WIN!

Congrats to Emily from The Culinary Couple for winning the $50 Macy's gift card!  Just shoot me your address via Direct Message on Twitter and I'll mail it out ASAP :-)

Emily (along with Mrs. Foot from The Proudfeet) suggested that I download Katy Perry's "Califonia Gurls" for my new workout playlist.  Well I did, and I love this song!  But it totally gets stuck in my head all day :)

Thanks to everyone that entered!  I really appreciate your input, and I loved all of your suggestions.  In case you're interested, here's my new workout playlist in full:

It's quite a mixed bag -- I have such random taste in music!  Enjoy :)

xoxo,
Olivia

Going Hollywood

There's a new love in my life, and it came to me in the form of tape.  That's right, tape.  I was having a bit of wardrobe malfunction at work last week, wearing this shirt I recently purchased from Banana Republic:

Doesn't it look great on the model?  While I do love the blouse, it's dangerously low cut on me.  For some silly reason, I decided to wear the blouse last Friday when I had a special event for work, but spent most of the day fidgeting with it. 

I was joking around with one of my co-workers to please keep an eye out for any inappropriate flashing on my end, and she suggested I try using fashion tape to keep the neckline from slipping.  I was not enthusiastic about the idea (tape, really?), but since she had some in her purse, I gave it a shot.

The tape is called Hollywood Fashion Tape.  And holy moly, this stuff is amazeballs!  The double-sided strips are really thin (and clear) and stick to skin/clothing without leaving any residue.  Plus, they come in a little tin that doesn't take up much room in a bag.  I just put two small pieces inside the neckline of the shirt where I wanted it to sit, and wa-la, the shirt didn't budge for the rest of the evening.  Love it!  I definitely suggest checking out the product if you have any clothing that tends to slip and you're looking for a quick fix.  They have some other cool stuff on the site too.  Olivia and fashion tape, sitting in a tree... :)

If you haven't already, don't forget to enter the giftcard giveaway!  Only three people have submitted their songs so far, so you're changes are goooood.  Last day to enter is next Monday, July 26th.

xoxo,
Olivia

You + Favorite Song = $50 Macy's Giftcard

Here's the deal.  Now that I'm getting back into a regular workout routine, I need help creating a new playlist... one that will keep me motivated when I just want to keel over and give up.  You know the feeling!

(Source)

I love all the music on my iPod, but it's been awhile since I downloaded new songs.  Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled when "Ice Ice Baby" comes up on the shuffle, but it's time for an upgrade.  Word to your mother.

So, I need your help!  I'm offering a $50 Macy's Giftcard giveaway (I've never done this before, so I'm learning by example from some of my fellow bloggers) if you share your all-time favorite workout song. 

It can be anything you want, as long as it's available for download on iTunes (I miss you, Limewire).  My current favorite is Nelly Furtado's "Say it Right."  Somewhat of an oldie, but a goodie. 

You can enter the giveaway by telling me your favorite song via commenting on this post or send me a Tweet (@ozoellner).  And, a bonus submission will be given if you tweet and/or blog about the giveaway and let me know that you did so!

I'll announce the winner on Monday, July 26th :)

xoxo,
Olivia

Golden Girls

I was browsing my Twitter feed yesterday during lunch, and an update from Self Magazine immediately caught my eye:

At first I just thought "well, duh" but then I got to thinking about how scientific one can be when relating friendship to overall health.  I read the article online, and thought it was really interesting.

Self claims that, among other things:

• Close friendships help women live longer (socializing positively impacts health)
• Our friends are often the best support for helping us get out of health ruts (I can attest to that!)
• Women with close friends are happier
• Women with close friends are more likely to survive breast cancer

That last one really hit me... 

So, I'd like to take a minute to say how appreciative I am of having such a wonderful, supportive, and caring group of golden girls around me.  I don't think I say it enough, but I love you all dearly and thank you for everything!  Whether it's giving me advice with my financial um, bumps... getting up at the crack of dawn for hiking, spinning, a walk, etc. or just being there when the going gets tough, THANK YOU.  I hope that I'm at least half as good a friend in return (because that would still make me super awesome).

xoxo,
Olivia

Tracking. Dislike.

It's official, over the past couple of months, I've completely fallen off the wagon.  Like hardcore, tumbled off, face first.  RIP, motivation.

As some of you know, I recently moved into the city, and I'm staying with my parents for awhile until I figure out my situation.  This means I'm living rent free for now, woot!  I'm still focused on building up my savings, but I decided to splurge invest in some personal training classes to get me back on the fitness track.  No big deal, right?  Um, worst (best) decision ever. 

First off, I have to track everything I eat.  WTF, this is not Weight Watchers.  What did I get myself into?  I see the point of it being an all around life improvement process, but I'm iffy about having to put the pen to paper when it comes to my diet.  Anywho, I'm doing it, and it's been interesting.  I've always heard that five small meals a day is best, but I feel like I sit around eating non-stop...

Here's my lovely tracking sheet, complete with columns for fat, calories, carbs, etc.  Talk about facing the facts!  Eep.

As a result, I've been eating lots of these:

Cosi Signature Salad with chicken, and half-portion of the reduced fat dressing.  Cosi is one of those places that people think is super healthy, but if you aren't careful, you can totally end up having a 900+ calorie meal... so definitely check out their nutrition facts online (also posted at each location) before you decide!

And I'm refraining from eating too much of this:

Sad, I love bread.  Luuurve.  Instead of eating the whole thing, I'll just take 3-4 bites then get rid of the rest (cuts the calories down by 60-70% but I still get to have some).  Kinda a waste, but better that it goes to waste than to my waist :)

I have ten sessions of PT to burn through (I'm on the 3x week schedule), so I'm going to give this food tracking/training combo a try for awhile and see how it goes.  It's definitely a pain in the ass, but I'm hoping that it will help me get into a good routine...

