Thursday, January 16, 2014

It's Kristin. K-R-I-S-T-I-N

My name is Kristin. It's not hard. In fact it's name fad from the 80s. Seriously. Check it out. Lots of ladies in their 20s and 30s named Kristin. But apparently, I spell it weird. Don't know if that's just because it's more common to spell it with an E-N or what. I mean there are more ladies named Kristen than Kristin. Maybe my mom didn't want to be like everyone else or she didn't want me to be anyway. No telling what she was doing in the 70s when she decided on this particular baby name. Maybe she had a love affair with all things Scandinavian. Honestly, I've never really asked - she picked it in high school; I doubt there was any rhyme or reason to it.

It might be more uncommon to use two i's instead of an i or an e but I think that should make it easier for people - less letters to remember. But it doesn't. Most people don't spell my name right. And even after all of the years, it drives me crazy, usually. (In high school I changed the spelling because I was tired of people screwing it up. That really made my mom mad.) If you are the Starbucks barista who writes Kristen on my cup after only hearing it, you can go about your day without me cursing you silently. I especially like the baristas who get clever with spellings like Christyn. That can be exciting. I never understood why people try to over complicate things like the spelling of common names when so many things in life are already complex. I digress.

But if you are a coworker of mine, and you are sending me an email, you should spell it right. Unless you are a complete moron. But you've managed to hold down a job so I assume that means, at the very least, you can read. You can read my email address in the "to" line - it's all spelled out for you. No guessing required. And if you are just replying to my email, you can still read it in the "from" line. But not only that; I  make it even easier. EVERY email I send has my signature. Every. Single. Email. It's large text and a different color text.

Today, I am overly riled up because a coworker of mine spelled it wrong, not once, but twice. And she didn't even spell it wrong the same way twice. (For the record Kristina is a completely different name, not just a misspelling, which is so much worse.) Really? Can she not read? My name is there, spelled correctly at least twice in every email she receives from me. All you have to do is pay a little bit of attention and read. I know it's not as easy as Jane and Dick and Spot from those fun with reading books but it's not complicated. In fact, you don't even have to read it. Just copy the letters you see. Surely, an adult with a job can at least manage that? Evidence says otherwise in this case.

I'm not the queen of patience or taking my time. I know this about myself. But a name is part of each person's identity. It's part of who you are and it is how you identify yourself. I find it so rude when others don't take the time to call you by the right name or spell it correctly. And I don't think "I'm bad with names" is an excuse. I'm bad with filtering before I talk but I do my best to think first, talk second so I don't offend people. This is definitely still a work in progress for me and lots of things for people are this way so I try not to lose my mind when unwarranted. But when things are in writing, and there are helpful hints staring you in the face, I won't cut you much slack. Lock it up. Get it together.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Fancy Berry Nutmeal or It's Not Eggs

One of these days I will get better about writing my ideas down and reminding myself to actually post. Of course half of the time, even when I write things down, or set phone reminders, I still don't do it. Just one of the many things I need to work on to get better at life. Fortunately, today I planned ahead in real time.

After an awesome running WOD, (have I mentioned I hate to run?) I came home to carb load. But I don't actually eat carbs being paleo and all. So I whipped up some delicious nutmeal, which is like oatmeal but made with nuts. And yes, I realize that name sounds kind of gross and I should come up with something better. But honestly, that's what it is so there you have it.

A long while back, I pinned this recipe from Jennie Harrell at easypaleo.com. I make it pretty regularly because it's easy (food processor is the best invention ever) and tasty. Cooking just doesn't get any better than easy and tasty. In fact, in my house, cooking doesn't happen unless it's at least one of those two things. (I've tried a few easy things that were not tasty - it does happen.)

Jennie is a genius and her paleo oatmeal is to die for. But as Emeril would say, it was time to kick it up a notch. My non-paleo boyfriend is always hesitant to eat my paleo cooking. It's weird b/c 98% of the time he loves it. Usually, I just don't tell him it's paleo. I feed it to him, wait for him to praise the deliciousness, and then I tell him. I forgot my plan this time though. Over the weekend, I asked him if he wanted any paleo oatmeal (nutmeal sounds gross and I refrain from saying it out loud). He made a disgusted face and said no. But that's what was for breakfast so instead of fending for himself, he gave it the old college try. Per usual, he loved it. But the real shocker? He made it better.

