These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

So, as promised, I'm making a REAL post tonight!!  I'm in love with watching "monthly favorites" videos on Youtube, so I decided to blog about my November favorites!

Favorite 1).  My new Keurig
I've been dying for a Keurig.  Basically so I could play with the K Cups.  What I wasn't dying over, though, was the price tag.  I mean, one hundred and some odd bucks for a coffee machine?  No thanks, I'll take my thirty dollar Hamilton Beach coffee maker that served me through college.

Then, oh then, I came across the Mr. Coffee "Keurig." Still, at about eighty dollars, it was a bit steep for a coffee maker.  I used my employee discount, and still paid a little over seventy bucks.  However, I officially dub this coffee maker the best seventy dollars I have ever spent.

Not to mention, the peach Snapple K Cups are little bits of heaven.  I was going to make them a "favorites" of their own, but I wanted to keep this post a bit smaller than a novel.

***Fun K Cup Fact: If you are using one of the coffee K Cups (I haven't tried this with the tea, and the hot chocolates and cappuccinos won't work for this because they dissolve after the first brew), brew them first on the bigger setting, flip the K Cup 180 degrees, then brew again on the smaller setting!  Where the hole gets punched in the bottom for the first brew is off-center, so flipping the K Cup hits the grounds that haven't been brewed through yet.  The result: more coffee for your K Cup (which add up fast, so every bit more helps IMHO).

Favorite 2): L'Oreal Total Repair Line

So, after coloring and heat styling my hair, it is damaged with a capital D.  I bought the whole line of Total Repair products, looking for some help that doesn't equal cutting off all of my hair.  I haven't had a haircut in 2 years, and I plan on keeping it that way for a while.  So I trimmed off about an inch of beyond-repair damage, and started using this system religiously.

How I use it: First, after brushing the tangles out of my hair, I apply the conditioner to the last six inches of my hair.  I saw on a youtube video about growing long hair that applying conditioner to the end of your hair helps to keep the shampoo from hitting your ends and sucking the moisture out of them out even more.  Then, I hop in the shower and wash my hair with the shampoo.  Next, instead of using the conditioner, I apply the hair balm as my conditioner and let it work it's wonders while I take care of the rest of my shower essentials.  Finally, after getting out of the shower, I apply the dry oil to my hair and either braid it if it's before I go to bed, or blow dry my hair if I'm getting ready for work.

My thoughts on the system: The hair balm claims to erase 1 year's worth of damage in 1 minute.  That claim was a bit of a stretch, because that definitely didn't happen.  However, I do think my hair is healthier after using the system, and it's not as fried looking as it used to be.  It's definitely favorite-worthy.

Favorite 3): Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel

Oh my word.  If you have never tried this scent, you are missing out big time.  Think of baking sugar cookies in the middle of December with snow gently falling from the nighttime sky.  Now put it in a bottle.  That, my dear, is Vanilla Bean Noel.

Note: If you only get one product, go for the Triple Moisture Body Cream.  The scent lasts for hours and is only moisturizing, not greasy in the least.

Please, run to your nearest Bath and Body Works and try this scent.  You'll thank me later (if you're part of the minority that hates it, however, I had nothing to do with it!).

Favorite 4): My Spongebob Piggy Bank

Confession time.  I'm the biggest Spongebob fanatic that you'll ever meet before it turns creepy.  Another confession: I collect piggy banks.  So, when I found these little numbers back in August, I had to get the Spongebob for me, and the Patrick for my best friend.

Then, I had to pick up the Patrick one for myself because I just adore the set.

I never spend change, ones, or fives.  All of my change and my ones go into Spongebob, and the fives go into Patrick.  It's not much, but the little savings certainly are adding up.  The money in those 2 banks were actually how I bought my keurig!

My Final Favorite: Braids

Time for another confession.  I tend to get lazy once it gets cold when it comes to doing my hair and makeup.  It's just so cold outside, and my bed is so warm...I don't feel like getting ready any sooner than I have to.  However, I still like to look presentable for work.  The easiest way to look pulled together is a braid.  From french braids, to side braids, to waterfall braids, they never disappoint.  I actually got complimented the other day on one of my braids, and it was super easy!! I french-braided my grown-out bangs, tied them off with a small rubber band at about my ear, and then pulled the rest of my hair into a simple side braid.  The whole look probably took me ninety seconds to do, but it was super cute!

