Who Says

This song has been on my heart and mind a lot lately.  Read the words, she has a great message.

 

Until next time.....

 

Always,

Aims XO

 

 

 

 

Wouldn't want to be any body else (hey)
You made me insecure
Told me I wasn't good enough
But who are you to judge
When you're a diamond in the rough
I'm sure you got some things
You'd like to change about yourself
But when it comes to me
I wouldn't want to be anybody else

Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na

I'm no beauty queen
I'm just beautiful me

Na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na

You've got every right
To a beautiful life
C'mon

[Chorus]

Who says
Who says you're not perfect
Who says you're not worth it
Who says you're the only one that's hurting
Trust me
That's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty
Who says you're not beautiful
Who says

[Selena Gomez - Verse 2]

It's such a funny thing
How nothing's funny when it's you
You tell 'em what you mean
But they keep whiting out the truth
It's like a work of art
That never gets to see the light
Keep you beneath the stars
Won't let you touch the sky

Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na

I'm no beauty queen
I'm just beautiful me

Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na

You've got every right
To a beautiful life
C'mon

[Chorus]

Who says
Who says you're not perfect
Who says you're not worth it
Who says you're the only one that's hurting
Trust me
That's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty
Who says you're not beautiful

[Bridge]

Who says
Who says you're not star potential
Who says you're not presidential
Who says you can't be in movies
Listen to me, listen to me
Who says you don't pass the test
Who says you can't be the best
Who said, who said
Won't you tell me who said that
Yeah, who said

 

See Lyrics Website Here
LetsSingIt - Your favorite Music Community

Stitch!

Hola bloggerverse!

This is my AMAZING new phone case!  I found this case on Ebay and I knew instantly that I had to have this. My roomie was awesome enough to order this for me.  It is so cute and I was so happy when I got the package :)  I couldn't stop smiling and how could you not looking at the cute little guy?  Stitch reminds me of my little Pepper.

Today was a cold and rainy day here and that always makes me turn in to my "hermit" mode.  I walked home from work, and immediately changed in some comfy clothes to hang out with my roomie and my puppy dog.  We were going to take Pepper for a walk downtown to go to the bank and get some food, but when we opened the door it was raining!  EPIC FAIL!  I felt so bad.  Pepper was so excited for our afternoon walk :(

Here's what I munched on today:

Breakfast
.........

Lunch
Small roll with some salami
a cup of leftover spaghetti

Snack
scoop of cookie dough ice cream

Dinner
cup of noodle
piece of bread
almonds
bite size hershey chocolate

I know it was bad to not eat breakfast.  I am not going to lie.....I woke up a little late today and I didn't have time to grab something before I had to go to work.  It is also already time to get a new water bottle.  I have noticed it is practically impossible to squeeze any water out of my bottle now (I'm assuming the filter needs to be changed).  I have been craving some real ice cream for about 2 weeks now and today was the day I cracked.  I needed to deal with my craving!  I haven't been doing a very bad job on what I have been eating, and a treat every once in a while doesn't hurt.  I enjoyed every lick and every bite of that scoop of ice cream let me tell you.  It was so delicious and I don't regret eating it one bit.

I also finished the first book in The Hunger Games trilogy.  It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!  I need to get my hands on the second and third book ASAP so I can see what happens.  It was such a great story and I recommend it to anyone.  I can't wait for the movie to come out in March! So excited! :)

Turning in early tonight :) Hope you all are having an amazing Friday night (gotta get down on Friday :)))

Until tomorrow.....

Always,
Aims XO

Blogyear Day 16: Isner Out

Hello there.

I've been watching tennis all night and I'm sad John Isner just lost. He fought so hard in the five sets against Nalbandian the other day, and the five sets today against Lopez. I love watching tennis and if anything it is making me more motivated to play more. I've been wanting to get back into singles shape to play some tournaments because since my college tennis days, all I have really practiced is doubles. Tennis is one of the only things in my life that I can say I am truly passionate about. A lot of people don't seem to understand this aspect of me and some people just don't understand the sport. I've just put a lot of my time and heart out on the court and I love the competitive rush. A lot of my best memories in my life has come from tennis and I cherish them and hold them close to my heart. I miss being a part of a college team traveling, practicing and competing. So this is my motivation to keep doing what I love and working harder to be the best player I can be. I'll have to drag my dad out to practice with me :) if any of my readers plays, let's hit the courts!

