friday favs: the last one

Having an unexpected 17 hours in a hospital (and in effect, a day off from work) actually made this week seem to fly by.

If you haven't yet, take a peek at my Untold Snippets of the E.R., a humorous re-telling of 17 hours of life that Lucas and I will never get back because we spent it in the dungeon that is Hartford Hospital.

In other news, I've made a decision about my Friday Favorite's posts. I think I'm going to be ending this series after this week and creating a Monthly Favorites instead. My weeks are so busy and go by so quickly that sometimes I feel like I'm scrapping together favorites of the week, and I don't want to do that! I want to give only the most interesting and useful tidbits. So from here on out, stay tuned for a Monthly Favorites at the end of each month, followed by a goals re-cap and new goals for the coming month.

But here we go, one last Friday!

01) Nice nurses are definitely up there in my favorites for this week. It's crazy how a gentle personality in such a harsh environment can make an experience much more pleasant (or as pleasant as possible, given the circumstances).

02) I've said it before and I'll say it again - when my coworkers bring me iced coffee, they bring me happiness in a plastic cup. I appreciate so much these unexpected Friday morning treats.

03) This BB cream from Maybelline is the best drugstore face make-up I've tried in a long, long time. Goodbye Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, with your ridiculous price tag. This is all I need and it blends in like a dream with just your fingers. Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's $6.79 at Target.

04) Au Bon Pain Cafe is located in the main entrance to Hartford Hospital and they might have the best damn asiago bagel you will ever try.

05) I dug deep into blog land this week and discovered the most tear-jerking love story (part 1 and part 2) from one of my all time fav bloggers, Bonnie. Her writing style is beautiful, authentic, and moving.

06) I was in the waiting room of yet another doctor's office yesterday when I found this very long (but truly fascinating) article on Buzzfeed about the cult-brand Glossier. If you don't know anything about this brand, give the article a skim. Their marketing strategy is just mesmerizing to me - I'm totally convinced I need to own that Gen G matte lip balm.

07) A couple of throwback jams. I played Get Up by Ciara and Lose My Breath by Destiny's Child in Spin class yesterday and my Spinners were loving it! Sometimes I stress myself out looking for the best and newest music. It's always a good idea to take a look back at the old favs.

How was your week?
Tell me about the best bagel you've ever eaten.
What's your go-to throwback jam?

Leave a comment, it means so much for me to actively engage with anyone awesome enough to start a conversation on this blog!

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friday favs: decisions, decisions

My manager mentioned yesterday that this week has flown by for her. I feel the COMPLETE opposite. I feel like this week has dredged through the mud and back, that I have lived a thousand lives in seven days, that I have been running a non-stop engine for 2 straight weeks.

Here are some favorite little trinkets that I have gathered in this week's long journey.

01) This informative article claims that getting six hours of sleep is as bad as getting no sleep at all. This is especially disturbing since I get about 5 and a half hours of sleep each night. Uh oh.

02) I saved $6 on make-up at CVS this week using coupons. I have honestly never used coupons before. I felt like a powerful sorceress. One of my good friends is a certified crazy coupon lady, and she's hopefully going to give us all a couponing workshop in the near future (over wine, of course).

03) This little gem of a song is so soft and lovely.

04) I finally decided to try what one of my favorite bloggers (The Skinny Confidential) claims is the best drugstore mascara ever. I am really into it right now. The primer contributes to a curl that actually holds in place all day long. And I got it on sale $3.12!!!

05) Podcasts have pretty much consumed my life, I even listened to one while I was tanning outside yesterday. I will definitely have to do a blog post on my favorite podcasts soon! But two other things I've been loving are Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. I'm trying as hard as I can to finish both of these by the end of the month.

06) Breakfasts like this.

07) Putting my big girl pants on/being a responsible adult human and scheduling two doctors appointments, setting up one payment plan for an ambulance bill, and setting up a phone interview for a potential job offer. Which brings me to...

Decisions, decisions...

I am pretty fed up with working at the gym. The lack of responsibilities, being treated like a child, mediocre pay, and false promises from corporate all add up after a year and 9 months of working here. At the same time, the flexibility with hours is very convenient. 

