Confessing Before Christmas

Santa knows if I've been Naughty or Nice this year, but confessing over the blog seems appropriate before Christmas morning. In case he can't find a way to get into the apartment, I want you to send me a lump of coal this year instead.

In reality, I've been a really good girl in 2015. I might have made some really adult decisions in the process by quitting my job, moving to follow my heart and becoming re-employed by the same company a few months later, but overall 'good' in a sense that my conscience can be proud of. I don't have my 2016 resolutions clearly defined, but I know that communicating with friends and family more often will keep my soul filled while we wait out the warmer Spring and Summer months ahead. 

I've been getting into the holiday spirit a little more this year now that we've got a real tree, parties to attend and traditions to create together. I've even been pulling a few tricks out of my back pocket that haven't seen the light of day in years... or ever. Like these paint sample gift tags. They've been patiently hiding on my pinterest boards for years and I finally got the urge to shamelessly grab samples from the Lowe's paint center just like I would grab the taquitos at Costco and cut them into these uniformly elegant ombre trees.

My latest instagram photos have been majorly filtered but also majorly well-lit. Has anyone noticed that I've posted much more lately, and the photos look a little more instagram professional? It's because after 5 and a half months of living in a yellow-lighting apartment and a yellow-lighting work environment I've found my natural lighting sanctuary. It's not pretty and requires props like bath towels, hand towels and blankets, but it creates a photo that shows just enough of my filtered life to make it to the Internet.

I already know a few of my Christmas gifts thanks to Amazon's 5 emails per item ordered and a few text messages included in there too. One was even spoiled because he didn't thnk the Amazon box was his since it was ordered from Ebay, but turns out I unboxed my own gift and had to place it under the tree like I never noticed. Next year, or at least next gift-giving holiday, we're going to have to figure out a solution for household Amazon-sharing protocol, including putting nicknames on the packages so we really know which package belongs to which giver.

That's all I can write today, looking forward to seeing what you're confessing! 

Linking up with Kathy, Nadine, Sarah, Laura, Lauren, Alanna and .... ???

Favorites

We officially have one more week to stress, shop and buy presents be present before Christmas morning sneaks up on us once again. This will be my first Christmas away from the family.... ever ... and it's a little weird to believe that this year I'll be the one on the FaceTime screen while they huddle around the tree and play with the golden sisters.

It really got real when we received a huge package from Portland with mom's best wrapping job for us to have some merry cheer beneath the tree in our two bedroom apartment. There were even a few treats included in the box that we binged after 11pm last night, which I'll explain in the coming weeks why that was a good choice.

Since it's Friday, I'll let you off easy with some light reading and link-up fun with a few of my Friday Favorites:

Have you seen Amazon's new "Dash Button"? It's a little ridiculous but also fairly amazing. They're $4.99 and it's a button that you can press from anywhere and it orders whatever the button is set up to re-order. Think pet supplies, laundry detergent, gum. Look, there's even have a button that orders Kraft macaroni and cheese. 

Stressed like the rest of us? Then Why Don't You... learn a few ways to quell that feeling. Or, why don't you watch this breathtaking video of Oregon? Because I did and now I miss it so dearly.

This homemade lunch, thanks to the guy's passion for grilling and Costco's supply of frozen broccoli:

Also, Sriracha.

Have a great weekend!

Confessions About Nothing

While this is without a doubt the busiest season of the year for everyone, it's also now a record-setting month of blogs posted since I've relocated to Tennessee. What do I have to thank for my more frequent appearances here? That lovely 25-minute time-harnesser called the Pomodoro Technique that Alyssa shared with us on the very first day of December. It's helped me with work, workouts, blogging, reading, Christmas-ing and cleaning. Has it helped you with any of your daily must-do's?

While you're pondering what can be improved in your life by segmenting it into chewable 25-minute increments, take four minutes to be amused by this week's confessions about nothing.

:: "Confessions about nothing"? Well, we've been filling up our DVR with the TBS reruns of Seinfeld and have been binge-watching this "show about nothing" for a month. There's still over 140 episodes remaining on our watchlist. Meanwhile, we're left unable to record anything else but with a reward at the end. Now I can finally play the Seinfeld trivia game that's collecting dust in our coat closet.