Today I didn't have much of an appetite. Tried not thinking about food much and that seemed to help.

Breakfast
PB & J

Lunch
Almonds
Breadstick

Dinner
Few bites of spaghetti
Chocolate soy milk

I took Pepper to the beach today even though it was colder than heck! I let Pepper run around like usual, she was having a blast. She saw some ducks and she of course wanted to chase them. Pepper has a fascination with birds. So I thought it was totally normal for her to chase after the ducks.....except she decided to swim after them. It was so cold and here is my dog swimming back and forth in this nasty lagoon water having the time of her life. I wanted to shout at her, but there was no use, she was already drenched from head to toe. I just let her swim and run around like a wild little pig. It's the little things in life I tell you. It makes my heart smile to see her happy.

Well, I am exhausted. I am going to hit the hay :)

Until tomorrow,

Always,
Aims XO

I Am Tired!

Welcome to the 15th day of Blogyear!  Today I am super exhausted.  I played 2 1/2 hours of tennis (doubles) this morning and after tennis I hit up the gym for an hour.  I have to say that it felt great during the process, but now I am feeling everything!  The Australian Open is on in a few minutes, so I am keeping this post short today.

Breakfast
Protein shake
breadstick (hahaha)

Lunch
Jamba Juice Razzmatazz

Late afternoon lunch food/snack
the 2nd half of my burrito from yesterday
a piece of Haoie's garlic bread

Dinner
Udon

Nothing too exciting for today's meals, but obviously you can see that I liked to drink my calories today.  I kept up with the drinking lots of water today.  I have to admit that I'm not feeling the greatest and my skin is officially freaking out at me (that time).  Hopefully everyone had a great hump day! lol

Until tomorrow.....

Always,
Aimee XO

Blogyear Day 14: H2O

One of the best purchases that I have made in the past month and a half has been my Brita water bottle. It has a built in filter on the cap and that is the reason why I am so glad I decided to buy this water bottle. I always try (try keyword) to stay hydrated with water. Since this water bottle has a filter built in, I am reassured that no matter where I am, I can have purified drinking water. This gives me no excuses! I have been doing much better on drinking more water, so that is a step in a positive direction for me.

Today was a relaxing day. I just took it easy, I didn't really feel like doing much. I know I had all day to workout, but sometimes you just don't feel like it. I gave myself today off since Wednesday's I play tennis with my league ladies for two hours or so. Tomorrow I will push and hit it hard :). In the meantime, I will rest so my body is ready.

Here is what I stuffed my face with today hahaha

Breakfast/lunch
Healthy choice chicken parmesan meal
Apple slices

Late afternoon lunch
Half of a burrito
Some chips and salsa
About 5 starbursts

Dinner
Breadstick
Little bit of hamburger helper

Not the greatest as far as health goes, but I had small portions so I'm not going to beat myself up for that. The roomie and I went grocery shopping at Trader Joes and I got a lot of healthy and yummy things for me to eat for meals. So I'm excited to share my meals with you over the next few weeks.

I usually don't buy apps, but I splurged and bought Picframe. It's an app where you can make your own collages with any of your pictures from your camera or Instagram. This app is so addicting, fun, and useful! I couldn't sleep last night watching the Australian Open, and so I was making collages for my contacts with pictures that reminded me of them :). Super fun and totally worth the 99 cents, I recommend any iPhone user to purchase it! I will leave you today with a few of the collages I made :).

Until tomorrow.....

Always,
Aimee XO

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush Review

Finally the time has come.......

