Feeling funk-y

I don't know if it's the pouring rain today or what, but I'm in a funk. I just have this feeling like my job doesn't matter, and a little bit like I don't matter. I know that second part isn't true, and I don't want anyone who's reading this (ha!) to read anything into it; I think it's just my general blahs making me have that feeling.

Sometimes I think my job isn't helping me serve any purpose. Does anyone feel that way? How do you move past that? I really want to make a difference in this world, but I feel like refilling copiers and telling students that I know about and apologize for slow computers doesn't make anyone's life any better. Plus, it's getting old. Way old. Should I just suck it up and hope for better days ahead, or is there something to this?

Product Review: Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection K-Cups

I received a couple of sample packs of Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection K-Cups from a BzzAgent campaign I'm involved in. I'm a coffee addict, so I was pretty excited about this one, and it definitely didn't disappoint! I work the opening shift at work, so sometimes I'm not at my best in the mornings. Coffee helps me face the world and be semi-human, but I noticed that when I drank the focus blend, I had an extra edge. I was able to concentrate a little more, speak a little more clearly, and just feel more awake overall. Plus, it had a good, smooth taste, so I didn't feel like I was drinking some kind of weird herbal coffee! I've only tried one antioxidant blend K-Cup so far, but it had a similarly smooth taste, and I can see it being very beneficial as winter (AKA flu season) sets in.

I give this product 5 out of 5 stars!

Note: I received this product free of charge as a BzzAgent, but the opinions are completely my own!

On Fear and Failure

I am afraid of failing.

I guess that's not exactly earth-shattering news to anyone. Or maybe it's not even news. It's a pretty common fear, so I'm far from alone there.

But, I feel like I take my fear a step further than many people do. For example, last Saturday, I had the chance to go horseback riding for the first time ever. I was on an older horse who used to be used as a therapy horse for children with special needs. I had three experienced riders near me who could help guide me and make sure everything was okay. It was probably the best case first time riding scenario than anyone could have.

I went around the indoor arena three times. While someone else held the reins.

Now, the woman who held the reins (my future aunt-in-law...ha ha) assured me that I was being brave by even getting on the horse. I didn't realize what huge animals they are, so I was intimidated even before I saddled up. However, now I regret not trying more. I was scared. Scared of falling. Scared of looking foolish. Even scared of falling and hitting at just the right angle to break my neck, become paralyzed, etc. (see, a step further than most people, right?).

I realize something important now though. I can't let fear control me anymore. Yes, I might fail/fall. Yes, I might look stupid. And yes, I might even hurt myself. But all of that is okay. Babies have to fall down before they learn to walk. I have to fail before I can succeed. I have to quit being afraid of "what might happen" and start just living. I have to start living for myself too, not in a selfish way, but in a way that allows me to make my own decisions and experience my own consequences. Life is messy, and there will be failures, but if I can conquer failure, I can conquer anything.

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 12

I've fallen straight off the wagon and into a vat of sugar, salt, carbs, and laziness (as evidenced by me posting this late for the second week in a row). I'm hitting the reset button on myself and getting back on track in the morning.

If anyone is on myfitnesspal, find me and befriend me! My name is amberiam on there, and I could use all of the help I can get!

The great closet experiment: A wrap-up

My two month experiment in not shopping, getting rid of clothes, etc. has been over for almost 2 weeks now, but I'm just now getting around to recapping it. So, how did I do? Well, these were my original parameters:

1. Wear every piece of clothing I own at least once- including workout clothes, undergarments, pajamas, etc.- I failed at this one. I branched out some, but I still had a tendency to wear the same things over and over again, especially workout clothes, undergarments, pajamas, etc. This parameter made me think that maybe this should be a longer experiment- 6 months?

2. Get rid of things that don't look great on me or just feel "eh"- I did better at this one. Since I'm getting married in March and moving into a new house, I'm trying to be more ruthless about what's going to come into my married life. I think that and this experiment helped me be much more inclined to toss things that I didn't like into the Goodwill bag instead of holding onto them.

3. Immediately get rid of anything that's stained, torn, has holes in it, etc.- I only came across a couple of things with loose hems (an easy fix for some but not for me!), so those got thrown into the Goodwill bag. This one is a good rule to follow.

