Getting Groceries without a car: Foodie Friday

Happy Friday y'all!

One of the biggest changes I have made in my life over the past few years was choosing to go car-less. When I decided to move to Boston, I immediately decided to do so without my car. I left my car with my grandparents in Ohio, and never looked back. I'll get into that decision and the benefits of public transit some other time. What I want to write about on this rainy Foodie Friday is getting groceries without a car!

For me the biggest adjustment to life without 4 wheels was changing the way I shop. I used to go grocery shopping once every two weeks and buy about $150-$200 worth of food at a time. I used to drive around town getting things at various supermarkets to get the best prices on the items on my list. Obviously I can't do those things anymore, at least not until I join ZipCar!

Tashia's 3 tips for grocery shopping on foot:

1. ALWAYS Use Reusable Shopping Bags
Reusable shopping bags are good for the environment, easy to carry, and can fetch you a 5-10 cent discount per bag at a lot of stores. It seems like a no-brainer to use them when you go shopping, whether with a car or without. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way just how important it is when you don't have a vehicle.

On one of my first trips to the market after moving to Boston I had a really unfortunate experience. One chilly February evening after a long day at the office, I remembered I had no food in my pantry and needed to stop somewhere on the way home. As I was walking home from a successful trip to the local supermarket one of my plastic shopping bags burst open from the bottom. A half gallon of milk clumsily bounced into an icy puddle, a can of soup started rolling away into oncoming traffic, and a jar of pasta sauce shattered at my feet. Cold, tired, and hungry I burst into tears. 

When I finally calmed down I vowed never to go shopping without reusable grocery bags again. I now carry a Chico bag in my purse at all times. These compact little guys are durable, and they don't take up a whole lot of room. 

Image from www.chicobag.com

 

 
You don't have to use fancy bags! You can usually get a basic bag for around $1 at the register of your favorite store. Or, if you don't feel like paying for bags, you can look for them at events. A lot of companies will give them out for free. I got some really durable and colorful ones this year at Boston Pride.

2. Shop More Often
Instead of making a big haul once every two weeks. I make 1-3 quick trips a week. This allows me to go to different stores and get everything that I need, but still be able to carry it all home without struggle.

3. Make a List
Making a grocery list keeps your trips focused and your load light. It helps you stay on budget by reducing impulse buys. And if you're like me and prone to binge eating, making a list is a nice strategy to reduce the amount of junk food in your pantry.

 







 

Haircut results!

I got my hair cut this evening. The experience was fantastic. I went to Miss Laura's near my house in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood in Boston. I got my hair cut by Miss Laura herself. She was so sweet and she asked a lot of questions to get an idea of what I wanted/ my haircare routine. best part is the haircut was only $35 + tip, so a very personal salon experience on a budget!

Before my appointment I narrowed what I wanted down to two pictures. I showed Miss Laura both and she made some suggestions/ found what would work the best with my no to low maintenance routine. I like the final result a lot. It's less safe than I usually go, and I can wear it two ways!

Miss Laura said I can go back at any time for a free bang trim. I will definitely take her up on that, and go there for my next haircut.

Hair-story!

When my mom was about eight or so my grandmother took her to a salon to have her hair cut. It was the beginning of summer, and they were living in Hawaii so my grandmother had my Mom's hair cut very, very short. Apparently this was an extremely traumatic experience for my mother, and she never really recovered from it.

Because of her own hair trauma, my mom almost never let me get my haircut when I was little. The hair cuts I did get were just trims, and they were done at home by my mom or my aunt.

My Mom and I circa 1991

So I had the same hairstyle from age 3-12. All one length with bangs straight across my forehead. By 6th grade I was tired of being made fun of for the home haircuts and dying to have shorter layered hair. Around my 12th birthday I finally got permission and used my report card money for my first professional haircut.

Since 12 my style has changed a bit. I grew out the bangs in 9th grade, and in 11th grade I found a stylist I loved for the first time. I got my haircut by Josephine once every 9-12months for the next 6 years. It was all very routine: grow hair out long enough to donate to Locks of Love; cut to shoulders; repeat.

I kept up that routine after college as well. My last haircut I donated 14 inches to locks of love. Last time I grew out my hair to donate I realized that I don't actually like having really long hair. I vowed never to donate again.

It has now been over a year since my last cut and I'm ready for a really big change. I'm a little hesitant because I haven't really found a stylist here in Boston yet. Thursday I'm going to a salon near my house that has 4 1/2 stars on yelp, and caters to the hip urban crowd in my neighborhood. I'm hoping to walk out of there with a style I can call my own.  
Here is my "before" self-portrait: 

Long, straight, BORING

I could make a change by adding some bangs:

Or I could make the change by going shorter than I ever have:

  

Or I could play it sort of safe: 

 What do you think?

25 By 25

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." Fitzhugh Dodson

It's good to have goals, but it's also easy to get bogged down by them. Recently I've found myself getting really overwhelmed by the big picture. Will I achieve what I want to in the next 5 years? When will I make time for grad school? When and where do I want to settle down and have a family?

