Weekend Goals: Antsy for the Holidays

It's almost the weekend and I don't want it to fly by last last weekend did. Yesterday, I bought my first Christmas scented candles of the year. Thanksgiving is a week away and I cannot wait to whip up my annual dessert: black and tan trifle!

This is the time of year where my schedule usually gets lost in the hustle and bustle of life, leaving me frantic the week before Christmas. Granted, the past 15 years of my life have involved super exciting school days up until December 23-ish.

My mission for holiday season 2013? Pace myself! There's nothing fun about stressing out the entire week before Christmas, contemplating whether or not people will truly enjoy the presents you give them. So I'm going to relax, make some homemade peppermint mochas and soak up this holiday season.

Anyways, here are my three goals for this upcoming weekend! Very reasonable and helping me feel like something was accomplished:

1. Write a Christmas Shopping List: There are so many ideas floating around in my head, some of which can be purchased now and crossed off the list. Plus, I reallllly like lists :) I'm also thinking this is going to be a fun DIY Christmas. Last year I made rosemary infused olive oil, shown in the image above.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower, Goodbye Potatoes!

First and foremost, I can't believe I've been away from my blog this long! Slaps on the wrist to me, but we're back in the game now ;)

The holiday season is slowly leaching it's way in and I honestly can't wait to start decorating my apartment with Christmas decorations. But don't worry, they won't be hung until at least the day after Thanksgiving (maybe). Along with the holidays though comes decadent treats and heavy indulgence.

For the past two months, I've been working on adopting a healthier lifestyle and getting myself back in the gym. My past relationships with working out have been 2-3 months of hard work and then falling off track. Finally, I'm trying to change this habit and keep up with a regimen that keeps me moving.

Kicking my butt in gear started with motivating myself to sign up for a 5k, my first 5k ever. I overtrained a bit but finished strong, only stopping to walk for a quick 30 seconds at the end. In my defense, the race was set up with the entire last half-mile uphill. This is a cruel, cruel joke.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: My DevaCurl Haircut

It happened. It happened and it's shorter than I've ever gone before.

As promised, here are the before and after shots of my DevaCurl haircut. Sorry for that cheesy headline, hehe. Originally, the plan was to go about shoulder length. I didn't tell anyone exactly how short it was going to be, trying to get honest reactions when revealing it.

I'm still getting used to the whole short-hair thing. You know that moment in the shower after a big haircut when you run your fingers through your hair and........WHERE DID IT GO?! It went from "being able to tie my hair up with my hair" to "my ponytail looks like a nub."

But that's okay! It's a adjustment, but I'm honestly really loving it. It has this distinguished (or so I was told), boyish (so I say) look. Plus, I can now work it into cut pigtails.....am I too old for that?

DevaCurl for Curly Hair: It's A Lifestyle

About a year and a half ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life: taking control of my curly hair.

If you have curly hair, you know what I mean. It's unpredictable, hard to manage, and truly has a mind of it's own. After three months, it starts responding differently to the same hair product you use every day. One day you have shoulder length hair, the next it's down to your chest.

All credit goes to my mom who introduced me to DevaCurl. You may have seen the brand in magazines, and they are well worth the hype. I now have a hair routine that is easy to follow and virtually fool-proof. With a little research, time and investment, you can tame those curls just like I did!

The first step is a lot of education. This post is great for me as well as it reminds me of the reasoning behind DevaCurl. It's about learning the ingredients in your hair products, knowing what to avoid and what is okay.

Keep reading to learn more about taking steps to improve the health and style of those beautiful curls!

Weekend Goals

I could not be more excited that today is pay day, like could not be more excited! Not like I have anything fun to buy, or maybe I do...

A couple things on my list this weekend are very similar to my past weekend goals. We are still adjusting in the new apartment, but the big news is WE FINALLY HAVE A COUCH! My boyfriend's parents are letting us use a couch of theres and I cannot wait to pop a big bowl of popcorn, plop on the couch and put that living room TV to work.

1. Organize the Apartment: We just received new ikea furniture and other odds and ends last night that still need to be put together. If you have ever assembled ikea furniture, you feel my pain. The goal is to have the house ready for hosting guests by Sunday!
2. Finish Old Business: Before being offered my full time job, I accepted some side work to make ends meet. This weekend, I'm planning to tie off those loose ends so it isn't weighing me down.
3. Working on my Fitness: I'm signing up for my first 5k! Getting back into the gym has actually been a lot of fun for me, but there is much progress to be made. I met with an advisor and have set some goals, but this will give me some motivation. Also, I only need to drop half a pound before reaching my first milestone. Promised myself a lululemon ta ta tamer (these girls need it).

Last weekend, I definitely got the R&R I was seeking. So this weekend, it's time to put a little elbow grease in. Planning to do lots of cooking and meal planning as well. 

If you have any running tips to get me started on my 5k, they would be much appreciated. Enjoy this once again beautiful weekend!

P.S. Coming soon is my post about making the curly hair lifestyle change to DevaCurl!