Fitness, Yo!

I've been meaning to update you all on my fitness these days, but just haven't gotten around to it. But last night's running events are something I HAVE to share, so we'll just combine the two!

Yesterday, I was having a hard time deciding if I was going to go for a run or not... what's new? On one hand, I've been fighting a sickness (that has a total of 11 kids out sick at work) and I wasn't feeling well. But on the other hand, it had been almost a week since I last worked out! But let's be honest, I ate like crap and over indulged all Memorial Day weekend, so the damage had already been done!

So, I turned to the voice of reason, Justin. His advice? "Sometimes I feel better after I sweat it out." Then, of course, I felt guilty for trying to make up an excuse to not go, and got my lazy butt up for a run.

I should have known last night's run was not meant to be when the following events took place:

1. At the very beginning of my run, I saw a gaggle of geese. Four mama geese and at least 12 babes. I knew immediately...this was bad news. I made it a point to run far off the path so I wouldn't be too close to the geese in passing, but that sure didn't keep two of the mama's from feeling threatened. Those suckers took off after me. TERRIFYING! I have never run that fast in my entire life. Except maybe that one time in middle school I T.P.ed the neighbors house and they came out threatening that they called the cops. Oops!
2. About two miles into my run, I suddenly could not breathe. This is what I was dreading! I was already having a hard time breathing out of my nose earlier in the day and just knew this was going to happen. So there I am, hyperventilating like a freak-o-nature. Proof that running is of the devil.

Even though last night's run made my hate my life, I'm actually starting to like it! Weird, I know. I don't even recognize myself anymore! But, I want to share with you all some things that have helped to motivate me to work out on the daily (or not so daily, but more like 4 times a week)

A couple weeks ago I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone. A co-worker, who is trying to lose some weight for her upcoming wedding introduced me to it and I have become OBSESSED. MyFitnessPal is a program designed to help you keep track of your calorie intake and weight loss. I'm not necessarily trying to lose weight (although it wouldn't upset me) but I wanted to start eating healthier and keep myself accountable. It has also really encouraged me to be consistent about my workouts. I often have conversations like this with myself:

 "Oh, that OCP looks pretty tasty. (Oatmeal Cream Pie for those of you who aren't up to date on your Little Debbie lingo.) But dang! That's a whole lot of calories."

And then I sit and stare for a while...

"Butttttt, I could EAT the OCP and then just go running later and still be under my daily calorie intake!"

That happens way too often than it should, but it works! The proof is in the pudding people, and the pudding happens to be in my belly. And then there are days when I get this little note after logging all my food:

This day happened to be a horrible one. I had a small French Silk Pie Blizzard from Dairy Queen, a total of 690 calories, and did not work out AT ALL. And MFP still said I would lose weight? Well heck! I'm gonna need me a blizzard every day!

Another thing that motivates me? A good jam. I prefer some gangster rap. It makes me feel hardcore, which always makes me feel like I can take on the world. The top two jams always on the top of my workout playlist:

The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco

All The Above - Maino Ft. T-Pain

See a theme here? I like songs that talk about real life hardships because I'm overly dramatic and believe that my life is one big hardship while running. I always think to myself, "Well, if T-Pain is a soldier, a rider, a ghetto survivor, and all the above, then I definitely can finish these three miles." Be honest, you do the same exact thing!

Sometimes we do silly things to motivate ourselves. What do you do to get your butt off the couch and work out?

xoxo, J

Oh How Pinteresting

Let's do it girls! Link up with Michelle to share in the Pinteresting fun!

I need this porch. Gorgeous!

 

Fluff ball of a nugget. Oh. My. Wordddd.

 

Take me there.

 

Mini Caprese Salad. Always reminds me of summertime.

 

DIY spray painted trash can as a table. Super cute!

 

Organize. Organize. Organize!

 

Loving the bright colors.

 

Mason jar lanterns.

 

What I wouldn't do for this bathroom. It's a dream!

