Sunday

In case you're wondering, I "lovingly ripped off" this little survey from Delightfully Tacky. It seemed like the perfect re-kick-start to my blogging adventures. I thought I would take a break for a couple of weeks and see if I was any better for it...but alas I am not. My creative outlets are few and far between, and eliminating the blog only added stress as opposed to decreasing it. I will try and remember this next time I decide to go blogger AWOL.

Reading...
Stuck on the last two chapters of Dresden File's Summer Knight. Once I'm finished I can't decide if I want to continue with the the series or take a little break with Diane Keaton's Then Again.


Watching...
Catching up on my Hulu queue. New Girl, Chicago Fire, Parks and Recreation, and I still have the last episode of 30 Rock there too. I can't bring myself to watch it! Need a new series to though...


Wishing...
I could get the remainder of my apartment put together. I moved in November and things are still in plastic boxes and art is still sitting on the floor. I need a plan of attack to organize and decorate this place on a limited budget. I would love it to feel more like my home than just a place to crash every night. I know these things take time, but I feel like I'm stalling by not doing the basic projects I've already set up for myself. Hopefully once those things are done I'll have a sense of direction in what I want to do next.


Proud of..
I started working out in my apartment four weeks ago and I'm still at it! I have yet to go outside for a run, but I can already feel a difference in my energy level just by doing plyometrics. I like the Bikini Body Workout from Self and the Get In Shape for Summer workout from Refinery29. I have also taken a greater interest in nutrition and cooking for myself, which isn't to say that I'm not having cereal for dinner every now and then, but I'm getting better!


Excited about...
Mama Morgan decided to come to Chicago for a few days at the end of March! Also the Atlanta trip and Color Run is fast approaching.


Impatiently awaiting...
Spring's arrival and the opportunity to wear all my sundresses and shorts again. I realize that I should be looking for on sale boots and winter coats, but I can't help but browse sandals, skirts, and swimwear for the upcoming Atlanta trip. As lovely as Chicago is in the winter, it's even better in the summer.

18 Days

When E signed me up for the Color Run I thought it would be easy training. I would locate one of my Pinterest plans and get to work in a month... problem being most plans start 10 weeks out and I currently have 8. Oops. Of course I can't be caught dead running outdoors, because if I were running outdoors right now I might actually BE dead. Many Chicagoans (and possibly even me this time last year) would disagree, but in my defense I was in better shape a year ago today. I had come from of a job where I walked 10+ miles a day and I jumped in to running like it was no big thing. Now the only practice I get is when I need to catch a train or run back to the time clock when my break is over...could we count that as a speed drill?

So in lieu of trail running for the time being I joined the community center gym by my apartment and the blue hairs and I have been rocking it out on the ellipticals...honestly they are so friendly. "Are you new here? Welcome!" I re-stocked the cabinets with a slew of new and healthier groceries courtesy of Muffin-Topless. I also Pinterest picked a few strength training routines to build some lean muscle in the mean time. I tried my first routine last night: Refinery 29's Beach Body workout and I am sore as all get out today. It feels fantastic.

If you recall last winter when I did try winter running I promptly gave up when I became too stressed and overwhelmed. This is probably the worst reason to quit working out seeing as it helps manage that stress, but my unemployment logic wasn't all that solid. But this time I come armed with knowledge: it takes 18 days to create a habit. If I give it my all for 18 days I will come to prioritize what my body needs to be happy which is healthy food and a nice work out. Three days in and feeling fine!

Au Naturale

Since natural beauty products are becoming more en vogue these days and the ever-present threat of toxic chemicals in cheap products always seems to linger in the back of my mind when I pick up a new $2 lipstick (and because I'm susceptible to trends and advice from strangers via their blogs) I've been wondering, should I go with more natural beauty products?

I gave you my rave review about making my own mud scrub and that worked out well, but what about shampoos? Is sulfate going to make my hair fall out? No, but it probably isn't doing any good for my scalp or eczema. Will the toxins in lipstick give me lead poisoning?  Maybe if I sat down and ate it like a pack of cherry lifesavers, but I think I can restrain myself. But would I rather be safe than sorry? Yes, yes I would.