On a somewhat related note, please let me know if you have any advice for foods to eat pre-workout!  PT sessions are from 6:00 - 7:00 a.m., so I'm confused about how to fuel.  I don't want to eat right beforehand because then I may get sick from having food in my stomach (and no way in hell am I waking up at 5:00 a.m. to make a real breakfast), but I tried going the no food route and literally had to stop mid-workout because I was going to hurl.  No bueno.  I've heard bananas and peanut butter are good, but it just seems heavy.  Suggestions, please?

Hope everyone is well, and sorry I haven't been posting as much lately!  It's my busiest time of the year at work, so I'm still trying to get myself into a workable schedule.  More to come!

xoxo,
Olivia

In Her Shoes

Everyone has a weakness in life, and (one of) mine is shoes. Shoes, glorious shoes. I pretty much love 'em all… flats, stilettos, boots, flip flops, you name it. I have some serious shoe love. Especially when they're lined up all pretty in your closet:

Yes, I color coordinate.  I'm slightly OCD, just comes with the territory :)  FYI -- those metallic flashes are the backs of my running shoes.  It's good know that they really do reflect light.

Well, with my recent frugality vows, one of the habits I'm working to kick is shoes.  Of course, now I keep seeing a zillion cute pairs that I want.  It's a classic case of "distance makes the heart grown fonder."  Here are some of my favorites.  Blog window shopping will have to satisfy me for now!

Kate Spade Jester Flats:

Cole Haan Air Miranda Pumps (Cole Haan is now owned by Nike, so they're working on blending comfort with style):

Coconuts Naples sandals. 

How can you beat that $30 price tag?!  If you haven't already checked out Piperlime, do it.  Free shipping, and free returns.  Plus, they're having their huge "Lime Tag Sale" right now, lots of 40% off items.  Dangerous :)

Happy shoe'ing.

xoxo,

Olivia

Happy Camper

In my quest to branch outside of this box I call my life, I've started my own little list of things I'll like to give a (in some cases a second) try. First up on the list? CAMPING. Ok, those of you know me can stop laughing now… this is the new and improved me and I'm trying new things!

I went camping (the tent kind) when I was younger and I'm still slightly traumatized because of it. It was definitely cold, raining, and there bathrooms were skeevy to say the least. This time around I want to do my research and find a good mix between crunchy and comfy. You know, like a rustic cabin. I like the word rustic. At least in theory :)

These places look like definite contenders:

Bear Creek Lake (Cumberland, Virginia -- about 3 hours from D.C.)

"The cozy and rustic six-bedroom lodge." Yes, please.

This doesn't look too shabby either. Room with a view!

You know I love a good beach. When do we leave??

Another activity I'd like to try.

And no camping trip is complete without a fire! Or so I've been told.

Douthat State Park (Shenandoah Valley -- about 4 hours from D.C.)

This looks a bit more rustic to me! Campy-chic.

Awesome hiking trails and views...

Does anyone have advice on camping in style?  I'm serious about going, so please do tell.  In the meantime, I'll start stocking up on these:

Tres chic. So who's in?

xoxo,

Olivia

Simplicity

Ever since I was little, I've dreamed of being an adult and living a fabulous life. See, when you're a kid, growing up seems so simple, so pure, and so easy. Turns out that while it's often fun, growing up and being independent isn't always easy. The older we get, the more responsibilities we take on, and four years out of college, I'm already feeling the burn! Between budgeting, paying bills, keeping on top of my job and working my way through grad school, I'm just feeling…overwhelmed.

To top it off, I'm constantly fighting the want vs. need battle (and often losing).  Life is one big instance of dangling a carrot in front of a donkey, only I'm the ass and a pair of new Louboutins is the carrot. I waaaant those pretty things and I deserve them, dammit!

I wish the ten year-old version of myself understood that even though I grow up to be a nice, hardworking girl, I still struggle, and still find myself wanting to storm into my room and slam the door in protest. But now instead of being mad that my parents are making me eat the rest of my gross string beans before leaving the dinner table, I'm dealing with much scarier things like 401k plans and credit card ARP. Bleh.

I know everyone goes through this at one time or another, so it's nothing abnormal. It's kinda like a quarter-life crisis, plus a couple years :) Thankfully, I'm blessed to have a wonderful support network of friends and family around me, who always help keep me in check. I've decided that over the next few months, I'm going to work on simplifying my lifestyle so that I don't feel overwhelmed by everything. I'm not exactly sure how to do that, but I'm open to suggestions if anyone has ideas!

My first step is setting up a budget (I'm awful with money, although the intention is always there). After doing some research, I decided to use Mint.com which, if you aren't familiar with it, is freaking amazing. I'm terrified of the word budget, but this program is great, and FREE! Plus, they have a blog, and use Twitter, which makes keeping on top of it so much easier. What I love the most is that the program allows you to link your checking account, credit cards, student loans, rent/mortgage, etc. to your budget account, which automatically tracks your spending. Seriously. It also reminds you when payments are due, and can track any savings to keep you up to date on net worth. This is something I really needed to see laid out, to understand where I was with spending vs. savings. And it made me realize that I just have too many bills right now to keep on top of, so hence why I'm in a new mindset of being more practical. We'll see if it works :)

Here's a sample screenshot of the Mint.com program (not mine, obviously) in action:

Pretty cool, huh?  I'm going to give it a shot for a few weeks and see how I do.  Please still let me know if you have any good suggestions for how to streamline stuff and make life easier... I need all the help I can get these days :)
 
xoxo,
Olivia