4. Be creative- I did okay with this one. I tried to put together pieces that I normally wouldn't have thought of together (check out my fashion blog to see some of these examples). I'm working on getting better with this one, especially since I've been getting a style magazine in the mail unexpectedly. I guess the universe knows that I'm interested in fashion and style and gave me a gift subscription...

5. No purchasing new (or new to me) clothes for at least two months- Failed miserably on this one. Part of it was having to get new to me pants since my work pants from last year were too big. Part of it was just blowing money. Argh. This one definitely needs to be given another shot...

Overall I did okay on this, but I think I can do better. I may revisit this after the wedding and turn it into a longer experiment- perhaps June through December 2013, that way I could encompass a few different seasons. I'll keep working on steps 1-4 though!

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 11

This is a very belated post to say that I gained a lot of weight last week. Sad face.

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 10

This week I'm down...

1.6 pounds!

Woo hoo!!

That's all I've got for today. =)

Starting weight: 167 pounds
Current weight: 155.4 pounds
Goal weight: 125 pounds

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 9

This week I'm down...

1 pound!

Not quite as big a loss as last week, but I'll take it!

That officially brings me to 10 pounds since I started this little weight loss experiment. I'm behind on my original timetable, so I'm going to tweak it, as listed below.

My revised goals/timetable:

• 5 pounds lost by 08/29/12. Reward: new nail polish (1-2 bottles) (Accomplished on 08/29!)
• 10 pounds lost by 10/10/12. Reward: new earrings (Accomplished on 10/10!)--Time to go shopping! ;)
• 15 pounds lost by 10/31/12. Reward: new workout socks
• 20 pounds lost by 11/21/12. Reward: new Threadless t-shirt (have some designs in mind...just depends on what's available at the time)
• 25 pounds lost by 12/05/12. Reward: another new Threadless t-shirt because there are several I like! =)
• 30 pounds lost by 12/19/12. Reward: new Pandora charm
• 35 pounds lost by 01/16/13. Reward: new expensive-ish sports bra (I know, between this and the socks, I'm super exciting, right?)
• 42 pounds lost by 02/14/13. Reward: new Toms shoes!

Starting weight: 167 pounds
Current weight: 157 pounds
Goal weight: 125 pounds

Slowly but surely I'm getting there! Also, according to the stats myfitnesspal.com is keeping, I've lost 18 pounds overall since March. I'll let you do the math on how big that made me when I was at my highest weight ever. :-/

A review of the Bride-to-Be Vox Box from Influenster

This was my first box from Influenster, so I didn't know what to expect. This is the "Bride-to-Be Vox Box," so it contained items that a bride-to-be like me should find useful.

Here's my Instagram shot of the contents:

This box contained:

• Kiss brand Premium eyelashes
• Bach Rescue Gum
• Dream Water
• Schwazkopf BC hairtherapy shampoo, conditioner, and repair rescue

Here's my take on things:

• The eyelashes: Never used these! Oops!
  
• The gum: Honestly, I'm still not sure what to think about this. It contains ingredients like "Helianthemum nummularium" that's supposed to give courage and presence of mind and "Prunus cerasifera" that's supposed to give a balanced mind when losing control. My main thought, despite all of these things, was that the flavor doesn't last very long. It's not bad gum, but it never really made me feel calmer, more soothed, more focused, or anything like that. It just made me feel like I was chewing rubbery gum.
  
• The water: This was supposed to make me sleep better, but I couldn't really tell a difference in my sleep quality that night. It did taste decent, so I'll give it credit there.
  
• The shampoo: I have thick hair that isn't really damaged because I hardly ever use heat on it, so I didn't know how this would do with my hair. It wasn't great for my particular hair type. It weighed my hair down so much that it looked greasy and unwashed by the middle of the next day (I'm a nighttime showerer). Someone with thinner and/or more damaged hair might have better luck with this shampoo.
  
• The conditioner: The conditioner felt thin and watery. I used a healthy squirt of it, but it didn't get through my lion's mane. I had to add some of my regular conditioner just to get the tangles out. Again, someone with thinner and/or more damaged hair might have a better experience with this.
  
• The repair rescue: Never used this one. Oops!

Overall, I give the products in this box a 2 out of 5 stars. I hope to receive more boxes from Influenster, but this wasn't the best start!

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 8

This week I'm down...

3.6 pounds!

I don't know what I did differently over the last week, but I'd like to do it again. Repeatedly.