:: Southern confession. I don't exactly understand these wildly adorned Christmas trees and can't say that I'll ever decorate a tree like they do down here. If you're unfamiliar, they look like this and not like the trees I've grown up with my whole life. Some even have woodland creatures peeking out from the... branches... ribbons...? I don't know.

source

:: Monday I pinned this to my Wedding board and freaked. There's no ring nor wedding bells in sight, but as a girl who pins things for future events including weddings and children I've made it a secret board to avoid any social media fueled speculations about either aforementioned life-event.  

:: Instagram unfollowers, I see you. Does anyone else have an app that tracks your unfollowers? It was a long-time mystery to me when the followers category would fluctuate, but now I see that it's those Portland fitness studios who don't see my face anymore and those obvious spammers that were never a real account anyway. But, it does make me a little sad when I see that my own extended family dropped my name off their list after scrolling by a cute puppy photo. sigh.

Have any confessions for us this week?

Link up all over blog-land:  Kathy, Nadine, Sarah, Laura, Lauren, Alanna and .... ???

Five Months in Memphis

Tomorrow will be the five-month milestone since I moved from Portland, Oregon to Memphis, Tennessee. This summer I made the committed decision to follow a path I'd been anxious to walk for a long time during our long distance relationship. You've read about how I'm settling into this new home, how I'm making it mine and how we are still soaking in the excitement of adventure and newness.

In the past two months, we've hosted my parents for their first visit, we've shopped real estate for our upcoming move in the Spring and we've spent some important holidays and birthdays together. We're continuing to build our foundation of togetherness and teamwork that we've always dreamed of while still having the playful attitude to bet on ridiculous things and dance in the kitchen during meal prep. We've got everything. We've got us.

Here are my five favorites for the five months I'm proud to have under my belt.

+ Obviously the Pomodoro Technique that Alyssa and I will discuss over a FaceTune date tomorrow.
+ This beautiful bluegrass cover of Iris I found thanks to a lead by Melissa.

+ My new winter/love inspired desktop background.
+ This Etsy shop and sharing the Christmas gift I couldn't wait to let my guy unwrap.
+ Our plans to go tree shopping this weekend and our 5-day gym + water + willpower streak.

Happy weekend! Are you linking up with Amanda today? 

Hello, Pomodoro Mood

I've put myself in this confessions-only blogger rut a few times in my writing past, but it's always what seems to spark some inspiration and give you a real look into what's going on in my world these days. 

What really sparked this post today was the consistent magic offered by Alyssa in her productivity post titled "How to Actually Get Sh*t Done". The first point about the Pomodoro Technique made me a master of my time after just one use. The "distraction pad" is the cure my wandering attention tendencies while her remarks about being in the mood help to prioritize. 

I've Pomodoro'd four times since reading that productivity post and I've found a new thing to get addicted to. Fun to say, easy to do once distractions are removed and highly transferable to any activity. Think work, cleaning, sweating, intimacy, morning routine. It's all yours. 

This was blogged while pomodoro-ing and listening to a 25-minute playlist I created with multiple versions of "Hello". Mainly because I can't decide if I really like the song, the words, the vibe or if the lyrics could easily be replaced with a ballad about me apologizing to my thighs for the decisions I made in November with food and exercise.  At least I can say that I tried. 

Let the confessions begin. 

:: Cyber Monday was really just selfish Monday where I bought one real Christmas gift, two pairs of booties, a Living Social deal I can use at some point over the next four years, and a ton of Old Navy goodness because sitewide was 50% off with a few other redemption codes I'd been saving up for my next big buy. 

:: Cyber Monday was also a little light on the gift side because the guy found the perfect way to treat each other that we're going to have to be patient about. The paradise all-inclusive sun-soaked adults-only resort vacation is booked and paid for, but it's not until mid-June of 2016! I'm so eager that I already tried to request vacation days at work, but it's systematically too far in advance. We've been chatting about a trip in the Spring with the family, too.