I set up a phone interview for a position of "Patient Service Specialist" at a physical therapy clinic. This would be a really good position for me, if I was offered it - I'd get office experience in a medical setting, I'm really interested in physical therapy, and it's a full time position. I'm not sure of the pay, so that would obviously make a huge difference. 

The only problem is the hours. The office is open from 9am - 7pm. In my current position, I get out of work at 1pm. Coming this September, I'm scheduled to be teaching several dance classes throughout the week starting at 6pm. 

So what should I do if I'm offered this position? Should I give up my passion and side hustle of dance teaching to pursue a real full-time job with benefits and a 401k? Would this destroy my soul?

If you have any thoughts, please just let me know what you think/what you might do. 

Leave a comment, it means so much for me to actively engage with anyone awesome enough to start a conversation on this blog!

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Happy Friday! 

friday favs: back on the grind

This was my first actual full-blow Monday through Friday work week since the first week of June. Wow, this sucks! Hah, I think I'm just totally burnt out from my insane work and side hustle schedule. I work Monday to Friday from 5am to 1pm, I teach five dance classes between Monday and Wedneday, and a Spin class on Monday and Thursday.

I don't really know how I do it either.

But alas, over-achievers gotta over achieve. I have this deeply ingrained issue with being stagnant. Scheduling myself all over the place definitely prevents that from happening. But then when I actually take the time to physically write down my schedule I'm like - what am I doing to myself.

Happy Friday + here are some cool things to click on, listen to, and know about.

01) This song is just one of my favorites from a new artist that I discovered this week named Kaleida. She sounds to me like a cross between Florence + The Machine and The xx. Her music is very cool.

02) Newborn babies... which earlier this week I said I found terrifying. Maybe two and half week old babies are less terrifying? We've been spending a lot of time with Lucy and her baby since her husband works nights and she needs some extra help.  Holding a tiny little baby and hearing it breathe and squeak is the coolest, most comforting thing.

03) Podcasts are like crack for your ears. I do so much random driving that it doesn't make sense for me to NOT listen to podcasts, but I just got into it this month! The Friend Zone is a new one that I've been listening to, free on iTunes. It's three friends, each from Atlanta, Detroit and Harlem. They discuss how to be well mentally and physically. One of them says she isn't a spiritual guru, but she sure sounds like it! They tackle hard topics and spiritual well-being while still somehow managing to be hilarious.

04) My new blog design!!! I spent forever working on this shit earlier this week. I think it reflects my style perfectly at the moment - a little minimal, a little fun, a little cozy. I say at the moment because my style shifts every couple of months, so who knows how long this is going to last.

05) I recently discovered that there's an entire personality theory all centered around what side you part your hair on. Read the article and let me know whether you think it's the real deal or a load of shit.

06) One of my friends has an intense interest in studying psychopaths and sociopaths. We were both psych majors so we love this shit. She told me that a personality type called "empaths" are most likely to be the target of sociopaths. If these results are correct, I'm EXTREMELY vulnerable. Find out if you're an empath here.

07) Like, I know I've been saying Big Brother for the past 3 weeks in a row, but if you aren't watching this fascinating and horrifying social experiment that has been going on for 18 seasons, what are you doing??? It's finally starting to get extremely juicy and the house guests are turning on each other left and right. I have absolutely no idea who is going to win this season, which is a first. It could be anyone. 

^ this is how we watch Big Brother ^

________________________________________________________________________________________________

How was your week? 

Do you have any weird subjects that you love researching? 

Leave a comment, it means so much for me to actively engage with anyone awesome enough to visit my little 'ol blog! 

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FF - Let's have a magic lesson

August began on a Monday and if that isn't inspiration to start the final month of summer on a productive and motivational note, I'm not sure what is.

This week has been jam-packed, full to the brim with new activities and new perspectives. My summer dance classes began on Monday and I also picked up a new Spin class on Monday afternoon (because I hate being stagnant AKA because I don't know how to say no).

Here are some cool things to click on and some highlights from this week!

FF - The End Is Near

The end of my atrocious summer class, that is!

I have one week left. Not even one week, just six days from today. Both of my finals are this coming Thursday and I feel like a psychopath trying to fit in all the studying I need to do, while still making time for leading a real, human life.