Happy Wednesday ladies!

xoxo, J

Scentsy

Well, hello lovelies! Hope this blog post is finding you well on this Wednesday morning. I, on the other hand, have felt better. There's some kind of sickness going around at work, and I seem to be fighting it! I have been trying to fight it all weekend and yesterday, it just wore me down! Summer is NOT the time to get sick, so go away whatever you are!

So, I want to talk about Scentsy! My cousin had a Scentsy party recently, and I was bummed that I had to miss it. But, being the great cousin she is, she hooked me up with the goods anyways!

For those of you who may not be familiar with Scentsy,it is a safe, wickless candle system that uses a lightbulb to warm scented wax. You can find more information on their website.

Yesterday after work, I meandered on over to the salon she works at, parked my behind in the chair next to her station, and spent a good 20 minutes smelling all the delicious scents they have to offer! There is something you should know about me. I am ADDICTED to anything that smells good. Perfume, candles, air fresheners, literally anything that smells good. So as you can imagine, I went a little (okay, a lot) overboard.

After smelling every scent, with the help of the most adorable nine year old who was getting her hair cut by my cousin, I picked out some scents and a warmer! Here is what I ordered:

{via}

The mid-size warmer, Mission Slate. I had a full-sized warmer picked out, but my cousin explained that the full-size warmer is best for large areas (preferably an open layout where the scent can fill multiple rooms) because it tends to be overwhelming. She suggested I pick a mid-size warmer and I fell in love with the look of this one!

And the scents!

I picked out two of the Scentsy Man fragrances. (Let's be honest ladies, men smell good!)

Duke - A charismatic blend of cardamom intertwined with mahogany, heightened by golden amber — the scent of a sophisticate.

Echo - Sophisticated, metropolitan fragrance of manly spice notes, Mediterranean citrus and herbs, and bitter orange.

A Scentsy Spa fragrance:

Mediterranean Spa - Relax with this smooth, fresh, breezy scent.

A Scentsy Favorite fragrance:

Luna - White florals — jasmine, sweet pea, and freesia — juicy berries, and sandalwood shimmer like moonlight.

And, last but not least, a Scentsy Romance fragrance:

Enchanted Mist - Romantic blend of juicy apples, enhanced and sweetened by rose petals and rich jasmine.

{All descriptions of the fragrances we found here on the Scentsy website.}

See, I wasn't lying when I said I went a little crazy! Do any of you lovely ladies have a Scentsy warmer? I was approached (well, tweeted) by a Scentsy consultant who asked if I had ever thought about becoming a consultant myself. I'm not really into recruiting randoms and friends and guilting them into having a party so I can sell my product, but I wouldn't mind being able to sell to family and friends and all my wonderful followers in Bloggerville who legitimately want the product!

What do you think? Should I do it?!?!

xoxo, J

Maxi Me Please

I hope you all had an amazing long Memorial weekend with friends and family; I know that I did! But now it's time to get back to the daily grind. BARF!

Today's post is dedicated to maxi's! I'm quickly becoming obsessed with the trend, even though it took me a while! I still don't actually own a maxi dress or a maxi skirt, but you can bet your life savings that I am on the hunt. I found a really cute strapless maxi dress at Target last week, but it hit awkwardly above my ankles and I felt like it looked like I had accidentally shrunk it! I'm 5'7 and I want a dress or skirt that hits the ground. No Steve Urkel look for me!

Now, dresses and skirts are not practical for my daily life. When working with kiddos, you spend a whole lotta time on the floor, crawling around, or climbing over baby gates. Wearing a dress or skirt just makes all those shenanigans that much more annoying. But I'm all about rocking the flowy look all weekend long!

Here are some pictures of maxi dress and skirt looks that I absolutely adore:

Via Pinterest from chicisimo.com

Via Pinterest from champagneandpizza.tumblr.com

Via Pinterest from sendyrella.tumblr.com

Via Pinterest from ilt5.adores.it

Via Pinterest from kristinakh.com

Via Pinterest

I LOVE the look of a casual maxi skirts with a jean jacket or chambray. It's the perfect weekend outfit!