:: The big surprise of the week was when we retrieved actual mail from our overflowing mailbox and found two perfectly timely birthday cards with sweet greetings and wishes for my 28th year on this planet. Both greetings were from women I met over the Internet, a fact I enjoy sharing with anyone who doesn't need to know. A text to each and some social media real estate served as my apologies, but I'll continue to make up for it with some adorable holiday cards of my own that will be mailed this week.

:: This weekend my guy finally got a taste of what it's like for a girl to walk into Target during the holidays. We got in, got exactly what we needed and then I informed him that I needed to look around a little more. We avoided the clothes and shoes, but there was a point where I had to send his hovering-self away to do his own thing while I browsed the holiday decor and picked up soup ingredients. Do your men understand what it's like to walk into Target with a basket to fill?

And this. 

Adele. When you're ghosted, you're ghosted. Or I suppose if you were the ghost then you stick with it, girl. 

Hello?

Linking all over the internet: Kathy, Nadine, Sarah, Laura, Lauren, Alanna and .... ???

Merry & Bright

This weekend I didn't go pick out a tree, I didn't hang the stockings, reminisce over cherished ornaments or wrap any gifts to go under the tree. I didn't hang lights outside and I may have lights strung around my room but those have been there all year long. 

However, I did take the time to get down and dirty with one of my secret guilty pleasures; Sending mail by hand.

Nothing beats the simple joys of hand-writing letters, adding special personal touches, asking loved ones for their current address and slapping your coveted forever stamps onto the envelopes. Especially when it's done on a Sunday while you're sipping coffee out of your favorite sleepy panda mug that good friends like Brooke gifted to you.  

Since sending these cards, I've been doing all that I can to make my December Merry and Bright - more coming up on that soon once I get the crazy of this work-week out of my way and in the rear-view. 

Just about the only thing that beats sending holiday cheer via postage is receiving it. Don't you agree?

Keep feeling those merry & bright vibes this holiday season!

Thanksgiving Up North

Thanksgiving weekend was a serious success as my family flocked north to my brother's brand new home in Seattle. 

Dad liked the idea of Thanksgiving away because there is a 7-11 within walking distance where he could replenish his daily 64oz of soda.

Mom liked the idea of Thanksgiving away because going into it, she truly believed that she wasn't going to have to cook at all (and the truth is brother did most for actual Thanksgiving, but mom was the resident chef for the rest of the weekend).

My brother liked the idea of Thanksgiving at his house so that he wouldn't have to drive, could get his internet installed, would have special delivery of his TV and other things he'd shipped to mom and dad's house - and the obvious fact that we'd leave with the place cleaner than when we got there. 

My sisters (two golden retrievers above) loved the idea of Thanksgiving away because they've never been to "Matt's place". He's lived in Europe for the last four years and he's the one who has been making the visits. 

I liked the idea of Thanksgiving away because with no Wifi at my brother's place, it was very unlikely that I'd feel the pull to work during the holiday. This doesn't mean I didn't refrain from pulling out the laptop on Saturday and Sunday, but at least the stress wasn't present during family time. 

We all enjoyed the way that Thanksgiving actually turned out and no credit cards were maxed out with the peer pressure of Black Friday. I may have popped onto Amazon for a few books and this 64oz Hydro Flask that will be everlastingly awesome - but nothing overboard. 

The feast itself was plentiful - with more carbs from potatoes, pie, stuffing and bread rolls than I'd expected - but all consumed with consciousness and zero regrets. 

Wish me luck this week with my attempt to navigate the awesomeness of ClassPass during my crazy-busy work week!

How was your holiday weekend? Eat everything you wanted? Sweat a little? Shop till you dropped?

Sweaty and Ready for the Holidays

I'm pretty much the worst at saying "I'm going to the gym tomorrow morning", then falling under the "I'm-too-tired, I-don't-know-what-I-want-to-wear, I-won't-have-enough-time, I-don't-want-to-wash-my-hair" spell the minute my alarm goes off in the early morning. 

Little did you know - The first alarm is at 4:50am and then every five minutes after that, which I chalk up as a personal problem since feet usually don't hit the floor until 5:45, maybe 6am at best. 

The problem however, is that if I miss that alarm and I don't get my morning workout, the chances of me missing my daily sweat increase by somewhere around 80%. I'm no statistician, but that just sounds good. I really do want to work out in the mornings. 