He's an instant oatmeal eater - every day in the office actually. But he adds blueberries to his before warming it up with the water in the microwave. Being set in his ways as he is, he added frozen fruit to the nutmeal and heated it up with a little extra almond milk. Delish! The next day, I was in bad need of a protein loaded breakfast to hold me over for a 6 hour class. But I was out of eggs and very limited on time. So the aforementioned boyfriend, who is very smart, grabbed the leftover nutmeal, added protein powder, a little almond milk, and frozen berries. He popped that in the microwave and breakfast was served. He takes such good care of me :)

Instant success. So successful in fact, that is now the only way I eat my nutmeal. Allow me to lay it out for you.
  1. Make easypaleo nutmeal - in real time or the day before. It keeps pretty well for a day or 2 even with the banana.
  2. Scoop out the desired serving of the nutmeal into a bowl.
  3. Add a scoop of protein powder (as much or as little as you desire). I use OhYeah! in vanilla. 
  4. Add some frozen berries. I prefer Trader Joe's brand because there is no added sugar. I usually choose the fancy berry medley because not only is it fancy, it's delicious. (If you use fresh fruit, I recommend freezing it to reduce the mush factor when it's heated up.)
  5. Top with almond milk (original, unsweetened - trust me, you won't need or want the added sugar). 
  6. Heat in the microwave (for 1/2 the nutmeal recipe,which his about one serving, you will need 45-60 seconds).
  7. Enjoy!
Pre-microwave with all of the mixins

Finished product. Nom nom nom. Be sure to enjoy with coffee. Coffee makes everything better. 


Monday, October 7, 2013

I did a pull up and I liked it

I'm a CrossFitter. And most haters folks who don't CrossFit will say 1 of 2 things about me: 1) that girl won't shut her mouth about CrossFit and/or 2) she cray-cray. Honestly, neither of these statements bothers me. The truth is I do talk about it. A lot. I live it every day. And I love it. Not to mention I am accomplishing amazing feats, of which I am really proud. Because of these things, I want to share it with others. I want to shout my success from the rooftops and I hope to inspire others to aim for goals they never thought they could accomplish or goals they never even knew they had. If that makes me crazy, I'll wear the badge proudly.

My success has been really unexpected for me. I've had a trainer and been a gym rat on several previous occasions but I never experienced results like I am experiencing with CrossFit. Why? Well I'm glad you asked. 


  1. I love the exercise. It doesn't  even feel like exercise - at least not the exercise I was accustomed to with a trainer or boot camp or even aerobics classes. 
  2. I go to a great box with an awesome coach and awesome fellow CrossFitters.
  3. It's not torture to get up and go (and I get up and go at 5:00 am); I look forward to it.
  4. Last, but certainly not least, and in fact, most important, I adopted the Paleo lifestyle when I started CrossFit. And let me tell you, those folks out there are right, how you look is at least 80% driven by what you eat. And you cannot outrun your fork. (Thanks to Steve Kamb from nerdfitness.com for the insight on the importance of eating real food. Seriously. Throw the lean cuisines away.)
Some of my success is visible to people. I lost 12 pounds. Doesn't seem like a lot but strength training has made a huge impact in how I look and my overall size. I've lost 4 inches from my hips, another 4 from my waist, and a final 4 from my bust. I've went from a size 6/8 to a 0/2. Most people think that's amazing and talk about how proud I must be. And I am. But not for the reasons they think I am.

Sure it's great to be smaller. But it's even better to feel amazing. And even better to push my body to limits I never thought possible. So while I'm pleased with my new size, I am even more excited about the two strict pull ups I can do and the mile I can run. Sure it was great to cinch the belt one hole tighter and then buy a smaller belt but it's even better to continually reach PRs on back squats, cleans, and dead lifts. Not to mention the physical accomplishments are still going where as the optical ones are done. I'm not losing any more weight, or shedding more inches. I'm building muscle and defining it. And I'm working to finish on top of the leader board every day. (Dominated burpees to end up #1 for the first time last week.)

