Saturday, December 31, 2011

News Years Eve

Time to ring in the new year.  I am a homebody & like staying in but the bf always trys to get us to go out.  We are heading to Niagara for one last day of eating like kings and queens, drinking and just relaxing.  Then it's back to the daily grind as they say.

I am hoping to spend all of tomorrow just vegetating in the house and not doing anything.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Tintin

Tintin!
I can't wait to watch The Adventures of Tintin!  I read the comics when I was younger and this brings back fond memories of rushing to the comic store to get the latest Tintin comic available.  I do wish they made it a live action movie but the fact that it was Steven Spielberg that took this movie on makes me happy.  After all he did do the Indiana Jones movies...

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Season of gluttony

It's amazing how much food people (myself included) eat over the holidays.  Every day I wake up with a slight stomach ache saying today I'll watch myself but then that same night when I am out with friends or family I just can't seem to say no.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Waiting for the postman

I just got a shipping notification from my video games and lululemon purchases.  After my boxing day purchases in store, I did more boxing day damage by buying some lululemon work out gear from their sale section.  I could never buy anything regular price but I must admit I dig their quality.  I wanted those underarmor capris I mentioned a few posts back but could not find a good price on them and ended up buying the boogie short, the groove short and the biker groove short from lululemon.  As you can see, there was a bit of a shorts theme with my purchase.  It's just when I get all sweaty, I like to be wearing minimal clothing ;)

Monday, December 26, 2011

Boxing Day Shopping

So I was only out for about an hour but I did my fair share of shopping.  I can't stand crowds and I often find my sizes are gone if I shop later in the day, so I was at the mall bright and early at 8am when it opened.  I thought I was early but there were already lots of people at the mall.  Old Navy opened earlier than the mall and there was already huge line ups to the cash register that I didn't even bother looking inside. 

After going to a few stores at the mall, I stopped by some outlets that were near by.  I wanted some sweatpants from Roots but alas, they were not on sale.  The Jacob outlet however, rocked!  It was 50% off everything and if you don't mind buying items a season late, I'd recommend going there.

The damage
  • 2 tops from Medicino ($50)
  • 1 top from Smart Set ($10)
  • A gazillion things from Jacob ($36).  Ok not a gazillion but seriously their outlets kicked ass.  I bought Ts for $2.50 and even this dress I had been eyeing when it was over a $100.  It would've rung up for $12 but when I looked at the receipt when I got home, I didn't see it on there.  I wonder if the lady missed it because I bought a bunch of items from there.  Regardless it would've been the most expensive thing I bought there.
  • Ratchet and Clank All for One from Amazon.ca ($33 but paid for using the gift cards I got from swagbucks)
  • Assassins Creed Revelations from EB Games ($20)

Saturday, December 24, 2011

My UD Naked Palette has arrived

I ordered it a while back and shipped to the bfs address in the states to take advantage of a Sephora sale.  Well he finally brought it back with him and I am quite excited to play with it.  I want to try the following look.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

I am loving the mild weather

Relatively speaking mild off course.  Compared to last year, it's definitely been warmer this year.  I was around Nathan Phillips Square last night and it was a little weird to see it filled with skaters since it doesn't seem cold enough. 

Also what is a stand alone xbox 360 store doing on queen street?  I googled and it looks like it's an Xbox 360 Central store which allows you to try out games before buying them.  Not very informative Xbox 360 site.  It didn't seem like you could buy anything from there and was really for trying games out.  Seemed a little strange and misplaced if you ask me.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Last minute shopping

I was at the gym last night which happens to be inside the mall & I could barely get a parking spot so I thought I would outsmart everybody by going there early the following morning so I could squeeze some last minute shopping in.  Well it seems like everybody else had the same great idea because I spent about 20mins waiting at the checkout line in Winners. 

I am participating in a secret santa gift exchange and bought my buddy a bunch of baking goodies since she loves to bake.  The neatest item I thought was this square cupcake tray for $15 at Winners.  I actually think it would be great for brownies since I love the edges and this way all the squares would have a crispy edge.