I am beyond excited to write about the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes!  I have heard so much about these new blushes for the past few weeks and I was ecstatic when I finally found these at CVS.  So what's so amazing about these bad boys?  These are by far the most amazing cream blushes I have tried out so far.  I have a few from MAC and I have tried out some Revlon ones before but none of them compare to these bouncy blushes in my opinion.  What sets these apart from the rest of any drugstore cream blushes is how seamless and blendable they are.  While the pigmentation is extremely buildable, it virtually takes no effort to blend the blush into your skin making it look flawless, and natural.  I love how these blushes don't go on your face and you look like a clown.  These blushes are so silky and it gives you this gorgeous flush that looks believable!  There are 10 different shades in the range and I decided to only get two; Plum Wine (a dark burgundy) and Hot Tamale (a bright red with orange undertones).  While I am not at my darkest skin tone now, I do have olive skin and I was drawn to the most bold shades of the range.  While they look like they are going to look too crazy on in the package, it is a sheer wash of color.  If you are tan like I am, I would definitely suggest Plum Wine and Hot Tamale to be your choices because the other colors probably won't show up on your skin tone.  The other colors in the range are different variations of pinks and while they are beautiful, they definitely would only be useful for people with lighter complexions.  I feel like some drugstore products are very reasonably priced and worth their cost, and while I am in love with these blushes, I still feel like they are slightly overpriced.  Maybe that is because I got them at CVS?  Who knows....but when I purchased these they were over $8 for .19oz of product!  Yikes!  On the other hand, I would definitely rather pay $8 for a product that does a better job (in my opinion) than a MAC cream blush for about $20.  So when you look at it that way, yes, it is so worth a try.  And the reason why I will certainly keep using and purchasing this product is because of the way that the blush looks on my skin.  I have experimented with blush and usually I don't especially like how I look with blush (I would rather just use bronzer), but these give me a soft, romantic look and I love it.  

These blushes have the craziest texture ever to them.  They are very silky to the touch and when you press down on the product, it is like you are touching memory foam!  It is the coolest thing I have ever seen with makeup!  It is very innovative and it's such a fun, unique spin.  The packaging is nice, compact and simple.  It has a nice clear cover where you can see what color the product is with the product description on the back of course.  The packaging is easy to open, but stays securely shut.  A lot of times I have noticed that it can be hard opening drugstore compacts and it's nice that for once one is reliable enough so you're not afraid of the product opening up on you, yet it's easy enough to have quick access.  I also like how there isn't a lot of extra bulky packaging to make it appear like there is more product.  I'm not sure why some companies do this, but it's a waste of materials.  

Anyways, these are going to be permanent items for Maybelline (or so that I have heard) and a lot of times CVS and other drugstores offer a buy one get one half off special.  Overall, I think these are great quality products at a fraction of the price compared to high end products.  They are fun, and will give you a fresh look, just in time for spring around the corner.  :)  Hope this review was helpful and here are some pictures of the two blushes that I have.

( Left: Hot Tamale, Right: Plum Wine)

Until tomorrow.....

Always,

Aimee XO

Blogyear Day 12: Joyful Noise

Tonight we went to see the movie Joyful Noise!  I have to say, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this movie, but it was great!  I will say though, that this movie will not be for everyone.  If you are a person that doesn't enjoy a lot of singing in movies, I would skip it.  I think it was so adorable and entertaining as heck.  This was definitely my type of movie and I'm so glad that I went to see it!  I won't say much more because I don't want to give anything away if you are still opting to see this movie.

Today was such a stressful day at work.  That is a typical Sunday for Brittney and I.  Sundays are always crazy busy, you would think I would be used to it by now.  So after a hard day at work, it was nice to hit the trail and go for a hike.  There was the most beautiful sunset and it's moments like this that gives me a much needed "reset" button if you will.  It sets me back on track to keep my focus.  Usually this hike takes about an hour, but today I struggled to get down the hill at the very end.  It is extremely steep and I usually fall down which in return, makes me scared to take a step.  Not only was I scared, but it was dark, so I was even more hesitant.  The hike ended up taking about 2 hours! My body is definitely feeling the workout, and it feels nice!

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast
Jalapeno pretzel

Lunch
2 slices of french toast
4 pieces of bacon (haha)

Dinner
Zap pack (popcorn, fruit snacks, soda)
chicken fajita pita from Jack in the Box
some of my fries
some sips of diet Dr. Pepper

Tomorrows goal: drink more water!  I have noticed lately that I have been seriously slacking in staying hydrated and when I am drinking plenty of water, my whole body feels so much better!

The Australian Open started tonight and I am beyond excited for the first major of the year!  I know I will not be getting much sleep from watching the matches but hey, you only live once and these tournaments are only 4 times a year!  :)

I will be doing a review on some mascara coming up soon.  I am very excited to work on some new beauty related posts on my "weekend".

