Another Week

Well, my blog post calendar/schedule slightly failed. It’s been 12 days since I wrote my last post. However, if I get as far to hit publish on this post, I will have outdone last month’s count. This week is Spring Break, meaning there is no cap on my hours at work. You can sure as heck bet I am working the full 40 hours. Talk about a vacation.

The weather is finally starting to warm up. It’s been raining off and on the last two days. My peonies and daffodils poked their heads above the cold black dirt early last week. The leaves have been raked, and the trash from all these filth bucket college students has been disposed of. To say I’m ready for my favorite to season to be begin would be an understatement. I have always had an affinity for spring, likely because it’s my birthday season, but also because I love watching the world bloom. And it’s certainly not just nature, I think even people start to poke their heads out of the dirt.

I’ve been focusing much of my time on my professional future. Mostly by obsessing over my resume, following the leads of a few people who have been so kind as to offer advice and connections, and a lot just down right whining with my new found friend, Brooke. As May 7th creeps ever closer, you can’t help but feel the serious pressure of adulthood. I know I’ve said this many times, I am feeling both excited and terrified, and the degree to which I’m affected by those feelings changes daily. Today, I’m hopeful that this week I will perfect my resume and get it into the right hands before the end of April.

I’ve been feeling a little rough around the edges. With all the ‘get out and there and adult’ stuff, it’s easy to find comfort in candy. I’ve totally plateaued in the weight loss world. Not that it’s all about losing weight, but I was on a roll for a while. I think now that I can ride my bike again, if I can just avoid emotional eating, I will kick my 25 Before 26 goal, no problem. But, for more immediate results, I went to see my dear friend Jac at the salon yesterday. Four hours later and…

I couldn’t be happier. Jac is a hair Goddess. If you live in the area, make an appointment with her at Hair Biz on San Marnan.

-Saturday at the post office, the old boxes are my favorite
-There’s something for everyone at the thrift store
-Catching a UNI game at Toads with Mom, I went for the company and chips
-Babes out on Main
-Sunset bike ride with Brynn
-Lunch on the roof of the Union with the bros
-Breakfast nachos, a new regular
-Silver hair wasn’t built in a day, but stage one sure is pretty

Food You Can Wear

Some of the best stuff to smear on your face is food, and I don’t just mean the messy foods like sloppy joes or spaghetti sauce. Food products are some of my favorite things to put on my skin. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my skin hates winter. It’s like it knows the second the season changes. I get dry patches, red patches, extra oil.. hell. During the less extreme months, my skin is a more normal state of combination, but I always have a little redness and rarely have any zits. Now that you know all about my skin type, let’s get to the food.. or products..

Of all the food products there are, my three favorite have got to be coconut oil, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar (that’s what’s in the green bottle, not Grolsch). The greatest part about using food products is how inexpensive they are, especially when it comes to quantity. I usually go for the cheap stuff, so I’m not sure if you spent more money on higher quality how that would affect their performance on your skin.

Olive oil compared to coconut oil is a bit lighter. I only use olive oil on my face. I’ve noticed it’s most helpful with dry eyelids. Other products always make my lids puffy and sometimes even make my eyes red and goopy (ew). I use other beauty oils on my face as well, but good ole olive oil continues to be my favorite.

Coconut oil on the other hand is thicker. I love to use coconut oil all over my entire body, but it can leave you a little greasy, so I usually just use it at night. When I get those pesky dry patches, anywhere but especially on my face, it’s the best and can usually clear them up in just a couple days. My Mom just started using coconut oil and she’s totally hooked. If you’ve never tried an oil before, I would highly recommend starting with coconut oil. Not too expensive so if you don’t like you haven’t wasted a boat load of money. Just use it sparingly, say once a day, so you can ease your skin into oil.

Oh and if you already have oily skin, sometimes an oil can be the best thing for it. Your skin might be over producing oil because it’s dry, adding oil to it may clear it right up!

Sorry for the gross nails!

