Category Archives: Beauty
Happy Birthday to my Best Gal
I’m happy to report that I’m loving the spinning classes I’ve been taking. While the classes are great for me, they leave the blog a little to be desired. On non spin days, I usually do one of the 20 minute cardio routines, and various arm and abs exercises.
I have taken the last few days off from the gym though. My knees are really, really hurtin’ and I need time to recover.
I went out Saturday night, to celebrate My Favorite Gals Birthday!!
Stephanie, Kim and myself went out for a night of drinks and dancing.
So, they give you free champagne on your birthday and that’s where it all went downhill awesome!
And then there’s this….
Whoa, what a feeling, when we’re dancing on the toilet.
Doesn’t really have the same ring to it…
Anyways, after dancing on toilets, stages, and benches, my legs and knees were hurting. Am I getting old, or what??
DON’T ANSWER THAT!!
Ya know who’s not getting old? Stephanie! No sir-ree-bob!!
So a super duper, extra special Happy Birthday to my best friend, Stephanie!!
Really Left Ya Hanging
I sometimes always peruse my past posts. I’ve noticed on more than one occasion, I mention something new I’m trying, and promise to give you a follow-up post with my opinions. Well, with a lack of healthy living material to fill a normal post, I figured it was time to do just that!
Wen:
Way back when Wen (hardy har har) my mother in law had gifted me a bottle of Wen cleansing conditioner. I used it for about a month, noticing how soft it made my hair. However, I don’t wash my hair everyday, maybe every 3 days, and I noticed that my hair would look greasy as soon as the next day. My mother in law had then purchased me an additional bottle, this time it was the seasonal scent, pumpkin spice, and I was in love. My hair never seemed as greasy as it did with the original Wen. After some research, I realized that there are different formulas, and the pumpkin was for volume. I used that bottle until it was gone baby gone.
I professed my love for the volumizing Wen and matter-of-factly told Adam, I was abso-frickin-lutely going to use $50 shampoo for the rest of my life.
The follow up: Am I crazy? $50 for shampoo? Yeah, that ain’t happening. I went back to using whatever cheap(er) shampoo tickled my fancy on the Target shelf, and right now, it’s the Aussie brand. Honestly, it’s working out just fine.
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Crest White Strips:
I purchased the 2 hour white strips, and on Christmas Eve, I sat for 120 minutes, with the strips on ma teef. When the buzzer rang, I ripped those babies off, only to be hugely disappointed with the results. As you may (or may not) remember, I paid $40 for them!
I kindly sent an email to Proctor and Gamble, asking them if it was ok to use another strip right away (the package said use one strip every 3 months). I got a swift reply from them, apologetic, and offering me the better white strip package, The Advanced Whitening System. With this kit, you wear 1 strip everyday, for 30 minutes, and I must say, my teeth are whiter.
But my teeth hurt. They feel sensitive, and it almost feels like those strips are eating away at my gums. GROSS. Obviously, I’m cooling it with the strips.
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Lastly, and this one been hanging for a looong time. My hip:
I think it’s been pretty obvious from my blog posts, that exercise has been eluding me. I suppose that’s just the rest that the Doctor ordered BACK ON NOVEMBER 9TH!!
Whoa, I actually had to look that up, and I am a little embarassed that I’ve been rocking that excuse for so long.
Nevertheless, my hip feels just fine. The pain has almost completely gone away, and I’m not about to start running again and stirring up that pot. A friend of mine said to me a while back, that some people just aren’t runners, no matter how hard we try. I finally learned to accept that, but it still really stung last night, when a kicked off Biggest Loser contestant ran a half marathon.
GAH!!!
Ya know might be my thing? Roller skating. Stephanie and I are going to do that tonight with her kiddos. FUN!!
Perhaps there’s some Roller Derby in my future.
I just told Adam the other night, that I wish I played a sport that involved me getting mysterious bruises. (Random, right?)
Well, there we go.
