Big Changes For The Blog

Hi everyone!

So for the new year and just for some time now, I have really been taking a look at my blog and what I wanted to do with it. I've amassed a nice group of posts over the months and I didn't just want to delete them and start fresh.

However, I wanted to really give myself an identity in the blogging world and really get serious into my web design goals and web development goals. I want to work with blogs. So I figured the best thing to do was to give myself a make-over and a whole new identity.

Don't worry the "new identity", is simply a new blog name. I know it isn't a good idea to change your blog name, but I don't have a huge following and the few who do read this, I will make it easy as pie to find the new blog.

www.hello-hipster.com

I told you it would be easy ;)

I will also be doing some posts on Facebook and Twitter to catch anyone on there. I will leave this blog up for a little longer while I finalize things on the other site, but if you want new content, I suggest you just go there. I feel really optimistic about this and there are so many great things I plan on doing.

Get ready for more types of posts, series, and maybe even videos!

Thanks for all the support and see over at the new site!

Sick and Immobile

I have been sick for the last two to three weeks now. I know the flu is going around like crazy but unfortunately I have been dealing with my own monsters. I have a terrible chest cough and I literally have no energy at all. I've been out of a bed a total of maybe 25 minutes to shower since last night around 11:30 pm.

Hope everyone else is doing okay! My poor mom is sick now too, which was probably my fault so hopefully it'll go away soon.

I thought in the spirit of lots of people being sick, I'd share my top favorite things to do to try to make myself feel better!

1. Drink juice. I don't normally drink much except water on a daily basis but when I'm sick I crave juice. It is as if my body knows I need the nutrients. My favorites are Cranberry-Raspberry, Orange, and White Grape Juice. I also have re-found my appreciation for apple juice :)

2. Cuddle. This is usually in the form of my dog, since what healthy human wants to cuddle with a sick person?

3. Soup. I could go months without ever having a bowl of soup, and the second I'm sick I need to have as much as possible. Strange. Personal favorites include the mushroom soup from my local hibachi place, tomato soup with rice, and french onion.

4. Sleep. I try sleep as much as I can on a normal day but sleep is my best friend when I'm sick. It helps me avoid feeling how sick I am for a little while. Sucks though, when you can't actually sleep or can't do it comfortably, because more often than not you end up feeling worse.

5. Throat drops. I hate the ones that make you all tingly, I can't think of the word. So I opt for the ones that just taste like candy, but they do help! Hall's Breezers in cool berry are my favorite.

If all else fails, just cry. That's what I did last night and it helped get rid of some of the tension. Beware though if you have a stuffy nose ;)

Until next time!

January Birchbox!

It is January Birchbox time!

First up, is the Put A Lid On It eye primer from the Balm Cosmetics. I have so many eye primer samples it is stupid, but I am interested to compare this to the rest. On the skin it just felt like it provided moisture and not much else. A full size is $18. 

I love the brand Fresh. I love that they use good ingredients and their lip balm is to die for. I adore the Soy Face Wash but usually their face moisturizers are crazy expensive. This is no different, full size is $42 but I am excited to try this either way. This is the Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream. It is described as a moisturizer with "antioxidant-rich lotus flower extracts, this lush moisturizer protects skin from the free radicals and hydrates for a full 24 hours". I have a feeling this might make me fall in love. We will see!

I was pretty pleased when I saw this little guy. It is a nail polish by alessandro, which is exclusively partnered with Birchbox. This is a color called blue lagoon. I don't have a blue like this it is more of a slate/grey blue. I cannot wait to try this color out! A full size is $12.

 I have a love-hate relationship with Ojon. Most of their stuff smells so horrible to me that I just cannot use it. I have their texturizing spray and I love it. So I was iffy when I got this. This is the Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum which is said to have ojon and macadamia oils to smooth and hydrate. I have only tried it once but I think it may be too much for my shorter hair. I find with my short hair I can't really use oils because it makes my hair greasy. With my long hair, it is no problem. A full size is $25. 

Finally, is the Harvey Prince fragrance Skinny Chic. This is not the first Harvey Prince fragrance I've gotten from Birchbox and if my memory serves me right I am not a big fan. I find them to be too overwhelming and just a strange mix of fruit and flowers. This is a "blend of juicy Meyer lemon, white grapefruit, and pink plumeria". A full size is $21-$55. Not a favorite. 

They included a cute poster full of favorite products and on the other side 25 tips for the new year. Pretty nice but I don't know if I'll hang it up :-P

Guess What I Did!

I went indoor rock climbing! 

I did it once before when I was in middle-school and we had this wall in the gym that was converted to a rock climbing wall. Other than that my experience was zilch. I was lucky enough to be going with someone who actually teaches climbing and he's so good in fact he was ice climbing just the weekend before! 

We went to a place in Fairfield called Carabiner's. It is the coolest place I have ever been. It is just huge open space with so many trails to climb. It is insane! You can get certified to belay with them, but I didn't need to do that. 

