FIRMOO GIVEAWAY.

This is perfect timing - I'm currently looking for some new glasses since I finally have a new prescription - Firmoo is having a Crazy Giveaway.

I've been wearing glasses since I was 7 so I know that they're expensive and cute glasses are even more expensive than those boring pairs. It's so hard to stay up to date with current glasses fashion, but it's definitely easier with this awesome deal.  Firmoo has great styles. And, who can beat a free pair of glasses? Seriously - frames + lenses + shipping = FREE with this giveaway. And, they're giving away discount coupons.

Never used Firmoo before? Even better because they offer a free pair for first time shoppers - you only have to pay a minimum of $6.95 for shipping. 

Already a customer? Firmoo has a limited time offer for 20% off of frames and total shipping fee.

If you haven't already, go check out their glasses and make sure to sign up for that giveaway. 

WEEKEND // Up North We Go!

I've been battling this cold since last week and as of right now (Sunday evening), I am happy to report that I am almost over it. I went for a run today and although it was hard, I don't feel completed wiped out.

Since so many of our weekends lately (like how I dragged him down to Tucson to see Modest Mouse) have been Kaileigh-centric, I let my boyfriend have this one. Of course, the weekend that I was still running at about 70%, but still - let him have one.

Friday-- Was fairly boring. I worked and then I went for a long walk, which I promptly fell asleep after. I pushed myself too hard that day and I definitely wasn't feeling up to it. I eventually made it over to Mike's and we went to his friend's party for a bit, but I was exhausted and still sick, so we didn't stay long.

Saturday-- The bulk of our weekend was dedicated to Saturday - I was finally going up North to meet his parents. It was incredibly nerve-wracking, but apparently, I passed. And I cannot wait to go up there when it's snowing this winter - provided he keeps me around long enough.

Sunday-- The main reason for our trip, despite finally letting me meet his parents, was for Mike to pick up his parents' dogs while they went on vacation. So, for the next week (Who knows? Because he refuses to tell me) or so, Mike has these two adorable dogs.



Now that we're home, I get to start the next three longest weeks of my life before we head off to San Diego. I'll be working 6 days a week until then.

What did you do this weekend? Let me know in the comments!

WEEKLY ROUND UP // 15.

- I love cheap clothes and as much as I've tried to move away from them, I always end up coming back, but Sarah at yes and yes has tips on how to wear those cheap clothes we all know and love.

- This sounds disgustingly good: You can make a gummy version ... of YOURSELF.

- Long read -- the price of a Lego. Interesting stuff if you have the time this weekend.

- This is such a beautiful swimsuit:

- I cannot wait to try this recipe from Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats. Doesn't this look delicious?

 

- Yeah, I watched the entire thing and part of me felt nervous and the other part was incredibly confused. But what an easy-going cat.

- Because everyone loves Ira Glass as much as I do. And please check out this etsy because there are Abraham Lincoln pillows and a SERVERUS SNAPE PILLOW. I am dead.

source: passivejuicemotel.

- Drink some tea with Mr. T.

source: RileyMicaDesigns

CURRENTLY.

READING: Still chugging through Space Chronicles by Neil deGrasse Tyson. I've been so sick this week that everytime I start to read, I just fall asleep. Basically, any time I get comfortable, I fall asleep.

LISTENING TO: I can't stop listening to the new Daft Punk song - Get Lucky.



WATCHING: I've been a terrible TV watcher lately or maybe that's a good thing. The only thing I've actually sat down and watched this week was Mad Men on Sunday. And, it's so great this season, but I say that every season. I've been watching old episodes of Futurama while laying on the couch too, but I keep falling asleep - like I said, being sick is terrible and I'm just constantly tired.

THINKING ABOUT: What I'm going to do with my life. I don't talk about my job on my blog, but I will say that I've been there for 7 and a half years and I'm definitely ready to move on. Whether that means staying in Arizona or not, I'm not 100% sure.

LOOKING FORWARD TO: Getting better! I cannot wait until I'm at 100% again. This cold has knocked me out of my running schedule and has made for one terrible week. Laying on the couch is not my idea of a good use of my time. And, I'm so excited for my vacation next month to San Diego.

MAKING ME HAPPY: My boyfriend. He's been extra good to me while I've been sick. He even came over and watched Up! with me on my couch. I can't wait to be in San Diego with him next month.

QUEST TO ... Eating Healthy.

I love pizza. And beer. And chocolate. And shitty Filibertos at 3 am on Saturday nights. And night cheese.