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Work out capri tights

Now that it's colder, I sometimes want to wear something longer than my short shorts at the gym.  I like capris but my issue with the ones I have are they get stretched out in the calf area and end up looking a little strange.  Hard to explain but perhaps I'll have to take a pic of the ones I have to show what I mean.  I have a pair of adidas capris that were amazing at first and the dreaded stretched calf area happened.

If I ever find a good deal on them, I want to try under armor capris.  I have a few tops I bought when I was at their outlets in the US and they are fantastic.  Feel great, hold up well in the wash and look stylish.  Maybe on boxing day.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Workout of the day - Check

I was able to get a 30 minute run out of the way this morning.  Surprisingly found it tiring though I've been working out consistently.  I even had a breakfast and normally I like to work out on an empty stomach.  Wonder why?

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Body Pump

Today marks the 8th straight day I've gone to the gym!  I don't know how much longer I can keep this up because I see the days getting closer and closer to family parties, socializing with friends and basically enjoying life without worrying about what I am eating.

I did the Body Pump class this morning & I increased my chest & triceps weight.  Yay me!  I am still pretty weak compared to where I would like to be at but any small increase is an achievement for me.  When I first started, I couldn't even finish the chest & triceps tracks without taking a break.  Now I can actually finish them & felt strong enough to increase the weight a bit.  Back & biceps, you're next!

Friday, December 16, 2011

eek! Signed up for a half marathon this summer!

I am planning on following this schedule so I'll be ready by May.  Crossing my fingers, I don't injure myself in the process and get fit!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Went to the gym for a class

that was cancelled but I still managed to stay there and workout for an hour!  When I am getting back into the habit of going to the gym, I need my classes.  Why?  Because it forces me to work out for an hour or else I quit way too early.  Well today I rushed to the gym to make an 8:30am class to find out when I get there that it's cancelled.  Somehow I changed into my gym gear and forced myself to work out for 30mins which turned into an hour!  That's my little win for the day.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Select Sedu Products 50% off on Folica.com

I love my sedu flat iron.  I've had their 1 & 1/2" iron for almost 7 years now if not more & it's still my go to straightener.  I have thick coarse hair so I need the wider plate or else it would take forever to straighten my hair.  Smaller plates work great for most but not for my crazy curly hair.  I also have their 1" curling iron which works great.  I'd love to get 1" straightener but it's a want and not a need even with the 50%.  If you are on the market for a straightener, get the sedu especially at these prices.


Monday, December 5, 2011

Dexter Season 6

Has anybody else been dissapointed by this season?  I am going to rant about Dexter even though I've watched every single episode this season.  The thing is Dexters has had 5 amazing seasons in my book and I feel like I need to stand by as the writers learn their lesson and go back to its roots.  Like when parents let their children do dumb things because they know in the long run it will teach them a lesson.  Well that's kinda how I feel about this season of Dexter.
  1. This might be silly but every time I see Tom Hanks son on screen, all I can think about is Tom Hanks (not in that way....he just pops into my head and takes away from the immersion into the story)
  2. The big twist this season wasn't much of a twist.  I think lots of people including myself saw it coming from the start.
  3. Quinn --> Annoying
  4. Debroah --> Annoying
  5. Sgt. Laguerda --> Annoying
  6. That intern dude --> Annoying
  7. Basically anybody aside from Dexter and Mos Def I don't care for this season.  P.S. they got rid of Mos Def too early in the season
  8. The religious theme of this season isn't my thing
  9. His 'struggles' with maintaining family life.  Yeah they made it way too easy with the baby sitter.  I liked previous seasons where we saw him actually struggle to maintain his family life with the kids.
  10. There's more but I'll end the list with that random episode with his brother.  I get why they put it in there but really a whole episode on that?  And why not have him interweaved through out the whole season?