This weekend I'm going to Boston to visit two of my best friends from college. I know this is insane considering that I should be spending every waking minute of my existence making flashcards, but one of these girls teaches for Teach For America in North Carolina and she goes back there next week. And I only see these ladies maybe twice a year! #justification?

So this week has been wildly stressful for a garden variety of reasons. I feel like a lot of people are in that boat with me. Are you? As a pick-me-up, here are some of my favorite things from this week, despite the whirlwind.

Friday Favorites & 1 Un-Favorite!

Congratulations, we made it to another Friday.

Did you have a good week this week? After last weeks' slump of post-Fourth grogginess, I really feel like this week was great. It flew by, but I was able to accomplish so much, in such a positive state of mind. It certainly didn't hurt that this Wednesday was PAY DAYYYYY.

QUICK WEEK RECAP:
+ I worked out every single day this week. I'm saying this prematurely because I have steadfast plans to workout after my shift at 1pm.
+ I studied 3 days of the week. Super impressive for me.
+ I found out my grades on last weeks' exams. A 92 and a 93.5. I'mma give myself a quick pat on the back y'all.
+ I blogged on Monday and I'm blogging today. That's twice as good as the blogging I did last month.
+ I ate smaller portions and chose healthier options every day this week. I said NO to ICECREAM. (This has never happened before)

Read on for my favorites (and one small un-favorite...) from this past week!

FF - Heat Wave Edition

We're in the middle of this wild New England heat wave where every day is over 90 degrees and every time you step foot outside it feels like you're walking into the Amazon Rain Forest. I'm not complaining - I love the heat - but the humidity is kind of crazy.

Also crazy that it's already July. For whatever reason it feels like this year is going by faster than all my others. I get anxiety about making my months/years as full and productive as possible. Even though I have accomplished a lot this year, for some reason it doesn't feel like enough...

Anyways here is a list of my favorite things as of late. Some big, some small, some bucket listers.

FF - Apps That Will Literally Change Your Life

So let's jump right into it - here's the new deal with this bloggy boo of mine.

I love this blog. I love interacting with people, sharing ideas, sharing products, and spilling my little life out onto a keyboard.

But my brain so easily gets fogged up with things that stress me out and right now, that is this mother effing summer class I have to take. It's 8 weeks long, and 2 weeks in, so I have 6 weeks left.

And 6 exams to take.... LOL.

Anyways, I can't wait for it to be over so I can get back into the swing of blogging, but for now, you get me when you get me.

This Fridays' favorites are literally all apps to try to make my life easier and better.

Friday Favorites - Everything's Changin'

I'm so unbelievably relieved that today is Friday!

This week was a tough week. The weather was beautiful but there was a heaviness in my heart this week.

That's because my manager (who is also my REALLY good friend) got transferred to a different location & we got new management.

I used to be pretty easily adaptable but I guess in my old age (lol) I've become someone who is resistant to change.

Hmm, I should probably research & write a blog post on how to become more flexible in the face of big changes....

Anyways, let's get positive, yah??

Friday Favorites, comin' right up.

FF - Summatime Fine

New England weather literally catapulted itself from winter, to spring, to SUMMER (in all its' glory) in just three weeks. I feel like I have whiplash.

This week I was slacking on working out just because the weather was so wonderfully oppressive & I wanted to enjoy it all outside.

But 90 degrees ain't too cool to run in, ya know? 

Above photo is from last summer but it sets the right tone. 

Wednesday was my favorite day, with some time spent at a lake with my lovah followed by a cookout with my family on our brand spankin' new patio and patio furniture. We are living large. 

Now, without further ado, here are some of my favorite tidbits from this past week...

FF - Are the planets still in retrograde?

Good morning and HAPPY FRIDAY.

The beginning of this week felt totally normal you guys. The end of this week, starting with Wednesday, felt... off.

For starters, everyone I know has been extremely irritable this week, myself included. I'm getting in wild arguments with people and there's just been a general feeling of unrest.... not cool.

Also, everyone I've talked to agrees that Wednesday felt like a Monday and yesterday felt like a Friday. Which was obviously upsetting.

So yeah.

I don't know what's going on with the planets, but homegirl would appreciate if they'd calm down up there!

Here's what I've been loving on this week, despite the cosmic mess.

THIS BEAUTY THING: 

Bareminerals Lipgloss in Trailblazer

I got this as a Sephora points perk after finally parting with some of my 1,000+ points.