Ok, time to enjoy watching some tennis playas.

Until tomorrow...

Always,

Aimee XO

Blogyear Day 11: MYGLAM

My MYGLAM bag finally came! For those that don't know what MYGLAM is, it is a monthly subscription service that ships products for you to sample each month. You can subscribe month to month or have your account linked to your bank account to automatically have the funds withdrawn each month. It is only $10! And! The shipping is free. MYGLAM was created by my all time favorite Youtube beauty guru, Michelle Phan. (i wrote about her in yesterdays post). What is also nice about MYGLAM is that Michelle and some f my other favorite Youtubers do videos to show how they use the monthly products in their own way. This is my first month that I was able to subscribe. This is the 2nd month MYGLAM has been available, last month they sold out so I wasn't able to get my bag :( but I have seen very many reviews and YouTube videos and I have been so impressed! So far there have been many FULL sized products that cost much much more than the $10 subscription price. All of the products are so high quality which is so nice to be able to try out the products before shelling out the big bucks. I can't wait to test out this months products and let you know what I think about them! My initial reaction to seeing my package was OMG IS THAT A PINK BUBBLE PACKAGE?! It's kinda silly how much I loved how my package came in such a girly and fun package. In the package there were these products: Sheer Cover duo concealer ($29 retail), Wen sweet almond mint cleansing conditioner ($36 retail), Freeman cucumber facial peel off mask ($8 retail), and theBalm cosmetics shady lady eyeshadow($16 retail). I'll try these bad boys out and let you know what I think soon!

As far as eating goes.....

Breakfast
Cup o noodle ... Ahhaahha

Lunch
A few handfuls of cinnamon chex
Some pretzel crisps

Dinner
4 biscuits
Salad w ranch
Potato bacon soup
Few bites of pasta
Small brownie w small scoop of ice cream

Here is my new issue I need to tackle. I need to make sure I force myself to eat breakfast and lunch! Lately I havent been very hungry during the day, but at night I turn into the food monster and want to eat everything in my path. I'll work on that one. Last night I got a good nights sleep, so I am going to repeat that because it made me feel better! Also, since I ate out tonight, I am making myself get up in the morning before work to go for a jog. I'm going on a hike tomorrow after work, and I'm looking forward to it! Pepper loves this hike too so I'm glad she will be able to join me in tackling the mountain. :)

Hopefully everyone is having a super Saturday!

Until tomorrow.....

Always,
Aimee XO

Blogyear Day 10: DIY Makeup Remover

This is the best thing I have done all week! And you only need two ingredients in order to make this awesome makeup remover! I saw Michelle Phan's tutorial on how to make your own makeup remover on YouTube and I was so excited to try it for myself. I found the aloe vera water at CVS for only $1.49 I think. It definitely wasn't over $2. I already had extra virgin olive oil at home so I didn't need to buy that. I emptied a little bit of the aloe vera water out and then added some of the extra virgin olive oil. You only need a little bit. When you are ready to use your new makeup remover, all you have to do is shake up your bottle and quickly take a cotton pad, soaking it with your mixture. And voila! That's it! Now how well does it work exactly? Well, just for fun, I piled on the makeup on to my face. I soaked the cotton pad and my makeup came off right away with one swipe. I had some pretty thick gel liner on as well and I was impressed with how it took such little effort for it to come off. I also was doing some swatches of some heavy duty staying power cream shadows earlier as well and the long lasting cream shadows came off of my hand in one swipe as well. You can't beat results like this or the price! I now have this huge container of makeup remover that will last me at least 6 months if not more. For a grand total of only about $2! I definitely recommend for anyone to try this easy DIY makeup remover.

Hope everyone had a great Friday the 13th! :)

Until tomorrow.....

Always,
Aimee XO

Blogyear Day 9: Juggling

My roommate is currently practicing her juggling skills for one of her classes. It's quite entertaining but it is also very relative to my life right now. I feel like I am the juggler and I am trying to balance all these different aspects in my life, trying to find a balance to keep rhythm and harmony. I have work (which seems lately has been taking up more of my time than usual), my family, friends, dog, exercise, tennis league, my social life and my blog :) Lately it seems like I have been having trouble fitting everything in. While all of these things are important to me, I am coming to the realization that I think I need to set myself on a schedule. I know that sounds a little much, but I really do think it would benefit me greatly. I have previously written about how I needed to work on my time management and I think having a schedule will also help me achieve better skills.

