<embed type='application/x-shockwave-flash' salign='l' flashvars='&titleAvailable=true&playerAvailable=true&searchAvailable=false&shareFlag=N&singleURL=http://zap2it.vidcms.trb.com/alfresco/service/edge/content/0da8239e-8370-414c-b6eb-8498671d88be&propName=zap2it.com&hostURL=http://www.zap2it.com&swfPath=http://zap2it.vid.trb.com/player/&omAccount=tribglobal&omnitureServer=zap2it.com' allowscriptaccess='always' allowfullscreen='true' menu='true' name='PaperVideoTest' bgcolor='#ffffff' devicefont='false' wmode='transparent' scale='showall' loop='true' play='true' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' quality='high' src='http://zap2it.vid.trb.com/player/PaperVideoTest.swf' align='middle' height='450' width='300'></embed>

Also, there is this

1. I just farted really loud in my office. I thought that it would come out dainty and quiet-like, but it didn’t and now I am sitting here pretending it wasn’t me, even though I am pretty sure everyone knows it was me. I blame you, fat free refried beans.

2. In addition to all that food I ate yesterday, I also drank a lot of water. So, that’s supposed to be good for me, even if I really hate having to pee. (truth: I got it down to only having to go once/day when I was younger)

3. This Kate Spade purse makes me really, really happy because it’s so pretty but also really, really sad because it’s $400 and I know I should spend that money on more “important” things like a lawnmower and grass seed (BARF!). Wait, hold on a minute. There is someone at my door. Oh, hiiiiiii birthday on Monday, March 29, 2010, how arrrrrre you?

4. If you are in need of some working woman clothes on the inexpensive side, check out my girl Apple’s closet. She selling some of her “sure to get you promoted” clothes along with some cute casual wares (and the most perfect vintage cowboy boots for a size 7.5 girl… aka not me. sadz.)

5. GO PACK! 9pm tonight. YOU CAN DO IT! COME ON! FOR ONCE! PLEEEASE!

6. My fingers smell like the orange I just ate and that is nice.

A Wednesday in Food

After my post on what I do to stay in “shape” (use of quotes necessary), I had a couple readers e-mail me inquiring about the specifics of what I actually eat. So, to satisfy these inquisitive weirdos nice people who want to see how I stuff my face, I’m going to try to keep a log of what I eat every Wednesday to share with you on Thursday. This will be thrilling, mostly for me and maybe for you. And if I really get my act together, I’ll remember to take pictures.

And in case you are wondering, I’m sharing what I eat on a Wednesday because that’s smack dab in the middle of my week when I’m at the top of my game in terms of trying to eat healthy. If this log were from the weekend, I can already tell you what it would entail: bacon, beer, chipotle, water, bloody mary, guacamole, beer, waffles, pie.

Breakfast: Smoothie made with 1 banana, 1 cup of frozen cherries, 1 cup of water, 2 tbsp hemp seeds and 1 tbsp cocoa powder; 1 piece of homemade banana bread with a slather of lemon curd; a cup of coffee with organic half and half.

Snack: a taracco orange (variety of a blood orange)

Lunch: 1/2 can of fat free refried beans; 1 chicken enchilada from the frozen section of Trader Joes (TJs); 1/2 of a lumpy bumpy bar from TJs; 1 ferrero rocher

Snack: Reduced Guilt Tortilla Chips (from TJs) and salsa (hi. I am not kidding when I say that if you really are what you eat I would be a tortilla chip. there are currently three varieties in my pantry. bye)

Dinner: Wound up going to my parent’s house after work so my original dinner plans were replaced. Filled a third of my plate with chicken penne alfredo and two-thirds with salad.

Rachel Pally Lovin’

I’ve been a long time fan of Rachel Pally’s easy going and super soft pieces - ever since Jessica Simpson rocked her gauchos on “Newlyweds” and sparked a trend for college girls everywhere.

And honestly, my girl crush has only grown. She’s my first stop when I’m in the market for a jersey dress that I know will be super hawt and that I’ll wear more than once (bc at $200/pop she’s not exactly cheap, but she is good).

The latest looks on RP’s web site feature a model that is not overly thin, nor is she characteristically plus size. She is just… normal looking. And I’m finding that extremely refreshing.

A few of my favorite pieces:

all images via RachelPally.com

Daily Lovely - The 15 dollar store

Have you ever heard of the 15 dollar store? It is a magical internet place where everything is $15.

Like:

this plaid dress

and

this floral dress with leopard trim

and

this plaid button down shirtdress

and

this sequin and satin white tee

and

this very Olsen-twinish shrug

and

these herring bone t-strap peep toes

and

these red leather wedges.

Now you know.

Anonymous asked: How do you stay in shape? Do you cut anything out of your diet, or exercise everyday?

When I first saw this question, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.

Honestly, I’m struggling to feel comfortable with my current physique as I’ve gained about 10 pounds over the last several months, mostly due to a complete and utter lack of thinking about what I’m eating and feeling too tired to exercise (excuses, excuses). The beginning of the year I joined a gym (after almost a whole year without any concerted effort to exercise). I also know that if I’m not going to be too tired to work out, I really need to go to bed at a decent hour to get my rest. I am a major night owl so this is definitely a struggle.

It’s still a struggle to find out what sort of diet/exercise regime works best for me now that I’m approaching 30 and can’t rely on my teenage metabolism to get me through life.

For me personally, I find I have been most successful when I eat healthier* foods. I’ve lost weight that way even when I didn’t exercise. But exercise is important for overall well being and fitness, hence the gym. For me, the only way I would ever workout for a whole hour is if I’m in a class, so I like to go to spin class twice a week and a yoga or pilates class once a week. I also know that exercising in the morning plus planning out my meals for the week and prepping them on the weekends ensures a greater chance that I will stick to healthy eating and exercise on any given week. The prior planning and prep makes it a cinch to whip up something fabulous after a long work day or squeeze in a yummy, prepared lunch when I can’t get away from the desk.

But it is a weekly battle. (Case in point, I didn’t work out at all last week.)

So, I guess to answer your question, I try to find what works for me given my schedule, life commitments and motivation. I don’t try to deprive myself of any foods, but rather swap them out for something else equally, if not more satisfying. For example, instead of a bag of peanut m&m’s I’ll break up a 100 calorie-portioned dark chocolate bar from trader joe’s and toss in a handful of peanuts for a decadent treat. Or instead of dipping my veggies in ranch, I dip them in a totally yummy white bean hummus from Trader Joe’s. Can you tell I heart Trader Joe’s? And I definitely don’t exercise every day, but I try to exercise 3-4 days/week, even if one of those days is just grabbing the dog and Jason and strolling for a few miles in the sunshine.

And finally, consistency is key. Even if I do something small, when I do it consistently over many days, I see results.

*I define healthier foods as wholesome foods. I eat only sprouted grain breads. I don’t eat yogurt unless it’s Greek yogurt. I use real creamer in my coffee. And if I want it sweet, I use evaporated sugar cane as opposed to refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. I also buy local meats whenever possible and aim to stock up on fresh veggies on a weekly basis. Stay far, far away from “diet foods.” No one ever got fat from eating avocados or olive oil.