This takes me to a 9 pound weight loss, so I still haven't achieved my second goal from my original posting about my weight. I'm listing my goals below to re-motivate myself. Also, I'm starting a challenge at my gym tonight (well, it started Saturday, but this is the first time I've been back since last week) where the person who loses the most body fat in 3 months wins money. I like money, so this should really motivate me!

My original goals/timetable:

• 5 pounds lost by 08/29/12. Reward: new nail polish (1-2 bottles) (Accomplished on 08/29!)
• 10 pounds lost by 09/19/12. Reward: new earrings 
• 15 pounds lost by 10/10/12. Reward: new workout socks
• 20 pounds lost by 10/31/12. Reward: new Threadless t-shirt (have some designs in mind...just depends on what's available at the time)
• 25 pounds lost by 11/21/12. Reward: another new Threadless t-shirt because there are several I like! =)
• 30 pounds lost by 12/19/12. Reward: new Pandora charm
• 35 pounds lost by 01/16/13. Reward: new expensive-ish sports bra (I know, between this and the socks, I'm super exciting, right?)
• 42 pounds lost by 02/14/13. Reward: new Toms shoes!

Starting weight: 167 pounds
Current weight: 158 pounds
Goal weight: 125 pounds

Health progress

This post is basically a case of me using the blog as my journal since I'm sitting at the computer. It's also a way to encourage me on the days when I'm frustrated about the whole weight loss process and health journey.

Since I've started working on my weight back in January, I've lost around 15 pounds, which is not a whole lot, but it's a decent start. More importantly, I've made strides in my health and athleticism and things I can do. Here are some of them:

1. Have steadily improved my 5K times. Even from July to today, I've shaved a little over 3 minutes off my time and will just continue to get better.

2. Can jog for entire songs now (such as "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls. Guess that makes me Sporty Spice...ha).

3. Can do at least 5 legit, on my toes push ups in a row. I could possibly do more than that if I haven't done any arm/upper body work before I start them.

4. Can almost get my heels on the ground when I do the downward dog pose in yoga, instead of having my heels raised in the air and my weight on my toes.

5. Consistently improving the amount of weight I can lift when doing various exercises.

The list goes on and on, but these were the ones that popped into my head immediately. I am getting fitter and stronger, even if I haven't changed my diet enough to see drastic weight loss. It's time for that phase now. I'm doing a challenge at my gym where the person who loses the most body fat by December 29 wins money. That sure would go a long way towards a new skinny wardrobe! So, like I said, this is mainly for my own encouragement, but on the off chance that anyone sees this, I wanted to say that progress is definitely possible. I still have a long way to go on some of my fitness goals and my weight loss goal, but it's doable! If I can do it, anyone can! =)

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 7

This week I'm down...

-1 pounds.

Another 1 pound gain over the last couple of weeks.

This is getting really frustrating. Less than 6 pounds down in 7 weeks. Give me a break.

I need to get back on track with my eating because I'm missing goals left and right.

Starting weight: 167 pounds
Current weight: 161.6 pounds
Goal weight: 125 pounds

Also, I completely missed this yesterday because I didn't get home until later than normal last night. Hope my fans aren't disappointed that this is a day late... ;-p

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 6

This week I'm down...

???

I missed weighing in this week because I had to work late on Tuesday. I like to try to weigh in at the same time and on the same scale every week for consistency. Oh well. I also missed my target 10 pound loss date.  I may need to do some reconfiguring. Sigh...

The great closet experiment: One month follow up

I'm one month into my two-month experiment to wear everything in my closet and not buy more clothes, and so far, I'm doing eh on it. I've been wearing things that I haven't worn in a while, and I've gotten rid of a few things. I'm doing better about planning my clothes in advance, but even when I look at some of the outfits I've worn (and post on my new fashion blog that I'm behind on maintaining), I'm not super thrilled about what I've put together. I know some of that comes from being frustrated with my weight, but I think some of it also comes from not having good basics in my closet and from just buying things haphazardly without any thoughts about what they will go with.

Also, I've bought a few new and new-to-me items. I went to the Under Armour outlet and got a new workout t-shirt and pants, and last week, one of my neighbors had a yard sale, and I bought a few things from her. She has fantastic clothes that I can wear to work, so that makes it okay, right? Okay, okay, I'll work on this a little more.

