23 August 2010

31

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Random

Oh yes, another year has flown by and now, it’s birthday time again :)

I have officially survived my first year in my 30s.

How did I do it? Well, there isn’t really one answer, but I did start drinking more :)

Seriously though, another year is gone and suddenly I’m looking back at it wondering how I went from 29 to 30 to now 31. It goes so fast.

So to help usher in 31, I decided to party like I was 21 (giving that milestone memory a fond revisit) and I found that in 10 years, things are dramatically different, which is mostly good, minus the fact that I can’t bounce back from drinking very quickly anymore. Ouch.

But seriously, the first year in your 30s can be tough. I found that everyone looks at you differently when you tell them your age. They either don’t believe you (fingers crossed), look you over closely to see if they believe you or they nod understandingly and pass you sample of anti-aging creme (if you’re not looking for it already).

And while my 30 was a turbulent year, full of high points (solo travel!) and low points (don’t want to talk about it), it really is a time of change, which isn’t so bad.

One big change: I’m not waiting for things I want anymore. I can handle being conservative in my career and finances, but the one thing I’m ready to bust out of is holding back on the things I want personally.

I spent too much of my 20s second guessing what I wanted and day dreaming of what I would do if I had enough time off, money, etc.

NO MORE.

The biggest accomplishment this year: solo travel. Since May, I’ve taken two solo trips: Nola and Napa. I’ve traveled to NYC for BlogHer and Vegas for BISC. And next month, I’m off to Denver for a few days.

My 30s are about celebrating me and after years of insane poverty (thanks college!) I am ready to take some of my disposable income and see the country and eventually, the world.

It’s time to stop holding myself back because I’m scared, I’m ready to embrace me and face my biggest fears, whether they are dining out alone or participating in a dance class with people who clearly know what they’re doing and I don’t.

I feel optimistic and that my insecurities from my 20s are ready to be knocked off one by one.

Sure, there are some days I am depressed beyond belief and stare at friends and family who have homes, families and dogs, wondering if I’m failure. But I’m not. And I can’t compare myself to them. Because I love my life.

I predict there is a lot coming up for me this year. I’m not sure if all of them will succeed, but I’m ready for it. Because if I can survive my 20s and the first year of my 30s with only a few battle scars, I can pretty much handle anything.

And now, I’m ready to celebrate today with some wine :)

JB out.

19 August 2010

I am a gift card hoarder

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Random, shopping

The first step in addressing an issue is admitting that you have a problem. This is true for Facebook/Twitter stalking, real-life stalking and an addiction to cupcakes.

So here we go: My name is Jessica and I am a gift card hoarder.

HOLD ME!

Yes, it is that bad.

While cleaning out my desk this week, I found a gift card I received a while ago and never used (likely because it was buried in a mound of crap in my drawer, but that is another post).

I went home and looked into it’s value and realized the $50 was now worth $20, thanks AMEX for monthly deduction charges!!!

Disappointed, I remembered that I keep all of my gift cards together on top of my stereo at home, so I couldn’t help but wonder (in my Carrie SATC voice), what else do I have hoarded up there?

The answer was….horrifying.

I found at least $300 worth of gift cards to the following stores:

  • JCrew
  • Nordstrom
  • Macys
  • Target
  • Sephora
  • Lettuce Entertain You (local Chicago restaurant chain)
  • Gap

I would not believe I had that many and to so many places, one of which I’ve had for TWO YEARS. I am a gift card hoarder.

Fortunately, none of them have lost value, but the Nordstrom ones need to be re-issued because they did expire, but thanks to a little complaining, that was resolved.

Oh my god, how do I do this???

It’s simple, I get them and think I will find something perfect to spend it on, only to talk myself out of it when I actually find it. For example, if I find a great jacket at JCrew that looks amazing on me and I love, I immediately remember that I have a gift card, but then think, “hmm, I could spend it on this but what if I find something better, then it would be a waste!”

Cue six months to go by and that gift card is still sitting on my stereo and I’ve purchased both dream items at JCrew at full prize (and 9.75% sales tax).

This is a bigger issue of me holding back to find something better, but I cannot believe I had that many.

My new plan is this: I only ask for a gift card to a store I already know I want something from, then when I get it, I FORCE myself to go buy it, no second guessing. Oy.

What about you? Are you good about using gift cards? Or are you a hoarder?

17 August 2010

Counting calories sucks

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Food

And that sh*t adds up fast too.

For two years, I diligently counted my calories, which was easy because I never went out. I counted every glass of water, M&M, chip and sandwich I ate. I was obsessed with it and of course, saw the results of it (losing weight).

Then, suddenly I OD’ed on it and stopped. I wouldn’t log for a day, then two days, then a week, then a month, etc. I’m afraid to check when the last time I logged was, because I’m willing to bet, it’s been three months.

I hate doing it, but it worked.

And lately, I’ve been needing a kick in the pants to do it again. Clothes are snug, beer is delicious, I can’t say no to food or snacking (especially when I eat my feelings) and I feel fat all the time. I can barely stand to look at myself in the mirror.

Last week, I finally got that last kick. While checking Facebook, I saw a friend lost 40-60 lbs over the last six months. And she looked fantastic. I commented to her how great she looked, but staring down at my gut, I felt like a total failure.

So I took one last bite of a cookie and logged into Sparkpeople to start logging my calories again, each cookie, salad and sandwich at a time.

And the results were horrifying. I’m allowed 1,550 calories per day and it horrifies me how quickly it adds up. Turns out, reaching 1,550 calories is easy, stopping at that point isn’t.