I could go on. I love food and I love eating and food is good. But, then I eat all this terrible junk (Yeah, Filibertos is just trash) and I wonder why I'm out of shape and why I have that beer belly. So, I want to get my act together when it comes to food. I don't want to radically change my diet and give up all the good things because a life without pizza is not a life at all.

But honestly, I could use some healthier eating in my life.

1) No More Soda. Period. I am not a huge soda drinker anyway, but when I'm hung over or just in the need of a quick caffeine fix, I have soda. No more though. I usually stick to my unsweetened iced tea, black coffee, and lots of water - which should be the things I'd drinking anyway.

2) Cut Back on Sugary Alcoholic Drinks. I wish I could say I'd stop drinking period, but that's not gonna happen. I'd like to skip out on all the super sugary drinks, stop drinking so many ciders and beers , and ideally - I want to drink once a week.

3) One Cheat Day a Week. This will help a lot if I know that I have one day to spurge a little. And, this might be my one day to drink too, but we'll see how that plays out.

4) Start Eating Breakfast. I'm the worst at eating breakfast, but this is what starts your metabolism for the rest of your day. Even if I just ate a simple breakfast bar when I first got to work, that would be okay with me and then I won't want to eat everything by the time I finally do eat.

5) Start Cooking More. I eat out. A lot. If I'm not home for when my mom cooks, then I usually end up out and I eat so much because the portions are usually so big. I need to start cooking for myself more.

6) No Eating After 7 PM. Who knows if that actually works, but I do know that when I eat at night - I'm just snacking and that's not good.

7) More Vegetables and Fruits. Once, I was dieting and I was eating fruit and someone yelled at me and told me that my fruit had more sugar in it than a donut. Oh, shut up. Fruits and vegetables are good for you - that's why kids don't like them. I'd like to eat more of them because well, they're better to snack on than my usual snack of wheat thins and cream cheese.

Olive and Ivy's Blogiversary Giveaway.

I'm so happy to be apart of Chelsea's Blogiversary Giveaway. There are a lot of great gifts and a lot of great bloggers have helped out. Make sure to enter! 

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WEEKEND.

After last week, I was so ready to have a peaceful weekend without being glued to the television to keep up to date on the news. Friday evening, I left my house to go to my boyfriend's and I said to my mom, "They'll catch him within the next 15 minutes that I won't be near a TV." And sure enough, a mile down the road, my mom called to tell me that Boston PD caught suspect #2. It felt so good to hear that.

Friday night, Mike (the boyfriend) cooked us dinner after we went out for celebratory drinks at my favorite bar - Robbie Fox's. Saturday morning, we got up early (before 7 am. Seriously early) and went to the Farmer's Market in Scottsdale so I could buy some local honey to help with my allergies. I've heard really good things about it and my allergies are so terrible that I'm willing to try just about anything. Here's hoping.

Then, I went to my friend's baby shower where my baby fever only got worse. Whoops! And unfortunately, I worked all day on Sunday. Today is my other day off this week so I'm hoping I can get some things done since my weekend was relatively busy - at least for me.

Delicious pizza with my mom / giant boots in Scottsdale.

My picture of a baby / babby clothes shopping. Again.

What were you up to this weekend? Let me know in the comments! 

FAVORITE PLACES: Arizona.

- Favorite Restaurant: Havana Cafe.

$3 Mojitos on Mondays? Yes. And these are the best Mojitos I've ever had in my life. And the food is delicious. The only bad part is that I only end up here for special occasions - so that means once a year. I cannot stress enough how delicious this food is.

- Favorite Bar: Robbie Foxs Public House. (Or as I call it - SHOBBIE SHOX'S)

This is my go-to bar. Someone asks where I want to meet up and I always respond, "SHOBBIE'S!" I have spent many summer afternoons on the patio, drinking Magner's. And Jameson for $3 for Happy Hour? Yes. Please. Also, the food is delicious too. I've gotten the French Onion Soup on special before and it was so amazing.
Robbie's is dog friendly on the patio. And, there is live music on the weekends. The only bad part is that it turns into Club Robbie's on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights after 10. That's when it gets super packed and the music gets way too loud and really terrible. So, my solution is just to start there so I can leave before it gets too frat-boy on me.

- Favorite Sandwich: The Boars' Head Turkey and Brie at La Bocca Pizzeria.

I would also suggest grabbing a glass of their sangria here as well because it is delicious too. Honestly. This sandwich is my world. It has turkey, brie, and fig. And the bread - holy hell. This place is on Mill Ave in Tempe and is a little spendy, but I think it's definitely worth it.