Lastly, my newest addiction is apple cider vinegar. My friend Marie made a batch of vinegar and I have been using it for everything and anything. On my face it works perfect as a toner, applied with a cotton pad. Vinegar, of course, does have an odor, but the smell goes away as soon as it dries. ACV is an antiseptic so it can dry out your skin if over used, but it’s great for clearing and shrinking pores.

Of course, this is just what has worked for me. No guarantees on how these will work for your skin. But, like I’ve said, these products are all very inexpensive, so if something doesn’t work you haven’t wasted too much of your money!

What food do you like to use on your face?

February 2016 | Monthly Favorites

Well it has been almost an entire month since my last post.. whoops. So, without rehashing my failures, here’s the best stuff this last month had to offer me.

At the beginning of this month my Dad and I went to see The Finest Hours. I knew I wanted to see this movie purely because it was set in the 1950’s, so I knew I’d love the sets, makeup, hair, and costuming. It also happens to be about a true life historical event, another thing I’m into. The plot was basically about a very small group of coast guardsmen who are sent out on an impossible mission. Well, spoiler alert, this is a Disney movie. THANK GOD. I had seen not-Disney movie after not-Disney movie and I was getting seriously sick of leaving the movie theater feeling worse than when I came in. I mean, really, can something good happen for once?! Well, it’s a Disney movie, so by default, there is a happy ending. Again, THANK GOD. Oh and also, tons of hotties. 10 out of 10, would recommend.

Did you think this guy was apart of The Finest Hour cast? While he certainly looks the part, this babe was actually living in the 1950’s. My music obsession of February has oddly enough been a jazz musician, Chet Baker. He plays mostly trumpet along with a few other instruments, and does some super sexy singing. February is tough because you know nicer weather is just around the corner, but your winter blues are clinging on for dear life. I just haven’t been in the mood to listen to anything with lyrics, or acoustic guitar, or anything that might invoke any negative emotion. My buddy Chet has been exactly what I’ve needed to avoid all that, not to mention TOTAL HOTTIE. Wow, so many hotties this month.

It wouldn’t be a favorites without makeup, now would it? I bought my first Colour Pop lipstick this month.. clearly should have gotten on that train a long time ago. I went for Lumiere 2 in the Ultra Matte Lip, which is sort of a dark mauve-y purple-y color. Looks like this on my lips. Certainly lives up to all the hype it’s getting in the online beauty world. I would however mention to anyone who goes ahead and purchases one of these beauties, make sure to check your teeth after you eat. The color holds great, but it does flake a little so you can end up with a serious case of lipstick teeth.

My second beauty favorite is this Jordana blush in Rose Silk. Not a lot to say to say about this product other than it’s amazing. Great color payoff, long lasting, no smell, basically everything you want in a blush.

My absolute favorite thing of the month is this (fictional) mini series on YouTube by Nike, Margot vs. Lily. It’s about 2 sisters who challenge each other to basically achieve what the other already has. Margot, to create a successful YouTube fitness channel, and Lily, to make new friends. It’s hilarious, relatable, and really well made. The script will make you laugh, the set will make you want to redecorate, and the characters will make you want to workout and then eat potato chips. Besides the series itself, with each episode they have actually made a super short of Lily’s channel. Of course, this is advertising for Nike, so they encourage you to download their Nike+ Training App. I did and let me tell you, that little app can kick your ass.

I hope you checkout one or two of my favorites from this month, you won’t be disappointed. I made a calendar of potential posts for March, so.. I might post more than twice this month.. WATCH OUT WORLD!

 

January 2016 | Monthly Favorites

January has just been dragging by.. like, slow and painful. I think it might be my least favorite, and then February. But, despite my hate for it’s winter-y-ness, I still have some favorite things from the month that I want to share with you.