We started bouldering first, which is climbing on walls about 15 feet with no ropes. There are different levels to choose from and the floor is padded and there are mats to catch you if you fall. I really loved bouldering, it is seriously like a puzzle that you need to work through in order to make it to the top. I'm not a very strong or tall person so it was a little hard for me to reach the next holds sometimes but I did actually get to the top on a few routes! 

Picture from Carabiner's Facebook Page

The short walls in the middle of this picture are some of the bouldering walls. There is even a second room that has more bouldering and regular climbing as well. I did go up on a regular wall with a rope, but I only made it half way. I think at that point I was tired and I just couldn't reach the next holds! I learned a lot about climbing in general and it is a great sport to do if you want a work out, because two days later and I am still sore! 

I can't wait to go again, the atmosphere was just so laid back and it is such a rush when you climb because you have to think quickly and maneuver yourself. If you get the opportunity I definitely recommend it!

Book Review: "The Summer of Skinny Dipping"

I've decided that for 2013 I am going to keep track of every book I read this year. My tastes in books can be pretty all over sometimes, it just depends on what I feel like reading at the time. It should be very interesting to watch.

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells is my first official read of the year. I am not really into young adult novels anymore. I find it incredibly cliche most of time and very idyllic in the plot lines. However, I had this sitting around and I was intrigued.

sourcebooks

I loved this book and I read it in less than 24 hours. It might have just been the right timing but I really connected with the story and the main character. Essentially, the story is of a 16-year old named Mia who goes with her family to stay at her Aunt's and Uncle's summer house in the Hamptons. Her family life is anything than stellar and she doesn't feel as though she can ever win her mother's approval.

She is looking forward to reuniting with her beloved cousin, and yet she is in for a reality check. Her cousin and her friends are beach beauties with an admiration for smoking and drinking. Mia feels like a black sheep amongst everyone.

She eventually meets someone who changes her world and that story will stay with her forever.

It is such a strong story but I don't want to give too much away, but it does end up being a growing-up and love story. I think I identified with this book so much, because I know how it feels to be lonely even when you're surrounded by people. It is easy to feel like everyone is putting on a facade around you, and that you don't belong. I think everyone will be able to relate to the main character's plight whether it is in their past or what they feel now.

If you have a lazy afternoon to kill, I definitely recommend this book.

Starting 2013

Well, I have to say I don't think I started 2013 exactly how I thought I would. I didn't do anything for New Years Eve which made me feel a little lame but c'est la vie. I got to watch The Dark Knight Rises again so it is still a win.

I was still getting over a concussion I got before winter break from work. I got hit in the head twice in one day with a kickball. Not fun.

One of the worst parts about this week is my older dog Murphy is sick, and I am super worried about him. He has a lot of kidney stones. Apparently he has huge masses of them in his bladder and two small ones that have moved to his ureter. He almost needed surgery but we're avoiding it right now. He's supposed to be eating a certain food to help get rid of the stones but he won't eat all. He barely drinks too, which isn't good.

Murphy is the only dog we've had since he was a puppy for this long. He is certainly one of the family just like Charlie is but it is scary. Those who have never experienced having a dog may not understand but it is painful to see my pup in pain and sick. Charlie has been so good with him too. He barked at him a lot at first because I think he knew something was wrong. But he doesn't jump on him or bug him and just lets him sleep.

Today's shift at work was awful and I won't say any more than that. Just plain awful.

However, I went out on a date tonight and I had an amazing time :)

I guess 2013 isn't all bad so far.

New Years

Happy New Years everyone! I hope you spent it with good people and you had fun. There has always been something that bothers me about New Years. I think it is the empty promises we make to ourselves and the fact that we never take the time in other parts of our years to re-evaluate.

I do however, have a couple thing I want to work on. I'm not calling them resolutions but goals. I want to strive to achieve them and I want to have to work hard to make it happen.

1. My health- this isn't so much the lose weight goal as it is taking care of myself. I need to be more active and that will help with my fibro. I need to eat better which will also help. Finally, with that I want to try and get off one of the meds I've been taking for a while. I don't want to be on it anymore and I did without it once, I can do it again.

2. Staying honest with myself- this is probably the most important. I feel like through this last year I lost myself a little bit and I loosened up my beliefs more than I should have. There are things I tried to be okay with or tolerate that I simply could not. I need to stand firm in what I believe and make sure I don't change that for any reason unless I feel the need to.

3. Forgiving myself - I have and probably always will be too hard on myself. I set high standards and sometimes I don't meet them. Something I have struggled with is being a normal person. Normal in the sense of in my early 20s. I've struggled with that because I'm not average. I don't like certain things that are deemed appropriate for my age. Example, those who drink every weekend, those who enjoy hooking up with people. I don't do that. It isn't a knock to those who do, but that isn't me. I am very uncomfortable with those things and when my judgement slips it is hard to forgive myself. It is hard for me to realize mistakes are bound to happen. I just need to move on and grow from them, and not do them again.

4. Yoga, yoga, yoga - Plain and simple :)