    Sunday, December 4, 2011

    Budgetting again

    I think I need to relook @ my spending habits.  I am planning on moving next year with no job lined up!  Crazy I know. I have savings but I don't know how long it needs to last so it's safe to say I am a little stressed.  I just took back a pair of pants to Banana Republic that I just bought because I decided I didn't absolutely need it.  I think I need to create a monthly budget again starting with the new year and figure out where most of my money has been going towards over the last few months. 

    Tuesday, November 29, 2011

    UD Naked Palette 2?

    I am still waiting to play with the UD Naked Palette and what do I read over here? That there is a naked palette 2 that is set to come out!? I don't see it announced from UD so I'll try & stay a little skeptical and the colors don't seem drastically different from the one I bought so I think it's safe to say that my wallet is safe.

    Monday, November 28, 2011

    Elf Cyber Monday

    You could buy elf products in Canada since 2010 or perhaps even 2009 I think.  I've never bought anything but recently I've been seeing their christmas holiday sets @ Winners & I've been tempted.  It's super cheap & some of their products have gotten good reviews!  Looks like they are having a 50% off sale for Cyber Monday & I think I might bight the bullet & get some brushes.  I am looking for a bent eyeliner brush & for $1.50 with the 50% off, I think I'll give it a go.

    Sunday, November 27, 2011

    I just spent way too long on youtube

    Watching videos from LittleKiva.


    She's adorable and amazing @ makeup.  I want to dust off my eyeshadows & play.

    Sunday, November 6, 2011

    Food Challenge

    The summer was great and filled with patios and drenching in the sun during lunches on the work week.  I told myself life's too short and I would enjoy the summer but now that it's done I find myself still going out simply because I fell out of the routine of making my lunch.  My wallet is still paying for it and so is my waistline.  Now that we've set our clocks back and daylight savings time is over, seems like a good time as any to try to get my routine back.  So yesterday I bought lots of things to make my lunch this week including some fancy cheese.  It was on sale for half price because they were delisting it or something from our grocery store.

    I also want to really try making healthier choices.  I've got the exercise part down but my willpower is lacking and I still binge on chips, cake, chocolate...you name it.  I know for me, I can't completely cut them out because I love them too much but perhaps smaller portions or making healthier versions myself is the answer. 

    Saturday, November 5, 2011

    Love - Joico KPak

    I go through phases on things I spend my hard earned cash on.  First it was clothes then it was makeup then it turned to a love for shoes and it looks like now it's hair.  Seriously, I hardly go to the mall to buy clothes anymore and other than when my foundation or mascara runs out, I hardly buy make up.  OK maybe a bit of a lie considering I just bought the UD Naked Pallette a little while ago but compared to my shopaholic ways, I am doing good.  Seriously, when the BF makes a comment about me doing good, I think it's progress!

    Well I bought the Joico Kpak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor a few months ago and I loved it!  I googled reviews of it after & only read amazing things about their shampoo and conditioner.  It's pricey so I never bought it but I saw their 1L bottles at Winners yesterday for $20 and thought it was a sign from above.  I tried it out last night and it's hard to judge so early but the shampoo seemed to get my hair clean and my hair after it dried looks moisturized.  I figure these bottles will last a while so I am hoping in a few months time, my locks will thank me.

    Seriously, I've been good to my hair lately --> straightening once a week at most...often maybe only once a month and doing regular deep treatments leading to a noticeable difference in my hair.  I can actually leave it au naturale and it's not a big frizzy mess.  I think also finding products that work well with my hair has been another big help.  I don't mind spending $ if I know it's going to work because I've spent lots of $ on things that don't work and had lots of half used bottles of lotions and potions to show for it.  After about a few years of trying my best to finish everything up, I finally only have a few bottles shampoo that I need to use up that I've been using to clean my makeup brushes...Slowly but surely there will only be products in my washroom that I use!

    Wednesday, November 2, 2011

    Mindy Kalings New Book

    I am not much of a reader.  Now that I have an iPad, I definitely read a little more than when I used to take out books from the library due to the convenience of always having a book with me.  But, I also probably have attention deficit disorder because I often end up playing some game of some sort.  I am looking at you Nyan Cat: Lost In Space.