In the last week, I stayed within my calorie goal three of the seven days. It’s a very small victory. I’m back at the gym, committed to my workouts and I’m feeling better. I still have a lot of work to do but I take it one day at a time.

While logging, I also saw how weak I am in front of food. I can’t say no, especially in an office where there are always snacks and a candy dish three feet away from me. I chew gum, drink lots of water and pinch my wrist when I feel the urge to go snack. Or, I take 1-2 small pieces of candy and cut myself off there.

Oh and logging food when you go out to eat sucks too. There is no easy way to do it except for breaking down what is in there and finding comparable items in the database. Again, it’s painful, but I am really trying not to give up.

So yes, I hate counting calories, but I hate feeling fat more.

What about you? Do you count calories? How do you handle eating well while dining out?

16 August 2010

Kitchen adventures: Couscous chicken salad

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Food

Yes, I’m back in the kitchen after WAY too long of a break. Oh, I missed cooking on Sundays, while listening to music and Googling simple kitchen techniques. Seriously, I do that.

I’ve mentioned before that I love pasta and carbs. So much so that I might become a walking carb myself. Pasta, bread, you name it, I love it.

But in the summer, rather than bake a casserole with pasta, I’m looking to lighten up my food. Something still carby yummy but cool and easy to prepare without heating up the kitchen.

And lately, I’ve been falling in love with two things: quinoa and couscous.

These babies are my new b*tches. I love cooking with them. And after finding success with quinoa, I tried my luck with couscous this weekend. Here was the result:

Yeah, food styling fail. I know.

Couscous Chicken Salad (MyRecipes)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 12  ounces  skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1  (10-ounce) package couscous
  • 1  cup  chopped fresh basil
  • 1/4  cup  EVOO
  • 3  tablespoons  sherry vinegar
  • 3/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 1  garlic clove, minced
  • 1 1/2  cups  halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1  cup  sliced green onions
  • 1  (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

Directions:

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add chicken; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken using a slotted spoon; set aside. Cool slightly, and coarsely chop.

While chicken cools, add couscous to broth; stir well. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Place couscous in a large bowl; cool completely. Fluff with a fork. Stir in basil and next 5 ingredients (basil through garlic). Add chopped chicken, tomatoes, onions, and chickpeas; toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight (not necessary but good to enhance the flavor).

Verdict: Yummy, yummy, yummy

Okay, I’m still mastering how long to cook this because I overdid the poached chicken and couscous, but it still worked! I also skipped the chickpeas because I only like them in hummus and I still loved this dish.

It was light, super fast to prepare and had a nice sweet flavor without overdoing it. The tomatoes are key to include and really, I could have used a bit more basil. It added such a nice flavor. Feel free to cut back on the EVOO too though, it’s easy to overdo it.

I can’t wait to cook with couscous again.

What do you like to make in the summer to keep the kitchen and house cool? Are you a pasta lover?

15 August 2010

Weekend recap: Bubbles, books and new hair obsession

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Fashion, Food, Friends

Happy Sunday everyone! Tomorrow is a week before until my birthday and I’ve moved more into the dreading and nerves category of the birthday countdown. However, I did get one of my gifts this weekend that I mentioned in Friday’s post :) I won’t share everything until it’s all here but I’m SUPER excited!!!

Anyhow, this weekend was a busy and fun one. Friday I went out with a friend and bar crawled around the Loop. It was an impromptu crawl that had one goal: Patron.

Yes, I have never had Patron tequila, likely because I don’t really care for tequila unless it’s in a margarita. Let’s just say…the taste brings up bad memories. But my friend, who loves it, told me it tastes like liquid gold. So with an endorsement like that, I HAD to try it. And at $10/shot, it better also cure any germs I have in my body too.

So I tried it, lost my Patron virginity, and immediately chased it with Oberon beer. I can’t be classy ALL the time.

I don’t know if it’s real liquid gold but I will say, it was tasty. Here comes trouble!

Then Saturday, Jamie and Stacey invited me to a book club-themed Nintendo DS party at Pops for Champagne downtown. If I could live there, I would.

Look at the deliciousness we got to indulge in while discussing Pride & Prejudice?

That was some of the best cheese ever.

I also got to catch up with a ton of my Chicago bloggy peeps who I really don’t see regularly enough. And, WG2 and I tried to peer pressure Nic into reading Twilight and the Hunger Games series. I am a teen fiction pusher, I love that stuff.

Finally, I got my pre-birthday hair cut/color and I have a crush on a new hair product: Moroccan Oil. My stylist used it on me to add some shine and strengthen my hair. Color really damages your hair if you don’t take care of it.

I was a little skeptical of it at first, but now I’m really loving it and cannot stop touching my hair. It’s so soft and when the sun hits it, I swear you could land a plane because of the shine. I love it. But it’s a little pricy ($42 for 3.4 ounces) so I’ll have to hold off in buying it for now. I love girly stuff but I just cannot stand spending a lot of money on hair products. Sure, I use Bumble & Bumble shampoo but it lasts for a year, so I’m not rebuying it all the time. I spend a ton on make up, clothing and accessories but my hair is regulated to the drug store aisle. That’s just me.

Oh and since I never change up my haircut, you can see pictures of what it looks like from past ones I put on Flickr here and here.

How was everyone else’s weekend? Do you spend a lot on haircare products? Or are you a big tequila drinker or cheese addict?

YOU’RE ON NOTICE!

  • Early holiday decorations (not before Thanksgiving!)
  • Muffin tops (not the bakery-kind)
  • Bar Louie restaurant
  • Laundry machine hogs
  • County sales tax (10.25 percent - come on!)
  • Michael Scott
  • Harry & David
  • Chicago meteorologists