Random Post
I really had no idea what to call this post, so this is all you get. If you have a better idea for this ridiculious-ness, leave a comment, I may change it later. 
Waiting until the ABSOLUTE last minute to Christmas shop is really taking its toll on me.
Every night is filled with JC Penney runs (three times this week, so far) and miscellaneous stops at random places to check off the list.
Our travels this evening, took us to Consumers Beverage. Can you tell the holidays are stressing me out yet?
I was browsing the fruity beers and this guy caught my eye.
I figured I enjoyed the raspberry wheat beer so much, this should be good.
I was right. 
I am trying to broaden my beer horizons, so if you have any beers that you think I should try, bring it on.
I’d love to hear your suggestions.
And now on the beauty front. I decided to spoil myself with a purchase of these 2 hour WhiteStrips.
They have a pretty hefty price tag (got them on sale for $39.99) but the reviews seemed pretty good, and I’ve been seriously getting down on some Tim Horton’s coffee and the teeth and starting to look a little jank.
Look for my review on ‘em in two hours.
Or at this rate, sometime next week. 
Nail Emergency
I had a half day today. Another one! Hooray!
I was just about to punch my card when I looked down at my hands and realized the gel polish had completely fallen off one of my nails.
CATASTROPHE!!
To all my female readers, you get it? Right? I just couldn’t’ have left it that way. So off to the nail salon I went.
On my way there, I was distracted by Spirit Halloween stores and their big signs advertising 50% off, today only.
I managed to get the 2 pivotal pieces to next years Halloween costumes for Adam and I.
I guess I’m more of a planner than I thought I was.
Ok, so nail emergency and costume shopping aside.
All better, by the way.
I’ve got to start getting get back into regular blogging.
Adam and I spent the entire evening yesterday cleaning up the remains of our two Halloween parties. Even though we didn’t actually throw the parties, our house was pretty messy. I had some white makeup, fake blood, pictures, glue dots and temporary tattoos laying around. Not to mention the fake eyelashes I pulled off in a stupor and left in various places in my house.
It feels good to get things back in order, and pack away Halloween until next year.
And honestly, having so much Halloween on my mind had really been taking it’s toll on my eating habits. I spent a lot of nights last week working on the Emmarie Board, and maybe skipping dinner in favor of 3 bowls of bold chex mix, or the Devil’s food as I affectionately call it.
It was worth it! I’m friggin adorable!! I mean the costume.
And oh yes, we can’t forget about the leftover Halloween candy my co workers brought in to share.
I gotta get back to normal.
But not tonight.
Our friends Craig and Julie had mentioned that they wanted to try a BBQ place that’s literally in our backyard, so we invited ourselves to enjoy dinner with them.
Ain’t we sweet?
So, yeah, BBQ, corn bread, and all the fixin’s.
Back to normal, starting tomorrow.
Bacon and Beer Hats
I took a walk after breakfast this morning. I did a loop around my neighborhood for a total of 3.23 miles. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day for a walk. I wanted to push myself to do some running, but my hip was really bothering me so I figured I’d better not.
I (finally) have a doctors appointment tomorrow. Hopefully, I can get an X-ray done and we can finally get to the bottom of my pain.
My friend Sara and I made plans for lunch today. She met me at my house and we headed out to East Aurora to enjoy this beautiful October day.
We started out with lunch at Tantalus. I just love it there. It’s got a great open atmosphere, not to mention an enormous menu to appeal to everyone. I’ve been there many times before.
I could smell bacon in the air, and my decision was made. I MUST FIND SOMETHING WITH BACON!
I ordered a Bacon, Spinach and Tomato sandwich, on this delicious, crusty bread.
Both Sara and I substituted fruit for the french fries, but then never ate the fruit anyways. (ahhh!! listeria outbreak, ahhhh!!)
Our sandwiches adequately fueled us for some shopping. We popped into a small boutique that sells all kinds of girly things. Jewelry, shoes and purses….oh my! I found a really fabulous necklace (with coordinating earrings) for $20. That’s a steal, and I’m already planning on wearing it tonight. (more on that later).