My number one favorite thing of the month was Yoga with Adriene’s Yoga Camp. Yoga Camp is 30 days of yoga, with an emphasis on both a healthy body and mind. In addition to a daily practice video, Adriene offers a daily affirmation or mantra. Everything from I Am Strong to I Deserve. You sort of fill in the blank to make the affirmation work for you. She sends out these great inspiration emails every morning with the link to the video, the affirmation, and a little pep talk. I feel like this girl is one of my friends. For those of you are who very serious about yoga, she might not be the girl for you. She’s very lighthearted and absolutely hilarious, which for me is encouraging and motivating. She is an amazing guide, coaching you through each pose, offering to catch you if you fall, and always encouraging you to find what feels good. You can being your 30 days of Yoga Camp at anytime (including the daily email), and it’s free! Learn more and sign-up here!

Next on my list would have to be my Shensee watch. This little buddy cost me a whole $4.40 and it tells time. Honestly, don’t even care if it tells time. Just wanted it to look stylish, and it does. If you are like me and can’t afford a Daniel Wellington or Kate Spade or any other large face leather band beauty, try this guy on for size.

Another practical addition to my wardrobe are my UrbanEars Plattan headphones. While my previous pair worked alright, the sound quality wasn’t great, and they were red, which did not match all my outfits. Yes. That matters. These are relatively inexpensive and great quality. They come with a poster and stickers too. Now I just need to make a cute little bag to carry them in!

In the beauty department, I had a hard time deciding. My skin hates winter as much as I do, which makes it difficult to determine how good a product is when it works one week and doesn’t the next. One minute I would say it’s my Ocean Salt Cleanser from Lush, and the next I would say it’s my Sensitive Post Shave Balm from Nivea (if you haven’t heard, this the new ‘best primer ever’). My skin is just too all over the place, even my eye shadows aren’t working right. However, it has been requested I write more beauty reviews or tutorials. Perhaps I will give that a go.. remember last week when I was going to write more editorials? We’ll get there.

Well, clearly I’d highly recommend all this stuff. Especially the yoga. I need to write a health update as well. Seriously. What am I doing? I have so much to write about and blog like twice a month.. I’m sorry.

 

 

Just Tuesday | A Sort-Of Update

As it is a new year, it seems like an appropriate time to consider some fresh ideas. In 2015 I wrote for an online magazine called Odyssey, or The Odyssey (I’m not sure they could make up their minds). While I truly enjoyed the writing part, there were a few things I just really didn’t enjoy about it. This semester I have chosen not to write for them, and instead I would like to start writing more editorial pieces here on the blog. For example, are eyebrows the new lipstick? Or why do people think it’s some kind of miracle when a college student arrives someplace in the morning? Are there any topics you’d like me to enthusiastically go on about?

I also spent the weekend mulling over my future, oh wait, I do that every second of every day. This weekend felt a little different though. I am constantly on fence between excited and terrified. I can literally see the days melting (or not so much, it’s currently 7 degrees outside) away before I walk across the stage at graduation. Before this weekend, that made me want to barf, but I think I have finally reached pure excitement. It has been, and will continue to be hard to not want to cram every single thing possible into these next few months, but focusing on realistic, obtainable goals needs to be front and center. I want to finish my eight years of college in the best mental and physical condition of my life. *insert cheering and applause*

If you want to keep up with me on the daily add me on social media!
Instagram: @sweethannahpea
Snapchat: hannahpea319
Twitter: @hannahpea

 

Winter Road Trip | Exploring Northeastern Iowa

On Sunday, my Dad planned a little road trip for the two of us. First, we headed to Manchester, Iowa. This past summer the town completed a whitewater park in the river that runs through town. A good friend of my Dad’s played a huge role in bringing this awesome attraction to Northeastern Iowa. While I may not have a chance to get into the water there anytime soon, it was interesting to learn a little about how the course works.

From there we stopped at the Field of Dreams movie site, the grotto in North Buena Vista, Sny Magill Mound Site and Pikes Peak. We enjoyed lunch at 1-R’s St. Olaf Tap, where we spit what might have been the biggest and most delicious tenderloin I’ve ever had. Also, I pet a mini horse.

We maybe kinda sorta might be related.
Check out this picture and this picture from my last trip to Pikes Peak to see the difference between seasons. I much prefer the summer shots.

A great little adventure, and a perfect way to start off 2016. Another mark towards one of my 25 before 26 goals!