But none of fitness accomplishments would be possible without changing the way I looked at food. I never would have been able to do one chin up let alone two pull ups if I continued drinking diet coke like water, eating several meals a week from a drive through, and thinking a cookie a day just keeps me feeling good. Wrong. A cookie a day keeps you off the pull up bar. How you look and what you are able to do physically has everything to do with how your fuel your body. If you put in crap, you're going to get crap out. In more ways than one. 

Paleo eating has changed my life. I have more energy, I sleep better, my skin is healthier and looks younger, and I can actually complete a lift. Oh and I no longer have chronic headaches plaguing me. I owe most of my nutrition success to nerdfitness.com and the sharing of information from Steve and his band of rebels. (A big shout out to paleomg.com for the delicious recipes.) If you need a place to start or you're looking for information about nutrition and training, definitely join the rebellion.

I'm continuing to level up and I can't wait to see what I can do next.


Monday, April 16, 2012

Pretty & Polished

I had no idea there was such a huge network of nail polish lovers out in the world - at least not until I became one. I was a little overwhelmed at first but then so excited to see all of the ideas and creations. One of my most recent discoveries is indie brands. I first encountered them with Lynnderella polish. These amazing glitter polishes that come with a high price tag and now are almost impossible to get your hands on. (I joined the party late so I'm not sure of the story behind Lynn closing up shop.) Through Lynderella I discovered Leah Ann who has a wonderful shop full of nail polish gems. Once I discovered Llarowe on Facebook, my eyes were opened to a huge community.

Facebook is where I found Chelsea of Pretty & Polished. Pretty & Polished was my first indie purchase. And I could not be happier. I have a long wish list for Chelsea's shop but fortunately, she is very popular and her polishes go very fast once she opens the shop. I say this is fortunate because it allowed me to pace myself, which I, and my wallet, appreciate. Last week (just a mere 4 days after ordering) my shipment arrived.

I picked up Valentino, Chelsea Chelsea Bling Bling, and Hello Dolly. Aren't they just perfection in a bottle?

I immediately stripped off my current polish and got to work with Valentino. (This is the one I was most excited about - who doesn't love a black and white glitter?) I wanted it to pop (and I have a penchant for red, black and white - Go Dawgs!) so I chose Essie Long Stemmed Roses as the underwear.


I was even more excited by the outcome on my nails. This is one coat of Valentino over two coats of Long Stemmed Roses, topped with Essie To Dry For top coat. The polish is smooth with a good consistency and great coverage. I did shake the glitter quite a bit before applying because it looked as though the larger glitter had settled on the bottom. I was able to paint the nail as normal - no dabbing, stabbing, or swishing glitter around. It came off the brush just as you see it.


I love the variations in glitter size leaving the nails looking like a splatter effect. I can't wait to try the others and for her shop to open again on Saturday. I have no shame when it comes to stalking Etsy shops :)

If you're new to the nail polish world or if you're looking for ideas, there are some great women out there sharing their gifts and their love of polish. Here are a few blogs I love:
Christina - Let Them Have Polish
Crystal - Crystal's Crazy Combos
Jen - The Polishaholic
Traci - The Trace Face Philes

Monday, April 9, 2012

Nail Nail Boo Boo

Sometimes in life, your lemonade turns out to be too sour. No matter how good your intentions, some things just don't work out.

I have a newly acquired addiction hobby with nail polish and painting my nails. I paint them every few days trying new color combinations, polish brands and new nail art ideas. Sometimes I knock it out of the park (water marbling) and sometimes, I strike out. My latest nail art adventure was a big miss.

If you don't already, you need to follow thebeautydepartment.com. It's a great site from Lauren Conrad and two friends who blog about beauty and fashion. There are some great ideas and even greater tips and tricks from hair care to work wear. I have gotten a ton of manicure ideas from them. And they have always worked out. Until now.

Over the weekend, I gave one of their more recent ideas a try - gold leaf manicure (except I used copper leaf because it was more exciting and summery to me). This looks SO cool. Even better than how cool it looked was how easy it sounded to do. Of course, after water marbling, almost every nail art project sounds easy.