For fun braid ideas, you need to check out Cute Girls Hairstyles on youtube!! Seriously, Mindy comes up with the best ideas.  Better yet, a lot of them look complex, yet are super simple!!

Well, that's about all for this time.  I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it!  Comment below some of YOUR November favorites!! I love reading your comments and checking out new products.  Any blog requests are also welcome!!

Last, but most certainly not least, have a Happy Thanksgiving!! Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah fall on the same day this year, so have some latkes next to your turkey (and be thankful you're not me that day pulling a 12-hour mandatory shift...)!

xoxo,

Rachel

Note: None of the images in today's post were mine. They were all found courtesy of google images.

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Super Quick Update.

Hey all!

So, a super quick update of some posts to look forward to after the Thanksgiving/Black Friday CRAZIES settle down:

1.) A super ginormous Bath and Body Works haul.  I went a little a lot nuts on the Bath and Body Works website. I had a 25% off coupon, and they were having a Buy 3 Get 3 Free sale (still going on...and probably will be, at least until after Christmas because that's how they roll).

2.) How to get free things by using coupons.  Yes, it's possible.  Yes, I've done it.  Every time I post it on Facebook I get comments and questions, and I have just decided that I'm going to make a post about it.

3.) My big fat secret struggle.  Yes, that's very vague.  However, this is a touchy, yet important topic to me and will open up a lot about me.

4.) My favorites.  I love watching these videos on Youtube, and reading about them, so I am going to gather up some of MY current favorites and make a post about it!

Honestly, I WILL have a real post up the Sunday after Black Friday (six days from now).  It's my next day off, and I feel like I'm neglecting my blog.  I've just been working insane hours and Black Friday (technically Thanksgiving) is a 12 hour shift...and it's just nuts.  I'm sorry.  I constantly say that I'm not going to go so long without a post again, and then...well, this happens.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving...and, if you didn't know, the first day of Hanukkah is on Thanksgiving this year!!  So have yourself some latkes, too!!

xoxo,

Rachel

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I'm Sick of Feeling Sick.

So, funny how things work. I had planned on starting the Whole30 eating program. Instead, I gorged myself on candy, cookies, cakes, and basically the least whole foods you could think of.

And wanna know something?

I still feel like garbage. Constantly.

My stomach doesn't necessarily hurt, but it feels gross all the time.  Like I've constantly eaten too much. I have no energy. I'm not losing any more weight (although I haven't gained...thankfully).  My hair is dull, flat, and lifeless.  My nails are breaking off.  Overall, I feel and look like poop. My body is still screaming at me to cut the crap, and what do I do?  I continue to stuff sugar, simple carbs, cokes, bad fats, and everything disgusting into it.  I'm shocked that I haven't gained any weight back, to be honest.  I'm still 32 pounds down.  However, being the first of the month, it's time for another fresh start.

Since I work night shift, I consider my "first" of the month actually the night of the first going into the second.  So, starting now, I'm giving Whole30 a serious go this time.  I'll still keep the general guidelines I wrote about last time.  However, this time, I have experience on my side.  It's very vivid to me right now how just plain bad I feel when I go off the plan.  It disgusts me.

Is this going to be perfect?  I sincerely doubt it.  I mean, Thanksgiving is this month and I will eat a slice of pumpkin pie.  Will I, however, eat 4 bags of Halloween candy, drink 2 liters of pop a day, and stuff my body full of white sugar and hydrogenated fats?  Not this time!  If it's not water or tea, I'm not drinking it daily.  If it wasn't grown or raised on a farm, I'm not eating it.  I'm through with feeling bad about myself.  I'm through with "feeling" fat (because fat's not a feeling but I seem to be feeling it lately!).  I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

This is where my dear readers come in!  I'm about to be that girl.  You all know one.  The person who takes pictures of their food before they eat it.  People like that always used to irritate me.  I didn't understand why they couldn't just pick up a fork and dig in.  I get it now...it's the accountability (well, for me at least).  I'm going to feel SUPER accountable making potentially all of the internet see what I'm eating.  I tried keeping a food journal, but that just felt like a daunting task.  I constantly have my phone with me.  I don't have to worry about carrying around a journal, and making sure I had a pen, or trying to remember everything I ate.  Now, I'm not going to post it all at once.  I'm thinking about doing bi-weekly posts with 3-4 days worth of my meals and snacks.  Please, I am nearly begging you all to keep me accountable with this.  Tell me when I'm eating dumb!  Encourage me when I'm eating well.  Just say hi...trust me, knowing people are actually reading this will make me really want to do this.