Those are some big questions, and ones that I really don't know the answers to. Life throws curve balls at you all the time. You may leave port with a destination in mind, but sometimes the winds change direction and you just have to roll with it. That's why my new approach is to focus on specific, attainable short term goals. I was inspired by Kathy at Life as I Know It, and her commitment to the 101 in 1001 project. 1001 days is a little too far ahead for me to think right now, so here is my version:

25 by 25

25 goals I plan to complete by my 25th birthday. So 25 goals I will achieve by May 5th, 2012. Since I didn't decide to do this until over 3 months after my birthday, I'm going to include a few things I've accomplished in the past few months. I'll post an updated list once a month so you can see how I'm doing.

1. Get a new job. 
2. Visit 3 U.S. States I've never been to.
3. Post 50 blog entries between 5/5/11 and 5/5/12.  (This post will be #12)
4. Get 40 followers for Eating Feelings (I'm at 9 now, invite your friends!)
5. Put my feet in the Pacific Ocean.
6. Obtain a passport.
7. Visit Canada.
8. Cook with 5 ingredients I've never used.
9. Move into the city of Boston and out of the suburbs!
10. Read 10 books or plays.
11. See all of the 2012 Best Picture Oscar Nominees before the Oscars.
12. See a concert.
13. See a play.
14. Buy 3 things from Etsy.com 
Skindura Secret Shield
15. Go to the dentist for the first time in over 5 years.
16. Get back on the pill.
17. Participate in the 2012 AIDS Walk Boston and raise more than the $100 I raised in 2011.
18. Get two haircuts. (This may seem like a small task, but it's been over a year since my last one)
19. Take 4 day trips to places I can't get to on the subway.
20. Tour the Sam Adams Brewery.
21. Make tortillas from scratch.
22. Get my first tattoo.
23. Get a good pair of dressy winter boots.
24. Complete CPR and CPR Instructor certification.
25. Make a list of 26 goals to accomplish by my 26th birthday!

Rant-Worthy: Cat Calls and Unsolicited Flirting

Do you have things that people do that just get under your skin? Actions people take that push you toward the edge? Whether they be political, social or personal, we all have things to rant about on occasion. I pledge- right here, right now- to write about these everyday annoyances, instead of letting them get me down. Hell, maybe one of you will sympathize and feel compelled to share your own stories on the subject.

So, what has been getting me worked up lately? The topic of today's rant is:  

Cat Calls and Unsolicited Flirting
At least 3-4 times a week for the past few months I've been on the receiving end of some unsolicited flirting/ cat calls. We've all been there, right ladies? You're walking down the street/ in the parking lot/ on the bus,going about your business. You're grocery shopping, getting a cup of coffee, reading your morning paper, walking your dog when some guy struts by or sits next to you and decides to say hello. "Hey beautiful" "Hello sexy" "Looking fine today" "you look great today" etc, etc, etc.

Do people actually think this is going to work, that leading a conversation with a statement based totally on my looks is going to make me swoon?

So, you're probably thinking, "but T, what if I see someone I find interesting/ attractive that I'd like to engage in conversation/ potentially get some digits from"?

Well, there's no harm in starting conversation with a stranger, but you should probably lead with something a little more neutral. Perhaps a simple "Hello" or "How are you today?". Or maybe an observation "you think this rain will ever stop?". If you're feeling brave you could even ask for advice "This is my first time eating here, what's good?".

Signs the person you're pursuing isn't interested:
They aren't making eye contact with you.
They appear suddenly engrossed in their coffee, paper, crackberry, etc.
They are responding with one word answers.
They increase their walking speed, angle their body away from yours, roll their eyes. 
They ignore you all together.
They put in their headphones.

It really isn't rocket science!

Back to Basics

It has been almost a year since I started this blog, and I have to admit that I'm not thrilled with my progress. I started this blog with a mission of putting all of life's stresses into a constructive outlet, but also with a goal of loosing weight. I am embarassed to admit that I have not really suceeded in either of those goals. I was off to a good start, but then life kind of got in the way.

I've been reading some really inspiring blogs lately, and I recently had my annual phyiscal. I'm pleased to report that both of those things have reignited my enthusiasm for both loosing some weight, and for blogging my heart out. I still plan to include the fun stuff (i.e. the fashion stuff), but you can expect to see a lot more about food, and about issues/ topics that are eating at me.

.

Fall Work Wear Wish-list

Time to get back on the blogging horse. I've been in my new apartment for almost a month, so no more excuses! I'll post some pictures of my new digs later.

Moving is expensive, so I haven't been able to do any shopping since I started my new job. I should be able to do a little shopping in September, just in time to start building my fall work wardrobe.  Here are some items I'm lusting after for the fall:

Girly Oxfords with a low, chunky heel.

Forever 21 $24.80

I look forward to wearing them with tights and a sweater dress or skirt!

Dr. Scholl's Inky in Navy $68.99 

Polka dots!

Avenue $29.90

  Apparently polka dots are a huge trend this fall. I already have a really awesome Polka Dot pencil skirt from Torrid that will transition nicely into fall, but you can never have enough polka dots in your wardrobe:)

Aldo $19.98 on sale

Forever 21 $27.80

Orange and Yellow bags.

Though I don't think I look good in saturated yellows or orange, I do embrace colorful accessories. Orange and Mustard are big colors for handbags this fall.

Michael Kors $198 @ Macy's

Forever 21 $19.80

Target $34.99

D&B $198 @ Macy's

DKNY $295 @ Macy's