Last Year I … | 2015 In Review

Last year I said goodbye to my sweet little Grammie,

and hello to a couple of the most beautiful little girls.

I helped to both create a Kickstarter campaign, and launch a social media campaign, with guidance from some dudes who deserve all the credit.

I tried new food,

and grew some of my own.

I found a new love for all things yard related.

I celebrated surviving a quarter of a century,

surrounded by some of coolest girls, while one of the coolest bands in Iowa sang a song just for me.

I watched the sunset more times than I can count, and tried to document as many as I could.

I finally got the Katy-Perry-purple hair I’d been dreaming of.

I hung out with this gangly girl for a weekend, and she reminded me why being a kid is the best.

I bought a lot of makeup. Like a lot.

I went to 80/35 for the first time, and saw Jenny Lewis from the front row.

I yoga-ed,

and paddle boarded.

I got lots of new tattoos, and took my crazy cat lady status to the next level.

I spent weekend after weekend with my girls, cultivating a friendship that will last a lifetime.

I saw my faraway friends as often as I could, and appreciated every moment that I did.

I brunched and lunched with inspirational people.

I spent several hours turning myself into a skeleton for Halloween.

I shared some of the best moments on the best adventures with the absolute best friend I will ever have.

I hosted a show in my garage, complete with a visit from the cops, because nothing should stop you from enjoying the things you love.

I celebrated my favorite holiday with my new blended family of friends who have made 2015 one of my most fun years yet.

Most importantly though, thanks to the help of the two greatest parents in the entire world,

and despite big changes and hard times, I left 2015 proud of what I accomplished and knowing I am ready for whatever 2016 throws my way.

Here’s to 2016! Cheers!

Christmas Wishes Granted | My Christmas Gifts 2015

Every year I am amazed by how generous my family and friends are. I wanted to share a few of the gifts I received both as a way to say thank you, but also just to show off my sweet new stuff. People in the blogosphere always say ‘I’m not trying to brag’ when they share their gifts.. I’m totally bragging. Look at how amazing my family and friends are, and how well they know me, and how now I have all this sweet stuff. BRAGGIN’! That doesn’t mean I’m not super grateful and humbled, duh.

All the way from the Great State of Texas, my cousin Patty sent me this makeup travel roll.. WITH MY NAME ON IT!! I don’t care how old I get, anything with my name embroidered on it is immediately like 10 times fancier and makes me feel like a princess. She also included a few items already in the roll, such as nail polish, mascara, and lotion. This baby is super practical for a makeup crazy person like myself. I even travel with a mirror and, depending on length of stay, a cup for my brushes. My obsession with makeup is even crazier than my obsession with Christmas. THANK YOU PATTY AND TONY!

This sweet little pencil case is from my dear friend Jessica. To be honest, it’s not the coolest gift she got me. She bought me this little baby shelf that you hang on the wall and then you can put lipsticks or compacts on it. It was sort of a weird thing to take a picture of, so I used the case as a filler. Another practical gift related to makeup. Did I mention these people know me so well? THANKS JESS!!

Without fail, my brother Sye sent me some Aesop. I’m addicted to this brand. For Christmas, he sent me Remove, their eye makeup remover. You can use Remove with just water or add a few drops into your cleanser to help beef up the removal process for stubborn makeup. Goodbye lash glue. Are we seeing a theme here? THANKS SYE!

Oh look, something not makeup related! Alright if I had to give away all my presents except one, or if this was a competition, these boots.. I can’t. My Mom nailed it. I probably wouldn’t have even tried these boots on, because as a lady who is 5’9″ I just automatically avoid heals. I am so glad that my Mom took the ‘risk’. I’ve worn them almost everyday since Christmas Eve. THANKS MOM AND DAD!!

Oh hello another practical gift. So I have the Camelback water bottle that everyone and their Mom has (literally, my Mom has one), but it sucks. It makes fart noises when you drink out of it and it leaks. I haven’t used this yet, but the mouthpiece locks down, there’s a bit so you can clip it on things, and the straw unscrews instead of just being able to pull it out. I’m thinkin’ this Contigo is going to be a winner. THANKS MOM AND DAD!