Ladies, I will keep you updated on my hunt for the perfect maxi (because it is REALLY important!) But in the meantime...

How do you feel about maxi's?

And help a sister out! Let me know where you love to shop for maxi's!

xoxo, J

Week in Review via Instagram

Normally, I would have a full-fledged post for today, but since it's still the weekend (thank you Memorial Day!) I'll leave you all with this. Here is a recap of my week (really not that exciting) in Instagram.

Follow me on Instagram! My name is jenna__anne. (That's two underscores!)

 

On Tuesday, Justin and I were on on our way to stuff our faces with some Dairy Queen (my favorite activity) when we drove past this guy. I live out in the boondocks near a lot of swamp land, so it's common to see turtles crossing the road. So, I've taken upon myself to be a turtle rescuer. No one likes a run over turtle. I know, I know, I'm a great person.

 

This is what I get to see on my runs! And this is why I hate running indoors. Why run inside and look at a nasty blank wall while you're dying when you can look at all of this?! And yes, that is a deer hiding in the trees on the bottom right.

 Charlie. My poor baby has been at the vet's all week. He went on Monday, got home on Wednesday, and had to go back Friday morning and won't come home until tomorrow! I won't go into details since you probably couldn't care less to hear the not so pleasant details, but it was pretty bad! I didn't realize what a cat lady I am until he got sick. So sad of me...

 

My babes! I love seeing their faces every day (even if they are out of control). For those of you who don't know, I work as a Toddler Teacher at a daycare that services homeless families. Friday, we had a cookout for the kiddos and invited the parents to join. We cleaned out the outdoor playhouse (finally) for the kids to play in and set up the sprinkler for them to run through! Yes, in their clothes...I'm sure their mothers were thrilled. There are a lot of really bad behavior issues in the Toddler room, so when we have a good week like we did this past week, I feel like a proud mama!

 

I got to spend a lot of quality time with my handsome boyfriend this weekend. Friday, we celebrated his brother's birthday. Saturday, we had a picnic dinner at the local Metropark. And Sunday, we spent some time soaking up the rays at the beach. Justin has quite the baseball tan going on due to all his coaching, so his more pale spots got extra crispy. Oops!

Next week, I'll try to include myself in more pictures. I guess I'm not one to snap a photo of myself! I'll do better next time. Heck, I need to take more pictures, period. I'll work on it, I promise!

Yay for a day off of work! I'm going out to lunch with my cousin and then we are parking it poolside to soak up the sun. I hope you all enjoy your Memorial Day! And be safe!

xoxo, J

Real Talk

I think it's about time for me to get a little serious here, ladies. Don't get me wrong, I love writing about superficial things like fashion and make-up and partake in the best link ups, but that's not all who I am. I don't want ya'll to think I'm shallow! (YES! I just let my inner Southern Belle show and it felt AMAZING!)

But let's have some real talk for once...

It's easy for me to stroll on over to Bloggerville and pretend like I have it all together. You can be anyone you want when you're hiding behind a computer screen. Cue the fakers and the haters. But who are you really?

Life hasn't been super easy for me the past year. I graduated college, moved home to be with my family, and then found out five months later that my parents decided to separate. SWEET LIFE. Now, if that doesn't smack you in the face, I don't know what does.

But throughout this difficult transition, I've done a lot of soul searching. A LOT! Like every week type of soul searching. Yesterday, I was catching up on the dailies of my lovely blogging gals when I came across Monica's blog post. (Ladies, go check out this beauty's blog! She's awesome.) She got real and talked about insecurities and it got me thinking. Who doesn't have insecurities?!