Today wasn't a great day for healthy choices. I literally worked from 9-530 without a break. So here is my not so healthy day:

Breakfast
Couple bites of some leftover pasta

Lunch
Slice of pizza

Dinner
Mac n cheese
Chocolate soy milk


Again, the fascination with carbs. Today I was exhausted so I reached for the easiest choices, even though they are not the best for me. I definitely need to go shopping at Trader Joes for some healthier protein choices.

On another note, on Tuesday I was in LA for the day and I had such an amazing day. The highlight for me and my friend,Heidi, was seeing the Twilight hand and footprints in front of the Kodak Theatre. We knew that they had made the square recently, and when we found it, we both squealed! Hahahha it was such a happy moment, we couldn't stop smiling. We are HUGE Twilight fans and it was so cool to see! Ok, confession time. That was my first time ever going down Hollywood Blvd and seeing the Kodak Theatre! How embarrassing! I've been a CA native my whole life and it took me 24 years to go down and see the historical stars.

The Lakers game was also so much fun! We had seats that were cheap and pretty high up (which btw made me afraid of heights) but you can see very well still. Everything was clear and you could definitely see the players on the court. It was my first professional basketball game, which was on my bucket list. I'm so glad that I went with the people that I did though. We all had a fun and carefree time. I really enjoyed myself and I'm so blessed to have such great people in my life. Going to a professional basketball game. BOOM! Check it off!!!

Sorry if this post was a little sporadic, I am writing this while watching of course..... Dun dun dun..... Criminal Minds. So I will leave you with a few pics from the trip!

Until tomorrow....

Always,
Aimee XO

Blogyear Day 8: LAKER NATION!

I know this is late, but here's where I was at last night! The Staples center was amazing and I will write a longer post about yesterday and today. Here are a few pics of the game!

Blogyear Day 7: Reality Check?

Dear Bloggerverse,

My name is Aimee, and I seriously need someone to slap me silly and give me a reality check.  It is honestly so frustrating some days to deal with living a healthy life, but seriously, when am I going to wake up and realize that I can't lose my focus!  Like I have said in previous blogs, I know how to lose weight; I have been there before losing 30lbs.  I need to stop half assing everything and start putting my goals into reality.  So here is my start, I am waking up early in the morning and I am going to go to the gym before I take off to LA for the day.  As much as I want to go crazy and eat tons of junk tomorrow, I am going to refrain and I am going to think about what I REALLY want instead of going crazy just go crazy.

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Luna Bar

Lunch
Salami Sandwich

Dinner
2 biscuits
Potato Bacon Soup
Salad
Diet Coke

Sorry for my little rant, but I can't help it sometimes!  I guess I feel a little discouraged right now with myself.  I know that there is no point in doing that because its about the past and I can't change that!  I just don't really know what I was thinking not taking care of myself more.  Obviously I know how hard it was for me to lose those 30lbs, so why wouldn't I take care of myself and keep a healthy life? OH WELL.  Now is the time for change and I'm excited.  Another thing I am doing right now, is drinking water!  I noticed today I was pretty dehydrated and I need to make sure that I keep a water bottle with me always.

I'm sorry if this is kinda a downer post, but it is what I'm feeling.  If anything, I want to be honest to whoever reads this blog of mine.  I want people to hear my struggles and frustrations because it isn't always rainbows and butterflies!  Well, I am going to get some sleep.  I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow and I need to get some sleep for my workout in the morning!

Until tomorrow.......

Always,
Aimee XO

Blogyear Day 6: Exhausted!

I am so tired today.  My feet haven't hurt like this in such a long time.  I don't know why I feel so whiney right now, but I'm guessing working 12 hours yesterday is most of the reason.  On a happy note, I have the next 3 days off and I'm so excited to have a break!

Today is Sunday and you know what that means......Coupon day in the newspapers!  I don't know why, but I get such enjoyment looking through the ads for good deals.  Today I did very well.  I spent less than $40 for all of this stuff!