I had a great rhythm going over the past 5 weeks taking a TRX / Kettlebell class at work (TRX is amazing if you've never given it a shot!) - but even that schedule made attending a challenge because it was at 4:15, and I was basically dragged away from work and had to always go back for a few hours after. I need morning classes, I need weekend classes - I need variety! 

Why am I telling you this?

Because it was a serious Christmas miracle when I received an email from ClassPass telling me that they were launching in Portland and they wanted me to test out the program*. 

If you've never heard of it, ClassPass offers a monthly membership that gives you the keys to the city and the top-quality studios in your area. 

The fee is a flat rate of $99 per month, so the cost is all the same for you to attend unlimited strength training classes, barre classes, cycling classes, aerial dance classes, meditation sessions, hot yoga classes or anything else offered in your town. And obviously more studios will be joining in on the fun as time goes on and ClassPass gets more people involved in such an awesome program. 

Really the only "rule" is that you can't attend one studio more than 3 times per month - but overall I think that's a great barrier so that it forces me into trying new things, changing up the workouts and meeting all kinds of new people with serious passion for fitness in my city.  The class offerings I've seen so far include early morning times and late evening times - plus multiple studios offering similar workouts - essentially making the 3 times per month rule null and void!  

My pass runs for the month of December - so consider me holiday-ready! There's no sense in waiting until January 1st to set your goals and work toward committing to your healthy lifestyle. 

Aside from trying new awesomeness (like aerial yoga), I'm looking forward to seeing what my city has to offer! 

*I was offered a free month of membership in exchange for a review on my blog and social media accounts. ClassPass is not responsible for my excitement over this program or the many sweaty selfies that will come out of this experience. You're welcome.  Just living the sweaty life. 

Want to know more? Visit ClassPass FAQs

Never go to Trader Joe's Hungry in December

Things nearly got out of control this weekend.

I had a busy day Saturday sleeping in, cleaning house, working out and doing laundry. All of a sudden a strong case of the HANGRY's snuck up on me without warning. I had no eggs, no meat prepped and had already made an adaptation of my Seven Minute Scramble in the morning.

The only reasonable option my hungry brain stomach could handle was to go to Trader Joe's, knowing the battlefield I was about to enter.

As much as it's true that you should never go grocery shopping when you're hungry, you really shouldn't go to Trader Joe's hungry in December.

Any other time of the year, my trips into TJ's are quick. I have a basket, I grab a coffee sample then hit fruits/vegetables/meats/wines in that order. Easy perimeter route of the store for all of the fresh and healthy items that are household staples year round.

Not in December.

In December I get drawn down the aisles. Where sweets and crackers and cookies haunt my goals dreams. What's so irresistible down these aisles? So much seasonal greatness. Kind of like how the store has everything pumpkin from September to October, December is a dangerous month for peppermint-anything lovers like me.

Need some examples of what can go wrong during your winter trip?



The boxes of Joe-Joe's are always gone, all that's left is an empty shelf with a hand-written tag saying how amazing they are and what a good price you can snag them for. When I see the empty shelf I imagine someone doing a supermarket sweep with their cart and grabbing all the boxes that they will then eat from December through November of the following year - no rationing necessary.

This weekend I splurged for the peppermint pretzel slims at $2.99 for the 6oz bag for the second time this month and I'm challenging myself to make them last the whole week this time.



Once my family constructed the mega-gingerbread man from TJ's and decorated him to look like my dad in his work uniform. This time I didn't see any of those remaining but the House Kits looked to be a popular item at only $7.99

Speaking of gingerbread, this paleo recipe for gingerbread brownies looks promising.

I know how amazing the signature pumpkin ice cream is (and survived 2013 without having any!) so I can only imagine what they've done for the Egg Nog. I have a feeling that a serving is one spoonful but that's not a concern during the holidays, is it?

Apparently this recipe for an Egg Nog Milkshake can't be beat. I'm tempted to try it with almond milk Egg Nog and make a serving just for one... because I can't be trusted to save a serving for "later".