Then we moved down the road to Vidler’s. Sara had never been before, so I was excited to introduce her to the eclectic-ness that is Vidler’s 5 and 10.
W started in the candy room, and worked our way all around the store. I resisted the urge to buy a pickle grabber, or a cheese slicer, or a “got beer” hat.
And though it looked fabulous on her, Sara also opted NOT to buy this fabulous turkey hat.
**Randomness of the day: I parked next to a car in EA that had a half eaten cake on the trunk. Upon further inspection, the cake was decorated quite nicely. And it was there the entire time we were shopping and eating. Weird.
I was good to spend some time with Sara. She and I have been friends since kindergarten. Sometimes our lives get hectic, and before we know it, it’s been months since our last visit. So, we try and make a conscience effort to see each other more often.
I’m going to figure out what to make myself for dinner, and then later tonight, Stephanie and I are heading out to “Big Ass Drink Night”.
WooHoo!
“I’m in Miami on vacation, bitch!”
Columbus Day
Since I slept a good portion of the day away yesterday, I stayed awake a little later than usual.
I also recorded my makeup tutorial for my sister.
So, that’s fun.
I was thinking about putting it on here, so ya’ll can score some awesome makeup tips, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to figure it out.
We’ll see.
I can’t officially call this the first day of my vacation, because it’s Columbus Day, and most of you, if not all, are probably off.
I hope you’re enjoying the time off, I know I am.
I started my day with some breakfast that I prepped the night before. I made apple cinnamon overnight oats.
Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup soy milk
1 small apple, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons of Bob’s Red Mill Apple Cinnamon Hot Cereal.
1 teaspoon of chia seeds
Dash of cinnamon
Mix all together and refrigerate overnight.
In the A.M., I popped the oats into the microwave for 1 minute to heat them up and I topped it with a small slice of the apple bread that I made yesterday.
I also had some coffee and I leisurely enjoyed my breakfast while I watched some morning TV.
I’m pumped for my plans this afternoon. My friend Sara and I are headed to lunch at Tantalus, is East Aurora. Maybe, if time is permitting, we’ll have time to check out the goods at Vidler’s.
I’m going to head out for a walk after I finish my oats and coffee. It’s too beautiful out to sit inside and watch TV, and believe me, I did way too much of that this weekend.
Have a great Columbus Day!
Breakfast at 3pm
Apparently I’m in full on vacation mode. I must think it’s ok to sleep all day. Literally ALL DAY.
I woke up with Zeus at 7am. Took him out, he did his thing, and back inside we went. I watched a little TV, and then at 9, I decided I wanted to hop back into bed for maybe an hour.
I slept for 6 HOURS!!
When I finally woke, I expected to feel like crap, but surprisingly, I felt ok. My cold doesn’t seem as bad as it was yesterday. 
I made myself something to eat in the form of another pizza. This time I made myself a breakfast pizza. I’ve been kicking around a few ideas for breakfast pizza, and it was technically my breakfast.
I topped a flatbread with a thin layer of ricotta cheese and 2 slightly undercooked scrambled eggs. I topped it with a little bit of shredded cheese and 2 slices of ham, chopped.
It certainly wasn’t my favorite, but it was alright. I’ve never really had a breakfast pizza before, so I was just winging it. If you guys have any pizza suggestions, bring them on!
I have a few other ideas I want to try too.
How about an apple, bacon and cheddar cheese pizza?
Or a taco pizza?
Or maybe a pear gorgonzola cheese pizza.
(If you listen closely, you can already hear my brother gagging 
)
After my pizza, I decided to bake something.
I’ve had some apples in my kitchen for about a week, so I thought some apple bread would be perfect. I found a recipe online and made 2 loaves, one to enjoy now and one to freeze and enjoy later.
I’m going to start working on my To-Do list for the week. I refuse to sleep the week away and get nothing accomplished.