It is FABULOUS.

Never tried any Bareminerals lip glosses before this, and I don't even really like lip products...

But it's not to sticky, the perfect minty tingling sensation, and makes your lips look bronze-y and goddess-y and ALIVE. 

THIS TV SHOW: 

The Family on ABC. 

Y'ALL. 

This TV show aired it's first season finale last Sunday but I finally got around to watching it on Wednesday and yo.

It's wild. It's unpredictable. It's addicting.

Have you seen it? 

I can't believe.... well, I don't want to spoil anything for you.

But this isn't like any crime/kidnapping/investigative plot line I've ever seen or heard before. 

& I used to be obsessed with Criminal Minds and murder mystery shows, so I've seen my fair share. 

Find it somewhere, watch it, report back so we can develop some crazy theories together.

THIS SONG:

Too Good by Drake ft. Rihanna 

Another solid jam.

I kinda think this will be a "Song of The Summer".

It reminds me of all those other songs, like Work by Rihanna, One Dance by Drake, & In Common by Alicia Keys. Like they're all chill af, but still somehow jams.

I'm into it.


THIS PLACE: 

Elizabeth Park in Hartford, CT

Winding paths, garden, terraces, and green things galore.

It was really nice out on Wednesday afternoon, so Lucas and I visited this park (one of the first places we ever hung out/went on a date) & wandered around enjoying the beautiful day.

& that's all folks! 

We actually have a busy weekend planned out. 

There's a graduation dinner in NYC tomorrow, followed by dranks dranks dranks. 

And if this week was as long for you as for me, well, you deserve a drank too. 

Then on Sunday we're roaming around the city, maybe visiting the Museum of Sex, seeing a show, going to lunch, or going on some boat tour of Manhattan. I've seen some cray cray Groupon deals. 

Peace out cub scouts, and TGIF. 

FF - I'm Back Bitches

This week FLEW by.

And I'm a-okay with that.

Time is slipping through our fingers and going by faster than ever for me these days, but the weekends are those rare occasions where I feel like I can take a deep breath and let it allll sink in.

So I'm ecstatic to say HAPPY FREAKIN' FRIDAY.

This week was great for me, I hope you too! The sun was out, and I felt sunshine on my skin for the first time in 2 WEEKS, GUYS. TWO WEEKS.

To say I was lacking in the D (vitamin D that is, hehe) is a huge understatement.

I dragged myself out of a major funk this week & I'm super proud of myself.

That's why I feel like it's 100% appropriate for me to say I'm back bitches. 

I was not myself the past two weeks. Between being sick 2 weeks ago and recovering last week, I was feeling lazy, unmotivated, lethargic, even depressed.

But something snapped back "on" inside me this week and it's been full steam ahead every day. Hell yah!

Here's what I've been loving on this week.

THIS SNACK: 

My boyfriend's mom hoards up on this yogurt and he steals it for me. Mwahaha.

This is skyr, which is ACTUALLY an Icelandic cheese made from skim milk. 

Weird, I know. But it actually has the same properties as Greek yogurt, with plenty of protein & calcium. 

The great thing about skyr though is that it's even THICKER than Greek yogurt, and sweeter (with less grams of sugar than most brands of Greek yogurt... how is this possible?? Witchcraft). Which I love and appreciate, thanks Siggi's. You're a real pal. 

THIS WORKOUT PLAN: 

(source)

I have started training for a 10K. 

This is a huge deal for me. I literally never passed the mile run during fitness testing all through elementary, middle, high school. NEVER. 

I had asthma and was a chubby, unathletic little kid. 

I honestly can't tell you the first time I successfully ran a mile without stopping. But it was... recent. 

I've been using the Nike+ Running App, which one of my friends recommended me. & I have it set so that I get "coaching" every minute of my run. Literally.

I find that sooo helpful. Because I'm needy & need to know how far I've gone/how much longer I have to go as often as possible. 

I've been using this training schedule because it's cute & not overwhelming. & I ran (consistently!!!) the longest I've ever gone yesterday at 3.56 miles. 

HOLLA ATCHA GIRL. 

Again, this is a big deal for lil 'ol me. Remember - asthma all throughout public schooling. It used to take me 20 minutes to complete a damn mile. 

