Poppy perfume:  I received this for Christmas, and I already know I'll be reaching for it all throughout the spring.  It's such a girly, floral scent.  

Book

• Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling:  Another Christmas gift.  I took way longer to read it than I should have, but I finished it this month.  It was hilarious, and basically, I want to be her best friend.  I heard she has another book coming out later this year!!

Websites

• NouveauCheap: If you love drugstore products like I do, or even if you just like deals, this is the website for you!

• BuzzFeed:  Wonderful pop culture goodness.

Music

• "We Come Running" by Youngblood Hawke

• "Suit and Tie" by Justin Timberlake

• "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons

• "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club

Oh, and here's a Nail of the Day pic:

Color Club/Birchbox collaboration "Put a Pin In It"

One last thing: My birthday is Saturday!  I don't know why, but I have a good feeling about 24.  I'll be in my hometown this weekend visiting family and friends.  I told my mom I didn't want any specific gifts, just for her to take me shopping.  Expect a birthday haul on here soon! :)

Weight Watchers Update

Good news!  After 1 week following the Weight Watchers plan, I've lost 5 1/2 pounds!  I know it was probably mostly water weight since this was the first week, but still.  I'm so proud of myself!  And, I know this will be something I can stick with until I reach my goal.  I'm so excited to be getting healthy! :)

Also, sorry for the short blog post--Monday snuck up on me!