    But I am totally looking forward to Mindy Kalings new book.  I find her really relatable --> I often read her blog nodding and sometimes laughing like a crazy lady.  i.e. this post on Indians rocking the gold and that picture.  If my mom had it her way, I'd be wearing all that gold and then some every time I attended Indian weddings.  I prefer a simple necklace and crazy bangles thank you very much.

    Sunday, October 30, 2011

    I finally went to the gym...

    ..after a month of not going and can I say it kicked my butt?  When I am in gym mode, I feel gross when I miss a week at the gym but somehow I got into a slump and couldn't be bothered going.  What finally got me to go was seeing those gym fees coming out of my bank account.  Nothing like money to motivate you.

    I did some cardio & while it kicked my butt, I survived.  I am hoping to do weights later this week and chances of survival are slim.

    Saturday, October 29, 2011

    Mount that box.net account onto your pc

    Did you end up getting that box.net account?  Well if you did, you probably will love it more if you mounted it on your pc as another drive.  Follow the instructions here and you'll be good to go.  For whatever reason, I had to use http instead of https to get it working but using it saves having to use their interface to upload things.  When trying to upload multiple files through their website, it would freeze after the first file and I have way too many files to upload them one at a time.

    Friday, October 28, 2011

    Sephora F&F 20% Sale

    Sephora is having it's annual friends & family 20% off sale till Nov 2nd.  Unfortunately it's not available for Canadian residents however I am lucky enough to have my man friend living there and was able to take advantage.  Not only do you need a US address, you also need a US credit card to pay with!  I almost bought with my credit card but couldn't get through the checkout and had to get the boy to order it with his US credit card.  I bought the Urban Decay Naked Palette which I've been lusting for a while and with the 20% off, it was a no brainer.  I secretly wanted to buy more but didn't want the boy to think I was crazy so I had to tone it down.  Why doesn't Sephora extend the Friends and Family deal to us canucks?

    Monday, October 17, 2011

    50GB of free space for iphones or ipads with box.net

    Do you have an Apple iPhone or iPad?  If so, go get this before December 2nd!  Box.net is offering users with an iPhone or iPad 50GB for life if you register before December 2nd.  I signed up using my iPad and while I love the dropbox interface more, I want to back up all my pictures and it's well over the free space dropbox gives me.  And well, I am cheap and not looking to pay for online storage when I already have an external hard drive. 

    The great thing about Box.net is you can also download the app onto your android phone and login using the same details as your iProduct and enjoy the 50GB.  I am uploading about 7GB of historical pics from my pc to my box account as we speak. 

    Sunday, October 16, 2011

    Breaking Bad & The Wire

    So I've been a bit of a hermit lately because I've been in a bit of a funk lately.  So what have I been doing while shunning the outside world?  Watching Breaking Bad & The Wire.  I just finished Breaking Bad & holy crap!  It's probably now my favorite show ever.  I used to think Dexter was #1 but the characters in Breaking Bad reeled me in.  With Dexter, I find the main character is strong and the others are great as supporting characters.  With Breaking Bad, I feel like several of them could carry the show on their own.  Plus it doesn't hurt that I find Aaron Paul is incredibly hot!

    Now, I just started The Wire but I am just not quite at the same place of love for the show like I am with Breaking Bad.  According to IMDB, The Wire is #2 in terms of highest rated TV series while Breaking Bad is #8 so I am giving The Wire a legitimate chance to win my love. 

    Wednesday, October 5, 2011

    Redken Hot Sets 22 Thermal Setting Mist - Love

    Here's the deal.  I have crazy curly hair.  I used to hate it but I've learned to love it like that crazy step sister you learn to love over the years.  In university my routine was often sitting in front of the TV after a shower and straightening the hell outta my hair while watching some late night talk shows... Now, I can't be bothered and straighten it maybe once a month and leave it curly/wavy whatever you want to call it the rest of the time.  The thing is I like the side bangs/waved look in the front with curly hair but I've had the hardest time making it work on my hair because after a few hours, the bangs portion of my hair would fall flat after styling it. 