All in moderation. You won't see me chucking my deodorant out the window, but slowly I'm using up what's left of my regular stock and moving on to something better for my health. It also goes well with my 24 Before 25 List in getting rid of beauty products that aren't absolutely essential. So here's what I'm thinking so far:

Photo Via

By recommendation of Joanna Goddard via A Cup Of Jo I really want to try Mama Bee Body Oil, and I was sold on Kiss My Face's shampoo until I smelled it. A leetle too "herby" for my olfactories.  I guess my strands will have to suffer with sulfate until I can find a better alternative. I really want to try Paul Mitchell's Awapuhi and Wild Ginger after a visit to the salon, but my wallet says no. You can see all of her organic beauty picks here.


I also did a quick search on lead-free lipsticks and it turns out that one of my favorite brands: Clinique (who is also scent and allergen free) makes lovely colors sans poison. The Body Shop also makes some great shades that I would love to take for a test drive.


Are you concerned with toxins in your beauty products? My only recommendation would be to do your research rather than taking Whole Food's word for it. I even went to Bliss Tree and after they published a story on Lipsticks Without Lead they discovered after publishing that a Burt's Bee's product still had lead in it. It's kind of a difficult commitment to make right now, but hopefully cosmetics companies start doing the right thing, and natural products in the mean time will pay off.

Adventures of a Hypochondriact Part I

I titled this post Adventures of a Hypochondriact Part I because this is not the last time I will convince myself that I have a disease. Confession time: when I was younger I broke my arm and nobody believed me. I had a tendency to exaggerate, and even the school nurse told me to go back to class. Once I learned to quit crying wolf, I discovered I actually had a myriad of health problems. Go figure. Remember the time I choked and wound up in the emergency room? Me too. Further proof that I will do anything to eat ice cream for a solid weekend.

Any who, since the discovery of my deeper health issues I've been searching for an answer, and after some conversation with co-workers and friends I convinced myself I had Celiac Disease. My doctor said the only way to know for sure is to cut it out and see how I do. So this is the diary of the week I didn't eat gluten:

Day 1: Going through my cabinets and starting to panic. Absolutely everything has freaking gluten in it! I start to wonder what my life will be like without cake, bread, or whole wheat pancakes. I start chanting "pleasedon'tletthisworkpleasedon'tletthiswork!"


Day 2: I feel fantastic! No stomach aches to speak of, I have a good deal of energy that I attribute to making better choices rather than just making grilled cheese sandwiches, and since most chocolate is gluten free I don't feel all that deprived. Kind of awesome.

Quinoa Chocolate Cake Recipe

Day 3: Tired, which I attribute to Thanksgiving partying. Curiously, while grocery shopping I walk past the bakery and feel that I would indeed rip someone's throat out for a brownie.


Day 4: I feel like total and utter crap. Trying to supplement carbs with brown rice but so far, no dice. I fell asleep on the train and I felt completely drained despite not doing a dang thing all day. Boo.

Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Day 5: I think about quitting but chalk yesterday up to carb withdrawal. I down a second cup of coffee and seize the day. Have more energy today but it's not solving all of my health problems.


Day 6: Had to wake up early for a training session at work and realized the lag is subsiding but the old problems are still occurring. Co-worker suggests it could be dairy. Oy.

Brown Rice Chicken and Cilantro Salad

Day 7: It appears some of my issues have been made better by eliminating gluten while others remain intact. I think it would be a good idea to limit the amount of gluten I eat rather than cutting it out entirely, and the same goes for dairy. There is apparently a delicate balance for me, and I just haven't hit it yet.


As of another week later, I'm continuing to limit (but not eliminate) my gluten intake which seems to be helping. The next step is finding a work-out routine I enjoy enough to stick to. I hear you number 4. Other than meals being difficult to plan this has been an extremely helpful experiment that I hope to carry on. Maybe I'm not always a hypochondriact!