Hopefully this goes better this time around.  I need this for myself.

xoxo,

Rachel

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Whole30

So, I feel like I owe everybody an apology (this blog currently has 110 page views, in which I am shocked and honored).  I NEVER meant to go three weeks without blogging.  However, it's a helpful transition into this post.

I've been feeling really...well, down in the dumps lately.  It's definitely not uncommon for me, but it's most certainly inconvenient.  I'm not a Negative Nancy in general, but once the excitement of October fizzles out, I get stuck in a rut.  Seasonal Affective Disorder?  Honestly, I've considered that.  I have enough of a background in psychology, and also my personal life, to really take that into consideration.  Nevertheless, we're not discussing my metal state.  Today, we're discussing Whole30.

Now, I don't know a ton about Whole30.  I actually read about it on a blog post and ran with it from there.  What I do know is that it is a 30 day clean eating plan.  Processed food, sodas, and refined carbohydrates are all out the window.  Alcohol? Sorry, bud.  Not this month.  White sugar? Say your goodbyes.  Just for 30 days.  They say it takes 21 days to break a habit, and I believe that the same goes for your taste buds.  Since when did eating well have to be boring, anyway?  It totally doesn't.  Our ancestors ate clean and worked hard (rather than working out...too much farm work to be done!), and for the most part they all were pretty healthy considering the circumstances.

My mother and I went to Trax Farms yesterday, so we have fresh picked apples out the wazoo.  We also got six HUGE green peppers for $1.50.  We got a couple of zucchinis and some fresh apple cider (is apple cider clean? I might want to look into that...).  So, I think that was what got me started on getting back on the clean wagon.  I don't know if the actual Whole30 plan has any guidelines other than eating whole, clean foods for 30 days, but I've set some of my own guidelines.  Feel free to follow some, all, or none of them if you want.

• Enjoy 1 green smoothie per day.

I had green smoothies ALL THE TIME this summer.  They are just SOOOO good!! I think it will help my body just detox and clean everything from the inside out.

• Drink at least 2 liters of water a day.

If you remember the water challenge (I know, I know, it was only one post ago...but one post three WEEKS ago), that was the whole point of the water challenge. Two liters of water isn't really a lot if you get a 1 liter bottle of water and simply fill it up twice.  I've been drinking closer to 3 liters a day.  The more the merrier (just don't drown yourself).

• Drink 2-3 cups of green or herbal tea every day.

Herbal tea is nothing but straight hydration for your body.  Green tea has detoxifying and antioxidant properties.  Drink it up, in addition to the 2 liters of water every day.

• Walk at least 10,000 steps per day.

So, I invested in a pedometer a couple of weeks ago, and I never realized that I walk anywhere from 7,000 to 14,000 steps per night at work!  So, I'm making it a goal to walk at least 10,000 steps per day...even on the days I don't work.  It's not part of clean eating, but it's just a healthy (and can you say free?) way to live.

And the most important guideline...

• Don't beat yourself up if you slip.

Honestly, we are all human (proof that I am human: as I was proofreading the post, that said "nobody is human." Haha!).  Halloween is coming up.  It's company potluck season.  So you "mess up" one day.  Don't beat yourself up over it.  Don't quit because of it.  Brush off the dust and take a running leap back onto the wagon.  Let's be completely honest right now...where I work, Friday is our Halloween potluck, and if ANYBODY thinks I'm skipping out of that for a diet...they're nuts.  Maybe I'll go an extra day into November to make up for it.  But like I said in my October post, enjoy the little things.

