March 1st - Casual Saturday

My sister is visiting today and while it's warmer in DC then it is in Michigan, I still broke out the flannel for a trip to Eastern Market. 

I'm wearing Levi jeans, a men's canvas shirt from Lands End, a zip up from Ragstock and a scarf from Target. It definitely was a comfortable and casual outfit that kept me warm today. 

March Mad-Dress

For anyone who knows me, it's no secret that I have a lot of clothes.  I not only have my tiny closet in my DC apartment filled to bursting but with the help of my parents I have six drawers under my bed filled with clothes as well as a 5 drawer up-right dresser that's stuffed as well.  I enjoy finding clothes on sale, clearance as well as in thrift stores and Goodwill.  I loved getting dressed up (perk of having a boss that requires a lot of business dress) and on weekends can be found in at least 2 different outfits per day - well if my at home "outfit" of yoga pants and sweatshirts can count as an outfit :)

I thought because of my plethora of clothes that it might be a fun experiment if I try to go through all of March without repeating an outfit.  That way I would know what I actually wear, possibly discover new and fun combinations and then be able to donate or let my friends pick over the stuff that I can do without.

The Rules:

1. I must document at least one new/original outfit every day.  Now these will be a combination of awesome mirror selfies or conning friends into taking my picture for me, but at one point in the day there will be a post with a new outfit.
2. No repeating dresses (these count as one outfit)  I know that you can say that you are wearing a different jacket or cardigan with a dress but I'm not sure that counts as a real outfit.
3. Yes to repeating jeans/basic dress pants.  Surprisingly I only have 2 pairs of jeans that I really love and continue to wear on a daily basis, and jeans are basics so these can be layered and be a completely different outfit.  The same goes for my black and grey dress pants - these are wardrobe staples that can be used to form a number of different outfits.
4. Yes to repeating accessories - this is just a clothing challenge, accessories such as jewelry, scarves, belts and shoes can be repeated as often as I choose.

Wish me luck and stay tuned for March Mad-Dress challenge!!!

2014 Resolutions - check-in

Originally I thought it would be a good idea to check-in on my resolutions at the end of January, and now it's almost March so I clearly didn't do too well on that idea.  Let's see how I'm doing.

1. Plan my meals and actually cook different things for dinner
This is probably the goal in which I am having the most success.  My sister and I were discussing this goal in January and lo and behold there was a Groupon for a meal planning service!  I signed up for EMeals and I really enjoy it.  I signed up for their "Clean Eating" just dinner meal plan and have so far enjoyed many of the meals they have sent me.  Here's a handy pro/con bullet list for anyone thinking about signing up.

Pros

• Sent directly to my inbox every week, where I immediately save it into my Google Drive folder
• You can change your meal plan at any time, so if I'm sick of "clean eating" I can switch to low cal, vegetarian, home style, etc.
• They include an itemized grocery list detailing which section to find ingredients in and list "staples" required for each meal so you can make sure you have them
• Helpful time frame gives you an idea of what to cook depending on how much time you have
• I signed up only for dinners for 2 people which allows me enough leftovers so it generally takes me 3 weeks to run through a week of recipes they provide for me

Cons

• I'm not the most adventurous eater so I alter a few of the ingredients as well as the side dishes to accommodate my tastes and/or don't make a handful of the things they suggest
• Their definition of "staples" and mine are incredibly different - I now own 3 different kinds of vinegar...

It's important to note that EMeals has no idea I exist, they didn't sponsor this post in anyway, it's just a service that has helped me to achieve my goal of being a better meal planner for 2014

2. Live a more active lifestyle
I'm doing a decent job at this one.  I tried out my first ever Bar Method class - Bar Method classes incorporate dance techniques, isometric principles, and fast-paced interval training for quick, safe body reshaping. It was a lot of fun but I made the mistake of a morning class and didn't give myself enough time for breakfast.  This led to me almost passing out in the middle of a class (not good) but I had some juice and went back for the remainder of the class.  It was definitely hard, and I could feel it for a few days after, but it was also a lot of fun and the instructors were really nice and helpful
I also have started running on nice days, walking to my errands instead of metro-ing, lifting some free weights I have at home as well as taking out my soccer ball to do some soccer drills.  I really don't want working out to be boring and monotonous because then I won't stick with it, so I'm jumping around and just trying to live an active lifestyle.

3. Give back to the community I live in
I have not done well with this goal at all.  I have explored different volunteering options but haven't committed to any yet... :(

4. Professional development
I have signed up to take a course at the end of March, but otherwise I haven't done much with this goal.  I think I just need to come in on a Saturday or stay late and bust through a few courses to make this goal happen.

5. Blog more
Obviously this one still needs work, but I'm planning on a 31-day blog series for the month of March that will hopefully jump start me back into blogging more frequently - stay tuned!