I’ve got some shopping plans Wednesday, and a doctor’s appointment Tuesday. Otherwise, I’m free to wash the floor, do loads and loads of laundry, maybe a little more baking and checking out new gym options.
I’ve also got plans with the webcam tonight. (Don’t think naughty thoughts) My sister has a wedding this upcoming weekend, and she needs my make up expertise. So, I’m going to record myself doing my thang and send it to her. And if you’re lucky, I may share it with you guys. That’s, of course, assuming I’m not a total tool on video. 
Hope you guys had a slightly more productive weekend than I did.
Did you do anything exciting this weekend?
Whole Lotta Oats
Here’s my review of the Wen Conditioning Cleanser.
I followed the directions to a T, I didn’t want to do it wrong on the first try.
Rinse hair thoroughly, then apply 10-15 pumps of Wen in your palms and rub together. More for thicker and longer hair. Apply to your scalp, massaging vigorously, and add a splash of water to create a foaming effect. Massage for 1-3 minutes, comb through hair and leave on at least 3-5 minutes, for maximum conditioning. Comb through and rinse thoroughly.
Initial thoughts: “Holy crap, my hair is sooo soft”. 
I let my hair air dry and it was slightly damp when I went to bed last night. I didn’t add any additional products because I wanted to get the full effect.
In the morning, my hair was looking all kinds of crazy, but that usually happens when I go to bed with wet hair.
I curled my hair with the curling iron, trying my hardest to resist grabbing the hair spray.
After I let my curls cool completely, I ran my fingers through them lightly. It looks pretty good for not using any product.
I think it looks pretty nice (if I do say so myself) considering I used no products, but the true test will be how long the curl will stay. I’m planning on trying it again sans product, and straightening my hair. So, I’ll let you know how that goes.
Breakfast
I found a recipe the other day the seemed pretty easy, so I wanted to give it a try.
I followed the recipe I found on Chelsey’s blog, with a few changes. Mine was more of a Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal. It made a huge bowl of oatmeal and it was piping hot.
While I liked the flavors (Hellooo pumpkin), I like my oatmeal to have more texture to it, as opposed to mush, which oatmeal can be. I prefer to just pour boiling water over the oats and let them sit for a minute, so they still have some bite. I could try these flavors again, but just use another cooking method.
The Good Hurt
I was so pumped the moment I walked into the gym. I always say the hardest thing is putting on my workout clothes.
I started with a light walk on the treadmill. It hurt, so I stopped, clocking in a half of a mile.
I moved over to the weights where I really made my time worthwhile.
I did various shoulder, bicep and tricep moves, 15 reps in 3 sets. But at the last minute I decided to do all the moves again, back to back. My arms were burning, and I’m seriously hoping for some hurt tomorrow. I love that hurt! 
I decided to push myself to do a good ab workout too. I got my fanny on that mat and did 150 various ab moves.
WOO!
I hopped on a different elliptical machine than I normally do, and finished my workout with 15 minutes on there.
When I was done, I felt good.
I came home and started dinner right away cause I was STARVING!
I grilled a frozen salmon filet and topped it with a little bit of a garlic dip we had in the fridge. Yum, and oh so gourmet.
I also had a big ole salad.
I’m finally going to shower and wash my gym stank off my skin and give my new Wen shampoo a try.
I’ll let you know what I think of it tomorrow.
How Much Time do YOU Need?
I give myself about an hour to get ready every morning, give or take 10 minutes.
Within that hour, I have to do the following things:
- Take Zeus outside
- Pack my lunch
- pick out clothes/get dressed
- make breakfast
- do hair and makeup
- BLOG!!
I always tell myself to do pick out my clothes, or pack my lunch the night before, to shorten the AM process, but I never do.
And sometimes these things take longer than usual. Taking Zeus outside can sometimes be two or three trips.
I somehow manage to get everything done. With even a little cuddle time with my little guy.
This mornings breakfast was the same as yesterday, fried eggs and toast. Instead of boring you with another photo of that, I’ll give you more pictures of Zeus.