I love clothes, but I am starting to realize that I have a lot of uncoordinated pieces. I also don't really have a style, so it makes it difficult to really shop. I browse and buy instead of shopping with a purpose, and it's bad on my wallet and my space. Plus, I'm not really sure what looks flattering on me, so I buy things that I think are cute, but may not really look good on me when I wear them in real life. It's hard being a girl.

I have one more month of this experiment, but I do intend to wear everything in my closet. We're just now starting to experience autumn-like weather, so I have a lot of winter items that I haven't yet worn. I will continue trying not to buy too many items either, but we'll see how that goes!

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 5

This week I'm down...

1.8 pounds!

Woo hoo! I made up for last week plus a little extra. That's always nice!

Now for a little confession. I had a bit of a breakdown yesterday. There's someone I know who started her health journey at the end of July, and she's already lost 13 pounds. I really started hitting it at the beginning of August, and I'm only down 6ish pounds. I got so frustrated wondering why my progress was so slow, what I should do differently, etc, and I may have sent one of my gym's owners a crazy Facebook message telling her about everything I do wrong and asking why those things have caused me not to lose as much weight as the other girl. Sigh. So, for anyone out there who is reading this and working to lose weight, don't worry if you have crazy jealousy days because it happens to everyone! Also, my trainer said not to compare myself to anyone else. I think this is an important lesson because I compare myself to others in a lot of ways- weight loss, marriage age, clothing, etc- but this is ridiculous. God created me to be me not anyone else. I know that's a bit simplistic, but if I can keep that in mind, maybe the comparison game won't seem as fun anymore.

Anyway. Confession time is over, and I feel better now! Now, for some stats!

Starting weight: 167 pounds
Current weight: 160.6 (so close to being out of this number range!!)
Goal weight: 125 pounds

Hope everyone has a great week!

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 4

This week I'm down...

-1 pound.

Blah. I gained a pound. It's not completely unexpected because I missed a couple of workouts, got lazy about tracking, and couldn't stay out of the kitchen on Sunday and Monday. It will just serve as motivation for me over this next week!

Starting weight: 167 pounds
Current weight: 162.4 pounds
Goal weight: 125 pounds

I found something interesting online today too. It's a 5 week challenge for your physical and spiritual self. I think it'll be a nice addition to what I've been doing so far, and hey, prizes can't hurt my motivation! ;) If anyone wants to join me, visit the website on the picture below. Good luck!

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 3

This week I'm down...

1 pound!

I didn't think it would happen after going to the county fair and missing a week's worth of gym workouts, but I guess the little bit of cardio I did helped! And with that, I've lost 5.6 pounds, so I've made my first goal (so I get some new nail polish)!! And on time!! Yay!!

Starting weight: 167 pounds
Current weight: 161.4 pounds
Goal weight: 125 pounds

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 2

This week I'm down...

0.2 pounds.

No exclamation point for this one. I'm not really super thrilled with this. I guess I should be grateful for any loss, and I did eat pretty poorly during the weekend, but I was really hoping to reach that 5 pound mark this week (I even had some nail polish picked out lol). That just gives me more motivation to hit it this week!

Starting weight: 167 pounds
Current weight: 162.4 pounds (blah)
Goal weight: 125 pounds

The great closet experiment

I think I'm on a self-improvement kick lately that I'm sure has nothing to do with getting engaged, turning 29, and having extra time after finishing grad school!

My latest kick is the closet experiment (not to be confused with the sad, never started nor completed bedtime experiment that will someday hopefully come around again). As some of you may know, I LOVE shopping at Goodwill. I think it's because I'm cheap frugal and you can get a lot for your money. As a result of that and the habit of looking at clothes in every store I go in, I have acquired a large amount of clothing.

Having a lot of clothes wouldn't be so bad if I actually wore all of them, but I don't. Like most women, I frequently feel that I have "nothing to wear" and rely on the same pieces quite often, even when they're not the most flattering things. So, I've decided to conduct "the great closet experiment."

The parameters:

1. Wear every piece of clothing I own at least once- including workout clothes, undergarments, pajamas, etc.
   
2. Get rid of things that don't look great on me or just feel "eh". I've been watching a lot of What Not To Wear lately, and one of their basic ideas is that you shouldn't wear anything that doesn't make you look and feel great because there are options that will make you look and feel your best.
   
