My Resolutions

I'm a list-makin' type of girl. I love the feeling I get when I cross things off. I may or may not sometimes add things to my list that I've already done just to be able to cross them off... I make lists almost every day at work, and make them often at home, too. In the spirit of list-making, I love making New Year's Resolutions, and I write them down in -what else- but a list! ;)

So here they are, my 2011 Resolutions:

1. Tone My Flabby Arms!

I want to my arms to finally look something like this...

Or this would work too...

While "toning my arms" is what I want to achieve this year in the gym, I need a more measurable goal. I plan to strength train my arms, using free weights and/or machines, a minimum of twice per week. My yoga push-ups and poses (while they will definitely continue to help my arm de-flabbing), do NOT count towards the 2xs a week requirement.

I'll be doing lots of this in 2011!

2. Spend Less, Save More

Hungry Hubby and I have our eyes set on a casa, a house to call our own (and raise our babies in.... but don't tell him I said the B word). ;) That = HEALTHY HONEY NEEDS TO STOP SPENDING MONEY. I have a little bit of a retail addiction, I'll admit it.

So in 2011, I'll be doing less of this...

And more of this...

The measurable goal: I'll be withdrawing $100 from the ATM at the beginning of each month. That is my *FUN* money for the next 30 days. That's my money for happy hour with the girls, getting my nails done, haircuts, and of course, any and all retail therapy. I can stockpile it and save it up from month-to-month, but I can't spend anymore once the C-note is finito. Please wish me luck, this is gonna be tough!

3. The Love Dare

Last Christmas, my amazing Mom bought Hungry Hubby and I the Love Dare Devotional Book for Couples. [The Love Dare originated in/through the movie Fireproof.] The book has 365 devotionals to do with your spouse. I love them because they can be done in under 10 minutes and are practical and relatable. While HH and I did do some of the book last year, we definitely didn't read it everyday and never made it through. So, we re-committed to completing the book in 2011. Bring on the love dares!!! ;)

Have you made any resolutions for the new year?

Happy New Year!

Since I showed you some dress options for New Year's Eve, I figured I should show you what I actually wore. I remembered that I bought a black satin dress at Forever 21 when I was in Austin last month... perfect for NYE! (and I'm proud of myself for not buying something new!) I did get a "crystal" (I use that term lightly as it was purchased at Old Navy) stone necklace to wear with the dress, and I finally re-wore my wedding shoes after having the toe box stretched <-- why didn't I do that before the wedding!?!?!

Here's the outfit put together thanks to Polyvore:

And here am I! :)

With my homegirl Kate the great!

Obligatory silly shot with a better view of the necklace:

We spent the night dancing, chatting, and of course, sippin' on some bubbly! It was a wonderful start to 2k11! I hope you had a fabulous NYE, too.

Well I'm going to continue my lazy day of movies and couchin' it with the hubby. I think I'll plan out my new year's resolutions manana. ;)

'Twas the Tuesday Before Christmas...

...and Healthy Honey shopped her little booty off!!!!

OMFriiiiiiiickinG what. a. day! I started at 9am and stopped (only due to the need for a cardio sesh before power yoga) at 6:15pm. That's over 9 hours of elbowing my way through the mall, fighting for parking spots via blinkers, sitting in freeway exit gridlock enjoying the holiday sights and sounds of my fine city! I did take about a 45 minute home detour for a quick salad lunch and to drop-off my first round of purchases, but none-the-less, it was a looooooong (but fun) day!

Where did I shop? The better question = where DIDN'T I shop? Well it all started at Bed, Bath, & Beyond (man, I love their coupons) at 9am. From there I hit...

• Rally House
• JC Penney
• Macy's
• DSW
• Ulta
• Walmart
• Dillard's
• Victoria's Secret
• Walmart (yes, you read that right... twice GRRR)
• Forever 21
• GameStop
• Target
• BestBuy
• Old Navy
• Walmart (no, this is not a joke)

Phew! Lemme disclaimer that: I did not purchase something at every locale, just all but 2. ;)

I had a great 30 minute elliptical jaunt followed by an hour of power yoga (with Hungry Hubby, natch) after all of that madness. And when I got home.... it was a wine/sushi/prezzent-wrapping Par-Tay for one! :)

Dinner is served!

And here was my tree.....

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

What was an exhausted, but-I-wanna-get-all-this-done-tonight girl to do!? Crank up the Christmas jams and get a snow-fallin' QuickTime video spinnin' on repeat, that's what!!!!

P.S. It was about 80 degrees here today (today was the first day of winter... RIGHT!??!), so this is as close to snow as I'm gonna get!!

A few creative bows (and HOURS) later....

Add to that a botched-wrap-job. (It wouldn't be real life if there wasn't at least one of these, right!??!)

And here are the fruits of my labor...

Can you spot the Cowboys gnome!? ;) That's Hungry Hubby's fave Christmas decoration... obvs.

Oh, and how could I forget... I thoroughly pissed off my dog Lulu by dressing her in a super adorable Christmas shirt from Target.

Here she is giving me the total diva doggie brush-off:

Did you do any shopping today? Hope you are enjoying the last few nights before Christmas!