I know it may not look like a lot to some people, but some of these items are expensive!  I am so stoked to try the Aveeno shampoo!  It is normally about $7, but I got it for about $3!  There were also some really good sales at CVS and I can't wait to try out the stuff that I got and let you know what I think about them.  

As far as eating goes, here is what I had.

Breakfast

Sunshine Sandwich from Penny's ( sourdough bread, scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar cheese, onions) with hashbrowns

Fit' n Fruitful Berry Blend from Jamba Juice (sixteen)

Lunch

well I had a late breakfast....hahaha

Snack

2 breadsticks

Dinner

Lean Cuisine Teriyaki Chicken

Carmel Sundae from McDonalds

Today I had quite a bit of food.  I woke up starving and my breakfast was soooooo delicious.  It had to have been a million calories, but it was amazing.  I actually really enjoyed my dinner today.  I like diet frozen meals.  I hadn't had this one before and it was really delicious.  What I liked most about it was that there was enough of the teriyaki sauce over everything so that I didn't need any soy sauce really.  Anyone that knows me will definitely tell you that I love my soy sauce.  And to top it off, it was only $1.98 at Food for Less!  What a steal :)  On the down side, I didn't do any exercise today.  I still need to improve on that.  I honestly have been improving on my eating, but I have to find it in me to push myself to work out.  I am the type of person that would rather play tennis for hours at a time than run.  So my challenge for tomorrow is to get up off my bootay and work out!  It's getting late, and I'm exhausted from work, its been a long 24 hours.

Until tomorrow.....

Always,
Aimee XO

Blogyear Day 5: What's Going On?!

Today was another fail for me.  This was today's menu for me:

Breakfast

Breakfast Burrito from Hoagies (one of my favorites)

Lunch

Diet Coke

Dinner

A slice of leftover pizza


Now I can partially blame the terrible dinner on the fact that I got called in to work after I had already worked an 8 hour shift today and I needed something fast so I could get out of the house.  I can't make excuses forever though.  I was taking Pepper for a walk on the pier when I got a message to come in to work.  I am definitely grateful for the extra hours.  I have been toying with the idea of looking for a second job so I can have a better financial life.  Finances believe it or not is something that is extremely important to me.  I want to build a future for MYSELF, and I want to support MYSELF.  I will never be that girl trying to live off of someone else.  I want the finer things in life so that means I need to bust my butt to make the money.

Another challenge that I am going to start tackling is COUPONING haha.  I think that extreme couponing is so unreal to watch, but I kinda think the people that have these giant stockpiles should donate those things to charity and other people that really need the free items.  But, I am fascinated at the fact that you can save a lot of money if you just take the effort in finding the coupons and buying what is on sale.  I want to challenge myself to take the effort in planning my shopping trips and planning on ways to save money.  I know this is going to be a hard task for me, but I think it will be well worth it in the end if I can save my money.


 With that being said, I want to dedicate this year to working hard for everything.  I don't want to be the type of person who only puts effort into things just because I'm getting paid for something.  I want to be that girl that gives everything in life 150%.  This is also why I want to dedicate my time in blogging everyday this year.  Like I said before, I know it will be a challenge for me to keep up daily, but I have to put the work in to it if I want to someday gain a larger audience.  Hopefully this year I can gain some more readers who will be interested in my random life. :) 

Sorry if this is a very random post.  I am writing this at work, so it's pretty stop and go, so my thought process is all over the place.  I have been working on my Maybelline Bouncy Blushes review, I am just trying to finish up my pictures for them.  So look out for that soon :)

Until tomorrow......

Always,
Aimee XO

Blogyear day 4

I don't think you need much of an explanation.

Blogyear Day 3: Kinda a Fail!

Ya you read the title right, I am challenging myself to Blogyear!  I am going to try and make a post here on my blog everyday this year!  Wow I can't believe I even wrote those words.  That is such a commitment, but I am so ready for the challenge.  I am still trying to learn how to film and edit videos, so hopefully soon I will be able to post more things to my YouTube channel.  But, I see my blog as kinda an online diary appropriate for anyone and everyone to read.  I want people to try and relate to me with everything that is going on in my life.  I try and keep things as real as possible and with me writing everyday, you can truly see the ups and downs of my life.  With that being said, lets move on to how the healthy lifestyle went today......