3. Immediately get rid of anything that's stained, torn, has holes in it, etc. This comes from me wearing a shirt to work recently that was a missing a button...in the middle of the shirt (I know a button can be sewn back on, but honestly, it would be a hassle to find the same button and I would probably take way too long to do it).
   
4. Be creative- there are a lot of fashion blogs out there that pair things together that I would've never thought worked, but they do. I need to work with what I have, and I may find that I have more than
   enough. I also may find that there are some staples that I am missing.
   
5. No purchasing new (or new to me) clothes for at least two months. This one's definitely going to be the most difficult to follow because I buy lots of things. But, it will let me save money, and it will help me keep from cluttering my closets with things that may not fit, since I'm on a weight loss journey.

I've already started working on items 1-3, but 4 and 5 are starting today, which means that I'm on a shopping freeze until October 18. I may try to post some follow ups to this on here, but since I'm not the best at maintaining this blog, it may not happen. I will post the final results in October though! Wish me luck!

Wednesday Weigh In: Week 1

Last week, I shared that I'm starting my weight loss journey at 167 pounds. I weighed in to measure my first week's progress and drumroll please...

I'm down almost 4.5 pounds! Woo hoo!

That takes me to 162.5ish pounds! I'm close to reaching my first five pound goal also, so that's pretty encouraging!

So, how did I do it? (Inquiring minds may ask...) Well, I worked out hard three days last week at Re:Move//Training, and I ate healthfully about 80% of the time last week. Truthfully, I attribute such a big number to my body losing water weight and just being shocked by the healthy foods and exercise! Can't wait to see how I do next week! =)

That other 'F' word

So, I'm fat.

I don't want to sugar coat it, or use any euphemisms, like "big boned" or "curvy" to avoid saying a word that has a negative connotation. Let's get straight to the point here.

I've always been overweight, but in the last year or two, I've really noticed how much weight I've gained and how difficult it is to lose it. I'm heavier than I've ever been in my entire life, and I'm sick of it (I think the italics and underlining really drive home my point...). It's time for me to lose this weight forever. I'm getting married in March, and I turn 30 in July, so I want to start married life/my 30s as healthy as possible. Will and I joined a gym last week, and I have been working on eating healthier foods. I'm optimistic because I have time to focus on myself now, and I have a couple of motivators that I have never had. Plus, I want to lose weight to become healthier. Diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are in my family, and I want to do everything I can to take control of these things so I will never have to deal with them.

I've always heard that the best way to stick to goals is to announce them publicly so everyone will know what you're doing and help keep you on track. I don't know if that's true or not, but I want to get it out there, so at the very least, someone who reads this can grill me about what kind of coffee drink I'm having at church or what kind of snack(s) I'm having at work. I'll go a little further and announce the details of my current state of body and where I want to be, along with smaller breakdowns of goals. I think this will help keep me in check and motivated to make this a slow and steady process, rather than getting burned out and frustrated if things don't magically work right away. I plan to post weekly updates. Hopefully, unlike the failed bedtime experiment, I'll be accountable. Hey, I might even revive that since Glamour magazine tells me that I can lose weight by sleeping more!

Without further adieu, as of Wednesday, August 8, 2012, here is my weight: 167 pounds (note: I will round up or down as needed. I don't really want to deal with tenths of pounds, unless I'm having a fluffy week and want to reassure myself that I'm on the right track...). Blah. I've topped out at 5 feet, 3 inches, which puts my BMI at 29, sticking me at far end of the overweight (almost obese) category. I know that BMI isn't always the most accurate measure of body composition, since you can have a lot of muscle and weigh more than what's considered "normal" but still be in better shape than someone in that category. However, I know that I'm overweight by the way my clothes fit, the way I feel, etc, so I'm going to use this as an indicator for now.

I want to lose 42 pounds by Valentine's Day. I believe that's completely realistic since that's around 27 weeks away, and it keeps me in the recommended guidelines of only losing 1-2 pounds per week. Plus, that's our 2 year anniversary and less than a month before the wedding, so I think it's a good time to be a brand new me! =)

Here are my tentative thoughts on goals for when I want to reach certain milestones and the rewards I want to give myself for reaching them:

5 pounds lost by 08/29/12. Reward: new nail polish (1-2 bottles) (Accomplished on 08/29!)