Decisions, Decisions.... NYE 2010

I absolutely LOVE New Year's Eve. I know it's all a lot of hype, and in theory, isn't any different than any other night out, but it FEELS different! There's a buzz in the air on NYE. The decorations, champagne, midnight kiss... I love it all! :) And it's the one night a year when I know I can dress much fancier than required and not look silly. I love buying a new dress every year for the December 31st festivities.

Here are some that have peaked my interest...

Forever 21 Zippered Lace Dress

Bebe Darla Dress

Bebe Strappy Shirred Dress

Forever 21 Scalloped Perfection Dress

Bebe Mirror Beaded Halter Dress

What are you wearing this NYE!?!

Move-It Monday: V-Up with Dumbbell

I usually take a rest day on Sunday, so it's crucial to get my booty to the gym on Monday. Buuuuuut it's MON-DAY. And I haaaaate Mondays. It can be hard to get motivated to hit the gym on Mondays. I decided a few weeks ago that I would always set aside my favorite new magazine to read on the elliptical on Monday.

Today's read: the January issue of Oxygen.

This is a previous cover.

Here is the January covergirl, Monica Brant:

Umm, she's 40. And looks 28! Ah-mazing!

I absolutely LOVE magazines! I cannot do cardio without one. Since I do cardio 5 days a week - that's a lot of magazines!! I subscribe to Oxygen, Shape, Self, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmo, and Allure. I pay about $9-12 per year for each one, which means I pay less than $1 a pop. These mags cost at least $4 on newsstands. If you buy magazines this way, seriously subscribe now to save major moolah. Seriously! Ok, off my soapbox now. ;)

Anyways, I found a simple, but super effective move in today's issue of Oxygen.

The V-Up with Dumbbell

Take a traditional V-Up. Click here for a great explanation and moving image.

Do the V-Up, but hold a 8-10lb. dumbell in between your hands (hold onto the ends) as you do the sit-up. Keep the dumbbell in your hands throughout the entire move -as you return to start with hands over head and legs on floor. Hold the "crunch" for 2-4 seconds to up the intensity.

Another option: hold a weighted medicine ball instead of a dumbbell.

How do you motivate yourself to get to the gym on Mondays!?

Casual Holiday Looks

So this is supposed to be a fashion blog (as well as fitness and food) but due to my Vegan MoFo challenge, food has been in the spotlight for the past month. I thought I would use my long-lost friend Polyvore to put together some looks for the holidays.

Lots of my fave fashion bloggers post great holiday looks, but all of them include a dress and tons of sparkle. While I LOVE to dress up, most of my holiday parties are far more casual. Attire = jeans and whatever cute top and accessories I add.

I decided to put together some casual holiday outfits for inspiration this season.

Enjoy all of your holiday parties this season!

Wow, That Was Hard! Or The Joys and Challenges of my Vegan Month of Food

My month-long commitment to eating vegan has come to an end. While I do not feel moved to make the plunge to a truly vegan lifestyle, I definitely learned a lot from my lil' journey.

Here are my reflections...

1. I canNOT live without vanilla coffee creamer. While it is considered to be "non-dairy," it has a milk derivative in it, so true vegans would stay away. I just can't. I don't think I will ever be able to give this stuff up. A splash in my daily iced coffee, as well as one in my hot oatmeal = AM heaven.

2. Roasted veggies are easy and amazingly delicious. I ate them as my main course many nights as a vegan, and I will continue to do so. They are also pretty cheap, too!

3. Vegetable sushi does not satisfy me the way sushi with fish does. Yes, it's good, but it's not delicious. I missed spicy tuna rolls and salmon sashimi!

4. Baked tofu is amazing on salads! I have actually started baking some myself, and it is easy and super tasty.

5. Vegan substitutes (ie meatless ground and Nayonaise) do not taste the same as the originals (I def couldn't fool Hungry Hubby!), but they are good and sub well in conventional recipes. I also think they would taste better each time, sort of like how people claim that wine and beer are "acquired tastes."

6. Our country's factory farming practices are ATROCIOUS. I was well aware of this fact due to the documentary Food, INC., but I researched some more during my vegan-ness. It is unbelievable that there aren't laws requiring decent treatment of animals we farm for food. It is illegal to neglect dogs and cats, but it's fine to chop off the beaks of little chicks so they don't peck one another in their ridiculously overcrowded cages!?!? I'm so confused!!! While I believe animals were given to us by God to use for food, I think we have a responsibility to treat them with respect while they are alive. And that is def not happening in America!! Google "factory farming" if you want to know more!

7. Being both vegan and gluten-free is SUPER tough! Kudos to all of you who maintain that lifestyle.

I am happy to incorporate my beloved creamer, Laughing Cow cheeses, ice cream, and the occasional chicken dishes back into my diet, but I will definitely be eating vegan meals more often. I also hope to make smarter choices when eating meat (buying from local, humane farmers, for example) and crusade for laws to change regarding our ranching and farming practices. Even if you don't agree with my food choices, I believe its a personal issue, and we all should be OK with what other people want to put in their bodies. You are what you eat! ;)