- Favorite Place to Run: the canal.

Arizona has canals. Everywhere. And they make great running trails. The portion of canal next to my apartment isn't right up next to the road, so I don't have to worry about people gawking at me while I run and there are usually other runners and walkers out there too - so I definitely feel safe.

- Favorite Drink: Paper Route at Handlebar.

Another place I love on Mill. I sense a theme. The first time I went to Handlebar was on my 23rd birthday. It had just recently opened and I'm all for trying out new bars on Mill before they close. I noticed the Paper Route on the menu and I think all of us ordered one. I have also been known to make them at parties for unsuspecting guests. I say it is the quintessential American drink. Others say it is disgusting.

- Favorite Bagel: Lox Stock and Bagel.

I have been going here since I was a baby. And no, it's no New York bagel but that has to do with the water. Honestly, this is the place for people in the area. Everyone knows what you're talking about when you say you want to go to Lox.

QUEST TO ... Become More Active.

I started running again last year to prepare for a 5K (which I ran!). Except, after my 5K, I lost a lot of motivation to keep running. As of April 1st, I've restarted Couch to 5K to kickstart my motivation and give me guidelines for running. And, as much as I love running, running can't be my only activity. 

Couch to 5K suggests you run 3 days a week. And, I've been supplementing the OFF days by walking.

In addition to running and walking, I want to incorporate more activities in my life. My boyfriend suggested we go to the rock climbing gym. I mentioned hiking.

I love running and I love being active - I always feel so much better. However, I feel like I need to work harder at it for it to really become a part of my life. If that makes any sense. 

1) Finish Couch to 5K. I know I've ran a 5K, but I never finished the running program and I feel like by actually finishing, my time would be so much better.

2) Gym Membership. It's expensive, but I think it's worth it to do some strength training. And, I could run in the middle of the day without dying of heat stroke. 

3) Do More Activities With My Boyfriend. I'm going to set the goal for this at two things a month. I think that's totally doable. 

4) Keep a Log. I want to keep a log of everything I'm doing. I'm using EverNote.

Do you have any ideas for activities I can do? Any tips? Let me know in the comments! I'll be checking back in on this quest in a month. Wish me luck! 

RECENTLY READ: Breasts

Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History - Florence Williams

I have them. So, I was pretty intrigued by the book. Breasts come out of nowhere and suddenly, you're stuck with these two things for the rest of your life. It wouldn't hurt to know a little bit more about them.

I guess I was expecting a very scientific look at the development of breasts, breast feeding, augmentation, and the inevitable decline. However, I ended up reading a lot about chemicals because as Williams mentions repeatedly - they're everywhere.

For the record, Williams is a journalist - not a scientist. So when she shrugs off scientists because they're men (Honestly. She's very judgmental about male scientists that are studying breasts), I'm a little wary of her intentions. And, she's a self-proclaimed "granola girl." 

It's a little bit of a bummer read. And, by little bit, I really mean it's a total bummer of a read. It's a lot of "You're going to get breast cancer no matter what." I wish the book had been more about the development of breasts in mammals (what an odd thing to write) and about breast augmentation with less focus on the doom and gloom of having breasts.

Should you read it? Meh. I wouldn't bother.

Goal #3 - 23 for 23 - 17/50.

ROADTRIP TO TUCSON.

A little backstory: I love Modest Mouse. Adore. When I found out they were playing a show in Phoenix, I was super psyched  However, I had to work the morning the tickets went on sale and by the time I could sneak off to the bathroom at work to buy them, they were all sold out. But, there were still tickets available for their show in Tucson. Yeah, Tucson is two hours away, but I thought it was totally worth it. And, this way, I got to drag my boyfriend along with me.

My best friend was in town for the weekend from New York, so I spent most of Friday with her and then my boyfriend and I got brunch with her on Saturday before we went down. It's kind of a bummer I didn't get to spend more time with her, but it gives me an excuse to go back to New York in the near future.

The drive down is pretty simple. I just take the I-10 and it's a straight shot down. We listened to some Radiolab podcasts. As for our hotel, we just stayed at a Best Western and it was actually pretty nice. I made sure to get a hotel near the venue.

Modest Mouse was amazing. It was awesome to see so many other people loving one of my favorite bands. As you can tell, I'm terrible at describing things that I like. So, suffice to say, I had a great time.