Is anybody interested in starting the Whole30 program with me?  Or even incorporating a bit of it into your everyday life if you're not ready to jump head first?  I know that right now I'm feeling like crap and my body is screaming ENOUGH.  Oh, and I promise not to take any more unannounced hiatuses.  Thank you for bearing with me, and coming back.  Or, if you're new here, welcome!

xoxo,

Rachel

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Water Challenge

One of my favorite people to watch on Youtube, Scola Dondo, is starting a challenge to get fit for New Year's. The goal? To get as healthy, happy, and comfortable in your own body as you can.  That's it. Not lose X% of your weight, or X pounds by New Year's.  Which, ultimately, isn't that everybody's goal who is on this journey?  Sure, being able to wear a size 2 or 6, or being able to run a 5k without stopping are all REALLY good feelings.  And I'm not undermining that at all.  But you're going to have days when you want to sit around in sweatpants instead of wearing that cute little dress or running that 5k.  And on those days, being happy with yourself is what's important.  It's what's going to get you through a break-up, losing a friend, or being rejected by a job.  Now...don't take that the wrong way.  Because I've been there. You can be accepted or rejected as a size 2, 22, or 222.  You can either nail that job, or simply be not qualified for it at a size 4, 44, or 444.  However, in my experience, the words "maybe if I wasn't fat, that wouldn't have happened" go through my mind in situations like that.  They didn't want me to represent the company because I'm fat.  I didn't land the part I wanted in a performance because I was fat (that actually happened, but I'll tell you about that on a different day). He/She doesn't like me because I'm fat.  It hurts. It sucks.  It's nothing anybody wants to think, yet so many of us do.  The reality is this: if you're not happy within your own body, you're more likely to blame your weight than find the root cause of the problem.

The first week of Scola's challenge is the Water Challenge.  I absolutely LOVE water challenges.  They're probably the easiest challenge to complete, and you'll feel so much better when you're completely hydrated.  Scola is challenging everyone to drink 2 liters of water a day.  Where I shop, you can get a liter of water for 77 cents.  Simply keep that bottle, and fill it up twice a day for the week (psst: a liter comes out to about 24 ounces, in case you were wondering).  Sounds easy enough!!

Check out Scola on Facebook and her Youtube channel.  She posts tips for getting healthy on a regular basis, and I personally find her voice to be very soothing.  She's so optimistic and supportive, too.  I hope you love her!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Rachel

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It's Finally October!

A new month always feels like a new start to me.  Especially during the Autumn months.  Whether it has been going back to school and wanting to do better than last year, or realizing that I spent another summer melting behind hoodies instead of wearing bathing suits and shorts, I get a surge of energy that is nearly incomprehensible.  I tend to lose my motivation in the middle of the month, and that even applies to my weight loss and my beauty routine. I either get stuck in a rut, or let myself go a little bit.  But the first of the month is like New Year's Day every 30 days or so!  It's a fresh start.

I have always had a lot more motivation in Autumn in general.  It's not so hot that even moving is a challenge, then again it's not so cold that I don't want to leave my house.  I certainly use this to my advantage!  Getting out and about is a lot easier when there is beautiful foliage to admire (which, I swear on my heart, turns overnight and lasts overnight), when I can dress in layers and not sweat to death, and when I can look forward to a nice, warm cup of tea when I get home.

If we're being honest, probably my favorite part of Autumn is the fresh fruits and vegetables available. From apples, to blackberries, to pumpkins and other squashes, there is a plethora of produce available this time of year.  It makes eating well a LOT easier when I can go to the market and pick up some freshly picked apples, a nice, yellow spaghetti squash, beets and brussel sprouts for roasting, berries for cereal, salads, pies, and snacks...I could go on for days!  One of the easiest ways to eat better is to incorporate more fruits and vegetables, and how could you resist during this time of year?!

Since I started losing weight, a lot of people have been asking me how I do it.  If I'm on a specific plan, or if I eat certain things.  So I thought I would compile a list of my favorite weight loss tips...with an Autumn twist!

• Clean Eating.  If I didn't go on long enough about it earlier, let me reiterate: clean eating is delicious and easy in the Autumn. Make some homemade applesauce.  Bake a spaghetti squash.  Buy a bunch of different vegetables, and roast them.  Your possibilities are endless.