While on my run, trying not to die, I started thinking about my insecurities, and decided it was something I wanted to share with ya'll. (Again, Southern Belle)

Let's rewind to two and a half years ago, before I met my current love, Justin. I had been in a relationship with my "high school sweetheart" (I want to shoot myself every time I use that phrase for this particular person) for five and a half years. FIVE AND A HALF YEARS! This guy is a good person, don't get me wrong, but he was an awful boyfriend. He constantly put me down. Sometimes it was about my looks. Sometimes it was about who I am as a person. I was constantly compared to other people: "My old neighbor is the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen." "So-and-so is really involved with the homeless shelter. Don't you think you should do that? You don't do enough for other people."

I know, I know. I should have run way before five and a half years. I kick myself all the time.

So long story short, that relationship messed me up big time. (As you can imagine it would after being put down for so long.)

Enter....my biggest blessing, Justin.

We met while on a three week trip to Guatemala during our Junior year of college.

Justin treated me like a princess from the moment he met me. So I said buh-bye to my now ex and said HELLO to J. (Moving fast there, I know!) As much as Justin reaffirmed me, my past relationship had sunk so deep into my head that I couldn't get over my insecurities.

Sure, I was self-conscious of my looks. Who wouldn't be when they had been compared to every female with two legs and boobs over the last five years? I'm happy to say that I'm getting close to loving the way I look these days (key word: close). It's hard! And I know you ladies know what I'm talking about! When society drills into our heads we're supposed to look a certain way, it's hard to be happy with what we have been given. But I'm starting to embrace things I used to not like about myself, for example, my lovely five head!

(After rambling for a million minutes, let me get to my real insecurity).

While on my run tonight, it finally hit me. I know what I'm most insecure about. MYSELF. Not what's on the outside, but what's on the inside.

I'm a Social Worker. I've decided to dedicate my life to helping others. I take pride in the fact that I love to put others needs above my own. But for some reason, some reason I hate more than anything, I've let the words of my ex-boyfriend make a home in my head. All I ever hear is you're not good enough, you don't care enough, you don't love enough...blah...blah... BLAH.

The sick part is, I'm dumb enough to believe it, but smart enough to know it's a lie. Twisted, huh?

I literally want to punch myself in the face when I say things (like above) to myself. I know exactly how the people I care about the most think of me and the type of person they know I am. I know my heart and I know it shows by the way I live my life. But it has been pushed into my head so many time, it's hard not to believe.

BARF! Just talking about this makes me annoyed with myself!

But the whole point of me talking about this is to reach out and let you all know you're not alone. It's so easy to pretend that we all have it together when we post about fun things we did on the weekend, or the super cute outfit we wore today, but we all have insecurities, we all have hurts, we all feel lost from time to time. You're not alone.

And don't be afraid to be real every once in a while.

Who knew Winnie the Pooh was teaching us the best life lessons when we were just babes!

Have a great weekend beautiful ladies! And sorry for such a depressing blog post!

xoxo, J

Currently...

I was stalking Jenn over at Perfectly Imperfect and saw that she has a fun link up going on. If you know me, then you know I'm always up for a link up (that sounds scandalous) so I'm excited about this one! Link up with Jenn if you want to join the cool kids.

current book(s):

 Don't judge me. I love me some LC and I love an easy, summer read!

current playlist:

(Please, don't mind the random list of new & old songs)

Princess of China - Coldplay feat. Rihanna

American Honey - Lady Antebellum (ultimate summer song)

Sombody That I Used to Know - Gotye

Safe and Sound - Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars

Titanium - David Guetta feat. Sia

We Are Young - Fun (thought I'd be over this song by now...NOPE!)

