#501

I didn't know it at the time, but Friday was the 500th post published to JumpingJE.

Reason 147 why I'm a bad, boring, no-good uninvested Lifestyle Blogger.

Maybe this photo that showcases my ability to hold-something-pretty-in-front-of-me can bring me back into good graces with you guys, but probably not because I clearly didn't use any of your nail tips before Friday when I picked these tulips from my yard. 

To be honest, sometimes I'm not sure why I'm here lifestyle blogging or what those 500 posts have even been "about". I'm sure you feel the same way when you visit JumpingJE. Do I have a genre? Do bloggers come to read because I read their pages and we're all just being nice, or are bloggers even my main audience?

Sometimes I play this game called "Forget to Social Media" and neglect to add my blog link on my Facebook page. It's honestly just a miss on all the boxes to check when I publish, but gives me some insight to my readers. Many of you aren't bloggers! So why do you come back every day if I don't even know what I'm writing about most of the time?

This blank page I stare at each and every day is intimidating. 

My original and ongoing vision of this space has always been to share what I'm passionate about. To allow my passionate attitude to guide my content so that you can be inspired too. Isn't this my corner of the internet that I should be proud of? Not just a blogger.com address that takes up five minutes of your day to cure boredom or whatever purpose I serve in your world. That's what Buzzfeed is for. 

This blank page should be filled with more wonderful things I love. Fitness, clean eating, loving myself, teaching you how to love yourself, how to show confidence, adventuring, travel, Portland, music, family.

Those are the things I'm passionate about. My blog should reflect that. 

What do you want to see me write more of? Why do you keep coming back to read? What do you think my last 500 posts have been "about".

Oh, and how was your weekend?

Confessing: Can't Nail It

There's a boat that I missed when I was younger that makes me feel like I missed an essential part of learning how to be a woman. 

Through sports and studying and tomboy behaviors, I never cared to paint my nails, or care for my nails, or worry about my nails. My only concern was not feeling the dirt from the softball field caked up underneath them. And that was really only 30% of the time.

Since becoming and adult and trying to at least appear more feminine, I do conscious things like wear my hair down every day, don't wear athletic apparel to work even though I work for an athletic company, do my makeup before leaving the house and shave my legs more than most females probably do. 

One feminine thing I haven't yet adopted for myself is Nailing It. 

And by nailing it I mean the art of the self-manicure. 

It's spring and you ladies keep talking about your favorite polish colors. You give these amazing tutorials about how easy it is, what tools you need, what colors are so hot right now and all the reasons why doing your nails makes you feel relaxed, confident, even accomplished! 

Like this, look at how pretty and whimsical MacKensie made nails. 

Essie this, Essie that. Here's how, look it's so damn easy and you're a talentless shaky-handed nub if you can't do something this simple/petite/pretty. 

It's awesome and beautiful, but I suck at it. 

I've followed your tips and I've done all the tricks and I have all the pretty colors, but when if gets down to the application I'm the worst! Buff, file, base coat, two coats, top coat. I do it all and somewhere in between coat #1, coat #2 and the final everything-is-finally-dry stage I screw something up. I smudge, I over-apply, I get polish on my skin, I try to fix it and in the process I mess up another nail. 

Is life really this hard or am I just beyond help?

One last question, are you confessing anything with Melissa today?

So Much Random

I don't have any clear thoughts today that I really could put much energy behind, so forgive me for the random.

Topic 1: 

Guys, I joined a book club. Not just any book club, Plucky's book club!

I was invited to it this month after hearing about the amazing time the current members had last month when they got onto a Google Hangout, drank wine (before, during and after the call), chatted about the book and obviously other non-book things that blogger chicks love to talk about. The choice is Eleanor & Park and Amazon will be ever-so-kindly delivering it to me today. It's definitely a "young-adult / teen" book and probably the equivalent of a chick-flick in book form which will make it even easier to read. Win!

Topic 2:

Can anyone explain how I was nominated for the 2015 Best of Blogging Awards? 

If you didn't see it, this single post apparently has all of the bloggers that you're not currently following but you should be following in one special location on the internet. Go check it out and get inspired. 

I was placed in a category called "The Healthiest Honey" and have some pretty strong competition against ladies who have published books, ladies who make Instagram fitness their jobs and ladies who have won actual awards for the way their bodies look. 

I guess I bring a fitness-enthusiast-realism flavor to the blog land with my "I'll try anything once" attitude. I guess I encourage ladies to love themselves and take care of themselves. But to be in the mix with those others, I giggle. Thanks for the ab workout whoever nominated me! Maybe I'm best suited in "The Savvy Single" but then I'm alongside MacKensie and yeah, no.

Topic 3:

As a career-hungry 20-something, I beyond loved everything that this article was about. The basic concept that networking can be done away from the office and while you're sweating is brilliant. The idea that you show so much of your personality by showing commitment to your fitness, that you create an experience through a workout rather than traditional conversation over coffee. If this sounds interesting I suggest you check it out.

Plus, my new favorite word was born. Sweatworking (like networking in case you missed it)

This is all I'll put you through today, thanks for playing friends!

My Big Exciting Secret

And finally we made it to Thursday! 

I'm going to cut right to the chase today because I've been waiting maybe 84 hours to share something extra-exciting with you today. If you know anything about me, you know that I'm impatient like a kid on Christmas eve. I'm great at keeping your secrets, but I'm terrible at keeping my own. When I have something I want to share I want to share every little last detail of it - even before it's ready sometimes.

I feel like I should have confetti ready to shoot out of your screen at you but like I said - sometimes I share things before I'm 100% ready. If I could shoot you all with confetti or silly string trust me, I would.

On Monday an idea entered my head and I sprinted with it like I do with most things I'm passionate about. Some of you know that I'm a bit of a health nut. Well it's time to share that I've decided to pursue my love and dedication to fitness and nutrition even further.

That's right, friends... another blog by yours truly. 

My #1 motivation to do a second blog?

Obviously for more excuses to post sweaty selfies (duh!) 

You get to decide if that was a joke or not

While I feel like this would be the ideal time to host some crazy giveaway where you would win entries by following me on all new social media outlets, that's not the intent of this new blog. The intent is to share my always-evolving fitness/nutrition journey while I try to seek balance with a career, a social life and the usual happy + healthy life a "twenty-something" should be living. 

When it comes to fitness and nutrition I am the first to admit that I'm not an expert, but I do hope to share the things that I know and to learn things from you beautiful people if you're willing to share. There's many ways to live a happy, healthy and balanced life that I'm thrilled to explore.

And I guess if you wanted to follow my new social media pages I won't keep them from you! I have to admit, I have a little bit of blog-design envy of my own blog and owe the prettiness to Sarah's Saturday Sessions. Yes for the roll-over image effect on my pages!

Instagram 

Twitter 

Facebook 

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Thank you for all of your support. It means the world to me!