• Tea. This ties in with clean eating...but tea is a wonderful indulgence this time of year. Cinnamon tea, Chai tea (which is delicious with a bit of pumpkin spice creamer), any type of tea is warm, delicious, and good for you.  Herbal and fruit teas are nothing but complete hydration for your body, because they are naturally caffeine free.  Green, black, and white teas have some caffeine, but, realistically, not enough to take away the benefits that drinking tea offers.  In my opinion, if you want to get into drinking tea but you don't know where to start, pick up a tea sampler. Celestial Seasonings makes both an herbal tea sampler, and a fruit tea sampler.  That way, you get to taste a little bit of everything for one low price, and if it turns out you don't like something, you're not stuck with a whole box of it.

• Get Some Exercise Every Day.  Don't start off trying to exercise for an hour every day.  Is that a good goal?  Yes!  But if you start out like that, you're setting yourself up for failure.  I'm not a nutritionist, or a doctor, or anyone of actual accord.  However, if you start out with ten minutes of walking, you'll be on your way.  Don't forget that exercise doesn't have to feel like exercise, either.  Take the kids pumpkin picking. Have a family apple picking day.  Take your partner on a walk to see the changing leaves.  Again, the possibilities are endless.

• Have a little bit of things that you REALLY want.  The seasons (and life!) are much too short to deprive yourself, and you won't get any closer to your weight loss goals by not letting yourself have what you want.  Are you craving a Pumpkin Spice Latte?  Go for it! Order a small, and make it a weekly treat.  Did Aunt Lois make her famous pecan pie?  Have yourself a small piece.  Don't feel bad about it.  If you eat well between 80 and 90 percent of the time, you can really enjoy that 10 to 20 percent the way that YOU want.  Nobody realistically eats well 100 percent of the time.  It's a smart idea, however, to balance out those treats.  A small Pumpkin Spice Latte with nonfat milk and no whipped cream still has 200 calories.  Maybe instead of having dessert that night, count that as a dessert, because honestly, nobody needs to drink that many calories...and that's for a small, with no whipped cream!  Let's say you love whipped cream, and you prefer whole milk.  Please, get the whole milk and whipped cream.  If you can live with skim milk, that's great, but don't deprive yourself of whole milk if that's what you actually want.  See tip #3, and that will help you enjoy those little things, while keeping your waistline in check.

Do you love a fresh start as much as I do?  Take advantage of it! There is nothing, and I truly mean nothing, wrong with enjoying the little pleasures that this season holds. Live your life, because soon enough it will be Winter, then Spring, then you're 130 and wondering where your life went.  Now...I'm going to go have a latte!

xoxo,

Rachel

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An Introduction.

Hello!  Whether you have stumbled upon this blog by mistake, or came to it by reference of a friend, relative, or because you know me, I welcome you. This is where I will be updating my health and weight loss adventure, while also discussing beauty products and fashion.

The idea of blogging is far from new to me. I started a tumblr back when I was a junior in high school. Alas, that blog has been deleted, never to see daylight again (and I promise, that's NOT a bad thing).  I decided to start this blog up to help keep myself accountable during my weight loss journey. I have lost 30 pounds to date, and still have many more to go.  I decided that I would coddle my love for beauty products by giving myself rewards as I go on my journey. I have a different beauty reward for every 10 pounds I lose.  Nothing too extravagant for now, just little odds and ends that I can't completely justify purchasing willy-nilly (I'm trying to save up for a car...which is a fail for it's own blog).

In case you're new here, I might as well start off with an introduction of myself.  My name is Rachel. I'm 21 years old, and I live in a quaint little town that's off the radar in Pennsylvania.  I live with my mom and one of my older brothers for now, and I work a not-quite-minimum-wage job that still barely covers my beauty and fashion habits.  I love cats.  I'm one of seven kids.  I have 3 older brothers and 3 older sisters.  Spongebob is my favorite television show, and I will quote it on a daily basis.

Some of my hobbies are writing (well, blogging), reading old favorite and newly discovered blogs, watching beauty gurus on Youtube, researching healthier alternatives to my favorite foods, and creating healthy recipes.  My favorite things to make are smoothies, particularly green smoothies.  Autumn is my favorite season, and October is my favorite month (expect an excited update on the first!).

If you polled everyone who knew me, the common factor would be this: if something I say or do makes you laugh, you will have my heart forever.  I love finding the humor in EVERY situation, and laughing at me is okay, because I'll be laughing first.

I hope you stick around for a while, because the best is yet to come!

xoxo,

Rachel

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