    I've tried different gels, hairsprays, serums, ect and nothing worked.  It'd look great right after but would eventually fall flat and too much of it would make my hair stiff to touch.  I was at Trade Secrets last week and randomly stopped by to ask if they had any suggestions and they told me to try Redkens Hot Sets 22 Thermal Setting Mist (say that five times fast!) and I figured I had nothing to loose.  Well I tried it this morning & can I say I love it!  It's a little wierd...after I sprayed my bangs it felt sticky and I was hesitant to style it like that but I still did and the wave has stayed in my hair the whole day.  I tried to take a picture of my bang area at the end of the day and this is what it looks like.  Keep in mind I wasn't trying to curl my hair.  I just wanted it nicely waving in the front and framing my face and it held that look.


    Sunday, September 25, 2011

    Clampless Curling Iron

    Now that the weather isn't so humid outside, I can use heat on my hair again!  I love/hate my curly coarse hair but I also love to straighten & style it in other ways.  The whole summer I probably only used heat on it a handful of times which is great but I like to change things up from time to time.

    I've been debating getting the Enzo Milano Clipless Curling Iron but till folica has one of their sales again, I am going to sit tight.  Since my hair is naturally curly/wavy, I really only use my curling iron for waves so I never really used the clamp that was on it anyways.  What I mean by this is, I wrapped my hair around the iron including over the clamp.  Hope that makes sense.  Soooo, I decided to remove the clamp on my current curling iron (see below for pics).  My current curling iron is a Toni & Guy model I got from shoppers drug mart when they had a sale a year or two ago.  It's great and I like that it's a large barrel.  The clamp was a little annoying since sometimes it would leave a little crimp in my hair.  Well crimp no more!  It was pretty easy to remove the clamp since I am so strong!  I tried getting the spring in there out w/ tools but it was so hard I ended up just pulling the clamp out w/ my hand after a couple of tries & wiggling back and forth.  It wasn't too hard and I am pretty weak!  I don't recommend you use your hands if you decide to remove the clamp from your iron but it worked for me. 

    I'll try to remember to take a pic of my hair when I use it the next time.



    Before with clamp & all

    After with clamp removed!

    Saturday, July 9, 2011

    Summer Is Here

    I love this weather. Something about the breeze and smell of this time of year that I love. Anything hotter than this and I can't handle it.

    Monday, February 21, 2011

    I spotted boy shorts swim bottoms @ Joe Fresh again

    Last summer I posted that I found boy short bottoms @ Joe Fresh & I ended up buying two pairs because the price was right & it's hard to find boy short style bottoms. Well on my way out of Loblaws this weekend, I noticed they had super cute swim gear displayed already and sure enough they have a boy short bottom option as well for the basic colors! Last years style had a foldover thingie at the top that was super cute so slightly different but still solid.

    Sunday, February 13, 2011

    Um the weather out there is fantastic

    And it's getting better for the week. Even though the forecast has rain, I can't wait for the friday!

    Monday, February 7, 2011

    My favorite superbowl commercial

    I don't care for the superbowl but I like the commercials! Here was my favorite!

    Saturday, January 29, 2011

    Guilty Pleasure: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

    I have a love affair with reality t.v. And bad reality t.v. Don't get me started on how much I love Jersey Shore! But my recently found favorite that's kept my t.v. viewing busy for the past little while is the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I love the OC and Atlanta version so not much of a surprise I am digging this too.

    Saturday, January 22, 2011

    Does anybody else let the weather get the better of them

    I use this weather as an excuse for everything. Avoid the gym, going out, dressing frumpy, .... the list goes on! I've been good about wearing lots of layers and being more prepared for the weather but I can't wait for spring! I was at the mall yesterday and they already have their spring stuff out!