One thing to add - I cannot run on a treadmill. It's abysmal. It's boring. It hurts my shins. It's the road or nothin' baby. 

THESE SONGS: 

In Common by Alicia Keys. 

Guys, this is a jam.

It's kinda got that feel of Work by Rihanna and One Dance by Drake. I don't know why but they all sound somewhat similar to me. 

Love the line, "If you can love somebody like me, you must be messed up too."

UGH, YES GIRL. 

CAN'T STOP THE FEELING by Justin Timberlake. 

JT is back with another jam. 

If this isn't the happiest damn song to blast on a sunny day, well I just don't know what is. 

Summer music is the best, now excuse me while I snap my fingers while doing a two-step away from the haters. 

THIS HABIT: 

May we all one day be as majestic as this woman drinking bottled water. 

When I was sick, I really let myself go.

Downnnnnnnnnnnn the tubes. 

I was 7,000% dehydrated at all times. 

I didn't have the energy to lift my head, much less sip and drink water. 

It was literally pathetic. 

Now that I'm better, I'm trying to make it a solid point to put the RIGHT things in my body.

The other day I got this adorable polka dot cup with a straw from Target in the dollar spot, aka the most dangerous place for wallets of twenty-something females on Earth. 

Like, OMG everything is a dollar! It's magical! It's wonderful! But suddenly you have 50 things in your hands and with tax, you can say adios to a day's worth of pay. 

Beware the dollar spot.

But anyways, this cup is so cute, that it's motivated me to drink water ALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. 

Usually I'm good about drinking water while I'm at work. It helps me pass the time. But now it's like I need to have this cup with me at all times. Phone, wallet, dollar spot cup. Check, check, check. Ready to go. 

That's all for this Friday. 

Tomorrow is my longest run of the week for my 10K training (& also my longest run EVER IN MY LIFE) so wish me luck! 

Other than that, I might go out for some dranks + dancing tomorrow night, I'm going to try and post some clothing items to Poshmark since I haven't begun working on that goal yet, maybe go to to the movies or go out to brekky, & just relax and rejuvenate.

I actually have so many plans coming up for the weekends, so this one should be savored.

Hope you had a full & uplifting week and have a gorgeous weekend! :)

FF - Recovery Week

This week was pretty much as unproductive as last week, just because I'm doing this new thing where I don't push myself when I'm sick and I actually allow myself to heal and get better.

Innovative! 

I hope everyone's weeks were satisfying and full and that you maybe felt some rays of sunshine on your damn skin. Cuz let me tell you, Connecticut is not feelin' that way. I want sunshine, I NEED sunshine. But this weather is not delivering. Rude.

Here are some things I've been loving on this week.

This snack: 

These maple frosted rice cakes are from Marshall's of all places, and are "lighter than a cookie and more satisfying than a cracker". I conquer. They're freakin' delicious and only 50 calories per pouch. A random gym member brought them in for us and now I'm going to have to search high and low to restock! 

This song: 

All On Me by Gyptian. 

I heard this lil jam on the radio and Shazamed it real quick! It's just such a happy little tune for some summer driving or a Spin class or an outdoor BBQ. I am a sucker for music like this. The funkier the better.

This beauty thing: 

White nail polish is where the classy betches go for spring and summer, I swear. I feel so chic and sassy and cool with this on my nails. I painted them with some cheap shit from the dollar store and it borderline looks like white-out, but also took over a week to chip. So sometimes the price tag ain't everything, y'all. 

This tattoo: 

I've been wanting to get a sunflower tattoo for the past couple of years now, but I could never find the perfect one. This one is freakin' beautiful. Dainty, elegant, and unique. I LOVE IT. Now I just have to save up the money and grow the balls to actually place this on my body. 

This quote: 

Source

Basically this quote sums up why the sunflower tattoo means so much to me. Having been through very difficult times in my past, and made it through by always trying to find positivity and optimism, it is the perfect quote and the perfect image to keep close to me at all times. 

What were some things you loved this week? I hope your week was full of interesting finds! I have no plans this weekend besides more rest and recovery, so hopefully that goes well and I don't find myself doing anything crazy like jumping out of a plane, canyoning to some waterfalls, or attempting a 10k for fun. But you never know. I'm pretty unpredictable sometimes.