Or how it wasn't all that healthy. o_O



Breakfast
Spinach cheddar bagel with low fat plain cream cheese
Burst o Berry "smoothie" aka sugar blended with ice!

Lunch
^^I just ate the second half of my bagel from breakfast

Dinner (Pic below)
Chickenless chicken nuggets from Trader Joes
Green Giant Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrots (with the cheese sauce)

You don't have to tell me twice.  Today was not my #winning day to say the least.  I shouldn't have had the sugar blended with ice.  It had no nutritional value and obviously I was well aware of that, but unfortunately, it tasted good.  Of course though.  I'm sure I could go outside and grab some dirt, sprinkle some magical sugar on top and it would taste amazing.  Sugar= crack and I need to stay away from it.  This experience reminds me of my junior college coach.  On our way to a match one day, she was talking to us about how to eat and stay healthy.  I will forever remember her telling us we should eat our calories, not drink them. This is one of the BIGGEST problems that I have.  In case you haven't noticed, I have had I think a smoothie each day so far of blogyear.  Anyone that knows me, can tell you I freaking LOVE my smoothies.  This is something that I need to change.  But, on a positive note, keeping track of what I eat makes it SO much easier to analyze and change what I'm doing.  Another great thing was that I rediscovered my love for chickenless chicken nuggets!  My mother is a vegetarian, so growing up, my sister and I would eat tofu, tofu hotdogs, meatless corn dogs, and chickenless chicken nuggets etc.  You name it, I'm sure we have tried it.  My mom usually bought Morningstar products, which are tasty, but after having this stuff from Trader Joe's, nothing compares.  These chickenless chicken nuggets are AMAZING.  I am not a very patient person when it comes to cooking, but I decided to stay strong and put them in the toaster oven lol.  Best decision of my life!  They were so crispy and it tasted so delicious.  You can't even tell that this stuff isn't chicken!  This is going to again, be another holy grail grocery purchase for me.  As far as exercise goes, Pepper and I headed straight to the beach after work.  It was another gorgeous day here in California and it was nice to escape to the beach.  We pretty much go almost everyday, but this time we walked for a bit and then sat down to soak up the sun and take in the Earth's beauty.  All in all, we walked about an hour today in total time.  I know, not much activity here, but to be honest, I really didn't feel like doing much more today! So I will leave you today with a cute pic of my baby girl watching the waves :)  


Until tomorrow,

Always,
Aimee XO

New Obsession: Trader Joes Turkey Burgers

So I have officially found a new holy grail food: Trader Joes turkey burgers! Seriously, these things are so tasty and amazingly affordable! I know sometimes it is really hard to find things that are healthy that don't also break the bank. But this is such a great alternative to red meat and just a great source of protein! You can get 4 fresh turkey burger patties for around $3! I can't get over how fresh and cheap that is! It is definitely worth the taste test. I had this tonight for dinner as well as the Green Giant antioxidant blend of vegetables. So delicious and filling!

Yesterday after looking at what I ate, I needed to make sure I incorporated veggies and protein. Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast
Chocolate dipped coconut Luna bar

Lunch
Original size razzmatazz

Dinner
Turkey burger
Green giant antioxidant blend of
vegetables
Small cookie
Piece of bread w cheese

So obviously I ate more food today. I had more of an appetite today. I played tennis twice (roughly 3 hours) and also took my puppy dog on the beach for a walk (about 45 mins). I had such a great day today. Like I said in my last post, tennis means so much to me. To be able to really work out today playing just blasting the ball is a rush like nothing I've ever experienced. It's indescribable. It makes me grin like the cheshire cat :D. Also going to the beach today was amazing. The weather was gorgeous today. I am so blessed to live where I do. I think it was in the mid 70's here in CA. What month is it? January?! Totally unreal! My doggie, Pepper, was starting to get pretty warm on the walk so I took off my tennies and we frolicked in the water. I took some videos of her playing and splashing everywhere. It probably was one of the most special moments I have had with her. She was having the best time in the world playing in the water with me. I know to some people it may be odd, but she warms my heart and soul. I have always felt this way about animals though. They are one of the greatest blessings that God has ever created. My dog is with me all the time except when I'm at work and she goes everywhere with me. I couldn't imagine her not being in my life. The best birthday present from my parents by a milestone! <3

On a beauty note, today my Sephora package finally came! I have the original Naked palette, but I have been beyond excited waiting for my Naked 2 palette by Urban Decay. After I get a chance to play around with the colors, I will write a review and post swatches from both of the palettes. I also was in CVS tonight with the roomie getting some essentials for the house and I finally found the Maybelline bouncy blushes! I have been looking EVERYWHERE for these things! I will also write a review about these when I get the chance to test them out :).