And lastly, THIS STOCKING. How flippin’ adorable!! I saw this on Kate’s Instagram and almost went out bought one, but I figured my Mom would probably get me one, because … crazy cat lady (wow, I’m crazy about a lot of stuff). Kate Brennan Hall  has like a million adorable prints, but I’m officially calling this one my favorite of all time. I also got 2 sets of cards with the same print, I’m framing one to have out at all times. THANKS MOM!

This is not even half of my gifts, and I literally love all of them, but for sake of not looking like a spoiled brat I just shared a few. I hope you enjoyed! I will be back with some reviews of other things I got such as a new planner and a couple books.

I hope you were as happy with your Christmas gifts as I was. What did you get? What was your favorite item that you gave to someone? I bought my BFF’s new purses because they’ve literally had the same ones the entire time we’ve been friends. I think I they both loved them. I love practical gifts.

 

Next Year’s Holidecor | Day After Christmas Shopping

Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. While I am not a religious church-goer, I am a religious Christmas decorator. This year I set up a new personal record of three Christmas trees. In early November I went through all of my decorations with my fellow Christmas addict, Becca. We sussed out exactly where I was.. lacking, planned out all my tree decorations, and cleaned out the stuff I really wasn’t using. What I’m trying to say is all of today’s purchases were totally justified, I swear.

I can’t believe this this, but I think my Mom and I have been day-after-Christmas decor shopping for almost 10 years now. This year she picked me up at 8:00 a.m. and we headed straight for Target. We also stopped at Wal-Mart, Menards, Dunkin’ Donuts (gotta fuel up for serious shopping powers), Kohl’s, Dollar Tree, and Hobby Lobby. Everything I bought throughout the morning was at least 50%-75% off. Without further ado, My 2015 Holidecor Haul!

I tried to limit myself when it came to buying wrapping paper. I have way too many rolls already, but when I saw this sweet little angel with her perfect dutch braid, I couldn’t not get it. I also got a color matching roll with poinsettias and gold accents. To go along with the wrapping paper I grabbed these sweet tags from Sugar Paper. I sort of absolutely hate the sticker tags. I mean, I have this gorgeous paper, why would I want to cover it up with something that doesn’t perfectly match? Wrap game strong.

The largest of my trees is a pre-lit white pencil tree, which I got a couple years ago on the day after Christmas from Menards. This year it is decked out in shades of blue, purple, and pink. While I love it, I am ready for something a little more light and bright. I picked up this big box of ornaments that are more in the theme I am wanting, but that will allow me to still use several ornaments that are currently on the tree. This whole box cost me $10.00, and the smaller tree shaped box cost $2.50. Despite the tree being pre-lit I still wanted to add some colored lights, so I got this strand of pink lights. Can someone please tell me why all lights don’t also come on white strands? I may or may not also add the twinkle lights, and the colored lights.. but that could possibly be too many lights….

My number one mission and reason for waking up at 6:45 a.m., these beautiful bottle brush trees from Target. I am a bottle brush addict. It’s easier to tell in the first picture, but these trees are actually quite large. I wish I had been able to get a teal one, but these were the only colors they had left at our Target. Still very happy with what I got!

Well, that wraps up my Holidecor haul! Sally and her nasty eye boogers love Christmas almost as much as I do. I mean, that would explain why she’s always all up in my business whenever I’m wrapping presents or decorating. Did you go day after Christmas shopping? So like, I guess what the rest of the world would call Boxing Day shopping? If so, what did you get?

‘It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change.’

I’m writing this post after getting a few inquires from my last post when I mentioned I had lost weight. I am no expert, CLEARLY. Not to mention I ate breakfast twice today, once was at Dunkin’ Donuts, and I then followed that up with chicken strips. But hey, it’s totally okay to eat like crap sometimes, it taste good.