Dancin' Away With My Heart - Lady Antebellum

Payphone - Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa 

Wild Ones - Flo Rida feat. Sia

Even If It Breaks Your Heart - Eli Young Band

current color:

 Essie's Tart Deco (left) on my fingers and Essie's Watermelon (right) on my toes

current food:

 Tostitos Hint of Limes...all day, errday

current favorite show(s):

 Real Housewives of Orange County

Keeping up with the Kardashian

Giuliana and Bill

Duck Dynasty (don't knock it till you watch it! HIGH-larious)

current needs:

A major back massage! Picking up toddlers all day, every day isn't easy!

current triumphs:

I've been really consistent with running lately. This is HUGE for me considering I hate working out more than I hate nuts (which I am highly allergic to, FYI)

current banes of my existence:

The fact that I am going on my second summer of being a full-time working woman. I know I talked about this in my Oh How Pinteresting Wednesday post yesterday, but I'm so annoyed that I have to post it again. Why can't I be super rich and never have to work a summer in my life?!? 

current celebrity crush:

{via}

My man, David Beckham. He could use a hair cut these days and might as well shave off that hideous mustache, but he's still looking pretty good. 

current blessing:

Definitely the fact that my overweight cat who just spend two nights at the vet isn't diabetic. Who has the money to shoot up a fat cat with insulin every single day?

current indulgence:

 Someone I work with decided to be "nice" and bring back a HUGE box full of white chocolate covered pretzels from Food Gatherers (where we get all the food we feed the kiddos). Ummm...I ate a TON yesterday!

current outfit:

I'm still wearing my workout clothes and they're not that cute so no pictures. And no, I don't work out in the morning. I just cheat and write my blog posts the night before. Yes, I am the freak-o-nature that writes 'yesterday' when I'm really writing about something I just did. Now you know my secrets.

current mood:

Pretty fricken happy. Bordering on the obnoxious side, but I'd rather be obnoxious than a Debbie Downer!

current favorite quote:

{via}

current wishlist item:

{via}

current favorite product:

{via}

 Maybelline Lipstick in Coral Crush. In love with this color right now.
(I couldn't get a good picture on my really great iPhone camera so I stole one from my friend, Google)


xoxo, J

Oh How Pinteresting Wednesday

Ladies, it's here again.

OH HOW PINTERESTING WEDNESDAY!

It really is sad how much I look forward to Wednesdays just so I can participate in this link up. It's most definitely because I'm so obsessed with Pinterest and I love seeing what you all pin.

So join me and link up with Michelle over at The Vintage Apple to share some of your Pinterest finds!

Theme for this week: SUMMER!

Partially because summer is my absolute favorite season of the year (but isn't it all of us Michiganders fav?) but mostly because I am still in denial that my days of carefree, easy-going summer days are long gone. It's been a whole year since I graduated college and I still don't think I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a FULL-TIME working woman. BARF! All you ladies in my shoes, I hope these Pinterest finds make you feel slightly better about reality as they do for me.

I wish I could get paid for being a beach bum...

...now wouldn't that be the life? And there goes Pinterest, making me want to throw my whole life away just to be a bum living in a hut in Hawaii. But tell me that doesn't sound a little enticing?

xoxo, J

(P.S. Sorry for the jacked up spacing between some of the pictures. I can't figure out what's going on and I don't have time to fix it! Blogger makes me want to kick a kitten sometimes.)

Let's Talk About HAIR!

If there's one thing I know about, it's hair! I've spent a total of three years as a salon receptionist. Let me tell you, I was quite the salon receptionist back in the day! (Ladies, if you're looking for a great part time job, hit up your local salons! Three words...DISCOUNT. ON. PRODUCTS!) I worked in salons that had some amazing stylists with so many years of experience and had the opportunity to learn about hair and products from them. I want to share with you some of my favorite hair products.

WARNING: I'm obsessed with hair products, so there's a lot!

Favorite Shampoos

I have two favorite shampoos. The first being Nature's Gate Tea Tree Shampoo. I buy this gem in a 32oz. bottle at Plum Market for $10. Tea Tree Oil is great for calming a dry, itchy scalp! I've shared with you all that I was blessed with my parent's bad genes and have eczema. Unfortunately, because I don't rub lotion all over my head, the eczema on my scalp gets pretty bad in these Michigan winters. This shampoo helps calm and moisturize my scalp. And for those of you who are beyond blessed and don't have to deal with a dry scalp, this shampoo still will do wonders for you! Healthy scalp = healthy hair!

