utah to boston to california!

Can you believe it's been over a year since I last posted??

We moved to Boston and it was LOVE. I could've stayed in that city forever. 

I ran my first half marathon (10 weeks pregnant!) with one of my BFF's from college. 

Husband graduated from MIT, and he was even the convocation speaker. 

I had another baby--a boy we named Isaac. 

And now we've moved to California for husband's new job. Life is fabulous. 

But my closet is not. I have a lot of baby weight to lose. I kind of want to blog here again. We'll see how it goes!

week in review

what i did this week:

had a hugely successful yard sale

ran my best 5k time ever

walked my son to the park almost every day

took a lot of naps

ate mostly vegetable soup and beans & rice (we're trying to use up our food storage before the move)

convinced my husband to let me buy a costco membership

got dressed in an outfit i loved once (that would be today)

and i really really do love it. turquoise + red = awesome.

white tee: target $10

sweater: hand-me-down

skirt: thrifted $6

shoes: target $13

necklace: forever21 $7

things are good

i haven't felt very inspired in my dress lately, and i'm finding that this blog is becoming less and less relevant to my real life. i'm preferring to spend my days in jeans and tee shirts playing with my son at the park, reading books, and preparing my family for our big move. i'm sorry i haven't been posting much lately. i will continue to post occasionally, and who knows? maybe i'll come back full-time with a vengeance, but i just can't keep writing on this blog (and spending hours reading and commenting on other blogs) as a top priority in my life at the moment. i hope you all understand. 

i don't plan to disappear forever, but if you wonder what happened to me, just know that i'm living life. and things are good. 

blouse: ross $10

skirt: thrifted $5

belt: forever 21 $7.50

shoes: target $12

i love spring!

isn't this tree just stunning? the husband and i went to a dollar movie last night and this tree was near the theatre and i just had to get a picture next to it. LOVE. i think spring might be my favorite season. i love how crisp and comfortable the air is, how beautiful the grass and trees are, listening to the birds singing throughout the day ... it's just totally perfect. 

what is your favorite season? 

 white tee: target $10

scarf: nordstrom thrifted $4

jeans: jcpenny's (free w/ giftcard)

boots: steve madden $100

how to turn 2 days' worth of clothes into 3

you saw what i wore in my last post, right? i planned this outfit for church because i wanted something comfortable and easy to wear all day/in the car on the way home (and i love you so much that i put it back on this afternoon for pictures because we didn't get any after church) but we didn't end up coming home yesterday.

 we were having such an awesome time that we ended up staying with our friends last night as well, but i'd only packed for two days. when i woke up this morning with nothing to wear, i 'remixed' my previous outfits and came up with this

and felt pretty good about myself, to be honest. i never would have thought to switch stuff up like this even a year ago, and look at me now! it was SO cold on saturday, but today was warm and i'm glad i had the wedges to wear with my jeans. and not only did we had a fantastic weekend, but today was the icing on the cake -- the husband skipped ALL of his classes to play with me and the kiddo. so perfect. i hope your weekend was wonderful, too!

striped tee: ross $3.50

floral top: ross $10

cardigan: old navy $15

skirt: thrifted $6

jeans: jcpenny's (free w/ gift card)

wedges: target (free w/ gift card)

check this out! 3 days worth of outfits for only $34.50! not to mention that i remix this stuff all the time anyway. 

i love being cute and not having to spend a lot of money, don't you? 

terrible, horrible, no good, very bad trim

today started out sooo well. i made this deliciousness for breakfast

and served it up with some fresh blueberries and almond milk. want the recipe? tough. i'm not home and i don't have it with me. maybe i'll post it later if i remember ... otherwise it'll stay my little secret. just know it's the best granola EVER, and it's super healthy. love it. 

the husband and i cleaned our entire apartment together this morning, and then on our way to spend the rest of the weekend with friends we stopped at the mall salon so i could get a quick bang trim. it was the worst EVER. i told the lady very clearly what i wanted and i swear, she did the exact opposite. at least she didn't make me pay for it. the husband told me they don't look as bad as i think they do, but ... i still hate them. a lot. (and yes, i cried. but at least i waited until i'd left the salon). i can't wait until they grow out. don't be surprised if you see a lot of bobby pins around here for the next couple of weeks. 

but isn't this location pretty? we took my son to a duck park and fed them bread and he LOVED it. it's so fun that he's old enough to enjoy things like this. i love being a momma!  so happily, my terrible hair ordeal was sandwiched in between a fantastic rest-of-the-day. and it's just hair, right? it'll grow back. no big deal. right?? *sigh*

shirt: ross $10

sweater: hand-me-down

jeans: jcpenny's (free w/ gift card)

boots: steve madden $100

friend friday + denim

i haven't participated in fbff in forever, but i really liked today's topic and figured i ought to jump back on the wagon. 

question #1

do you keep some kind of fitness routine? why?

yes! currently, the schedule is: 

3 days of strength training (about 40 minutes per session)

2 days of zumba (about an hour per session)

2-3 days of running

extras like hiking, tennis, and whatever else i feel like. and lots of walking.

i exercise for a lot of reasons. it gives me more energy, it makes me feel good about myself, it helps me stay in shape, it keeps my body healthy. i want to age gracefully and be a good example to my children and everyone around me. i think that exercise makes everyone happier, you just have to find the workout that you love! sometimes i feel like it and sometimes i don't, but i try to do something active every single day. 

question #2

has working out, maybe training for a marathon or something of that nature, helped with your own perception of body image?

yes! i used to be embarrassed to run outdoors or play sports, wear clothing that drew attention to myself,  wear a bathing suit, on and on. exercise (coupled with a healthy diet) has helped me to lose about 70 pounds and i'm still trying to lose about another 15-20. finding that i can be enjoy and maybe even be a little good at athletic activities has boosted my self-confidence and body image tremendously. i definitely consider physical exercise a hobby and can't imagine my life without it. 

question #3

when you are hitting the gym or just going out for a long walk what do you wear? is it about functionality or fashion?

a little of both. i don't like to wear stained, ugly, or too-big workout clothes, but i keep it pretty simple, usually black spandex pants or capris and a tee shirt or tank top, and sometimes a zip-jacket. nothing fancy. 

question #4

do you feel there is a cultural perception of what you ‘should’ be doing for your own physical fitness?

sometimes i feel like some of my friends think i work out too much, but i don't think 1-2 hours most days of the week is overdoing it at all. i think that everyone has a different type/amount of exercise that works best for them. i also feel like people sometimes think that if you're not 'fat' you don't need to exercise, and that's a total load of rubbish. everyone should exercise!! i think that there are camps that sway more towards cardio or strength training, but both are critical to a healthy, fit body. 

question #5

dream big… what would be your ultimate fitness goal?

i'd love to do another triathlon, and i really want to run a 1/2 marathon someday. a full marathon would be awesome, but i'm not sure i really want to put my body through that stress. i'd love to become really good at tennis. and i'd love to be in super awesome swimsuit-shape. but you know. mostly i just want to be healthy. :) 

and here's what i wore today. nothing glamourous, but i was super comfortable and loved the denim-on-denim. i've actually worn this outfit before but with different shoes, ya'll just haven't seen it yet. we took this photo just a few minutes ago, and it's LATE -- hence the sleepy face. but you know what? i'm just glad i got dressed today. see you tomorrow!

shirt: thrifted $5

jeans: kohl's $20

boots: steve madden $100

necklace charm: boutique in provo $2