10 pounds lost by 09/19/12. Reward: new earrings

15 pounds lost by 10/10/12. Reward: new workout socks

20 pounds lost by 10/31/12. Reward: new Threadless t-shirt (have some designs in mind...just depends on what's available at the time)

25 pounds lost by 11/21/12. Reward: another new Threadless t-shirt because there are several I like! =)

30 pounds lost by 12/19/12. Reward: new Pandora charm

35 pounds lost by 01/16/13. Reward: new expensive-ish sports bra (I know, between this and the socks, I'm super exciting, right?)

42 pounds lost by 02/14/13. Reward: new Toms shoes!

Okay, I think that's it. I'll probably make those nifty "pounds lost/pounds to go" jar sets that are on Pinterest, and I'll post a picture when I do. Wish me luck, and if anyone wants to work out sometime, just let me know!

Life's too short to...fill in the blank...

In the past week, I turned 29, and there was a horrific tragedy that happened at a movie theater in Colorado.  Both of these events combined have caused me to pause and take a look at myself and my life. For the most part, I'm happy, but there are things that I want to change (look for one of those infamous "30 before 30 lists" to be posted within the next week or two). I know I've posted before about making changes in my life, but there were always excuses. I wanted to wait until I finished my Masters in Education, comps for my UT program, my Masters in Info Science, until this, that, or whatever, but the time for excuses is over. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow, so we should live each day to its fullest and truly enjoy life. Sometimes circumstances may be bad, but we should NEVER be at a point where we dread or loathe things in our lives, especially things that can be changed. It's time for me to grow up, set goals, and live my life in a more fulfilling way. It's time for me to immerse myself in God's plan and truly live, rather than just a ho-hum existence where I count down the days until vacation, Christmas, whatever. We're not made to count down days and wish our lives away. I've still (hopefully) got a lot of life to live, and I'm ready to live it.

A Review of The Beauty Book by Nancy Rue

Okay, I know I'm not the target audience for this title (it's geared towards preteens), and I don't have a daughter or any close younger female relatives that I need to share this advice with, but I still chose to review this book since I spent a semester interning for Nancy Rue. Even though I may be a smidge biased because she was one of the nicest people I've ever met, I went into reading this from the perspective of someone who does mentor young females, and this book is definitely a great resource for those folks. Combining practical knowledge with Scripture, Rue gives advice to "Lily" (of the Lily Series books that she has written) and her friends about learning to love themselves and their unique traits that God has given them. It's a great message for any girl who has ever felt inadequate about her looks or has played the comparison game, and let's face it, all girls have. If you're around preteen girls or will be in the near future, then this book is worth checking out!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Review of Great Day Every Day by Max Lucado

Lately I had been in a bit of a rut. Nothing bad had happened, but I just felt "blah." After reading this book, I feel like I have been transformed and put back on track! As Lucado points out, Psalm 118:24 says that THIS is the day the Lord has made, and I should rejoice and be glad in it, even if it's tax day, final exam day, divorce day, etc. Every day is a gift, even when it seems like it is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. We should rejoice in the big days and the little days. Lucado offers a "daily compass" after every chapter that helps readers adjust their attitudes and get back on the path to having a great day. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a bad day!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A follow up to the bedtime experiment

Let's just say, I haven't been doing very well with it. Boo. I'm still cranky. Let's try this again on Sunday night!

The bedtime experiment...

I need sleep. This isn't the whiny refrain of someone who's a little tired either. I genuinely need sleep. According to most of the literature I've read about sleep, adults need 7-8 hours of sleep per night. My fitbit says I regularly clock around 6-6.5 hours per weeknight and anywhere from 7 to 11 hours on weekends. My sleep schedule is erratic, and it has an effect on every other aspect of my life. So, enough is enough. My boyfriend is always urging me to go to bed around 10 every night (so I can clock 7.5 hours to get up at 5:30 on weekdays), but I very, very rarely make that. There's always some excuse about what I have to do before I can go to bed, but it's generally something that can wait until the next day (like this blog entry, for example). So, now that my spring semester is over, I've decided to undergo the bedtime experiment. The reason I'm putting it out here for the six of you who may read this everyone to see is that I want some external pressure. I want whoever reads this to ask me about my bedtime, harass me about being up too late, etc. The experiment is as follows:

1. Bedtime on Sunday-Thursday nights is 10 PM. No exceptions.
2. Out of bed by 5:30 AM on weekdays (and that will keep me from being so frazzled in the mornings)
3. Bedtime on Friday and Saturday nights is midnight at the latest
4. Get up by 8:30 on weekends. Take a short nap if needed.