So here is my average human being advice on how I’ve been working at being a healthier average human being. I bet I have said this like 300 times, and there are probably a few people in the world that are really tired of hearing it, but it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. SERIOUSLY. The word diet is basically a swear word, like the really insulting super bad kind that never accidentally slips out when you’re around your Mom. You might lose weight on a diet, but you will 99% of the time gain it back. A diet is a quick fix, not a solution. More than likely you have to change your lifestyle to become healthier, so here’s how my lifestyle has changed.

I have not been meal planning like I planned to back in May, but I have been counting my calories. I use the Lose It! app. I have tried My Fitness Pal, but that thing is not a pal. It made me feel bad. Lose It! is not trying to be your pal, it’s just telling you how many calories you ate, how much exercise you’ve done, and how many calories you’ve consumer/burned in your day. Yes, it gives you a goal, but it’s not yelling at when you go over…Okay My Fitness Pal doesn’t yell at you either, but I just didn’t like it.

I’ve committed myself to not buying bread or sweets (other than cereal which is basically candy), and trying not to drink alcohol during the week. Bread leads to grilled cheese, and peanut butter and jelly, and BLT’s, and breakfast sandwiches, which are all great in moderation, but who the hell is moderating my sandwich intake? It’s supposed to be me, but I have no control over making sandwiches. So if there is no bread, there is no excessive sandwich making. And alcohol, well that’s a no brainer.

Without sandwiches, I’ve been eating healthier alternatives such a zoodles, spaghetti squash, and all the vegetable stuff in between. My Mom recently gave me a smoothie maker, which is both convenient and fun. I highly recommend investing in one. Clearly, produce is my new best friend for all meals. Besides produce, I eat eggs or Greek yogurt at breakfast, at lunch I like low-fat cottage cheese and deli meats, and at dinner I usually toss in a protein like chicken and whip up sauces to make meals more exciting.

Lastly, in the food department advice, follow the serving suggestions. If you’re counting calories you have to put in the serving. ONLY EAT THE SERVING. I can’t live without a crunch, especially at lunch, and crunchy vegetables don’t count. I pretty much always have wheat thins, or pita chips, or something in the crunchy category. As I reach my 30 pound goal, I may have to cut these out, but for now I will take the 100 some calories for the 14 crackers. It’s worth it. But only eat the 14 crackers, otherwise you might as well just eat a grilled cheese because SCREW IT.

Oh one more food thing, if you have an ALDI, buy your produce there. Seriously. So much cheaper than anywhere else. SO MUCH CHEAPER. Really, why are you shopping anywhere else for anything else unless you need Jiff or Q-Tips? Oh and weekends are for eating whatever you want, especially pizza. And drink water, like all the water.

Physical fitness wise, yoga is my go-to activity. I can’t recommend Yoga with Adriene enough. She is the most hilarious, positive, chill person on the Internet, I swear. I really want to be her best friend, but practicing with her videos will suffice. I kicked off my ‘fitness journey’ by doing her 30 Days of Yoga. Really, I’m not a huge exercise till you sweat person. I don’t mind sweating, but I hate showering. My skin is sensitive and I have better things to do with my time than bathe. Thus there is no dedicated cardio time in this lifestyle change, but again, might have to happen to reach the big 3-0.

I live the pedestrian life. I haven’t had a car in over a year now, which obviously only works if you live within a certain proximity of your daily activities, have a Mom who takes you shopping when needed, and have friends who will always pick you up (THANKS EVERYONE). Life without a car has literally forced me to be physically active. On average I walk just over 3 miles a day. I believe this has hugely contributed to being more active and positive in general.

LASTLY, I believe the number one contribution to my lifestyle change is cutting out negativity in my life. I’m sure the health benefits of eating and exercising make me feel better too, but I’ve weeded out a lot of negative, and filled in the gaps with lots of positive stuff. From a whole pack of new friends, to new responsibilities that have lead to new passions, the positive feels I have for life right now make everything easier. So smile, live in the present, and do what makes you happy!

I hope this has inspired you, or encouraged you to try something new, or just made you laugh a little. What do you do to live a happy healthy life?!