Getting Dressed

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” --Mark Twain

To help cultivate my more professional wardrobe, tackle some trends that I have been hesitant to embrace, and also address my changing body (which I hope continues to change in a healthy, positive direction), I  have been buying a few pieces here and that that I believe I can wear well into the summer and also things that I can wear to interviews and the conference in March. Here are a few of the highlights:

I tried these boots on last Fall and fell in love with the fact that 1) they had great traction for the winter weather and 2) they fit my calves! They aren't exactly "feminine" in the traditional sense but I was desperately watching and waiting to see if they went on sale. Waiting...waiting...and once I had some money in my account I decided to just get them online. If you spent more than $50 at Target.com, you get free shipping. Okay, another pair of boots perhaps?

These were reviews as having a "vintage feel" and looked great with skirts so I decided to take the plunge. For both pairs, I was very, very apprehensive to not only spend the money but also if I would feel comfortable tackling the trend of boots with skirts and boots with skinny jeans. I always feel like I am playing dress up when I try to be chic; like if I had an older sister, I would be stealing these things out of her closet. Worst case scenario, I knew I could take them back. Bonus: I found a discount code online for $10 so really, two pairs of boots for $80 wasn't terribly shabby.

P.S. The black pants I am wearing are NOT leggings but instead skinny black jeans. What? Skinny jeans. They are oddly comfortable and I might be crazy and wear them with heels someday! I know, daredevil right here.

What do you think about embracing trends? Yay or nay?

Free Will Astrology: Nothing to Complain About

Aries Horoscope for week of January 26, 2012

 

The coming week is likely to be abnormally free of worries and frustrations. I'm afraid that means you're not going to have as much right to complain as you usually do. Can you handle that? Or will you feel bereft when faced with the prospect of having so little to grumble about? Just in case, I've compiled a list of fake annoyances for you to draw on. 1. "My iPhone wont light my cigarette." 2. "The next tissue in my tissue box doesn't magically poke out when I take one." 3. "I want some ice cream, but I overstuffed myself at dinner." 4. "I saw a hipster wearing a shirt I donated to the Salvation Army and now I want it back." 5. "I ran out of bottled water and now I have to drink from the tap." 6. "My cat's Facebook profile gets more friend requests than me." 7. "I tried to spread cold butter on my toast and the bread ripped." 8. "I was really comfortable but I thought I could be really really comfortable so I adjusted and now I can't get back to my original level of comfort." 9. "When people tell me I should feel grateful for all I have instead of complaining all the time, I feel guilty."


Here's hoping! And my complaining in general is increasing...have to nip that in the bud!

Effects of Stress on the Mind & Body

At some point over the next few months I will have something ANYTHING else to talk about besides stress and graduate school. Until that happens, I wanted to tackle the topic of stress (or emotional) eating. Last semester, I maintained a very steady diet, exercised on a regular basis, and felt pretty relaxed. This semester, however, is jam packed with lists, projects, papers, several book reviews, scheduling, work, and balancing the delicate topic of finances. I have had SEVERAL weird things going on with me both mentally and physically because of the stress. Usually, I am a champ at this kind of thing but since I had no real idea that I was stressed until my body told me, I wasn't able to prepare; hence bad habits occurring more often than not.


I. Anxiety:
anx·i·e·ty/aNGˈzī-itē/
Noun: A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.Desire to do something, typically accompanied by unease.

II. Stress/Emotional Eating:
A coping mechanism for dealing with negative emotions. Instead of facing the causes of stress, anger, sadness or anxiety directly, you soothe or comfort yourself with food. (Source)

III. Insomnia:
in·som·ni·a/inˈsämnēə/
Noun: Habitual sleeplessness; inability to sleep.

Sounds like a healthy bunch of habits I have going, right? Well, what they NEED to be are:

I. Minimum seven hours of sleep. Minimum.
II. Organizing easy breakfasts, lunches, and dinner that I can "grab and go" for the long days at work and school. These should be vegetable, fruit, and protein heavy with a commitment to consuming fewer cards and less sodium and sugar.
III. Physical activity on a daily basis. This can be a walk during lunch, serious gym time, or yoga at home.  

The fact is that I am not valuing myself nor am I taking proper care of myself. I waste time online, eat food because I am stressed out or bored and absolutely not hungry, and I am always expecting the worst, especially at work. The other fact is that my new schedule has been in place for almost three weeks and it is time to say enough is enough. I am letting myself have this week to be PMS-ing and upset, and then get my sh*t together. Every month for the next three months I have significant things to look forward to so I really just need to get over the drama and get myself "straight." If I say it here, it must be true! (err...right?)

Articles about some of the issues above:
Stop Stress Eating-Food & Diet
Weight-loss help: Gain Control of Emotional Eating
Put a Stop to Your Anxiety with These 8 Simple Tips