I did have enough will power to mostly stick to my list, but you can tell that it bothered me enough to dedicate an entire post to how many amazing things I passed up to stick to my mostly-paleo plan. 

I consider my friend Marisa lucky that she doesn't have a TJ's to tempt her with all of this until 2014!

Selfish Santa

Uh, so how many of you went shopping the past weekend and ended up coming home with more for yourself than for your loved ones? When I shop in December I'm normally all about glitter reindeer, seasonal hand towels and a new dress for a Holiday party I'll likely not end up going to anyway and I forget that I'm there to get mom something she'll actually use / wear and get dad something that my brother suggested because dad's are sometimes hard to shop for.

This past weekend for Black Friday I was extremely guilty of being a selfish Santa.... again.

Okay wait so hear me out. 

I've been eyeing a new MacBook Pro for some time now but never pulled the trigger. First reason is because I like keeping ALL MY MONEYS and the second reason being that I'm always on my work computer anyway. Why spend those dollars I've saved when all I need to pay for is that high-speed WiFi connection? 

Through my recent life changes I fell into some extra money when I was bought out for some of the bigger ticket items that I'd purchased for us - like a couch and an HP laptop. All the extra money in the bank made me buy-ready for this shiny new super computer.

Okay, so maybe not all the way buy-ready, but it was on my brain that I was going to make the purchase in the next few weeks/months. Thing is that I was using the laptop as incentive to continue to lose some pesky extra pounds through clean eating and a daily sweat session.

Can you tell where this story is going? 

Well I found out that Apple had a Black Friday promotion that if you bought a MacBook Pro at any time of Friday past midnight Thursday, you'd get a $150 gift card. I'm kind of serious about sales for things that don't normally have any special promotion attached to them so Thanksgiving night I set four alarms to make sure the Turkey sleeps didn't take over. Just after midnight I clicked "Buy" on the 13" with Retina Display MacBook Pro and scheduled it for Friday pick-up at our downtown Apple store.

Reward cashed in before the hard work. 

There you have it - my Black Friday shopping experience was all sorts of selfish and impatient - but guys I have a gift card now to spend on things to pimp my mac. #thankful

For a mini redemption, I hit up the Made in Oregon store to get a Christmas gift for my bloggy friend Marisa who I went to coffee with on Sunday morning when she was home over the weekend. I picked up the cutest coffee table book about the city I love: This is Portland.

What kind of shopping do you do for yourself around this time of year? How do you keep on track with buying things for others rather than yourself?

A Christmas Miracle

Year after year I am so impressed by the generosity of friends and family who pull together to make a family's Christmas wishes come true. Mostly though I am impressed by my mother who takes on the alias of "Secret Santa" and spends hours and days of her December pulling together resources to provide gifts, clothes, food, money for electricity and more for adopted families in the community.

^Mom's December Facebook Profile Picture^

This year she stretched above and beyond to adopt three families, all of different walks of life:

• A selfless Single Mom who has lost her job due to grave illness with 2 Girls, Ages 7 and 10.


• A proud and humble Family with 2 Boys, Ages 10 and 14


• Another proud and hard working family with 2 Boys, Ages 8 and 10.

Mom reached out to her Facebook network and watched the love and joy spread like wildfire. People who had previously donated $25 gave more, people who had previously given $50 doubled that commitment. There was even a donation from across the country of $500 - W O W!

Some donated money which allowed my mom to mindfully shop for the families while others did the shopping themselves. The end result was overwhelmingly beautiful and I know that it was a labor of love to wrap all of these gifts for the children to open with wide eyes on Christmas morning.

As mentioned above, money was also allocated for electricity and food so that the families could live easier the days after Christmas with a reprieve from usual bills that may weigh them down.

My mom is a selfless hero and I admire her each and every day - especially when she's operating undercover as Secret Santa!

What a beautiful sight!

<3 JE

Holiday Gift Guide: The NFL Guy (or Girl!)

As you know, Dan the Man is a Bears fan and he couldn't be more thrilled that Nike has the NFL contract.

I'll be focusing on Da' Bears, but this gift guide could apply to any team in the NFL! You probably know someone like him and will be able to find similar ideas using the product links below, just trade out the Bears for [your team].

