10 Day You Challenge: 8 Fears

Day 3: Eight Fears

(In no particular order)

1. General Anesthesia. I have never had a medical procedure that required me to go under general anesthesia, and I kind of hope I never have to.

2. Heights.


3. Snakes


4. Waiting too long to start a family. I have always known that I want a partner and children. I've also always known that I want the experience of being pregnant and giving birth. I have been feeling a little baby fever/ starting to hear my biological clock tick a bit lately, but I know that to have and support a family I have a lot of work to do in my professional and personal life. Since reproductive problems run in my family, so I worry that by the time I'm ready and find the right partner, I won't be able to get pregnant.

5. A Conservative win in the 2012 Election. I am scared not only of President Obama loosing his bid for reelection, but also of democrats loosing seats in Congress, the Senate, and in State governments.

6. That mistakes I've made in the past will haunt me in the future. I think this is a fear everyone has, for me it's mostly a financial issue.

7. Waxing. I've never waxed anything. I've thought about getting my eyebrows or bikini area waxed, but the thought of intentionally putting hot wax on my body and ripping out my hair follicles is terrifying!

8. Loosing my Grandmother. I am closer to my Grammy than anyone else in my family. She's the one that I call when I'm having a bad day or have big news. She's 69, obese, and works 50+ hours a week. I wish she'd retire and loose the weight because the thought of her not being there when I get married or have my first child is something I can't bear to imagine.

10 Day You Challenge: 9 Loves

Day 2: Nine Loves

 (In no particular order...)

1. Texas. Specifically central and South Texas. I lived in the Corpus Christi area from ages 7-14, and then I moved to Austin for 6 months following my college graduation. I consider myself an honorary Texan. I get really offended when people stereotype Texas, especially when they assume everyone in Texas is a conservative, white christian like George W. Bush or Rick Perry. Texas is a huge state and is very diverse! I love the food, the friendly people, and the relaxed attitude. 

2. Traveling. I love seeing new places and having new experiences. All of my travel thus far as been within the Eastern and Southern US, but I am planning to have a West Coast adventure in the Spring. I also hope do some international travel someday.

3. Going out to Eat. The only thing more fun than trying new foods, is trying them in the company of the people you love. I usually work one or two dinners out a week into my budget. 

4. Thermal Curtains. A few weeks ago I invested in a really nice pair of thermal curtains for my bedroom. They're super thick and they block out sunlight and drafts. I've nicknamed my bedroom my "cave of awesome". With my curtains closed and the heat on, I could stay in bed all day. 

5. Not owning a car. My favorite part of living in Boston is the fact that I have absolutely no need for a car. I can get to just about anything I could possibly need by walking or taking public transit. As someone paid a car payment and insurance every month for almost 5 years, not having a car is so freeing. I just pay $59 a month for my monthly T/Bus pass.

6. Fresh Seafood. One of the perks of growing up a military brat is that from the age of 7 onward I've almost always lived near the water and had access to delicious fresh seafood.

7. The Gulf of Mexico Coast.  As stated above, the bulk of my childhood was spent near Corpus Christi, Texas so I grew up going to Gulf beaches (and Gulf seafood). To this day nothing beats the warm water and salty breezes of a Gulf beach in my book.  As an adult I've fallen in love with New Orleans as well. I love the food, the music, the laid back attitude and the warm and inviting people.

8.Cardigans. Hands down my favorite item of clothing.

9. My Family. My family is small, and I don't get to see them as often as I'd like, but I love them just the same.

10 Day You Challenge: 10 Secrets

I've decided the best way to jump start my blogging after a long hiatus is to do a Blogger Challenge. Rebecca at iridescent indigo is doing the 10 Day You Challenge, so I thought I'd join her!

Day 1 Ten Secrets:

1. I feel an intense pressure to be a role model for my 16 year old sister and 17 year old little cousin. I am the first person in my family to go to college and the first woman not to have a child before age 23, so I think I am doing ok for now.

2. I am overwhelmed by my debt. Taking a job that payed $24k a year before taxes ruined my credit in the first year after college. Most of my debt is Student Loan debt, but I also made the mistake of getting 3 credit cards in college. I never had good money management skills modeled for me as a kid/ teenager, so I'm learning them as I go.

3. One of the things I miss most about college is going skinny dipping!

4. I don't have a passport and I've never been off the continent. However, I can't say I've never been out of the country because my family used to go on shopping trips to Mexico when we lived in South Texas. (before the drug cartels made it unsafe)

5. I am a firm believer in retail therapy. I go shopping when I'm feeling sad or lonely, and I feel a little high when I get a good sale or find something cool. (can you see how this is related to #2?)

6. I didn't meet my best friend until I was 22 and we only lived in the same city for 6 months. Even still, I talk to her almost every day.

7. Whenever I feel overwhelmed I remind myself that when my mom was my age, I was 6, and I feel instantaneously better for not having a 6 year old to look after. 

8. I'm writing this at work.

9. Despite lots of yo-yoing in my weight, I've worn the same bra size since 8th grade.

10. I am a feminist and I watch porn.

10 Things I've been doing instead of blogging.

It's official. I suck at blogging. My last post was in Mid August, so it has been nearly three months. I don't really have any excuses, as I've had plenty of free time. I think I just got caught up in doing other things with my free time.

Here are some of the things I've been doing instead of blogging:


1. Pinning and browsing on Pinterest. I'm obsessed.Check out my boards HERE.
2. Playing Words with Friends on Facebook.
3. Reading blogs. Fashion blogs, newlywed blogs, pregnancy blogs, food blogs, funny blogs...
4. Commenting on jezebel.com.
5. Looking at Boston apartments online and daydreaming about moving in with my beau.
6. Looking at apartments in other cities and daydreaming about moving away.
7. Tracking airfares- I need to splurge for a ticket to Ohio for Christmas.
8. Shopping. I discovered there's a shopping center near my work with Old Navy, TJ Max, Target, and Marshalls.
9. Going to the Arnold Arboretum. It's gorgeous and about a 5-10 minute walk from my apartment.
10. Watching TLC and Food Network while trying to get my roommate's cat to snuggle.

What do you do in your free time?

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?