My second favorite shampoo is Biolage Hydrating Shampoo. This shampoo smells heavenly! When I turned 16, I got my first job as a receptionist at a salon in my hometown and they used this shampoo and the conditioner. I fell in love with it then and I am still in love. It's the perfect moisturizing shampoo! It makes my hair as soft as a babies butt and smell oh so good. I highly recommend any product in the Biolage Hydrating line! If your salon doesn't carry the Biolage line, you can find it in any Ulta store.

Favorite Conditioner

I absolutely LOVE the Redken Extreme Conditioner. It's packed with protein to help strengthen my over-processed hair. If you color/highlight, or use a lot of heat on your hair (blow-dry, straighten, curling iron) your hair needs protein! Protein helps to strengthen our hair and prevent it from breaking. BUT, too much of a good thing is a bad thing, as they say. Too much protein will cause your hair to become brittle and will break. If you use a shampoo or conditioner packed with protein, only use it a couple times a week. Switch it out with a moisturizing conditioner like Biolage Hydrating Conditioner. Oh, did I mention this products smells so delicious? I want to eat it! You can find this product, if not at your salon, at an Ulta store. It is also sometimes sold in drugstores.

Favorite Deep Conditioner

I discovered this product at the salon I worked at during my Sophomore year of college. TIGI S Factor Serious Conditioner. This bad boy costs a pretty penny but I have yet to find a deep conditioner that I like better. It has a questionable smell (but don't worry, the smell rinses out with the product) but it leaves your hair feeling softer than soft! A lot of stylists recommend that you deep condition your hair every two weeks, but I deep condition once a week. My hair is naturally curly, which also makes it naturally dry...boo! Bring on the deep conditioner! I have yet to find this product in any stores, but I have bought it on Amazon before.

Favorite Restructuring Treatment

My hair stylist (who also happens to be my best cousin) introduced me to this product. Redken CAT Restructuring Treatment is a protein treatment. This product has an ingredient that transforms the inner structure of the hair shaft by putting protein back in. It helps strengthen the hair shaft making it less likely to break. I do a CAT treatment once every two weeks in between shampooing and conditioning. Because this product is packed with protein, I don't recommend you use it more often. Redken CAT is amazing! My hair is stronger and grows so much faster than before. HIGHLY recommended! This product isn't sold in salons or in stores. If you're interested in purchasing it, ask your hair stylist if she could order it for you. You can also search for it on Amazon, but make sure you buy it from a trusted seller, preferably a salon!

Favorite Straightening Serum

I recently bought this product and it has surpassed any product I have ever used! Redken Real Control Slim Supreme is the ultimate straightening serum. I apply it right before I blow-dry and a small amount after straightening my hair. This product helps to reduce unwanted volume, eliminates frizz, and resists humidity...all of which I need when I straighten my hair! I've read so many reviews on this product and I haven't found anyone who doesn't absolutely love this product.

Favorite Curling Cream

Again, my cousin introduced me to this product. Curly Sexy Hair Curl Power Spray Foam. That's a mouth full. Love love LOVE this product. Like it says, it's a spray foam and actually kind of sticky. When I apply it, I flip my head upside down, spray some of the product into my hands and scrunch it through my hair. This product amplifies your curls without making them crunchy like mousse or gel does. It also does wonders for wavy hair!

Favorite Hairspray

I like a hairspray that has a good hold but still gives my hair some movement. I know you've seen those women! It's a fricken tornado outside but their hair doesn't move an inch. Yeah, no thank you! Enter Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play Volumizing Hairspray! This hairspray has the hold that lasts all day but still allows you to run your fingers through your hair. All you TJ Maxx ladies out there, you can almost always find this amazing hairspray in their hair product section! I also love using this hairspray to hold my curls when I let my hair dry naturally. It keeps my curls in tact all day long and give them some volume. No one likes limp curls!

Have you tried any of these products? What are your faves?

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo, J