1. Nike Bears Tee, $28.00

2. Da Bears iPhone 5 Case, $35.00

3. 23oz Frosted Pilsner Glass Set, $23.25

4. NFL Toaster, $29.99

5. Ladies Tailgater Fleece, $55.00

6. Aluminum Beer Bucket, $11.00

7. Divot Tool & Markers (for your golfer), $16.18

Happy gifting!

<3 JE

Holiday Gift Guide: Camera Owner

Chances are you know someone who has a spendy DSLR camera and would love to receive gifts to elevate both their style and their photography.

Since buying my Canon T3i in July, I've acquired a few special accessories as well as have a few things on my wish list. Take a look at what I'd recommend for that budding photographer in your life!

1. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, $99.99

The ultimate editing tool that gives every pixel in your image the highest possible quality - even if shot with an iPhone

2. 50mm f/1.8 Lens, $110.00 (Canon)

Often called a 'nifty fifty' lens, the fixed 50mm f/1.8 will amplify photography with crisp foreground and lots of lovely blur in the background

3. Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloths, $12.99 for 6

Clean any type of screen with these safe and durable micro-fiber cloths.

4. 72" Tripod, $18.95

Long shutter speeds and low lit areas require the use of a tripod to prevent camera shake. Start them out with a tripod that extends up to 72" and has a carrying bag included.

5. Couch Hand-made Camera Strap, $34.95

Hoping Santa gets me this one this year. Love the design and will wear it proudly.

6. Patent Neon Boston Bag, $26.80

Camera bags can be SPENDY - so I was thrilled when I found this one while shopping last week and am in love with the neon accents.

7. 5-in-1 42" Reflector Pro, $26.33

Use reflectors in different colors to transform your light in different settings.

Best of luck making your photographer happy!

<3 JE

Fa-La-La-La Friday

I don't know if it's the same for you but the holidays are coming at me quickly!

You mean it's the 7th already and I haven't created an Advent Calendar? Shame on me

I'm happy to share that I knocked out my Christmas cards in one night and they are already in the mail (for those whose addresses I have) - and thankfully had enough stamps to get me there. I was encouraged by the flood of cards I've been receiving and hope to display them in some adorable way like this seen on Pinterest.

Time to share some inspiration I'm using to get myself in gear this holiday season:

• Brooke gave us tips on how to Celebrate the Holidays on a Budget.


• Erin had a Crafternoon with her roomies and they made some seriously amazing Storm Trooper snowflakes.


• My blogroll is going crazy with gift guides (for him, for her, for you).


• Adorable tags to add a personal touch to your gifts.


• Decoration for the home from Fashion Gal.


• All of these adorable tree illustrations.

At least I've got my glitter snowflake:

<3 JE

Holiday Gift Guide: Portland Edition

Looking for the perfect gift for your Portland friends? Whether you're looking for something you can do together, something to update their style or something for the home - these ideas will get your brain on the right path for the perfect PDX gift. 

Below I've compiled a list of a few things you'll love and your Portland friends will too! 

1. Portland's 100 Best Places to Stuff your Faces, $14.95

Jen from Under the Table with Jen compiled an insiders guide for where to nom in PDX.

2. Trail Blazers Tickets, Price varies

A Blazers game is always the place to be. Take the max, enjoy dinner and the roar of the Rose Garden!

3. Timbers Fanwear, $17.50

Support our MLS team with a spirited and cozy scarf for the upcoming winter chill.

4. Powell's Books Gift Card, Price Varies

Powell's City of Books downtown covers an entire city block and is filled with millions of books (old and new!). Try to not get lost in its walls.

5. Bicycle Glasses - Set of 8, $75.00

Who wouldn't love this quirky set? What a great gift that symbolizes our city.

6. Stay Visible Umbrella, $26.99

The rain won't stop anytime soon - get your friends equipped with the ultimate rainy day accessory.

7. Local Portland Art, $32

This Hawthorne Bridge painting is just one of the many beautiful pieces done by local artists. For an unique adventure, visit the Portland Saturday Market (Sundays too) and browse the work of local artisans who are passionate about their work.

Happy gifting!

<3 JE