Well hopefully you had a wonderful hump day and can't wait to write some more tomorrow!

Always,
Aimee XO

It's A New Year!

Happy 2012 everyone!  I know I'm a little late on that, but better now than never!  I feel like everyone says this every year, but this past year I have no idea where it went.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years.  This Christmas, I had to work over the holiday and to my surprise, I had a great time.  That sentence doesn't even seem real, but it was.  Sometimes if you enjoy the people you are working with, it can make you forget about time.  My sister and her husband came home to visit for a split second it seemed like.  They were only home for 4 days, 2 of which I had to work.  I don't get to see them much, and you better believe I treasured every moment I had.  It's hard having her live halfway across the country, but it definitely makes you realize how precious the visits you get are.  As far as New Years went, I went out to dinner with my roomie and we watched one of our favorites, Friends With Benefits. Easy, calm night.  Just the way I like it most of the time.

I have been trying to work on my time management skills lately.  One thing that I am now really excited about is that Blogger has an iPhone app and I am able to write blog posts from my phone!  This is awesome because now I can blog virtually anywhere and it will be easier for me to keep up with my posts.  Blogging is something that I love to do and so I am going to devote my spare time into writing.  I have said this before, I do this because I love to write and I want to share what I think with others.  I obviously hope that my words will reach as many people as possible, but I am still completely satisfied if only a few people take something away from my blogs.

So here is also something that I am going to be working on this new year: a new lifestyle.  I know that one of the most popular/cliche new years resolutions is to eat healthy and lose weight.  Bla bla bla and all that jazz.  But seriously, it is something that I need to do.  Last year I lost about 30 pounds and it was one of the most challenging things that I have ever done in my life.  It took so much dedication, motivation, mental and physical strength and self control.  All of these things don't come easy, especially with weight loss.  Since I started my job last March, I have packed on the pounds a lot faster than I ever thought I would.  I mean, that's just the way it naturally happens.  You don't realize where you are at until it is wayyyyy too late.  I am and have been a tennis player all of my life and I have always kept up on staying active, until lately.  I love to walk my dog on the beach, but that has been pretty much the full extent of my regime lately.  If there is anything that I want to do it  is to get back to my college days of playing tennis.  Tennis is my heart and soul.  I want to get back to playing tournaments and get in the best shape of my life again.  But it is time to take control of my life once again.  I know it will be a challenge, but I am prepared to do so.  This time, I am not alone.  My sister and I are doing this together and then I will have whoever reads my blogs to hold me accountable for my progress and actions.  It is extremely intimidating for me to be writing about my journey, but I think that is what blogging is kinda all about; putting yourself out there.  That's what I love so much about reading blogs, is that you feel like you can get to know the person.  You can relate to what they are going through, what they like etc. It's amazing and hopefully someone is motivated by what I write.

One thing that my sister and I are going to do is write down everything that we ate for the day.  Here is what I had today:

Breakfast

half jalepeno bagel
jalepeno pretzel

Lunch/Dinner

Olive Garden leftovers
handful of chips and salsa

What does this menu show me?  Well, that I love carbs! Duh! What human doesn't?  Honestly, today I was really not all that hungry.  I kinda just forgot to eat halfway through the day.  Just one of those days.  It also shows me that I need to be eating protein!  In my leftovers there were two small bites of chicken, but that was it as far as protein goes.  So, tomorrow, I will try and incorporate more protein and vegetables into my meals for the day!  Today I also didn't do any exercise, not even a walk.  I know, bad.  But its all about making improvements, right?  Tomorrow I will play tennis in the morning so I am looking forward to that very much.

Hope you enjoyed this post and I look forward to you all reading about my journey.
Until tomorrow :)

Always,
Aimee