The next morning, we woke up and went to brunch at this place called La Cocina. It's a gem. I was hungry for breakfast, but I couldn't resist getting their reuben - which had green chiles on it. And, they had tons of gluten-free options.

After eating, we headed back up to Phoenix. It was a great mini-vacation and I can't wait until we head to San Diego next month.

WEEKLY ROUNDUP // 14.

- All my friends want their own 3D printer - so, I should definitely just them this, right?

- Game of Thrones reimagined as other television shows. Definitely worth a look.

- I loved this post from Ashley at The Shine Project last week. I can't wait to rock some pigtails now.

- I am loving everything about this swimsuit, except the price. (Also, notice how I am "loving" everything right now? I must be in a particularly good mood. Who knew?)

- I am in love with everything on Sara's etsy. But, LOOK AT THESE TEMPORARY TATTOOS!

                                                              source.

- This is the classiest way to drink wine. I'd love this at a party.

              

  source.

- Is this real life? I cannot believe it.

- I would forever love if someone bought this for me:

                                                               source: LeighLaLovesYou. 

LIFE LATELY.

Aside from watching too many cartoons, life has been really great. Two weekends ago, I went to my friend's baby shower and then I saw Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ira Flatow, Brian Greene, and Richard Dawkins (with others) at ASU's Origins Stories. This past weekend was work. So, I was tired by my first day off and didn't accomplish much. Oh well.

Bill Nye! / $10 glasses of wine.

Delicious breakfast / mimosas

Working on my cross-stitching / Look at how regal my boyfriend's parents' dog is.

Margaritas / Made dinner with the bf - maybe once we figure out how to actually make those potatoes, I can put up a recipe post because they have all the potential to be delicious!

What have you been up to lately? Cook anything good? Drink anything better? Let me know in the comments! 

NEW FEATURE -- QUEST TO...

I've been thinking a lot about my goals for my blog and what I really want to do. Obviously, I want to share awesome things with my readers and that's why I love my weekly round-up posts. I love sharing awesome books and products too. And, I'm incredibly self-interested, so I love talking about myself on here.

But, I'd also like to use my blog to create a space for people like me - people that are interested in becoming better. Better people, better writers, better eaters -- whatever. So, I'm starting a new feature on here called "Quest To..." and I'll be talking about my different quests to get better at something - a healthier eater, a more active person, a better cook, etc.

My first post will be about becoming a more active person. Other things - well, they'll have to wait right now because I've actually been working on it for a while and I'm starting to get really serious. I think that using my blog as a means to document will give me more motivation to do the things I actually want to do.

What do you think? What are you on a quest to become? Let me know in the comments.

RECENTLY READ: The Road

The Road - Cormac McCarthy

This is one of those books that everyone talks about and I push off reading until it seems like everyone's forgotten about it. 

At first, I wondered what exactly I was reading. I had heard it was a great book and it seemed to move slowly and like walking into a dark room, it took a while to adjust to my surroundings. Who are these people? What is happening? Where are they going?

Eventually, I started to feel for the two main characters in the novel - the child and the man. Their relationship strains on my heart. I'm not a mother, but I feel like I would do the same for anyone in my family.

The book left me with a lot of questions. My head is still swimming with them.

4 out of 5 stars. A book that leaves me feeling the way that The Road did is a good book. 

Goal #3 - 23 for 23 - 16/50

Happy Birthday, Baby Brother!

He's almost 2 and I'm 8 here.

My baby brother turned 17 today. Seventeen years old. That is crazy to me. I remember when he was 5 and would come home from Kindergarden, strip down to his Pokemon tighty-whities, and sit right in front of the television to watch Pokemon. He had the blondest hair. I used to pick him up and spin him around.

15 year old me and 9 year old Nate at SeaWorld.

Now, my brother is well over 6 feet tall and his hair is dark. And, he can pick me up. He has a job now and he wants to join the Navy after he graduates. And, he's just so grown up. It's hard to believe. Get ready for a pic spam.

On the ferry to Alcatraz - still 15 and 9.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/10119_273834315610_1761555_n.jpg">

Best $1 we ever spent on fake mustaches.

After Nate's 8th grade Graduation.

14 year old Nate and 21 year old me after his holiday Orchestra concert.

2011 trip to Disney World and Universal Studios.

Bubby - I love you and I'm so happy you're my brother. I didn't get to pick you, but if I could pick again, I'd still choose you. You're a moody, douchey teenager right now, but you're always be my Bubby. Happy birthday, kiddo. Love, your Dissy.