I got everything set up and decided to go bright now that spring has sprung. I decided to go with Essie One of a Kind - a bright orangey-red as my base color with the copper leaf on top. (I bought this from Michael's.) Honestly, doing the manicure was pretty painless. After I cleaned and filed my nails, I cut the sheets into small triangles. Then I readied my Q-tips, water, and polish remover so everything would be in place once my nails were polished and ready. I painted one coat on all 10 nails and let that dry well. Then I painted the second coat on my left hand and let it dry to tacky before placing the triangles on top. I repeated with my right hand after my left was fairly dry. I then painted all 10 with my Essie top coat. I was pretty pleased with the result.

A few hours later, I had a sewing project I wanted to finished up. So I sat down at my machine, threaded it and started sewing away. At one small point I forgot to adjust the tension and had to rip out about 2 inches of sewing. As I was placing that piece back in the machine to redo, I noticed my thumb and pointer finger on my right hand were badly chipped. But not just chipped, rubbed off as if the polish hadn't been dry even though it had been at least 3 hours since I completed the manicure. As I continued sewing the polish job got worse. I got so mad, I immediately got out the remover and the cotton balls and took it all off. (In my haste and disappointment, I completely forgot to take a picture.)

I don't consider sewing the kind of activity that would ruin a manicure, especially after it had a few hours to dry. I've never had that problem before. I don't know if it was the leafing product, the top coat on top, or just not enough drying time but this awesome manicure turned out to be not to awesome. I haven't given up completely - it's too awesome to do that - but I need to rethink the process and the materials before I attempt this one again.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Baking Soda Bestie


There is a wonderful woman on the web named Jillee who posts One Good Thing every day. And let me tell you - she is a genius. She has so many wonderful ideas that I have implemented all over my house. A while back she posted about microdermabrasion in a box - the cheapest and easiest microderm treatment I've ever tried (and believe me, since turning 30, I've tried a lot). Her recipe and instructions:
2 Tbsp Baking soda
Distilled Water. 
Start with a clean face (very important, as you don’t want to rub any dirt back into your skin). Make a slightly soupy paste with the baking soda and distilled water. Working in small circles, rub the entirety of your face very lightly. Do this for five minutes. Do, of course, avoid the eye area. Rinse very well.
When I tried this myself, I was much less exact. I didn't measure the baking soda and I didn't bother to bring distilled water into the bathroom. I simply sprinkled a bit of baking soda into a small tupperware container and then added bathroom tap water and mixed by hand until I had a good consistency. Of course, I didn't really know what a good consistency was so I simply felt for what I thought felt like the sand paper like substance the aestheticians use. It doesn't have to be exact to work. With baking soda being so cheap you can afford to have a few misses on the mixture - I sure did. 

I had a great experience with baking soda microdermabrasion. I figured there had to be more to do besides deodorize my fridgeand remove the dead skin from my face. I started scowering the internet for other uses for this tiny box of beauty tricks. Let me tell you - baking soda is my new bestie. Keep reading after the jump for some more wonderful uses for this tiny box of magic.  

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Too much good stuff

I have a freaky weird memory. Have since at least the 9th grade. (Could have been earlier but the first time I noticed my memory was freaky and weird was a 9th grade biology memory test.) My brain stores the most random things - some of it useless knowledge and some of it valuable tips and tricks for life. It is the latter of this storage that has lead me to this blog. Well, that and several friends pushing me down the road toward a blog.

So here I am. A girl (can you still be a girl at age 30?) with a brain full of stuff just waiting to be dropped on unsuspecting strangers in the blog-o-sphere. I have beauty tips and tricks, and secrets I've scoured the internet for that every girl (and some guys) should know. I have a nail polish obsession hobby so please do not be alarmed by the pictures of my nails and random bottles of nail polish. I pretend to sew and sometimes it works out for me so I plan to share those successes (and failures) here as well.

It's a blog of too much good stuff that you can do yourself. Because let's face it, when does life ever give you the lemons free of charge and effort to make the lemonade?