My goal is to get into the habit of doing this so I can get good, quality sleep. Sleep helps with everything- mood, attitude, even weight loss- and I can use some help in all of those categories! The experiment will begin Sunday night, so wish me luck!

EDIT: I'm going to do this for 2 weeks and then post again about how it's gone...just for the inquiring minds out there!

A Review of Nearing Home by Billy Graham

Billy Graham is old. No, I'm not being callous or rude. He is old, 93 years old at the time the book was written, and he makes sure to remind everyone that growing old is not for sissies. In his old age, his thoughts have turned to what life is like for those who are getting close to the end of their lives, or "nearing home" in the sense of dying and going to Heaven. However, Graham points out that everyone, young and old, are nearing home as none of us know when our last moment will be. I am 28 years old, and many of his truths spoke to me in a way I did not expect them to. His chapter about influencing the impressionable really inspired me to make me want to be a better grandparent to my future grandchildren than my grandparents are to me. He stresses that older people have wisdom and character that younger people desperately need and they should use whatever means necessary to connect to the younger generation. He also talked about essential tools for Christians, such as God's Word and fellowship. These truths are applicable for both younger and older folks. 

This is the first book I have read by Billy Graham, but I know it will not be my last! 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A letter to Old Navy

Those of you from the Myspace era may remember that I've written Old Navy a letter before. I should've realized back then that it was only foreshadowing for my current problems...

Dear Old Navy,

When did you decide to suck? You used to be my favorite store. Like super favorite, even more than Goodwill favorite. You were affordable and trendy and had a great selection of short length pants. Then something changed. Your quality started to decrease a little bit. That was okay because you were still relatively affordable. Then your short length pants disappeared, except for on the website, which didn't help me much when I was standing in the store looking for new work pants. Then you got expensive, and that was the final straw for me, or rather, it should have been the final straw. I still shopped there, but I grew increasingly frustrated at your prices and terrible quality. This morning was my super final straw though. I bought some Rock Star Super Skinny Denim Leggings (also, your names of clothes are stupid, but that's a side note) back in December. I've only worn them 10 times, maximum. They've always been washed in cold water and dried on the lowest setting. When I put them on this morning, I discovered that they're a good 1-2 inches shorter than they were the last time I wore them. It's ironic that a store that doesn't carry short length pants produces clothing that shrinks to such an awkward length. It's not just the pants that I have a problem with either. Everything I've bought from there starts pilling after the first or second washing so it looks like I've had it about 10 years even though I just bought it (and paid too much for it). So this is it. Our relationship is over. You can try to lure me with promises of half off clearance (which really means that it's already half off when it's on the clearance rack, not half off what the tag says. Thanks for that one) or whatever siren song you have, but I'm done with you. I can't justify spending what I do for things that look terrible after one or two wearings. Good luck to you. I'm sure I'll pine for you when I see your brightly colored ads full of happy-looking people, but then I'll remember my disappointment when I got dressed this morning and saw how short my pants were. That'll ease my pain and keep my wallet fuller. Maybe someday you'll realize that your customers are fed up, but I doubt it. For every person like me, there are at least five others who still love you. Rely on them to spend the money that I won't be spending anymore. I'm going back to my beloved Goodwill. It may not be trendy, but at least it doesn't try to pretend it's anything that it's not.

Sincerely,
A former customer

Books read in 2012

January:

1. The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie (fiction)- January 2

2. Ariel Custer by Grace Livingston Hill (fiction)- January 2

Keeping track of reading

Like many other nerdy people, I keep track of what I read. Without boring people with details, let's just say it involves tracking on a couple of different websites and a special Google calendar. Nerdy to the extreme. One of the sites I use is Livejournal, but I realized recently that this is a much better place to do it because I can remember the password ha ha. So I will begin my 2012 list here and link to past lists. Enjoy!

Books read in 2008!
Books read in 2009!
Books read in 2010!
Books read in 2011! (work in progress...got behind on updating)

Also, I've started a new blogging project for this year called Thankful 366. Check it out!